RTHK: EU leaders agree deal on Russian oil EU leaders agreed on Monday to ban the export of Russian oil to the 27-nation bloc, EU Council President Charles Michel said, as Ukrainian and Russian forces battled on the outskirts of Sievierodonetsk, the last city still held by Kyiv in Ukraine's strategic Luhansk province. Michel said on Twitter the ban would immediately cover more than two thirds of oil imports from Russia "cutting a huge source of financing for its war machine." The EU leaders, meeting in Brussels, also agreed to cut off the largest Russian bank Sberbank from the Swift system and to ban three more Russian state-owned broadcasters, Michel added. Shortly before the announcement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the situation remained "extremely difficult" in the Donbas region, where Russia has focus of its military effort after failing to capture Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, in March. Zelenskiy had called the EU too soft on Moscow when it appeared leaders would not reach an agreement on the oil ban. Earlier, in Washington, President Joe Biden said the United States would not send Ukraine rocket systems that can reach into Russia, a decision Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev called "rational." Russia has been seeking to seize the entire Donbas region, consisting of Luhansk and Donetsk, another province Moscow claims on behalf of separatist proxies. Capturing Sievierodonetsk and its twin city Lysychansk on the opposite bank of the Siverskyi Donets river would give Moscow effective control of Luhansk and allow the Kremlin to declare some form of victory after more than three months of death and destruction in Ukraine. But by focusing on a battle for the single small city, Russia could leave other territory open to Ukrainian counterstrikes. In his nightly address, Zelenskiy said the Donbas situation "remains extremely difficult" and said the Russian army was "trying to gather a superior force to put more and more pressure on our defenders." (Reuters) This story has been published on: 2022-05-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. RTHK: Bombing in Myanmar's Yangon kills one, injures nine A bomb blast in a busy neighbourhood of Myanmar's commercial hub Yangon killed one person and injured nine others on Tuesday, police and junta authorities said. The Southeast Asian country has been in turmoil since a military coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government, with anti-junta groups clashing regularly with the military. The blast occurred around 3:20 pm local time (0850 GMT) near a bus stop in Yangon's Downtown district, a police source said, requesting anonymity. Pictures published by local media showed passers-by tending to several injured people as they lay on the ground, and what appeared to be blood on the pavement. A local volunteer paramedic who arrived on the scene shortly after the explosion said his team had taken two seriously injured people to hospital. Security forces later found an unexploded grenade near the site of the blast, the police source said. One man in his 30s died from his injuries after being taken to a hospital and nine others were receiving treatment, the junta's information team said in a statement. The blast came from a "homemade mine", it said, blaming the attack on "People's Defence Force" fighters groups that have sprung up to fight the military's bloody crackdown on dissent. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. A shadow government dominated by lawmakers from Suu Kyi's ousted party, and which is working to reverse the coup, condemned the blast. "We strongly condemn this terrorist act targeting civilians," its defence ministry said in a statement. Across the country, there are almost daily killings of low-level junta officials or alleged informers, with details murky and reprisals from the military often following quickly. In a separate statement, the junta said a bombing in Nawnghkio in northern Shan state had killed the head teacher of a primary school and injured seven others. Local media also reported the blast, with images showing damaged walls and debris strewn across the floor. Most of the violence has occurred in rural areas, although anti-coup fighters have also targeted officials and infrastructure in towns and cities. Last November, a top executive from Mytel a telecom venture between Myanmar's military and Viettel, itself operated by Vietnam's army was gunned down outside his Yangon home. And in August, anti-coup fighters shot dead five policemen on a commuter train in Yangon. More than 1,800 people have been killed and more than 13,000 arrested in the junta's crackdown on dissent since the coup, according to a local monitoring group. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2022-05-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Abu Dhabi-based Agthia Group, one of the regions leading food and beverage companies, is expanding in KSA investing AED90 million ($24.5 million) to set up a manufacturing facility in Jeddah for Nabil, one of its protein brands. Capex spending is expected to start in the coming months, with first sales from the new greenfield project expected in the second half of 2023. The project has been approved at a Board Meeting of the company held to discuss and approve key business decisions. The project, which is in response to strong demand from local customers, will further strengthen Agthias footprint in the KSA, the Gulfs largest and one of the fastest growing consumer markets, and support the companys strategy of becoming one of the leaders in the Mena consumer packaged goods sector. Growth strategy Khalifa Sultan Al Suwaidi, Chairman of Agthia Group, said: Agthias greenfield investment in Saudi Arabia would enable significant progress towards our long-term profitability target and our commitment to deliver on our growth strategy to become a regional leader by 2025. Alan Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Agthia Group, said: Nabil Foods has a well-established business in KSA. This investment will allow us to further drive the growth of our protein vertical while offering the right product quality compliant with local regulations. The site design will also give us the capacity and flexibility to meet future market growth potential and will eliminate any future replacement cost in case of expansions.-- TradeArabia News Service Kazakhstan reveals number of people convicted of January riots Zaven Harutyunyan, author and host of 'Dipvats' program, passes away Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and UN prepare roadmap on export of agricultural products Russian MFA hopes Ankara will refrain from actions to worsen situation in Syria US warns Turkish incursion in Syria will undermine regional stability Cavusoglu: Turkey is open to cooperation in the creation of 'grain center' Mexico bans sale of vape and e-cigarettes US to build 110 military facilities of various purposes in Poland within 10 years Parties of conflict in Yemen extend truce for two months Saudi Arabia ready to increase oil production, in case of a significant drop in production in Russia Merkel: Russias war with Ukraine is a turning point in European history US expands sanctions against Russia Israel, Egypt and European Commission hold intensive consultations on how to export surplus gas Yerevan to host three international chess tournaments in 2022 Turkey delivers six Bayraktar TB2 drones to Niger Trilateral working group meeting to unblock regional communications to be held in Moscow Armenia Ombudswoman receives 904 complaints on issues related to child protection in 2021 New Syrian Ambassador presents copies of her credentials to Armenia FM Stepanakert does not comment on reports about Harutyunyan and Pashinyan meeting In Baku, participants of second Karabakh war break down doors of Ministry Germany to buy 60 Chinook heavy helicopters from Boeing Armenia PM chief of staff: Artsakh is frontline of our war French diplomats go on strike Kristinne Grigoryan: A priority of Armenia ombudsperson's office is to assist overcoming post-war humanitarian situation Lithuania signs agreement with Turkey to purchase Bayraktar TB2 for Ukrainian army Lavrov's delegation during his Turkey visit will include military Tunisia President dismisses 57 judges, accusing them of 'corruption and protection of terrorists' Kremlin: Pumping Ukraine with weapons may worsen the situation Armenia official: Azerbaijan makes statements that do not correspond to negotiations Armenia Security Council secretary evades confirming Artsakh is Armenia, period theory CIS committee on disarmament discusses security guarantees Armenia Security Council head: We have proposed to take troops out in mirror to ensure stability at border Armenia Resistance Movement approaching important milestone says its coordinator Armenia Security Council chief does not say date of next meeting of commission on border delimitation with Azerbaijan Interpol head warns of surge in arms trafficking after the end of war in Ukraine Armenias Pashinyan has telephone conversation with Georgias Garibashvili Deputy PM: Armenia tourism sector on way to recovery thanks to flexible state policy Turkey announces positive negotiations with US on purchase of F-16s US lifts restrictions on Cuba flights Kerobyan, Wiktorin discuss priorities of SME development programs in Armenia Armenia to get community development grant from India Armenia to host Greece deputy defense minister Participants of international congress in Azerbaijan to visit occupied Armenian Shushi city of Artsakh Raisi: Iran supports progress in Armenia-Azerbaijan peace talks US says Ukraine assured it will not escalate conflict after receiving HIMARS systems. UN grants Turkey request to change English spelling of country's name NATO does not foresee Russia retaliation against US decision to supply advanced weapons to Ukraine Turkey parliament speaker arrives in Azerbaijan Pashinyan, Raisi discuss Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation issue Newspaper: Rally in Stepanakert seriously worries Armenia authorities Newspaper: Who will replace serving US Ambassador to Armenia? UK to send multiple-launch rocket systems to Ukraine Croatia is ready to adopt the euro from January 1, 2023 NATO to hold Turkey's meeting with Finland and Sweden to solve problem of their admission Blinken says US intends to provide Ukraine with everything necessary for self-defense Italy becomes only country in Europe that increased import of Russian oil Syunik ex-province govern's son apprehended Armenian ex-presidents nephew arrested Record number of women in new Australian government NEWS.am digest: Pashinyan, Putin discuss Karabakh; EU speaks on Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal Ministry of Economy: It is planned to create a development bank for small and medium-sized businesses in Armenia Saghatelyan: Today we will publish list of forces that presented their position on statement on Artsakh issue Gasoline prices in US again update historical high Kazinyan: Every word and thought of Charles Michel's statement agreed with Pashinyan, Aliyev Israeli air force simulate attack on Iranian nuclear facilities Putin and Erdogan agree that Turkey will help in demining the ports of Ukraine Erdogan: Turkey received no proposals from Finland and Sweden for their membership in NATO Byblos Bank donates to National Library the 1872 publication book (PHOTOS) Today's Resistance Movement procession includes women and children Former Qatari princess found dead at home in southern Spain Azerbaijani President signs order on call-up to active military service Olaf Scholz calls on Turkey to show restraint toward Greece Dollar, euro continue to fall in Armenia Turkey raises natural gas and electricity prices for households and industry Resistance Movement organizes protest outside Shirak regional administration building Erdogan refuses to negotiate with Greece Peskov: Dates of Putin's visit to Turkey are being coordinated Kremlin: Meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy cannot be ruled out a priori Moscow does not believe Kiev is not going to attack Russian territory with MLRS NATO conducts training in Azerbaijan Armenia PM tells Putin about his contacts with Aliyev and Michel Armenia PM and Putin discuss Karabakh settlement Manfred Weber elected European People's Party president Armenia parliamentary staff to receive another bonus WSJ: Some OPEC members are considering suspending Russia's participation in the OPEC+ deal Tbilisi vice-mayor found dead in his home State Revenue Committee: Local tobacco production decreased in Armenia in 2021 Opposition: There will be no interruption in Resistance movement, there is no reason for it Armenian Defense Ministry denies appearance of new Azerbaijani checkpoints in Syunik region Turkish nationalist leader says US military bases in Greece pose 'threat' to Turkey's security Russia MFA: Any supply of weapons to Ukraine increases risk of direct clash between Russia and US NATO Secretary-General heads to US US Treasury Secretary admits she was wrong about 'path inflation' Turkey sends letter to UN Secretary-General on registration of country's name in foreign languages as Turkiye Gazprom halts gas supplies to Danish Orsted and Shell Energy Europe Limited in Germany EU: Yerevan and Baku confirm no extraterritorial claims on future transport infrastructure In Mexico, Hurricane Agatha kills at least 11 people and leaves 20 missing Armenia MoD refutes another Azerbaijani lie Karen Vardanyan donates 107 mln AMD to 5 orphanages in Armenia on the occasion of 1 June New US missile systems to allow Ukraine to hit targets at distance of 80 km Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) won two gold awards for new destination brands at the 2022 Transform Awards MEA, an annual event of the best and most transformative brand work in the region. RAKTDA and strategic brand partner Sputnik Floyd were recognised by industry experts for the highly successful and impactful launch of its tourism brand vision and identity in 2021 with two gold awards for Best Place or Nation Brand and Best Visual Identity for the Travel and Tourism Sector, silver for Best Creative Strategy and bronze for Best Visual Identity for the Public Sector. Established to acknowledge best practice in corporate, product and global brand development work, the Transform Awards reward excellence across the entire brand development process, from creativity to strategic planning, and act as a benchmark for branding and reputational change in the region. Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said: Its great to see our innovation and creativity being recognised by Transform MEA. The travel and tourism industry has been through a period of unprecedented disruption over the past couple of years. Against this backdrop, we understood the need to re-imagine tourism and our Emirates place within it. Todays travellers are looking to go beyond the traditional holiday experience, seeking new, fulfilling experiences where they can immerse themselves in the destination and gain a sense of purpose in travel. Our new brand and positioning played a significant role in the Emirates bounce back; we welcomed just under 1 million visitors last year, returning to almost pre-pandemic levels faster than any other destination in the region. Alka Winter, Vice President, Destination Marketing & Communications, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority said: What makes this recognition important is that the tourism community in Ras Al Khaimah were not only behind this new vision, but they helped in its co-creation with insights and support. Ive seen the rollout of our new destination brand in many markets first-hand, in-person and despite any cultural nuances, language barriers, etc., everyone understood what the destination stood for from the visceral nature of the logo representing nature to stunning visual material from leading digital content makers, he added. To create the new brand identity, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority and lead partner Sputnik Floyd undertook a series of interviews and focus groups with community stakeholders, government entities in Ras Al Khaimah as well as partners in key international source markets. Through analysing emerging travel patterns as a result of the Great Reset, the team quickly realised that Ras Al Khaimah was perfectly attuned to the new era of post pandemic travel with its natural and expansive spaces, stunning topography and mountain eco-system. This new identity also inspired the Emirates new RAKashida logo, which takes from the kashida concept in Arabic calligraphy a line that connects letters to form a word. Just as Arabic calligraphy gracefully flows, the RAKashida represents the Emirates three key natural elements of mountain, sea desert. The RAKashida also stands for the personalised tourism experiences that the destination offers, including a rich history, written by the hand of its ancestors. And, just like the Kashida connects letters to form a word, the RAKashida connects different worlds and people. Launched at Arabian Travel Market in 2021, the team also worked with global social brand Beautiful Destinations. Creating a series of premium teaser and hero destination videos and various journey cuts, to further bring the campaign to life and create cut through in an overcrowded market dominated by campaigns from leading destinations including Jordan, Egypt, Japan and Sri Lanka. Through leveraging Beautiful Destinations digital platforms to reach millions of followers and amplify the campaign, the Authority was able appeal to a range of traveller preferences and audiences. The new positioning successfully captured the imagination of a growing segment of travellers, reaching 74% of the planned audience universe, over indexing against the industry target of 50-60%, and delivering a robust social engagement rate, far above the benchmark average. TradeArabia News Service This winter, six million households in the UK will face possible morning and evening power outages due to sanctions against Russia, as will consumers across Europe, writes Simon Jenkins in The Guardian. And this despite the fact that Europe pays Russia about a billion dollars a day for the gas and oil it continues to consume. This seems crazy. EU proposals to stop payments are understandably met with resistance from countries close to Russia and heavily dependent on its fossil fuels; Germany buys 12% of its oil and 35% of its gas from Russia. The EU in Brussels does not seem to know what to do. A diplomatic compromise was reachedan exemption from pipeline import sanctions that would spare Hungary and Germanybut no practical plan was agreed upon. The real reason is that the debate about sanctions weapons has been reduced to macho rhetoric. They must induce the foreign regime to change its unacceptable policy. This rarely, if ever, happens, and in the case of Russia, this strategy clearly failed. Apologists now claim that sanctions are just a deterrent meant to work in the medium to long term. The sanctions may have hurt Russia's creditworthiness, but only a 70 percent jump in global gas prices has increased its balance of payments. The current account surplus, according to the central bank, is now more than three times its pre-invasion level. At the same time, the sanctions are clearly hurting the Western and Central European countries that impose them. It is absurd to expect Hungary to starve itself of energy and, as it says, "bomb" its economy without any definite goal or timetable. Sanctions have a terrible habit of being difficult to dismantle. The worst is ahead. Russia's response to the sanctions has been to threaten to cut off gas supplies to Europe, pushing prices even higher in its favor. It is already blocking the Black Sea ports, from where millions of tons of Ukrainian grain are usually sent to the outside world. This blockade resulted in a 48% increase in cereal prices compared to 2019 levels, with devastating effects on markets, especially in Africa. This also, in turn, increased the value of Russian grain exports. Russia has offered to lift the blockade if the sanctions are lifted. The West cannot turn a blind eye to the unintended consequences of its sanctions war. NATO is showing reasonable scrupulousness, preventing the escalation of the war in Ukraine into a pan-European conflict. Sanctions do not know such subtleties. Millions of innocent people across Europe and far from its shores will suffer because of the sharp rise in food and energy prices. Supply lines are broken. Trade ties are crumbling. The victims are mostly the poor. The goal - to force Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine - has clearly not been achieved. But the damage done to the rest of Europe and the outside world is now clear. The EU must continue to assist Ukraine in military operations and lift economic sanctions against Russia. They are self-destructive and needlessly cruel. Turkey and the UAE discussed cooperation in the field of military training and the defense industry, said Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar. Akar said he expects important and positive developments in bilateral cooperation in the field of military education and the defense industry in the near future. According to the Turkish Ministry of National Defense, Hulusi Akar discussed with his UAE counterpart Mohammed bin Ahmad Al Bowardi bilateral and regional issues, as well as cooperation in the field of military training and the defense industry. According to Sabah, Turkey and the UAE signed two memorandums of understanding to develop relations in the defense industry. Government officials and companies from the two countries met in Ankara, according to a statement from the Defense Industry Board (SSB). The meeting, hosted by SSB, was attended by SSB chief Ismail Demir, CEO of the Tawazun Economic Council, the UAE supply organization Tarek Abdul Rahim Al Hosani, senior military officials and company executives. MoUs were signed between the Defense and Aerospace Manufacturers Association (SASAD) and its partner organization in the UAE, the Emirates Defense Companies Council (EDDC), for industrial cooperation, and between TR TEST and Tawazun for testing and certification. As a result of efforts to expand cooperation between Turkey and the UAE in the field of defense industry, during the visit of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the UAE in February, a letter of intent for cooperation in the defense industry was signed between the two countries. The U.S. could face fuel shortages this summer and Europe could also suffer from fuel shortages, the head of the International Energy Agency said. "When the main holiday season starts in Europe and the US, fuel demand will rise," Fatih Birol told Der Spiegel. "Then we could see shortages for example, in diesel, petrol or kerosene, particularly in Europe." Birol also said that the current energy crisis will be more serious and lasting than the oil price spikes of the 1970s, given that it is putting pressure on three fronts. "Back then it was just about oil," he said in the interview published Tuesday. "Now we have an oil crisis, a gas crisis and an electricity crisis simultaneously." Oil prices spiked in 1973 and 1979 when the Doomsday War and the Iranian Revolution interrupted crude oil exports from the Middle East. Geopolitical events hit the market again in 2022, when Western countries imposed sanctions against Russia. Now oil, gas, and electricity prices are skyrocketing on both sides of the Atlantic, leading to a cost-of-living crisis. Fuel shortages are more likely to occur in the summer because people drive more as they take getaways. This will likely push prices even higher in the coming months, Birol suggested. Gasoline prices have hit record highs in recent weeks, with an average gallon costing $4.62 on Memorial Day, according to the American Automobile Association. Meanwhile, the average price of electricity in the U.S. rose 6.1 percent over the past year, according to data from the Environmental Research Agency. Crude oil was trading around two-month highs on Tuesday after the EU agreed to ban most Russian oil imports and China eased its COVID-19 restrictions, leading to hopes of a revival in demand from the economic powerhouse. Exhibition World Bahrain, the Middle Easts newest exhibition & convention centre was launched at IMEX Frankfurt, a three-day global trade show for the incentive travel sector, that opened today (May 31) in the German city. Opening in late 2022, Exhibition World Bahrain, showcasing the dynamic, progressive and collaborative culture of the Kingdom, is set to become the catalyst for economic growth, socio-development and job creation. The newly unveiled brand identity captures the essence of the authentic Bahrani spirit and warm Arabic hospitality, accentuated by the use of the colours of the national flag, and reflects the essence of a space designed to connect, share ideas and create memorable experiences. According to Dr Nasser Qaedi, CEO of Bahrain Tourism & Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), the brand identity of the new Exhibition World Bahrain in Sakhir, which is set to become the largest exhibition & convention centre in the GCC region, is a key element in the Authority's work to promote it regionally and internationally. This exceptional achievement is planned to attract business tourism in the region and is considered a key pillar in implementing the ambitious objectives of Bahrain Tourism Strategy 2022-2026, Dr Qaedi said. General Manager of Exhibition World Bahrain, Dr Debbie Kristiansen said: we are thrilled to unveil the new brand identity for Exhibition World Bahrain. The stunning logo design was inspired by the spirit, heritage and culture of the Bahraini people - warm, welcoming and truly authentic in every way. As ASM Global, we are very proud to have been appointed to manage Exhibition World Bahrain by the owner; Bahrain Tourism & Exhibitions Authority. We are committed to mentoring and developing an amazing team of talented, passionate Bahrainis, and our recent dedicated two-day recruitment drive, resulting in more than 500 Bahrainis applying for roles within Exhibition World Bahrain, is testament to that commitment. We have seen a real sense of excitement generated by people wanting to be part of Exhibition World Bahrain and creating a long-term legacy for their country, Dr Kristiansen added. Exhibition World Bahrain features 95,000 sq m of exhibition space, a Grand Hall to seat capacity from 400-4,000, 95 meeting rooms, 14 organisers offices, three Majlis, supported by 25 restaurants, cafes and retail outlets. TradeArabia News Service French President Emmanuel Macron did not rule out a possible embargo on Russian gas as the next step if the situation in Ukraine deteriorates. "I think nothing can be ruled out, because no one can say how events will develop, how the war will develop," Macron told reporters. "We have to maintain trust, and this strategic ambiguity is also useful," he said, suggesting that the threat of a gas ban could have a deterrent effect on Moscow. He said that such a measure would be more problematic for other countries that depend heavily on Russian gas. Macron said that after the sixth package of European Union sanctions against Russia, no additional sanctions could be ruled out in the coming weeks. He expressed hope that an agreement will be reached with Russia on the export of Ukrainian food products in the coming days and weeks, saying that recent talks between the presidents of Russia and Turkey on the issue were a "positive sign." Asked about his decision to continue talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Macron defended his approach. "We must continue to discuss the position of Russia and Ukraine in order to prepare for peace the day they resume negotiations," he said. "This is very important, and it is our duty as Europeans," he added. It is necessary to establish a mandatory requirement for the availability of appropriate technical conditions in vehicles presented at the tender and intended for intra-community use, for access by persons with disabilities, Zaruhi Batoyan, deputy from the ruling Civil Contract party, noted during the National Assembly on Tuesday. The government, in particular, proposes to authorize the establishment of a minimum number of vehicles put up for tender for the organization of suburban, intercity, intraregional, interregional and interstate transportation. The changes regulate the process of transferring aids for the disabled when organizing routes, clarifying the duties of drivers when transporting passengers of this category, and introducing a requirement to comply with accessibility standards for organizing parking activities, Batoyan said. According to the author of the legislative initiative, access to public transport is one of the most important issues for people with disabilities. The government, in turn, presented a positive position. However, the executive has proposed extending the effective date of the law, as vehicles and car parks need to be adapted to the needs of persons with disabilities. After some discussions, the bill received a positive conclusion from the standing parliamentary commission. The participants of the Resistance movement returned to France Square. They completed the procession along Sayat Nova, Khanjyan and Tumanyan Streets. Now the rally of the movement continues. The text of the statement prepared by the opposition says: "Armenia will support the full realization of the right to self-determination of the people of Artsakh. Artsakh will never be part of Azerbaijan. There should be a reliable land link between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh Artsakh will not be an enclave. The Republic of Armenia is the guarantor of the right of the people of Artsakh to security and self-determination. Delimitation and demarcation works should be carried out under the condition of the withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia. As a result, the violation of the integrity of the Republic of Armenia is excluded. In the process of the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations any agreement that would question the Armenian Genocide is ruled out. The unblocking of roads with Azerbaijan and Turkey cannot take place according to a corridor logic". Our actions during these days, as well as yesterday's events showed that we are on the right path, Ishkhan Saghatelyan, NA Vice-Speaker said during the rally in France Square. He reminded that today the participants of the Resistance movement were going to the government buildings to know the ministers' stance on the opposition's statement concerning Artsakh. However, the police blocked all government buildings and prevented the ministers from meeting with MPs. "Nikol also took government members, hostage, because it is very difficult to look Armenian citizens in the eyes and justify that Artsakh should remain part of Azerbaijan. No one will not get away with it. We will continue our actions," he said. Saghatelyan said that today they were not allowed into YSU, as well as ASUE. Speaking about the use of brute force by the police against the protesters during yesterday's rallies, the deputy speaker of the National Assembly said that the reason was the rallies in Yerevan and Artsakh with the participation of tens of thousands of citizens. Ishkhan Saghatelyan noted that these authorities are ruining the country. During the four years of their government, the national debt of Armenia has reached its historical maximum of 63.5% of GDP, increasing by 36% about $3bln. Saghatelyan noted that during the last year the number of the army and military units decreased, but the number of the police increased. Because they don't think about defending our Motherland, the borders of the country. Saghatelyan added that the authorities still have time to come to their senses and take part in the 3 June extraordinary session of the National Assembly, the agenda of which includes the opposition statement on Artsakh (the authorities have already announced that they will not participate). He also said that all those who don't share the provisions of the statement on Artsakh have nothing in common with the Armenian people. Speaking about the actions to be held tomorrow, Saghatelyan said that at 1 p.m. there will be a meeting with about thirty parties of Armenia, after which their position on the statement submitted to the extraordinary session of the National Assembly will be clarified. More than 50 NGOs have signed the statement so far. Besides, tomorrow the deputies from the opposition will have meetings with the heads of the Writers' Union, National Academy of Sciences, various scientific, educational and cultural institutions to find out their position on this issue. In addition, on the occasion of the International Children's Day tomorrow at 5 p.m. there will be a procession from France Square, which will be attended by women and children. After a decade directing the Tam Institute for Jewish Studies (TIJS) and helping catalyze its rise, Eric Goldstein will transition the leadership to Miriam Udel this summer. Central to Goldsteins legacy is his insistence that Jewish studies be resolutely outward-looking both at Emory and beyond. We have led the way at Emory as a model of a successful interdisciplinary program, says Goldstein, associate professor in Emory College of Arts and Sciences history department, whose vision has been that Jewish studies is at its best when engaged with the larger fields in which it is situated, which encompass religion, history, literature, language, political science, ethnography and more. His own scholarship, for instance, focuses on American Jewish history and culture, including an important study of how American Jews fit into the landscape of race and ethnicity in the United States. Respected as a nexus for stimulating interdisciplinary study, the institute features scholars who learn from questions posed in other fields but also, according to Goldstein, complicate those fields in positive ways by expressing viewpoints that might not otherwise be apparent. This approach reflects that Jewish people, he notes, are part of a global culture that doesnt fit standard dichotomies of race, class and so forth. Emory College Dean Michael Elliott calls Goldstein a thoughtful and wise leader who has managed an important set of faculty hires, continued the institutes tradition of engagement in public scholarship and improved its operations. A decade of growth and advancement Goldstein possessed a unique strength, understanding not just the institutes evolution but the longer trajectory of Jewish studies at Emory. A 1992 Emory College graduate in Religion and Middle Eastern Studies, he joined the faculty in 2000 as the institutes first jointly appointed faculty member. Goldstein describes himself as part of a middle generation of Jewish studies scholars at Emory, poised between the founding titans and the new faculty he has been instrumental in attracting. As a result of the 2009 economic crisis, the institute went 10 years without being able to hire faculty. One of his proudest achievements is bringing on four exceptional faculty members Craig Perry, Geoffrey Levin, Kate Rosenblatt and Tamar Menashe in the past five years. This new talent, says Goldstein, positions Jewish studies well for the next few decades. As we defined the new positions, we didnt want to simply add new areas of study; we also wanted to build on existing strengths and create synergies. Perry credits Goldstein with making the Tam Institute a collegial and rich intellectual home for me. Ive been energized and challenged by his putting Jewish studies into conversation with scholarship across disciplines and subfields. Having inherited a departmental template that he was trying to shoehorn to fit an institute, Goldstein is grateful to Elliott for trusting my instincts for change. Reorganizing the staff positions in favor of a structure that better serves the TIJS mission as student- and public-facing, Goldstein created the post of executive director held by Paul Entis. He leads the staff, provides institutional memory during leadership changes and assists with fundraising and community building. Citing how forward-looking Eric has been steering TIJS, Peter Hoyng, professor of German Studies, now will look to Udel, a member of his department, to build on the already productive relationships that many Emory College departments have to TIJS. For Ellie Schainker, the Arthur Blank Family Foundation Associate Professor of History and Jewish Studies, Goldstein also deserves credit for raising the TIJS profile through engaged and relevant public programming that includes the Tenenbaum Family Lecture Series and the Rothschild Lecture Series. Following a sabbatical, Goldstein looks forward to teaching again, perhaps structuring an undergraduate course based on resurgent interest in his first book, The Price of Whiteness: Jews, Race, and American Identity. He also will finish his third book, on the reading culture of Jewish immigrants. A first-rank scholar, researcher and teacher takes over at TIJS Many voices have joined the chorus welcoming Udel to the leaders role, including Elliott, who noted her influential scholarship and gifted teaching, and continued, I am excited by the energy and vision she brings to this role and look forward to working with her to ensure the strength of Jewish studies at Emory for years to come. Udel, associate professor of Yiddish language, literature, and culture, is a leading exemplar of the synergy that is created between scholarship and creative endeavors such as translation. Her second book, Honey on the Page: A Treasury of Yiddish Childrens Literature, is an anthology of primary sources she selected and translated; it won the Association of Jewish Libraries Reference Award in 2020. As a means of telling the story behind the stories, Udel is currently, as an NEH public scholar, completing a study of modern Jewish culture through the lens of Yiddish childrens literature. The translations in Honey on the Page are indispensable to the research in this upcoming volume, titled Umbrella Sky: Childrens Literature and Modern Jewish Worldmaking. Beyond the passion Udel brings to her scholarship and teaching, she also wanted to explore a leadership role in her religious community. After completing a program at Yeshivat Maharat for qualified midcareer women, Udel was ordained as a member of the Orthodox rabbinate in 2019. She describes this training as key to how I carry myself as a scholar addressing questions about cultural and religious transmission. Known as an enthusiastic and creative collaborator, Udel worked with Marshall Duke and Mel Konner from 2015 to 2017 as part of Emorys Interdisciplinary Faculty Fellowships, with Duke bringing expertise from psychology and Konner from anthropology. Notes Duke, Miriam is a first-rank scholar, researcher and teacher. She will bring inspirational leadership to TIJS through her commitment to excellence. This time last year, Udel joined forces with both Theater Emory and 2014 Emory College alumnus Jake Krakovsky to produce Labzik: Tales of a Clever Pup, a video of a puppet show that was seen by about 5,000 people worldwide. Udel translated the Labzik tales, a collection of stories about a proletarian puppy and his leftist family, published in 1935. When she first pitched the idea to Krakovsky, a puppeteer and Atlanta actor, he asked himself, Whos going to produce such a thing? But Udel makes believers of people and did of Krakovsky, who took an intensive Yiddish course to aid his work as director. Krakovsky admires Udels willingness to take big swings, something that will assuredly mark her time at TIJS. For Udel, Labzik is an example of what an entity as nimble as the Tam Institute can bring into being with other campus partners. Udel served TIJS as both director of undergraduate studies and graduate studies, so she knows the ropes and also has the benefit of a self-study completed in 2021. As she charts the road ahead, exciting possibilities loom, including a study abroad program in Jewish Eastern Europe. And with a renewed focus on undergraduate education, the institute will look to integrate curricular and cocurricular experiences so that classroom learning crosses over into potential field trips, symposia and guest lectures to increase impact. At the Tam Institute, we are harnessing the faculty strengths and creativity to make Emory more of a destination for high-level Jewish studies research on the national and even global level, says Udel. A venom-filled fireworm from Rio de Janeiro is the overall winner in the 2021 Underwater Photo Contest hosted by the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. The winning photographs can be viewed online and will be exhibited at the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science (Frost Science) in Downtown Miami from Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend. A call for entries is now open for the 2022 contest until September 26, with a new category offered that seeks to capture weatherfrom extreme to extraordinary. This new category is being sponsored by the UM Rosenstiel School-based Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies. From Indonesia to Illinois, more than 800 photos were submitted to the 2021 contest highlighting the vastness of life under the sea. The overall winning shot, taken by Ricardo Marques Dias at Arraial do Cabo in Brazil, shows the flaring white bristles of the poisonous bearded fireworm (Hermodice carunculata) that lives throughout the tropical western Atlantic as well as the mid-Atlantic feeding on soft and hard corals and small crustacean. The other winning images showcase a diverse array of sea life, including a reticulated brittle star (Ophionereis reticulata) crawling on a red cushion sea star (Oreaster reticulatus) shot with a Canon 5D MIV, a school of migrating Munks Devils Rays (Mobula munkiana) taken with a Canon EOS R6 and a bottom-dwelling polka-dot batfish (Ogcocephalus radiatus), among many others. UM graduate student Nola Schoder won first place in the student Macro, Fish and Animal Portrait and Marine Conservation categories. UM graduate student Victor B. Munoz won first place in the student Wide Angle category. Judged by a panel of professional photographers and marine scientists, photographs are divided into six separate categories. The contests are open to all amateur photographers who earn no more than 20 percent of their income from photography. Visit the UM Rosenstiel School website for official contest rules. We are blown away by the caliber of imagery taken on our Canon cameras for the 2021 Underwater Photo Contest, and congratulate all winners and participants for their tremendous efforts and skill, said Lisa Gualtieri-Alford, vertical sales manager, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group (ITCG), Canon U.S.A. We are so grateful to collaborate once again with the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science on this exciting contest! The UM Rosenstiel Schools 2021 Annual Underwater Photography Contest was generously supported by Canon USA and All Star Liveaboards Blackbeard Cruises. Since its inception in 2005, the contest has drawn several thousand entrants. Beijing to appoint special envoy for Pacific nations Beijing to appoint special envoy for Pacific nations Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday arrived in Tonga as part of his tour through the region, shortly after Beijing issued a position paper on proposals to deepen partnership with Pacific island nations. The document said one of the ways China will seek to boost ties is by appointing a special government envoy for Pacific island countries affairs, according to Xinhua news agency. On security, Beijing hopes to work with nations there to promote regional peace and security. The paper also said China will deepen economic cooperation in infrastructure, agriculture, forestry and fishery, energy, communication technology and tourism, among other things. Wang's Tonga visit also comes after the second China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Fiji on Monday, where he was unable to reach a consensus with his counterparts. The virtual meeting attended by Wang and foreign ministers from 10 island nations deferred consideration of a agreement proposed by Beijing spanning policing, security, fisheries, data and a free trade zone. Samoa's Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa was among the leaders who called for a delay and wants major decisions on the region to go through the Pacific Islands Forum group, Samoan media reported on Tuesday. Niue's leader on Monday evening also issued a statement saying more time was needed to consider "how the arrangement with China will support existing regional plans". Despite their small populations and economies, each Pacific state represents a vote at international forums such as the United Nations. They also control vast swathes of resource-rich ocean. (Additional reporting from Reuters) In an interview with TwoCircles.net, Abdual Wahid Sheikh, a school teacher from Mumbai who was falsely implicated in 2006 Mumbai train blast and later acquitted by court after nine years, opens up on the just released biopic based on his life. Hasan Akram | TwoCircles.net Support TwoCircles NEW DELHI A biopic titled Haemolymph: Invisible Blood was released in theatres across the country on May 27. The film is based on the life of Abdul Wahid Shaikh, a Mumbai-based school teacher who was falsely implicated and kept in jail for nine years in connection with the 2006 Mumbai train blasts that claimed more than 180 lives. After his release in 2015, he penned down his ordeal in a book Begunah Qaidi, later translated into English as Innocent Prisoner, which caught the attention of film director Sudarshan Gamare. TwoCircles.net interviewed Shaikh and Gamare. The former spoke about various aspects of his days in jail, his experience with late lawyer Shahid Azmi, while the latter shed light on why he chose to make such a movie. Edited excerpts from the interview: TCN: Can you tell us about the film Haemolymph and what is it based on? Shaikh: The film is about my life. I was implicated in a false case related to a bomb blast and had to spend nine years in jail. After my release, I have been working for the sake of innocent people [prisoners]. Sudarshan Gamare was impressed with my story and made this film. He has shown the life of a common man, and how he suffers due to the system, gets acquitted and does not give up. TCN: Was there any part of your life that the director did not incorporate into the film? Shaikh: I had met one Sadique Shaikh in jail. He was arrested in the case of Indian Mujahideen. He had said that it was them who had carried out this blast. I remembered this story after the films shooting and told it to the director. He said had he known this earlier, he would have used it in the film. TCN: This film attempts to tell your story but there are other films like Batla House that vilify victims of police brutality. What are your comments on that? Shaikh: Such films show police personnel as heroes. I feel hurt to read or watch such content because every cop is not a hero. No one can become a hero just because he wears the uniform. Sometimes, they indulge in crimes because they get protection due to their uniform. You cannot take cognisance against police personnel even if he/she is accused of murder until you get a prior sanction from the government. They have been given so much privilege and protection that they end up committing serious crimes with complete impunity. It is not that our film focuses only on the negative aspects of policing. Many of the cops I met during my nine years in jail were good. The film sheds light on such police personnel as well. TCN: Was late lawyer Shahid Azmi associated with your case? Shaikh: Yes. He was the defence lawyer of 5-6 accused in the case. He built a good defence case for us. He would also fight for those who did not have a lawyer. He was an inspirational and strong defence lawyer. It was he who went to Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind (a Muslim religious body) in connection with our case. The Jamiat agreed to move to the Supreme Court. He was a one-man army and encouraged us a lot. He had been in jail too. He knew how to live and what to do in jail. He taught the same to us. He told us that he studied from inside the jail. He studied law during his time in prison. I got inspired and pursued the same course from inside the prison. We were sure that most of us would be out if he were alive. After he was killed, we had to hire other defence lawyers. We got in trouble. In our case, the conviction rate is very high. Except for me, all the other 12 accused have been convicted by the court [a sessions court in Mumbai]. TCN: Your father died just a year after your arrest. Was his death linked to your ordeal in any way? Shaikh: My father was an asthma patient and was grief-stricken due to my imprisonment. He suffered an asthma attack in 2007, just a year after my arrest and died in a government hospital. With the courts permission, I went to my house and led his funeral prayer. It was a painful moment for me. TCN: Do you feel the film does justice to your story? Shaikh: Yes. The way the film has depicted my journey of 9-10 years in just two hours is good. The director narrated the story well. I want everyone in the country, whether they are Hindu or Muslim, to watch the film and understand the pain of Wahid Shaikh: GAMARE TCN: Why did you choose to make a movie on a Muslim character at a time when the political environment in the country is polarised? Gamare: The film has nothing to do with the political environment. With great courage, we have tried to tell the story of a human being who has been oppressed. It doesnt have anything to do with politics. I want everyone in the countrywhether he is Hindu, Muslim or from any other religion or casteto watch the film and understand the pain of Wahid Shaikh. TCN: Why didnt you rope in any big actor for the film? Gamare: We did not have the budget for big actors. We made the film with just Rs one crore and its distribution cost was nearly Rs 2.5 to 3 crore. TCN: The films title Haemolymph is strange and not easily understandable. What made you come up with such a title? Gamare: If you google the name Haemolymph, you will find its meaning. It means the blood of an ant. From a common mans perspective, it is about the fact that people belonging to the lower section of society are always ignored. We have tried to show their unseen blood through this film. Hasan Akram is a journalist based in New Delhi. He writes on human rights and minority issues. He tweets at at @hasanakram01 The Permanent Indus Commission - comprising members from both India and Pakistan - on the conclusion of its two-day meeting here on Tuesday, finalised its annual report for 2021-22 as per the provisions of the Indus Water Treaty, 1960. A three-member Pakistani delegation was here since Sunday evening for the 118th annual meeting, within three months after the 117th meeting was held at Islamabad from March 1-3. "We finalised our annual report for 2021-22 and signed it. It lists all the major achievements for this financial year. Also, we finalised and signed the minutes of this 118th meeting," India's Indus Commissioner Ashish Pal told IANS. The two sides also planned for near future field tours and meetings, much of which were kept pending in view of the pandemic-induced lockdown and travel restrictions. "We reviewed the situation and planned for some meetings. The consensus was that there should be more frequent meetings," Pal said. Pal was leading the Indian side being as the new Indus Commissioner of India. This meeting was more of a familiarisation meeting for Pal, who took over as the new Indus Commissioner after P.K. Saxena retired on March 31. As per the provisions of the Indus Water Treaty - between India and Pakistan over sharing of the waters of the six rivers of the Indus basin - both the countries are to have Indus Commissioners and the Permanent Indus Commission is to meet at least once every year, alternatively in India and Pakistan. Of the six rivers in the Indus Basin, India has complete rights over three eastern rivers - Sutlej, Beas and Ravi, while Pakistan has rights over the western rivers - Chenab, Jhelum and Indus. --IANS niv/vd ( 291 Words) 2022-05-31-22:06:02 (IANS) Gurgaon (Haryana)/Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], May 31 (ANI/PRNewswire): Synaptic, a leading alternative data insights start-up, announced today the successful closure of $20 million in Series B funding round led by Valor Equity Partners. Synaptic combines the best of technology, machine learning, and finance to bring sophisticated alternative data insights to decision-makers. "The amount of data generated by the world grows exponentially every year and can be valuable in providing accurate, detailed insights across all types of markets. However, the data is raw, unstructured, and constantly shifting, making it difficult for companies to use it meaningfully. We are a leader in analyzing billions of data points every day to provide reliable insights to investors and corporations so they can make better decisions. With the funding, we will bring our capabilities to more markets and geographies. We are highly enthusiastic about the investment from Valor and look forward to working together with their incredibly experienced team," said Anurag Abbott, Co-Founder, Synaptic. Synaptic is trusted by leading Venture Capital and Private Equity firms, Hedge Funds, and Asset Managers globally with combined assets of several hundred billion dollars. Synaptic provides a data and insights platform to investors looking to leverage diverse alternative datasets in sourcing and tracking companies of interest, market research, and portfolio monitoring. The Synaptic platform brings together well over 100 performance metrics like web and mobile traffic, SEO data, employee data, product reviews, developer activity, search trends, etc, on hundreds of thousands of public and private companies globally. These are layered with machine learning-powered analytics and an automated insights engine, allowing investors to get personalized insights from their data that would otherwise remain undiscovered. Speaking on the investment, Antonio Gracias, the Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Investment Officer of Valor noted, "Valor has a long history of leveraging alternative data to enhance decision making. As the world becomes more chaotic, the importance of alternative data only grows. We are excited to support the Synaptic team as they enhance the accessibility and utility of alternative data." Synaptic was incubated as the data and analytics team at Vy Capital, a $6 billion AuM global technology investment company and was spun out as an independent company in 2016. Previously, the company has raised $6mn in seed and Series A funding from Ribbit Capital, Felicis Ventures, and Vy Capital Management. Speaking on the funding, Rohit Razdan, Co-Founder, Synaptic, said, "This is a significant step forward to harness the full potential of merging ML and analytics with alternative data to improve investing decisions. We are grateful for the continued support of existing shareholders and the addition of new investors. Research and data is a $100bn+ industry that has just begun using alternative data. We want to be the partner of choice for any organization that wants to leverage alternative datasets." Synaptic was incubated inside Vy Capital and spun out by Anurag Abbott and Rohit Razdan in 2016 to bring the best of finance and technology into a platform that could supercharge insights and decision making for investors and corporates. By bringing the power of data and machine learning to alternative data research, Synaptic provides comprehensive tracking of companies, sectors, and competitors by analyzing a wide variety of datasets, financials, and company reports in one place. The company enables top Venture Capital and Private Equity firms, Corporates, Hedge Funds, and Asset Managers across the globe to make better decisions with data-driven confidence. Synaptic has offices in India and the United States. For more information please visit synaptic.com This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire) Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 31 (ANI/BusinessWire India): The last three years have been the most turbulent in recent times. First came COVID-19, a pandemic that devastated the lives of people and brought the world to a grinding halt. Just as countries were making strides toward recovery is when the Russia-Ukraine conflict unfurled, posing a threat to world peace and ripples of this war are now affecting other economies. The Indian construction industry which contributes to over 8 per cent of the country's GDP bore the brunt of all this turbulence in great measure. An estimated 30 per cent decrease in investments and disruption in construction activities derailed an unorganized sector throwing it into a state of chaos. Experts indicate that the recovery is going to be slow and gruelling. The cost of almost all input materials that are critical to construction has seen an uncharacteristic increase over the past six months due to the war situation. The Current Construction Crisis has just shot up Steel costs are up by 30 per cent, cement by 20 per cent, and concrete by over 30 per cent. The cost of labor and transportation which are largely driven by costs of food and fuel have increased by 15 per cent. The net effect of these factors has driven the overall costs of construction by over 12 per cent and the cost of real estate is expected to grow with it. But few construction firms in India have turned the tables by converting the crisis into a boon. Among them,100Pillars Constructions is one such company that has been able to thrive in the construction business by generating more business with happy and satisfied customers. Despite facing a huge blow in the market,100Pillars Constructions has continued to benefit its customers by providing smart features. They have two features namely Price Locking Feature and Threshold Feature. In Price Locking Feature, if the customer pays 50 per cent of the amount upfront, the remaining materials can be procured at a fixed value irrespective of the hike in the market. Whereas in Threshold Feature, a certain percentage of capping is provided on material procurement and the remaining materials can be paid at a standard value if it lies within the threshold range regardless of the fluctuations in the market. If the additional materials exceed the threshold value, a considerable value may be charged. This helps the customer in being flexible about their budget deviations and saving unnecessary costs incurred at the subsequent stages. 100Pillars Constructions is a trusted name in the construction industry that was started in 2018. Within a short span of its inception, they have helped in crafting not just homes but creating everlasting memories for its customers. It was co-founded by entrepreneurs and longtime friends Srinivas Jayaram and Kishan Raj to simplify the construction process for plot owners who are looking for efficient construction. They identified many lacunae in contracting and project execution that have helped them in bridging the gaps by delivering quality construction to customers with the help of one of the experienced and finest architectural in-house teams. They provide End-to-end ownership to the customer throughout the site execution journey with transparent pricing, smart technology and efficient labor management with all safety measures in place. A Dream home journey is made available within a few clicks. The 100Pillars Team has a user-friendly website where customers can get instant access to quotations through WhatsApp and other online platforms. A dedicated Customer Support Team guides the customers with various customized packages for design and construction needs. The designs imbibe both innovation and flexibility and are infused with both quality and durability. They help in ensuring maximum customer satisfaction with a holistic approach by covering every minute aspect of construction. They even help in connecting with Certified and Trusted vendors for all material procurement requirements without much hassle. The entire construction journey is taken care of by the 100Pillars squad right from signing the agreement to post-construction supervision by imparting end-to-end ownership at all stages. They deliver their services to a wide range of audiences be it a Villa, Independent Residence, or Commercial Space. The Company even has consultants that offer advising solutions to potential homeowners regarding plot charges, registration fees, financial guidance on home loans and the Pros & Cons of various schemes. 100Pillars provides premium quality grades of cement and concrete where their project engineers carry out more than 130+ quality checks. Being an Architect Driven Team, they've got a dedicated team of experienced architects, project engineers, and a customer support team who provide 12/7 support after delivery. One of the important qualities that are admired by their customer base is adhering to strict deadlines and even minimizing delay time in emergencies. Post Construction, they provide 10 years warranty for any structural damages. In case of any defects relating to any material or product replacement, waterproofing or leakages, a 1-year guarantee is provided. No Third-Party Intervention is present in the form of subcontracting at any execution stage. 100 per cent ownership is in the hands of the customer at every level of the project execution covering all construction and interior needs. The in-house Architect's team Our Design Team has phenomenal experience in imparting personalized designs with 3D Visuals for new habitats where there is room for customized changes as per the client's demands. There is a flexible payment system with various online options and acknowledgment receipts provided for each payment phase. This helps the customer also track each process of execution and intervene in case of any deviations or if any possible changes occur. Currently, 100Pillars Constructions has delivered 84+ projects spanning different corners of Bangalore. 100Pillars Team is on a mission to cater to a limited number of quality projects across PAN India. If someone who is looking for a one-stop solution for all construction needs, then 100Pillars Constructions is the ultimate destination for New Abode. For more information or if anyone wants to connect with them one can visit their website 100pillars.in This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India) New Delhi [India] May 31 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Plan India today celebrated the culmination of its 28-day campaign #WHYSHY to Talk Periods which sensitised around 28,000 adolescent girls and boys on menstrual health education and hygiene management in over 300 schools across Jharkhand and Delhi. The campaign focused on building the knowledge and confidence of girls in their ability to manage menstrual health and hygiene with safety and dignity. The culmination event was attended by Dr Sushma Dureja, Senior Chief Medical Officer, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. Of India, Ranjana Prasad - Member of the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Dr Rupali Goyal - District Program Officer (RCH) -Delhi (East), Directorate of Family Welfare, GNCT of Delhi. Highlighting the need to increase menstrual health awareness among communities, especially adolescent girls and young women, the campaign challenged social myths and taboos surrounding puberty to end menstrual-related stigma and discrimination. It highlighted 28 stories of the first menstruation of girls from its communities as messages to spread awareness on menstrual hygiene management and breaking the silence. Apart from educating girls about hygiene management, the campaign also spoke of how they should dispose of menstrual waste. The majority of girls lack education about the importance of cleaning, drying, and storing absorbents hygienically, as a result, they suffer from reproductive tract infections. "We need to challenge the misconceptions around menstruation. During these 28 days, we reached out to girls in our schools and communities about the importance of maintaining hygiene during periods. Additionally, we encouraged them not to be ashamed of talking about their periods. This is a natural phenomenon that needs to be discussed openly within our families and society," said Anchal, Plan India's Peer Educator from Delhi. "Plan India believes that menstrual equity can be achieved by promoting gender equality, addressing the taboos and misconceptions on menstrual hygiene and creating access to menstrual health products for all women and girls. Our adolescent girls' health and ending period poverty initiative is led by girls themselves and seeks to promote dignity, safety, and confidence for all girls and young women enabling them to lead healthier and happy lives," said Mohammed Asif, Executive Director, Plan India. #WHYSHY To Talk Periods was launched on May 4, 2022, under Plan India's 'Menstrual Health Education Project in India'. The project is being implemented in partnership with Kimberly-Clark Corporation, USA, in 3 resettlement colonies/urban slums in the national capital of Delhi and the Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand. It aims to increase the knowledge and confidence of adolescent girls and young women in their ability to manage menstrual health and hygiene. This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India) Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], May 31 (ANI/SRV): InventtEd is a leading Ed-SaaS AI company that is on a mission to revolutionize the education sector with next-gen AI solutions that deliver real results. The ERP was launched in April 2022 in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. The company offers a one-stop centralized platform for schools from basic ERP to advanced AI. The highly intelligent and advanced applications are packed with features and are powered by its proprietary technology. With its suite of cutting-edge applications, InventtEd has become a force to be reckoned with in the education sector. InventtEd is a ground-breaking and intelligent platform that has been designed from the ground up to reinvent every facet of education in the institutions. From increased productivity and administrative efficiency to an engaged student-teacher network, this AI-enabled cloud platform is centralized, fully advanced, innovative, customizable, and integrates easily with the institutions. The platform is designed to ensure holistic improvement of student performance in both academic and non-academic journeys. It's a one-stop solution for schools from basic ERP to advanced AI, making it the best learning management system in India and one of the best in the world. "We are excited to offer our unified AI platform to schools to augment their teaching and learning experience for their staff and students," says Mohammed Mehraj, Founder and CEO of InventtEd. "Education sector is evolving rapidly in this digital-first world. Old school teaching and learning styles simply do not cut it anymore. Today, teachers and students need advanced academic tools that incorporate the latest technology. Our flagship AI platform has been built to elevate education to the next level and optimize the learning experience for students." The Ed-saas Al firm was founded with the COVID issue in mind. The creator sympathized with the employees who had a toll on their job and whose wages would make them financially unable to pay their children's fees. Mohammed Mehraj, the founder, saw that in order to become digitally and technologically sound, schools outsource the system, which is costly and adds to the ordinary family's price burden. To solve this problem, the founder decided to provide schools with free ERP for one academic year. This offer was only available to some extent for all the academic institutions. As educational institutions across the world scramble to provide the best academic infrastructure to their stakeholders, they are waking up to the benefits of AI-driven integrated end-to-end software applications. This has given a big boost to ERP and LMS applications, as institutions gear up to adopt and integrate them into their academic and business processes. As a result, there is a surge in demand for reliable technology partners who can set it all up for them. InventtEd is accredited by startup organizations and the Make in India Institute, making the system more reliable. Furthermore, the brand is well-positioned to play a significant role in helping educational institutions make a swift transition to smart AI solutions that are customized to map their work processes. "Reliability of systems and prompt technical support are important when it comes to deploying ERP at full scale in education institutions. At InventtEd, we are well equipped for this challenge. Our applications are modular in architecture, which enables us to create new processes and interactions quickly and efficiently and customize them for our clients," remarks Mehraj. The platform helps students enhance productivity with smart tutoring systems, which aim to provide immediate and customized instructions or feedback. This helps learners grasp concepts and interact fearlessly with teachers, which also provides an advantage to students to assess themselves and improve accordingly. It also supports schools and institutions in saving 90 per cent of their digitization costs while improving productivity by 200 per cent. InventtEd creates an AI-driven performance analysis report for each student in the class. Based on these reports, teachers can guide individual students or the whole class to work on the possible areas of improvement. InventtEd takes care of most of the repetitive activities such as marking attendance, analyzing reports, creating assignments, quizzes, etc. which saves a significant amount of effort for the teachers. The platform has a personalized app for parents to help them understand the performance metrics of their children. Parents can also opt to get regular updates and announcements from the school. "Our vision is to help students apply their learning and transform, as we believe applied learning is key to excellence," notes Mehraj. "Given our team's background and years of experience in the education sector, we understand the challenges faced by the academia. Our application has been engineered to fill the learning gaps and to bring all the stakeholders - students, parents, schools - on a single platform." With the help of advanced and cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, the platform provides useful visual analysis, analytical reports, and collaboration tools. These parameters help track students' performance along with individual subject performance matrix and grading system. "Every student deserves the best opportunities in life. That is why our mission is to empower the education ecosystem with AI which helps educators and students realize their potential," says Mehraj. "We will continue to invest in research and development so that we can always provide the best ERP and LMS platform to our users." InventtEd is an Ed-SaaS AI Company based in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. The company provides a one-stop centralized 360-degree unified AI platform for educational institutions. To book a demo of InventtEd's platform, connect with them through their website https://www.inventted.com/free-erp/ or by calling on their customer service number. This story is provided by SRV. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/SRV) New Delhi [India], May 31 (ANI/NewsVoir): Pancham Dham Trust, supported by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, to commence its 5th journey from May 30 in the direction of propagating Sanatan culture at Siem Reap, Cambodia. RSS National Executive member Dr Indresh Kumar will be leading this cultural journey of India. In the year 2018, the foundation stone for the construction of the temple of Lord Mahadev was laid inside Siem Reap, Cambodia. After this, every year hundreds of devotees go to Cambodia to visit Mahadev. A holy river in the name of Kulin Devi flows in Siem Reap, it is believed that the couple who takes a holy dip in the river, bears a child. This holy river flows uninterruptedly, nourishing the Sahastra Shivling. The city also houses Angkor Wat, the largest Vishnu temple of Lord Vishnu. The Foundation Day was a spiritual journey into the teachings from the Vedas and Upanishads. As instilled in the preaching of 'Sanatana Dharma'; the way of life where the glory of Sanatana Dharma is beset with jewels from across the globe with a singular focus being the world is one with all faiths in their understanding and that progress is from the subtle to gross; from the 'many' to the 'One', from the low to the high, from the form to the formless. Sanatana Dharma differs from other walks of life, only in having a word of sympathy and promise for every sincere conviction, wherever and whatever it may be, as constituting a step in the great ascent to the highest human perfection. 'Sanatana Dharma', implies a code of human conduct, a set of tenets have handed down from time immemorial. Seers and preachers of Sanatana Dharma have been providing discourses on a wide-ranging set of topics covered including the shastras and modern life, the Vedas, their content and purport, the sanskaras (purification ceremonies), dharma common to all and the duties specifically enjoined on people in the four stages of human life. Like the word 'yoga' occurring in the Bhagavad Gita, 'dharma' defies precise definition. It could mean one's duties linked to one's class and stage in life. Or it may refer to different areas of general human conduct, as for instance discipline, manners, management, and law. That one has to follow the 'dharma' prescribed for him and it is hazardous to tread on what is ordained for another is stressed in the Gita in two places. The Char Dhams in India were established in 1000 BC for the propagation of Hinduism. The banks of the Kulin River flowing in Cambodia are being revered as the 5th Dham. Pancham Dham Trust has the support of many organizations and religion lovers. The construction of a grand temple of Lord Shiva is being done in collaboration with the well-known expatriate of London, Sailesh Lalchu Hiranandani and many other expatriates. The Pancham Dham Yatra is slated to begin on the May 30 till June 5 and is expected to host prominent people like Dr Indresh Kumar, Shyam Parande, Swami Yatindranand Giri, Dandi Swami Anantanand Saraswati, Swami Chidanand Saraswati, Anil Thakur, RSS and other officials of RSS, businessmen including Aman Nath, Author, Architectural Restorer, Founder and Chairman, Neemrana Group, Navratna Agarwal, Director Bikanervala Group, and many other high-profile delegates from leading organizations. The people associated with the Trust are actively involved in this campaign and are traveling. Apart from India, a large number of overseas Indians from other countries in South Asia will be participating in this journey. During the yatra, thousands of devotees are expected to visit the site from all over the world. The program to be held in Cambodia will have Bhajan Samrat, Anup Jalota along with Apurva Khandelwal performing at the religious and cultural presentation. In this yatra, the foundation of "Sanatan Sanskar Meditation Center" is to be laid on the land of the institution on June 2. This story is provided by NewsVoir ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) New Delhi [India], May 31 (ANI/NewsVoir): Springer Nature has signed an agreement with Medvarsity, Asia's largest healthcare ed-tech company offering online and blended learning programmes (Fellowship, Post-Graduate Programmes and Certificate courses) for healthcare professionals, allowing them unlimited access to 300 articles from various Springer Nature healthcare journals for a period of one year. The ed-tech company will include these articles, especially curated in the form of case reports, original research, review articles and book chapters from Springer Nature's global database, in its various continuing medical education modules. The content will be available on Medvarsity's platform, and will cover 20 categories/specialties. This will allow healthcare professionals easy access to the latest research and information, as part of their learning journeys with Medvarsity. Speaking at the MoU signing event, Frank Vrancken Peeters, CEO Springer Nature Group said, "As a publisher of leading medical and healthcare journals, we are firmly committed to advancing the discovery and dissemination of peer-reviewed research. We are delighted to be partnering with Medvarsity and positively impacting the careers of medical and healthcare professionals through their online and blended learning courses. The aim is to advance knowledge to explore solutions and tackle some of the world's pressing medical problems." Also speaking at the event, Venkatesh Sarvasiddhi, MD Springer Nature India Private Limited said, "We are pleased to engage with Medvarsity through this pilot for content collaboration and look forward to advancing research and knowledge sharing through their learning programmes. Presently, we will be sharing 300 articles with them for a year, but I am sure we will strengthen our collaboration in the future." At the event Bibhuti Acharya, the Head of Growth and Brand at Medvarsity said, "Medvarsity is happy to partner with Springer Nature India. We have always believed journals and medical research papers are rallying points for the local and international exchange of ideas. Doctors and healthcare professionals in India practise with the heaviest burden of disease, but have the least access to medical journals and research papers. We hope access to Springer Nature's content will help our students with evidence-based practise and help better the patient and clinical outcomes." This story is provided by NewsVoir ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) New Delhi [India] May 31 (ANI/GPRC): Today CL Educate Ltd and Saviour Education Aboard Pvt Ltd has signed a Collaboration Agreement to provide opportunity of education abroad to students at CL Educate branches in Chandigarh and Patiala. CL Educate Limited, one of the leading EdTech company's in India, and listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and National Stock Exchange (NSE) operates the popular Test Preparation brand, Career Launcher. Career Launcher centers are operating out of 200 branches across India and the Middle East. Saviour Education Abroad, meanwhile, is North India's fastest growing foreign education consultant and operating out of 18 branches across four states of North India. Speaking at the signing, CL Educate's CFO, Arjun Wadhwa said, "We are thrilled to partner with Saviour Education, to enable students from our Chandigarh and Patiala centers, to chase their career dreams of pursuing world-class education from some of the best colleges outside India. We hope that having a Consultant like Saviour working with us will open doors to more universities and colleges in Canada, Australia, UK and USA for Career Launcher's students." Mitesh Malhotra, Managing Director, Saviour Education said, "Competition is very high for top rank institutes in India and not everyone gets the seat there, this tie-up will help CL's Students to get equivalent or better rank university in the same premises where they have been preparing for their dream institute. On the other hand, we are just the eight-year-old organization and we will gain out of CL's experience and Knowledgebase" The first branch where the two organizations will join hands will start operations by 15th June in Sector 35, Chandigarh, where Career Launcher's Bharat Jain, a stalwart of the education industry, and widely regarded as a treasure trove of advice and knowledge, will personally guide students in partnership with Mitesh. Website: https://saviourconsultant.com/ This story is provided by GPRC. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/GPRC) Israel on Tuesday signed a free trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), its first such deal with an Arab state. Israel Minister of Economy and Industry Orna Barbivay and the UAE Minister of Economy Abdalla Bin Touq Al Marri signed the agreement in Dubai. The agreement, which is comprehensive, significant, and ground-breaking, is expected to increase bilateral trade in goods and services, increase Israeli exports to the United Arab Emirates and provide customs exemption immediately or gradually on 96 per cent of trade between the countries: food, agriculture, cosmetics, medical equipment, medication and more, according to an official statement released by the Ministry of Economy and Industry, Israel. The agreement also relates to regulatory and standardisation issues, customs, collaboration, government procurement, e-commerce and intellectual property rights. "This is a visit of strategic importance for economic relations between the State of Israel and the United Arab Emirates, the first free trade zone agreement with an Arab state," said Israel Minister of Economy and Industry Orna Barbivay. "The free trade zone agreement which we signed this morning is expected to strengthen bilateral trade, to break down obstacles and to advance new economic opportunities and partnerships, that will serve as a basis for our shared path," Israeli minister said. Reacting on the deal, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber said, "In accordance with our leadership guidelines, the UAE continues to take bold steps forward to advance our economy and improve our status as a regional centre for trade, investments and industries." "The trade agreement with Israel will create a new paradigm for the region. This agreement will accelerate economic growth and strengthen the common belief that the only way to build durable and sustainable economies in the complex world is together," Al Jaber said. "This agreement represents something larger than business: the importance of building significant partnerships. Our agreement can prove to countries and governments around the world that cooperation and dialogue are the best way to transform challenges to opportunities," he added. Israel's relationship with the UAE has great economic potential in a variety of fields. This is due, in part, to the geographic and cultural proximity between the peoples, as well as the UAE's unique characteristics. The UAE is the second largest economy in the Arab world (after Saudi Arabia), with market imports worth hundreds of billions of dollars and significant weight placed on technology products and advanced solutions, where Israel holds a relative advantage, the statement released by the Ministry of Economy and Industry, Israel, noted. (ANI) China and Pacific Island Countries, as developing countries, share broad common interests in safeguarding peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, upholding international equity and justice, and promoting sustainable and resilient development. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in the 1970s, relations between China and Pacific Island Countries have flourished, and exchanges and cooperation have been expanding in more than 20 areas, including trade, investment, ocean affairs, environmental protection, disaster preparedness and mitigation, poverty alleviation and health. China has implemented nearly 500 complete plant projects, technical assistance, in-kind assistance and concessional loan projects in Pacific Island Countries, helped them build important infrastructure such as road, bridge, wharf, hospital, school and stadium, and trained about 10,000 professionals in various fields. China has dispatched medical teams to 8 Pacific Island Countries having diplomatic ties with China, benefiting several hundred thousand local residents. China has signed Belt and Road cooperation MoUs with all the 10 Pacific Island Countries having diplomatic relations with China. From 1992 to 2021, total trade volume between China and Pacific Island Countries having diplomatic relations with China registered an average annual increase of 13% and expanded by over 30 times. Before the pandemic, nearly 100,000 tourists traveled to the South Pacific region every year. Since the start of COVID-19, China has provided Pacific Island Countries with multiple batches of vaccines and various kinds of anti-epidemic supplies. China and Pacific Island Countries have forged 22 pairs of sister provinces/states and cities. China is committed to deepen its comprehensive strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development with Pacific Island Countries, so as to build a closer China-Pacific Island Countries community with a shared future. In this regard, China puts forward the following vision and proposal: 1. Uphold that all countries, regardless of their size, strength and wealth, are equals. Advocate for peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, which are the common values of humanity. 2. Respect the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pacific Island Countries, support Pacific Island Countries in independently choosing development paths suited to their national conditions, adhere to non-interference in internal affairs of Pacific Island Countries. Appreciate that Pacific Island Countries firmly abide by the one-China principle, and understand and support Chinas core interests and major concerns. 3. Follow the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, so as to promote regional peace and security. Uphold the international non-proliferation regime with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as its cornerstone and support the development of the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone. Combat transnational crime including cyber crime, and jointly tackle non-traditional security threats. 4. Strengthen experience-sharing on governance, national development planning and building special economic zones. Share experiences on job creation and poverty reduction, in order to eliminate poverty. 5. Strengthen synergy between Belt and Road cooperation with regional cooperation initiatives such as Pacific Aid for Trade Strategy 2020-2025, Regional E-commerce Strategy and Pacific Quality Infrastructure Initiative, and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in fields of infrastructure, agriculture, forestry and fishery, energy, mining, information and communication technology, e-commerce and tourism. 6. Continue to use the platforms such as China International Import Expo, China International Fair for Investment and Trade, China Import and Export Fair and Guangdong 21st Century Maritime Silk Road International Expo to promote Pacific Island Countries premium products and projects. Expand market access to China for Pacific Island Countries featured products such as agro-products. 7. Fully understand the importance of marine environment to Pacific Island Countries. Support Pacific Island Countries in protecting the marine environment, and carry out cooperation on ocean forecasting and disaster early-warning. 8. Enhance economic and technical cooperation under the framework of South-South Cooperation, and continue to provide assistance to Pacific Island Countries to the best of Chinas capability. Support cooperation between medical institutions, and provide anti-COVID-19 assistance to Pacific Island Countries. 9. Encourage people-to-people exchanges, and strengthen exchanges and cooperation in such fields as youth, sports, culture and arts, universities, think tanks, womens welfare and media. Support willing institutions in Pacific Island Countries in jointly establishing Confucius Institute and Confucius Classroom with China. Explore cooperation in cultural industry. 10. Continue to provide Pacific Island Countries with Chinese government scholarships and various training opportunities. Support deepening sub-national exchanges and cooperation, and encourage establishing more sister provinces/states/cities relations. 11. In accordance with the principle of equity, common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, promote the full and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement and a green and low-carbon development for all countries. Deepen South-South cooperation on climate change. Realizing that Pacific Island Countries are vulnerable to climate crisis, and help Pacific Island Countries build a climate resilient blue economy. 12. Stay committed to promoting multilateralism, abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, uphold the UN-centered international system and the international order based on international law, and establish a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, equity, justice and win-win cooperation, so as to safeguard the legitimate interests of developing countries, especially small and medium-sized countries. 13. Implement the Global Development Initiative, and support Pacific Island Countries in accelerating the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 14. Actively explore tripartite cooperation in Pacific Island Countries. 15. China respects the willingness of Pacific Island Countries, as well as the existing regional mechanism and arrangement, and is willing to implement the above vision on the basis of friendly consultation with Pacific Island Countries, to promote concrete cooperation as follows: (1) Hold the China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers Meeting on a regular basis. (2) Appoint a Chinese government special envoy for Pacific Island Countries affairs. (3) Continue to hold the China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development and Cooperation Forum. (4) Continue to hold the China-Pacific Island Countries Agriculture Ministers Meeting and associated events. (5) Establish a China-Pacific Island Countries demonstration center for agricultural cooperation, continue to support Pacific Island Countries by dispatching agricultural experts and technical personnel, providing agricultural materials and equipment, and carrying out training programs. (6) Establish a Juncao technology demonstration center for Pacific Island Countries, and popularize Juncao planting technology in Pacific Island Countries fit for planting, to help improve peoples livelihood. (7) Establish a China-Pacific Island Countries disaster management cooperation mechanism and a disaster preparedness and mitigation cooperation center, and hold the first China-Pacific Island Countries Disaster Management Cooperation Forum in due course. (8) Launch the China-Pacific Island Countries poverty reduction and development cooperation center, to help Pacific Island Countries accelerate poverty reduction. (9) The China-Pacific Island Countries Reserve of Emergency Supplies will establish a sub-reserve in Pacific Island Countries. (10) Provide training opportunities for Pacific Island Countries through the China-Pacific Island Countries Climate Change Cooperation Center in the next five years, and continue to carry out climate change South-South cooperation in-kind assistance projects, including a total value of 35 million RMB of in-kind assistance in 2022. (11) Hold the China-Island Countries Maritime Cooperation High-Level Forum in due course and invite Pacific Island Countries to attend. (12) Encourage and support airlines to launch air routes and flights between China and Pacific Island Countries when COVID-19 is effectively under control. (13) Hold a China-Oceania and South Pacific Region International Trade and Digital Expo. (14) Hold seminars on governance and development planning for Pacific Island Countries. (15) Hold training programs for young diplomats from Pacific Island Countries. (16) Provide 2,500 government scholarships for Pacific Island Countries from 2020 to 2025. (17) Provide 3,000 human resource training opportunities for Pacific Island Countries from 2020 to 2025. (18) Inject an additional 2 million USD to the China-Pacific Island Countries Anti-COVID-19 Cooperation Fund in 2022. (19) Send Chinese medical teams to Pacific Island Countries including the Solomon Islands and Kiribati. (20) Send Chinese medical teams to Pacific Island Countries in the next five years with a total number of 200 members. (21) Continue to provide grants to the PIF. (22) Continue to provide grants to the SPREP. (23) Guangdong Province of China will provide livelihood assistance to communities in Pacific Island Countries in light of their needs, and will conduct livelihood projects totaling 50 million RMB in 2022. Send 10 medical teams and 5 to 10 art troupes to Pacific Island Countries and provide 600 training opportunities, in light of the COVID-19 situation. (24) In 2022, Tianjin Municipality will provide the first batch of scholarships to sponsor students from Pacific Islands Countries for vocational and technical education and training in Tianjin. Faridabad (Haryana) [India], May 31 (ANI/NewsVoir): Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies was selected as a Nodal Centre by the Ministry of Education's Innovation Cell and AICTE for hosting Toycathon 2022 physical edition organized jointly by the Ministry of Education in coordination with five other Ministries viz: Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, and Ministry of Textiles. The event kick-started on 24th May with the inaugural address given to the five nodal centers from AICTE headquarters by senior officials of AICTE and MIC. The inaugural was attended by Prof. Anil Sahasrabudhe (Chairman AICTE), Prof. M.P. Poonia (Vice Chairman AICTE), Prof. Rajive Kumar (Member Secretary AICTE), Dr Abhay Jere (Chief Innovation Officer, MIC) and Dr Mohit Gambhir (Director, MIC). Toycathon focuses on conceptualizing new and innovative toys using local materials which are economical, affordable, safe, environment friendly, with exceptional high quality for both Indian and global markets. Toycathon was a continuous 36 hours event which saw the gracious presence of senior officials of AICTE, MIC and Manav Rachna at the nodal center for interacting with the students and encouraging them to put the best possible efforts for converting their toy ideas into working prototypes. Prof. Rajive Kumar, Member Secretary AICTE; Dr Neeraj Saxena, Advisor, AICTE; Dr Mohit Gambhir, Director MIC; Shri Girish Kumar Bhasin, Senior Account Officer AICTE; Shri Yogesh Wadhawan, Accounts Officer AICTE; Dr Sanjay Srivastava (VC-MRIIRS); Shri R.K Arora (Registrar MRIIRS); Lt. Gen. (Retd.) R.K. Anand graced the Toycathon event with their presence at Manav Rachna campus. Manav Rachna was the only nodal center being given the responsibility of hosting students of Track 1 which included Grade VIII-XII students from PAN India. Dr Neeraj Saxena emphasized on project-based learning rather than rote learning. With the launch of New Education Policy 2020, we need to promote learning across areas in which our head, hands and heart are involved. Prof. Rajive Kumar said, "I interacted with the participants at Toycathon and I am amazed by their enthusiasm, ideas and commitment. Such exposure to students like interactions and cultural exchange is what our honorable Prime Minister visions. Toycathon is a perfect example of students exchanging ideas, culture and innovation." The two day event concluded with a valedictory ceremony, graced by the Chief Guest Dr Mohit Gambhir, Director of Ministry of Education, Innovation Cell; Dr Pardeep Kumar, Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean FET; Dr, Geeta Nijhawan, Associate Dean, FET along with Sarim Moin, Nitin and Sourabh from the Ministry of Education Innovation Cell; Dr Umesh Dutta, Director, MRIIC; Dr Abhiruchi Passi, Deputy Director MRIIC and other senior representatives. There were 34 teams from all over India, who brought innovation and structure with scientific temper. Seven teams won for their innovative idea, representation of Indian heritage and dawning with technological progression. In addition to that, Manav Rachna also bestowed Appreciation awards to four teams for their creativity and out of the box thinking. Team Tatva, Toycoon, Toyscope, Stickathi, Knowledge Hub, Spell Wizard, Untold Stories, all hailing from different regions including Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Punjab, Odisha, and Kerala emerged as winners. The 7 teams along with Certificates of Merit won 25 thousand rupees each. This story is provided by NewsVoir ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) As soon as the actor-director duo reached the airport, fans surrounded them and cheered for them. Several images and videos have been doing the rounds on the internet. In one of the clips, a massive garland made of marigold flowers is seen around Ranbir. It was put on him using a crane. Ranbir shook hands with a few of his fans and also thanked them by folding his hands. Such grand welcome has garnered netizens' attention. Reacting to the viral pictures and videos, a social media user tweeted, "Oh My God! This is huge." "Loved the way people welcomed Ranbir in Visakhapatnam," another one wrote. For the special occasion, Ranbir and Ayan chose to dress up in ethnic wear. They both twinned in white kurta pyjama. Filmmaker SS Rajamouli also joined Ranbir and Ayan to promote 'Brahmastra' among the audience in Visakhapatnam. Actor Alia Bhatt missed the promotional activity as she is busy shooting for her Hollywood debut in London. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interaction with the beneficiaries of welfare schemes titled 'Garib Kalyan Sammelan' on Tuesday will not be telecast in three of Tripura's eight districts in view of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) being in force due to the June 23 by-elections to four assembly seats, election officials said on Monday. The Prime Minister will interact with beneficiaries from across the country at the event to be held in Shimla. Tripura's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Gitte Kirankumar Dinkarrao told IANS that "In view of the Model Code of Conduct enforced in three districts - West Tripura, Dhalai and North Tripura -- the Prime Minister's programme will not be telecast." The Election Commission enforced the MCC when the poll panel announced the by-election schedule on May 25 in four assembly seats -- Agartala, Town Bordowali, Surma (SC), and Jubarajnagar. CPI-M Tripura state secretary Jitendra Chowdhury in a letter to the CEO on Monday said that the Prime Minister's Office has directed all the 8 District Magistrates of Tripura to give wide publicity to the programme and arrange massive participation of people to hear the PM through giant screens at various places. "Certainly, the Prime Minister shall not propagate failure of the schemes .... whatever might be the reality of these schemes in the state, he will propagate achievements of his government's welfare schemes at the moment when MCC is enforced in three districts in connection with the by-election," Chowdhury said. He added that for this programme, the PM will make use of the government's transmission machinery, the district administration, and the official media for furtherance of electoral prospects of his party. "By propagating this programme, the Prime Minister intentionally violates para 4 of Section VII under the caption 'Party in Power' of MCC which categorically bars misuse of official mass media for publicity of achievements with a view to further the prospects of the party in power," the CPI-M leader said. The Left leader requested the CEO to intervene in the matter and stop this programme in adherence to the MCC in letter and spirit. --IANS sc/kvd/bg ( 363 Words) 2022-05-30-20:20:02 (IANS) The ED had attached the properties of Jain's relatives worth Rs 4.81 crore in April this year. "Immovable properties worth Rs 4.81 crore belonging to different firms owned by Swati Jain, Sushila Jain, and Indu Jain, the relatives of Jain was attached. Akinchan Developers Pvt Ltd, Indo Metal impex Pvt Ltd, Paryas Infosolutions Pvt Ltd, Manglayatan Projects Pvt Ltd, JJ Ideal Estate Pvt. Ltd were the firms against which action was taken," a source said. The ED initiated the money laundering investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), against Jain and others under Section 109 of IPC -- read with sections 13(2) and 13(1) (e) of Prevention of Corruption Act. The ED learnt in the investigation that during the period 2015-16, when Jain was a public servant, the above mentioned companies owned and controlled by him received accommodation entries to the tune of Rs 4.81 crore from shell companies against cash transferred to Kolkata-based entry operators through the Hawala route. These amounts were utilised for direct purchase of land or for the repayment of loan taken for purchase of agricultural land in and around Delhi. "Accordingly, immovable properties worth Rs 4.81 crore in the form of land belonging to the accused and their companies under section 5 of PMLA were attached," said the ED official. Further investigation into the matter is underway. --IANS atk/pgh ( 264 Words) 2022-05-30-20:52:23 (IANS) Union Steel Minister R.C.P. Singh on Monday said that the chance of Bihar Chief Minister and his JD-U's chief Nitish Kumar becoming the country's Prime Minister are remote. "A party needs to have 273 seats for a stable government and the Prime Minister of the country. JD-U is a party of Bihar which won a maximum of 20 Lok Sabha seats once. The current strength of JD-U in Lok Sabha is 16. So how would he (Nitish Kumar) become the Prime Minister of the country?" he asked. When reporters gave the example of H.D. Deve Gowda, Singh said: "What was the tenure of Deve Gowda? His tenure was very short. We need not to register only the name of Nitish Kumar in the list of Prime Ministers. He was the longest serving Chief Minister of Bihar and he has been running a strong and smooth government." Singh served as a Rajya Sabha member for two consecutive terms representing the Janata Dal-United. As his relation with Nitish Kumar was not so good, the party did not field him again and nominated its Jharkhand unit President Khiru Mahto. Mahto filed his nominations in the Assembly in presence of Nitish Kumar, JD-U national President Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, Upendra Kushwaha, as well as BJP leaders Sanjay Jaiswal, Nityanand Rai, Tar Kishor Prasad, Shahnawaz Hussain. The nominations of BJP's Satish Chandra Dubey and Shambhu Sharan Patel were not filed on Monday due to the incomplete paper work. They will file their candidature on Tuesday, the last date. After nominating Mahto, Nitish Kumar said: "He (RCP Singh) needs not to resign from the Union Cabinet immediately. There is a certain time for him. He has already talked about it." Singh earlier said that he will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that "it is the special privilege of the PM to retain him further after he is no longer a member of any house of the Parliament". --IANS ajk/vd ( 337 Words) 2022-05-30-20:52:24 (IANS) Condemning the attack on farmers leaders Rakesh Tikait and others in Bengaluru and terming it "sponsored by the BJP", the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Monday demanded punishment to the culprits, action against officers guilty for negligence, and a judicial inquiry into the incident. Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Tikait was attacked with black paint during a press conference at Bengaluru on 'Raita Chaluvali, Aatmavalokana haagu Spasteekarana Sabha (Farmer's Movement, Introspection and Clarification Meeting)' organised by Karnataka State Farmers Association, affiliated to the SKM, and Hasiru Sene. "Based on the information received so far, it is clear that farmers leaders Tikait, Yudhveer Singh and Kavitha Kuruganti were refuting the propaganda against the farmers' movement by TV channels in Karnataka during the past few days. During this, one person got up in a pre-planned manner and hit the TV channel's boom mic on Tikait's face and another person came and threw ink at him. The attackers were raising slogans of 'Jai Modi' and 'Modi, Modi'," the SKM said in a statement. "Till now, the main accused Bharat Shetty has been identified and is in police custody. The photo of the prime accused along with former Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddiyurappa, (his son and) BJP's state Vice pPesident Vijayendra, current Home Minister Araga Jnanendra and Irrigation Minister Govind Karjol has now made it clear that the attack was sponsored by the BJP," the Morcha alleged. "It is also clear that the BJP government had not made any security arrangements, despite the tense atmosphere due to a TV channel propaganda campaign against the farmers' movement for the past few days. "The ink could have been replaced with acid or even a bomb, the consequences of which could have been fatal. It is now clear that the attackers had the full support of the BJP and the Karnataka government," alleged the SKM - a consortium of 40-odd farmers' organisations that had been part of the agitation against the now-repealed three farm laws since mid-2020. Stating that it would "not be appropriate to ignore this as a small incident, since Rakesh Tikait has been attacked in the past as well", the SKM said: "The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, therefore, demands that the culprits of this incident should be given strict punishment, the police officers guilty for this negligence should be immediately suspended, a judicial inquiry should be ordered into this incident and the political conspiracy behind it." "Tikait should be provided security," the SKM demanded. "This incident has once again exposed the anti-farmer face of BJP. Farmers know how to teach a lesson through peaceful and democratic means to this government, which has repeatedly cheated the farmers and sponsored attacks on them," the SKM said. --IANS niv/vd ( 464 Words) 2022-05-30-21:02:01 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who completed three years in office on Monday, said that his government implemented more than 95 per cent of the promises made to people. He said he tried to live up to the faith people reposed in him by fulfilling the promises in these years. He tweeted that many good schemes and programmes were launched during the period. "With your love and affection and your blessings, it has been three years since I took over as the chief minister," he tweeted. Jagan Mohan Reddy wrote that he wishes to serve the people more in the days to come and pray that people continue to shower their affection. "I would like to thank everyone once again for giving me the opportunity to serve you," he added. However, the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) released a 'charge sheet' on three years of 'misrule' by the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government. TDP state president K. Atchannaidu released a 1,111-point 'people's charge sheet'. He asserted that the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has no moral right to celebrate the completion of three years in power since all sections of people are suffering and all sectors have collapsed under the 'misrule'. He alleged that CM Jagan and his 151 MLAs pushed the state backwards by 30 years with their 'frauds, atrocities and anarchic' policies. Atchannaidu said the destructive regime began with the demolition of Praja Vedika. The reverse tendering policies have completely destroyed the state as a whole. The TDP leader said Jagan Reddy had nothing to boast of during his visit to Davos World Economic Forum. The CM had no choice but to take false credit for Adani Data Centre that was brought to the State by Nara Lokesh during the TDP rule. He said the Greenco power company was also brought to Kurnool during the TDP rule. Atchannaidu strongly objected to the 17 ministers belonging to BC, SC, ST sections taking out a bus yatra in the name of social justice. None of these ministers had any value in this government. He remarked that Jagan Reddy had mortgaged the whole state to Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, Vijay Sai Reddy, Y.V. Subba Reddy and Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy. Atchannaidu deplored that farmers were committing suicides due to no help from the Government. Criminal elements were competing in perpetrating rapes and atrocities. --IANS ms/skp/ ( 408 Words) 2022-05-30-21:02:02 (IANS) A total of 184.58 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of wheat and 810.05 LMT of paddy has been procured till Sunday in the current season, the government said on Monday even as wheat procurement from Punjab, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh saw a massive dip compared to last season. The wheat procurement under the central pool is progressing in Rabi Marketing Season 2022-23 in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The wheat procured till Sunday benefited about 17.50 lakh farmers with minimum support price (MSP) value of Rs 37,192.07 crore, data from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution showed. Paddy procurement under the central pool is progressing smoothly in Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2021-22, in various procuring states/UTs. Up to Sunday, a total of 810.05 LMT of Paddy (including Kharif Crop 754.69 LMT and Rabi Crop 55.37 LMT) has been procured, benefiting 117.05 lakh farmers with MSP value of Rs 1,58,770.64 crore. While the highest quantity wheat at 96.16 LMT was procured from Punjab, the number of farmers benefitted - 7,97,795 - too was highest from the state. In case of paddy, at 187.28 LMT, it was again Punjab that showed highest procurement while Chhattisgarh topped the list of beneficiary farmers at 21,05,972. Although wheat procurement will continue for some more time, the current quantity procured in Punjab is way below the 132.22 LMT procured last year (RMS 2021-22). Untimely spells of heat waves in March and April across northwest Indian plains had led to shriveling of the wheat grain and in turn. led to crop loss. Almost simultaneously, the Russia-Ukraine war had led to global demand for wheat and farmers directed their wheat for exports, in turn, affecting the procurement for the central pool. However, more than the Punjab procurement, it is the farmers from Madhya Pradesh who made hay resulting in a dip in procurement for the central pool in that state. Madhya Pradesh's procurement is way too less this year - at 44.45 LMT - as compared to 128.16 LMT last year. Haryana's procurement at 40.97 LMT too was more than 50 per cent less compared to 84.93 LMT of last season, Food Corporation of India (FCI) record showed. --IANS niv/vd ( 379 Words) 2022-05-30-22:24:09 (IANS) The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Monday announced the name of three candidates for the MLC elections from Bihar. State President Jagadanand Singh announced the names of three - all ground level workers of the party. Among them, is Munni Devi, from Bakhtiyarpur in Patna and involved in washing clothes of others to earn for her livelihood. She is associated with the party for more than 18 years and is the General Secretary of its women's wing. "I was not aware of my selection for the MLC candidate of the party. Some RJD workers came to my house and informed me about the development. Even, I do not have a cell phone," Munni Devi, who belongs to the Rajak community (Scheduled Caste) said. "Opposition leaders used to blame Lalu Prasad for doing dynastic politics and always promoting his family members, now it is clear that the RJD does not believe in dynastic politics but it believes in Dalitwad politics. Lalu Prasad Yadav has given a ticket to a ground worker like me, it proves that he always think of poor and Dalit people of the country. He is known for social justice and empowerment of women," Munni Devi said. During the selection of Misa Bharti and Faiyaz Ahmed for the Rajya Sabha polls, the opposition leaders blamed Lalu Prasad Yadav for either doing dynastic politics or selling tickets to rich candidates. "I was scared of coming into the residence of Lalu Ji at his 10 circular road residence. His elder son Tej Pratap Yadav gave me a Bhagwad Geeta. The entire family respected me when I reached there. As I have no vehicle, Tej Pratap Yadav sent his own car for me to return to Bakhtiyarpur," she said. The other two candidates are the RJD youth wing's state President Mohamamad Kari Suhaib, and Ashok Kumar Pandey. --IANS ajk/vd ( 317 Words) 2022-05-30-22:31:05 (IANS) On May 30, 2022 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Fijian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama co-chaired the second China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Suva. President and Foreign Minister Taneti Maamau of Kiribati, Samoan Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Afioga Fiame Naomi Mataafa, Premier and Foreign Minister Dalton Tagelagi of Niue, Foreign Minister Soroi Eoe of Papua New Guinea, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and External Trade Marc Ati of Vanuatu, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Kandhi Elieisar of Federated States of Micronesia, Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade Jeremiah Manele of Solomon Islands, Tongan Foreign Minister Fekitamoeloa Katoa 'Utoikamanu, Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Henry Puna and others attended the meeting both online and offline. Wang Yi first read out President Xi Jinping's written remarks to the meeting. Wang Yi said that the world today is facing unprecedented challenges and changes. Where is the world headed? The answer President Xi Jinping has given is to build a community with a shared future for mankind. China is ready to work with other countries to inject more stability and certainty into a world beset by changes and turmoil, and add more solidarity and confidence to a world in danger of division. Wang Yi said, honoring the commitments is the style of the Chinese people to deal with things, assisting others in a time of urgent need is the way that the Chinese people treat friends, and upholding justice is the guiding principle that the Chinese people behave. More than ten outcomes reached at the first China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting have been implemented. China has made every effort to help Pacific Island Countries (PICs) fight against natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic, and stands firmly with PICs on issues concerning national sovereignty and security, climate change, maritime rights and interests, and sustainable development. Facts have proved that China's cooperation with PICs conforms to the trend of the times, benefits the people in the region, and shows great vitality and bright prospects. Wang Yi stressed that over the past half century, no matter how the international landscape evolves, China's friendly policy towards PICs has never changed and its commitment to cooperate with PICs has been firm. China firmly supports what serves the interests of PICs. We will press ahead with whatever PICs need. Following the basic principle of mutual respect and moving towards the fundamental goal of common development, China is willing to strengthen political communication, work hand in hand in development, render utmost assistance to fight the pandemic, take the lead in addressing climate change, conduct people-to-people and cultural exchanges and mutual learning, and strengthen solidarity and cooperation on the international stage, so as to promote the stability and long-term development of bilateral relations and achieve more fruitful results. China will continue to listen to the voice of PICs and their people, respect the existing cooperation mechanisms and arrangements in the PICs region, and also support other willing countries in increasing input in promoting the development of PICs and carrying out tripartite or even four-party cooperation so as to draw on each other's strengths and foster synergy. Wang Yi announced that China will continue to build six new cooperation platforms, including poverty reduction, climate change, disaster prevention, agriculture and Juncao centers. The second China-Pacific Island Countries Agriculture Ministers' Meeting will be held this year. China-Oceania and South Pacific International Trade Digital Expo will be held. Leaders and foreign ministers of PICs attending the meeting said that President Xi Jinping's written remarks show the great importance he attaches to bilateral relations with PICs and his sincere friendship. PICs cherish their friendship and partnership with China, thank China for its selfless support and assistance to PICs in fighting disasters and the pandemic, strengthening economic resilience and realizing independent development, and support the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative. They said, they will continue to firmly pursue the one-China principle, and look forward to expanding cooperation with China in various fields and learning from the experience of China's reform and development, to help PICs advance the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, strengthen their capacity in infrastructure construction, improvement of people's livelihood and climate change response and ecological protection, and achieve the sustainable development, delivering a better life to the people of PICs and writing more memorable friendship stories. After the meeting, China will issue a position paper on mutual respect and common development between China and PICs. Karnataka Congress on Monday slammed the attack on Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait during an event here. The incident took place when Tikait was attending a press conference organised by the Karnataka State Farmers Association and Hasiru Sene. The farmer leader was attacked with a microphone and then ink was thrown at him. Three people have been detained in connection with the case. Karnataka Congress President D.K. Shivakumar dubbed the incident as an insult to the state. "I condemn the attack on Rakesh Tikait. Farmer leaders who staged one of the biggest farmers' agitation post-Independence against the cruel farm laws were here to discuss the welfare of Karnataka farmers," he said. The pre-planned attack is an insult to the state, Shivakumar said, adding that incidents like this would not help improve the state's reputation. "The Congress will support Rakesh Tikait in all possible ways. We have told him that the party is with him," he added. Answering a question, Shivakumar said the ruling BJP is attempting to divert attention from the allegations of receiving 40 per cent commission from contractors, as well as the textbook row. "It is an insult to the farming community of the state and the country. People should teach them a lesson," he said. Opposition leader Siddaramaiah said that the attack on Rakesh Tikait exposed the BJP and its supporters' narrow-mindedness. "The BJP government has turned the land of peace and tolerance into a 'goonda' state. The attack on Rakesh Tikait is deplorable. The Chief Minister must understand that these goons have smeared black ink on the face of the government," Siddaramaiah said. "If the miscreants are not sent to jail, the Chief Minister will have no moral right to continue in his post," he added. --IANS mka/arm ( 305 Words) 2022-05-30-22:31:06 (IANS) With the establishment of the hostel, scores of students from low-income groups in Rajasthan, who visit the national capital to prepare and appear for different competitive exams, will be provided accommodation. "Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has taken a humanitarian decision to provide relief to the students from low-income groups preparing for competitive examinations in Delhi," an official said. The proposed hostel will have 250 rooms. The Chief Minister had announced the opening of the hostel in Delhi while making the Budget announcements for FY2022-23. --IANS arc/arm ( 132 Words) 2022-05-30-22:37:24 (IANS) In the run up to Stockholm+50 and World Environment Day on June 5, the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) on Monday released 'Portrait of a Silver Lining' -- a performance poetry music video featuring a young Indian poet, Simar Singh. Stockholm+50 is a global environmental meeting in June first week organised to commemorate the first-ever conference of the United Nations on Human Environment in 1972. CEEW is a think tank based in Delhi. Singh is a 21-year-old spoken word artist and is known for his poems that question the status quo on issues that are usually brushed under the carpet. He is also the founder of 'UnErase Poetry', a community based out of Mumbai, for promoting and producing spoken word poetry in Hindi and English. 'Portrait of a Silver Lining' is an artistic interpretation of an SEI-CEEW report 'Stockholm+50: Unlocking a Better Future' that was released earlier this month. It had synthesised up-to-date scientific evidence and analysed interlinked human and environmental crises. It had also made bold recommendations to improve the conditions for change through better policy coherence, strengthened accountability, and renewed multilateralism. Passionate about voicing his thoughts and opinions on issues such as sustainability and children's education in India, Singh, in the video, has urged nations and citizens across the global north and south to join hands and take bold climate actions to heal the planet. "To be asked to interpret a critical SEI-CEEW report at a watershed moment in our history, in my own way, was many things. An honour ... a challenge ... and an opportunity a to be part of a truly global effort to heal the planet," Singh said, adding: "Seeing how well the video has been received by people across the world has been humbling. I hope that this video truly serves as a wake-up call to redefine our relationship with nature and invest in a better future for all beings in the world." This video, conceptualised and produced by CEEW, provides a message of hope and urges viewers to help heal nature and build a world where all get prosperity, said Mihir Shah, Strategic Communications Lead, CEEW, in a statement. --IANS niv/pgh ( 382 Words) 2022-05-30-22:44:02 (IANS) With the Congress fielding three candidates from outside the state for the Rajya Sabha polls scheduled on June 10, dissent is brewing within the party in Rajasthan. Both the Independent MLAs supporting the party as well as some Congress legislators are questioning the party high command's decision to nominate candidates from outside the state to contest from Rajasthan. Congress has fielded Mukul Wasnik (Maharashtra), Randeep Singh Surjewala (Haryana) and Pramod Tiwari (Uttar Pradesh) as Rajya Sabha nominees from Rajasthan. Congress MLA Bharat Singh on Monday wrote to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot saying: "All three Congress candidates are from outside the state. It is a matter of satisfaction for the Congress that the BJP has fielded Ghanshyam Tiwari as its candidate. Tiwari was a member of the Congress for some time. It is also true that the big leaders no longer show the courage to contest Lok Sabha or Assembly elections. They only want to survive through the Rajya Sabha." Singh added: "As a Congress MLA, it is painful to see these leaders become 'Lat Sahab' after winning elections. They have neither the time nor the inclination to meet the party MLAs or the workers." Independent MLA Sanyam Lodha, who's an advisor to the Chief Minister, also questioned the move to field three candidates from outside the state. Other Independent MLAs are also reportedly not happy with the move. The three Congress nominees have reached Jaipur and will file their nominations at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. --IANS arc/arm ( 261 Words) 2022-05-30-23:13:47 (IANS) On the completion of eight years of the BJP government at the Centre, BJP chief Jagat Prakash Nadda on Monday said that service, good governance, welfare of the poor are key aspects of the Narendra Modi government. In his address at the BJP headquarters on Monday, Nadda said, "The country is celebrating eight years of the Modi government which focuses on service, good governance, welfare of the poor. We are celebrating Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. PM Modi has changed the culture of Indian politics. The government's style of functioning has also changed." Nadda highlighted that the north-eastern region, which was earlier seen as a backward region, is on a path of rapid development. "The northeastern region was earlier seen as a backward region. The Modi government has included it in the mainstream. PM Modi has visited the region about 50 times. Many historic agreements related to the northeastern region have been signed in the Modi government," he said. The BJP chief said that 'the story of change is the sign of our progress'. "Earlier plans were made only on paper and were completed on paper only. But today, from the time of announcement of any scheme till its implementation, it is continuously monitored," he said. The BJP chief said, "Today we see a responsible, proactive, accountable government. 'Modi hai to mumkin hai' is the voice of the common man. Our government is a proactive and responsive government." Prime Minister Modi on Monday said his government's eight years have been about fulfilling people's aspirations and asserted that it is committed to service, good governance and welfare of the poor. Taking to Twitter, Modi shared a link to a section on the NaMo app, which showcases the BJP-led government's ''eight years of service'' through innovative ways, including a quiz, a word search, a guess-the-image section and more. Nadda launched a new version of the NaMo app on Monday. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Shimla in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday to participate in the 'Garib Kalyan Sammelan' and release the 11th instalment of financial benefit under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme. At around 11 AM, Prime Minister will participate in the 'Garib Kalyan Sammelan'. This novel public programme marking the completion of eight years of the government led by the Prime Minister is being organized across the country at State Capitals, District Headquarters and Krishi Vigyan Kendras, the Prime Minister's Office said. The Sammelan conceptualizes elected public representatives across the country directly interacting with the public in an endeavour to get feedback about the various welfare programmes being run by the government. 'Garib Kalyan Sammelan' will start at around 09:45 AM in the presence of Chief Ministers, Central Ministers, State Ministers, Members of Parliament, Members of Legislative Assembly and other elected public representatives wherein PM will be directly interacting with the public at their respective locations across the country. At about 11:00 AM, with the Prime Minister joining the programme, the various state and local level programmes will get coverage and make the Sammelan national. During the Sammelan, Prime Minister will directly interact with the beneficiaries of different programmes of nine Ministries/Departments of the Government of India. The freewheeling interaction being organized across the country is aimed to get free and frank feedback from the public, understand the impact of welfare schemes in people's lives and explore convergence and saturation with regard to different government programmes. The endeavour is to make the reach and delivery of government programmes more efficient so as to improve the ease of living of the citizens of the country. Prime Minister will also release the 11th instalment of financial benefit under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme. This will enable the transfer of an amount of around Rs. 21,000 crore to more than 10 crore beneficiary farmer families. On this occasion, Prime Minister will also interact with the beneficiaries of (PM-KISAN) across the country. (ANI) Following PM Narendra Modi's appeal to people to ensure cleanliness at pilgrimage sites, pilgrims, government and non-government agencies organised a cleanliness drive near Kedarnath Dham on Tuesday. Rudraprayag district magistrate Mayur Dixit said the administration would continuously monitor the situation of waste management. As a result, garbage strewn in Kedarnath and surrounding areas is now getting cleared. On Tuesday morning, the district administration and staff of Sulabh International, an organization working on environment preservation, collected tonnes of garbage from the Kedarnath area. Tourists took part in a cleanliness drive on the way to Gaurikund, Sonprayag and Kedarnath. Geographically, Sonprayag is located between Rudraprayag and Gaurikund en route to Kedarnath. Referring to the filth spread by some pilgrims during the Char-Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand, Prime Minister Modi on Sunday had appealed to people to maintain the dignity of pilgrimage sites. Speaking to ANI on this development, Dr Sarvesh Uniyal, an official of Garhwal University's Tourism Department said, "These days, we are witnessing a huge influx of tourists at pilgrimage sites. Following this, a significant part of the environment is impacted. People throw away plastic recklessly here and there." "Knowing this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday appealed to the people to maintain dignity of pilgrimage sites. I feel that we all have to act responsibly to protect the environment. Teerth yatra should be teerth seva as well," he said. District Magistrate Mayur Dixit also urged people to maintain cleanliness in the state. "In his monthly radio address 'Mann Ki Baat', the Prime Minister pointed out that thousands of devotees arriving in the state for the Char Dham Yatra see filth being spread by some pilgrims in Kedarnath. In this regard, I have ordered the concerned officials to ensure proper waste management at the pilgrimage sites," Dixit said. Dixit pointed out that a cleanliness drive is also being carried out at Gaurikund, Sonprayag and Kedarnath areas wherein large amounts of waste have been collected. "We will carry out cleanliness drives at the pilgrimage sites on a regular basis from now onwards," he said. The Prime Minister had appealed in his address that "Wherever we go, let us maintain the dignity of these pilgrimage sites". "We should never neglect purity, cleanliness and the environment. For these, it is imperative that we abide by the norms of cleanliness. In a few days the world will celebrate Environment Day on June 5. We should run clean environment campaigns and this is a never ending task. This time, you should join others -- you should make some effort for cleanliness and tree plantation. Plant a tree yourself and inspire others too," he said. (ANI) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Nizamabad MP Arvind Dharmapuri taking to Twitter alleged that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) activists attacked BJP workers in villages Renjal, Mendora Mandal, Balkonda in the Nizamabad district in Telangana. Taking to Twitter on Monday Dharmapuri tweeted, "Another dastardly attack on BJP Telangana workers! Renjal Village, Mendora Mandal, Balkonda BJP India. Ward Members Menthu Gopal and Menthu Laxmi and BJP active members Limbadri were slashed repeatedly by TRS Leaders Shekar, Soujan along with two other outsiders." However, talking about the incident, Mupkal Sub Inspector B Prabhakar Reddy said that the quarrel between the two parties took over a plot and there were no political issues involved. He added that while building a house on the plot, one party trespassed on the other parties' land. "They had a plot and they were constructing the house, so they took the permission and constructed the house. So the quarrel started between the other group for taking the inch of the land," Reddy told ANI. He further added that it resulted in the group clashing the next day. Around four people from each group were involved in the incident and were arrested in the case. The accused had been identified as Rajesh, Sunny Raj, Boddu Rajshekar, and Boddu Soujanya Kumar. The Sub-inspector further said that there are no political issues, in this case, the rivalry has been going on for one year and recently, one party got clearance from the gram panchayat for building a house on the plot. (ANI) A petrol pump dealers' association has announced that no purchase of petrol and diesel will be done from oil marketing companies (OMC) on Tuesday as a mark of protest against no increase in the commission of petrol pumps by the OMCs. The Association said petrol dealers in 24 states will join the protest. However, the supply is likely to be disrupted as there is enough stock in the fuel bunks. "In 24 states in the country, we will not purchase petrol and diesel from oil marketing companies (OMC) on Tuesday, 31 May in protest of no revision in their commissions despite the rise in petrol and diesel prices," said President, Delhi Petrol Dealers Association. According to the Association, the dealer margins are to be revised every six months but the OMCs have not done the same since 2017 despite a steep increase in fuel prices and operational costs. The Association said the reduction in prices of petrol and diesel by the central government through excise duty cut has put the burden on petrol pumps leading to further losses. Earlier this month, in a significant step aimed at providing relief to people from high fuel prices, the Centre announced a reduction in excise duty on petrol by Rs 8 per litre and on diesel by Rs 6 per litre. The states where the petrol dealers will join the protest include Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Sikkim and West Bengal. (ANI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday remembered the warrior queen of the Maratha empire, Ahilyabai Holkar on her 297th birth anniversary for her service to 'Sanatan Dharma' by renovating many temples from Somnath to Kashi. "There is an incomparable contribution of Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar ji in the preservation of Sanatan culture," the Home Minister said in a tweet. "She did a wonderful service to 'Sanatan Dharma' by renovating many temples from Somnath to Kashi. As a 'Prajavatsal' ruler, she also set many excellent examples of women empowerment and public welfare," Shah tweeted in Hindi. Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar was born on May 31, 1725, in the village of Chaundi (current day Ahmednagar), Maharashtra. Today marks the 297th birth anniversary of the Queen, regarded as one of the finest female rulers in Indian history. She was known for her wisdom and administrative skills. Every year, her birth anniversary is celebrated on May 31st. As a prominent ruler of the Malwa kingdom, Ahilyabai Holkar spread the message of 'dharma', promoted industrialization, and built many Hindu temples and Dharamshalas across India. Her father, Mankoji Sindhia (Shinde), a scion of the Dhangar family, was the Patil of the Village. At a time when women were not allowed to go to school, Ahilyabai Holkar's father taught her to read and write. On his way to Pune, Malhar Rao Holkar, a commander of Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao in the Malwa territory, spotted an eight-year-old Ahilyabai at a temple service feeding the hungry and poor. Impressed by her, he married his son Khanderao to her in 1733. In 1748, she broke societal norms by marrying her daughter to Yashwantrao - a poor but a brave man. Ahilyabai ruled for nearly three decades and was given the title of 'The Philosopher Queen' by a British historian John Keyas. The warrior queen passed away on August 13, 1795, at the age of 70 in Rameswaram. (ANI) On 30 May 2022 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met the press together with Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Frank Bainimarama of Fiji in Suva. State Councilor Wang elaborated on the outcomes of China-Pacific Island Countries cooperation, and expressed Chinas readiness to build six new platforms for cooperation with Pacific Island Countries. State Councilor Wang said, since the establishment of diplomatic ties in the 1970s, relations between China and Pacific Island Countries have flourished, and exchanges and cooperation have been expanding in more than 20 areas including trade, investment, ocean affairs, environmental protection, disaster preparedness and mitigation, poverty alleviation and health. China has signed Belt and Road cooperation MoUs with all Pacific Island Countries having diplomatic relations with China, and become an important trading partner and source of investment of Pacific Island Countries. From 1992 to 2021, trade volume between China and Pacific Island Countries having diplomatic relations with China registered an average annual increase of 13 percent and expanded by over 30 times. Chinese businesses have undertaken projects in Pacific Island Countries with a total volume of more than 20 billion US dollars. China has implemented nearly 500 complete plant projects, technical assistance, in-kind assistance and concessional loan projects in Pacific Island Countries, helped them build important infrastructure such as road, bridge, wharf, hospital, school and stadium, and trained about 10,000 professionals in various fields. China has dispatched medical teams to eight Pacific Island Countries having diplomatic ties with China, benefiting several hundred thousand local residents. Since the start of COVID-19, China has provided Pacific Island Countries with multiple batches of vaccines and anti-epidemic supplies. China and Pacific Island Countries have set up 22 pairs of sister provinces/states and cities. Prior to COVID-19, nearly 100,000 Chinese tourists traveled to the South Pacific every year. All these numbers show that the all-round cooperation between China and Pacific Island Countries have delivered tangible benefits to the people in the region. State Councilor Wang announced that China will make continued efforts to build new platforms of cooperation, i.e. the China-Pacific Island Countries Reserve of Emergency Supplies, Climate Action Cooperation Center, Poverty Reduction and Development Cooperation Center, Demonstration Center for Agricultural Cooperation, Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation Cooperation Center, and Juncao Technology Demonstration Center, in a bid to inject sustained new impetus to cooperation between the two sides. Taking to Twitter, Mandaviya tweeted, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi did the work of providing health security to more than 10 crore families through the 'Ayushman Bharat Yojana'." "Under this scheme, treatment up to 5 lakh is being provided free of cost. This scheme has emerged as a life force for the poorer section of the country," he added. Earlier today, PM Modi was addressing a public meeting in Shimla while taking part in the 'Garib Kalyan Sammelan' during which he also released the 11th instalment of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme Earlier, PM Modi interacted with beneficiaries of different government schemes at the event to mark the eighth anniversary of the BJP government at the Centre and 'Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana'. The event was held at Ridge Maidan in Shimla. During the Sammelan, Prime Minister sought feedback about the various welfare programmes being run by the government from public representatives across the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government completed its eight years at the Centre on May 30. Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana is a national public health insurance fund of the Government of India that aims to provide free access to health insurance coverage for low-income earners in the country. (ANI) Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Tuesday informed that the government has taken a serious note of trees uprooted following a storm and assured that the issue will be addressed at the earliest. This came a day after several trees were uprooted in the national capital due to heavy rainfall along with winds, leading to havoc and damage to life and property. "I share the concern of every resident of Delhi about the maintenance and upkeep of trees in the City and their related uprooting and breakage that happens in the event of a storm, throwing the City traffic out of gear," Delhi LG tweeted. "Let me assure you that we have taken the matter seriously and will address it at the earliest," he further said in a tweet. Earlier on Monday, Saxena visited several places in Delhi where the trees were uprooted due to heavy rainfall and expressed distress upon the situation. "Distressed by the sight of uprooted trees, fallen branches and waterlogging at places after the early evening storm. Visited a few places. Instructed officials to take immediate steps to remove debris and clear the roads immediately so as to mitigate the inconvenience to people," he added. Two people were killed and several injured as fierce rain along with winds hit the national capital yesterday. It also disrupted road and air traffic, damaging vehicles and buildings, including the iconic Jama Masjid. (ANI) Biju Janta Dal candidates, who have been nominated for the upcoming Rajya Sabha election by the party, filed their nomination papers at the Assembly Secretariat on Tuesday. Biju Janta Dal candidates, Dr Sasmit Patra, Sulata Deo, Manas Ranjan Mangaraj, and Niranjan Bishi are only the candidate who has filed the nomination for four vacant seats in the Rajya Sabha from Odisha. "Our leader and Chief Minister has always emphasized women empowerment and given importance to them in every election, I will give my best to work for the people of the State and to fulfill the expectations of the party and our leader," BJD Spokesperson Sulata Deo told ANI. Meanwhile, BJD general secretary Dr Sasmit Patra said, "I am deeply grateful to our leader and Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik for renominating me for a second term in Rajya Sabha and giving me another opportunity to serve the people of Odisha. I will strive to ensure that the voice of Odisha and its just demands are heard through my interventions in Parliament and in the Union Ministries of India at Delhi." Patra expressed happiness on filing his nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections. "Heartiest Congratulations to my Party colleagues, Manas Ranjan Mangaraj, Sulata Deo, and Niranjan Bishi on their nomination to Rajya Sabha by our leader Hon'ble CM Shri. Naveen Patnaik. I look forward to working with them on the development of Odisha," he tweeted. "I am deeply thankful to my leader and CM Naveen Patnaik for renominating me to Rajya Sabha. As I file my nomination today, I humbly seek the blessings of my 4.5 crore Odia sisters and brothers. I commit and pledge to be their strong voice in Parliament, for their cause," he added. The tenure of three Rajya Sabha MPs namely N Bhaskar Rao, Prasanna Acharya, and Sasmit Patra is ending on July 1 this year while one Rajya Sabha seat from Odisha fell vacant after Subhash Singh had resigned from the post after being elected as the Mayor of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation in March 2022. (ANI) The Defence Ministry on Tuesday signed a contract with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for the supply of ASTRA MK-I Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Air to Air Missile (AAM) and associated equipment for the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy at a cost of Rs 2,971 crore under Buy (Indian-IDDM) category. According to an official statement issued by the ministry, the technology to manufacture missiles of this class indigenously was not available till now. ASTRA MK-I BVR AAM has been indigenously designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) based on the staff requirements issued by the Indian Air Force (IAF) catering for Beyond Visual Range as well as Close Combat Engagement (CCE) reducing the dependency on foreign sources. Air to Air missile with BVR capability provides large stand-off ranges to own fighter aircraft which can neutralise the adversary aircraft without exposing themselves to adversary Air Defence measures, thereby gaining and sustaining superiority of the air space, the statement read. ASTRA MK-I missile and all associated systems for its launch, and ground handling and testing have been developed by DRDO in coordination with the IAF, it stated. The missile, for which successful trials have already been undertaken by the IAF, is fully integrated on the Su 30 MK-I fighter aircraft and will be integrated with other fighter aircraft in a phased manner, including the Light Combat Aircraft (Tejas). The Indian Navy will integrate the missile on the MiG 29K fighter aircraft, the Defence Ministry said. The Transfer of Technology from DRDO to BDL for production of ASTRA MK-I missile and all associated systems has been completed and production at BDL is in progress. This project will act as a catalyst for the development of Infrastructure and Testing facilities at BDL, it added. It will also create opportunities for several MSMEs in aerospace technology for a period of at least 25 years. The project essentially embodies the spirit of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' and will help facilitate realising the country's journey towards self-reliance in Air to Air Missiles. (ANI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday handed over the first instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) to around 15 thousand beneficiaries of Sivasagar and Charaideo districts to the tune of Rs 32,500 per beneficiary. The chief minister sanctioned this first instalment at a programme held at Sivasagar's Gargaon in Assam. PMAY is a Government of India initiative to provide affordable housing to the weaker sections of society. Notably, there are around five lakh beneficiaries in Assam for PMAY and another eight lakh beneficiaries will be brought under the flagship scheme. During the Sammelan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also interacted with these beneficiaries virtually, with the objective to assess the ease that these schemes have brought to the lives of the citizens. The interaction essentially highlighted the impact of the schemes like housing, availability of potable water, food, health and nutrition, livelihood and financial inclusion etc on people. It is expected that this interaction will not only highlight the people-centric approach of these schemes but will also enlighten the government on the people's aspirations, while also ensuring that no one is left in the nation's march to progress. "The government wants all sections of the society, regardless of their social strata, to be adequately served so that no one stays out of the reach of the government's welfare measures," the CM said. While presenting the sanction letters to the beneficiaries of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, Sarma requested the farmers in Assam to take full benefits of the scheme and said, "government has both the resources and intensity to bring more beneficiaries under the ambit of this flagship programme. Farmers of the state should come forward and use this scheme for their welfare." While disbursing the first instalment of the PMAY to the five lakh beneficiaries, Sarma urged them to make good use of the amount, adding that an appropriate and wise utilisation of the amount would entitle them to second and third instalments. "The government is working to lend dignity to the lives of everybody as they are committed to promoting a socio-economic-academic empowerment narrative, based on the PM's vision of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas Sabka Biswas and Sabka Prayas," he further added. Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management Jogen Mohan, MP Topon Kumar Gogoi, MLAs Sushanta Borgohain, Dharmeshwar Konwar, Chairman of Duliajan Numaligarh Pipeline Limited (DNPL) Rupam Goswami, Chairman Urban Water Supply Kushal Dowari, Principal Secretary Panchayat and Rural Development Dr J.B. Ekka and host of others were also present on the occasion. (ANI) According to the police, she called Panjagutta police station on Monday and asked police to take action against her husband. Police rushed to the spot by tracking Maithili's telephone signal and she was immediately shifted to the hospital. "Yesterday she called sub-inspector (SI) over the phone and said to take action against her husband. She disconnected the call saying that she is going to die. Immediately we rushed to the spot by tracking her location and shifted her to the hospital. Now she is doing fine," said Niranjan Reddy, Inspector Punjagutta police station. Police said Maithili filed a case against her husband and in-laws for allegedly harassing her in 2021. "In 2021, Maithili filed a case. The complainant stated that her in-laws used her gold and her husband is using her car. A chargesheet is registered on the basis of complaints," Reddy said. The complainant also filed the same complaint against her husband in the Mothey police station of Suryapet district. The case was registered under section 498A in the Indian Penal Code (IPC), informed the police. Police officials are investigating the matter. (ANI) Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, other Union Ministers and Education Ministers of States and Union Territories will be participating in the conference. The National Education Ministers' Conference will be held in Gujarat on June 1 and 2. The conference is expected to witness deliberations on strengthening the education ecosystem in the country with focus on implementation of National Education Policy 2020, skilling in schools and digital initiatives like NDEAR, NETF, etc. "Education Ministers of States/UTs are will be participating in the conference. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan along with Rajeev Chandrasekhar, MoS Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Electronics and Information Technology; Annapurna Devi, MoS for Education; Dr Subhash Sarkar, MoS for Education and senior officials of Ministry of Education will participate in the meeting," the Ministry said. On the occasion, the Ministers will also be visiting Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK), Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG), National Forensic Science University (NFSU) and International Automobile Centre of Excellence (iACE) on June 1. (ANI) Filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, who is currently in Europe on a humanity tour, on Tuesday accused the Oxford Union of "Hinduphobia" and threatened to file a lawsuit against them for cancelling his event. In a video message, The Kashmir Files director shared an incident that took place, in which he mentioned that the 'Hindu voice' is being curbed. "Yet another Hindu voice is curbed at HINDUPHOBIC Oxford Union. They have cancelled me. In reality, they cancelled Hindu Genocide and Hindu students who are a minority at Oxford Univ. The president-elect is a Pakistani. Please share and support me in this most difficult fight," The Kashmir Files director tweeted along with the video. The filmmaker said that he visited Cambridge University, where he was informed at the last minute that he will not be allowed to video record the event. He claimed that his 'freedom of expression' was being curbed and stated that this step was taken as a few Pakistani and Kashmiri Muslim students protested. "As you are aware that I am here in Europe on a humanity tour. This tour was decided because lot of prestigious places invited me like Cambridge University, Oxford University, the British Parliament and a lot of places in Germany and the Netherland. But yesterday, a very strange thing happened. When I reached Cambridge University, at the last minute, I was told that we cannot video record the event. Now, this is a 100 per cent curbing of freedom of expression. This happened because a few Pakistani and Kashmiri Muslim students protested against it. These are genocide denials, they are fascists. This is perhaps because I support a democratically elected Government of India," he said in a video message. He further said that this is the same university where Subhash Chandra Bose studied, but recently on his 150th birth anniversary, the event was also cancelled they said Bose is a fascist. The Filmmaker further claimed that he was meant to head to Oxford University as he was earlier invited by the Oxford Union. However, just before his arrival, he was informed that there had been a double booking, and his event had been postponed to July 1. "Now another strange thing happened. Today I was supposed to speak at Oxford University because Oxford Union invited me a long time ago. It was all confirmed via emails, but just a few hours before they said, 'Sorry we made a mistake, there was a double-booking and we cannot host you today.' And without even asking me, they changed the date to July 1, when no student would be there, and there is no point in doing an event," he said. He also mentioned that Hindus are a minority group at Oxford University, and termed the incident 'oppression of the minority'. He asked "are they cancelling me" and said "they want to cancel the democratically elected Government of India." "They want to label us as fascists and Islamophobic. As if killing thousands of Kashmiri Hindus was not Hinduphobic, but the film on the truth is Islamophobic. They are not cancelling me, they are cancelling the genocide and Hindus. You have to understand, Hindus are a minority in Oxford University, and this is the oppression of the minority," he said. He also slammed Oxford University for "hosting dictators and fascists including Bhutto's son and many African radical extremists." Agnihotri further sought the support of the people as he is going to file a lawsuit against the Oxford Union. "So please help me in this cause. I am filing a lawsuit against them. I am going to claim all the damages. Please support me and join me," he added. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Slamming the BJP-led central government for using the central probe agencies against the opposition leaders, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed Bharatiya Janata Party will not return to power in 2024 Lok Sabha polls. She added that she will fight with all her might to defeat the BJP in the 2024 general election. "The soil of Purulia and the soil of Bengal gave me the strength to fight for people. I fear nobody and when it comes to ensuring people's welfare, I will fight with all my might! - @MamataOfficial. In 2024, @BJP4India's politics of hate & violence will find NO ENTRY in India," said Mamata as quoted by All India Trinamool Congress on Twitter. Speaking during an administrative meeting at Purulia, Mamata said, "Remember BJP government, despite how much you try in 2024, it (victory) will not happen. No entry means you can't enter. From now on, people are saying '2024 no entry for BJP". Alleging the Central government of misusing central probe agencies against political opponents, the TMC supremo said, "The Union Government MUST STOP using central agencies to disrupt governance in states ruled by Opposition. What about @BJP4India leaders who are knee-deep in corruption? What about the surge in fake Rs 500 notes detected in FY-22 owing to demonetisation? Care to respond, Mr. Busy PM?" According to the Bengal CM, the BJP-led Central government has toyed with the lives of the people after demonetisation. "On the issue of demonetisation, The @narendramodi-led Union Govt has completely destroyed the lives of all Indians. They began their journey with a bunch of FAKE PROMISES and this journey has been nothing but 8 years of FAILED EXPERIMENTS. @BJP4India has toyed with the lives of Indians", she said Mamata. She called for a united fight against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by all regional parties in the 2024 elections. The Trinamool Congress is also seeking to increase its footprint nationally ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee had earlier given a clarion call to the Opposition to get united against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the 2024 Lok Sabha election and asserted that the day the people will find an alternative to the BJP government will be ousted. "The BJP is still in power as there is no alternative. The day there is one, it will be ousted. We have to be active....we have to give a call for 2024 general elections to remove BJP," she had said. (ANI) The BKU leader was attending an event in Bengaluru when some unidentified miscreants threw ink at him. "SKM reiterates its demand for punishment of the culprits, suspension of officers guilty for this negligence, security to Rakesh Tikait and judicial inquiry into the incident," stated the Morcha release. Today, farmers' organizations across India came together to protest against the attack on Rakesh Tikait. Demonstrations were held in several states, where farm organizations demanded strict action and inquiry into the incident. Yesterday, a press conference in Bengaluru was organized by the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangh against the propaganda against the farmers, Rakesh Tikait was attacked and ink was thrown at him. Three persons were detained for smearing black ink at Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Monday, informed the police. The prime accused Bharat Shetty has been pictured with several BJP leaders including former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, as per SKM prelease. Protests were held in Delhi, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, and other states. In Karnataka, farm organizations held protests in Bengaluru, Chikkaballapura, Chamarajanagar, Sagar, among several other places, said the SKM. Samyukta Kisan Morcha demanded strict punishment for the culprits, suspension of the officers guilty of the negligence, a judicial inquiry into the incident and the political conspiracy behind it, and security for Rakesh Tikait. (ANI) A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Judge on Tuesday granted Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain to Enforcement Directorate (ED)'s custody in a money laundering case. This is based upon a case registered by the CBI in the Prevention of Corruption Act in August 2017. Special CBI Judge Geentanjali Goyal of Rouse Avenue Court granted nine days of ED custody to Jain for interrogating him in a money laundering case. He was arrested by the agency on Monday. He is to be produced before the court on June 9. The order was passed by the court on Tuesday night. Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta and Naveen Kumar Matta appeared on the behalf of ED. ED has moved an application seeking remand of 14 days of custody. The Court after hearing the submission of the prosecution and defence counsels granted nine days of custody to ED. SG Tushar Mehta had argued before the court that there is material evidence and reasons to believe that the said accused is guilty of the offence of money laundering. The accused is in possession of the proceeds of crime generated through criminal activities. It was alleged that Jain during his tenure as minister in the Delhi government between February 2015 to May 2017 acquired assets in the form of movable and immovable properties in his name and in the name of his family members, which are disproportionate to his known source of income. SG Mehta Submitted that it is a case of money laundering through shell companies. It was submitted that during the check period of February 14, 2015, to May 31, 2017 accommodation entries against cash totalling Rs 4.81 crore (approximately) were received in the four companies from Kolkata based entry operators through shell companies. The four companies namely Akinchan Developers Pvt. Ltd, Prayas info solutions Pvt. Ltd., Mangalayatan Projects Pvt. Ltd. He also submitted that the custodial interrogation of the accused to unearth the source of cash, establish a money trail, extract the exact quantum of tainted money involved to determine the role of various other persons, to ascertain the modus operandi involved in the commission of the offence of money laundering in the instant case. It was also submitted that the custodial interrogation is required for the confrontation with the voluminous incriminating material and with the statements of various persons recorded in the case. On the other hand, the application was opposed by Senior Advocate N. Hariharan. He submitted that it is not a case of custody, it is a case of bail. No new facts have emerged now. The application for custody remand is a replica of the charge sheet filed by the CBI and is under consideration before the court. Hariharan also submitted that "What the prosecution is trying to do is that it is holding me responsible for the acts of other accused persons. I am not responsible for the acts done by others." The defence counsel urged the court to direct the investigation agency to provide medicines to Jain. They also requested a direction from the agency to allow him to have 'Jain' food. During the hearing of the case, family members including the wife, daughters and son of Jain were present in the court. (ANI) At a time when the talks between the Naga outfit group (Isak-Muivah) (NSCN-IM) and the centre are going over decades-long pending issues raised by the NSCN-IM, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that it is a very complex issue and the government is trying to find out a solution which would be acceptable to everyone. The centre appointed AK Mishra, former special director of the Intelligence Bureau as the Peace Talks interlocutor and he met the leaders of NSCN-IM at the camp Hebron in April 2022. "The Union government has already nominated Mishra to negotiate with NSCN-IM to find out a solution which is acceptable to everyone. However, at the political level and with the political leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and Naga People's Front (NPF), we keep on talking because we all are within the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA)," the Assam CM said. He further affirmed that his role is limited to interacting with the NEDA partners and not beyond. On the other hand, the Chairman of NSCN-IM, Eno Q. Tuccu on Tuesday questioned, "how there will be a solution to Naga political issues without a separate Naga national flag and constitution?" In his speech in the emergency, National Assembly of NSCN-IM Tuccu had said, "after more than 7 decades of Naga freedom movement, they are faced with the political exigencies that compelled them to call for the National Assembly as the pressing situation prompted them to reaffirm their stand after the Government of India expressed its opposition to honouring the usage of Naga National identity symbolized by a flag and constitution." "What belongs to us that defines our political identity can never be compromised for the sweet morsel in the name of Naga political settlement. We can't be made a laughing stock before the world by tamely succumbing to pressure or temptation," he said. (ANI) Leader of Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, Govind Singh, blamed Director General of Police (DGP) Sudhir Saxena for the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. Talking to the press on Monday, Singh said that ever since he (Sudhir Saxena) took charge as DGP, the law and order situation in Madhya Pradesh is deteriorating day-by-day. "Crime in Madhya Pradesh has increased multifold ever since he (Sudhir Saxena) become DGP of the state. The law and order situation which should have improved, is deteriorating day-by-day," Singh said citing several incidents that occurred in the recent past, including a Sadhu's jata (hair) being chopped off last week. Singh, who became Leader of Opposition (LoP) last month, alleged that crimes against Schedule Tribes/Schedule Castes (ST/SC) have increased in the state. He claimed that several attack on the tribal people have exposed the deteriorating law and order situation in Madhya Pradesh in the past few months. "Bajrang Dal and other right-wing groups seem to have been given a free hand by the government and the police to create violence, social disturbances, crime against women and against deprived communities in the state," Singh added. Top Congress leaders in the state had in the past attacked the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led state government and the state home minister Narottam Mishra over the poor law and order situation, but it's the first time that the opposition took the DGP's name directly. Former Chief Minister and state Congress president Kamal Nath and Rajya Sabha MP (Congress) Digvijaya Singh have been taking on the state government over the law and order issue time and again but they refrained from blaming the DGP directly. Sudhir Saxena, a 1992-batch IPS officer, assumed charge as DGP on March 4. He took over from 1984-batch IPS officer Vivek Johri, who was appointed DGP by the then Kamal Nath led Congress government in March 2020 and retired from the post on March 4, 2022. Before taking charge as MP's DGP, Saxena was serving as security (secretary), cabinet secretariat in Delhi. He was relieved from his New Delhi post just a day before taking charge as MP's DGP. --IANS pd/bg ( 371 Words) 2022-05-31-19:12:06 (IANS) Jammu Kashmir People's Justice Front on Tuesday condemned the killing of a Hindu teacher in Kulgam district and demanded the restoration of peace and brotherhood in the Kashmir valley. 36-year-old Rajni Bala, a resident of Samba in the Jammu region, sustained injuries when terrorists fired at her in the Gopalpora area of Kulgam where she was posted as a teacher. She succumbed to her injuries at the hospital on Tuesday. "We are highly anguished and saddened by the inhumane killing of a teacher in Kulgam", JKPJF said in its statement. The statement added, "The community, from which Bala belonged, is demanding to ensure peace in Kashmir. The hard work by the people over a decade to ensure peace, which started showing results, will vanish if people leave Kashmir again". Kashmir has been an example of communal harmony and brotherhood between different communities, the political outfit said. "Over the last 8-9 years, we witnessed new dawn of this communal harmony and brotherhood and this is a thorn in the eyes of our enemy. Such enemies carry out such heinous crimes to disturb this flourishing brotherhood", the JKPJF statement said. It added, "We are witnessing attacks on minorities often which is not good for our Kashmir for which both Hindus and Muslims have sacrificed their lives." The statement said, "From past decade there has been immense improvement and we were seeing new dawn coming and the same brotherhood returning in the Union Territory, but enemies are not liking it at all. They are eager to disturb this once again". JKPJF also appealed to the administration of the Union Territory to provide proper security to members of the community, from which Bala belonged, so that they can feel safe and the real Kashmir will flourish again. The political outfit demanded that the attackers of Bala should be brought to justice as soon as possible. Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday condemned the killing of a Hindu woman teacher by terrorists inside a government school in Kulgam. The LG said that the assailants will be given an "unforgettable response". "Terrorist attack on a school teacher Rajni Bala is the most reprehensible act. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family. Terrorists and their sympathisers will be given unforgettable response for dastardly attack," the Jammu and Kashmir LG tweeted on Tuesday. (ANI) Rejecting the AAP's allegation of "vendetta politics" linking the arrest with the upcoming Himachal Pradesh assembly polls, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said that the allegations of money laundering against Jain are serious and he (Jain) has got no relief from any court. Bhatia noted that the BJP government at the Centre has a zero tolerance policy against corruption and will continue to act against graft. "Polls keep taking place in the country, and probe agencies cannot be asked to step back from acting despite evidence because of elections. Both Kejriwal and Jain should resign," Bhatia said. Bhatia alleged that the Delhi Health Minister had been acting at the behest of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor, Kejriwal. He said that a few days ago, the Health Minister of Punjab was arrested in a corruption case, now the Delhi Health Minister of Delhi has been arrested. Bhatia asked Kejriwal: "Is there any morality left in you and your party?" "Your silence is telling that this corruption has happened at your behest," he said. A court here on Tuesday sent Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money-laundering case, to the agency's custody till June 9. Jain, who was arrested on Monday evening, was presented before Special CBI Court Judge Geetanjali Goel of the Rouse Avenue Court. --IANS ssb/pgh ( 269 Words) 2022-05-31-19:36:12 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that it thought the jurisdiction of the National Green Tribunal was available for ordinary persons, or those who could not move the courts, as it expressed surprise at the tribunal considering letter petitions by lawmakers. A vacation bench of Justices B.R. Gavai and Hima Kohli said: "What is this, the National Green Tribunal is also entertaining letters from Members of Parliament. "We thought that this jurisdiction was available for have-nots..Ordinary citizens and not legislators." The top court made these observations while hearing an appeal by the Andhra Pradesh government challenging an order by the NGT, which stopped construction at Rushikonda Hills abutting the beach in Visakhapatnam. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the Andhra Pradesh government, submitted that the tourism project was in public interest and more than 300 people have been employed and Rs 180 crore already invested. The bench sought a copy of the judgment, which said that the NGT is a tribunal subordinate to the high court under Article 227 of the Constitution. Singhvi sought some time to find more information in the matter. The bench scheduled the matter for further hearing on Wednesday. The tribunal's order, passed earlier this month, had come on a petition filed by MP K. Raghu Ramakrishna Raju, alleging violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms by the project. The NGT also set up a joint committee to look into the environmental viability of the project and whether CRZ clearances should be revisited. It was alleged that the master plan notified by the Urban Development Department was violated and the petitioner claimed the area was also environmentally sensitive. --IANS ss/vd ( 290 Words) 2022-05-31-20:26:02 (IANS) "The Kashmir Files" maker Vivek Agnihotri said on Tuesday that his programme at the Oxford University has been cancelled. Sharing a video message in a tweet, Agnihotri wrote: "Yet another Hindu voice is curbed at HINDUPHOBIC @OxfordUnion. They have cancelled me. In reality, they cancelled Hindu Genocide & Hindu students who are a minority at Oxford Univ". Alleging that the President-elect of the Union is a Pakistani, he appealed to everyone to "share and support in this most difficult fight". The filmmaker said in the video that he was invited by Oxford University to make an address on May 31. However, a few hours before the event, he was told there was a mistake and they would not be able to host him, he said. "It was all confirmed on email but a few hours back, they said they had made a mistake, there was a double booking and they wouldn't be able to host me today. Without even asking me, they changed the date to July 1 because on that day no student would be there and there's no point doing an event," he said. In the same video message, Agnihotri also said that he was not allowed to record the session at Cambridge University that had happened on May 30. "I am on a humanity tour in Europe. This tour was decided because a lot of prestigious places like Cambridge University, Oxford University, British Parliament had invited me. --IANS avr/d ( 253 Words) 2022-05-31-21:54:05 (IANS) Explaining his decision to end the 'Azadi March' last week, former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan on Monday said he feared "bloodshed" after clashes between his party workers and authorities started escalating in the capital city of Islamabad. The Shehbaz Sharif-led government would have been the ultimate beneficiary of any ensuing chaos and violence, the Dawn newspaper quoted the PTI chairman as saying. "The hatred against police had already intensified and seeing me [at D-Chowk] would have further stoked the sentiments of my workers," he said. "I was a 100 per cent sure that bullets will be fired. People from our side were also ready as some of them were carrying pistols. It would have led to further hatred against the police and the army and caused divisions within the country ...," he said in an interview with a TV journalist for 92 News. "I was 100 per cent sure the country would have headed towards anarchy in this situation," he added. Imran Khan said his party would ask the Pakistan Supreme Court whether or not holding a "peaceful protest" was permissible in the country. "If the Supreme Court does not protect our fundamental rights this time, then it is not democracy." He even went on to say that "this will be the trial of the Supreme Court now". Last week, multiple scuffles took place between the police and PTI marchers after Imran Khan and his convoy entered Islamabad and started marching towards the D-Chowk despite the Supreme Court's order to hold a rally at a ground between H9 and G9 areas of Islamabad. PML (N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Saturday requested the Pakistani judiciary to remain "impartial" and maintain a distance from Imran Khan's politics. "Imran Khan, the revolution that you want to bring through the Supreme Court, the SC itself, along with the people of Pakistan, will foil it," Geo News quoted her as saying during a public gathering in Bahawalpur, Punjab. Khan first drags institutions into politics and then utters abusive words for them, the PML-N vice president said. The PML-N leader said that Khan started begging Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif two days before the "Azadi March" to announce a date for the elections. Last week, Imran Khan called off his long march and sought help from the Pakistan Supreme court. After getting out of power, he has been consistently making allegations about a foreign conspiracy against him and calling for early elections. (ANI) This issue was discussed when Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda met with Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman last week, Daily Mirror newspaper reported. The credit line is in addition to USD 500 million extended previously, the report said. Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948. The recession is attributed to foreign exchange shortages caused by a clampdown on tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic. It left the country unable to buy enough fuel, with people facing an acute scarcity of food and basic necessities, fuel, and gas. According to the Sri Lankan daily, India offered another USD 1 billion line of credit for essential imports. However, USD 200 million of it has been utilized for fuel imports, the report added. The island nation has exhausted nearly US 700 million of Indian credit so far for diesel and petrol, Daily Mirror reported. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday praised India for extending support amid the continuing economic crisis and expressed a desire to further strengthen ties between the two nations. "I expressed our country's appreciation for the support India has extended during this difficult period. I look forward to further strengthening ties between our nations," the Sri Lankan PM tweeted. Wickremesinghe's appreciation of India came on the same day when its neighbour donated 25 tons of drugs and other medical supplies valued at close to SLR 260 million. The medical consignment was donated in response to requests by various organizations and hospitals spread across different parts of the country. The Indian High Commission said these humanitarian supplies are in continuation of the Indian government's ongoing support to the people of Sri Lanka in multiple forms such as financial assistance, forex support, material supply etc. "These efforts testify to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Neighbourhood First' policy which places people-to-people engagement at its core," the high commission said in a statement. (ANI) Following recent mass shootings in the United States, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a proposed freeze on handgun ownership in Canada that would effectively ban their importation and sale. This new regulation comes in the backdrop of the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas that left 19 children and two teachers dead. The new measures include implementing a national freeze on handguns to prevent individuals from bringing newly acquired handguns into Canada and from buying, selling, and transferring handguns within the country. The legislation involves a new "red flag" law that would enable courts to require that individuals considered a danger to themselves or others surrender their firearms to law enforcement. "The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced the introduction of new legislation to further strengthen gun control in Canada and keep Canadians safe from gun violence. Bill C-21 puts forward some of the strongest gun control measures in over 40 years," the Canadian government said. Trudeau said in a statement that one Canadian killed by gun violence is one too many. "I've seen all too well the tragic cost that gun violence has in our communities across the country. Today, we're proposing some of the strongest measures in Canadian history to keep guns out of our communities and build a safer future for everyone," he said. To ensure the national freeze on handguns can be implemented swiftly, the Canadian Minister of Public Safety has already tabled regulatory amendments in both the House of Commons and the Senate. "These regulations will help stop the growth of personally owned handguns in Canada and are expected to come into force in Fall 2022," the government said. (ANI) A cache of tens of thousands of leaked documents from the Chinese police and re-education camps have confirmed that the top leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) - reaching right to Chairman Xi Jinping at the top - are totally complicit in the human rights atrocities occurring in China's northwest province of Xinjiang. The number of Uyghur inmates in Xinjiang's notorious concentration camps - which China calls "vocational skills education and training centers" - peaked in 2018-19, and perhaps up to two million had suffered imprisonment by 2020. The Chinese government admits that these camps "wash brains", "cleanse hearts" and "remove evil". Muslim internees are punished and brainwashed in these camps that dramatically filled up from 2017 onwards, many detained for no other reason than that Beijing claimed they were "untrustworthy persons". The so-called Xinjiang Police Files were "obtained" from Public Security Bureau computers in Konasheher and Tekes counties in Xinjiang. They contained a multiplicity of material such as police training PowerPoint presentations as well as sensitive files, photos and speech transcripts. The vast amount of material helped authenticate their veracity, for their level of detail could only have come from the Chinese government. After arriving in Xinjiang from Tibet, Xinjiang Party Secretary Chen Quanguo commenced a five-year work plan to subjugate the restive province. The plan had these phases: in year one (2017) "stabilize" the region; in year two (2018) "consolidate" those gains; in year three (2019) achieve "basic normalization" of the new conditions; and by the fifth year (2021) reach "comprehensive stability". What can be learnt from the Xinjiang Police Files? Adrian Zenz, a German academic who is one of the world's foremost researchers on Chinese actions in Xinjiang, said the material was "unprecedented". He also ensured the documents were verified by peers and a consortium of 13 media outlets to verify their authenticity. Firstly, Zenz said, it included high-level speeches that implicated China's top leadership and contained very blunt language. For example, Chen Quanguo admitted in a leaked transcript of one speech on 18 June 2018, that his authorization to suppress the Uyghur populace came directly from Xi. "The general secretary sent me to Xinjiang; first, not in order to be an official; second, not in order to make a fortune; third, not in order to have nothing but an empty title. [Rather,] the general secretary sent me to Xinjiang in order to make a stable Xinjiang arise..." Personalization became supreme, with Chen justifying his policies as having Xi's blessing. Such was his fervor that he frequently issued death threats in various speeches against any who resist the state. Then, in December 2021, the CCP appointed Ma Xingru as new party secretary in Xinjiang, replacing the Machiavellian Chen Quanguo. The fact that Chen was replaced by a technocrat suggests that his scheme had gone precisely according to plan - mission accomplished. This also accords with evidence that some overt forms of surveillance (for example, checkpoints on streets) have drawn down in Xinjiang in recent times. In another transcript from a speech by Minister of Public Security Zhao Kezhi on 15 June 2018, after a five-day investigative visit to Xinjiang, Zhao offered support for international estimates that between one and two million people were incarcerated. His speech also showed that Xi himself was personally aware of the campaign, and that he issued instructions that enabled its expansion. What else can be learned from the Xinjiang Police Files? Secondly, according to Zenz, the world now has far more details concerning camp security instructions. As well as regular guards, camps possessed heavily armed strike units equipped with assault rifles. Their duties included armed patrols to "intimidate" detainees, to escort prisoners, to guard inmates during class hours (they carried shields, batons and handcuffs) and to suppress riots. Guards in watchtowers possess sniper rifles and light machine guns, although only Han Chinese officers are allowed to carry firearms. Perhaps 150,000 police recruits from around China were sent to Xinjiang in 2018 to guard the mass influx of prisoners. Chen's February 2018 speech highlighted the need for "absolute security of vocational skills education and training centers and internment facilities". Indeed, he was preoccupied with camp security, authorizing troops to shoot first and ask questions later if any camp were attacked externally. Chen also issued shoot-to-kill orders in case any prisoner tried to escape, a policy contrary to national police tactics. Chen brutally argued that when police made arrests, especially of those returning from other countries, they should "arrest them as soon as they see them" and "deal with them as with serious criminal offenders". That includes handcuffing them, blindfold them and using ankle shackles if needed. The party secretary said China was unlike the USSR because "we have the wise leadership of General Secretary Xi Jinping and the backing of 1.3 billion of the people and millions of troops". He boasted in a May 2017 speech that 100,000 members of the People's Armed Police were actively hunting down and capturing suspects. The intimidation and security measures were obviously effective. There are no eyewitness reports of anyone ever successfully escaping from these camps. Thirdly, The Xinjiang Police Files included vivid photos of police drills and tactics at these camps, as well as more than 5,000 images of Uyghur suspects photographed at detention centers and police stations. Of these photos, 2,884 were interned, the youngest of which was a 14-year-old girl named Rahile Omer. Her crime was being the daughter of a government official detained as part of Xinjiang's "strike hard" campaign in 2017. In fact, 424 of these photos depicted minors. Fourthly, sets of spreadsheets showed the vast scale of the internments. In 2017/18, for example, more than 12% of the entire Uyghur adult population in Konasheher county was imprisoned simultaneously. This rate was 64 times the national imprisonment rate for China. Under Chen's tutelage, Xinjiang became a "high-tech penal colony. Not only that, but China enacted the severest social engineering effort since the convoluted rule of Mao Zedong in the Cultural Revolution. Chen observed there was a "bottom line" that cannot be crossed: detainees cannot be released, because "once they are let out, problems will immediately appear. He argued that they "must not be let out," because "some may not necessarily have been transformed well even after three or five years. It is notable that in 2018/19, the government started sentencing prisoners to longer sentences. There is yet another aspect to be learned from the release of this treasure trove of Xinjiang documents. Importantly, it goes some way to answering why Xi and the CCP became so ruthless in their suppression of Xinjiang and its Muslim inhabitants, treating a whole ethnic group like a gang of dangerous criminals. It can be said that Xinjiang entered a "crisis mode", one featuring increased centralization, personalization, militant mobilization rhetoric and impassioned demands, increased influence of disciplinary and security organs, and a greater role of ideology in decision-making. Exploring this, in an article published in the Journal of the European Association for Chinese Studies in May 2022, Zenz offered this assessment: "Scholars have argued that political paranoia is a common feature of atrocity crimes. Here, it is suggested that the preemptive internment of large numbers of ordinary citizens can be explained as a devolution into political paranoia that promotes exaggerated threat perceptions." Central government figures have argued in classified speeches that if the Xinjiang situation were not handled properly, it would threaten the realization of China's most important political goals in the 21st century. "This intimate link between Xinjiang policy and major national political goals, also extensively highlighted by Xi Jinping in his internal speeches from 2014, explains the highly personalized, ideologized, militarized and mobilizational nature of the region's policy dynamics." Questions definitely do need to be asked as to why an antiterrorism crackdown degenerated into mass and arbitrary detention of so many innocent citizens that were punished like radical villains. Zenz suggested that the escalation of Xinjiang's de-extremification measures is partially explained by the state sincerely adopting a terror threat perception, but that this perception was then greatly and unjustifiably amplified. Furthermore, "The framing of entire ethnic groups as threats, and the attendant extreme preoccupations with security in the campaign's execution, reflected a devolution into paranoia." Such paranoia can be rooted in reality - for terrorist acts were perpetrated by Uyghurs - but that threat became greatly exaggerated. Such lessons are easily observed in Nazi Germany, where political paranoia led to radical anti-Jewish measures that escalated even further after war broke out. Zenz elaborated: "The paranoid-schizoid position uses projective identification and splitting to project the hated parts of the self out and onto the 'Other', while simultaneously idealizing the good within oneself. This psychological defense mechanism can explain how Xi Jinping, Chen Quanguo and other leaders came to frame Uyghurs as a pathological threat, while simultaneously portraying themselves as their kind benefactors." Xi initially delineated the "enemy" as those who act directly against the state. Zenz explained, "However, anyone who cannot be controlled is 'untrustworthy' because they could conceivably end up resisting the state in some form. This creates a devolutionary logic by which the 'enemy' is no longer just those who actually engage in violent resistance, but also persons who are potentially 'untrustworthy' because the state fails to ascertain their state of mind." China has convinced itself that permanent security is necessary - in other words, it must have invulnerability to threats - but such a state is truly unobtainable. Nonetheless, in its hubris and paranoia, China has sought such a goal even if it ends up indiscriminately targeting entire ethnic groups. It irrationally believes the only way to do so is to put the "untrustworthy" in prisons, which are "trustworthy" places, even if the human rights and decency of millions are trampled upon. (ANI) Taiwan authorities raided ten Chinese semiconductor companies for illegal poaching of chip engineers and other tech talents as the chip war between Taipei and Beijing worsened. The raids were conducted in Taiwan's capital Taipei and semiconductor hub, Hsinchu. This is the second time in three months that such raids have been conducted by Taiwan authorities. Earlier, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited had raided eight Chinese companies for similar reasons in March, The Singapore Post reported. The island's Investigation Bureau said that they had raided 10 Chinese companies and over 70 were questioned in a joint crackdown across several cities including Taipei, Hsinchu, and Taoyuan. According to the publication, the Taiwan bureau had raided the local unit of Giga Device Semiconductor (HK) Ltd on suspicion of illegal recruitment, Chinese backed firms including XEPIC Corporation. The development has yet again brought a focus on China's alleged attempts to steal Taiwan's technology and skills in chip-making. China, has made significant progress in the areas of assembling, testing, and packaging of electronics in the semiconductor industry, but lags in designing and manufacturing the semiconductor integrated circuits ("chips") which require great technological sophistication to produce. Recently, Chinese manufacturing companies have been recruiting talents from Taiwan with a salary of 2-2.5 times the average salaries and bonuses offered in Taipei, a new trick to lure the people from the island, according to a report. Chinese officials are poaching talent in Hsinchu in Taiwan. It has also become the center of intellectual property theft, which often follows talent recruitment. Over 100 experienced engineers and managers from Taiwan Semiconductor manufacturing company (TSMC) have been transferred to foundries in China in 2019 and 2020. Overall, more than 3,000 engineers are estimated to have transferred from Taiwan to mainland companies, nearly 10 per cent of Taiwan's semiconductor research and development workforce. Realizing that China is poaching talent, the authorities are closely monitoring the Beijing companies as the latest crackdown on the firms to protect its chip supremacy. The island's role has been globally recognized in producing the crucial components, which are used in everything from smartphones to medical devices and cars. With the onset of the pandemic, the demand for semiconductor manufacturing grew as the technology kept education and the professional world running, and economies including the US and Germany asked for Taiwan's help in stepping up production. The war in Ukraine has also increased the value of semiconductors in the global economy so the contribution of Taiwan has increased manifold in manufacturing chips. According to technical experts, the semiconductor manufacturing industry is the key factor in Taiwan's rising stature that helps to distinguish the island from China. Such recognition is crucial for Taiwan as it has diplomatic ties with only 14 states. Many countries have still been hesitant to deal with Taipei because of fear of annoying Beijing which has repeatedly stated that the island must be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary. (ANI) Free Balochistan Movement organized protests in Germany and Britain against Pakistan's nuclear tests in Balochistan that have resulted in the people of Chaghai suffering from diseases and facing several other problems even today. On May 28, 1998, Pakistan tested six nuclear bombs in the Chaghai area of Balochistan which had serious consequences for the region. Meanwhile, the Baloch National Movement, Netherlands Zone also organised a protest against the nuclear tests in Balochistan. Protesters distributed pamphlets to raise awareness about the fallout of the nuclear tests. They held up placards and banners, highlighting the impact of nuclear radiation in the region after the tests. The demonstrators also chanted slogans against the testing of nuclear weapons. A huge number of local people expressed their concern and solidarity with the people of Balochistan against the nuclear tests by Pakistan. Hammal Haider Baloch, the foreign secretary of the Baloch National Movement said, "Chagai and surrounding areas are flagged with severe diseases after May 28, 1998, nuclear tests by Pakistan". "People are suffering from chronic diseases. Children are born with disabilities while other serious diseases such as cancer are more prevalent in those areas due to nuclear radiation. From 28 May 1998 till today people of Balochistan are confronting fatal diseases," added Hammal. Jamal Baloch, a human rights activist and a member of the Baloch National Movement said that the Pakistani nuclear tests have caused several health hazards in Balochistan. "We appeal to the international community that they should curb the nuclear programmes of Pakistan. Pakistan is a terrorist state, and lethal atomic bombs in control of Pakistan is a looming threat to the entire world," he said. Jamal added, "We request to the world that all nuclear weapons of Pakistan should be banned and sanctioned because Pakistan commit war crimes in Balochistan by testing an atomic bomb in Chaghai". The former President of Baloch National Movement Netherlands Zone, Keyya Baloch said that the nuclear tests in Chaghai not only turned the mountain of Ras Koh into a heap of nuclear waste but it also resulted in the rampant spread of deadly diseases such as cancer. "Before these nuclear tests, people had enough means of livelihood but the nuclear explosion has deprived them of all means. The areas had turned into barren lands, people are suffering from chronic disease and drought has been an order of the day for the last two decades," Keyya Baloch added. However, in a message on the silver jubilee celebration of the country's nuclear tests, the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif, said the day was a clear declaration of 'no compromise over country's sovereignty, and defence' and served as a reminder that for the defence, solidarity and national interests, they would not budge from any sacrifice, reported Express Tribune. (ANI) Baloch Students Council staged a protest for the safe recovery of Feroz Baloch who went missing on May 11 and demanded the release of Hafeez Baloch who they said was imprisoned on "false accusations". While sharing pictures of the protest on Twitter, Baloch Students Council wrote, "We demand an end to Baloch Student's victimization." The protestors at the site held banners and chanting slogans against the enforced disappearances of Baloch students. One of the banners read, "The lives of thousands of Baloch students are at risk. Help us to recover Feroz Baloch and protect our basic right to life, education and security." They also criticized human rights organizations for remaining silent on the "racial profiling" of the Baloch students. "Why are the defenders of Human Rights Organization are silent in Racial Profiling Abduction of Baloch students," read another banner. Notably, a large number of students have been seeking the release of fellow student Hafeez Baloch, who was forcibly disappeared by Pakistani intelligence agencies, reported Pakistan's vernacular media. Over weeks, protests continue in Pakistan demanding the safe release of this research scholar and several others who have been subjected to enforced disappearances in the country. This comes as rights groups continue to raise concerns about significant rights issues in Pakistan, including unlawful or arbitrary killings by the government and the forced disappearance of Pashtun, Sindhi, and Baloch human rights activists. Earlier, taking to Twitter Munir Mengal, President of Baloch Voice Association said Pakistan is eliminating the Baloch intellectuals. "Hafeez Baloch, a MPhil student of a University in Islamabad, is in final of MPhil Physics, was disappeared by force by Pakistani military forces from the classroom in Khuzdar while he was teaching students. Pakistan is eliminating the Baloch Intellectuals as they did with Bandla people," Munir Mengal, President of Baloch Voice Association said in a tweet. (ANI) The bus was travelling from Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar to the southern port city of Karachi when it turned turtle on a motorway, reported Xinhua. The motorway police told local media that all the victims were shifted to the local hospitals, adding that 10 injured passengers were in critical condition. According to the motorway police, most of the injured passengers were from different cities of Sindh and the country's eastern Punjab province, reported Xinhua. Road accidents frequently happen in Pakistan, mainly due to poorly maintained vehicles, dilapidated roads as well as negligence of road safety measures. (ANI) China once again showed its assertiveness toward Taiwan when its 30 warplanes made incursions into the island nation's air defense identification zone, or ADIZ on Monday, while US congressional delegation was on a surprise visit to Taiwan. A US delegation led by Sen Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat, arrived in Taipei on Monday in a previously unannounced visit, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said, reported CNN. Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said 30 Chinese warplanes made incursions into its air defense identification zone, or ADIZ, the highest daily figure in more than four months. In response, the Taiwanese military issued radio warnings and deployed air defense missile systems to monitor the activities, the ministry added. The delegation will meet with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday, where they will discuss "regional security, economic and trade cooperation, and all issues related to US-Taiwan bilateral relations," presidential spokesperson Xavier Chang said. During their visit, the delegation will also meet Premier Su Tseng-chang and Economic Affairs Minister Wang Mei-hua, before departing on Wednesday, reported CNN. The visit comes after President Joe Biden recently took his first presidential trip to Asia -- and reignited a conversation over the US diplomatic posture toward Taiwan and mainland China. Earlier this month, during a news conference in Tokyo, Biden said that the US would intervene militarily if China attempts to take Taiwan by force. The warning appeared to deviate from the deliberate ambiguity traditionally held by Washington, though the White House quickly downplayed the comments, saying they don't reflect a change in US policy, reported CNN. Under the "One China" policy, the US acknowledges China's position that Taiwan is part of China, but has never officially recognized Beijing's claim to the self-governing island of 23 million. The US provides Taiwan defensive weapons, but has remained intentionally ambiguous on whether it would intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attack. China responded to the President's strong warning by expressing "strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition" to Biden's comments, saying it will not allow any external force to interfere in its "internal affairs," reported CNN. Biden's warning made headlines around the world -- and put growing tensions between the small democratic island and its neighboring autocratic superpower back in the spotlight. Meanwhile, Taiwan was excluded from the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, a regional economic plan recently unveiled by Biden during his Asia trip. The framework is Biden's attempt at engaging a region increasingly coming under the influence of China. But Taiwan and the US could begin talks to deepen trade and economic ties "in a few weeks," two senior Taiwanese government officials have told CNN. (ANI) The peace effort between Pakistan and the proscribed terror outfit Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) gather pace as a 50-member jirga of notable tribal leaders is due in Kabul tomorrow (Wednesday). The News International citing jirga members informed that the members will extend peace talks with the Pakistani Taliban based in Afghanistan. Some jirga members were summoned to Peshawar and briefed on the reconciliation process, reported Geo News. Former senator Maulana Saleh Shah will preside over the jirga. The jirga consists of tribal elders from South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Orakzai, Kurram, Khyber, Mohmand, and Bajaur, as well as the Malakand Division. Public representatives, including former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor Engineer Shaukatullah Khan, Senator Dost Mohammad Khan Mehsud, Senator Hilal Mohmand, GG Jamal, etc, will be present, reported Geo News. "This was the second meeting between members of the jirga and senior security officials in Peshawar," one member of the jirga informed The News on the condition of anonymity. Engineer Shaukatullah Khan, former governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the jirga member told The News that nothing had been agreed with the Taliban, saying he would first meet with leaders of the Pakistani Taliban. He said they would prefer the Taliban to lay down arms, return home and live peacefully in Pakistan. He didn't confirm reports that the previous status of the erstwhile tribal areas would be restored and the merger with KP be withdrawn, 60 per cent of the Pakistan army troops would be pulled out of the tribal districts, and the Taliban would return to Pakistan along with arms and ammunition. Another member of the jirga, on condition of anonymity, said they would be meeting senior Taliban leaders, including the chief of the banned TTP, Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud, Maulvi Faqir Mohammad, etc, reported Geo News. He said the Afghan Taliban would facilitate the peace process. According to the jirga members, some of the militant leaders had initially refused to participate in the peace talks with Pakistan, but the Afghan Taliban had made it clear to all the Pakistani Taliban factions that any individual or group not willing to join the negotiations would need to leave Afghanistan. "I think there is no option for the militant factions to stay away from the peace talks with the Pakistan government. If talks with the TTP succeed, then all of them will return to Pakistan and will start a peaceful life in their respective areas," said the jirga member. The TTP, commonly known as the Pakistani Taliban, is a banned terrorist organisation based along the Afghan-Pakistan border. Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council report has warned that TTP posed a threat to Pakistan as it is focused on a long-term campaign against the Pakistani state with its several thousand fighters in Afghanistan, according to Dawn citing the 13th report of the UNSC Monitoring Team on Afghanistan. According to the report, TTP constituted the largest component of foreign terrorist fighters in Afghanistan, with their number estimated to be several thousand. (ANI) India and Pakistan on Tuesday finalised and signed the annual report of the Permanent Indus Commission for the year which ended on March 31, 2022. The report was finalised at the two-day 118th Permanent Indus Commission meeting here between the two countries which concluded on Tuesday. A Ministry of External Affairs release said that the meeting was held in a cordial manner and the Commission appreciated the commitment of the two sides to interact frequently and resolve issues through bilateral discussions under the Indus Water Treaty. It was agreed to hold the next meeting of the PIC in Pakistan on mutually convenient dates. The Indian delegation was led by AK Pal, the Commissioner for Indus Waters and the visiting Pakistan delegation was led by Syed Muhammad Mehar Ali Shah, the Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Waters. The 117th meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) was held from March 1-3,2022 in Islamabad. As per the provisions of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) 1960, which deals with sharing of the waters of the six rivers of the Indus basin -- both the countries are to have Indus Commissioners, and the Permanent Indus Commission is to meet at least once every year, alternatively in India and Pakistan. Of the six rivers in the Indus Basin, India has complete rights over three eastern rivers -- Sutlej, Beas and Ravi, while Pakistan has rights over the western rivers -- Chenab, Jhelum and Indus. The Indus Water Treaty has survived the wars between the two countries and the freeze in bilateral relations. The relations between India and Pakistan have been strained due to Uri, Pathankot and Pulwama terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir with New Delhi making it clear that talks and terror cannot go together. According to recent media reports, Pakistan and India have been engaged in "back channel" talks in order to break the stalemate in the relationship. The Pakistan media reports said that there has been a renewed push by the two sides to find some way out of the impasse since the new government came to power in Islamabad last month. (ANI) Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday led a delegation-level talk with the Prime Minister of Gabon, Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda, in Libreville during his three-day visit to the country. During the meeting, the Vice President expressed India's readiness to work together with Gabon to expand the ambit of cooperation in various spheres to further strengthen and broaden the bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation between the two countries. Prior to this, Vice President held a meeting with Gabon President Ali Bongo Ondimba where the former said that India attaches great importance to its relations with Gabon and reiterated the commitment of the Government of India to be Gabon's reliable partner in its development journey. Vice President also held a meeting with the President of the Senate of Gabon, Lucie Milebou Aubusson and Speaker of Gabonese National Assembly H E Faustin Boukoubi and gifted them replicas of the original Indian Constitution and emphasised the importance of shared values of democracy and pluralism in India-Gabon ties. Earlier, on Monday, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu reached Gabon on the first leg of his three-nation visit. He will also visit Senegal and Qatar. He was received by Gabon Prime Minister Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda and Foreign Minister Michael Moussa Adamo in the capital city Libreville. Naidu is on a visit to Gabon, Senegal, and Qatar, the first visit from India at the level of Vice President to the three countries. He is accompanied by a high-level delegation including Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar and three Members of Parliament, Sushil Kumar Modi, Vijay Pal Singh Tomar, and P Raveendranath. Gabon is an important partner for India. Both India and Gabon are currently serving as non-permanent members of the UNSC. Bilateral trade reached USD 1.12 billion in 2021-22. A number of Gabonese nationals pursue scholarship/training programs offered by India under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) and ICCR schemes. (ANI) India and China held talks on border issues on Tuesday and decided to hold the next (16th) round of Senior Commanders meeting at an early date. After the Galwan clash last year, several rounds of military and diplomatic talks have taken place to resolve the standoff. Disengagement at some border points did take place but by and large, there is an impasse on complete disengagement. The 24th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held on May 31, 2022. The Indian delegation was led by the Additional Secretary (East Asia) from the Ministry of External Affairs. The Director-General of the Boundary & Oceanic Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs led the Chinese delegation, read the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) release. Both the sides agreed to hold the next (16th) round of the Senior Commanders meeting at an early date to achieve the objective of complete disengagement from all friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector in accordance with the existing bilateral agreements and protocols, added the MEA release. The two sides reviewed the situation along the LAC in the Western Sector of the India-China border areas. They recalled that since the last meeting of WMCC in November 2021, both sides have held the 14th and 15th meetings of the Senior Commanders in January and March 2022 respectively. The Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi had also visited India in March 2022 and held discussions with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. The two sides exchanged views on the current situation along the LAC in the Western Sector in Eastern Ladakh. As instructed by the two Foreign Ministers at WMCC on India-China Border Affairs, both sides should continue the discussions through diplomatic and military channels to resolve the remaining issues along the LAC at the earliest so as to create conditions for the restoration of normalcy in bilateral relations. (ANI) Rescuers have retrieved the bodies of all 22 people on board a plane that crashed in the Himalayas as well as the black box from the crash site was recovered. Tara Air twin-otter aircraft which was more than two decades old crashed onto the hillside of Mustang District on Sunday morning, killing all 22 people on board which included 13 Nepali, 4 Indians, 2 German nationals, and 3 crew members. "We have recovered all the dead bodies yesterday (Monday) and today (Tuesday). All 22 bodies have been carried to Kathmandu in the Nepal Army MI-17 helicopter. Yesterday we brought 10 and today we carried 12 dead bodies to Kathmandu and we dispatched all the dead bodies to Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu for further postmortem and forensic tests," Tek Nath Sitaula, Spokesperson at Tribhuwan International Airport told ANI. The bodies will be handed over to the families after performing the postmortem and completion of other procedures, the official said. The twin-otter aircraft, which took off from Pokhara for Jomsom in Mustang at 9:55 am (NST) on Sunday, lost contact shortly after takeoff and was later found at Sansure Cliff of Thasang Rural Municipality-2 in Mustang on Monday morning. In a further statement, "We are in the process of closing the search and rescue mission since all the dead bodies have been recovered and the flight data recorder- cockpit voice recorder already been recovered from the accident site. It is being carried to Kathmandu by the concerned authorities and the government already has constituted an accident investigation commission," the officer informed. A five-membered committee has been formed on Monday to probe the crash under the directions of Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Prem Bahadur Ale. Headed by senior aeronautical engineer Ratischandra Lal Suman, other memerbers of the committee include captain Dipu Jwarchan (aeronautical engineer), senior maintenance engineer Upendra Lal Shrestha, senior meteorologist Mani Ratna Shakya and Ministry joint-secretary Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane. According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, those on the plane were Captain Prabhakar Prasad Ghimire, co-pilot Utsav Pokhrel, air hostess Kismi Thapa, passengers Indra Bahadur Gole, Purushottam Gole, Rajan Kumar Gole, Basant Lama, Ganesh Narayan Shrestha, Raveena Shrestha, Rashmi Shrestha, Rozina Shrestha, Prakash Sunuar, Makar Bahadur Tamang, Rammaya Tamang, Sukamaya Tamang, Tulasa Devi Tamang, Vaibhawi Bandekar (India), Ashok Kumar Tripathi (India), Dhanush Tripathi (India), Ritika Tripathi (India), Mick Grat, (Germany) and Yuvi Wilner (Germany). Mustang is one of the mountainous and fifth-largest districts of the Himalayan nation which hosts the pilgrimage of Muktinath Temple. The district, also known as "Land beyond the Himalayas" is located in the Kali Gandaki Valley of the Himalayan region of Western Nepal. (ANI) Karun Bansal, First Secretary, Embassy of India, Kathmandu inaugurated the computer block for Shree Poorneshwar Secondary School, read Indian Embassy in Nepal press release. The project was undertaken with grant assistance from the Government of India at the cost of Nepali Rs 17.54 million under India-Nepal Development Cooperation in the education sector as a Community Development Project. This is one of the 75 projects being inaugurated this year in Nepal as part of "India@75 Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav" which celebrates 75 years of India's independence, added the release. Shree Poorneshwar Secondary School is an old established school in Parbat District. The School has over 250 students, about 60 per cent of whom are girls. The new infrastructure exclusively created for computer technology for this school in Nepal with the GoI assistance will provide a facility to the students for seeking a better education. Since 2003, India has taken up over 527 High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs) in Nepal and has completed 470 projects in the areas of health, education, drinking water, connectivity, sanitation and creation of other public utilities across all 7 provinces of Nepal at the grassroots level, said the release. Out of this, 57 HICDPs are in Gandaki Province, including two projects in Parbat District. India and Nepal enjoy a multi-faceted and multi-sectoral development partnership that is reflective of the closeness of the people of both countries. The implementation of this school project reflects the continued support of the Government of India in complementing the efforts of the Government of Nepal to create infrastructure in priority sectors like education. (ANI) In wake of the deadly crash in the Himalayas which killed 22 people including foreigners, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has introduced a new rule, 'clear weather throughout the route to carry out a flight'. Earlier, the pilot in command's right to decide on the feasibility of flights in case of poor weather was in existence which now is scrapped after a series of instances of accidents caused by poor visibility. "All flights following the visual flight rules (VFR) have to follow the decision," Deputy Director-General of CAAN Devendra Lal Karna told ANI over the phone. Before Sunday's incident of the Tara Air plane crash, the aviation regulatory authority has been issuing permits if weather conditions at the source and destination airports are okay. But, from now onwards, the en-route weather conditions will also be looked into. As per the official, the authority would continue to depend on data provided by the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology to decide if the weather condition is okay at any place. "We will strictly oversee and implement the new flight permit rule," Karna added. With the latest round of decisions, only the airport authority from now onwards will decide on the weather of the aeroplane's input on domestic flights. "After this decision, the decision regarding the weather of the plane's route will be made only from the airport. At present, only a captain can make such a decision, and now every airport will allow flights," he said. A preliminary investigation made by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has shown that the Tara Air crash incident might have occurred due to bad weather conditions. CAAN Director General Pradeep Adhikari told a meeting of the International Committee of the Parliament on Monday that the Tara Air plane met with the accident because of inclement weather. Preliminary investigation showed that the aircraft which should have made a right turn instead took a left turn due to the bad weather and crashed into a hillside. A total of 16 Nepali, 4 Indian and 2 German nationals were killed in the accident which took place on the steep slopes of the Himalayas. (ANI) Ankara [Turkey], May 31 (ANI/Sputnik): Turkey has canceled and postponed some NATO drills over provisions of the Montreux Convention on not allowing passage of warships to the Black Sea, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday. "We have taken on a mediating role inside this process [the Ukraine conflict] ... But will Turkey be able to play this role if it gets involved in sanctions [against Russia] ... And there are many who see the benefit of our non-sanctions policy, led by the European countries. We introduced the Montreux Convention, we are forced to leave our airspace open. Even going beyond the Convention, we ask Russia about the ships, there were NATO exercises that were planned in advance. We have canceled them and postponed them. That is, we play an important role," Cavusoglu told Anadolu reporters. The minister added that the West has some questions about Turkey over not imposing sanctions against Moscow but Ankara will not change its position. (ANI/Sputnik) The continuous engagement of Pakistani nationals in unlawful activities in foreign countries is bringing a bad name to the Islamic nation. Multiple reports have shown such incidents where many Pakistani nationals were found to be involved in such activities. Recently, Turkey decided to tighten its Visa policy for Pakistan nationals after Pakistanis were found involved in the abduction of four Nepal citizens in Istanbul. The Four Nepal citizens were kidnapped "at gunpoint" from Taksim Square by a group of six Pakistan nationals. As per the reports, the Nepalis were also subjected to torture by these Pakistanis after being abducted. The Istanbul police arrested six Pakistanis on April 26 from their hide-out in Beyoglu district. Pakistani abductors had demanded a ransom of 10,000 Euros from the Nepalis' families. Similarly, in 2021 another group of Pakistani nationals was apprehended in Istanbul for kidnapping fellow Pakistanis and demanding a 50,000 Euro ransom. Such a Visa policy for Pakistanis came a week after hashtags including `Pakistani Perverts' and 'Pakistani Get Out' was spotted on social media platforms in Turkey. The hashtags followed the emergence of a number of videos showing Pakistani men sharing inappropriate videos of women and children on TikTok. An engineer based in Izmir, Piovera, tweeted on May 9, "Pakistani men caught stalking Turkish women and taking their illegal photographs. Pakistanis take their extremist attitude abroad & then cause problems for countries who let them in. Sorry, the world is not like Pakistan. I don't want Pakistanis in Turkey. #pakistaniperverts." Not only in Turkey, but Pakistanis living in other parts of the world are also found involved in unlawful activities. Two Pakistan nationals, Ashan Fraz Cheema & Raza Ali, are facing charges of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, unlawful possession of a firearm/ammunition and illegal immigration in Limpopo High Court in South Africa. They are accused of killing Kabishi Primary School teacher, Mohlale Precious Magabane on December 23, 2018, and driving around to dispose of her body parts. On May 17, police arrested 3 Pakistani men in Larissa, central Greece after they attacked and forcibly tried to gangrape the Bulgarian lady who had provided them shelter. The Pakistanis were staying in Greece without any legal documents. (ANI) Pakistan and the proscribed terror outfit Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have agreed to extend an indefinite ceasefire to find an end to the nearly two decades of militancy in the tribal border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Sources familiar with the development said that the extension of ceasefire indicates significant progress in talks between the two sides in the Afghan capital Kabul, reported Dawn. The ceasefire extension has come to an end last night. Sources told Dawn that the two sides had agreed to extend the ceasefire and continue peace talks following separate meetings with Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund, Acting Prime Minister of the 'Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan' at his office. The sources said that in the meetings with the two sides, Hassan Akhund expressed his desire that the talks and ceasefire should be allowed to continue without any cut-off date. In a subsequent joint meeting, the two sides agreed to extend the ceasefire indefinitely and pursue negotiations to end the conflict that has seen mass dislocation and killings of thousands of people in Pakistan's tribal region and the country at large, reported Dawn. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid and TTP spokesman Muhammad Khurasani had issued statements early this month, announcing an extension in the ceasefire till May 30. No official statement has been issued so far regarding the indefinite extension of the ceasefire. The development follows days of "intense and extensive negotiations" in the Afghan capital attended by senior-level delegations from the two sides that at one point seemed close to breakdown, reported Dawn. Taliban's Acting Minister for Interior Sirajuddin Haqqani, who is the central mediator, helped bring the talks back on track, sources said. Pakistani sources said that the government had demonstrated its seriousness by acceding to some of the TTP's demands and after the Taliban suggested it would be important for confidence-building to move from preliminaries to formal and structured negotiations. The release of prisoners and presidential pardon to two key terrorist commanders, including TTP Swat spokesman Muslim Khan, was one such demand. Compensation for the dead and wounded, enforcement of Shariah regulation in Malakand, withdrawal of the military from the borders and reversal of Fata merger into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were key demands from the TTP side, these sources said, reported Dawn. As per Pakistan government sources, two major issues remained challenging: the reversal of the FATA merger and the disbandment of the TTP as an armed terrorist group. Moreover, the government delegation has made it plain that no armed group would be allowed to enter Pakistan territory or operate as such. The next round of negotiations is expected to take place in the second week of June, sources said, with a tribal jirga holding direct talks with the TTP in Kabul. (ANI) The blast during which several children sustained injuries took place at a checkpoint in the Razmak subdivision of North Waziristan tribal district, reported Dawn. Officials said that the vehicle was parked near a checkpoint in the Dosali area when the suicide bomber riding a motorcycle rammed his two-wheeler into it. As a result, two security personnel were injured, the report added. Two children playing nearby also suffered injuries in the incident. According to Dawn, the injured security men were identified as Naik Banaras and Sepoy Munsif Khan, and the children were shifted to a hospital in the area. Terrorist activities are on the surge in Pakistan border areas, especially in the North Waziristan district due to political instability in Pakistan and its cross-border tensions with its neighbours. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. (ANI) DOTL -- The Four Words Whose Application Might Have Prevented the Uvalde Massacre NOCSSM May 31, 2022 We all seem to be focused on how the police responded to the shooter. While this is an important subject and certainly could have cut the shooting spree short, there is another action that was taken that enabled the shooter to enter the school unabated. We are talking about the door that was reportedly propped open by a teacher. From article by KSAT.com: "11:27 a.m. - A teacher at Robb elementary propped open an exterior door in order to retrieve a cell phone. The teacher who propped the door open walked back to the exit door, and the door remained propped open." In the security world we constantly battle between being "secure" and the convenience factor. People feeling that it is too inconvenient to have to go around to the specified entry door. Add the outright neglect of not unpropping the door. In this case the price for not being inconvenienced is the death of 21 people. Decades before I made my life's work "Church Security" I had the job of protecting the world's secular treasures. I spent 18 years as the Vice President of one of the world's largest rare antiquities dealers (now Heritage Auctions, Designing and operating sophisticated video surveillance, intrusion alarms, access control, huge safes, vaults and bullet resistant walls and doors and man traps were my everyday task for almost two decades. This article is about access control systems and the wide variety of features of these advanced systems. One of these features might have mitigated the shooter entering the building. The typical access control system uses mechanical strike plates or magnets to hold the door locked until a card key is presented or numeric code entered that has been programed to unlock the door for several seconds. The system can be programmed to let only certain people enter between certain times of day, unlock/lock the door during certain times, etc. What if I told you that a common feature of access control systems is to send an alarm if a door is open (or propped open) too long (Door Open Too Long or DOTL setting). This setting is used to tell whoever is monitoring the system (or alarm sent via text, etc.) that the door has been open longer than the setting, typically 10 seconds or so. To enable this feature the door must have a door contact connected to the system. This contact is the same contact that alerts the system that the door has been opened in the event of an unauthorized entry like that of a burglar when the system is set up at night or any other time the facility is closed. While we can't keep a teacher from purposefully circumventing the door from being closed or locked, it can notify you that THE DOOR IS OPEN. Another useful tool to help mitigate this type of neglect is an alarmed delayed exit door where an emergency exit door has a system that, upon pushing the panic bar that opens the door, an alarm sounds and delays the opening of the door for 15 second or so. The subject of how we can harden our private schools as well as other vital subjects will be featured at our 17th Annual National Church Security Conference to be held at Watermark Community Church in Dallas, Tx August 13th, 2022. Speakers this year will include: DALLAS, May 31, 2022 / Christian Newswire / -- The National Organization of Church Security & Safety Management (NOCSSM) will present its 17th Annual National Church Security Conference to be held at Watermark Community Church in Dallas, Texas on August 13th, 2022.We all seem to be focused on how the police responded to the shooter. While this is an important subject and certainly could have cut the shooting spree short, there is another action that was taken that enabled the shooter to enter the school unabated. We are talking about the door that was reportedly propped open by a teacher."11:27 a.m. - A teacher at Robb elementary propped open an exterior door in order to retrieve a cell phone. The teacher who propped the door open walked back to the exit door, and the door remained propped open."In the security world we constantly battle between being "secure" and the convenience factor. People feeling that it is too inconvenient to have to go around to the specified entry door. Add the outright neglect of not unpropping the door. In this case the price for not being inconvenienced is the death of 21 people.Decades before I made my life's work "Church Security" I had the job of protecting the world's secular treasures. I spent 18 years as the Vice President of one of the world's largest rare antiquities dealers (now Heritage Auctions, www.HA.com ).Designing and operating sophisticated video surveillance, intrusion alarms, access control, huge safes, vaults and bullet resistant walls and doors and man traps were my everyday task for almost two decades.This article is about access control systems and the wide variety of features of these advanced systems. One of these features might have mitigated the shooter entering the building.The typical access control system uses mechanical strike plates or magnets to hold the door locked until a card key is presented or numeric code entered that has been programed to unlock the door for several seconds. The system can be programmed to let only certain people enter between certain times of day, unlock/lock the door during certain times, etc.What if I told you that a common feature of access control systems is to send an alarm if a door is open (or propped open) too long (Door Open Too Long or DOTL setting). This setting is used to tell whoever is monitoring the system (or alarm sent via text, etc.) that the door has been open longer than the setting, typically 10 seconds or so.To enable this feature the door must have a door contact connected to the system. This contact is the same contact that alerts the system that the door has been opened in the event of an unauthorized entry like that of a burglar when the system is set up at night or any other time the facility is closed.While we can't keep a teacher from purposefully circumventing the door from being closed or locked, it can notify you that THE DOOR IS OPEN.Another useful tool to help mitigate this type of neglect is an alarmed delayed exit door where an emergency exit door has a system that, upon pushing the panic bar that opens the door, an alarm sounds and delays the opening of the door for 15 second or so.The subject of how we can harden our private schools as well as other vital subjects will be featured at our 17th Annual National Church Security Conference to be held at Watermark Community Church in Dallas, Tx August 13th, 2022.Speakers this year will include: Chuck Chadwick - President and Founder of NOCSSM, Former Mega-church security director with over 4 decades of experience in Private Security and 2 decades in Church Security. Chuck heads the largest state licensed volunteer multi-church security force in America. Preeminent Authority in Church Security. https://nocssm.org/ Scott Stewart VP of Tactical Analysis. Torchstone Global company. Preeminent Authority in International Threat Intelligence. https://www.torchstoneglobal.com/ Dr. Sean Lawler Tactical Firearms Instructor/Medic for a Federal Law Enforcement Agency. Matt McCarthy Stop the Bleed Nate McDougall of Watermark Community Church Dallas https://watermark.org NEWS PROVIDED BY While not all churches have the degree of concern as a mega-church, every church wants to meet the unthinkable with a degree of preparedness. The one-day conference is the best training attendees can get and a great value to every church. For further details go to www.NOCSSM.org About NOCSSM NOCSSM is the Oldest and Largest church security organization in America and has continually served churches through its website resources, educational tools and affiliated educational and professional companies. http://www.nocssm.org SOURCE National Organization of Church Security & Safety Management (NOCSSM) CONTACT: Chuck Chadwick, 214-305-5616, cchadwick@nocssm.org Share Tweet Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu, on Tuesday called on the President of Gabon, Prime Minister and other high dignitaries to hold talks on socio-economic development in Libreville on the first leg of his three-nation visit. While interacting with the media, MEA's Secretary Dammu Ravi (Economic Relations) said that Gabon is truly looking for enhancing its partnership with India, particularly in the energy sector, oil, Gas, minerals, and forest wealth. During the talks, two MoUs were signed between India and Gabon for establishing a Joint Commission and diplomats' training as the Vice President of India expressed India's readiness to work with Gabon to strengthen cooperation in various spheres at bilateral, regional, and multilateral levels. The Vice President is accompanied by a high-level Indian delegation consisting of Minister of State (Health) Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar and Members of Parliament, Sushil Kumar Modi, Vijay Pal Singh Tomar, and P. Raveendranath for the dialogue with the President of Gabon, Ali Bongo Ondimba and Prime Minister of Gabon, Ms. Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda. M. Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday also held a joint meeting with Faustin Boukoubi, President of the National Assembly, and Lucie Milebou Aubusson, President of Senate in Libreville, Gabon, and also gifted them replicas of the original Indian Constitution and emphasized the importance of shared values of democracy and pluralism in India-Gabon ties. During the meeting, the Vice President stated that India attaches great importance to its relations with Gabon and reiterated the commitment of the Government of India to be Gabon's reliable partner in its development journey. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Gabon is an important partner for India in Central Africa and the Indian delegation's visit has underlined its continued commitment to support the socio-economic development of Gabon & to advance our bilateral, regional & multilateral cooperation. The main focus of Vice President Venkaiah Naidu's visit to Gabon and Senegal is the Western African region which is a Francophone country (The countries whose official language is French), the MEA officials said further. Notably, Vice President, with a high-level delegation, is on a 3-Nation trip to Gabon, Senegal, and Qatar from May 30 to June 4. (ANI) African country Gabon is truly looking for enhancing its partnership with India during Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu's visit to the nation. In a special briefing on Vice President's visit to Gabon, Dammu Ravi, Secretary (ER) said, "Gabon is truly looking for enhancing its partnership with India. They feel that it's time for them to diversify their economy and be partners with India, particularly in the energy sector." Naidu is on a three-nation tour to Gabon, Senegal and Qatar. Vice-President Naidu's visit to Gabon was the 1st leg of his tour. He had very extensive interaction with the leadership of Gabon. He called on Gabon's President Ali Bongo Ondimba, covering various areas of cooperation. "Today, Vice President had extensive interaction with the leadership of Gabon. He called on the President of Gabon Ali Bongo Ondimba, who had visited India in past on two occasions. He warmly welcomed Indian VP Naidu, which is the first high-level visit from India to Gabon. The visit is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's broad vision for Africa, which is 'Prioritizing Africa for India'," said Dammu Ravi. "Today's interaction has been very stimulating, covering various areas of cooperation. Gabon is truly looking for enhancing its partnership with India, and wants to partner with India to be able to drive emergent Gabon - the vision of President Ondimba - Gabon 2025; wherein they feel that it's time for them to diversify their economy & be partners with India, particularly in the energy sector. They have a large oil, gas, minerals, and forest wealth and they want to move beyond in the direction of value addition. It's a great opportunity for the two countries," added Secretary (ER). Earlier in the day, Gabon's Foreign Minister Michael Moussa Adamo called on the Vice President. Naidu also visited the National Assembly where he met the President of the National Assembly Faustin Boukoubi and Senate President Lucie Milebou Aubusson. Thereafter one-on-one meeting with the Prime Minister of Gabon, Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda took place and then a delegation-level talk took place wherein two MoUs were signed. "Vice President met the President of Gabon. Gabon is interested in skill development, and solar alliance. There were delegation-level talks with the PM, including talks related to energy cooperation," said Dammu Ravi. Meanwhile, Naidu and the Prime Minister of Gabon, Raponda on Tuesday witnessed the signing of MoUs in Libreville where two MoUs signed between India and Gabon for establishing a Joint Commission and diplomats' training. The first MoU was signed between Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service, Ministry of External Affairs (Republic of India) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Gabon and the second MoU were related to an agreement on the Establishment of a Bilateral Commission between Govt. of Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of Gabon. The Vice President expressed India's readiness to work together with Gabon to expand India's ambit of cooperation in various spheres to further strengthen and broaden bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation. (ANI) A military official who opted for anonymity told Xinhua that militants armed with heavy weaponry arrived in Hitaoua, a locality in the region by 3 a.m. local time. They overran government forces, killing at least three soldiers and four civilians. One person was also abducted. Reinforcement troops arrived at the locality and repulsed the attackers who retreated into the mountain, according to the locals. In another Boko Haram attack in the region Monday night, the militants wounded four civilians, members of the same family in Yabogo village. The militants have stepped up attacks on civilians and military in the region in the past one week, according to security reports. (ANI/Xinhua) Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) fired a journalist for going to Israel along with a delegation comprising Pakistani Americans, announced the Pakistan Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on Monday. Marriyum said that the journalist Ahmed Quraishi has been fired from his job for the controversial trip. "The anchorperson went on a "personal trip to Israel and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has categorically rejected the notion of any delegation from Pakistan visiting Israel," The News reported. The report said that the visit was organised by a foreign NGO which is not based in Pakistan, as the country's Foreign Office spokesperson had said in a statement one day earlier. "There has been no change in Pakistan's policy in support of Palestine. Our country's policy is clear and in accordance with the orders of Quaid-i-Azam, no policy or action can be taken against the wishes of the people of Pakistan." The News quoted the Minister as saying. Aurangzeb said that Pakistan adheres to its traditional and principled position on the Palestinian issue with Israel. Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Central Vice President Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Monday, accused PTI Chairman Imran Khan of being the only one in Pakistan who has a family connection with Israel, The News reported. Taking to Twitter, Maryam Nawaz said that after the drama of false letter, false global conspiracy, fake assassination and the most failed long march in history, now sending a delegation to Israel was another lie of 'Intishar Khan'. She warned Imran Khan to stop spreading lies otherwise he will have no space to hide his face. "Fitna Khan you are the only person in all of Pakistan who has direct family ties with Israel. You run the election campaign of Goldsmith against a Muslim candidate in the UK," Maryam said. (ANI) Beijing's regulatory crackdown on tech companies has prompted startup investors to look for new markets in Southeast Asia including India. Wataru Suzuki, writing in Nikkei Asia said that venture capital (VC) firms that back startups in Southeast Asia and India are raising record sums for new funds. Southeast Asia- and India-focused VC funds have raised USD 3.1 billion so far in 2022, already nearing the USD 3.5 billion they raised in all of last year, according to data from research company Preqin. In comparison, fundraising by China-focused VCs fell sharply from USD 27.2 billion in 2021 to just USD 2.1 billion, said Wataru. "Fifty per cent of the investors we spoke to are trying to diversify out of China," said Amit Anand, co-founder of Singapore-based Jungle Ventures, which recently raised USD 600 million for new funds to invest in Southeast Asian and Indian startups. Jungle Ventures plans to make "concentrated" investments in 15 to 18 companies with an even split between the two regions, Anand said. Earlier this month, Singapore-based East Ventures said it raised USD 550 million to invest in startups in Southeast Asia, bringing assets under management to more than USD 1 billion. In April, India's Elevation Capital said it raised its largest-ever fund with USD670 million, reported Nikkei Asia. VC funds raise money from investors that range from pension funds and university endowment funds to wealthy tycoons. Southeast Asia and India have emerged as attractive markets due to the fast growth of startups in both regions in recent years, culminating in a series of blockbuster listings last year from the likes of Indian food delivery company Zomato and Singaporean superapp Grab, added Wataru. At the same time, there has been what observers call a dramatic change in policy by the Chinese government. Beijing banned for-profit tutoring last year, crippling the business models of online education companies, many of which were backed by foreign venture capital firms. That led to large paper losses: SoftBank Group wrote down its USD 700 million investment in Zuoyebang, the developer of an app that helped students with their homework, to USD 100 million by March. China also introduced tougher rules on large tech platforms, including measures to promote competition and regulations on how they must handle user data. The moves caused shares of large publicly listed companies like Alibaba Group Holding and Tencent Holdings to fall sharply, Nikkei Asia reported. The executive added that funds focused on India and Southeast Asia are quickly oversubscribed because the size of the venture capital market is still much smaller than China. (ANI) In order to set in motion the squeaky wheels of Chinese projects in the country, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered the release of Rs 50 billion to Chinese Independent Power Producers (IPPs). Shehbaz said that his government was moving towards providing all kinds of facilities to pace up work on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, reported The News International. Shehbaz on Monday directed the authorities concerned to immediately release Rs 50 billion to Chinese Independent Power Producers (IPPs) as the first instalment out of outstanding dues of Rs 340 billion. The PM chaired a meeting here and approved the immediate payment. With failure in opening up a revolving account as envisaged under CPEC and delays in payments over four years, the amount piled up to Rs 340 billion, reported The News. The planning secretary briefed the PM about the progress achieved on special economic zones (SEZs), the multi-billion-dollar ML-1 project, Karachi Circular Railway, and power sector projects, especially for solar energy. He said that the government envisaged a deadline for completion of all CPEC projects and these timelines would be adhered to avoid delays in the completion of projects. Later, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting of chief executive officers (CEOs) of Chinese companies working on CPEC projects in Pakistan. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and the Chinese embassy's senior officials attended the meeting. The officials of Chinese companies engaged with CPEC road, port and energy projects especially participated in the meeting. The companies' representatives heaped complaints on PM Shehbaz Sharif in the meeting, saying work remained almost halted on CPEC projects during the past four years, reported The News. The PM issued various orders on the spot for resolving the issues, pointed out by the company's CEOs. The companies expressed their satisfaction with the measures taken by the coalition government. They hoped work on CPEC projects would be carried out and completed on "Pakistan Speed" now. They hoped the new government to be formed after elections next year would give priority to CPEC projects, reported The News. (ANI) The shooting occurred outside the Convocation Center on the campus of Xavier University where graduates of Morris Jeff High School were gathered, NBC news reported citing New Orleans police. According to the US media outlet, all three victims were there for graduation ceremonies before they were shot outside, New Orleans police spokesperson Gary Sheets said. Notably, a mass shooting incident took place last Tuesday (local time) at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde in Texas in which several people including 19 children were killed. (ANI) Pakistan Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has warned the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) against announcing another long march, stating that its workers and supporters will not be allowed to enter Islamabad again this time. The warning comes hours after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. He said that in case the PTI was to embark on another march, "I'll see how they cross the barriers this time." "I am warning PTI against the announcement of another long march. One thing I want to illustrate, as soon as the long March is announced "let them come and I'll see how they cross barriers this time," he said in a Tweet yesterday. The PTI staged its "Haqeeqi Azadi March" last week. The federal capital turned into a battleground on last Wednesday as multiple scuffles took place between the police and PTI marchers after Imran Khan and his convoy entered Islamabad and started marching towards the D-Chowk despite the Supreme Court's order to hold a rally at a ground between H9 and G9 areas of city. Lashing out at minister's warning, the PTI said he was "threatening peaceful protesters". It said the nation would always exhibit its bravery and would not be stopped by "slaves". "Sitting Killer Interior Minister is threatening peaceful protesters. On 25th May he also unleashed his brutality against women and kids. This Brave Nation will always show their bravery and won't be stopped for their Haqeeqi Azadi by Ghulaams!," the party tweeted. Earlier, Shehbaz Sharif-led government alongside the interior ministry agreed on imposing a permanent ban on the entry of rallies and processions in Islamabad. (ANI) The Prime Minister was received by Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar on Tuesday and senior government and diplomatic personnel at Ankara Esenboga Airport, according to Dawn newspaper. Pakistani delegation includes Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Information and Broadcasting Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Minister for Investment Board Chaudhry Salik Hussain, and special assistants to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi and Fahd Husain. However, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had reached the Turkish capital on Monday and was received by Ankara Governor Vasip Sahin. He will later rejoin the prime minister's delegation, as per Dawn. Besides discussing the Pakistan-Turkey bilateral relations, the two leaders will also exchange views on regional and international issues. They will also address a Joint press conference after their meetings. "These historical relations are grounded firmly in common religious, cultural, and linguistic links and transcend political changes on either side," Shehbaz said on Pakistan Turkey relations. (ANI) Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that Islamabad is looking to forge partnerships for its geo-economics strategy, especially within the region, which apparently includes New Delhi. He was responding to a question about trade with India in an interview with Turkish media outlet Anadolu Agency ahead of his three-day visit to the country, Dawn reported. However, Sharif arrived in Turkey for the visit on Tuesday. Shehbaz said that as part of its shift from geo-strategy to geo-economics, Pakistan is looking to forge partnerships, especially within the region, based on connectivity. "Pakistan and India have a lot to gain from mutually beneficial trade," he said as quoted by Dawn. "We are cognisant of the economic dividends that can be accrued from a healthy trade activity with India," the Prime Minister said further. It is to be noted that after coming to power in Pakistan in early April, Shehbaz Sharif has written a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing his desire for peaceful ties with India and the resolution of all the outstanding issues. This comes in the wake of PM Modi's congratulatory wishes to the then newly elected Pakistani counterpart. Sharif, in his reply, thanked PM Modi for congratulating him and said that his country desires peaceful and cooperative ties with India, reported ARY News. In his first address to the National Assembly after being sworn in, Sharif had said, "We want good ties with India but durable peace is not possible until the Kashmir dispute is resolved." On Tuesday, India and Pakistan finalised and signed the annual report of the Permanent Indus Commission for the year which ended on March 31, 2022. The Indus Water Treaty has survived the wars between the two countries and the freeze in bilateral relations. The relations between India and Pakistan have been strained due to Uri, Pathankot and Pulwama terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir with New Delhi making it clear that talks and terror cannot go together. (ANI) In this article: Queen Elizabeth was born in 1926, became Queen in 1952, and was coronated in 1953. Before she became Queen, she worked as a truck mechanic in a women's branch of the British Army. She celebrates her Platinum Jubilee this year, marking 70 years on the throne. Queen Elizabeth was born on April 21, 1926. Queen Elizabeth as a baby. Bob Thomas/Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images Her full name is Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor. Queen Elizabeth grew up riding around royal grounds. Queen Elizabeth in 1927. AP Photo In 1927, when Queen Elizabeth was just a baby, she rode around Windsor Castle with her cousin Gerald Lascelles. She attended the Royal Tournament at Olympia London in 1930 with her grandmother, Queen Mary. Queen Elizabeth in 1930. AP The Royal Tournament was a pageant-style celebration of the armed forces. The young princess attended the Trooping the Colour ceremony in 1931. Queen Elizabeth in 1931. Len Puttnam/Staff/AP She rode with Queen Mary (left) and Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, the Duchess of York (right). She had a strong fashion sense even at a young age. Queen Elizabeth in 1933. AP Then-Princess Elizabeth adjusted her stockings upon arriving at Olympia station in London in 1933. She even dressed up for dentist appointments. Queen Elizabeth in 1934. AP Princess Elizabeth was photographed leaving a dentist's office in West End after an appointment in 1934. At the marriage of the Duke of Kent and Princess Marina of Greece, Queen Elizabeth was part of the wedding party. Queen Elizabeth, sitting on the left, in 1934. AP From left to right standing: King George V, Princess Nicholas of Greece, Princess Marina, the Duke of Kent, Queen Mary and Prince Nicholas of Greece. Seated front left is Queen Elizabeth, front right is Lady Mary Cambridge. She sat in the Duchess' box at the Lyceum Theater to see a pantomime called "Dick Whittington." Queen Elizabeth in 1935. AP She attended with her little sister, Princess Margaret Rose, and her mother, Elizabeth, the Duchess of York. Queen Elizabeth has always enjoyed horseback riding. Queen Elizabeth in 1935. AP She rode horses with a riding master in Windsor Great Park in 1935. On her 13th birthday, Queen Elizabeth went riding in Great Windsor Park and held a tea party. Queen Elizabeth in 1939. AP Her birthday presents included a diamond bracelet and silk stockings. Story continues And of course, Queen Elizabeth has always been fond of her corgis. Queen Elizabeth in 1935. AP She took them along to Scotland in 1935. She took them for walks in London's Hyde Park when she was 9 years old. Queen Elizabeth in 1936. AP Queen Elizabeth has had more than 30 corgis since 1945. She and her sister, Princess Margaret, enjoyed playing with them and feeding them treats. Queen Elizabeth (right) and Princess Margaret in 1936. AP Queen Elizabeth held the Pembrokeshire Corgi while Princess Margaret fed the dog a biscuit. She mastered the art of the royal wave by age 11. Queen Elizabeth in 1937. AP Images A young Elizabeth waved to the crowd while leaving Buckingham Palace in 1937. She joined King George V and Queen Mary on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in 1935. Queen Elizabeth in 1935. AP They waved to the crowd after attending a Jubilee service at St. Paul's Cathedral. At 15, she got involved in public service. Queen Elizabeth in 1942. AP She knitted garments for the poor, contributed funds to purchase cigarettes for the armed forces, and attended dances and programs of evacuated children. She also became a first aid patrol leader in Girl Guides, the UK version of Girl Scouts. Queen Elizabeth in 1943. AP She wore the uniform of a first aid patrol leader in Windsor Great Park in 1943. Queen Elizabeth was a truck mechanic and driver for the Auxiliary Territorial Service, a women's branch of the British army. Queen Elizabeth in 1945. AP She took a driving course at the ATS Center to become an officer. She achieved the rank of Junior Commander. Queen Elizabeth in 1945. AP She received a clock as a gift from the camp where she trained in 1945. She attended a rally for the Women's Land Army in 1945. Queen Elizabeth in 1945. AP The Women's Land Army helped women work in agriculture when men joined the armed forces during both World Wars. She received an honorary Bachelor's degree in music from London University in 1946. Queen Elizabeth in 1946. AP The Earl of Athlone, Chancellor of London University, was her great uncle. She had a private sitting room in Buckingham Palace. Queen Elizabeth in 1946. Pool/AP Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms. There, she could sit and admire her stamp collection. Queen Elizabeth in 1946. AP Her books contained stamps sent from around the world. She celebrated her 21st birthday in Natal National Park in South Africa. Queen Elizabeth in 1947. Eddie Worth/AP In the background are the Drakensberg mountains. She got engaged to Philip Mountbatten in 1947. Queen Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten in 1947. AP They first met at a wedding when they were children. They married on November 20, 1947. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in 1947. AP The ceremony was held at Westminster Abbey. Prince Philip bonded with Queen Elizabeth's corgi Susan on their honeymoon. Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth in 1947. Topical Press Agency/Hulton Archive/Getty Images They honeymooned at the Broadlands House in Hampshire. The two shared a loving look in their first official photo as newlyweds. Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth in 1947. AP After 73 years together, Prince Philip died at the age of 99, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday. She opened a church army hotel for young women in London in 1948. Queen Elizabeth in 1948. AP She wore a hat trimmed with a veil for the occasion. She gave birth to Prince Charles that same year. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles in 1949. AP The couple lived in Malta for the first few years of their marriage, where Prince Philip was stationed with the Royal Navy. She was photographed wearing a silver dress with a diamond tiara and pearl necklace in 1949. Queen Elizabeth in 1949. AP Only married members of the royal family are allowed to wear crowns or tiaras. She and her growing family sat for an informal portrait at Clarence House in 1951. Queen Elizabeth in 1951. Worth/AP She's pictured with Prince Philip, Prince Charles, and Princess Anne. The following year, after the death of her father, she became Queen. Read the original article on Insider Four suspects, two of which are minors, have been accused of burning down an abandoned school in Scott County, according to the Scott County Sheriffs Office. Cody Kirk and Camron Speigle, both 23, were each charged with arson (complicity) and burglary for allegedly burning down the old Sadieville School, according to the sheriffs office. Two minors have also been charged and were being held at the Fayette County Regional Juvenile Detention Center. The sheriffs office said tips and an investigation led to the identification of the four suspects. Court documents say the suspects lit a torch on fire and tossed it into a trash bag containing a Christmas tree inside, which eventually spread to the building. Speigles arrest citation said he and the suspects knowingly entered the building despite it being boarded up and shut. Kirks arrest citation said he tried to put out the fire but was unsuccessful, and that he didnt call the fire department because he was scared the fire would be pinned on him. Kirk and Speigle also confessed to the crime during an interview, the sheriffs office said. The fire started around 2 a.m. Monday morning, according to the Herald-Leaders news-reporting partner, WKYT. No one was hurt, but the building was completely destroyed, according to WKYT. The City of Sadieville Facebook page said the building would have turned 100 years old in 2024. The Daily Beast via YouTube/The Telegraph Russias National Guard has confirmed that a Chechen commander was killed in a bloody firefight with foreign volunteers in Ukraineand they singled out the son of a British lawmaker as one of those responsible.Ben Grant, a 30-year-old former Royal Marine and the son of Helen Grant, a Conservative MP and Prime Minister Boris Johnsons special envoy on girls education, joined British and U.S. servicemen fighting Russian forces in Ukraine back in March, telling British me wagnerokasaki / Getty Images Are you ready to level up your next vacation and turn it into a splurge-cation? From upgrading to TSA PreCheck to going on a group tour, spending just a little extra money can turn an ordinary vacation into a luxurious experience you'll never forget (and will likely decide to splurge more on in upcoming trips). See how you can splurge on your next trip. Cash App Borrow: How To Borrow Money on Cash App Social Security Schedule: When June 2022 Benefits Will Be Sent jacoblund / Getty Images/iStockphoto Upgrade To TSA PreCheck Skip the long lines during the TSA screening process by applying for the TSA PreCheck program. All you have to do is visit the TSA PreCheck website to apply, pay the $85 fee and visit the nearest facility for taking fingerprints and other security measures necessary to confirm your identity. In addition, you may be eligible for a TSA PreCheck fee credit if you have a specific travel credit card. Check your credit card details or look for cards that offer this reimbursement perk to cardholders. Take Our Poll: How Much Do You Expect To Spend on Travel This Summer? izusek / Getty Images Book a Nonstop Flight Travelers looking to avoid layovers or worried about missing connecting flights may consider booking a nonstop or direct flight during their next vacation. This flight takes you to and from your desired airport destinations without any stops in between. Sit back, relax and enjoy the peace of mind, knowing you'll soon be arriving at the airport in the heart of your vacation destination. Jkstock / Getty Images/iStockphoto Splurge on a Premium Rideshare No matter how long the flight is, most travelers would prefer not to hunt down buses or shuttles once they arrive at the airport. Grab your checked bags and put your splurge toward a premium rideshare option to drive directly to your hotel in style and comfort. Africa Studio / Shutterstock.com Hire a Private Driver Travelers interested in taking their transportation splurge up a notch may invest in a driver on their next vacation. This ensures they don't have to think about finding available rideshares or taxis. Instead, they can sit back and let the driver chauffeur them around town. Story continues SolStock / Getty Images Splurge On a Group Tour Chloe Scorgie, founder and author of Passport Down Under, is a frequent global traveler who recommends investing in group tours. "What makes group tours a great splurge option is that they are often packed with once-in-a-lifetime experiences that will turn an average trip into a highly memorable experience," Scorgie said. Scorgie uses the example of a group tour she once went on when visiting Vietnam. The tour group stayed at the house of a Vietnamese family and the family cooked authentic Vietnamese pancakes for everyone. Afterward, the group played traditional Vietnamese board games and slept in their family home. This incredibly unique and unforgettable experience was organized through the group tour. It also helped provide the Vietnamese family with funds. Unless you are a well-seasoned traveler or love to research a trip beforehand, specialized group tours are worth every penny, Scorgie said. They ensure you get the full experience, discover exclusive wonderlands and attractions and meet people from different backgrounds and cultures. Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Stay at All-Inclusive Hotels An all-inclusive hotel is the ultimate luxury splurge, especially if you stay at a 5-star resort. Splurge on a suite when possible and take advantage of the hotel's offerings -- such as the spa, pool or restaurants. If you are able, ask for a room with a balcony so you may enjoy a beautiful view in the morning and relax on the balcony at your leisure. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 6 Ways You Can Turn Your Next Vacation Into a Splurge-Cation Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Tuesday issued a disaster declaration in the town of Uvalde in an effort to expedite the response to last weeks elementary school shooting that left 19 children and two adults dead. The declaration will accelerate all available state and local resources to assist the Uvalde community, as well as suspend regulations that would prevent, hinder, or delay necessary action in coping with the aftermath of the tragic shooting, according to the governors office. More specifically, it will continue to allow the Texas Division of Emergency Management to use all its resources to respond to the shooting, including providing a temporary facility to serve as a family resource center for those seeking mental health services and other resources. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is also working alongside local mental health providers to support people in Uvalde. The community of Uvalde has been left devastated by last weeks senseless act of violence at Robb Elementary School and should not have to encounter any difficulty in receiving the support needed to heal, Abbott said in a statement on Tuesday. Since the shooting, Abbott has been criticized by some, including former Rep. Beto ORourke, his Democratic opponent in Novembers gubernatorial election, for his hard-line stance on guns. On Sunday, Abbott visited a memorial site at Robb Elementary School and was greeted by a booing crowd. We need change! We need change, governor! one onlooker shouted. ORourke confronted Abbott at a press conference last week, saying, You are doing nothing. You said this was not predictable, this was totally predictable, and you choose not to do anything, he added. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. President Biden will travel to Los Angeles next week to take part in the Summit of the Americas, but it's unclear who will attend the regional conference. (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press) With just a week until the Biden administration hosts the ninth Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, the agenda is set but the guest list remains shrouded in mystery. President Biden will host the hemispheric meeting, set to begin Monday, with a focus on what senior administration officials say are the core challenges facing the region: curbing record migration, boosting economic growth, combating climate change and bolstering recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Topping the agenda is tackling the historic flows of migration and addressing the nearly 7 million people who have been displaced from their homes in the region, according to a senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe summit preparations. Biden will stand shoulder to shoulder with foreign leaders across the region on the last day of the summit as part of a bold new plan to stem migration, the official said. But the White House remains circumspect about who will actually attend the high-stakes regional conference. That includes whether Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who leads Latin Americas second-most-populous country, will be among the leaders standing by Bidens side. Divisions over the U.S. decision to exclude the authoritarian leaders of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela have thrown the guest list into doubt, with the loudest criticism coming from Lopez Obrador, who has yet to decide whether he will attend. The leaders of Bolivia, Chile and Honduras have expressed doubt about coming to Los Angeles. Meanwhile, most of the Caribbean countries have backed off a threat to boycott. Every host nation of the summit has discretion in drawing up the guest list, and most if not all countries are routinely included. This is the first time the summit, which takes place every three or four years, is being held in the U.S. since its 1994 inaugural session in Miami. The Mexican president said Friday he would wait to see whether the U.S. meets his request to invite all countries in the Western Hemisphere, but signaled that he would send a delegate in his place, most likely his U.S.-friendly foreign secretary, Marcelo Ebrard. Story continues White House officials said conversations with the Mexican president have been respectful, and that his absence would not undermine the summits ambitious agenda. Officials said participants would announce a set of policy decisions highlighting law enforcement cooperation and tackling the criminal smuggling industry. Leaders will also promote agreements that boost support for refugee resettlement and stabilization efforts, as well as promote labor mobility benefiting the U.S. and Canada, which are experiencing labor shortages. Biden is expected to begin an initiative to promote health infrastructure and training for health workers in the region to help countries prepare for future pandemics, according to senior administration officials. Vice President Kamala Harris, who has been tasked with tackling the root causes of migration in the region, will announce a partnership combating climate and energy challenges facing Caribbean nations, officials said. The effort is expected to build on the Caribbean Energy Security Initiative to help those nations overcome their dependence on fossil fuels, an initiative that was started by Biden in 2013 when he was vice president. Times staff writer Tracy Wilkinson contributed to this report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The then-12-year-old girl who shot two students and a custodian at Rigby Middle School on May 6, 2021, could be in the custody of the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections until she is an adult. That information comes from newly unsealed court documents that reveal the charges and outcome of the case against the juvenile shooter, whom EastIdahoNews.com is not identifying because of her age. Those documents were part of a public records lawsuit EastIdahoNews.com filed earlier this year. Until this spring, much of the information about the shooting and events that day were off-limits to the public. But in April, District Judge Stevan H. Thompson ordered the release of investigative documents related to the shooting. Last week, Magistrate Judge Stephen J. Clark ordered the release of some court documents related to the case. They reveal that the juvenile shooter was charged with three counts of attempted first-degree murder, but there was no trial because the girl entered a plea agreement and pleaded guilty to all three charges. The court concludes that this was an exceptional event. To state the obvious, the public has a right to access information concerning an exceptional event, Clark wrote. However, Clark also addressed the importance of protecting the privacy of the victims and the juvenile. As such, the documents were released with the names of everyone except law enforcement redacted. The child was committed to the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections until her 19th birthday or until the Custody Review Board deems her rehabilitated. If the Custody Review Board does not deem her rehabilitated by the time shes 19, she could be held until she is 21. After she is released, she will be on probation for 36 months. Jefferson County Prosecutor Mark Taylor told EastIdahoNews.com that this was the best possible outcome given the law. He said he considered having the case moved to adult court, but regardless, it was clear that the juvenile would be incarcerated only until she was an adult, at most. Story continues As a result, Taylor decided to focus on rehabilitation to minimize any threats going forward. To do that, he opted to keep the case in juvenile court. Juvenile correction is all about rehabilitation and helping these people get what they need in order to no longer be a threat to themselves or society, Taylor said. Knowing that she was going to get out of jail while still a young adult, regardless of the court, it became very clear that the juvenile system was where we needed to stay. Taylor said that his office has checked on the shooter and that she is getting the best help possible. No one was killed in the shooting, and all three victims recovered from their gunshot wounds. Associated Press The chant in Arabic blasted from rooftop loudspeakers, drowning out both the growl of traffic from nearby interstates and the chatter and clinking glasses on the patio of the dive bar that shares a wall with Minneapolis oldest Somali mosque. Dozens of men in fashionably ripped jeans or impeccably ironed kameez tunics rushed toward the Dar Al-Hijrah mosque. This spring Minneapolis became the first large city in the United States to allow the Islamic call to prayer, or adhan, to be broadcast publicly by its two dozen mosques. A Marysville man was shot and killed by a Union County deputy sheriff after the man allegedly pointed a gun at him and threatened others Monday. Jonathon Todhunter has been in law enforcement for 15 years, serving in various departments in Union County and currently as a sergeant at a Greater Columbus police agency. So discussing the Memorial Day shooting death of his younger brother, Matthew Todhunter, 33, by a Union County deputy sheriff presented mixed loyalty both to his brother and to his profession. According to 911 calls, police records and 35-year-old Jonathan Todhunter, the incident began at about 6:30 p.m. Monday as Matthew Todhunter was dropping off his preschool-age son at his estranged wife's house in the 1500 block of Meadowlark Lane in the Mill Valley neighborhood, just north of Marysville. Words were exchanged during a domestic dispute, and Matthew Todhunter pulled out a gun, believed to be a BB gun, Jonathon Todhunter said he was told by his brother's girlfriend, who had followed him there. A 911 caller told dispatchers that "the subject was sitting in a white truck with tinted windows rolled up, and stated the gun was in the truck," according to a news release issued by the Marysville Division of Police. "At some point it sounds like he was either threatening someone with it or pointing it as a sheriff's deputy arrived," Jonathon Todhunter said. The deputy, a five-year member of the Union County Sheriff's office whose name has not been released, ordered Matthew Todhunter out of the truck, according to the police release. That's when Matthew Todhunter pointed the gun at the deputy and the deputy shot him, Jonathon Todhunter said. Police said dashcam video of the incident confirms this account, though the video had not be released as of mid-afternoon Tuesday. Police call records indicate that Todhunter was shot in the chest. He was taken to Memorial Hospital in Marysville, where he died. According to 911 calls from the home where the boy was being dropped off, Matthew Todhunter had at one point told his son, "This is the night Daddy is going to die." Story continues Todhunter 's wife earlier told a dispatcher, "He's pointing the gun at everyone. ... There are children here." "At the end of the day, he did what he did," Jonathon Todhunter said of his brother. "I'd like to know if he was intoxicated." Matthew Todhunter had a long history of drug and alcohol-related criminal charges, his brother said, but he held a good job as a diesel technician working for a contractor of Honda of Marysville. Local and county authorities declined to provide other details as the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation into the shooting. A BCI spokesman said the agency would not comment until it conducts a thorough analysis of all the evidence. The deputy involved has been placed on administrative leave, per policy, during the investigation, said Union County Sheriff Jamie Patton. He will also be offered assistance from the county's Critical Incident Stress Management team. Patton said the last Union County deputy involved in a deadly shooting was Matt Henry in 2010. Read more: Police shot man four times Jonathon Todhunter said he'll be thinking equally about the deputy who pulled his trigger and his brother's actions that led to the fatal encounter. "I think I feel more for the deputy who had to shoot him than I do for my brother right now," he said. dnarciso@dispatch.com @DeanNarciso This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: A Union County Sheriff's deputy shot and killed an armed man Best shoes for summer, according to Kate Middleton, Hailey Bieber, Chrissy Teigen, and more (Photos via Getty) Yahoo Lifestyle Canada is committed to finding you the best products at the best prices. We may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change. While the rich and famous are known for their wildly expensive tastes in shoes (among other things), every now and again, they slip into a pair of sneakers that, shockingly, don't require a personal bankruptcy filing. Whether it's Kate Middleton and her Superga sneakers, Hailey Bieber in her Nike Air Force 1s, or Kourtney Kardashian sporting Converse high-tops, we found nine affordable shoes that A-listers, and many others, swear by. Starting at just $75 CAD, scroll down to check out what celeb-approved sneakers are worth buying this summer. Kate Middleton in Superga Cotu Classic sneakers (Photos via Getty & Nordstrom) Time and time again, Kate Middleton has proven to be a fan of classic white sneakers. The Duchess of Cambridge's shoe of choice? The surprisingly affordable Superga Cotu Classic Sneakers (shop here in Canada, here in the U.S.) $75 CAD at DSW $65 USD at Shopbop Meghan Markle wears Veja's sustainable V-10 sneakers (Photos via Getty/Nordstrom) Take a page out of Meghan Markle's style book and pick up a pair of Veja V-10 sneakers for your summer wardrobe (shop here in Canada and here in the U.S.). The stylish sneakers are sustainably made, using recycled fabric and wild Amazonian rubber. $175 CAD $206 CAD at Farfetch From $150 USD at Anthropologie $152 USD at Farfetch Hailey Bieber in Nike Air Force 1 sneakers (Photo via Getty & Nike) Nike's Air Force 1 sneakers have become a footwear staple among the Hollywood crowd, with fans ranging from Hailey Bieber and Addison Rae to Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid. $160 CAD at Nike $100 USD at Nike Chrissy Teigen in APL TechLoom Bliss sneakers (Photos via Getty & APL) Chrissy Teigen has been twice-spotted wearing APL's top-rated TechLoom Bliss sneakers: The first, with husband John Legend (pictured above), and again while donning this Catwoman-like bodysuit. $292 CAD/$220 USD at APL Story continues Kaia Gerber in Vans Authentic Sneaker (Photos via Getty & Sport Chek) For laid-back summer style, model Kaia Gerber is the ultimate fashion inspiration. Take a cue from her simple yet comfortable wardrobe and pick up a pair of Vans Authentic sneakers (shop here in Canada, here in the U.S.). $70 CAD at Journeys $55 USD at Zappos Bella Hadid in Forum 84 Low Sneakers (Photos via Getty & Nordstrom) New kicks for summer? Take a note from supermodel Bella Hadid's book and grab a pair of blue and white Adidas Forum 84 Low Sneakers for a fresh look this season (shop here in Canada, here in U.S.). $120 CAD at Adidas $90 USD at Nordstrom Addison Rae and Kourtney Kardashian wearing Converse Chuck Taylor All Star sneakers (Photos via addisonraee/Instagram & Converse) A testament to the agelessness of Converse sneakers, the brand's high-top Chuck Taylor All Stars (shop here in Canada, here in the U.S.) have been spotted on a range of celebrities, including 20-something Addison Rae and 42-something Kourtney Kardashian. The unofficial shoe of Hollywood influencers, the Converse sneakers are available in a range of colours, including black, white, maroon and charcoal. $100 CAD at Little Burgundy Shoes $65 USD at Converse Emily Ratajkowski in Vans Old Skool Lite Sneakers (Photos via Getty/Vans) New mom Emily Ratajkowski is frequently snapped hitting the streets of New York in wallet-friendly sneakers, including this pair of classic Vans. The vintage-inspired Old Skool shoes (shop here in Canada, here in the U.S.) are available in a range of colours, including red, blue and black. $90 CAD at Little Burgundy Shoes $65 USD at Zappos Jennifer Garner in Soludos Rainbow Wave Sneakers (Photos via Jennifer.Garner/Instagram & Shopbop) Always a ray of sunshine, Jennifer Garner brought a bright and colourful feel to the classic white sneaker style. Featuring embroidered rainbows and sunbeams, her Soludos Rainbow Wave Sneakers (shop here in Canada, here in the U.S.) are welcome addition to any wardrobe. $176 CAD/$139 USD at Shopbop Let us know what you think by commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. President Biden with Vice President Kamala Harris and supporters after signing an executive order on policing at the White House on Wednesday, the second anniversary of George Floyd's death. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) Marking the second anniversary of the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, President Biden last week signed an executive order to reform federal policing practices as Floyd's relatives, reform advocates and civil rights leaders looked on. A string orchestra's slow rendition of "Hail to the Chief" lent the White House ceremony a mournful air and served as a dirge for the hopes for more substantive police reform demanded by activists that Biden and Congress have failed to enact. "The work of our time healing the soul of this nation is ongoing and unfinished," Biden told the crowd, noting the frustratingly slow nature of progress. "This is a start." But slow, incremental progress may not be enough to convince Black voters that Biden has delivered on his campaign promises to reform police forces, enact voting rights legislation and reduce racial inequities. If anything, the executive order and other recent actions have highlighted the limitations Biden faces in advancing more ambitious reforms. And his centrist positioning on this issue on top of the failure by a Congress nominally controlled by Democrats to advance legislation to reform police practices or protect voting rights risks alienating the critical voting bloc his party needs to stave off electoral disaster in November. His executive order, for example, does not apply to the thousands of local police departments that interact the most with the public. As Vice President Kamala Harris acknowledged during the signing ceremony, the order was "no substitute for legislation nor does it accomplish everything we know must be done." In addition to being flanked by civil rights leaders at the ceremony, the president was joined by law enforcement officials who had input in crafting the order and softening its use-of-force standards. The signing also came just two months after Biden's resounding call to "fund the police" during his March State of the Union address, a rebuke of liberal activists' calls to "defund the police," a mantra that party strategists say cost Democrats during the 2020 election. Story continues Black leaders are not hiding their frustration with Biden's messaging on the issue, nor his administration's failure to get a police reform bill through Congress. "They have to be careful on this crime stuff," said Adrianne Shropshire, executive director of BlackPAC, a progressive organization working in six swing states this year to activate Black voters. "Black voters worry a lot about crime, about gun violence. But no one that we talk to says the answer is that we need to increase police budgets." Ben Jealous, the former NAACP leader, blasted Biden's policing order as "too timid," arguing that it will "minimize limits on the use of force... [and] sidestep addressing systemic racism" and accusing him of "bowing to the wishes of an entrenched police union establishment." The lack of progress on police reform is just one element of a broader policy agenda that Biden promised to push on behalf of African Americans, his party's core base of voters. White House officials say he has delivered on many of those pledges. He has taken historic steps to diversify the government. Harris is the nation's first Black woman to serve as vice president, and Biden recently tapped a Black woman to be White House press secretary. The president succeeded in winning Senate confirmation in April for the first Black woman, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, to a lifetime term on the Supreme Court. He's given impassioned speeches about the importance of voting rights and America's oft-overlooked history of racial violence. He signed a federal lynching ban into law and issued numerous executive orders granting clemency to dozens of low-level drug offenders, directing more funding to historically Black colleges and universities and reducing gun-related crimes. Following the massacre of 10 Black people in Buffalo earlier this month, he delivered a speech in that city decrying the dangers of white supremacy, saying it was "a poison running through our body politic." The president is also considering forgiving student loan debt, a move that would be cheered by civil rights advocates because they argue such loans disproportionately affect Black women and Black families. Student loan forgiveness is viewed especially by younger generations of Black voters as "a racial justice issue, gender justice issue and an economic justice issue," said Nse Ufot, chief executive of the New Georgia Project, a nonprofit that seeks to boost civic engagement and is focusing on boosting Black voter participation. White House officials pointed to a new administration report that showed the $1.9-trillion pandemic-relief plan passed in March 2021 "spurred the most equitable recovery in memory." They noted that following the law's passage Black unemployment recorded its fastest decline since 1983 and Black households saw annualized incomes grow by about 7.5% over the past two years. A child tax credit included in the law, known as the American Rescue Plan, led to the lowest child poverty rate on record. Cedric Richmond, a former senior advisor to Biden who recently moved to the Democratic National Committee, said that in distributing the relief plan's funding the administration was "intentional about equity" and ensuring that money flowed to underserved communities. Richmond acknowledged, however, that the administration has suffered major setbacks in Congress, where Republicans have monolithically opposed the president's agenda and Democrats only control the evenly divided Senate thanks to Harris' tie-breaking vote. That means Democrats cannot afford to lose a single senator if they hope to win passage of legislation. President Biden in February announced Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as his pick to serve on the Supreme Court. She was confirmed by the Senate in April. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) The child tax credit, for instance, expired in January after Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) torpedoed Biden's larger social spending bill that included an extension. The reluctance of Manchin and another Democrat, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, have denied their party leaders the 50 votes needed to pass legislation using the budget reconciliation process or by amending filibuster rules requiring 60 votes to end floor debate and advance a bill. While House Democrats passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act last year, but it stalled in the Senate. After Biden delivered a fiery speech about voting rights, Senate Democrats in January held a quixotic vote to change the filibuster to advance a package of voting rights protections that they knew would fail without Manchin's support, intent on at least signaling their commitment to fight hard on the issue to the voters most likely to be frustrated by the lack of progress. "Voting rights is a top-two or -three issue for Black voters," said Cornell Belcher, a Democratic pollster who worked on President Obama's campaigns. Belcher said Democrats would be smart to shift the narrative, emphasizing that "House Democrats heard you and passed the legislation you wanted. It was Republicans who refused to give it a vote." "The key to this election is putting Republicans on the defensive for sabotaging a popular agenda," Belcher continued. "We'll talk about what we've done, but this election has to be about Republicans for Democrats to have a shot. If this is all about Joe Biden, Democrats are going to get their asses handed to them." Richmond, the former White House advisor, said Democrats will work hard to "to let people know that this is what we've been able to do with 50 [Senate] votes. And if we had 52 votes in the Senate, we'd be able to do a lot more." Facing strong headwinds and historical precedent the party of the incumbent president typically loses seats in an administration's first midterm election Democrats have beefed up their investment in key states, with a strong focus on Black voters. In Georgia, for instance, the DNC plans to spend three times as much this year as the party did in 2018, investing in full-time staff across the state, paid media and voter organizing and outreach. Black voters, who make up a growing and sizable chunk of Georgia's electorate, played a key role in ensuring Democrats picked up the state's two Senate seats in the 2020 elections. With the GOP-controlled state Legislature's passage last year of a law that complicated access to absentee ballots, and limited drop boxes and mobile voting centers, grass-roots organizations are working hard to register and educate voters in hopes of getting them to the polls. "Georgians know about the power of their vote," said Ufot, of the New Georgia Project. "People are gearing up for the fight." It's not just voting rights and police reform that are on the minds of Black voters. They also share the wider electorate's frustrations about the ongoing pandemic, rising consumer costs and the general chaos and anxiety pervading American life, according to Shropshire of BlackPAC. "People are clear that just because Trump lost, it doesn't mean the country is back on track," she said. "Sustaining people's participation is going to be difficult. We're fighting through waves of challenges. People are still burying their loved ones from COVID. "Have we had people tell our organizers, 'I didn't pay this much for gas before Joe Biden was president'? Yes," she said. "But when we talk to people, they're also really clear about why they need to continue to participate. And every day it seems like something happens to remind them about the stakes." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. President Biden lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day. (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press) President Biden said Monday that the 2nd Amendment was never absolute, and that after the Texas elementary school shooting, there may be some bipartisan support to tighten restrictions on the kind of high-powered weapons used by the gunman. "I think things have gotten so bad that everybodys getting more rational, at least thats my hope, Biden told reporters before honoring the nation's fallen in Memorial Day remarks at Arlington National Cemetery. His comments came a day after he traveled to the shattered Texas community of Uvalde, mourning privately for three-plus hours with anguished families grieving for the 19 children and two teachers who died in the shooting. Faced with chants of do something as he departed a church service, Biden pledged, We will. After the Uvalde trip, Biden spent Sunday night at his home in Delaware. As he arrived at the White House for Memorial Day events, he was asked whether he was more motivated now to see new federal limits imposed on firearms. Ive been pretty motivated all along," he said. Im going to continue to push and well see how this goes. In Congress, a bipartisan group of senators talked over the weekend to see whether they could reach even a modest compromise on gun legislation after a decade of mostly failed efforts. That included encouraging state red flag laws to keep guns away from those with mental health problems. A congressional aide said the senators would meet virtually Tuesday and throughout the week. The 2nd Amendment was never absolute," Biden said. You couldnt buy a cannon when the 2nd Amendment was passed. You couldnt go out and buy a lot of weapons. Later, the president and First Lady Jill Biden were joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III and Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at Arlington National Cemetery for a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Story continues Standing at attention under a cloudless sky in the late-May heat, Biden saluted as taps played, after laying the wreath of multicolored flowers wrapped in red, white and blue ribbon in front of the tomb. Delivering remarks honoring fallen service members, he said Memorial Day is always a day where pain and pride are mixed together. Today we are free because they were brave, the president said. But Biden said the nations experiment in democracy remains under threat, both abroad, in the form of Russias invasion of Ukraine, and in division at home. He called upholding democracy the mission of our time. Our memorial to them must not be just a day when we pause and pray, Biden said. It must be a daily commitment to act, to come together, to be worthy of the price that was paid. In his earlier statements to reporters on guns, Biden said he had not spoken to Republicans on the issue, but my guess is ... theyre going to have to take a hard look. There is nowhere near enough support from congressional Republicans for broader gun measures popular with the public like a new ban on assault-type weapons or universal background checks on gun purchases. Still, Democratic advocates hope meaningful measures could still pass. Biden said he had taken some executive actions on guns, but I cant outlaw a weapon and can't "change the background checks. He said he didn't know where congressional negotiations stood, but theres realization on the part of rational Republicans that "we cant keep repeating ourselves. Before returning to Washington, the president and first lady, whose veteran son Beau died of cancer caused by a brain tumor in 2015, attended church Monday morning and laid flowers at their sons grave. Todays the day our son died, Biden said at Arlington, telling families that he knows remembrances like Mondays can reopen that black hole of pain. But he said because of their commitment to the ideals of America, a part of them is still with us no matter how long ago we lost them. The Bidens also hosted a breakfast in the White House's East Room with about 130 members of veteran organizations, military family groups and senior Defense Department and other administration officials. The president, the first lady and representatives from five Gold Star families who lost relatives in combat also planted a Southern magnolia tree on the White House South Lawn. The tree came from a sapling of a nearby magnolia planted by President Andrew Jackson in 1835. As the group used shovels to toss dirt on the newly planted tree, Biden grinned and said shovel brigade." He and the first lady later held hands with those gathered in a circle around the tree and prayed silently. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Associated Press Hundreds of thousands of students who attended the for-profit Corinthian Colleges chain will automatically get their federal student loans canceled, the Biden administration announced Wednesday, a move that aims to bring closure to one of the most notorious cases of fraud in American higher education. Under the new action, anyone who attended the now-defunct chain from its founding in 1995 to its collapse in 2015 will get their federal student debt wiped clean. It will erase $5.8 billion in debt for more than 560,000 borrowers, the largest single loan discharge in Education Department history, according to the agency. This past weekend, I got to celebrate my daughters birthday. When she was born 17 years ago on May 31, it never occurred to me that her connection to such a dark day in our countrys history would later serve as a beacon of light for building our familys legacy and make her a driving force in my own career trajectory years later. Known as the Tulsa Massacre, the events of May 31, 1921, arguably encompass the most devastating atrocities of injustice we as Black Americans have endured in this nations history, shaping the future of our families for generations to come. It is on this day that a symbol of economic hope and success for Black communities in the United States came to an end when within hours, a white mob turned three square miles of a vibrant Black community into ashes, with more than 300 Black people killed and over 1,000 homes and businesses looted and set on fire. The Tulsa Massacre would set in a wave of fear and a warning for Black communities across the country for what would come should they dare achieve prosperity. Over the following years, Black communities would continue to experience the destruction of their prospering communities and the suppression of their collective voice, establishing a generational trauma that we have failed to overcome. During this time, just outside of Tulsa in Henrietta, OK, my great grandfather Reverend Behn would be a leader that was recognized for his deep integrity, hard work, and courageousness. Born a slave and later freed under the Emancipation Proclamation, he stood up for his rights when others feared retaliation, eventually allowing him to leave land to his children upon his passing. Despite all the courage and savviness he displayed, it was no match for the fear and violence that our family, along with many others across this nation would face over the coming decades. We, too, fell victim to those times and my grandparents eventually left Oklahoma, undoubtedly in search of opportunity and hope. Story continues Long before my daughter was born, I made a promise to myself that I would help break the generational curse of the events of Black Wall Street, at least for my own family. Little did I know Gabrielle would come into this world on such a symbolic day. Much less could I have predicted that on her ninth birthday she would ask for two things an investment account and a bike. It was on this day, May 31, 2014, that my own purpose would change and make it our familys mission to break the curse for all. Easier said than done, my journey in building Goalsetter has come with many realizations, both good and bad. On one side, I have realized that these attitudes and beliefs remain deeply engrained in our educational, financial, and political systems and that we as a country have a lot to dismantle if we truly want to progress toward an equitable society. I have also realized that while many people speak of allyship and talk the talk, few really have the courage to do what it takes to change the trajectory for Black people in America. More importantly, I have realized that if we truly want change, we cannot depend on anyone to give us the opportunity. It simply has to come from within. This is what the people of Tulsa understood and it is the lesson we must take away as well. This realization does not take away white Americas responsibility from owning its history but we cannot fall victim to the rhetoric behind the faux war against Critical Race Theory or the countless other narratives that have been assigned to us after Tulsa. It is just a stark reminder that while we cannot stop those who continuously choose to destroy and take away, we can honor the legacy of our ancestors in Tulsa, Oklahoma by building together for a better tomorrow. Our tomorrow cannot be centered around three miles, however. It must instead be knit together across 3,000 miles of our nation, as Black people bond virtually to create the next version of Black Wall Street. It will be led by people from all walks of life and from all over the country. People like Merline Saintil, Robert F. Smith, Michael C. Hyter, or Morgan DeBaun, Michelle Ghee, and Tuoyo Louis. People who are dedicated to uplifting our voice, investing in our success, and freeing us from the shackles of the Tulsa Massacre once and for all. Tanya Van Court is the founder and CEO of founder Goalsetter, an award-winning savings and investment platform that provides fun and engaging financial literacy tools that are designed for the whole family. Tanya received a B.S. and M.S. degree in Engineering from Stanford University and previously held positions for Nickelodeon, ESPN and Discovery as a childrens programming executive. By Pushkala Aripaka (Reuters) -GSK on Tuesday agreed to buy U.S. biotech Affinivax for up to $3.3 billion, its second major deal in two months, giving the British pharmaceutical giant access to the company's roster of next-generation vaccines. GSK, one of the world's major vaccine makers, has been under pressure to shore up its pharmaceutical pipeline ahead of the separation in July of its consumer business, home to brands such as Sensodyne toothpaste and Advil painkillers. The drugmaker's newer shingles vaccine has been a key growth driver as demand has returned after disruption to immunisations during the pandemic, but GSK needs a new product to bolster the vaccines business, which made 6.78 billion pounds ($8.54 billion) in 2021. GSK is also facing competition from vaccine candidates from rivals Pfizer and Moderna using newer mRNA technology. GSK will pay Affinivax $2.1 billion upfront and up to $1.2 billion in potential milestones. The acquisition comes after GSK last month indicated an appetite for further deals following its $1.9 billion purchase of Sierra Oncology. "While this marks a step in the right direction with regard to the group's strategy, we're mindful that owning the treatment and making money from it are two very different things," said Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Laura Hoy. London-listed GSK on Tuesday also reiterated its outlook for 2022 and its medium-term targets. Privately-held Affinivax gives GSK its next-generation vaccines under development, the most advanced of which are for pneumococcal diseases, such as pneumonia, meningitis, bloodstream infections and sinusitis. GSK has its own, older, pneumococcal vaccine called Synflorix, which was approved for European and U.S. use in 2009, and which competes with Pfizer's Prevnar and Merck's Pneumovax. Affinivax's newer vaccine technology is designed to strengthen the breadth of immunity against a pathogen, such that an immune-boosting adjuvant is not necessary. ($1 = 0.7942 pounds) (Reporting by Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber, Sriraj Kalluvila and Jane Merriman) Ron Freitas, candidate for San Joaquin County District Attorney, excluded a Black prospective juror because of his race during a 2000 trial, a federal judge later found. (Photo: Sara Nevis / For The Stockton Record / USA TODAY NETWORK) Ron Freitas, candidate for San Joaquin County District Attorney, excluded a Black prospective juror because of his race during a 2000 trial, a federal judge later found. (Photo: Sara Nevis / For The Stockton Record / USA TODAY NETWORK) Veteran prosecutor Ron Freitas, who is running for San Joaquin County district attorney in California, excluded a Black juror on the basis of his race during a 2000 trial, according to a federal judges findings reviewed by HuffPost. The case involved two men, Alonzo Deon Johnson and Darryl Thompson, who were convicted of shooting at an occupied motor vehicle. With gun- and gang-related enhancements, they were sentenced to 14 and 15 years in prison, respectively. After the trial, both men challenged the legality of their imprisonment in federal court, accusing Freitas of improperly excluding Black people from their jury. In 2009, U.S. Magistrate Judge John Moulds partially sided with the two men, finding that Freitas had removed one prospective juror because of his race, a form of prosecutorial misconduct known as a Batson violation. That finding later resulted in Johnsons and Thompsons convictions being vacated. Freitas will face incumbent District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar, a progressive prosecutor, in a primary election on June 7. Salazar made headlines in 2020 when she left the California District Attorneys Association over its opposition to criminal justice reform measures and aligned herself with high-profile progressive prosecutors George Gascon of Los Angeles and Chesa Boudin of San Francisco. Like many prosecutors who pursue reforms, Salazar has faced internal backlash from some prosecutors in her office, including Freitas, who has accused her of handing out get out of jail free cards. In a recent interview, Freitas said that as district attorney, he would work to keep people in prison by using gang and weapon enhancements to lengthen sentences and opposing individuals efforts to get released by the parole board, which already rarely grants releases. Gang enhancements in California are disproportionately applied to Black and Latinx defendants. Story continues Our system of justice must be color-blind, but if Ron Freitas is elected it will cast a shadow over every prosecution involving a person of color, Bobby Bivens, president of the Stockton branch of the NAACP, said in a statement last week. On Tuesday, Salazar asked California Attorney General Rob Bonta to launch an investigation into whether Freitas failed to meet his ethical obligations by not self-reporting the Batson violation finding and whether he could continue to serve as a prosecutor. I am ... concerned that scores of convictions may be tainted by his bias and subject to being overturned, and that potentially dangerous individuals may be released as a result. Indeed, a member of the defense bar recently filed a bar complaint and formally requested that the cases he presided over be reviewed, Salazar wrote. Asked to comment on the finding that he violated the Constitution by excluding a Black juror, Freitas accused Bivens, the head of the local NAACP, of doing a hatchet job for his favorite candidate days before the election. Freitas cited lower court decisions that did not find evidence of a Batson violation, which were later reversed in federal court. He promoted his work on the Lodi Unified School Board making sure all minorities and all kids excel. After his first phone call with this reporter, Freitas called back and asked, Who is George Ford? a snide reference to a typo in the Stockton NAACP press release, which mentioned the two-year anniversary of the killing of George Floyd. It seems pretty sloppily thrown together, Freitas said of the press release. The term Batson violation comes from the landmark 1986 Supreme Court ruling in Batson v. Kentucky, which found that excluding jurors on the basis of their race or gender violates the equal protection clause of the Constitution. In 2019, the Supreme Court threw out the death sentence of Curtis Flowers, a man who has always maintained his innocence, after finding that the prosecutor violated his constitutional rights by intentionally removing Black people from the jury in one of Flowers trials. Despite these high-profile cases, its extremely rare for allegations of Batson violations to be upheld in court. During jury selection, both the defense and the prosecution are allowed a set number of peremptory challenges the ability to remove a prospective juror from the pool of candidates without giving a reason. Peremptory challenges motivated by discriminatory reasons are not allowed but because people rarely admit to discriminatory motivation, Batson claims are hard to prove. Moreover, judges may be hesitant to accuse a prosecutor they work with frequently of discriminatory intent. In the case with Johnson and Thompson, who were tried together, Freitas used peremptory challenges against three Black prospective jurors, resulting in a jury with no Black people. After exhausting their appeals in state court, Johnson and Thompson sought federal habeas corpus, a process where a federal court reviews the legality of a persons incarceration. Moulds, the U.S. magistrate judge, held an evidentiary hearing in which he asked Freitas to explain why he excluded the three Black prospective jurors. Moulds also compared the people who sat on the jury to the prospective Black jurors who were struck to see if Freitas stated reasons for excluding the Black people fell apart upon closer examination. Moulds ultimately found that Freitas had legitimate, race-neutral reasons to challenge two of the Black prospective jurors but that his challenge of the third was based on race. Freitas stated concerns about the third juror, described only as Mr. Jones, were a pretext for eliminating him from the jury on account of his race, Moulds wrote in a 31-page description of his findings. Moulds recommended that Johnson and Thompson be released from custody unless the state moved quickly to start a retrial. Recommendations from magistrate judges go to district judges, who are typically deferential to the magistrate judges recommendation. But in this case, U.S. District Judge John Mendez disagreed with Moulds, finding that Freitas had a race-neutral basis for striking Mr. Jones. Johnson and Thompson appealed, and in 2011, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit found that Mendez had erred in rejecting Moulds finding of a Batson violation without holding his own evidentiary hearing to observe whether Freitas claims were credible. The 9th Circuit vacated Mendezs order and directed Mendez to either adopt Moulds recommendation or conduct a new evidentiary hearing. Mendez declined to hold another hearing and instead granted habeas relief. The state declined to retry Johnson or Thompson. Batson claims are rejected a lot in state court all over the country, because its very difficult to make that kind of challenge and to prove it. But its a little different when it gets to federal habeas, David Porter a federal defender who represented Johnson and Thompson, said in an interview. Thats one of the perks of federal habeas its the chance to review decisions of local courts that make these decisions on the fly during proceedings that are going very quickly, Porter said. Its a check on the system that is done very carefully. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Related... NEW LONDON During the eighth day of testimony in a Norwich murder retrial, the state brought forward what was expected to be its last set of witnesses, including a jail informant who said defendant Jean Jacques confessed over a game of chess to killing 25-year-old Casey Chadwick. Inside New London Superior Court on Thursday, prosecutors Christa Baker and Marissa Goldberg called several witnesses to the stand, including an inmate who described himself as a state Department of Correction source of information who was incarcerated in the Corrigan Correctional Institute with Jacques in 2020. The inmate, who has since been moved into protective custody at a different facility, testified he became friendly with Jacques after the pair spent time in a recreation yard. During a chess game, Jacques allegedly told his jail mate, who The Bulletin is not identifying, he killed someone. Jean Jacques listens to an interpreter through headsets during the start of his original trial at New London Superior Court in 2016. When questioned by Baker, the informant clarified Jacques was referring to Chadwick, whose brutalized, lifeless body was discovered in a living room closet of her Spaulding Street apartment on June 15, 2015. The informant said Jacques did not provide details of how Chadwick was killed or why. Norwich detective:Jean Jacques had crack to sell after Casey Chadwick's murder The informants testimony drew the ire of Jacques attorney, Sebastian DeSantis, who referred to the witness repeatedly as a professional snitch. DeSantis argued the informant previously said the conversation with Jacques took place in 2019 during a stretch of time when Jacques was not at Corrigan. Hours before the days proceedings began, the informant notified prosecutors he had been confused about the year the rec yard conversation took place, partially blaming the error on his difficulty in assessing time in the unchanging environment of a jail. DeSantis said the timing of the informants clarification was alarmingly suspicious and asked Judge Shari Murphy to hold prosecutors accountable for failing to let him know about the retraction sooner. Story continues Casey Chadwick I wrapped my whole cross-examination (around the 2019 date), DeSantis argued. Murphy, in allowing the testimony, noted the informant previously admitted under oath he wasnt sure what year the conversation with Jacques took place, but provided other verifiable details, including Jacquess cell location. Casey Chadwick: Who was Casey Chadwick? Murdered Norwich woman's boyfriend speaks in Jean Jacques retrial During his cross-examination, DeSantis accused the informant previously convicted of larceny and burglary charges - of reaching out to prosecutors with the information in the hopes of getting a portion of his remaining 4 1/2-year prison sentence reduced. Why Jean Jacques standing trail again Earlier in the week, the statement of a different jail mate of Jacques was introduced. Tywan Jenkins told police Jacques confessed to him while in Corrigan that he snapped and stabbed Chadwick in the head several times before burying the knife and leaving with her phone and drugs. The state is expected to rest its case on Tuesday with DeSantis set to call his own witnesses to the stand. There has been no word on if Jacques will testify in his own defense. Jean Jacques: Norwich murder suspect 'adamant' police video was faked. He was talked out of testifying. Since the trial began earlier this month, several states witnesses have testified, including law enforcement personnel, friends of Chadwick and acquaintances of Jacques many who took the stand during a 2016 murder trial that ended with Jacquess conviction in Chadwicks death and a 60-year-sentence. That conviction was overturned by the state Supreme Court after justices ruled Norwich police conducted an illegal search of Jacques Crossways Street apartment where Chadwicks cell phone and quantity of cocaine was found. The high court ruling meant prosecutors could not mention the findings of the illegal search to the jury, though a Norwich police narcotics detective testified Jacques who less than a week before supposedly did not have any drugs to sell - was arrested with cocaine the same day Chadwicks body was found. Medical examiner: How did Casey Chadwick die? Medical examiner testifies in Norwich woman's murder retrial Prosecutors allege Jacques stabbed Chadwick to death and stole marijuana and crack cocaine stashed inside her apartment by her boyfriend. A medical examiner testified Chadwick was stabbed more than a dozen times. Jacques has not wavered in his insistence that he did not kill Chadwick and has accused police of setting him up for the crime. The jury is expected to begin its deliberations by Friday. John Penney can be reached at jpenney@norwichbulletin.com or at (860) 857-6965. This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Jury deliberations in Casey Chadwick murder trial may begin by Friday By Nelson Bocanegra and Julia Symmes Cobb BOGOTA (Reuters) -Colombia's peso and stock exchange closed higher on Tuesday, in the first session since the contest to elect the country's next president narrowed to two candidates, including business-friendly construction magnate Rodolfo Hernandez. Leftist Gustavo Petro, who has promised profound social and economic change, won 40.3% of votes in Sunday's first round, while Hernandez, who has drawn support for his promises to tackle corruption, unexpectedly tallied 28.2%. Hernandez, already backed by former center-right candidate Federico Gutierrez and likely many of his supporters, may be tough for Petro to beat. The peso closed up 4.16% to 3,770 pesos per dollar, its sharpest daily increase since December 2010 and strongest value against the dollar since April 20. The COLCAP stock exchange was up 4.63% to 1,603.23 points at the end of trading. Petro, a former mayor of Bogota, is making his third bid for the presidency promising free public university, a ban on new oil and gas projects and a pension reform to provide payments to the poorest. Hernandez, a farmer's son who made his fortune building low-income housing, says he will reduce the size of government and use the savings to pay off student debt, cut the value added tax nearly in half to 10% and combine a group of subsidies into one basic income. Hernandez, who is financing his own campaign and has eschewed traditional advertising in favor of eccentric TikTok videos, is broadly seen as friendlier to the market - which was closed on Monday. "Hernandez is seen as less negative...he represents some continuity in terms of economic freedom and free business," said Andres Abadia, head economist for Latin America for Pantheon Macroeconomics. "The markets have begun an important rally because the possibility of a disruptive change is now not the base scenario," said Sergio Olarte, head economist for Colombia at Scotiabank. Story continues Despite the 77-year-old's business credentials, Capital Economics said in a note on Monday that Hernandez may present a larger threat than Petro. "Neither Hernandez nor Petro are likely to tighten fiscal policy to reduce public debt risks, while both advocate higher trade barriers which bodes poorly for Colombia's growth prospects," the note said. "(Hernandez's) plan to slash taxes would cause the public debt-to-GDP ratio to surge (although we think it would continue to rise under Petro too)," it added. "Over the medium term, Hernandez's plan to raise trade barriers would weigh on productivity and economic growth (Petro appears to advocate more moderate trade protection)." The two men, who both have pledged to fully implement a 2016 peace deal with FARC rebels and seek talks with remaining guerrilla group the ELN, will face off again on June 19. Hernandez has pushed back on accusations he will now represent the country's right-wing parties, saying he will accept anyone who wants to vote for him but will not negotiate policies in exchange for alliances. (Reporting by Nelson BocanegraWriting by Julia Symmes CobbEditing by Alistair Bell and David Gregorio) Every investor in SILK Laser Australia Limited (ASX:SLA) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. Large companies usually have institutions as shareholders, and we usually see insiders owning shares in smaller companies. I quite like to see at least a little bit of insider ownership. As Charlie Munger said 'Show me the incentive and I will show you the outcome. SILK Laser Australia is a smaller company with a market capitalization of AU$142m, so it may still be flying under the radar of many institutional investors. Our analysis of the ownership of the company, below, shows that institutions are noticeable on the share registry. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about SILK Laser Australia. See our latest analysis for SILK Laser Australia What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About SILK Laser Australia? Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing. We can see that SILK Laser Australia does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see SILK Laser Australia's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story. We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in SILK Laser Australia. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is Advent Partners with 13% of shares outstanding. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 9.9% and 7.7% of the stock. Furthermore, CEO Martin Perelman is the owner of 5.3% of the company's shares. Story continues We also observed that the top 7 shareholders account for more than half of the share register, with a few smaller shareholders to balance the interests of the larger ones to a certain extent. While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. Quite a few analysts cover the stock, so you could look into forecast growth quite easily. Insider Ownership Of SILK Laser Australia The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it. I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions. Our most recent data indicates that insiders own a reasonable proportion of SILK Laser Australia Limited. It has a market capitalization of just AU$142m, and insiders have AU$20m worth of shares in their own names. It is great to see insiders so invested in the business. It might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying recently. General Public Ownership The general public-- including retail investors -- own 37% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies. Private Equity Ownership Private equity firms hold a 13% stake in SILK Laser Australia. This suggests they can be influential in key policy decisions. Some might like this, because private equity are sometimes activists who hold management accountable. But other times, private equity is selling out, having taking the company public. Next Steps: I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Be aware that SILK Laser Australia is showing 4 warning signs in our investment analysis , you should know about... If you would prefer discover what analysts are predicting in terms of future growth, do not miss this free report on analyst forecasts. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) Count Again rallied from last to win the $500,000 Shoemaker Mile by 2 1/4 lengths on Monday to earn an automatic berth in the Breeders Cup. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who came in to Santa Anita from New York, won his second straight Grade 1 race on the card. Count Again ran the distance on turf in 1:32.40. Sent off as the 5-2 second choice, he paid $7, $2.40 and $2.10. The 7-year-old Canadian-bred gelding earned a berth in the $2 million BC Mile at Keeneland on Nov. 5. Trained by Phil D'Amato, Count Again reeled in 2-5 favorite Smooth Like Strait with a furlong to go. I just followed instructions, said Ortiz, who won the Hollywood Gold Cup in his previous race with longshot There Goes Harvard. Phil told me to let him do his thing and dont rush him. He had a big turn of foot." Smooth Like Strait returned $2.10 and $2.10. Masteroffoxhounds, also trained by D'Amato, was another 3 1/2 lengths back in third and paid $2.20 to show. In the $400,000 Hollywood Gold Cup, 8-1 shot There Goes Harvard won by a length for trainer Mike McCarthy in the 4-year-old colt's first graded stakes race. There Goes Harvard ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.66 and paid $19.60, $7.40 and $4.20. Defunded returned $6.60 and $4. Royal Ship was another 3 1/4 lengths back in third and paid $2.60 to show. I had a perfect trip, Ortiz said. ___ More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports The pandemic laid bare something people in healthcare have known for years: There are simply not enough nurses in this country. The preexisting shortage was compounded when pandemic-induced burnout led to a wave of resignations across the country. And with another 500,000 nurses expected to retire this year, the country will need 1.1 million new nurses by the end of 2022, according to the American Nurses Association. COVID-19 has also complicated the process of transitioning new nurses from the classroom to the bedside. Many were not able to get hands-on training in hospitals due to strict safety protocols and, consequently, left nursing school with less practical experience than previous generations. Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis is trying to close that gap. Nurse Susan Wood, director of the new novice nurse program inside Saint Francis Hospital's new oncology training wing, where experienced nurses will team with new caregivers for a hands-on learning experience that was lost during portions of the pandemic where bedside training was replaced with remote learning. We recognize that during the pandemic, there were fewer opportunities for nurses to get actual clinical experience in an inpatient setting, and that can make the transition into providing patient care in a hospital intimidating, said Cameron Murphy, chief nursing officer of Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis. COVID-19 in Memphis: Cases are trending upward. Why health officials say not to panic The hospital is recruiting new nurses for its Novice RN Program, which will pair the early career nurses with experienced nurses to provide mentoring and other on-the-job training as the new nurses start full-time work, program director Susan Wood said. Currently, the program is only in the works at Saint Francis' Memphis hospital. The program for Saint Francis is more unique. It encompasses the preceptor program, where they're learning how to be an actual professional nurse," she said. "And that means putting IVs in, taking blood pressures, assessments of patients, pain management, but also we're adding a couple other components that aren't generally seen." Nurses Amber Webb, left, and Lindsay Hale inside Saint Francis Hospital's new oncology training wing, where experienced nurses will team with new caregivers for a hands-on learning experience that was lost during portions of the pandemic where bedside training was replaced with remote learning. In addition to helping the nurses grow their confidence at the bedside, the program is also geared toward helping them master other skills, like time management, how to communicate with patients and physicians and team-building exercises outside the hospital, Wood said. Story continues The Novice RN Program will also include some testing on hospital policies. Wood said the testing is not punitive, simply to make sure the nurses have a good grounding in the things that often get thrown out quickly during an orientation period. I think that helps them a lot because they don't understand the liability and legalities sometimes that are associated with nursing, she said. Healthcare news: Two children hospitalized in Memphis due to national formula shortage Wood said for the first class, they hope to have six or eight nurses who all start at the same time to build a sense of a cohesive team. Nurse Susan Wood, director of the new novice nurse program inside Saint Francis Hospital's new oncology training wing, where experienced nurses will team with new caregivers for a hands-on learning experience that was lost during portions of the pandemic where bedside training was replaced with remote learning. The program participants are fully qualified and certified nurses who receive competitive salaries and benefits, according to the hospital. The program simply builds in more structured opportunities for feedback from seasoned nurses as well as provides a peer group for the new nurses. Nurse Lindsay Hale, who started nursing at Saint Francis last year, said having other nurses around you at the same stage in their careers was essential. She had one other nurse who started at the same time as her and said the two would often text each other seeking reassurance that they werent the only one feeling a little in over their heads. You're coming into an environment and there's a lot of nurses who know what they're doing. And so you're just constantly looking around and questioning yourself, she said. So, you have other nurses with you that are the same (stage) ... I mean, it just brings you a lot of comfort. Nurses Amber Webb, left, and Lindsay Hale inside Saint Francis' Hospital's new oncology training wing, where experienced nurses will team with new care givers for a hands-on learning experience that was lost during portions of the pandemic where bedside training was replaced with remote learning. Nurse Amber Webb, who went through a similar program when she started nursing and will be a mentor to new nurses at Saint Francis, said being in a group of early-career nurses can also be beneficial since being among peers can make people less afraid to ask questions and some people might ask questions you hadnt thought of. I couldn't imagine just starting without that because it was just so beneficial. It bridges that gap school is totally different from real-world nursing, Webb said. It's totally different when you're with the person who's going through something or they are hurting or you have these other elements that add to just administering a medication or starting an IV. Memphis healthcare: They lost over 200lbs and became blue belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. How a surgery changed their lives The program is meant to last about 12 weeks but can be extended. And while formal mentoring may end after those three months, the young nurses will have formed bonds with their peers and with more experienced nurses, giving them a network of people they can seek out for advice. You want to start nursing that way if you have the option, Webb said. Instead of just coming in and hitting the ground running, pretty much, you have someone to work with. For Webb, her mentor became one of her best friends and is still someone she goes to for advice seven years later. And even after years on the job, Webb said that opportunity for feedback and reassurance was important. Nurse Susan Wood, director of the new novice nurse program inside Saint Francis' Hospital's new oncology training wing, where experienced nurses will team with new care givers for a hands-on learning experience that was lost during portions of the pandemic where bedside training was replaced with remote learning. It's a big job. You're taking care of people you can be the difference between saving their life or something happening, she said. It's just a very anxious type job, at first especially so. The nurses will work on two floors at the Park Avenue hospital which have recently been fully renovated. The Novice RN team will be working on the orthopedics floor and the oncology floor, where they will be working with West Clinic physicians as part of a partnership with that organization. That partnership also includes setting up a cancer-patient specific urgent care where the patients, many of whom are severely immunosuppressed, can go to get the same type of services they would seek from an emergency room in a safer environment. Wood said regardless of where new nurses start their careers, her advice was the same. The only words of wisdom I can give to new nurses coming in are: be passionate, be compassionate, and be open-minded to learn because that's what they're here for, she said. You're here for the patient. That's the most important thing. Corinne S Kennedy covers healthcare and economic development for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached via email at Corinne.Kennedy@CommercialAppeal.com How to apply For more information on joining the Novice RN Program at Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis, call Shaska Graham at 901-765-1961. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis launches new nurse training program By Jamie McGeever (Reuters) - If you assumed crypto was just a young person's game, think again. More people in the United States than ever before are turning to cryptocurrencies to help fund their retirement, it seems, even as the recent market carnage provides a stark reminder that this wild market is not for the faint-hearted. Some 27% of Americans aged 18-60 - around 50 million people - have owned or traded crypto in the past six months, a poll published last week by crypto exchange KuCoin found. Yet older folk are more devoted to the young asset class than the general population, according to the survey carried out at the end of March, with 28% of those aged 50 and above betting on crypto as part of their early retirement plans. Their most popular for investing in crypto were that they saw it as the future of finance, they didn't want to miss a hot trend, and they saw it as a way to diversify their portfolios. (See GRAPHIC) The market turmoil of recent weeks has hushed talk earlier in 2022 that bitcoin and other crypto would win mainstream acceptance and be ushered into pension plans. "If they (investors) want crypto, it should be a very small allocation of their portfolio, and they should be prepared to lose it," said Erik Knutzen, chief investment officer for multi-asset class strategies at Neuberger Berman. "We would not recommend it to everybody." Indeed bitcoin is trading at around $30,000, down 60% from a peak of $69,000 in November. And the market meltdown means many newcomers' investments are deeply in the red. Nonetheless, crypto investors and analysts are watching like hawks for any indication that bitcoin could bounce back. JP Morgan's Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou and his global strategy team said last week the crypto mayhem had soured investor sentiment so much that certain metrics signalled a "good entry point for long-term investors." Bitcoin funds, including exchange-traded funds (ETFs) saw the largest outflow since May 2021, JP Morgan said, adding that its position proxy for Chicago Mercantile Exchange bitcoin futures was approaching oversold territory. Story continues Using a model based on the volatility ratio of bitcoin to gold, the team estimate "fair value" for bitcoin at $38,000. (Graphic: Crypto investor survey - KuCoin, https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/gdvzyebznpw/KUCOIN.jpg) $100K OR MORE The KuCoin poll comes a week after a survey of 11,000 adults by the Fed found that 12% of Americans dabbled in cryptocurrencies as an investment last year. It did not break down participants by age, but found almost half of those holding crypto for an investment had an annual income of $100,000 or more, while almost a third had an income under $50,000. If older investors are in the new crypto vanguard, though, has there been a rush from asset managers to meet this demand? Fidelity Investments caused a stir in April when it announced individuals will soon be allowed to allocate part of their retirement savings in bitcoin through their 401(k) investment plans. "Fidelity always operates and makes decisions with the highest level of integrity and an unwavering commitment to our customers, including those saving for retirement," a Fidelity spokesperson told Reuters. But if anecdotal evidence from a Reuters-hosted summit of investors and asset managers in New York last week is any guide, it may have the 401k crypto market to itself for a while yet. The general consensus was that crypto is prohibitively volatile for retirement purposes. Unless you are a sophisticated investor, such as a hedge fund, or are prepared to swallow a hefty loss, then it is best to steer clear. (Reporting by Jamie McGeever; Editing by Pravin Char) Ashton Kutcher,Danny Masterson - Credit: Wade Payne/Invision/AP Danny Masterson won a six-week delay of his upcoming serial rape trial after shaking up his legal team at a court hearing Tuesday, but the actor and prominent Scientologist failed in his last-minute bid to sever one of his three accusers into a separate trial. Best known for playing Steven Hyde on Foxs That 70s Show from 1998 to 2006, the former sitcom star appeared in person at the morning hearing in downtown Los Angeles and told Judge Charlaine Olmedo he wanted high-powered lawyers Shawn Holley and Philip Cohen to become his new lead trial attorneys, replacing famed former Michael Jackson defense lawyer Tom Mesereau and his co-counsel Sharon Appelbaum. When the court granted the switch, and the new lawyers asked for more time to prepare, Judge Olmedo agreed to delay the start of Mastersons trial from late August to Oct. 11. More from Rolling Stone Masterson, 46, has pleaded not guilty to charges he forcibly raped three women on separate occasions at his Hollywood, California, home between 2001 and 2003. If convicted as charged, he faces a maximum of 45 years to life in prison. In lengthy arguments Tuesday, Cohen tried but failed to convince the court that Jane Doe 2s claim she was raped by Masterson at his home in late 2003 should be severed from the felony counts related to Jane Does 1 and 3 because lumping her in with the other accusers who claim choking, slapping and other physical violence violated Mastersons right to a fair trial. Cohen further claimed Jane Doe 2s allegation was the weakest of the three and was tossed in to emotionally inflame jurors and make them dislike his client. At a preliminary hearing last year, Jane Doe 2 testified that Masterson invited her over to his house toward the end of 2003 after they met through Scientology and Masterson asked for her phone number one night following a gathering with friends at a local bar. The woman testified that while she was interested in possibly dating Masterson at the time, she was trying to keep certain boundaries and wasnt open to casual sex. I said I would absolutely not be getting in any water or jacuzzi or pool or bringing a bathing suit, she testified. And I didnt want to drink. I said maybe one glass of wine. We can talk and then Im leaving. Story continues During her time on the witness stand in May 2021, Jane Doe 2 said Masterson immediately handed her a glass of wine upon her arrival and became very serious and commanding, ordering her to strip and get in his jacuzzi. Take off your clothes right now, he demanded, according to her testimony. If you dont do it, Im gonna do it. She claimed Masterson was ordering her around like a drill sergeant, using a domineering voice known in Scientology as tone 40. She said he raped her in his upstairs bathroom and bedroom as she was pleading with him to stop. I felt like limp, and a rag doll, she testified. I was not in control of my faculties. I was just sort of spent. Jane Doe 2 said she didnt immediately report the attack to police because she feared being declared a suppressive person by the church, a label she described as being an excommunicated outcast. You lose everything, your good standing with society. They put you on blast that you are a suppressive person, she testified. (She reported the alleged rape to police in 2016.) Cohen argued Tuesday that Jane Doe 2, as far as the defense is concerned, is a scorned ex-lover who was initially enamored with Masterson and thrilled by his attention before being cast aside after their allegedly consensual sex. Jane Doe 2 was thinking this was someone shes going to date, someone she wants to have a relationship with, and Masterson doesnt give her the time of day. None of that is good, if true, but it paints a very different picture than that laid out by Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, Cohen argued. The picture painted is this guys an ass. This guy is playing with her emotions. This guy is using his status as an actor to procure something from this woman, then he throws her aside. Cohen said Jane Doe 2s account didnt even amount to a forcible rape, despite the charge, and, if allowed to be heard alongside the rape claims of Jane Does 1 and 3, could trigger improper bias. Judge Olmedo disagreed, ruling at the end of the three-hour hearing that all three counts related to the three accusers were properly joined. She said all involve the same alleged crime, relate to actions close in time and purportedly took place at the same location. No one count is substantially stronger or weaker than the other, she ruled from the bench. There is cross-admissibility of evidence. She said each Jane Doe made allegations of Masterson providing a drink that impacted them more than usual, initiating sexual contact and not taking No for an answer. Judge Olmedo also heard arguments on Mastersons still-pending motion to dismiss the forcible rape count related to Jane Doe 1 on the grounds that prosecutors waited 16 years to file. The judge gave both sides more time to file additional briefs and set a follow-up hearing for June 30. Jane Doe No. 1 testified at the probable cause hearing in May 2021 that she felt drugged after consuming half of a red fruity vodka drink during a gathering at Mastersons Hollywood home in April 2003. She said the actor commanded her to remove her clothes and get in his Jacuzzi, where she feared she might slip under the surface and drown. The woman said Masterson later carried her upstairs and raped her vaginally and anally as she drifted in and out of consciousness. At one point, Masterson pulled a handgun out of his nightstand and threatened, Dont fucking move, she testified. Describing herself as a second-generation Scientologist, Jane Doe 1 said a fellow church member refused to speak with her as she left Mastersons house and that a church ethics officer warned her not to even utter the word rape. She reported the alleged rape to police a year later, in 2004, after hearing that Masterson had allegedly assaulted another victim, she testified. Chrissie Carnell Bixler has publicly identified herself as Jane Doe 3 through public statements on social media, in media interviews and in a civil lawsuit filed against the actor. She testified at the preliminary hearing that she was raped by Masterson twice at the end of 2001, when they were involved in a domestic relationship. Carnell Bixler said the first assault involved the actor initiating penetrative sex with her while she was sleeping and refusing to stop when she woke up. She claimed Masterson pinned her down with all of his weight, struck her in the face, spit on her, and called her white trash when she pulled his hair to defend herself. She claimed the second attack followed about a month later, with Masterson allegedly drugging her wine at a restaurant and penetrating her anally while she was passed out. She testified that when she tried to report her experience to church officials, an ethics officer told her she must have done something to deserve what happened. She testified that the officer also showed her church doctrine stating it was a high crime to report a fellow Scientologist to law enforcement. Carnell Bixler said the threat of being declared suppressive left her in a state of terror. The Los Angeles District Attorney filed the criminal complaint against Masterson on June 16, 2020. For his part, Masterson has called the allegations outrageous and ridiculous. Best of Rolling Stone Click here to read the full article. Police are investigating after a shooting victim was reportedly dropped off at a hospital in Dayton. Montgomery County Regional dispatch says the shooting was reported in the 3500 block of Dorham Place around 5:47 p.m. >> UPDATE: Man dead after shooting in Trotwood In a 911 call obtained by News Center 7 through a public records request, a caller reported hearing four gunshots go off from behind her building. The caller also reported hearing screaming and someone saying take me to the hospital. Dispatch records indicate a shooting victim was dropped off at the emergency room at Grandview Hospital. The condition of the victim was not immediately known. We are working to learn more and will continue updating this story. (Bloomberg) -- Power-hungry, fossil-fuel dependent Japan has successfully tested a system that could provide a constant, steady form of renewable energy, regardless of the wind or the sun. Most Read from Bloomberg For more than a decade, Japanese heavy machinery maker IHI Corp. has been developing a subsea turbine that harnesses the energy in deep ocean currents and converts it into a steady and reliable source of electricity. The giant machine resembles an airplane, with two counter-rotating turbine fans in place of jets, and a central fuselage housing a buoyancy adjustment system. Called Kairyu, the 330-ton prototype is designed to be anchored to the sea floor at a depth of 30-50 meters (100-160 feet). In commercial production, the plan is to site the turbines in the Kuroshio Current, one of the worlds strongest, which runs along Japans eastern coast, and transmit the power via seabed cables. Ocean currents have an advantage in terms of their accessibility in Japan, said Ken Takagi, a professor of ocean technology policy at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Frontier Sciences. Wind power is more geographically suited to Europe, which is exposed to predominant westerly winds and is located at higher latitudes. Japans New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) estimates the Kuroshio Current could potentially generate as much as 200 gigawatts about 60% of Japans present generating capacity. Like other nations, the lions share of investment in renewables has gone into wind and solar, especially after the Fukushima nuclear disaster curbed that nations appetite for atomic energy. Japan is already the worlds third largest generator of solar power and is investing heavily in offshore wind, but harnessing ocean currents could provide the reliable baseline power needed to reduce the need for energy storage or fossil fuels. Story continues The advantage of ocean currents is their stability. They flow with little fluctuation in speed and direction, giving them a capacity factor a measure of how often the system is generating of 50-70%, compared with around 29% for onshore wind and 15% for solar. In February, IHI completed a 3 year-long demonstration study of the technology with NEDO. Its team tested the system in the waters around the Tokara Islands in southwestern Japan by hanging Kairyu from a vessel and sending power back to the ship. It first drove the ship to artificially generate a current, and then suspended the turbines in the Kuroshio. The tests proved the prototype could generate the expected 100 kilowatts of stable power and the company now plans to scale up to a full 2 megawatt system that could be in commercial operation in the 2030s or later. Like other advanced maritime nations, Japan is exploring various ways of harnessing energy from the sea, including tidal and wave power and ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), which exploits the difference in temperature between the surface and the deep ocean. Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd. has invested in UK-based Bombora Wave Power to explore the potential for the technology in Japan and Europe. The company is also promoting OTEC and began operating a 100 kW demonstration facility in Okinawa in April, according to Yasuo Suzuki, general manager of the corporate marketing division. Kyushu Electrics renewable unit Kyuden Mirai Energy begins a 650 million yen ($5.1 million) feasibility test this year to produce 1 MW of tidal power around the Goto Islands in the East China Sea. The government this month also proposed changes to offshore wind auctions that could speed up development. Among marine-energy technologies, the one advancing fastest towards cost-effectiveness is tidal stream, where the technology has advanced quite a long way and it definitely works, said Angus McCrone, a former BloombergNEF chief editor and marine energy analyst. Scotland-based Orbital Marine Power is one of several companies constructing tidal systems around Orkney, location of the European Marine Energy Centre. Others include SIMEC Atlantis Energys MeyGen array and California-based Aquantis, founded by US wind pioneer James Dehlsen, which reportedly plans to start testing a tidal system there next year. While tidal flows dont run 24 hours, they tend to be stronger than deep ocean currents. The Kuroshio current flows at 1 to 1.5 meters per second, compared with 3 meters per second for some tidal systems. The biggest issue for ocean current turbines is whether they could produce a device that would generate power economically out of currents that are not particularly strong, said McCrone. Ocean Energy Systems, an intergovernmental collaboration established by the International Energy Agency, sees the potential to deploy more than 300 gigawatts of ocean energy globally by 2050. But the potential for ocean energy is location dependent, taking into account the strength of currents, access to grids or markets, maintenance costs, shipping, marine life and other factors. In Japan, wave energy is moderate and unstable through the year, while areas with strong tidal currents tend to have heavy shipping traffic, Takagi said. And OTEC is better suited to tropical regions where the temperature gradient is bigger. One of the advantages of the deep ocean current is it doesnt restrict navigation of ships, IHI said. Still, the Japanese company has a long way to go. Compared with onshore facilities, its much more complicated to install a system underwater. Unlike Europe, which has a long history of the North Sea Oil exploration, Japan has had little experience with offshore construction, said Takagi. There are major engineering challenges to build a system robust enough to withstand the hostile conditions of a deep ocean current and to reduce maintenance costs. Japan isnt blessed with a lot of alternative energy sources, he said. People may say that this is just a dream, but we need to try everything to achieve zero carbon. With the cost of wind and solar power and battery storage declining, IHI will also need to demonstrate that overall project costs for ocean current power are competitive. IHI aims to generate power at 20 yen per kilowatt-hour from large-scale deployment. That compares with about 17 yen for solar in the country and about 12-16 yen for offshore wind. IHI also said it conducted an environmental assessment before it launched the project and will use the test results to examine any impact on the marine environment and fishing industry. If successful at scale, deep ocean currents could add a vital part in providing green baseline power in the global effort to phase out fossil fuels. IHIs work could help Japans engineering take a leading role with government support, said McCrone. IHI has to make a convincing argument that Japan could benefit from being a technology leader in this area, he said. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. After staying out of the European Union's common defence policy for 30 years, Denmark votes Wednesday in a referendum on whether to overturn its opt-out after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. More than 65 percent of the country's 4.3 million eligible voters are expected to vote in favour of dropping the exemption, the latest opinion poll published on Sunday suggested. Analysts' predictions have however been cautious, given the low voter turnout expected in a country that has often said "no" to further EU integration, most recently in 2015. "We must always cast our ballots when there is a vote", Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen urged Danes in the final televised debate of the campaign on Sunday. "I believe with all my heart that we have to vote yes. At a time when we need to fight for security in Europe, we need to be more united with our neighbours", she said. Denmark has been an EU member since 1973, but it put the brakes on transferring more power to Brussels in 1992 when 50.7 percent of Danes rejected the Maastricht Treaty, the EU's founding treaty. It needed to be ratified by all member states to enter into force. In order to persuade Danes to approve the treaty, Copenhagen negotiated a series of exemptions and Danes finally approved it the following year. Since then, Denmark has remained outside the European single currency, the euro -- which it rejected in a 2000 referendum -- as well as the bloc's common policies on justice and home affairs, and defence. - 'Ukraine the major reason'- The defence opt-out means that the Scandinavian country, a founding member of NATO, does not participate in EU foreign policy where defence is concerned and does not contribute troops to EU military missions. Denmark is the only country to have negotiated a defence opt-out, though Malta remains de facto outside as well. Copenhagen has exercised its opt-out 235 times in 29 years, according to a tally by the Europa think tank. Danish PM Frederiksen called the referendum just two weeks after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and after having reached an agreement with a majority of parties in Denmark's parliament, the Folketing. Story continues At the same time, she also announced plans to increase defence spending to two percent of GDP, in line with NATO membership requirements, by 2033. "It was a big surprise", said the director of the Europa think tank, Lykke Friis. "For the past many, many years, nobody thought that the government would put the defence opt-out to a national referendum", she said. "There's no doubt that Ukraine was the major reason for calling the referendum." Berlin's announcement that it was reversing decades of defence policy by massively hiking its military spending also played a key role in the Danish decision, Friis said. Germany is Denmark's closest ally, along with the United States. "The very fact that they stepped up their game put Denmark in a position where we could not hide behind Germany any more". - 'NATO is enough' - Eleven of Denmark's 14 parties have urged voters to say "yes" to dropping the opt-out, representing more than three-quarters of seats in parliament. Two far-right eurosceptic parties -- the Danish People's Party and The New Right -- as well as the far-left Unity List, have meanwhile called for Danes to say "no". One of their main arguments is that the emergence of a joint European defence would come at the expense of NATO, which has been the cornerstone of Denmark's defence since its creation in 1949. "NATO is the guarantor of Denmark's security. It would be totally different if it were decided in Brussels," the head of the Danish People's Party Morten Messerschmitt argued during Sunday's debate. After Finland and Sweden recently reversed decades of military non-alignment to apply for membership in NATO, and the Danish referendum, the three Nordic neighbours could all suddenly find themselves doubled up on European defence policy and NATO membership. The results of the referendum are expected around 11:00 pm (2100 GMT) on Wednesday. Denmark's autonomous territories of Greenland -- which is not in the EU -- and the Faroe Islands are not participating in the referendum. In December 2015, Danes voted "no" to strengthening their cooperation with the European Union on police and security matters for fear of losing their sovereignty over immigration. map/po/ach he Orange County Sheriffs Office says it has arrested the suspect in a murder that they later learned was just one of a string of violent crimes. Deputies responded to the 300 block of Duncan Court just after 6 p.m. Monday for reports of a shooting. They arrived to find 62-year-old Oleg Denysenko lying in the driveway dead from gunshot wounds. Investigators said surveillance video shows a black Jeep Grand Cherokee pull up to the house on Duncan Court just before 6 p.m. Read: No apparent motive in Orange County crime spree that left 1 person dead, deputies say Deputies say the driver appears to call Denysenko, who had been standing on the front porch, over to the car. Investigators said Denysenko appears to have a brief conversation with the driver before suddenly being shot in the face and chest. The driver of the Jeep then backs up and drives through the front yard of a home before speeding away. Just before 6:30 p.m., deputies received reports of a black Jeep that crashed into a home off North Buena Vista Avenue. Witnesses told deputies that they saw the driver of the Jeep, later identified as 30-year-old Vashawn McLendon, running from the crash. Investigators found a shell casing inside the Jeep that matched the one left at the Duncan Court scene and two bullet holes in a window of the SUV. Deputies learned that the Jeep was registered to McLendons mother, who lived a few miles from the crash scene. Read: Deputies identify man shot and killed outside Orange County home While heading to McClendons mothers house, dispatchers got a 911 call from her saying that her son had just arrived home acting irrationally and had blood on his clothes. Deputies responded to the home, evacuated family members, and took McClendon into custody. According to the sheriffs office, a third person reported being pistol whipped on Observatory Drive by the same person who had just crashed on Buena Vista Ave. Later that night around 8 p.m., deputies were called to a home on Hudson Street where a relative of McLendons said hed just arrived acting strangely and covered in blood. Story continues Deputies responded to the home, evacuated the family members, and took McClendon into custody. Investigators say that in addition to the shooting and hit-and-run cases, McLendon is also suspected in a pistol-whipping incident shortly after crashing into the home. Deputies investigating deadly shooting outside Orange County home McClendon was booked into the Orange County jail and charged with second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder with a firearm, and aggravated battery with a motor vehicle. Hes being held on no bond. In a statement, the Orange County sheriff said the police had yet to find an explanation for the crimes. This horrible violent spree by McClendon, which resulted in the tragic murder of Mr. Denysenko, and serious injury to two others, has no apparent motive, the sheriffs office said. Denysenkos daughter told deputies that her father was an accomplished physicist in Ukraine, was extremely intelligent, and had a calm and shy demeanor. She said her father had come to the United States earlier this year and was set to return to Ukraine the following month. But he stayed on when the invasion of Ukraine began. Deputies responded to the 300 block of Duncan Court just after 6 p.m. When deputies arrived at the home they found a man in his 60s had been shot. Neighbors told investigators that they heard several gunshots Deputies were able to obtain security camera video from a homeowner that may have captured the shooting. Investigators have not said what led up to the shooting or released any suspect information. Investigators throughout the night as they investigated the shooting Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Orange County Sheriffs Office or Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477) Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Orange County Sheriffs Office or Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477) Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Wavebreakmedia / Getty Images/iStockphoto Whether you buy a car new or used, the dealer might try to load you down with add-ons and accessories of every sort -- and they're likely to tell you that it will only add a few dollars to the monthly payment if you fold it into the cost of the loan. Food Stamps: Can You Use Your SNAP EBT Card at Gas Stations? Rising Gas Prices: The True Cost of Going Electric In truth, add-ons can quickly tack hundreds or thousands of dollars extra onto the sticker price. Some might be dealer add-ons that they try to slip past you. Others they'll try to sell you outright. Before you buy, know which car ad-ons you don't want to buy at the dealership. Lepro / Getty Images/iStockphoto Roof-Rack Accessories Factory crossbars and roof-rack accessories cost more than aftermarket brands, and they only fit that specific vehicle. If your surfing, kayaking or road-tripping adventures require roof storage, brands like Thule and Yakima cost less, function as well or better and can be removed and adapted to almost any vehicle you buy in the future -- all without a big dealer markup. POLL: Have Gas Prices Affected Your Driving Habits? MarioGuti / Getty Images/iStockphoto Key Protection Losing your car keys was always a headache, but with remote entry and remote start devices, laser cutting and high-end fobs, today it's not just an inconvenience, but it's a hefty expense. Replacing sophisticated key systems, particularly on luxury cars, can cause hundreds of dollars, which your car insurance is likely not to cover -- and dealers know it. Some dealers offer key protection, a separate insurance policy just for your keys. That, too, can easily cost more than $100, which is an unnecessary expense for an unlikely event. Instead put that money into a savings account, which you should do anyway to budget for unforeseen mishaps, like losing your keys. Marina Khromova / Getty Images/iStockphoto Windshield Protection The ACE Group is one of the many companies that offer windshield insurance coverage to car dealers to sell to their customers at a markup -- it says "maximize your profits" right on their website. Yes, windshields can sometimes break, and yes, they're expensive. The truth, however, is that modern resins can fix the most common cracks, and windshields rarely have to be fully replaced. If you're truly worried, you'd be better served by budgeting for repairs like broken windshields than handing over money to your dealer as an add-on for a service you'll likely never need. Story continues ViktorCap / Getty Images/iStockphoto Tire Protection Like windshield protection, the odds favor the dealer with extended tire warranties. Virtually all tires come with prorated warranties that cover craftsmanship defects, which are very rare. Your dealer might try to sell you an extended warranty that covers what standard prorated warranties do not for, say, $10 per tire. First of all, some tires come with more inclusive warranties and even if they don't, the cost of a standard new tire isn't particularly high when you factor in the $40 you didn't spend on unnecessary protection. Vera_Petrunina / Getty Images/iStockphoto Dent Protection Like windshield protection and key protection, a long line of little-known and sometimes-shady third-party companies offer dent and ding coverage to dealers as an upsell to push on their customers. These companies sell the plans for $300-$500 to the dealer, who then sells the plan to unsuspecting buyers for anywhere from $600-$1,500 -- pure profit for no work. The dealer also has no further responsibility and doesn't aid processing claims. You get an 800 number to call to deal with a company you've probably never heard of before. You'll likely have little or no say in who fixes your car, and you'll almost certainly learn that there's plenty that isn't covered. Pattanaphong Khuankaew / Getty Images/iStockphoto Credit Insurance Your dealer also might try to talk you into credit insurance, which comes in the forms of credit life insurance, credit disability insurance, involuntary unemployment insurance and credit property insurance. They all serve the same purpose: to continue making your car payments if you lose your job, become disabled or die. There are few reasons to get credit insurance and many reasons not to. If you think it's right for you, you'll almost always do better buying through your own insurance company with no dealer markup. Also, it's illegal for dealers to tell you they can't sell you a car or approve a loan unless you buy this optional coverage. tommaso79 / Getty Images/iStockphoto GAP Insurance Guaranteed asset protection (GAP) insurance is less scammy than the previously mentioned "coverage" plans that dealers often push. If you total a car shortly after financing it, your insurance company will compensate you for the value of the car, which, thanks to depreciation, is often less than what you owe on the loan. GAP coverage is designed to fill that gap, and in some cases, it makes sense to buy it -- but buy it from your insurance company. When you buy it from a dealer, it will almost certainly be more expensive and, here again, you'll wind up dealing with an unfamiliar company you've never heard of if you ever need to cash in on it. Hirurg / Getty Images/iStockphoto Extended Warranties Like GAP insurance, extended warranties can serve a legitimate purpose, but in almost all cases, you'd be better served to put that money into an interest-bearing savings account set aside for repairs. Extended warranties are designed to stretch your coverage beyond the expiration of your bumper-to-bumper warranty, which is usually three years or 36,000 miles. The truth is, much of the cost goes to the salesperson's commission, most people never wind up using them, and they cost more than the price of the average repair. vgajic / Getty Images Car Alarms and Trackers Most cars come with security systems or even trackers. When they don't, dealers often try to sell them as an add-on. That, in many cases, is because car dealerships install alarms to prevent theft on the dealership lot, which means it's already installed in the car. Instead of uninstalling it and letting you drive off with the car, this upsell allows them to sell cheap alarms and trackers at a premium and also charge you for installation. You can almost certainly do better buying a system on your own and paying a much lower installation fee to your local mechanic. mbtphotos / Getty Images Paint Sealants Modern cars receive factory paint jobs that are designed to withstand the elements -- they have sealants and antirust properties built-in. Paint protection can cost several hundred dollars and it's almost never worth the expense. Wash your car regularly and your paint will last the life of your car in almost all conditions. algre / Getty Images/iStockphoto Fabric Protection The same rule applies to fabric and upholstery protection, which is applied by the manufacturer and built into the price of the car. According to Edmunds, this service can cost $195 or more. If you really feel you need extra protection because you have a dog or messy children or whatever, spend a few bucks on a bottle of spray-on Scotchgard, which is essentially what the dealer is offering anyway. venusvi / Getty Images/iStockphoto Nitrogen-Filled Tires Another add-on that's trending is nitrogen-filled tires, which your dealer will tell you is less susceptible to temperature-based pressure expansion and reduction. It's also supposed to bleed from your tires more slowly than regular air. Edmunds reports that its own research says it makes almost no difference in real-world conditions and that the service costs roughly $100. Regular air is free -- or close to it if you're in a pinch and need to stop at a gas station. Shutterstock.com Window Tints/Clear Protection You might be in the market for window tints or clear UV protection, but don't let the dealer sell it to you as an add-on. Chances are they don't do the work themselves and instead farm it out to the lowest bidder. You, of course, reap none of those savings -- the difference is pure dealer profit. Check online reviews for local service companies and you'll almost certainly pay less for work done by a company whose reviews you had a chance to research for yourself. bfk92 / Getty Images/iStockphoto Door Edge Protector You can pick up a DIY door edge protector kit for less than $10 on Amazon, yet according to Edmunds, dealers commonly charge $169. In theory, door edge protectors keep vulnerable door edges from chipping and scratching. The truth is, modern paint can resist most of this yesteryear type of damage, but if you want the peace of mind, it's an easy, cheap, tool-free DIY job. Shutterstock.com Service and Maintenance Packages Service and maintenance packages aren't always, or even usually, a rip-off. Dealers make a lot of money in their service departments, and they'd obviously love to sell you a car and service it as well, both while under warranty and beyond. This incentivizes good service, as does the fact that good service means you're more likely to come back and buy your next car there, as well. The problem is, buying a car is a ton of information to process on its own and you can opt into the service plan at any time. If they offer you a maintenance package, ask for the details in writing, say you'll think about it and take a few days to look it over and decide if it's worth it. kitzcorner / Getty Images/iStockphoto Upgraded Floor Mats Your dealer might try to talk you into "heavy-duty" or "all-weather" mats. Regular floor mats often come standard from the factory, and in that case, the dealer might not be able to remove them for a discount. That, however, is different than upgrading to a more rugged version at the cost of hundreds of dollars extra, which you might pay for a full set of custom, laser-measured mats from a company like WeatherTech. If you must have generic heavy-duty mats, they're easy to find online with a two-digit price tag. Photoservice / Getty Images/iStockphoto Appearance Packages Among the most common and costly dealer add-ons are so-called "appearance packages," which often take the form of pinstriping or some other graphic design. While it appears to come from the manufacturer, dealers -- particularly used car dealers -- can add them on themselves, try to pass them off as standard and outrageously upcharge for them. Edmunds reports seeing appearance packages for $279. Jaloplink reports seeing them cost as much as $2,000. Vajira Thongsom / Getty Images/iStockphoto Mudflaps Passenger cars don't need mudflaps, despite what your dealer tells you about paint and undercarriage corrosion. Those who have them often find that they catch and trap sand and salt, causing more corrosion than they prevent. Large trucks are an exception, but not most standard trucks or SUVs. Find out if your state requires them on SUVs or standard trucks before letting a dealer explain why you can't go without them. If you really want them, you'll find, as with so many add-ons, that you can buy them and have them installed cheaper somewhere else. Chansak Joe / Shutterstock.com Trunk Trays Trunk trays are formfitting rubberized cargo liners for your trunk or the back of your hatchback or SUV -- they sometimes come with raised cargo blocks. They protect against spills, upholstery tears and other damage, and they're certainly not a bad idea -- provided you pay $200 or so for one online or at your local auto parts store. What you shouldn't do, however, is let a dealer talk you into buying one from them for upwards of $700, which isn't unheard of, according to MotorTrend. rukawajung / Getty Images/iStockphoto Color-Changing Valve Stem Covers You might encounter a dealer who promises magic in your tires in the form of color-changing valve stems that change from green to red when your tires need air, all for the low price of between $40-$100 for a set of four. First of all, most new -- or newish, even -- cars come with low-tire-pressure indicators on the dashboard. Even if yours doesn't, the two tools that have worked for time immemorial -- your eyes and a pressure gauge -- will serve the exact same purpose. More From GOBankingRates Photos are for illustrative purposes only. As a result, some of the images may not reflect the products listed in this article. This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Dont Get Suckered Into Paying for These 20 Useless Things at Car Dealerships Donations Inspired by COVID-19 Helped Avert a True Hunger Crisis for Older Americans PR Newswire ARLINGTON, Va., May 31, 2022 As Older Americans Month comes to a close, Meals on Wheels America thanks dozens of companies that supported seniors during this extraordinary moment and pushes to reach every senior in need of nutritious meals and companionship ARLINGTON, Va., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Before the pandemic, some 2.4 million homebound seniors relied on the venerable network of community-based Meals on Wheels programs for nutritious meals and social connection. But, when COVID-19 struck, previously mobile and independent seniors were stranded as they isolated from the highly contagious and potentially deadly virus. With a staggering increase in demand nearly overnight, Meals on Wheels staff feared a full-blown hunger crisis. Meals on Wheels America is the leadership organization supporting the more than 5,000 community-based programs across the country that are dedicated to addressing senior isolation and hunger. (PRNewsfoto/Meals on Wheels America) With a staggering increase in demand nearly overnight, Meals on Wheels staff feared a full-blown hunger crisis. "They couldn't shop. They couldn't see family. Many couldn't begin to afford food delivery," explained Kathy Stirling, Director of Volunteer Programs and Corporate & Community Engagement at Meals on Wheels San Francisco. "We were extremely worried for the seniors we serve." Fortunately, the public and private sectors of the nation rallied. The federal relief packages passed in response to the widespread health and economic effects of the pandemic nearly doubled funding for programs like Meals on Wheels. Individuals and corporations stepped up too, boosting private support for Meals on Wheels America by 350 percent over pre-pandemic levels. This influx of dollars worked. Despite volunteer shortages and rising prices problems that continue to plague nearly every Meals on Wheels program this nationwide network dramatically expanded its reach. During the height of the pandemic, it provided about 100% more home-delivered meals weekly than before. That was while the network simultaneously pivoted operations reinventing itself from the ground up to keep seniors and workers safe from COVID-19 and sat up new initiatives to reach millions of additional seniors it never expected to serve. Story continues "It was intense," said Stirling. "We were hardly sleeping. But we proved something to ourselves. With the right support, we can reach so many more people." Even before the pandemic, millions of seniors were food insecure and not receiving the nutritional assistance they needed. Meals on Wheels simply couldn't reach them all without more support, so the network is now advocating for the increase in federal funds for nutrition programs to be made permanent. It is also asking private donors to grow their support. Many of these donors are taking action, including the dozens of corporations below that provided a lifeline to seniors during the pandemic and continue to fund Meals on Wheels America. "I can't overstress the important role these companies played," said Ellie Hollander, president and CEO of Meals on Wheels America. "In countless cases, they helped saved the lives of seniors who were completely alone during the pandemic. We now hope they'll grow their giving so we can finally reach every senior who needs us." CORPORATE SUPPORTERS OF MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA AARP, AARP Foundation, Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods, Bonne Maman Preserves, Caesars Foundation, Charles Schwab & Co., Consumer Cellular, Cooper Tire Foundation, D.A. Davidson, Food Lion Feeds, FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers, Macy's, McAlister's Deli, Nestle, North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM), PetSmart Charities, Prologis, QVC, Reverse Mortgage Funding LLC, SSP America, Subaru of America, Inc., SunFire, Synchrony, The Home Depot Foundation, US LBM Foundation, Wawa, William Hill Estate Winery ABOUT MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA Meals on Wheels America is the leadership organization supporting the more than 5,000 community-based programs across the country that are dedicated to addressing senior hunger and isolation. This network serves virtually every community in America and, along with more than two million staff and volunteers, delivers the nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks that enable America's seniors to live nourished lives with independence and dignity. Through funding, leadership, education, research and advocacy, Meals on Wheels America empowers its local member programs to strengthen their communities, one senior at a time. For more information, or to find a Meals on Wheels provider near you, visit www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/donations-inspired-by-covid-19-helped-avert-a-true-hunger-crisis-for-older-americans-301555871.html SOURCE Meals on Wheels America Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn indicated the team would have to make a couple of roster moves before its trip to Toronto. Our current active roster is not 100% vaxxed, Hahn said Saturday. As a result, two players will likely need to be replaced when we get there. Other teams have had to deal with it on their way in and respect the fact thats the law of the land up there, and well be compliant. The Sox announced the moves Monday, placing starting pitcher Dylan Cease and reliever Kendall Graveman on the restricted list. The Sox also recalled pitcher Kyle Crick from Triple-A Charlotte and placed pitcher Dallas Keuchel on waivers for the purpose of granting his unconditional release. The Sox begin a three-game series against the Blue Jays on Tuesday in Toronto. The baseball rule, or administrative rule, that applies is that those (unvaccinated) players wind up on the restricted list and are eligible for replacement according to the rules, Hahn said. According to an April 25 ESPN article, The Canadian government isnt allowing unvaccinated travelers to cross borders except under special circumstances, such as funerals for family members. As a result, any Major League Baseball player not vaccinated wont be allowed to travel to Canada. Everybody has got their reasons for what they do or dont do, Sox manager Tony La Russa said Saturday. I dont begrudge anybodys decision. Cease started Sunday against the Cubs, allowing one unearned run on two hits in seven innings. Graveman is 1-1 with a 2.78 ERA, 19 strikeouts, two saves and 10 holds. We obviously want our full roster at any point, whether a guy is unavailable because of these restrictions or because of health issues or injury or whatever, Hahn said. Its certainly nothing you look forward to. Overall as an organization from top to bottom, we have done a tremendous job in terms of doing everything in our power to get people vaxxed and get people protected, take care of themselves, take care of their teammates, families and communities. And as an organization as a whole, we can be very proud of that and it set a really good example for others. The fact that a couple individuals have exercised their right to make an individual choice, I respect that. And look forward to them rejoining us (Friday) in Tampa. Crick is 1-0 with a 5.14 ERA in eight relief appearances. The Sox designated Keuchel for assignment Saturday. Ursula von der Leyen Russia's war against Ukraine - the main events of May 31 She said that she welcomed the decision. Read also: Russia to lose about $10 billion a year through oil ban Bloomberg EU members have agreed to end their dependence on Russian gas, oil and coal as soon as possible, she added. The EC president also noted that the plan to achieve this goal would include the following: Read also: Record amount of Russian oil stuck on board tankers due to sanctions, Reuters reports energy saving; diversifying away from Russian fossil fuels; massive investment in renewable energy sources; financing of EUR 300 billion, most of which will go to the Economic Recovery Fund. Read also: Sberbank plays down SWIFT cut in EUs latest sanctions package President of the European Council Charles Michel on May 20 said that the countries of the EU had agreed to a partial ban on oil imports from Russia. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, pictured here in February, said on Twitter that the EU agreed to "phase out our dependency on Russian gas, oil & coal as soon as possible." Photo by Thierry Monasse/Getty Images European Union leaders reached an agreement on Monday over a Russian oil ban. The significant measure is aimed at punishing Russian leadership for its invasion of Ukraine. The ban will cut some 90% of oil imports from Russia to the EU by the end of 2022. European Union leaders reached an agreement on Monday over a Russian oil ban, the head of its executive arm said on Monday, a remarkable measure that officials negotiated for months and is aimed at punishing Russian leadership for its invasion of Ukraine. "This will effectively cut around 90% of oil imports from Russia to the EU by the end of the year," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a tweet on Monday. The ban marks the latest penalty that world leaders have placed on Russia this year in efforts to weaken the country's financial position and end the invasion of Ukraine headed by President Vladimir Putin. The EU has imposed a sweeping set of sanctions against Russia, including a ban on iron and steel imports, and the US has prohibited Americans from providing consulting services to people in Russia. Why EU leaders think the oil ban will work Oil has long been a key part of Russia's economy. Russia is one of the world's top crude oil producers, and it relies heavily on oil and natural gas revenues, which last year made up 45% of its federal budget, according to the International Energy Agency. Prior to the war, Russia made up about half of Europe's 1.2 million barrels per day of annual diesel imports, or 10% of its total diesel consumption, HSBC analysts told clients in a report this month. "This immediately covers more than 2/3 of oil imports from Russia, cutting a huge source of financing for its war machine," Charles Michel, president of the European Council, said in a tweet on Monday. "Maximum pressure on Russia to end the war." On Friday, Bank of America analysts said European crude oil imports from Russia had already fallen by some 700,000 barrels per day, "and may drop further if oil sanctions are finally enacted." Story continues Crude oil prices were trading around their highest levels in two months on Monday. Since Russia's invasion in February, the United Nations has officially recorded 4,074 civilian deaths and 4,826 civilian injuries in Ukraine. The UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights estimates that those figures are far higher. Read the original article on Business Insider European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Didier Lebrun / Photonews via Getty Images European Union leaders agreed on Monday to ban Russian oil delivered by tankers and reduce imports via pipeline, The New York Times reports. Late Monday, European Council President Charles Michel tweeted, "Agreement to ban export of Russian oil to the EU. This immediately covers more than 2/3 of oil imports from Russia, cutting a huge source of financing for its war machine. Maximum pressure on Russia to end the war." It took several weeks for this deal to be reached, with EU leaders having an easier time agreeing to freeze Russian assets and barring imports of natural gas. About 27 percent of the crude oil imported to the European Union is from Russia, and as countries now try to find alternatives, "officials have warned that the financial cost to them will be high," the Times writes. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's allies, and the decision to go with a limited rather than full embargo on Russian oil was for him, the Times reports. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been calling on the EU to take stronger steps against Putin and Russia, especially as Russian forces bombard the eastern Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk with intense shelling. You may also like What the CDC's new study tells us about long COVID At least 7 killed in mass shootings over Memorial Day weekend Someone smeared cake on the Mona Lisa By Far, the digitally native affordable luxury accessories label that helped bring back the 90s tuck-under-your-arm bag, and counts Gigi and Bella Hadid, Hailey Bieber and other It girls as devotees, has opened its first retail store. Located on Melrose Place in Los Angeles, the 2,000-square-foot boutique stocks the six-year-old brands full collection of Rachel bags (named after Jennifer Anistons Friends character Rachel Green), circular croco minibags as seen on Alexa Demies Euphoria character Maddy, and minimalist Tonya, Roni and Lima sandals in acid bright croco and patent leather. More from WWD The light-filled, organic-modern interior was developed with New York design studio De-yan, using AI to analyze By Fars social platforms and translate them into a color palette. It includes a mood-lifting bright orange VIP room, and a circular recessed seating ring to hang out and try on shoes. (Prices range from $155 for scarves and bag charms to $630 for large bags, with shoes falling in between.) By Far Rachel bag. - Credit: Courtesy Courtesy The custom floor is made from imperial green marble and travertine stones mimicking the brands croco pattern. Soft art and design pieces by up-and-coming brands like Rodi Studio, along with one-of-a-kind vintage furniture pieces by the Italian painter and sculptor Lino Bersani, accent the space. By Far was launched in Bulgaria in 2016 by three cofounders sisters Sabina Gyosheva, who is the chief executive officer, and Valentina Ignatova, who is the chief marketing officer, and their friend Denitsa Bumbarova, who is chief creative officer. The collection is designed between Sofia, Bulgaria; Sydney, and London, and sold through more than 300 retail accounts worldwide. The brand first gained notice for its shoes, including the Claude lace-up, square-toed boot. Story continues When Jane Fonda hit the red carpet at Cannes in 2018 in white, square-toe By Far Este boots, the fitness guru dropped to the ground to demonstrate her scissor kicks. The brand experienced more growth when it launched bags in 2018, with Mimi Cuttrell snapping them up for her clients Gigi and Bella Hadid, who wore the cult styles alongside their Bottega Veneta and Louis Vuitton. The relationship has continued and the stylist collaborated with By Far on a capsule collection in stores now. We felt like we have so many connections with those special girls based here, and we love L.A. In the beginning lots of people thought we were an L.A. brand, Gyosheva said during an interview at the Instagram-loved Alfred next door to the store. We are a very digital brand so it was a journey to learn who we are in a physical sense. We wanted to create a place where our community and guests would feel comfortable and connected, Bumbarova said. By Far founders Denitsa Bumbarova, Sabina Gyosheva and Valentina Ignatova. - Credit: Courtesy Courtesy When asked about being early to 90s nostalgia, which has seen nearly every other brand jumping on the bandwagon, Prada and Celine included, Bumbarova said, I lived through the 90s, Im almost 43 so those were my teenage years. I was also modeling a little outside Bulgaria at the time and it was my style. Despite the pandemic, By Far doubled its sales in 2020, and is preparing to seek its first round of outside investment. We have grown 10 times since our first year, and we are still independent, Gyosheva said. Though the brand has no plans to give up wholesale, physical retail is a big priority. By Far will launch its second store in Shanghai in September, and is evaluating options in Europe. We want to have our own presence and identity in big cities like New York, Miami and Beijing, where our community is, because we want to strengthen our relationships with our clients. And they are not stopping with accessories. We want to become a full lifestyle company, Gyosheva said. We see doing every category through our lens, including apparel. Our style is exciting but wearable, it suits everything in your wardrobe, but it is also still animated and fun. And the colors, including baby pink, lavender and super green, are vivid and chic but not rainbow and childish, she said. The founders recognize that its a big investment to open alongside Gucci, Balmain and other luxury labels on Melrose Place. Either you do it in a big way or you dont do it, Ignatova said. To celebrate, the brand will close down part of the street on Wednesday night for a 100-person dinner and a musical performance. Expect lots of It girls. By Far Roni sandal. - Credit: Courtesy Courtesy Best of WWD Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. (Reuters) - Shanghai residents' relief over the easing of a two-month COVID-19 lockdown is giving way to frustration as they face hours waiting in line for virus tests and must show negative results to be permitted to enter public spaces. DEATHS AND INFECTIONS ASIA-PACIFIC * COVID-19 flare-ups in parts of China's northeastern Jilin and Liaoning provinces are still developing, with the source of infection unclear and the risk of spreading high, a national health official said. * China's National Health Commission said it would strengthen supervision over nucleic acid-based COVID testing, after a handful of labs were punished for violations that affected accuracy during Beijing city's testing drives. * Beijing authorities rolled out a slew of measures to support the city's economy and employment amid disruption from the COVID-19 outbreak, its government said. * The World Health Organization has cast doubts on North Korea's claims of progress in the fight against a COVID-19 outbreak, saying it believes the situation is getting worse, not better, amid an absence of independent data. EUROPE * Moderna said it has agreed to push back some COVID-19 vaccine deliveries to the European Union by several months to later in 2022 or early next year. * An Omicron sub-variant has fuelled a surge in COVID-19 cases in Portugal. It now has the world's second-highest infection rate, potentially threatening the tourism sector's recovery. * Elon Musks demand that Tesla staff stop "phoning it in" and get back to the office got short shrift from Germany's largest trade union. Many large employers in Germany have already embraced hybrid working models following the pandemic. AMERICAS * COVID-19 cases in the Americas increased 10.4% last week from the previous one, but countries must also pay attention to a rise in other respiratory viruses in the region, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday. Story continues AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST * Deaths on the African continent from COVID-19 are expected to fall by nearly 94 percent in 2022 compared to last year, modelling by the World Health Organization (WHO) showed. * The United Arab Emirates has vaccinated all those who must be vaccinated against COVID-19 in country, state news agency WAM reported. MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS * Pfizer and partner BioNTech have completed the filing with the U.S. drugs regulator seeking authorization for their COVID-19 vaccine in children under five years of age. * A study in Japan found that women were significantly more likely than men to develop rash-like side effects after a first dose of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine. ECONOMIC IMPACT * Chinese stocks closed higher after choppy trade on Thursday, as initial euphoria over additional stimulus measures to support an ailing economy was countered by investor concerns over Beijing's zero-COVID policy and a potential rebound in cases. * Most European Union countries have boosted their renewable plans since 2020, putting them on course to cut fossil fuel use this decade as the energy and COVID-19 crises have spurred, not derailed their green transition, researchers said. (Compiled by Olivier Sorgho and Shailesh Kuber; Editing by Catherine Evans) May 31A fatal accident Memorial Day afternoon caused the closing of Route 9 west of Calais. Maine State Police posted on Twitter around 2 p.m. Monday that a fatal crash had caused Route 9 to be closed to traffic in Day Block Township, about 30 miles west of Calais. Route 9 also known as Airline Road connects Bangor and Calais, and is a major route for people traveling to New Brunswick and Canada's Maritime provinces from Maine. State police said on Twitter that the Maine Department of Transportation would be setting up detours. By 7:30 p.m. the road had been reopened, state police said. No further information on the accident was available Monday night. A makeshift memorial in front of Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on Wednesday. Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images The father of a Uvalde massacre victim told The Independent that "assault rifles shouldn't be sold." His 10-year-old daughter was among 19 children and two adults killed at Robb Elementary. The gunman in the attack is said to have used an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle. The father of a child who was killed in the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, last week said in a new interview that "assault rifles shouldn't be sold." "We understand having an assault rifle for the military, not personal use," Jessie Rodriguez told The Independent reported. "Not to gun down our children all the children gunned down like they were animals." His 10-year-old daughter, Annabell, died in the shooting at Robb Elementary School along with 18 other children and two teachers. Annabell was described by family members as an honor-roll student. Rodriguez told The Independent that Annabell wanted to become a veterinarian and "loved music." Her cousin, Jacklyn Cazares, was also killed in the attack. The gunman was identified as an 18-year-old whom authorities fatally shot at the scene. Officials previously said he purchased an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle shortly after his birthday earlier in May. In Texas, a person can buy a rifle at the age of 18. "There's no justice in selling a kid an assault rifle and especially that amount of clips and bullets," Rodriguez told The Independent. "It's unbelievable." Officials including President Joe Biden, who visited Uvalde over the weekend, called for gun control in wake of the tragedy. "To everyone impacted by the horrific elementary-school shooting in Uvalde, Texas: We grieve with you," Biden tweeted Sunday. "We pray with you. We stand with you. And we're committed to turning this pain into action." Read the original article on Insider BOSTON (AP) Congressional leaders in New England are calling for a federal investigation into the low rate of approvals by the regions asylum office. U.S. Sen. Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, and seven other Democratic lawmakers from Massachusetts and Maine issued a letter Thursday seeking a formal review of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Boston asylum office, which processes claims for refugees in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine. The lawmakers said their request to the U.S. Department of Homeland Securitys Office of Inspector General was prompted by Lives in Limbo, a March report by Maine immigrant advocacy groups that found the Boston office approved 15.5% of asylum applications between 2015 and 2020. Thats the second lowest approval rate among the nations 10 asylum offices, after New York, and almost half the national average of 28% over the same period, according to the organizations, which included the University of Maine School of Laws Refugee and Human Rights and the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine. The report found the Boston offices approval rate dropped to 11% in 2021 even as the national average remained at 27%. The office had 20,400 pending asylum applications as of December 2021, according to the report. The report establishes that the Boston Asylum Office is an outlier among the nations other asylum offices, the congressional members wrote Thursday. But that makes the consequences of its low asylum grant rate no less concerning. Spokespeople for USCIS and the Homeland Security inspector generals office didnt respond to emails seeking comment Tuesday. The Maine organizations argued in their report that the Boston office is dominated by a culture of suspicion and distrust toward asylum seekers. They said they found evidence of national origin and language bias, as non-English speakers and those hailing from African and the Middle Eastern nations were less likely to be granted asylum. Story continues They also found the offices overwhelming backlog of cases played a significant role in its low rate of approvals. These pressures create an intense work environment with time constraints, overwhelming caseloads, and high rates of burnout that incentivize referrals rather than granting asylum, the organizations said in their report. Markey and the other lawmakers say the inspector generals office should launch an investigation to determine whether and why the approval rate is so low and to ensure that asylum seekers get a fair shot to have their cases heard. USCIS asylum offices can either deny applicants outright or refer cases to federal immigration court, a lengthier process overseen by U.S. Department of Justice. Asylum seekers may ultimately have to wait years for their cases to be resolved, the report from the Maine organization said. During this time, they are separated from their family members abroad who often remain in danger. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW A new law is giving more power to police to respond to and shut down pop-up parties. Specifically referencing last summers events in Daytona Beach, the law targets gatherings organized via social media that attract large crowds. However, here in Jacksonville, we see similar events pertaining to car meet-ups. I dont feel safe when this kind of stuff happens, said one Riverside resident. The Riverside resident lives near Roosevelt Boulevard and McDuff Avenue. She said her location puts her right behind where some like to street race, which makes for some restless nights. I was woken by motorcycles racing up the ramp, she said. However this new pop-up party enforcement law may soon help provide her some relief, and fewer sleepless nights, once again. It allows local law enforcement to designate an area as a special event zone and then double traffic fines and impound vehicles of individuals in that area. It defines the zone as an as an unpermitted activity or event organized or promoted via a social media platform which is attended by 50 or more persons and substantially increases or disrupts the normal flow of traffic on a roadway, street, or highway. Action News Jax law and safety expert Dale Carson said it may cross the line when it comes to the First Amendment right of assembly. However, the law states police must provide notice for a special event zone and post specified warning signs at least 24 hours prior. This is basically the trespass law. Its all this is; that aspect of notice which is required under Florida law to pursue a trespass, Carson said. Police can also enforce occupancy limits in the zone and recover the costs of enforcement from the event organizer. Action News Jax has been continuously reporting on street racing and other car meet-ups occurring in jacksonville. Four men were arrested together in April for racing along JTB Boulevard according to reports. At the beginning of may, jso announced it arrested 11 people, impounded 10 vehicles, and wrote over 200 traffic citations after a string of street racing incidents. Story continues The Riverside resident said the racing needs to come to an end, and this law may be the solution. Its about time, and Jacksonville can really use it, she said. The law also grants more authority to police to impose more stringent regulations on car noise. You can read more about it here. DUBAI/PARIS (Reuters) -Iran accused the International Atomic Energy Agency on Tuesday of publishing an unfair report on its investigation into Tehran's nuclear activities, possibly setting up a fresh diplomatic clash with the West. The U.N. watchdog on Monday said Iran had not credibly answered long-standing questions about the origin of uranium particles found at three undeclared sites, despite a fresh push for a breakthrough. "Unfortunately this report does not reflect the reality of talks between Iran and the agency," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh told reporters on Tuesday. "This is not a fair nor balanced report, and it seems that pressure from the Zionists and other actors has diverted the path of technical reports to the political field - and we expect this trend to be corrected," he said. The lack of progress could set up a new diplomatic clash with the West when the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation Board of Governors meets next week. If Western powers seek a resolution criticising Tehran, it could deal a further blow to stalled efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal. Those powers have until now repeatedly shied away from admonishing Iran at the board on the same issue fearing it could jeopardise the nuclear talks. "We call on Iran to respond without delay to the questions and needs of the IAEA under its safeguards agreement," France's deputy foreign ministry spokesman, Francois Delmas, told reporters. "We are in close consultation with our partners on the follow-up to be given to this situation at the next Board of Governors." Iran and the United States engaged in indirect talks in Vienna over the past year to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement between Tehran and world powers which then-U.S. President Donald Trump left in 2018. (Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Nick Macfie) Empty shelves intended for baby formula at a store in Washington DC in May 2022. SAMUEL CORUM/AFP via Getty Images Danone is sending specialist, amino acid-based baby formula to the US. The food manufacturer is sending enough formula for 5 million bottles to help combat shortages. The ongoing shortages have impacted the availability of formula made for babies with dairy allergies. French food giant Danone, is flying specialist formula designed for infants with allergies to cow's milk or other health conditions to the US to help ease the burden of ongoing formula shortages. The Food and Drug Administration said in a statement last week that enough formula for 5 million bottles would be sent to the US to address the scarcity of specialized formula. Danone did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. The recent shortages are mainly linked to product recalls from the manufacturer Abbott Nutrition and have seen parents struggling to secure tins of their preferred formula. The manufacturer recalled several lots of formula and shuttered its plant in Sturgis, Michigan, in February after complaints of bacterial infections in four infants who consumed formula produced there emerged. Speaking at the House Subcommittee on Energy and Commerce last Wednesday, the US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf said the FDA could not link bacteria found at Abbott's plant on investigation directly to the infections, but said conditions at the plant were "egregiously unsanitary" and had allowed bacteria to spread. In a statement sent to Insider earlier this month, Abbott said there was "no conclusive evidence" linking the formulas to the illnesses, but that it would strive to regain consumers' trust and focus on resuming production at the plant in early June, starting with lots of its specialist amino acid-based EleCare formula. The recalls have affected the availability of formula designed for infants with dairy allergies and other health conditions since many products in Abbott's EleCare line were involved in the recalls and were produced at the closed factory. Story continues Danone said its specialist formula produced by its Nutricia brand would arrive in the US from its factory in Liverpool, UK, by the end of June, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing a spokesperson for the company. The manufacturer's move to ramp up deliveries to the US comes as other manufacturers are also sending products their as part of Operation Fly Formula, a program launched by President Biden on May 18 to bring more formula meeting FDA standards into the country. Under the plan, deliveries of hypoallergenic formulas designed for infants with dairy allergies are being prioritized because they "serve a critical medical purpose and are in short supply in the United States," according to a statement from The White House. The first delivery of hypoallergenic formulas made by Nestle arrived in the US on May 22. Read the original article on Business Insider CBS News Videos Police say the suspect in Tulsa, Oklahoma medical facility mass shooting was targeting his doctor at the time of the massacre. The gunman entered the facility, killing four people before turning the gun on himself and taking his own life on Wednesday. Authorities say the man had recently received back surgery and was still experiencing pain. Jonathan Cooper from our CBS News Tulsa affiliate KOTV has more. Recently released video appears to capture a 911 dispatcher alerting law enforcement that emergency operators were receiving desperate calls from schoolchildren reporting that their classroom was full of victims after a gunman opened fire inside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. A recording of the call obtained by ABC News in a video filmed outside the school reportedly took place at 12.13pm on 24 May, when officers had surrounded the building and waited inside a hallway, raising more questions about law enforcements delayed response, and whether their inaction led to more bloodshed. Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in the massacre. Child is advising he is in the room, full of victims, the dispatcher can be heard saying in the video. Full of victims at this moment Is anybody inside of the building? Police officers responded to the scene within four minutes after 18-year-old Salvador Ramos entered the building at roughly 11.33am. But officers waited more than an hour to enter the school, until shortly after 1pm, when a sharpshooter with the United States Border Patrol tactical team fatally shot the gunman. Ramos was left alone inside the school for roughly 78 minutes while law enforcement surrounded the building and prevented parents and bystanders from entering the school while they were pleading with officers to save their children. At one point, 19 officers were waiting inside a school hallway. The incident commander wrongly believed that the massacre had transitioned from an active shooter protocol to one with a barricaded subject, according to officials. Steven C McCraw, director and colonel of the Texas Department of Public Safety, conceded that waiting to respond was the wrong decision, period. When it comes to an active shooter, you dont have to wait on tactical gear, he said at press briefing on 27 May. There were plenty of officers to do what needed to be done. Story continues The gunman fired more than 100 rounds after entering the school and walking towards two classrooms rooms 111 and 112 connected by a bathroom. Shortly after noon, as many as 19 officers were in a nearby hallway. A student in room 112 called 911. The same student called at 12.10 to report that multiple people had been killed, and again three minutes later, and again at 12.16pm to report that eight to nine students were alive, according to Mr McCraw. Gunshots can be heard on another 911 call at 12.21pm. It remains unclear whether that information was relayed to officers on the ground. That question will be answered, Mr McCraw said. Im not going to share the information we have right now. I dont have the detailed interview right now. The US Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the police response, and Uvaldes school district police chief Pedro Pete Arredondo the incident commander during the attack is under heightened scrutiny. A Georgia deputy has been arrested after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation revealed he tampered with evidence while on duty and was also paying for sex. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The GBI said Telfair County Sheriffs Office Deputy John Warren Degolyer, 35, was arrested on Friday. He was charged with one count of tampering with evidence, one count of violation of oath of office and one count of pandering. TRENDING STORIES: The investigation revealed that Degolyer tampered with evidence while on duty. The investigation revealed that he was also paying for sexual acts, although officers dont believe Degolyer engaged in the sexual acts while he was on duty. The sheriff released a statement saying that Degolyer was fired after his arrest. It is always a sad day when one of our own is arrested, Sheriff Davidson said. However, as law enforcement officers, we are not immune from abiding by the very laws we are sworn to uphold and enforce. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact the GBI Eastman field office at 478-374-6988 or tips can be submitted anonymously by calling 1-800-597-TIPS, online or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app. BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Germany will deliver infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) to Greece so that the government in Athens can pass on Soviet-style weapons to Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Tuesday. "We will provide Greece with German infantry fighting vehicles," he told reporters after a two-day EU summit in Brussels, adding he had struck an agreement with the Greek prime minister. Scholz gave no details as to what kind of infantry fighting vehicles Berlin will hand over to Greece - or what kind of weapons Athens will pass on to Kyiv. "The defence ministries will work out the details and quickly implement this agreement," he said. According to a defence source, Berlin aims to deliver some 100 old Marder IFVs owned by arms-maker Rheinmetall to Greece. Athens, in return, would supply Soviet-style BMP IFVs to Ukraine, the source told Reuters. Germany has been criticized for dragging its feet on heavy arms deliveries to Kyiv. (Reporting by Sabine Siebold and Riham Alkousaa, Editing by Maria Sheahan and Angus MacSwan) The Daily Beast ReutersA 10-year-old girl who survived the mass shooting in Uvalde last week says her best friendone of the 19 children killed at Robb Elementary Schooltried to reassure her everything would be OK when the gunman first showed up.She was the only big friend I had, Khloe Torres told local news outlet KENS 5 of her best friend, Amerie Jo Garza. Garza, one of the first children to be shot in the classroom after the teen gunman barricaded himself inside, died calling 911 to get help.The fourth-gr There is something about sailing the open seas that comes with the stereotype of being a rum-soaked scalawag. One of the most popular sea shanties of all time is that which weve come to know as What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor? The original music reportedly comes from an Irish tune called Oro Se do Bheatha Bhaile, which means Oro, you are welcome home. The songs lore dates back to the early 1800s, but references are scant. Its chorus, however, is referenced in some whaling ship records out of New London, Connecticut, in 1839, according to Financial Times. Its easy to understand why seafarers are so often associated with excessive spirit consumption. Before filtration and modern-day water storage aboard ships, it was much easier to keep alcohol as the main source of potable liquid. The U.S. Navy indeed had a long history with drink on its vessels before its prohibition over 100 years ago. On March 27, 1794, Congress enacted a daily drink ration, which included one half-pint of distilled spirits or one quart of beer. After that, limits on alcohol increased until finally the U.S. Navy banned it on July 1, 1914, under General Order 99. The regulation stated, The use or introduction for drinking purposes of alcoholic liquors on board any naval vessel, or within any navy yard or station, is strictly prohibited, and commanding officers will be held directly responsible for the enforcement of this order. However, American sailors have had dalliances with drunkenness since typically at port. For example, U.S. sailors stationed in Japan were also banned from drinking in the country, on- or off-base, after a sailor was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving on the island of Okinawa in 2016. Restrictions were eased shortly after, limiting drinking to on-base only. In Iceland in 2018, a couple thousand U.S. sailors and Marines drank the entire beer supply of the capital city of Reykjavik while stationed there on a NATO mission. Story continues So what do you do with a drunken sailor? According to the song, there are several things you can do with a drunken sailor: Shave his belly with a rusty razor, put him in a long boat til hes sober, stick him in the scupper with a hosepipe on him, or put him in the bed with the captains daughter. Whether or not the U.S. Navy has every utilized any of these methods of punishment is not known. However, any captain who found a drunken sailor in bed with his daughter is likely to turn to the bottle himself. May 31Honolulu Fire Department crews this afternoon rescued a 27-year-old man who was hiking on Koolau Ridge in Kaneohe and unable to descend on his own. The call about the hiker in trouble was received at 3 :51 p.m., and crews established a landing zone at Kaneohe District Park while HFD's Air 2 helicopter airlifted him to safety, fire officials said. The hiker, who had been on the trail since 6 :30 a.m., declined medical attention. Reuters U.S. officials are planning a trip for President Joe Biden to the Middle East later this month to meet Gulf allies, which could put him in the same room with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, sources said on Wednesday. No final decisions have been made about the trip, according to sources inside and outside the United States familiar with the planning, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The trip, tentatively being planned after a G7 summit in Germany and a NATO meeting in Spain, would include a visit to Israel, in which Biden would meet Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, the sources said. MILAN Fashion school Istituto Europeo di Design prides itself on offering a teaching method that is opposed and complementary to the Anglo-Saxon, performance-driven approach. Danilo Venturi, a former Polimoda executive recently tapped as director of IEDs Florence unit, is also tasked with spearheading its global expansion and has masterminded a tie-up with Moda Lisboa, the Portugal fashion organizing body, to offer visibility to local talents. More from WWD The school counts units in six Italian cities such as Milan, Florence, Rome, Turin and Venice, among others, and has already expanded abroad, running schools in Madrid, Barcelona and Bilbao, Spain and in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo in Brazil. IED is a southern school, with a teaching model that is opposed and complementary to the Anglo-Saxon one, Venturi said. Asked to elaborate, he offered that students and content are at the center of the academic offering, rather than the formers performance. He described the schools approach as humanistic, in that it values cross-pollination and collaboration across the fashion, art, design and communication departments. Ive always had the same perception about IED before and after joining it. Its a school thats out of competition with other academic institutions, with a different positioning, its not a ranking school, he contended. Although the school has already branched internationally, some competitors have been on an even stronger internationalization spree. To this end, Venturi said there are more geographies IED, too, could tap into. I dont rule out that by 2025 the school will expand its footprint in Europe, Asia and America, he offered, emphasizing IEDs ambition for North America, as part of the schools 2025 agenda, but keeping further details under wraps. In addition to opening new units or making acquisitions, he sees collaboration as a third avenue for expansion, which would also support the income of foreign talents in existing schools. Collaboration is a way to generate value for all involved parties, without necessarily relying on commercial pushes. Even if IED is on the market as a [business] entity, it still remains a school, Venturi said. Story continues IED Firenzes director Danilo Venturi. - Credit: Courtesy of IED Courtesy of IED Out of its 5,600 students globally, 30 percent are international, with the most represented countries being Australia, the U.S., India and France. The pandemic has somewhat affected the international appeal of the school, Venturi contended. My mission is to restart this process and Florence is a pivotal lever, the executive noted, touting the citys storied connection with the arts and creativity, as well as its more approachable lifestyle compared to a metropolis where fashion schools are often concentrated. The unit will soon undergo renovation works, he said. Mindful of evolving trends in fashion education, which need to reflect societal and behavioral transformations, the executive touted IEDs ability to translate them into its syllabuses. We dont draw academic benchmarks but there are trends defining todays world of creativity, he said, that are embedded in the academic offering. IED Florence unit. - Credit: Paolo Cagnacci/Courtesy of IED Paolo Cagnacci/Courtesy of IED He cited convergence of different fields as is the case for art mingling with finance and technology in NFTs and creative directors combining creativity and business acumen; disintermediation which has valued the creator culture challenging role of brands and media outlets, as well as consciousness which goes along the lines of the responsibility and sustainability. FOR MORE ON FASHION EDUCATION, SEE: Frances Leading Fashion School Inaugurates New Campus Balmains Olivier Rousteing Partners With Paris Fashion School Fashion School IMM, Zepeto Create $50K Metaverse Fashion Scholarship Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Indian rapper Sidhu Moose Wala was gunned down while driving his car in the Punjab district of Mana over the weekend, authorities announced on Monday (May 30). The death of Wala, born Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, is believed to be a result of a gang-related shooting and comes after a string of controversial incidents involving the 28-year-old rapper. Incorporating elements of Hip-Hop style and culture into his artistry, Wala initially gained traction as an artist after scoring his first hit in 2017, building a stronghold for his music in countries including the United Kingdom and Canada. However, Wala garnered scrutiny for his lyrical content, as he was charged by officials under Indias Arms Act after being accused of promoting gun violence in one of his songs. He was also one of 400 people to have his security cover pulled due to Indian officials attempts to clamp down on VIP culture within the country. In spite of his tension with authorities, Wala inserted himself in political matters throughout his career, joining Indias Congress Party and even making a bid, albeit unsuccessful, in his states assembly elections. More from VIBE.com Punjabs chief minister Bhagwant Mann promised that no culprit will be spared in the killing of Wala, while senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi paid his respects to his fellow party member in a post on social media. Deeply shocked and saddened by the murder of promising Congress leader and talented artist, Gandhi said of Wala, whose most recent song, eerily titled The Last Ride, was released just weeks prior to his death. Click here to read the full article. BERLIN (AP) A court in Germany on Tuesday convicted five men for membership in a local cell of the Islamic State group that received orders from a leading IS figure in Afghanistan. The Duesseldorf regional court sentenced the Tajik nationals, aged 25 to 34, to lengthy prison terms. The longest sentence of nine years and six months was handed to Sunatullokh K., whose surname wasnt released due to German privacy rules. He was also convicted of planning to kill a man who had made critical comments about Islam. The attack was foiled by authorities. The other men, identified as Muhammadali G., Azizjon B., Farhodshoh K. and Komron B., received prison sentences of between 44 months and 8.5 years for membership to a terrorist organization, with some also convicted of involvement in plans to carry out a contract killing in Albania that was later abandoned. Another man, Ravsan B., was convicted by the same court last year of membership in IS for co-founding the German cell and supporting two planned attacks. He was sentenced to seven years in prison. Prosecutors said the men honed their military skills in paintball games, and that participants in those included other people from the Islamist scene who were in contact with the gunman who killed four people in an attack in Vienna in November 2020. They also allegedly acquired components for an unconventional bomb. Federal prosecutors had sought prison terms of between four and 12 years for the men. Their lawyers had asked the court to acquit them. By Daniel Leussink and Kantaro Komiya TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's factories posted a sharp fall in output in April as China's COVID-19 lockdowns and wider supply disruptions took a heavy toll on manufacturers, clouding the outlook for the trade-reliant economy. Separate data showed retail sales posted the largest rise in nearly a year as consumers stepped up spending after the government eased pandemic curbs, withstanding pressure from wider price rises that threaten to hurt demand. Factory output dropped 1.3% in April from the previous month, official data showed on Tuesday, on sharp falls in the production of items such as electronic parts and production machinery. It was the first fall in three months and much weaker than a 0.2% decline expected by economists in a Reuters poll. The data comes a day after Toyota Motor Corp missed its global production target for April with its output falling more than 9% year-on-year, as China's lockdowns exacerbated a parts shortage. The world's largest automaker by sales had already on Friday cut its global production plan for June and signalled the possibility of lowering its full-year output plan of 9.7 million vehicles. "Japan's production is likely to keep stalling in the short term as disruptions in the global supply chain continue," said Kazuma Kishikawa, economist at Daiwa Institute of Research. A full recovery of goods transportation from China would likely take time even after Shanghai ends its strict COVID-19 lockdown from Wednesday, Kishikawa said, adding that it was likely to weigh on Japanese output. "Logistics won't be restored in a day," he added. While activity in Japan's services sector is picking up as the pandemic subsides, the country's manufacturing sector has been pressured by supply disruptions and higher material prices caused by Russia's war in Ukraine. SERVICES RECOVERY? High-tech chip and parts shortages could hurt consumption and exports of durable goods such as cars due to output disruptions, said Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin Research Institute. Story continues "But spending on services is expected to eclipse that so growth will likely come in positive in the second quarter," said Minami. He believes a technical recession, defined as two consecutive quarters of economic contraction, is unlikely. Analysts expect gross domestic product (GDP) to grow an annualised 4.5% this quarter, with a majority seeing a recovery to pre-pandemic levels, according to a Reuters poll conducted in May. That would follow the decline seen in the first quarter. "The soft activity data for April suggest that the Q2 rebound may disappoint, though it's worth noting that they don't tell us anything about the recovery in the service sector," wrote Tom Learmouth, Japan economist at Capital Economics, in a note. Manufacturers surveyed by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) expected output to return to growth in May, gaining 4.8%, followed by a 8.9% advance in June. Learmouth said while such forecasts would point to a strong rebound this quarter, firms' production plans have been "overly optimistic", even with supply shortages, suggesting some downside. Separate data showed retail sales grew 2.9% in April from a year earlier, marking their sharpest gain since May 2021. That was bigger than the median market forecast for a 2.6% rise. The government also said a consumer confidence index rose in May for the second straight month, while the jobless rate edged down to a more than two-year low of 2.5% in April from the previous month's 2.6%. (Reporting by Daniel Leussink and Kantaro Komiya; Additional reporting by Yoshifumi Takemoto; Editing by Sam Holmes) Joe Rogan has been called out after wading to the debate on gun control in the US, after 19 children and two adults were killed in a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. On Tuesday 24 May, 18-year-old gunman Salvador Ramos opened fire at Uvaldes Robb Elementary School. Officials said Ramos entered the school with a military-grade arsenal of guns and as many as 660 rounds inside high-capacity ammunition magazines, before opening fire. The findings revealed how the shooter was able to purchase such weaponry without alerting law enforcement. Soon after the incident, a number of US celebrities reacted to the shooting, with many condemning the government for not imposing stricter gun control laws. But speaking on his The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Rogan claimed he doesnt think its wise to take all the guns away from people and give all the power to the government. The 54-year-old, who was speaking with scientist Lex Fridman, asked him how do you stop a situation like Texas? No one knows how to stop that, he said. What is the answer? Is the answer to take everyones guns? Well, theyre not gonna give their guns up. Only criminals are gonna have guns. Its not gonna be a good situation, Rogan added, before claiming it was not a good idea to take all the guns away from people and give all the power to the government. We see how they are with an armed populace, they still have a tendency towards totalitarianism, he said. The more increased power and control you have over people, the easier it is for them to do what they do. Story continues And its a natural inclination, when youre a person in power, to try to hold more power and acquire more power. The controversial podcasters comments come despite significant evidence from countries such as Australia and Japan nearly eliminating gun deaths through strict laws or, in the formers case, even paying citizens to sell their guns to the government. Rogans episode received mixed reactions from fans and commentators, with some calling him an absolute moron for making illogical arguments in his podcast that has often come under fire for spreading misinformation on a number of issues. Philly Mag journalist Ernest Owens wrote: Joe Rogan makes millions of dollars going the wrong direction on common sense daily. Imagine purposely choosing to make illogical arguments that will continue to endanger the lives of innocent children. From Covid to gun control, its a disgusting way to make a living. Podcaster John Melendez said: As Ive said before, [Joe Rogan] is an absolute moron. Saying something like gun control doesnt work is equally as stupid as him saying you should take Ivermectin instead of getting vaccinated. Why anybody listens to this blockhead is beyond me. Since when @joerogan has had legal education or any knowledge to opine about gun control? Niko HK PE, PMP, PSP (@4810Leon) May 30, 2022 Another viewer wrote: Oh man, its crazy and shocking that Joe Rogans take on gun control is lazy, generic, uninformed, and also probably wrong. The Uvalde attack has become the deadliest attack on an elementary school since the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook that claimed the lives of 20 students and six teachers. Authorities have not revealed Ramoss motivation for the shooting, but said the suspect was acting alone. Texans across the state are grieving for the victims of this senseless crime and for the community of Uvalde, Governor Abbott said in a statement last week. Cecilia and I mourn this horrific loss and we urge all Texans to come together to show our unwavering support to all who are suffering. Follow live updates on the Texas school shooting here. Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent rise in oil prices have thrown Europe's energy security into stark relief, particularly now that the European Union agreed to ban 90% of Russian oil imports by the end of the year. "Europe's big lesson out of this is that they want to be energy independent," U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry said in an interview with Yahoo Finance Editor-in-Chief Andy Serwer at the World Economic Forum (video above). "They're going to move far more rapidly to get off of Russian gas to separate themselves and to deploy the renewable base of their grid so that they can be free from the emissions and from petrol dictators who weaponize energy." Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with then-U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, July 14, 2016. Sputnik/Kremlin/Alexei Druzhinin/via REUTERS) Before the agreement on Tuesday, Europe had been split on the embargo. The bloc reached an agreement by carving out an exemption for a pipeline that serves Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. "We must become independent from Russian oil, coal and gas," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a March statement. "We simply cannot rely on a supplier who explicitly threatens us. We need to act now to mitigate the impact of rising energy prices, diversify our gas supply for next winter and accelerate the clean energy transition." Earlier this month, Germany and Italy were given permission from Brussels to circumvent sanctions by accepting energy payments in rubles, a move that helps Russia's heavily-sanctioned economy. Poland, Bulgaria, and Finland have refused to convert payments to rubles. Gazprom, Russia's state-owned energy corporation, retaliated by cutting off gas supplies to Finland, Bulgaria, and Poland as well as cutting off services to companies in the Netherlands and Denmark. Finland had received nearly all of its gas supply from Russia however, that supply comprised only about 5% of its energy consumption. Weaning off Russian gas amid 'the problem of the climate crisis' Given Europe's plan to wean itself off Russian gas imports, the question remains how it will replace that fuel supply. Story continues EU leadership maintains that renewable energy investment is the "most important pillar" of its energy strategy, though the REPowerEU plan also details how the EU will seek natural gas elsewhere EU gas deliveries from suppliers outside of Russia doubled in Q1 year over year and increase its gas storage capacity. Furthermore, the EU expects to extend the use of coal facilities despite carbon neutrality goals. As of 2020, 35% of Europe's energy comes from petroleum products like oil, 24% comes from natural gas, and 17% comes from renewables. The combination of energy sources Europe chooses going forward has significant consequences for global warming pathways. "I think the end product could be very salutary," said Kerry, who served as Secretary of State during the Obama administration. "But you've got to avoid building out major long-term infrastructure that... doesn't capture emissions and deal with the problem of the climate crisis." Kerry also warned that the conflict in Ukraine could "become an excuse" for some who wish to keep the status quo in energy markets rather than transition to greener alternatives. As the Saudi Energy Minister said after the invasion caused oil prices to skyrocket: Who is talking about climate change now? 'Nuclear will be part of that mix' Before the Russia-Ukraine war, the European Union was the largest buyer of Russian energy, importing 40% of its natural gas and about 25% of its oil from Russia. A number of factors played into Russia's energy dominance in the region, particularly for natural gas. At one point, European nations like the Netherlands relied on their own gas production in the North Sea. When those reserves began producing less in the 1960s and 1970s, Europe shifted to importing Russian gas due to the country's large gas supply and its proximity. The shift to natural gas intensified when nations like Germany moved to reduce their dependence on coal and nuclear energy. Europe began building out renewable energy infrastructure at this time, though not sufficiently enough to satisfy gas and oil demand. And then Russia invaded Ukraine, upending those policies. Germany canceled its certification of the $11 billion Nord Stream 2 pipeline, effectively ended a project that would have increased the flow of gas from Russia to Germany. Lithuania then cut off its Russian natural gas supply entirely, becoming the first EU member state to do so. Luckily for Europe, some countries had been building out renewable capacity in an effort to lower carbon emissions and reestablish more control over their energy supply even while depending on Russia. And while the European Union overshot its 2020 target of achieving 20% of energy consumed from renewables, its energy transition is still lagging climate targets needed to curb global warming. According to Kerry, Europe's energy picture going forward will include solar, wind, geothermal, and nuclear. "A lot of other countries have decided that they just can't get to net zero 2050 without the use of a zero emissions current technology capacity," Kerry said. "And so, yes, nuclear will be part of that mix." Grace is an assistant editor for Yahoo Finance. Read the latest news on the climate crisis from Yahoo Finance Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Flipboard, and LinkedIn Kate Bush performs live on stage at Hammersmith Odeon. (Redferns) Kate Bush has seen a massive chart boost thanks to Stranger Things featuring her 1985 hit 'Running Up That Hill'. The song features prominently in the Netflix show's recently released fourth season, particularly in relation to the character Max played by Sadie Sink. 'Running Up That Hill' was the first single off Bushs album Hounds of Love that would go on and become her biggest hit of the era. The track was originally titled 'A Deal With God' but was changed by her label for fear that it would be blacklisted in religious countries. Other artists have also benefitted from Stranger Things using their music. Following its use of the theme song to the hit fantasy film The NeverEnding Story by Limahl last season, YouTube said that searches for the music video spiked 800 per cent shortly after new episodes were released to Netflix. Read More: Stranger Things S4 review: Netflix series is another polished slice of nostalgia Since the premiere of the new episodes, 'Running Up That Hill' has been embraced on TikTok and entered Spotify's top 50 trending tracks. One of Bush's biggest hits, it reached number three in the UK singles chart and also proved to be her breakthrough in the US where it entered the top 30. Watch: Stranger Things Scenes Projected on Empire State Building for Season 4 Launch Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield in Stranger Things. (Netflix) At the Stranger Things premiere, Winona Ryder wore a pin paying tribute to Bush and later raved about her in an interview. Talking to USA Today, Ryder said: "Ive been obsessed with her since I was a little girl. I've also for the last seven years been dropping hints on set, wearing my Kate Bush T-shirts. Winona Ryder attends 'Stranger Things' season 4 premiere. (AFP via Getty Images) "I don't know if you did this, but in my school, you had to dress down for P.E., and sometimes I just wouldn't. I'd just sit there with my headphones listening to her. She's a hero of mine." All four seasons of Stranger Things are currently available to stream on Netflix. Watch: Stranger Things adds disclaimer to 4th season in wake of Uvalde mass shooting Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. NEW YORK Kevin Spacey will go back to England on his own to face four charges of sexual assault, he announced Tuesday. I very much appreciate the Crown Prosecution Services statement in which they carefully reminded the media and the public that I am entitled to a fair trial, and innocent until proven otherwise, he said in a statement to Good Morning America. While I am disappointed with their decision to move forward, I will voluntarily appear in the U.K. as soon as can be arranged and defend myself against these charges, which I am confident will prove my innocence. The disgraced actors announcement comes a day after an official told the Guardian that the U.K. would seek his extradition unless he decided to return voluntarily. Spacey, 62, was charged last week with sexual assault against three men, as well as causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent, the Crown Prosecution Service Special Crime Division announced Thursday. Two of the alleged incidents occurred in March 2005, the third in August 2008 and the final in April 2013, according to police. One was in Gloucestershire and the others in London. The three men, one of whom was allegedly assaulted twice, accounting for the fourth charge, join a growing list of accusers against the House of Cards star, including Anthony Rapp, Tony Montana, Richard Dreyfuss son and a teenager who accused Spacey of groping him at a Nantucket, Massachusetts, bar in 2016. Northampton, MA --News Direct-- Kimberly-Clark Corporation Kimberly-Clark announced that 3BL Media has named the company to its 2022 ranking of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens, which recognizes outstanding environmental, social, and governance (ESG) transparency and performance among the 1,000 largest U.S. public companies. This marks the 13th year that Kimberly-Clark was included in the ranking. This year, Kimberly-Clark celebrates 150 years of category-defining innovation, a strong culture of care and growing our business the right way, said Mike Hsu, Chairman and CEO of Kimberly-Clark. Were proud to be included in the 100 Best Corporate Citizens list. This recognition reflects the dedication of our teams around the globe who are fulfilling our purpose of Better Care for a Better World by positively impacting billions of lives through the products we make, the workplaces we create and the communities we serve. The 100 Best Corporate Citizens ranking is based on 155 ESG factors in eight pillars, including climate change, employee relations, environment, finance, governance, human rights, stakeholders and society, and ESG performance. Achieving the transformational targets in the Paris Agreement and UN Sustainable Development Goals in this decisive decade requires all companies to truly embed ESG issues into the core of their business, said Dave Armon, CEO of 3BL Media. The 100 Best Corporate Citizens of 2022 are answering the call by demonstrating the societal and bottom-line value of leadership and transparency around ESG topics. They are setting ambitious goals, outlining robust strategies for achieving them, disclosing data to measure progress, and accounting for all stakeholders in business decisions. Kimberly-Clarks commitment to corporate citizenship, sustainability, and environmental and social responsibility was recognized by its inclusion on the Ethisphere Institutes list of the Worlds Most Ethical Companies in 2022. In addition, the company received a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundations 2022 Corporate Equality Index (CEI). Kimberly-Clark was honored with the 2021 SmartWay Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and it was also named one of Americas 2022 Most JUST Companies by JUST Capital. Story continues To view the 100 Best Corporate Citizens of 2022 ranking and full methodology, visit: https://100best.3blmedia.com/ View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Kimberly-Clark Corporation on 3blmedia.com View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/kimberly-clark-named-one-of-3bl-medias-100-best-corporate-citizens-568811910 MIDDLETOWN - In late February, the Dvokin family in Kyiv and Halbout family in Middletown were conflicted about whether to believe the images they were seeing of Russian soldiers slowly encircling Ukraine. Nathalie Halbout, a retired psychiatric nurse who worked at Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, grew up in Ukraine during the days of the Soviet Union, where she said became familiar with the brainwashing and lies told by the Kremlin. When she called her sisters family to urge them to leave, her brother-in-law put down his foot and said he didn't want anyone to leave. When I call him, Halbout said. I would hear (Russian TV anchors) talk. Its just an operation. Were only going to target military (targets). Dont worry. Halbout's concern turned out to be valid. The Dvokin family apartment, located on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, is only a few miles from Bucha, where within weeks, bodies of residents would be found tied up and executed. Thousands of miles away across the Atlantic Ocean, the Halbout family worked to get the Dvokin family out of Ukraine. From left: Nathalie Halbout, Maiia Dvokina and David Halbout at the Halbout home on Saturday, May 21, 2022 in Middletown, New Jersey. Alla Dvokina, Halbouts sister, is wheelchair bound. Her husband Vladimir Dvokin, born a few decades before either sister, is in his 80s. 'I was not leaving without her': Ukrainian mom, daughter find refuge in Monmouth Beach Sudden lessons in wartime life When the fighting began in late February and martial law was declared, routine life-saving tasks became nearly impossible. When Alla and Vladimir's daughter Maiia Dvokina had to get medicine, she would wait four hours just to be told the pharmacy was out of stock. Public transit was not running, taxis were booked and ride-sharing companies were being bid to astronomical prices. David Halbout with a second round of donations for Ukraine at the Newark Liberty International Airport on Monday, March 21. In Middletown, Nathalie and her husband David Halbout, a furniture maker who works at the Fashion Institute of Technology, were working to secure what should be a short ride from the Dvokin apartment to the train station. Story continues They came across a group of volunteers on the Telegram messaging service offering to pick up residents and drop them off at the train station. But whenever an offer was made, it would quickly close as residents fought for seats. Nothing was working anymore. Everybody was trying to run for their lives, David Halbout said. He estimated that he and his wife spent three or four sleepless nights on Telegram before someone got them in contact with a taxi driver. On May 2, Maiia Dvokina and her father made it to the train station. But a portion of the train system was destroyed and all trains were canceled. 'I have so much to tell': 'Shell-shocked' Ukrainians in Poland astonish Long Branch rabbi Maiia Dvokina, left, and David Halbout hold a sign the Halbouts designed after the 2014 invasion of Crimea by Russia on Saturday, May 21, 2022 in Middletown, New Jersey. Choosing luggage or people The next day, Maiia Dvokina returned by herself and she miraculously boarded the train. She said in Russian that they boarded ticket holders first, then families with children and then everyone else. Luggage was being left on the platform because passengers were being told that its either your luggage or its another person who can board the train, Nathalie Halbout said. Maiia Dvokina only brought a backpack and she boarded a pitch-black train and entered a cabin with 11 people, one dog and two cats. On a normal trip, a cabin would hold only four people. Because there were shellings going on, you couldnt have any lights on, Nathalie Halbout said. You couldnt even have the cellphone light. so the Russians wouldnt spot you and bomb the train. She said there were blankets on the windows to hide the passengers. Every three hours on the dot, Maiia Dvokina would call her aunt. So I know youre alive, Nathalie Halbout said. Maiia Dvokina traveled from Kyiv to Rakhiv, then from Rakhiv to Mukachevo. Then she took a bus to the Slovakian border where her brother Matvav Dvokin, who lives in Prague in the neighboring Czech Republic, picked her up. The total trip took three days. Then a bomb hit the Dvokins' neighboring apartment building in Kyiv and it partially destroyed their apartment. They had no more windows and there was snow outside. In Middletown, the Halbout family got in contact with a person who operated a wheelchair compatible minivan who was willing to pick up the remaining Dvokin family and drive them to the Polish border. At the Polish border, Matvav Dvokin picked up his parents and drove them to Prague. Helping Ukraine: Jackson charity fundraiser showcases Eastern European cultures, calls for war's end Peanut butter company distributes supplies Taras Fito, co-founder of a Ukrainian peanut butter company TOM, with a box of supplies donated by the Halbout family. In the meantime, the Halbout family got into contact with friends who had been part of the Peace Corps in Ukraine. The friends put them in contact with two business owners who own a Ukrainian peanut butter company called TOM or Maslotom. Taras Fito and Mykhailo Boyko, the founders, have been distributing supplies in Ukraine since the start of the war. On separate flights to Prague, the Halbout family brought medical supplies to give to Fito and Boyko. The supplies were bought with donations from friends and customers as well as the Halbout family's own savings that were originally marked for home repairs. David Halbout estimated that on his second trip he brought four bags of donated aid that weighed about 70 pounds each. He said they are working with on-the-ground distributors because he said the larger aid groups are not going into certain areas. There was a lot of humanitarian aid that was stuck in the city or not really going to the front line where it was absolutely needed. He said within four days of dropping off the supplies with the two businessmen, it was in the hands of the medics. Get the latest news from Ukraine: Follow here as Ukrainians fight the Russian invasion From left: David Halbout, Nathalie Halbout and Maiia Dvokina at the Halbout home on Saturday, May 21, 2022 in Middletown, New Jersey. What are they doing now? Maiia Dvokina came to the U.S. with the Halbout family. She is in the process of applying for Temporary Protected Status, but due to the volume of applications, she has not received an interview date yet. The Halbout family is still collecting aid to make first aid kits that Ukrainian soldiers can carry with them. They said it was an ongoing effort because medical supplies are single-use items. David Halbout wrote in an email, "Now since the war has been going on for two months, the people got used to the war and donations are very slow to come." He added, "If forgoing some extra things in our lives can help to save lives and protect the sovereignty of Ukraine Im prepared to pay for it myself. Because Ukraine cannot lose, democracy cannot lose." They also asked that people send monetary donations because of the proliferation of counterfeit medical supplies. David Halbout demonstrates the poor stitching of a fake tourniquet, right, at the Halbout home on Saturday, May 21, 2022 in Middletown, New Jersey. David Halbout said they only buy tourniquets directly from North American Rescue after spending $60 on a poorly stitched imitation found on Amazon that copied the brand, logo, photos and description of a genuine NAR tourniquet. The Halbouts, who are both textile artists, said the stitching of the counterfeit tourniquet was poor and the band holding the rod was of a weaker material in the fake product. David Halbout said Ukrainian volunteers have begun to recognize which tourniquets would actually hold in the event someone was bleeding to death. However, he said, people donating supplies may not be aware of the quality of their purchases. What we send is all genuine and all very good quality that would save life, David Halbout said. Items in the first aid kit delivered to Ukrainian soldiers by the Halbout family in Middletown. Nathalie Halbout has been writing to Amazon to petition against the selling of counterfeit products. In a May 10 letter, she wrote, In the USA there is a large Ukrainian grassroots network of people who try to bring the medical supplies as quickly as possible. Like us, they do fundraisers and spend their own funds to pack suitcases with lifesaving medical supplies and then simply board planes for Warsaw with dozens of bags as excess luggage. Each 50-pound bag costs between $110 and $140 in baggage fees. Nathalie Halbout said her wish is that Amazon remove all counterfeit medical supplies labeled as genuine. "Our hearts are bleeding when we hear that there's another city that's attacked or there's more people, more casualties," David Halbout said. For more information, David Halbout can be reached at 732-403-0400 or frenchfixllc@gmail.com. Olivia Liu is a reporter covering transportation, Red Bank and western Monmouth County. She can be reached at oliu@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Russia-Ukraine war: Middletown NJ couple saved family, send supplies SVITLANA KIZILOVA TUESDAY, 31 MAY 2022, 11:05 Kyiv's first line of defence is being built far away from the city to secure the capital in case the Russians make a fresh attempt to capture it. Source: Kyiv City Military Administration on Telegram Quote: "We would like to show you how our capital is being fortified. If there is a second assault, we cannot avoid damage, but in order to minimise it as much as possible, Kyivs first line of defence is being constructed at a great distance from the city to rule out the use of enemy artillery units in the first instance. We must be prepared to meet the enemy, even if this scenario seems impossible." When it comes to hurricane season, North Lafourche Levee Director Dwayne Bourgeois has good news and bad news. The good news is that weve all been through this before, he said. The bad news is that weve all been through this before. We always try to do everything we can to prepare, but Mother Nature has the last say. The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, June 1 through Nov. 30, will bring challenges like no other, as residents continue to recover from Hurricane Ida, parish officials said. About 15,300 residents in Lafourche are temporarily sheltered in the state-run housing program. There have been 5,308 campers leased and 5,731 deployed. Another 694 FEMA campers occupied in the parish. 'I still have hope': South Lafourche firefighters still struggling in Hurricane Ida's wake More: 10 ways Houma-area residents can weather the next hurricane safely Those displaced residents being housed in temporary trailers are particularly vulnerable to hurricanes, Parish President Archie Chaisson said. It changes the game a lot, Chaisson said. We still have areas like the Raceland Rec Center that are housing some FEMA personnel, so were looking at transitioning those folks to the high schools in the event of an evacuation. Evacuations are the biggest change. Instead of about 1,700 people our planning number is now over 3,000 because we have to account for all these people in the FEMA units and travel trailers that will have to evacuate at a much lesser storm because those units arent rated for anything above a tropical storm. Officials are also working to enhance generator capacity at Thibodaux and Central Lafourche high schools in the event those buildings are used as shelters again, Chaisson said. A mobile home damaged by Hurricane Ida is shown Sept. 29, 2021, in Golden Meadow, exactly a month after the Category 4 storm hit. Levees and pumps are up and running and emergency officials are meeting to update their hurricane plans, Chaisson said. Officials urge residents to follow suit. We continue to make improvements year after year and go into every season better than the one before it, Bourgeois said. But Mother Nature is the one who decides. Story continues The Lafourche Emergency Preparedness Office, Sheriffs Office, Thibodaux and Lockport police departments, Greater Lafourche Port Commission, Harbor Police, ambulance services, local hospitals and area fire departments are tasked with providing the public with information during a storm. Residents can download the Alert FM app on their smartphones for weather alerts and other emergency notifications. The Sheriffs Office recently created a free mobile app that can also be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play. You can also register for emergency notifications at bit.ly/EmergencyLafourche. More: Louisiana residents worry about storm losses and eroding coastline's impact, survey says The parish social media pages like facebook.com/Lafourchegov and twitter.com/lafourchegov are also updated during storms. In the event of an evacuation, residents who need help getting to shelters can call emergency preparedness clerk Ann Bruno at 532-8147 or brunoaf@lafourchegov.org. For hurricanes stronger than Category 3, Lafourche may open shelters at any of these locations: Central Lafourche High, 4820 La. 1, Raceland. Thibodaux High, 1355 Tiger Drive, Thibodaux. Raceland Recreation Center, 241 Recreation Drive. Major storms may call for an evacuation. Those without transportation will be bused to three recreation buildings in Monroe. Residents with pets must have a carrier with them to travel on the buses. Pet carriers need to be able to fit on a lap or bus seat. After the storm passes, the parish will decide when its safe for residents to return based on the severity of the damage. Businesses can register with the parishs re-entry system at www.parishreentry.com/lafourche. The site allows business owners and others to undergo pre-screening when a limited number of people are allowed to return to the parish to assess damages. The parish e-notifications, Everbridge and the Alert FM app are the most effective ways to learn when its safe to return to Lafourche, officials said. Residents with special needs or their caregivers are asked to call the Emergency Preparedness Office at 532-8174 to set up available resources in the event of an evacuation. To find out about road closures, call Louisiana State Police at 1-800-469-4828. For information about other ways to prepare for hurricane season, visit lafourchegov.org/emergency-information. Bourgeois urged residents to evacuate in the event of a major hurricane. When we told people last year to leave because Ida was going to be bad, not enough people left, he said. The whole point of the levee is to try and protect your property, not your life. We have some people who regretted staying last year and may be more inclined to leave next time. Trust me, as someone who cant leave during a storm, its no place you want to be. Staff Writer Dan Copp can be reached at 448-7639 or at dan.copp@houmatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanVCopp. This article originally appeared on The Courier: What Lafourche residents need to know as hurricane season begins Ancient caves lie underneath the stretch of jungle through which the train line is planned to run A judge in Mexico has delivered a fresh blow to the Maya train project, which aims to link archaeological sites with Mexican beach resorts. The judge ordered that a suspension of construction work on a stretch of the train line be extended until its environmental impact is determined. The ruling is a victory for a group of cave divers who fear that the works will threaten underground caverns. The Maya train is one of Mexico's most ambitious infrastructure projects. This latest ruling could halt building work by months or even years unless an appeal by the authority behind the project is successful. The $9.8bn (7.5bn) Maya train project is aimed at building a 1,500km-long (930-mile) railroad linking the south-eastern Mexican states of Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador argues that it will provide an environmentally friendly mode of transport for locals and tourists alike, as well as boosting development and employment in the underdeveloped region. But critics say the megaproject has been rushed and environmental concerns have been overridden. The current legal battle centres on a particular stretch of the railroad, known as Section 5, which links the tourist hotspots of Cancun and Tulum. The controversy arose after the route was changed to run through an area of jungle which is rich in ancient underground caves. Environmentalists and speleologists warned that the heavy machinery used to build the railroad would irreparably damage the unique cave system. The caverns are home to blind cavefish They took their case to court and a judge granted a temporary suspension in April. On Monday, the same judge declared the suspension "definite", ordering that no works be carried out on this particular stretch until environmental impact studies have not just been carried out but also approved according to Mexican law. The judge said that he was acting to "prevent imminent and irreparable damages to the environment". A former resident at Miami Beachs Mount Sinai Medical Center was arrested and charged for an attempted sex trafficking of a young girl. Alan Li, who was fired from Mount Sinai and arrested on May 12, was charged with attempted sex trafficking of a minor under 14 and attempted coercion or enticement of a minor. An investigation of the 26-year-old began on March 12 after a woman from Ohio, an escort whom Li met through a dating site, contacted federal agents to report Lis search for underage girls in Miami. Li contacted the woman through Snapchat and said he was trying to help a friend named Michael Chen, whom he put in contact with her due to her own experience of being trafficked. When he was asked the age range of the girls he was looking for, Li said ideally 8-15, according to the affidavit. More from NextShark: Violinist Pinchas Zukermans Master Class Pulled After Culturally Insensitive Remarks to Japanese Sisters The woman told investigators that she believed Li and Chen to be the same person, which agents later confirmed to be true. An undercover agent took over the womans Snapchat account to communicate with the man. Li was given a phone number for an investigator posing as a trafficker. He reportedly discussed a long-term set up similar to the live-in situation he claimed to have previously had with a 13-year-old girl. Li asked if he could pay the $500 fee for sex with a 12-year-old with Bitcoin or cash rather than over CashApp. Got a 9, 12 and 15 depending on what kind of service you want, the agent said. More from NextShark: Rob Bonta to Become the First Filipino American Attorney General of California Full service bareback available? Li asked. Ok, lets do the 12. He also discussed the permanent purchase of a 12-year-old girl for a one-time payment of $20,000. Ya she will stay in the house, Li said. I keep my place pretty safe and locked up. More from NextShark: 6 Asian Women Confirmed Dead After Atlanta Mass Shooting, New Details Reveal Story continues Li had set up a meeting with the trafficker but later canceled and contacted the woman to find out more about the trafficker. Hes trustworthy, right? Li asked. Im not trying to be sketch but Im trying to be careful since I dont know him. While Lis defense attorney does not believe there is a strong case against him, the FBI believes that the conversations were enough to charge the man. More from NextShark: Maskless California man bullies the wrong 'Korean Uncle' as H Mart Ahjummas come to his defense That Li canceled his scheduled meetings with the undercover agent does not mean he did not take a substantial step in furtherance of the commission of the underlying crimes, Judge Lisette M. Reid of the United District Court in Southern Florida wrote. There are no further details on his arraignment set for May 27. Mount Sinais top priority is the safety of our patients, visitors and employees, Mount Sinai said in a statement. The individual is no longer employed with the medical center. Mount Sinai Medical Center cannot comment further on matters regarding ongoing investigations and legal proceedings. To the extent that we are aware of an incident, the appropriate authorities are contacted immediately and have our full cooperation. Featured Image via GETTY Images The plane, operated by Nepali carrier Tara Air, was found in the northern Nepalese district of Mustang The black box of a Tara Air plane that crashed in Nepal on Sunday has been recovered, civil aviation authorities have confirmed to the BBC. Search teams first located the crash site on Monday. The remains of all 22 people onboard have been found since. The plane was on a 20-minute flight when it lost contact with air traffic control five minutes before it was due to land. Four Indians, two Germans and 16 Nepali passengers were on board the plane. "[The] cockpit voice recorder, also known as [the] black box of the plane has been recovered from the crash site," Deo Chandra Lal Karna, spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority Nepal (CAAN) told BBC Nepali. "We are preparing to airlift the black box to Kathmandu from a helicopter." Local rescuer Indra Singh Sherchan said mountain guides and security officials had "cut out" the black box from the wreckage of the plane that was "stuck on the mountain cliff". The plane - which was made by Canadian aircraft firm de Havilland - had departed the tourist town of Pokhara at around 0955 local time on Sunday (04:10 GMT). It was bound for Jomsom - a popular tourist and pilgrimage site. The news sparked a frantic search for the plane and its passengers, which was frustrated by bad weather and mountainous terrain. Graphic The crash site was located in the northern Nepalese district of Mustang on Monday, marking the end of a nearly 24-hour long search. Ill-fated family vacation The four Indian nationals have been identified as a family of two divorced parents and their two children, who were travelling together on a family vacation. The Indian victims were from the city of Thane in Maharashtra state, according to BBC Marathi. They have been identified as Ashok Tripathi, 54, his wife Vaibhavi Bandekar Tripathi, 51, and their son Dhanush and daughter Ritika Tripathi, 22 and 15 respectively. "After the divorce, the family spends 10 days together as per the court order," senior police inspector Uttam Sonawane, who is familiar with the family, told BBC Marathi. "They go for holidays every year." Story continues "They were all very happy about the Nepal tour," said Sagar Acharya, the tour manager of Nepalese company Kailash Vision Trek, which the family had engaged. "We are sitting on the plane. We will call you when we reach there. [Those were] his last words." Nepal has had a fraught record of aviation accidents, partly due to its sudden weather changes and airstrips located in hard-to-access rocky terrains. Insufficient training and shoddy maintenance have also plagued its air safety record, prompting the European Union to ban the flights of all Nepalese airlines in its airspace. In early 2018, a US-Bangla flight carrying 71 people from Dhaka in Bangladesh caught fire as it landed in Kathmandu, killing 51 people. More recently, three people died in a plane crash in April 2019 when the aircraft veered off the runway and hit a stationary helicopter at Lukla Airport - considered one of the most tricky runways to navigate due to its strong winds and high altitude of 2,845m (9,333ft). Its been a bumpy ride for Netflix recently, and the announcement that it will be charging for password sharing hasnt gone as smoothly as it might have hoped, a new report claims. Subscribers in Peru who were opted in to new password-sharing restrictions have reported confusion over Netflix's loose definition of household" and noted the lack of clarity around the differing charges imposed on consumers. Global tech news site Rest of World informally surveyed more than a dozen Netflix users in Peru, after Netflix's March announcement that it would be asking customers in the country -- as well as in Chile and Costa Rica -- to pay extra when sharing their account passwords outside their homes. Central and South America represent Netflixs lowest revenue per user, which helps to explain the markets' selection. The majority of those surveyed by Rest of World in Peru said that they have still not received uniform messaging around the new charges, even though its been over two months after the policy was first announced. Some subscribers experienced the price increase and then canceled their Netflix accounts as a result. But others who ignored the message about the new policy were able to share their accounts across households without an extra charge, they claimed. An anonymous Netflix customer service representative reportedly told Rest of World that if a customer called in to argue that a member of their immediate household was using the account from a different location, the rep was instructed to tell them that person could continue to use the account via a verification code without experiencing an extra charge. This basically meant those who called in for support could ignore the new policy and continue to share the subscription without repercussions. The rep said members of their team were often confused about the policy as well. In a statement to the outlet, the company said that the rollout has been "progressive." Story continues A Netflix spokesperson told TechCrunch, "While we started working on paid sharing over 18 months ago, we have been clear for five years that 'A Netflix account is for people who live together in a single household'. The millions of members who are actively sharing an account in these countries have been notified by email, but given the importance of this change, we are ramping up in-product notifications more slowly. We're pleased with the response to date." According to Statista, in 2021, Netflix generated approximately US$3.58 billion in revenue with its operations across Latin America. The figure accounts for around 13.4% of Netflix's global revenue that year, which in total amounted to approximately $30 billion. In Peru, two additional people using a subscribers account but living in another apartment, city or country are charged 7.9 soles (about $2.99) per month each. This option is cheaper than creating new Netflix accounts, as Peruvian subscribers pay 24.90 soles (around $6.80) for a basic plan. While Netflix has long had a policy against sharing passwords, it was never heavily enforced. In fact, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has previously said that it was a good thing. However, after the particularly harsh Q1 2022 that saw Netflixs first drop in overall subscribers since 2011, the streaming giant has made it clear that it will charge extra for those that split a subscription across multiple addresses. Approximately 33% of Netflix subscriptions are shared in multiple households, per Leichtman Research Group. Netflix confirmed this in its recent earnings report by saying approximately 100 million households have freeloaders logged in to the streaming service account. Analysts predict that Netflix subscriber growth has peaked, and the company seems to have hit a ceiling of 220 million subscribers. In addition, the streamer has laid off around 150 workers after losing 200,000 subscribers in the first quarter. Given the confusion around early adopters' firsthand experience with the new feature, Netflix will likely need to revise the password-sharing system before launching it worldwide. The company intends to extend the rollout at the end of 2022, in tandem with the launch of a cheaper ad-supported tier. Updated May 31, 2022, 5:15 p.m. with a comment from Netflix spokesperson. By Felix Onuah ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday asked state governors from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party to support him in choosing a successor who would stand for election in a presidential contest in February 2023. Nigerians will go to the polls to choose a new president as Buhari will step down after leading Africa's most populous nation for eight years. The APC party has set June 6-8 for its special convention to choose a presidential candidate. If the president has his way and the governors, who wield influence with voting delegates, rally behind his candidate, it would force the other contestants to withdraw from the race and avoid a vote Twenty-three candidates, including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Bola Tinubu, a powerful former governor of Lagos state, and some governors have registered to contest. In a speech to state governors, Buhari said the APC had established policies that ensure smooth succession at all levels of government, including according governors the privilege to have a say on who succeeded them. "In keeping with the established internal policies of the party ... , I wish to solicit the reciprocity and support of the governors and other stakeholders in picking my successor, who would fly the flag of our party for election into the office of the president," Buhari said. Getting governors to rally behind a single candidate may not be easy, as some want to contest the primary. Buhari may also face pus hack from Osinbajo and Tinubu who have campaigned to woo delegates. The main opposition has chosen former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate. (Additional reporting and writing by MacDonald Dzirutwe in Lagos, Editing by Cynthia Osterman) The Daily Beast Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Tulsa Police DepartmentLast month, Michael Louis had an operation on his back. But the pain had become too much to bear, he claimed. And when an enraged Louis couldnt find relief, he blamed the man trying to helphis doctor.Police said Louis fatally shot two orthopedists, a medical receptionist, a bystander, and then himself at a medical office in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Wednesday afternoon, using a semi-automatic rifle he bought just three hours earlier from a Earlier this year, New York City started testing a gun detection system from Evolv Technologies at City Hall and Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx. Mayor Eric Adams, who has said he came across the system on the internet, has been talking up the tech for months as a way to help combat gun violence. Now, it has emerged that two people who donated $1 million to support Adams' mayoral run work at companies with investments in Evolv, as the New York Daily News first reported. The CEO of the investment firm Citadel, Kenneth Griffin, last year donated $750,000 to Strong Leadership NYC, a political action committee (PAC) that supported Adams. Jane Street Financial Services founder Robert Granieri gave $250,000, according to records. As of May 16th, Citadel held 12,975 shares in Evolv, a publicly traded company. It holds another 89,900 for other investors as call options. Jane Street held 76,570 shares as of May 17th. The stock held by all shareholders totals 143.4 million, so both firms own a relatively small chunk of Evolv. Mayor is testing out fancy new metal detectors at City Hall. Hes proposed putting these in the subways. pic.twitter.com/PudnUcoHD5 Clayton Guse (@ClaytonGuse) May 17, 2022 A spokesperson for Adams told the Daily News that the mayor didn't recognize the names of Griffin and Granieri and wasn't sure whether he'd met with them. The spokesperson said that before a pilot of Evolv's system started at Jacobi Medical Center in February, the tech was being used at other city hospitals. NYC has considered using the AI weapon detection technology in transit systems, particularly following a mass shooting on a subway train in Brooklyn last month. As Fast Company notes, Evolv charges between $2,000 and $3,000 per scanner per month for a subscription. Installing one at every subway entrance and paying staff to operate them would cost hundreds of millions of dollars per year. Given the costs, it's unlikely that the scanners would be ubiquitous. Story continues "Per standard practice, we dont disclose our communications with customers, potential customers, or with investor or potential investors," Evolv chief marketing officer Dana Loof told Engadget in a statement. "However, communications with government officials would be disclosed as required by law." The effectiveness of Evolv's system has been brought into question. While the company has not publicly disclosed its false positive rates, it has acknowledged the issue in promotional materials. Screenshots in brochures obtained by New York Focus indicated that in one three-month stretch, the system scanned 2.2 million people and there were more than 190,000 alerts. The vast majority of those were for harmless objects like umbrellas, strollers, eyeglass cases and laptops. In that scenario, only 0.8 percent of the alerts were for actual weapons and just 0.1 percent were for non-law enforcement guns. However, Evolv has claimed that the data in the screenshots is "fictitious" and is from a demonstration account. "Alert rates vary per customer and are a small datapoint among many that industry professionals use in designing a security posture," Loof said. "It is well understood that the security community closely guards information related to the specific performance of threat detection tools to maintain the highest level of safety for the public. Publishing a blueprint of any security screening technology is irresponsible and makes the public less safe by providing unnecessary insights to those who may try to use the information to cause harm." A report by surveillance tech trade publication IPVM earlier this year noted that Evolv's full-body scanners were misidentifying other objects as potential weapons, such as Chromebooks. IPVM director of operations Donald Maye told the Daily News that Evolv's system has a false alert rate of between five and ten percent in environments such as sports stadiums. Loof acknowledged that some of the company's customers experience alert rates of between five and ten percent. Maye suggested that the false positive rate would actually be higher for subway system scanners and lead to "secondary screenings," with cops searching commuters. Update 6/1 4PM ET: Added comments from Evolv. By Jeff Mason and David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. president and New Zealand's prime minister aired shared concern about China's bid to expand its influence in the Pacific on Tuesday and a senior U.S. official said they discussed the need for in-person engagement with Pacific island leaders. Joe Biden and Jacinda Ardern met at the White House amid a tour of the Pacific island region by China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi that has worried New Zealand and the United States and U.S. allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific. Greeting Ardern in the Oval Office, Biden said Washington had no desire to dictate to the region but to partner with them. "We have more work to do in those Pacific islands," he said. A joint statement after the meeting expressed concern about a recent security agreement between China and the Solomon Islands. "The establishment of a persistent military presence in the Pacific by a state that does not share our values or security interests would fundamentally alter the strategic balance of the region and pose national-security concerns to both our countries," it said. Ardern told reporters both countries were strongly aligned "in furthering the Pacific values and the focus that Pacific island leaders have determined for themselves." The senior U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the two sides discussed shared concerns about the challenges faced by Pacific island nations and the need to help them deal with issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. "They also had some fairly detailed discussion about the importance of in-person engagement with Pacific island leaders and the importance of the United States working closely with New Zealand and other partners as we continue to step up our efforts to engage more effectively in the Pacific," he said. Ardern was the first New Zealand leader to visit the White House since Sir John Key met President Barack Obama in 2014. Story continues Tuesday's meeting took on greater importance as New Zealand in recent weeks has raised concerns about China following news that Beijing had signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands. China's foreign minister was in Tonga on Tuesday as part of a tour through the Pacific islands region. He signed agreements in Tonga for police equipment and fisheries cooperation, but Pacific island nations were unable to reach consensus in a meeting with Wang a day earlier over a sweeping regional trade and security pact China has proposed. New Zealand joined Biden's Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, an economic bloc that excludes China and was designed to counter that country, during Biden's first trip to Asia as president last week. Ardern said the pact "presents a significant opportunity to build economic resilience in our region." But New Zealand and several other countries in the region think it does not go far enough, and Ardern said New Zealand would like to see the United States rejoin a regional trade pact Biden's predecessor, then-President Donald Trump, quit in 2017. Biden has been reluctant to do so because of domestic fears that such deals could cost jobs. Biden and Ardern also discussed their response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine as well as gun control following several U.S. mass shootings, including one last week at an elementary school in Texas in which 21 children and teachers were killed. After the Christchurch massacre in 2019, in which a gunman killed 51 Muslims, Ardern delivered a ban on semiautomatic firearms and other gun curbs, a stark contrast to the United States, where lawmakers and activists have struggled to address gun violence. (Writing by Trevor Hunnicutt and David Brunnstrom; Additional reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt, David Brunnstrom, Steve Holland, Katharine Jackson and Kanishka Singh; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Alistair Bell) President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. The oil price soared to a two-month high after European Union nations agreed on a partial ban on oil imports from Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. Photo: Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP via Getty The oil price soared to a two-month high after European Union nations agreed on a partial ban on oil imports from Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. Tuesday's price surge piles more pressure on a tighter market already strained for supply amid rising demand. Brent (BZ=F), the international benchmark, breached the psychological $124 barrier, up 3.9% to $124.03, the highest since 9 March. West Texas crude (CL=F) was trading 3.5% higher to $119.05 at the time of writing. EU leaders agreed in principle to cut 90% of oil imports from the Kremlin by the end of 2022, resolving a deadlock after Hungary, a major user of Russian oil, held up talks that have been underway for weeks. The embargo is part of the bloc's sixth sanctions package on Moscow since the start of the Ukraine war in February, and around 36% of the EUs oil imports come from Russia. "The European Council agrees that the sixth package of sanctions against Russia will cover crude oil, as well as petroleum products, delivered from Russia into Member States, with a temporary exception for crude oil delivered by pipeline," a statement said on Tuesday. It added that in case of "sudden interruptions" of supply, "emergency measures" will be introduced to ensure security of supply. The temporary exception covers the remaining oil from Russia that is not yet banned, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said in a press conference. "We have agreed that the Council will revert to the topic as soon as possible in one way or the other. So this is a topic where we will come back to and where we will still have to work on, but this is a big step forward, what we did today," she said, referring to the temporary exemption. Von der Leyen explained that the temporary exemption was granted so that Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, who are all connected to the southern leg of the pipeline, have access which they cannot replace easily. Tonight #EUCO agreed a sixth package of sanctions. It will allow a ban on oil imports from #Russia. The sanctions will immediately impact 75% of Russian oil imports. And by the end of the year, 90% of the Russian oil imported in Europe will be banned. pic.twitter.com/uVoVI519v8 Charles Michel (@eucopresident) May 30, 2022 In March, crude prices surged to their highest level since 2008 and have risen more than 55% so far this year. Story continues "The continued rise in oil prices is likely to act as a drag on economic activity, after EU leaders agreed a deal to block 90% of oil imports by the end of this year," said Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets. Oil prices have also been driven up by the lifting of pandemic restrictions in the world's biggest importer, China. The country, eased its zero-COVID measures after nearly three months of lockdowns. The stringent lockdown saw Chinese crude demand weaken in recent months. Read more: FTSE outperforms as Russia cuts off gas supplies to Netherlands It comes after International Energy Agency head Fatih Birol cautioned further oil price rises could be on the horizon if demand in China picks up. Speaking at Davos last week, Birol said: "I very much hope that the increase coming from [the] US, Brazil and Canada this year, [will] be accompanied by the increase coming from the key producers in Middle East and elsewhere. "Otherwise, we have only one hope that we dont have big trouble in the oil markets in summer, which is hoping..that the Chinese demand remains very weak." Shanghai authorities said businesses in the financial hub could start to reopen without having to apply for approval from Wednesday. In the capital Beijing, major shopping centres, libraries, museums, theatres and gyms were also allowed to reopen on Sunday. However, limits on the number of people will remain in place across districts that have seen no community COVID cases for seven consecutive days. Watch: Why are gas prices rising? Blanket forgiveness of student loans, as President Joe Biden appears poised to offer, would be a huge mistake. Its regressive and unfair. Over time, it could well increase the number of people struggling with student debt. And while billed as a one time policy, it would set a terrible precedent. This is not to say there arent student borrowers who need help. But there are better ways to support them than a giveaway that would primarily benefit well-off professionals. The Biden administration is actively considering student loan forgiveness of $10,000 or more per borrower. This would be extremely regressive. Relatively few low-income households have student debt and, among those who do, outstanding loan balances are smaller than for higher-income borrowers. In part for these reasons, a recent study by economists Sylvain Catherine and Constantine Yannelis concludes that blanket forgiveness of $10,000 in debt would offer $3.60 to the highest-earning 10 percent of households for every $1 it gave to the bottom 10 percent and that three quarters of the benefits would flow to households with above-median incomes. Putting an income cap on eligibility for loan forgiveness could make the policy less regressive. But the income limit the administration is eyeing excluding only individuals making more than $150,000 per year would have little bite because few people have incomes that high. One of the bedrock principles of sound economic policy is that similarly situated people should be treated similarly. Student loan forgiveness would take a hatchet to this principle. It would be a slap in the face to individuals from modest backgrounds who attended college but never took on debt or have already paid it off. What would the administration say to a person who struggled for years to pay off her student loans, finally becoming debt free last month? Or to the people who chose to attend their local community college rather than a more expensive four-year college because they did not want to borrow? Or to the people who avoided debt by serving in the military to qualify for GI Bill benefits? Story continues The policy also would privilege student debtors above other borrowers. This is hard to justify. People who suffer serious injuries from car accidents may have substantial medical debt through no fault of their own, while student borrowers made a choice to take out debt. What would the administration say to the indebted survivor of a car accident, struggling to pay off medical bills? Student loan forgiveness sets a terrible precedent as well. Because future students might reasonably expect their debt to be forgiven too, there is a real risk it would encourage excessive borrowing. This would make student debt burdens even larger, worsening the very problem the administration hopes to solve. It also would fuel calls for additional rounds of debt forgiveness. Bidens potential proposal has already angered some on both the left and the right. As economists, we wont get into the political tripwires facing the presidents plan. But we will note that we lean toward different sides of the aisle and believe there are better solutions that could garner bipartisan support. One better option to help borrowers is already on the books: allowing people to repay loans based on how much they make. Under the latest version of income-driven repayment, the Revised Pay As You Earn plan, payments are set at 10 percent of a borrowers discretionary income (defined as income above 150 percent of the federal poverty line). Any remaining debt is forgiven after 20 years of payments. Because IDR ties payments to income, there is much less risk that a borrower will face unaffordable payments or default on their loan. Although enrollment in IDR has risen in recent years, a surprisingly modest number of people take advantage of the program. In the most recent data only just over 30 percent of borrowers opt for IDR. Take-up is lower among the lowest income borrowers , for whom it could be most helpful, than among middle-income borrowers. Making it easier to enroll in IDR and streamlining the annual process of determining required payments could increase IDR enrollments. Although the standard mortgage-style repayment plan is best for some borrowers, there is an argument that IDR should be the default student loan repayment plan. Removing the significant barriers to discharging student loan debt during bankruptcy also could help. Under current law, and unlike other debt, student loan debt can be discharged only if a borrower shows they would face undue hardship in repaying the debt. As interpreted by the courts, this has been a demanding standard to meet and only a miniscule number of student borrowers succeed in discharging their debt through bankruptcy. Placing student loan debt on the same footing as other debt in bankruptcy could go a long way toward alleviating the burden of student debt for borrowers who truly cannot repay it. Finally, if the goal is to help people with lower incomes who are struggling with student debt, another option to consider would be an expansion of federal earnings subsidies. A more generous earned-income tax credit could help these borrowers manage their bills while also encouraging many to increase their labor market earnings. An expansion targeted on low-income and working-class households would avoid the problem of transferring money to well-off, middle-class professionals. There are no free lunches. Spending federal dollars to forgive student loan debt would leave less tax revenue for other programs. The choices arent just blanket debt forgiveness or accepting the status quo. There are far more effective ways to help the neediest among us, including struggling student loan borrowers, than across-the-board student loan debt forgiveness. My God, what do you say in these moments? What do you write? Dozens of people mostly children gunned down in a school and the grief arrives arm in arm with a rush of familiarity. The school shooting in Uvalde, Texas is not just a tragedy. It is another tragedy. It is not only a scarring explosion of violence, but part of a predictable, preventable American drumbeat: an unthinkable, unspeakable thing happening again. What do you say now? I think you must we must try to remind ourselves of the depth of the loss. To insist that we not lose sight of the stakes involved at Robb Elementary School. Sign up here for The 74s daily newsletter. Donate here to support The 74's independent journalism. When each of my children was born, I sat up late in the hospital, feeling the rushing currents of reality. It was as if the elemental aspects of life were magnified, every emotion twice as strong, gravity enhanced to make motion seem impossible, my leg muscles inexplicably strong enough to spring up whenever the baby cried out. Each time, I wrote it all down, trying to capture the feelings in the halo of that moment. [Humans] are best when we are creators I wrote in 2013. From time to time we produce such shining potential that the daily grind of human life becomes not just tolerable, but comprehensible. From time to time, we produce miracles. Thats the real reason for doing right by kids. We talk, particularly in education policy, about the demographic imperative of preparing kids for the jobs of the future or of raising standards and achievement for participating in a global workforce. Its not that those things are unimportant. Its just that children already warrant our love, protection, and investment simply because they are children. They are uncertain promises made to a hazy future we owe them the very best we can offer because children are the acme of human creativity, the greatest thing humans can make. Story continues So: what do we do for them now? How do we escape this pattern before the next tragedy sounds? And why is it so hard? Related: A Reporters Burden and a Parents Anxiety: The Grief of Uvalde You should know by now, but just in case, it bears insisting: the United States is the only place in the developed world where events like these regularly happen. As part of a sobering analysis of gun violence data, The Washington Posts Philip Bump writes, In 2019, there were 29 kids under 5 shot and killed in the United States for every kid under 5 shot and killed in other high-income countries globally. Gun violence is the most likely cause of death for American children more than car crashes, drug-related issues, illness, drowning or anything else. In the wake of the tragedy in Uvalde, as has become macabre custom, we are hearing some politicians suggest that the real American problem is that we lack sufficient weaponry to deter mass shooters, including those targeting schools. And yet, evidence backing this response is scant. Whats more, the United States is already awash in guns. We have more firearms per capita than any other country. By far. Guns are barbarically easy to access in our country. That appears to be the key variable thats why your American child is more likely to die from a bullet than anything else. Thats the cause of this uniquely depraved, repetitive tide of violence in the United States. Thats why there will be another shooting in another school that is at least as bad as Uvaldes, at least as bad as the horrific massacre of children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012. If more and more readily accessible guns were going to solve the problem, it already would have happened. What are we going to do? What are we willing to do differently? A parable about American democracy and its recent past: my scientist father introduced me to politics and public policy through climate change. Throughout the 1990s, he got involved in various forms of local environmental activism and dashed off letters to our congressman. The climate science is settled, hed tell me. Its now just a question of whether we humans want to actually run the global experiment [keeping emitting higher and higher levels of carbon] and test whether the science is right. U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) would send back form letters explaining that the congressman cared deeply about the environment, that he understood that there were strong views on this issue, but that he also believed it was important to have the debate about whether climate change was a real problem. My dad would shake his head as he read this to us. Weve already had the debate, hed exhale. The science has been conclusive for years. This was the 1990s. It was right around the time that conservatives began lampooning Al Gore as Ozone Man. It was a solid 20 years before Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) brought a snowball to the floor of Congress to prove that climate change wasnt a concern. More people and more politicians are paying attention now. But mostly, the country is floating along, some of us hoping that the data are wrong, others picking fights with people who dare publish the data, and most of us acting as though somehow things will get better without us doing particularly much. Related: How Can We Learn When Our Earth is Burning? The problem goes well beyond climate change. Ive written a few times in recent years that education reforms receding political tide has left education policy adrift. Conservative politicians have largely retreated to a world where evolving versions of school choice are their only policy tool, even as their response to a global pandemic. Liberals have coalesced around various proposals to invest more in public education, albeit usually without meaningful efforts to reform the inequities inherent in education systems. First: The point is not to equate the two positions like some mealy-mouthed bothsidesist. The point is that everyone in public education has essentially given up on making the system fairer. There is little appetite for overhauling how schools are measured or run or improved. At this point, were acknowledging that our schools are fundamentally unfair but mostly just hoping that this will resolve itself without requiring any substantive, controversial effort from the rest of us. The flattening of education policy thinking is emblematic of our national governing sclerosis. Pick a major issue climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, mass shootings, et al. The standard American response now is to muddle through, incapable of mounting a sustained push to overhaul our public policies. When was the last time the country faced a major social challenge and collectively acted to address it? Our muscles for self-governance have grown weak. Its fashionable to blame this on a dearth of civic education and correspondingly waning public spiritedness. Conservatives have an idea here: They are exploring whether faith in American representative government can be revived by banning books and instruction that teach children about the past sins of American representative government. The last Republican presidential administration converted this instinct into overt propagandizing censorship in the name of inculcating children with patriotic history. And indeed, the flagging of faith in our democracy does stem from the presence of evidence, but its not the historical record thats to blame. Americans feel as though nothing can be done because we have grown accustomed to nothing being done. We have learned that our social problems are insuperable. Never mind that other countries essentially all of them have solved the problem of mass shootings. Here, in our country, nothing can be done. Our public institutions keep teaching us that we must simply accept these crises, that their worsening is inevitable. So far, as with climate change, conservatives seem unwilling to do anything serious to address this problem. So perhaps conservatives can now expand their efforts to defend American children from information about American shortcomings by banning any discussion of recent massacres in school. If this sounds far-fetched, note that, for most of the past quarter century, the country prevented the federally funded National Center for Injury Prevention and Control from researching gun violence. Related: The Contagion Effect: From Buffalo to Uvalde, 16 Mass Shootings in Just 10 Days But it is hard to produce patriotic love for a country by hiding facts about it. Mass shootings keep happening. Climate-related weather disasters keep becoming inconveniently more common. Hyper unequal schools keep producing unfair opportunities and unequal outcomes for American children. All of this is hard to hide. At some point, our collective failure to do anything to change the rhythm of our social problems becomes a norm too obvious to deny. How does representative government fail? One way is when it repeatedly proves to the public that it cannot adequately represent their preferences and address their common problems. What are we going to do? Will we really just meander on, aimlessly trudging towards and through our next collective failure? We wont make it harder to get access to guns. Not for young adults, not for people who cant pass a background check, not for anyone. We wont impose limits on who has access to guns designed specifically for massacring humans. We wont impose new limits on where people can legally carry guns. Well just float along, hoping that this was the last time that this pattern will repeat, that the drumbeat will stop in this latest bloodstained classroom. To bring a child into this world is to celebrate the full promise of human possibility. But it is also to accept a host of duties to be vulnerable enough to take charge of a lived project that is not your own, even if it is in your care for a while. For this project requires you to risk your future comfort, happiness and safety by placing some piece of it in your childs hands. Sometimes their lives will validate all of your work and suffering and love, but other times, they will hurt and you will be powerless to protect them or you from that pain. Its beyond tragic that we have failed to protect families from these crushing losses in Uvalde and before them, Oxford Township in Michigan and Parkland, Florida and Newtown, Connecticut (and, and, and). But its somehow even worse that we appear willing to keep adding to our tally, waiting for the next time, accepting that nothing is the very best we can do. Related: Sign up for The 74s newsletter May marks the celebration of Black Heritage Month, or Fiesta de la Etnia Negra in Panama. May 31 is known as Dia de la Etnia Negra Nacional (National Black Heritage Day). The month celebrates the arrival of Africans and Antilleans to Panama and their impact on Panamanian culture. This years festivities include the Journey of Atonement and Reconciliation of Mother Africa, a special celebration in Panama City. Panamanians from all over will gather along with members of the Afro-community from the Caribbean, Latin America, and North America. According to Dr. Melida Harris-Barrow, a Panamanian resident of the United States, Panama will make history because the event will have worldwide exposure and will become the first country in the world to hold an event of this magnitude, which will bring together the kings, queens and tribal chiefs of Africa, to apologize to all African descendants scattered around the world. Dr. Harris-Barrow says, The idea is to strengthen the historical and natural ties of the continent with its diaspora during this meeting in Panama. Panamas Afro-descendants make up about 14 percent of the population and reside mostly in Panama City. Afro-descendants also reside in the provinces where their ancestors first settled: Colon and Bocas del Toro. Ancient rituals, traditions, arts, and customs have been preserved in these communities. If youre not in Panama this year during Black Heritage Month, here are ways you can learn about the countrys African heritage year-round. Photo by Marina113 for Getty Images Dance with the Congo Queen in Colon Head a few hours from Panama City to Portobello to experience a beautiful coastal town with vibrant colors and Congo culture. UNESCO recognizes Portobello as an Intangible Cultural Heritage site. African slaves brought to Panama by the Spanish have kept the Congo culture alive through generations. Experience musical rituals, theatrical dances, and celebrations in Portobello and drumming lessons at La Escuelita del Ritmo. Story continues Offered by the Portobello Bay Foundation La Escuelita del Rito or The Little School of Rhythm, provides free music lessons to children to help develop social skills while preserving their culture. Visitors to the school will learn about Congos art of music and the importance of learning through the arts. Visit the Afro-Antillean Museum Located in the Calidonia neighborhood in Panama City, history buffs will learn about the influence of West Indian migrants in Panama. //www.instagram.com/embed.js The museum pays homage to laborers from Barbados, Jamaica, and other Caribbean islands who impacted Panamanian culture and infrastructure. Delight Your Tastebuds in Bocas del Toro Old Bank and Carenero Island is home to the Afro-Caribbean Guari Community and exceptional Afro-Caribbean food. Here, youll find dishes cooked with fresh seafood and local spices. Try the Saus (pork legs in vinaigrette, picadillo de bofe (beef lung) dumplings, and Bragada (friend codfish cake made with flour). Add extra spice to your meal with Aji Chombo, which is a Panamanian pepper! Related: Founder Of Black Expats In Panama Shares What Life Is Really Like In Panama Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty Jane Doe S.P. was a 19-year-old college student and newly engaged in 2008 when she booked an appointment for a premarital exam. Such visits are unique to heavily Mormon Utah, can be similar to a first annual gynecology checkup, and are meant to establish a relationship with an OB-GYN before marriage and having sex for the first time. I had heard that women go to the doctor before they get married and get birth control, Jane, who is identified in the lawsuit as Jane Doe S.P., told The Daily Beast in an interview. I dont think I knew what to expect. Jane decided to see Dr. David H. Broadbent, a gynecologist within walking distance of her Provo apartment complex and whose office accepted her parents insurance. But she claims nothing could prepare her for what she experienced in his office: unexpected, painful, and medically unnecessary breast, vaginal, and rectal exams. Jane is one of at least 83 people to accuse Broadbent of conducting these examswithout consent, and sometimes even after women told him they didnt want themallegedly for his own sexual gratification. According to two recently filed lawsuits, Broadbents alleged sexual abuse spanned four decades, and some of the women were as young as 14 when he allegedly assaulted them. Top Scientist at Fancy Biotech Firm Says It Was a #MeToo Nightmare The accusers are not only suing Broadbent, but two hospitals where he worked: Utah Valley Hospital and Mountainstar Healthcare. After the accusations made headlines, both hospitals cut ties with Broadbent and he was forced into retirement. The complaints allege sexual battery, sexual assault, and intentional infliction of emotional distress against Broadbent, and negligent supervision and negligent infliction of emotional distress against MountainStar and Utah Valley Hospital, whose parent company is Intermountain Healthcare (IHC). The suits also include causes of action for fraudulent misrepresentation and joint venture against all the defendants. Story continues Multiple formal and informal complaints were made of Broadbents acts of sexual abuse, but neither IHC or MountainStar properly responded, an amended complaint alleges. In fact, formal complaints made it all the way to the Chief Administrator and Chief Medical Officer at Utah Valley Hospital, and yet, over a decade later, IHC was still referring women to go see Broadbent at his private clinic. In addition to the office at his private practice (shown), Dr. David H. Broadbent also allegedly assaulted patients at two hospitals where he worked: Utah Valley Hospital and Mountainstar Healthcare. Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/GoogleMaps/MD.com In a statement, MountainStar Healthcare said, We sympathize with and fully support any individuals in the recently filed lawsuit who may have experienced this alleged behavior at the physicians private clinic in Provo. Like hundreds of other physicians who practice privately in our community, this physician is not employed by any MountainStar hospital. The physician is not currently authorized to see patients at our facility. Over the years, this physician has seen a small number of patients at one of our facilities each year; however, to our knowledge, there were no allegations of inappropriate conduct reported to our facility regarding this physician. While we empathize with the people involved, we believe we were inappropriately named in this lawsuit and we will defend ourselves accordingly. IHC didnt return messages left by The Daily Beast. A spokesperson for the hospital system previously provided a statement indicating Broadbent was an independent physician and not an employee of Utah Valley Hospital. When the hospital learned of this lawsuit, Dr. Broadbents privileges to deliver babies or provide any other services at the hospital were immediately suspended, the spokesperson said. We take these allegations very seriously and are committed to ensure the safety of our patients. According to one lawsuit filed in Utah state court, Broadbent abruptly reached up Janes gown and grabbed her breasts after he entered the room. Then, as Jane Doe S.P. tried to convince herself this must be normal, Broadbent, again with no warning or explanation, stuck his fingers in her vagina, the complaint alleges. As if that was not bad enough, Broadbent then caught her completely off guard when he suddenly shoved his fingers into her anus for a rectal exam, causing her extreme pain, the filing continues, adding that as Jane winced in pain, the doctor said nothing. When the exam was over, however, Broadbent told her something that made her stomach turn. Well, your husband is a lucky man, he allegedly said. Court papers allege Broadbent made similar comments to other patients, telling one accuser, Your fiance is pretty lucky to get to have sex with a girl like you, and complimenting another womans pretty pink vagina, and a third patients nice legs. He allegedly told a fourth: Youre so attractive that your fiance wont be able to help himself on your wedding night even if youre on your period. A fifth woman says Broadbent, after inserting his entire finger into her rectum, announced, I bet your boyfriend really likes those tan lines. Even worse, a sixth woman says he leaned his face toward her vagina for a long time and declared, Everything smells okay, before massaging parts of her vulva. A lawsuit says Broadbent quizzed her about her sexual history, saying he didnt believe she was a virgin. The doctor told her that a lot of young Mormon women came in lying to their husbands about their sexual activity but he could always tell who was lying, the filing states. The survivors are represented by Salt Lake City firm Gross & Rooney. One of their attorneys, J. Adam Sorenson, said, We are proud to represent the 83 women in this case who bravely came forward and told their stories, and we hope we can help them obtain justice against Broadbent and against the institutions, Intermountain Health Care and HCA, who failed to stop him, even when formal complaints were made. Inside the Megachurch That Has Ex-Members Screaming Cult Sorenson told The Daily Beast that his firm continues to receive calls from former patients and knows of a number of other claims that will be filed in the near future. After Jane Doe S.P. shared her story on a podcast in December 2021, dozens of other women contacted her to say Broadbent had abused them, too. Four of them decided to file a lawsuit in February, and the number of women suing the OB-GYN grew to 50 in an amended complaint filed in March. Last month, 33 other women filed a second lawsuit against Broadbent. Meanwhile, according to the Salt Lake Tribune, the Provo Police Department has 12 active investigations related to Broadbent. The Tribune unearthed these cases through a public records request, though cops have declined to comment. Some women, including Jane Doe S.P., say they filed complaints with the state Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL) in recent months. Zach Whitney, a spokesperson for the agency told The Daily Beast that under state law, we are not able to confirm nor deny the existence of complaints filed against individual businesses or professionals unless administrative action has been taken. Broadbent, now 74, denies any wrongdoing. His attorney, Karra Porter, told The Daily Beast that hes had thousands of clients over his 40-year career and was blindsided by the accusations, which she says may have been sparked years later by the power of suggestion. She said that after hearing the podcast, some women may view their visits in a different light. I have concerns about people who say they didnt realize or didnt know theyd been assaulted until the suggestion was made to them, she said. Once it was suggested to all these people, once lawyers started advertising for clients, is that a MeToo movement or is that lawyers drumming up clients? Porter continued, adding that the womens firm circulated a Facebook ad that read: If you or your loved ones have been sexually abused by Dr. David H. Broadbent, you may be entitled to compensation. Someones career has been destroyed without any opportunity to even tell his side of the story, Porter said. I really have problems with that. Our country is founded on people being able to tell both sides of the story. What is the number one trial sensation going on right now: Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. I think people should be able to have their day in court before their entire lifes career is destroyed. Still, some Google Reviews of Broadbent over the years offered clues that patients believed he behaved inappropriately with them. I was about 20 years old, pregnant with my first had no idea what I was doing I had a lot of questions so I just wanted to go in and chat with an OB, one woman wrote three years ago, adding, the first thing he does is lay me down on the table as I am asking my questions and immediately putes [sic] his hands up my shirt. It shocked me! A little warning would have been nice. Now 7 years later I'm reading reviews on him, she wrote. Looks like im not the only one mistreated and inappropriately touched by him. The accusations contained in the lawsuits against Broadbent are deeply disturbing and include claims that he performed some of these exams without gloves and without nurses in the room, even when a chaperone was requested. Some women said he let his hands linger during vaginal exams without explaining what he was doing. Three patients say Broadbent groped them when they were hospitalized in connection to their pregnancies; two of those women say they complained to hospital staff, apparently with little result. One woman described feeling flustered and confused because she came in because her water broke and yet Broadbent walked in and went straight for her breasts. Broadbent allegedly conducted vaginal examinations even when they didnt appear to be medically necessary. One former patient alleges that during multiple appointments for birth control, irregular periods, etc., Broadbent would insert his pointer and middle finger in her vagina without any warning or explanation. He also would suddenly insert a finger in [her] rectum, making her feel uncomfortable and violated, before taking off his gloves and touching her breasts. He allegedly made comments about her being well endowed. Another patient, who was not sexually active, said Broadbent painfully shoved his fingers into her vagina during an appointment to address heavy menstrual bleeding and told her that she would please her future husband. The woman says that after a medical assistant walked into the room, Broadbent remarked, You can tell she is a virgin by the way she acts when this happens before repeating his so-called examination again. At least three patients were 14 years old and pregnant when Broadbent allegedly abused them. One woman recalls that during most of her appointments with Broadbent, he allegedly inserted two or three fingers in her vagina and took his time feeling around for what felt like a long time. Later, when Broadbent delivered her baby, he put his whole hand in her vagina, claiming to be checking for pieces of the placenta, a complaint alleges. He then made a comment to her boyfriend that he did the husband stitch for him while sewing her up. These Women Say Their OBGYN Visits Were Secretly Recorded A second woman says she was 14 when she started seeing Broadbent and that each time he had her remove her clothes from the waist down, place her feet in stirrups for a vaginal exam, and while putting his fingers in her vagina, rammed his fingers into her rectum with no warning or lubrication. He would then put his hands up her shirt. To this day, [she] has trust issues, anxiety, and nightmarish memories of her appointments with Broadbent, the complaint alleges. The lawsuits detail multiple instances where Broadbent allegedly abused his young and naive female patients even when their husbands were present. Indeed, an amended complaint notes that Broadbents office was one block from Brigham Young University freshman dorms and apartment complexes for female students at BYU and Utah Valley University. For years, Broadbent conducted this scheme from his University Avenue office, feet from thousands of young women with little or no prior experience with OB/GYN appointmentswho had no understanding of what was normal or medically necessaryand used his profession and their innocence to prey on them, an amended complaint states. In Jane Doe S.P.s case, Broadbent allegedly instructed her to stretch out her vagina in preparation for her honeymoon. If she experienced any bleeding during sex, he allegedly told her, she should just do what the Boy Scouts do and apply pressure. It was just really weird and damaging, Jane told The Daily Beast. I left the exam feeling like an object for my husband to enjoy and that hes a lucky man who now gets to own me It was a traumatic way to start my sexuality and my intimate relationship with my spouse. Years later, after Jane visited other doctors, she realized that her encounter with Broadbent was likely assault. I blamed myself. I thought, You should have known what to expect. He is the authority. Obviously he knows whats best for you, she said. I thought he was creepy, then, over time, I realized what he did was abnormal, she added. It wasnt until after the podcast, when I read the comments labeling it as an assault and digital rape, that I fully realized what happened to me. Jane, who left the Mormon church two years ago, says she regrets not standing up for herself sooner or in the moment. A lot of that had to do with just societal norms in general around respecting authority, she said. There was this whole other layer for me. I was raised in this religion where I was taught these men are in authority, they speak to God, they have authority over me. Im supposed to have unquestioning obedience to them. When theres this man in a position of authority, I believe he clearly knows whats best for me and if I take any issue with it, there must be a problem with me, she added. Another former patient, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Daily Beast she saw Broadbent in spring of 2007 when she was 25. She was having trouble getting pregnant, she said, and found Broadbent on a list of providers covered by her insurance. As he did the Pap smear and breast exam, he told me my husband was a lucky man, which I felt really uneasy about, the woman said. I even told a few people later and they were all disturbed. He also gave me a fertility medication and when describing that we need to have sex at ovulation, he told me to rape my husband and then proceeded to tell me dont worry, he will like it, she added. The former patient says she felt violated by Broadbent. To be in a position of vulnerability with someone who is supposed to do no harm and have them use their authority to do this is so disturbing, she said. I wish I had trusted my gut. I knew something wasnt right and now wish I had followed that instinct, the woman told us. After that experience, I only saw female gynecologists and all my babies were delivered by female midwives. I felt much more comfortable with a woman handling that kind of care. As more former patients come forward, attorneys on both sides are arguing on whether the lawsuits should proceed. Court records show the parties requested oral arguments, which are scheduled for June 16. Broadbents lawyers argue that the court lacks jurisdiction over the women's claims because theyre medical malpractice cases. They say that under state law, the women would be required to provide a notice of intent to sue with the state DOPL and participate in a non-binding but compulsory pre-litigation hearing before filing suit. (Mountainstar Healthcare and Utah Valley Hospital, in their own filings, made the same argument.) Attorneys for the patients , however, said in one pleading that the law, known as the Utah Health Care Malpractice Act, was not created to act as a shield behind which serial sexual abusers can hideor behind which the facilities who profit from, and fail to stop, the abuser can hide. Broadbents acts of sexual abuse were not health care, they added. They were acts deserving of an orange jumpsuit, not the protection of a white coat. If there was still any doubt about whether sexual abuse is health care, the filing continues, it can easily be erased by asking a few simple questions: Is demonstrating the size of a mans penis, saying watch this, and then sticking those three fingers in a womans vagina, causing her to cry, and asking how it feels, health care? Is asking a woman if she needs a minute to get ready to be assaulted before digitally penetrating her vagina health care? Ex-Amber Heard Pal Recalls Actress Having Busted Lip and Missing Hair Broadbents lawyers, in a filing last week, maintained that the doctor was doing his job and it is not reasonable to infer that an OB/GYN has no medical purpose to examine the breasts, vaginas, and rectums of his patients other than his own sexual gratification. Most Plaintiffs did not think they had been sexually abused until Plaintiff Jane Doe S.P. complained about her experience with Dr. Broadbent on a podcast and characterized his examination of her as sexual abuse, they argued. Jane Doe S.P. told The Daily Beast that she soon learned that women had reported Broadbents alleged misconduct through different avenues over the years, to hospital administrators and to DOPL, but he continued to practice medicine until the lawsuit was filed. One married couple, Sam and Bonnie, told The Daily Beast that they reported Broadbent to DOPL in 2018, almost a year after their appointment with him. They ultimately said they didnt have enough evidence to take any action on his license, but it did end in an informal conversation which I think was the equivalent of a slap on the hand to the doctor, Bonnie said. The couple, who asked to be identified only by first name, also left negative Google reviews. But the person who did the investigation from DOPL basically summed Dr. Broadbents behavior up to just bad bedside manner and being in the profession for such a long time that hes lost his touch with people skills, she continued. I wrote back and said I think thats totally missing the mark, I think this guy is dangerous. Then recent BYU grads, Bonnie and Sam said they visited Broadbent because they were having trouble getting pregnant and wanted a doctor to answer their questions. Broadbent, they claimed, ignored their queries and went on tangents about menstrual cramps and his wifes vaginal health. I remember thinking, What in the world? Why are you talking about this? Bonnie recalled. When they finally got him to address their fertility issues, Broadbent instructed Bonnie to lay on a table and he conducted a vaginal exam quickly without explaining what he was doing or why he was doing it. He then announced he wanted to do a Pap smear, but Bonnie was adamant that she didnt need one. We knew that what he was trying to do wasnt necessary, Sam said. We werent doctors but we knew enough to know it wasnt necessary. We got nothing out of that visit, Sam continued. He got what he wanted, which was to put his fingers up someones vagina. Bonnie said the experience impacted her so much that she no longer trusts male doctors and continued to monitor Broadbents Google reviews years after her encounter with him. In recent months, some patients left positive feedback, perhaps to combat some of the negative publicity. His personality may not be for everyone, but hes been an excellent doctor for me, one woman wrote. Another female patient noted, He is an excellent and caring doctor. He doesnt mince words, hes straightforward and is very knowledgeable. I have recommended him to several of my friends. Just because this doctor was a great doctor to a lot of women and delivered a lot of babies and did a lot of good, Bonnie said, doesnt mean he also is and was capable of a lot of evil and abuse. Its important to realize that both can exist. From Jane Doe S.P.s perspective, the alleged sexual abuse reminded her of Larry Nassar, the USA Gymnastics team doctor who sexually abused hundreds of girls and young women. In some cases, Nassar molested the gymnasts when their parents were in the room by blocking their view with a towel or positioning himself in front of their line of sight. Broadbent is far from the only male gynecologist to face such accusations. Former Columbia University gynecologist Robert Hadden is facing trial in Manhattan federal court this fall for allegedly sexually abusing scores of female patients, including minors. An indictment states this molestation occurred under the guise of conducting purported gynecological and obstetric examinations at Haddens medical offices and at hospitals in New York. Evelyn Yang, the wife of former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, came forward to say she was one victim who testified against him before a grand jury. And, this year, UCLA reached a $243.6 million settlement with 200 women who claim they were abused by university gynecologist James Heaps, who also faces criminal charges. Dr. Jana J. Richards, an assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UChicago Medicine, told The Daily Beast that in general, if a teenager or young woman is seeing a gynecologist for the first time, a vaginal or breast exam isnt necessary. Its recommended, however, that women start getting routine Pap smears at age 21. Richards said that typically a medical assistant or a nurse will see the patient first, before the doctor enters the exam room, and explain what will happen during the visit. Prior to touching a patient, you should have a conversation with them, Richards said. There should be an agreement before a patient is ever touched in terms of what exactly is going to be done. Touch should never be unexpected in any doctors office but certainly in the gynecologists office, Richards added. You have to ask for permission. As for rectal-vaginal examinations, Richard said certain doctors might perform them annually but theyre usually only necessary if a physician is concerned that a patient has endometriosis or cancer and theyre checking for nodules. But thats not something that you do every year, all the time, Richards said. And a rectal exam alone is not typically something someone would perform at all. Women have to trust their intuition and they have to trust that they know the difference between good touch and bad touch and to not ignore that, she added. Unfortunately it could be a physician who touches you in an inappropriate way. The lawsuits reveal that Broadbent is accused of more than sexual abuse. One woman believes Broadbent was so aggressive and forceful during an exam that he essentially caused her to have an abortion. Jane Doe C.C. was 19 when she discovered she was pregnant in 2005. According to an amended complaint, shed never been to an OB-GYN, and her fiance and her sister joined her visit with Broadbent. She says the physician entered the room, ordered her to lay on the exam table, and opened her gown and felt her breasts. When Jane questioned his actions, Broadbent allegedly snapped, Just lay there and let me do my job. Broadbent asked Janes partner questions about their relationship, including how long they were engaged, before grabbing her ankles and pulling her to the edge of the table. Broadbent allegedly yelled at her when she wiggled back. Then, without warning, the lawsuit says, Broadbent began inserting his fingers into her vagina and began to ask questions about her fiance and her sex life: how many times they had sex a week, what positions they used, if it hurt, did she enjoy it, if she could climax/orgasm, and so on. The gynecologist also questioned the couple about their religion and whether their baby was planned. Broadbent seemed to become angrier and began yelling at them about being bad examples, the lawsuit states, told them that they were going to hell for sinning, for being horrible parents for wanting to bring an unplanned child into this world without being good members of the church, and telling them they would be better off without the childall while his hand was still in Jane Doe C.C.s vagina. According to Jane, Broadbent then stood up and placed one hand inside her vagina and another on her lower abdomen and pushed them together. Jane Doe C.C. suddenly felt the most excruciating pain, unlike she ever felt before or sensed in her entire life, the filing alleges. It immediately took her breath away and brought instant uncontrollable tears. She felt as though her body was being ripped in two. This should help you out, Broadbent allegedly said, telling her to expect bleeding before he walked out of the room. Janes sister and fiance helped her to the car. He did something to me, something is wrong, she told them as she cried in pain. Days later, Jane was rushed to the Utah Valley Hospital emergency room and informed she lost her baby. The complaint states that a nurse advised Jane not to return to Broadbent because she had seen him do things like this before. Jane says she became terrified of doctors after this incident and cannot go to an OB-GYN without her husband there to help her keep calm. She now looks back, wishing she knew during that first appointment what she knows now, the lawsuit says. She sees her younger self as being young, dumb, inexperienced, and scared. She never asked for that to happen. She never asked Broadbent to sexually abuse her and then to do what she believes took the life of her child. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Police identified a 25-year-old man fatally shot late Sunday night in Norfolks Olde Huntersville neighborhood. Norfolk police responded to a shooting around midnight in the 700 block of B Avenue, just off Church Street. Officers found Paul Robinson, of Norfolk, with a gunshot wound, police said. Robinson was later pronounced dead at the hospital. This is the second fatal shooting in Olde Huntersville this month, with the first happening three streets over around two weeks ago. Police have not released information about a suspect or motive. Caitlyn Burchett, 727-267-6059, caitlyn.burchett@virginiamedia.com Ali Sullivan, 757-677-1974, ali.sullivan@virginiamedia.com The Daily Beast Utah County Sheriff, Utah County AttorneyA wild QAnon conspiracy theory that has followers convinced progressives rape and eat kids has bubbled into a small county in Utah.Utah County Attorney David Leavitt, who is running for re-election, is calling for the immediate removal of the county sheriff, Mike Smith, over a bizarre report implicating Leavitt in a ritualistic sex ring known for cannibalizing young children. The 151-page report, which was released by the sheriff Wednesday among law e One person died after a minivan carrying two people crashed into a pond in Miami, Florida (WSVN) One person has died after a car carrying two people crashed into a retention pond, prompting a daring underwater rescue from first responders as police stood watch with long guns onshore looking out for alligators. The crash took place in Florida on Friday when a blue Toyota minivan was moving south on the Florida Turnpike in West Miami-Dade, according to authorities. The Florida Highway Patrol said that shortly before 12pm the vehicle was exiting to head west when the driver lost control of the vehicle while turning right on the exit ramp. The car flipped over before entering the water. The vehicle lost control, overturned, driving off of the roadway into the pond, Lieutenant Alex Camacho told WSVN. Dive teams from fire rescue and Miami-Dade Police did their search and rescue, and were able to rescue an adult female and adult male inside of the vehicle at the time. Both Mario Laza, 56, and his mother Nieves Matos, 80, were taken to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital in critical condition. It was later confirmed that Mr Laza, a gas station employee and mechanic, died at the medical centre. Early reports from the highway patrol indicated that there was a child in the car because a child seat was spotted in the vehicle, but first responders later said no child was present. Witnesses who saw the crash also entered the murky waters to help. Some were stopped by police from getting into the water. The wrecked minivan was pulled from the pond and towed from the area. A GoFundMe for Mr Lazas funeral costs and Ms Nievess medical expenses stated that they were underwater for almost ten minutes while being surrounded by alligators, making it harder for first responders to get them out in time. He was someone full of life, laughter and good times to share, a unique personality, the GoFundMe page said about Mr Laza. Other members of staff at Westar in Miami Springs spoke of their lost colleague to WSVN. I miss his smile, everything, how he talked, everything. To me, we lost the light of this gas station, Yusle Disperez said via a translator. You had a big heart for all of us, for everyone, a big heart. I love you very much. Although you are not here, my heart will always miss you. We are in shock right now for this situation, but I hope he rests in peace, friend Carlos Borras said. Co-workers said Mr Laza had worked at the gas station for about a decade. Flowers were left at the gas stations garage door. Poroshenko is very much in love with himself, says Presidential Adviser Mykhailo Podolyak Russia's war against Ukraine - the main events of May 31 This is a matter of the Security Council and the countrys unified information policy during the war, Podolyak, a member of the Ukrainian delegation in the talks with Russia, said in an interview with news website LB Live. Read also: Poroshenko finally allowed out of country for EPP summit in Rotterdam (The channels were partially broadcasting the national telethon) yes. And partially they broadcast (news about) a person who is very much in love with himself, Podolyak said. So this person, so self-loving, an indirect owner of channels, I dont really understand why in the war-time you sell this self-love, your narratives in this form as part of the unified information package, Podolyak said. Read also: Poroshenko addresses Zelensky in open letter about obstacles to his trip abroad The State Special Communications Service of Ukraine said the disconnection from digital broadcasting of Priamyi, 5 Kanal and Espreso TV was carried out under a decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine. In turn, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov said that these channels allegedly did not want to participate in the unified national broadcasting telethon, therefore, he said, this decision was not about censorship, but about security. Read also: Medvedchuk testifies against former president Poroshenko SBU According to 5 Kanal CEO Volodymyr Mzhelskyi, the broadcasters were offered to broadcast a joint telethon without participating in its production. That is, actually pay for the broadcasting of someone else's content. Read also: Former Ukrainian president stopped at Polish border on way to NATO meeting in Lithuania Independent media, which include 5 Kanal and Priamyi, have repeatedly appealed to the National Council, the National Security and Defense Council and the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy to take part in the production, not just broadcast the telethon, but say there has been no response. Reuters Taiwan's chief trade negotiator, John Deng, will hold more talks with the United States on bilateral trade on Wednesday, the island's government said, after being excluded from a major new U.S. economic plan for the Asia Pacific region. Deng has pushed strongly for Taiwan to be included in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, or IPEF, one part of the U.S. administration's effort to counter what it says is Beijing's increasing economic and military coercion in the region. Save Thomas Nelson Community College, John Tyler Community College, Patrick Henry Community College, Lord Fairfax Community College, and Dabneys Lancaster Community College Turn the Tide Committee, established to save Thomas Nelson Community College, will hold Press Conferences Wednesday, June 1, at Thomas Nelson Community College, Williamsburg, Virginia at 9:00 a.m. at John Tyler Community College, in Chester, Virginia, at 11:00 a.m., and at the State Capitol in Richmond at 1:00 p.m. NEWS PROVIDED BY Turn the Tide Committee May 31, 2022 WILLIAMSBURG, Va., May 31, 2022 / Matt Waters, the executive director of Turn the Tide Committee, a 501 c4 non-profit organization, and a 1989 graduate of Thomas Nelson Community College, called on the Governor to heed the call of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Brad Pollack, an attorney representing William B. Holtzman and three other citizens of Shenandoah County, has filed suit in Shenandoah County Circuit Court against the State Board of Community College to stop all the name changes. "Our petition drive calls on Governor Youngkin to listen to the people who elected him: no more critical race theory; no more cancel culture; no more 'wokeness,' no more reverse racism; no more fake history like the 1619 Project. It is time all Virginia schools, K-12 and beyond, teach American history. It is time to protect alumni, students, and faculty from the radical agenda to push the Founding Fathersthe signers of the Declaration of Independence, the Patriots of '76, out of our history books. "Thomas Nelson was one of the undisputed heroes of our country. To take him, President John Tyler, freedom hero Patrick Henry, Thomas, Lord Fairfax, and Dabney Lancaster off of our community colleges sets a very dangerous precedent. Next up will be George Mason, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. If we succumb to erasing historyespecially here in Virginia, the birthplace of seven Presidents, what do we have left? We are on the verge of losing America. The people of Virginia have spoken: "On behalf of the Commonwealth of Virginia, who elected you to 'Roll-Back' the dangerous and wrong ideas commonly called 'Critical Race Theory,' we offer our sincere petition: We ask you to allow the people of Virginia to decide on renaming these Community Colleges. We call on you to ask the Citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia and current and former students, faculty, alumni their opinion regarding renaming these colleges. "Our Petition is simple: Let the People Decide. Not an unelected, partisan state board of community colleges all of whom were appointed by Democratic Governors. Fifteen people made the decision for 8.6 million Virginians. This is a terrible overreach and must be met head-on. The Governor has in his power the ability to turn the issue over to the people of Virginia. We're not calling on him to expend any political capital, he simply must to turn the issue over to the people to decide." Turn the Tide Committee, INC is a 501 c4 organization based in Hampton and Williamsburg, VA. For more info please see: SOURCE Turn the Tide Committee CONTACT: Matt Waters, 202-257-5054 Share Tweet NEWS PROVIDED BYMay 31, 2022WILLIAMSBURG, Va., May 31, 2022 / Christian Newswire / -- Turn the Tide Committee has garnered over 1,000 signatures on a Petition calling on Governor Glenn Youngkin to "Let the People Decide" the name change at Thomas Nelson Community College.Matt Waters, the executive director of Turn the Tide Committee, a 501 c4 non-profit organization, and a 1989 graduate of Thomas Nelson Community College, called on the Governor to heed the call of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia.Brad Pollack, an attorney representing William B. Holtzman and three other citizens of Shenandoah County, has filed suit in Shenandoah County Circuit Court against the State Board of Community College to stop all the name changes."Our petition drive calls on Governor Youngkin to listen to the people who elected him: no more critical race theory; no more cancel culture; no more 'wokeness,' no more reverse racism; no more fake history like the 1619 Project. It is time all Virginia schools, K-12 and beyond, teach American history. It is time to protect alumni, students, and faculty from the radical agenda to push the Founding Fathersthe signers of the Declaration of Independence, the Patriots of '76, out of our history books."Thomas Nelson was one of the undisputed heroes of our country. To take him, President John Tyler, freedom hero Patrick Henry, Thomas, Lord Fairfax, and Dabney Lancaster off of our community colleges sets a very dangerous precedent. Next up will be George Mason, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. If we succumb to erasing historyespecially here in Virginia, the birthplace of seven Presidents, what do we have left? We are on the verge of losing America. The people of Virginia have spoken:"On behalf of the Commonwealth of Virginia, who elected you to 'Roll-Back' the dangerous and wrong ideas commonly called 'Critical Race Theory,' we offer our sincere petition: We ask you to allow the people of Virginia to decide on renaming these Community Colleges. We call on you to ask the Citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia and current and former students, faculty, alumni their opinion regarding renaming these colleges."Our Petition is simple: Let the People Decide. Not an unelected, partisan state board of community colleges all of whom were appointed by Democratic Governors. Fifteen people made the decision for 8.6 million Virginians. This is a terrible overreach and must be met head-on. The Governor has in his power the ability to turn the issue over to the people of Virginia. We're not calling on him to expend any political capital, he simply must to turn the issue over to the people to decide."Turn the Tide Committee, INC is a 501 c4 organization based in Hampton and Williamsburg, VA. For more info please see: TurntheTideCommittee.org or Facebook.com/TurnTheTideCommittee SOURCE Turn the Tide CommitteeCONTACT: Matt Waters, 202-257-5054 "Be yourself, life life to the fullest," said Martel Willis, left from Milwaukee as he joined friends Montee Travis and Paul Quinn, at Pridefest on June 13, 2010. Willis said it it not easy being Black and gay in Milwaukee but that his family and church support him. PrideFest is returning to Milwaukee's summer festival schedule. The festival, which celebrates the LGBTQ+ community, has been held in Milwaukee for more than 30 years and has grown significantly from its early days in the late 1980s. Here's what to know about the event in 2022 and other facts about PrideFest in Milwaukee and elsewhere. When is PrideFest 2022 in Milwaukee? June 2-4. Where is PrideFest held? It is held at Maier Festival Park, the Summerfest grounds at 200 N. Harbor Drive. When was the first PrideFest in Milwaukee held? Pridefest started in 1988 with several hundred people attending, according to mkelgbthist.org. That festival was held in September at Mitchell Park. The Milwaukee Lesbian/Gay Pride Committee was also founded that year. What is some of the other history of PrideFest? In 1989, after Milwaukee's mayor and county executive issued proclamations recognizing Pride celebrations in the city, religious-based conservative groups called for a recall, according to mkelgbthist.org. A rally that year drew hundreds at Cathedral Square Park. Rallies continued in the early 1990s and, as the crowds grew, they moved to Juneau Park and then Veterans Park. After the first PrideFest, the event shifted to June, aligning it with Pride Month. PrideFest Inc. took over in 1994 after the Milwaukee Gay/Lesbian Pride Committee dissolved. The entertainment offerings continued to expand and, in 1995, a fireworks show was added for the first time. The festival moved to Maier Festival Park in 1996. More: When and where the Milwaukee area's summer festivals and fairs are happening in 2022 More: From Kendrick Lamar to Lil Wayne, Motley Crue to Maren Morris, these are the 20 top concerts in Milwaukee this summer PrideFest faced financial troubles in the early 2000s PrideFest experienced some financial hardships following the 2003 event. According to a Journal Sentinel article, the festival closed 2003 owing $150,000 to vendors and other investors. The board was ultimately dissolved and Cream City Foundation took over. The festival made changes in 2004 that helped it recover, including cutting back from three to two days (it later returned to a three-day schedule) and dropping the festivals parade. (A separate organization later took over running the parade.) That helped PrideFest end with a profit. Story continues PrideFest experienced tremendous success before COVID-19 The festival broke attendance records throughout the 2010s, peaking in 2019 at 45,787 over the three-day event. But the festival has been shut down for the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Is PrideFest Milwaukee the biggest celebration of the LGBTQ+ community in Wisconsin? Yes, it is Wisconsin's largest LGBTQ+ festival. It's also one of the largest, and longest-running, LGBTQ+ festivals in the country. Is there a Pride parade in Milwaukee? Yes. This year's parade begins at 2 p.m. June 5. The event is led by Milwaukee Pride Parade Inc., a nonprofit founded in 2004, unaffiliated with the festival. But the parade coincides with the festival. The parade begins at South Second Street and West Greenfield Avenue and travels north on Second Street to West Oregon Street. Who are the headlining acts playing at PrideFest in 2022? Over the years, Pridefest has welcomed the likes of Cyndi Lauper, Leann Rimes, Indigo Girls, Betty Who and more to the stage. This year, The Original Weather Girl Martha Wash (9:45 p.m.) and Frenchie Davis (10:45 p.m.) both headline the Skyyline Main Stage June 4. There's also a drag show earlier in the evening on that stage. On June 3, a Lady Gaga tribute takes the stage before a comedy skit closes the night. When are the fireworks? The fireworks show is from 9:15 to 9:45 p.m. Saturday, June 4. What are ticket prices for PrideFest in Milwaukee? You can buy a three-day pass for $50 or single-day admission tickets. Thursday tickets cost $15, while admission for Saturday and Sunday is $25. What are the hours for PrideFest 2022 in Milwaukee? 4 p.m. to midnight June 2, 3 p.m. to midnight June 3, noon to midnight June 4. Does PrideFest Milwaukee take place during Pride Month? Yes. June is Pride Month, which came about following the Stonewall Riots in New York City. The riots sparked the modern-day LGBTQ rights movement in 1969. Are there Pride festivals in Chicago and Madison? When are those? Chicago's Pride celebration has a month of festivities in June, ending with the Chicago Pride Parade June 26. Chicago Pride Fest is June 18-19. The festivities continue with the Chicago Pride Parade June 26. There is also Pride in the Park in Chicago's Grant Park June 25-26. The Magic Pride Festival in Madison takes place from 1 to 6 p.m. Aug. 21 at Warner Park. The event is organized by OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center and features a stage show, vendors and activities. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee PrideFest LGBTQ celebration on Summerfest grounds June 2-4 On May 30, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau announced new gun control legislation. The law includes a freeze on handguns and measures to fight gun smuggling and trafficking. Mass shootings in the US, including one in Uvalde, Texas, have reignited debates over gun control. The Canadian government introduced new legislation that would more strictly regulate gun ownership, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday. There would be a national freeze on handguns, he said. "It will no longer be possible to buy, sell, transfer, or import handguns anywhere in Canada," Trudeau told reporters at a news conference in Canada's capital, Ottawa. Canadians who already own handguns would be able to keep them, he added. The proposed legislation also includes measures to fight gun smuggling and trafficking by increasing criminal penalties and strengthening border control, as well as plans to strip licenses from people involved in acts of domestic violence or criminal harassment like stalking, according to a press release from Trudeau's office. If passed, the bill would also require some magazines to be altered so that they can never hold more than five rounds. The bill proposed by Trudeau's Liberal Party, is expected to pass, the New York Times reported. This is the latest move by the Canadian government to strengthen gun regulations. In 2020, the government banned over 1,500 types of "military-style assault firearms." The ban came shortly after the deadliest shooting in the country's history, which left 22 dead in a rural area of Nova Scotia. One of the firearms banned by the Canadian government in 2020 was the assault rifle AR-15, the weapon used in many mass shootings across the US. The 18-year-old who shot and killed 19 children and 2 teachers in an Uvalde, Texas, elementary school used an AR-15. The Canadian government also promised to move forward with a mandatory buyback of the over 1,500 weapons it banned in 2020, which is slated to begin before the end of the year. Story continues The new Canadian legislation comes as a series of deadly mass shootings in the United States have reignited debates over gun control. The Uvalde shooting, on May 24, followed a tragedy in Buffalo, New York. On May 14, a gunman opened fire on 13 people at a grocery store, leaving 10 dead. Both shootings are now among the 30 deadliest shootings in US history. The US prohibited semi-automatic rifles for a decade, but the ban was not renewed when it expired in 2004. When semi-automatic weapons were banned, mass shootings in the US fell slightly. They rose again when they were put back into the market although there is not strong evidence to suggest that the presence of the ban or its end caused the change in shootings, PolitiFact reports. "We need only look south of the border to know that if we do not take action firmly and rapidly it gets worse and worse and gets more difficult to counter," Trudeau said at the news conference Monday. Read the original article on Insider Verenice Castillo has twice been the brand new military spouse. First, when her husband joined the Army, and again when he transferred to the Air Force. She learned, though, that she wasnt the only one her experiences were shared by nearly all people whose spouses serve. I realized that there was all of us who were needing mentorship and support and guidance, said Castillo, who lives in Texas. Castillo started the Military Spouse Advocacy Network in 2012 to provide that support. Starting last year, the organization began offering a monthslong virtual training camp for military spouses looking to develop their leadership, advocacy and communication skills. Participants already have the passion and want to do something about it, Castillo said. We are bringing the skills and the tools that they need in order to make that happen. The free program, called the Military Spouse Leadership Development Program, is accepting applications for its next 50-person cohort until June 10. For Williamsburg resident Alison Sigler, who participated in the inaugural leadership program in 2021, the most valuable benefit was the connections she made. Since wrapping up the program, Sigler whose family is stationed at the Fort Eustis Army post has become an advocate for interstate counseling and mental health licensing. Leveraging connections made through the program, she has been pushing for Virginia lawmakers to approve legislation that would streamline the licensure process for counseling professionals moving to another state. A child and adolescent therapist, Sigler has had to change her state therapy licensing with each relocation a process that, depending on the state, can take months. Every time we move, I cant just go back to work, Sigler said. Her husband is a physician in the Army, so Siglers family of five has forged through plenty of relocations. The moves come with the added challenge of getting her counseling license reestablished. From Maryland to Georgia to Texas, and now Virginia, the waiting time to acquire licensure has at times taken nearly half a year. Story continues The unique challenges that come with constant relocation are familiar to Castillo, who said life as a military spouse at times felt similar to her experience immigrating to the United States from Mexico at age 16. I left my family behind, my friends, my work, Castillo said. I felt out of place. Thats when Castillos vision for the network started coming together. The organization earned nonprofit status in 2014. Nearly a decade after the idea started percolating, the leadership program launched. When her family was stationed at Fort Eustis in the summer of 2020, Sigler took a break from working to focus on her children as they navigated virtual schooling. Around the time schools opened back up, Sigler knew she wanted to take on a new position. She was staring down a gap in her resume when she heard about the leadership program. I hadnt worked in in two years at that point through the pandemic, so I really wanted to get back to work, she said. Since then, Sigler has started as a military family and life counselor at Fort Eustis. She has also channeled her frustration with state-by-state licensing requirements into advocacy efforts. Sigler said she collaborates with military spouses she met through the program, and works with a lobbyist for the Virginia Counselors Association, to urge Virginia to sign onto an interstate counseling licensure compact. The proposal she backed would hasten the licensure process for counseling professionals from state-to-state, allowing licensed counselors in compact states to practice in other states signed onto the legislation. The compact failed to pass in this years General Assembly session, though 10 other states have signed on, according to the National Center for Interstate Compacts website. Still, Sigler and the counselor association intend to keep pushing. Even if she were to move again, Sigler keeps the mindset that the goal is to always make somewhere better when youve left it, she said. Sigler cautions applicants to get started quickly, as the application requires essays and and letters of recommendation. The program outlines eligibility guidelines on its website. Ali Sullivan, 757-677-1974, ali.sullivan@virginiamedia.com (Reuters) - Protesters in several cities in Iran chanted anti-government slogans overnight, including "death to Khamenei", over a deadly building collapse in the southwest of the country, videos posted on social media showed. Officials said the death toll had risen to 34 on Tuesday, with another 37 injured in the May 23 collapse of the 10-storey residential and commercial building in Abadan in the oil-producing region of Khuzestan. Rescue workers continued to search for victims under the rubble, they said. Authorities are blaming the collapse of the Metropol Building on individual corruption and lax safety and say 13 people have so far been arrested for construction violations. Iranian protesters, however, blame it on government negligence and endemic corruption. Shouts of "death to Khamenei", a reference to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, are heard on an unverified video shared on Twitter, which gives the location as the south Tehran district of Nazi-abad. Anti-Khamenei slogans are considered a red line for the Islamic Republic. Another unverified video shows riot police roaming on motorcycles in the same area, apparently to disrupt or intimidate protesters. In the southern port city of Bushehr, protesters are heard shouting "Death to the dictator", also a reference to Khamenei. "They're lying that it's America; our enemy is right here," they shout. That is a common slogan during anti-government protests in Iran. Videos of protests in other Iranian cities are also posted on social media. Iranian police have used tear gas and fired shots in the air to disperse crowds and have clashed with demonstrators during the week-long protests. In covering the disaster, official Iranian media have mainly shown religious mourning and funeral processions. Speaking on state television, Abadan's governor has warned people to solely follow official media and eschew "rumours" from social media. Iranians are already frustrated with high food prices and economic problems at a time when efforts have stalled to achieve a revival of a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and, with it, relief from sanctions. (dubai.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com) Vladimir Putin has reportedly said tens of thousands of dead Russians is a "small price to pay". (AP) Russia's army could be on the verge of collapse in the Ukraine, amid claims Vladimir Putin has seen the reported 30,000 dead troops as 'a price worth paying'. Putin ordered Kremlin troops into Ukraine on 24 February, but despite Western intelligence suggesting he anticipated an easy victory, has now spent almost 100 days waging war. Now a confidential report seen by The Mirror, written by a "top UK analyst on Russia" has claimed Putin still believes he can win a "partial victory" - despite those inside the Kremlin telling him the invasion has been a disaster. According to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as of 31 May, 30,500 Russian soldiers have so far been killed. Watch: Russian soldiers caught on tape lamenting losses and blasting army of stupid morons Putin's forces have also reportedly sustained heavy material losses, including almost 1,400 tanks, over 200 planes and over 170 helicopters. The report said: "Russia's attempt to achieve a speedy and decisive victory in the Donbas has not yet succeeded. They are still grinding forward, gaining 1-2km a day. "The Russians are now achieving what successes they have mostly by means of a slogging match with repeated, very costly, infantry attacks reminiscent of 1945 not 2022. undefined Click on this image to see all Yahoo News UK's latest content on the Ukraine crisis "The gross failures of the campaign Putin has so far been able to hide quite well from the Russian public, or to blame on various officials, who have been arrested and replaced. "The Russian population until recently bought Putin's disinformation. We have seen an attempt within the Kremlin to get a message across to Putin and his closest team that things are going wrong, perhaps even catastrophically wrong." Read more: Russian foreign minister forced to deny Vladimir Putin is seriously ill The failure to seize control of the country and overthrow the democratically elected government has caused the Russian government to switch tactics. Instead of seeking control over Kyiv, Russian troops are now concentrating on seizing the Donbas region in the east, some of which was already under the control of Russian-backed breakaway rebels. Story continues Ukrainian armed forces have been destroying enemy tanks. (Getty) Russia has been waging war against Ukraine for almost 100 days. (Getty) Questions have also been raised over the health of Putin himself, amid rumours he has cancer and has been given only a few years to live. The Russian president turns 70 this year and has in charge of his country in some way or another for more than 20 years. The rumours have been swirling for months, with various western and Ukrainian media claiming they had spoken to senior members of the Russian government on the condition of anonymity about the president's health. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy walks with his staff as he visits the war-hit Kharkiv region. (AP) People walk past wrecks of military vehicles in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv. (AP) An FSB officer (Russian secret service) told the Sunday Mirror: We are told he is suffering from headaches and when he appears on TV he needs pieces of paper with everything written in huge letters to read what hes going to say. They are so big each page can only hold a couple of sentences. His eyesight is seriously worsening. The spy added that Putins limbs are now also shaking uncontrollably. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were married for 73 years, the longest marriage of any British royal couple. Topical Press Agency/Hulton Archive/Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images The Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrates the ruler's 70th anniversary on the throne. Elizabeth, now 96, is the longest-reigning monarch alive. Prince Philip, who she met in 1934, was constantly by her side until his death in 2021. 1934: Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip met when they were children, at a wedding. Elizabeth and Philip's official engagement photo. She was 21, he was 26. AP The pair met for the first time when Princess Elizabeth was just 8 years old, and Philip was 13. Philip was born into the Greek and Danish royal families and is a distant cousin of Elizabeth's. They both descend from the Victoria royal line. 1939: It's been said that Princess Elizabeth truly fell in love with Prince Philip when they met again a few years later. The couple on their wedding day, November 20, 1947. AP When Elizabeth was 13, the royal family made a visit to the Royal Naval College, where Philip was a cadet in training, according to the BBC. They met again and shortly began exchanging letters back and forth. In the press, Philip was described favorably, as "a blond Greek Apollo," "a Viking," and "handsome as any film star," according to Town & Country. It was announced that the two were engaged in 1947, shortly following Elizabeth's 21st birthday. 1947: The wedding ceremony was held at Westminster Abbey. Queen Elizabeth on her wedding day in 1947. AP The wedding took place after World War II, which was reflected in the grandeur of the ceremony and celebrations. The British government awarded Princess Elizabeth an extra 200 clothing coupons for her to purchase her wedding gown, and 2,500 guests attended the ceremony at Westminster Abbey. For the next few years, the couple lived in Malta, where Prince Philip was stationed with the Royal Navy. Princess Elizabeth, Prince Philip, and a young Prince Charles. AP Photo There, in 1949, they had their first son, Prince Charles, according to The Royal Family's website. 1950: The pair welcomed their first and only daughter, Princess Anne. Prince Charles and Princess Anne with their parents in 1951. AP At the time of Princess Anne's birth, Princess Elizabeth was 24 years old and Prince Philip was 29. 1953: Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth, directly following her father's death. Newly coronated Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip wave from the balcony at Buckingham Palace. AP/Leslie Priest She was just 25 years old at the time of her crowning. At her coronation, Prince Philip offered her his undying loyalty, kneeling before her and pledging to be her "liegeman," or faithful servant. Story continues 1960: Their third child, Prince Andrew, was born. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip with their children. AP You can see him in the photo above nestled in Prince Philip's lap. 1961: The queen and her husband visited and hosted countless world leaders, including President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. The Kennedys, the Queen, and Prince Philip in 1961. AP During most royal engagements and tours, Prince Philip acted as the young Queen's constant companion and support system. 1964: The couple welcomed their final child, Prince Edward, and broke with royal tradition. The royal family in 1965. AP It was the first birth that Prince Phillip had attended by his wife's side, and the first royal birth in modern history attended by the father of the child. "The Duke of Edinburgh was actually holding his wife's hand as their youngest was born," royal biographer Ingrid Seward wrote in "My Husband and I: The Inside Story Of 70 Years Of Royal Marriage." "The Queen, by then aged 37, had asked him to be there; she'd been keenly reading women's magazines that stressed the importance of involving fathers in childbirth and had become fascinated by the idea," she wrote. "Thus Philip became the first royal father in modern history to witness the arrival of one of his children." 1972: Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip celebrate their 25th silver wedding anniversary in 1972. Hulton Archive/Getty Images "If I am asked what I think about family life after 25 years of marriage, I can answer with equal simplicity and conviction, I am for it," Queen Elizabeth said at their anniversary celebration. 1977: The Queen's reign reached its 25th milestone. The royal couple attends a service during celebrations for the Queen's silver jubilee in 1977. AP/Pool Above, the royal couple attended a service during celebrations for the Queen's silver jubilee. 1980s: And as the years went by, they continued to execute royal duties side by side. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip address Parliament. AP Here's the queen speaking to Parliament in 1986, with Philip on her left. 1997: The pair has faced plenty of dark days, too, like the untimely death of their former daughter-in-law, Princess Diana. The couple looks over a flower memorial for Princess Diana. AP/John Stillwell The pair were photographed visiting a makeshift memorial for the beloved "people's princess" in 1997, shortly after her death. Prince Philip also supportively walked alongside his grandsons Prince William and Prince Harry, as well as Charles Spencer (her brother) and his son Prince Charles, as they followed the procession of Princess Diana's coffin. Months later, as the couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, Queen Elizabeth described the Duke of Edinburgh as her "strength and stay all these years." "I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know," she continued. 2002: Just a few years later, Queen Elizabeth lost her mother and only sister within the span of just two months. Queen Elizabeth wipes her eyes after her sister Princess Margaret's funeral in 2002. AP/Fiona Hanson Through yet another heartbreak, Prince Philip was by her side. 2002: But later that year, the whole kingdom celebrated her Golden Jubilee, marking 50 years on the throne. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip celebrate the Queen's Jubilee in 2002. AP/MJ Kim Prince Philip appeared next to Queen Elizabeth to wave to well-wishers. And even after all this time and travel together, the Queen and her husband still share sweet moments in public. Prince Philip holds up an umbrella for his wife during her state visit to Malta. AP/Matt Dunham During an official state visit to Malta, where the pair lived during the early years of their marriage, Prince Philip held up an umbrella for his wife. 2007: They attended a service to commemorate their 60th wedding anniversary to much fanfare. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip celebrating their 60th anniversary in 2007. AP/Shaun Curry By then, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip had reached another important milestone they were the longest-married couple in the history of the royal family. 2011: Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip attended the wedding of their grandson, Prince William. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip attend the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. AP/Pool They smiled at each other during the marriage of their grandson, Prince William, to his wife Kate Middleton, now the Duchess of Cambridge. 2015: Even in their old age, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were publicly seen being sweet to each other. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip attend the Highland Games in Scotland in 2015. AP/KGC-42/STAR MAX/IPx They cozied up under the same blanket while watching the Highland Games in Scotland. They made memories with their ever-expanding family, including adorable great-grandchildren Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. The royal family in 2016. AP/Tim Ireland Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip have eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, two of which were named after Prince Philip. 2017: The couple celebrated their platinum wedding anniversary. Two lovebirds after 70 years of marriage. The Royal Family/Facebook "When we were married I don't think there was such a thing as a platinum anniversary, they didn't know we would be around that long," Queen Elizabeth said in her annual Christmas address. 2017: Prince Philip stepped down from his royal duties, at the age of 96. Prince Philip in 2017. Yui Mok - WPA Pool/Getty Images According to the New York Times, since Queen Elizabeth's ascension to the throne in 1952, Philip had taken part in 22,219 solo engagements, given 5,496 speeches, and written 14 books. "Even Prince Philip has decided it's time to slow down a little having, as he economically put it, 'done his bit'," the Queen said in a statement. "But I know his support and unique sense of humor will remain as strong as ever." 2019: Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's fourth grandchild, Archie, is born. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pose with their newborn son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor during a photocall on May 8, 2019. Dominic Lipinski/WPA Pool/Getty Images The Queen and Prince Philip met Archie alongside Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on May 8, 2019, two days after he was born. 2020: They marked their 73rd wedding anniversary, which would inevitably be their final celebration. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in January 2020. Steve Parsons/PA Images/Getty Images "Thank you to everyone for your kind wishes for The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh on their 73rd Wedding Anniversary," their official Instagram account wrote. February 2021: Prince Philip was admitted to King Edward VII's Hospital in London in what the palace described as a "precautionary measure." Prince Philip is photographed leaving the hospital on March 16. DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images On February 23, a representative for the Duke said in a statement that he was being treated for an infection and was "comfortable and responding to treatment." Prince Philip was later transferred to St Bartholomew's Hospital, a specialist cardiovascular hospital in London, on March 1. The palace said Philip underwent a "successful procedure" for a preexisting heart condition on March 3, and he returned to Windsor Castle on March 16. February 2021: Prince Harry said in an interview with James Corden that he and Meghan had video chatted with the Queen and his grandfather "a few times." James Corden and Prince Harry. The Late Late Show/CBS Following the couple's exit from the royal family and subsequent move to the United States, there's been undeniable tension between the family members. However, that doesn't seem to have affected Prince Harry or Meghan Markle's relationship with the Queen and Prince Philip. Prince Harry said in his interview segment with James Corden on The Late Late Show on February 25 that he and Meghan had video chatted with the Queen and his grandfather "a few times" and that he'd seen "Archie running around." He also jokingly noted that Prince Philip had a habit of slamming his laptop shut to end calls, rather than officially hanging up. March 2021: Things also appeared to be relatively friendly between the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle prior to the Oprah interview. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in their Oprah interview (left) and Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. CBS/Steve Parsons/PA Images/Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markle did not reveal much in their bombshell Oprah interview in March 2021 about their relationship with Prince Philip, but they did speak about their positive rapport with the Queen. "I've spoken more to my grandmother in the last year than I have done for many, many years," Harry said, while Markle said the Queen "has always been wonderful to me." Following the interview, the palace released a statement that the Queen would be addressing issues brought up during the interview, especially allegations of racism against a senior member of the royal family, in private. April 9, 2021: Prince Philip is dead at the age of 99. Prince Philip. Max Mumby/Getty Images "It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh," the palace said in a statement obtained by Insider. "His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle." Prince Philip was the longest-serving British consort in history. Read the original article on Insider Even Queen Elizabeth is stunned over how joyous her Platinum Jubilee season has been so far. The 96-year-old, who is Britains longest-serving monarch, is celebrating 70 years on the throne. She is expected to appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony following the Trooping the Colour Parade June 2 and greet the public alongside senior members of her family. "I was lucky enough to produce the opening event for the Platinum Jubilee," True Royalty TV co-founder Nick Bullen told Fox News Digital. "We did the Platinum Jubilee celebration at Windsor Castle. You might have seen the pictures of the queen in her back garden at Windsor Castle doing what she loves most, which is seeing her horses, seeing her family and looking at the marching bands. "We had something called the Top Secret Drum Corps from Switzerland, which she absolutely loves. If you look at the program, shes laughing away at the whole thing." QUEEN ELIZABETH SHARED THE GREATEST PASSION OF HER LIFE WITH THIS CLOSE CONFIDANT, BOOK REVEALS It's been a joyous time for Queen Elizabeth, said True Royalty TV co-founder Nick Bullen. Chris Jackson/Getty Images "There is such joy around this moment," Bullen shared. "One, weve never had this before, and were unlikely to ever have it again. The second is that the people really love her across the world. There is this admiration and adoration and genuine love for the queen. And third, which is a very sad one, is that were probably not going to see her in this way again. "This may potentially be the last big celebration of her reign. Shes unlikely to have another big Jubilee celebration. There are no big royal weddings in the pipeline. So, in terms of a national or even global event, I think everyone realizes that this might be the last one." Bullen is an award-winning documentarian who has been producing programs about the British royal family for 20 years and has worked closely with Prince Charles for about a decade. While he founded his production company Spun Gold in 2004, Bullen has been producing royal content even before then. True Royalty TV will premiere the U.S. exclusive documentary "The Queen Unseen" June 1. The film, which is produced by ITV, features rare footage and home movies shot by members and friends of the royal family. Story continues Bullen described how, in preparing programs about the queen for his streaming platform, he has witnessed the great emotion people in the U.K. have been feeling surrounding this major moment in the queens reign. "At this event that I was doing at Windsor the other week, people were just sobbing all around me," he recalled. "There was a flood of tears. People were just crying all around the room and all around the arena. There was this great surge of love." CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER Queen Elizabeth II using an oyster card machine as she attends the Elizabeth line's official opening at Paddington Station May 17, 2022, in London. Andrew Matthews/WPA Pool/Getty Images Bullen also noted the deep appreciation Elizabeth has for her public and their support. "When her car pulled into the area, there was this huge round of applause," he said. "The cheers were thunderous. Even she was surprised by how much love there is out there for her. I think shes slightly reinvigorated. Shes not been well, there have been some mobility issues, but she is out amongst her people. That gives her strength. And shes loving it." Buckingham Palace shared that the queens attendance at events through the Platinum Jubilee weekend will likely only be confirmed on "the day itself." Despite having mobility issues, the queen has been making surprise appearances during the Platinum Jubilee season. She recently made her first public appearance in weeks when she attended the Royal Windsor Horse Show, where she watched her beloved equines perform. She was also the guest of honor at an equestrian show near Windsor, where Hollywood stars like Tom Cruise and Helen Mirren were guests. Queen Elizabeth II watches the horses from her Range Rover at The Royal Windsor Horse Show at Home Park May 13, 2022, in Windsor, England. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Soon after, Elizabeth made an appearance at a train station in London to see a newly completed subway line named in her honor. Buckingham Palace called the visit "a happy development," noting that "the organizers were informed of the possibility she may attend." Bullen said palace insiders have told him how thrilled the queen has been in being able to make her latest outings possible. He doesnt doubt that she will offer more surprises leading up to the weekend. "I know some big things are being planned for the Jubilee weekend, which shes just so excited about," he said. "Its clear shes really enjoying it. She relishes being out among the people, whether its the U.K. or across the world. She likes meeting people. It gives her joy. "She has a phrase, I need to be seen to be believed. She likes to be seen. She genuinely enjoys coming out and receiving this huge wave of love that follows her. That amount of love has only grown stronger leading up to the Jubilee." A LOOK AT QUEEN ELIZABETH II'S STYLE THROUGH THE DECADES Its been a joyous time for Buckingham Palace, which recently endured a great loss. In 2021, Elizabeths husband of more than 70 years, Prince Philip, died at age 99. Royal experts have long insisted that its unlikely Elizabeth would ever abdicate given her lifelong commitment to public service. Still, she has turned over more responsibilities to her eldest son Charles, who is next in line to the throne. The queen continues to reign, but shes far from alone. "This is an exciting time for the queen, whose family has remained by her side," said Bullen. "There has always been so much fascination about the queen among the public, and you certainly feel that today. We continue to be amazed by her." The Red Arrows conduct a flypast as Britain's Queen Elizabeth II watches a military ceremony to mark her official birthday at Windsor Castle on June 12, 2021 (POOL/AFP via Getty Images) The Queens platinum jubilee celebrations will include a spectacular flypast that will see Spitfires and Red Arrows gracing the skies above the UK. No fewer than 70 military aircraft from across the UK Armed Forces will soar from the North Sea over several counties across the country and over Buckingham Palace. Thousands of spectators, including Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the royal family, are expecting to watch the dramatic flypast as they mark the 96-year-old monarchs 70th year on the throne. Heres everything you need to know about what time the flypast will take place and what the route is. Which bank holiday day is the RAF flypast? The RAF flypast will take place on the first day of the extended jubilee bank holiday, Thursday 2 June. What time is the RAF flypast and what is the route? According to Military Airshows, a website that tracks airshows around the UK, the flypast will take place across nine areas around the capital. Timings are based on estimates as they can be affected by weather conditions and the large number of aircraft that will be flying. The aircraft are set to gather around The Wash, a bay in East Anglia, from 11.45am. There, they will do a circuit over the North Sea before flying to the north-west tip of East Anglia to head south, at about 12.15pm. They will fly over Swaffham and Thetford in Norfolk, before heading over Ipswich and then Colchester in Essex. Heading towards the capital, the front of the procession will begin to appear over central London between 12.40pm to 1.15pm. Spectators gathered at Buckingham Palace can expect to see the aircraft appearing over the palace around 1pm after they form up over Stratford and Shoreditch. The procession will then break formation and fly over south London. Residents in these areas will be able to see the planes flying overhead until about 1.30pm. Only residents located in the very north of London, north of Finchley and Wood Green, will not see any aircraft if the route provided by Military Airshows is accurate. Story continues After flying over London, the flypast will soar over the west of Surrey and Hampshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Buckinghamshire. Which aircraft are taking part in the RAF flypast? The most famous aircraft on the roya are the Red Arrows, as well as historic planes that comprised the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF). The BBMF aircraft include and Avro Lancaster Bomber, six Spitfires, two Hurricanes, one C47 Dakota, and two Chipmunk aircraft, which are usually used for training. Community activist Eunisses Hernandez, running for a seat on the Los Angeles City Council, goes door to door in Glassell Park to reach voters. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) Five years ago, Los Angeles City Councilman Gil Cedillo faced a serious election scare. Despite having numerous advantages money, endorsements, the power of incumbency he was pushed into a runoff election by the owner of a bicycle shop. Cedillo easily prevailed in Round 2, after his opponent's campaign imploded over incendiary social media posts. But now, as he runs for a third and final term, the veteran lawmaker is facing an even more spirited challenge and this time, things are a bit more evenly matched. Community activist Eunisses Hernandez has the backing of several progressive grass-roots groups, including the local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. She's raised at least $242,000 in private donations and an additional $161,000 in public matching funds, according to the most recent city records. Councilman Mike Bonin, who represents part of the Westside, has endorsed Hernandez, saying she will bring "progressive change" to City Hall. Meanwhile, wealthy supporters outside Southern California have put money into an independent campaign committee promoting Hernandez and attacking Cedillo. With the election a week away, the race has revolved around public safety, and calls made by Hernandez to abolish the police a concept Cedillo opposes. But the contest has dealt even more with the rising cost of housing, and how to address it. Hernandez has sharply criticized Cedillo's tenure heading the council's housing committee, saying too many in the district, which stretches from L.A.s Eastside to the Pico-Union neighborhood, have been priced out or evicted. She put part of the blame on new development approved by Cedillo in Chinatown, Lincoln Heights and other parts of the district. "My plan to fight gentrification is to be the biggest barrier I can to luxury and market-rate development," Hernandez said at a recent candidate forum, drawing huge cheers. Hernandez contends the city would be better served by helping community land trusts buy and fix up existing apartments. She also assailed Cedillo over his ties to real estate interests, which have spent more than $600,000 on an independent campaign supporting him and attacking her. Story continues Cedillo, in turn, accused Hernandez of demonizing the housing industry, which he described as crucial to solving the region's affordability crisis. He said he is pushing for city agencies to acquire apartment buildings in Chinatown and Westlake. And he argued that L.A. has some of the strongest protections for renters in the nation. A walkway at Los Angeles State Historic Park in Chinatown. Eunisses Hernandez, a candidate for City Council, said residents of that neighborhood are reeling from rising rents. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) In an interview, Cedillo pointed to a city report that showed his council district produced the most affordable housing in L.A. between 2009 and 2020. City leaders have a moral obligation, he said, to approve all kinds of housing low-income apartments, luxury high-rises, modest cottages tucked into backyards to increase supply and bring down prices. "The only people who are going to build housing are people involved in the industry, so why would we vilify that community?" he asked. The criticism "seems rather odd from someone whose ... political career is funded by billionaires." That last remark is a swipe at political spending by at least two of Hernandezs backers: Patty Quillin, spouse of Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings, and philanthropist Elizabeth Simons, daughter of a hedge fund billionaire who have put at least $85,000 into a campaign committee promoting Hernandez and criticizing Cedillo. Quillin is based in Santa Cruz, while Simons is in the wealthy community of Atherton, according to donation reports. Cedillo criticized Hernandez for calling for the abolition of police, saying officers are urgently needed to respond to homicides, rapes and follow-home robberies. The district's low-income residents will be the ones who suffer from such policies, not Hernandez's affluent benefactors, he said. "Ms. Hernandezs abolitionist position is dangerous and detached from reality," Cedillo said. Neither Quillin nor Simons responded to inquiries from The Times. Hernandez said her support from those philanthropists shouldn't be a surprise, given her extensive history of nonprofit work. Hernandez is a co-founder of La Defensa, an advocacy group that focuses on electing progressive judges and creating alternatives to criminalization and incarceration. She has long argued that public dollars should be moved out of law enforcement and into addiction treatment, mental health services and stable housing options. In an interview, Hernandez said most people are in county jails because of issues stemming from poverty, drugs and poor mental health. The region's elected officials first need to address the power that law enforcement has to "drive people into incarceration and criminalization," she said. "Then we can refocus back on this question of, should they be handling murders and crime, she said. Because right now they're handling too much, and all that's happening is that Black, brown, Indigenous and low-income communities are getting incarcerated and getting saddled with the collateral consequences of that incarceration. Cedillo and Hernandez are vying to represent a district that stretches from Lincoln Heights to the edge of South L.A., snaking through Mount Washington, Cypress Park, Westlake and other areas. Although the population is nearly two-thirds Latino, some parts of the district have seen the arrival of wealthier, white residents. Hernandez, 32, is looking to replicate the success of Nithya Raman, who unseated Councilman David Ryu two years ago. She has hired several staffers from Raman's 2020 campaign, including Meghan Choi, who served at one point as Raman's chief of staff at City Hall. If Cedillo falls short of 50%, he almost certainly won't get a do-over, as he did with the runoff election in 2017. The only way that could happen is if the district's lone write-in candidate, Elaine Alaniz, wins a meaningful share of votes, denying the others a majority. As a result, Cedillo has spent much of the campaign highlighting his own list of progressive endorsers, a group that includes Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), county Supervisor Hilda Solis and the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. Cedillo, 68, is also emphasizing his work at City Hall helping Angelenos weather COVID-19. Early in the pandemic, Cedillo and his colleagues passed a measure barring landlords from hiking rents in older apartment buildings, which won't expire until July 2023 at the earliest. The council temporarily barred evictions in cases where a tenant's inability to pay was caused by COVID-19, a measure that also won't expire for more than a year. City agencies provided more than $100 million in rent relief and nearly $34 million to help Angelenos pay their utility bills. "We served over 160,000 hot meals in our district," he said. "We turned into FEMA overnight." City Councilman Gil Cedillo at the launch of the COVID-19 vaccination site at Dodger Stadium last year. "We turned into FEMA overnight," he said. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Cedillo, who grew up in Boyle Heights, is a former labor organizer best known for his work in Sacramento advocating for the state's immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally to become eligible for driver's licenses. Hernandez, a lifelong resident of Highland Park, is best known for her work at La Defensa, where she served two years as executive director and was co-author of Measure J. That measure, approved by voters in 2020, prompted county officials to put $100 million into community services, such as youth programs and job training. La Defensa also pressed county leaders to move forward with plans for closing Mens Central Jail and replacing it with social services. Those efforts have impressed Virginia Espino, a lecturer at UCLA who lives in Mount Washington. Espino likes that Hernandez is focused on criminal justice programs that deliver care, not incarceration. "I grew up with a lot of young men who wound up in jail and in prison, and their life ended nowhere," she said. "I don't want to see that for the future generations." On the campaign trail, Hernandez has promised to oppose the hiring of more Los Angeles Police Department officers, even to replace those who retire. And she criticized Cedillo for adding police patrols to the Figueroa Street business district, saying teams of psychiatric clinicians should be sent out instead. Hernandezs approach to public safety worries some of Cedillos constituents. Delia Ibarra, an attorney who lives in the Angeleno Heights section of the district, said she knows Cedillo is not perfect. But she's concerned about calls to abolish the LAPD. Delia Ibarra, a member of the city's fire commission, is worried about calls to abolish the police. "We all want a society where police aren't necessary," she said. "But police are necessary." (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) District residents don't want to be harassed or profiled by police, said Ibarra, who serves on the citys Board of Fire Commissioners. They do want officers who will respond effectively in an emergency, she said. "We all want a society where police arent necessary," she said. "But police are necessary." The California Apartment Assn., whose campaign committee has spent more than $600,000 on efforts to reelect Cedillo, seized on the crime issue, warning voters that Hernandez wants to eliminate the LAPD. Hernandez and her allies have responded with campaign messages that portray Cedillo as a tool of real estate interests, accusing him of fast-tracking luxury development and slow-walking renter protections. If Cedillo isn't replaced, Hernandez said, "many of my community members are not going to last another four years." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. By Guy Faulconbridge LONDON (Reuters) - A senior Russian lawmaker has suggested kidnapping a NATO defence minister in Ukraine and bringing them to Moscow for questioning about what "orders" the West has been giving to Kyiv. Oleg Morozov, first elected to the Russian parliament in 1993 and a member of the dominant United Russia party, said the supply of Western arms to Ukraine posed a direct threat to Russia and might require Moscow to review its military aims. "You know, perhaps it is a fantastical plot that I have brewing ... that in the near future, at some stage, a war minister of some NATO country will go by train to Kyiv to talk with (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskiy," Morozov told the "60 Minutes" talk show on Rossiya-1 state TV late on Monday. "But he would not get there. And would wake up somewhere in Moscow," Morozov said. "You mean we abduct them?" TV host Olga Skabeyeva, one of the most pro-Kremlin journalists on television, asked with a smile. "Yes. And then we would sort out who gave which order for what, who is responsible for what exactly," Morozov said. "It is not such a mythical picture ... There are new rules in the world now. Let all those war ministers gathering in Kyiv think a little about what it would be like to wake up in Moscow." Neither Morozov nor Skabeyeva could be reached for comment. A succession of Western politicians have visited Kyiv to show solidarity with Ukraine - including U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who travelled there in April with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. President Vladimir Putin casts the 97-day-old war as a "special military operation" to disarm Ukraine and halt what he sees as the persecution of Russian-speakers by Ukrainian ultra-nationalists. He also accuses the United States of using Ukraine to threaten Russia through NATO enlargement. Ukraine and its Western backers say Russia is waging an unprovoked war against a sovereign state which is fighting for its existence. Russia has repeatedly warned the West that the supply of advanced arms to Ukraine risks escalating the war. Ukraine has called for the West to send more long-range weapons. (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Mark Trevelyan and Gareth Jones) A longtime Russian lawmaker is suggesting his country kidnap a NATO defense minister in Ukraine and then interrogate them in Moscow to find out more about the "orders" the alliance is giving Kyiv in the war. Oleg Morozov, a member of the leading United Russia party, proposed the idea late Monday while appearing on state television, according to Reuters. "You know, perhaps it is a fantastical plot that I have brewing... that in the near future, at some stage, a war minister of some NATO country will go by train to Kyiv to talk with [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy," Morozov reportedly said. "But he would not get there. And would wake up somewhere in Moscow." "You mean we abduct them?" the host of the program then asked. Oleg Morozov, left, speaks to lawmakers while holding a copy of the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) before the first reading vote on the treaty in Russia's State Duma, in Moscow, in December 2010. DMITRY KOSTYUKOV/AFP via Getty Images UKRAINE WAR CRIMES TRIAL: RUSSIAN SOLDIERS LEARN THEIR PUNISHMENTS "Yes. And then we would sort out who gave which order for what, who is responsible for what exactly," Morozov replied, according to Reuters. "It is not such a mythical picture... There are new rules in the world now. Let all those war ministers gathering in Kyiv think a little about what it would be like to wake up in Moscow." Morozov, who has been in Russian parliament since 1993, made the remarks following recent train rips to Kyiv by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. He also claimed the supply of Western weaponry that is flowing into Ukraine poses a direct threat to Russia, Reuters reports. Russias invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24 and has now lasted 97 days. Russian lawmakers attend a session of the State Duma, the lower house of parliament (REUTERS) A senior Russian politician has suggested his countrys security services should kidnap a Nato defence minister in Ukraine and take them to Moscow. Oleg Morozov, who was first elected to the Russian parliament in 1993, said the supply of Western arms to Ukraine posed a direct threat to Russia. He added that the information provided by any interrogation may lead to a review of Russias military aims, Reuters reported. You know, perhaps it is a fantastical plot that I have brewing... that in the near future, at some stage, a war minister of some Nato country will go by train to Kyiv to talk with (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky," Morozov told the 60 Minutes talk show on Rossiya-1 state TV on Monday. But he would not get there. And would wake up somewhere in Moscow, Morozov said. You mean we abduct them?, asked TV host Olga Skabeyeva, one of the most pro-Kremlin journalists on television. "Yes, Morozon replied. And then we would sort out who gave which order for what, who is responsible for what exactly. It is not such a mythical picture... There are new rules in the world now. Let all those war ministers gathering in Kyiv think a little about what it would be like to wake up in Moscow. An increase in confrontational rhetoric from pro-Kremlin voices in Moscow has been seen over the past few weeks. Yesterday a Russian television personality with close links to Vladimir Putin threatened Britain, claiming the despots invasion could stretch as far as Stonehenge. Firebrand anchorman Vladimir Solovyov, known as Putins Voice, and ranted that Russia could invade Britain and target Boris Johnsons foreign secretary Liz Truss. When asked by the Ukrainian political analyst Vasil Vakarov where Putins savage regime would stop its war, he replied: Well, when we have to, then we will. Where will we stop? Well, as I was saying today, maybe Stonehenge. Liz Truss says she's the one fighting the war. The British foreign secretary has been in the crosshairs of Russian media rhetoric in recent months due to her unwillingness to compromise with Putin. Rwanda will retaliate against any further attacks launched from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the East African nation's foreign minister warned Tuesday, as tensions between the two neighbours soar. A diplomatic feud between Kigali and Kinshasa has escalated in recent days as both sides trade accusations of aiding armed militias in the volatile eastern DRC region which borders Rwanda. Rwanda last week accused the Congolese armed forces of firing rockets into its territory, and said two of its soldiers had been kidnapped on patrol by the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a rebel group active in eastern DRC. The Congolese army in turn said Sunday that the two soldiers had trespassed on its soil and had been taken into custody. At a press conference in Kigali on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta warned: "If the attacks continue, Rwanda will have a right to respond and we have the capacity to respond." "We do not want war, we want peace," he said, but added: "As the government we have a duty to protect the lives of Rwandans." "Should we let everyone to just shoot us in Rwanda and just keep quiet?" On Saturday, Congolese authorities suspended Rwanda's national carrier RwandAir over Kigali's alleged support for the M23 rebel group, prompting the airline to cancel all flights to the DRC. Rwanda has meanwhile accused the DRC government of working closely with the FDLR. Relations between the two countries have been strained since the mass arrival in the eastern DRC of Rwandan Hutus accused of slaughtering Tutsis during the 1994 Rwanda genocide. Kinshasa has regularly accused Rwanda of carrying out incursions into its territory, and of backing armed groups there. Kigali has denied involvement. Relations began to thaw after DRC President Felix Tshisekedi took office in 2019 but recent fighting between Congolese forces and M23 -- a primarily Congolese Tutsi group -- has reignited tensions. On Monday, hundreds staged an anti-Rwanda protest in the DRC capital Kinshasa, with demonstrators calling for the expulsion of the Rwandan ambassador. The United Nations said last week that the fresh clashes had displaced 72,000 people, and warned that those on the run faced constant violence and the looting of their homes. str-ho/amu/ah Storyful At least four people were killed after a shooter opened fire at St Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on June 1, authorities said.Earlier this afternoon, we responded to a call about a man armed with a rifle at the Natalie Building at St Francis Hospital. This turned into an active shooter situation, the Tulsa Police Department said in a Facebook post, adding that the shooter was also deceased.At this point, we can confirm the shooter is down at this time. Officers are currently going through every room in the building checking for additional threats. We know there are multiple injuries, and potentially multiple casualties.This footage, filmed by Instagram user @1kdavis shows police vehicles rushing to the scene at the intersection of South Yale Street and 65th Street. Credit: @1kdavis via Storyful For Wells Fargo, the public criticism just keeps coming. U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, on Tuesday decried the banks history of consumer abuses and gross mismanagement, and called on Wells Fargo officials to testify before the Senates Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs at its annual Wall Street oversight hearing. Brown chairs the committee. Browns comments were prompted by a May 19 article from The New York Times. The story stated that the bank had a number of fake interviews with female applicants or job candidates of color, improving Wells Fargos diversity efforts on paper even when positions had already been promised to other candidates. In a letter to Wells CEO Charlie Scharf, Brown said he expected the bank to finally reform its internal structures so that it rights past wrongs and lives up to the many promises that Wells Fargo has made to its customers and their communities. Wells Fargos continued inability to manage the basic requirements of serving its customers means that consumers, investors and employees continue to pay the price, Brown said in the news release. Wells Fargo did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday from The Charlotte Observer. The bank has been under intense scrutiny from lawmakers and regulators alike over the last several years. Most of it traces back to the banks 2016 fake accounts scandal, when it was discovered that employees created millions of fraudulent accounts for customers without their knowledge. The bank is based in San Francisco but has its largest employment hub in Charlotte, with more than 27,000 workers here. Other issues at Wells Fargo Browns rebuke comes on the heels of several high-profile stories about the banks internal practices. In March, a Bloomberg investigation found that the bank approved fewer than half of Black homeowners mortgage refinancing applications in 2020, compared with 72% of white applicants. That led to 11 senators calling for a review of the banks mortgage refinancing processes, and an updated class action lawsuit from renowned civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump and others on behalf of affected borrowers. Story continues Then, The New York Times reported in May that the bank conducted fake job interviews to give the appearance of diversity in recruitment. According to a number of current and former workers, bank employees would interview women and people of color for positions that had already been promised to other candidates, the Times reported. Regulatory concerns The bank also has continued to wrestle with a number of regulatory problems. Last week, the banks broker-dealer business, Wells Fargo Advisors, settled with the Securities and Exchange Commission for $7 million on charges related to anti-money laundering law violations Wells Fargo Advisors failed to timely flag dozens of suspicious transactions on its customers accounts, the SEC said. Wells Fargo did not admit or deny wrongdoing in the settlement. And last fall, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency fined the bank $250 million in September for failing to properly compensate customers affected by the banks prior unsafe or unsound home lending practices. A long way to go Those recent events add to a laundry list of consumer abuses and compliance breakdowns, Brown said, that had led to a government-imposed growth cap in February 2018. Under that restriction the most significant of several outstanding regulatory constraints the bank cant grow its balance sheet beyond $1.95 trillion in assets. It is clear that Wells Fargo still has a long way to go to fix its governance and risk management before it should be allowed to grow in size, Brown said in Tuesdays news release. It is unacceptable that after years of failed attempts, nothing seems to have improved. Brown is working to schedule this years Wall Street oversight hearing. If Wells CEO Charlie Scharf does testify before senators, it wouldnt be his first such appearance before lawmakers. Scharf previously testified before the House Financial Services committee in March 2020 and in May 2021. And the bank came under blistering congressional scrutiny during a 2019 hearing before the same committee, in the wake of a series of consumer-related scandals. Members of congress pressed former CEO Tim Sloan on what the bank would do to bring an end to its many scandals. The video has received over 4.8 million views. Sienna Mae Gomez/TikTok TikToker Sienna Mae Gomez has returned to the internet after denying accusations of sexual assault. In her latest video, she can be seen dancing to "Cancel Me," a song by Dominic Fike. The video has drawn a mixed response, with criticism on Twitter and YouTube, but support on TikTok. TikTok star Sienna Mae Gomez has returned to the internet following accusations that she sexually assaulted her former friend and fellow TikToker Jack Wright. After denying the accusations, Gomez took a four-month social-media hiatus, returning on May 28 with a video dancing to a song called "Cancel Me." Gomez, who is 18, faced widespread backlash after a friend of Wright's posted a since-deleted statement to social media in May 2021 alleging that Gomez had sexually assaulted Wright. Gomez denied the allegations at the time in a since-deleted YouTube video and a statement to Insider. Wright explicitly addressed the allegations for the first time in January 2022, posting a YouTube video describing four different interactions in which he said Gomez touched him without his consent. Gomez responded at the time in a lengthy blog post and a statement to Insider via a representative. She "vehemently denied" Wright's accusations and accused him of slut-shaming, saying she had been in love with him but that her actions had been taken out of context, and said she had been bullied online as a result of his accusations. She also appeared on the "BFFs" podcast with Dave Portnoy along with a lawyer and forensic expert to dispute Wright's allegations. Since January, Gomez had not posted on TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram. On May 28, she uploaded a new video on all three platforms a highly-produced clip set to the 2020 song "Cancel Me" by singer and "Euphoria" actor Dominic Fike, who recently sparked controversy for saying he fantasized about Amber Heard beating him up. (Heard has been accused of abuse by her ex-husband Johnny Depp, whom she has also accused of physical and sexual violence, in an ongoing defamation trial.) Story continues Gomez's clip is in a similar visual style to Fike's official video for the song filmed on a beach, with a vintage aesthetic. It's captioned "she lives" and opens with the text, "This video is brought to you by cancel culture." Across TikTok and YouTube it has been viewed over 4.8 million times. Wearing a bikini and a T-shirt saying "FLOP ERA," Gomez smiles, dances, and lip-syncs to the lyrics, "I hope they cancel me. Why? So I can go be with my family." The clip lasts 56 seconds, and doesn't include some of the more controversial lyrics of the original song: "After tour, I broke up with my girlfriend. Why? To fuck a bunch of bitches," and, "I hope I get Me Too'd." Gomez has subsequently posted three other TikToks and one Instagram photo. Comments across social media have been mixed, with some people labeling her "brave" for returning to the internet, and others questioning her choice. She has drawn the most criticism on Twitter and YouTube, where one comment with over 250 likes suggests Gomez is trying to "romanticize" the situation, and another with 130 likes said Gomez appears to be suggesting she was canceled over "some little thing." On TikTok and Instagram however, followers appeared to show more support for her than they have in the past. Some people also noticed Gomez's Instagram bio links to a separate account under the handle @siennaswim. The account has not posted yet, and only follows one person Gomez's official Instagram. The bio reads "JUNE2022" and it is labeled a "Swimwear Store," leading some followers to speculate she will be launching her own swimwear line. The mixed reaction echoes prior controversy surrounding Gomez's response to the initial accusations. Following her denial videos, she took a month off social media before returning in July 2021 with a since-deleted video in which she performed a choreographed dance to Sam Smith's "Young." Representatives for Gomez declined to comment. Representatives for Fike did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. For more stories like this, check out coverage from Insider's Digital Culture team here. Read the original article on Insider Brothers91 / iStock.com The goal for many parents is to give their children a better life than they had. You want to know that your kids will be successful and happy even after youre gone. One big way to do that is by passing on your wealth. Learn: How To Get Rich With a Normal Job Check Out: Unplug These Appliances That Hike Up Your Electricity Bill Generational wealth is building lasting or legacy wealth that can be passed down from generation to generation, says Ksenia Yudina, a CFA and founder and CEO of UNest, an app that helps parents invest for their childrens future. Its extremely important because it can help close the wealth gap for the next generation, she said. By providing your children with a financial head start, you are setting them up for future success. But if youre a single parent particularly a single mother that can be much tougher to do. In fact, single moms are one of the most disadvantaged groups in the country, with nearly 30% of their families living under the poverty line, according to the U.S Census. Yudina noted that with a single-income household, it is more difficult to break the cycle of poverty. Marriage comes with advantages including dual earners, tax breaks and the ability to split expenses, she said. Single moms are at a major disadvantage from the outset due to the gender pay gap and the fact that they dont have a partner to help with finances or childcare. Poll: Do You Think the Government Should Increase SNAP Benefits? These challenges can definitely feel overwhelming. The good news is you can overcome them with some planning. Ways Single Mothers Can Build Generational Wealth Theres no getting around it: Women have to work harder than men to generate the same level of wealth as men. Not only are women paid less, but theyre often penalized for leaving the workforce to shoulder caregiving responsibilities. And due to a longer average lifespan, their earnings need to stretch further. Story continues So as a single mother, your focus needs to be on earning extra income and investing your money in tax-advantaged accounts. Here are a few ideas for what to do. Take on a Flexible Side Hustle Getting a second job with a rigid schedule doesnt work for single moms who have to be around for their kids after school, according to money-saving expert Andrea Woroch. However, there are plenty of flexible side hustles that you can work as little or as much as you can when youre free or even from home, she said. For example, you could sign up as a virtual tutor via Tutors.com, offer pet sitting services via Rover.com or pick up and drop deliveries like takeout orders or dry cleaning via Uber Eats or Postmates, which you can do while running errands on the weekends, even with your kids in tow. The extra cash you bring in should be used toward building wealth, whether investing it or saving it towards your kids college fund or your own retirement, Woroch said. Acquire Real Estate Real estate is one of the best tools for building generational wealth. It generally appreciates over time and comes with special tax advantages. Purchasing a property now and deciding to keep it in the family means that one day, once the home or mortgage have been fully paid off, your children and/or grandchildren will either be able to continue renting out that property or they can live in it themselves without having to pay additional fees (aside from utilities and insurance), said Erin Ellis, an accredited financial counselor at Philadelphia Federal Credit Union (PFCU). Rent Out Space in Your Home Another way you can leverage any property you own is by renting out an extra bedroom or livable basement to travelers on Airbnb or VRBO. This extra money can help cover the bills so you have extra money to put towards savings, Woroch said. You may feel more comfortable renting to a professional who stays longer, like a traveling nurse, or only renting it when your children are visiting their other parent, she noted. But its a great option to increase cash flow without taking time away from work or your children. If youre not a homeowner or dont feel comfortable sharing your home with strangers, other things you can rent include: Your car when you arent using it via GetAround.com Your parking spot via SpotHero (Woroch noted this is great for someone who lives near a popular attraction or close to city center for travelers) An RV via Outdoorsy Your swimming pool via Swimly Invest in Your Childrens Education While higher education is becoming costlier as the years go by, Ellis said that higher education of any form from the traditional university, community college or even trade school is extremely valuable in helping future generations learn and create prosperous opportunities for themselves. If your children are young, consider setting up an education savings account for them now, so that they will be well-positioned when it comes time to receive additional education that could help them establish themselves professionally, and in turn, increase their projected salary, she said. For example, you could open a 529 plan, which is a tax-advantaged investment account that allows you to save for qualified education expenses for a designated beneficiary, including K-12 tuition, apprenticeship programs and student loan payments. Buy a Life Insurance Policy Life insurance is one way to ensure that your children arent burdened financially if you die. You can opt for term life insurance, which lasts around 20 to 30 years and pays tax-free death benefits if you die during the term, according to Ellis. Or you can invest in permanent life insurance, which is active for your entire life and comes with a cash value component (though its much more expensive). Either way, prioritizing that monthly premium payment now can help set your children up to be financially secure once youre gone. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Single Moms Can Build Generational Wealth This image provided by the New York City Police Department shows the vandalized tabernacle in St. Augustine's Roman Catholic Church in Brooklyn, New York. NYPD via AP An unknown thief or thieves stole a $2 million gold relic from a church in Brooklyn, New York. The "irreplaceable" missing item was a solid gold tabernacle, built in 1895 and decorated with jewels. Solid steel plates protecting the tabernacle were cut through, and nearby angel statues decapitated. A historic Brooklyn church was vandalized and an "irreplaceable" solid gold relic inside was stolen last week, AP News reported. The culprit or culprits broke into St. Augustine's Roman Catholic Church, known as the "Notre Dame" of Park Slope, sometime between May 26 and 28. They made off with a 19th-century tabernacle made of 18-carat gold and decorated with jewels that's valued at $2 million. Father Frank Tumino, the pastor of St. Augustine, discovered the theft on Saturday, the New York Times reported. "To know that a burglar entered the most sacred space of our beautiful Church and took great pains to cut into a security system is a heinous act of disrespect," Tumino said in a statement issued by the diocese. The tabernacle, a vessel built to hold Holy Communion materials, was reportedly protected by its own "burglar-proof" security system that included an electronic safe and inch-thick steel plates. The steels plates were reportedly cut through with a power saw. The artifact was built in 1895, restored twice since then, and is considered to be one of the most expensive tabernacles in the country, according to the AP. The statement from the diocese following the theft said the tabernacle is "irreplaceable due to its historical and artistic value." The vandalism continued throughout the church nearby angel statues were decapitated and materials inside the stolen tabernacle were thrown onto the altar, according to the diocese's statement. Images show angel statues decapitated at the church. NYPD via AP Security camera recordings were also stolen during the incident, which police suspect occurred between Thursday evening and Saturday afternoon while the church was closed for construction. Police said the investigation is ongoing and its not clear whether one or more people were involved. Read the original article on Insider A special prosecutor will decide whether to bring charges against a police officer in connection to former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens April ride-along with Kansas City police that was criticized for politicizing the department. The special prosecutor, Darrell Moore, was appointed in late April by Presiding Platte County Judge Thomas Fincham days after the police department launched a criminal investigation of the incident. Kansas City police said Missouri law strictly prohibits political activity while on the job. Moore is the executive director of the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. Moore was previously the Greene County Prosecuting Attorney and a deputy Missouri attorney general. Moore is set to co-moderate a debate among the Missouri Republican candidates for U.S. Senate on Tuesday night. He said his role presented no conflict of interest. The ride-along originated from the police departments North Patrol Division located in Platte County. Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd told The Star on Tuesday that he asked Fincham to appoint a special prosecutor, given his past support of the former governor. In 2016, Zahnd was a statewide co-chair of Greitens campaign for governor and was also on Greitens inaugural leadership committee. I supported Eric Greitens campaign for Governor and was a member of his Gubernatorial Inauguration Committee. For that reason, I believed it was best to turn the matter over to a special prosecutor to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of Interest in the case, Zahnd, a longtime Republican, said in a text message. The investigation is narrow and will determine whether the KCPD employee, identified through court records as Capt. David Loar, violated state statute involving political activity. Moore is set to moderate a debate between the Missouri Republican candidates for U.S. Senate on Tuesday night in Springfield. He was selected to moderate the debate about three months ago before the ride-along occurred. Story continues One of the questions is not going to be on this issue, Moore said of the ride-along. However, it isnt clear whether Greitens plans to participate. He hasnt attended past debates. Greitens campaign didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. Those two are totally separate issues, Moore said. Theres no violation of any ethical rule. I do not have a personal relationship with the police officer involved or Mr. Greitens. A moderators role is simply to be a neutral facilitator of questions, he said. Moore said worked as a prosecutor for over 28 years which meant running for elected office and that he can evaluate cases impartially. He said he has previously filed criminal charges against police officers, even though as a prosecutor he knows officers. The criminal investigation stems from Greitens April 22 ride-along with KCPDs North Patrol Division in Platte County. Greitens posted a video to social media during the ride-along that was later deleted at the request of police, who said official approval to film during the ride along was not obtained in advance. The video at one point showed an image of a KCPD vehicle. In one tweet, Greitens said, Tonight, Im riding along with @kcpolice, according to screenshots posted online. Capt. Leslie Foreman, a police spokeswoman, said the department is wrapping up the investigation and hope to get it to the prosecutors office soon. The officer remains on paid suspension at this time, Foreman told The Star. The department has previously said the criminal investigation is related to political activity that officers are prohibited from engaging in. Chapter 84 of Missouri statutes includes provisions dealing with Kansas City police. Among them is a prohibition on officers or other department employees from being connected with political work on behalf of candidates while on duty or while wearing the official uniform of the department. Greitens, who resigned as governor in 2018 amid allegations of sexual assault, took the ride-along hours after the Missouri Fraternal Order of Police endorsed Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, one of Greitens Republican opponents in the Senate race. A St. Joseph police officer and his wife were indicted Tuesday on wire fraud charges for allegedly using approximately $99,000 in money from the local police union on personal expenses. Michael A. Hardin, 46, and Sarah J. Hardin, 42, were collectively charged with seven felonies related to the use of funds from the Fraternal Order of Police over the course of four years, federal prosecutors said Tuesday. Prosecutors said Michael Hardin, the St. Joseph officer, was the FOP president for about 10 years and his wife, Sarah Hardin, a former Buchanan County Sheriffs Department deputy, was the treasurer. Between 2015 and 2019 the couple used debit cards for purchases and expenses from Walmart, Menards, Party City, HyVee and other businesses, according to the federal indictment. Prosecutors said the Hardins did not discuss or receive approval for the spending with union members. The police lodge the couple is accused of stealing from is headquartered in St. Joseph and represents roughly 300 law enforcement officers from police departments in nine northwestern Missouri counties. adamkaz / Getty Images If you're thinking about relocating to somewhere cheaper in retirement, you're not alone -- many Americans lack sufficient retirement savings to afford the cost of living in their home states after their working years are over. The pandemic also affected some people's savings and retirement plans. Moving to a more cost-effective area can help stretch your funds further in retirement, alleviating some uncertainty about your financial future. Find Out: 15 Worst States To Live on Just a Social Security Check Get Ready: 25 Things To Sell When You're Ready To Retire To help you choose the perfect place to retire, GOBankingRates used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to find the top 10 states where you can live out your golden years for less than $45,000 annually The study analyzed factors like groceries, housing, utilities, transportation, healthcare and the overall cost-of-living index in each state, all of which contribute heavily to your yearly expenses in retirement. These indices were then multiplied by the average annual expenditures of Americans aged 65 and older, which provided the final ranking of the top 10 states. The figures quoted in this article are per household. The most recent Census lists the average number of people per household as 2.5. To prepare for retirement, take a look at places to live that will cost you less than $45,000 annually. William Reagan / Getty Images/iStockphoto 10. Indiana Annual expenditures: $43,107 Early retirement might be possible in Indiana, a state where retirees can retire without paying exorbitant costs. Housing, in particular, is a steal at $7,763 annually. Utilities only run $3,745 per year, as well, and the cost of living index is 90.6. DavidByronKeener / Getty Images/iStockphoto 9. West Virginia Annual expenditures: $43,059 Early retirement is also a good possibility in West Virginia, where overall costs are pretty low. The annual housing cost is $7,793, and annual grocery bill only $4,057. POLL: Do You Think the Government Should Increase SNAP Benefits? Story continues Amdizdarevic / Shutterstock.com 8. Iowa Annual expenditures: $42,774 In addition to low housing costs, retirees in Iowa will be happy to find that other costs such as utilities are reasonable, at just $3,609 per year, and healthcare costs are only $6,661. Shutterstock.com 7. Missouri Annual expenditures: $42,726 Early retirement is definitely possible in Mississippi, the state where retirees spend only $7,962 annually in housing. Retirees will also find a reasonable food bill, at only $3,994. Kruck20 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 6. Tennessee Annual expenditures: $42,345 This southern state treats retirees well across many categories. With healthcare at just over $6,000 per year, utilities at just under $3,500 and transportation costs at $3,326, it's easy living. Posnov / Getty Images/iStockphoto 5. Georgia Annual expenditures: $42,250 Georgia makes it easy for retirees to call this lovely state home, with an annual housing cost of just $7,377. Other expenses won't break the bank either: Utilities come to $3,424 annually and transportation to $3,326. Ron_Lane / Getty Images/iStockphoto 4. Oklahoma Annual expenditures: $41,822 Oklahoma should be on many retirees' radar as a place to enjoy your golden years without worrying about money. The annual housing cost is just $7,470, with utilities at $3,598 each year and healthcare at $6,301. Shutterstock.com 3. Alabama Annual expenditures: $41,822 The South really has cornered the market on affordable places to retire. Alabama is another winner in low housing costs, the third most affordable on the list, with just $6,950 in annual housing cost. Shutterstock.com 2. Kansas Annual expenditures: $41,156 You won't find many hills in Kansas, but retirees will find affordable housing, at just $7,198 annually, and lower overall expenses. Utilities come to just $3,791 per year, and groceries to just $3,855 annually. Shutterstock.com 1. Mississippi Annual expenditures: $39,633 The number one most affordable place to retire on the list is Mississippi. Even if you can't spell it, you can retire here, paying only a comfortable $6,574 annually in housing costs. Groceries will only run $3,876 per year. Utilities another $3,420 and health costs are just $6,315. dszc / Getty Images/iStockphoto States Where Your Retirement Will Cost Less Than $45,000 a Year The best places to retire on less than $45,000 per year are concentrated in the South and the Midwest. Mississippi, Kansas and Alabama captured the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 spots, respectively. Oklahoma, Georgia, Tennessee and Missouri filled out the middle ranking states where your retirement will cost the least each year. Rounding out the bottom of the rankings are Iowa, West Virginia and Indiana. More From GOBankingRates Daria Uhlig contributed to the reporting for this article. Methodology: To find every state where retirement costs less than $45,000 per year, GOBankingRates first referenced data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2020 Consumer Expenditure Survey to find (1) the national average total annual expenditures for consumers 65 years and older. Then, GOBankingRates used cost of living index data for 2021 from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center to find (2) the cost of living index score of every state. Multiplying factor (1) by factor (2) for every state, GOBankingRates was able to estimate (3) the total annual expenditures for a consumer 65 years or older living in each state. Supplemental data was included on each state's cost of living index score and estimated annual spending in the following five necessities categories: grocery, housing, utilities, transportation, and health. All data was collected on and up to date as of February 24, 2022. This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: States Where Your Retirement Will Cost Less Than $45,000 a Year Stranger Things stars Noah Schnapp and Millie Bobby Brown have poured cold water on fan speculation surrounding the sexuality of character Will Byers. Since the third season of the Netflix show, fans have discussed their theory that Will might be gay and is struggling to come out, after developing feelings for his best friend Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard). The speculation has only intensified with the fourth season, released last week, following several scenes that hinted this may be the case. While Wolfhard seemingly agreed that Will loves Mike in a recent interview, Schnapp, who plays Will, isnt so sure. Speaking about how series creators the Duffer brothers are dealing with the potential reveal, Schnapp told Variety: I feel like they never really address it or blatantly say how Will is. I think thats the beauty of it, that its just up to the audiences interpretation, if its Will kind of just refusing to grow up and growing up slower than his friends, or if he is really gay. Brown, who plays Eleven, continued: Can I just say, its 2022 and we dont have to label things. I think whats really nice about Wills character is that hes just a human being going through his own personal demons and issues. So many kids out there dont know, and thats OK. Thats OK to not know. And thats OK not to label things. Noah Schnapp as Will Byers in Stranger Things (Netflix) Scnapp then added: I find that people do reach to put a label on him and just want to know, so badly, like, Oh, and this is it. Hes just confused and growing up. And thats what it is to be a kid. In season four, Will is shown being upset with Mike for not staying in touch after he moved to California. He is also shown to recoil when a girl flits with him in class, where he is doing a project on Alan Turing, Turing is the mathematician and computer scientist who helped to break a number of German ciphers during the war. He was later persecuted for being gay in 1952. In other recent Stranger Things news, actor Charlie Heaton addressed fan complaints that his character Jonathan, along with Mike and Will, have been sidelined in the new season. Meanwhile, Brown has been defended after a bizarre series of memes misattributing homophobic quotes to her resurfaced online. Stranger Things season four is available to stream on Netflix now. Read The Independents review here. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a campaign stop in San Antonio in February. (Eric Gay/Associated Press) The Supreme Court on Tuesday put on hold a Texas law that targets "Big Tech" and authorizes the state to sue Facebook, Twitter and other popular social media websites if they censor or discriminate against conservatives. Acting on an emergency appeal from a coalition of tech trade groups, the justices issued an order to stop enforcement of the law. The vote was 5 to 4. Conservative Justices Samuel A. Alito Jr., Clarence Thomas and Neil M. Gorsuch dissented; liberal Justice Elena Kagan said she would have also denied the stay. Speaking for the conservatives, Alito said the court should have stood aside for now. He said the "ground-breaking Texas law ... addresses the power of dominant social media corporations to shape public discussion of the important issues of the day." He said the court's decision to block the law for now represented a "significant intrusion on state sovereignty. Texas should not be required to seek preclearance from the federal courts before its laws go into effect." Thomas and Gorsuch joined his dissent. Kagan did not join the dissent and did not explain her views. The case of NetChoice vs. Paxton posed an early Supreme Court test of whether conservative states may regulate what appears on social media platforms. The answer so far is no. Florida and Texas, the two largest red states, passed similar measures last year targeted at what Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called "the big tech oligarchs in Silicon Valley" and their "radical leftist" agenda. Before signing the Texas law, Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted: Too many social media sites silence conservative speech and ideas and trample free speech. Its un-American, Un-Texan, & soon to be illegal. Florida's law was blocked by a federal judge and the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta. The Texas law had been blocked as well by a federal district judge, but on May 11, the 5th Circuit Court in a 2-1 decision and with no explanation ruled the law may take effect. Story continues Lawyers for the social media platforms appealed directly to the Supreme Court. They sought an order to put the law on hold while the legal challenges proceeded in the lower courts. They argued the Texas law is unconstitutional because it gets the 1st Amendment backward. As usually understood, the 1st Amendment's guarantee of "freedom of speech" prohibits the government from regulating speech or censoring the publishing of views and opinions. Lawyers for the tech lobbying group NetChoice called the court's intervention "welcome news." Chris Marchese, counsel for the group, called the Texas law "a constitutional trainwreck.... We are relieved that the 1st Amendment, open internet and the users who rely on it remain protected from Texass unconstitutional overreach. In defense of the law, Texas said it had the authority to regulate privately run social media platforms to protect the speech of conservatives from being excluded or discriminated against. The Texas law says a social media platform with more than 50 million users in the United States "may not censor ... or otherwise discriminate against expression" of users based on their viewpoint. The targets of the law appear to include YouTube, Instagram and TikTok as well as Facebook and Twitter. Violators could be subject to daily penalties. NetChoice and the Computer and Communications Industry Assn. urged the high court to intervene. They said the Texas law, if upheld, would deny social media platforms the right to remove offensive posts and instead make them "havens for the vilest expression imaginable." They said platforms would be forced "to disseminate all sorts of objectionable viewpoints such as Russias propaganda claiming that its invasion of Ukraine is justified, ISIS propaganda claiming that extremism is warranted, neo-Nazi or KKK screeds denying or supporting the Holocaust, and encouraging children to engage in risky or unhealthy behavior like eating disorders." In defense of the law, Texas attorneys said social media platforms that are open to the public are the 21st century equivalent of the "traditional common carrier," such as telephone lines. As such, they must be truly open to all and may not "assert a 1st Amendment right to refuse service to their customers based on the viewpoints those customers profess," they said. While the Texas law remains on hold, the challenges to its constitutionality will continue before a federal judge in Austin, Texas. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. By Rachel Savage and Leigh Thomas LONDON/PARIS (Reuters) - China's lack of experience with tricky debt restructurings and slow coordination among its public lenders is holding up debt relief for Zambia, a test case for the top emerging market creditor, three sources familiar with the matter said. Zambia became in 2020 the first country to default in the COVID-19 pandemic era, struggling under a debt burden worth 120% of GDP. Its external debt topped $17 billion at the end of 2021, of which a third was owed to China, according to Zambian government data. China agreed last month to co-chair Zambia's official creditor committee with France, a move welcomed by Zambia's government, which has made tackling the country's debts a priority since taking power last year. Emerging market investors and other debtor countries are closely watching Zambia's case for signs of how lenient Beijing will be in the future with overextended borrowers. China became over the last decade the dominant public lender to African countries, extending $160 billion in credit since 2000, according to Boston University researchers. "There is a learning curve for China and that is something we need to recognise," said a French official, who declined to be named due to the sensitivities of the issue. The official also cited "delays in the internal processes of China", adding, "we also need to have better coordination among China itself, because there are a lot of agencies that have been lending". With the creditor committee still to have its first meeting, G7 finance ministers called on China to "contribute constructively" to the debt relief process after a meeting in Germany this month. China's foreign ministry said in a statement emailed to Reuters that the country attached "great importance to Zambian concerns about debt and supports multilateral efforts to resolve its debt problem". 'COSTLY PRECEDENT' Story continues Another source familiar with the situation said that while China's central bank had been willing to move ahead, the finance ministry has been wary of "setting a costly precedent" elsewhere if it accepts big losses on loans made to Zambia. The source added that the finance ministry was in particular looking out for China's development banks, through which much of Chinese credit is extended. A third source familiar with the situation told Reuters that, alongside coordinating its many lenders, China has been hesitant to take part in the Group of 20 leading economies' multilateral debt process, versus bilateral negotiations where it can also focus on the country's broader strategic goals. China's foreign ministry did not respond specifically to questions about whether delays were partly due to internal coordination issues and unwillingness to accept losses on loans. Zambia's case is likely to be watched closely in other countries. Sri Lanka, for example, defaulted on its debt for the first time this month and owes money to a mix of creditors including China, India, Japan and Eurobond holders. Zambia reached a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund on a $1.4 billion extended credit facility in December, but the money cannot flow until Lusaka and its creditors agree on reducing the debt to sustainable levels. "China is ready to work with the international community and continue to provide within its capability Zambia with the necessary support to address its current practical difficulties," the Chinese foreign ministry's statement said. Zambia's finance minister has repeatedly said he hopes the negotiations will be concluded by the end of June, a timetable analysts deem ambitious. "Our debt burden is choking our country's growth potential and the debt restructuring exercise is becoming more urgent day by day," Zambia's finance ministry said in an emailed statement in response to questions about China's role in the debt process. (Reporting by Rachel Savage and Leigh Thomas; Additional reporting by Marc Jones in London, Yew Lun Tian in Beijing and Chris Mfula in Lusaka; Editing by Alison Williams) Passengers queue for flights at Heathrow Airport on Tuesday. (PA) An airport boss has warned the travel chaos impacting holidaymakers could last "through the summer" as flights continued to be cancelled and passengers faced long queues. Passengers have been hit by disruption for several months, with the situation worsening this week due to the rise in demand sparked by the half-term school holiday and the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday period. Cancelled flights and delays have affected Manchester, Heathrow, Gatwick, and Bristol airports. Tim Jeans, director of Cornwall Airport Newquay, said airlines and airports have been short of the numbers of people they need and it would take a few months to resolve this. The aviation industry is suffering from staff shortages after letting thousands of people go during the coronavirus pandemic. Watch: Police tell Manchester Airport passengers their holidays are cancelled amid travel chaos Travellers have labelled queues at Heathrow "bloody chaos". (PA) British Airways is continuing to cancel dozens of flights each day. (PA) Read more: Vueling flight took off without any passengers because of Gatwick delays Jeans told BBC Radio 4s World At One programme: Well its going to be a while before they get better, let me say that, theres no point in being unrealistic. It wont be I think as bad as this peak weekend, this very, very busy Jubilee weekend, but (yes), I unfortunately see things happening through the summer. On Tuesday, Tui Airways said it was cancelling 200 flights due to serve Manchester Airport between now and the end of June as the chaos faced by UK holidaymakers worsened. The airline announced passengers suffered long delays in recent days due to staff shortages. EasyJet cancelled at least 31 flights at Gatwick on Tuesday. British Airways continues to cancel dozens of flights each day, although the airline said passengers are being told several days in advance. Jeans added: To let people get to an airport and then say Im sorry we cant deal with it, is not ideal, so no weve got to plan, weve got to plan better, resource better and basically make sure that these kind of things which are putting people off travel do not reoccur throughout the summer. Story continues Airlines and airports repeatedly called for more financial support during the COVID-19 crisis as government travel restrictions suppressed demand. They are now struggling to recruit new workers and have their security checks processed. Watch: Family shares heartbreak over cancelled holiday as flight delays continue The problems are expected to last the whole summer. (PA) Many flights have been cancelled. (PA) Read more: Consumer group hits out at blame game as travel chaos continues Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh accused the government of being missing in action. She said: They should show some responsibility, do their job, and take concrete steps to tackle the chaos growing on their watch. Last month, transport secretary Grant Shapps introduced legislation to allow new aviation recruits to begin training before passing security checks to reduce the time it takes for them to start work. A government spokeswoman added: The aviation industry is responsible for making sure they have enough staff to meet demand and we have been clear that they must step up recruitment to make sure disruption is kept to a minimum. In addition, using our post-Brexit freedoms, we have changed the law to provide the sector with more flexibility when training new employees, which will help it to fill vacancies more quickly. We have also worked with Border Force to ensure preparations meet passenger demand. Ukrayinska Pravda IRYNA BALACHUK - THURSDAY, 2 JUNE 2022, 16:05 Police identified 10 Russian servicemen who robbed the homes of civilians in the town of Bucha near Kyiv and sent the loot to their relatives. Source: The Office of the Attorney General on Telegram Quote from the Office of the Attorney General : "10 Russian servicemen who looted the property of the civilian population of the Bucha Amalgamated Territorial Community of Kyiv Oblast (Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) have been identi UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States is prepared to give "comfort letters" to shipping and insurance companies to help facilitate exports of Russian grain and fertilizer, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said on Tuesday. She noted that Russian grain and fertilizer were not under U.S. sanctions but that "companies are a little nervous and we're prepared to give them comfort letters if that will help to encourage them." (Reporting by Michelle Nichols and Kanishka Singh) Belarus is making preparations to conduct military mobilisation exercises in June and July, reports say. According to state news agency BelTA, the exercises will be held in the Gomel region which borders Ukraine in the south and Russia to the east. From 22 June to 1 July, planned exercises with military commissariats - military administrative agencies - and armed forces will be conducted. Events of this kind are traditionally held to increase the combat and mobilization readiness of military commissariats, and improve military knowledge and practical skills of those liable for military service, Andrey Krivonosov, military commissar of the Gomel region, was cited as saying. Meanwhile, EU leaders have agreed on to ban the export of Russian oil to the 27-nation bloc, its president has announced This immediately covers more than two thirds of oil imports from Russia, cutting a huge source of financing for its war machine, EU Council president Charles Michel wrote on Twitter. It was also agreed that the largest Russian bank Sberbank from the Swift system be cut off, while a further three Russian state-owned broadcasters will be outlawed. Key Points Zelensky visits front line Situation in Luhansk extremely escalated, says governor Russia claims to have seized rail hub likely key to next phase in Donbas West should send Ukraine more heavy artillery, UK PM says Use of US long-range rockets would cross red line, warns Russia Ukraine leaders call for more weapons EU leaders agree to ban export of Russian oil, says president 00:00 , Emily Atkinson EU leaders have agreed on to ban the export of Russian oil to the 27-nation bloc, its president has announced This immediately covers more than two thirds of oil imports from Russia, cutting a huge source of financing for its war machine, EU Council president Charles Michel wrote on Twitter. The leaders also agreed to cut off the largest Russian bank Sberbank from the SWIFT system and to ban three more Russian state-owned broadcasters. Story continues Belarus to conduct military mobilisation exercises near Ukraine border 23:09 , Emily Atkinson Belarus is making preparations to conduct military mobilisation exercises in June and July, reports say. According to tate news agency BelTA, the exercises will be held in the Gomel region which borders Ukraine in the south and Russia to the east. From 22 June to 1 July, planned exercises with military commissariats - military administrative agencies - and armed forces will be conducted, BelTA reported, citing Andrey Krivonosov, military commissar of the Gomel region. Events of this kind are traditionally held to increase the combat and mobilization readiness of military commissariats, and improve military knowledge and practical skills of those liable for military service, he reportedly said. Military training will take place with those liable for military service from 28 June 16 July for territorial defence formations, Krivonosov said. Watch: Zelensky visits Kharkiv front line in rare trip outside Kyiv 22:51 , Emily Atkinson Zelensky says Russia hopes for famine crisis 22:29 , Emily Atkinson Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky says the Russian blockade of Ukrainian sea ports prevents Kyiv from exporting 22 million tons of grain. In his nightly address Tuesday, Zelensky said the result is the threat of famine in countries dependent on the grain and could create a new migration crisis. He charges that this is something the Russian leadership clearly seeks. Zelensky accuses Moscow of deliberately creating this problem so that the whole of Europe struggles and so that Ukraine doesnt earn billions of dollars from its exports. He calls Russias claims that sanctions dont allow it to export more of its food cynical and a lie. French journalist hit by shell shrapnel dies in Ukraine 22:10 , Emily Atkinson A 32-year-old French journalist has died after being hit by shell shrapnel as he documented an evacuation operation in eastern Ukraine, Emmanuel Macron has said. Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff, who worked for the news channel BFMTV, was killed on Monday on a road near the Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk. The French president said his thoughts were with the victims family and friends. Aboard a humanitarian bus, alongside civilians forced to flee to escape Russian bombs, he was fatally shot, Mr Macron said. Rory Sullivan has more: French journalist hit by shell shrapnel dies in Ukraine 21:50 , Emily Atkinson Protesters gathered outside EU buildings before a summit in Brussels today, holding signs like No to Russian oil and gas. (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) (EPA) No sane person thinks Putin is ill, says Russian foreign minister 21:30 , Emily Atkinson In case you missed it... Russias foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has denied that Vladimir Putin is ill, and lashed out at persistent western comments about the health of the countrys president. In a rare interview with French television, Mr Lavrov said no sane person would regard the Russian leader as suffering from ill health. In recent weeks it has been reported that Mr Putin has had cancer, lost his eyesight and has been given three years to live. I dont think that sane people can see in this person signs of some kind of illness or ailment, Mr Lavrov told the TF1 channel. You can watch him on screens, read and listen to his speeches. Sofia Barbarani reports: No sane person thinks Putin is ill, says Russian foreign minister Watch: No 'high expectations Russian crude oil supply solved in next two days, says Von Der Leyen 21:10 , Emily Atkinson Natos support for Ukraine is unbreakable, Spanish PM says 20:50 , Emily Atkinson Russia will not acheive its military objectives in Ukraine in the face of Natos unbreakable support for Kyiv, Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez has said. During an event marking the 40th anniversary of Spains Nato membership, Sanchez said: Supporting Ukraine with determination is the only way to ensure that the Europe and the world we have built has a certain future. At the same event, Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said that the cold blast of conflict would overshadow the upcoming historic Nato summit that Sanchez will host in Madrid in late June. Bombed-out Mariupol - in pictures 20:30 , Emily Atkinson (REUTERS) (REUTERS) (REUTERS) (REUTERS) Son-in-law to former Russian leader quits as Putins advisor 20:02 , Emily Atkinson The son-in-law of Russias former leader has quit his role as a Kremlin advisor, reports claim. Valentin Yumashev helped Vladimir Putin come to power and was an unpaid advisor, giving him little influence over the presidents decision-making. But his departure removes one of the last links inside Putins administration to Boris Yeltsins rule, a period of liberal reforms and of Russian opening up towards the West. Valentin Yumashev and Tatyana Dyachenko in 2009 (Getty Images) Reuters adds: Lyudmila Telen, first deputy executive director of the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Centre, a foundation where Yumashev is a member of the board of trustees, told Reuters Yumashev had given up his Kremlin advisor role in April. Asked why he left the role, she said: It was his initiative. A second person familiar with Yumashevs thinking, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also said that Yumashev in April ceased to be a presidential advisor. Zelensky addresses EU leaders 19:43 , Emily Atkinson Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has urged the EU to remain united and quickly adopt a new package of measures to stop Moscows war machine, according to a senior diplomat. Addressing a gathering of the blocs 27 leaders in Brussels in a 10-minute video, Mr Zelensky reminded leaders of the atrocities going on in his country, including the death of civilians and children, telling them it is crucial that sanctions are adopted as soon as possible. Moscow begins exporting Ukraine grain to Russia 19:30 , Emily Atkinson A senior administrator in Ukraines Russian-controlled Kherson region said on Monday that they had begun exporting grain to Russia, in a move that is likely to anger Kyiv and deepen concerns over an impending global food crisis. We have space to store [the new crop] although we have a lot of grain here, Kirill Stremousov told Russian state-owned news agency TASS. People are now partially taking it out, having agreed with those who buy it from the Russian side. Since the start of the invasion on 24 February Russia has blockaded all of Ukraines seaports and interrupted its grain exports. This in turn has impacted global food prices, caused food insecurity, and affected vulnerable populations. Sofia Barbarani reports: Moscow begins exporting Ukraine grain to Russia Anti-Russian Ukrainians blamed for Melitopol car bomb 19:13 , Emily Atkinson Russian investigators have suggested a car bomb that exploded in the Russia-controlled city of Melitopol on Monday may have been the work of Ukrainians opposed to Moscow. According to Russias Investigative Committee and a Ukrainian official, the blast, which injured three people, according to preliminary information, was organised by Ukrainian saboteurs. On 30 May 2022, an explosion reportedly took place in the centre of Melitopol near a residential building at the time of distribution of humanitarian aid, which was organized by Ukrainian saboteurs, the Russian investigative committee claimed. Reuters adds: Melitopols exiled mayor Ivan Fedorov also reported the explosion in separate statement, adding that it occurred near a building that belongs to the head of Russia-appointed administration. He said it was possible that the explosion was the work of local resistance as the citys inhabitants continued to protest against the occupation. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier on Monday condemned the explosion, saying attacks against civilian infrastructure in Russia-occupied areas of Ukraine were outrageous. Briton who joined Ukrainian army pictured in handcuffs after being captured by Russian troops 18:40 , Emily Atkinson A volunteer from the UK who fought alongside Ukrainian troops in Mariupol has been pictured in handcuffs after being captured by Russian forces. Aidan Aslin, 28, moved to Ukraine in 2018 and later joined the nations armed forces, but was forced to surrender two days ago after Russian attacks cut off supplies and ammunition to the besieged port city. An image shared on his official social media account, which is currently being run by one of his friends, showed Mr Aslin in handcuffs, with damage to his eyes and forehead. My colleague Joe Middleton reports: Brit who joined Ukrainian army pictured in handcuffs after capture by Russian troops French foreign minister visits Bucha 18:27 , Emily Atkinson Ukraines foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has said it is important that his French counterpart Catherine Colonna also visited Bucha - the sight of Russian atrocities.Moscow has pressed the West to lift sanctions against it over the war in Ukraine, seeking to shift the blame for a growing food crisis worsened by Kyivs inability to ship grain while under attack. (AFP via Getty Images) Zelensky warns of Russia food supply 'blackmail 18:07 , Emily Atkinson Ukraines president has called on France not to succumb to Moscows blackmail over food supplies at a meeting with Frances foreign minister Catherine Colonna. Volodymyr Zelenskys office said that Russia is using food security issues in an attempt to have international sanctions eased. Ukraine has accused Russia of looting grain and farm equipment from regions its troops hold in Ukraine and of obstructing Ukraines exports of grain. Biden says US will not send Ukraine rocket systems that can reach Russia 17:49 , Emily Atkinson President Joe Biden has said that the US will not send rocket systems to Ukrain that would be able to reach Russia, Reuters reports. Ukrainian officials have been asking allies for longer-range systems including the Multiple Launch Rocket System, or MLRS, that can fire a barrage of rockets hundreds of miles away. Were not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that strike into Russia, Biden told reporters after arriving back at the White House after a weekend in Delaware. Biden did not rule out providing any specific weapons system, but instead appeared to be placing conditions on how they could be used. Biden and his team are working on a new package of military equipment and it is expected to be announced in coming days. The MLRS was under consideration, but nothing with long-range strike capabilities outside of battlefield use, a senior administration official said. (AP) Watch: Russian soldier gives finger to Ukrainian drone before it hits tank 17:34 , Emily Atkinson Officials pay tribute to deeply shocking death of French journalist 17:11 , Emily Atkinson French foreign minister Catherine Colonna called the death of BFM TV journalist Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff deeply shocking. (AP) France demands that a transparent inquiry be launched as soon as possible to shed full light on the circumstances of this tragedy, she added. Here a few more tributes paid to Mr Leclerc-Imhoff: Je suis attristee par la mort de Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff, tue alors quil accompagnait un convoi humanitaire en #Ukraine. Jadresse mes condoleances a sa famille et a ses confreres de @BFMTV. Je rends hommage au travail des journalistes pour nous informer au peril de leur vie. pic.twitter.com/44XTgUMWAS Valerie Pecresse (@vpecresse) May 30, 2022 Cest avec une immense tristesse que japprends le deces de Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff en Ukraine, tue en exercant son metier. Informer ne devrait couter aucune vie. Mes sinceres condoleances a ses proches, a la redaction de BFMTV et a tous les journalistes. Nous sommes a vos cotes. Elisabeth BORNE (@Elisabeth_Borne) May 30, 2022 Il voulait documenter les atrocites commises. Faire son metier, informer. Et il la paye de sa vie. Mes pensees a ses proches et ses collegues @BFMTV ainsi que tous ceux qui nous informent depuis les theatres doperation. https://t.co/0FrZQ3ivg0 Maud Gatel (@maudgatel) May 30, 2022 Hommage a Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff, tue par une armee terroriste prenant pour cible les convois humanitaires comme celui quil filmait. Hommage a son immense courage et a celui de tous les journalistes qui risquent leur vie en Ukraine depuis trois mois pour nous informer. Raphael Glucksmann (@rglucks1) May 30, 2022 French journalist Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff killed in Donbas 16:46 , Emily Atkinson A 32-year-old French journalist has been killed Ukraines Donbas region after being hit by shell shrapnel while covering a Ukrainian evacuation operation. French news broadcaster BFM TV said its journalist Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff was fatally hit while covering a humanitarian operation in an armored vehicle near Sievierodonetsk, a key city in the east of Ukraine. He had worked for the television channel for six years.French president Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to Leclerc-Imhoff on Twitter: Je partage la peine de la famille, des proches et des confreres de Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff, a qui jadresse mes condoleances. A celles et ceux qui assurent sur les theatres doperations la difficile mission dinformer, je veux redire le soutien inconditionnel de la France. Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 30, 2022 The Independents defence and diplomatic editor Kim Sengupta has also tweeted a tribute: Very sad to hear about the death of our French colleague, Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff, here in Donbas ; he was killed while covering evacuation of civilians from cities under fire. k.sengupta@independent.co.uk (@KimSengupta07) May 30, 2022 Donetsk under siege - in pictures 16:32 , Emily Atkinson (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) (EPA) Russia ready to facilitate transit of grains from Ukraine ports, says Putin 16:20 , Emily Atkinson President Vladimir Putin has told his Turkish counterpart that Moscow was ready to facilitate unhindered sea transit of cargoes, including grains from Ukrainian ports, According to a Kremlin readout, Putin also told president Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call today that Russia may export significant volumes of fertilisers and food in case sanctions against the country are lifted. (REUTERS) Moscow TV presenter says Russia should invade UK and take Stonehenge 16:08 , Eleanor Sly A Russian television personality with close links to Vladimir Putin has threatened Britain, claiming the despots invasion could stretch as far as Stonehenge. Firebrand anchorman Vladimir Solovyov, known as Putins Voice, and ranted that Russia could invade Britain and target Boris Johnsons foreign secretary Liz Truss, the Daily Mirror reported. When asked by the Ukrainian political analyst Vasil Vakarov where Putins savage regime would stop its war, he replied: Well, when we have to, then we will. Tom Ambrose writes: Moscow TV presenter says Russia should invade UK and take Stonehenge No sane person thinks Putin is ill, says Russian foreign minister 15:49 , Eleanor Sly Russias Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has denied that Vladimir Putin is ill, and lashed out at consistent western comments about the health of the countrys president. In a rare interview with French television, Mr Lavrov no sane person would regard the Russian leader as suffering from ill health. In recent weeks it has been reported that Mr Putin has had cancer, lost his eyesight and has been given three years to live. Sofia Barbarani reports: No sane person thinks Putin is ill, says Russian foreign minister 15:30 , Eleanor Sly EU will reach consensus on oil embargo, Scholz 15:05 , Eleanor Sly German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that he expects that the European Union will reach a consensus on an oil embargo against Russia. He did not, however, give a time frame when it might happen. Everything I hear sounds like there could be a consensus - and sooner or later there will be, Reuters reports he told reporters as he arrived in Brussels for an EU summit. Biden says US will not send Ukraine weapons systems to reach into Russia 14:46 , Eleanor Sly US President Joe Biden has revealed that the United States will not send rocket systems to Ukrain that would be able to reach Russia, Reuters reports. His comments followed reports that the Biden administration was intending to send advanced long-range rocket systems to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Supermarket food costs surge with pasta up by 50 per cent in last year, ONS data shows 13:25 , Eleanor Sly Supermarket grocery costs have surged with pasta up by 50 per cent since last year new ONS data shows. The findings assessed the price of 30 everyday grocery shopping items between April 2021 and April 2022, finding varying increases across the items with five products showing a 15 per cent increase. It comes as Russias blockade of Black Sea ports has left 25 million tonnes of grain stuck in Ukraine threatening famine in the poorest countries, but with stark implications also for the UK, which relies on food imports. Thomas Kingsley has more: Supermarket food prices surge, ONS data shows Why did Russia invade Ukraine? The conflict explained 13:05 , Eleanor Sly Russias long-feared invasion of Ukraine continues to rage following Vladimir Putins announcement of his special military operation against the country in the early hours of 24 February, the Russian leader declaring, groundlessly, a need to demilitarise and de-Nazify the neighbouring state after eight years of fighting in the Donbas. As Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky leads by example from the streets of Kyiv, tirelessly rallying the international community for support, his people mount an impressive resistence, holding back Russias armed forces as best they can. The aggressor meanwhile continues to employ brutal siege warfare tactics, surrounding the countrys cities and subjecting them to intense shelling campaigns, a strategy previously seen in Chechnya and Syria. Read more: Why did Russia invade Ukraine? EU leaders split over Russian oil ban as street fighting rages in besieged Donbas city 12:43 , Eleanor Sly European leaders are split over whether to target Russian oil in the latest round of sanctions aimed at supporting Ukraine. Heads of state and government from the European Unions 27 nations will meet on Tuesday at a summit to discuss further measures to inflict pain on Russia in response to its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. But the extent to which the bloc can help could be limited as it emerged Hungary is leading a group of countries, along with Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria, to prevent an oil embargo. Tom Ambrose has more: EU leaders split over Russian oil ban as fighting rages in Donbas Moment Russian soldier gives middle finger to Ukraine drone before it blows up tank 11:57 , Eleanor Sly The moment a Russian soldier gives the finger to a Ukrainian drone just before it drops a grenade on the tank next to him has been captured on camera. The tank, a Russian BTR-82A APC, was being hidden at the side of a building but was left a blazing wreck by the attack as Ukrainian forces continue to defend the countrys east. In the footage released by Ukrainian military and posted on Twitter, six Russian troops are sighted converged around the vehicle and one of them sticks up his middle finger in the direction of the drone. Read more: Moment Russian soldier gives middle finger to Ukraine drone before it blows up tank New satellite imagery of activity in eastern Ukraine 11:10 , Eleanor Sly (Satellite Imagery Maxar Technologies Provided by European Space Imaging) (Satellite Imagery Maxar Technologies Provided by European Space Imaging) (Satellite Imagery Maxar Technologies Provided by European Space Imaging) (Satellite Imagery Maxar Technologies Provided by European Space Imaging) Putin loses two more colonels in Ukraine war including best paratroop commander 10:35 , Eleanor Sly Two more Russian colonels have been killed in Ukraine - including the countrys best paratroop commander delivering another blow to Vladimir Putins war. Lt Col Alexander Dosyagayev, 34, was a commander of an airborne assault battalion of the 104th paratrooper regiment. Troops from his 104th air assault regiment were reportedly in Bucha, which was the scene of alleged rape and torture atrocities by Vladimir Putins forces earlier in the war. Thomas Kingsley has more: Putin loses two more colonels in Ukraine war including best paratroop commander Eurovision winners Kalush Orchestra sell trophy to fund drones for Ukraine war 09:53 , Eleanor Sly The winners of this years Eurovision Song Contest have raised more than 700,000 for the Ukrainian war effort by selling the competitions trophy. Hip-hop group Kalush Orchestra were propelled to victory in the music contest with their entry Stefania earlier this month after a surge of public support from across the continent saw them claim an emotional win. It was reported that on Sunday that they had sold the crystal microphone trophy in a Facebook auction led by the Ukrainian TV presenter Serhiy Prytula. Tom Ambrose has more: Eurovision winners Kalush Orchestra sell trophy to fund drones for Ukraine war Six million UK homes could face winter power cuts and rationing if Russia cuts supplies 09:24 , Eleanor Sly Ministers have been warned of potential power cuts to as many as six million households this winter, with the government reportedly drawing up plans for rationed electricity if supply issues deteriorate. Government modelling of a reasonable worst-case scenario predicts major gas shortages in winter if Russia cuts off more supplies to the EU over the Ukraine war, it is claimed. Limits could be imposed on industrial use of gas, including on gas-fired power stations, causing electricity shortages. Read more: Six million homes could face winter power cuts and rationed supply Russia to service foreign debt using gas-for-roubles type scheme, says newspaper 09:05 , Eleanor Sly Russia plans to settle its Eurobond obligations using a mechanism similar to the scheme used to pay for Russian gas in roubles, the Vedomosti newspaper reported citing Finance Minister Anton Siluanov. In order to receive payments, Eurobond holders will have to open foreign currency and rouble accounts at a Russian bank, Siluanov told Vedomosti. The United States pushed Russia closer to the brink of a historic debt default last Wednesday by not extending its license to pay bondholders, as Washington ramps up pressure following Russias military intervention in Ukraine. Facing an unprecedented debt crisis, Finance Minister Siluanov said on Friday that Moscow will continue to service its external debt in roubles, defending its role as a reliable borrower by all possible means. As it happens with paying for gas in roubles: we are credited with foreign currency, here it is exchanged for roubles on behalf of [the gas buyer], and this is how the payment takes place. The Eurobond settlement mechanism will operate in the same way, only in the other direction, Vedomosti cites Siluanov as saying. Russia's Gazprom continues shipping gas to Europe via Ukraine 08:25 , Eleanor Sly Russian gas producer Gazprom said on Monday its supply of gas to Europe through Ukraine via the Sudzha entry point stood at 44.6 million cubic metres (mcm), up from 44.1 mcm on Sunday. An application to supply gas via another major entry point, Sokhranovka, was rejected by Ukraine, Gazprom said. War in Ukraine adds to food price hikes, hunger in Africa 08:06 , Eleanor Sly It now costs Ayan Hassan Abdirahman twice as much as it did just a few months ago to buy the wheat flour she uses to make breakfast each day for her 11 children in Somalias capital. Nearly all the wheat sold in Somalia comes from Ukraine and Russia, which have halted exports through the Black Sea since Moscow waged war on its neighbour on 24 February. The timing could not be worse: The UN has warned that an estimated 13 million people were facing severe hunger in the Horn of Africa region as a result of a persistent drought. Read more: War in Ukraine adds to food price hikes, hunger in Africa Scotland must put sympathy to one side when against Ukraine, says Callum McGregor 07:40 , Eleanor Sly Callum McGregor admits heartfelt sympathy for Ukraines plight will be put on hold when Scotland take to the Hampden Park pitch for the World Cup semi-final play-off on Wednesday night. Ukraine is in turmoil following the invasion by Russia and the visitors will travel to Glasgow racked with ongoing worry about family and friends back in their homeland. The Celtic skipper recognised a real horrific situation in Ukraine but insists Steve Clarkes side will focus, as will their opponents, on getting to the play-off final against Wales in Cardiff. Read more here: Scotland must put sympathy to one side when against Ukraine, says Callum McGregor Russias morale may decrease after devastating losses' in military - British MoD 07:02 , Arpan Rai The British defence ministry has said Russias military is likely to face a decrease in morale after it suffered devastating losses in mid and junior ranking officers. Russia has likely suffered devastating losses amongst its mid and junior ranking officers in the conflict. Brigade and battalion commanders likely deploy forwards into harms way because they are held to an uncompromising level of responsibility for their units performance, the MoD said in its latest intelligence update on the conflict. It added that junior officers in Russias battalion have had to lead the lowest level tactical actions, as the army lacks the cadre of highly trained and empowered non-commissioned officers (NCOs) who fulfil that role in western forces. The loss of large proportion of the younger generation of professional officers will likely exacerbate its ongoing problems in modernising its approach to command and control, the ministry said on Monday. It added: More immediately, battalion tactical groups (BTGs) which are being reconstituted in Ukraine from survivors of multiple units are likely to be less effective due to a lack of junior leaders. With multiple credible reports of localised mutinies amongst Russias forces in Ukraine, a lack of experienced and credible platoon and company commanders is likely to result to a further decrease in morale and continued poor discipline, the ministry said. Ukrainian defenders hold out in Donbas 05:57 , Arpan Rai As Russian attacks in southeastern Donbas increase, Ukrainian troops in the region remained on defensive all day on Sunday. At least three civilians were killed and two others were wounded after Russian forces fired on 46 communities in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Ukrainian officials said, destroying 62 buildings. The Russian offensive, including incessant shelling, has reportedly left some 90 per cent of buildings in Donbas damaged. Speaking of the strategic city of Sievierodonetsk, president Volodymyr Zelensky said: More than two-thirds of the citys housing stock has been completely destroyed. There is no telecommunication. He added: Capturing Sievierodonetsk is a fundamental task for the occupiers ... We do all we can to hold this advance. The liberation of the Donbas was an unconditional priority for Moscow, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said. Kalush Orchestra auctions off Eurovision trophy, raises $900,000 for military 05:31 , Arpan Rai Eurovision Song Contest champions from Ukraine Kalush Orchestra have raised $900,000 (712,071) from auctioning its trophy of a crystal microphone, the band announced on Sunday. The funds from the online auction on Facebook will now be used for backing the Ukrainian armed forces, the band said. Ukrainian TV presenter Sehiy Prytula said that the proceeds will help the troops with PD-2 unmanned aerial system which includes three aircraft and a ground control station. The bands frontman Oleg Psyuk also auctioned his iconic pink bucket hat. Kalush Orchestra won the Eurovision contest earlier this month for their song Stefania, riding a wave of public support for Ukraine. After sending artillery shells to Ukraine, Canada asks South Korea for refill 04:49 , Arpan Rai Canada has sought South Koreas help to replenish its stock of artillery rounds after it sent howitzers and shells to Ukraine, officials in Seoul said on Monday. The request for lethal military aid from Ottawa was confirmed by South Koreas defence ministry but the spokesperson added that no official proceedings are underway related to the request. Seoul is now actively pursuing a plan to provide 100,000 rounds to Canada, the official said. According to a high-ranking South Korean defence ministry official, Seoul could send the hundreds of thousands of shells from the countrys reserves likely sold below market value. In its recent dispatch, Justin Trudeau-led administration has sent M777 towed howitzers, which fire 155-millimetre shells to Ukraine. Defence minister Anita Anand had announced last week that the country would be assisting Ukraine with an additional 20,000 rounds of 155mm ammunition, sourced from the United States. Russia has lost battle for Kyiv and its future, says Zelensky 04:33 , Arpan Rai Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the Russian state can see itself and the losses it has suffered in the full-scale war against Ukraine, adding that the troops sent by Moscow in February have failed to capture Kharkiv and Kyiv. Russia has already lost not only the battle for Kharkiv, not only the battle for Kyiv and the north of our country. It lost its own future and any cultural ties to the free world. They all burned down. In particular, there, in Saltivka, Mr Zelensky said in his nightly address on Sunday. Talking about his visit to Kharkiv a third of which still remains under Russias control on Sunday, the Ukrainian president said that the city has been battered in the war. Both the city itself and the frontline positions of our military in the region. Kharkiv suffered terrible blows from the occupiers. Black, burnt-out, half-ruined apartment buildings face east and north with their windows - from where Russian artillery was firing, he said. From where Russian combat aircraft arrived. They face Russia. And in them now, like in a mirror, the Russian state can see itself. See how much it lost during these 95 days of full-scale war against Ukraine, Mr Zelensky said. The wartime president said that he and his administration will work to liberate the entire territory of Kharkiv. During his trip, Mr Zelensky said that the officials discussed the post-war reconstruction of Kharkiv and the Kharkiv region very objectively with the local authorities. We must use only advanced ideas, only modern technologies in reconstruction. In particular, security technologies. And the best offers from our partners, he said. Kharkiv and all other cities and communities in our country affected by the war must be reconstructed to have the most modern look in Europe, he added. Russia increases intensity of attack on Sievierodonetsk 03:00 , Rory Sullivan Fighting has intensified in Ukraines Luhansk region as Russian forces try to capture the largest city still under Ukrainian control in the territory, officials have said. The Kremlins forces have their sights on Sievierodonetsk, which is located around 90 miles from the Russian border on the strategically-important Siverskiy Donetsk river. In recent weeks, the Kremlins forces have pounded it with heavy artillery, with much of the city thought to lie in ruins. Read more of our daily round-up of Ukraine here: Russia escalates attacks in eastern Ukraine, says regional governor Zelensky fires security service boss in Kharkiv 02:00 , Rory Sullivan Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has fired the head of the security service in Kharkiv, after accusing him of inaction during the war. Speaking on the same day that he visited troops in Kharkiv, Mr Zelensky said Roman Dudin, who he claimed had not contributed to his citys defence, would be investigated. Eurovision winners raise $900,000 for Ukraine by selling trophy 01:00 , Rory Sullivan Kalush Orchestra, the Ukrainian band which won this years Eurovision Song Contest, has raised $900,000 (715,000) for their country by auctioning off their trophy. The funds generated by the sale will be spent by the army on the PD-2 unmanned aerial system. The Kalush Orchestra from Ukraine celebrate after winning the Eurovision Song Contest in Turin on 14 May ((Luca Bruno/AP)) Moscows unconditional priority is to take Donbas, says Lavrov Sunday 29 May 2022 23:58 , Rory Sullivan Moscows unconditional priority is to capture Ukraines Donbas region, the Russian foreign minister has said. Sergei Lavrovs comments came three months after the Kremlin recognised the eastern Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk as breakaway states, shortly before Vladimir Putin ordered his soldiers to launch a full-scale invasion. After Russia failed in its attempts to capture Kyiv, its troops withdrew from around the Ukrainian capital. The most intense fighting is now taking place in the Donbas, the eastern region which contains Donetsk and Luhansk. Photos from Ukraine Sunday 29 May 2022 23:00 , Rory Sullivan In some of the latest photos to emerge from Ukraine, a man walks over the rubble of his destroyed village, while a Ukrainian soldiers stands guard in a trench elsewhere in Donetsk region. A Ukrainian soldier called Nataliia stands in a trench in Donetsk region, Ukraine, on 29 May, 2022 (REUTERS) Ukrainian soldiers walk near the village of Zaytseve in the Donetsk region (EPA) A man walks amid the rubble of Zaytseve (EPA) People walk post photographs of fallen Ukrainian troops in the capitals Saint Michaels Sqaure as the city celebrates Kyiv Day on 29 May, 2022 (Getty Images) Fears EU unity against Russia starting to crumble, says German minister Sunday 29 May 2022 22:00 , Rory Sullivan There are fears that Europes unity against the Russian invasion of Ukraine is starting to crumble, according to the German economy minister Robert Habeck. His comment came as the bloc failed to agree to a Russian oil embargo. More negotiations will take place on Monday. Russias principal aim is to take Severodonetsk, says Zelensky Sunday 29 May 2022 21:15 , Rory Sullivan Russias principal aim is to capture the city of Severodonetsk, where all the critical infrastruction has now been destroyed, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said. As a result of Russian strikes on Sievierodonetsk, all the citys critical infrastructure is destroyed...More than two-thirds of the citys housing stock is destroyed, he said in a televised speech. Taking Sievierodonetsk is the principal aim of the occupying contingents, he added. Truss will prolong Ukraine war, claims Russian ambassador to UK Sunday 29 May 2022 20:30 , Rory Sullivan The Russian ambassador to the UK has accused the British foreign secretary Liz Truss of belligerence, saying she will prolong the war by sending Ukraine weapons. Andrei Kelin claimed that her stance will be no good for Ukraine, it will be no good for European peace and stability, and Europe itself. Truss belligerence will prolong conflict in Ukraine Russian ambassador to UK EU yet to agree to Russian oil embargo Sunday 29 May 2022 19:45 , Rory Sullivan The EU is yet to agree to a Russian oil embargo and will continue negotiations on Monday, one of the blocs officials has said. The discussions centre around a ban by the end of the year on Russia oil which reaches the EU by sea. However, it is thought that the Russian Druzhba pipeline will be exempt, which supplies countries including Hungary, which has opposed a total ban. Stopping Russian is a common mission, says Ukraines presidential adviser Sunday 29 May 2022 19:06 , Holly Bancroft Ukraines presidential adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak has said that stopping Russia is the common mission of all civilised countries. Writing on Twitter, he said: Why is the world paying more attention to Ukraine than to Africa and the East? - such a narrative is promoted by Russian agents of influence. Only Russian barbarians can weigh tragedies on the scales. The war in Ukraine is not a local conflict or a humanitarian crisis. This is the question of what the world will be like tomorrow. He warned that if Russia won the war it will open the Pandoras box and throw humanity into the dark ages. Every hypocritical autocrat will be able to provoke territorial conflicts, seize countries, destroy nations. (REUTERS) Russia shelling northern Ukraine, says state border guard Sunday 29 May 2022 18:35 , Rory Sullivan Russia shelled parts of northern Ukraine on Sunday, the Ukrainian state border guard has said. The Kremlins forces fired projectiles at the Sumy and Chernihiv oblasts. Russians heavily shell Sumy Oblast, Chernihiv Oblast. Russia shelled the northern Ukrainian regions 10 times on May 29, the State Border Guard Service reported. The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) May 29, 2022 Russians storm city and shell East Ukraine Sunday 29 May 2022 18:06 , Holly Bancroft Russian and Ukrainian troops engaged in close-quarter combat in an eastern Ukraine city on Sunday as Moscows soldiers, supported by intense shelling, attempted to gain strategic footholds for conquering the region in the face of fierce Ukrainian resistance. Ukrainian regional officials reported Russian forces storming Sievierodonetsk after trying unsuccessfully to encircle the city. The fighting knocked out power and mobile phone service, and a humanitarian relief centre could not operate because of the danger, the mayor said. Sievierodonetsk, located about 89 miles south of the Russian border, emerged in recent days as the epicentre of Moscows quest to capture all of Ukraines industrial Donbas region. Russia also stepped up its efforts to take nearby Lysychansk, where civilians rushed to escape persistent shelling. The two eastern cities span the strategically-important Siverskiy Donetsk river. They are the last major areas under Ukrainian control in Luhansk province, which makes up the Donbas together with neighbouring Donetsk. Reporting by the Associated Press. Zelensky commends soldiers during visit to Kharkiv region Sunday 29 May 2022 17:05 , Andy Gregory Here are more details from Volodymyr Zelenskys visit to Kharkiv his first official appearance outside the Kyiv region since Russias invasion began. You risk your lives for us all and for our country, the president's office website cited him as telling soldiers on the front line, adding that he handed out commendations and gifts. Mr Zelensky's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, wrote on the Telegram app that the president also toured destroyed residential buildings, noting that their replacements had to be built with bomb shelters in place. The president's chief of staff added that 31 per cent of Kharkiv regions territory was currently occupied by Russia, and a further 5 per cent had been taken back by Ukraine having been occupied earlier. Voldoymyr Zelensky visits the Kharkiv region (EPA/Ukrainian presidential press service handout) Volodymyr Zelensky awarding Ukrainian servicemen during his visit (EPA/Ukrainian presidential press service) Poland has given Ukraine 18 howitzers Sunday 29 May 2022 16:42 , Andy Gregory Poland has given Ukraine 18 AHS Krab self-propelled howitzers and trained some 100 Ukrainians to operate them, Polish public radio has reported, citing a government source. Faced with heavy shelling in its eastern provinces, Ukraine has called on the West to provide it with more longer-range weapons in order to turn the tide in the war. The AHS Krab has a maximum firing range of 40 kilometres. Blasts heard in Kharkiv after Zelensky makes trip to city Sunday 29 May 2022 16:19 , Andy Gregory Several explosions were heard in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv just hours after a visit by Volodymyr Zelensky, a Reuters journalist said. The Ukrainian president was making his first trip outside of the Kyiv region since the start of Russia's invasion. A large plume of dark smoke could be seen rising northeast of the city centre. Kharkiv has been subjected to Russian shelling in recent days after several weeks of relative quiet. Turkey's Erdogan still against Finnish, Swedish NATO bids Sunday 29 May 2022 15:59 , Andy Gregory Turkeys president has told journalists he still intends to block Finland and Swedens accession to NATO. Recep Tayyip Erdogan said meetings this week with Finnish and Swedish delegations had not been at the expected level, noting there had been no steps taken to alleviate Turkeys security concerns. As long as Tayyip Erdogan is at the head of the Republic of Turkey, we cannot say yes to countries that support terror joining NATO, he told journalists on his plane following a visit to Azerbaijan Saturday, according to the daily Hurriyet newspaper. Erdogan referred to an interview on Swedish state television with Salih Muslim, a member of the Syrian Kurdish administration in northeast Syria, on the night of the delegation meeting. He cited this as evidence of Swedens support for Syrian Kurdish militants that Turkey views as an extension of an outlawed Kurdish group that has led an insurgency against Turkey since 1984. They are not honest or genuine, Erdogan said and vowed to not allow countries that nuzzle terrorists to their bosom, feed terrorists on their laps. He also accused Germany, France and the Netherlands of committing the same mistake of supporting terror. The Syrian Kurdish Peoples Protection Units, or YPG, forms the backbone of U.S.-led forces in the fight against the Islamic State group. Turkey has been fighting the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, since 1984 inside Turkey and northern Iraq, where it has stepped up its operations. Ankara has also led cross-border operations into Syria to push the YPG away from its border, saying they are one and the same as the PKK. All NATO members must approve the two Nordic nations historic bid to join the alliance, propelled by alarm at Russias invasion of Ukraine. Turkey, which commands the second largest army in the alliance, has said it wont allow their accession unless steps are taken, including a lifting of restrictions on weapons sales to Turkey. Erdogan added he would be speaking by phone with Russian and Ukrainian leaders on Monday. Vladimir Putin given three years to live and is losing his eyesight due to illness, spy claims Sunday 29 May 2022 15:34 , Andy Gregory A supposed Russian spy has claimed that Vladimir Putin has been given just three years to live by doctors, my colleague Maryam Zakir-Hussain reports. Messages said to be from an unidentified Russian spy to FSB defector Boris Karpichkov claim the 69-year-old president has no more than two to three years to stay alive and has a severe form of rapidly progressing cancer. We are told he is suffering from headaches and when he appears on TV he needs pieces of paper with everything written in huge letters to read what hes going to say, the Russian officer told the Sunday Mirror. They are so big each page can only hold a couple of sentences. His eyesight is seriously worsening. The spy added that Putins limbs are now also shaking uncontrollably. Putin given three years to live and is losing eyesight due to illness spy claims Russia fires hypersonic missile capable of reaching target 600 miles away Sunday 29 May 2022 15:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Russia has successfully fired its new hypersonic Zircon cruise missile ahead of the weapons debut on warships in the coming weeks, its defency ministry said. It was launched from the Admiral Gorshkov frigate in the Barents Sea, and hit its target some 625 miles away in the White Sea, Russias defence ministry announced. According to objective control data, the Zircon hypersonic cruise missile successfully hit a sea target located at a distance of about 1,000 km, its statement read. My colleague Zaina Alibhai has more: Russia fires hypersonic missile capable of reaching target 600 miles away ICYMI - Ukraine leaders make desperate call for more weapons Sunday 29 May 2022 14:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Ukraine leaders have repeated a call for US-made long-range multiple-rocket launchers to defend against strengthening Russian attacks. It is hard to fight when you are attacked from 70 km away and have nothing to fight back with, Ukrainian presidential adviser and peace negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak posted on Twitter. Ukraine can return Russia behind the Iron Curtain, but we need effective weapons for that. President Volodymyr Zelensky voiced hopes that Ukraines allies would provide needed weapons, adding that he expected good news this week. US officials said such systems are actively being considered and a decision could be given in the coming days. Why did Russia invade Ukraine? The conflict explained Sunday 29 May 2022 14:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Russias long-feared invasion of Ukraine continues to rage following Vladimir Putins announcement of his special military operation against the country in the early hours of 24 February, the Russian leader declaring, groundlessly, a need to demilitarise and de-Nazify the neighbouring state after eight years of fighting in the Donbas. As Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky leads by example from the streets of Kyiv, tirelessly rallying the international community for support, his people mount an impressive resistence, holding back Russias armed forces as best they can. My colleagues Thomas Kingsley and Joe Sommerlad explain how the conflict began: Why did Russia invade Ukraine? Serbia's Vucic says agreed 3-year gas supply contract with Putin Sunday 29 May 2022 13:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Sunday he had agreed a new three-year gas supply contract in a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. I can not speak about the price now, all details will be agreed with Gazprom, Vucic told reporters. Vucic said that Serbia he had agreed with Putin that the price of gas would be linked to the oil price, but did not elaborate. Serbias 10-year gas supply contract with Gazprom expires on May 31. Vucic also said that he had discussed with Putin expansion of gas storage space in the Balkan country. Putin said to call him if I feel there is anything more to be discussed, said Vucic, Putins closest ally in Europe. Serbia, which aims to join the European Union, has come under pressure recently from Western countries to align its foreign policy with the bloc and impose sanctions on Russia. In 2008 the Balkan country put its gas and oil sectors in the hands of Russian companies. Gazprom Neft and Gazprom together hold a majority stake in the countrys sole oil company while Gazprom is majority shareholder in the countrys sole gas storage facility. ICYMI - All this suffering because of a madman: Putins forces intensify attacks in bid to seize the Donbas Sunday 29 May 2022 13:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Reporting from Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk, Kim Sengupta speaks to families about their grief over losing loved ones as Russia steps up its assault on the two cities of eastern Ukraine. No mother should have to watch her daughter die. No mother should have to piece together her daughters body. They killed her, they broke my heart, they broke the hearts of our family, inconsolable Vera Ivanova said. Read the full piece here: All this suffering because of a madman: Russia intensifies Donbas assault Months after dam destroyed to stop Russian advance, parts of village still flooded Sunday 29 May 2022 12:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Some 50 homes in the village of Demydiv remain partially submerged months after a dam was destroyed and the area flooded to stop Russian troops from advancing on Ukraine capital Kyiv, regional governor Oleksiy Kuleba said late on Saturday. The Ukrainian military blew up a dam on the river Irpin in February, sending water surging into the village and thousands of acres around it, flooding houses and fields, but preventing Russian tanks from reaching the capital city. At this time, about 50 houses in the village of Demydiv remain flooded, Kuleba wrote in a post on the Telegram messaging app. People are understanding of the situation. We, in turn, make every effort to resolve the issue. The village, whose history goes back a thousand years, had been partially evacuated after the start of the invasion, local media reported, but some residents have returned since Moscow shifted its offensive to east Ukraine. Over the weekend, Russian forces pummelled eastern towns in what the Kremlin calls its special operation to disarm Ukraine and protect it from fascists. Kyiv and Western countries dismiss this as a false pretext for a land grab. Ukrainan defenders hold out in Donbas city under heavy fire Sunday 29 May 2022 12:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Ukrainian forces were on Sunday resisting a Russian assault on Sievierodonetsk, the largest city they still hold in the eastern Donbas region, but were weathering heavy artillery barrages, Ukrainian officials said. The shelling was so intense it was not possible to assess casualties and damage, the governor of Luhansk region, Serhiy Gaidai, said. Dozens of buildings have been destroyed in the past few days. The situation has extremely escalated, Gaidai said. The Ukrainian government meanwhile urged the West to provide it with more longer-range weapons in order to turn the tide in the war, now in its fourth month. The battle for Sievierodonetsk, which lies on the eastern side of the Siverskyi Donets River, has become the focus of attention as Russia ekes out slow but solid gains in the Donbas, comprising of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Russia has concentrated huge firepower on a small area, a contrast to earlier phases of the conflict when its forces were often spread too thinly. Russia says destroyed arsenal of Ukrainian army in Kryvyi Rih Sunday 29 May 2022 11:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain The Russian defence ministry said on Sunday that Russian missiles have destroyed a large arsenal of the Ukrainian army in the city of Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine, state news agency TASS quoted the ministry as saying. The defence ministry also said Russian anti-aircraft defence systems shot down a Ukrainian SU-25 fighter jet in Dnipro region, TASS reported. Mothers flee with toddlers as fighting in Lysychansk intensifies Sunday 29 May 2022 11:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain As Russian forces press their offensive to take the eastern Ukrainian cities of Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk, civilians who have managed to flee say intensified shelling over the past week left them unable to even venture out from basement bomb shelters. Bouncing her 18-month-old son on her lap, Yana Skakova choked back tears as she described living in a basement under relentless bombing, and having to leave her husband behind when she fled with her baby and four-year-old son. Initially after the war broke out, there were quiet times when they could come out of the basement to cook in the street and let the children play outdoors. But about a week ago, the bombing intensified. For the past five days, they hadnt been able to venture out of the basement at all. Now the situation is bad, its scary to go out, she said. It was the police who came to evacuate them Friday from the basement where 18 people, including nine children, had been living for the past two and a half months. We were sitting there, then the traffic police came and they said: You should evacuate as fast as possible, since it is dangerous to stay in Lysychansk now, Skakova said. Despite the bombings and the lack of electricity, gas and water, nobody really wanted to go.None of us wanted to leave our native city, she said. But for the sake of these small children, we decided to leave. She broke down in tears as she described how her husband stayed behind to take care of their house and animals. Yehor is 1 1/2-years old, and now hes without a father, Skakova said. Russian forces advance in east, shifting momentum Sunday 29 May 2022 10:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Russian forces have stepped up their assault on the Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk after claiming to have captured the nearby rail hub of Lyman, as Kyiv intensified calls for longer-range weapons from the West. Slow, solid Russian gains in recent days in eastern Ukraines Donbas, comprising the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, point to a subtle momentum shift in the war, now in its fourth month. Invading forces appear close to seizing all of the Luhansk region, one of the more modest war goals the Kremlin set after abandoning its assault on the capital, Kyiv, in the face of Ukrainian resistance. Russias defence ministry said on Saturday its troops and allied separatist forces were in full control of Lyman, the site of a railway junction west of the Siverskyi Donets River in the Donetsk. However, Ukraines deputy defence minister, Hanna Malyar, said the battle for Lyman continued, the ZN.ua website reported. Sievierodonetsk, some 60 km (40 miles) from Lyman on the eastern side of the river and the largest Donbas city still held by Ukraine, was under heavy assault from the Russians. With the use of artillery, Russian forces carried out assault operations in the area of the city of Sievierodonetsk. The fighting continues,aAA the General Staff of Ukraines armed forces said early on Sunday. Russian artillery was also pounding the Lysychansk-Bakhmut road, which Russia must take to close a pincer movement and encircle Ukrainian forces, and police said there was significant destruction in Lysychansk. The governor of Luhansk said on Friday Russian troops had already entered Sievierodonetsk. Ukrainian troops may have to retreat from the city to avoid capture, Governor Serhiy Gaidai said. It was not clear whether they had begun to pull out on Saturday. Lithuanians fundraise to buy drone for Ukraine Sunday 29 May 2022 10:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Hundreds of Lithuanians clubbed together to buy an advanced military drone for Ukraine in its war against Russia, in a show of solidarity with a fellow country formerly under Moscows rule. The target of five million euros ($5.4 million) was raised in just three and a half days, largely in small amounts, to fund the purchase of a Byraktar TB2 military drone, according to Laisves TV, the Lithuanian internet broadcaster that launched the drive. Before this war started, none of us thought that we would be buying guns. But its a normal thing now. Something must be done for the world to get better, said Agne Belickaite, 32, who sent 100 euros as soon as the fundraising launched on Wednesday. Ive been donating to buy guns for Ukraine for a while now. And will do so until the victory, she told Reuters, adding she was motivated in part by fears Russia could attack Lithuania. The drone has proven effective in recent years against Russian forces and their allies in conflicts in Syria and Libya, and its purchase is being orchestrated by Lithuanias Ministry of Defence, which told Reuters it planned to sign a letter of intent to buy the craft from Turkey next week. Novel, unexpected fundraisers fire people up again. Its the third month of the invasion, its important to avoid getting used to it, Lithuanias Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte told Laisves TV. This is the first case in history when ordinary people raise money to buy something like a Bayraktar. It is unprecedented, it is unbelievable, Beshta Petro, Ukraines ambassador to Lithuania, told Laisves TV. Zelensky says Ukraine could soon outnumber Russian technology Sunday 29 May 2022 09:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine, working to boost weapons supplies, was approaching the point where it would outnumber the Russians technologically and in terms of its ability to strike. Of course, a lot depends on our partners and their readiness to provide Ukraine with everything necessary to protect freedom. And I expect good news on this next week, he said in a late-night video, without giving details. Zelensk y adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said late on Saturday that the weapons we so desperately need will most likely be delivered soon. Why did Russia invade Ukraine? The conflict explained Sunday 29 May 2022 09:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Vladimir Putins military assault continues in face of near-unanimous international condemnation. My colleagues Thomas Kingsley and Joe Sommerlad explain why Russia is invading Ukraine. Why did Russia invade Ukraine? KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO TUESDAY, 31 MAY 2022, 21:31 It is likely that, for the foreseeable future, it will not be possible to restore the Ukrainian mobile, landline and internet networks disconnected by the occupiers in the Kherson Oblast. Source: State Service of Special Communications Quote: "Unfortunately, communications in the region will most likely not be restored in the near future, as the relevant equipment is under the full control of the occupation regime and the Russian military." Details: The service stated that on 30 May, Ukrainian mobile, landline and internet service providers first noted service disruptions, which was followed by a complete disconnection of telecommunications in Kherson Oblast. Quote: "According to the information received from the companies, the representatives of the occupation regime interfered with the operation of the equipment by disconnecting cables, cutting off power supply to the equipment, etc. Currently, residents of the oblast are left without Ukrainian mobile connection and internet access, and are not able to make domestic and international calls using landlines." More details: The State Service of Special Communications Service has not ruled out the attempts to connect Ukrainian users to Russian internet networks and mobile operators, which are fully controlled by hostile intelligence services. In this case, Ukraine will appeal to international organisations to stop the illegal actions of the occupiers. The State Special Communications Service advises Ukrainians to use maximum security measures when using telephone and internet connections in Russian networks, including using a VPN when entering the network. Reminder: In Kherson Oblast and in the city of Kherson, connection has been lost; Ukrainian mobile operators and, in part, home internet connections are not operational. Earlier, the occupiers said that they had transferred Kherson and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts to Russias telephone country code +7. (Bloomberg) -- A divided US Supreme Court blocked a Texas law that critics say would fundamentally transform Twitter Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc.s Facebook by requiring them to allow hate speech and extremism. Most Read from Bloomberg Over four dissents, the justices on Tuesday put the measure on hold while a constitutional challenge goes forward in a lower court, granting a request from tech groups that represent the platforms. A federal appeals court let the law, known as HB20, go into effect earlier this month. The tech groups, which also represent Alphabet Inc.s Google, said the measure would unconstitutionally bar platforms from removing neo-Nazi and Ku Klux Klan screeds or Russian propaganda about its invasion of Ukraine. The Supreme Court order means that private American companies will have an opportunity to be heard in court before they are forced to disseminate vile, abusive or extremist content under this Texas law, said Matt Schruers, president of the Computer & Communications Industry Association, one of the groups pressing the case. The court, as is its custom with emergency requests, gave no explanation. An unusual collection of justices dissented: liberal Elena Kagan and conservatives Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch. The Texas law bars social media platforms with more than 50 million users from discriminating on the basis of viewpoint. Texas Governor Greg Abbott and other Republicans say the law is needed to protect conservative voices from being silenced. This law provides accountability for social media companies and protections for social media users, said Texas Senator Bryan Hughes, a Republican who co-sponsored HB20. The courts ruling today merely pauses the laws effect until the case is resolved, but in doing so it hampers the states ability to protect free speech. Story continues Alito Dissent A representative for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtons office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Paxton told the Supreme Court the law gives Texas residents equal access to the modern public square and the many benefits resulting from free and open dialogue in that square. A spokesman for Facebook said the company would defer to the trade groups for any reaction. A spokesperson for Twitter didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. A federal district judge blocked a key part of the law in December, saying social media companies have a free speech right to exercise editorial discretion over their platforms. Alito said in a dissenting opinion the district court order was a significant intrusion on state sovereignty, and Texas should not be required to seek preclearance from the federal courts before its laws go into effect. Thomas and Gorsuch joined Alitos opinion. Thomas suggested last year that the government might constitutionally be able to limit Twitters ability to ban users. Kagan gave no explanation, saying only that she would have denied the request by the tech groups. Kagan has been a frequent dissenter from orders in recent years granting requests on the courts so-called shadow docket. Critics of the law said it would have wreaked havoc on social media platforms and violated the speech rights of the companies that run those sites. We are relieved that the First Amendment, open internet, and the users who rely on it remain protected from Texass unconstitutional overreach, said Chris Marchese, a lawyer at NetChoice, the other group challenging the law. Eric Goldman, a professor at Santa Clara University School of Law who specializes in technology law, said he expects the Texas law will eventually be struck down as unconstitutional. I dont know if Texans, or the rest of the world, fully appreciate just how radical Texas HB 20 is, Goldman said in an email. It would fundamentally reshape the internet in ways that no one -- not even the bill proponents -- wants. The New Orleans-based 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals blocked the district court ruling on May 11. The 2-1 decision, which came without explanation, let the law take effect and prompted the industry groups to turn to the Supreme Court. A different federal appeals court, the Atlanta-based 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals, last week blocked the core of a similar Florida law. The case is NetChoice v. Paxton, 21A720. (Updates with reaction starting in fourth paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. Hang Hang, lion with mullet ViralPress A zoogoer in China recently photographed a white lion rocking a wild hairdo. According to Newsweek, a white lion from the Guangzhou Zoo in China has gone viral after a guest's photos of the animal circulated online after a May 28 visit. In the photos, the male lion has a mane that looks like a mullet hairstyle, featuring short bangs in the front and long voluminous pieces of fur falling down the back. The photos originated from a zoo visitor's Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu) before spreading across the Internet, per Newsweek. RELATED: James Cromwell Is Helping an Animal Group Build a Sanctuary to End Bear Bile Farming in Vietnam The Guangzhou Zoo denies it styles the white lion's amazing mane. According to Newsweek, the zoo told the Chinese news outlet Guangdong that the animal's hairstyle was "taken care of" by the lion himself and that keepers wouldn't "dare" try to manage the big cat's mane. In its statement to Guangdong, the zoo added that the lion's hairdo is accentuated by the humidity in the area. White lions are Southern African lions with a rare genetic mutation that affects the color of their fur. In April 2021, the Global White Lion Protection Trust shared that a pair of white lions named Alpha and Omega had been placed in their care after years of serving as "human playthings." Global White Lion Protection Trust is a nonprofit dedicated to protecting and conserving white lions and reintroducing the animals to their natural habitat According to a release from the organization, Alpha and Omega were taken away from their mother at a young age by South Africa's cub petting industry, which charges tourists for the opportunity to handle and photograph captive big cat cubs. RELATED: Elk Calf Found Alive by Firefighter in the Ashes of New Mexico Fire Once the animals became too large for cuddles, they were kept in an enclosure by their owner, who would take the lions out for daily walks with paying guests. Unfortunately, after starting these "walking with lions" tours, Alpha and Omega escaped their enclosure and killed a local farmworker. Despite being warned against continuing to do tourism work with the animals, tours continued. Alpha and Omega attacked again two years later, killing their owner while out on a walk. This second death put the lion sisters at risk of being surrendered to a captive lion breeding facility or euthanized. The two are now in the lifelong care of the Global White Lion Protection Trust, where they get to roam their natural habitat with minimal human interaction. A 56-year-old Idaho woman will serve two and a half years in federal prison after federal prosecutors said she cyberstalked her ex-boyfriend in Spokane, Washington. Kimberly Ann Brischle of Post Falls also broke into the mans home and set a fire inside a closet in April 2021, the U.S. Attorneys Office for Eastern Washington said in a news release. Spokane firefighters doused the blaze, but a judge ordered Brischle to pay $175,000 for damage to the home, prosecutors said. Brischle used online applications to obscure her identity to continue sending threatening emails and texts to the man for the next several months, the release said. In one, she told him she had hired someone to torture and mutilate him, and kill his dog, prosecutors said. As this case demonstrates, the line between online activity and real-world consequences can become blurry for some and frankly, it is a miracle and a relief that no one was hurt by the fire in this case, U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref said in a statement. Brischle pleaded guilty to cyberstalking and cyberstalking across state lines in May, court documents said. She was sentenced Friday, May 27. No contact information for her attorney was available. Ex-employee posted photos of firearms, sent threats to former co-workers, CA cops say Man stalked elite World of Warcraft gamer, posted fake photos of her online, feds say Man took job as UPS driver so he could stalk Pennsylvania residents, officials say Victims forced to work in slave-like conditions at a Brazilian property owned by Volkswagen during the country's dictatorship recount "grave and systematic" abuses, including rapes, beatings and being tied to trees, a prosecutor said Tuesday. The German carmaker is facing legal action in Brazil over allegations of rampant human-rights violations at a large farm it ran in the Amazon rainforest basin in the 1970s and '80s under the country's then military regime, media in Germany reported Sunday. The lead prosecutor on the case, Rafael Garcia, told AFP that investigators had collected depositions from victims who were lured to the farm with false promises of lucrative jobs, then forced to cut down the jungle under grueling conditions against their will to make way for Volkswagen's cattle ranch, which became the biggest in the northern state of Para. "Workers who tried to escape were beaten, tied to trees and left there for days," he said. "Those who tried to slip into the forest never came back -- there were simply stories that they had been killed. Workers were systematically, physically abused." Garcia said a task force of investigators had spent three years assembling evidence in the case, after a local Catholic priest came forward with horrifying accounts of abuse at the property he had compiled over the years. The task force's report contains a chilling series of allegations from former workers at the farm in southern Para, known as Fazenda Vale do Rio Cristalino, where armed guards reportedly kept violent watch over a workforce that prosecutors estimate numbered in the hundreds. "One worker tried to escape, but the gunmen caught him. As punishment, they kidnapped his wife and raped her," it says, citing three witness' testimony. "Another worker tried to flee and was shot in the leg. Yet another was left bound and naked." The workers were kept in "debt-slavery" by being forced to buy food and supplies from the farm store at exorbitant prices, and some died of malaria with no access to medical care, Garcia said. Story continues Prosecutors have summoned Volkswagen for an initial audience on June 14, where they will attempt to reach a settlement, he said. If that fails, the company could face charges. In 2020, Volkswagen agreed to pay 36 million reais ($6.4 million at the time) in compensation for collaborating with Brazil's secret police during the dictatorship (1964-1985) to identify suspected leftist opponents and union leaders, who were then detained and tortured. jhb/bfm A Lovingston man was sentenced Tuesday to 13 years in prison for the May 2019 killing of a Charlottesville man in Nelson County. Roger Dale Beverly, 37, was found guilty in February of voluntary manslaughter, concealing a dead body and stabbing with intent to maim or kill in the death of Winfred W. Watson, 48. After a multi-day trial in Nelson Circuit Court, a jury declined to find Beverly not guilty by reason of insanity but also did not convict him of the more serious charge of murder. Two psychologists testified at trial they believed Beverlys attack on Watson was influenced by his insanity but also declined to endorse the view Beverly was insane when he attempted to light Watsons body on fire. Watson, who was stabbed 13 times by Beverly, was found face down on the side of a trail behind the Food Lion in Lovingston. Surrounding his body were the smoldering signs of a fire and a burned and warped 8-inch knife police said was used by Beverly to take Watsons life. Brady Nicks, Beverlys attorney, and four expert defense witnesses presented evidence of the defendants mental illness and difficult family history at trial. Nicks said at Beverlys sentencing hearing Tuesday in Nelson Circuit Court there is no evidence of a motive or that the two men knew each other. The defense acknowledges the killing was intentional, Nicks said, describing his client as out of control while not in his right mind at the time. He essentially confessed on scene at the time and apologized, Nicks said. Deputy Commonwealths Attorney Erik Laub argued for a first-degree murder conviction at trial. After about three hours of deliberations, the 12-person jury returned with a verdict and found him guilty of the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter, which carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence. The jury viewed crime scene photos, several of which showed Watsons body lying face down on the side of a trail. Despite evidence of attempts to burn Watsons body, aside from charred greenery around him and some burnt residue on his back, Watsons body appeared largely undamaged. Watsons family testified Tuesday about his easygoing personality and how his killing affected them. He was what society would call a social butterfly, Alexis Allen, his oldest daughter, said. People loved my dad because he was real, genuine and there was no guessing with him. Allen said her fathers life was senselessly taken while walking home from the store and discarded like garbage by Beverly. This nightmare is my reality, Allen said. Its on constant replay in my soul and now this torture is my inheritance. She said her father would never wish her happy birthday again, the family was robbed of more special moments with him and her 3-year-old will never hear his voice. This man made sure of that, Allen said, seated several feet away from Beverly in court. Allen told Judge Michael Doucette her fathers life mattered and spoke of a night in November 2017 that was the first and only time the two danced together. I pray to God I get a second chance to dance with my dad again in eternity, Allen said. Gregory Watson, the older brother of Winfred Watson, said the two grew up in Fluvanna County and he looked after him because he was the baby. Winfred Watson was a peoples person, free-spirited and did everything he could for his family, his brother said. I want the court to know hes missed in our heart, Gregory Watson said. Laub asked Doucette to take into account in sentencing Beverly the deep traumatic effects on the Watson family in addition to the defendants mental state. It was such an unusual case, said Laub, later adding: Certainly this is a case with huge emotional impact. Nicks said Beverly had a history of drug abuse since age 13, including cocaine use, heroin and methamphetamine. He said probably the most tragic aspect of the case is the degree to which Beverlys family and the Nelson County Sheriffs Office attempted to intervene in Beverlys mental situation before the incident occurred. Nicks said Beverly is not getting serious psychological care and the Virginia Department of Corrections is horribly suited for providing it. He argued Beverly should not be excessively punished for a medical condition beyond his control. Just before he was sentenced, Beverly apologized while looking over his shoulder to the Watson family. I know it dont mean much, but Im sorry, Beverly said. Doucette said he could not speculate on the jurys motivation for its verdict and ruled to sentence Beverly to 17 years on the three charges combined, suspending five of those years. The judge also sentenced him to another year behind bars for a series of probation violations. Mr. Watson, he was more than just a victim, Doucette said. He was a person. Beverly is court ordered to seek mental health treatment when released from prison. Doucette said if he could order more than 20 years good behavior when Beverly is released he would do so. Doucette also addressed the savage nature of this offense, describing in detail the effects of the 13 stab wounds and pointing to evidence showing from stab marks that Winfred Watson tried to defend himself. Nothing could have happened between the two men to justify that kind of attack, the judge said. This was rage, Doucette said. 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. Three juveniles were taken into custody after authorities found drugs, guns and cash in a Campbell County home, authorities said Tuesday. On Thursday, the Campbell County Sheriffs Office, Bedford County Sheriff's Office and the Central Virginia Drug and Gang Task Force executed a search warrant at a residence in the 300 block of Winebarger Circle, according to a news release from the Campbell sheriff's office. The location is off Lawyers Road a short distance south of the Lynchburg Regional Airport. Authorities confiscated methamphetamine, several stolen firearms, a pound of marijuana and about $9,000 in cash, according to the news release. Further drug charges are pending results from a state lab, the county sheriff's office said. From staff reports Water levels on the New and Roanoke rivers could rise rapidly starting Tuesday and continue to fluctuate throughout the week due to increasing temperatures, Appalachian Power said. The power company has issued a warning to recreational river users downstream of two of its hydroelectric dams: the Claytor Dam on the New River and the Leesville Dam on the Roanoke River near Altavista. The National Weather Service has predicted temperatures next week in the mid-80s to 90s. Appalachian Power has been told by PJM, the independent regional transmission organization that manages the electric grid in 13 states, that power generation may need to be increased at its hydroelectric plants to maintain the reliability of the regional electric grid. Water levels below Claytor Dam could increase up to two feet in a matter of minutes, according to Appalachian Power. Water levels below Leesville Dam could increase as much as eight feet over a seven-hour period. George Porter, who oversees communications for Appalachian Powers hydro-operations, said the power company had little time after PJMs notification to alert the public. Because of the short notice, we want to make the public aware now of the possibility water levels could increase suddenly and continue to fluctuate throughout the week, Porter said. The utility encourages those considering recreating on the rivers in the coming week to monitor American Electric Powers website for more information. ROANOKE Those who knew Salem native and naval rescue swimmer James Buriak spent Memorial Day weekend trying to do what he would have done: help others. Its about ... sharing Jimmys story, which is giving back to the community, wanting to be part of something bigger than himself and just trying to honor his wishes, Megan Buriak, James wife said Saturday afternoon at the AWS1 James Buriak Foundation fundraiser held at Olde Salem Brewing Co. in Salem. Started by Megan, the foundation supports the families of Navy and Marine Corps members who, like James Buriak, pass away in a Navy or Marine Corps aviation mishap. Megans friends and family members were there, too not just for the fundraiser, but to remember James life. Jimmy was just an overall amazing human, said Rebecca Hardin, the wife of James Buriaks best friend. Hardin met Buriak while he lived across the road from her husband in the Virginia Beach area. I felt like a protective older sister, Hardin said. ... He was funny, just full of life. ... He was very self-reflective. Megan Buriak said many of the same things that James was easygoing and a loving father. Helping others mattered deeply to him and his decision to be a Naval rescue swimmer reflected that, as well as his enthusiasm as an athlete. In August, James Buriak and four others died in a Naval helicopter crash off the coast of San Diego, where he, Megan and their son, Caulder, lived. The crash occurred on the way back from a training mission and was the result of mechanical failure. Essentially when he died I took out a notebook and started writing all of the things that were concerning to me, Megan said. Most military families live paycheck to paycheck. Things like the crash that took James life dont happen often, Megan said, but they are devastating when they do. A claim for James life insurance policy was denied thanks to a clause excluding non-airfare-paying air crash deaths from coverage and the couples assets were frozen for a period following James death, leaving Megan locked out of their bank accounts. The Tunnels to Towers Foundation paid off the mortgage on the Buriaks San Diego home and the $118,000 raised from a GoFundMe for the family will continue to support Megan and Caulder. Megan also will receive $500,000 over time from the U.S. Navy as part of a standard death benefit. All of that support came in later, though; in the days and weeks immediately after her husbands death, daily expenses were the most daunting. Megan Buriak had a strong support network but not everyone does, she said. Thats where the foundation will come in, to help families who end up in the same situation as Megan and Caulder. Were the stopgap between when the service members paycheck stops and those death benefits kick in, which can take ... weeks, Megan said. For families with children ages 13 or younger, the foundation will provide 30 days of child care, diapers, wipes, formula and baby food. The foundation also does 14 days of groceries for all families, whether or not they have children. Megan and Caulder live in San Diego, but the nonprofit is coast to coast, Megan said. Its still in its infancy, though, and needs to build up funds before its ready to assist future families hence Jimmy Fest, a series of Salem-area fundraisers held in the week leading up to Memorial Day. Megan said she hopes Jimmy Fest will be a reoccurring annual event in Salem and Roanoke over Memorial Day week. Its what James would have wanted, Megan said, and keeping his memory alive keeps him alive. Those interested in supporting the foundation can do so online at theaws1jamesburiakfoundation.org. People also may visit gofundme.com/f/families-of-the-navy-helicopter-crash to directly support the families of all five service members who passed away in August. RICHMOND Virginia legislative leaders have revealed budget language that would create a new criminal misdemeanor in state law for possession of more than 4 ounces of marijuana in public. Marijuana reform groups immediately called for lawmakers to stand down and stop finding new ways to criminalize Virginians who use marijuana. The provision will be the third time this year that state lawmakers have considered creating new crimes for marijuana possession. The proposition comes within the proposal for a new two-year state budget which became publicly available online Sunday evening. The General Assembly will convene Wednesday in special session to consider the budget. The language on marijuana like much of the budget agreement on the table followed discussions that were not held in public. The budget compromise backed by House Appropriations Chair Barry Knight, R-Virginia Beach, and Senate Finance and Appropriations Chair Janet Howell, D-Fairfax, would write into law that anyone caught in public with more than 4 ounces of marijuana would be guilty of a Class 3 criminal misdemeanor. That means a fine of up to $500 plus a criminal record. A second or subsequent offense would be a Class 2 misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. Virginia lawmakers in 2021, when Democrats controlled both chambers of the legislature, legalized adult possession of up to an ounce of marijuana for personal use; adults now can grow up to four plants in their homes. Possession of anything above an ounce and up to a pound is punishable only by a $25 civil infraction, while possession of more than a pound is a felony. But the states Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission recommended a year ago that Virginia follow the lead of other states and create a criminal misdemeanor for people in possession of what the state government deems to be too much marijuana. Chelsea Higgs Wise, executive director of the group Marijuana Justice Virginia, along with heads of other organizations, sent Howell an email Sunday evening. Please stop finding more ways to criminalize Virginians, she wrote, adding, lets work on righting the wrongs from the failed and destructive prohibition. Higgs Wise added: Virginia officials must not allow the budget document to become a legislative workaround to enforce the will of the administration at the exclusion of the voice and will of the people. Efforts to add new criminal penalties for marijuana to state law already failed twice this year. During the regular session of the General Assembly, a bill from Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, broadly would have governed new retail sales of marijuana in Virginia and also would have created a new criminal misdemeanor. The bill failed in the GOP-controlled House. And then in April, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin proposed amendments to a hemp industry bill that would have established new criminal misdemeanor penalties for people in possession of more than 2 ounces of marijuana. Opponents said the proposal moved the state backward toward racially biased policing. The General Assembly did not adopt the governors proposal. Because the assembly failed to complete work on a new budget and on certain bills during this years regular session, the assembly remains in a special session. While the budget generally lays out state spending, the legislature has the power to propose policy in the budget, and thats what Knight and Howell are proposing with the marijuana penalty. Asked about the rumored plan during a Thursday interview, both of them declined to discuss marijuana. BASSETT Grace Chapel Ministries Pastor Mandell Alexander Motley knows the feeling of being blessed by both divine and earthly leaders. He's lived in a state of grace for some time as a minister. Lately, he's been thankful for having his civil rights restored by the Commonwealth of Virginia. The pastor of the Bassett church, who grew up in Martinsville and graduated from George Washington Carver High School, said he didnt go right away into ministry. I ran from the calling, he said, referring to a stint of crime in the past involving larceny, burglary and obtaining property though false pretenses. Motley had not even voted yet by the time he got into trouble with the law at age 21. I could have voted when I was 18, he said. I have never, ever voted in my life, Motley said. When youre a convict, they strip you of all of your rights. Meanwhile, he's led many others to the polls, including his daughter, by using all of the outlets available to him to spread the word about getting people to vote, such as the church pulpit, online, social media and TV. You say what you want to say and what you want people to hear by your vote, he said. In March, he received a letter from the governors office notifying him that his rights had been restored, signed by former Gov. Ralph Northam. When I got this stuff in the mail, he said, it just, it literally just blew me away. The letter also made him feel emotional. It just means so much and I cant wait till midterms to vote in my first election. He did not have to apply or initiate anything to get it, he said; he just received the papers in the mail. Apparently he wanted to restore the rights of those who have gotten out and lead an exemplary life. I wanted to file to get my rights back and I wanted to get a full from everywhere, every state where I committed a crime, Motley said. And that was what I was going to do, but when I got all of this in the mail, it floored me. Voting is like freedom, Motley said. Here is something that was taken away from me and Ive done everything to live the life to be able to vote and for them to restore it to me, it floored me I got up and testified about it in church. Motley compared his loss of voting rights to when slaves had to carry freedom papers. He said that it was kind of like that for me. He said that once he got out of prison he was free, but not free free because of his lack of voting rights. Sometimes when God has a calling in life, he will do whatever it takes to get your attention, Motley said. He added that this can come in many forms like death or sickness, but for him it came in the form of brushing elbows with the law. While Motley was in the military to become a pilot in Texas, he said, he was placed on probation and when AWOL. He went back to Virginia and then to California, leaving a trail of crime, he added. Motley was arrested in California and served a sentence in San Quentin State Prison where, he said, he was finally able to give God his full attention. He said that he served 10 years in California and in that time he felt the urge to being ministering and preaching. He said that he eventually spoke to Earl Smith, the San Quentin Ministry chaplain and told him about his experience and what had happened to him. He took me under his wing, said Motley, Ive been serving God ever since. Monique Holland is a reporter for the Martinsville Bulletin. She can be reached at monique.holland@martinsvillebulletin.com or at 276-734-9603. Japan plans to allow more regional airports to accept entrants from abroad, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday, as the country gradually relaxes stringent border controls implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The government will also unveil guidelines on COVID-era inbound tourism for the travel industry on June 7, Kishida said, three days before it resumes accepting tourists from overseas, initially targeting those on package tours with guides and fixed itineraries. "We will enable regional airports such as Sendai (in northeastern Japan) to resume accepting international flights, in consultation with local governments," Kishida told reporters at his office. At present, international flights are limited to five airports in Japan -- Haneda, Narita, Kansai, Chubu and Fukuoka -- as part of COVID-19 restrictions. Naha and New Chitose airports are set to resume accepting international flights by the end of June. ...continue reading Trio, a trained facility dog, joined the Sarpy County Attorneys Office earlier this month. The 2-year-old male Labrador retrievers work will include creating a sense of calm at the courthouse while also providing emotional support to crime victims and witnesses, especially children. Chief of Staff Jean Brazda is Trios handler. The pair trained together in April at Canine Companions in New Albany, Ohio. Im proud that were able to provide a facility dog for crime victims who have experienced trauma. They need to know they are not going through the process alone, Brazda said. Canine Companions is a national nonprofit organization that places both assistance and facility dogs. Their dogs go through 16 months of obedience and socialization training, then six months of intensive training geared toward the dogs specific assignment. Canine Companions provided Trio to Brazda to use at the Sarpy County Attorneys office at no cost. Trio is Sarpy Countys second facility dog. Manny, the first courthouse facility dog in Nebraska, spent eight years working in the County Attorneys Office. He died in January. For the past eight years, weve seen first-hand the important role a facility dog can play in a courthouse setting, said Sarpy County Attorney Lee Polikov. Were excited to have Trio at the Sarpy County Courthouse and know hes going to do amazing work. The Iowa Western Community College Foundation has received a $100,000 grant from Google for general support and continued expansion of its skilled trades programs, the college announced Thursday. The college recognizes the integral role of the trades in any vibrant community and is committed to providing quality career and technical education programs, said Iowa Western President Dan Kinney. Iowa Western Community College is grateful that Google is supporting the future generation of students in our growing career and technical programs, he said in a press release from the college. The generous donation from Google will allow the college to begin to expand offerings in fields such as welding, electrical, HVAC, logistics and other important career fields. Iowa Western is preparing to open career academies in Missouri Valley and Harlan. The Larry and Bunny Buss Regional Academy in part of the Trivium Life Services building in Missouri Valley will offer instruction in agriculture, construction, electrical and welding skills to high school students from Missouri Valley, Logan-Magnolia, Tri-Center and West Harrison-West Monona community school districts, as well as adults seeking to enhance their skills. The Harlan facility in the colleges Shelby County Center will offer electromechanical training for local companies and automotive-diesel, industrial technology, health care and trades instruction for students. Iowa Western Community Colleges dedication to career and technical education dates back to 1967, when the college first opened its doors; offering two vocational-technical programs to students. Today, Iowa Western continues to address the workforce needs of its communities by offering more than 40 career and technical programs of study in areas such as electronic engineering, design technology, laser systems, robotics-automated systems engineering, welding, logistics, renewable energy, construction management, HVAC/R, plumbing, automotive and diesel. Google is proud to support Iowa Western and is committed to being a good neighbor in Council Bluffs by helping to invest in education for the people of Iowa helping them to learn and live locally while gaining the skills of the future, said Dan Harbeke, regional head of public policy and external affairs at Google. Organizations like Iowa Western are helping to prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow, and we are glad to be a part of it. New research reaffirms the key role the technology sector plays in creating new jobs and supporting local economies. Recently, the Bay Area Council Economic Institute released an update to a 2012 study demonstrating the major ripple effect the technology sector has on job creation in local metros. The research shows that, over the long-term, one technology job will generate over four additional jobs locally. Specific to Iowa, a new economic impact analysis from the Economic Institute shows that Google is a critical contributor to local job growth and economic output and activity. In Iowa, 500-plus Google employees support an additional 954 indirect and induced jobs, for a total economic impact of $450 million. The Iowa Western Community College Foundation was established in 1987 to support Iowa Westerns commitment to excellence in meeting the educational needs of its students and improving the quality of life in its communities. Googles data center in Council Bluffs came online in 2009. Since then, Google has invested more than $5 billion in Iowa and established a long-term commitment to the state. Google has created jobs for more than 900 people at its Iowa facility and has awarded more than $2 million to local schools and nonprofits in Iowa. 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. Lewis Central Community School District Superintendent Eric Knost is ending his time at Lewis Central after only three years but hes not sorry he came. I think whatever happens, Lewis Central is always going to be special to me because of how welcomed I felt by kids, by parents, by colleagues in every employee group, he said. I think its the people Ill remember. Knost feels he connected with students and said that is what inspires him to continue in education. Over much of his three-year stint with the district, he has had to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, a school closure prompted by the U.S. outbreak of the illness, the mask controversy and state politics. While that is unfortunate, he said it has been a learning opportunity. Knost has also overseen two major facilities projects for the district: Construction of a fine arts and career-technical education addition to the high school and completion of a new operations building. When I came in, I heard loud and clear from parents and colleagues we needed to design and build an auditorium, Knost said. The 1,100-seat auditorium is now nearing completion and will be largest in Council Bluffs and much of the surrounding area. Knost also found out the old operations building was in poor shape. I felt the good people working in that building deserved something better, he said. That building opened earlier this spring. Knost also got involved in the Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce and other community organizations and felt well received. They just always made me feel like an integral part of the work that was going on, he said. Before coming to Council Bluffs, Knost had always lived in the St. Louis area. He attended a small school in St. Louis County and had about 100 students in his class. He learned how to play several instruments growing up and zeroed in on percussion. He earned a bachelors degree in instrumental music at Webster University in 1983 and a masters in educational leadership from Lindenwood University in 1997. He completed a doctorate in education administration from St. Louis University in 2002. He started his education career as a band director, but was later encouraged to consider becoming an administrator. Before coming to Lewis Central, he was superintendent of Rockwood School District in St. Louis. Along the way, he has continued to be active as a drummer. He has driven to St. Louis about once a month from Council Bluffs to play with a couple bands he has connections with there. That will increase to twice a month when he returns to that area. Ive played music my entire life, Knost said. Musics always been a big part of my life. Ill do it until Im too old, because Ive always done it and I love it so much. Knosts wife, Julie, has always been an educator and is currently coordinator of a Drug-Free Coalition that provides drug education at certain schools in the St. Louis area. Since she worked remotely during much of the pandemic, she was able to be in Council Bluffs with him. Her position is funded by a five-year grant that has ended. However, as drug overdoses skyrocketed during the pandemic, thanks to carry-over dollars, she was able to stay and help the coalition write an application for renewal of the grant, which is expected to be approved. Knost felt it was his turn to sacrifice for his spouse. Shes supported every different way Ive traversed through my career, including when he was working long hours or had to be away, he said. As hard as it is, Im glad Im able to do that. As for him, Knost isnt sure what will come next. Options include consulting, lobbying for public schools, working for a search firm and serving as an interim superintendent in the St. Louis area. Ive spent a year being conflicted about my dreams and what comes next, he said. All of those sound exciting to me, (but) to accept any of those seems like accepting that Im retiring. Knost doesnt mind that Lewis Central came at this point in his career. If Im really done serving in a superintendent-like role in public schools, I couldnt think of a better exclamation point to put on all of my years in education, he said. Whatever materializes, Knost plans to start his next venture in August or September. I think something will come to fruition, he said. Knost and his wife have two adult daughters Kaylin, a middle- and high-school band director in the St. Louis area; and Amy, who just completed a stint as a long-term substitute and will be teaching elementary music in Independence, Missouri next year. Neither has started a family. My wife and I are fortunate that our grown daughters still like to travel with us, he said. Thats special to me. The family plans to take a trip to Oregon this year, Knost said. As a Beatles fan, his ultimate vacation would be to travel to Abbey Road in London, Penny Lane in Liverpool, England and/or other Beatles-related destinations. 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 State of Nebraska will investigate chemical spills that flowed into the street and city sewers from a massive Monday night fire at an Omaha industrial plant, although city officials said the spills should have little or no impact on human health in Omaha. The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy had a person en route Tuesday afternoon to begin an on-site investigation, said Carla Felix, a spokesperson for the department. Nox-Crete Inc., a near-downtown chemical plant where the three-alarm fire raged for hours, filed a notice of environmental concern with the NDEE Tuesday morning. The blaze, in a Nox-Crete warehouse complex at 1415 S. 20th St., sparked concerns about toxic runoff as water carried materials into the citys sewer system, with fluid reportedly burning as it flowed toward fire trucks, and black smoke filled the air. It was unknown Tuesday exactly what chemicals spilled into the sewers, officials said. But the Nox-Crete notification to the state listed three liquid materials known to have been released: mineral spirits, acid and naphtha, a flammable petroleum product that is often used as an industrial solvent. Any chemical runoff that flowed into the sewer system will end up at the citys Missouri River Water Resource Recovery Facility, where it will be treated before its discharged into the Missouri River, according to a joint press release from the Mayors Office and and the citys Public Works Department. No unusual odors or discoloration of water flows were seen at the treatment facility as of Tuesday afternoon, city officials said. Workers Tuesday morning did detect a visible sheen in the flow, which would indicate the presence of oil, city officials said. But they said nothing had been observed that would potentially be harmful to human health or the environment. Officials said the citys drinking water wont be affected by the fire because the drinking water comes from the Missouri River near Florence, which is in northern Omaha, or from wells located along the Platte River in Sarpy County, which is treated to federal standards. The officials did not address how any chemicals that the City of Omaha released into the Missouri River will affect the river or people downstream, or whether cities downstream would be notified of the spill. The Nebraska Regional Poison Center sent a notice to Omaha-area emergency departments Monday night about the Nox-Crete plant fire. It is unknown what chemicals were involved, the notice reads. Some of the chemicals may contain hydrocarbons which can cause respiratory irritation if inhaled and possibly (central nervous system) depression. So far, the notice reads, the poison center had been contacted by one person with an indirect exposure who was experiencing dizziness. Emergency departments were asked to contact the poison center if they see any affected patients. By early Tuesday afternoon, the poison center had been contacted by one other person about symptoms, a center staffer said. People with concerns or questions can call the center 24 hours a day at 800-222-1222. In February, Nox-Crete reported to the state that it had stored hundreds of pounds of multiple liquid chemicals, several of them flammable and some extremely hazardous, at its site, which straddles 20th Street near William Street. The fire tore through plant warehouses east of 20th Street, but Nox-Crete buildings on the west side of 20th Street appeared undamaged. Douglas Countys main air-quality monitor near 41st and Pacific Streets didnt pick up the smoke Monday night because the wind was blowing the wrong way, a county official said Tuesday. The Douglas County Health Department is not aware of any specific air quality concerns, but strongly recommends that anyone who was exposed to the smoke and is not feeling well seek medical attention, the press release said. Firefighters responded to an automatic fire alarm at Nox-Crete shortly before 7 p.m. Monday. The building already had been evacuated, and the fire quickly accelerated to a three-alarm blaze. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. The Marshal of the Senate of Poland Tomasz Grodzki stressed, Monday in Rabat, the privileged relations uniting his country and Morocco at the political and economic levels, and which are expected to develop further in the future. In a statement to the press following talks with the Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch, Grodzki highlighted the quality of bilateral relations in various economic and political areas. Describing as very fruitful his visit to Morocco, the official said that his trip to the Kingdom will consolidate bilateral relations that are experiencing a significant momentum. Grodzki and Akhannouch have both stressed that their meeting was an opportunity to underline the depth of the historic relations between Morocco and Poland as well as the momentum they are undergoing, especially at the economic level. The meeting was also an opportunity to emphasize the importance of strengthening economic and trade relations by encouraging private investment in sectors such as renewable energy, automotive and aerospace industries as well as agribusiness. Besides parliamentary cooperation, the two sides exchanged views on several bilateral, geostrategic and international issues of common interest. The Marshal of the Polish Senate is on an official visit to the Kingdom on this May 26-30, at the head of a large delegation. Morocco and Indias technology giant Hindustan Computers Limited (HCL) signed over the weekend an agreement on an investment project meant to boost technology cooperation. In a joint communique released following the signing ceremony Saturday in Noida, India, the two partners indicated that the agreement underlines HCLs determination to invest in Morocco in the outsourcing sector. The project is expected to create thousands of high-value-added jobs in the outsourcing sector, particularly in the field of coding, software, and information technology (IT) services. This strategic initiative by HCL Technologies will allow it to expand its production and delivery capacities on a global scale, relying on Moroccos strategic position, as well as its connectivity and the capital of Moroccan IT talent. This memorandum of understanding marks an important strategic choice for the Indian market, which represents more than 52% of the global IT outsourcing market. For its part, Morocco is now among the top 3 outsourcing destinations in Africa. The Moroccan Ministry of Industry announced recently plans to invest $5 million in the outsourcing sector. The investment seeks to generate 5,000 new jobs by 2026 across major cities in the North African country , namely Tangier, Fez, Rabat, Casablanca, and Agadir. Recent data shows that the number of employees in the outsourcing sector in Morocco stands at 120,000 with a turnover of $1.3 billion in 2021. The MoU was initialed by Moroccan Minister for Digital Transition and Administrative Reform, Ghita Mezzour, and the HCL President Roshni Nadar Malhotr. The Indian group operates in fifty countries and employs more than 200,000 people worldwide with a turnover of more than 11 billion dollars in 2022. An all-party parliamentary group has been launched in Italy to support and promote the autonomy plan offered by Morocco for a lasting, peaceful resolution of the Sahara regional conflict. The announcement was made Monday by Italian MPs Marco Di Maio and Urania Papatheu in a press release. The cross-party group has been established to back the efforts made by the United Nations to reach a pragmatic and feasible political solution, based on compromise, said the MPs, noting that many European countries view the Moroccan autonomy plan as the most serious and credible solution to end this regional dispute. This plan is supported by the UN Security Council and the international community including several African, Arab, Asian and Latin American countries, added the Italian lawmakers. Italy welcomes the sustainable efforts made by Morocco to reach a just political solution, as Italian Foreign minister Luigi Di Maio said during his recent visit to Morocco, they recalled, stressing that the Sahara issue prevents the Maghreb from uniting against the common challenges the region is facing in terms of security, terrorism and climate change. In 2007, Morocco proposed the autonomy plan under its sovereignty as the ONLY viable and realistic solution to the Sahara regional dispute. The plan continues to gain growing international support. After the United States, many African, Arab and Asian countries, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands voiced lately firm backing to the Moroccan autonomy plan describing it as the only serious, credible and realistic solution to the Sahara issue. This momentum deals hard blows to the polisario separatist group and to its mentor, Algeria. During the latest African summit and ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition against ISIS, worldwide leaders and experts have warned against the serious threats posed to international peace and stability by the nexus between separatist groups and terror networks. The Tunisian President Kais Saied Monday expelled members of the Venice Commission after the advisory body of the Council of Europe issued Friday a report criticizing the leaders plans to hold a referendum on a new constitution. The report branded urgent opinion posits that it was unrealistic to hold a credible referendum in the absence of clear and pre-established rules. The opinion of the panel of experts of the human rights body Council of Europe adds that changing the electoral law should be preceded by a broad consultation of political forces and civil society in order to reach a consensus. Saied has initiated efforts for the constitutional change after he seized all major powers since July 25. The process has sidelined political parties. In response to the Venice Commission, Saied threatened to withdraw Tunisias membership and slammed the panel for interfering in the countrys internal affairs. Who do they think they are? Are they nostalgic for the Jules Ferry era? They say they want to teach us They have nothing to teach us. If they want to interfere in our affairs, let them stay at home, we dont need their support and help. If a member of this commission is in Tunisia, let him leave immediately! he offered. I take this opportunity to recall that there is no question of interfering in our internal affairs as this commission, known as the Venice Commission, does. It must deal with its gondolas and the Tunisian people cannot be led by those who lead the gondolas. Our sovereignty is not to be negotiated, he added. The referendum is scheduled for July 25. The countrys powerful labor union refused to take part in a limited dialogue to prepare the referendum. Deans of law colleges of various universities of the North African country have also turned down invitations to take part in the drafting of a new constitution. Aguila Saleh, Speaker of the Libyan parliament and Fathi Bashagha, one of Libyas rival Prime Ministers, arrived Monday in the city of Sirte for the chamber meeting of Tuesday to discuss the draft general budget law for the year 2022 submitted by the former Interior Minister. Saleh landed at Al-Qardabiya Airport on Monday evening and was welcomed by Bashagha and members of the House of Representatives, Zayed Hadiya, Hassan Al-Zarqa and Ismail Al-Sharif. Salehs spokesman Abdulla Bliehiq indicated that the meeting will be attended by the Presidency of the House of Representatives, HoRs Planning, Finance and General Budget Committee, the Prime Minister-designate Fathi Bashagha, Minister of Planning and Finance, Osama Hammad, and representatives of a number of relevant institutions, namely: the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Libya, and the Control Authority Administrative Board, the Audit Bureau, the Board of Directors of the National Oil Corporation, and the Anti-Corruption Authority. The head of Libyan parliament last Thursday sent an invitation to the above-mentioned state officials to the meeting. Bashagha was designated Libyas interim Prime Minister in February by the chamber which ended the term of UN-backed Abdel Hamid Dbeibah. The latter however refused to surrender power and has remained in office. Bashagha has presented a $20-billion draft budget for 2022. He has promised to organize elections in 14 months. Trump Senate endorsee Kelly Tshibaka and House endorsee Sarah Palin face each other as they face many opponents in Alaskas new electoral system. Photo: Mark Thiessen/AP/Shutterstock What can we do about apathy among registered voters who feel disenfranchised by warring political parties and unaccountable public institutions? In cities and states around the country, reformers have been experimenting for a while with innovative election systems aimed at better reflecting what voters really want. This year Alaska is implementing a unique system that voters themselves approved in a 2020 ballot initiative. Its arriving early in the form of a special election to fill a vacancy in the states one U.S. House seat, which was created when Don Young died suddenly in March. A big, weird field featuring former governor, vice-presidential nominee, and Dancing Mama Bear Sarah Palin and a man from the city of North Pole named Santa Claus quickly formed for the June 12 special primary. But with early voting starting, voters are just coming to grips with the fact that instead of the traditional major-party primaries to choose general election candidates, they will now vote in a nonpartisan primary in which the top four vote-getters proceed to the general election. While California, Louisiana, and Washington hold top-two primaries, a top-four primary is a new one. Already Alaska voters, especially the states perpetually in-the-minority Democrats, are struggling with the strategic thinking necessary in choosing one primary candidate based on four candidates surviving, as the Anchorage Daily News reports: Theres an angst gnawing at Alaskas liberals as they contemplate the special primary election to fill the remainder of the late U.S. Rep. Don Youngs term. The feeling isnt as acute on the right. The left has a smaller share of the Alaska electorate to start with. They feel they cant afford a split. On social media you can find them casting about, testing strategic theories and taking each others temperature with Twitter polls. Alaska isnt a state with a lot of public polling, so theres a good amount of conjecture (and probably misinformation) going around: Vote for [independent] Al Gross, some say, because hes got the best name recognition. Others fret that he wont capture enough of the Democratic vote The far left is drawn to [democratic socialist] Santa Claus, the North Pole City councilman, for his ideological purity. But some question his viability since he isnt accepting campaign contributions. Many Democrats like former legislator Mary Peltola but worry labor voters wont forgive her 2005 vote to cut teacher retirement, which she calls the biggest regret of her legislative career. They also like Anchorage Assemblyman Chris Constant but wonder if hes got statewide appeal. And so it goes. What progressive voters fear is squandering their votes and allowing four conservatives to advance. Palin (who has been endorsed by Donald Trump) and Nick Begich III (the conservative Republican grandson of the Democrat who held the seat before Young) are the two front-runners. After that it gets iffy. But the election will take another big twist after the top four vote-getters are identified: Alaskas new voting system provides for ranked-choice voting in the general election in order to whittle down the four candidates to one winner. This increasingly popular method (sometimes called instant-runoff voting) of letting voters choose secondary candidate preferences that are applied until one candidate gains a majority, is in effect in Maine, New York City, San Francisco, and a scattering of other municipalities. Whatever you think of ranked-choice voting, it takes some serious voter education and adjustment. Right now the key specialist in how a top-four primary and a ranked-choice-voting general election will work together is probably veteran Republican senator Lisa Murkowski, whose own odds of defending Trump-endorsed Republican rival Kelly Tshibaka have been enhanced by the new system. What makes the transition especially challenging for Alaskans this year is that its first ranked-choice general election (the House special election) occurs on the same day (August 16) as its first regular top four primary. Forty-eight candidates filed to run in the special House election; 26 candidates (sadly, Santa Claus is not among them) also filed to run in the regular House election. So voters will be ranked-choice voting on four candidates the same day they are top-four voting on many of the same candidates for the same office, along with top-four voting on every other office as well. If that confuses you, welcome to the world of Alaska voters in 2022. Presumably before long the new system will be old hat to Alaskans, a famously independent and sometimes even quirky group of Americans. For their sake and ours, lets hope they dont begin their self-education by accidentally sending Sarah Palin to Washington. Trump licks his Georgia wounds at a Wyoming rally. Photo: Chet Strange/Getty Images Donald Trump isnt known for owning up to his mistakes, ever. So its natural that in the wake of the setbacks his 2022 Republican-primary endorsement program experienced in Georgia on May 24, the once-and-would-be-future president is looking for excuses. The most tempting to him surely involves blaming his candidates particularly the feckless gubernatorial aspirant David Perdue and the even more feckless secretary of State challenger Jody Hice, who lost to Trump enemies Brian Kemp and Brad Raffensperger, respectively. But then that would reflect poorly on Trumps own judgment in hand-picking them to begin with, wouldnt it? The website for Trumps official statements has only one allusion to the Georgia fiasco: an ICYMI link to a deranged bit of MAGA conspiracy-mongering basically claiming that only fraud can explain a Trump defeat this severe. But at his Wyoming rally over the weekend, Trump denounced crossover voting in Georgia, where all voters can choose which primary they want to vote in, by Democrats who opposed Perdue and Hice, noted the Washington Post. Trump might have been engaging in a little preemptive spinning as well, since the candidate he is trying to purge in Wyoming, Congresswoman Liz Cheney, is openly seeking to pull Democrats and independents into her August 16 primary. The 45th president isnt the only one attracting attention to the participation of Democrats in the Georgia Republican primary; it received some serious buzz among election analysts with no particular stake in the outcome. In mid-May, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution estimated that about 7 percent of early voters in the GOP primary were Democratic primary voters in 2020. And after the voting was done, the Associated Press suggested around 9 percent of 2022 Republican-primary early voters in Georgia were 2020 Democrats. So is Trump right? Did those rascally socialist Democrats sneak over into the GOP primary to smite candidates endorsed by the Greatest President Ever? Maybe and maybe not. First things first: There is absolutely nothing illegal or even mildly inappropriate about Georgia voters choosing to participate in either partys primaries as they wish. Georgia is one of 15 open primary states with no party registration. Voters show up at the polls and are offered either a D or R primary ballot. And while there may be some truth in Trumps self-centered assumption that crossover voters were seeking to thwart his will, theres no way to distinguish them from strategic voters seeking to choose the weakest general-election candidate or simply from voters who changed their actual party affiliation for one reason or another (clearly the heavy ad spending on the Republican side could have drawn in previously Democratic voters in the absence of competitive Democratic primaries in the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races). I personally know Democratic voters in Georgia who routinely vote in Republican primaries because they live in deep-red jurisdictions where all the local contests are resolved in the GOP primary (the same was true in reverse for the many decades in which Democratic primaries were tantamount to general elections in states like Georgia). The other thing to keep in mind is the folly of trying to attribute close election victories to one of many potential causes. The AP story on crossover voting in Georgia noted that the margin by which Raffensperger avoided a potentially dangerous runoff contest was smaller than the estimated number of Democratic voters participating in the GOP primary. Does that mean Democrats decided the outcome? Perhaps, but only if you assume (a) that nearly all of them voted for Raffensperger and (b) that he might not have won a runoff anyway. The bigger issue in Georgia for Trump at the moment isnt figuring out why his candidates lost but whether his anger at the primary outcome will lead him to sabotage the GOP ticket in November. His chief Peach State vanquisher, Kemp, is reportedly reaching out to the camp of the ex-president in order to arrange a truce to keep the GOP more or less united going into a tough general election in which Kemp will face a rematch with Democratic voting-rights champion Stacey Abrams, and Trumps guy Herschel Walker will confront incumbent senator Raphael Warnock. Its unclear what will happen, as the Journal-Constitution notes: Two people close to Trump say the chances of reconciliation were worsened when former Vice President Mike Pence headlined a pre-primary rally for Kemp, furthering a split between the two former running-mates. Others remain hopeful they can at least minimize Trumps potential harm in a race where even slight changes in voting patterns could have a significant effect on the results. Trump has several months to pout and whine before putting on the party harness and avoiding a replay of his destructive role in the 2021 runoffs in Georgia that gave control of the U.S. Senate to Democrats. But if he remains in a fantasyland in which even a 2022 Republican primary in a state controlled by his party was rigged against him, he may never make his way back to a position that makes any sense. Absolute Reports Pvt Ltd The report provides insight into main drivers, challenges, opportunities and risk of the market and strategies of suppliers. Key players are profiled as well with their market shares in the global Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) market discussed. Overall, this report covers the historical situation, present status and the future prospects of the global Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) market for 2016-2026 Pune, May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Independent software vendor (ISV) Market research give industry status and trend report for forecast period of 2026 which offers a complete study on Independent software vendor (ISV) market, standing on the readers viewpoint, providing comprehensive market information and penetrating insights. No matter the client is industry insider, possible participant or stakeholder, the report will provide beneficial information and statistics. Independent software vendor (ISV) market research report presents a comprehensive overview, market shares, and growth opportunities of Independent software vendor (ISV) market by product type, application, key manufacturers and key regions and countries. Get a Sample Copy of the Report at - https://www.absolutereports.com/enquiry/request-sample/17676809 An independent software vendor (ISV), also known as a software publisher, is an organization specializing in making and selling software, as opposed to computer hardware, designed for mass or niche markets. This is in contrast to in-house software, which is developed by the organization that will use it, or custom software, which is designed or adapted for a single, specific third party. Although ISV-provided software is consumed by end users, it remains the property of the vendor. The software products developed by ISV's serve a wide variety of purposes. Examples include software for real estate brokers, scheduling for healthcare personnel, barcode scanning, stock maintenance, gambling, retailing, energy exploration, vehicle fleet management, even child care management software. Story continues Market split by Type, can be divided into: - Cloud Based On-Premises Market split by Application, can be divided into: - E-Commerce Logistics Retail Healthcare Financial Educational Others Market segment by Region/Country including: - North America (United States, Canada and Mexico) Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia and Spain etc.) Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia and Southeast Asia etc.) South America (Brazil, Argentina and Colombia etc.) Middle East & Africa (South Africa, UAE and Saudi Arabia etc.) Inquire or Share Your Questions If Any Before the Purchasing This Report https://www.absolutereports.com/enquiry/pre-order-enquiry/17676809 Leading players of Independent software vendor (ISV) including: - Microsoft Apple Hewlett-Packard Cisco Oracle IBM Salesforce Google Novell SAP RSA Compuware Nutanix Mocana Double-Take Software ServiceNow Odyssey Software Yahoo! Key questions answered by this report include: - Worldwide and Regional Market Size of Independent software vendor (ISV), and development forecast 2021-2026 Main manufacturers/suppliers of Independent software vendor (ISV) worldwide, with company and product introduction, position in the Independent software vendor (ISV) market Market status and development trend by types and applications Cost and profit status of Independent software vendor (ISV), and marketing status The report provides a detailed evaluation of the market by highlighting information on different aspects which include drivers, restraints, opportunities, and threats. Detailed TOC of Global Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) Market Status and Outlook 2021-2026 Table of Contents Global Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) Market Status and Outlook 2021-2026 Market Study Overview 1.1 Study Objectives 2 Global Trend Summary 3 Competition by Vendors 4 Analysis of Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) Industry Key Vendors 5 Global Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) Market Size Categorized by Regions 6 North America Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) Market Size Categorized by Countries 7 Europe Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) Market Size Categorized by Countries 8 Asia-pacific Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) Market Size Categorized by Countrie 9 South America Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) Market Size Categorized by Countries 10 Middle East and Africa Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) Market Size Categorized by Countries 11 Global Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) Market Segment by Type 12 Global Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) Market Segment by Application 13 Global Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) Market Forecast 13.4.1 Global Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) Revenue Forecast by Application (2021-2026) 14 Market Analysis 15 Downstream Market Analysis 16 Research Findings and Conclusion Purchase this Report (Price 3160 USD for a Single-User License) https://www.absolutereports.com/checkout/17676809 About Absolute Reports: Absolute Reports is an upscale platform to help key personnel in the business world in strategizing and taking visionary decisions based on facts and figures derived from in depth market research. We are one of the top report resellers in the market, dedicated towards bringing you an ingenious concoction of data parameters. CONTACT: Absolute Reports Phone : US +1 424 253 0807 UK +44 203 239 8187 Email : sales@absolutereports.com Web : https://www.absolutereports.com Absolute Reports Pvt Ltd The global Pain Management market size is projected to reach USD 4484.3 million by 2028, from USD 3213.5 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 4.8% during 2022-2028 Pune, May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pain Management market research give industry status and trend report for forecast period of 2028 which offers a complete study on Pain Management market, standing on the readers viewpoint, providing comprehensive market information and penetrating insights. No matter the client is industry insider, possible participant or stakeholder, the report will provide beneficial information and statistics. Pain Management market research report presents a comprehensive overview, market shares, and growth opportunities of Pain Management market by product type, application, key manufacturers and key regions and countries. Get a Sample Copy of the Report at - https://www.absolutereports.com/enquiry/request-sample/19991664 Pain Management could help people release pain or make them feel less painful. These drug function on phsical or mental. Market Analysis and Insights: Global Pain Management Market Market split by Type, can be divided into: - Generic Opioids Branded Opioids NSAIDs Others Market split by Application, can be divided into: - Hospitals Clinics Others Market segment by Region/Country including: - North America (United States, Canada and Mexico) Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia and Spain etc.) Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia and Southeast Asia etc.) South America (Brazil, Argentina and Colombia etc.) Middle East & Africa (South Africa, UAE and Saudi Arabia etc.) To Understand How Covid-19 Impact Is Covered in This Report - https://www.absolutereports.com/enquiry/request-covid19/19991664 Leading players of Pain Management including: - Pfizer GSK Grunenthal Bayer Sanofi Eli Lilly AstraZeneca Endo Merck Depomed Yunnan Baiyao Teva J&J Allergan Purdue Key questions answered by this report include: - Worldwide and Regional Market Size of Pain Management, and development forecast 2022-2028 Main manufacturers/suppliers of Pain Management worldwide, with company and product introduction, position in the Pain Management market Market status and development trend by types and applications Cost and profit status of Pain Management, and marketing status The report provides a detailed evaluation of the market by highlighting information on different aspects which include drivers, restraints, opportunities, and threats. Story continues Inquire or Share Your Questions If Any Before the Purchasing This Report https://www.absolutereports.com/enquiry/pre-order-enquiry/19991664 Detailed TOC of Global Pain Management Market Insights, Forecast to 2028 1 Report Business Overview 2 Global Growth Trends 3 Competition Landscape by Key Players 4 Pain Management Breakdown Data by Type 5 Pain Management Breakdown Data by Application 6 North America 7 Europe 8 Asia-Pacific 9 Latin America 11 Key Players Profiles 12 Analyst's Viewpoints/Conclusions 13 Appendix 13.1 Research Methodology 13.1.1 Methodology/Research Approach 13.1.2 Data Source 13.2 Author Details 13.3 Disclaimer Purchase this Report (Price 4900 USD for a Single-User License) https://www.absolutereports.com/checkout/19991664 About Absolute Reports: Absolute Reports is an upscale platform to help key personnel in the business world in strategizing and taking visionary decisions based on facts and figures derived from in depth market research. We are one of the top report resellers in the market, dedicated towards bringing you an ingenious concoction of data parameters. CONTACT: Absolute Reports Phone : US +1 424 253 0807 UK +44 203 239 8187 Email : sales@absolutereports.com Web : https://www.absolutereports.com Company Logo Dublin, May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Vietnam Used Car Market Outlook to 2026 (Second Edition): Driven by Growing Disposable Income and Shifting Consumer Preference from Two-Wheelers to Four-Wheelers" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Vietnam Used Car Market Outlook to 2026 provides a comprehensive analysis of the used car industry by analyzing historical statistics and corresponding developments in the used car market. The report covers various aspects including used car industry market size on the basis of gross transaction value and sales volume, overview and genesis, value chain analysis, ecosystem, snapshot on online and offline used car business model, growth trends and developments, buying decision parameters, business model, SWOT analysis, Porter 5 Forces Analysis, rules and regulations, impact of COVID-19, business model of Oto, Carmudi and Bonbanh and risk factors governing the future outlook of industry. Insights on competitive landscape of used car industry and cross comparison between major players operating in the ecosystem namely, captive dealers, multi brand dealers and classified platforms is also covered in the report on the basis of company profile, process of selling used cars, major services, USP, financing facilities, popular car brands, total number of used car listings, vehicle inspection & valuation services, customer consulting services, aftersales services and business model. Further, the report covers overview of the supporting industries such as auto-finance, aftersales and spare parts industry on the basis of market size (total credit loans disbursed and total outstanding loans). Vietnam Used Car Market Segmentation By Type of Vehicle (Sedans, SUVs, Hatchback, MPVs and Others): Sedans accounted for the highest market share of in the year 2021. Sedans remained the most popular car type in the country due to its affordable price and higher average life as compared to Hatchback and MPVs. SUV's accounted the second highest market share followed by Hatchbacks, and MPVs. By Vehicle Age (0-3 years, 3-5 years, 5-7 years, More than 7 years): Used cars under the age bracket of 0-3 years accounted for highest market share in 2021 attributed to the average depreciation rate of new vehicles in Vietnam which is around 3 years due to poor road condition which leads to wear and tear. The sale of used cars is followed by 3-5 years of vehicle age as these cars have heavy body type, better engine capacity (high horse power) and have high re-sale value. By Region (Northern, Central and Southern): The northern regions accounted for the highest share in 2021, as this region is prone to floods due to which the average replacement period is usually high and consumers prefer to buy a used car as compared to new cars for ease of replacement. It was followed by the Southern region with the highest population and the remaining market share was captured by the Central region. By Price (VND 0-200 Mn, VND 200-400 Mn, VND 400-600 Mn, and More than VND 800 Mn): The average ticket size of used cars in Vietnam is growing over the years. The price range of VND 400 Million - VND 600 Million accounted for highest percentage share in 2021 due the faster replacement rate along with the depreciation charged over the years on new vehicles. The average resale price at which Sedan's and SUV's are sold in Vietnam lies within the price band of VND 400-600 million, which are the top two preferred car types by Vietnamese consumers. The advent of COVID-19 negatively impacted the financial condition of consumer's and therefore, demand for high end cars such as Mercedes Benz and Audi which costs more than VND 800 million declined in 2021. By Mileage (0-30,000 Km, 30,000-60,000 Km, 60,000-80,000 Km, and More than 80,000 Km): Vehicles not driven for 30,000-60,000 Km are most preferred in Vietnam in 2021. Consumer's purchasing a used vehicle prefers car which has not been used extensively, as the quality of vehicles might drastically fall with the increase in usage. By Vehicle Brand (Toyota, Kia, Hyundai, Ford, Honda and Others): Japanese and Korean brands are the most preferred brands in Vietnam due to their strong brand preference, reliability, longer life span, and higher re-sale value of the used cars. Toyota dominated the market by accounting highest market share of followed by KIA, Hyundai, Ford and Honda in terms of sales volume. Other brands such as Mitsubishi and Chevrolet captured the remaining market share of used cars sales volume in 2021. By Supply Type (Domestic and Imported): Domestic supply accounted for the highest share on the basis of sales volume in 2021. Imported supply of used vehicles is financially taxing to the consumers due to various taxes and levy's charged. By Channel of Purchase (Non-Organized and Organized): Majority of the used car purchases in Vietnam was through unorganized channel. Presence of large number of unorganized multi brand dealers spread across the rural regions of Vietnam contributed to the majority share of unorganized purchases. By Mode of Sales (Offline and Online): Sale of used cars through offline medium was the preferred choice of consumers. Low internet penetration rate in Vietnam is a major reason for the lack of sales through online medium. By Financed vs Non-Financed: Non-financed purchases of used car accounted for the highest share on the basis of sales volume in 2021 compared to financed purchases. By Financing Type (Organized Financing and Unorganized Financing): In terms of used cars sold through financing options, organized financing captured the highest share in 2021. Banking institutions, NBFCs and captive companies such as Toyota Financial Service constitutes the organized financing ecosystem. Story continues Vietnam Used Car and Auto-Finance Players Major Captive Dealers Thanh Xuan Ford Mercedes Benz An Du Hyundai Dong Do Toyota An Suong Hien Toyota Major Multi Brand Dealers Anycar Viet Han Used Car Hoa Binh Auto Viettin Auto Major Classified Players Oto Bonbanh Carmudi Chotot Choxe Major Banks providing Auto-Financing Facilities VIB Bank TP Bank VP Bank Standard Chartered Vietin Bank Techom Bank Woori Bank Shinhan Bank Major NBFCs and Captive Companies providing Auto-Financing Facilities Mirae Asset Toyota Financial Service BMW Financial Service Key Segments Covered in Vietnam Used Car Industry Vietnam Used Car Market By Type of Vehicle Sedans SUVs MPVs Hatchbacks Others By Vehicle Age 0-3 years 3-5 years 5-7 ears More than 7 years By Region Northern Central Southern By Price VND 0-200 Million VND 200-400 Million VND 400-600 Million More than VND 800 Million By Mileage 0-30,000 Km 30,000-60,000 Km 60,000-80,000 Km More than 80,000 Km By Vehicle Brand Toyota Ford Kia Honda Hyundai Others By Supply Type Domestic Imported By Mode of Sales Online Offline By Channel Purchase Organized Purchase Non-Organized Purchase By Financed vs Non-Financed By Financing Type Organized Financing Unorganized Financing Vietnam Auto-Finance Market and Auto Insurance Market Total Car Loans Disbursed Total Outstanding Loans Auto-Insurance Market on the basis of Gross Premium Key Target Audience Captive Dealers Multibrand Dealers Classified Players Banks, and NBFCs providing Financing Facilities Automotive Companies Government Bodies Time Period Captured in the Report Historical Period: 2015-2021 Forecast Period: 2021-2026F For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/hk241f CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 Jay Hovey has unofficially won the race for Alabama State Senate District 27 by one vote over incumbent Tom Whatley, but Whatley still has time to challenge for a recount. After hearing the results, Hovey said this highlights the need for every individual to cast their vote. Weve joked this whole week, after the fact, that every vote counts, and obviously when it comes down to one vote, thats never been more true, Hovey said. After waiting a week with Hovey clinging to a four-vote lead, officials at the Lee County Meeting Center gathered Tuesday afternoon to count the provisional ballots from Lee County in the race for the state senate seat. Provisional ballots are votes where there was initially a question about the voters eligibility. The vote is counted once that question is resolved. There were 87 total provisional ballots in the three-county district, including 67 in Lee, 14 in Tallapoosa and six in Russell. Of those provisional ballots, 15 had the District 27 race on the ballot and were accepted to be counted, including 10 in Lee County and five in Tallapoosa County. Russell County did not have any accepted provisional ballots in the race. Whatley beat Hovey on provisional ballots in both counties, winning 6-4 in Lee and 3-2 in Tallapoosa. After adding those provisional votes to the precinct totals, Hovey still led by one vote, with a total of 16,745 votes cast, or 8,373 for Hovey and 8,372 for Whatley. Lee County Probate Judge Bill English has seen a race this close twice before. He said in the early 1990s in a race for Auburn City Council there was a tie that had to be broken by a coin toss to determine the winner, which would have happened again for this race if there was a tie. Since this is a party primary, it will be up to the candidates if they want to have a recount of the votes, said Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones. Theyll have to file whatever action they intend with the party themselves because it is a party primary as opposed to a general election, Jones said. English said it would cost about $4,000 to request a recount. If the recount changes the outcome of the election, the county will pay the fee, but if the outcome remains the same, the candidate will pay it. Elizabeth Ham, the Republican executive committee chair of Lee County, said she will send the results to the Republican party and the party will send them to the Alabama Secretary of States Office. Ham said after the secretary of state certifies the election, the clock starts running, and Whatley will have 48 hours to ask for a recount. Ham believes this would start on Friday. On election night, Hovey appeared to be cruising to victory to those monitoring the results in Lee County, where he piled up 6,610 votes in that county to Whatleys 3,942, or about 62% of the vote. But despite Tallapoosa and Russell counties having far fewer voters than Lee County, Whatley dominated both counties to such a great extent that he nearly wiped out the entire deficit. Whatley won Tallapoosa by 3,540 votes to 1,555, or about 70%, and Russell by 881 to 202, or about 81%. At that point, Hovey led Whatley 8,367 votes to 8,363, but the two candidates still had to wait a week for the provisional ballots to be counted. I appreciate everyone in Lee County showing up and supporting me, said Hovey, the Auburn city councilman for Ward 7. He said he knew going into this election race that Whatley had a 12-year head start in name recognition. Obviously the margin last week highlighted the need for each vote, and as it comes down to today, that one extra makes all the difference, Hovey said. Whatley did not immediately return calls from the Opelika-Auburn News on Tuesday evening. If Hoveys win becomes official, he will run against Democrat candidate Sherri Reese of Opelika in the general election in November. Im angry with whoever told all these dudes theyre funny and even angrier with whoever gave them careers. Although, I gotta be honest, this dude is a big ol, Who? for me. Loser. Hope you got the attention you so desperately crave, asshole. Reply Thread Link Lenny Bruce would slap their face and not share his smack with them. Reply Parent Thread Link Watch all the other male comedians come out and tell us all why we are wrong to be offended and we just dont get it. Reply Thread Link i googled him and he's 64???? fucking save us from white male comics who never learned how to do anything but punch down and then blast everyone else for being too "politically correct" these days like no, douchebag, you just ain't funny. Edited at 2022-05-31 09:29 am (UTC) Reply Thread Link Heads up to anyone considering reading the article to see how bad it was. It was bad. 80s bad. And a lot of it was targeted at a table of Indigenous women in attendance. Like, personally. They walked out and he kept shitting on them, so at some point all those edgy unfunny shitheads are going to have to admit that they don't care about censorship. They care about their ego. This guy in particular seems like he wants his audience strapped down and muzzled so he doesn't have to entertain the idea that not everyone thinks he's a genius. Can't let this man get his feefees hurt. Reply Thread Link yeah i clicked through and wtf...it wasn't stand up comedy, it was straight up racist abuse. and he can't have known they'd be there so did he just make that shit up on the fly, or was he counting on their being Indigenous women in the audience for him to have a go at? what a shithead. Reply Parent Thread Link He probably knows Winnipeg has the largest first nations population in Canada. Anyone who has been there would know that. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Disgusting Reply Parent Thread Link It was targeted too?? Jfc. Hats off to those who walked in solidarity. As they say: not all heroes wear capes. Edited at 2022-05-31 03:08 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Ugh how awful. I'm glad people left. Reply Thread Link I'm hoping there were only 30-40 people in the audience and everyone walked out. Reply Thread Link A guy quoted in the article said he felt uncomfortable but he was there for someone's birthday and he didn't want to make "a scene" by leaving, lol. He was sitting at the same table as one of the targeted women who walked out. How is it less awkward to sit at what I'm gonna go ahead and imagine is an otherwise empty table in tacit endorsement of a hack comedian's racism than to join a spontaneous egress of like 30 to 40 people?? Reply Parent Thread Link Everyone who stayed after Vos' remarks sucks. Reply Parent Thread Link why are men so we-AaaaAk Reply Parent Thread Link The woman he was sitting with was quoted in the article but she wasnt sitting with the group of women who walked out. Actually, his entire party walked out after when the comedian said something racist again about the women who had left, I believe. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link It just feels so.. early nineties to go for minorities? "They live differently than us white folkies OMG HAHA" like.. the joke, where is it? Why didn't you evolve it's been thirty years. Reply Thread Link can we stop calling "racism" "comedy"? it's never been funny. Reply Thread Link Rich Vos has always been horrible. He only slipped under the radar because hes below Z List, and only catered to the mouth breathers who think shock jocks tell it like it is. Reply Thread Link Exhausting as shit. Trash. Also, "American comedian" truly says and bring out a lot about themselves sufficiently. Like, such blatant racism is so on brand for them the entire time. So predictable and generic. Trash all around. Reply Thread Link Dunno who tf he is but fuck him. Reply Thread Link "We can say anything and you have to take it AND pay us!" Reply Thread Link The article states that the Vos had additional shows at the club that went fine - so, he cut out his trash for those shows? I dont know. If I made hateful jokes or comment at work that made folks compelled to leave, I dont believe I would get the additional opportunities. But those white male comedians are really under attack and have it the worst. :( Reply Thread Link More like he saw a table full of indigenous women as an opportunity to shit on them and see how theyd react. Reply Parent Thread Link Not a single lie told. The comments from the women he targeted that were highlighted in the article were just devastating. So many might dismiss it as just a night out gone bad but the impact is so deep, systemic, and dont go away. Reply Parent Thread Link Do I remember some hubbub about this or was it just one negative review that stayed with me? Reply Thread Link Every single one of the three women she followed was white. Reply Parent Thread Link IDK, I'm not sure why that's a valid critique of the book. Three Women was marketed as a look inside the sex lives of three modern American women, but Taddeo never claimed that this was a representative sample. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link i love shailene's hair in all the photos i've seen from this Reply Thread Link it feels very erin brockvich tbh! Reply Parent Thread Link i was like, "wow, what a beautiful haircape" as i was scrolling, tbh! Reply Parent Thread Link i'm ready for a shailene resurgence, 2013-14 was a glorious time Reply Thread Link Are any of these women happy? I'm hoping so because this sounds like no fun to watch. I mean in terms of complexity of characters and situation. Going strictly by the synopsis above, it seems very "het women be suffering". Edited at 2022-05-31 03:16 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link The book has big are the straights okay?! energy for sure lol Reply Parent Thread Link Tbh Im not sure Im a fan of the blind casting in this one. I read the book when it came out and remember being shocked that each of the women followed was white. So I get what they were trying to do here. BUT! That character was the least sympathetic of all of them so it really feels like such a choice to but a Black woman in that role. Edited at 2022-05-31 03:27 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link "sentient force of nature" feels a little unintentionally shady as a descriptor Reply Thread Link I miss the secret life ngl Reply Thread Link Sorry but this is the superior Reply Thread Link i hated this book, it ruined my pool vacation week but i could see it being better as a tv? show Reply Thread Link i think i wouldve liked this book had it been in the hands of a more competent writer. the writing was just too weak. i can see it translating well to screen though Reply Thread Link So why is "(and women)" put in brackets like that? Is it to cater to hetero but gay sensationalist audiences? Reply Thread Link I don't like the fact that the Black woman is playing a woman who is sleeping with everyone to appease her husband. Mainly because it falls into the trope that Black women are slutty. I wouldn't want her to be the woman who was molested as a child because it falls into another trope where if we weren't sexual, the reason is that we were molested. Hell, I would have liked us to be not a part of this narrative. Keep it white woman. Reply Thread Link you hit the nail on the head as to why "diversity casting" can sometimes be problematic (imo). there are so many nuanced layers to bipoc representation in society and the media -- hollywood can't just slap a black person on a role and pat themselves on the back. tokenism is still alive and well. i'm glad dewanda is getting exposure and being paid though! Reply Parent Thread Link I don't know how to feel about this since the book was nonfiction...I wonder whether the women whose stories are being told are getting additional compensation or involved at all? Reply Thread Link Yeah it must be weird for Maggie, who has details of her trial etc online and never got justice :( Reply Parent Thread Link Wow thats a layer I wasnt aware of. I hope theyre being compensated well. Makes me a bit uncomfortable. Reply Parent Thread Link Holy Jesus I forgot this book is real Reply Parent Thread Link [ Spoiler (click to open) ] Porsche is drugged and kidnapped. Kinn "saves" him and proceeds to have sex with him. He then goes super cold and punishes him after talking to his dad, while still being a jealous fuck. In another episode he calls Porsche a whore and when Porsche tries to leave, he grabs him and shoves him against the wall "Fukuhara Kouta is a college student who has bad luck that causes problems everywhere he goes. One day, he runs into Shinomiya Naoya, a fellow student with the opposite problem - super good luck. Shinomiya decides to help him out. Now, in order to divide the luck between them, they need to be with each other all the time." ( MDL It's super cute, fluffy, and short.Can be watched on Viki and Gagaoolala Currently Airing 6/8 episodes aired"The second son of the Mafia, Kinn Theerapanyakul, is fleeing from an enemy when he meets Porsche, an enterprising young waiter. Porsche agrees to help defend Kinn from his attackers... for 50,000 baht. Porsche's martial arts skills impress, and spurred on by his father, Kinn seeks to hire Porsche as one of his personal bodyguards.Porsche is opposed and rejects Kinn, no matter how intimidating. It isn't until Porsche's family home and his ability to care for his brother are threatened that he agrees to the proposal and moves onto the Theerapanyakul property.It's not a smooth transition into the unorthodox, violent job. His relationship with Kinn vacillates between strained and playful. When his feelings for Kinn take an unexpected turn, his stakes in the work get a lot higher." (MDL) Warnings: There is noncon.I know I am trash for liking this, but it has the right balance of comedy/fluff/dark mafia stuff and is by far the hottest show on this list. Also Apo Nattawin.Where to Watch: IQIYI Currently airing, 8/14 episodes aired so farContinuing the story of the previous season, the protagonist "Mobu" finally confessed to his classmate Kikuchi, so he left his identity as a passerby and became the protagonist of the BL world. Unexpectedly, Kikuchi was back to the handsome ex-boyfriend Igarashi. He returning to become the passerby again, so he decided to start over. The story about the man who defies the world of BL VS A world that turns every man gay begins again. (MDL) Really fun take on the BL genre. If you haven't seen the first season, you definitely should!Where to Watch: Viki All episodes released(Sorry I couldn't find a trailer with English subs for this one)"Rak and Diao love to quarrel.After graduating, Diao gets a creative job with a Food Delivery company and moves in with his sister Dao. Dao bought the house with her boyfriend but since their breakup, she can't afford the fees so Diao moves in to help. Fortunately, Daos house has another small house adjacent which she can rent out to further lighten the load of expenses. A perfectionist, Diao worries about the new tenant he'd be sharing space with.Fate works in strange ways. New tenant Rak has nothing at all in common with Diao. Not only does his mischievous brother look for trouble every day, Rak soon becomes his boss, ordering frequent revisions of his work. The war starts; Rak is the boss in the office while Diao is the boss at home." ( MDL Warnings: There is a laugh track. Seriously almost gave up because of it. It is definitely a slow burn and some of the characters are immature, but it became very endearing by the end.Where to Watch: Youtube All 16 episodes have aired and are subbed.Cha Si Won is popular among people where ever he goes. In his childhood, Si Won was teased by his younger sister that hes ugly. Since then, Si Won put a great deal of effort to become handsome, and he has succeeded. Being in college now, Si Won did not doubt that he will be the most beloved person on the campus. However, there is a guy called Hyeong Da Un, who has a perfect look, gets straight As, comes from a rich family, and even has a great personality. ( MDL Honestly I watched this and remember liking it and thinking it was cute, but I can't remember much about it.Where to Watch: IQIYI All 11 episodes have been released."Chu Sang Woo is a junior computer science majoring student who prizes reason, rules, and a rigid sense of what is right above all else. As part of his university work, he is told to work on a group project for the liberal arts, whereby the group is required to make a final presentation in order to pass the module. But as the rest of the group whom he knows nothing about have decided to leave him to do all the work on his own, he decides to remove their names, and make the presentation in his name.But little did he know that when he did this, he would deal a heavy blow to the academic prospects of a senior student named Jang Jae Young. The latter, a design major, is Chu Sang Woos polar opposite. He is stylish, fun-loving, and above all extraordinarily popular. He is the closest thing the college has to a superstar! But when his credit for the liberal arts project is taken away, his grand plans to study abroad are suddenly thrown up in the air. He seeks out Chu Sang Woo and is of a mind to torment him. But when the duo is forced to work together, a strange attraction starts to develop between them" ( MDL This is another fun enemies to lover show.Where to watch: Viki All 8 episodes have aired, possibly will have a 2nd season.They've already gotten lots of hype so I'm not going to type up a whole segment, but Heartstopper and Our Flag Means Death are also great.Cupid's Last Wish, Triage, GameBoys S2(if you have watched S1, do!), Dear Doctor, I'm Coming for SoulEnchante, Our Days, Love Class, In Your Heart, Secret Crush On You(it was just a little too cringey for me, but if you're down with that it's probably alright), Cutie Pie, Star and SkyOther Shows I've Watched: Cherry Blossoms After Winter The Miracle of Teddy Bear (this one is definitely more traditional Thai lakorn and very long), Plus and Minus (does have a great episode about revoking consent), and My Secret Love (only one episode has aired so far).Sources 1 OSHA's James Frederick Addresses Professionals at AIHce EXP 2022 Attendees of AIHAs AIHce EXP 2022 listened in while OSHAs Deputy Assistant Secretary summarized the agencys priorities. Last week, OSHA Deputy Assistant Secretary James Frederick addressed attendees in the closing session of AIHce EXP 2022. The session was a summarization of the agencys current priorities and provided updates on several rulemakings. First, Frederick addressed the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic by referring attendees to OSHAs Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace, which is still being updated in light of new information regularly. The agencys Deputy Assistant Secretary explained that despite the Supreme Courts shutdown of the Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard, OSHA still gets complaints about workplaces and the virus. Frederick assured attendees that OSHA is using the General Duty Clause for enforcement purposes regarding Covid-19. Attendees were also particularly interested in hearing updates on the agencys endeavors to protect against extreme heat. OSHA as recently published an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on heat injury prevention and launched a National Emphasis Program to protect workers from outdoor and indoor heat hazards. In addition to the Covid-19 pandemic and ongoing efforts to protect against hear, Frederick mentioned the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act which will provide $500 million for construction projects around the country. Frederick reminded attendees that the influx of workers on these projects will be enormous and will require health and safety protections from the outset. Its vital that occupational health professionals are engaged and involved to make certain that hazards are addressed and mitigated as new workers enter these jobs, he explained. In the end, Frederick acknowledged that most employers are trying to protect their workers, but need help from OSHA, especially through the agencys compliance assistance program and training initiatives. Speaking directly to attendees, Frederick said, We really want to make sure employers are going well above OSHA regulations. Factory activity in China declined more slowly this month, suggesting rebounding demand for energy, in oil specifically. Per a Reuters report, the slowed decline was the result of Covid restrictions getting relaxed in several major industrial hubs. The news immediately pushed Brent crude higher. China's purchasing managers' index rose to 49.6 this month from 47.4 in April, and beating economists' predictions for an increase to 48.6. Yet the country is not completely out of the woods with regard to Covid and its effect on the economy and oil demand. "It shows the impact of COVID-19 outbreaks in May have not fully ended, leaving the economic outlook grim since the second quarter in 2020," Reuters quoted a Huaxing Securities analyst as saying. "Indeed, there continues to be signs of supply chain disruptions in the survey breakdown," said Capital Economics analyst Sheana Yue. "Delivery times lengthened further while firms continued to draw down their inventories of raw materials, although at a less rapid pace than in April." This suggests that China's oil demand outlook also leaves something to be desired, although it is improving. Higher oil prices will hardly help this demand's recovery now that Brent topped $122 per barrel following the news that the EU had agreed to phase out almost all Russian oil imports by the end of the year. China has been the biggest beneficiary of EU action targeting Russia's oil industry as it has forced the latter to sell its crude at a discount, and much of it has been going to China. For May, Russian seaborne oil exports to China are seen hitting 1 million bpd, up from 750,000 bpd in the first quarter and 800,000 bpd a year earlier, Reuters reported earlier this month. Meanwhile, total oil imports have also been recovering, posting a gain for April after three months of declines. The daily average stood at 10.5 million bpd, which compared with 9.82 million bpd a year ago and 10.06 million bpd in March this year. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Europe is also significantly raising imports of crude from or via North Africa and from West Africa. Russia will have to double down on efforts to sell more crude to Asian customers. Europe will be seeking much more seaborne crude from outside Russia. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has changed global oil trade routes forever. In one of the most significant rerouting of oil flows in recent decades, Europe is now looking to haul in growing volumes of non-Russian crude, while Russiashunned in the Westis looking East for its next top exporting market. The Russian war in Ukraine and the sanctions from the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union that followed upended the entire global oil supply chain. The closest neighbors geographicallyEurope and Russiaare now each looking in the other direction for supply and export routes. Altered Oil Routes The changes to oil flows are already evident three months after Russia invaded Ukraine. Europe is now importing record volumes of U.S. crude, North Sea crude, and is attracting more barrels of light sweet crude from West Africa as its governments try to reduceand ultimately eliminateits dependence on Russian oil. Moreover, trading houses, insurers, reinsurers, and tanker owners based in the UK and the EU avoid dealing with Russian oil supplies to comply with the current and future sanctions on Russias oil exports. Europes challenge to cut off dependence on Russian oil has been evident over the past month as the EU took weeks to agree on some sort of a compromise on a Russian oil embargo. From banning all Russian oil imports, via any means, effective by the end of 2022, the initial proposal of the European Commission was eventually watered down to an agreement on a ban on seaborne imports by the end of the year with an exemption for pipeline crude. The sixth package of EU sanctions against Russia will immediately impact 75% of Russian oil imports, and by the end of the year, 90% of the Russian oil imported by Europe will be banned, Charles Michel, President of the European Council, said early on Tuesday after the EU reached an agreement to start banning Russian oil imports. This will further upend global oil flows as Europe will be seeking much more seaborne crude from outside Russia, its largest oil supplier before the war. The ban also means that Russia will have to double down on its efforts to sell more of its crude to Asia, primarily to China and India, in the absence of its biggest market so far, Europe. Europe Looks West To replace Russian crude, Europe is increasingly looking at more supply from the UK and Norways North Sea crude, more supply from the United States, and barrels from West African producers. In April, the United States shipped the highest volume of crude to Europe since the U.S. lifted a ban on crude exports in 2016, ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg showed. Europe imported around 1.45 million barrels per day (bpd) of American crude in May, which is up 15% compared to March, according to data and analytics company Kpler cited by Reuters. Europe is also significantly raising imports of crude from or via North Africa and from West Africa, tanker-tracking firm Petro-Logistics told Reuters. Nigeria and Angola are boosting their exports to Europe, which has sent Nigerian crude prices rising to record premiums to Dated Brent. Nigerias Forcados and Escravos crudes have been recently offered at a premium of $8 a barrel over Dated Brent, traders told Reuters on Monday. Thats the highest-ever premium for Nigerian crudes, per Refinitiv Eikon data. Russia Looks East The increase in sales of African crude in Europe comes at the expense of lower African sales in Asia, where India and China are buying heavily discounted Russian crude barrels. Asian buyers are Russias chance to reroute its oil away from Europe, where Russian crude is no longer wanted. Russian exports to India and China have jumped, replacing part of the West African crude that has typically flown to India. The worlds third-largest oil importer, India, saw its imports of West African crude nearly halve in April compared to March, Petro-Logistics President Mark Gerber told Reuters. Indias overall crude oil imports jumped by 15% in April year on year, Petro-Logistics said earlier this month. Big increases from Middle East at the expense of African barrels which have increasingly gone to Europe. Russia supplying record volumes to India, Petro-Logistics noted. In India, cheap Russian crude oil is attracting price-sensitive buyers to the point that Russia became the fourth largest oil supplier to India in April, moving up from 10th place in March. India is set to import record volumes of Russian crude in May and June, at 24 million barrels and 28 million barrels, respectively, up from 7.2 million barrels in April, the previous record for imported Russian oil, per Refinitiv Eikon data cited by Reuters. The significant increase in Indias purchases of Russian crude has already drawn the attention of the United States, which has reportedly sent a U.S. federal government official to discuss U.S. sanctions on Russia and try to convince India to reduce its purchases of Russian oil. Russia is also exporting an estimated 400,000 bpdmostly to Asiavia ship-to-ship transfers from smaller vessels to supertankers in the Mediterranean, according to Petro-Logistics. Even if Asia cannot fully replace all the oil exports Russia will be losing in Europe, Russian oil shipments to India and China are set to further increase in the coming months, barring a diplomatic intervention from the West to persuade India not to boost Russian imports too much. At any rate, crude trade flows have changed foreverEurope looks to Africa and the U.S., while Russia pins its hopes on India and China. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The European Union leaders agreed to cut Russian crude oil imports by as much as 90 percent by the end of the year. The agreement is in principle, and details would still need to be clarified. Per a Reuters report, some 65 percent of Russian oil exports to the European Union reach the continent by tankers, with the rest flowing via the Druzhba pipeline. By the end of the year, Germany and Poland have agreed to stop buying Russian crude from the Druzhba pipeline, which would bring the amount of embargoed Russian oil to 90 percent of the total. The embargo seeks to first target tanker shipments, which will put those EU members who get their Russian oil this way in a difficult position. For the time being, there is no clarity as to how these EU members will be compensated. Meanwhile, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia will be exempt from the embargo, leaving 10 percent of usual Russian oil flows in place. There was no mention of Bulgaria in the Reuters report, but the southern European state was also part of the group of countries opposing any embargo that could threaten the security of its oil supply. The European Commission proposed a full oil embargo against Russia in early May as part of its latest sanction package. Hungary, however, immediately and quite vocally opposed it, arguing it would need hundreds of millions of dollars to transform its pipeline and refinery industry. The Central European state relies on Russia for more than 80 percent of its oil. The following weeks saw active discussions as more EU members heavily reliant on Russian oil followed Hungarys example, with Bulgaria threatening a veto on any embargo proposal unless it received an extension to reduce and eventually eliminate Russian oil imports. Following the news of the embargo agreement, Brent crude was trading at $122.63 per barrel, with West Texas Intermediate at $117.99 per barrel. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Russia dismissed on Tuesday the partial EU embargo on its oil, saying it is confident it would find other buyers for its crude after the European Union reached a compromise deal to ban most Russian imports into the bloc. Late on Monday, the EU reached an agreement in principle to ban seaborne oil imports by the end of the year with an exemption for pipeline crude. The sixth package of EU sanctions against Russia will immediately impact 75% of Russian oil imports, and by the end of the year, 90% of the Russian oil imported by Europe will be banned, Charles Michel, President of the European Council, said. We will soon return to the issue of the remaining 10% of pipeline oil, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday. Retweeting von der Leyens tweet announcing the sanctions on Russian oil, Mikhail Ulyanov, Permanent Representative of Russia to International Organizations in Vienna, said, As she rightly said yesterday, #Russia will find other importers, referring to the Commissions president. Noteworthy that now she contradicts her own yesterdays statement. Very quick change of the mindset indicates that the #EU is not in a good shape, the Russian official said. Russias crude oil production has been falling since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and analysts believe it may have to shut in as much as 3 million bpd as Russian oil is now not only unwanted but also banned in the West. Earlier this month, Russia said it had increased oil production in May by 200,000-300,000 bpd after a large decline in output and refining in April and dismissed any suggestions that there was a crisis in its oil industry. We are in constant contact with our oil and gas companies and we do not see any serious problems that would indicate that our industry is in some kind of crisis, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said via news agency TASS. Yes, we received a certain shock that allowed us to find new balance points and enter new export opportunities, including redirecting energy resources to new markets, creating new supply chains, Novak added. Russia is boosting exports to India and China, but analysts doubt the Asian market would be able to absorb all the 4 million bpd of oil Russia was sending to Europe before the war. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The European Commission will look into setting a price cap on imported Russian natural gas, Italys Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on Tuesday. The Commission received a mandate to study the feasibility of a gas price cap, Draghi told reporters after todays summit in Brussels. The European Union leaders agreed to cut Russian crude oil imports by as much as 90 percent by the end of this year, setting out first to target crude oil shipments via tankers. Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic are exempt from the embargo. The EU has been contemplating a natural-gas price cap to avoid significantly higher costs should Rissia limit or cut off the flow, and to limit profits for Russiathe very country the West is trying to punish for its invasion of Ukraine. Russias Gazprom has already cut off gas supplies to Dutch GasTerra, Denmarks Orsted, and Shell Energy for its supply contract with Germany, as those companies have refused to pay Gazprom in rubles per the latest mandate. Gazproms move to cut off gas supplies was largely expected. Russia has also cut off natural gas shipments to Bulgaria, Finland, and Poland due to their refusal to pay in rubles. Germany, Italy, and France, however, all are willing to comply with Russias demand for payment in rubles, as they have found few alternatives to the large amount of Russian gas that they currently rely on. Billionaire investor George Soros cautioned Europe last week to hold its nerve, citing Russias nearly full gas storage and lack of outlets for its gas beyond Europe. Europe may have finally agreed on a Russian oil embargo that will take many months to enact, and is considering gas price caps to limit the amount of funding the EU provides to Russia as it continues its invasion of Ukrainebut the timeline thus far has not impressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The EU sends hundreds of billions of dollars each year to Russia in compensation for Russian natural gas. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The world faces a much bigger energy crisis than the one of the 1970s, the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol, told German daily Der Spiegel in an interview published on Tuesday. Back then it was just about oil, Birol told the news outlet. Now we have an oil crisis, a gas crisis and an electricity crisis simultaneously, said the head of the international agency created after the 1970s shock of the Arab oil embargo. The energy crisis started in the autumn of last year, but the Russian invasion of Ukraine made it much worse as the markets fear disruption to energy supply out of Russia, while Western governments are imposing increasingly restrictive sanctions on Moscow over the war in Ukraine. The EU agreed late on Monday to ban most of the imports of Russian oil, leaving pipeline supply exempted from the embargo, for now. This will further tighten already tight crude and product markets. The world, especially Europe, could face a summer of shortages of gasoline, fuel, and jet fuel, the IEAs Birol told Der Spiegel. Fuel demand is set to rise as the main holiday season in Europe and the United States begins, Birol added. Upended crude oil flows add to reduced global refinery capacity resulting in low inventories of products, including in the United States. Refinery capacity for supply, globally and in the U.S, that is now a few million barrels per day lower than it was before the pandemic. Some 1 million bpd of refinery capacity in the U.S. has been shut permanently since the start of the pandemic, as refiners have opted to either close losing facilities or convert some of them into biofuel production sites. Globally, refinery capacity is also stretched thin, especially after Western buyersincluding in the U.S.are no longer importing Russian vacuum gas oil (VGO) and other intermediate products necessary for refining crude into gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. The fuel market is extremely tight in Europe, too, and is set to tighten further after the EU ban on most Russian imports. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Long before the re-emergence of the Pan-Arab ideology now increasingly evident among several leading Middle Eastern countries, Qatar had sought to go its own way, neither aligning fully with the U.S.-led power bloc on the one side nor the China/Russia-lead bloc on the other. This is in part a reflection of the hard facts that it shares the huge North Dome/South Pars natural gas reservoir with China/Russias key proxy in the region, Iran, and is geographically positioned directly between what was the U.S.s key ally in the region, Saudi Arabia, on its west and Iran on its east. It is also a function of nationalist sensibilities of self-reliance, and all of these factors combine into Qatars decision to put itself forward as a key means by which Germany may finally be able to consider enacting a ban on importing oil and gas from Russia, catalyzing more European Union (E.U.) member states to do the same. Just over a week ago, Qatar signed a declaration of intent on energy cooperation with Germany aimed at becoming the de facto E.U. leaders key supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) going forward. These new supplies of LNG from Qatar would come into Germany through existing importation routes augmented by new infrastructure approved by the German Bundestag on 19 May. This includes the deployment of four floating LNG import facilities on its northern coast, and two permanent onshore terminals, which are even now under development, according to sources within the E.U.s energy security apparatus exclusively spoken to by Oilprice.com last week. These plans, said one of the sources, will run in parallel with, but are likely to be finished significantly sooner than, plans for Qatar to also make available to Germany sizeable supplies of LNG from the Golden Pass terminal on the Gulf Coast of Texas, in which QatarEnergy holds a 70 percent stake, with ExxonMobil holding the remainder. The Golden Pass terminals estimated send-out capacity will be around 18 million metric tons per year (mtpy) of LNG and the facility is expected to be operational in 2024. To correlate the figures, then: last year, Germany imported 142 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas in 2021, down 6.4 percent from 2020, an average of around 12 bcm per month (although real month-by-month use would not reflect this arithmetical mean average due to differing seasonal usage). This figure comes from data sources that do not quantify the individual sources of these supplies, but as a guide, according to data from Independent Commodity Intelligence Services (ICIS), for the month of December 2021, natural gas coming via pipelines from Russia amounted to 32 percent of Germanys total imports that month, followed by supplies from Norway (20 percent of the total) and the Netherlands (12 percent of the total). Using this December percentage gives a figure for the entire year of just over 45 billion cubic meters of natural gas being imported by Germany from Russia, which equates to just under 33 million metric tons of LNG, or just over 40 million tons of oil equivalent. The 33 million metric tons of LNG for the year for Germany from Russia compares to the entire Golden Pass figure over the year of 18 million metric tons per year of LNG. So, clearly, for Qatar to make a meaningful dent in Germanys gas imports from Russia let alone to allow for Germany to substitute Qatari gas for Russian oil imports as well (in 2021 Germany imported an average of 555,000 bpd, or 34 percent of its total, the most crude oil from Russia of any country in the E.U.) more would have to be done by Qatar, and as quickly as possible. The cornerstone of these efforts from Qatar comes in its plans to dramatically expand its flagship North Dome natural gas field capacity, but this is unlikely to be fully achieved before the target point of 2027 at the earliest. The supergiant North Dome natural gas field, together with the neighboring 3,700 square kilometer area of Irans South Pars field, comprises by far the largest non-associated natural gas field in the world. By conservative estimates, the entire 9,700 square kilometer site holds at least 1,800 trillion cubic feet of non-associated natural gas and at least 50 billion barrels of natural gas condensates. This abundant resource had, for many years, allowed Qatar to be the number one LNG exporter in the world, although it did lose that spot for a time to Australia. Qatars loss of standing had been a product of the moratorium it had imposed in 2005 on the further development of the North Dome site but this was then lifted in the first quarter of 2017. Related: Blackouts Looming Over Millions Of British Households As it stands, Qatar can produce more than the 77 million metric tons per year (around 106 bcm per year) of LNG official capacity of the North Dome - last year it produced around 110 bcm - and the plans are to increase this to 110 mtpy with the addition of four more trains from 2025 and to 126 million mtpy with the addition of two further trains by 2027. To recap, Germanys estimated yearly imports of natural gas from Russia are around 45 bcm, or just under 33 million metric tons of LNG. In order, then, to fully become Germanys substitute for Russian gas right now assuming that Germanys LNG importation infrastructure was ready now, rather than at an as-yet-undecided date Qatar would have to send over 58 percent of all its LNG to Germany, ignoring all other calls on that gas. As of the end of last year, not only did Qatar have long-term supply contracts in place for domestic consumers, of course, and also for its prized clients in Asia (Asia was Qatars biggest market for LNG deliveries last year, with a total of 78.5 bcm delivered), but also it various other countries in Europe, accounting for around 5 percent of total European consumption. Notable European customers last year were Italy (6.6 bcm) and the U.K. (6.2 bcm), Belgium (3 bcm), Spain (2.7 bcm), and Poland (2.4 bcm), according to industry data. This all pre-supposes, of course, that there is a genuine desire on Germanys part to genuinely take part in, let alone lead, any real European Union-wide ban on Russian gas and oil and this is highly questionable. As analyzed in-depth in my new book on the global oil markets, Germany was at the forefront in the E.U. of a range of measures designed to circumvent the mainly U.S.-led sanctions before 2011/2012. Shortly after the U.S. announcement of its unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA deal in May 2018, the E.U. moved to impose its Blocking Statute that made it illegal for E.U. companies to follow U.S. sanctions. At around the same time, Germanys Foreign Minister, Sigmar Gabriel, warned: We also have to tell the Americans that their behavior on the Iran issue will drive us Europeans into a common position with Russia and China against the USA. Shortly after that, Germany was a key mover in the E.U. introducing a special purpose vehicle the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges that would act as a clearing house for payments made between Iran and E.U. companies doing work there. This time around, following Russias invasion of Ukraine, Germany has struck a similar note, as fully analyzed by Oilprice.com, with its only real flurry of activity having been to ensure that Russia did not stop supplying it with either oil or gas due to its companies not being able to pay in the way Moscow preferred and whingeing on about how difficult any such ban would be for it. By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Oil prices rose early on Tuesday after the EU managed overnight to reach a compromise deal on banning Russian oil imports, expecting to effectively ban 90% of Russias oil flows to the bloc by the end of the year. As of 9:02 a.m. on Tuesday, WTI Crude was up 3.54% from Fridays settlement and was at $119.42. The Brent Crude futures for July, with the contract expiring on Tuesday, were trading up 1.78% at $123.94. Oil prices are now set for a sixth consecutive months of gains, which is the longest streak of monthly gains in oil prices in more than a decade. The biggest mover of oil prices on Tuesday was the EU ban a partial one but nevertheless, a unanimous decision to start banning Russias oil exports to the EU. For weeks, Hungary had blocked a decision on an embargo after the European Commission proposed a full ban by the end of the year on all Russian oil imports. The initial proposal was watered down to an agreement on a ban on seaborne imports by the end of the year, with pipeline crude exempted, for now. The start of the U.S. driving season amid robust demand and multi-year low fuel inventories also supported oil prices. U.S. gasoline prices hit another record of $4.622 per gallon on Tuesday, beating the previous record from just a day earlier, when the national average on Memorial Day was $4.619. The gradual reopening of Shanghai, a city of 26 million residents in China, also gives the bulls hopes that the worst of the weak Chinese oil demand is over for this year. While the EU ban is set to further tighten global oil supply, the OPEC+ group, which meets on Thursday, June 2, is not expected to change its production plan which calls for only moderate monthly increases in output. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Some OPEC members are mulling over the possibility of suspending Russia from the OPEC+ deal that limits the amount of crude oil that each member can produce, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing OPEC delegates. Suspending Russias role in the group could allow other members to increase oil production at a quicker pacealthough there are only a few OPEC members believed to have the capacity to ramp up production as quickly as the current deal allows. Removing Russia from the group could be more of a long-term move, or a symbolic one, while much of the world continues to shun Russian energy products with few exceptionsnamely China and India, which increased their imports of Russian crude. This great shunning has caused Russian crude oil production to dip this yearby about 8%, according to WSJ figuresinstead of the increase allowed each month so far by the OPEC+ agreement. The United States and others have repeatedly begged OPECmore specifically Saudi Arabia and the UAEto increase its oil production for the purposes of lowering high crude and gasoline prices, but so far, their pleas have been ignored. Earlier this month, however, the White House was said to be feeling Saudi Arabia out over a possible meeting between President Joe Biden and Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, in part to discuss oil production. OPEC has long maintained throughout the invasion months that the crude oil market is mostly balanced and that the current forces at work in the market will not be lessened by increased crude production. According to OPEC delegates who spoke to the Wall Street Journal, however, some OPEC members in the Persian Gulf are starting to plan for increased output sometime over the next few months. The OPEC+ production quotas will be completely rolled back as of September, although the agreement is set to last until December. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Russias flagship crude grade, which was sold mostly to Europe before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, is still selling, but predominantly in Asia, and at a huge discount to Dated Brent. The price of the key Russian export grade, Urals, averaged $73.24 per barrel between the middle of April and the middle of May, according to data from the Russian Finance Ministry cited by Bloomberg. The price of Urals was nearly 32 percent lower than the average Brent Crude prompt futures price during the same period, per Bloombergs estimates. Urals has always sold at a discount to Brent, but the spread widened to record highs following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The discount of Urals was fewer than $2 a barrel to Brent at the beginning of this year, only to widen to more than $5 per barrel on the day Russia invaded Ukraine. Over the following weeks and months, the discount further grew as many buyers, traders, refiners, and insurers started avoiding Russian crude to comply with financial sanctions against Russia and its central bank and oil firms, while also expecting a ban on Russian imports into the EU. As of May 31, the discount of Urals to Brent stood at $34.45 per barrel. Front-month Brent Crude futures on the same day traded at over $124 in the late morning EST. The EU bana partial onewas agreed upon late on Monday. Since the embargo concerns seaborne imports of Russian oil, the differential of Urals to Brent could widen further as Russia will now have to rely on buyers in Asia such as India and China to move its crude by sea. Unlike European buyers, China and India arent shying away from Russian crude, although some Chinese state giants havent ramped up imports of spot cargoes from Russia despite the steep discounts at which Russian oil is selling. In India, cheap Russian crude oil is attracting the price-sensitive buyers to the point that Russia became the fourth largest oil supplier to India in April, moving up from the 10th place in March, according to shipment-tracking data compiled by Reuters. China, for its part, registered in April its first annual increase in crude oil imports since January as shipments rebounded on the back of higher arrivals from Russia, analysts say. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Ukraines State Bureau of Investigations (DBR) has taken control of all Tatneft assets in the country, along with any companies linked financially to Tatneft, DBR said in a statement to Telegram. The total number of real estate objects that the DBR has seized is 115so far--and includes oil depots, gas stations, and fuel trucks that combined, are valued at as much as $67 million. Tatneft is Russias fifth-largest oil company, with operations in Ukraine. The DBR will transfer the seized assets to the National Agency for Detection, Investigation, and Management of Assets Obtained through Corruption and Other Crimes. The contentious relationship between Tatneft and Ukraine predates Russias invasion of Ukraine. In February, prior to the invasion, a lawsuit between Russias Tatneft and Ukraine over a disagreement over shares in a Ukrainian oil refinery (Kremenchug) was already raging. Tatneft originated the lawsuit, hoping to enforce a $173 million arbitration award from 2017. In February, Ukraine had asked a federal appeals court to pause the enforcement while it sought a bond that would stop the discovery processa discovery process that, as of February 24, caused the U.S. Justice Department to consider participating in the lawsuit to protect the interests of the United States. In a DOJ filing, the United States argued that an overly broad document request could lead to the discovery of attachable property in the United States. Ukraine had also argued that any information Tatneft was to receive as part of the discovery process might be shared with the Russian government. Ukraines claim was that Tatnefts document probewhich included subpoenas for 52 bankswas merely a pretext for obtaining sensitive information while Russia was amassing troops along the Ukraine border. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: WASHINGTON When Gail Curley began her job as marshal of the U.S. Supreme Court less than a year ago, she would have expected to work mostly behind the scenes: overseeing the courts police force and the operations of the marble-columned building where the justices work. Her most public role was supposed to be in the courtroom, where the marshal bangs a gavel and announces the entrance of the courts nine justices. Her brief script includes Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! meaning hear ye and concludes, God save the United States and this Honorable Court. This month, however, Curley was handed a bombshell of an assignment: overseeing an unprecedented breach of Supreme Court secrecy, the leak of a draft opinion and apparent votes in a major abortion case. Leaks to Politico suggest that the court seems ready to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that women have a constitutional right to abortion. That has sparked protests and round-the-clock security at justices homes, demonstrations at the court and concerns about violence following the courts ultimate decision. People who know Curley, 53, described the former Army colonel and military lawyer as possessing the right temperament for a highly charged leak investigation: smart, private, apolitical and unlikely to be intimidated. Im confident that if the truth can be found out here, shell find it out and present it in an unbiased manner, said retired Army Brig. Gen. Patrick Huston, her direct supervisor at the Pentagon in her last military job before the Supreme Court. Huston said that he was incredibly impressed by Curley and that she had a tremendous reputation as a leader, but even as her boss of two years he didnt know if she had a spouse or children. Through a court spokeswoman, Curley declined an interview request. She is the courts 11th marshal and the second woman to hold the post. She is also in some ways constrained in her investigation by her position, which was created just after the Civil War, in 1867. Experts say leaking the draft opinion likely wasnt a crime, and Curleys investigative tools are limited. She could theoretically hire an outside law firm to assist, and in other judicial records cases the FBI has been called in. But it isnt clear if she or others have the power to issue subpoenas to get material from journalists or the fewer than 100 people in the court including justices with access to a draft opinion. The investigation doesnt appear to have any real precedent. In 1973 the outcome in the Roe case leaked several hours ahead of its announcement. The chief justice at the time was furious and threatened lie detector tests, but the leaker quickly came forward and explained it had been an accident. Even if the circumstances are different, overseeing an investigation isnt new to Curley. In her military career she routinely oversaw a dozen or more criminal and administrative investigations and supervised large numbers of attorneys and paralegals, Huston said. She was an authority on international law and laws surrounding armed conflict, but the investigations she oversaw throughout her career could range broadly, from criminal matters involving service members to contract issues. Huston described her as not the sort of person who would ever be intimidated by anything. As students emerge from a third COVID-disrupted school year, the impacts of the pandemic on childrens brains from lost socialization to missed instruction are coming into greater focus. From March to October 2020, mental health-related visits to emergency rooms among children ages 5-11 nationwide increased 24%, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The situation is stark among teens and young adults. The CDC reported in March that 37% of high school students said they experienced poor mental health during the pandemic, and 44% reported feeling persistently sad or hopeless over the past year. Rates of depression, anxiety and suicide attempts among young people are increasing. Meanwhile, calls to the Boys Town National Hotline for children experiencing anxiety shot up 50% from February 2020 to February of this year, the Flatwater Free Press reported. Behavioral issues among students readjusting to the classroom are on the rise as well. Considering the gravity of the numbers, the question many are grappling with is: What should parents, guardians, teachers and other adults do to look after childrens mental health? One of the most important elements of prevention starts at home, said Katie McLeese Stephenson, executive director of HopeSpoke, a mental health clinic for children in Lincoln. Parents and caregivers should regularly talk to their children about their feelings and emotions as well as monitor changes in their physical health and behavior. A child isnt likely to say, I feel anxious, but they might be able to describe behaviors that would lead you to know thats what theyre talking about, McLeese Stephenson said. Lincoln Public Schools has a number of resources available for families and children. The district bolstered its mental health supports using federal coronavirus relief funds, including bringing in additional therapists from outside agencies, including HopeSpoke, to work with students. The district also employs school social workers, psychologists and counselors that can connect students with therapists outside school. For years, Lincoln Public Schools has used a social-emotional learning curriculum called Second Step in pre-K-7th grade classes. The curriculum teaches students how to manage emotions and solve problems and promotes positive behavior. The district also engages students who may be struggling through a check-in, check-out system in which teachers make contact with students throughout the day to see how theyre doing. We really emphasize that relationship-building in the classroom to make sure kids feel supported, said Brenda Leggiadro, the Lincoln districts supervisor of counseling and school social work. Joanna Halbur, director of mental health services at Project Harmony, a child advocacy center in Omaha, said noticeable changes in a childs behavior such as a normally outgoing child acting more reserved can be signs of anxiety or depression. Halbur said parents should reach out to a counselor or other specialist who can give the appropriate assessment. Other resources for families include: CenterPointe helpline: 402-475-6695. Nebraska Family Helpline: 888-866-8660. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255. Boys Town National Hotline: 800-448-3000 or text VOICE to 20121. Contact the writer at zhammack@journalstar.com or 402-473-7225. On Twitter @HammackLJS SACRAMENTO, Calif. In January, progressive California Democrats vowed to adopt the toughest covid vaccine requirements in the country. Their proposals would have required most Californians to get the shots to go to school or work without allowing exemptions to get out of them. Months later, the lawmakers pulled their bills before the first votes. One major vaccine proposal survives, but faces an uphill battle. It would allow children ages 12 to 17 to get a covid-19 vaccine without parental permission. At least 10 other states permit some minors to do this. Democrats blamed the failure of their vaccine mandates on the changing nature and perception of the pandemic. They said the measures became unnecessary as case rates declined earlier this year and the public became less focused on the pandemic. Besides, they argued, the state isnt vaccinating enough children, so requiring the shots for attendance would shut too many kids out of school. Political pressure from business and public safety groups and from moderate Democrats along with vocal opposition from anti-vaccine activists also contributed. Now, even as case rates start to balloon again, the window of opportunity to adopt covid vaccine mandates may have closed, said Hemi Tewarson, executive director of the National Academy for State Health Policy. Given the concerns around mandates and all the pushback states have received on this, theyre hesitant to really move forward, Tewarson said. Federal mandates have stalled in the courts. And legislation is just not being enacted. Other states have also largely failed to adopt covid vaccine requirements this year. Washington, D.C., was the only jurisdiction to pass legislation to add the covid vaccine to the list of required immunizations for K-12 students once the shots have received full federal authorization for kids of those ages. A public school mandate adopted by Louisiana in December 2021 was rescinded in May. The most popular vaccine legislation has been to ban covid vaccine mandates of any kind, which at least 19 states did, according to the National Academy for State Health Policy. In California, the landscape has shifted radically in just a few months. In January, a group of progressive Democrats unveiled eight bills to require vaccinations, combat misinformation, and improve vaccine data. Two were sweeping mandates that would have required employees of most indoor businesses to get shots and added covid vaccines to the list of immunizations required for schools. Its important that we continue to push for vaccine mandates the most aggressively we possibly can, state Assembly member Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) told KHN in early 2022. She was the author of the workplace mandate bill. But the legislation imploded almost immediately. In March, Wicks worker vaccine mandate proposal died. It was strongly opposed by firefighter and police unions, whose membership would have been subject to the requirement. I dont think the anti-vaxxers carry much weight in Sacramento with my colleagues, Wicks said. Theyre a pretty insignificant part of the equation. The public safety unions are the ones that carry the weight and influence in Sacramento, she said. California Professional Firefighters and other public safety groups argued in written opposition to the bill that mandates would interfere with their ability to negotiate employment requirements with their employers. To summarily remove these bargained policies with a blanket mandate sets a dangerous and demoralizing precedent, wrote the group, which represents 30,000 firefighters. Schools were also supposed to be subject to a strict vaccine mandate. In October 2021, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that California would become the first state to require shots for schoolchildren starting in July 2022. That deadline has since been pushed back to at least July 2023. And Newsoms order came with a loophole that will allow parents to opt their kids out by claiming a personal belief exemption. In January, when California routinely topped 100,000 new cases a day, lawmakers introduced legislation to prohibit personal belief exemptions for covid vaccines those are not allowed for any other required childhood vaccines. Again, they soon backed off, saying the vaccination rate among kids was so low that shots shouldnt be required until theyre broadly available in pediatrician offices. About 60% of eligible Californians are fully vaccinated and have received a booster shot, while only 35% of kids ages 5 to 11 have received their first two doses, according to the California Department of Public Health. Boosters were approved for children in mid-May. Instead of implementing mandates, the state should focus on educating and reaching out to parents, said Assembly member Akilah Weber (D-San Diego), an OB-GYN who was among the legislators who introduced the package of vaccine bills. Its hard to make that argument that right now we need to be mandating when you have a good number of people who feel like we are past the pandemic, she said. Lawmakers could resurrect the mandate bills, she said, if hospitals and health care workers become overwhelmed again. Cases are rising statewide. The rate of positive covid tests has been as high as 7% in recent days, its highest level since February and likely an undercount because of the people who are testing at home and not reporting results. Webers suggestion to better engage parents helps explain why the legislation failed, said Robin Swanson, a Democratic political consultant based in Sacramento. State and local officials never clearly communicated with the public about vaccinating kids, she said, and didnt effectively reach out to vulnerable populations from the outset. You cant build a mandate on top of distrust, Swanson said. Outreach and public information are critical, said Dr. John Swartzberg, a clinical professor emeritus of infectious diseases and vaccines at the University of California-Berkeley School of Public Health. But if those were paired with a mandate, he said, the state could vaccinate and protect many more children. In businesses that mandate vaccines, it works pretty well, Swartzberg said. And in schools, in particular, it works very well. Pro-vaccine activists who vowed to have a greater presence in the California Capitol this year also thought mandates would dramatically boost vaccination rates. But as reality set in, they shifted their focus to boosting funding for vaccination and pushing surviving bills across the finish line. Yes, we do need vaccine requirements, and, yes, they do work, said Crystal Strait, who leads the pro-vaccination organization ProtectUS. But she acknowledged that the situation had changed since January and said her group had to change with it: We cant be as simplistic as just a vaccine requirement. Newsoms latest state budget proposal includes $230 million for vaccine outreach and $135 million for vaccine distribution and administration. Straits group plans to combat vaccine misinformation among the public and wary lawmakers, including those within the Democratic ranks. You have people saying theyre pro-science and pro-public health, but when push comes to shove, theyre not there yet, Strait said of hesitant legislators. Generally, vaccine mandates are popular with the public. According to a March survey from the Public Policy Institute of California, 57% of Californians favored requiring people to provide proof of vaccination to go to large outdoor gatherings or enter some indoor venues like bars and restaurants. But Rose Kapolczynski, a Democratic strategist who worked on the pro-vaccine lobbying push with Strait, likened vaccine beliefs to climate change: Voters say they care, but other, more tangible issues, such as gas prices and reproductive rights, become more urgent to them. If things were as bad now as they were in January and February, there would be more concern and action, said Catherine Flores-Martin, executive director of the pro-vaccine California Immunization Coalition. Im disappointed that people are not taking the long view. This story was produced by KHN, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation. KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation. USE OUR CONTENT This story can be republished for free (details). BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) State and local governments and educational institutions in Louisiana could not require proof of vaccination against COVID-19 for entry into government facilities under legislation advanced by a state Senate committee Tuesday. The 4-2 vote sends the House-passed bill by Rep. Larry Bagley, a Republican from Stonewall, to the full Senate. As it came out of the committee the bill would subject any government or state-run educational institution to civil penalties if they require COVID-19 vaccinations for entry. Backers say government entities should not be asking about a persons health status. Opponents of the bill said they did not want local governments subjected to civil fines for trying to prevent the spread of the disease. The bill would not apply to government health care facilities that would risk losing federal funding under any federal requirements for vaccines. It passed the House last month on a 59-26 vote. If approved by the Senate, it would go back to the House for approval of a Senate amendment. More legislation affecting vaccine mandates was approved in the House on Tuesday. Employers in Louisiana who require workers to get COVID-19 vaccinations would have to provide exemptions for religious or medical reasons under the bill, which still has a long way to go in the legislative process. Rep. Kathy Edmonston, a Republican from Gonzales, was able to get the exemption language amended on to related legislation over the objection of Rep. Robby Carter, who said the bill was an unwarranted government intrusion. Here we go again trying to tell people how to run their businesses, said Carter, an Amite Democrat who has helped defeat similar legislation earlier in the current session. The amendment was added to a bill by Rep. Troy Romero, a Jennings Republican. That bill says employers who allow periodic testing as an alternative to vaccinations must provide on-premises testing options at no cost to the employees. The bill goes next to the Senate, where it will need approval by a Senate committee before it can go to a floor vote. The deadline for final adjournment of the legislative session is Monday at 6 p.m. Follow APs coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. LONDON (AP) After seven decades on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II is widely viewed in the U.K. as a rock in turbulent times. But in Britain's former colonies, many see her as an anchor to an imperial past whose damage still lingers. So while the U.K. is celebrating the queens Platinum Jubilee 70 years on the throne with pageantry and parties, some in the Commonwealth are using the occasion to push for a formal break with the monarchy and the colonial history it represents. When I think about the queen, I think about a sweet old lady, said Jamaican academic Rosalea Hamilton, who campaigns for her country to become a republic. Its not about her. Its about her familys wealth, built on the backs of our ancestors. Were grappling with the legacies of a past that has been very painful. The empire that Elizabeth was born into is long gone, but she still reigns far beyond Britains shores. She is head of state in 14 other nations, including Canada, Australia, Papua New Guinea and the Bahamas. Until recently it was 15 Barbados cut ties with the monarchy in November, and several other Caribbean countries, including Jamaica, say they plan to follow suit. Britains jubilee celebrations, which climax over a four-day holiday weekend starting Thursday, aim to recognize the diversity of the U.K. and the Commonwealth. A huge jubilee pageant through central London on Sunday will feature Caribbean Carnival performers and Bollywood dancers. But Britains image of itself as a welcoming and diverse society has been battered by the revelation that hundreds, and maybe thousands, of people from the Caribbean who had lived legally in the U.K. for decades were denied housing, jobs or medical treatment and in some cases deported because they didnt have the paperwork to prove their status. The British government has apologized and agreed to pay compensation, but the Windrush scandal has caused deep anger, both in the U.K. and in the Caribbean. A jubilee-year trip to Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas in March by the queens grandson Prince William and his wife Kate, which was intended to strengthen ties, appears to have had the opposite effect. Images of the couple shaking hands with children through a chain-link fence and riding in an open-topped Land Rover in a military parade stirred echoes of colonialism for many. Cynthia Barrow-Giles, professor of political science at the University of the West Indies, said the British seem to be very blind to the visceral sort of reactions that royal visits elicit in the Caribbean. Protesters in Jamaica demanded Britain pay reparations for slavery, and Prime Minister Andrew Holness politely told William that the country was moving on, a signal that it planned to become a republic. The next month, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne told the queens son Prince Edward that his country, too, would one day remove the queen as head of state. William acknowledged the strength of feeling and said the future is for the people to decide upon. We support with pride and respect your decisions about your future, he said in the Bahamas. Relationships evolve. Friendship endures. When then Princess Elizabeth became queen on the death of her father King George VI 1952, she was in Kenya. The East African country became independent in 1963 after years of violent struggle between a liberation movement and colonial troops. In 2013, the British government apologized for the torture of thousands of Kenyans during the 1950s Mau Mau uprising and paid millions in an out-of-court settlement. Memories of the empire are still raw for many Kenyans. From the start, her reign would be indelibly stained by the brutality of the empire she presided over and that accompanied its demise, said Patrick Gathara, a Kenyan cartoonist, writer and commentator. To this day, she has never publicly admitted, let alone apologized, for the oppression, torture, dehumanization and dispossession visited upon people in the colony of Kenya before and after she acceded to the throne. U.K. officials hope countries that become republics will remain in the Commonwealth, the 54-nation organization made up largely of former British colonies, which has the queen as its ceremonial head. The queens strong personal commitment to the Commonwealth has played a big role in uniting a diverse group whose members range from vast India to tiny Tuvalu. But the organization, which aims to champion democracy, good governance and human rights, faces an uncertain future. As Commonwealth heads of government prepare to meet in Kigali, Rwanda, this month for a summit delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, some question whether the organization can continue once the queens eldest son, Prince Charles, succeeds her. Many of the more uncomfortable histories of the British Empire and the British Commonwealth are sort of waiting in the wings for as soon as Elizabeth II is gone, royal historian Ed Owens said. So its a difficult legacy that she is handing over to the next generation. The crisis in the Commonwealth reflects Britains declining global clout. Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth under its authoritarian late President Robert Mugabe, and is currently seeking readmission. But many in its capital of Harare have expressed indifference to the queens jubilee, as Britains once-strong influence wanes and countries such as China and Russia enjoy closer relations with the former British colony. She is becoming irrelevant here, social activist Peter Nyapedwa said. We know about (Chinese President) Xi (Jinping) or (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, not the queen. Sue Onslow, director of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London, said the queen has been the invisible glue holding the Commonwealth together. But she says the organization has proven remarkably resilient and and shouldn't be written off. The Commonwealth played a major role in galvanizing opposition to apartheid in the 1980s, and could do the same over climate change, which poses an existential threat to its low-lying island members. The Commonwealth has shown a remarkable ability to reinvent itself and contrive solutions at times of crisis, almost as if it's jumping into a telephone box and coming out under different guise," she said. Whether it will do it now is an open question. Cara Anna in Nairobi, Kenya, Alex Turnbull in Paris, and Andrew Meldrum in Johannesburg, contributed to this report. Follow all AP stories on the British royals at https://apnews.com/hub/queen-elizabeth-ii Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Katie Martin went through a lot to become a mom. Earlier last month, the Omaha woman delivered her third child. Luke, like his older siblings, was conceived with the help of in vitro fertilization. But Martin, 37, is concerned that the passage of new laws further restricting access to abortion in the United States and the likely overturning of Roe v. Wade could have the unwanted side effect of preventing her and others from taking that route to add to their families. Its emotionally and financially taxing and worth every bit of it, she said of in vitro fertilization, which helped her become a mom. And Im here for the fight. Martins concerns are shared by doctors with the states two fertility clinics, both of which are in Omaha, as well as other patients and family members. A number of them have formed a new Facebook group called Save IVF Nebraska to advocate for ensuring access to fertility treatments in the state. Formed last Monday, it had more than 640 members by Thursday. Dr. Elizabeth Constance, a reproductive endocrinologist with the Heartland Center for Reproductive Medicine, said she cant count the number of patients who messaged her within minutes of the leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion outlining the proposed overturning of Roe v. Wade. The patients wondered whether they still would be able to use the frozen embryos held by the clinic or proceed with a planned egg retrieval, one of the early steps in the in vitro process. These are people who have had to work very hard, often for multiple years, spending tens of thousands of dollars, to build the family theyve always dreamed of, Constance said. To have even the possibility of having that taken away from them is very scary. Of particular concern is a bill adopted by the Oklahoma Legislature that bans most abortions. It defines an unborn child as a human fetus or embryo in any state of gestation from fertilization until birth. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed the measure, the nations most restrictive, into law Wednesday. Dr. Abigail Delaney, a reproductive health specialist with Methodist Reproductive Health Specialists, said that definition calls into question whether clinics can freeze extra embryos for future use. Reproductive health specialists typically fertilize several eggs at a time in order to maximize the chances that one embryo results in a successful pregnancy. With such language, Delaney said, specialists also wonder whether they still would be able to freeze eggs and sperm collected from cancer patients about to undergo treatment that will leave them infertile, which makes up a considerable portion of the work the specialists do. Those patients later will require in vitro fertilization to create babies. Another question: Will they still be able to conduct genetic testing on embryos for viability and to check whether they carry genes for deadly ailments such as Huntingtons disease or Fragile X syndrome? So-called trigger laws in 13 states use similar definitions to Oklahomas. The laws would ban abortion in those states if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. A similar trigger bill, Legislative Bill 933, died in the Nebraska Legislature this spring. Gov. Pete Ricketts has said he wont decide whether to call a special session focused on abortion until the Supreme Court releases its official opinion on the issue. Ricketts has said, however, that Nebraska needs to be ready to outlaw abortion, and he strongly supported LB 933. LB 933 also defines an unborn child as throughout the embryonic and fetal stages of development from fertilization to full gestation and childbirth. The language of these bills really matters ... (as) to whether or not we can do what we do every day so patients can build the families they want, Delaney said. Sandy Danek, executive director of Nebraska Right to Life, said the same bill may be brought back in either a special session or the regular legislative session. The language, she said, may need to be clarified. But the measure, she said, is not intended to apply to in vitro fertilization or to treatments for women who suffer miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies, the potentially life-threatening situation in which a fetus begins to develop outside the uterus. Were concerned about the intentional act of killing a child in the womb, Danek said. Proponents of the bill, she said, did their best to answer such questions during debate on the bill and will continue to do so. Its unfortunate when those misunderstandings are put out there in the public eye, she said. But Scout Richters, an attorney with the ACLU of Nebraska, said the language in the law, not the intent, is what matters. When proponents of LB 933 were asked on the legislative floor to address concerns about in vitro fertilization and birth control, she said, they couldnt point to any specific language that would not implicate those things. Defining fertilization as the key point for banning abortion, she said, means that in vitro fertilization, emergency contraception and some forms of birth control all could be affected. Constance said such a law would make it difficult for the clinic to recruit new physicians and embryologists. Candidates wont want to risk losing their livelihoods or facing prosecution. Delaney noted that more large companies are covering fertility treatments. Hindering access to them could affect their recruitment. And if such treatments no longer were available, patients would face the added cost in both time and money of traveling to other states to get them. Delaney said she already has patients who drive from western Nebraska for the treatments. Constance said the specialists first goal is to educate Nebraskans about the impact such bills could have. The roughly one in eight couples who experience infertility already are aware. But even those who dont face such challenges know someone who does. The second aim, she said, is to encourage legislators not to support bans because one appears likely that dont have clear and specific language that excludes in vitro fertilization. Day in and day out, 100% of our time and energy and passion is funneled into helping people have highly desired pregnancies, Constance said. Theres truly no more pro-family aspect of health care than what we do. Martin, the Omaha mom, and her husband, Joel, turned to in vitro fertilization after all other methods failed to produce a child. Two attempts at intrauterine insemination resulted in ectopic pregnancies. One ended with a medication abortion, the other with the removal of one of her fallopian tubes. After that point, she said, she was told that to have children, in vitro fertilization was the route the couple would have to take. Now the Martins are busy with three young children. Martin said she recognizes that Nebraska is a conservative state. She said she doesnt have to have opinions on every part of the Roe v. Wade debate. But she does on this one. This issue is not so black and white, she said. Theres no right-wrong way to build a family. When people think of Roe v. Wade, they think of unwanted pregnancies. It has so many more fingers and tentacles that need to be researched and addressed. Build your health & fitness knowledge Sign up here to get the latest health & fitness updates in your inbox every week! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Dive into hometown history With a weekly newsletter looking back at local history. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy KRAMATORSK, Ukraine (AP) As Russia asserted progress in its goal of seizing the entirety of contested eastern Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin tried Saturday to shake European resolve to punish his country with sanctions and to keep supplying weapons that have supported Ukraine's defense. The Russian Defense Ministry said Lyman, the second small city to fall this week, had been completely liberated by a joint force of Russian soldiers and Kremlin-backed separatists, who have waged war for eight years in the industrial Donbas region bordering Russia. Ukraines train system has ferried arms and evacuated citizens through Lyman, a key railway hub in the east. Control of it also would give Russia's military another foothold in the region; it has bridges for troops and equipment to cross the Siverskiy Donets river, which has so far impeded the Russian advance into the Donbas. Ukrainian officials have sent mixed signals on Lyman. On Friday, Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said Russian troops controlled most of it and were trying to press their offensive toward Bakhmut, another city in the region. On Saturday, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar disputed Moscow's claim that Lyman had fallen, saying fighting there was still ongoing. In his Saturday video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the situation in the east as very complicated and said that the Russian army is trying to squeeze at least some result by focusing its efforts there. The Kremlin said Putin held an 80-minute phone call Saturday with the leaders of France and Germany in which he warned against the continued transfers of Western weapons to Ukraine and blamed the conflicts disruption to global food supplies on Western sanctions. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron urged an immediate cease-fire and a withdrawal of Russian troops, according to the chancellors spokesperson, and called on Putin to engage in serious, direct negotiations with Zelenskyy on ending the fighting. A Kremlin readout of the call said Putin affirmed the openness of the Russian side to the resumption of dialogue. The three leaders, who had gone weeks without speaking during the spring, agreed to stay in contact, it added. But Russias recent progress in Donetsk and Luhansk, the two provinces that make up the Donbas, could further embolden Putin. Since failing to occupy Kyiv, Ukraines capital, Russia has set out to seize the last parts of the region not controlled by the separatists. If Russia did succeed in taking over these areas, it would highly likely be seen by the Kremlin as a substantive political achievement and be portrayed to the Russian people as justifying the invasion, the British Ministry of Defense said in a Saturday assessment. Russia has intensified efforts to capture the cities of Sievierodonetsk and nearby Lysychansk, which are the last major areas under Ukrainian control in Luhansk. Luhansk Gov. Serhii Haidai reported that Ukrainian fighters repelled an assault on Sievierodonetsk but Russian troops still pushed to encircle them. He later said Russian forces had seized a hotel on the city's outskirts, damaged 14 high-rise buildings and were fighting in the streets with Ukrainian forces. Sievierodonetsk Mayor Oleksandr Striuk said there was fighting at the citys bus station. A humanitarian center couldnt operate due to the danger, Striuk said, and cellphone service and electricity were knocked out. And residents risked exposure to shelling to get water from a half-dozen wells, he said. Some supply routes are functioning, and evacuations of the wounded are still possible, Striuk said. He estimated that 1,500 civilians in the city, which had a prewar population of around 100,000, have died from the fighting as well as from a lack of medicine and diseases that couldnt be treated. Just south of Sievierodonetsk, Associated Press reporters saw older and ill civilians bundled into soft stretchers and slowly carried down apartment building stairs Friday in Bakhmut. Svetlana Lvova, the manager of two buildings in Bakhmut, tried to persuade reluctant residents to leave but said she and her husband would not evacuate until their son, who was in Sievierodonetsk, returned home. I have to know he is alive. Thats why Im staying here, said Lvova, 66. On Saturday, people who managed to flee Lysychansk described intensified shelling, especially over the past week, that left them unable to leave basement bomb shelters. Yanna Skakova left the city Friday with her 18-month-old and 4-year-old sons and cried as she sat in a train bound for western Ukraine. Her husband stayed behind to take care of their house and animals. Its too dangerous to stay there now, she said, wiping away tears. Russias advance raised fears that residents could experience the same horrors seen in the southeastern port city of Mariupol, which endured a three-month siege before it fell last week. Residents who had not yet fled faced the choice of trying to do so now or staying. Mariupol became a symbol of massive destruction and human suffering, as well as of Ukrainian determination to defend the country. Mariupols port has reportedly resumed operations after Russian forces finished clearing mines in the Azov Sea. Russian state news agency Tass reported that a vessel bound for Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia entered the port early Saturday. In the call with Macron and Scholz, the Kremlin said, Putin emphasized that Russia was working to establish a peaceful life in Mariupol and other liberated cities in the Donbas. Germany and France brokered a 2015 peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia that would have given a large degree of autonomy to Moscow-backed rebel regions in eastern Ukraine. However, the agreement stalled long before Russia's invasion in February. Any hope that Paris and Berlin would anchor a renewed peace agreement now appears unlikely with both Kyiv and Moscow taking uncompromising stands. Ukrainian authorities have reported that Kremlin-installed officials in seized cities have started airing Russian news broadcasts, introduced Russian area codes, imported Russian school curriculum and taken other steps to annex the areas. Russian-held areas of the southern Kherson region have shifted to Moscow time and will no longer switch to daylight saving time, as is customary in Ukraine, Russias state news agency RIA Novosti quoted Krill Stremousov, a Russian-installed local official, as saying Saturday. In his address Saturday, Zelenskyy also accused Russian forces of preventing Kherson residents from leaving, saying they effectively try to take people hostage in a sign of weakness. The war has caused global food shortages because Ukraine is a major exporter of grain and other commodities. Moscow and Kyiv have traded accusations over which side bears responsibility for keeping shipments tied up, with Russia saying Ukrainian sea mines prevented safe passage and Ukraine citing a Russian naval blockade. The press service of the Ukrainian Naval Forces said two Russian vessels capable of carrying up to 16 missiles were ready for action in the Black Sea, adding that only shipping routes established through multilateral treaties may be considered safe. Ukrainian officials have pressed Western nations for more sophisticated and powerful weapons. The U.S. Defense Department would not confirm a Friday CNN report saying the Biden administration was preparing to send long-range rocket systems. Russias ambassador to the United States, Anatoliy Antonov, said Saturday that such a move would be unacceptable and admonished the White House to abandon statements about the military victory of Ukraine. Moscow is also trying to rattle Sweden and Finlands determination to join NATO. Russias Defense Ministry said its navy successfully launched a new hypersonic missile from the Barents Sea that struck its target about 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) away. If confirmed, the launch could spell trouble for NATO voyages in the Arctic and North Atlantic. The Zircon, described as the worlds fastest non-ballistic missile, can be armed with either a conventional or a nuclear warhead and is said to be impossible to stop with current defense systems. Last week Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu announced that Russia would form new military units in the country's west in response to Sweden and Finlands bids to join NATO. Karmanau reported from Lviv, Ukraine. Andrea Rosa in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Andrew Katell in New York and AP journalists around the world contributed. Follow AP's coverage of the Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has signed off on a new campaign finance and ethics face-lift, bucking objections from some of the state's most influential advocacy groups who opposed the measure. I think that transparency is a good idea," Lee told reporters earlier this month. "I think that whenever we have transparency into organizations that politically lobby, thats a good thing. The Republican governor signed the measure Friday. The move comes as a federal investigation has hovered over the GOP-controlled General Assembly for over a year that has so far led to one Republican lawmaker pleading guilty to a federal wire fraud charge over allegations she helped carry out a political consulting kickback scheme. However, even as the statehouse's top legislative leaders called for campaign ethics reform amid the ongoing investigation scandals, so-called dark money groups have remained fiercely opposed to the new changes. Many argued that the law will result in them disclosing donors. Opponents include Americans for Prosperity, Tennessee Right to Life and the National Rifle Association. Supporters counter that the new law will shine a light on expenditures, not donors. Specifically, certain politically active nonprofits must disclose spending totaling at least $5,000 within 60 days of an election on communications that contain a state candidates name or likeness. The measure also states that political committee leadership must provide identification. To the life of me, I still cant figure out why all these groups think that theyd have to disclose donors, House Speaker Cameron Sexton told The Associated Press earlier this month. Sexton said lawmakers tweaked the bill multiple times to appease concerns from politically active groups, but they kept coming back with more suggested changes. Some suggestions would have been a poison pill on the whole bill," Sexton said. We kept making the changes, and the thing is, what you really find out is some of these groups just didnt want anything, he said. Senate Speaker Randy McNally previously said the bill was aimed at weeding out bad actors," like shell companies and shadowy PACs used by certain legislators to line their own pockets." Independent groups have become increasingly more influential ever since the U.S. Supreme Courts 2010 Citizens United ruling, which removed caps on how much corporations, unions and interest groups can spend on advocacy communications that do not specifically call for the election or defeat of candidates. While the ruling encouraged transparency, the federal government doesnt require such disclosure and most states dont either. In March, ex-Rep. Robin Smith resigned from her legislative post and pleaded guilty in federal court under an agreement with prosecutors. The charging document said Smith, former House Speaker Glen Casada and his then-chief of staff, Cade Cothren, used a political consulting firm to illegally funnel money to themselves through both campaign and taxpayer-funded work, while concealing their involvement in it. The charge came nearly a year after FBI agents raided the homes and offices of several state lawmakers and staffers, including Casada, Smith and Cothren. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. RIGBY, Idaho (AP) A 12-year-old girl who shot three people at an eastern Idaho junior high school last year will remain in juvenile detention until her 19th birthday or until a review board deems her rehabilitated, according to newly released court documents. The girl was charged with three counts of attempted murder after she shot two students and a custodian at Rigby Middle School on May 6, 2021, EastIdahoNews.com reported. All three victims have recovered from their gunshot wounds. Though the school shooting was widely reported, the details about the subsequent charges and outcome of the case remained sealed for months. EastIdahoNews.com filed a public records lawsuit seeking access to the investigative documents, and in April a judge ordered that they be released. Last week, Magistrate Judge Stephen J. Clark ordered the release of some of the court documents as well, noting the shooting was an exceptional event. To state the obvious, the public has a right to access information concerning an exceptional event, Clark wrote. The court documents show the girl pleaded guilty to all three charges as part of an agreement with prosecutors. She was committed to the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections until her 19th birthday or until the Custody Review Board deems her rehabilitated. If the board does not believe she is rehabilitated by her 19th birthday, she could be held by the juvenile corrections department until she turns 21. Once released from juvenile detention, she will be on probation for three years. Jefferson County Prosecutor Mark Taylor said he considered charging the girl as an adult but decided to keep the case in juvenile court because the sentencing time would be similar either way. Juvenile correction is all about rehabilitation and helping these people get what they need in order to no longer be a threat to themselves or society, Taylor said. Knowing that she was going to get out of jail while still a young adult, regardless of the court, it became very clear that the juvenile system was where we needed to stay. Police were called to the middle school about 95 miles (145 kilometers) southwest of Yellowstone National Park about 9:15 a.m. on a sunny May morning last year. Investigative documents reveal most teachers and students didnt recognize the sound of the first gunshot, but by the second and third shots realized the school was under attack. One teacher, Krista Gneiting, directed her students to flee the building after hearing the first gunshot, before the school initiated a lockdown. The armed girl apparently followed them out of the building, shooting one boy in the thigh and hand, possibly by the same bullet. Gneiting spotted the shooter and approached her, taking away the gun and hugging the child until police arrived. Closed-circuit video showed the girl, dressed mostly in black and wearing a black surgical mask, spent the morning wandering the hallways. She stopped into a classroom for a time and then briefly went to the counselors office, having a seemingly normal interaction with staffers. Then she went into a bathroom and took a semi-automatic pistol from her backpack, according to the law enforcement investigation documents. The school custodian was the first person shot, hit in the leg. The second was a girl who was leaving a nearby bathroom and was shot in the elbow as she ran away. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. RPaul Brown had just arrived home Monday evening after visiting his parents graves for Memorial Day when he heard a large explosion from the direction of a nearby industrial area south of downtown Omaha. Boom! Brown said. It shook the house. Two more heavy booms followed in rapid succession after the first at about 6:30 p.m., then a series of smaller booms, Brown said. His wife wondered if some partying neighbors were shooting fireworks, but Browns suspicions that the trouble was at a chemical plant two blocks away were soon confirmed. Black smoke soon billowed above the neighborhood and downtown Omaha, sirens wailed and hordes of gawkers flocked into the surrounding streets, railroad tracks and peoples yards as a chemical-fueled fire tore through the Nox-Crete Inc. warehouse at 1415 S. 20th St. Fire officials said no one was injured in the three-alarm blaze. Omaha firefighters, initially trying to battle the fire inside the warehouse, quickly realized that it was too dangerous and the building unstable and fell back to pour water on the flames from outside. The building, valued at $456,200, is a total loss, Battalion Chief Scott Fitzpatrick said. An automatic fire alarm at Nox-Crete alerted firefighters shortly before 7 p.m. Nobody was at the warehouse at the time, Fitzpatrick said. The fire quickly accelerated to a three-alarm blaze. At its peak, 50 Omaha Fire Department personnel, four aerial trucks and eight fire engines were deployed in fighting the fire, with two medic units also on the scene, Fitzpatrick said. The departments Foam Task Force was also deployed, pouring fire-suppressing foam on the blaze. Some of the chemicals sometimes dont really go out very well with the water, Fitzpatrick said. Foam kind of acts to kind of smother the vapors of it. The warehouse, east of 20th Street, is squeezed between two sets of railroad tracks, and lies below a steep embankment from a residential neighborhood. Firefighters couldnt get close to the fire to fight it, as it kept burning east away from where they could station themselves beside 20th Street. But it helped when, with the rail lines closed, Union Pacific Railroad personnel helped the Fire Department get a firetruck onto the tracks above to pour water down about midnight, Fitzpatrick said. The fire was suppressed enough to go down to a two-alarm status at about 11 p.m. Monday. By 1 a.m. Tuesday, the department was down to two engines and two ladder trucks at the scene. By 6 a.m., the fire had been reduced to a few hot spots and only two units remained. With how big this fire was, our aerial operations were the biggest factor, Fitzpatrick said. Some of our new newer aerial ladders have a high remote-control nozzle, he said. We dont even have to put firefighters up at the tip. The department used one of those remote-control aerials. Hundreds of people swarmed as close as they could get to watch and photograph the fire. Fitzpatrick estimated that early in the blaze, about 150 to 200 people were crowded about two blocks away near Jones Automotive. He said he was talking with a police officer about moving the onlookers back when there was an explosion and something in the fire flew about 50 feet up in the air. They pushed the crowd back. Omaha police evacuated neighborhoods from 13th to 20th Streets and Leavenworth to Martha Streets as smoke created a hazard in the area, although interviews Tuesday with people who live nearby indicated that many people did not leave their homes. Neighbors above the fire to the east described a chaotic scene in which throngs of cars and more than 100 people on foot crowded the street and private yards to watch the fire. Some gawkers even ventured onto the railroad tracks into the acrid black smoke to get close-up views and videos. The chaos led to arguments between residents and onlookers, including one that reportedly led to a neighbor firing a gun into the ground during a dispute over a man trespassing on her fathers yard. Police eventually arrived, the evacuation was ordered and much of the crowd dispersed about 11 or 11:30 p.m., neighbors said. Mariela Hernandez and her children, who live due east from the fire scene, watched in fear as smoke billowed above and, for a time, embers rained on their roof and driveway. Little parts of the fire were coming here, and we were scared the house was going to get on fire, Hernandez said. But the embers went out as they fell, said her son, Kevin. The family got the evacuation notice on his phone, but decided to stay, in part because the heavy traffic would have made it hard to get out, they said. Brown did evacuate, along with his wife and their 20-year-old Chihuahua, Munchkin. His son and brother came and got him Monday night. They made me go, because Im an old geezer, I guess, said Brown, who has lived in the house for 73 of his 75 years. The Columbus Community Center at 1523 S. 24th St. opened as a shelter for evacuees. Fitzpatrick said about 15 people went to the shelter. The evacuation was lifted early Tuesday morning. On Tuesday, the Nebraska Regional Poison Center sent a notice to Omaha-area emergency departments about the Nox-Crete plant fire. It is unknown what chemicals were involved, the notice read. Some of the chemicals may contain hydrocarbons which can cause respiratory irritation if inhaled and possibly (central nervous system) depression. So far, the notice reads, the poison center had been contacted by one person with an indirect exposure who was experiencing dizziness. Emergency departments were asked to contact the poison center if they see any affected patients. Douglas Countys main air-quality monitor near 41st and Pacific Streets didnt pick up the smoke Monday night because the wind was blowing the wrong way, a county official said Tuesday. At the height of the fire, more than 2,380 OPPD customers between Leavenworth to Grover and from Ninth to 26th Streets were without power. Power had been restored to most of the customers by midnight and to all customers overnight. MUD, OPPD, Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Railroads assisted at the scene. For a time, trains were halted in the area. Nox-Crete, according to its website, produces chemicals to keeping concrete from sticking to tools and forms. Its product line also includes bond breakers, liquid floor hardeners, joint fillers, sealing compounds and water repellents. World-Herald staff writer Kevin Cole contributed to this report. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Christopher Burbach Chris Burbach covers the Douglas County Board, Planning Board and other local government bodies, as well as local neighborhood issues. Follow him on Twitter @chrisburbach. Phone: 402-444-1057. Follow Christopher Burbach 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 Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 ticked up last week in Nebraska as omicron subvariants continue to fuel a spring virus rise. An average of 86 people were hospitalized with COVID in Nebraska for the week ending Saturday, up 19% from 72 a week earlier, according to figures from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Statewide case numbers were down slightly last week, according to the CDC, but that appeared to be due to a delay in reporting some positive test results over the Memorial Day weekend. Daily numbers earlier in the week suggest cases were up about 10% from the previous week, which would mark the seventh straight weekly increase in Nebraska. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services respiratory illness dashboard indicated that the state recorded 2,017 new COVID cases for the week ending May 28. That also represents an increase from the preceding week. The positivity rate of 11.6% also was up significantly from 5.1% at the end of April. The dashboard is updated weekly on Tuesdays with data on COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, a department spokesman said in an email. The dashboard does not include data on hospital capacity or the share of hospital beds used by COVID patients, as the agency has reported in the past. The department, the spokesman wrote, is still tracking other data internally on a daily basis. The monitoring of virus levels in wastewater in Douglas County and at most other sites across the state also confirms that COVID case numbers continued to climb last week. On a per-capita basis, virus levels in Nebraska last week still ranked among the lowest in the country. Virus levels and hospitalizations also continue to be a small fraction of levels seen when the omicron variant peaked in Nebraska earlier this year. The nation as a whole is averaging 110,000 new cases a day, according to the CDC. While cases appear to be leveling off in the Northeast, they have begun to pick up in parts of the West and South. However, its widely recognized that official case counts are undercounting the true number of infections. Many more people are using the now widely available at-home tests, which are not routinely included in official tallies. The Douglas County Health Department has a link to a form on its website where residents can report results from at-home tests, but those outcomes are not included in official counts. Exactly how many cases are going under the radar isnt known. But researchers at the City University of New York estimated in a recent study that the true number of infections in New York City from April to May was 31 times higher than official case counts. The study has not been officially reviewed by other scientists. Health officials continue to encourage people who havent been vaccinated to get their shots. Those who have been vaccinated, they say, should get boosters. People ages 50 and older and those who are immune compromised are eligible for a fourth shot. The Food and Drug Administration recently approved a booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. In mid-June, an FDA advisory committee is slated to consider Pfizers application for a three-dose series of shots for children under 5 and Modernas request for a two-dose regimen for youngsters under 6. Nebraska added 44 COVID deaths during the week, bringing the total of confirmed or probable deaths in the pandemic to 4,284. More than 480,000 Nebraskans have tested positive for COVID during the pandemic. <&rule> 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. Julie Anderson Julie Anderson is a medical reporter for The World-Herald. She covers health care and health care trends and developments, including hospitals, research and treatments. Follow her on Twitter @JulieAnderson41. Phone: 402-444-1066. Follow Julie Anderson 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 Omaha police continue to evacuate neighborhoods in the area of a three-alarm fire near 20th Street and Woolworth Avenue. Those residing in neighborhoods between 13th to 20th and Leavenworth to Martha Streets have been asked to evacuate as smoke has created a hazard in the area. Residents outside those areas but near downtown are asked to stay inside their homes. The Columbus Community Center at 1523 S. 24th St. has been opened as a shelter for evacuees. According to OPPD, more than 2,300 people were without power Monday night between Leavenworth to Grover and Ninth to 26th Streets. Area fire crews responded to an automatic fire alarm at Nox-Crete, Inc., 1415 S. 20th St., shortly before 7 p.m. A working fire was quickly declared. Initial reports also indicated the building was evacuated when the fire broke out. Thick black smoke and heavy flames could be seen for miles from downtown Omaha. After the blaze began, hundreds of people gathered on area rooftops, porches and sidewalks to watch and record the fire. Around 8:15 p.m. several loud explosions could be heard and debris was thrown from the building. Police then blocked off access to the public. Nox-Crete produces chemical products for concrete. It also manufactures liquid floor hardeners, water repellents and other chemical products, according to the website. "Since the front of the building part of it collapsed, we had multiple propane bottles that exploded inside of the building," said a firefighter on the scene. As of 10:45 p.m., additional units were still being called to assist at the scene. It is likely that firefighters will continue to fight the blaze throughout the night. Staff writer Courtney Brummer-Clark contributed to this story. A 25-year-old Omaha man charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of an acquaintance was ordered held without bail Tuesday. Daniel Atherton also is charged with use of a firearm to commit a felony, two counts of use of a weapon to commit a felony, being a felon in possession of a firearm and attempted robbery. A preliminary hearing for Atherton to determine whether he will stand trial is set for next month. Atherton is accused of fatally shooting Clinton Brownlee, 39, on Thursday outside Brownlees home near 65th Street and Ames Avenue, Omaha police said. Brownlee was found with a gunshot to the chest just before 6:40 p.m. He was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center, where he died. Brenda Beadle, chief deputy Douglas County attorney, said Atherton and Brownlee knew each other. The two men were among a group of people who had been collecting scrap metal when an argument began. Witnesses told police that Atherton became angry and pulled out a handgun. They said he and Brownlee fled on foot, followed by one of the witnesses. Beadle said Atherton came upon a homeowner and demanded the keys to the mans vehicle. When the owner refused, she said, Atherton ran behind the house and hid the gun in an nearby yard. He then came back to the front yard, sat down and waited for police, Beadle said. The gun was recovered by police. Atherton has spent three short stints in Nebraska prisons in the last three years. He first was sentenced to 18 months in prison in April 2019 after being convicted of terroristic threats and criminal mischief. He was released in May 2019 because of good time and credit for time already served. He then was sentenced in November 2019 to one year in prison for operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest. He was released in March 2020. Finally, he was convicted last year of possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person. In June 2021, he was sentenced to up to one year in prison. He was released in October. Brownlees death is Omahas eighth criminal homicide of 2022. Brownlee is listed in court documents as residing at the address where first responders went after they received the call about a shooting. Editor's note: An earlier version of this article listed an initial bail amount. Atherton is being held on no bail. 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. The unexpected odyssey began when Ashlea Rodriguez, then 20, on her first Air Force duty assignment and pregnant with her first child, noticed a friend napping in her car at their base in Washington. Rodriguez tapped on the car window to ask what was up. The woman, a close friend and co-worker, explained that she was catching some zs between work and her night class at community college while her husband, with whom she shared a car, was working out. Why dont you take a college class with me next semester? the friend asked. OK, Rodriguez replied. Ill see how I do. Why not? The odyssey will reach its unexpected destination Saturday, eight years and studies at no fewer than five colleges on three continents later. Rodriguez, now a 31-year-old mother of three and Air Force veteran, will walk onto a Mid-America Center stage, deliver the student speech at Bellevue Universitys spring 2022 commencement of 640 students and claim her masters degree in business administration. She and her husband, Steve, a U.S. Army veteran, will take a trip for fun to celebrate theyll drive their kids to Florida. Along the way of her educational odyssey, like many nontraditional college students, Rodriguez found willpower and talents she didnt know she had. She developed a knack for making higher education systems work for her, and for finding the support she needed to navigate through them. Rodriguez is already putting those skills to work for other people as a project coordinator in Bellevue Universitys Mental Health Clinical Counseling program. My story is really about how the support of other people can create those opportunities that people wouldnt normally take, those risks (to try things) that they dont think theyre competent enough to do, Rodriguez said. And how giving people the support that they need, or the guidance, or taking the extra time can help them choose a path that they wouldnt have chosen before. Education wasnt exactly Rodriguezs passion while growing up in Decatur, Nebraska. I was not exceptional in high school, she said. I procrastinated and did the work I needed to do to pull my grades up to a D. She obtained her high school diploma by independent study through the University of Nebraska. She enrolled at Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, but she quit during her freshman year after she got her first bill from the college. Working in the service industry, driving 45 minutes to school each way, she just couldnt afford school. Rodriguez didnt have a clear idea of what she wanted to do. I had a lot of friends with military affiliations, she said. So I just went to a recruiter. I said: What can you do for me? And I was gone in two weeks. Her first Air Force duty assignment was at Fairchild Air Force Base outside Spokane, Washington. Rodriguez worked in a pediatrics department with amazing doctors who were determined to not just treat symptoms, but to find answers to help people with whatever they were struggling with. A lot of our job description was, how can we help these young moms who have children and dont have their family, and probably have a spouse whose priorities lie with their duty? Rodriguez said. So now theyre juggling a world that they never knew they would be in and wheres their resources? Rodriguez helped the parents find and connect with resources, experience that has helped her through her college odyssey and to help people in her work. She didnt know what field she wanted to go into when she took that first class at Spokane Falls Community Colleges education center at Fairchild AFB. She doesnt remember what that class was. But she does remember the friend who made her think she should try it, and the experience helping her believe she could do it. The class went well. She went on to take more. I dont even know if she really noticed she was giving me the support, Rodriguez said. She literally was just being kind. ... I mean, she is a loudmouth, Jamaican girl from the South. And here I am a little Midwest girl whose first plane ride was to basic training. I dont know if I would have gotten out of my shell. After 1 years in Washington, Rodriguez, by then a mother, was sent to an Air Force base in Japan. She wanted to work toward a degree in health care, but couldnt find those classes on bases overseas. Shes the kind of person who needs classes in person, so none of her studies have been online until her graduate classes during the pandemic. She decided to focus on business administration. While on active duty in Japan, Rodriguez knocked out some of her lower-level classes though the College Level Examination Program. After a year in Japan, she got out of the military and her husband went into it. He joined a U.S. Army Airborne division. She moved back to Nebraska to have her second child where family could help while her husband went to eight months of training. They were in a kind of limbo, not knowing where they would be sent, and when she would stop living between families and could get back on track with school. They got orders to go to Italy. That was a huge frustration, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise, Rodriguez said. She enrolled in the University of Maryland Global Campus Europe. She took night classes on base with soldiers. The classes were four hours long, and met once or twice a week. Her husband was away on duty for his demanding job for all but about six months of their 2 years in Italy. That meant that along with her notebooks, shed often take a baby to class because she was still nursing. She kept plugging away toward her degree through more moves. Her husband got posted to North Carolina. She took classes in Christianity at Campbell University that could apply to her degree and offered insight that regular business classes didnt have. Her husband left the Army but went to Kuwait as a contractor. That occasioned a move back to Nebraska with now three children, a year left on her degree and another hurdle. Because I had done all of most of my schoolwork at military classes, they were eight-week classes, and a lot of the colleges that I called around here at first were not going to accept about a year of those classes, the Christianity classes, or just the different classes that I had, Rodriguez said. She also wanted to attend in person, in part because her post-military benefits paid more for in-person classes than for online. She found Nebraska Wesleyan Universitys Omaha campus. It would take all her credits. Her dad could drive down from Decatur to help with child care and she powered through until she had two classes left. One was an ethics course. Wesleyan only offered the undergraduate version in Lincoln but had the graduate-level class in Omaha. Rodriguez persuaded them to let her take the graduate class. She was intimidated at first, and her children came to view the computer as their enemy because of all the reading and writing she had to do, but she aced it. That left an internship. At the height of the pandemic. When her children were stuck at home because of COVID. She said her advisers at Wesleyan couldnt help her find a company to do her internship. Rodriguez called multiple companies and got denied. She started looking for veterans resources, seeking the unity and mutual support she had experience in. She found Bellevue Universitys Military Veteran Services Center. They crafted an internship for her updating their community resource information for veterans. She did it in record time, said Heather Carroll, manager of the Military Veteran Services Center. Then we were able to sign her off, and she was able to graduate. And because of the services that are offered here in this facility, and how it takes care of the veterans in the process, she decided that she wanted to become a masters degree student here at the university as well. Rodriguez finally got her bachelors degree in 2020. Now, she has earned a masters as well. And her kids Tobias, 9, Vivian, 7, and Abraham, 5 have earned a trip to Disney World and the beach. Whats a 20-hour car ride when youve been on an eight-year educational odyssey like Rodriguez has? 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. The State of Nebraska will investigate chemical spills that flowed into the street and city sewers from a massive Monday night fire at an Omaha industrial plant, although city officials said the spills should have little or no impact on human health in Omaha. The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy had a person en route Tuesday afternoon to begin an on-site investigation, said Carla Felix, a spokesperson for the department. Nox-Crete Inc., a chemical plant where the three-alarm fire raged for hours, filed a notice of environmental concern with the department Tuesday morning. The blaze, in a Nox-Crete warehouse complex at 1415 S. 20th St., sparked concerns about toxic runoff as black smoke filled the air and water carried materials into the citys sewer system, with fluid reportedly burning as it flowed toward fire trucks. It was unknown Tuesday exactly what chemicals spilled into the sewers. But the Nox-Crete notification to the state listed three liquid materials known to have been released: mineral spirits, acid and naphtha, a flammable petroleum product that often is used as an industrial solvent. Any chemical runoff that flowed into the sewer system will end up at the citys Missouri River Water Resource Recovery Facility, where it will be treated before its discharged into the Missouri River, according to a joint press release from the Mayors Office and and the citys Public Works Department. No unusual odors or discoloration of water flows were seen at the treatment facility as of Tuesday afternoon, city officials said. Workers on Tuesday morning did detect a visible sheen in the flow, which would indicate the presence of oil, city officials said. But they said nothing had been observed that would potentially be harmful to human health or the environment. Officials said the citys drinking water wont be affected by the fire because the drinking water comes from the Missouri River near Florence, which is in northern Omaha, or from wells located along the Platte River in Sarpy County, which is treated to federal standards. The officials did not address how any chemicals that the City of Omaha released into the Missouri River will affect the river or people downstream, or whether cities downstream would be notified of the spill. The Nebraska Regional Poison Center sent a notice to Omaha-area emergency departments Monday night about the Nox-Crete plant fire. It is unknown what chemicals were involved, the notice reads. Some of the chemicals may contain hydrocarbons which can cause respiratory irritation if inhaled and possibly (central nervous system) depression. So far, the notice read, the poison center had been contacted by one person with an indirect exposure who was experiencing dizziness. Emergency departments were asked to contact the poison center if they saw any affected patients. By early Tuesday afternoon, the poison center had been contacted by one other person about symptoms, a center staffer said. People with concerns or questions can call the center 24 hours a day at 800-222-1222. In February, Nox-Crete reported to the state that it had stored hundreds of pounds of multiple liquid chemicals, several of them flammable and some extremely hazardous, at its site, which straddles 20th Street near William Street. The fire tore through plant warehouses east of 20th Street, but Nox-Crete buildings on the west side of 20th Street appeared undamaged. Douglas Countys main air quality monitor near 41st and Pacific Streets didnt pick up the smoke Monday night because the wind was blowing the wrong way, a county official said Tuesday. The Douglas County Health Department is not aware of any specific air quality concerns, but strongly recommends that anyone who was exposed to the smoke and is not feeling well seek medical attention, the press release said. Firefighters responded to an automatic fire alarm at Nox-Crete shortly before 7 p.m. Monday. The building already had been evacuated, and the fire quickly accelerated to a three-alarm blaze. 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. Jessica Wade Jessica Wade covers breaking news, crime and the Omaha zoo. Follow her on Twitter @Jess_Wade_OWH. Phone: 402-444-1067 Follow Jessica Wade 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 LINCOLN Eric Turvey was standing outside his SUV parked in the Barnes and Noble parking lot Sunday night watching cars cruising down O Street when he heard screeching, saw two cars crash and a black Taurus barrel-rolling toward him. It came to rest upside down in front of him, along with two people whod been sitting on the sidewalk watching the cars. I had to pull my feet out from under them, he said. We had to move the car to get to them. There was maybe a 2-foot gap between my legs and the front of the car upside down on fire. Turvey was among a crowd of witnesses to a crash Sunday night that sent two cars into a crowd of bystanders gathered near the intersection at 52nd Street to watch cars cruise along O Street in what has become an annual Memorial Day tradition. Two Lincoln women, ages 20 and 22, died at the scene. Police Chief Teresa Ewins, who spoke at a press conference Monday afternoon, declined to name the women, who she said have been identified. Both were occupants in an eastbound white Toyota Corolla that was struck when it turned north in front of a westbound black Ford Taurus being driven by an 18-year-old man from Omaha, who was the car's only occupant, Ewins said. Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird extended "heartfelt condolences to the families and friends" of the women killed in Sunday's crash, and wished a "quick and full recovery" to those injured. "When a tragic accident like this occurs, we in Lincoln are fortunate that we are surrounded by talented and dedicated professionals who spring into action and respond with their experience, training and expertise to keep our community safe," she said at the press conference. The crash was reported at 10:47 p.m. Sunday, Ewins said. Investigators are trying to determine if any of the individuals involved were wearing seat belts, if alcohol was a factor in the crash, or what speeds the vehicles were traveling. "We're trying to piece that together," Ewins said. "Our people have been up all night trying to put the evidence together so we can actually figure that out." The Taurus rolled onto its top and pinned two people under it, she said. Bystanders were able to roll the vehicle off and one of those individuals was taken to the hospital and remained in critical but stable condition on Monday afternoon. Destenie Commuso said she stayed with the young woman whod been a spectator and was trapped under the Taurus, trying to keep her awake, while rescue workers tried to get the driver out of the car. She called the girls dad, while her fiance tried to keep the crowd back. A young man was trapped, too, but didnt seem to be injured as severely, she said. Commuso who was sitting on the north side of O Street, just east of 52nd Street, had just packed up with her fiance and two kids and pulled onto O Street behind the Taurus. She said a group of teenagers were throwing fireworks at cars before the accident and wonders if a firework may have played a part in what happened. Police did not mention fireworks during Monday's press conference. Turvey, who was on the west side of 52nd Street, was hit by flying debris and was covered in antifreeze or other car fluids, but two young children sitting on chairs in the cargo of his SUV watching the cars were unhurt. My instinct was to shield the kids, he said. I was standing directly behind the vehicle. I moved myself in front of the kids and waited for everything to stop. Then it stopped, help mode kicked in and I started trying to help. A friend and mom of the kids in his car whod gotten there just minutes before the accident took them from the area and paramedics checked them at another location, but they werent hurt. Turvey moved his car so they could get to the Taurus, and ran back to help. By that time other bystanders also were helping, and police and paramedics had arrived. When he moved his car, he said, he saw a kid bleeding and ran to get paramedics. There were lots of young kids in the area, he said. It was a mess, he said. It was one of the fastest medical responses Ive ever witnessed in my life. Lincoln Fire and Rescue Chief Dave Engler said the response Sunday night was quickly declared a mass casualty event, requiring six medical units, four engine companies and two truck companies with special equipment to perform extrications from vehicles. The response led O Street to be closed between 48th and 56th streets for several hours. The first engine on scene extinguished minor fires and began to triage those injured, many of whom were struck as they stood between the street and parking lot of the Barnes & Noble. "One of the challenges we had was the scene was very large and there was a lot of people there, and vehicles were a part," Engler said, "so it's almost like you had two separate scenes. It's difficult to identify who the patients are because there are people all over the place." LFR transported eight people to area hospitals, Engler added, and was still trying to tally the numbers of people treated at the scene. Others were taken to hospitals by family or friends. Bryan Medical Center treated 10 people seven at its west campus and three at its east, according to an earlier press release from police. Of those, eight were treated and released, and two were admitted one in critical condition, one in serious. CHI Health St. Elizabeth also received 10 patients. Seven were treated and released. Three were admitted two in good condition, and a third who was discharged Monday. On Monday afternoon, one patient was still hospitalized in critical, but stable condition, according to Ewins, while injuries suffered by others were considered non-life threatening. The driver of the Taurus was among those with non-life threatening injuries, police said. Police are asking for the public's help with its investigation and is urging any witnesses to share their information, including video and photographs, by calling the non-emergency number at 402-441-6000. The fatal crash was at least the second involving onlookers during an O Street cruise event. In July 2000, a 39-year-old woman, Connie McCullough, was killed as she watched Americruise cars pass near 35th and O streets when a nonparticipant car veered off O Street and hit her. She died shielding her children. After a brief hiatus following the 2000 crash, Americruise returned to Lincoln, but has not been hosted in the Capital City for two decades. Memorial Day weekend typically brings out an increased numbers of drivers who cruise O Street in what police consider an "unsanctioned event," Ewins said, as well as onlookers who gather on sidewalks and in nearby business parking lots to watch them. Lincoln Police Capt. Max Hubka said none of the officers assigned to monitor the cruise night witnessed the crash, but the first reached the scene within a minute. He said all indications were that Sunday's cruise night event was "pretty controlled," with fewer people gathered to watch along O Street and fewer vehicles making the loop than on previous nights. Last week, the Nebraska State Patrol and Lincoln Police said they would strengthen their forces Friday through Sunday, with a special focus on O Street between 17th and 84th streets. In recent years, crowds of more than 5,000 people have gathered for the informal parade of classic cars interspersed with regular traffic. Police have described how some watchers rush into O Street to pour water on the tires of cars doing burnouts to create larger smoke clouds. Hubka couldn't say how many people were gathered on the north side of O Street in front of the Barnes & Noble at the time of Sunday's crash. Taylor Arizola was across the street from Barnes and Noble, in the Verizon stores parking lot, when he heard tires screeching behind him. He turned around in time to see the Taurus skidding, but unable to stop, before hitting the passenger side of the Corolla. Both cars careened into the crowd. Arizola helped others flip the overturned Taurus back onto its wheels, he said. There were people running for their lives but getting rolled on by a car," he said. "I saw peoples kneecaps hanging out, people laying on the ground not being able to move. Social media posts leading up to the crash showed people gathered at the intersection of 52nd and O streets as cars sped by. Over the course of Sunday evening, videos posted on the social media app Snapchat showed people lining both sides of O Street near 52nd Street. In one video, a car attempts a burnout in front of a crowd of people. Following the crash, people are seen helping victims as first responders reached the scene. In one video posted on Twitter, smoke rolls from a vehicle in the background. In another, people crouch over a victim in front of a car. Commuso, on the other hand, said she was struck by how many people chose to pull out their phones rather than help. "Either get out of the way or put your phones away and help," she said. A day later, Turvey was still trying to process what happened, the chaos and trying to help, and how close he came to being a victim. I came within 2 feet of possibly losing my life last night, he said. Energy experts say the European Unions decision to ban nearly all oil from Russia to punish the country for its invasion of Ukraine may be blunted by rising energy prices and other countries willing to buy some of the excess petroleum. European Union leaders agreed late Monday to cut around 90% of all Russian oil imports over the next six months a dramatic move that was considered unthinkable just months ago. Analysts said the move was a blow to the Kremlin. But they noted that Russia still retained some European markets and could sell some of the oil previously bound to Europe to China, India and other customers in Asia. BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) North Dakota's longest-serving state senator declined to comment Tuesday on whether he's the subject of an ongoing investigation following a report that he'd traded scores of text messages with a man jailed on child pornography charges. Republican Sen. Ray Holmberg had previously announced plans to resign Wednesday, six months before the end of his term. There is a time, Holmberg told The Associated Press on Tuesday when asked about why he was abruptly ending his 46-year career. Police and federal agents in Grand Forks seized video discs and other items from Holmbergs home in November The rain will stop one of these days and things will go on, he said, declining to elaborate. Homberg said he planned on attending a luncheon with some current and former lawmakers on Tuesday. He plans on turning in his state-issued computer and legislative credentials that include access to the state Capitol on Wednesday. Holmberg has been one of the Legislatures most powerful lawmakers for decades, serving as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. He chaired the Legislative Management committee, which decides committee assignments and chooses study topics that often inspire legislation, four times. The 79-year-old was the Legislatures top traveler in at least the past decade a period when he held a post that allowed him to approve his own travel. Records for his state-reimbursed travel during the previous three decades of tenure are incomplete or no longer exist. He also sat on the states Emergency Commission, which allocates funding and resources in times of an emergency, and served on or chaired several GOP-led redistricting committees. When he announced in March that this would be his last term, he said the stress of a session and a campaign would only exacerbate a weakened ability to concentrate on the matters at hand and effectively recall events. Many North Dakota Republicans, including Gov. Doug Burgum, showered Holmberg with accolades at the time. Holmberg will remain on the Legislatures state-funded health insurance plan through July, a benefit that is worth about $1,425 monthly. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. LINCOLN Its not every day that a prosecutor joins in a defense motion for a new trial. This year, it happened not once, but twice, in Lancaster County District Court in the cases of two people convicted and sentenced on unrelated drug charges later discovered potentially to have been tainted by an evidence breach at the Nebraska State Patrol. In a rare twist despite both sides being in agreement that the convictions should be undone and the cases dismissed a District Court judge denied the move. Now, both cases are on appeal. It started in November, when the attorneys for Samantha Blocher and Gabriel Muratella received an email from the Lancaster County Attorneys Office with a letter attached, disclosing that their clients cases had been identified as part of a State Patrol drug-related investigation that resulted in a conviction and sentence. The letter said: You are advised that it is possible that during the time any drug-related evidence in this case was in the custody of NSP, it may have been directly or indirectly maintained by or otherwise subject to the oversight of the former evidence technician, referring to Anna Idigima, who now is facing federal charges for allegedly conspiring to sell drugs taken from the State Patrols evidence room. Blochers case, which was over a Nov. 6, 2018, traffic stop on Interstate 80 near Lincoln that turned up two baggies totaling about 20 grams of methamphetamine and a digital scale, had been on the docket at the Nebraska Court of Appeals. She had been found guilty at the end of a two-day jury trial in July 2021, had gotten probation and appealed. But with the news of the evidence breach, her attorney, Matt Catlett, withdrew the appeal so the case could go back to district court, where the County Attorneys Office agreed to join in his request for a motion for a new trial and thereafter motion the court to dismiss the case with prejudice, the deputy county attorney wrote in a letter. A joint motion and stipulation for a new trial followed, citing newly discovered evidence. In an order last month, Lancaster County District Judge Lori Maret overruled the motion. The defendant and the county attorney argue that the court must grant the defendant a new trial because they have stipulated to one, she wrote. It is well-established, however, that parties cannot stipulate to legal conclusions. Maret said she believed it was significant that Blocher had been convicted after a jury trial, that 12 people had spent time away from their families, jobs and whatever else is important to them to decide the charge. Now, without any apparent investigation into whether Idigimas misconduct actually involved the evidence in the defendants case, the parties are willing to stipulate that the conviction should be tossed, she wrote. Maret said it wasnt clear why the defense attorney and county attorney havent tried to determine the facts, but the jurors time and efforts shouldnt be flippantly disregarded. Blocher has asked the Court of Appeals to review the decision. My client is disappointed, but looks forward to an appeal, Catlett said. Maret issued a similar order in Muratellas case. His attorney at the time, Matt Kosmicki, argued that Muratella wouldnt have pleaded no contest to attempted possession with intent to deliver, a charge for which hes now serving an eight- to 12-year sentence, if he had known of the misconduct. His case involved an employee at a UPS shipping facility in Lincoln in 2018 finding an earbud case containing about 18 grams of meth on the floor and Muratella returning for it. According to Marets order, Muratella cannot ask for a new trial under Nebraska law because he didnt have a trial, he pleaded no contest. She said the Constitution doesnt require the government to disclose material impeachment evidence before a plea agreement, like it does before a trial. Thus, even if the defendant could move to withdraw his plea, he has not shown that his constitutional rights were violated, the judge said. In October, Idigima and George Weaver Jr. were indicted for conspiracy to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, a detectable amount of fentanyl and marijuana. Both have entered not guilty pleas but havent yet been set for trial because of the complexity of the case. At a hearing last week, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Fullerton said an expert is reviewing a number of overdose cases to provide her medical opinion on the possible causes. If convicted, Idigima and Weaver would face 10 years to life in prison. In August, Lincoln police and the State Patrol announced the pairs arrest and the theft of more than $1.2 million worth of narcotics from the patrols evidence facility, including $329,800 worth of cocaine. 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. Iowa authorities were searching for a 20-year-old woman who is feared drowned after a boat sank late Sunday in the Missouri River near the town of Modale. The Harrison County Sheriff's Office said it was contacted about 11:55 p.m. Sunday about a boat that took on water and sank with a woman aboard. The boat reportedly sank just south of the Remington Boat Launch. According to a report from Washington County in Nebraska, deputies were at the Cottonwood Marina in Blair about 11:30 p.m. Sunday when they learned about the missing woman. Witnesses told the deputies that a woman was asleep in the cabin of the boat when it sank. Several people who were on the boat had to be rescued, authorities said. First responders included deputies from Harrison and Washington Counties as well as several area fire departments, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Southwest Iowa Dive Team and the Yutan (Nebraska) Dive Team. Recovery efforts were suspended Monday night because of hazardous weather conditions but were set to resume when conditions improved. Anyone with information about this incident may contact the Iowa Department of Natural Resources at 515-725-8200 or the Harrison County Sheriffs Office 712-644 2244. 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. LINCOLN Eric Turvey was standing outside his SUV parked in the Barnes and Noble parking lot Sunday night watching cars cruising down O Street when he heard screeching, saw two cars crash and a black Taurus barrel-rolling toward him. It came to rest upside down in front of him, along with two people who had been sitting on the sidewalk watching the cars. I had to pull my feet out from under them, he said. We had to move the car to get to them. There was maybe a 2-foot gap between my legs and the front of the car upside down on fire. Turvey was among the witnesses to a crash Sunday night that sent two cars into a crowd of bystanders gathered near the intersection at 52nd Street to watch cars cruise along O Street in what has become an annual Memorial Day tradition. Two Lincoln women, ages 20 and 22, died at the scene. Police Chief Teresa Ewins, who spoke at a press conference Monday afternoon, declined to name the women, who she said have been identified. Both were occupants in an eastbound white Toyota Corolla that was struck when it turned north in front of a westbound black Ford Taurus being driven by an 18-year-old man from Omaha, who was the cars only occupant, Ewins said. Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird extended heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the women killed in Sundays crash, and wished a quick and full recovery to those injured. When a tragic accident like this occurs, we in Lincoln are fortunate that we are surrounded by talented and dedicated professionals who spring into action and respond with their experience, training and expertise to keep our community safe, she said at the press conference. The crash was reported at 10:47 p.m. Sunday, Ewins said. Investigators are trying to determine if any of the individuals involved were wearing seat belts, if alcohol was a factor or what speeds the vehicles were traveling. Were trying to piece that together, Ewins said. Our people have been up all night trying to put the evidence together so we can actually figure that out. The Taurus rolled onto its top and pinned two people under it, she said. Bystanders were able to roll the vehicle off, and one of those individuals was taken to the hospital and remained in critical but stable condition Monday afternoon. Destenie Commuso said she stayed with the young woman who had been a spectator and was trapped under the Taurus, trying to keep her awake, while rescue workers tried to get the driver out of the car. She called the girls dad, while her fiance tried to keep the crowd back. A young man was trapped, too, but didnt seem to be injured as severely, she said.Commuso who was sitting on the north side of O Street, just east of 52nd Street, had just packed up with her fiance and two kids and pulled onto O Street behind the Taurus. She said a group of teenagers were throwing fireworks at cars before the crash and wonders if a firework may have played a part in what happened. Police did not mention fireworks during Mondays press conference. Turvey, who was on the west side of 52nd Street, was hit by flying debris and was covered in antifreeze or other car fluids, but two young children sitting on chairs in the cargo of his SUV watching the cars were unhurt. My instinct was to shield the kids, he said. I was standing directly behind the vehicle. I moved myself in front of the kids and waited for everything to stop. Then it stopped, help mode kicked in and I started trying to help. A friend and mom of the kids in his car who had gotten there just minutes before the crash took them from the area and paramedics checked them at another location, but they werent hurt. Turvey moved his car so they could get to the Taurus, and ran back to help. By that time other bystanders also were helping, and police and paramedics had arrived. When he moved his car, he said, he saw a kid bleeding and ran to get paramedics. There were lots of young kids in the area, he said. It was a mess, he said. It was one of the fastest medical responses Ive ever witnessed in my life. Lincoln Fire and Rescue Chief Dave Engler said the response Sunday night was declared a mass casualty event, requiring six medical units, four engine companies and two truck companies with special equipment to perform extrications from vehicles. O Street was closed between 48th and 56th Streets for several hours. The first engine on scene extinguished minor fires and began to triage those injured, many of whom were struck as they stood between the street and parking lot of the Barnes & Noble. One of the challenges we had was the scene was very large and there was a lot of people there, and vehicles were a part, Engler said, so its almost like you had two separate scenes. Its difficult to identify who the patients are because there are people all over the place. Lincoln Fire and Rescue transported eight people to area hospitals, Engler said, and was still trying to tally the numbers of people treated at the scene. Others were taken to hospitals by family or friends. Bryan Medical Center treated 10 people seven at its west campus and three at its east, according to a press release from police. Of those, eight were treated and released, and two were admitted one in critical condition, one in serious. St. Elizabeth Medical Center also received 10 patients. Seven were treated and released. Three were admitted two in good condition, and a third who was discharged Monday. On Monday afternoon, one patient was still hospitalized in critical but stable condition, according to Ewins, while injuries suffered by others, including the driver of the Taurus, were not considered to be life-threatening. Police are asking for the publics help with its investigation and is urging any witnesses to share their information, including video and photographs, by calling 402-441-6000. The fatal crash was at least the second involving onlookers during an O Street cruise event. In July 2000, Connie McCullough, 39, was killed as she watched Americruise cars pass near 35th and O Streets when a nonparticipant car veered off O Street and struck her. She died shielding her children. After a brief hiatus following the 2000 crash, Americruise returned to Lincoln, but has not been hosted in the Capital City for two decades. Memorial Day weekend typically brings out an increased numbers of drivers who cruise O Street in what police consider an unsanctioned event, Ewins said, as well as onlookers who gather on sidewalks and in nearby business parking lots to watch them. Lincoln Police Capt. Max Hubka said none of the officers assigned to monitor the cruise night witnessed the crash, but the first reached the scene within a minute. He said all indications were that Sundays cruise night event was pretty controlled, with fewer people gathered to watch along O Street and fewer vehicles making the loop than on previous nights. Last week, the Nebraska State Patrol and Lincoln Police said they would strengthen their forces Friday through Sunday, with a special focus on O Street between 17th and 84th Streets. In recent years, crowds of more than 5,000 people have gathered for the informal parade of classic cars interspersed with regular traffic. Police have described how some watchers rush into O Street to pour water on the tires of cars doing burnouts to create larger smoke clouds. Hubka couldnt say how many people were gathered on the north side of O Street in front of the Barnes & Noble at the time of Sundays crash. Taylor Arizola was across the street from Barnes and Noble, in the Verizon stores parking lot, when he heard tires screeching behind him. He turned around in time to see the Taurus skidding, but unable to stop, before hitting the passenger side of the Corolla. Both cars careened into the crowd. Arizola helped others flip the overturned Taurus back onto its wheels, he said. There were people running for their lives but getting rolled on by a car, he said. I saw peoples kneecaps hanging out, people laying on the ground not being able to move. Social media posts leading up to the crash showed people gathered at the intersection of 52nd and O Streets as cars sped by. Over the course of Sunday evening, videos posted on the social media app Snapchat showed people lining both sides of O Street near 52nd Street. In one video, a car attempts a burnout in front of a crowd of people. Following the crash, people are seen helping victims as first responders reached the scene. In one video posted on Twitter, smoke rolls from a vehicle in the background. In another, people crouch over a victim in front of a car. Commuso, on the other hand, said she was struck by how many people chose to pull out their phones rather than help. Either get out of the way or put your phones away and help, she said. A day later, Turvey was still trying to process what happened, the chaos and trying to help, and how close he came to being a victim. I came within 2 feet of possibly losing my life last night, he said. SPRINGFIELD Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed legislation Tuesday that will pump an additional $700 million annually into Medicaid-funded nursing homes, provided they use that money to increase staff and wages in their facilities. This is truly a game changer, Pritzker said at a bill signing ceremony at a Chicago-area nursing home. Together we've delivered a victory for the communities of residents that you serve. The payment reform bill, spelled out in a Senate amendment to House Bill 246, is among the first of its kind in the nation, according to Department of Healthcare and Family Services officials. It passed unanimously out of both chambers of the General Assembly, but only after nearly two years of negotiations between the administration and the nursing home industry negotiations that at times appeared to reach an impasse. Im just I so proud for this administration and this team that we've been able to accomplish this. I don't think anybody really understands how big of a lift this was, and how much of a change it is, HFS Director Theresa Eagleson said during a recent interview. The Illinois Medicaid program pays for the care of about 70 percent of all the nursing home residents in the state, or roughly 45,000 seniors and disabled individuals. For years, though, there have been concerns about the quality of care those people receive. HFS officials have cited studies showing Illinois has more understaffed nursing homes by far than any other state, a problem driven by high turnover rates and low wages. That problem became especially acute during the COVID-19 pandemic when nursing homes became the source of multiple outbreaks and accounted for a disproportionate number of COVID-related deaths. We know that almost half of all COVID-19 related deaths occurred in our nursing homes at the beginning of the pandemic, said Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin, the bills lead sponsor in the House. And we've heard tragic stories of overcrowding and understaffing that happens in far too many nursing homes, especially in homes located in Black and Latino communities. We learned how COVID-19 only exacerbated an already chronically bad situation. Sen. Ann Gillespie, D-Arlington Heights, who carried the bill in the Senate, said that even before the pandemic, many for-profit nursing facilities were reporting profits even as they operated with staffing levels below clinical requirements. The data showed long-term care facilities in predominantly Black and Latino communities had among the lowest staffing levels, she said. And while the situation worsened during the pandemic, the data was clear that this has been happening well before the pandemic ever started. The estimated $700 million in new annual funding is split evenly between state and federal funds. Most of the states portion comes through an increase in the states nursing home bed tax, which is used to draw down additional federal dollars. Under the law, nursing homes can qualify for higher payment rates as they hire additional staff to reach certain target levels. The law also establishes new reimbursement rates for services provided by certified nursing assistants, or CNAs, providing them with wage increases based on their years of experience in the profession, rather than their tenure at the specific facility where they work. The new law also requires more disclosure about the ownership of nursing homes, something that HFS officials said is needed, particularly with for-profit nursing homes. It was also a provision meant to address concerns among nursing home owners that the new payment model could force some nursing homes to close their doors. You cannot measure profit if you don't know who owns a facility, HFS deputy director Andy Allison said in a recent interview. Profit, net and loss, is a function of the definition of the business that you're describing. And you can't define a business if you can't define its ownership, and in particular, common ownership across nursing homes. So the fundamental question of viability, access and serving our customers depends on knowing who owns what. The new rules still need approval from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, but Eagleson said she is confident of getting that approval. They actually came out and talked to us and were asking us how we can help other states move in this direction, she said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. New high school curriculum still ensures role of history education: Deputy minister The new senior high school curriculum still ensures the role of history education, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Huu o said. A history class at Phan Huy Chu High School in Hanoi's ong a District. VNA/VNS Photo He was speaking after the controversial decision to make history an optional subject in the national senior high school curriculum that will take effect from the next academic year. Beginning the 2022-23 school year, besides seven mandatory subjects, senior high school students (from grade 10 to 12) can choose to study five subjects from three groups; social science (geography, history, economy-law), natural science (physics, chemistry, biology) and technology and arts (technology, computers, and arts). The move triggered public concerns that fewer and fewer students will choose history once it becomes optional and the subject is at risk of "disappearing" from the curriculum at many senior high schools. Responding to the concerns, Deputy Minister o said under the new general education plan, the last three grades in senior high schools will be the career-oriented education phase after the nine-year of basic education from the first to ninth grades. History will remain a compulsory subject throughout the basic education phase at junior high school level (from grade 6 to 9) where students are taught about general knowledge of the worlds and Vietnams history from primitive to modern times, the deputy minister said, emphasising that all students will receive comprehensive education of Vietnamese history. He further said that from the next academic year, in the curriculum from the sixth to twelfth grade 20 per cent of school time will be spent on education of local history. Prof., Dr. Nguyen Minh Thuyet, chief-editor of the new general education programme, said as history is a compulsory subject during the first nine school year of a student, it will provide students with basic knowledge to develop their own qualities and core competencies. BLOOMINGTON Eager hands and smiling faces lined the streets of downtown Bloomington on Monday morning leading the Memorial Day Parade to Miller Park. But the candy, flags and pencils that children happily took home were outweighed by the messages of remembrance shared by veterans and military families throughout the day. Ashley Harms said she reminds her 4-year-old daughter, Riley, that the candy isnt why the parade is important. I think its just important to get out and support the local community, especially today being Memorial Day, said Harms, of Downs. Its important to remember those who we lost, who fought for freedoms. When she wasnt covering her ears for the Bloomington High School Marching Raiders performance, Riley thanked every service member, veteran, law enforcement and fire official who rode by her spot on the edge of Miller Park. This was the first year the parade returned since it was canceled the last two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. I think the kids missed it the last couple years that they werent able to participate, said Beth Rodts of Normal, who watched her two eldest children ride on the Linden Lead Em 4H Club float. Its a nice, short, fun parade for kids to be in. The parade drew to a close in time for the annual Memorial Day ceremony to begin in the park with several veterans organizations bringing the crowd together for the first of many events to honor the fallen. Kay Sparkey, whose husband Ray served in the Vietnam War and works with local chapter 60 of the Disabled American Veterans, said having been to the ceremony at the park bandstand every year, I just think its nice that people come out and they should for all the holidays. For veterans, Gold Star mothers and families, Memorial Day is every day, said Kevin Keller, of the American Legion Post 454. They gave their tomorrows for our todays. The very least we can do is to remember them for their service, their sacrifice and who they are. In a joint proclamation between Bloomington and Normal, Mayors Mboka Mwilambwe and Chris Koos recognized May 2022 as Americas Gold Star Families Month, dedicating the hometown heroes banners that line East Street in Bloomington and Main Street in Normal. America's Gold Star Families is an organization that represents parents, spouses, children, siblings and other close family members whose loved one died in service. Frances Maddox of Bloomington worked with the city and town to ensure the locals who had died in military service would be honored with their names and photos hung on 24 banners. Her son, U.S. Army Sgt. Anthony Maddox, died in 2013 after he was burned in a fuel explosion in Afghanistan. Its truly an honor for our heroes just to keep their memory alive and their name alive and to continue their legacy further, she said after the ceremony. Theres a saying that our heroes, they actually have two deaths. The first one is when they take their last breath, and the second one is when we forget to speak their name. Its so important for us to always remember and never forget. She told the crowd when they pass those banners, Americas Gold Star Families asks for just one thing: to remember and to also speak their name. During the ceremony to honor fallen service members, Lt. Col. Scott Grotbo of the Illinois Air National Guard considered whether they would be happy with the way the community came together on Monday. Maybe they would, maybe they dont care, said Grotbo, commander of the 182nd Air Support Operations Group at the 182nd Airlift Wing based in Peoria. We all know those personalities of the ones weve lost. We would know what their answer would be. Theyd probably be like Well, no, its a beautiful day. Go fishing. Why would you waste it here? But after all that, theyd be like, you know, I said that but thank you for the honor. Thank you for recognizing us. Thank you for knowing that we didnt just make the ultimate sacrifice in vain. He recalled a scene from Saving Private Ryan that he believes gives insight into what sacrifice can look like. When Capt. Miller is gravely injured, he says to Private Ryan, simply, Earn this. And to think if any of the fallen men and women could be here today and say that to us earn this what are we doing to accomplish that? Grotbo asked the crowd. We move forward from conflicts; we move forward from war; we move forward from those significant events that really test us as Americans. And you would think that by having one of these men and women tell us to earn that, earn that moment that they sacrificed in order for us to progress as Americans, as patriots, that we can truly honor that. Grotbo challenged those seated in front of him and those who retreated to stand in the shade to live up to that standard and think about what we need to do to continue to honor them, as well as do what they would truly want us to do. Contact Kelsey Watznauer at (309) 820-3254. Follow her on Twitter: @kwatznauer. 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. CHICAGO A Melrose Park man facing charges in the recent attack on a local figure known as Walking Man was denied bail in court Monday. Joseph Guardia, 27, is charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated arson in connection with the May 25 attack on Joseph Kromelis, who was set on fire. Police arrested Guardia Friday, two days after authorities released stills from surveillance video showing the attacker. At a hearing Monday, Assistant States Attorney Danny Hanichak said surveillance video shows Guardia approaching the sleeping Kromelis with a McDonalds cup in hand. Guardia stood over Kromelis for 16 seconds, briefly walked away, returned, poured the cup over the sleeping mans head and lit him on fire, the prosecutor said. This defendant did not target someone he got in an argument with, someone who wronged him, or someone that he even knew, Hanichak said. This defendant decided to target the most vulnerable person possible: a 75-year-old homeless man sleeping on the street. Surveillance video later captured the attacker as he boarded a Blue Line L train, then eventually transferred to a Pace bus at the end of the line in Forest Park. Guardia was arrested after a Melrose Park resident recognized him and notified the police, Judge Charles Beach II said. At the time of his arrest, Guardia was wearing the same clothing seen in the video, Beach said. Hanichak said Guardia admitted in recorded statements to finding a McDonalds cup filled with gasoline and setting a pile of blankets on fire. Guardia said he was not aware that a person was underneath the blankets, the prosecutor said. In denying bond to Guardia, Beach called the nature of the attack horrifying and found that the defendant was a threat to the community. Guardia was also wanted on two separate arrest warrants for burglary, according to court records. Police have said Kromelis was resting or sleeping in the 400 block of North Lower Wabash Avenue when he was attacked early Wednesday. At the bond hearing, Hanichak described a horrifying scene in which Kromelis remained on fire for approximately three minutes, trying to extinguish the flames on his body as he slumped against the wall. Two Trump Tower security guards rushed to aid Kromelis and comfort him until emergency responders arrived, the prosecutor said. Paramedics took Kromelis to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. Authorities said he suffered burns to nearly half his body. He was later transferred to Stroger Hospitals burn unit. Kromelis is sedated, and doctors do not expect him to survive the injuries, Hanichak said. Kromelis remained in critical condition Monday at the hospital. Known for his long wavy hair, thick mustache, stylish dress and quiet demeanor as he strolled through downtown for decades, Kromelis has been featured in news stories and videos and a documentary. Kromelis once told the Tribune he roams as a way of life. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 As of right now, in the entire country, there is just a single federally funded study on preventing gun violence in Americas schools. It started in September. And in the days since 19 children and two teachers were gunned down in their classroom at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, members of the research team of about a dozen scientists and educators have been furiously emailing back and forth, asking how they can speed up the work on their three-year grant. Wait, what? Columbine. Sandy Hook. Parkland. The federal government wasnt funding this kind of research before? The answer is no not for more than 20 years. In 1996, Congress passed the so-called Dickey Amendment, named after the late Representative Jay Dickey, who retired from Congress with an A-plus rating from the National Rifle Association. The measure effectively cut off funding for research on gun violence at the Centers for Disease Control. Dickey had a change of heart following the 2012 massacre in a Colorado movie theater that killed 12 people. He partnered with a former nemesis, Mark Rosenberg, then director of the CDCs National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, to argue that gun violence should be treated like a public health crisis. In a 2012 op-ed article in the Washington Post, they implored Congress to restore the funding. It wasnt for another six years that a Republican president, Donald Trump, signed a spending bill that restored CDC research for gun violence and prevention. In 2020 and 2021, Congress allocated $25 million over three years for such research, split between the CDC and the National Institutes of Health. But thats a pittance, Rosenberg says, compared to the $200 million annual spending over 50 years on research into preventing motor vehicle injuries. That spending has helped save 600,000 lives about the same number of lives, he notes, lost to gun violence between 2000 and 2020. Branas and his team are studying about 650 public schools across the country in urban and non-urban centers. The team is looking at schools that have experienced gun violence and those that havent, examining the effectiveness of about two dozen safety tactics and policies. The study is in such early stages that there isnt even preliminary data. The CDC and NIH have awarded some 28 grants to study a range of gun violence issues, including the best ways to intervene and prevent threats of gun violence on social media; how to figure out who is most at risk of being victims of gun violence and who is most at risk of perpetrating violent gun acts; and the development of a website to teach children hunting, shooting and firearms safety. Branas hopes his teams findings can be used by school districts around the country to inform prescriptive measures and prevent other children from being senselessly gunned down. I look forward to their findings. But when it comes to gun violence as with vaccines and climate change I worry whether data and scientific arguments are enough. The aftermath of a mass shooting is by now sadly familiar. Theres a template, with rolling coverage leading up to a visit from the president, an impassioned plea for stricter gun laws and failed votes in Congress. The vast majority of the country supports universal background checks, most people want to ban gun purchases by those with mental illness, and they dont want people carrying concealed weapons without permits. And yet there is a feeling of hopelessness that American society is incapable of doing anything about these massacres. Maybe we hugged our children a little tighter and a little longer this morning before we sent them off to school. What else can we do? It makes us doubly motivated that we have to find something, that we have to contribute to a solution here, Branas told me. And that drives an inkling of optimism for us. Julianna Goldman is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 What is wrong with us Americans? We have just witnessed the 27th school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Nineteen children and two teachers were killed. The U.S. suicide rate increased 35% from 1999-2018. (CDC). Mental health issues are more prevalent than cancer, diabetes, or heart disease (Huff Post). We are in a culture war over abortion, LGBT rights, critical race theory, woke versus more traditional political policies, and what to do about gun violence. People are venting their anger on social media, road rage, and violent behavior. Churches, schools, and homes are not agreed on the values our children should learn. Centuries-old values that held us together in an integrated culture are being seriously questioned. We are a divided and disintegrating culture. It is apparent our present culture is not working to produce a safe America. With these loud and conflicting voices surrounding us it is difficult to teach our children right from wrong. Knowing right from wrong helps children develop a healthy conscience, that internal part of us that keeps us from doing wrong and motivates socially approved behavior. Developing a healthy conscience can be done best in a united and integrated society. Our pledge of allegiance says we are: "One nation under God." Our coins carry the phrase, "In God We Trust." Would it not be in America's best interest for us to bow our knees to God with repentant hearts so He could come and heal our land? A healed America would better provide schools safe from murderous rampages, than all the conflicting values and voices of today. Could it be a step in the right direction to prevent the suffering now being felt in Uvalde, Texas? Gerhard (Gary) Bussmann, Bloomington Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 I am writing this letter in support of Judge Amy McFarland. I have known Amy McFarland for over 20 years. We first met when we worked at the McLean County Public Defenders Office. Thereafter, we were legal colleagues until I was appointed to the Bench in 2008. For three years I was assigned to the Family Division and Amy appeared in front of me on a regular basis. I was able to observe her advocacy first hand. Not only was she an outstanding attorney, she also served as a mediator, guardian-ad-litem, and parenting coordinator. In whatever her capacity Amy was always thorough, ethical and proficient in her work. When Amy was appointed to the bench in 2016, I knew she would be an exceptional jurist. In less than one year Amy became the presiding judge of the Family Division, and has worked tirelessly to ensure that the court was more efficient, competent and accessible. Amys abilities have also been recognized statewide and nationally. Since her appointment she has served on the Supreme Courts COVID-19 task force, the National Center for State Courts Task Force (examining mental health in family courts) and the Illinois Judges Association Board. Additionally, Amy was instrumental in developing our GAL program that certifies attorneys throughout the State of Illinois, was asked to teach at the Illinois Judicial College, and has been appointed to preside over McLean Countys Mental Health Recovery Court. It is no wonder that Amy is the only candidate for this office that has been recommended by over 90% of the members of Illinois State Bar Association that responded to their poll. Her opponent was not recommended and only 54% found that he was qualified to serve in this position. Please join me in supporting Judge Amy McFarland. LeeAnn Hill, Lexington Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Ogilvy Africa has appointed internationally experienced communications professional Delna Sethna as Chief Creative Officer, to head up its creative offering for groups Sub-Saharan Africa network from its Nairobi office starting 1st August. Sethna has more than 20 years experience in the creative and marketing space. She comes to Ogilvy from Red Fuse Communications, also part of the WPP group. We are really excited to welcome Delna as our new chief creative officer for Africa, says Ogilvy EMEA CCO Stephan Vogel. She has led dozens of innovative, exciting campaigns, and been recognised with a slew of industry-leading awards. We look forward to working with Delna, learning from her across clients and across our business. The role of Chief Creative Officer is a newly created position at Ogilvy Africa, as the agency gears towards further strengthening its position in the region. Delnas cross functional experiences as a creative leader make her a rare breed of ambidextrous creatives whos created successes playing at the intersections of marketing disciplines. Shes a valuable addition to our leadership team as we continue building world-class solutions, which are made in Africa. Delighted to welcome her as my creative partner in this journey, Says Vikas Mehta Ogilvy Africa CEO. Sethna served as executive creative director at WPP/Redfuse, where among her other successes she helped successfully relaunch the Palmolive brand to the Indian market. After working as a filmmaker in the early part of her career, Sethna entered the marketing sphere, where she rose rapidly through the ranks at several leading agencies, including Lowe, JWT & Burnett and Saatchi & Saatchi. Among the creative accolades she has received have been at Cannes, D&AD, the #FemvertisingAwards, Spikes, Kyoorius and the Effies. She has also served on many industry awards juries and has been listed among the Women Whove Changed the Face of Media. She was named among Indias 50 Most Influential Women two years in a row. I am thrilled to be embarking on this new challenge at Ogilvy Africa, says Sethna. I am passionate about finding creative solutions to help clients achieve their strategic objectives. Being able to do that in a region as dynamic as Africa is a dream come true. 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 Business magnate and self-styled "king of TikTok" Rodolfo Hernandez, who shocked Colombia by getting into a June 19 presidential run-off against leftist Gustavo Petro, is betting his plain anti-corruption message will take him to the top job. Hernandez, a septuagenarian former mayor of the northern city Bucaramanga, won 28.2% of votes in a first election round on Sunday, beating establishment favorite Federico Gutierrez for second place in a surprise result. Petro, long forecast to win the first round, won 40.3%. Surveys ahead of the first round showed Hernandez - who now has the support of Gutierrez and likely many of his supporters - would lag just a few points behind Petro in a run-off vote. "We have achieved a historic result, a result that has shaken the foundations of the corrupt power of all recent governments," Hernandez wrote in a message posted on Facebook on Sunday evening. Despite employing fiery rhetoric to rail against the corruption of the political class, Hernandez faces an investigation by the attorney general's office for allegedly intervening in a trash collection tender while mayor to benefit a company his son had lobbied for. Hernandez denies the accusations and insists they are designed to derail his presidency bid. That accusation is not his only scandal. He resigned as mayor after he got in hot water with the procurator general for participating in politics - prohibited for Colombian officials after election - and was also suspended for slapping a city councillor and calling him a "son of a bitch." He also once told local radio he admired Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, later calling the comment a "lapse". KING OF TIKTOK Hernandez has relied heavily on social media, posting eccentric videos on TikTok, including one of him riding an electric scooter. A video shared on election day showed a relaxed swimsuit-clad Hernandez spending time with his family and receiving a painting made by his young granddaughter. The whimsical content belies his personal knowledge of the suffering caused by Colombia's nearly 60 years of war. Hernandez's farmer father was held for months by the FARC guerrillas decades ago, while his daughter, Juliana, was kidnapped by the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels in 2004. He believes she was murdered in captivity, but has said he would explore peace talks with the ELN if elected and continue to implement a 2016 deal with the FARC. Hernandez has also pledged to strengthen law and order and create jobs, although he has shared scant details of those plans. "His top policy priorities are two. One is anti-corruption ... the other is poverty, inequality and specifically hunger," Will Freeman, a doctoral candidate in politics at Princeton University who studies anti-corruption efforts told Reuters, noting both Hernandez and Petro have decried the need for food imports. Hernandez, a civil engineer, says he amassed a fortune of $100 million via his construction company and has vowed to donate his presidential salary if victorious in June. Source: REUTERS Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah, the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, has called for the measurement of productivity in the public and private sectors. He noted that productivity was usually measured in the manufacturing sector and not in the service sector. A news brief issued by the Public Affairs Unit of the Employment Ministry and copied to the Ghana News Agency said the Minister made the call when Madam Vanessa Phala, the Country Director of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), paid a courtesy call on him. It said the Minister noted that efficient public service would lubricate productivity in the other sectors. The news brief said Mr Baffour Awuah assured the Organisation of the Ministry's readiness to partner it to implement projects and programmes in the country because it had been a long-term ally of ILO. It said the Minister welcomed the new ILO project dubbed: Productivity Ecosystem for Decent Work (PE4DW). Productivity Ecosystem for Decent Work (PE4DW) is a four-year facility of the ILO estimated to cost Five Million dollars. The news brief said Mr Baffour Awuah was grateful to the ILO for selecting Ghana as one of the countries aside South Africa and Vietnam, earmarked for the project. It said the Minister also commended the ILO for the Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprise (SCORE) project that ended last year, which he said was impactful. Madam Phala said the meeting was towards the take-off of the project. She expressed gratitude to the Ministry for readily accepting the project. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video National Youth Organizer aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Prince Kamal Gumah has donated assorted relief items to flood victims in some communities in Accra. Prince Kamal Gumah, popularly called Grounds master empathized with the victims as he shared in their loss. The donation exercise took the dynamic PKG and his team to some of the affected communities in the nation's capital to shelter and provide some resources to enhance their livelihoods. Presenting the items, the youth leader stated that the donation is his way of standing in solidarity and also to commiserate with them in this difficult time. Prince Kamal Gumah was hopeful that the intervention would ameliorate the plight of the victims. In each of the communities he visited, the beneficiaries expressed their heartfelt gratitude to him and his team for their thoughtful generosity in their time of need. 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 One of Ghanas youngest millionaires, Ibrahim Mahama the artist, has described his name-clone Ibrahim Mahama - the engineer, as one of the most generous people he has ever met. According to the artist of monumental installations, he had severally been mistaken for the other, more popular Ibrahim Mahama and it was only when they met that he realized that there was more about the man that people have not taken time to get to know. Interestingly enough, for the first time, we met and it was interesting. I think that hes one of the most generous people I have ever met and we had such beautiful conversations. I think the problem is that because hes known to be Ibrahim Mahama, the brother of John Mahama, and also for being rich, a lot of people dont really take time to know him the person he is and so when I met him, it wasnt so long, but I got a glimpse of him in terms of his honesty, Ibrahim Mahama the artist says of the other Ibrahim. Being only 35-years-old, Ibrahim Mahamas works have travelled the world over. He is also on the wanted list of artists making a difference through their works. As a young graduate from the Kwame Nkrumah University for Science and Technology, Ibrahim Mahama The Artist took a great opportunity to present his artwork at the prestigious 56th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale in 2015 and this started off his career. After this, his career skyrocketed and today, he is an internationally-recognized artiste putting Ghanas name on the global map. Ibrahim Mahama now earns millions of dollars from his works which have gone global. He has also bought planes from monies earned from his work and developed a studio through which he impacts younger generations. The story about his childhood, passion for art and consequent rise to fame is an interesting one which was carefully captured in this edition of People & Places on GhanaWeb TV. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Russias war in Ukraine has become an existential geopolitical challenge for all former Soviet republics. Uzbekistans formulation and expression of a position on the war has been difficult in an ethical and political sense. Positioning on this matter is also a serious test for the strategic partnership and unity of Central Asian states. At the UNGA, Uzbekistan did not vote on the resolution blaming Russia for aggression against Ukraine. However, it voted against the exclusion of Russia from the UN Human Rights Committee. Uzbekistans MFA later brought some clarity to Tashkents position, which could potentially irritate Moscow. The curse of positioning reflects the enduring and perplexing geopolitical status-quo in Central Asia. BACKGROUND: On March 2, 2022, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution blaming Russia for the invasion of Ukraine. Uzbekistan did not vote. This was a delicate moment for Uzbek diplomacy since, on one hand; Uzbekistan signed a strategic partnership treaty with Russia in 2004 and a Treaty on Alliance Relations in 2005, although it left the CSTO in 2012. On the other hand, Uzbekistan has established and developed very close and friendly relations with Ukraine. Uzbekistans non-participation in UNGA voting can to some extent be regarded as taking a neutral position on this specific and delicate case. Uzbekistans Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulaziz Kamilov later explained his countrys position stating, first, that Uzbekistan does not recognize Russias annexation of Crimea or the independence of the separatist Luhansk and Donetsk Republics, and second, that Uzbekistan recognizes the territorial integrity of Ukraine. This official statement made it clear that Tashkent supports the pre-war status-quo in Ukraine, that is, the situation before 2014. After the UNGA voting process, another UN vote challenged Uzbek diplomacy on April 7: Uzbekistan voted against the exclusion of Russia from the UN Human Rights Council. This positioning by Uzbekistan seemed paradoxical since its first and second vote obviously contradicted each other. Tashkent took Ukraines side in the first case, Russias in the second. This hesitant behavior actually revealed the dual perspective of Uzbekistan, which alongside other Central Asian countries is facing a geopolitical transformation that is taking place in this part of the world, as well as social and political developments in the country itself. The geopolitical dualism relates to the global confrontation between the West and Russia; the socio-political dualism reflects an ambiguous process of domestic policy and public opinion shaping. Geopolitically, however strong Uzbekistan is in its own region, the country does not have full freedom of maneuver between great powers. This is particularly true vis-a-vis Russia, which has frequently subjected Uzbekistan to pressure and information attacks in different forms and under different pretexts. Socio-politically, the countrys society does not have a consolidated view of the war in Ukraine. Many believe that Uzbekistan is dependent on Russia, especially due to the 2.6 million labor migrants working in that country, trade, and remnant memories of the glory of the Soviet past. Interestingly, soon after Kamilovs famous statement, he was dismissed from his post and appointed Deputy Secretary of the National Security Council under the President of Uzbekistan. Rumors immediately began to spread that the ministers statement angered Moscow and that this was the cause of his dismissal. IMPLICATIONS: Uzbekistan has always been an active UN member and initiated numerous important initiatives related to Central Asia. All these initiatives were supported by the UN, which adopted several corresponding UN resolutions. From the initial period of independence until today, Uzbekistan has maintained a quite high profile in all international organizations, especially in the UN. Moreover, appeals to UN resolutions, rules and authority, and international law in general have constituted bedrock principles of Tashkents foreign policy. Therefore, voting at UNGA was a serious moral and political test for Uzbekistan in terms of adjusting its national interests in accordance with international law and universal norms and values. However, Uzbekistan was in the absolute minority, among a handful of countries, which either did not participate or abstained during the UNGA vote. Yet the two corresponding resolutions were adopted and should supposedly become guiding documents requiring compliance of member states, that is, behavior that does not contradict those resolutions. Meanwhile, Russian TV channels conveying state propaganda broadcast in Uzbekistan cannot but affect social moods and public opinion as well as the governments activities. Indeed, the Ukrainian Embassy in Tashkent requested the Uzbek government to block the Russian propaganda channels, but this has not happened so far. As a result, the TV audience in Uzbekistan, especially in the provinces, receives one-sided and therefore biased information about the war in Ukraine. The issue of blocking Russian propaganda has become salient in other Central Asian countries as well. Moreover, a taboo has been established in Uzbek TV against emphasizing and discussing the war in Ukraine. At the same time, Uzbekistan has become an attractive destination for thousands of Russian businessmen, IT specialists, companies and others who leave their country, given the worsening conditions for their businesses. Uzbekistan does maintain economic cooperation and business ties with Russia, despite the risk of being targeted by secondary sanctions. Thus, while Uzbekistan understands the tragedy of Ukraine, it does not want to sacrifice its cooperation with Russia. At the same time, for Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries, the issue of diversifying foreign trade and transport corridors has become more urgent than ever before. These countries will most likely make more active efforts to develop transport and overall connectivity projects with the South Caucasus and South Asia. Undoubtedly, these efforts will challenge Russian geopolitical interests in an area that Moscow considers its sphere of exclusive dominance and control. Currently, it is obvious that states in the former Soviet space can take a relatively neutral position on the situation in Ukraine and that Moscow accepts this position as minimally admittable. However, when any of these states take a relatively independent and critical position, it immediately becomes the target of aggressive information attacks, as was the case for example with Azerbaijan, Moldova, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Another aspect of this issue is that Uzbekistan and other Central Asian states, unfortunately, did not commit to their own Joint Statement from the last Consultative Meeting in August 2021 about their will to coordinate international activities. This intention of coordination officially declared yet unfulfilled in practice is one of the most essential preconditions for an internationally stronger Central Asia, the absence of which still keeps Central Asians self-restrained and cautious in terms of making bolder decisions and steps, in particular, in the context of the war in Ukraine. Uzbekistan experiences what can be called a curse of positioning. Its mere expression of its position on the issue, consisting of statements and words, not yet actions, already cause nervous and painful reactions on the part of the sides involved. Uzbekistan thus finds itself squeezed between Ukraine, Russia, the U.S./EU/NATO, and the UN. Moreover, Uzbekistan has established strategic partnerships with a number of powers, including Russia, China and the U.S., and the contents of these agreements differ from each other. The current situation in Ukraine and the resulting reshaping of the world order will certainly require revisions of the modality of existing strategic partnerships, based on consideration of which ones are actually strategic. CONCLUSIONS: The outcome of the war in Ukraine will not only decide the fate of that countrys independence; it also tests the independence of other former Soviet republics. In other words, the real struggle for independence has just begun, 30 years after it was formally gained. The ability and will of these republics to stand with the international community is under strain. The war is also a test for Central Asian unity. The curse of positioning revealed the self-perception of these states as weak and humbled vis-a-vis great powers, especially the geographically nearest one: Russia. The self-imposed complex of a weak state not only limits their freedom of maneuver on the international arena; it also creates moral and normative challenges for their domestic and foreign policies. In this context, Central Asian states need more resolute support from democratic powers and international organizations. Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, and even Azerbaijan and Armenia are Europe-oriented countries and most of them count on EU and NATO support. But who will support Central Asian countries? By and large, the war in Ukraine and the unprecedented sanctions imposed on Russia, coupled with the UNGA Resolutions will most likely incentivize Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries to rethink their overall relationships of with Russia. This is not least since Moscow itself will seek to rethink and reconstruct its relations with its former satellites. Uzbekistan cannot continue its relations and cooperation with Russia without taking due account of the war in Ukraine and the long-lasting consequences of this war. Finally, the question arises as to what should be done if the strategic partnership objectively ceases to function in its full capacity and intent. AUTHOR'S BIO: Dr. Farkhod Tolipov holds a PhD in Political Science and is Director of the Research Institution Knowledge Caravan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Ms Irene Opoku, the Acting Director, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Greater Accra East, has urged companies and institutions to comply with the permit conditions to ensure environmental safety. The Environmental Permit, issued by the Agency, is a tool to ensure the operations of industries did not negatively affect the environment, she told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview in Tema. She identified facilities that operated with environmental permits such as oil and gas, and steelworks mandated to comply with the tenets of the permit to ensure their own safety and that of the catchments areas. Every company needed to undertake quarterly monitoring to assess the quality of air, and noise to prevent any unforeseen occurrence that would affect lives. Ms Opoku explained that the Agency reviewed assessment reports of the various companies and where the parameters did not meet the Ghana Standard requirement and international best practices, the company would be tasked to correct the anomaly within a specific period. "Even if they have to reduce the operational capacity or change certain malfunction equipment, there's always something that can be done to mitigate the impact," she said. Ms Opoku said the Agency periodically undertook both unannounced and scheduled facility visits to check that the permits and licenses for the institutions to operate were up to date. We verify whether or not there has been compliance or breach in respect of the required operating permits and institute appropriate sanctions where necessary. The Agency had undertaken a series of sensitization programmes for facilities in the region on the importance to comply with permit conditions. Ms Opoku said environmental hazards such as water and air pollution could have been prevented if the management of those facilities adhered strictly to the conditions stipulated in the Environmental Permit. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Flood control drain projects started between 2015 and 2019 have stalled and become conduits for flooding. A special audit conducted by the Auditor-General's Department on the drains indicates that the Hydrological Services Department (HSD) of the Ministry of Works and Housing (MWH) invested over GH117.7 million within the five years to construct 110 kilometres (km) of drains to tackle flooding. However, the department did only 12km, representing 11 per cent of the target, leaving 89 per cent of the target unmet. Out of 27 drainage projects selected for the audit, 15 had engineering defects that contributed to flooding. Again, the auditors discovered that from 2015 to 2019, the HSD failed to construct any of the retention ponds targeted for 18 drainage basins. "Delay in completion and stagnation of construction resulted in problems such as choking of ongoing drains by weed growth and silt build-up at the sites of suspended works," portions of the report said. Residents of the communities of these suspended projects, especially the ones at the discharge ends of the drains, who were interviewed informed us that the flooding problem at the communities was worsened as a result of the suspension and non-completion of works," it added. The report also indicated that the inability of the HSD and the MWH to allocate sufficient budget to cover the planned length of drains and the Ministry of Finance to release funds on time to complete drainage projects caused the projects to stall. Call The Auditor-General's Department, therefore, called for the timely release of funds by the Ministry of Finance to complete abandoned drain projects to help address the perennial flooding in some parts of the country. It also urged the HSD to allocate sufficient budget to implement targeted drainage facilities needed to mitigate flooding nationwide. Rationale for audit The Auditor-General commissioned the audit to ascertain how measures that the HSD implemented had been effective in mitigating flooding in the country. The report was prepared in compliance with Article 187(2) of the 1992 Constitution and Section 13(e) of the Audit Service Act, 2000 (Act 584). In an interview last Thursday, the Deputy Auditor-General in charge of the Performance and Special Audit Department (PSAD), Lawrence Ndaago Ayagiba, who supervised the audit, said the team identified defective drains, poor maintenance of existing drains and failure to execute targeted drainage projects as the main causes of flooding across the country. The auditors also found that the HSD and the MWH failed to make any budgetary allocations in their annual activity plans to maintain the completed drains. Consequently, the drains were choked with weeds, silt and debris, thereby impeding the smooth flow of water and reducing the effectiveness of existing drains to mitigate flooding. The team found that although the drainage master plan featured prominently in the HSDs medium-term plan, budgetary allocations had not been made for it in the annual plans of the MWH since 2013. Mr Ayagiba explained that the performance audit was meant to find out whether value for money had been achieved whether it had been done economically, efficiently and effectively. If you look at the money that has been spent, yet every year we still have floods; people are complaining and lives and properties are lost. So it became very imperative for the audit to be done, he said. He added that the audit was also to ascertain whether lessons had been learnt after the June 3, 2015 disaster when flooding and a fire disaster killed more than 100 people. Drainage master plan Mr Ayagiba said the absence of the master plan was worrying because "you cannot do drains when you do not have the master plan". He recalled the excuse by the HSD for not doing the drainage master plan it was expensive saying: "But we thought that is not a good reason. "We recommended that it should start preparatory work in manageable phases towards the production of the drainage master plan, he said. It should phase it out and put it bit by bit in the annual plan towards the bigger product," he said. Other findings The audit found engineering defects in the Sakaman drain near Dansoman, while utility lines were found to be crossing the drains at Awudome, between Mechanical Lloyd and GCB Bank, and at the Achimota Church of Pentecost on the Tyrian Road, while silt was building up in the New Ningo and the Kumasi Aboabo drain projects. The audit also found weeds growing in abandoned drains of the Akora River project in Agona Swedru, Bolga Kumbosco and the New Ningo project. In the Ejura, Kordjor and Kumasi Amakom drain projects, gullies had developed and stagnant water had collected in the abandoned projects, while inadequate concrete cover was found at the Sakaman, Lapaz and Tepa Lot 2 drain project sites, exposing iron reinforcements, the report stated. Other projects sampled were the Santa Maria (Plus FM), Osuwem, Mallam, East Legon and Osu Klottey (behind the Old American Embassy). Defective drains On the quality of the drains, the Deputy Auditor-General said the team looked at how the drains were done, their sizes, how they were connecting from minor to major drains and other specifications. He explained that 27 drains were sampled across the country 15 in the Greater Accra Region, six in Ashanti and three each in the Upper East and the Central regions. Out of that number, the team found defective quality in 15 of them, which is about 54 per cent of the total drains projects. Again, Mr Ayagiba said, the team realised that the reinforcements that were supposed to be in the drain were exposed and not covered by concrete. "The quality of the work was looked at and we found that the construction of the drains did not measure up to quality standards. We had instruments to test the concrete works, the reinforcement and other things; and they did not meet the quality standards, but the contractors were paid all the same," he said. To address that challenge, the report recommended that the HSD and the MWH should step up monitoring and visit the field regularly to detect shoddy work early enough and insist on the right things being done. Stalled work Farms flooded in Volta Region: Cereals, vegetables affected The Deputy Auditor-General said the team found that the walls of some of the abandoned drainage projects had broken down, while the tunnels were choked with silt and overgrown weeds. Such a development, he noted, was worrying because apart from the money that had gone waste, the stalled projects had become havens for community members to dump solid waste, thereby increasing the risk of flooding. When a drain is completed, it is supposed to end in either a primary or major sewage system for treatment. If it is left uncompleted, it becomes a water receptacle or a gully; water collects there, and as time goes on, it erodes the foundation of what has already been done and additional cost is incurred to do it again, Mr Ayagiba said. Collaboration He said given the complex nature of the issues surrounding flooding, it was important for effective collaboration among stakeholders, such as the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) and the Department of Urban Roads, to ensure that they delivered their services in a way that would not obstruct the free flow of water in drains. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that his government will introduce new legislation to implement a 'national freeze' on handgun ownership and prevent people from buying and selling handguns anywhere in the country. 'The day this legislation goes into effect it will no longer be possible to buy, sell, transfer or import handguns in Canada,' Trudeau told reporters on Monday, May 30. The handgun freeze would contain exceptions, including for elite sport shooters, Olympic athletes, and security guards. Canadians who already own handguns would be allowed to keep them. The new laws would also ban some toys that look like real guns, such as airsoft rifles. Last week Toronto police shot and killed a man carrying a pellet gun. "Because they look the same as real firearms, police need to treat them as if they are real. This has led to tragic consequences," Justice Minister David Lametti told reporters. Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Association, welcomed some of the moves, such as the "red flag" provisions in the case of domestic violence, and said he would like more information on enforcement and resources for measures such as the handgun freeze. He completely supported a crackdown on fake guns, which he said were a "big challenge." "You cannot distinguish between what's a replica firearm and what's a real firearm, particularly when these incidences involving replica firearms occur often in very dynamic, quickly evolving circumstances." If passed, the freeze on handguns is expected to come into force in the autumn. Canada's public safety minister has tabled regulatory amendments in parliament to ensure it can be implemented swiftly, according to a ministry statement. This comes after the last week's killing of 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Texas has fed concern about gun violence worldwide. In 2020, Canada banned the sale and use of some 1,500 models of assault weapons, like the AR-15 rifle in the wake of a mass shooting in Portapique, Nova Scotia, a move some firearms owners say they are contesting in court. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Head of Psychology, Professor Joseph Osafo, has admonished the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to be serious with their vision to break the eight. The NPP's "breaking the eight" is aimed at retaining power in 2025 to break the eight years cycle of governments under the Fourth Republic. Speaking on Peace FM's "kokrokoo" morning show, Prof. Joseph Osafo asked the party to stay focused on their vision and let it translate into reality. He advised; "Breaking the eight shouldn't be only paying a lip service. We must let it translate into the real eight. We know there are challenges ahead of them but that's the beauty of the human brain and the human capacity to rise above storms. If you are confronted with challenges, that is when innovations are birthed." The senior psychologist wished the "NPP very well" and added that "breaking of the eight requires new thinking and I will still encourage and challenge them to embrace that new thinking and look at what will help the party going forward". Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Contrary to the claim by Mr. Alexander Percival Segbefia that the John Evans Atta Mills Memorial Heritage, the organization whose Board he currently chairs, was registered and incorporated under the laws of Ghana, checks by The informer reveals is palpably false, and that Alex Segbefia deliberately threw dust into the eyes of the public in order to achieve selfish political ends. Checks by The Informer newspaper revealed that Alex Segbefia told the first lie on February 1, 2022 which was the date the unregistered organisation was launched at Cedi Auditorium at the University of Ghana, Legon in Accra. In his interview with the media, Alex Segbefia emphatically lied to the media when he said the John Evans Atta Mills Memorial Heritage is registered and incorporated under the laws of Ghana. As if that was not enough, on Monday, 16th May 2022, the same Alex Segbefia repeated his lies at the Ghana International Press Centre when addressed the media. In his address, Alex Segbefia emphatically stated, the John Evans Atta-Mills Memorial Heritage was incorporated on the 14th of October 2021 at the Register-Generals Department as a not-for-profit, non-partisan, independent, charitable company limited by guarantee. Real Owners Pop Up However, painstaking investigations by this Newspaper revealed the John Evans Atta Mills Memorial Heritage was not incorporated on the 14th of October 2021 at the Register-Generals Department as a not-for-profit, non-partisan, independent, charitable company limited by guarantee as claimed by Alex Segbefia. Unimpeachable documentary evidence in possession of this Newspaper clearly reveals the true and legal owners/directors of the John Evans Atta Mills Memorial Heritage as Eric Elikem Akabua and Samuel Kwame Yeboah [both businessmen]. The two businessmen who got the organization incorporated and registered on 31st January 2022 as a non-governmental and non-profit making organization, have threatened legal action against Alex Segbefia and his group over the wrongful appropriation of their organizations name. Documents at the Registrar-Generals Department with Reg No. CG004710122 and TIN: C0061540137 sighted by this Newspaper read in part, I hereby certify that John Evans Atta Mills Memorial Heritage LBG is this day incorporated under the Companies Act, 2019 [Act 992] and that the liability of its members is limited by guarantee. Given under my hand and official seal at Accra, this 31st day of January 2022. Information has it that there is huge controversy regarding the composition Advisory Council as some of the members named were not consulted and so have raised serious concerns. Furthermore, The Informer can state on authority that all doors both within and without government circles have been closed to Alex Segbefia and his group even as their real motive/agenda has been established. For instance, recently the groups overtures and intrigues within certain quarters were rejected. It has also been found out by this Newspaper that the real hidden agenda of the Alex Segbefia group is to create the platform for John Dramani Mahama in his inordinate desire to become President of the Republic of Ghana again by riding on the Goodwill of the late President John Evans Atta Mills. July 24th Comes Alive Come July 24th 2022, His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is expected to lead the nation to hold the 10th Anniversary Remembrance Service of President John Evans Atta-Mills, at the Asomdwee Park. His Excellency President Akufo-Addo will also take the opportunity to officially commission the Asomdwee Park. True to the words of the Akufo-Addo Administration per a promise in 2020, that the then non-existent Asomdwee Park will be constructed, two years down the line, work has progressed to expectation. Specifically, during the 8th Anniversary Remembrance Service in July 2020, Chief Executive Officer of the Coastal Development Authority (CODA), Mr. Jerry Ahmed Shaib was joined by Mr. Samuel Koku Anyidoho, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Atta-Mills Institute (AMl), to break grounds for the construction of Asomdwee Park. Under the auspices of CODA and AMI, the Government of Ghana under the Administration of President Akufo-Addo, is earnestly preparing to give the 10th Anniversary Memorial Service of the late President Atta-Mills, a touch of excellence. President Atta-Mills died on, Tuesday, July 24th, 2012, and had his mortal remains interred, on Friday, August 10th, at the Asomdwee Park. For the 4 and half years that the NDC Administration led by John Dramani Mahama was in power after the death of President Atta-Mills, no attention was paid to the development of the Asomdwee Park to honour the memory of President Atta-Mills. Over the years, it took the Atta-Mills Institute led by Koku Anyidoho, with the support of his Team and well-wishers to, yearly, keep the Asomdwee Park clean for the Anniversary Activities. With a deep desire for the Asomdwee Park to not only honour the memory of President Atta-Mills, but to also give the nation a better image as far as Asomdwee Park is concerned, the Atta-Mills Institute approached the Administration of President Akufo-Addo. Thanks to the forward-looking and all-embracing leadership style of President Akufo-Addo, CODA was given the go-ahead to lead the construction of the Asomdwee Park. Ghanaians from all walks of life are certainly expectant and look forward to a National Event devoid of parochial partisan considerations. To God Almighty be the glory. Source: The Informer 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 Stephen Ntim has appointed Mohammed Adjei Sowah, former Mayor of Accra Metropolitan Assembly as Manager of his Campaign for the National Chairmanship position of the New Patriotic Party. Honorable Adjei Sowah is a social entrepreneur by vocation and expert in local economic development. He is a transformational and progressive leader who has led state and non-state agencies through challenging times to a steady path. He has 23 years of experience in project management and urban development with specific areas of accomplishment in sanitation/waste management, climate change, urban mobility, local economic development and urban governance. Prior to his appointment as Mayor, Adjei Sowah was the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of MAS Investments Ltd, Presently, Adjei Sowah is consulting for Complete Property Solutions and also serves as a key partner in IQS Capital Partners Ltd Adjei Sowah holds MSc in Local Economic Development from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. He also holds an MA in International Relations and Diplomacy from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA). He has successfully completed a one-year professional program in Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative from Harvard University. Prior to that, he pursued an undergraduate course at the University of Ghana where he successfully obtained a BSc in Public Administration. Adjei Sowah started his political journey from Odododiodioo as the leader of the Youth Wing in the late 90s. He was engaged by the Greater Accra Regional Branch of the NPP as the Officer-In-Charge of capacity building and job placement. He later became the Odododiodioo Constituency Secretary in 2006 and moved on to become the Odododiodioo Candidate for the 2008 Parliamentary elections. Adjei Sowah advanced from the constituency and became a two-term Regional Secretary for the Greater Accra Regional Branch of the Party from 2009 to 2017. It is informative to note that he was a member of the National Council during his tenure as the Regional Secretary. Adjei Sowahs strength in politics spans from political strategy to capacity building of activists and officers to accomplish tasks. 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 Frank Annoh-Dompreh the Majority Chief Whip, has advised his colleague on the Minority side, Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka to be measured in his criticism of the government in relation to the release of funds for Parliamentary business. Speaker Alban Bagbin, on Friday, May 27, stated that Parliament does not have the wherewithal to fund some of its operations. He attributed the development to the delay by the Ministry of Finance to release the needed funds to Parliament. "Parliament is currently being run on arrears and the House should not be treated as one of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs)," he said. The Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, debunked the Speaker's assertion and stated at a press conference that an outstanding amount of GH25 million allocation for goods and services had been released at the time the Speaker was telling the whole world that the institution is broke. Addressing Annoh-Dompreh's rebuttal, Muntaka explained that the GH25 million allocation for goods and services for Parliament was to clear arrears and that Parliament has not received funds this year apart from salaries. Speaking on Joy FM's Top Story on Monday, Annoh-Dompreh insisted that it is not correct for somebody to say that apart from salaries for 2022, no release has been made. The delay he knows is coming from us as an institution, because (of) the collation of data, some MPs have changed their accounts, some MPs have made some amendments to their data that we needed to supply and it took some time before we supplied this data to the National Health Insurance Authority and when it was done, the payment has gone through, he explained. The Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri added that the delay in the release of funds and salaries is due to administrative reasons. I do not agree with the drama with which our colleagues are speaking. These delays are not new. I think they are blowing it out of proportion but we take it in good strides, he said in response to a submission by Muntaka on the financial status of the House. Annoh-Dompreh, therefore, asked the Minority to criticise but to do so with a bit of modicum of consideration. Source: Ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The retention of almost all the regional chairmen of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the just-ended regional executive elections will not be an advantage for the two leading flagbearer hopefuls of the Party Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, and Mr Alan Kyeremanten. Dr Kobby Mensah, a Political Marketing Strategist, argued that the incumbent regional chairmen could not influence the decision of delegates, adding that a number of factors would inform their decision to choose a particular candidate. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Dr Mensah said the two leading contenders in the flagbearer race should focus on convincing the delegates on their electability and not the chairmen. I dont think that the Party chairmanship position will be an advantage or disadvantage to any candidate. The critical number of people who seem to align with a particular candidate is much more effective than just the Party Chairman, he said. Dr Mensah added that: It would be inappropriate for us to suggest that a number of incumbent chairmen have actually been retained could mean that it is in favour of a candidate. You would rather want to look at an expansive point of conversation to be able to gauge how it would go. The NPP held its regional executive elections over the weekend in 15 out of the 16 regions in the country. The election in the Central Region, which was slated for Friday, May 27, 2022, has been suspended until further notice due to a Court action. Apart from the Western North Region where the incumbent Regional Chairman, William Benjamin Assuah, lost to Benjamin Armah, all the regional chairmen in the 14 other regions retained their seats. Some political commentators had suggested that the retention of a majority of regional chairmen was in favour of Dr Bawumia as they made up the winning team that retained victory for the NPP in the 2020 general election. Dr Mensah, however, described those suggestions as inappropriate and urged the leadership of the Party to take steps to correct such impressions. He said the expectation that the success of a particular candidate at the base could favour another candidate at the national level could suggest that the internal party process is not transparent and could fuel disunity in the Party. That is why people clamour to have their own people in positions, and that speaks to the Partys own flaw. ...if people are not confident in the rules of engagement, they rather would want to have their own people so that they can be sure of their own positions, he said. Barring any change in schedule, the NPP will hold its National Executive Elections in Accra from July 15 to July 17, 2022, to elect officers to run the affairs of the Party in the next four years. Per the Partys constitution, the presidential candidate for the Party in the 2024 elections will be elected next year a year to the general election. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video 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. Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare has cautioned British High Commissioner, Harriet Thompson to learn to keep within the limits of what concerns you". This follows a tweet from Harriet after Oliver Barker-Vormawor, a Convener of FixTheCountry Movement was arrested again. In the tweet, she said: Oliver Barker Vormawor, convener of #FixTheCountry movement, arrested again, I understand for a motoring offence on his way to court. Ill be interested to see where this goes. However, in a strong-worded statement signed by Dr Akuffo Dampare, the tweet was "misguided, unwarranted and biased". "Ordinarily, the Ghana Police Service would not have responded to comments such as yours, obviously made from either a biased or uninformed position. However, we have learnt from previous, painful experience that it has not been helpful to ignore such misguided, unwarranted and biased comments intended to tarnish the reputation of the Ghana Police Service and that of our country. "For the moment, we would recommend a Ghanaian saying that might guide you in your diplomatic engagements. The saying goes: 'di wo fie asem' it means learn to keep within the limits of what concerns you, the statement added. Read the full statement 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 Recently, Ghanaian took to social media to express their outrage after a purported will of Sir John emerged with portions of the Achimota forest lands allegedly belonging to him. This was concurrent with the governments decision to declassify some five parcels of Achimota land for developmental purposes. Sir John also disclosed in the alleged will that he also owned land at the Ramsar area in Sakumono in Accra. But the National Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Freddie Blay, wants Ghanaians to cut the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, some slack over the purported will. Freddie Blay deems it extremely unfair for anyone to assume the industrious Sir John amassed wealth and acquired assets because he was in political office. People have misconstrued and exaggerated it. I have known Sir John, he is my contemporary. He is a lawyer, worked at several places and owned some businesses. I dont know how he acquired his assets, but I will not be in a hurry to say that he obtained everything within two years. So we shouldnt use this to judge Sir John, he emphasised. Freddie Blay was speaking to Angel News Nana Fynn on the sidelines of the Western Regional NPP delegates conference at Ampain in the Ellembelle District. While stressing that his one-time political fellow will not abuse power as head of the Forestry Commission to obtain land for himself, the National Chairman urged the public to exercise some restraint and allow for thorough investigations before making any conclusions. The NPP Chairman insists it will also be hasty to rope the larger NPP group into the development and cast corruption-related aspersions against its members. Lets see what we can do Source: dailyguide 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 Member of Parliament for Mpraeso, Hon. Davies Opoku has appealed to the President, HE Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo Addo to sack Hon. Adwoa Safo from her position as the Minister for Gender, Women and Children Protection. According to him, her role in government is worthless as she is not dispensing any services of material worth to her position as a minister of state. The Dome-Kwabenya MP has attributed her long absence from Parliament to family issues and assured the people in her constituency that she has not abandoned them. She says her son was unwell. As you know, my son is unwell and has to transition to school, so I have to ensure that all that is settled before I can resume my duties and that is exactly what I am doing. I have been doing a lot to take care of my children which the law requires and as you know here in the foreign land (USA), I have to comply with whatever I am directed to do and until all that is sorted out, I have to do what I have to do, and then I will return to my duties, she said in a recent interview with the media. But speaking on Okay Fm's "Ade Akye Abia" programme, Davies Opoku, who is the former Director of Operations for the Alliance For Accountable Governance (AFAG) accused the Dome-Kwabenya MP of offering flimsy excuses whiles ignoring the larger picture of the plight of the many vulnerable women and children in the country she has abandoned and left to the goodwill of philantrophists. "As the sector minister, she is supposed to provide bills that will seek the welfare of women and children but she is cooling off somewhere and does not even seem to care about the plight of women and children in the country. The country could not even mark World Hygiene Day properly which was normally occasioned with the sharing of sanitary pads for free to school girls across the country just because the sector minister was not even around to draft proposals to solicit for sponsorship for such an activity." "There are over 30 million Ghanaians and i believe she is not the only one who is competent for the job. the president HE Nana Addo Dankwah should in the interest of Ghanaians sack her and appoint some one who is ready to work and help in the Akufo Addo administration. "Ghana can not be held at ransom just because a minister has refused to effectively discharge her duties and is rather offering flimsy excuses," he added. Watch Video 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 Pollster, Ben Ephson says anyone who doubts his election prediction is either a baby in politics or with a short memory. The Managing Editor of the Dispatch Newspaper is under pressure after getting his prediction wrong on the just ended Ashanti regional NPP elections. Ben Ephson had predicted that Chairman Wontumi will lose the regional elections however, Wontumi beat his closest contender, Chairman Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, also known as COKA by over 100 votes to win a reelection as Chairman of the Ashanti Region. After the election, many have tagged Ben Ephson as a 'lair' for wrongly predicting another election in Ghana. But he has defended his false prediction with claims that, Chairman Wontumi won the elections with money. According to him, if delegates were not bought, his prediction would have been accurate. He, however, said those doubting his political forecasts have short memories or babies who have little idea in politics. I need to remind them of my records, he said in an interview with NEAT FMs morning show, 'Ghana Montie'. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The WHO accused the tobacco industry of various means of environmental damage, from widespread deforestation to spewing out plastic and chemical waste. The tobacco industry is a far greater threat than many realise as it is one of the world's biggest polluters, from leaving mountains of waste to driving global warming, the WHO said Tuesday. The World Health Organization accused the industry of causing widespread deforestation, diverting badly needed land and water in poor countries away from food production, spewing out plastic and chemical waste as well as emitting millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide. In its report released on World No Tobacco Day, the UN agency called for the tobacco industry to be held to account and foot the bill for the cleanup. The report, "Tobacco: poisoning our planet", looks at the impacts of the whole cycle, from the growth of plants to the manufacturing of tobacco products, to consumption and waste. While tobacco's health impacts have been well documented for decadeswith smoking still causing more than eight million deaths worldwide every yearthe report focuses on its broader environmental consequences. The findings are "quite devastating," Ruediger Krech, WHO director of health promotion, told AFP, charging that the industry is "one of the biggest polluters that we know of." Poison He slammed tobacco companies' frequent efforts to rehabilitate their image through beach cleanups and funding environmental and disaster relief organisations as "greenwashing". "The tobacco industry dumps toxic waste into communities and depletes natural resources," he told a press conference. "Tobacco is not only poisoning people, it's poisoning our planet." The industry is responsible for the loss of some 600 million trees each yearor five percent of global deforestationwhile tobacco growing and production uses 200,000 hectares of land and 22 billion tonnes of water annually, the report found. It also emits around 84 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, it said. In addition, "tobacco products are the most littered item on the planet, containing over 7,000 toxic chemicals, which leech into our environment when discarded," Krech said. 4.5 trillion cigarette butts He pointed out that each one of the estimated 4.5 trillion cigarette butts that end up in the oceans, rivers, sidewalks and beaches every year can pollute 100 litres of water. And up to a quarter of all tobacco farmers contract so-called green tobacco sickness, or poisoning from the nicotine they absorb through the skin. Farmers who handle tobacco leaves all day consume the equivalent of 50 cigarettes worth of nicotine a day, Krech said. This is especially worrying for the many children involved in tobacco farming. "Just imagine a 12-year-old being exposed to 50 cigarettes a day," he said. Most tobacco is grown in poorer countries, where water and farmland are often in short supply, and where such crops are often grown at the expense of vital food production, the report said. UN agencies have launched a project to try to help farmers transition to other crops. Plastic pollution At the same time the processing and transportation of tobacco account for a significant share of global greenhouse gas emissionswith the equivalent of one-fifth of the global airline industry's carbon footprint. In addition, products like cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes also contribute significantly to the global build-up of plastic pollution, WHO warned. Cigarette filters contain microplasticsthe tiny fragments that have been detected in every ocean and even at the bottom of the world's deepest trenchand make up the second-highest form of plastic pollution worldwide, the report said. Stressing that there is no evidence filters provide any proven health benefits over smoking non-filtered cigarettes, the UN agency urged policy makers worldwide to consider banning them. The WHO also called for governments to immediately halt the some $500 billion in subsidies the tobacco industry receives each year, and also urged them to stop allowing taxpayers to foot the bill for cleaning up the industry's mess. Each year, China for instance dishes out around $2.6 billion and India around $766 million, while Brazil and Germany pay some $200 million each to clean up littered tobacco products, the report found. It is important, Krech said, that "the industry pay actually for the mess that they are creating." 2022 AFP Shallow clouds formed by fine-scale eddies as observed in nature. Researchers are using advanced computing to add higher-resolution cloud dynamics into global simulations. Credit: Creative commons We hear a lot about how climate change will change the land, sea, and ice. But how will it affect clouds? "Low clouds could dry up and shrink like the ice sheets," says Michael Pritchard, professor of Earth System science at UC Irvine. "Or they could thicken and become more reflective." These two scenarios would result in very different future climates. And that, Pritchard says, is part of the problem. "If you ask two different climate models what the future will be like when we add a lot more CO 2 , you get two very different answers. And the key reason for this is the way clouds are included in climate models." No one denies that clouds and aerosolsbits of soot and dust that nucleate cloud dropletsare an important part of the climate equation. The problem is these phenomena occur on a length- and time-scale that today's models can't come close to reproducing. They are therefore included in models through a variety of approximations. Analyses of global climate models consistently show that clouds constitute the biggest source of uncertainty and instability. Retooling community codes Whereas the most advanced U.S. global climate model are struggling to approach 4-kilometer global resolution, Pritchard estimates that models need a resolution of at least 100 meters to capture the fine-scale turbulent eddies that form shallow cloud systems40 times more resolved in every direction. It could take until 2060, according to Moore's law, before the computing power is available to capture this level of detail. Pritchard is working to fix this glaring gap by breaking the climate modeling problem into two parts: a coarse-grained, lower-resolution (100km) planetary model, and many small patches with 100- to 200-meter resolution. The two simulations run independently and then exchange data every 30 minutes to make sure that neither simulation goes off-track nor becomes unrealistic. His team's reported the results of these efforts in the Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems in April 2022. This climate simulation method, called a "Multiscale Modeling Framework (MMF)," has been around since 2000 and has long been an option within the Community Earth System Model (CESM) model, developed at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. The idea has lately been enjoying a renaissance at the Department of Energy, where researchers from the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) have been pushing it to new computational frontiers as part of the Exascale Computing Project. Pritchard's co-author Walter Hannah from the Lawrence Livermore national laboratory helps lead this effort. "The model does an end-run around the hardest problemwhole planet modeling," Pritchard explained. "It has thousands of little micromodels that capture things like realistic shallow cloud formation that only emerge in very high resolution." "The Multiscale Modeling Framework approach is also ideal for DOE's upcoming GPU-based exascale computers," said Mark Taylor, Chief Computational Scientist for the DOE's Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) project and a research scientist at Sandia National Laboratories. "Each GPU has the horsepower to run hundreds of the micromodels while still matching the throughput of the coarse-grained lower-resolution planetary model." Pritchard's research and new approach is made possible in part by the NSF-funded Frontera supercomputer at the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC). The fastest university supercomputer in the world, Pritchard can run his models on Frontera at a time- and length-scale accessible only on a handful of systems in the U.S. and test their potential for cloud modeling. "We developed a way for a supercomputer to best split up the work of simulating the cloud physics over different parts of the world that deserve different amounts of resolution so that it runs much faster," the team wrote. Simulating the atmosphere in this way provides Pritchard the resolution needed to capture the physical processes and turbulent eddies involved in cloud formation. The researchers showed that the multi-model approach did not produce unwanted side effects even where patches using different cloud-resolving grid structures met. "We were happy so see that the differences were small," he said. "This will provide new flexibility to all users of climate models who want to focus high resolution in different places." Disentangling and reconnecting the various scales of the CESM model was one challenge that Pritchard's team overcame. Another involved reprogramming the model so it could take advantage of the ever-increasing number of processors available on modern supercomputing systems. Pritchard and his teamUCI postdoctoral scholar Liran Peng and University of Washington research scientist Peter Blosseytackled this by breaking the inner domains of the CESM's embedded cloud models into smaller parts that could be solved in parallel using MPI, or message passing interfacea way of exchanging messages between multiple computers running a parallel program across distributed memoryand orchestrating these calculations to use many more processors. "Doing so seems to already provide a four-time speed-up with great efficiency. That means, I can be four times as ambitious for my cloud-resolving models," he said. "I'm really optimistic that this dream of regionalizing and MPI decomposing is leading to a totally different landscape of what's possible." Machine learning clouds Pritchard sees another promising approach in machine learning, which his team has been exploring since 2017. "I've been very provoked by how performantly a dumb sheet of neurons can reproduce these partial differential equations," Pritchard said. Pritchard's research and new approach is made possible in part by the NSF-funded Frontera supercomputer at TACC. The fastest university supercomputer in the world, Pritchard can run his models on Frontera at a time and length-scale accessible only on a handful of systems in the U.S. and test their potential for cloud modeling. In a paper submitted last fall, Pritchard, lead author Tom Beucler, of UCI, and others describe a machine learning approach that successfully predicts atmospheric conditions even in climate regimes it was not trained on, where others have struggled to do so. This "climate invariant" model incorporates physical knowledge of climate processes into the machine learning algorithms. Their studywhich used Stampede2 at TACC, Cheyenne at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and Expanse at the San Diego Supercomputer Centershowed the machine learning method can maintain high accuracy across a wide range of climates and geographies. "If machine learning high-resolution cloud physics ever succeeded, it would transform everything about how we do climate simulations," Pritchard said. "I'm interested in seeing how reproducibly and reliably the machine learning approach can succeed in complex settings." Pritchard is well-positioned to do so. He is on the Executive Committee of the NSF Center for Learning the Earth with Artificial Intelligence and Physics, or LEAPa new Science and Technology Center, funded by NSF in 2021 directed by his long-time collaborator on this topic, Professor Pierre Gentine. LEAP brings together climate and data scientists to narrow the range of uncertainty in climate modeling, providing more precise and actionable climate projections that achieve immediate societal impact. "All of the research I've done before is what I would call 'throughput-limited.'" Pritchard said. "My job was to produce 10- to 100-year simulations. That constrained all my grid choices. However, if the goal is to produce short simulations to train machine learning models, that's a different landscape." Pritchard hopes to soon use the results of his 50 meter embedded models to start building up a large training library. "It's a really nice dataset to do machine learning on." But will AI mature fast enough? Time is of the essence to figure out the destiny of clouds. "If those clouds shrink away, like ice sheets will, exposing darker surfaces, that will amplify global warming and all the hazards that come with it. But if they do the opposites of ice sheets and thicken up, which they could, that's less hazardous. Some have estimated this as a multi-trillion dollar issue for society. And this has been in question for a long time," Pritchard said. Simulation by simulation, federally-funded supercomputers are helping Pritchard and others approach the answer to this critical question. "I'm torn between genuine gratitude for the U.S. national computing infrastructure, which is so incredible at helping us develop and run climate models," Pritchard said, "and feeling that we need a Manhattan Project level of new federal funding and interagency coordination to actually solve this problem." Explore further AI speeds up climate computations More information: Liran Peng et al, LoadBalancing Intense Physics Calculations to Embed Regionalized HighResolution Cloud Resolving Models in the E3SM and CESM Climate Models, Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems (2022). Liran Peng et al, LoadBalancing Intense Physics Calculations to Embed Regionalized HighResolution Cloud Resolving Models in the E3SM and CESM Climate Models,(2022). DOI: 10.1029/2021MS002841 Fig. 1. Construction of antichiral gyromagnetic photonic crystal. (a) Schematic illustration of antichiral gyromagnetic photonic crystal. (b) The first Brillouin zone of honeycomb lattice. (c) Nonmagnetized gyromagnetic photonic crystal. (d) Uniformly magnetized gyromagnetic photonic crystal. (e) Compound magnetized gyromagnetic photonic crystal. Credit: Opto-Electronic Science (2022). DOI: 10.29026/oes.2022.220001 Topological insulators, whose bulky states are prohibited while surface/edge states are conductive and topologically protected. Recent advances in topologically protected edge states have drawn growing attention in the optics and photonics community. In 2008, Raghu and Haldane first theoretically predicted that a topologically protected chiral one-way edge state can be created by analogy to the integer quantum Hall effect in a two-dimensional electron gas system, where the one-way edge states propagate along the opposite directions at two parallel edges of a gyromagnetic photonic crystal [Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 013904 (2008)]. In 2020, the research group of Prof. Zhi-Yuan Li from South China University of Technology theoretically proposed another intriguing case where the one-way edge states at two opposite parallel zigzag edges can propagate in the same direction, and they are called antichiral one-way edge states [Phys. Rev. B 101, 214102 (2020)]. To date, antichiral one-way edge states have been studied in various fermionic and bosonic systems; however, many of studies only focused on the demonstration of antichiral one-way transport property, and few of them touch on the unique properties of antichiral topological systems and novel applications. A new Opto-Electronic Science study reports the construction and observation of topological beam splitting with an easily adjustable right-to-left ratio in an antichiral gyromagnetic photonic crystal. The splitter is compact and configurable, has high transmission efficiency, allows for multi-channel utilization, is crosstalk-proof, and is robust against defects and obstacles. This performance is attributed to the peculiar property that antichiral one-way edge states exist only at the zigzag edge but not at the armchair edge of antichiral gyromagnetic photonic crystal. When they combine two rectangular antichiral gyromagnetic photonic crystals holding left- and right-propagating antichiral one-way edge states, respectively, bidirectionally radiating one-way edge states at two parallel zigzag edges can be achieved. Finally, the researchers designed a topological beam splitting with the configurable splitting ratio that can easily be adjusted by simply changing the source excitation condition. These observations can enrich the understanding of fundamental physics and expand topological photonic applications. Fig. 2. Compound antichiral gyromagnetic photonic crystal supporting bidirectionally radiating one-way edge states. (a) A clear look at the fabricated sample with the upper cladding layers removed. (b-c) Simulation results of without and with metallic obstacles (yellow cylinders) respectively. Unprocessed transmission data measured at four one-way waveguide channels (d-g) without and (h-k) with metallic obstacles. Credit: Opto-Electronic Science (2022). DOI: 10.29026/oes.2022.220001 Explore further Observation of antichiral edge states in a circuit lattice More information: Jianfeng Chen et al, Configurable topological beam splitting via antichiral gyromagnetic photonic crystal, Opto-Electronic Science (2022). Jianfeng Chen et al, Configurable topological beam splitting via antichiral gyromagnetic photonic crystal,(2022). DOI: 10.29026/oes.2022.220001 Provided by Compuscript Ltd A new anti-CRISPR protein. Via computational learning in combination with a high-throughput screen, a new anti-CRISPR protein that inhibits Cas13b was discovered. Credit: HIRI/Chase Beisel The nuclease Cas13b associated with CRISPR defense systemsalso known as genetic scissorshas the potential to be used in the future in hereditary diseases to silence adverse genes. In the fight against infections, it is also being researched as an antiviral agent, as Cas13b can target the genome of viruses and render them harmless. Despite these promising features, researchers are looking for nuclease inhibitors that can control or stop such activities. The aim is to increase the safety and efficacy of future therapies and to help prevent off-target effects. An international team led by the Helmholtz Institute in Wurzburg, in cooperation with the University of Freiburg, has now applied deep learning for the first time to find natural nuclease inhibitors. The study, published today in the scientific journal Molecular Cell, identified the first such inhibitor that blocks the activity of Cas13b. Bacteria often contain CRISPR-Cas defense systems that protect against viral invaders called phages. In response, phages have evolved proteins that can shut down CRISPR. These are called anti-CRISPR proteins, or Acrs. Researchers believe that there are numerous Acrs that have not yet been discovered. One of those researchers is Chase Beisel, head of the RNA Synthetic Biology Department at the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) in Wurzburg, a site of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig in cooperation with the Julius-Maximilians-Universitat (JMU) Wurzburg. "Acrs can be used to better control CRISPR technologies," Beisel says, while acknowledging, "Identifying them means finding a needle in a haystack, since they look nothing like each other." This, he says, has led scientific studies in the past to come up with new prediction tools. However, the success of these methods has been limited, says Beisel. He initiated the study published today in Molecular Cell. First example of using deep learning for Acr discovery Consequently, a team of researchers from the HIRI in Wurzburg, together with scientists from the Signalling Research Centres at the University of Freiburg and the Information and Computer Science Department at King Fahd University in Saudi Arabia, has pioneered the use of artificial intelligence to identify new Acrs. "Using complex computational learning in combination with a high-throughput screen, we have succeeded in discovering a new anti-CRISPR protein that inhibits the clinically interesting nuclease Cas13b," says Katharina Wandera. The Ph.D. student in Chase Beisel's lab is working on the characterization of Acrs and is a first author of the current paper. "The millions of predictions made by our algorithm open up completely new avenues for research," asserts Rolf Backofen from the University of Freiburg. His group developed the method, called DeepAcr, for the study. The findings also suggest that DeepAcr can not only be used to discover new proteins that inhibit CRISPR-Cas systems lacking known Acrs. "The identified anti-CRISPR protein AcrVIB1 was not only unknown until now; it also seems to use a completely new mechanism of action," summarizes Omer Alkhnbashi, an assistant professor at King Fahd University who shares the first authorship with Wandera. Characterizing this mechanism of action is one of the next steps that will now follow the scientific work. Explore further New CRISPR element regulates viral defense More information: Katharina G. Wandera et al, Anti-CRISPR prediction using deep learning reveals an inhibitor of Cas13b nucleases, Molecular Cell (2022). Journal information: Molecular Cell Katharina G. Wandera et al, Anti-CRISPR prediction using deep learning reveals an inhibitor of Cas13b nucleases,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.05.003 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Soil-borne organisms, especially earthworms, break down leaves and other dead material, releasing nutrients and making the soil fertile while sequestering carbon in the soil and thus helping counteract climate change. During dry spells, however, earthworms and other soil fauna either retreat deep into the soil or aestivate. A research team led by WSL has studied how a lack of water in forests affects these processesat least indirectly. The team recorded the number of soil organisms, the level of decomposition of organic matter and the volumes of carbon sequestered in plots established in the Finges forest (canton of Valais). The WSL has been conducting a long-term WSL experiment there since 2003, artificially irrigating some of the plots in summer and leaving others exposed to the valley's natural dry conditions. Lack of water inhibits soil fauna Many more earthworms were found on irrigated plots than on non-irrigated ones. This was also the case for smaller organisms such as springtails and woodlice, which also play a key role in litter decomposition. As such, much more organic matter was decomposed in the soil. The researchers demonstrated this by burying leaves in small nets with different mesh sizes, allowing fauna to pass through depending on their size. This finding is significant with regard to climate change, because through their industrious feeding soil organisms ultimately bind the carbon in CO 2 from the atmosphere to the soil humus, where it is stored over long periods of time. "If forest soils become too dry, this inhibits the activity and quantity of soil-borne organisms and forests may absorb less carbon in the long term," says study leader Frank Hagedorn, Head of Biogeochemistry at WSL. Both in Switzerland and across Europe, dry soils contain significantly less carbon than moist ones. "Our study has shown that soil fauna are a key reason why this is the case." The team concluded that earthworms, woodlice and other soil organisms are responsible for dry soils containing less humus and therefore being less fertile. Such organisms react most sensitively to drought, even more so than fungi or microorganisms. Hagedorn says he was surprised at how quickly the differences became apparent. "Soil humus forms over hundreds to thousands of years. We didn't expect to be able to see differences in the levels of carbon stored after just ten years." According to Hagedorn, their study published in Global Change Biology demonstrates the vital role of soil-borne fauna in the carbon cycle in forests. He also stressed that future long-term forest monitoring programs and climate change studies need to focus more on such organisms. Explore further Effects of litter quality, fauna and environments on litter decomposition in forest ecosystems More information: Claudia Guidi et al, Soil fauna drives vertical redistribution of soil organic carbon in a longterm irrigated dry pine forest, Global Change Biology (2022). Journal information: Global Change Biology Claudia Guidi et al, Soil fauna drives vertical redistribution of soil organic carbon in a longterm irrigated dry pine forest,(2022). DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16122 Provided by Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL The individual tissue layers of the seed scale become visible via micro-computed tomography. Credit: Plant Biomechanics Group Freiburg Pine cones open when dry and close when wet. In this way, pine seeds are released only under advantageous conditions, namely when it is dry and the seeds can be carried far by wind. Opening and closing is of particular interest to researchers because the actuation is passive, that is, it does not consume metabolic energy. This is why the pine cone has already served as a model for biomimetic flap systems that react to moisture and are used, for example, in building envelopes to regulate the climate. A team led by Prof. Dr. Jurgen Ruhe, Carmen Eger and Prof. Dr. Thomas Speck from the Cluster of Excellence Living, Adaptive and Energy-autonomous Materials Systems (livMatS) at the University of Freiburg, Dr. Simon Poppinga from TU Darmstadt and Prof. Dr. Manfred Bischoff from the University of Stuttgart, in collaboration with researchers from TU Munich and project partners from BASF, has now analyzed in detail which tissue structures are involved in the actuation. The researchers show that the cone scales close due to several tissue layers, all of which absorb moisture. With the help of their findings, biomimetic flap systems with improved function could be created. The team published their findings in the journal Advanced Science. Previous model assumes two functionally relevant tissue types Until now, research assumed that the movements of the pine cone were mainly due to the interaction of two tissue layers in the scale: An upper, rigid layer that absorbs no or very little water, and a lower layer that swells and elongates due to moisture. In this process, it pushes the scale upward and the cone closes. If the lower layer dries and shrinks, it pulls the scale down again and the cone opens. Fiber strands set bending process in motion The scientists refute this simplified model in their analysis. They show that several tissue layers in the scale absorb water. The so-called sclerenchyma fibers are of particular importance. In the bilayer model, they are considered the main component of the rigid, upper tissue layer. In their analysis, however, the researchers come to the conclusion that although the fiber strands are rigid in the dry state, they soften when exposed to moisture and thus set the bending process in motion in the first place. In addition, although the different tissues are made of chemically identical materials, their arrangement along the scale varies. For example, the scale consists of a bending zone and a longer flap-like periphery that does not contribute significantly to the bending process but is passively moved along with it. In their analysis, the researchers performed, for example, high-resolution 3D structural analyses, 3D deformation measurements, measurements of the water absorption of the different tissues, and biomechanical experiments. Explore further Biomechanical analyses and computer simulations reveal the Venus flytrap snapping mechanisms More information: Carmen J. Eger et al, The Structural and Mechanical Basis for PassiveHydraulic Pine Cone Actuation, Advanced Science (2022). Carmen J. Eger et al, The Structural and Mechanical Basis for PassiveHydraulic Pine Cone Actuation,(2022). DOI: 10.1002/advs.202200458 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain It's difficult to scroll through social media right now without seeing at least one post mentioning Johnny Depp, Amber Heard and the defamation trial that began on April 11, 2022. Depp is suing ex-wife Heard for defamation over an op-ed she penned for the Washington Post in 2018. Depp says that by presenting herself as a victim of domestic violence, Heard has tarnished his name, despite not naming him in the piece. He is seeking US$50 million in damages. Many have been eager to take sides, declare guilt, assign blame and condemn cancel culture on social media and in coverage of the trial. #JusticeForJohnnyDepp and #AmberHeardIsAPsychopath, among other hashtags, have been trending over the past several weeks. Fans of Depp claim that his life and career have been "ruined" by false allegations of violence and that he is the "real" victim. Others have written about how disturbing the public treatment of Heard has been throughout the trial, particularly as it relates to claims that she is a "liar," a "psychopath" and a "monster." As a social worker and researcher who has spent the past six years working with people who have survived or been criminalized for domestic and sexual violence, I'm interested in the ways in which this case demonstrates the significant dangers of parasocial relationships (one-sided relationships with public figures) and their ability to reinforce carceral logics (the ways we have been shaped by the idea and practices of imprisonment). Depp and Heard represent the risks related to the emotional ties fans develop with celebrities and how these relationships can have material implications for how we understand violence and how it should be dealt with. What are parasocial relationships and carceral logics? Parasocial relationships are one-sided intimate, emotional bonds that people develop with public figures. The Depp-Heard trial has exposed the dangers of these bonds as fans of Depp are compelled to passionately defend him, despite not knowing him personally. Carceral logics are "the variety of ways our bodies, minds, and actions have been shaped by the idea and practices of imprisonment." And they produce specific images about who perpetrates violence, why and how those people should be dealt with. When this happens, the carceral state (police, courts, laws and prisons) is framed as a necessary intervention that effectively addresses violence through arrest, prosecution and punishment of people who commit violence. For example, people who have deemed Heard a liar and the aggressor have called for her arrest, imprisonment and removal from her role in the Aquaman franchise. Carceral logics cling to assumptions that the system is effective, and ignore the reality that most perpetrators of violence never see a courtroom, let alone a cell, the systemic issues of racism within a broken system, and that domestic and sexual violence continue to be some of the most underreported crimes. Johnny Depp is greeted by cheering fans and supporters as he arrives to court house. Violence is a spectrum When people develop parasocial bonds with public figures, sharp lines are drawn between those who are considered good or innocent and those who are considered bad or guilty. When this happens, grand assumptions are often made about someone's character based only on what is represented in the media. People don't know Depp or Heard, and don't know the full history of their relationship. They only know them as beloved characters. These bonds are influencing conversations about what does or doesn't count as violence. Right now, online abuse of Heard is being seen as acceptable because she has been declared a liar by the social media majority. TikTok trends have openly mocked Heard's emotional reactions during testimony, as people re-enact skits of the trial with their pets. Social media users have also made #AmberTurd trend across platforms. But violence is a spectrum and it is deeply nuanced in relationship with power, identity and context. When people assign the label of "abuser/offender" to some and not others, they are deciding which violence is unacceptable and which is excusable. The impacts How could these conversations impact survivors when it comes to disclosure? What does it say about who we consider "real" victims and perpetrators? What happens to people whose stories are complex? While commentary on social media appears as a product of "stan" culturea portmanteau of "stalker" and "fan"it has tangible implications for socio-legal responses to the issue. This all plays out in real time. When people decide that those who lie about violence should be punished, we see "frivolous claims" sections in institutional sexual violence policies and on police portals for reporting sexual violence. We see renewed commitments to the criminal justice system, regardless of the violence it perpetrates within prisons and in the mass incarceration of marginalized communities. What appears to be normal social media activity exposes a much darker reality: that parasocial relationships help entrench deeply harmful conversations shaping how people address and redress domestic and sexual violence. Explore further The Heard v. Depp trial is an opportunity to discuss the nuances of intimate partner violence This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Artist's depiction of diffractive solar sails. Credit: MacKenzi Martin Solar sailing technology has been a dream of many for decades. The simple elegance of sailing on the light waves of the sun does have a dreamy aspect to it that has captured the imagination of engineers as well as writers. However, the practicalities of the amount of energy received compared to that needed to move useful payloads have brought those dreams back to reality. Now, a team led by Amber Dubill of John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and supported by the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program is developing new solar sail architecture that might have already found its killer appheliophysics. The technique they are using is known as diffractive light sailing. It has significant advantages over existing solar sail technology, including the ability to turn. That is a big problem for most solar sails, which lose effectiveness if they are not directly facing the sun. Diffraction causes light to spread out when it passes through an opening. Using this property in a solar sail material would allow a craft to turn away from the sun while still getting the pressure of light pushing it in whatever direction it turned. Credit: Universe Today To create such diffractive pressure, the team created a material with very small gratings embedded in it to diffract the light on a surface that could still benefit from the force created when that light is absorbed. This would allow any spacecraft using the sail as a propulsion system to turn slightly away from the sun and still benefit from a forceful push from the light's photons. To prove this technology, the NIAC is supporting it with a Phase III grant after successfully completing Phase I and Phase II over the past few years. Phase III comes with $2 million in funding for two years to continue the development of the material used on the solar sail, culminating in ground tests that could presage a move to use in deep space. Deep space is the most likely place for an application such as these diffractive sails. In particular, the researchers think they will be instrumental in heliophysics. Traditional propulsion technologies don't work well around the sun's poles, given the magnetic interference in that space. Traditional solar sails wouldn't work well either, as the incident light falling on them in these locations would either push them farther away from the sun or not push them at all. Weekly Space Hangout with UT publisher Fraser Cain & Amber Dubill lead researcher on the diffractive solar sail technology. Credit: Universe Today With a diffractive solar sail, a spacecraft could still orient itself in the right direction while also using the force from light to move effectively. This would allow a craft equipped with one to observe the sun from an angle never before seen. But there's still a long way to go before any craft is outfitted with one. The funding path past Phase III of NIAC is murky at best for now, and there will still be more development work left to be done after two more years of development. But, with luck, a new type of solar sail might be attached to the next generation of heliophysics lab. And it might eventually be used on many other programs too. Explore further NASA-supported solar sail could take science to new heights The microscopy and two-dimensional images of mechanism formation of CS + DOX microgel droplet injunction, (a) lag stage, (b) filling stage, (c) necking stage, (d) detachment. The CS + DOX and vegetable oil phase velocities were adjusted at 3.3 and 11.1 mm/s. The Concentration of CS and DOX are 0.2% and 13.75 (g/ml), respectively. Credit: Scientific Reports (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12031-9 Droplet microfluidics provide a robust platform to synthesize and functionalize micro- and nanoparticles in a range of applications, including drug delivery, screening, lab-on-a-chip and organ-on-a-chip applications, across chemical and biomedical engineering. Chitosan is a biomaterial suited for diverse biomedical applications, including antibacterial bioactivities with immune-enhancing and anticancer properties. In a new report now published in Scientific Reports, Omid Sartipzadeh and an interdisciplinary research team in medical nanotechnology, biomaterials and tissue engineering, in Tehran, Iran, described the role of chitosan droplets in a microfluidic chip. The outcomes indicated how different sizes and geometries of the chitosan droplets could be established by varying the parameters for several purposes including drug delivery, tissue engineering and cell encapsulation. The team conducted an experimental study that agreed with the simulation outcomes to confirm the results. Tissue engineering and microfluidics Monodisperse micro and nanoparticles have attracted great attention across lab-on-a-chip instruments, and biosensors for a range of applications in tissue engineering. Materials scientists and bioengineers have made many attempts to generate uniform micro and nano-particles on demand. However, the interfacial tensions between phases has made it difficult to provide suitable micro and nanoparticles with high quality. Since typical techniques are costly, complex and time-consuming, researchers try to generate monodisperse micro and nanoparticles with on-demand morphology, shapes, and sizes. In this work, Sartipzadeh et al investigated the microfluidics droplet generation rates, including flow velocity via COMSOL Multiphysics simulator software to develop practical microfluidic chips for chitosan-oil-chitosan double emulsions. They first experimented with a model of computational fluid dynamics to understand the configuration and features of droplets to create a flow-focused microchannel. Using the simulations, they obtained an approach to achieve greater understanding of the complex on-chip process. The outcomes allowed the team to combine two immiscible fluids and their velocity to examine droplet formation, droplet diameter and their rate of generation. The pattern of the MFFD applied in simulations: meshes and boundaries situations specified for the microfluidic droplet generatrix in the two-dimensions model. Credit: Scientific Reports (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12031-9 Sartipzadeh et al developed the experimental methods in view of the outcomes of the simulation. They investigated the physical and chemical properties of chitosan and doxorubicin; a type of anthracycline/chemotherapy drug, relative to droplet size and rate of droplet creation. The team determined the pattern and velocity of the components using a microfluidics flow-focusing device (MFFD) to determine droplet size and production rates. Based on the outcomes, the team achieved a comprehensive method to create microfluidic droplets. The MFFDs maintained inlets and outlet conduits to regulate dispersed and immiscible fluid streams colliding with each other at an intersection. The scientists noted how the droplets steered downstream of the main duct based on the pressure gradient and velocity flow of the setup to form four levels of flow. The accompanying snapshots from the simulations illustrated the droplet configuration as a subordinate of time with varying concentrations of chitosan and doxorubicin. Sartipzadeh et al designed and developed the pattern of microfluidic flow-forming on silicon wafer using soft lithography, and cast the mold of the microfluidic flow-focusing device with polydimethylsiloxane. The team bonded the mold of chip patterns onto a slide glass via oxygen plasma, then injected the constituents into the chip using two pumps to examine the mechanisms of combined microgel droplet production. Dynamics of droplet formation The CS (chitosan) with a concentration of 0.2% and 13.75 mg of DOX (doxorubicin) per ml of CS solution. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) of outcome CS + DOX microgel droplet of experimental result that the volumetric flow rate of CS + DOX phase was 3.3 mm/s and the volumetric flow rate of oil phase was 11.1 mm/s. Credit: Scientific Reports (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12031-9 The team explored the dynamics of pressure-directed liquid droplet formation, where they noted a significant increase in the pressure, compared to the pressure before and after the process. The phenomenon relied on the force of pressure, shear stress and surface tension. When the pressure and shear stress were greater than the surface tensile force, the droplet began to thicken and thin. Additionally, the force balance between the parameters of pressure, shear stress and surface tension relied on the physical properties of the solutions of interest. The team explored the concentration of the constituents, relative to the dimensions of the droplet, and indicated an equilibrium between shearing force and interfacial tension. They calculated the liquid flow and its effect on several applications, including lab-on-chip immunoassays, and calculated the size of droplets relative to constituent concentrations, including the frequency of droplet generation and the number of droplets formed in the study. The team credited the outcomes to several parameters of the platform. Proof-of-concept: Drug release profiles of chemotherapy drug doxorubicin Sartipzadeh et al then developed a chitosan-doxorubicin mixture with different concentrations of chitosan mixed with a specific amount of the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin, to understand the dependence of droplet diameter on viscosity. The increasing concentration of chitosan led to an increase of its dynamic viscosity to produce droplets of varying diameters. The team next investigated the release of doxorubicin from chitosan in lab, to show how the drug release profile followed a two-way pattern, to highlight the role of chitosan as microcarriers of semi-targeted delivery systems. The scientists examined the drug release profiles from the microcarriers at two different temperatures and pH levels, to highlight the toxicity of encapsulated doxorubicin on cancer cells compared to the free drug. The presence of the carrier made the process of drug release more biocompatible for healthy cells, when compared to the toxicity of the drug in its free form. The procedure of the pressure slope at the P point for the duration of droplet configuration. The P point decides the point situated at the main duct entry. It reverberates the development of the droplet formation process. Three steps formation of droplet: (I) Lag, (II) Filling, and (III) Necking. The CS + DOX velocity is stable at 3.3 mm/s, and the velocity of vegetable oil is equal to 11.1 mm/s. Credit: Scientific Reports (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12031-9 (a) Cellular uptake behavior of DOX by MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. (b) Cellular uptake behavior of CS-DOX by MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. DAPI is used to stain nuclei of cells. Due to its fluorescent nature, DOX causes the cell cytoplasm to turn red on the fluorescent imaging. The images confirm the uptake of the drug by the cells. Credit: Scientific Reports (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12031-9 In this way, Omid Sartipzadeh and colleagues developed a computational fluid dynamics model to understand the process of biocompatible chitosan droplet dimensions, and formation in a flow-focused microchannel. The simulation outcomes highlighted an alternate approach to reach the expected experimental results. Based on the studies, the team emphasized the significance of chitosan microparticles for drug delivery applications in biomedicine. The excellent bioactivity, biocompatibility and biodegradability, made the material well suited for various applications in a microfluidic device, including drug screening on lab-on-a-chip platforms and drug delivery within organ-on-a-chip instruments, with 3D cell cultures to assess toxicity of drug candidates. The team conducted a proof-of-concept analysis to address significant challenges in biomedicine and highlighted the role of chitosan droplets as microcarriers for targeted pharmaceutical therapy. Explore further Improving print quality by using surfactants More information: Omid Sartipzadeh et al, Microfluidic-assisted synthesis and modeling of stimuli-responsive monodispersed chitosan microgels for drug delivery applications, Scientific Reports (2022). Omid Sartipzadeh et al, Microfluidic-assisted synthesis and modeling of stimuli-responsive monodispersed chitosan microgels for drug delivery applications,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12031-9 Elena M. Lucchetta et al, Dynamics of Drosophila embryonic patterning network perturbed in space and time using microfluidics, Nature (2005). DOI: 10.1038/nature03509 Journal information: Scientific Reports , Nature 2022 Science X Network Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Known for its caste system, India is often thought of as one of the world's most unequal countries. The 2022 World Inequality Report (WIR), headed by leading economist Thomas Piketty and his protege, Lucas Chancel, did nothing to improve this reputation. Their research showed that the gap between the rich and the poor in India is at a historical high, with the top 10% holding 57% of national incomemore than the average of 50% under British colonial rule (18581947). In contrast, the bottom half accrued only 13% of national revenue. A February report by Oxfam noted 2021 alone saw 84% of households suffer a loss of income while the number of Indian billionaires grew from 102 to 142. Both reports highlight not only the problem of revenue inequality but also of opportunity. While there may be disagreement between left and right on the ethics of equality, there is a consensus that everyone should be given the chance to succeed and the principle of fairnessand not factors such as birth, region, race, gender, ethnicity or family backgroundsought to lay the foundations of a level playing field for all. Drawing from the latest pre-pandemic database from the Periodic Labor Force Survey of 201819, our research confirms this is far from the case in India. On the one hand, the country has had a consistently high GDP growth rate of more than 7% for nearly two decades, the exception being the period around the 2008 financial crisis. On the other hand, this income has failed to trickle down to India's marginalized communities, with preliminary results pointing to a higher level of inequality of opportunity in the country than in Brazil or Guatemala. Precarity as well as a large shadow economy also plague the country's labor market. Even before the pandemic, only 30% to 40% of regular salaried adult Indian earners had job contracts or social securities such as national pension schemes, provident fund or health insurance. For self-employed workers, the situation is even more critical, even though these constituted nearly 60% of the Indian labor force in 2019. Castes, gender and background still determine life chances Our research indicated that at least 30% of earning inequality is still determined by caste, gender and family backgrounds. The seriousness of this figure becomes clear when it's compared with rates of the world's most egalitarian countries, such as Finland and Norway, where the respective estimates are below 10% for a similar set of social and family attributes. The caste system is a distinctive feature of Indian inequality. Emerging around 1500 BC, the hereditary social classification draws its origins from occupational hierarchy. Ancient Indian society was thought to be divided in four Varnas or castes: Brahmins (the priests), Khatriyas (the soldiers), Vaishyas (the traders) and Shudras (the servants), in order of hierarchy. Apart from the above four, there were the "untouchables" or Dalits (the oppressed), as they are called now, who were prohibited to come into contact with any of the upper castes. These groups were further subdivided in thousands of sub-castes or Jatis, with complicated internal hierarchy, eventually merged into fewer manageable categories under the British colonization period. The Indian constitution secures the rights of the Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Class (OBC) through a caste-based reservation quota, by virtue of which a certain portion of higher-education admissions, public sector jobs, political or legislative representations, are reserved for them. Despite this, there is a notable earning inequality between these social categories and the rest of the population, who consists of no more than 30% to 35% of Indian population. Adopting a data-driven approach we find that, on average, SC, ST and OBC still earn less than the rest. While unique, the caste system is not the only source of unfairness. Indeed, it accounts for less than 7% of inequality of opportunity, something that's in itself laudable. We will need to add criteria such as gender and family background differences to explain 30% of inequality. In a country where femicides and rapes regularly make headlines, it comes as no surprise that women from marginalized social groups are often subject to a "double disadvantage." For some states such as Rajasthan (in the country's northwest), Andhra Pradesh (south), Maharashtra (center), we find even upper-caste women enjoy fewer educational opportunities than men from the marginalized SC/ST communities. Even among the graduates, while the national average employment rate for males is 70%, it is below 30% for the females. A temporary byproduct of rising growth? Rising inequality could be dismissed as a temporary byproduct of rapid growth on the grounds of Simon Kuznets' famous hypothesis, according to which inequality rises with rapid growth before eventually subsiding. However, there is no guarantee of this, least of all because widening gap between rich and poor is not only limited to fast-growing countries such as India. Indeed, a 2019 study found that the growth-inequality relationship often reflects inequality of opportunity and prospects of growth are relatively dim for economies with a bumpy distribution of opportunities. Despite sporadic evidence of converging caste or gender gaps, our research shows an intricate web of social hierarchy has been cast over every aspect of life in India. It is true that some deprived castes may withdraw from school early to explore traditional jobs available to their caste-based networksthereby limiting their opportunities. However, are they responsible for such choices or it is the precariousness of the Indian economy that pushes them down such routes? There is no straightforward answer to these questions, even if some of the "bad choices" that individuals make can result more from pressure than choice. Given the complicated intertwining of various forms of hierarchy in India, broad policies targeting inequality may have less success than anticipated. Dozens of factors other than caste, gender or family background feed into inequality, including home sanitation, school facilities, domestic violence, access to basic infrastructure such as electricity, water or healthcare, crime rates, political stability of the locality, environmental risks and many more. Better data would allow researchers studying India to capture the contours of its society and also help gauge the effectiveness of policies intended to expand opportunities for the neediest. Explore further Examining the link between caste and under-five mortality in India This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Auguste of Bavaria with a macaw in the breeding station of the Loro Parque Foundation. Credit: Max Planck Society "Say 'Polly wants a cracker!'" This classic catchphrase is actually quite an insult to the birds who are among the most intelligent creatures on Earth. One particularly famous example was Harvard-based African gray parrot Alex, who not only developed a vocabulary of over 500 words, but also understood their meaning. But will these fascinating animals survive the impending species crisis? Auguste von Bayern from the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence in Seewiesen is researching the cognitive abilities of various parrot species in cooperation with the Loro Parque Foundation and knows the threats and needs of the animals. Von Bayern, a champion for biodiversity conservation, is also an ambassador for "Natura 2000," a network of protected areas covering Europe's most valuable and threatened species and habitats. What is the greatest danger for the parrots? The biggest threat is the destruction of their habitat. This is not surprising because most species live in tropical and subtropical rainforests. And these are unfortunately particularly endangered. In Ecuador, for example, barely three percent of the primary forest remains. And only about seven percent of the Brazilian rainforest along the east coast, the Mata Atlantica, remains. Parrots cannot survive without these forests. That's because many species are cavity breeders and depend on specific species of large old trees. They also often feed on highly specific fruits and nuts. Another big problem is the pet trade. For example, a chick of a great green macaw (Ara ambiguus) is traded on the black market for around 900 euros; an adult bird bred in captivity costs around 1500 euros. Endangered parrot species are even hunted for their feathers or simply for sport. I also recently found out that the great green macaw I am researching is still eaten in Panama because of ignorance and a lack of meat. Which species are particularly under threat? The Brazilian Spix's macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii)made famous by the animated film "Rio"is particularly threatened and is now extinct in the wild. Also the New Caledonian lorikeet (Charmosyna diadema), the Brazilian gray-breasted parakeet (Pyrrhura griseipectus), and the New Zealandkakapo (Strigops habroptilus). Of the 387 parrot species known today, almost one third (109) are on the Red List. Of these, 17 are "threatened with extinction" and 38 are "endangered." There are also 16 species that we know have become extinct in the last few centuries. This makes the birds a particularly threatened group of animals. Parrots are thus ambassadors for a biodiversity crisis of historic proportions. The human-caused extinction rate is 100- to 1000-fold greater than the normal biological rate. This is the largest mass extinction since the extinction of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services warns of the drastic extent and speaks of one million species acutely threatened with extinction. However, the actual figure is probably considerably higher because we are far from knowing all the species. In Germany, too, animals and plants are being lost on an unimaginable scale. More than half of the 259 permanently breeding bird species here are endangered. Fourteen species are extinct in Germany so far. And six more will most likely have to be listed in the next Red List as no longer occurring. However, parrots are also figureheads for species and habitat conservation. That's because many equally threatened but more inconspicuous or less charismatic species benefit from their protection. Their populations also respond well to conservation measures. Examples of successful species conservation are the gray-breasted parakeet, the kakapo, and Lear's macaw (Anodorhynchus leari) as well as the reintroduction of the great green macaw. Which organizations care about the conservation of parrots? Birdlife International, the World Parrot Trust, Parrots International, and ZGAPto name but a few. The Loro Parque Foundation, which I collaborate with, is also highly committed to parrot conservation. The foundation supports conservation projects for 30 to 40 parrot species (as well as some marine mammals) with the aim of saving endangered species from extinction. Thanks to their commitment, nine parrot species were saved from extinction. Five of them were even downgraded in their threat status. An important aspect of the foundation's work is responsible breeding in order to curb illegal trade as well as offspring breeding for gene conservation and the reintroduction of endangered species. For this reason, it maintains a breeding station on Tenerife, where more than 4,500 animals from over 200 species live. Which aspects of the parrots do you explore? My working group is using birds to better understand the evolution of intelligence and complex communication within vertebrates and to find out how language is related to intelligence. Very little research has been done on parrots so far. Together with the crow family, they have the largest brain relative to the body of all vertebratesalong with primates and dolphins. But they have a much higher density of nerve cells. Parrots are also unique with respect to their highly developed cognitive abilities and complex social life. This species-rich and diverse group of birds inhabits a wide variety of habitatsfrom dry savannah to the deepest rainforest to mountainous regions. They are therefore particularly suitable for a systematic comparison between species. And as we all know, parrots can learn and imitate sounds with considerable ease. They could therefore be a key to understanding the evolution of human language. That's because vocal learning and imitation is also a basic requirement of human language and occurs in only a few animal groups. In the breeding facility of the Loro Parque Foundation, we can systematically compare the cognitive abilities of different parrot species and thus find out which factors influence the intelligence and imitation ability of the animals and which might also have played a role in human evolution. In the process, we also carry out important educational work. In our research station, which is integrated into Loro Parque Zoo, we work with three endangered macaw species and two other threatened species. In our mirrored "laboratory," we conduct behavioral tests in front of approximately 1.4 million zoo visitors each year without the parrots and researchers themselves noticing. In doing so, we introduce people to the fascinating cognitive abilities of these charismatic birds. You can literally see how the animals weigh up their decisions according to costs and benefits and spontaneously help or imitate conspecifics. You can also see whether they can plan for the future and solve complex thinking tasks. I am sure that the realization that these animals rank on the same intelligence level as apes will give people food for thought and stir their conscience. After all, we cannot allow such highly intelligent and fascinating animals to become extinct. How should parrots be kept? What is the minimum requirement? Parrots should really be kept only by experts. Through their international breeding programs and educational work, zoos and professional breeders such as the Loro Parque Foundation fulfill importantand unfortunately now indispensablefunctions for species conservation. Parrots serve as ambassadors for their threatened conspecifics in the wild and thus help underline importance of species conservation. Many parrot species are unsuitable as pets. They are demanding and often extremely, if not unbearably, loud. They easily develop quirks and behavioral abnormalities such as feather plucking or incessant crying if they cannot live out their natural behavior and their urge to move and nibble or if they receive too little attention. Parrots need a lot of space and should not be kept alone. They are highly social animals, and most species partner for life. An aviary cannot be big enough. A cage or keeping a parrot on a pole with a chain around the legas it is still often found todayis absolutely out of the question and should be prohibited. The right temperature and humidity as well as adequate food are also important. Otherwise, the birds will become susceptible to disease and die. Keeping parrots can be costly. You should therefore consider beforehand whether you can permanently meet these demands. After all, some species can live extremely long lives. In any case, you should be aware that parrots are animals that are cognitively on the same level as chimpanzees or gorillas. You are dealing with a toddler, so to speak. But one that never grows up and which is many times louder. Explore further Parrots pushed to extinction despite protection policies Scientists have identified a new role for a protein complex at the center of a human genetic disorder called Bardet-Biedl syndrome, or BBS, for which there is currently no cure. Bardet-Biedl syndrome arises when the BBSome protein complex malfunctions. Because the BBSome regulates the form and function of cilia, the hair-like structures on the surface of cells, BBS has been classified as a disease of the cilia. But the wide spectrum of symptoms associated with BBSthe most common of which is vision loss, as well as obesity, extra fingers or toes and kidney malfunctionhave led to hypotheses that the cause of the syndrome may not lie solely within the cilia. In a new study published in Developmental Cell, a team from the University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute now offers the first known direct evidence for these hypotheses. Their findings demonstrate that the BBSome operates outside of cilia to support sight, at least in one common model species. The discovery began when scientists in the lab of LSI faculty member Shawn Xu were investigating how tiny roundworms called Caenorhabditis elegans can sense light despite having no eye-like organs. Because C. elegans have a simple and well-mapped nervous system, the Xu lab uses them as a model to understand the fundamental biology behind various forms of sensation. The team performed a genetic screen, a process of introducing random mutations to identify which genes are required for a given biological process, to find the genes involved in the worms' ability to respond to light. Most of the mutations that caused worms to stop sensing light turned out to be in the BBSome. And, like the progressive vision loss that BBS patients experience, the worms with BBSome mutations progressively lost the ability to sense light as they aged. Through a series of several more experiments, the team discovered that the BBSome plays a role in light sensation independent of its role in the cilia. In one scenario, they mutated C. elegans to remove all cilia; in a second experiment, they left the cilia on the worms but prevented the BBSome from getting to the cilia. In both cases, the worms were still able to sense light, so long as the BBSome functioned in the rest of the cell. "It's a great demonstration of the power of model organisms," said Xinxing Zhang, a postdoctoral researcher in the Xu lab and the study's lead author. "Cilia are essential for most organisms. But we can remove cilia from the C. elegans and they still survive, allowing us to uncover this unexpected role for the BBSome completely independent of the cilia." Xu's lab previously discovered that C. elegans sense light through a receptor protein called LITE-1 that sits at the surface of neurons and sends signals to the central nervous system to respond to the light (in the worms' case, by moving away from it). In this latest study, the team found that when BBSome malfunctions within the cell, LITE-1 receptors are pulled back into the cell from the surface and then broken down, preventing the worms from sensing light. In a second genetic screen, the scientists discovered that the process of degrading LITE-1 is controlled through another protein called DLK. The BBSome prevents DLK from starting a chain reaction that inappropriately breaks down LITE-1. Both BBSome and DLK are conserved in humans, and the researchers were able to show that BBSome similarly blocks DLK expression in human cells. They believe that this BBSomeDLKphotosensor pathway could be involved in the vision loss that is so prominent in patients with Bardet-Biedl Syndrome. "Because BBS is known to be caused by defects in the BBSome, there has been a longstanding assumption that the disorder must be tied to the cilia," said Xu, who is also a professor of molecular and integrative physiology in the U-M Medical School. "We are not disputing that BBS is tied to defects in the cilia. We are just offering direct evidence that the BBSome can also function outside of cilia, and it has a role there related to light sensation. Perhaps this can broaden the view of how to develop treatments for BBS." Explore further Structural insights into the assembly of cilia Uranus and Neptune. NASAs Voyager 2 spacecraft captured these views of Uranus (on the left) and Neptune (on the right) during its flybys of the planets in the 1980s. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/B. Jonsson Observations from Hubble Space Telescope, the NASA Infrared Telescope and the Gemini Observatory, reveal that excess haze on Uranus makes it paler than Neptune and that dark spots are caused by a darkening of a second deeper cloud/haze layer. Astronomers may now understand why the similar planets Uranus and Neptune are different colors. Using observations from the Hubble Space Telescope, the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility, and the Gemini North telescope, researchers have developed a single atmospheric model that matches observations of both planets. The model reveals that excess haze on Uranus builds up in the planet's stagnant, sluggish atmosphere and makes it appear a lighter tone than Neptune. The model also reveals the presence of a second, deeper layer that, when darkened, can account for dark spots in these atmospheres, such as the famous Great Dark Spot (GDS) observed by Voyager 2 in 1989. Neptune and Uranus have much in commonthey have similar masses, sizes, and atmospheric compositionsyet their appearances are notably different. At visible wavelengths Neptune has a distinctly bluer color than Uranus and astronomers now have an explanation for why this might be. New research suggests that a layer of concentrated haze that exists on both planets is thicker on Uranus than a similar layer on Neptune and "whitens" Uranus's appearance more than Neptune's. If there were no haze in the atmospheres of Neptune and Uranus, both would appear almost equally blue. This conclusion comes from a model that an international team led by Patrick Irwin, Professor of Planetary Physics at Oxford University, developed to describe aerosol layers in the atmospheres of Neptune and Uranus. Previous investigations of these planets' upper atmospheres had focused on the appearance of the atmosphere at only specific wavelengths. However, this new model, consisting of multiple atmospheric layers, matches observations from both planets across a wide range of wavelengths simultaneously. The new model also includes haze particles at deeper layers that had previously been thought to contain only clouds of methane and hydrogen sulfide ices. Diagram of the Atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune. This diagram shows three layers of aerosols in the atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune, as modelled by a team of scientists led by Patrick Irwin. The height scale on the diagram represents the height above the 10 bar level. The deepest layer (the Aerosol-1 layer) is thick and is thought to be composed of a mixture of hydrogen sulfide ice and particles produced by the interaction of the planets atmospheres with sunlight. The key layer that affects the colors is the middle layer, which is a layer of haze particles (referred to in the paper as the Aerosol-2 layer) that is thicker on Uranus than on Neptune. The team suspects that, on both planets, methane ice condenses onto the particles in this layer, pulling the particles deeper into the atmosphere in a shower of methane snow. Because Neptune has a more active, turbulent atmosphere than Uranus does, the team believes Neptunes atmosphere is more efficient at churning up methane particles into the haze layer and producing this snow. This removes more of the haze and keeps Neptunes haze layer thinner than it is on Uranus, meaning the blue color of Neptune looks stronger. Above both of these layers is an extended layer of haze (the Aerosol-3 layer) similar to the layer below it but more tenuous. On Neptune, large methane ice particles also form above this layer. Credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA, J. da Silva/NASA /JPL-Caltech /B. Jonsson "This is the first model to simultaneously fit observations of reflected sunlight from ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelengths," explains Professor Irwin, who is the lead author of a paper presenting this result in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. "It's also the first to explain the difference in visible color between Uranus and Neptune." The team's model consists of three layers of aerosols at different heights. The key layer that affects the colors is the middle layer, which is a layer of haze particles (referred to in the paper as the Aerosol-2 layer) that is thicker on Uranus than on Neptune. The team suspects that, on both planets, methane ice condenses onto the particles in this layer, pulling the particles deeper into the atmosphere in a shower of methane snow. Because Neptune has a more active, turbulent atmosphere than Uranus does, the team believes Neptune's atmosphere is more efficient at churning up methane particles into the haze layer and producing this snow. This removes more of the haze and keeps Neptune's haze layer thinner than it is on Uranus, making Neptune bluer than Uranus. "We hoped that developing this model would help us understand clouds and hazes in the ice giant atmospheres," comments Mike Wong, an astronomer at the University of California, Berkeley, and a member of the team behind this result. "Explaining the difference in color between Uranus and Neptune was an unexpected bonus!" To create this model, Professor Irwin's team analyzed a set of observations of the planets encompassing ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared wavelengths (from 0.3 to 2.5 micrometers) taken with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility located near the summit of Maunakea in Hawai'i, and the Gemini North Telescope, also located in Hawai'i. The model also helps explain the dark spots that are occasionally visible on Neptune and more sporadically on Uranus. While astronomers were already aware of the presence of dark spots in the atmospheres of both planets, they didn't know which aerosol layer was causing these dark spots or why the aerosols at those layers were less reflective. The team's research sheds light on these questions by showing that a darkening of the particles in the deepest layer of their model would produce dark spots very similar to those seen on Neptune and occasionally on Uranus. Explore further A possible explanation for the difference in the blue hues of Uranus and Neptune More information: P.G.J. Irwin et al, Hazy blue worlds: A holistic aerosol model for Uranus and Neptune, including Dark Spots, Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets (2022). Journal information: Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets P.G.J. Irwin et al, Hazy blue worlds: A holistic aerosol model for Uranus and Neptune, including Dark Spots,(2022). DOI: 10.1029/2022JE007189 Induced transparency: The precise control of the energy flow (indicated by glowing particles in the fog) makes the artificial material become entirely transparent for the optical signal. Credit: Andrea Steinfurth / University of Rostock Space, the final frontier. The starship Enterprise pursues its mission to explore the galaxy, when all communication channels are suddenly cut off by an impenetrable nebula. In many episodes of the iconic TV series, the valiant crew must "tech the tech" and "science the science" within just 45 minutes of airtime in order to facilitate their escape from this or a similar predicament before the end credits roll. Despite spending a significantly longer time in their laboratories, a team of scientists from the University of Rostock has succeeded in developing an entirely new approach for the design of artificial materials that can transmit light signals without any distortions by means of precisely tuned flows of energy. They have published their results in Science Advances. "When light spreads in an inhomogeneous medium, it undergoes scattering. This effect quickly transforms a compact, directed beam into a diffuse glow, and is familiar to all of us from summer clouds and autumn fog alike," Professor Alexander Szameit of the Institute for Physics at the University of Rostock describes the starting point of his team's considerations. Notably, it is the microscopic density distribution of a material that dictates the specifics of scattering. Szameit continues, "The fundamental idea of induced transparency is to take advantage of a much lesser-known optical property to clear a path for the beam, so to speak." This second property, known in the field of photonics under the arcane title of non-Hermiticity, describes the flow of energy, or, more precisely, the amplification and attenuation of light. Intuitively, the associated effects may seem undesirableparticularly the fading of a light beam due to absorption would seem highly counterproductive to the task of improving signal transmission. Nevertheless, non-Hermitian effects have become a key aspect of modern optics, and an entire field of research strives to harness the sophisticated interplay of losses and amplification for advanced functionalities. "This approach opens up entirely new possibilities," reports doctoral student Andrea Steinfurth, first author of the paper. In regard to a beam of light, it becomes possible to selectively amplify or dampen specific parts of a beam at the microscopic level to counteract any onset of degradation. To stay in the picture of the nebula, its light-scattering properties could be completely suppressed. "We are actively modifying a material to tailor it for the best possible transmission of a specific light signal," Steinfurth explains. "To this end, the energy flow must be precisely controlled, so it can fit together with the material and the signal like pieces of a puzzle." In close collaboration with partners from the Vienna University of Technology, the researchers in Rostock successfully tackled this challenge. In their experiments, they were able to recreate and observe the microscopic interactions of light signals with their newly developed active materials in networks of kilometer-long optical fibers. In fact, induced transparency is just one of the fascinating possibilities that arise from these findings. If an object is truly to be made to vanish, the prevention of scattering is not enough. Instead, light waves must emerge behind it completely undisturbed. Yet, even in the vacuum of space, diffraction alone ensures that any signal will inevitably change its shape. "Our research provides the recipe for structuring a material in such a way that light beams pass as if neither the material, nor the very region of space it occupies, existed. Not even the fictitious cloaking devices of the Romulans can do that," says co-author Dr. Matthias Heinrich, circling back to the final frontier of Star Trek. The findings presented in this work represent a breakthrough in fundamental research on non-Hermitian photonics and provide new approaches for the active fine-tuning of sensitive optical systems, for example, sensors for medical use. Other potential applications include optical encryption and secure data transmission, as well as the synthesis of versatile artificial materials with tailored properties. Explore further Reconfigurable silicon nanoantennas controlled by vectorial light field More information: Andrea Steinfurth et al, Observation of photonic constant-intensity waves and induced transparency in tailored non-Hermitian lattices, Science Advances (2022). Journal information: Science Advances Andrea Steinfurth et al, Observation of photonic constant-intensity waves and induced transparency in tailored non-Hermitian lattices,(2022). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abl7412 An overview of the study areas, applied approaches, and results of the reservoir storage. Credit: SUTD China's dams along the Upper Mekong, or Lancang, are often blamed as the main cause of recent droughts in the downstream regions. Yet, it is challenging to corroborate these claims, since China has not been releasing detailed data on how its big dams in the Lancang are operated. Using data from satellite images and high-resolution hydrological models, researchers have finally solved the enigma. The study was published in the journal Hydrology and Earth System Sciences by researchers from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), the University of South Florida, and the University of Washington. The research team estimated how much water was stored and released on a monthly basis by each dam during the past decade. "Knowledge about these management decisions is very important for downstream countries," explained corresponding author of the study, Dr. Stefano Galelli from SUTD. "The Laotian hydropower industry, for example, could use these data to better support its operations, particularly during droughts. Another key economic sector that could use these data is rice farming in Cambodia and Vietnam." Data show that the 11 dams built on the main stem of the Mekong have a total storage capacity of about 42 km3, about 55% of the annual river discharge in Northern Thailand and Laos. Their storage fluctuates on an annual basis, following the succession of dry and wet seasons that is typical of the Monsoon Zone. This is where things get interesting: the analysis indicates that dam operations did not change during the 2019-2020 drought that affected the region. "We have wondered if emergency releases from these dams could have helped mitigate the drought impact," added Dr. Galelli. The researchers also uncovered the dam filling strategiesthe decisions made to fill in new reservoirs to the minimum storage required for operational purposes. They found that the two largest dams, Xiaowan and Nuozhadu, which were built in 2009 and 2012 respectively, reached steady-state operations in about two years by retaining 15% to 23% of the annual inflow volume. "Uncovering dam filling patterns provides additional information that is very vital, since another 65 km3 of new reservoir storage is planned for the Lancang," explained Dung Trung Vu, the lead author and Ph.D. student from SUTD. "Knowledge about filling strategies can help downstream countries prepare for temporary water scarcity," he added. This then begs the question of what can be done to improve water management in the Mekong. "The Mekong Riparian countries only share a small fraction of data that are needed by scientists, water managers and decision-makers," explained Dr. Galelli. "Our efforts improve on current initiatives on river basin monitoring and have the ultimate goal of supporting a more open approach to the management of Southeast Asia's most important river basin." Explore further China pressed on Mekong dams after record low water levels More information: Dung Trung Vu et al, Satellite observations reveal 13 years of reservoir filling strategies, operating rules, and hydrological alterations in the Upper Mekong River basin, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (2022). Dung Trung Vu et al, Satellite observations reveal 13 years of reservoir filling strategies, operating rules, and hydrological alterations in the Upper Mekong River basin,(2022). DOI: 10.5194/hess-26-2345-2022 There were a total of 17 COVID cases out of 99 administered tests in Warren County on Tuesday, according to state data. The state data does not include in-home testing. The seven-day rolling positivity rate in the county is 7.2%, according to state data. On Memorial Day, Glens Falls Hospital had a total of 24 COVID cases in-house, with one in the ICU. The number of patients in the hospital increased by five on Tuesday, with still one patient in the ICU, according to hospital spokesperson Ray Agnew. Washington County There were seven positive COVID results out of 104 administered tests as of Tuesday, according to state data. The seven-day rolling positivity rate in the county is 7.9%. Washington County updated its data on Friday, when 119 cases were reported, and 11 county residents hospitalized. The Washington County Public Health offers weekly booster clinics on Wednesdays, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. People can register by calling 518-746-2400. Saratoga County There are 311 active COVID cases in Saratoga County, and 28 residents who are hospitalized. The seven-day rolling positivity rate in the county is 12.4%, according to the Saratoga County Department of Public Health. The rate of hospitalizations in Saratoga County has slightly declined over the last two weeks. Out of the 28 county residents who are hospitalized, six people have been vaccinated; they are eligible for the booster shot, but did not receive the shot. Fifteen residents of those 28 who are hospitalized have been vaccinated and have received the first booster shot. Capital Region/statewide Out of 1,582 administered tests in the Capital Region, 184 people tested positive for COVID. The seven-day rolling positivity rate for the region is 9.6%, while that rate is 6.8% statewide. The rate of hospitalizations in the region is significantly higher than that rate statewide, according to Saratoga County data. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) If the Buffalo supermarket shooter had learned anything from the massacre in New Zealand that apparently inspired him, it should have been that the violence didn't achieve any of the gunman's aims, a survivor said Tuesday. Temel Atacocugu was shot nine times when a white supremacist opened fire during Friday prayers at two mosques in Christchurch three years ago, killing 51 worshippers and severely injuring dozens more. Atacocugu continues to recover from the gunshot wounds in his mouth, left arm and both legs. One of the stated aims of the Christchurch gunman was to sow discord between racial and ethnic groups, eventually forcing nonwhite people to leave. But if anything, the opposite happened as Muslims and non-Muslims embraced each other in a shared and enduring grief. Atacocugu said the news about the shooting in Buffalo, New York, and its connections to the Christchurch massacre was scary, triggering flashbacks for him. Violence does not solve the problem. They should see that. People, including the extremists, should see that violence does not fix anything, he said. Peace will fix it. They have to learn to talk with people around them, too. Atacocugu said he was heartbroken for the families of the Buffalo victims and wished governments around the world would do more to stop extremism. They went to do their shopping and they had no idea what's going to happen, he said. They were just thinking to buy their food, maybe they're feeding their young kids at home. The 18-year-old gunman accused of killing 10 Black people in the Buffalo attack had watched a copy of the livestream video the New Zealand mosque shooter had taken, according to a document attributed to him. In a 180-page diatribe, Payton Gendron said he subscribed to the same racist great replacement theory that the New Zealand gunman Brenton Tarrant wrote about in a similar 74-page screed. And like Tarrant, Gendron allegedly painted slogans on his gun and used a helmet-mounted camera to livestream his attack on the internet. Gendron, who surrendered inside the supermarket, has pleaded not guilty and was jailed under a suicide watch. After eventually pleading guilty, Tarrant, an Australian citizen, in 2020 became the first person in New Zealand to be sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, the toughest sentence available. The Christchurch attack was livestreamed for 17 minutes and viewed by hundreds of thousands of people on Facebook before it was taken down. The video and Tarrant's screed were quickly banned in New Zealand but can still be found in dark corners of the internet. Since Christchurch, social platforms have learned to remove videos of extremist shootings faster. The Buffalo shooter allegedly livestreamed the attack to the gaming platform Twitch, which is owned by Amazon. Twitch said it removed the video in less than two minutes. The Christchurch attacks also prompted the New Zealand government within weeks to pass new laws banning the deadliest types of semi-automatic weapons. Police paid owners to hand over their guns and destroyed more than 50,000 of them. We saw in New Zealand the gun control thing, said Muti Bari, another survivor from the Christchurch attacks. We saw some measures taken by the government immediately after. We are still waiting to see what the U.S.A. government does. But unfortunately, we haven't seen anything like that. Bari, who hid in a bathroom at the Linwood mosque as the shooter killed people just feet away, said he tries not to think about that day too much but is reminded when he meets his friends, including one family that lost both a father and a son. He said the easy access to guns in the U.S. coupled with constitutionally protected free speech and the seeming prevalence of hate speech was a potent mix that the U.S. government needed to consider more seriously. The Christchurch attack has also inspired other white supremacist shootings, including a shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, that left 23 people dead. Atacocugu, the survivor who was shot nine times, this year retraced the route the gunman drove from Dunedin to Christchurch on the morning of the attacks. Despite his lingering injuries, Atacocugu walked and biked for two weeks along the entire 360-kilometer (224-mile) route. He wanted to bless the route, spread peace and change a journey that began with hate. 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 Seven years ago, when Cape May native Ross Hammer was forced to drop out of Drexel University just before his senior year, he had no money, no plans and no clue what to do with his life. When a move to Hong Kong to work with his estranged father fell through, leaving him penniless and deserted in a faraway land, he felt he had hit rock bottom. My mom and my grandmother are the ones who raised me. It was really hard to leave them, especially since I had to fly out on Mothers Day, because it was the cheapest and only flight I could afford. I left them, flew 16 hours to Hong Kong, got to my fathers apartment and sat there for four days waiting for him, and he never showed up. So I went home, Hammer remembers. But fierce determination, a willingness to hustle and a helping pinch of good luck were all on his side. A $2 bet he placed on FanDuel on a whim managed to result in a $25,000 payday, enough for him and his girlfriend Lauren Cavallo to open up their own food truck selling the Filipino cuisine that Hammer was raised on. The truck didnt last long, and neither did the next food truck concept they tried or the one after that. But with each stumble, the pair learned more about running their own business, and after a few years spent making a series of smart investments through the purchases of property tax liens, the couple still only in their 20s were able to purchase the building at 429 Beach Ave. in Cape May, which also happens to house the restaurant they just took over back in March Taco Caballito Tequileria. The Space The four-story building stands on the corner of Beach Avenue and Decatur Street in a gorgeous oceanfront location among the Victorian splendor of Jerseys oldest vacation resort. The ground floor is where Taco Caballito Tequileria sits a spacious and well-designed Mexican bar and restaurant that offers a large menu of tasty south-of-the-border drinks and eats as well as live music. Upstairs houses a second bar and additional porch-style seating that is currently used for overflow from the restaurant, but Hammer and Carabello have plans to create a separate dining concept up there in the future. Taco Caballito opened in 2019 in the space that formerly housed Cabanas Beach Bar, but when Hammer and Cavallo took ownership of the building, they decided to purchase the restaurant as well. The former owners had originally talked about maybe having us lease the restaurant back to them, but we really wanted to have full control of every aspect and make it our own, Hammer says. The Food The menu at Taco Caballito was developed by Chef Victor Gomez and features creative and unexpected twists on traditional Mexican favorites. Victor is just incredible at what he does, so we let him take control of all of that, Hammer says. Starters include standards like guacamole ($13), pico de gallo ($11), queso blanco ($12) and nachos grande ($14) but also venture into some interesting territory with the Tijuana Street Fries ($17), a Mexican version of loaded fries which features carne asada, pico de gallo, queso blanco and Mexican spices atop a bounty of fried spuds. Main entrees include an impressive selection of both craft and classic tacos, with far more varied and interesting protein choices than you will find just about anywhere else. Standouts are many, but the coconut shrimp tacos ($11.50 for two or $16.75 for three) with mango salsa, Asian slaw and chipotle aioli on a flour tortilla were outstanding, as were the Short Rib Banh Mi tacos with pickled onion, carrots, radish, cilantro and sriracha mayo ($14 for two or $19 for three), which is perhaps the most inventive dish on the menu, as Chef Gomez use of corn-based bao buns in place of traditional taco shells is a stroke of pure genius. A lineup of burritos and bowls is available, as well, with unexpected options like brisket ($16), chicken tinga ($16) and Brussels sprouts ($16) popping up as welcome surprises alongside the standards like shrimp ($18) and ground beef ($16). Those looking to eat lighter have options, too, with both wedge and taco salads ($12 and $13, respectively) making appearances on the menu. Sweet treats like churros with chocolate ganache ($9); fried plantains with vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce and cinnamon sugar ($9); and a tres leches cake with strawberries and whipped cream ($8) are decadent and make for a lovely ending to the meal. The Drinks It may be hard to believe, but Taco Caballito is the only Mexican restaurant with a liquor license in all of Cape May. With options this limited for tequila fans, they could honesty choose to cut all kinds of corners here, but its a testament to Hammer and Cavallos commitment to quality that they dont. We use only fresh juices and the highest quality ingredients in all of our cocktails, Hammer says with pride. I dont want any sugary mixes, and I dont want people to have headaches after drinking our drinks. We squeeze all the juices, and you can taste the difference. Choosing to work only with the finest ingredients has paid off, as the cocktails here particularly the tequila and mezcal-based varieties are outstanding. Purists will enjoy the Caballito, a mix of Espolon Blanco, fresh-squeezed lime juice and cane sugar syrup with a salt rim ($12); while the more adventurous cocktail drinker may prefer the Smokey Pinata ($12) with its blend of Los Vecinos del Campo, Corazon blanco, Cointreau, muddled pineapple and jalapeno, fresh-squeezed lime juice, and agave with a sugar rim; or the El Jefe ($17), a monster of a drink made with Casamigos Blanco, Cointreau, pineapple and fresh-squeezed lime juices and cane sugar syrup with a chipotle sugar rim and a Grand Marnier float. Flights of tequila are available, as are an assortment of non-tequila based cocktails like mojitos, orange crushes and more, plus a nice selection of cervezas. The Future Hammer and Cavallo have accomplished a lot for a pair of 20-somethings, but their ambition is endless, and the potential at 429 Beach Ave. seems promising to say the least. In fact, the top two floors of the building are being renovated with plans to open up a 10-room boutique hotel next year. For now, the pair is enjoying the success they have seen in the few short months since taking over and are looking forward to a prosperous summer. People are really recognizing what we are doing here. We have had such a great response so far. I cant even imagine what July is going to be like, Hammer says. But no matter what July or any other month brings at Taco Caballito, Hammer is confident that the struggles he has overcome have left him able to take on any challenges that come his way. I really think hitting rock bottom in Hong Kong made all of this possible. Its embedded in me, he says. My family always doubted me and said I would never be able to do this, so I guess I always had something to prove. If you are really passionate about trying to do something, you can figure it out. A Camden County man was driving under the influence earlier this year when he caused a crash in Burlington County that killed a Bridgeton man, State Police said. Regis A. Vitale Jr., 50, of Waterford Works, is charged with vehicular homicide, strict liability vehicular homicide, possession of a controlled dangerous substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was ordered under house arrest due to the severity of the injuries he sustained in the crash, State Police said. The crash happened at 6:13 a.m. March 11 on Route 206 in Southampton Township. State Police and Burlington County Prosecutors Office investigators determined Vitale was driving his GMC Silverado south on 206 when it crossed into the northbound lane near milepost 18.3 and struck Daryl Skip Akers Jeep Patriot, State Police said. State Police employee from Bridgeton dies in Route 206 crash A State Police employee from Bridgeton died Friday morning in a crash on Route 206 in Burlin State Police performed lifesaving medical treatment on Vitale and Akers, 62. Vitale was airlifted to an area hospital with serious injuries, and Akers was pronounced dead at the scene, State Police said. Vitales vehicle had methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, THC and drug paraphernalia in it, State Police said. Vitales toxicology report also found he was under the influence of methamphetamine and marijuana prior to the collision. Akers was a senior public safety telecommunicator for the State Police and was on his way to work when the crash happened, State Police said previously. Contact Eric Conklin: 609-272-7261 econklin@pressofac.com| Twitter @ACPressConklin 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. Hundreds of Atlantic City casino workers have picketed outside the Tropicana casino. They're demanding a new contract with the citys nine gambling halls that guarantees employees a share in the post-COVID recovery. The old contract expired early Wednesday. Union leaders and workers say they'll demonstrate as often as necessary, and are feeling the pinch from rising gas and food prices. Atlantic City casinos and their online partners are collectively making more money than before the pandemic. But they say not all the casinos have surpassed pre-pandemic levels for in-person revenue. The casinos keep only about 30% of online and sports betting money. Its one of 31 such federal grants totaling $19.6 million the NJDOT is awarding under the Safe Routes to School program the largest amount ever awarded for the program. These grants will provide resources to improve sidewalks and bike paths to encourage children to stay active by walking and biking to school, Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said. The program was created to encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bike to school by making it safer and more appealing. The goal is to help kids live a healthier and more active lifestyle from an early age. Projects are designed to improve safety as well as reduce traffic, fuel consumption and air pollution near schools. Woodbine students on board for Walk to School Day WOODBINE Woodbine Elementary School joined schools from around the world to celebrate Inte Of the 31 grants, 22 totaling $13.8 million are in the area covered by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority; seven worth $4 million are in areas served by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, covering parts of Central Jersey and five Pennsylvania counties; and two grants totaling $1.7 million are within the area covered by the South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization, which includes Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Salem counties. In addition to the Pleasantville grant, one for $425,000 will go to the Pennsville Township Middle School Pedestrian Safety and Traffic Calming project in Salem County. Projects to be funded include the construction of sidewalks; pedestrian and bicycle crossing improvements; on-street bicycle facilities; and the installation of new crosswalks, school-zone markings and speed-limit signs. Special consideration was given to applications that addressed equity by providing benefits to underserved communities, low-income residents, minorities, those with limited English proficiency, people with disabilities, children and older adults. 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. CAMBRIDGE, Ill. Convicted murderer Scott F. English, 52, of Kewanee, has been charged in Henry County Circuit Court with two counts of felony sexual abuse. English served 23 years of a 50-year sentence for the October 1996 beating death of 3-year-old Jami Sue Pollock of Kewanee. He was originally given a life sentence, but that was successfully appealed and he was given day-for-day credit in the 50-year sentence. He was released in December 2019. According to the new charges, English committed two separate acts of sexual conduct with a person under the age of 18 between May 1, 2019, and May 28, 2022. Judge James Cosby set bond at $250,000 on Monday. In court Tuesday, Judge Dana McReynolds arraigned English on the charges and penalties and set a preliminary hearing for June 6. If found guilty, English would be eligible for a sentence of up to seven years. The public defender's office was appointed to the case. A Kewanee man who killed a 3-year old was released in 2019. He was arraigned Tuesday for molesting children. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 Davenport firefighters rescued a dog and two cats trapped in a burning home on Monday. The Davenport Fire Department was sent around 11:40 a.m. to investigate a report of a fire on the back porch of a home in the 2800 block of West Dover Court, according to a news release. When they arrived, firefighters found fire and smoke visible on the back of the residence. Those inside the residence were able to escape before firefighters arrived on the scene, while fire crews rescued the dog and cats and returned the animals to their owner, the release states. No injuries were reported. The fire traveled up the outside of the house and got into the attic before firefighters arrived, the release states. Searching the home to ensure the fire was fully extinguished took several hours. The home was not habitable as of Tuesday, but the residents did not need Red Cross assistance. The cause of the fire was under investigation, the release states. The fire on Dover Court was the second fire Monday in Davenport, according to the fire department news release. The other happened about 12:30 a.m. in the 1700 block of West 69th Street, according to the news release. When they arrived, firefighters found heavy flames engulfing the side of a detached two-car garage. The fire was quickly under control, but the garage and two vehicles were damaged by the flames, the release states. No one was injured, the release states. The release did not provide any information about the possible cause or origin of the fire. 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. The Rock Island Arsenal isn't a target for potential closure, congressional leaders say, despite calls to reassess military bases around the country. The chair of a budget-writing defense subcommittee, Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minnesota, has voiced her support for evaluating military bases and identifying unneeded space, a process called Base Realignment and Closure. The acronym BRAC "strikes fear into the hearts of Quad-Citians," Scott County Supervisor Tony Knobbe told fellow supervisors last week in a public meeting. In 2005, the Pentagon decided to move the Rock Island Arsenal's 1,200-person-strong TACOM, a chemical and armament systems unit, to Michigan. Also in 2005, the Pentagon recommended closing the 301-person Defense Finance and Accounting Service at the Rock Island Arsenal, but the Arsenal kept a separate department that had been recommended for closure and gained another. The threat of BRAC comes with the possibility, however slight, of closures of one of the Quad-Cities' top employers. The Arsenal employs 5,089 civilian, 471 military and 669 contracted employees. All told, 14,000 community jobs are tied to the Arsenal. But U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Illinois, representing Rock Island County, said the Quad-Cities need not worry. Let me be clear: There is no Base Realignment and Closure process underway," Bustos said in a prepared statement. "In fact, the Arsenal's role in our nation's defense network is growing." Likewise, Scott Lohman, president of the Rock Island Arsenal Defense Alliance, a Quad Cities Chamber-affiliated nonprofit, said the alliance was not expecting a BRAC request this year since the Department of Defense did not include one in its appropriations request. But, "there are changing political dynamics on Capitol Hill that may open up a debate on BRAC in the coming years, and we will do whatever it takes to be prepared," Lohman said. Bustos, a member of the House Appropriations Committee and subcommittee on defense, pointed to an additional $70 million in federal funding invested this year in the Arsenal for research, development and manufacturing, including large-scale 3D printing. "I've spent a decade fighting for the Quad-Cities, and on my watch, the Arsenal remains well-positioned to help lead in the defense of our nation and for our allies, Bustos said. Rock Island Arsenal spokespeople did not respond to requests for comment for this story. Commands at the Rock Island Arsenal include the Army Sustainment Command, First Army, Joint Munitions Command, and Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center, among others. "The Rock Island Arsenal Defense Alliance continually fosters relationships and identifies opportunities to best position the region to have a positive outcome if a BRAC process is undertaken," Lohman said. Local elected officials expressed the threat of a BRAC always exists, which is why members of local boards and commissions encouraged members to continue to convey to lawmakers the importance of the Rock Island Arsenal both to the Quad-Cities and to the nation. A 2012 Government Accountability Office report found that the 2005 round of BRAC did not produce the cost savings that were expected because of increased cost estimates in information technology and construction as well as complicated record keeping on realignments and closures. Davenport Mayor Mike Matson, board vice president of the Rock Island Arsenal Defense Alliance, gave a presentation to the Bi-State Regional Commission outlining the importance of the Rock Island Arsenal, in case any BRAC discussions do arise. "I dont know that a discussion means anything more than a discussion, but any time there is a discussion we need to advocate for the arsenal," Matson said. "Keep it in peoples heads that we all support the arsenal." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 2 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. The Rock Island Arsenal isn't a target for potential closure, congressional leaders say, despite calls to reassess military bases around the country. The chair of a budget-writing defense subcommittee, Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minnesota, has voiced her support for evaluating military bases and identifying unneeded space, a process called Base Realignment and Closure. The acronym BRAC "strikes fear into the hearts of Quad-Citians," Scott County Supervisor Tony Knobbe told fellow supervisors last week in a public meeting. In 2005, the Pentagon decided to move the Rock Island Arsenal's 1,200-person-strong TACOM, a chemical and armament systems unit, to Michigan. Also in 2005, the Pentagon recommended closing the 301-person Defense Finance and Accounting Service at the Rock Island Arsenal, but the Arsenal kept a separate department that had been recommended for closure and gained another. The threat of BRAC comes with the possibility, however slight, of closures of one of the Quad-Cities' top employers. The Arsenal employs 5,089 civilian, 471 military and 669 contracted employees. All told, 14,000 community jobs are tied to the Arsenal. But U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Illinois, representing Rock Island County, said the Quad-Cities need not worry. Let me be clear: There is no Base Realignment and Closure process underway," Bustos said in a prepared statement. "In fact, the Arsenal's role in our nation's defense network is growing." Likewise, Scott Lohman, president of the Rock Island Arsenal Defense Alliance, a Quad Cities Chamber-affiliated nonprofit, said the alliance was not expecting a BRAC request this year since the Department of Defense did not include one in its appropriations request. But, "there are changing political dynamics on Capitol Hill that may open up a debate on BRAC in the coming years, and we will do whatever it takes to be prepared," Lohman said. Bustos, a member of the House Appropriations Committee and subcommittee on defense, pointed to an additional $70 million in federal funding invested this year in the Arsenal for research, development and manufacturing, including large-scale 3D printing. "I've spent a decade fighting for the Quad-Cities, and on my watch, the Arsenal remains well-positioned to help lead in the defense of our nation and for our allies, Bustos said. Rock Island Arsenal spokespeople did not respond to requests for comment for this story. Commands at the Rock Island Arsenal include the Army Sustainment Command, First Army, Joint Munitions Command, and Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center, among others. "The Rock Island Arsenal Defense Alliance continually fosters relationships and identifies opportunities to best position the region to have a positive outcome if a BRAC process is undertaken," Lohman said. Local elected officials expressed the threat of a BRAC always exists, which is why members of local boards and commissions encouraged members to continue to convey to lawmakers the importance of the Rock Island Arsenal both to the Quad-Cities and to the nation. A 2012 Government Accountability Office report found that the 2005 round of BRAC did not produce the cost savings that were expected because of increased cost estimates in information technology and construction as well as complicated record keeping on realignments and closures. Davenport Mayor Mike Matson, board vice president of the Rock Island Arsenal Defense Alliance, gave a presentation to the Bi-State Regional Commission outlining the importance of the Rock Island Arsenal, in case any BRAC discussions do arise. "I dont know that a discussion means anything more than a discussion, but any time there is a discussion we need to advocate for the arsenal," Matson said. "Keep it in peoples heads that we all support the arsenal." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A meeting to discus several topics including the Moline water and the Apoyo Village projects is being held Wednesday at Silvis CityHall. According to a release, the town hall meeting will discuss: the vote to disband the civil service commission, a lead service line replacement project, a fireworks ordinance, the Moline water project and the proposed Apoyo Village project. Apoyo village is a low-income housing project proposed by the Greater Metropolitan Area Housing Authority of Rock Island County as a 24- to 26-unit project located at 2001 5th St. Those who oppose the Apoyo Village project say the project is targeting tenants on release from the Illinois Department of Corrections and that the project is less than a half-mile from Bowlesburg Elementary School and several day care centers, and just more than a half-mile from United Township High School. Meeting to be held today to oppose Apoyo Village project in Silvis A meeting to oppose the proposed Apoyo Village project in Silvis will be held at 1 p.m. Sund In April, Moline City Council members approved an agreement with Silvis to provide for the bulk sale of surplus potable water. About half of the residents of Silvis would receive water from Moline under the agreement after years of struggling with water-pressure issues and complaints of poor water quality. The annual revenue from the agreement is estimated to be $180,000. Moline to provide water to portions of Silvis After years of struggling with water-pressure issues, some Silvis residents may find some re IF YOU GO: The meeting is being held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 1, at Silvis City Hall, 121 11th St., and is open to the public. Those with questions can call City Hall, 309-792-9181, according to the release. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A University of Vermont Medical Center employee accidentally opened an emailed file from her homeowners association, which had been hacked, in October 2020. That one mistake eventually led to the University of Vermont Health Network, which includes the states largest hospital in Burlington, having to cancel surgeries, put off mammogram appointments and delay some cancer patients treatments. The ensuing ransomware attack had forced officials to shut down all internet connections, including access to patients electronic health records, to prevent cybercriminals from doing further damage. Everything was down. So our phones were down. We no longer had fax machines. You couldnt use email to communicate, Dr. Stephen Leffler, the systems president and chief operating officer said of the attack in a recent podcast by the American Hospital Association. That first evening, we actually sent people over to Best Buy to buy walkie-talkies. In the past few years, a growing number of hospitals and health care organizations across the U.S. have faced cyberattacks, interrupting care and putting patients at risk. That includes some public health facilities run by state or local governments. Hospitals have been hit pretty hard with high-impact ransomware attacks during the pandemic, said John Riggi, national adviser for cybersecurity and risk at the American Hospital Association. Riggi noted that during the pandemic, hospitals have had to rapidly expand network and internet-connected technology and deploy remote systems to support staffers who shifted to telework. The bad guys took advantage of that and had more opportunities to get into our networks, he said. Ransomware attacks have forced some hospitals to disrupt chemotherapy, delay reporting lab results and postpone appointments for maternity patients. Some have had to divert ambulances because their emergency rooms couldnt accept new patients. Weve seen that in multiple ransomware attacks, especially with small hospitals, Riggi said. The next ER department could be 125 miles away. In April, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a warning about an aggressive ransomware gang that attacks health care organizations. Among its victims: a network of hospitals and clinics in Ohio and West Virginia that had to cancel surgeries and divert patients with emergencies to other facilities. And with the heightened threat of Russian cyberattacks on the U.S. after the invasion of Ukraine, health care systems are even more vulnerable because theyre considered critical infrastructure, experts say. We are not aware of any specific credible direct threats to U.S. hospitals and health care systems, Riggi said. But we are concerned that they could become collateral damage in attacks launched by Russia. Or that Russian-speaking gangs will launch retaliatory attacks against the West. In February, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a Shields Up warning about the growing Russian cyberthreat to organizations. Ransomware hijacks computer systems and holds them hostage until the victims pay a ransom or restore the system on their own. It typically spreads through phishing, in which hackers email malicious links or attachments and people unwittingly click on them, unleashing malware. In 2020 and 2021, there were at least 168 ransomware attacks affecting 1,763 clinics, hospitals and health care organizations in the U.S., according to Brett Callow, a threat analyst for cybersecurity company Emsisoft. A November survey of 132 health care executives, most from the United States, found that ransomware was the No. 1 cybersecurity threat, more than data breaches or insider threats, according to the Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center, a nonprofit global cyberthreat-sharing group for the health care industry. The shift from paper health records to electronic health records has made patient health information more accessible, however, these records are more vulnerable to attacks and are extremely lucrative, the report noted. It said hackers can demand $50 for a partial health record, versus $1 for a stolen Social Security or credit card number. Historically, the health care sector has been playing catch-up when it comes to cybersecurity, according to Errol Weiss, the health information-sharing groups chief security officer. The focus was being compliant with (federal requirements related to) the privacy of patient data, not cybersecurity, Weiss said. Unfortunately, a lot of health care organizations are not as good as they should have been and were easy prey. The pandemic made things worse as hospitals were over capacity and were busy dealing with seriously ill COVID-19 patients. Its been the perfect storm, between the ransomware, all the overcapacity, people stretched thin and how vulnerable the systems were, Weiss said. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy A 78-year-old woman has died following a crash five miles west of Rapid City, the South Dakota Department of Public Safety announced Wednesday. The woman and two others were transported to Monument Health Rapid City hospital Tuesday afternoon following a two-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 16. The 78-year-old woman died at the hospital. She was not wearing a seatbelt. Tony Mangan, public information officer for the South Dakota Department of Public Safety, said law enforcement was called to the crash around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday on U.S. Highway 16, mile marker 60. Mangan said the woman was driving a 2010 Buick LaCrosse heading east on Highway 16. According to preliminary information, the vehicle veered to the right and hit a guard rail. It then went across the two east-bound lanes, went into the median, entered a west-bound lane and struck a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. There were two passengers in the Hyundai heading west, a 66-year-old man and a 65-year-old woman. Mangan said both were wearing their seat belts and sustained serious, non-life threatening injuries. The two passengers were extricated from the vehicle. Charges are no longer pending. Highway 16 was shut down for 48 minutes until one lane was opened. The scene was cleared about 12 minutes after. South Dakota Highway Patrol is the lead investigator and the case is under investigation. Names have not yet been released pending notification of next of kin. 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 1 Sad 3 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. A traffic stop led to police shooting a 31-year-old Rapid City woman multiple times early Tuesday morning after she attempted to drive at officers with her car, the Rapid City Police Department reported Tuesday morning. The woman is in the hospital being treated for several gunshot wounds, but her exact condition is not known as of Tuesday evening. RCPD officers were working in the area of Lacrosse and Waterloo streets in Rapid City when they attempted to conduct a traffic stop. The vehicle did not stop but instead continued to drive, at a low speed, Police Chief Don Hedrick said at a press conference Tuesday morning at Terra Street and South Valley Drive at Terra Mobile Home Estates where police shot the woman. Law enforcement closed off the area around the scene where two police cruisers flanked the sedan, which was still there during the press conference. The passenger-side window had bullet holes in it and the drivers side window was completely gone. Pieces of the window could be seen on the ground near the drivers side. Hedrick told reporters that after police attempted to stop the vehicle for an equipment violation, a passenger jumped out of the vehicle. Equipment violations include things like a tail light being out. The vehicle continued and then the driver threw something out of the window. Hedrick said he was not aware of what that item was or if it had been found. The vehicle continued toward the Cambell Street area, and officers attempted a tactical vehicle intervention. Its something officers use to try and get a vehicle to spin out in a controlled manner. They attempted to utilize that tactic. It did not work, Hedrick said. The vehicle then continued onto Saint Patrick Street, turned onto South Valley Drive and then pulled into Terra Mobile Home Estates on Terra Street. An officer attempted to pin the vehicle, which means it was trying to approach the vehicle with the officer's vehicle to stop it. At that point the vehicle spun and drove in the direction of the police officer. At that point, the officer fired several rounds at the car, fired several shots at the vehicle, striking the driver several times. At that point the vehicle stopped and the driver ceased any sort of action, Hedrick said. The officer was outside of their vehicle when they fired, Brendyn Medina, RCPD community relations specialist confirmed. It is unclear how many officers fired their weapons, but Hedrick said initially two officers were present and one arrived shortly after. Hedrick said the RCPD called the Pennington County Sheriffs Office after the shooting to maintain scene security until the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation could arrive and conduct an investigation with the help of the South Dakota Highway Patrol. We have an officer involved shooting. It's a third party entity to come in and investigate our actions of what happened, Hedrick said. The officers involved were not injured but have been placed on administrative leave, Hedrick said. We are glad our folks are safe. Anytime we have a shooting like this in our community, its a tragedy. This is not the direction we want things to go. I did take a minute to speak with our officers and they are pretty shaken up over this deal but they will be getting time off. It's standard protocol to be on administrative leave until they're able to come back and until our psychologist has been able to work with them, Hedrick said. It is unclear if the officers will have to be cleared by DCI before returning to work. It depends, Medina said. It all depends on the investigation with DCI, and theres no clear-cut process to return to work after an officer involved shooting. The primary focus is on the health of our officers and when theyre healthy to return back to work. After DCI completes their investigation, Hedrick said the RCPD will decide whether theyll consider allowing the media to view body cam footage. The RCPD allowed local media to view footage from the shooting of Barney Peoples, a homeless man in Rapid City who police shot during a burglary call. During that case, Hedrick said it was the first time the RCPD had allowed the media to view body camera footage. Contact Shalom Baer Gee at sgee@rapidcityjournal.com You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 2 Funny 1 Wow 5 Sad 1 Angry 1 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Rev. Dr. Robert Bluford Jr., known for his work as a theologian, historic preservationist and founder of Historic Polegreen Church Foundation, has died. He was 103. Bluford, or Dr. Bob as he was affectionately known, had a very distinguished and lengthy history, according to David Fuller, president of the Historic Polegreen Church Foundation. He was a theologian, historic preservationist, military aviator, author, conservationist and a man with a keen eye for real estate acquisitions, Fuller said. One of his greatest legacies was his extraordinary efforts in the preservation and interpretation of the Historic Polegreen Church. Bluford died on April 30. As founder of the Historic Polegreen Church Foundation and chairman of its board of directors, Dr. Buford was a visionary with never-ending vigor and devoted more than 30 years to the preservation and interpretation of the church site in Hanover County, said Fuller. Polegreen Church, located at 6411 Heatherwood Drive, Mechanicsville, is the site of what may be the first non-Anglican church in Virginia. A small meetinghouse was built in 1743 with a larger church built several years later. The site became vital to the colonists struggle for religious freedom during the Great Awakening movement in Virginia. The church was led by the Rev. Samuel Davies, who inspired a young Patrick Henry that attended the church with his mother. Davies became the first licensed non-Anglican minister in Virginia and eventually became president of what is now Princeton University. Polegreen Church burned down in 1864 during the Civil War Battle of Totopotomoy Creek. A stone monument was displayed on the site in 1929, and around 1975, Bluford took an interest in the storyline. And that led him to the realization of a vision that perhaps on that nondescript piece of land, there was a story that could be developed and a history that was worth preserving, which led to Historic Polegreen Church, said Fuller. Bluford eventually transformed the site into the beautiful historic attraction that stands today. In studying the history of the church, he came to discover the foundation of the building brick by brick. Using existing sketches of the building that were composed in 1862, the Historic Polegreen Church Foundation was able to reconstruct a ghost church. His efforts led others to join that particular cause, to recognize the value of historic interpretation and preservation, Fuller said. Not just building buildings or trying to put things for people to see, but rather tell the story about the people who lived during the times... to unfold that avenue, to bring it forth, give it life, put a structure in place that people would wonder when they drove by, What is it? Why havent they finished the building? I think Bobs influence with that type of vision of interpretation, as well as preservation, is going to be his legacy, Fuller added. Blufords efforts also led to removing improvements made over the last 200 years and clearing the view shed surrounding the churchs site to emulate what it likely looked like in colonial days. Now stands a peaceful strip of 110 acres of land, some of which extends to the birthplace of Patrick Henry. It is up to [the Historic Polegreen Church Foundation] to continue that legacy of keeping that view shed open, being able to sweep your arms around and say, This is what it looked like in the early 1700s, said Fuller. The site has served as both a place of reverence and a place of celebration for visitors over the years, as property has become a popular attraction for wedding celebrations. The site has additionally hosted naturalization ceremonies prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and a variety of other programs. Fuller said countless others can share stories of Blufords influence and legacy over the years. He lived for 103 years, and my gosh, everything he touched turned into gold, Fuller said. Bluford was passionate about history, preservation and interpretation, and making things real for people today to understand the why behind it, he added. State police identified a 73-year-old Moseley man as the victim of a two-vehicle crash Monday on Interstate 95 in Richmond. William Melville Wash Jr. died at the scene of the 9:45 a.m. wreck in the northbound lanes of I-95 near the 72-mile marker. He was wearing his safety belt. Shortly before the crash, police said, a state trooper was stopped in his cruiser with emergency lights activated on the right shoulder of the interstate to assist a disabled vehicle on the shoulder. Upon seeing the troopers lights, the driver of a white Ford Mustang traveling north in the right lane swerved off the roadway and struck the guardrail on the right shoulder. On impact, the vehicle crossed all lanes before striking the center jersey wall head-on, police said. The Mustang then coasted backward into the path of a tractor-trailer. The driver of the tractor-trailer was unable to avoid striking the Mustang in the drivers side door. The Mustang then ran off the road to the right, just missing the patrol vehicle, and came to rest in the wood line off the interstate, police said. The driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured. The crash remains under investigation. Authorities on Tuesday released the names of two women missing near Bosher's Dam. Henrico police in a statement said they are Lauren E. Winstead, 23, of Henrico County, and Sarah E. Erway, 28, of Chesterfield County. Anyone with information is asked to call police at (804) 501-5000. Our earlier story ... Two women are missing after a group of 12 people went over a dam in the James River on Monday afternoon. Richmond Fire Department Chief Jeffrey Segal said the first report of kayakers being stranded in the river near Z-Dam - which can be seen from Riverside Drive and is a half mile from Pony Pasture - came at 3:13 p.m. Four minutes later, reports said the kayakers were at Bosher's Dam, which is roughly a mile upriver with a 12-foot drop. RFD's first boat went into the water at 3:22 p.m., where alongside civilian kayakers, the fire department was able to rescue and account for 10 people. Nine of those individuals were taken to a reunification center at Station 25 to meet with family members. One got to safety and self-transported to the hospital, said Segal. In a media briefing Monday night, Segal said there is not enough information to ascertain what floating device the 12 people were on since the devices were swept up in the current. The National Weather Service recorded the water levels at over 9 feet by 3 p.m., which is considered to be "action stage," or the level in which mitigation measures are needed to prepare for significant water activity. Above 6 feet is deemed "too high" for "average paddlers" due to powerful rapids. The search for the two remaining people continued through the afternoon and until nightfall. Segal said the search will resume Tuesday at 7 a.m. "As of right now, we're very hopeful but I wouldn't say it is classified as a recovery mission," Segal said. "We're very hopeful. We're going to search again first thing tomorrow morning." An earlier version of this story incorrectly described the location of the dam. This version has been corrected. 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. Gov. Glenn Youngkin is holding his fire until after the General Assembly acts Wednesday on a pair of budgets that deliver most of the tax cuts the freshman Republican governor promised in his campaign last fall, with some help from his Democratic predecessor. Youngkin, in an appearance to ceremonially sign bills to reform the beleaguered Virginia Employment Commission and give private employers a new option for offering paid family leave to employees, said Tuesday that hes pleased with the framework in a budget compromise unveiled informally last week. We still have work to do, he said. The work will resume on Wednesday when the assembly reconvenes in special session to adopt changes to the current budget for this year and a new $165 billion budget for the two fiscal years beginning on July 1. The budget agreement includes $100 million for nontraditional lab schools two-thirds of what Youngkin had asked and an additional $22.5 million per year to pay for school resource officer incentive grants. Legislators will consider that provision eight days after a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. The budgets a joint conference committee approved contain $4 billion in tax cuts, including one-time tax rebates, a partial repeal of the sales tax on groceries and a break for low-income working families that Youngkins predecessor, then-Gov. Ralph Northam, included in his parting budget proposal nearly six months ago in a nod to his successors political priorities. From the start, Virginia families deserved a budget that helps them make ends meet and invests in the future, said Ashley C. Kenneth, president and CEO of the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, which had lobbied for the refundable earned income tax credit. This conference proposal makes some notable steps in that direction, including much-needed relief for parents. The budget agreement also includes raises of 5% each year for state employees, teachers and other state-supported local employees, with the first payable on Aug. 1, and a $1,000 bonus on Dec. 1. It would make $1 billion in additional state contributions to public employee retirement plans and $80 million for other retirement benefits to reduce long-term unfunded liabilities. Unfinished business In addition to adopting the two budgets, the legislature will complete work on about four dozen bills that it left unresolved when it adjourned its 60-day session on March 12. The assembly also will elect judges to two general district court judicial vacancies, but isnt likely to fill two vacant seats on the Virginia Supreme Court and one on the State Corporation Commission until it returns later in June to act on Youngkins vetoes and proposed amendments to the budgets and other legislation during a seven-day window for his actions. Also Wednesday, House Democrats will choose a new leader after ousting former Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax, April 27. The candidates are Del. Don Scott Jr., D-Portsmouth, who led the push to oust Filler-Corn, and two candidates who were allies of Filler-Corn when she was speaker: Del. Charniele Herring, D-Alexandria and Del. Rip Sullivan, D-Fairfax. Youngkin will find much to like in the two budgets, including a nearly 80% boost to the standard deduction for income tax filers over the next four years and an exemption for military retirement income that will reach a maximum limit of $40,000 in four years. The budget agreement would not repeal the local option sales tax on groceries or suspend the state gas tax for three months, as Youngkin had sought. It would give one-time tax rebates of $250 per person and $500 for families, instead of the $300 and $600 give-backs that the governor and House Republicans had wanted. Resource officers The governor said he went online Sunday night to check the details of the budget deal to ensure it included the money for officers in schools. There is sufficient money in the budget to fund school resource officers across the commonwealth hugely important, he said on Tuesday. Youngkin acknowledged the political ramifications of the school shootings in Texas and a racially motivated attack at a supermarket in Buffalo on May 14 that killed 10 people, all Black. The assembly will consider at least three bills related to firearms and gun violence on Wednesday. The reality is there is going to be a lot of politics around this at both ends, he said on Tuesday, and politics is not the way right now to make progress on the things we can do. On lab schools, Youngkin wants colleges and universities to open the K-12 schools with public dollars as an option to traditional public schools. Youngkin initially requested $150 million to help establish new schools and fund the cost of developing programs. School buildings The budget also breaks new ground for the state in helping local school divisions repair or replace old school buildings. It includes $1.25 billion for a combination of grants and low-interest loans for school modernization, including $400 million in payments to school divisions in the first year. Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, who led a bipartisan commission on school construction and modernization, said she worked with Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin County, and Del. Israel OQuinn, R-Washington County, to make a major investment in repairing Virginias crumbling school infrastructure. This investment provides a strong start, but we have many years of work ahead to modernize Virginias aging schools, McClellan said Tuesday. She also touted the budgets inclusion of more than $272 million to partially restore state funding of school positions such as social workers, psychologists and nurses which had been capped under the Standards of Quality 13 years ago during the Great Recession. The agreement also includes $10 million a year to carry out a compromise of what McClellan said was her proposal to require every elementary school in Virginia to have a full-time principal, regardless of the schools size. However, the assembly could backtrack on marijuana decriminalization a signature policy breakthrough under two years of Democratic control before Republicans won back the House last fall. The proposed budget agreement would make public possession of more than four ounces of marijuana a Class 3 misdemeanor. The assembly passed legislation in 2021 to legalize up to an ounce of marijuana for adults, and make amounts up to a pound punishable by a civil infraction, not a criminal misdemeanor. Casino Locally, the proposed budget agreement would block Richmond from holding a second voter referendum this year on approval of a casino resort on Walmsley Boulevard next to Interstate 95 in South Side. The ONE Casino + Resort failed in the first voter referendum last November, but Richmond wants a second chance. Assembly budget leaders said last week that they would not try to thwart the vote which a Richmond circuit court judge ordered on the ballot in late March but would instead delay the issuance of a state license for a year to allow the study of a potential rival casino site in Petersburg. But the budget proposal would do both, preventing the Virginia Lottery from issuing a license for the Richmond project if voters approved it and also blocking a second referendum until November, 2023. I misspoke, House Appropriations Chairman Barry Knight, R-Virginia Beach, said on Tuesday. Hazing Among other unresolved issues, a bill that addresses the punishment for hazing at Virginias colleges is expected to be put off until next year, said Courtney White, the cousin of Adam Oakes, who died after a VCU fraternity party last year. The House passed a bill that would have made hazing a Class 5 felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison if it results in the bodily injury or death of a student. Currently, hazing is a Class 1 misdemeanor, and those found guilty serve no more than one year in jail. The Senate passed a different version of the bill that would keep hazing a misdemeanor. Oakes family supports the House version. Three former members of the Delta Chi fraternity have been found guilty in connection to Oakes death. None has received jail time. mmartz@timesdispatch.com (804) 649-6964 Patrick Wilson an d Eric Kolenich contributed to this report. Del. Don Scott Jr., D-Portsmouth, faces two other Democrats on Wednesday in his quest to lead the partys caucus in the House of Delegates. Scott orchestrated a surprise overthrow of House Minority Leader Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax, in April, saying he wanted the job. She was the states first female House speaker. House Democrats opted not to vote on a replacement in April and will decide in a leadership vote Wednesday morning on whether to pick Scott, Del. Charniele Herring, D-Alexandria, or Del. Rip Sullivan, D-Fairfax. Twenty-five of the 48-member Democratic caucus voted to remove Filler-Corn. Discontent with Filler-Corn among House Democrats grew over the 2021 election losses, when Republicans took control of the chamber. Scott declined to comment Tuesday, and Herring and Sullivan could not be reached. Last week, in an unscripted moment, President Joe Biden bluntly warned that if China invades Taiwan, the United States will come to the islands defense. Weve made a commitment, Biden told reporters at a news conference in Tokyo. Including military action? Yes, he replied. That isnt what U.S. policy on Taiwan says not officially, at least. The White House and State Department hurriedly tried to walk back the presidents words. Our policy has not changed, they insisted. Biden critics called it a gaffe, but the statement wasnt a slip of the tongue. Biden has used the same language about Taiwan three times in nine months. When a president offers his personal version of policy three times in a row, that pretty much makes it official even if it wasnt issued in a formal communique. Biden openly said what has been implicit for several years: The United States is willing to threaten force to deter China from invading Taiwan. Until now, those hints were couched in a policy known as strategic ambiguity. The president made it less ambiguous. China hawks hailed the rhetorical shift as a welcome burst of clarity. Others worried it might provoke China toward reckless action. The Chinese reaction was anger. If the U.S. continues to go down the wrong path, there will be irretrievable consequences ... and the U.S. will have to bear an unbearable price, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin warned. Why such a storm over the word commitment? A bit of history might help. China considers Taiwan to be part of its national territory. For many years, so did the rulers of Taiwan the U.S.-backed losers of Chinas civil war who fled to the island when the Communists took power in 1949. In 1979, when President Jimmy Carter recognized Beijing as the sole legitimate government of China, Congress passed the Taiwan Relations Act. It committed the United States to supply weapons to the islands government. However, it did not commit the United States to militarily intervene against a Chinese invasion; that was left ambiguous. The idea was to deter China without directly opposing its aspiration to reabsorb Taiwan. That balance was relatively easy to maintain when China was weaker. But over the past two decades, China has strengthened and become an assertive regional power: building military bases in the South China Sea, bullying weaker neighbors like the Philippines, and harassing Taiwans armed forces with air and naval incursions. Chinese officials have derided the United States as a declining power. After the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, one of Beijings official newspapers said the lesson for Taiwan was that if war broke out, the U.S. military wont come to help. Thats when Biden first publicly said the United States had a commitment to defend Taiwan, much like the U.S. obligation to its allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. His intention, then and now, was clear: to make Chinese President Xi Jinping think long and hard before considering an invasion. But by announcing the commitment the way he did, he created consternation in his own foreign policy bureaucracy. I dont think the confusion is helpful, said Bonnie S. Glaser, director of the Asia Program at the German Marshall Fund. Glaser supports the goal of deterring China from invading Taiwan but she also said it isnt clear Bidens warnings will do that. What will deter China, and what will provoke China? Its not clear that we know, she said. The Chinese believe we are testing their bottom line, seeing if they will respond if we touch on one of their core interests like Taiwan. If they think we are encouraging [Taiwan to declare] independence, they could well be tempted to use force. It also is not clear whether the United States could defeat a Chinese invasion. Chinas navy is the largest in the world, although its ships are smaller and less sophisticated than those of the U.S. and its allies. A 2018 study commissioned by Congress warned the United States might struggle to win, or perhaps lose, a war against China. So to make his commitment to Taiwan stick, Biden has work to do. He already has marshaled support from Japan, Australia and other allies. His administration has been prodding Taiwan to upgrade its defenses, taking lessons from Ukraines success in fending off a larger invader. And U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III is expected to seek more forces in the Pacific. Paradoxically, though, even as he strengthens deterrence, Biden needs to reassure China that the United States is not covertly encouraging Taiwan to declare independence. That means reaffirming the One China policy he mentioned only briefly in his recent remarks; and assuring Xi that he means it when he says he doesnt want to change the status quo. If Biden can do all of that, last weeks unscripted statement might one day be remembered as a step toward deterring war in Asia not the moment when he inadvertently provoked one. Shopping for cannabis can be overwhelming for new consumers. Ngiste Abebe, vice president of public policy for Columbia Care, which operates Cannabist and gLeaf dispensaries in Virginia, offers some helpful information and tips to simplify the process. Abebe is also a volunteer board member at Virginia NORML and the vice chair of the Public Health Advisory Council for Virginias Cannabis Control Authority. How do patients get a Virginia medical cannabis card? The first step is to talk to a doctor, nurse practitioner or other medical provider who is registered with the states boards of pharmacy and can issue you a patient certification. Virginia NORML maintains a patient-friendly, searchable database to help you find a provider and a step-by-step guide to follow, and telehealth makes appointments more accessible than ever. Next, youll submit the certification online to the Board of Pharmacy. Once approved, youll receive an email confirmation and later a physical card to present when shopping at dispensaries. After July 1, the process with the Board of Pharmacy will be changing and updates will be sent out accordingly. Are cannabis products available for sale without a health care practitioners certification in Virginia? Only registered patients are currently allowed to purchase medical cannabis in Virginia. Adult use (or recreational use) is still being considered by the state legislature. Does a patient need to have a specific medical condition to qualify as a medical cannabis patient? There is no list of required conditions; the decision is made between you and your health care practitioner. A conversation with your provider can help determine whether medical cannabis is a good option for you. For those new to medical cannabis, how do they figure out which product is best? When you visit a medical cannabis dispensary, youll be met by well-trained pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who can answer any questions and alleviate concerns. There are a lot of different product formats flower, vapes, tinctures and more. Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are there to help you navigate the options and talk through suggested doses based on potency and strain lineage (sativa, indica or hybrid). How do patients know whether a product is safe? When visiting a state-licensed medical cannabis dispensary, rest assured that all products are third party-tested and approved by the Board of Pharmacy. These requirements (third party testing and verification by a regulator) are not applied to many of the Delta-8 THC or CBD products that you might find in grocery stores or gas stations. No other cannabinoid sales outlet in Virginia meets the same level of safety testing, accurate labeling and third party review. What is Delta-8? Delta-8 THC is a type of cannabinoid produced naturally by the cannabis plant. Typically processed at higher concentrations, it is not regulated or tested. The FDA recently issued a warning about the potential health effects of Delta-8 THC products. Whats the best way to store cannabis at home? Products sold at state-registered medical cannabis dispensaries come in child-resistant packaging. If you dont finish the product once its been opened, its always a good idea to store the remainder in a secure stash/lockbox out of childrens reach. LOCKGREEN, a 100 percent Black-owned, Virginia-based company, offers some great options. About Columbia Care One of the largest and most experienced cultivators, manufacturers and providers of cannabis products and related services, Columbia Care maintains licenses in 18 U.S. jurisdictions and the EU. In Virginia, the company operates retail dispensaries called Cannabist and gLeaf. For more information, visit col-care.com. Information provided is for educational and informational purposes only by the advertiser and does not supersede any medical advice given by a physician. Cannabis is still considered a schedule 1 controlled substance and is illegal under federal law. Adults who consume cannabis must keep cannabis products away from animals and out of reach of children. Note that the intoxicating effects of cannabis can sometimes be delayed, so do not operate a vehicle or machinery after consumption. Use of cannabis during pregnancy or while breastfeeding may be harmful. By purchasing cannabis from a dispensary, you are assuming the risk of any damage or loss that occurs during its use. 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. The long-distance hiker who fell 50 feet off a cliff just north of McAfee Knobs summit early Sunday has died, the Roanoke County Fire and Rescue Department said Tuesday. Paul Classen, a 23-year-old from the Netherlands, died at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital later that day, after a dramatic rescue operation involving first responders, fellow hikers, a physician wilderness medical care specialist, an ATV and a helicopter retrieved him from the remote mountain near Catawba. Robyn Urdaibay, a member of Classens tramily trail family also confirmed his death on the Appalachian Trail Hikers 2022 page on Facebook Tuesday. Urdaibay said in her post that she was sharing information about Classen with approval of his family to clarify the truth of what happened. He was sitting at the edge of the cliffs past McAfee with his feet on a lower rock, not right on the edge, not posing for a photo, and not on the knob itself. He spontaneously slumped forwards and fell, Urdaibay said. He was totally well, just chilling eating breakfast. We think he must have passed out, but we dont know why and will never know for sure. Matt Johnson, 40, of Roanoke, witnessed the incident out of the corner of his eye. He said Classen was with a group of about 12 hikers, including members of his group of thru-hikers, who all seemed to be smiling and having a good time. Johnson said he was about 20 feet away from Classen when he fell, adding the incident wasnt due to extreme negligence. It wasnt like he was bouncing around on the edge, he said. Johnson said he quickly reached Classen amid large boulders below the crest because he knew a fast route down the craggy mountainside. We were also able to send teams of hikers in both directions to help the first responders carry gear, Johnson said. Pauls trail family really came together and did all that was possible to attempt to save him. They kept him still and calm, talked to him the whole time we were waiting on rescue. Everyone there was willing to help. He was our friend, and the most lively, empathetic, personable, fun and goofy guy you could ever meet, Urdaibay said on Facebook. If you met him on the trail, Im sure you will remember him. Jimmy Moore, 55, of Roanoke said he met Classen on Saturday. Classen used a nickname, as many Appalachian Trail hikers do, calling himself Grandmaster. I went to take some photos of a trail-running friend, Kacie, on her thru hike, Moore said Tuesday. We ran into Grandmaster along the way. I only talked to him for a few minutes. He said he carried a chess set, hence the name Grandmaster, Moore continued. He was laughing, because someone had just beaten him at chess. He told us he was hiking to Daleville on Sunday and leaving the trail. He needed to get to Washington, D.C. to fly home. While we were talking, I took a few pictures. Moore said in a Facebook post that Classen had indicated an interest in hiking the entire Appalachian Trial. So very sad for him and his family, Moore wrote. Urdaibay invited members of the hiker Facebook group to send photos and stories of Classen to stories.grandmaster@gmail.com. These will all be sent on to his family, Urdaibay said. He will be incredibly missed. Thank you all for keeping his family in your thoughts. We have witnessed an outpouring of sympathies and support from the greater A.T. hiking community, a reminder of the close connections the trail creates even between those who have not met directly. We hope that such sympathies offer a degree of comfort to all those grieving his loss, said Sandra Marra, president and CEO of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the organization that manages the backcountry footpath. We also express our sincere thanks to the rescue teams who assisted in the rescue operation, Marra added. Classen is not the first to die after falling from 3,200-foot picturesque McAfee Knob, among the most popular hiking destinations both in the Roanoke Valley and along the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail, which extends between Georgia and Maine. In July 2018, Gregg Marr Sr., 67, of Florida, slipped and fell 100 feet from the summit. He was hospitalized and died about a week later. 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. To serve a Google spreadsheet as API, you need to gather the following config values: Google spreadsheet URL, usually in the form of https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/{SPREADSHEET_ID}#gid={SHEET_ID} . . (Optional) Google spreadsheet sheet title (bottom of the spreadsheet UI). This is required if SHEET_ID is not specified in URL through #gid . is not specified in URL through . Google spreadsheet service account secret key. Here are the steps to configure the service account: Activate Google Sheets API in the Google API Console. Create a service account: https://console.developers.google.com/apis/api/sheets.googleapis.com/credentials. Go into service account setting, click ADD KEY -> Create new key . Then select JSON format and save it somewhere safe as a file. Copy email address for your newly created service account, usually in the format of {ACCOUNT_NAME}@{PROJECT_ID}.iam.gserviceaccount.com . Open the Google spreadsheet that you want to serve, then share it with the newly created service account using the service account email. Now you can configure ROAPI to load the google spreadsheet into a table using: tables: - name: "table_name" uri: "https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-lc4oij04aXzFSRMwVBLjU76s-K0-s6UPc2biOvtuuU#gid=0" option: format: "google_spreadsheet" application_secret_path: "path/to/service_account_key.json" # sheet_title is optional if `#gid` is specified in uri sheet_title: "sheet_name_within_google_spreadsheet" ROAPI only invokes Google Sheets API during the initial data load, subsequent query requests are served using in memory data. Here is what it looks like to serve this public google spreadsheet with ROAPI. Start server: $ roapi -c local.yaml [2022-05-31T01:07:55Z INFO roapi::context] loading `uri(https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-lc4oij04aXzFSRMwVBLjU76s-K0-s6UPc2biOvtuuU#gid=0)` as table `properties` [2022-05-31T01:07:56Z INFO roapi::context] registered `uri(https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-lc4oij04aXzFSRMwVBLjU76s-K0-s6UPc2biOvtuuU#gid=0)` as table `properties` [2022-05-31T01:07:56Z INFO roapi::startup] Listening on 127.0.0.1:5432 for Postgres traffic... [2022-05-31T01:07:56Z INFO roapi::startup] Listening on 127.0.0.1:8080 for HTTP traffic... Query through Postgres wire protocol: $ psql -h 127.0.0.1 psql (12.10 (Ubuntu 12.10-0ubuntu0.20.04.1), server 13) WARNING: psql major version 12, server major version 13. Some psql features might not work. Type "help" for help. houqp=> select "Address", "Bed", "Bath", "Occupied" from properties; Address | Bed | Bath | Occupied ------------------+-----+------+---------- Bothell, WA | 3 | 2 | f Lynnwood, WA | 2 | 1 | f Kirkland, WA | 4 | 2 | f Kent, WA | 3 | 2 | f Mount Vernon, WA | 2 | 1 | f Seattle, WA | 3 | 1 | f Seattle, WA | 2 | 1 | f Shoreline, WA | 1 | 1 | f Bellevue, WA | 3 | 1 | f Renton, WA | 4 | 2 | f Woodinville, WA | 3 | 3 | f Kenmore, WA | 4 | 3 | f Fremont, WA | 5 | 3 | f Redmond, WA | 2 | 2 | f Mill Creek, WA | 3 | 3 | f (15 rows) Query with aggregation using HTTP SQL frontend: $ curl -s -X POST localhost:8080/api/sql --data-binary @- < 3sauces.com Tribune rating: Two stars, very good Advertisement Open: Thursday to Tuesday, 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; closed Wednesdays Prices: Starters, $6.95 to $9.95; main courses, $11.95 Noise: Very conversation friendly Accessibility: Elevator is available to basement food court, but overall access is very limited. Ratings key: Four stars, outstanding; three stars, excellent; two stars, very good; one star, good; no stars, unsatisfactory. Meals are paid for by the Tribune. Flow diagram of solar-biomass hybrid system. Credit: Gaoyang Hou and Lei Xu/ Northwest A&F University Adding an organic matter power source to a solar energy unit could provide 100% heating for a single-story home during the coldest months of the year and help the environment. In the warmer months, the system could generate electricity surpluses that can be sold back to the grid. In the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, researchers in China and the United States outline a computer simulation model addressing the challenge of solar power's inherent intermittency by adding biomass as another renewable energy source to advance a reliable, affordable heating solution while reducing carbon dioxide emissions. "We demonstrate how this hybrid system provides a cleaner, more energy-efficient heating solution than fossil fuel in single-family homes," co-author Gaoyang Hou said. "The system would be convenient in rural communities, where farms have large amounts of biomass in the form of agricultural waste that can be combined with solar power to close the urban-rural electricity gap and help the environment in the process." The proposed solar-biomass hybrid system is based on distributed multi-generation technology that integrates photovoltaic-thermal (PV/T) and biomass power sources. Biomass is produced from renewable organic matter, like corn husks, nut shells, wood pulp, and food and animal waste. A PV/T system, composed of PV panels and thermal collectors, is an emerging technology that converts solar energy into both heat and electricity with higher energy conversion efficiency. Studies on emerging decentralized hybrid systems have focused on neighborhoods and commercial greenhouse farms. The researchers evaluated their system based on the heating needs of a single-story cottage from November to March in northwest China, where temperatures in winter can dip below minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit). Of the total energy input, the PV/T collector generated 52% of the electrical energy and captured 8% of the available thermal energy. The biomass generated the remaining 40% of the electricity needed to heat the house. "For the entire heating season, solar power predominates the energy supply side, with the biomass energy generation kicking in when needed to make up the energy deficit," co-author Lei Xu said. They created their simulation model in TRNSYS (short for transient system simulation tool), a modular thermal system software used to assess the performance of thermal and electrical renewable energy systems. Their hybrid system simulation consisted of a PV/T collector, heat pump, storage tank with an immersed coiled-tube heat exchanger, flow diverters, and backup electric boiler, among other components. The researchers are developing a solar-biomass system model to meet heating and cooling demands of a small commercial building and, if successful, plan to develop a prototype for experimental testing. Explore further How removing hotspots from hybrid solar panels improves electrical and thermal energy output More information: Lei Xu et al, Modeling and assessment of a novel solar-biomass based distributed multi-generation system, Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy (2022). Journal information: Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy Lei Xu et al, Modeling and assessment of a novel solar-biomass based distributed multi-generation system,(2022). DOI: 10.1063/5.0085305 Veterans and community members gathered at the American Legion Earl Graham Post 159 in Bryan for its annual Memorial Day ceremony Monday. The Memorial Day holiday honors members of the military who gave the ultimate sacrifice for the United States, and those who are listed as prisoners of war or missing in action. Lt. Col. Tyson Voelkel, president and CEO of the Texas A&M Foundation, said he was asked by Randy House, a retired lieutenant general, to emphasize the importance of Memorial Day originally known as Decoration Day following the Civil War and how it differs from Veterans Day. On Veterans Day we thank all veterans; we celebrate those in and out of uniform who served their country, Voelkel said. But Memorial Day is dedicated to the memories of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for each one of us. Without their selfless service, we wouldnt enjoy the freedoms that weve got today. Mondays ceremony was marked by the recognition of those who are considered missing in action or prisoners of war, the singing of Amazing Grace, a 21-gun volley and the playing of Taps. William McGhee, who retired from the U.S. Army in 1997 after a 21-year military career, wiped tears from his eyes following the ceremony, saying he always cries when he hears Taps. McGhee recently moved to Bryan from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and said he wanted to connect to fellow veterans. These are all my people. They speak my language. They understand what weve all been through, he said, recounting a time when he had to bury a fellow soldier, saying he had never cried so hard. TJ Robie, sergeant-at-arms for the local American Legion post, said Taps is the most meaningful part of the ceremony to him also because of what it represents. It doesnt matter what event Im at, Taps is always very solemn because of what its played for, said Robie, who retired from the U.S. Navy submarine forces in 1998 as a chief petty officer after an 11-year career. Its played for those that arent with us. Its played every time one of our service members are laid to rest. Its played every time we have a celebration like this and just the solemnness of that song and what it signifies. Its last call. Post 159 Commander Dale Hutchcraft said there is nothing wrong with enjoying and celebrating the American way of life with picnics and parades over the holiday weekend; however the day is not about that. Memorial Day is about gratitude and remembrance, she said during the event. It is about honoring the men and women who made it possible for us to gather here today in peace. The men and women we remember today fought for us. Voelkel included in his remarks the history of the American Legion, the Bryan post and the posts namesake Cyrus Earle Graham. Graham was born in the Rock Prairie area of Brazos County and graduated from Allen Academy and then Texas A&M when it was known as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. After graduating in 1916, he volunteered for the Army Air Corps that had just nine airplanes at the time. He was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant in 1918 and served in France during World War One, where he was killed in a plane crash on Nov. 9, 1918, two days before the armistice was signed. The United States flag, Voelkel said, is a symbol of freedom, liberty and justice for the rest of the world, and it is those values that make people willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. In the local community, he said, examples of those who died in their military service can be found throughout the area, especially on the Texas A&M campus. He noted the Memorial Student Center, the live oak trees planted at Simpson Drill Field and the memorials placed on the Corps of Cadets Quad. Voelkel said, as a paratrooper, he saw the horrors of combat, and lost 20 fellow paratroopers during his multiple deployments. I remember praying for each one of them and for their families, and I prayed for courage as I looked to the stars, trying to make sense of it all, he said. And I prayed that their lives were given, not taken, because they were helping shape a brighter future, not just for America and my children and their children, but in some way for humankind. He urged people to honor those who died by giving their best every day and never forgetting them or taking their sacrifice for granted. If we take this for granted, what else are we going to take for granted? he said after the ceremony. To me, the enemy of anything is complacency and entitlement. If we cant take the time to remember those who made these sacrifices, then weve got a lot bigger issues. Robie and Hutchcraft both asked that people take time each Memorial Day to stop and think about the reason for the holiday and thanked the community for their continued support of the ceremony. As a veteran and knowing people who have passed while serving the country and having family memories that have been serving the country, its very important to reflect on this, Robie said. Its great to come out here, have the observance of Memorial Day, have the community out here in support of it. 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. Country United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Interpol on Monday announced the arrest of three suspected global scammers in Nigeria for using remote access trojans (RATs) such as Agent Tesla to facilitate malware-enabled cyber fraud. "The men are thought to have used the RAT to reroute financial transactions, stealing confidential online connection details from corporate organizations, including oil and gas companies in South East Asia, the Middle East and North Africa," the International Criminal Police Organization said in a statement. One of the scammers in question, named Hendrix Omorume, has been charged and convicted of three counts of financial fraud and has been sentenced to a 12-month prison term. The two other suspects are still on trial. The three Nigerian individuals, who are aged between 31 and 38, have been apprehended for being in possession of fake documents such as fraudulent invoices and forged official letters. The law enforcement said that the suspects systematically used Agent Tesla to breach business computers and divert financial transactions to bank accounts under their control. A .NET-based advanced malware that first appeared in 2014, Agent Tesla primarily gets delivered through phishing emails and has capabilities such as keylogging, screen capture, form-grabbing, credential stealing, and exfiltrating other sensitive information. The arrests follow a sting operation conducted simultaneously in two different locations in the Nigerian cities of Lagos and Benin City, with private sector intelligence provided by cybersecurity company Trend Micro. The operation is also part of a global law enforcement operation codenamed "Killer Bee" involving Interpol and authorities from 11 different countries across Southeast Asia, including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The development also comes close on the heels of the alleged leader of the SilverTerrier BEC cybercrime gang in a separate operation dubbed Delilah. It was preceded by two related operations called Falcon I and Falcon II in 2020 and 2021. Microsoft on Monday published guidance for a newly discovered zero-day security flaw in its Office productivity suite that could be exploited to achieve code execution on affected systems. The weakness, now assigned the identifier CVE-2022-30190, is rated 7.8 out of 10 for severity on the CVSS vulnerability scoring system. Microsoft Office versions Office 2013, Office 2016, Office 2019, and Office 2021, as well as Professional Plus editions, are impacted. "To help protect customers, we've published CVE-2022-30190 and additional guidance here," a Microsoft spokesperson told The Hacker News in an emailed statement. The Follina vulnerability, which came to light late last week, involved a real-world exploit that leveraged the shortcoming in a weaponized Word document to execute arbitrary PowerShell code by making use of the "ms-msdt:" URI scheme. The sample was uploaded to VirusTotal from Belarus. But first signs of exploitation of the flaw date back to April 12, 2022, when a second sample was uploaded to the malware database. This artifact is believed to have targeted users in Russia with a malicious Word document (" .doc") that masqueraded as an interview invitation with Sputnik Radio. "A remote code execution vulnerability exists when MSDT is called using the URL protocol from a calling application such as Word," Microsoft said in an advisory for CVE-2022-30190. "An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can run arbitrary code with the privileges of the calling application. The attacker can then install programs, view, change, or delete data, or create new accounts in the context allowed by the user's rights." The tech giant credited crazyman, a member of the Shadow Chaser Group, for reporting the flaw on April 12, coinciding with the discovery of the in-the-wild exploit targeting Russian users, indicating the company had been already aware of the vulnerability. Indeed, according to screenshots shared by the researcher on Twitter, Microsoft closed the vulnerability submission report on April 21, 2022 stating "the issue has been fixed," while also dismissing the flaw as "not a security issue" since it requires a passkey provided by a support technician when starting the diagnostic tool. Besides releasing detection rules for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, the Redmond-based company has offered workarounds in its guidance to disable the MSDT URL protocol via a Windows Registry modification. "If the calling application is a Microsoft Office application, by default, Microsoft Office opens documents from the internet in Protected View or Application Guard for Office, both of which prevent the current attack," Microsoft said. This is not the first time Microsoft Office protocol schemes like "ms-msdt:" have come under the scanner for their potential misuse. Earlier this January, German cybersecurity company SySS disclosed how it's possible to open files directly via specially crafted URLs such as "ms-excel:ofv|u|https://192.168.1.10/poc[.]xls." Imagine youre an immigrant to the United States. You navigate an unfamiliar landscape in search of food, housing and health care. You manage to find a job and earn some money. Finally, you have your citizenship interview in a language you dont fully understand. Can You Survive the Path to Citizenship? will be the theme for Multicultural Coalitions Immigrant Story Walk planned for 6 to 9 p.m. June 11 at Stuhr Museum in Grand Island. The path to citizenship can be complex, rigorous, stressful and expensive, said Multicultural Coalition Executive Director Audrey Lutz. The Immigrant Story Walk is a truly immersive event where people learn what that journey is really like. At the heart of the event will be an immigration game, in which participants receive packets including their immigrant identity and other cards that lead them through a series of stations. Participants may have to fold laundry or do other jobs to earn money. The lucky ones will be directed to the Multicultural Coalition table for guidance, while some might wind up in immigration detention. The final station will simulate the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services interview, but the questions might be in a language participants dont understand. Were here to embrace the people who are curious, Lutz said of the audience for the Immigrant Story Walk, which is in its fourth year. Those who survive and obtain citizenship will receive a passport and American flag. Our priority is to create a way to honor immigrants stories authentically, Deputy Director Daniel Petersen said. During the event, Multicultural Coalition will present its annual awards for a generous business, partner organization and person who have gone above and beyond for the agency. Lutz Tech will be receiving the Outstanding Business Partner Award. IdeaBank Marketing will be receiving the Outstanding Community Partner Award. Nebraska Attorney Mindy Rush-Chipman will be receiving the Servant Leader Award. In addition to helping immigrants achieve citizenship, the nonprofit Multicultural Coalition believes immigrants and other newcomers are vital to the economy of Central Nebraska. They assist with case management services and provide legal assistance to secure and maintain immigration status. The Immigrant Story Walk lets people see beyond the door, Lutz said, because so much of what we do is confidential. Tickets are $50 each, which includes two drink tickets and appetizers catered by the Lao Buddhist Temple and Sticky Rice, and be purchased at immigrantstorywalk.org. A few table sponsorships remain for local businesses and organizations to bring eight people to attend, with unlimited drinks and appetizers. The premier event sponsor is JBS Hometown Strong and the job simulation is sponsored by Grand Island Express. For more information or to sponsor a table, contact Lutz at 308-385-5242 or info@mcofgi.org. BRUSSELS In the most significant effort yet to punish Russia for its war in Ukraine, the European Union agreed to ban the overwhelming majority of Russian oil imports after tense negotiations that tested how far the bloc is willing to go to ostracize Moscow. From the moment Russia invaded on Feb. 24, the West has sought to make Moscow pay economically for its war. But targeting the lucrative energy sector was seen as a last resort in Europe and has proved hardest since the bloc relies on the country for 25% of its oil and 40% of its natural gas. European countries that are even more heavily dependent on Russia have been especially reluctant to act. Advertisement In a move unthinkable just months ago, EU leaders agreed late Monday to cut around 90% of all Russian oil imports over the next six months. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo called the embargo a big step forward on Tuesday morning and Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin hailed it as a watershed moment. But both leaders cautioned that Europe would need time to adjust to the impact and any further bans on Russian energy could only come slowly, if at all. Advertisement The deputy head of Russias Security Council said Tuesday that energy sanctions against the country were intended to hurt ordinary Russians by making it harder for Moscow to fund social programs. They hate us all! The basis for these decisions is hatred for Russia, for Russians and for all its inhabitants, Dmitry Medvedev, who is also a former president and prime minister, wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Mikhail Ulyanov, Russias permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, appeared to shrug the move off, though, saying Moscow would find other buyers. Still, analyst Simone Tagliapietra said Russia would likely have to sell its oil at a substantial discount. Tagliapietra, an energy expert and research fellow at the Brussels-based think tank Bruegel, called the embargo a major blow. Ukrainian demonstrators demand an embargo on Russian oil during a protest in front of EU institutions prior to an extraordinary meeting of EU leaders to discuss Ukraine, energy and food security at the Europa building in Brussels, May 30, 2022. (Olivier Matthys/AP) Matteo Villa, an analyst at the ISPI think tank in Milan, agreed that Russia would take a pretty significant hit now but cautioned that the move could eventually backfire. The risk is that the price of oil in general goes up because of the European sanctions. And if the price goes up a lot, the risk is that Russia starts to earn more, and Europe loses the bet, he said. Ideally, the EU would agree how much Russian oil to purchase each month to ensure the maximum pain, Villa said, but that would require constant negotiations that are not realistic given how the bloc works. Russia has also not shied away from withholding its energy supplies, despite the economic damage it could suffer as a result. Russian energy giant Gazprom said it cut natural gas supplies to Dutch trader GasTerra on Tuesday a move announced before the embargo was agreed. It already turned the taps off to Bulgaria, Poland and Finland, and is considering doing the same to Denmark. GasTerra said homes would not be hit as it had bought gas elsewhere in anticipation of a shutoff. Advertisement Talks at EU headquarters in Brussels were set Tuesday to focus on ways to end the trading blocs dependence on Russian energy, by diversifying supplies and speeding up the transition to renewable sources and away, as much as possible given soaring energy costs, from fossil fuels. Leaders are also expected to discuss how to help Ukraine export millions of tons of grain trapped inside the country as a global food crisis grows. They are also calling on Russia to halt its attacks on transport infrastructure in Ukraine and lift its blockade of Black Sea ports so that food can be shipped. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Russia has prevented the export of 22 million tons of grain, much of it meant for people across the Middle East and Africa. He accused Moscow of deliberately creating this problem. In other developments: Russian forces have seized around half of a key city in eastern Ukraine, according to the mayor. Analysts have painted the battle for Sievierodonetsk as part of a race against time for the Kremlin: The city is key to Russian efforts to quickly complete the capture of the eastern industrial region of the Donbas before more Western arms arrive to bolster Ukraines defense. A court in Ukraine convicted two Russian soldiers on Tuesday of war crimes for the shelling of civilian buildings. It sentenced both to 11 1/2 years in prison, concluding the countrys second war crime trial held since the Russian invasion. Advertisement The EU oil embargo, tied up in a new package of sanctions that will also target Russias biggest bank and state media outlets accused of spreading propaganda, covers crude oil and petroleum products but has an exception for oil delivered by pipeline. That exception was demanded by Hungarian Prime minister Viktor Orban, who made it clear that he could only support the new sanctions if his countrys oil supply security was guaranteed. Hungary gets more than 60% of its oil from Russia, much of it through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. The EU estimated that would mean around 90% of Russian oil is banned by the end of the year. That figure includes a ban on all Russian oil delivered by sea which accounts for two-thirds of the EUs imports from Russia plus a decision by Germany and Poland to stop using oil from the northern branch of the Druzhba pipeline. The sanctions package must still be finalized in coming days and the leaders said the exemption for crude delivered by pipeline will be reviewed as soon as possible, though they did not specify when. The compromise laid bare the increasing difficulty of reaching consensus among EU leaders when important national interests are in play and the ways in which Hungary has emerged as thorn in the blocs side. But despite the struggles, the sanctions package the sixth targeting Russias invasion of Ukraine was agreed in about a month, quite quickly for 27 countries with very different national interests. Advertisement Agreeing on another round of measures is likely to prove much tougher especially because next on the docket is whether to target natural gas, which is much harder to cut off. Thats because it represents a larger percentage of Europes energy mix. Associated Press journalists Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Ukraine, Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, Colleen Barry in Milan, Italy, and Derek Gatopoulos in Athens contributed to this report. Grand Islands Hope Harbor shelter is planning to acquire property adjacent to its West First Street and Division Street locations. At Thursdays meeting of Community Development Block Grant stakeholders, Hope Harbor Executive Director Liz Mayfield detailed plans to expand its housing options. Hope Harbor is requesting $195,000 in CDBG funds to help with the effort. Were in the thick of negotiations for this property, Mayfield said. Were moving forward just kind of assuming that will all work out. A total of $365,907 in CDBG funds is available this year through the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development. Of that, $310,907 available for allocation and $55,000 reserved for the city. Also requesting funds are: Railside, for small business rental assistance ($25,000); Central Nebraska Community Action Partnership, for emergency payments ($20,000); and KDL Child Care for facility upgrades ($128,217). Hope Harbor assists individuals and families that are experiencing homelessness. There is a need for an expansion of its services, as determined by a five-year plan completed in 2021, Mayfield said. There is absolutely a need for those prevention services, she said. In other words, services to prevent homelessness from occurring. Keeping people housed is the best case scenario for prevention of homelessness. This was a challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the shelter was forced to limit the number of people it took on, Mayfield said. To address such housing issues, Hope Harbor is expanding its program to include supportive housing through land acquisition. We were approached by the owner of the properties to buy the land, she said. Weve been in negotiations with him for some time. However, with the market being how it is, hes now getting competitive bids, people who are also wanting to purchase the land, so time is of the essence for us to move forward. The structures on the lot would be demolished and the land would be held for future use. This would not reduce Grand Islands housing inventory, Mayfield said. Our board of directors toured the properties and we dont believe, the amount of upgrades or money we put into it, would not be correct for what we would get in return out of it, she said. Its a strategic purchase that would temporarily reduce the housing inventory with the concept of adding inventory in the future. Over the next five to seven years, Hope Harbor plans to develop the lots to create a least 10 housing units through a mix of supportive housing and traditional apartments. Supportive housing includes wraparound services, such as case management and mental health services, said Mayfield. We have individuals in our community who are chronically homeless and in our shelter continually, she said. Those individuals will really never enter into the private market. Hope Harbor would also draw from its own funding, set aside for expansion purchase, and plans to pursue further federal funding and launch a capital campaign. City Administrator Jerry Janulewicz expressed concerns at Thursdays meeting that Hope Harbor offers services only to women and families, which can include men, and not individual men. We dont duplicate services with Salvation Army or Crossroads, Mayfield said. They dont serve any families. They only serve single males. We serve essentially everyone else. We have men living in our shelter all the time, but theyre part of a two-parent family, a single dad with kids, or a married couple. She added, Single women can come, but not single men. No decisions have been made yet for allocation of the 2022 CDBG funds. CDBG stakeholders will meet Thursday, June 2, at Grand Island City Hall, to discuss this years grant applicants. 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 A driver who was caught with 61 pounds of methamphetamine during a traffic stop in York County last February has pleaded not guilty to a Class 1B felony which carries a possible maximum sentence of 50 years in prison upon conviction. Albert Bailey, 52, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, entered his plea in York County District Court during arraignment proceedings before Judge James Stecker. According to York County Sheriff Investigator Alex Hildebrand, a deputy and his canine, Loki, stopped Baileys vehicle two miles west of the Bradshaw exit on Interstate 80, for a traffic violation. At the time of Baileys arrest, Hildebrand said, during the contact, the deputy became suspicious that the single male occupant of the vehicle was involved in criminal activity. The deputy deployed his police service dog, Loki, on the vehicle where the dog alerted and indicated to the odor of controlled substances coming from inside the back of the truck. A probable cause search was conducted of the vehicle and that resulted in the discovery of 61 pounds of methamphetamine. Hildebrand said the street value of the methamphetamine was $439,000. Bailey also pleaded not guilty to having no drug tax stamp, which is a Class 4 felony that carries a possible maximum sentence of two years in prison and 12 months of post-release supervision. A jury trial has been set for late October. Student Services U Kentucky Rolls Out 5 Mental Health Apps for Students The University of Kentucky is boosting its support resources for students with the rollout of five new apps designed to improve mental health and well-being. The goal: to make it easier for students to access the resources available to them, according to a university news announcement. "Our hope with these apps is that we put mental health resources, quite literally, in the palms of students for them to use them when the need arises," said Corrine Williams, acting associate vice president for student wellbeing at UK, in a statement. "We understand that there are a variety of barriers to accessing mental health resources for our students and these new partnerships are aimed at decreasing those obstacles and increasing student well-being." In a recent national survey of students ages 18-25, 95% of respondents agreed that mental health has an impact on the quality of their coursework. Students reported challenges with anxiety (cited by 61% of respondents), feeling overwhelmed (55%), trouble concentrating and studying (51%), loneliness (49%) and depression (47%). And 49% admitted that they have not utilized the mental or emotional health supports available to them. To help provide more proactive support to students, UK is adding the following apps to its portfolio of mental health services: TogetherAll, an online community that allows students to share feelings anonymously and support one another, monitored by licensed and registered mental health practitioners; Headspace, a set of meditation and mindfulness tools for relaxation, stress management and feeling more centered and rested; Kognito, a training simulation accessible through the Canvas learning management system that helps students, faculty and staff recognize signs of mental health issues and learn how to communicate with and refer at-risk students; Therapy Assistance Online, a library of educational sessions, exercises and tools covering common mental health topics; and WellTrack, a suite of self-help therapy tools and courses based on aspects of cognitive behavioral therapy. In addition, the university's Counseling Center offers groups, workshops, short-term counseling and more to help students with mental health or other concerns. Paris, TX (75460) Today Thunderstorms likely in the morning. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. High 77F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Partly cloudy in the evening with more clouds for later at night. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Paris, TX (75460) Today Thunderstorms in the morning, then cloudy skies late. High 79F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Some clouds and possibly an isolated thunderstorm after midnight. Low near 65F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%. CARBONDALE In the Catholic calendar, May 31 marks the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary which commemorates Marys visit to her cousin Elizabeth. Bishop Michael McGovern of the Belleville Diocese offered Mass for the Feast of Visitation Tuesday afternoon at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. He used the mass to talk about the sanctity of life from conception to natural death. Bishop McGovern said Elizabeth was about six months pregnant with John the Baptist when Mary went to visit and help her. Mary was very early in her pregnancy with Jesus. When Mary greeted Elizabeth, John the Baptist leaped in Elizabeths womb. How does it happen that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Elizabeth asks. Mary responds by praising God. (Luke 1:39-55) McGovern said each of the women had difficult pregnancies. Elizabeth was too old to have a child. Mary was young and unwed when she became pregnant. He urged those in the congregation to use Marys example. Set out in haste to people in need, women with unplanned pregnancies and the elderly. Bring Jesus to them, McGovern said. He added that in reaching out, people need to let women know the resources available. He said resources are available to bring a child into the world or to plan to give a child up for adoption. He said they need to help and support women naturally, spiritually and emotionally. McGovern also said the laws need changed to protect life from conception to its natural end, which begins with changing hearts for better. Father Bob Flannery of St. Francis Xavier said Bishop McGovern wanted to give a "pro-life" and "respect life" message for the mass because of the possibility of a women's reproductive health clinic coming to Carbondale that would offer abortions. At the end of mass, Flannery thanked McGovern for coming. He also asked those attending to support life from conception to natural death. They also introduced Mary Fleming, new director of the diocese Respect Life office. I think were all concerned about the sanctity of life eroding, McGovern said. Illinois is expected to advocate for assisted suicide. That is in addition to the state being a haven for abortions. Were all concerned about the number of people coming to Illinois seeking abortion, McGovern said. Were concerned that 7,000 from Missouri came to Illinois seeking an abortion. He said Carbondale does not need an abortion clinic. It takes a lot of resources to bring a child into the world or to plan for adoption of a baby. He would like everyone to know five places that could help a pregnant woman. Everybody has to know five places a woman can go to get help, McGovern said. He expects the diocese to make an announcement at the end of June regarding this issue. 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. Susan Wegmann, associate dean of digital learning and innovation at University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, will be the new executive director of SIU Global Campus at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, effective July 1. SIU Global Campus, formerly SIU Extended Campus, provides quality academic programs and courses that are offered online, blended (hybrid) and face-to-face at several off campus and military installations across the nation. The unit supports SIUs strategic plan, Imagine 2030, by providing accessible, affordable educational opportunities for students unable to attend the main campus, said Meera Komarraju, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. Dr. Wegmann has significant experience with program creation, accreditation, technology and management, and she communicated a clear vision for SIU Global Campus, Komarraju said. She highlighted the creation and use of virtual reality to enhance the online learning environment. Wegmann said SIU values distance learning and appreciates the potential it holds for both the university and its students as higher education evolves. SIU is poised to make some amazing leaps in distance learning, both online and in campuses around Illinois and the country, she said. I am excited about the possibilities of immersive learning environments, as well as best practices designed for learner success. University officials also commended the search committee for doing an excellent job securing qualified candidates for final selection. Wegmann earned her doctorate in curriculum and instruction in 2001 at the University of Florida. She earned her Master of Arts degree in the same subject in 1996 at the University of Mississippi and her Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education in 1985 at the University of South Florida. After earning her teaching degree, she taught grades 3 through 8 at schools in Florida, Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi for 12 years before returning to college to earn advanced degrees. She started her career in higher education in 2001 and held faculty positions at Appalachian State University and Sam Houston State University. As a faculty member at University of Central Florida, she served as director of Programs and Research for the Morgridge International Reading Center, as a co-primary investigator for the Florida Literacy and Reading Excellence (FLaRE) grant and as membership committee chair and east central director for colleges and universities for the Florida Association of Teacher Educators. She also served as the universitys faculty-in-residence at Okeechobee High School. From 2012 to 2018, Wegmann served as a professor at Baptist College of Florida before moving to her current position at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas. Wegmann said she plans to build on the strong distance learning foundation SIU has built and plans to interview and engage SIU students, faculty colleagues and administrators in order to create an innovative strategic plan for SIU Global, which will align with Imagine 2030. After meeting the amazing leadership at SIU and the SIU Global Campus team members, I was impressed by the energy and optimism for growth and online learning, she said. Student learning is key, so I plan to host a series of learning opportunities and collaborative discussions about distance and online learning among campus stakeholders with a focus on student success and learning. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A leader at a Missouri university with more than 30 years of higher education experience and a background in research, graduate affairs and computer science will be the new vice chancellor for research and graduate school dean at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The university announced May 26 that Costas Tsatsoulis, vice provost of graduate education and professor in the Department of Computer Science at the Missouri University of Science & Technology, will take over SIUs research efforts and graduate studies. The selection is pending formal SIU Board of Trustees approval, slated for the July 21 meeting. Tsatsoulis will assume his duties on Aug. 1. Chancellor Austin A. Lane said Tsatsoulis will play an important role as SIU Carbondale implements its strategic plan, Imagine 2030, whose pillars include research and innovation. People who met with Dr. Tsatsoulis were impressed by his extensive background in research and his devotion to student success, he said. At SIU Carbondale, students can become involved in research projects as soon as they set foot on campus, including undergraduates. Dr. Tsatsoulis shares our commitment to these early opportunities. We are excited for him to join our team. University officials also commended the search committee for doing an excellent job securing qualified candidates for final selection. Tsatsoulis will be a leader in a doctoral university with high research activity, classified as R2 by The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. In Illinois, there are only six R2 institutions and four R1 schools, or doctoral universities with very high research activity. Tsatsoulis said he was inspired by SIU Carbondales vision to combine research and graduate education. I believe that the two are inexplicably entwined: outstanding graduate students elevate the research and scholarly output of a university, and excellent research attracts the best graduate students, Tsatsoulis said. I was also attracted to the goal of SIU Carbondale to solidify itself as an R2 institution, the aspiration and ambition to seek R1 status, the plan to engage all students in research, scholarly pursuits and creative activities, and the plan to grow graduate enrollments and graduate student success. Long-time educator and researcher Tsatsoulis earned his doctorate in electrical engineering in 1987 at Purdue University. He earned his masters degree in the same subject there in 1984 and Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in German and electrical engineering at Purdue in 1987 and 1983, respectively. Tsatsoulis spent the first 20 years of his academic career at the University of Kansas, starting as an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering in 1988 and holding several key leadership posts in the years following. Those positions included director of the Intelligent Design Laboratory at the Center for Excellence in Computer-Aided Systems Engineering (1990-97); director of the Intelligent Systems and Information Management Laboratory, Information Technology and Telecommunications Center (1997-2003) and chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (2004-08), among others. During this time, he also worked in private industry as vice president of research at Data Discovery Inc., a small business performing work in artificial intelligence, information retrieval and intelligent databases, and as a visiting scientist at Lockheed Artificial Intelligence Center, Lockheed-Martin Missiles and Space Co. in Palo Alto, California. In 2008, Tsatsoulis was named dean of the College of Engineering at the University of North Texas, where he also served as a professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. He later served as associate vice president for international research partnerships (2018) and interim dean of The Toulouse Graduate School at UNT (2015-2016). Increasing awards, research spending Tsatsoulis was named vice chancellor of research and dean of graduate studies the Missouri University of Science & Technology in September 2018. He continued serving as a professor and as vice provost of graduate education there since a re-organization in July 2021. As research vice chancellor, Tsatsoulis oversaw an increase of more than 41% in grant awards, as well as an almost 12% increase in research spending. In fiscal year 2021, the universitys royalty income was $720,000. As vice provost of graduate education, Tsatsoulis introduced a 4+1 program that led to a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degree in five years, enrolling more than 100 students since its inception. To improve diversity, the university actively recruited students at events catering to under-represented populations and took recruiting trips to China and Middle Eastern countries, using faculty and alumni relations to open doors. The graduate studies program also instituted several programs to improve student recruitment and retention. Tsatsoulis said his first goal upon settling in at SIU will be to listen and learn. I want to hear from all constituents of research and graduate studies the staff, students, faculty, employers, he said. At the same time, we will start with programs to engage new faculty and new graduate students in research and creative activities, and to inform them of opportunities across the university, while developing new engagement opportunities for all faculty and graduate students. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 On a Sunday morning in March, Devon Dow allegedly texted a potential customer a photo of some firearms he was selling, along with one word: YO. The guns hadnt been purchased from a retailer or sold at a gun show, according to federal prosecutors. They were so-called ghost guns, Glock-style, 9 mm semi-automatic firearms that Dow had assembled himself from weapons-grade polymer parts purchased on the internet. Hours later, law enforcement was watching as Dow allegedly met the buyer, who was actually an undercover agent, outside the apartment Dow shared with his grandmother in the 1300 block of East 75th Street, according to prosecutors. Hed hid the guns in a shoe box and carried them out in a shopping bag, which he placed in the trunk of the buyers car before disappearing back into the building. The weapons sold for $3,000 that day were among seven ghost guns purchased by undercover agents from Dow over five transactions since January, according to a criminal complaint unsealed in federal court last week. Unlike traditionally manufactured firearms, none of the weapons sold by Dow had any serial numbers, and would have been virtually untraceable once they hit the street, according to federal prosecutors. Dow, 22, was charged with one count of willfully dealing firearms without a license. At a detention hearing on Friday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Albert Berry asked that he be held in custody as a danger to the community, saying a search of his apartment turned up additional guns, gun parts and ammunition clips. Dows attorney, Daniel Hesler, noted that Dow has no prior criminal history. He said what was found in the apartment, while potentially troubling, was certainly not the arsenal Ive seen in other gun dealing cases. U.S. Magistrate Judge Heather McShain said that while Dows alleged conduct was concerning given the level of gun violence in the city, his lack of criminal history outweighed the need to keep him locked up pending trial. It goes without saying that in the city of Chicago in 2022, with rampant gun violence, this is a serious offense, McShain said. But there is literally nothing here in his criminal record this was a very, very close call. The judge ordered Dow released on home confinement to the custody of his mother and sister, who live in Lansing. The case against Dow represents a new frontier in gun trafficking investigations. Ghost guns have increasingly drawn alarm among law enforcement and politicians on both the local and national stage, even though they still account for just a small percentage of all firearms confiscated by police each year. Earlier this month, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill into law making the selling or owning of ghost guns illegal in Illinois. That followed a move by President Joe Bidens administration in April introducing a rule banning the manufacturing of ghost guns, including the kits people can buy online to build the firearm themselves. Ghost guns are often made by hobbyists with a 3D printer or from kits that can be purchased online. People assembling ghost guns also are able to avoid background checks the state requires to obtain a firearm. In Chicago and nationwide, the number of ghost guns used in crimes has drastically increased over the past several years. Chicago police Superintendent David Brown has said they are the subset of guns seized that is growing the most in the city. Earlier this month, following the fatal shooting of 16-year-old Seandell Holliday near The Bean in Millennium Park, police said another youth pulled a gun from his waistband, then ran as officers moved in. He was quickly apprehended and the weapon was found to be a ghost gun. In another recent case, Illinois State Police arrested suspects in connection to multiple carjackings and found that they had allegedly used a ghost gun in at least some of the heists. Also this month, a student at Oak Park River Forest High School was arrested and charged with bringing a loaded ghost gun to school. A child should not be able to build an AR-15 like theyre building a toy truck, Pritzker said during a bill-signing ceremony on May 18 at The Ark of St. Sabina in Auburn Gresham. A convicted domestic abuser should not be able to evade scrutiny by using a 3D printer to make a gun. Meanwhile, the investigation into Dows alleged trafficking of ghost guns began on Jan. 3 when a Chicago police informant tipped law enforcement to a man who ordered firearm parts from the internet and was assembling them for sale in the citys Grand Crossing neighborhood, according to the complaint unsealed after Dows arrest last week. On Jan. 14, the informant arranged a meeting between Dow and an undercover agent posing as a potential buyer, according to the complaint. Later that day, the agent purchased a 9 mm ghost gun from Dow in the parking lot next to Dows building, and during the transaction, Dow gave the agent his cellphone number for future orders, the complaint alleged. Two weeks later, Dow texted the undercover agent a photo of another gun hed assembled, saying, This is the 23, a reference to the Glock 23 model it replicated, the charges alleged. That (expletive) nice, the agent responded, according to the complaint. In a phone call arranging the sale, Dow told the undercover agent that all of the firearms he sells are functional, but if there were any problems with the gun he would fix them, the complaint alleged. I tell all my customers you gotta make sure you call, Dow said in the recorded phone call, according to the complaint. I aint had nobody call me back but just in case, like you know what Im saying, have any problems like call me ASAP. The two later met at the same location near Dows apartment, where the agent allegedly bought the gun for $900. Two more transactions involving four ghost guns took place in March, including one on March 4 where Dow allegedly sold the undercover agent a .40-caliber ghost gun with an extended 22-round magazine for $1,000, according to the complaint. In the last transaction on May 3, Dow allegedly was under surveillance and he hid a ghost gun in a laundry bin and walked to the parking lot outside his building, which houses a laundromat on the ground floor, according to the complaint. The agent took the gun and placed $1,100 in cash into Dows laundry bin in exchange for the firearm, the complaint alleged. In addition to the surveillance of Dows alleged gun sales, investigators obtained information from the U.S. Postal Service showing that from March 1 to April 6, Dow received approximately 14 parcels containing suspected gun parts from various manufacturers, according to the complaint. At Fridays detention hearing, Hesler said the materials found in Dows apartment suggested that his interest in gun building seems to be that of a hobbyist rather than anything tied to gangs or street violence. Its not a very good hobby, Hesler said, (but) its not screaming that this has been going on forever. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 LONDON After seven decades on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II is widely viewed in the U.K. as a rock in turbulent times. But in Britains former colonies, many see her as an anchor to an imperial past whose damage still lingers. So while the U.K. is celebrating the queens Platinum Jubilee 70 years on the throne with pageantry and parties, some in the Commonwealth are using the occasion to push for a formal break with the monarchy and the colonial history it represents. Advertisement When I think about the queen, I think about a sweet old lady, said Jamaican academic Rosalea Hamilton, who campaigns for her country to become a republic. Its not about her. Its about her familys wealth, built on the backs of our ancestors. Were grappling with the legacies of a past that has been very painful. The empire that Elizabeth was born into is long gone, but she still reigns far beyond Britains shores. She is head of state in 14 other nations, including Canada, Australia, Papua New Guinea and the Bahamas. Until recently it was 15 Barbados cut ties with the monarchy in November, and several other Caribbean countries, including Jamaica, say they plan to follow suit. Advertisement Britains jubilee celebrations, which climax over a four-day holiday weekend starting Thursday, aim to recognize the diversity of the U.K. and the Commonwealth. A huge jubilee pageant through central London on Sunday will feature Caribbean Carnival performers and Bollywood dancers. But Britains image of itself as a welcoming and diverse society has been battered by the revelation that hundreds, and maybe thousands, of people from the Caribbean who had lived legally in the U.K. for decades were denied housing, jobs or medical treatment and in some cases deported because they didnt have the paperwork to prove their status. The British government has apologized and agreed to pay compensation, but the Windrush scandal has caused deep anger, both in the U.K. and in the Caribbean. A jubilee-year trip to Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas in March by the queens grandson Prince William and his wife Kate, which was intended to strengthen ties, appears to have had the opposite effect. Images of the couple shaking hands with children through a chain-link fence and riding in an open-topped Land Rover in a military parade stirred echoes of colonialism for many. Cynthia Barrow-Giles, professor of political science at the University of the West Indies, said the British seem to be very blind to the visceral sort of reactions that royal visits elicit in the Caribbean. Protesters in Jamaica demanded Britain pay reparations for slavery, and Prime Minister Andrew Holness politely told William that the country was moving on, a signal that it planned to become a republic. The next month, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne told the queens son Prince Edward that his country, too, would one day remove the queen as head of state. William acknowledged the strength of feeling and said the future is for the people to decide upon. We support with pride and respect your decisions about your future, he said in the Bahamas. Relationships evolve. Friendship endures. Advertisement When then Princess Elizabeth became queen on the death of her father King George VI 1952, she was in Kenya. The East African country became independent in 1963 after years of violent struggle between a liberation movement and colonial troops. In 2013, the British government apologized for the torture of thousands of Kenyans during the 1950s Mau Mau uprising and paid millions in an out-of-court settlement. Memories of the empire are still raw for many Kenyans. From the start, her reign would be indelibly stained by the brutality of the empire she presided over and that accompanied its demise, said Patrick Gathara, a Kenyan cartoonist, writer and commentator. To this day, she has never publicly admitted, let alone apologized, for the oppression, torture, dehumanization and dispossession visited upon people in the colony of Kenya before and after she acceded to the throne. U.K. officials hope countries that become republics will remain in the Commonwealth, the 54-nation organization made up largely of former British colonies, which has the queen as its ceremonial head. The queens strong personal commitment to the Commonwealth has played a big role in uniting a diverse group whose members range from vast India to tiny Tuvalu. But the organization, which aims to champion democracy, good governance and human rights, faces an uncertain future. Advertisement As Commonwealth heads of government prepare to meet in Kigali, Rwanda, this month for a summit delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, some question whether the organization can continue once the queens eldest son, Prince Charles, succeeds her. Many of the more uncomfortable histories of the British Empire and the British Commonwealth are sort of waiting in the wings for as soon as Elizabeth II is gone, royal historian Ed Owens said. So its a difficult legacy that she is handing over to the next generation. The crisis in the Commonwealth reflects Britains declining global clout. Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth under its authoritarian late President Robert Mugabe, and is currently seeking readmission. But many in its capital of Harare have expressed indifference to the queens jubilee, as Britains once-strong influence wanes and countries such as China and Russia enjoy closer relations with the former British colony. She is becoming irrelevant here, social activist Peter Nyapedwa said. We know about (Chinese President) Xi (Jinping) or (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, not the queen. Sue Onslow, director of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London, said the queen has been the invisible glue holding the Commonwealth together. Advertisement But she says the organization has proven remarkably resilient and and shouldnt be written off. The Commonwealth played a major role in galvanizing opposition to apartheid in the 1980s, and could do the same over climate change, which poses an existential threat to its low-lying island members. The Commonwealth has shown a remarkable ability to reinvent itself and contrive solutions at times of crisis, almost as if its jumping into a telephone box and coming out under different guise, she said. Whether it will do it now is an open question. Cara Anna in Nairobi, Kenya, Alex Turnbull in Paris, and Andrew Meldrum in Johannesburg, contributed to this report. Someone killed a 44-year-old Orangeburg man and fled the scene in his car, according to an Orangeburg County Sheriffs Office incident report. Risheen Israel Pender died of gunshot wounds, according to Orangeburg County Chief Deputy Coroner Sean Fogle. Someone reported a shooting at Penders Ashland Drive home at 3 a.m. Sunday. Penders 2006 black Ford Crown Victoria was stolen immediately after the shooting. When deputies arrived, they found Pender in a neighbors yard. He was still conscious and alert when deputies arrived, despite having multiple gunshot wounds from his chest to pelvic region, the report said. A deputy immediately began to render first aid to try to stop the bleeding while Orangeburg County EMS was on the way to the scene. EMS transported Pender from the scene to the Regional Medical Center, where he died of his injuries. If anyone has information about this incident, they are asked to call Crimestoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC. Callers dont have to give their names. Contact the writer: mbrown@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5545. Follow on Twitter: @MRBrownTandD Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 9 Angry 10 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. Justice makes Deans List MARSHALL, Mo. -- Virginia Justice of Springfield, a senior majoring in agri-business, qualified for the spring 2022 Deans List at Missouri Valley College. The requirements for the Dean's List are a 3.3 or higher grade point average; at least 12 graded hours for the semester and no "D," "F," or "Incomplete" grades for the semester. Bull earns masters degree Tonya Charese Bull of Atlanta received a masters degree in educational leadership and curriculum from Strayer University on May 21. She graduated with honors. Bull will be pursuing her Ph.D. in educational policies and teacher supervision at the University of Georgia. Formerly of St. Matthews, she is the daughter of Truman Bull and the late Mrs. Julia B. Bull. Omicron Delta Kappa celebrates new members LEXINGTON, Va. -- Caitlin Crider of Neeses of University of South Carolina-Aiken was among the new members of Omicron Delta Kappa, the national leadership honor society. Students initiated into the society must be sophomores, juniors, seniors or graduate/professional students in the top 35 percent of their class, demonstrate leadership experience in at least one of the five pillars, and embrace the ODK ideals. Fewer than 5 percent of students on a campus are invited to join each year. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 More than 2,200 dams built upstream from homes or communities are in poor condition across the U.S., likely endangering lives if they were to fail, according to an Associated Press analysis. The number of high-hazard dams in need of repairs is up substantially from a similar AP review conducted just three years ago. There are several reasons for the increased risk. Long-deferred maintenance has added more dams to the troubled list. A changing climate has subjected some dams to greater strain from intense rainstorms. Homes, businesses and highways also have cropped up below dams that were originally built in remote locations. All of the sudden, youve got older dams with a lower design criteria that now can potentially cause loss of life if they fail, said Del Shannon, an engineer who is president of the U.S. Society on Dams. The number of deficient, high-hazard dams is increasing, he said, adding that without investment in upgrades, that number will continue to rise. The actual number of high-hazard dams in poor or unsatisfactory condition is likely even higher than the APs tally, although its unclear because some states dont track such data and many federal agencies refuse to release that information. The nations dams are on average over a half-century old. They have come under renewed focus following extreme floods, such as the one that caused the failure of two Michigan dams and the evacuation of 10,000 people in 2020. The $1 trillion infrastructure bill signed last year by President Joe Biden will pump about $3 billion into dam-related projects, including hundreds of millions for state dam safety programs and repairs. Yet its still just a fraction of the nearly $76 billion needed to fix the tens of thousands of dams owned by individuals, companies, community associations, state and local governments, and other entities besides the federal government, according to a report by the Association of State Dam Safety Officials. Since 2019, California regulators have downgraded four of San Diegos water supply dams from fair to poor condition due to deterioration and concerns they could fail due to an earthquake or extraordinary rainfall. During a big earthquake, you never know whats going to happen, if this is going to hold, said Samuel Santos, a longtime resident who frequently fishes near El Capitan Dam As a safeguard, the water level of El Capitan Reservoir is intentionally kept low, meaning there is less water available amid a severe drought. These reservoirs are very important, said Republican state Sen. Brian Jones, whose district includes El Capitan Dam. We need to start spending the money on them to retrofit them, to get them up again back to full capacity. The number of high-hazard dams in poor or unsatisfactory condition has risen partly because some states have stepped up inspections and reassessed whether old dams endanger new downstream developments. New York has about twice the number of high-hazard dams in poor condition as it did in 2018, when the AP collected data for its earlier analysis. The increase came as officials pushed to assess all high-hazard dams that were previously unrated. After more than 70 South Carolina dams failed during heavy rains in 2015 and 2016, the state ramped up staffing, undertook more regular inspections and increased efforts to map potential flood zones. As a result, the number of high-hazard dams in deficient condition in the state rose by a third from 2018 to 2021. After Michigans dam failures, the state added $19 million for dam safety to its 2022 budget, plus money to hire more regulatory staff. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently signed legislation providing an additional $250 million for dams, including about $200 million to repair those damaged by the 2020 floods. The plan prioritizes high-risk dams that can be ticking time bombs if they are not addressed, said state Rep. Roger Hauck, a Republican whose district experienced flooding when the dams failed. Addressing the problems posed by old, unsafe dams can be challenging. Repairs can be costly and take years to complete. Attempts to remove dams and empty the lakes they hold back can spawn legal battles and a public outcry from those who rely on them for recreation or to sustain nearby property values. A pair of high-hazard dams built in the mid-1800s near Cleveland are among those in need of major repair. Upper Shaker Lake, commonly known as Horseshoe Lake, has been drained as a precaution after it developed sinkholes and cracks. Local officials last year approved a $28.3 million plan to remove Horseshoe Lake Dam, return the area to a free-flowing stream and rebuild Lower Shaker Lake Dam. But the plan faces backlash from some community members who hired a law firm and engineering company, launched a fundraising drive, and gathered about 2,000 online petition signatures to try to save Horseshoe Lake. The lake is a beautiful, calming feature that is the central park of the Heights neighborhood, said musician Bert Stratton, a resident helping to lead the efforts. Its where people come to congregate, and they have for over 100 years. The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, which manages stormwater projects, said Horseshoe Lake provides little flood-control benefit and that the district wont pay to rebuild it. People need to understand there is a major risk at this facility, including the probable loss of life if the dam blew out, said Frank Greenland, the districts director of watershed programs. Lieb reported from Jefferson City, Missouri; Casey from Boston; and Minkoff from Washington, D.C. Associated Press photographer Gregory Bull in San Diego, and reporters David Eggert in Lansing, Michigan, and Nick Geranios in Spokane, Washington, contributed to this report. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Israel signed a free trade deal with the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, its first with an Arab country, building on their US-brokered normalisation of diplomatic relations in 2020. Israel's ambassador to the oil-rich UAE, Amir Hayek, tweeted "mabruk" -- congratulations in Arabic -- with a photo of Emirati and Israeli officials holding documents at a signing ceremony in Dubai. The Emirati envoy to Israel, Mohamed Al Khaja, hailed as an "unprecedented achievement" the deal that, according to the Israeli side, scraps customs duties on 96 percent of all products traded. A yacht sails before the skyline of the Emirate of Dubai on April 21, 2022 / AFP "Businesses in both countries will benefit from faster access to markets and lower tariffs as our nations work together to increase trade, create jobs, promote new skills and deepen cooperation," Khaja tweeted. The 2020 deal was part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords that also saw Israel establish diplomatic ties with Bahrain and Morocco. Two-way trade between Israel and the UAE last year totalled some $900 million dollars, according to Israeli figures. UAE-Israel Business Council president Dorian Barak predicted that trade would soon multiply between the regional powerhouse economies. Jerusalem's Old City with the Golden Dome of the Rock seen in the centre of Al-Aqsa mosque compound, also known as the Haram al-Sharif or to Jews as the Temple Mount / AFP/File "UAE-Israel trade will exceed $2 billion in 2022, rising to around $5 billion in five years, bolstered by collaboration in renewables, consumer goods, tourism and the life sciences sectors," he said in a statement. "Dubai is fast becoming a hub for Israeli companies that look to South Asia, the Middle East and the Far East as markets for their goods and services." Nearly 1,000 Israeli companies will be working in and through the UAE by year's end, he said. - Trade diplomacy - Then US president Donald Trump and Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu participate in the signing ceremony of the Abraham Accords on the South Lawn of the White House on September 15, 2020 in Washington, DC / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File The UAE was the first Gulf country to normalise ties with Israel and only the third Arab nation to do so after Egypt and Jordan. Talks for a free trade agreement began in November and concluded after four rounds of negotiations. The latest was held in March in Egypt between Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, UAE's long-time de facto ruler who became president this month after the death of his half-brother Sheikh Khalifa. Israel had in March hosted a meeting of the top diplomats from the United States, UAE, Bahrain and Morocco. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, at the centre, in March met the UAE's Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, on the left, and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett / Egyptian Presidency/AFP/File Sudan in 2020 also agreed to normalise ties with Israel, but the strife-torn northeast African country has yet to finalise a deal. Israel has already struck free trade agreements with other countries and blocs, including the United States, European Union, Canada and Mexico. In February, Israel signed a trade deal with Rabat to designate special industrial zones in Morocco. - Palestinian issue - A Palestinian protester is seen during clashes with Israeli forces following a demonstration to denounce the annual nationalist "flag march" through Jerusalem, in the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank on May 29, 2022 / AFP/File The Abraham Accords broke with long-standing pan-Arab policy to isolate Israel until it withdraws from the occupied territories and accepts Palestinian statehood. Palestinians condemned the agreements struck under then US president Donald Trump, and the conflict continues to inflame tensions, including between Israel and the UAE. Tuesday's signing came two days after thousands of flag-waving Israelis marched through Jerusalem's Old City during a nationalist procession marking Israel's 1967 capture of east Jerusalem. Israel annexed east Jerusalem in 1980, a move never recognised by the international community. Israel's stand at the Dubai Airshow in the Gulf emirate, on November 15, 2021 / AFP/File The UAE on Monday "strongly condemned" what it called Israel's "storming" of Jerusalem's Al Aqsa mosque compound, one of Islam's holiest sites. The UAE "reiterated its firm position on the need to provide full protection for Al Aqsa Mosque and halt serious and provocative violations taking place there", reported the official WAM news agency. Antique club monthly meeting The Casper Antique and Collectors Club (CACC) has been supporting local non-profits and Wyoming museums for 50 years! The Club holds regular meetings with programs of interest, and sponsors the Super Flea and Collectibles shows throughout the year. The Club is all volunteer, and new members are welcome! This month the general meeting is on Thursday, June 16, at the Senior Center activity room, 1831 East 4th Street, at 7 p.m. The program will be presented by Richard Parks, Senior Ride Captain of the Wyoming Patriot Guard Riders. The program entitled The History of the Patriotic Guard Riders is a narrative about the origin of the Patriot Guard, an organization that honors veterans by providing funeral escort and flag lines as the Veteran is laid to rest. Richard will also share the origin of Taps, a traditional bugle call signaling lights out, blown at all Veteran funerals following the U. S. flag ceremony. Members and anyone interested in the program is invited to attend. The Clubs summer schedule is: June 16 meeting, NO July meeting, and the annual summer picnic on Aug. 18. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend! The May Super Flea and Collectibles Show was a success, a donation was made to the Casper Senior Center, and the Club would like to thank Laura and Bob Pickle for all their work organizing the show. The next show will be Oct. 1 and 2 at the Fairgrounds Industrial Building. Club proceeds are used to support Wyoming museums and local non-profits. The CACC is a non-profit organization run completely by volunteers. LCCC Radiography Club donates $2,500 to CRMC Students in Laramie County Community Colleges Radiography Program, have been hard at work raising funds to support the Cheyenne Regional Medical Centers, Curie Fund. In April, LCCC students presented CRMC a $2,500 donation to benefit the Curie Fund. Over the past 12 years, the Radiography Club at LCCC has raised and donated over $35,000 to the fund. The engagement and fundraising support provided by the young women and men of the LCCC Radiography Club is really exciting for several reasons. Not only will patients benefit, but the students willingness to give some of their time to help people in need in their community is really admirable. This program also helps those future healthcare professionals understand that giving back to their community can be very rewarding, said Scott Fox, executive director of the CRMC Foundation. The Curie Fund was established in the 1980s by Cheyenne Regionals Radiation Oncology Department to help patients undergoing cancer treatment pay for personal or family necessities, including utilities, transportation expenses and school supplies. Funds are given to patients with financial struggles and are not used to pay medical bills. Its important to continue the tradition of supporting the Curie Fund because it allows us to care for patients in an unconventional way. When we presented the check at the CRMC Cancer Center it was one of the most humbling and rewarding experiences I have had during my time with the Radiography Club, LCCC student Kaitlyn Jacobs said. LCCCs students hold fundraisers such as bake sales and t-shirt sales to help raise the funds they donate. The Radiography Club is committed to helping support local patients who are involved daily with our profession. Teaching students to give back to a community through service learning is a valuable way to help them grow into professionals who will lead into the future, said Ashleigh Ralls, radiography program director. To learn more about LCCCs radiography program contact Ashleigh Ralls, Program Director at aralls@lccc.wy.edu or 307-778-1292. Stammtisch meets monthly The Casper German Stammtisch will meet monthly at 6 p.m. at Gruner Brothers Brewery on July 21, Aug. 11, Sept. 15, Oct. 6 (German-American Heritage Day), Nov. 10 and Dec. 8 (includes a sing-a-long of traditional German Christmas carols). When the weather is nice, we prefer to sit outdoors on the patio/deck, so please look for us there first. Our Stammtisch, which started in 2003, is an informal no-host gathering for everyone who is interested in most things German and German-American from history to cars, food, holidays, and so much more. Both English and German are spoken. Hope youll join us! Margo Perry 307-265-3696 Model railroaders back at clubhouse We held an in-person Business Meeting on March 26 and installed a new President, Kurt Brown. So, the phone numbers to reach us will change to Kurt 277-0462. The other two numbers stay the same: Harry 235-4950 and Homer 266-6439. Our doors are still open on Wednesdays from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Friday evenings from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. and Saturdays from Noon to 4:00 p.m. We offer the opportunity for visitors to actually run a train. We will try to get the locos that visitors bring if it fails to operate. We offer installation helps for DCC electronics, and general maintenance. After all it is fun to run trains not just look at them. We accept donations of unwanted items and find homes for them, sometimes on our layouts. We encourage participation while running the trains in that horns and whistles can be engaged. The lights can be turned on and off as well. Our Clubhouse is located at 1356 N. Center St. Drive north at the ex-Roosevelt School building and go across the speed bump but stop at the pastel green building with the maroon doors and the picture of one of our locomotives atop those yellow sign posts. If you end up in the River you went 1/2 block too far. We thank all of the residents of this area for their continued support. Who would we be able to show our model railroads to if we were ignored? So come and visit us. Our Clubhouse is located at 1356 N. Center St. Drive north at the ex-Roosevelt School building and go across the speed bump but stop at the pastel green building with the maroon doors and the picture of one of our locomotives atop those yellow sign posts. If you end up in the River you went 1/2 block too far. We hope that the restrictions imposed by the COVID bugs will allow us to resume some meetings this year. Reach President Kurt Brown at 307-235-4950, Treasurer Harry Buhler at 307-235-4950 and Secretary Homer Whitlock at 307-266-6439. Central Wyoming Quilts of Valor Every Wednesday, the Central Wyoming Quilts of Valor is welcoming all quilters and long arm quilters. Crossroads Quilters is a local chapter of the Quilts of Valor Foundation, a nationwide foundation. We meet at the VFW on Bryan Stock Trail in Caper from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays to make quilts, which are awarded to military service members and veterans touched by war. Fabric, batting and quilting are provided. If you have served, or know someone who has served, please contact Jenny Vass at 307-259-8321 or Cyndi Adams at 307-262-2701 to be awarded in Quilt of Valor. We are also looking for new members and re-welcoming old members especially people who sew. Toastmasters info Toastmaster Clubs in Casper are recruiting for new members. Why Join Toastmasters? Improve your presentation, communication and leadership skills by joining a Toastmasters Club in Casper. Toastmasters offer a continuous learning forum for you to practice your public speaking, leadership, and organizational skills. Toastmasters can open doors in your personal and professional life. You will learn in a self-paced atmosphere of fun and fellowship. Who Joins Toastmasters? Youll discover a wide variety of members ranging from those who have never before delivered a presentation to an audience to professional speakers, salespeople, attorneys, teachers, and retirees. Toastmasters really is for everyone because, when it comes to communication and leadership skills, theres ALWAYS room to grow. How to Join a Casper Toastmaster Club: PIONEER TOASTMASTERS CLUB 97 (first and third Wednesday from Noon-1:00) kevin@wyocpa.com MORNING TOUR TOASTMASTERS CLUB 2503 (first and third Mondays, 6:30 a.m. 7:40 p.m.) shaunagibbs0@gmail.com or MaryAnn 307 262-5539 PATHFINDER TOASTMASTERS CLUB 8503 (second and fourth Mondays, 6:15 p.m. 7:30) swhitfield19@msn.com or Steve 307 235-2956 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: www.toastmasters.org American Legion Auxiliary Wyoming Girls State Krysta Dennis and Shelby Blackwelder, of Natrona County High School, and Brooke Harmon, of Kelly Walsh High School, have been selected to attend the 80th session of American Legion Auxiliary Wyoming Girls State to be held at Laramie Community College on June 5 to 11 in Cheyenne. American Legion Auxiliary Girls State was established in 1941 and is annual program designed as a practical experience in self government, based on Wyoming state government. Wyoming Girls State was not held in 1944 and 1945 due to WWII. Girls State is a non-partisan and non-political in that no existing party is promoted. The program emphasizes the importance of government in modern life and educates young women in the duties, privileges, rights and responsibilities of American citizenship. It awakens a sincere conviction that a well informed, intelligent, participating citizenry is vital to protect and preserve our American institutions and our democracy. These goals are achieved by actual participation in a simulation of the political and governmental process. Dennis, Harmon and Blackwelder were selected for their outstanding achievements within their own school and community. They are sponsored by Jesse Martin, Unit 9 Glenrock, Wyoming. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A Casper police officer shot and injured a man while serving an arrest warrant in a domestic violence case on Monday, the department announced. The man suffered a non-life-threatening injury, the department said in a statement released Tuesday. He was treated at a Casper hospital. After being released, the man was booked into the Natrona County Detention Center. No one else involved in the incident, including officers, were injured, according to police. Police identified the man as Gage Cordova. He was booked on suspicion of aggravated assault, stalking and criminal trespass, said department spokeswoman Rebekah Ladd. Ladd said she could not release details about Cordovas mans injuries. Police were serving an arrest warrant at about 11 p.m. Monday at a home on the 1900 block of South Missouri Avenue as part of a domestic violence investigation on Monday, police said. Police were confronted by an armed man, and the officer fired his gun in response. The police statement did not identify the weapon Cordova was allegedly armed with. Ladd declined to identify the type of weapon, citing the ongoing investigation. Cordova barricaded himself inside the home, police said. Officers negotiated with him, and he eventually complied with their instructions and was taken into custody without further incident, police said. Natrona County sheriffs records show Cordova, 24, was being held at Natrona County Detention Center as of Tuesday morning. He was booked in about 5 a.m. or six hours after the incident began. As is standard, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation will handle the inquiry into the shooting. The officer who fired his weapon, meanwhile, was placed on administrative leave. That is also standard procedure. The Natrona County District Attorneys Office will make a ruling on whether the shooting was justified. Such investigations can take weeks or months. Police said when DCIs investigation, as well as its own internal investigation, were completed, the department would hold a press conference on the matter. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 2 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A man charged with stabbing another man at a downtown hotel over the holiday weekend was denied bail in court Tuesday, according to the Cook County states attorneys office. Gregory Bell, 42, was charged with one felony count of attempted murder and two felony counts of aggravated battery after stabbing a 56-year-old man during a fight in the fifth-floor hallway of The Allegro Royal Sonesta Hotel about 1 a.m. Sunday, Chicago police said. Advertisement The other man suffered severe injuries and was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in an unknown condition, police said. Bell was arrested after the accident was reported to police Sunday morning and was charged the following day. His next court date is June 8. The Wyoming Department of Education is collecting public input on assessment options for students seeking to earn the Wyoming Seal of Biliteracy, a seal that will recognize graduating high school students who speak multiple languages. In March, the Legislature passed a bill Senate File 78 that created the state-recognized Seal of Biliteracy. Beginning next academic year, students can earn the seal by taking an assessment to prove that theyre proficient in English and one or more other world languages. That includes American Sign Language, classical languages and indigenous languages, according to the bill. Those who pass the assessment will have a seal on their transcripts to recognize that proficiency. Students who are particularly skilled in their languages can earn an advanced distinction seal. The new legislation also requires school districts to report the number and types of seals issued in the prior school year, as well as the languages students learned, to the state superintendent of public instruction by mid October. A handful of school districts in Wyoming already offered district seals of biliteracy. But Wyoming was one of five states in the U.S. that didnt offer a state-wide seal of biliteracy, according to Sen. Affie Ellis, R-Cheyenne, the sponsor of Senate File 78. A statewide seal encourages students to pursue biliteracy, and it can be evidence of skills that are attractive to not only colleges, but to employers, Ellis said during her testimony before lawmakers on the bill. She said that students who dont have the opportunity to earn a seal are at a competitive disadvantage when vying for jobs or college admission. According to a 2019 survey by Ipsos Public Affairs for ACTFL, a membership organization of language educators and administrators, about a third of employers reported high dependency on foreign language skills. But about a third also reported that their foreign language needs werent being met. Its not clear, however, how this compares to demand for multilingual speakers from employers just in Wyoming; there doesnt appear to be a similar survey assessing this need among employees in the state. Department of Education Director of Standards and Assessment Laurie Hernandez said that an advisory committee of language educators will get together early next month to start vetting assessments to measure language skill. The committee will then make assessment recommendations to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Brian Schroeder. Community members can provide input on this process through Thursday by filling out an online survey with the education department. 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. Super PACs have spent over $1 million on Wyomings high-profile U.S. House of Representatives race more than doubling the previous record for the state, according to Federal Elections Commission filings. Most of that spending has been in opposition to incumbent Rep. Liz Cheney or in support of her main primary challenger, Donald Trump-endorsed Harriet Hageman. Super PACs cannot directly coordinate or donate to political candidates or parties. They can, however, raise and spend unlimited funds to overtly advocate for or against candidates. While super PAC money still trails both Cheney and Hagemans fundraising, the increased cash flow is indicative of keen interest in the race. Super PACs are not to be confused with traditional political action committees, which have limits on how much they can raise and spend. Technically known as independent expenditure only political committees, super PACs may receive unlimited contributions from individuals, corporations, unions and other groups. Super PACs are also relatively new to the political scene, ushered in by two 2010 court decisions, including Citizens United. Since then, Super PAC spending has steadily increased in Wyoming. A decade ago, Super PACs spent about $46,000 in Wyoming, according to FEC records. That amount more than tripled for the next election, in 2014, when Cheney challenged incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi. Most of that money was spent in opposition to Cheney, including $155,000 by Florida-based American Principles Fund on an advertisement criticizing her support for government benefits for same-sex couples. Super PAC spending in Wyoming shot up to $423,000 in 2018, according to FEC records. Most of that was also spent either against Cheney or in support of her opponents. As super PAC spending increases in Wyoming, so will outside influence on elections and public policy, according to Sarah Bryner, director of research and strategy for Open Secrets. The DC-based non-profit tracks campaign finance data. Outside groups spending millions to influence voters can shift the focus of a statewide election to national politics, according to Bryner. You can have a race take on a [different] dynamic, Bryner said, It really can change the messages that voters hear and the sort of ways that issues are prioritized in the dialogue. A single donor behind a super PAC, Bryner said, can single-handedly change both the conversation around an election and ultimately, the outcome. Wyoming Values, a Georgia-based super PAC, is responsible for more than half of the super PAC spending in Wyoming for the 2022 election. The group has dropped over $560,000 on billboards and TV and radio advertisements in Wyoming. One of those ads features Donald Trump Jr. endorsing Hageman. Trump Jr. also serves as honorary chairman of Wyoming Values, according to a May press release from the super PAC. The organization did not respond to WyoFiles request for comment. Wyoming Values has raised $706,000 since it launched in September, according to its latest FEC filings. Most has come from Wyoming donors, including Lynn Friess who gave $300,000 in March. Friess is the widow of former Republican gubernatorial candidate and GOP mega-donor, Foster Friess. Other donors to Wyoming Values include Ron McMurry, a prominent Casper businessman, and Dan Starks, founder of the National Museum of Military Vehicles in Dubois. McMurry donated $100,000 in January, Starks $50,000 in December of 2021. Another $50,000 came from Snow Goose, LLC, which is a limited liability company based in Casper, according to filings with the secretary of states office. Because the company uses a registered agent service, the identity of its membership is not public record. Additionally, two Florida-based LLCs donated a combined $15,000 to Wyoming Values. Trailing Wyoming Values in spending on the race is Protect Wyoming Values, which spent over $121,000 in support of State Rep. Chuck Gray, R-Casper, who is no longer in the race. Protect Wyoming Values raised $200,00 from a single donor Jan Charles Gray, Chuck Grays father. The super PAC shuttered in March after filing for termination with the FEC. Gray suspended his federal campaign last September, and has recently filed to run for Wyomings secretary of state. Priorities USA Action, the largest Democratic Party super PAC, spent money on ads featuring Hageman. In January, it spent about $9,600 on two TV ads, according to FEC filings, opposing Hageman and other Trump-endorsed congressional candidates. While neither of the ads aired in Wyoming, according to Aneesa McMillan from Priorities USA Action, the group included Wyoming in its FEC filings because the ads featured a Wyoming candidate. Other super PACs spending in Wyoming include House Freedom Action, Protect Freedom Political Action Committee, Club for Growth Action and America Strong PAC, INC. Combined, they have spent more than $330,000. The primary election is Aug. 16. WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Wyoming GOP Chairman Frank Eathorne was on restricted Capitol grounds during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot after saying last year he only made a brief stop in the vicinity of the Capitol, according to a newly published report. Photos and video from the day appear to show Eathorne in the restricted area in front of the platform for Joe Bidens inauguration, which was still two weeks away at the time, NBC News first reported Sunday. Its unclear when Eathorne ultimately left that day. Previously, Eathorne, who is on a first-name basis with former President Donald Trump and has been to a White House Christmas party, characterized his visit to the Capitol on Jan. 6 as a a brief stop in the vicinity of the Capitol building property. No violence or property damage was observed during my time there including a brief stop in the vicinity of the Capitol building property, he wrote. Eathorne did not immediately respond to request for comment Tuesday. On Jan. 6, 2021, the Wyoming GOP posted a 19-second video to its Facebook page of an enthusiastic crowd cheering outside of the U.S. Capitol building, with the caption,This is whats really happening near the White House in case the media is not reporting. Chairman Eathorne is there with other great Wyoming patriots! According to leaked documents, the chairman of the state party is also a member of the Oath Keepers, a militant right-wing organization, WyoFile reported in December. Eathorne says he was only a passive member of the group. Around a dozen Oath Keepers have been charged with seditious conspiracy following the Jan. 6 riot. Thousands of Trump supporters were on the restricted grounds of the Capitol on the day of the riot, but only a handful of rioters have been charged with misdemeanors for being in that area. The focus of most investigations have been those who were inside the Capitol or who assaulted law enforcement. There is no evidence Eathorne did either. The people who have been charged fall into three overlapping categories. Individuals who went inside, individuals who committed violence outside and individuals who committed conspiracy to overturn the election, said Jon Lewis, a research fellow at the George Washington University Program on Extremism. Its unlikely that the DOJ will prioritize the individuals for misdemeanor offenses. A rancher from Converse County, Eathorne has become close with Trump as the former president has sought to unseat one of his main political enemies: Rep. Liz Cheney. Eathorne was one of the first speakers at Trumps rally on Saturday in Casper. When Trump first knew he was coming to Wyoming for a rally, he called Eathorne personally to tell him the news. I would run through barbed wire for that guy, how bout you? Eathorne said on stage, referring to the former president. The rally was held in support of the Trump-endorsed U.S. House challenger Harriet Hageman, who is running against Cheney. Eathorne has become a key political player in the race, as he has helped lead the effort to oust Cheney at a state and national level. At the Republican National Committee meeting in Salt Lake City earlier this year, Eathorne authored a resolution which national delegates overwhelmingly approved to censure Cheney and cease any and all support of them as members of the Republican Party for their behavior. Follow state politics reporter Victoria Eavis on Twitter @Victoria_Eavis Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 9 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. A teenager was among three people the police on Wednesday asked for the publics help to locate. Fifty years ago, the United Nations convened the landmark Conference on the Human Environment here in Stockholm. World leaders recognised that we have a collective responsibility to protect the environment so humanity can enjoy peace, prosperity and sustainable progress. Pima County is planning a reclamation project for the old Ina Road landfill that will be used to help power a drying facility for composted waste. The landfill, which closed after reaching capacity in 2010, will be covered with soil, revegetated and eventually host solar panels for a wastewater project. Located on the east bank of the Santa Cruz River south of West Ina Road near Interstate 10, the landfill sits next to the Tres Rios Water Reclamation Facility, which creates composted waste from recycled sewage called biosolids. Those biosolids are commonly used as fertilizer. The landfill reached its capacity and is no longer in use, Nancy Cole, the director of Pima County Capital Program Office said in a news release. Because of the limited potential uses of decommissioned landfills, we wanted to work with other county departments to find a creative reuse for the area. The county plans to use the landfill to help dry the biosolids from the wastewater treatment facility. The current biosolid process leaves a product thats about 80% water, which limits its ability to serve as a fertilizer, according to the county. The drying process will reduce the biosolids water content to about 20%, making it easier to haul to farms. According to Jeff Prevatt, deputy director of the Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department, it costs about $2 million a year to haul the material, and the drying process will save the county fuel costs. The wastewater department plans to dry the biosolids at its facility using energy produced by the solar arrays installed on part of the old landfill. Also, once the landfill is filled in, about 24 inches of material from a nearby CalPortland manufacturing facility will be added to the top to create a firm cap that will prevent erosion and water infiltration and eventually promote plant growth, according to the news release. The county plans to install a ramp on the Chuck Huckelberry Loop to allow construction equipment to cross the confluence of the Canada del Oro Wash and the Santa Cruz River. Construction is expected to last through November. Contact reporter Nicole Ludden at nludden@tucson.com 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. A man was injured after falling off the top of a moving CTA Blue Line train in the East Garfield neighborhood. Advertisement At about 9:15 a.m. a 27-year-old man was on top of the train while it was in motion, according to police. The train stopped in the 3700 block of West Congress Parkway, between the Pulaski and Kedzie-Homan stops where he fell from the train, police said. Advertisement The man was taken in good condition to Mount Sinai Hospital with a laceration to the head. tatturner@chicagotribune.com BOSTON (AP) A suspect in the 1984 killing of a South Boston man that authorities say was linked to mobster James Whitey Bulger's control of the drug trade in the neighborhood is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday. Michael Lewis, 61, faces a first-degree murder charge in Suffolk Superior Court in connection with the fatal shooting of Brian Watson, according to a statement from the Suffolk district attorney's office. The defense attorney for Lewis has yet to be determined, the district attorney's office said. Watson, 23, was last seen alive on July 16 or 17, 1984, and was reported missing by his mother on July 28 that year, authorities said. His body was found hidden among the trees and bushes by a motorist who had pulled over on Interstate 93 in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Sept. 16, 1984. According to the prosecution's account of events, the then 24-year-old Lewis and an another man involved in the drug trade drove around the neighborhood in July 1984 looking for a drug dealer they thought had told Bulger that Lewis' associate was selling angel dust in South Boston. As a result, Bulger had demanded a $5,000 payment plus another $1,000 per week from the man, whose name was not disclosed by prosecutors. Bulger was known to shake down drug dealers doing business in South Boston. The pair encountered Watson, who agreed to help them find the other dealer and got in their car, prosecutors said. While the three men drove around South Boston, Lewis suddenly turned, shot and killed Watson," the district attorney's office said in a statement. Authorities do not allege that Lewis or Watson were tied directly to Bulger, who was killed in a federal prison in West Virginia in 2018. He was 89. Bulger, who spent 16 years as a fugitive, was convicted in 2013 of participating in 11 killings. Federal authorities developed a significant break in Watson's case in 2009, but not enough to secure an indictment, the district attorney said. But new information was developed within the past year that led to Lewis' indictment on Friday. Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden thanked New Hampshire law enforcement agencies and federal authorities for their efforts in securing an indictment. This was a true team effort to help indict and charge a homicide that hearkens back to a very different Boston," he said. "Brian Watson was a young father cut down seemingly on a whim. A remarkably cold-blooded whim. Mr. Watsons family has endured many, many years of loss and heartache. At the very least, they now have some answers. 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. WASHINGTON President Joe Biden said in a guest essay Tuesday evening in The New York Times that hes decided to provide the Ukrainians with more advanced rocket systems and munitions that will enable them to more precisely strike key targets on the battlefield. The expectation is that Ukraine could use the rockets in the eastern Donbas region, where they could both intercept Russian artillery and take out Russian positions in towns where fighting is intense, such as Sievierodonetsk. That town 90 miles (145 kilometers) south of the Russian border is in an area that is the last pocket under Ukrainian government control in the Luhansk region of the Donbas. In his New York Times essay, Biden said the U.S. is not encouraging or enabling Ukraine to strike beyond its borders and does not want to prolong the war just to inflict pain on Russia. U.S. officials familiar with the decision did not detail how much the aid will cost, but it will be the 11th package approved so far and will be the first to tap the $40 billion in assistance recently passed by Congress. KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: Sievierodonetsk mayor says Russian forces seize half of city In big bid to punish Moscow, EU bans most Russia oil imports A terrible nightmare: Treating Ukraines wounded civilians War crimes meeting held at Hague over Russia-Ukraine war Hungarys Orban wins exemption in EU Russian oil embargo Turkish leader writes on risks of Sweden, Finland in NATO Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: WASHINGTON The Biden administration announced on Tuesday that it will send Ukraine a small number of high-tech, medium-range rocket systems. Thats a critical weapon that Ukrainian leaders have been begging for as they struggle to stall Russian progress in the Donbas region. The U.S. plan tries to strike a balance between the desire to help Ukraine battle ferocious Russian artillery barrages while not providing arms that could allow Ukraine to hit targets deep inside Russia and trigger an escalation in the war. In a guest essay published Tuesday evening in The New York Times, Biden confirmed that hes decided to provide the Ukrainians with more advanced rocket systems and munitions that will enable them to more precisely strike key targets on the battlefield in Ukraine. U.S. officials say the aid package expected to be unveiled Wednesday would send what the U.S. considers medium-range rockets they generally can travel about 45 miles (70 kilometers). The expectation is that Ukraine could use the rockets in the eastern Donbas region, where they could both intercept Russian artillery and take out Russian positions in towns where fighting is intense, such as Sievierodonetsk. KYIV, Ukraine A regional governor on Tuesday said Russian troops have won control over most of a city that has been the epicenter of fighting in eastern Ukraine. Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai said most of Sievierodonetsk is under the Russian control. He added in a messaging app statement that Ukrainian forces continued to fight the Russians in fierce street battles and said the city has not yet been surrounded. Sievierodonetsk, the administrative center of the Luhansk region, has been the focus of Russias offensive in Ukraines eastern industrial heartland of Donbas. It has come under relentless Russian bombardment. Haidai said that Tuesdays Russian air strike hit a tank with nitric acid at a chemical factory, releasing toxic fumes. UNITED NATIONS The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations on Tuesday said the Biden administration supports the shipment of Russian grain and fertilizer to address increasing global food insecurity sparked by the war in Ukraine. Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters at U.N. headquarters that there are no U.S. sanctions on Russian shipments of grain and fertilizer, but she said companies are a little nervous and have been holding back. Thomas-Greenfield said the United States is prepared to give comfort letters to grain and fertilizer exporters and insurance companies in an attempt to get badly needed agricultural products out of Russia. She said the Biden administration is very supportive of efforts by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to allow grain exports out of Ukraine by train and the Black Sea, as well as his work to ensure Russian food and fertilizer have unrestricted access to global markets. A U.N. spokesman said Tuesday that Rebeca Grynspan, the secretary-general of the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development, visited Moscow on Monday and held constructive discussions with First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov on facilitating Russian grain and fertilizer exports. Grynspan was in Washington on Tuesday meeting with U.S. officials, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. Global hunger levels are at a new high, Guterres said. He said Ukraine and Russia together produce almost a third of the worlds wheat and barley and half of its sunflower oil, while Russia and its ally Belarus are the worlds number two and three producers of potash, a key ingredient of fertilizer. KYIV, Ukraine A regional Ukrainian governor on Tuesday said the Russian bombardment has caused a leak of toxic nitric acid from an industrial facility. Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai said a Russian air strike on Sievierodonetsk hit a tank with nitric acid at a chemical factory, causing a massive leak of its fumes. He posted a picture of a huge rose cloud hanging over the city and urged residents not to leave their homes and wear gas masks or make improvised masks from fabric soaked in soda solution. Sievierodonetsk has been the focus of Russias offensive in Ukraines eastern industrial heartland of Donbas. It has come under intensive artillery barrage and airstrikes as the Russian forces fought Ukrainian troops for control of the city in violent street battles. WARSAW, Poland Polands Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Tuesday said the country is on a good path to receive new financing from the European Union to support Ukrainian refugees and compensate for weapons Poland gave to Ukraine. More than 3 million refugees have entered Poland from Ukraine. While some passed through and others returned home, most are still in Poland and receiving government support. Poland has also been supplying various weapons to Ukraine. Albeit slowly, but this (EU) support for Poland is coming and we are on the good path to receive new means for the help for the refugees as well as linked to the weapons that we have handed to Ukraine, Morawiecki said. BRUSSELS Italian Premier Mario Draghi said Tuesday that Italian energy company ENI is able to pay Russia for gas without violating sanctions because Russia considers the payment completed as soon as the euro payment goes through. Then it is converted to rubles on the market by an agent of Gazprom, not through the Russian central bank, Draghi said. He said it appears that Russia has imposed different conditions on different countries, and in some cases where there were suspensions they asked payments in rubles, period. ENI also intends to go to a tribunal in Sweden and ask if this form of payment violates the contract. So far the court has not made a ruling, as this just changed last week, Draghi said. BRUSSELS The European Union urged its international partners to avoid placing trade barriers on farm products as Russias war on Ukraine risks further fueling a possible global food crisis. We call on all partners not to restrict trade on agricultural products, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after an EU summit Tuesday in Brussels. Ukraine has said Russia is blocking the export of 22 million tons of its grain, some of it destined for Africa. African countries imported 44% of their wheat from Russia and Ukraine between 2018 and 2020, according to the U.N. Von der Leyen said the EU is trying to help get food out by road and rail, but land transport assistance might only provide for a fifth of Ukraines usual monthly exports. It is of course more tedious and expensive, but it is necessary to get this wheat out, she said. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the EUs sanctions are making things worse. Putin said hes willing to help ease concerns if the restrictive measures are lifted. KYIV, Ukraine Ukraine has welcomed the European Unions decision to block most imports of Russian oil. The oil embargo will speed up the countdown to the collapse of the Russian economy and war machine, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a statement. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry estimated the ban could cost Russia tens of billions of dollars and praised the European Union for not only making it harder for the Kremlin to finance the (Russian Federations) aggression but also shoring up its own energy security. BRUSSELS French President Emmanuel Macron vowed France will continue to fight against impunity after a French journalist was killed by shell shrapnel while covering a Ukrainian evacuation operation. The French national anti-terrorism prosecutors office opened an investigation for war crimes. Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff, 32, was killed Monday as he was covering a humanitarian operation near Sievierodonetsk, a key city in the Donbas region that is being hotly contested by Russian and Ukrainian forces, according to his employer, French news broadcaster BFM TV. Macron, speaking after a European summit in Brussels, said journalists, humanitarian workers must be protected in war zones. Civilians must be protected. Russia is breaching all international laws, he said. BRUSSELS Chancellor Olaf Scholz says Germany is working on a deal with Greece that would see Athens deliver old military equipment to Ukraine and get armored personnel carriers from Germany to fill the gap. Germany has faced criticism for a perceived reluctance to deliver heavy weapons to Ukraine, which the government rejects. It points among other things to arrangements for NATO allies to deliver older equipment particularly of Soviet design to Kyiv and then have modern material supplied by Germany. Scholz pointed Tuesday to an arrangement already made with the Czech Republic. He said he had agreed with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to draw up a similar deal after a European Union summit. He didnt give details, but said it will be finalized by the countries defense ministries and can be implemented quickly. Scholz said he also spoke to his Polish counterpart about such arrangements. BRUSSELS The chair of the African Union, Senegals President Macky Sall, has told European Union leaders that Russias blockade of Ukraines ports is paving the way for a catastrophic scenario of widespread shortages and price hikes across his continent. In an address to leaders gathered in Brussels Tuesday for a summit focused on helping Ukraine, Sall said that a halt to grain and fertilizer exports via the Black Sea is very worrying for a continent hosting 282 million undernourished people. He said that the price of fertilizer across Africa has already tripled compared to 2021. According to some estimates, cereal yields in Africa will fall by 20 to 50 percent this year, Sall said. We would like to see everything possible done to free up available grain stocks and ensure transportation and market access. Charles Michel, the EU Council president, said that the EU is sparing no efforts to free Ukraines exports over land and exploring alternative sea routes. African countries imported 44% of their wheat from Russia and Ukraine between 2018 and 2020, according to U.N. figures. The African Development Bank is already reporting a 45% increase in wheat prices on the continent. Russias top diplomat has again blamed the hampering of exports of Ukrainian grain and a global food crisis on Kyiv and the West. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday that Russia guarantees free export of Ukrainian grain by ships that are now locked in Ukrainian ports, but first Ukraine needs to de-mine the coastal waters that are in the territorial sea of Ukraine. Lavrov told a news conference after meeting with his Bahraini counterpart Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani that if that is done, "in the open sea ... Russias naval forces will ensure the unimpeded passage of these ships to the Mediterranean Sea and further to their destinations, He also blamed Western nations for creating a flurry of artificial problems with closing their ports for Russian vessels, with cutting logistical and financial chains. He added that they must seriously think what is more important for them -- to do PR on the issue of the food security or solve the problem with concrete steps. MOSCOW -- The deputy head of Russias Security Council is alleging that sanctions against the country, including new measures targeting oil exports, are aimed at hurting ordinary Russians and motivated by hatred. Dmitry Medvedev, who is also a former president and prime minister, wrote on Telegram Tuesday that sanctions dont affect the Russian political elite and wont be fatal for big business, but are directed precisely against the people of Russia. He claimed that measures affecting oil and gas are aimed at forcing the government to introduce budget cuts. An embargo on buying oil and gas from Russia? The same thing: to reduce the budget incomes and force the state to abandon its social obligations such as raising payments in line with inflation, he wrote. The European Union has agreed on a ban affecting all Russian exports of oil by sea to the EU, but not by a key pipeline to some Central and Eastern European countries including Hungary. The EU hasnt introduced an embargo on Russian gas. After listing sanctions in various sectors, Medvedev wrote, They hate us all! The basis for these decisions is hatred for Russia, for Russians and for all its inhabitants. COPENHAGEN, Denmark The Norwegian Refugee Council says thousands of civilians caught in Sievierodonetsk are in dire need of aid. It is calling for humanitarian organizations to be allowed to access the eastern Ukrainian city with lifesaving assistance and to enable safe evacuations of civilians who wish to leave. The council's secretary-general, Jan Egeland, said Tuesday: We fear that up to 12,000 civilians remain caught in crossfire in the city, without sufficient access to water, food, medicine or electricity." He added that the near-constant bombardment is forcing civilians to seek refuge in bomb shelters and basements," with only few precious opportunities to escape. He added that the organization cannot save lives under the hail of grenades. KYIV, Ukraine -- The mayor of Sievierodonetsk says Russian forces have taken around half of the city in eastern Ukraine. Oleksandr Striuk told The Associated Press in a phone interview Tuesday that heavy fighting is ongoing and artillery bombardments threaten the lives of the thousands of civilians still sheltering in the ruined city. Half of the city has been captured by the Russians and fierce street fighting is under way, Striuk said. The situation is very serious and the city is essentially being destroyed ruthlessly block by block. He added that the Ukrainian military continues to resist this frenzied push and aggression by Russian forces. Striuk estimated that around 13,000 people remained in the city out of a pre-war population of around 100,000 but said it was impossible to keep track of civilian casualties amid round-the-clock shelling. He said more than 1,500 people in the city who died of various causes have been buried since the war began in February. Evacuation efforts have been halted because of the danger of shelling. He said that civilians are dying from direct strikes, from fragmentation wounds and under the rubble of destroyed buildings, since most of the inhabitants are hiding in basements and shelters. ISTANBUL Turkey's foreign minister says Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit Turkey on June 8 for talks that will address among other things opening a Black Sea corridor for Ukrainian grain exports. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also said in a video interview Tuesday with the state-run Anadolu news agency that the French and German ambassadors had been summoned to the Foreign Ministry over demonstrations in their countries by groups considered to be terrorist by Ankara. Turkey has said activities of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, are one of its objections to Sweden and Finland joining NATO. The PKK is designated a terrorist organization by the European Union and U.S. KYIV, Ukraine -- A court in Ukraine has convicted two Russian soldiers of war crimes for the shelling of civilian buildings and sentenced both to 11 1/2 years in prison. Tuesdays verdict concluded the countrys second war crimes trial since the Russian invasion started. Russian servicemen Alexander Bobykin and Alexander Ivanov were charged with violating the laws and customs of war over the shelling of civilian infrastructure in the Kharkiv region on the first day of the Russian attack on Ukraine. They both stood trial in a court in Ukraines Poltava region and pleaded guilty to the charges. Earlier this month, a court in Kyiv sentenced a 21-year-old Russian soldier to life in prison for fatally shooting a Ukrainian civilian in the first war crimes trial since Russia invaded. COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- Denmark says its embassy in Moscow will no longer accept applications for visas or residence permits. Its citing a staff shortage after Russia expelled four diplomats and three other employees earlier this month. The Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that it is not possible to maintain the usual level of activity. It said it wants to prioritize giving assistance to Danish citizens. It said that the move was temporary, but didnt specify how long it will last. Moscows tit-for-tat move came after Denmark in April expelled 15 Russian embassy employees, identified as intelligence officers, from the diplomatic mission in Copenhagen in line with similar steps taken by other European Union countries. The Netherlands also shut down its visa department in Moscow because staff were expelled. 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. HONG KONG (AP) Hong Kongs incoming chief executive, John Lee, said Tuesday the city still has to work hard at controlling the coronavirus and boosting vaccination rates. Lee, who returned home after meeting with Communist Party officials in Beijing, said Hong Kong needs to control the spread of COVID-19 to create favorable conditions for a resumption of regular travel with mainland China. We still have cases of infection, between 200 to 300 cases (daily), and vaccination rates for the second dose have yet to reach 90%, Lee said to reporters after landing at Hong Kong's airport. He said he explained to Chinese Premier Li Keqiang that there have been many requests to resume normal travel between the semi-autonomous city and the mainland. The city faced its worst COVID-19 outbreak at the beginning of the year, driven largely by the highly transmissible omicron variant. Over 1 million residents were infected during the outbreak, with daily cases exceeding 30,000 at the peak. Infections have since fallen to about 300 a day, according to authorities. China has imposed tough entry restrictions on travelers from Hong Kong since the pandemic began, requiring them to complete mandatory quarantines that have ranged from seven days to several weeks. China also closed its borders to most international travel. On Monday, Lee received his official letter of appointment in Beijing, a month before he is to take over the city's leadership. He also met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other senior officials. Lees appointment comes during a continuing political crackdown in Hong Kong nearly three years after anti-government protests rocked the city in 2019. He won in an uncontested election, garnering over 99% of all votes from an election committee comprised mostly of pro-Beijing members. Critics say Beijing has tightened its grip over Hong Kong and rolled back freedoms with the imposition of a tough new national security law and changes to its electoral laws that prevent pro-democracy candidates from running for office. Lee, a Beijing loyalist, is known for his support of the national security law, which outlaws subversion, secession, terrorism and foreign collusion to intervene in the citys affairs. Over 150 people have been arrested under the law since it came into effect in June 2020. Since the implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong, Hong Kong has embarked on the right path," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Tuesday. "We believe that the Pearl of the Orient will shine again. Prior to winning the election, Lee was the citys No. 2 official. He spent most of his civil service career in the police force and later in the security bureau. Lee is to be sworn in as Hong Kongs chief executive on July 1, the 25th anniversary of Hong Kongs handover from Britain to China. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Modeled after similar schools emerging around the country, a new polytechnic school planned for Tulsa is expected to follow their example and help meet the increasing demand for workers in critical STEM fields. What we hope to do is create really a transformative experience, said Tomas Diaz de la Rubia, University of Oklahoma vice president for research and partnerships, of the plan for OU Polytechnic Institute. The idea for the new school, to be located in Tulsa, was first revealed by OU President Joseph Harroz at the May OU Board of Regents meeting. It still must be approved by the OU Board and then the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, but that approval is expected. OU Polytechnic, which will offer bachelors and graduate degree programs, really represents a new approach in applied engineering and technology education, a very experiential, project-based learning approach, said Diaz de la Rubia. He said a tight partnership between the institute and private sector companies will be key. Industries are part of creating the curriculum, he said. And theyre part of teaching the curriculum, in terms of internships and all kinds of other opportunities for the students. Diaz de la Rubia said the idea came out of the universitys strategic planning process, which in early 2020 began to take a serious look at OUs investment in Tulsa. OU officials met with state and Tulsa-area leaders, as well as companies. We started thinking about how the university could play a unique role in the Tulsa area, he said. More and more, with the entrepreneurs and companies that we talked to, you really got the sense that theres a need for this type of education, where the students have the experience and training that gets them ready to go into the workforce immediately. OU Polytechnic is also going to be a big attractor to companies from outside to come and locate here, he said. A great example of what the school could do for the Tulsa area and region, Diaz de la Rubia said, is what Indiana has experienced with Purdue Polytechnic Institute. A model for what OU is planning, it now has over 5,000 students, and graduates almost 1,000 a year, said Diaz de la Rubia, who was with Purdue University before OU and saw its success firsthand. The graduates have job placements before they graduate, and they come out with very high, very competitive salaries in the high-tech industries. The state of Indiana has benefited in multiple ways, he added. A lot of the students because their education is tied very intimately, very closely to local companies when they graduate they tend to go work in these companies, he said. So they stay in the state. That includes students from Indiana as well as from outside of it, he said. It attracts students from all over the country, and many of them also end up staying in the state after they graduate because they are working so closely with the companies locally. So you end up with a Brain Gain. The states higher education chancellor, Allison Garrett, who has spoken about Oklahomas worker shortage in areas requiring higher education, said the OU plan is good news. Data from the Oklahoma Office of Workforce Development show that by 2028, 66 of Oklahomas 100 critical occupations will require an associates degree or higher, she said. Our public colleges and universities work diligently to develop innovative partnerships and academic programs to meet workforce needs and accelerate degree completion. We look forward to reviewing the University of Oklahomas proposal for academic offerings in technology fields. Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum said he couldnt be happier about the plan. Tulsas workforce continues to get better and better educational opportunities because of investments like this one, he said. I want to thank OU President Harroz and the entire team at OU for realizing that Tulsa is a city on the rise in multiple different industries, and for funding the types of programs that educate our youth for the jobs of tomorrow. The project also has support from philanthropic partners, including the George Kaiser Family Foundation, BOK Financial and others. The OU Regents will vote on the proposal at their June 21-22 meeting. Once its approved, a search will begin for a director and faculty members. The institute will be located on the OU-Tulsa Schusterman Center campus, where it will prepare students for jobs in areas such as telehealth, autonomous technology, electric vehicles, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing and software engineering. Diaz de la Rubia said, Were excited about it. Were committed to it. Were looking forward to making a difference for students, for industries, for companies in the Tulsa region. 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. Tulsa and the state again set new records for their highest average gasoline prices ever over the last few days. Meanwhile, a national analyst said the national average could reach $5 per gallon in the next few weeks. "Odds are rising that well eventually see the national average reach that dreaded $5 per gallon, said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, a fuel price-tracking service, in a blog post Tuesday. The national average was $4.622 per gallon on Tuesday, according to AAA. Statewide, the average price set a new record Tuesday of $4.157 per gallon, according to AAA. Tulsa hit an all-time average high of $4.107 per gallon on Saturday, AAA said. Tuesday's average price in the city dipped slightly to $4.094 per gallon. Prices at Tulsa-area QuikTrips were $4.08 per gallon on Tuesday, according to gasbuddy.com. Prices here are still well below most other areas of the country. In California, for example, the average price was $6.165 per gallon on Tuesday, according to AAA. After several weeks of soaring gas prices, last week saw prices nationally slow down ahead of Memorial Day, but Im afraid the good news ends there, De Haan said. While gasoline demand has been seasonally soft, the large decline in refining capacity over the last few years has meant that refiners are struggling to produce even lower amounts of refined products," he said. "This has led inventories to struggle to see any gains, boosting concern that they wont be able to catch up. Coupled with continued talk that the (European Union) is still working on sanctioning Russian oil even though Hungary is a holdout oil markets are quite on edge. "As a result of the continued decline in gasoline inventories in recent weeks, wholesale gas prices surged last week, which will likely boost prices at the pump in short order. Motorists in the Great Lakes could see prices jump early in the week to new record highs, and the rest of the nation will follow," De Haan said. Each day, we have been setting new records during this current (price) surge, AAA Oklahoma spokeswoman Leslie Gamble told the Tulsa World last week. Before prices started rising following Russias invasion of Ukraine in late February, the previous average high price for gasoline in the state was $3.95 per gallon on July 16, 2008, AAA said. The current national average is up 42.8 cents from a month ago and $1.56 per gallon higher than a year ago, according to GasBuddy. However, the national average price of diesel has fallen 4 cents in the past week and stands at $5.50 per gallon, the company said. Benchmark U.S. crude oil for July delivery fell 40 cents to $114.67 a barrel Tuesday. Earlier this month, oil prices had dipped below $100 per barrel before going back up. There have been swings in the market of up to $6 to $7 a barrel per day since the Russian invasion. Featured video: Biden's mission to get gas prices lower Regional states' average prices Regional states' average gasoline prices for regular unleaded, as of Tuesday: Oklahoma: $4.157 Arkansas: $4.138 Colorado: $4.278 Kansas: $4.129 Louisiana: $4.228 Missouri: $4.174 New Mexico: $4.339 Texas: $4.244 Source: AAA 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 Grand River Dam Authority Police Department on Monday night was still searching for a missing boater at Grand Lake who was last seen Friday night. Troy Young, 48, of Bixby, was last seen leaving the Cedar Port Marina in a 24-foot Blue Yellowfin boat about 10:30 p.m. Friday. GRDA police were notified of the missing boater, about 8 a.m. Saturday. Officers recovered Youngs boat near the entrance of Ketchum Cove a short time later. That location is approximately 1.5 miles from Cedar Port. The ongoing search covers a large area, approximately four square miles, across the southern portion of Grand Lake. GRDA police is asking any boaters in the area to be mindful of the search efforts, to stay well clear of its boats involved in the search. Anyone who might have seen Youngs boat Friday night or with any information that might prove helpful in the ongoing investigation and search efforts is asked to call the GRDA police at 918-256 0911. A man who turned himself in following a barrage of gunfire at an outdoor Memorial Day weekend event in Muskogee County that killed a woman and injured seven other people remained jailed on Monday. Skylar Buckner, 26, was expected to be formally charged and arraigned on Tuesday, an Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman said Monday. Buckner was arrested on a complaint of first-degree murder Sunday afternoon following the shootings shortly after midnight Sunday in Taft, where an estimated 1,500 people were gathered for an outdoor holiday event, authorities said. A woman was killed and seven other people ranging in age from 9 to 56 were injured in the shootings, which occurred following an argument, authorities said. The woman who was killed was identified as Sherika Bowler, 39, a former teachers assistant at an early childhood center, the Muskogee Phoenix reported. The OSBI on Tuesday identified her as Sharika Bowler. The identities of those injured have not been released, but the OSBI said none were thought to have life-threatening injuries. Buckner was being held in the Muskogee County/City Detention Facility. As of Monday evening, authorities had not announced any additional arrests nor further details about the shootings. Witnesses on Sunday described a chaotic scene in which a plethora of gunshots were fired during the gathering, an annual event in the small town, about 10 miles west of Muskogee. Bullets were literally flying everywhere, said Jasmayne Hill, who was working at a food truck during the event. Hill said she and the owner of the Kountry Queens food truck, Tiffany Walton, dove to the floor inside the food truck, trying to hide from flying bullets. Were thinking were safe and the bullets are like going through the bottom of the food truck, Hill said. They didnt hit us, thank God. At least one large bullet hole could be seen on the outside of the truck, not far from where the trucks propane tank was located, Walton said. Witnesses at the scene Sunday said the woman who was killed died after reportedly being struck in the head. Witnesses said several of the injured were struck in the legs. The eight that were struck in the shooting were all transferred to the hospital in Muskogee and three patients were then transferred to a hospital in Tulsa for treatment, the OSBI said. The agency also clarified that only one juvenile not two as it previously reported was injured in the shooting. Hill said the shooting began with an initial pop that sounded like a firework. But then she said, a much-louder, high-caliber-type weapon could be heard firing rapidly, as if it was some sort of automatic weapon. It was something like right out of a movie, Hill said. It (lasted) a long time, Walton said. The Muskogee County Sheriffs Office was in attendance at the event and immediately rendered aid to the victims, the OSBI said. The OSBI said Buckner turned himself in at the Muskogee County Sheriffs Office at 4:05 p.m. Muskogee County District Attorney Larry Edwards on Sunday could not immediately provide Buckners hometown. He also declined to say if there were other suspects in the case or if other arrests were pending, citing the ongoing investigation. However, he said casings from four different caliber guns were found at the scene of the shootings. Witnesses said there were at least 40 marked points where shell casings were found, all around the area. Neicy Bates and her husband, Triirmain Bates, were operating the Fat Fries food truck when the shots began. Most people were just going to the ground trying to get out of the way, Neicy Bates said. I ran out (of the food truck) because I have kids and they were out here. People were just screaming. Some were trying to run away. There were cars leaving, trying not to hit each other. Walton, a Taft resident, said the town for decades has held a multi-day Memorial Day festival that usually lasts from Friday through Sunday with a parade on Monday. She said not only do most of the 220 or so residents turn out, but also many people from all over the country. All remaining Memorial Day activities were canceled in the town, including Mondays parade. Neicy Bates said her grandmother Lelia Foley, who became the first Black female mayor in U.S. history when she was elected mayor of Taft in 1973, continued to organize the annual Memorial Day events. The former mayor was up most of the night Sunday following the shootings, talking with residents and assisting authorities, Bates said. Shes devastated. Walton said Saturday night was her first night in business with her food truck. And this had to happen, she said. In addition to food trucks, the outdoor event also featured a live DJ, residents said. Taft, founded around 1902, is one of only 13 predominantly Black towns still existing in Oklahoma. The state once was home to more than 50, more than any other state. Originally called Twine, the town was renamed Taft in 1905 after William Howard Taft, then a statesman soon to become president. Anyone at the event who witnessed the shooting is asked to contact the OSBI at 1-800-522-8017 or email tips@osbi.ok.gov. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A pact between Thailand and Vietnam to raise rice prices would be "impossible", a top Thai industry official said on Monday, amplifying opposition to a government-proposed plan for a rice cartel and questions over its viability. Thailand's government said on Friday it planned with Vietnam to create a pact between the world's second- and third-largest rice exporters to boost their bargaining power and help mitigate rising production costs. Vietnam has yet to confirm such a plan was being discussed. Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary president of Thailand's Rice Exporters Association, said his body had not been consulted, and the idea was poorly thought out. "Thailand and Vietnam are not the largest exporters, combined it's less than India and would have buyers turn to competitors," Chookiat told Reuters, adding rice cannot be stored for long enough while awaiting a climb in price. "Politicians don't understand the rice market and did not discuss this with the association," he said. His comments are similar to those of the head of Vietnam's food association, who last week said raising prices at a time of global food uncertainty would be unreasonable. Vietnam's agriculture ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment on Monday. Alongkorn Ponlaboot, adviser to Thailand's agriculture and cooperatives minister, told Reuters Vietnam "agrees in principle that increasing prices would benefit the two countries." "Whether this is successful, this cannot be answered because there needs to be more discussions," he added. Cartel 'unlikely' Top rice exporter India accounts for about 40% of global supply and its prices hit a five-year low last week on a weaker Indian rupee and abundant supply among top exporting countries. Officials said last week India had no plans to limit exports. India's 5-percent broken white rice is at least $50 per tonne cheaper than that of Vietnam and $100 cheaper than Thailand, dealers said on Monday. Vietnam has in recent years imported some Indian rice for use in beer and animal feed. "Price mechanisms will not work without India's participation. Indian rice is already far cheaper ... If others raise prices, then it is natural for buyers to shift towards India," said a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trading house. The dealer said Vietnam and Thailand had lost market share and would need to lower prices to regain it. A rice trader based in Ho Chi Minh City said a cartel was unlikely with "too many different views on this issue" and because neither country was the top exporter. "If India curbs exports, prices will rise without Thailand and Vietnam having to form a cartel," the trader said. Vietnam and Thailand account for about 10% of global production of rough rice, and about 26% of global exports, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. One of the biggest losers from a cartel would be the world's second-biggest rice importer, the Philippines, a big buyer of Thai and Vietnamese rice. The Philippines' record paddy output last year of 20 million tonnes is insufficient to feed its 110 million people. Its agriculture department spokesperson Noel Reyes on Monday expressed confidence that technology could help production reach new highs and in "a more cost-effective manner" than Vietnam and Thailand. Despite the scarcity of food worldwide and some countries food export suspension to stabilize prices, Vietnam is capable of speeding up production to control the prices of food products and keep supplying to the world. In the first months of the year, the prices of many food products rose over the same period last year, which was attributed to rising input costs. Nevertheless, the country is not concerned about a possible shortage of foodstuffs. No worry about shortage of food Pig herds were forecast to be scaled down and the number of swine raised by households may halve compared to last year because of rising animal feed prices, according to Nguyen Kim Doan, vice-chairman of the Dong Nai Livestock Association in the namesake province, just outside Ho Chi Minh City. Le Xuan Huy, deputy general director of C.P. Vietnam Corporation, shared the view, saying that pig herds raised by households had fallen. However, if large companies increase drifts of hogs, the pork supply will be ensured. As the number of pigs has risen 5-10 percent over last year, C.P. expected to release some 19,000 to 20,000 swine per day, Huy added. The director of a foreign-invested livestock company in Vietnam said that the supply of pork, poultry, and eggs would be plentiful until the end of the year thanks to the incremental pig droves of large livestock companies. Yet, prices have surged due to the input cost hike but the spike has been acceptable. In reality, bran rates have shot up since early 2020, while the prices of live pigs, poultry, and eggs have edged up. Given the current situation, Vietnam does not need to worry about any meat shortage until the end of the year, the director noted. If the U.S., Argentina, and India limit or suspend the exportation of wheat, corn, and soybeans, the local livestock sector may face difficulties because of its dependence on imported materials," he commented. This assumption is forecast to happen in 2023 and the whole world will be affected, so countries have striven to prevent such a situation." Reducing production cost According to a company processing rice for export in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City, the grain supply can satisfy local demand, as most rice processing firms have large warehouses. Vietnam's stable material sources will ensure a sufficient, even abundant, rice supply despite the global food dearth, a representative of the company said. Meanwhile, Truong Kien Tho, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in rice-producing An Giang Province, estimated the provinces rice output at over four million metric tons this year. The department has directed relevant bodies to publicize production cost saving measures. Le Quoc Dien, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Dong Thap Province, another major rice producer, said that the provinces cultivation area is 491,000 hectares and the rice output is more than 3.2 million metric tons. In the first five months of this year, the province has exported more than 136,000 metric tons of the grain, earning US$71.2 million. In the context of agricultural supplies getting more expensive, the department has enhanced technology application to rice production to reduce production cost. Golden opportunities for export Food security is no longer a concern in Vietnam, food production and export companies said. The country is also a leading exporter of many kinds of food and foodstuffs to the world. ST25 rice, a premium grain, is packaged at a factory in Soc Trang Province, southern Vietnam. Photo: Chi Quoc / Tuoi Tre With many countries shrinking food exports, Vietnam should take advantage of the situation to strengthen its position as a leading food provider. The demand for seafood products, especially shrimp, has bounced back as the COVID-19 pandemic has been kept at bay and life has returned to normal, said Do Ngoc Tai, general director of Tai Kim Anh Co. Ltd.. In the first five months of the year, shrimp exports to the U.S., Europe, Japan, and South Korea have surged. If transport costs are kept at reasonable levels, seafood exports will be promising until the end of the year," Tai noted. Vo Cong Thuc, director of quality at Loc Troi Group, a rice company, saw a golden opportunity for rice enterprises: the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine military conflict have reduced wheat supply. Moreover, India, a large rice exporter, has consricted its overseas shipments. Vietnam has a rice crop every three months so the countrys rice supply is stable. Abundant seafood Vo Van Chieu, director of the Soc Trang Department of Industry and Trade, said that after recovering from the pandemic, the provinces shrimp export was a bright spot in January-April, soaring 41.5 percent year on year to over $375 million. According to a seafood firm in Cam Ranh City, Khanh Hoa Province, large inventories have helped maintain its seafood supply since early this year. When facing difficulties in export, the company focused on the domestic market. Its seafood sales after the health crisis have risen 20 percent over last year. A representative of the Vietnam Food Association said military conflicts, the COVID-19 pandemic, and rising fuel prices scaled down food production in some areas while sending product prices soaring. Therefore, some countries have limited or even suspended the export of some food products. However, the challenges are temporary, the representative affirmed, saying that Vietnam should seize the initiative in the supply of materials replacing wheat, fertilizers, and animal feed to ensure sustainable production. Ensuring food security Nguyen Nhu Cuong, head of the Department of Crop Production under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the country will cultivate some 7.2 million hectares of rice this year. Cuong added the ministry had worked out solutions for responding to natural disasters and salinity intrusion. It has directed localities to draw up production plans and the Directorate of Water Resources as well as the Plant Protection Department to keep a close watch on local production to promptly deal with calamities and diseases, the official added. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has set the target of over 7.2 hectares and some 43 million metric tons of rice at any cost to ensure the countrys food security and other purposes, such as animal feed production and exports, he underlined. The Department of Crop Production has been reviewing current rice cultivation processes and proposed more techniques to lower input costs, while ensuring the interests of rice farmers and production plants. Amid the rising demand for food imports in some countries, Cuong said the central government should adjust export policy to ensure domestic food security. With 43 million metric tons of rice produced in the country and local consumption of only around 15 million metric tons, Vietnamese food security will not be a problem in the long term. An employee of Thy Tho slaughterhouse in Long Khanh City, Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam checks slaughtered pigs before sending them to supermarkets. Photo: A Loc / Tuoi Tre Increasing import demand will send export prices up, which will spur farmers production, Cuong added. Regarding many nations ban on the exportation of food and foodstuffs, Dr. Vo Hung Dung, former director of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry Can Tho Branch, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that Vietnam should not impose a similar prohibition. Vietnam has gained experience from dealing with the 2008 food crisis and it has a firm food production foundation, Dung explained. In addition, the security in Vietnam and the region has been stable so there is no need to ban the exportation of rice or seafood. But it is necessary to reduce taxes on input materials to cut production costs, he said. Local authorities and the agriculture sector should pave the way for farmers to accelerate their production to supply food to the market. "Favorable conditions should be implemented to help them feel confident in the policies of the Party and the state," Dung recommended. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A concrete manufacturer has submitted a proposal to build an industrial cluster in the buffer zone for a world-recognized Ramsar site in Vietnams Mekong Delta region. Local authorities have yet to approve it, amid scientists warnings of its possible environmental impacts. In its proposal, Hanoi-based Ha Thanh Concrete Joint Stock Company wishes to build an industrial complex covering 60 hectares in Tam Nong District, Dong Thap Province, where the company already constructed a 25-hectare glazed tile factory, with an annual capacity of 15 million square meters of tiles, last year. The firm has already submitted an environmental impact assessment to relevant agencies and are awaiting their approval. However, the provincial government has yet to give a nod to the project as many scientists have warned that it will likely have severe impacts on Tram Chim National Park, the 2,000th world-recognized Ramsar site, said Tran Thanh Nam, chairman of the Tam Nong district administration. As it is set to lie within the 16.8-hectare buffer zone for the national park, only 300-700 meters away from the park boundary, the project violates the regulation on buffer zones under the Law on Biodiversity, dangerously affecting the Ramsar site, said Duong Van Ni, an expert from the Mekong Conservation Fund (MCF). A buffer zone is the space surrounding and adjacent to a conservation area, having the function of preventing and reducing negative impacts from outside on the protected site, as stated in the Vietnamese law. Upon operation, noises from this industrial cluster will affect bird behaviors and cause some species to move away from the national park, while its emissions, containing sulfur, would be detrimental to the ecosystem by triggering acid rains, VnExpress cited Ni as saying. Despite the projects wastewater treatment plan, its high terrain would make it posisble for wastewater to leak from industrial operations into nearby rivers or canals, according to a report a group of experts filed to the provincial authorities. Even the underground water sources would be contaminated, the report said. Therefore, Dong Thap leaders have assigned the Tam Nong District administration to work with the firm on the relocation of the project to an area toward Tan Hong District to avoid affecting the environment of the Ramsar site. Covering an area of 7,313 hectares, Tram Chim National Park is home to around 130 pieces of plants, 150 species of fish, 34 types of reptiles and amphibians, and 231 types of water birds, of which 13 are listed as endangered, according to the Vietnam Government Portal. Ten years ago, the park was recognized as the 2,000th Ramsar site of wetlands of international importance in the world by the Ramsar Convention, an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. Currently, Vietnam has nine Ramsar sites, including four in the Mekong Delta, namely Tram Chim National Park in Dong Thap Province, Ca Mau Cape National Park in Ca Mau Province, U Minh Thuong National Park in Kien Giang Province, and Lang Sen Wetland Reserve in Long An Province. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! On a Sunday morning in March, Devon Dow allegedly texted a potential customer a photo of some firearms he was selling, along with one word: YO. The guns hadnt been purchased from a retailer or sold at a gun show, according to federal prosecutors. They were so-called ghost guns, Glock-style, 9 mm semi-automatic firearms that Dow had assembled himself from weapons-grade polymer parts purchased on the internet. Advertisement Prosecutors say Devon Dow, 22, of Chicago, manufactured and sold three ghost guns to an undercover agent on March 27, 2022, for $3,000. (U.S. District Court records) Hours later, law enforcement was watching as Dow allegedly met the buyer, who was actually an undercover agent, outside the apartment Dow shared with his grandmother in the 1300 block of East 75th Street, according to prosecutors. Hed hid the guns in a shoe box and carried them out in a shopping bag, which he placed in the trunk of the buyers car before disappearing back into the building. The weapons sold for $3,000 that day were among seven ghost guns purchased by undercover agents from Dow over five transactions since January, according to a criminal complaint unsealed in federal court last week. Advertisement Unlike traditionally manufactured firearms, none of the weapons sold by Dow had any serial numbers, and would have been virtually untraceable once they hit the street, according to federal prosecutors. Dow, 22, was charged with one count of willfully dealing firearms without a license. At a detention hearing on Friday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Albert Berry asked that he be held in custody as a danger to the community, saying a search of his apartment turned up additional guns, gun parts and ammunition clips. Dows attorney, Daniel Hesler, noted that Dow has no prior criminal history. He said what was found in the apartment, while potentially troubling, was certainly not the arsenal Ive seen in other gun dealing cases. U.S. Magistrate Judge Heather McShain said that while Dows alleged conduct was concerning given the level of gun violence in the city, his lack of criminal history outweighed the need to keep him locked up pending trial. It goes without saying that in the city of Chicago in 2022, with rampant gun violence, this is a serious offense, McShain said. But there is literally nothing here in his criminal record this was a very, very close call. The judge ordered Dow released on home confinement to the custody of his mother and sister, who live in Lansing. The case against Dow represents a new frontier in gun trafficking investigations. Ghost guns have increasingly drawn alarm among law enforcement and politicians on both the local and national stage, even though they still account for just a small percentage of all firearms confiscated by police each year. Earlier this month, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill into law making the selling or owning of ghost guns illegal in Illinois. That followed a move by President Joe Bidens administration in April introducing a rule banning the manufacturing of ghost guns, including the kits people can buy online to build the firearm themselves. Advertisement Ghost guns are often made by hobbyists with a 3D printer or from kits that can be purchased online. People assembling ghost guns also are able to avoid background checks the state requires to obtain a firearm. In Chicago and nationwide, the number of ghost guns used in crimes has drastically increased over the past several years. Chicago police Superintendent David Brown has said they are the subset of guns seized that is growing the most in the city. Earlier this month, following the fatal shooting of 16-year-old Seandell Holliday near The Bean in Millennium Park, police said another youth pulled a gun from his waistband, then ran as officers moved in. He was quickly apprehended and the weapon was found to be a ghost gun. In another recent case, Illinois State Police arrested suspects in connection to multiple carjackings and found that they had allegedly used a ghost gun in at least some of the heists. Also this month, a student at Oak Park River Forest High School was arrested and charged with bringing a loaded ghost gun to school. A child should not be able to build an AR-15 like theyre building a toy truck, Pritzker said during a bill-signing ceremony on May 18 at The Ark of St. Sabina in Auburn Gresham. A convicted domestic abuser should not be able to evade scrutiny by using a 3D printer to make a gun. Meanwhile, the investigation into Dows alleged trafficking of ghost guns began on Jan. 3 when a Chicago police informant tipped law enforcement to a man who ordered firearm parts from the internet and was assembling them for sale in the citys Grand Crossing neighborhood, according to the complaint unsealed after Dows arrest last week. Advertisement On Jan. 14, the informant arranged a meeting between Dow and an undercover agent posing as a potential buyer, according to the complaint. Later that day, the agent purchased a 9 mm ghost gun from Dow in the parking lot next to Dows building, and during the transaction, Dow gave the agent his cellphone number for future orders, the complaint alleged. Two weeks later, Dow texted the undercover agent a photo of another gun hed assembled, saying, This is the 23, a reference to the Glock 23 model it replicated, the charges alleged. That (expletive) nice, the agent responded, according to the complaint. In a phone call arranging the sale, Dow told the undercover agent that all of the firearms he sells are functional, but if there were any problems with the gun he would fix them, the complaint alleged. I tell all my customers you gotta make sure you call, Dow said in the recorded phone call, according to the complaint. I aint had nobody call me back but just in case, like you know what Im saying, have any problems like call me ASAP. The two later met at the same location near Dows apartment, where the agent allegedly bought the gun for $900. Advertisement Two more transactions involving four ghost guns took place in March, including one on March 4 where Dow allegedly sold the undercover agent a .40-caliber ghost gun with an extended 22-round magazine for $1,000, according to the complaint. In the last transaction on May 3, Dow allegedly was under surveillance and he hid a ghost gun in a laundry bin and walked to the parking lot outside his building, which houses a laundromat on the ground floor, according to the complaint. The agent took the gun and placed $1,100 in cash into Dows laundry bin in exchange for the firearm, the complaint alleged. Prosecutors say Devon Dow, 22, of Chicago, manufactured and sold this Glock-style .40-caliber ghost gun with 22-round magazine to an undercover agent on March 4, 2022, for $1,000. (U.S. District Court records) In addition to the surveillance of Dows alleged gun sales, investigators obtained information from the U.S. Postal Service showing that from March 1 to April 6, Dow received approximately 14 parcels containing suspected gun parts from various manufacturers, according to the complaint. At Fridays detention hearing, Hesler said the materials found in Dows apartment suggested that his interest in gun building seems to be that of a hobbyist rather than anything tied to gangs or street violence. Its not a very good hobby, Hesler said, (but) its not screaming that this has been going on forever. Advertisement jmeisner@chicagotribune.com Police on Phu Quoc Island off southern Vietnam have captured seven suspects for destroying more than 3.5 hectares of forest at a national park. The seven suspects, aged 33 to 58, were arrested on deforestation charges, the police unit in Phu Quoc Island City, confirmed on Sunday. They were accused of being involved in four separate deforestation cases in Duong To Commune, Cua Duong Commune, Cua Can Commune, and Duong Dong Ward, which resulted in the loss of more than 3.5 hectares of forest at Phu Quoc National Park. Six of the suspects said they were hired to chop down the trees for up to VND1 million (US$43) a day, according to police officers. Due to the surge in land prices on Phu Quoc, many people have been destroying local forests to occupy land, said Le Minh Chanh, deputy head of the local police unit. They have targeted special-use and protection forests, Chanh continued, adding that the deforestation usually takes place late at night so that the suspects could easily escape to the forest whenever they spot rangers. Phu Quoc police will carry out a further investigation into similar cases in the near future so those responsible will be punished in accordance with the law, he stressed. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Here are todays leading news stories: COVID-19 Updates -- The Ministry of Health documented 1,118 COVID-19 cases on Monday, raising the national tally to 10,718,369, with 9,456,541 recoveries and 43,078 deaths. Society -- The Peoples Committee in northern Vinh Phuc Province has approved a VND50 billion (US$2.1 million) project to deal with serious flooding at three locations in Vinh Yen City. -- Police in central Da Nang City confirmed on Sunday they had arrested and initiated legal proceedings against Dam Quang Hung, former chairman of Lien Chieu District, on suspicion of receiving a bribe. -- Officers in north-central Thanh Hoa Province have apprehended the director of Cuong Phat Company after discovering that the firm had produced over 100 metric tons of substandard fertilizers. -- Ho Chi Minh City has recorded 10,052 dengue fever cases in the first five months of 2022, up 46.4 percent year on year, according to the citys Center for Disease Control. -- Police in Phu Quoc, an island city off southern Kien Giang Province, confirmed on Sunday they had captured seven suspects for destroying more than 3.5 hectares of forest of the Phu Quoc National Park. -- The body of a 37-year-old woman has been found by some residents after she went missing about a month ago in central Quang Nam Province. Business -- Vietnams total imports and exports of agro-forestry-aquatic products in the first five months of 2022 was estimated at $41.3 billion, up 8.6 percent year on year, the Vietnam News Agency quoted the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as reporting. Education -- The Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee on Monday tasked the municipal Department of Education and Training with promptly handling the fighting among some students at International School Ho Chi Minh City - American Academy (ISHCMC-AA), which took place on Thursday last week. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Up to 149 captive bears had been found in 27 establishments in Hanoi by the end of April this year, accounting for more than half of the total nationwide, a seminar heard on Monday. The event was co-organized by the Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV), animal welfare organization Four Paws, and World Society for the Protection of Animals to raise awareness and propose solutions to the bear problem to the capital administration. A Four Paws representative said that 40 out of the countrys 63 provinces and cities no longer have bears in captivity. However, 294 bears are still kept in captivity in private facilities nationwide, with 149 of them, or 51 percent, found in Hanoi. ENV deputy director Bui Thi Ha called on the city to direct the forest protection sub-department and district-level authorities to crack down on bear-related violations to put an end to the animal torture. Ioana Dungler, director of the wild animals department at Four Paws, said with support and rigorous action, Hanoi can alleviate the problem and set the trend toward removing the practice from the community. Experts suggested a series of solutions at the event, including intensifying inspection of bile farms, strictly handling related violations, seizing illegally caged bears, and banning breeding bears in private facilities. The city should mobilize owners to voluntarily hand over bears to the authorities, while encouraging the use of herbs and more humane alternatives to bear bile, they said. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The number of children hospitalized in Hanoi has surged recently, with most suffering respiratory problems, amid the unusual rainy weather that has boosted virus growth, as shown in a Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper survey. Increased child hospitalization has resulted from uncommon prolonged heavy rains in recent times that have led to high humidity favorable for bacteria and viruses to thrive and cause respiratory diseases, doctors said. Over the past days, the Vietnam National Childrens Hospital in Hanoi has received a daily average of 200 children coming for respiratory diseases, with 30 of them suffering from lower respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia and bronchiolitis. Similarly, the pediatric departments of other hospitals in the capital, such as E, Xanh Pon (Saint Paul), and Thanh Nhan, also saw more children admitted with respiratory infection and acute diarrhea. Dr. Nghiem Thi Mai Sang, deputy head of the pediatrics department of Thanh Nhan Hospital, said that the number of children admitted to the hospital with vomiting, fever, and diarrhea has jumped in the past two weeks. Most of these patients responded welll to treatment and recovered soon, Dr. Sang said. Over the past week, the number of children admitted to the hospital has surged by 150 to 200 percent compared to the previous weeks, Dr. Sang said. Some 70 percent of the about 100 child patients under treatment mainly suffer from pneumonia, bronchitis, and bronchiolitis, the doctor added. As shown in test results, many children have been infected with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a virus that causes infection of the lungs and respiratory tract, triggering bronchiolitis and pneumonia. Notably, there have been many cases where parents made some mistakes in taking care of children at home, worsening their conditions, Dr. Sang warned. Tran Thi Tuyet Nga, residing in Hoang Mai District, Hanoi, said that her three-year-old daughter was hospitalized six days after developing a fever and cough. A four-month baby is seen in his fathers arms while under treatment at Thanh Nhan Hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre I gave her some antipyretic pills and others bought from a pharmacy but her fever did not subside after three days," Nga recounted. I rushed her to the hospital when she had difficulty breathing and doctors later diagnosed her with acute bronchiolitis associated with adverse weather conditions. Nghiem Duc Toan, a local resident, said his four-month-old son had a fever, cough, and wheezing so he took the baby to Thanh Nhan after his condition did not improve following days of taking medications at home. The baby was diagnosed with bronchiolitis and pneumonia and his conditions have been better but he needs further monitoring, Toan said. Many parents randomly treat their ill children with antibiotics or take them to the hospital late due to their subjective judgments about the kids conditions, Sang said. Such improper practices not only cause the kids to be hospitalized in severe conditions but also make it more difficult for doctors to treat them, the doctor added. The most common mistakes are arbitrarily treating child patients with some medications including antibiotics and applying cold compresses on them when they run a high fever, according to Dr. Sang. Cold compress application to a child suffering a fever will not reduce it but can make them cold, the doctor warned. Antibiotics will not work in virus-caused ailments but may lead to more severe conditions, including sepsis. During adverse weather conditions, parents should keep kids clean and avoid exposing them to crowded places to minimize risks of infection, doctors advised. In addition, kids should be fed with more nutritional supplements to improve their resistance, and any children with respiratory problems, including prolonged cough and shortness of breath, should be taken to medical facilities, they added. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A steak restaurant in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City is facing a public backlash and a boycott after poisoning more than 20 feral cats living around Apartment Building 151 on Dong Khoi Street, local media reported. Over the past few days, social media users have called for a boycott on the restaurant located on the second floor of the apartment block for its inhumane action. They are using hashtags #taychay or #boycott to shun the restaurant. A woman residing in the apartment building recalled that many residents were constantly discovering the bodies of poisoned feral cats over the past week due to a disgusting smell. The death toll of poisoned cats reached over 20. In the past, countless rats lived in the area, but since feral cats appeared, they have gone. Most of the dwellers there did not hate these cats and fed them daily. Many were very angry and upset to see the cats die in droves, the woman said. On May 28, the restaurant officially owned up to the cruel action on its Facebook page, explaining that fatigue and pressure plunged it into such a negative and foolish treatment, according to local media. We admitted that we treated the cats badly. There are no words to defend this action, so we deserve to be criticized strongly," the restaurant said in a post. We hope to have an opportunity to fix the mistake. To make up for the mistake, the restaurant pledges to make a donation to the fund of the animal rescue center in the city, enabling other feral cats to have better habitats and living conditions. Providing explanations, the restaurant said that it had repeatedly asked a woman who often fed these felines to stop giving food to them or feed them in another place instead of at the foot of the staircase to keep the building clean. The woman fed them, but did not clean up cat poop. Instead, all of its employees and the managers of the two floors had to do it, the restaurant claimed. She once suggested buying sand and chipping in money to help clean the cat poop, but the restaurant was yet to receive any support. Meanwhile, the management board of the apartment building held many meetings to find ways to move these cats, but the problem remained unsolved. I contacted some disinfection service providers, but none of them agreed to do the job," the owner of the restaurant wrote on the page. "Therefore, my employees and I have taken turns cleaning up their poop over the past few months. I have never taken care of pets or animals, so I did not really know how to seek animal rescue groups for help." Business at the restaurant has been sluggish due to the boycott. Though the restaurant is still open, no guests visit it. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! After overcoming so many obstacles, some young workers succeed in buying a home in Ho Chi Minh City, but there are many others who cannot hold on to their dream for long due to unexpected events. In order to have a place in the city, many young employees choose to buy houses in installments. Most of them are forced to give up leisure activities to pay off the house. Some of them even postpone their plans to have a child because they have to focus on paying back housing loans. Although some are lucky enough to afford the monthly installments, many people have to give up their housing dream after they run out of budget. Afraid to have a child Like other young couples in Ho Chi Minh City, Tran Mai Linh and her husband, who live in Thu Duc City, yearned for a home despite their low income. In 2015, they found a suitable apartment in Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc City after a long search. They paid VND300 million (US$12,932) in advance for the apartment, which was sold for VND1.6 billion ($68,973). Linh is an office worker and her husband is a manager in a garment factory. Their total monthly income is just over VND20 million ($862). Despite the limited budget and foreseeable risks, the couple were determined to buy the flat. "We thought that buying an apartment would force us to work two or three times harder than usual," Linh said. "We downplayed the concerns and said that this decision could affect our health or, in the worst case, we would not be able to pay the debt." Having already bought the apartment, the couple had to work even harder to pay back the debt each month. Their financial burden grew over time, when monthly payments accounted for more than half of their total income, not to mention living expenses and unexpected illnesses. "Most of the time we do not have any money left over, it's just enough, or sometimes we have a shortage," Linh sighed. The couple also postponed their plans to have a child following the purchase of the apartment. "Our life as a couple is already so difficult, if we had a child, the house would become a heavier burden," Linh said sadly. When a pregnancy test returned a positive result, the 25-year-old young woman opted for an abortion, even though her parents were looking forward to having a grandchild. "Pregnancy needs truly good care, plus money for baby formulas, diapers, and other expenses. We do not dare to have a child at the moment," said the woman from the highland province of Gia Lai. Fortunately, the amount they have to pay each month has shrunk over the past eight years. Now, they only pay under VND4 million ($172) per month, according to Linh's husband. Debt obsession Nguyen Thanh Nam, a resident of Binh Tan District in Ho Chi Minh City, has had many sleepless nights in recent years worrying about buying houses. In May 2021, Nam divorced his wife and sold the apartment they had lived in for five years. At the time of the sale, they were still paying off the bank's installment plan. In 2016, when Nam and his wife came to Ho Chi Minh City, they decided to buy an apartment. At that time, they bought a 67-square-meter unit with two bathrooms at VND1.3 billion ($56,040) in Binh Tan. Although many people warned them of possible risks, the couple took out a loan of 70 percent of the value of the apartment and were obliged to pay nearly VND15 million ($647) monthly, including the principal and interest. They enjoyed the pleasure of having their own home for only three months, and then felt utterly pressured when the due date came. "We dreaded the date when we were required to pay the installment," Nam recalled. "The tenth day of the month was the due date, but it's so stressful as we did not receive our salary on the 5th day that we had to borrow money from all kinds of sources like friends or relatives." They saved for a while and accumulated VND200 million ($8,621) to pay the loan. Despite the loan having gradually decreased over the preceding five years, their relationship ended in May last year, one of the reasons being their dispute over the bank loan for the house. Because of the divorce, they sold the home. "Right now, I have no intention of buying a house in the city anymore," 34-year-old man Nam said. "I rent houses wherever I want. "If I could make that decision again, I would not buy the apartment. "It put so much pressure on me." Nam believes that young people like him should think twice before buying a home. "They say debt makes us work harder, but in reality we need to know what we are doing," he remarked. "If you do not have a good-paying job, you are better off giving up!" Selling the house even though he will not stay a single day Hoang Huy, a resident of Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City is another person who faced many obstacles while trying to secure an apartment here. He signed up to buy a unit that was still being built. The man was entitled to a lower price with a purchase plan this way, Huy explained. The apartment, worth VND1.7 billion ($73,283) at the time of its completion, is located on National Road No. 13 near Thuan An City in Binh Duong Province, just outside Ho Chi Minh City. The young man from the central province of Quang Nam intended to pay 30 percent of the value gradually over three or four years. His plan was to apply for a bank loan until he gets the apartment, and then take out a mortgage of 70 percent of the apartment's value. He could have realized his dream if the COVID-19 pandemic had not occurred. His income was severely affected by the pandemic so Huy had no choice but to sell his dream apartment after he had already paid VND200 million ($8,621). Huy not only parted with the long-desired house but also suffered a loss of 20 percent. "I was luckier than others to be able to sell the apartment," said the young salaried worker. "Many people cannot and have to live with the debt and stress for a long time." City home pride "We once thought that we should have our own house, as the idea of being able to return to our house after work made us overjoyed," said Nam, the Binh Tan dweller. "We believed that if we did our best, we would pay off the loan for the house in 10-15 years. "Besides, to our hometown relatives it is really admirable to be able to afford a house in the city, which motivated us try harder to be recognized." Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnamese took ninth place on a list of countries and territories with the highest average intelligence quotient (IQ), with its average score of 109.37, according to the 2022 Worldwide IQ test results released by Finnish enterprise Wiqtcom Inc. on May 16. Among over 100 countries and territories whose residents participated in the IQ test, Taiwanese ranked first with an average IQ score of 116.07. Japan was the second-most intelligent nation with an average IQ of 112.69. Hungary came in third place with 111.42, followed by South Korea with 111.36, Iran with 111.33, Hong Kong with 111.01, Serbia with 110.09, Italy with 110.87, Vietnam with 109.37, and Finland with 109.02. The World IQ Test website said IQ test takers in Taiwan scored an "astonishing" average IQ score of 116.07. This was an enormous improvement on Taiwan's average score of 106.47 in 2019. Back in 2019, the island ranked second among the most intelligent nations and territories in the world. Its average IQ scoring was very close to Japans 106.49, with a mere 0.02 points separating the average IQ scores for the country and the territory. Japan's ITMedia said that Taiwan was "one of the most highly educated societies in the world." According to the Japanese media outlet, the university entrance rate in Taiwan in 2020 reached 84.2 percent and a large number of Taiwanese students continued to pursue their masters degrees. However, the Worldwide IQ Test website noted that the reliability of the score for Taiwan is weakened due to the lower number of tests taken in the territory. The standard deviation for Taiwan was 14.26, which was higher than that of Japan at 12.16. Wiqtcom Inc. has been testing intelligence on a global scale since 2019. Its tests are designed to measure cognitive abilities of a person, such as their problem-solving skills, abstract thinking, and general knowledge. As required by the IQ tests, a test taker needs to be able to speak a particular language, can understand complicated mathematical problems or certain meanings of an issue within the context of a culture. The IQ tests are given to a number of residents in each country or region. Wiqtcoms Worldwide IQ Test website will work out the IQ average score of a nation based on the participants testing results. Its tests currently have a global mean of 100.53 and a standard deviation of 15.14 among all the people who have taken them. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security has worked with related ministries, agencies, and banks to synchronize the national data on welfare benefits with the population data and build technical solutions to enable citizens to receive state support through their personal identification accounts. The scheme was announced at a seminar on implementing electronic payments in social assistance policies on Monday. Its aim is to ensure that the state pay for welfare benefits, such as unemployment and poor household financial support, comes to the right person at the right time, according to Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thanh Vinh, of the Ministry of Public Securitys police department for administrative management of social order. Like many other documents, such as a drivers license, social insurance card, and COVID-19 vaccination certificate, Vietnamese citizens welfare benefit information will be incorporated into new chip-based ID cards, which the country has been issuing to eligible people under a nationwide campaign to replace old forms of individuals' identity document. The public security ministry is considering activating citizens welfare benefit accounts during the process of the chip-mounted ID card issuance, instead of the current procedure, in which banks issue the accounts to citizens based on data from the ministrys electronic personal identification and authentication system. Citizens will also be able to choose the bank account via which they want to receive social assistance pay. Speaking at Mondays event, Nguyen Thi Thu, from the State Bank of Vietnams payment department, expressed her concern that the move would face many challenges, including a large number of social policy beneficiaries staying in disadvantaged areas with little access to electronic payment methods. Other experts suggested solutions such as encouraging people to shop on e-commerce platforms and promoting electronic transactions in rural and remote areas. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A recent festival in Ho Chi Minh City introduced and promoted architecture, cuisine, and performing arts related to leaves with an aim to raise awareness of increasing green coverage, using leaves, and abandoning plastic bags for environmental protection. Named Leaf Festival, the event took place at Ao Dai Museum in Thu Duc City under the southern metropolis on Sunday. Delegates and participants in the fest tried making flower gates and toys out of leaves, designing fashion with leaves, and enjoyed cakes wrapped in leaves. Increasing the use of leaves -- such as lotus leaves, banana leaves, nipa leaves, and many others -- and limiting the use of environmentally unfriendly materials like plastic bottles and bags will help protect the environment, said Huynh Ngoc Van, director of Ao Dai Museum. Many outstanding delegates who made notable contributions to society also donned a collection of ao dai (Vietnam's traditional long gown) with leaf patterns in a show at the festival. Participants showcase costumes made from leaves during a fashion show at the Leaf Festival at Ao Dai Museum in Thu Duc City under Ho Chi Minh City, May 29, 2022. Photo: Handout via Tuoi Tre Participants try making toys from leaves at the Leaf Festival at Ao Dai Museum in Thu Duc City under Ho Chi Minh City, May 29, 2022. Photo: Handout via Tuoi Tre Students perform leaf flutes at the Leaf Festival at Ao Dai Museum in Thu Duc City under Ho Chi Minh City, May 29, 2022. Photo: Handout via Tuoi Tre A participant prepares a costume made from leaves before a fashion show at the Leaf Festival at Ao Dai Museum in Thu Duc City under Ho Chi Minh City, May 29, 2022. Photo: Handout via Tuoi Tre Participants try cakes wrapped in leaves at the Leaf Festival at Ao Dai Museum in Thu Duc City under Ho Chi Minh City, May 29, 2022. Photo: Handout via Tuoi Tre Outstanding delegates don ao dai with leaf patterns during a fashion show at the Leaf Festival at Ao Dai Museum in Thu Duc City under Ho Chi Minh City, May 29, 2022. Photo: Handout via Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Three years after it was last seen, filming will get underway next month on a new season of Australias Got Talent. Producers will shoot at Sydney Coliseum, Rooty Hill for episodes due to screen on Seven later this year. Filming will take place from Thursday June 23 Wednesday June 29 at 12.45pm and 6.00pm shows. The minimum audience age to attend is 10 years old. Judges are yet to be confirmed for the returning season but Seven announced a 2021 panel of Neil Patrick Harris, Kate Ritchie, Alesha Dixon, and Shane Jacobson with host Ricki-Lee Coulter before lockdowns in Sydney prevented filming. It has previously indicated a hope to return to the same name judges if schedules allow. You can apply for tickets here. At our endorsement session for the Republican nominee for governor, all six candidates in the primary said that supporting law enforcement was a crucial part of fighting the wave of gun crime that afflicts Chicago and elsewhere in the state. But Paul Schimpf said that his support went beyond mere rhetoric. He pointed out he was a Marine Corps veteran who rose to lieutenant colonel and served in Iraq. He noted that he was the chief American attorney adviser to the Iraqi prosecutors of Saddam Hussein. He argued, in essence, that when he says he stands with law enforcement, his record will ensure that he will be believed. We saw no reason to argue with that characterization. Advertisement You might well be wondering why youve barely heard of the 51-year-old downstater Schimpf, who was a state senator for the 58th District from 2017 to 2021. You might point out that, so far, he is far behind in what has been looking more and more like a two-horse race between Richard Irvin, mayor of Aurora, and Darren Bailey, a sitting state senator from the 55th district. Paul Schimpf during a Republican governor candidate session with the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board on May 17, 2022. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune) But thats because both of those leading candidates have been infused with outside cash. The billionaire hedge fund founder Ken Griffin, determined to defeat Gov. J.B. Pritzker, has injected the Irvin campaign with more than $45 million, enough to buy so many TV ads as to make his preferred candidate ubiquitous on the airwaves. Meanwhile, Richard Uihlein, founder of the privately held Uline office supply business, has given at least $3.5 million to Bailey hardly Griffin money, but not exactly chump change. Advertisement As politically engaged Illinoisans, Griffin and Uihlein are entitled to spend their money as they see fit. But we see troubling issues with both of their preferred candidates. [ [Dont miss] 2022 Illinois election: See how candidates for governor answered questions ] When we asked Bailey if there was any daylight at all between himself and the actions of former President Donald Trump, whom this editorial board long has regarded as pernicious to the future of the Republican Party, he answered none. Given Trumps refusal to acknowledge the legitimacy of the last election, thats problematic. And, frankly, it is hard to imagine level-headed Chicago Republicans voting for someone who called their city a crime-ridden, corrupt, dysfunctional hellhole, all of our self-evident problems notwithstanding. Especially not when the candidate has supported what he calls a New Illinois movement, arguing that the rest of the state should separate from Chicago. Those of us in rural Illinois have different values and a very different way of life, Bailey told the political reporter Rich Miller in 2020. We reject that kind of dangerous, divisive talk and we argue it disqualifies Bailey. Illinois must remain unified. Chicagoans are not different creatures from the rest of the state. Our values have far more in common than Bailey seems to think. Republican candidate for governor Darren Bailey during a debate at WGN-Ch. 9 in Chicago on May 24, 2022. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) Which brings us to Irvin, our preference of the two leaders in the polls. Weve been impressed with some of his achievements in Aurora, where he has been a decent mayor. We acknowledge his powerful personal story, growing up in public housing and rising to public office. And we reject political attacks on his character when he was only doing his job as an attorney. But were troubled by what occurred when Irvin arrived on the scene while officers were arresting his then-girlfriend, accused of hitting a security guard at a marijuana store last year. According to a police report, he said that the charges would be taken care of. Hes insisted he meant that the woman would be afforded an attorney but weve heard phrases like taken care of a few too many times before in Illinois politics and we need a better explanation. [ [Dont miss] Richard Irvin: 2022 Illinois governor candidate answers Tribune Editorial Board questionnaire ] Were similarly troubled by Irvins frequent reticence when it comes to being frank with the media (although he did show up for us and answered our queries), his sometimes prickly temperament in the face of fair questions, and by a lack of a consistent worldview that could appeal to moderate Democrats and Republicans looking for a common sense candidate they can trust to safeguard their economic futures and solve some of the states problems. If Irvin is willing to separate from Trump and appeal to moderate, common sense voters, including centrist Democrats, he should find the courage to say so, clearly, without weaving and dodging, flip-flopping and hedging his bets. Advertisement Aurora Mayor and Republican candidate for governor Richard Irvin, answers questions after a candidate forum at WMAQ-Ch. 5 studio on May 24, 2022, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) And while we admire Jesse Sullivans intellect, faith and moral determination, Max Solomons achievements and Gary Rabines sense of public service, we find Schimpf has the right combination of ethical past actions, a history of public service involving working with a Democratic majority and a raft of interesting and creative ideas when it comes to fixing Illinois ongoing pension crisis, painfully high taxes, troubling talent drains, government bloat and the states existential struggles with violent crime. We find him of lively intellect. We deem him to be a straight talker. And we consider him potentially capable of unifying our state. At our endorsement meeting, Schimpf did not dodge tough questions and wasnt afraid to acknowledge the pragmatic compromises needed from any governor of a state with such a divided landscape and populace. In our view, he wont hate the city of Chicago, and will work effectively in Springfield to help fix its problems. Is Schimpf electable? He surely has a tough road against the money men and all those fancy ads. We understand the appeal of a tactical vote for Irvin, who may well improve as the election moves past the primary stage. [ [Dont miss] Paul Schimpf: 2022 Illinois governor candidate answers Tribune Editorial Board questionnaire ] But we urge our Republican readers to take a closer look at a candidate from rural Monroe County with a keen brain and the closest profile to a traditional GOP leader who stands for limited government, personal freedom, tolerance for different points of view and many of the states other traditional values. The Schimpf slogan is, Hope is not a plan. Anger is not a solution. Outrage cannot unify our state. Hes right on all three counts. We think he and his lieutenant governor, Carolyn Schofield of Crystal Lake, are the most likely to listen to Illinoisans and offer credible, reasoned GOP opposition to Pritzker, who does not have credible primary opposition and whom we endorse on the other side of the ticket. We admire Schimpfs level-headed honesty and frankness, even if he doesnt have the fanciest commercials. Advertisement We think a debate between Schimpf and Pritzker, two determined public servants with different visions, allegiances, priorities and personal trajectories, would be a healthy autumnal conversation for Illinois. [ Whats an endorsement, and why does the Tribune Editorial Board do them? ] Join the discussion on Twitter @chitribopinions and on Facebook. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. This week on Foreign Correspondent Eric Campbell tracks Putins rise to power, speaking with his school teacher, friends, patrons and enemies. When Russian President Boris Yeltsin appointed a little-known spy chief as his Prime Minister and successor in 1999, the rouble crashed. Nobody had heard of this former KGB agent and few believed he would make any mark. Vladimir Putin would soon show Russians, and the world, what he was made of. Within weeks of his appointment as Prime Minister, apartment blocks in Moscow and other cities began exploding, killing and wounding hundreds of civilians. The Kremlin blamed Chechen separatists and soon launched a brutal war against the tiny state. The war resulted in huge civilian casualties but it raised Putins profile at home. Months later, he was elected president. Correspondent Eric Campbell was in Russia when Putin began his rise to power and has followed his career ever since. Campbell tracks Putins ascent to power, from his origins in an impoverished tenement in St Petersburg to his ruthless prosecution of the war against Chechnya to his relentless attacks on any political opposition at home. Campbell has closely chronicled Putin for over two decades as the leader set about muzzling the media, rigging elections and targeting his political opponents, at home and abroad. Now as the President-for-life invades neighbouring Ukraine and threatens the world with the nuclear option, Campbell asks, how far will he go? This is an in-depth profile of a man whos smashed the world order and dared the West to risk World War Three to stop him. 8pm Thursday on ABC. When Justin Stevens first joined ABC in 2006 on 7:30 his duties included printing out the log of telephone complaints for Kerry OBrien. I used to put them on his desk and he would spend about half an hour each morning calling each of those viewers and saying, Gday. I got a message from you and you said my interview was crap. I just want to talk to you about it. What questions do you have? How could it have been better?' Stevens recalls. Accountablility to the public is something he has carried with him ever since, and is front of mind in his new role as Director of ABC News, Analysis and Investigations. We expect the common courtesy of that being professional and polite and courteous But that was then and this is now. Feedback comes from all corners -yet not all of it is respectful. We get emails and we get direct messages on Twitter, he tells TV Tonight. We are also the most accountable media organisation in the country, if not the planet, in terms of peoples ability to engage and criticize, critique and give us feedback. When we get feedback, we will listen to it and we will factor it into our own high standards, in terms of how we go about doing stuff in the future. All feedback, whether its social media, online, emails, phone calls, voicemails -whatever- we expect the common courtesy of that being professional and polite and courteous. If it is, well engage. If its not, we wont. Stevens is coy about conducting an interview, conceding, I dont like journalists who talk about themselves, but knows it comes with the territory of a senior appointment. His new office digs appear to be minimalist -theres only one TV screen- but he has no issue with multitasking and staying across the news spectrum in / out of ABCs walls. Im a big fan of (former Sunrise boss) Adam Bolands work, and I remember reading he used to have stacks of screens at home. Dont misread having one screen here as being me not being an active consumer of lots of news beyond ABC. We only moved in two weeks ago and theyre brand new, he explains. But I throw myself into multiple things at a time. Various people, if you speak to them, will tell you that. Something Im trying to do a lot of, particularly at the get-go, is listen, read, watch as much ABC as possible. I digest lots of other media -commercial media, media outside of Australia. Whenever I get a gap I turn it up and go, Whos that what are they about, what are they doing? and Ill send them a note, if I have time. My mobile device is probably the thing where I really do flick around My mobile device is probably the thing where I really do flick around multiple new organisations, and streaming and whatnot. Stevens will need those skills to stay across his mammoth remit which includes ABC News channel, state news bulletins, News Breakfast, Four Corners, 7:30, Foreign Correspondent, Q+A, Australian Story, Insiders, The Drum, Planet America, China Tonight, India Now!, plus the Investigations unit and a string of ABC Radio programmes. Im fortunate to sit above all of them, but have a really formidable group, of course, overseeing them, he continues. Were in the Asia Pacific, physically, as well as mentally Ive been impressed to see some really great innovation in regards to new programming out of News. China Tonight and India Now! are really important. Because if we go back to remit, were in the Asia Pacific, physically, as well as mentally, and I think those two programs are really showing and exemplifying where we need to be in regards to telling the stories of our region. Its just going to become increasingly more important. So that Im really excited about new programming like that. In regards to the stable of other programs, I think there is a virtue in some programs being around for the length of time that they have, because it helps chronicle our rich history. Four Corners has been around for six decades. Foreign Correspondent is about to celebrate its 30th year. 7:30 has been around with various iterations and names since the early 90s. Insiders has been around for nearly 20 years and just had its highest rating episode. Theres always going to be strong views as to what we do. Stevens says ABC is also in good health as evidenced by election night coverage. While there were some vocal critics, including former Insiders host Barrie Cassidy, the audience numbers were undeniable. Across the board, we had a massive audience. Our share for Free to Air on election night was 43% and 5.2 million Australians tuned into our coverage, which is remarkable. So Im really proud of the work the team did on election night and during the campaign. I think were seeing increase from the public generally about a sense of distrust of our institutions, about politics generally. What the ABC needs to be doing is making sure that were holding those people to account, taking it up to them, and telling really courageous pieces of journalism that the public realise were telling the stories for the public good and greater good. Theres always going to be strong views as to what we do. Evolution continues with Stevens this week appointing three new executive producers, (Matthew Carney: Four Corners; Morag Ramsay: Foreign Correspondent; Joel Tozer: 7.30) and Leigh Sales set to depart 7:30 with Sarah Ferguson to take the anchor chair. Shes been so incredibly professional and impactful Leighs done an incredible job anchoring one of the highest-profile programs on Australian TV for 12 years. Add into that four or five years on Lateline. Thats a daily furnace of intensive scrutiny and shes been so incredibly professional and impactful over such an amazingly historic decade. We really wish her the best in these next three to four weeks, says Stevens. But shes also not retiring, shes got a massive career ahead of her. Its going to be exciting to see what she does at the ABC in the future as part of that. Sarahs appointment is also exciting, because she will help us continue the trajectory and rich tradition of what that program is, which is a very unique offering in primetime, every day. Interviewing is a really central part of that program. Kerry was amazing at it. Leigh was amazing at it. Sarah is amazing at it. So were really excited to see what she brings to it. Our job is not to be popular with anyone in government The country has also voted in a new government, but Stevens insists the broadcaster maintains its role in reportage. Our job is not to be popular with anyone in government, of any political stripe, he maintains. Our job is to hold them to account. So our approach wont change. Will we have people in the audience at any time who say that we go too hard on one side or not the other? We will. Whats testament to that is when I got appointed, I was called an LNP stooge and an ALP hack in the space of 2 minutes. Our job is not to appease people on that front. Its to do the best job possible to hold them to account and we will. Bilia AB As announced on May 4 2022 Bilia AB has, in accordance with a resolution passed by the Annual General Meeting on April 7 2022, withdrawn 6,500,000 own shares previously repurchased by the company. After withdrawal of 6,500,000 shares the total number of shares and votes in the company amounts to 96,299,952, instead of as before 102,799,952. The share capital of SEK 256,999,880 is unchanged since at the same time as the decision to reduce the share capital by withdrawing repurchased shares, it was decided to increase the share capital through a transfer from unrestricted equity to the share capital (bonus issue). This has taken place without any new shares being issued. As a result, the share capital has been restored to the same amount as before the reduction. Gothenburg, May 31, 2022 Bilia AB (publ) For information please contact: Per Avander, Managing Director and CEO, +46 (0)10 497 70 00, per.avander@bilia.se Kristina Franzen, CFO, +46 (0)10 497 73 40, kristina.franzen@bilia.se This is information that Bilia AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the Financial Instruments Trading Act. The information was submitted for publication on May 31, 2022, at 13:45 CEST. Facts about the Bilia Group Bilia is one of Europes largest car dealers with a leading position within service and sales of cars, transport vehicles and trucks. Bilia has about 150 facilities in Sweden, Norway, Luxembourg and Belgium. Bilia sells cars of the brand Volvo, BMW, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, Renault, Lexus, MINI, Porsche, Nissan, Dacia, Smart and Alpine and transport vehicles of the brand Renault, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Dacia and trucks of the brand Mercedes-Benz. Bilia has today a fully expanded business with sales of new cars, e-commerce, spare parts and store sales, service and repair workshops, tyres and car glass and financing, insurance, car washes, fuel stations and auto salvage under the same roof, which gives a unique offer. Story continues Bilia reported a turnover of about SEK 35 bn in 2021 and had about 5,300 employees. Attachment Rooftop at Radisson Blu 1882 Hotel, Barcelona Sagrada Famili Rooftop at Radisson Blu 1882 Hotel, Barcelona Sagrada Famili Restaurant at Radisson Blu 1882 Hotel, Barcelona Sagrada Familia Restaurant at Radisson Blu 1882 Hotel, Barcelona Sagrada Familia Pool at Radisson Blu 1882 Hotel, Barcelona Sagrada Familia Pool at Radisson Blu 1882 Hotel, Barcelona Sagrada Familia Lobby at Radisson Blu 1882 Hotel, Barcelona Sagrada Familia Lobby at Radisson Blu 1882 Hotel, Barcelona Sagrada Familia Terrace at Radisson Blu 1882 Hotel, Barcelona Sagrada Familia Terrace at Radisson Blu 1882 Hotel, Barcelona Sagrada Familia Radisson Hotel Group opens Barcelonas first Radisson Blu hotel Radisson Hotel Group is proud to announce the opening of the Radisson Blu 1882 Hotel, Barcelona Sagrada Familia, which marks another step forward in Radisson Hotel Groups plans to expand in Spain and continue strengthening its presence in the country. A mere 450 meters away from the Sagrada Familia, the most-visited monument in Spain, the renovated Radisson Blu 1882 Hotel, Barcelona Sagrada Familia is now ready to welcome guests to its enviable location in the Gracia district. This hotels location provides excellent connections to the city center, Passeig de Gracia and Placa de Catalunya. It is also just two kilometers away from Parc Guell, another very popular tourist attraction bearing Antoni Gaudis unmistakable imprint. Radisson Blu 1882 Hotel, Barcelona Sagrada Familia has 182 rooms, which include standard, superior, premium, premium deluxe, and family rooms. The rooftop, El Cel Bar terrace and pool are the perfect place to relax after a long day of sightseeing or business meetings. It offers spectacular views of the citys skyline and extraordinary views of the Sagrada Familia and Antoni Gaudis fascinating architecture. The philosophy of Radisson Blu 1882 Hotel, Barcelona Sagrada Familia, is to offer sustainable, balanced, and healthy gastronomy across its four restaurants and bars, including Restaurant El Bosc, El Bosc Terrace Bar, Bobo Bar, and El Cel Bar. Guests wishing to maintain their exercise regime are catered for thanks to the hotels fitness center. "Its a privilege to introduce the Radisson Blu brand to Barcelona, one of the worlds most vibrant cities. The hotels unbelievable location with panoramic views from its rooftop terrace make this hotel a unique place to stay and explore the city. Its a modern hotel with lots of style and a cozy and cosmopolitan feel," says Tom Flanagan Karttunen, Area Senior Vice President Northern & Western Europe, Radisson Hotel Group. Story continues As Barcelona is one of Spains major business centers, this new hotel has 120 square meters of corporate meeting and event space with the capacity to host up to 120 people, as well as 64 underground parking spaces for guests. The Radisson Blu 1882 Hotel, Barcelona Sagrada Familia has also earned LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification as a Gold Green Building, a factor that makes it the perfect option for the environmentally conscious traveler. The hotel is home to more than 4000 plants, including an 80m vertical ecosystem of more than 3000 plants in the El Bosc Terrace Bar that can filter 10kg of dust per year and generate oxygen for 80 people. Furthermore, the hotel has Biosphere certification and a dedicated CSR neighborhood project commitment. The interiors of the common areas in the new Radisson Blu 1882 Hotel, Barcelona Sagrada Familia were created by renowned interior designer Lazaro Rosa-Violan. Urban in style, its design has a contemporary aesthetic featuring special designer pieces with a more modern flair. Rosa-Violan envisioned creating a cozy and comfortable environment for guests with natural leather upholstery and high-pile rugs, which were accented by lush leafy greenery, bringing the outdoors indoors, which is a signature design element of Rosa-Violan. The color palette highlights the shades used in some of the furniture upholstery as well as the colors used at certain points in the decorative elements. Likewise, the hotels interior design concept also showcases other more striking pieces, giving them an almost monumental air, which allows them to stand out in the overall decorating scheme. Lazaro Rosa-Violan shares, "It has been an honor to collaborate on a project like this, located in such a unique area of Barcelona near the citys most iconic monument, the Sagrada Familia, which can be admired from the hotels rooftop terrace, and which has also earned Gold level LEED certification for sustainability. With the health and safety of guests and team members as its top priority, Radisson Blu 1882 Hotel, Barcelona Sagrada Familia is implementing the Radisson Hotels Safety Protocol program. The in-depth cleanliness and disinfection protocols were developed in partnership with SGS, the worlds leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company, and are designed to ensure guest safety and peace of mind from check-in to check-out. *** MEDIA CONTACTS: KATIE OLLIER REDMAN, Area PR & Communications Manager, Northern & Western Europe, Radisson Hotel Group katie.redman@radissonhotels.com SOPHIE CLARKE, Global Director Social Media & Consumer PR, Radisson Hotel Group sophie.clarke@radissonhotels.com ABOUT RADISSON HOTEL GROUP: Radisson Hotel Group is one of the world's largest hotel groups with nine distinctive hotel brands, and more than 1,700 hotels in operation and under development in 120 countries. The Groups overarching brand promise is Every Moment Matters with a signature Yes I Can! service ethos. The Radisson Hotel Group portfolio includes Radisson Collection, Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED, Radisson Individuals, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, and prizeotel brought together under one commercial umbrella brand Radisson Hotels. Radisson Rewards is our international rewards program that delivers unique and personalized ways to create memorable moments that matter to our guests. Radisson Rewards offers an exceptional experience for our guests, meeting planners, and travel agents at over 640 hotels in Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. Radisson Meetings provides tailored solutions for any event or meeting, including hybrid solutions placing guests and their needs at the heart of its offer. Radisson Meetings is built around three strong service commitments: Personal, Professional and Memorable, while delivering on the brilliant basics and being uniquely 100% Carbon Neutral. The health and safety of guests and team members remain a top priority for Radisson Hotel Group. All properties across the Groups portfolio are subject to stringent health and safety requirements, as outlined in the Radisson Hotels Safety Protocol. The in-depth cleanliness and disinfection protocols were developed in partnership with SGS, the worlds leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company, and are designed to ensure guest safety and peace of mind from check-in to check-out. The Safety Protocol is an integral part of Radisson Hotel Groups Safety and Security program ensuring we always care for our guests and team members. More than 100,000 team members work at Radisson Hotel Group and at the hotels licensed to operate in its systems. For more information, visit our corporate website. Or connect with Radisson Hotels on: LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube ABOUT RADISSON BLU: Radisson Blu is an upper upscale hotel brand that delivers positive and personalized service in stylish spaces. Characterized by attention to small details and the Yes I Can! service philosophy, Radisson Blu hotels are designed to make a big difference and inspire unforgettable experiences with every stay. Through personalized service and local nuance, each stay at a Radisson Blu hotel becomes a true meaningful and memorable experience. Radisson Blu hotels can be found in major cities, key airport gateways, and leisure destinations. Guests and professional business partners can enhance their experience with Radisson Blu by participating in Radisson Rewards, a global loyalty program offering exceptional benefits and rewards. Radisson Blu is part of Radisson Hotel Group, which also includes Radisson Collection, Radisson, Radisson RED, Radisson Individuals, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, and prizeotel brought together under one commercial umbrella brand Radisson Hotels. For reservations and more information, visit our website. Or connect with Radisson Blu on: LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube Attachments Russian ships export stolen Ukrainian grain for sale (illustrative photo) Russia's war against Ukraine - the main events of May 30 Dzhemilev was speaking after a meeting with Yalcin Topcu, Chief Adviser to the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Head of the National Defense Committee of the Grand National Assembly (Parliament) in Ankara Feyzi Berdibek, Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform reports One of the issues discussed was related to the fact that, according to our information, according to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia transports wheat and other goods stolen in the occupied territories, including through Turkish ports, Dzhemilev said after the meeting. Read also: Business community urges international organizations to help lift Russias blockade of Black Sea ports This is despite it being decided four years ago that no ships visiting ports in the occupied territories, primarily ports in Crimea, could be accepted and served in Turkish ports. Read also: Ukraine needs the blockade lifted to meet demand for grain, says presidential advisor The Russian ships were used to take wheat stolen from Ukraines Kherson Oblast from Sevastopol in Ukraines Russian-occupied Crimea, to Turkish ports, where the Russians tried to sell it to Turkey, Syria and Egypt, Dzhemilev said. We agreed that they (the Turks) would take the matter in hand, the Crimean Tatar leader said. By Oliver Hirt ZURICH (Reuters) - Credit Suisse is in the early stages of weighing options to bolster its capital after a string of losses has eroded its financial buffers, two people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The size of the increase would be likely to exceed 1 billion Swiss francs ($1.04 billion), but this has not yet been determined, said one of the people, who declined to be named because the deliberations are still internal. The cash injection would help Switzerland's second-biggest bank to recover from billions of losses in 2021 and a series of costly legal headaches. Selling shares to some of its major existing investors is the preferred option, but Credit Suisse has not ruled out tapping all shareholders, this person said. A sale of a business, such as Credit Suisse's asset management division, is also a possibility, the other person said. The bank had not yet decided on any potential action, they said. Any transaction was envisaged for the second half of this year. "Credit Suisse is currently not considering raising additional equity capital," the bank said in a statement. "The Group is robustly capitalised with a CET1 ratio of 13.8% and a CET1 leverage ratio of 4.3%. Asset Management is an essential part of our group strategy presented last November, with four core divisions." The CET1 ratio is a key gauge of a bank's financial strength. Credit Suisse shares fell 4.2% by 1000 GMT, compared with a 0.7% drop in the Swiss blue chip index and 0.9% drop in the European banking index, following the Reuters report. "The news, if confirmed, points to potentially more pain than we currently expect," Jefferies analysts wrote in a research note. The Jefferies analysts suggested the move could reflect lower earnings than expected or else a backstop plan in case the environment for revenues and costs does not improve as expected in 2023. A major Credit Suisse shareholder, Harris Associates, said it saw no need for the Swiss bank to raise fresh equity capital. Story continues "Given the strength of their balance sheet today, we agree with the company's statement that no new equity raise is necessary," David Herro of Harris Associates told Reuters. Harris Associates holds a stake of around 5.2%, according to the bank's https://www.credit-suisse.com/about-us/en/investor-relations/shareholders/significant-shareholders.html website, currently making it the biggest shareholder. DEBT DOWNGRADES Credit Suisse is reeling from billions in losses racked up in 2021 via failed investments, plus the impact of multiple legal cases, including a Bermuda court case that could cost around $600 million. The bank has been trying to reform its risk management culture and also turn the page on a series of scandals, which have prompted several waves of management shake-ups, abrupt departures, and internal and external investigations. The bank's shares have fallen by more than a fifth in the past year. Fitch and Standard & Poor's both downgraded their debt ratings for Credit Suisse this month. One of the sources said Swiss financial watchdog FINMA's annual assessment of big Swiss banks had marked Credit Suisse at 4, unchanged from last year, the lowest possible grade. One of the watchdog's main concerns was capitalisation at group level, this source said. FINMA declined to comment. The deliberations over a capital boost come only a year after the Swiss bank raised around 1.75 billion Swiss francs from investors via mandatory convertible notes. In April, Credit Suisse had played down the need for fresh capital even as it reported a first-quarter loss that intensified its financial pain. Credit Suisse executives said at the time capital could remain constrained over the next six months as the bank continues to make significant outlays towards compliance and risk, but a source familiar with the matter said a capital increase was not under consideration at the time. The bank's core capital ratio weakened to 13.8% at the end of the first quarter 2022 from 14.4% at the end of 2021. But a new capital increase would bolster Credit Suisse's balance sheet and also send a positive signal. If well-known investors provided the bank with new cash, this could be seen as a sign of confidence, one of the sources said. ($1 = 0.9586 Swiss francs) (Reporting by Oliver Hirt; additional reporting by Simon Jessop; Editing by Jane Merriman) Brandon Lewis, Northern Ireland Secretary, arrives at the BBC SUNDAYS can sometimes seem like a twilight zone between the political week just past and the one to come, but are they home to an alternative reality, a parallel universe where things are not as they seem? The question surfaced while watching Clive Myrie interview Andrei Kelin, Russias ambassador to the UK, on BBC1s Sunday Morning. It was a lengthy encounter, and one enlivened by the feeling that Vladimir Putins man in London might at any moment walk out in protest at what he perceived to be an unfair line of questioning. Myrie asked the ambassador about Russias actions in Ukraine and whether these constituted war crimes. Whatever evidence was put to him, including CCTV film, Mr Kelin rejected. Nothing was as reported by the west, insisted the ambassador. There was another side, the Russian side, that was not being covered. After the interview, Myrie spoke to Steve Rosenberg, the BBCs Russia editor, about this disconnect between what was going on in Ukraine and what Russia said was happening. Here was the world of alternative realities or parallel universes, one that Rosenberg was familiar with from dealing with the Kremlin, but which does not often come up in any discussion of UK politics. Not until now at least. Across the Sunday newspapers and political programmes two alternative realities competed for prominence. In one, Boris Johnson was in the clear after the publication of Sue Grays report into parties in Downing Street. In another version of reality, he remained in serious trouble with more to come in two by-elections and a parliamentary inquiry into whether he misled parliament. Brandon Lewis, the Northern Ireland Secretary, was the Minister on government firefighting duty. First to tackle him was Sky News Sophy Ridge, who noted it was the second time that week that the former party chair had taken on the role. Im always happy to come out and talk about what we are doing in government, he said. Ridge asked him about a story in the Sunday Times that said Downing Street had put pressure on Ms Gray to take names out of her report. It was also claimed that edits had been made in relation to the so-called Abba party held in the Prime Ministers flat on November 13 2020. Story continues Mr Lewiss response? I dont recognise any of that. What does that mean? asked Ridge. It did seem like a formulation that could have come from Yes Minister or The Thick of It. Regardless, Mr Lewis stuck to the line that any suggestion of meddling was wrong. Asked whether he could vouch that pressure was not placed on Ms Gray, he said: Im absolutely confident thats the case. Anybody who has worked in No 10 knows Sue Gray well enough that that kind of thing wouldnt work. Im confident, particularly now that No 10 have outrightly made the point and denied that this happened, that Sue Gray had the freedom to write the report that she was comfortable to write and publish. He was similarly untroubled by those Conservative MPs who had withdrawn support from the Prime Minister after seeing the Gray report. He did not believe a no confidence vote was on the cards. Not in the interests of the country or the Conservative Party. Surely he was concerned at a YouGov MRP poll, published on Saturday, which predicted that the Conservatives would lose all but three of 88 battleground seats at the next General Election? Among the seats going from blue to red would be Mr Johnsons. Such polling was a snapshot, said Mr Lewis. On Sunday Morning, Myrie asked if Mr Johnson would have to go if the Conservatives lost next months Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton by-elections. No, I dont think so. I equally dont think we will lose those two by-elections. Not to be outdone, BBC Scotlands The Sunday Show had its own foray into alternative realities: one put forward by interviewer Martin Geissler, the other described by Craig Hoy MSP, Scottish Conservative Party chairman. Asked about any connection between the publication of the Gray report on Wednesday and the Chancellors multi-billion package of help the day after, Mr Hoy said there was not one. The help was announced on Thursday because the Commons was about to go into recess the next day, said Mr Hoy. In whatever alternative reality you chose to believe in, the recess date was undeniably true. The Commons returns on June 6. Dan Rather, the longtime anchor of CBS Evening News from 1981 to 2006, was presented with the Peabody Career Achievement Award on Tuesday. Country music legend Dolly Parton presented Rather with the award, which honors individuals whose work and commitment to broadcasting and digital media have left an indelible mark on the field and in American culture. Rather joins recent winners of the award Carol Burnett, Rita Moreno, Cicely Tyson and Sam Pollard. Dan Rathers remarkable career from local news reporter and international correspondent to network anchor is a textbook example not just of what quality reporting looks like, but how journalists serve democracy well, said Jeffrey Jones, executive director of the Peabody Awards. Spanning over six decades, Rather helped viewers understand and interpret some of the most traumatic historical events in our nations history, from the Kennedy assassination and the Vietnam War to 9/11 and more. We are happy to call attention to and celebrate his lifes work. More from The Hollywood Reporter To this day, Dan has stayed dedicated to fighting the disinformation, the chaos and the division that has defined recent years in America, said Parton in her presentation of the Peabody Award to Rather. His voice and his reflections remain vibrant for millions others standing out from the crowd and noise of social media. For more than six decades, Dan Rather has brought his righteous passion, his intelligence, his boldness, his humor and his commitment to the truth to the public arena. Rather began his television career at Houstons CBS affiliate KHOU-TV in 1960, before becoming the networks White House correspondent in 1964. During his time at CBS, Rather reported on John F. Kennedys assassination, the war in Vietnam, the Civil Rights movement, Watergate, the Cold War and 9/11. After leaving CBS in 2006, he hosted Dan Rather Reports for HDNet and The Big Interview on AXS TV, and Rather currently serves as president and CEO of non-fiction production company News and Guts. Throughout the course of career, Rather has won numerous awards and honors including three Emmys and seven Peabody Awards. Story continues I know that humility is not a word usually associated with current or even former network news anchors, Rather said when accepting the honor. But I can honestly say that I am humbled by this recognition. The Peabody Awards also announced today a special recognition for TV Rain (known in Russian as Dozhd), which earned the Peabody Journalistic Integrity Award. TV Rain was Russias last independent TV channel before it was shut down in March 2022 following its criticism of President Vladimir Putin and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. During its final broadcast, the TV Rain staff gathered on air before walking off the set and announcing no war during their exit. The Peabody Board of Jurors also made a special commendation to journalists and filmmakers around the world who have risked their own personal safety to report the Russian invasion and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. We honor these courageous storytellers killed in their line of duty to bring the truth to the world, not just in Ukraine, but in India, Mexico, the Philippines and globally, said Jones. The 82nd annual Peabody Award winners will be announced during a multi-day virtual celebration from June 6-9, which will be broadcast on the Peabody Awards social channels as well as the organizations website. Watch Dolly Parton present the career achievement award to Dan Rather in the video below. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Click here to read the full article. Xi meets new HKSAR chief executive John Lee Xinhua) 08:18, May 31, 2022 President Xi Jinping meets with John Lee, the newly appointed sixth-term chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), in Beijing, capital of China, May 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping met with John Lee, the newly appointed sixth-term chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), on Monday in Beijing. Lee, who won the chief executive election on May 8, will assume office on July 1, 2022. Xi congratulated Lee on his election win and appointment by the central government. Praising Lee for maintaining the unwavering stance of loving the country and the HKSAR, being willing to assume responsibilities and actively performing his duties, Xi said Lee has made contributions to safeguarding national security and Hong Kong's prosperity and stability in various roles. "The central authorities give full affirmation to you and have full trust in you," Xi told Lee. Under the new electoral system, the HKSAR has successfully held elections of the Election Committee, the seventh-term Legislative Council and the sixth-term chief executive since last year. It has been proved that the new electoral system played a decisive role in implementing the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong," ensuring the position of Hong Kong people as their own masters, and facilitating a good environment in which all sectors of society work together for Hong Kong's development, Xi said. "This is a political and democratic system that is in line with the 'one country, two systems' principle and suited to Hong Kong's realities and needs for development," Xi said. "It must be cherished and upheld for a long time to come." This year marks the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. "Despite challenges over the past 25 years, the practice of 'one country, two systems' in Hong Kong has been a resounding success," Xi said. "The central authorities' resolve to fully and faithfully implement the principle of 'one country, two systems' has never wavered, still less will it change," he said. Thanks to the concerted efforts of the central government, the HKSAR government and the whole society, Hong Kong has achieved a major transition from chaos to order and is now at a crucial stage of advancing to prosperity, Xi noted. He said he believes that the new HKSAR government will bring new changes and Hong Kong will make new advances in its development. Senior officials including Han Zheng and Xia Baolong attended the meeting. President Xi Jinping meets with John Lee, the newly appointed sixth-term chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), in Beijing, capital of China, May 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun) State Rep. Kam Buckner takes a picture with supporters in Chicago on May 12 after announcing he is running to become the next mayor of Chicago. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) Chicago mayoral candidate and Illinois state Rep. Kam Buckner unveiled a public safety plan Tuesday that he said will invest in both law enforcement and community resources as the citys crime problem becomes a chief issue of the race. Among Buckners proposals are filling vacant positions in the Chicago Police Department and hiring more detectives to try to get through the departments case backlog a promise he made despite the citys recent struggle with recruiting and retaining officers. To that end, Buckner insisted across Chicagos neighborhoods, there are worthy candidates who simply need to be enticed to apply for the best big city cop job in America but did not elaborate on specifics. Advertisement As of March, Chicago police had about 1,100 vacancies, Superintendent David Brown said at the time. Buckner said he would create an Internet Intelligence Unit to monitor crimes that are planned online as well as a Youth Engagement Superintendent to work with Chicago Public Schools and the Park District to add programming for youth. Advertisement [ Who's in, who's out and who's undecided in the Chicago mayor's race ] We cannot spend $1.9 billion dollars on CPD every year and not see results, Buckner said. Families deserve answers and communities deserve to feel safe. Nodding to the tensions between police and communities of color, Buckner said he would pass the Anjanette Young Ordinance, a sweeping legislation to overhaul how police raids are conducted following a botched raid of a Black womans home in 2019. That plan is currently stalled in City Council, without Mayor Lori Lightfoots support. As a Black man who for the first time as a 16-year-old kid was told by an officer that I fit a description and who was told that same thing as a 35-year-old man, Im well aware of the necessity of rebuilding trust between our communities and the police, Buckner said. To work on that trust, Buckner said he would double the violence prevention offices funds as well as require Chicago police to produce body camera footage within 30 days and publish its clearance rates. He also would support passage of the Peace Book ordinance, an anti-violence plan put forth by the activist group GoodKids MadCity that calls for alternative solutions to policing and incarceration. When asked about whether his support for the Peace Book proposal crafted by community organizers who support reallocating money from law enforcement conflicts with his calls to beef up Chicago polices ranks, Buckner said thats a false choice. We can do both, Buckner said. Much of our problem lies in the fact that we are creating these narratives that we can only do one thing. The current field of declared candidates for the 2023 mayoral race includes Southwest Side Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th, businessman Willie Wilson. Lightfoot hasnt formally declared her candidacy for a second term but is expected to announce her bid in the coming weeks. Former CPS CEO Paul Vallas is expected to announce a campaign soon. Advertisement Chicago mayoral candidate and state Rep. Kam Buckner, back row from left, joined House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago police Superintendent David Brown, at the microphone, before Pritzker signed a bill restricting the sale and possession of so-called ghost guns on May 18. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) Buckner unveiled his plans on crime after another violent weekend. Lightfoot has faced much criticism over Chicagos gun violence. The city experienced major crime spikes in 2020 and 2021, with last year being the most violent in decades. Her onetime top public safety adviser joined a prominent alderman last year in declaring Chicago a city in crisis due to the violence. Crime has modestly decreased so far in 2022 but remains alarmingly high. Downtown has also experienced a surge in violence that included a teenager being fatally shot near The Bean in Millennium Park in May. Lightfoot has repeatedly acknowledged that many Chicagoans dont feel safe, a dynamic that threatens public safety, residents mental health and the citys economy, and she has repeatedly said her administration is working on the problem. But Lightfoot has also rebutted criticism of her administration and Brown by blaming the spike on a national wave that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic and pointing fingers at the courts and prosecutors for being too lenient with repeat offenders. Meanwhile, at the Chicago Police Departments graduation and promotion ceremony on Tuesday, Lightfoot noted its officially summertime in Chicago which is historically a time of challenge, a reference to violent crime that spikes in the summer months. Lightfoot highlighted a decrease in homicides and shootings from 2021, though she added that its too early to do a victory lap. She also praised detectives for solving homicides. Lightfoot referred to CPD as the best damn police department in the country but encouraged officers to embrace the need for reform because trust-based relationships with residents will help them solve crime. Public safety has to be a team sport. Its got to be each and every one of us asking ourselves every day, what more can we do? How can I step up and do my part? Lightfoot said. Thats how we make the police successful and not the fall guy. Advertisement ayin@chicagotribune.com gpratt@chicagotribune.com The Stormont Assembly has failed for the second time to elect a new speaker. The DUP refused to back the bid, maintaining its position that it wants to see action from the UK Government over the Northern Ireland Protocol. The two nominations for the role, the Ulster Unionists Mike Nesbitt and the SDLPs Patsy McGlone, failed to secure the necessary cross-community support from MLAs. The plenary session of the Assembly was then suspended as business cannot be carried out without a speaker. Today we have an opportunity to begin delivering real change for people. Sinn Fein, with Alliance and SDLP support, has recalled the Assembly to form an Executive. We must work together in an Executive, to fix our health service and support people as the cost-of-living rises. pic.twitter.com/Nt4ORBrmyc Michelle ONeill (@moneillsf) May 30, 2022 MLAs were in the chamber on Monday following a recall petition brought by Sinn Fein to elect a speaker, deputy speakers and to appoint a first minister and deputy first minister. Earlier Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill said people in Northern Ireland want action, not protest. Ms ONeill told the chamber: The people have spoken and they want action, not protest. They want the parties and every single MLA elected to this democratic institution to get their sleeves rolled up and to get down to business. She added: The DUPs stand-off is with the public and not with the European Union. As I stand here today I am ready to work with others. However, DUP MLA Paul Givan described the recall as not a serious attempt to restore powersharing. He told MLAs: Todays recall is another attempt at majority rule and has no credibility when it comes forward from the party that kept these institutions down for three years. Story continues The public will see the hypocrisy for what it is from Sinn Fein. This isnt a serious attempt to restore the principles of powersharing and these institutions. It is a stunt. Alliance Party MLA Nuala McAllister said a restored Assembly at Stormont could begin to tackle the cost-of-living crisis. She told MLAs: There is much that can be done by an Executive to tackle the cost-of-living crisis. At the heart of this cost-of-living crisis is our Governments failure to act and that is something that we all take responsibility for. But we are ready to take decisions to alleviate those stresses and give people who have been voiceless for so long hope. Those of us who want to get on with the job are more than desperate to do so. Ulster Unionist MLA Robbie Butler said his party wanted all-party talks to begin on a programme for government. He told the recalled Assembly: The UUP have written today to the head of the civil service to convene all-party talks to establish a programme for government and the minister for finance to reopen the public consultation on the budget. These are measures which should be done now to restore the confidence of the people of Northern Ireland that we all purport to serve. SDLP MLA Matthew OToole said that the number of MLAs who support the Northern Ireland Protocol had increased in the recent Assembly election. He asked MLAs: Why is the DUP holding the people of Northern Ireland to hostage? They say it is all about the (Northern Ireland) Protocol. The protocol is an international treaty signed between the UK and the European Union. The number of MLAs who support the protocol went up in the last election. Sir Jeffrey Donaldsons party has so far blocked the election of a speaker and the formation of an Executive following the Northern Ireland Assembly elections, as part of its protest against the Northern Ireland Protocol. The DUP also faced criticism last week, after concerns were raised that the absence of an Executive will prevent a UK-wide 400 discount on energy bills going to Northern Irish households. Will County sheriff Deputy Edward Goewey and his wife, Heather Goewey, outside the Will County Courthouse in Joliet following an April 11, 2022 court hearing. (Michelle Mullins / Daily Southtown) A trial date has been set for July 18 for Will County sheriff deputy Edward Goewey, who was charged with disorderly conduct after a December incident inside a Mokena Catholic school. Goewey went to St. Mary Catholic School, 11409 W. 195th St., Dec. 3, where his children attended, requesting a student who made a shooting threat be removed from school. According to the Mokena police report, Goewey said that he did not feel the matter was addressed properly and tapped his hip indicating he had a concealed firearm. Advertisement Goewey, 46, and his attorney Bob Bodach received documents Tuesday in Will County court containing communications between the staff and administration of St. Mary Catholic School and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet. Bodach asked for communications regarding the potential violent threat and the incident regarding Goewey. Bodach unsuccessfully sought April 11 to have Judge Brian E. Barrett dismiss the case, saying that the actions do not rise to the level of disorderly conduct. Advertisement According to Mokena police, Goewey was told by school officials Dec. 3 his coming to the building was not the appropriate way to voice his concerns, was asked to leave and told to make an appointment with the principal. Goewey insisted the child who had made the shooting threat should be removed from the class until assurances could be made that he did not pose a threat and continued to yell and argue refusing to leave, the police report said. Goewey eventually left on his own accord, but school officials told police that they were disturbed and alarmed by Goeweys erratic behavior, the police report said. Bill Nason, who was one of 10 supporters of Goewey who attended the Tuesdays court appearance, said he believed the incident did not warrant charges and believed Goewey had the students safety in mind. I dont think what happened to him is justified, Nason said. He had the right motives in what he was doing. I dont understand why the Catholic church is pursuing the charges. I dont understand why its gone this far. Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday > An email to parents from St. Mary Catholic School and the Joliet Diocese said the administration was made aware Dec. 1 of a statement by a student that could be construed as a threat. The school counselor spoke with the student and determined no credible threat existed, the email said. Officers interviewed the student and parents and reported no sign of threatening behavior and it was determined that neither the student nor the parents own a firearm, according to an email from St. Mary administration to its parents. The schools and dioceses joint message to parents Dec. 9 said the dioceses Catholic schools office adopted a crisis communication plan in 2017 but it does not include a crisis management policy. Since this incident, the Catholic schools office has issued written protocols for situations involving potential threats to its schools, including immediately reporting the threat to the police, the pastor, the diocesan attorney and the superintendent of schools, the joint message said. Advertisement The message states the protocols will also inform the parents of the student in question that the student may not return until a written psychological or psychiatric evaluation is received stating the student is not a danger to him or herself and others. Other protocols include communicating to all school parents and working with diocesan officials to manage the situation. St. Mary Catholic School has more than 450 students in preschool through eighth grade. Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown. The Frontier supercomputer at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory was named the world's fastest on the 59th TOP500 list on May 30, 2022, with 1.1 exaflops. The system is the first to achieve exascale computing performance, defined as quintillion calculations per second. In a series of standard tests that researchers use to rank supercomputers, the massive machine at Oak Ridge National Laboratory known as Frontier was announced on Monday as the first to demonstrate the performance of one quintillion operations per second, which is equivalent to one billion calculations. The United States Department of Energy (DOE) committed $1.8 billion several years ago to construct three systems with what scientists call "exascale" capabilities. This achievement was announced on Monday. A powerful new supercomputer located in Tennessee has allowed the United States to reclaim the coveted speed crown in computing. This achievement marks a significant milestone for technology, which plays an essential part in a variety of sectors like science, medicine, and others. However, there is a catch to the crown. Some industry professionals are of the opinion that two computer systems located in China have beaten Frontier in the race to the exascale. The operators of those systems have not provided test results to the scientists that oversee the so-called Top500 rating to be evaluated by them. According to the experts, they have a hunch that the tensions between the United States and China could be why the Chinese have not provided the test findings. According to Jack Dongarra, a renowned professor of computer science at the University of Tennessee who helps lead the Top500 project, "there are murmurs that China has something." There is nothing that can be considered official. Since their inception, supercomputers have been a contentious issue in international competition. The room-size computers were initially constructed to break codes and construct weapons; however, they now play significant roles in the creation of vaccinations, the testing of automotive designs, and the modeling of climate change. For many decades, American technology held a commanding position in the field; nevertheless, China has emerged as a formidable competitor in recent years. Between 2016 and 2018, a network there known as Sunway TaihuLight was ranked as the quickest in the world. China was responsible for 173 of the systems on the most recent Top500 list, whereas the United States was only responsible for 126 machines. Japan has been a more distant yet formidable competitor. In June 2020, a computer system known as Fugaku, located in Kobe, Japan, surpassed an IBM computer located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to claim the top rank. Thanks to Frontier, the lab regains its place at the top of the list. In the benchmarks utilized by the Top500 organization, the system that was developed by Hewlett Packard Enterprise and comprised of two distinct types of processors manufactured by Advanced Micro Devices was more than twice as quick as Fugaku. Mr. Zacharia stated that the pandemic and difficulty procuring components due to the crisis in the supply chain made it more challenging to construct the system. The system is comprised of 74 cabinets, each of which weighs 8,000 pounds. However, he expected that Frontier would quickly have a significant impact in various areas, including the study of the effects of Covid and the facilitation of the shift to sources of cleaner energy, for example. The United States has taken a series of steps to slow China's technological advances, including making it more difficult for some Chinese companies to acquire foreign chips that can be used to make supercomputers. The ranking process formerly included contributions from Chinese researchers. As a result, China has adopted a lower profile in promoting its supercomputer progress. However, this is even though the United States has taken these steps. However, China has been making substantial headway in designing its microprocessors, which is a critical step in advancing state of the art in supercomputers. David Kahaner, an expert in the industry who is the Asian Technology Information Program leader, revealed information about two exascale-class supercomputers that he alleged employ Chinese chip technology in a paper published the previous year. According to a presentation that Mr. Kahaner delivered at a technical conference, one of the machines is a successor to an older version of the Sunway machine named OceanLight. The other computer is known as Tianhe-3, and it is the successor to a system formerly known as Tianhe-1A. In 2010, Tianhe-1A became the first Chinese machine to take the top spot on the Top500 list. More evidence that China broke the exascale barrier emerged in November, when 14 Chinese researchers won a prestigious award from the Association for Computing Machinery, the Gordon Bell Prize, for simulating a quantum computing circuit on the new Sunway system running at exascale speeds. The award was given in recognition of the group's accomplishment of simulating a system capable of exascale speeds. The researchers from Oak Ridge National Laboratory claimed in a technical document that the task of computing, which was predicted to take 10,000 years on Oak Ridge's fastest preceding supercomputer, took 304 seconds on the Chinese system. An analyst at Hyperion Research, Steve Conway, indicated that the company "sort of let it leak" that they had computers working at exascale levels. "A significant amount of the conjecture is that they did not want to attract any additional penalties from the United States." Frontier: The World's First Exascale Supercomputer Has Arrived Waterloo Americas veterans and their sacrifices were center stage during Memorial Day events throughout the Cedar VAlley on Monday. Among the celebrations and sober reflections was a ceremony at Veterans Memorial Hall hosted by the Waterloo post of Disabled American Veterans. We all have memories and stories that inspire us as Americans to uphold their legacy. The sacrifices made on our behalf are breathtaking, keynote speaker Lt. Col. Garrett Gingrich said. I believe its the sacrifice above all that distinguishes the men and women who have served their country. He is commanding officer of the Waterloo-based Iowa Army National Guards 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment, also known as the Ironman Battalion. Other speeches and prayers were given, as well, along with music, a rifle salute and a waterfront ceremony. Gingrich reminded those in attendance that Americans continue serving in harms way. Still today, thousands of men and women just as many as people today have done in the past are leaving home to fight tyranny and protect freedom, Gingrich said. Prior to the ceremony, the DAV put on a parade that wound through downtown Waterloo. Along the way, uniformed veterans and community members were greeted by residents waving flags from the sidewalks. At around the same time as the veterans ceremony, retired U.S. Navy vice admiral and U.S. Senate candidate Mike Franken donated one of his old uniforms to the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum. He also spoke with museum volunteers and relayed the story of his father, who was on the USS Vincennes when it sank at the Battle of Savo Island in 1942. It was the same campaign in which the Sullivan brothers were were killed three months later. I think its a statement on the strength of the community that they would honor the loss of one of their families, Franken said. And the symbolism of the single family is not lost. All those families that also gave up their young in conflict, its telling that the community realizes that there is always some in the nation to run to the sound of the gun. An event was also held at MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center honoring the service of a civilian during World War II. Hazel Swanson, 95, was recognized Monday afternoon with the nations highest civilian award the Congressional Gold Medal for her service in the Civil Air Patrol. The CAP was awarded the medal in 2014 for its more than 120,000 members who stepped up during the conflict to support military efforts. Swanson was recently identified as a former CAP member eligible for recognition, with her discharge papers dating back to January 1945. She received a bronze replica of the 2014 award. I never dreamed that Id get to reach that wonderful level, Swanson said. A lot of things theyd done there during the war were important to everybody, said her husband, Don Swanson. He served in World War II. While members of the military from that period are regularly honored for their service, Don Swanson expressed gratitude that his wife was also being recognized for her contribution to the war effort. Im glad she got that, he said. 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. WATERLOO City leaders say they are addressing violence after a string of shootings over the Memorial Day weekend. Malik Calhoun, 27, of Waterloo, survived after he was shot in the neck at a childrens lemonade stand, one of two people injured in shootings Monday night. The other man suffered a gunshot wound to the leg outside a nightclub. That came about a day after one man was killed and another injured in a Waterloo neighborhood early Sunday the second gun-related homicide in as many weeks. Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald said in a news release that the community can expect to see a renewed focus on gang members and violent criminals as the summer progresses. Our community is pulling together to collectively address the violence that marred a time when families in our city gathered to celebrate. Since May 22, persons and I struggle to call them people with little or no regard for the lives of others disturbed the peace in this community, Fitzgerald said. For those who think they can create chaos without reprisal, you are wrong. People in this community work hard, and want to enjoy the fruits of their labors on a Memorial Day weekend without worrying that small groups of idiots who are only tough with guns in their hands could destroy their families. No arrests have been announced in the homicide or the shootings at the lemonade stand or the nightclub as of Tuesday afternoon. City leaders are planning a Wednesday afternoon press conference to address the violence. Acts of violence of any kind, including gun violence, are never inflicted in isolation impacting only the victim and perpetrator. When an act of violence takes place in our community, our entire community is impacted and the entire community must respond, Mayor Quentin Hart said in the news release. Local law enforcement has implemented new programs and policies that are working, but it takes the efforts of the entire community to address the root causes of these senseless acts. Police said a man was at a lemonade stand in the area of West Fourth and Grant streets around 8:50 p.m. Monday when a masked man walked up behind him and fired. Children were present during the shooting, police said. The victim suffered a through-and-through gunshot wound to the neck, and officers administered life-saving measures until paramedics with Waterloo Fire Rescue arrived. He was taken to MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center and later transferred to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City for further treatment, police said. Hours later, at about 10:55 p.m., patrol officers heard gunfire in the area of Club Legacy, 120 Sumner St. A man arrived at a local hospital with a gunshot wound to the leg, and he is expected to survive, police said. Officers found multiple spent shell casings in the area coming from more than one weapon, investigators said. Authorities also seized a handgun found at the scene. Over the weekend, police also were called to a homicide at 734 W. First St. around 2:30 a.m. Sunday. According to police, two men were involved in a physical altercation. As the fight escalated, a gun was produced, shots were fired, and both men sustained gunshot wounds. One man died, and the second remains hospitalized. The identities and further details werent available. Then around 6:50 p.m. Sunday, man was shot and injured in the area of Boston Avenue and East Louise Street. Officers believe the shooting happened outside, and the victim was taken to UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital by private vehicle. He suffered a gunshot wound to the arm. His injuries werent life threatening, police said. Police were also called to a report of gunfire in the 300 block Conger Street around 10:15 p.m. Monday. No injuries were reported, but a parked vehicle and a home were damaged, and police collected spent shell casings at the scene. Other recent incidents include: May 22 at 3:24 a.m., officers were dispatched to a shots fired call and located a 26-year-old Ana Hellia Berinobis-McLemore in a vehicle in the 200 block of Manson. A bullet that entered the passenger side of the vehicle struck her in the right side of the head. Officers administered first aid while awaiting an ambulance, and she was transported to the hospital and pronounced dead. May 26 at 9 p.m., officers were dispatched to UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital on a report of a gunshot victim. Upon their arrival they learned the victim sustained a non-life threatening gunshot wound in the leg somewhere in the area of Kern Street. All of the incidents remain under investigation. Police said it is too early to tell if any of the crimes are related. Anyone with information is asked to call the Waterloo Police Department at (319) 291-4340 or Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers at (855) 300-TIPS (8477). Love 0 Funny 5 Wow 0 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. WATERLOO Two people have been arrested after police seized a handgun following a disturbance at a Waterloo convenience store early Tuesday. Officers were called to Logan Convenience, 735 Logan Ave., shortly before 1 a.m. Tuesday for a report of a fight inside the business where someone brandished a firearm. Police found a 9 mm Smith and Wesson pistol and marijuana in a vehicle parked outside. Officers arrested 29-year-old Decoby Christopher Kennedy of Waterloo for felon in possession of a firearm, carrying weapons and disorderly conduct. Police also arrested Danielle Denise Harrington, 29, of Waterloo for carrying weapons and possession of marijuana. Court records allege surveillance video shows Kennedy involved in a fight and possessing the gun inside the store, and police allegedly saw Harrington holding the gun in her waistband before placing it in the vehicle following the fight. 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. Elmhurst Police Chief Michael Ruth, who died May 30, in a hospital while recovering from a medical procedure. (City of Emhurst / HANDOUT) Elmhurst Police Chief Michael Ruth died Monday in a hospital while recovering from a medical procedure, according to a news release from the city of Elmhurst. Ruth, who served in law enforcement for 44 years, led the Elmhurst police for 10 years. Advertisement He joined the department in October 2012, coming to Elmhurst from Countryside, where he was chief from 2010 to 2012. Before that, he spent 29 years with the Skokie Police Department, beginning there as a uniformed patrol officer and moving up to police commander. Advertisement In his 10 years leading the Elmhurst department, he built strong community support, implemented new crime prevention technologies, and helped achieve Tier 1 state accreditation for the department. In an email he sent when he was hired, Ruth called the Elmhurst Police Department an outstanding agency with a long and rich tradition of community service, and added, I look forward to serving the residents of Elmhurst and serving with the outstanding men and women of the Elmhurst Police Department. Above all, Chief Ruth believed in the nobility of the Elmhurst Police Departments work and the professionalism of its members, Elmhurst Mayor Scott Levin said in the city statement. Our city has suffered a tremendous loss; however I am comforted in knowing that the Chief was a mentor to many, and that his commitment to the highest level of public safety standards for our community will live on. Elmhurst Fire Chief Bill Anaszewicz was a beneficiary of Ruths mentoring. Chief Ruth was a mentor who inspired, offered guidance and support throughout my career, Anaszewicz said in an email to Pioneer Press. He led the Police Department with vision, competence and compassion; he fostered a strong relationship between the Police and Fire Departments. I appreciate our friendship on both a personal and professional level and will miss him. Ruth also contributed to the profession of law enforcement as an adjunct professor, teaching criminal justice students at the University of Illinois-Chicago and Governors State University, according to city sources. He was a graduate of the 207th Session of the FBI National Academy and past president of the West Suburban Chiefs of Police Association. City sources described Ruth as a strong leader, a trusted director, and a highly respected member of the Citys team. He will be remembered for his fearless guidance, outstanding commitment to his work, and tireless support in providing Elmhurst with high quality public safety services. I am forever grateful to have worked alongside him, Elmhurst City Manager Jim Grabowski said in the statement. He was an asset to our organization and his loss will not be easy to overcome. Advertisement Ruth, of Crestwood, was 63. He is survived by his wife Susan; a daughter, also Susan; and sisters Patricia Marsicano, Christina Kakuk and Laura Piolatto. Services are expected to be private. Deputy Chief Michael McLean, who has been serving as acting chief, will continue as interim police chief. Graydon Megan is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. Fourteenth in series on Cedar Valley Top 15 Nurses WAVERLY Laura Skillen stepped onto her career path at 7 years old. Ive always wanted to be a nurse. I love helping people, and its challenging and different from day to day. I dont sit in an office all day. I love what I do, said Skillen, who became a nurse 38 years ago. As clinical services manager for Cedar Valley Hospice in the Waverly and Grundy Center offices, she oversees the staff Im available 24/7 for my staff, and assists with admissions and working with patients. When it comes to dedication to the Cedar Valley Hospice mission, there isnt anyone who excels more than Laura. As clinical services manager, she oversees both the Waverly and Grundy Office staff. She is an inspirational manager who is always willing to jump in and help wherever needed with patients, on-call, admissions and being available to staff, all while managing her own responsibilities, said colleague Angie Mohn, an RN staff nurse for Cedar Valley Hospice. Mohn nominated Skillen for the Couriers Top Nurses award. Skillen was surprised to learn that she was one of 15 Cedar Valley nurses chosen for the award. When she heard the news, she cried. I was so honored. Nothing like this has ever happened to me. To think the staff thought that much of me to nominate me was wonderful, Skillen said. We have a great staff. Cedar Valley Hospice is great to work for, and this is what I love. I cant imagine working for any other organization. While attending Plainfield High School, she began working as a nurse aide. She was 16. I loved it and decide to go to nursing school, Skillen said. She earned her degree at North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City. One of her sisters and two nieces are nurses. A couple of sisters were nurse aides, so I knew what I was getting into. Skillen worked at both Allen and Covenant hospitals in Waterloo, and was director of nursing at a nursing home before finding her niche in hospice care. She has worked at Cedar Valley Hospice for 16 years. Helping people at the end of their life journey takes both compassion and stamina, said Skillen. It is not for the weak of heart. People are there to celebrate a newborns life. It should be the same when you are dying, no matter how long youve lived. Its rewarding to help people through that journey. When talking through different patient scenarios with her staff, Skillen said one constant is to meet the patient and their family where they are at in the journey. Not everybody is ready for us. Maybe the body is ready, but the mind and spirit are not. We arent here to dash anyones hope. Were here as added support and help on this journey, she explained. Its a tumultuous situation for families. If we can help them, then weve done our job. And we do it well at Cedar Valley Hospice. Mohn praised Skillen for taking time to offer her staff and others support and words of kindness. She does above and beyond daily to make sure the needs of everyone she encounters are met. On top of all of her duties, she is an excellent educator. With over 16 years of experience in the field, she never misses an opportunity to share her wealth of knowledge with new staff, while helping others continue to learn and grow in their positions, Mohn explained. Laura sets the bar high and leads by example, which motivates her staff to strive for the very best, Mohn added. Skillen describes her career as rewarding, but challenging. Her advice to other people interested in pursuing a nursing career is to accept that challenges come with every job. Dont give up. And dont go into it for the wrong reasons. Yes, its a good paying career, but if you dont have the compassion and heart for it, youre not going to be happy. She has been married to her husband John for 10 years. When its time to unwind, Skillen enjoys working with their Clydesdale horses on their acreage. Its a nice escape for me and a good kind of getaway for whatever the day has been like, Skillen added. They have three step-children who live nearby and six grandchildren, who also keep them busy. 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. WATERLOO Police have released the names of three people killed in a semi crash over the Memorial Day weekend. They have been identified as Brayden Proctor, 16, Tricia Randall, 19, and Devon Dirkes, 21. According to Waterloo police, the three were traveling in a passenger car around 9:53 a.m., and the car and a semi collided at the intersection of Hammond Avenue and East Shaulis Road. They died at the scene, and the truck driver remained on scene and cooperated with police. The accident remains under investigation. Love 2 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy's office has entered a contract with a former Dunleavy aide for up to $50,000 in part to advise the administration on what legal fights to pursue against the federal government. The contract with Strategic Synergies LLC was signed in April and released by Dunleavy's office last week. Brett Huber is listed on the contract as the firm's sole owner. The contract period is for April 25 through Oct. 24. Alaska has long had a contentious relationship with the federal government over lands and resource development and other issues. The state has a history of pushing back in areas where it thinks the federal government is overreaching. Huber was Dunleavy's campaign manager in 2018 and an aide to Dunleavy following the Republican's election. Huber went on the manage an unsuccessful campaign in 2020 against a voter initiative that ends party primaries and institutes ranked choice voting for general elections. He was brought back to the administration last year as a senior policy advisor for "statehood defense. Huber left work in state government on April 2, said Patty Sullivan, a Dunleavy spokesperson. She said the position Huber held within the administration has not been filled, and existing staff cannot perform the unique work. She said by email that Huber was selected for the contract because the work is similar to what he was doing as a state employee and is beyond the ability of a line attorney at the Department of Law to perform. The job involves coordinating work that's being done across several agencies, she said. The contract is expected to save the state money compared to what Huber would make in salary and benefits as an employee, she said. The contract calls for research and consulting on the "broad issue of Statehood Defense." Among other things, it calls for meeting with Dunleavy's chief of staff and other employees on key Alaska defense issues, researching federal laws and regulations related to Alaska lands and providing recommendations for legal action to protect Alaska. Huber said he "transitioned from state employment to working contractually on these issues because it made more sense for me personally and for the 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 The American Red Cross has been accused by Wisconsin and Iowa unions of bargaining in bad faith. Employees in Wisconsin and northern Iowa of the nonprofit had their contract expire Sept. 30, more than half a year ago. According to the union the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees the Red Crosss negotiators have canceled and/or rescheduled 21 negotiating sessions while having only met with each of the two employee bargaining committees once. A complaint has been filed with the National Labor Relations Board, AFSCME said last week. We have been requesting to negotiate the local contracts with the American Red Cross since August of 2021, Neil Rainford, an AFSCME field representative, said in a statement. The Red Cross has consistently either delayed or outright refused to meet. Weve only met for the initial exchange of proposals in February. Added Collections Technician Lora Parker: They cancel, and we start over again. We need some resolution. We are fair with them, and they need to be fair with us. According to a statement from Eric Crocker, of Pewaukees Local 1559, We are understaffed and underpaid for what we do and for what the Red Cross expects from us. Management is avoiding talking to us about these issues. The union says that less-than-competitive wages are contributing to recurrent blood donor shortage because of slowed operations at donation sites and fewer blood drives being able to be held. In response, the Red Cross issued the following statement: The American Red Cross has a longstanding history of working together with our labor partners at both a local and national level to solve complex problems and denies that the organization engaged in any unfair labor practices. Regarding the complaint, Red Cross said, we will address it with the National Labor Relations Board, as appropriate. We remain committed to reaching a contract agreement that is fair and equitable to all and are available for continued negotiations. At the same time, the Red Cross will continue to focus on delivering our mission for patients across the country who rely on us each day to provide lifesaving blood; while we experienced a national blood shortage just a couple of months ago, we currently have a sufficient supply of blood on the shelves to support patients in need. As is typical when labor negotiations enter the public eye, neither side has specifically stated what each side is asking for or demanding. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Ensuring that children dont go hungry is morally good, full stop. But the benefits of putting reasonably nutritious food in front of children do not stop there. Americans will get what they pay for with school lunches. During the COVID-19 pandemic, federal policy has allowed for everybody to eat free lunches at U.S. schools. Unless something changes, the conditions that existed before the pandemic will mostly return for the 2022-23 school year. The features of that school lunch system include: Onerous paperwork for many low-income families to fill out to receive free and reduced-price meals. Advocates point out that this barrier could be worse than ever in the coming year because families have gotten out of the habit of filing the forms. A constant need for school nutrition workers to track eligibility and hunt down payments instead of concentrating on procuring (no small matter during supply disruptions), preparing and serving meals. A breeding ground for bullying as children inevitably figure out which classmates dont pay for meals, not to mention which families forget or fail to keep their accounts current. The prospect of children going hungry because of unpaid bills, even if they should have been eligible for fully subsidized food. None of that needs to happen. This COVID accommodation should be made permanent. The need was apparent before the pandemic and shows no sign of abating. In fact, the scheduled expiration of the extended program next month is particularly poorly timed. COVID-19 remains a significant threat and disruption. Food prices were up almost 9% year over year in March. Legislation before Congress could at least extend the expanded lunch program for another year, which should be an easy call for lawmakers. But independently of that debate, policymakers at the federal and state levels should be crunching numbers to figure out how to keep providing one of the most basic human needs in a fashion thats far more efficient than the old way. The price tag is significant, yes. The national school lunch program cost over $14 billion in the year that ended in September 2019, before eligibility was expanded. Ensuring that children dont go hungry is morally good, full stop. But the benefits of putting reasonably nutritious food in front of children do not stop there. Some large cities had already made free lunch available to all students. A Syracuse University study of what happened after New York City switched in 2017 tied the policy change to increased academic performance of students. Several states, including Minnesota, either have already decided to continue providing lunches to everybody or are considering such efforts. Statewide, just over 40% of Iowa students are eligible. Thanks to a 2010 overhaul of the school lunch program, free meals already can go to everybody at buildings with particularly high proportions of eligible students. The same windfall that higher-income families at those schools receive a few hundred dollars per child can be offered to families at other schools, too. Its a very reasonable trade-off for wiping out once and for all the scourge of lunch shaming, and for doing away with means-testing applications that undocumented immigrants might not fill out for fear of attracting attention. School districts should not divert, or need to divert, instructional dollars toward lunch costs. It makes sense for the federal government to provide a nationwide solution. But if Congress doesnt find a way forward, Iowas legislators ought to consider their $1 billion surpluses and invest in the children whose well-being and academic achievement they claim to care so much about. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation in Ukraine. High-precision air-based missiles have hit 2 command and control posts of AFU battalions, 1 communications centre, as well as 34 areas of AFU manpower and military equipment concentration. Operational-tactical and army aviation have hit 3 strong points and 67 areas of AFU manpower and military equipment concentration. The attacks have resulted in the elimination of more than 320 nationalists and 47 weapons and military equipment. Russian air defence means have shot down 15 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles near Severodonetsk, Novochervonoe, Vasilevka of the Lugansk Peoples Republic, Panteleimonovka, Grigorovka, Krasnovka, Nevelskoe of the Donetsk Peoples Republic, Petrapolie, Petrovskoe, Glinskoe of Kharkov Region, Chornobaevka and Aleksandrovka of Kherson Region. In addition, 9 Ukrainian Smerch multiple-launch rockets have been intercepted near Malaya Kamyshevakha, Kamenka, Brazhkovka, Glinskoe in Kharkov Region and Chernobaevka in Kherson Region. Missile troops and artillery have hit 62 command posts, including those of Operational Command South near Novy Bug, Nikolaev Region, as well as 593 areas of AFU manpower and military equipment concentration and 55 artillery and mortar batteries at firing positions. 4 BM-21 Grad multiple-launch rocket launchers, 46 Ukrainian weapons and military equipment, as well as 1 ammunition depot near Novomikhailovka, Donetsk Peoples Republic, have been destroyed. In addition, more than 15 Ukrainian tanks and infantry fighting vehicles and 5 large-calibre artillery mounts have been destroyed as a result of artillery strike on a hangar on the territory of Okean shipyard in Nikolaev city. In total, 183 Ukrainian aircraft and 128 helicopters, 1,064 unmanned aerial vehicles, 325 anti-aircraft missile systems, 3,323 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 451 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,731 field artillery and mortars, as well as 3,294 units of special military vehicles were destroyed during the operation. #MoD #Russia #Ukraine #Briefing @mod_russia_en WtR During an inspection of the Azovstal plant underground facilities in Mariupol, where the surrendered Nazis of the Ukrainian Azov formation were hiding, Russian servicemen found an isothermal van. 152 bodies of dead fighters and servicemen of the AFU were stored in the van with the broken cooling system. I recall that before surrendering, the Azov command publicly appealed to Zelensky to take the bodies of the dead so that their families could bury them on Kiev-controlled territory. However, there were no requests from Kiev to receive the bodies of the dead from the Azovstal plant. Moreover, during the inspection of the van, Russian sappers found four mines under the bodies of the dead Ukrainian soldiers. The total mass of explosives in them was enough to destroy all the bodies left in the van. Based on the results of interrogations of captured Azov fighters, it has been established that the mining of the bodies was carried out on direct orders from Kiev. The purpose of the provocation is to accuse Russia of deliberately destroying the bodies and preventing their removal for transfer to relatives in order to save the political reputation of the Kiev regime and Zelensky personally. In the near future, the Russian side plans to hand over the bodies of Ukrainian fighters and servicemen found on the territory of Azovstal plant to representatives of Ukraine. The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation in Ukraine. During the day, high-precision air-based missiles have hit 4 control points, as well as 13 areas of concentration of Ukrainian manpower and military equipment. Operational-tactical, army and unmanned aviation have hit 3 command posts, 69 areas of manpower and military equipment concentration, 1 radar station and 2 ammunition depots of the AFU near Raigorodok and Nikolaevka, Donetsk Peoples Republic. The attacks have resulted in the elimination of more than 290 nationalists and 23 weapons and military equipment. 1 Su-25 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force has been shot down near Kobzatsy, Nikolaev Region. Russian air defense means have shot down 6 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles near Donetsk, Makeevka in Donetsk Peoples Republic, Popasnaya in Lugansk Peoples Republic, Liptsy, Bolshie Prokhody in Kharkov Region, including 1 UAV have been shot down near Snake Island. Missile troops and artillery have hit 38 command posts, 417 areas of manpower and military equipment concentration, and 46 firing positions of artillery and mortar batteries. 36 pieces of weapons and military equipment nave been destroyed, including 1 Ukrainian Uragan multiple-launch rocket system battery, 1 Grad multiple-launch rocket system battery, 2 ammunition depots, and 1 fuel depot. In total, 184 Ukrainian aircraft and 128 helicopters, 1,070 unmanned aerial vehicles, 325 anti-aircraft missile systems, 3,342 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 454 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,738 field artillery and mortars, as well as 3,311 units of special military vehicles were destroyed during the operation. #MoD #Russia #Ukraine #Briefing @mod_russia_enjoy WtR Arrived bombed, left didnt like it. The Washington Post correspondent spoke to foreign mercenaries who had already evacuated from Ukraine. The command gave them Javelin anti-tank systems and asked them to teach the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine how to use them. However, there were no batteries for the complexes. The radios were listened to by the RF Armed Forces. The solution was found in unprotected WhatsApp messengers, which is why they were often hit by artillery. The mercenary commanders did not know where the RF Armed Forces were, where they were being deployed, and they were sent into battle without the necessary equipment, weapons and the proper amount of ammunition. 8 out of 20 volunteers left their posts: one broke his machine gun, and the other feigned injury, the volunteer told the publication. The general opinion is disappointment with the discrepancy between their expectations and the reality that they saw there. The occurrence of swine fever may be associated with American laboratories in Georgia. @SputnikLive talked about this disease with Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Gennady Onishchenko. The spread of African swine fever came from the area of Batumi, where the American biolab is located. It is possible that this type of plague is used as a non-lethal economic weapon. True, Moscow has experience in fighting it. For example, in the 1980s, the swine plague was crushed in just a season. WtR A Waukegan man was killed and another man wounded after someone in a car opened fire on them over the weekend, police said. The dead man was identified Tuesday by the Lake County coroners office as Stefan Filipovic, 24. Preliminary autopsy results indicate he died from a gunshot wound to the head, the coroners office said. Advertisement The second shooting victim, a Waukegan man in his 20s, was continuing to recover after undergoing surgery, according to police, who did not release his identity. The two men were shot around 5 p.m. Sunday in the 1500 block of Washington Street, in what police said appears to have been a targeted attack. Advertisement Witnesses told police that a light-colored sedan, possibly a BMW, was seen driving away at a high rate of speed in the moments after the shooting. The victims were taken to a hospital, where Filipovic died from his injuries. About 7:45 p.m., police attempted to stop a car matching the vehicles description near the intersection of Green Bay and Wadsworth roads. The driver, though, sped away when police tried to stop the car. The vehicle came to a stop with a flat tire near Sheridan Road and Franklin Street, police said. The driver, a 19-year-old Waukegan man, was taken into custody. Police said they believe the vehicle is the same one spotted near the scene of the shooting. The man is described as a person of interest and he remains in custody, though no charges have been filed, police said Tuesday. The Waukegan police department and its Criminal Investigative Division are continuing to pursue other persons of interest. Anyone with information is asked to call the WPD tip line at (847) 360-9001. Project Nemesis. Each Neo-Nazi will be identified, each of them will face retribution. Russian hackers continue to target Ukrainian Neo-Nazis, mercenaries and other war criminals. Called Project Nemesis establishes fanatics who tortured our military and civilian citizens of Ukraine The data of the identified Banderists are made publicly available. There are dozens of Nazi gangs and Ukrainian special forces in the database. Disclosed information about NATO instructors and mercenaries from the former Soviet republics. Provocateurs involved in telephone and network terrorism have also been identified The identity of thousands of Neo-Nazis and their accomplices, guilty of numerous crimes, has been established. Personal data is recorded, including phone numbers and residential addresses Are you on the list? WtR Ukraine resells Western weapons, as fast as they get them. This is while the soldiers on the front line complain about no ammo and weapons In Syria, through specialized channels, unknown people are trying to sell American-made Javelin anti-tank missiles. The issue price is 15,000 thousand dollars. According to the sellers, the weapons were bought at bargain prices in Ukraine. The weapons are also showing up on the internet and a man has made a video promoting the weapons The guy in the video talks about this issue. As I find more videos and info. The post will be added to It seems the rumors are true and weapons that are sent to Ukraine? End up mainly be sold Also when food is sent by the west? The food is many times dumped and since the west puts weapons with the food. The weapons are the only thing they care about Also Ukraine resells Western food given as aid A common occurance from Poland is a food truck cross the border, food is dumped, weapons bought by an outsider and or picked up by a Ukrainian civilian and disappears If the food does get to a city? It is many times sold, instead of given away, as it should be NATO, USA and EU are supporting a real scum of a country, mainly the military and government WtR Russian grain is also for rubles. The Union of Grain Exporters of the Russian Federation asked the Central Bank to work out the possibility of settlements in rubles for the largest foreign buyers. The largest buyers of Russian grain are Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran. In the case of Iran, payment in rubles will also greatly facilitate trade, since the country is under illegal Western restrictions also WtR Reasonable! Medvedev said, commenting on Bidens decision not to supply Ukraine with missile systems that reach Russian territory. Otherwise, when attacking our cities, the Russian Armed Forces would have fulfilled their threat and struck at the centers for making these criminal decisions. Some of them are not located in Ukraine at all. There is no need to explain what happens next Medvedev Now you know why the West is starting to backpedal on Ukraine Russia will hit where they made the decision WtR We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form On their first date more than 14 years ago, Brandon Romer and Steffan Schlarb talked about a lot of thingsJerri Blank, pugs, and indie music. They also talked about their love of art and their shared dream of owning a gallery. Over the next two decades they moved in together, got married, bought a house, started a company, switched jobs, dealt with lifes ups and downs. But there was one constant: their love of art, and more specifically outsider and marginalized artists. They filled their home with an eclectic mix of paintings and photographs and sculptures. Then in 2020, after a personal health scare and a global pandemic, they decided not to wait any longer and to make their art dream a reality. Last fall, they opened the doors of Schlomer Haus, a Market Street gallery on the edge of the Castro. We could have opened the gallery in another neighborhood with an established art scene, explains co-founder Steffan Schlarb. But we wanted to create a space in the Castro for the unseen to be seen, and where we can help foster artistic creativity and culture in the Castro. Over the past nine months, they have exhibited an incredibly wide range of work of queer, underrepresented, and emerging artiststhe kind of art that fills their own walls in their home. Chloe Sherman, "Little Marion," 1998. Outsiders are forced to look at the world a different way, from a different vantage point, explains Schlarb. Its about revealing something, another layer. Its no surprise they were drawn to the work of Chloe Sherman, or to her instagram feed at first. We do a lot of research on Instagram and we came across Chloes work and knew we wanted to show it, explains Romer. Chloe Sherman arrived in San Francisco in 1991. She had a deep interest in photography, and stacks of negatives, but no formal training. What she found here changed her life. I came to San Francisco and fell in love with the city. It wasnt just gorgeous, it was affordable, explains Sherman. So you could show upas an artist or wayward youth, or outcast or free-spirited traveler, or a queer kid who had been kicked outand get a room in a flat for like 250 bucks. It didn't take much to make your rent. So you could work a little bit, hang out with people, live well, and be very creative and make things together. There was a sense of come as you are and lets celebrate that. For Sherman, the Mission became the center of her queer life. This was for the most part where people in the queer '90s scene lived. There was the lesbian Lexington Bar, Leather Tongue Video, Dog Eared Books, the Bearded Lady Cafe, and Black and Blue Tattoo. There was this pulse of community, of people forming their own way of life, she remembers. I found an amazing group of like-minded people that I really connected with and that was the most photogenic. Chloe Sherman, "Elitrea in the desert," 1998. Soon after arriving, she was accepted to the SF Art Institute for fine art photography, and her career and her community became uniquely intertwined. I saw just beauty and joy and tenderness and resilience in this group that wasnt welcomed or embraced by mainstream society. Yet, here we thrived, she explains. As a fine art photographer veering into documentary photography, I wanted to capture and show a very beautiful side of what many people thought to be kind of a gritty, off-beat community. The result: an incredibly vast body of work focused on a small slice of community at a very specific time and place that has a clear throughline and a sense of purpose. I feel that I always intended to show a wider public an inside view, to kind of expose the beauty of a group that I thought was spectacular, notes Sherman. The images that ended up being my favoritesand that are in the showare beautiful pictures. Color, light, and the esoteric feeling or the mood was always just as important to me. I edited from a fine art perspective of Is this a beautiful photograph? Does it capture an intimate moment that is universal? Sherman hasnt exhibited these photographs anywhere in more than 20 years, and now she sees them as more than just beautiful images of a subculture: They are history. Chloe Sherman, "Anna Joy at home," 1997. I think we always knew it was a special place and time, but looking back, it was only the beginning of the tip of the iceberg of it being easy to come out or be, you know, queer, whatever that meant to you, she explains. This was before gay marriage, gays in the military, LGBTQIA representation in Hollywood and politics. It was before Mayor Pete, Laverne Cox, and Lil Nas X. There was probably a need for communal support in a much bigger way than there is now. So looking back through all of these photos has just reiterated what a phenomenally pivotal, groundbreaking time it was. She has named the show Renegade San Francisco: The 1990s. It reflects the attitudes and the actions of the people in the photos and community that was forging their own path off the beaten path of mainstream expectations in society. While the exhibit has been decades in the making, Sherman has been focusing on it practically around the clock since Romer and Schlarb from Schlomer Haus found her on Instagram in January. They reached out and said, 'would you consider a solo show?' The week before that, I made a decision to just start saying yes when people asked me if they could buy or if they could post or if they could print or publish a photo, explains Sherman. Theres more and more interest in this unique time and scene that I was lucky to have had the opportunity to document, and I'm embracing this whole body of work in a new way. So, she said yes and suggested they mount the show during Pride Month and make it big. Her hope for people who visit the gallery? First and foremost: Just enjoy the photography. But its also a chance to experience and witness a moment in gay history. Just like looking at the old black and whites of Harvey Milk, hopefully, it makes you kind of feel like you're there for a moment. Working with Chloe has been amazing, says Schlarb. This is exactly why Brandon and I wanted to open a gallery. You know, to provide a forum for overlooked and underrepresented artists and to bring more art and culture to our neighborhood. David Boyer Meet Chloe Sherman at the opening reception, 5pm to 9pm Friday, June 17th, with '90s music by DJ Campbell and wines curated by Bottle Bacchanal. // Renegade San Francisco: The 1990s is on view June 17 through July 23 at Schlomer Haus Gallery, 2128 Market St. (Castro), noon to 6pm Tuesday through Saturday and by appointment; schlomerhaus.com A special gala, designed to provide aesthetic education for children across the country, will greet young audiences online tonight as part of the celebration for the upcoming Children's Day. The online show will feature singing, dancing, martial arts and poetry reading to portray the everyday life of today's children and showcase their youthful vitality. The event is a part of a series of activities titled "We Grow Together, My Country and Me". Since its launch in 2019, more than 5,000 young performers from 65 art troupes have had the opportunity to showcase their artistic talents at the National Center for the Performing Arts. The activities, which aim to inspire children to integrate their own growth into the overall development of the country, have enjoyed enduring popularity among young viewers. The Beijing Municipal Education Commission has called for all students from primary and middle high schools in the city to watch the show. The gala is co-organized by China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, China Welfare Institute, National Center for the Performing Arts and Beijing Municipal Education Commission. RUNSTUDIO/Getty Images Saroj and Shantilal Topiwala are like many aging South Asian parents who have made a home in the United States. Both in their 70s, the couple settled with their adult son and his family in a Chicago suburb. During the day, when their son and daughter-in-law left for work and their grandchildren headed to school, the Topiwalas were on their own without much to do. They couldnt wander down a street in their native India and chat with a neighbor or shopkeeper. Instead they spent most of their days sitting on the couch. It was a boring life at home, says Saroj, 71. I wasnt happy. Thats a familiar story to Roshita Pandey, grants manager at Universal Metro Asian Services (UMAS), a nonprofit organization that operates six adult daycare centers throughout the Chicago area. In India, youre on the street and see 10 people, and you stand on the street and talk to them for half an hour, one hour and your social needs are met, says Pandey, also grants manager for UMAS sister organization, Metropolitan Asian Family Services. You cant do that here. It's a very different setup, different protocols, different social norms here that you need to follow. So it adds to their isolation. UMAS is among a wave of organizations across the country that address the needs of aging members of the increasing Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) population in America. These organizations often offer services in someones native language like Korean, Hindi or Japanese as well as food or music that evoke the dishes and sounds of childhood in their native country. The Topiwalas learned about UMAS from a relative, and for the past 11 years a van emblazoned with the orange, green and white colors of the Indian flag transport Saroj and her husband to the center multiple times a week. There they take computer and yoga classes, play memory games, practice English and sing Bollywood songs. On a recent Wednesday Saroj was in a large room with dozens of other older adults clapping her hands as a performer sang in Hindi. A silver shrine to Krishna stands in the corner. She had just shared a lunch of bhindi masala and basmati rice while chatting in Hindi and Gujarati with her friends. I come here, Saroj says, and I have a new life. Santosh Kumar says she founded UMAS in 1992 to help South Asian older adults like the Topiwalas because there was so much suffering here after traveling 10,000 miles from their country. The [aging] parents are completely lost because there is nobody for them no support system. An attorney, Kumar, 73, noticed particular gaps in language and food when assisting her legal clients. So she focuses on hiring staff who can form connections with older immigrants based on language, culture and food these three thing things bind them." Some state lawmakers conceded there would be problems down the road when they rushed a pot legalization bill through during a special legislative session. But they never cautioned they would leave dispensaries holding the bag. Yet thats exactly what has happened to an untold number of new businesses. Recreational cannabis sales that began April 1 are subject to a cannabis excise tax of 12%, as well as gross receipts taxes on each transaction, which vary by taxing districts. Many dispensaries combined the two taxes instead of first applying the 12% cannabis excise tax, then tacking the gross receipts tax on top of both the product and the cannabis excise tax. As a result, the smallest dispensaries face tax bills estimated by one industry expert of between $1,000 to $2,000 a month, while top operators could owe as much as $25,000 to $50,000 a month. It wasnt until May 6, well after the first month of legal recreational sales, that the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department tried to clear the haze with a memo telling cannabis businesses that gross receipts taxes should be figured on the total sales price, including the excise tax. The first excise tax filings and payments for cannabis sales in April were due on May 25. You read that right a tax on the tax. Duke Rodriguez, president and CEO of Ultra Health, said Ultra Health was operating off a March 2021 state analysis of the legislation legalizing recreational cannabis sales for adults 21 and over. The legislation that passed in a rushed two-day special session that month made reference to a combined maximum tax rate. Rodriguez says many other pot businesses may have interpreted the language the same way Ultra Health the largest cannabis business in the state did by combining the two taxes instead of taxing the tax. Its an all-too-familiar example of New Mexico squeezing businesses for every nickel and dime they can possibly bag and reminiscent of GRT pyramiding in which goods and services are taxed at every possible junction of ownership to maximize state and local revenues. Now, the state says dispensaries that reasonably combined excise and GRT taxes have to cough up additional money, even though the miscommunication is entirely the fault of state lawmakers and regulators. Rodriguez is right to say the state methodology really does violate basic tax fairness principles of taxing. And Julieta Neas, owner of Amnesia Dispensary & Accessories, is correct to say the state should just bite the bullet and take that loss because that loss shouldnt fall on us. Key pot legalization supporters such as Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and state Reps. Javier Martinez, D-Albuquerque, and Andrea Romero, D-Santa Fe, told us legalizing recreational marijuana would diversify the states economy with $300 million in annual sales. The reality is recreational pot sales yielded only $22 million in the first month of April, and that was with the novelty of recreational cannabis sales in the state. However disappointed pot legalization supporters may be with the pace of hitting their lofty claims of 11,000 new jobs and $50 million in new revenue to the state budget in the first year alone, it doesnt justify penalizing businesses that tried to do the right thing. The Taxation and Revenue Department should indeed bite the bullet, wipe off tax debts for dispensaries that did their best to operate in the haze the state created, and make the rules crystal clear going forward. And those rules should not include a tax on top of a tax. This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal After years on hold, Albuquerque Public Schools fine arts expansion is moving forward. Executive Director of Fine Arts Gina Rasinski said the district is poised to continue its track record of expanding music and art programs to all of its 88 elementary schools. So far, its gotten that done in 60 of them more than two thirds. Its part of educating our students, its not a frill, its not extra its part of their education, she said. In 2017, the APS board asked Rasinski what it would take to expand art and music programs to all of its elementary schools. She came back with a dollar amount the board said was too steep to implement all at once, and board members decided instead on a phased approach. Phases were rolled out roughly each school year. In 2020, Phase 3 of APS plan stalled, when Rasinski said the world came to an end because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But this January, the district was able to add 16 schools as part of the third phase of its fine arts expansion. Four more schools will receive the expansion during the coming school year, rounding Phase 3 out. Rasinski hopes Phase 4 will happen in the 2023-2024 school year, and that Phase 5 will happen the year after that. Those phases will likely only require 13 teachers, while other phases have required hiring as many as 20. Each phase has cost about $1.1 million, Rasinski said, and APS has footed the bill. The money is used to pay for new teachers, supplies, professional development and other support. On May 18, the board approved Rasinskis $9.9 million Fine Arts Education Act application to the New Mexico Public Education Department. That would cover over half the $17 million cost of all APS arts, music and drama programs, she estimated. Rasinski said that because of dropping enrollment, she got approval from the district to shuffle teachers with fewer students around, so Phase 3 could be completed without hiring new teachers. APS projects it will employ 172 elementary fine arts teachers in the 2022-2023 school year. Still, two positions were cut this year, Rasinski said, one each from Jackson and Grant middle schools. Supporting art and music programs is important because they help students with social-emotional learning, Rasinski said. She said those classes foster constructive criticism as well as getting students to work toward a common goal. Theyre also important for students receiving special education because in many cases, fine arts classes are the first time theyre able to join their peers on a more level playing field, she said. Rasinski said she wants fine arts expanded even beyond all the districts elementary schools, because students cant always continue that learning as they grow. Fine arts programs for students beyond the sixth grade are currently funded based on decisions by school principals, she said. Im really working on that consistency across the district, she said. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal Authorities say a West Side gas station employee took matters into his own hands earlier this month, shooting and wounding an alleged shoplifter as he drove away from the convenience store. Andres Orona, 27, is charged with aggravated battery resulting in great bodily harm, shooting at or from a motor vehicle and tampering with evidence in the incident that happened May 10. The alleged shoplifter, a 30-year-old man, was shot in the face and crashed his truck a few miles away, according to police. He also suffered a stroke but is expected to survive. Orona was working at the Speedway near Montano and Coors at the time of the shooting. An employee at the business declined to comment Saturday. According to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court: Albuquerque police responded around 5:20 a.m. to a single-vehicle crash at Montano and 12th NW and found the driver shot in the face. Officers discovered a bullet hole in the back bumper of the truck and that the back window had been shot out. The driver initially had a low probability of surviving as the Gun Violence Reduction Unit began its investigation. There were few witnesses to the actual crash and police could not find any clear surveillance footage of the incident. The drivers sister contacted police to tell them her brother, who had a stroke and was unable to speak, told her it started with a dispute at the Speedway. She said her bother told her through writing and nodding the employee had shot him as he left the gas station. Police said security video at the Speedway showed the driver shoplift from the store and Orona going outside to confront him. The video showed Orona grab something from near the register, put it in his waistband and walk back outside. Police said the video showed Orona raise his arms toward the truck with a black object in his hand and his arms jerk slightly. It appears that (Orona) is shooting a firearm, the detective wrote in the complaint. Police said as the truck drives away Orona bent down to pick up several items off the ground, items believed to be bullet casings. The New Mexico Supreme Court affirmed a district court judges ruling Tuesday to let the Democratic primary candidate for Valencia County sheriff remain on the ballot. In March, Michael Candelaria, a Valencia County voter and the chairman of the Republican Party of Valencia County, challenged the candidacy of Democrat Rodney Jones, the only candidate on the primary ballot for his party, saying Jones was not a resident of Valencia County. Later that same month, 13th Judicial District Court Judge James Lawrence Sanchez ruled Jones could remain on the ballot, which prompted Candelarias attorney to file an appeal with the New Mexico Supreme Court. The two-page order doesnt offer an explanation of the high courts ruling. On the Republican ticket, incumbent Valencia County Sheriff Denise Vigil is also unchallenged. The two will face off for the position in the November general election. I am grateful that the Supreme Court affirmed my right to run for sheriff, and the voters right to determine who will be best for Valencia County, Jones told the News-Bulletin last week. I have decades of service in law enforcement in Valencia County, and I am eager to work to safeguard the people in our county. When asked for comment on the courts order, Vigil declined. The sheriff wasnt a named party in the challenge by Candelaria. Candelaria spoke to the News-Bulletin about the courts decision Wednesday. Justice is dead. Its time to vote red, he said. We must remove self-serving justices and lawmakers that are light on crime. The good people of Valencia County will show Rodney Jones in November they want an honest sheriff with integrity when they elect Denise Vigil. At the hearing before Sanchez, Candelarias attorney, Carter B. Harrison IV, acknowledged that Jones was registered to vote in Valencia County but argued it was only sufficient to settle a question of residency if the registered voter resided on the property, which he and Candelaria said Jones does not. Jones has been registered to vote at an address in Valencia County on Tribal Road 28 for more than 20 years, but has lived at a house on Quail Court in the southern part of Bernalillo County since 2004, court documents indicate. Both properties are on the Pueblo of Isleta, of which both Jones and Candelaria are members. More than once during the hearing, Sanchez indicated if Jones was trying to make the argument that he currently lives in Valencia County, he wouldnt be able to make his case. Statute doesnt say you have to be a resident to be a candidate. There have been a number of people who have said they dont live where theyre registered and, if they win, theyll move, Sanchez said in March. It seems to me, ultimately, if he wins, he has to live here, show intent. Clearly he doesnt live there (at Tribal Road 28) today. The constitution says if he is elected to the office, he is required to live here. As a candidate, theres a little grayness. In Article 5, Section 13 of the state constitution, only county commissioners are specifically mentioned as having to live within the political subdivision or district they serve. Countywide positions, such as the sheriff, arent listed in the section. After the district court hearing, Jones said he would absolutely physically reside in Valencia County if he were to win in November. In her response to the appeal, Jones attorney, Antoinette Sedillo Lopez, argued there was no basis to remove Jones from the ballot, since he has been registered to vote at his ancestral home since 1996 and has voted in the county regularly since then. Jones and his family lived in a trailer on the property for 14 years, she explained in her response, and he has continually maintained the site, which has utilities, a rural mailbox on site where he receives mail and a recreational vehicle, where he stays sometimes. He began clearing the property, removed the trailer and prepared the property to build his home in 2018, but the process was slowed down by the COVID-19 pandemic he continues his work toward his goal of building his dream home and has a contractor, the response read. Sedillo Lopez also noted Jones spent his entire law enforcement career in Valencia County, working for the Valencia County Sheriffs Office and Los Lunas Police Department, as well as having family and friends living in the county as well as his children attending school in the county. Election code requires a candidates voter registration record show party affiliation and residence within the district as of the date of the issuance of the election proclamation, Lopez Sedillo writes. Mr. Jones has been registered in Valencia County for 26 years in order to vote, an individual must register and submit proof of residency and identification. Running for office is governed by registration, which in turn, is based on residence, the attorney wrote in her response. BRUSSELS The European Unions groundbreaking decision to ban nearly all oil from Russia to punish the country for its invasion of Ukraine is a blow to Moscows economy, but its effects may be blunted by rising energy prices and other countries willing to buy some of the petroleum, industry experts say. European Union leaders agreed late Monday to cut Russian oil imports by about 90% over the next six months, a dramatic move that was considered unthinkable just months ago. The 27-country bloc relies on Russia for 25% of its oil and 40% of its natural gas, and European countries that are even more heavily dependent on Russia had been especially reluctant to act. European heads of state hailed the decision as a watershed, but analysts were more circumspect. The EU ban applies to all Russian oil delivered by sea. At Hungarys insistence, it contains a temporary exemption for oil delivered by the Russian Druzhba pipeline to certain landlocked countries in Central Europe. In addition to retaining some European markets, Russia could sell some of the oil previously bound to Europe to China, India and other customers in Asia, even though it will have to offer discounts, said Chris Weafer, CEO at consulting firm Macro-Advisory. Now, for the moment, thats not financially too painful for Russia because global prices are elevated. Theyre much higher than last year, he said. So even Russia offering a discount means that its probably selling its oil for roughly what it sold for last year also. He noted that India has been a willing buyer and Chinas certainly been keen to buy more oil because theyre both countries who are getting big discounts on global market prices. Still, Moscow has traditionally viewed Europe as its main energy market, making Mondays decision the most significant effort yet to punish Russia for its war in Ukraine. The sanctions have one clear aim: to prompt Russia to end this war and withdraw its troops and to agree with Ukraine on a sensible and fair peace, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said. Ukraine estimated the ban could cost Russia tens of billions of dollars. The oil embargo will speed up the countdown to the collapse of the Russian economy and war machine, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address that Ukraine will be pressing for more sanctions, adding that there should be no significant economic ties left between the free world and the terrorist state. Simone Tagliapietra, an energy expert and research fellow at the Brussels-based think tank Bruegel, called the embargo a major blow. Matteo Villa, an analyst at the ISPI think tank in Milan, said Russia will take a pretty significant hit now but cautioned that the move could eventually backfire. The risk is that the price of oil in general goes up because of the European sanctions. And if the price goes up a lot, the risk is that Russia starts to earn more, and Europe loses the bet, he said. Like previous rounds of sanctions, the oil ban is unlikely to persuade the Kremlin to end the war. Moscow seized on the new sanctions to try to rally public support against the West, describing it as bent on destroying Russia. Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russias Security Council who served as the countrys president, said the oil ban aims to reduce the countrys export earnings and force the government to scale down social benefits. They hate us all! Medvedev said on his messaging app channel. Those decisions stem from hatred against Russia and against all of its people. Russia has not shied away from withholding energy to get its way. Russian state energy giant Gazprom said it is cutting off natural gas to Dutch trader GasTerra and Denmarks Oersted company and is also stopping shipments to Shell Energy Europe that were bound for Germany. Germany has other suppliers, and GasTerra and Oersted said they were prepared for a shutoff. Gazprom previously stopped the flow to Bulgaria, Poland and Finland. Meanwhile, the EU is urging other countries to avoid placing trade barriers on farm products as Russias war increases the risks of a global food crisis. Zelenskyy has said Russia has prevented the export of 22 million tons of Ukrainian grain, much of it meant for people across the Middle East and Africa. He accused Moscow of deliberately creating this problem. Russian oil delivered by sea accounts for two-thirds of the EUs oil imports from Moscow. In addition to the EU cutoff of such imports, Germany and Poland have agreed to stop using oil from the northern branch of the Druzhba pipeline. Agreeing on sanctions against Russian natural gas is likely to prove much tougher because it represents a larger percentage of Europes energy mix. The very loud and clear message that Moscow will hear is that it will be near impossible for the European Union to get any agreement on blocking gas because gas will not be as easily replicated from other sources in Europe as oil will be, Weafer said. ___ Associated Press journalists Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Ukraine, Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, Colleen Barry in Milan, Italy, and Derek Gatopoulos in Athens contributed to this report. ___ Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine FAIRFAX, Va. A seven-person civil jury in Virginia will resume deliberations Tuesday in Johnny Depps libel trial against Amber Heard. What the jury considers will be very different from the public debate that has engulfed the high-profile proceedings. For six weeks, testimony focused on details of alleged abuse that Heard says she suffered at the hands of Depp. Heard has outlined more than a dozen specific instances where she says she was assaulted by Depp. Depp has denied any physical or sexual abuse, and says Heard concocted the claims to destroy Depps reputation. Depps legions of online fans have focused on their belief that Heard has been untruthful, and that that will determine the outcome. But the case itself is a defamation claim. Depp sued Heard for libel for $50 million in Fairfax County Circuit Court over a December 2018 op-ed she wrote in The Washington Post describing herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse. That article never even mentions Depp by name, but his lawyers say he was defamed nonetheless. Most of the article discusses public policy as it relates to domestic violence, and Heards lawyers say she has a First Amendment right to weigh in. In closing arguments, though, Depp lawyer Camille Vasquez argued that Heards free-speech rights have limits. The First Amendment doesnt protect lies that hurt and defame people, she said. Depps lawyers point to two passages in the article that they say clearly refer to Depp. In the first passage, Heard writes that two years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our cultures wrath. Depps lawyers call it a clear reference to Depp, given that Heard publicly accused Depp of domestic violence in 2016 two years before she wrote the article. In a second passage, she states, I had the rare vantage point of seeing, in real time, how institutions protect men accused of abuse. (Depps lawyers are also seeking damages over a headline that appeared above the online version of the article, even though Heard didnt write it.) The jury, which has to come to a unanimous decision for a verdict, must decide whether those passages in the Post are defamatory. And the verdict form gives them step-by-step instructions on how to determine that. Heards lawyers say they have presented a mountain of evidence that Heard was abused. But they say that even if the jury were somehow to believe that she was never abused even a single time, she should still prevail in the lawsuit. Thats because libel law spells out several factors that must be considered. First, the alleged defamatory statements have to be about the plaintiff. Heards lawyers said the article is not about Depp at all. Hes not mentioned, and they say the focus is on Heards experience about the aftermath of speaking out. Those statements remain objectively true even if she wasnt in fact abused, her lawyers contend. Depps lawyers, though, say the two passages are clear references to Depp, given the publicity that surrounded their 2016 divorce proceedings. In addition, because Depp is a public figure, Heard can only be found guilty of libel if the jury decides that Heard acted with actual malice, which requires clear and convincing evidence that she either knew what she was writing was false or that she acted with reckless disregard for the truth. Heard lawyer J. Benjamin Rottenborn said during Fridays closing arguments that Heard carefully reviewed drafts of the article the first draft was written not by her, but by the American Civil Liberties Union with her lawyers to make sure that what was written passed legal muster. Rottenborn said that fact alone is sufficient proof that she didnt act with actual malice. As for the abuse itself, Depps lawyers tried to suggest to the jury that if they think Heard is lying or embellishing any of her abuse claims, that she cant be trusted and that all of her abuse claims must be dismissed as untrustworthy. You either believe all of it, or none of it, Vasquez said. Either she is a victim of ugly, horrible abuse, or she is a woman who is willing to say absolutely anything. In Heards closing, Rottenborn said the nitpicking over Heards evidence of abuse ignores the fact theres overwhelming evidence on her behalf and sends a dangerous message to domestic-violence victims. If you didnt take pictures, it didnt happen, Rottenborn said. If you did take pictures, theyre fake. If you didnt tell your friends, theyre lying. If you did tell your friends, theyre part of the hoax. And he rejected Vasquezs suggestion that if the jury thinks Heard might be embellishing on a single act of abuse that they have to disregard everything she says. He said Depps libel claim must fail if Heard suffered even a single incident of abuse. Theyre trying to trick you into thinking Amber has to be perfect to win, Rottenborn said. The much-anticipated final installment of the "Jurassic World" trilogy premiered Monday in Chengdu, leaving local moviegoers in awe. Films to be released in China usually hold their premieres in China's capital or the international metropolis of Shanghai. But due to recent COVID-19 outbreaks, Beijing and Shanghai have largely had to shut down their cinemas, leaving Universal Pictures no choice but to move the premiere to Chengdu, Sichuan province, known as the home of the giant panda. Fittingly, nearby Zigong also hosts the Zigong Dinosaur Museum, which opened in 1987. Built on a dinosaur fossil site, it is one of the top three largest dinosaur museums in the world. The museum also joined in the "Jurassic World Dominion" marketing campaign, making a video analyzing the dinosaurs in the film. At the premiere, actress Bryce Dallas Howard, during an exclusive pre-recorded video for Chinese audience, said, "Great to see you again. We've missed you so much since our last trip to China for the previous 'Jurassic World' film. Here we are again bringing you the epic conclusion of the 'Jurassic' franchise." She was joined by her co-star Chris Pratt, who said hello to the audience in Chinese Mandarin. Veteran actor Jeff Goldblum and director Colin Trevorrow also featured in the video. "I'm so happy that this time around, when I return to 'Jurassic World,' and get to be joined by my old pals from the 'Jurassic Park' trilogy," Goldblum said. "After these many years, we can still form kind of a strong team, an even stronger one when we mix ourselves up with the young floods. And altogether, we accomplished something really incredible." Goldblum is just one of several actors invited back from the original "Jurassic Park" trilogy released in the 1990s, including Laura Dern and Sam Neill, creating much anticipation and nostalgia among fans. Trevorrow went on to thank the audience, saying, "You all know, the legacy characters are returning in this film which unites both generations of this almost 30-year-old series. It's great to see old friends were uniting and interacting in a world we've never seen before. I'm glad everyone's enthusiasm for this franchise remains the same. We are so grateful to you." The director revealed the film is very different from previous installments and recommended audience to see it in IMAX for a big, rich, and immersive experience. "It is a massive adventure that takes place all over the world," Trevorrow described. "Dinosaurs and humans are having to coexist on the planet. You're gonna see dinosaurs in the snow; you're gonna see dinosaurs in the city. It's unlike any 'Jurassic' movie you've ever seen." Rave reviews poured in after the premiere screening. Lu Yang, a children's sci-fi book writer, praised the film's intensity and excitement, saying the "Jurassic" film series was a big inspiration and influence on his own sci-fi creations. "The film also reminds us to re-examine the relationship between humankind and nature." It was also announced at the event that eight other Chinese cities would hold advanced screenings of the film between May 31 and June 2, including Hangzhou, Chongqing, Shenzhen, and Wuhan. "Jurassic World Dominion" will be released nationwide in China on June 10 and is seen as a leading blockbuster to help boost film market. Given that the two previous films grossed more than 3.1 billion yuan ($461 million) in China and generated a huge fanbase, that may indeed be the case. WASHINGTON Diane Murray struggled with her decision all the way up to Election Day. But when the time came, the 54-year-old Georgia Democrat cast a ballot in last weeks Republican primary for Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. While state law allowed her to participate in either partys primary, she said it felt like a violation of her core values to vote for the Republican. But it had to be done, she decided, to prevent a Donald Trump -backed election denier from becoming the battleground states election chief. I feel strongly that our democracy is at risk, and that people who are holding up the big lie, as we call it, and holding onto the former president are dangerous to democracy, said Murray, who works at the University of Georgia. I dont know Ill do it again because of how I felt afterward. I just felt icky. Raffensperger, a conservative who refused to support the former presidents direct calls to overturn the 2020 election, probably would not have won the May 24 Republican primary without people like Murray. An Associated Press analysis of early voting records from data firm L2 found that more than 37,000 people who voted in Georgias Democratic primary two years ago cast ballots in last weeks Republican primary, an unusually high number of so-called crossover voters. Even taking into account the limited sample of early votes, the data reveal that crossover voters were consequential in defeating Trumps hand-picked candidates for secretary of state and, to a lesser extent, governor. Gov. Brian Kemp did not ultimately need Democrats in his blowout victory against his Trump-backed opponent, but Raffensperger probably did. The Republican secretary of state cleared the 50% threshold required to avoid a runoff election by just over 27,000 votes, according to the latest AP tallies. Based on early voting data alone, 37,144 former Democrats voted in the Republican primary. The total number of crossovers including Election Day votes, set to be revealed in the coming weeks, may be even higher. Crossover voting, also known as strategic voting, is not exclusive to Georgia this primary season as voters across the political spectrum work to stop Trump-backed extremists from winning control of state and federal governments. The phenomenon is playing out in multiple primary contests, sometimes organically and sometimes in response to a coordinated effort by Trumps opponents. While Trump railed against the practice over the weekend, there is nothing inherently wrong with crossover voting. Dozens of states make it legal and easy for voters to participate in either partys primary. And there are several isolated incidents of both parties engaging in strategic voting over the years. Still, Trump warned conservatives about crossover voting while campaigning Saturday in Wyoming, another state where the former presidents opponents are calling for Democrats to intervene this time to help save Rep. Liz Cheney from a Trump-backed primary challenger. Cheney, like Raffensperger and Kemp, refused to embrace Trumps lies about the 2020 election. She also voted for his second impeachment after the Jan. 6 insurrection. Dont let the Democrats do what they did in another state last week, Trump told Wyoming supporters, complaining about what happens when you allow Democrats to vote in a Republican primary. While the practice has Trumps attention, it is often ineffective. Trumps opponents encouraged Democrats to help defeat U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in her Georgia primary last week. The congresswoman, who has embraced election lies and spoken at an event organized by a white nationalist, won by more than 50 percentage points. And in some cases, Democrats have been too focused on their own competitive primaries to cast a Republican ballot. That was probably the case in Pennsylvania, where some Democrats openly encouraged their base to vote for the Republican candidate for governor, Doug Mastriano, whose extreme views they felt made him more beatable in November. To cast a ballot in the May 17 GOP primary, however, voters needed to register as Republicans ahead of the contest because Pennsylvania has a closed primary system. And on the same day, Democrats were deciding their own high-stakes Senate primary. If the advance vote in Pennsylvania is any indication, few Democrats heeded the call to vote GOP. Of Republican primary voters who cast early or absentee ballots this year, only 1.7 percent voted Democratic in the 2020 primary. Those 2,600 votes, even if ultimately bolstered by more Election Day participants, were unlikely to have moved the needle in an outcome in which Mastriano beat his closest rival by nearly 320,000. On the forefront of the crossover movement, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., has called for an uneasy alliance between Democrats, independents and Republicans to take down pro-Trump candidates in GOP primaries whenever and wherever possible. Some states have open primaries like Georgia that allow people to vote in either primary, while other states have more restrictive rules. In an interview, Kinzinger said he was pleasantly surprised by the Democrats response in some races. He said he never expected the movement to be an earth-shattering game-changer right away. Kinzingers political organization, Country First, targeted thousands of former Georgia Democrats with mailers and text messages urging them to support Raffensperger for the sake of democracy. A Country First text message widely distributed to Georgia voters in the days before the election read: Dont wait for until the general election to go after the extremes. Vote in the Republican Primary for the candidate that supports truth and democracy. Kinzingers team was also active in North Carolinas closely watched congressional race in North Carolinas 11th District, where voters ousted the polarizing pro-Trump freshman Rep. Madison Cawthorn in the Republican primary. As was the case in Georgia, the AP found a sizable percentage of Republican early ballots were cast by voters who participated in the Democratic primary two years ago. Specifically, more than 14% of the 38,000 early or absentee votes cast in the Cawthorn race more than 5,400 voters came from a Democratic 2020 primary voter. Cawthorn lost his primary by fewer than 1,500 votes. Back in Georgia, Raffenspergers team pushed back on the idea that he won the GOP primary because of Democrats. The team suggested that a number of crossover voters were actually Republicans who voted Democratic in recent years to protest Trump. It is clear that Brad Raffensperger carried a majority of the Republican vote here in the state of Georgia, and that there are people who stopped voting in Republican primaries after 2016 who are now reengaged, said Jordan Fuchs, a consultant to the Raffensperger campaign. An AP examination of voting records from before the Trump era shows at least a portion of Georgias 37,000 party switchers in 2022 had been in the Republican camp before Trump took office. Roughly between 9,000 to 13,000 voted Republican in the 2010, 2012 and 2014 primaries, according to the L2 data. Trump allies in the state, caught off guard by the crossover trend, were furious. It was a Democratic version of Operation Chaos,' said Debbie Dooley, president of the Atlanta Tea Party, referring to the secret Nixon-era push to infiltrate liberal groups. I did not realize just how heavily the Democrats were going to cross over. Dooley launched a petition late last week to close Georgias Republican primaries to non-Republicans. More than a dozen states have closed, or partially closed, primaries that block members of opposing parties from participating. Meanwhile, Kinzinger said hes already crafting plans to execute a similar playbook in coming primaries in Michigan, Wyoming and Alaska. In addition to helping Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the Alaska Republican who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial, Kinzinger said hes weighing whether to invest resources in trying to block former Gov. Sarah Palins congressional bid. Donald Trump came in and took over the Republican Party with nationalism, Kinzinger said. The American people have every right to determine who represents them in a congressional district, and if thats in a primary, thats in a primary. If they want to take back the Republican Party from the liar, they can do that, and Im certainly going to help them. ___ Peoples reported from New York. Associated Press writers Jeff Amy in Atlanta and Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report. UVALDE, Texas The blame for an excruciating delay in killing the gunman at a Texas elementary school even as parents outside begged police to rush in and panicked children called 911 from inside has been placed with the school districts homegrown police chief. Its left residents in the small city of Uvalde struggling to reconcile what they know of the well-liked local lawman after the director of state police said that the commander at the scene Pete Arredondo made the wrong decision last week not to breach a classroom at Robb Elementary School sooner, believing the gunman was barricaded inside and children werent at risk. Steven McCraw, the head of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said at the Friday news conference that after following the gunman into the building, officers waited over an hour to breach the classroom. Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in the shooting. Arredondo, who grew up in Uvalde and graduated from high school here, was elected earlier this month to the Uvalde City Council. A special City Council meeting for him and two re-elected incumbents to take their oaths of office had been set for Tuesday evening, but Mayor Don McLaughlin said Monday that the meeting wouldnt be held. Then the mayor issued a Tuesday evening statement saying no ceremony had been held, but the members were sworn in Tuesday. The 50-year-old Arredondo has spent much of a nearly 30-year career in law enforcement in Uvalde, returning in 2020 to take the head police job at the school district. When Arredondo was a boy, Maria Gonzalez used to drive him and her children to the same school where the shooting happened. He was a good boy, she said. He dropped the ball maybe because he did not have enough experience. Who knows? People are very angry, Gonzalez said. Another woman in the neighborhood where Arredondo grew up began sobbing when asked about him. The woman, who didnt want to give her name, said one of her granddaughters was at the school during the shooting but wasnt hurt. Juan Torres, a U.S. Army veteran who was visibly upset with reports coming out about the response, said he knew Arredondo from high school. You sign up to respond to those kinds of situations Torres said. If you are scared, then dont be a police officer. Go flip burgers. After his election to the non-salaried spot on the City Council, Arredondo told the Uvalde Leader-News earlier this month that he was ready to hit the ground running. I have plenty of ideas, and I definitely have plenty of drive, he said, adding he wanted to focus not only on the city being fiscally responsible but also making sure street repairs and beautification projects happen. At a candidates forum before his election, Arredondo said: I guess to me nothing is complicated. Everything has a solution. That solution starts with communication. Communication is key. McCraw said Friday that minutes after the gunman entered the school, city police officers entered through the same door. Over the course of more than an hour, law enforcement from multiple agencies arrived on the scene. Finally, officials said, a U.S. Border Patrol tactical team used a janitors key to unlock the classroom door and kill the gunman. McCraw said that students and teachers had repeatedly begged 911 operators for help while Arredondo told more than a dozen officers to wait in a hallway. That directive which goes against established active-shooter protocols prompted questions about whether more lives were lost because officers didnt act faster. Two law enforcement officials have said that as the gunman fired at students, law enforcement officers from other agencies urged Arredondo to let them move in because children were in danger, The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they had not been authorized to talk publicly about the investigation. In his Monday statement, McLaughlin, the Uvalde mayor, pushed back on officials claims, including remarks made over the weekend by Texas lieutenant governor, that they werent told the truth about the massacre. McLaughlin said in that statement that local law enforcement hadnt made any public comments about the investigations specifics or misled anyone. But in his Tuesday statement, McLaughlin, noting that emotions are raw, and hearts are broken, said he misunderstood statements he thought Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had said. Arredondo started out his career in law enforcement working for the Uvalde Police Department. After spending 16 years there, he went to Laredo, a border city located 130 miles (209 kilometers) miles to the south, where he worked at the Webb County Sheriffs Office and then for a local school district, according to a 2020 article in the Uvalde Leader-News on his return to his hometown to take the school district police chief job. The school districts board of trustees approved his appointment to the spot. According to the Uvalde school districts website, the police force led by Arredondo also has five other officers and a security guard. Ray Garner, the police chief of the district in Laredo where Arredondo worked, told the San Antonio Express-News in a story published after the Uvalde shooting that when Arredondo worked in the Laredo district he was easy to talk to and was concerned about the students. He was an excellent officer down here, Garner told the newspaper . Down here, we do a lot of training on active-shooter scenarios, and he was involved in those. Arredondo, who spoke only briefly at two short news conferences on the day of the shooting, appeared behind state officials speaking at news conferences over the next two days, but was not present at McCraws Friday news conference. After that news conference, members of the media converged at Arredondos home and police cruisers took up posts there. Arredondo has not responded to multiple requests for comment from The Associated Press. At one point, a man answering the door at Arredondos house told a reporter for The Associated Press that Arredondo was indisposed. The truth will come out, said the man before closing the door. On Tuesday, Travis Considine, chief communications officer for the Texas Department of Public Safety, said Arredondo had not responded to DPS interview requests for two days, Considine said. State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, a Democrat whose district includes Uvalde, said on CNNs State of the Union on Sunday that hes asking a lot of questions after so many things went wrong. He said one family told him that a first responder told them that their child, who was shot in the back, likely bled out. So, absolutely, these mistakes may have led to the passing away of these children as well, Gutierrez said. Gutierrez said while the issue of which law enforcement agency had or should have had operational control is a significant concern of his, hes also suggested to McCraw that its not fair to put it on the local (school district) cop. At the end of the day, everybody failed here, Gutierrez said. ___ Associated Press writer Stengle contributed from Dallas, and also contributing were Curt Anderson in Miami, Jim Vertuno in Austin, Mike Balsamo in Washington and Elliott Spagat in Uvalde. ___ More on the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas: https://apnews.com/hub/school-shootings UVALDE, Texas The pallbearers wore white shirts and gloves. The desert-brown church with the tall bell tower was filled to overflowing. The casket held a 10-year-old girl who loved purple. On Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of mourners turned out for the funeral Mass for Amerie Jo Garza, a smiling fourth-grader who was killed a week ago when 18-year-old Salvador Ramos stormed into her Uvalde, Texas elementary school and opened fire on her classroom. Ameries funeral was the first since the massacre, with Maite Rodriguezs scheduled for later Tuesday at an Uvalde funeral home. Nineteen more funerals are planned for the next two-and-a-half weeks for the 19 children and two teachers who were killed in that classroom on May 24. Mourner Erika Santiago, her husband and their two children wore purple shirts adorned with images of the victims to Ameries funeral. She described Amerie as a nice little girl who smiled a lot, and who was so humble and charismatic but full of life. Santiago said her 10-year-old son, Adriel, watched in horror when news reports first showed images of people killed and he recognized his friends Amerie and Maite. He told me he did not want to go to school fearing that could happen, Santiago said. He told me, Mom, I just dont feel safe.' Visitation for one of the teachers, 48-year-old Irma Garcia, also was Tuesday, along with visitations for children Nevaeh Bravo and Jose Flores Jr. Vincent Salazars 11-year-old daughter, Layla, has the last of the scheduled services her visitation is June 15 with the funeral the following day. Salazar said the family likely wont see Laylas body until soon before the visitation. I understand there were other children as well, but were just waiting to get her back, Salazar said. Thats all were focused on. Uvalde County Justice of the Peace Eulalio Lalo Diaz Jr. said the bodies of all 21 victims were first sent to the medical examiners office in San Antonio for autopsies, which he said is standard for a major crime. Then, because there isnt enough space at Uvaldes two funeral homes, many bodies were sent to out-of-town funeral homes until services near. The Uvalde funeral homes are working with the families on when they can see their loved ones, he said. Its mainly because of the number of victims, Diaz said, asking: Where do you store that many people? Diaz said the autopsies are complete. He declined to discuss preliminary results and said final reports will take three to four months. Vincent Salazar said he and his family are going to as many visitations as they can to pay respects to the other victims and their families. Not necessarily going to the funerals because were still taking care of things hour by hour, day by day, here, Salazar said. Weve got so much stuff going on with our own. You have to set everything up obituaries, death certificates, funeral arrangements. Thats all were focused on right now her, getting her back and being able to put her to rest, Salazar said of Layla. Thats it. Investigators continue to seek answers about how police responded to the shooting, and the U.S. Department of Justice is reviewing law enforcement actions. The blame for an excruciating delay in killing the gunman even as parents outside begged police to rush in and panicked children called 911 from inside was placed on the school districts homegrown police chief, Pete Arredondo, after the director of state police said Arredondo made the wrong decision not to breach the classroom, believing the gunman was barricaded inside and children werent at risk. Steven McCraw, head of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said Friday that after following the gunman into the building, officers waited over an hour to breach the classroom. The revelation raised new questions about whether lives were lost because officers did not act faster to stop the gunman, who was ultimately killed by Border Patrol tactical officers. State police said Tuesday that the teacher who at one point propped open an exterior door to the school had closed it before the gunman used it to get inside. However, the door did not lock, police said. Authorities had originally said Ramos came in through the door shed propped open. Instead, investigators said the teacher, who has not been identified, closed the propped-open door when she realized there was a shooter on campus and ran to get her phone and call 911, said Travis Considine, chief communications officer for the Texas Department of Public Safety. Investigators are looking into why the door didnt lock. Jacob Albarado, an off-duty Border Patrol agent who rushed to the school with a shotgun borrowed from his barber, said Tuesday it was chaotic when he arrived in search of his daughter and wife. Both were physically unharmed in the attack, he said. To me, I believe everyone there was doing the best that they could given the circumstances, he told NBCs Today Show. I believe everyone there was doing everything in their power. Authorities have said Ramos legally purchased two guns not long before the school attack: an AR-style rifle on May 17 and a second rifle on May 20. He had just turned 18, permitting him to buy the weapons under federal law. President Joe Bidens long-planned meeting Tuesday with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern shifted to gun control after what happened in Uvalde and a week earlier in Buffalo, New York, where 10 Black people were killed by a shooter espousing racist replacement theory. Ardern won passage of gun control measures after a white supremacist killed 51 Muslim worshippers at two Christchurch mosques in 2019. Less than a month later all but one of the countrys 120 lawmakers voted in favor of banning military-style semiautomatic weapons. Biden told reporters that he will meet with the Congress on guns, I promise you, but the White House has acknowledged that winning new gun legislation will be an uphill climb in an evenly divided Congress. ___ Salter reported from OFallon, Missouri. ___ More on the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas: https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting PHOENIX Phoenix police are investigating after a man was found shot to death just outside a landfill. Sgt. Philip Krynsky says officers responded to reports of a shooting Sunday around 7 a.m. near 7th Avenue and Magnolia Street. They found a man with a gunshot wound lying near the entrance to a landfill. He was already dead. Investigators do not know if the man, who appears to be in his 40s, was shot there or in another location. They have interviewed witnesses and gone through the scene. No arrests have been made. WASHINGTON A lawyer for Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign was acquitted Tuesday of lying to the FBI when he pushed information meant to cast suspicions on Donald Trump and Russia in the run-up to that years election. The case against Michael Sussmann was the first courtroom test of special counsel John Durham since his appointment three years ago to search for government misconduct during the investigation into potential ties between Russia and Trumps 2016 campaign. The verdict marks a clear setback for Durhams work, especially since Trump supporters have looked to the probe to expose what they contend was egregious bias by law enforcement officials who investigated the ex-presidents campaign. The outcome is likely to hasten questions about the purpose of the inquiry and its cost to taxpayers, especially since the three criminal cases Durham has brought so far have fallen short of establishing any sort of sweeping conspiracy to frame Trump or derail his candidacy. The jury deliberated for several hours Friday afternoon and Tuesday morning before reaching its verdict. Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse after the verdict was delivered, Sussmann said he told the truth to the FBI, and the jury clearly recognized that with their unanimous verdict today. He added, Despite being falsely accused, I am relieved that justice ultimately prevailed in this case. In a separate statement, Durham said that though he and his team were disappointed in the outcome, they respected the jurys decision. He thanked the investigators and prosecutors on his team for their dedicated efforts in seeking truth and justice in this case. The trial focused on a narrow issue: whether Sussmann, a cybersecurity attorney and former federal prosecutor himself, concealed from the FBI that he was representing Clintons campaign when he passed along computer data that he said showed a possible secret communication backchannel between Russia-based Alfa Bank and Trumps business company, the Trump Organization. The FBI, which was already investigating potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, examined the data but quickly determined that there was no suspicious computer contact. The FBIs then-general counsel and the governments star witness, James Baker, testified that he was 100% confident that Sussmann had told him he was not representing any client during a September 2016 meeting the two men had. Prosecutors alleged Sussmann was actually acting on behalf of the Clinton campaign and another client, a technology executive, and that he hid that information to make the data seem more credible and to boost the chances of getting the FBI to investigate. They pointed to a text message Sussmann sent to Baker the night before the meeting in which he requested a sit-down and said hed be coming on his own and not on behalf of any client. Lawyers for Sussmann denied to jurors that he lied, saying it was impossible to know with certainty what he told Baker in the meeting since they were the only participants and neither of them took notes. They argued that though Sussmann legally represented the Clinton campaign, he didnt attend the meeting on the campaigns behalf and hadnt asked the FBI to take any action to benefit the campaign. They elicited testimony from former campaign officials who said Sussmann had not been authorized by the campaign to visit the FBI. And they said that even if he did make a false statement, it was ultimately irrelevant since the FBI was already investigating Russia and the Trump campaign and, given the urgency of that probe, would have looked into the Alfa Bank data no matter the source. Sussmanns lawyers, Sean Berkowitz and Michael Bosworth, said in a statement that Sussmann should never have been charged in the first place. This is a case of extraordinary prosecutorial overreach. And we believe that todays verdict sends an unmistakable message to anyone who cares to listen: politics is no substitute for evidence, and politics has no place in our system of justice, the lawyers said. During the two-week trial, jurors heard from a slew of witnesses, including current and former FBI officials who described efforts to assess the legitimacy of the Alfa Bank data, ex-Clinton campaign aides and lawyers and colleagues and friends of Sussmann who vouched for his character. Jurors were instructed to put politics aside, but Trumps supporters took note of the fact that the jury pool was taken from heavily Democratic Washington. The former president wrote on his social media platform that the legal system was corrupt and referenced the acquittal as one of several examples of our country going to HELL. The original Trump-Russia investigation, overseen for two years by former special counsel Robert Mueller, found multiple efforts by Russia to interfere on the Trump campaigns behalf but did not establish that the two sides had worked together to sway the outcome of the election. After Muellers work was done, then-Attorney General William Barr named a new Justice Department prosecutor, then-Connecticut U.S. Attorney Durham, to examine whether anyone from the FBI or other agencies violated the law as the government opened its investigation into Russian election interference and the Trump campaign. Durham has brought three criminal cases so far, though only one has been against a federal government employee and none have undone the core findings of Muellers investigation. The Alfa Bank matter, for instance, was peripheral to the Trump-Russia probe, with the since-discredited allegations not even warranting a mention in Muellers 448-page report. A former FBI lawyer, Kevin Clinesmith, was given probation after pleading guilty in 2020 to altering an email related to secret surveillance of an ex-Trump campaign aide, and a Russian analyst, Igor Danchenko, who contributed to a dossier of Democratic-funded research into ties between Russia and Trump awaits trial this October on charges of lying to the FBI about his sources of information. ____ Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal Margaret Randall has accomplished a lot in her life. Over the years, shes been honored for her poetry and short stories, as well as her social activism. But she says she was surprised to be one of the eight recipients of the city of Albuquerques Department of Arts & Culture Creative Bravo Awards. It feels wonderful to be honored in ones own city, Randall said. And I look forward to sharing the Creative Bravo with others whose work I admire. First Lady Elizabeth Kistin Keller released the names of those who will be honored at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the KiMo Theater, 423 Central NW. Tickets are $5 at kimotickets.com. The Creative Bravos Awards began more than 30 years ago and have recognized more than 280 artists, programs, organizations, businesses and events that make a significant impact on the lives of area residents, neighborhoods and communities. Our local creative community makes Albuquerque a colorful and unique place to live, work and play, Keller said in a release. According to a news release, this years winners are: Randall, who is a poet, essayist, short story writer, photographer and social activist with more than 200 published books. She grew up in Albuquerque, and the landscape and cultures of New Mexico have had an important impact on her work. For decades she has participated in individual and group readings in the city, taken part in events at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, Chatter, local bookstores and libraries. Salsa band Son Como Son has been inspiring Albuquerque to dance for more than 30 years. When founder Cesar Bauvallet migrated directly to Albuquerque from Havana, Cuba in 1991, he found there was a vibrant Latin music scene. EXHIBIT/208 was founded in 1999 by Albuquerque artists Dwayne Maxwell, Russell Hamilton and Kim Arthun. The gallery moved to 208 Broadway SE in 2010. After Maxwell left in 2009 and Hamiltons death in 2014, Arthun has continued running the gallery. EXHIBIT/208 was created to present a professional space for one person and group shows for Albuquerques local contemporary arts community. They have produced more than 220 one person shows and more than 150 group shows. PAZ Ehecatl has been dedicated to serving the community through two diverse and sometimes converging paths. The first is fostering cultural awareness, particularly that of the Indigenous peoples of Mexico. This has been realized through the establishment of Kalpulli Ehecatl. Ehecatl, which is composed of a traditional Mexika (Aztec) dance circle, and a second component that includes workshops and lectures concerning the Indigenous peoples of Meso America. Noe Barnett is an emerging painter and key figure in the citys mural community. He uses his work as a bridge between groups and a tool to shed light on a number of topics. Unity is a dominant theme in his projects as he strives to create opportunities where deeper conversations can be achieved. He expands the work with light as both a subject and medium in his studio practice. Delilah Montoya is an artist who collaborates with the Latinx community in Albuquerque on her art practice. Her projects include Codex Delilah, La Guadalupana, Sagrado Corazon, Women Boxers, Sebastiana, and Nuestra Calidad. These series have been exhibited throughout the United States as well as internationally. Her work is grounded in the experiences of the Southwest. Chatter, originally called Church of Beethoven, has an unconventional approach to the concert experience and has quietly revolutionized the artist and audience experiences. Chatters best known program is the Sunday Chatter series, which presents music and poetry every Sunday morning at 912 3rd St. in a former auto parts warehouse in Downtown Albuquerque. Keller said the Legacy award this year will go to Eva Encinias, who is the founding director of the National Institute of Flamenco. Encinias has spent more than 40 years working as a member of the University of New Mexico dance faculty, where the Department of Theatre and Dance developed the only undergraduate and graduate degree program in flamenco dance in the world. Today, NIF produces many flamenco projects in our community, ranging from its school, The Conservatory of Flamenco Arts to Festival Flamenco Albuquerque, a world-class flamenco festival that is considered the most important outside of Spain. Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan on Monday stressed solid preparation work in the lead-up to China's national college entrance exam for 2022, urging efforts to ensure a safe and stable environment for the students. Sun, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during an inspection tour in Beijing. Noting that a record number of 11.93 million students will take the exam this year, Sun urged sound implementation of various organizing and anti-pandemic measures to deliver the exam in an orderly manner. During her tour, Sun inspected an exam site in a secondary school and a relevant department in charge of the exam, heard local authorities' preparation work via video link and hosted a symposium on the matter. Sun urged efforts to implement health and COVID-19 monitoring for students and service staff during the exam, and take categorized measures to guarantee every student who is eligible can take the exam, including those who are hit by the pandemic. Sun also underlined the efforts to deliver an impartial, just and secure exam. An in-depth analysis of more than 2,000 applications received for the second cohort of Atoms, an Accel initiative aimed at pre-seed companies, revealed some interesting trends regarding innovation in India. Innovation is everywhere! Entrepreneurs from across the length and breadth of India have shown robust interest in establishing their own start-ups, with large numbers situated in non-metro cities. Applications came in from 35 cities in India, with a large number of applicants stating that their work was completely location-agnostic. Interestingly: Close to 40% of the applications came from non-metro cities, showing that as a country India is definitely moving up the innovation and entrepreneurship value chain. Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai (the metros) accounted for more than 50% of the applications. Bhubaneswar, Coimbatore, Lucknow, Patna and Surat all contributed more than 10 applications each. Indore, now billed as India's up-and-coming startup capital, brought in 20 applications all by itself. Over 100 entrepreneurs applied for the Atoms program from Gurgaon First Time Entrepreneurs and Repeat/Serial founders 55% of the applicants were first-time founders; while close to 45% of the applicants have at least one co-founder with prior experience of building a startup. Almost 45% of the companies have two founders. 21% of the applicants have three or more co-founders, preferring to work in groups. Other interesting insights More than one-third of the applicants have already launched their product or service, with another 20% having a working minimum viable product (MVP). It is interesting to note that around 22% of the applicants are at the idea stage. 61% of the companies have not yet started generating any revenue at all. This could mean that the start-ups are in stealth mode developing the product/service/solution. Through the Atoms program, Accel aims to support budding entrepreneurs, irrespective of which stage the company is at. As part of the program, the start-ups received $250K in non-dilutive capital, one-on-one mentorship from established business leaders, as well as access to the global Accel community. Prayank Swaroop, Partner at Accel India, said When we conceptualized Atoms, our goal was to design a program which would bring founders a valuable learning experience alongside accessible capital. As Atoms continues to grow, we look forward to working with more startups working outside the countrys traditional business hubs and at any phase of their business. Welcoming founders from different walks of life means solving more varied problems, not to mention building a more vibrant community. The most exciting part about Atoms is that the start-ups receive capital with no equity burden. Joining our program implies gaining the backing of our investment system, venture development teams, access to over 200 portfolio founders as mentors, and access to more than 100 experts from our Accel network. We look forward to supporting more entrepreneurs in the journey of building innovative products and solutions. AirAsia India has launched a 360-degree marketing campaign inviting flyers to become Aviators and make the most of the benefits of the NeuPass rewards program by Tata Neu. The campaign is based on the insight that being a part of a family is a rewarding experience. Conceptualised by AirAsia Indias creative agency on record, Wunderman Thompson India, the campaign features three distinct films with quirky and heart-warming human stories that bring alive the joy of being part of a family. The integrated campaign across cinema, print, out-of-home, digital and social media platforms, showcases the power-packed benefits offered by AirAsia India on the NeuPass rewards program such as exclusive member discounts, complimentary Red Carpet priority check-in, baggage and boarding services and assured NeuCoins that can be redeemed across the family of Tata brands participating on the Tata Neu platform. Speaking on the launch of the campaign, Siddhartha Butalia, Chief Marketing Officer, AirAsia India, said, The NeuPass rewards program affords us the unique opportunity to redefine loyalty from the commoditised and transactional nature of traditional frequent flyer programs where individuals are defined by numbers, to a seamless and fulfilling experience of recognition and reward in every interaction. The campaign resonates the essence of what being part of a family is meant to be - a relationship of understanding, a feeling of fulfilment and an experience that is truly rewarding. Speaking of the campaign, Priya Shivakumar, Senior National Creative Director, Wunderman Thompson, said, We saw the launch of this unique rewards program and the wonderful benefits of becoming an Aviator with AirAsia India as an opportunity to communicate simple and endearing human stories with a touch of humour that bring alive the fact that close friends and family are the ones you can always count on. The campaign ties back seamlessly to the thought of redeeming rewards from each member of the family which was the idea we set out to deliver. By doing this, we not only elevated the conversation, but also made it as personal and fulfilling as the rewards. Indias King of action films, Rohit Shetty, has dished out a first of its kind action-packed commercial thriller titled Made In India. This family drama has all the hallmarks of a Rohit Shetty film cars, comedy, villains, fights, lots of masala and a larger than life hero none other than the Desi Chinese superstar, Ranveer Ching! The first glimpse that the dynamic duo shared on Thursday created a massive buzz and audiences are keenly waiting with high anticipation to discover this grand association. Taking an interesting Bollywood storytelling route for this dhamakedar commercial, the plot is filled with twists and turns. The villains are after a secret Hakka Noodles formula that only Ranveer Ching knows. While the baddies will go to any length to find the formula, our Desi Chinese hero will stop at nothing to safeguard it. Watch Rohit Shetty's paise vasool vision and Ranveer Ching crashlanding into your screens with his usual panache and super energy and discover the Desi Chinese secret that everybody is after! Bombay Shaving Company Women (BSC Women) has launched a bold & riveting digital campaign #SayYesToTheCup to drive awareness for Menstrual Cup and bring attention to sustainable menstrual choices. In the form of a rap battle, the campaign film dramatizes the benefits of using a menstrual cup versus more common forms of menstrual hygiene such as sanitary pads, thereby encouraging women to switch to comfortable & easy-to-use menstrual cups. Two crews, representing the BSC Women menstrual cup and pad, battle it out, pitting the typical reactions of conventional sanitary products against the factual benefits of using menstrual cup. The campaign #SayYesToTheCup kicked off from May 28th which is marked as Menstrual Hygiene Day. But true to the brand's personality of being bold, quirky and expressive, this movement is not restricted to a day. Elaborating on the thought behind the campaign, Siddha Jain, Chief Business Officer, Bombay Shaving Company Women said, We believe in changing the game of how womens hair removal and hygiene is perceived in India, and this is a movement towards our vision. Being a cup veteran and promoter myself, my team & I have carefully crafted the perfect cup for all humans who menstruate. Ultimately choosing the right sanitary product is really personal: wed just like to make sure that choice is made knowing the facts. Staging a rap battle was a playful way to present some of the reservations about using the menstrual cup that we hear, alongside the benefits that cup users enjoy in the end, as ever, its down to the viewer to pick their crew. But we will definitely be always on about menstrual cup awareness and convince you to #SayYesToTheCup. Engaging and fun, the campaign film opens with a typical day at the office when a woman suddenly realizes she is on her period and her two colleague aka Pad-academic & Cup-a-holic seem clearly interested to onboard her onto their respective crew. From there, the film transitions into an epic rap battle between the two crews and with the cup convincing the viewer to #SayYesToTheCup One of the fastest growing integrated creative and digital marketing solutions company, Digital Refresh Networks, wins the digital content mandate for Medanta Group of Hospitals. The account was won following a multi-agency pitch and will be looked after by the agencys Mumbai team. The mandate includes the overall strategy, planning and creative content requirements across digital for the brand. With an experience of a decade in the digital marketing industry, Digital Refresh Networks has worked with some of the leading brands and businesses across FMCG, consumer goods, automobile, E-commerce, Lifestyle, Healthcare and Pharma, and other sectors. Commenting on the association, Mr. Harish Aswani, AVP Digital Marketing & Ecommerce, Medanta says, Our association with the team at Digital Refresh Networks is sure to help us organise and scale our digital content ecosystem. For a healthcare brand, content plays a key role not only in driving salience and credibility for the brand, but also drive business growth. We look forward to creating some relevant and meaningful content at scale. Mr. Sumanta Ray, Chief Marketing & Growth Officer, Medanta says, The brand Medanta, is all set for expansion, across multiple sectors across healthcare and DRN coming in at this point allows us to scale marketing initiatives across all these verticals. I welcome team DRN to the Medanta ecosystem and hope to build a strong engagement by bringing out the core values to the fore Mr. Barin Mukherjee, Co-Founder & CEO, Digital Refresh Networks says, We are elated with the opportunity to partner with Medanta group in their journey. With our expertise in understanding content across channels/ formats and regions, would be great value to deliver on building Medanta Group as a front runner in the healthcare sector, which they truly are China's market watchdog has rolled out recommended national standards to guarantee the quality of digital textbooks for primary and middle schools. The recommended national standards will take effect on Nov. 1, 2022, according to the State Administration for Market Regulation. The standards stipulate basic procedures for publishing digital textbooks which will be used in primary and middle schools, make quality demands for their contents, propose inspection processes and methods, and put forward an overall plan for the education and publication sectors. They will serve as a benchmark for publication houses to ensure the quality of digital textbooks for primary and middle school students, and facilitate large-scale publication and distribution, according to the administration. Bengaluru headquartered, Phable, Indias largest chronic disease management company, today announced the appointment of Anuraag Dubey as Chief Product Officer (CPO) and Sagar Ramteke as Head of Corporate Development to strengthen its full-stack and value-driven chronic care ecosystem and accelerate market expansion. With USD 25 million raised in Series B funding, Phable strives to create India's first comprehensive healthcare ecosystem to help patients manage their condition more effectively. In addition to building B2C and B2B software products, Anuraag brings 23 years of experience to Phable. IIT (BHU) Varanasi alumnus who has previously built and grown adoption of India-focused B2C and SaaS products in Education and Healthcare. He has worked for companies such as Edureka and Practo prior to joining. Anuraag will play a crucial role in developing the company's product and tech aligned with its mission to simplify chronic disease management via the Phable App, so that more consumers will take up active management of conditions like Sugar and BP. Working closely with the Phable co-founders and executive leadership team, he will play a vital role in the company's success. An alumnus of ILS, Pune, Sagar is an accomplished business leader with more than two decades of experience in technology, business operations, strategic sourcing, sales, investments, and fundraising. Having worked in international markets such as Europe, America, China, and India, he has diverse geographical and cultural experience. He will report to Sumit Sinha, Phables co-founder and CEO, and will oversee the company's M&A, fund raising, and strategic investments. Talking about the two new appointments, Sumit Sinha & Mukesh Bansal, Founders of Phable in a joint statement said, As we continue to grow towards our mission of helping Chronic Disease Patients to manage their ailment at lower costs and stay out of a hospital for as long as possible, Anuraag and Sagar's extensive experience will be an immense asset to Phable. Our objective is to maximize our services full-scale to impact 1.6 billion lives, and by bringing industry veterans such as Sagar and Anuraag on board, we aim to expedite that process. A Bengaluru-based healthtech start-up, Phable offers a unique two-sided platform to treat chronic illnesses and connect patients and doctors to help drive better outcomes in chronic disease management. The platform enables digital prescriptions, personalized health reminders, and vitals tracking by syncing with devices from daily steps to blood levels. As the market leader in this segment, the company caters to more than 3 million patients and 10000+ doctors since it was founded in 2018 by Sumit Sinha and Mukesh Bansal. Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), the single largest advertiser in the country, recently decided to limit its advertising and marketing operations to kids below the age of 16 years from next year onwards. This has been done in the midst of increasing surveys on how the products which are high in salt, sugar and fat are marketed to kids under the age of 16 years by the food and beverage market. The brands under HUL which will start following the above mentioned guidelines are Knorr soups, ready-to-cook mixes and instant noodles, Horlicks health drink, Hellmans, Kissan squash, jams, Magnum and Kwality Walls ice-cream, Boost and others. This is a major move as the audiences, especially children, are used to watching advertisements featuring children or with kids influencers in advertisements by the mentioned brands. Click here to attend IMAGEXX 2022 Commenting on the development, Nikita Bhate, Business Director - Digital Integration (Strategy) at Chimp&z Inc, said, I dont feel that kids are necessary for every campaign to make the content more appealing or relatable. There are a lot of ways that will make content travel and increase the virality of the campaigns. In fact, it will give HUL more creative freedom and liberty to explore different communication routes while giving the audience some fresh content to look at. This is the time when their creative and content strategy will be changed primarily targeting parents and adults. As we know, parents will play a huge role in influencing kids eating habits, we can expect HUL to take a small hit on their sales and annual revenues. It is uncertain how the change will be accepted, though parents have always stressed on conscious consumption, which is affected by exposure to catchy advertisements. Young children are in a development phase and are not fully capable of understanding the persuasive character hidden in advertising messages. Very young kids are unable to even distinguish advertising from media content. Until about 8 years of age, they mix fantasy and reality. So, most advertising to kids is tantamount to exploiting their innocence for commercial gain, remarked Lloyd Mathias, Independent Director and well known marketer. HUL has also stated that it is not going to use kid influencers or even influencers who have kids followers to advertise for its products. This will be followed across all media channels, including digital platforms. Unilever has announced the prohibition of the marketing of food and drinks to children below the age of 12 years through mainstream media and to children under the age of 13 years through social media in the year 2020. Naresh Gupta, CSO and Managing Partner, Bang in the Middle, pointed out, HUL is among the signatories to the European Advertising Standards Alliance, a body like our ASCI and all the signatories that include Unilever have agreed to not advertise to kids under 16 and feature them. EASA membership have developed additional rules aimed at protecting children, including recommendations to not advertise products to children that are deemed unsuitable, such as alcoholic beverages, gambling, or foods and drinks that are high in fat, sugar and salt. He further said, Nestle was the early mover when it stopped targeting teens in Maggi advertising and many more products. Unilever has finally brought that practice to India, and they need to be applauded. Mathias called HULs decision not to target kids with advertising as progressive and a step in the right direction. As Indias largest consumer goods company, it is only appropriate that HUL takes the lead on this. Hopefully this will trickle down to other brands. Of course, the true effectiveness of this would depend on how the restrictions will be implemented, he added. Other brands such as Coca-Cola have certain restrictions such as not placing ads in media whose audience comprises of over 35% of children below the age of 12 years. Mondelez has the restriction of showing advertisements featuring kids under eight years of age only under the supervision of parents with conscious eating principle. On the other hand, Nestle has the restriction of not putting any outdoor ads within 50 metres of a primary school, kindergarten, playground where there are children, except for those products that are in nutritional alignment with its policy. Several brands took the India Pledge, which is aimed at prohibiting advertisements targeted at children under the age of 12 years and replacing the children in their kids with adults and celebrities. All these measures have been taken since kids nowadays are more exposed to all types of media and are on social media as well where they can follow their favourite influencers. According to data by BARC, HUL has an ad spend of Rs 4,700 crore annually. At the same time, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has decided to add a star rating system on the food and beverages front packs to show content of salt, fat and sugar. Calling HULs move better late than never, Divya Radhakrishnan, Managing Director Helios Media, opined, This move as a leader in the FMCG sector is most welcome that we as social conscious keepers need to collectively have. It is heartbreaking to see tiny tots being paraded on TV in the name of reality shows and made to go through the travails of spotlights. Similarly, advertising messages being constantly hammered down their heads, bringing about a bad sense of privilege or deprivation among kids which is very unfair. The HUL brands are all mostly for kids, but decided by moms, unlike a chocolate, biscuit or chocolate. Hence, I welcome HULs decision which talks a lot about their sense of social responsibility. There is growing awareness about health and opting for healthier food option amongst consumers today. However, children are at an impressionable age and they may not have the sense of judgement to differ from healthy and unhealthy food choices and would mostly prefer junk food. Media is a powerful tool and when children are exposed to media showing other children having food high in sugar, salt and fat, they would easily get influenced and naturally want to have those kinds of food more. There are quite a few organisations who are not targeting kids below the age of 12 years. Now, with HUL increasing this age group to below 16 years is surely a progressive step. With many kids using their parents devices, there is a likelihood of the kids getting exposed to such ads and thereby will continue to influence decision making, said Krishnarao Buddha, Senior Category Head at Parle Products. Children have a lot of pester power as well in influencing their familys buying decision and may also insist on their parents purchasing foods that are high in sugar, fat, salt. The much touted pester power that many advertisers cite is nothing but using the weak link in the family to sell produce. How this move from HUL will impact choices among the 12 to 16s would be a grey area, said Lloyd Mathias. While ASCI has broad guidelines on advertising to children, clearly HULs move is way ahead. For one, as per ASCIs guidelines, children are defined as persons who are below the age of 12 years, whereas HUL is extending this to 16 in line with its global practice. ASCIs focus is also more on the safety aspects not showing ads which feature dangerous or hazardous acts likely to encourage children to emulate them causing harm or injury. HULs move is more far reaching, he maintained. Although the move has been applauded, it can be challenging as well for brands under HUL, with a brand image which is inseparable from kids. How much the food and beverage market in India is ready for this change is also questionable. Chimp&z Incs Nikita Bhate felt that India is ready for this change. She added, We have seen a growing taste for healthy foods influenced by pandemics that have led to shifts in food trends. It definitely makes sense for marketers to talk to parents and adults since kids cannot make informed decisions at that age. They tend to learn and adapt food trends either from their role model or within their family. She further said, This move from HUL will encourage brands both within HUL and others to manufacture healthy eating options for kids. As long as HUL is establishing brand credibility, commitment, and connection among consumers, their brand loyalty will remain intact. Such a decision may help reduce child obesity to an extent, but one may not be sure about its impact. Children who get exposed to advertisements on products with HFSS (High Fat, Salt & Sugar) may be tempted towards such products. Even without the exposure to such advertisements, kids usually are attracted to foods having HFSS. Thus, imposing such a restriction to not advertise children below 16 years can only limit the exposure to HFSS to a limited extent only, remarked Krishnarao Buddha. While I appreciate the cause, how is this going to help in limiting the consumption of products among kids that are high in sugar, salt, and fat? asked Nikita Bhate, noting, Even the cigarette packaging says smoking can kill. Has anyone really stopped smoking after looking at that packaging every day? Also, parenting in the age of screens means that kids will end up watching ads targeted at their parents. Tesco Bengaluru, the global business services and technology arm of UKs retail giant Tesco PLC, today announced the appointment of Prakash Mall as Director of Engineering - Commercial Product. Prakash has over two decades of experience building enterprise products for retail, insurance, and healthcare. His expertise lies in deploying emerging technologies and deep business insights to solve complex business challenges and drive immense business value. Prakash has taken over the role from Vidya Laxman, who has now relocated to the UK and will be a part of the leadership team at Tesco Bengaluru. In his new role, Prakash will support and deliver technology solutions in Space, Range, and Merchandising globally. Additionally, Prakash will also be instrumental in driving innovation to provide seamless in-store and digital experiences for Tesco customers. Sumit Mitra, CEO, Tesco Business Services & Tesco Bengaluru, said, Over the last few years, technology has shaped Tescos digital transformation as we look to serve our customers, communities, and planet a little better every day. Our ability to attract world-class talent is critical to the execution of our vision to build best-in-class retail technology for our customers. Prakash comes with a rich vein of experience as a technology leader, and we are extremely excited to have him on board. I am confident that the organisation will benefit significantly from the considerable experience and best practices that Prakash brings in solving complex challenges in retail technology . Speaking on the appointment, Prakash Mall said, "Tesco has scaled its technology infrastructure and operation to deliver a seamless omnichannel experience to its customers. With its growing focus on implementing technology innovation in stores, supply chain, and its colleagues, Tesco is uniquely positioned for the next frontier in retail. I am excited to join the incredibly passionate technology team in Tesco Bengaluru and look forward to adding value by developing Tesco's technology powers and delivering intelligent platforms on a global scale". Prior to joining Tesco, Prakash led the technology team at Target, building the vision computing platform to solve for complex retail challenges. He has also spent over a decade working with IBM in the US and India. Prakash has also filed two patents for automating business processes. He holds a bachelors degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Ninan Thariyan, a veteran in media and marketing, has joined Organic BPS, Indias First Brand Purpose Consultancy, as its President. This move is part of the companys plans to foray into the newer markets in India and GCC. Ninan had an illustrious career spanning four decades in the media industry. In his previous assignment as CEO of DT Nxt, he conceived, planned & launched DT NXT, the English language newspaper from the stables of Daily Thanthi, the largest read Tamil newspaper. Having honed his skill sets from the Times of India, where he led the marketing mandates in various capacities for the Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad and Chennai markets, he created history with the TOI launch in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai and Trichy. He will be leading a team of senior professionals to scale up the companys operations in the new markets. Joining the team are S. Vivekanandan, as Director, Purpose Residency, Tamil Nadu; Ms Sheeba Kondur, as Associate Vice President, Karnataka and Ms Navya Paul, as Associate Vice President, Kerala. About his new role, Ninan commented. I am very keen on taking up the new challenge with Organic BPS. It is all about purpose, which will ultimately lead to brands operating in the safe space of the economy, the socially just and the environmentally safe. I was fascinated by the original work done by Organic BPS in this domain and felt that companies across the country need this kind of strategic support in purpose branding and marketing. Whats more delightful than leading the mission to create a beautiful world in which Business, People and the Planet thrive in absolute harmony. Dileep Narayanan, the Founder and Managing Director of Organic BPS, said: Its great to have a team of professionals who strongly believe in the power of purpose. A media doyen like Ninan will bring many years of diverse experience in media, brands, and advertising. He and the team can immensely help our mission of encouraging business leaders to pursue the path of purpose. We have already forayed into Tamil Nadu and Karnataka markets with offices in Chennai and Bangalore. We hope to start our GCC operations soon with our office in Dubai. Ninan would be leading these expansion plans. UTI Mutual Fund and Network18 launches INDIA INVEST KARO powered by UTI Swatantra, a one-stop hub which aims to arm investors with knowledge to make more informed financial decision. The campaign commenced on May 28th where with India Invest Karo, UTI Mutual Fund and Network18 aim to reach out to the smartphone-savvy population using digital media. The focus of the campaign will be to empower the next-age investors in making wise investment decisions by providing the right information at the right time. The mutual fund industry in India has witnessed transformative changes as more and more people are opting for mutual fund as their primary choice for wealth investment. Mr. Imtaiyazur Rahman CEO & Whole-Time Director, UTI AMC Ltd. in a conversation with Network18 said, The AUM has grown from INR 22.85 lakh crore in Dec 2018 to INR 37.56 lakh crore in Mar 2022. The assets of the Indian Mutual Fund industry contributed approximately 16% to our GDP. These are very significant changes and developments in our industry. The objective of this initiative is to resolve complexities for retail investors and make their decision making process simpler. India Invest Karo also aims to reach out to a diverse group of individuals and make them financially aware through digital mediums. The campaign will be spread over a period of 6 months, where byte sized investor education content will be shared through a dedicated micro site in addition toNetwork18 and UTI Mutual Fund digital assets. Mr. Rahman further added, The purpose of our existence is to channelize and help investors realise their financial goal. We are highly committed to making India a financially literate nation. Speaking on the initiative, Mr. Puneet Singhvi CEO & President Digital & Corporate Strategy, Network18 is happy to note that, Information and aggregating experts who are able to impart the knowledge of the financial ecosystem has worked very well in terms of the audience traction that we see on our platform. An initiative like this goes even a step further in adding to the firepower that Network18 already puts together and with industry-leading partners like UTI Mutual Fund. With investors often getting trapped in dubious and fake financial information sources, the existence of a trustworthy and reliable knowledge source like Network18 becomes all the more important. The campaign endeavours to provide insightful, data-driven information in the form of stories that help the investors in managing financial portfolios effectively. To summarise, India Invest Karo is a welcome initiative launched by UTI Mutual Fund and Network18 for mainstreaming financial literacy and is poised to be a game-changer in investor education, benefitting millions of investors. In its continuous fight against digital piracy and infringing usage of content, Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd. are working closely with the Maharashtra Cyber Crime Cell, Mumbai. The Cyber Crime Cell, arrested Subhanjan Kayet for his involvement in the pirated websites/platform named Thop TV. He was accused for the development of software, technical manipulation, illegal streaming and telecasting the contents from Viacom18s channels and its OTT platform Voot. Click here to attend IMAGEXX 2022 He was produced before Esplanade Court on 23rd May 2022 wherein the Court has sent him to five days police custody considering the severity of the offence and upon request of the counsel appearing for the state. The Maharashtra Cyber Crime Cell has also frozen his bank account in which he has purportedly received the illegal proceeds of unlawful activities. He was apprehending his arrest for the last few months after his bail applications were rejected by the courts in Kolkata and Mumbai. Superintendent of Police, Maharashtra Cyber, Mumbai, Sh Sanjay Shintre said Special anti-piracy unit MIPCU (Maharashtra Intellectual property Crime Unit) arrested accused Subhanjan Samiran Kayet from Gobardanaga Harbra, 24 Paragana, West Bengal on 22nd May 2022 as he appears to be the lead developer of the THOP TV app. We have sufficient evidence regarding this. Viacom18s spokesperson said: We are thankful to the Maharashtra Cyber for continuing this action against piracy. It is important to make the message clear that operating or abetting a business of infringement is a serious offence which affects the creative community at large. The perpetrators will be found and brought before law. Viacom18 have always been at the forefront in addressing and curbing piracy of their content and channels. Together with Maharashtra Cyber Crime Cell, the efforts had also led to arrest of the founder and CEO of Thop TV in the recent past. Viacom18 and the TV18 network will continue to fight market threats associated with piracy and will protect their channels content using all legal methods available. On Sunday morning, U-Town Mall in Beijing's Chaoyang District welcomed a batch of eager shoppers after business had been suspended for weeks due to the latest COVID-19 flare-ups. "Many have phoned to check our business hours after yesterday's press conference, which informed that shopping malls could resume business on Sunday. There's not a lot of traffic today, mostly parents bringing their children to the play zone," said a staffer. The Chinese capital saw just one community case of COVID-19 in the city from May 27 to 3 p.m. Monday, and the number of single-day new infections is on a downward trend, data from the Beijing municipal health commission show. In response, Beijing loosened epidemic response restrictions on Sunday in non-quarantined areas, with multiple measures rolled out to facilitate work resumption and normal social order. Xu Hejian, a spokesperson for the Beijing municipal government, said at Sunday's press conference that the delivery of take-out orders is stable and orderly and relevant departments would work harder to ensure supply and stabilize prices. "Every day of business suspension means huge costs and unpredictable delays in production," said Simon Lichtenberg, founder and CEO of Trayton Group. For more than two months, the Danish businessman has been yearning for work resumption in Shanghai. Now, the group's furniture factory in the city's Minhang District has resumed work for about 20 days. Shanghai has, since mid-April, released three "white lists" involving a total of more than 3,000 enterprises to accelerate the resumption of work and production. "Our factory officially resumed production on May 12. Now about half of our usual output has been recovered," said Lichtenberg. The factory's closed-loop production has been quite smooth, and some customized sofas are ready for delivery. "We're like a family and the workers even do the morning run together. I can see the vibrant scene of work resumption," he said. The financial hub with a population of 25 million announced on May 17 that it had cut off the community transmission of COVID-19 in all its 16 districts. To coordinate COVID-19 control with economic development, the municipal government of Shanghai on Sunday launched an action plan to speed up economic recovery. Under the plan, composed of 50 policies and measures, the city's approval system for production resumption will be abandoned starting June 1. At the same time, the city will promote work resumption in all sectors by expanding the scope of subsidies for enterprises' epidemic prevention and disinfection, stabilizing industrial and supply chains in the Yangtze River Delta, and smoothing domestic and international logistics and transportation channels. Measures will also be adopted to stabilize foreign capital, encourage consumption, and expand investment. Lichtenberg is looking forward to the action plan. "Some of us haven't seen each other for a long time, and we really need to get together to work." Climate change department of Gujarat has inked an MoU to participate in the global Save Soil movement. The MoU was signed in Ahmedabad between Isha Outreach founder and spiritual leader Sadhguru and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Monday. Jaggi Sadguru has embarked on a 100-day motorbike journey to raise worldwide awareness for the soil regeneration campaign. The 30,000 km trip through Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East is an effort to alert the policymakers to prioritise soil. Under this journey, Sadhguru was present in Gujarat to sign an MoU on Save Soil. With this, Gujarat becomes the first state to align itself with this global movement for soil conservation. Save Soil campaign has been launched by Isha Foundation to raise awareness against the worldwide degradation of soil fertility. Addressing the media, Sadhguru said, As the quality of soil has a considerable effect on human and other organisms health, this movement can help address the soil crisis by bringing together people from around the world. He said that healthy soil is inevitable to maintain life on earth. Several micronutrients in the soil are essential for agricultural crop growth and development. According to Isha Foundation, Use of chemicals along with the effects of pollution and climate change has impacted soil fertility. This has also led to decline in nutrients from agricultural crops. It stated that some reports claim that 24% of the worlds fertile soil has been lost to desertification. The UN has also warned that if the practice continues through 2050, around 90% of the earths surface will be degraded. The MoU was signed with the aim of creating awareness and public participation in various initiatives for soil conservation in Gujarat. Preventing desertification, controlling salinity intake of soil and increasing green cover are the objectives of the MoU. Cabinet ministers, office bearers, senior secretaries, among other dignitaries, remained present. Carbon credits for farmers need of hour Sadhguru visited Ahmedabad on Monday on the 72nd day of his 100-day motorbike journey to raise worldwide awareness for the soil regeneration campaign. He met businessmen and industrialists in Ahmedabad. Talking to Mirror, he said, We have given a handbook to Gujarat government which has concepts. This book can help them in making the policy faster. We have suggested to the government to develop incentive-driven policy like carbon credits to the farmers. This has also been suggested to the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) members. They can take a lead and help in availing carbon credits schemes for the farmers so that they also get its benefit. GCCI session with Sadhguru Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) organized an interactive session with Sadhguru in association with Isha Foundation and various other organisations on Monday. In his address, Sadhguru said Isha Foundation has signed MoUs with 73 countries so far in support of Save Soil. He said the world is not giving due priority to soil. He said healthy soil should have 3 to 6 percent organic content, as against this India has only 0.68% organic content, due to which the country is turning into a desert very fast. Sadhguru said that we must request the government to frame a policy intervention/new policy for saving soil. Minister of state for home Harsh Sanghavi, Rajya Sabha MP Parimal Nathwani, along with GCCI office bearers Sanjeev Chhajer, Navroz Tarapore, felicitated Sadhguru. GCCI ex-chief Shailesh Patwari welcomed Sadhguru and spoke on the importance of soil. Top engineers and designers for China's pillar sci-tech projects shared their achievements and visions on May 30 to mark the sixth annual National Science and Technology Workers' Day. "Building China into a robust nuclear country is the wish of every one of us in the nuclear industry. Hualong team will continue to work hard to improve Hualong technologies continuously to let China's independent nuclear power technology lead the development of nuclear energy in the future and make greater contributions to the peaceful use of nuclear energy for mankind, said Xing Ji, chief designer of the Hualong One technology of China National Nuclear Corporation. Hualong One is the 3rd-generation nuclear power brand to which China has exclusive intellectual property rights in terms of design, equipment, fuel, software, construction, operation, and maintenance. Xing said their plants pay top attention to safety and have the "strongest shield" in the world to defend themselves against disasters like typhoons, earthquakes, and airplane crashes, drawing lessons from the Fukushima nuclear accident. As revolting a spectacle as it was, it was scarcely surprising (considering the source) that in the immediate aftermath of the horrific killings at Uvalde, the "President" hobbled to a microphone to rehash stale partisan lies designed to defame half the nation and to scapegoat his political adversaries - even sinking so low as to repeatedly enlist God as his partner in this disgraceful, transparently self-serving stunt. In his screed, Biden delivered a litany of angrily couched, divisive lies. While the trotting out of these recycled, cheap falsehoods is galling, one of the most offensive aspects of Biden's hateful little rant was its subtext. Biden's falsehoods were delivered in a tone that implied the Uvalde tragedy gives Biden and his political allies a license to gloat over the victims and to proclaim accusatorily "See! We told you so! You wouldn't let us have our way, and now this happened!" As if murderous evil were amenable to "common sense" regulation -- as though a depraved mind will always wilt in the face of wishful thinking and cease its vile quest for the means to mayhem if only countered by the mildest discouragement of poorly crafted, arbitrarily imposed regulatory restrictions. As has been noted elsewhere, none of the proposed gun control measures demanded by the Democrats would have stopped Uvalde from happening (a pump shotgun would have been just as devastating as a semi-automatic rifle in this instance) and, beyond that, no national trauma should be used as an occasion for petty political denunciation. The more details emerge from Uvalde, the more disheartening the picture becomes. The reporting of recent days has called attention to the role that negligent security practices at the school (along with the inexplicable delay and hesitation of the police) may have played in worsening the tragedy. We are also compelled to recognize that this horrific episode was ultimately rooted in a failure to effectively address, or even recognize, yet another individual case of dangerously deteriorating mental health. How can such madness go unnoticed? Why was there no intervention? This was clearly someone that should not have been able to pass a background check -- and yet did, and that must be addressed. Here, perhaps, is an opportunity for bipartisan action; evidence of adolescent insanity should prohibit one from purchasing a firearm as a legal adult. Leaving these issues aside, let us return to the episode's predictable political exploitation. For some days now, we have been subjected to hysterical demands for gun control, often more or less openly trumpeted as justified revenge against the nation's gun owners, who once again stand accused of silent complicity in an act of criminality by an insane perpetrator. Owing to this episode, one now hears the usual demands for gun banning and confiscation. But is one not permitted to ask: why is it that when a black supremacist used an automobile as a murder weapon in Waukesha, Wisconsin killing six and injuring over 60, no one in the national press lunged into a hyperventilating screaming fit demanding the punishment and de-vehicularization of every car owner in the country? Why is it that gun owners are always blamed when a criminal grievously misuses arms that they themselves lawfully and responsibly possess? Moreover, we are told that the United States, to its eternal and irremediable shame (owing to its barbaric adoption and baffling retention of the Second Amendment) is the only nation in which these incidents happen but let us temporarily accede to this false claim so as to elaborate upon its implied line of reasoning. We Americans, it seems, should hang our heads in shame, and our "President," we are told, is embarrassed when he is placed in the awkward position of having to explain to foreign dignitaries why our nation (unlike theirs) is occasionally beset with these violent episodes. The Second Amendment was devised in large measure to provide an ultimate counterweight to a potentially oppressive government; its institution is part and parcel of the decentralization of power that the founders sought to establish in the interest of securing the indefinite preservation of political liberty. The Second Amendment exists to ensure that the public possesses the means to resist the imposition of tyranny. So long as the public possesses these means, tyranny is far less likely. So an armed citizenry, one might say, represents a standing denial of opportunity to any aspiring tyrant or dictator, inasmuch as an armed public imposes so great a cost on violently subduing the nation as to make it effectively impossible. Such standing precautions are easily laughed off by the Second Amendment's detractors, who simply cannot imagine a plausible scenario in which the American people would find themselves compelled to offer armed resistance to their own government. And in a sense, we freely acknowledge, they are right to find such a scenario ridiculous -- it is ridiculous because no marginally sane government would dare provoke an armed citizenry to active resistance. The reason we may rest assured that our government will not grotesquely abuse us is that we possess the effective means to resist its agents, were it to attempt to do so. But without these means, where would we stand vis-a-vis a violently abusive government? So -- to return to the point from which we had departed -- our "President" finds himself embarrassed in the presence of foreign dignitaries. Alas! How this, our shameful, archaic heritage, must burden the commission of his office! He has our sympathies, of course, but before we rush to wallow in our seemingly deserved national shame, are we not permitted to ask: where is our Auschwitz? Where is our Sobibor? Our Treblinka? Where is our Holodomor? The Khmer Rouge in Cambodia killed roughly one-third of their countrymen; Chairman Mao is said to have killed over 50 million of his -- where is the analogous American experience? Could it be that disarmed populations are left prey to violently abusive governments in ways that we Americans have never been -- and are not now -- owing to the Second Amendment? Could this uniquely American institution merit some gratitude inasmuch as it preemptively nullifies government-sponsored genocide as a viable project? And we would also oblige the smarmy, hectoring, anti-Second Amendment screamers to acknowledge that in demanding our disarmament -- either incrementally, or all at once -- they are also championing the establishment of a police state. For what else would one call a regime which works to ensure that the means of effective armed resistance are held solely by the military and the police -- institutions exclusively devoted to enforcing a state's claim to authority over its subjects? Lastly, let us answer for our obstinate resistance to "common sense" gun control measures. Such proposals -- despite the catchy little moniker undoubtedly poll-tested to appeal to wine moms and other assorted low information voters -- are always and without exception misdirected simple-minded non-solutions -- and they should be denounced as such. The violence that afflicts our society at virtually every level stems from mental illness, family breakdown, and drug abuse, and not from the legal private ownership of firearms of which a gaggle of overprivileged, ignorant hacks happens to disapprove. And one more thing: we advocates of the Second Amendment hurt no less when a Uvalde happens than do our professional detractors; our thoughts and prayers are no less sincere than theirs. We grieve for the children and hurt with the parents, just as they do. Any effort to suggest otherwise is utterly despicable. The nation deserves better than vulgar denunciations and histrionic hissy fits designed to spark and fuel a general moral panic. What we deserve is a thoughtful, thorough response to the problem of untreated mental illness along with stronger and more effective measures to protect our schools. Image: Susan Melkisethian With each passing day, the news connected to the COVID shots grows worse. That the injections dont prevent COVID -- or even its spread -- has been known for months, and post-injection problems encompass almost everything that can go wrong with a body. Not a single organ, not a single bodily function, is unharmed after one of these shots, said Arne Burkhardt, a professor of forensics at Reutlingens Pathological Institute. So little has been written about why side effects such as myocarditis have popped up that one cant help but wonder: Does anybody understand how these shots work? In the space below, lets pick three of the harshest complications and explore how COVID shots could be driving the mechanics of each. 1 - Myocarditis The pale-yellow fluid of the Pfizer or Moderna vial contains billions of microscopic fat globs called lipid nanoparticles. Each is an incredibly tiny envelope, used to conceal the novel drug: messenger RNA. Once injected, the combination of nanoparticles and mRNA becomes a well-camouflaged predator. According to Pfizers own data, less than half the nanoparticles stay in the arm where they were injected. Most slip through tiny cracks in muscle tissue and enter the bloodstream. Venous blood speeds them to the heart, which pumps and disperses them to the entire body. Depending on the level of exercise, from 5 to 25% of these particles wind up in coronary circulation. Why is this important? Consider the rather large number of nanoparticles that must slip into human heart tissue: 50 to 250 million out of each billion that enter the veins of the arm. Coronary circulation branches into microscopic capillaries that rush nutrients to heart muscle cells. And since the nanoparticles designed by Pfizer and Moderna masquerade as triglycerides, heart muscle cells are apt to snatch them out of circulation as food. Now imagine the shock for any hard-charging heart cell that engulfs one of these particles. Expecting a meal, the cell unwraps the envelope, and voila! Freshly unveiled messenger RNA seizes the cells protein-generating apparatus, forcing out a known toxin -- the COVID spike protein. Very soon, with urgent biochemical signals, the afflicted cell telegraphs news of its hijacking to the immune system, which will marshal what it takes to destroy the cell. An immune-mediated attack on heart muscle cells is, of course, the very essence of myocarditis. Foreign RNA takes control of a cells protein production, transforming these cells into enemies of the body, and the immune system converts them into useless scar tissue. The process is irreversible, as heart muscle cells do not regenerate. According to CDC, myocarditis from COVID jabs is rare and mild, but where is the evidence for this proclamation? Pfizers data shows every shot -- at least in part -- entering the bloodstream, so CDC has interesting notions about the word rare. Clinical myocarditis is never mild. A phenomenon that kills thousands of heart muscle cells is better classified as serious or severe. And even if the subject doesnt die right away, how is that person not permanently injured? And how is the process not cumulative with each subsequent jab? Given that about 40% of CDC income comes from vaccine patents and products, how can we be assured these experts are not self-serving? 2 Vascular Damage and Heart Attack Risk Now lets turn attention from lipid nanoparticles to their end-product, the COVID spike protein. Having been forced into production by messenger RNA, spike protein peels off cell membranes and drops into general circulation. From there, it stabs and deactivates ACE-2 protein, which is displayed on the innermost lining of blood vessels. Deactivating ACE-2 has enormous consequences for the body: Its loss leads to oxidative stress on blood vessels, putting the patient at risk for organ damage and blood clots over time. Can oxidative stress persist for months, or even longer? A study of spike-injected hamsters showed that damaged ACE-2 was not replaced by mammalian cells. Either the cells never sensed that ACE-2 was spiked or didnt generate a signal to replace spiked ACE-2 with a fresher version. To put it a more scientific way: Injected spike protein down-regulated ACE-2, probably for as long as the cells stayed alive. Does any of this apply to humans? Using the PULS lab score to study a large group of at-risk patients, investigators found that future risk for heart attack remained almost triple two and a half months after two mRNA shots. 3 Neurodegenerative Disease Is the COVID jab really associated with premature Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease? Evidence continues to mount, and spike protein is once again the culprit. Circulating spike targets the brain in a variety of ways: by exposing brain cells to unnecessary toxins through crowbar-like effects on the blood-brain barrier. by inducing susceptible proteins to misfold and become pathogenic. by attacking ACE-2 protein-rich environments in the brain. by forcing mitochondria (the energy-producing organelles of cells) into less efficient processes, so that injured brain cells take on the eerie characteristics of cancer and Alzheimers cells. Long-term outlook Messenger RNA technology has been around for over 20 years, and multiple vaccines have been attempted. Each failed because the experimental animals failed to thrive. Last February, spike protein was found to inhibit type 1 interferon, the powerful regulator of the immune system. Hindering type 1 interferon reduces the bodys ability to defend against: (1) malignancies (2) autoimmune diseases (3) viral infections Over the next year, we will continue to observe how impaired interferon affects the great COVID shot experiment. But while we study the pathology, let us further develop the mechanisms associated with mRNA injections, so that new approaches to the injuries they inflict may be devised. Joseph Shepherd is a physician in Birmingham, Alabama. Image: Pixabay In the aftermath of the massacre of 19 children and two adults at the elementary school in Uvalde, Texas many of the usual suspects will be pushing for more gun control laws. None of the proposed laws will reflect any lessons learned from what went wrong and which cost so many innocent lives. Even before all the details of the barbaric attack become public, enough is known to ruin the reputation of the Uvalde Police Department for failing to respond quickly and refusing to immediately mount a counterattack on the 18-year-old murderer (who deservedly shall remain unnamed). Those issues and the cultural and/or psychological pathology behind such mass murder are topics for another occasion. Today I wish to address the vulnerability created for schools and churches by the misguided policy of gun-free zones. The problem and its solution are demonstrated in the experience of two small churches in Texas. In November 2017 in Sutherland Springs, Texas, the First Baptist Church was attacked by a gunman who killed 26 with an AR-15 rifle he illegally purchased. As a felon convicted of domestic violence while in the U.S. Air Force, he was prohibited from purchasing a firearm. He did so anyway because the Air Force failed to submit the court-martial conviction to the FBIs database that is checked before a firearms purchase. His killing spree was ended by Stephen Willeford, armed with his AR-15, who shot him after he left the church. Willeford was called to the church by his daughter and arrived just in time to catch the murderer fleeing the scene in his car. He gave chase in another volunteers pickup truck and when they eventually cornered him the killer committed suicide. Just over two years later, a man wearing a fake beard, a wig, and a long coat walked into church services at the West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas. Members of the churchs volunteer security team spotted his suspicious behavior as he sat down in a pew. As an usher approached him, he pulled out a shotgun and shot the usher. He then shot one of the security team who was drawing his pistol. The head of security, Jack Wilson, then fired a single shot from about 10 yards hitting the gunman in the head. He dropped dead. We know the entire incident took four seconds because video of the church service was being live-streamed. If you watch the video, you can see three other church members draw their pistols and rush to cover the gunman in case he was only wounded. The casualty count in White Settlement, Texas was two killed and no wounded. (Never count the perpetrator as a casualty.) Since there were only two fatalities, that incident did not qualify as a mass shooting. It would have been such but for the life-saving action of Jack Wilson, a former firearms instructor. There were 242 people in the church that day. The church in Sutherland Springs was by design or by accident a gun-free zone that Sunday. The church in White Settlement was not. The difference in casualty count was 24. That many people would have had a better chance of surviving if there had been a good guy with a gun ready to stop the attacker. Turning to mass shootings in schools the first thing to understand is that, contrary to the hysteria in the mass media, they are rare. There have been 13 incidents since 1966 (over 55 years). Those crimes claimed 146 lives. That is one-fifth the number of homicides in Chicago in 2021. The horror of mass murders is what drives a public policy that does little to prevent them. The most popular measures are two-fold. (1) Declare schools to be gun-free zones; and (2) Place police officers in the schools and call them School Resource Officers. The first is illogical because why would someone who is planning to commit murder be inclined to obey the law banning guns in schools? The second is impractical for several reasons. The police officer is wearing a shoot me first uniform. The attacker and not the defender has the element of surprise. Next, the SRO when on duty is only one person attempting to cover a large school. In Uvalde, the killer came through a back door and there was no SRO in the building. In Broward County, Florida in 2018 the SRO stayed safely outside the building during the mass school shooting there, thus earning the title, the coward of Broward. The practical solution to school security may require the passage of only one law in most states. It would be based on the Second Amendment Preservation Act passed by the Missouri legislature in 2014. It allows teachers and school administrators to carry concealed guns after receiving 112 hours of training with an 18-hour annual refresher course. To date, 24 school districts have participated and 52 people have completed the training. School districts can and do still retain SROs on their staff. A program to train teachers and school staff in armed self-defense has many advantages. It hardens the defenses of what would previously be classified as a soft target. A teacher would not have to cower in fear but could take a position in her classroom to ambush any attacker. The trained School Protection Officers are likely to be motivated to maintain their firearms proficiency. Their lives literally depend upon it. Publicity as to the SPOs excellent shooting skills should be widely circulated so as to deter would-be attackers. With any luck, some will take up defensive pistol shooting as a hobby. It is practically a joke among competitive pistol shooters how their skills vastly exceed those of most cops. The hobbyists are likely to shoot 5,000 rounds per year in practice and competition, while police officers are shooting about 500 rounds per year -- usually confined to the occasions when they have to pass qualification tests. The psychological dependence on the police for protection from people like the 18-year-old killer in Uvalde, Texas must stop if our schools and churches are to be made safer. (No place is guaranteed to be completely safe.) It ignores what we have learned from past atrocities, When seconds count, the police are minutes away. Image: Like_the_Grand_Canyon (See also Olivia Murray's "Trudeau takes another major step towards totalitarianism.") Canada's government, headed by its prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has introduced drastic anti-gun legislation that, if passed, will mean (in Trudeau's words) that "it will no longer be possible to buy, sell, transfer, or import handguns anywhere in Canada." This is one more step in Canada's mostly relentless push (only slightly alleviated during the Stephen Harper administration) to bring all weapons under government control. This never ends well for a nation's people. Even though Canada and America come from the same British tradition that, under the Magna Carta and the 1689 Bill of Rights, recognized certain English rights, they took different paths beginning in the 1760s. In America, colonists were outraged when Parliament's law aggressively restricted some of those rights. When the colonists challenged the laws by referring to the Magna Carta and the Bill of Rights, Parliament announced that those documents controlled only the king, not Parliament. In the face of that sophistry, the American people rebelled. After they won the Revolution, they ratified the Bill of Rights, saying specific rights are inherent in the people and no form of government can restrict them. The Canadians, however, did not rebel and meekly allowed the British Parliament and then their own Canadian Parliament to do with them as they wanted. Image: Justin Trudeau boasting about planning to disarm his people. Twitter screen grab. One of the most important rights in the American Constitution is the right to keep and bear arms. It is the only right that has a single amendment dedicated solely to stating that right. And no wonder, for the Americans, initially using only citizen arms, had just defeated the most powerful military in the world. They fully understood that a citizenry's only recourse against tyranny is to be armed with the corollary being that a government that knows that its citizens are armed is unlikely to slip into tyranny. In Canada, though, there's been a long history of the government limiting the people's right to keep and bear arms. Beginning in the 1880s, Canada has aggressively forced citizens to register their arms with the government, ensuring that the government, which controls the police force and the military, knows exactly who constitutes a threat should the government and the people find themselves at odds. In the past 50 years, in addition to forcing all guns to be registered, Canada has given police greater search and seizure powers, imposed long waiting periods to purchase guns, severely controlled magazine sizes, restricted the size of handguns, and required licenses to buy ammunition. During Stephen Harper's conservative administration, only the registry requirement for long guns was walked back. Once Trudeau gained power, however, the government went right back to restricting gun rights. In 2020, Trudeau announced that 1,500 models of "assault-style" weapons were banned, although the law never defined the meaningless phrase "assault-style." The government has spent the subsequent time planning a confiscation program that will include semi-automatic weapons (weapons that actual gun-owners understand are not machine guns because they still require a deliberate trigger motion for each shot fired). Reuters notes that, despite its strong gun laws, Canada's homicide rate is high and rising. This is a classic Fox Butterfield statement that ignores the truism that, at least in a country that is no longer small and homogenous, when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns. Now Trudeau's administration plans to "cap the market" for handguns and, among other things, to limit rifle magazines to five rounds: NOW - PM Trudeau: "It will no longer be possible to buy, sell, transfer, or import handguns anywhere in Canada."pic.twitter.com/rVd5gWgEtq Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) May 30, 2022 The government has spoken. If a criminal gang or a bear is coming after you, you might be lucky enough to have a long gun, but after bullet number five, you're done. (Of course, the rich and powerful will retain their security guards.) But that's not the real threat. The real threat, always, is the government that has disarmed you. For more information, I recommend R.J. Rummel's depressing but comprehensive "Statistics of Democide." Remember, too, that Hitler disarmed the Jews, the Soviets disarmed everyone, and the Chinese have some of the world's strictest gun control laws. Biden capitalizes on every opportunity to broadcast how severely uninformed he is but this Memorial Day, he settled on airing his ignorance via the gun debate, saying a 9mm bullet will blow a "lung out of the body." Those of us who have seen a 9mm round know how emphatically wrong he is. Yet, despite the gross magnitude of his blunder, it's not the worst I've heard. As it turns out, many Americans are completely uneducated on every facet of the gun debate, and they share one common denominator they're all Democrats. Let's take a look back at some of the top contenders for the Democrats' stupidest moments regarding the right to bear arms. Patricia Eddington, a former state legislator for the state of New York, once said: Some of these bullets, as you saw, have an incendiary device on the tip of it, which is a heat-seeking device. So, you don't shoot deer with a bullet that size. If you do, you could cook it at the same time [emphasis added]. What does Eddington think? You could shoot a deer and then walk over with a knife and fork, ready to feast? Despite actually making this claim, Eddington said this prior to the introduction of a gun control package, including a bill she sponsored. Next up, Mr. Thomas Binger, the prosecuting attorney in the Rittenhouse case. Although Binger's registered political affiliation is unknown, FEC contribution data lists donations to ActBlue. Mr. Binger's first blunder was picking up a rifle, immediately putting his finger in the trigger well, and aiming it at a room full of people. Did Thomas Binger learn gun safety from Alec Baldwin? pic.twitter.com/uqjQupbugE Nick Adams (@NickAdamsinUSA) November 16, 2021 Binger's second mistake was speculating that hollow point rounds "explode" upon impact. Again, for the educated among us, the appropriate word would be "expand," as this type of bullet doesn't detonate into fragments it's not a grenade. This trial is such a clown show that the judge had to LITERALLY CORRECT the prosecutor on his understanding of ammunition types pic.twitter.com/cELfUElgrR Greg Price (@greg_price11) November 10, 2021 Now we have Dianne Feinstein, federal senator from California, who declared: We have federal regulations and state laws that prohibit hunting ducks with more than three rounds. And yet it's legal to hunt humans with 15-round, 30-round, even 150-round magazines. What? Hunting humans is not legal. The only legal way to kill humans is via abortion, which she unequivocally supports. And lastly, we have Donzella James, a state senator out of the great state of Georgia, who stated, "Yes, I believe in the Second Amendment. But why are we spreading the access to guns to everyone?" Although we didn't need a reminder, it is worth pointing out that somehow, being a Democrat politician apparently makes one incapable of understanding firearms, or the idea of a God-given right that is not to be infringed and brings us a few laughs. George Will's recent column reviewing the first 500 days of the Biden presidency includes praise for the president's "deft diplomacy" and "stunning achievement" in the administration's response to Ukraine. According to Will, Biden's diplomacy is substantially responsible for nudging Germany to play a larger geopolitical role and persuading Finland to join NATO, thus extending the alliance's reach to more than 800 miles of Russia's border. Biden, he writes, has revised the concept of the West, but Will writes that Biden's achievement will not earn him political dividends because "what Americans usually want in foreign policy is as little as possible." Perhaps Will should let the American people in on just what is so important about having Germany play a larger geopolitical role in the world. It did that twice in the 20th century, and we just paid tribute to the hundreds of thousands of American soldiers, sailors, and airmen who lost their lives in two large German wars. And maybe Will can explain to the American people how the United States has benefited from NATO expansion, which has extended the American nuclear security umbrella to such vitally important countries as Montenegro, Slovenia, Albania, Romania, and North Macedonia, and cost American taxpayers plenty to make up for our European allies' unwillingness to provide for their own common defense. Suddenly Finland, too, has become a country that Americans should fight and die for. It was Britain's General Hastings Ismay, NATO's first general secretary, who famously said that NATO's purposes were to "keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down." During the Cold War, it succeeded in all three purposes. When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 and the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, however, the Americans not only stayed in the alliance but imprudently expanded it, despite the prescient warnings of American diplomat George Kennan, whose grasp of Russian history and European diplomacy was somewhat better than George Will's. Will was an ardent proponent of NATO expansion, writing in June 1996 that America's leaders should lessen their "tendency to trim foreign policy to accommodate Russian preferences and phobias." Not expanding NATO, he wrote, would send a "dangerous signal to Russia." He ridiculed the notion that NATO expansion could be provocative because NATO is a "defensive alliance." Will demonstrably lacks what the great British geopolitical thinker Sir Halford Mackinder said was one of the most important qualities of a statesman: the ability to perceive events from another country's perspective. But then Will is not a statesman. George Kennan was. Kennan had that quality so prized by Mackinder. In diary entries in January 1997, he lamented that NATO expansion was "the greatest mistake of the entire post-Cold War period." This caused Kennan to write an op-ed piece in the New York Times decrying the "tragic mistake" of NATO expansion. In July 1997, after learning about the initial moves in Madrid toward NATO expansion, Kennan wrote: "How, one asks, are the Russians to take this? What NATO missions are there for which the new NATO members have to be so suitably armed? How is this to be reconciled with the assurances to the Russians that they need not worry, that the extension of NATO's borders to the east has no military implications?" In another entry, Kennan wrote that he was "heartbroken over what is now occurring," and he envisioned a "new Cold War, probably ending in a hot one, and the end of the effort to achieve a workable democracy in Russia." Not only does Will lack the knowledge and understanding of Russia that Kennan had, but Will's condescending attitude toward the wishes of the American people is all too typical of an elite media establishment that thinks it knows best what role America should play in the world. What Will calls Biden's "stunning achievement" is a repudiation of the sensible and prudent foreign policy approach of George Washington and John Quincy Adams. There is more wisdom in Washington's Farewell Address warning against permanent alliances and inveterate antipathies toward particular nations, and in John Quincy Adams's warning against going abroad in search of monsters to destroy, than in a hundred George Will columns where he instructs the American people, as if from on Mount Olympus, that they should pledge to lay down their lives for Finland and small Balkan nations. Image: Gage Skidmore. If you want two concepts that exemplify liberal thought processes, they are luxury beliefs and magical thinking. There is nothing either luxurious or magical about either. According to Cambridge academic Rob Henderson, permissive attitudes about sex, marriage, drugs, and religion are luxury beliefs. He argues that those attitudes and beliefs are equivalent to buying and wearing expensive clothes or having servants. The reality of those attitudes and beliefs is beyond the reach of the average working man or woman. Dream as they might about someone to do the cleaning and cooking or owning an expensive fur coat or luxury car, those things are unlikely to occur. Casual sex and drug use are not in their sphere of reality and, upon reflection, are not missed. Magical thinking is best explained as believing that merely wishing something will make it so. In truth, when you wish upon a star, you are likely to be disappointed. If this were not the case, we would all be in possession of luxury beliefs and winning lottery tickets. Luxury beliefs allow politicians like Nancy Pelosi to scoff at the thought of border walls while remaining safe and secure behind the walls of their estates. Those beliefs embolden them and destroy any empathy or compassion for others, save for those who might benefit them politically or financially. The unborn cannot vote, so abort them. Migrants swarming unchecked across our nonexistent southern border may well be able to vote someday, so let's shower them with benefits and earn their eternal gratitude and votes. Liberal tacticians, while adhering to their strategy of disarming the general population and eliminating their constitutional right to be armed, are in a quandary: how to explain that disarming the law-abiding while tacitly allowing the unlawful to remain armed might be depicted as a benefit desired by a disarmed majority. Here is where magical thinking kicks in. Those bumper stickers about prying guns from cold dead fingers, as well as any Clint Eastwood movie, are dismissed as fascist nonsense. Wishing that sick and evil predators would cease shooting up our nation's schools surely would bring that result about. After all, we passed a law and made a wish. If we are to survive as a nation, those luxury beliefs and magical thinking need to be replaced with a belief in reality and rational thinking. And it had better happen soon. Image: PxHere. When I reflect on the shooting of the last few months, I am galled at the chutzpah of the political left. Leftists are the ones who have brought us to where we are in the wake of the horrific massacre of grade-school children in Uvalde, Texas, following the comparable massacre at a grocery store in a black neighborhood in Buffalo, New York. Although the blame goes to the shooter, it is the progressive ideology that has set the conditions that make the murders and murderers in Buffalo and Uvalde not only possible but inevitable. Allow me to explain why this is with a brief overview of systems theory and how it applies to our current debacle. Although most often associated with industrial production, systems theory also has application to the hard and social sciences. Systems theory simply holds that the quality of a product is based on the quality of processes used in its production. From this perspective, the rash of shootings over the last several years indicates flawed societal processes. According to systems theory, the only way to fix a defective product is to fix the processes that produced the flawed product (i.e., our society). It follows that to fix the flawed societal processes that have led to mass murder in Uvalde and Buffalo, it is necessary to determine the root causes of those flawed societal processes and fix them. Any fair analysis of our society would show that mass murder is not caused by gun ownership. How do we know this? Because school shootings are a comparatively recent phenomenon. When I was a teenager in the 1960s, I owned a rifle. Many of my friends owned or had access to rifles. Indeed, it was not unusual in those days to see rifles in the racks behind the heads of pickup truck drivers. I have even had contemporaries from areas more rural than where I grew up tell of leaving their rifles in their cars while they were in school so they could go hunting right after school. The point here is that, in my youth, firearms were available, but none of us ever shot up a school. Why not? Because the values with which we were raised made it inconceivable to do something so barbaric. So what has changed in American society in the last 50 years to make mass murder not only possible but arguably inevitable? I would argue that it is the progressive ideology that has brought us to this point. The progressives have driven God out of schools and to some degree out of society. They have destroyed the nuclear family. They have normalized deviancy with gay "marriage," pedophilia, and transsexualism. They have devalued life with abortion. In other words, from a systems theory perspective, there were no school shootings fifty years ago because the moral underpinnings of our society did not permit them. Unfortunately, progressives have destroyed the cultural norms of fifty years ago and replaced them with a nihilism that makes mass murder conceivable. They have so corrupted the foundation of American society that the slaughter of innocents is not only possible but inevitable. Their solution to the dilemma of mass murder is to demagogue the issue and blame an inanimate object and the innocent people who own one for the catastrophe. This will not fix the problem because it does not address the root causes of the problem. Take away guns, and would-be murderers will find other means: cars, improvised explosive devices, poisons, etc. Until American societal norms are restored to a point where Uvalde-type massacres are again unimaginable, America will continue to suffer them. Image: Krauss via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. The war in Ukraine may end in one of two ways. The first possibility is a ceasefire while Russian president Vladimir Putin is still in power. That would be followed by an agreement to make currently held or annexed Ukrainian territory in the east part of Russia as is. If so, it would normalize pretty much what is going on now. The current state of affairs in Ukraine is almost a stalemate, with troop clashes along the Ukraine-Russia frontier and Russia making some minor advances into the eastern Ukraine Donbas region with a scorched earth policy of bombing each village or small town into rubble and occupying it with troops and military hardware. Ukraine may not last very long economically and militarily without substantial Western economic support, so Ukraine may soon be in a crisis state, unable to continue to do much fighting, and thus may make such an agreement with Russia. You may be wondering why this is essentially the status quo a World War I style of trench warfare along the front lines of eastern and southeastern Ukraine with no major aggressive breakthroughs. One reason is that both sides are running out of troop strength and military hardware to do an aggressive attack. The ratio of such an attack is usually more than three times the troop strength for the aggressive side, with high casualty rates dealt by the defenders from their foxholes or defensive positions. Also, the terrain is mostly flat open fields, and any major aggressive action means many bloody troop losses which neither side can now afford. Poorly trained and poorly commanded troops make morale lousy on the Russian side, but after more than three months of fighting, the Ukrainians are also quite tired and in no mood to fight aggressively and endure a high casualty rate. Troop replacements on both sides are a big problem because the replacements for both sides are poorly trained and often ineffectual fighters. The Russian side has still not run out of artillery shells, but the arms flowing in from the west for Ukrainian forces need specially trained soldiers to operate them, which is inadequate for aggressive assault movements. There is currently an inadequate amount of military hardware and not a flood of small arms entering Ukraine from the west. So the reason for the present stalemate is that neither side has enough well-trained troops to spare in aggressive actions, and neither side was initially prepared for a war that has lasted as long as it has. What this means is ongoing suffering for the Russian and Ukrainian peoples and troops as long as the war lasts. An agreement to give Russia Ukrainian territory would be only a temporary halt in the war since both nations would then start preparing for the next Ukraine-Russia war starting at some undefined future date. The other way the war may end is with a dubious Ukraine victory at some indeterminate point in the future if Ukraine can last that long economically and spiritually with a desire to win and sacrifice enough lives on the part of the soldiers. Western military aid may also wane with time as the will to fight will subside on the Ukrainian side and the West may become impatient with no decisive military action by the Ukrainians. A biased man who has been wrong historically about Russian military prowess, Atul Mishra of Tfiglobal, an Indian YouTube website, claims that Russia will win in one of three ways with Ukraine's surrender on Russia's terms, with Russia annexing eastern and southern Ukraine, or with the war continuing indefinitely, but I frankly don't see these scenarios happening unless Russia reduces Ukrainian cities to rubble with nuclear weapons, which is an unlikely possibility. What will Russia do with a nuclear wasteland? I also don't see a scorched earth policy succeeding, which is pounding each city and village with thousands of artillery shells and some rockets, which is the modus operandi currently being used by the Russians. There probably just aren't that many artillery shells and rockets in the Russian stockpile to date, and the Russian troops are just too incompetent. So there is his remote third possibility of a never-ending war with ceasefires along the way as long as Putin is still alive and unwilling to be humiliated with total defeat. If there is a coup d'etat against Putin, and he is replaced, or if he dies for some other reason, then I foresee other possibilities for an end to the war. It is possible that both sides are so maxed out militarily that some kind of negotiations will start between Ukraine and Russia in the near future. If the war drags on, Ukraine will become a failed economic basket case since Ukraine's corrupt oligarchs are probably calling most of the shots and Ukrainian troop morale can't last forever, nor will the patience and support of the West last forever. Both warring sides will probably be forced to negotiate at some point in the near future. The results of the negotiations can't really be predicted, given the current largely stalemate situation. Image: Pixabay, Pixabay License. Beijing, Shanghai ease epidemic curbs as outbreaks ebb Xinhua) 08:21, May 31, 2022 People walk in a department store in Chaoyang District of Beijing, capital of China, May 29, 2022. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao) BEIJING/SHANGHAI, May 30 (Xinhua) -- On Sunday morning, U-Town Mall in Beijing's Chaoyang District welcomed a batch of eager shoppers after business had been suspended for weeks due to the latest COVID-19 flare-ups. "Many have phoned to check our business hours after yesterday's press conference, which informed that shopping malls could resume business on Sunday. There's not a lot of traffic today, mostly parents bringing their children to the play zone," said a staffer. The Chinese capital saw just one community case of COVID-19 in the city from May 27 to 3 p.m. Monday, and the number of single-day new infections is on a downward trend, data from the Beijing municipal health commission show. In response, Beijing loosened epidemic response restrictions on Sunday in non-quarantined areas, with multiple measures rolled out to facilitate work resumption and normal social order. Xu Hejian, a spokesperson for the Beijing municipal government, said at Sunday's press conference that the delivery of take-out orders is stable and orderly and relevant departments would work harder to ensure supply and stabilize prices. "Every day of business suspension means huge costs and unpredictable delays in production," said Simon Lichtenberg, founder and CEO of Trayton Group. For more than two months, the Danish businessman has been yearning for work resumption in Shanghai. Now, the group's furniture factory in the city's Minhang District has resumed work for about 20 days. Shanghai has, since mid-April, released three "white lists" involving a total of more than 3,000 enterprises to accelerate the resumption of work and production. "Our factory officially resumed production on May 12. Now about half of our usual output has been recovered," said Lichtenberg. The factory's closed-loop production has been quite smooth, and some customized sofas are ready for delivery. "We're like a family and the workers even do the morning run together. I can see the vibrant scene of work resumption," he said. The financial hub with a population of 25 million announced on May 17 that it had cut off the community transmission of COVID-19 in all its 16 districts. To coordinate COVID-19 control with economic development, the municipal government of Shanghai on Sunday launched an action plan to speed up economic recovery. Under the plan, composed of 50 policies and measures, the city's approval system for production resumption will be abandoned starting June 1. At the same time, the city will promote work resumption in all sectors by expanding the scope of subsidies for enterprises' epidemic prevention and disinfection, stabilizing industrial and supply chains in the Yangtze River Delta, and smoothing domestic and international logistics and transportation channels. Measures will also be adopted to stabilize foreign capital, encourage consumption, and expand investment. Lichtenberg is looking forward to the action plan. "Some of us haven't seen each other for a long time, and we really need to get together to work." (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun) Last year, Canada began an orgy of self-recrimination when researchers claimed to have found a mass grave at a residential school in British Columbia with the remains of more than 200 indigenous children. The problem is that the ground-penetrating radar used to make this "find" yielded highly suspect results, and not a single grave has been confirmed through an archaeological dig. Now a group of dissident scholars is calling foul on this entire narrative. The whole thing began in May 2021, when members of the Tk'emlups te Secwepemc band of "First Nation" people (as the current descendants of Canada's indigenous people are known) hired Sarah Beaulieu, an anthropologist, to scan the ground at the site of what was once the Kamloops Indian Residential School. The Roman Catholic Church ran the school on behalf of the government for over a hundred years, beginning in the 1880s. Around 150,000 children passed through several similar schools, although it's a matter of some debate whether they were forcibly or voluntarily admitted to the schools. Beaulieu promptly announced that anomalies in the ground were obviously dumped children's bodies, and all of Canada, from Trudeau's leftist government on down, went mad with despair: Last May's news sent shockwaves through Canada and across the globe. Within days, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau decreed, partly at the request of tribal leaders, that all flags on federal buildings fly at half-mast. The Canadian government and provincial authorities pledged about $320 million to fund more research and in December pledged another $40 billion involving First Nations child-welfare claim settlements that partially compensate some residential school attendees. Pope Francis issued a formal apology on behalf of the Catholic church, which ran many of the residential school facilities and asked for God's forgiveness. He said he planned to visit Canada later this year to further assist in healing and reconciliation. Other investigators, using the same techniques, claim to have found another 800 or so children's bodies. Image: Alleged mass graves. YouTube screen grab. Now, though, some academics are calling foul on the whole thing. One of the leaders of the movement is Jacques Rouillard, a professor in Montreal: "Not one body has been found," Jacques Rouillard, who is a professor emeritus in the Department of History at the Universite de Montreal, told The Post. "After ... months of recrimination and denunciation, where are the remains of the children buried at the Kamloops Indian Residential School?" What an excellent question, and one that the man for the indigenous tribe is quite squirrely about answering: Tk'emlups te Secwepemc spokesman Larry Read confirmed to The Post this week that no bodies have yet been exhumed from the Kamloops school and no dates have been set to start excavations. He added that the report showing the results of the ground-penetrating radar (GPR) has not been released by the band but may be at some point in the future. I read that as saying there's a great and profitable story in the air, so there's no way that the Tk'emlups te Secwepemcs are going to allow facts to interfere. However, even Eldon Yellowhorn, an academic descended from indigenous people, is suspicious about the radar research and says the only way to address the claim of mass graves is to do excavations. Beaulieu, when challenged, was defensive: Beaulieu said that remote sensors picked up "anomalies" and what are called "reflections" that indicate the remains of children may be buried at the site. Beaulieu did not respond to emails sent by The Post. "My findings confirmed what Elders had shared," Beaulieu said after she presented a report about her work in July 2021 that did not include specific evidence. "It's an example of science playing an affirming role of what the Knowledge Keepers already recognized." In other words, Beaulieu theorized ahead of her data and then forced her data to align with her theories. That's the shoddiest of all pretenses at scientific analysis. Leftists bend history to their will, knowing that, by controlling the past, they can control both the present and the future. We may be seeing precisely that happening in Canada. And in the present emotional environment, it's exceptionally brave of those professors to demand proof. According to a report by BBC, Iran officials tried to bribe Instagram moderators to remove the accounts of regime opponents. The Iranian regime does not positively view social networks and uses every opportunity to restrict access to social platforms. Currently, the Iranian regime has blocked platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Telegram, and YouTube. Accessing these platforms is only possible through VPN. The BBC reports that some Iranian regime officials have tried to remove the journalists and activists accounts by bribing Instagram moderators. Masih Alinejad, an Iranian-American author and activist, has been a target for the regime. As per the report, some Instagram reviewers have said they received bribes between 5,000 to 10,000 ($5,350 to $10,700) to remove some accounts. Advertisement The moderator who revealed the case has previously worked for Telus International, which provides customer service to different companies and handles complaints from Instagram and Facebook users. Iran officials tried to remove journalists and activists Instagram accounts Instagrams parent company, Meta, refused to comment on the issue immediately, but they denied the allegations. We see no evidence to support these claims, the Meta spokesperson told BBC. Our review teams remove content that breaks our rules. Meta claims to audit reviewers decisions on a regular basis to ensure their accuracy. However, a moderator within the company says only about 10% of their decisions are audited. Advertisement The company also says they conduct weekly audits based on a random sample to maintain quality and accuracy and understand where mistakes had been made. One of the moderators told the BBC that some of the companys Iranian employees are supporters of the Iranian regime. They also receive instructions from the Irans intelligence service. Also, these Iranian colleagues enjoy removing a post that has been reported without facing any serious consequences. Telus International told BBC that it took them very seriously and had launched an investigation into their merits. Advertisement Instagram is currently one of the most popular social networks in Iran and has tens of millions of users in the country. Opponents of the regime also use the platform to criticize the regimes actions and protest repression. The smartwatch market continues to grow rapidly. According to the latest data from Counterpoint Research, global shipments of smartwatches saw a 13 percent year-on-year (YoY) increase in Q1 2022. This marks a double-digit shipment growth for five quarters on the bounce. Apple has led the smartwatch market for the longest and its no different this time around. The company captured 36.1 percent of the overall market in the first quarter of 2022. Its shipments grew 14 percent YoY, marginally higher than the global average. The Apple Watch 7 series arrived a month later than usual last year, and this helped the Cupertino-based tech giant post better results in the first three months of 2022. Samsung, at the second spot, registered a much stronger 46 percent YoY increase in shipments. Its market share grew from 7.8 percent in Q1 2021 to 10.1 percent in Q1 2022. The popularity of the Galaxy Watch 4 series, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, has helped the Korean firm solidify its position in the market. Advertisement Beleaguered Chinese behemoth Huawei is still going strong thanks to its popularity in the domestic market. But with little to no scope for growth in international markets, the company is losing ground to compatriot Xiaomi. The latter entered the top four with a 69 percent YoY growth. It posted its record-highest quarterly shipments during the first three months of 2022. Counterpoint says Xiaomi has a stronghold in the sub-$100 segment of smartwatches. Garmin, Amazfit, imoo, and Fitbit were the other four most popular smartwatch brands in Q1 2022. The latter two saw their market share decline during this period. But the former two stayed afloat despite a weak seasonality. Overall shipments declined 24 percent quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) from Q4 2021. Advertisement The Russia-Ukraine war may affect the smartwatch market in Q2 2022 According to Counterpoint, the prolonged conflict between Russia and Ukraine has started affecting the smartwatch market. The European region was the worst hit in the first quarter, with shipment volume remaining flat from a year earlier. The Chinese and North American markets saw marginal growth eight percent and six percent respectively. However, the research firm is expecting these regions to also feel the impact of the war second quarter onwards unless things dramatically improve soon. We initially expected the war between Russia and Ukraine to have minimal impact on the market in Q1, but the prolongation of the conflict and the resulting logistical constraints have begun to affect the European region. The impact of the war will become more serious in Q2, said Counterpoint Associate Director Sujeong Lim. Flash Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday to discuss Turkey's security concerns for Syria and the Ukraine crisis, said a Turkish presidential statement. During the phone talks, Erdogan told Putin that the "attacks" by Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) against Turkey and Syrian civilians are continuing in Syria despite an earlier agreement between Ankara and Moscow, said the statement. Referring to a 2019 deal between Russia and Turkey, Erdogan stressed that Turkey could not establish a 30-km-deep "terror-free zone" into Syria along the Turkish border, which the deal stipulated. "Making these areas safe is a necessity" for Turkey, he said. Their talk came after Erdogan said Turkey is preparing for a new military operation in northern Syria to establish a safe zone along its southern border. "As soon as the Turkish Armed Forces complete its intelligence and security preparations, these operations will begin," he said last week. Turkey's forces and the YPG members often exchange fire in the region. But the clashes between the group and the Turkish military have accelerated since early this year. The two presidents also discussed the Ukraine crisis, as well as Turkey-Russia relations, said the statement. The Turkish president emphasized the need for steps that will "minimize the negative effects of the conflict and build trust by re-establishing the ground of peace between Russia and Ukraine as soon as possible," said the presidency. Turkey is ready for meeting with Russia, Ukraine, and the United Nations in Istanbul and to play a role in a possible observation mechanism if both sides agree on principle, Erdogan told Putin. (ANSA) - ROME, MAY 31 - A 48-year-old Latvian manager sought by Russia has been arrested in Rome. Sergjes Malikovs has been in the Italian capital's Rebibbia Prison since Sunday on a code red warrant from Interpol. Moscow accused him of money laundering and financial crimes. (ANSA). (ANSA) - ROME, MAY 31 - League leader Matteo Salvini was at the centre of a political row on Monday over a report that he had dinner with Russia's Ambassador to Italy Sergey Razov at the embassy in Rome on March 1, just days after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. According to the report in daily newspaper Domani, the office of Premier Mario Draghi knew nothing about the meeting. Salvini was reportedly accompanied by Antonio Capuano, a foreign-policy advisor to the League leader who is also a lawyer and a former MP for the centre-right Forza Italia party of three-time ex-premier and media mogul Silvio Berlusconi. Capuano is said to have been working on a mooted trip to Moscow by Salvini to seek to broker a peace agreement with a four-point plan, an idea that has caused considerable controversy too. The report in Domani said there were other meetings involving Salvini, Capuano and Razov in the middle of March and early April, long after Russia invaded on February 24. The centre-left Democratic Party (PD), which, like the League, is part of the coalition supporting Draghi's government, demanded an explanation. "We are calling for answers," said PD leader Enrico Letta. "This affair cannot end like this. "While the crisis was happening, there were negotiations, and it is not clear between who and in what way, between the Russian invader and an Italian government party. "So we call for clarity. "It can't end with us agreeing to disagree over wine and crackers" Salvini hit back, saying his efforts were motivated by the quest for peace. "We've been working for peace for weeks, engaging in dialogue with everyone to achieve a ceasefire, while the PD only talks of weapons and war," Salvini said via Twitter. Salvini had expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin on several occasions before the war in Ukraine. The League leader has condemned Moscow's invasion of its neighbour. He has also said he is not in favour of Italy sending any more weapons to Kyiv on top of the ones it has already supplied. Adolfo Urso, the president of Copasir, the parliamentary body that oversees Italy's intelligence services, said Tuesday that the committee was looking into Capuano's reported relations with foreign diplomats. Draghi told a press conference after an EU summit that the important thing with Salvini's reported trip and relations with Russia was that they were "transparent", and that the government remained aligned to the EU and G7 positions. (ANSA). EU sources, 45 days for more oil for Croatia, Hungary 18-months exemption for Czechia, to be defined for Hungary (ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 31 - "The European Council will return to the issue of the temporary exemption for crude oil carried by pipeline as soon as possible," the European summit conclusions read. The timeframe of the exemption for Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic will vary, according to European diplomatic sources. In the case of Budapest, the lifting of the oil embargo is contingent on two conditions. The first is the time it will take Croatia to expand the Adria oil pipeline, which connects the Adriatic to Hungary. Brussels predicts it will take 45-days. The second aspect is the timeliness of the Hungarian refineries' adaption. The timeliness and amount of European money disbursed under RePowerEu will also be considered. On the second point, the argument is still ongoing because the EU's approval of the Hungarian recovery plan. According to the same sources, the Czech Republic's exemption from the Russian oil embargo will last 18 months. (ANSA). Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved Kosovo: Vucic, a compromise agreement is needed 'A crucial problem, but Pristina has no interest in a solution' (ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 31 - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic reiterated the need to reach a compromise solution on the Kosovo issue. He then accused Pristina of not respecting agreements and criticized the international community for having double standards without exerting enough pressure on the Kosovar leadership. "We must strive for a compromise solution," Vucic said, speaking in parliament after taking the oath of office for his second presidential term. That of Kosovo, he added, remains a crucial political issue even for the new government to be formed in Serbia in the coming weeks. "A problem also crucial for the west," he underlined. (ANSA). Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved TUNIS - International rating agency Fitch believes that the Tunisian government and Ugtt union could reach a consensual agreement on a series of economic reforms that could unlock funding from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and support the country's external financial position. However, tensions around the country's future institutional structure hinder the conclusion of an accord. "This increases risks to our base case of Tunisia entering an IMF program by end-3Q22", wrote the rating agency. The Ugtt's announcement on May 23 that it did not intend to participate in national dialogue in the format proposed by President Kais Saied (without political parties) to support political reforms, and its intention of organizing a general strike in the public sector, has shed light on the diverse vision concerning the reform process, indicated Fitch. A constitutional commission was also created to bring forward reforms and in July a referendum has been scheduled on a new Constitution, with early legislative elections at the end of 2022. "Despite rising financial and political risks, we still expect Tunisia to present a credible reform plan to the IMF with significant official creditor funding being disbursed by the end of the year", the rating agency added. It warned however that in a "no-reform scenario, Tunisia may ultimately be deemed to require a Paris Club debt treatment before becoming eligible for additional IMF funding, with implications for private-sector creditors". Fitch downgraded Tunisia's rating from "B-" to "CCC" last March, due to an increase of fiscal risks and external liquidity after further delays in reaching a new agreement with IMF, following political changes in July 2021. "In the absence of an IMF deal, which is necessary for access to most official creditors' budget support, we would expect Tunisia's international reserves to gradually erode and the dinar to depreciate". BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Tuesday said that he is proud of Serbia, a country that respects international law, knows how to openly condemn the violation of such principles, but at the same time a country in which there are neither anti-western nor anti-Russian behaviors. "We welcome Dostoevskij and Shakespeare, Goethe and Hemingway, this is something Serbia can be proud of", said Vucic on Tuesday, in an address to Parliament after being sworn in for his second presidential mandate. The world, observed Vucic, changes dramatically from day to day, never like now and never so fast, and the attack on Ukraine has been a turning point in international relations. With such an attack, he said, international law was stepped on, but that happened dozens of times in the contemporary world, and the main protagonists were western forces, those who fight today for the respect of international law, he noted. "We in Serbia can confirm this in the best way, because Serbia was attacked in 1999, without a UN mandate, with our country not occupying any other state previously", said the president, denouncing the subtraction of Kosovo from its territory. "And when we say that we think differently, then they accuse us of not looking at the future, of not being democratic enough and that we are too concerned with the past". (ANSAmed) - WASHINGTON, MAY 30 - Washington is putting pressure on Ankara, whose role appears crucial for peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv, as well as to unblock Ukrainian wheat and to overcome its veto against Sweden's and Finland's NATO adhesion. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan called Ibrahim Kalin, spokesman and chief advisor to the Turkish president, to discuss "their current support for Ukraine in the face of the continuing Russian aggression and of respective efforts to allow Ukrainian agricultural exports to reach global markets", said the White House. Sullivan moreover expressed support for the continuation of direct talks between Turkey, Sweden and Finland "to solve concerns connected to their request to join NATO", which the US "strongly supports". The US advisor also stressed the "importance of abstaining from the escalation in Syria to preserve ceasefire lines in place and avoid further destabilization". Finally, Sullivan urged Ankara "to continue dialogue and diplomacy to resolve each disagreement in the eastern region of the Mediterranean". SANA'A - Humanitarian agencies on Tuesday urged the sides at war in Yemen to extend a two-month-long truce mediated by the UN, two days before it expires on June 2, stating that it had "positive humanitarian repercussions". Due to the seven-year-long conflict which opposes the Yemeni government, backed by Saudis, and Houthi rebels aligned with Iran, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed while millions of others are on the brink of famine. On April 2, the first national truce since 2016 came into force. It expires on Thursday. "As organisations that work across Yemen, we have witnessed the positive humanitarian impact of the truce", said in a joint statement over 30 humanitarian agencies, including Save The Children, Oxfam and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). At the start of this month, the Council stated that the number of civilian victims in Yemen has decreased by over half since the truce came into force. "We urge you to extend the agreement for the truce and work for peace for the people of Yemen", they added. Houthis gained control of the capital Sana'a in 2014, prompting a military intervention led by Saudi Arabia and unleashing a war that has caused what the UN described as the worst global humanitarian crisis. Aid agencies said the reopening of the airport of Sana'a to commercial flights has allowed hundreds of critical patients to be transferred to other countries to receive immediate care. An investigation into thousands of dead and dying crabs and lobsters washed up on North Sea beaches last year did not identify a clear cause. But a harmful algal bloom in the area at about the same time was identified as being of significance, a report from a joint agency investigation into the incident said. The crustaceans washed ashore along parts of the north-east coast of England between October and December, with dying animals twitching and displaying lethargic behaviour and the inability to right themselves from on their backs. There were distressing scenes of large numbers of dead and dying lobsters and crabs on beaches, while fishing crews warned that sparse catches offshore following the event were catastrophic for their livelihoods. An investigation by the Environment Agency, Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) examined a range of potential causes. They included licensed dredging, chemical contamination, activities related to offshore windfarms, the presence of algal blooms and aquatic animal disease. No single, consistent, causative factor was found, according to the report from the government agencies, though it concluded it was unlikely dredging, chemical or sewage pollution or animal disease were the cause. It said: A harmful algal bloom present in the area coincident with the event was identified as of significance. The presence of the harmful algal bloom a rapid increase in the population of algae which can release toxins into the water and affect other wildlife in late September was indicated by satellite images. Tests on dead crabs and lobsters washed up in the incident, which affected a stretch of coastline stretching from County Durham and Teesside to Robin Hoods Bay, confirmed they had been exposed to algal toxins. The report said the significance of these algal toxins in the context of the deaths was not yet fully understood and Government-funded research will look into the issue. It also said healthy crabs and lobsters are now being caught in the area and the investigation is closed. The Archbishop of Canterbury has suggested the disgraced Duke of York is seeking to make amends as he urged the nation to be more forgiving. Andrew stepped down from public life after the furore over his friendship with paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, and paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case to a woman he claimed never to have met. He was cast out of the working monarchy and no longer uses his HRH style after Virginia Giuffre, who was trafficked by Epstein, accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17. The duke denied the claims. The Most Rev Justin Welby, in an interview with ITV News presenter Tom Bradby, called on people to step back a bit and said the Queens second son was seeking to make amends, adding: I think thats a very good thing. He stressed that he could not tell people how to respond, saying the issues of the past in the area of abuse are so intensely personal and private for so many. The archbishop is no longer delivering the sermon at the Platinum Jubilee service of thanksgiving at St Pauls Cathedral on Friday after he tested positive for Covid. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby (Gareth Fuller/PA) Asked how the public should respond to Andrew after his appearance at the Duke of Edinburghs memorial service, Mr Welby said: At a big public occasion the Queen is fully entitled to have one of her children supporting her. Secondly, forgiveness really does matter. I think we have become a very, very unforgiving society. Theres a difference between consequences and forgiveness. I think for all of us, one of the ways that we celebrate when we come together is in learning to be a more open and forgiving society. Now, with Prince Andrew, I think we all have to step back a bit. Hes seeking to make amends and I think thats a very good thing. But you cant tell people how theyre to respond about this. And the issues of the past in the area of abuse are so intensely personal and private for so many people. Its not surprising theres very deep feelings indeed. The Duke of York in his interview with Newsnight (BBC/PA) Andrew took a central role in escorting his mother to Philips memorial service in March. It came as a surprise change to the planned arrangements only weeks earlier he had been banished from royal public life and paid to settle his court case. The move was taken as a sign of the monarchs support for her son. The Archbishop later released a statement in a bid to clarify his comments and said he hoped they would not distract from the Jubilee celebrations. In tonights interview with ITV News I was asked a question about forgiveness, and I said that there is a difference between consequences and forgiveness, he said. Both are essential elements of the Christian understanding of justice, mercy and reconciliation. I also made the broader point that I hope we can become a more forgiving society. These are complex issues that are difficult to address in a short media interview and I hope they do not distract from this weeks joyful celebration of Her Majesty The Queens Platinum Jubilee. A spokesperson for the Archbishop said he was not referring specifically to the duke when talking about a forgiving society. He was making a broader point about the kind of society that he hopes the Platinum Jubilee inspires us to be, the spokesperson said. The Queen has a deep Christian faith and is Supreme Governor of the Church of England. The archbishop is the Churchs most senior figure and the spiritual leader of 85 million Anglicans worldwide. The duke agreed to make a substantial donation to Ms Giuffres charity after the pair agreed an undisclosed out-of-court settlement in her civil sex claim against him in February. In the wide-ranging interview, the archbishop was also asked about the rift between brothers the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex. Of course, its sad when families are struggling, but what family isnt? he said. Jesus says anyone whos never sinned cast the first stone, and they all go away I think if theres any family where the relationships are perfect, theyre entitled to judge, but Im not going to. The Queen is probably the most trusted person in the country, Justin Welby said (Andrew Matthews/PA) Ahead of the jubilee weekend, the archbishop said the Queen is probably the most trusted person in the country and has been for many, many years. He praised the monarch for her absolute consistency during her 70-year reign. It is something extraordinary to celebrate and if we go back, 1952 was a pretty rough time for a very large number of people, he said. The Queen has gone from that moment to this moment as the one point of absolute consistency in the life of the nation. I think its a golden thread that runs through 70 years and to celebrate that is a great thing, I think it will lift peoples spirit. The archbishop said about growing demands for Britain to apologise for the past actions of the British Empire: For the royal family, I think they are very aware of this. They show their awareness of it in the way they go about their work. The Commonwealth its no longer the British Commonwealth, its the Commonwealth. I think that that is the right way to go. Its to acknowledge the past, examine it honestly, and truthfully dealing with areas that went wrong, but celebrating things that went right and keep going forward. The interview will air on Tuesday evening as part of the ITVs News At Ten bulletin. Flash Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky that Turkey attaches importance to the project of creating a safe corridor for the export of Ukraine's agricultural products by sea, Erdogan's office said in a statement. The two leaders also discussed the recent developments in the Ukrainian crisis, according to the statement. Erdogan said Turkey had made every effort to continue the negotiations between Ukraine and Russia and his country was ready to provide the needed support including mediation. In principle, Ankara has a positive view of participating in the "Control Center" to be established between Moscow, Kiev and the United Nations and hosting its headquarters in Istanbul, Erdogan told Zelensky. Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Erdogan had a phone conversation. The two leaders addressed maritime security in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, and the removal of the threat of mines in these waters, the Kremlin said. Putin said Russia was ready to "facilitate the unhindered sea transit of goods" in coordination with the Turkish side, adding this also applies to grain exports from Ukrainian ports. Given the current challenges in the global food market, Russia would be able to export the necessary volumes of fertilizers and agricultural products if Western sanctions were lifted, the Kremlin noted. According to a statement issued by the Turkish presidential office, Erdogan and Putin discussed Turkey's security concerns for Syria and the Ukrainian crisis, as well as Turkey-Russia relations. Erdogan told Putin that Turkey was ready for meeting with Russia, Ukraine, and the United Nations in Istanbul and to play a role in a possible observation mechanism if both sides agree on principle, the statement said. Bradford has been hailed for its rich history and diverse community as it was named the UK City of Culture 2025. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the win, announced live on television by Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries on Tuesday, builds on the dynamism of the city. Bradford beat fellow finalists County Durham, Southampton and Wrexham County Borough. Ms Dorries, who revealed the winner on the BBCs The One Show, said the standard of entries this year had been phenomenal. She said the runners-up would be going home with 125,000. BRADFORD IS #CityofCulture2025 This is our time to celebrate our extraordinary district and for our young population to become leaders and change-makers to begin an exciting new chapter in our story. This is Our Time, Our Place #Bradford2025 https://t.co/Xlmb48FZz5 pic.twitter.com/Hn5WsO4j8g Bradford 2025 (@bradford2025) May 31, 2022 Imran Hussain, Labour MP for Bradford East, told of his delight at the win, tweeting: Bradford is beautiful, Bradford is brilliant, and Bradford is the now the #UKCityofCulture2025!! There really is no better place, and Im beyond delighted that the Minister agrees with me. The Bradford 2025 official bid account on Twitter wrote: This is our time to celebrate our extraordinary district and for our young population to become leaders and change-makers to begin an exciting new chapter in our story. Bradford is beautiful, Bradford is brilliant, and Bradford is the now the #UKCityofCulture2025!! There really is no better place, and I'm beyond delighted that the Minister agrees with me.#Bradford2025 https://t.co/9gdESPGBYI Imran Hussain MP (@Imran_HussainMP) May 31, 2022 Bradford Council leader, councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, said the title brings with it so many opportunities for people not only in terms of creativity and culture, but also for employment, attracting inward investment, boosting the local economy and opening up opportunities for young people to enhance their skills. Artist Shanaz Gulzar, the chairwoman of Bradfords bid, said the area had been overlooked and underestimated for so long but now was its time to shine. Ms Dorries said Bradford thoroughly deserved the win, tweeting that it had been a joy to make the announcement. She wrote: Thoroughly deserved and great news for this brilliant city. This IS your time to show off your rich history, diverse community and extraordinary people. Celebrations got underway in Bradford as it was named the UK City of Culture 2025 (Karol Wyszynski/PA) Also tweeting his congratulations, Mr Johnson said: This title builds on the rich history and dynamism of the city, bringing investment and opportunity for everyone who lives and works there. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the win was a huge success for a city built on rich history, art and culture. Robbie Moore, Conservative MP for Keighley and and Ilkley, part of the Bradford district, said the title will provide an awesome economic boost for our area. Tracy Brabin, mayor of West Yorkshire, said: I send my congratulations to all the team involved in this bidding process and I know the people of Bradford are ready to take this opportunity and shine on a national stage. I'm absolutely delighted that Bradford will be the UKs City of Culture in 2025. Not only is this huge for the fantastic people of Bradford, but for everyone across West Yorkshire. #CityofCulture2025 #Bradford2025 pic.twitter.com/AW5CpBlNhO Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire (@MayorOfWY) May 31, 2022 Those behind the bid estimated the UK City of Culture 2025 title could bring an extra 700 million into Bradford district, creating 3,000 jobs and attracting around 1.1 million visitors. They said Bradford will receive 275,000 in initial seed funding as it develops its plans for 2025, which are set to feature more than 1,000 new performances and events including 365 artist commissions, a series of major arts festivals and major national and international collaborations. Those involved in the campaign said the win is a game-changer for the district which includes Bradford, Keighley, Ilkley, Haworth, Shipley and Bingley and will put it firmly on the national and international stage. Bradford has been named City of Culture 2025 (Alamy./PA) A creative director and a managing director will be appointed this year to lead the delivery. The shortlist was compiled from a record group of 20 that registered bids to take over the title from Coventry. The advisory panel, chaired by Sir Phil Redmond, visited the four shortlisted places before making their final recommendation in May, which was later approved by Ms Dorries. Coventry marks the closing of its tenure as UK City of Culture (Doug Peters/PA) Michael Ockwell, who was on the Southampton 2025 City of Culture steering group, praised the work of the organising team for their own bid as fantastic, and congratulated Bradford on the win. Mary Kelly Foy, Labour MP for the City of Durham, said it was disappointing not to win, but their bid had highlighted the extraordinary cultural heritage of our county. The team behind Wrexhams bid also congratulated Bradford on the win and said: As a county, and as a community, this competition has brought us all closer together and helped us realise just how special Wrexham is. For the first time this year, the eight longlisted winners received a 40,000 grant to strengthen their applications. They included Cornwall, Derby, Stirling and Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon. Since winning the title, Coventry has seen more than 172 million invested in music concerts and the UKs first permanent immersive digital art gallery, as well as a further 500 million for the citys regeneration, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said. The blame game over flight disruption ahead of the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday is no help to passengers, a consumer group has warned. Trade unions and the Labour Party accused the Government of failing to provide enough support to the aviation sector, which is facing staff shortages. Thousands of employees were laid off during the coronavirus pandemic as restrictions meant many people did not want to travel overseas. The Government insists the aviation industry is responsible for making sure they have enough staff. Rory Boland, editor of consumer magazine Which? Travel, said: The blame game over staff shortages and flight cancellations is no help at all to passengers, who need instant action to bring an end to the airport chaos that is causing so much misery and leaving many people out of pocket, with little hope of getting all their money back. The Government and regulators must take their share of responsibility for creating a situation where airlines feel empowered to treat passengers poorly and ignore their legal obligations to put passengers on alternative flights to their destinations, with other carriers if necessary. Enforcing this rule would help thousands of passengers immediately. A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority said the regulator understands the impact of disruption on customers, which is exactly why there are rules in place to protect consumers in these circumstances. He went on: We have guidance on cancellations and flight disruption published on our website for consumers, and continue to engage with airlines and airports to remind them of their responsibilities and make sure passenger rights are upheld. Airlines UK, the industry body representing UK-registered carriers, said in a statement that the UKs aviation sector has only had a matter of weeks to recover after being grounded for almost two years. It continued: Despite this, and without the ability to know when restrictions would be completely removed or predict how much flying would be possible over the summer, the vast majority of the many tens of thousands of UK-departing flights a week will be operating as scheduled. The focus now should be on our customers, with airports, airlines and Government working together in the best interests of Britons to ensure they get away over the summer. All remaining coronavirus restrictions for people entering the UK were lifted on March 18. Former Cabinet minister Dame Andrea Leadsom has become the latest senior Tory to criticise Boris Johnson for his unacceptable failings of leadership over lockdown parties in Downing Street. In a letter to her constituents, Dame Andrea said the extent and severity of the rule-breaking in No 10 exposed in the Sue Gray report meant it was extremely unlikely the senior leadership did not know what was going on. The conclusion I have drawn from the Sue Gray report is that there have been unacceptable failings of leadership that cannot be tolerated and are the responsibility of the Prime Minister, she said. In the message, which was shared on social media, she stopped short of directly calling on Mr Johnson to resign and did not say whether she had submitted a letter calling for a no confidence vote. Dame Andrea concluded however by saying: Each of my Conservative colleagues and I must now decide individually on what is the right course of action that will restore confidence in our Government. Her intervention is a further blow to Mr Johnson as a steady stream of Tory MPs have been calling on the Prime Minister to stand down in the wake of Ms Grays report last week. A committed Brexiteer, Dame Andrea backed Mr Johnson for the leadership in 2019 after pulling out of the contest herself, underlining the fact that discontent with the Prime Minister extends across the party. Carlisle MP John Stevenson became the latest backbencher to announce he had submitted a letter after Mr Johnson did not respond to calls to put himself forward for a confidence vote by Tory MPs. Sadly, the Prime Minister appears unwilling to bring matters to a head and submit himself to such a vote, he said in a statement posted on social media . Therefore, the only option is for the Conservative MPs to facilitate a vote of confidence. I have already take the appropriate action. Former foreign secretary Lord Hague of Richmond said the Prime Minister is in real trouble and that Tory MPs are moving towards having a ballot on his leadership. (PA Graphics) Allies of Mr Johnson had been hopeful he had escaped unscathed following a relatively muted initial response to Ms Grays report last week, but Lord Hague said it is proving to be one of those sort of slow-fuse explosions in politics. Its still going along. A lot of people misread it really, the events of last week as meaning the trouble is over, Boris is free and thats actually not the mood in the Conservative Party, which is very, very troubled about the contents of that report, he told Times Radio. So I think the Conservative Party will need to resolve this one way or another, obviously because to be an effective party they either need to rally behind the Prime Minister theyve got, or they need to decide to force him out. I think theyre moving towards either next week or around the end of June, they are moving towards having a ballot, it looks like that. (PA Graphics) Former education secretary Justine Greening said the Prime Minister needs to get a grip or get out, saying there is a real jitteriness among Conservative MPs. Ms Greening, who was among 21 pro-Remain rebels thrown out of the party by Mr Johnson and is now no longer an MP, likened his position to that of Theresa May when she was under fire from Tory Brexiteers. There is a real jitteriness around the parliamentary party of following a Prime Minister who isnt really setting out a clear plan on necessarily where he wants to lead the country, she told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme. We have been here before with Theresa May. The reality is all prime ministers either have to get a grip or get out. That is a political rule that even Boris Johnson will need to follow. A steady stream of backbenchers have called on Mr Johnson to go after Ms Grays report laid bare a hard-drinking culture at the heart of government while raising renewed claims he misled Parliament. Boris Johnson is facing growing calls from Tory MPs to stand down (Dominic Lipinski/PA) Under party rules, the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee Sir Graham Brady must call a vote of confidence in Mr Johnsons leadership if 54 Tory MPs 15% of the parliamentary party submit a letter calling for one. So far, more than 25 MPs have publicly called on the Prime Minister to stand down although not all of them have said whether they have written to Sir Graham. However, it is also widely believed in Westminster that a number of others have put in letters without declaring their intentions amid speculation the tally is approaching the total needed to trigger a vote. The arts minister, Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, said it is pointless to speculate on numbers but acknowledged the continued uncertainty is a distraction as the Government seeks to focus on the cost-of-living crisis. Its pointless speculating about something unless or until it happens, he told Sky News. Its a distraction from the work of Government, and in Government were getting on with making sure that we grow the economy to help with the cost of living. A miniature display of the royal family including a Lego replica of the Queen which took 15 hours to build has been unveiled at Legoland Windsor to mark the Platinum Jubilee. The Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with their three children also feature in the exhibit, as well as a Red Arrows flyover and a street party in front of Windsor Castle. The display took Legoland Windsors model makers around 282 hours to build, using more than 18,000 individual bricks. Chief model maker Paula Laughton said the team had pulled out all the stops to mark the Jubilee. The Red Arrows scene took one model maker 33 hours to build (Jonathan Brady/PA) The display is made up of several scenes and has been set up in the theme parks Miniland, including a miniature version of the famous Buckingham Palace balcony complete with the Queen and members of her family waving to the crowds below. A second model of the Queen, which took 15 hours to build and is made up of 1,350 bricks, depicts the monarch in a bright yellow dress and hat in a motorised car heading up The Mall, which is decked out in flags. Model maker Paula Young places a Lego replica of the Queen in a display replicating the balcony scene at Buckingham Palace (Jonathan Brady/PA) The Red Arrows have also been created in Lego, with nine planes, which were built by one model maker over 33 hours, flying down The Mall towards Buckingham Palace. Each plane has a wingspan of 8.5in (21.5cm), is made up of 206 bricks and even has a smoke effect. There is also a replica of a picnic celebration taking place on Windsors Long Walk, decorated with flags and bunting as well as street party scenes. Model maker Freya Groom places a replica of the Queen in an animated vehicle in the display (Jonathan Brady/PA) Ms Laughton said: The royal connection between Windsor and Her Majesty meant that our model maker team had to pull out all the stops to mark this monumental occasion here in Miniland. Its always a joy to be able to recreate iconic moments in British history in Lego form, and we hope guests to the resort will enjoy catching a glimpse of the Queen as theyve never seen her and the royal family before with a little miniature majesty. The display will be on show from Tuesday until the end of the main Legoland season in November. A man was arrested for allegedly trespassing in the grounds of Buckingham Palace days before the Platinum Jubilee celebrations after telling household staff: I want to see the Queen, a court has heard. Connor Attridge, 28, allegedly walked through the vehicle gate of the Royal Mews on Sunday night when it was opened to allow through an authorised car. He managed to breach the palace boundary by three to five metres after refusing to stop when challenged by a member of the household staff, Westminster Magistrates Court heard. Attridge, who has a facial tattoo reading truly blessed, said: I want to come in. I want to see the Queen, before being ushered out of the gate and arrested, the court was told. He appeared in the dock on Tuesday charged with trespassing on a protected site on May 29. Attridges arrest comes amid heightened security around the palace in the run-up to the extended bank holiday to celebrate the Queens 70-year reign. Troops of the Household Cavalry on The Mall during an early morning rehearsal ahead of Sundays Platinum Jubilee Pageant (Dominic Lipinski/PA) On June 2, Trooping the Colour, the sovereigns official birthday parade, will kick-start the four days of festivities, with the expectation the Queen will join working members of the royal family on the Buckingham Palace balcony. This is one of the most high-profile weeks in history, with it being the 70th anniversary, said prosecutor Leila Nahaboo-Osman. She said the area where the defendant allegedly trespassed is one of the most heavily guarded places in London. Daniel Mullin, defending, said his client suffers from mental health issues, did not use stealth and had no motive or desire to go further than he did, having allegedly breached the boundary by just metres. This was at worst reckless and at best bordering on an accidental offence, he said. District Judge Nina Tempia adjourned the case to June 28 for the Crown Prosecution Service to obtain consent from Attorney General Suella Braverman, which is required in cases involving trespass on a protected site. She granted Attridge, from Eastbourne, East Sussex, bail with conditions, including a curfew monitored by electronic tag and exclusion from London, except to attend court. The alleged incident is the latest involving the Royal Mews which houses the royal familys horses. Earlier this year, American tourist Joseph Huang Kang, 24, was fined 200 after jumping over the fence into the Mews on the afternoon of December 10 last year in the midst of a psychotic episode. Cameron Kalani, 44, scaled the fence in the early hours of May 10 last year and was caught with an 8in (20cm) kitchen knife and cocaine in his bag when he was arrested after climbing back into Buckingham Palace Road. He was handed a 24-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, after pleading guilty to trespassing on a protected site, possession of a bladed article and possession of a wrap of cocaine. Kalani said he had travelled to London from his home in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, while in a state of psychosis in a bid to be arrested. Buckingham Palace has been contacted for comment. Ministers have picked a new chairman from the business world to lead the UKs competition watchdog after its outspoken former boss stepped down in frustration. Marcus Bokkerink, a former consultant, was named as the preferred candidate of Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng on Tuesday. If selected, he will take the role as chair of the Competition and Markets Authority at a time of great change for the watchdog. Formerly subservient to competition regulators in Brussels during the UKs EU membership, the CMA is now planning a life of its own and needs to branch out. The new chairman spent 30 years at Boston Consulting Group, ending up as a senior partner. His experience is in contrast to former chairman Lord Andrew Tyrie, who was an MP for 20 years. Lord Tyrie was for several years the chairman of the Treasury Select Committee, tenaciously grilling officials, ministers and businesses on their actions. But he left the role at the helm of the CMAs board in 2020, saying that the role was too limited. There were also reports that he had been forced out by those at the CMA who were opposed to his reforms. When he takes the reins, Mr Bokkerink will be a far less well-known entity than Lord Tyrie though MPs on the business committee will get to quiz him before his appointment. What direction he might take the watchdog was not clear from the announcement that he had been selected. On a LinkedIn page believed to be that of Mr Bokkerink he has written that competition in any market is precious and more fragile than often assumed. It requires active vigilance to protect it. This is one of five lessons Mr Bokkerink said he has taken from his career. Another is that true competitive advantage drives returns, growth and economic value creation, in that order. Alongside his announcement as the preferred CMA chair, Mr Bokkerink said: The CMA is a leader among its peers in promoting effective competition and protecting consumers. I am delighted to be asked to work with the outstanding team there and the board to help it fulfil its expanded responsibilities. He is an alumnus of Cambridge, SOAS and Harvard Business School. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: Marcus will make an excellent addition to the CMA team, bolstering its work to promote competition and innovation to help grow our economy and ensure the best deals for consumers. There are many opportunities on the horizon and his appointment will help us to seize them. Only one police force in the UK is meeting a target to answer 90% of 999 calls in under 10 seconds, new data has shown. Avon and Somerset Police was the only force to meet the standard, according to national statistics released for the first time by the Home Office. Forty-three forces failed to meet it over the six months from November 2021 to April 2022. Overall, 71% of 999 calls were answered within 10 seconds. Humberside Police recorded the worst number, with only 2% of calls answered in under 10 seconds. South Yorkshire Police answered 17%, Durham Police 41%, North Yorkshire 44% and Gloucestershire 49%. Police Scotland aim to have a mean answering time of under 10 seconds, and recorded 10.1 over the period. Home Secretary Priti Patel said the public deserve to know that their local police force will be at the end of the phone, ready to leap into action at seconds notice to protect them from harm. Fundamentally, publishing this data is about driving up standards in our incredible emergency services even further, so that the public can have every confidence in the polices ability to save lives and keep our streets safe, she added. We can now see where forces are excelling and where vital improvements need to be made and I thank the police for their commitment to ensuring we maintain the best emergency services in the world. The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) lead for contact management, Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd, said a lag in connecting calls can contribute to waits but that this isnt for a member of public to resolve. We want the public to have access to the data as part of policing being open and transparent, he added. This is the first time police forces and the public have been able to see the time it takes to answer 999 calls from the call being made by the public, it being connected to the police by BT and local providers, to it being answered by police call handlers. The Association for Police and Crime Commissioners local policing leads Alison Hernandez and Jeff Cuthbert said the data shows the demand for policing and the volume of calls across the country. Police and Crime Commissioners are committed to supporting excellence in policing and will use this data to continually drive forward improvements and hold the police to account on behalf of the public, they added. It comes after the BBC reported that freedom of information requests obtained from 22 police forces in England and Wales suggested officers are now 28% slower to attend Grade 1 emergencies. This equates to taking three minutes longer on average to arrive at serious incidents. Home Secretary Priti Patel said the public deserve to know that their local police force will be at the end of the phone (Danny Lawson/PA) The BBC said responses from 19 forces in England and Wales suggested they were 44% slower to arrive at serious incidents than in 2013. The broadcaster also reported that the number of recorded crimes leading to a charge or court summons for a perpetrator fell for the last seven consecutive years, up to March 2021. Between 2015 and 2021 it fell by 40%. Here is a list of the average answering time for 999 calls between November 2021 and April 2022 for every territorial police force in the UK, except the City of London. The data only covers 999 calls intended for the police and does not include 999 calls for other emergency services. The list is ordered alphabetically and reads, from left to right: name of police force; average (mean) answering time in seconds; percentage of calls answered under 10 seconds; percentage of calls answered between 10 and 60 seconds; percentage of calls answered after 60 seconds. All percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Avon & Somerset 6.2 92% 8% 1% Bedfordshire 19.2 70% 21% 9% Cambridgeshire 13.5 72% 25% 3% Cheshire 18.2 76% 17% 7% Cleveland 8.5 82% 17% 1% Cumbria 11 83% 15% 2% Derbyshire 10.7 58% 41% 1% Devon & Cornwall 21 71% 21% 8% Dorset 17 63% 32% 5% Durham 22.8 41% 49% 10% Dyfed Powys 10.1 81% 16% 3% Essex 12.1 79% 18% 3% Gloucestershire 27.1 49% 40% 11% Greater Manchester 24 69% 19% 12% Gwent 16.1 80% 14% 6% Hampshire 12.2 72% 25% 2% Hertfordshire 15.7 73% 23% 5% Humberside 16.8 2% 95% 3% Kent 16.9 67% 26% 7% Lancashire 14 63% 35% 2% Leicestershire 8.4 89% 8% 3% Lincolnshire 6 89% 10% 1% Merseyside 11.1 80% 16% 4% Metropolitan 18.8 70% 23% 7% Norfolk 8.3 84% 15% 1% Northamptonshire 6.4 87% 12% 0% Northern Ireland 9.7 76% 23% 1% Northumbria 33.3 55% 29% 16% North Wales 8.9 78% 21% 2% North Yorkshire 29.3 44% 43% 13% Nottinghamshire 8 89% 10% 1% Scotland 10.1 84% 14% 2% South Wales 21.6 71% 18% 11% South Yorkshire 20.5 17% 76% 7% Staffordshire 21.3 81% 10% 9% Suffolk 19 81% 12% 7% Surrey 9.6 82% 17% 1% Sussex 10.6 81% 18% 1% Thames Valley 11.3 83% 15% 3% Warwickshire 9.4 78% 20% 2% West Mercia 11.7 78% 20% 2% West Midlands 23.2 63% 25% 11% West Yorkshire 11.3 79% 19% 2% Wiltshire 16.6 61% 34% 5% Fans of the royal family who have camped out days ahead of the Platinum Jubilee laughed off torrential downpours which they said were worth it to be part of the celebrations. Rain failed to dampen the spirits of those for whom a handful of tents along the side of The Mall in central London will be home this week. The royalists secured their spots early near Buckingham Palace in the hope they will get the best view of the Queen and her family. Pat Hart, 46, and his wife Angie, 51, travelled to the capital on Saturday with their two daughters, from near Toronto in Canada. Pat and Angie Hart, from Canada, on The Mall (Aaron Chown/PA) Mrs Hart is on her third trip for a big royal event, having camped out for the weddings of the Cambridges and the Sussexes. She described camping out as lots of fun, adding: Brits know how to do pomp. They will spend their first night camping on Tuesday and stay in position until after Trooping the Colour on Thursday. Speaking after a downpour, Mrs Hart said: We had some lovely British hail, and wind and rain but its worth it. By the end of it its always worth it and I think the harder it is maybe the more rewarding it is. Laughing, she added: Ill keep telling myself that anyway. Explaining why she wanted to travel to the UK and camp out to see the royals, she said: I love the rich history. My grandmother was British and she taught me about England and Britain and the royal family. Royal fans camping out on The Mall (Aaron Chown/PA) I have real respect and love for the Queen who has worked so tirelessly hard her whole life. And its the jubilee year and, honestly, the British know how to do ceremonial, the pomp and the pageantry, like nobody else. Its pretty special. She described seeing the Queen as the bucket list, adding: Thats why were camping out. Mrs Hart said they are hoping and praying shes up to it physically. The Queen has limited the Platinum Jubilee Trooping the Colour balcony appearance to working members of her family who carry out official public duties. Eighteen royals will appear on Thursday including the monarch, if mobility problems allow, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are returning to the UK for the jubilee but will not be on the balcony on Thursday. Another royal fan and camper, Mary-Jane Willows, said she is hoping to spot Harry at some stage, having missed him since his move to the US. The 69-year-old, from Penzance in Cornwall, a retired chief executive of a childrens charity, said: I think weve missed him, personally. I think Im pleased he did what he did for his own mental health but Ill be thrilled to see him back here. But she added that seeing the Queen will be the highlight. She has previously camped out for William and Kates wedding, the Queens 90th birthday celebrations and the Golden Jubilee. Having set up camp on Tuesday morning and been there for the rain, she did not appear troubled by the wet weather. She said: Thats what its all about, isnt it? At the end of the day were in Britain, youre going to get British weather. Asked if she hopes conditions will improve, she smiled and said: I think the weather will do what the weather will do and well just make the best of it. Musical rehearsals could be heard on Tuesday afternoon in front of Buckingham Palace with lights and a screen visible behind barriers set up at the top of The Mall. Boeing 747 being retired from passenger service by Virgin Atlantic Airways, before redeployment as a freight and military carrier, seen in a maintenance hanger at Heathrow Airport, London LONDON (Reuters) - Virgin Atlantic cabin crew will be allowed to display tattoos on their arms after the airline said on Tuesday it had dropped a requirement for uniformed and front line staff to cover up inkings with long-sleeved shirts, plasters or make up. A traditionally glamorous role, flight attendants have always been expected to look well groomed, with most airlines setting strict dress requirements for staff. In 2019, Virgin dropped a requirement for female cabin crew to wear makeup. The British airline founded by billionaire Richard Branson said it was now also relaxing its tattoo restrictions ahead of a fresh recruitment drive for cabin crew. "Many people use tattoos to express their unique identities and our customer-facing and uniformed colleagues should not be excluded from doing so if they choose," Virgin Atlantic's Chief People Officer Estelle Hollingsworth said in a statement. The airline said neck, face and head tattoos must still be covered, although it was currently reviewing that policy. Offensive tattoos are also required to be covered up, it said. (Reporting by Farouq Suleiman, Editing by Kylie MacLellan) Flash China's Ambassador to Bulgaria Dong Xiaojun on Monday called for deepening bilateral ties within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Since its launch, the BRI has achieved remarkable results and has entered a stage of high-quality development, Dong said at the 5th anniversary meeting of the Bulgaria National Association for the Belt and Road. Bulgaria is an important cooperation hub in the Balkans under the BRI, Dong said, adding that the traditional friendship between China and Bulgaria has been constantly deepening within the BRI and the cooperation mechanism between China and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. He said that priority should be given to cooperation in the fields of innovation, the joint maintenance of stable global industrial chains and supply chains, and the implementation of in-depth and extensive cultural exchanges. Through joint efforts bilateral cooperation would be long-term, stable and comprehensive, and would achieve even more successes, Dong said. The meeting adopted guidelines for the association's activities in 2022-2023. Apart from organizing conferences, the association will aim to strengthen cooperation in agriculture, tourism, culture, science and education. Copycat threats are abounding in the wake of the deadly shooting barely a week ago in Uvalde, Texas and at least two of them have come from Florida. A Florida man was arrested Sunday for posting a photo of himself in what police called tactical attire with guns on social media, captioned, Hey Siri, directions to the nearest school, police in Hillsborough County said. Someone tipped police off, and they arrested Corey Anderson, 18, on charges of making a written or electronic threat to conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism. Corey Anderson Corey Anderson (HCSO Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office/) Upon searching the home in Lutz, Fla., detectives determined that the handgun and rifle he posed with were airsoft guns, which are akin to nerf weapons, police said. The incident comes just a few days after a 10-year-old fifth-grade boy made similar threats and was arrested. The alleged texted threat against Patriot Elementary School in Cape Coral, Fla., got him charged on Saturday with making a written threat to conduct a mass shooting. On Monday, a woman identifying herself as Andersons mother told WFLA-TV that the family was now receiving threats and had hired an attorney. Anderson has already been released from custody, WFLA reported. Beyond that there is no comment, the woman told WFLA. We are getting threats at this time, its very scary, very scary. Given the horrific shooting in Uvalde, Texas, barely a week ago, in which 19 students and two teachers perished, police were not only on high alert but also said there was zero tolerance for such behavior. The 21 beautiful angels who lost their lives in Uvalde, Texas school shooting This type of threat is unacceptable. This man intentionally instilled fear into our community as a sick joke, but be warned, this is no laughing matter, Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. We will do everything within our power to apprehend and pursue charges on those who make school-based threats. Protecting students is our greatest priority. We take school threats very seriously. If you see something suspicious, please contact us immediately. Four protesters have been arrested after gluing themselves together and spraying paint on a building in central London, the Metropolitan Police said. Palestine Action activists were blockading a Holborn building where Israeli weapons company Elbit Systems has an office, the campaign group said on Twitter. Footage showed the entrance of 77 Kingsway covered in red paint as the four demonstrators, their arms locked together in cylinder tubes, chanted: Shut Elbit down. BREAKING: Activists have yet again #ShutElbitDown, blockading the London HQ of Israel's largest weapons company. No more hollow promises for Palestine, only this promise for Elbit: Our activists and supporters will work day and night until we've shut you down for good! pic.twitter.com/2MiFHvUXJt Palestine Action (@Pal_action) May 31, 2022 Two men and two women were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and assault, according to Scotland Yard, which said a member of staff at the building was assaulted. The forces de-bonding team was deployed after officers were called to reports of a demonstration at Kingsway at around 8:30am on Tuesday. The protesters were also pictured letting off coloured smoke flares. Four protesters have been arrested after gluing themselves together outside 77 Kingsway (Lindsey Masters/PA) Palestine Action tweeted: If this were Palestine, this smoke might well be Elbit-made tear gas used on the Palestinian people. Palestine is being choked by the warmongers at Elbit and our place in the fight to #FreePalestine is to join the resistance and #ShutElbitDown. Elbit Systems was contacted for comment. The royal familys Jubilee appearances on the Buckingham Palace balcony have long offered a fascinating insight into the shape and future of the monarchy. From the Queens Silver Jubilee to this years Platinum Jubilee, these line-ups send a striking message about the primary players on the royal stage. In 2012, for the Diamond Jubilee, a slimmed-down version of The Firm stepped out to greet the mass crowds celebrating the Queens 60-year reign. The Silver Jubilee balcony appearance in 1977, Golden Jubilee in 2002 and Diamond Jubilee in 2012 (PA) Just six royals waved to the well-wishers at the frontage of monarchy HQ the Queen and only those at the very top of the succession list and their wives. Alongside the monarch was her eldest son and heir to the throne the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, second in line to the throne the Duke of Cambridge and his wife of just over a year the Duchess of Cambridge, and third in line Prince Harry, with the Duke of Edinburgh in hospital after falling ill following the River Pageant. Key royals onboard the Spirit of Chartwell during the Diamond Jubilee Pageant (John Stillwell/PA) The decision was said to be part of future King Charles vision of streamlining and modernising the institution. Missing were the Queens other children, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex all then full-time working royals and their families, amid reports Andrew was angered by the decision and Edward left disappointed. Crowds cheering the Queen on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in 2012 (Lewis Whyld/PA) Ten years earlier during the 2002 Golden Jubilee, 20 members of the royal family had packed the balcony of the Queens London home to watch a traditional flypast. The long line of royals stretched across the balcony and included Andrew, Edward and the Countess of Wessex and Anne along with the Queens grandchildren Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and Peter Phillips, as well as William and Harry. Also there were a number of extended family the Queens cousins the Duke of Kent, the Duke of Gloucester, Princess Alexandra and Prince Michael of Kent and his wife Princess Michael of Kent among others. The Queen surrounded by her family watches flypast during the Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002 (Matthew Fearn/PA) There was no Camilla, as the duchess was still Mrs Parker Bowles and three years away from marrying Charles. For the Silver Jubilee in 1977, it was the Queen, Philip, their children who were then young adults and teens, as well as the influential figure of Philips uncle Earl Mountbatten of Burma, who was murdered by the IRA two years later. They were joined by the royal matriarch the Queen Mother, the Queens sister Princess Margaret and Annes now ex-husband Captain Mark Phillips. The Queen and Philip with (from left) Charles, Edward, Anne, Earl Mountbatten, Captain Mark Phillips, Princess Margaret, Prince Andrew and the Queen Mother in 1977 (PA) In 2022, scandals and family dramas have ensured a vastly altered balcony ensemble for the traditional flypast. Gone is Harry, after he and the Duchess of Sussex stepped down as senior working royals amid the Megxit saga. Harry and Meghan are returning to the UK for what will be the former Suits actress first experience of a Jubilee since she married into the Windsors. But the Queen has after careful consideration limited the Platinum Jubilee Trooping the Colour balcony appearance to working members of her family who carry out official public duties. The Jubilee Queen in the Gold State Coach in 2002 (Rebecca Naden/PA) Eighteen royals will appear on Thursday including the Queen, if mobility problems allow her to do so, and Charles, Camilla, William and Kate. There is also no place for Andrew, who was cast out of the institution over his civil sexual assault case. But back on the balcony are Edward and Sophie, and Anne and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, as well as the Queens cousins the Duke of Gloucester and his wife the Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra who have devoted their lives to royal service. The scene from the roof of Buckingham Palace as crowds gather for the flypast in 2002 (Chris Ison/PA) This Jubilee also sees new young additions, with the Queens Cambridge great-grandchildren Prince George a future monarch Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, and the Wessexes children Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn set to appear. It is also hoped the monarch will make a second Jubilee appearance at the end of the weekend after the Pageant on Sunday. miranda mckeon miranda mckeon/ instagram Miranda McKeon The night of May 30, 2021, will stay with Miranda McKeon. The Anne with an E actress expected it to be a fun time at a "beach house with a bunch of my friends," but it became the night that she found the lump that would turn out to be breast cancer, and the start of a year filled with doctor's appointments, chemotherapy, radiation and surgeries. Now a year later, McKeon, 20, is marking "the first of many anniversaries" with an Instagram post about that night. She had been "partying and dancing and having a really good time," when she left to use the bathroom. "I peed, fixed my hair, and performed the classic boob scoop a typical mid party practice. I brushed across a lump that was definitely not there before," she said. "It was the size of a jellybean but powerful enough to sink my stomach and set off emergency sirens in my head." RELATED: Miranda McKeon, 20, Reflects on Losing Her 'Body to Science' During Breast Cancer Treatment "I immediately started panicking my first instinct was that it was cancer." McKeon said that she called over a friend who helped her go "down a Google rabbit hole" to try and figure out if the lump was really cancer before leaving her friends and going to bed. "[I] cried myself to sleep as music blared from downstairs," she said. "My gut was screaming that something was wrong." A series of doctor's appointments followed that night, where McKeon learned that she was "one in a million," as she previously told PEOPLE, and diagnosed with breast cancer at age 19. That immediately kicked off IVF treatments, eight rounds of chemotherapy, three surgeries and 25 radiation sessions over the next eight months. As of February 25, McKeon is now in remission, and starting to honor the different milestones of her cancer experience. RELATED VIDEO: 'One in a Million': Anne with an E's Miranda McKeon on Getting Diagnosed with Breast Cancer at 19 "Today, a year ago since that night, I have a chest vacant of anything but silicone implants, hair extensions that cover what would probably be a pretty awkward hair style, and I begin the first of many anniversaries," she wrote on Instagram. "Anniversaries to me are a time for reflection, gratitude, mourning, and celebration." McKeon said she's marking this anniversary in St. Tropez with one of her best friends. "Life is crazy. I don't really have more to say so instead, like the poet that I am, I will leave you with a quote that really resonates today," she said, before including what Snoop Dogg said when he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame."'Last but not least, I want to thank me. I want to thank me for believing in me, I want to thank me for doing all this hard work. I wanna thank me for having no days off. I wanna thank me for never quitting. I wanna thank me for always being a giver and trying to give more than I receive. I wanna thank me for trying to do more right than wrong. I wanna thank me for being me at all times, Snoop Dogg you a bad motherf.' " New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and President Biden meet in the Oval Office of the White House on Tuesday. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) President Biden praised New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Tuesday for her success in curbing domestic extremism and guns as he tries to persuade a reluctant Congress to tighten gun laws in the aftermath of horrific mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, N.Y. The long-planned talks between Biden and Ardern centered on trade, climate and security in the Indo-Pacific, but the two leaders starkly different experiences in pushing for gun control loomed large in the conversation. Ardern successfully won passage of gun control measures in her country after a white supremacist gunman killed 51 Muslim worshipers at two Christchurch mosques in 2019. Less than a month later, all but one of the countrys 120 lawmakers voted in favor of banning military-style semiautomatic weapons. Biden told reporters at the start of his meeting with Ardern that he will meet with the Congress on guns, I promise you, but the White House has acknowledged that winning new gun legislation will be an uphill climb in an evenly divided Congress. The U.S. president praised Ardern for her galvanizing leadership on New Zealands efforts to curb the spread of extremism online, and said he wanted to hear more about the conversations in her country about the issue. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the two leaders spent part of the meeting discussing what has been done on gun reform under Arderns watch. Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron in 2019 launched an effort to work with tech companies on eliminating terrorist and violent extremist content online. Then-President Trump declined to join the effort, but the Biden administration has since joined the Christchurch Call to Action. Biden over the weekend traveled to Uvalde, Texas, to grieve with a community that he said made clear to him it wants to see Washington tighten gun laws in the aftermath of the shooting rampage that killed 19 children and two teachers. Biden heard similar calls for an overhaul of the nations gun laws earlier last month when he met with families of 10 Black people who were killed in a racist attack at a Buffalo supermarket. Biden and Ardern also discussed a May 15 shooting at a lunch banquet at a Taiwanese church in Laguna Woods that killed one person and wounded five. The pain is palpable, said Biden, recalling his conversations Sunday with families of victims of the Texas elementary school shooting. Ardern offered condolences and said she stood ready to share anything that we can share that would be of any value from New Zealands experience. Our experience demonstrated our need for gun reform, but it also demonstrated what I think is an international issue around violent extremism and terrorism online, Ardern told reporters after her more than hourlong meeting with Biden. That is an area where we see absolutely partnership that we can continue ... on those issues. Its unclear what, if anything, from New Zealand could be applicable to the U.S., which hasnt passed a major federal gun control measure since soon after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut that left 26 dead. A bipartisan group of senators were holding a private virtual meeting Tuesday to try to strike a compromise over gun safety legislation, but expectations remained low. Senators arent expected to even broach ideas for an assault weapon ban or other restrictions that could be popular with the public as ways to curb the most lethal mass shootings. Meanwhile, House Judiciary Committee Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) plans to hold a hearing Thursday on the Protecting Our Kids Act a package of eight bills that has almost no hope of passing the Senate but would serve as a marker in the debate. It includes calls to raise the age limit on semiautomatic rifle purchases from 18 to 21; create a grant program to buy back large-capacity magazines; establish voluntary safe practices for firearms storage, and build on executive measures to ban bump stock devices and so-called ghost guns made from 3-D printing. Ardern, in comments to reporters, said the two countries political systems are very different. Speaking of the Christchurch shooting, she said that in the aftermath of that, the New Zealand public had an expectation that if we knew what the problem was, that we do something about it. We had the ability with actually the near-unanimous support of parliamentarians to place a ban on semiautomatic military-style weapons and assault rifles, and so we did that. But the New Zealand public set the expectations first and foremost. The prime minister did not recommend any particular course of action to Biden during their talks, but expressed a broad understanding of what the United States is going through, according to a senior Biden administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversation. During a speech at Harvard Universitys commencement last week, Ardern spoke about the scourge of disinformation that is spread and amplified on social media. She said it represents a threat to fragile democracies. The Christchurch gunman was radicalized online. The attack, like the Buffalo supermarket rampage, was livestreamed on social media, she noted. The time has come for social media companies and other online providers to recognize their power and act on it, she said at Harvard. Bidens talks with Ardern came after he concluded his first visit to Asia last week, a trip to Japan and South Korea meant to highlight his administrations efforts to put greater focus on the Indo-Pacific. In Japan, Biden launched the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, a new trade pact forged with 14 Pacific allies, including New Zealand. The U.S. sees the pact as an alternative to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which moved forward without the U.S. after Trump pulled out. Ardern said she reiterated her commitment to TPP even as New Zealand has joined the new U.S.-launched Indo-Pacific framework. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A union jack and a flag bearing the image of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II appear in a crowd at Westminster Abbey in London on Commonwealth Day on March, 9, 2020. (Frank Augstein / Associated Press) After seven decades on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II is widely viewed in the U.K. as a rock in turbulent times. But in Britains former colonies, many see her as an anchor to an imperial past whose damage still lingers. So while the U.K. is celebrating the queens Platinum Jubilee 70 years on the throne with pageantry and parties, some in the Commonwealth are using the occasion to push for a formal break with the monarchy and the colonial history it represents. When I think about the queen, I think about a sweet old lady, said Jamaican academic Rosalea Hamilton, who campaigns for her country to become a republic. Its not about her. Its about her familys wealth, built on the backs of our ancestors. Were grappling with the legacies of a past that has been very painful. The empire that Elizabeth was born into is long gone, but she still reigns far beyond Britains shores. She is head of state in 14 other nations, including Canada, Australia, Papua New Guinea and the Bahamas. Until recently it was 15 Barbados cut ties with the monarchy in November, and several other Caribbean countries, including Jamaica, say they plan to follow suit. Britains jubilee celebrations, which climax over a four-day weekend starting Thursday, aim to recognize the diversity of the U.K. and the Commonwealth. A pageant through London on Sunday will feature Caribbean Carnival performers and Bollywood dancers. But Britains image of itself as a welcoming and diverse society has been battered by the revelation that hundreds, and maybe thousands, of people from the Caribbean who had lived legally in the U.K. for decades were denied housing, jobs or medical treatment and in some cases deported because they didnt have their paperwork. The British government has apologized and agreed to pay compensation, but the so-called Windrush scandal, named after the ship that carried the first post-World War II migrants to Britain from the West Indies, has caused deep anger, both in the U.K. and in the Caribbean. A trip to Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas in March by the queens grandson Prince William and his wife, Kate, which was intended to strengthen ties, appears to have had the opposite effect. Images of the couple shaking hands with children through a chain-link fence and riding in an open-topped Land Rover in a military parade stirred echoes of colonialism for many. Cynthia Barrow-Giles, professor of political science at the University of the West Indies, said the British seem to be very blind to the visceral sort of reactions that royal visits elicit in the Caribbean. Protesters in Jamaica demanded Britain pay reparations for slavery, and Prime Minister Andrew Holness politely told William that the country was moving on, a signal that it planned to become a republic. The next month, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne told Prince Edward that his country too would one day remove the queen as head of state. William acknowledged the strength of feeling and said the future is for the people to decide upon. We support with pride and respect your decisions about your future, he said in the Bahamas. Relationships evolve. Friendship endures. When then-Princess Elizabeth became queen on the death of her father, King George VI, in 1952, she was in Kenya. The East African country became independent in 1963 after years of violent struggle between a liberation movement and colonial troops. In 2013, the British government apologized for the torture of thousands of Kenyans during the 1950s Mau Mau uprising and paid millions in an out-of-court settlement. Memories of the empire are still raw for many Kenyans. From the start, her reign would be indelibly stained by the brutality of the empire she presided over and that accompanied its demise, said Patrick Gathara, a Kenyan cartoonist, writer and commentator. To this day, she has never publicly admitted, let alone apologized, for the oppression, torture, dehumanization and dispossession visited upon people in the colony of Kenya before and after she acceded to the throne. U.K. officials hope countries that become republics will remain in the Commonwealth, the 54-nation organization made up largely of former British colonies, which has the queen as its ceremonial head. The queens strong personal commitment to the Commonwealth has played a big role in uniting a diverse group whose members range from vast India to tiny Tuvalu. But the organization, which aims to champion democracy, good governance and human rights, faces an uncertain future. As Commonwealth heads of government prepare to meet in Kigali, Rwanda, this month for a summit, some question whether the organization can continue once the queens eldest son, Prince Charles, succeeds her. Many of the more uncomfortable histories of the British Empire and the British Commonwealth are sort of waiting in the wings for as soon as Elizabeth II is gone, royal historian Ed Owens said. The crisis reflects Britains declining global clout. Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth under its authoritarian late President Robert Mugabe and is seeking readmission. But many in its capital, Harare, have expressed indifference to the queens jubilee, as Britains influence wanes and countries such as China and Russia enjoy closer relations with the nation. She is becoming irrelevant here, social activist Peter Nyapedwa said. We know about [Chinese President] Xi [Jinping] or [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, not the queen. Sue Onslow, director of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London, said the queen has been the invisible glue holding the Commonwealth together. But she says the organization has proved remarkably resilient and shouldnt be written off. The Commonwealth played a major role in galvanizing opposition to apartheid in the 1980s, and could do the same over climate change, which poses an existential threat to its low-lying island members. The Commonwealth has shown a remarkable ability to reinvent itself and contrive solutions at times of crisis, almost as if its jumping into a telephone box and coming out under different guise, she said. Whether it will do it now is an open question. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. PARIS (Reuters) - France on Monday called for an investigation after a French journalist was killed in Ukraine when the vehicle he was travelling in, which was being used to evacuate civilians near the city of Sievierodonetsk, was hit by shelling. "France demands that a probe be carried out as soon as possible and in transparency on the circumstances of this drama," Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, who was in Ukraine on Monday, said in a statement. Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff, 32, the latest journalist killed since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, was on his second reporting trip for French television channel BFM in Ukraine, his employer said. The governor of Ukraine's Luhansk region, Serhiy Haidai, said in a post on the messaging service Telegram that an armoured transport vehicle was hit by shrapnel from a Russian shell, killing the journalist. An attached picture showed a truck that appeared to have been adapted with armour. The evacuation effort was suspended after the strike, he said. French journalist Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff was killed in shelling in Ukraine's Luhansk region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Leclerc-Imhoff was the 32nd media person killed since the start of the Russian invasion on Feb. 24. "My sincere condolences to Frederic's colleagues and family," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address. Russia's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Moscow has repeatedly denied that its forces target civilians in Ukraine. Colonna said on Twitter that she had spoken to the Luhansk governor and had asked Zelenskiy for an investigation. Both had assured her of their help and support. "It is a double crime to target a humanitarian convoy and a journalist," she said. President Emmanuel Macron said on Twitter: "Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff was in Ukraine to show the reality of the war. Onboard a humanitarian bus with civilians forced to flee to escape Russian bombs, he was mortally wounded." At least 10 people were wounded in a mass shooting in South Carolina on Monday night one of numerous mass shootings that unfolded across the U.S. over Memorial Day weekend. Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg said on Tuesday that nearly a dozen people were shot during the gunfire late Monday, with four in critical condition. A police officer had responded to a loud party after receiving a noise complaint. Charleston Police Chief Luther Reynolds told reporters, Immediately the officer took gunfire. Two shots went into his cruiser, and let me tell you something: As we stand here right now, were lucky we dont have a dead cop or dead citizens or dead community members. Women embrace at a memorial at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers on May 24. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters) The mass shooting was one of at least 14 such incidents throughout the country over the holiday weekend, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which tracks such incidents. The group defines mass shootings as four or more people shot or killed in one incident, excluding the shooter. From Saturday until Monday, at least 60 people were reported to have been injured in mass shootings, while nine others were killed, Gun Violence Archive reported. Holiday weekends, especially during the summer, are often associated with spikes in gun violence; some of the shootings from the past weekend occurred at parties. The grim numbers came less than a week after 21 people 19 young students and two of their teachers were slaughtered at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, by a gunman who locked himself in their classroom. Authorities said the gunman legally purchased two AR-style rifles when he turned 18 a week before the attack. Just days before that shooting, 10 Black people were killed in a racist attack at a grocery store in Buffalo, N.Y. Federal authorities are investigating the mass shooting as a hate crime. On Saturday, Vice President Kamala Harris visited Buffalo, where she spoke at the funeral of an 86-year-old who was killed in the attack. Harris told mourners she wanted a ban on assault weapons, asking them: "Do you know what an assault weapon is? It was designed for a specific purpose: to kill a lot of human beings quickly. An assault weapon is a weapon of war, with no place, no place in a civil society." On Sunday, President Biden visited Uvalde, where he mourned with the families of those killed. As he left a church service, someone shouted Do something at him, to which he replied: We will. During a Memorial Day service at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, the president added: I think things have gotten so bad that everybodys getting more rational; at least thats my hope. KYIV (Reuters) - Ukrainian forces were still holding out in Sievierodonetsk on Tuesday, resisting Russia's all-out assault to capture a bombed-out wasteland that Moscow has made the principal objective of its invasion in recent days. Both sides said Russian forces now controlled between a third and half of the city. Russia's separatist proxies acknowledged that capturing it was taking longer than hoped, despite one of the biggest ground assaults of the war. Western military analysts say Moscow has drained manpower and firepower from across the rest of the front to concentrate on Sievierodonetsk, hoping a massive offensive on the small industrial city will deliver something Russia can call a victory in one of its stated aims in the east. "We can say already that a third of Sievierodonetsk is already under our control," Russia's TASS state news agency quoted Leonid Pasechnik, the leader of the pro-Moscow Luhansk People's Republic, as saying. Fighting was raging in the city, but Russian forces were not advancing as rapidly as might have been hoped, he said, claiming that pro-Moscow forces wanted to "maintain the city's infrastructure" and were moving slowly because of caution around chemical factories. The Ukrainian head of the city administration, Oleksandr Stryuk, said the Russians now controlled half of the city. "Unfortunately ... the city has been split in half. But at the same time the city still defends itself. It is still Ukrainian," he said, advising those still trapped inside to stay in cellars. Ukraine says Russia has destroyed all of the city's critical infrastructure with unrelenting bombardment, followed by wave after wave of mass ground assault involving huge numbers of casualties. Thousands of residents remain trapped. Russian forces are advancing towards the city centre, but slowly, and have not succeeded in encircling the Ukrainian defenders holding out there. Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Donetsk region Regional governor Serhiy Gaidai told Ukrainian television there did not appear to be a risk of Ukrainian forces being encircled, though they could ultimately be forced to retreat across the Siverskiy Donets river to Lysychansk, the twin city on the opposite bank. Stryuk, head of the city administration, said evacuating civilians was no longer possible. Authorities cancelled efforts to evacuate residents after an attack on Monday that killed a French journalist. Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council aid agency which had long operated out of Sievierodonetsk, said he was "horrified" by its destruction. "We fear that up to 12,000 civilians remain caught in crossfire in the city, without sufficient access to water, food, medicine or electricity. The near-constant bombardment is forcing civilians to seek refuge in bomb shelters and basements, with only few precious opportunities for those trying to escape." Elsewhere on the battlefield, there were few reports of major action on Tuesday. In the east, Ukraine says Moscow is trying to assault other areas along the main front, including pressing towards the city of Solviansk. In the south, Ukraine claimed in recent days to have pushed back Russian forces on a bank of the Inhulets River that forms a border of Russian-held Kherson province. After having failed to capture Kyiv, been driven out of northern Ukraine and made only limited progress elsewhere in the east, Moscow has concentrated the full force of its armed might in recent days on Sievierodonetsk, which had a pre-war population of around 110,000. Victory there and in adjoining Lysychansk would let Moscow claim control of Luhansk province, one of two eastern regions it claims on behalf of separatist proxies, partly achieving one of President Vladimir Putin's stated war aims. But the huge battle has come at a massive cost, which some Western military experts say could hurt Russia's ability to fend off eventual Ukrainian counterattacks elsewhere, regardless of who wins the battle for Sievierodonetsk. "Putin is now hurling men and munitions at the last remaining major population centre in (Luhansk), Sievierodonetsk, as if taking it would win the war for the Kremlin. He is wrong," the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War think tank wrote this week. "When the Battle of Severodonetsk ends, regardless of which side holds the city, the Russian offensive at the operational and strategic levels will likely have culminated, giving Ukraine the chance to restart its operational-level counteroffensives to push Russian forces back." A rescuer works to extinguish a fire at a meat production facility in the aftermath of an attack, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, at a location given as Mykolaiv The EU on Monday agreed its toughest sanctions against Russia since the war began, for the first time targeting Russian sales of oil, by far Moscow's main source of income. The EU will now ban import of Russian oil by sea. Officials said that would halt two-thirds of Russia's oil exports to Europe at once, and 90% by the end of this year as Germany and Poland also phase out imports by pipeline. Hungary, which relies on Russian oil through a huge Soviet-era pipeline, secured an exemption, though EU officials said they expected this would be "temporary". Ukraine says the sanctions are taking too long and are still too full of holes to stop Russia: "If you ask me, I would say far too slow, far too late and definitely not enough," said Ihor Zhovkva, deputy head of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's office. Moscow, meanwhile, has switched off gas supplies to several EU countries in a dispute over how to receive payments, although the moves so far, during warm months when demand is lower, have yet to have the severest impact. On Tuesday, Russia switched off the main Dutch gas buyer, GasTerra, which said it would find supplies elsewhere. Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine in February claiming Moscow aimed to disarm and "denazify" its neighbour. Ukraine and its Western allies call this a baseless pretext for a war to seize territory. You are here: World Flash Visiting French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said on Monday that her country will deliver more Caesar howitzers to Ukraine, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported. "There will be new deliveries of Caesar self-propelled artillery systems soon, and we will continue to work together in this context," Colonna told a joint media briefing with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Kiev. Colonna said that France stands ready to become a mediator in Ukraine's open dialogue with Russia if a need arises. Besides, the French minister said that Paris supports granting Ukraine a candidate status to the European Union under a fast-track procedure. According to media reports, France has already supplied six Caesar howitzers to Ukraine. Colonna arrived in Ukraine earlier in the day for a working visit, becoming the highest-ranked French official to visit Kiev since the Russia-Ukraine conflict started on Feb. 24. Playing dead probably saved a class life. As soon as gunshots rang out at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, teacher Elsa Avila rushed to the door, jammed a broken key in it so the gunman couldnt get in, and then dropped to the ground, playing dead, when he fired through it. She hit the lights and shushed the students, telling them to get down and lie still. They all complied, even as bullets whizzed past them, one ricocheting and hitting a student in the nose. A back door at Robb Elementary School, where a gunman entered through to get into a classroom in last week's shooting, is seen in the distance in Uvalde, Texas, Monday, May 30, 2022. A back door at Robb Elementary School, where a gunman entered through to get into a classroom in last week's shooting, is seen in the distance in Uvalde, Texas, Monday, May 30, 2022. (Jae C. Hong/) Just down the hall were the two rooms where the shooter would hunker down, massacring 19 students and two teachers. They were in Rooms 111 and 112. Student Daniel Garza and his fourth-grade classmates were crouched under their desks in Room 109. Daniel, 9, described the scene as the gunman unleashed two or three bullets that broke the doors glass, then a couple more before moving back to the classroom next door. I was scared and nervous, because the bullets almost hit me, he told The Washington Post. Some of us, the ones thinking he could see us, they acted like we got shot and stuff. They were playing dead. Daniel and his mother had nothing but gratitude for Avila, who kept her cool throughout the ordeal. She had some blood on her, but she was like whispering, Stay calm. Stay where you are. Dont move, " Daniel told The Washington Post. I personally cant thank my sons teacher enough, Daniels mother, Briana Ruiz, told ABC News. I think what she did saved all of their lives. Daniel is traumatized, not least of all because he lost numerous friends and his beloved cousin, Ellie Garcia, in the tragedy. But he wants the world to know what they went through, what Avila did, and highlight the heroism of his class, his mother told The Washington Post. Thats why I agreed to let him do this, Ruiz told ABC News. If he feels like its going to help him, Im OK with it, because I do want him to recover. Her feelings are compounded by the fact that the gunman was once her student when she was a teaching assistant years ago. The child that made it home, thankfully they are here. But mentally and emotionally, a piece of that child that left their home that morning never came back with them, Ruiz, 31, told The Washington Post. They are traumatized, and they have to deal with it for the rest of their lives. Marysville, CA (95901) Today A mix of clouds and sun. High around 95F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Mainly clear. Low around 60F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Marysville, CA (95901) Today Partly cloudy skies. Low around 60F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low around 60F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. You are here: World Flash The United States is bent on invading Venezuela and has not relaxed its sanctions against the South American country, Diosdado Cabello, first vice president of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela, warned Monday. "It should be known and discussed daily in every corner of the country: imperialism has not stopped its efforts to invade our country," Cabello said during the Party's weekly press conference. Former U.S. officials recently acknowledged plans to destabilize Venezuela, and the White House has not abandoned that objective, he said. Venezuela is not a submissive nation, Cabello said, "we are rebels." YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan accused the opposition in coordinating their actions with Azeri President Ilham Aliyev. Simonyan said the oppositions conduct is in line with Aliyevs actions. It is obvious that these actions are carried out jointly. At least it is obvious for me, Simonyan said. Both opposition factions of the Armenian parliament are holding demonstrations in Yerevan for already a month demanding the resignation of PM Nikol Pashinyan. Speaking on the upcoming June 3 extraordinary session of parliament that is to be convened at the initiative of the opposition, Simonyan said convening the session is the oppositions attempt to find a way out of the current situation. The fact that Ishkhan Saghatelyan is voicing some timeframes, saying that days are left, hours are left, dont they understand that with their words they are entering a deadlock and are now facing a deadlock? And now they are trying to find some way out of the deadlock, but every time I look at their marches, protests and speeches I get astonished how one can fall into the cycles of mistakes of 20-30 years and repeat it all the time. I wish them good luck, they need it, Simonyan said. Simonyan said the June 3 emergency session of parliament is a fake process by which the opposition tries to save its face because they had announced that they are taking to the streets and wont return. The June 3 emergency session of parliament will be convened at the initiative of the opposition, which seeks to adopt a resolution on Artsakh. However, the ruling Civil Contract party announced that it wont participate in the session. If Civil Contract doesnt take part, there will be no quorum and the session wont be convened. The oppositions draft resolution of parliament states, among others, that Armenia will support the full exercise of the right to self-determination of the people of Artsakh, Artsakh will never be part of Azerbaijan, there must be reliable land connection between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh: Artsakh will not be an exclave, the delimitation and demarcation must be carried out with the precondition of Azerbaijan withdrawing its troops from sovereign Armenian territory, Armenia is the guarantor of security and the right to self-determination of the people of Artsakh, the breach of the territorial integrity of Armenia is ruled out as a result of delimitation and demarcation, any agreement in the Armenian-Turkish normalization process that would question the Armenian Genocide is ruled out, and that the unblocking of roads with Azerbaijan and Turkey cannot happen in the logic of a corridor. YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. The President of France Emmanuel Macron considers it the duty of the Europeans to support the negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, ARMENPRESS reports, TASS informed, citing his statement. "It is our duty as Europeans to assist in the negotiations between Ukraine and Russia," Macron told reporters during an extraordinary EU summit in Brussels. Flash Life has returned to normalcy for children in Cambodia as most of them have been vaccinated against COVID-19, and the southeast Asian nation has reported no new cases for more than three weeks. Cambodia has administered COVID-19 vaccines to over 15 million people, or 94 percent of its total population of 16 million, the Health Ministry said, adding that 4.72 million of them, or 29.5 percent, are children aged three to 18 years old. China's Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines have been widely used in the country's immunization program, and Sinovac is the only vaccine used to inoculate children. With high rates of vaccination, children are able to return to school and play outside again after they had been restricted at home for over two years. Speaking to Xinhua while taking her 7-year-old son to play at a public playground in front of Wat Botum pagoda, Ouk Socheata, a market vendor in Phnom Penh, said it's the first time this year that children can go out to enjoy the Children's Day again after they had missed it for the last two years due to the pandemic. "I'm very happy to see daily lives returning to normalcy and children have returned to school, and in free time, I can bring my son to play at public playgrounds or to go to malls again," she said. The 29-year-old mother said, like other children, her son looks fresh after he can go back to school and play outside again. "I can say that daily lives in Cambodia have almost returned to the pre-COVID-19 pandemic era thanks to the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines," she said. Socheata said she and her son had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with China's Sinovac vaccine and that she trusted the quality, safety and efficacy of the vaccine in protecting them from COVID-19. "So far, none of my family members has been infected with COVID-19," she said. Ung Bunheng, a public servant in the southern Kandal province, said his four-year-old daughter has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with Sinovac vaccine. The 30-year-old father said he is very grateful to China for supplying vaccines to Cambodia timely and regularly and to the Cambodian government for providing the jabs to people free of charge. "Chinese vaccines have not only saved our lives, but also helped revive our economy," he said. Bunheng said the Cambodia-China joint COVID-19 fight should be a role model for international cooperation, and he believes that it will inject greater vitality into building a community of a shared future between Cambodia and China. The Health Ministry's Director-General and spokesman Hok Kim Cheng said Chinese vaccines have helped Cambodia achieve strong herd immunity and revive its economy. "Chinese vaccines are essential for Cambodia to save people's lives and stabilize our health system," he told Xinhua. Cambodia has fully resumed its socio-economic activities and reopened its borders to fully vaccinated travelers without quarantine since last November. "The Cambodian government has made the correct decision to choose China as a strategic supplier of COVID-19 vaccines, so that's why Cambodia has enough vaccines for its people," Kin Phea, director-general of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, told Xinhua. Astra MK-I BVR AAM has been indigenously designed and developed by the DRDO based on the requirements issued by the IAF Defence ministry sealed a contract worth Rs 2,971 crore with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) on Tuesday to procure several batches of the Astra MK-I beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air missiles. (Photo: DRDO) New Delhi: The defence ministry sealed a contract worth Rs 2,971 crore with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) on Tuesday to procure several batches of the Astra MK-I beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air missiles and associated equipment. The missiles are being procured for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Navy, the ministry said. The Astra MK-I BVR AAM has been indigenously designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) based on the requirements issued by the IAF. The air-to-air missile with BVR capability provides large stand-off ranges to the IAF's fighter jets. The Astra MK-I missile and all associated systems for its launch, ground handling and testing have been developed by the DRDO in coordination with the IAF. In a major boost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', the Ministry of Defence on May 31 signed a contract with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for the supply of Astra MK-I BVR air-to-air missile (AAM) and associated equipment for the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy at a cost of Rs 2,971 crore under Buy (Indian-IDDM) category, the ministry said in a statement. It said the missile, for which successful trials have already been undertaken by the IAF, is fully integrated on the Su 30 MK-I fighter aircraft and will be integrated with other fighter jets in a phased manner, including the Light Combat Aircraft (Tejas). It said the navy will integrate the missile on the MiG 29K fighter aircraft. The transfer of technology from the DRDO to the BDL for production of Astra MK-I missile and all associated systems has been completed and production at BDL is in progress, the ministry said. This project will act as a catalyst for the development of infrastructure and testing facilities at BDL. It will also create opportunities for several MSMEs in aerospace technology for a period of at least 25 years, it added. The idea of the Congress does not come in one shape or size; Sonia Gandhi and her court are but one of the entities within the Congress The regularity of the departure announcements from the Congress, led by Sonia Gandhi and her proxy, Rahul Gandhi-Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, confirms and signals several things. These departures are no-confidence verdicts in the Gandhi gang as leaders of the party. When old timers like Kapil Sibal and Sunil Jakhar most recently and others since 2019 leave, it signals that change in strategy and respect for dissent is no longer possible in the party. Neither Kapil Sibal nor Sunil Jakhar and in fact many others who quit in the last three years are truly mass-based vote catchers who have home constituencies where they are permanent fixtures as representatives of the majority of voters. They are, however, influential opinion makers, or as Kapil Sibal described his value independent voices who, can and do contribute to the political discourse that is fundamental to any democracy, where dissent, differences and disputes are intrinsic to the role of the Opposition as much as within ruling parties. Their role and heft cannot be discounted because they contribute to the idea of heterogeneity in a robust democracy. Where defectors go after they quit is a heavily loaded signal. When Congress defectors go to the BJP, it implies that they are choosing a combined package of joining the anticipated winning side in the next elections and giving themselves an assured seat in either the state Assembly or the Lok Sabha or even the Rajya Sabha. The other bit is committing themselves as ambassadors of the BJP and Narendra Modis ideological agenda of a Congress Mukt Bharat. The Congress Mukt Bharat is not just the simple goal of ending parivarvaad in Indian politics and creating a more democratic politics that gives opportunities to merit even for aspirants from underprivileged legions. It is not an anti-elite fight against the Gandhis. It is, by definition, destruction of the values that the Congress name invokes; its ideology as politically and socially liberal, secular, tolerant, inclusive, heterogeneous and therefore respectful of diversity. India, free of the Congress, would have a fixed destination, that would also be a dead-end of a hard Right communally divisive, majoritarian identity politics couched in the hyper-nationalist narrative of the BJPs Hindutva agenda run for an oligarchy that underwrites the gigantic expense of maintaining the worlds largest party in the style to which it is now accustomed. A Congress Mukt Bharat would mean the power to gag criticism of policies that promote zooming inequality and growing poverty. There is no argument that Kapil Sibal, with the support of the Samajwadi Party, will become a Rajya Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh. His choice, however, means something different. It is not the enlightened self-interest that drove hordes of Congress leaders to take up accommodation within the BJP. For die-hard liberals who represent the middle ground in Indian politics, accommodation in the Samajwadi Party implies a vote of confidence in the capacity of anti-BJP regional parties to battle Hindutva politics and its capacity to divert voters from prioritising the personal in terms of economic distress experienced at the individual level. When a senior leader who was an active member of the G-23 that challenged the Gandhis on leadership, strategy and direction of the Congress quits to take up with a regional party, it is a conscious and principled choice. After the infamous Chintan Shivir at Udaipur that simply reiterated faith in the Gandhis as leaders of the Congress that effectively rejected the remedies demanded by the G -23, Kapil Sibals exit is a blunt denunciation of the cosmetic changes unrolled by Sonia Gandhi to protect her incompetent progeny and a tocsin. How the Congress responds is to be seen. By joining forces with the Samajwadi Party, Kapil Sibal has, perhaps consciously or may be inadvertently, sent out a message to the Congress faithful who are disenchanted with Sonia Gandhis leadership. Break free of the Sonia Gandhi Congress and save the party and their personal investment in the principles that the Congress tradition represents. The idea of the Congress does not come in one shape or size; Sonia Gandhi and her court are but one of the entities within the Congress. In the states, the Congress has hard-working leaders and cadres, who choose to cluster under the Congress banner, because it signifies values they wish to uphold or represent. By going independent, Kapil Sibal has opened up the possibility of these die-hard Congress believers to consider doing the same. That part of the Congress which is in bondage to Sonia Gandhi and her brood has demonstrated its inability, and unwillingness, to fight the BJP. There is another part of the Congress, in the states, where leaders and cadres are fighting for the party against the BJP on the one hand and rival regional parties on the other. Congress leaders in states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Kerala and Gujarat are often at loggerheads with the central Congress leadership and engaged in local faction fights. There is life and ambition in the states where the Congress is in power or has been in power or has been forced out of power because of the central leaderships mismanagement. Effectively, the Congress units in many of these states are franchisees. They share the name. Breaking free of central or high command control may be a survival strategy for the more vigorous parts of the Congress. Setting up shop as autonomous units is always a possibility in the Congress. There was a time when the state leaders of the Congress were equals of the high command and its coteries. In 1963, the redoubtable K. Kamaraj launched his Kamaraj Plan and six chief ministers resigned to strengthen the Congress. He did this without taking Jawaharlal Nehrus approval. In fact, Nehru was rattled enough to hoist Kamaraj away from Tamil Nadu and install him in New Delhi. Later, Indira Gandhi systematically destroyed the state satraps and established the high command that treated state leaders like puppets. There are competent state leaders in the Congress. They deliver the 52 Lok Sabha seats to the party even when Rahul Gandhi fails to win from his home constituency Amethi. These leaders win states for the Congress. The gangrenous politics of the Congress high command needs to be amputated from state party units that are still healthy. By cutting loose, Kapil Sibal has cut his losses. The rest of the party may want to think if it should do so and save the Congress as an ideology with a heritage and a lineage that is entirely independent of the petty Gandhi gang now in control. Baghdads Syro-Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Salvation is among the churches that will join the pontiff in todays Marian prayer. Card Sako calls for quick action before a third world war breaks out. In St Mary Major, a Syrian family will recite some intentions; groups of refugees will be present. Marian shrines in Syria, Bahrain, the Philippines and Korea will link up with Rome. Baghdad (AsiaNews) People in Baghdad, as in Rome and in other basilicas around the world, are set to pray for peace today, the last day of the Marian month. Christians around the world will heed Pope Franciss appeal and join him. At 6 pm (Rome time), the pontiff will start reciting the rosary in Romes Basilica of St Mary Major (Santa Maria Maggiore) in front of the statue of Maria Regina Pacis. The Syro-Catholic Cathedral Sayedat al-Najat or Our Lady of Salvation (pictured), in Baghdads Karrada district, is one of the Marian shrines that will link up with Rome. Chosen from one of the countries affected by wars and violence today as in the past, it is highly symbolic: on 31 October 2010, it saw one of bloodiest massacres involving Christians in the Mideast. A group of terrorists, a local cell linked to al-Qaeda, stormed the building, taking the faithful hostage. The gunfight with Iraqi special forces when they tried to free the building left 58 people dead, including two priests who were celebrating Mass at the altar. Speaking to AsiaNews, Chaldean Patriarch Card Louis Raphael Sako, who recently returned from a pastoral visit to Germany, stressed the importance of this moment of prayer "in which we too will participate with conviction. The chosen place, the Syrian-Catholic church, was the scene of the massacre in October 2010; as such it is a symbolic place, an open wound for Iraq and the entire Middle East, he explained. It is a martyr church! Gathering to pray is fundamental so that Russia and Ukraine, two Christian nations, might find the way to peace. With respect to this, Iraqis are on their side since they too experienced war, destruction, exodus and migration, firsthand. As the Chaldean patriarchate, we immediately expressed our solidarity to the archbishop (of Kyiv). Action for peace is needed, quickly; otherwise, this conflict will drag on and could turn into World War III. The economic impact, on prices and raw materials, even food, is already clearly visible for all of us. As he did during the first weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pope Francis renewed his prayer to Our Lady that she may bring peace and consolation to victims all over the world. He will pray the rosary before Maria Regina Pacis with a special intention for the end of the conflict in Ukraine. On its website, the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation notes that in the basilica, The Madonna is depicted with her left arm raised as a sign to order the end of the war, while with her right she holds the Baby Jesus, ready to drop the olive branch symbolising peace. Flowers are sculpted on the base, symbolising the blossoming of life with the return of peace. It is traditional for the faithful to lay small handwritten notes with prayer intentions at the feet of the Virgin. The Pope will lay a wreath of flowers at the feet of the image before addressing his prayer to Our Lady and leaving his particular intention. Various families, from the Ukraine, Syria and Venezuela will recite about 10 intentions, in addition to groups of refugees representing those who suffer in the world from conflicts and injustices and who, for this reason, have had to abandon their home and land. The prayer will be broadcast by the Holy Sees official media. Linkups will include Marian shrines around the world with prayers performed simultaneously with the pontiff in accordance with his intentions. The list of shrines includes: Mother of God (Zarvanytsia) in Ukraine, Sayidat al-Najat (Our Lady of Salvation) in Iraq, Our Lady of Peace Cathedral in Syria, and the Cathedral of Mary Queen of Arabia in Bahrain. Others are: Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in Antipolo (Philippines), the International Shrine of Jesus Saviour and Mother Mary, the Shrine of Jasna Gora, the international Shrine of the Korean Martyrs, Holy House of Loreto, Blessed Virgin of the Holy Rosary, International Shrine Our Lady of Knock, Blessed Virgin of the Rosary, Our Lady Queen of Peace, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Our Lady of Lourdes. The 54-year-old archbishop of Dili is one of the new cardinals announced by Pope Francis, an acknowledgment of faith in a land where the Gospel arrived 500 years ago. President-elect Jose Ramos-Horta congratulated the new cardinal. The new cardinal will serve a small country with a large Catholic majority where children and young people represent half of the population. Dili (AsiaNews) I am convinced that Pope Francis did not offer this to me, Virgilio, but rather to the Church and the people of Timor-Leste, said Archbishop Virgilio do Carmo da Silva of Dili, upon hearing that his name was among the 21 new cardinals Pope Francis will create in the consistory set for 27 August. The prelate expressed his surprise in a statement made during a meeting with Jose Ramos-Horta. The latter, who was re-elected president of Timor-Leste a few weeks ago, went to personally congratulate the countrys first cardinal in its short history as an independent nation. For the new cardinal, the people and Church of Timor-Leste deserve this grace as an acknowledgment of God through the Pope, who has been evangelising for 500 years and celebrated the 20th anniversary of independence on May 20. A member of the Salesian order, Archbishop Carmo da Silva has been at the helm of the Church of Dili since 2016. At 54, he will be one of the youngest members of the College of cardinals, along with the Apostolic Vicar of Ulaanbaatar Giorgio Marengo, who will receive his purple robe at the age of 48 at the next consistory. A very poor country whose divisions have slowed down its quest for development, Timor-Leste is one of two Asian countries with a Catholic majority (the other is the Philippines). About 98 per cent of its population of 1.3 million is Catholic. Pope Francis has shown great interest in Timor-Leste on two other occasions. In September 2019, he decided to elevate Dili to a metropolitan see, attributing it the rank of archdiocese, with Baucau and Mailana as suffragan seats, and announced a visit for 2020, later postponed to a later date due to the pandemic. Conscious of the great challenges posed by poverty in a country where more than half of the population is made up of children and young people, the local Catholic Church has paid particular attention to education. The inauguration of the Catholic University of Timor-Saint John Paul II (Universidade Catolica Timorense (UCT) Sao Joao Paulo II) on 8 December in Dili is part of this. On that occasion, Archbishop Carmo da Silva said: The Catholic University of Timor must provide a world-class education in all areas of human activity inspired by Catholic intellectual, moral and spiritual traditions. More than 90% of Japanese think the government should prepare for an armed crisis along the Taiwan Strait. 41% want changes to their country's 'pacifist' constitution; 61% favour strengthening military deterrence against China. Chinese military overflights near Taiwan continue: 30 aircraft identified today. Tokyo (AsiaNews) - More than 90% of Japanese people think their government should prepare for a Chinese invasion of Taiwan: 41% support changes to the country's "pacifist" constitution to allow the national armed forces to intervene in the event of a conflict between Chinese and Taiwanese; 50% believe the authorities should respond to a possible regional crisis within the current constitutional framework. This was revealed in a survey conducted over the weekend by Nikkei Asia, according to which only 4% of the respondents believe that Japan does not need to take any measures with respect to a possible aggression by Beijing against Taipei. Sixty per cent of the citizens contacted also argue that their country should have the ability to counterattack during an armed confrontation. Moreover, 61% are in favour of strengthening military deterrence capabilities against China. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and US President Joe Biden emphasised this need in their recent meeting. As a legacy of the defeat suffered in World War II, the Japanese Constitution imposes severe restrictions on the employment of the national 'Self-Defence Forces'. However, a war along the Taiwan Strait could fall within the 'limited circumstances' that allow armed intervention by Japanese troops. This would especially happen if the US pledged to come to Taipei's aid, triggering the collective security clause in the defence treaty between Tokyo and Washington. China considers Taiwan a 'rebel' province and does not rule out recapturing it by force, a move the US says the Chinese could make by 2027. Today Taipei identified 30 Chinese military aircraft flying in the southwestern section of its air defence identification zone (not to be confused with national airspace). In terms of the number of aircraft, this is the second largest Chinese sortie this year: on 23 January, no fewer than 39 of Beijing's warplanes had flown near the island. Together with the naval ones, China has intensified these air operations since late 2020: a way to put Taiwan's defences under continuous pressure and to confuse the local authorities and population about the real intentions of the Chinese leadership. by Ngoc Lan Hundreds of girls are trafficked every year in China. The main victims are teenage girls from ethnic minorities living along the border. The seminar to raise awareness was held throughout the month of May. Hanoi (Asianews) - Caritas of the Lang Son diocese organised a seminar against human trafficking to inform the population and prevent the exploitation of young Vietnamese teenage girls living in ethnic villages along the border with China. There are hundreds of cases of girls being trafficked across the northern border, which runs for 1,350 kilometres: since 2021, authorities in Ha Giang province have investigated 110 cases of human trafficking and arrested at least 144 people. Taking advantage of the rugged terrain, criminals traffic teenagers who are sometimes under 16 years old with illegal immigration documents. The Caritas workshop was held in the parish of Bo To, which is about 70 kilometres from the city of Cao Bang, itself 5 kilometres from the border with China. Throughout the month of May, every Thursday and Sunday, information meetings were also held for the non-Catholic community. "Along the border live many Hmong, Dao and Tay people who often have economic difficulties and health problems," Caritas social workers told AsiaNews. "In addition, young women from ethnic minorities often experience unequal treatment within their families. In many cases parents do not have the money to send their children to school, so teenagers are forced to do heavy work." Girls without jobs who have to support their families are the first to be lured by traffickers: middlemen promise parents that if they let their daughter go with them to China, she will send money home every month. In reality, the young girls are then exploited in illegal or dangerous work or sexually abused. After a short period of three to six months they are handed over to another person and transferred to another 'shop', some victims told AsiaNews. Among the most recent cases, on 11 January this year, the border guard station in Bach ich received a complaint from a girl, born in 2005, of Dao ethnicity. Phan Thi H., originally from Phu Lung commune, Yen Minh district, had filed a complaint against two other young people, a man and a woman of Mong and Hmong ethnicity who were about her age. They had been trying to take her to China under false pretences since 2019. A number of intellectuals and educators resigned from public bodies after the BJP-led state government changed social sciences and literature textbooks removing references to major reformers while adding material drawn from the ideology of Hindutva. Silence about inciting communal hatred is cause of concern and fear. Bangalore (AsiaNews) In Karnataka, a group of intellectuals and educators resigned from government bodies over changes made to school textbooks by the state government, which is led by Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The protest, which comes a few days after the state government imposed an anti-conversion law, targets the saffronisation of education underway in the state. Saffron is the colour of the flags of Hindu nationalists. In 2020, after the BJP won state elections in 2018, the state set up a review committee headed by Rohith Chakrathirtha, tasked with reviewing social science and literature textbooks in Kannada, Karnatakas main language. As a result, textbooks for Grades 6 to 10 were revised with the suppression or reduction of chapters dedicated to great social reformers; for example, the section on the great local poet Kuvempu, author of the state anthem, was profoundly changed. With respect to Kannada literature, a speech by Keshav Baliram, the founder of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), one of the main Hindu right-wing movements, was added. Such changes sparked the protest by intellectuals, including writer S. G. Siddaramaiah who withdrew his permission to include one of his poems in one of the textbooks. The governments silence and lack of action on those who have been openly inciting communal hatred undermining the State and federal structure has left us anxious and scared, reads the letter signed by the resigning intellectuals and educators. Several student groups in Karnataka have also protested against the changes introduced in the textbooks. Today's headlines: Japan tests a next generation power system; Shanghai is almost out of lockdown; India launches measures to assist Covid-19 orphans; Malaysia considers blocking palm oil exports; a Russian ship has docked in Syria possibly smuggling Ukrainian grain. MYANMAR The coup military junta has started to occupy places of worship in Rakhine State and residents fear that clashes could break out in which houses and religious buildings would be destroyed. The local ethnic organisation, the Arakan Army, clashed with the army in November last year, in February and a few days ago, indicating that the civil conflict in Myanmar could spread further. CHINA The two-month lockdown will be lifted tomorrow from the 25 million residents of Shanghai tomorrow. Public transport will be back in operation and residents will be able to return to work. The blockade of supply chains in recent months has slowed down the economy and generated some discontent. INDIA The Indian federal government will provide scholarships, mental health counselling and health insurance to children orphaned by the Covid-19 pandemic. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said this yesterday, adding that they will also get free admission to school and textbooks. According to official estimates, more than 520,000 people died in India during the second wave of the pandemic. MALAYSIA After Indonesia, Malaysia will also discuss the possibility of stopping the export of palm oil because the kernels of the plant can be used as chicken feed, the export of which will be banned from June. Currently, Malaysia's feed is mostly shipped to Europe, while wheat-based chicken feed is again imported from Russia and Ukraine. JAPAN Japan successfully tested a new renewable energy production system independent of sun and wind: an underwater turbine that converts the energy of ocean currents into electricity. The machine produced by IHI Corp could cover 60% of Japan's energy needs. IRAN The death toll after a building collapsed in the southwestern city of Abadan has risen to 31 . The collapse raised questions about the safety of the people and generated protests against the government: the state TV crew was attacked by protesters forcing the police to intervene. TAJIKISTAN Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon arrived in Tehran with a large delegation at the highest level, for a State visit that should rebuild relations between Iran and Tajikistan, which had deteriorated greatly in recent times. In fact, Dusanbe has been accusing the Iranians since 2015 of supporting from outside the Tajik Islamic Rebirth Party, which is outlawed in its homeland, while Tehran accuses the Tajiks of having stolen millions of dollars from Iran, brought by Iranian billionaire Babak Zanjani. RUSSIA The Russian cargo ship 'Matros Pozynic' was observed by a satellite as it docked, for the second time in a month, in the Syrian port of Latakia, allegedly to unload grain stolen from Ukraine. It is estimated that the ship is capable of carrying around 30,000 tonnes of grain. President Joe Biden says in a guest essay in The New York Times that he's decided to provide the Ukrainians with more advanced rocket systems and munitions that will enable them to more precisely strike key targets on the battlefield Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Share This: The Auto Care Association on May 31 announced the upcoming retirements of five individuals who together have contributed 83 years of service to the association and a collective 162 years of service to the automotive aftermarket industry as a whole. Paul Fiore, senior director, government affairs; Bert Hogeman, general counsel; Aaron Lowe, senior vice president, regulatory and government affairs; Larry Northup, executive director, AWDA; and Joe Register, vice president, emerging technologies, all plan to retire this year. Paul Fiore Fiore joined the Auto Care Association in 2011 as the director of government affairs. In 2016, he was promoted to his current role as senior director of government affairs. During his time with the Auto Care Association, Fiore assisted in the Right to Repair efforts in Massachusetts early on, eventually gaining momentum across the country and all the way to Capitol Hill. Fiore assisted the associations government affairs team in significantly growing awareness and respect from legislators and staffers for the auto care industry in general, and the Auto Care Association in particular, culminating with introduction of the Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair (REPAIR) Act earlier this year. He will be retiring from his role at the end of August. Bert Hogeman Hogeman joined the Auto Care Association in 2019 and in his three years has provided legal expertise on multiple major projects involving the strength and future success of the association and auto care industry at large. In his role as general counsel, Hogeman advised executives, senior management and the board of directors on all legal matters including legal rights, potential liabilities and the potential impact of new or existing laws and regulations. Hogeman also participated with and advised the associations government relations team in the development and advocacy of its legislative and regulatory initiatives. Most notably, Hogeman provided... Peugeot themselves have just made the announcement, stating that the vehicle combines the characteristic codes of SUVs, with a dynamic Fastback silhouette. The model targets those for whom the automobile is a pleasure, and brings an unprecedented Allure to the [brands] family.Accompanying the announcement is a teaser pic that partially shows the front end of the 2023 Peugeot 408 . It has the companys typical grille, adorned by the new lion logo in the middle, and wears the 408 badge on top of it, in front of the hood. It will also have a sloping roofline behind the B pillars, spy shots have revealed, slim LED lighting units at both ends, and maybe black plastic cladding adorning the lower parts of the body.In all likelihood, the new 408 will be underpinned by the EMP2 platform. This is the foundation stone of many models made by Stellantis, from the Peugeot 308 to the 5008. Various vehicles signed by DS, Citroen, and Opel/Vauxhall use the same construction, including the DS 7 Crossback, C5 Aircross, and Grandland.Powertrain options are obviously unknown, yet if we were to take a guess, wed say that it will launch with gasoline units, some of which (or maybe all of them) will feature mild-hybrid assistance. A plug-in hybrid could be on the menu, too, alongside a battery-electric variant, since the architecture is compatible with zero-emission assemblies.In terms of size, and perhaps pricing, too, the new 408 will challenge the likes of the Renault Arkana when it debuts toward the end of June 2022, according to Peugeot, and it will launch in global markets, the French car manufacturer claims. ICE According to the lobbyist, EVs shouldnt be the only method to reduce carbon emissions. Other technologies could help decarbonize emissions produced by the automotive industry, Reuters reported.Paolo Scudieri, the chairman of the automotive industry association (ANFIA), emphasized that other methods could be employed to meet the same targets while preserving know-how and jobs in Italy.The European Commission has proposed a 100% cut in CO2 emissions by 2035, threatening theindustry. While this proposal is good news for environmentalists and pro-environmental politicians, its a raging debate among key players in the automotive industry.As the transition to EVs begins to roll, it is becoming more evident that the world is short of critical metals required to produce EVs (geopolitical factors aside). Consequently, enormous mining efforts will be needed to satisfy the growing demand even in Europe alone.Add that to the lack of infrastructure to support the transition, including equal distribution of charging points between regions.Scudieri expressed more concerns saying that exclusively focusing on BEVs that Asian producers currently dominate puts to risk some 73,000 jobs in Italy. He added that 450 car parts makers in Italy out of 2,200 risks going out of business since they havent shifted production towards electric vehicles.The Italian lobbyist pointed out that biofuels, synthetic fuels, and hydrogen can also contribute to reducing carbon emissions. He added that combining biofuel development and EVs could quickly help achieve the targets rather than a wholesome industry switch to BEVs. The original Shelby Cobra 289 was built in 1964 and became the queen of the race tracks throughout the 1960s, leaving behind race cars from reputable brands like Corvette, Jaguar, Aston Martin, and Ferrari.The Cobra CSX7000 289 FIA model is a genuine continuation of the original race cars, retaining everything from the authentic style suspension to the elegant, curvy bodyline. Each car in the limited edition batch was built to order and delivered as a rolling chassis, less drivetrain, with a Shelby American-issued MSO.One such model showed up on Bring a Trailer s website and comes with just 500 miles on the five-digit odometer. It was ordered by the current owner as a rolling chassis from Nevada Classics, and drivetrain installation and completion were carried out at Shelby Parts and Restoration of Green Bay, Wisconsin.Finished in Viking Blue paint, the fiberglass bodywork is adorned with white number meatballs and a red FIA-style nose stripe. The race car is powered by a 363ci Ford V8 engine featuring four two-barrel Weber carburetors. Power travels to the rear wheels through a differential with a 3.73:1 gear ratio. The V8 engine, built by Todd Goodwin of Goodwin Racing Engines in Wisconsin, features a Dart four-bolt aluminum block.For those interested in more technical specs, know that this roadster also comes with Borg Warner T10L four-speed manual transmission, side-exit exhaust pipes, four-wheel disc brakes, Le Mansstyle fuel filler, and 15 pin-drive wheels. The seller also mentions that the vehicle benefitted from an oil change around 100 miles ago.On the inside, the continuation Shelby Cobra is just as stunning as on the outside. The driver and passengers get to be hugged by bucket seats trimmed in elegant black leather. Matching door panels and wool carpets complete the classic look. While grabbing the wood-rimmed three-spoke steering wheel, the driver will be able to see an aluminum dashboard housing Stewart Warner instrumentation.The Cobra is being sold with a black tonneau cover, a binder containing build documentation, as well as a clean Kansas title in the sellers name.So do you fancy an open-top ride for the summer holidays ahead? Go ahead and place a bid. This Shelby Cobra CSX7000 289 FIA would be the pride of any collectors fleet. More so knowing that Shelby cars have long been considered blue-chip investments.Original Shelby Cobras fetched upwards of $1,700,000 in the past at auctions, but the continuation models are more accessible. The current bid for this particular model stands at $151,000, so you still have a chance to roll down the roads in style this summer in an open-top flyer. EV That idea was shared in a post on Bosch Research Blog by Jake Christensen. He is the companys Chief Battery Modeling Engineer and works at the Research and Technology Center in the U.S., where he directs the Energy Systems and Materials Modeling department. Summing up, he creates the mathematical models that allow Bosch to save time developing its cells.Christensen analyzed the concepts Tesla said made the 4680 cells unique, such as the tabless design. The engineer corrects that: according to what he could see in the pictures themaker released, it is actually a multi-tab design or a shingled spiral of tabs that have been laser patterned. That creates a continuous tab architecture instead of a single-tab design, with this tab connected to the ends of the cathode current collector and the anode current collector.Considering each cylindrical cell has rolled-up electrodes measuring around 1 meter (39.4 inches), the Tesla design shortens the total electrical path length from 3.5 m (137.8 in) to about 75 mm (2.95 in). That would be why the EV maker believes it would help increase energy density and reduce resistance and, consequently, heat generation inside the cells. The problem is that resistance is not the only source of higher temperatures in the battery.Christensen stresses that most of the heat generated by cells comes from the electrochemistry itself. The Bosch engineer also mentioned that a larger cell will generally be slower in rejecting that heat. In other words, unless Tesla has a trick in the chemistry itself, 4680 cells tend to present higher temperatures than those in smaller cylindrical battery formats such as 1865 and 2170.As EV owners already know pretty well, it is not a good deal to have hot batteries in a car. Apart from the risk of thermal runaway, they also degrade faster if they get too hot. Thankfully, Christensen said that the multi-tab architecture could help avoid lithium plating, which occurs in fast charging. The issue is that Tesla said the 4680 cell and its tabless solution removes the thermal problem from the equation, which needs to be verified.With the info Christensen has, thats not correct. The higher radial thermal resistance due to the larger cell diameter would be a problem in the long term. It could make these cells degrade sooner, thanks to faster parasitic reactions.The entire blog post deserves a read. As Christensen points out, Tesla may have some elements that it did not disclose and prove thermal concerns are genuinely out of the equation with this cell. However, that can also be the reason for these cells to have taken so long to reach any vehicle if they even did in the first place.Until an independent party disassembles a battery pack with these cells and tests them, were just concerned for the customers with batteries in their cars that may not be mature enough for production. If they were, Panasonic would be manufacturing them and that will not be the case until 2023 in the best-case scenario. ????BREAKING: Russian superyacht detained. I have worked closely with @NCA_UK & the @UKBorders Maritime investigation Bureau to intercept the 38m - Phi. This Government will continue to take robust action against anyone benefiting from connections to Putins regime. pic.twitter.com/enp9M2tmBB Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) March 29, 2022 Since February 24, when Russia invaded neighboring country Ukraine, several EU country members, the U.S., and other territories have imposed sanctions against oligarchs with ties to President Putin. Luxury assets like superyachts , real estate, private jets, and entire car fleets have been arrested, seized, and impounded as a means to punish these oligarchs for funneling cash into the war effort. PHI is one such asset, and its fate remains undetermined as of the time of press. Superyacht watcher and experienced former superyacht crew member eSysman was in London the other day, where PHI is still moored at Canary Wharf, blocked from leaving by two locks and a drawbridge. That same drawbridge was supposedly nonoperational on the day PHI was scheduled to sail out and was back in working order the day after NCA agents boarded it and arrested it.The peculiar thing about PHI is that its owner, Vitaly Vasilievich Kochetkov, is not on any sanctions list and neither was the businessman authorities believed was the owner back then, Sergei Georgievich Naumenko. If anything, Kotchetkov is in trouble back home and has been charged with fraud, a go-to practice to get rid of undesirables. As eSysman points out, not all Russians are bad, and PHIs current situation might be just a political PR stunt.Politics and geopolitics aside, PHI is a most spectacular build.Small compared to other Russian-owned superyachts, its just 58 meters (192) feet long, but offers generous interior space. Built by Royal Huisman, it is the largest in its class (under 500 GT), and features a fast displacement hull, a classic and beautiful superstructure, and reportedly outrageous amenities like an infinity wine cellar and a sustainable pool. It was delivered with its own shadow boat, PHI Phantom, a 118-foot (36-meter) vessel fit to carry a tender and boats, a variety of water toys, motorbikes and a car, and extra fuel supplies.For a better appreciation of just how gorgeous PHI is, heres a video of it stuck in London. Today, Euro Truck Simulator 2 developer issued a statement that explains the reasoning behind its decision to indefinitely postpone the launch of Heart of Russia. In fact, its not that hard to imagine why SCS Software canceled the Heart of Russia DLC, considering the war going on in Ukraine.Whats interesting is that when Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, the Heart of Russia DLC was just a month away from being released. Although SCS Software continued to work on the new piece of content, it ultimately decided not to go through with it.When developing our games, we try to be as apolitical as possible, in a way shielding the global player audience from everyday controversies. We quite like the idea that our shared passion, for a truck simulation, allows people to connect, to pay a virtual visit to a neighboring country in peace, and to enjoy a hobby that we commonly share, rather than allowing anything divisive to set us apart. But since our DLC, Heart of Russia, directly concerns Russia, and with so many people suffering, we decided to refrain from releasing the DLC so that it is not perceived in any way as being in support of or tolerance of the aggression.For those who feel sad about SCS Softwares decision to cancel Heart of Russia, know that theres some hope that the DLC will eventually see the light of day. The developer vaguely hinted at a possible release after the war ends, but if that happens SCS Software must find a way to release Heart of Russia in a way that can be seen as a catalyst for healing, not a way to support aggression. Patricia Wayne is the happy owner of the first U.S. model, delivered by Genesis Santa Monica. To mark this occasion, the dealership and Genesis each donated $10,000 to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Santa Monica. The $20,000 contribution will help young people - especially those who need it most - reach their full potential as responsible and caring citizens.We are glad to be partnering with Genesis to make a significant contribution to youth in Santa Monica in honor of this important milestone for the brand, declared dealer principal Mike Sullivan. We are proud to support the Boys and Girls Clubs of Santa Monica. We are pleased to be matching Genesis Motor Americas donation in support of this cause.This very car was purchased through the Priority One program, which matches reservation holders with a qualified dealer as soon as possible. Exclusive to prospective customers in California, Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York, the program is centered around a refundable deposit.Patricia had to pony up $500 to get in line for the all-new GV60 , which is kind of steep compared to the $100 deposit for the Cybertruck that still isnt ready for production. I wanted to be part of the next generation of luxury EVs, said Patricia Wayne. I like to think that the GV60 has evolved the basic function of electric cars into a new kind of sustainable luxury.Sustainable luxury is an obvious contradiction, though. Its made worse by the driving range of the all-new GV60, which is poorer than what Hyundai and Kia offer in the Ioniq 5 and EV6. As the headline implies, the most you can expect is 248 miles (399 kilometers). The lesser twins, by comparison, promise 303 and 310 miles (488 and 499 kilometers), respectively. On Wednesday evening, a Ferrari lost control on the Hagley Road. It ploughed head first into some parked cars. Driver is fine. pic.twitter.com/cO8QGvjwpU London & UK Street News (@CrimeLdn) May 28, 2022 On the evening of May 25, the West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service received a call about an accident involving several vehicles, and two fire engines and 10 firefighters were dispatched. Once at the scene, first-responders confirmed the multi-vehicle crash but found no one around: the driver who had caused the carnage had fled on foot.That driver also happened to be at the wheel of a very expensive and very powerful Ferrari SF90 Stradale . The SF90 is the first hybrid from the Prancing Horse and was dubbed the fastest car of the decade upon launch, for its ability to achieve a 0 to 60 time in just 2.5 seconds, thanks to the 1,000 hp developed by the twin-turbocharged V8 engine and three electric motors. Based on initial reports and photos from the scene, the SF90 driver lost control and just smashed into the parked vehicles.Video of the accident has emerged, and it confirms that theory. You can see it below: the accident was captured by a neighbors camera and presented to the police as evidence. The Ferrari comes barreling down on the wrong side of the road, smashing into the first of a row of parked vehicles. No word yet on the speed the Ferrari was traveling at, but the impact was strong enough to cause a domino effect.After the crash, the driver tries to exit the car but seems to have trouble opening the door. He eventually comes out through the window and is seen engaging with a fellow motorist, who had pulled over to inquire about his well-being. The driver probably left right afterwards, but that is not shown in the video.Perhaps the most intriguing part about the accident is not the fact that this man abandoned a new, pricey (the SF90 starts at $600,000) Ferrari like it was a piece of trash. Its the fact that police still havent found him, even though they have the license plate and his face on camera. The car has been seized and our work to identify and trace the driver continues, the statement says. Anyone with information can message us via Live Chat at west-midlands.police.uk, quoting log 3595 of 25 May, or call 101. kWh AMG Jayda Cheaves, Lil Baby s former partner and the mother of his son, has just treated herself to a brand-new ride: a Tesla Model X Plaid.The influencer, who has over seven million followers on Instagram, introduced her new electric vehicle on Monday, May 30, and she couldnt be more excited about it. She wrote that she built her from scratch a while back, and now she has finally got the call to pick her up.She didnt miss the opportunity to snap a few selfies in her new ride and presented as Sno. Although she didnt share a look at the exterior paint job, the interior is a black and white color scheme, with lots of carbon fiber accents. She added: I think shes my new fav, because shes TOO fast, just how I like.Tesla introduced the mid-size luxury crossover in 2015. The model is currently available in two versions. The standard Model X Long Range comes with two electric motors (one on the front axle, the other on the rear one), with an all-wheel-drive setup.The top-of-the-range option is the Tri Motor Model X Plaid, which is the one Cheaves splurged on. Its more powerful, delivering 1,020 horsepower (1,034 ps). Tesla Motors claims this one is able to hit 60 mph (96 mph) from a standstill in 2.5 seconds, has a top speed of 163 mph (262 kph), and has an estimated range of 311 mi (500 km), thanks to its 100-battery.Not long ago, Jayda received a black Rolls-Royce Dawn with a luxurious red-leather interior as a Christmas present from Lil Baby. In the past, he had also bought her a Mercedes-GT 63 S 4-Door Coupe and a custom pink Jeep Wrangler with custom pink wheels from Forgiato. But Jayda got the Tesla all by herself, and there are a lot of reasons to be proud of that. ABS If you're in need of a bike that can rip through trails on the weekends and take you to the office when Monday comes about, then you really cant go wrong with a BMW F 650 GS. This articles photo gallery presents a Dakar variant belonging to the 2005 model year, and the next person to take it for a spin could be you!Motorrads dual-sport warrior flaunts AltRider crash bars and an aftermarket luggage rack, along with a premium MotoBatt battery thats been installed under current ownership. In terms of mileage, the F 650s digital odometer shows less than 3,900 miles (6,300 km), which might explain how this motorcycle manages to look so damn pristine. Now, lets see what it packs under the hood, shall we?The Bavarian is powered by a liquid-cooled 652cc single-cylinder mill featuring twin-spark ignition, four valves and dual overhead cams. In the orbit of 6,500 rpm, the fuel-injected thumper gains the ability to deliver 50 ponies at the crankshaft. When the tachometer reads 5,000 spins per minute, youll be experiencing a peak torque output of 44 pound-feet (60 Nm).To channel this force to the ground, BMW s spartan uses a five-speed transmission and an O-ring drive chain. Since the F 650 GS Dakar weighs a mere 423 pounds (192 kg) with fluids, it can transform the engines power into speeds of up to 105 mph (169 kph). Braking is accomplished via switchable, Brembo calipers and drilled rotors measuring 300 mm (11.8 inches) up north and 240 mm (9.4 inches) down south.As far as suspension goes, youll find 41 mm (1.6 inches) telescopic forks and an adjustable remote-reservoir monoshock. The Beemer awaits your bids at no reserve on Bring a Trailer, where it can be found until the early afternoon of June 2. If you plan on making it your own, then be prepared to spend about 5,500 bucks in order to surpass the highest bid. WLTP Mobilize is a company that was started by the Renault Group, and it meant to develop, build, and sell vehicles that will not be sold to consumers, but only in the business-to-business field. The sole owners of these vehicles will be ride-hailing companies or their partners, and that is only if they decide on ownership instead of leasing it from the automaker.In the case of the first-ever fleet of Mobilize vehicles , the customer is Cabify, a multi-mobility company, which has signed an agreement to get forty vehicles. Cabify is a local unicorn tech startup, and Madrid is its home base.The Mobilize Limo is an all-electric vehicle that has a limited top speed, but prides itself on interior space, comfort, and arange of 450 kilometers (ca. 279 miles). The latter will be put to the test in Spain 's capital city, but at least it will operate without emitting any carbon dioxide or other harmful pollutant gases. As long as the rain stays mainly in the plain, we are good to go, right?The sedan has 11 inches (288 mm) of knee room and is only available in Glossy White, Metallic Black, and Metallic Gray. Its height is close to that of a crossover's, with 57 inches (ca. 145 cm) to its name, but its body style says sedan instead of CUV.Unlike Uber, Cabify employs many of its drivers, although this happens through third-party companies. The system works with one or several companies that employ drivers, which also own the vehicles that are used for the service.Cabify works as an intermediary between the customers and the company, and everyone is happy, at least in theory. Around the world, Cabify had an estimated 230,000 drivers using the app to offer ride-hailing services.Back in 2021, Cabify had reported global revenue of $516 million, and its user base consisted of 5.4 million. The company has yet to go public, despite being present in Europe and Latin America, as well as having 441 direct staff in Spain alone. As soon as it came off the assembly line, this 1981 Honda CBX Super Sport was donated to a trade school by the American Honda Motor Company. It has therefore remained in storage and on display this whole time, with a little over one mile (two kilometers) shown on its analog odometer.Having changed hands about a year ago, the retro sport-tourer was subsequently blessed with a full service to get it back in working order. Its brakes, carbs and starter motor have all been overhauled during the refurbishment, while the ancient battery and inoperative headlight bulb were discarded to make room for modern componentry.In addition, the CBX saw its fueling system reconditioned with a new petcock, fresh lines and an aftermarket filter. This bad boy draws power from a vicious 1,047cc inline-six leviathan thats paired with a five-speed transmission. The air-cooled engine is home to Keihin carburetion hardware, dual overhead camshafts and a total of 24 valves.With the ability to produce 98 hp and 62 pound-feet (84 Nm) of twist, the mill feeds its oomph to the rear Comstar hoop through a drive chain. Consequently, Hondas 1981 MY predator will require just 4.6 seconds to hit 60 mph (96 kph) from a standstill, and its top speed is generously rated at 135 mph (217 kph).For suspension-related affairs, the Japanese legend uses air-adjustable forks at the front and a Pro-Link arrangement at the rear. Braking duties are taken good care of thanks to dual ventilated discs up north and a single rotor at six oclock. Right then, its time for us to reveal what makes this CBX so alluring besides the insanely low mileage.The collectible gemstone is heading to auction at no reserve online, and you may get in on the action on Bring a Trailer until Friday, June 3. At the time of this article, the highest bid is placed at 8,500 bones, but we reckon it wont be long before someone endeavors to surpass it. Polestar's new referral program for existing customers applies to all new vehicle purchase methods, and it involves rewards for its customers. Tesla Motors used to operate a referral program of its own a few years ago, but this one does not go that far with the potential benefits.In other words, no matter how many people get a Polestar with your referral code, you are not getting a free car or a massive discount on your car. Boo, Hoo!!Instead, an existing Polestar owner may get a referral code assigned to them from the company, which they may then share with others. Once an order has been placed for a new Polestar vehicle using the referral code and linking it with the new customer account, the new client gets charging credits for local public charging suppliers of up to EUR 100 in value (Europe and South Korea with the value in local currencyso South Korean Won for the latter), while American clients will be eligible to get a Google bundle in the form of a Google Nest Hub and Nest Mini.Mind you, the benefits mentioned above would come to the customers who were new to the brand, while those who already had a Polestar and had offered their referral code would get a special reward from the company. For example, a Houdini Power Houdi, as worn by the Polestar crew, would be offered at no charge.Another option would be to also receive a Google Nest Hub and Nest Mini bundle, but only in the U.S., again. Now, time for the kicker: the Polestar owner who would act as a brand ambassador and would offer his referral code to others would get a unique design sketch that was created by one of the company's designers.As Polestar representatives noted, while they could have made NFTs instead of sketches on paper, they preferred a more personal approach, as well as one that they consider environmentally friendly. However, Polestar has previously linked its products with NFTs , so you might consider that the company does not plan on keeping all its eggs in one basket.While no paper is used for NFTs, the company considered the tech's sustainability credentials to be "questionable," while underlining its desire to offer something tangible that may be mounted in a special place at the owner's discretion. An app so popular is struggling with the same problems as the other software solutions on the market, but given its gigantic userbase, critical issues should be resolved as soon as possible.For some reason, however, a glitch that was discovered in late May and which caused the app to crash on Android Auto is yet to be resolved, even though more and more people seem to be affected. And whats even more surprising is that an official patch is yet to be confirmed, despite users already discovering a fix.More specifically, it looks like Google Maps on Android Auto sometimes freezes all of a sudden, either when launching the app or shortly after enabling the navigation.While such a problem could have a wide variety of causes, users whove been struggling with this behavior for the last couple of months have narrowed them all to just one.The satellite mode in Google Maps is the one thats causing the application to freeze on Android Auto , so the easy fix for the whole thing is to just disable it and switch to the standard navigation mode. Of course, its not the most convenient solution, but at least it gets the job done temporarily until Google comes up with a fix.Unfortunately, theres still no ETA as to when a Google Maps update to resolve this problem could eventually get the go-ahead, as nobody from the search giant chimed in on the Google forums where the bug is being discussed.In the meantime, the easiest way to deal with it is to just disable the satellite mode in Google Maps and, of course, make sure you are always running the latest app versions on Android Auto. SOHC Well have to admit that were suckers for first-gen CB750s, so you can probably imagine how intrigued we were to see this museum-grade 1972 model . Having been treated to an exhaustive refurbishment in recent months, the antique Japanese head-turner is now ready to steal the show wherever it may roam!On the cosmetic side of things, the two-wheeled icon received fresh black vinyl upholstery for its saddle, along with a seamlessly-applied coat of metallic red paint. The wheels were rebuilt using stainless-steel spokes, and the rear 18-inch rim has been replaced with a youthful alternative. Subsequently, both hoops were enveloped in grippy 712 rubber from Shinko.As far as the bikes suspension hardware is concerned, you will find a pair of aftermarket shocks supporting the rear end. In addition, the forks were fitted with new gaiters, tubes, and seals, thus concluding the chassis-related modifications performed by the current owner. The CB750s engine has also been revamped, receiving a modern Martek 440 electronic ignition system in the process. Honda s artifact is put in motion by means of an air-cooledinline-four engine with two valves per cylinder, quad Keihin carbs, and a displacement of 736cc. Accompanied by a five-speed transmission, the mill can produce 67 horses and 44 pound-feet (60 Nm) of torque. When it makes contact with the rear chain-driven wheel, this force will result in speeds of up to 124 mph (200 kph).Since youve now been familiarized with the essentials, well have you know this sublime 72 MY CB750 Four K2 is currently looking for a new place to call home. The classic beauty can be found on Bring a Trailer , where it will be listed at no reserve until Sunday, June 5. For the time being, youd need approximately 5,500 freedom bucks to best the top bid, which is registered at a mere $5,100. The upcoming vehicle they agreed on building together marks the third body type under the agreement and comes to complete their existing LCV lineup, which will now have a compact-, mid-, and with the new addition, also a large-size LCV.We are pleased that we can extend this successful partnership through the introduction of a new large-size commercial van. It represents an important addition and completes our light commercial lineup for Toyotas European customers, said Matt Harrison, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe.The new LCV will represent a key contribution to Toyotas growth targets for its overall LCV lineup, alongside the Hilux pick-up, Proace and Proace City, enabling Toyota to provide a mobility solution in all segments of the LCV market.The new van, which is slated to arrive on the market in mid-2024, will be Toyotas first dive ever into the large commercial vehicle segment. There is speculation that the new van model will be the successor to todays Ducato.What we know so far is that the LCV will be developed by Stellantis, production will take place at two Stellantis facilities in Europe, namely Gliwice, Poland, and Atessa, Italy, and the vehicle will come to the market under the Toyota brand . Not much is known in terms of tech specifications for the upcoming LCV.Stellantis and Toyota s partnership on light commercial vehicles goes way back to 2012. Both companies benefit from the collaboration as it allows them to harness development and production cost optimization. Under the collaboration, Toyota gains access to versions of the existing LCVs on the market also developed by Stellantis and can sell them in Europe under its own badge. Steelmaking is a major source of CO2 emissions. We want to change that. As the first car maker to join the #SteelZero initiative, we commit to sourcing more zero-carbon steel. By 2050, all the steel we source should be net-zero steel. Learn more: https://t.co/obe8cUZ1BS pic.twitter.com/zBQQsNPA3s Volvo Cars (@volvocars) May 31, 2022 Steel is one of the most widely used materials in the automotive industry and a major source of C02. But despite current technologies existing for production to be decarbonized, steel making is still one of the biggest CO2 emitters globally, responsible for about 7 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions.Volvo Cars isn't the only company accentuating its position as a leader in climate action. Vattenfall, Iberdrola, and Siemens Gamesa are the latest to sign up for the climate group's initiative using 100% net zero emissions steel for products.Kerstin Enochsson, chief procurement officer at Volvo Cars, said a sustainable approach to steelmaking is not only good news for the environment but also good business since it limits exposure to future climate risks."We are pleased to join the SteelZero initiative and support its ambitions to transform the steel industry. By signaling our demand for responsibly-sourced low-and zero-carbon steel, we aim to help drive an increased supply to our sector," he added.Building environmentally safe cars isn't a new thing for Volvo Cars. The Swedish carmaker has developed its brand by producing exceptionally safe and comfortable vehicles for its consumers.Last year, the automaker made an ethical stand for animal welfare . Instead of using leather on its future EVs, Volvo will only use high-quality, sustainable, bio-based materials such as Nordico and textiles derived from PET bottles.Climate Group launched the SteelZero initiative in partnership with ResponsibleSteel. The initiative brings together leading organizations to speed up the transition to a net-zero steel industry.Part of Volvo Cars' climate action plan is to be climate neutral by 2040, one of the most ambitious in the auto industry. By signing up for the SteelZero initiative, all four companies, including Volvo, have set targets of using 50% low-carbon steel by 2030, building towards the overall aim of using net-zero steel by 2050. SUV Fashion just like the significant others in our lives, you cannot live without it, but also sometimes you cannot live with it, either. Sure, perhaps the Dutch philosopher and Christian scholar Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus meant something else with that quote and it should not be applied to posh automotive creations. Alas, cars are often compared to ladies, so why not extrapolate?With the Rolls-Royce Cullinan battling super-stuff like the Lambo Urus and other ultra-luxury or premium high-riders for ultimate baller supremacy , it has become a very common sight among the creation reel of affluent aftermarket outlets. Both for the right and wrong reasons.Let us take the good folks over at Hollywood, California-based RDB LA for example, even if, this time around, they did not pass by any humongous gas prices. Yet, they still managed to cause controversy and a few good laughs with their latest custom Rolls-Royce Cullinan build. And, no, this is not the same murdered-out widebody Novitec example that rode stealthily past those Cali gas prices in search of a fight with every SUV out there but especially the Matte Dark Gray widebody Lambo Urus that followed quickly after Notice the remaining chrome details, the aftermarket wheels, or the Miami Blue pinstripe, and then be amazed by the cool switch from white-chrome-stock to wrapped black. So, if the fashion changes, the owner can always go back to the initial appearance but right now, they wanted the exterior black and with a little blue nod to the interior, as the color mix now stylishly matches the cockpit treatment.Plus, this is not your typical wrap because it is a full gloss black PPF (paint protection film) by Hexis aka a clear bra. But do you think RDB LAs Insta fans cared about that? Nope, they were too busy dropping LOLs based on the quirky looks of the hidden blue jump seats! At least they did not sway towards the gas prices running gag yet again That man goes by Gao in Chinese media and has gone down in Internet history as the latest and most unlikely viral sensation . He is 24, but seems considerably far younger than his age, because he acted out on his drunken rage by causing serious damage to four, very expensive rides parked in the reserved lot of a luxury hotel in Chengdu, China, in the Sichuan province.Video of his rampage has been released to the media after the incident and went viral right away. You can see it below.According to South China Morning Post, the man was out drinking with friends, including the woman seen below, desperately trying to prevent him from causing more damage. He flew into a rage and started kicking and jumping on four cars, causing considerable damage to a Lamborghini and a pair of Rolls-Royces . In total, he is on the hook for $150,000 in repairs. Weve all done stupid stuff when we were drunk (*allegedly), but this is far too expensive for a night of painting the town red.Somehow hilariously, reports indicate that Gao was able to leave the property after he was all drained out and had cooled off. Hotel staff was only alerted in the morning, when the cars owners came out to a very unexpected scene. Staff pulled the CCTV footage and were thus able to determine what had happened. The man turned himself the next day in what is probably the worst case of hangover in years.Gao has been charged with criminal vandalism and will probably have to foot the bill for the repairs. Drunken regret is this 24-year-old with little sense and less money soon. Palmdale, CA (93550) Today Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 64F. Winds WSW at 15 to 25 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 64F. Winds WSW at 15 to 25 mph. 21 bodies found at crash site of Nepali plane Xinhua) 08:27, May 31, 2022 A rescue team of Nepal Army carry the body of a plane crash victim at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, May 30, 2022. Twenty-one bodies have been recovered from the crash site of a Nepali passenger plane in a remote hilly area in Nepal's Mustang district, a local government official said on Monday. Ten bodies have been sent to Kathmandu in a helicopter, the official said. (Photo by Sulav Shrestha/Xinhua) KATHMANDU, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Twenty-one bodies have been recovered from the crash site of a Nepali passenger plane in a remote hilly area in Nepal's Mustang district, a local government official said on Monday. "Twenty-one dead bodies have been recovered while one remains missing," Netra Prasad Sharma, chief district official of Mustang, told Xinhua. Ten bodies have been sent to Kathmandu in a helicopter, the official said. The Twin Otter plane went missing on Sunday morning minutes after it took off from the Nepali city of Pokhara for Jomsom in Mustang district. The Nepal Army, which is leading the search and rescue effort, found the crash site on Monday morning. Nineteen passengers, among them 13 Nepalis, four Indians and two Germans, were aboard the plane along with three crew members, said Tara Air, the operator of the flight. Indra Singh Sherchan, a hotelier at the crash site, said the site is located at 4,100 meters above sea level and the bodies were scattered here and there on the cliff. "As the plane didn't catch fire, the faces can be identified," he told Xinhua. Air accidents are not rare in Nepal as travel by air is an option when overland routes are generally not in good shape in the mountainous country, especially during the monsoon season. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun) Armenias leading opposition forces drafted the parliamentary resolution last week as they continued daily demonstrations in Yerevan demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinians resignation. They will try to push it through the National Assembly at an emergency session scheduled for Friday. Simonian confirmed that the parliaments pro-government majority will thwart the session by boycotting it. Like other Pashinian allies, Simonian accused the opposition Hayastan and Pativ Unem blocs of exploiting the Karabakh conflict for political purposes. He also said that the draft resolution is aimed at reinvigorating what he described as a failed opposition campaign for Pashinians resignation. That [opposition] initiative is yet another attempt to find some way out of the situation, Simonian told journalists. The speaker, who is a senior member of Civil Contract, insisted that Pashinians government will not cut any peace deals with Azerbaijan that will not take into account the opinion of Artsakh and Armenias citizens. But he stopped short of ruling out Yerevans recognition of Azerbaijani sovereignty over Karabakh. They are afraid of doing that because they have given [Azerbaijani President Ilham] Aliyev promises, said Ishkhan Saghatelian, an opposition leader and parliament vice-speaker. They are afraid because one and a half years after the war [in Karabakh] they have increased only the number of police and interior troops, while the army has been downsized. The opposition accused Pashinian of planning to place Karabakh back under Azerbaijani rule when it launched the street protests in Yerevan on May 1. The parliamentary resolution proposed by it not only rejects such an option but also says Pashinians government cannot make any territorial concessions to Azerbaijan as a result of a planned demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. It further says that the demarcation process must start only after Baku frees all Armenian prisoners and withdraws Azerbaijani troops from Armenian border areas occupied last year. The protests continued on Tuesday, with hundreds of people led by Saghatelian and other opposition lawmakers marching to a government building that houses three Armenian ministries. The lawmakers tried unsuccessfully to meet with the ministers of foreign affairs, education and justice and hear their opinion about Karabakhs status. They did not attempt to force their way into the building heavily guarded by riot police. The oppositionists attempt to break through a similar police cordon on Monday triggered clashes between their supporters and security forces outside the common building of four other government ministries. More than a hundred protesters were detained as a result. Nine of them remained under arrest on Tuesday. Law-enforcement authorities said they could be prosecuted for participating in mass disturbances. Saghatelian claimed that the authorities are fabricating such criminal cases in a bid to suppress the opposition movement. In this way they are trying to isolate participants of the movement and intimidate other citizens, he said. Bakersfield, CA (93308) Today A few passing clouds. Low 66F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A few passing clouds. Low 66F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Surreal Science, Oddities Found Between Florence and Yachats on Central Oregon Coast Published 05/31/22 at 4:25 PM PST By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Yachats, Oregon) Anyway you cut it, you're always going to find something new on the coastline if you know how to look. That 20-mile segment of Oregon coast between Florence and Yachats is filled with one surprise bend in the road after another, as complex little beaches pop up between the rolling cliffs and the asphalt gives way to forested chunks or tall earthen walls on the eastern side. Think of it as a kind of preview, in essence. (Above: Strawberry Hill's mysterious "steps:" all photos Oregon Coast Beach Connection) If you get down onto the beaches, the eye-popping surprises are myriad and the oddities are hiding in beaches that are somewhat hidden themselves. You'll see some things you've never encountered before. And it's a rush. Head down to Strawberry Hill Wayside and you'll see three, prime surreal examples, starting with the tree stump embedded in something that is in itself hard to define. At the far end of this comely cove, there's a big nob of rock sticking up in the air coming complete with a patch of soil and some plants on top of that. It looks like something out of early Yes album covers or Dr. Seuss gone geologically insane. From a purely geologic stance, it's clearly a chunk of the cliff that's been eroded away and disconnected from the rest of it. Even curiouser, there's a log jammed into it, piercing its wall and reaching all the way through. Whether it lost its battle with a recent storm or it's wood that was buried in that material for eons is still not known. How did it get there? Bizarre sights from such a wondrously beautiful spot on the central Oregon coast. Back to the entrance of Strawberry Hill (photo at top), you'll see this outstandingly strange little structure. What appear to be steps are embedded in the basalt rock. But this basalt is part of a giant marine lava flow spewed from Cape Perpetua some 37 million year ago. Proof of ancient aliens? No, it's proof real science is wilder than any sci-fi. It's called a cordwood joint, how geologists have categorized this unique way that lava has of forcing its way into older basalt structures, then splitting into odd little segments, and these eventually get worn down and unhidden by millions of years of sea water. See Mysterious Steps Explained by Geology These are also found in several other spots along the coast, including Depoe Bay's North Point and another beach just north of Strawberry Hill called Neptune State Park. Then, of course, there's the giant eyes lurking at the back of this park: actually small caves or just holes slowly eating up the cliff. Still, ever get the feeling you're being watched? Indeed, Neptune State Scenic Viewpoint (which is really in two halves a mile from each other) is a fascinating study in central Oregon coast oddities as well, including some striking secrets. Shell middens are buried in the layers of the more secretive half of the park, the northern half, which lies just beyond the county border. Shell middens are the refuse of ancient peoples in the area, sometimes thousands of years old. It's where they threw their discarded clam shells and other garbage. White layers of broken up material are dotted throughout some clifflines of the park. Heading farther north, Cape Perpetua soars some 800 feet into the air, providing what feel like aerial views down towards the Devil's Churn, the top of the Interpretive Center, Cook's Chasm, Thor's Well and the little bridge over the chasm leading into Lane County. Most interesting, however, is the long, snaking walkway down to Devil's Churn. Here's, it's an imposing figure, looking daunting and overwhelming. Of course, if you've ever walked it, it's truly no big deal. See the Upper Lane County Virtual Tour for more on all these Once inside Yachats itself, there's always plenty of wave action with one kind of spouting horn or another along this vast, intriguing set of black, jagged basalt. However, the holes in the rocks can be even more mesmerizing, giving you glimpses of the tidal action below this massive stretch of rock. Sometimes ocean water gets put under such pressure it fires upwards, but mostly it's wildly engaging to sit and just watch the tide come in under this rocky shelf, giving you the somewhat spooky realization parts of this basalt you're walking on may not be as thick as you thought. Oregon Coast Hotels in this area - South Coast Hotels - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours MORE PHOTOS BELOW More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted Click here to read the full article. John DiMaggio and Hulu jointly announced March 1 that the original Bender voice actor would return for the shows upcoming revival. DiMaggios involvement was in question after he originally refused to join the revival because he felt the cast was not being paid enough. If you assumed DiMaggios return meant he was able to get his desired pay raise, then youd be wrong, according to the actor. People are like, Im so glad you got more money! I didnt get more money, DiMaggio recently revealed at Phoenix Fan Fusion (via /Film). But what I did get was a lot of respect, and a lot of head nods from people who are like, Yo bro, I see you and thank you.' DiMaggio called it quite rewarding to be praised by colleagues for speaking out about unfair pay, adding, Trying to get money out of Disney is like trying to get blood from a stone you aint gonna get it! But listen, this was the best thing about that fight: I had Disney, Hulu, I was holding on to their collective testicles so hard that they couldnt, yknow, there was nowhere for them to go, the voice actor added. But there was also nowhere for me to go, and who wants to hold on to those for that long? Variety reached out to Disney for comment, but the studio does not comment on matters of compensation. Hulu announced the Futurama reboot on Feb. 9, with DiMaggio sitting out but original cast members Billy West, Katey Sagal, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr and David Herman all returning. Variety reported at the time that DiMaggios role of Bender would be recast if he didnt figure out a deal to return. The actor said at Phoenix Fan Fusion that Hulu was planning on using guest stars, [and] they were going to replace Benders voice each episode if he did not return. When DiMaggio originally spoke out about his pay issues with the reboot, he also championed his co-stars to receive higher salaries. Ive been thinking about everything thats been going on these past months and just to be clear, I dont think that only I deserve to be paid more. I think the entire cast does, DiMaggio wrote on Twitter. Negotiations are a natural part of working in show business. Everyone has a different strategy and different boundaries Some accept offers, some hold their ground. Production on Hulus Futurama reboot kicked off in February with an eye toward a 2023 premiere. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SLOVIANSK, Ukraine (AP) Russian forces in a frenzied push have seized half of Sievierodonetsk, the eastern Ukrainian city that is key to Moscows efforts to complete the capture of the industrial Donbas region, the mayor said Tuesday. The city is essentially being destroyed ruthlessly block by block, Oleksandr Striuk said. He said heavy street fighting continued and artillery barrages threatened the lives of the estimated 13,000 civilians still sheltering in the ruined city that once was home to more than 100,000. A Russian airstrike on Sievierodonetsk hit a tank of nitric acid at a chemical factory, causing a huge leak of fumes, according to Serhiy Haidai, governor of the Luhansk region. He posted a picture of a big cloud hanging over the city and urged residents to stay inside and wear gas masks or improvised ones. Haidai said later Tuesday that most of Sievierodonetsk" was under Russian control, though he added that fierce fighting continued and the city wasnt surrounded. Sievierodonetsk is important to Russian efforts to capture the Donbas before more Western arms arrive to bolster Ukraines defense. Moscow-backed separatists have been fighting Ukrainian troops in the region for eight years and held swaths of territory even before the invasion. President Joe Biden said Tuesday the U.S. will provide Ukraine with the more advanced rocket systems that its leaders have been begging for. In an essay published in The New York Times, Biden said the rocket systems will enable Ukraine to more precisely strike key targets. U.S. officials, speaking before Biden's announcement on condition of anonymity, said Washington will send Ukraine a small number of high-tech, medium-range rocket systems. The rockets could be used both to intercept Russian artillery and to take out Russian positions in towns where fighting is intense, such as Sievierodonetsk. The rocket systems would be taken from U.S. inventory, which would get them to Ukraine quickly. Ukrainian troops would also need training on the new systems, which could take at least a week or two. Sievierodonetsk, which is 145 kilometers (90 miles) south of the Russian border, is in an area that is the last pocket under Ukrainian government control in the Luhansk region. The Donbas is made up of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Striuk said more than 1,500 residents have died of various causes since Russias invasion of Ukraine in late February. Evacuation efforts from Sievierodonetsk have been halted because of shelling. Civilians are dying from direct strikes, from fragmentation wounds and under the rubble of destroyed buildings, since most of the inhabitants are hiding in basements and shelters, Striuk said. Electricity has been cut off, and people need water, food and medicine, the mayor said: There are food supplies for several more days, but the issue is how to distribute them. In his nightly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the situation in the Donbas remains extremely difficult as Russia has put its armys maximum combat power there. At least three people were killed and six wounded overnight in a Russian missile strike on the city of Sloviansk, west of Sievierodonetsk, Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said in a Facebook post Tuesday. A school was among several buildings damaged. A crater was blasted in the road between two apartment buildings heavily pockmarked by shrapnel. The floor and stairwell of one building were smeared with blood. Resident Olena Voytenko, 59, said she knew one of the people killed, a man whose apartment caught fire in the blast. Another resident, Mikhaylo Samoluk, said the strike occurred in the middle of the night. I was on my sofa and suddenly my sofa just jumped in the air, he said. ___ Yuras Karmanau reported from Lviv, and Associated Press writer Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed. ___ Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate In downtown Beaumont, at the corner of Emmett Street and Sabine Pass Avenue just across from the port, there stands a quaint building with more than a century of history inside of it. The Temple to the Brave, built in 1932, originally was erected to honor Texas veterans of preceding wars. But as history has progressed, more conflicts have been added, with most recent artifacts coming from the Gulf and Iraq wars. On Monday, city residents gathered at the museum to observe Memorial Day, honoring the men and women who lost their lives in service to the United States. Inside the one-room building are display cases featuring collections of items from American-involved wars, all donated by veterans of those wars or their families. The walls are decorated with reproductions of wartime posters, plaques and stained glass windows. RELATED: Eagle Scout dedicates veterans monument on anniversary of Pearl Harbor The eight stained glass windows are a prominent feature of the museum. Upon entering through the building's only door, one can see "the rose window," which shows the flags and names of all Allied Nations of World War I. Right above the entrance, another window portrays three WWI servicemen in Army, Navy and Air Corps uniforms. The two other walls of the museum feature three windows each, depicting "Texas under six flags," moving through the state's history. A non-traditional museum, the Temple to the Brave is open only a few times a year: Memorial Day, Flag Day, 9/11, Veterans Day and Pearl Harbor Day, though special tours can be arranged throughout the year. The museum is maintained by the Colonel George Moffett Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution and retired Jefferson County Sheriff's Maj. Dennis White. White, who also is an instructor of homeland security/criminal justice training at Lamar Institute of Technology, has been involved with the museum since the 1980s after he inquired the city council as to why the museum had been closed. RELATED: Southeast Texas memorials offer historic information about local veterans "The (founders) wanted it open to whoever wanted it open," he said. "I worked for the sheriff's office and I couldn't get in. I lived in South Park and came here and when I'd see them cutting grass, I'd (ask), 'Can I go in?' and they'd say, 'No, it's closed.' Well, when (then-mayor) Maury Meyers said, 'Beaumont is the museum capital of Texas,' I went to city council and said 'Well, you've got a museum (here) and you can't get in.'" White said that Meyers handed him the keys after that and he's been with the museum ever since. Beginning the tour of mementos for the more than two dozen residents who popped into the museum in a two-hour period, White told attendees the story of the poppy -- the American Legion's official symbol of remembrance since 1920. White told the story of John McCrae, a lieutenant-colonel of the Canadian Expeditionary Force and surgeon during the Second Battle of Ypres in WWI. After seeing his friend and fellow soldier die in war in 1915 and presiding over his funeral, he wrote a poem, later to be known as "In Flanders Fields." RELATED: Photos: SE Texas veterans honored In it, McCrae wrote: We shall not sleep, though poppies growin Flanders Fields." According to BBC News, poppies were one of the few plants able to grow in the war-torn Western Front, meaning the battlefield and mass gravesites of the war were covered in fields of poppies. McCrae died before the end of the war in 1918 from pneumonia and cerebral meningitis. That same year, University of Georgia professor Moina Michael, after being inspired by the war poem, began selling silk poppies to raise money for disabled veterans, contributing to the flower's continued association with remembrance. "I was born and raised in Port Arthur," White said. "I can remember, when we would go to the Gates Memorial Library, there was always a woman in black selling poppies for everyone to wear. I guess that tradition had gone away." RELATED: Remembering the forgotten veterans of Evergreen Moving on to other artifacts, White pulled out Prussian helmets also from WWI and recalled how one visitor asked him, "If this is a museum to honor American veterans, why do you have all these German helmets?" "I was at a loss of how to explain it," White said. "The only thing I could tell him was, 'Well, the American came home. And the German didn't. And the American brought this home.'" White said that in his more than 30 years with the sheriff's office, he worked with many reservists. Numerous artifacts in the museum came from those officers when they came back home, including a collection of things from the Iraq War. Those items include an Iraqi uniform, gas mask and license plate. White pointed out the difference between the Iraqi gear and the American gear, noting their difference in quality. RELATED: Vidor veteran recalls WWII service Next, White showed artifacts from World War II that someone donated when they were moving out of their house into an assisted living facility. Among the collection were two silk maps of Europe from the early 1940s. "Look how intricate these are," White instructed the group of attendees. "They had these -- if they were shot down in enemy territory, (they could use the maps) to get back to Allied lines." Going back to when the museum was founded, White pointed to a frame on the wall, which held another frame and a couple of pieces of paper inside. RELATED: Calls to expand hospital options for SETX veterans grow The assortment commemorated the visit of the U.S.S. Constitution, first launched in 1797, to the Golden Triangle in 1932. The interior frame was made from old boards from the original warship. "One day in the90s, a lady came in and said, 'I went aboard this when it was here in Beaumont, I was a young girl and I met a sailor and he gave me this sailor's knot from the U.S.S. Constitution. I've had it all these years, I didn't know what to do with it,'" White said. The woman donated it to the Temple and it hangs on the wall beneath the frame. The museum is set up in a U-shape, has hundreds of artifacts and is still accepting more from people who'd like to donate. RELATED: Temple to the Brave is in its 80th year White said he hopes more young people will be encouraged to visit the museum. "None of this stuff has come from pawn shops -- all of these have been contributed by the men and women and families of the men and women who have served," he said. "(It's important) for the young people today to be able to understand what it took to get here." The museum will open again from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. June 14 for Flag Day. Admission is always free. For more information or to book a special tour, contact White at 409-880-1713 or email whited@lit.edu. olivia.malick@hearst.com twitter.com/OliviaMalick Chadchart Sittipunt, a former minister from the Thai government that was ousted in a military coup in 2014, casts ballots for Bangkok governor and Bangkok council member, in Bangkok, May 22, 2022. On May 22, the citizens of Bangkok elected a new governor: Chadchart Sittipunt, an independent candidate and former minister in the government of Yingluck Shinawatra, who was deposed in a military coup in 2014. The election was noteworthy for a few reasons. Chadchart, who ran on a progressive platform, won a commanding 51 percent of the vote. He received 1.38 million votes and won more than 50 percent of the vote in every of Bangkoks 50 constituencies. The election was an important bellwether for the national elections that have to be held by March 2023. Police Gen. Aswin Kwanmuang, the incumbent government whom the junta appointed to the post in 2016, had both the power of incumbency and the support of the military-backed government. He was humiliated, coming in fifth place, with a mere 8 percent of the vote. Aswin had replaced a popular twice-elected leader, Sukumbhand Paribatra, and was blamed by the citizens of Bangkok for not dealing with the citys host of problems. Aswin resigned in March in order to contest the election, but still was considered as the incumbent. In a sign of the national mood, the results ended up being better for Chadchart and worse for Aswin than predicted. In polling a week before the election, Chadchart was running at around 40 percent support, and Aswin was in third place with 14 percent support. But Aswins loss probably portends greater problems for the Palang Pracharat Party (PPRP), the militarys political vehicle. The economy has continued to stall, despite the countrys reopening to tourism. The COVID-19 pandemic was far more costly to Thailand economically than medically. Thailands superb medical system and public health administration succeeded where politicians did not. The pandemic exacerbated the countrys vast income inequality, already amongst the highest in the world, according to an annual survey by Credit Suisse. That disparity surged during the pandemic, in an economy based on tourism and exports. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha tried to put on a brave face, asserting that it was an election in just one province that reflects nothing on me. But this is laughable. Bangkok is home to 11 million of the countrys 70 million people. That 16 percent of the population, which accounts for 25 percent of the countrys GDP, gets 75 percent of general government expenditure. If thats not the power of incumbency, then what else is? Chadcharts electoral win bodes ill for another reason for the government. Chadchart and two other progressive candidates won a combined two-thirds of the vote. Very clearly, the people of Bangkok are looking for fresh faces and new ideas, tired of the militarys eight-year tenure that has been characterized by ineptness and corruption. Sign of things to come Its also very clear that the establishment the military, its political arm, and ultra-royalist backers is unhappy with, and concerned by, the election results. It came as no surprise that an ultra-royalist, Srisuwan Janya, the secretary-general of the Association for the Protection of the Thai Constitution, immediately challenged the election results, with allegations of vote buying. The charge is absolutely absurd. Nevertheless, on May 31, the Bangkok Election Commission verified the vote. Chadchart is everything that terrifies the old guard: young, progressive, charismatic, popular, and with ties to the Shinawatras. He poses a threat to 8 years of regressive politics. All of this raises the larger question: How will the military try to steal the election in 2023? They are, after all, very unpopular. In public opinion polling conducted by the National Institute of Democratic Administration (NIDA), the PPRP has seen a loss of more than 50 percent of its support since early 2020, from 17 percent to 8 percent in April 2022. In that time, Pheu Thai has seen an increase in their support from 20 to 25 percent, on a steady upward trajectory. And while Future Forward has seen a sharp decline since early 2020, in the past half year, they have shown steady growth in public opinion polls. Support for Prayuth as prime minister plummeted from nearly 30 percent to around 13 percent, according to NIDA in the same period. Prayuth is clearly a liability, and even senior PPRP officials like Prawit Wongsuwan and Anupong Paochinda have been publicly toying with the idea of jettisoning Prayuth. And while Prayuth may be seen as an electoral liability, the problem for the PPRP is that it does not have anyone else with nationwide-appeal or recognition, other than Prawit and Anupong, themselves geriatric and highly unpopular. If anyone thinks that I am being too cynical, consider these facts: Would Prayuth be prime minister if not for a military-drafted constitution that weakened large political parties, gerrymandered to hobble the opposition and mal-apportion the vote? Stymieing opposition Would he be PM if not for that same constitution that used the Election Commission to dissolve opposition political parties, used a weaponized judiciary to saddle opposition figures with a slew of legal charges, appointed a senate, silenced opponents using charges of Lese-Majeste, and established a party list system that disadvantaged the largest political party? Under Westminster rules, the largest vote getter has the right to try to form a government; that was not even on offer to the Pheu Thai in 2019. The legal cases against the opposition continue unabated. In April 2022, a court charged Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit with Lese-Majeste, the stringent anti-royal defamation law, for his concerns about an inexperienced royal-owned company producing COVID-19 vaccines. And the government continues to press forward with its controversial NGO bill that could be used to silence all criticism of government policy. We have seen a slight shift in PPRP tactics. After designing a constitution to weaken large parties, the PPRP seems to have had some second thoughts, as it is the second-largest party and it will never want for resources. More importantly, since 2019, its been confronted by the challenge of governing a fractious coalition government comprising tiny parties. In September 2021, parliament passed an amendment to change the electoral system which could favor bigger parties including the PPRP, as well as the opposition Pheu Thai Party. The change would create a two-ballot system where voters elect candidates in single-seat constituencies and a second ballot to vote for a political party. The number of representatives to be directly elected would increase by 50 to 400 while the number of members to be appointed through proportional representation by party-choice votes would fall by 50 to 100. That is unlikely enough for the military to maintain their grip on power, as the population continues to search for new faces, to lead the country forward. But if the government disqualifies those new faces its in for another round of deep-seated political unrest. Zachary Abuza is a professor at the National War College in Washington and an adjunct at Georgetown University. The views expressed here are his own and do not reflect the position of the U.S. Department of Defense, the National War College, Georgetown University or BenarNews. U.S. President Joe Biden (left) and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attend the launch event for Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF), in Tokyo, May 23, 2022. The United States has scored a win in its efforts to counter Beijings influence in Southeast Asia by getting most members of the ASEAN bloc to join the Biden administrations new Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity deal, analysts say. Although IPEF lacks the heft of a formal international trade agreement, according to analysts, the interest that seven members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have shown in it reflects their desire for greater U.S. engagement to balance out a regional economy dominated by China. Even in the weeks before President Joe Biden unveiled the deal at a conference in Tokyo, few ASEAN states were expected to join it, said one expert. Well, I was surprised that so many ASEAN countries were initially part of the deal. This is a coup for the United States in a way, Elina Noor, deputy director at the Asia Society Policy Institute in Washington, told BenarNews. The Biden administration has touted the framework as the bulwark of its economic strategy in the Indo-Pacific region. IPEFs stated goals are ensuring the smooth and supple flow of goods, the use of the same digital economy standards, green and clean work processes and fair and honest business. IPEF will strengthen our ties in this critical region to define the coming decades for technological innovation and the global economy, the White House said in a statement launching IPEF on May 23. In addition to Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam all members of the 10-nation ASEAN bloc Australia, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea also signed up as initial members. Hunter Marston, an international affairs analyst at Australian National University, had expected Singapore and Thailand to join the IPEF at the start, but that other ASEAN members would join later. [I]t did surprise me a bit [that others joined initially]. It was a major policy win for Biden, Marston told BenarNews. It shows that the region still supports the U.S. It is a signal there is a lot of interest in Washingtons continued engagement in the region. They see Washingtons engagement as critical to maintaining balance of power in the region. Chinas economic reach in Southeast Asia eclipses that of the U.S. China has been ASEANs largest trading partner for 12 consecutive years, with 2020 trade reaching nearly U.S. $517 billion, according to the regional blocs statistics, and $685 billion according to Chinas statistics. By contrast, in 2020 U.S-ASEAN trade stood at $362 billion. Meanwhile, a regional survey of policy experts in ASEAN states conducted late last year showed that China is still seen as the most influential economic and political power, but that has created more awe than affection. Trust in Beijing dropped by about three percentage points, while trust in the U.S. rose by 18 percent compared with the previous year. China is the only major power that has increased its negative ratings the majority worry that such economic heft, combined with Chinas military power, could be used to threaten their countrys interest and sovereignty according to the State of Southeast Asia 2021 Survey published by the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. In such a scenario, if there is one thing the U.S. could do to reassure a Southeast Asia worried about U.S. commitment to the region, it is expand economic ties, analyst Anne Marie Murphy at Seton Hall University told BenarNews before Biden launched IPEF. According to Marston, a security partnership alone would make ASEAN uncomfortable. It is less appealing without an economic component because an economic role gives ASEAN the pretense of working with the U.S. on other fronts not aimed at containing China, he said. Four pillars But does the IPEF go far enough? The framework doesnt have a lot of substance, Marston said. He was referring to how the IPEF is not a trade deal like the CPTPP, or Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or its predecessor, the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The U.S. once belonged to and had led negotiations on the latter until President Donald Trump pulled the superpower out of the agreement. China isnt part of the CPTPP, but has applied to join, and Singapore, an influential economic member of ASEAN, has backed Beijings bid. The major trading bloc in the region is the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which the U.S. isnt part of, but which includes China, most ASEAN states, as well as other big Indo-Pacific economies. IPEF is no RCEP or CPTPP, in Marstons view. This is definitely not a trade deal, he said. Calling it an economic framework is better, as watery as it sounds. Its like the COP 26 a pledge to participate that doesnt require any enforcement, he said, referring promises to reduce carbon emissions that were made at the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference. That means the U.S. doesnt offer its partners in the agreement access to its markets or any tariff breaks. Therefore, any business deal under IPEF whether one insists on green protocols or anti-corruption mechanisms has no binding clauses, unlike in a trade agreement where in exchange for market access, partners have to adhere to certain standards. IPEF is the opposite of a multilateral trade agreement, the traditional grail of free-traders, according to Robert Kuttner, a professor at Brandeis University. Countries can decide which areas they want to join; and not all deals with all participating countries will be the same, he wrote in an article in Prospect magazine. Some critics say that is the reason Washington found so many Southeast Asian takers as initial partners in IPEF. Analyst Robert Manning, who calls walking away from what was called the TPP a major strategic mistake, is one of them. I wasnt surprised [so many countries joined]. The U.S. lowered the bar on all four pillars. No one had to sign on to any standards, Manning, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, a Washington think tank, told BenarNews. The four pillars Manning referred to are resilient economy, or the creation of a robust supply chain; connected economy, or ensuring digital economic standards; clean economy, or promoting de-carbonization; and fair economy, or combatting corruption. Members can choose which pillar or pillars they would like to join they have yet to commit. Get a foot in the door After Biden launched IPEF, China made noises about the deal. The U.S. was politicizing, weaponizing and ideologizing economic issues and using economic means to coerce regional countries to choose sides between China and the United States, was how Wang Yi, the Chinese foreign minister, described it.. Marston, however, says he doesnt believe China is upset. I dont think China should be worried about this framework and Beijing understands that that I think, he said. Compared to RCEP this is just an agreement around open internet commerce and nothing more. Marston said that many states that signed on to IPEF did so because of the digital component. Essentially they get to set norms for e-commerce e-commerce is huge in Southeast Asia, he said. Indonesia and Vietnam, they have major portions of economy and GDP from e-commerce, so it gives them first-move advantage to create an open commercial digital space, Marston said. Many countries also joined IPEF because as they are probably hoping it will lead to a trade agreement, said Noor, the expert at the Asia Society Policy Institute. Among certain countries there are sentiments that this is the starting point for market access, she said. The idea is to get a foot in the door, to engage with the U.S. in some form of economic arrangement so it leads to something more substantive. Then-Philippine National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa (right) stands in front of Chinese and Malaysian suspects who are detained in a kidnapping case at police headquarters in Manila, July 20, 2017. Police killed four Chinese kidnap-for-ransom gang members in a central Philippines shootout and rescued a 70-year-old Chinese businessman who was held captive by them for several days, authorities said Tuesday. The businessman, identified as Lyu Xingou, a Chinese national from Fujian province, was forcibly taken by the suspects from his garage in the village of Bangkal in the central city of Lapu-Lapu, said Brig. Gen. Rudolph Dimas, director of the Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG). The state-run Philippine News Agency reported that the abduction occurred on May 25. The suspects then contacted the victims son, Lyu Xicia, who was in China, and demanded 1 billion Chinese renminbi (U.S. $150,000) in ransom, he said, adding the family paid 500,000 renminbi ($74,940). Officers used a mobile phone to track down the suspects, Dimas said. Through their number, we were able to locate the safe house of the group. As the operatives were about to enter the house, a firefight ensued that led to the death of the suspects and the safe rescue of the victim, Dimas said in a statement. Abductions blamed on Chinese criminal gangs preying on their compatriots have risen in the Philippines since 2016, when President Rodrigo Duterte took office and encouraged more Chinese investments and tourists to come to the country. Duterte will be leaving office at the end of June due to term limits. Dimas identified those killed in the latest case as Jinming Gong, Yiping You, Fengqiang Li, and Heng Lin, all Chinese nationals. After the shootout, police recovered four short firearms, ammunition, a laptop, six cellular phones, cash and personal belongings. Lapu-Lapu Mayor Junard Chan, who inspected the house, said the captive appeared to be in good health although he was in shock. We rescued the victim unharmed, Chan told reporters. History of abductions In January 2021, police apprehended eight members of a Chinese kidnap-for-ransom gang in San Pedro, a town just south of Manila. One of the suspects was identified as Qun Den, believed to be a leader of the Xiaopen-Nanlu Chinese kidnap-for-ransom gang which has been known to operate locally and target members of the Chinese expatriate community employed in online casinos. While the number of Chinese nationals coming into the Philippines has dropped over the last two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic, an estimated 150,000 Chinese nationals are employed in the gaming industry in the country that cater to fellow countrymen. 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. Bennington, VT (05201) Today Mostly cloudy with some showers after midnight. Low 56F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with some showers after midnight. Low 56F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%. 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. NORTH ADAMS A competency hearing will be held to determine whether the suspect in the February homicide of a 71-year-old North County contractor is fit to stand trial. In seeking the hearing for William Gingerich Jr., defense attorney William ONeil cited what he said was his 36-year-old clients history of mental illness and treatment. I have concerns about whether hell be able to assist me in preparing a defense at this present time, ONeil told The Eagle. Gingerich is accused of murdering Dennis Bernardi, a Berkshire County native and Drury High School graduate who built homes in the region. Those who knew Bernardi said he had given Gingerich work and a place to stay on his property in Clarksburg. A mental health hearing has been scheduled for June 17 at 9 a.m. in Northern Berkshire District Court. Questions had been raised about Gingerichs competency after he was implicated in a June 2020 assault involving a dangerous weapon in North Adams, which left a man with a bloodied wound to his head. According to the digitized docket associated with that 2020 case, the court found Gingerich incompetent to stand trial on Nov. 16, 2020, and ordered him committed to the Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital for examination. Records show that a report that was not publicly available was prepared by the facility. Given the incompetency finding, the Berkshire District Attorneys Office could not move forward and dismissed the case the following month, according to a DAs office spokesman, and Gingerich was discharged from custody via a process he said was unrelated to the prosecution. After a hearing May 16, the court allowed a request from the defense to view and photograph the crime scene related to the homicide Bernardis Clarksburg home. The filing said Bernardis body was discovered in the basement. ONeil wrote that he sought the order after Bernardis family, through the DAs office, indicated they will not allow me or my investigator access to the victims home in the absence of a court order. ONeil wrote that prosecutors confirmed that Gingerich lived on the premises of Bernardis Middle Road property in a location adjacent to the home. Police found Bernardi dead Feb. 23 while conducting a well-being check. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the cause of his death was homicide, and authorities obtained a warrant for Gingerichs arrest. Authorities arrested him days later in the western New York town of Lewiston, north of Buffalo, along the Canadian border. Gingerich pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and kidnapping in March. The DAs office received a court order to seal the police report associated with the case until September. Gingerich is being held at the Berkshire County House of Correction. Those close to Bernardi, a carpenter and contractor, described him as hard-working, giving and quick to help those who needed a hand. The 2020 assault and battery On June 15, 2020, North Adams police were dispatched to a home on Prospect Street. When officers arrived at the residence, a man was holding the back of his head and blood was running down the back of his neck, according to a report written by North Adams Police Officer Matthew Meranti. The bloodied man told police he was inside his home when he heard his dog barking from his fence-enclosed yard. He said he looked out a window and saw a man, who police later identified as Gingerich, reach over the fence and hit his dog, according to the report. The man went downstairs and began arguing with Gingerich. He told police he ultimately punched Gingerich in the face, the report states. Gingerich hit the man back, but was holding a multi-tool in his hand and struck him in the back of the neck. The man and his brother fought back before Gingerich took off running toward Wesleyan Street. Police searched for the suspect, and received a description from a neighbor who said he was often seen walking up and down the street. Police found and arrested Gingerich near Liberty and North Holden streets. Officer Meranti said that Gingerich admitted he got into an altercation on Prospect Street after a dog barked at him. He approached the dog to call the dog ... this is when [the alleged victim] came out of the house and confronted Gingerich, Meranti said in his report. Gingerichs mother has previously told The Eagle that her son had received a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Pittsfield fire crews put out a fire late Monday at the Epworth Arms apartment building at 350 West St. No one was injured. One tenant's unit was condemned. The fire was blamed on careless use of cigarettes, according to fire officials. Business writer Tony Dobrowolski's main focus is on business reporting. He came to The Eagle in 1992 after previously working for newspapers in Connecticut and Montreal. He can be reached at tdobrowolski@berkshireeagle.com or 413-496-6224. Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. leaves the Capitol at Washington on March 3, 1931, five days before his 90th birthday. The U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice spent several summers in Pittsfield at the home built by his father, Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., in 1849. The summer home on a 280-acre parcel at Canoe Meadows inspired the naming of Holmes Road. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close When Gov. Brad Little spoke on a windy and rainy Monday morning at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery, he noted that the inclement weather was actually fitting for a Memorial Day celebration. Contrary to previous events that many of us have been at where it was a beautiful day, it is very proper that today, when we are trying to honor those fallen, we remember that most of the days that they fell have been like this, Little said. Yes, not even the poor weather conditions could put a halt to the 19th Annual Memorial Day Ceremony held at the veterans cemetery in Boise. The event was held to remember and honor fallen service people of the United States Armed Forces in conjunction with the Memorial Day holiday. In addition to representatives from Little's office there were also participants from the U.S. Navy, Air Force, Army and Marines. A sizable crowd was also in attendance. The ceremony saw over a dozen groups participating in the wreath-laying, escorted by members of the military to display red, white and blue wreaths. The event took off with blustery winds waving flags flown over the cemetery. An expected fly-over tribute by the 124th Fighter Wing was canceled due to the conditions. Little found solace in the lives lost and sacrifices made, pointing out that because of those who have fallen in the line of duty that Idahoans and Americans hold many of the freedoms they currently enjoy. Without the brave heroes, we would not have the freedoms granted by our Constitution, Little said. We would not have the freedom to choose our religion, education, jobs or way to live. Keynote speaker Dan Nelson is a retired Special Forces officer. He has received the Purple Heart, the Silver Star and two Bronze Stars for his service. Nelson described the experience of witnessing the loss of his fellow service people firsthand. Most people don't hear the last words of their dying friends who met a violent end, Nelson said. Most don't have blood-stained uniforms and boots in their closet, often wondering why they keep them but never quite being able to get rid of them. Nelson shared his respects for the Gold Star families in attendance, those who had an immediate family member pass while serving in a conflict. He reflected that, in many years of war, few carry the burden of remembering those lost. I hope my children don't see war. I selfishly pray that war doesn't become our family business, Nelson said. Because I've seen great parents endure the loss of a child before, and simply, I don't know how they've done it. To best respect the fallen, Nelson urged attendees to carry on their memories while living lives worthy of the sacrifices made. It is incumbent upon us as Idahoans and as Americans to honor the sacrifices of the fallen by living a life worth fighting and dying for, Nelson said. Rep. Russ Fulcher spoke at the ceremony, emphasizing the risk military members take while defending the country. Why were they willing to make this sacrifice? I believe the answer all the way lies in one word, faith, Fulcher said. Faith in family, country, power and for freedom, and faith in our creator. Reflecting on his time in Congress, Fulcher has changed his belief of the nations largest fight being an external one. Instead, he finds it in the burden Gold Star families carry. You all play a role in the ongoing struggle for the soul of America we're the frontline of families today, Fulcher said. I used to think of externals outside of our borders. But after being directly engaged with government at the state and federal level, I'm now convinced that our primary enemy is within. (The Center Square) Stevens County Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jeff Flood responded to a cougar attack on a 9-year-old girl near Mudgett Lake and says the child is lucky to be alive. It was a bad deal, he told The Center Square on Monday. That cougar wasnt playing around with her, he was trying to kill her. Flood is frequently called out to predator attacks in Northeastern Washington. His role is to assist the state Department of Fish and Wildlife with investigations and ensure livestock producers and domestic animal owners are represented. Flood is also an expert hound handler and brought a dog to the May 28 attack site about two miles south of the community of Fruitland. He and state agents wanted to check out the terrain to make sure the young adult male that was shot and killed was not accompanied by a mother. As far as we can tell, he was alone, said Flood. The problem cougar was between one and two years of age, he said. The head was removed from the carcass and sent to a lab to be tested for rabies or another disease, he said. It did not appear to be unhealthy, not in the bad shape you would expect in order for it to do something like that, he said. The cougar was killed by one of the men who responded to the alarm raised by two girls. They ran for help after observing the animal trying to drag their friend into the underbrush, said Flood. The three girls had been playing hide-and-seek at a morning gathering of about 100 people with the Center of Life Slavic Church, he said. It was broad daylight and there was music and a lot of human activity about 200 yards from where the girls were playing on an open slope, which also made an attack unlikely, he said. When the two girls saw their friend in trouble, Flood said they ran screaming down the hill to attract attention. One man on an ATV roared to the site and scared the cougar away. The victim had sustained very serious lacerations to the face, head and body, said Flood. She was transported to a hospital in Davenport and then via LifeFlight Air Ambulance to Spokane due to the severity of traumatic injuries. She had incredible lacerations and it will be a long recovery for her, said Flood. Once the attack occurred, he said armed men from the church group went into the draw where the cat had last been seen and shot it. The incident was reported to law enforcement and state agents. According to an email sent out by Staci Lehman, communications manager for WDFW, the incident is still under investigation. In March, WDFW reported a cougar sighting about 10 minutes from the site of the recent attack. Fruitland is located about 72 miles northwest of Spokane. Cougar attacks on humans are rare, according to WDFW. The first cougar attack in Washington that resulted in a human death was reported in 1924. Since then, state authorities recorded 20 other cougar-human encounters that resulted in a documented injury, including a second fatal attack in 2018 roughly 30 miles east of Seattle. The agency reports that cougars generally dont want to be around humans, which is why they will turn around and run when there is an encounter. Flood disputes that. He said that as the cougar population grows, there are more sightings of the big cat around habited areas. He said it is no longer unusual to get reports about cougars hanging out in yards or menacing a family dog. WDFWs Dangerous Incident Reports map shows a plethora of sightings of bear, wolves and cougar in many populated areas, he said. For WDFW to say that cougars dont like to be around people is not reflected in that map, said Flood, pointing out that mountain lions have even been found in Seattle and Olympia. Cougars have been a protected species in Washington since 1968. WDFW now estimates their population at 2,000-2,500 and they mostly reside in forested areas. Flood believes the population may be higher given the uptick in not only rural but urban sightings. He said since a 1996 voter initiative banned the use of hounds in cougar hunting, the population has steadily increased. He said people are allowed by law to kill a cougar that is threatening them or livestock. Just days after Razor was named Africa Consultancy of the Year at the 2022 EMEA Sabre Awards held in London, the agency has taken top honours at the African Sabre Awards 2022 ceremony in Tanzania. Source: Provoke Media Provoke Media M&C Saatchis Razor PR, and its client Tiger Brands, won the Platinum Sabre Award for the best public relations programme in Africa Doing the right thing 2. Every Stage of Women MSI Reproductive Choices and Marie Stopes Ghana with Portland Communications. 3. #ItsUpToUSMastercard Foundation with Engine BCW, Kenya. 4. Driving a positive reputational shift and steadily guiding a change in perceptionOmnia Holdings with Instinctif Partners Africa. 5. #RewriteOurProverbs to #WriteOffGBVGreen Door with Clockwork. In what was a big night all around for the M&C Saatchi Group South Africa's public relations and reputation management agency, it walked away with the Platinum Sabre Award for the best public relations programme in Africa for its client Tiger Brands as well as six trophies in all.This placed the agency ahead of multinational agencies BCW and Edelman and the African operations of UK corporate and financial specialist Instinctif Partners, each of which picked up three Sabre Awards.South African Retroviral also had a good evening, taking home two trophies. Its campaignfor client 1st for Women Insurance won in the Geographics: Southern Africa category and Financial & Professional Services category.Also taking home two trophies each are pan-African consultancy APO Group (which has its African offices in Senegal), Gong Xommunications - a UK firm with an office in Kenya, Portland, Redhouse Group of Kenya, and international agency WE Communications.The winning campaign, involved a voluntary national recall of Tiger Brands KOO and Hugos brand products after a defect was discovered in some of their cans.Guided by its values and its focus on the customer, Tiger Brands moved swiftly and decisively, communicated clearly and transparently, and proved once again what we as public relations people know to be true: that brands can emerge from a crisis more trusted than ever if they do the right thing," says Paul Holmes, chair of the Sabre judges.Thecampaign beat out four other strong contenders for the Platinum Awards:The event was held for the sixth time in partnership with the African Public Relations Association, which is holding its annual conference in Dar-es-Salaam and hosted the awards ceremony.A complete list of winners can be found here Special Investigating Unit head, Advocate Andy Mothibi, has hailed a new partnership between the corruption-busting unit, the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants' (Saica) Thuthuka Education Upliftment Fund (TEUF), and the North-West University (NWU) as a strong move towards ensuring that the SIU is well capacitated in the future. Zondo commission recommendations The partnership facilitates a programme at the North West University, which, according to the SIU, aims to train and produce a new generation of forensic accountants.Mothibi said criminals and their criminality has become more complex and the use of forensic accountants in investigation is becoming a top requirement.The corrupt and the criminals out there use sophisticated tools and ways to commit crime and they use sophisticated methods to hide the money and the assets that they have corruptly acquired.We need to up the game in terms of ensuring that we meet them pound for pound. We need to ensure that we have the skills that will analyse all those financial statements, all those balance sheets, all those income statements to ensure that we come to grips on the kind of offences and corruption that has been committed, he said.Mothibi reflected that as recent as six years ago, the unit had a forensic accounting team that was under-capacitated.At the time when I joined the [SIU]...back in 2016, as we did the analysis we found that we had just two forensic accountants and after a year or two, there were three. As we adopted the new strategy... [which] placed premium at the impact of our work and the impact required us to investigate and to investigate effectively.As we were executing the strategy, we started seeing the allegations coming in and allegations from the public and government. So to [investigate effectively] we also started noticing some of the complexities in the investigation and as a team we agreed that part of what we needed to strengthen on was the part the forensic accountant skills, he said.He said that as the SIU enacted its new strategy and organogram, it made more space for forensic accountants.As we took this decision to increase the accountants...we recruited a few and of late we are numbering at around nine at the moment. There is still a need so this project is really going to enable us to build the timber such that we benefit previously disadvantaged students through the university and...Saica.This is a flagship project and we would like to make sure that we benefit both from reducing youth unemployment and also that we benefit the state agencies capacity, he said.Turning to recommendations made in the report of the State Capture Commissions report, Mothibi said the SIU is already investigating some of the findings and allegations at several state-owned entities including Transnet, South African Airways, Eskom and Denel.We do have proclamations already in most of those areas. What we are doing is that we already have a process in place to ensure that we understand the outcomes of the Zondo Commission and ensure that we run all of those outcomes and recommendations and places them in our processes so that they produce the results that we all are looking for. Be it civil litigation where we have got to recover monies that have been lost by government and by the state, he said. It is often said that actions speak louder than words. The true measure of leadership lies in the actions we take when inspired by noble causes, dreams and plans to make a difference. The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (Saica) recognised 11 of its members at its inaugural Chairman's Difference Makers Awards Dinner. Among those honoured were: Professor Wiseman Lumkile Nkuhlu, the first black chartered accountant in South Africa; Ajen Sita, CEO of Ernst and Young (EY) Africa; and the late Thembekile "Kimi" Makwetu, South Africa's former Auditor-General. When SAICA launched its Difference Makers organising concept in 2021, in alignment with Chartered Accountant Worldwides global brand positioning strategy, the aim was to showcase real-life stories of members making a sustainable difference that yields positive business, social and economic returns for all a difference that will elevate thenoble accountancy profession, as well as South Africa to new heights.The Chairmans Difference Makers Awards Dinner, sponsored by SAPRO, are a continuation of this project where the organisation hope to share the stories of its prestigious winners far and wide as part of its ongoing efforts to restore trust in the accounting profession.Said Saicas Board Chairman, Vincent Motholo: As we are all aware, our profession has come under an extreme amount of scrutiny due to the negative actions of a handful of high profile accountants that have come to light over the past few years. While these individuals represent a miniscule proportion of the total membership body of our esteemed profession, these high-profile cases unfortunately overshadow the excellent work the vast majority of our members and associates do to make a difference in their roles, the economy and broader society.But with these awards, were changing that narrative in a significant way. We are ensuring that that our members commitment to driving positive change in the world receives the attention it truly deserves.Added Saica CEO Freeman Nomvalo in agreement: At Saica, we believe that our members are the difference. Trained to uphold high ethical standards; our members and associates are equipped for the future and enabled to make an impact on business and in society and this is underpinned by a duty and responsibility to act in the public interest. By telling their stories, we are showing the world that the profession is made up of individuals who are purpose-driven to make the world a better place, that they are focused on remaining relevant and fit for the future, playing a valuable role in their organisations and communities, that they live and work with integrity, and are focused on making positive changes that are in the interest of all.There are over 750,000 CAs and more than a million CA students around the world and they do so much more than look at the numbers. Todays accountants are business advisors and difference makers in a myriad of ways. It was with this in mind that when we began to brainstorm the categories of this event, that we knew that we had to find ways to honour as many of the avenues where our members and associates are making a difference as we could. And so, we came up with ten overarching themes that we thought fitted this purpose. From innovators and future thinkers, to those who lead business, sustainability, integrity, national interest and more, we reached out to all our members, associates and various committee structures to find the true difference maker among us, explained Motholo.The winners of the categories are as follows:The Future Fit category honours the courageous, unconventional Saica member who doesn't believe in limits and who sees every day as an opportunity to be different. Someone who creates the change and opportunity they want to see in the world.The winnerof the award, Shabeer Khan, was honoured for the work he has done as the CFO of the Department of Trade, Industry & Competition (dtic). Prior to Khan joining the dtic, the department had never achieved clean auditstatus. However after implementing various internal controls and systems improvements, under his guidance and leadership, the department has achieved many clean audits. Khan was also lauded for creating a platform for an ethical, resilient and capable department dedicated to driving continuous change and improvements and laying the foundation for a number of strategic achievements for the betterment of the country.The Innovator Award category honours a Saica member who is known for exploring the boundaries of the possible, venturing beyond the improbable, imagining the way things could be and then finding the gaps by creating new and more effective ways to do traditional things.Awarded to Anri Coetzee, Global Process Owner, General Ledger at EY Global, she was honoured for the work she has done in harmonising the global General Ledger processes and controls from end to end, ensuring adoption of changes and driving optimised quality and cost of delivery through process automation and standardisation. Most recently, Coetzee was responsible for the development of a new, integrated global journal posting solution aimed at creating operating efficiencies and cost optimisation.The most precious asset all businesses share is our Earth. The efforts individuals and businesses make to sustain this vital resource is not only necessary, but it also makes good business sense. The Sustainability Award honours a difference maker who has made sustainability an integral part of their business; someone who actively aims to help solve the United Nations (UN) 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).The winner for this category is Belinda Carreira, Sustainability Director at Emergent Africa. Carreira receives this award for two key reasons. The first is for co-founding #SustainableSA in 2020, a project sponsored by Saica., that collaborates with strategic partners and experts to provide focused monthly information on each of the UN 17 SDGs. The second reason is for setting up and establishing the Sustainability Advisory business at Emergent Africa, which seeks to ensure that all businesses incorporate Sustainability into their Strategies and that Boards and Shareholders receive the feedback and insights they need on this crucial topic.The fourth award is for those in the profession who have made it their lifes work to make a tangible impact on how we educate the future members of Saica. Exclusively for someone in Academia or in the accounting education space, the Excellence in Education award was handed over to Professor Benjamin Marx, head of the Accountancy Department at the University of Johannesburg.Prof. Marx has been anacademic for more than 32 years and has made significant contributions to the chartered accounting profession in addition to championing transformation as well as education on all levels.The National Interest category was put in place to honour a member of the profession who is purposely driven to change the lives of others for the better. This award is for a member who understands that we only rise higher when we uplift others in the process.Given the nature of the award, it should be no surprise to the profession that the winner is Chantyl Mulder, Executive of Marketplace Academy.With a career spanning just short of 40 years, Mulder also known as Mother Thuthuka, thanks to her role in founding Saicas Thuthuka Education Upliftment Fund is one of the professions greatest champions of transformation and education. This year, the fund celebrates its 20th year in the existence and has been instrumental in opening up the profession for previously disadvantaged racial groups.The Humanitarian award goes to a member who has truly lived up to the words servant of the people and has dedicated his career to improving the welfare of mankind.It was awarded to Ismael Lambat, General Manager at the Council For Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) for this involvement in Humanitarian Aid work. Lambatsimpact as a business leader to lead and influence large-scale projects aimed at combatting poverty through food security is renowned. He has also been instrumental in leveraging professional networks to access CSI funds for the benefit of the most needy, directly leading projects on skills development for the underprivileged and also creating avenues for entrepreneurship.The Ethical Leadership award honours a member who daily chooses courage over comfort and stands up for what is right, regardless of the repercussions.The well deserving winner of this is award is Parmi Natesan, CEO of the Institute of Directors South Africa.Natesan is a corporate governance specialist who has authored articles/papers and spoken at conferences/events. She serves on many committees, including the King Committee and the Anti-intimidation and Ethical Practices Forum and is an advocate for Saicas Unite for Mzansi movement. As part of these structures, Natesan is a champion for good corporate governance as well as ethical and effective leadership.The Courageous Leadership winner, like so many others tonight, needs no introduction. His story of taking on the role of rescuing a sinking ship has been told many times.That individual is Ignatius Sehoole, CEO of KPMG SA.Sehoole has always set himself apart as a voice of justice and reason in the business world. This has helped him become one of the most well respected voices in the South African audit profession and the man picked to rebuild a battered KPMG. He embodies ethical leadership through his belief that a leader ought to demonstrate conduct for common good in all situations whether you find yourself in a business environment or so-called private capacity. He believes that leaders are forerunners and as such have a responsibility to set an example of ethical conduct even outside of the formal business arena.The Leader in Business award was by far the most entered category in this years nomination process and honours a member who develops, influences and leads others to be great.The winner of this category goes to Ajen Sita, CEO of EY Africa.Throughout his career, whether it was as a young trainee, manager, early-stage partner, leadership roles, or CEO, Sita has been driven by a sense of purpose in the work that he does. He believes that when you are driven by a sense of purpose, you always look to make the circle bigger. As his entry put it so beautifully: [As a leader,] you dont look at anything selfishly for yourself or what's in it for you, but rather how can this be better for the people around you, for the organisation, for the business community, for our country, for our continent. If you expand your own mindset, your own horizon, your own view, your perspective to something that's bigger and larger and set yourself ambitious goals.The next award is a special award that, while not opened for entries or nominations, Saicas chairman believed that is would be remiss not to honour the invaluable contributions to the country this individual made during the course of his career.Awarded post-humously, the Leader in Public Accountability award recognises the late Thembekile Kimi Makwetu, the previous Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA).Makwetu sat at the helm of the AGSA for 13 years, first as deputy auditor-general to Terrence Nombembe and then taking over the office. The quintessential civil servant who took his job as South Africas auditor-general seriously and threw every sinew of his being into it, Kimi passed away on 11 November having fought stage four lung cancer for two years.And finally, the last award recognises someone whos legacy inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more. His is a story that gets shared by others and will be remembered for decades as he has left a last legacy in minds of the profession, and indeed the country, that will be etched into the history books for decades to come.This award winner should also come as no surprise as not only is the winner a true icon and stalwart of the profession but indeed as one of its leading pioneers. This award was handed over to none other than Professor Wiseman Nkuhlu, chairperson of KPMG SA and the Chancellor of the University of Pretoria.As the first Black Chartered Accountant he was a pioneer in the profession and during his over 40 years in the profession, Professor Nkuhlu has played key roles in academia, philanthropy, development, business and politics. From being a political prisoner on Robben Island at the age of nineteen to being the economic adviser to President Thabo Mbeki, he has been a leading light for inculcating a corporate culture of accountability, ethical business leadership and the advancement and development of South Africa.This years winners represent the tip of this iceberg of distinction. On behalf of the profession, I thank every single person who entered as well as those who nominated someone for this years awards, for reminding us of just how much of an impact one person can make in society when you make purpose, impact and difference making one of the cornerstones of your life and your career. To our winners and finalists, you are all exceptional and Saica acknowledges and thanks you for the work you are doing, concluded Motholo. Employer guidance needed to deal with employee no-shows and workplace disruption Consider each case on its own merits. Take time to understand whether its an incapacity situation or a possible misconduct situation, because the procedure and substantive requirements are distinguishable. Establish a crisis management committee comprising of management and employee representatives. Consult on measures to mitigate impacts of distress, anxiety and loss of income. More government intervention, legislation and regulation is needed to manage employer and employee relationships in times of unprecedented crisis and disaster, including pandemics, civil unrest and floods.On the back of Covid-19 lockdowns, the July riots in KwaZulu-Natal, and the recent storms that left thousands in the same region without homes, water and power, employers have faced high staff absenteeism, no-shows and workplace disruption. Dealing with legal and compliance obligations and the principal of no-work no-pay under these circumstances is tricky.In a webinar, Employee Management in Trying Times , hosted by legal technology company LexisNexis South Africa , to guide employers on the dos and donts during times of crisis, employment equity and labour law expert Michelle Naidoo suggested government could do more to manage and guide the employer-employee relationship.Given the amount and frequency of disasters we have experienced recently, Naidoo said, it comes as a surprise to me that not more guidance is given to employers to steer through these trying times. Webinar participants polled during the session agreed with Naidoo, with more than 80% calling for more government guidance.Naidoo, a partner at Mooney Ford Attorneys and a panelist at Aequitate Dispute Resolution Services, said while employers should not rush to discipline staff for events outside of their control, there was no obligation on employers to pay staff who couldnt report for duty. She said she was asked daily whether it was legal not to pay employees when the Disaster Management Act applied, or during incidents like riots and extreme weather events like the recent floods.The answer to that is trite and settled in law there is no obligation on the employer to renumerate employees during periods where services cannot be rendered during circumstances beyond the employers control, said Naidoo.While there is much debate in legal circles around this, Naidoo cited the labour court judgement ofhanded down on 3 June 2020. It provided unequivocal clarity that companies were well within their rights to invoke the principle of no-work no-pay for the Covid-19 lockdown period.But Naidoo warned that one-size-fits-all doesnt apply in crisis situations and the CCMA would certainly be critical of employers rushing off to seize an opportunity to discipline an employee with compelling mitigation factors.The issue needed to be understood within the parameters of the legal concept of reasonable accommodation in the Employment Equity Act, as well as the Code of Good Practice and the new Code of Good Practice: Managing Covid-19 in the workplace, updated in terms of the Labour Relations Act and Occupational Health and Safety Act.The definition and scope under SA law spelt out requirements for employers to make modifications and adjustments to working environments to essentially lift any barriers people with disabilities may experience in the workplace, Naidoo said. This may have valuable application in crisis management times - this same code says employers must also reasonably accommodate employees when the work, or the work environment, changes or impairment varies which affects the employees ability to perform the essential functions of a job.The reason this is relevant in the current times is that many of us woke up during the flooding in KZN and were literally unable to move out of homes and when we managed to get out of our homes, there was not much left at our work environment.However the obligation to provide reasonable accommodation under various circumstances was not unlimited, Naidoo said, with most labour laws attempting to maintain a balance between affording rights to employees and equal consideration of burdens on the employer.Naidoos advice to employers following a crisis:The webinar is housed on a free online portal set up by LNSA to provide easy access to critical legal information and resources for severe weather events. The launch of the Severe Weather Events Resource Centre is in keeping with LNSAs focus on the rule of law , and follows the launch of two other key online portals in the last few years, namely a Covid-19 resource centre and a GBV resource centre According to the findings of a recent study from the Department of Industrial Engineering at Stellenbosch University, improving the sustainability of activities in the construction industry is key to mitigating the negative impact of the industry on the environment. But for this to happen, industry stakeholders should be more enthusiastic about adopting and implementing sustainable practices in their projects. Motivation plays a determining role Recommendations Ralmar Marsh and Profs Alan Brent and Imke de Kock conducted the study looking at the barriers to and drivers of sustainable construction practices by construction industry stakeholders. They asked industry professionals to complete questionnaires about the need to improve their capability, opportunity, and motivation to facilitate the adoption of sustainable construction practices.The researchers say there is a need to change the current behaviour of stakeholders in the construction industry to ensure the sustainability of the industry by adopting sustainable alternatives throughout the life cycle of construction projects.The construction industry is in a unique position to create value by improving the quality of life of society and thereby positively contributing to sustainable development. In order to improve the adoption and implementation of sustainable practices within the construction industry, the change in stakeholders behaviour and the processes that support this change need to be considered.According to the researchers, the survey results indicated that motivation plays a role in determining the likelihood of participants engaging with sustainable construction.Participants felt that stakeholders in the construction industry need to change their current behaviour and adopt sustainable alternatives to design and construction methods and processes.They indicated that sustainable construction was beneficial to the development of their careers and that it could have a positive long-term impact on the economy, the environment, and society.Participants also agreed that they would adopt sustainable construction if they had the skills to do so. They had strong intentions to develop their knowledge of and skills regarding sustainable construction and encourage the education and training thereof.They also wanted government to support and encourage sustainable construction through incentives, tax relief, subsidies and access to funding for projects that incorporate sustainable principles and practices.The researchers point out that the major barriers to and drivers of sustainable construction practices include awareness and knowledge of and information about sustainable construction; interest in it and demand for its adoption; the availability of training and access to education on social construction; behavioural change towards it; industry peer influences; confidence in its implementation; economic factors; perceptions of it; and social benefits of adopting social construction.In their study, the researchers also make a few recommendations that could help facilitate the adoption and implementation of sustainable construction.Organisations should provide stakeholders with access to education, training, and upskilling through continuing professional development courses to improve their awareness, knowledge and skills, influence their behaviour, and boost their confidence in implementing sustainable construction practices. Sustainable development strategies and internal policies should be developed to further enhance the organisations offering within the industry.Furthermore, policies and legislation which govern the adoption and implementation of social construction should be developed and regulated by government to emphasise the need to change the current trajectory of the construction industry.Financial and market-based incentives will further encourage organisations to adopt best practices within the industry in relation to sustainable construction.The researchers say tertiary institutions also have a role to play in achieving the goals of sustainable development within the construction industry. Integrating sustainability as part of the undergraduate curriculum and postgraduate studies in higher education is necessary to promote sustainable development in the built environment. This will ensure that graduates are aware of their ethical and social responsibility towards the environment and the welfare of society.The findings of their study were published recently in the On the periphery of this year's Mining Indaba, Webber Wentzel and Africa Practice jointly hosted a panel discussion on green hydrogen and how Africa can leverage its competitive advantage given its abundance of natural resources. SA intent on developing its green hydrogen economy Red tape and regulatory uncertainty Export markets Skills development in manufacturing Watch the full webinar: Led by Marcus Courage, CEO of Africa Practice, the panel featured Dr Fahmida Smith, market development principal at Anglo American and vice chair of the African Hydrogen Partnership; Dr Rebecca Maserumule, chief director for hydrogen and energy at the Department of Science and Innovation; Jason Cuomo, lead chemical/process engineer at Hydrox Holdings; and Jason van der Poel, partner and lead for the energy practice at Webber Wentzel.South Africa has long been doing its homework and is intent on developing its own green hydrogen economy, citing the many potential benefits, including 3 million jobs by 2050, noted Maserumule. However, skills development is imperative to drive innovation and success in this space. Recognising this, government last year extended its National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Research, Development and Innovation Strategy (HySA Strategy) for a further 10 years.Innovation will be needed to address some of the technical challenges in scaling up the green hydrogen sector. One of which is the intermittent and irregular nature of renewable energy loads which ultimately affect the lifespan of electrolysers, explained Cuomo. However, despite some of these initial challenges, countries like Namibia are forging ahead, looking to extend its electrolyser capacity to up to 3GW.Van der Poel, providing the legal perspective, noted the many components that need to be considered when setting up a green hydrogen project, including water supply, production, storage, health and safety, all the way through to export and shipping. He highlighted the issue of red tape and regulatory uncertainty in the green hydrogen space and how this needs to be addressed in order for South Africa and the continent to achieve its objectives."The one lever that might be used for green hydrogen projects across South Africa would be to have them designated as strategic integrated projects to facilitate the speedy granting of all of these different permits along the way," he said.A number of countries and regions have already expressed interest in importing green hydrogen from Africa, many of which lack the land availability for the large-scale deployment of renewables. Most notable is Germany, Europe in general, and Japan, according to Maserumule. The African Hydrogen Partnership (AHP) aims to play a facilitating role in this regard.As vice chair of the organisation, Smith explained some of the AHP's goals. "It's really focused on bringing the various countries within Africa together, uniting the continent around a green hydrogen ambition. The African Hydrogen Partnership basically looks at everything from production, compression, use through fuel cells as well as export of green hydrogen to the rest of the world."Cuomo emphasised that, ultimately, if we are going to scale up, we need to focus on education and skills development in the manufacturing and building of green hydrogen systems as opposed to just in servicing and maintaining the value chain as many of the key components are currently imported."This will maximise job creation and have the greatest impact on the economy and the socioeconomics that follow through from that," he said. Woodstock, Cape Town King James Part of Accenture Song, is currently looking for an SEO Specialist to work on a portfolio of various clients and brands. TEHRAN, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Iran on Tuesday warned Greece that neither the United States nor any other third party wishes well for Tehran-Athens relations, noting bilateral ties have always been based on mutual respect, official news agency IRNA reported. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh gave the warning at a weekly press conference, referring to the Greek recent "illegal" impoundment of a Russia-operated ship carrying Iranian oil cargo. Despite all diplomatic channels Tehran had activated, including a phone conversation Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian held with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias, Athens showed it attached greater importance to a third party's order, said Khatibzadeh. On Iran's seizure of the Greek tankers in the Gulf, the spokesman explained that the tankers had committed maritime violations in the Iranian territorial waters. He suggested the Greek government solve the issue through legal channels, saying the Iranian Foreign Ministry will help. Dismissing worries about the Greek tankers' crew members, Khatibzadeh said they are safe and in good health and in contact with their families. Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps seized two Greek oil tankers in the Gulf on Friday, days after a Russia-operated ship was captured by Greece in its territorial waters and its Iranian crude cargo confiscated by the United States. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau just gave Canadians a double middle finger. This is fascism. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you fascism. The dude is a holier-than-thou disgusting fascist pig who doesnt give a crap about anyone but himself. This guy probably has never held a gun. Trudeau wants to freeze handgun ownership. He also wants a buy-back program for assault rifles. Um, assault rifles dont exist sothat point is moot. This mans life is protected by guns 24/7. This guy doesnt go anywhere without his armed security. That armed security carries handguns and those scary assaulty weapons! I bet his family and residence have those same armed security officers. When someone tells you this then you know you need that gun: We recognize that the vast majority of gun owners use them safely and in accordance with the law, but other than using firearms for sport shooting and hunting, there is no reason anyone in Canada should need guns in their everyday lives. Again, says the man who is protected by guns 24/7. One Canadian killed by gun violence is one too many. Thats why weve banned 1,500 types of military-style assault firearms. And thats why, today, weve introduced legislation to further strengthen gun control in Canada. Thread Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) May 30, 2022 Well also increase criminal penalties to combat gun smuggling and trafficking, provide authorities with more tools to investigate firearms crimes, and criminalize the modification of magazines to prevent them from holding more than the legal limit of ammunition. Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) May 30, 2022 For more on the legislation weve introduced and the steps were taking to keep our communities safe, click here: https://t.co/jhcmyV7BnG Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) May 30, 2022 Thank GOD we have our Constitution. The left might live on Fantasy Island but the majority of Americans constantly ignored give a damn about our natural rights spelled out in the Bill of Rights. I dont know if the legislation will go through the Canadian government. Trudeau is just screaming for attention. He revoked the emergencies act after the Senate showed signs of disapproval. The press conference is just as virtu signaling as the stupid legislation. Everyone wearing a mask and social distancing. I bet theyre all off to their lavish party to celebrate stripping Canadians of their natural rights while men with guns protect them. The single most overlooked and under-appreciated aspect of our society is the fact that immensely powerful people are continuously working to manipulate the thoughts we think about the world. Whether you call it propaganda, psyops, perception management or public relations, it's a real thing that happens constantly, and it happens to all of us. And its consequences shape our entire world. This should be at the forefront of our attention when examining news, trends and ideas, but it hardly ever gets mentioned. This is because the mass-scale psychological manipulation is succeeding. Propaganda only works if you don't know it's happening. To be clear, I am not talking about some kind of wacky unsubstantiated conspiracy theory here. I am talking about a conspiracy fact. That we are propagandized by people with authority over us is not seriously in dispute by any well-informed good faith actor and has been extensively described and documented for many years. More than this, the managers of the US-centralized empire which dominates the west and so much of the rest of the world have straightforwardly shown us that they propagandize us and want to propagandize us more. They have shown us with their actions, and they have at times come right out and told us with their words. Here are just a few of those times. 1. Operation Mockingbird Let's start with maybe the best-known example. In 1977 Carl Bernstein published an article titled "The CIA and the Media" reporting that the CIA had covertly infiltrated America's most influential news outlets and had over 400 reporters who it considered assets in a program known as Operation Mockingbird. It was a major scandal, and rightly so. The news media are meant to report truthfully about what happens in the world, not manipulate public perception to suit the agendas of spooks and warmongers. But it only got worse from there. 2. Intelligence operatives now just openly working in the media Nowadays the CIA collaboration happens right out in the open, and people are too propagandized to even recognize this as scandalous. Immensely influential outlets like The New York Times uncritically pass on CIA disinfo which is then spun as fact by cable news pundits. The Washington Post has consistently refused to disclose the fact that its sole owner has been a CIA contractor when reporting on US intelligence agencies as per standard journalistic protocol. Mass media outlets now openly employ intelligence agency veterans like John Brennan, James Clapper, Chuck Rosenberg, Michael Hayden, Frank Figliuzzi, Fran Townsend, Stephen Hall, Samantha Vinograd, Andrew McCabe, Josh Campbell, Asha Rangappa, Phil Mudd, James Gagliano, Jeremy Bash, Susan Hennessey, Ned Price, Rick Francona, Michael Morell, John McLaughlin, John Sipher, Thomas Bossert, Clint Watts, James Baker, Mike Baker, Daniel Hoffman, David Preiss, Evelyn Farkas, Mike Rogers and Malcolm Nance, as are known CIA assets like NBC's Ken Dilanian, as are CIA interns like Anderson Cooper and CIA applicants like Tucker Carlson. Operation Mockingbird was the CIA doing something to the media. What we are seeing now is the CIA openly acting as the media. Any meaningful separation between the CIA and the news media, indeed even any pretence of separation, has been dropped. 3. Richard Stengel's CFR remarks on propaganda Former US State Department official and Time Magazine editor Richard Stengel expressed full-throated support for the use of propaganda on both foreign and domestic audiences during a 2018 event organized by the supremely influential think tank Council on Foreign Relations. Basically every country creates their own narrative story, Stengel said. "My old job at the State Department was what people used to joke as the chief propagandist. Im not against propaganda. Every country does it, and they have to do it to their own population. And I dont necessarily think its that awful. Interestingly, years earlier during his time at the US State Department under the Obama administration Stengel actually provided his own definition of what precisely he means by the word "propaganda", and it's not nearly as innocuous as he made it sound for his CFR audience. "Propaganda is the deliberate dissemination of information that you know to be false or misleading in order to influence an audience," Stengel wrote in 2014. Those are two mighty interesting positions for an empire manager to hold at the same time, especially one who just served on the presidential transition team of the current president. 4. US officials telling the press they're circulating disinfo about Russia to win an information war against Putin Last month NBC News released a report citing multiple anonymous US officials who said the Biden administration has been rapidly pushing out "intelligence" about Russia's plans in Ukraine that is "low-confidence" or "based more on analysis than hard evidence", or even just plain false, in order to fight an information war against Putin. The report says that toward this end the US government has deliberately circulated false or poorly evidenced claims about impending chemical weapons attacks, about Russian plans to orchestrate a false flag attack in the Donbass to justify an invasion, about Putin's advisors misinforming him, and about Russia seeking arms supplies from China. So they lied. They may hold that they lied for a noble reason, but they lied. They knowingly circulated information they had no reason to believe was true, and that lie was amplified by all the most influential media outlets in the western world. That this happened while the mass media is continually churning out reports warning the public about the dangers of "disinformation" is an irony that was lost on almost everybody. 5. Senators telling Silicon Valley representatives it's their job to manipulate public thought to prevent dissent In 2017 representatives from Google, Facebook and Twitter were called before the Senate Judiciary Committee and told they must quell information rebellions and were instructed to come up with a mission statement expressing their commitment to prevent the fomenting of discord on their platforms. We all must act now on the social media battlefield to quell information rebellions that can quickly lead to violent confrontations and easily transform us into the Divided States of America, the tech giants were told by think tanker and former FBI agent Clint Watts, who added, Stopping the false information artillery barrage landing on social media users comes only when those outlets distributing bogus stories are silenced silence the guns and the barrage will end. When monopolistic billionaire corporations are faced with demands from a legislative body that could easily make their lives a lot harder and a lot less profitable by taking action, up to and including major antitrust cases, they are being made an offer they can't refuse. This was made abundantly clear by Senator Dianne Feinstein during the 2017 hearings in her threat to intervene if those corporations failed to curtail the spread of unauthorized information online. "You have to be the ones who do something about it or we will, Feinstein told the online platforms. 6. The Department of Homeland Security's "Disinformation Governance Board" The Department of Homeland Security's hotly controversial Disinformation Governance Board, which critics have not-unfairly labeled a government-run Ministry of Truth, has "paused" its operations pending a review in light of public outcry. That review will be headed by corrupt imperial swamp monsters Michael Chertoff and Jamie Gorelick, of all people. No government entity has any business appointing itself the authority to sort information from disinformation on behalf of the public, because government entities are not impartial and omniscient deities who can be entrusted to serve the public as objective arbiters of absolute reality. They would with absolute certainty wind up drawing distinctions between information, misinformation and disinformation in whatever way serves their interests, regardless of what's true, exactly as any authoritarian regime would do. Whatever happens with that review we may be sure that the board's mission will continue, either under its current name or under some other more carefully disguised iteration. The empire is expressing far too much enthusiasm for greater and greater control over public thought to just let this one slip past. 7. The SmithMundt Modernization Act of 2012 In December of 2012 the US congress passed a revision of the Smith-Mundt Act as part of the 2013 NDAA which critics said ended restrictions that were put in place to prevent the government from propagandizing US citizens. The legislation was first highlighted in a BuzzFeed News article by journalist Michael Hastings, who the following year would die in a rather suspicious car wreck while reportedly working on a major story. It removes the protection for Americans, an unnamed Pentagon official told Hastings. It removes oversight from the people who want to put out this information. There are no checks and balances. No one knows if the information is accurate, partially accurate, or entirely false. Hastings' report sparked online controversy, with many agreeing with his analysis of what would become known as the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012 and others saying concerns were unfounded. Either way, with all that's happened over the last ten years, it's clear now that Americans were right to be worried about a dramatic escalation in domestic propaganda. 8. Reagan's Psychological Operations The late Robert Parry wrote numerous articles for Consortium News about the Reagan administration's operations of mass-scale psychological manipulation, which related directly to Parry's extensive work on the Iran-Contra affair during that time. Parry described how Reagan and his neocon goons were obsessed with countering the public war-weariness and distrust of US interventionism which followed the Vietnam War in order to gain more consent for the depraved agendas the administration was working to roll out in Latin America. Central to this goal of consent-manufacturing, which the White House called "public diplomacy" in public and "perception management" in private, was a particularly odious-sounding spook named Walter Raymond Jr. In an article titled "The Victory of 'Perception Management'," Parry wrote the following: During his Iran-Contra deposition, Raymond explained the need for this propaganda structure, saying: We were not configured effectively to deal with the war of ideas. One reason for this shortcoming was that federal law forbade taxpayers money from being spent on domestic propaganda or grassroots lobbying to pressure congressional representatives. Of course, every president and his team had vast resources to make their case in public, but by tradition and law, they were restricted to speeches, testimony and one-on-one persuasion of lawmakers. But things were about to change. In a Jan. 13, 1983, memo, NSC Advisor Clark foresaw the need for non-governmental money to advance this cause. We will develop a scenario for obtaining private funding, Clark wrote. (Just five days later, President Reagan personally welcomed media magnate Rupert Murdoch into the Oval Office for a private meeting, according to records on file at the Reagan library.) As administration officials reached out to wealthy supporters, lines against domestic propaganda soon were crossed as the operation took aim not only at foreign audiences but at U.S. public opinion, the press and congressional Democrats who opposed funding the Nicaraguan Contras. 9. Canadian military leaders using Covid regulations as an opportunity to test out psyop techniques on civilians Last year Ottawa Citizen reported that the Canadian military used the Covid outbreak as an excuse to test actual military psyop techniques on its own civilian population under the pretense of assuring compliance with pandemic restrictions. Some excerpts: Canadian military leaders saw the pandemic as a unique opportunity to test out propaganda techniques on an unsuspecting public, a newly released Canadian Forces report concludes. The plan devised by the Canadian Joint Operations Command, also known as CJOC, relied on propaganda techniques similar to those employed during the Afghanistan war. The campaign called for shaping and exploiting information. CJOC claimed the information operations scheme was needed to head off civil disobedience by Canadians during the coronavirus pandemic and to bolster government messages about the pandemic. A separate initiative, not linked to the CJOC plan, but overseen by Canadian Forces intelligence officers, culled information from public social media accounts in Ontario. Data was also compiled on peaceful Black Lives Matter gatherings and BLM leaders. This is really a learning opportunity for all of us and a chance to start getting information operations into our (CAF-DND) routine, the rear admiral stated. Yet another review centred on the Canadian Forces public affairs branch and its activities. Last year, the branch launched a controversial plan that would have allowed military public affairs officers to use propaganda to change attitudes and behaviours of Canadians as well as to collect and analyze information from public social media accounts. The plan would have seen staff move from traditional government methods of communicating with the public to a more aggressive strategy of using information warfare and influence tactics on Canadians. So empire managers are not just employing mass-scale psychological operations on the public, theyre testing them and learning from them. 10. The US government funding "independent" media in Ukraine Lastly, there's the fact that the infamous $40 billion proxy war package sent to Ukraine includes funds allocated to "Counter Russian disinformation and propaganda narratives, promote accountability for Russian human rights violation, and support activists, journalists, and independent media to defend freedom of expression." So information warfare. The US government is funding information warfare to manipulate public perception of this war and running cover for those manipulations by calling them activism, journalism, and independent media. Given that the mainstream western press have been uncritically reporting even the most outlandish stories coming out of Ukraine without a shred of evidence, we can expect this government-funded propaganda to spread throughout the western world. _________________ My work is entirely reader-supported, so if you enjoyed this piece please consider sharing it around, following me on Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud or YouTube, or throwing some money into my tip jar on Ko-fi, Patreon or Paypal. If you want to read more you can buy my books. The best way to make sure you see the stuff I publish is to subscribe to the mailing list for at my website or on Substack, which will get you an email notification for everything I publish. Everyone, racist platforms excluded, has my permission to republish, use or translate any part of this work (or anything else Ive written) in any way they like free of charge. For more info on who I am, where I stand, and what Im trying to do with this platform, click here. All works co-authored with my American husband Tim Foley. Bitcoin donations:1Ac7PCQXoQoLA9Sh8fhAgiU3PHA2EX5Zm2 Forsman Farms spokesperson Jon Austin told local media outlet KARE that estimates aren't firm yet, but anywhere between "tens of thousands of chickens were killed, up to a couple hundreds of thousands." The spokesperson continued and said chickens in adjacent barns were affected by smoke inhalation. Video posted on YouTube by Eddie Olson shows massive flames lighting up the night sky on Saturday. "It's a lot of chickens. It's a hit to the egg market, it's people's jobs, it's a local community. So any time anything big like that happens, it's not good," Olson said. A Wright County egg producer is evaluating the damage left behind from a Saturday night fire. A Forsman Farms spokesperson said they do not have a firm number yet but he estimates at least tens of thousands of chickens were killed. https://t.co/JPkqaQqO6Y @kare11 pic.twitter.com/51F8gE4oea Heidi Wigdahl (@HeidiWigdahl) May 30, 2022 It's unclear exactly how the fire started though impacts could be felt at supermarkets. This year alone, retail egg prices have soared 41% because of the deadly bird flu wreaking havoc on the country's egg-laying hen flock. Since January, the outbreak has spread to 32 states, killing more than 37 million chickens and turkeys. Of that, 29 million egg-laying hens have died, or about 10% of the U.S.' total flock of 300 million. Bloomberg recently reported the bird flu is "shaping up to be the worst outbreak of its kind." Photo taken on May 30, 2022 shows the ship of the Indonesian National Search And Rescue Agency (Basarnas) arriving for the rescue mission for a sinking ship in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. (Photo by Niaz Sharief/Xinhua) A ship in Indonesia sank amid huge waves on Thursday. The number of survivors rose to 31 with 11 people still missing on Monday. JAKARTA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Rescuers have widened the search area to 45 nautical miles (about 83 km) northeast of the site where a ship capsized in central Indonesia, a rescuer said on Monday. "Because that is the area where more victims were discovered," said Mukti Ali, a rescuer who is in charge of the search and rescue office in South Sulawesi province. He confirmed that the number of victims who survived the ship capsize in the Makassar Strait of the province has risen to 31 with 11 people still missing. "For today, the operation is temporarily ended and will resume tomorrow. Some ships have headed to shore, but another remains at sea," he said. The ship sank amid huge waves in the Makassar Strait on Thursday, but the incident was reported to authorities on Saturday, according to Wahid D.J., a senior official at the search and rescue office. The ship suffered an engine failure when it was hit by the huge waves, he told Xinhua. Police reportedly seized more than $8,000 worth of cocaine and two machetes while carrying out search warrants on Friday night. Advertisement Advertise With Us Police reportedly seized more than $8,000 worth of cocaine and two machetes while carrying out search warrants on Friday night. At approximately 9 p.m., the Brandon Police Service organized crime section executed search warrants in the 1500 block of 18th Street and on Bison Way, according to police. SUBMITTED Items allegedly seized during the search warrants. Police allegedly found three ounces of cocaine, cash and machetes. According to police, the drugs are worth approximately $8,800. A 26-year-old woman was charged with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, possession of the proceeds of crime and possession of a weapon. She is scheduled to appear in court on July 14. The Brandon Sun Advertisement Advertise With Us TORIES TARGET INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE WINNIPEG Manitoba may be the next province to let police warn people that they are at risk of intimate partner violence. Families Minister Rochelle Squires has introduced a bill that would let people seek information about their partners past if they believe there is a risk of violence to them or their children. Its similar to what is commonly called Clares Law, which was first enacted in the United Kingdom and later adopted in Saskatchewan and Alberta. The aim is to prevent violence before it starts by informing people when they are in a new relationship. The Manitoba bill would let people apply for information about their partner and would require them to keep the information confidential. The government has not yet detailed what kind of information would be released and says that would be developed by the provincial cabinet. The Canadian Press LAMONT TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 WINNIPEG Manitoba Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont has tested positive for COVID-19. The St. Boniface MLA shared the diagnosis on Twitter on Monday afternoon. COVID finally caught up with me. Right now, I just have a runny nose and body aches, Lamont said in a post with a picture of a positive rapid antigen test. Lamont said he will be going into isolation and working from home. He encouraged followers to get their COVID-19 booster shots. Winnipeg Free Press The provincial constituency of Turtle Mountain has been in existence since 2019, but it has never had an NDP constituency association until now. Advertisement Advertise With Us The provincial constituency of Turtle Mountain has been in existence since 2019, but it has never had an NDP constituency association until now. Last weekend, the party officially established a constituency association and is trying to build momentum heading into next years provincial election. Turtle Mountain includes Killarney, Carberry and Glenboro among other communities and sits on the border with North Dakota. Itll be tough work given that Turtle Mountain and its predecessor constituencies of Arthur-Virden, Arthur and Virden have been represented by the Progressive Conservative party since the 1950s. However, theres already one person putting their name forward for the NDP nomination. Lorna Canada-Vanegas Mesa, a psychiatric nurse who has been both instructor and chair of the department in her field at Brandon University, is hoping to be the choice to unseat incumbent Doyle Piwniuk in 2023. Piwniuk has been in office since 2014 and currently serves as minister of transportation and infrastructure. Born in Souris and raised in the Deloraine area, Mesa said she understands the region she seeks to represent in the Manitoba legislature. Having worked in corporate accounting, child care and nursing, shes looking to change careers once again. This is her second run at politics, having run for the Brandon School Division board of trustees in the early 2000s. According to Mesa, her motivation for running originated last year when she was campaigning with federal Brandon-Souris NDP candidate Whitney Hodgins and got to know the concerns and issues that matter to area residents. "I had always been an NDP supporter and always followed them," she said. "In this area, we really dont have much of a spokesperson. The more people I talked to, the more I realized it needed to happen. Somebody really needed to step up to the plate." The issues that matter most to people in Turtle Mountain, she said, concern cuts to rural health care, deficiencies in the education system and long wait times for ambulances. "Those wait times are anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half for an ambulance," she said. "If it is an acute medical issue, that wait time could mean the difference between whether somebody survives or they dont. The other thing is the rotating emergency rooms. People dont even know where theyre supposed to call or where theyre supposed to go. They post online whos on call and where, but not everyone in this area has access to that." Another issue is that after long wait times for ambulances, patients frequently have to be taken to Brandon, which can add another hour or more before treatment is received. A key component in improving Manitobas health-care system in Mesas eyes is to improve working conditions and compensation for workers like nurses so that they dont leave for other jurisdictions or quit due to burnout. The procedural and diagnostic backlog that a provincial task force is currently attempting to tackle is something Mesa said existed before the COVID-19 pandemic and the government has failed to meet that challenge. On top of those issues, Mesa said she believes that mental health resources for rural areas like Turtle Mountain are extremely inadequate. "You cant keep cutting a system thats already broken," she said about the health-care system. On education, Mesa believes that the Progressive Conservatives cuts to funding have left rural schools and teachers with few resources and students without support from educational assistants. "It worries me that the education that the kids in this area are going to get might not be extremely well laid out for preparation for post-secondary," she said. "Were already starting to see that in our post-secondary environment." Despite the extremely unpopular Bill 64 which would have massively overhauled the education system and removed elected school boards getting pulled last year, she believes that this years budget still shows a similar approach to education and funding for the system. Mesa isnt yet sure when a candidate for the constituency will be officially appointed by the party. Piwniuks office did not respond to a request for comment on whether hell be running in the next election by deadline. The NDP does have one nominated candidate in Westman. Glen Simard won the race to represent Brandon East in the next election earlier this year. cslark@brandonsun.com Twitter: @ColinSlark 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival celebrated in Salford Xinhua) 08:30, May 31, 2022 Contestants compete during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) Contestants compete during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) People perform Chinese martial art during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) Contestants compete during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) People perform Chinese martial art during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) Contestants compete during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) An artist shows Chinese calligraphy during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) People perform Chinese lion dance during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) People perform Chinese martial art during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) Contestants greet spectators during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) Contestants compete during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) A boy writes with an ink brush during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) People perform Chinese martial art during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) People perform Chinese lion dance during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) Contestants compete during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun) TAIPEI, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The total number of locally-transmitted COVID-19 cases recorded in Taiwan has exceeded 2 million, the island's disease monitoring agency said on Tuesday. The figure surpassed 1 million on May 19, according to the agency's statistics. More than 1.92 million cases had been detected so far this year. The number of new local cases is still rising, with another 80,656 local cases and 90 new deaths recorded on Monday, said the agency. Starting on Wednesday, inbound travelers will no longer have to undertake nucleic acid testings on arrival but instead turn to saliva sample tests, according to the agency. OTTAWA - The federal government is failing to keep its promise to care for veterans, Canadas auditor general declared on Tuesday as she called for a real plan to ensure ill and injured ex-soldiers arent forced to wait months, or even years, for the support they need. Advertisement Advertise With Us Master Corporal Jody Mitic walks, on his 'running legs' past a fellow soldier, as he prepares for a charity run in Toronto in this March 15, 2009 photo. Canada's auditor general has released a report on wait times for veterans to receive disability benefits. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young OTTAWA - The federal government is failing to keep its promise to care for veterans, Canadas auditor general declared on Tuesday as she called for a real plan to ensure ill and injured ex-soldiers arent forced to wait months, or even years, for the support they need. Karen Hogans scathing indictment followed the tabling of a report in Parliament that found disabled veterans continue to face unacceptably long wait times and delays in finding out whether they qualify for federal assistance and benefits. "I'm really left with the conclusion that the government failed to meet a promise that it made to our veterans, that it would take care of them if they were injured in service," Hogan said at a news conference Tuesday in Ottawa. "This has a real consequence on the well-being of our veterans and their families." Hogans report echoes warnings and complaints from veterans advocates and others that delays in the processing of such claims can have a significant effect on disabled veterans and their families by preventing access to treatment and financial assistance. But at a separate news conference, Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay acknowledged the need to do more to help Canadas veterans, while essentially dismissing Hogans findings. Calling the auditors report a "snapshot of a point in time," MacAulay presented his own figures on the size of the backlog, pointing to them as proof that the governments approach is working. "We're on the proper path, as I indicated previously, to make sure that we deal with this appropriately and to put the backlog where it needs to be," he said. "I can assure you we have the process in place and we will do that." There have been several recent government plans designed to ensure veterans arent forced to wait months and sometimes years for Veterans Affairs Canada to process their disability claims. Those initiatives were in response to growing anger and frustration from former service members, veterans advocates and others as wait times have continued to grow, resulting in more than 40,000 unprocessed applications. The measures in question include the hiring of hundreds of temporary staff over the past few years, as well as efforts to cut red tape and lean more heavily on digital tools. While Hogan in her report noted the introduction of those measures, she found many are still in development and Veterans Affairs was unable to actually assess the impact of those in place. The auditor general took particular aim at the Liberal governments hiring of hundreds of temporary staff to eliminate the backlog, saying the approach has had little impact in part due to high levels of turnover as people look for more stable jobs. The result is that not only has Veterans Affairs largely failed to eliminate the backlog, it has been unable to even keep up with the claims that continue to stream into the department. "They can't address the backlog, let alone keep up with the increased demand," Hogan told reporters. "So it really is time to have a more stable, long-term view of how to process these applications." While the auditor general did not specify what a long-term plan would look like, she did emphasize ensuring Veterans Affairs has enough resources including permanent staff to keep up with the continued influx of claims. "It's time to find a more sustainable solution that will see veterans receive their benefits in a timely way," she said. "After all, it is our veterans who are here to take care of and protect our country and keep peace. The government should do better by them." Brian Forbes, chairman of both The War Amps executive committee and the National Council of Veteran Associations, which represents 68 organizations across Canada, said Hogans "has cemented what weve been saying for years." Forbes was hopeful Hogans report would finally spur the government into action, including the automatic approval of veterans disability claims with an audit function to catch cheaters. "Ninety-six per cent of post-traumatic stress claims are approved in the end and 86 per cent of moderate to serious disabled veterans claims are approved," Forbes said in an interview. "Why are we procrastinating on entitlements when those are the facts? Why can't we just move to an automatic entitlement and allow these people to get their treatment benefits and allow them to get their health-care benefits?" The hope for a concrete plan was echoed by Royal Canadian Legion dominion president Bruce Julian, whose service officers are responsible for helping veterans collect and fill out the onerous paperwork needed to apply for disability benefits. "Weve seen the despair and anger from veterans and families as situations worsen," Julian said in a statement. "We hope this report will finally provide the impetus needed to create and execute a concrete plan of action, end unreasonable wait times, and duly serve the injured Veterans who served us." Yet MacAulay suggested the temporary staff and other measures are actually having an impact, saying the number of claims that have been sitting in the queue longer than the departments target of 16 weeks has shrunk since the audit. Such numbers are suspect, however, which Hogan noted in her report as the clock often doesnt start running when a claim is filed and can end weeks before it is fully processed a problem that MacAulay acknowledged and promised to fix. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 31, 2022. For comedians of a certain age, there was one album that was worn out on the turntable, dutifully memorised and acted out. That was George Carlins signature Class Clown. The way George Carlin looked at the world and broke it down taught so many of us how to be comedians, said Judd Apatow. He injected the software into our brains about how to think as a comic. George Carlin was arrested for disturbing the peace after a show in Milwaukee in 1972. Credit:HBO/Foxtel Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio have teamed up to honour Carlin, the dean of counterculture comedians, by directing the two-part HBO documentary George Carlins American Dream. For most people, he is on our Mount Rushmore of comedy, said Apatow, whose contributions include The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up. He is definitely one of the best thinkers but also writers and performers that comedy has ever had. In areas where there were persistent sexual offenders, as she put it, policewomen often acted as decoys. The surveillance work meant they often had to be disguised. She said: Because males dont expect women police, we were good for the job. Some people say they could smell the men police. The high point of her time in this squad was the recapture in 1966 of the two most wanted men in Australia, Pentridge prison escapers, Ronald Ryan, and Peter Walker, in a trap set by Inspector Ray Kelly. Ryan, after his capture, was the last man to be hanged in Australia. Ryan had arranged to meet a nurse outside Concord Repatriation Hospital. The nurse tipped off the police, and Kelly planted policemen and women, in disguise, around the hospital. Two of the women were Detective-Inspector June Kelly, and Detective-Sergeant Shirley Morgan. Ray Kelly asked for five women for a secret job. We had no idea of what we were going to do, said Shirley Morgan. We just had to report to the Police Academy for a briefing. Constable Shirley Morgan (2nd right) pictured with Detective-Inspector Ray Kelly (right) on January 6, 1966. Also pictured: Det-Inspector D. Ferguson (left) and Sgt. Del Fricker. Credit:Barry James Gilmour Around 1970, Shirley Morgan joined the Drug Squad, then headed by the Commissioner of Police, Mr Cec Abbott. It was a period in which she was to learn a great deal. I went there because there were a lot of women becoming involved in the drug scene. I had never seen marihuana before then, but I had all the drugs explained to me. It was also my initial insight into armed hold-up. One of my first jobs was with Cec Abbott, and a well-known female drug offender. He said, Just dont look in her clothes. Look in her hair and her mouth. They were her favourite place to put it (heroin). She was the first person I had seen with withdrawal symptoms. It was a shocking thing to see. She explained to me how she had prostituted herself to get the drugs, and the terrible pains she was feeling. After a short stint at the Collaroy cop shop, Shirley Morgan became a detective, and, along with a number of other women, in an experimental move, was posted to a suburban police station. Shirley Morgan went to Newtown eight years ago and is still there. In Newtown, she says, the old time Australian crim has moved out, and ethnic communities, largely Greeks, have moved in. I have always found them superb. When you visit their homes, it is always, Have a coffee Sergeant, or have a whisky. She carries a Smith and Wesson six-shot gun for her work. It is a little lighter than the eight-shot the men carry. In line with police regulations, she doesnt keep her handcuffs in her handbag - they are attached to her holster. Part of her work now includes: going on night patrol, like in America with a driver, and a junior male officer to assist. When she joined the force in 1960, she said she could not envisage becoming a detective. There were many restrictions. Married women, except wives of deceased policemen, could not join, nor could women under 24. The joining age is now 18. She had left a job in the seeds testing section in the Department of Agriculture. I made an application to join and then I thought, What have I done? But I have never regretted it. Detective-Inspector June Kelly at the CIB head office in Liverpool Street, Sydney. June 1, 1982 Credit:Nic Ellis SENIOR-Constable Verity Reardon was studying to be a medical technician before she joined the force 12 years ago, mainly, she says, because it was a job with great responsibility. She never expected to be able to do detective work. Because of the way it was set down, and because the rules were so rigid, the thought that I might be a detective was very remote. I think criminal work suits women because they have a natural curiosity. The whole thing in the Fraud Squad is a matter of months and months of work. Each statement you take has to be very detailed and full of information. It is amazing what pops up. The thing that strikes you is that most of them (the criminals) are so devious. They seem to sell themselves very well. Another thing that strikes you is how gullible people are. You (the police) have to be devious. Through the years, you develop tests and questions. From experience you evaluate person and decide what approach to take. It is a bit like counselling. Verity Reardon says she is now completely accepted by her male colleagues. Wherever I have been, I have been through a period of being vaguely regarded as being there before being accepted. Slowly, they watch you, and if you are not being pushy and show you can be a complement to the men, you are accepted. Yon have definitely got to be ambitious and try harder to get results. Some of the old school feel you should be in a typing pool or in the kitchen. But you see so much of life, there is no way in the world you can stay naive in this job. Like Shirley Morgan, Verity Reardon has been married and divorced. She is now engaged to a policeman. She was the first woman in the force to take maternity leave when it was introduced in 1975. Previously women were forced to resign when they became pregnant. Verity Reardon said there was a lot of resentment from other women at the CIB office dealing with womens duties where she worked when she took the leave, possibly because it hadnt been available to them. There was a lot of antagonism. A lot of the women still dont talk to me. 56 women police, who until yesterday were designated special police took the oath as full members of the force. March 19, 1965. June Kelly in front row, right. Credit:Staff photographer Later many people didnt accept the fact that I had left the baby and come back to work. Her daughter from her first marriage is now at school. She is very proud of what I do. She sees and hears a lot more of life. Verity Reardon told me there are now unlimited possibilities for women in the force. The important thing is that you remember you are a woman. The only thing I like about liberation is equal pay. DETECTIVE-Inspector June Kelly, a compact blonde woman, left the typing pool in the PMG to join the force. She is the States most senior woman police officer. Her work now is mainly administrative, overseeing four metropolitan squads dealing with juvenile crime, education, sexual assault and child mistreatment. The men in the squads answer to her as boss. I suppose you have a certain amount of resentment in some sections to having the women there, but I feel women have been accepted wherever they have been placed. I cant complain about my treatment at any time. I have found that I work well with the fellows, I have had no problems. Most complaints came from women who expected preferential treatment. If we want equality, we have to be prepared to do the same things. Detective Kelly has been in plain clothes since she joined the force. When she joined, there were no women in uniform. The number of people who smoke cigarettes in NSW has dropped to record levels, although experts have warned rising rates of vaping among under-25s could undo decades of work to reduce smoking rates. Eleven per cent of people aged 16 to 24 reported being a current user of e-cigarettes, or vapes, more than double the number in 2020, data from the NSW Population Health Survey, published today, showed. Those aged 18 to 24 years are the most prevalent users of vaping devices. Credit:iStockphoto In the same period, daily rates of smoking cigarettes among all people aged 16 and over decreased from 9.2 per cent to 8.2 per cent. Anita Dessaix, chair of the Cancer Councils public health committee, said she was concerned e-cigarettes were making smoking a habit for the next generation. Melbourne mother and executive assistant Carla Bottari is an old hand at dealing with COVID-19 disruptions. When her childcare centre asked whether families could keep children home due to staff sickness, Bottari decided to juggle work with caring for her two young daughters. Carla Bottari, with daughter Sophie, is keeping her two children home at the request of her childcare centre, which has been hard hit by COVID. Credit:Simon Schluter Mentally, it was, Oh god, is this going to get worse? Bottari said. Like schools, Victorias early education sector is struggling to find enough staff due to COVID, influenza and burnout. Bruce Lehrmann, the man accused of raping former staffer Brittany Higgins in Parliament House, is attempting to push back his trial because his barrister can no longer appear and Legal Aid cant find another counsel at short notice. ACT Supreme Court Chief Justice Lucy McCallum said on Tuesday the evidence put before her by lawyers acting for Lehrmann about their search for a replacement barrister was not sufficient reason to vacate the trial date, due to start on Monday. Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann will face trial in June. But she has postponed a final decision on the matter until Thursday, indicating it could be possible to start the trial up to a fortnight later than the original June 6 date. Lehrmann has been charged with sexual intercourse without consent, an allegation to which he has pleaded not guilty. New Energy Minister Chris Bowen insists voters gave Labor a mandate to deliver its ambitious climate plan, warning independents and Greens that his crossbench-proof climate policy wont require negotiating an end to coal and gas. Greens leader Adam Bandt is demanding that Labor step up its climate targets, including a ban on new coal and gas projects. However, Bowen said he deliberately designed the partys Powering Australia climate policies so they could be implemented without the support of the Senate, where the Greens hold the balance of power. Labor Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen. Credit:James Brickwood. In relation to the Senate, a lot of the stuff in Powering Australia doesnt need legislation; theres a lot of stuff well just be getting on with, he told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. Labor has committed to legislating its target of hitting net zero emissions by 2050 a goal with bipartisan support. However, it has not promised to do the same for its 2030 target, which is to cut greenhouse emissions by 43 per cent from 2005 levels, even though that is the partys preference. TEHRAN, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in a 10-story commercial building collapse in the southwestern Iranian city of Abadan has risen to 36, semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted a top provincial official as saying on Tuesday. Speaking to reporters, Khuzestan Province Governor Sadeq Khalilian said the number of the injured still stands at 37, most of whom have been released from the hospital. He gave the assurance that the rescue work will continue until the last victim is recovered from the rubble. On Sunday, the Iranian government announced nationwide mourning for the victims of the disaster. The Mizan news agency of the Iranian judiciary reported that 10 people were arrested for the incident, in which the building's owner and contractor were killed. The under-construction building, known as Metropol, is on a crowded street in downtown Abadan, surrounded by commercial and medical complexes and offices. Parts of the building collapsed suddenly on May 23, trapping dozens of people beneath the rubble. Linda Burney has extended an olive branch to Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and urged him to support an Indigenous Voice to parliament, as she delivered the 15th annual Lowitja ODonoghue Oration as the first Aboriginal woman to be minster for Indigenous Australians. The oration, run by the Don Dunstan Foundation in honour of influential Aboriginal leader Dr Lowitja ODonoghue, was held in Adelaide on Tuesday evening. The incoming Indigenous affairs minister Linda Burney has urged the opposition to support the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Credit:Brook Mitchell. Burney a Wiradjuri woman outlined her vision for the future and urged the new Liberal leader to offer bipartisan support for an Indigenous Voice. Peter Dutton has in recent days reflected on what it is like to be on the wrong side of history after walking out of the apology to the stolen generations, she said. Singapore: China has escalated its push for a relationship reset with Australia ahead of the 50th anniversary of Gough Whitlams diplomatic embrace of China, as senior business figures argue the shift cannot be overlooked. Using Chinas largest state media network, Xinhua, to argue the 50th anniversary in December presented a rare opportunity to strengthen ties between the geopolitical foes, the Chinese government issued its third call for reconciliation within a week. It followed a letter from Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Wang Yis calls for co-operation with Australia in the Pacific. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Chinese President Xi Jinping and former prime minister Gough Whitlam. Credit:The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age Following objections from Pacific leaders and diplomatic resistance from Australia, China released a watered-down position paper on the Pacific on Tuesday after it was forced to shelve plans for a 10-country strong Chinese-run security, policing and trade deal. In the paper, China said it would appoint a special envoy for Pacific affairs, provide funding for climate change mitigation, send medical teams to the region, and establish more than 5000 training places. But it made no commitment to policing, cybersecurity or free trade after Wangs proposals fell flat at Mondays meeting. Washington: US President Joe Biden has enlisted the help of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in his attempts to tackle gun violence and online-fuelled extremism after this months mass shootings in Uvalde and Buffalo. As America mourned the victims of the attacks, Biden met with Ardern at the White House on Wednesday (AEST) to discuss the tragedies, along with climate change, Russias invasion of Ukraine, and the rise of China in the Indo-Pacific. US President Joe Biden meets with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in the Oval Office. Credit:AP Your leadership has taken on a critical role in this global stage - it really has - galvanising... the global effort to curb violence, extremism, and online, like what happened in Christchurch, Biden told Ardern, noting the sweeping gun bans and tech-platform policies New Zealand introduced after that massacre three years ago. I want to work with you on that effort, and I want to talk to you about what those conversations were like, if youre willing. But now, as in other communities that have been shattered by gun violence, Uvalde is facing painful questions beyond heartbreak over the dead and growing anger about the police response: about the proliferation of guns and the permissive state laws that allowed the 18-year-old gunman to legally buy the assault-style rifle used in the attack. Richard Small unloaded the clip to his AR-15 outside of his home in Charlotte, Texas. Credit:Washington Post/Joshua Lott That unfolding debate has even affected some of the families of victims. Outside a memorial service Saturday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where many of the funerals are scheduled to be held in coming days, a woman whose niece was killed in the attack questioned how a gunman not yet old enough to buy beer in Texas could have purchased two semiautomatic rifles and a massive quantity of ammunition - without raising concern. She declined to be quoted by name out of respect for her family, which had asked relatives not to speak about political issues to the media. Why do you even need guns like that? the woman asked. But others were wary of seeing what happened in Uvalde turn into a fight over guns. As she sat at the memorial for the victims last week, Amanda Flores said she knew all 21 victims of the rampage, but still does not believe that the tragedy should turn into a debate over gun ownership. Flores, 43, said she and her family members own firearms and view them as essential tools to keep their family safe in a border town. Loading With all of the problems we have right now with the immigrants crossing over, you dont know how many fast-speed chases go through here ... we need them for our protection, said Flores, whose grandson was at Robb Elementary when the shooting began but escaped uninjured. All of them coming in, they are coming in as illegals, they can have guns. And what are we supposed to do? Throw rocks at them? Still, Flores said she increasingly believes even hardcore gun owners should be willing to accept some new gun-control measures. I dont believe in the young kids having easy access to these guns and not being mentally stable, Flores said. That sentiment has not been shared by Texas leaders. At a news conference in Uvalde on Friday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, brushed aside the idea of supporting expanded background checks for firearms purchases. Look at what happened in the Santa Fe shooting, Abbott said, referring an attack at a high school south of Houston in 2018 in which eight students and two teachers were slain. Richard Small, right, a retired high school teacher and a member of the National Rifle Association, receives paper work from Charlotte police officer Garry Rogers after handing over his AR-15. Credit:Washington Post/Joshua Lott A background check had no relevancy whatsoever because the killer took the gun from his parents. Look at what happened at the [church] shooting in Sutherland Springs, there was a background check that was done. It was done in a flawed way that allowed the killer to get a gun. Abbott also reiterated his opposition to proposals to raise the legal age for purchasing a semiautomatic rifle from 18 to 21, harking to a time before the advent of rapid-firing weapons. Ever since Texas has been a state, an 18-year-old has had the ability to buy a long gun, a rifle, and since that time, it seemed that it has only been in the past decade or two that we have had school shootings, Abbott said. So, for a century and a half, 18-year-olds could buy rifles and we didnt have school shootings, but we do now. Abbotts comments in Uvalde drew outrage from state Senator Roland Gutierrez, a Democrat whose district stretches from San Antonio to Uvalde. Gutierrez stood up and began shouting at the governor, urging him to convene a special session to address gun violence. Loading Gutierrez later mocked Abbotts suggestion that firearms today are comparable to the weapons that were in circulation when Texas became a state in 1845. This isnt the time when we are out killing squirrels anymore, Gutierrez said. Times and technology have changed. These kids are buying AR-15s. ... If [Abbott] wanted to show any fortitude whatsoever, change the age to 21 [or] 24. Outside Robb Elementary, where he was trying to catch a glimpse of President Joe Biden on Sunday, Edgar Sanchez said his daughter was a fourth-grader at the school but left early that day, a decision that might have saved her life but has left her traumatised. Sanchez said he hopes Biden pushes for tougher gun-control measures - even if that means giving up his own AR-15. Honestly, I have one, Sanchez said, explaining that he had purchased the weapon to keep himself and his family safe. If they told me the kids would be safer if I got rid of it, I would. ... Ive never shot that assault rifle. In a town that many residents have described as heavily armed and in a state where it is common to see guns openly worn, many appeared to have left their weapons at home in recent days - visiting unarmed the makeshift memorials and attending church services that have popped up across town to honour the dead. That was a contrast to the aftermath of the 2017 attack in Sutherland Springs, when men carrying rifles showed up to the scene to push back on talk of gun-control measures. Outside Oasis Outback, the sporting goods store where law enforcement officials say the gunman purchased his weapons, customers making their way through a packed parking lot Saturday were reluctant to speak about what had happened in Uvalde and the debate on gun control. We shouldnt be talking about politics at a time like this, a woman said, as she waved off a reporter. A week ago, Richard Small admits, he would have said the same thing. A nearly lifelong member of the NRA who has collected guns since he was in his 20s, Small said he has always been a strong supporter of gun rights and still is. But the shooting in Uvalde affected him in a way that the other school massacres like Columbine and Sandy Hook had not, even though he was still teaching when those shootings happened. I felt disassociated with it. ... It seemed like those were on planet Mars, Small said. Its not going to happen here. Its not going to happen here. And then it did. As he visited the memorials in Uvalde, Small said, he thought of his gun cabinet at home, and one of the weapons in it. Small said he bought the rifle at least 15 years ago but had barely fired it. I dont even think Ive used a full box of ammunition with it, Small said. Along the back of his gun, he remembered, there was a label. Law enforcement use only, it read. Small recalled how, under the tighter gun ownership rules of the past, he had had to fill out extensive paperwork to buy the weapon and go through checks - much more than this 18-year-old kid did. Even now, Small said, he would never support a ban on guns - as he fears some Democrats might want. But he said Republicans like Abbott should embrace some new regulations that would require training for and make it tougher to buy highly destructive weapons. This is enough, Small said. Weve got to control this thing. Im not ever going to say, All guns need to be picked up or all that. But the regulations need some serious work. And I just wish that Democrats and Republicans could find some sort of middle ground here. ... Because Im just so tired of it. Engineering students at the University of Bristol are refining a hand-spun washing machine that could change the lives of millions of people around the world. The $35 poverty-busting product from nonprofit The Washing Machine Project saves families up to 20 hours of hand washing a week. It is the brainchild of former Dyson engineer Navjot Sawhney, who dreamt it up during a sabbatical in India. Now, with 3,000 units on order, he has mobilised a team of eight University of Bristol Engineering Design students to help bring the machine up to the best possible spec. Each student is working on one part of the washing machine: from improving the manufacturing process to making its materials more sustainable. Student Henry Morgan is looking at how to refine the hand crank, including whether a small motor could be linked up to solar panels to make washing clothes even easier. He said: Engineering for good is what Ive always wanted to do, so to do something hands on with a humanitarian benefit is amazing. Many of the machines will go to refugee camps and really poor areas of the world. Its hard to think of a more different environment to that than a controlled lab in Bristol, but its really nice to see tangible evidence of what were doing helping people in difficult circumstances. The eight students are in their fourth year. In their fifth and final year they will bring their individual research together for a group design project, looking at how to make the washing machine as robust, efficient and user friendly as possible. Navjot Sawhney (right of photo) on a research trip in Iraq. Photo courtesy of The Washing Machine Project. Student Paul Ertl is researching the machines performance. Armed with strips of stained white t-shirt he is finding its optimum cycle length, water volume and detergent ratio. Knowing that this research will actually be used to improve peoples lives means its the most engaged Ive been on a project, Paul said. Sometimes its actually quite annoying working on something so interesting - people are constantly stopping me to ask what Im doing and to offer suggestions, plus Im getting a sore arm from cranking the machine all day! Some 6 billion people around the world live without a washing machine. For many the problem is a lack of funds, while others may not have consistent access to electricity, or no access at all. Mr Sawhney saw the need for hand spun washing machines while making cooking stoves for a social enterprise in Pondicherry, south east India, in 2016. Staying in a small village close to the city he struck up a friendship with a local woman called Divya. During their long chats he noticed how much of her time was spent on the exhausting work of hand-washing clothes. He promised Divya hed come up with a solution. Six years later and the machine is about to be rolled out across the world. Mr Sawhney said it had been hugely inspirational and humbling to work with students so full of ideas. Gen Z is quite angry at the world theyre inheriting and want to make a difference, he said. When I graduated eight years ago I jumped at a grad scheme to make vacuum cleaners for rich people - these guys really want to make change. The research they are doing will directly change the design of our machine and therefore the product that people use on the ground. They have already given us some really good insights. Navjot with some of the Engineering Design students. Bristol engineering firm Huxlo, founded and run by former University of Bristol Engineering Design student Matthew Mew, has manufactured a pilot batch of machines pro-bono. Mr Mew said: The Washing Machine Project has commendable and ambitious goals, our expertise in digital manufacturing has pushed them a little further towards the destination. The Washing Machine Project has already built 200 machines. Over the next year it will up-scale as it looks to fulfil orders for 3,000 machines in refugee camps and poorer regions in Iraq, India, Lebanon and more. Around 15% of interest has come from low-income families in the UK. To find out more and donate to the Washing Machine Project, visit their website. For more on Bristols Engineering Design course visit their website. For more on Huxlo visit their website. The (MoD) signed a contract on Tuesday with Limited (BDL) for building Astra Mark-1 beyond visual range air-to-air missiles (BVRAAMs) worth Rs 2,971 crore for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Navy. The Astra Mark-1 missile, which has been developed by the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), can engage enemy fighter aircraft at ranges of up to 75 kilometres, the MoD told the Lok Sabha on May 6, 2016. Till now, the technology to manufacture missile of this class indigenously was not available, the MoD stated on Tuesday. Developed by the DRDO, it will be procured under the high-priority Buy (Indian Indian designed, developed and manufactured), or Buy (Indian IDDM) category. The missile, for which successful trials have already been undertaken by the IAF, is fully integrated on the Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft and will be integrated with other fighter aircraft in a phased manner, including the Light Combat Aircraft (Tejas). The Indian Navy will integrate the missile on the MiG 29K fighter aircraft, stated the MoD. The Astras BVR capability provides large standoff ranges to our own fighter aircraft, allowing them to neutralise the adversary aircraft without exposing itself to adversary air defence measures This missile is technologically and economically superior to many such imported missile systems, said the MoD. The transfer of technology from to BDL for production of Astra Mark-I missile and all associated systems has been completed and production at BDL is in progress. This project will act as a catalyst for development of infrastructure and testing facilities at BDL. It will also create opportunities for several MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) in aerospace technology for at least 25 years, stated the MoD. With the IAF operating 600-700 fighter aircraft, it will need several thousand Astra missiles. With air-to-air missiles costing about Rs 15 crore each, the Astra will provide major business opportunities to Indian firms. The Astra BVRAAM involves radically different technology challenges compared to ballistic and tactical missiles. A typical Astra engagement has both the launcher and the target moving at speeds in excess of 1,000 kmph. Fired from a pylon on the wing of a fighter, the Astras smokeless propellant quickly accelerates it to about 4,000 kmph. As the missile gains on the target, the Su-30MKI tracks the target continuously on its radar, and steers the missile towards it over a data link. About 15 km from the target, the Astras on-board radio seeker locks onto the target; now, it no longer needs guidance. When it reaches a few metres from the enemy fighter, the Astra warhead is detonated by a radio proximity fuze, spraying the target with shrapnel and shooting it down. Only a handful of missile builders in the US, Russia, Europe and China have mastered technologies that go into BVRAAMS. India is now joining that elite group. On the drawing board is a longer-range Astra Mark II, which will shoot down enemy fighters at ranges up to 100 km away. A contestant performs during the 15th Chinese Bridge language contest in Cairo, Egypt, on May 31, 2022. The 15th Chinese Bridge language contest was held at the Confucius Institute at Cairo University under the auspices of the Chinese embassy in Cairo on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) by Marwa Yahya CAIRO, May 31 (Xinhua) -- "The Chinese Bridge contest was a challenge for me to defy my fears and learn one of the most difficult languages in the world," said Malak Ihab, an 18-year-old high school student who won on Tuesday the second place in the Chinese language contest for secondary school students in Egypt. The teenage girl, along with nine others, took part in the 15th Chinese Bridge language contest, which was held at the Confucius Institute at Cairo University under the auspices of the Chinese embassy in Cairo. "I plan to finish the advanced levels of the language course and find good job opportunities in the future," said Ihab, who is currently studying at the Egyptian Chinese Friendship School. "I love the Chinese history because it reminds me of the ancient Egyptian heritage," Ihab said. Nashwa Fahmy, the top prize winner in the competition and also an avid reader, said "the Chinese language and culture give me the freedom to fly with my thoughts and paint a colorful picture of my life." She wished that the language could be learned by more people, and not just limited to schools and universities. During the contest, Fahmy staged an amazing performance by telling a story, playing a Chinese traditional instrument, and performing a Chinese folk dance. "I learned that difficult beginnings will end with happy accomplishments," she said proudly while holding her big golden trophy. Mervat Mohamed, director of the Egyptian Chinese Friendship School, said "I'm very proud of my students who won very good prizes in the contest." Cultural activities like this give the students the confidence and resilience to continue learning a difficult language like the Chinese, she said. "China is very advanced at the scientific and technological level, and the strengthening cultural exchange between Egypt and China encourages students to learn the language," the Chinese language instructor said. Meanwhile, Wang Shenggang, minister counselor of education at the Chinese embassy in Egypt, said "the contest has become a bridge linking the two countries and promotes understanding among the people and contributes positively to enhancing China-Egypt friendship." There are four Confucius Institutes in Egypt and over 20 universities offer Chinese majors, the Chinese diplomat said, adding that he wished the students could have the opportunities to study and work in China. Gamal Al-Shazly, vice president for students affairs at Cairo University, stressed that "cultural cooperation plays a very important role in the friendly ties between Egypt and China." The language contests that have run in colleges and secondary schools are a chance for "cultural exchange between our students and the Chinese people," he said. Contestant Nashwa Fahmy plays a Chinese traditional instrument during the 15th Chinese Bridge language contest in Cairo, Egypt, on May 31, 2022. The 15th Chinese Bridge language contest was held at the Confucius Institute at Cairo University under the auspices of the Chinese embassy in Cairo on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) is eyeing revenues of $500 million over the next five years from DxP Services a unit being created from the acquisition of a portion of US software and services company, PTCs, product lifecycle management (PLM) business. Last month, announced that it would be acquiring a part of PTCs product lifecycle management (PLM) implementation services business and create a new business unit, DxP Services, combining professional services experts from both . The transaction is set to close. The acquisition is the first from ITC Infotech, set up in 2000 by the diversified conglomerate, ITC. The financial commitment from towards this agreement is $115 million over five years. ITC Infotech has had a 20-year working relationship with PTC. With DxP services, its now taking it to the next level. Sources close to ITC indicated that ITC Infotech is looking at upselling and cross-selling business solutions to the tune of $500 million over the next five years. In FY22, ITC Infotech a wholly owned subsidiary of ITC recorded revenues of Rs 2,853 crore, an increase of 16.3 per cent; profit after tax was at Rs 541 crore, a growth of 19 per cent over the previous year. The acquisition is expected to boost revenues with deeper access to markets and a range of clients. DxP Services will work towards enabling customers to move from on premise software to a Saas environment. On the back of this transaction, we have an inside track to hundreds of clients - blue chip clients in Europe and in America, which is again over 70 per cent of our revenues, said Sudip Singh, managing director and chief executive officer, ITC Infotech. We are already working in 29 countries. But this transaction is deepening our footprint in 15 countries of which a few are new for us, he added. As part of the transaction, ITC Infotech will be acquiring a significant part of PTCs professional services team. This is not only a very strong technical team that we are acquiring but also the management team which is very important because they were running the implementation for clients and had deep client relationships built over decades, said Singh. As far as projects that DxP will have access to, Singh said, At this point in time across the world, we are talking of close to 5,000 current on-premise PLM Windchill implementations that we can migrate to the Saas ecosystem. Windchill is a PTC PLM software. ITC Infotech is in the growth phase especially with riding the digital wave during the pandemic. In FY21, ITC Infotechs net profit more than doubled to Rs 451.30 crore from Rs 209.47 crore in the previous year. It had also fuelled speculation about the listing of ITC Infotech on the bourses. Singh, however, did not want to comment on it. In tandem with its growth, Infotech plans to ramp up headcount. In FY22, the company hired over 4,000 employees with a higher percentage of them being freshers. The total headcount right now is about 10,500 and Singh said, hiring next year would increase significantly given the growth plans. The IT sector is facing a war for talent and Singh said that the average attrition rate in the industry was 25 to 30 per cent and ITC Infotech was in that range. Japan's Chubu Electric Power Co Inc said on Tuesday it will spend up to 5 billion yen ($39 million) to buy a 20% stake in India's rural service company, Power Private Ltd, through a third-party allotment of shares. operates about 280 plants to provide electricity for telecom companies, small and medium businesses and rural houses via mini-grids, using storage batteries, in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. It aims to expand its network to 5,000 power plants by 2030, the Japanese company said. Chubu Electric aims to contribute to OMC, in which Japanese trading house Mitsui & Co also has a stake, by leveraging its operation and maintenance skills for power generation, transmission and distribution, it said. Last November, the utility said it plans to make strategic investments of 1 trillion yen ($7.8 billion) over the 10 years through 2030, mainly in overseas and renewable energy, to achieve its 2030 recurring profit goal of 250 billion yen. ($1 = 127.9500 yen) (Reporting by Yuka Obayashi; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise) (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.) Nearly half of all corporate insolvency proceedings led to rather than rescue of owing to better valuation. Experts attributed the trend to inordinate delays in resolution process and lesser appetite to acquire stressed assets. Only 14 per cent of corporate insolvency resolution processes (CIRPs) yielded a resolution plan between December 1, 2016, and March 31, 2022, according to the latest data from Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI). 47 per cent of CIRPs ended in during the period. Out of a total of 5,258 corporate insolvency proceedings initiated, 3,406 have been closed. Out of the closed ones, 1,609 have ordered liquidation, and 480 have ended in approval of resolution plans, data showed. Diwakar Maheshwari, Dispute Resolution Partner at Khaitan and Co, said this is because at times better value is realised for the stressed asset in rather than in resolution as there are huge haircuts (total claims minus the amount of realisation/amount of the claims) to be agreed by the Committee of Creditors (CoC). Also, untimely delays have some attribution to the increase in liquidation cases, he said. Of 480 rescued through resolution plans, 159 were either with the Board of Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) or defunct. Besides, 731 CIRPs have been closed on appeal, review, or have been settled and 586 have been withdrawn. Since the launch of IBC in 2016 up to March 31, 2022, the cumulative recovery for lenders where resolution took place dropped to 32.9 per cent against 36 per cent around September last year. In absolute terms, the realisation for financial creditors till end March 2022 stood at Rs 2.25 trillion, much higher than liquidation value of Rs 1.31 trillion. The cumulative admitted claims of financial creditors till end March 2022 were Rs 6.84 trillion. The buying capacity of participating in the resolution process has gone down during the pandemic. The bid amount of companies during the resolution process is less than the liquidation value so lenders opt for the latter, said Abhishek Swaroop, partner at Saraf and Partners. However, delay in the entire resolution process may also be a reason for lenders opting for other legislation, he said. Lenders see more value realisation and a quicker resolution through other existing routes such as Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 (SARFAESI Act). The SARFAESI Act cannot be invoked when CIRP is in the process, but it can be invoked after the liquidation process, Swaroop explained. Liquidation was never the intent, object, and preamble of the Code, said Maheshwari. The time gap of 330 days for wrapping up the CIRP has also put pressure on NCLTs to order for liquidation of assets, he added. Besides, the lack of inherent value of the stressed assets itself may be one of the reasons behind the absence of bidders. Most of the assets going into default, particularly gas-based power plants, do not fetch good value as the cost of running such a plant may be high in the light of soaring natural gas prices. A conventional power plant may be cheaper to run. On the other hand, assets of companies such as Essar Steel and Bhushan Steel, though debt-ridden, fetched a handsome bid during the resolution process because the bidders saw value in the assets, Swaroop said. Real estate portal Magicbricks on Tuesday said online searches on its platform for renting housing properties increased 15.8 per cent during the January-March period compared with the previous quarter. "In Q1 2022, the total rental housing demand (searches) in the cities tracked by Magicbricks jumped by about 15.8 per cent QoQ (quarter on quarter) and 6.7 per cent YoY (year-on-year), while the cumulative supply (listings) witnessed a growth of 30.7 per cent QoQ and 101.5 per cent YoY," Magicbricks said in a report. The company tracks Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Greater Noida, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Noida, Pune and Thane. The pan-India rental rates witnessed a growth of 4 per cent QoQ, displaying improved strength of the rental housing market in the country. "With a milder than expected Covid-19 third wave and extensive vaccination drives, many offices had rolled out hybrid working plans from the beginning of this year. "They started with bringing employees back to the office at least two to three times a week. As a result, many employees returned to the metros from their hometowns, and the rental housing market saw a sharp demand recovery in the first quarter of the year," Sudhir Pai, CEO of Magicbricks, said. With educational institutions also opening up, he said, many families and college/university students have started returning to the metros. "We expect this trend to continue for the next few quarters as offices move towards higher occupancies and operations, leading to an improved rental housing market as well," Pai 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.) and on Tuesday settled with markets regulator a case pertaining to alleged financial mismanagement and diversion of funds after collectively paying Rs 10.5 crore towards settlement fees. Individually, Ltd (REL) and Ltd (RFL) paid Rs 5.42 crore and Rs 5.08 crore towards settlement amount respectively, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) said in a settlement order. The order came after the two filed an application with proposing to settle the regulatory violations "without admitting or denying the findings" through a settlement order. "The pending enforcement proceedings for the alleged default ...are settled qua the applicants," said in its order, adding that it will not initiate enforcement action against them for the default. Sebi had received complaints alleging financial mismanagement and diversion of funds primarily in RFL, a subsidiary of REL which is a listed company, for the benefit of the promoters/promoter group . Thereafter, the regulator conducted an investigation wherein it was observed that RFL was part of a fraudulent and deceptive scheme and acted in a fraudulent manner which led to diversion of funds to the tune of Rs 2,473.66 crore through a material subsidiary of REL for the ultimate benefit of promoters, the order noted. Further, it was observed that the consolidated financials of REL were not true and fair and were misleading to the shareholders of the listed company. It was also observed that despite repeated adverse observations from Reserve Bank of India (RBI) regarding RFL's corporate loan book, REL did not disclose the same to the stock exchange till 2017, it added. Accordingly, the regulator initiated proceedings against the entities and issued show-cause notice in November 2020 to them for violating PFUTP (Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices) and LODR (Listing Obligation and Disclosure Requirements) rules. Pending enforcement proceedings, the two proposed to settle the matter upon payment of settlement amounts. Following this, Sebi's committee recommended the case for settlement on payment of fee. (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.) SUGAR Cosmetics (SUGAR), one of Indias largest omnichannel beauty has closed a $50 million Series D fundraise led by the Asia fund of L Catterton, the largest global consumer-focused private equity firm. The upsized round saw strong interest from multiple private equity funds with continued participation from existing investors A91 Partners, Elevation Capital and India Quotient. The round has placed the company on track to further capitalise on its growth momentum in the rapidly expanding beauty and personal care market in the country. L Cattertons expertise in building iconic consumer brands across the world and strategic relationship with LVMH (Louis Vuitton owner) will empower SUGAR to embark on its next stage of growth amid the expansion of Indias beauty and personal care market. L Catterton shares our ethos of truly understanding what matters most to consumers, and my co-founder Kaushik (Mukherjee) and I are thrilled to welcome the firm as our partner, said SUGAR co-founder and chief executive officer Vineeta Singh. The firms brand-building and value-creation capabilities will fortify our growth as we continue on our journey of delighting and over-delivering on the expectations of our customers and fans. Driven by consumers who are increasingly making cosmetics and skincare a part of their daily repertoire and experimenting with different types of products, the countrys beauty and personal care market has expanded considerably over the past five years. It is expected to reach approximately $21 billion in 2025. The rising adoption of online shopping and greater product penetration in secondary cities are also contributing to the markets enlargement. With an extensive portfolio of high-quality products that resonate with consumers, SUGAR has cultivated a loyal customer base and has more than quadrupled sales over the past three years. We are devoted to creating innovative products that meticulously cater to the preferences of women with diverse skin tones and types, said Singh of SUGAR. Through a combination of fast-paced e-commerce expansion, accelerated partnerships with general and modern trade stores, as well as same-store-sales growth, SUGAR has also established a strong omnichannel presence across India. The company said its ability to simultaneously take advantage of the proliferation of online shopping while creating a robust local ecosystem of offline distribution partners has enabled it to attract and retain shoppers across the entire spectrum from metros to Tier II and III cities. With a product-first mindset and deep understanding of their target consumers, SUGARs leadership team has established a strong position in Indias cosmetics market, which is at an exciting inflection point of expansion, said Anjana Sasidharan, L Catterton Asia Managing Director, who will be joining the companys board. We look forward to partnering with the company to thoughtfully unlock international exposure and drive further growth, leveraging our experience of working with over 20 beauty and personal care in L Cattertons portfolio across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. L Catterton has significant experience investing globally in the beauty and personal care space. Current and past investments in the space include Il Makiage, Intercos, The Honest Company, TULA, Bliss, Ci FLAVORS, ELEMIS, ETVOS, Function of Beauty, Marubi, MERIT, and Sociolla. 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 Civil Aviation Minister on Tuesday inaugurated two from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh and said that under UDAN scheme, 1.94 lakh were operated in the last six years in which over one crore passengers travelled. He also said the flight movement in Madhya Pradesh has increased by 70 per cent in the last ten months. The newly-inaugurated include Delhi-Jabalpur-Bhopal-Gwalior (three days in a week) and Delhi-Jabalpur-Bilaspur-Bhopal (four days in a week). Speaking at a function held at the Dumna airport premises in Jabalpur, Scindia said that in the last ten months the flight movement in Madhya Pradesh has increased by 70 per cent. From 554 flight movements ten months back, the flight movements have increased to 926 now, he said. With the two new flights starting today, Jabalpur is now connected to eight cities and there are 160 flight movements per week against 94 earlier and connectivity to six cities when I took charge as civil aviation minister, he said. From Indore, there are 468 flight movements and connectivity to 20 cities against 308 flight movements and connectivity to 12 cities nine months back, he said. Similarly, Bhopal has 200 flight movements and connectivity to 12 cities against 94 flights and connectivity to five cities nine months back, he said. Referring to Gwalior, his ancestral turf, Scindia said, Gwalior has 94 flight movements and connected to eight cities now as against 56 flights and connectivity to four cities nine months back". Under the UDAN Scheme, in the last six years 1.94 lakh flights were operated in which over one crore passengers travelled. This became possible due to the subsidy provision so that the common man can also travel by air, he said. The new terminal building (in Jabalpur) has modern facilities like aerobridge, new apron and increase in length of runway from present 2,000 metres to 2,800 metres to facilitate landing of big planes. It will be ready by next month, he said. Earlier in the day, Scindia attended Prime Minister Narendra Modi's virtual nationwide interaction with beneficiaries of Central Government Schemes at Manas Bhawan in Jabalpur. (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.) Before 2014, was viewed as an essential part of government, Prime Minister told a rally in Shimla and asserted the BJP-led dispensation at the Centre has a zero-tolerance policy towards graft. At the rally in Ridge Maidan to mark the eighth anniversary of becoming prime minister, Modi said that after coming to power, his government pruned nine crore fake names from the list of beneficiaries of various schemes. "Be it Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana or scholarship or any other scheme, we have eradicated the scope of through direct transfer of benefits." "We have transferred over Rs 22 lakh crore to the bank accounts of beneficiaries of various schemes through direct benefit transfer," the prime minister said. He further said, "Now our borders are more secure than they were before 2014." About his government's measures to combat the Covid pandemic, Modi said, nearly 200 crore Covid vaccine doses have been administered in India so far. India exported the Covid vaccine to various countries and Himachal Pradesh's Baddi industrial unit played a vital role in manufacturing those jabs, he told the rally. "Now India extends hands of friendship not under compulsion but to help others as was done by providing Covid vaccines to several countries, the prime minister added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The and on Monday welcomed the arrest of minister Satyendar Jain and asked Chief Minister to remove him from his cabinet. Jain was taken into custody under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after a few hours of questioning on Monday, Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials said. Delhi chief Adesh Gupta said his party had raised the issue of "corruption" by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its leaders in the past. "Kejriwal always kept mum on corruption charges against his party leaders. The arrest of Jain by the ED has come days after an AAP minister was arrested and sacked in Punjab people want Kejriwal to speak about it," Gupta said. The Delhi chief was referring to former Punjab Health Minister Vijay Singla who was sacked from the state Cabinet last week over graft charges, and was arrested shortly afterwards. The AAP convener always talks about honesty, but now people want to know when he will remove Jain from his Cabinet, Gupta said. Delhi president Anil Kumar said Jain's arrest was a right step taken by the ED. "Jain should have been arrested much earlier. Kejriwal has been protecting him for years," Kumar said. Northeast Delhi MP and former Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari claimed the ED had collected evidence before arresting Jain and Kejriwal should now take moral responsibility and resign. All leaders of AAP are defending Jain after his arrest but Kejriwal himself should resign taking responsibility for Jain's actions," Tiwari said. The AAP leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and party MP Sanjay Singh, lashed out at the BJP alleging that Jain was arrested in an eight-year-old "fake" case as he is the AAP's in-charge for the Himachal Pradesh polls and the saffron party is afraid of losing the upcoming elections there. Jain was summoned by the ED seven times earlier but never arrested. After he was made in-charge of AAP in Himachal Pradesh, the ED arrested him in a "baseless" case to "defame" the party, Singh claimed. (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.) SYDNEY, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Researchers from Australia's Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) have revealed a cognitive basis for why it is hard to change one's mind, and why "going with our gut" may not always be for the best. The research, published in the Trends in Cognitive Sciences journal and released to the public on Monday, assessed how the brain operates in a range of decision-making contexts. Research Fellow Dragan Rangelov from the QBI that is under the University of Queensland told Xinhua on Monday that the research for the first time showed an "integrative approach" to how the brain processes changes of mind. "The study highlights the fact that changes of mind are slightly different 'flavor' of a decision. There's something more that changes of mind decisions than there is present in the original decision." He said despite a change of mind having the ability to correct errors or improve our decision making, "most people don't like changing their mind" and given the opportunity won't stray from their original choice. Rangelov said that a likely explanation for the difficulty behind changing minds is rooted in the way we perceive previous experiences. "It's the same outcome both times but making the wrong decision after changing your mind brings stronger emotions than sticking with your original decision and failing," he said. The research put a spotlight on an aspect of brain research known as meta-cognition, or the cognitive skill of thinking about thinking. "There must be something in the brain or something in human behavior that may help us predict when people are likely to change their mind in the future." Rangelov said while there wasn't a single "recipe" to avoid the biases of changing our minds, it was important to remember both the good and bad outcomes of when people changed their minds in the past. "It's easy to say ways to overcome biases, difficult to implement. If we could all implement it, we probably would be better decision-makers." "I think the key is not in the question: 'What could people do' but 'what would motivate people to do so?'" Delhi's health minister Satyendar Jain was on Tuesday sent to Enforcement Directorate's custody till June 9 in a by a court here which noted that his interrogation was required to unearth the alleged larger conspiracy. The ED had on Monday arrested the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Special Judge Geetanjli Goel issued the remand order after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the ED, sought Jain's custodial interrogation for 14 days. He said there was a chequered layer of money and the agency was trying to find out if the accused was laundering somebody else's money and whether there were other potential beneficiaries. The money hasn't stopped at Rs 4.81 crore. It is beyond. Some facts we don't have, but the accused is aware, the SG said, adding that the likelihood of tampering with evidence could not be ruled out till the agency ascertained the real trail. So far, Jain has been evasive in his replies to the agency, he alleged. The ED said the custody was required to find out where eventually the money came from. This is not a one-time offence. This is of a recurring nature which may still be going on. He (Jain) may be able to throw light during custodial interrogation, he said. Senior Advocate N Hariharan opposed the ED application, saying the case dated back to 2015 and that the entire ED's allegation was the reproduction of the charge sheet, and that the accused had already been summoned 5-6 times for interrogation by the agency. He said there was no requirement for custodial interrogation in the case. The judge, however, remanded Jain in ED's custody, noting that his custodial interrogation was required to unearth the larger conspiracy. The agency had earlier provisionally attached assets worth Rs 4.81 crore of Jain's family and companies "beneficially owned and controlled" by him as part of a money-laundering probe against him. (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.) Commissioner on Monday inaugurated the Social Media Cell (SMC) of the force with an in-house state-of-the-art studio Face-2-Face' at its headquarters on Jai Singh Marg. has established SMC for holding Podcast, Twitter Live sessions, panel discussions, press briefings and countering fake news, officials said. Speaking on the occasion, Asthana underlined the importance of communication in today's well-networked society. It is equally important to fight as to propagate actual facts in public domain, he said. "Social Media is the best medium to spread awareness and for debunking in shortest time. Educational and awareness videos produced by SMC can be shared by EOW, SPUWAC(Special Police Unit for Women and Children ) and other verticals of Delhi Police," he said. The SMC has been set-up in police headquarters for quick dissemination of information in case of exigencies like violence, fire incident, building collapse, bomb threat or other such emergent situation, said Suman Nalwa, Deputy Commissioner of Police (PRO). On several occasions, situations related to law and order are mischievously escalated on social media with certain false narratives to disturb peace and harmony, she said. "Social Media Cell will counter such . Moreover, the city's traffic can be regulated through regular updates with video advisories especially on mega-events such as Republic Day, Independence Day, summits and conferences. The much advanced studio will be used for making internal productions and content to be used for training and welfare purposes, besides catering to general public through regular connect," she 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.) Ltd plans to add around 1,500 new beds to its network to take the total to around 5,000 beds in the next three years, according to company officials. The company has also lined up a capex of Rs 400 crore for the ongoing fiscal which will be divided equally on maintenance and growth programmes. The healthcare chain is continuing with its portfolio rationalisation programme aligning with its focus on cluster approach to grow both organically via brownfield expansion and inorganically in geographies of Delhi-NCR, Maharashtra, Bangalore and Kolkata, Ltd Managing Director and CEO Ashutosh Raghuvanshi told analysts. "Our plans to add 1,200 beds in the existing facilities over the next few years are well underway," he said. Elaborating on the new beds addition programme, CFO Vivek Kumar Goyal said at present the company had 4,000 beds and the target is to reach around 5,000 beds in the next three years. Stating that the company's "1,300 to 1,500 brownfield-bed expansion is online", he said,"Out of this 1,500, 600 beds is a ramp up of the existing facility... the bed capacity we have built but we have not operationalised the bed. We are opening up the bed as per the market condition..." The balance, he said, will be a "sort of brownfield" where the company is building new towers in existing facilities. Goyal said in the current financial year Fortis expects to increase its operational bed by around 250 beds, adding, "there is one contract where we have come out in Dehradun, there will be a reduction of bed facility. So, overall around 200 beds increase should be there by the year-end." Last year, the company had added 120 beds, he said. When asked about capex, Goyal said, "FY2023 we are targeting around Rs 400 crore capex which includes maintenance and growth capex...(and) allocate 50:50 for both." Asked about Fortis' strategy for expansion, Raghuvanshi said, "Greenfield is not a preferred way of expanding for us, that is a last option. The only situation or circumstances in which we would choose a greenfield would be, that if there is a cluster where there is a very potential future site." Citing the example of north Bangalore, he said it "has less so that would be one area where we could consider a greenfield hospital. So, it has to be a growth area, it has to be an area where the greenfield properties are available and then only we will consider. Otherwise it will have to be a brownfield or an organic model only. (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 position of the on engaging Myanmar at multilateral forums has been that it should be at the non-political level, diplomatic sources said on Monday as prepares to host a meeting of the foreign ministers of the 10-nation grouping next month. The sources indicated that is unlikely to invite the Myanmarese foreign minister for the meeting and instead, could invite an official. It is learnt that has been in touch with the on various aspects of hosting the foreign ministers' meeting, including the question relating to Myanmar. "Our position on engaging Myanmar has been that it should be at the non-political and non-military level," said a diplomatic source in one of the countries. On February 1 last year, Myanmar's military grabbed power in a coup and imposed a state of emergency after detaining Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders of her League for Democracy (NLD). The country witnessed massive protests following the coup. The international community has been severely critical of the coup. Myanmar has been a key member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Following the coup, India has been pushing Myanmar for the restoration of democracy. At the same time, India has not boycotted the Myanmarese government or its officials. Myanmar is one of India's strategic neighbours and it shares a 1,640-kilometre-long border with a number of northeastern states, including militancy-hit Nagaland and Manipur. The 10-nation ASEAN is considered one of the most influential groupings in the region, and India and several other countries, including the US, China, Japan and Australia, are its dialogue partners. The ties between India and ASEAN have been on an upswing in the last few years with the focus being on ramping up cooperation in the areas of trade and investment as well as security and defence. (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.) and on Monday held the 12th round of Political Consultations and the ninth round of Strategic Dialogue between the foreign ministries of the two countries and explored new opportunities for partnership to support each other's economic development and security. "Both sides exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest, especially in the context of the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the on-going crisis in Ukraine, as they explored new opportunities for partnership to support each other's economic development and security," a Ministry of External Affairs release said. Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East), MEA co-chaired the Political Consultations and the Strategic Dialogue between the foreign ministries with his counterpart, Vice Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Vu. The release said Secretary (East) reaffirmed India's position of regarding as a key partner in our Act East Policy and the Indo-Pacific Vision. He conveyed India's readiness to continue extending development and capacity building assistance to through initiatives such as Quick Impact Projects, ITEC and e-ITEC initiatives, PhD fellowships, digital connectivity and heritage conservation. In a tweet, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the discussions covered bilateral, regional and global issues of shared interest between two Comprehensive Strategic Partners. The MEA statement said the two sides agreed to enhance physical connectivity and promote tourism and people-to-people exchanges, including by leveraging their shared Buddhist linkages and the popularity of Yoga in Vietnam. and Vietnam expressed satisfaction over their close coordination at regional and multilateral forums. They agreed to enhance their bilateral cooperation in line with India's Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative and the ASEAN's Outlook on Indo-Pacific to achieve shared security, prosperity and growth for all in the region. Both sides reviewed recent developments in their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership guided by the "Joint Vision for Peace, Prosperity and People" adopted by the Prime Ministers of and Vietnam during their Virtual Summit in December 2020 and the Plan of Action for 2021-2023 signed by their Foreign Ministers. They expressed satisfaction over the sustained momentum in their multifaceted relations, despite the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, with frequent high-level engagements, including the recent telephone conversation between Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the General Secretary of Communist Party of Vietnam, H.E. Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong, as well as the visit of Speaker of Lok Sabha to Vietnam in April 2022. The two sides also discussed future cooperation agenda, including high-level exchanges and activities to mark the 50th anniversary of India-Vietnam Diplomatic Relations this year. During his visit, Secretary (East) also called on the Foreign Minister of Vietnam Bui Thanh Son and conveyed to him External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's greetings and invitation to visit India in June 2022 for the Special ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers' Meeting and Delhi Dialogue. (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.) Kashmiri Pandits, employed under the PM package, on Tuesday threatened to undertake mass from the valley if the government did not relocate them to safe places within next 24 hours as employees from the community hit the streets at various places to protest against the killing of a lady teacher by terrorists in Kulgam district. We have decided that if the government did not take any concrete steps for us (safety) within 24 hours, there will be mass again, one of the protestors said here. He said the target killing of is continuing and the community is now tired of making appeals to the government. We should be relocated so that we can be saved. Our delegation had met the LG earlier and we had asked him to save us. We are asking for temporary relocation for two to three years till situation in the valley returns to normal. It is the same time frame put by IGP Kashmir for making Kashmir free, he added. A handful of KP employees assembled at the Ghanta Ghar (Clock tower) at Lal Chowk here to protest against the killing, the officials said. Another group of employees assembled at Batwara in Sonawar area of the city and raised slogans against the union territory administration for its failure to ensure foolproof security for employees of Hindu communities. The protestors, mostly women, raised slogans like Administration hai hai (down with administration), minorities ko jeenay do' (let the minorities live) and We want justice. In South Kashmir Qazigund town, the KP employees blocked one tube of the Jammu-Srinagar Nartional Highway to protest against killing of Rajni Bala inside a school at Gopalpora in Kulgam district on Tuesday. The protestors appealed to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene in the matter to ensure security of the Kashmiri Pandit minorities. Government has failed completely in providing security for the KPs. Rahul Bhat was killed inside a district (Tehsil) office on May 12 and today our sister Rajni Bala was shot dead inside the school. We appeal PM, HM and LG to intervene in the matter. are on roads now, there is no hope of survival, one of the protestors said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Home Minister on Tuesday said the Modi government has done more work in eight years of its rule for making farmers self-reliant than was accomplished ever before and its agriculture-friendly schemes have become the real power of farmers. The home minister made the remarks as Prime Minister released Rs 21,000 crore to 80 crore farmers as the eleventh instalment of the Kisan Samman Nidhi. "The Modi government has done more work in the last eight years than ever before for empowering farmers and making them self-reliant. ''Agriculture friendly schemes of the Modi government have become the real power of farmers today. In this instalment today @narendramodi transferred #PMKisan to Rs 21,000 crore farmers," he said in a tweet in Hindi. The prime minister also interacted virtually with beneficiaries of various central schemes and released Rs 21,000 crore under the Kisan Samman Nidhi in Shimla to mark the eighth anniversary of his 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.) A petrol pump dealers' association will on Tuesday resort to 'no purchase of petrol and diesel' in protest against no increase in their commission by the oil marketing companies, but the protest is unlikely to disrupt supplies as fuel bunks have enough stocks to last couple of days. Petrol Pump Dealers Association said its members in 22 states will join the protest. "Though there was an agreement between oil companies and dealer associations that the dealer margins will be revised every six months, it has not been revised since 2017. The prices of fuel have almost doubled since 2017, hence the working capital in business has doubled leading to additional loans and bank interests thereupon," the association said in a statement. Industry officials said that petrol pumps don't need daily refills and their storage tanks store enough supplies to last couple of days. "Evaporation losses have increased proportionately. Also, the overhead expenses like bank charges, electricity bills, salaries etc. have increased manifold during the last five years. Our constant demand to revise dealer commission has been overlooked by the OMCs (Oil Marketing Companies). By doing so, OMCs are making their own network financially unviable," the statement said. Dealer associations welcomed the relief given to citizens of the country by the central government in reducing prices of petrol and diesel through excise duty cut. "However, these sudden cuts have led to huge financial loss to the dealers. The central government in the past six months has announced two major cuts in excise duty (on Nov 4, 2021 and on May 21, 2022), and the entire burden of Rs 13 per litre on petrol and Rs 16 per litre on diesel was passed on to the petrol pump dealers causing huge irrecoverable losses," it said. It demanded increase in dealers' commission immediately. The 22 states where the dealers will be on protest are Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, Sikkim and North Bengal. (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 candidates of the ruling in Rajasthan and opposition will file their nominations on Tuesday for the to be held on June 10. Tuesday is the last day for filing nominations for the biennial polls, which will be held on four seats in the state. has given tickets to senior leaders Mukul Wasnik, Pramod Tiwari and Randeep Singh Surjewala while has named former minister Ghanshyam Tiwari as its candidate. Scrutiny of nomination papers will be held on June 1, while nominations can be withdrawn till June 3 and if necessary, the voting will be held on June 10. All the three candidates of the party reached Jaipur from Delhi on Monday, the party said. They were received by Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra, party leader Pushpendra Bharadwaj and others. The Congress leaders later made a courtesy visit to Speaker of the Assembly CP Joshi at his residence here. In the evening, they also met Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot at his residence. Meanwhile, in separate meetings of the MLAs of the Congress and the MLAs of the BJP, the nominations were discussed on Monday. In the 200-seat Rajasthan Assembly, Congress has 108 MLAs, 71, Independent 13, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party three, CPI (M) and Bharatiya Tribal Party two each and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) one. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government has been doggedly pursuing its flagship Production-Linked Incentive, or PLI, scheme to boost manufacturing, grow exports, generate employment and cut dependence on import. The scheme covers 14 significant sectors and involves a total outlay of 3 trillion rupees. And it is getting good responses too. Vendors of smartphone maker Apple -- such as Foxconn and Wistron have set up bases in India. But there is a hurdle and a long road ahead with a lot of competition from smaller nations like Vietnam and Malaysia. It is not just the PLI scheme, but the upcoming auction of media rights is also on a sticky wicket. After TV viewership of recently-concluded dropped by 30%, demands are being made to bring down the reserve price for the upcoming auction of its media rights for next five-year cycle. So what could be the possible reasons for the fall in viewership and will it have any bearing on media rights sale? Markets can be as unpredictable as any IPL match. The Indian rupee has depreciated nearly 4 per cent this year as a stronger dollar, coupled with relentless foreign fund outflow, signaled diluted demand for emerging market currencies. While the overall impact of a weaker rupee is negative on the equity market, some sectors stand to benefit from this free-fall. Global indices soared yesterday as pandemic curbs eased by China apparently weighed heavy on multiple headwinds, including the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. These two countries also supplied 1/3rd of which the world consumed. And when the supply came to a halt, the world turned towards India -- which promised to fill the void. But, soon, domestic compulsions forced it to backtrack. This episode of the podcast explains why India slammed a break on export and more. Giant panda cub Sheng Yi celebrates its first birthday at the Giant Panda Conservation Center of Zoo Negara near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 31, 2022. The 48th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia on Tuesday was made more meaningful with the first birthday of the third baby giant panda born in Malaysia.(Xinhua/Zhu Wei) KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The 48th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia on Tuesday was made more meaningful with the first birthday of the third baby giant panda born in Malaysia. The cub named Sheng Yi is energetic and adventurous, being keen to explore its enclosure at the Giant Panda Conservation Center of Zoo Negara. As a treat, Sheng Yi's handlers prepared a special birthday "cake" comprising fruits and bamboo cakes atop a pile of ice, giving the cub its first experience of getting to experience both, which she did to her delight, pawing and playfully sifting through the ice while sniffing at the fruits. Zoo Negara Deputy President Rosly Rahmat Ahmat Lana who was present to witness Sheng Yi's birthday said Malaysia is fortunate to be able to host the pandas considering how rare the animals are outside of China. "The panda is (a) very special animal. You can not easily get some in other countries, only from China and we are lucky that we are given for the diplomacy between China and Malaysia. It (breeding) is a goal for us and this is the third baby we produced," he said. Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujing attended the naming ceremony for Sheng Yi last week and said the name symbolizes that the friendship between China and Malaysia will reach new heights. Dozens of panda lovers were here to celebrate Sheng Yi's birthday. Hong Saw Hoon, a librarian at a nearby university, came in the early morning with friends to decorate the panda house with colorful balloons, paintings and photos. "It is Sheng Yi's first birthday, I have been preparing for this for several months, shopping on-line for panda-image decorations," said Hong. "I love pandas. They are so cute and they have the magic of connecting people, not only improving friendship between China and Malaysia, but also attracting people from many other countries. We came here for the love of panda." On Tuesday, Ouyang published an article to mark the 48th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia. "Mutual respect and trust are the cornerstones of the good relations between China and Malaysia," he said. "From the start of diplomatic relations 48 years ago, the two countries have weathered through thick and thin, setting a model of true good neighborliness for regional countries." "With joint efforts, China and Malaysia will continue to strive for common development and achieve a better shared future," he said. China and Malaysia established diplomatic relations on May 31, 1974. Giant panda cub Sheng Yi celebrates its first birthday at the Giant Panda Conservation Center of Zoo Negara near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 31, 2022. The 48th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia on Tuesday was made more meaningful with the first birthday of the third baby giant panda born in Malaysia. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei) Giant panda cub Sheng Yi plays as celebrating its first birthday at the Giant Panda Conservation Center of Zoo Negara near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 31, 2022. The 48th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia on Tuesday was made more meaningful with the first birthday of the third baby giant panda born in Malaysia. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei) Giant panda cub Sheng Yi plays as celebrating its first birthday at the Giant Panda Conservation Center of Zoo Negara near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 31, 2022. The 48th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia on Tuesday was made more meaningful with the first birthday of the third baby giant panda born in Malaysia. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei) Giant panda cub Sheng Yi celebrates its first birthday at the Giant Panda Conservation Center of Zoo Negara near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 31, 2022. The 48th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia on Tuesday was made more meaningful with the first birthday of the third baby giant panda born in Malaysia. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei) Giant panda cub Sheng Yi celebrates its first birthday at the Giant Panda Conservation Center of Zoo Negara near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 31, 2022. The 48th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia on Tuesday was made more meaningful with the first birthday of the third baby giant panda born in Malaysia. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei) Giant panda cub Sheng Yi plays as celebrating its first birthday at the Giant Panda Conservation Center of Zoo Negara near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 31, 2022. The 48th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia on Tuesday was made more meaningful with the first birthday of the third baby giant panda born in Malaysia. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei) Giant panda cub Sheng Yi celebrates its first birthday at the Giant Panda Conservation Center of Zoo Negara near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 31, 2022. The 48th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia on Tuesday was made more meaningful with the first birthday of the third baby giant panda born in Malaysia. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei) Giant panda cub Sheng Yi (L) and its mother Liang Liang celebrate the first birthday of Sheng Yi at the Giant Panda Conservation Center of Zoo Negara near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 31, 2022. The 48th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia on Tuesday was made more meaningful with the first birthday of the third baby giant panda born in Malaysia. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei) Giant panda cub Sheng Yi plays as celebrating its first birthday at the Giant Panda Conservation Center of Zoo Negara near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 31, 2022. The 48th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia on Tuesday was made more meaningful with the first birthday of the third baby giant panda born in Malaysia. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei) Giant panda cub Sheng Yi celebrates its first birthday at the Giant Panda Conservation Center of Zoo Negara near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 31, 2022. The 48th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia on Tuesday was made more meaningful with the first birthday of the third baby giant panda born in Malaysia. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei) Giant panda cub Sheng Yi plays as celebrating its first birthday at the Giant Panda Conservation Center of Zoo Negara near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 31, 2022. The 48th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia on Tuesday was made more meaningful with the first birthday of the third baby giant panda born in Malaysia. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei) Giant panda cub Sheng Yi (top) and its mother Liang Liang celebrate the first birthday of Sheng Yi at the Giant Panda Conservation Center of Zoo Negara near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 31, 2022. The 48th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia on Tuesday was made more meaningful with the first birthday of the third baby giant panda born in Malaysia. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei) Giant panda cub Sheng Yi celebrates its first birthday at the Giant Panda Conservation Center of Zoo Negara near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 31, 2022. The 48th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia on Tuesday was made more meaningful with the first birthday of the third baby giant panda born in Malaysia. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei) Giant panda cub Sheng Yi plays as celebrating its first birthday at the Giant Panda Conservation Center of Zoo Negara near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 31, 2022. The 48th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia on Tuesday was made more meaningful with the first birthday of the third baby giant panda born in Malaysia. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei) Giant panda cub Sheng Yi celebrates its first birthday at the Giant Panda Conservation Center of Zoo Negara near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 31, 2022. The 48th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia on Tuesday was made more meaningful with the first birthday of the third baby giant panda born in Malaysia. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei) Giant panda cub Sheng Yi celebrates its first birthday at the Giant Panda Conservation Center of Zoo Negara near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 31, 2022. The 48th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia on Tuesday was made more meaningful with the first birthday of the third baby giant panda born in Malaysia. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei) Giant panda cub Sheng Yi celebrates its first birthday at the Giant Panda Conservation Center of Zoo Negara near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 31, 2022. The 48th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia on Tuesday was made more meaningful with the first birthday of the third baby giant panda born in Malaysia. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei) Giant panda cub Sheng Yi plays as celebrating its first birthday at the Giant Panda Conservation Center of Zoo Negara near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 31, 2022. The 48th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia on Tuesday was made more meaningful with the first birthday of the third baby giant panda born in Malaysia. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei) At least two people were killed and several injured as heavy rains, accompanied by strong winds and thunderstorm, lashed parts of Delhi-NCR on Monday evening. Kamal, 50, died in the Jama Masjid area in central after a portion of a balcony of his neighbour's house fell on him during the strong winds. He was taken to the Sanjeevan Hospital where he was declared brought dead. The hospital administration told IANS that he was brought dead in the hospital. "A call from Sanjeevan Hospital, Darya Ganj, was received in Jama Masjid police station at 6.08 p.m. regarding a male person, namely Kamal, aged about 50 years, being brought dead on arrival," DCP, Central said. In another incident, a 65-year-old homeless man named Basir baba was killed on Angoori Bagh Road after a tree fell on him. He was also declared brought dead at the hospital. This was the first storm of "severe" intensity in since 2018, said the India Meteorological Department. The storm caused uprooting hundreds of trees, disrupting road and air traffic and damaging vehicles and buildings, including the iconic Jama Masjid. The middle dome of the Jama Masjid was damaged due to the heavy rains. --IANS avr/vd (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) From the Russia-Ukraine war and climate change to the ongoing food crisis and changing landscape of globalisation amid protectionism, not to mention the Covid-19 pandemic, the world has a lot on its plate. Yet, when over 2,500 global leaders reached the Swiss resort of for the five-day (WEF) Annual Meeting, one of the first things they did was acknowledge Indias success in the timely manufacture of vaccines and their equitable supply within India and globally. One of the early events at WEF meet was a panel discussion that revolved around preparations for the next pandemic, mental health and health equity. The panelists agreed that recovery from the Covid-19 crisis has been deeply uneven within and between countries, depending on their access to financial resources and vaccines. The WEF meet even reiterated the significance of a coordinated global response to the Covid-19 pandemic by talking about two recent summits held in Saudi Arabia the G20 Riyadh Summit and the Extraordinary G20 Leaders Summit. The two meetings, according to the Forum, paved the way for the rollout of safe, effective vaccines in affordable, equitable ways around the world. It focused on supporting the poor and highly indebted countries, whose economies have been hit hard by the pandemic, and set out a road map for international efforts to stabilise the global economy. However, multiple panelists at the meet hailed India for ramping up vaccine manufacturing at the right time so much so, that Indias model of ensuring vaccine equity and wider inoculation was described as worth emulating by the world. For instance, according to Jeremy Farrar, director of Wellcome Trust, India deserved huge credit for expanding its vaccine manufacturing capacity. Citing Indian manufacturers example, the Gavi vaccine alliances chief executive officer, Seth F Berkley, said there was a need for the industry to step up efforts to widen the availability of vaccines. According to Berkley, while there were commitments and plans in place to ensure wider inoculation globally when the vaccines were first developed, there came some roadblocks in the form of nationalism and export bans. However, those issues were eventually resolved, he said. Oxfam International Executive Director Gabriela Bucher called for emulation of Indias model of not just producing vaccines at speed but also ensuring timely availability to all. So far, India has carried out over 1.93 billion Covid vaccinations, including 1.01 billion first doses, over 880 million second doses, and more than 33 million booster doses. The country has also supplied 217.39 million doses of the vaccine to 100 countries, including Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, Brazil, Morocco, Afghanistan, Ghana, Nigeria, Sudan, UK, Australia and New Zealand, among others, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. In fact, led by Indias model of Covid-19 inoculation, one of the major focal points during the WEF meet was a discussion around how leaders could ensure equitable supply of the vaccine and other related tools to boost immunity, so as to enable the reopening of economies. But it has not been an easy ride for the worlds largest democracy. Caught in the middle of a devastating second wave of the pandemic, India had access to just two vaccine manufacturers. Since the second wave, India has come a long way in terms of vacine manufacture, NITI Aayog Chief Executive Officer Amitabh Kant told the world at . At that time, we had only two vaccine manufacturers. Now, we have 10 manufacturers, 14 other vaccines are in various stages of development and we are now determined to become the vaccine capital of the world. We also believe that no Indian is safe until everyone else in the world is safe, and therefore we will ensure that we supply the vaccines to everyone and wherever they are required, said Kant. Meanwhile, a key sign of Indias journey to becoming the global vaccine capital can be seen in its involvement in the worlds search for a variant-proof vaccine. Of the nine projects awarded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), a partnership between public, private and philanthropic organisations to develop vaccines against future epidemics, two are from India. These include the consortium of Bharat Biotech, University of Sydney and ExcellGene, as well as Panacea Biotecs collaboration with the public sector institute, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, with CEPI awarding $19.3 million and $12.5 million, respectively under its $200-million programme launched in March 2021. The praise for India at WEF came on the heels of the World Health Organisation releasing excess mortality figures, which put the country at the top of the pecking order globally. However, this did not garner much attention at . On Monday, China announced a relaxation in the two-month long lockdown imposed on Shanghai, a city of 25 million residents. But it won't just be the residents of who will breathe a sigh of relief because the industrial city of Ludhiana is tied to Shanghai's fate as well. Ludhiana dominates India's hosiery industry and depends upon China for raw material. The lockdown in has affected this hosiery industry in Ludhiana badly, reports Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar. According to Dainik Bhaskar, the Ludhiana-based hosiery industry accounts for 70 per cent of India's winterwear production and depends upon for 80 per cent of its raw materials. Shangai has been under lockdown for nearly two months as it faced one of China's worst Covid-19 outbreaks. With China sticking to its zero-Covid policy, industry has been badly affected. According to a report (https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3179461/chinas-zero-covid-policy-has-some-manufacturers-asking-should) in the South China Morning Post, this zero-Covid policy has pushed manufacturers in China to ask "whether they should stay or go". The ripple effect of this strict lockdown has been felt in places like Ludhiana as well. Bhaskar reports that orders for raw materials placed in March have not been cleared yet. This has affected delivery which will be delayed by at three to five months. The manufacturing of wear in Ludhiana has hit pause. Sudarshan Jain, the chief of the Manufacturers Association, told Bhaskar that most of the units in Shanghai are shut and orders are delayed. What does this mean for the industry? Since Ludhiana is heavily dependent on Shanghai for raw materials, and India on Ludhiana for wear, the delay would mean that people here may find themselves paying 25 per cent extra for wear this year. A major reason for this issue is that the raw material that is sourced from Shanghai is not manufactured anywhere in India. Now that the orders are delayed till July, the supply of final product is likely to take a hit, which will result in higher price of the finished prodcut. What has been happening in Shanghai? Shanghai imposed a city-wide lockdown on 25 million residents on April 1 to curb the spread of Covid-19. The authorities imposed harsh measures that caused widespread public anger over issues such as crowded quarantine centres, difficulties in accessing food and loss of income. However, Shanghai authorities will lift the city's two-month-long lockdown from June 1, allowing private cars including taxis back on to the roads and people to freely move in and out of low-risk housing compounds. Bus and rail transport will also resume basic operations from June 1, including a ferry that connects districts separated by the city's Huangpu river, the Shanghai city government said. clearly means business. After bringing home Samsungs mobile phone business from China -- which translates into an investment of over 18 billion dollars -- it is now on the prowl for more majors. A few days ago, the southeast Asian countrys Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met Inc CEO Tim Cook at the latters headquarters in Cupertino, California. And Pham returned home smiling, with a promise. Cook assured Pham that would consider increasing the number of domestic suppliers from the country and involve them in the global giants supply chain. now accounts for over half of Samsungs global smartphone output. It is eyeing now. Ninety-five per cent of Apples products are still assembled in China, which clocks revenues of 365 billion dollars. But, stringent Covid-19- lockdowns in the country are prompting Apple to explore other destinations. And it sees as one such attractive option. Last year, the Vietnamese government granted Foxconn -- which is Apples biggest contract manufacturer -- a licence to invest 270 million dollars for a plant to make laptops and tablets. According to analysts, Apple produced around 1.67 billion dollars worth of phones in 2021 in India. So as Apple and other tech companies are looking for options outside China; Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and even Thailand are vying to step into the breach. And then there is Brazil, which is also assembling the latest iPhones and will also look for more volumes from Apple. These countries are set to pose a challenge before India which has rolled out an ambitious Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI) to woo foreign companies. Speaking tp Business Standard, Pankaj Mohindroo, Chairman, India Cellular & Electronics Association says Brazil's high levels of protection rule it out as competition for India. Vietnam has seen great success in electronics manufacturing. Now, India must leverage its demographic dividend and other strengths, he says. Clearly, India will have more competition. The potential of Apples bigger shift from China, which could lead many other multinationals to follow suit, has already been given as an example by US government officials to highlight the economic benefits of joining the recently formed Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. They say countries that have signed up for the forum will have an advantage in getting business from US companies. So, India has a good head start. Unlike the other potential competing countries, the factories of the three big Taiwanese vendors of Apple Inc Foxconn, Wistron and now Pegatron are up and running. They are targeting over 47,000 crore rupees worth of phones in FY23 -- a more than threefold increase over the previous year under the . According to Counterpoint Research, India accounted for 3.1 per cent of Apples global manufacturing base in 2021, up from 1.3 per cent in 2020, while that of other Southeast Asian countries put together is just touching one per cent. Counterpoint expects Indias share to hit 5-7 per cent in 2022. While it is good news, but Indias plan to match up to China may faces a big hurdle. Companies whether global or Indian -- that are eligible for PLI incentives-- are finding it challenging to build a substantial ecosystem of suppliers within the country. And without it one cannot build economies of scale and a global hub for exports. Chinese suppliers dominate the mobile device supply chain globally for both mobile devices, laptops and tablets. They do so at the lowest cost and own the technology, too. That is the case not only for Apples contract manufacturers but also for all Indian domestic manufacturers that are trying to leverage their PLIs to become domestic champions with an eye on exports. This means these Chinese suppliers need to set up shop in the country, bringing their technology with them. But after the India-China border clashes in 2020, India tweaked its foreign direct investment policy to effectively exclude Chinese companies from the automatic clearance route. That has made it very difficult for them to set manufacturing units on their own or in joint ventures in India. This restriction effectively hands the advantage to countries like Vietnam, which has a larger supply chain, a huge cost advantage even factoring in PLI, and no special scrutiny on Chinese investments. The only advantage India enjoys is a well-trained workforce and engineers, an area where a small country like Vietnam is facing challenges. The option of focusing on non-Chinese suppliers or developing domestic alternatives is a suboptimal one given the dominance of Chinese players in all critical supply chains and their ability to produce components at the lowest cost. In Apples top suppliers list of 2020, one-third come from China. And building a domestic supply base is the long-term answer but that will take time. Mohindroo of India Cellular & Electronics Association says it is almost impossible to build supply chain efficiently without the Chinese players. In fact, China built its electronics industry with help from so-called 'enemy countries' like Japan and Taiwan. India should take a leaf out of China's notebook, says he. In response to these constraints, the government a few months ago made some Chinese companies eligible for PLI in LED parts subject to FDI approval. Other players in the electronics PLI sectors said one solution is to permit joint ventures that are dependent on what technology and skills the Chinese bring to the table. The ball is clearly in the governments court to balance geopolitical challenges with business realities. Billionaire activist Nelson Peltz will join the board of Unilever, the consumer goods giant said on Tuesday, heaping pressure on the maker of Dove soap and Hellmann's mayonnaise as it reviews its strategy. Shares in the London-listed group jumped 7% as investors bet Peltz, whose hedge fund Trian has built up a 1.5% stake in Unilever, will use his new position as non-executive director to instigate the kind of turnaround he helped oversee at other consumer companies, including Procter & Gamble. It is Peltz's latest intervention in a major consumer goods company and he is likely to push for a bigger revamp of strategy after an unsuccessful 50-billion-pound ($63-billion) bid to buy GSK's consumer healthcare arm in January, Unilever's third attempt. "We look forward to working collaboratively with management and the board to help drive Unilever's strategy, operations, sustainability, and shareholder value," Peltz said in a statement. investors have been disappointed by the company's lacklustre share performance, the botched attempts to buy GSK's consumer products business and for focusing on sustainability more than financial performance. Peltz, who runs New York-based Trian, is known for his interest in consumer-oriented firms and proposing operational changes at the hedge fund's portfolio companies. He has previously been on the boards of Procter & Gamble Co, Mondelez and Heinz. Analysts and investors welcomed Peltz's appointment, saying the billionaire could revamp company culture and financial performance, particularly in his role on the compensation committee. "I think it's fantastic news," Jack Martin, fund manager at Unilever shareholder Oberon Investments, said. Fellow Unilever investor Waverton Investment Management also welcomed the news. "Nelson Peltz is a man with extensive experience of taking activist stakes in some of the largest consumer companies in the world and has been enormously successful doing so," Martin added. RETURN OF THE PLAYBOOK Unilever has already taken some steps to cut costs by consolidating its headquarters in London and getting rid of some slower growing businesses like its Lipton tea brand. The company, which employs about 148,000 people worldwide, has also said it plans to cut about 1,500 management jobs in a restructuring to create five product-focused divisions - a revamp that echoes P&G's reshaping three years ago. "We have held extensive and constructive discussions with him and the Trian team and believe that Nelson's experience in the global consumer goods industry will be of value to Unilever," Unilever chairman Nils Andersen said. Trian is now Unilever's fourth largest shareholder, according to Refinitiv data. Investors will be hoping Peltz will bring the playbook that worked at Cincinnati-based to Unilever, helping to streamline the company and revive its share price. In 2017, the activist investor called for a slew of changes at P&G, after which Peltz joined its board in March 2018 following a months-long proxy fight. P&G's stock price has risen nearly 90% since then. He left the board last year. Shares in Unilever have slumped well below their 2020 pandemic lows this year and are still down 30% from an all-time high reached in 2019. "Most of his (Peltz's) actions will count as 'back to basics': investing in innovation, fixing incentive schemes, accelerating the pace of acquisitions and disposals, etc," Bernstein analyst Bruno Monteyne said. Monteyne said the most "Trian-unique element of the plan was his proposal to split P&G into independent operating units" and doing so at Unilever would "make a lot more sense". ($1 = 0.7931 pounds) (1 euro = $1.0734) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistans rupee is poised for its biggest monthly decline in more than two years as deteriorating finances and uncertainty over the Monetary Funds bailout plan weigh on the currency. The Pakistani rupee has declined about 7% in May, the steepest drop since March 2020, as the country negotiates a bailout package with the and other nations to keep its economy afloat. Analysts expect the currency to remain under pressure even as the government took steps to meet the IMFs demands. needs about $36 billion to $37 billion in financing for the fiscal year starting June, Minister Miftah Ismail said last week. Morgan Stanley estimates the funding gap to be as high as $8 billion this calendar year. A bailout by the has become critical as countries that have typically been generous lenders are proceeding more cautiously now. Pakistans funding requirement for the upcoming year will be met, but itll be pretty tight, and that will keep the rupee under pressure, said Saad Khan, head of research at IGI Securities Ltd. in Karachi. Also Read: Value of Pakistani Rupee hits all time low of Rs 200 against US dollar IGI and Ismail Iqbal Securities Pvt. predict the rupee will decline to 220 per dollar by the end of the year. It closed at 199.06 per dollar on Monday. is seeking to secure a staff-level agreement with the fund in June to unlock the remaining $3 billion from its loan program. It has also requested to increase the loan size by $2 billion. It faces $3.2 billion in dollar debt due this year, the highest amount in the next decade, data compiled by Bloomberg show. The currency could start to stabilize over the near-term with risk-on sentiment, but we still expect it to weaken over the longer-term, said Raphael Mok, head of Asia country risk at Fitch Solutions in Singapore. is still running a significant current-account deficit, and will remain dependent on external financing conditions. Bad weather was the reason behind the crash of the Tara Air plane in Nepal's mountainous Mustang district on Sunday with 22 people on board, including four Indians, according to a preliminary investigation carried out by the Civil Aviation Authority of (CAAN). The Canadian-built turboprop Twin Otter 9N-AET plane went missing on Sunday morning in the mountainous region of minutes after taking off from the tourist city of Pokhara. The plane, which conducted its first flight 42 years and two months ago on April 21, 1979, was carrying four Indians, two Germans and 13 Nepali passengers, besides a three-member Nepali crew. The government has formed a five-member commission of inquiry headed by senior aeronautical engineer Ratish Chandra Lal Suman to find out the cause of the Tara Air plane crash, officials said. Preliminary investigation revealed that the aircraft had crashed into the mountains after it swerved to the right, instead of turning to the left due to inclement weather, CAAN Director-General Pradeep Adhikari said during a meeting of the Committee of Parliament on Monday. The wreckage of the airplane was found on Monday morning at the Sanusare cliff at Thasang rural municipality-2 of Mustang district. The crash site is situated at a distance of eight nautical miles from the Jomsom Airport. Rescuers have so far pulled out 20 bodies from the wreckage of the crashed plane. The plane was first purchased by Air Botswana in 1979. The plane later entered in 1998 under its new operator Lumbini Airways but was procured by Yeti Airlines in 1999. The plane had been operated by Tara Air since April 2010, My Republica news website reported. Adverse weather impact is likely to be the primary cause of the accident, experts say. Former Director General of CAAN Raj Kumar Chhetri said that the age of the plane is not the factor for its accident. The adverse weather on Sunday could be the reason behind the accident, he opined. However, the reason behind the disastrous accident will be known once the investigation is over, he said. Our topography is mostly high hills and mountains, along with continuous changing wind and weather patterns causing difficulties for planes to maneuver around high terrains and in low visibility, Chhetri told Republica. (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.) leaders handed Hungary concessions to agree an oil embargo on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, sealing a deal in the early hours of Tuesday that aims to cut 90% of Russia's crude imports into the bloc by the end of the year. As a result, extended a bull run as they touched $124.64 on Tuesday its highest since March 9. The deal excludes from the embargo shipments by pipeline, which Hungary relies on for Russian oil. It aims to reduce Moscow's income to finance the war it launched more than three months ago in Ukraine, with some of the toughest EU sanctions yet. "The important news is that the EU is still united in its purpose; the purpose is to stop Russia's aggressive war in Ukraine," Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins said. The ban on seaborne imports of Russian oil will be imposed with a phase-in period of six months for crude oil and eight months for refined products, a European Commission spokesperson said. That timeline would kick in once the sanctions are formally adopted, with EU states aiming to do so this week. Two thirds of the Russian oil imported by the EU comes via tanker and one third by the Druzhba pipeline. In total, the embargo aims to cover 90% of all Russian imports by the end of 2022. That would include seaborne deliveries as well as Poland and Germany stopping their own imports of Russian oil via pipeline by then, which they have pledged to do. The remaining 10% would be temporarily exempt from the embargo so that Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic have access via the Druzhba pipeline from Russia. With energy prices soaring, leaders will ask the EU's executive Commission to explore ways to curb them, such as through temporary price caps, and work on potential reforms to Europe's electricity market a move backed by countries including Spain and Greece, but which countries including Germany have opposed. They are also set to endorse a Commission plan to wean itself off Russian fossil fuels within years through a faster rollout of renewable energy, improvements in saving energy, and more investments in energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, Russia widened its gas cuts to Europe with Gazprom turning off supply to top Dutch trader GasTerra escalating the economic battle between Moscow and Brussels and pushing up European gas prices. GasTerra, which buys and trades gas on behalf of the Dutch government, said it had contracted elsewhere for the 2 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas it had expected to receive from Gazprom through October. TOKYO, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Japan's unemployment rate dropped to 2.5 percent in April, marking the third straight month of decline, the government said in a report on Tuesday. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, on a seasonally adjusted basis, Japan's jobless rate fell 0.1 percentage point from a month earlier, recovering to a level not seen since March 2020. Separately, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, said the job availability ratio rose for the fourth straight month to 1.23. This equates to there being 123 available jobs for every 100 people seeking them. The labor ministry also said that new hires saw a spike during the Golden Week string of national holidays through early May, especially in the accommodation and food service sectors. In April, the total number of unemployed people dropped by 30,000 from a month earlier to 1.8 million people, the ministry said. This marked the third straight month of decline, the statistics bureau said. Of these, 730,000 people left their jobs of their own volition, an increase of 60,000 people, while 430,000 people were laid off, a drop of 120,000 from a month earlier, the data showed. The number of new job seekers was unchanged from March at 460,000 people, the ministry's data also showed. China's cabinet announced a package of 33 measures covering fiscal, financial, investment and industrial policies on Tuesday to revive its pandemic-ravaged economy, adding it will inspect how provincial governments implement them. The stimulus package, which was flagged by China's State Council in a routine meeting last week, underscores Beijing's shift toward growth, after COVID-19 control measures pounded the economy and threaten Beijing's 5.5% growth target for the year. To revive investment and consumption, the government ordered localities not to expand curbs on auto purchases and said those which already have curbs in place should gradually increase their quotas on car ownership. The Ministry of Finance also said on Tuesday that it would halve the purchase tax for small-engined cars. will promote healthy development of platform companies, which are expected to play a role in stabilising jobs, the State Council said. Platform companies are also encouraged to make breakthroughs in areas including cloud computing, artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies, the State Council said, the latest sign that is easing a crackdown on e-commerce platforms and tech giants. will also expand private investment, accelerate infrastructure construction and stimulate purchases of cars and home appliances to stabilise investments, according to the measures. CAPITAL MARKETS In terms of monetary and financial policies, China will boost financing efficiency via capital markets, by supporting domestic firms to list in Hong Kong, and promote offshore listings by qualified platform companies. The State Council also vowed to further reduce real borrowing costs, and strengthen financial support for infrastructure and major projects. In an apparent answer to the calls, the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges published rules on Tuesday to allow listed real estate investment trusts (REITs) to raise fresh money to fund acquisition of infrastructure projects. Beijing sees REITs as a tool to expand funding for infrastructure investments and rental apartments. To enhance fiscal support to the economy, China will accelerate local government special bond issuance and cash support for firms that hire college graduates, according to the State Council measures. Authorities will also provide tax credit rebates to more sectors and allow firms in industries hit hard by COVID-19 curbs to defer social security payments, the State Council said. Other measures include policies to ensure energy and food security, and stabilise supply chains. (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 on Tuesday insisted that it is still India's biggest trade partner in 2021-22 as per its figures and attributed the "disparity" to different methods of calculating the trade volume by New Delhi and Beijing while referring to reports that the US has unseated it to take the top slot. "According to the statistics of Chinese competent authorities, bilateral trade volume between China and India stood at USD 125.66 billion in 2021," Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing when asked about reports of the US overtaking China to become the largest trade partner of India in 2021-22. "China remains the largest trade partner of India and for the first time the bilateral trade exceeded USD 100 billion in 2021," Zhao said. "The disparity in trade figures published by China and India is a result of different statistical measurement scales," he said. China follows the financial year from January to December, while India calculates the same from April to March every year. At the same time, Zhao said, "China does not object to the development of normal trade relations between India and the US, and is not that interested in the changes of the ranking in trade volume", playing down the US, which is fast improving its relations with India with strategic tie-ups like Quad, (US, India, Japan, Australia) alliance unseating it from the top slot. China has remained a dominant trade partner of India for a long despite the widespread concerns over the ballooning trade deficit every year. Zhao declined to go into issues of trade barriers and other constraints being mentioned by Indian businesses, saying the details should be obtained from the Chinese Commerce Ministry. For years India has been insisting that China should open its for India's IT and Pharmaceuticals, the country's main strengths of exports but Beijing is yet to oblige. The trade deficit with China rose to USD 72.91 billion in 2021-22 from USD 44 billion in the previous fiscal year as per Indian figures whereas the US is one of the few countries with which India had a trade surplus amounting to USD 32.8 billion last year. As per the Indian data, China was India's top trading partner from 2013-14 till 2017-18 and also in 2020-21. Before China, the UAE was the country's largest trading partner. "What we care about is whether the Indian side has the will and takes real actions to create a fair, transparent, sustainable and sound environment for bilateral trade and investment, further expand mutually-beneficial cooperation between the two sides and deliver tangible benefits to the two countries and two peoples," Zhao said. Asked whether the Ladakh standoff which cast a shadow on the bilateral ties for over two years is also impacting the trade ties between the two countries, he said, "At present, the border situation is stable in general. The two sides have been maintaining close communication through diplomatic and military channels." On Tuesday, senior diplomats of the two countries exchanged views on the current situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector in eastern Ladakh. The two sides also agreed to hold the next (16th) round of the Senior Commanders meeting at an early date to achieve the objective of complete disengagement from all friction points along the LAC in the Western Sector in accordance with the existing bilateral agreements and protocols. Zhao reiterated China's oft-repeated stand that Beijing believes that the boundary issue is not the whole of India-China relations. "China always believes that the boundary question doesn't represent the whole of China-India relations and we should put it in an appropriate position in bilateral relations and under effective control and management. We hope India will work with China to continuously enhance mutual trust, strengthen practical cooperation, and ensure that the bilateral relations will move forward along the right track, deliver more benefits to the two peoples and make greater contributions to the region and beyond," he said. Indian media reports on Sunday said the US surpassed China to become India's top trading partner in 2021-22, reflecting strengthening economic ties between the two countries. According to the data of the Indian commerce ministry, in 2021-22, the bilateral trade between the US and India stood at USD 119.42 billion as against USD 80.51 billion in 2020-21. During 2021-22, India's two-way commerce with China aggregated at USD 115.42 billion as compared to USD 86.4 billion in 2020-21, the data showed. Trade gap rose to USD 72.91 billion in 2021-22 from USD 44 billion in the previous fiscal year. Trade experts believe that the trend of increasing bilateral trade with the US will continue in the coming years also as New Delhi and Washington are engaged in further strengthening the economic ties. To another question about reports of Indian investigations into the alleged violation of rules by Chinese phone makers ZTE and Vivo in addition to Xiaomi, Zhao said, "the Chinese government is closely following the situation." "The Chinese government always asks Chinese companies to abide by laws and regulations when doing business overseas. In the meantime, we firmly support Chinese companies in safeguarding their legal rights and interests," he said. "The Indian side should act in accordance with laws and regulations and provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies operating in India," he said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) on Tuesday once again criticised US President Joe Biden, saying that he will vote for the Republican Party in midterm elections in November as Democrats are attacking him and his companies from all sides. Earlier this month, he publicly revealed for the first time on Twitter that he will now vote for Republicans, as conservatives returned to the micro-blogging platform after his $44 billion takeover. "I support free speech, but not any one candidate. In fact, I gave money to & voted for Hillary & then voted for Biden. However, given unprovoked attacks by leading Democrats against me & a very cold shoulder to & SpaceX, I intend to vote Republican in November," Musk said in a latest tweet. Musk has said that the political attacks on him will escalate dramatically in the coming months. "I'm just talking about the midterm elections in November. Not sure that there is a third party candidate. It's rather hard to support a party when prominent members of that party keep attacking me and sidelining & SpaceX!," Musk added. Biden for the first time publicly acknowledged Musk-run Tesla's contribution to the world of electric vehicles (EVs) in February this year, saying that the country is building a reliable national public charging network to counter Chinese challenge in the EV market. Biden's acknowledgement came after CEO Musk repeatedly complained on Twitter about being ignored by his administration. "From iconic companies like GM and Ford building out new electric vehicle production to Tesla, our nation's largest electric vehicle manufacturer, to innovative younger companies, manufacturing is coming back to America after decades," the US president said. In January, Musk said that Biden "is treating the American public like fools" after Biden met with executives from rival car companies General Motors and Ford Motor. Musk also tweeted that "Biden is a damp (sock) puppet in human form" and "Starts with a T, Ends with an A, ESL in the middle." Accounts of conservatives have seen a sudden influx in the number of followers, while liberals have lost out on followers after news broke that the tech billionaire bought Twitter in a $44 billion deal, which he has put on hold over the presence of fake accounts. --IANS na/dpb (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India and China on Tuesday agreed to hold the next round of the Senior Commanders meeting at an early date to achieve complete disengagement from all friction points in eastern to create conditions for the restoration of normalcy in bilateral ties. The two sides reviewed the situation in eastern at a meeting held under the framework of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China border affairs. "The two sides exchanged views on the current situation along the LAC in the Western Sector in Eastern Ladakh," the external affairs ministry said in a statement. "They agreed that as instructed by the two foreign ministers, both sides should continue the discussions through diplomatic and military channels to resolve the remaining issues along the LAC at the earliest to create conditions for the restoration of normalcy in bilateral relations," the MEA said. It further said the two sides "agreed to hold the next (16th) round of the Senior Commanders meeting at an early date to achieve the objective of complete disengagement from all friction points along the LAC in the Western Sector in accordance with the existing bilateral agreements and protocols." The eastern is officially referred to as Western Sector. (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 China on Tuesday agreed to hold the next round of the Senior Commanders' meeting at an early date to achieve complete disengagement from all friction points in eastern to create conditions for the restoration of normalcy in bilateral ties. It was the only decision taken at a meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on the India-China Border Affairs as there was no concrete forward movement in resolving the lingering border standoff in eastern which is in its third year. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the two sides reviewed the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector of India-China border areas and agreed to hold the next round of the Senior Commanders' meeting "at an early date". The eastern region is officially referred to as the Western Sector. The previous meeting under the framework of the WMCC had taken place in November while the 15th round of military dialogue was held on March 11 this year. "The two sides exchanged views on the current situation along the LAC in the Western Sector in Eastern Ladakh," the MEA said. "They agreed that as instructed by the two foreign ministers, both sides should continue the discussions through diplomatic and military channels to resolve the remaining issues along the LAC at the earliest so as to create conditions for the restoration of normalcy in bilateral relations," it said. "In this context, they agreed to hold the next (16th) round of the Senior Commanders meeting at an early date to achieve the objective of complete disengagement from all friction points along the LAC in the Western Sector in accordance with the existing bilateral agreements and protocols," the MEA added. It said it was recalled in the talks that since the last meeting of WMCC in November both sides held the 14th and 15th rounds of the Senior Commanders' meeting in January and March respectively. The statement by the MEA also referred to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to India in March during which he held discussions with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. The Indian delegation at the talks was led by the Additional Secretary (East Asia) in the MEA while the Chinese team side was headed by the Director-General of the Boundary and Oceanic Department of the Chinese Foreign Ministry. On May 9, Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande said China's intention has been to keep "alive" the overall boundary question with India though it remains the "basic" issue between the two countries. He said that the Indian Army's aim was to restore the status quo ante prior to April 2020 in eastern Ladakh. As a result of the military 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. India has been consistently maintaining that peace and tranquillity along the LAC were key for the overall development of the bilateral ties. Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the sensitive sector. (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.) Turkish President Recep has discussed Ankara's planned military operation in northern Syria and the war in Ukraine with Russia's Vladimir Putin, Erdogan's office said Monday. In recent days Erdogan has said will launch a cross-border incursion against Kurdish militants in Syria to create a 30-kilometer (19-mile) deep buffer zone. He told Putin in a phone call that the frontier zone was agreed in 2019 but had not been implemented, the Turkish presidency said. Ankara carried out an operation against the People's Protection Units, or YPG, in October 2019. Russia, the Syrian regime and the United States also have troops in the border region. consider the YPG to be a terrorist group linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, that has waged an insurgency against since 1984, leading to the deaths of tens of thousands of people. However, the YPG forms the backbone of US-led forces in the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria. The US has not been happy with Turkey's previous incursions into Syria. Erdogan also told Putin that Turkey was ready to resume a role in ending the war in Ukraine, including taking part in a possible observation mechanism between Ukraine, and the United Nations, the statement said. Negotiations in Istanbul held in March failed to make any headway but Turkey, which has close ties to both Kyiv and Moscow, has repeatedly put itself forward as a possible mediator. The Turkish president also called for peace in Ukraine as soon as possible and for confidence-building steps to be taken. In Washington, the National Security Council said National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan had called Ibrahim Kalin, chief adviser to Erdogan, to discuss the two nations' support for Ukraine, but also to voice caution about actions in Syria. Sullivan reiterated the importance of refraining from escalation in Syria to preserve existing ceasefire lines and avoid any further destabilization, said Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the National Security Council. (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.) Turkish President Recep told his Ukrainian counterpart that Turkey attaches importance to the project of creating a safe corridor for the export of Ukraine's agricultural products by sea, Erdogan's office said in a statement. The two leaders on Monday also discussed the recent developments in the Ukrainian crisis, according to the statement. The Turkish President said Turkey had made every effort to continue the negotiations between Ukraine and Russia and his country was ready to provide the needed support, including mediation, Xinhua news agency reported. In principle, Ankara has a positive view of participating in the "Control Center" to be established between Moscow, Kiev and the UN and hosting its headquarters in Istanbul, Erdogan told Zelensky. Earlier on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Erdogan had a phone conversation. The two leaders addressed maritime security in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, and the removal of the threat of mines in these waters, the Kremlin said. Putin said Russia was ready to "facilitate the unhindered sea transit of goods" in coordination with the Turkish side, adding this also applies to grain from Ukrainian ports. Given the current challenges in the global food market, Russia would be able to export the necessary volumes of fertilisers and agricultural products if Western sanctions were lifted, the Kremlin noted. According to a statement issued by the Turkish presidential office, Erdogan and Putin discussed Turkey's security concerns for Syria and the Ukrainian crisis, as well as Turkey-Russia relations. Erdogan told Putin that Turkey was ready for meeting with Russia, Ukraine, and the UN in Istanbul and to play a role in a possible observation mechanism if both sides agree on principle, the statement said. --IANS int/khz/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) leaders reached a compromise Monday to impose a partial oil embargo on Russia at a summit focused on helping Ukraine with a long-delayed package of sanctions that was blocked by Hungary. The watered-down embargo covers only Russian oil brought in by sea, allowing a temporary exemption for imports delivered by pipeline. EU Council President Charles Michel said on Twitter the agreement covers more than two-thirds of oil imports from Russia, "cutting a huge source of financing for its war machine. Maximum pressure on Russia to end the war. The EU had already imposed five previous rounds of sanctions on Russia over its war. It has targeted more than 1,000 people, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and top government officials, as well as pro-Kremlin oligarchs, banks, the coal sector and more. But the sixth package of measures announced May 4 had been held up by concerns over oil supplies. Hungary Prime minister Viktor Orban had made clear he could support the new sanctions only if his country's oil supply security was guaranteed. The landlocked country gets more than 60% of its oil from Russia and depends on crude that comes through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. (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.) (EU) leaders gathered in Brussels for a special meeting that is likely to be overshadowed by disagreement on phasing out imports of Russian oil, which is blocking. The EU leaders held a meeting on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported. The Russian oil ban is expected to intensify pressure on Moscow to end its military operation in Ukraine. However, Hungary, which imports 65 per cent of its oil from Russia through the Druzhba pipeline, has asked for an exception from the ban along with Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban warned on Monday that the prospects of the ban being approved are "not looking good". Orban said he had seen a revised proposal for the ban, but there was still no agreement on this. While welcoming a decision to exempt pipeline oil, the Prime Minister insisted that guarantees were required that his country's supply of Russian oil would be protected if something happened to the pipeline -- which passes through Ukraine to . He added that there was no clear compromise on this issue, blaming the "difficult position" on the "irresponsible behaviour" of the European Commission (EC). A sixth package of sanctions against Russia was proposed by the EC on May 4. These include a complete import ban on all Russian oil, seaborne and pipeline, crude and refined. However, EU Foreign Ministers failed to reach an agreement on the sanctions on May 16, due to Hungary's opposition. "The Commission and the French Presidency have been working intensively in the last days to move forward on this package... we're not there yet," EC President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters as she arrived at the summit. --IANS int/khz/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) German prosecutors raided asset manager DWS and the headquarters of its majority owner on Tuesday over allegations of misleading investors about "green" investments, the prosecutors said. DWS and said the asset manager had cooperated with regulators and authorities in the past and would continue to do so. DWS repeated its denial that it had misled investors. The prosecutors said they were following up on news reports and a whistleblower's allegations that DWS sold investments as "greener" or "more sustainable" than they were, a practice known as "greenwashing". The German prosecutors said "sufficient factual evidence has emerged" that environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors were taken into account in a minority of investments "but were not taken into account at all in a large number of investments", contrary to statements in DWS fund sales prospectuses. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and German financial watchdog BaFin last year launched separate investigations into allegations made by DWS' former head of sustainability that the company was overstating how it used sustainable investing criteria to manage investments. The German prosecutors' statement was the first time that they have said publicly they were involved in the investigation. DWS said it would work "with any authorised bodies to clarify any and all queries they may have". "We understand a variety of actions are required to ensure a thorough and complete investigative process," DWS said. Regulators and policymakers have pledged to clamp down on making exaggerated claims about the sustainability credentials of their products as they try to cash in on booming demand for ESG investing. Enforcement action has been minimal so far, although watchdogs are beginning to tighten the screws. Last week, the SEC said BNY Mellon Investment Adviser had paid $1.5 million to resolve charges it misstated ESG investment policies for some mutual funds it managed. The SEC has proposed a pair of rule changes aimed at stamping out unfounded ESG fund claims, while the European Union's markets watchdog is working on a legal definition of "greenwashing" to underpin enforcement action. Fund managers have amassed billions of dollars of assets that are meant to have an environmental or social profile, prompting more scrutiny over how firms define and apply ESG standards. Monitoring of ESG claims extends across the financial industry. The Financial Times reported last month that HSBC was facing scrutiny from the UK advertising watchdog over ads promoting green initiatives. There were about 50 people involved in Tuesday's raid on DWS, including officials from BaFin and federal police, prosecutors said. The bar for successfully prosecuting corporate wrongdoing is high in Germany, although prosecutors regularly open inquiries. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) PHNOM PENH, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said on Tuesday that the right to survival is the most fundamental right for children during the COVID-19 pandemic. To safeguard their lives, COVID-19 vaccination was the best choice, he said in a message to mark the International Children's Day on June 1. "Cambodia has been implementing the first and most important right for children -- it's the right to life through providing them, aged three years old and above, with COVID-19 vaccine," Hun Sen said. He also recalled that during the pandemic, the government had provided cash assistance to more than 600,000 children in poor families across the southeast Asian nation. Cambodia has so far administered COVID-19 vaccines to over 15 million people, or 94 percent of its total population of 16 million, the Health Ministry said, adding that of them, 4.72 million, or 29.5 percent, are children aged from three to below 18 years old. China's Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines have been widely used in the kingdom's immunization program, and Sinovac is the only vaccine used to inoculate children. Buoyed by its high vaccination rates, Cambodia has resumed all socioeconomic activities and reopened its borders to fully vaccinated travelers without quarantine since last November. According to the ministry, Cambodia has reported no new cases of COVID-19 for the last 24 days, and only four active cases remain in the kingdom. Refiners worldwide are struggling to meet global demand for diesel and gasoline, exacerbating high prices and aggravating shortages from big consumers like the United States and Brazil to smaller countries like war-ravaged Ukraine and Sri Lanka. World fuel demand has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, but the combination of pandemic closures, sanctions on Russia and export quotas in China are straining refiners' ability to meet demand. China and Russia are two of the three biggest refining countries, after the United States. All three are below peak processing levels, undermining the effort by world governments to lower prices by releasing crude oil from reserves. Two years ago, margins for making fuel were in the dumps due to the pandemic, leading to multiple closures. Now, the situation has reversed, and the strain could persist for the next couple of years, keeping prices elevated. "When the coronavirus pandemic occurred, demand for global oil was not expected to fall for a long time, and yet so much refining capacity was cut permanently," said Ravi Ramdas, managing director of energy consultancy Peninsula Energy. Global refining capacity fell in 2021 by 730,000 barrels a day, the first decline in 30 years, according to the Energy Agency. The number of barrels processed daily slumped to 78 million bpd in April, lowest since May 2021, far below the pre-pandemic average of 82.1 million bpd. Fuel stocks have fallen for seven straight quarters. So while the price of crude oil is up 51% this year, U.S. heating oil futures are up 71%, and European gasoline refining margins recently hit a record at $40 a barrel. STRUCTURALLY SHORT The United States, according to independent analyst Paul Sankey, is "structurally short" on refining capacity for the first time in decades. U.S. capacity is down nearly 1 million barrels from before the pandemic to 17.9 million bpd as of February, the latest federal data available. LyondellBasell recently said it would shut its Houston plant that could process more than 280,000 bpd, citing the high cost of maintenance. Operating U.S. refiners are running full-tilt to meet demand, especially for exports, which have surged to more than 6 million bpd, a record. Capacity use currently exceeds 92%, highest seasonally since 2017. "It's hard to see that refinery utilization can increase much," said Gary Simmons, Valero chief commercial officer. "We've been at this 93% utilization; generally, you can't sustain it for long periods of time." The U.S. ban on Russian imports has left refiners in the northeast United States short of feedstocks needed to make fuel. Phillips 66 has been running its 150,000-bpd catalytic cracker at its New Jersey refinery at reduced rates because it cannot source low-sulfur vacuum gasoil, according to two sources familiar with the matter. RUSSIA CAPACITY IDLED, CHINA RESTRICTING EXPORTS Russia has idled about 30% of its refining capacity due to sanctions, according to Reuters estimates. Outages are currently about 1.5 million bpd, and 1.3 million bpd will likely stay offline through the end of 2022, J.P. Morgan analysts said. China, the second-largest refiner worldwide, has added several million barrels of capacity in the last decade, but in recent months has cut production due to COVID-19 restrictions and capped exports to curb refining activity as part of an effort to cut carbon emissions. China's throughput dropped to 13.1 million bpd in April, the IEA said, down from 14.2 million bpd in 2021. Other countries are also not adding to supply. Eneos Holdings, Japan's largest refiner, does not plan to reopen recently closed refineries, a spokesperson told Reuters. Some new projects worldwide have been hit by delays. A 650,000-bpd refinery in Lagos was supposed to open by the end of 2022 but is now delayed until the end of 2023. A source with direct knowledge said the refinery has not yet hired a company to do commissioning work which will take several months. There have been some restarts. French major TotalEnergies began the process of restarting the 231,000 bpd Donges refinery in April after shutting in December 2020, while a 300,000-bpd complex in Malaysia restarted earlier this month. SUPPLY CRUNCH Diesel users have been squeezed, particularly in agriculture. Ukrainian farmers are short, as supply from Russia and Belarus has been cut off due to the war. Sri Lanka, which is in the midst of a fuel crisis, shut its only refinery in 2021 because it lacked sufficient foreign exchange reserves to buy imported crude. It is looking to reopen that facility because fuels are even more expensive. Brazil's state-owned Petrobras told the government that importers may be unable to secure U.S. diesel for tractors and other farm equipment to harvest crops in one of the world's biggest agricultural producers. "If refineries in the U.S. get damaged during hurricane season, or anything else contributes to the market's tightness, we could be in real trouble," said a Brazilian refining executive. (Reporting by Laura Sanicola; additional reporting by Florence Tan in Singapore, Ron Bousso in London, Yuka Obayashi in Tokyo, Sabrina Valle in Houston, Julia Payne in Lagos, and Uditha Jayasinghe in Colombo, Sri Lanka; Editing by David Gregorio) (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.) PML-N Vice President claimed on Tuesday that former Pakistan Prime Minister is "more dangerous than terrorists", as she slammed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's recent riots in Islamabad, media reports said. In her address at an event on Tuesday, the PML-N Vice President said: " is a gang leader... his political campaign is more dangerous than terrorism," Geo News reported. said Khan had admitted in a recent interview that his party workers were armed, whereas in her rallies, "not a single person carries weapons". The PML-N leader asked Khan to remove the "political veil" from his face if he wants to continue committing terrorism in Pakistan, as once the authorities see his real face, he would be dealt with like "terrorists". " has put up a political facade and is involved in armed terrorism under its guise [...] and he knows that once November passes, his conspiracy will fail," she said, Geo News reported. The PML-N leader added that the ousted premier was not waging jihad, but 'fasad', and the government would do everything in its power to stop this 'fasad'. "What difference is there between Khan and terrorists? Even terrorists attack Pakistan with weapons. Moreover, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister has also hinted at a clash between his province and the federation," she said. added that since Khan has been removed from the prime minister's office, he has set fires across the country. "These are only the goals of a terrorist," she said. --IANS san/arm (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Power-hungry, fossil-fuel dependent has successfully tested a system that could provide a constant, steady form of renewable energy, regardless of the wind or the sun. For more than a decade, Japanese heavy machinery maker IHI Corp. has been developing a subsea turbine that harnesses the energy in deep ocean currents and converts it into a steady and reliable source of . The giant machine resembles an airplane, with two counter-rotating turbine fans in place of jets, and a central fuselage housing a buoyancy adjustment system. Called Kairyu, the 330-ton prototype is designed to be anchored to the sea floor at a depth of 30-50 meters (100-160 feet). In commercial production, the plan is to site the turbines in the Kuroshio Current, one of the worlds strongest, which runs along Japans eastern coast, and transmit the power via seabed cables. Ocean currents have an advantage in terms of their accessibility in Japan, said Ken Takagi, a professor of ocean technology policy at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Frontier Sciences. Wind power is more geographically suited to Europe, which is exposed to predominant westerly winds and is located at higher latitudes. Japans New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) estimates the Kuroshio Current could potentially generate as much as 200 gigawatts about 60% of Japans present generating capacity. Like other nations, the lions share of investment in renewables has gone into wind and solar, especially after the Fukushima nuclear disaster curbed that nations appetite for atomic energy. is already the worlds third largest generator of solar power and is investing heavily in offshore wind, but harnessing ocean currents could provide the reliable baseline power needed to reduce the need for energy storage or fossil fuels. Also Read: Adani Power spurts on signing MoU with IHI Corporation and Kowa Company The advantage of ocean currents is their stability. They flow with little fluctuation in speed and direction, giving them a capacity factor a measure of how often the system is generating of 50-70%, compared with around 29% for onshore wind and 15% for solar. In February, IHI completed a 3 year-long demonstration study of the technology with NEDO. Its team tested the system in the waters around the Tokara Islands in southwestern by hanging Kairyu from a vessel and sending power back to the ship. It first drove the ship to artificially generate a current, and then suspended the turbines in the Kuroshio. The tests proved the prototype could generate the expected 100 kilowatts of stable power and the company now plans to scale up to a full 2 megawatt system that could be in commercial operation in the 2030s or later. Like other advanced maritime nations, Japan is exploring various ways of harnessing energy from the sea, including tidal and wave power and ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), which exploits the difference in temperature between the surface and the deep ocean. Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd. has invested in UK-based Bombora Wave Power to explore the potential for the technology in Japan and Europe. The company is also promoting OTEC and began operating a 100 kW demonstration facility in Okinawa in April, according to Yasuo Suzuki, general manager of the corporate marketing division. Kyushu Electrics renewable unit Kyuden Mirai Energy begins a 650 million yen ($5.1 million) feasibility test this year to produce 1 MW of tidal power around the Goto Islands in the East China Sea. The government this month also proposed changes to offshore wind auctions that could speed up development. Among marine-energy technologies, the one advancing fastest towards cost-effectiveness is tidal stream, where the technology has advanced quite a long way and it definitely works, said Angus McCrone, a former BloombergNEF chief editor and marine energy analyst. Scotland-based Orbital Marine Power is one of several companies constructing tidal systems around Orkney, location of the European Marine Energy Centre. Others include SIMEC Atlantis Energys MeyGen array and California-based Aquantis, founded by US wind pioneer James Dehlsen, which reportedly plans to start testing a tidal system there next year. While tidal flows dont run 24 hours, they tend to be stronger than deep ocean currents. The Kuroshio current flows at 1 to 1.5 meters per second, compared with 3 meters per second for some tidal systems. The biggest issue for ocean current turbines is whether they could produce a device that would generate power economically out of currents that are not particularly strong, said McCrone. Ocean Energy Systems, an intergovernmental collaboration established by the Energy Agency, sees the potential to deploy more than 300 gigawatts of ocean energy globally by 2050. But the potential for ocean energy is location dependent, taking into account the strength of currents, access to grids or markets, maintenance costs, shipping, marine life and other factors. In Japan, wave energy is moderate and unstable through the year, while areas with strong tidal currents tend to have heavy shipping traffic, Takagi said. And OTEC is better suited to tropical regions where the temperature gradient is bigger. One of the advantages of the deep ocean current is it doesnt restrict navigation of ships, IHI said. Still, the Japanese company has a long way to go. Compared with onshore facilities, its much more complicated to install a system underwater. Unlike Europe, which has a long history of the North Sea Oil exploration, Japan has had little experience with offshore construction, said Takagi. There are major engineering challenges to build a system robust enough to withstand the hostile conditions of a deep ocean current and to reduce maintenance costs. Japan isnt blessed with a lot of alternative energy sources, he said. People may say that this is just a dream, but we need to try everything to achieve zero carbon. With the cost of wind and solar power and battery storage declining, IHI will also need to demonstrate that overall project costs for ocean current power are competitive. IHI aims to generate power at 20 yen per kilowatt-hour from large-scale deployment. That compares with about 17 yen for solar in the country and about 12-16 yen for offshore wind. IHI also said it conducted an environmental assessment before it launched the project and will use the test results to examine any impact on the marine environment and fishing industry. If successful at scale, deep ocean currents could add a vital part in providing green baseline power in the global effort to phase out fossil fuels. IHIs work could help Japans engineering take a leading role with government support, said McCrone. IHI has to make a convincing argument that Japan could benefit from being a technology leader in this area, he said. Prime Minister spoke to Pakistan's Prime Minister on Monday and discussed a range of issues including trade, the human rights situation in Afghanistan and the Ukraine conflict. "The Prime Minister spoke to Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, today following his recent election. Welcoming the United Kingdom and Pakistan's strong partnership over the past 75 years, the Prime Minister said the relationship is incarnated in the close ties between our people," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement. In a phone conversation, they agreed to strengthen those ties further and boost trade and investment, with the Prime Minister highlighting the appointment of a new Trade Envoy to to drive those efforts. Both Prime Ministers discussed the ongoing situation in Ukraine and other matters of mutual interest. "On affairs, Sharif recognised the UK's efforts to address the crisis in Ukraine, and the leaders agreed on the importance of ending the immense human suffering and global economic instability caused by the invasion," Downing Street said. Johnson thanked for their help in relocating Afghans to the UK after the Taliban takeover of Kabul. "The leaders welcomed ongoing cooperation and committed to work together to support a more peaceful and tolerant Afghanistan, noting the importance of ensuring girls can go to school," the UK PMO said. The PM passed on his congratulations on Her Majesty the Queen's upcoming Platinum Jubilee, and the leaders looked forward to meeting in person in the near future. According to Pakistani media, Shehbaz also invited Johnson to visit Pakistan on mutually convenient dates. The two leaders agreed to remain in close contact. (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.) Pacific Investment Management Co.s largest fund increased its exposure to Russian default swaps in the run-up to the countrys invasion of Ukraine by selling more than $100 million of protection to banks including Barclays Plc and JPMorgan & Chase Co. Pimcos Income Fund already had almost $1 billion of bets on via credit-default swaps coming into the year, and added a net $106 million to that in the first quarter of 2022, according to fund documents filed this month with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The bulk of the new swaps were sold in January, with some added in February before the war began, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. The exposure leaves Pimco as one of the biggest players in this weeks drama over whether Russias credit default swaps will pay out a question that has been top of mind for many debt investors since the invasion of Ukraine in February. Pimco is part of a panel of dealers and investors thats set to meet Tuesday to decide whether the swaps should be triggered by Russias failure to include $1.9 million in extra interest on a payment made earlier this month. controls half of Severodonetsk Russian forces control half of the east Ukraine city of Severodonetsk, a Ukrainian military official said Tuesday, as Moscow's army continued an unrelenting push deeper into the Donbas region. "Unfortunately, the front line divides the city in half. But the city is still defending itself, the city is still Ukrainian, our soldiers are defending it," said Oleksandr Stryuk, head of the city's military and civil administration. Two Russian soldiers jailed A Ukrainian court sentenced two captured Russian soldiers to 11 and a half years in jail on Tuesday for shelling a town in eastern Ukraine, the second war crimes verdict. Alexander Bobikin and Alexander Ivanov, who listened to the verdict standing in a reinforced glass box at the Kotelevska district court in central Ukraine, both pleaded guilty last week. Russia has lost the Ukraine war as it would not have achieved any rational objective by the end of it and had made a "wrong bet" on Moscow, former foreign secretary said on Monday. During a discussion after the launch of his new book "How Sees India and The World", Saran said the Chinese perception and also that of the Russians was that "this is our moment". "Making that bet with the Russians, that is the bet which I believe has gone wrong (for China). Many people said you should not predict a Russian defeat, I am not predicting a Russian defeat but it is my genuine judgment that Russia has lost this war," he said. "Why has Russia lost this war, because if it is going to leave Ukraine in a complete rubble, what has that done for Russia. Secondly, if the idea was to prevent further expansion of NATO nearer Russian borders, has not already the opposite been achieved. Sweden and Finland were on the threshold of joining NATO," Saran said. What could be a rational objective that has been achieved, he asked. The bet has made on Russia and on what the new world order would look like has gone wrong, he said. In the book launched by former vice president Hamid Ansari, Saran writes an account of the India-China relationship and how China perceives our country. Saran questions, among other things, the Chinese claim that it was the most important and influential civilisation of the ancient world, arguing that it was India who played that role. (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.) Russian troops pushed farther into a key eastern Ukrainian city and fought street by street with Kyiv's forces Monday in a battle the mayor said has left the city in ruins and driven tens of thousands of people from their homes. Military analysts painted the fight for Sievierodonetsk as part of a race against time for the Kremlin. The city is key to Russian efforts to complete the capture of the eastern industrial region of the Donbas quickly before more Western arms arrive to bolster Ukraine's defense. Weapons from the West have already helped Kyiv's forces thwart a Russian advance on the capital in the early weeks of the war. That failure forced to withdraw, regroup, and pursue the more limited objective of seizing the Donbas, where Moscow-backed separatists already held swaths of territory and have been fighting Ukrainian troops for eight years. The Kremlin has reckoned that it can't afford to waste time and should use the last chance to extend the separatist-controlled territory because the arrival of Western weapons in could make it impossible," Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said. But in a potential setback for Ukraine, President Joe Biden appeared to dismiss reports that the US was considering sending long-range rocket systems to the country. In addition to pleading for weapons from allies, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also repeatedly insisted that European countries and must punish for its aggression, with sanctions and embargos on Moscow's lucrative energy sector. In a video address Monday to European Union leaders, Zelenskyy asked the 27 nations of the bloc to target Russian oil exports, so feels the price for what it is doing against . The leaders are considering an embargo on Russian oil but struggling to find consensus. has also sought to use its energy exports to its advantage, cutting off natural gas to a handful of European countries in what was seen as an effort to punish and divide the West over its support for . In its latest move, Russian state gas giant Gazrpom said it will halt gas supplies to Dutch gas trader GasTerra starting Tuesday. The Russian military's focus on Sievierodonetsk has already left the city "completely ruined," Mayor Oleksandr Striuk said. Artillery barrages have destroyed critical infrastructure and damaged 90% of the buildings, and power and communications have been largely cut to a city that was once home to 100,000 people. The number of victims is rising every hour, but we are unable to count the dead and the wounded amid the street fighting, Striuk told The Associated Press in a phone interview, adding that Moscow's troops advanced a few more blocks toward the city center. He said that only about 12,000 to 13,000 residents remain, sheltering in basements and bunkers to escape the Russian bombardment a situation that recalls the siege of Mariupol that trapped residents and led to some of the worst suffering of the war. Striuk estimated that 1,500 civilians have died in his city since the war began, from Russian attacks as well as from the dire conditions, including a lack of medicine or medical treatment. More than 20,000 are feared dead in Mariupol. A 32-year-old French journalist, Frdric Leclerc-Imhoff, died Monday near Sievierodonetsk when he was hit by shrapnel from shelling while covering Ukrainians evacuating the area, according to his employer, French broadcaster BFM TV. Beyond long sieges of cities, Russia's troops have also been accused of carrying out targeted killings and other atrocities in areas they briefly held around Kyiv early in the war. On Monday, prosecutors submitted the first rape case of the war to a court the last step before a trial begins. The 31-year-old Russian soldier, who is accused of killing a man and raping his wife in Bohdanivka, a village northeast of Kyiv, will be tried in absentia, officials said. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military said Russian forces reinforced their positions on the northeastern and southeastern outskirts of Sievierodonetsk, 145 kilometers (90 miles) south of the Russian border in an area that is the last pocket of Ukrainian government control in Luhansk. Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai said the Russians were also pushing toward nearby Lysychansk. In addition to the journalist, two civilians were killed in the latest Russian shelling, he said. Three civilians were also killed Monday in the Donetsk region, which together with Luhansk makes up the Donbas, the governor said. Authorities in Kharkiv reported one dead in the latest shelling of Ukraine's second-largest city. The Russian advance in Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk on either side of the strategically important Siverskiy Donetsk River is part of an all-out push, Zhdanov said. The intensity of the latest fighting and the fact that has poured troops in from their far east have come as a surprise to the Ukrainians, who are trying to hold out until more weapons can arrive, Zhdanov said. On Monday, Biden told reporters that there are no plans for the U.S. to send long-range rocket systems to Ukraine, amid reports that the move is being considered. Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia's Security Council, said that was a reasonable decision. He said that otherwise, if our cities come under attack, the Russian armed forces would fulfill their threat and strike the centers where such criminal decisions are made. Medvedev added that some of them aren't in Kyiv. Russian pressure also continued in the south on Monday. Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said an artillery strike on a shipyard in the southern port of Mykolaiv destroyed Ukrainian armored vehicles parked there. In the Kherson region, the Russia-installed deputy head of the regional administration, Kirill Stremousov, told Russia's Tass state news agency that grain from last year's harvest is being delivered to Russian buyers, adding that obviously there is a lot of grain here. Ukraine has accused Russia of looting grain from territories its forces hold, and the U.S. has alleged is jeopardizing global food supplies by preventing Ukraine from exporting its harvest. Russia, meanwhile, has pressed the West to lift sanctions against it as it seeks to shift the blame for the growing food crisis which has led to skyrocketing prices in Africa. Zelenskyy urged France not to succumb to such blackmail as the Ukrainian president met Monday with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna. (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 Tunisian government has proposed urgent measures to cut the public sector pay in a bid to unlock a loan from the Monetary Fund (IMF), the Tunis Afrique Presse reported. The measures included limiting the percentage of job promotions, freezing vacant positions, and re-employing available human resources, according to a government statement released on Monday on the preparation of the state budget for 2023. Tunisia's public sector pay expenditures reached a record level of 15.6 per cent of the GDP in 2022, up from 10 per cent in 2010, leading to a limited budget capacity for public investment, Xinhua news agency reported. is seeking a $4 billion loan from the to avoid bankruptcy. To this end, the North African country is required to implement deep reforms, including freezing wages, cutting energy and food subsidies and privatising some state companies. --IANS int/khz/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) British Prime Minister has spoken to his Pakistani counterpart, Shehbaz Sharif, for the first time since the latter's election last month to discuss a range of topics, including bilateral trade and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Downing Street said the call between the leaders on Monday evening focussed on regional and affairs, including the role of a new UK Trade Envoy to Conservative member of Parliament Mark Eastwood appointed last year. Johnson also thanked for help in relocating Afghans to the UK after the takeover of Kabul. Welcoming the United Kingdom and Pakistan's strong partnership over the past 75 years, the Prime Minister said the relationship is incarnated in the close ties between our people, a Downing Street spokesperson said in a readout of the call. They agreed to strengthen those ties further and boost trade and investment, with the Prime Minister highlighting the appointment of a new UK Trade Envoy to to drive those efforts, the spokesperson said. The readout added: On affairs, Prime Minister Sharif recognised the UK's efforts to address the crisis in Ukraine, and the leaders agreed on the importance of ending the immense human suffering and global economic instability caused by the invasion. The Prime Minister thanked Pakistan for their help in relocating Afghans to the UK after the takeover of Kabul. The leaders welcomed ongoing cooperation and committed to work together to support a more peaceful and tolerant Afghanistan, noting the importance of ensuring girls can go to school. Sharif is said to have passed on his congratulations on Queen Elizabeth II's upcoming Platinum Jubilee celebrations this weekend. The leaders looked forward to meeting in person in the near future, Downing Street said. PML-N leader took office in April this year after a no-confidence motion against former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. (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 will disburse nearly $700 million to within the next few months, Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister announced. This pledge was made when the World Bank's Country Manager in Colombo, Chiyo Kanda spoke to Sri Lankan Foreign Affairs Minister, G.L. Peiris on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported. During the meeting, the Minister sought assistance from the until long-term assistance materialises through the Monetary Fund, other institutions and donor countries. The Minister said that short-term financial assistance from the would be appreciated until sustainable solutions are found. The World Bank Country Manager said that her office is also working with other organisations such as the Asian Development Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and the UN office, encouraging them to "re-purpose" their already committed projects to help the people of at this difficult time. is facing a severe foreign currency shortage which has created problems in importing essential items. --IANS int/khz/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) JAKARTA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- A recently evacuated Sumatran tiger has now been released into its wild forest habitat in the Kerinci Seblat National Park on Sumatra Island, Indonesia, the Jambi Natural Resources and Conservation Center (BKSDA) said on Tuesday. Head of Jambi BKSDA Rahmad Saleh said the translocation of the 8-10-year-old tiger to an area of 1.4 million hectares was carried out by a helicopter. "This release is to save and return the tiger to a safer habitat," said Saleh. The Jambi BKSDA evacuated the tiger trapped in a resident's plantation in Merangin Regency on April 21. The medical test concluded that the tiger was in healthy condition with a weight of 110 kg, body length of 217 cm with upper and lower fangs of 6.2 cm and 3.5 cm, respectively. Saleh added that intensive care for 40 days at the Jambi BKSDA Wildlife Rescue had made the tiger more ready to return to the wild. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies the Sumatran tiger as critically endangered, while the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) categorizes it on the list of wild flora and fauna species prohibited from trade. Ukrainian President met with visiting French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna to discuss support for Kiev, the presidential press service said. The leaders of the two countries met on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported. The parties talked about the assistance in armaments, strengthening sanctions on Russia and bringing Ukraine closer to European Union (EU) membership, according to a statement on the Ukrainian presidential website. During the talks, Zelensky thanked for the financial aid for Kiev and the assistance of the French government in the treatment of wounded Ukrainian servicemen. The Ukrainian leader added that Kiev is counting on France's support for Ukraine on its path toward getting to a candidate status for EU membership in June. Zelensky and Colonna also exchanged views on the ways to unblock Ukrainian ports to prevent the global food crisis, and they touched upon Ukraine's post-conflict recovery. The French Foreign Minister arrived in Ukraine earlier on Monday, becoming the highest-ranked French official to visit Kiev since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on February 24. Colonna also held talks with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, pledging to continue military assistance for Ukraine. --IANS int/khz/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ukraineian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the Russian blockade of Ukrainian sea ports prevents Kyiv from exporting 22 million tons of grain. In his nightly address Tuesday, Zelenskyy said the result is the threat of in countries dependent on the grain and could create a new migration crisis. He charges that this is something the Russian leadership clearly seeks. Zelenskyy accuses Moscow of deliberately creating this problem so that the whole of Europe struggles and so that Ukraine doesn't earn billions of dollars from its exports. He calls Russia's claims that sanctions don't allow it to more of its food cynical and a lie. OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: KYIV, Ukraine -- The Ukrainian president says a total of 32 media workers have been killed in Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address Mondaythat the number includes French journalist Frdric Leclerc-Imhoff. The French news broadcaster BFM TV says Leclerc-Imhoff was hit by shrapnel while covering a Ukrainian evacuation operation. In his talk, Zelenskyy said: A little more than a month ago I gave an interview to this very TV channel. It was my first interview to the French media during the full-fledged war. My sincere condolences to colleagues and family of Frdric." ___ Russian state gas giant Gazprom confirmed on Monday it will halt gas supplies to a Dutch gas trader starting Tuesday due to its refusal to pay for deliveries in rubles, a requirement to European nations Russian President Vladimir Putin put forward earlier this year. GasTerra, based in the northern Dutch city of Groningen, announced the shutoff Monday. It said the move means Gazprom will not deliver some 2 billion cubic meters of gas through Oct. 1, the date the supply contract ends. In its statement cited by the Russian state news agency Tass, Gazprom said that GasTerra has not paid for the gas supplied in April. The Dutch trader said it has bought gas from other providers in anticipation of a possible Gazprom shutoff and Dutch Climate and Energy Minister Rob Jetten said in a statement that the government understands the cutoff will have no effect on the physical delivery of gas to Dutch households. GasTerra is a private company that is owned by the Dutch arms of energy giants Shell and Esso and the Dutch government. ___ KYIV, Ukraine -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked France not to succumb to Russian blackmail over food supplies at a meeting with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna. Zelenskyy's office says in its summary of the Monday talks that Russia is using food security issues in an attempt to have sanctions eased. Ukraine has accused Russia of looting grain and farm equipment from regions its troops hold in Ukraine and of obstructing Ukraine's exports of grain. Zelenskyy's office says he and Colonna discussed sanctions, weapons supplies and Ukrainian aspirations to join the European Union. Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says it's important Colonna also visited Bucha, the sight of Russian atrocities. Moscow has pressed the West to lift sanctions against it over the war in Ukraine, seeking to shift the blame for a growing food crisis worsened by Kyiv's inability to ship grain while under attack. Britain has accused Russia of trying to hold the world to ransom, insisting there would be no sanctions relief. Ukraine says it's grateful to France for supporting strong sanctions. ___ PARIS A French news broadcaster says a 32-year-old French journalist has been killed in Ukraine while covering a humanitarian operation. BFM TV says the journalist was fatally hit by shell shrapnel while covering the Ukrainian evacuation operation on Monday. The broadcaster says Frdric Leclerc-Imhoff was in an armored vehicle near Sievierodonetsk, a key city in the Donbas region. French President Emmanuel Macron has paid tribute to Leclerc-Imhoff. Macron tweeted the journalist was in Ukraine to show the reality of the war. Macron says, Aboard a humanitarian bus, alongside civilians forced to flee to escape Russian bombs, he was fatally shot. Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko says another French journalist was wounded along with a Ukrainian woman who was accompanying them. ___ MOSCOW -- The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken on the phone to Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and discussed the situation in Ukraine, among other things. According to the Kremlin's readout of the Monday call, the emphasis was placed on the issues of ensuring safe navigation in the Black and Azov Seas, eliminating the mine threat in their waters. The readout says Putin noted the readiness of the Russian side to facilitate the unimpeded maritime transit of goods in coordination with Turkish partners. It says, This also applies to the of grain from Ukrainian ports. Ukraine has accused Russia of looting grain and farm equipment from regions its troops hold in Ukraine and of obstructing Ukraine's exports of grain. The Kremlin says Putin confirmed to Erdogan that Russia can significant amounts of fertilizers and agricultural products if sanctions against it are lifted. Moscow has pressed the West to lift sanctions against it over the war in Ukraine, seeking to shift the blame for a growing food crisis worsened by Kyiv's inability to ship grain while under attack. Britain has accused Russia of trying to hold the world to ransom, insisting there would be no sanctions relief. A top U.S. diplomat has blasted the barbarity, cruelty and lawlessness of Russia's invasion. ___ WASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden is suggesting that there are no plans for the U.S. to send long-range rocket systems to Ukraine, amid reports that the move is being considered. Biden told reporters outside the White House on Monday that we are not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that can strike into Russia. Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia's Security Council, said that it was a reasonable decision. He said that otherwise, if our cities come under attack, the Russian armed forces would fulfill (their) threat and strike the centers where such criminal decisions are made. Medvedev added that some of them aren't in Kyiv. And he said that there is no need for a further explanation. ___ BRUSSELS Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is welcoming a proposal for the European Union to slap an embargo on Russian oil transported by ship and to exempt oil pumped overland through Ukraine to his country. Orban says the idea is a good approach. But he wants guarantees that in the case of an accident with the pipeline Hungary would have the right to get Russian oil from other sources. Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria rely on Russian oil and are reluctant to impose sweeping sanctions on crude. Russia supplies more than 60% of Hungary's oil. Orban's remarks came Monday at an extraordinary EU summit focused on helping Ukraine, with sanctions a clear focus of attention. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala also says that a ban on sea-transported oil has our support. Fiala says his country simply cannot afford a situation when we'd lack some oil products. ___ BRUSSELS -- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he's confident that a good solution to a standoff over a proposed European Union embargo on Russian oil will be found sooner or later. Scholz said as he arrived at an EU summit Monday that Europe's unity so far in the face of Russia's attack on Ukraine sends a good signal and I am very confident that we will do so in the future too. Divisions have emerged over whether to target Russian oil in a new series of sanctions, with Hungary leading objections. But Scholz said he saw talks being conducted with a will to reach an agreement. He didn't address details of a possible solution but said the EU's strength lies in solving problems together and he is firmly convinced that we can continue discussing a good solution with each other today and tomorrow. Scholz said: No one can predict whether this will actually be the case, but everything I hear sounds as though there could be a consensus, and sooner or later there will be one. ___ VILNIUS, Lithuania Lawmakers from NATO countries are calling for a solution to transport grain and other products from Ukraine to get around a Russian blockade of Black Sea ports. Spanish lawmaker Zaida Cantera said that Africa and the Middle East import around 50% of these products" and that, based on U.N. data, Africa will face . Cantera said that could lead to more migrants arriving in the southern parts of Europe. She spoke at the NATO parliamentary assembly, which was moved to the Lithuanian capital after originally being slated for Kyiv. At the end of their one-day gathering, the NATO lawmakers approved a resolution calling for stronger sanctions against Russia and an increased supply of weapons to Ukraine. Ruslan Stefanchuk, the speaker of the Ukrainian parliament, said during the meeting that his country will not accept any land for peace deals with Russia. ___ BARCELONA, Spain NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says next month's summit in Madrid will be a historic opportunity to strengthen the alliance in the face of Russian aggression against Ukraine. Speaking at a gala in Madrid to mark Spain's 40th year as a NATO member, Stoltenberg said he looked forward to welcoming Sweden and Finland at the summit on June 29-30. He said that at the Madrid summit we will chart the way ahead for the next decade. He added that we will also be joined by Finland and Sweden, who have just made historic applications to join our alliance. But the leader of the 30-member alliance didn't address Turkey's reluctance to opening the doors to Sweden and Finland. ___ MOSCOW Russia says it may use an arrangement similar to that used for payments for its gas supplies to pay its dollar-denominated foreign debts. The Vedomosti business daily on Monday quoted Finance Minister Anton Siluanov as saying that Russia will offer the holders of its Eurobond obligations a payment system bypassing Western financial infrastructure. Russia previously has offered natural gas customers to establish an account in dollars or euros at Gazprombank, then a second account in rubles. The importer would pay the gas bill in euros or dollars and direct the bank to exchange the money for rubles. The system aims to avoid a risk of payments for gas being frozen as part of Western sanctions against Russia for its actions in Ukraine. Siluanov told Vedomosti that a similar mechanism will be set for Eurobond holders, with an offer to open foreign currency and ruble accounts at a Russian bank. In payments for gas, we are credited with foreign currency and it's converted into rubles, Siluanov was quoted as saying. The Eurobond settlement mechanism will work in the same way, just in the other direction. ___ LVIV, Ukraine The mayor of a Ukrainian city at the epicenter of the Russian offensive says that fierce street battles are going on there. Sievierodonetsk Mayor Oleksandr Striuk told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Monday that Russian troops have entered the city and street fighting is going on. He added that the Ukrainian defenders were fighting to push the Russians out. Striuk added that the Russian troops have advanced a few blocks toward the city center. He said that we have no power and no communications. The city has been completely ruined. The mayor said that 12,000-13,000 civilians left in the city are sheltering in basements and bunkers to escape relentless Russian bombardment. He said that the number of victims is rising every hour, but we are unable to count the dead and the wounded amid the street fighting. Striuk said that 1,500 residents of the city have died since the start of the war. ___ KYIV, Ukraine -- The Ukrainian band that won the Eurovision Song Contest says it has sold the trophy at auction to raise funds to buy equipment for the Ukrainian military. Kalush Orchestra said on social media that the trophy was sold in the online auction late Sunday for $900,000 to a cryptocurrency group during a live-streamed fundraising event. Friends, you are unreal!, Kalush Orchestra said in an Instagram post. Thanks to everyone who donated. Serhiy Prytula, a Ukrainian TV presenter who hosted the auction, said on Twitter that a further 11 million hryvnia ($370,000) was raised in an online raffle for the pink bucket hat which Kalush Orchestra frontman Oleh Psiuk wore during the Eurovision performance. He said the hat was won by a man in the Czech Republic. Prytula said the funds would be used to buy a drone. ___ MOSCOW Pro-Russian authorities in southern Ukraine say that two civilians were wounded by an explosion that they blamed on Ukraine. Halyna Danylchenko, who was appointed mayor of the city of Melitopol after its takeover by Russian troops, said that Monday's explosion wounded two local volunteers who were involved in deliveries of humanitarian assistance to city residents. She said that they were hospitalized. No one has claimed responsibility for the explosion, which Danylchenko blamed on Ukraine and denounced as a cynical terror attack by the Kyiv regime in remarks broadcast by Russian state television. Melitopol was captured by Russian forces early in the campaign. ___ MOSCOW Authorities in a Russia-backed separatist region in eastern Ukraine say at least five civilians have been killed in new Ukrainian shelling. The separatist authorities said those killed during the shelling of the city of Donetsk included a 13-year old boy. They said another 13 civilians have been wounded in shelling Monday that damaged three schools in the city. Donetsk Mayor Alexei Kulemzin said that the Ukrainian forces apparently used U.S.-supplied artillery systems in the attack. ___ An official installed by Russia in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine says grain from the area is being sent to Russia. Kirill Stremousov, the deputy head of the Russia-backed administration for the Kherson region, told Russia's Tass state news agency on Monday that grain from last year's harvest was being delivered to Russian buyers. There is space for storing (the next crop) although obviously there is a lot of grain here, Stremousov was quoted as saying. Now people are partially exporting, having reached agreements with those who are buying from the (Russian) side. Tass also reported that Stremousov said sunflower seeds could be sent to Russian processing plants to make sunflower oil. Ukraine has accused Russia of looting grain and farm equipment from territories held by its forces and the U.S. has alleged Russia is jeopardizing global food supplies by preventing Ukraine from exporting its harvest. Russian troops overran most of the Kherson region in the early weeks of the war and have tightened their grip on the area since. Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin visited the region earlier this month and suggested it could become part of our Russian family. ___ MOSCOW The Russian military says it has struck a shipbuilding factory in Ukraine's south. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Monday that a Russian artillery strike on the shipyard in the port of Mykolaiv destroyed Ukrainian armored vehicles parked on its territory. Konashenkov said that Russian artillery hit 593 areas of concentration of Ukrainian troops and equipment and 55 artillery batteries over the last 24 hours. He added that the Russian air force hit three command posts and 67 troop locations. ___ KYIV, Ukraine A regional governor says an intense battle is going on for the key city of Sievierodonetsk in eastern Ukraine. Luhansk governor Serhiy Haidai said that that Russian forces have entered the outskirts and were pushing toward nearby Lysychansk. He said Monday that two civilians were killed and another five were wounded in the latest Russian shelling. The Ukrainian military also said that Russian forces were reinforcing their positions on northeastern and southeastern outskirts of Sievierodonetsk and bringing additional equipment and ammunition into the area to press their offensive. Sievierodonetsk has been a key target of the Russian offensive in Ukraine's eastern Donbas industrial heartland. The city has served as the administrative center for the Luhansk region, which makes up Donbas together with the neighboring Donetsk region. ___ BERLIN -- Germany's governing parties and the main opposition party have reached a deal to move ahead with a big increase in defense spending that Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced three months ago. Scholz told German lawmakers three days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine started that the country would commit 100 billion euros ($107 billion) to a special fund for its military and raise its defense spending above 2% of GDP -- a measure on which it had long lagged. Scholz wanted to anchor the special fund in the constitution. That requires a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament, meaning that the chancellor needed support from the center-right opposition Union bloc. Talks on the issue became mired in details, but the two sides reached an agreement Sunday night that clears the way to bring the fund to parliament. Among other things, funding for cyberdefense and support for partner countries will come from Germany's regular budget, not the special fund. ___ MOGADISHU, Somalia Families across Africa are paying about 45% more for wheat flour as Russia's war in Ukraine blocks exports from the Black Sea. Some countries like Somalia get more than 90% of their wheat from Russia and Ukraine. That's forcing many people to substitute wheat for other grains. But the United Nations is warning that the price hikes are coming as many parts of Africa are facing drought and hunger. The U.N. already had warned that an estimated 13 million people were already facing severe hunger in the wider Horn of Africa region as a result of a persistent drought. The World Food Program chief say's Russia's war on Ukraine is piling catastrophe on top of catastrophe for the world's poor. (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.) Capital regulator on Tuesday imposed a penalty of Rs 10.25 crore on Commex Technology in a case related to manipulation of GDR (Global Depository Receipts) issued by the company. In addition, levied a fine of Rs 5 lakh each on Adi Cooper and Kishor Hegde in the matter. "Commex along and its directors (noticees) have misled the Indian investors by concealing the information of entering into pledge and loan agreement to facilitate and finance the issue of its own GDRs and not informing the same to the stock exchanges," said in its order. "Moreover, Commex made false announcement that its GDRs were genuinely subscribed thus causing a fraud on the innocent investors. Commex and its directors, through their fraudulent scheme of issue of GDR, mislead the investors to believe that Commex has an international market," it added. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) conducted an investigation into the GDR issued by Commex Technology for the period May to June 2009. It was observed that Commex had issued 19,06,790 GDRs raising USD 9.99 million in May 2009 and the entire GDR were subscribed by only one entity -- Vintage FZE. European American Investment Bank AG (EURAM Bank) granted loan to Vintage by way of a loan agreement for payment of USD 9.99 million towards subscription of the GDRs of Commex, which in turn pledged its entire GDR proceeds, as a security for the loan availed by Vintage from EURAM Bank for subscribing to GDRs of Commex, by separately entering into a pledge agreement with EURAM Bank. Sebi noted that loan agreement and pledge agreement, enabled Vintage to avail loan from EURAM Bank for subscribing to GDRs of Commex. Further, the GDR issue would not have been subscribed, had Commex not given such security towards the loan taken by Vintage. In a separate order, the regulator has levied a fine totalling Rs 60 lakh on four persons in the matter of GDR issue of Edserv Softsystems Ltd. Individually, Sebi slapped a fine of Rs 20 lakh each on S Giridharan and Mukesh Chauradiya, Rs 10 lakh each on G Gita and Arun Panchariya. Sebi noted that these four persons had "jointly and in close connivance with each other, had acted as one part of the entire fraudulent scheme by arranging for the subscription of the GDRs through Vintage using the pledge agreement signed on behalf of Edserv to obtain a loan from the EURAM Bank and then to dispose the shares acquired through such GDRs, routing of the monies received from Edserv, thereby creating an elaborate faade of demand for the securities of Edserv". The order comes after the regulator conducted investigation into the alleged irregularities in the GDRs issued by Edserv during the period from July to August 2011. The investigation, prima facie, revealed that Edserv had issued 1.60 million GDRs amounting to USD 23.89 million in August 2011 equivalent to 8 million equity shares and the issue was subscribed by one entity -- Vintage FZE. The subscription amount was paid by Vintage via obtaining a loan from EURAM Bank and the pledge agreement was executed by the company with EURAM Bank pledging GDR proceeds as collateral against the loan availed by Vintage for subscribing to GDRs of Edserv, thus securing Vintage's loan. Through such acts, these four persons violated the provisions of PFUTP (Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices) rules. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shares of hit a record high of Rs 897.95, after it rallied 15 per cent on the BSE in Tuesdays intra-day trade, on the back of heavy volumes. The stock of company surged 30 per cent in two days after the company posted strong operational performance in March 2022 quarter (Q4FY22) that signaled robust outlook. In Q4FY22, the companys earnings before interest depreciation tax and amortization (EBITDA) more-than-doubled to Rs 52.46 crore from Rs 25.28 crore in Q4FY21. Despite low margin in TV and Electronics business, that contributes only 9 per cent to the total revenues, operational EBITDA margins improved by 85 bps basis points (bps) due to operational leverage. Meanwhile, the companys profit after tax jumped 165 per cent year on year (YoY) at Rs 27.63 crore from Rs 10.44 crore, a year ago, whereas, net sales grew 52 per cent YoY to Rs 500 crore. Besides that, the stock surpassed its previous high of Rs 870 that it had touched on January 7, 2022. The trading volumes on the counter jumped nearly 10-fold as around 630,000 equity shares changed hands on the NSE and BSE till 01:29 PM. In comparison, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 0.35 per cent at 55,733 points. In the past one year, the market price of surged 115 per cent as compared to 7 per cent rise in the S&P BSE Sensex. It has zoomed 2,500 per cent from level of Rs 34.50 on May 29, 2020 in two years, as against 72 per cent rally in the benchmark index. The stock skyrocketed 3,320 per cent from its March 2020 low of Rs 26.20 on the BSE. is a partner for electronic manufacturing services and plastic moulding for leading consumer durables and companies in India. The company has one of the biggest capacities in plastic injection molding with capabilities across value chain in the Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS). The management believes that capacity expansion and production linked incentive (PLI) will bolster growth in the coming years. That said, they also foresee increased interest for business from new and existing clients. That apart, the management has guided sales of Rs 1,800 crore, a growth of 64 per cent over FY22 consolidated sales. It has also guided 69 per cent increase in operating profit to Rs 125 crore from Rs 74.5 crore in FY22. The management remains confident of growth in product business i.e., washing machines, room air conditioners (RAC) and coolers and anticipates it to be around 20 per cent to Rs 1,050 crore from Rs 478 crore in FY22. "We will double washing machines capacity, while also further expand RAC capacity to 200,000 indoor units and 100,000 outdoor units, along with further backward integration by adding the set up for RAC controllers. The company has a capex plan in the range of Rs 130 Rs 140 crore for FY23," the management added. Shares of Vodafone Idea (Vi) gained 10 per cent to Rs 10.23 on the BSE in Tuesdays intra-day trade, on the back of heavy volumes. The spike comes after a media report suggested that American retail major Amazon and a clutch of investors are in talks with Aditya Birla Group to invest up to Rs 20,000 crore in the wireless telephone company. At 10:50 am; Vi traded 9 per cent higher at Rs 10.13, as compared to 0.23 per cent decline in the S&P BSE Sensex. In the past three days, the stock rallied 19 per cent. Data shows that around 290 million equity shares changed hands on the NSE and BSE. According to a report by Business Standard, sources say that the proceeds of the sale will be utilized to bid for upcoming 5G spectrum auction and capital expenditure for roll-out of services by end of the year. Apart from Amazon, the group is in talks with private equity investors who plan to take exposure in the Indian telecom sector. CLICK HERE FOR FULL REPORT In the past one month, Vi outperformed the market by gaining 8 per cent, as compared to 2 per cent decline in the S&P BSE Sensex. Besides that, the stock gained 18 per cent in a year, as against 7 per cent rise in the benchmark index. Meanwhile, for January-March quarter (Q4FY22), Vi's losses narrowed by 6.5 per cent to Rs 6,563 crore on a year-on-year (YoY) basis on the back of revenue growth, whereas, earnings before interest depreciation tax and amortization (EBITDA) grew 5.4 per cent YoY to Rs 4,649 crore. That apart, the company's average revenue per user (ARPU) improved to Rs 124, up 7.5 per cent QoQ versus Rs 115 in Q3FY22, supported by tariff hikes in November 2021. Though the company lost 3.4 million subscribers sequentially as its user base stood at 243.8 million, it added one million 4G customers with an overall user base count at 118.1 million. The management remains confident of the company's potiential to increase data usage per 4G customer that stands at around 13.9 GB/month vs around 12.9 GB/month, a year ago. Hence, the overall data volumes witnessed healthy growth of 7.9 per cent YoY in Q4FY22. The management also believes that the government's reform package, return of bulk of the bank guarantees till date, industry wide tariff hikes and the recent promoter infusion are significant positive catalysts for the company. Bharat Dynamics (BDL) today said that it has signed a contract worth Rs 2,971 crore with Ministry of Defence. The contract is for the supply of ASTRA MK-I beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air missile and associate equipment to the Indian Air Force & the Indian Navy. Bharat Dynamics (BDL) is the only company in India involved in manufacturing various types of missiles and underwater weapons for supply to the Indian Armed Forces and friendly foreign countries. The company also handles launchers, test equipment, refurbishment/life extension of missiles, and countermeasures systems for domestic as well as international markets. As of 31 March 2022, the Government of India held a 74.93% stake in the company. The company's net profit rose 1.5% to Rs 264.36 crore on a 22.6% surge in net sales to Rs 1,355.80 crore in Q4 FY22 over Q4 FY21. The scrip jumped 5.10% to end at Rs 783.75 on the BSE today. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sales rise 13.52% to Rs 362.61 crore Net profit of Commercial Engineers & Body Builders Company declined 4.70% to Rs 13.99 crore in the quarter ended March 2022 as against Rs 14.68 crore during the previous quarter ended March 2021. Sales rose 13.52% to Rs 362.61 crore in the quarter ended March 2022 as against Rs 319.43 crore during the previous quarter ended March 2021. For the full year,net profit declined 6.49% to Rs 50.03 crore in the year ended March 2022 as against Rs 53.50 crore during the previous year ended March 2021. Sales rose 18.34% to Rs 1178.35 crore in the year ended March 2022 as against Rs 995.75 crore during the previous year ended March 2021. ParticularsQuarter EndedYear EndedMar. 2022Mar. 2021% Var.Mar. 2022Mar. 2021% Var.Sales362.61319.43 14 1178.35995.75 18 OPM %8.638.40 -9.6910.68 - PBDT27.4823.96 15 99.3787.04 14 PBT21.5818.28 18 76.0265.90 15 NP13.9914.68 -5 50.0353.50 -6 Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Life Insurance Corporation of India ("LIC"): For the year ended 31 March 2022, LIC registered an increase of 6.1% in the net premium income at Rs 4,27,419 crore as compared to Rs 4,02,844 crore in the year ended 31 March 2021. Profit after Tax (PAT) for the full year ended 31 March 2022 was Rs 4,043.12 crore as against Rs 2,900.57 crore for the year ended 31 March 2021, thereby registering an increase of 39.39%. Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC): The e-ticket booking platform for Indian Railways posted 105.97% surge in net profit to Rs 213.78 crore on 103.95% increase in net sales to Rs 690.96 crore in Q4 March 2022 over Q4 March 2021. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries: The drug maker reported a consolidated net loss of Rs 2,277.25 crore in Q4 FY22 as against a net profit of Rs 894.15 crore in Q4 FY21. Adjusted net profit for the quarter was at Rs 1582.10 crore, up by 18% YoY, after excluding the exceptional items of Rs 3935.70 crore and exceptional tax gain of Rs 76.40 crore. Further, Dilip Shanghvi has been re-appointed as the managing director for a further term of 5 years with effect from 1 April 2023 up to 31 March 2028. Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M): The auto major sold 2.76% stake in TVS Automobile Solutions for Rs 45 crore. Lemon Tree Hotels: The company has signed a license agreement for a 40 room hotel at Chirang, Assam under the company's brand 'Keys Select, by Lemon Tree Hotels'. The hotel is expected to be operational by June, 2026. Carnation Hotels, a subsidiary and the hotel management arm of the company will be operating this hotel. Aurobindo Pharma: The drug maker reported a 28% decline in its consolidated net profit at Rs 576.14 crore in Q4 March 2022. Net sales declined 3.28% YoY to Rs 5,795.34 crore during the quarter. Varroc Engineering: The auto parts maker reported a net loss of Rs 284.96 crore in Q4 March 2022 against net loss of Rs 144.32 crore in Q4 FY21. Revenue from operations stood at Rs 1,652 crore in the March quarter of FY22, up 9.81% YoY. Radico Khaitan: The liquor maker's net profit declined 31.78% to Rs 50.16 crore while net sales rose 17.89% to Rs 812.52 crore in Q4 March 2022 over Q4 March 2021. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sales rise 18.19% to Rs 143745.92 crore Net profit of Life Insurance Corporation of India declined 18.04% to Rs 2371.55 crore in the quarter ended March 2022 as against Rs 2893.49 crore during the previous quarter ended March 2021. Sales rose 18.19% to Rs 143745.92 crore in the quarter ended March 2022 as against Rs 121626.06 crore during the previous quarter ended March 2021. For the full year,net profit rose 39.39% to Rs 4043.12 crore in the year ended March 2022 as against Rs 2900.57 crore during the previous year ended March 2021. Sales rose 6.10% to Rs 427419.21 crore in the year ended March 2022 as against Rs 402844.34 crore during the previous year ended March 2021. ParticularsQuarter EndedYear EndedMar. 2022Mar. 2021% Var.Mar. 2022Mar. 2021% Var.Sales143745.92121626.06 18 427419.21402844.34 6 OPM %1.463.12 -2.612.56 - PBDT2313.233914.03 -41 11945.3510894.54 10 PBT2313.233914.03 -41 11945.3510894.54 10 NP2371.552893.49 -18 4043.122900.57 39 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 US stock market closed on Monday, 30 May 2022, for Memorial Day holiday and will return to action on Tuesday. Shares in Asia-Pacific rose on Monday, boosted by a relaxation of Covid controls over the weekend in the major Chinese cities of Beijing and Shanghai. The major European markets all moved to the upside on the day. However, gains were limited as investors look ahead to major economic data releases later in the week. Several major data releases are expected later in the week. China is set to announce its official manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index for May on Tuesday. U. S. jobs data is expected Friday. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tonga's King Tupou VI (R) meets with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Nuku'alofa, Tonga, May 31, 2022. (Xinhua) NUKU'ALOFA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Tonga's King Tupou VI said on Tuesday that Tonga and China have witnessed vigorous development of their ties since the establishment of diplomatic relations, and vowed to stick to the one-China policy and promote even greater development of bilateral ties. Tupou VI made the remarks at a meeting with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. As facts have proven, Tupou VI said, Chinese friendship has always been based on deeds rather than words. When Tonga was faced with multiple challenges at the time, including volcanic eruption, tsunami, suspension of flights and the COVID-19 pandemic, China came to its assistance without hesitation, winning wide praise and heartfelt gratitude from the Tongan people, Tupou VI said. Tupou VI said he was glad to see the successful holding of the second China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting and thanked the Chinese delegation for overcoming the difficulties caused by the pandemic to visit South Pacific island countries. Some people have commented on Pacific island countries' cooperation with China. As sovereign states, Pacific island countries have the right to choose how they deal with other countries, Tupou VI said. For his part, Wang said under the guidance of the two heads of the state, China-Tonga relations have maintained a steady and sound momentum of development, noting that after Tonga was hit by a massive volcanic eruption, various departments in China raced against time to deliver relief supplies to Tonga. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, China has provided many batches of emergency supplies to Tonga in a timely manner, which has further enhanced the friendship between the two countries, Wang said. China will, as always, respect Tonga's unique national conditions and governance model, support Tonga in safeguarding its independence, sovereignty and social stability, Wang said, wishing the Tongan people a happy life and better development. Wang said that his visit to Tonga, as part of his tour to South Pacific island countries, aims at putting into practice the diplomatic vision that all countries, big or small, are equal, and taking concrete measures to support Tonga's post-disaster recovery and reconstruction. China will prove with facts that his ongoing trip to the South Pacific region is a trip of friendship and cooperation, he said. Noting that as a developing country itself, China fully understands the legitimate needs and urgent aspirations of other developing countries, especially the small and medium-sized countries, Wang said China is ready to do its utmost to help other developing countries catch up with the trend of the times and speed up development and revitalization. China expects a truly fair world and true equality among all countries, he said. Tupou VI expressed gratitude for China's establishment of an emergency supplies reserve for Pacific island countries and carrying out cooperation on poverty reduction and climate change. Wang said China has made specific efforts to build six new platforms for cooperation with Pacific island countries on poverty reduction, climate change, disaster prevention, agriculture and the Juncao technology. China is willing to share its development experience with Pacific island countries, provide them with personnel, technology and financing support, and help them enhance their capacity for independent development, Wang added. West Bengal Chief Minister wants agencies like the (CBI) to be made autonomous. Her call has been backed by several opposition parties and politicians. She is, no doubt, right in her demand, but has no moral authority to demand the same. State politicians have done nothing to free their own police forces from political interference, including Ms Banerjees own West Bengal police. This is true of almost all states, where police forces are highly politicised and do the bidding of the ruling party on most occasions. It is only when courts ask them to follow the law that they reluctantly do so. 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 AIMIM chief on Tuesday said that his party will fight the assembly election due in December 2023 with all its strength and ruled out any alliance with the ruling in the state. He said that the party will form a core committee in the state that will work to build the organisation at all levels. The Hyderabad MP said the party will decide on any alliance at the right time after considering the circumstances. We have decided to form a core committee of the party in . It will work to strengthen the organisation. We will fight the next assembly election with full strength. "The party, if needed, will go for an alliance at the right time but it will not be with the or the BJP, Owaisi told reporters here. He said that his fight was not for coming to power but for building political leadership for which his party has come to . On the Congress' charge that the AIMIM works as a ''B-team" of the BJP, Owaisi said, ''Such allegations reflect the frustration of leaders and nothing else.'' Replying to a question on the demand for a survey of Ajmer Dargah, Owaisi said that under the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, one cannot change the nature or the character of any temple or mosque. Historical wrongs cannot be corrected by taking the law into your hands. You cannot oppress the present and the future. These are the wordings of the SC judge. You are talking rubbish and inciting people, he said. To a query on a new video purportedly of the Varanasi's Gyanvapi mosque appearing in media, Owaisi said making any such video public is a "big mistake" as the court has not allowed it. "First of all, I do not believe in the video because the videos may be completely false, edited. Did the court give them (permission)? Did the court say make it public? Even if the video is true, the law will remain the law. Nothing is going to happen in that," he said and slammed ''selective leaks''. "Whatever you do, the 1991 Act is a law. Under the 91 Act, on August 15, 1947, there was a mosque, there is a mosque, and there will be a mosque,'' he said, Owaisi said that his party is against the concept of the Uniform Civil Code and they have given their submission to the Law Commission in this regard. He said that diversity is the beauty of this country and it should remain intact. "The problem of the country is not Uniform Civil Code. It is unemployment, for which the Centre should fulfil its responsibility,'' Owaisi said. The Hyderabad-based party has contested elections in some seats in various state polls in recent years. Among them are Bihar, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. (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 Trinamool Congress has claimed Biplab Kumar Deb's resignation as chief minister substantiated its allegation that the BJP-led dispensation in the northeastern state has been a "non-performing" government. general secretary Kunal Ghosh said the saffron camp should come out with a statement on why its central leadership "asked Deb to resign" as the CM months before the next assembly elections. If they fail to tell the reason behind the removal of Biplab Kumar Deb, it will be assumed that the BJP-led government has miserably failed to deliver on its promises," Ghosh said. The removal of has substantiated the Trinamool Congress' allegation that the BJP dispensation is a non-performing government," he said on Monday. Only the face of the government has been changed by replacing Deb, but the skeleton remains the same, the senior leader said. Manik Saha became the chief minister of after Deb, in a surprise move, resigned from the post recently. Ghosh also claimed that the BJP is "scared of TMC's rise" in the state over the past few months. Despite adversities, the had managed to secure a 20 per cent vote share in Agartala Municipal Corporation elections. It rose to 24-25 per cent in some civic bodies' areas. Now is the time to change the government to serve the people in a better way," he added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Delhi court on Tuesday summoned Congress leader D K Shivakumar and others in a money laundering case lodged against him in 2018 after taking cognisance of the charge sheet. Special Judge Vikas Dhull directed Shivakumar to appear on July 1. The court gave the order after taking cognisance of a charge sheet filed by ED through its Special Public Prosecutor Nitesh Rana against Shivakumar and others in the case. Shivakumar, who is the president of the Congress' Karnataka unit, was arrested by the ED in the case on September 3, 2019 and was granted bail by the on October 23, 2019. The case is based on a charge sheet filed by the Income Tax Department against them last year before a special court in Bengaluru on charges of alleged tax evasion and 'hawala' transactions worth crores of rupees. (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.) Former Congress leader will join the on June 2 in the presence of party president C R Paatil, a state party spokesperson said on Tuesday. Patel's move comes ahead of the Assembly elections due later this year. The has been in power in the state for over two decades. Patel, 28, had in 2015 led a violent agitation seeking quota for his Patidar community and was a strong critic of the in the past. The then BJP government in had booked the firebrand leader in several cases, including on the charge of sedition. However, Patel, who had joined the Congress in 2019 and was later made the state unit's working president, quit the party earlier this month. Since then, there were speculations that he may join the ruling BJP. Of late, he has been praising the BJP's decision-making capacity and style of functioning, while severely criticising the Congress leadership. "It is confirmed that will join the BJP on June 2 in the presence of state president C R Paatil," BJP's state spokesperson Yagnesh Dave told PTI. Reacting to the development, Gujarat's former deputy chief minister Nitin Patel said if someone wants to use the BJP to serve the society, he is welcome to the party. "Several people from various walks of life representing different districts have joined the BJP (state unit) under the leadership of C R Paatil," he said. Hardik Patel's close aide Alpesh Kathiriya said after joining the BJP, the Patidar leader should ensure that the state government withdraw cases registered against several community members, and give jobs to the family members of those who lost their lives during the Patidar quota agitation. Before quitting the Congress earlier this month, had written a scathing letter to party chief Sonia Gandhi, claiming the Congress "only played the role of a roadblock" over certain key issues in the country and was "merely reduced to opposing everything". He had come to limelight in 2015 when he led the agitation demanding reservation for the Patidar community members in government jobs and educational institutes. Ten people, including a policeman, were killed in the violence then and public properties and vehicles damaged. He had been charged under various Indian Penal Code Sections, including 124(A) (sedition), 121(A) (conspiracy to wage war against government) and 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy), in which he is out on bail since 2016. Hardik Patel had then positioned himself as a vocal critic of the BJP, accusing the party and its governments in the state and at the Centre of being against the poor, farmers and youth. He later joined the opposition Congress in March 2019, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. But, it was not possible for him to contest the parliamentary election due to his conviction in a rioting case. Notably, the Supreme Court last month stayed his conviction in a rioting and arson case. The BJP government also recently took steps to withdraw several cases lodged against Hardik Patel and others in connection with the 2015 quota agitation. (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.) Delhi Chief Minister on Tuesday said the case against was "complete fraud" and he was targeted for political reasons. "I have personally studied this case and it is completely fraudulent. We have a very honest government. He has been targeted because of political reasons," said Kejriwal. He added further that the AAP government was an honest government and they have faith in the judiciary system. Kejriwal said, "We got the minister arrested ourselves in Punjab, we did the same in Delhi also 5 years ago. "Many actions of central agencies are politically motivated. I have studied the case of Satyendra Jain, he has been deliberately implicated but we believe that God is with us. If there was even 1 per cent fact in this case, we would have taken action ourselves," Kejriwal said to the media. Kejriwal along with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia inspected the road beautification work in Pitampura. "We are trying to beautify roads in Delhi. Our target is to beautify 500 km of roads under PWD, for which we are planning to start our pilot project for a shorter range. I expect the pilot project to be completed by September-October," he said while inspecting the work. --IANS avr/dpb (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Political strategist-turned-politician on Tuesday asserted that he will not associate with the in future. "This is the party responsible for breaking my track record of winning. It is not improving and even it may drown me. Hence, I will never work with the again," Kishor said with folded hands at an interaction with media in Vaishali, where he was to prepare ground for his Jan Suraaj campaign. "In the last 10 years, I was involved in 11 elections and only one I lost in Uttar Pradesh in 2017. At that time, I was associated with the party. It has broken my winning record. #WATCH | From 2011-2021, I was associated with 11 elections and lost only one election that is with Congress in UP. Since then, I've decided that I will not work with them (Congress) as they have spoiled my track record: Poll strategist, Prashant Kishor in Vaishali, Bihar (30.05) pic.twitter.com/rQcoY1pZgq ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2022 "I was associated with the in the 2014 Lok Sabha election, then the JD-U in 2015, 2017 in Punjab, 2019 with Jagan Mohan Reddy in Andhra Pradesh, 2020 in Delhi with (Arvind) Kejriwal and 2021 in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu," Kishor said. In reaction, senior state Congress leader Madan Mohan Jha said: " was associated with Congress in 2017 and unfortunately lost the Uttar Pradesh election. If that would be the reason of blaming Congress party for breaking his track record than I must ask that why he recently met the top leaders of Congress party in Delhi and gave presentation for 6 to 7 days." (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 Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought the CBI's stand on a bail plea filed by National (NSE) former group operating officer Anand Subramanian in the co-location scam case. Representing the accused, senior advocate Vikas Pahwa argued that an incomplete chargesheet has been filed in the case and sought a mandatory bail under the Criminal Procedure Code as well as on merits. Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain then issued a notice seeking the CBI's response. The former GOO was arrested by the CBI on February 24 and was remanded to custodial interrogation. He was sent to judicial custody on March 9. In his bail plea filed through advocate Alok Tripathi, Subramanian has stated that a trial court wrongly dismissed his plea for default bail in the matter by an order passed on May 28. An FIR in this case was registered in May 2018 amid fresh revelations about irregularities at the country's largest . The CBI is probing the alleged improper dissemination of information from the computer servers of the market exchanges to the stock brokers. The agency has also alleged in the case that the NSE and its top executives violated securities contract norms relating to the appointment of Anand Subramaniam as the group operating officer and adviser to the managing director. It has alleged that former NSE boss Chitra Ramkrishna, along with Subramanian, abused her official position as the managing director and got him appointed as her chief strategic adviser and consultant by creating the post, bypassing the prescribed due procedures at the NSE. Ramkrishna was the MD and CEO of the NSE from April 2013 to December 2016. The trial court had rejected Subramaniam's bail applications on two other occasions as well May 12 and March 24. In March, while dismissing the bail application, the trial court had said that the accused held a pole position at NSE whose affairs are under investigation. The matter would be heard next on July 7. (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.) New Delhi [India], May 31 (ANI/PNN): In recent times, primarily in India, the per capita consumption of different Fruits and Vegetables has increased between 15-25 per cent. The import and demand for fresh produce, frozen, cut and packed products and beverages have also increased. According to trade sources, the supply of F & V products will be rising further, keeping in view its nutritional values. Consequently, Indian growers have been buying more planting materials of fresh produce like Banana, Strawberry, Blueberry, Citrus fruits, etc., to cater to the rising demand. Investments from major corporate and big growers in hi-tech greenhouses & hydroponic projects are adding value to the horticulture industry in India in terms of commercialization. Indian Imports of has been doubled in the last year As per the sources of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and a report released by Fresh Intelligence analysis, Apple imports more than doubled year-on-year to a record high of 436,194 tonnes, up from 215,538 tonnes in 2020, and major exporters are Iran, Turkey, Chile, Italy, the UAE, New Zealand, Brazil, Afghanistan and USA. Orange imports increased more than three-fold to 153,296 tonnes, driven by a surge in exports from Egypt. The North African nation shipped 126,000 tonnes of oranges to India in 2021. Australia was the third-largest supplier. Kiwifruit is the third largest import category, even though kiwifruit imports also grew strongly, rising by 43 per cent year-on-year to 67,247 tonnes. Again, Iran was the leading supplier, with direct shipments of almost 30,000 tonnes, up 51 per cent by 2020, apart from UAE, Chile and New Zealand. Beyond the top three fruit import categories, Pear, Avocados, Cherries and Blueberries all recorded strong growth in 2021 Considering the significance of this rising sector, Media Today Group is pleased to organize the "4th Fresh India Show 2022 (FIS 2022)" to be held on June 3-4, 2022 in New Delhi. FIS 2022 includes important segments, i.e., Fresh India Global Conference, Exhibition, Networking Meet and Awards. This event aims to strengthen the F & V industry in India and connect global players. It will further improve the way of agri-businesses and per capita availability, consumption and demand across the Globe. FIS 2022 will enhance the industry's outlook through an engaging program of presentations, panel discussions, buyer-seller meetings and networking opportunities. Under the Convenorship of Gokul Patnaik, Former Chairman APEDA and Chairman Global AgriSystems Pvt. Ltd., an organizing committee has been formed by the Chief Coordinator S Jafar Naqvi. The senior Government officials, executives and stalwarts of the fresh produce industry have been invited from organizations like Agri Ministry, APEDA, NHB, NAFED, FIFI, Adani Agri Fresh, Mahindra Agri, ITC Group, Sahyadri Farms, Reliance Fresh, Blinkit, JM Baxi & Company, I G International, Suri Agro Fresh, Desai AgriFoods etc. FIS 2022 is among one of our annual must-attend events and expo events for India's fresh fruit and vegetable business, including the cold chain Industry. This event is exclusively intended to provide opportunities to see, learn, do and explore. As per the fresh Industry experts, our event is among one of the emerging platforms for expanding your business connections and helping you stay ahead in this exciting market, i.e., India. As per S. Jafar Naqvi, "Our vision is to attract more than 600+ decision makers (live & digitally) from different nations including producers, wholesalers, importers, and exporters, retailers, as well as for cold-chain & supporting industries. While connecting with other nations, the event will provide an opportunity to exhibit your range of products and services. The conference will highlight the key changes happening globally; understand the newest trends & best practices in production, supply, marketing, technology and consumer behaviour and demands'. "Let's join this vibrant sector's event and be a part of our exciting journey..." This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ISLAMABAD, May 31 (Xinhua) -- At least five people were killed and over 13 others injured after a passenger bus turned turtle on a motorway near Ghotki district of Pakistan's southern Sindh province, local media reported on Tuesday morning. The motorway police told local media that all the victims were shifted to the local hospitals, adding that 10 injured passengers were in critical condition. The ill-fated bus was traveling from Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar to the southern port city of Karachi, the state television said. According to the motorway police, most of the injured passengers were from different cities of Sindh and the country's eastern Punjab province. Road accidents frequently happen in Pakistan, mainly due to poorly maintained vehicles, dilapidated roads as well as negligence of road safety measures. India is the worlds second largest producer of . But most of it was being consumed by the country itself -- leaving little room for export. And whatever little we exported, it mostly went into neighbouring countries. Like 55% of our went to Bangladesh. But over the years, our export has been on the rise. In FY 22, India exported a record 7.85 million tonnes of wheat. It was a 270% jump from 2.1 million tonnes the previous year. And this year, when Russia invaded Ukraine, India found itself in a spotlight. Scores of countries which used to purchase wheat from the two countries looked towards New Delhi to fill the void. During the second week of April, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told US President Joe Biden that India was ready to supply its food stock to the world if the World Trade Organization (WTO) allowed it. Orders for wheat ocks started pouring in from foreign shorests. Farmers were happy and so was the government. Egypt, which typically gets 80% of its wheat from Russia and Ukraine, approved imports from India in mid-April. On May 4th, Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey said the Centre was not moving to curb wheat exports as India had sufficient stocks. But the food secretary said that due to an increase in market prices and higher demand by the private players, both for domestic as well as export purposes, the Centres wheat procurement would be lower this year. He added that a large quantity of wheat was being bought by traders at a higher rate than the Minimum Support Price, which was good for the farmers. Around the same time, addressing the Indian diaspora in Germany, Prime Minister Modi said Indian farmers were coming forward to feed the world when big nations were worried about . Just two days before announcing the ban, the government said it would send trade delegations to nine countries including Indonesia, Thailand and Turkey for exploring possibilities of boosting wheat exports from India. But on May 13, the Indian government pulled a surprise and shocked many. It ordered a ban on export of wheat with immediate effect. Just before the ban, the government had plans to export a record 10 million tonnes of wheat this year. According to the government, the main reason for the ban was to manage the overall of the country and to support the needs of the neighbouring and other vulnerable countries. It comes against the backdrop of the hottest March in 122 years which stunned the grain -- leading to a considerable drop in yield. The yield, this year, may barely cross the 100 million tons mark, down from the governments initial estimate of a record 111 million-ton harvest. Meanwhile, the stock in the granaries of the Food Corporation of India is also low. And if the government extends its free grain programme, the stocks may dwindle further. Currently it has 30 million tons in storage. And combined with this years purchase of about 19.5 million tons, it is just just enough to meet the government target of free grain plan. So exporting about 10 million tons from this years yield would not have been a good idea given the increase in domestic market consumption. But critics say that the move has hit the farmers, who were about to harvest a good windfall after several years. U.S. may be broken beyond repair amid multiple mass shootings: NYT Xinhua) 08:34, May 31, 2022 Candles are lit during a vigil to mourn for victims of a school mass shooting at Town Square in Uvalde, Texas, the United States, May 29, 2022. At least 19 children and two adults were killed in the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde on May 24. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling) "Guns are now the leading cause of death for American children. Many conservatives consider this a price worth paying for their version of freedom," says The New York Times. NEW YORK, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Victims of the increasingly frequent mass shootings are collateral damage in a cold civil war in the United States, though some Democrats refuse to acknowledge it, let alone fight it, reported The New York Times on Friday. In this country, access to weapons is, for the right, a matter of existential importance. Guns are a guarantor against government overreach, and government overreach includes attempts to regulate guns, said the report by columnist Michelle Goldberg. It will be impossible to do anything about guns in the United States, at least at a national level, as long as Democrats depend on the cooperation of Republicans, who have no intention of letting Democrats pass even modest measures like strengthened background checks, according to the Opinion article. A man mourns for victims of a school mass shooting at Town Square in Uvalde, Texas, the United States, May 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling) "The horrifying irony, the hideous ratchet, is that the more America is besieged by senseless violence, the more the paramilitary wing of the American right is strengthened. Gun sales tend to rise after mass shootings," said the article. "Guns are now the leading cause of death for American children. Many conservatives consider this a price worth paying for their version of freedom. Our institutions give these conservatives disproportionate power whether or not they win elections," it said. For so among liberals, there's an overwhelming feeling of despair, said the article, noting that "America is too sick, too broken. It is perhaps beyond repair." (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun) Family members weep as they wait for dead bodies left by a crashed Nepali plane at a hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal, May 31, 2022. With the last dead body found on Tuesday morning, all the 22 bodies left by a crashed Nepali passenger plane have been recovered, the Nepal Army said. (Photo by Sulav Shrestha/Xinhua) KATHMANDU, May 31 (Xinhua) -- With the last dead body found on Tuesday morning, all the 22 bodies left by a crashed Nepali passenger plane have been recovered, the Nepal Army said. "Last dead body has been recovered. Arranging to bring remaining 12 dead bodies from crash site to Kathmandu," tweeted Brigadier General Narayan Silwal, spokesman of the Nepal Army, which was leading the search and rescue effort. A preliminary study shows bad weather conditions caused the Twin Otter plane to crash in a remote hilly area in Nepal's Mustang district, but the details will be probed by a five-member investigation team, Deo Chandra Lal Karn, spokesman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, told Xinhua. The Tara Air plane went missing on Sunday morning minutes after it took off from the Nepali city of Pokhara on a journey to Jomsom in Mustang district. Nineteen passengers, including 13 Nepalis, four Indians and two Germans, were aboard the flight along with three crew members. The Nepal Army found the crash site on Monday morning with 21 bodies recovered and 10 airlifted to Kathmandu on the day. A family member weeps as she waits for dead bodies left by a crashed Nepali plane at a hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal, May 31, 2022. With the last dead body found on Tuesday morning, all the 22 bodies left by a crashed Nepali passenger plane have been recovered, the Nepal Army said. (Photo by Sulav Shrestha/Xinhua) A family member weeps as he waits for dead bodies left by a crashed Nepali plane at a hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal, May 31, 2022. With the last dead body found on Tuesday morning, all the 22 bodies left by a crashed Nepali passenger plane have been recovered, the Nepal Army said. (Photo by Sulav Shrestha/Xinhua) A family member weeps as he waits for dead bodies left by a crashed Nepali plane at a hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal, May 31, 2022. With the last dead body found on Tuesday morning, all the 22 bodies left by a crashed Nepali passenger plane have been recovered, the Nepal Army said. (Photo by Sulav Shrestha/Xinhua) Its normal for car manufacturers to focus on their highest variants. They are, after all, seen as the image leadersthe one that carries th... LJUBLJANA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The Slovenian government on Tuesday abolished all COVID-19 restrictions and also dismissed a group of experts which has over the past two years been advising the government on measures to curb the epidemic. The government said on its website it abolished the restrictions upon the advice of the group of experts, adding recommendations regarding the COVID-19 will from now on be given by the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) which is also in charge of handling any other possible epidemic. Slovenia has abolished most restrictions last month but until Tuesday citizens had to wear face masks whenever entering health institutions as well as nursing homes for the elderly. The country has been badly hit by COVID-19 with the number of new daily cases gradually falling since Feb. 1 when it reached an all-time high with 24,258 new cases. The latest available data shows that 380 new infections were registered on Monday, up from 60 a day before. Almost 58 percent of Slovenia's 2.1-million population have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Meet the Last Americans to Face River Blindness The final bastion of river blindness in the Americas lies along the border of Brazil and Venezuela, where the nomadic Yanomami indigenous people reside in hard-to-reach, ring-shaped temporary communities in the Amazon rainforest called shaponos. In partnership with the respective national governments and indigenous health workers, The Carter Center supports the provision of health education and effective treatment to the Yanomami where they are. (All photos courtesy of Oscar Noya Alarcon) River blindness once was endemic in about a dozen discrete transmission zones scattered across a wide swath of Latin America, but, thanks to the efforts of the national programs together with the Carter Centers Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas (OEPA), the disease has been eliminated in Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, and Guatemala. It remains now only among people who live in the Amazon rainforest. River blindness was introduced to the indigenous population by outsiders. River blindness is spread by the bites of infected black flies that thrive near fast-moving water. The flies transmit tiny worms that mature under the infected persons skin, causing intense itching, rashes, skin nodules, and skin discoloration. Embryonic parasites (microfilariae) produced by female worms can eventually migrate to the eyes, where they can cause vision impairment and, ultimately, blindness. The drug Mectizan, donated by Merck, is effective at killing the microfilariae, ending the itching and preventing blindness. Eliminating the microfilariae within the body prevents the flies from transmitting the disease from one person to another. If enough people are treated, transmission can be eliminated throughout an entire population, halting the disease cycle. The correct dose of Mectizan is based on the height of the recipient. Individuals are measured and then given the appropriate number of tablets. When surveys show that transmission in a population has fallen to essentially zero, treatment can safely be halted. Surveillance then continues for at least three years to make sure the disease hasnt come back. An estimated 35,000 highly mobile indigenous people live in isolated communities along the Amazon River. The Venezuelan and Brazilian health ministries at times take advantage of their rare contact with the Yanomami to also provide a range of standard vaccinations or other health services, including malaria or dental treatment, during the same visit. Indigenous health agents are essential to the work, as they understand the language and culture and are thus able to explain the need for treatment and how it is accomplished. Just as important, these indigenous agents know the ways of the rainforest and are adept at finding and following paths that might be impossible for outsiders to use on their own. Disneys The Bobs Burgers Movie opened at #3, earning a modest $15 million (estimated) over the four-day Memorial Day weekend, with $12.6m of that amount posted over the standard weekend period. While the Fox tv series spinoff proved no match for Top Gun: Maverick, which is headed to a $150m+ opening, it did best the Walt Disney Companys last theatrical 2d animation effort, 2011s Winnie the Pooh, which opened with $7.9m. The last time Disney put out a better-performing 2d feature was The Princess and the Frog, which launched wide with a $24.2m weeekend back in 2009. The Bobs Burgers opening is also a far cry from The Simpsons Movie, another Fox 2d series spinoff that launched with $74m a decade-and-a-half ago, but as Deadline points out, Bobs Burgers is a niche franchise with a weekly series average of roughly 1.3 million viewers. Around 1.1 million people paid to see the film in theaters over the Fri-Sun period, which is a fair number considering the shows limited appeal. Photo: Contributed Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable disease and premature death in Canada. Today, May 31, is World No Tobacco Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers of tobacco use and what we can do to reduce global tobacco consumption. As a pharmacist, the health and wellness of our community is very important to me, so Im providing information about smoking cessation to help you reclaim your health. Nicotine, the chemical found in all tobacco products, is addicting and the reason it is so difficult to quit smoking. In fact, a mere 5% of people successfully quit smoking without the support of smoking cessation medications or help from a counsellor. You shouldnt feel discouraged if quitting cold turkey isnt working for you, as it doesnt work for 95 per cent of those trying to quit. Research has found that combining different methods to quit has a higher chance of success than using one alone. The most important thing is to find the best approach that works for you. It is not easy to quit smoking, but with help, you can increase your chance of success. If you are trying to quit smoking there are several supports available, including seeking guidance from health care providers, visiting smoking cessation clinics, using medication and following self-help guides. Health care professionals, including pharmacists, can help assess your needs, come up with an individualized plan to help you quit and address any concerns you have about quitting. As a pharmacist, and someone qualified to support with smoking cessation, Ive put together some tips and resources to help you quit smoking: Remember, there is a light at the end of the tunnelWhen quitting smoking, you may experience uncomfortable symptoms including headaches, dizziness and fatigue. This is because your body becomes dependent on nicotine, so in its absence, your body will go through withdrawal. While withdrawal is unpleasant, it isnt harmful to your body, and it will get better overtime as you stay smoke-free. Crush the cravingsIts normal to have cravings when you quit, especially if you used tobacco regularly. There are many things you can do to manage cravings. Identifying and avoiding triggers, chewing sugarless gum and distracting yourself with physical activity are great starting points. Talk to your pharmacistSimply talking to a health care professional about quitting has been shown to increase motivation to quit. Your pharmacist is an accessible health care professional who can listen and provide information about smoking cessation, and help you develop an individualized plan. Your pharmacist can also recommend products to help you quit that may be available without a prescription. Quitting tobacco is hard but not impossible. Pharmacists are there to help you take one of the most important steps towards improving your health. Speak with one to learn more about the importance of quitting smoking and the supports and services available to you. Nathan Klaassen is a pharmacist and owner of your local Shoppers Drug Mart in Kelowna. This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet. Aleksandar Vucic is sworn in at the National Assembly for his second term as president of Serbia, in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 31, 2022. (Photo by Predrag Milosavljevic/Xinhua) BELGRADE, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Aleksandar Vucic was sworn in on Tuesday at the National Assembly here for his second term as president of Serbia. Following his victory in the April 3 presidential elections, where he won 58.59 percent of the votes cast, Vucic took the oath of office in front of Serbia's lawmakers, ministers, former presidents and diplomats. He said his priorities will include maintaining peace and stability in the region, and that he will work to keep the Balkan country on its European Union (EU) membership path. Recalling that Serbia is surrounded by member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Vucic said that his country would maintain its military neutrality and would strive for good relations with its neighbors. Touching upon the energy and food crisis caused by the conflict in Ukraine, Vucic prioritized the country's energy supply for next winter and said that Belgrade will want to be spared from the effects of the West's sanctions on Russia. So far, Serbia has refused to join these sanctions as it considers Russia its traditional and strategic partner. Stressing the importance of his country's trade and investments ties with the European Union (EU), he said that Serbia wishes to become "a society of a European type," and pledged further reforms to that end. He confirmed that the new government, led by his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), will be formed by the end of July. Aleksandar Vucic is sworn in at the National Assembly for his second term as president of Serbia, in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 31, 2022. (Photo by Predrag Milosavljevic/Xinhua) Aleksandar Vucic is sworn in at the National Assembly for his second term as president of Serbia, in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 31, 2022. (Photo by Predrag Milosavljevic/Xinhua) Aleksandar Vucic is sworn in at the National Assembly for his second term as president of Serbia, in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 31, 2022. (Photo by Predrag Milosavljevic/Xinhua) Photo: The Canadian Press Canada has imposed sanctions on Alina Kabaeva, who is reportedly the girlfriend of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The former Olympic gymnast is one of 22 close associates of the Russian regime added to the sanctions list over the country's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The United Kingdom sanctioned Kabaeva earlier this month and her name was also reported to have appeared on a draft list of individuals who could be sanctioned by the European Union. At the time, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly would not rule out making a similar move, saying Canada wanted to be in lockstep with its allies when it comes to imposing sanctions on people with ties to Putin. The latest round of sanctions, which also include four financial institutions, came into force last Friday. Canada has sanctioned more than 1,500 individuals and entities since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. Photo: The Canadian Press Alberta Finance Minister Travis Toews has officially entered the leadership contest to replace Jason Kenney as United Conservative Party leader and premier. Toews has not made a formal announcement, but has registered his candidacy on the Elections Alberta website. He could not be immediately reached for comment, but said last week he was considering a run. Toews is a first-term legislature member from the constituency of Grande Prairie-Wapiti and has been finance minister since the start of Kenneys government in April 2019. UCP backbencher Brian Jean and Danielle Smith both former Wildrose Party leaders have said they will run for Kenneys job, but have not yet moved to make it official. The party is working out the logistics of a vote and has not announce a date or any other details. Photo: The Canadian Press A woman uses a computer keyboard, in North Vancouver, B.C., on Wednesday, December, 19, 2012. Police say three men from Vancouver Island have been arrested for running a "dark web" drug-trafficking ring in Nanaimo, B.C., following an undercover investigation that began in early 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward Police say three men from Vancouver Island have been arrested for allegedly running a "dark web" drug-trafficking ring in Nanaimo, B.C., following an undercover investigation that began in early 2019. An RCMP news release Tuesday says a vendor calling itself AlwaysOverweight used cryptocurrency and encrypted messaging applications to sell drugs that included methamphetamine, oxycodone, cocaine, MDMA, Xanax and fentanyl that was advertised as heroin. The RCMP's organized crime division describes the dark web as the internets "third hidden layer," below the open web and deep web, and says it is accessed through special browsers that hide the digital footprint of users. Police say they were able to penetrate the criminal groups "digital barriers" and identified a Nanaimo, B.C., address as the vendors physical location. They say officers seized a variety of drugs, packaging, mailing envelopes, documents, cash, computers and data storage devices during searches. Police say three men were arrested in February 2020 and are scheduled to appear at the Nanaimo provincial courthouse June 7, charged with trafficking and other offences. Carbon prices rise due to increased coal demand speculators return to the market ICR Newsroom By 31 May 2022 By Frank O. Brannvoll, Brannvoll ApS, Denmark Carbon prices rose above EUR85 as increased compliance buying was seen due to a sharp upturn of coal-fired power generation in the EU, resulting in an estimated 60Mt of additional emissions. The demand was three times higher than the auctioned amounts in the latest auction, significantly supporting the exchange traded market. The speculators, which disappeared during March, appear to have returned to the market following the rise in the carbon price to above EUR80. Financial players are estimated at having increased their long positions by 40 per cent. The market is now driven by political news and how equity markets are performing, as well as an enhanced focus on green energy. However, in the long term this will make coal and gas burn lower. According to analyst group Vertis the market stability reserve (MSR) mechanism could absorb 321Mt of EUA in 2022-23, increasing the tightness of the market. In April the European Parliament voted to support a prolongation of the MSR until 2030, as part of an overall revision of the EU ETS. The EUA Dec 22 price is seen at EUR91.85 with an expected range of EUR85-95 (see Figure 1) with the former top of EUR85 setting a new floor. The EUR95-99 all-time high is still seen as major resistance and would need a specific event to break. Brannvoll ApS forecasts for 2022 a trading range EUR65-100, with an average of EUR80. Published under Bangladesh sees 22% increase in cement export revenue ICR Newsroom By 31 May 2022 Bangladesh has reported a 21.79 per cent YoY increase in revenue from cement exports in the 10MFY21-22 (July 2021-April 2022). Revenue for the period came in at US$7.77m, compared to US$6.38m in the same period a year earlier. This figure also includes minor quantities of salt, stone and other related products, according to the Bangladesh Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data. During the last fiscal year (July 2020-July 2021), Bangladeshs cement industry earned export revenue of US$7.26m, down 20.6 per cent on the US$9.14m seen in the same period a year earlier. The country currently exports cement to India, Myanmar, Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka. Published under MPA welcomes new chief executive ICR Newsroom By 31 May 2022 The Mineral Products Association (MPA) has appointed Jon Prichard as its new chief executive, effective from 1 October 2022. Mr Prichard will succeed Nigel Jackson, who is stepping down as chief executive after 13 years in the role. Mr Prichard joins the MPA from the Institution of Chemical Engineers, where he is currently chief executive, and has previously held positions at the Engineering Council, consulting engineers Rendel and the Institution of Civil Engineers, following 19 years in the Royal Engineers in the British Army. I am delighted to announce Jon as MPAs new chief executive. He brings a wealth of senior leadership experience managing membership organisations as well as working with wider stakeholders. He will be ideally placed to lead the association over the coming years, as the voice of the mineral and mineral products sector, said Simon Willis, chairman, MPA. Jon will build on the tremendous work Nigel has undertaken during his tenure, building, growing and unifying the MPA into the respected sectoral trade association it has become. Published under Missed Delivery? If missed delivery or wet paper please call our office 909-628-5501 ext 110 Leave a detailed message with name, address, and phone number. Readers must call before 1 p.m. on Saturday. Re-deliveries are available for Chino residents until 1 p.m. Saturdays. Click Here 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 BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine: Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the situation in Ukraine during a telephone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday. Putin noted that Russia was ready to "facilitate the unhindered sea transit of goods" in coordination with the Turkish side, adding that this also applied to grain exports from Ukrainian ports. The Turkish president emphasized the need for steps that will "minimize the negative effects of the conflict and build trust by re-establishing the ground of peace between Russia and Ukraine as soon as possible." - - - - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that he had talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with both sides agreeing on the need to restore peace in Ukraine. According to a statement issued by Erdogan's office, the two leaders discussed the recent developments in the Ukrainian crisis, and Erdogan said Turkey attached importance to the project of creating a safe corridor for the export of Ukraine's agricultural products by sea. Erdogan said Turkey had made every effort to continue the negotiations between Ukraine and Russia and that his country was ready to provide the needed support including mediation, the statement said. - - - - Russia's Gazprom Export said Monday it would suspend gas supplies to Dutch energy company GasTerra from Tuesday due to its refusal to pay in rubles. GasTerra announced that it did not intend to pay for the supplied gas in rubles, Gazprom said, adding that it would suspend deliveries from May 31 until a payment is made in accordance with a Russian presidential decree from March. - - - - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday met with visiting French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna to discuss support for Kiev, the presidential press service said. The parties talked about the assistance in armaments, strengthening sanctions on Russia and bringing Ukraine closer to European Union membership, according to a statement on the Ukrainian presidential website. - - - - A new division of the Azov Battalion of Ukraine has been formed in the eastern city of Kharkiv, the Ukrainian UNIAN news agency reported on Monday. The soldiers of the newly-formed military unit will defend the Kharkiv region from Russian forces, the agency said. The Azov Battalion, which is part of the Ukrainian National Guard, took part in the battle for Mariupol, a key Azov Sea port city that had been under siege for more than two months. Samantha Jo Hess, 23, of Kingsport, is dead following a boating accident involving a pontoon boat and a personal watercraft on South Holston Lake in Sullivan County. Hess was pronounced dead at Bristol Medical Center. Wildlife officers say that around 6 p.m., a pontoon boat with three occupants on board collided with a PWC carrying two passengers just upstream of 421 bridge access area and Laurel Marina. The male operator and the passenger, Ms. Hess, of the PWC were transported by boat back to 421 access area where they were met by emergency services. The male victim was airlifted to Johnson City Medical Center with serious injuries and Ms.Hess was pronounced dead at Bristol Medical Center. Both PWC occupants were wearing personal flotation devices. No one on board the pontoon boat was injured. TWRA offers prayers and condolences for all involved and the incident remains under investigation. The Scenic City Chorale will perform a free concert at the Jewish Cultural Center, 5461 North Terrace Road, on Sunday, June 12 at 3 p.m.. To celebrate Flag Day, patriotic arrangements of songs such as America, Sing the Stars and Stripes and From Sea to Shining Sea will be included in the program. Additional arrangements of Love Is a Many Splendored Thing, Elijah Rock and Hine Ma Tov will also be included. For more information or to register visit www.jewishchattanooga.com. Scenic City Chorale is an all-volunteer organization comprised of mostly retired persons who love music, and especially love to sing. The 60 member choir meets once weekly for rehearsal and performs concerts throughout the greater Chattanooga and North Georgia areas. The Chorale performs concerts for community groups, private events, in assisted living and nursing facilities. The music director is Ron Starnes. The chorale manager and music librarian is Bobbie Howell. Accompanists are Freda Hart, Nancy Teague and Gene Wolfe. Mrs. Teague also serves as assistant director. Begun under the auspices of Chattanooga Senior Neighbors, and later by the Alexian Brothers entity, the Chorale is now independent. Cherokee Area Council Scouts and volunteers placed over 48,000 American flags at Chattanooga National Cemetery for Memorial Day Observances. The cemetery staff, Chattanooga Area Veterans Council and the Cherokee council is asking for the publics assistance with picking up those flags. The small American flags are rolled in bundles of ten and stored until the next year. Volunteers can report to the cemetery office between the hours of 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday of this week until complete. Call 423-855-6590 ext. 5272 for additional information. Agents with the Lookout Mountain Drug Task Force executed a search warrant on Thursday at 106 Straub St. in Rossville and made 17 drug arrests. Agents located approximately five pounds of methamphetamine and 15 grams of fentanyl. During the last month, agents have made several arrests and confiscated approximately seven pounds of methamphetamine, one ounce of fentanyl, 10 pounds of marijuana, and hundreds of oxycodone pills in the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit. Walker County Sheriff Office, Chattooga County Sheriff Office, Dade County Sheriff Office, Trion Police Department, Summerville Police Department, Fort Oglethorpe Police Department, and The Georgia Department of Community Supervision assisted in the arrests. Agents arrested the following people: Martin Lee Burnette of Rossville Trafficking methamphetamine, trafficking fentanyl, and parole violation. Haley Cheyenne Bryant of Rossville Trafficking methamphetamine, trafficking fentanyl, and parole violation. Timothy Sweeney of Summerville Possession with intent to distribute Schedule II oxycodone, possession of methamphetamine, and probation violation. Kara Mayes of Summerville Possession of methamphetamine. George Edward Stephens of Rossville Trafficking methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Natasha Reenee Rutledge of Rossville Trafficking Methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute Marijuana, and probation violation. Meliisa Renae Massengale of Rossville Trafficking methamphetamine. Barry Ryan Bryant of Rossville Trafficking methamphetamine. Thomas Roberts of Trion Trafficking methamphetamine. Ashley Nicole Walker of Chattanooga Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of heroin, possession of fentanyl, and several felony warrants. Fred Micahel McClain of Chattanooga Possession of heroin and possession of fentanyl. William Clayton Milam of Summerville Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Daniel Tyler Healan of Rossville Possession of fentanyl Orville Deron Wallin of Trion Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Dalmous Richard Holbrook of Trion Trafficking methamphetamine and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. Abigail Mae Ridge of Wildwood Possession of Schedule II adderall and possession of Schedule II hydrocodone. Leslie Lay of Trenton Trafficking fentanyl. The Lookout Mountain Drug Task Force is a multi-jurisdictional task force made up of the Walker County Sheriff Office, the Chattooga County Sheriff Office, the Dade County Sheriff Office, the Trion Police Department, and the Department of Community Supervision. 90 Day Fiance fans are eager to find out if season 9 couple, Emily Bieberly and Kobe Blaise, will have a happily ever after ending this season. Do Kobe and Emily overcome their obstacles and get married? Heres everything we know. Warning: this article contains spoilers for 90 Day Fiance Season 9 Emily and Kobe in 90 Day Fiance Season 9 | TLC Kobe and Emilys 90 Day Fiance journey so far 29-year-old Emily met 34-year-old Kobe while teaching English in Xian, China. The two began dancing at a nightclub. One thing led to another, and what was supposed to be a one-night-stand transformed into a full-fledged engagement. During the end of her stay in China, Emily found out she was pregnant with Kobes baby. Emily had to return home to Salina, Kansas, and Kobe returned to Cameroon, Africa. However, Kobe missed the birth of his son due to visa delays caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Two years later, Kobes K-1 visa was finally approved, and the couple is starting their lives together in the small, mid-western town, Salina. On 90 Day Fiance Season 9, Kobe finally meets his son for the first time. The TLC show documented the heartwarming moment between father and son. Now, Kobe is adjusting to his new role as father to Koben and soon-to-be husband to Emily, but not without difficulties. After many episodes of Kobe and Emily arguing, audiences want to know if this 90 Day Fiance couple will have what it takes to get married before the end of the 90 days. Do Emily and Kobe get married in 90 Day Fiance Season 9? 90 Day Fiance cast members are under a non-disclosure agreement, making it so they cannot speak about their relationship status. There are some hints that suggest Kobe and Emily are still together. Here are the clues that indicate that Kobe and Emily get married during 90 Day Fiance Season 9. Both Kobe and Emilys Instagram accounts have photos of each other. On May 8, Kobe made a tribute to Emily in honor of Mothers data. He posted a series of photos of Emily when she was pregnant with their son. Check out the Instagram post below: He captioned the post: Happy Mothers Day to all the beautiful moms out there whove been through a lot just to put a smile on a childs face. I wish my mom was still Alive so I could tell her how much I love her but still, I got this wonderful woman who has made my life more meaningful. Babe, you are an example of what a good mom is all about, I love you and I really appreciate all youve been through in raising koban in my absence. Happy Mothers Day once again. In the comments of the post, Kobe gushes over Emily. He wrote, Shes my queen. Because Emilys Instagram is chalked full of photos of her and Kobe, its safe to say that this couple ends up working through their issues and gets married in season 9. Relationship hurdles Emily and Kobe have to overcome Its not going to be easy for this couple. Since Kobe arrived in Kansas, hes been trying to adjust to his new role as a father to Koben. However, Emily feels uncomfortable trusting Kobe to take care of their son. Kobe is growing tired of dealing with Emilys nagging and digging about his competency as a father. Will Emily be able to let up on the control and let Kobe step into his role? This is yet to be seen. Another major hurdle in their relationship is that Kobe feels uncomfortable living in small-town Salina, where he feels out of place with the lack of diversity. Also, cultural differences, such as how long Emily should breastfeed her son, have also become a point of contention for this couple. While its not confirmed that Emily and Kobe will get married, it seems pretty sure that this couple will end up together. It will be interesting to see how they will go from arguing all of the time to becoming a functioning family unit. While its not impossible, it seems like there will be plenty of growing pains. 90 Day Fiance Season 9 airs Sundays at 8 pm EST on TLC. RELATED: 90 Day Fiance Spoilers: Do Kara and Guillermo Get Married in Season 9? Hunter Schafer and Dominic Fike sparked romance rumors while filming Euphoria Season 2. Now, Fike is speaking out about his relationship with Schafer and how everything progressed between them. Heres what the musician-turned-actor said about their relationship progressing quickly. Are Dominic Fike and Hunter Schafer in a relationship? Fike just confirmed Dominic Fike and Hunter Schafer attend the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar Party | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic Romance rumors swirled during Euphoria Season 2. So, are Dominic Fike and Hunter Schafer in a relationship? According to FIke, hes totally smitten with Schafer and the answer is yes. The romance rumors between the couple started in January 2022. J-14 notes the co-stars were spotted holding hands while getting a bite to eat. Then, in February 2022, Fike posted a photo on Instagram of him and Schafer kissing. By April 2022, the couple made a red carpet appearance at the Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty. Finally, Fike confirmed the couples relationship status with GQ. Page Six reports Fike talked to the publication about his romance with Schafer in the June/July 2022 issue of the magazine. He said the relationship sped up while shooting Euphoria #Euphoria star Dominic Fike FINALLY confirms relationship with Hunter Schafer right after his Amber Heard commentshttps://t.co/Gb2mzSgjOM Perez Hilton (@PerezHilton) May 31, 2022 Dominic Fike and Hunter Schafer seem to have a unique connection that was born, and accelerated, by filming Euphoria. In those moments, your relationship is accelerated because youre so vulnerable with someone, immediately. Which usually takes a long time, Fike explained to GQ, according to Page Six. Some people fall in love, like, f***ing months after they meet, or years after. We developed an attraction it sped it up so fast. We just really got to know each other so quickly. Fike then noted hes in love with Schafer, and he even admitted to going to the Prada store in New York City eight times in four days just to see his girlfriends face. Schafer has yet to make any public comments about her relationship with Fike. But she did post new photos from her Prada photo shoot to her Instagram, which are seemingly a few of the ones Fikes referring to spotting when stopping by the storefront. Will Dominic Fike and Hunter Schafer join the Euphoria Season 3 cast? 'Euphoria' Season 3: Everything We Know So Far https://t.co/Hut7Kyzmcw Marie Claire (@marieclaire) May 11, 2022 Dominic Fike and Hunter Schafer clearly have a strong romance in 2022. What does that mean for Euphoria Season 3? Will both cast members make a reappearance? Fike plans on returning. Do you think well see you back in season 3? Jimmy Fallon asked him while he guest-starred on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. To that, Fike replied, Absolutely. Though its unclear what show creator Sam Levinson has in mind for the character. As for Schafer, shes been a pivotal character since the very beginning of Euphoria, but fans noticed she played less of a role in season 2. What does this mean for her character moving forward? Schafer hasnt commented on season 3 just yet. But it sounds like HBO would love for the entire cast and crew to return for another season. Sam, Zendaya, and the entire cast and crew of Euphoria have taken Season 2 to extraordinary heights, challenging narrative convention and form, while maintaining its heart, Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, explained to Deadline. We couldnt be more honored to work with this gifted, wildly talented team or more excited to continue our journey with them into season 3. For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheets YouTube channel. RELATED: Euphoria: Dominic Fike Took Shrooms Before His Audition Baz Luhrmann, director of the Elvis Presley biopic Elvis, claims there was only one other actor he has seen generate as much hysteria as Austin Butler did on the Met Gala red carpet. That actor was Leonardo DiCaprio, ahead of his starring role in 1997s Titanic. Prior, DiCaprio starred in Luhrmanns 1996 film Romeo + Juliet alongside Claire Danes. Austin Butler and Leonardo DiCaprio | Samir Hussein/WireImage/CBS via Getty Images Austin Butler and Elvis cast received a 12-minute standing ovation at Cannes At the films premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in France, Butler and the cast of Luhrmanns film received a 12-minute standing ovation, the longest of the entire event. Variety reported that the audience in attendance for the films world premiere kept the applause going for the films cast. However, the crowd also spontaneously erupted with appreciation when the actor recreated some of Presleys greatest hits in the film, including Jailhouse Rock, Blue Suede Shoes, and Suspicious Minds, Variety reported. Elvis is Butlers first lead role in a motion picture. Baz Luhrmann said Austin Butler generated the same hysteria as Leonardo DiCaprio pre-Titanic Elvis cast members gathered on the red carpet to honor the film at the 2022 Met Gala. Luhrmann spoke of the response Butler received when members of the cast, and Elvis Presleys wife Priscilla, gathered together for the annual Met Gala on May 2. Luhrmann referenced a crucial moment in the trailer for Elvis when speaking of Butlers effect on fans. In the film, Presley and his soon-to-be manager, Col. Tom Parker, played by Tom Hanks, speak about their future as business partners. Parker says to Presley in the clip, are you ready? Presley responds, ready. Read to fly. That ready-to-fly moment is happening for Austin, and I know because we went to the Met Gala together, Luhrmann said to The New York Times. As soon as we got on the red carpet, there was keening from fans. Not just screaming. Keening. Ive only heard that sound once before. I was with a young actor whose name was Leo. Leo refers to actor DiCaprio, who had become the hottest young actor in the industry after starring in Luhrmanns Romeo + Juliet. Luhrmann, who worked with DiCaprio 26 years prior, was intrigued by Butlers Elvis audition tape For his audition, Butler performed a version of Presleys 1977 hit Unchained Melody. His performance reportedly stopped Luhrmann in his tracks. Was it an audition? Or was he having a breakdown? Luhrmann said in an interview with GQ. Both Butler and Presley lost their mothers when they were 23. Butler delivered on that feeling of loss when putting together his audition tape. And I thought, What could I do with this feeling?' Butler said to CBS News. Well, what if I pour it into a song right now? Thats what Elvis would do. And so, I sat down, and I played Unchained Melody, which, if you look at the words, in one way, its really about missing somebody and needing love. And so, I sang it to my mom, and thats what got Bazs attention, the actor explained. The motion picture Elvis debuts in theaters on June 24. RELATED: Elvis: Austin Butler Hopes Fans Can See Elvis Presleys Soul in Biopic FXs Mayans MC breathes new life into the Sons of Anarchy universe and it also brought actor JD Pardo to the forefront. Pardo plays Ezekiel EZ Reyes, a recurring character introduced from the very beginning who goes on to play a pivotal role after getting voted into the charter and moving up the ranks. Aside from Mayans MC, heres where fans have seen Pardo before. Who is Mayans MC actor JD Pardo? He plays Ezekiel EZ Reyes JD Pardo as EZ Reyes in Mayans MC | Prashant Gupta/FX JD Pardo is well-known for playing Ezekiel EZ Reyes in Mayans MC. According to TV Overmind, the actor was born in September 1980 in Panama City, California. Before his acting career took off, he modeled for brands like Sketchers and Tommy Hilfiger. By 2001, he had his first acting role in the television series Titans. Pardo is happy to have joined Mayans MC, as he believes the show highlights real-life issues going on with poverty, drugs, and immigration. Not only does the show provide action and drama, but it highlights real power struggles. Im blown away by [showrunner Elgin James] ability to see the world and tell the story in such an organic way, Pardo told UPI. Theres a lot going on in Mayans. Any story, you have to believe a part of it, right? We bring in elements to the story that are real. Heres where fans have seen JD Pardo before JD Pardo as EZ Reyes | Prashant Gupta/FX While JD Pardo has attained a lot of notoriety by joining the Mayans MC cast, this is far from his first notable production. According to IMDb, he played Jesus in the series East Los High from 2015 to 2017. He also had a recurring role as Raul Garcia in the TV series The Messengers in 2015, and he played Jason Neville in the NBC Thriller Revolution from 2012 to 2014. In 2007, Pardo played Sean Salazer in the series Drive. Other series credits include American Dreams, Clubhouse, and Hidden Palms. Pardo also had a small role in the Twilight movie series. He played Nahuel in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2. In 2021, he also took on a role in F9: The Fast Saga. He spoke to Collider about joining the Fast family after working on Mayans. When you jump onto something as big as Fast, that family has been established, the crew, everybody knows each other, so I really went into it as in, How can I serve this family? Pardo said. And for me, the crew always comes first. Theyre the first ones there, theyre the last ones to leave so I put them first. I put their needs first. TV Overmind notes Pardo was also nominated for the Imagen Award for Best Actor/Television in 2007 for his role as a transgender woman in Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story. Did Mayans MC get canceled? What to know about season 5 Mayans MC Season 4 is currently airing. Where does the show stand for the future? Will fans get to see JD Pardo reprise his role in Mayans MC Season 5? According to TV Series Finale, the show has yet to receive a confirmation on a possible renewal. But its past ratings likely indicate fans will see another season. Mayans MC Season 4 is substantially down in ratings from season 3 (it reportedly averages a 0.17 rating in the 18-49 demographic, which is down 23% from season 3 viewership). Given the higher viewership in the past and the shows loyal fanbase, perhaps FX will give the show another chance to pull in viewers with season 5. Mayans MC Season 4 airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on FX. For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheets YouTube channel. RELATED: Mayans MC Season 4: Sofias Tattoo Explained and Why She Went to Prison The Conjuring movie details Ed and Lorraine Warrens experiences with the paranormal, including the real-life house that inspired the first film in the franchise. The property, located at 1677 Round Top Road in Burrillville, Rhode Island, went up for sale in September 2021. The Conjuring house sold on May 26, 2022, for $1.525 million, well above the asking price. Find out who purchased the haunted home and what they intend to do with the property that inspired James Wans film. Previous owners Jennifer and Cory Heinzen pose in the windows of The Conjuring house | Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images The Conjuring house sold for $1.2 million more than the asking price Jacqueline Nunez, owner of the real estate development group WonderGroup LLC and deep believer in the paranormal, purchased the home that inspired The Conjuring. I came to visit and thought, I have to have this house,' Nunez told The Boston Globe. Nunez paid around $1.525 million, more than 25 percent of the $1.2 million asking price. New owner of The Conjuring house will continue running paranormal business the Heinzen Family started Nunez plans to continue the Heinzen Familys paranormal business. Corey and Jennifer Heinzen, paranormal investigators, purchased the four-bedroom, two-bathroom farmhouse in 2019 for $439,000. Visits to the property will continue nightly, as will day tours and live-streamed events from The Conjuring house. Additionally, Nunez wants to keep the Heinzens involved with the goings on. Im proud of them, Nunez added. They are upstanding people with great integrity. I know I have big shoes to fill, and I intend to do it. This purchase is personal for me, Nunez elaborated. Its not a real estate development. Its around my own beliefs. She continued: I believe we are conscious beings having a human experience and that our consciousness continues on, we are here to learn things in life and help our species evolve morally and culturally. This house is an opportunity to connect with people whove moved on and died, thats the interactivity here and the engagement with the people who have passed. Jacqueline Nunez, The Boston Globe Heinzen Family experienced paranormal activity at the Farm on Round Top Road As soon as the Heinzens moved in, they started experiencing the paranormal. Footsteps, knocks, weve had lights flashing in rooms, and when i say lights flashing in rooms, its rooms that dont have light in there to begin with, the Heinzens told KETK, a local Fox News affiliate. In the 1970s, the Perron family with five daughters lived in the house, which was built in 1736. Wans movie The Conjuring follows the Warrens (Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga) who seek to help the Perrons. Tours of The Conjuring home According to their website, all available tour dates for The Conjuring house are booked for the rest of 2022. We are taking a break from day tours at this time, a notice on the site reads. We will update our website and Facebook page when we are ready to add more dates! To see more from the Heinzen family, including evidence of their experiences, visit their Facebook page. Stream The Conjuring franchise, including the latest installment The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, on HBO Max. RELATED: 5 Disturbing Horror Movie Scenes That You Just Cant Unsee An international research team has now succeeded in detecting hydrotrioxides (ROOOH) for the first time under atmospheric conditions. Until now, there was only speculation that these organic compounds with the unusual OOOH group exist. In laboratory experiments, their formation during the oxidation of important hydrocarbons, such as isoprene and alpha-pinene, have been clearly demonstrated. By means of quantum chemical calculations and model calculations, important data on this new class of substances have been estimated. About 10 million metric tonnes per year of them are formed in the Earth's atmosphere through isoprene oxidation. The lifetime of ROOOHs is estimated to be minutes to hours. Hydrotrioxides represent a hitherto unnoticed class of substances in the atmosphere, the effects of which on health and the environment need to be investigated, write the researchers led by the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) in the current issue of the scientific journal SCIENCE. The lower layer of our earth's atmosphere is a large chemical reactor in which several 100 million metric tonnes of hydrocarbons are converted each year, which ultimately leads to the formation of carbon dioxide and water. These hydrocarbons are emitted by forests or anthropogenic sources. A wide variety of oxidation processes occur, only some of which are well understood. One recent focus of atmospheric research is on hydrotrioxides (ROOOH). These are gaseous substances with a group consisting of three consecutive oxygen atoms "O" and a hydrogen atom "H", which is bonded to an organic rest (R). Hydroperoxides (ROOH) with two oxygen atoms have long been known and proven. In the literature, it has previously been speculated that there could be substances in the atmosphere carrying not only two oxygen atoms (ROOH) but also three oxygen atoms (ROOOH). In organic synthesis, hydrotrioxides are used to form special oxidation products in the reaction with alkenes. However, these reactive and thermally unstable hydrotrioxides are produced there in organic solvents at very low temperatures around -80C and further react. Whether this substance class also exists as a gas in the atmosphere at significantly higher temperatures was unknown until now. In their study, researchers from the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS), the University of Copenhagen and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have now been able to provide direct evidence for the first time that the formation of hydrotrioxides also takes place under atmospheric conditions from the reaction of peroxy radicals (RO2) with hydroxyl radicals (OH). The laboratory investigations were mainly performed at TROPOS in Leipzig in a free-jet flow tube at room temperature and a pressure of 1 bar air - combined with the use of very sensitive mass spectrometers. Additional experimental information, especially on the stability of the hydrotrioxides, was provided by the investigations at Caltech. Quantum chemical calculations were performed by the University of Copenhagen to describe the reaction mechanisms as well as the temperature- and photostability of hydrotrioxides. Global simulations from TROPOS with the chemistry-climate model ECHAM-HAMMOZ enabled an initial assessment of the effects on the Earth's atmosphere. "It is really exciting to show the existence of a universal new class of compounds formed from atmospherically prevalent precursors (RO2 and OH radicals)," reports Prof. Henrik G. Kjrgaard from the University of Copenhagen. "It is very surprising that these interesting molecules are so stable with such a high oxygen content. Further research is needed to determine the role of hydrotrioxides for health and the environment," emphasises Dr. Torsten Berndt from TROPOS. "Our study has shown that direct observation of hydrotrioxides using mass spectrometry is feasible. This means that it is now possible to further investigate these compounds in different systems including, perhaps, the quantification of their abundance in the environment." explains Prof. Paul O. Wennberg from Caltech. The significance of the first successful detection of this new substance class "hydrotrioxides" will only become clear in the next few years. However, with the experimental proof and the current knowledge, the research study by Berndt et al. has laid first groundwork that should also awake the interest of other research groups. The Eco-Justice Council at St. Peters Episcopal Church in Cheshire will host two forums on consecutive Sundays on Going Solar. The first forum, on June 5, will examine the how and why of installing solar panels at your home, with guest speaker Art Marcelynas offering a presentation and guiding the discussion. Marcelynas is a retired official from the states Public Utility Regulatory Authority (PURA) who has vast experience working with energy suppliers and solar energy companies. The second forum, on June 12, will be led by homeowners who have gone solar and can share their experiences the pluses and minuses with the audience, especially those who have considered going solar but hesitate to take that leap of faith. The goal of these forums is to take the mystery out of solar energy and to encourage members of the community to embrace alternative energy options as the world confronts and adapts to global climate change. The forums will be held in the Parish Hall of St. Peters Episcopal Church, 59 Main St., at 11 a.m. on both dates. The event is free and open to all members of the community. The Eco-Justice Council is dedicated to working together to build a just and sustainable ecological ethic that informs our actions every day, based on cooperation, mindfulness, simplicity, temperance and respect for nature. Standing tall in the raised pulpit of the St. Martini congregation in the northern German city of Bremen, Olaf Latzel, 54, cut a stark figure in his black gown and two white preaching tabs. But it wasnt his presence that caused a stir in Germany; it was what he had been preaching from that pulpit. In October 2019, in a marriage seminar for about 30 couples, Latzel commented on what he called the homolobby. He attacked homosexuality, calling it degenerative, and said, These criminals are running around everywhere during the Berlin Pride Parade. All this gender s, he said, is an attack against Gods order of creation. It is demonic and satanic. The address was posted on YouTube, where the words of the United Protestant Church minister raised a furor. The regional body of the church, which has a quasi-official status in Germany, initiated disciplinary proceedings. The local government launched an investigation and ultimately prosecuted Latzel for hate speech. Latzels case has attracted less international attention than a similar one in Finland, where a politician was prosecuted for tweeting out Bible verses and a Lutheran bishop for publishing a pamphlet on biblical gender roles. But in both, observers saw a long-expected clash, as increasing concerns for the dignity and rights of LGBT people came into conflict with deep commitments to free speech and religious liberty. This month, however, a German court decided that the Bremen minister is not guilty of inciting hatred against LGBT people. On May 20, 2022, Judge Hendrik Gohner said that these statements are more than alienating from a social point of viewespecially from one holding such a high office. However, the theological distinction between human beings and lived practice, Gohner said, can be hard to discern. While Latzel condemned homosexual practices as well as theories of gender fluidity, he was found to not incite hatred against individuals. The judge reasoned that while the condemnation of homosexuality seemed to him strange statements, Latzel was nonetheless not guilty of hate speech. Latzels lawyer said his client is happy and relieved about the acquittal. The ruling overturned a Bremen District Court decision from 2020, which said the minister had committed hate speech and sentenced him to three months in prison, commuted to a fine of 8,100 (about $8,680). The presiding judge Ellen Best justified her verdict with the statement that Olaf Latzel incited hatred against homosexuals by having the marriage seminar put online, said Regina Konig, a reporter for the German evangelical outlet ERF Medien. The judge said it was fearmongering. The fact that the defendant condemned homosexuality from the perspective of the Bible was irrelevant. The trial caused a nationwide stir. Amid the furor, Latzels church, St. Martini, was tagged with pro-LGBT graffiti. Supporters of LGBT rights see Latzels acquittal as a worrying sign that anti-gay hate speech can hide behind religion. They see churches as havens for bigotry. Protesting outside the court, they held up rainbow-colored signs with slogans like You cant pray the gay away. One protester told local media, "Latzel is the figurehead of a whole movement of right-wing political evangelical Christians and represents their anti-human values." Latzel, at the same time, has a small but vocal group of supporters, especially among conservative Christians in the mainline Protestant churches and the free churches in Germany. They hold Latzel up as an example of how LGBT rights threaten to criminalize traditional Christian teaching. Latzels public defense lawyer, Hamburg-based Sascha Bottner, said the prosecution opened a gateway to restricting freedom of expression. He also argued in his defense that the Bremen church had engineered the public conflict because some of the leadership wanted to get rid of Latzel, who is an outspoken and controversial conservative. Latzel garnered international headlines in 2016 when his bombastic sermons were condemned by fellow pastors in the Bremen region. The regional body of the United Protestant Church suspended its disciplinary proceedings while Latzel was facing criminal charges. Now that those charges have been dismissed, it will revive the internal investigation. At the same time, the public prosecutors office is considering whether to appeal the verdict. In Finland, after the member of parliament was cleared of hate speech charges, prosecutors appealed. Some observers expect the case to go all the way to the European Court of Human Rights. Whether or not German prosecutors also appeal the ruling clearing Latzel, Berlin-based Catholic theologian Georg Essen said there will likely be more clashes to come. The verdict is appropriate from a legal perspective, Essen, who specializes in constitutional issues and state-church law, told the German Catholic news agency. The legal hurdles to convicting someone of incitement to hatred are very high. It's not enough to be harsh on or insult someone. There must be a public call for hatred and a threat to public peaceand that must be clear in a court of law. But that doesnt mean its the end of the conflict. We are living in a situation of social upheaval, he said. For about ten years, there has been increased debate on access to marriage for homosexuals and the importance of queer identities. Traditional ways of life and gender identities are in flux. It would be strange if there weren't upheavals and conflicts. ELCA head calls for resignation of denomination's first trans-identified bishop The head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has called for the resignation of the liberal mainline denomination's first trans-identified bishop amid allegations of racism and other issues. ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton issued a statement last Friday concluding that she will not file official charges against The Rev. Megan Rohrer, who was installed last year as the leader of the California-based ELCA Sierra Pacific Synod. However, Eaton still believes that Rohrer should resign. "While I am not inaugurating formal disciplinary processes at this time, there remain enough serious concerns that influence Bishop Rohrer's ability to remain impactful in their role that I have asked Bishop Rohrer for their resignation, which I believe to be in the best interest of all parties involved," stated Eaton. "I believe that Bishop Rohrer has lost the trust and confidence of many constituents, both within and without the Sierra Pacific Synod. I have asked Bishop Rohrer to attend their assembly, speak and listen to their constituents, and give this the prayerful consideration it deserves after which I will expect their response." Eaton believes that "this decision will not bring closure to individuals on either side" but feels it is "a necessary step so that we can move forward and focus now on additional ways to facilitate healing." "We strive to address the ways that all forms of injustice limit participation and harm people, communities, and the whole body of Christ. That work will never be done, but together, we must continue to do and be better," Eaton concluded. In response to Eaton's request, Rohrer retweeted supportive posts on Twitter, saying, "I'm listening deeply and prayerfully discerning." Last September, Rohrer became the first trans-identified individual to become a bishop in the ELCA. Previously, the bishop served as community chaplain coordinator for the San Francisco Police Department and pastor of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in San Francisco. After being installed, multiple allegations of racism and other unethical behavior surfaced, with the LGBT group Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries suspending Rohrer's membership. In a statement last December, the ELM board claimed that Rohrer had "an existing pattern of behavior" that put the bishop at odds with "ELM's Mission, Vision, and Values specifically as it pertains to being an anti-racist organization." "This suspension is not only a response to recent harm done by the Sierra Pacific Synod Council and Bishop Rohrer to the Latinx community in Stockton, CA. This is a decision that ELM staff and Board have been discerning for much of 2021," stated the board. In March, the Congregation Council of Our Savior's Lutheran Church, a Fresno-based ELCA congregation with about 50% LGBT membership, passed a resolution calling for the removal of Rohrer and the Synod Council. The resolution cited Rohrer's alleged mistreatment and firing of Pastor Nelson Rabell-Gonzalez of Mision Latina Luterana, litigation surrounding Rohrer's actions as pastor of Grace Lutheran Evangelical Church of San Francisco and other issues. "Rohrer's approach to pastoral ministry is incompatible with the expectations of ordained clergy of the ELCA a pattern of abuse, bullying, manipulation of facts, deceit, and character assassination," stated the resolution. "[T]he episcopate of Bishop Megan Rohrer, the first transgender bishop of the ELCA, should be cause for great celebration but, instead, by their actions as both Pastor of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in San Francisco and as Bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod, their episcopate is an embarrassment to the LGBTQIA+ members of Our Saviour's Lutheran Church and its Mision Esperanza." In response to the outcry, Eaton created a "listening team" in March that conducted interviews of various people in the Sierra Pacific Synod regarding Rohrer's leadership. "There are profound issues regarding the circumstances surrounding the end of Nelson Rabell-Gonzalez' call to the Mision Latina Luterana community on the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a day of such importance to that congregation and community," Eaton said in her Friday statement. "My decision was not made hastily nor without much deep consideration but is necessitated by a careful analysis of both the totality of information available and the disciplinary criteria and processes as described in the Constitution, Bylaws, and Continuing Resolutions of the ELCA." "Unwise decisions while they may be insensitive or in hindsight seen as misguided are not automatically grounds for discipline," Eaton added. "A high burden of proof exists to translate allegations into substantive findings that can be presented to a disciplinary body. In this situation that high burden was not able to be met. Moreover, disciplinary proceedings that would be likely to arrive at a similar conclusion as my review are time-consuming and risk delay in the necessary healing processes that must occur." Ukrainian Orthodox Church severs ties with Moscow over Patriarch Kirill's support for Putin's war A branch of Ukraine's Orthodox Church announced Friday that it's breaking from Russia over President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, declaring its "full independence" against Russia's spiritual authorities. The decision followed a meeting of the church leadership. In a statement, its council condemned Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine and Patriarch Kirill, the head of Russia's church, for supporting the "special military operation" in Ukraine. "The council has approved the corresponding additions and changes to the Statute on the Management of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, indicating the full autonomy and independence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church," the council said in a statement published on its page Friday. Kirill has backed the war in a series of sermons, calling for Russians to "rally around" the authorities, accusing "enemies" of attempting to destroy the unity between Russia and Ukraine. On Sunday, the Moscow church leader released a statement in response to the decision by its branch in Ukraine to cut ties. "We fully understand how the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is suffering today," Kirill said, according to The Moscow Times. The church leader and Putin ally warned that the "spirits of malice" are trying to divide the Orthodox people of Russia and Ukraine but insisted they would not succeed. Former DIA Intelligence Officer and Putin's Playbook author Rebekah Koffler described the Ukraine Orthodox Church's move as a "huge blow" to Putin. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Koffler said "Kirill and Putin are buddies," adding that Russia's president "has weaponized the Russian Orthodox religion as a geopolitical tool." "The idea of Putin unifying the Russian world, including Ukraine and other post-Soviet states, hinges on the idea that Russia is the center of Christianity and the center of the unique Eurasian civilization that the Russians believe is exceptional just like Americans think America is exceptional," the analyst said. "Once the church splits, it takes the whole divinity idea out of it." The analyst speculated that it was unlikely that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church would join the Kyiv-based Orthodox Church Ukraine after declaring its independence. She predicted that some Ukrainian Orthodox parishes would remain in Moscow, however, despite the decision. "With Russian forces gradually but steadily establishing control over Eastern and Southern Ukraine Putin's primary goal at this phase of the war they have to balance their parishioners' interests," Koffler explained. "Some of the priests may decide to stick with Moscow, in order to survive a possible new regime if Putin succeeds in securing full control of Donbas and establish the so-called 'Novorossiya' (new Russia)." The analyst noted that the split is likely due to Putin's targeting of civilians to put pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. According to the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, at least 3,930 people have been killed, 4,532 have been injured, and more than 6 million have fled their homes since the invasion began. "Regardless of whose side you're on, even if you buy into Putin's explanation for why he's doing it, you can't, as a spiritual person, condone civilian deaths," Koffler said. "Bottom line, the split punches a hole in Putin's narrative that the Russians and Ukrainians are spiritually and ethnically one people and therefore Ukraine should not exist as a separate country." In July 2019,more than 500 congregations joined the newly created Orthodox Church of Ukraine seven months after it left the Russian-affiliated church and was granted autocephaly. Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, the "first among equals" in the Orthodox Church, allowed the creation of an independent church in Ukraine. Many in the Eastern European nation had requested the new church in response to Russia's 2014 annexation of the Crimea from Ukraine. The Russian Orthodox Church announced in October it was severing ties with the central Orthodox Church community in protest of the decision. The Ukrainian invasion has led to tense relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and other parishes. In March, the Russian Orthodox Parish of Saint Nicholas of Myra in Amsterdam announced on Facebook it was seeking to leave the Russian Orthodox Church in opposition to Kirill's support for the Ukrainian invasion. The announcement was "extremely painful and difficult for all concerned" and came in response to what the parish called a "threat to the parish and the clergy." The parish said it filed a request for "canonical dismissal" and "also sent a request to Metropolitan Athenagoras of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg (Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople) to be received into his diocese." Amid ongoing tensions between the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church as the war continues, a Christian radio broadcaster called on Christians in both regions to unite. "This is a great time for the church in Ukraine to be strong and be an example and witness for Christ, knowing that God is in control, God is sovereign, and everything is according to His plan, so we don't worry about it," Daniel Johnson, founder of New Life Radio satellite network based in Odessa, Ukraine, said in an interview with The Christian Post before the war began in February. "We go on the air explaining to Christians that this is their time, this is their time to be a witness for Christ, and it's really a wonderful opportunity for the Church despite all the chaos that can be happening here." Johnson said the Evangelical community in Ukraine is "working mainly to just put the word of God out there ... to the general public and even to the Orthodox listeners who like to listen. We're teaching them the word of God and saying, 'Trust the Lord and your ultimate allegiance is to Jesus, not to the leadership of any one country that you find yourself in." Why ministering in the metaverse is the Netflix of evangelism In the parable of the Great Banquet told by Jesus in Luke 14:15-24, the master of a house who planned a big feast was forced to send his servants to search the streets and lanes of the city to bring the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind to enjoy his bounty after the guests he invited turned down his offer to celebrate. Like the feast at the masters house in Luke, the offerings of many traditional brick and mortar churches in America are being rejected by society and Christians alike. This reality is forcing a growing number of churches to shutter or curtail their programs as they struggle to fill their pews amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the ranks of the religious nones continue to swell. In 2020, as the pandemic marched into its first year, David Kinnaman, president of the California-based Evangelical Christian polling firm Barna Group, and Mark Matlock, director of insights, cited earlier research highlighting how a majority of young people who grew up in the Church will either walk away from their faith or from the Church when they become young adults. They also warned the pandemic will make this crisis of faith even worse unless steps are taken to stanch its impact. In March, another report from Barna showed that while Christians by definition are disciples of Jesus who accept and help with the spreading of the Gospel, a majority now see their spiritual lives as private. Many born-again Christians have argued that they dont need to share their faith with others because of reasons including, They can get to Heaven through their different religious belief, We shouldnt impose our ideas on others, and The Bible tells us not to judge others. Last month, The Christian Post also reported on how an increasing share of the Churchs audience has been migrating to online ministries in the metaverse, which Chevon Lewis, a representative of social media giant Facebook, calls the next evolution in social technologies and the successor to the mobile internet. Meta Platforms Inc., Facebooks parent company, is investing heavily in the metaverse, which Lewis describes as a set of virtual spaces where you can create and explore with other people who arent in the same physical space as you. Some experts believe that churches currently being established in the metaverse will eventually overshadow the megachurch model of worship. Earlier this month, nearly 500 people gathered online for the Metaverse Church Summit, which featured a host of Christians involved with ministry in the metaverse. One of them was Bill Willenbrock, a hospital chaplain who has been leading a Christian fellowship on VRChat for about three years. VRChat is a growing collection of more than 25,000 virtual reality worlds where some 30,000 users are online at any one time. For Christians looking to do low-risk evangelism, Willenbrock, who has approached thousands of people on VRChat in his avatar and finds ways to talk with them about faith in God, says the metaverse is like the subscription streaming service Netflix when it comes to finding opportunities to evangelize. The opportunity before us is just staggering. VR chat, metaverse in general is really like the Netflix of evangelism, he said. If you have 30 minutes, if you have an hour, you can be doing evangelism from wherever you are and thats so exciting. Evangelism in other areas can require gas mileage and effort, packing up and going somewhere, but you can do this all from your computer and any moment you have some extra time to share the love of God. And thats just remarkable, revolutionary really, the hospital chaplain told the audience. Willenbrock, who does his VR Chat ministry on his own time and dime, contends that evangelism in the metaverse, including places like VR Chat, is much easier than doing it in the real world for a number of reasons, such as meeting in an avatar state or digital representation of yourself. That makes the social risk of sharing the Gospel much lower," he said. "People are anxious about what if theyre ill-prepared or what if they look like a fool, or what if they look preachy, theres all these anxieties that come with sharing the Gospel and VRChat, metaverse evangelism reduces those, in some places completely eliminates those, Willenbrock said. And this is why I think this would be the ideal space if youve got an evangelism team if youre trying to learn how to share the Gospel. This would be like the optimal training ground. You can talk to real human beings. Hear their concerns, hear their objections, hear what gives them pause for believing in Christ. I really think thats a really exciting opportunity even for more physical churches as well, he explained. Another reason why its important for Christian ministries to invest in metaverse evangelism, said Willenbrock, is that this is where young adults, particularly males, have migrated. These people need you. The demographics of VRChat are really the inverse of the demographics of the Church, in general, in the United States, the metaverse pastor said. Now, your ministry may be an exception, but the Church in the United States generally is older, getting older every single year, whereas VRChat is primarily younger. Anecdotally, 17 to 26. Thats the range, he continued, quoting passionately from the book of Psalms about declaring Gods power to the next generation. So if youre trying to share the Gospel with the next generation, here they are. Theyre in the VRChat, he said. Willenbrock said the audience in VR Chat is predominantly younger males who are excited to hear about Christ from Christians who are prepared to answer their questions. Now, of course, there are young men and women in VRChat, but especially young men. We ask ourselves, 'Where are they?' and theyre here in VRChat, the pastor said. He painted a picture of VRChat as a place where people are generally kind and receptive to a conversation compared to other social media like Facebook. It can get real nasty [on Facebook] but [in] virtual reality you have this sense of sharing space and people are more kind when they share space, and so I think that makes it an exciting place to share the Gospel, he said. People can hear the kindness and love and concern in your voice where someone would be lost in mere text. A haven for those who suffer from agoraphobia What Christians interested in evangelism should also know, said Willenbrock, is that many of the young people who spend time there struggle with social anxiety, also referred to as agoraphobia. The people on VR chat are oftentimes, this isnt always the case, but are oftentimes neglected by society. These are people, many of who have agoraphobia. They dont like to go into places of community. They may be even shut-in, not just for medical reasons but for social anxiety, and many of these people they are stuck between a rock and a hard place. They desperately want social interaction and community, but they also find them very anxiety-provoking, Willenbrock explained. The anonymity provided by VRChat through the use of avatars, he said, provides a place where they can find love and community. These people they maybe are rejected because they are agoraphobic. They dont have a lot of interaction with people so they may be lower on the EQ spectrum and may have personality traits that are a little off-putting, but these are the people that Christ loved. These are the people that Christ embraced, he said. Im reminded of these words from the Apostle Paul: Consider your calling brothers, not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world,' he said. And so we have the opportunity to bring the love of God to people that may have no other opportunity to hear of Christ. Virtual reality, he suggests, provides a safer place for people to discuss religion than in real life. People are dying to have these conversations because we are told in society do not talk, never ever, ever talk about politics or religion. And consequently, religion becomes this very interesting topic, but its deeply personal and people have their own ideas and you never get to hear about these ideas because well, its taboo, he noted. Willenbrock said there are many times when he has opened up religious discussions in VRChat about religion and watched his audience quickly grow from one person to an entire room just listening to the conversation about Christ about why we should believe in Christ. He says he gives people reasons for his faith and people interested in doing ministry in VRChat should be prepared to do the same. The Church has not been prepared. I think a lot of people the best answer they got on why they should believe in Jesus is you know, You should believe. Their grandmother just went, You should believe, he noted. Im not the big apologetics guy but I do think people in VRChat are asking for a reason. If we can give them a good reason for why they should believe. I think its very powerful and people become, they start to lean in on the ear, 'Oh theres actually a real reason to believe that theres love and purpose and joy and the cosmic resolution to all the brokenness.' Thats exciting. Preparing for metaverse evangelism If one decides to make the jump into metaverse evangelism, Willenbrock warns that it's crucial to be prepared for the personal part of oneself that will emanate from their avatar their voice. I think our voice needs to be conveying the love and care that were not here to win a debate or beat them in an argument. Were here to share the most exciting thing in our life. And so I think loving our voice and trying to remind ourselves of why were here to not win a debate but to share the love of God I think thats really important, he said. Christians should also be prepared to listen. We always want to talk to people, we never want to listen. I think there is a reality that if we genuinely care and listen to other people, people will genuinely care and listen to us, Willenbrock said. Also, be prepared for the question of theodicy and positions on the LGBT community, he added. One of the things we should be prepared to talk about right off the bat [is the question] if you believe in God why do bad things happen to good people? That question of theodicy, thats going to be prime in VRChat, he said. I think that the main reason why people are so overwhelmingly moving to that none category no religious affiliation is because theyve experienced tragedy and pain, Willenbrock said. Theyve cried out to God and well, God didnt help me out. Im still experiencing pain and tragedy. A Christian strategy to influence corporations for good In the past Christians have either ignored anti-Christian positions by companies in which they're invested or tried to screen sin out. Strive Asset Management's Justin Danhof argues for a third approach in which Christians use their voices and their votes as shareholders to steer companies in the right direction. Justin is probably the leading authority when it comes to engaging with corporations through the proxy process to counter the ideological capture of publicly traded companies. I recently talked with Justin on my podcast Meeting of Minds, and Justin will soon appear on the podcast Business in the Kingdom on the Edifi network. Here are a few highlights from that discussion, lightly edited for clarity and length: Jerry: Now, you've been doing this for how long? Justin: About a dozen plus years. You know, it started as a lonely journey, but it's really built up quite a bit of steam, specifically over the last three or four years. And there's a lot more folks that are realizing that the way to effect change in the corporate cultural lane is through engagement. Jerry: You and I have discussed this before. I find frequently that Christians involved in finance either say to ignore politics and just collect your dividends, or they say, "there are problems in corporate America, boycott them, sell them!" You say neither of those are your preferred approach. What is your preferred approach? Justin: Look, I understand the inclination on both sides, I just think there's flaws in both systems. So first of all, it's just investing your money and collecting your dividends. Well take that one first. Well, here's the main flaw with that approach: the other side, whether you want to call it woke, you want to call it ESG, you want to call them liberal activists. Whatever you want to call them, they use their money to advance their values. And that means that if you are a Christian investor who's not paying attention, your money is actually being weaponized against you all the time, because you're passively letting it just sit there. If you want your money to work for your values, you have to put in some legwork. You have to actually put in some elbow grease. That's the flaw in that system. Jerry: I suspect that up until maybe just a few years ago that was a hard argument for you to make. In other words, people thought everything was fine, but now that's not a hard argument to make; people are now really paying attention to what's going on in corporate America. Is that what you're seeing? Justin: Yeah. You can't open up the Wall Street Journal, turn on CNBC or turn on Fox Business without seeing a company taking an action that is the antithesis of the values that we as Christians hold. So, you know, whether it is treating people differently based on the color of their skin, or their sexuality, or promoting extreme sexual positions, including what Disney has done in Florida that has created so many headlines, where they're picking a political side where you've got kindergarten through third grade teachers that are essentially grooming children and teaching them about transgenderism as young as five or six years old. Disney's chosen that side. So, yeah, I do think that some like to call it an awakening to the woke. A Christian investor can no longer just sit idly by. There's just too much evidence to the contrary, and more and more they are interested in this topic. Jerry: 12 years ago it was probably really tough to get Christians interested in this topic, now, not so much. Justin: Part of it was there was a bait and switch, and there was this march through the corporate lane, just like how the left and the Marxists have marched through every institution in our society. They were doing it to business, and we saw it happening. But they were really smart about how they did it, and a lot of folks didn't see it coming until it smacked us in the face. We saw all the iterations of it starting a dozen years ago. It was methodical and it was evil, but it was brilliant. What they've done to advance their causes through big business really powerful. And then as you mentioned, the other investment model is the divestment model. And I have sympathy for that approach. I really do. I understand the inclination. I cannot let my money be used in ways that would go against my values. But when I look at the organizations that sin screen and divest, I just scratch my head at the companies they're still invested in. They've only gone maybe one layer deep: they're not peeling back all the layers of the onion, because if they did, they would invest in so few companies that they really wouldn't be involved in the capital markets whatsoever. And that's the problem: I see the holdings, and I don't want to name names, but I will say to take a deeper look into your holdings and you'll find that quite a few of them are wildly offensive towards Christian values, they're promoting ESG causes every day, they're funding organizations that are really corrupting the culture. I mean, anybody can just Google Human Rights Campaign corporate sponsors and it's a who's whoand not just of Hollywood and Silicon Valley companiesit's a who's who of every major industry. Pregnant woman, children among 31 killed at Pentecostal church in Nigeria At least 31 people, including a pregnant woman and children, were killed in a stampede at an annual Shop for Free charity program organized by a Pentecostal church in southern Nigeria, according to a report. The annual fair, organized by the Kings Assembly Pentecostal church in Rivers state and which was meant to offer hope, was scheduled to start at 9 a.m. local time on Saturday but many arrived as early as 5 a.m. to secure their place in line, The Associated Press reported, quoting Grace Iringe-Koko, a police spokeswoman. Some people broke open the locked gate, which led to the stampede, the spokeswoman said. A witness, identified only as Daniel, was quoted as saying that he saw a pregnant woman and so many children among the dead, including five from one mother. Out of anger, relatives of the victims attacked some church members after the stampede, another witness was quoted as saying. Many churches and other groups organize such events in Nigeria, where more than 80 million people are poor, the newswire reported. Such tragedies in Nigeria add to the suffering of Christians, who have been under constant attack by Islamist groups. Earlier this month, the Islamic State terror group released a video showing the execution of about 20 Christian civilians in Borno State in revenge for the killing of their leader in Syria by the United States special forces in February. The video, published on an IS-linked news outlet, showed a masked militant executing a Christian civilian while saying it was revenge for the killing of their leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, an Iraqi Islamic terrorist and the second caliph of the Islamic State. In another recent attack, unidentified gunmen stormed a Catholic parish in northern Nigeria and abducted two priests, identified as Fr. Stephen Ojapa and Fr. Oliver Okpara from the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, and two unidentified boys from St. Patrick Catholic Church in Gidan Maikambo area of Katsina states Kafur Local Government Area, Vatican News reported. Also this month, radical Islamic militants affiliated with either the Islamic Fulani herdsmen or the Islamic State West Africa Province killed at least eight Christians, including children younger than 5, and wounded several others in an attack in Borno state. Open Doors USA, which monitors persecution in over 60 countries, reported that at least 4,650 Christians were killed between Oct. 1, 2020, and Sept. 30, 2021. That is an increase from 3,530 the previous year. Additionally, more than 2,500 Christians were kidnapped, up from 990 a year earlier. Pulse teams up with Francis Chan, Ebony Small for global Good Friday service For the second year in a row, evangelist Nick Hall and his young-adult ministry Pulse will host a global Good Friday broadcast, teaming up with influential leaders including Francis Chan and Ebony Small to reach millions with the hope of the Gospel. On Good Friday the day commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and His death on the cross Hall will host the Good Friday Worldwide broadcast, a free livestream event, translated inover40 languages andavailable in 200 countries, including Japan, China, Nepal, Thailand, India, Kenya, Nigeria, Ukraine and Russia. Good Friday Worldwide is set to be thelargest Easter outreach in the world, with 400 host sites, radio stations, and TV stations airing the program, which will feature messages from Chan and Small with worship led by Grammy Award winners for King and Country, Tasha Cobbs Leonard and Michael W. Smith, and Dove Award winners Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes. Last year, the world was shaken by the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, radical injustice and overwhelming loneliness. We were inundated with grim news and the nations were desperate for hope, for peace, for stability, for joy," Hall said in a statement shared with The Christian Post. "The Good News that carried us through 2020 will continue to carry us through as we recover, rebuild and repair. Our job as the global church is to share that Good News with the world. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to once again reach the ends of the Earth with the life-changing love of Jesus Christ this Good Friday." Last year, Pulse Ministrys Good Friday simulcast reached 115 million homes, with 130,000 individuals responding to the Gospel message and professing faith in Christ. At the time, Hall revealed his ministry received photos from all over the world from Nigeria to India and China of families gathering in their living rooms, around 18-inch cathode-ray TVs, laptops and HD screens watching the services. The doors to our church buildings may have been closed, but the church has not closed. We are living through a Great Quarantine Revival, and I think God is just getting started, he said. Good Friday is always observed on the Friday before Easter Sunday, the day Christians believe Jesus rose from the grave conquering death. The Bible says those who believe in Christ will rise to meet Jesus when He returns as promised in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. Last year, Chan, founder of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, California, acknowledged that while a digital Good Friday service isnt exactly the norm, theres something powerful about reflecting on Jesus' crucifixion and death in solace. Youre used to being in a church building with a crowd of people celebrating the cross of Jesus, but I actually think that theres something fitting about you being alone because most of you are watching this by yourself or maybe with your family in just a small group, he said, noting that being alone can be a golden opportunity to connect with God. Thats why theres something good about you being alone right now. Its one thing to yearn for Him and scream for Him when everyone else is there because the crowd may move you to that. But this Good Friday [it's good] for you to have some quiet and some isolation so that the core of your being, not just your lips, the core of your being will connect with Him, Chan said. The free livestream can be viewed globally at GoodFriday.com and the Pulse Facebook and YouTube pages. Stephen Baldwin celebrates baptizing his mother before her death, praises her example of Jesus The matriarch of the famous Baldwin family, Carol Baldwin, died at 92, and her son, Stephen Baldwin, said he will see her again, as he had the honor of baptizing her. According to her eldest son, Alec Baldwin, Carol Baldwin died in Syracuse, New York, this month. In his post, the actor noted that his mother spent many years of her life advocating for breast cancer research after surviving the disease herself. He honored the impact his mother made in this world. Her youngest son, Stephen Baldwin, also took to social media with a post dedicated to his mother. He, however, spoke of Carols spiritual impact and shared an intimate moment he and his wife, Kenya, shared with his late mom. August 4th, 2014, this was the day I knew for sure I would never have to worry about my mom again, the Baldwin son said on Instagram. The post showed a photo of Carol Baldwin emerging from the water in Skaneateles Lake in 2014 after asking Baldwin and his wife to baptize her. When my mom made this request, I told my wife, No worries we'll do it on our next trip. But Kenya said, No my love we will baptize her tomorrow, he explained. Baldwin said thank God for his wifes encouragement and his mothers willingness to be baptized. In Christianity, baptism is seen as an act of identifying Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, memorializing the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. According to Bible Gateway, it's an ordinance "immediately instituted by Christ himself in Matt. 28:19, 20, and designed to be observed in the Church till He come." Thank God for the bold and courageous women in my life, Baldwin shared. His gratitude went most of all to my mom who in our friendship we didn't have to say much as we are similar in our desire to love and serve others. Baldwin added, Thanks mom I might not have found Jesus without your loving example of humility, grace and unconditional love!!! I'm grateful to God that I will see you again. The Least of These actor ended his post by asking his mother to say hi to his aunt Louise and father. Hailey Bieber, Stephen Baldwin's daughter, also shared a post about her grandma. "The matriarch of the Baldwin family completed her journey here on earth," Bieber wrote Friday. "Today I celebrate her, the life she lived, and the legacy she leaves behind. We love you." Alec Baldwin's obituary on social media noted that along with her six children, Carol Baldwin and her late husband, Alexander Rae Baldwin Jr., had 25 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Middle school teacher calls police over allegation student was involved in 'sex work' A Loudoun County, Virginia, teacher recently contacted police after the school librarian allegedly defended the presence of a book containing details about prostitution in the middle school library by claiming that it's helpful to preteen and teenage student sex workers. The conversation reportedly started after the Sterling Middle School teacher asked the librarian if the school had a copy of the book Seeing Gender by Iris Gottlieb, which includes a chapter titled "'Sex Work' Is Not a Bad Term." The teacher, whose name has been concealed for privacy reasons, had seen a May 24 tweet highlighting the chapter and its presence in a Loudoun County middle school library on the LCPS Can Do Better Twitter account. From a Loudoun middle school library, Seeing Gender by Iris Gottlieb. pic.twitter.com/wnoQMLlpKw LCPS Can Do Better (@LCPSDoBetter) May 24, 2022 As The Daily Wire reported, the teacher told police in a recorded conversation that the librarian, whose name is also withheld for privacy reasons, confirmed the library had the book and asserted it was beneficial to students engaged in sex work. The librarian did not provide the names of any current students, only pointing to one that graduated six years before that had allegedly been involved in the practice. "She started talking about how there's kids who come to the library who do sex work, and this makes them feel validated," the teacher said in the interview. "As a teacher, if you get an individual student coming to you because you're abused, you have to go [to] the police immediately." During the teacher's interview with police, Deputy Jamie Holben a former school resource officer for the middle school stated that the school is in a neighborhood where authorities have reason to suspect there are cases of child trafficking. The Christian Post reached out to Loudoun County Public Schools and the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office for comments on the claims. Responses are pending. While police have not yet responded to requests for comment on the incident, the officer that spoke with the teacher stated that authorities would investigate the matter. Executive Director of the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Initiative Kay Duffield said in a 2019 statement to Loudoun Now that Virginia has the sixth-highest number of human trafficking cases in the U.S. Additionally, the director stated that most cases occur in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, which includes Loudoun County. The middle school teacher claims the book provides instructions to students about selling their bodies for hormone replacement therapy and other needs. The librarian reportedly replied: "There's no pornography in it, so it doesn't matter." In addition, the librarian allegedly insisted that she marked the book for eighth graders, not the younger middle school students. "I said, 'what happens if a sixth grader checks it out?'" the teacher recalled. "She said, 'I have a conversation with them about it.'" The passage of the book pictured in the tweet explains that "Sex work is also used as a non-stigmatizing term for 'prostitution.' ... Using the term 'sex work' reinforces the idea that sex work is work and allows for greater discussion of labor rights and conditions." The book informs readers that some people in the "sex trade" do not define what they do as a form of labor, "but simply a means to get what they need." In addition to money, the chapter states that someone may "exchange sex or sexual activity for things they need or want, such as food, housing, hormones, drugs, gifts, or other resources." The book also notes that some sex workers operate within "legal working conditions, such as pornography or exotic dancing, and wish to avoid the negative associations with illegal or informal forms of sex work." This incident is not the first time a Virginia school district has faced criticism for reportedly exposing students to sexually explicit materials. During a Sept. 23 school board meeting last year, a parent of a student in Fairfax County Public Schools, one of the largest school districts in the U.S., read and shared images from two books available in the district's high school libraries. "After seeing a Sept. 9 school board meeting in Texas on pornography in the schools, I decided to check the titles at my child's school, Fairfax High School," the parent, Stacy Langton, told board members. She discovered that the same books are available in public school libraries in her school district. According to Langton, the books Gender Queer and Lawn Boy depict men and boys having sex and contain graphic sexual descriptions. "Both books describe different acts," she said. "One book describes a fourth-grade boy performing oral sex on an adult male. The other book has detailed illustrations of a man having sex with a boy." The mother read the curse words and sexual acts featured in both books, maintaining that "this is not an oversight at Fairfax High School." A school board member interrupted her, noting that "there are children in the audience here." Tech pastor launching Miamis oldest church in virtual reality format as evangelistic tool A Presbyterian pastor in Miami is set to launch a fully immersive virtual reality worship service in a digital replica of Miamis oldest organized congregation. Christopher Benek, who pastors First Miami Presbyterian Church and is the CEO and pastor of the tech nonprofit CoCreators, believes a virtual reality service is an effective evangelistic tool to reach gamers and others with the Gospel. "I think that it is important to understand that creation of CHVRCH+ (pronounced Church Plus) is not to displace the local congregation. Thats part of why we called it CHVRCH+ because it is meant to be an additional complement to the existing physical church," Benek told The Christian Post in an interview Tuesday. Benek loves his local congregation, which is located in the heart of Brickell community and has nearly doubled in membership in the past year. "But we also realize that we, like the rest of the church universal, have a lot of work to do. We live in one of the highest population densities south of New York City, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only intensified our understanding that we need to meet peoples needs both physically and digitally," he said. Digital and virtual spaces are no less Gods territory than our physical spaces, he continued, and when Christ called His followers to Make disciples of all nations he was not excluding digital ones. "'There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!'" Benek said, referencing the words of the Dutch Reformed theologian Abraham Kuyper. "Certainly this applies to digital spaces as well." Creating virtual spaces is not a way to escape our present reality or ignore incarnational blessings, but rather a way to extend our understanding of reality and open our minds to the new possibilities that might exist in Jesus, the pastor elaborated. "I think that it is the destructive flaw of many armchair theologians to assume that when faced with new ministry options that we can only experience God in one way. God is the Creator of the cosmos. Certainly, we are not so prideful as to assume that we know all of the ways that God might reveal Gods-self to us?" he said. This is especially true given the public health crisis with COVID-19, he added, as it has disrupted our preconceived notions as to how the church must do ministry. "It has also freed church leaders to experiment, fail fast, and live into their creative giftedness. Many churches have been doing ministry in ways that havent produced fruit now for decades. The present crisis is a digital wakeup call and I think that churches and congregants are eager to rise to the occasion." Approximately 3.5 billion people are online today and the universal church has to have a sustainable long-term strategy, he stressed. "We want churches to have new ways of engaging community online that pay homage to their current, sacred physical spaces while also allowing for the expression of the creativity that humanity has as creatures made in the image of the Creator God. As churches move into the exponentially advancing technological future we want them to have the tools to both acknowledge that they are standing on the shoulders of the saints who have gone before them, and they are building a digital legacy that the saints of the future will use to reach future generations for Christ," Benek said. "Moreover, it is essential that churches take advantage of the current crisis in order to build sustainability plans. We know that COVID-19 will eventually pass. But when I speak around the world on artificial intelligence I remind people that the coming automation crisis will not have an end, he said, noting that 11% to 22% of the U.S. population is forecasted to lose their jobs by 2030 and that percentage only increases over time. Thus, his new tech church provides a way for churches to start expanding their digital base, increase online giving, and meet the needs of people around the globe while they still have the time. Asked how his congregation is responding to the idea of a VR church, Benek said they've been very enthusiastic. "We are widely multiethnic, relatively young, and very entrepreneurial. Additionally, South Florida is also a hotspot for start-up culture. So our congregation generally understands and supports the ingenuity and creativeness of that culture." When he preached during his Easter sermon last year he spoke of artificial intelligence and had a long line of people in the receiving line afterward who wanted to talk about emerging tech and theology. It was after that day when membership began growing. "What that indicated to us is that people want the pastors to talk about tech more because it is impacting their greater sense of ultimate meaning. If there was ever a time for pastors to do so, it is right now," Benek said. Thieves decapitate angel statues, rip $2M gold tabernacle from altar of Brooklyn church NEW YORK In a crime Catholic Church officials in Brooklyn are calling brazen, hateful and disrespectful, the New York City Police Department is investigating after thieves decapitated angel statues and ripped a centuries-old solid gold tabernacle worth $2 million from the altar of a local church. In a statement Friday, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn announced the theft at St. Augustine Catholic Church, located at 116 6th Ave. in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn. "This is devastating, as the Tabernacle is the central focus of our church outside of worship, holding the Body of Christ, the Eucharist, which is delivered to the sick and homebound," the church's priest, Father Frank Tumino, said in a statement. "To know that a burglar entered the most sacred space of our beautiful Church and took great pains to cut into a security system is a heinous act of disrespect." Diocese officials said that the tabernacle, which dates back to when the church was built in the late 1800s, "is irreplaceable due to its historical and artistic value." John Quaglione, the diocese's deputy press secretary, told The Christian Post Tuesday that no motive has yet been established for the robbery. The parish has been buoyed by an outpouring of support from across the country. "The faithful of the Church are shocked and greatly upset by what has happened, and are turning to prayer. There is a sense of sorrow among the people of St. Augustine," Quaglione wrote in an email. "People throughout the United States have been calling and contacting the parish and also expressing their prayerful intentions for the return of the Tabernacle. There continues to be a sense of hope that as the story has received so much attention, something as distinctive as this Tabernacle may possibly be returned." Police suspect the theft of the 18-karat gold tabernacle occurred sometime between 6:30 p.m. Thursday and 4 p.m. Saturday, according to CNN. The thieves likely used power tools to "forcefully cut open" the altar to get to the tabernacle, according to the New York City Police Department. Thieves decapitated angels flanking the tabernacle and scattered the Holy Eucharist at the altar. Father Tumino, who discovered the theft, detailed in his sermon Sunday how the robbery made him think about quitting his assignment at the church momentarily. "I noticed the doors of St. Augustine were slightly ajar, and if you listen to the news this morning, you'll know that someone very organized and quite violently took the tabernacle from St. Augustine. They cut the doors open," he said. "As I was cleaning after the police left, Eucharist was strewn all over the altar. And as I was cleaning, I felt so abandoned. I was thinking to myself, why am I assigned here? This is not a good assignment. This is nothing but trouble after trouble after trouble." "I was thinking to myself, you know how easy it would be to just say 'it's time to go,'" he said, waving goodbye. "As I was cleaning, I started getting into this place where I said, 'look at this.' No one from the diocese even called me, and then I got into an even deeper depth. I said, 'Look at this. You do all the right things and you don't get any type of reaction.'" Tumino said he rejected the despair that crept upon him once he checked his messages and found that everyone he had called in "administration" about the robbery had called him back from different parts of the world to assure him that "things would be OK." He remembered one profound conversation with a friend who said, "you are so lucky that you're safe." "I said, 'What are you talking about?' And he said, 'I've known you for so many years, and I know that when you walk past your church and you see lights on, you go in,'" Tumino recalled. "And how lucky you are and how lucky the many people that go in and out of St. Augustine Church that no one was there and they caught them in the act." Tumino said he is grateful for that perspective. The priests said some might wonder why the church kept such an expensive tabernacle. "People might tell us, 'Why does the church have something that expensive? That should be sold,'" he said. "That's a gift to us as part of our patrimony of those who have gone before us," he continued. "Those, who like us, waited for the return of Jesus." Dutch Honor American Soldiers, Pro-Life Group Shutters Florida Abortion Clinic, Rare Meteor Shower link to download the audio instead. link to download the audio instead. 06:05 06:05 Far from Americas shores, U.S. war heroes who fought and died defeating Nazi Germany have found an eternal welcome among the Dutch people. According to astronomers, Americans may get to see a rare meteor storm on the night of the Memorial Day holiday. The storm is expected to be the brightest in years, with shooting stars filling the sky. The Justice Department said Sunday it will investigate law enforcements response to last weeks mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. From CP Voices: As a Ukrainian-born American, the past few months leave me inevitably thinking about the courage of those who are living in Ukraine. In the last 90 days, thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have laid down their lives in defense of freedom. They died fighting a tyrannical government that is threatening to steal a basic, God-given, human right. Church administrator charged with stealing $360K from congregation, food pantry and youth ministry A 36-year-old wife of a former police chief has been charged with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for stealing more than $360,000 from her church in California while she was an administrator between 2013 and 2018. A federal grand jury in Sacramento charged Chanell Easton of Oklahoma City, who was arrested last week, with 22 counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft for a scheme to embezzle funds of a church in Yuba City, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert said in a statement. During her employment from June 2013 to February 2018, Easton stole over $360,000, including from the church's community food pantry and youth ministry, according to court papers. The church was only identified in the indictment as "Church 1." "The purpose of the scheme and artifice to defraud was to obtain, convert, and spend money belonging to Church 1, without the authorization and knowledge of the church treasurer and governing body, for unauthorized personal purposes that did not benefit Church 1," the indictment reads. Easton is alleged to have secretly opened five business credit card accounts in the church's name and also used a credit card of the church's youth pastor for personal purchases including purchases at a hair salon, retail stores, online retailers and a vacation rental service. She also allegedly used the card to purchase concert tickets. Prosecutors say Easton paid off the balance with the church's money. She is also alleged to have transferred money directly from the church's bank accounts to her own personal account, paid down the balance of her own personal credit card and paid her cellphone provider for her personal bills and for new phones. Investigators say Easton wrote checks to others for personal expenses and to herself, forging the signatures of the church's treasurer or the head volunteer of the church's food pantry. If convicted, she faces 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of wire fraud. She also faces a mandatory two-year sentence on each count of aggravated identity theft. The charges against Easton follow an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliot C. Wong and Christopher S. Hales are prosecuting the case. Citing multiple sources, The Appeal-Democrat reports that Easton is the wife of former Marysville, California, Police Department Chief Aaron Easton and worked as an administrator for St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Yuba City. The Justice Department has not confirmed the name of the church she worked for. According to the charging document, Easton used a youth pastor's credit card to buy jewelry online. She also is alleged to have used a Bank of America business credit card to buy two tickets to a country music concert that cost about $923.54. She also is accused of charging $2,072.20 to the Bank of America card to rent a vacation home in Fort Bragg, California. "EASTON also used the Church 1 youth ministry's credit card to incur thousands of dollars in charges for unauthorized personal purchases that did not benefit Church 1," the indictment reads. "Though Church 1 had authorized its youth minister to have one BoA business credit card and to use it for authorized purchases relating to youth ministry activities, EASTON used the youth minister's credit card for personal purchases without the authorization and knowledge of Church 1's treasurer, youth minister, and governing body." The charges against Easton come as many churches have been victimized by fraud and embezzlement, including former church officials using church credit cards for personal expenses. In a separate case, the Rev. Wayne Peck, who retired from the Community House Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 2017, turned himself in to authorities in early May after being charged with stealing over $357,000 from the congregation he served for 40 years. Prosecutors say Peck stole large sums of money from the church's bank account by writing checks payable to himself that were deposited into bank accounts he and his wife controlled. The money was allegedly used to pay their mortgage, travel, meals and utility bills. Last November, Lisa Dawn Stabeno, a 52-year-old woman from Lubbock, Texas, was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in federal prison as a plea deal for using more than $450,000 from church funds for personal expenses. U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix called her actions "brazen thefts" from Church on the Rock. Stabeno, who worked as an accounts manager for Church on the Rock's "Dream Center," an outreach program for "underserved individuals," had pleaded guilty to two counts of bank fraud. Judge Hendrix said: "You were trusted with accounts and misappropriated funds. You did it again, and again and again." "She began by using two credit cards one assigned to a church employee and one assigned to a pastor to pay personal expenses, including a car loan she co-financed with her daughter, medical and dental expenses, clothing, salon services, and restaurant meals. She also used the credit cards to purchase supplies for a bakery she co-owned with her daughters." DOJ to investigate Uvalde school shooting at mayors request; Bidens mourn with families The Justice Department said Sunday it will investigate law enforcement's response to last week's mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. The announcement came as President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden visited Robb Elementary School, where 19 children and two teachers were killed. Responding police officers have received criticism over an alleged lengthy delay in entering the building. "At the request of Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin, the U.S. Department of Justice will conduct a Critical Incident Review of the law enforcement response to the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24," DOJ spokesperson Anthony Coley said in a statement. The review, to be conducted with the department's Office of Community Oriented Policing, will provide an "independent account of law enforcement actions and responses that day" and "identify lessons learned and best practices to help first responders prepare for and respond to active shooter events." "As with prior Justice Department after-action reviews of mass shootings and other critical incidents, this assessment will be fair, transparent, and independent," Coley said. "The Justice Department will publish a report with its findings at the conclusion of its review." The suspect, an 18-year-old Latino male, entered a fourth-grade classroom and killed 19 schoolchildren and two teachers last Tuesday. About 80 Border Patrol agents responded to the shooting. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Border Patrol Tactical Unit couldn't access the classroom because of a steel door and cinder block construction. The gunman also reportedly shot through the door and walls. Department of Public Safety South Texas Regional Director Victor Escalon said last week that the shooter was in the school's hallways at 11:40 a.m. and started firing. He was killed by the agents more than an hour later at 12:58 p.m., which had led to severe criticism of law enforcement's response. Additionally, the shooter reportedly fired his weapon across the street from the school for several minutes before entering the building. The officer in charge on the scene, identified as Uvalde Police Chief Pete Arredondo, believed that the shooter was "a barricaded suspect" and that no children were at risk. But Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw said that 911 calls show students inside classrooms 111 and 112 called 911 requesting help. "From the benefit of hindsight where I'm sitting now, of course it was not the right decision," McCraw said at a news conference on Friday. During their visit to Uvalde, the Bidens walked along a row of photos of the victims. They paused in-between to touch the images and placed flowers at a makeshift memorial. They were joined by local officials and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. The couple also met privately with families of victims, survivors, paramedics, mental health services providers, firefighters and law-enforcement officials, according to a pool report. The Bidens also attended Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral Church with over 600 people. The service was led by Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller. President Biden didn't give a speech at the church. Fr. Eduardo Morales spoke about Jesus leaving Earth and rising to Heaven after the crucifixion, according to Time magazine. He said that while Jesus' disciples would never know Jesus in flesh and blood again, they would know him spiritually. "We must share this with the families of those who have lost a loved one this week," Morales was quoted as saying. "The ones that we have lost will always be with us as we continue to talk about them, they continue to live." Services were also held in three other churches in the area Primera Iglecia Bautista, St. Philip's Episcopal Church and Templo Cristiano (Christian Temple) the sermons were about forgiveness and resurrection. Ellie Garcia, one of the victims of last Tuesday's shooting, was to recite a Bible verse, Deuteronomy 6:18, during the Sunday worship service at Primera Iglecia Bautista, Time reported. "Do what is right and good in the Lord's sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors," the verse reads. Uvalde is a devout town, with 85% of its residents identifying as Christian, according to a Public Religion Research Institute 2020 Census of American Religion, Time noted. Pro-life watchdog group's investigation shutters Florida abortion facility A national pro-life watchdog group's investigation has led to the closure of a Florida abortion facility that failed to abide by standard emergency medical protocols, with reports surfacing of patients experiencing extensive bleeding and other severe complications. Reprotection, the pro-life group responsible for spearheading the investigation that led to the suspension, began the process of attempting to shut the facility down two years ago. On May 20, Florida's Agency of Health Care Administration issued an order to suspend the license of the American Family Planning abortion facility in Pensacola. The document describes multiple cases where the clinic failed to comply with the law and put patients' safety at risk. Earlier this month, a patient experienced an incomplete second-trimester abortion due to a possible uterine rupture and cervical lacerations, according to the order. There is no record of the facility monitoring the woman's condition or vital signs before or after the procedure, as required by law. Additionally, the document states that she experienced a blood loss of between 250 and 750 milliliters, with the exact amount unclear due to a "seven (7) and two (2) digit being written over one another" on the record. The woman reportedly sat in the car with her husband after the abortion. Clinic staff later instructed the husband to drive his wife to a hospital in Mobile, Alabama, instead of a closer one. By the time the woman received care from a hospital, she had "undetectable blood pressure" and "required resuscitation and mass transfusion." In March, another woman undergoing a second-trimester abortion began bleeding, but there is also no record of the facility monitoring her vitals. She had no pulse by the time she was transferred to the emergency room and was later forced to undergo a hysterectomy. Last year, a woman who had an abortion later "required repair of uterine perforation, a colon resection, a colostomy, a sigmoidectomy, and a cystoscopy." The clinic did not report the complication or any of the others to the agency, as required by law. "The lack of regulations and the lack of willingness to enforce basic medical standards on abortion facilities creates a hotbed for seedy abortionists," Reprotection CEO Missy Martinez-Stone told The Christian Post. "The abortion industry touts itself as 'We are for women's health; we're for women's choice,'" she continued. "Yet we go into these facilities, and we find out how these abortion facilities are harming women and exploiting women." Reprotection launched its investigation into American Family Planning after Emerald Coast Coalition for Life informed them two years ago that the facility lied about having a transfer agreement with the nearby Baptist Health Hospital. Martinez-Stone told CP that the American Family Planning clinic also lied about having a transfer agreement with another hospital in West Florida. Florida law requires abortion facilities to have a written transfer agreement with a nearby hospital if an abortionist does not have admitting privileges. The agreement outlines the circumstances under which a clinic should conduct an emergency transfer of a patient to the hospital with medical records related to the pregnancy termination. The coalition had heard about the facility's violations from its volunteers outside the clinic and communication with pregnancy resource centers. They contacted Reprotection with the information due to the group's history of investigating and shutting down dangerous abortion facilities. Reprotection's CEO said the process for shuttering abortion facilities like American Family Planning typically consists of following state protocols that are already in place. The group contacts the agency responsible for dealing with the clinic's violations and makes a report or files a complaint. In the case of this particular Florida abortion facility, Martinez-Stone said that Reprotection contacted the AHCA. "And they were hesitant; they did not want to get involved," the pro-life CEO said. "It was really difficult to get them to move, even when we had firsthand documentation of fraudulent transfer agreements. They just didn't want to touch it because it's abortion." The watchdog group took the issue up the ladder and went above people's heads, moving higher and higher through the chains of command until they got the attention of state officials, who then put pressure on the agency to act. Martinez-Stone's group is currently conducting around 50 investigations in some 30 states of abortion facilities reportedly violating the law and endangering women. The pro-life leader contends that this is a "national issue." "Every time I go into a new pro-life community and I talk to the people serving abortion-minded patients the ones counseling, the ones in pregnancy centers they can immediately tell me all the ways the abortion facility is harming women," she said. "This is absolutely not safe. There's nothing about this that is empowering to these women. It is taking advantage of women in vulnerable situations for money." Florida is not the only state with reported cases of abortion facilities allegedly breaking the law and operating relatively unchecked for years. One egregious example is Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell who, in 2013, was found responsible for the deaths of one woman and multiple infants born alive at his unsanitary abortion clinic. The Pennsylvania Department of State and the Pennsylvania Department of Health failed to inspect the abortion clinic for more than 17 years, allowing Gosnell to conduct his operations without scrutiny. A grand jury report detailed what investigators discovered during a Feb. 18, 2010, drug raid on the clinic. Blood-stained floors and furniture, haphazardly stored fetal remains, and dirty equipment are just some of the things investigators uncovered during the raid that exposed Gosnell's crimes. The report also revealed that Gosnell profited $10,000 to $15,000 a day at his late-term abortion clinic and made additional money as "one of the top Oxycontin providers in the state." Border agent who joined team that killed Uvalde shooter was off duty at Barber shop when wife called Amid the aftermath of the massacre at Robb Elementary School in Texas, where a Latino teenager shot and killed 19 children and two teachers, there are reports of the heroic efforts of U.S. Border Patrol agent Jacob Albarado. Off duty and at a barbershop when his wife texted him about a threat to her life and their daughter from an active shooter, Albarado borrowed a shotgun from his barber and rushed to the school. Theres an active shooter, his wife, Trisha, wrote in the text message she sent. Help. I love you. As Albarado reached Robb Elementary School in Uvalde on Tuesday morning, he found a tactical team trying to enter the wing where the gunman was holed up, The New York Times reported, adding that he promptly planned with the other officers to first evacuate as many children as possible with two officers providing him cover and two others guiding the children out on the sidewalk. Albarado recalled that his daughter was locked inside a bathroom and his wife was hiding underneath a desk with students. Im looking for my daughter, but I also know what wing shes in. So I start clearing all the classes in her wing, he was quoted as saying. They were just all hysterical, of course. When he saw his 8-year-old daughter, Jayda, he hugged her, but then continued to help move the other children along. About 80 Border Patrol agents responded to the shooting, The Wall Street Journal reported. Initially, the Bortac (Border Patrol Tactical Unit ) agents couldnt get into the classroom because of a steel door and cinder block construction, the Journal said. Meanwhile, the gunman shot at them through the door and walls. The suspect was holed up in a fourth-grade classroom where he killed 19 children and two teachers. NEW: This is the hat the elite, veteran BORTAC Border Patrol agent was wearing when he breached the classroom with a tactical team and engaged/killed the Uvalde school shooter, a CBP source tells me. Graze wound to head. Many BP agents in Uvalde have kids at the school. @FoxNewspic.twitter.com/924WCOZjsK Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) May 25, 2022 There has been an outpouring of grief since the shooting. On Sunday, President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will go to Uvalde to grieve with the family and the community. Hes going to go clearly on Sunday to offer his comfort to grieve with the family and the community. But at the same time, he is going to call on Congress to take action because it's been too long and now is the time to act, White House Press Secretary Karin Jean-Pierre told the press corps last week. After the shooting, Biden advocated for stricter gun laws in a speech to the nation. Why are we willing to live with this carnage? Why do we keep letting this happen? Where in Gods name is our backbone to have the courage to deal with it and stand up to the lobbies? Its time to turn this pain into action, he said. According to media reports, the shooter was in the schools hallways at 11:40 a.m., and he was killed by the agents more than an hour later, at 12:58 p.m., which had led to severe criticism of law enforcement. The officer in charge on the scene, identified as Uvalde Police Chief Pete Arredondo, believed that the shooter was a barricaded suspect with no one else alive in the classroom, but 911 calls showed that many children were still alive at the time, The Epoch Times reported, citing a statement by Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw. The decision to wait was a bad decision, and that decision cost lives, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican, said on Fox & Friends. Two days after praising law enforcement, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday said he was livid after being misled. I was misled. I am livid about what happened, Abbott said at a press conference at Uvalde High School, The Washington Times reported. I was on this very stage two days ago and I was telling the public information that had been told to me in a room just a few yards behind where were located right now, he said. I wrote down hand notes in detail about what everybody in that room told me, in sequential order, about what happened. When I came out here on this stage and told the public what happened, it was a recitation of what people in that room told me. Abbott added, My expectation is that the law enforcement leaders that are leading the investigations, which includes the Texas Rangers and the FBI, they get to the bottom of every fact with absolute certainty. Texas stands with Uvalde for the long term in helping every single person in this community be able to piece their lives back together, to heal as much as they possibly can. We will be here as long as it takes. Were not going to be here talking about it and do nothing about it. We will be looking for the best laws we can get passed to make communities safe. A word of prudence amidst fraying racial relations This past week I heard Glenn Loury, the first African American to become a tenured professor of economics at Harvard, accept the Bradley Prize. As he spoke on what he called the specter of racial conflict, it occurred to me that three, discernable streams of thought that have emerged in Americas conversation about race. To name the three: there are those who wish to focus, those who wish to forget, and those who wish to further. Let us take each in turn. The first crowd of voices (who are, in fact, the most likely to be found in a crowd) wishes to focus. I here speak of those who focus on racism and do not lift their eyes from it. They offer unending and constant reminders of Americas sins both past and present. They view everything in light of racial divides. They are good activist, but they would not make very good scientists: race is the only variable they consider. Any difference of outcome is immediately ascribed to racism a word which is readily used and rarely defined. The virtue and vice of this group is the same: their unwavering attention. They are keenly aware of injustice. Flourishing societies need men and women of this nature, who shed light on the injustices that will always be among us. Slavery is an unavoidable darkness that should not be hidden, and they have done the work of making it known. Even today, there is good reason to believe that racial injustices still grip many communities, whether it be from a lack of fathers or pay. Those who focus remind us of these problems. English philosopher and political economist John Stuart Mill said that any healthy polity needs a party of order and a party of change. Those who focus are among the latter, but herein lies their vice. Their focus upon racism has reduced all of political life to questions of race. No issue is exempt from being singularly viewed in this light. It is a focus that, having consumed the whole of their personalities, extends its arms over the rest of life. All of human activity its beauty and complexity is lost in a quasi-utopian longing for perfection in a fallen world. Against these are those who wish to forget. I hear speak of those who see the best path of America in forgetting, and potentially avoiding, the sins of the past. They seek to move on, push for unity, and resolve all differences as though that matter was so simple. But these individuals, also play a necessary role in the life of the nation. Their virtue is their fidelity and loyalty to America. They are correct to remind us of the progress that has been made, and the need for gratitude. Social order is difficult to develop but easy to lose, they correctly point out; and they shun those who seek extra-institutional means namely, violence to achieve their ends. They are often accused of explaining away Americas sins. This is not true. Their vice is different: they attempt to forget, as though the past did not influence the present. There is a third voice albeit one that is quiet and often unheard. It is those who wish to further the American experiment. I was able to hear this viewpoint expressed but a few days ago by the economist Loury. In the face of identity politics, Loury articulated a vision of what it means to further the American dream. And it is on his doctrine of furthering (that is by no means unique to him) that I wish to focus upon. The American project is not wholly abstract, but it is unique in its attempt to build civil relations on a primarily doctrinal, and not ethnic, foundation. Our first principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness should be the firm foundation of Civil Rights; they are the still point upon which the whole discussion must turn. As opposed to repudiating the past or avoiding it, Loury called for the expansion of this American project, to include previously disenfranchised communities. This does not ask us to forget Americas faults, but it believes that that the American conception of freedom, and the economic dynamo of capitalism, are the best means to lift people out of poverty. As evidence of this, Loury points to the emergence of a black middle class in the last 75 years. These are the fruits of the American system, where the American Dream grows to include all those within our borders. Americans should not whitewash the past but have an appropriate sense of humility when approaching it. As Loury reminded his listeners: slavery is the norm; emancipation is the rarity. And the blessings of emancipation were known only through the wedding of Enlightenment thinking and Christian charity, not in a departure from it. Hamilton is brilliant in this regard. Each act of the play is an invitation: Come ye who were once excluded! Come join the nation, whose land weve all shared! Time hath revealed that no petty distinctions between races can bar men from being free: freed by God, recognized by law. By recasting the Founders as African Americans and other people of color, their ethnic identities joined the American experiment. By taking on the roles of those great men, Americas doctrines and destiny became their own, with each pledging their loyalty to the other. Hamilton was not a rejection of Americas founding, but the furthering of it. This third voice, this via media (the Middle Road), is what I believe to be Americas best path forward. It rejects both Scylla and Charybdis, both focusing and forgetting. Loury said as much but he has lived out this furthering of the American experiment long before taking the podium to share it with the rest of us. Originally published at Juicy Ecumenism. Here I am. Send me Many Christians today are being called by God to leadership. Some may think the timing is wrong or feel unqualified for the job. But during a time in world history that parallels our world today, the great prophet Isaiah said, Here am I, send me. Theres a reason for his answer. Isaiah grew up in the royal court of King Uzziah. When Isaiah was about 25 years old, Uzziah disobeyed God and died of leprosy, which created a leadership crisis. The nation was already in moral decay. People were resisting God. Plus, Isaiah had a personal struggle. Yet, in the midst of this, Isaiah wrote: I saw the Lord high and exalted, seated on a throne, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? And I said, Here am I, send me (Isaiah 6:1, 8 KJV). Today, we see crises in leadership on every level of society. Church leaders have failed morally, relationally and financially. Secular leaders are failing from the U.S. to Europe and from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. Yet, although earthly leaders fail, God never fails. Many Christians called to leadership during a leadership crisis need to realize that just because others fail, it doesnt mean they will fail. Isaiah answered Gods call during this leadership crisis, and also while also facing the nations moral collapse. Gods law was neglected. Injustice was rampant. Oppression was normalized. Prayer was peripheral. Idolatry and immorality were prevalent. Our world is in a similar moral decline. Yet God is calling us to be his voice in the middle of ungodliness and to be a light in the middle of darkness. The Message version translates a warning the Apostle Paul gave his protege, Timothy, about difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust and allergic to God (2 Timothy 3:1-5 MSG). Jesus taught about the last days. There will be an environment of deception. There will be wars and rumors of war. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom will rise against kingdom. There will be famine. There will be pestilence. There will be natural disasters. All of these are like birth pains in the earth. Persecution will happen to the Church. People will betray those they once loved. There will be spiritual coldness, and an environment where only the committed will endure (Matthew 24:6-9, my paraphrase). Then Jesus said that even in this kind of environment, This Gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come (Matthew 4:24 NKJV). Even in the middle of a resistant world, Jesus has promised us that the Gospel of the kingdom will be preached in every nation. Isaiah was facing a leadership crisis, moral deterioration, and significant resistance, yet God told Isaiah to preach to the people even though they were not going to listen to him (Isaiah 6:9-10). Expect resistance. Its not easy to be Gods instrument. All the easy jobs in Gods kingdom are gone. Consider the long legacy of Christians who have endured resistance to answer Gods call. David Brainerd, an orphan, born in 1718, served Native American missions for three years before he left due to tuberculosis. He moved in with Jonathan Edwards, a leader of the First Great Awakening, and died at the age of 29. Edwards biography about Brainerds persistence during great resistance inspired a generation of missionaries. One is William Carey, the father of modern missions. Influenced by Brainerds testimony, Carey, the shoe cobbler, took his family to India. He met great resistance. Careys ministry partner quit. His son died. His wife lost her mind. It took Carey 41 years to make just 700 converts. But in India, Carey translated the Bible into Indias major languages and portions of it into more than 100 dialects. His work paved the way for future missions, and tens of millions of Indian believers are the result. Isaiah faced a leadership crisis, moral decay, and resistance, and he also faced a personal struggle. When he saw the glory of God, he said, Im a man of unclean lips (Isaiah 6:5 KJV). What he meant is unclear. Perhaps he told dirty jokes? Or cursed? Or couldnt speak straight? What is clear is that Isaiah had a personal struggle and so do all called people from the time of the Scriptures to this present day. God calls flawed people. Paul wrote, Think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards. Not many were influential. Not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong (1 Corinthians 1:26-27). Something happened to Isaiah when he admitted his personal struggle that changed everything. A seraph placed a lump of burning coal from the altar of God on Isaiahs mouth, signifying that Gods fire was purifying him and getting inside him. From that moment on, Isaiah was on fire. He didnt care if the world was falling apart. Hed been touched by heaven, and he had to answer Gods call. Isaiah was looking at the chaos in his world and at his own personal struggles and basically said, Lord, Here am I, send me anyway. God says to you today, I know the chaos in the world, and I know your flaws and struggles, but Im calling you anyway. If you let him, God will touch your life with fire from heaven. Its up to you to say, It may not seem like the right time, and I may not feel like the right person, but here I am. Send me anyway. Heres how to hold woke capital accountable If one was to create a test to evaluate how corporate America treats freedom of speech and religious liberty, how well do you think they would do? A pair of organizations just released such a test and, perhaps to no ones surprise, the corporations didnt do well. If assigned by letter grade, most companies received an F. The newly released Viewpoint Diversity Score was created by a partnership between Alliance Defending Freedom, a First Amendment legal organization that focuses on religious liberty, and Inspire Insight, which is a Christian financial technology firm. The Viewpoint Diversity Score is used in an accompanying business index that tracks significant Fortune 1000 companies. Alliance Defending Freedom senior counsel Jeremy Tedesco and CEO of Inspire Insight Robert Netzly wrote an article in The Wall Street Journal announcing the launch of the score and index. They wrote that the score gauges U.S. corporations respect for religious and ideological diversity in the market, workplace, and public square. It does this by evaluating businesses in three categories, market, workplace, and public square. The index uses voluntary disclosure data along with donations, reports, and news releases to make the evaluation. The score is created by applying this information to a 42-question rubric that gives zero to three points depending on how well the company respects free speech and freedom of religion. The typical company scored closer to 0% than even 50%. The average score was 12%. Some industries did particularly poorly. The two industries with the lowest overall scores were computer software at 6%, and internet services and retailing at 8%, the Viewpoint Diversity Score website noted. The financial and data services industry also came in at a low overall average score of 11%. This bodes ill for the future of freedom in this country. People and organizations shouldnt have to fear that they will be censored online, lose access to their bank accounts, or denied other services because of their religious or political views, Tedesco and Netzly wrote. There was a time when a business would just be a business and would try to sell its products to Americans of all backgrounds and political beliefs. Thats changing, rapidly. Much of big business has been commandeered by the hard left and is driving a wedge between Americans. Its creating a toxic environment thats poisoning our civil harmony. So, how do we restore some element of neutrality in the way that corporate America works? The problem is twofold. First, customers now must navigate an environment in which businesses arent just opposed to their beliefs but are actively hostile and working against them. As weve seen with increasing regularity, big businesses, almost in lockstep, have thrown their weight behind far-left political causes. The second issue is that its becoming difficult for employees to dissent from left-wing orthodoxy. Is it possible to be a Republican or anywhere on the political right in corporate America? The answer is increasingly, no. We are getting closer to living on a vast, national college campus where radicals can destroy anyone at any moment with almost total institutional compliance. Speech codes and speech policing are replacing the culture of free speech. Big business, especially Big Tech, has been all too eager to engage in censoring anything that isnt a mainstream, left-wing view. However, as much as big business has jumped onto this runaway train in recent years, there are signs that corporate wokeness is in retreat or has at least been blunted. From Disney, to Netflix, to Exxon Mobile, weve seen companies jump headfirst into culture war debate then either do an about-face or go silent after public backlash. It turns out that frequent tantrums by woke employees engaging in walkouts every time they are offended isnt good for business. Neither is angering half of your customers. And sometimes woke capital comes across someone they shouldnt have messed with, like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. In the 21st century, the danger to American liberty isnt just coming from the government, its coming from the institutions controlled by our woke ruling class. Big business has allowed itself to become an arm of the cultural revolution. Turning this around will take vast internal and external pressure. Information that will inform and keep them accountable is a vital element in keeping the free market free. Originally published at The Daily Signal. The post-Roe train wreck Whatever the Supreme Court decides about the status of Roe v. Wade, it will be a train wreck. If, after all the hype and uproar, Roes viability test is affirmed, pro-life advocates will feel hugely betrayed. Conversely, if the Court were to follow anything like Justice Blackmuns personhood test and uphold a fetus right to life under the 14th Amendment, pro-choice advocates would be apoplectic! Dont hold your breath on that one. Although both criminal and civil cases since Roe have established personhood apart from the 14th Amendment, it would be shocking if abortion flipped from a supposed constitutional right to a total constitutional ban. If the Court predictably takes the middle ground, overturning the presumed constitutionality of Roes viability test and leaving the legality of abortion to be determined on a state-by-state basis, there will be no end to the political rancor and consequent litigation. Already, there is talk of states removing all restrictions, legalizing abortion up to the moment before birth. Rather than settling matters, the Court will have just stirred up a hornets nest. Of course, Congress could always preempt all the local legislation by enacting something like Roe into law, but that only raises the prospect of federal abortion statutes swinging back and forth every time Congress changes hands. So, how about a constitutional amendment to settle the question once and for all? If only. In a nation sharply divided on abortion, the odds of that happening are about as long as Rich Strike winning the Kentucky Derby! A patchwork of wildly diverse state abortion laws is not just legally problematic but fraught with practical challenges. Weve seen it before with divorce and drug laws, where legal tourists go forum shopping in search of more favorable laws. State lines can disappear as quickly as a fetus. Not to mention the possibility of self-administered abortifacients becoming as big a black-market business as bootlegging during Prohibition. (Despite the scaremongering, were too much of a therapeutic society for coat hangers!) In a myriad of ways, the law of unintended consequences has already come into play. Heaven only knows what effect this case might have on mid-term elections. Or, coming full circle, what potential impact it might have on the future makeup of the Court itselfor, ironically, even crucial decisions in abortion cases yet to come. This is no time for premature celebrations. So, what does one do in the middle of such a train wreck? Theres no easy answer, but do you remember the antiwar slogan: Suppose they gave a war, and no one came? Make that: Suppose abortion was completely legal, and no one had one. Im not suggesting that abortion be legalized, but if, one by one, every mother, father, and voter came to accept that life in the womb, at whatever stage, is not a legal issue but a sacred trust, abortion would be a non-issue. Perhaps, then, its time to focus our energy on convincing the unconvinced of that bedrock truth. Given the great gulf in todays moral and cultural outlook, such a goal may seem Pollyannish. Yet, there was a time when African Americans were not considered persons, and the same women who today deny the personhood of their own offspring had, themselves, no legal protection. Over time, as witness even immoral causes, the most entrenched social attitudes can be radically transformed. At the intersection of law and morality, change hearts and minds, and all else will follow. Islamic State kills 20 Nigerian Christians as revenge for US airstrike The Islamic State terror group has released a video showing the execution of about 20 Christian civilians in Nigerias Borno State in revenge for the killing of their leader in Syria by the United States special forces in February, according to reports. The video, published on an IS-linked news outlet, shows a masked militant executing a Christian civilian while saying it is revenge for the killing of their leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, an Iraqi Islamic terrorist and the second caliph of the Islamic State. The video shows three groups of captives in civilian clothes, according to Nigerias newspaper The Guardian. The SITE Intelligence Group, a U.S.-based group that tracks the online activity of jihadist organizations, has confirmed the video's authenticity. Weapons are being made available to militants in Nigeria through war-torn Libya. And in the countrys Northeast region, the terrorist groups Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province, as the IS group is known in Nigeria, have killed thousands and displaced millions in recent years. In a separate attack last week, unidentified gunmen stormed a Catholic parish in northern Nigeria and abducted two priests, identified as Fr. Stephen Ojapa and Fr. Oliver Okpara from the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, and two unidentified boys from St. Patrick Catholic Church in Gidan Maikambo area of Katsina states Kafur Local Government Area, Vatican News reported. Earlier this month, radical Islamic militants affiliated with either the Islamic Fulani herdsmen or the Islamic State West Africa Province killed at least eight Christians, including children younger than 5, and wounded several others in an attack in Borno state. The gunmen had AK-47 rifles and shouted, Allah Akbar [Allah is the greatest] while firing indiscriminately, according to the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern. In a report released last year, the Anambra-based International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) estimated that about 10 million people had been uprooted in northern Nigeria, where extremist violence was most severe, from July 2009 to July 2021. The report added that about 2,000 Christian schools were attacked during that time. The atrocities included massacres, killings, mutilations, torture, maiming, abductions, hostage-taking, rape, girl-child defilements, forced marriages, disappearances, extortions, forceful conversions and destruction or burning of homes and sacred worship and learning centers, Intersociety reported. Intersociety said the mass violence had resulted from the propagation of radical Islamism. The Nigerian government, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, who comes from a Fulani background, attributes the violence in the Middle Belt states to decades-old farmer-herder clashes. However, Christian human rights advocates have accused the government of overlooking religious elements and not doing enough to protect Nigerian citizens. Many have raised concerns about what they perceive as the governments inaction in holding terrorists accountable for the rising number of murders and kidnappings, which some groups warn have reached the level of genocide. Open Doors USA, which monitors persecution in over 60 countries, reported that at least 4,650 Christians were killed between Oct. 1, 2020, and Sept. 30, 2021. That is an increase from 3,530 the previous year. Additionally, more than 2,500 Christians were kidnapped, up from 990 a year earlier. Gunmen abduct 2 priests, 2 boys from Catholic church in Nigeria: 'Pray for their safety and release' Unidentified gunmen attacked a Catholic parish in northern Nigeria this week and abducted two priests and two unidentified boys as kidnappings and attacks on Christians carry on unabated in the African country. The priests, identified as Fr. Stephen Ojapa and Fr. Oliver Okpara from the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, and two young boys were abducted from St. Patrick Catholic Church in Gidan Maikambo area of Katsina states Kafur Local Government Area early Wednesday, Vatican News reported. The whereabouts of the four seized during the raid are not known, Fr. Chris Omotosho, the director of social communications for the Sokoto diocese, was quoted as saying. Kindly pray for their safety and release, he added. The kidnappings come a week after the death of Fr. Joseph Aketeh Bako from the Archdiocese of Kaduna who was abducted in March by gunmen from his residence in St. John Catholic Church in Kudenda area. Earlier this month, radical Islamic militants from Islamic Fulani herdsmen or the Islamic State West Africa Province killed at least eight Christians, including children younger than 5, and wounded several others in an attack in Borno state. The attackers had AK-47 rifles and shouted, Allah Akbar [Allah is the greatest] while firing indiscriminately, according to the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern. Weapons are being made available to militants in Nigeria through war-torn Libya. And in the countrys Northeast region, the terrorist groups Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province have killed thousands and displaced millions in recent years. In a report released last year, the Anambra-based International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) estimated that about 10 million people had been uprooted in northern Nigeria, where extremist violence was most severe, from July 2009 to July 2021. The report added that about 2,000 Christian schools were attacked during that time. The atrocities included massacres, killings, mutilations, torture, maiming, abductions, hostage-taking, rape, girl-child defilements, forced marriages, disappearances, extortions, forceful conversions and destruction or burning of homes and sacred worship and learning centers, Intersociety reported. Intersociety said the mass violence had resulted from the propagation of radical Islamism. The Nigerian government, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, who comes from a Fulani background, attributes the violence in the Middle Belt states to decades-old farmer-herder clashes. However, Christian human rights advocates have accused the government of overlooking religious elements and not doing enough to protect Nigerian citizens. Many have raised concerns about what they perceive as the governments inaction in holding terrorists accountable for the rising number of murders and kidnappings, which some groups warn have reached the level of genocide. ICC identified Nigeria as one of its 2021 Persecutors of the Year. Nigeria is one of the deadliest places on Earth for Christians, as 50,000 to 70,000 have been killed since 2000, the ICC Persecutors of the Year report states. Open Doors USA, which monitors persecution in over 60 countries, reported that at least 4,650 Christians were killed between Oct. 1, 2020, and Sept. 30, 2021. That is an increase from 3,530 the previous year. Additionally, more than 2,500 Christians were kidnapped, up from 990 a year earlier. The cocreator of dogecoin has made some harsh comments about Elon Musk, calling the Tesla and SpaceX CEO a "grifter" who wasn't capable of running basic code. Jackson Palmer spoke to independent Australian news site Crikey on topics ranging from Musk to the future of cryptocurrency. Palmer is best known for being one of the people behind dogecoin, a cryptocurrency coin based on a meme that launched in 2013. Partly thanks to Musk, dogecoin is now one of the world's most valuable crypto coins. However, Palmer criticized Musk in his interview with Crikey and shared some details of his "interesting past" with the billionaire. According to Palmer, he first messaged the billionaire on Twitter some years ago after creating a bot that would help detect if there was a cryptocurrency scam in a Twitter mention and send an automated report to the platform flagging the scam, per Crikey. Palmer said he also worked with Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey and the Twitter team so that reports would be instantly sent to them, the outlet reported. He also sent the code to other crypto influencers. "Elon reached out to me to get hold of that script and it became apparent very quickly that he didn't understand coding as well as he made out. He asked, 'How do I run this Python script?'" Palmer said, per Crikey. "After I gave him the script, I wasn't a fan of him. He's a grifter, he sells a vision in hopes that he can one day deliver what he's promising, but he doesn't know that," Palmer added, per the outlet. "He's just really good at pretending he knows. That's very evident with the Tesla full-self-driving promise." Palmer claimed people on Twitter were likely enamored by Musk tweeting at them and angling to be friends with him or get rich themselves by association, per Crikey. "About a year ago, when Musk was saying something about crypto, I said Elon Musk was and always will be a grifter but the world loves grifters," Palmer said, the outlet reported. "They love the idea that they may also be a billionaire one day, and that's the dream he's selling." Palmer also spoke to Crikey about Musk's Twitter bid, saying he thought the billionaire was out to destroy the platform. "He was sowing a huge amount of discord and distrust on the platform, and there are huge amounts of churn and attrition from staff," Palmer said, per the outlet. "His play is to either dismantle all trust or maybe he's delusional enough to think he can build an alternative. The other alternative is that he wants to drive it into the ground at a much lower price, and I think that's what he's doing." Regarding Musk's resolution to vote Republican, Palmer told Crikey: "It's so strange. I think the good news is that a large number of people do see through his shit, including a lot of people who have the rug pulled over their eyes." Representatives for Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider. Copyright 2022 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Houston is experiencing an increase of suspected COVID-19 cases, according to the latest findings in the city's wastewater. Each week, the city and researchers at Rice University pull samples from each of the city's wastewater treatment facilities and test it for the virus, a grueling task of public service they've been performing since summer 2020. The findings help the Houston Health Department identify which communities are experiencing higher cases. Wastewater findings from May 23, which is the most recent data available, show COVID-19 numbers have risen across the city. COVID-19 concentration levels are up 242 percent from where they were in July 2020, when Houston communities experienced a "high COVID-19 burden." The suspected positivity rate is 14 percent of tests, according to the analysis. City of Houston The wastewater was tested again Monday, but findings were not immediately published. When you flush, wastewater is sent to one of the city's dozens of treatment plants. Each week, researchers take samples from each plant and test the wastewater for RNA fragments of the virus, which is found in the stool of a person infected with the virus. Scientists calculate the concentration of those RNA fragments inside the sample, which indicates how much concentration of the virus is in the community that feeds any specific plant. When COVID-19 concentration levels started to spike in March 2021 across Houston, the numbers decreased by the end of May and spiked again in mid- to late-June, according to the data. This year, however, concentration levels have been steadily increasing since the beginning of March, archived reports show. Dr. Ericka Brown, director of the health department's Community Health and Wellness Division, told the Houston Chronicle that despite the increase in concentration levels, Houston's hospitals are experiencing a low rate of hospitalization. (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Daina Ramey Berry, The University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts (THE CONVERSATION) Today marks the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War, a time to reflect on the bloodiest war in US history and consider the ways the conflict rages on in the American way of life. With nearly 700,000 lives lost, thousands of homes destroyed, acres decimated and people displaced on both sides, this war represents a major turning point in race relations in our young nation. Four million African-Americans received their freedom in exchange for battles of a different kind. When I teach this history, my students here in Texas have mixed reactions because some are descendants of Union veterans and others have family lines that trace back to the Confederacy. Defeated but not forgotten On the morning of April 9, 1865, General Robert E Lee of the Confederacy and his troops called a truce, ending four years of battle. Surrendering to General Ulysses S Grant of the Union Army represented the beginning of the Confederate withdrawal, which took place at the village of Appomattox Court House in Virginia. Following the war, in 1866, the Ku Klux Klan was founded in Pulaski, Tennessee. A white social fraternity comprised of former Confederate veterans, this group aimed to police African-Americans and other minorities in the aftermath of slavery. Garbed in white robes with hoods, they took to violence in the form of threats, lynching and outright murder. With all of the recognition of the wars end, what does this mean today? Has the US racial landscape changed, or are we fighting for some of the same rights and issues prevalent 150 years ago? The simple answer is yes, the struggle over race and oppression continues. However, one does not have to look much further than contemporary political issues in Georgia, North Carolina and Texas to see that Civil War symbols of antebellum life offer nostalgia and pride for some Southerners. Even though the battle is over, the war continues in our courts, on our campuses, and in state and federal government. News from Georgia, North Carolina and Texas Two weeks ago in Buford, Georgia, a local woman placed an ad on Craigslist for an antebellum-themed party for her husbands birthday. She was looking for domestic staff to help out in the kitchen but insisted applicants must be black. She also specified an overweight mammy type dressed with a rag on her head, and two black guys comfortable with wearing an iron collar and very little clothing. The woman who placed the ad even included the price: $600 for each mandingo and $40/hour for the domestic staff. Last week, in North Carolina, Duke University students found a noose hanging from a tree on the Bryant Center Plaza, the latest in a spate of lynching symbolism terrorizing college campuses. Within days of the incident and investigation, university officials identified the student responsible for appropriate disciplinary action. University officials are not releasing the students name due to federal privacy laws and an ongoing investigation to see if others were involved. It is worth noting that the noose is the instrument of torture that replaced the whip in the aftermath of the Civil War. Finally, in March the Texas Division of the Sons of the Confederate Veterans (SCV) took their battle to purchase license plates depicting the Confederate Flag to the US Supreme Court after the Texas motor vehicles board rejected the proposed plate. The case brought national attention to free speech and First Amendment rights. However, Justice Kennedy questioned the sanctity of having a racial slur on license plates suggesting that the High Court might support the Texas motor vehicles division position. The Court will rule on the case in June. Ending the war Many Americans are struggling to better understand and dismantle structural racism and the invisible manifestations of our countrys dependence on slave labor, codified and seemingly frozen into law and practice. These events, however, confirm that the visible manifestations of racism still live on in the form of Confederate pride. Why else would a Georgia woman seek to throw a slavery-themed party asking blacks to serve if they are comfortable? Comfort with neck collars and chains seems ridiculous and a poor attempt at being sensitive to the offensive request. Even more troubling are those who may have answered the ad. Certainly, these recent instances of cultural and political tone deafness the noose on a college campus and a Confederate flag license plate are examples of how threats and symbols made popular in the aftermath of the war remain popular today. As we reflect on what this anniversary represents to the American state of mind, past and present, lets consider how we will truly end this war for once and for all. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/the-civil-war-the-one-we-fought-the-one-were-still-fighting-39824. (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Daina Ramey Berry, The University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts Contributed photo / Lobalbo Brothers Auto Body Connecticut was a hotbed for celebrity sightings in May, with everyone from the main cast of "Breaking Bad" bartending to some of the "Real Housewives" spilling gossip for their fans. Here are some of the Hollywood sightings and murmurings that happened in and around Connecticut in May: Contributed / Getty NORTHFIELD, MASS. A Rhode Island man has been arrested after he crashed into five motorcycles and injured eight people all of whom were part of a Connecticut motorcycle club in Massachusetts on Sunday. Of the eight people injured and taken to local hospitals, two are listed in critical condition at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester, according to a Monday release from the Northwestern District Attorneys office. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) Rescuers have recovered all 22 bodies from the site where a plane crashed on a mountainside in Nepal, the airline said Tuesday. All the bodies were flown to Kathmandu and taken to the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital where doctors are performing autopsies, Tara Air said in a statement. The bodies will be handed over to relatives once autopsy is done, it said. While 10 bodies were flown to Kathmandu on Monday, the remaining were brought by army helicopter on Tuesday. Relatives of the crash victims waited outside the hospital building for authorities to release the bodies. The Tara Air turboprop Twin Otter aircraft lost contact with the airport tower Sunday while flying on a scheduled 20-minute flight in an area of deep river gorges and mountaintops. Four Indians and two Germans were on the plane, Tara Air said. The three crew members and other passengers were Nepali nationals, it said. Local news reports said the passengers included two Nepali families, one with four members and the other with seven. The plane crashed Sunday in Sanosware in Mustang district close to the mountain town of Jomsom, where it was heading after taking off from the resort town of Pokhara, 200 kilometers (125 miles) west of the capital Kathmandu. The planes destination is popular with foreign hikers who trek on its mountain trails, and with Indian and Nepalese pilgrims who visit the revered Muktinath temple. The Twin Otter, a rugged plane originally built by Canadian aircraft manufacturer De Havilland, has been in service in Nepal for about 50 years, during which it has been involved in about 21 accidents, according to aviationnepal.com. The plane, with its top-mounted wing and fixed landing gear, is prized for its durability and its ability to take off and land on short runways. As mourners in Uvalde, Texas, prepared to bury 19 children and two teachers, elected officials vowed Monday to examine last week's elementary school massacre and the flawed police response, and drive changes to gun laws. President Joe Biden, who spent nearly four hours Sunday visiting with the families of Uvalde victims, told reporters he would not give up on efforts to achieve "common-sense" gun legislation. "The folks who were victimized, their families, they spent three hours and 40 minutes with me. They waited all that time. Some came two hours early," Biden told reporters at the White House. "The pain is palpable. I think a lot of it is unnecessary. I'm going to continue to push." Meanwhile, the chairwoman of the House Judiciary subcommittee on crime called for hearings on Capitol Hill to give families a chance to tell their stories, and to seek ways to prevent mass shootings. "We will look comprehensively at Uvalde and the incident that occurred last Tuesday," said Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, whose Houston-based district is several hours from Uvalde and Robb Elementary School, the site of the shootings. Jackson Lee attended church with the president and first lady Jill Biden in Uvalde on Sunday. Jackson Lee said the goal of hearings, which might also take place in Texas, would be to determine "the facts" of what happened and to propose solutions. "We can do multiple things," she said in an interview, adding that her focus right now is on the families' "mourning and pain." The congresswoman noted that the nation on Monday observed Memorial Day by honoring men and women who fell in battle. "We have children murdered as though they were at battle," she said. "And that is not fitting of this nation." One of the survivors Biden met with on Sunday was 9-year-old Jaydien, who hid under a desk in his classroom. In an interview on Monday, Jaydien, who is being identified by first name only because he is a minor, said he asked the president: "Could you please make our schools safer and send more police, please?" "I will try," Biden said, according to Jaydien and his grandmother, Betty Fraire, whose last name is different from her grandson's. The boy had one more request: Could the president also make sure teenagers are not able to carry rifles because, the child said, "it's dangerous." Biden's reply: "I am working on it." Biden recalled for reporters on Monday a visit he made to a trauma hospital in New York, where he was shown X-rays of shooting victims. "A 9mm bullet blows the lung out of the body," he said. "There's simply no rational basis for [a high-caliber weapon] in terms of self-protection, hunting." Authorities have said the Uvalde gunman, 18-year-old Salvador Rolando Ramos, bought more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition days before the shooting. More than 300 rounds were found inside the school, according to police. "It makes no sense to be able to purchase something that can fire up to 300 rounds," Biden said. He added that the Second Amendment, which protects the right to bear arms, was "never absolute," noting: "You couldn't buy a cannon when the Second Amendment was passed." At the same time, the president acknowledged that much of the power to impose gun safety regulations rests with Congress, where lawmakers have debated the issue for years. "I can't outlaw a weapon. I can't change the background checks. I can't do that," Biden said. He added that he thinks "things have gotten so bad that everybody is getting more rational about it. At least that's my hope and prayer." Some lawmakers have indicated that the Uvalde attack could spur Congress to at least limited action. "There are more Republicans interested in talking about finding a path forward this time than I have ever seen since Sandy Hook," Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told ABC's "This Week," referring to a school shooting in Connecticut a decade ago that killed 20 students and six adults but did not lead to the passage of sweeping legislation on the federal level. Jackson Lee, whose crime panel is part of the Judiciary Committee, said she will seek to move gun safety legislation, including a proposal to require a seven-day waiting period for purchases of assault weapons like the one used in Uvalde. On May 24, an array of federal and local law enforcement agencies responded to the reports of gunfire outside and inside the school. But officers waited more than an hour - through multiple 911 calls from students - to storm the classroom where the gunman and many of his victims were locked in. Officials have said school district Police Chief Pete Arredondo wrongly treated the attack as a barricade situation rather than an active-shooter situation once the initial gunfire stopped. Arredondo has not spoken publicly since the shooting. He recently was elected to the Uvalde City Council and was supposed to be sworn in Tuesday evening. On Monday, the Uvalde mayor issued a statement saying the council meeting had been canceled so the community could focus on grieving. State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, a Democrat who represents Uvalde, said Monday that he is sending a written request to Steven McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, for a full ballistics report and demanding to know "exactly what time, what officer and from what agency showed up, and where they were stationed" at the school. He said better-equipped and trained officers responding to the incident should have stepped in when it became apparent that the school police force was ill-suited to handle an active shooter, he said. "There were clear, clear violations of protocol here," he said. "I want to make sure that we have access to all of the evidence as quickly as possible so we can get a thorough investigation," he said. "It's not going to bring these kids back, of course, but we need to make sure that we get the answers so that this never happens again." - - - Villegas reported from Uvalde. The Washington Post's Seung Min Kim and Monika Mathur in Washington contributed to this report. By Jean Hanff Korelitz Celadon. 439 pp. $28 - - - The Oppenheimer triplets were conceived in a petri dish, but the real miracle of their creation took place in Jean Hanff Korelitz's fertile imagination. These three spoiled scions of a wealthy Brooklyn family are the subject of her sharp new comic novel, "The Latecomer." Although it's set around the end of the 20th century, the story luxuriates in the flourishes of an earlier era, including uncanny coincidences, hidden identities and chapter headings in which the author foreshadows what is about to unfold. Indeed, like a latter-day Edith Wharton, Korelitz simultaneously mocks and embraces these upper-class combatants. Other readers will hear in this vivisection of a dysfunctional family a Franzenesque attention to the great forces pulsing through American culture. But Korelitz writes with such a light touch that one doesn't feel strong-armed through a college seminar on, say, pharmaceuticals or bird conservation. (Like her previous novel "The Plot," "The Latecomer" is already set for a TV series adaptation.) In the early chapters, Korelitz carefully lays the foundation of a storied Jewish family that can trace its roots - and its misfortunes - back to Joseph Suss Oppenheimer in the 18th-century court of Stuttgart. But the moment the Oppenheimer triplets emerge into the world with the help of IVF, they're cradled in deception and obfuscation that will spark explosions throughout their lives. As a young man, their father killed two friends in a driving accident. He never mentions that catastrophe, although it essentially cauterized his heart, which now has room only for modern art. Their mother, meanwhile, is so determined to preserve a lovely tableaux of happiness that she can never see her children in action. Although raised together with every advantage money can buy, the triplets never develop even the most basic habits of sibling comradery. They sound almost like characters in a fairy tale when the narrator claims, "The faintest hint of affection, the palest expression of warmth, was enough to make each Oppenheimer triplet recoil." Harrison, Lewyn and Sally - "the smart one," "the weird one" and "the girl" - remain inert elements in a family compound that never coheres. The narrator, whose hidden identity adds a touch of "Gossip Girl" intrigue, moves freely across the years, in and out of the triplets' minds: "So powerful was the mutual aversion, and so ironic, given the triplets had never actually been apart, that you might even have said it was the single thing the triplets actually did share." "The Latecomer" casts a witty eye on a wide spectrum of American life, but when Harrison, Lewyn and Sally become teenagers, Korelitz turns her satiric vision to the excesses of liberal education with particularly singeing effect. The triplets attend the exclusive Walden academy, one of those chronically compromised prep schools designed on the most egalitarian principles for the most aristocratic parents. Walden's touchy-feely ideology is enforced with a death grip throughout the curriculum. "Every student," the narrator writes, "marched in lockstep to his or her mandated different drummer." While European history is reserved for a senior elective, all the grades concentrate on the rights of women and LGBTQ people. It's a terrible fit for Harrison, who's already an archconservative by second grade and believes "he was not just smarter than his siblings (a low bar, in his opinion) but smarter than his classmates, his teachers, and the head of school." Although bound for Harvard like a salmon to its birthplace, Harrison meets an iconoclastic professor who convinces him he's too special for the halls of Cambridge. He should, instead, join the little cadre of Spartan intellectuals at Roarke (a wonderful parody of Deep Springs College). There, while reading Latin and cleaning out the chicken coop, Harrison finally finds someone he can truly respect: a fellow student named Eli Absalom Stone. In such moments - and there are many in "The Latecomer" - Korelitz's skill as the ringmaster of this vast collection of episodes feels particularly dazzling. Eli Absalom Stone sounds something like an African American version of Jedediah Purdy, that home-schooled West Virginian who, in 1999 at the age of 24, published a much-heralded work of cultural criticism titled "For Common Things: Irony, Trust, and Commitment in America Today." But Korelitz has made her young autodidact far more conflicted. As a Black man, Stone becomes a right-wing media celebrity, richly rewarded for inhabiting "that vile gray zone between fiscal conservative and Tiki Torchbearer." Harrison hitches his bespoke wagon to that star, and the resulting scandal shows how deftly Korelitz moves as a satirist, feinting in one direction and then delivering a knockout blow in the other. She demonstrates the same dexterity in another, equally surprising, storyline involving Lewyn at Cornell University, where, once again, a peculiar experience reverberates with national implications. Although raised in a culturally Jewish home with no particular interest in theology, Lewyn is fascinated by his Mormon roommate. At first, Lewyn's worldly sophistication seems to make a mockery of his new friend's white-bread lifestyle and theatrical spirituality. Indeed, there are many opportunities here for gags reminiscent of the Broadway musical "The Book of Mormon," but Korelitz has something else in mind entirely. Soon, Lewyn finds himself craving the love and the mystery of this homegrown American faith. There's a jigsaw-puzzle thrill to Korelitz's family epic - the way it feels like a thousand scrambled, randomly shaped events until you've got the edges in place, and then the picture begins to resolve with accelerating inevitability and surprise. Part farce, part revenge fantasy, the climactic scene at a triple birthday party at the Oppenheimers' "cottage" on Martha's Vineyard is one of the most hilarious and horrible calamities I've ever found in a novel. Korelitz is not so sentimental as to finally draw the Oppenheimer triplets together in a hug, but she knows how to adopt the old conventions of romantic comedy and domestic drama to her thoroughly modern ends. By the time we're done with these siblings, their lives have been turned inside out, and all their stored-up junk and secret treasures have been sorted, culled and curated for this immensely enjoyable sojourn with a truly memorable family. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate LONDON - The short-legged customer at the "pupuccino bar" seemed initially unsure of the drink to choose to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee. A cup of whipped cream, yes, but with what topping? Gravy bones or peanut butter? After a few inquisitive sniffs, the customer, a 3-year-old corgi, made her preference for peanut butter known with some enthusiastic tail wagging. And why not indulge a little? As Britain this week celebrates the queen's 70 years on the throne, corgis are playing a starring role. Corgi images adorn commemorative ornaments, pillows, mugs and biscuits. Corgi sculptures have been installed around the streets of central London. And during a finale pageant procession on Sunday, a giant puppet of the queen will be surrounded by a pack of puppet corgis. The queen, of course, is famous for her love of Pembroke Welsh Corgis. She is said to have had more than 30 during her reign. Her corgi Susan came along on her honeymoon - and started a royal breeding line that produced hundreds of puppies. Three descendant corgis - Holly, Monty and Willow - appeared alongside the queen and James Bond in a skit for the opening of the 2012 London Olympics. On the queen's 90th birthday, the palace released a photo, taken by Annie Leibovitz, of the monarch surrounded by four furry friends. According to the British tabloids, the queen currently has two corgis named Muick and Sandy, a dorgi (corgi-dachshund mix) named Candy and, in a break from tradition, a cocker spaniel named Lissy. For the jubilee, Buckingham Palace has embraced the association of the queen with her corgis and unveiled a winking "PJ the corgi" emoji for people to share on social media. Of all the jubilee celebrations happening across the country this week, London's pop-up "Corgi Cafe" was one of the most unusual. On Sunday, around 300 pooches, and their humans, found their way to the Refinery, a restaurant in central London that was decked out in royal memorabilia. A life-size cardboard cutout of the queen with a "dogs this way" sign greeted customers outside. "Her Majesty has always kept corgis, and I think this is the right way to celebrate," said Ian Middleton, 58, an airline pilot. The Platinum Jubilee, he said, was probably the last major hurrah that the public would be holding for Britain's 96-year-old monarch. "I think there's a realization that this is the last major event and it's a way to say thank you," he said. His corgi, Sue Baker, was squirming in his arms and less interested in a Washington Post reporter's questions than in the nearby "pupuccino bar." The corgis were let off their leashes and allowed to roam the cafe, weaving through a sea of tables, eyeing leftovers, sniffing at everything. Some were tempted - with treats - to stick their heads through a cardboard cutout in the shape of a giant jubilee mug. Pug Cafe, a dog events company that put on the event, designated a "chill zone" for nervous and older corgis. At one point, a pair of corgis were giving the feet of Abbie Keane, 43, a lot of attention. She works at a doggy bakery and was selling an array of dog treats at the event, many in the shape of crowns and corgis. But her treats were considerably higher than the corgi pair could reach, so the dogs moved on to Sara Fancourt, 30, who works for recipe box company and was sitting down at the dog's level. The dogs suspected, rightly, that she had a stash of dog treats she was willing to share once they climbed onto her lap. She said she had a "mad passion" for corgis. "I'm here as a corgi lover. I love that they are a small dog but still super chunky, so you get a good hug," she said. "This is the year that superfans get to really indulge themselves," she said, referring to admirers of corgis, not the royals. LA VERNE, Calif. (AP) The driver of a speeding car was killed Tuesday when the vehicle slammed through a wall and crashed in the backyard of a Southern California home, officials said. The car jumped a curb and went through the wall that borders the property in suburban La Verne, east of Los Angeles, shortly after 9 a.m., KABC-TV reported. MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) A state legislator appears to have lost to a primary challenger by a single vote after provisional ballots were counted Tuesday, setting up a possible recount in the race. Another state representative, who is trailing a challenger, says he will file an election contest in his GOP primary race after some voters in his district may have gotten the incorrect ballot. Republican state Sen. Tom Whatley of Auburn trailed primary challenger Jay Hovey by a single vote after provisional ballots were counted Tuesday, Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl said. Hovey, a member of the Auburn City Council, had initially led by four votes, according to unofficial returns, but his lead shrank to a single vote after eligible provisional ballots were counted. Provisional ballots are votes where there was initially a question about the voters eligibility. The vote is counted once that question is resolved. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill said Whatley has 24 hours to request a recount if he chooses. Alabama provides automatic recounts in general elections. In a primary election, a candidate must request and pay for the recount. Wahl said the candidate requesting a recount must put up a bond to pay for the process, but they will get the money back if the recount reverses the result. Whatley did not immediately respond to a text message seeking comment. In another race, unofficial returns showed Republican Rep. Gill Isbell of Gadsden losing to Mack Butler, who previously served in the Legislature. But the race is caught in a mix-up where some voters got ballots with the wrong House district. Merrill said the local Board of Registrars failed to accurately sort some voters into the correct legislative district after lawmakers drew new district lines. Merrill said last week they did not know how many voters were affected. The 2020 election has election integrity issues. There isnt fraudulence but mistakes that caused the results to be invalid, Isbell told The Associated Press. He said a recount would not resolve the situation. He said the results have been compromised and another election would be the best solution. Wahl said the party, really had no option but to move forward with certification. "The certification of the election is to confirm that the vote took place and what the result of that vote was," Wahl said. After its certified, candidates will have the option of challenging it or asking for a recount. James Biden took out his iPhone early one morning in September 2017 and tapped a quick message to his nephew Hunter. It was, as usual, filled with typos. It was also, as usual, filled with exclamation points meant to convey his exuberance. "Hunter, we are cut from the same cloth," James Biden wrote. ". . . You are a fine and yes, a gentle person. Believe it or not, I know you. Sounds corney,but we both deserve to enjoy the moment. Concentrate on the good in our lives and try to step out of all the bullshit you deal with on a minute to minute basis." The exchange comes from a copy of a hard drive that Hunter Biden purportedly dropped off at a repair shop and never retrieved. A copy was provided to The Washington Post, and the emails cited in this article were authenticated by two forensic analysts. James and Hunter Biden were in the midst of a lucrative deal with Chinese executives at the time, while Joe Biden was out of public service for the first time in nearly a half-century, having left the vice presidency a few months earlier. Hunter Biden was also wrestling with drug addiction, financial problems and a relationship with his late brother Beau's widow that had become public. Amid all that, Hunter Biden turned to his uncle, at least as much as to his famous father, for emotional support. Hunter also relied upon James Biden, who goes by Jim and is known as Jimmy within the family, on matters of dollars and cents. Within days of that exchange, Hunter received another email from his uncle urging him to take advantage of a financial opportunity related to Joe Biden. The urgency is clear, even if the precise subject is not. "You need to call me now," James Biden wrote on Oct. 1, 2017. "Just got off the phone with your father...We have the two biggest days of our business life in front of us!!!!!! We must be smart, or everything goes up in smoke! Please call me. You MUST remain calm. Timing could not be worse. Calm and measured!!!! Paybacks can come later." James Biden has in many ways always been the protector in the Biden family, the one who made sure the machinery ran while his brother soared; President Biden as recently as late last year referred to him as "my brother Jimmy, who fixes everything." He has been there for the bad times, comforting family members in distress, visiting the bedside of loved ones, getting them into rehab when needed. He was by his brother's side at his first wedding, was at the hospital when Beau died, found a neurosurgeon when Joe had a brain aneurysm. He even helped paint Hunter's law school apartment. When Joe Biden became president, his brother was tasked with redecorating the Oval Office. Yet from the start of Joe Biden's political career, James, who is seven years younger, has also walked up to ethical lines his brother has avoided, leaving a complicated trail of business dealings and angry lawsuits. In a rare phone interview, James Biden said he tries to keep a low profile, and he used more than a few expletives to describe unwelcome attention from Republicans and the media. "I'm the guy who assists in everything. When it comes to my family I try to be as supportive as I can," he said. "But this notion of 'the fixer,' or any reference that has a negative connotation, is offensive." He added, "The notion I am some underworld figure and I am a fixer or the cleaner or I'm this or that - I'm a very concerned family member who tries to protect my family in every way I can, in what is a very ethical way." Several times during the interview, James Biden mused aloud that he should not be speaking to a reporter, then resumed talking. Eventually his wife, Sara, entered the room and advised him to cut off the conversation. "Talk to a real person who knows me," James Biden said, then offered, "Guess what? There's not many who do." James Biden has included Hunter in a number of financial deals, his expressions of undying empathy for his nephew alternating with excited business pitches. Yet a number of those deals have turned sour, as onetime business partners have alleged in court documents that James Biden has said he would bring in business using the Biden name and connections, then failed to deliver - allegations he denies. The Post spoke to associates of James Biden at his request. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive legal matters and declined to provide specifics. Hunter Biden did not respond to several requests for comment sent through his attorney, and the White House declined to comment. The intricate mesh of relationships - between the president, his son Hunter, his brother James - illustrates how the president's relatives have struggled to make a life in his political shadow. The president and his family are certain to face any number of investigations if Republicans retake at least one chamber of Congress in November's midterm elections. Republicans have recently drawn more attention to James Biden, in addition to Hunter, an indication that they would put him under a spotlight. James and Hunter Biden are far from the first presidential relatives to face scrutiny. From Billy Carter to Roger Clinton, presidential siblings have caused political problems, while former president Donald Trump's family members regularly sought business opportunities related to his presidency and even took positions in his administration. It is clear that James Biden both soothed his troubled nephew in moments of genuine despair and worked to cultivate business opportunities with him. "My Uncle Jimmy is my best friend in the world," Hunter said last year during a podcast interview. The two men share the light banter of close family members, emailing on subjects like the sporting events of Hunter Biden's children. In the emails, James Biden at one point asked Hunter for advice on getting his boat painted at his marina ("They are thieves down in Fla!!!!!") and at another advised him on attire for an upcoming dinner ("Jeans very casual!!"). James Biden also frequently encouraged Hunter to take time to relax, to try yoga and meditation. "It's worked for you in the past," he wrote on Oct. 4, 2017. "Force yourself. Im hitting the gym big time. Let's take some stress off, any way we can! I'm with you pal." A few weeks after that message, James Biden was enthusiastically outlining ways for the two of them to leverage political connections in pursuit of infrastructure projects. They knew officials in California, James reminded Hunter, including Gov. Jerry Brown, so they could go after rail projects in the state. There were massive projects shaping up in Minnesota, he added, where they could tap the Democratic delegation for help. In New York, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo would meet with them whenever they were ready. "We are very driven people," James Biden exhorted. "We are rifle shot rather than shot gun people." Growing up, the Bidens were a tightknit family, and James Biden's role of sticking up for others was clear from an early age. Their mother, Joe Biden wrote in his book "Promises to Keep," "once shipped my brother Jim off with instructions to bloody the nose of a kid who was picking on smaller kids, and she gave him a dollar when he'd done it." When Joe Biden ran for Senate in 1972, it was a family affair. The candidate's sister, Valerie, was the campaign manager. His youngest brother, Frank, rallied student volunteers. And it was 23-year-old James's job to raise money. From the beginning, James was willing to tiptoe up to ethical lines in a way that Joe Biden, by his own account, was not. In the heat of the campaign, James reported to Joe that Bill Holayter, president of the International Association of Machinists, was willing to make a $5,000 donation - but wanted to meet the candidate first. When they sat down, the cigar-smoking Holayter asked Joe Biden if he would support the union on an upcoming issue. "If you're asking me how I'm gonna vote on a particular issue, you can take that check and stick it," Joe Biden told him, according to "Promises to Keep." Joe Biden stormed off, so James Biden chased his brother to the elevator and asked him to reconsider. When Joe still refused to accept the check, James took it himself, according to the book. James Biden rejects the idea that he was willing to engage in anything that his brother would not. "To get a meeting with that guy, I had to wait in his lobby for probably six months," he recalled in the interview. "Finally he says, 'Hey, I want to talk to your brother.' I said fine, I brought him down." When his brother stormed out of the room, James Biden said, he persuaded Holayter to apologize. "The way that it was portrayed or suggested that I did something inappropriate or shady or that I crossed the line, or that I was the one that took the check and he refused?" he said. "Total, absolute bullshit." He added, "This notion I did something that he wouldn't do? Give me a break." Some of James Biden's support for his brother was more personal - deeply so. When Biden's first wife Neilia and their infant daughter died in a car crash, it was James who identified the bodies, who delivered the horrific news to Neilia's parents, who broke the news to his brother that they were gone. "Jimmy is among the most generous people in the world, and he would - the expression that we use in the family, 'If you have to ask, it's too late' - and you never have to ask Jimmy," their sister Valerie, called Val by the family, said during a recent Washington Post Live event. "He's always a step ahead of trying to help. He's fierce. It's not a pushover by any means. He is genuine. You always know where you stand with Jimmy." Over the years and especially now, critics have often asked why the president has tolerated the dubious behavior of his family members, especially Hunter. That question may never be answered. But it's clear that the Bidens have bonded through the kind of tragedy few other families can imagine. After Joe's wife and baby daughter died, James converted a garage outside Joe's house into an apartment so he could be a constant presence as Joe tried to raise two young boys while learning the ways of the Senate. In those early days, James often tagged along on congressional trips - including a side jaunt to Europe with his brother, at the advice of Sen. Hubert Humphrey, D-Minn. "I became basically a Senate wife for the first year," James Biden later recalled. To Hunter and Beau, he was the fun-loving uncle. The one who brought the toys and candy, or tossed them into the air at the swimming pool. The one who dragged an artificial tree into their hospital room when they were recovering from the accident that killed their mother and sister as the family shopped for a Christmas tree. Joe Biden has recounted moving Hunter into a New Haven apartment when his son was in law school, and realizing the entire place needed a new coat of paint. "My brother Jimmy, who fixes everything - my brother Jimmy was with us, and we went down and bought about 28 gallons of paint," the president said last year during a talk in Connecticut. "For real. It was hot as hell." As vital as James Biden has been in his brother's personal life, he has also been a potential liability in his political one. His repeated efforts at business deals - sometimes using the family name or enlisting Hunter - have not infrequently ended in recrimination, bankruptcy or lawsuits. In several cases, as noted by ProPublica and in Ben Schreckinger's book "The Bidens," associates claimed that James promised to use his status as a Biden to drum up business but didn't, which he denies. Shortly after Joe Biden became a senator, James Biden opened a nightclub in Wilmington, Del., with bank loans from lenders who may have been eager to please the new young senator on the Banking Committee. Joe Biden was in touch with the banks that were lending money to his brother but did not directly influence the loans, according to news accounts at the time. On one occasion in 1975, Joe Biden called Edwards Danforth, chairman of the Farmers' Bank of Delaware, to complain about his brother's treatment. Biden's justification, the News Journal reported at the time, was that he'd only called because the bank was threatening that a default would be embarrassing for Joe. "They were trying to use me as a bludgeon," he said. Eventually, the nightclub folded. Years later, in 2000, James took out a $353,000 loan from Leonard Barrack, a prominent Biden donor, according to registry of deeds documents. Barrack simultaneously hired James's wife, Sara, and paid nearly $250,000 for the couple to travel internationally to work generating business for his firm. But the relationship fell apart and resulted in competing lawsuits between Barrack and the Bidens over Sara Biden's contract and compensation. Barrack's firm claimed that, in hiring Sara Biden, James Biden had promised to help land clients in part "through his family name and his resemblance to his brother, United States Senator Joseph Biden of Delaware," but they generated business for themselves rather than the firm. Sara Biden, who was represented in part by her nephew, Beau Biden, filed a countersuit. The parties settled in 2004, and Barrack did not respond to a request for comment. There is no record that James directly responded to the assertion in legal papers, but in the phone interview he suggested that the various lawsuits against him were meritless. "It's not that I haven't made mistakes in my life," he said. "But the fact of the matter is, here I sit, anybody can sue anybody for anything. But it would never be cast in the light that 'they can sue me just because they can sue me.' " James Biden declined to respond in detail to the legal claims he's faced over the years and referred questions to legal associates, who declined to address specifics. A few years after the Barrack dispute, James and Hunter jointly purchased a controlling interest in a hedge fund called Paradigm Global Advisors, along with a partner named Anthony Lotito. But that relationship, too, soured, as the Bidens and Lotito sued each other for fraud, each side claiming the other had misled them. The case was ultimately settled. In a discussion with Marc Maron on his "WTF" podcast last year, Hunter was asked about getting involved in a hedge fund with his uncle. "I tried. It didn't work out. I was sober. I was sober then," he said. "It just, it just didn't work out, you know. I mean, one thing is that you think that, you know, D.C. is bad. Go to Wall Street. I mean, it's just like, oh, my God." He defended James Biden's role. "Look, my uncle is the most amazing man, one of the most amazing people I know," Hunter Biden said. "Yeah. He is literally there for everyone. He's my, he's my best friend in the world, my Uncle Jim. I mean, he's an incredible human being in his own right." In another case, after teaming up with Americore Health, a Florida-based health-care company, James Biden was accused of stealing blueprints for a rural health-care business and failing to generate the international investments he'd promised. In June 2019, two medical service firms who were involved in that arrangement - Azzam Medical Services and Diverse Medical Management - sued James Biden and his business partners. Among other things, they alleged James had cited his family connections and promised that Joe Biden would promote the firms' health-care model in his 2020 campaign. They also alleged that James touted Joe Biden's connections to the labor movement and the Department of Veterans Affairs, promising the plaintiffs he'd help them win federal contracts and expand their model nationwide. James Biden's attorneys disputed many of the allegations in the lawsuit, which was settled in 2020. And in a case that didn't end up in litigation but has drawn recent attention, James and Hunter Biden signed a lucrative deal in 2017 with officials from the Chinese energy conglomerate CEFC. As The Post previously reported, the company and its executives paid $4.8 million to entities controlled by the two Bidens over the course of 14 months - even though the energy projects Hunter Biden discussed with CEFC never materialized. The arrangement provided Hunter Biden with a monthly stipend of $100,000 while his uncle received $65,000, according to records on the copy of Hunter Biden's hard drive, as well as bank documents obtained by Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa). James and Hunter Biden have declined to respond to questions about this arrangement. A source close to Biden, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, declined to comment on several specific questions about his legal issues, saying only that "Jim Biden has always maintained that he conducted himself ethically and honorably in all his business dealings." Congressional Republicans are increasingly making it clear that James Biden as well as Hunter will be a target of their probes. "Hunter Biden wasn't the only Biden family member who had connections to the [Chinese] communist regime," Grassley said in a recent floor speech. "James Biden did as well." But James Biden's bond with his nephew goes far beyond business deals, a fact that has played into the president's own relationship with his son. When Hunter was in the depths of a drug relapse, he often would stop answering his father's anxious calls, and Joe Biden knew the best way to reach him was to go through James. "He sent in the cavalry: my uncle Jim," Hunter Biden wrote in his memoir. "Uncle Jimmy is my best friend in the world and Dad knew that if his younger brother asked me to do something, I'd do it. Uncle Jim has his own superpower: he gets things done." At one point in 2018, James Biden flew out to Los Angeles, pulled Hunter out of a hotel room and checked him into rehab. Hunter wrote about the encounter in his memoir, and there is further evidence on the copy of his hard drive, which includes increasingly urgent messages from his uncle. On Sept. 17, 2017, James wrote Hunter an email with the subject line, "Our relationship 'Rock Solid' " and apologized for not providing even more comfort. "You are a fine and (yes) noble man. I will do better from my end, and start acting like a real friend and partner," James Biden wrote. "I am on your side/team period. Forgive me for being so insensitive to all that you are going thru. If you will permit me, I would like to start being part of the solution, rather than another problem to deal with. We will get thru this. I really believe that there are good times ahead." He added, "I love you pal, U Jim." About two weeks later, James Biden took out his phone to type the "corney" message to Hunter. He added other words of encouragement, and even indirectly suggested that he might appreciate Hunter in a way his own father did not. "Stop beating yourself up, and realize that there is a least one person in this world, who truly appreciates what a quality person you are," he wrote. "Your grandparents, your mother, sister, and brother are looking down on you, and want their Hunter to be happy. I Couldn't sleep last night, but all good. As the great philosopher Happy Gilmore would say, 'put yourself in your happy place.' " - - - The Washington Post's Alice Crites, Tom Hamburger, and Craig Timberg contributed to this report. Years ago when our eldest was still a toddler, we made the decision as a family to sponsor a child her age. We had been blessed; blessed with the joy of a promised child, blessed with a safe and secure home, and having witnessed God meet our every need as a young family, we wanted to invest the faithfulness we'd received into the lives of another family for each of our children. This little boy's photograph caught our attention at a Compassion Australia ministry night. Lkirimis, from Kenya's east coast. Over the years, we've prayed that this little one would grow to know and love his saviour, just as my own children grow. In the beautiful way God's plans unfold, his latest letter revealed the most amazing happenstance. Two years ago on a missions trip, I had the honour of leading a seminar on children's ministry at a conference for church leaders in Western Kenya. Since then, not only has our dear little friend relocated to Western Kenya, he is now part of a children's program run by the same church body; no doubt being taught by some of the very same children's leaders I met in 2019. As the due date of our third baby quickly approaches, we look forward to adding a third sponsor child to our extended global family, and watching our testimonies intertwine as small parts in the grand story of God's redeeming love. https://www.compassion.com.au/ JACKSON, Miss. (AP) A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit accusing Mississippi of using a discriminatory proof-of-citizenship requirement for some new voters under a law dating back to the Jim Crow era. The dismissal came weeks after the state repealed a 1924 law that required naturalized citizens, but not people born in the U.S., to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote. A new law enacted in its place has also drawn opposition but is being grudgingly accepted by voting rights groups who say it ultimately should protect naturalized citizens from being incorrectly marked as noncitizens when they register to vote. The secretary of state had been running names of potential new voters through a state Department of Public Safety database of people with Mississippi driver's licenses and identification cards. Voting rights advocates said this practice disproportionately hurt people of color by flagging them as possible noncitizens. The new law says that if the public safety database raises questions about citizenship, the potential new voter's name must be run through a federal immigration database. Groups that advocate for voting rights and immigrants rights said the federal database provides a safeguard to protect naturalized citizens from being incorrectly marked as noncitizens when they register to vote. We would prefer that there be no database matching, Rob McDuff, an attorney for the Mississippi Center for Justice said in a news release Tuesday. There is no problem in Mississippi with non-citizens trying to vote. But given that the secretary of state created such a database matching program, (the new law) makes the situation better and decreases the number of erroneous non-matches. Two groups, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the Mississippi Center for Justice, sued the state in 2019 on behalf of the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance and the League of Women Voters of Mississippi. No state in the United States other than Mississippi subjects naturalized citizens to a higher proof-of-citizenship requirement for voter registration than U.S.-born citizens, the lawsuit said. On Tuesday, the plaintiffs and the defendants, including the secretary of state's office, both asked U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves to dismiss the suit. He quickly granted the request. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed House Bill 1510 on April 14, and it became law immediately. He said it ensures that only American citizens are able to vote in Mississippi. There will be those on the left who will claim that we are making it harder for American citizens to vote, the governor said in a video posted to social media. Those claims are false. Ezra Rosenberg of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law said in the news release Tuesday that naturalized citizens should not be targeted for unequal treatment. Their patriotism deserves to be honored, not punished," Rosenberg said. The addition of this new safeguard will help prevent naturalized citizens from being erroneously blocked from registering to vote through no fault of their own. The final version of House Bill 1510 passed the Mississippi House 114-5 with broad bipartisan support. It passed the Senate 38-13, with most Democrats opposed. In signing the law, Tate Reeves criticized New York City, which enacted a local law in January to let noncitizens vote in its municipal elections but not state or federal elections. He said radical activists pushed to open the ballot box to about 800,000 noncitizens there. New York has the largest population of any U.S. city, about 8.8 million. More than a dozen communities across the U.S. allow noncitizens to vote in local elections, including 11 towns in Maryland and two in Vermont. We're not going to allow liberals, whether they're in New York or Washington, D.C., to tell us how to run our local elections, the governor said. The new Mississippi law says that if the state and federal databases both raise questions about a persons citizenship status, the circuit clerk must give notice. The person would have 30 days to prove citizenship with a birth certificate, a U.S. passport or naturalization documents. The law says if the person fails to prove citizenship within 30 days, their name will be marked pending in the Statewide Elections Management System until the next federal general election. That person could cast a provisional ballot during that federal election but would have to prove citizenship within five days for the vote to count. If the person does not vote in that federal election, their name would be marked rejected in the Statewide Elections Management System. NEW YORK (AP) The judge who presided over Sarah Palin's libel case against The New York Times denied her request Tuesday for a new trial, saying she failed to introduce "even a speck of evidence necessary to prove actual malice by the newspaper. U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff made the assertion in a written decision as he rejected post-trial claims from Palins lawyers. Her attorneys had asked the judge to grant a new trial or disqualify himself as biased against her, citing several evidentiary rulings by Rakoff that they said were errors. Those ranged from how the questioning of jurors occurred during jury selection, to how jurors were instructed when they asked questions during deliberations. In actuality, none of these was erroneous, let alone a basis for granting Palin a new trial, the judge said. Rakoff wrote that regardless of her post-trial motions, Palin was required at a trial earlier this year to show that an error in a published editorial was motivated by actual malice a requirement in libel lawsuits involving public figures. And the striking thing about the trial here was that Palin, for all her earlier assertions, could not in the end introduce even a speck of such evidence, he said. Lawyers for Palin declined to comment on Rakoff's ruling. A spokesperson for the Times, Charlie Stadtlander, said in a statement, We are pleased to see the courts decision, and remain confident that the judge and jury decided the case fairly and correctly. The libel lawsuit by Palin, a one-time Republican vice-presidential candidate and former governor of Alaska, centered on the newspapers 2017 editorial falsely linking her campaign rhetoric to a mass shooting, which Palin asserted damaged her reputation and career. The Times acknowledged their editorial was inaccurate, but said it quickly corrected the errors they called an honest mistake never meant to harm Palin. Rakoff announced in February even before a jury completed its deliberations that he intended to dismiss the lawsuit because Palin had failed to show that the Times acted out of malice. Jurors themselves rejected Palin's lawsuit the next day. Rakoff said he thought it was fair to all parties not to wait for the jurys verdict because he had already decided as a matter of law that the Palin hadnt proven her case. Her attorneys cited the timing of Rakoff's announcement as one more reason a new trial should be ordered. RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) North Carolina's hemp industry would become permanently exempt from the state's controlled substances law in omnibus agricultural legislation approved unanimously by the Senate on Tuesday. The legislation differentiates marijuana, which would still remain unlawful, from hemp and hemp products, which contain a very low amount of the chemical that gives the high to marijuana users. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON President Joe Biden said in a guest essay Tuesday evening in The New York Times that hes decided to provide the Ukrainians with more advanced rocket systems and munitions that will enable them to more precisely strike key targets on the battlefield. The expectation is that Ukraine could use the rockets in the eastern Donbas region, where they could both intercept Russian artillery and take out Russian positions in towns where fighting is intense, such as Sievierodonetsk. That town 90 miles (145 kilometers) south of the Russian border is in an area that is the last pocket under Ukrainian government control in the Luhansk region of the Donbas. In his New York Times essay, Biden said the U.S. is not encouraging or enabling Ukraine to strike beyond its borders and does not want to prolong the war just to inflict pain on Russia. U.S. officials familiar with the decision did not detail how much the aid will cost, but it will be the 11th package approved so far and will be the first to tap the $40 billion in assistance recently passed by Congress. ___ KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: Sievierodonetsk mayor says Russian forces seize half of city In big bid to punish Moscow, EU bans most Russia oil imports A terrible nightmare: Treating Ukraines wounded civilians War crimes meeting held at Hague over Russia-Ukraine war Hungarys Orban wins exemption in EU Russian oil embargo Turkish leader writes on risks of Sweden, Finland in NATO ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine ___ OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: WASHINGTON The Biden administration announced on Tuesday that it will send Ukraine a small number of high-tech, medium-range rocket systems. Thats a critical weapon that Ukrainian leaders have been begging for as they struggle to stall Russian progress in the Donbas region. The U.S. plan tries to strike a balance between the desire to help Ukraine battle ferocious Russian artillery barrages while not providing arms that could allow Ukraine to hit targets deep inside Russia and trigger an escalation in the war. In a guest essay published Tuesday evening in The New York Times, Biden confirmed that hes decided to provide the Ukrainians with more advanced rocket systems and munitions that will enable them to more precisely strike key targets on the battlefield in Ukraine. U.S. officials say the aid package expected to be unveiled Wednesday would send what the U.S. considers medium-range rockets they generally can travel about 45 miles (70 kilometers). The expectation is that Ukraine could use the rockets in the eastern Donbas region, where they could both intercept Russian artillery and take out Russian positions in towns where fighting is intense, such as Sievierodonetsk. _ KYIV, Ukraine A regional governor on Tuesday said Russian troops have won control over most of a city that has been the epicenter of fighting in eastern Ukraine. Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai said most of Sievierodonetsk is under the Russian control. He added in a messaging app statement that Ukrainian forces continued to fight the Russians in fierce street battles and said the city has not yet been surrounded. Sievierodonetsk, the administrative center of the Luhansk region, has been the focus of Russias offensive in Ukraines eastern industrial heartland of Donbas. It has come under relentless Russian bombardment. Haidai said that Tuesdays Russian air strike hit a tank with nitric acid at a chemical factory, releasing toxic fumes. _ UNITED NATIONS The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations on Tuesday said the Biden administration supports the shipment of Russian grain and fertilizer to address increasing global food insecurity sparked by the war in Ukraine. Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters at U.N. headquarters that there are no U.S. sanctions on Russian shipments of grain and fertilizer, but she said companies are a little nervous and have been holding back. Thomas-Greenfield said the United States is prepared to give comfort letters to grain and fertilizer exporters and insurance companies in an attempt to get badly needed agricultural products out of Russia. She said the Biden administration is very supportive of efforts by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to allow grain exports out of Ukraine by train and the Black Sea, as well as his work to ensure Russian food and fertilizer have unrestricted access to global markets. A U.N. spokesman said Tuesday that Rebeca Grynspan, the secretary-general of the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development, visited Moscow on Monday and held constructive discussions with First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov on facilitating Russian grain and fertilizer exports. Grynspan was in Washington on Tuesday meeting with U.S. officials, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. Global hunger levels are at a new high, Guterres said. He said Ukraine and Russia together produce almost a third of the worlds wheat and barley and half of its sunflower oil, while Russia and its ally Belarus are the worlds number two and three producers of potash, a key ingredient of fertilizer. ___ KYIV, Ukraine A regional Ukrainian governor on Tuesday said the Russian bombardment has caused a leak of toxic nitric acid from an industrial facility. Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai said a Russian air strike on Sievierodonetsk hit a tank with nitric acid at a chemical factory, causing a massive leak of its fumes. He posted a picture of a huge rose cloud hanging over the city and urged residents not to leave their homes and wear gas masks or make improvised masks from fabric soaked in soda solution. Sievierodonetsk has been the focus of Russias offensive in Ukraines eastern industrial heartland of Donbas. It has come under intensive artillery barrage and airstrikes as the Russian forces fought Ukrainian troops for control of the city in violent street battles. ___ WARSAW, Poland Polands Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Tuesday said the country is on a good path to receive new financing from the European Union to support Ukrainian refugees and compensate for weapons Poland gave to Ukraine. More than 3 million refugees have entered Poland from Ukraine. While some passed through and others returned home, most are still in Poland and receiving government support. Poland has also been supplying various weapons to Ukraine. Albeit slowly, but this (EU) support for Poland is coming and we are on the good path to receive new means for the help for the refugees as well as linked to the weapons that we have handed to Ukraine, Morawiecki said. ___ BRUSSELS Italian Premier Mario Draghi said Tuesday that Italian energy company ENI is able to pay Russia for gas without violating sanctions because Russia considers the payment completed as soon as the euro payment goes through. Then it is converted to rubles on the market by an agent of Gazprom, not through the Russian central bank, Draghi said. He said it appears that Russia has imposed different conditions on different countries, and in some cases where there were suspensions they asked payments in rubles, period. ENI also intends to go to a tribunal in Sweden and ask if this form of payment violates the contract. So far the court has not made a ruling, as this just changed last week, Draghi said. ___ BRUSSELS The European Union urged its international partners to avoid placing trade barriers on farm products as Russias war on Ukraine risks further fueling a possible global food crisis. We call on all partners not to restrict trade on agricultural products, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after an EU summit Tuesday in Brussels. Ukraine has said Russia is blocking the export of 22 million tons of its grain, some of it destined for Africa. African countries imported 44% of their wheat from Russia and Ukraine between 2018 and 2020, according to the U.N. Von der Leyen said the EU is trying to help get food out by road and rail, but land transport assistance might only provide for a fifth of Ukraines usual monthly exports. It is of course more tedious and expensive, but it is necessary to get this wheat out, she said. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the EUs sanctions are making things worse. Putin said hes willing to help ease concerns if the restrictive measures are lifted. ___ KYIV, Ukraine Ukraine has welcomed the European Unions decision to block most imports of Russian oil. The oil embargo will speed up the countdown to the collapse of the Russian economy and war machine, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a statement. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry estimated the ban could cost Russia tens of billions of dollars and praised the European Union for not only making it harder for the Kremlin to finance the (Russian Federations) aggression but also shoring up its own energy security. ___ BRUSSELS French President Emmanuel Macron vowed France will continue to fight against impunity after a French journalist was killed by shell shrapnel while covering a Ukrainian evacuation operation. The French national anti-terrorism prosecutors office opened an investigation for war crimes. Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff, 32, was killed Monday as he was covering a humanitarian operation near Sievierodonetsk, a key city in the Donbas region that is being hotly contested by Russian and Ukrainian forces, according to his employer, French news broadcaster BFM TV. Macron, speaking after a European summit in Brussels, said journalists, humanitarian workers must be protected in war zones. Civilians must be protected. Russia is breaching all international laws, he said. ___ BRUSSELS Chancellor Olaf Scholz says Germany is working on a deal with Greece that would see Athens deliver old military equipment to Ukraine and get armored personnel carriers from Germany to fill the gap. Germany has faced criticism for a perceived reluctance to deliver heavy weapons to Ukraine, which the government rejects. It points among other things to arrangements for NATO allies to deliver older equipment particularly of Soviet design to Kyiv and then have modern material supplied by Germany. Scholz pointed Tuesday to an arrangement already made with the Czech Republic. He said he had agreed with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to draw up a similar deal after a European Union summit. He didnt give details, but said it will be finalized by the countries defense ministries and can be implemented quickly. Scholz said he also spoke to his Polish counterpart about such arrangements. ___ BRUSSELS The chair of the African Union, Senegals President Macky Sall, has told European Union leaders that Russias blockade of Ukraines ports is paving the way for a catastrophic scenario of widespread shortages and price hikes across his continent. In an address to leaders gathered in Brussels Tuesday for a summit focused on helping Ukraine, Sall said that a halt to grain and fertilizer exports via the Black Sea is very worrying for a continent hosting 282 million undernourished people. He said that the price of fertilizer across Africa has already tripled compared to 2021. According to some estimates, cereal yields in Africa will fall by 20 to 50 percent this year, Sall said. We would like to see everything possible done to free up available grain stocks and ensure transportation and market access. Charles Michel, the EU Council president, said that the EU is sparing no efforts to free Ukraines exports over land and exploring alternative sea routes. African countries imported 44% of their wheat from Russia and Ukraine between 2018 and 2020, according to U.N. figures. The African Development Bank is already reporting a 45% increase in wheat prices on the continent. ___ Russias top diplomat has again blamed the hampering of exports of Ukrainian grain and a global food crisis on Kyiv and the West. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday that Russia guarantees free export of Ukrainian grain by ships that are now locked in Ukrainian ports, but first Ukraine needs to de-mine the coastal waters that are in the territorial sea of Ukraine. Lavrov told a news conference after meeting with his Bahraini counterpart Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani that if that is done, "in the open sea ... Russias naval forces will ensure the unimpeded passage of these ships to the Mediterranean Sea and further to their destinations, He also blamed Western nations for creating a flurry of artificial problems with closing their ports for Russian vessels, with cutting logistical and financial chains. He added that they must seriously think what is more important for them -- to do PR on the issue of the food security or solve the problem with concrete steps. ___ MOSCOW -- The deputy head of Russias Security Council is alleging that sanctions against the country, including new measures targeting oil exports, are aimed at hurting ordinary Russians and motivated by hatred. Dmitry Medvedev, who is also a former president and prime minister, wrote on Telegram Tuesday that sanctions dont affect the Russian political elite and wont be fatal for big business, but are directed precisely against the people of Russia. He claimed that measures affecting oil and gas are aimed at forcing the government to introduce budget cuts. An embargo on buying oil and gas from Russia? The same thing: to reduce the budget incomes and force the state to abandon its social obligations such as raising payments in line with inflation, he wrote. The European Union has agreed on a ban affecting all Russian exports of oil by sea to the EU, but not by a key pipeline to some Central and Eastern European countries including Hungary. The EU hasnt introduced an embargo on Russian gas. After listing sanctions in various sectors, Medvedev wrote, They hate us all! The basis for these decisions is hatred for Russia, for Russians and for all its inhabitants. ___ COPENHAGEN, Denmark The Norwegian Refugee Council says thousands of civilians caught in Sievierodonetsk are in dire need of aid. It is calling for humanitarian organizations to be allowed to access the eastern Ukrainian city with lifesaving assistance and to enable safe evacuations of civilians who wish to leave. The council's secretary-general, Jan Egeland, said Tuesday: We fear that up to 12,000 civilians remain caught in crossfire in the city, without sufficient access to water, food, medicine or electricity." He added that the near-constant bombardment is forcing civilians to seek refuge in bomb shelters and basements," with only few precious opportunities to escape. He added that the organization cannot save lives under the hail of grenades. ___ KYIV, Ukraine -- The mayor of Sievierodonetsk says Russian forces have taken around half of the city in eastern Ukraine. Oleksandr Striuk told The Associated Press in a phone interview Tuesday that heavy fighting is ongoing and artillery bombardments threaten the lives of the thousands of civilians still sheltering in the ruined city. Half of the city has been captured by the Russians and fierce street fighting is under way, Striuk said. The situation is very serious and the city is essentially being destroyed ruthlessly block by block. He added that the Ukrainian military continues to resist this frenzied push and aggression by Russian forces. Striuk estimated that around 13,000 people remained in the city out of a pre-war population of around 100,000 but said it was impossible to keep track of civilian casualties amid round-the-clock shelling. He said more than 1,500 people in the city who died of various causes have been buried since the war began in February. Evacuation efforts have been halted because of the danger of shelling. He said that civilians are dying from direct strikes, from fragmentation wounds and under the rubble of destroyed buildings, since most of the inhabitants are hiding in basements and shelters. ___ ISTANBUL Turkey's foreign minister says Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit Turkey on June 8 for talks that will address among other things opening a Black Sea corridor for Ukrainian grain exports. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also said in a video interview Tuesday with the state-run Anadolu news agency that the French and German ambassadors had been summoned to the Foreign Ministry over demonstrations in their countries by groups considered to be terrorist by Ankara. Turkey has said activities of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, are one of its objections to Sweden and Finland joining NATO. The PKK is designated a terrorist organization by the European Union and U.S. ___ KYIV, Ukraine -- A court in Ukraine has convicted two Russian soldiers of war crimes for the shelling of civilian buildings and sentenced both to 11 1/2 years in prison. Tuesdays verdict concluded the countrys second war crimes trial since the Russian invasion started. Russian servicemen Alexander Bobykin and Alexander Ivanov were charged with violating the laws and customs of war over the shelling of civilian infrastructure in the Kharkiv region on the first day of the Russian attack on Ukraine. They both stood trial in a court in Ukraines Poltava region and pleaded guilty to the charges. Earlier this month, a court in Kyiv sentenced a 21-year-old Russian soldier to life in prison for fatally shooting a Ukrainian civilian in the first war crimes trial since Russia invaded. ___ COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- Denmark says its embassy in Moscow will no longer accept applications for visas or residence permits. Its citing a staff shortage after Russia expelled four diplomats and three other employees earlier this month. The Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that it is not possible to maintain the usual level of activity. It said it wants to prioritize giving assistance to Danish citizens. It said that the move was temporary, but didnt specify how long it will last. Moscows tit-for-tat move came after Denmark in April expelled 15 Russian embassy employees, identified as intelligence officers, from the diplomatic mission in Copenhagen in line with similar steps taken by other European Union countries. The Netherlands also shut down its visa department in Moscow because staff were expelled. ___ FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) Police have arrested a man who was captured on video tape throwing a Molotov cocktail at a North Carolina church, and investigators say he threw another device at a different church. Deputies with the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office responded Just after 10:30 a.m., on Sunday to a church in Hope Mills, where the Molotov cocktail was thrown, news outlets reported. About a half-hour later, a similar report was made at a church in Fayetteville. NASA discovered something that looks a lot like Hell The James Webb Telescope will perform several observations of two exoplanets. The best Amazon one-piece swimsuits & bikinis From a tummy-control black one-piece to a floral bikini, here are the top picks. BERLIN, Md. (AP) A 20-year-old man was killed when two personal watercrafts collided Monday on Marylands Eastern Shore, officials said. Maryland Natural Resources Police said the crash happened in Sinepuxent Bay in an area off Grays Creek Drive in the Berlin area, The Daily Times reported. Two personal watercrafts were traveling close together at a high rate of speed when they collided, sending one watercraft and its rider airborne, police said. One man, identified as Derek Salas of Silver Spring, was breathing when he was removed from the water, but he was unconscious, police said. He died on the way to the hospital, police said. The other person involved in the crash was not named. "Post Reports" is the daily podcast from The Washington Post. Unparalleled reporting. Expert insight. Clear analysis. Everything you've come to expect from the newsroom of The Post - for your ears. - - - In this episode: "Broken Doors" is a new investigative podcast series hosted by Jenn Abelson and Nicole Dungca about how no-knock warrants are deployed in the U.S. justice system - and the consequences for communities when accountability is flawed at every level. In the fourth episode of this series, we head to Port Allen, La. On July 25, 2019, a Black man was killed during a no-knock raid on a motel room in Louisiana. His fiancee was also inside. An investigation into what led up to the fatal shooting reveals the speed with which it happened - and raises questions about electronic warrants, a relatively new technology being adopted by law enforcement agencies across the country. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BROOKFIELD Patrol vessels and divers scoured the waters on Tuesday, searching for a person who went missing on Candlewood Lake over Memorial Day weekend. The individual was on a vessel when they went into the water on Sunday evening, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Crews suspended the search later that night and resumed it Monday morning, before calling it off before nightfall on Monday evening and restarting on Tuesday morning. The search was again suspended soon after 8 p.m. Tuesday, according to DEEP spokesperson Will Healey, with plans to resume at 8 a.m. Wednesday. Brookfield First Selectwoman Tara Carr said shes in constant contact with everyone involved in the search, and work is still underway to recover the individual whos suspected to have drowned. Its such a tragedy, she said. Safety should always be paramount on the water and unfortunately people forget that. The incident comes days after a 76-year-old man was pulled from the waters on Thursday evening after he had been working on his boat on Candlewood Lake. Police announced on Friday that he had died. In the latest incident, Carr said its her understanding that the person went underwater in front of the Candlewood Inn. Healey said the vessel was not underway at the time of the incident, meaning it was docked, beached or aground. The missing individual has not yet been identified, but Carr said she believes they were from out of town. State and local authorities have been called in to help with the search, and DEEP has asked boaters to avoid the area of where the search is being conducted. In addition to DEEP EnCon, Danbury Fire, Candlewood Lake Authority, Brookfield police, Danbury police, and the Connecticut State Police Dive Team all assisted as of Sunday. UVALDE, Texas - For years, even as mass shootings swept the country, Richard Small bristled at any talk of tighter gun restrictions, viewing it as nothing more than politically driven finger-pointing that would do little to stop the violence while infringing on his rights as a gun owner. But then, the 68-year-old retired high school history teacher saw a photo of one of the young victims of the shooting last Tuesday at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, a pleasant little town that he had visited often when he coached youth football. "He looked like my grandson. I mean, they could have been twins. They have the same face," Small said, his voice shaky with emotion. "It just stirred something in me." After the massacre, Small and his wife, Marina, drove nearly 90 minutes from their ranch in Charlotte, a tiny town south of San Antonio, to pay their respects in Uvalde. He stood on the edge of the town square where 21 crosses, for the 19 fourth-graders and two teachers killed in the shooting, have become the epicenter of the anguish here. Somehow tears did not feel like enough. On Saturday night, Small, a self-described "devout NRA Republican," did what he acknowledges would have been unthinkable days earlier. He unlocked his gun cabinet and pulled out his AR-15, similar to the one used by the gunman in Uvalde. He drove to his local police department and turned it in. "I'm a gun advocate. I believe in the Second Amendment. But this AR, after what I saw in Uvalde, I'm done with it," Small said as he turned the rifle over to an officer with the Charlotte Police Department. "I'm sick over it." Guns have long been an inextricable part of Texas culture, tightly woven into small towns like Uvalde, a predominantly Latino community of about 16,000 about an hour north of the U.S. border with Mexico. Here, children are raised to hunt and shoot from a young age, and many residents, including family members of the victims, say they own guns for their own protection. It is an affinity that cuts across the partisan lines that typically define the gun debate in other parts of the country. But now, as in other communities that have been shattered by gun violence, Uvalde is facing painful questions beyond heartbreak over the dead and growing anger about the police response, questions about the proliferation of guns and the permissive state laws that allowed the 18-year-old gunman to legally buy the assault-style rifle used in the attack. That unfolding debate has even affected some of the families of victims. Outside a memorial service Saturday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where many of the funerals are scheduled to be held in coming days, a woman whose niece was killed in the attack asked how a gunman not yet old enough to buy beer in Texas could have purchased two semiautomatic rifles and a massive quantity of ammunition without raising any concern. She spoke on the condition of anonymity out of respect for her family, which had asked relatives not to speak about "political issues" to the media. "Why do you even need guns like that?" the woman asked. But, she said, others in her family did not agree with her position, even after the massacre last week. Felix and Kimberly Rubio, whose daughter Lexi was killed in the attack, called for more restrictive gun laws, including a ban on AR-15 rifles, even as Felix, a deputy with the Uvalde County Sheriff's Office, told ABC News that his position would likely put him at odds with his law enforcement colleagues. But others were wary of seeing what happened in Uvalde turn into a fight over guns. As she sat at the memorial for the victims last week, Amanda Flores said she knew all 21 victims of the rampage, but still does not believe that the tragedy should turn into a debate over gun ownership. Flores, 43, said she and her family members own firearms and view them as essential tools to keep their family safe in "a border town." "With all of the problems we have right now with the immigrants crossing over, you don't know how many fast-speed chases go through here, we need them for our protection," said Flores, whose grandson was at Robb Elementary when the shooting began but escaped uninjured. "All of them coming in, they are coming in as illegals, they can have guns. And what are we supposed to do? Throw rocks at them?" Still, Flores said she increasingly believes even hardcore gun owners should be willing to accept some new gun-control measures. "I don't believe in the young kids having easy access to these guns and not being mentally stable," Flores said. That sentiment has not been shared by Texas leaders. At a news conference in Uvalde on Friday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, R, brushed aside the idea of expanded background checks for firearms purchases. "Look at what happened in the Santa Fe shooting," Abbott said, referring to an attack at a high school south of Houston in 2018 in which eight students and two teachers were slain. "A background check had no relevancy whatsoever because the killer took the gun from his parents. Look at what happened at the shooting in Sutherland Springs. There was a background check that was done. It was done in a flawed way that allowed the killer to get a gun." Abbott also reiterated his opposition to proposals to raise the legal age for purchasing a semiautomatic rifle from 18 to 21, harking to a time before the advent of rapid-firing weapons. "Ever since Texas has been a state, an 18-year-old has had the ability to buy a long gun, a rifle, and since that time, it seemed that it has only been in the past decade or two that we have had school shootings," Abbott said. "So, for a century and a half, 18-year-olds could buy rifles and we didn't have school shootings, but we do now." Reiterating comments he made after those earlier shootings, Abbott suggested focusing instead on mental health services. "Maybe we are focusing our attention on the wrong thing," Abbott said, referring to the debate over gun control. In a video played that day at the NRA convention in Houston, he more forcefully rejected calls for new gun laws, saying that existing ones elsewhere "have not stopped madmen from carrying out evil acts." His comments in Uvalde drew outrage from state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, a Democrat whose district stretches from San Antonio to Uvalde. Gutierrez stood up and began shouting at the governor, urging him to convene a special session to address gun violence. Gutierrez later mocked the suggestion by Abbott that firearms today are comparable to the weapons that were in circulation when Texas became a state in 1845. "This is not the time when we are out killing squirrels anymore. Times and technology have changed. These kids are buying AR-15s," Gutierrez said. "If he wanted to show any fortitude whatsoever, change the age to 21 or 24." Outside Robb Elementary, where he was trying to catch a glimpse of President Joe Biden on Sunday, Edgar Sanchez said his daughter was a fourth-grader at the school but left early that day, a decision that might have saved her life but has left her traumatized. Sanchez said he hopes Biden pushes for tougher gun-control measures, even if that means giving up his own AR-15. "Honestly, I have one," Sanchez said, explaining that he had purchased the weapon to keep himself and his family safe. "If they told me the kids would be safer if I got rid of it, I would." He added, "I've never shot that assault rifle." In a town that many residents have described as "heavily armed" and in a state where it is common to see guns openly worn, many appeared to have left their weapons at home in recent days, visiting unarmed the makeshift memorials and attending church services that have popped up across town to honor the dead. It was a contrast to the aftermath of the 2017 attack in Sutherland Springs, when men carrying rifles showed up to the scene to push back on talk of gun-control measures. Outside Oasis Outback, the sporting goods store where law enforcement officials say the alleged gunman purchased his weapons, customers making their way through a packed parking lot Saturday were reluctant to speak about what had happened in Uvalde and the debate on gun control. "We shouldn't be talking about politics at a time like this," a woman said, as she waved off a reporter. A week ago, Richard Small admits, he would have said the same thing. A nearly lifelong member of the NRA who has collected guns since he was in his 20s, Small said he has always been a strong supporter of gun rights and still is. But the shooting in Uvalde affected him in a way that the other school massacres like Columbine and Sandy Hook had not, even though he was still teaching when those shootings happened. "I felt disassociated with it. It seemed like those were on planet Mars," Small said. "It's not going to happen here. It's not going to happen here. And then it did." As he visited the memorials in Uvalde, Small said, he thought of his gun cabinet at home, and one of the weapons in it. Small said he bought the rifle at least 15 years ago but had barely fired it. "I don't even think I've used a full box of ammunition with it," Small said. Along the back of his gun, he remembered, there was a label. "Law enforcement use only," it read. Small recalled how, under the tighter gun ownership rules of the past, he had to fill out extensive paperwork to buy the weapon and go through checks "much more than this 18-year-old kid did." Even now, Small said, he would never support a ban on guns, as he fears some Democrats might want. But he said Republicans like Abbott should embrace some new regulations that would require training for and make it tougher to buy highly destructive weapons. "This is enough," Small said. "We've got to control this thing. I'm not ever going to say, 'All guns need to be picked up' or all that. But the regulations need some serious work. And I just wish that Democrats and Republicans could find some sort of middle ground here," he said. "Because I'm just so tired of it." Since Tuesday, Small said, he could barely talk about the shooting without thinking of his own weapon. Why did he even own it, he increasingly wondered. It wasn't practical. He couldn't hunt with it. "Really it's for warfare," he said. "And I just keep thinking, 'Why do I have this?'" So on Saturday night, he called the local police chief, a friend, and drove down to the station. He didn't want to sell the gun, fearful of where it might end up. Turning it over to the police seemed to be the best option, though he acknowledged that it might put him in conflict with friends, other NRA members and gun-rights supporters who might not understand why he was doing what he was doing. "But I can't have this on my conscience," he said. "We can't keep with the status quo." - - - The Washington Post's Tim Craig and Peter Jamison in Uvalde contributed to this report. Our new initiative is well under way in South Sudan after launching at the end of 2021. The Improved Literacy through Trauma Healing & Peace Education program has been specifically designed to help children overcome trauma so they can go on to lead healthy, productive lives. The civil war may be over in South Sudan, but the effects remain. As many as 19,000 children were kidnapped or recruited to join the armed forces, and many women and children were also brutalised. UNICEF believes that three quarters of South Sudanese children have never known anything but war. When a community is traumatised, the children suffer. They are often without a voice, and sadly their emotional wounds go untreated. This can lead to a significant risk of PTSD and depression. Most of these families have had no support in dealing with the experiences of war. The aim of the project is to equip parents and teachers to: Reflect and come to terms with what happened. Reflect on what God says about suffering and how His word can bring healing. Identify behavior caused by trauma and apply strategies to engage. Recognize signs of childhood trauma that impact behavior and learning. Facilitate healing groups in schools and the wider community. The projects aim is to be operational in 20 schools in South Sudan over a period of 6 -12 months. It will be implemented using a model of biblical and mental health principles, adapted to the local community. Depending on funding availability, the program will include healing activities such as storytelling, poems, music and skits using materials from the Bible Societys Trauma Healing Institute. These tools will be used to train and equip teachers, peer leaders and parents to facilitate their own trauma healing sessions. Please show your support! Help us provide these precious children from South Sudan with the skills to deal effectively with trauma, so they can recover and live a normal life. WASHINGTON (AP) The Biden administration announced on Tuesday that it will send Ukraine a small number of high-tech, medium-range rocket systems, a critical weapon that Ukrainian leaders have been begging for as they struggle to stall Russian progress in the Donbas region. The rocket systems are part of a new $700 million tranche of security assistance for Ukraine from the U.S. that will include helicopters, Javelin anti-tank weapon systems, tactical vehicles, spare parts and more, according to two senior administration officials. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the weapons package that will be formally unveiled on Wednesday. The U.S. decision to provide the advance rocket systems tries to strike a balance between the desire to help Ukraine battle ferocious Russian artillery barrages while not providing arms that could allow Ukraine to hit targets deep inside Russia and trigger an escalation in the war. In a guest essay published Tuesday evening in The New York Times, President Joe Biden confirmed that he's decided to provide the Ukrainians with more advanced rocket systems and munitions that will enable them to more precisely strike key targets on the battlefield in Ukraine. Biden had said Monday that the U.S. would not send Ukraine rocket systems that can strike into Russia. Any weapons system can shoot into Russia if it's close enough to the border. The aid package expected to be unveiled Wednesday would send what the U.S. considers medium-range rockets they generally can travel about 45 miles (70 kilometers), the officials said. The Ukrainians have assured U.S. officials that they will not fire rockets into Russian territory, according to the senior administration officials. One official noted that the advanced rocket systems will give Ukrainian forces greater precision in targeting Russian assets inside Ukraine. The expectation is that Ukraine could use the rockets in the eastern Donbas region, where they could both intercept Russian artillery and take out Russian positions in towns where fighting is intense, such as Sievierodonetsk. Sievierodonetsk is important to Russian efforts to capture the Donbas before more Western arms arrive to bolster Ukraines defense. The city, which is 90 miles (145 kilometers) south of the Russian border, is in an area that is the last pocket under Ukrainian government control in the Luhansk region of the Donbas. Biden in his New York Times' essay added: We are not encouraging or enabling Ukraine to strike beyond its borders. We do not want to prolong the war just to inflict pain on Russia. It's the 11th package approved so far, and will be the first to tap the $40 billion in security and economic assistance recently passed by Congress. The rocket systems would be part of Pentagon drawdown authority, so would involve taking weapons from U.S. inventory and getting them into Ukraine quickly. Ukrainian troops would also need training on the new systems, which could take at least a week or two. Officials said the plan is to send Ukraine the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, which is mounted on a truck and can carry a container with six rockets. The system can launch a medium-range rocket, which is the current plan, but is also capable of firing a longer-range missile, the Army Tactical Missile System, which has a range of about 190 miles (300 kilometers) and is not part of the plan. Since the war began in February, the U.S. and its allies have tried to walk a narrow line: send Ukraine weapons needed to fight off Russia, but stop short of providing aid that will inflame Russian President Vladimir Putin and trigger a broader conflict that could spill over into other parts of Europe. Over time, however, the U.S. and allies have amped up the weaponry going into Ukraine, as the fight has shifted from Russias broader campaign to take the capital, Kyiv, and other areas, to more close-contact skirmishes for small pieces of land in the east and south. To that end, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been pleading with the West to send multiple launch rocket systems to Ukraine as soon as possible to help stop Russias destruction of towns in the Donbas. The rockets have a longer range than the howitzer artillery systems that the U.S. has provided Ukraine. They would allow Ukrainian forces to strike Russian troops from a distance outside the range of Russia's artillery systems. We are fighting for Ukraine to be provided with all the weapons needed to change the nature of the fighting and start moving faster and more confidently toward the expulsion of the occupiers, Zelenskyy said in a recent address. Ukraine needs multiple launch rocket systems, said Philip Breedlove, a retired U.S. Air Force general who was NATOs top commander from 2013 to 2016. These are very important capabilities that we have not gotten them yet. And they not only need them, but they have been very vociferous in explaining they want them, said Breedlove. We need to get serious about supplying this army so that it can do what the world is asking it to do: fight a world superpower alone on the battlefield. U.S. and White House officials had no public comment on the specifics of the aid package. We continue to consider a range of systems that have the potential to be effective on the battlefield for our Ukrainian partners. But the point the president made is that we wont be sending long-range rockets for use beyond the battlefield in Ukraine, State Department Ned Price said Tuesday. As the battle has shifted its dynamics, we have also shifted the type of security assistance that we are providing to them, in large part because they have asked us for the various systems that are going to be more effective in places like the Donbas. Russia has been making incremental progress in the Donbas, as it tries to take the remaining sections of the region not already controlled by Russian-backed separatists. Putin has repeatedly warned the West against sending greater firepower to Ukraine. The Kremlin said Putin held an 80-minute telephone call Saturday with the leaders of France and Germany in which he warned against the continued transfers of Western weapons. Overall, the United States has committed approximately $5 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden administration, including approximately $4.5 billion since the Russia invaded on Feb. 24. ___ AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee and Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani contributed to this report. ___ Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Win McNamee/Getty Images Texas teachers against gun violence are planning to rally in front of Sen. Ted Cruz's office one week after the mass shooting occurred in Uvalde. After the shooting, the Texas senator told Fox News that he wants to heighten school security with bulletproof doors, glass, and armed police officers, not enforce gun restrictions in Texas. "Sen. Cruz's response to the Uvalde shooting has been abominable," the Texas American Federation of Teachers stated in its event release. "...Cruz's response to the slaughter of children pushing for more armed school staff is not only opposed by a vast majority of teachers but also is an illogical idea that has not proven to be effective." Tess Marie Mataone of the 21 victims killed in the Robb Elementary School mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas last weekhad dreams of going viral on TikTok someday. Now her family is asking the platform's users to help make that dream become a reality. Tess loved TikTok watching and making videos, according to her family, but at 10-years-old she was too young to create an account on the platformit requires users to be at least 13 years of age. However, Tess' uncle Robert Hill told CNN that she'd saved more than 150 video drafts to her mother Veronica Mata's TikTok account. After Tess' death last week, Veronica Mata posted a video on the platform of her daughter doing a dance routine to Don Toliver's "No Idea," a track popularly used in TikTok challenges. The video was captioned: "My sweet baby girl. She was taken from us because of a senseless act in a mass shooting. I never allowed Tess to post her videos because she was so young. But today I want to celebrate her by trying to fulfill her wish by becoming TikTok famous. #uvaldestrong." original sound - Veronica Mata @veronicamata07 My sweet baby girl. She was taken from us because of a senseless act in a mass shooting. I never allowed Tess to post her videos because she was so young. But today I want to celebrate her by trying to fulfill her wish by becoming TikTok famous. #uvaldestrong Hill also posted the video on his account, adding the caption: "This is Tess Marie Mata, my beautiful niece, one of the ones who was killed in the mass shooting. One of her dreams was to go viral on TikTok. Can we please make this go viral for her?" As of Tuesday, the clip has collected more than 114,000 views, 41,000 likes and 2,600 comments from users. @robman990 due to a sincenseless act in a mass shooting Tess Marie Mata was taken from us way too soon. Please make this go viral, it was a dream of hers. please like, and share. original sound - robman990 Lance Bass, member of boy band NSYNC, is among the celebrities who've commented on the video. On Saturday, Bass wrote that the child's death "breaks my heart." Hill thanked Bass and commented that Tess was a big fan of his band's No. 1 hit "Bye Bye Bye." Influencer Paris Hilton also commented on Hill's TikTok, writing: "So sorry for your loss... Sending lots of love to you and your family." Tess' video was also shared by Kourtney Kardashian and Kylie Jenner, Hill told CNN. "It's hard to still wrap my head around this," he said. "I wish she was around to see this." Hill said he's hoping the video will eventually reach one of Tess' favorite bands: BTS. Following the tragic news of Tess' death, Hill also dedicated a video to his niece featuring various photos of the 10-year-old and a clip of her laughing alongside him, captioned: "We will always love you. RIP. Keep all the families in your thoughts, stay strong. #uvaldestrong." Tess' other joys included listening to Ariana Grande, playing softball watching the Houston Astros, her family told the Washington Post. Her favorite player was second baseman Jose Altuve. She plays the same position on her softball team as Altuve and has a poster of him hanging on her bedroom wall. "Every time he came up to bat, she would scream and yell for him," Tess' mother told the Post. Tess' older sister Faith Mata created a GoFundMe account to assist the family in the wake of last Tuesday's tragedy. The fundraiser has since brought in more than $130,000. Following news of Tess' murder, Faith wrote on Twitter: "My precious angel you are loved so deeply. In my eyes you are not a victim but a survivor. I love you always and past forever baby sister, may your wings soar higher then you could ever dream. Till we meet again Tess Marie, love your big sissy." Storm Prediction Ctr, Norman, OK Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Tuesday, May 31, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE FOR WS 297 NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 511 PM CDT TUE MAY 31 2022 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 297 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS TX . TEXAS COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE BRISCOE CHILDRESS COLLINGSWORTH COTTLE CROSBY DICKENS DONLEY FLOYD FOARD GARZA HALL HARDEMAN KENT KING MOTLEY WHEELER WILBARGER The National Weather Service in Amarillo has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Southeastern Wheeler County in the Panhandle of Texas... Collingsworth County in the Panhandle of Texas... Southeastern Donley County in the Panhandle of Texas... * Until 630 PM CDT. * At 513 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 10 miles southwest of Wellington, moving northeast at 25 mph. HAZARD...Two inch hail and 60 mph wind gusts. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Minor damage to roofs, siding, and trees is possible. People and animals outdoors will be injured. Expect hail damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles. * Locations impacted include... Wellington, Shamrock, Hedley, Dodson, Lutie, Lelia Lake, Twitty, Dozier, Lela, Samnorwood and Quail. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. The National Weather Service in Lubbock Texas has issued a Northwestern Childress County in the Panhandle of Texas... Northern Hall County in the Panhandle of Texas... * Until 600 PM CDT. * At 515 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 5 miles south of Memphis, moving northeast at 20 mph. THIS IS A DESTRUCTIVE STORM FOR THE CITY OF MEMPHIS AND SURROUNDING AREAS. HAZARD...Three inch hail and 70 mph wind gusts. IMPACT...People and animals outdoors will be severely injured. Expect shattered windows, extensive damage to roofs, siding, and vehicles. Memphis and Lakeview. This storm is producing large hail. SEEK SHELTER NOW inside a sturdy structure and stay away from windows! _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO LUBBOCK Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Tuesday, May 31, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Lubbock Texas has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Northern Childress County in the Panhandle of Texas... Northeastern Hall County in the Panhandle of Texas... * Until 700 PM CDT. * At 559 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 8 miles southwest of Wellington, moving northeast at 30 mph. HAZARD...70 mph wind gusts and ping pong ball size hail. SOURCE...Law enforcement. IMPACT...People and animals outdoors will be injured. Expect hail damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles. Expect considerable tree damage. Wind damage is also likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings. * Locations impacted include... Memphis, Estelline, Lakeview and Plaska Community. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. The National Weather Service in Amarillo has issued a * Tornado Warning for... Southeastern Collingsworth County in the Panhandle of Texas... * Until 645 PM CDT. * At 559 PM CDT, a tornado producing storm was located over Dodson, or 7 miles northwest of Hollis, moving east at 25 mph. HAZARD...Damaging tornado and quarter size hail. SOURCE...Radar confirmed tornado. IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely. Dodson. To repeat, a tornado is on the ground. TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO MIDLAND/ODESSA Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Tuesday, May 31, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Midland has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... North central Pecos County in southwestern Texas... * Until 545 PM CDT. * At 501 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 7 miles west of Fort Stockton, moving northeast 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... Fort Stockton, Fort Stockton-Pecos County Airport and Firestone Test Track. This includes Interstate 10 between mile markers 244 and 273. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of west central Brewster and southeastern Presidio Counties through 545 PM CDT... At 504 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 10 miles west of Lajitas, moving northeast at 15 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. Locations impacted include... Lajitas and Barton Warnock Environmental Educational Center. If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. LAT...LON 2923 10376 2922 10378 2925 10377 2927 10379 2926 10380 2927 10381 2927 10383 2928 10384 2930 10397 2934 10408 2937 10411 2940 10417 2995 10392 2965 10329 2921 10374 TIME...MOT...LOC 2204Z 233DEG 15KT 2931 10393 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather ZZ Top pulled into the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium Wednesday evening for a rocking performance. The band has been together for over five decades and sold over 30 million records across 15 studio albums. The loss of long-time bassist Dusty Hill in 2021 did not stop the band as his spot o Federal Jury Convicts High-Level ISIS Member of Providing Material Support to a Foreign Terrorist Organization, Including Two Counts Resulting in Death A New York man was found guilty by a federal jury in Brooklyn, following a three-week trial before U.S. District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis, of one count of conspiracy to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), and five substantive counts of providing material support to ISIS. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Mirsad Kandic, 40, of Brooklyn, New York, and Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, was a high-ranking member of ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization. He had multiple responsibilities within the global terrorist organization, including recruiting foreign fighters, trafficking foreign fighters from the West through Turkey and into Syria, and obtaining weapons, military equipment, maps, money, and false identifications for ISIS fighters. In carrying out these responsibilities, the defendant worked directly with ISIS emirs and battlefield commanders, including Bajro Ikanovic, who commanded an ISIS training camp in Syria beginning in or around 2014. Ikanovic, in turn, reported to Omar Shishani, then the top military commander for ISIS, and a key advisor to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who was, at the time, the leader of ISIS and the self-declared Caliph of the Islamic State. According to the testimony of 36 witnesses and evidence drawn from six continents, Kandic attempted to leave the United States to fight jihad as early as the summer of 2012. He was denied boarding at the United States point of departure and notified that he was on the no-fly list. In January 2013, Kandic attempted to fly from Toronto, Canada, to Istanbul, Turkey, on a direct flight. He was again denied boarding. The defendant then took a two-day Greyhound bus ride from New York City to Monterrey, Mexico, in November 2013, and flew through Panama, Brazil, Portugal, Germany, Kosovo, and Turkey before arriving in Syria at the end of 2013. In Syria, Kandic joined ISIS and became a fighter for the group in Haritan, an ISIS stronghold in the outskirts of Aleppo, wielding Russian-made PK machine guns and AK-47 assault rifles. ISIS leadership then directed Kandic to Turkey to take up the role of smuggling foreign fighters and weapons into Syria from abroad, and to serve as an emir for ISIS media. Kandic disseminated ISIS recruitment messages and gruesome propaganda using more than 120 Twitter accounts. For example, Kandic sent out an ISIS-produced documentary titled the Flames of War. This video celebrated ISIS conquests and macabre executions of ISIS captives, including instances where victims were forced to dig their own graves before being summarily executed by gunshot. The defendant tweeted that this video was the best thing ever seen on screen. Kandic was also a dedicated and prolific recruiter of foreign fighters for ISIS. He sent thousands of radicalized ISIS volunteer fighters from Western countries into ISIS-controlled territories in Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East. This included a fellow New Yorker who became an ISIS sniper and sniper trainer, and another individual who became an emir for ISIS safehouses in the Idlib province of Syria. One foreign fighter recruited by the defendant was Jake Bilardi of Australia. Bilardi contacted the defendant in June 2014 for assistance in traveling to Syria to join ISIS. Kandic provided Bilardi who had just turned 18 years old and had never traveled internationally before with instructions and guidance for reaching Istanbul, Turkey. Kandic then arranged for Bilardi to be picked up at the airport in Istanbul and smuggled him into Syria. Kandic maintained contact with Bilardi as he became an ISIS fighter and ISIS suicide bomber. Bilardi went on to commit a suicide truck attack with fellow ISIS members on March 11, 2015, in Ramadi, Iraq, killing himself, more than 30 Iraqi soldiers, and an Iraqi policeman. Prior to the attack, the defendant wished Bilardi well and stated, May Allah make [their] inner organs implode. After the attack, Kandic praised Bilardi, both on Twitter and to a co-conspirator. In audio recordings referencing similar suicide attacks, the defendant praised the killing of more than 90 people as good. In addition, Kandic provided battlefield intelligence and maps to ISIS battlefield commanders and fighters on the ground, including Ikanovic. Kandic also conspired with Ikanovic and other ISIS members in Syria to dig tunnels under the Turkey-Syria border to move 800-1000 fighters into ISIS at a time. Kandic also shaped the information environment in which ISIS operated by enforcing ISIS media and publicity discipline. For example, the defendant directed other ISIS supporters to refrain from posting any information about the success (or failure) of ISIS recruitment efforts as well as to minimize any reporting about ISIS military action. Kandic also managed money for ISIS fighters in Syria, including two ISIS fighters who gave the defendant their bank cards, from which bank records showed more than $40,000 was transacted. Kandic smuggled weapons to ISIS in Syria, including a rifle scope for an ISIS sniper. Kandic operated a private market via Telegram called Khilafah (Caliphate) Market for which the defendant was the group administrator with authority to restrict access to the group. Members frequently posted firearms and military equipment for sale, including mortars, suicide belts, assault rifles, and other firearms. Among the members of the defendants private Telegram market was Abu Luqman, who, at the time, was the ISIS governor for the Raqqa province, ISISs de facto capital in Syria. Kandic was arrested in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was convicted of one count of conspiracy to provide material support to ISIS and five substantive counts of providing material support to ISIS in the forms of personnel, including himself, Bilardi, and others, as well as services, weapons, property, and equipment, and false documentation and identification. At sentencing, he faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment on the two counts resulting in death, and 20 years imprisonment on each of the other four charges. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Saritha Komatireddy, J. Matthew Haggans, and Josh Hafetz for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance provided by Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the National Security Divisions Counterterrorism Section and paralegals Matt Wulf and Huda Abouchaer. The Justice Departments Office of International Affairs, the FBIs Legal Attaches abroad, and foreign authorities in multiple countries on three continents provided critical assistance in this case. The Justice Department extends its appreciation to the Bosnian State Investigation and Protection Agency, the Bosnian State Intelligence and Security Agency, the Bosnian Foreigners Affairs Service, the Bosnian State Prosecutors Office, the Australian Federal Police, the Victoria Police (Australia), the Australian Border Force, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Australian Attorney-Generals Department, the Prosecutor Generals Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Iraqi Ministry of Defense, Joint Operations Command in Iraq, and the FBI Legal Attache Offices in Sarajevo, Canberra, Nur-Sultan, and Baghdad, for their extraordinary assistance in the investigation and prosecution. The department also thanks the Ministry of Justice for the Republic of Finland, the Stuttgart Police Department and Federal Office of Justice in the Federal Republic of Germany, the Department of Justice & Constitutional Development in the Republic of South Africa, and the central authorities responsible for mutual legal assistance in Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Ukraine, as well as FBIs Legal Attache Offices in those countries for their assistance in the investigation. This story has been published on: 2022-05-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Zelensky, Erdogan agree on need to restore peace in Ukraine Xinhua) 08:39, May 31, 2022 KIEV, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that he had talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with both sides agreeing on the need to restore peace in Ukraine. "Unanimously agree on the need to restore peace. We appreciate Turkey's help in this process," Zelensky tweeted after the talks. During the conversation, Zelensky and Erdogan also discussed the threats to food security due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the ways to unblock Ukraine's ports. They also discussed cooperation in the security sphere. According to a statement issued by Erdogan's office, the two leaders discussed the recent developments in the Ukrainian crisis, and Erdogan said Turkey attached importance to the project of creating a safe corridor for the export of Ukraine's agricultural products by sea. Erdogan said Turkey had made every effort to continue the negotiations between Ukraine and Russia and that his country was ready to provide the needed support including mediation, the statement said. Earlier in the day, Erdogan held phone talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun) The man who was the wisest on Earth declared that there was nothing new under the sun. But if there's nothing new under the sun that means that busyness is not a modern invention nor was it a consequence of the age of technology. Carving out quiet time to seek God isn't a new issue plaguing our post-modern society. Being constantly bombarded by people with needs you can actually meet isn't unique. Nor is the need to obey God even if it means leaving some of those needy people to go where He sends you. I ran smack into that reality when God asked me to leave my job and family to go on an 18-month sabbatical abroad. I was a primary breadwinner. My car was a main form of transportation. How could leaving be a responsible or godly action? Looking at Jesus In Mark chapter 1, verses 35 to 39, it says, "Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. When they found Him, they said to Him, Everyone is looking for You. But He said to them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth. And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons." For a little background to the verses: 1. Jesus had just gone through a period of preaching and healing of the sick and had healed Simon's mother-in-law 2. He is still preventing the demons from saying who He is. 3. People know about Him and have been bringing the sick and the demon-possessed to Him. What does this reveal about Him? 1. He prioritised talking to God before starting His day. 2. Early in the morning is the only time he found solitude. 3. He had obviously gotten direction from God from His period of praying. The disciples told Him that everyone was looking for Him, so the need for Him still existed; but His obedience to God dictated that He must go on to the other villages to preach because that's why He came. What does this reveal about prayer? 1. It's a daily thing. Thinking about the Lord's prayer, it speaks to our attitude to greet each day. Meeting with God sets that tone for us. 2. We wouldn't need solitude if we were just talking at God and not leaving quiet space for hearing from Him. 3. We need to be free of distractions in the "solitary place" for communication to flow between us and the Lord. 4. When we can't find the Lord, we should seek Him out. We should go where we can hear Him. Jesus was obedient and left the needy behind to go where God needed Him. I had to contend with that when I chose to obey and leave for those 18 months. It wasn't easy, because my family's needs didn't disappear magically when I obeyed. They had to adjust to being without me, and I hated watching them being uncomfortable and lacking the things I had willingly contributed. But as a living sacrifice, my primary concern was to go where God wanted and stay as long as he wanted me to stay there. After all, He's the real provider, not us. He can see those needs as clearly as we can, and He'll deal with them in another way. Our joy will be complete when we trust Him and do what He sent us to do. So we must ask ourselves, are we staying somewhere because we are needed instead of going where God has asked us to go? Canada reports over 1 million job vacancies A Statistics Canada report reveals job vacancies are reaching all-time highs in Canada. Shelby Thevenot Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Canadian employers were actively seeking to fill more than one million vacant positions at the beginning of March 2022, according to Statistics Canadas latest report on job vacancies, payroll, and earnings. The number of job vacancies in Canada reached a record-high of 1,012,900 in March, more than the previous record of 988,300 in September 2021. There was an increase in 186,400 vacancies between February and March. The job vacancy rate, which measures the number of vacant positions as a proportion of vacant and filled positions, matched the record high of 5.9% also observed last September (not seasonally adjusted). Vacancies increased by more than one third in both accommodation and food services as well as retail trade. Employers in accommodation and food services were seeking to fill about 158,100 positions, and retail employers had some 109,200 vacancies. Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration There were record levels of job vacancies in health care and social assistance as well as construction. Health care and social assistance employers were seeking to fill 154,500 vacancies, and construction employers were seeking an unprecedented 81,900 employees. Job vacancies were up in all provinces. The largest month-over-month increases were observed in Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador. The number of job vacancies reached a record high in Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia. There was an average of 1.2 unemployed people for every job vacancy in March, down from 1.4 in February. The decline coincides with a record-low unemployment rate of 5.3%, and a record-high core-age labour force participation rate of nearly 87%. Labour shortages were particularly felt in Quebec and British Columbia, each having an unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio of 0.8. A lower ratio indicates a tighter labour market. The highest was 4.3 observed in Newfoundland and Labrador. Job vacancies had fallen for five consecutive months from September 2021, a function of seasonal demands. In Canada, economic activity increases in the spring and summer and declines in the winter. Statistics Canada is expected to release April 2022 job vacancy data on June 24. Job Vacancy and Wage Survey results from the first quarter of 2022 will be released on June 21. Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options. The Canadian Experience Class was introduced in 2008 as a pathway for newcomers with work experience in Canada to gain permanent residency. How to get permanent residence with the Canadian Experience Class The Canadian Experience Class was introduced in 2008 as a pathway for newcomers with work experience in Canada to gain permanent residency. How to get permanent residence with the Canadian Experience Class The Canadian Experience Class was introduced in 2008 as a pathway for newcomers with work experience in Canada to gain permanent residency. How to get permanent residence with the Canadian Experience Class The Canadian Experience Class was introduced in 2008 as a pathway for newcomers with work experience in Canada to gain permanent residency. Edana Robitaille Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is a popular option for temporary foreign workers and international graduates who want to become permanent residents of Canada. It is one of three economic class immigration programs managed through the Express Entry system. What is the CEC? The CEC was developed to streamline the path to permanent resident status for those who already have experience living and working in Canada. It can also be attained by those who have studied in Canada, provided they complete an extra step. It was launched by Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in 2008 in the hope that it would encourage Temporary Foreign Workers and international students to stay in Canada. Who is eligible for the CEC? Compared to other Express Entry immigration programs, CEC has the fewest criteria for eligibility: Candidates must have spent one year doing skilled work in Canada within the past three years Candidates must score a 7 or higher on the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) for jobs that fall under NOC A category, or a CLB 5 for jobs in skilled trades Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration How do I become eligible for the CEC as an international graduate? The CEC is aimed at candidates with work experience in Canada. However, if an international student wishes to remain in Canada after graduation, they can complete one extra step to become eligible. Graduates from eligible Canadian Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) can apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). This is an open permit that allows you to work for any Canadian employer for up to three years, depending on the length of your education program, and you do not need a job offer to apply for one. Graduates often use this permit to get the required one year of skilled worked experience before applying for the CEC. I am eligible for the CEC: Now what? The CEC is one of the three economic immigration pathways managed by Express Entry. The other programs are the Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). Once you determine If you are eligible for any of these three programs, you can go to the IRCC website and create a profile. IRCC will provide you with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score based on human capital factors such as age, language skills, work experience, and education, among others. CRS scores are ranked against others in the pool and candidates with the highest scores receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency. Express Entry draws are held every two weeks and you have 60 days to submit your permanent residence application to IRCC if you receive one. Benefits of the CEC The CEC offers a pathway to permanent residence for those have Canadian work experience it. Statistics Canada research shows that Canadian work experience help support strong labour market outcomes upon gaining permanent residence. There are also fewer CEC eligibility criteria than there are for the FSWP and FSTP. For example, candidates for the CEC do not need to submit proof of funds or an Educational Assessment Credential. CEC invitations resume in early July 2022 CEC draws have been temporarily paused since September 2021 so that IRCC can tackle its Express Entry backlogs. However, IRCC has recently announced that in early July of this year it will begin inviting new candidates under all three Express Entry-managed programs, including the CEC. Express Entry will grow in prominence over the coming years. By 2024, Canada will look to welcome over 110,000 immigrants through Express Entry. Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 18). A few days ago I came across a YouTube video where participants were being asked their thoughts on who a woman was. Some persons were clear in stating that there are biological differences between men and women and of course they were firm believers in advocating for womens rights. Now the situation got muddy really quickly when they were asked about gender fluidity and whether a person should be able to decide what gender they were. It got even worse when the interviewer, who was a white male, asked if he should decide to identify as a twelve year old black girl would the participants be ok with that choice. One lady responded that she would support him if he believes it, after previously acknowledging that there were obvious differences between men and women. Of course I wasnt surprised at any of this. Saddened yes, but certainly not surprised because unless you have been living on another planet you would know that this is where the world is today. People have decided that they are their own gods and they are accountable to no one but themselves. And it is on this premise that people have embarked on a campaign to recreate what they didnt create and change the established order that the Creator has put in place to govern His creation. Happy Mothers Day On Mothers Day, a well-known politician here in Jamaica, shared an article she wrote advocating for the legalization of abortion on the island. I do not think the timing of this article was coincidental and Im pretty sure shes of the opinion that it was a bold and brilliant move. I have to admit that it certainly checks the box for boldness. Reproductive rights or wrongs? Last week I came across another video on social media of a woman who appears to be a television host ranting about how she does not care what the bible says about abortion and she doesnt want anyone infringing on her rights. She was quick to point out that she has a right, based on the constitution, to not believe in the bible. The fact that said constitution was written by men does not seem to be an issue for her so I take it she is willing to hold on to the rights that the constitution allows her and shes likewise comfortable with whatever restrictions it places on her. As long as those restrictions are not coming from God. Woman/ womb-man Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. (Genesis chapter 5, verse 2). It started with rights for homosexuals, then it was extended to bisexuals. But with the world determined to move as far away from God as possible, they couldnt stop there. Mankind decided that it was good and right for them to decide what gender they were going to be, irrespective of what God created them to be. Doctors in India are now planning to undertake a womb transplant in a man who has decided he wants to be a woman. Of course it is being billed as groundbreaking and a major scientific and medical milestone. After all, trans-people have rights and if a man who God created with XY chromosomes and all the other physical characteristics that make a man, should decide that he wants to carry and birth a baby like the woman he isnt he should be accommodated. I mean, he has rights. The price of progress I refuse to believe that all the people who are currently so very vocal in their support of turning away from what the Word of God clearly dictates actually believe what they are preaching. But the world is concerned with being politically correct. The world is concerned with not being offensive to anybody. The world is concerned with being tolerant and inclusive to the point where people will watch loved ones and strangers alike run with wings on their feet, down a path of destruction and encourage them because it is the progressive thing to do. I really should not be surprised though that so many people, the world over, are so blind to the truth and are willing to believe the lie that has been sold to them because the bible tells us in Revelation chapter 12, verse 9 that satan has deceived the whole world. It therefore should be expected that some individuals will loudly and proudly call what is good bad and what is bad good. The bible warned us about this. It is easy as a follower of Christ who knows the truth to sometimes get angry in response to some of the vitriolic remarks that are thrown our way sometimes. It is possible to get disheartened when it seems like everyone around you has chosen to abandon sound doctrine and subscribe to the doctrine of devils as the bible warns us. However we must never stop believing the truth and never stop speaking the truth. Even if you are going to be the only person left you must. The word of God is and will be the final authority so it really doesnt matter what century were living in and how progressive people get. What God established as good and right continues to be good and right and what he calls sin continue to be sin in spite of our feelings. My hope and prayer is that many of the woke folks will truly wake up while grace still abounds. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. (John chapter 17, verse 17). A plethora of digital health solutions are launched every year in India. However, only a few of them get adopted by doctors. To overcome the bottlenecks and accelerate the adoption of digital healthcare innovation in the country, a top enterprise technology leader has adopted a novel approach. In 2021, Dr Satish Prasad Rath, chief innovation and research officer at Aster DM Healthcare, made a lateral shift in his organization. He joined the companys medical college (DM Medical College in Kerala) as the founder and head of its Department of Digital Health and set up an incubator with a focus on IoT and AI in healthcare. The incubator was established by Rath to bring doctors and entrepreneurs on the same platform. Rath comes to the role with a strong technology background coupled with an in-depth understanding of healthcare. says Rath. While at Aster DM Healthcare, he was credited for implementing AI, IoT and telemedicine projects. Aster DM Healthcare is a healthcare conglomerate with a network of 27 hospitals spread across seven countries. The hospital associated with DM Medical College has over 500 beds and more than 200 doctors across several specialties. Throwing light on the digital adoption challenges, Rath says, In the pharma industry doctors are involved only after a drugs development and approvals are completed, which works just fine. Digital healthcare, however, is a different ball game. Doctors are not involved in the development of a solution right from the start. As a result, solutions are often rejected by doctors on the grounds of being redundant, expensive, or bulky. Thats why, he says, for quick adoption of digital healthcare solutions, its important to involve doctors right from the beginning so that they are able to give continuous feedback related to the shape, weight, form factor, etc. of the solution. Bringing entrepreneurs and doctors together Till now, such incubators were set up by the government in IITs and other engineering colleges. This is the first such incubator, funded by the governments Department of Biotechnology, to be set up in a medical college, claims Rath. A medical college, with a mandatory hospital attached with it, is an ideal location for innovation and its fast adoption, Rath says. Corporate hospitals are caught up with day-to-day operations, leaving them with little time to come up with new innovations. Professors in medical colleges must work on theses and research as part of their key responsibility areas, which bodes well for an incubator, he says. The other advantages of having an incubator in such a setup are that the healthcare entrepreneurs can get doctors as co-developers and that the hospital can become the first customer of the new solution, Rath says. Besides, the prototype can be tested on patients. In this way, the entire life cycle of the product is taken care of. This model is gradually being adopted worldwide. The healthcare incubators current projects The incubator is currently focusing on a couple of projects. The first one is around building interoperability among medical devices. The IT department of a hospital is against the procurement of medical devices (CT scan, X-ray, ECG, and so on) from different vendors even if leads to capex savings. This is because devices from different vendors dont talk to each other or to the IT systems. By building an interoperability layer, we intend to make devices vendor-agnostic. With various devices seamlessly talking to each other, there will be an increase in efficiency, Rath says. The second project is aimed at speeding up the innovation process. Innovators invariably seek data for research; they want to run AI on data from X-ray, EMR, cancer, etc. However, patient data is confidential. Rath is working on combining data from various sources such as EMR, diagnostic, and genomic to make a repository, and trying to make patient data anonymous so it cant be traced back to any individual. He expects both the projects to finish by the end of 2022. Healthcare CIO as a part of clinical innovation group For technology leaders in the healthcare sector, Rath says, the way forward is to work closely with clinicians. Old-school CIOs in traditional hospitals are feeling the heat. Their businesses are getting disrupted by digital startups. The future healthcare CIO will have to adopt the two Ds: domain knowledge [of healthcare] and digital skills, especially AI. Similarly, doctors will also have to step up and train on AI. Rath adds, Going forward, hospitals will have to create a clinical innovation group consisting of CIO as the chief digital officer and a doctor as the clinical innovation officer if they are looking to facilitate impactful and innovative digital healthcare solutions and their fast adoption. Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. WHILE YOURE HERE... If you learned something from this story, pay it forward and become a member of Spotlight PA so someone else can in the future at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. Sorry, no valid subscriptions were found for this Publication. Please select from an option below to start a subscription. SUBSCRIBE TODAY! 24 Hour Access Primeste notificari pe email Contractare si Achizitie Bunuri Anunturi de Angajare Granturi - Finantari Burse de studiu Stagii Profesionale Oportunitati de voluntariat Toate Articolele So far, we have talked about the leading qualities of love (What love is), the restraining nature of love (What does not), and now we are going to finish this section with the tenacious power of love. We can see the tenacious power of love in Pauls use of the word all: Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. The first thing that love does is that love bears all things. The verb bear in Greek means to cover, bear up against difficulties, to stand, to endure. Paul is saying that love covers, supports, and protects. Love bears each others burden. One commentator writes, Love protects others from exposure, ridicule, and harm. Genuine love does not gossip or listen to gossip. Even when a sin is certain, love tries to correct with the least possible hurt and harm to the guilty person. Love believes all things. Augustine said that love believes the best about all people. Love gives people benefits of the doubt. Love believes that a person is innocent until proven guilty. Love does not jump right immediately to blame the other person. Love believes that people can change and improve. Think about Jesus and His disciples. The disciples of Jesus were argumentative, self-confident, and had lack of faith. Yet, Jesus believed in them. Jesus believed in Peter even after Peter betrayed Him. Any lesser man would have given up on them, but Jesus never gives up. In Philippians chapter 4, verse 8, Paul writes, Finally brothers, whatever is lovely, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Paul is telling us to think about these things. However, if we look at the full context of this verse, Paul mentions in verse 2 that there is disagreement between two servants of the Lord, Euodia and Syntyche. Therefore, in its full context, Paul is telling the Philippian Christians to think highly about one another and have thoughts that are lovely, and commendable, and pure, and worthy of praise about other believers. Love hopes all things. Even though the situation in the Corinthian church was a mess, Paul never lost his hope. He did not panic. He didnt give up on them. Instead, he thanked God for them and prayed for them. In First Corinthians chapter 1, verse 4, Paul writes, I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and knowledge. In Second Corinthians 7:16, Paul says that he even placed his confidence in the Corinthians. Love endures all things. Love perseveres. Love never gives up. Nabil Bakkali, a thirty-year-old member of the Dutch-Moroccan mafia, was smoking hookah and playing pachisi with friends in a lounge in Utrecht in 2017 when a phone call interrupted their game. It was an associate of Ridouan Taghi, the alleged leader of a brutal cocaine empire and Bakkalis boss. According to Bakkalis account, Taghi had ordered him to coordinate a hit on a man he suspected of leaking information to a rival. Bakkali had spent weeks tracking his target and arranging a getaway car for two gunmen outside the targets high-rise apartment block. But on the call, Bakkali was told that his shooters had killed the wrong man. Hakim Changachi, a neighbor of their targetan old friend of Bakkalis and a connected man in the organized-crime worldlay dead. He was a bad man to have killed. Bakkali was terrified. Soon afterward, he surrendered to police and struck a deal to testify as a witness for the government in the mass prosecution of seventeen alleged members of the Dutch-Moroccan mafia called the Mocro, including Taghi. The case is known, by a randomly generated name, as the Marengo trial. A week after the deal was publicized, a gunman ambushed Bakkalis brother at his office in Amsterdam and shot him to death. Derk Wiersum, a criminal defense lawyer, represented Bakkali regardless. I assist the underdog, he told an interviewer. At around 7:30am on the morning of September 18, 2019, a year after Bakkalis brother had died, Wiersum left his home on a tree-lined street in the outskirts of Amsterdam to go to work. He stepped into his white Mitsubishi Outlander and started the engine. A slim man wearing a dark hoodie walked across the street toward the driver-side window. Wiersum jumped out of his car. After a brief verbal altercation, the gunman fired six shots. Wiersum collapsed. A white van pulled out of a nearby parking space in front of a playground, the gunman got in, and the van peeled away. Wiersums wife ran out of the house and found her husband in a pool of blood. The police pronounced him dead at the scene. Sign up for CJR 's daily email Wiersums murder shocked the Netherlands and startled Peter R. de Vries, the countrys best-known crime reporter. De Vries, a tall, silver-haired man in his sixties, had chronicled the 1983 kidnapping of beer magnate Freddy Heineken, his career-making story and the subject of a best-selling book. He won an international Emmy in 2008 for his television coverage of the disappearance of the American Natalee Holloway in Aruba. But the killing of a prominent lawyer was on a different level. Now lawyers wanted nothing to do with the case, and journalists were frightened, too. A crime blogger who had first published Taghis name was shot dead in 2016. In 2018, a few months after Bakkalis brother was killed, members of a gang fired an anti-tank rocket at the Amsterdam office building of Panorama, a crime magazine that frequently covered the Mocro. Five nights later, a man crashed a white VW van through the lobby of De Telegraaf, Hollands largest daily newspaper, then doused the vehicle with gasoline and set it on fire. Both attacks came at night, so nobody was injured. I think they just wanted to give a signal, says Saskia Belleman, a De Telegraaf reporter covering the Marengo trial. If you keep writing about us, this is what well do. Eight in ten Dutch journalists say they have experienced aggression and threats, according to a 2021 survey conducted by the Dutch press safety group PersVeilig. Journalists covering the Mocro are at particular risk. There are no red lines for them, Peter ter Velde, PersVeiligs director, said. They just do what they want to do, and that means killing. De Vries, who tattooed the phrase on bended knee is no way to be free on his calf, was defiant. He began to visit Bakkali in pretrial detention. He knew that several replacements for Wiersum had started to represent Bakkali, only to leave in fear and frustration. So he approached Peter Schouten, a journalist turned lawyer he had known since the eighties, when they ran a crime magazine together. They planned to represent Bakkali themselves. De Vries had crossed this journalistic line before. Hed raised money to help solve cold cases and acted as an informal adviser to victims families. In 2018, he testified as a witness in the trial of Willem Holleeder, one of the Heineken kidnappers accused of subsequent murders, and helped advise Holleeders sisters, key prosecution witnesses in the case. The prospect of getting involved in the Marengo trial was made a little less risky, de Vries and Schouten felt, in 2019. That December, Taghiwho was originally being tried in absentiawas arrested in a mansion in Dubai and deported to the Netherlands. But safety was not guaranteed. Taghi might still find ways to communicate with his underworld deputies. Are you willing to do this? de Vries asked, according to Schouten. There is danger in this job. Are you afraid? I said, I think its more dangerous for you than for me, because youre a famous journalist. So the chance they shoot you is bigger. And then he looked at my belly, and he said, Well, the chance that they hit you is also larger. Schouten and another lawyer at his firm would represent Bakkali, while de Vries would act as a spokesperson. De Vries also envisioned a new role for himself as a confidential adviser to Bakkali. He became a paralegal at Schoutens law firm, and Schouten sued the Dutch government to allow de Vries to speak with Bakkali via an untapped telephone line previously reserved for lawyers. For de Vries and Schouten, the work was a source of pride. If you want to live by the rule of law, which is very important for a democracy, you need a dike, said Schouten, and the dike should be formed by people standing up, and not by people kneeling down. To tell you the truth, I thought it was madness, said Peter Elberse, a crime reporter at the Dutch newswire ANP who had known de Vries for more than thirty years. Youre a dad, youve got a partner, you have an ex-wifeyouve got family. Others questioned the ethics and optics of the move. We all criticized him for doing that, said Belleman of De Telegraaf. When are you talking as a crime reporter, and when are you a spokesman of this witness? But de Vries ignored the criticism. Peter was the kind of guy that made his own decisions, Belleman said. In a TV talk show segment, de Vries had a heated argument with Yelle Tieleman, a younger crime reporter at the Dutch daily Algemeen Dagblad. We can no longer call you a crime journalist, Tieleman told de Vries. The segment was a disaster: a falling-out on national television, according to Tieleman. Lots of journalists warned him, and said, Youre changing the rules, youre changing the way people look at crime reporters, because suddenly youre not standing on the sidelines. But while professional colleagues balked, the public largely accepted de Vriess new role. He was a larger-than-life figure, Tieleman said. Because he was Peter R. de Vries, people sort of accepted it from him. By September 2020, Schouten and de Vries had been threatened by Taghis gang. Federal counterterrorism experts confirmed the threats were serious. The Public Prosecution Service offered to place them under police protection. That security can be stifling, said Paul Vugts, a crime reporter for Het Parool, a daily newspaper in Amsterdam. Up until 2016, nobody thought in Holland journalists would need to live under high protection, he said. But in 2017, while reporting on the Mocro and other criminals, Vugts learned of credible threats against him. He and his girlfriend fled their home and spent more than six months in a safe house. Every day this small army would come to pick me up in armored cars, and then we would go to my appointments, said Vugts. He needed to share his agenda at least four days in advance, for both professional and personal engagements; he could attend social events, but his security detail would arrive first to perform an inspection. It was kind of a circus, he said. After the criminals who had threatened Vugts had been arrested or killed, he asked the police to be released from the protection program. They had me sign a paper: Okay, if they kill me, its my fault. Schouten and his cocounsel accepted the protection, but de Vries refused. According to a documentary about de Vriess girlfriend, an author and TV news host named Tahmina Akefi, de Vries didnt want security to take over his life and impede his work. But thats different than not wanting security, Akefi said. De Vries wasnt given a middle option, she said: it was all or nothing. He chose nothing. In late June, according to Akefi, she and de Vries were making plans to move in together and get married. He was busy with frequent TV appearances on RTL Boulevard, a popular evening talk show, commenting on crime stories including the Marengo trial as a member of the defense. On July 6, he was scheduled to discuss the murder of a barber, who had been shot in his car while his toddler sat in the back seat. Before he went on air, de Vries texted Akefi: Snoesje [sweetie] love you. At about 7:30pm, according to CCTV footage, de Vries, dressed in a light tan suit, left the studio and walked out onto the narrow commercial street outside, the Lange Leidsedwarsstraat. He walked briskly down the brick-paved road, past diners at outdoor cafe tables, as he checked his phone. Just outside the parking garage where he had left his car, a man with a dark beard and tattooed neck was waiting. Five short pops filled the air. A cellphone video taken moments later showed de Vries lying on the ground, bleeding from the side of his face. At first, his arms were crossed loosely on his stomach. They then fell limply to his side. He was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition. News spread across the city. Elberse, the ANP reporter and de Vriess old friend, raced to the Lange Leidsedwarsstraat by bicycle. It was chaos, he said: a blur of crowds, colleagues, and police, who had closed off a section of the street with barriers and tape. We were all in shock, he said. Actually, I still am. Within an hour of the shooting, a twenty-one-year-old Dutchman named Delano Geerman, the suspected gunman, and a thirty-five-year-old Polish man named Kamiel Egiert, his suspected accomplice and getaway driver, were arrested about thirty miles outside the city. Later, messages recovered from their phones revealed that an unidentified man had texted them images of de Vries with the message get this dog. If you do it right, you may get extra money. Geerman and Egiert sent back video clips of them testing their weapons, a modified handgun and a machine gun. According to the Public Prosecution Service, they began shadowing de Vries about two weeks before the attack, tracing his usual route from the RTL studio on the Lange Leidsedwarsstraat and into the parking garage. Immediately after the shooting, the suspects texted the anonymous man. Bro that bullet shot right through him twice, Geerman wrote. Everything squirted. Nice, the unidentified man replied. That blood make everyone scream. Aaaah ahahahaha. While de Vries remained unconscious in the hospital, a bed of flowers appeared on Lange Leidsedwarsstraat where he had fallen. An anonymous group laid four thousand white roses on a lion statue in the citys central Dam square. Schouten held out hope that de Vries might survive. But de Vries never regained consciousness. On July 15, he died. He was sixty-four. Royce, Kelly, and Jaqueline de Vries, his adult children and ex-wife, took out a full-page bereavement notice in De Telegraaf, quoting his motto: On bended knee is no way to be free. A public memorial service was held a few days later at Amsterdams Royal Theater Carre. More than seven thousand people attended. A trial in the case of the suspected shooters is scheduled for June. Prosecutors have not definitively linked the crime to Taghi. There is also an independent investigation into the Public Prosecution Service and its efforts to protect de Vries. The Marengo trial is ongoing, held in a maximum-security courthouse referred to as De Bunker. Its now guarded by military officers as well as police. Its really strange to be in this trial and not to meet with [de Vries] anymore, said Belleman, the De Telegraaf reporter. Not to see him there with his notebook, his sandwiches he always used to take to the courthouse. Reporters covering Taghi in particular are haunted by the crime. Days after de Vries was shot, the RTL Boulevard studio received threats that criminals planned to launch a rocket at the building. The station has broadcast from an undisclosed location outside the city since then. This year, Reporters Without Borders lowered Hollands place in a yearly press freedom ranking by twenty-two spotsfrom sixth to twenty-eighthciting de Vriess murder, among other factors. When they took Peter, that was an accident waiting to happen, said Vugts, the Het Parool reporter who emerged from police protection. But it was a big shock for us all, because who is going to be next? Is it going to be a judge? Is it going to be us? We dont know, but we expect more violence. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Caleb Pershan is a CJR fellow. In 2017, Jason Fagone wrote for HuffPosts Highline about Amy Goldberg, a leading trauma surgeon at Temple University Hospital, in Philadelphia, which treats more gunshot victims than any facility in Pennsylvania. Fagone wanted to find out what she knew about gun violencethe visceral sense of what physically happens inside a person when hes shot, as Fagone put itthat the average American does not. Goldberg initially told Fagone that any article he might write would be pointless; only graphic images, she said, would convey such a visceral sense to a desensitized public and transform the gun debate. The country wont be ready for it, but thats what needs to happen, she said. Thats the only chance at all for this to ever be reversed. Last weekfollowing the fatal shooting of nineteen children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TexasDavid Boardman, a former Seattle Times executive editor who is now dean of Temples journalism school, made a similar point. Couldnt have imagined saying this years ago, he tweeted, but its timewith the permission of a surviving parentto show what a slaughtered 7-year-old looks like. Boardman elaborated in an interview with Vanity Fairs Charlotte Klein, arguing that there are moments in historythe 1955 images of Emmett Tills brutalized body in Jet magazine, for instance, or the 2020 cellphone video showing the murder of George Floydin which the visual reality of this sort of carnage may be the only way to really move citizenry and politicians to the action that clearly is needed. Others, including the CNN anchor Jake Tapper and the former Homeland Security secretary Jeh Johnson, have since entertained the notion, too. Can we imagine our loved ones, reduced to pieces of skin on the floors and walls? Dorothy R. Novick, a writer and pediatrician, asked in an op-ed for WBUR. We have to, in order to save them. Related: Three interviews, two press conferences, and an editorial on Uvalde Others have disagreed, or at least offered ethical caveats. Bill Grueskin, a professor at Columbia Journalism School, told Klein that while he generally supports the sentiment behind calls to show graphic images, only relatives of victims, and not victims themselves, are able to consent. (Perhaps its time, Grueskin suggested, to add a checkoff box to the back of our drivers licenses, next to the organ-donation line, allowing ones corpse to be publicized to showcase the horrors of Americas infatuation with assault weapons.) Sewell Chan, the editor in chief of the Texas Tribune, told Klein that he, too, is sympathetic to the idea, but worries that showing such images could come across as exploitative or unethical or unseemly, eroding the human right to dignity, even, or especially, in death. The academic Susie Linfield and reporter Lucas Shaw have both argued, meanwhile, that showing such pictures could have the contrary effect to that desired by proponents of gun reform. I suspect exposing people to graphic images, the latter wrote, would only make gun owners more inclined to keep them. In the case of Uvalde, this debate is hypothetical, at least for nowphotographers were denied access to the crime scene, and authorities havent released any images of their own. As Fagones piece showed, though, the debate is neither new nor limited in its relevance. Yesterday, Elizabeth Williamson, the author of a book about the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, wrote for the New York Times about the aftermath of that massacre, when relatives pushed for, and won, a new law barring the state of Connecticut from releasing graphic images of the victims to the general public, even in response to public-records requests. Lenny Pozner, whose son Noah was killed at Sandy Hook, told Williamson that he contemplated showing the world the damage that an assault rifle did to his child, then thought, Not my kid. Noahs family did show his body to Connecticuts then-governor, but in private, and with his wound covered. Everything would just get amplified, Pozner told Williamson, of the familys decision not to make pictures of Noah public. Hoaxers will have more things to deny, absolutists will have more things to sayand people who are traumatized by mass shootings will be more traumatized. Going even further back, the Rocky Mountain News decided, in the wake of the Columbine High School massacre in Colorado in 1999, to go ahead and run a prominent (though not front-page) image of a dead student that a photographer for the paper had taken after hiring a helicopter to survey the scene, without first asking the students family. As John Temple, who was then the papers editor, recalled in a 2019 podcast interview with Kyle Pope, CJRs editor and publisher, the students mother was upset, calling the next day to tell Temple that she had learned of her sons death from the newspaper. Eventually, though, she came to carry the photo in a pocket close to her heart. We talked over months, and she told me that she still thought I was wrong to publish it, but she understood what I did, Temple said. Then, a year and a half after the shooting, she wrote me a letter and she said, Yknow, I was wrong. Im writing you to tell you to have the courage to show people the truth about whats really happening in our society. Sign up for CJR 's daily email This debate might seem, at its simplest, to concern a simple, if agonizing, choice: to publish or not. Break it down, though, and it quickly becomes devilishly complicated. Its reasonable to assess the calls for publication, first and foremost, in terms of impact on public opinion and policy, as this seems to be the explicit rationale of most proponents. Here, it strikes me, there is reason to be deeply skeptical. Policy does not reliably follow opinionespecially in such a dysfunctional democracy as the US. And even on the opinion front, and thinking globally, there is no clear formula by which a shocking image might move the needle. In 2015, a photo showing the body of Alan Kurdi, a young Syrian refugee who washed up dead on a beach in Turkey, sparked an outpouring of emotion and donations to refugee causes, but it did not lead to any longer-term reset in European migration discourse. Other horrifying images have had even less impact. In 2019, various observers said that a photo showing Oscar Alberto Martinez Ramirez and his young daughter Valeria, two migrants from El Salvador, drowned in the Rio Grande was Americas version of the Kurdi image. Less than three years later, do you even remember it? Numerous advocates of showing photos of shooting victimsin the wake of Uvalde but also other tragedieshave pointed in particular to the images of Tills open casket, given their powerful illustration, to a mass audience, of the horrors of lynching and subsequent galvanizing effect on the civil rights movement. The ongoing impact of the photosa bill, named for Till, that made lynching a federal hate crime passed into law just two months agois proof that acts of bearing witness can help build change even in the (very) long term. But it also shows how thorny it can be to disaggregate the impact of images from a much broader-based struggleand how rarely moments of collective shock are immediately transformational. Todays information climate, of course, is very different from that of 1955. The online news cycle can coalesce our attention around horrifying images. It can also distract, manipulate, and bury. As Jelani Cobb, the New Yorker writer and incoming dean of Columbia Journalism School, argued in the wake of Uvalde, past lynching photos did nothing to [shock] the conscience of people prone to defend the practice, while shooting photos in the present could, to a gunmans warped mind, serve as a sort of recognition. A solo exhibit. The key question here, it seems to me, is who wed be publishing these graphic images for. Do we really have sound reason to believe, in our present political climate, that powerful holdouts on gun reform would drop their opposition based on an image, or the popular reaction to it? If not, might such images merely serve to traumatize people who already believe in the urgent need for action? What ifrather than decisively shattering the repetitive, desensitizing media and political script that follows mass shootingsshowing horrifying images simply becomes another facet of it? At the very least, the likelihood that such images would lead to real change is uncertain enough that journalistic principles other than impact merit serious consideration here. Impact is not the only reason to argue for the publication of graphic photos; its possible to see doing so as a radical act of truth-telling, which is the function of journalism. Meaghan Looram, the director of photography at the Times, told Williamson that the paper aims to balance the news value of an image and its service to our readers against whether or not the image is dignified for the victims or considerate toward the families or loved ones of those pictured. On the latter score, relatives wishes clearly carry great weight. But these arent absolute either: they can change over time, particularly when formed in the crucible of intense pain and trauma. And, as Grueskin suggests, the consent of the victim should be paramount, too, and is even harder to obtain. Is it really fair to ask of a child, in particular, that the most visible legacy of their life be a gruesome, permanent online record of their death? Its hard to write a blanket rule here. Its also possible to envision ways of approaching this debate that fall between the publish/dont publish dichotomy. Would it alleviate any of the above ethical concerns if we published photos of victims that, while graphic, are not identifiableor do the demands of dignity consist of something greater than recognizability? Would it make a difference if we showed photos of bodies but no goreor, as various experts suggested to Williamson, gore but no bodies? (After Taliban fighters attacked a school in Pakistan in 2014, Williamson notes, news agencies released images of classrooms covered in blood.) As the Pozner family did after Sandy Hook, parents have ways of confronting elected representatives with the costs of their inaction without having to traumatize the broader public. Journalists, for our part, still have words, and it would be a mistake to think that weve all exhausted the many ways we might use them to illustrate horror without needing to show images. Fagones 2017 story was reshared widely last week. It was not pointless, even if gun violence persists. My personal, visceral reaction to the publication debate is not especially constructive, but, given the knottiness and bleakness of the question, that doesnt seem inappropriate. It is, simply, to ask what sort of country needs not only to know that a classroom full of children was brutally massacred, but to see it, tooand to ask again whether this is really a country that an image might redeem. Two years ago this month, shortly before Floyd was murdered, my then-colleague Alexandria Neason made a related point in the context of police shootings of Black Americans, after noting that the victims who have gotten the most attention have tended to be those whose death was recorded on video. The videos draw focus to casesand clicks to websitesbut they are also used as a way to spark apathetic white and other non-Black people to action, at the expense of subjecting Black people to the trauma of witnessing violence against their communities, Neason wrote. Ultimately, Black people have never needed video footage to be convinced of a problem. On Sundays edition of Meet the Press, Chuck Todd asked Tony Montalto whether he would be comfortable with the public seeing pictures of his daughter Ginawho was murdered in a mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, in 2018in the name of a new Emmett Till moment. Montalto said he would not be, then made a different suggestion for demonstrating the destructive power of heavy weapons. People who like them should imagine what they do to the bodies of children in schools, he said. We do need to have a look at ourselves. Below, more on Uvalde and shootings: Other notable stories: ICYMI: Facebooks new data-sharing plans raise old concerns 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. SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) Searchers recovered the bodies of three missing boaters Sunday after two vessels collided on a Georgia river, bringing the crashs death toll to five people. One of the surviving boaters was charged with boating under the influence. Two people were found dead shortly after the Saturday collision on the Wilmington River near Savannah, authorities said. The bodies of the three missing people were recovered Sunday morning, Georgia Department of Natural Resources Sgt. Cindy Miller told WTOC-TV. They were found in water about 14 feet (4.3 meters) deep, and in close proximity to each other, authorities said. One of the boats had six people aboard and the other carried three people, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement. At least four people were taken to hospitals, authorities said. Mark Christopher Stegall, 45, has been charged with boating under the influence, Mark McKinnon of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources told WSAV-TV. No lawyer who could speak on Stegalls behalf is listed in Chatham County Jail booking records. The names of others involved were not immediately made public. The crash is the second involving a boat and serious injuries on the Wilmington River this month. A local businessman was killed May 5 when a boat he was aboard struck an unlit channel marker near the Savannah Yacht Club and he was hit on the head by an unknown object, authorities said. Saturday was the start of the long Memorial Day weekend, one of the busiest of the year for recreational boaters. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) As more than 3,000 firefighters in northern New Mexico continued to battle the nations largest active wildfire Sunday, federal forest officials worried about future flash floods, landslides and destructive ash from the burn scar. The 7-week-old fire, the largest in New Mexico history, remained 50% contained after charring 492 square miles (1,274 square kilometers) in rugged terrain east of Santa Fe. Two planned burns merged to form the massive blaze at the southern tip of the Rocky Mountains in the Sangre de Cristo range. One of the fires was previously traced to April 6, when a planned burn set by U.S. Forest Service firefighters to clear out small trees and brush was declared out of control. On Friday, investigators said they tracked the source of the second fire to the remnants of a planned January burn that lay dormant through several snowstorms only to flare up again last month. Firefighting costs already surpass $132 million, climbing by $5 million a day, according to authorities. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham already has asked President Joe Biden to direct the Federal Emergency Management Administration to pay for all costs related to a broad range of recovery efforts. A Forest Service Burned Area Emergency Response team has started publishing data from its post-fire assessments. Micah Kiesow, team leader and a soil and watershed program manager with the Santa Fe National Forest, said steep mountain slopes had acted like a sponge before the fire. Post-fire in some of these areas, especially the high soil burn severity areas and the moderate, were looking at now a steep slope thats more like a parking lot, Kiesow told the Santa Fe New Mexican. He said that could signal an extreme change in watershed response during monsoon season. Flooding presents another problem for communities near burn scars with ash flowing into rivers and streams, according to Kiesow. Many water treatment facilities arent equipped for the expensive, time-intensive process of filtering ash. Experts say ash and debris can harm water quality with high levels of nitrates and phosphorus. A hazard assessment from the Forest Service and U.S. Geological Survey shows that some burned areas on the New Mexico fire could see heavy debris flows if they receive about .25 inches of rain in 15 minutes. Meanwhile, firefighters were hoping to make continued progress on the fire before the possible return of drier and warmer weather with stronger winds through Monday. This fire has a lot of potential left in it, said Carl Schwope, incident commander for the southwest fire management team that has been fighting the wildfire for the past 52 days. Initial estimates show the fire has destroyed at least 330 homes, but state officials expect the number of homes and other structures that have burned to rise to more than 1,000 as more assessments are done. Elsewhere, 150 firefighters continued to battle a wind-driven fire that has burned more than 8 1/2 square miles (22 square kilometers) of grass, brush and salt cedar at the Arizona-California border. The fire began Thursday on the Colorado River Indian Reservation 14 miles (24 kilometers) southwest of Parker, Arizona. Wind gusts of up to 30 mph (48 kph) forced the evacuations of 15 homes on both sides of the river Saturday and pushed the 44% containment figure back to 34%. However, fire officials said the evacuees likely would be allowed to return home by Sunday evening. The cause of the wildfire remained under investigation. In Colorado, air tankers and helicopters were helping fight a new wildfire burning in the southern part of the state Sunday, the U.S. Forest Service said. The fire, 18 miles (29 kilometers) west of Antonito, was reported Saturday in a small subdivision along the Conejos River and forced the evacuation of under 100 people north of Colorado 17, said Gregg Goodland, a spokesperson for the Forest Services Rio Grande National Forest. The fire was estimated to have spread to 197 acres (80 hectares) by Saturday evening and did not grow significantly overnight, he said. People spending Memorial Day weekend at a campground near the fire were told to be prepared to evacuate, he said. The fire started on private property but was mainly burning on Forest Service land in a steep canyon in a variety of conifer trees along with brush and aspen north of the highway, he said. The cause is under investigation. About the photo: Carson Hot Shots Tyler Freeman works to keep a burning log from rolling down a slope, Monday, May 23, 2022, as he and his co-workers work on hot spots from the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire in the Carson National Forest west of Chacon, N.M. Crews in northern New Mexico have cut and cleared containment lines around nearly half of the perimeter of the nations largest active wildfire while bracing for a return of weather conditions that might fan flames and send embers aloft. (Eddie Moore/The Albuquerque Journal via AP) Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday. Are you a current print subscriber to Columbia Gorge News? If so, you qualify for free access to all content on columbiagorgenews.com. Simply verify with your subscriber id to receive free access. Your subscriber id may be found on your bill or mailing label. IT support has forever changed as more and more employees are now working from any number of remote locations and no longer sitting behind a corporate firewall. The days of walking your computer down to the IT department for repair or having a help-desk worker drop by the cubicle to troubleshoot your network connection have been replaced by the need for support from anywhere on any device. Five years ago, [IT workers] were about how to support things like Windows updates and every four or five years changing over to new hardware. It was very cookie cutter, said Mark Bowker, a senior analyst with research firm Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG). In the first quarter of this year, ESG conducted a double-blind survey of 200 US-based IT decision makers responsible for help desk support at their organization. IT help desk teams reported unsustainable levels of stress and burnout, according to ESGs report, which was commissioned by Splashtop, a remote access and support tech vendor. Overall, 65% of IT help desk teams in the US said they're stressing and facing burnout, and 94% of organizations said they've experienced challenges in their support operations related to the Great Resignation, or a lack of available talent. For IT shops, those challenges include maintaining support goals and unsustainable stress levels that are compounded by increased workloads. The challenge in IT is around operational efficiency; their responsibility and urgency to support remote work has grown tremendously, Bowker said. And organizations arent looking to grow IT staff. So, the question becomes: is the company investing in IT tools that can help with process automation and eliminate routine tasks? IDC While most organizations say remote support was dominant even before the COVID-19 pandemic, it is now seen as critical. Ninety-nine percent of organizations surveyed by ESG said support at distance is required for half or more of all help-desk tickets. Starting inside the IT organization, anyone doing help-desk support, or any IT role that dealt with being face-to-face with employees, is impacted, Bowker said. In addition, 96% of organizations say that remote support will continue to dominate workloads for the foreseeable future. From an overall technology perspective, a lot of tech workers embraced remote work, Bowker noted, accepting collaboration tools as the new norm and using them effectively. I think it was mostly knowledge workers who were impacted. They were just accustomed to in-person meetings. Obviously, with people working remotely, collaboration and communication now become an essential part of someone doing their job, Bowker continued. Things like peripheral support: Is the microphone working? Is the camera property installed, and is it working with the application?" Troubleshooting endpoint device issues has become a particularly difficult challenge as employees access corporate resources through a myriad of home and Wi-Fi networks. Security and privacy is a whole other topic on its own, Bowker said. Theres no question its become top of mind. The security posture of an organization has been challenged with remote work. Thats due to the fact that the [endpoint] device may be unknown people use their personal devices, theyre accessing [corporate servers] from unknown networks. Companies now must understand the real-world needs of end users; having vanilla "small, medium, and large" types of endpoint configurations for users as many companies do no longer works, according to Bowker. Instead, they need to customize tools to fit the end-user's job. "If you have sales people who spend a lot of time on Zoom, you need to make sure their environment is very reliable and has high performance that enable the best customer experience," Bowker said. "There's more focus on IT tools capturing the telemetry of that user and endpoint to satisfy the experience of the end-user, increase productivity, enhance security, and improve communication." More than two years into the pandemic, levels of burnout, categorized by the World Health Organization as an occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic workplace stress, are high especially for both Millennials and Gen Zs, according to consultancy Deloitte. More than four in 10 Gen Zs (46%) and Millennials (45%) surveyed said they feel burned out due to the intensity and demands of their work environments. This signals a significant retention issue for employers. In fact, 44% of Gen Zs and 43% of millennials say that many people have recently left their organizations due to their workloads, and Gen Zs and millennials who have changed organizations in the last two years cited burnout as one of the top three reasons for leaving their employer. Despite this, one in four millennials and one in five Gen Zs do not believe their employer takes burnout seriously or is taking steps to address it, indicating that many companies have yet to fully understand or address the impact burnout is having. Amy Loomis, a research director for IDC, said there simply are not enough IT workers to support hybrid-work scenarios at scale. And those workers themselves need greater support in the form of training to keep pace with things like new security protocols, new automated workflows and the pressure of having to support citizen developers who get in over their head with low- and no-code offerings, Loomis said via email. The challenge of IT support for remote workers is particularly acute in North America, with 44% of respondents to an IDC survey last year saying it was one of the biggest challenges they faced. Data from IDCs survey of about 400 technology leaders indicated IT is much more open to drawing in talent from across different sourcing models, such as using gig workers, crowd-sourcing, using contract workers, and automating tasks with software tools. IDC "We need to not only think about IT support as a resource for hybrid workers but also the support that IT itself needs," Loomis said. "Many IT workers are inundated with service requests they cant keep up with, the occurrence of new security threats and an expanding threat landscape across endpoints, networks, cloud, and applications contexts." Support for IT must come from multiple areas from additional team members, third-party support staff, training to keep pace with new technologies, and automation of repetitive administrative tasks, Loomis said. As a result, organizations need to help IT adapt to current work dynamics with a support model that extends seamlessly to end-users. IT organizations that no longer have in-person IT support now rely on remote session technology to troubleshoot and solve issues. Seven of 10 repondents to ESG's survey reported investments in remote session technologies improve support key performance indicators and broaden organizations potential talent pools. In some cases, it's as simple as making sure IT workers have the right technology. It's more important than ever to make sure employee experience, employee engagement, and customer experience, are high on the priority list. Tools available to organizations to more efficiently monitor and assist the remote workforce run the gamut, from general endpoint health check tools to tools that specifically measure remote network bandwidth, CPU utilzation, and memory, Bowker said. The majority of help desk tickets are associated with user error, according to ESG. Therefore, it is essential to have processes and technologies in place to quickly identify, solve, and help users learn from their errors. The ability to see firsthand what an employee is doing enables IT staff to quickly understand the issue and collaborate directly with the person to promptly resolve the issue. This enhanced process helps train the user in real time, as well as identify other potential issues that might arise. Organizations that have significantly increased funding for remote session solutions are more than twice as likely to rate those solutions as excellent, according to IDC's survey. Organizations that have significantly increased funding for remote session solutions also achieve 59% higher help desk staff throughput. "I was once an [IT worker], so I think technology workers are typically up to the challenge. They're a consumer of technology and they understand what it can do," Bowker said. "Given the state of where things are..., they tend to get excited about ways different technologies can help the way companies deal with their remote and hybrid workforce." If youre like most PC users, your current computer cant run Windows 11. Microsoft has placed a line in the hardware sand to ensure that only modern machines with certain specifications that harden security can run Windows 11. Well, sort of. The company provides a workaround, as Ill discuss in a moment. Whether you should take advantage of this loophole to upgrade PCs (whether yours or your users) to Windows 11 is the question. First, if you want to know if a computer can run Windows 11, you can use the PC Health Check app, Microsofts diagnostic tool. But if your PC doesnt support Windows 11, Microsofts app doesnt do a great job of explaining why. Instead, I recommend using either the Windows 11 Requirements Check Tool from ByteJams.com or WhyNotWin11, available on Github. Both tools provide granular detail about why a machine wont run Windows 11. On my personal laptop at home, for instance, the processor cant support hardware for hypervisor enforced code integrity, nor does Windows 11 like the graphics display. But do you have to meet all of Microsofts requirements to have an acceptable experience with Windows 11? What if a machine isnt that old but has one item keeping it from Windows 11? Bypassing the Windows 11 hardware block As it has often done over the years, Microsoft put a bit of wiggle room into the hardware mandate for Windows 11, indicating that you can use the following registry key to bypass the hardware block: Registry Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\MoSetup Name: AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMOrCPU Type: REG_DWORD Value: 1 This technique comes with a caveat from Microsoft, namely that if you install Windows 11 on a PC that doesnt meet the minimum hardware requirements, your PC will no longer be supported and won't be entitled to receive updates. Damages to your PC due to lack of compatibility aren't covered under the manufacturer warranty. Note, however, that Microsoft has yet to enforce its threats of such users not receiving updates. I personally think it's more of a performance warning: if theres some sort of performance issue with certain unsupported CPUs, my guess is Microsoft wont work to fix the problem. For personal computer systems especially for savvy end users who love to try new things and have good backups, and in particular have additional computers to fall back on I have fewer concerns about using the workaround that Microsoft itself has provided. Clearly it is turning a blind eye and understands that we may want to play around. But do you want to really use this workaround in business? For some businesses Id argue that you dont need some of these hardware mandates. The truth is that Microsoft has added these security mandates more for its enterprise customers than for individuals or small businesses. Several of the key security features for Windows 11 are only supported if you have the appropriate licensing and Windows Enterprise for example, Credential Guard, of which Microsoft writes: Windows 11 makes use of hardware-backed, virtualization-based security capabilities to help protect systems from credential theft attack techniques like pass-the-hash or pass-the-ticket. It also helps prevent malware from accessing system secrets even if the process is running with admin privileges. In the future, Credential Guard will be enabled by default for organizations using the Enterprise edition of Windows 11. For this reason, you need hardware virtualization support and TPM 2.0 chips to run Windows 11. But unless you purchase Windows 11 Enterprise, you will not be supported to deploy Credential Guard. Remaining on Windows 10 is a better option for many That said, it may be premature to move your users to Windows 11 at this point anyway. Even businesses buying computers now that can run Windows 11 may be better off running Windows 10 for many years to come. For many of us who have a computer at home as well as one we use at the office, having a different operating system on the two machines can be confusing. The two items that trip me up going back and forth between Windows 11 and Windows 10 are the centered Start menu and the taskbar. With Windows 10s menu being on the left-hand side of the screen and Windows 11 widgets now being on the left, I find myself clicking on the widget menu when I want to shut down the Windows 11 computer. And the changed Windows 11 taskbar means that Im still stumbling a bit finding cut, paste, and other tools. If your machine is managed by Windows Update and qualifies for Windows 11, it should be offered up to your system by now. If you choose not to install Windows 11, you may be offered it at a later date. Remember, you can use registry keys or Group Policy as well as Intune to keep machines on Windows 10 rather than moving to Windows 11. Business devices that are managed by Intune or WSUS will not be offered Windows 11; an administrator has to specifically approve the Windows 11 upgrade. Lately Ive been helping people buy new computers, often slightly older laptops that are a good value. These PCs do support running Windows 11, but for now Im putting registry keys in place to keep the systems at Windows 10. Im planning to help them migrate up to 11 when the right time comes. As for my own business, given that many of my users still have Windows 10 at home, Im opting to keep the firms computers on Windows 10 for now. I find it easier for users to have similar computers at home and at work. Over time, we will migrate to more and more machines on Windows 11, and then Ill decide if Im going to use the bypass technique to put any older systems on Windows 11. 05/31/2022 Photo (c) Rafmaster - Getty Images COVID-19 tally as compiled by Johns Hopkins University. (Previous numbers in parentheses.) Total U.S. confirmed cases: 84,022,711 (83,984,644) Total U.S. deaths: 1,004,770 (1,004,733) Total global cases: 529,487,333 (529,066,607) Total global deaths: 6,289,298 (6,287,992) Paxlovid plays role in keeping virus in check Theres no denying that new cases of the coronavirus are rising rapidly around the U.S. At the same time, severe cases requiring hospitalization are not rising. Experts think the therapeutic drug Paxlovid may be partly the reason. The Wall Street Journal reports that supplies of the drug improved at pharmacies nationwide in recent weeks and that doctors have written 412,000 prescriptions for it through early May. The drug is intended to be taken soon after infection and is most effective for patients with underlying conditions who have mild to moderate symptoms. A clinical trial showed that Paxlovid, made by Pfizer, was 88% effective at preventing a patient from being hospitalized. New cases are surging but deaths are falling The U.S. once again leads the world in the number of daily cases of COVID-19. There were at least 12 countries ahead of the U.S. a month ago, but that changed drastically in May. At the end of May 2021, the COVID-19 Tracking Project at Johns Hopkins University counted only 20,000 daily cases. On Monday, the count was 91,000. And as we previously reported, infectious disease experts say the actual number of new cases could be even higher. However, a higher infection rate than officially reported may hold a silver lining because fewer of those cases are likely severe. While the U.S. is recording nearly twice as many new cases as a month ago and four times higher than this time a year ago, today's death rate is half the rate of late May 2021. Survey pinpoints most likely long COVID victims Scientists continue to be baffled by the condition known as long COVID, which consists of lingering symptoms after the patient has recovered from their COVID-19 infection. Who gets it and who doesnt? A new survey from 23andMe appears to shed some light on that question. The voluntary survey suggests that women are far more likely to experience long-term symptoms, and so are people with a prior diagnosis of depression or anxiety. More telling, perhaps, is that half of the people who reported a diagnosis of long COVID had a history of cardiometabolic diseases, such as heart attacks or diabetes. The survey collected data from 100,000 people who had been infected with the coronavirus. Around the nation 05/31/2022 Photo (c) Marina113 - Getty Images Ford will pay $19.2 million to settle charges that it falsely advertised the real-world fuel economy of its C-Max hybrids and the payload capacity of certain Super Duty pickup trucks. The complaint was brought by the attorneys general of nearly every state. As the result of the multistate investigation, the states concluded that Ford made several misrepresentations to consumers, including the distance they could drive on a single tank of gas, that driving styles wouldnt affect fuel economy, and that its vehicles had superior fuel economy when compared to other hybrids. Consumers should be able to trust information issued by a products manufacturer particularly if the product is something as expensive as a vehicle, said Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul. In this instance, Fords alleged false advertising misled consumers into buying a product they may have otherwise not purchased. Playing games Connecticut Attorney General William Tong pointed to a Ford advertising campaign entitled the Hybrid Games, which used an Olympic sporting event and depicted the C-Max outperforming the Prius in a series of videos. The attorneys general allege that the videos deceptively reflected that C-Max vehicles offered superior real-world fuel economy and driving performance. Gas is a huge expense for Connecticut families, Tong said. Decreased fuel efficiency results in a significant additional cost for drivers. Ford intentionally deceived customers with inflated fuel economy and payload capacity ratings, falsely claiming their C-Max hybrids and Super Duty pickup trucks could beat the competition. State officials also investigated alleged misleading Best-in-Class payload claims related to Fords 20112014 Super Duty pick-up trucks, which include the F-250, F-350, and F-450 models. The attorneys general claim that Ford based its methodology for calculating maximum payload capacity for advertising purposes on a hypothetical truck configuration that was available only to fleet customers. Pleased with the settlement In a statement to Automotive News, Ford said it was pleased that the issue was "closed without any judicial finding of improper conduct. We worked with the states to resolve their concerns and in the process limited additional investigative costs and legal expenses for all parties." Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he was pleased that Ford agreed not to make false or misleading claims about pickup truck payload capacity and fuel economy. In todays automotive marketplace, it is imperative that Texans receive accurate information from automakers to ensure they can make informed decisions, Paxton said. A number of the attorneys general said they would use their states share of the settlement proceeds to fund anti-fraud programs. Add CoolSocial badge. Show it by adding this HTML code on your site: Bacolodcity.gov.ph scored 40 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2/5.0 Stars by Social Team This CoolSocial report was updated on 17 Dec 2012, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. Add a widget like this on your site: click here This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the bacolodcity homepage on Twitter + the total number of bacolodcity followers (if bacolodcity has a Twitter account). The total number of people who shared the bacolodcity homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. The total number of people who shared the bacolodcity homepage on StumbleUpon. The total number of people who shared the bacolodcity homepage on Delicious. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the bacolodcity homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if bacolodcity has a Facebook fan page). Basic Information PAGE TITLE The Official Website of Bacolod City DESCRIPTION bacolod city, most competitive and livable mid-sized city and national hall of fame awardee for the cleanest and greenest highly urbanized city in the philipines. KEYWORDS bacolod city, bacolod, city of bacolod, negros occidental, philippines, masskara festival, city of smiles, bacolod masskara, sugarcane, sugarland, chicken inasal, panaad, masskara OTHER KEYWORDS The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site. The title found in the head section of the homepage. The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. Domain and Server DOCTYPE CHARSET AND LANGUAGE English (United States) UTF-8English (United States) DETECTED LANGUAGE English English SERVER Apache/2.2.3 (CentOS) OPERATIVE SYSTEM Linux Linux Operative System running on the server. The language of bacolodcity.gov.ph as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Character set and language of the site. Type of server and offered services. Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world. Referring domains for bacolodcity.gov.ph by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines. Facebook link FACEBOOK PAGE LINK NOT FOUND The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. The type of Facebook page. The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. The URL of the found Facebook page. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND Text: But why BSF informed the police after 6 hours of the incident i.e, at 14.35 hrs. It is the duty of the BSF to inform the police regarding the apprehension of any accused as early as possible after the apprehension. But why BSF delayed 6 hours to inform the police in connection with the apprehension of Ms. Taniya Khatun. Case 2: In connection with Swarupnagar Police Station Case no. 34/2022 dated 13.01.2022 under section 14 of Foreigners Act, the following Bangladeshi women were arrested: 1. Ms. Muskan Khan, daughter of Hasan Khan, Aged - 34 years, residential address:- Village Raghunathpur, Post Office Singhasurpur, P.S Kalia, District - Narail, Bangladesh. 2. Ms. Soniya Khan, daughter of Hasan Khan, Aged - 22 years, residential address:- Village Raghunathpur, Post Office Singhasurpur, P.S Kalia, District - Narail, Bangladesh. 3. Ms. Nipa Khatoon, daughter of Abdul Razzaq, Aged - 31 years, residential address:- Village Beltala, Post Office New Market, P.S Kotwali, District - Jessore, Bangladesh. 4. Ms. Sharmin Akhtar, daughter of Abdul Rajjak, Aged - 28 years, residential address:- Village Bahadurpur, Post Office and P.S Kotwali, District - Jessore, Bangladesh. The victims were the Bangladeshi nationals, who were trying to enter India from Bangladesh on 13.01.2022 at around 12:30 p.m when they were apprehended by BSF personnel attached with 112 Battalion, A Coy, Tarali BSF BOP and later sent them to Hakimpur BOP and to handed over to the Swarupnagar Police Station. The victims were produced before the Basirhat ACJM court on 14.01.2022 and sent to the Dumdum Central Correctional Home for 14-day jail custody. It was revealed that they came to India in search of job. In connection with this case we peruse the written complaint of the BSF and FIR registered by the Swarupnagar Police Station on the basis of that written complaint. Here the incident occurred and apprehension of those accused person by the BSF on 13.01.2022 at about 05.15 hrs but BSF informed the police after more than 18 hours i.e, at 23.35 hrs dated 13.01.2022. In the FIR copy no reason was mentioned for this delay by BSF. For more than 18 hours these women victims were under BSF custody. This is illegal. General rule is BSF inform the concerned police regarding the apprehension of any accused as early as possible after his apprehension. Section 57 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and Article 22 (2) of the Constitution of India mandated that any person arrested or detained should be produced before the concerned judicial magistrate within 24 hours of her apprehension. In connection with this case BSF violated this rule and these women victims were produced before the ACJM, Court Basirhat after more than 30 hours of their apprehension. In addition, during the time of their production before the judicial magistrate, 2 male escort party members constable no. 208 Mr. Dipankar Mondal and constable no. 426 Biswadev Kundu took them before the Basirhat court. Why any female constable was not present in the escort party? Our fact finding reveals that the arrested Bangladeshi women entered India for the purpose of working in India as they are terribly poverty-stricken people with no jobs in Bangladesh. In several other instances they also enter India for the purpose of medical treatment as there are limited facilities in Bangladesh. Most of them work as domestic helper, construction worker and hotel workers in various locations of India. The victims are either trying to enter India through the border or return to their home in Bangladesh with the help of local touts, involved in cross border illegal movements (both side of the border), when they are being arrested by the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel. These touts / middlemen / DHURS are operating in connivance with border guards of both sides, India and Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi persons arrested were treated as accused under the Foreigners Act and no attempt is being taken up by the police or the concerned court to ascertain whether they were the victims of human trafficking or not. Such approach of the criminal justice system is against the advisory issued by the Government of India vide office memorandum No. 14051/14/2011-F.VI of Ministry of Home Affairs (Foreigners Division) Government of India Dated 1st May, 2012 clearly states as (IV) it is seen that in general, the foreign victims of human trafficking are found without valid passport or visa. If, after investigation, the woman or child is found to be a victim, she should not be prosecuted under the Foreigners Act. Authorities applying Foreigners Act on accused persons mechanically without giving importance to legitimate entitlements of those arrested Immediate action may be taken to furnish the details of such victims to the Ministry of External Affairs (Consular Division), Patiala House, New Delhi so as to ensure that the person concerned is repatriated to the country of her origin through diplomatic channels and (v) During the interim period, pending repatriation, the victim may be taken care of in an appropriate childrens home, or Ujjawala home or appropriate shelter home either of the State Government concerned or of any NGO aided by the Government of India / State Government. This approach is also violating the Article 6, 7, 8, 11 and 12 of the MOU between The Government of the Republic of India and The Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh on Bilateral Cooperation for Preventing of Human Trafficking especially trafficking in Women and Children; signed by both countries on 30th May 2015. I also want to mention that State agencies should pay respect to Constitution of India, in Article 51(c). The present complaint reflects that the law enforcing agency by arresting the above stated persons and implicating them under the Foreigners Act as accused persons acted mechanically without giving any importance to legitimate entitlements of those arrested persons. The incidents are not only violating the advisory of Government of India but in violation of Goal Number 16 of Sustainable Development Goals of UN, Government of India is a party to set the goals and obliged to adhere the same. Under the circumstances I would request your authority to intervene in this present complaint and consider the following demands of justice for the victims: The whole matter must be investigated by one neutral investigating authority. The concerned authority must be directed to hold an inquiry in compliance with the advisory issued by the Government of India vide office memorandum No. 14051/14/2011-F.VI of Ministry of Home Affairs (Foreigners Division) Government of India Dated 1st May, 2012 and pending the inquiry the victim women and children must not be treated as accused. The victim persons including children should be immediately repatriated to their own country and prosecution launched against them should be withdrawn at the earliest. The constant flouting of advisory of Ministry of Home Affairs (Foreigners Division) Government of India by various components of criminal justice administration should be dealt with concern and offenders must be punished accordingly. BSF and police administration strictly follow the provision of section 57 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and Article 22 (2) of the Constitution of India. If the investigation reveals that she did not come to India or did not indulge in crime out of her own free will, the State Government / UT Administration may not file a charge sheet against the victim. If the charge sheet has already been filed under the Foreigners Act and other relevant laws of the land, steps may be taken to withdraw the case from prosecution so far as the victim is concerned.Immediate action may be taken to furnish the details of such victims to the Ministry of External Affairs (Consular Division), Patiala House, New Delhi so as to ensure that the person concerned is repatriated to the country of her origin through diplomatic channels and (v) During the interim period, pending repatriation, the victim may be taken care of in an appropriate childrens home, or Ujjawala home or appropriate shelter home either of the State Government concerned or of any NGO aided by the Government of India / State Government.This approach is also violating the Article 6, 7, 8, 11 and 12 of the MOU between The Government of the Republic of India and The Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh on Bilateral Cooperation for Preventing of Human Trafficking especially trafficking in Women and Children; signed by both countries on 30th May 2015.I also want to mention that State agencies should pay respect to Constitution of India, in Article 51(c).The present complaint reflects that the law enforcing agency by arresting the above stated persons and implicating them under the Foreigners Act as accused persons acted mechanically without giving any importance to legitimate entitlements of those arrested persons.The incidents are not only violating the advisory of Government of India but in violation of Goal Number 16 of Sustainable Development Goals of UN, Government of India is a party to set the goals and obliged to adhere the same.Under the circumstances I would request your authority to intervene in this present complaint and consider the following demands of justice for the victims: In a complaint to the chairman, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), West Bengal-based civil rights leader Kirity Roy, secretary, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), and national convenor, Programme Against Custodial Torture & Impunity (PACTI), has taken strong exception to the detention of Bangladeshi women in West Bengal and accusing and treating them as criminals under Foreigners Act, 1946.Giving specific examples, Roy regretted, the authorities least concerned to "enquire into whether the persons including women and children crossed the border from Bangladesh to India were the victims of human trafficking." He added, "Our fact finding reveals that the arrested Bangladeshi women entered India for the purpose of working in India as they are terribly poverty-stricken people with no jobs in Bangladesh."I am writing this complaint regarding detention of Bangladeshi women in West Bengal and accusing and treating them as criminals under Foreigners Act, 1946. Since long MASUM is trying to bring the systematic violation of laws by the BSF and police administration into light by making numerous complaints to the NHRC and other relevant departments.The authorities including police and Border Security Force are not at all concerned to enquire into whether the persons including women and children crossed the border from Bangladesh to India were the victims of human trafficking or not. Here I am appending two case details for your perusal.In connection with Swarupnagar Police Station Case no. 139/2022 dated 19.02.2022 under section 14 of Foreigners Act, the following Bangladeshi woman was arrested:1. Ms. Taniya Khatun, wife of Abu Bakkar Siddiwue, Aged - 25 years, residential address:- Village Jhaudanga, Post Office Baliadanga, P.S Kalaroa, District - Satkhira, Bangladesh.The victim is a Bangladeshi national, who was trying to enter India from Bangladesh on 19.02.2022 at around 8:30 a.m. when she was apprehended by BSF personnel, attached with 112 Battalion, F Coy, Hakimpur BSF BOP and handed over to Swarupnagar Police Station. The victim was produced before the Basirhat ACJM court on 19.02.2022 and sent to the Dumdum Central Correctional Home for 14-day jail custody. It was revealed that earlier she worked as a daily laborer in a brick field at Haroa, West Bengal.In connection with the above referred case I want to mention that in the written complaint copy of the BSF it is mentioned that on 19.08.2022 at about 8.30 hrs. BSF Constable no. 130600637 Mr. Suresh Kumar and BSF Constable no. 131602225 Mr. Rajeev Baruah apprehended Ms. Taniya Khatun. Chinese-built modern railway powering Kenya's growth, renewal as it marks five years' safe operation 08:46, May 31, 2022 By Bai Lin, Naftali Mwaura ( Xinhua NAIROBI, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Kenya has now found a new lifeline in the Chinese-built Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) since its launch on May 31, 2017. The Mombasa-Nairobi SGR, mainly financed by China and constructed by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), which began construction in 2014 and finished in 2017, has become a case study in the transformation of mobility, trade and leisure in Kenya. EASING MOBILITY Farahana Mghoi, a Nairobi-based insurance sales executive and a mother of two, has found respite from chaotic road transport thanks to the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR commuter train that she uses every weekend to travel to her hometown of Voi about 328 km southeast of Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, to meet potential clients. "My experience of using the SGR passenger train since 2018 has been satisfactory. It is very convenient and affordable. I am able to reach my destination on time and negotiate for a business opportunity with ease," Mghoi told Xinhua during a recent interview on the train ahead of the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR's 5th anniversary. She takes four hours to commute from Nairobi to Voi to meet new clients using the modern train as opposed to seven hours using public service vehicles, locally known as Matatus that are laden with the risk of accident and delay. Mghoi, who has traveled more than 70 times between Nairobi and Voi using the SGR commuter train, belongs to a growing army of local skilled workforce and tourists, who have embraced it amid the guarantee of seamless mobility. The Mombasa-Nairobi SGR cut travel time between the two cities by half, from an average of ten hours at the century-old meter-gauge railway to approximately five hours, boosting the movement of cargo and skilled labor along its corridor. Besides the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR, the Chinese-built SGR project also includes the Nairobi-Suswa SGR that connects Nairobi to Suswa, a small town inhabited by the Maasai people. The 120 km Nairobi-Suswa SGR started operation on Oct. 16, 2019. Data from Afristar, the SGR operator, show the modern railway has transported more than 7.7 million passengers in the last five years. In addition, the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR runs six passenger trains daily, says Afristar, adding that in the first five months of 2022, the number of passengers transported through the modern railway reached 962,000, a 63 percent year-on-year increase. ENHANCING CARGO MOVEMENT Edward Opiyo, the terminal manager at the Autoports Freight Terminals Limited, a logistics firm, said the launch of the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR freight service in January 2018 ushered in an era of speedy, affordable and safe means of transporting imported cargo from the port of Mombasa to the hinterland. Currently, it takes eight hours to haul bulk cargo including raw materials for local industries from the port of Mombasa to Nairobi via the modern railway, as opposed to three days using the century-old meter-gauge railway, says Opiyo. He added that the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR has eased congestion at Mombasa port, and reduced operational costs among local manufacturers besides enhancing the efficiency of local and regional supply chains. Ernest Ondego, the terminal manager at Grain Bulk Handlers Limited, another Kenyan logistics firm, said that thanks to efficiencies offered by the modern railway, his clients including wheat importers have been able to generate 25 percent savings. "With the SGR, we have been able to bring losses to zero," said Ondego, adding that importers used to lose up to 100 kg of grains per truckload. James Siele, business, commercial &operations expert team leader at Kenya Railways Corporation, said one freight train has eliminated the use of 110 trucks for transporting bulk cargo by road from the port of Mombasa to Nairobi, boosting the country's quest for transition to a green and resilient future. According to Siele, enhanced movement of bulk cargo including raw materials from the port of Mombasa to Nairobi has cut down on operational costs among local manufacturers, leading to reduced prices for essential consumer goods. Data from Afristar show the modern railway has transported more than 1.7 million TEUs of containers in the last five years. In addition, the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR runs 16 freight trains daily, says Afristar, adding that the volume of cargo transported by SGR freight train in the last five months stood at 2.54 million metric tons, an 8.3 percent year-on-year increase. BOOSTING SKILLS TRANSFER During its five years of safe operation, the modern railway has provided a platform for Kenyan youth to hone their skills, grow their careers and earn a decent income. In particular, female locomotive drivers like Tabitha Kiplimo, a 30-year-old electrical engineering major, admitted that their lives had been transformed after securing employment with the SGR commuter service. An internship with China Road and Bridge Corporation soon after graduation paved way for Kiplimo's storied journey from a simple rural girl to a confident locomotive driver. A two-month course on locomotive operations in China, followed by tutelage by a Chinese instructor soon after the SGR commuter service started operations in June 2017, prepared her adequately for the task of shuttling the train on the modern railway. Kiplimo is among eight Kenyan female locomotive drivers who have broken the glass ceiling, thanks to training and mentorship provided by their employer, the operator of SGR. Other beneficiaries of skills transfer that is embedded in SGR localization include John Pius, a 32-year-old mechanical engineering major who in February joined the first cohort of independent Kenyan locomotive drivers. Pius has been operating the Nairobi-Suswa SGR commuter train independently since February, having acquired adequate skills from a Chinese tutor after he was recruited by CRBC in 2016. While skills transfer and employment creation have been key features of the SGR operations in Kenya, its positive impact on key economic sectors like agriculture, manufacturing and tourism has been enormous in the last five years. Siele believed the SGR had a brighter future in Kenya and the East African region since it is expected to enhance connectivity, cross-border trade and free movement of skilled labor, adding that the modern railway has stood out as a beacon of hope in a continent yearning for economic development and social progress. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun) Attackers are actively exploiting an unpatched remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability in a Windows component called the Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool (MSDT) through weaponized Word documents. Microsoft has responded with mitigation advice that can be used to block the attacks until a permanent patch is released. An exploit for the vulnerability, now tracked as CVE-2022-30190, was found in the wild by an independent security research team dubbed nao_sec, which spotted a malicious Word document uploaded to VirusTotal from an IP in Belarus. However, more malicious samples dating from April have also been found, suggesting the vulnerability has been exploited for over a month. A Word exploit, but not a Word flaw Because the original exploit came in the form of a Word document, there were initial rumors that the vulnerability was located in Word or the larger Office suite. However, security researcher Kevin Beaumont, who dubbed the flaw Follina before it had a CVE identifier, analyzed the exploit and concluded that it leveraged the Word remote template feature to retrieve a HTML file from a remote server and then used the ms-msdt URL scheme to load malicious code and a PowerShell script. "Theres a lot going on here, but the first problem is Microsoft Word is executing the code via msdt (a support tool) even if macros are disabled," Beaumont said in a blog post. "Protected View does kick in, although if you change the document to RTF form, it runs without even opening the document (via the preview tab in Explorer) let alone Protected View." Beaumont did some initial testing and the exploit seemed to fail on the Insider and Current version of Office but worked on others. However, more researchers later tested the exploit confirming it on fully up-to-date versions of Office 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, Office ProPlus and Office 365. The issue is actually bigger because the vulnerability is located in MSDT, which can be called from different applications, including Office, but not only via the MSDT URL protocol scheme ms-msdt. In fact, according to Beaumont, it also works directly in Windows via LNK files as well as in Outlook. Microsoft responds with Follina mitigation advice In a blog post, Microsoft's Security Response Center pointed out that if the exploit is delivered via a Microsoft Office application, by default the Protected View mode or Application Guard for Office would trigger for documents opened from the internet and should block the attack. Beaumont said that this is "stretching the truth" since the exploit also triggers via the preview tab in Windows Explorer where Protected View doesn't apply. Will Dormann, a vulnerability analyst at CERT/CC shared the same view calling the language in Microsoft's FAQ "a bit misleading." As a more general workaround, Microsoft proposes disabling the entire MSDT URL protocol on the system by following these steps: Run Command Prompt as Administrator. Back up the registry key by executing the command reg export HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ms-msdt filename. Execute the command reg delete HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ms-msdt /f. This prevents other applications from automatically calling the MSDT troubleshooter, However, it can still be used through the Get Help application and in the system settings panel. Detections for the export have been added to Microsoft Defender Antivirus and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, where the BlockOfficeCreateProcessRule blocks Office apps from creating child processes in general, as this is a common malware behavior. Other security companies and researchers have released detection rules for threat hunting and intrusion detection tools and more endpoint protection vendors are likely to add their own detection signatures. Earlier Follina attacks Beaumont was able to find additional files that exploited the vulnerability and were circulated in April, some with Russian themes. Researchers from Proofpoint reported that a Chinese APT tracked as TA413 has also attempted to exploit the vulnerability using ZIPs with malicious documents that impersonate the Women's Empowerment Desk, an agency of the Central Tibetan Administration. The method of using MSDT protocol URL to execute code was apparently documented in a bachelors' thesis by Benjamin Altpeter, a student of CompSci at TU Braunschweig in Germany, as early as August 2020. A member of an APT hunting group called Shadow Chaser Group claims they reported the vulnerability to Microsoft in April but that it was not classified as a security issue and the ticket was closed. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate FAIRFIELD An ice cream staple from Captains Cove Seaport in Bridgeport has opened a new location in Fairfield, and its owner hopes to bring great experiences customers year round. Tabithas Ice Cream recently opened on Commerce Drive its second location. Susan Hickey, Tabithas owner, said customers can expect fantastic, friendly service and delicious ice cream. Hickey said the first Tabithas, which is seasonal, has been so well received that she and her daughters wanted to open a year-round location. When they found a spot in Fairfield that was going to be next to Sallys Apizza, she said, she knew that was where it needed to be. Tabithas is in the Trademark apartment building, and is next door to what will be Sallys takeout space. Its a good location, Hickey said. Especially with the pre-schools across the street and the residents upstairs and the Rio Bravo restaurant right there. We give discounts to the employees of businesses in the area. Hickey said Tabithas gets its ice cream from Pralenes, a small creamery in Wallingford. Tabithas then uses it to make special sundaes, shakes and floats. The shop also sells Italian ice from Micalizzi in Bridgeport. He makes a couple of specialty flavors specifically for us, like our Shirley Temple, she said. Customers can expect to have a great time. Its kind of a unique place. One popular specialty item Tabithas sells is called the Jaws Icy, Hickey said, which includes blue Micalizzi Italian ice, strawberry syrup floating on top and a shark lollipop resembling blood on the water. We have the Jaws sound bite and you get to stand in front of a mural of the beach my daughter painted and take a picture, she said. Hickey said there are about a dozen of those specialty ice creams but also all the classics, including her favorite, vanilla. Hickey has had the original location at Captains Cove for four years, where she also has owned the gift and candy shop, A Shore Thing, for 10 years. She said a little dog named Tabitha used to come and visit them on the boardwalk with its owner. They used to come every day on their daily walk. Shes a cute little bugger, she said, adding they became friends with its owner, Bill. When Hickey took over the ice cream place, naming it after the dog seemed a natural fit. She said Bill was overjoyed when he found out, but sadly died just months later. I was able to save Tabitha from the pound, as no one wanted her, and now shes my dog, she said. Hickey said the Cove has had an ice cream place there for 40 years. When the last owner of the location decided they did not want to run it anymore, she said she felt she could take on running another business. I come from a fine dining background, she said. I was always in fine dining management at steakhouses like Mortons and other places down in Westchester County. As a very active mom of two daughters, Hickey said, she wanted the ice cream place to have fun sundaes and special themed treats. The first Tabithas has all the classic flavors, floats and sundaes, but with a little twist, she said. I wanted to make it a little more fun, she said. Like the P.T. Barnum sundae Id have candy on the ice cream and peanuts and popcorn and I found these fun things like a ringmaster to stick in it. Stuff like that. Hickey said the response has been great so far, noting Tabithas has been getting a lot of good buzz on Facebook Groups like Moms of Fairfield, Connecticut. Noting she loves talking to people, she said said she really enjoys the work she does. I could never sit behind a desk, she said. I just love talking to people. Kids come in and I give them a balloon and let them taste all the flavors. I like developing personal rapport with my customers I really do. joshua.labella@ hearstmediact.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden's administration is putting final touches on an agenda for next week's Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, but it's still unclear if Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador will attend. His absence would be a setback for the United States, which is hosting the summit for the first time since 1994. Mexico is a top U.S. trading partner and Latin America's second-most populous country. Lopez Obrador has said that he doesn't want to go unless every country in the region is invited, but the U.S. has resisted inviting autocratic governments like Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela. He said Monday that Biden "has not been able to give us an answer, but there is time, and we trust him and were going to wait. If all countries are invited, I am going to attend the summit, Lopez Obrador said. "If not all countries are invited, the government representative Foreign Affairs Secretary Marcelo Ebrard is going to attend. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the final guest list was still being ironed out. Senior administration officials, who declined to be identified while discussing planning for the summit, played down questions about whether Lopez Obrador will be there. Although they insisted that the event, which is held every few years, is an important opportunity for national leaders to meet, they also said Lopez Obrador's attendance would not undermine U.S. efforts to tackle issues like migration. The officials said the U.S. is planning an ambitious agenda, but shared few details. Vice President Kamala Harris will lead a new partnership focused on climate change in the Caribbean, the officials said, and the administration is preparing a new effort to bolster health care systems throughout the hemisphere. More conversations are planned on migration. One question about the summit's attendance appears to have been cleared up. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has decided to go, according to three top officials from his government. An ally of former President Donald Trump, the right-wing leader of Brazil has yet to meet one-on-one with Biden. ___ Associated Press writer Christopher Sherman in Mexico City contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate UVALDE, Texas (AP) President Joe Biden grieved with the shattered community of Uvalde on Sunday, mourning privately for three hours with anguished families of the 19 schoolchildren and two teachers killed by a gunman. Faced with chants of do something as he departed a church service, Biden pledged: We will. At Robb Elementary School, Biden visited a memorial of 21 white crosses one for each of those killed and first lady Jill Biden added a bouquet of white flowers to those already placed in front of the school sign. The couple then viewed individual altars erected in memory of each student, the first lady touching the children's photos as they moved along the row. After visiting the memorial, Biden attended Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where several victims families are members, and one of the families was in attendance. Speaking directly to the children in the congregation, Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller tried to assuage the fears of the youngsters, some appearing about the same age as the victims. You have seen the news, you have witnessed the tears of your parents, friends, he said, encouraging them not to be afraid of life. You are the best reminders to us that the lives of the little ones are important." As Biden departed church to meet privately with family members, a crowd of about 100 people began chanting do something. Biden answered, We will, as he got into his car. It was his only public comment during roughly seven hours in Uvalde. Biden later tweeted that he grieves, prays and stands with the people of Uvalde. And we are committed to turning this pain into action, he said. The visit to Uvalde was Bidens second trip in as many weeks to console a community in loss after a mass shooting. He traveled to Buffalo, New York, on May 17 to meet with victims families and condemn white supremacy after a shooter espousing the racist replacement theory killed 10 Black people at a supermarket. Both shootings and their aftermath put a fresh spotlight on the nations entrenched divisions and its inability to forge consensus on actions to reduce gun violence. Evil came to that elementary school classroom in Texas, to that grocery store in New York, to far too many places where innocents have died, Biden said Saturday in a commencement address at the University of Delaware. We have to stand stronger. We must stand stronger. We cannot outlaw tragedy, I know, but we can make America safer. Biden also met with first responders before the trip back to his home in Delaware. It was not clear if the group included officers who were involved in the immediate response to the shooting. Biden visited amid mounting scrutiny of the police response. Officials revealed Friday that students and teachers repeatedly begged 911 operators for help as a police commander told more than a dozen officers to wait in a hallway. Officials said the commander believed the suspect was barricaded inside an adjoining classroom and that there was no longer an active attack. The revelation caused more grief and raised new questions about whether lives were lost because officers did not act faster to stop the gunman, who was ultimately killed by Border Patrol tactical officers. The Justice Department announced Sunday that it will review the law enforcement response and make its findings public. Its easy to point fingers right now, said Ronnie Garza, a Uvalde County commissioner, on CBS Face the Nation, before adding, Our community needs to focus on healing right now. Mckinzie Hinojosa, whose cousin Eliahna Torres was killed Tuesday, said she respected Bidens decision to mourn with the people of Uvalde. Its more than mourning, she said. We want change. We want action. It continues to be something that happens over and over and over. A mass shooting happens. Its on the news. People cry. Then its gone. Nobody cares. And then it happens again. And again. If theres anything if I could tell Joe Biden, as it is, just to respect our community while hes here, and Im sure he will, she added. But we need change. We need to do something about it. Authorities have said the shooter legally purchased two guns not long before the school attack: an AR-style rifle on May 17 and a second rifle on May 20. He had just turned 18, permitting him to buy the weapons under federal law. Hours after the shooting, Biden delivered an impassioned plea for additional gun control legislation, asking: When in Gods name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby? Why are we willing to live with this carnage? Why do we keep letting this happen? Over the years, Biden has been intimately involved in the gun control movements most notable successes, such as the 1994 assault weapons ban, which expired in 2004, and its most troubling disappointments, including the failure to pass new legislation after the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. As president, Biden has tried to address gun violence through executive orders. He faces few new options now, but executive action might be the best the president can do, given Washington's sharp divisions on gun control legislation. In Congress, a bipartisan group of senators talked over the weekend to see if they could reach even a modest compromise on gun safety legislation after a decade of mostly failed efforts. Encouraging state red flag laws to keep guns away from those with mental health issues, and addressing school security and mental health resources were on the table, said Sen. Chris Murphy, who is leading the effort. While there is nowhere near enough support from Republicans in Congress for broader gun safety proposals popular with the public, including a new assault weapons ban or universal background checks on gun purchases, Murphy, D-Conn., told ABC's This Week that these other ideas are not insignificant. The group will meet again this coming week under a 10-day deadline to strike a deal. There are more Republicans interested in talking about finding a path forward this time than I have ever seen since Sandy Hook, said Murphy who represented the Newtown area as a congressman at the time of the Sandy Hook shooting. And while, in the end, I may end up being heartbroken, I am at the table in a more significant way right now with Republicans and Democrats than ever before. ___ AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro and Associated Press writer Darlene Superville in Washington and AP video journalist Robert Bumsted in Uvalde, Texas, contributed to this report. ___ More on the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas: https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting ___ This story was first published on May 30, 2022. It was updated on June 2, 2022 to correct the spelling of one of the first name of one of the shooting victims. She is Eliahna Torres, not Eliahana Torres. WASHINGTON (AP) A lawyer for Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign was acquitted Tuesday of lying to the FBI when he pushed information meant to cast suspicions on Donald Trump and Russia in the run-up to that year's election. The case against Michael Sussmann was the first courtroom test of special counsel John Durham since his appointment three years ago to search for government misconduct during the investigation into potential ties between Russia and Trumps 2016 campaign. The verdict marks a clear setback for Durhams work, especially since Trump supporters have looked to the probe to expose what they contend was egregious bias by law enforcement officials who investigated the ex-president's campaign. The outcome is likely to hasten questions about the purpose of the inquiry and its cost to taxpayers, especially since the three criminal cases Durham has brought so far have fallen short of establishing any sort of sweeping conspiracy to frame Trump or derail his candidacy. The jury deliberated for several hours Friday afternoon and Tuesday morning before reaching its verdict. Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse after the verdict was delivered, Sussmann said he told the truth to the FBI, and the jury clearly recognized that with their unanimous verdict today. He added, Despite being falsely accused, I am relieved that justice ultimately prevailed in this case. In a separate statement, Durham said that though he and his team were disappointed in the outcome, they respected the jury's decision. He thanked the investigators and prosecutors on his team for their "dedicated efforts in seeking truth and justice in this case." The trial focused on a narrow issue: whether Sussmann, a cybersecurity attorney and former federal prosecutor himself, concealed from the FBI that he was representing Clintons campaign when he passed along computer data that he said showed a possible secret communication backchannel between Russia-based Alfa Bank and Trumps business company, the Trump Organization. The FBI, which was already investigating potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, examined the data but quickly determined that there was no suspicious computer contact. The FBI's then-general counsel and the governments star witness, James Baker, testified that he was 100% confident that Sussmann had told him he was not representing any client during a September 2016 meeting the two men had. Prosecutors alleged Sussmann was actually acting on behalf of the Clinton campaign and another client, a technology executive, and that he hid that information to make the data seem more credible and to boost the chances of getting the FBI to investigate. They pointed to a text message Sussmann sent to Baker the night before the meeting in which he requested a sit-down and said he'd be coming on his own and not on behalf of any client. Lawyers for Sussmann denied to jurors that he lied, saying it was impossible to know with certainty what he told Baker in the meeting since they were the only participants and neither of them took notes. They argued that though Sussmann legally represented the Clinton campaign, he didn't attend the meeting on the campaign's behalf and hadn't asked the FBI to take any action to benefit the campaign. They elicited testimony from former campaign officials who said Sussmann had not been authorized by the campaign to visit the FBI. And they said that even if he did make a false statement, it was ultimately irrelevant since the FBI was already investigating Russia and the Trump campaign and, given the urgency of that probe, would have looked into the Alfa Bank data no matter the source. Sussmann's lawyers, Sean Berkowitz and Michael Bosworth, said in a statement that Sussmann should never have been charged in the first place. This is a case of extraordinary prosecutorial overreach. And we believe that todays verdict sends an unmistakable message to anyone who cares to listen: politics is no substitute for evidence, and politics has no place in our system of justice, the lawyers said. During the two-week trial, jurors heard from a slew of witnesses, including current and former FBI officials who described efforts to assess the legitimacy of the Alfa Bank data, ex-Clinton campaign aides and lawyers and colleagues and friends of Sussmann who vouched for his character. Jurors were instructed to put politics aside, but Trump's supporters took note of the fact that the jury pool was taken from heavily Democratic Washington. The former president wrote on his social media platform that the legal system was corrupt and referenced the acquittal as one of several examples of our country going to HELL. The original Trump-Russia investigation, overseen for two years by former special counsel Robert Mueller, found multiple efforts by Russia to interfere on the Trump campaigns behalf but did not establish that the two sides had worked together to sway the outcome of the election. After Muellers work was done, then-Attorney General William Barr named a new Justice Department prosecutor, then-Connecticut U.S. Attorney Durham, to examine whether anyone from the FBI or other agencies violated the law as the government opened its investigation into Russian election interference and the Trump campaign. Durham has brought three criminal cases so far, though only one has been against a federal government employee and none have undone the core findings of Mueller's investigation. The Alfa Bank matter, for instance, was peripheral to the Trump-Russia probe, with the since-discredited allegations not even warranting a mention in Mueller's 448-page report. A former FBI lawyer, Kevin Clinesmith, was given probation after pleading guilty in 2020 to altering an email related to secret surveillance of an ex-Trump campaign aide, and a Russian analyst, Igor Danchenko, who contributed to a dossier of Democratic-funded research into ties between Russia and Trump awaits trial this October on charges of lying to the FBI about his sources of information. ____ Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP MORRIS A local woman is collecting cards of sympathy for the residents of Uvalde, Texas, following the recent deadly shooting at an elementary school there. Lynda Petersen, who worked as a school psychologist in Thomaston for 30 years, said the notes will be delivered directly to a military veteran she knows who is a volunteer fireman in the community and whose aunt is a fourth grade teacher at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, where 19 students and two teachers were killed. This is a veteran Ive known for quite some time who reached out to me to ask for prayer, Petersen said. His aunt is a fourth grade teacher there. His girlfriend is a teacher at the high school in Uvalde. In retirement, Petersen has become an advocate for military veterans. After working with students for three decades, she turned her attention to members of the military in the early 2010s who were returning home from Afghanistan and Iraq. She runs a Christmas program for children of veterans, is on the board of directors for the nonprofit Task Force Vet Visits, and is an admin of a Facebook group called Suicide Prevention and Support Group for Military and Veterans. With that group, Petersen said she sends a daily morning message usually a photo or meme opening the door for any veteran who might need to talk that day. Thats when she heard from Uvalde. His aunt was scared to death and the family was scared to death because they didnt know which teachers were killed, Petersen said about their conversation. They had asked when she was finished with schoolthey asked her to stop by the house because they just really wanted to see her. Thats when they broke down and cried. Petersen, 77, said shes always looking for things to keep her busy in retirement. She said she felt that collecting cards of sympathy could do a lot of good. If I could ask some of my friends to write a simple note of support and comfort, and I could collect all of those notes and send them to my veteran friend who could pass them on to his aunt and his girlfriend and let them distribute them to teachers, to parents and to general community members, Petersen said. Petersen said her friend was also happy to hear of a vigil in Litchfield that was being held for Uvalde. One thing Ive noticed from him, they are happy and excited when people from outside of Texas are showing care and support, Petersen said. Just getting notes of comfort and support from people in New England might be a really positive thing. It doesnt cost much money. Petersen said the plan is for the veterans aunt and girlfriend to distribute cards around town if they chose to do so. Its coming from a local teacher or a local fireman, Petersen said, rather than a large organization. This is for comfort. It will be very meaningful to them. Anyone interested in creating a note can do so at a Little Free Library book share being held on June 4 at 118 West St. in Morris from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Petersen said anyone unable to attend but wants to contribute notes should email her at lyndapet@optonline.net. All cards should be unsealed and do not need to be stamped. ATLANTA (AP) Electronic voting machines from a leading vendor used in at least 16 states have software vulnerabilities that leave them susceptible to hacking if unaddressed, the nations leading cybersecurity agency says in an advisory sent to state election officials. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency, or CISA, said there is no evidence the flaws in the Dominion Voting Systems equipment have been exploited to alter election results. The advisory is based on testing by a prominent computer scientist and expert witness in a long-running lawsuit that is unrelated to false allegations of a stolen election pushed by former President Donald Trump after his 2020 election loss. The advisory, obtained by The Associated Press in advance of its expected Friday release, details nine vulnerabilities and suggests protective measures to prevent or detect their exploitation. Amid a swirl of misinformation and disinformation about elections, CISA seems to be trying to walk a line between not alarming the public and stressing the need for election officials to take action. CISA Executive Director Brandon Wales said in a statement that states standard election security procedures would detect exploitation of these vulnerabilities and in many cases would prevent attempts entirely. Yet the advisory seems to suggest states aren't doing enough. It urges prompt mitigation measures, including both continued and enhanced "defensive measures to reduce the risk of exploitation of these vulnerabilities. Those measures need to be applied ahead of every election, the advisory says, and it's clear that's not happening in all of the states that use the machines. University of Michigan computer scientist J. Alex Halderman, who wrote the report on which the advisory is based, has long argued that using digital technology to record votes is dangerous because computers are inherently vulnerable to hacking and thus require multiple safeguards that arent uniformly followed. He and many other election security experts have insisted that using hand-marked paper ballots is the most secure method of voting and the only option that allows for meaningful post-election audits. These vulnerabilities, for the most part, are not ones that could be easily exploited by someone who walks in off the street, but they are things that we should worry could be exploited by sophisticated attackers, such as hostile nation states, or by election insiders, and they would carry very serious consequences, Halderman told the AP. Concerns about possible meddling by election insiders were recently underscored with the indictment of Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters in Colorado, who has become a hero to election conspiracy theorists and is running to become her state's top election official. Data from the countys voting machines appeared on election conspiracy websites last summer shortly after Peters appeared at a symposium about the election organized by MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell. She was also recently barred from overseeing this year's election in her county. One of the most serious vulnerabilities could allow malicious code to be spread from the election management system to machines throughout a jurisdiction, Halderman said. The vulnerability could be exploited by someone with physical access or by someone who is able to remotely infect other systems that are connected to the internet if election workers then use USB sticks to bring data from an infected system into the election management system. Several other particularly worrisome vulnerabilities could allow an attacker to forge cards used in the machines by technicians, giving the attacker access to a machine that would allow the software to be changed, Halderman said. Attackers could then mark ballots inconsistently with voters intent, alter recorded votes or even identify voters secret ballots, Halderman said. Halderman is an expert witness for the plaintiffs in a lawsuit originally filed in 2017 that targeted the outdated voting machines Georgia used at the time. The state bought the Dominion system in 2019, but the plaintiffs contend that the new system is also insecure. A 25,000-word report detailing Halderman's findings was filed under seal in federal court in Atlanta last July. U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg, whos overseeing the case, has expressed concern about releasing the report, worrying about the potential for hacking and the misuse of sensitive election system information. She agreed in February that the report could be shared with CISA, which promised to work with Halderman and Dominion to analyze potential vulnerabilities and then help jurisdictions that use the machines to test and apply any protections. Halderman agrees that theres no evidence the vulnerabilities were exploited in the 2020 election. But that wasnt his mission, he said. He was looking for ways Dominion's Democracy Suite ImageCast X voting system could be compromised. The touchscreen voting machines can be configured as ballot-marking devices that produce a paper ballot or record votes electronically. In a statement, Dominion defended the machines as accurate and secure. Dominions systems have been unjustifiably maligned by people pushing the false narrative that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump. Incorrect and sometimes outrageous claims by high-profile Trump allies prompted the company to file defamation lawsuits. State and federal officials have repeatedly said theres no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election and no evidence that Dominion equipment was manipulated to alter results. Halderman said its an unfortunate coincidence that the first vulnerabilities in polling place equipment reported to CISA affect Dominion machines. There are systemic problems with the way election equipment is developed, tested and certified, and I think its more likely than not that serious problems would be found in equipment from other vendors if they were subjected to the same kind of testing, Halderman said. In Georgia, the machines print a paper ballot that includes a barcode known as a QR code and a human-readable summary list reflecting the voter's selections, and the votes are tallied by a scanner that reads the barcode. When barcodes are used to tabulate votes, they may be subject to attacks exploiting the listed vulnerabilities such that the barcode is inconsistent with the human-readable portion of the paper ballot, the advisory says. To reduce this risk, the advisory recommends, the machines should be configured, where possible, to produce traditional, full-face ballots, rather than summary ballots with QR codes. The affected machines are used by at least some voters in at least 16 states, and in most of those places they are used only for people who can't physically fill out a paper ballot by hand, according to a voting equipment tracker maintained by watchdog Verified Voting. But in some places, including all of Georgia, almost all in-person voting is on the affected machines. Georgia Deputy Secretary of State Gabriel Sterling said the CISA advisory and a separate report commissioned by Dominion recognize that existing procedural safeguards make it extremely unlikely that a bad actor could exploit the vulnerabilities identified by Halderman. He called Haldermans claims exaggerated." Dominion has told CISA that the vulnerabilities have been addressed in subsequent software versions, and the advisory says election officials should contact the company to determine which updates are needed. Halderman tested machines used in Georgia, and he said its not clear whether machines running other versions of the software share the same vulnerabilities. Halderman said that as far as he knows, no one but Dominion has had the opportunity to test their asserted fixes." To prevent or detect the exploitation of these vulnerabilities, the advisory's recommendations include ensuring voting machines are secure and protected at all times; conducting rigorous pre- and post-election testing on the machines as well as post-election audits; and encouraging voters to verify the human-readable portion on printed ballots. ___ This story has been corrected to reflect that Tina Peters has been barred from overseeing this year's election in her county, not from running for secretary of state. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) Jim Pasco, the executive director for the Fraternal Order of Police, was watching football on a Sunday afternoon when he got a call from Susan Rice, the top domestic policy adviser at the White House. Negotiations over an executive order to address racism and policing were in danger of breaking down after a draft was leaked that law enforcement groups believed was too harsh toward officers. Now Rice was looking to get things back on track. She said they wanted to start over, Pasco said as he looked back on that day earlier this year. And they wanted to deal with us in total confidence. He agreed. The result was the executive order that President Joe Biden signed last week during a ceremony that, improbably, brought together law enforcement leaders, civil rights activists and families of people who had been killed by police. This is a moment where we have come together for something that is not perfect, but it's very good," Rice said. "And it moves the needle substantially. No one who believes that American policing needs to be overhauled including the president himself thinks the final order goes far enough. It does not directly affect local departments, which have the most interactions with citizens, nor does it necessarily represent permanent change. The next administration could swiftly undo it. However, many civil rights advocates consider it an important step forward, and maybe even a building block toward more expansive legislation that has so far been elusive. We have to keep the dialogue going, said Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League. "And I think this helps create the sense that we can talk, and if we do talk, well find some common ground. A NEW STRATEGY Biden's original hope was for Congress to pass bipartisan legislation named for George Floyd, the Black man who was murdered by Minneapolis police during an arrest in 2020. However, the first anniversary of Floyd's death passed last year without a deal, and negotiations eventually broke down. White House officials began focusing on a potential executive order. Previous presidents, too, have attempted to make improvements to America's law enforcement system, but Biden faced particular pressure to find the right balance. During his campaign, Biden met with Floyds family and pledged to make racial justice a core part of his administration. He also had longstanding relationships with police and their unions. And he didn't want to be at odds with law enforcement when crime was a growing concern for the country, not to mention an issue ahead of this year's midterm elections. After preliminary meetings, a draft of the order took shape, and it was circulated among various federal agencies. Then a leaked copy was posted online by the Federalist, a conservative website, in January. Everyone went ballistic, Pasco said. Not only did law enforcement groups dislike various parts of the draft, they felt like the administration hadn't adequately listened to their perspective. Rice worked the phones to calm nerves, opening a new chapter in the negotiations. In addition to Rices team, Justice Department officials and the White House counsels office under Dana Remus worked through the details. Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., were involved as well. Senior administration officials described a sort of shuttle diplomacy, and they met separately with civil rights advocates and law enforcement groups while trying to keep everyone on the same page. Long days were fueled by Hershey's Kisses, M&Ms and whatever else that could be scrounged from White House desks. Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, an independent policy organization, said that in Washington, people give you lip service." But in this case, we had hours of discussions, very substantive discussions, about some of the issues in there. REACHING A DEAL One sensitive part of the leaked draft didn't change. The final version still says the country should acknowledge the legacy of systemic racism in our criminal justice system and work together to eliminate the racial disparities that endure to this day. Ebonie Riley, a senior vice president at the National Action Network, a civil rights organization led by Rev. Al Sharpton, said it was important to leave that in. If we continue to hide in the shadows conversations that we need to have out loud, that becomes part of the problem," she said. To balance the tone, more language was added about rising rates of violent crime and how reinforcing the partnership between law enforcement and communities is imperative for combating crime and achieving lasting public safety. A phrase about how deadly force should only be used as a last resort when there is no reasonable alternative was cut. However, the executive order requires federal law enforcement officers to prioritize de-escalation and then intervention if they see another officer using excessive force. A significant portion of the order is dedicated to collecting information, such as creating a database to track misconduct by federal officers and expanding tools for analyzing the use of force. When we talk about what a fair criminal justice system looks like, a big part of that is understanding what the data is," said Danielle Conley, the White House deputy counsel. As an executive order, the new policies are limited to federal agencies. But administration officials plan to attach strings to federal funding to persuade local police departments to adopt similar rules. Simply having these words on paper is not going to save lives, said Udi Ofer, deputy national political director at the American Civil Liberties Union. On May 15, Biden attended an annual memorial for officers killed in the line of duty. After Biden posed for photos with people at the memorial, Pasco stuck around for a private conversation. There wasnt much time left until the second anniversary of Floyds death, May 25, and no one at the White House wanted the day to pass without an agreement. We gave everything we had to give," Pasco recalled telling Biden. "And your staff made a lot of concessions, too. So as long as it remains the way it is, were good with it. Pasco said Biden responded, Im going to take a look at it, and if I see any problems, Ill let you know about it. But there werent any, and the deal was done. THE CEREMONY Officials began inviting key players to the signing ceremony just a few days before, and some were only notified the previous day. A process that had nearly been unraveled by a leak reached the finish line without disruption. In addition to Floyd's family, the audience included relatives of other Black people Michael Brown, Elijah McClain, Amir Locke, Atatiana Jefferson and Breonna Taylor who had been killed by law enforcement over the years. Not everyone was mollified. The Movement for Black Lives issued a statement calling Biden's executive order a poor excuse for the transformation of public safety that he promised." But Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP, argued that the order represented progress. If we refuse to sit at the table, or allow for the political climate to overshadow public policy opportunities, we all suffer as a result," he said. In his speech, Biden said Congress still needed to pass legislation, but he described the executive order as "the most significant police reform in decades." Let me say there are those who seek to drive a wedge between law enforcement and the people they serve, those who peddle the fiction that public trust and public safety are in opposition to one another," Biden said. He added, "We know thats not true." When Biden finished, Floyd's 8-year-old daughter, Gianna, approached. You're getting so big, Biden told her. She sat down at the desk where the president had signed the order. Vice President Kamala Harris handed her the pen that Biden had used. You know what she told me when I saw her when she was a little girl two years ago? Biden said. Seriously, she pulled me aside and she said, My daddy is going to change the world. BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) North Dakota's longest-serving state senator declined to comment Tuesday on whether he's the subject of an ongoing investigation following a report that he'd traded scores of text messages with a man jailed on child pornography charges. Republican Sen. Ray Holmberg had previously announced plans to resign Wednesday, six months before the end of his term. There is a time, Holmberg told The Associated Press on Tuesday when asked about why he was abruptly ending his 46-year career. Police and federal agents in Grand Forks seized video discs and other items from Holmbergs home in November The rain will stop one of these days and things will go on, he said, declining to elaborate. Homberg said he planned on attending a luncheon with some current and former lawmakers on Tuesday. He plans on turning in his state-issued computer and legislative credentials that include access to the state Capitol on Wednesday. Holmberg has been one of the Legislatures most powerful lawmakers for decades, serving as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. He chaired the Legislative Management committee, which decides committee assignments and chooses study topics that often inspire legislation, four times. The 79-year-old was the Legislatures top traveler in at least the past decade a period when he held a post that allowed him to approve his own travel. Records for his state-reimbursed travel during the previous three decades of tenure are incomplete or no longer exist. He also sat on the states Emergency Commission, which allocates funding and resources in times of an emergency, and served on or chaired several GOP-led redistricting committees. When he announced in March that this would be his last term, he said the stress of a session and a campaign would only exacerbate a weakened ability to concentrate on the matters at hand and effectively recall events. Many North Dakota Republicans, including Gov. Doug Burgum, showered Holmberg with accolades at the time. Holmberg will remain on the Legislatures state-funded health insurance plan through July, a benefit that is worth about $1,425 monthly. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) A jury finished a second day of deliberations Tuesday without reaching a verdict in the defamation claims of Johnny Depp and ex-wife Amber Heard over their volatile and unhappy marriage. The seven-person civil jury heard closing arguments Friday and deliberated for about two hours before leaving for the long Memorial Day weekend. Jurors then deliberated another seven hours on Tuesday. They are scheduled to resume deliberations Wednesday in Fairfax County Circuit Court. Depp is suing Heard for $50 million, accusing her of libeling him with a 2018 op-ed she wrote describing herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse. Heard filed a $100 million counterclaim against the Pirates of the Caribbean star after his lawyer called her allegations a hoax. Each accuses the other of destroying their career. Testimony during the six-week trial featured a litany of lurid details of their short marriage. Heard testified that Depp physically or sexually assaulted her more than a dozen times. During his testimony, Depp testified that he never struck Heard, that she concocted the abuse allegations, and that she was the one who physically attacked him, multiple times. During closing arguments, both sides told the jury that a verdict in their favor would give their clients their lives back. On Tuesday, Depp's attorneys asked Judge Penney Azcarate to instruct the jury to disregard a portion of the closing argument made by Heard's attorney. In their written motion, Depp's attorneys said Heard's lawyer told the jury that its decision in the case would send a message to every victim of domestic abuse everywhere. Heard attorney Benjamin Rottenborn told the jury that a ruling against Heard sends a message that no matter what you do as an abuse victim, you always have to do more. No matter how honest you are about your own imperfections and your own shortcomings in a relationship, you have to be perfect in order for people to believe you. Don't send that message, Rottenborn said. Depp's attorneys argued that Rottenborn's argument improperly asked the jury to focus on a larger social objective than the case they are being asked to decide. Such argument by Ms. Heards counsel improperly invites the jury to decide the case based on passion and prejudice and a specific jury instruction is necessary to cure this impropriety, Depp's lawyers argued. The judge told Depp's attorneys in court that she would not entertain the motion because the case is in the hands of the jury now. A public relations firm for Heard did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment on the motion. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) Diners in Singapore are bracing for prices of their national chicken-and-rice dish to soar as neighboring Malaysia prepares to block exports starting Wednesday to increase supplies in its own markets and hold down surging prices. Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced last week that, beginning June 1, Malaysia will ban exports of 3.6 million chickens a month until domestic prices and production stabilize. The move is felt most in Singapore, which sources a third of its poultry from Malaysia. Almost all the chickens are imported live to Singapore, where they are slaughtered and chilled. Singapore consumers have been rushing to stock up on fresh chicken ahead of the ban, with local media reporting that shelves in some wet markets and supermarkets have been cleared of poultry. The Singapore Straits Times said chicken sellers predicted the cost of chilled chicken could rise by up to 30%, sending chicken dish prices soaring. The Singapore government has urged consumers to switch to frozen chicken and other alternative meats, and is exploring new markets for fresh chicken. But there is concern over the fate of the ubiquitous chicken rice that is sold everywhere from hawker stalls to top hotels. Popular eatery Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice, which gets its poultry entirely from Malaysia, reportedly said it will introduce pork and seafood dishes instead of using frozen chicken if it fails to find new suppliers. Malaysia's ban comes as countries worldwide grapple with soaring food prices, fueled partly by the Ukraine war. Ukraine is a major exporter of corn and grains that are key components of chicken feed. India also moved to protect its markets, restricting sugar and wheat exports, while Indonesia temporarily halted and then lifted palm oil sales abroad. Apart from the export ban, Malaysia also abolished import permits for chicken and other foods to boost food supply and curb prices amid public anger. It has earlier capped chicken prices and allocated subsidies for farmers squeezed by rising cost of chicken feed, partly caused by a weakening Malaysian currency. The move came as a surprise by Ismail's government, which took power in August and faces a general election next year. The government is also investigating claims that cartels are controlling the price and supply of chicken. The ban not only caused alarm in Singapore but also troubled smaller Malaysian poultry farmers who supply to Singapore to help keep their operations afloat. The government didn't say how long the export ban will last, but officials expect supply and prices to normalize within a month. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BRIDGEPORT - A man twice arrested for allegedly threatening his girlfriend is now being sought by police after they said he allegedly shot her to death in front of her young daughter Saturday morning. Glenn Pettway was already well-known to police - he is out on $1 million bond while awaiting trial for a 2018 murder. Police said Pettway, 28, fatally shot his 30-year-old girlfriend, Marisol Dumeng, in her Knoll Place home shortly after 5 a.m. on Saturday. On Tuesday afternoon, police issued a public notice they are seeking Pettway for the crime. They said he should be considered armed and dangerous. The notice states that Pettway is believed to be operating a blue 2002 Ford Mustang with Connecticut registration BB53311. On Feb. 6, while free on the murder bond, Pettway posted $75,000 in bonds after being arrested for three incidents. According to court records, he was charged on Jan. 25 and Jan. 31 with a total of two counts of second-degree threatening and two counts of second-degree harassment based on separate complaints made by his girlfriend. He was also charged with sixth-degree larceny and second-degree breach of peace. Pettway is awaiting trial for the Feb. 26, 2018 fatal shooting of 48-year-old Alfanso Anderson at the Sunny Side Inn on Lake Street. Police said they found Anderson lying on his back between the bed and the bathroom. He was pronounced dead from multiple gunshot wounds. Anderson had been mistaken for the intended victim who had previously rented the same room, police said. At the time of the homicide, court records show that Pettway was on parole for a prior robbery. Michael Lawlor, a former state lawmaker and professor of criminal justice at the University of New Haven, pointed to a state law that allows prosecutors to ask a judge to revoke bond for defendants charged with serious crimes accused of violating the conditions of their release. Its very rarely used, Lawlor said. By all indications its almost never used. Under the law, a judge schedules a hearing to decide whether theres clear and convincing evidence a defendant has violated the terms of their release. If so, bond can be revoked. The law was appealed to the state Supreme Court and upheld, Lawlor said. There are states that do allow for preventive detention and the federal system does too, he said. Youve got to have the option to hold people who are clearly dangerous pretrial, Lawlor, who served as a criminal justice adviser to former gov. Dannel Malloy, said. Staff writer Ethan Fry contributed to this story. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BRIDGEPORT Jury selection began Tuesday morning in the trial of state Sen. Dennis Bradley and former city Board of Education member Jessica Martinez, who were both accused last year of campaign finance fraud. The trial could begin as soon as Wednesday morning in U.S. District Court. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Victor Bolden denied Martinezs request to sever her case from Bradleys case. She had contended that Bradley maneuvered her in an effort to cover up his own misconduct. Last year, Bradley and Martinez were indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. In addition, Martinez was indicted for making false statements to the FBI and lying to the grand jury. If convicted they could each face more than 20 years in prison on the wire fraud charges. In addition, Martinez could face another 10 years in prison on the lying charges. The government alleges in the indictment that Bradley and Martinez, who served as the campaign treasurer for his 2018 campaign for state senate, conspired to defraud the Connecticut State Election Enforcement Commission, the Citizens Election Fund and the State of Connecticut by making misrepresentations concerning Bradleys compliance with state election law and the Citizens Election Programs statutory restrictions and requirements in order to fraudulently obtain or attempt to obtain $179,850 in campaign grants. The criminal charges are related to an event held at Dolphins Cove on March 15, 2018. Federal prosecutors claim that the event at Dolphins Cove was a campaign event and that it should have been disclosed as such to the State Elections Enforcement Commission, as the disclosure would have made the campaign ineligible for CEP funding. The defense claims the party was a celebratory event for Bradleys law firm. Federal prosecutors have stated in court documents that they intend to present 33 witnesses. Included among those witnesses is Tina Manus, a volunteer for the 2018 Bradley senate campaign who earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of wire fraud in the case. Prosecutors have also stated in court documents they will be presenting numerous texts between Bradley, Martinez and others showing that the event was held to collect money for Bradleys senate campaign. MONROE, N.C. (AP) A man and a 4-month-old baby boy are dead following a shooting in North Carolina, police said. Officers responded to a home in Monroe just after 10 p.m. Sunday. WSOC-TV reports that police found 25-year-old Darion McClendon and 4-month-old Damari McClendon dead at the scene. Family confirmed they are father and son. Bullet holes could still be seen inside a house and some of the cars parked in front Monday morning. Investigators are still working to learn what led to the shooting. No arrests have been made. Officers said a 9-year-old and an 11-year-old were also inside the home when the shooting started. Monroe Police Chief Bryan Gilliard urged anyone with information to come forward. This is a very difficult time for our community and our officers in the face of this senseless act of violence. We are committed to bringing the perpetrator of this crime to justice," Gilliard said. Police are offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MANILA, Philippines (AP) The Philippine government announced Tuesday a new diplomatic protest against China over disputes in the South China Sea, a long-thorny issue that has flared anew as the next Philippine president prepares to take office next month. The Philippines has filed hundreds of diplomatic protests against Beijing in recent years for what it considers acts of aggression in the disputed waters, despite improved ties between Beijing and Manila under outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte, whose six-year term ends on June 30. The territorial conflicts are among the key challenges President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will face when he takes office after his landslide electoral victory on May 9. He has said he will use diplomatic means with China over the issue, the same approach adopted by Duterte, who has been criticized for not taking a more aggressive stance against Beijings increasingly assertive actions in the resource-rich and busy waterway. The Department of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday it filed a diplomatic protest over Chinas imposition early this month of an annual fishing ban lasting three and a half months that covers areas in the disputed waters where the Philippines has sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction. It said the ban is not limited to Chinese fishing vessels and violates the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea and a 2016 arbitration tribunals decision that invalidated Beijings vast historic claims in the strategic waterway and upheld the Philippines sovereign rights in a stretch of coastal waters called its exclusive economic zone. China does not recognize the arbitration ruling and continues to defy it. The Chinese ban has no basis in law, and undermines the mutual trust, confidence, and respect that should underpin bilateral relations, the department said in a statement. The Philippines calls on China to comply with its obligations under international law and cease and desist from the conduct of illegal actions, including its annual practice of declaring a fishing ban over areas that extend far beyond Chinas legitimate maritime entitlements, it said. Separately, Philippine foreign affairs officials said late Monday that the department summoned a Chinese diplomat in early April to protest alleged harassment by the Chinese coast guard of a research vessel in the South China Sea. They said they were reviewing other recent violations of Philippine rights in Second Thomas Shoal and Reed Bank, which lie within Manilas exclusive economic zone but which China also claims, before taking further diplomatic action. The department said it summoned a Chinese Embassy official in Manila to protest the harassment by the Chinese coast guard of research vessel R/V Legend, which was undertaking a survey of undersea fault lines along the Manila Trench west of the northern Philippines. Philippine diplomats did not provide other details, but people involved in the scientific research told The Associated Press last month that a Chinese coast guard ship shadowed R/V Legend, which was carrying five Filipino scientists and an unspecified number of Taiwanese counterparts, from March 25 to 30. A Chinese coast guard ship maneuvered about 2 to 3 nautical miles (3 to 5 kilometers) from the R/V Legend, causing concern among the scientists because the research vessel was towing a long survey cable in the sea, said Carla Dimalanta of the National Institute of Geological Sciences at the University of the Philippines. The offshore survey, which was scheduled to end April 13, was a joint project of the Philippine institute and the National Central University in Taiwan and aimed to help map offshore faults and other geologic features that could set off earthquakes, tsunamis and other hazards. The research was partly funded by the Philippine Department of Science and Technology, she said. The Filipino scientists reported the incident to the Philippine government, which deployed a coast guard patrol ship, the BRP Capones, to keep watch on the research vessel, the coast guard in Manila said last month. China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei have been locked in a tense territorial standoff in the busy waterway for decades. In past years, the Philippines has protested the Chinese coast guard's blocking of Filipino supply ships en route to Second Thomas Shoal, where Filipino marines stand watch on a long-marooned navy ship. Chinese ships have also disrupted Philippine vessels exploring for undersea oil and gas in Reed Bank, Philippine officials said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth on Tuesday reiterated America's support for Taiwan on her second visit in a year to the self-governing island claimed by China. Duckworth, meeting with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, emphasized the close economic, political and security relations between Taipei and Washington. China sent 30 military aircraft toward the island on Monday in an ongoing campaign of regular flights. Taiwans Defense Ministry said it responded by scrambling jets, putting air defense missile systems on alert and issuing radio warnings. Duckworth said she wanted to emphasize our support for Taiwan security." The former Army helicopter pilot and lieutenant colonel in the National Guard cited strong bipartisan backing for a bill she has put forward promoting cooperation between Taiwans armed forces and the National Guard. I do want to say that it is more than just about military. Its also about the economy, the Illinois Democrat told Tsai. Tsai thanked the U.S. government and Congress for the importance they place on peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," as well as Duckworth herself for keeping a close watch on Taiwan related security issues. China said it strongly deplores Duckworth's visit. Taiwan is a province of China, and there is no so-called president, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said. He urged the U.S. to end all official contacts with Taiwan. The U.S. government has recently sent a series of erroneous signals on the Taiwan issue, he said. What the U.S. government should do is to put into practice President Bidens remarks that the U.S. does not seek a new Cold War with China, does not aim to change Chinas system and does not support Taiwan independence." U.S. President Joe Biden said on a recent trip to Japan and South Korea that the U.S. would intervene militarily if China were to invade Taiwan. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has put China's threats against Taiwan under new focus, prompting increased backing for arms sales and political support from Democrats and Republicans. China upped the ante further in May, reaching out to the Solomon Islands and nine other island nations with a sweeping security proposal that, even if only partially realized, could give it a presence in the Pacific much nearer Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand and on the doorstep of the strategic American territory of Guam. That is seen as a potential route to blocking access to Taiwan by the U.S. and its allies in the event China makes good on its threat to invade the island. In a speech Thursday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said President Joe Biden's administration aims to lead the international bloc opposed to Russias invasion of Ukraine into a broader coalition to counter what it sees as a more serious, long-term threat to global order from China. He did say that the U.S. does not support Taiwan independence. While relations with Taiwan are informal in deference to Beijing, the U.S. remains its main supplier of defensive arms and source of political support in international organizations where China blocks Taiwan's participation. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The recent transfer of a murder charge for a Milford teenager from juvenile to adult court was the result of a state law that required that the case be tried in a system where the focus is different and the proceeding is public. Under Connecticut law, defendants 15 years or older charged with murder or other serious felonies are automatically transferred to adult court. Raul Eliah Valle, 16, a student at St. Joseph High School in Trumbull, faces charges of murder and three counts of first-degree assault for the May 14 stabbing death of 17-year-old James McGrath during a fight outside a home on Laurel Glen Drive in Shelton, where three others were also stabbed. Valle at first appeared before a juvenile court judge during a closed door proceeding to determine probable cause. The case was then transferred to adult court. The hearing in the juvenile (court) is merely perfunctory there is no argument it is an automatic transfer up, said Marisa Mascolo Halm, director of the Youth Justice Project at the Center for Childrens Advocacy. There are several lesser felony offenses that are discretionary transfers (to adult court) upon motion of the prosecutor and do provide for some argument. Halm said shes not convinced juveniles belong in adult court, regardless of the crime. In my opinion, all minors and their cases should be handled by the juvenile system, Halm said. The adult system is simply unequipped to do so. Mike Lawlor, a criminal justice professor at the University of New Haven, said adult court offers juvenile offenders a few advantages, including an exemption that can lower sentences due to a defendants age. Juveniles in adult court can also post bail, which juvenile court does not offer, Lawlor noted. There is an irony that people assume consequences are more serious in adult court, Lawlor said. But when you look at the system, thats not the way it works. Valle was released from jail last week on a $2 million bond and confined to his home. Police said the incident began with a fight between Shelton High and St. Joseph High teens at a home in Shelton and continued after Valle and other teens moved to a different house party in the city. In all, four people were stabbed that night. The differences Connecticut has been adjusting the age in which teens can be tried in adult court for a number of years. In 2015, state law was changed to prevent 14-year-olds from being transferred to adult court for Class A and B felonies, which includes murder and manslaughter. The change also eliminated life without parole for juveniles. Defendants 15 years old and older charged with a Class C or D felony, or an unclassified felony, can only be transferred to adult court if the request is granted by a juvenile court judge. Class C felonies include assault, burglary and second-degree manslaughter and Class D felonies include first-degree threatening, criminal mischief and perjury. Juvenile court is generally focused on helping teens and children get back on track while doling out an appropriate punishment. In fact, the terms used in juvenile and adult court vary greatly. For example, in juvenile court a conviction is called an adjudication, parole is after care, a crime is a delinquent act and a sentence is a disposition. Those convicted in juvenile court can go to jail or more accurately a detention center or be confined to their home. All proceedings are conducted behind closed doors. The adult court is about justice and punishment, said Dan Maxwell, a criminal justice professor at the University of New Haven. The idea is we dont want to treat juveniles as adults because we are labeling them as adults and maybe they will do things like adults, including committing crimes. Maxwell said juvenile defendants can receive a jury trial in adult court while charges in juvenile court are decided by a judge. Punishment depends on what the crime is, Maxwell said, referring to juvenile court. Its whatever is in the best interest of the child. Maxwell said juvenile court sentences often include counseling, classes and enrolling in anger management and mental health services. Rehabilitation or punishment? Adult court is not set up to handle the unique challenges that come with troubled juveniles, Halm said. In adult court, young people, whose propensity for mistakes is actually a feature of their brain development, sit for months and possibly years awaiting a resolution of their case, with very limited access to developmentally appropriate services, Halm said. In the juvenile system, case resolution happens much more quickly, and youth are provided developmentally appropriate services focused on rehabilitation at an early stage, Halm said. Lawlor agreed that the goal of the two court systems is different, with the juvenile court geared more towards rehabilitation. The theory is young kids do stupid stuff they would not do if they were older and there is a lot of science behind that, Lawlor said. On the other hand, Connecticut says if you do something off the charts bad, like murder, thats different. Lawlor said if Valle is convicted of murder, or a lesser crime such as manslaughter, he could benefit from the requirement that the judge consider his age during sentencing. That might be more of a factor for a kid like this, Lawlor said. The mandatory minimum for murder is 25 years. The judge could go beneath the 25 years. Juveniles convicted in adult court for lesser crimes are more likely to receive probation than a prison sentence, Lawlor said. There has been a lot of focus on stolen cars recently, Lawlor said. If youre 17 and it goes to adult court, you are almost certain to get probation (for car theft). You go from being a big fish in a small pond to a small fish in a big pond. If you are focused on punishment, you want the adult system, Lawlor said. But you have to change that system too because the vast majority (of juveniles in adult court) never get sent to prison. bcummings@ctpost.com DETROIT (AP) William Lucas, a Black man who made national headlines when he switched political parties to become the Republican nominee for Michigan governor in 1986, has died at age 94, his family said. Lucas died of natural causes Monday. He was a fine public servant who provided decades of dedicated service to the people of Detroit and Wayne County," Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said. Lucas, a New York City native, landed in Michigan as an FBI agent. He quit to become Wayne County undersheriff and subsequently was appointed sheriff to fill a vacancy. He was elected in 1970 and twice reelected. Lucas won an election in 1982 for the new position of county executive. But his biggest political move came four years later when he switched parties to challenge Gov. Jim Blanchard, a Democrat. Bill Lucas has three million constituents thats why the Republican Party is rolling out the red carpet for him, Republican state Sen. John Engler, a future governor, told The New York Times in 1986. Republicans believed Lucas could get crucial votes in heavily populated southeastern Michigan, but Blanchard won in a landslide. Lucas later served as a Detroit-area judge. In a nutshell, art serves one primary purpose: an expression of self and identity. This especially rings true for the LGBTQ+ community, as Pride month is a few short days away. Globally, same-sex marriage is only legal in 22% of regions, and the queer community is only legally protected from discrimination in 36% of regions, according to Equaldex a site dedicated to statistics about LGBTQ+ rights. Because of the lack of legal rights and a rampant spread of homophobia even where there are legal protections, it is vital for queer people to have a space to be themselves. Here are the stories of four local LGBTQ+ artists who use art to help express, empower and find comfort in their identities. Reclaiming identity with faces Because of certain stereotypes around having short, bob style hair and glasses, a style that Kayla Lockwood has, she said she is either bisexual or a Filipina grandma according to those around her. Lockwood, an art and technology major, has received many jokes and comments about this in the last several years. She has straight hair coming down slightly past her chin, in a bob. It perfectly fits the description of a bisexual bob a stereotypical hair cut for bisexual woman, with hair cut in a straight line around the head between the chin and shoulders. Lockwood said she found this humorous, as those making these jokes had no idea she is actually bisexual. Inspired by the irony, she started drawing herself with the bisexual bob. I started drawing myself with no face, just with hair, Lockwood said. To represent people joking about my sexuality without actually knowing my sexuality. Drawing herself in this way allowed Lockwood to reclaim her hair style as a form of her own expression not just a stereotype forced on to her. Her experiences led her to focus on reclaiming or deconstructing stereotypes through her art, she said. I try to use either my personal experience or a stereotype thats been brought up based on my personal experience, Lockwood said.. To highlight that its a form of me reclaiming my personal identity. Much of Lockwoods art specifically has to do with deconstructing myths about bisexuality. An example from her personal experience is being told she is faking her relationship status, simply because she is in a heterosexual, straight-passing relationship, Lockwood said. That led to me drawing my boyfriend and I a lot, but also distorting it, Lockwood said, referring to other peoples doubt and erasure of her sexuality, to show that its a healthy and normal relationship, but at the same time its different. For Lockwood, reclaiming stereotypes or myths doesnt end at her sexuality it intersects with her racial identity as well. Lockwood is half white and half Filipino and said she began getting comments that her hair cut in combination with her glasses made her look like a Filipino grandma. Finding this second stereotype interesting, Lockwood turned again to drawing faces to reclaim her haircut for herself. I went from drawing this blank face with just the hair cut to this face with my glasses and my hair, Lockwood said, further going into these intersections of how my appearance is now these two stereotypes. Art is Lockwoods way of combating the stereotypes and myths she has faced around her sexuality and its intersection with stereotypes about her racial identity proving the ways creativity can empower marginalized voices. That said, art can also give the LGBTQ+ community a place of safety and comfort in an often unsafe society. New worlds for intersectional representation In an alternate, science fiction universe, a half-Lebanese girl with a secret past and a deceased father is raised by her grandparents only for them to be kidnapped by her mother. This is one of the worlds Sage who requested her last name not be used to protect her identity from those she is not out to yet has created through her writing. She herself is part Lebanese, which intersects with her queer identity along the aromantic and asexual spectrums, she said. Sages intersecting identities come out in her writing through representation in her characters, like the half-Lebanese protagonist. She said representation of multicultural LGBTQ+ people particularly with Middle Eastern and North African communities is important because there is a lack of it. For me, its about helping young queer people who are Middle Eastern and North African, Sage said. Your culture does have a place for you, and you deserve to feel at home in it. In Lebanese culture, there is little acceptance of homosexuality and gay marriage is illegal, according to Equaldex. Because of this, Sage said she often feels she doesnt fully belong in the United States or in Lebanon but writing allows her to create a world that includes her true self. Its a place for me to explore that and write about the things I love about my culture, Sage said. And not have to hide the parts of myself for being queer. The idea of using art as a way to be your truest self is something that Jackson Fryer, front person for Corvallis-based band Onion Machine, can relate to. Fryer is not a man, but can very easily pass as one, they said. Like Sage, they grew up in a rural area with little exposure to LGBTQ+ people. After moving from Massachusetts to Oregon 10 years ago, Fryer was able to begin their queer journey, in both gender and sexuality and this is often reflected in their lyrics. I feel like a lot of my lyrics focus on identity, Fryer said. And the truth behind figuring out that identity. One of Onion Machines songs, Mutts, openly discusses a multi-spectrum queer sexuality. Pigeons and doves: they are the same thing, Fryer sings. Light on love, Im going gray in the wing. Fryer said these lyrics sum up their feelings on love: Love is love, regardless of it being a pretty white dove or a stinky old pigeon. Much of the band including Fryer often performs in drag, wearing dresses and makeup. For Fryer, nothing in their life can compare to the feeling of sharing themself in their truest form. In their words, its like riding a storm as a Valkyrie. Its euphoric, and simultaneously one of the deepest tragedies of my life, Fryer said. Because theres no coming back from that feeling; I feel so muted in the rest of my life. As shown through Sages creation of sci-fi worlds and Fryers euphoria in performance, art is a place for the LGBTQ+ community to find who they are and find peace in it. Finding peace through performance Walking in to the Candy Land event at Spectrum, a local queer bar, a few weeks ago, you may have found a lobster on stage. Performing to Rock Lobster by the B-52s, drag king Edd Zackly was wearing rubber lobster claws on his hands and a lobster tail on his back. Goofily mouthing the words to the song and dancing in his lobster costume, Zackly entertained the crowd with a comedic performance of gender. In other words, an exaggeration of a male gender persona for the show. Growing up a cis-gender woman, Zackly said he often felt pressure to be more feminine or pretty and was bullied by other girls for being too goofy and awkward to be feminine. This expectation of a sexualized femininity took a toll on his confidence, he said. But Zackly said he finds that performing in drag whether that be a masculine biker man or an oddball lobster is an escape from societal expectations for women. Especially if you identify as female, its a way of breaking free of the weight of femininity in our society, Zackly said. A moment to feel strong. Zackly added that performing as a drag king is an outlet that allows him to be comedic and goofy without being sexualized as a woman. Zackly said performances themselves are empowering, yet he has also found a confidence boost outside of drag as well. The drag community has provided Zackly with the love, acceptance and empowerment that allowed him to explore and find his queer identity. The more I was around queer people, I realized that I really fall in line with these people, Zackly said, adding that being a part of the queer and drag community led into becoming a drag performer himself. I feel like drag has been the biggest helper in me finding my identity. While being a performer has helped Zackly in so many ways, there are also some challenges in it. Drag culture has become so infused with pop culture that sometimes it is not taken seriously as an art form, Zackly said. Because of a societal lack of understanding about drag, he wants to be clear: It requires just as much dedication as any other performance art, like theater or music. We make art like everyone else; we put in the work like everyone else, Zackly said. There is no reason to say what we are doing isnt hard work, and that its not art. Across all kinds of art, from performance to visual to written, the LGBTQ+ community finds solace, empowerment and a space to explore who they are. With increasing representation of people all across the rainbow spectrum in the community, art is a growing space for inclusion. In that spirit, Fryer has one last statement for the queer artists out there that are hesitant to share themselves with the world: We love you; theres no time like now, Fryer said. And the world needs you. Editors note: Kayla Lockwood worked on the Daily Emeralds design desk last year. Lockwood had no role in the reporting or editing of this story. After a college career full of early classes, coffee binging and living through a pandemic, the University of Oregon class of 2022 is finally graduating. This class is ready to move onto greater things, impress the world with their ambitions and, according to the New York Times Magazine, find jobs that fulfill dreams without causing burnout. Many students are looking forward to a year of employment or internships while others plan to take the next few months off to catch up with friends and sleep. These four seniors explain why it's beneficial to listen to ones intuition and not shy away from unknown outcomes. Connor Canter, graduating advertising student Connor Canter said he realized he wanted to be an advertising major after he took J201, Media and Society, his sophomore year. Canter was originally undeclared and wanted to experiment with the advertising classes because it fit with his interests in working in media. He realized he enjoyed the art of persuasive communication and liked to express himself through that style of storytelling. I wanted to be dead set on something, but I couldn't figure out what I wanted that to be, Canter said. I just kind of kept searching for the right thing. And then I loved J201. That's kind of what I landed on. During the pandemic, Canter said he missed the UOs student spirit on campus. Canter has no big regrets but wished he had done more research on the classes he enrolled in. He sometimes had doubts that he was not choosing the right courses, he said. Canter is ready to move on from college and find a career somewhere on the West Coast. He has a twin brother who also goes to UO and will start a masters degree in the fall. He hopes to find a position nearby if the opportunity comes up and to work this summer at an advertising agency or a sales and marketing firm. I don't have anything set in stone yet, Canter said. I've been looking for something in sales or marketing, or possibly project management at an advertising agency. I'd love to work at Wieden+Kennedy, or I would like to move back down to the Bay Area like at Venables Bell. Michaela Corbett, graduating business student and legal studies minor As a freshman, Michaela Corbett struggled to wake up early and had a difficult time managing her stress. Now, she wishes she told herself sooner to make learning fun. Corbett realized how important moments outside of the classroom were she wishes she did not take herself as seriously when she started college. I feel like I've learned a lot about treasuring your time, both as a student and also as a human being because you have needs outside of being just a student, Corbett said. I think it's important to make memories outside of the classroom. You just have to figure out what's best for you and like the way that learning is the best for you. Corbett is unsure of her plans for the summer but is hoping to move to a new state such as Washington, Texas or Massachusetts. She wants to decide her next steps as time progresses and does not want to burden herself with figuring out her life goals. I honestly want to enjoy my last term here and not be too stressed about the future of my career and so I'm just taking it one step at a time, Corbett said. I'm not trying to let it consume me. I'm trying to be proactive at the same time, you know, so it's all in moderation. Grant Urban, graduating business student Grant Urban decided on his major early on as a freshman because he wanted a career that was flexible and that can go in different directions. He said his biggest fear as a student was letting his parents down. He wishes he was able to take more risks early on and realize it was normal to fail. I think the biggest risk you can take is not taking any risks, Urban said. Find out what you like to do, not what your parents want you to do. Having been a student for so many years, Urban believes focusing on his professional relationships in his early career will allow the doors in many industries to open up. It is all about being happy and confident, Urban said. He is hopeful to get a job this summer in a business-related field but has not decided what industry he wants to land in. I feel like I am a veteran here, Urban said. I've seen enough stuff where I'm a lot more confident with everyday life. Kassandra Morando, graduating data science student and computer science minor Kassandra Morando came to the UO believing she wanted to be a computer science major. She grew up in the Silicon Valley region of California and was surrounded by tech people all her life. In her sophomore year, she realized she disliked the major and wanted to become a data scientist where she would analyze codes but not write it. Morando said she would have not survived college without a close-knit group of friends. After moving here, she struggled to leave her best friends back home and live in a new environment. Morando credits putting herself out there to meet new people as the way she found a solid group. I would say college is what you make it, Morando said. I definitely struggled. Moving from California was very difficult. My solid friends here helped me get out of the hole. Canter, Corbett, Urban and Morando each experienced challenges and surprises on the way to earning their degrees. Like these four seniors, many students struggle with finding a major that feels right, making friends or handling their family's expectations. But although things didnt always go as planned, these students, like many in the class of 2022, adapted and learned from their struggles. A woman who grew up in an ultra-conservative Christian sect has detailed how she left the fundamentalist group, came out as a lesbian, and wrote her first novel after her therapist helped her realize she was in a 'cult.' Elizabeth Hunter, 28, was raised by a family in Texas that belonged to the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) also known as ATI after being abandoned by her biological parents and rehomed. The ministry founded by Bill Gothard promotes a patriarchal family system in which children are expected to follow his interpretation of Bible scriptures and always obey their fathers. Hunter, who is known as @thatlizhunter on social media, has been opening up about her experience and answering questions about being raised with IBLP's teachings in a series of TikTok videos. Scroll down for video Elizabeth Hunter, 28, has opened up about being raised in an ultra-conservative Christian 'cult' in a series of TikTok videos Hunter (pictured as a child) was nine when she was taken in by a family in Texas that belonged to the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), also known as ATI 'Whatever your dad said was absolute law, and you had to do whatever your dad wanted you to do or you were disobeying God himself,' she explained in one clip. She was three when her biological parents gave her up, and she spent years in and out of foster homes until her parents took her in when she was nine. 'My legal guardians drove me up to a home, unloaded my one backpack full of things, and then drove off,' she recalled in another video. 'For the rest of my life, I believed I was adopted by my mom and dad. I told people that. I thought they were my parents. Nine-year-old me thought I was adopted.' It wasn't until she was an adult and trying to enroll her sister in public school that she learned she had been rehomed and was never legally adopted, though she still considers her mother and father to be her parents. Hunter reflected on her strict religious upbringing in an interview with UNILAD, recalling how she was homeschooled and studied the Bible. The ministry founded by Bill Gothard (top) promotes a patriarchal family system made famous by the Duggar family (below) 'Whatever your dad said was absolute law, and you had to do whatever your dad wanted you to do or you were disobeying God himself,' she explained in one clip 'There was no TV in our house. We weren't allowed to watch movies or television shows,' she explained. 'We weren't allowed to listen to any contemporary or non-Christian music. I was not allowed to cut my hair. I was not allowed to wear makeup.' She couldn't wear clothes with words on them because her mother felt they drew attention to her body. She wasn't even allowed to wear the color green, simply because her father didn't like it. Hunter said that when she got sick, her mom blamed her, claiming the cold was a punishment for disobeying her parents. She said her mom told her, 'You're sick, so you must have done something to get sick. God is punishing you because you've gone out from the umbrella of protection. This is why you're sick. You must have done something to be punished.' Hunter was taught how to bake bread, how to sew, and how to play piano all skills that she 'needed to be a good wife.' By the time she was 17, her parents had her thinking about marriage. Hunter (pictured as a child) wasn't allowed to watch TV, listen to pop music, or wear makeup Hunter (pictured as a child) told UNILAD that when she got sick, her mom blamed her, claiming the cold was a punishment for disobeying her parents 'I wasn't supposed to date or flirt with any guys because my dad was going to pick my husband,' she said. In one of Hunter's recent TikTok videos, she shared some of the books she got in trouble for reading when she was growing up in IBLP. Her parents took issue with George Orwell's 1984 because 'the main character has an affair' and Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson because 'the word hell is used.' The Diary of Anne Frank was deemed 'too explicit' because 'she wrote about her crush and sex,' and she also faced backlash for reading the American Girl Meet Felicity book collection because 'Felicity is too independent and lies to her parents.' Many viewers wanted to know how Hunter was able to go to college as a female, which is typically not allowed in IBLP. In another video, Hunter listed some of the book she got in trouble for reading when she was growing up in IBLP The Diary of Anne Frank was deemed 'too explicit' because 'she wrote about her crush and sex,' and she also faced backlash for reading the American Girl Meet Felicity book collection Hunter was 22 when she enrolled in one of the most conservative colleges in the U.S. and got her driver's license She explained that she was homeschooling her two sisters for her parents when she convinced them to let her go to school for teaching. 'I was like, "Well, if I'm doing all of this, I might as well become a teacher and have an education degree,"' she recalled. 'And my parents were like, "Well, we would rather you get married, but if you insist on finishing your education, you can go to school to be a teacher and stay at home and teach your kids when you get married." 'And that's how I wormed my way to college.' Hunter was 22 when she enrolled in one of the most conservative colleges in the U.S. and got her driver's license. 'I did not know I was in a cult until I was a sophomore in college, and I was talking to my therapist,' she said in another clip. 'I was explaining that my parents used the Duggar "buddy system" to discipline me and my sister.' Hunter explained that she convinced her parents to let her go to college to become a teacher while she was homeschooling her siblings Hunter was in college when she told her therapist that her parents used to tie her to her younger sister to keep her in line and realized she was in a 'cult' Conservative Christian parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, who have attended and promoted IBLP events, implemented a 'buddy system' with their 19 children in which each older child was paired with a younger child to take care of. 'If it weren't bad enough that my parents were having me parent my younger sister, when my younger sister fought against it and would refuse to hang out beside me, my parents got a rope and tied us together,' Hunter said. 'When I told that story to my therapist, she looked at me and she said, "Elizabeth, not only is that child abuse, but your parents are a part of a cult." And it just dawned on me, and I was like, "Oh, yeah, you're right."' A year later, she realized she was a lesbian after listening to a podcast with Christian people who were gay, something she didn't realize was an option before. 'Growing up in a cult, it's difficult to know what your sexuality is when the only thing that you're given is an option is to marry a man and have lots of kids,' she explained. 'I was like, if they exist, I think I am one, and it just clicked,' she added. 'I was like, "Yeah, I'm definitely gay."' She later came out as a lesbian and broke away from the religious organization Hunter is slated to publish her first fantasy novel, Hearts of Clay and Tempest, next month Hunter said she hasn't completely cut off contact with the parents who raised her because they are the only parents she has Hunter has since broken away from IBLP and is now working as a writer and digital creator. Her first novel, Hearts of Clay and Tempest, a retelling of the Little Mermaid, is slated to be published on June 14. However, she hasn't completely cut off contact with the parents who raised her because they are the only parents she has. She detailed the trauma she felt after being abandoned by her biological parents, saying she spent two years hoping they would come back for her. 'I basically cut off all mental ties to them when I was five years old,' she said. 'When I was rehomed at age nine and thought I was adopted, within two weeks my parents told me that I had asked to call them mom and dad. 'I remember being so happy that somebody wanted to be my mom and dad because, from the ages of three to nine, everyone told me very plainly, "I'm not your mom. I'm not your dad." And these were the first people who were like, "Yeah, you can call us mom and dad." 'So, it's hard to let go of that, even though I thought they were abusive and wrong in many ways,' she explained. 'I know that they still loved us even though they did not do right by us completely. 'And they're the only parents I have.' Conversations about contraception can give both people peace of mind before having sex, but these eye-opening confessions reveal there's always a risk if the other person is not being truthful. Women from around the world took to anonymous sharing app Whisper to speak candidly about why they've lied about using birth control, including one woman who claims she doesn't like the way it makes her gain weight and affects her mood. Another woman, who lives in West Virginia, admitted she has been dishonest about using birth control because it's hard to tell her partner that she's infertile, while one is keen to have a baby with a rich partner so she can get a share of his family's money. Here, FEMAIL share some of the most jaw-dropping confessions... Women from around the world have taken to Whisper to reveal why they've lied about being on birth control - including a woman, from the US, who claims it affects her mood and makes her gain weight A woman, from West Virginia, admitted that she told her boyfriend she is on birth control because it's hard to tell him she's infertile Time is of the essence! A woman, from California, confessed she lied to her boyfriend about being on birth control because she's fed up of getting injections every three months One woman claimed she lied about being on birth control because she's afraid of being alone and wants to have a baby Another woman, who lives in the U.S, revealed she has been lying to her boyfriend about being on birth control because he's from a rich family Plot twist! A woman, who lied to her boyfriend about being on birth control, said she was dumped because of her dishonesty One woman, who lives in Sandhurst, believes she or her boyfriend may be infertile as they've had sex multiple times without getting pregnant Another woman, from Texas, said she feels like her miscarriage was 'karma' because she lied to her husband about being on birth control Mother of all lies! A woman, who lives in Ohio, admitted she's having sex with her friend's crush unprotected because she's 'desperate' for a baby One woman fell pregnant after telling her boyfriend that he doesn't need to wear a condom and now believes they will spend the rest of their lives together Another woman, who lives in Canada, confessed she lied about being on birth control because she wanted a baby to give her life purpose Advertisement Whether it's Millie Bobby Brown strutting down the BAFTAs red carpet in custom Louis Vuitton, Olivia Rodrigo turning heads in corseted Vivenne Westwood or Landon Barker wowing in a classic Dolce & Gabanna suit, today's teen stars appear to have skipped the awkward phase and look mature and poised on the red carpet. While many have teams behind them to help create the looks, some of the world's most highly-acclaimed fashion icons of today didn't have so much help when they were starting out their career, and will now look back at red carpets from the noughties and cringe at their looks from years past. Blake Lively, now 34, is now a chair of the Met Gala who is often praised for her effortless style and gorgeous looks, but one of her most famous moments saw her opt for jeans, and tank top and semi-sheer pink crop top to the 2005 Kid's Choice Awards when she was 18. Speaking to Vogue earlier this month, Blake revealed she 'doesn't think the look is horrendous' and that her mum 'found the top at Forever 21', while the jeans were from noughties stalwart Abercrombie & Fitch and her shoes were from Aldo. The high street look is a stark comparison from what many teen stars wear today, where they often work with designers and celebrity stylists sporting bespoke suits and couture gowns for those Instagrammable red carpet moments. Selena Gomez is now one of the most followed people on Instagram, but at 16-year-old (pictured in 2008) she looked more dressed for a day at the office than the red carpet. By contrast, Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown, 18, strutted down the BAFTAs red carpet in custom Louis Vuitton earlier this month Some of the world's most affable fashion icons of today will look back at red carpets from the noughties and cringe at their looks from years past. Blake Lively is now a chair of the Met Gala who is often praised for her effortless style, but opted for jeans, and tank top and semi-sheer pink crop top to the 2005 Kid's Choice Awards when she was 18 (left). Meanwhile, model Lila Moss, 18, wowed on the red carpet at this y ear's Met Gala wearing a sheer Burberry gown Hilary Duff's face was everywhere in the noughties thanks to the success of Lizzie Maguire, but her red carpet get ups lft something to be desired. She is pictured in 2002 aged 14. The noughties looks are a world apart from the likes of the looks delivered by Billie Eilish, 20, when she delivered the ultimate Marilyn Monroe moment as she arrived to the star-studded 2021 Met Gala. Stars including Ashlee Simpson (right) who were teenagers in the noughties opted for casual looks instead of modern red carpet glamour like Maddie Ziegler, 19, pictured at this year's Vanity Fair Oscars party While today she rarely raises eyebrows, Ashley Tisdale put herself on the worst dressed list as she mocked an outfit that she wore to the 2005 premiere of Ice Princess in a video shared to her TikTok earlier this year. The star, then 19 and a darling of the Disney Channel, was seen wearing a white graphic-printed Bebe T-shirt on top of a turquoise undershirt in the throwback shot - and joked in her TikTok that it looked like she had 'decided to wear everything in my closet.' Piling on the different layers, the High School Musical cast member also rocked a pair of slightly loose-fitting blue jeans worn underneath a sparkling gold skirt. Nowdays, looks delivered by teen stars are iconic fashion moments, that leave editors and designers looking on in awe. Billie Eilish delivered the ultimate Marilyn Monroe moment as she arrived to the star-studded 2021 Met Gala. Ashley Tisdale put herself on the worst dressed list as she mocked an outfit that she wore to the 2005 premiere of Ice Princess when she was 19 in a video shared to her TikTok (left). Lexi Underwood, 18, star of Little Fires Everywhere, looks elegant in a tailored white dress at the premiere for The First Lady in LA (right) Travis Barker's son Landon, 18, who has been skyrocketed further into the spotlight since his father's romance with Kourtney Kardashian has impressed with his impeccable style (left in Dolce & Gabanna). Stranger Things star Caleb Mclaughlin, now 20, was praised for his style throughout his teens sporting looks from the the likes of Casablanca and working with stylist David Yurman (right) Teen stars from the noughties don't look nearly as suave. While Zac Efron is now considered a universal heartthrob, his teen looks show his in ill-fitting shirts, baggy jeans and Vans He is pictured in 2005 aged 18 At just 19-year-old, the Grammy Award-winner wowed in a billowing peach ballgown by Oscar de la Renta with a lengthy train that trailed behind her as she posed for shutterbugs. Eilish is serving as the youngest ever co-chair of the annual event, themed America: A Lexicon of Fashion, alongside the likes of actor Timothee Chalamet and poet Amanda Gorman - who are also young style stars. Elsewhere, Travis Barker's son Landon, 18, who has been skyrocketed further into the spotlight since his father's romance with Kourtney Kardashian has impressed with his impeccable style. He sported many Dolce & Gabanna suits at his father's wedding in Portofino, proving he certainly can keep up with the Kardashains in the style stakes while he walked the AMIRI runway show at New York Fashion Week in February He sported many Dolce & Gabanna suits at his father's wedding in Portofino, proving he certainly can keep up with the Kardashains in the style stakes while he walked the AMIRI runway show at New York Fashion Week in February. Other teens acting as muses for top designers include Grammy-winner Olivia Rodrigo, 19, who has been pictured in Gucci, Versace and Vivenne Westwood. Anne Hathaway (pictured) skyrocketed to fame aged just 18 in the Princess Diaries, but her looks included a disastrous combination of jeans under a dress with pointed shoe. Today: Stylish teen stars include Kaia Gerber, pictured at Cannes earlier this month, who recently turned 20 but wowed on red carpets and worked with top designers from a young age Stars including Lindsay Lohan (left) and Ashlee Simpson (right) who were teenagers in the noughties opted for casual looks instead of modern red carpet glamour Stranger Things star Caleb Mclaughlin, now 20, was praised for his style throughout his teens sporting looks from the the likes of Casablanca and working with stylist David Yurman. Whereas teen stars from the noughties don't look nearly as suave. While Zac Efron is now considered a universal heartthrob, his teen looks show his in ill-fitting shirts, baggy jeans and Vans. Popular culture expert Nick Ede told FEMAIL the looks now are 'less authentic' because stars now want to look 'measured, stylish and like they have a team behind them'. He explained: '15 years ago our teen stars were not the polished style icons of today they were awkwardly dressed and made for awkward viewing. 'Nowadays our teen sensations never put a stylish foot wrong, they are glamourous and dress so well they shade some blockbuster stars in the process. 'They also don't seem to look awkward, they embrace their styles, looks, sexual identity and attitude in a grown up but grounded manner. They couldn't even keep up! Kendall and Kylie Jenner are arguably two of the biggest influecener in the world, but they were also victim to noughties fashion fails. Pictured in 2009 aged 12 and 14 (left). Now that's how to dress! Romeo Beckham, 19, and Mia Regan, also 19, attend The Fashion Awards 2021 at the Royal Albert Hall on November 29, 2021 (right) 'The child stars of the 00's and 10's are a different breed and look like they were given no direction in how to look or pose even so end up looking as if they have watched too many reruns of The Simple Life or still think they are in the Mickey Mouse Club. 'It's crazy to think that only 15 years have passed but the fashion forward stars of today know that the more polished and sophisticated they are the more endorsements they will get and the more lucrative their careers will be. 'It isn't about popping on some double denim with a slip of colour and just hope the paps like it its about being measured, stylish and having a team behind you. 'I am not personally sure I like the polished look as it doesn't really feel quite as authentic as a teen trying to work out their looks for. 'A red carpet event but I do see that nowadays its not just about the magazines teens use their social media for all aspects of their lives and from an early age now they are creating a brand with consistency and star power Sister act! Teen stars Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen were also victims of poor fahsion choices in the noughties when they were 15-year-olds (left). Right: Olivia Rodrigo, 19, looked ever inch the Hollywood bombshell in corseted Vivenne Westwood at this year's Grammys Muggled off! Emma Watson during Sony Ericsson Empire Film Awards - Arrivals at Guildhall Arts Centre in London in 2005, wearing a agrange combo of a sequinned top over a white long-sleeved top with ill-fitting keans and pirate-like boots (left). Iris Apatow, 19, at Louis Vuitton's 2023 Cruise Show in San Diego, also wore knee high boots, but kept her look elegant in an oversized camel coat and a little black dress (right) Tatler has released a list of the modern symbols that will help prove you're post and signify your status in well-heeled circles. Explaining that 'in 2022 a set of unlikely social indicators have arisen' the Society Bible explains that if you 'witness, decipher, even smell any of the below' you're in good company. Among the unusual items included a rewilded estate with an ornamental lake as well as a Tate mural in the home and a haute couture nursery for the little ones. House plants and a wine cellar completed the interior must-haves, while if you're hosting guests you must have a bottle of English Sparkling Wine and Ottolenghi spices. Meanwhile, a blue tick on social media will show you're good company and any pet must be a rare breed of dog. British sparkling wine Gone are the days of French only wine being served at aristocratic dinner parties and society events. Thanks to geology mapping, which has changed the condition of soil in Britain over the years, the grapes that are grown for English sparkling wine are now the same as those produced in the Champagne region of France. British sparkling wine is now a prominent fixture at many well-heeled events, despite, as Tatler says it being the 'furthest thing from a status symbol you could get' when it first came on the scene'. Tatler says: 'Fast-forward to now, and with brands like Nyetimber, Hattingley Valley and Coates and Seeley in the mix it's thought to be a truly indulgent British delicacy in social circles. 'With news that the French Champagne House Taittinger IS creating a state-of-the-art wine-making facility in Kent only cementing that line of thinking'. Post cupboard essentials include British Sparkling Wine (left) and Ottolenghi spices (right) Ottolenghi spices in your cupboard Palestinian za'atar, Aleppo chili flakes, dukkah and ground dried lime are the the hallmarks of the modern store cupboard, according to the society bible. But these are the standard ones you can pick up in Tesco, they must be ordered from Yotam Ottolenghi - the cult chef with dozens of top selling books and busy restaurants in London. An ornamental lake The only way to truly cultivate the English country idyll, Tatler say, is with an ornamental lake which has become a feature in the homes of the Beckhams and the Sheerans. The magazine suggests channelling the strategically designed parkland of British palaces Blenheim, Harewood and Stowe. The only way to truly cultivate the English country idyll, Tatler say, is with an ornamental lake which has become a feature in the homes of the Beckhams and the Sheerans. Pictured: Blenheim Palaces lake A rewilded estate A rewilded farm has become the ultimate status symbol, Tatler say, with gentleman farmers including Viscount and Viscountess Hinchingbrooke at Mapperton House in Dorset, Anself Guise once dubbed the 'hedonistic heir' at Elmore Court and Mandy Lieu, the Malaysian-American model, actress and owner of Ewhurst Park in Hampshire. A rewilded farm has become the ultimate status symbol, Tatler say. Stock image is pictured A Tate Mural While rewilded estates and ornamental lakes are essential outside, the inside of the property needs a Tate Mural to prove you're posh. Wallpaper supplier Graham and Brown have launched an exclusive collection with the Tate with more than thirty, fully customisable wall murals on offer. Tatler says: 'Imagine having an angular, geometric wall mural by Piet Mondrian in your home or The Renaissance of Venus by Walter Crane as a backdrop to your bathroom. Guests may never want to leave your house will be a living and breathing museum (only topped by the original works of course).' Wallpaper supplier Graham and Brown (pictured) have launched an exclusive collection with the Tate with more than thirty, fully customisable wall murals on offer. A blue (verified) tick 'Genuinely, very important,' and 'one of the most coveted symbols in the social world,' according to Tatler. A haute nursery Haute couture isn't only for dress, it's needed for your nursery too. Why? 'Because chic babies deserve what's best' the society bible says. To complement your Tate Mural, get your baby a bespoke mural filled with animals by the 'extremely talented' Rebecca Campbell while they also need a Moses baskets upholstered in Liberty prints and 'the most adorable embellished floral bunny headbands by Marie Chantal.' Haute couture isn't only for dress, it's needed for your nursery too. Why? 'Because chic babies deserve what's best' the society bible says. Stock image House plants Plants are the new pets. Tatler say house plants are essential for a posh household, and 'not a vase of naff tulips or yellow roses from Sainsburys' but instead a 'seasonal, leafy, oxygen-emitting bonsai or towering philodendrons that speak volumes'. The rarer, the better, of course. Tatler say house plants are essential for a posh household, and 'not a vase of naff tulips or yellow roses from Sainsburys' but instead a 'seasonal, leafy, oxygen-emitting bonsai or towering philodendrons that speak volumes'. Tatler says: 'Think Japanese succulents or Dracaena fragrans and it's not the low-key minimal attention plants, it's the ones that demand time, frequent watering and a sought-after sunny spot by the window. 'The owner in question will very likely look after said plants as if they were their offspring. When they go away or on holiday, you will get a phone call 'might you be free for a spot of plant sitting?' always accept.' A Grayson Perry 'A Grayson Perry ceramic vessel or one of his plates adorning your wall is an automatic status-elevator especially if it's been awarded as a personal gift,' Tatler says. The artist has been known to give his nearest and dearest ceramics with their faces etched into the clay - which is sure to impress guests. A wine cellar Chin, chin! Tatler has released a tongue-in-cheek list of the modern symbols that signify status among high society - and a wine cellar stocked with 'port and vintage wines' is a must A clear indicator that separates the upper rungs of society from the masses is possessing a wine cellar, according to the publication. Bottles of vintage wines and champagnes, as well as port 'gifted by the godparents should be at the ready for thirsty guests. Tatler says: 'To be free to pluck a wine to match the occasion rather than resorting to simply what's available is a serious status marker'. Rare breeds of dog Woof, woof! Walking a whippet dog is sure to get you a plethora of friends and boyfriends, according to the publication - who advise that 'the leggier the dog, the better' According to the publication your status elevates 'beyond all measure' if you take a trot around London's Green Park with a rare breed of dog by your side. Women are promised 'new friends and boyfriends' with the addition of a furry friend by her side - so a trip to Battersea Dog & Cats Home may be due. Tatler says: 'The leggier the dog, the higher the status think whippets and greyhounds'. A fountain pen Yours faithfully! The society bible recommends you buy a fountain pen - preferably engraved with your initials - to RSVP to invites, adding that it has a 'whiff of a public school' The reliable old biro is said to be frowned upon in the more exclusive circles. Instead, a fountain pen - preferably engraved with engraved with your initials, is the way forward for would-be socialites. Tatler says: 'Thank you letters, lunch invitations and RSVPs can be scribed with one of these and the message is loud, clear and respectful it has a whiff of a public school when hours would be set aside for 'letter writing'.' Homemade sloe gin Sante! Described as a 'status assertion', the offer of a homemade sloe gin apparently sends out the message that you have a 'wealth of time' on your hands As working is presumably an activity bestowed on the less fortunate, handmade gin is said to be a signifier of status. Described as a 'status assertion', the offer of a customised tipple apparently sends out the message that you have a 'wealth of time' on your hands. Tater says: 'The time-poor will not have flagons of sloe gin lining their cupboards it would far more likely be shop bought.' Shouting at prisoners is against their human rights and doesn't help them in rehabilitation a former prisoner claimed in a Good Morning Britain debate. Former gang member Nequela Whittaker appeared on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday alongside former prison governor Vanesa Frank-Harris, who says the only way to get orders across is to shout at inmates. It comes after a scheme to help rehabilitate inmates by training them to cook will be extended to more prisons , after reports condemned the way officers yell at offenders, saying it didn't show the required respect. Former gang member Nequela Whittaker appeared on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday to discuss if shouting at prisoners is against their human rights Vanesa said: 'In 30 years I didn't go to work once thinking I was going to shout at people.' She explained that because prison is a naturally loud environment prison officers do have to yell to be heard. 'Prison by it's very nature is a noisy place, you have got keys swinging and doors banging on a wing [with] 300 prisoners who don't want to be there, milling around and shouting about. 'And there are times where you have to call prisoners down to go for visits or gym or whatever.' Former prison governor Vanesa Frank-Harris said the only way to get orders across is to shout at inmates The author revealed prison staff do not discipline inmates by shouting at them, and are trained to treat people with respect. While Nequela argued there is a difference between raising your voice and shouting to the point where you are 'oppressing' someone else. She said: 'Your repressing someone's voice to the point where they are not feeling able to have that trust within the prison system. 'How the message is being conducted, when that person is shouting, screeching, putting them down, demonising them, it's not reform, So in my eyes it's not the best practise for that prison officer to get the best outcome out of that person.' Nequela revealed she believes it is never appropriate to shout because the prisoner is already going through trauma and they are looking for someone to confide in Nequela revealed she believes it is never appropriate to shout because the prisoner is already going through trauma and they are looking for someone to confide in. She made the point that if prisoners can't confide in the officers they can't ask them to assist in their reform. The debate comes after an official report into HMP Winchester has condemned the way officers both yelled at offenders, even at close quarters, and referred to them only by their surnames, as it did not show the requisite respect. The study, carried out by Charlie Taylor, the Chief Inspector of Prisons, said: Staff would unnecessarily yell Exercise and other orders at the top of their voices when in the vicinity of those they were addressing. 'Not only was this unnecessary, but it also demonstrated a lack of insight into the impact of shouting on those who had suffered trauma in the past. The author revealed prison staff do not discipline inmates by shouting at them, she revealed prison staff are trained to treat prisoners with respect The report added that it was expected that prisoners should be treated with respect by staff throughout their time in custody. Despite the watchdogs criticisms, the majority of inmates 57 per cent believed prison staff did treat them respectfully. Viewers weren't impressed and were left divided on social media with one person saying: 'Poor prisoners already going through a trauma. Already being punished by having a warm room, three meals a day. More than lots of people. We need to make prisons a deterrent and make them as uncomfortable as possible. Another person said: 'Communication doesnt communicate through shouting. A former custody officer, I was verbally abused & shouted at, but didnt respond by shouting back. Simply stated Im here, your in there, shouting stopped. De-escalation techniques prevent the use of shouting to communicate!!' While another said: 'It's ok for prisoners to shout torture ,abuse and even kill their victims but don't like it when they are shouted at.' This Morning viewers today engaged in an online debate with an autistic man who is suing Sainsbury's for banning his 'assistance cat'. Ian Fenn, 51, from Tooting, who was diagnosed with autism two years ago, said on This Morning on Tuesday that Chloe the rescue cat sits on his shoulders and stops him from feeling 'overwhelmed' and 'anxious'. However outraged viewers took to Twitter to argue a cat can't be considered as an assistance animal, with one person saying a 'cat cant lead a blind person or alert to fits.' Web designer Ian was asked to leave a branch of the supermarket in south London in March because of his feline friend. Sainsbury's, which welcomes assistance dogs, argues that cats pose a food hygiene risk, but has asked its environmental health team to try to find a solution. Ian is taking the supermarket giant to court to argue his case which could set a new legal precedent. The Equality Act 2010 puts a duty on employers to make reasonable adjustments to the workplace or its practices to ensure disabled people are not at a substantial disadvantage. Chloe the rescue cat sits on his shoulders and stops him from feeling 'overwhelmed' and 'anxious' This Morning viewers were outraged after Ian Fenn, 51, from Tooting, who was diagnosed with autism two years ago, sued Sainsbury's for banning his 'assistance rescue cat' Chloe One viewer wrote: 'To stop people taking the mick with assistance animals. A cat cant lead a blind person, a cat not trained cant alert to fits etc. he makes a mockery of those of us that have all of the appropriate training for guide dogs. She continued: 'Please give me all of the appropriate proof of the cat being trained. Assistance animals go through months sometimes years of rigorous training to be a guide dog or medical assistance dog if this cat hasnt been trained then it doesnt qualify with the laws. Theres legit laws. Using his cat account @chloe_blackcat Ian replied: 'I do have proof of training. And I offered it to Sainsburys. They refused to consider it.' Outraged This Morning viewers were quick to turn to Twitter to voice their opinions on Ian's assistance cat Another person said: 'Assistance animals go through training to allow their human to access things they would not be able to. 'This cat fellow talks about him training the cat to come with him. So how is the cat the support unless he is training it for others #ThisMorning' Another viewer pointed out: 'Is it the same training that all the other animals go through? Im sorry but your cat is whats called an emotional support cat, it doesnt alert to fits or to diabetic issues, doesnt guide you as a blind person, its there because you dont do well talking to people. Ian argued that his cat does much of what an autism assistant dog does. Using his cat account @chloe_blackcat Ian argued that his cat does much of what an autism assistant dog does He said: 'Im sorry if you do not understand autism. Chloe does much of what an autism assistance dog does. Your tone suggests youre not interested in learning.' When some people questioned about customers with cat allergies, Ian replied: 'Chloe is treated to prevent human allergies. Sainsburys allow assistance dogs and dog allergies are a marginally bigger issue than cat allergies, according to the latest data.' Ian took to Chloe's Twitter profile to explain: 'Having a hidden disability means having to constantly provide other humans with explanations. It also means some of those humans will tell you that you would have got what you were entitled to if you had asked nicely.' NASCAR racer Danica Patrick has opened up about her decision to have her breast implants removed, after claiming they caused hair loss, metal toxicity, weight gain, a change in her hormones, and gut issues. The professional driver, 40, had a boob job back in 2014 because she said she wanted to have an 'ideal body,' but after spending years feeling unwell and not knowing why, she found out was suffering from what she believed to be a condition called Breast Implant Illness (BII). In April of this year, Patrick - who is one of the most successful woman drivers in the history of American open-wheel car racing - revealed that she'd made the decision to undergo explant surgery, and she has now opened up about the decision in a new interview with Fox News. Speaking to the outlet, the race car driver said her symptoms of BII began in 2018, just over three years after she got her implants, and initially she wrote them off as signs that she was 'getting older'. However, her symptoms soon became more severe - with Patrick admitting that it felt as though her body had been 'slipping' for years, and by 2021, she'd lost her menstrual cycle and realized her implants might be to blame. NASCAR racer Danica Patrick has opened up about her decision to have her breast implants removed (pictured before the explant surgery) Patrick, 40, claimed they caused hair loss, metal toxicity, weight gain, a change in her hormones, and gut issues. She is pictured before (left) and after (right) getting them removed The professional driver had a boob job back in 2014 because she said she wanted to have an 'ideal body' and to appear more 'feminine.' She is pictured before she got the boob job After spending years feeling unwell, she found out was suffering from what she believed to be a condition called Breast Implant Illness. She is pictured after she got the boob job Patrick said 'it felt like nothing was working' and that her body was 'slipping' after she got the implants. She is pictured after the boob job What is Breast Implant Illness (BII)? Breast implant illness (BII) is a term that some women and doctors use to refer to a wide range of symptoms that can develop after undergoing reconstruction or cosmetic augmentation with breast implants Symptoms include: joint and muscle pain, chronic fatigue, memory and concentration problems, breathing problems, sleep disturbance, rashes and skin problems, anxiety, depression, headaches, hair loss, and more The symptoms can appear any time after implant surgery - some people develop symptoms immediately, while some develop them years later In many, but not all cases, surgery to remove the breast implants improves or completely resolves the BII symptoms However, neither the NHS or the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) acknowledge a single condition called breast implant illness. They do, however, provide long lists of potential and publicly known side effects of having breast implants Implants are not designed to last a lifetime, the FDA says, and the longer a woman has the implants in her body the higher the risk of complications occurring Source: BreastCancer.org Advertisement Patrick got the breast implants removed in April of this year, and right away, she said she saw a major difference. Days later, she opened up about the experience on social media. Now, she is speaking out about her journey and why she decided to share it online - and according to the Wisconsin native, so many people who were suffering from the same thing have connected with her since she opened up about it on social media. 'After hearing my story, some people may suspect they might be dealing with the same thing and not feel so alone,' she told Fox News. 'Ive gotten so much feedback after I spoke out, and I get it in the most random places, like Starbucks at the airport, the bathroom of a restaurant or a sponsor appearance. That just goes to show you how this story resonates with so many people.' Patrick got the breast implants in November 2014, and it wasn't until early 2018 that she started to notice changes in her body. She said she started to experience hair loss, weight gain, and fatigue - and no matter what she did, the symptoms wouldn't go away. For years, the former racer, who retired in 2017, said it felt like her body was 'slipping,' and that she didn't have 'any control or understanding as to why.' Finally, in 2021, after her menstrual cycle stopped, she decided to see a doctor and get to the bottom of what was wrong. 'If I go back to the first symptom, it would probably be early 2018, which is about three years after I got them,' she revealed. 'My hair wasnt quite as healthy. I had gained a few pounds and I didnt know why. None of it made sense to me. 'There wasnt a logical reason, and Im a pretty logical person. I just wrote it off to try harder and I was getting older. Patrick got the breast implants removed in April, and right away, she said she saw a major difference. She is pictured after the surgery She wrote on Instagram, 'Within hours - my face had more color and less dark circles, and my face started producing oil again.' She is pictured before (left) and after (right) the surgery Patrick is now speaking out about her journey and why she decided to share it online. She is pictured after getting her breast implants removed She explained that her 'hormones were off' and her thyroid was low, and eventually, she decided to go under the knife once again. She is pictured after getting the boob job 'But it wasnt until the beginning of 2021 when my body had continued to slip in the direction that I didnt feel like I had any control or understanding as to why. 'And on top of that, I lost my [menstrual] cycle. It was really losing my cycle for a couple of months that got me to go to the doctor and have my hormones checked. 'My thyroid was low, my hormones were off. It felt like nothing was working. Even when I look back at 2018, I remember thinking the words in my head, "Maybe its my hormones." The intuition was there, but I just wrote it off and pushed on for years. 'My symptoms were hair loss, weight gain, heavy metal toxicity, leaky gut, and fatigue among many other things. 'Thyroid was another big one. I believe the most common denominator is not necessarily a symptom. Its more so that no matter what you do, you cant get the symptoms to go away.' According to Patrick, so many people who were suffering from the same thing have connected with her since she opened up about it. She is pictured after getting the implants removed The athlete said her other symptoms included hypoglycemia, adrenal fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, dry skin, achy hands, and swelling. She is pictured before she got her implants removed She spoke further about it on Instagram, listing 'hypothyroidism, dysbiosis, hypoglycemia, low estrogen - as well as low DHEA, testosterone, magnesium, white blood count, vitamin D, and progesterone - adrenal fatigue, elevated CRP, temperature sensitivity, swollen lymph nodes, dry scalp and skin, a weird perspiration to smell sometimes, dizziness, achy hands, and face swelling' as some more of her symptoms. When she made the decision to get the breast implants removed, she remembered feeling 'excited.' 'I would tell the [hospital scheduler], "If I can get it tomorrow, Ill come in tomorrow. Just let me know,"' she recalled to Fox. 'Its like if you were going to have a baby. Ive never had a baby before, but Im betting that, at the very end, even though youre having this daunting experience in front of you, whether its pushing a baby out or maybe a C-section, yes its a lot to deal with, but youre also so ready because you just cant wait to meet your baby. 'Youre just that excited. And youre like, "Lets do this." I imagine its maybe something like that. Thats how I felt. 'I felt excited. Ready. Of course, the idea of getting cut open is not comforting ... I knew that this stuff is done every day. I knew I would be fine.' According to Patrick, she started to feel better 'within hours' of the surgery. She wrote on Instagram, 'Within hours after surgery this is what I noticed - my face had more color and less dark circles, my face started producing oil again, I could take a 30 per cent deeper breath into my chest already, and I had so much energy when I woke up.' As for why she decided to speak out about it online, she said she wanted to share her story in an attempt to help other women who may be going through something similar without even realizing that their breast implants are to blame - especially since BII is 'not universally recognized.' 'Really, at the end of the day, I felt such a pull to share my experience because I learned so many other womens stories about it,' she explained to Fox. 'It gave me so much clarity about my implants being a very high culprit to all the issues that I was having. 'So I felt like I needed to share my story, too. And the fact that I have a good platform to do that and reach a big audience was more a positive than a negative.' But opening up about the problems she faced wasn't exactly easy. The entrepreneur admitted she tried to 'hide' her symptoms from the public for a long time, but now, she is so 'grateful' for the positive response. The entrepreneur admitted she tried to 'hide' her symptoms from the public for a long time, but now, she is so 'grateful' for the positive response. She is pictured with the implants 'After hearing my story, some people may suspect they're dealing with the same thing and not feel so alone,' she said. She is pictured before (left) and after (right) she got the boob job She continued: 'I was like, "Oh man, if I share this, Im gonna have to tell people all the things Ive been [hoping] they didnt notice about me, whether it was my hair loss, weight gain or energy levels." 'I was trying to hide those things for a long time. But Im so grateful that I did share my experience.' According to BreastCancer.org, Breast implant illness (BII) is a term that some women and doctors use to refer to a wide range of symptoms that can develop after undergoing reconstruction or cosmetic augmentation with breast implants. Patrick (pictured after she got the boob job) added, 'Ive gotten so much feedback after I spoke out, and I get it in the most random places, like Starbucks at the airport, the bathroom of a restaurant or a sponsor appearance. That just goes to show you how this story resonates with so many people' Symptoms include joint and muscle pain, chronic fatigue, memory and concentration problems, breathing problems, sleep disturbance, rashes and skin problems, anxiety, depression, headaches, and hair loss. The symptoms can appear any time after implant surgery - some people develop symptoms immediately, while some develop them years later. However, neither the NHS or the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) acknowledge a single condition called breast implant illness. They do, however, provide long lists of potential and publicly known side effects of having breast implants. Implants are not designed to last a lifetime, the FDA says, and the longer a woman has the implants in her body the higher the risk of complications occurring. Patrick added, 'The fact that so many women struggle. It almost feels like a hidden epidemic. 'I do believe there will always be a level of side effects that come with [implants]. Maybe some people do really well and its so minimal that they dont notice. 'But I also think its impossible to put a foreign object in your body and not have your body respond to some degree. 'Every individual is different, of course But are we really doing enough studies on them? Are people truly educated on the potential side effects and risks? Doctors tell us that theyre safe, but theyre also selling them. 'If you put something in your body thats not natural, your body is going to protect itself. Your body will form scar tissue around it to protect you from it. 'And thats called a capsule. My implants produced a lot of capsules. They seemed soft enough for the first couple of years, but then they hardened up more. 'I thought maybe it was from crashing into walls while I was racing, but one of them occurred years after I was done. So I knew that wasnt it. Patrick, who is seen after getting the boob job and before she got the implants removed, said she thinks its 'impossible to put a foreign object in your body and not have your body respond' Now, she is happy with the way she looks, and is excited to be 'natural again.' She is pictured before getting the boob job in 2008 Patrick (pictured in 2005) is one of the most successful woman drivers in the history of American open-wheel car racing 'My body was continuing to try and protect me from them. The doctor said my scar tissue capsules were both folded inside the implant. They had shrunk up so much from so much scar tissue forming that they were deformed.' As for why she got the breast implants in the first place, the athlete - who recently launched her own wine brand, called Somnium - admitted that she wanted to be 'more feminine' and have what she thought was an 'ideal body.' 'I think it was more my own pressure at the beginning of how I felt like I should look,' she told the outlet. 'I felt like I wanted to be more feminine. I wanted to have what, in my mind, felt like an ideal body. 'I wanted to have it all at a young age. I thought, "Lets just get it all when youre young enough." 'In my mind, I thought I was going to be more ideal-looking. But getting them out felt more like freedom. I feel better about my body.' Now, she is happy with the way she looks, and is excited to be 'natural again.' 'I feel like I look better, to be honest. I know that sounds crazy, but its true. Im glad theyre out,' she gushed. 'I feel more like myself. I can give people hugs and not have these implants in the way. 'I also cant wait to do yoga again and not have to worry about whether theyre going to lay on the floor while I do these crazy cool poses. 'I wont have to feel any of that weird stretching that I felt before. Im excited to have it all be natural again.' From joking with Patrick Trueman to giggling with Sharon Watts, a teaser clip and new images have given fans a further glimpse of Prince Charles and Camilla's cameo in EastEnders. The Prince of Wales, 73, and the Duchess of Cornwall, 74, will appear in Thursday's show to surprise the residents of Albert Square at a street party held in honour of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. A newly released teaser clip of the episode sees Mick Carter, played by Danny Dyer, introducing the Duchess of Cornwall to Patrick Trueman, played by Rudolph Walker. As he welcomes her to Walford, Camilla points out the 'nice little bottle' of rum from Trinidad that Patrick is holding. In unison, they say: 'A drop a day keeps the doctor away', causing the cast to laugh along with them. The Prince of Wales, 73, and the Duchess of Cornwall (pictured cutting a cake), 74, will appear in Thursday's show to surprise the residents of Albert Square at a street party held in honour of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee A newly released teaser clip of the episode sees Mick Carter (pictured right), played by Danny Dyer, introducing the Duchess of Cornwall to Patrick Trueman, played by Rudolph Walker Camilla adds that she had tried the rum during a visit to Trinidad, to which he replies: 'And you're still standing, Mam?' Patrick then asks the duchess if he can interest her in a tot of rum before she leaves, to which Camilla agrees as the cast cheer in the background. Another scene sees Linda Carter, played by Kellie Bright, guiding Charles through the square. After they say hello to Martin Fowler, played by James Bye, he turns to Sharon Watts, played by Letitia Dean, saying 'How amazing was that?'. Looking hesitant, Sharon questions if she could ask them a favour, to which Martin replies: 'Well, takes a princess to ask a duchess'. Another scene sees Linda Carter, played by Kellie Bright, guiding Charles (pictured centre) through the square Meanwhile, Camilla points out the 'nice little bottle' of rum from Trinidad that Patrick is holding. In unison, they say: 'A drop a day keeps the doctor away', causing the cast to laugh along with them Newly released images also show Linda presenting a cake which is cut by Camilla. The royal couple filmed the scenes in March when they visited the new Elstree set and met the cast and crew of the long-running soap opera. Camilla adds that she had tried the rum during a visit to Trinidad, to which he replies: 'And you're still standing, Mam?' The Jubilee episode will also close with a royal adaptation of the soap's classic theme tune. The regal tune will play during the end credits of Thursday's show as residents celebrate the royal visit and toast the Queen's 70 years on the throne. The Jubilee-themed tune was written by Simon May, who composed the original piece. May has written other variations of the classic BBC soap opera theme tune, including one for one of the show's creators Julia Smith and another for Barbara Windsor's farewell episode as Peggy Mitchell. The show's executive producer Chris Clenshaw said: 'To have Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall not only visit us all in Walford, but to also appear in an episode, we felt it was only right that we marked this extremely momentous episode with a fitting tribute and what better way than to wish their royal highnesses on their way from Albert Square than with a special Jubilee version of our iconic theme tune, remastered by the very talented Simon May.' The special Platinum Jubilee episode featuring Charles and Camilla is due to air on June 2. NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel has shared a heartbreaking update about his six-year-old son Henry's condition, saying he spent six weeks in the hospital after developing uncontrollable shaking and stiffness. The 48-year-old journalist's oldest son has Rett Syndrome, a genetic mutation that leads to severe cognitive deficits and physical impairment. The condition is rare, even more so in boys, and there is no cure. 'For everyone following Henrys story, unfortunately hes taken a turn for the worse,' Engel tweeted on Memorial Day along with a touching video of his younger son, Theo, cuddled in bed with his big brother. Richard Engel, 48, shared an update about his six-year-old son Henry's battle with Rett Syndrome on Twitter on Memorial Day, revealing he's 'taken a turn for the worse' The NBC News chief foreign correspondent explained that his oldest son developed dystonia, which is characterized by involuntary muscle contractions and stiffness Engel shared a video of his nearly three-year-old son Theo lying in bed with his big brother What is Rett Syndrome? The rare neurological disorder that leaves kids unable to speak, eat, walk, talk, and breathe One child in 12,000 is born with Rett Syndrome, yet few people have heard of it. The genetic disorder affects almost exclusively females, causing them to regress neurologically and physically. The progression of the disease can be roughly divided into four stages. During the first stage, from about the age of six to 18 months, a baby slows in development, loses interest in play, stops making eye contact, starts walking awkwardly and makes repetitive hand movements. The second stage, known as 'rapid destruction,' begins between the ages of one and four. The child finds it increasingly difficult to communicate and learn and there is often a deterioration in other brain functions. Symptoms include an inability to control the hands, sudden distress teamed with screaming, unsteadiness, breathing problems, difficulty sleeping, slow head growth and digestive problems. The third stage, the plateau,' begins between age three and ten. Limbs become floppy, epilepsy may develop and there may be weight loss and teeth-grinding. However, many parents say children are less distressed and show more interest in their surroundings. The final stage can last for decades. Usually severe bending of the spine scoliosis develops, as well as losing the ability to walk. Almost all cases are caused by a mutation in the MECP2 gene that prevents nerve cells in the brain from working properly. Currently, there is no cure and only the symptoms are treated. Sufferers can live to their 40s but most die before 25. Advertisement 'His condition progressed and hes developed dystonia: uncontrolled shaking/ stiffness,' he explained. 'He was in the hospital for 6 weeks, but is now home and getting love from brother Theo.' In the heartwarming clip, Theo, who turns three in August, gives Henry a sweet kiss on the forehead while he is lying down. Shortly after sharing the update, Engel returned to Twitter to post a photo of Henry sitting up in a chair, writing, 'Thank you everyone for all the kind messages, from Henry, our Mr. Handsome.' Engel and his wife, Mary Forrest, have been candid about Henry's medical journey following his diagnosis of Rett Syndrome in 2017. The mutation stops the brain from growing properly, and according to WebMD, symptoms include slowed growth, issues with hand movements, a lack of language skills, problems with muscles and coordination, and trouble breathing. So far, the treatments for the incurable condition are mostly limited to various forms of therapy, like physical therapy, speech therapy, and behavioral therapy. 'Its not just delay. It means life long, permanent, untreatable physical and intellectual impairment, Engel said on the Today show in 2018. 'Unfortunately, the more we learned about it, the worse the news got.' Henry will likely never be able to walk, talk, dress himself, or have the mental capacity beyond a toddler. He was three and a half years old when he said 'Dada' for the first time, a milestone that Engel wrote about in an essay for Today. 'To parents with typically developing children, a little Dada may not seem like a big deal,' he explained. 'But for me it was a validation, an acknowledgement that hes in there, knows me, knows that his mother and I are forces for good in his life, and above all, that he loves us.' Engel and Forrest welcomed their son Theo in 2019, and he admitted that it was difficult to know that their baby boy would soon pass Henry's developmental milestones. 'You hold a baby like Theo and hes wriggling. His muscles are moving. When he is upset, he screams with his whole body and kicks his legs with power. Its something we never saw with Henry,' Engel told People in 2019. Their oldest son had started having seizures that year, and they were trying to manage his compulsive repetitive motion, which had become more pronounced. Engel and Forrest have to watch Henry constantly and stop him from putting his hands in his mouth and scratching his eyes because he can hurt himself. Theo sweetly leaned over and gave Henry a kiss on the forehead while he was lying down For everyone following Henrys story, unfortunately hes taken a turn for the worse. His condition progressed and hes developed dystonia: uncontrolled shaking/ stiffness. He was in the hospital for 6 weeks, but is now home and getting love from brother Theo. pic.twitter.com/7atwNPhJ6q Richard Engel (@RichardEngel) May 31, 2022 Shortly after sharing the update, Engel returned to Twitter to post a photo of Henry sitting up in a chair to 'thank everyone for their kind messages' Engel and his wife, Mary Forrest, have been candid about Henry's medical journey 'Were hoping, in a few years, we can start a treatment that is still being invented,' he told People at the time. 'The problem is, while we wait [for a treatment], things deteriorate,' he added. 'The body starts to go, the hips start to go the spine hasnt been an issue, but it could be. Were in a race against the clock no matter how much physical therapy we do, and we do a ton.' In 2020, Engel wrote an essay for Today about how the COVID-19 pandemic had been a 'nightmare' for his son who had been cut off from the therapies that had enriched his life. Before the pandemic, Henry was enrolled in a number of therapies that stimulated him and brought him joy, including equine therapy. He rode a horse named Coco with the help of two attendants, and not only did Henry visibly enjoy the rides, but the rocking movement helped strengthen his core. Henry, pictured as a baby, was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome in 2017. The genetic mutation leads to severe cognitive deficits and physical impairment There is no cure for the mutation, which stops the brain from growing properly. Henry will likely never be able to walk, talk, dress himself, or have the mental capacity beyond a toddler Engel and Forrest welcomed their son Theo in 2019, and he told People at the time that it was difficult to know that their baby boy would soon pass Henry's developmental milestones A large part of Henry's daily routine is physical therapy because movement is essential for him to build strength 'He did astronaut therapy in a soft-play room, spinning on a large Lazy Susan to let him feel a mild centrifugal force,' Engel added. 'He did music therapy and enjoyed touching the vibrating guitar strings. He did hydrotherapy in a warm pool with hoists attached to the deck. He went to a school, for a few hours a day, with an aide who helped him.' The dad explained that without therapy, Henry was 'bored' and 'whiny.' He could only interact through 'sight, sound, and touch,' so they constantly cuddled him, praised him, massaged him, and gave him kisses. But despite their efforts, they still noticed a 'deterioration in Henry's overall condition.' Since the start of the pandemic, his tremors and body shakes had become more pronounced. His hand-mouthing had also become more frequent, and they had to either put his arms in braces or socks over his hands to keep him from chewing his skin until it bleeds. They weren't sure if these symptoms were due to stress or just the progression of his condition. Henry was cut off from the therapies that enriched his life early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, and his parents noticed that his overall condition had deteriorated during that difficult time Engel and Forrest made the decision to hire a private physical therapist for Henry to make sure she didn't lose any more of his strength Henry can only interact through 'sight, sound, and touch,' so Engel and Forrest constantly cuddle him, praise him, massage him, and give him kisses Engel and Forrest considered themselves lucky that they were able to afford private physical therapy and equipment to help their son during the pandemic Engel and Forrest made the decision to hire a physical therapist to work with Henry during the pandemic because movement is essential for him to build strength. Despite their struggles amid the pandemic, they considered themselves lucky to be able to afford private physical therapy and equipment to help their son. Engel estimated that they had about $5,000 to $10,000 worth of equipment for Henry in their London home, noting that some of it was provided by local authorities. 'That's why I say we're lucky. Other families can't afford to turn their homes into therapy gyms, and not all community support is strong,' he said. 'Without physical therapy Henry's body would deteriorate, collapsing under its increasing weight.' Bode and Morgan Miller have finally revealed the name of their newborn daughter - six months after her birth. Since she was born on November 26, the former Olympic skier, 44, and his wife, 34, have continuously shared their struggle with picking out a name for their newborn on social media. Back in February, the couple admitted that they still hadn't agreed on a name for their then-three-month-old daughter, with Bode claiming at the time that he was dead set on calling the baby Olivia, which Morgan was not a fan of. However, it looks like they have now come to an agreement. In honor of the baby's half birthday, the couple announced that they had finally agreed on a name for their daughter - Scarlet Olivia Khione Miller. Bode and Morgan Miller have finally revealed the name of their newborn daughter - six months after her birth Since she was born on November 26, the former Olympic skier, 44, and his wife, 34, have continuously shared their struggle with picking out a name for their newborn on social media In honor of the baby's half birthday, the couple announced that they had finally agreed on a name for their daughter - Scarlet Olivia Khione Miller 'Six months of little miss Scarlet Olivia Khione Miller,' Morgan captioned a series of Instagram snaps of the baby. Although it is unclear what made their pair settle on Scarlet, Olivia is a name that they said they were considering for a while, before eventually settling on her final moniker. However Khione appears to be a nod to Bode's lengthy career as an alpine race skier; according to Nameberry, the name means 'snow', and comes from Greek mythology in which the moniker was given to 'several minor figures', including a nymph who was turned into a snow cloud. In January, Bode and Morgan first admitted that they were struggling to choose her name when they made an appearance on the Today show their newborn baby girl. In January, Bode and Morgan first admitted that they were having trouble choosing her name when they made an appearance on the Today show 'Its hard because her personality is different, and I think were all trying to get used to it,' Bode told co-anchor Savannah Guthrie at the time, while joining the show via live video feed from their home in Montana. 'Shes stumped us on names so far. We have a lot that we like, but she hasnt smiled or high-fived or anything when we say them to her, and we say them to her all the time.' Morgan added, 'Our three front-runners are Skyler, Scarlet - and calling her Lettie - or Olivia, and calling her Liv. 'All kind of have a special meaning to it. So we may have to reach out to our social media followers and ask for some assistance because she has not really been giving us many answers.' Bode, who is currently running a ski academy in Colorado, explained that Olivia was his personal favorite, but admitted he was concerned it was too popular. 'Im a huge fan of Liv, Olivia,' he said. 'Its a little bit frustrating that its one of the most popular names this year because most of the names of our children arent terribly popular, but were not going to let that stand in the way, obviously.' At the time, they said her 'personality was different,' and that although they had tried some names out, she hadn't 'smiled' or reacted positively to any of them A month later, Bode explained on Instagram that although he had been pushing for the name Olivia for months, Morgan was not on board with his pick He also worried Olivia was used too often, explaining, 'Most of the names of our children arent popular.' But now, the couple finally came to an agreement, using Olivia for her middle name Back in February, they spoke out about their name troubles once again, while Morgan was hosting a Valentine's Day Q&A session on her Instagram Stories. At the time, a follower asked if they had finally settled on a moniker for their baby girl, but the couple revealed that they still couldn't decide. 'Have we named the baby?' the former pro volleyball player asked her athlete husband, while he was sitting on the couch with their daughter. 'Yes,' he replied, seemingly catching Morgan by surprise. 'We have? What's her name?' she asked her husband, who didn't quickly answered, 'Olivia.' Despite Bode pushing for the name since they first learned that they were having a baby girl, Morgan was not on board with his pick. 'No, I'm not letting you say that because we don't know that,' she responded in the Insta video. 'How do you know that?' ''Cause I just named her,' Bode joked. In addition to their newborn, they are also parents to sons Nash, six, Easton, three, and twins Asher and Aksel, two, and their late daughter Emeline Grier Miller, also known as Emmy. Emmy was 19 months old when she drowned in a neighbor's swimming pool in June 2018. She was rescued from the water, but paramedics were unable to revive her, and she later died in hospital. In February, Morgan shared on her Instagram Stories that she and Bode have also been 'calling her "Nona" for no name,' adding that the nickname was 'kind of sticking' The couple (pictured on the Today show in January) also nicknamed their daughter Ocho, which is Spanish for 'eight,' because she is the eighth child in their family Bode had been pushing for the name Olivia since they learned they were having a baby girl, but Morgan was not on board with his pick Since her death, the parents have dedicated themselves to raising awareness on infant drownings and advocating for all moms and dads to get their own children into swimming classes as early as possible. Bode also has a daughter Dace, 13, and son Nate, eight, from a previous relationship. Bode and Morgan have both insisted that this child would be their last, and they were overcome with emotion when they learned last May they were expecting a baby girl. They threw the fiesta-themed gender reveal at their California home days after announcing to the world that they were expecting another child following the birth of their twins in 2019. They broke down in tears of joy when they popped pink confetti cannons with their friends and family during a celebratory gender reveal party. 'She's perfect and bringing her into this world was a perfect way to close this chapter of growing our family. Our hearts are so full,' they told People when they announced their daughter's birth in December. In addition to their newborn, they are also parents to sons Nash, six, Easton, three, and twins Asher and Aksel, two, and their late daughter Emeline Grier Miller, also known as Emmy The couple's daughter Emmy was 19 months old when she died in the hospital after drowning in a neighbor's swimming pool in June 2018 Bode and Morgan (pictured before Scarlet's birth) have both insisted that this child will be their last, and they were overcome with emotion when they learned they were expecting a girl They broke down in tears of joy when they popped pink confetti cannons with their friends and family during a celebratory gender reveal party 'She's perfect and bringing her into this world was a perfect way to close this chapter of our family,' the couple told People when they announced their newborn's birth in December 'Bode told me the day after she was born that this is the happiest he thinks he's ever been in his whole life,' Morgan added. The proud dad shared during his Today show appearance that the newborn baby girl is 'so similar' to her big sister Emmy (pictured), but is also 'really unique as well.' He added that 'she just fits right in' with her big brothers The proud dad shared during his Today show appearance that the newborn baby girl is 'so similar' to her big sister Emmy, but is also 'really unique as well.' He added that 'she just fits right in' with her big brothers. 'Emmy was such a great balance because she was such a powerhouse and then when she passed, it was shocking because you really felt this energetic shift in the house,' he recalled. 'Obviously, we were all suffering and everything, too, but there was this gap there for all the boys. And now they have this little girl. It just makes them gentle. You'd be blown away.' Although the couple took a while to decide on their daughter's name, they already have plenty of nicknames for their family's newest addition. Earlier this year, Morgan shared on her Instagram Stories that she and Bode were 'calling her "Nona" for no name,' adding that the nickname was 'kind of sticking.' After she was born, they also took to calling Scarlet Ocho which is Spanish for 'eight' because she is the eighth child in their family. A swimwear designer with no formal qualifications in the fashion industry was shocked to find her idol Hailey Bieber wearing her one-of-a-kind 80s style pieces while on a yacht with husband Justin Bieber. Leia Perini, who lives in Perth, Western Australia, first had the idea for Loleia Swim when she was 18, inspired by her trips to the vintage stores in Brick Lane, London but it took another eight years for her to have the confidence to bring her unique swim style to market. 'Those [vintage stores] always had the most amazing bright 80s bikinis. I would always think to myself, why can't I find prints like this online or in stores?' The now 26-year-old told Daily Mail Australia. 'I knew there was a gap in the market but being 18 and a little naive I talked myself out of taking the leap of faith to start my own business. Fast forward to 2020 and I finally dived in.' On Wednesday Hailey Bieber was spotted wearing the Fruity In Cabo set in Cabo San Lucas alongside her husband Justin Bieber which can be viewed here. On Wednesday Hailey Bieber was spotted wearing the Fruity In Cabo set in Cabo San Lucas alongside her husband Justin Bieber which can be viewed here 'When I first started Loleia people would ask what one of my dreams would be to achieve with the brand and without hesitation I would always say seeing Hailey Bieber in one of my pieces,' Leia told Perth Now 'She's my style icon, so if she wore something I created it would just be out of this world and it has been! I'm so happy!' The bikini, which is sold separately on the Loleia website, has sold out of the shoulder top but still has the scrunchie bottoms available. 'When I first started Loleia people would ask what one of my dreams would be to achieve with the brand and without hesitation I would always say seeing Hailey Bieber in one of my pieces,' Leia told Perth Now. 'She's my style icon, so if she wore something I created it would just be out of this world and it has been! I'm so happy!' Kourtney Kardashian has also won the Meet Me In St Lucia print, which is still available on the Loleia Swim website. On Wednesday Kourtney's lifestyle website Poosh posted a photo of the Kardashian star in the Meet Me In St Lucia print, which is still available on the Loleia Swim website Leia Perini, who lives in Perth, Western Australia, first had the idea for Loleia Swim when she was 18, inspired by her trips to the vintage stores in Brick Lane, London (Isabelle Mathers pictured) ' Loleia was born to pay homage to the freedom and vibrancy of the 80s and 90s. A time where the fashion was loud, the prints were bold and the energy was unmatched,' the website reads Leia was surprised by the attention given it had been months since she sent designs to Kourtney and Kendall Jenner's stylists. 'Loleia was born to pay homage to the freedom and vibrancy of the 80s and 90s. A time where the fashion was loud, the prints were bold and the energy was unmatched,' the website reads. 'Loleia is bringing this back to the present moment, with colourful original graphics designed here in Australia with local artists.' Each of Leia's designs are made from scratch so her customers - of which there are already thousands 12 months in - know they are purchasing something truly special. Each of Leia's designs are made from scratch so her customers - of which there are already thousands 12 months in - know they are purchasing something truly special Its popularity was almost immediate with Loleia selling out of two styles on its debut in November 2020. 'It was so crazy, from then we really haven't looked back. We have had so much support from some amazing influencers as well,' she said. Those influencers include Australian fitness icon Tammy Hembrow, Married At First Sight star Martha Kalifatidis and models Saskia Teje and Isabelle Mathers. Her most popular design is Midnight in St Tropez, which is a mixture of deep blue florals contrasted with bright yellow accents. Its popularity was almost immediate with Loleia selling out of two styles on its debut in November last year Having worked in retail since she was 16 Leia doesn't feel as though her lack of qualification makes her any less of a designer in the fashion industry According to Leia it's the print that really 'put them on the map', and started appearing in fast fashion stores within three months of launching. 'I guess imitation is the highest form of flattery,' she said. Having worked in retail since she was 16 Leia doesn't feel as though her lack of qualification makes her any less of a designer in the fashion industry. 'I am a firm believer that you can't teach creativity or a go-getter attitude. Two essential traits of running a successful business,' she said. Her most popular design is Midnight in St Tropez, which is a mixture of deep blue florals contrasted with bright yellow accents (Leia pictured in the design) And all of her hard work behind-the-scenes is certainly paying off, with the rising star quitting her part-time job, purchasing an office space and hiring two staff with the money she has made from her collections. This is only just the beginning for the superstar brand, which will restock its online store in a matter of days. 'We are so excited to be dropping our first range of apparel early next year. We have some cute dresses, sets, baby tees and more,' Leia said. A foodie has shared her quick, simple and delicious jar salad idea that makes for the perfect work lunch. Jackie Hartlaub, who goes by Low Carb State of Mind online, demonstrated how to put together her Greek salad in a jar that doesn't go soggy before you eat it in a now-viral video posted to her popular TikTok page. The American cook puts her homemade dressing at the bottom of the jar and layers her salad ingredients on top. Scroll down for video American foodie, Jackie Hartlaub, has gone viral for sharing her delicious Greek salad in a jar recipe which makes for the perfect work lunch 'When I was in high school I made this salad all the time. It was the only one I knew how to make and it is still one of my favourites,' she said in the now-viral clip. Jackie starts with making her dressing by combining olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, dried oregano, minced garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl and mixes to combine. For the dressing ingredient quantities, she said to 'measure with your heart' adjusting each amount according to your personal taste. For the salad, she adds chopped cherry tomatoes in first so they marinade in the dressing, then cucumbers, chicken breast, red onion, Kalamata olives, lettuce and fetta cheese. When she empties her layered salad in a jar onto a plate, all the ingredients are mixed up and covered by the tangy dressing Jackie said to cut everything up 'super small and the same size' so you can fit more in the jar making a satisfying work lunch. When she empties the jar onto a plate, all the ingredients are mixed up and covered by the tangy dressing. The viral foodie's video has amassed a whopping 34.2million views since it was posted as well as thousands of comments from impressed viewers. 'This is my favorite salad! Love the jar hack for ease,' one fan wrote while another said they would 'definitely try this'. 'Why have I never thought to put the dressing on the bottom. Mind blown,' responded a third. 'I make something similar all the time with some pearl couscous added!! So good,' a fourth recommended. Word is spreading about a beautiful coastal town dubbed Australia's 'best kept secret' - and its perfect for a beachside escape or home buyers looking for a sea-change. Attracting tourists and potential residents, Agnes Waters and its sister town of 1770 (Seventeen Seventy), are an hour and a half south of Gladstone and a five hour's drive from the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. Since 2016, the laid-back town's population has soared from 2,200 to 6,300 residents with interstate tourists falling in love with its spectacular scenery and easy-going community. Scroll down for video The next Byron Bay: Agnes Waters and its sister town 1770 is attracting tourists and home buyers looking for a sea-change Since 2016, the laid-back town's population has soared from 2200 to 6300 residents with interstate tourists falling in love with its pristine beaches, lush forests and idyllic lifestyle Sitting on the southern edge of the Great Barrier Reef, the town's white sandy beaches have clear turquoise waters, diverse marine life as well as incredible snorkelling and fishing spots One of Agnes Waters' most popular attractions is the Paperback Forest Boardwalk where visitors can tread along a weaving path of stepping stones through a tranquil wetland of towering trees. Sitting on the southern edge of the Great Barrier Reef, the town's white sandy beaches have clear turquoise waters, ocean sunsets, diverse marine life as well as incredible snorkelling, fishing, swimming and kayaking spots. The secluded Chinamans Beach offers picture-perfect scenery, is a popular spot for the resident turtles to nest and is the most northern surf break in Queensland. One of Agnes Waters' most popular attractions is the Paperback Forest Boardwalk where visitors can tread along a path of stepping stones through a tranquil wetland of towering trees Other attractions include whale watching, camping and glamping, a history tour aboard a fleet of pink amphibious tour buses and a variety of cafes, restaurants and eateries The secluded Chinamans Beach offers picture-perfect scenery, is a popular spot for the resident turtles to nest and is the most northern surf break in Queensland There are a series of coastal walks for adventurous hikers with plenty of places to take a refreshing dip as well as plenty of places to cast in a line and catch a fresh seafood dinner. Other attractions include whale watching, camping and glamping, a history tour aboard a fleet of pink amphibious tour buses and a variety of cafes, restaurants and eateries. There has been a spike in demand for luxury beachside mansions as more Aussies are relocating to Agnes Waters and 1770 as an alternative to Noosa or Byron Bay. There has been a spike in demand for luxury beachside mansions as more Aussies are relocating to Agnes Waters and 1770 as an alternative to Noosa or Byron Bay A multi-storey rustic pad designed for outdoor living in the middle of the dense forest is a stone's throw away from the beach in 1770 and on the market for $1.75million One of the home's for sale is a stunning mansion sitting atop mountain with sweeping 360-degree views of the surrounding forest featuring a rooftop terrace, wrap around verandah, central courtyard and a contemporary design. A multi-storey rustic pad designed for outdoor living in the middle of the dense forest is a stone's throw away from the beach in 1770 and on the market for $1.75million. A young mother of three young boys has shared a shocking video of her toddler escaping their front yard and walking toward a busy highway within seconds of turning her back. Victoria, who shared the footage on her TikTok on Sunday, had barely turned her back when her youngest son was toddling toward the street. 'The scariest moment of my life. Grateful he is fine. Kids are so fast!' She captioned the horrifying incident. Victoria was returning home with her sons from what appears to be a regular day of school, stopping to fiddle with the keys at the front door. Victoria, who shared the footage on her TikTok on Sunday, had barely turned her back when her youngest son was toddling toward the street As she was trying to open it up, two of her sons standing by her side, the third takes the opportunity to make a run for it, pushing open a gate that was unlocked and walking down the path. He continues to move at pace while Victoria twists and turns the key in the lock, all the while believing he was right by her side with the other boys. After 33 seconds she has opened the fastening and is moving inside, when she realises one of her children is missing. In an instant she is standing at the door again and spots her young son walking directly towards oncoming traffic. She takes off, throwing her sons' schoolbag to the ground as she races toward him, stopping the young boy just as he reaches the intersection. 'I just held him and cried. I thought the gate was closed,' she said. She takes off, throwing her sons' schoolbag to the ground as she races toward him, stopping the young boy just as he reaches the intersection Thousands of parents replied to the video with many saying it only takes an instant for a tragedy to occur. 'He got so far, so fast! It only takes an instant,' one woman said. 'OMG!!! How hard did you cry??? My heart was in my throat,' said another. Poll Is it the mother's fault her young son got outside of the front gate? Yes, she should have stopped to glance back No, it was only 30 seconds Is it the mother's fault her young son got outside of the front gate? Yes, she should have stopped to glance back 358 votes No, it was only 30 seconds 228 votes Now share your opinion But others were less than impressed by how long it took the mother to turn around and notice something was wrong. 'No, they are not fast. You're just not paying attention,' one man replied. 'It took mum wayyyy too long to look back and check up on baby,' said another. A third added: 'She was so worried about putting everything else inside the house but the toddler'. A group of parents came to her defence online saying that similar incidents had happened to them. 'Most of these parents not watching their kids to criticise a stranger on TikTok too,' one woman replied. Another said: 'All the perfect parent commentary. Half of these people don't even have kids! So glad he is safe, mama. Could happen to anyone.' A British woman who has moved to Australia has shared the one bizarre difference she's noticed when looking for a place to rent: washing machines are rarely installed in the kitchen. In a TikTok video titled 'Aussie culture shock', comedy writer Jordana Grace re-enacted a conversation she had with a real estate agent while inspecting the kitchen of a Sydney apartment. Ms Grace asked the agent where the washing machine was and why it wasn't in the kitchen - but was shocked after being told most Aussie houses have laundry rooms equipped with both a washer and dryer. Most British houses have washing machines under bench tops in the kitchen due to limited space and power outlets in the bathroom. British comedy writer Jordana Grace (pictured) was shocked when she was told most Aussie households have a laundry room equipped with a washing machine, dryer and sink In a now-viral TikTok video, Ms Grace re-enacted a conversation between her and a real estate agent. Ms Grace asked the agent where the washing machine was and why it wasn't in the kitchen Poll Where do you have your washing machine? Kitchen Laundry room Bathroom Other Where do you have your washing machine? Kitchen 1047 votes Laundry room 2908 votes Bathroom 227 votes Other 329 votes Now share your opinion 'I can't see the washing machine in the kitchen,' Ms Grace said in the re-enacted video to which to real estate agent said: 'The washing machine isn't in the kitchen.' Ms Grace was then shown the 'huge' laundry room in a separate area of the house. 'Yeah it's a little small but does the job, and most Aussie houses have them. And it's so hot you won't need to use the tumble dryer, so you'll save money,' the agent told Ms Grace. She was also mind blown over the fact that Aussies tend to avoid using the dryer and instead hang their garments on a clothes line. Ms Grace was then shown the 'huge' laundry room in a separate area of the house she was inspecting to rent The humorous video has since been viewed more than half a million times and received hundreds of comments. 'I was shocked too, laundry rooms are my fave,' one person wrote. Other Aussies seemed puzzled as to why some UK and European homes place the household appliance in the kitchen. 'UK houses aren't big, there's no room for laundry rooms in many older ones and kitchens already have plumbing,' another British woman added. The humorous video has since been viewed more than half a million times and received hundreds of comments. By sharing her 'culture shock' videos, Ms Grace has gained a loyal TikTok following of more than 200,000 people By sharing her 'culture shock' videos, Ms Grace has gained a loyal TikTok following of more than 200,000 people. Last year in another video Ms Grace described driving Down Under as a type of 'laidback Hunger Games', which fails to reflect the stereotype of Australians being cheerful and relaxed. She explained how merging on a highway is a 'terrifying' experience because drivers make it difficult for other cars to get into the lane. Last year in another video Ms Grace described driving Down Under as a type of 'laidback Hunger Games', which fails to reflect the stereotype of Australians being cheerful and relaxed 'You know that lane that helps you merge onto the highway? I found in Australia they tend to be quite short, which is terrifying in itself,' she said in the video. 'But as you're speeding up, looking over your shoulder to try and find a gap to slide in Australians will speed up to try and ram you off the road! 'Okay so not RAM you off the road but they're not letting you in! You have to earn it! If you can get in and survive then you're welcome to stay.' Ms Grace went on to explain another aspect of driving in Australia that annoys her, regarding the courtesy 'thank you' wave you usually receive after letting another driver in the lane. 'You know when you let someone in and you get the courtesy wave to say 'thank you?' I rarely get that!' she said. 'If I have let you in, I want the wave! I want to wave!!!' The Aussie entrepreneur who revolutionised winged eyeliner with her Quick Flick beauty stamp has revealed how she became exhausted over the idea of living, and 'just wanted to die' after struggling with mental health from a young age. On paper Iris Smit, now 27, had it all - her dream car, a cute apartment and a thriving multi-million dollar business - but she still went to sleep at night hoping she wouldn't wake up in the morning. Iris rose to fame in 2017 after rejecting a $300,000 offer on Shark Tank to build her brand and despite an Instagram feed filled with 'happy photos' the then 22-year-old was struggling. Quick Flick entrepreneur, Iris Smit, has revealed how she felt worthless and 'wanted to die' in 2019 despite being the head of a multi-million dollar beauty company She said her 'life looked perfect on paper', she had her dream car, a nice apartment and was traveling the world but often wished she wouldn't wake up She has since won a spot on Forbes 30 under 30 list after expanding her brand to include the Beauty Fridge and a range of other 'quick' products like brow lamination. Now she has revealed how she has battled feelings of self-loathing and despair since her parents divorced when she was a child. She thought their separation was a reflection of her, she told 7Life, and even building a huge beauty empire couldn't help her shale the sense of shame. 'I was extremely good at wearing a mask and pretending my life was perfect. I pretended I was strong when I was struggling. I pretended I was happy when I wanted to die because I saw no way out,' Iris said. The material wealth she amassed from her beauty empire gave her no joy - she had her dream car, apartment and was more financially secure than most people her age but she wanted to die. Iris admits work became an unhealthy addiction - her source of respite from her dark life - and she would work from 6am to 1am to keep her mind off everything else. This lead to her being burnt out mentally and physically. She became addicted to work in an attempt to hide from her dark life She would often think about death and how to die - before realising she needed professional help By 2019 Iris wanted to 'go to sleep and never wake up' she thought she was 'unfixable'. It wasn't until she hit rock bottom that Iris realised she needed to get help for her mental health - despite being afraid she would be labelled 'crazy' if she let her 'happy' mask slip. 'Once I got help the shame around what had happened slowly started to peel off and I saw the benefits in sharing what I had been through. A story that had once crippled me, became one that allowed me to feel empowered and inspire others,' she said. She now believes speaking out about her mental health struggles can help others realise it is never too late to 'turn your life around'. The young Perth woman believes working through her trauma with help from professionals has helped her continue to build her business as well as heal her mental health. She told FEMAIL she is honoured to have made the list in what has been a difficult time for businesses in the Asia Pacific region - and has big plans for the years ahead. Now the 27-year-old has mental clarity and has made it on to Forbes 30 under 30 list The sharks were hugely interested in her $35 product with Andrew Banks choosing to invest $300,000 in the business (pictured on Shark Tank) 'I am honoured to receive this prestigious recognition, especially as a young female entrepreneur who has been business to her bootstraps since day one,' she said. 'The Quick Flick started for me in my living room, and to have watched it grow from local business to now being represented in major international retailers really is a dream come true.' 'It is very encouraging for an industry and group of people who deserve as much recognition as possible for their hard work. I am so proud to be representing the Perth small business industry in Forbes,' she said. The young woman soared to fame after her appearance on Shark Tank where she turned down a $300,000 offer for 25 percent of her beauty business Iris Smith (pictured) turned the very simple makeup idea into an incredible $10 million profit within a year Iris was one of 4,000 people to be put up for a place on the coveted list this year. The youngest person to make the list is just 14 - while the average is 26.8. Following her success with the Quick Flick and Beauty Fringe Iris created the Quick Screen range featuring a three-in-one moisturiser, primer and SPF50+ formula. She spent two years coming up with the products that offer full sun protection over makeup - and leaving skin glowing without any white marks or a 'cakey' mess. What is The Quick Flick? The stamp that promises the perfect cat eye in just seconds For years, Iris would spend 20 minutes a day creating the perfect cat eye by hand, laboriously trying to fix mistakes and dealing with more than a few puffy eyes. She figured there had to be a quicker way to get the perfect cat eye, and so this self-taught make up devotee turned into a self-taught businesswoman. The $35 product is pre-loaded with ink and comes with two stamps - one for each eye - and a felt tip liner to complete the popular look. Advertisement Not only does the sunscreen shield your face from the sun, but it also protects your skin against blue light damage from digital gadgets. 'Growing up in sunny Western Australia, SPF has always been the most important thing I've done for my skin. However, finding a multi-tasking sunscreen that I felt excited to put on my face proved tricky,' the beauty innovation queen said. 'I wanted to challenge myself to really innovate and improve upon the existing products available to consumers', the entrepreneur said. She created a new collection of SPF50+ products designed to be worn with your makeup She spent two years coming up with a simple solution by creating products that offer full sun protection over makeup - and leaving skin glowing without any white marks or a 'cakey' mess 'I'm really proud to bring not one, but two products to the market that perfectly blend skincare and suncare and solve a lot of the problems that consumers face when using suncare products.' Iris first found herself in the beauty world after she launch her brand The Quick Flick, which offers women an easier way of 'stamping' a perfect winged tip onto your lids in just seconds. The young entrepreneur - who invested $10,000 of her own money into the brand - appeared on Shark Tank in May 2018 just three months into her business. The 'sharks' were interested in her $35 product with Andrew Banks offering to invest $300,000 - a deal for 25 per cent of her company - just three months after she launched in 2016. She also invented these for those who like to chill their skincare Iris has built a stunning $15million beauty empire after creating Quick Flick and Beauty Fridge But five months later, when it was time to sign the contract, Iris realised her business was worth far more than the offer, with deals from giants such as Priceline. 'When the Shark Tank show was filmed, i'd only been in business for three months. It was early days, however, I was already turning over $100,000 a month by that stage,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'My business was valued by the sharks on the show at $1 million, however by the time the show aired in May, its valuation had already tripled. I wasn't in the position where I really needed the $300,000. The Quick Flick first made headlines in December 2017 after Iris, the then-university interior architecture student, launched her brand in her two-bedroom apartment - and dropping off orders at the Post Office via a shopping trolley 'I was cash flow positive and I already had plenty of retail deals lined up. Signing the deal would have also restricted me from starting other brands such as Beauty Fridge. 'I had so many ideas for other products and brands, I didn't want to limit my career and lock myself in. 'Despite having so many friends and family pressuring me to sign the deal, the thought of it gave me anxiety. I trusted my gut, so I knew it wasn't right.' Her products including The Quick Brow are now stocked right across Australia The winged eye-liner queen went out on her own - and within 12 months, she turned over $10 million dollars. 'I didn't ever imagine that The Quick Flick would blow up like it did after the Shark Tank show. The publicity we received was invaluable,' she said. 'I honestly believe the company grew overnight what other businesses would grow in a few years. It was definitely tough and I had to put procedures in place pretty quickly to ensure we could keep up with the demand.' If you need help in a crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For further information about depression contact beyondblue on 1300 224 636. A beachgoer has queried why some shells he finds on the shore have tiny holes seemingly 'drilled' into them - and the truth behind the interesting feature is horrifying. The Adelaide man was on Henley Beach when he found two shells with perfect circles on top of them, the exact size one might need to put a string through them and craft a necklace. 'What's making these perfect circles in these shells?' He questioned on Reddit, sharing a picture alongside. Those in the comment section of the Reddit thread agreed that they had seen them before and often wondered how it was possible to make the hole without the rest of the shell cracking. The Adelaide man was on Henley Beach when he found two shells with perfect circles on top of them, the exact size one might need to put a string through them and craft a necklace 'I hope someone can answer this, my kids asked me the other day and I was like...,' one person wrote. 'Always wondered, never found out,' said another. Professor Culum Brown, from the School of Natural Sciences at Macquarie University, told Yahoo that the circles were pretty common and were made by an animal. 'There are actually loads of predatory snails out there, like moon snails, that use their radula - their chainsaw-like tongue - to drill through the shells of bivalves and suck out the gooey insides,' he said. Within the bivalve family there are clams, oysters, cockles, mussels and scallops. 'You'll find heaps of these shells along the beach with these perfect drill holes in them,' he continued. 'There are actually loads of predatory snails out there, like moon snails, that use their radula - their chainsaw-like tongue - to drill through the shells of bivalves and suck out the gooey insides,' he said 'There is no way into a bivalve when it's closed, so these guys just go through it.' As a result their tongue is razor sharp in order to cut through the shells and retrieve the flesh inside. Often these moon snails mistaken regular shells for bivalves, hence why there are plenty of circles in already opened shells laying on the sand. Moon snails are voracious predators on the clams that share their habitat, the Slater Museum of Natural History concurs on its website. They find a clam, presumably by chemoreception, and envelope it in their big foot and often drag it more deeply into the sand. Most individuals following the Reddit thread were surprised to learn of the carnivorous sea snails The radula - their tongue - has seven rows of teeth with which they use to dig a hole into the clam shell. A gland secretes enzymes and even hydrochloric acid to help accomplish this. The snail then rasps and sucks out the clam's tissues over a period of a day or so. Most individuals following the Reddit thread were surprised to learn of the carnivorous sea snails. 'This is both moderately disturbing and really fricken cool,' one person wrote. 'Jeez, carnivorous snails - hopefully they stay in the water,' said another. Doctors have revealed why peeing in the shower for both men and women is bad for your bladder - and outlined the correct way for women to go to the toilet sitting down Urogynaecologist Dr Teresa Irwin took to TikTok to share her musings on the subject, stating that while it will empty the bladder correctly while standing up, it also trains your brain to release urine every time you hear water running. 'You don't want to do it all the time because what happens is every time you hear the sound of water your bladder is going to want to pee - because it's used to hearing the sound of the water in the shower,' she explained. Urogynaecologist Dr Teresa Irwin took to TikTok to share her musings on the subject, stating that while it will empty the bladder correctly while standing up, it also trains your brain to release urine every time you hear water running 'So whenever you're washing your hands, washing the dishes, your bladder is going to be salivating so to speak because it wants to go and pee.' Dr Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas, who is a Boston-based pelvic floor therapist, agreed with Dr Irwin, detailing the dangerous side effects that can come from peeing while standing under a running stream of water. 'If you pee while the water is running then you're creating an association in your brain between the sound of running water and having to pee,' she told her 468,000 followers on TikTok in 2021. Dr Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas took to TikTok to explain to her 465,000 followers that people should stop peeing in the shower Without a strong pelvic floor, this 'could potentially lead to some leak issues when you hear running water outside of the shower,' she added. Not to mention people born with female anatomy 'were not designed to pee standing up'. Apparently even with one leg up in the 'Captain Morgan' pose Dr Jeffrey-Thomas modeled in the video, 'you're pelvic floor isn't going to relax properly, which means we're really not going to be emptying our bladder super well'. 'So try to pee before you ever turn on the shower water and if you get the urge to pee while you're in there try to ignore it,' Dr Jeffrey-Thomas recommended. The doctor referenced scientist Ivan Pavlov's famous experiment with dogs that led to the discovery of the phenomenon of classical conditioning. 'He rings the bell every time he puts food out for the dogs so eventually the dog starts to associate the bell (with food) and he starts to slobber even if there's no food there,' Dr Jeffrey-Thomas explained. In a series titled How To Train Your Bladder, Dr Jeffrey-Thomas offered ways people can 'avoid leaks' when they hear the sound of running water outside of the shower In a series titled How To Train Your Bladder, the doctor's orders are to try and use the bathroom only 'three to four times during the day but a minimum of two'. 'Ideally, you should not be getting up at night,' Dr Jeffrey-Thomas explained. Say goodbye to going 'just in case,' too, because 'the goal is to ride the wave so that we're not giving in at that high level of intensity to go...and also not leaking,' she added. If you're constantly giving in to the urge to go to the bathroom right away, then you're training your brain to send that signal to your body more often. The 30-year-old posted more videos on her TikTok about the harmful effects of peeing in the shower and commenters are responding that they're 'just tryna save water' Townsville Hospital's Director of Urogynaecology and Head of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at James Cook University Professor Ajay Rane told Mamamia that there is a correct way for women to pee. 'Given the construction of the western closet, the appropriate posture is to sit on the toilet with your feet flat on the ground, because flat feet promote relaxation of your thigh muscles and your pelvic muscles,' Prof. Rane said at an American Urogynaecology Society Meeting on 'The Perfect Pee' back in 2004. 'You have your elbows on your knees and you lean forward as if you are reading a newspaper on the floor. This promotes efficient emptying of both your bowel and bladder.' Young people who go to university are almost three times less likely to commit suicide than those who don't, official data suggests. An Office of National Statistics (ONS) report looked at the rates in the general population compared to people in higher education, which also included college. It found that, between 2017 and 2020, suicides among under-25s in England and Wales were 2.7 times lower in people studying compared to those who were not. More mature students, those aged over 25 and above had suicide rates about 2.4 times lower than the general population. It is not clear if the pandemic impacted the trend, when universities and colleges moved to online tutoring and many students were sent home. The ONS found 319 students had died by suicide in England and Wales between 2017 and 2020, almost two-thirds of which were men. This meant university students had an overall suicide rate of 3.9 per 100,000 people, far lower than the general population rate of 12.5 per 100,000. ONS data shows people of all ages were less likely to die by suicide if they were in higher education. Students under the age of 25 were 2.7 times less likely to kill themselves than the general population The data for the past four years also shows 2020 had the lowest suicide rate among higher education students in the past four years, 3 per 100,000 people Male first year undergraduates were the students most at risk of suicide with a rate of 7.8 deaths per 100,000 By age group, students under the age of 20 had a suicide rate of 3.1 per 100,000, 2.7 times lower than teenagers in the general population which have a suicide rate of 8.4 per 100,000. Students in their early-to-mid 20s also had a suicide rate 2.7 times lower than that people of the same age in the general population, 3.6 per 100,000 compared to 9.8. Record 420,000 children are now being treated by the NHS for mental health problems every month A record number of children are now being treated for mental health problems on the NHS, according to figures. Latest NHS figures reveal 420,000 under-18s were either undergoing treatment or waiting to start in February. This is a 54 per cent rise in the number of young people seeking help compared to the same time in 2020, before the pandemic struck. Experts say Covid has exacerbated mental health conditions like anxiety, depression and self-harm among children. NHS services may be overwhelmed by rising demand for help, campaigners fear. Virus restrictions and school closures damaged the mental health of UK children by disrupting their routines and decreasing social contact with friends. Advertisement ONS statisticians said while the data showed university students were at lower risk of suicide, every death was still a tragedy. Figures for 2020 also showed the lowest suicide rates in students in four years further dashing fears pandemic lockdowns would see a spike in deaths. However, the effects of 2021 are yet to be seen and the ONS said data for suicides in 2020 could change if more deaths are registered. ONS data for mature students also showed they had a lower rates of suicide than the general population. It recorded 4.6 suicides per 100,000 for people aged 25-to-29 and 5.5 per 100,000 for those over 30-years-old. This is 2.4 times lower than the suicide rates for these age groups in the general population, which are 11.3 and 13.4 per 100,000 respectively. For the four years analysed, suicide rates in male university students were 5.6 per 100,000 compared to 2.5 in female students. This in line with general suicide statistics, with men at greater risk of taking their own lives. Julie Stanborough, ONS head of Health Analysis and Life Events, said: 'While higher education students have lower rates of suicides compared with the general population of similar ages, every suicide is a tragedy for those involved,' she said. 'This analysis aims to provide insight and help those who develop suicide prevention policies and initiatives among higher education students.' The data also showed that in 2020, the first year of the Covid pandemic, there were 64 suicides among higher education students. This translates to a rate of 3 per 100,000, the lowest rate in the last four years, though ONS statisticians say the overall low number of deaths by suicides mean year-on-year comparisons make it difficult to identify significant differences. There has been a record growth in the number of children and young listed as having an 'open referral' with NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in England, with 420,314 as of February. This is a 147,853 rise compared to pre-pandemic figures according to figures seen by The Guardian An estimated 6,000 Britons and 48,000 Americans die by suicide each year. Attempted suicides thought to be 10 to 20 times higher than these figures. The ONS study comes amid growing concerns about the impact of the Covid pandemic and its lockdown restrictions on children and young people's mental health. Last week it was revealed that a record number of children are now being treated for mental health problems on the NHS in England. NHS figures show 420,000 under-18s were either undergoing treatment or waiting to start in February. This is a 54 per cent rise in the number of young people seeking help compared to the same time in 2020, before the pandemic struck. Experts say Covid has exacerbated mental health conditions like anxiety, depression and self-harm among children. NHS services may be overwhelmed by rising demand for help, campaigners fear. Virus restrictions and school closures damaged the mental health of UK children by disrupting their routines and decreasing social contact with friends. Pride parades pose little risk of spreading monkeypox because most transmission is linked to 'enclosed spaces' such as nightclubs, a World Health Organization adviser has hinted. Andy Seale, from the agency's department for HIV, hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections, said in a briefing yesterday there was no 'enhanced risk' of transmission at the annual celebrations. Many cases have been traced back to gatherings in indoor spaces, he said, where the virus transmits through physical touch. He added that condoms would not stop someone from getting infected because skin lesions that spread the virus could open up all over the body. In Britain, health chiefs are telling people suffering any symptom of the virus such as a rash to abstain from sex and close physical contact. Once someone clears an infection they are being told to wear a condom for eight weeks 'as a precaution'. There is no evidence it spreads through semen. A disproportionate number of monkeypox infections have been detected among gay and bisexual men globally and in the United States. Europe's outbreak which has now hit 400 cases is suspected to have been driven by mass pride celebrations in Spain and a fetish festival in Belgium last month. But the WHO suggests the virus may have been spreading on the continent undetected since as early as March 15. In the U.S., a total of 15 cases have been detected across eight states. Most are linked to international travel, although health chiefs are now assuming that human-to-human transmission is taking place in the country. Andy Seale, from the agency's department for HIV, hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections, said in a briefing yesterday there was 'no reason to be concerned' about catching the virus at these events The WHO says Pride parades should go ahead as normal. Pictured are people celebrating Pride in San Diego, California Speaking during the conference, Seale said: 'From our point of view, we would like to send a message that it is important that people who want to go out and celebrate gay pride LGBTQ+ pride to continue to go and do so. 'Most of these events are outdoors, they are family friendly. 'We don't see any reason to be concerned about enhanced likelihood of transmission in that context because the parties we have bene looking into have been in more enclosed spaces etc.' People with monkeypox told to abstain from sex and wear condoms for EIGHT WEEKS after infection People with monkeypox have been told to avoid having sex. Even after clearing the infection, they are advised to wear condoms for eight weeks. Health chiefs insist the risk to the public remains low. But they have urged everyone to be on the lookout for new rashes or lesions on any part of their body which appear like spots, ulcers or blisters. In the guidance, the UKHSA said: 'Cases should also abstain from sex while symptomatic, including the period of early symptom onset, and while lesions are present. 'Whilst there is currently no available evidence of monkeypox in genital excretions, as a precaution, cases are advised to use condoms for eight weeks after infection and this guidance will be updated as evidence emerges.' Advertisement In the briefing, Seale also gave advice that wearing a condom would not be enough to stop the virus spreading. 'We shouldn't shy away from reminding people that it is still useful to talk about condoms, for example, for protecting people against pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. 'But for monkeypox, condoms will not provide a layer of protection that's additional given the fact that close bodily contact is the main risk factor.' Monkeypox infections begin with a fever before a rash emerges across the face. Around five days later lesions also appear on the skin. Many cases are mild and clear up within four weeks on their own. But between one in ten and one in 100 people who become infected die from the disease. It is primarily spread through physical contact with skin lesions, with people only able to pass on the virus when they have symptoms. Last week the WHO called on gay and bisexual men to take precautions to limit their exposure to the virus. They said anyone who has symptoms should isolate at home and avoid skin-to-skin contact with others. They were also told to keep their hands and surfaces that are regularly touched clean, and to wear a mask if they came into close contact with others. They said: 'Monkeypox can spread during close skin-to-skin contact during sex, including kissing, touching, oral and penetrative sex with someone who has symptoms. 'Avoid having close contact with anyone who has symptoms'. Last week LGBT dating app Grindr sent out a monkeypox alert urging gay and bisexual men to be aware of the virus' symptoms. The warning was issued to users across Europe last night, advising them to contact their sexual health provider if they have any unusual sores or rashes. British health chiefs are now ordering potential monkeypox patients to avoid having sex with others. In guidance published on Monday, they said: 'People with possible, probable or confirmed monkeypox should avoid contact with other people until their lesions have healed and the scabs have dried off. 'Do not go to a sexual health clinic without contacting them first. Stay at home and avoid close contact with other people until you've been told what to do.' Globally, monkeypox has now been spotted in more than 20 countries where it is not native with most in Europe. Health chiefs say the virus was likely circulating for some time potentially as early as March 15 but remained undetected. A total of 15 cases have been spotted in the U.S. so far, with Florida today revealing it has detected another potential case. They are mostly among gay and bisexual men and have been linked to travel abroad with people returning from Canada or Europe. One case in Virginia which is in a woman has been traced back to recent travel from an area of Africa where it is endemic. There are now potential cases of human-to-human transmission being reported on U.S. soil, in a sign the outbreak is still circulating undiagnosed. The first female leader of the British Medical Association's GP committee took sick leave due to a sexist culture at the union. Dr Farah Jameel, a doctor in Camden, London, became the first woman in the committee's 100-year history to be elected as chair in November 2021. But she was forced to take absence in March because of the committees toxic culture, according to doctors' magazine Pulse. Dr Jameel, a GP herself in North London, is now back in the role at the union which strikes deals with the NHS over GP contracts. The BMA admits that there are 'wider concerns' about the working conditions in the GPC but dismissed the idea that sexism is 'common' across its organisation. However, a female former BMA chair, who was in charge of policy, claims to have left the organisation due to stress partly caused by the organisations culture. The accusations come two years after a review found that the 'toxic' BMA has an 'old boys' club culture' which treats women 'as of less importance and ability'. Female doctors reported being called 'silly girls' and suffering from sexual harassment and bullying, it found. Dr Farah Jameel, a doctor in Camden, London, became the first female chair of the British Medical Association (BMA) GP Committee (GPC) in England in November 2021. The GPC represents all family doctors in the country and deals with all matters affecting GPs that work for the NHS. But Dr Jameel took time off from March, blaming the 'conduct and culture' of the committee for adding to her ill health. She is now back in her role England's GP postcode lottery laid bare: Some areas have HALF number of doctors as others while Portsmouth, Brighton, Essex and Hull have as little as 40 GPs per 100,000 patients England's GP postcode lottery was laid bare today as official data showed some areas have half as many doctors per patient as others. Analysis from the Nuffield Trust thinktank shows GPs in some parts of the country are responsible for more than 2,500 patients each, while in other regions they care for 1,250 patients on average each. On average there are 2,200 patients for every GP. The figures show the areas with the worst access to GPs are in Portsmouth in Hampshire, Brighton in Sussex, Hull in East Ridings of Yorkshire and Thurrock in Essex. Campaigners described the shocking disparities as 'a serious failing' by the NHS, which was founded on the 'principle of equal treatment'. GPs said 'the number of patients per GP is rising to unsafe and unmanageable levels'. Doctors blamed the regional differences on falling numbers of physicians across the board, with some areas having 'greater difficulties recruiting new GPs'. It comes amid calls from doctors to fine patients 10 if they miss their appointments. There have been nearly 4.5milion appointments in England where patients did not turn up since the start of the year about 40,000 a day. With the average GP appointment estimated to cost the NHS 39, this means patient no-shows have cost the taxpayer almost 175million so far in 2022. Advertisement Doctors with links to the GPC told Pulse that Dr Jameel faced sexist comments in her role. One GP said they had been approached by senior officials within the BMA to say the organisation 'doesnt know what to do with her'. BMA joint chief executive officers, Rachel Podolak and Neeta Major said: 'We are very concerned to see these reports of sexist comments directed towards Dr Farah Jameel. 'Sexist comments of any kind are of course unacceptable. 'We can confirm that Dr Jameel has raised concerns about the conduct and culture she has experienced within the BMA and the impact that this has had on her health and wellbeing whilst she has been chair of GPC England. 'These issues are of great importance to the BMA, and we will seek to deal with them as we commence our new role.' A spokesperson for the BMA said: 'There are also wider concerns about conduct and culture related to GPC England specifically, which the BMA recognises and is seeking to tackle. 'This includes repeated instances of poor conduct on the GPC England list server [this is a method of sharing information via a group email system] and several instances of confidential material being leaked to the media.' But the BMA said it is 'wrong' to claim these issues affect the whole organisation 'which is functioning effectively and productively'. A spokesperson said it is working to tackle issues identified in a review by Daphne Romney QC in October 2019, which was commissioned by the BMA after female doctors spoke out against sexual harassment and sexism at the union. The review found the BMA had an 'old boys' club culture' which treats women 'as of less importance and ability'. Some men were found to be addressing women in demeaning terms, such as silly girls, naughty girls and wee lassies. In interviews, female doctors and members of staff told Ms Romney they feel 'undervalued, ignored, and patronised because they are women.' Ms Romney said some women were not viewed as 'real doctors' because they work part-time, while conversations 'focus on asking them about their children, and how their husbands are coping with their absence, rather than asking them about their achievements, their career aspirations and their views on policy.' The report stated: 'Female staff with university degrees are told to make the tea, or asked whether they want to come and work as a doctor's secretary or P.A; some have been told, "you have a lot to prove because you're a woman".' Ms Romney also found women having their concerns belittled or ignored, while others were shouted at, sexually harassed, bullied, or excluded from committees on which they sat. The BMA said it has made 'very significant progress' in tackling the issues identified in the report and female representation has increased 'across the BMA's committees'. It added: 'We continue to work hard to improve our culture. Recently a letter sent was to all committees to remind members of the standards of behaviour expected when engaged BMA activities.' Pulse also reported that the former chair of the BMA's representative body left the organisation over culture issues. Sources told the news website this included sexism. England's GP postcode lottery was laid bare today as official data showed some areas have half as many doctors per patient as others. Nuffield Trust analysis shows there are 39.5 GPs caring for every 100,000 people in Portsmouth. People in Thurrock have 40.3 family doctors for every 100,000 people in the area and in Hull there are 41.9 per 100,000 NHS data shows there have been nearly 4.5milion booked GP appointments where patients did not turn up since the start of the year, about 40,000 per day Official figures show just 63 per cent of consultations were carried out in-person in England in April. At the current rate, it would take until September 2023 to reach the more than 80 per cent of appointments being made in person seen before the pandemic Salford had the lowest proportion of patients seen in-person with less than half (46 per cent) of appointments made face-to-face. It was followed by Bury (51 per cent), Somerset (53 per cent) and Frimley (53 per cent). Some 79 per cent of appointments in Kirklees were done in person Doctors call for patients who miss GP appointments to be FINED up to 10 Patients who fail to show up for GP appointments should be fined 10 per missed session, doctors say. The calls come as NHS data shows there have been nearly 4.5milion appointments in England where patients did not turn up since the start of the year about 40,000 a day. With the average GP appointment estimated to cost the NHS 39, this means patient no-shows have cost the taxpayer almost 175million so far in 2022. It comes after tens of millions of GP appointments were cancelled by the NHS during the pandemic so doctors could focus on Covid. Many patients are still struggling to see a GP as services fail to bounce back, with less than half of appointments now conducted face-to-face now. Advertisement The former chair has not been identified. But Dr Helena McKeown, who used to hold the role, said at time the Romney review was published: 'I am of an age where sexism has pervaded so many parts of my personal and working life for too long. 'It's not just within the BMA, but that doesn't mean we accept it; we don't, and we won't.' However, the BMA said it was unaware of sexist behaviours contributing to the individuals decision to leave the organisation. Instead, the former employee cited personal and family reasons, it said. The BMA added: 'Neither the BMA nor our independent external complaints process has been asked to investigate any such allegation from the former chair and the BMA refutes the reasons for a female former chair of the RB leaving were due to sexism.' Dr Jameel came under fire last year after a first-person piece she wrote for publication GPOnline in 2018 re-emerged. She claimed offering non-core services 'is another example of GPs' goodwill being exploited and taken advantage of.' Non-core services include inserting pessaries, phlebotomies and spirometries. The NHS doesn't pay for these, meaning doctors don't have to offer them. But critics said doctors should offer the services regardless and condemned Dr Jameel's 'lax attitude'. It comes after official data today laid bare England's GP postcode lottery, which sees some areas have half as many doctors per patient as others. Analysis from the Nuffield Trust thinktank shows GPs in some parts of the country are responsible for more than 2,500 patients each, while in other regions they care for 1,250 patients on average each. On average there are 2,200 patients for every GP. The figures show the areas with the worst access to GPs are in Portsmouth in Hampshire, Brighton in Sussex, Hull in East Ridings of Yorkshire and Thurrock in Essex. Campaigners described the shocking disparities as 'a serious failing' by the NHS, which was founded on the 'principle of equal treatment'. GPs said 'the number of patients per GP is rising to unsafe and unmanageable levels'. Doctors blamed the regional differences on falling numbers of physicians across the board, with some areas having 'greater difficulties recruiting new GPs'. Humans DNA could be edited to cure genetic conditions such as progeria that causes sufferers to age so fast they die while still teenagers. Scientists at Harvard University say they have made a 'base editor' or enzymes that can cut out and replace faulty genes. Bodies will then start to function normally, they said, as cells given the treatment will use the edited DNA. Studies in animals stricken with progeria or sickle cell anemia found the animals were cured after getting the injection. It is yet to be tested in humans. Dr James Liu, a geneticist who developed the tool, said it could be used for people such as progeria patient Adalia Rose who died this year at just 15 years old. Scientists at Harvard University say they have made a 'base editor' that can be used to cut out and replace faulty genes. It is yet to be tested on humans (stock image) Dr James Liu, a geneticist who developed it, said the device could be used to help patients such as Adalia Rose (pictured) who died aged 15 with the genetic condition progeria which causes the body to age rapidly and not grow normally Progeria is a very rare genetic condition, with up to 300 cases known across the whole of the U.S. estimates suggest. It is caused by a single mutation in DNA which leads to rapid aging and development problems within the first few months of life. Sufferers rarely live beyond their teenage years. Dr Liu said he was hopeful human trials could begin to establish whether his device could help patients with the disease. He told CNN: 'Base editors are like pencils that precisely correct letters [in the DNA] by changing them to one of four different letters. 'We have to make sure all of these different technologies go through clinical trials very carefully. 'But if they prove to be safe and efficacious, then one could imagine treating not just rare misspellings that cause grievous genetic diseases but perhaps even treating gene variants we know contribute to terrible diseases like Alzheimer's.' He suggested the treatment could also be used for other patients with genetic conditions such as those suffering from sickle cell anemia when red blood cells do not form correctly. Last year Dr Liu's team gave the treatment to mice that were sickened with progeria from human patients 14 days after they were born. About 90 percent saw muscle cells recover following the injection, and saw their lifespan double. The technology was also tested in mice that had sickle cell anemia and again 16 weeks later the scientists said that 80 percent of the mice given the jab were greatly improved. Rose, from Texas, was diagnosed with progeria when she was just three months old. But as she grew up she found fame on social media, racking in almost 3million subscribers on YouTube alone. In January, her family said she had died as a result of her condition. She reached two years over the average life expectancy for someone suffering from the disease. GSK has named three directors who will join the board of its consumer business Haleon GSK has named three directors who will join the board of its consumer business Haleon. The appointees include Asmita Dubey, chief digital and marketing officer at LOreal, as well as MarieAnne Aymerich, the former head of oral care at consumer goods giant Unilever, said the pharma group. Also joining board is Bryan Supran, who has been selected by US pharma giant Pfizer, which will hold a stake in Haleon after it splits from GSK. The non-executive directors will join former Tesco boss Sir Dave Lewis, who was unveiled as chairman of Haleon in December. The appointments came ahead of the planned demerger of Haleon from GSK in July. The Greens will try to push the new Labor government to act 'further and faster' on climate change and inequality after securing the balance of power in the senate. The radical left-wing party will have a record 12 senators in the new parliament alongside at four members of the lower house. This means it will have the power to block Labor laws that are opposed by the Coalition, handing it significant leverage over Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's agenda. The last time this happened in 2010, the Greens pushed Labor PM Julia Gillard to introduce a carbon tax even though she promised there wouldn't be one. The radical left-wing party will have a record 12 senators in the new parliament alongside four members of the lower house. Pictured: Queensland Greens senator Larissa Waters (left) and newly elected senator Penny Allman-Payne Mr Albanese (right landing in Tokyo) will face a push from the Greens in the senate Greens leader Adam Bandt has declared his priority is to ban the creation of new coal and gas mines in Australia. 'There's no basis on which you can say, from a climate perspective - or even from an economic perspective that any new coal and gas mines stack up,' he said after the election. 'The International Energy Agency, the world's scientists, the United Nations Secretary-General, have all said that to meet net-zero goals, there can be no new coal, oil or gas projects starting from now. 'That is the environmental and economic reality. That is something that we will be pushing for in the next parliament.' Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe confronted police during a refugee demonstration in Melbourne on May 4. She told police 'you are the criminals' and accused one of pushing her The Greens will likely push Labor to increase its 2030 emissions reduction target of 43 per cent. The party wants a 75 per cent cut and net zero emissions by 2035. It also wants to ban the export of coal and the sale of petrol cars by 2030 - as well as wipe student debt, legalise cannabis, and double welfare payments to $88 a day. Mr Bandt suggested Labor would have to make concessions, arguing: 'Voters have made it clear they want the Greens to push the Albanese Government to go further and faster on climate change and inequality. Likely senate make-up Coalition: 33 Labor: 26 Greens: 12 One Nation: 2 Lambie Network: 2 David Pocock: 1 Total: 76 Advertisement 'We want to work with Anthony Albanese to deliver the stable, effective, progressive government that Australians have voted for, but he will need to work constructively with the Greens and the rest of the crossbench.' The Greens' website states the party wants to re-create the collaboration with Labor seen in the ACT Government on a national scale. 'Through collaboration, negotiation and mutual respect, we have built the most progressive and inclusive government in the country,' it reads. 'In 2020 the ACT became the first state/territory in Australia to hit 100 per cent clean, green, renewable energy.' However, Labor's energy spokesman Chris Bowen said Mr Albanese would not budge on his climate policies. 'We sought a mandate. We will be implementing policies we took to the election,' he told the Australian Financial Review last week. Labor sources said many of its policies could be implemented without legislation, such as upgrading the emissions reduction target and setting stricter pollution limits for big emitters, thereby avoiding a fight with the Greens in parliament. Mr Albanese is urging the Greens to support his climate agenda and not block it because they don't consider it strong enough like in 2009. 'I hope that they have learned from that earlier period,' he said. Meanwhile, senior Liberal senator Anne Ruston said the Coalition would be willing to work with Labor to prevent some of the Greens' more radical policies. 'The two major parties may just have to start working a little more closely together to get sensible policy because I don't think Australians necessarily would like to see some of the policies of the Greens put into place by the Labor Party,' she said. 'I think there is going to have to be a new relationship between the two major parties to make sure we do get sensible policy, because we can get some pretty crazy policy if you're relying on the Greens to support Labor.' Greens promise to legalise weed, ban petrol cars and wipe out student debts: Read the party's VERY ambitious plan to change Australia The Australian Greens have pledged to legalise marijuana, wipe student debt, make childcare free and ban petrol cars in an ambitious election agenda. The Greens announced they would spend at least $66billion of taxpayers' money to wipe all student debt. Here Daily Mail Australia takes a look at what they have promised in policies that will cost hundreds of billions. Wipe student debt The Greens want to wipe all student loan debts, meaning Aussies with student loan debt would not be required to pay it back. 'Student debt should not be an added burden on people who are already struggling, especially after the impacts of the pandemic,' said Education spokeswoman Mehreen Faruqi. The Greens are promising to scrap all student loan debts if the party is able to secure the balance of power at the federal election. Pictured: Leader Adam Bandt 'Many current MPs, including the Prime Minister, went to university when it was free, but now students are being saddled with tens of thousands of dollars in study debt that often takes decades to repay.' In 2020-21, the average student debt in Australia was $23,685. The total value of HELP debt in 2020 was $66.6billion. The Greens also want to make childcare, school, TAFE and university free. University was free in Australia from 1974 but fees were re-introduced in the 1980s. Legalise weed The Greens believe drug use should be treated as a health issue, not a criminal issue. They would legalise, tax and regulate cannabis, fund pill testing at festivals and establish safe injecting facilities in each capital city. The Greens want to set up a regulated cannabis market with an Australian Cannabis Agency to issue licences for production and sale and ensure quality. The Greens believe drug use should be treated as a health issue, not a criminal issue Aussies would be allowed to grow six plants at home for personal use but there would be big fines for selling without a licence. Adverts for the drug would be banned. 'The major parties in this countries are intent on pushing forward a policy that criminalises drug users, supports an unregulated and dangerous market and makes people fear seeking help when they need it,' the Greens say on their website. Ban petrol cars The Greens want to immediately ban the construction of new coal, oil and gas infrastructure. Their target is to phase out the mining, burning and export of thermal coal by 2030. They also want to stop subsidies for fossil fuel companies, ban political donations from these industries and re-introduce a carbon price. The Greens would also end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, subsidise electric cars and build charging stations across the country They would spend billions on renewable energy and storage to make sure Australia's electricity comes from 100 per cent renewable sources. The Greens would also end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, subsidise electric cars and build charging stations across the country. They want to spend $25 billion on more rail and bus services and build a high-speed rail line from Melbourne to Brisbane. The Greens also want to end land clearing and native forest logging and plant millions of trees. Make more healthcare free The Greens want to make dental care free at the point of use under the Medicare system. They would also spend $4.8billion to provide unlimited psychologist or psychiatrist mental health sessions under Medicare. The Greens want to make dental care free at the point of use under the Medicare system Parental leave at $100,000 a year The Greens want to shake up parental leave to give parents 26 weeks off. Their plan involves giving each parent six weeks off on a 'use it or lose it' basis and another 14 weeks on top of that for a couple to share between them. The leave would be paid by taxpayers at the carer's wage up to $100,000 per year, instead of at minimum wage. There would also be superannuation paid on all parental leave. Minimum wage hike The Greens want to make the minimum wage 60 per cent of the median wage. The median wage for full-time people in Australia is currently $1,835 a week and 60 per cent of this would be $1,101. This would make the minimum annual wage $57,264 per year, up from $40,175 per year or $772.60 per week. Slash defence spending The Greens - who call their defence spokesman the peace and disarmament spokesman - want to slash defence spending to 1.5 per cent of GDP. They want to cut down on guns and tanks and instead maintain a 'light, readily deployable and highly mobile force that meets the needs of our place in the world'. The Greens - who call their defence spokesman the peace and disarmament spokesman - want to slash defence spending to 1.5 per cent of GDP The Greens also want laws to stop Governments going to war without Parliamentary approval, a move that critics say would damage the nation's ability to act swiftly in face of threats. The Greens also want to 'renegotiate' the nation's alliance with the US and ban killer drones. They want to end the offshore detention of illegal immigrants and increase refugee intake to 50,000 a year. End racism and sexism The Greens say 'racism is widespread in Australia' and 'racial trauma is an everyday reality for so many people'. They would mandate anti-racism training for all federal MPs and Commonwealth employees and spend $5million on an anti-racism campaign. The Greens also say 'we live in a rape culture: one that normalises sexual assault as ''boys will be boys''.' They would mandate that all MPs undertake regular, comprehensive anti-bullying and harassment training and fund a national respectful relationships program in public schools. Tax the rich even more The Greens have proposed a billionaires' tax which takes six per cent of wealth from anyone with a net worth of more than $1billion. They say this tax on 122 Australian citizens would raise approximately $40billion over 10 years. They also want a Corporate Super-Profits Tax, which applies a 40 per cent tax to companies with revenue over $100million a year. Advertisement Migrants waiting for months on end in Mexico to get into the U.S. are pleading for Texas Governor Greg Abbott to send them back to their home countries rather than expel them to Mexico when they illegally cross the border. 'We have a message for Governor Abbott,' a group of four female Honduran migrants living on the streets in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico told DailyMail.com. 'Send us back to Honduras.' 'Stop sending us back to Mexico,' pleaded the women in their mid-20s to mid-30s. Several migrants indicated they are not tuned into U.S. policies, claiming that they were unaware of Title 42 and that they would be sent back to Mexico if they tried to cross into the U.S. and were denied release. Some are aware of the policies, but didn't think conditions in Mexico would be so dire. Others said that they planned to remain in Mexico until Title 42 was lifted, but decided once the policy was no longer ending Monday that they would make a break for it and cross into the U.S., claiming they had waited long enough. Emanuel Perez, 30, from Guatemala told DailyMail.com on Tuesday that Mexican citizens and authorities are abusive toward foreign migrants. The migrant, who is also waiting in Piedras Negras, said that police Mexicans steal migrants' phones and money as they live on the streets and in migrant camps waiting for their chance to make a break for it and illegally flee over the border into the U.S. Migrants are still attempting to cross into the U.S. even thought Title 42 did not end on Monday, May 23 as it was previously supposed to. Pictured: A migrant woman clutches to a crying young boy as she tries to convince Mexican authorities to let her continue forward across the Rio Grande River to the U.S. Emanuel Perez, 30, from Guatemala (pictured) told DailyMail.com on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 that he has crossed the Rio Grande River twice and has been returned to Mexico both times. He is not aware of Title 42 and did not know that if he crossed he would be sent back to Mexico and not his home country Perez said that he spend four months traveling to Mexico and is currently waiting in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico for another chance to get into the U.S. He said he has been waiting in Mexico for four months and showed DailyMail.com the scars he got from when Mexican citizens robbed him with knives Migrants lock arms and hold hands as they traverse the Rio Grande River from Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico to Eagle Pass, Texas on May 22, 2023 the day before Title 42 was previously set to expire He showed DailyMail.com the scars he has on his arms and side of his face from being robbed by Mexican citizens with a knife. 'People aren't welcoming in Mexico,' Perez said. 'They won't give us water or anything. Police take our phones and money. Rules are strict.' The Guatemalan asylum-seeker said that it took him four months to travel up to the U.S.-Mexico border from Guatemala, mostly on foot, and claims he has now spent that same amount of time waiting in Mexico. During the last four months, Perez has crossed the Rio Grande River into the U.S. twice, and both times has been returned to Mexico. When asked if he was waiting again to cross for Title 42 to end, Perez said he was unaware of that policy. Under Title 42, Border Patrol can expel migrants back to Mexico without hearing their asylum claims in the midst of a public health emergency. The protocol is swift sometimes only taking 15 minutes before returning them to Mexico and doesn't involve the lengthy process of granting or denying asylum or transporting migrants back to their countries of origin. The group of migrants from Honduras in Piedras Negras said they want to stop being sent back to Mexico when they cross the border and would rather be returned to the country they migrated from if the U.S. won't accept them. They claim they spent all of their money and resources on getting to the border and are unable to return to their countries on their own. Perez said he wants to get into the U.S. so he can work and send money back to his two kids and aging parents in Guatemala. Across from Eagle Pass, Texas, migrants from various countries continue to build up along the border in Mexico but many of their efforts have been futile so far and were put on major pause last week as Mexican and U.S. authorities exhibited a show of force surrounding the day Title 42 was meant to end. Abbott toured the border and held a security briefing and press conference in Eagle Pass on Monday, May 23, which is the same day that Title 42 was previously set to expire before a federal judge in Louisiana put a stay on the effort by the Biden administration. The public health rule related to immigration seems to have no bearing on migrants' attempts to cross since many expressed to DailyMail.com that they are unaware of Title 42 and its restrictions U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials made 234,088 stops on the Mexican border in April, a new high for the Biden administration and an overall 22-year high and a 5.8% increase from the 221,303 encounters in March Arizona Republican Representative Andy Biggs told DailyMail.com at a Donald Trump rally in Casper, Wyoming on Saturday that migrants he spoke with were very aware of Title 42 and what it means for them. 'So I was in Yuma in the first part of the week and Eagle Pass for a couple days the last part of the week,' the Trump ally said. 'So I didn't find that they were ignorant about Title 42.' He detailed that one Nicaraguan migrants knew 'more than most members of Congress' about Title 42, which he apparently learned from a news station in his home country. 'I was really dumbfounded,' Biggs said. The Republican governor said during his press conference at City Hall on Monday that he will continue to send bus loads of migrants released from CBP custody to Washington, D.C. so the nation's capital can experience the same challenges that border communities are facing. So far, Abbott has already sent 45 buses of migrants to D.C. Republicans argue Title 42 is the only failsafe left in place to deter migration and stop it from surging to triple the current 8,000 crossings per day. Mexican authorities were patrolling the border across from Eagle Pass in Piedras Negras Monday and Tuesday and U.S. National Guard and Border Patrol pulled out all the stops as Abbott toured the border as influxes in migration were anticipated surrounding the potential end of Title 42. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which controls the public health measure aimed at the U.S. borders, announced last month that it was ending use of Title 42 after more than two years. The rule was first implemented under then-President Donald Trump at the onset of the pandemic in March 2020. Judge Robert Summerhays of the Western District of Louisiana ruled last Friday on a temporary stay for Biden's end to Title 42 restrictions after a lawsuit was filed and signed on by two dozen Republican states. The Trump appointee granted a preliminary injunction just three days before the expected end of the restriction in response to the lawsuit led by Arizona, Louisiana and Missouri. The lawsuit argues the CDC is violating the Administrative Procedures Act because they did not provide a notice-and-comment period for the plan to lift Title 42. The law in question also bars moves that are deemed 'arbitrary and capricious.' The plaintiffs also claim the Biden administration failed to account for the added cost to the states especially border states of more migrants being allowed into the U.S. A Border Patrol agent in Sunland Park, New Mexico on Wednesday told DailyMail.com at a point where Trump's famed border wall comes to an end that before Title 42 was started it was a very popular crossing point for migrants. The town, right on the border with El Paso, Texas, has a good stretch of border wall that ends abruptly. At that point there is a makeshift wooden shack where two Mexican authorities stand guard watching south for migrants attempting to cross into the U.S. An owner at an apparel boutique in El Paso, Texas told DailyMail.com that the last few years have seen a massive spike in migration across the Mexico border as migrants flee the rising crime from cartels. 'Well, wouldn't you do the same?' she questioned. Migrants stand in a circle and hold hands as they pray after they crossed the border into the U.S. claim asylum and immediately turned themselves over to U.S. National Guard members standing watch at the river bank in Eagle Pass, Texas on Sunday, May 22 A National Guard solider moves razor wire to open a passageway for a migrant family after they crossed the Rio Grande River to claim asylum in the U.S. Since implementation in March 2020, Title 42 procedures have stopped 1.7 million illegal immigrants attempting to illegally cross the border. Humans Rights First found that of those expelled back to Mexico under the law, 10,200 of them or 0.006 percent have been kidnapped, raped, tortured or violently attacked. April saw a 20-year high in migration with CBP encountering 234,088 people attempting to illegally cross the southern border from Mexico. It was a jump from the record-setting high the month prior where 222,144 encounters are on record. Internal estimates show that once Title 42 is dropped, migration can spike from 8,000 per day to 18,000 per day other predictions show it tripling. Truckies are warning of an 'imminent collapse' to the nation's supply chain, claiming the fuel excise cut, that was supposed to ease the cost of living for Aussies, will force them off the road. Former prime minister Scott Morrison made the decision to halve Australia's fuel excise tax back in March after Russia's invasion of Ukraine forced petrol prices through the roof. While the tax cut was good for Aussies filling up at the pump, it's been 'disastrous' for truck companies, who were forced to shoulder most of the cost and saw their petrol discount taken away. Truck drivers only see a 4.3 cent cut per litre in their diesel bills compared to the 22.1 cent cut enjoyed by the rest of the population. Truckies have warned Australia's national supply chain will collapse as the cut to the fuel excise tax causes companies to go bankrupt Empty shelves could be on the cards if Australia's truck companies collapse More than half of South Australia's truck companies warned they could face bankruptcy due to the tax cut, forcing trucks so heavily relied upon for the transport of food and products off the road. In a survey conducted by the South Australian Road Transport Association, 57 per cent of the state's truck companies said they would be bankrupted by the 'disastrous' policy. 'The former Coalition government made a disastrous and ill-advised decision on the run to abolish the fuel tax credit payable to truck operators to fund 80 per cent of the fuel excise cut, the association's chief executive Steve Shearer told The Advertiser. 'What that meant was that the taxpayer funded only 4.3c a litre of the 22.1c a litre cut in fuel tax and the truck industry funded the other 17.8c a litre in a sleight-of-hand move. 'Truck operators claim the tax credit each quarter, ranging from $2000 to over $150,000, and no business can sustain the loss of such a significant portion of their funds.' Mr Shearer said the supply chain was facing 'imminent collapse' because of the tax cut. South Australian Road and Transport Association chief executive Steve Shearer (pictured) said truck companies have faced a significant loss to their funds and are being forced off the roads WHAT THE FUEL EXCISE MEANS FOR TRUCKIES Australian truck drivers lost their diesel tax discount when former Prime Minister Scott Morrison made the decision to halve Australia's fuel excise tax back in March after Russia's invasion of Ukraine forced petrol prices through the roof The tax cut benefited many Aussies at the pump but truck companies were forced to shoulder most of the cost Truck drivers only see a 4.3 cent cut per litre in their diesel bills compared to the 22.1 cent cut enjoyed by the rest of the population More than half of South Australia's trucking companies said they'd go bankrupt from the tax cut South Australian Road Transport Association chief executive Steve Shearer said the tax credit each quarter which ranges from $2000 to over $150,000 isn't sustainable Under the policy, truck companies and drivers no longer receive a rebate cheque at the end of each month - a fuel tax credit they rely on to offset monthly and quarterly tax obligations Most truck operators do not benefit from the fuel tax as they purchase their fuel in advance from wholesalers rather than at the bowser of a petrol retailer Advertisement Under the policy, truck companies and drivers no longer receive a rebate cheque at the end of each month - a fuel tax credit they rely on to offset monthly and quarterly tax obligations. Most truck operators do not benefit from the fuel tax as they purchase their fuel in advance from wholesalers rather than at the bowser of a petrol retailer. Mr Shearer said the cost of fixing the Coalition's blunder is $350 million and pales in comparison to the looming economical collapse if the fuel tax credit is not restored before the policy's end date of September 28. 'Ninety-two per cent of SA companies that feared bankruptcy said they could survive if the new Labor government fixed the Coalition's blunder and restore the tax credit from July 1,' Mr Shearer said. 'The cost of fixing the Coalition's blunder is $350 million, which is a drop in the ocean of the federal budget and pales into insignificance in comparison with the looming economic collapse.' The South Australian survey is set to go national next week as the industry seeks help from the Albanese government. The former Morrison government announced a halving of the fuel excise tax in response to surging prices stemming from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The policy ends on September 28 (pictured, man pumping fuel in Sydney) It comes as Australians struggle to cope with the surge in the cost of living. A head of lettuce was seen priced at a shocking $11.99 in a Brisbane supermarket, meanwhile a bag of Red Rock Deli chips was seen on the shelves of a Sydney Woolworths for $5.90. Consumer groups One Big Switch and Frugl Grocery recently compared the prices of common items in February 2021 and February 2022 - with the results showing a huge change. An Australian shopper has been left dumbfounded at the price of chips at his local Woolworths (pictured in Northbridge, Sydney) - as the cost of many household groceries skyrocket In many cases, prices are surging at rates well beyond inflation, with double-digit annual increases for soft drinks, instant coffee, baked beans, canned fruit and minced meat. Two-litre bottles of orange Fanta sold at Coles had the biggest increase, with prices surging by 94 per cent, almost doubling from $2.35 to $4.55. Prices online for the drink are now at $3.15 in Coles. Instant coffee prices also soared with Nescafe and Moccona going up by 50 to 74 per cent at both supermarkets. Food staple prices also increased with diced beef prices rising by 22 per cent as basic beef mince prices went up by 14 per cent, according to the data Cooking oil prices rose 19 per cent as prices for baked beans and tinned spaghetti increased by 21 per cent. Branded canned fruit prices rose 17 per cent. Australians have been urged by experts to cut down on 'forgettable comforts' they won't really miss to deal with the rise in cost of living. HPH Solutions financial planner Matt Hearn suggested walking to pick up takeaway from nearby rather than forking out for delivery. Even better, meal prepping rather than buying takeaway was a big money saver, as was turning off electronics and air-conditioners when not using them. Newly-elected Nationals leader David Littleproud found love with a glamorous bank executive just months after splitting with his wife. Mr Littleproud spectacularly ousted former leader Barnaby Joyce in the battle for the party's top job in a post-election leadership spill in Canberra on Monday. The 45-year-old, who had a 20-year career in banking before he entered politics in 2015, couldn't wipe the smile off his face post-spill when he said: 'To be elected leader is one of the proudest moments of my life.' The father-of-three posted happy snaps on Instagram of himself with Amelia Dobson, 37, as they cast their votes in the federal election and celebrated with 'democracy sausages' in his electorate Maranoa, west of Brisbane. The pair are believed to have been an item since 2020 - after he and Sarah ended their 20-year marriage in 2019. Mr Littleproud announced the separation the day after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed he had split from his ex-wife, Carmel Tebbutt . David Littleproud and Amelia Dobson (pictured together) have been an item since about 2019 The couple posted happy snaps on election day - casting their votes, and celebrating with democracy sausages (pictured) 'It is an amicable split,' Mr Littleproud told the Warwick Daily News in January 2019, as he confirmed his marriage breakdown. 'My wife Sarah and I have been separated for some time.' Pictured: David Littleproud's ex-wife, Sarah The member for Maranoa had paid tribute to his wife in his maiden speech to Parliament in September 2016, a little more than a year before becoming a cabinet minister. 'I would like to pay tribute to my family,' he told the House of Representatives in 2016. 'My wife, Sarah, and our three boys- Tom, Hugh and Harry - are a constant pillar of support for me and for that I am truly grateful.' Since announcing the separation in 2019, Ms Dobson - who has a son with her ex-husband - and Mr Littleproud have been photographed together at events with their respective families. They took a happy snap with her parents and two younger sisters at her family's home in Clifton, in Mr Littleproud's electorate, on Christmas Day in 2020, and then again 2021. Ms Dobson regularly likes and shares Mr Littleproud's posts on LinkedIn, most recently his celebration of 40 years of Nationals membership. Like her boyfriend, Ms Dobson - who is originally from Hiroshima in Japan, grew up in Toowoomba, Queensland, and has three sisters - had a lengthy career in banking. Mr Littleproud (top left) is pictured with Ms Dobson (bottom left) at her family's home on Christmas Day in 2021 The couple cast their votes in the federal election on May 21 in Mr Littleproud's electorate of Maranoa She joined Suncorp's Toowoomba office in 2007, before leaving in 2017 for the Commonwealth Bank where she is an executive manager of regional and agribusiness for Queensland's south-west. Mr Littleproud also worked in agribusiness banking at Suncorp in Toowoomba in 2011. He was there for almost five years before he became a politician. He worked for the National Australia Bank for 17 years before moving to Suncorp. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Littleproud and Ms Dobson for comment. Mr Littleproud won the battle for leadership after a three-way contest with former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce and Darren Chester. The result meant Mr Joyce's second tenure as leader lasted less than a year after he rolled Michael McCormack in June 2021. The 45-year-old's election represents a shift in direction for the Nationals and could help de-escalate the so-called climate wars. Mr Joyce was against the Coalition's net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 target while Mr Littleproud was in favour. Mr Littleproud and Ms Dobson sip cocktails on a night out with her sister last year Newly elected Nationals Senate Leader Bridget McKenzie (left), newly elected Nationals leader David Littleproud and newly elected Nationals Deputy Leader Perin Davey on Monday The new leader said: 'The National Party today starts its journey towards 2025, with a vibrant team, ready to articulate the policies that are important to regional and rural Australia. 'This is about us as a party moving forward, not lurching to the left, not lurching to the right but bringing this thing called common sense to Canberra,' he said. 'A sensible centre is where you win elections, not chasing extremities down rabbit holes that don't work.' NSW senator Perin Davey was elected deputy leader, and Bridget McKenzie as the senate leader. Mr Littleproud said he would work closely with the Liberal Party - now led by Peter Dutton - to hold Labor to account and ultimately return to the Coalition to power in 2025. He added that there would be lessons from the election loss, but he was confident about the Nationals' direction ahead of the 2025 poll. 'There'll be a lot of unpacking of the election results not only in National Party seats but also in Liberal seats, I think that's what we need to learn from and understand,' he said. Barnaby Joyce has lost leadership of the Nationals to his former deputy David Littleproud. He left his wife in 2017 and had an affair with former Liberal staffer, Vikki Campion (pictured together with their sons) 'What's important is that we set forward on a pathway, a journey, to 2025 together.' Mr Joyce released a statement after he lost the ballot on Monday, saying: 'I suppose you think I'm sad. Not really.' He congratulated the new leadership team, and said he would get a chance to spend more time with his family. 'I want to congratulate David, Perin and Bridget, they have a mighty task ahead of them and I will give them all the support I can,' he said. 'Now, I have a chance to get back to my second greatest love, after my family, and that is my beloved people of New England, where I will have more time to get around my electorate and to be a person of service to them.' In December, 2017, Mr Joyce used a parliamentary debate on same sex marriage to confirm he was no longer with Natalie, his ex-wife of 24 years, with whom he shares four daughters. His affair with former staffer Vikki Campion's hit the headlines in February 2018 after photos emerged of his former staffer heavily pregnant. The couple now have two young sons together - Thomas and Sebastian. A septuagenarian who proclaims himself to be the 'king of TikTok' is banking on an anti-corruption campaign message that he hopes will turn him into Colombia's next president. Rodolfo Hernandez shocked the Andean country Sunday by getting into the June 19 presidential run-off against former guerrilla member Gustavo Petro. The 77-year-old, who was the former mayor of the northern city Bucaramanga, won 28.2 percent of votes in a first election round, beating establishment favorite Federico Gutierrez for second place in a surprise result. The leftist Petro, long forecast to win the first round, won 40.3 percent. Hernandez has relied heavily on a social media presence, posting eccentric videos on TikTok, where he has over 559,000 followers and his content has attracted over 4.4 million likes. The 77-year-old Rodolfo Hernandez (center) surprised Colombia on Sunday in the first round of the presidential election by getting into the June 19 run-off against former guerrilla member Gustavo Petro. Part of his campaign strategy has been centered through the use of social media, especially TikTok, to get his message across Colombian presidential candidate Rodolfo Hernandez had his face placed over Tom Hank' Forrest Gump character in the film's running scene video clip that he shared on his TikTok account. Hernandez included a caption for his 599,000 indicating that he 'started this race practically alone and now that I look back, I am surprised to see Colombia running with me' Colombian left-wing presidential candidate Gustavo Petro ( left) and running mate Francia Marquez (right) celebrate their victory and participation on the June 19 presidential run-off. Petro got 40.3 percent of the vote One of his videos posted earlier this month has his face covered over Tom Hank's Forrest Gump character in the long run scene. 'I started this race practically alone and now that I look back, I am surprised to see Colombia running with me. Thank you,' Hernandez's caption read. The presidential hopeful also posted a clip of himself in place of the Nintendo 1985 classic video game character, Mario, jumping on top of his rivals, Petro, Gutierrez and Sergio Fajardo. Another video shows him holding a duck he says he rescued after he it was locked in a cage and urges his rivals and people across Colombia to do a good deed. 'And now he lives here as you can see, free, happy,' Hernandez said at the camera. 'With every good action that we take, we can begin changing the county. Let's not wait for May 29.' A video shared on election day showed a relaxed swimsuit-clad Hernandez spending time with his family and receiving a painting made by his young granddaughter. The whimsical content belies his personal knowledge of the suffering caused by Colombia's nearly 60 years of war. Colombian presidential candidate has taken to social media to get his campaign messages across and shared a video on TikTok in which he places himself in front of a Spiderman movie poster that includes a spoiler alert tag and promises 'I will be your president' Rodolfo Hernandez appeared in another TikTok video holding a duck he saw locked in a cage and took home, where it is now living. He urged his rivals and people across Colombia to do a good deed. 'And now he lives here as you can see, free, happy,' he said at the camera. 'With every good action that we take, we can begin changing the county. Let's not wait for May 29' Hernandez's farmer father was held for months by the FARC guerrillas decades ago, while his daughter, Juliana, was kidnapped by the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels in 2004. He believes she was murdered in captivity, but has said he would explore peace talks with the ELN if elected and continue to implement a 2016 deal with the FARC. Hernandez has also pledged to strengthen law and order and create jobs, although he has shared scant details of those plans. 'His top policy priorities are two. One is anti-corruption ... the other is poverty, inequality and specifically hunger,' Will Freeman, a doctoral candidate in politics at Princeton University who studies anti-corruption efforts told Reuters, noting both Hernandez and Petro have decried the need for food imports. Hernandez, a civil engineer, says he amassed a fortune of $100 million via his construction company and has vowed to donate his presidential salary if victorious in June. Surveys ahead of the first round showed Hernandez - who now has the support of Gutierrez and likely many of his supporters - would lag just a few points behind Petro in a run-off vote. Rodolfo Hernandez casts his ballot during Sunday's presidential elections. The former mayor of the northern city Bucaramanga finished in second place, earning 28.2 percent of votes in the first election round 'We have achieved a historic result, a result that has shaken the foundations of the corrupt power of all recent governments,' Hernandez wrote in a message posted on Facebook on Sunday evening. Despite employing fiery rhetoric to rail against the corruption of the political class, Hernandez faces an investigation by the attorney general's office for allegedly intervening in a trash collection tender while mayor to benefit a company his son had lobbied for. Hernandez denies the accusations and insists they are designed to derail his presidency bid. That accusation is not his only scandal. He resigned as mayor after he got in hot water with the procurator general for participating in politics - prohibited for Colombian officials after election - and was also suspended for slapping a city councilor and calling him a 'son of a bitch.' He also once told local radio he admired Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, later calling the comment a 'lapse.' A burns survivor has opened up about the psychological trauma she suffered after going onto a common anti-convulsant drug, and the night she set herself on fire and suffered horrendous injuries. Victorian mum Vicky Edwards is one of millions of Australians who have been prescribed the drug, originally used to treat patients with epilepsy and nerve pain but has since been used to treat other chronic conditions. Ms Edwards, 48, claims the medication took over her life within weeks of using it and alleges it triggered her to set herself on fire. She suffered horrific burns to 54 per cent of her body and spent two months in a coma. Almost 18 months and 15 surgeries later, she now wants to share her story. Vicky Edwards pictured before she suffered burns to 54 per cent of her body in January 2021 'I felt like I was going to go in a big, deep hole and not be able to get out,' she told A Current Affair. The scars are a painful reminder of what she's gone through and a source of deep regret. 'I see disgusting. I don't like my face. I miss my face,' Ms Edwards said. 'I see someone different, someone else's face. It's not mine.' She was originally prescribed the drug in late 2020 to treat three bulging discs in her spine and claims she was psychologically transformed within six weeks. 'I was just not myself and it cost me everything. Things that were coming out of my mouth weren't even me,' she said. By January 2021, her life had spiralled out of control. 'I was banging on the hallway and I said to my girls, 'we'll all told to kill ourselves, it's all going to end,' Ms Edwards recalled. 'My poor children were hysterical.' Vicky (pictured) spent months in hospital covered in bandages from head to toe after she set herself alight and will soon undergo her 16th surgery within 18 months She still vividly remembers setting her self alight early one Sunday morning. 'I set myself alight and ran outside on fire screaming,' Ms Edwards said. 'I don't remember the pain and my neighbour came out because I was screaming. Nobody would go to this extent to take their own life the way I did. 'It's just horrible to think that someone would do this purposely.' She spent months in hospital covered in bandages from head to toe, in a lot of pain and unable to move. Her recovery will continue for the rest of her life but she refuses to believe she tried to take her own life, claiming the drug is to blame. Vicky is sharing her story to warn others about the potential side effects Vicky Edwards says taking the prescribed painkiller wrecked his life and left her scarred Despite her horror injuries, she is remaining strong. 'I might be burnt and broken underneath but I am still from the 'hood' and that's what keeps me going. 'I smile because I'm alive.' There are growing calls for doctors to educate patients about the higher risk of addiction, self harm and suicidal thoughts associated with the drug. 'Anyone with any sort of mental health history anyone with any sort of psychological vulnerabilities, they seem to be a much greater risk [of] self harm thoughts, suicidal ideas, bouts of uncontrollable rage that they've never had before,' psychiatrist Dr Tanveer Ahmed said. If you or anyone you know needs support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636. Hill, who once was a nuclear power plant worker, won the Ultimate Millions prize money five years ago and invested in his wife's instructional design business Graham was killed at a Best Western hotel after she had been texting other men A North Carolina man who won a $10million lottery prize in 2017 has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the 2020 fatal shooting of his girlfriend. Michael Todd Hill, 54, of Leland, was convicted of first-degree murder and he was sentenced Friday in the killing of 23-year-old Keonna Graham of Navassa, The News & Observer reports. He will also serve 22-36 months in prison for possession of a firearm, which 'will run concurrent with his life sentence', according to a news release written by prosecutors and obtained by the local news outlet. Graham was reported missing on July 20, 2020. She was later found dead in the SureStay Hotel by Best Western in Shallotte, a 40-mile drive from Wilmington, with a gunshot wound to the back of the head. In a news release from the 15th Prosecutorial District of North Carolina, prosecutors said surveillance footage from the hotel showed Hill was the only person in the room with Graham. They said Hill, who was 52 at the time, later confessed to shooting Graham while she was asleep after she had been texting with other men while at the hotel. Prior to her death, the couple -- with a 31 year age difference -- had been in a relationship for more than a year. Michael Todd Hill, 54, a former nuclear plant worker in North Carolina, murdered his 23-year-old girlfriend in 2020, just three years after winning $10million from the lottery Keonna Graham, 23, was shot in the head while she was asleep and had been in a relationship with Hill for over a year Hill won the $10million prize money after deciding to buy a Ultimate Millions lottery ticket. Pictured: Hill along with his wife in August 2017 Hill, who was a nuclear power plant worker back in 2020, won $10 million from a scratch-off ticket in August 2017. He initially purchased a non-winning Extreme Millions scratch-off ticket at a Maco Depot gas station before trying his luck one more time and switching to Ultimate Millions after noticing the prize money. He realized he had won after going back to his car, parked in gas station's parking lot, and scratching his ticket. Hill then drove to the lottery's headquarters in Raleigh along with his wife to claim the prize money. He had two options to collect it: take a $10million annuity that's spread out in 20 payments of $500,000 a year or a single check of $6million. Hill preferred to take home the lump sum, which ended up being $4,159,101, according to the North Carolina Education Lottery. He used the money to pay off some of his bills and to invest in his wife's instructional design business. Hill once described his massive win as a 'life changing' moment. Since then, however, the lottery win's life has taken a drastic turn, as he once told local prosecutors in a Brunswick County court that he could not afford an attorney, Law and Crime reported. Todd Hill also reportedly awarded the store clerk who gave him his lottery-winning ticket with $2,000 as a gesture to thank her. Employees at the gas station described him as a regular customer, who was 'nice,' WECT reported. Graham was murdered at the SureStay Hotel by Best Western in Shallotte, after Hill noticed that she was texting other men. 'All that money and you are seducing a young girl to go into a hotel?' Tiffany Wilson, the victim's cousin said. 'I don't know what the situation is but you had no business being in a hotel with her.' Graham was once a correctional office in a prison located in Burgaw. She also worked as a care giver for children with special needs through an agency Meanwhile, the victim's mother, said that she reported Graham missing after she did not show up to work. Graham worked as a correctional officer in a Burgaw prison and was formerly employed by an agency which provides care workers for children with special needs. 'I think it's horrible,' Tiffany Wilson, the victim's cousin, told WECT in 2020. 'I mean, he just won the lottery. I heard he just got married and you go and kill a young girl? A beautiful girl? I don't understand.' 'All that money and you are seducing a young girl to go into a hotel?' Wilson added. 'I don't know what the situation is but you had no business being in a hotel with her.' Ultimate Millions was created in September 2015 with most of its prize money in single digits. Players need to buy a ticket in order to play but can also use it for a second-chance drawing, usually prized around $1 million. Former Trump adviser Peter Navarro is launching legal action against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the January 6 committee, claiming that they have no legal right to hold him in contempt of Congress for refusing to give evidence. He faces possible criminal charges after the House last month voted to forward the case to the Department of Justice. But in an 88-page legal filing shared with DailyMail.com, Navarro argues that President Joe Biden had no authority to waive former President Donald Trump's executive privilege or his former adviser's 'testimonial immunity.' And he said the courts must intervene to protect the separation of powers, and ensure that lawmakers were not getting into matters of justice. 'Repeated abuses by partisans and political score settlers like those on the Committee have institutionalized a partisan weaponization of Congress' investigatory powers that now threatens the delicate balance and separation of powers between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of our government,' he says in a filing to be lodged at the District of Columbia district court. Former Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro is launching legal action against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the January 6 committee over its investigation Navarro is seeking a jury trial as he hits back at a contempt of court ruling after he refused to submit to subpoena seeking evidence about the events of January 6, 2021 The 88-page suit also takes aim at members of the House January 6 committee Navarro is among those of Trump's closest allies who have refused to give testimony or hand over documents to the January 6 committee, which is investigating the attack on the U.S. Capitol building last year. It issued a 34-page report detailing how he and Dan Scavino, another key aide, were involved in efforts to keep Trump in power after he lost the 2020 election. Navarro also wrote and circulated a report claiming the election had been stolen. 'There was a couple of times I walked over to the Oval both times after I finished a report and personally handed him one and briefed him on it,' he told Rolling Stone, adding that Trump then made arrangements to share it more widely. While other officials have complied with the requests for information from the committee, a handful has refused, insisting that investigators cannot ask them to provide information about confidential conversations with a president. Last month, the House voted 220 to 203 - mostly along party lines - calling for prosecutions of Navarro, a trade adviser to Trump, and Scavino, former deputy chief of staff. 'We have two people who are flagrantly, brazenly defying the authority of the House of Representatives of the United States,' Rep. Jamie Raskin, Democrat of Maryland and a member of the committee, said at the time. Now Navarro is asking for a jury trial to overturn the subpoena, the report and the contempt of Congress vote on the grounds that lawmakers are acting as a branch of the judiciary. The House last month voted 220-203 to hold Trump insiders Navarro and Dan Scavino in contempt of Congress, a referral that will now be sent to the DOJ for possible criminal charges Former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani (r) met with the House Jan. 6th Committee on May 20 'The committee's members along with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over a more than five year period have been engaged in a repeatable strategic game of gotcha and punishment that threatens to reduce the institutions of executive privilege and testimonial immunity to ping pong balls of partisan politics,' he says. 'In this strategic ping pong game, whichever party controls both the House of Representatives and White House will effectively weaponize Congresss investigatory powers in ways designed to: (1) punish political rivals and (2) deny individuals the opportunity to effectively run for political office or serve in government.' Meanwhile, the committee has been closing in on big names around Trump as it prepares for a series of public hearings. Former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani was grilled by the Jan. 6th Committee for nine hours recently The panel had long wanted to bring in Giuliani, who spoke at the Jan. 6th 'Stop the Steal' rally in a speech where he called for 'trial by combat.' He said at the time he would stake his reputation on being able to find 'criminality' in the election. However, the session had been delayed as the two sides worked out ground rules. And last month Trump's daughter spoke to the committee days after her husband Jared Kushner appeared before lawmakers for six hours. A ban on the sale and transfer of large-capacity magazines under the Criminal Code will also be introduced in the fall Rifle magazines will also be permanently altered so they can never hold more than five rounds The Canadian government said the bill would also allow for the removal of gun licenses from people involved in domestic violence or criminal harassment Prime Minister Justin Trudeau introduced the new measure just six days after the mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas The Canadian government will also offer a mandatory buyback program that will begin at the end of 2022 Canada already has plans in place to ban 1,500 types of military-style firearms The new bill that will halt the growth of personally owned handguns is expected to be enacted this fall Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday that his government will introduce new legislation to implement a 'national freeze' on handgun ownership and prevent people from buying and selling handguns anywhere in the country. 'The day this legislation goes into effect it will no longer be possible to buy, sell, transfer or import handguns in Canada,' Trudeau told reporters. If passed, the freeze on handguns is expected to come into force in the autumn. Canada's public safety minister has tabled regulatory amendments in parliament to ensure it can be implemented swiftly, according to a ministry statement. The killing last week of 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Texas has fed concern about gun violence worldwide. Canada already has significantly stronger gun ownership restrictions than its neighbor to the south. Canada banned the sale and use of some 1,500 models of assault weapons, like the AR-15 rifle, two years ago. Shortly afterwards, gun supporters marched to Parliament Hill during the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights in protest to the ban. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took the stage on Monday to announce new gun control legislation in Ottawa, Ontario, six days after the Uvalde gun shooting that killed 19 third grade students and two teachers in Texas Trudeau's new legislation, officially documented as C-21, would prevent gun owners in Canada to keep or buy their handguns. Pictured: Gun supporters arrive on Parliament Hill during the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights during the pro gun march in Ottawa, Ontario in 2020 If the new legislation is passed, then it is expected to be motioned into law by the fall of this year. Pictured: Anti-gun protestors in 2019 who called for stricter gun laws in Toronto in front of mayor John Tory Canada has banned the sale and use of most, if not all, assault-style firearms since 2020. Pictured: Gun supporters on Parliament Hill after the ban was set into motion two-years-ago Speaking alongside Trudeau, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the 'imminent launch of the initial phase' of a program to buy back and compensate owners of such weapons. Bill Blair, minister of emergency preparedness, said Canada is very different from the United States, while taking a jab at its gun laws. 'In Canada, gun ownership is a privilege not a right,' Blair said. 'This is a principal that differentiates ourselves from many other countries in the world, notably our colleagues and friends to the south. In Canada, guns are only intended to be used for hunting and sport purposes.' He also said that guns are often smuggled in illegally from the U.S., which he noted has one of the largest small arms arsenals in the world. The new legislation, Bill C-21, also proposes taking away the firearms licenses of those involved in acts of domestic violence or criminal harassment, such as stalking. The legislation proposes stricter sentences for gun smugglers and traffickers, and aims to provide law enforcement with new tools like wiretapping to stop gun crime, Mendicino said. The government will also require long-gun magazines to be permanently altered so they can never hold more than five rounds, and will ban the sale and transfer of large capacity magazines. 'Other than using firearms for sport shooting and hunting, there is no reason anyone in Canada should need guns in their everyday lives,' Trudeau told reporters at a briefing. Canadian Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino announcing new gun control legislation in Ottawa on Monday. The minister argued that the new bill would enforce stricter sentences for gun smugglers and traffickers if passed by the House of Commons Gun supporters holding a sign claiming that the Canadian government only cares about disarming its citizens and not about public safety during the Firearm Rights pro gun march in Ottawa in 2020 Canada has had far fewer mass shootings than the U.S. in part because of a lack of easy access to guns. Pictured: The scene where a handgun lies on the ground while Toronto Police Services investigate a report of multiple shooting at the Bisha Hotel and Residences in Toronto in May 2020. One person died from the shooting while two others were injured Canada's rate of firearm homicides is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared with the U.S. rate of 4.12, according to a 2021 analysis by the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. 'Canada can teach us a lot,' tweeted Bruce Heyman, a former U.S. ambassador to Canada under the Obama administration. Trudeau said his government recognizes the vast majority of Canadians who own guns are responsible but the level of gun violence is unacceptable. 'This is a concrete and real national measure to long way toward keeping Canadians safe,' Trudeau said. The new measures are assured of passing in Canada's Parliament as the ruling Liberals and leftist opposition New Democrats have enough votes. Pierre Poilievre, who is running to be leader of the Conservative party, said law-abiding gun owners should be respected and dangerous criminals should be jailed. The bill would create a new 'red flag' law allowing courts to require that people considered a danger to themselves or others surrender their firearms to police. The government said the measure would guard the safety of those applying through the process, often women in danger of domestic abuse, by protecting their identities. A Royal Navy officer has been relieved of duty as a female sailor accuses him of sexual assault after a boozy night in Amsterdam. The officer was serving on the Navy's third biggest ship, HMS Albion, when the alleged incident happened over the weekend. It has been reported that he molested the female sailor after drinking in Amsterdam, while walking back to the ship. He could face criminal charges and an end to his career in the Navy but has not been charged by police. A Royal Navy officer has been relieved of duty as a female sailor accuses him of sexual assault after a boozy night in Amsterdam. Pictured, the HMS Albion, where the officer was serving A source in the Navy said that the serious allegation brings the service into disrepute. 'There is an attitude among seamen that "boys will be boys" but this kind of behaviour is unacceptable in every walk of life. The Navy has zero tolerance for it,' they told The Sun. 'If the allegations are proven its not just a gross breach of his authority but a criminal offence, plain and simple.' Another source, close to the incident, told the paper that the officer had 'tried it on' with his female colleague and touched her inappropriately. It has been reported that he molested the female sailor after drinking in Amsterdam, while walking back to the ship. Pictured, the HMS Albion, where the officer was serving The officer was questioned on Sunday morning by the Royal Navy Police, after the woman made a formal complaint. Simon Kelly, HMS Albion's captain, ordered the officer to leave the ship, while further enquiries are made. The ship has a 400-strong crew of sailors and Marines. A spokesperson for the Royal Navy said that it demands the 'highest of standards' and takes all allegations seriously. 'We are currently investigating an incident on HMS Albion and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time,' they said. The majority of Australians feel the nation's strict lockdown measures during the Covid pandemic were 'just right,' according to a new survey but Victorians were much more likely to disagree. The data from the University of Tasmania study found two thirds of the country were comfortable with the crippling lockdowns spanning multiple states which cost businesses tens of billions of dollars during 2020 and 2021. Just eight per cent of the 1162 people surveyed in the peer-reviewed paper published on Tuesday, believe the stay-at-home orders were 'definitely too restrictive'. While only 11 per cent felt lockdowns, mask mandates, curfews and travel restrictions were 'probably too restrictive'. The views of respondents were highly dependent on a range of factors including gender and political allegiance. The majority of Australians feel the nation's strict lockdown measures during the Covid pandemic were 'just right,' according to a new survey but Victorians were much more likely to disagree. Pictured: A Covid lockdown rally in Melbourne on November 20, 2021 Coalition voters were three times more likely to oppose lockdowns than Labor voters. While 24 per cent of men thought lockdown measures were heavy-handed compared with 15 per cent of women. The study also concluded that Australians who prioritise the economy over health were less likely to follow mask mandates, check-in to venues, get tested and self-isolate. There have been 8,470 Covid-related deaths since the virus reached Australia in March 2020. Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison initially called a nationwide six-week lockdown to try and limit the spread before sporadic rolling outbreaks across the country during the next two years prompted individual states and territories to make their own declarations. Coalition voters were three times more likely to oppose lockdowns than Labor voters. While 24 per cent of men thought lockdown measures were heavy-handed compared with 15 per cent of women (Melbourne residents pictured during lockdown) Victoria was by far the hardest hit with Melburnians enduring a cumulative 262 gruelling days in lockdown - beating out the Argentine capital Buenos Aires for the unenviable world record. Premier Dan Andrews ordered all non-essential businesses to shut during that period, as millions were trapped inside their homes and restricted from going outside after 9pm or travelling more than 5km. Melbourne, along with several other capital cities, were the scene of violent protests where thousands clashed with police calling for an end to the restrictions. But despite the extremely vocal minority, former head of the Federal Department of Health Stephen Duckett said most people supported the state's responses to the crisis. 'It's probably not fair to say there's an Australian response to Covid,' Mr Duckett told 9News.com.au. Premier Dan Andrews (pictured) ordered all non-essential businesses to shut at various time during 2020 and 2021, as millions were trapped inside their homes and restricted from going outside after 9pm or travelling more than 5km He said the six states and two territories had 'eight different responses' to the pandemic. 'But what this study shows is that, on average, across all the states and territories, most thought that lockdowns were fine,' Mr Duckett said. 'They tried to imply that there was strong criticism, and that everybody wanted freedom and so on and so forth. 'This survey, I think, reflects fairly the reality that most Australians understood the trade offs being made, understood the risks, and felt that the state's public health responses were reasonable.' On the heels of the pandemic however, political leaders on all sides have ruled out a return to onerous lockdowns, with vaccination rates in Australia now sitting at about 95 per cent for those aged over 16. Dr Adam recommends educators incorporate new books that are more diverse Classic children's book The Very Hungry Caterpillar may be 'detrimental' for kids to read, according to a new study by a senior childhood researcher. Dr Helen Adam from Edith Cowan University's School of Education has flagged a series of classic children's books that she believes 'perpetuate outdated stereotypes' and are not diverse enough. Some of the books Dr Adam highlights from her research include older classics such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Harry the Dirty Dog and Hairy Maclary. Classic children's book The Very Hungry Caterpillar may be 'detrimental' for kids to read, according to one senior researcher Dr Helen Adam (pictured) from Edith Cowan University's School of Education has flagged a series of classic children's books that she believes 'perpetuate outdated stereotypes' and are not diverse enough For her research, Dr Adam and her team observed eight long daycare centres - four in Western Australia and four in the U.S. - and found that 90 per cent of the books read to children weren't inclusive. The researchers observed the stories and characters from the books and broke them down into stereotypical, gender restrictive, sensitive to gender or gender neutral. Many of the books were 'older' and first published in either the 1950s or 60s, which Dr Adam says are reflective of 'outdated viewpoints and lifestyles' and conveyed rigid gender stereotypes. 'Purely and simply this research shows, there's a lack of representation of boys and girls in non-traditional gender roles in these books,' she explained. Dr Adam said the books did not present gender diverse or ethnically diverse characters and were usually told from a 'white, male perspective'. 'This can contribute to children from these families and backgrounds feeling excluded or marginalised,' the senior researcher claimed. Dr Adam stated that the books she flagged weren't the issue, but rather that educators and parents often relied on these books over new books that include diverse stories and characters. 'The majority of the books shared by educators in this study promoted traditional, binary and stereotypical viewpoints of gender and gender roles,' she wrote in her study. She added that many parents will choose to read books to their kids that they enjoyed reading when they were children, which contributes to 'outdated viewpoints of masculinity and femininity as well as gender roles'. For her research, Dr Adam observed eight daycare centres in Australia and the U.S. and found that 90 per cent of the books read to children weren't inclusive Some of the books Dr Adam highlights from her research include older classics such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Harry the Dirty Dog (pictured) Hairy Maclary by Lynley Dodd was another book flagged by Dr Adam for 'outdated viewpoints and lifestyles' Many of the books in these centres were 'older' and first published in either the 1950s or 60s, which Dr Adam says are reflective of 'outdated views' and conveyed rigid gender stereotypes Dr Adam expressed delight that many new books now have diverse stories and characters, which she believes should be incorporated into children's reading. But even with the availability of inclusive content, Dr Adam found many still feature traditional gender roles. 'Although books are becoming more diverse with an increased balance between leading female and male characters, many of the roles played by these characters still reflect only traditional gender roles and expectations,' she said. 'This makes it challenging for adults when choosing empowering books to share with children.' In the study, educators were recommended to use texts to help kids understand stereotypes, how they are conveyed in children's books and teach kids that these stereotypes were not 'representative of all situations'. The NHS needs 13,000 more hospital beds to improve 999 response times and A&E waits, a damning report warns today. A major shortage is putting lives at risk by slowing the rate at which patients can be picked up, admitted to hospital and treated. The UK has lost almost 25,000 beds since 2010/11 and is now lagging behind most of Europe, according to the Royal College of Emergency Medicine's 'Beds in the NHS' report. A major shortage in beds is putting lives at risk by slowing the rate at which patients can be picked up, admitted to hospital and treated This has led to a 'patient safety crisis' by fuelling a sharp rise in A&E waiting times, ambulance handover delays and cancelled operations, it adds. It has also led to slower 999 response times and unsafe bed occupancy levels. Dr Adrian Boyle, the college's vice president, said that the NHS needs 13,000 more beds and extra staff to supervise them if there is to be 'actual change and meaningful improvement'. He added: 'The situation is dire and demands meaningful action. Ultimately, there are widespread staffing shortages leading to a shortage of staffed beds.' The latest NHS data shows a record 24,138 people in England were left languishing on A&E trolleys for more than 12 hours in April after doctors decided they should be admitted to a bed. And only 72.3 per cent of A&E patients were seen within the target four hours last month the second worst rate in records going back to November 2010. Meanwhile, the average response time for ambulances dealing with the most urgent, life-threatening incidents was nine minutes and two seconds, well above the seven minute target. Dr Boyle said: 'These numbers should shock all health and political leaders. 'The health service is not functioning as it should and the Government must take the steps to prevent further deterioration.' The UK has the second lowest number of beds per 1,000 people in the EU at 2.42, and saw the third largest drop in beds per 1,000 people between 2000 and 2021 at 40.7 per cent. The report adds that 4,500 extra hospital beds are needed before winter, with the rest opening within the next five years. The NHS Confederation said a fully-funded, long-term plan for the health and social care workforce was needed as well as immediately investing more cash into social care to make sure patients medically fit for discharge can be cared for in the community. Rory Deighton, acute lead at the NHS Confederation, said: 'It is only with these additional measures that the NHS can operate as a sustainable system that can move through the elective backlog as efficiently as possible.' Earlier this month it emerged that a patient was forced to wait in an ambulance outside A&E for 24 hours before being handed over to doctors. Ambulance crews should be able to drop off patients and be ready to respond to new 999 calls within 15 minutes. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'We recognise the pressure on urgent and emergency care services and we have set out our plan to help tackle the Covid backlog, backed by record investment. 'There are record numbers of doctors, nurses and overall staff working in the NHS, and we have commissioned NHSE to develop a long-term workforce strategy. 'The NHS is taking a range of actions - including providing an additional 50 million of funding to support increased NHS 111 call-taking capacity this year - to help people access urgent care when they need it.' A French man who owns two galleries on Palm Beach's exclusive Worth Avenue has been charged with selling fake paintings from some of the most renowned artists to unsuspecting buyers. Daniel Elie Bouaziz, who owns the Danieli Fine Art Gallery and Galerie Daniel, is accused of selling fake Banksy, Jean-Michael Basquiat and Ray Lichtenstein paintings for hundreds of thousands of dollars - despite buying the replicas for just hundreds. Each painting included forged signatures and documents falsely stating the pieces' ownership histories and documenting its authenticity, federal prosecutors claim, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He then allegedly used the profits to buy luxury items including a Lamborghini, a Rolex watch and Cartier jewelry. Bouaziz, 68, is now facing charges of mail and wire fraud, laundering of monetary instruments and monetary laundering. He faces up to 20 years in prison, along with hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, but has pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to the New York Post. Bouaziz is due back in court on June 15. He is now out on bond, after paying $500,000 on Friday during his initial court appearance. He owns two galleries on Palm Beach's exclusive Worth Avenue, including Danieli Fine Art Federal prosecutors claim Bouaziz, a French citizen of Algerian descent, scammed a total of six victims who paid thousands of dollars for common reproductions of famous paintings. In one case, prosecutors say, Bouaziz bought an Andy Warhol facsimile for $100, and sold it for $85,000. Another unsuspecting purchaser signed over a whopping $120,000 for two pieces Bouaziz bought for just $600, according to a federal indictment. To keep the scam going, federal prosecutors say, Bouaziz allegedly cast himself as an unimpeachable art appraiser and would provide his customers with certificates of authenticity. But federal agents caught on to his alleged scheme in 2021 after several patrons alerted them that the works of Lichtenstein and others would be worth millions of dollars - and not the several thousand he charged them. FBI agents then went undercover and agreed to purchase a bogus Warhol from Bouaziz for $26,000 and set up an additional deal worth $22 million before his arrest last week. They also recorded conversations with Bouaziz at his Palm Beach galleries, including one in which he allegedly told the agents, 'I really gave you a fantastic price' on a signed Warhol Superman print. 'You can only make money.' In another conversation, the Associated Press reports, Bouaziz said: 'I buy about 200 paintings in auction every year, and I guarantee my stuff. 'I'm not buying things that everybody has. That's why you don't see them in the other galleries,' he allegedly told the undercover agents. He then allegedly offered the undercover agents a Basquiat he bought for 495 Euros at a selling price of $12 million. Federal prosecutors claim Bouaziz then used the money to buy a Lamborghini, Rolex watch and Cartier jewelry. Federal prosecutors claim he sold replicas of paintings - like this one by Basquiat- for tens of thousands of dollars and included letters of authenticity Federal prosecutors claim Bouaziz, a French citizen of Algerian descent, allegedlt scammed a total of six victims who paid thousands of dollars for common reproductions of famous paintings They eventually raided his galleries in December, when Mario, a Palm Beach resident told WPBF he saw FBI agents walking out of the shop with boxes. They then covered the windows of the shop, according to Local 10 News, and surrounded it with yellow crime scene tape. The FBI is saying that there may be other victims and anyone with information can call FBIs Art Crime Team at 1-800-CALL-FBI. But Bouaziz's attorney, Howard Schumacher, told the New York Post that his client is an honest dealer in the Palm Beach area, and prices are inherently subjective. He added that Bouaziz has already given money back to dissatisfied customers, and said: 'He has a tremendous following on the island in an area that is very eclectic.' Schumacher also said Bouaziz plans to plead not guilty at his next court appearance on June 15. 'This intrusion by the government has had an impact on his reputation, and he wants to clear that,' Schumacher said. The state government and local council are engaged in a war of words over what to do with one of Sydney's most notorious roads. Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore is hoping the state government will abandon its plans to turn the busy Cahill Expressway into a pedestrian 'high line' walkway. In a speech on Wednesday at the Sydney Morning Herald's Infrastructure Summit, Ms Moore will implore the government to instead look at completely demolishing the road and the train station that sits under it. City of Sydney council wants to take a wrecking ball to the expressway as soon as the Western Harbour Tunnel is finished, and will then turn its attention to getting rid of Circular Quay Station as soon as the City Circle train line can be put underground. The new proposal from City of Sydney Council would see the Cahill Expressway 'eyesore' gone within the next 20 years, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore will propose City of Sydney's plan to demolish the Cahill Expressway and City Circle trainline in a new Circular Quay makeover The proposal and new artist impressions by architectural firm Bates Smart show the City Circle trainline moved underground, the highway demolished, and a ferry terminal replaced with a waterfront public square. The result is an open and green space that fully displays the quay's busy water and impressive surrounding skyline. 'It's a massive improvement that connects people to Country and Sydney to the world. It will be suitable for local, national and international celebrations and boost Sydney's reputation as a key global destination,' Ms Moore said. 'I would argue that this is a much better solution than a high-line which could stifle the removal of the Cahill Expressway and postpone our vision for decades more.' The NSW state government has long been pushing for the revamp of the major highway into a green high-line with Premier Dominic Perrottet already trialling the highway closure in a recent arts and music festival. Stage one (above) of the plan will see the highway demolished as soon as the Western Harbour Tunnel is built, while keep the trainline in place Bates Smart director Philip Vivian said that while the full demolition of the highway would be a more expensive and lengthy solution, the government should 'get it right now, so that we are not having the same conversation in 50 years' time'. 'It is decorating an eyesore without solving the fundamental problem. If we are spending public money to update Circular Quay, let's maximise the benefits for Sydney and the public,' he said. Stage one of the City of Sydney's plan would see the Cahill Expressway demolished as soon as the Western Harbour Tunnel is built but the trainline and station would remain in place. Construction to link the Warringah Freeway to the Rozelle interchange via the Western Harbour Tunnel is set to begin this year and finish in 2027. Stage two (above) will see the City Circle trainline moved underground and a ferry terminal transformed into a waterfront public square Then, in another 20 to 30 years time, the City Circle trainline would be fully moved underground and the former high-rise track would be demolished. In stage two of the plan, a ferry wharf and station would be removed to create a large viewing area of the quay. Ms Moore presented the plan to Treasurer Matt Kean and Cities Minister Rob Stokes in May ahead of the June budget. The upcoming budget is expected to contain a decision on Circular Quay's future but Mr Stokes said the government was also considering other major infrastructure projects and had to consider labour shortages. Despite that, Mr Stokes described Circular Quay's current layout as 'awful' and said the government would be 'nuts' to not try and fix it. Circular Quay is widely considered to be a 'gateway' to Sydney that helps make the city's dining, night-life, and culture easily accessible to tourists and locals. Scott Morrison has traded his fancy suits for 'cool' dad clothes after losing the election to Anthony Albanese. The former Prime Minister looked relaxed in a pair of blue jeans, grey t-shirt and light winter vest, which he paired with $80 Puma sneakers and a $35 Hurley cap, as he was seen taking his daughter Lilly to school in his Volkswagen early on Tuesday morning. His new fashion choices are a stark contrast compared to what he wore during his time as Prime Minister, when it was rare to see him in anything other than a fancy suit. He has joined tens of thousands of other parents on the early morning school run after Mr Albanese proved more popular with Australian voters. Mr Morrison was pictured outside Kirribilli House - the second official residence of the prime minister after The Lodge in Canberra - before dropping his daughter off at school. Scott Morrison looked relaxed in a pair of blue jeans, grey t-shirt and light winter vest which he paired with $80 Puma sneakers and a $35 Hurley cap Mr Morrison was seen bustling his daughter Lilly into his Volkswagen and speeding away from Kirribilli House early on Tuesday morning (pictured) Scott Morrison's new 'cool dad' look is in stark contrast to his fashion choices as Prime Minister, where it was rare to see him in anything other than a fancy suit The former Prime Minister was spotted leaving Kiribilli House in his dark volkswagen, with sources saying it still may be some time before the family move back to their modest three-bedroom home The 54-year-old has shown no signs of leaving the heritage-listed mansion in the harborside suburb of Sydney 10 days after the May 21 election. His delay led to him being dubbed 'Squat Morrison' while Mr Albanese worked out of his humble house 25 minutes away in Marrickville, in the city's inner-west. Mr Morrison secured 'an extension' of unspecified length to his stay and may not leave for some time as he is said to be renovating his family home in Port Hacking. Mr Morrison has been quick to fall back into dad duties following his election upset and has been spotted driving his daughters to school multiple times since. 'I've just dropped the girls off to school this morning and I'm looking forward to being a dad again, it's been a while since I've been able to spend as much time as I would like with the family,' he told 2GB's Ben Fordham. Mr Morrison added he was keen to return to life as a 'quiet Australian in the Shire' in Sydney's south as he and his family make way for the new prime minister. The 47-minute commute to his eldest daughter's school came just hours after Peter Dutton was elected unopposed as the new Liberal leader on Monday. The 51-year-old is the first Queenslander to lead the Liberal Party after being touted as Mr Morrison's likely replacement since the coalition lost government. Mr Dutton's likely main challenger was Mr Frydenberg, but after he lost his seat of Kooyong in the Federal Election, it became a one-horse race. Mr Morrison has joined tens of thousands of other parents on the early morning school run after Anthony Albanese proved more popular with Australian voters The former prime minister appeared to be in high spirits as he left Kirribilli House on Tuesday The former prime minister put on a brave face when he arrived at Parliament House on Monday to watch his successor be elected. Speaking to reporters on Monday morning, Mr Morrison said both he and Ms Ley were an 'enormously experienced team'. 'I was very pleased that they served in my cabinet, they did outstanding jobs,' the former prime minister said. 'They're incredibly experienced, well versed, deeply committed Australians to both the Liberal cause and of course the cause of the nation and I think they'll do an outstanding job. 'It was a good opportunity for me to thank my colleagues for their great loyalty and support over these past more than three and a half years and to do that both on my behalf as well as on behalf of my dear friend Josh Frydenberg, who we're all very sad couldn't be with us today. 'It's been a great privilege to lead the federal parliamentary Liberal Party and I hand it over to Peter and Sussan and wish them all the very best.' The 54-year-old has shown no signs of leaving the heritage-listed mansion in the harborside suburb of Sydney 10 days after the May 21 election Speaking to reporters after Mr Dutton was elected, Mr Morrison (pictured together) said both he and Ms Ley were an 'enormously experienced team' Queensland Liberal MP Stuart Robert said he expected there would be more women on the Liberal frontbench, following a reshuffle after former ministers lost their seats in the federal election. 'We've got so many talented women in our ranks and you'd expect that talent to be recognised and rewarded,' he told Sky News. 'So absolutely, I'd expect far more women just because of the calibre of the women in the Liberal and National parties.' The party room will also discuss some of the lessons to be learned from the coalition's federal election defeat. Mr Albanese cut a casual figure on Sunday as he walked his dog Toto before going on a a date with girlfriend Jodie Haydon as he waits to move in to Kirribilli House Opting for a casual jersey and jeans for the walk, the PM then went home and changed into a dapper suit to take Ms Haydon to the Belvoir Street Theatre Mr Albanese cut a casual figure on Sunday as he walked his dog Toto before going on a a date with girlfriend Jodie Haydon as he waits to move in to Kirribilli House. Opting for a casual jersey and jeans for the walk, the PM then went home and changed into a dapper suit to take Ms Haydon to the Belvoir Street Theatre. Since returning from the important Quad meeting in Tokyo on Wednesday, Mr Albanese has appeared to be running the country from his Marrickville home. A Harry Potter actor has mocked new Liberal leader Peter Dutton over claims he looks like the evil wizard Voldemort. making a mock pledge of allegiance. UK actor Jamie Waylett, who played Vincent Crabbe, a henchman to Potter's school foe Draco Malfoy, said he was sorry that Mr Dutton had been 'outed' by Labor MP Tanya Plibersek as Voldemort. 'Hopefully no one else finds out and we can take over and we'll get stronger day by day,' Waylett said, after calling himself Crabbe. 'The rest of the Slytherins reached out and they told me. Jamie Waylett, who played a villain in the Harry Potter film franchise, has 'pledged allegiance' to new Liberal leader Peter Dutton because of his supposed similarity to evil wizard Voldemort 'As soon as I heard I thought I have to get in contact with you and make this possible and just sort this out, because no one can know our secret. 'I mean, no one can know that you're still about. 'As far as everyone's concerned, you know, you're gone, but we know the truth, so our time come, your time will come, my lord.' The murderous Lord Voldemort was the leader of the evil wizards in the Harry Potter films While referring to himself as a Slytherin Waylett showed off a large snake tattoo he had on his arm, which is the animal emblem of the group that makes up the bulk of those who support the franchise's main villain Lord Voldemort. The video was posted on the Friendly Jordies Instagram channel, which is run by commentator and activist Jordan Shanks-Markovina. Friendly Jordies is well known for posting trolling content especially aimed at the conservative side of politics. Waylett played the thuggish Crabbe in six Harry Potter movies but did not appear in the last two after he ran into legal trouble for drug possession and was later jailed for taking part in the 2011 London riots. Labor MP Tanya Plibersek said that Mr Dutton's likeness to Harry Potter's chief foe 'would frighten young children' but later said she had unreservedly apologised for the comments Last week Ms Plibersek told radio station 2GB that Mr Dutton's appearance could scare young children. 'I think there will be a lot of children who have watched a lot of Harry Potter films who will be very frightened of what they are seeing on TV at night,' she said. 'I am saying he looks a bit like Voldemort. We will see whether he can do what he promised he would do when he was last running for leader, which is smile more.' Reportedly following the intervention of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Ms Plibersek said she had 'unreservedly apologised for the remarks'. Mr Dutton brushed aside what he called the 'unfortunate' comments by Ms Plibersek and revealed that his baldness is the result of a skin condition Mr Dutton told 2GB the next day that the comments were 'water off a duck's back' but were 'unfortunate'. 'I dont think you need to be nasty and mean,' he said. 'Im not the prettiest bloke on the block but I hope that Im going to be pretty effective.' Mr Dutton said his baldness was the result of a skin condition. Police must stop wrongheaded investigations into rape victims which treat them like suspects when they report the crime, the privacy watchdog says today. Information Commissioner John Edwards has ordered root-and-branch reform of the way forces seek information about victims of rape and other sex crimes. He called for an immediate stop to the use of a controversial consent form which grants detectives indiscriminate access to information about individuals. Information Commissioner John Edwards has ordered root-and-branch reform of the way forces seek information about victims of rape and other sex crimes Known as a Stafford statement, it gives officers the ability to probe into every aspect of a persons life, including their entire medical history and counselling records, the commissioner said. Weve seen police go to GPs for example, and saying not just give us the information from when you examined the victim post-assault, but collecting lifetime medical records. Thats completely unjustified, and unjustifiable. Victims are being treated as suspects, and people feel re-victimised by a system they expect to support them, said Mr Edwards, who oversees data protection rules. He said detectives are investigating victims in a bid to eliminate any possible courtroom challenge at a later stage by the defendants barrister. Its just wrongheaded, Mr Edwards added. Im not going to impute bad intentions I think theyre probably good intentions. But I do think its misconceived to put yourself in the role of investigating the victim, to interrogate their life to see if theres any part of the line of inquiry that might be of use to defence counsel. Police must ensure that individuals give free and fully informed consent to officers accessing information about them, todays Information Commissioners Office report says. Mr Edwards added that his proposals would reorient the investigation to put the victim at the centre of it. Government figures show two out of five cases are closed because the victim withdraws cooperation from the police. Assistant Chief Constable Timothy De Meyer, of the National Police Chiefs Council, said: We accept these recommendations and will continue to strive to protect privacy whilst observing the absolute right of defendants to a fair trial. A Ukrainian family is settling into life in Australia after fleeing their war-torn home with the help of a heroic family member and an outpouring of community support. Olena Torchinska, 32, from Redcliffe, Queensland, rushed to Poland in early March to meet her cousin Sasha with her twins Arina and Kirila and their grandparents, cousin, and aunt who were escaping Kyiv. 'There is no plan as the situation is rapidly changing by the hour and fuel is almost impossible to get,' Ms Torchinska previously told Daily Mail Australia as she was preparing to set out for the trip. 'I'm trying to utilise all the resources I have and all the contacts I know to help. I was put onto Team Humanity... who has been fantastic at networking. Funding is a big part of it.' Ms Torchinska rushed to Ukraine to meet her fleeing relatives (pictured on a FaceTime chat when war broke out) She worked with Team Humanity, a non-profit organisation started in 2015 to aid refugees, to cross the border and be reunited with her loved ones, who had been moved from the country's capital city to a small town 170km away. 'They only basically arrived with the shirts on their back because they didn't have time to pack,' Olena Torchynska told 9 News. 'They made the decision within 10 minutes and put everything in the car, they literally arrived with nothing and it was winter so it was very difficult.' The family had to flee their home and were sheltering as their city was bombed (pictured is her family in Ukraine living in a basement) Ms Torchinska (centre) was reunited with her family members (pictured) after travelling to Poland and then across the border (pictured) Having arrived safely in Australia, they too are living in the north Brisbane suburb where locals hosted a fundraiser on Friday night at the Redcliffe Dolphins Stadium. The twins father Vovo was required to stay behind and help with the Ukrainian war effort - spending his spare moments face-timing with his family. 'We come because we tried to save our family, we tried to save our children... It was very hard to leave our husbands in Ukraine everything is new for us in Australia,' Sasha explained. Friday night's fundraiser was a packed event with the stadium lit up in the Ukrainian colours of blue and yellow. Tickets sales from the catered event along with auctions of sporting collectables raised money that Ms Tochinska said she would use to try and find her family suitable accommodation. The seven of them are cramped into two bedroom rental. 'I'm hoping to pay for immigration lawyers and transport, a car for the family,' she added. Redcliffe locals at a community fundraiser for the Ukrainian family on Friday (pictured) Ms Torchinska (right) said the money raised would be used for accommodation, a car, and immigration lawyers Jos Aguiar from Team Humanity who helped Ms Torchinska explained how dangerous her mission was. Her family were able to travel an hour and a half outside of Kyiv to bunker down in a basement as shells rained down on the city. 'At the time they only had 100km worth of fuel in their car and limited options on where to refuel and how to get out safely,' Mr Aguiar said. 'We had been coordinating with her to help find any and all options to get them out.' Ms Torchinska with the help of her brother had to physically help transport her family to safety. An estimated 6.8 million refugees have fled Ukraine since Russia's unprovoked invasion three months ago. Some of Ms Torchinska's Ukrainian family at the fundraiser after escaping Ukraine (pictured) Kyiv has been under attack as part of Russia's invasion (pictured: two Ukrainian soldiers enjoy a tender off-duty moment near the village of Stoyanka on May 30, 2022 in Kyiv) In Ukraine's major population centres, residents cling to what remains of their peaceful homes, but air raid sirens are common for those walking their dogs, riding their bicycles and taking their children to parks in cities like Kyiv, Odesa, and Lviv. Curfews, checkpoints, and fortifications are frequent and new cemeteries have been built. Uprooted villagers and war-scarred landscapes are everywhere, especially in eastern and southern Ukraine where Russia has intensified its attacks. Many Ukrainians in Australia are on temporary visas and while the major parties promoted similar border policies during the campaign, new government Labor pledged to grant permanent visas to many in need. More than 19,000 refugees already in Australia must keep reapplying to stay. A woman walks in front of a building destroyed by a strike in the city of Lysytsansk at the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas on May 30, 2022 Temporary visas allow them to work, but prohibit them from bringing family members to Australia. In addition to Ukrainian refugees more than 5,000 displaced Afghan nationals also recently arrived on temporary visas. Refugee Council of Australia chief executive Paul Power, said in a letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday that he was looking forward to the government fulfilling its visa promises. 'Your pledge on election night to work towards building a nation in which no one is left behind and no one is held back gives greater hope to many Australians that we can collectively work towards building a fairer and more compassionate society,' he said. Victoria Police is offering a $500,000 reward for information that can help officers track down a serial sexual predator who targeted young girls in Melbourne during the 1980s. Detectives from the sexual crime squad's cold case unit believe four assaults in high-rise apartments in the city's inner-north are linked. The first, on October 24, 1982, happened in Richmond, where a man took a three-year-old girl to a building's clothes-drying room and sexually assaulted her there. On 19 December, a man approached two girls - aged three and five - at a different apartment building on Richmond's Elizabeth Street. He attempted to sexually assault the girls and threatened to throw one off a balcony when she screamed. On December 3 the following year, a man approached a six-year-old girl and her brother at a building on Campbell Street in Collingwood. Victoria Police is offering a $500,000 reward to help track down a serial sex predator The man spoke to the siblings before taking the girl to a drying room and assaulting her. In the last incident, on January 5, 1988, a man approached a five-year-old girl and her seven-year-old brother at flats on Brunswick Street in Fitzroy. He offered the pair money before taking the girl to an unlocked drying room and sexually assaulted her there. Victoria Police is appealing for anyone with information about the assaults, particularly those who lived in the buildings at the time and saw anything suspicious, to come forward. Police also believe there could be victims who never reported their assaults to police. Detective Inspector Juliann Goldrick, from the sexual crimes squad, said it was not too late for the victims to get justice despite nearly four decades passing since the assaults. "These families deserve closure and for some that can only be achieved by holding the individual or individuals responsible to account and police are committed to doing that," she said. Police urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via its website. Comedian and podcaster Joe Rogan joked about the quality of Amber Heard's lawyers amid her ongoing legal battle with her former husband, Johnny Depp. Depp, 58, is suing Heard, 36, in a Virginia court for defamation following an op-ed that she wrote in the Washington Post in 2018 in which the actress spoke about being a victim of domestic abuse. Heard did not mention Depp by name in the piece. The 'Sweeney Todd' star is suing Heard for $50 million while she is countersuing for $100 million. On the May 26 edition of 'The Joe Rogan Experience,' Rogan joked with his guest, computer scientist Lex Fridman, that it looked as though Heard got her legal team from Craigslist. On the May 26 edition of 'The Joe Rogan Experience,' Rogan joked with his guest, computer scientist Lex Fridman, that it looked as though Heard got her legal team from Craigslist Lex Fridman, Rogan's guest on the episode, is a computer scientist and fellow podcaster Rogan and Fridman were joking about the performance on the stand of Heard's team's expert witness, psychiatrist Dr. David Spiegel. Rogan joked: 'I hope that Johnny Depp plays him in a movie. Somebody wrote in the comments that he feels like a patient who escaped from an insane asylum and is pretending to be a psychiatrist.' He said: 'That's probably all she could afford. Her f*****g lawyers are terrible. She probably found 'em on Craigslist.' Rogan continued: 'They don't make any sense. Their questions are terrible. They're so ill prepared. But also what are they dealing with? Like what are they dealing with? They're dealing with someone who's a clear sociopath, a clear liar.' The podcaster took aim directly at Heard saying: 'The way she like turns like, she answers the question and looks to the jury and answers them. Like she's doing a little show for them. Like she's nuts!' Dr. Spiegel told the court during his appearance on the stand that Depp: 'has behaviors that are consistent with someone that both has substance-use disorder as well as behaviors of someone who is a perpetrator of intimate-partner violence.' Rogan took particular aim at Heard's team's expert witness, psychiatrist Dr. David Spiegel In cross examination, Depp's lawyers asked how the shrink could come to that conclusion without having spent any time with the actor. The doctor responded by saying that psychiatrists offer opinions all the time on patients that they haven't met. Following his appearance on the stand, Dr. Spiegel's WebMD page was flooded with negative reviews, reports NBC News. Earlier in the episode, Rogan expressed his desire that Depp fall in love, and get sober, with his attorney, Camille Vasquez.' Rogan agreed when his guest said: 'It seems like Johnny Depp's lawyers are really good.' The jury in the defamation lawsuit between Depp and Heard are expected to resume deliberations on May 31 In April 2022, Rogan appeared to declare himself to be a supporter of Depp's when he called Heard a 'crazy lady' who is 'full of s**t' Fridman then wondered if the quality of his legal team was related to money asking: 'Do you have to pay a lot more for that kind of quality?' Rogan turned it around to talk about Depp's attorney saying: 'That Camille Vasquez. That lady's a gangster. She's amazing. I hope Johnny and her fall in love.' He continued: 'That's what I hope. I hope after this trial's over, they go out to dinner and he thanks her, and then they fall in love and he gets sober.' Fridman told Rogan in a mocking tone: 'Look at you. You're such a sweetheart romantic.' Rogan called Depp's lawyer Camille Vasquez a 'gangster' and said she was 'amazing' Rogan said of Depp and Vasquez: 'That's what I hope. I hope after this trial's over, they go out to dinner and he thanks her, and then they fall in love and he gets sober' Rogan speculated that Vasquez and Depp were both in love with each other. He added that Vasquez 'hates' Amber Heard because the 'Aquaman' star 'hurt' Depp. When Rogan's producer, Jamie Vernon, chimed in to say that Vasquez was in a relationship with another man. Rogan was undeterred saying: 'Oh, well f**k that guy. He doesn't have a chance against Johnny Depp. Jesus Christ. Step aside, sir!' Rogan added: 'F**k him and his accent. Theres other fish in the sea, sir. Move along; This is greater than you.' Vernon said that Vasquez's boyfriend is from the United Kingdom. The identity of Vasquez's partner has not been made public. Rogan also apologized for previously referring to Vasquez as 'Claire' in a previous episode. The Johnny Depp/Amber Heard legal drama has previously been a topic on Rogan's show. In April 2022, Rogan appeared to declare himself to be a supporter of Depp's when he called Heard a 'crazy lady' who is 'full of s**t.' During that same episode, where his guest was comedian Jessica Kirson, Rogan said: 'That's what happens with people like thatpeople are just manipulative and full of s**t like that.' Rogan joked about what he felt were Depp's chances of winning his case, and the actor being fired from the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise when Heard's article was first published. He said: 'This is a big win for Johnny Depp. And a big loss for 'Pirates of the Caribbean!' You got rid of the best f*****g pirate you ever had! For a crazy lady!' Rogan has also said that Depp is a 'nice guy' after revealing that he spoke to the actor once on the phone. Depp at the Royal Albert Hall, London, appearing alongside Jeff Beck for the second night in a row As the verdict in Depp and Heard's trial looms, the 'Edward Scissorhands' star shocked fans by showing up on stage to accompany Jeff Beck at two concert dates in the United Kingdom over the Memorial Day weekend. Depp appeared with Beck in Sheffield City Hall in Sheffield, England, and the following night at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The jury in the lawsuit will resume their deliberations in the case on May 31 after the holiday weekend. Advertisement Meghan Markle's estranged half-brother has told her to 'show some support for your dad' after the Duchess made an unannounced visit to Uvalde, but has not visited her father following his stroke. Her older half-sibling, Thomas Markle Jr, said he thought her trip to the scene of the fatal Texas school shooting was 'the most insensitive thing I've seen in my life'. The Duchess of Sussex travelled hundreds of miles to the town of Uvalde to pay her respects to the 19 children and two teachers who were tragically killed in a mass shooting last week. The 55-year-old said he felt the trip was a 'publicity stunt' and pleaded for her to 'stop the vicious PR attack' and support her estranged father, Thomas Markle, who has just been released from hospital after suffering a stroke last week. Speaking to Dan Wootton Tonight on GB News, Thomas Jr said his father was disappointed as he had been planning to travel to the UK for the Queen's Jubilee celebrations, something the 77-year-old cannot do as he recovers from the stroke. Earlier this week there were reports 40-year-old Meghan was 'trying to heal four-year rift' with her estranged father, but that she was concerned about the involvement of her half-siblings Thomas Jr and Samantha, as she 'believes they have their own agendas'. And speaking to Dan Wootton, her elder sibling Thomas Jr was unrelenting in his criticism of her, saying she had not attempted to reach out to him or her father. Thomas Markle Jr, half-brother of Meghan, has urged his sibling to show some support for her father after he suffered a stroke last week Meghan Markle places a bouquet of white roses at the memorial outside Uvalde County Courthouse on May 26. Her half-brother said it was 'the most insensitive thing I've seen in my life' When asked by the host about Meghan's trip to Uvalde, he said: It feels like a publicity stunt. She wants people to think shes trying to solve things. 'I dont know what her agenda is, but its totally wrong. Its the most insensitive thing Ive seen in my life. 'That little walk she did, like she was on a stage? Shes just trying to make herself look better. When asked if he had a message for his half-sister, Thomas Jr said: Stop the vicious PR attack. If you want to sow some love and support for my Dad, step in and definitely give some support. Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, visits a memorial site in Uvalde, Texas on Thursday, to honor the victims killed in last week's elementary school shooting It was reported that Meghan Markle wants to make contact with her estranged father to heal the four-year rift but has concerns about the intentions of her half-siblings Thomas Jr has been providing non-stop care for his father since the retired lighting director had a devastating stroke a week ago, leaving him with loss of speech. Speaking on the show, Thomas Jr said: My dad is here, in the room with me. He wants to say that he was very much looking forward to attending the Jubilee celebrations. He really wanted to be there and he sends the Queen his best regards. When asked by Wootton if reports Meghan had reached out to her father were true, he said: She has made no attempt whatsoever at all to contact. He still has the same phone number he always has. 'Shes had every opportunity to reach out. Shes only three or four hours away. How many days late is she now? She needs to figure out who she is as a person. It was reported the Duchess of Sussex , 40, reached out to Thomas Markle's camp after it emerged he left hospital following five days of treatment for a stroke Retired Hollywood lighting director Thomas promptly sent his best wishes to the Queen for a happy Jubilee after suffering a stroke A source previously told The Mirror that the Duchess is 'concerned' about the health of her father despite their estrangement. They said: 'She wants to know if there is any way to contact her father privately, without other family knowing about it or having to get involved.' The insider added: 'Meghan cant contact her half-siblings because she believes they have their own agendas. 'If she can contact their dad, she wants it to be totally private. It wont involve Netflix, it wont involve any photographs and it must not involve any tip-offs to the paparazzi.' MailOnline has contacted Meghan's team for comment. Speaking after his stroke last week, Thomas Markle said he felt 'hugely grateful' and 'lucky' to be alive. He said: 'I want to thank everyone, especially the wonderful doctors and nurses who saved my life. They are angels. I have been deeply moved by loving messages Ive received from all over the world. People have been so kind. I cant speak right now, but I am working hard and will thank people properly when I can. Mr Markle had been planning to fly to the UK this week to celebrate next weekends Platinum Jubilee, but the stroke on Monday night, which has left him with limited speech, scuppered the trip. Writing on a whiteboard with a felt-tip pen, he said: I wanted to come to pay my respects to the Queen. I wish her a happy Jubilee and many more years. The severe stroke was caused by a blood clot on the right side of Mr Markles brain. He was rushed to a hospital near his home in Rosarito, Mexico, before being transferred by ambulance to the US border where an ambulance was waiting to ferry him to a hospital in San Diego, California. He has been in a critical-care ward all week and has made what one doctor told him was remarkable progress. However, it is understood that Meghan is concerned about involving her half-siblings Thomas Jr, 55, and Samantha, 57, as she 'believes they have their own agendas' Mr Markle has never met son-in-law Prince Harry or his grandchildren Archie, three, and 11-month-old Lilibet. Pictured, Harry, Meghan and Archie with the Queen, Prince Phillip and Meghan's mother Doria Ragland While he is now able to speak a few words, he faces what he calls an uphill battle to regain his power of speech. I have lots of hard work to do and will do it, he wrote. I want to get well. Im so lucky to have had amazing care and love. Thank you everyone. Mr Markle was forced to miss his daughters wedding to Prince Harry in 2018 after he had two heart attacks just days before. He blamed them on the stress he suffered after posing for paparazzi pictures to improve his image. He has been estranged from his daughter ever since and has never met son-in-law Prince Harry or his grandchildren Archie, three, and 11-month-old Lilibet. A former Downing Street aide has said that they are willing to reveal texts from Carrie Johnson about an alleged illegal gathering in the Number 10 apartment to the Privileges Committee. It is understood that Scotland Yard was sent the messages, but did not investigate the incident. And civil servant Sue Gray was also informed of the alleged event, but did not enquire further, with the messages not submitted as evidence. The aide said that they are willing to share the messages with a cross-party committee of MPs investigating whether the prime minister knowingly misled parliament when he said that no parties had been held in Downing Street. A former Downing Street aide has said that they are willing to reveal texts from Carrie Johnson (pictured with her husband and prime minister Boris Johnson) about an alleged illegal gathering in the Number 10 apartment to the Privileges Committee They are said to be worried about 'further erosion of public trust', as the texts have not been investigated by the Met Police or looked into by Ms Gray, The Times reports. The text from Mrs Johnson said that 'the gay boys' were in the flat in Number 11 on the evening of June 19, 2020, before the prime minister went up for the evening, the paper reports. It is unclear who she is referring to in the message. The cabinet office said that Ms Gray disputes claims she has the chance to view the messages in January, as they were not submitted as evidence by the former aide The texts were sent a few hours after Boris Johnson was at a gathering in the Cabinet room to celebrate his birthday. He was fined for this, as indoor gatherings with two or more people were banned at the time with an exception for work. The Times reports that the former aide has told cabinet secretary Simon Case about the messages, who has not yet responded. A friend to the former aide told the paper: 'Their concern is that this hasn't been looked at by anyone. 'The texts appear to directly tie the prime minister's wife and the prime minister to a potential illegal gathering.' The texts were sent a few hours after Boris Johnson was at a gathering in the Cabinet room to celebrate his birthday (pictured), for which he was fined In January, the Number 10 spokesperson said illegal gathering allegations were 'totally untrue', but yesterday refused to deny the event happened, the paper reported. A spokesperson for Mrs Johnson said that Ms Gray was aware of the exchanges as part of her inquiry. 'Staff were given ample opportunity to present evidence, including these messages, and all relevant information was passed to the Metropolitan Police for investigation' they added. The cabinet office said that Ms Gray disputes claims she has the chance to view the messages in January. They said the aide was told they needed to submit copies of the texts as evidence for the inquiry, but refused. They added that Ms Gray's investigation had ended when a second offer had been made in May. The BBC has criticised an arts reporter who made a 'misleading' comment on JK Rowling's views on gender identity. Tom Sutcliffe made the statement on BBC Radio 4's Front Row programme on March 24 that JK Rowling's critical view on whether transgender women are women is 'very unpopular'. The journalist was complained about 584 times and the BBC's complaints unit said there is no evidence that Rowling's view is in a minority. Tom Sutcliffe made the statement on BBC Radio 4's Front Row programme on March 24 that JK Rowling's critical view on whether transgender women are women is 'very unpopular' The Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) said in a ruling: 'In the ECU's view it was legitimate to discuss JK Rowling, because she featured in the interviewee's book (a fact reflected in Mr Sutcliffe's question). 'As to comparing her case with others, the ECU noted that Mr Sutcliffe did so in the context of distinguishing between expressing opinions (as JK Rowling had done) and committing criminal acts, and considered that this was neither harmful nor offensive. 'The ECU agreed, however, that Mr Sutcliffe's reference to a 'very unpopular opinion' was potentially misleading because, while it had clearly proved objectionable to some, there was no conclusive evidence that the objectors represented a majority.' Sutcliffe was interviewing Erich Hatala Matthes about cancel culture at the time. Rowling features in a book that Matthes wrote about the phenomenon. Attorney General Suella Braverman has praised JK Rowling for her views on the transgender issues as she says schools should not have to pander to pupils who see themselves in a different birth gender. The Tory minister said the Harry Potter author was a 'heroine' for campaigning for female only spaces for those born women and added that schools should be able to treat all children by their birth gender. She said schools should not address trans pupils by their chosen pronouns or permit them to wear a school uniform of a different gender. And she added that since those aged under 18 cannot legally change their gender, schools are entitled to treat all children by their birth gender. The Attorney General also told The Times that Rowling, who has come under fierce criticism for her views on gender, is 'very brave, very courageous' and she is on 'her side' on the trans issue. The Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) said the wording was 'potentially misleading' but did not uphold complaints about the programme comparing Rowling's view to that of Hitler and Eric Gill It comes as fresh Labour infighting broke out over trans issues as the party chair contradicted a fellow MP on whether 'some women were born with penises'. In an interview, frontbencher Anneliese Dodds was challenged over whether she agreed with Stella Creasy. 'Well, no, I dont agree with her. Biological females obviously arent, of course there are also trans-women who have made the transition in their gender but sex is not the same as gender,' she told Sky News' Ridge on Sunday. 'But I would say that obviously I have a huge amount of respect for my colleague, Stella Creasey, she has done a huge amount of campaigning for women but on that issue around biology, I do have a different opinion.' Professor Brian Cox has said it could be 'a law of nature' that when intelligent species get power they eventually use it to wipe themselves out suggesting humans' extinction could be caused by climate change or war. The physicist, 54, told the Needs a Friend podcast: 'It could be almost a law of nature that when an intelligent species begins to learn and therefore acquire power, that they deploy the power in a way that just wipes them out, and maybe civilisations only have a lifetime of a thousand years, or two thousand years, or ten thousand years.' He said this could mean that intelligent life forms exist only on Earth 'because all the other ones have been brief lights that flickered out of existence', having already caused their own downfall. Cox added: 'What a tremendous shame after four billion years that we would through our own stupidity essentially remove meaning from this corner at least - this little corner of the galaxy - because we're idiots basically. 'If you look at the history of life on earth, we as a species are a quarter of a million years old, or something like that, 250,000-ish. 'I've got a friend who's a biologist and he studies these things, evolutionary biology, and he likes to say that in that sweep of stars that you can see in the night sky all there will be there at best is slime because slime is probably the default with life. 'If you look at the history of life on earth, it was single-celled, just single-cell things, probably three billion years or so of the 3.8 that there's been life on earth. So for most of it, it didn't bother, we just sat there as slime. 'On earth, 75% of the time or more it was just slime. It's only in the last 500 million years that anything complex has been around, and it's only in the last around 200,000 years or so that anything has been around with the brain capacity of anything like ours. The physicist said: 'What a tremendous shame after four billion years that we would through our own stupidity essentially remove meaning from this corner at least - this little corner of the galaxy - because we're idiots basically' Pictured: Professor Brian Cox 'So I don't think it's the case that if you just wipe us off the planet then something else will suddenly be inventing iPhones and things given a few thousand years. It looks very unlikely. 'So we look like a freak of nature, our presence on this planet.' He added: 'Two of my great heroes, Richard Feynman and Oppenheimer, ran the scientific bit of the Manhattan Project (inventing nuclear bombs). 'There's a wonderful essay by Feynman called The Value of Science, and ultimately he's worried that the knowledge that we have acquired - science has given us, the knowledge our civilisation has - exceeds our wisdom. 'So we have too much power for our morality and our wisdom, and our intellect can't deal with the power that we have. 'And so they were surprised to be around in the fifties and they were right to be surprised. Professor Cox said: 'I've got a friend who's a biologist and he studies these things, evolutionary biology, and he likes to say that in that sweep of stars that you can see in the night sky all there will be there at best is slime because slime is probably the default with life' Pictured: MT Fuji and the Milky Way over Lake Kawaguchi 'That's before the Cuban Missile Crisis.' Speaking on the podcast 'Needs a Friend', he said he told world leaders discussing climate change that we could 'mess up' the only meaning of life from 400 billion stars and billions of light years in every direction. He said: 'I was asked to give a little video thing to the intro to the COP26 meeting, the climate change meeting in Glasgow. The brief was 'you get a chance to speak to these world leaders in a little intro video, what do you want to say to them?' 'Ultimately I said if you think about meaning - we all ask 'what does it mean?' - you're thinking about what does it mean to be alive, what does it mean to be a living thing in this massive universe. 'Meaning, what is it? Whatever it is, it emerges from brains. It's a property of conscious things and so if there is nothing else, there's nowhere else in our galaxy of 400 billion suns where atoms have come together to think - which when you put it like that that's what we are, it's a collection of atoms that can think - then if we mess this up, if we destroy ourselves through inaction or deliberate action, then we may remove meaning from a galaxy of 400 billion stars and we may be responsible for that. 'This might be the only place where anything thinks, for billions of light years, millions of light years, in every direction. So we have a tremendous responsibility. 'There's a thing called the Drake Equation. It was just an attempt to say 'could we estimate the number of civilisations that might be present that we could communicate with in our galaxy. 'Does life evolve, what's the probability? At the end it's L, which is the lifetime of a civilisation.' Barnaby Joyce has revealed he was planning to step down as Nationals leader anyway after being toppled by his party. The former deputy prime minister - who lost leadership to David Littleproud on Monday - said he wanted to 'transition' out of the role. Mr Littleproud has said a key reason for his victory was that he would provide continuity and prevent the need for a change of leader in 18 months' time. David Littleproud (pictured on election day with girlfriend Amelia Dobson) challenged Mr Joyce for Nationals leadership Speaking to reporters in Canberra on Tuesday, Mr Joyce said he was not upset by the result. 'To be frank, it is a weight off my shoulders, to be honest,' he said. 'I went to the election saying that, on behalf of my colleagues, I would hold every seat and we did that. 'I always said - and I am surprised it never leaked - I was transitioning out of the leadership and that was what I was going to do. 'I probably didn't want to do it yesterday but that is life. That is politics.' On Monday Mr Joyce faced a challenge from Mr Littleproud and MP Darren Chester in a mammoth two-hour party room meeting in Canberra. The length of the meeting had pundits wondering whether the poll was extremely close or even a tie which needed breaking - but it may have just been due to a long discussion before the ballot. Barnaby Joyce has revealed he was planning to step down as Nationals leader anyway after being toppled by his party The result means Mr Joyce's second tenure as leader lasted less than a year after he rolled Michael McCormack in June 2021. Speaking after the ballot, former agriculture minister Mr Littleproud said: 'This is the proudest day of my professional life.' The 45-year-old's election represents a shift in direction for the Nationals and could help de-escalate the so-called climate wars. Mr Joyce had been against the Coalition's net zero carbon emissions by 2050 target while Mr Littleproud was in favour. The new leader said: 'The National Party today starts its journey towards 2025, with a vibrant team, ready to articulate the policies that are important to regional and rural Australia. Newly elected Nationals Senate Leader Bridget McKenzie (left), newly elected Nationals leader David Littleproud and newly elected Nationals Deputy Leader Perin Davey on Monday Mr Littleproud, a father of three who is separated from his wife, is pictured with girlfriend Amelia Dobson 'This is about us as a party moving forward, not lurching to the left, not lurching to the right but bringing this thing called common sense to Canberra. 'A sensible centre is where you win elections, not chasing extremities down rabbit holes that don't work,' he said. Mr Littleproud - a former regional banker from Chinchilla, Queensland - has three children with his ex-wife Sarah. The pair announced their separation in 2019. NSW senator Perin Davey has been elected deputy leader. Mr Littleproud said he will work closely with the Liberal Party - now led by Peter Dutton - to hold Labor to account and ultimately return to the Coalition to power in 2025. He has represented the federal Division of Maranoa, a safe Queensland seat, since 2016. After his defeat, Mr Joyce released a statement saying: 'I suppose you think I'm sad. Not really.' He vowed to spend more time with his family and the people in his electorate of New England. Rescue divers in Florida received cover from snipers as they searched alligator-infested waters for a mother and son whose car careened into a roadside pond on Friday. Snipers were seen on the side of the Florida Turnpike in Miami lying with their stomachs on the ground as others walked around the perimeter while rescue crews braved the alligator-infested pond for Mario Laza, 56, and his mother Nieves Matos, 80. The mother and son were traveling along the Florida Turnpike in a blue Toyota minivan just before noon on Friday, WSVN reports, when the driver attempted to exit onto westbound Southwest Eighth Street and lost control when trying to navigate the right curve of an exit ramp. 'The vehicle lost control, overturned driving off of the roadway into the pond,' Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Alex Camacho said in the aftermath. 'Dive teams from fire rescue and Miami-Dade Police did their search and rescue, and were able to rescue an adult female and adult male inside of the vehicle at the time.' Authorities were also able to pull the car out of the water, and it was later towed away. Snipers were seen lying with their stomachs on the ground to protect dive teams who braved alligator-infested waters to rescue a mother and son Other gunmen were seen patrolling the area to protect the rescue teams from any alligator attacks on Friday The dive teams from fire rescue and the Miami-Dade Police entered the water shortly after the blue minivan Mario Laza, 56, and his mother Nieves Matos, 80, were traveling in careened into the pond The crews were able to rescue the mother and son from the water, and paramedics transported them to a local hospital Authorities were also able to pull the blue Toyota minivan out of the water Witnesses also entered the water to search for the missing mother and son, according to WSVN, but cops soon realized the waters were teeming with alligators - and had snipers surround the rescuers and halt any potential attacks. Eventually, the crews were able to locate the blue minivan with Laza and Matos still inside, and first responders proceeded to administer CPR to the elderly woman. Both victims were soon transported to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital in critical condition, and Laza later died. Laza was a Miami Springs gas station employee, whom loved ones describe as a beloved friend and coworker. 'I miss his smile, everything, how he talked, everything,' Yusle Disperez told WSVN. 'To me, we lost the light of this gas station.' Disperez also shared video from the business' Facebook page with the news station, showing him dancing, laughing and smiling, while Carlos Borras, another friend, said: 'We are in shock right now for this situation, but I hope he resets in peace. Matos, meanwhile, remains at the hospital in critical condition. Mario Laza, 56, died at the local hospital following the crash He worked at a Miami Springs gas station and loved ones describe as a beloved friend and coworker Family members for Laza and Matos set up a GoFundMe to pay for his funeral expenses and her medical bills as she remains in critical condition Their family has now created a GoFundMe to help pay for Laza's funeral expenses and Matos' medical expenses. It describes Laza as 'a person that you would never forget just by meeting him once 'He was someone full of life, laughter and good times to share, with a giant heart and a unique personality,' the GoFundMe reads. As of Monday evening, it raised $4,850 for the family. Dominic Raab has waded into the trans debate and said 'it's obvious a woman can't be born with a penis'. The justice secretary made the remarks after a think-tank suggested that the criminal justice system is failing women by favouring transgender rights. Self-declaration of gender identity has been adopted by key institutions despite not aligning with the law, creating problems for both female suspects and victims, the Policy Exchange paper states. The publication cites a paper from Oxford University sociology professor Michael Biggs, who said: 'If campaigners for gender identity achieve their goal, the number of males in women's prisons will multiply. 'Given the obvious incentive for heterosexual men to transfer... males would soon outnumber females. The consequence for female inmates hardly needs to be spelled out.' But Deputy Prime Minister Mr Raab also said there had been no sexual assaults by transgender women in women's prisons since 2019, telling the Sun: 'I think we've got the right approach.' Dominic Raab has waded into the trans debate and said 'it's obvious a woman can't be born with a penis'. Self-declaration of gender identity has been adopted by key institutions despite not aligning with the law, creating problems for both female suspects and victims, the Policy Exchange paper states The report, titled Transgenderism and Policy Capture in the Criminal Justice System, called for the elimination of de facto declarations of gender identity and for data to be recorded on the basis of sex. Its author Maureen O'Hara, assistant professor at Coventry University, said: 'Practices which treat biological males as women are causing harm to victims of crime, staff in the criminal justice institutions, female prisoners, and perhaps to trans-identifying offenders.' SNP MP Joanna Cherry QC, who wrote the paper's foreword, lamented the 'toxic' debate around trans issues. She said: 'When politicians from the left and right such as Annaliese Dodds, Nicola Sturgeon and Ruth Davidson refuse to define what a woman is for fear of being branded 'transphobic', it is depressingly difficult to have an informed debate on the implications of the wholesale and often unquestioning adoption of gender identity theory by our institutions, both public and private. SNP MP Joanna Cherry QC, who wrote the paper's foreword, lamented the 'toxic' debate around trans issues 'Many politicians describe the debate as toxic and use that as an excuse to avoid addressing issues of the sort set out in this article. It is a quite shocking abdication of their responsibility as law makers.' She added: 'Meanwhile across the public and private sectors, women and indeed some men have lost or been hounded from their jobs for daring to question the adoption of gender identity theory in their workplaces... It is positively McCarthyite.' The report, authored by assistant professor at Coventry University Maureen O'Hara, called for the elimination of de facto declarations of gender identity in the criminal justice system and for data to be recorded on the basis of sex. Drivers taking a few drops of cannabidiol, derived from cannabis, under the tongue is fine as long as it's in moderation. A University of Sydney-led study found that 1500mg, the highest daily medicinal dose of cannabidiol (CBD), has no impact on people's driving or cognitive abilities. Unlike THC, a cannabis component that can induce a high and impairment, CBD does not appear to intoxicate people. Instead, it can have calming and pain relief effects. A University of Sydney-led study found that 1500mg, the highest daily medicinal dose of cannabidiol (CBD) (pictured) , has no impact on people's driving or cognitive abilities Most countries, including Australia, allow people to drive while on CBD (pictured, stock driving image) CBD is a cannabis component widely used for medical as well as wellness purposes, such as to induce sleep or boost energy and is mostly consumed orally as an oil. Most countries, including Australia, allow people to drive while on CBD. In NSW, it is legal provided a driver is not impaired due to fatigue or lowered blood pressure. Lead author Danielle McCartney said CBD in general was not considered an intoxicating drug but its effects were being measured on other tasks. "Our study is the first to confirm that, when consumed on its own, CBD is driver-safe," Dr McCartney said. Lead author Danielle McCartney said CBD (pictured) in general was not considered an intoxicating drug but its effects were being measured on other tasks The research, published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, involved 17 participants undertaking simulated driving tasks after consuming either a placebo or up to 1500mg doses. They completed the tasks between 45-75 minutes after taking their assigned treatment, and then again at between three-and-a-half and four hours after. Drivers had to try to maintain a safe distance between themselves and a vehicle in front of them as well as along highways and rural roads The researchers measured how much drivers weaved or drifted, their cognitive function and the oil's concentration in the blood stream. The researchers measured how much drivers weaved or drifted, their cognitive function and the oil's concentration in the blood stream (pictured, stock driving image) They concluded that no dose of CBD induced feelings of intoxication or appeared to impair either driving or cognitive performance. About 55,000 requests to access medicinal CBD had been approved in Australia since 2016, Dr McCartney said. Anthony Albanese is targeting six years in power and wants to secure an even bigger majority in 2025, he told Labor MPs and senators. The new Prime Minister said he believes he can win the next election if Labor 'keeps our discipline' and successfully implements all of its promises. Speaking to jubilant members and senators on Tuesday in Canberra, Mr Albanese said that during the campaign he 'spoke about back-to-back premierships. The biggest cheer was reserved for Sam Lim (left), the former dolphin trainer who won the blue-ribbon seat of Tangney in WA Mr Albanese received a warm welcome from fellow Labor colleagues before the meeting 'I spoke about two elections. I said I had two dates in mind - one election day on May 21 but secondly, as well, where we would be positioned in 2025,' he said. 'The way you really change the country is to entrench reforms and to do that you need a long-term Labor government. 'It's only Labor that does the big things in this country and I want, just as universal health care and universal superannuation are part of the great Australian story, created by Labor, I want universal childcare to be part of the great Australian story.' Mr Albanese will be 62 in May 2025 and 65 in May 2028. 'My objective is to not keep this room as it is. My objective is to grow this room,' he told the Labor politicians. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese congratulates Labor member for Hawke Sam Rae after signing the Labor caucus book Mr Albanese congratulates Labor member for Holt Cassandra Fernando after signing the Labor caucus book Mr Albanese congratulates Labor member for Lingiari Marion Scrymgour on Tuesday In his speech, the new leader outlined his priorities for his first term, saying he will deliver 'more secure work, taking pressure off the cost of living. 'Cheaper childcare. We will strengthen Medicare. We will fix aged care. We will make sure that we make more things here in Australia and become a more resilient economy with advance manufacturing. 'We will end the climate wars,' he said to rapturous applause. 'We will introduce legislation for an Anti-Corruption Commission this year.' Mr Albanese also told his members and senators not to waste a day in government. 'We don't intend to. You might have noticed we got on with things pretty quickly and were sworn in quicker than any government has been in Australia's history,' he said. Mr Albanese also introduced the new Labor MPs one by one to cheers from the crowd. The biggest cheer was reserved for Sam Lim, the former dolphin trainer who won the blue-ribbon seat of Tangney in WA. Car enthusiasts desperate for a piece of Aussie history have gone all in for a run-down Holden Monaro, with the car selling for a whopping $127,000 at a country town auction. The Elders auction in Laharum, 283km northwest of Melbourne, drew a large crowd of rev-heads last Friday, who were willing to pay top dollar for the iconic 1969 Monaro. The vintage car had driven just 99,943.9 miles - 160,844km - when it was sold with its original hub caps and identification tags in tact. A video of the auction captured the moment bidders ramp the price up as they attempt to win the iconic Aussie car. Scroll down for the video. A 1969 Holden Monaro (above) sold for $127,000 at an Elders auction in Laharum, 283km northwest of Melbourne A video showed the price soar from $104,000 to the sale price in just five minutes as rev-heads competed to get their hands on the iconic car Bidding was already at $104,000 when the video started, with bidders only taking a brief pause at $120,000 before the winner took it up to $127,000. Most price guides value 1969 Monaros between $40,000 and $100,000, with prices varying depending on their condition. However the retail price of the cars have skyrocketed since Holden ended its Australian factory operations in 2017 and General Motors - Holden's American manufacturer - axed the brand in 2020. Vehicles in pristine condition or with a racing history have fetched as much as $500,000. The Monaro had driven just 99,943.9 miles - 160, 844 km - when it was sold with its original hub caps and tags in tact The Monaro was Holden's first factory-built race car and was debuted by motorsport legend Harry Firth at Sandown in 1969 where it was driven by Spencer Martin and Kevin Bartlett. However it was icon Peter Brock who cemented the car in motorsport history books. Just last year, Brock's 2001 Targa Tasmania Holden Monaro sold for more than $200,000 at auction. Firth's first racing Monaro also fetched a high price, selling for $715,000 in 2020. Other highlights of the Laharum auction were a 1990 Harley Davison, which sold for $20,250, a 1934 Ford V8 for $86,000, a Castrol enamel four-panel sign for $17,000, and a 1978 Holden Torana that sold for $19,000. A 1969 Monaro (above) was sold for $127,000, despite most price guides valuing them between $40,000 and $100,000, with prices varying depending on their condition A 1969 Holden Monaro (above) sold for $127,000 at a country-town auction last Friday Advertisement Cops have shot a 26-year-old black woman who claimed she was pregnant as they searched for a vehicle involved in an armed car jacking. Kansas City police fired at Leonna Hale five times after she told them there was a gun in the car and as a man who was with her fled just before 8pm on Friday. Horrified witnesses claimed the suspect had been trying to cooperate before she was gunned down and handcuffed on the ground as blood seeped through her white t-shirt. She was rushed to hospital after suffering serious injuries but was in a stable condition. The man, who was said to be her boyfriend, was also taken in by medics on an unrelated medical issue. Cops said a gun was recovered from near the car - but it was not clear if the woman had been holding it - and they had launched a full investigation while the two officers involved were put on administrative leave. Kansas City police fired at Leonna Hale five times after she told them there was a gun in the car and as a man who was with her fled just before 8pm on Friday Horrified witnesses claimed the suspect had been trying to cooperate before she was gunned down and handcuffed on the ground as blood seeped through her white t-shirt Dramatic footage shows Hale being cuffed on the ground as she started to bleed from gunshot wounds at a Family Dollar store in Kansas City. Onlookers wailed as they repeated claims from the woman that she was pregnant, with one claiming: 'She did not pull out a weapon on them.' One witness called She Danja claimed she was a medical assistant and slammed officers for their handling of the incident. She told the Kansas City Star: 'She did not pull out a weapon on them. She did not even have a stick in her hand.' She said the officers then fired at Hale five times. 'One, two, three, four five. I remember it because it didn't stop. They shot five times. I remember seeing her hit the ground and I froze.' She said she had been getting gas and ice cream from a nearby service station when she saw the commotion and heard gunshots. She said she first heard officers yelling 'get out of the car' to two people who were in the vehicle parked next to hers and the male driver fled before Hale exited her vehicle with her hands up. Officers swooped on her and told her to get on the ground but she allegedly said she was pregnant and could not lie down. Hale later said there was a gun in the vehicle and she started backing towards a fence in the parking lot before police drew their weapons. She was rushed to hospital after suffering serious injuries but was in a stable condition. The man she was also taken in by medics on an unrelated medical issue Cops said a gun was recovered from near the car - but it was not clear if the woman had been holding it - and they had launched a full investigation while the two officers involved were put on administrative leave Authorities said cops in two cars were following up on a call about an armed carjacking after dispatchers provided them with a description of the vehicle and license plate Authorities said cops in two cars were following up on a call about an armed carjacking after dispatchers provided them with a description of the vehicle and license plate. The officers spotted the car with two suspects inside the parking lot of the Family Dollar store at Sixth and Prospect Avenues in Kansas City and approached it. But the male driver then allegedly fled northeast as two officers pursued and Hale stepped out of the car and told officers there was a gun inside. Two officers then fired at Hale and she suffered serious injuries and was taken to a local hospital where she was in a stable condition. The male suspect, who has not yet been named, was also brought to a local hospital for an unrelated medical issue. She Danja continued: 'They got her in handcuffs while they shot her y'all.' She said she was originally from Louisiana and Arkansas and was just visiting the city. She continued: 'I stopped here to get some gas, y'all, and my son just watched this. My one-year-old son just watched this. My 10-year-old son just watched this. And my 13-year-old son just watched this. 'She was fixing to cooperate. She got scared, she ran down there, they shot her. She ran and they shot at her one, two, three, four.' She Danja (pictured) was quickly asked to move on by the officers but hit back that her sons were still in the store getting ice cream One witness, who only identified herself as She Danja, said Hale had her hands up and ran three steps away before she was shot She Danja was quickly asked to move on by the officers but hit back that her sons were still in the store getting ice cream. She shared the video on Facebook, writing: 'When she got out the car she put her hands up and was talking to them to show she didn't have a weapon in her hand!!! 'She did run three steps away when she got scared at them all coming towards her with guns in her face. That's when she was shot that many times. 'Keep in mind, they chased her [boyfriend] who jumped out of the vehicle and he was captured unharmed... while she was left there in the street literally still near the vehicle she got out of. 'I'm literally in shock the whole video!' she wrote. 'I'm a whole medical assistant, and it's literally not how you handle a gunshot victim who's pregnant.' Missouri State Highway Patrol said it was investigating the shooting - as it is protocol - while the two officers involved have been placed on administrative leave. Spokesman Andy Bell said a gun 'was located' near the vehicle but did not say whether the victim was holding it at the time of the shooting, citing 'intricate details that have to be followed up on'. 'Everything's going to be analyzed, to be scrutinized by our officers,' he said, noting that they will review body camera footage from the incident. Interim Police Chief Joseph Mabin, meanwhile, told reporters that the department would be fully transparent with the highway patrol as the shooting investigation is conducted. 'We never want to be in these types of situations - not the public, not the police department,' he said. 'Anytime anything happens like this, it's a blight on our community.' Police remained on the scene of the Family Dollar parking lot Friday evening Putin, Erdogan discuss situation in Ukraine over phone Xinhua) 08:51, May 31, 2022 MOSCOW, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the situation in Ukraine during a telephone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday. The two leaders addressed maritime security in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, and the removal of the threat of mines in these waters, the Kremlin said. Putin noted that Russia was ready to "facilitate the unhindered sea transit of goods" in coordination with the Turkish side, adding that this also applied to grain exports from Ukrainian ports. Given the current challenges on the global food market, Russia would be able to export the necessary volumes of fertilizers and agricultural products if Western sanctions were lifted, the Kremlin said. Putin and Erdogan also covered bilateral trade and economic ties as well as regional issues, the Kremlin said. According to a statement issued by the Turkish presidential office, Erdogan and Putin discussed Turkey's security concerns for Syria and the Ukraine crisis, as well as Turkey-Russia relations. Erdogan told Putin that Turkey is ready for meeting with Russia, Ukraine, and the United Nations in Istanbul and to play a role in a possible observation mechanism if both sides agree on principle, the statement said. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun) Activist and writer Yassmin Abdel-Magied has admitted drama 'always' finds her five years after fleeing Australia to avoid the backlash from an infamous Anzac Day post. Ms Abdel-Magied recently appeared on ABC News Breakfast to discuss her new book which details her experience following the polarising Facebook post in 2017. The Sudanese writer was heavily criticised for tweeting and then deleting: 'Lest. We. Forget. (Manus, Nauru, Syria, Palestine)' on April 25. She issued an apology for the post but many Australians were left outraged she had hijacked the national day of remembrance to make a political statement. 'I didn't go looking for the drama, but somehow, I tended to attract it,' the activist reflected five years after the controversial moment. 'I think that, quite often, I was maybe a little ahead of my time.' Activist and writer Yassmin Abdel-Magied (pictured) has admitted drama 'always' finds her five years after she fled Australia to avoid the backlash from an infamous Anzac Day post Ms Abdel-Magied's 2017 Anzac Day post drew widespread condemnation online, in the media and even death threats, which continued even after she took it down and apologised The 31-year-old said she was proud to have prompted a difficult conversation on Australia's national stage while still only in her twenties. 'Because I'm not necessarily bringing up things that are morally wrong, but bringing up things that folks might find uncomfortable or tricky to discuss in the public context,' she explained. The author floated the idea of renouncing her Australian citizenship in an essay from her new book Talking About a Revolution. Ms Abdel-Magied wrote that Britain or perhaps the US would be her permanent home after stating she felt 'betrayed' by her home country in 2017. 'I've emigrated, I'm not going back. I've emigrated in the same way my parents left Sudan, I have left Australia,' she told the Sydney Morning Herald. If the activist gives up her Australian passport, she would only be left with a Sudanese one and it would be much harder for her to enter Australia. The author has admitted it would be 'impractical' for her renounce the passport. And despite recently marrying a UK man, Ms Abdel-Magied will have to wait a number of years to become a British citizen. The 31-year-old said she was proud to have prompted a difficult conversation on Australia's national stage while still only in her twenties when reflecting on her infamous Anzac Day post Yassmin Abdel-Magied who created a storm of outrage with an infamous Facebook post on Anzac Day in 2017 says the backlash impacted her so badly she might never return to Australia She has only returned Down Under a handful of times, sometimes only to fulfill visa requirements to remain in the UK. Ms Abdel-Magied told an interviewer in London that if she even hears an Australian accent now, 'I will leave'. Ms Abdel-Magied's 2017 Anzac Day Facebook Post quickly sparked backlash online with many branding her words 'disrespectful' even after she apologised. 'I feel a little bit betrayed by Australia, because it's my country and these are my country people and it's my home, and to sort of fight for your right to exist in your home country it's exhausting,' she said at the time. Then Immigration Minister Peter Dutton was one of a number of conservative politicians who weighed in. The newly elected Liberal leader called the post a 'disgrace' and condemned using 'Lest We Forget', a phrase associated with remembering the war dead, to make political points about Australia's foreign and immigration policy. New Liberal leader Peter Dutton (right), here seen with his wife Krilly, was one of a number of politicians who condemned the 'Lest we forget' Facebook post, which he called a 'disgrace' Despite being Young Queenslander of the Year in 2010 and being touted employed a cultural ambassador by the Australian government Ms Abdel-Magied came to describe herself as Australia's 'most publicly hated Muslim'. She told the Sydney Morning Herald the hurt she feels towards Australia runs deep. '(Australia) expelled me and it was cruel, and it was cruel in a way it didn't need to be and it was cruel to somebody who loved it and only wished it well,' she said. 'I've compared it in the past to an abusive partner because it's such a complex relationship. On the one hand, there are lots of good times there and on the other hand, there's been so much harm and hurt that you can never quite be sure what that relationship was like at all.' Ms Abdel Magied said it was because of the abuse, she chose to appear virtually, rather than in person, at the Sydney Writers' Festival on Saturday. Ms Abdel-Magied says that she is so reluctant to return to her once adopted and beloved country that for writers' festivals in Australia she now only appears by a video link Ms Abdel-Magied's parents still live in Brisbane, where, as skilled migrants, they emigrated with their 18-month-old daughter in 1992. They might have to wait a while to see their daughter in person again. 'I grew up in Brisbane, and I don't really have any problems with Brisbane, but I don't miss it,' Ms Abdel-Magied said. 'And sometimes I feel like a terrible person for that. How can you not miss somewhere where you spent the majority of your life? Yet, I'm very fine [with] not going back.' Ms Abdel-Magied has become a sought-after commentator in the British media but has built a more lucrative profile as a speaker in the US, where she mainly talks about racial and cultural relations. Locals are outraged that at least four koalas were burned to death in a government controlled burn inside a national park. The burn off was part of bushfire prevention conducted last Tuesday in the Mount Richmond National Park in Victoria's south-west. Two of the marsupials were found dead in the smouldering 10-hectare fire zone and two more were suffered burns and dehydration and had to be euthanised. Visitors to the national park found the surviving koalas who were writhing in pain for days and alerted wildlife rescue agencies. Two more koalas were injured the blaze (pictured) and had to be euthanised 'One in particular, his burns were shocking... His back feet were burned, all the fur on his ears was singed,' the local told Yahoo News. The Victorian Environment Department said it conducted a 'low-intensity burn' but witnesses claimed the fires were 'big and hot', reaching the top of gum trees used as koala habitats. Friends of the Earth Melbourne also claimed large piles of koala droppings were found near Manna Gums within the designated fire zone before the burn was conducted. 'It is obvious that the site is favoured by this animal... To see such wanton animal death in a National Park is particularly galling,' the advocacy group said. The Environment Department said inspectors were used in controlled burns to 'mitigate impacts on wildlife'. But the advocacy group questioned why trees known as koala habitats weren't protected and why the surviving koalas were noticed after the burn had cleared foliage. More controlled burns are set to be conducted in the area. Wildlife advocacy group Friends of the Earth Melbourne said large piles of koala droppings at the site showed the area was a 'thriving' koala habitat (pictured) and questioned why they weren't moved Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick said he would question Environment Minister Lily D'Ambrosio about the koalas and request more fires were halted until their deaths were properly investigated. 'Every effort should have been made to do a population count and to move the koalas out of the danger zone,' he said. Koalas are not protected as endangered in Victoria, unlike in Queensland and NSW. Populations have dropped dangerously low because of bushfires, disease and habitat clearance from urbanisation, grazing, agriculture, and mining. A Koala Strategy has been implemented in NSW a to protect the species including $107.1 million for koala habitat conservation, $19.6 million in community support for koala conservation. Another $23.2 million was put aside for a koala safety program and $43.4 million for science and research into the species. Two koalas were found incinerated after the Victorian government conducted a controlled 'low intensity' back-burn of a national park in the state's south west (pictured) But independent MP Justin Field called on the government to stop logging koala habitat in NSW's state forests and public land. 'Right now high quality koala habitat with resident koala populations is being logged in our state forests in NSW. That is simply unacceptable,' he said. 'There are lots of threats to koalas in NSW... but stopping the logging of koala habitat in our state forests is something Premier [Dominic] Perrottet can and should do now.' Earlier this year the federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley downgraded the conservation status of koalas across the country's east coast at a Commonwealth level, in line with a recommendation from the government's Threatened Species Scientific Committee. Defence has rejected this, claiming Peverill made the Google search afterwards Police allege Peverill did Google search day before the incident, the court heard The three-year-old girl was found dead inside the vehicle by police hours later Laura Peverill (Black) allegedly left Rylee Rose Black in a car on a hot day in QLD A mother charged for leaving her three-year-old daughter in a hot four-wheel drive before she died allegedly Googled whether she would go to jail for leaving a child in a car before the incident, a court has heard. Laura Peverill (Black), 39, and Aaron Hill, 32, allegedly left toddler Rylee Rose Black inside a Toyota Prado at an address in Burdell, in Townsville's north, on a scorching day in November 2020. The three-year-old girl was later found dead inside the car, with police claiming she had died of heat exposure after spending hours in the hot vehicle. Police allege that Peverill had Googled 'whether she would go to jail for leaving a child in a car' a day before her daughter died, the court heard. Laura Peverill (pictured), 39, has been charged for allegedly leaving her daughter in a hot car before she died. Police allege that she had Googled whether she would go to jail for leaving a child in a car before the incident, the court heard Toddler Rylee Rose Black (pictured) was allegedly left inside a Toyota Prado at an address in Burdell, in Townsville's north, on a scorching day in November 2020 This shocking revelation was revealed by Peverill's lawyer at the Townsville Supreme Court on Tuesday, where the matter was referred to for the first time, reported the Townsville Bulletin. Peverill's lawyer rejected the assertion from police and told the court that her client made the internet search 'on a different day'. 'We say it was the afternoon of the incident, not the day before,' she reportedly said. Peverill has since been charged with manslaughter over the toddler's death. Her lawyer claims she doesn't know yet whether her client will plead guilty or fight the charge in court. Peverill's defence team is now seeking testimony from two witnesses, one of who would address the 'memory lapse' that she had allegedly left her daughter in the car and the other would address the Google search controversy. Peverills matter will return to court in late July for a private meeting between the judge and legal representatives. Aaron Hill's case is due for mention on June 13. Police found Rylee Rose Black (pictured) in the car and claimed she had died from heat exposure. Queensland was in the middle of a heatwave at the time, with Townsville reaching 32.8C Aaron Hill (pictured), 32, was in a relationship with Peverill at the time of the incident. The pair had allegedly left Peverill's three-year-old daughter inside a hot car and went inside to watch Netflix together. His case is due for mention on June 13 Laura Peverill, under her maiden name Black at the time of the incident, and her then-boyfriend Aaron Hill had allegedly left Peverill's three-year-old daughter Rylee Rose Black inside a car on a hot day in November. The pair reportedly went inside a Burdell home to spend the day watching Netflix together. Police later found the girl in the vehicle deceased. Initial investigations indicated the little toddler was allegedly left inside the locked vehicle for most of the day. Queensland was in the middle of a heatwave at the time, with Townsville reaching 32.8C. Paverill's other children were subsequently left in the care of their biological father following the tragedy. Advertisement A massive fire raging at a chemical plant in Omaha, Nebraska, has forced residents to evacuate their homes as black plumes of smoke billow over the area. Explosions could be heard coming from the mountain of flames engulfing the plant, and a column of smoke could be seen for miles around the city. Fire fighters responded to the three alarm fire around 7pm on Monday night at the Nox-Crete, Inc. chemical plant, just south of downtown Omaha. Firefighters said they expected to be fighting the flames throughout the night. A massive cloud of black smoke rises from the burning chemical plant just south of downtown Omaha, Nebraska, on Monday night The flames began to engulf the Nox-Crete, Inc. chemical plant around 7pm on Monday evening An enormous column of black smoke rose from the chemical plant inferno over the streets of Omaha, and could be seen for miles around It is still unclear what caused the fire. The fire department said that around 50 firefighters had been deployed to battle the flames. Fire crews initially retreated from the flames once they realized there were likely propane tanks and combustible chemicals inside the plant. The inferno grew so intense that the Omaha Fire Department urged residents in the vicinity to evacuate, and others to shelter in place to protect themselves against the smoke. Pottawattamie County Emergency Management said that the smoke rising from the chemical plant posed no risks of toxicity outside of the evacuation zone. Footage from the scene showed the raging fire, and the sounds of explosions coming from the wall of flames. The enormous flames and billowing cloud of smoke prompted the Omaha Fire Department to urge residents to evacuate the area, and others to shelter in place against the smoke Emergency crews advised that the smoke coming from the chemical plant was not toxic Explosions could be be heard coming from the fire, and the fire department said that they were likely caused by propane tanks and chemicals igniting Photos show an enormous column of smoke rising against the skyline of downtown Omaha. Omaha Fire Department said that the explosions were likely cause by propane tanks and chemicals igniting inside the building. No injuries have been reported, and the Omaha World-Herald reported that the building was evacuated when the fire started. Leaked documents have revealed NSW's largest high school likely had deadly asbestos fibres floating around its halls for four years. Several of Castle Hill High School's classrooms were closed for a month in 2020 after an asbestos test revealed the deadly material was in the school's roof. However a new document, obtained by news.com.au, revealed the NSW Department of Education received a positive asbestos test result from the school four years earlier in 2016, but told the school it had come back negative. A new document has revealed the NSW Department of Education knew asbestos dust was present at Castle Hill High School (above) in 2016 but didn't take action until 2020 A 2016 test result from independent testing facility ClearSafe Environmental Solutions showed that chrysotile asbestos and amosite asbestos was present at the school Staff and students had been complaining for several years before 2020 that strange dust was falling from the ceilings. Desperate teachers even collected samples themselves, in an attempt to urge the school to test for asbestos. A test was finally submitted to an independent testing facility - ClearSafe Environmental Solutions - in 2016, which advised the dust contained chrysotile asbestos and amosite asbestos. But the Department of Education told the high school the test came back clear. Member for Castle Hill Ray Williams said he learnt of the positive result last Thursday and slammed the Department of Education for putting students and teachers at risk of exposure to the lethal material. Students and staff had been so worried about strange dust falling from the school ceiling they had collected their own samples to urge the school to test for asbestos prior to the 2020 revelation 'The teachers and parents believe the health of students, teachers and staff at Castle Hill High School has been severely compromised following years of exposure to asbestos,' Mr Williams said in a statement. 'The teachers and parents of CHHS have made numerous complaints regarding Asbestos to the Department of Education over several years which still remain unanswered.' NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said she only recently learnt of the positive test and confirmed it would be subject to investigation. 'I was made aware last month of allegations regarding mismanagement of asbestos in 2016 at Castle Hill High School,' she said. The Department of Education says Castle Hill High School (above) is now safe from asbestos exposure 'These are serious allegations that are the subject of investigation by both the Department of Education's Professional and Ethical Standards unit and SafeWork NSW.' A NSW Department of Education spokesperson confirmed asbestos is no longer a health threat at the school. 'The department is confident there are no current asbestos issues at the school. Remediation work at the school was completed in 2020 and 2021,' they said. From May 16 to June 15 in 2020 remediation work involving the construction of a second roof was carried out at the school after asbestos was found in the ceiling 'All air monitoring undertaken at the time returned results below or equal to the minimum detection limit. 'Testing was completed to ensure the areas were fully remediated and clearance certificates issued before the area was open to students and staff, in strict accordance with SafeWork NSW protocols.' From May 16 to June 15 in 2020 remediation work involving the construction of a second roof was carried out at the school after asbestos was found in the ceiling. NSW DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FULL STATEMENT (2020) 'Earlier this year, the Department of Education undertook a proactive roof cavity inspection program. This found previously unknown asbestos at Castle Hill High School within the roof. 'As a precaution, classes were moved to other rooms and access to the top floors of certain blocks was restricted. Remediation work, which included installing an additional ceiling directly under the existing ceiling, started on 16 May 2020 and was completed 15 June 2020. 'Air monitoring was conducted throughout the remediation work and this consistently returned results below the minimum detection limit, which means there was a low or negligible risk of exposure to airborne hazardous material. 'All work was completed in accordance with SafeWork NSW regulations and a clearance certificate was issued by an independent hygienist confirming students and staff can safely occupy the rooms. The top floors have reopened and classes have resumed. 'Throughout this process, the Education Department has updated the school community and held multiple meetings with staff. The Department also has an Incident Report and Support Hotline for anyone with additional concerns. 'An independent hygienist has advised the potential for exposure to asbestos is low, however, staff who wish to be tested for asbestos-related conditions have been asked to consult their GP. Staff have also been offered onsite counselling support and students have school counsellors available. Concerned individuals can also record their details on the National Asbestos Exposure Register. 'The department was informed by the staff member during a staff briefing that pieces of the ceiling may have fallen on them. The independent hygienist was on hand to discuss the potential exposure and advise staff to place their name on the National Asbestos Register. Testing of the ceiling tiles was conducted on 13 May 2020 indicating that the ceiling tiles did not contain asbestos. 'The department acknowledges that even the smallest traces of hazardous materials can be an unsettling experience for our school communities. The department's role is to be vigilant across all schools, and to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of students and staff at all times.' Advertisement As President Joe Biden returned to the White House on Memorial Day following his visit Uvalde, Texas, where he paid tribute to the victims of the Robb Elementary School shooting, the Democrat repeated a false claim about the Second Amendment. Biden, 79, told the gathered reporters on the South Lawn: 'The Second Amendment was never absolute. You couldnt buy a cannon when the Second Amendment was passed and you couldnt go out and purchase a lot of weapons.' The president said that there was a time when people in the US felt that the Second Amendment was too prohibitive and that they should have access to fighter jets and tanks. Biden said 'not many' say that anymore because 'things have gotten so bad that everybody is getting more rational about it. At least thats my hope and prayer.' Biden's remarks came after a weekend of soaring gun violence in which 26 people have died and dozens have been left injured across America. Philadelphia, Chicago and Maryland saw the worst of the shootings with 17 fatally shot, including eight in Pennsylvanias largest city and 21 injured in the Windy City. President Biden told reporters on the South Lawn that the 'Second Amendment is not absolute' The president's assertion that you could not buy a cannon at the time the Second Amendment was ratified in 1791 is false, numerous historical scholars have maintained. There was no specific ban on ownership of any weapon when the amendment was ratified. In fact, civilians could apply for a waiver to own ship that carried cannons during wartime. Biden made reference to buying a cannon during his 2020 presidential campaign in May of that year when he said: 'From the very beginning you weren't allowed to have certain weapons. You weren't allowed to own a cannon during the Revolutionary War as an individual.' Again there is no evidence to back up this claim, University of Pennsylvania Kermit Roosevelt told Politifact at the time. The president and First Lady Jill Biden had been in Uvalde, Texas, where they paid tribute to the victims of the Robb Elementary School shooting During his first year in office, in June 2021, Biden again said: 'The Second Amendment, from the day it was passed, limited the type of people who could own a gun and what type of weapon you could own. You couldnt buy a cannon.' At that time, the research director at the Independence Institute told the Washington Post: 'Everything in that statement is wrong. There were no federal laws about the type of gun you could own, and no states limited the kind of gun you could own.' The Post article gave Biden's remarks 'Four Pinocchios.' At a gun violence prevention task force meeting in New York City in February 2022, Biden said: 'You couldnt buy a cannon when this amendment was passed so no reason why you should be able to buy certain assault weapons.' Biden spoke during a meeting with New York City Mayor Eric Adams and officers at NYPD headquarters in Manhattan in February 2022 when made reference to cannons and the Second Amendment In April 2022, Biden made a similar statement saying: 'From the very beginning, the Second Amendment didnt say you can own any gun you want, big as you want. You couldnt buy a cannon when, in fact, the Second Amendment passed.' In the immediate aftermath of the Robb Elementary School shooting, Biden said in remarks at the White House: 'The Second Amendment's not absolute. 'When it was passed you couldn't own a cannon, you couldn't own certain weapons. There's always been limitations.' Following Biden's remarks today, Fox News' Jonathan Turley said in an appearance on 'Fox News Live' that the president was 'undermining his own case by repeating what is ironically disinformation.' During the brief question and answer session, Biden said that he has not negotiated with any Republican leaders yet on possible gun reform laws. Authorities said that Ramos legally purchased the AR-15 style rifle he used in the attack shortly after his 18 birthday People pray on May 30, 2022 at a makeshift memorial for the 19 children and two adults killed during a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas US President Joe Biden embraces Mandy Gutierrez, the principal of Robb Elementary School, as he and First Lady Jill Biden pay their respects in Uvalde on Sunday The president said that he deliberately did not engage with any Republicans while he was in Uvalde mourning the loss of 19 children and two teachers who were killed by crazed gunman Salvador Ramos, 18, on May 24. Authorities said that Ramos legally purchased the AR-15 style rifle he used in the attack shortly after his 18 birthday. Biden told the press on Memorial Day: 'It makes no sense to be able to purchase something that can fire up to 300 rounds. Theres only one reason to buy a gun that can fire 100 rounds.' It has been widely reported that a bipartisan group of senators met over the holiday week to speak tentatively about a compromise on gun reform laws. The president said of his limited power on gun control: 'I can't outlaw a weapon.' The case of an airline pilot accused of murdering Melbourne campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay has been delayed so prosecutors can continue to build their case. Gregory Stuart Lynn, 55, remained quiet as he faced Sale Magistrates Court via videolink on Tuesday afternoon. He is accused of killing Mr Hill and Ms Clay at a remote campsite in the Victorian alpine region. The 'secret lovers' were last heard from when Mr Hill, an experienced outdoorsman, made a call via high-frequency radio saying he was at Wonnangatta Valley on March 20. Former Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn, 55, (pictured) was charged with murdering two elderly campers in Victoria Greg Lynn, 55, has remained behind bars since he was arrested in November 2021 and charged with the murders of elderly campers Russell Hill (right) and Carol Clay (left) Campers found Mr Hill's car destroyed by fire at their campsite near Dry River Creek Track the following day, along with their burnt tent and some belongings. Lynn was arrested late last year following a long-running police investigation into the case, and detectives found the bodies of Mr Hill and Ms Clay in remote bushland outside Dargo in February. Prosecutor Angela Liantzakis on Tuesday requested a long adjournment so the prosecution could obtain more transcripts and other material. Lynn's lawyer Chris McLennan also sought an adjournment so Lynn could review a hard copy version of the brief in prison. He'll remain behind bars until the case returns to court on August 23. Ms Clay and Mr Hill disappeared from their campsite in the Wonnangatta Valley (pictured) on March 20, 2020, prompting an extensive two-year investigation by Victoria Police The sensational delay in the case comes as the former Jetstar pilot moves to sue the budget airline over claims he was unfairly dismissed following his arrest. Lynn has been behind bars since November of last year when he was charged with the Mr Hill, 74, and Ms Clay, 73. Jetstar dismissed the pilot almost immediately and advised through a letter dated January 7 his employment would be terminated. Lynn was sacked with two months pay and the unpaid leave entitlements he accumulated over the 15 years he flew with the budget airline. 'Your present circumstances clearly prevent you from performing your role of narrow body captain,' his former employee stated. The 'secret lovers' (pictured) mysteriously vanished from their campsite in the Wonnangatta Valley on March 20, 2020, prompting an extensive two-year investigation Lynn (pictured) will face a hearing at the Sales magistrates court again in August as case is adjourned Transport Workers Union (TWU) secretary John Berger has accused the airline of being 'harsh, unjust and unreasonable' in their decision. In a response dated January 20, the union boss said the sacking of the accused double-murderer was not proportionate to his circumstances. 'The union asserts that procedural fairness was not observed as the decision to terminate Captain Lynn's employment is disproportionate to the circumstances in which he finds himself,' the letter read. 'Captain Lynn has not been found guilty of any misconduct, he has advised Jetstar that he is on remand and therefore cannot attend at work. Campers found Mr Hill's car destroyed by fire at their campsite (pictured) near Dry River Creek Track the day after the 'secret lovers' were last heard from via high-frequency radio 'Captain Lynn has not been convicted of any crime.' Jetstar has responded to the claims and denied Lynn has been treated unfairly. A spokeswoman said it was clear the former pilot is on remand pending trial and therefore will nit be able to perform his duties for a significant period of time. 'Jetstar rejects the TWU's claims that the response is disproportionate and lacks procedural fairness, and will oppose the unfair dismissal claim by the TWU,' she said. Police have appealed for any information after a shocked motorist captured video of a truck recklessly swerving across the lanes of a freeway to block a car from overtaking it. The dashcam footage was taken in the early morning darkness at around 6:15am Tuesday on the Kwinana Freeway heading towards the city from Perth's south. The footage shows a car close behind a heavy white truck which is already veering unsteadily across the dividing freeway's dividing line. 'What the hell?' shouts a woman's voice inside the car filming the incident. The truck then fully drifts across to the right lane apparently only a few metres in front of the car trailing it. When the car indicates and tries to overtake on the left the truck swerves back to block it. When the car then tries to dart past on the right the truck swerves back that way to stay solidly in front of the car. A shocked motorist travelling northbound on Perth's Kwinana Freeway witnessed a reckless incident where a truck driver determined he would not be passed by the car closely trailing it The car is forced to rapidly brake. The video was submitted anonymously to the WA Incident Alerts Facebook page. One commentator said that the same stretch of road had seen a similar accident on Saturday morning with one person put into hospital and three vehicles involved, two written off. The bulk of commentators condemned the truck driver's action, although this was not unanimous. The truck veered from the left to right lane and back again to stay solidly in front of the car that attempted to overtake on both sides before having to quickly brake 'LOLs. Dirt carting idiot. Stay in the left lane where trucks belong,' wrote one commenter. 'Hope he gets fined big time, what an idiot,' wrote another person. However, one poster took a different point of view. 'Car indicating to go round truck driver should lose licence hope all ok and no children in car. Grow up people,' she wrote. Perth's Kwinana Freeway has been rated as one of the nation's most congested roads Another person suspected the incident was provoked. 'What did the car do to the truck before this?' she wrote. WA Police said the incident had not been reported. 'Police encourage anyone in that situation on WA roads to report the matter to police immediately on 131 444 and provide a description of the other vehicle involved, including the registration if possible,' a spokesperson said. 'In this instance we would like to hear from the occupants of both vehicles being driven behind the truck in case they have information that could assist with an investigation.' In 2019 Infrastructure Australia rated Kwinana Freeway among the 10 worst roads in the country for delays. A woman who vanished with her two young children more than four days ago has been found safe and well. Liberty Ruhl disappeared from her family home in Dapto, in Wollongong, south of Sydney, just after 4.30am on Friday morning. Ms Ruhl, 27, was with her two young children, aged six and one, with police launching an urgent appeal into her whereabouts. Four days into their massive police search, officers from Lake Illawarra confirmed they had found Ms Ruhl 'safe and well' with her two children. Liberty Ruhl, 27, vanished from her Wollongong home on Frida with her two children, six-year-old son, Jahkai, and 12-month-old daughter, Harmony She is of Caucasian appearance, about 170cm tall with a thin build and long blonde/light brown hair Before she was found, a number of Ms Ruhl's friends took to social media to beg her to come home. 'Libbi please come home,' one wrote. 'Come home Lib, or at least let your sister know you are safe, she's beyond worried,' a second said. 'Lib sissy .... if somehow you see this please reach out to me like you know can and always have I promise Im here always no judgements Ive got u (sic) no matter wat (sic) please call me you know my number,' a third said. Police launched the appeal on Friday, with their investigation stretching interstate due to Ms Ruhl's links to Western Australia. Parents have been warned to not panic buy on Panadol amid fears of a critical shortage of the popular pain relief ahead of a 'nasty' influenza season. Experts have warned of a horror flu season this winter, the first 'real' season in two years due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Reported flu cases in Victoria soared from 10,000 to 15,000 last week - more than the combined total of the past two winter seasons. Almost 150 Victorians have already been hospitalised with the flu, including 65 children. Parents are warned to not panic buy on Panadol as a horror flu season looms (stock image) As flu cases continue to surge, Pharmacy Guild of Australia issued a desperate plea amid fears supplies could run out. 'We do encourage the public to please not panic buy,' Victorian branch president Anthony Tassone said. 'And we've certainly seen an increase in demand for those products in pharmacies recently. 'Everyone has experience, whether it's at the workplace, school or junior sport, with widespread illness at the moment whether it's the flu, colds or Covid.' Victoria is also battling a resurgence in Covid cases with 9,595 new infections and 20 deaths recorded on Tuesday. The Pharmacy Guild of Australia of Victoria fear chemists will run out of Panadol (pictured) Mr Tassone warned pharmacies may need to reinstate buying limits on Panadol. 'They don't require a prescription, but to ensure there's sufficient stock to go around there may be purchase limits,' he said. 'We have seen periodic shortages and out of stocks throughout the pandemic and pharmacies have done everything they can to help their patients and communities. 'They did return to stock, maybe not across the full product range, but there were products available returning to stock late last week.' From Wednesday, Victorians aged six months and over can get a free flu shot at one of more than 3000 GPs and community pharmacies across the state. Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania also announced similar free flu vaccination schemes, which is currently being considered by NSW. A spike in flu and Covid cases has seen a demand for pain relief such as Panadol (stock image) Calls for the return of hated face mask rules as Covid AND influenza continue to spread at an alarming rate just days before winter A top doctor has called for the return of a dreaded health measure and for everyone to roll up their sleeves again amid a renewed surge in Covid-19 and influenza. Authorities have warned of a looming triple threat - Covid, the flu season and health workers calling in sick because they've contracted one of the two with hospital systems already at breaking point days out from winter. Victoria and NSW could follow Queensland in offering free flu shots to everyone with millions of Australians eligible for a fourth Covid vaccine from next week. Sydney GP Kean Seng Lim echoed calls for the return of face masks as he issued a grim warning about the months ahead. There are growing calls for the return of mask wearing amid fears of a horror winter ahead 'I think we have a big problem coming,' he told the Today show last week. 'You have got the Covid and influenza viruses both coming on together. 'We do see them happening more during these winter months as people cluster closer together. 'We also have the problem where we are going to have fewer staff. It isn't just because staff are off, because they themselves are sick, but also because their kids and grandkids are sick at schools and or schools are reducing because teachers are sick and so forth and so forth because everything interconnects.' Australian Medical Association recently announced it would welcome a move to reinstate 'moderate, but sensible' masks mandates in public indoor settings. Dr Lim also expressed concern about the high number of patients reluctant to get Covid boosters and a flu shot. Australia's peak vaccine advisory group has announced a further 1.5million Aussies are now eligible to get a fourth dose of a Covid-19 vaccine from May 30 as a winter precaution. Dr Lim fears believe a lot of urgency has been lost. Sydney GP Kean Seng Lim fears the health system will face a big problem in the months ahead 'We forget we're still in the middle of a huge epidemic and vaccines are one of our best first line protections,' Dr Lim said. 'Once the message is out there, then that starts the ball rolling and we've got to get the message out there. 'Both Covid and influenza are serious illnesses that you can be vaccinated against. 'They are passed the same way - coughing and sneezing. 'We should have going back to wear masks as well.' Peter Dutton has admitted a controversial joke he made about climate change affecting Pacific Islands was in 'poor taste' after being named the new Liberal leader. Mr Dutton was caught by an open mic in 2015 telling then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Scott Morrison that there would be 'water lapping at [the] door' of the Pacific Islands. The quip was made in response to comments expressed by Abbott about Port Moresby - the capital of Papua New Guinea. Mr Dutton issued a new apology on Tuesday after being sworn in as Liberal leader following Scott Morrison's election defeat by Anthony Albanese. Peter Dutton (pictured) has admitted a controversial joke he made about climate change affecting Pacific Islands was in 'poor taste' after being named the new Liberal leader 'I've made some poor-taste jokes, like any person, over the years, and I've apologised for that,' he said in an interview on ABC News. 'I'm as human and as frail as anybody else.' The new Opposition Leader explained that he had made decisions that were 'tough' but in Australia's 'best interests' when he held other positions in government. He has tried to form a new public image and believes that he has been unable to express his 'entire character' when he held other portfolios in government like defence, home affairs and immigration. Peter Dutton was immigration minister when he made his controversial climate change quip at Parliament House in 2015. He was making small talk with Tony Abbott before a meeting they noted was running late. Mr Dutton joked the meeting was running on 'Cape York time,' to which Mr Abbott replied, 'We had a bit of that up in Port Moresby.' Mr Dutton then responded: 'Time doesn't mean anything when you're about to have water lapping at your door.' Mr Dutton was caught by an open mic in 2015 telling then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Scott Morrison that there would be 'water lapping at [the] door' of the Pacific Islands The pair laughed before they were informed by Scott Morrison, who was social services minister at the time, that a boom microphone was close by. In video of the exchange, the body language of the pair noticeably changes at the revelation. Mr Abbott defended Peter Dutton over the joke which was described as 'vulgar' and 'soft bigotry' by indigenous leaders at the time. Mr Dutton also issued a grovelling apology not long after and stated that he regretted his comments. Peter Dutton was elected unopposed as the new Liberal Party leader on Monday following the party's loss of government at the 2022 election. Sussan Ley was elected unopposed as deputy leader. Guide Dogs Victoria boss Karen Hayes has resigned, but an investigation continues, into her endorsement of former treasurer Josh Frydenberg for re-election. Ms Hayes was featured in a flyer and a promotional video on social media backing Mr Frydenberg as the member for Kooyong ahead of the May 21 federal poll. The charity's board confirmed it had not approved the material and requested its immediate removal while launching an internal investigation. Karen Hayes was featured in a flyer and a promotional video endorsing Mr Frydenberg Ms Hayes stood down on April 26 and on Tuesday, Guide Dogs Victoria announced it had accepted her resignation. The flyer and video were authorised by Mr Frydenberg's Hawthorn East office, in compliance with electoral laws. However, charity groups are bound by regulations enforced by the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission and can be stripped of their status if unable or unwilling to rectify serious breaches. Ms Hayes was featured in a flyer and a promotional video on social media backing Mr Frydenberg (pictured, speaking to media at the Hawthorn Velodrome Patterson Reserve in Melbourne in 2022) as the member for Kooyong ahead of the May 21 federal poll Ms Hayes also appeared in a similar promotional video for Mr Frydenberg before the 2019 federal election. The then-Morrison government gave Guide Dogs Victoria $2.5 million the following year to upgrade its facilities. Guide Dogs Victoria chair Iain Edwards said Ms Hayes had made an incredible contribution, most notably on a redevelopment program to meet future needs. The independent investigation is ongoing, he said. Ms Hayes (pictured, ahead of a Guide Dog Graduation event in Melbourne in 2019) described her resignation as a 'difficult decision' but did not reference her reasons for leaving in a statement Ms Hayes described her resignation as a 'difficult decision' but did not reference her reasons for leaving in a statement. 'I am overjoyed at what we've achieved, and will watch from the sidelines with enthusiasm and support to see the program through to finalisation,' she said. One of Priti Patels top civil servants has cast doubt on her plan for a reception centre for 1,500 young single male asylum seekers on a former RAF base that was due to open in Yorkshire today. Emma Haddad, the Home Secretarys 135,000-a-year Director General for Asylum and Protection, told residents of Linton-on-Ouse in a letter leaked to MailOnline that 'no final decision has been made'. Locals have said they are terrified by the plan that will destroy the village where residents would be outnumbered by asylum seekers by two-to-one. The first 50 arrivals were due this morning. Ms Haddads letter to members of The Linton-on-Ouse Action Group, dated May 27, appears to undermine the Home Offices insistence that it would open by the end of May. The Home Secretary announced the proposals for the processing centre in Yorkshire earlier this month, which is set to house migrants arriving in the UK to end reliance on hotel accommodation, costing the taxpayer almost 5million a day. But Ms Haddad has put the brakes on the government's asylum scheme and said 'analysis and consideration of whether or not to accommodate asylum seekers at RAF Linton is ongoing'. She added: 'I can confirm that where obligations relating to consultation with the Council, community and other stakeholders exist they will be fulfilled.' The move comes as the first 100 migrants being deported to Rwanda will receive notices that they will be extradited from the UK this week, with the first flights expected to set off on June 6. The paperwork, which notifies the migrant of intent to send them on the 6,000-mile journey, is understood to have been sent to the 100 asylum seekers under Home Secretary Priti Patel's new scheme. The Home Secretary's team is 'ready for legal challenges', while Boris Johnson lashed out at 'liberal lawyers' for delaying his plan to send thousands of migrants from the UK to Rwanda - and vowed to 'get it done'. The Home Secretary announced the proposals for the processing centre in Yorkshire, which is set to house migrants arriving in the UK to end reliance on hotel accommodation, costing the taxpayer almost 5million a day Previously, locals had accused Ms Patel of 'dropping a bomb' on the village, which is a close-knit community of 700 residents As many as 60 asylum seekers were set to arrive in Linton-on-Ouse this week, with the centre having the capacity to temporarily home 1,500 men. Pictured: Local villagers gather to demonstrate against the asylum processing centre, outside the Village Hall in Linton-On-Ouse A top civil servant has undermined Priti Patel's plans for an asylum reception centre to be opened on a former RAF base and said 'no final decision has been made' - just days before it was due to be opened Previously, locals had accused Ms Patel of 'dropping a bomb' on the village, which is a close-knit community of 700 residents. Home Office officials previously tried to allay residents' fears about the centre, which ministers have previously claimed would 'provide safe and self-sufficient accommodation', they were met with constant jeers and shouts of 'rubbish' from unimpressed locals. One woman, who was in tears as she spoke, said: 'Villagers are in crisis. People are upset and people are leaving their homes. My property is the first "owned" property (next to the centre) where everyone will come and go. They will stand outside my property.' Residents heard how security officers will guard entrances to the site, where CCTV will also be installed, but that asylum seekers will not be 'detained' inside the centre. Detective Chief Inspector David Hunter added two police officers will patrol the village daily between 8.30am and midnight when the first asylum seekers arrive in Linton-on-Ouse. Campaigners have launched a protest against Government plans to open an accommodation centre for asylum seekers in Linton-on-Ouse, north Yorkshire Residents attending a public meeting in the parish hall a fortnight ago complained about the impact the asylum seekers would have on their community Home Secretary Priti Patel wants to house up to 1,500 asylum seekers on the former RAF Linton-on-Ouse One resident objected to the increased police presence, saying: 'We do not want police in the village - we don't want it to change from a sleepy village.' Virginia Sharpe said the prospect of 1,500 men arriving in a village of around 700 people left her feeling 'intimidated'. She told Yorkshire Live: 'We have a right to not have to change our lives so drastically because of something that no one knew about until it was dropped on us like a bombshell, with no consultation.' 'We think it is totally unfair. If I was walking down the street and came across a group of single young men - of any background - I would feel intimidated. A lot of women in this village are worried.' Richard Burke said: 'I am really, really worried for families and children. My wife enjoys walking our dogs two or three times a day but she won't be going out on her own (when the centre opens) because she will feel intimidated. 'The single and only criteria that seems to have been considered here is the availability of the site. There has been zero consultation. It has just been dropped on us. Given the numbers that they are talking about bringing in, I can't see how it would ever work.' Some of those got visibly emotional during the heated meeting with Home Office officials and North Yorkshire Police The Home Office said a 'considered assessment' had taken place before the site at Linton-on-Ouse was found to be feasible The Home Office said a 'considered assessment' had taken place before the site at Linton-on-Ouse was found to be feasible. But officials accepted they would need 'to work through' individual concerns with residents in order to 'bring everyone together'. It is understood residents will be invited to visit the centre before it opens where they will be given the chance to raise any concerns with officials. But one resident at the meeting said villagers feel 'like a child that is being blamed for something they did not do.' They added: 'You are not grasping the concept of what you are doing to our village.' Another woman in the audience was applauded when she said: 'Whatever you say, you are not going to give residents any peace of mind.' Another resident added: 'Are they allowed the freedom of the village? Where is the security? Individuals can go where they want. Who is supervising them?' Thirsk and Morton MP Kevin Hollinrake, pictured, questioned his party leader Boris Johnson at PMQs, claiming residents would not be safe 'leaving their homes alone' A senior North Yorkshire Police officer said patrols have been increased and his officers will be taking heed of residents' concerns. He added that two police officers would be on patrol between 8.30 and midnight every day. Zoe Metcalfe, North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, said this would be in place when 60 asylum seekers were at the site. She said that she didn't want anyone to feel unsafe in their community, explaining: 'I am not far away. We are going to do everything we can to make you feel safe.' A resident claimed a police officer had told women to not wear short skirts outside, but Metcalfe said that it was unacceptable behaviour from the officer. And another member of the audience was applauded when they said: 'People are upset. 1,500 men are coming to our village of 600 adults. 'What are you doing to carry out a proper impact assessment?' The Linton-on-Ouse Action Group (LoOAG) commended a no-confidence vote in the Home Office, which was passed overwhelmingly by North Yorkshire county councillors in mid-May. Hambleton District Council previously announced it is looking at legal action over the plan. Smoke haze from a suspected restaurant fire close to Kirribilli House is disrupting traffic on Sydney Harbour Bridge on Tuesday afternoon. Large clouds of thick smoke could be seen rising near the freeway on the northern side of Sydney Harbour, close to the bridge. An urgent warning about the smoke haze on the freeway was sent out on social media to drivers traveling both northbound and southbound with lane 6 reportedly closed. Smoke haze from a suspected restaurant fire close to Kirribilli House is disrupting traffic on Sydney Harbour Bridge on Tuesday afternoon A large backlog of traffic heading out of the city could be seen forming on the bridge as it approached the billowing smoke. Fire crews and police were rushing to the scene just before 4pm to attend the blaze, which is close to the Prime Minister's official Sydney home at Kirribilli House, still currently occupied by ex-PM Scott Morrison and his family. More to follow Australia's most famous street artist nicknamed 'Brisbane's Banksy' has quietly sold his trendy Sydney terrace - after being charged with vandalising socialite Roxy Jacenko's office. Anthony Lister, a Sydney-based artist, was charged with 'aggravated intentionally marking premises etc without consent' for tagging the Sweaty Betty hub in Paddington in 2019. Last week, Lister sold the two-bedroom Darlinghurst property for $1.35million before it went to auction - well below the median sale price for the suburb of $1.735million. Anthony Lister sold his two-bedroom Darlinghurst terrace for just $1.35million last week - nearly $400,000 below the trendy suburb's median price Artist Anthony Lister poses in front of his mural in tribute to the film 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' in Los Angeles in 2011 The property on an exclusive street in Sydney's inner-east was built in 1900 and features several pieces of the famous artist's work The terrace, situated on an exclusive street in the desirable suburb of Sydney's inner-east, was part of a row of properties built in 1900. The home features three fireplaces, high ceilings and a north rear aspect, that sees the kitchen and dining area open into a small courtyard. The upstairs features two bedrooms, with the second holding the potential to be used as a study or retreat. Situated just 150metres from Oxford Street's Taylor Square and a short walk to Kings Cross, Surry Hills and Paddington - the terrace is located in a unique position for prospective buyers but still fell nearly $400,000 below the median price. The kitchen and dining rooms back onto a north facing courtyard The top floor features two bedrooms - with the second holding the opportunity to be converted into a study or retreat The agent, who wished to remain anonymous, said renovations done to the property saw five of the six interested parties drop out, leading to it being sold prior to auction. Lister had the kitchen moved to the back of the house in front of its only bathroom, with the design being unappealing to buyers. It's believed there would need to be a significant overhaul of the house before it was ready to be lived in. The house has Development Approval for significant reconfiguration and additions, according to the agent. The ground floor feature a living and dining area, kitchen and the terrace's only bathroom Lister had the kitchen moved to the back of the house, which deterred buyers given the need to overhaul the property The artist and socialite Anthony Hess were also accused of graffiting her Sweaty Betty agency in Paddington, Sydney, and near her home in North Bondi, on April 24, 2019. Ms Jacenko attempted to bring a restraining order against Hess in a Sydney court, in February last year, which failed after he denied the claim with the quip 'gay guys don't do graffiti'. However, he and Lister were in April both charged with aggravated vandalism after GoPro footage of the alleged crimes was found in Lister's home. A man dressed in a bright red Skittles tracksuit is being hunted by police after he was caught on CCTV kicking a window in a launderette before walking out. The apparent skittles fan allegedly walked into the shop earlier this month, sat down on a couch for a couple of minutes, then proceeded to kick and break the front window. He then left the south Melbourne premises, with Victoria Police issuing a humorous statement about the man's odd choice of clothes and behaviour. A man was captured on CCTV (pictured) after a laundrette window was smashed this month 'When its crimes against fashion, well never stop chasing the rainbow,' the Victoria Police social media post said. 'Unfortunately the crimes against fashion weren't the end of it. On 19 May at 5:15pm a man wearing a very distinctive get up entered a premises on Edward Street in Somerville where he took a quick break - he didn't have a KitKat - on a couch before kicking and breaking the front window.' Launderette manager Richard Gao told Daily Mail Australia the damage done to the store made him feel unsafe and 'frustrated'. 'I felt awful, its not safe here,' he said. Puzzled social media users called for the fashion police to get on to the case, and that the man seen in the footage should get some jail time just for the outfit alone. 'The get up alone is 10yrs inside,' one mused, while another hoped, 'hes getting payed for wearing the skittles outfit'. 'When its crimes against fashion, well never stop chasing the rainbow,' the Victoria Police social media post said about the incident 'Unfortunately the crimes against fashion weren't the end of the incident', police said. Have your Platinum Jubilee travel plans been hit? Email: martin.robinson@mailonline.co.uk with your story Advertisement Britain's airports crisis will only get worse through the Platinum Jubilee weekend and will peak on Monday, experts told MailOnline today, as TUI - the travel firm that has arguably made customers suffer the most - cancelled a quarter of all flights from Manchester through June. MPs have urged the aviation industry to 'get a grip now' as airlines face an investigation into claims they sold flights and holidays for the half term week without the air crew and check-in staff to cope. And with 6,000 flights to and from Britain scheduled over the weekend, peaking at just under 7,000 on Monday, the problems are predicted to be even more dire - coupled with a two-day Tube strike on June 6 and June 7 that will cripple London's Underground network as people return home and to work. Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, told MailOnline: 'It's for travel firms themselves to get themselves in order. Sadly, I think it will get worse because were reaching its peak in a few days. Monday is scheduled to be the busiest day since 2019, with 2,864 departures from the UK, and the same number of inbound flights - it will be the busiest day since before the pandemic.' Have you been hit by travel delays today, your holiday cancelled. Or do you know a staff member who has quit or if an airline boss is on holiday? Email: martin.robinson@mailonline.co.uk with your story Advertisement This afternoon TUI took the decision to cut 43 flights a week - 186 in total through June from Manchester - just hours after an extraordinary video emerged revealing two police officers were drafted in to tell their irate customers their holiday to Kos was now cancelled as they queued to board the plane. The airline, which decided to cut 8,000 jobs during the pandemic and furloughed 11,000 of its staff, said in a statement: 'We would like to apologise to our customers who have experienced flight disruption in recent days and understand that they have been looking forward to these holidays for a long time. 'The May half-term holidays are always an incredibly busy period with many customers looking to get away, and this year is no different. Unfortunately, due to ongoing challenges in our operation, we have had to announce a small number of planned cancellations between now and 30 June from Manchester Airport only. 'We are directly contacting all impacted customers in departure date order and they will automatically receive a full refund'. For the past four days millions of Britons have suffered long queues at airport check-in and some even brought pillows and duvets knowing they would be forced to sleep on terminal floors. Others passed out on baggage carousels while waiting hours for their suitcases, some of which never arrived and are still missing more than 100 hours later due to a lack of ground staff. Those caught up in the carnage have described shops selling out of food and water and people being too frightened to go to the toilet in case they lose their place in the queues snaking around terminals at Manchester, Stansted, Birmingham, Bristol, Gatwick and Heathrow in conditions described as 'hell'. And many arrived at the airport or even at the gate to learn their flight had been delayed for hours or cancelled completely. Some dumped their suitcases in lockers at check-in and ran for security with hand luggage to avoid missing their flights. The delays also spread to Eurostar at London St Pancras today where queues for check-in and security stretched for close to half a mile. Tens of thousands of Britons fear their plans to jet abroad for the long weekend could now be in jeopardy after hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled, in some cases just as they were about to board. And a furious blame game has erupted as ministers blamed airlines and airports for the mayhem - while unions and aviation chiefs insisted the Government 'hasn't prepared' for the rise in demand for travel and has failed to clear a backlog of security checks for new workers, which insiders claim could be approaching 20,000 applications. Julian Knight, chairman of the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee, told the Evening Standard: 'They [the aviation industry] need to get a grip and now. They risk harming their industry's reputation for years to come as well as destroying the holiday plans of thousands of Britons.' He also called for an investigation into claims airlines are selling more tickets than they can service. Transport minister Andrew Stephenson said today: 'It is for the airports to plan and recruit enough people in order to deal with the significant increases in people flying which we have been expecting for some time'. But Labour MP Rupa Haq, vice chairwoman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on General Aviation, said: 'They [ministers] need to get a grip and face up to the fact that their botched Brexit has caused unprecedented vacancies in the aviation sector'. There has been chaos, confusion and cancellations at the majority of the UK's airports over the past four days as families try to get away for half term and the jubilee, with 6,000-plus flights to and from Britain due each day peaking next Monday. There have also been long delays at Dover for drivers heading to France and delays at St Pancras for Eurostar services to the continent. Kully Sandhu, managing director of Aviation Recruitment Network, said: 'In my opinion, it could be up to 12 months before we see staffing at airports back to pre-pandemic levels. Recruitment for people at airports takes longer than roles elsewhere because of necessary, additional security and background checks'. As travel chaos wrecked travel plans for the jubilee and half term, it emerged today: Thousands have their breaks delayed, disrupted or destroyed due to staff shortages at airports and airlines; MPs have accused carriers of selling tickets they cannot honour and plan to launch investigation into the chaos; Airlines blame a lack of crew and ground staff caused by a delay in the Government completing security checks of new staff; It was police, not TUI staff, who were sent in to tell weary passengers at Manchester Airport that their entire holiday to Greece was cancelled and they had to leave Gatwick: Tired travellers lay on the carousel at the West Sussex airport as they wait for their bags to arrive in chaotic scenes Steven Hession, 45, enjoys some fizz as he heads to Manchester Airport with his family for a 4,000 two week break to the Greek island of Kos. Hours later, after long delays, the entire break was axed Heathrow: Queues to enter Terminal 2 this morning as travel chaos is set to continue Manchester: Row after row of uncollected luggage at the north-west airport that has suffered problems for weeks Long queues outside St Pancras today as passengers faced delays of an hour at check-in Manchester: The lines left terminal and into the car park at 4.30am this morning Bristol: Passengers have been queuing through the night as they try to get through airports that are lacking staff to cope Bristol: There were lines snaking around the terminal at 3.30am today Birmingham: Regional airports are missing up to a third of the staff they had before the pandemic with airlines and airports accused of pure greed Her Disney bag packed, Autumn McManus, five, was beaming, left, at Manchester airport ready for her first foreign holiday. But her smiles turned to tears, right, after the trip to Turkey with her mum was cancelled after their flight was axed. Couple spend four days without baggage Paris Nedderman, 23, and her 28-year-old boyfriend James Palmer left for Bologna in southern Italy on the morning of May 28. Legal reviewer Paris Nedderman and James Palmer were left waiting for their luggage for four days after it got 'stuck' at Manchester Airport - but never received any communication from carrier Ryanair to tell them what had happened. Ms Nedderman, 23, and her 28-year-old boyfriend left for Bologna in southern Italy on the morning of May 28. She described Manchester Airport as an 'absolute shambles with minimal staff, huge queues, broken conveyor belts and a lack of organisation'. After arriving at Bologna Airport, the couple and around 60 other passengers spent three hours waiting to be told what had happened to their luggage. 'The lady at the lost baggage desk informed us that ''the conveyor belt broke'' in Manchester so they still had our luggage,' she told MailOnline. 'Kids were crying and parents were anxious as they knew they would have to bear the expense of having to buy lots of new clothes, suncream and whatever else was in their case. 'During our time in Bologna we spent over 200 euros on clothing for the week because we did not know when we would get our bags back due to the lack of communication. 'We are now on day 4, and have only just received a call from Bologna Airport to say that the case has been received and they will get it on the next flight to us. Still no call from Manchester Airport or Ryanair, we are disgusted.' MailOnline has contacted Manchester Airport and Ryanair for comment. Advertisement Yet more havoc looms as BA staff threaten to strike By David Churchill Transport Editor British Airways customers were yesterday warned they face a summer of chaos as hundreds of staff threaten to strike. Two unions representing check-in staff GMB and Unite are balloting members in a row over pay. Staff at Heathrow Airport took a 10 per cent pay cut during the pandemic and are demanding their full salaries are reinstated. Without any check-in staff, most flights will likely be grounded. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: 'British Airways used the cover of Covid to brutally cut members' pay. BA has now reversed the pay cuts imposed on management but refuses to do this for our members. This is disgraceful. 'Unite will not allow our members to be treated as a second-class workforce.' Nadine Houghton, GMB national officer, said: 'BA forced our members into pay cuts during the pandemic. It is their time to claim back what is theirs.' Strikes could begin by July and continue into August. BA said the majority of staff accepted a 'generous' one-off lump sum equivalent to 10 per cent of their salary. But check-in staff rejected this because it meant taking a long-term pay cut. Advertisement Student Isabelle Gray, 27, told the Evening Standard that checking in at Gatwick today was 'hell on wheels'. She said: 'I arrived here just after 5am and queued for almost 2 hours to check my bag in, the queue was about 500 deep and there was one person at the check in desk. Some people next to me were thinking of putting their suitcase in a locker and running to the gate with just hand luggage.' Airlines and airports have been blamed for the carnage having slashed staff during the pandemic while hoovering up furlough payments and state aid. Now they do not have enough workers to cope - and cannot find people to fill often low-paid vacancies - as the numbers booking foreign holidays over the Platinum Jubilee week and through the summer months hit pre-pandemic levels. Jayesh Patel, whose half term break to Kos had been two years in the planning, said there was anger and tears as two policemen arrived to read a statement from TUI, moments after they began receiving texts telling them their flight and package breaks would not go ahead. He told the BBC today: 'The airport was understaffed, a lot of the outlets had ran out of food or closed at 6pm. We got called to the gate for the 7pm take off - four hours late. There was no staff. 'People were very upset - some were going on their honeymoon. And then we all started getting texts that the flight was now cancelled and because it was a package booking the whole holiday was cancelled'. He added: 'The worst part that there was no Tui staff to help. And then two police officers arrived and read a statement telling us how we would exit the airport. Because the airplane hadn't arrived from anywhere, our flight wasn't listed at any of the baggage carousels so we didn't know where to wait - people were visibly upset and children were crying. We then had to wait another couple of hours and at this point, we'd spent the whole day at the airport and just wanted to leave. ' Steven Hession, 45, was also supposed to be flying to Kos on Saturday with his wife, Kerrie, and their two children for a fortnight and an upcoming family wedding. Chronic staffing shortages, IT glitches and extraordinary demand is causing the delays and chaos at airports Pictured: Stansted. Passengers sleeping at the airport overnight due to flight cancelations and excessive delays during the half term weekend in to travel hell for many passengers hoping for a first holiday in two years By Danny Hussain Brits are facing a summer of airport chaos amid chronic staffing shortages and IT glitches. Shocking scenes from around the country in recent weeks have shown holidaymakers stuck in huge queues with some forced to sleep on the floor of airports amid long delays. Industry chiefs have pointed the finger at mass layoffs during the pandemic which saw staff let go because of the collapse in demand for travel during the various lockdowns. Airlines are now struggling to rehire workers previously let go, leading to a shortage of security staff, ground handlers and check-in staff. Industry sources say staffing levels are around 80 to 90 per cent of where they need to be for the peak summer season at larger airports and about 70 per cent at smaller ones. Some workers have also decided to quit the industry and not return following the pandemic, it has been suggested. Another issue has been the vetting of new staff, with background checks taking several weeks. Unions and aviation chiefs say the security check backlog could be approaching 20,000 applications. Advertisement But after hours of delays and chaos, the family got to the departure gate only to get a text message from airline TUI informing them that their flight and holiday had been cancelled due to 'significant operational disruption' - believed to be a missing pilot. He said: 'After many hours of delays, we were at the boarding gate just after 7pm and there was no staff one there, but then we saw the cabin crew walking through to the plane, which made us feel reassured. But then we heard people crying... and everyone got this text at the same time saying unfortunately, your holiday has been cancelled, click this link to get a refund within 14 days.' Britain's travel crisis will peak next week and is predicted to continue for the entire summer. A Government source told The Times: 'The simple fact is that airlines and airports overcut staff during the pandemic, ignoring the fact that the billions of pounds of aid including furlough handed out by the government was meant to protect those very jobs. 'Operators are now struggling to meet increasingly busy schedules as we move towards the first Covid-free summer since 2019 a wholly foreseeable surge in bookings that should have been adequately prepared for. 'The responsibility for maintaining adequate staffing levels lies with the airlines and airports themselves. Not only are they causing huge frustration to their customers, they are missing out on the benefits of the strong recovery in foreign travel.' Ministers have been accused of failing to 'step up' as holidaymakers using UK airports continue to suffer major disruption. Shadow financial secretary to the Treasury James Murray claimed the Government 'hasn't prepared' for the rise in demand for travel. A spokeswoman for the Government insisted the aviation industry is 'responsible for making sure they have enough staff to meet demand'. Airline passengers have been hit by cancellations and long delays at airports for several months, with the situation appearing to worsen this week during the half-term school holiday and ahead of the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday period. EasyJet and British Airways are cancelling flights every day, while passengers at airports such as Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Bristol are reporting long delays. The aviation industry is suffering from staff shortages after thousands were let go during the coronavirus pandemic. Many airlines and airports repeatedly called for more financial support due to the collapse in demand for travel caused by the Covid-19 crisis. They are now struggling to recruit new workers and have their security checks processed. Labour MP Mr Murray told Sky News: 'We've been warning for months throughout the Covid pandemic that you can't just let the airline industry and airports fall over, let them shed all of their staff, and then expect to get back on track when demand comes back after the pandemic. 'We were warning about this, trade unions were warning about this, employee representatives were saying throughout the Covid pandemic, 'You need a sector-specific package to support the aviation sector', and now we're seeing what's happened because the Government hasn't prepared for what would obviously come next.' Arts minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay acknowledged that cancelled flights and long queues at UK airports are 'causing a lot of distress for people, particularly in half-term'. Asked about Government action over the airport disruption, he told Sky News: 'Colleagues in the Department for Transport are working with the industry. We have been for months urging them to make sure they've got enough staff so that, thanks to the success of the vaccine rollout, as people are able to travel again, that people can take the holidays that they've missed and that they've deserved and of course it's causing a lot of distress for people, particularly in half-term, people with family and children with them. 'It's very distressing if you turn up at the airport and your flight isn't ready, so we've been saying to the industry that they need to prepare for this, they need to have the staff that they need to make sure people can get away and enjoy holidays.' Transport workers trade union Unite also blamed the aviation chiefs for their mass-sackings during the Covid-19 pandemic, describing the airport chaos as a 'crisis of their own making'. The general secretary at Unite, Sharon Graham, told The Mirror that the chaos is to 'last the entire summer season': 'During the pandemic, when airline operators and others in aviation slashed jobs to boost corporate profits, we warned this corporate greed would cause chaos in the industry. 'The aftermath of mass sackings is now chronic staff shortages across the board. Aviation chiefs need to come clean with the public. This is a crisis of their making. 'We are determined that workers will not pay for this crisis. Current pay and conditions in the industry are so poor that workers are voting with their feet. It can only be resolved by offering higher wages and better working conditions for staff. Unite is utterly determined to fight for that.' Rory Boland, the travel editor of consumer group Which? said that the government must intervene to make sure airlines stop selling flights 'they can't actually provide'. He told The Times: 'We're already seeing very long queues, widespread chaos at airports, huge stress for people planning to get away, and we haven't hit the peak yet. 'Airports and airlines have known this recovery was coming for a period of time now. We're continuing to see things get worse, not better.' A six-year-old girl was left in tears from 'exhaustion' after she and her family were stranded on their half-term holiday in Cyprus after TUI cancelled their flights twice - as a travel expert warns the travel chaos in UK airports is only set to get worse. Glenda Powell, 40, from Bristol, took to social media on Sunday night where she shared an image of her 'exhausted' six-year-old daughter, Freya, crying (pictured) because she is unable to return to the UK Another family was left devastated after their first holiday since the Covid pandemic was cancelled by TUI as they waited to board their flight. Anna Saunders, pictured with her husband Matthew, and kids Eva and Jack Holiday firm TUI sent a crushing text message after delaying the flight saying the family's entire trip - costing 5,200 - was cancelled for 'operational reasons' - code for a lack of staff Airlines cancelled dozens more flights on Sunday and yesterday, forcing some travellers to lie down on airport floors while resting. Half-term sun-seekers were pictured laying on floors at Stansted Airport following disruption and lengthy queues. Snaking queues also formed outside Bristol and Gatwick airports from 4am yesterday. It comes following chaotic scenes at Manchester Airport over the weekend when hundreds of Tui passengers were told their holidays had been cancelled after an eight-hour wait. Industry sources say staffing levels are around 80 to 90 per cent of where they need to be for the peak summer season at larger airports and about 70 per cent at smaller ones. But airport bosses insist queues have also been exacerbated by passengers turning up earlier than normal from the early hours, with most of the carnage cleared by yesterday afternoon. Ministers are facing calls to slash more red tape to help travel firms recruit staff quicker in a bid to avoid similar scenes throughout the summer after they slashed thousands of jobs during the pandemic. But British Airways travellers were warned they face a summer of chaos as two unions representing check-in staff - GMB and UNITE - said they have started balloting members on strike action in a row over pay. Hundreds of staff at Heathrow Airport took a 10 per cent pay cut during the pandemic and are demanding their full salaries are reinstated amid cost-of-living pressures and passenger numbers surging again after the pandemic. Without any check-in staff, most flights will likely be grounded. It comes after easyJet announced it was cancelling at least 200 flights over the half-term holidays, which started yesterday (MON), affecting around 30,000 passengers. EasyJet axed 32 flights yesterday while British Airways cancelled another 140. BA says the cancellations were made weeks ago and that customers were given plenty of notice. Like queues at airports, the cancellations are fuelled by staff shortages. Some airlines and airports have also struggled to recruit new staff since all Covid travel restrictions were dropped by the Government in March. Operators like BA and easyJet slashed thousands of jobs during the pandemic, which critics say was too many. Bosses at Bristol Airport said its bottlenecks were being caused by people turning up five hours early for their flights. But passengers hit back and said the 'morning rush hour', during which dozens of flights left before 8am, was simply more than staff could cope with. One Bristol passenger wrote online: 'Only half the security lanes open and not fast track. 'Two hours to get through. Queues started 300m on road outside.' One father, who booked with airline Vueling, claimed his young teenage son was forced to fly ahead of him due to the flight being overbooked. He posted: 'Anyone thinking about booking to fly with @vueling think again. They consistently overbook flights so your flight is not guaranteed. 'Waiting nearly 6 hours at Gatwick airport and counting.' Gatwick: One holidaymaker with binoculars found wherever he could to sit after long delays Birmingham: Holidaymakers wait for their bags at 11.30pm, with no sign of them arriving Manchester: Holidaymakers queue for check-in at the Tui desks at just after 7am today Heathrow: Terminal 5, home of British Airways, was also very busy this morning Transport Secretary Grant Shapps last month announced new laws so travel firms can begin training new recruits before they complete security checks. New rules mean they can also write a letter to HMRC asking them to confirm employment histories, which form part of the checks. However, industry leaders say they are still taking around four to five weeks to complete. Boss of Heathrow Airport, John Holland-Kaye, said the Government changes were 'limited' and called on ministers to go further by allowing aviation employers to access HMRC records. He told the Mail: 'Currently it can take weeks if not months to validate someone's employment. 'Quite often we have to do five years of checks for background employment and for some people that might be ten or 15 employers over that time. 'The HMRC change, accessing their records, would take the amount of time down from about four weeks to four minutes. It's not too late to make that change.' Asked about the fiasco yesterday, the Prime Minister's spokesman said: 'We recognise that passengers are understandably frustrated and upset by the delays in some cases and flight cancellations and other disruptions. 'We want everyone to be able to travel as freely and easily as possible and we want to see the travel and aviation sector bounce back from the pandemic. 'What we saw what we saw over the weekend is an exceptionally high number of people travelling, which has meant that airports and other ports have been exceptionally busy. 'We will continue to work with the aviation industry and port sector and be clear with them that we want to see disruption reduced to a minimum that includes working with them in terms of recruitment.' Separately, a Government spokesman said: 'The aviation industry is responsible for making sure they have enough staff to meet demand, and we have been clear that they must step up recruitment to make sure disruption is kept to a minimum.' Three tonnes of firearms, including rifles, pistols and shotguns, will be destroyed in NSW and melted into other items after being seized by police in criminal investigations or handed in by the community. The haul of 2809 firearms, weighing 3228kg, includes pistols, rifles, shotguns, military-style firearms, home-made firearms, gel blasters, air pistols and air rifles, NSW Police say. More than three tonnes of guns will be destroyed after being seized by NSW Police or handed in The guns will be melted down into steel and produced into other items 'They are going to go to the scrap heap,' Deputy Premier and Police Minister Paul Toole told media on Monday. 'They will be firearms that will no longer be in people's households. 'They are firearms that are no longer going to be out there on our streets.' A number of the weapons were seized during police operations in recent months, including 84 taken by anti-gang Strike Force Hawke, and further weapons taken by Strike Force Erebus. 'The message is very strong that these criminal networks if you are holding an illegal firearm, our police will continue to be out there to seize them and to take them from you," Police Commissioner Karen Webb said. A number of the weapons were seized during police operations in recent months, including 84 taken by anti-gang Strike Force Hawke, and further weapons taken by Strike Force Erebus. The haul of 2809 firearms, weighing 3228kg, includes pistols, rifles, shotguns, military-style firearms, home-made firearms, gel blasters, air pistols and air rifles, NSW Police say 'We've got strong gun and firearm legislation in New South Wales that restricts the use to licensed holders. 'But when it falls into the wrong hands or has to be surrendered, then people are able to surrender their firearms no questions asked.' A firearm amnesty, put into place in July of last year, had assisted in allowing firearms to be surrendered no questions asked, she said. Police collect hundreds of firearms every week which are then sent to the NSW Police Weapons and Ordnance Disposal Unit before being audited and processed for destruction. Labor has claimed the seat of Gilmore giving new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese a comfortable majority government. Gilmore, on NSW's south coast, is one of the state's most marginal seats and votes between the two candidates - Fiona Phillips and Andrew Constance - have flip-flopped over the past week. But on Tuesday afternoon, Labor said it was comfortable their representative Ms Phillips would retain the seat after her lead pushed out to 222 votes. 'NSW Labor has made the decision to call the seat of Gilmore to me,' Ms Phillips, the incumbent MP, told the ABC. 'We have seen again a strong trend towards me with the absentee vote, which is very unlikely, and I am just thrilled with the result. 'The last week has been very harrowing and very hard and there has been a lot of interest in Gilmore, people have been stopping me in the street and willing me to get across the line.' Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with Gilmore MP Fiona Phillips More than 88 per cent of the votes in Gilmore have been counted, giving Labor the confidence to call the seat. The seat is yet to be called by the Australian Electoral Commission but Ms Phillips appears to be winning the majority of absentee voters, a Labor source said. Ms Phillips has been neck and neck with former NSW Liberal MP Andrew Constance. Mr Constance, who served as transport minister during his time on former premier Gladys Berejiklian's front bench, left state politics to battle for a federal seat. Ms Phillips congratulated Mr Constance for a well-fought campaign. 'I want to congratulate my opponent Andrew Constance and all the candidates in the election. It has been a very tough time on anyone,' she said. Furious Australian drivers have lashed out at a major insurer after a system failure left them facing massive fines for driving or parking an unregistered car. Motorists flooded the Allianz social media channels to complain they were unable to register their vehicles despite purchasing compulsory third party insurance from the European giant. In New South Wales and Queensland, a car cannot be registered without CTP 'Greenslip' cover, and drivers face huge fines or even having their car impounded for driving unregistered. CTP insurance provides cover for compensation costs to people injured or killed in an accident involving your vehicle. Furious Australian drivers have lashed out at a major insurer after a system failure left them facing massive fines for driving or parking an unregistered car. Allianz customers didn't hold back on social media This can include you (the driver of the vehicle), other drivers (including cyclists and motorcyclists), passengers and pedestrians. In NSW, driving or even parking an unregistered light vehicle attracts a $704 fine, while in Queensland it is up to $390. A Sydney driver told Daily Mail Australia he had paid $472 for his Greenslip last Friday but could not register his car since. 'I am at risk of a fine for driving an unregistered vehicle,' he said. 'It could mean I cannot do my job. The most frustrating thing about it was being put on hold for an hour on four successive occasions when I tried to get help about it. 'It's not good enough. 'The police don't care about excuses like this, they get told stories all the time. They'd just issue a fine and let people go to court to dispute it. 'I've been trying to call [Allianz] since May 27,' one man said on Allianz's Facebook page. 'I tried eight times so far.' 'Allianz, you've taken out money for Greenslip but not transmitting through to RMS. My children need to go to school,' one mum wrote on the insurer's Facebook page. Allianz told Daily Mail Australia in a statement it is 'aware that some customers have recently been impacted by a system error, which has resulted in some NSW CTP customers not receiving a Green Slip'. 'No-one answering phones. Worst service I've ever had.' 'Sitting here waiting on hold to find out why my paid CTP hasnt been sent to RMS? I cant register my car without it! Seriously! This is ridiculous,' said another woman. 'On hold for over 2.5hrs because their CTP Greenslip system isn't working,' said a man from the Newcastle area. Yet when you select "buy a policy", you get straight through. Funny that.' The problems began last last Thursday and lasted at least four days. The issue was still occurring on Tuesday morning, although Allianz claimed in a statement to Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday afternoon the issue was resolved. An estimated three million Australians buy their insurance from the German multinational. Allianz told Daily Mail Australia in a statement it is 'aware that some customers have recently been impacted by a system error, which has resulted in some NSW CTP customers not receiving a Green Slip'. 'This was a result of an IT issue preventing payment data from being transmitted to NSW Roads and Maritime Service.' Allianz claimed customers should not face penalties over the mistake. 'If you renew your vehicles registration within 14-days of its due date, your vehicle will be held to have been registered and insured throughout that 14-day period. Based on this, customers who have purchased Allianz CTP insurance within 14-days of their due date and not received a Green Slip, can be reassured they have been covered during this time. 'For those customers who have chosen to purchase cover through other providers as a result of this error, we will be issuing refunds, which they should receive within 15 business days. Districts across Telangana have been divided into clusters to pay salaries and pensions in phases for government employees. (DC file photo) Hyderabad: Districts across Telangana have been divided into clusters to pay salaries and pensions in phases for government employees. This, as the state government is not able to make payments to all employees and pensioners in one go due to a worsening funds crunch. The government requires nearly Rs 4,000 crore per month to pay salaries and pensions for its staff. However, employees from Hyderabad and Rangareddy districts are getting priority over others. They are being paid in the first week of the month while in other districts, the salary payments are done up until the third week, as per alphabetical order. Employees fear pay cuts this month as the state government is facing a severe financial crisis also as the Centre had stopped releasing loans since April. This, in the wake of reports that the finance department has proposed a 30 per cent pay cut this month. The state government is yet to allow this cut. Top officials of the finance department remain tight-lipped on the 30 per cent pay cut proposal. The buzz in employees circles is that officials have submitted the proposal to Chief Minister Chandrashekar Rao last week. "In Undivided AP, the salaries and pensions were credited in the bank accounts of the staff on the last day of the same month. The same continued for a few months after the formation of the Telangana state in June 2014. Later, the salaries began being paid on the first of the next month," said a leader of the Telangana Employees Union. A leader representing TNGOs Association added, "Salaries and pensions are getting delayed since 2019 when the state government started facing a funds crunch due to heavy expenditure on welfare schemes, irrigation projects, Mission Bhagiratha etc. Thereafter, the salaries were delayed further and began being paid by the 10th of every month. Covid waves in 2020 and 2021 turned the situation worse and the salary payments were further till the 15th of every month." Now, the situation has worsened to an extent where employees in a few districts -- at the end of the alphabetic order -- are receiving salaries by the 23rd or 25th of the next month. "When we approach finance and treasury officials, they say they are following the alphabetical order for payments. But employees in Hyderabad and Rangareddy districts are receiving salaries by the 3rd or 5th of every month," said another employee leader. According to employee unions, officials have divided six districts into each cluster as per alphabetical order to cover all the 33 districts. The additional three small districts are also covered in these six clusters. While the first cluster receives salaries in the first week in a particular month, it would be shifted to the sixth cluster in the subsequent months. In a similar manner, officials shuffle clusters month after month to ensure that all clusters receive salaries between the first week and third week; and in some cases the fourth week of the next month. Employees are upset at their leaders for maintaining a silence on this and not questioning the government. "Earlier, union leaders used to be aggressive and questioned governments if salaries and pensions were delayed. They used to announce agitation programmes in protest against such actions. These days, the leaders cozy up to the ruling party for their personal benefits," said an employee. The man accused of raping Brittany Higgins has asked to have his trial dates vacated less than a week out from it starting. Lawyers for Bruce Lehrmann applied for the dates to be vacated, citing a lack of available barristers with his previous counsel now unavailable to run the trial that is set to start on Monday. Lehrmann has been committed to stand trial in the ACT Supreme Court for allegedly raping then Liberal staffer Ms Higgins in an office inside Parliament House in March 2019. The man accused of raping Brittany Higgins has made a last-minute attempt to delay his trial as he struggles to find a lawyer to represent him The court heard the reason the previous counsel was no longer available were not the fault of Lehrmann. It was handed an affidavit designed to explain why no new counsel could be found, but Chief Justice Lucy McCallum said it 'tells me very little', adding it implied there were no barristers available Australia-wide. She said she would need more evidence before vacating the trial dates, with the matter already having been pushed back a number of times. 'I appreciate that it might be a difficult proposition to obtain a barrister ready to start the trial next Monday ... but what you've given me is a blanket 'we can't find anyone, no one's available ever',' she said. The ACT Supreme Court was supposed to hear the case against Bruce Lehrmann from Monday, but now faces rescheduling after his barrister was no longer able to represent him Chief Justice McCallum adjourned the application until Thursday to allow the defence to prepare more evidence regarding vacating the dates. It was heard the matter could potentially start on June 20 or June 27 if it would enable a new barrister to represent Lehrmann. The trial is listed to run for four weeks. Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 Boris Johnson was warned he is in 'real trouble' today as Tory no-confidence letters near the 'magic number' of 54. Carlisle MP John Stevenson has become the latest to confirm he has send a letter, saying a ballot is the only way to 'draw a line' under the scandal. Ex-Cabinet minister Andrea Leadsom also joined senior figures questioning Mr Johnson's position this morning, accusing him of 'unacceptable failures'. Although she stopped short of openly calling for the premier to quit, around 30 MPs have now openly done so - and there are claims Mr Johnson has been ringing round himself trying to cool tempers. Not all those will have sent letters though - and others might have registered their views privately. Graham Brady, chair of the powerful 1922 committee, must call a vote of no confidence when 15 per cent of Conservative MPs ask for one - making the threshold 54. But he has broad discretion on when to announce the move and is not expected to do so when Parliament is in recess. In the past he has given Downing Street some advance notice. Doorstepped on the topic today, Sir Graham refused to be drawn and added he would 'say nothing more at the moment'. Former leader Lord Hague said the party was 'moving towards' holding a full vote on the PM's future in the wake of Partygate - potentially as soon as next week. Meanwhile, Mr Johnson suffered another blow as a Savanta ComRes poll found Labour has extended its lead to 11 points in the wake of the Sue Gray report. Rebels are downbeat about their prospects of winning a contest even if one happens. More than half of the Tory benches would need to oppose Mr Johnson, and he still has significant support. Under current party rules, if the PM sees off the challenge he cannot face another confidence vote for a year. But one senior MP pointed out that Theresa May won a confidence vote during her premiership, and was later forced to quit - saying Mr Johnson would need a huge victory to be safe. 'You are holed below the water line,' they told MailOnline. 'It is just how long it takes for the ship to sink.' Other MPs pointed out that the Partygate revolt is far less organised than the Brexiteer insurrection against Mrs May, and that operation found it almost impossible to track how many letters were in. Graham Brady (right), chair of the powerful 1922 committee, must call a vote of no confidence in Boris Johnson (left) when 15 per cent of Conservative MPs ask for one - making the threshold 54 A Savanta ComRes poll has found Labour extending its lead to 11 points over the past week Former leader Lord Hague (right) said the party was 'moving towards' holding a full vote on the PM's future. Ex-Cabinet minister Andrea Leadsom (left) has become the latest senior figure to question Mr Johnson's position this morning, accusing him of 'unacceptable failures' Mr Johnson is under new pressure after the Sue Gray report on Partygate, which included photos of his 56th birthday in the Cabinet Room Carlisle MP John Stevenson has become the latest to confirm he has send a letter, saying a ballot is the only way to 'draw a line' under the scandal How could Boris Johnson be ousted by Tory MPs? What is the mechanism for removing the Tory leader? Tory Party rules allow the MPs to force a vote of no confidence in their leader. How is that triggered? A vote is in the hands of the chairman of the Tory Party's backbench 1922 Committee, Sir Graham Brady. A vote of no confidence must be held if 15 per cent of Tory MPs write to the chairman. Currently that threshold is 54 MPs. Letters are confidential unless the MP sending it makes it public. This means only Sir Graham knows how many letters there are. What happens when the threshold is reached? A vote is held, with the leader technically only needing to win support from a simple majority of MPs But in reality, a solid victory is essential for them to stay in post. What happens if the leader loses? The leader is sacked if they do not win a majority of votes from MPs, and a leadership contest begins in which they cannot stand. However, they typically stay on as Prime Minister until a replacement is elected. Advertisement Arts minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay was sent out to broadcast studios to defend the government this morning. He dodged on the prospect of a confidence vote, saying it is 'pointless speculating about something unless or until it happens'. In his statement, Mr Stevenson said he had been 'deeply disappointed in the revelations concerning the activities at No 10 as well as the approach taken by the Prime Minister in his responses in Parliament'. He seemingly avoided explicitly calling for Mr Johnson to quit, but said: 'Recently I have called for the Prime Minister to put himself forward for a vote of confidence by Conservative MPs. This I believe is the only way we are to draw a line under all the recent issues surrounding the activities in No 10 and the leadership of the Prime Minister. Fellow MPs could then decide if the Prime Minister is the right person to continue to lead our country and take the Conservative Party into the next Election. 'Sadly, the Prime Minister appears unwilling to bring matters to a head and submit himself to such a vote. Therefore, the only option is for the Conservative MPs to facilitate a vote of confidence. I have already taken the appropriate action.' In a letter to her constituents, Dame Andrea said the 'extent and severity' of the rule-breaking in No 10 exposed in the Sue Gray report meant it was 'extremely unlikely' the senior leadership did not know what was going on. 'The conclusion I have drawn from the Sue Gray report is that there have been unacceptable failings of leadership that cannot be tolerated and are the responsibility of the Prime Minister,' she said. In the message, shared on social media, she stopped short of directly calling on Mr Johnson to resign and did not say whether she had submitted a letter calling for a no confidence vote. But Dame Andrea said: 'Each of my Conservative colleagues and I must now decide individually on what is the right course of action that will restore confidence in our Government.' Lord Hague told Times Radio: 'Well I think Boris Johnson is in real trouble here and when an MP as reputable, as experienced, as respected as (Sir) Bob Neill who we were just listening to gives that opinion, that he's just given, that's very serious trouble for the Prime Minister and I think the Sue Gray report has been one of those sort of slow-fuse explosions in politics. How many MPs have sent no-confidence letters? Tory MPs are notoriously regarded as the most duplicitous electorate in the world. One veteran joked that the recent ballot for the Environment Committee chair had been perfect for them. Because it was conducted under a system of AV - where candidates are ranked in order - they could truthfully assure every hopefully they were voting for them. Given the habits of MPs, it is hard to gauge accurately how close we are to the threshold of 54 no-confidence letters sent to the 1922 committee. That is the number that would trigger a full vote. Some have publicly announced sending a letter - although even that does not guarantee they really have. Others have been heavily critical, or even called for Mr Johnson to resign, without confirming letters. Then there are thought to be letter-writers who have not spoken out. And two of the MPs declared as having sent letters are urging Mr Johnson to have a vote to clear up speculation, rather than saying he should definitely be ousted. At least one MP who previously submitted a letter - Charles Walker - has since withdrawn it. Here are the MPs who have definitely sent a letter: Caroline Nokes - 'I have not withdrawn the letter... I wrote months ago... because to do so would be letting down all of those people who spent the pandemic doing the right thing.' Andrew Bridgen - resubmitted the letter he previously withdrew following 'further revelations over the past week'. Aaron Bell - 'I wrote my letter following PMQs on 12 January, when I could not square the prime minister's words from the dispatch box with his previous statements to the house before Christmas.' Peter Aldous - 'I have therefore written to the Chairman of the 1922 Committee of Backbench Conservative MPs, advising him that I have no confidence in the Prime Minister.' Steve Brine - 'All I can do as a backbencher is seek to trigger that process and (some time ago actually) I have done that.' Elliot Colburn - nothing 'has convinced me that my decision to submit a letter to the 1922 Committee (which I did some time ago) was the wrong one'. Tobias Ellwood - 'You can't ignore the fact that our party lost its way.' Roger Gale - 'I have already indicated publicly that I have submitted a formal letter to the Chairman of the 1922 Committee calling for a Leadership Election.' Nick Gibb - 'We need to face up to hard truths. To restore trust, we need to change the Prime Minister.' Stephen Hammond - 'All I can do as a backbencher is speak out and submit a letter I have said for several months I already have done all I can as a backbencher.' Mark Harper - 'I have formally submitted a letter of no confidence in the prime minister to Sir Graham Brady MP. Anne-Marie Morris - 'Given my increasing displeasure with the ongoing events in the latter part of 2021, I submitted a letter of no confidence to Sir Graham Brady before Christmas.' Anthony Mangnall - 'His actions and mistruths are overshadowing the extraordinary work of so many excellent ministers and colleagues.' Bob Neill - 'With a heavy heart, I submitted a letter of no confidence to Sir Graham Brady.' John Stevenson - 'The only option is for Conservative MPs to facilitate a vote of confidence. I have already taken the appropriate action.' Gary Streeter - 'I cannot reconcile the pain and sacrifice of the vast majority of the British public during lockdown with the attitude and activities of those working in Downing Street.' Advertisement 'It's still going along, a lot of people misread it really, the events of last week as meaning the trouble is over, Boris is free and that's actually not the mood in the Conservative Party which is very, very troubled about the contents of that report. 'So I think the Conservative Party will need to resolve this one way or another, obviously because to be an effective party they either need to rally behind the Prime Minister they've got, or they need to decide to force him out and I think they're moving towards either next week or around the end of June, they are moving towards having a ballot, it looks like that.' The trickle of Tories urging Mr Johnson to consider his position threatened to turn into a stream yesterday, after Parliament went into recess and politicians took the temperature of their constituents. Conservative Andrew Bridgen emailed his North West Leicestershire constituents yesterday to say he has resubmitted his letter of no confidence in Mr Johnson following 'further revelations over the past week', which saw the publication of the long-awaited Sue Gray partygate report. He originally submitted a letter in January 2022 but withdrew it in March, arguing it was not appropriate to hold a confidence vote amid the fighting in Ukraine. Earlier, former attorney general Jeremy Wright said events in Downing Street had caused 'real and lasting damage' to the Government's authority and that he had concluded 'with regret' that Mr Johnson should go. Carshalton and Wallington MP Elliot Colburn, who was elected in 2019, confirmed he had submitted a letter of no confidence in the PM some time ago. And a fourth Tory MP, Nickie Aiken, suggested Mr Johnson should submit himself to a confidence vote to end the 'speculation' over his future. Meanwhile, Tory chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, Tom Tugendhat, reportedly said he had made his position on the matter 'clear to those who need to hear it'. The backbench MP, who previously said he was open to running for the Tory leadership, was quoted as criticising Mr Johnson, but did not appear to call for him to resign. Another senior Tory MP told MailOnline there was a 'drip, drip, drip approach' of people pronouncing on the crisis. 'They are Europhiles mainly, plus some people terrified of the Lib Dems,' the MP said. 'So far it is a case of individuals making comments and putting out statements on websites. I don't detect an organised campaign at all. 'When Theresa May faced her challenge there was an organised campaign, and they still struggling to get to the threshold. 'This is just a steady ones and twos. It could be six months before they get anywhere near the numbers.' The MP added that Mr Johnson would almost certainly win a confidence vote, but by how much would be crucial. 'What did for Theresa, she won the ballot but she lost a majority of backbenchers. The payroll vote is always going to vote with the PM,' they said. 'It is really if 135-140 colleagues vote against him.' Sir Bob Neill, chair of the Justice Select Committee, said it is in both the party's and country's interest for Boris Johnson 'to move on'. Explaining why he submitted a letter of no confidence on Friday, the MP for Bromley and Chislehurst told Times Radio: 'I promised I'd wait until I'd seen the whole of the Sue Gray report and all the explanations that the Prime Minister gave. 'I looked at them and I didn't think it was credible that he could escape responsibility for what was not just a one-off incident, but a course of conduct, a repeated culture of breaking the rules in 10 Downing Street over a period of months, and on that basis and the feedback I picked up very strongly in my own constituency and the results that we saw there in the local elections where lots of traditional Conservative voters were saying to me 'I'm sorry but we've lost faith in the PM, we can't support you whilst he's there'. 'I took the view that it was in the party's interest and actually the country's interest for him to move on.' Lord Parkinson told Sky News: 'Well there's an awful lot of speculation about the numbers of letters that go in and past experience shows, not just then but before, the only person that knows how many letters that have been sent in is the chairman of the 1922 Committee (Sir Graham Brady). 'It's pretty pointless to speculate about the numbers before then, it's a distraction from the work of Government and in Government we're getting on with making sure that we grow the economy to help with the cost of living.' He added: 'It's pointless speculating about something unless or until it happens.' Have you or anyone you know been affected by monkeypox? Email joe.davies@mailonline.co.uk Another 11 monkeypox cases have been recorded in Britain overnight, health officials announced today. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the new patients were all in England, bringing the UK total to 190. Officials said the 'risk to the general public from monkeypox is still low' but it is advising anyone with a new rash or scabs to self-isolate. Until now, those with suspected or confirmed cases of the tropical disease were being urged to seek advice from NHS 111 or a sexual health service. But officials said the move to introduce quarantine was to prevent further spread 'now that community transmission is occurring here in the UK and other countries'. People with new lesions are being advised to stay at home as long as they remain well enough. They have also been told to abstain from sex or close contact with others 'until their lesions have healed and the scabs have dried off'. Those who test positive for the infection are being urged to wear a condom for at least eight weeks after clearing the virus. The guidance is purely advisory and is not enforceable by law. People with monkeypox told to abstain from sex and wear condoms for EIGHT WEEKS after infection People with monkeypox have been told to avoid having sex. Even after clearing the infection, they are advised to wear condoms for eight weeks. Health chiefs insist the risk to the public remains low. But they have urged everyone to be on the lookout for new rashes or lesions on any part of their body which appear like spots, ulcers or blisters. In the guidance, the UKHSA said: 'Cases should also abstain from sex while symptomatic, including the period of early symptom onset, and while lesions are present. 'Whilst there is currently no available evidence of monkeypox in genital excretions, as a precaution, cases are advised to use condoms for eight weeks after infection and this guidance will be updated as evidence emerges.' Advertisement Announcing the new cases today, Dr Ruth Milton, senior medical advisor at UKHSA, said: 'The risk to the general public from monkeypox is still low, but its important that we work to limit the virus being passed on. 'We remind people that they should be alert to new spots, ulcers or blisters on any part of their body. 'If anyone suspects they might have these, particularly if they have recently had a new sexual partner, they should limit their contact with others and contact NHS 111 or their local sexual health service as soon as possible, though please phone ahead before attending in person.' Almost all of the UK monkeypox infections have been logged in England, apart from four logged in Scotland, two in Northern Ireland and one in Wales. The UKHSA has urged everyone to be on the lookout for new rashes or lesions on any part of their body which appear like spots, ulcers or blisters. Officials have not shared the age, region or gender of those infected with monkeypox. But the majority of cases have been in gay men, who have been told to be particularly aware of the virus's tell-tale signs. So far the outbreak, which was first detected in the UK in early May, has spread to 26 countries, with Britain, Spain and Portugal logging the most infections. A World Health Organization (WHO) official today warned that the outbreak was underway in Europe as early as mid-April. Dr Hans Henri Kluge, the WHO's Europe director, said monkeypox is being transmitted through 'social networks connected largely through sexual activity, primarily involving men who have sex with men'. He added: 'Many but not all cases report fleeting and/or multiple sexual partners, sometimes associated with large events or parties. 'We must remember, however, as we have seen from previous outbreaks, that monkeypox is caused by a virus that can infect anyone and is not intrinsically associated with any specific group of people.' Dr Kluge said the virus has taken off 'in the context of the recent lifting of pandemic restrictions on international travel and events'. He warned there is 'high' potential for the virus to be transmitted across Europe this summer. Dr Kluge said: 'Monkeypox has already spread against the backdrop of several mass gatherings in the Region. 'Over the coming months, many of the dozens of festivals and large parties planned provide further contexts where amplification may occur.' He admitted that health chiefs do not yet know whether the virus can be spread through semen or vaginal fluids, or whether monkeypox can stay in these bodily fluids for a long time. 'We do know that most people who get monkeypox will have a mild and self-limiting but unpleasant and potentially painful disease that may last up to several weeks,' he said. Dr Kluge said that the response to monkeypox does not 'as of now' require the same 'extensive population measures' as were needed for Covid because the virus doesn't spread as easily. 'But and this is important we do not yet know if we will be able to contain its spread completely,' he said. Dr Kluge added: 'For that, we need a significant and urgent reduction in exposures through clear communication, community-led action, case isolation during the infectious period, and effective contact tracing and monitoring.' Health chiefs have warned monkeypox, a virus endemic in parts of Africa and is known for its rare and unusual rashes, bumps and lesions, could also spread to some pets and become endemic in Europe. Undated handout file image issued by the UK Health Security Agency of the stages of Monkeypox Timeline of monkeypox 1958: Monkeypox was first discovered when an outbreak of a pox-like disease occurred in monkeys kept for research. 1970: The first human case was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the infection has been reported in a number of central and western African countries since then. 2003: A Monkeypox outbreak occurred in the US after rodents were imported from Africa. Cases were reported in both humans and pet prairie dogs. All the human infections followed contact with an infected pet and all patients recovered. SEPTEMBER 8, 2018: Monkeypox appeared in the UK for the first time in a Nigerian naval officer who was visiting Cornwall for training. They were treated at the Royal Free Hospital in London. SEPTEMBER 11, 2018: A second UK monkeypox case is confirmed in Blackpool. There is no link with the first case in Cornwall. Instead, the patient is though to have picked up the infection when travelling in Nigeria. They were treated at Blackpool Victoria Hospital and Royal Liverpool University Hospital. SEPTEMBER 26, 2018: A third person is diagnosed with monkeypox. The individual worked at Blackpool Victoria Hospital and treated the second Monkeypox case. They received treatment at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle. DECEMBER 3, 2019: A patient was diagnosed with monkeypox in England, marking the fourth ever case. MAY 25, 2021: Two cases of monkeypox were identified in north Wales. Both patients had travel links to Nigeria. A third person living with one of the cases was diagnosed and admitted to hospital, bringing the total number ever to seven. MAY 7, 2022: A person was diagnosed with Monkeypox in England after recently travelling to Nigeria. The person received care at the expert infectious disease unit at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in London. MAY 14, 2022: Two more cases were confirmed in London. The infected pair lived in the same household but had not been in contact with the case announced one week earlier. One of these individuals received care at the expert infectious disease unit at St Mary's Hospital in London. The other isolated at home and did not need hospital treatment. MAY 16, 2022: Four more cases were announced, bringing the UK total to seven. Three of these cases are in London, while one of their contacts is infected in the north east of England. The spate of cases was described as 'unusual' and 'surprising' as experts warn gay and bisexual men to look out for new rashes. MAY 19, 2022: Two more cases were revealed, with no travel links or connections to other cases. The cases were based in the South East and London. Fears began to grow that infections are going undetected. MAY 20, 2022: Eleven more cases are announced, meaning Britain's monkeypox outbreak have doubled to 20. Minsters discuss the possibility of a public health campaign to warn gay men the disease may be more prevalent for them MAY 23, 2022: Scotland logs its first ever monkeypox case and 36 more infectioned announced in England. It brings the UK total to 57. MAY 24, 2022: England logs another 14 cases, bringing the UK total to 71. MAY 25, 2022: Another seven infections are spotted in England, meaning 78 cases have been detected in the UK. MAY 26, 2022: Wales and Northern Ireland detect their first monkeypox case in the recent outbreak, while Scotland spots two more cases and England logs eight, bringing UK total to 90. MAY 27, 2022: England detects 16 more cases, meaning 106 people in Britain have confirmed infections. MAY 29, 2022: World Health Organization (WHO) says risk of monkeypox is 'moderate', citing concerns about virus infecting children and immunosuppressed people if it becomes more widespread. MAY 30, 2022: The UK detects another 71 monkeypox cases, bringing the UK total to 179. Cases jumped 70 per cent in just three days. MAY 31, 2022: Another 11 monkeypox cases have been spotted in England, bringing UK total to 190. Advertisement His comments come after the WHO yesterday upgraded the threat from the virus to 'moderate'. It said the explosion of cases with no links to each other or Africa means the current figure is 'likely to be an underestimate'. New isolation guidance published by the UKHSA on Monday said: 'People with possible, probable or confirmed monkeypox should avoid contact with other people until their lesions have healed and the scabs have dried off. 'Do not go to a sexual health clinic without contacting them first. Stay at home and avoid close contact with other people until you've been told what to do.' Teams from the UKHSA are contacting high-risk contacts of confirmed cases and advising them to self-isolate at home for three weeks and avoid contact with children. Both confirmed cases and close contacts are being offered the Imvanex vaccine to form a buffer of immune people around a confirmed case to limit the spread of the disease. The strategy, known as ring vaccination, has been used in previous monkeypox outbreaks and is also being carried out in some EU countries. Dr Milton said: 'We are continuing to work closely with our colleagues in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure we are aligned in our approach to reducing the risk of transmission of monkeypox in the UK.' It comes after the WHO published a risk assessment on Sunday, warning that its 'moderate' grading of the outbreak could be pushed to 'high' if the virus 'exploits the opportunity to establish itself as a human pathogen' and spreads to vulnerable groups. The 'sudden appearance' and 'wide geographic scope' of cases suggests widespread human transmission of the virus which spreads through skin-to-skin contact and an infected persons' droplets is underway, the WHO said. It also warned the surge in monkeypox infections suggests the virus 'may have been circulating unrecognised for several weeks or longer'. Reported cases have so far been mild but there is a risk the virus has a 'greater health impact' if it spreads to at-risk people, including children and immunocompromised people, such as some HIV patients, who 'may be especially at risk of more severe disease'. Monkeypox can kill up to 10 per cent of people it infects. The milder strain causing the current outbreak kills one in 100 similar to when Covid first hit. The virus death rate has been higher among children in previous outbreaks. The WHO warned there is a 'high risk' of further spread of the virus though skin-to-skin contact between families and sexual partners, as well as due to contact with contaminated materials, such as utensils, bedding and clothing. 'However, at present, the risk for the general public appears to be low,' the agency said. It cautioned that a 'large part' of the population is vulnerable to monkeypox due to the discontinuation of the smallpox vaccination scheme. Very few people under the age of forty have been vaccinated. In the UK, youngsters were routinely offered this jab until four decades ago, around the point at which the virus was eradicated. Because smallpox and monkeypox are so similar, those who received the jab are thought to have up to 85 per cent immunity against the circulating strain. There is a 'potential risk' to health workers who treat someone infected with the virus if they are not wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent transmission, the WHO siad. No monkeypox cases have been confirmed among medics in the current outbreak, it noted, but an NHS worker became infected in 2018 after treating a patient who had returned from Nigeria. In its report, the WHO also warned that people who have recently had multiple sexual partners either where they live or abroad 'may be at risk' of having monkeypox. It said health chiefs should reach out to at risk communities, which 'at the present time' includes men who have sex with men and their close contacts. The WHO said it 'would be prudent' for people to limit the number of sexual partners they have during the early stage of this outbreak. It comes as Dr Will Nutland, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, warned that festivals could fuel the spread of the virus. The current outbreak, first detected in a traveller from Nigeria to the UK on May 6, has been linked to several super-spreader events, including a gay pride festival in Gran Canaria, a fetish festival in Belgium and a 'sauna' in Spain. Dr Nutland hosted a webinar for the LGBTQ+ community about the risks of monkeypox, as part of his roles as co-founder of Prepster, a volunteer group of HIV prevention activists in London. The doctor warned that it could spread at the Mighty Hoopla in Brockwell Park, south London, this Friday and Saturday. He told the Sunday Telegraph that the pop festival is 'going to attract a lot of queer people'. A spokesperson for the Mighty Hoopla said that they 'remain committed to working in line with government health guidance regarding public safety at events'. Earlier this month, Dr Hans Kluge, regional director for Europe at the World Health Organisation, said he is concerned about 'mass gatherings, festivals and parties', which could accelerate transmissions. He said that the cases being identified are 'among those engaging in sexual activity', and creates unfamiliar symptoms. Mateo Prochazka, epidemiologist from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said that it is important people do not assume monkeypox is only a threat to the LGBTQ+ community He told the BBC that it can spread to anyone through close contact including contact with items used by someone infected, such as cutlery or their clothes. How DO you catch monkeypox and what are the symptoms? EVERYTHING you need to know about tropical virus How do you catch monkeypox? Until this worldwide outbreak, monkeypox was usually caught from infected animals in west and central Africa. The tropical virus is thought to be spread by rodents, including rats, mice and even squirrels. Humans can catch the illness which comes from the same family as smallpox if they're bitten by infected animals, or touch their blood, bodily fluids, or scabs. Consuming contaminated wild game or bush meat can also spread the virus. The orthopoxvirus can enter the body through broken skin even if it's not visible, as well as the eyes, nose and mouth. Despite being mainly spread by wild animals, it was known that monkeypox could be passed on between people. However, health chiefs had insisted this was very rare until now. Human-to-human spread can occur if someone touches clothing or bedding used by an infected person, or through direct contact with the virus' tell-tale scabs. The virus can also spread through coughs and sneezes. In the ongoing surge in cases, experts think the virus is passing through skin-to-skin contact during sex even though this exact mechanism has never been seen until now. How deadly is it? Monkeypox is usually mild, with most patients recovering within a few weeks without treatment. Yet, the disease kills up to 10 per cent of cases. But this high rate is thought to be in part due to a historic lack of testing meaning that a tenth of known cases have died rather than a tenth of all infections. However, with milder strains the fatality rate is closer to one in 100 similar to when Covid first hit. The UK cases all had the West African version of the virus, which is mild compared to the Central African strain. It is thought that cases in Portugal and Spain also have the milder version, though tests are underway. How is it tested for? It can be difficult to diagnose monkeypox as it is often confused with other infections such as chickenpox. Monkeypox is confirmed by a clinical assessment by a health professional and a test in the UK's specialist lab - the UKHSA's Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory. The test involves taking samples from skin lesions, such as part of the scab, fluid from the ulcer or pieces of dry crusts. What are the symptoms? It can take up to three weeks for monkeypox-infected patients to develop any of its tell-tale symptoms. Early signs of the virus include a fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion meaning it could, theoretically, be mistaken for other common illnesses. But its most unusual feature is a rash that often begins on the face, then spreads to other parts of the body, commonly the hands and feet. The rash changes and goes through different stages before finally forming a scab, which later falls off. How long is someone contagious? An individual is contagious from the point their rash appears until all the scabs have fallen off and there is intact skin underneath. The scabs may also contain infectious virus material. The infectious period is thought to last for three weeks but may vary between individuals. What do I do if I have symptoms? Anyone with an unusual rash or lesions on any part of their body, especially their genitalia, should contact NHS 111 or call a sexual health service. Britons are asked to contact clinics ahead of their visit and avoid close contact with others until they have been seen by a medic. Gay and bisexual men have been asked to be especially alert to the symptoms as most of the cases have been detected in men who have sex with men. What even is monkeypox? Monkeypox was first discovered when an outbreak of a pox-like disease occurred in monkeys kept for research in 1958. The first human case was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the infection has been reported in a number of central and western African countries since then. Only a handful of cases have been reported outside of Africa and they were confined to people with travel links to the continent. The UK, US, Israel and Singapore are the only countries which had detected the virus before May 2022. Monkeypox is a rare viral infection which kills up to one in ten of those infected but does not spread easily between people. The tropical disease is endemic in parts of Africa and is known for its rare and unusual rashes, bumps and lesions (file photo) Nurses and doctors are being advised to stay 'alert' to patients who present with a new rash or scabby lesions (like above) Is it related to chickenpox? Despite causing a similar rash, chickenpox is not related to monkeypox. The infection, which usually strikes children, is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. For comparison, monkeypox like smallpox is an orthopoxvirus. Because of this link, smallpox vaccines also provide protection against monkeypox. Are young people more vulnerable? Britons aged under 50 may be more susceptible to monkeypox, according to the World Health Organization. This is because children in the UK were routinely offered the smallpox jab, which protects against monkeypox, until 1971. The WHO also warns that the fatality rate has been higher among young children. Does it spread as easily as Covid? Leading experts insist we won't be seeing Covid-style levels of transmission in the monkeypox outbreak. A World Health Organization report last year suggested the natural R rate of the virus the number of people each patient would infect if they lived normally while sick is two. This is lower than the original Wuhan variant of Covid and about a third of the R rate of the Indian 'Delta' strain. But the real rate is likely much lower because 'distinctive symptoms greatly aid in its early detection and containment,' the team said, meaning it's easy to spot cases and isolate them. Covid is mainly spread through droplets an infected person releases whenever they breathe, speak, cough or sneeze. How is the UK managing the outbreak? MailOnline revealed close contacts of monkeypox cases, including NHS workers, are being offered the Imvanex smallpox vaccine. The strategy, known as ring vaccination, involves jabbing and monitoring anyone around an infected person to form a buffer of immune people to limit the spread of a disease. Additionally, close contacts of those with a confirmed monkeypox infection are being told to stay at home for 21 days and avoid contact under-12s, immunosuppressed people and pregnant women. The Government said unprotected direct contact or high risk environmental contact includes living in the same house as someone with monkeypox, having sexual contact with them or even just changing their bedding 'without appropriate PPE'. As with Covid, someone who has come within one metre of an infected person is classed as a monkeypox contact. This lower category of contact, which also includes sitting next to a person with monkeypox on a plane, means a tracer will call the person every day for three weeks and they will be advised to stay off work for 21 days if their job involves children or immuno-suppressed colleagues. The UK has stopped short of requiring people by law to quarantine if they develop monkeypox, but ministers are considering a public health campaign to alert gay and bisexual men, because of the number of cases in this group. What if it continues to spread? Experts told MailOnline they 'could see a role' for a targeted jab rollout to gay men in the UK 'if this isn't brought under control quickly'. Close contacts of the UK's known cases are already being offered the jab, which was originally designed for smallpox. The two rash-causing viruses are very similar. A health source told MailOnline 'there would be a number of strategies we'd look at' if cases continued to rise. Professor Kevin Fenton, London's public health regional director, said if the outbreak in the capital continues to grow then the rollout of vaccines and treatments could be broadened to more groups. He said there are 'plans in place' to have more antivirals if the outbreak keeps growing. What other countries have spotted cases? More than two dozen countries including the US, Spain and Italy have detected cases of monkeypox. The most cases have been detected in Spain, Portugal, Canada and the UK. Within Europe, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Austria, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland have also confirmed cases. Australia, Israel and the Canary Islands also have monkeypox patients, while health chiefs in Argentina are investigating a possible case. There are a handful of antivirals and therapies for smallpox that appear to work on monkeypox, including the drug tecovirimat, which was approved for monkeypox in the EU in January Is there a vaccine for it? The smallpox vaccine, called Imvanex in the UK and Jynneos in the US, can protect against monkeypox because the viruses behind the illnesses are closely related. Data shows it prevents around 85 per cent of cases, and has been used 'off-label' in the UK since 2018. The jab, thought to cost 20 per dose, contains a modified vaccinia virus, which is similar to both smallpox and monkeypox, but does not cause disease in people. Because of its similarity to the pox viruses, antibodies produced against this virus offer cross protection. Are there any drugs to treat it? There are a handful of antivirals and therapies for smallpox that appear to work on monkeypox. This includes the drug tecovirimat, which was approved for monkeypox in the EU in January. Tecovirimat prevents the virus from leaving an infected cell, hindering the spread of the virus within the body. An injectable antiviral used to treat AIDS called cidofovir can be used to manage the infection, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It also works by stopping the growth of the virus. Volodymyr Zelensky has slammed the EU for a lack of unity as the bloc failed to agree a promised ban on Russian oil imports. The Ukrainian president urged leaders to put aside 'all the quarrels inside Europe, all internal arguments, that are only encouraging Russia' as they wrangled over ending the continent's dependence on Russian fossil fuels Monday. But his entreaty failed, as the 27-nation bloc only managed to agree a ban on 70 per cent of Russia's oil in the face of opposition from Hungary. And the EU will continue to pay Putin hundreds of billions of euros per year for gas - a key source of income for Russia - after it was exempted from sanctions. Volodymyr Zelensky urged EU leaders to put aside 'quarrels' which he said encourage Putin during debate on banning Russian oil imports Monday (file) Zelensky's entreaty failed to achieve desired result, as the EU was only able to agree 70 per cent ban on Russian oil - having promised a complete embargo The partial oil embargo marks a significant climbdown for the EU since Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed a complete ban four weeks ago. Viktor Orban, Hungary's hardline leader who shares good ties with Moscow, had been bitterly opposed - saying cutting his country off from Russian oil would be like dropping a 'nuclear bomb' on its economy. In the event, leaders agreed to a ban on Russian oil being brought in by sea - which Council President Charles Michel said on Monday would mean cutting off 70 per cent of supplies. Taken together with unilateral action from Germany and Poland to shut off pipeline oil, it will mean an effective ban of 90 per cent by the end of the year, he added. The ban will deprive Russia's economy of hundreds of billions of dollars in trade, along with billions more in coal exports which have already been banned. It forms part of a sixth package of sanction on Russia which will be published later this week, including cutting off another of its banks from the Swift payment system, as well as restrictions on more state media and asset freezes for individuals. But an exemption will mean that Hungary continues to receive oil through its branch of the Druzhba pipeline - which also supplies Slovakia and the Czech Republic - in a trade thought to be worth tens of billions of dollars annually. Von Der Leyen said the exemption will be 'temporary' while Hungary seeks ways to replace Russian oil supplies, but did not give a firm end date. The EU will also continue to buy Russian natural gas upon which economies such as Germany are heavily dependent. EU leaders had been pressured to act on Russian fossil fuel imports under heavy pressure from Zelensky, who accused them of financing Putin's war on his country. Speaking to leaders on Monday via a 10-minute video message, he said sanctions must 'be agreed on, it needs to be effective, including (on) oil,' so that Moscow 'feels the price for what it is doing against Ukraine' and the rest of Europe. Only then, Zelenskyy said, will Russia be forced to 'start seeking peace.' The EU has now banned most Russian coal and oil imports, but remains heavily dependent on gas and has no plans to ban it in the near future Russia is currently engaged in a bitter battle for Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, which it aims to 'liberate' after four months of bloody fighting. After an initial stalemate, Putin's generals are now making steady progress while Kyiv's troops are taking a hammering - leading to calls for more and better weapons to aid in the fight. On Monday, videos showed Russian troops pushing into the centre of Severodonetsk - one of the last remaining Ukrainian strongholds in Luhansk province. Russia mounted an all-out assault on the city after attempts to surround it from the west and east failed, with attacks seeming to yield results. It was not clear as-of Tuesday morning how much of the city remained in Ukrainian hands, amid reports it could soon fall entirely to Russia. Putin's forces would then need to cross the Donets River and capture Lysychansk - sister city to Severdonetsk - in order to claim complete control over Luhansk. Attention would then turn to capturing the remainder of Donetsk, including the cities of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk, which would allow Putin to claim the whole of Donbas had been 'liberated'. The victory would be a significant propaganda win for the Russian leader, but a major blow to his original aims of taking Kyiv and overthrowing the government. But Ukraine is not entirely on the backfoot. After a counter-attack north out of Kharkiv pushed Russia back to its own border, more attacks seemed to be underway towards the southern city of Kherson on Monday. Videos showed armoured vehicles and troops moving across the Inhulets River towards Bilohirka and Davydiv Brid, though the exact size and significance of the offensive remains unclear. The capture of Kherson - a strategic city which straddles the Dnipro River - was one of Putin's earliest successes during the war, and has seen significant Ukrainian resistance to Russian rule since. If Ukrainian forces can threaten Russian defences there, then it may pull forces away from the fighting in the east to protect it. Ursula von der Leyen had spoken of a complete ban on Russian oil just four weeks ago, but was forced into a climbdown due to opposition from Hungary Separate to the new sanctions package, Russia's Gazprom said Monday that it will halt gas supplies to the Netherlands, after it refused to pay in rubles. Moscow has been demanding that all payments are made in local currency to help shore it up in the face of Western sanctions, something many nations have refused to do - saying it is a breach of contract. Meanwhile, Danish energy company Orsted warned that Russia could cut gas supplies to Denmark for the same reason, but allayed concerns by saying that gas could still be secured through the European market. Moscow has asked clients from 'unfriendly countries' - including EU member states - to pay for gas in rubles, a way to sidestep Western financial sanctions against its central bank over Vladimir Putin's February 24 offensive. The news came amid skyrocketing gas prices across Europe, and sparked fears that the Kremlin's continued restriction of supplies could continue this trend. Energy prices in Europe hit record highs this year after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Europe's top gas supplier, with European leaders so far ruling out a price cap. Dutch GasTerra had 'decided not to comply with Gazprom's unilateral payment requirements' as they would breach EU sanctions and create 'financial and operational risks', the Dutch firm said in a statement Monday. 'In response to this decision by GasTerra, Gazprom has announced that it will discontinue supply with effect from May 31, 2022,' it said. The Russian energy giant's move means that two billion cubic metres of gas will not be supplied to the Netherlands between now and October, GasTerra said, adding that it 'has anticipated this by purchasing gas elsewhere. 'GasTerra has repeatedly urged Gazprom to respect the contractually agreed payment structure and delivery obligations, unfortunately to no avail,' it said. The Dutch state directly owns a 10-percent stake in GasTerra plus another 40 percent through state-owned gas firm EBN. The rest is owned by energy giants Shell and Esso. The Dutch government said it 'understands' GasTerra's decision. 'This decision has no consequences for the physical supply of gas to Dutch households,' Climate and Energy Minister Rob Jetten said on Twitter. Advertisement Are you related to one of James MacDougall's children? Email dan.sales@mailonline.co.uk Advertisement The family of a Facebook sperm donor who has fathered fifteen children to lesbian women without telling them he has a genetic condition have claimed that he was offering his services because he's 'kind-hearted'. James MacDougall, 37, went ahead with private sperm donations to a number of lesbian women despite knowing he was a carrier of Fragile X syndrome, an inheritable condition which leads to low IQ and developmental delay, and cannot be cured. His identity emerged last night after an almost unprecedented move by a judge in a Family Court battle - after he demanded access to some of the children. Mrs Justice Lieven, sitting in Derby, named MacDougall, 37, to stop other women from using him as a sperm donor. The incurable genetic condition of which he is a carrier can lead to low IQ and developmental delay which could affect the children he fathered. Now his adoptive parents June and John MacDougall have spoken in defence of James and revealed their son's donor obsession. Mrs MacDougall, 73, told MailOnline how her son was now 'struggling with it all' after being banned from being involved in the lives of some of the children he had fathered. James MacDougall, 37, went ahead with private sperm donations despite knowing that he was a carrier of Fragile X syndrome James MacDougall, 37, went ahead with private sperm donations despite knowing that he suffered from Fragile X syndrome. The genetic condition, which is inheritable, leads to low IQ and developmental delay and cannot be cured. Pictured: Library image of a technician in blue gloves doing control check of the in vitro fertilization process using a microscope Sperm donation in the UK Every year, around 2,500 men and women in the UK have a baby with the help of a sperm donor. But donation from men in the UK is lower than demand, according to reports. The exact number of sperm donors in the UK is unknown, but in 2008, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) reported that out of the 500 new donors it needed each year, it had 307 new donor registrations between 2006 and 2008. In 2014, to tackle the shortage of donors in the UK, a national sperm bank serving the UK opened in Birmingham. It closed less than two years later after just nine donors signed up. In the UK, it is illegal for sperm donors to be paid for their donations. But they are allowed to receive a maximum of 35 for each visit to the clinic, cover their expenses. Using a private sperm donor can cost people around 700 to 1,600 for each cycle of treatment, through the HFEA. People using donated sperm should be offered counselling before they go ahead, the NHS says. In 1945, Dr Mary Barton, working in London, published the first modern account of Donor Insemination in the British Medical Journal, which was widley condemned. Advertisement The retired hospital assistant and dinner lady said: 'He wanted to be part of their lives, he wanted to see his children. 'He is kind hearted and would do anything for anybody but he is gullible. He just wanted to help those people, help those women in a gay relationship fulfil their dreams and become parents. 'He didn't seek any money, as far as we are aware, for providing that service, he just did it.' Mrs MacDougall and husband John, also 73, and a retired city council engineer, are supporting their son 'whole heartedly' against 'cruel' accusations they say have been made against him by sone of the lesbian mums. The couple, who have two other children, told how James was a carrier of the condition Fragile X. His mum, who gave evidence in a court case in his support, said: 'Rather than being a sufferer he is a carrier which he could pass on to the next generation. He inherited it from his birth mother, as his two half siblings did. 'But he would have told those mothers about the condition, we are convinced he would, to help protect the children.' Mrs MacDougall, speaking from the comfortable family home in Nottinghamshire, claimed her son is 'a victim' in a court ruling which went against him being in his bid to be allowed access to four of the children he had fathered. The court had heard he had signed an agreement saying he did not want any contact with some of the children but he had applied to the courts for parental responsibility orders, and child arrangements orders, allowing him to spend time with four of his children. Three mothers opposed the father's request. Mrs MacDougall claims her son is a 'victim of those girls' and had never forgone parental responsibility for some of the children born after he advertised on a social media page for lesbian women seeking sperm donors, are currently aged between three and a few months old. Mrs Justice Lieven (pictured) found that MacDougall was a complex person, with learning difficulties and on the autistic spectrum, with fixed views, concrete thinking and a profound lack of insight Speaking to MailOnline from her lounge, where she said she had helped look after and entertain one of her 'grandchildren' she said: 'The little girl stayed here so often and James and us would help look after her while her mum and her partner were busy working.' She told how her beloved son, adopted as an allegedly abused baby, suffered from 'autism and learning difficulites' and survived on disability handouts while holding down volunteer work. She said: 'This court case has broken his heart, and ours. 'When he first told me he had become a dad two to three years ago, he showed me a picture and said 'This little baby is mine'. 'I was shocked because we didn't even know he had a girlfriend and then he told me he was a sperm donor and I thought it was one and couldn't believe it was any more. 'He said there had been other times but he didn't want any money, he just wanted to help women, who couldn't conceive naturally, have babies. 'It was his gift to them and he never did anything illegally, as far as we are concerned. 'He never knew the women, he apparently advertised in social media unknown to us, but he became good friends with a few of them. Mrs Justice Lieven, sitting at a court in Derby (pictured: Derby Combined Courts), has ruled that he should not have parental responsibility for the children, because it would cause harm to them 'When he first told us he was going to become a dad we were so looking forward to becoming grandparents. Then he mentioned he didn't have a girlfriend but was acting as a sperm donor. 'It was a shock, a huge shock, but we're not cross with him.' Her husband added: 'It has been a blessing we have had grandchildren. Our son has done nothing wrong. We do not want him crucified!' His wife told jow much her son had enjoyed having contact with at least one of his fathered kids before relationships soured, saying: 'The baby girl often stayed here while her female parents were busy, my son and we loved our times together. 'At least two of the lesbian mums are fighting against our son and we don't know why. 'My son had never wanted this, it had stressed him out and we are worried for is wellbeing but no authorities are helping us, 'He had never had children of his own in a conventional relationship but he has fathered 15 in a different relationship as a sperm donor. That was his choice, and although it was shocking at first, we support his decision. 'We have grandchildren from our other son and daughter, and to be so again from our middle child was an exciting prospect. 'But it would appear he had been taken advantage of by the women he has tried to help. 'Yes, he has a condition but he would have advised those he fell should know.' Mrs Justice Lieven said MacDougall's children, born after he advertised on a social media page for lesbian women seeking sperm donors, are aged between three and a few months old. Despite signing an agreement that he did not want any contact with some of his children, MacDougall applied to the Family Court for parental responsibility orders, and child arrangements orders, allowing him to spend time with four of his children. Three mothers opposed this, and Mrs Justice Lieven, sitting at Derby, ruled that he should not have parental responsibility for the children, because it would cause harm to them. She forbade him from applying to the court for the next three years, because of his complete lack of insight into his conduct, and because it would be traumatizing to the mothers, and said he should be named to stop other women from using him as a sperm donor. He chose to be a sperm donor despite knowing he could not go through a clinic because he has Fragile X syndrome, she said in a handed down judgment, and she had no confidence he would not act as a sperm donor in future. She had no confidence in him fully explaining to any women the true implications of his fragile X syndrome and 'there is a very specific benefit in his being named in the hope that women will look him up on the internet and see this judgment'. She refused his lawyer's request for his continued anonymity, saying, 'The usual approach of anonymity in the Family Courts should not be used as a way for parents to behave in an unacceptable manner and then hide behind the cloak of anonymity.' **Are you related to one of James MacDougall's children? Email dan.sales@mailonline.co.uk** Prime Minister Anthony Albanese unveiled his full ministry a day after Labor claimed the final 76th seat needed to form a majority government. A record number of 19 women were elevated to ministry roles with 13 in the ministry and 10 in the cabinet while Ed Husic and Anne Aly become the first Muslim ministers in Australian history. The Cabinet is a mix of familiar and new faces, along with a few surprises following Labor's first post-election caucus meeting in Canberra on Tuesday. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has unveiled his new ministry, which has a few surprises ''It's a mix of people who have served in the cabinet before, it is the most experienced incoming Labor government in our history since Federation,' Mr Albanese said. 'This is an exciting team which is overflowing with talent with people absolutely committed to making a difference as ministers and assistant ministers in my government.' Richard Marles will take on the defence portfolio as well as the role of Deputy Prime Minister while Penny Wong was announced foreign affairs minister last week. Katy Gallagher is responsible for three portfolios- finance, public service and women. Tanya Plibersek was widely tipped to get education role but was instead appointed minister for environment and water, a role the Prime Minister insists she was happy and willing to serve. The education portfolio was instead given to rising Labor star Jason Clare. Clare O'Neil will be home affairs minister while new face Ms Aly is responsible for child education and youth. The cabinet features 10 women, including new child education and youth minister Anne Aly Don Farrell will be trade and tourism minister as well as special minister of state, while Tony Burke will be employment minister. Mark Butler will assume health in the cabinet, with Chris Bowen being in charge of climate change and energy. Don Farrell will be trade and tourism minister as well as special minister of state, while Tony Burke will be employment minister. Mark Butler will assume health in the cabinet, with Chris Bowen being in charge of climate change and energy. There will be a change of portfolio for Tanya Plibersek, who will take on environment and water, while education will be taken on by Jason Clare. Catherine King will be in charge of infrastructure, transport and regional development. Linda Burney will be Indigenous affairs minister, the second Aboriginal person to assume the role. Tanya Plibersek (pictured) was shock cabinet reshuffle as the new minister for water and environment Former opposition leader Bill Shorten will be minister for NDIS and government services, while Amanda Rishworth will be in charge of social services. Mark Dreyfus will be the new attorney-general, while Brendan O'Connor will be minister for skills and training. Julie Collins will be housing and homelessness minister, while Michelle Rowland will be communication minister. Madeleine King will serve as resources minister, Murray Watt as agriculture minister, while Ed Husic is the new industry and science minister. Another new face, Eden-Monaro MP Kristy McBain will take on the portfolio of regional development and local government. 'This is a record number (of women), this is the most positive group that have ever been put forward in terms of the cabinet, the ministry and the caucus,' Mr Albanese said 'I want to see us move towards 50-50 representation across all of the spectrum.' Anthony Albanese says his new ministry is overflowing with talent Among the surprises in the ministry was new face Kristy McBain (pictured) The ministry will be sworn in by the Governor General on Wednesday. 'This is a government determined not to waste a single day in office ,' Mr Albanese said Labor claimed a 77th seat on Tuesday with incumbent Labor MP Fiona Phillips expected to retain her seat following a nailbiting contest against Liberal candidate and former NSW minister Andrew Constance 'Today Labor has claimed the 77th seat in the House of Representatives,' Mr Albanese said. 'It confirms indeed that Labor will be a majority government when Parliament resumes in July.' 'It means the Coalition failed to claim a single seat from Labor at the election.' He conceded it's a 'difficult day' for those who missed out on role on the frontbench, including Shayne Neumann, who was demoted to the backbench. Australia's first two Muslim ministers will be sworn in on Wednesday, including Ed Husic An NHS nurse who was sacked for taking too many sick days due to persistent migraines - brought on from looking after her dementia-suffering grandmother - has won a disability discrimination case. Caroline McKenzie was the 'de facto carer' for the relative, which a tribunal ruled took its toll on her stress and anxiety levels, and also complained that her severe headaches were exacerbated by PPE she was forced to wear at work during the pandemic. But after failing to meet absence targets set by bosses, the senior nurse, who had worked for her NHS trust for more than a decade, was fired for taking too many days off. A dismissal letter also suggested her employers didn't believe some absences were due to migraines and symptoms of 'sinusitis' - a condition in which the lining of the sinuses becomes inflamed - in March 2020. The latter is now believed to have been a symptom of Covid 19. However, an employment tribunal has now ruled Ms McKenzie was discriminated against and sacked due to her disability. Her claims of unfair dismissal and failure to make reasonable adjustments also succeeded, and she is now in line to receive compensation. Leicester Royal Infirmary is run by the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, where Ms McKenzie worked for more than a decade How migraines can be caused by external factors such as stress A migraine is usually a moderate or severe headache felt as a throbbing pain on one side of the head. Many people also have symptoms such as feeling sick, being sick and increased sensitivity to light or sound. Migraine is a common health condition, affecting around one in every five women and around one in every 15 men. They usually begin in early adulthood. The exact cause of migraines is unknown, although they're thought to be the result of temporary changes in the chemicals, nerves and blood vessels in the brain. Around half of all people who experience migraines also have a close relative with the condition, suggesting that genes may play a role. Some people find migraine attacks are associated with certain triggers, which can include stress, tiredness, starting their period and even certain food and drinks. Source: NHS Advertisement The tribunal heard Ms McKenzie began working for the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust in November 2010. She was later promoted to a 'Deputy Sister' role five years later. Her main duties involved the clinical care of patients on her ward and assisting the Ward Sister in some management duties. From around August 2010, the panel was told Ms McKenzie began living with and caring for her grandmother who suffered from dementia. The tribunal, in Leicester, heard becoming her grandmother's 'de facto carer' took its toll on Ms McKenzie's 'stress and anxiety levels'. An occupational health report from October 2017 concluded her stress was contributing to an 'increased frequency' in migraines she already suffered from. The tribunal heard Mrs McKenzie suffered from regular episodes of migraine attacks throughout her employment, which typically lasted between one and two days and resulted in absences from work. She was prescribed medication for her migraines, but these had never proved particularly effective. Since 2010, she had been absent on nearly 300 workdays - the majority of which related to her migraines - and her absences during her 12 months at the Trust totalled 85 working days. Around 2018, Ms McKenzie's grandmother was diagnosed with 'inoperable' cancer. Ms McKenzie began taking antidepressant medication and reduced her working hours. During a capability meeting in April 2019 Mrs McKenzie explained to bosses her difficulties in balancing her work and home life, as well as 'managing her own mental health'. In September she began a long-term absence due to anxiety and depression until January 2019. She attended another absence meeting in April when she was issued another written warning and set new absence targets. However, the tribunal heard she suffered more migraines and was absent for 19 days between June and November. Another absence period in March 2020, originally described as 'sinusitis'. Leicester Royal Infirmary is run by the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, where Ms McKenzie worked for more than a decade An antibody test taken later that year showed Ms McKenzie had the antibody for Covid and, as such, the tribunal ruled this absence should have been discounted. Ms McKenzie also complained the type of PPE she was forced to wear for up to 12 hours contributed to the frequency of her headaches. She was then absent from December 2019 to March 2020 for depression, after she stopped taking her antidepressant medication and began suffering from withdrawal symptoms. Following another absence hearing in May 2020 she was dismissed from her role, and lost her appeal against the decision. A letter sent to Ms McKenzie outlining the reasons for her dismissal 'questioned' whether recent absences had really been down to 'migraines and sinusitis'. It also stated PPE masks she wore at work was essential and said she could have taken measures to 'minimise' the impact the equipment had. It concluded: 'Despite the level of support, your absences have consistently fallen below the Trusts' targets and this is not sustainable moving forward. 'Having considered all the information presented, I concluded that your sickness absence levels continue to be unacceptable and are impacting the ward and your team and causing difficulties for your area.' Employment Judge Saleem Ahmed ruled the letter proved Ms McKenzie's dismissal was due to absences brought on by her disabilities. Judge Ahmed said: '[The dismissal letter] demonstrates the dismissal was, if not wholly then at least partly, due to Ms McKenzie not achieving attendance targets and/or because of her sickness record. 'We are therefore satisfied that the reason for her dismissal was for 'something arising' from her disabilities. 'Put in simple terms, Ms McKenzie had disabilities which caused her to absent from work and for which she was ultimately dismissed.' Ms McKenzie's claims of disability discrimination, failure to make reasonable adjustments and unfair dismissal all succeeded. A remedy hearing to decide upon compensation will now be held in due course. Four sailors have been rescued after clinging to styrofoam iceboxes in the sea for four days after their cargo ship sank. The crew members were onboard the Zidane Express when it was battered by strong waves off the coast of Indonesia on Friday. Water entered the ship's exhaust and it lost radio contact before sinking in the waters between Saobi Island and Sabuntan Island in East Java Province. Four sailors from a missing cargo ship have been rescued after clinging to styrofoam iceboxes and floating in the sea for four days The four sailors - Rusiyadi, Muhammad Ajim, Ansori, and Ali Sabibi - were rescued yesterday afternoon The four sailors - Rusiyadi, Muhammad Ajim, Ansori, and Ali Sabibi - were reported missing with their ship amid fears they had drowned. But before they plunged into the choppy ocean they used a rope to make a life raft using empty iceboxes. The seamen also stuffed some of their belongings and fresh supplies of water and dried food into the boxes. A search and rescue operation was launched by coast guards and the four crew members of the ship were found drifting in the Bali Sea yesterday afternoon. National Search and Rescue Agency coordinator Wahyu Setya Budi said: 'The four men were found safely about 63 miles from Boom Beach Banyuwangi and 61 miles from Sapeken Madura Harbor.' Wahyu said that local fishermen who helped search for the missing crew found them. They were then taken to the mainland for medical treatment. Before they plunged into the choppy ocean they used a rope to make a life raft using empty iceboxes A search and rescue operation was launched by coast guards and the four crew members of the ship were found drifting in the Bali Sea yesterday afternoon Wahyu added: 'The rescued seamen have been evacuated to Sapeken Island have been assisted by the medical team and are now returning to their families. 'They used the styrofoam ice boxes to stay afloat in the sea. They took fresh water with them and used it sparingly between them.' The Zidane Express ship departed from Boom Beach in Banyuwangi to Sapeken Island in Madura, East Java Province on May 26. It was reported missing when they failed to return on May 28. Head of the Surabaya SAR Office Hari Adi Purnomo said the rescue was launched shortly after the ship was confirmed missing. Dozens of small vessels in the area were also alerted and ordered to keep a look out for the men. The rescue chief said: 'The KN SAR 234 team and an operational team from the Sumenep SAR Alert Unit departed from Kalianget pier, Sumenep Regency, to conduct a search with an area of about 345 nautical miles. 'We also informed several parties such as BP Migas, Maleo Drilling in the south of Sapudi Island and KEI Drilling.' Millions of Britons making 'life and death' 999 calls to police have been left waiting more than 10 seconds for an answer, shock new figures have today revealed. New data from the Home Office has revealed how forces across England and Wales have been routinely failing to answer the emergency calls within the target time. Under national targets set by the Government, forces must answer 90 per cent of 999 calls in under 10 seconds. But only one force - Avon and Somerset - actually achieved the target in the last six months, according to the data. The worst-performing force - Humberside Police - answered just 2 per cent of 999 calls within the target time. However the force's Deputy Chief Constable Paul Anderson's today claimed the figures did 'not accurately reflect' its call handling performance. The figures have been described as 'concerning' by experts. And it will put pressure police chiefs to haul back call handlers into the office, after a number allowed staff to work from home during the Covid pandemic. Bosses at the National Police Chief's Council today vowed to 'learn from the data' and 'improve' call pick up times. Meanwhile, Priti Patel said she hoped the data, which is being released for the first time, will help 'drive up standards'. The Home Secretary said: 'Calling 999 can literally be a matter of life and death. New data from the Home Office has revealed how forces across England and Wales have been routinely failing to answer the emergency calls within the target time Priti Patel (pictured) said she hoped the data, which is being released for the first time, will help 'drive up standards' 'The public deserve to know that their local police force will be at the end of the phone, ready to leap into action at seconds' notice to protect them from harm. 'Fundamentally, publishing this data is about driving up standards in our incredible emergency services even further, so that the public can have every confidence in the police's ability to save lives and keep our streets safe. 'We can now see where forces are excelling and where vital improvements need to be made and I thank the police for their commitment to ensuring we maintain the best emergency services in the world.' The data, released for the first time, covers calls made between November 1 last year and April 30 this year. The figures, which are based on 5.2million 999 calls, shows some forces are consistently responsive, while others require improvement. One such high performing force was Avon and Somerset, who answer over 92 per cent of their 999 calls in under 10 seconds. The national target is to answer 90 per cent of 999 calls in under 10 seconds. However Avon and Somerset was the only force to reach that target. Nottinghamshire was the closest, with 89 per cent of calls being answered in under 10 seconds, along with Lincolnshire and Leicestershire. Overall, 71 per cent of 999 calls were answered within 10 seconds, while 29 per cent were not. How police forces across England, Scotland and Wales performed in terms of 999 pick up times (ordered worst to best by % of calls answered under 10 seconds) Force Mean Answering Time (in seconds) Median Answering Time (in seconds) % of calls answered under 10 seconds % of calls answered between 10 and 60 seconds % of calls answered after 60 seconds Humberside 16.8 12 2% 95% 3% South-Yorkshire 20.5 12 17% 76% 7% Durham 22.8 10 41% 49% 10% North-Yorkshire 29.3 14.7 44% 43% 13% Gloucestershire 27.1 10.3 49% 40% 11% Northumbria 33.3 9.2 55% 29% 16% Derbyshire 10.7 8.3 58% 41% 1% Wiltshire 16.6 8.3 61% 34% 5% Dorset 17 8.2 63% 32% 5% Lancashire 14 8.5 63% 35% 2% West-Midlands 23.2 6.3 63% 25% 11% Kent 16.9 5 67% 26% 7% Greater-Manchester 24 7.3 69% 19% 12% Bedfordshire 19.2 4 70% 21% 9% Metropolitan 18.8 6.7 70% 23% 7% Devon-and-Cornwall 21 7.3 71% 21% 8% South-Wales 21.6 4 71% 18% 11% Cambridgeshire 13.5 8 72% 25% 3% Hampshire 12.2 8 72% 25% 2% Hertfordshire 15.7 7.3 73% 23% 5% Cheshire 18.2 7.2 76% 17% 7% Northern-Ireland 9.7 7 76% 23% 1% North-Wales 8.9 4.2 78% 21% 2% Warwickshire 9.4 4.5 78% 20% 2% West-Mercia 11.7 8 78% 20% 2% Essex 12.1 6 79% 18% 3% West-Yorkshire 11.3 7 79% 19% 2% Gwent 16.1 5 80% 14% 6% Merseyside 11.1 4 80% 16% 4% Dyfed-Powys 10.1 4 81% 16% 3% Staffordshire 21.3 5 81% 10% 9% Suffolk 19 5 81% 12% 7% Sussex 10.6 8 81% 18% 1% Cleveland 8.5 4.3 82% 17% 1% Surrey 9.6 6 82% 17% 1% Cumbria 11 7 83% 15% 2% Thames-Valley 11.3 6 83% 15% 3% Norfolk 8.3 5 84% 15% 1% Scotland 10.1 6.2 84% 14% 2% Northamptonshire 6.4 4 87% 12% 0% Leicestershire 8.4 4 89% 8% 3% Lincolnshire 6 3 89% 10% 1% Nottinghamshire 8 5.3 89% 10% 1% Avon-and-Somerset 6.2 4 92% 8% 1% Humberside Police recorded the worst number, with only 2 per cent of calls answered in under 10 seconds. South Yorkshire Police answered 17 per cent, Durham Police 41 per cent, North Yorkshire 44 per cent and Gloucestershire 49 per cent. Police Scotland aim to have a mean answering time of under 10 seconds, and recorded 10.1 over the period. The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) lead for contact management, Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd, said a lag in connecting calls can contribute to waits but that 'this isn't for a member of public to resolve'. 'We want the public to have access to the data as part of policing being open and transparent,' he added. 'This is the first time police forces and the public have been able to see the time it takes to answer 999 calls from the call being made by the public, it being connected to the police by BT and local providers, to it being answered by police call handlers.' The Association for Police and Crime Commissioners local policing leads Alison Hernandez and Jeff Cuthbert said the data shows 'the demand for policing and the volume of calls' across the country. 'Police and Crime Commissioners are committed to supporting excellence in policing and will use this data to continually drive forward improvements and hold the police to account on behalf of the public,' they added. However Rick Muir, the director of think-tank the Police Foundation, said the data was concerning. He told the Telegraph: 'Speed of response is essential. The fact that they are not hitting the target is concerning.' David Wilson, professor of criminology at Birmingham University, told the paper that the combination of rising crime, falling prosecution rates and longer response times was a concern. The Association for Police and Crime Commissioners local policing leads Alison Hernandez (pictured) and Jeff Cuthbert said the data shows 'the demand for policing and the volume of calls' across the country He added: 'It's part of a pattern where were are being given a second rate service from what should be a first-rate organisation.' It comes after the BBC reported that freedom of information requests obtained from 22 police forces in England and Wales suggested officers are now 28 per cent slower to attend Grade 1 emergencies. This equates to taking three minutes longer on average to arrive at serious incidents. The BBC said responses from 19 forces in England and Wales suggested they were 44 per cent slower to arrive at serious incidents than in 2013. The broadcaster also reported that the number of recorded crimes leading to a charge or court summons for a perpetrator fell for the last seven consecutive years, up to March 2021. Between 2015 and 2021 it fell by 40 per cent. In a statement responding to the Home Office's data today, Humberside Police's Deputy Chief Constable Paul Anderson has said: 'I welcome any data that enables the public to see how their local force is performing and we are committed to fully supporting this approach. 'However, in this instance, the data presented does not accurately reflect the call handling performance of 999 calls once these are passed to Humberside Police. 'At present, despite representations, this data still includes the whole journey of a 999 call. 'This starts with a BT operator, and crucially, includes the time taken for them to divert the call to Humberside Police. 'The time this process takes varies significantly across the whole country, and in our region, there are delays of up to 7 seconds for the call to be passed to Humberside Police and this delay is currently included in this data. 'We have raised this issue with the Home Office, and we are now working closely with communications providers to understand why such delays sometimes occur in us being passed the calls. 'Humberside Police have just moved to a state-of-the-art contact and control centre, providing us with one of the UK's leading Police call centres. 'Once the calls are received by Humberside Police, both 999 and 101 call handling performance remains one of the most timely and effective in the country.' A British soldier has been dismissed from the Army after abusing a female colleague by performing a sex act on her which 'she absolutely hated'. Sapper Thomas Herrington, 20, said he had asked the female soldier about her 'pain threshold' during a 'rough' sex session in which he was said to have pulled her around his bedroom by her hair and tied her to his bed. It was claimed the Army engineer violently raped the woman two years ago while she was 'out cold' from drinking vodka at a party, but he told a court martial she 'liked rough, kinky sex'. Bulford Military Court dismissed two charges of rape following a trial, however Herrington was convicted of sexual assault by penetration. The woman told police: 'It felt really malicious. He knew I didn't like it and he was talking like he was proud. That was really violating because of how much I hate that.' Sapper Thomas Herrington, 20, has been thrown out of the Army after abusing a female colleague during a sex session when he was 18 Spr Herrington claimed the female soldier liked being 'roughly handled', that she previously sent him naked selfies on Snapchat and she sent him sexualised messages before the party. The soldier said they had sex in the weeks prior to that night, claimed she had 'enjoyed' passionate sex that night and insisted he was 'stunned and confused' by the allegations. But Spr Herrington, formerly of 1 Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment, has now been dismissed, as a judge told him boundaries during sex must be respected. Sentencing him, Judge Advocate Alistair McGrigor said: 'It was an unwarranted and unwanted action that meant she consequently fled the room. 'Rough interaction has its own inherent danger. Boundaries must be respected - you knew because she had told you she agreed to rough sex.' Spr Herrington claimed the female soldier liked being 'roughly handled', that she previously sent him naked selfies on Snapchat and she sent him sexualised messages before the party Spr Herrington's lawyer, James Hay, told the court a 'lengthy and onerous' community order would allow him to address his 'catastrophic error of judgement'. In a victim statement read to the court, the woman said: 'I am struggling to cope with the guilt and shame that I am left feeling.' As well as being dismissed, the soldier, who recently failed a drugs test, was handed a three year community order, with 240 days of unpaid work. He will be on the sex offender register for five years. During the four day trial at Bulford Military Court, Wiltshire, a board heard the female soldier 'drank so much she passed out on one of the beds' at the party, before Spr Herrington was seen 'cradling' her and carrying her to his bedroom. She claimed he gained pleasure out of her 'struggling', dragged her by the hair when she tried to escape, and pinned her down by his dressing gown belt in an attack so violent she said she thought he'd kill her. She said she eventually managed to 'wriggle away', escape the room without any clothes on, and return to the party crying 'I couldn't stop him, I couldn't move, I told him to stop'. The female soldier, who can't be named for legal reasons, described the alleged attack as 'the most unconsensual experience of my life'. Spr Herrington told the court sex that night had been consensual after the pair struck up a sexual relationship. During the four day trial at Bulford Military Court, Wiltshire, it was heard the female soldier 'drank so much she passed out on one of the beds' at a party before Spr Herrington was seen 'cradling' her and carrying her to his bedroom Herrington, who recently failed a drugs test, was handed a three year community order, with 240 days of unpaid work. He will be on the sex offender register for five years He said: 'We had spoken about interests and liked rough, kinky sex. She said she liked choking, hair pulling, the odd bit of spanking and being roughly handled.' Spr Herrington said the woman was not drunk but 'happy and giddy' during their first sexual encounter that night. Later, while at the party, the female soldier appeared to fall asleep and Spr Herrington carried her back to his room. He said: 'I locked the door because we were going to have coitus, I didn't lock the door because I was going to have sex with an unconscious woman. 'I said "are you okay?" and she said "I'm fine". I wanted to make sure she was responsive and that she was OK. I told her, "if you don't want to do this just tell me to stop". 'We had spoken about how I tend to get a bit more rough when drinking and I didn't know her pain threshold so I wanted to make sure she was okay. 'She was enjoying it, she was moaning.' Spr Herrington said suddenly the woman 'jolted forward', got up, and ran out of the room naked. He told the hearing he was 'completely stunned' and 'didn't know what I had done wrong'. Part of a human leg has been found on a major Northern Territory highway, with police unsure if its owner is dead or alive. A traveller discovered the lower section of leg on the Stuart Highway in Coolalinga, 30km south of Darwin, about 9am on Tuesday. 'We've had a forensic pathologist attend on-site who has confirmed the remains are a lower leg of a dark skinned human being,' Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Morrissey told reporters. The Stuart Highway just outside of Darwin was shut to give police enough space to investigate NT Police were called to the Stuart Highway on Tuesday morning to investigate the discovery (Pictured: Police officers surveying a festival in the NT in 2019) Police have not found any other body parts in the area despite extensive search efforts and don't know if the victim is dead or alive. Det Snr Sgt Morrissey said the person was likely to have suffered a serious injury. 'We believe it's within the last 24 hours,' he said. 'There have been no reports to hospitals or clinics with an injury of this severity.' A crime scene was declared at the site and the highway linking Darwin to Alice Springs and Adelaide was closed in both directions. Major crash and crime scene investigators and crime detectives were also called to the scene. General duties and Tactical Response Group officers helped search the area, concentrating on the grass and tree covered nature strip separating the four-lane roadway. Police have requested motorists with dash cam footage recorded on the section of highway between Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning to come forward. Eight members of the Rebels bikie gang allegedly punched a woman and kicked her in the head outside a regional Victorian venue. The attack from the thugs has been labelled by police as 'cowardly' and 'unjustified' after the the victim aged in her 20s was allegedly bashed in the early hours of Sunday morning. Detectives from the Mildura Crime Investigation Unit have identified eight Rebels members allegedly involved in the melee. Eight Rebels bikies punched and kicked a woman in the head in a 'cowardly' attack outside a Mildura venue on Sunday Officers were called to Langtree Avenue just after 2:30am on Sunday after reports of a massive brawl out the front of a venue. The fight reportedly moved down the street and outside another venue, with police urging for anyone who was in attendance at either establishment to contact them immediately. A man in his 20s was taken to Mildura Base Hospital in a stable condition with an upper body injury. The Herald Sun reported he had been in street violence in the area in the past. The bikie gang have a chapter in the regional Victorian town of Mildura Mildura Police confirmed it will issue arrest warrants for the Rebels involved. 'Police believe there may be witnesses as the incident occurred outside the two venues,' they said in a statement. 'Detectives would like to thank the community for their assistance in the investigation into this cowardly and unjustified attack on the female victim.' The Rebels gang have a chapter based in Mildura, with others in Melbourne, Geelong, Gippsland and Whittlesea. Anyone with any information about the brawl are being urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Russian state media has issued a chilling new nuclear threat to the US, boasting that Putin could wipe out the entire East and West coast with just four missiles. Alexei Zhuravlev, a member of Putin's puppet parliament, issued the threat Monday - saying 'there will be nothing left' on either coast after strikes using Russia's new Sarmat 2 nuke, and that the mushroom cloud will be 'visible from Mexico'. Zhuravlev then pivoted to threaten 2million Ukrainians with annihilation, describing them as 'incurable' Nazis who will never be convinced to support Russia's war. It is just the latest in a long line of threats to be issued by Putin's tame media as hosts try to whip up support for his ill-judged invasion of Ukraine. Alexei Zhuravlev, an MP and Russian state media mouthpiece, claimed that just four of the country's new nukes can destroy the East and West coasts of the US Zhuravlev was speaking Monday to Yevgeny Popov, a talk show hos on the main Rossiya 1 channel and also an MP, when he went on a nuclear rant. Responding to a CBS News piece from late April in which hosts discussed what a nuke strike on New York would look like, Zhuravlev accused them of 'calculating incorrectly.' In the piece, reporter Tony Dokoupil had simulated an attack with a bomb the size of the one dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 - and discussed a mushroom cloud that would dwarf the Empire State building and destroy much of Manhattan. 'Guys, you're so funny. What methods are they even using?' Zhuravlev scoffed. He added: 'I will competently tell you, that to destroy the entire East Coast of the US, two Sarmat missiles are necessary and two missiles for the West Coast. 'Four missiles, and there will be nothing left. They think the mushroom cloud will be taller than a high rise. That mushroom cloud will be visible from Mexico.' Zhuravlev also threatened to 'destroy' some 2million Ukrainians who he called 'incurable' Nazis based on the results of a survey about Soviet war memorials Sarmat 2 is Russia's newest nuclear missile (pictured during a test last month), which Putin brags can hit any country on Earth and cannot be stopped by missile defences Russian state media's most-outrageous threats over Ukraine 'Putin's special military operation has already turned into what can easily be called World War Three' - state media host Olga Skabayeva, April 15 'The most incredible outcome, that all this will end with a nuclear strike, seems more probable to me [than losing in Ukraine]... it is what it is... we're all going to die someday,' RT editor Margarita Simonyan, April 28 'Berlin in 106 seconds... Paris in 200 seconds... London in 202 seconds' - state media host Olga Skabayeva, discussing how long it would take to hit cities with nukes fired from Russian territory, April 30 '[Their] island is so small that one Sarmat missile is enough to drown it once and for all. A single launch, Boris, and there is no England,' - state media host Dmitry Kiselyov, May 2 'I think the war in Ukraine... is a rehearsal for a possible larger conflict in the future. We are testing our weapons against those of NATO, we will find out how much stronger our weapons are than theirs,' - Professor Alexei Fenenko, speaking on state media, May 21 'Where will we stop? Maybe Stonehenge,' state media host Vladimir Solovyov, May 30 Advertisement He continued: 'Don't delude yourselves. What should be said is that there'll be nothing left, no-one harbours any illusions about it, that everyone will be fine in case of nuclear war. 'No-one will be fine, but calculate it correctly.' Sarmat 2 is Russia's latest-generation nuclear missile thought to be capable of carrying up to 15 hypersonic warheads, which Putin brags are capable of evading all current missile defences. Though the exact yield of each warhead is unknown, Russian military sources claim it is 'more than two megatons of TNT' - or more than 130 times the power of the Little Boy bomb used on Hiroshima. Putin bragged during a test last month that the missile can hit any country on earth and Russian state media has so-far threatened strike France, Germany the UK and US over their support for the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin has not yet issued such a threat itself, but Putin has warned that countries 'interfering' in Ukraine will face 'consequences unlike anything in history'. Zhuravlev then pivoted to talking about Ukrainians, picking up on a study that found 40 per cent are not in favour of taking down Soviet memorials from the Second World War - which is happening in some parts of the country. A further 36 per cent had no opinion, the poll showed, which - according to Zhuravlev - means they are secretly against the move but are too afraid to say it. '[So] three quarters of Ukrainians are against tearing down monuments, only 19 per cent support it,' he argued. 'If we re-install their brains correctly, 12-15 per cent will also believe it shouldn't be done. So the maximum of 5 per cent are incurable.' That means 2 million Ukrainians must be fully 'de-Nazified', he concluded, 'which means to be destroyed.' It is hardly the first time that Russian state media has threatened to wipe out large sections of Ukraine in Putin's so-called 'special military operation', but it does add further evidence to what some world leaders have described as a 'genocide'. Zhuravlev also threatened to massacre 2 million Ukrainians for being 'incurable' Nazis (pictured, mass graves found in areas previously occupied by Russia) Russia is now into the fourth month of what was intended to be a days-long war in Ukraine to topple the government and install a Moscow-friendly puppet regime. Having failed in his mission to take the capital Kyiv, Putin has now ordered his generals to seize the eastern region of Donbas. This battle has yielded some success, with Mariupol - a key port city on the Sea of Azov - falling to Putin's men earlier this month. Russian forces also appear to be on the verge of taking Severdonetsk, which would put the total capture of Luhansk province within reach. Their next mission would then be the capture of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk, which would allow Putin to claim command of the majority of Donetsk - and with it, the 'liberation' of Donbas. But it remains to be seen what will happen after that. Ukraine has shown no willingness to negotiate any kind of peace deal even if the two regions are seized, and is likely to keep fighting provided the supply of Western weapons keeps up. Counter-attacks in other parts of the country have already met with success, having pushed the Russians away from the northern city of Kharkiv to their own border. More attacks are also underway in the south near the city of Kherson, which was seized early on during the war by Putin's men. Kyiv says its goal is to push Russia back from all of its territory, including areas it occupied before the invasion - such as Crimea. While it seems unlikely to succeed, the plan means fighting is unlikely to stop even if Putin declares 'victory' in Donbas. The former Children's Commissioner for England has backed calls to expand free school meals - but warned political parties must tackle the 'root cause' of poverty. It emerged today that teaching unions have written to the Chancellor and Education Secretary asking for free school meals to be provided to all children from families receiving Universal Credit in England. Unions and organisations claiming to represent one million school staff asked for an 'urgent' expansion of the scheme amid the cost-of-living crisis. The letter said vulnerable children who do not receive free meals are facing a 'real barrier to learning'. Now, Anne Longfield, the former Children's Commissioner, has backed the call, but insisted politicians must also tackle the causes of poverty. She said: 'We keep brushing aside the fact that we have four million children in this country who are living in poverty. 'Free school meals alleviate that poverty but they don't get to the root causes of it and that's something all political parties need to tackle in their next manifesto as we head to a general election.' It comes after teachers previously revealed some of the worst lunch boxes they had seen in school. A Mumsnet thread saw teachers outline some of the lunches pupils were given, from Red Bull and Tic Tacs to a cold McDonald's meal and a dry Pot Noodle. Unions and organisations claiming to represent one million school staff asked for an 'urgent' expansion of the free school meals scheme amid the cost-of-living crisis Anne Longfield, the former Children's Commissioner, has backed the call, but insisted politicians must also tackle the causes of poverty Other examples included a packet of biscuits and a bag of Butterkist popcorn. The letter from teaching unions to Rishi Sunak and Nadhim Zahawi said: 'Every school day we see the benefits free school meals provide to those currently entitled. For many it is the only hot, nutritious meal they have in a day. 'A quality school meal helps improve children's concentration and behaviour during lessons. We witness, first-hand, the effect they can have on improving school attendance, on children's health, and academic performance. 'However, the intensifying cost-of-living crisis means many more are now struggling to afford school lunches... We see the devastating reality of children coming to school unable to afford to buy lunch, because their family circumstances means they fall outside the restrictive free school meal eligibility criteria.' The letter added: 'Now is the right moment for the Government to commit to an expansion of free school meals, providing a nutritional safety net that supports all children to learn and achieve.' Signatories to the letter included Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, joint general secretaries of the National Education Union, and Dr Nicholas Capstick, chief executive of White Horse Federation Trust and chairman of the School Food Review Working Group. Reacting today, Ms Longfield told Radio 4's Today programme: 'Families are struggling with a huge cost of living increase and so this adds certainty and means that all children get a nutritious meal. They learn and concentrate better and it makes a positive difference to their physical health and their time in school. 'Ultimately, this is about tackling poverty, something that we haven't done in this country well enough. I personally would make free school meals for all primary school aged children. It's what is planned in Scotland and in Wales too. It takes away the stigma of those children who will be getting free school meals. 'This is something too that the school leaders are saying but as a first step, there's a about a million children who are on the edge of benefits and on the edge of poverty who are really struggling with food insecurity and this would be an immediate first step to give them, as they say, the safety net that they need to give them a surety that there's a nutritious meal inside them each day. 'More families have become eligible for free school meals but more families are also now experiencing that food insecurity. Schools are on the front line, they see it, which is why this is such an important message from them. 'I've been into schools where there are food banks which is quite shocking at first but now you've got parents going into food banks and asking for food that doesn't have to be cooked because they can't afford the energy. 'Food which doesn't take long to cook, so it doesn't take away from other costs. So this is very immediate for families. We know this is something children pick up on. 'The fact that children go home to an empty cupboard is very real for a significant number of children in this country and it's not something we should rest easy on. A Government spokesman told the BBC: 'We recognise that millions of households across the UK are struggling to make their incomes stretch to cover the rising cost of living, which is why, in addition to the over 22 billion announced previously, we are providing over 15 billion in further support, targeted particularly on those with the greatest need. 'The holiday activities and food programme runs during major school holidays, and wider welfare support is available through the household support fund, which helps vulnerable families in need with essentials, such as food and utility bills.' Do YOU know who was at the protest? Email jack.wright@mailonline.co.uk One of the students who led a trans protest that hounded Nadhim Zahawi off a Russell Group campus is the son of Labour grandees Yvette Cooper and Ed Balls, it has emerged today. Mr Zahawi was hounded by around 30 activists who chanted 'Zahawi is a transphobe' and 'Tory scum' outside a talk the Cabinet minister gave to Warwick University's Conservative Association. In video posted by the Warwick Labour society, Joel Cooper interrupts the Education Secretary's Q&A to heckle him over his trans views. He then sits down to cheers from fellow Labour activists. Later, he shared the clip to his Instagram story, Guido Fawkes reported. Taking to Twitter, Mr Cooper claimed that he and other activists were 'blacklisted' from the event 'purely because they were LGBT+' and accused the Conservative Association of 'censorship'. Do YOU know who was at the protest? Email jack.wright@mailonline.co.uk Advertisement Mr Zahawi tweeted this morning: 'This student [Mr Cooper] was very polite to me. He made a reasonable point about how schools can help children which I was happy to debate. His right to free speech is vital too. 'We will never deny biology but we must always show kindness, tolerance and love when discussing these issues.' Miss Cooper is Keir Starmer's Shadow Home Secretary and is married to Mr Balls, a Blairite bigshot who became Chancellor under Gordon Brown's short-lived premiership and has since enjoyed a post-politics career in television - most infamously his stint on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing in 2016. One protester allegedly struck one member of the university's Conservative Association on the head while Mr Zahawi was ushered away by campus security guards as students waving trans flags followed him to his car. The Tory MP had been asked to speak to students by Warwick University's Conservative Association - an invitation which prompted backlash and demands to deplatform Mr Zahawi by Warwick Pride. The protest follows the Education Secretary spearheading a new Freedom of Speech Bill which would allow students' unions and universities to be fined or even sued for censorship and no-platforming speakers. In a statement issued by Warwick Pride before the talk, they branded Mr Zahawi a 'reactionary harmful transphobe' after he defended Kathleen Stock, a former Sussex lecturer who was hounded for her views on trans rights and left the university following protests against her. The group added that the Education Secretary 'plays a significant role in institutional transphobia' in the UK, 'trivialises' the effects of outing LGBT+ young people to their parents and claimed he has used the 'common transphobic dog-whistle 'adult human female''. The Conservative association's chairman and politics student Tom Garth, 20, described the chaos explaining the protestors were 'outside the lecture hall, banging on the doors' and also 'blasting music'. Joel Cooper, the son of Yvette Cooper and Ed Balls, interrupted the Education Secretary's Q&A during his speech to the Conservative Association to heckle Mr Zahawi over his stance on trans rights, in video posted by the Warwick Labour society Ed Balls and Yvette Cooper at Downing Street on April 29, 2008 Yvette Cooper at home with Ed Balls and baby Joel on August 27, 2001 Left and right, Joel Cooper, the son of Labour bigwigs Yvette Cooper and Ed Balls Ed Balls pictured on The Great Sport Relief Bake Off 2016 Transgender supporters hounded Nadhim Zahawi as he visited the University of Warwick on Friday, accusing him of 'inciting hate' Protesters chanted 'Tory scum', some holding placards and wearing the trans flag The minister had been speaking at an event organised by the University of Warwick Conservative Association on Friday Mr Zahawi tweeted this morning: 'This student [Mr Cooper] was very polite to me. He made a reasonable point about how schools can help children which I was happy to debate. His right to free speech is vital too 'As Zahawi was leaving the second, members-only talk, protesters rushed towards him and one landed a blow onto one of our executive members' head, our events secretary, although he wasn't injured,' he told The Daily Telegraph. 'Then when Zahawi was exiting with security, they continued and tried to follow him all the way to his car, trying to get as close as possible to him.' Condemning the protest, a spokesman for the University of Warwick Conservative Association said the protestors' 'anger and hatred' demonstrated how they 'actually feel towards those they disagree with'. 'There is a general unwillingness to exist alongside those with a difference of opinion on topics that should be open for legitimate discussion,' they said. 'Chants of 'Tory scum' were again unsurprising, due to the role models these protesters rely on for their worldviews.' In another statement, they added: 'The UCWA supports the rights to freedom of speech and expression for everyone, regardless of political affiliation. It is a shame that, on this occasion, the intention of many protestors was not to express their own views but to prevent the Secretary of State from expressing his. 'A healthy democracy requires tolerance of and engagement with those with whom you disagree, yet many of those protesting seem to believe it is unacceptable for Conservatives to exist on campus.' A Department for Education source told the Mail that the incident proves the need for the new legislation and was 'more evidence against those who say there is no such thing as a chilling culture on campus'. University officials are understood to be making a formal complaint to Warwick students' union regarding the incident. A Warwick University spokesperson said: 'Academic freedom and freedom of speech have always been fundamental to who we are and what we do as a university. Encouraging free and open debate is critical to learning, challenging assumptions and understanding different perspectives. 'Mr Zahawi was invited as a guest speaker by the Conservative Association, and this was approved by the Students' Union, which operates independently of the University. In a statement issued by Warwick Pride before the talk, they branded Mr Zahawi a 'reactionary harmful transphobe' after he defended Kathleen Stock, a former Sussex lecturer who was hounded for her views on trans rights and left the university following protests against her The activists were blocked by security as they tried to follow Mr Zahawi outside 'We were aware of plans for a protest at the meeting on Friday evening and our community safety team ensured that the event went ahead safely - despite it being noisy, disruptive and hostile outside. 'We always urge our students to respect people's views even when they are different to their own.' MailOnline can also reveal that the LGBT radicals who sit on Warwick Pride's executive are undergraduate activists who use multiple gender pronouns and have a range of identities including transgender, 'genderfae' and 'neptunic'. Vice-President Zuzanna Charkowska is an economics, politics and international studies who identifies as a lesbian and has demonstrated in her native Poland with gay rights group Campaign Against Homophobia. On Warwick Pride's website, she lists her interests as 'movies, politics, Taylor Swift, embroidery' and 'watching video essays on YouTube'. She also says that she is determined to 'continue creating a safe space for queer students at Warwick'. Campaigns Officer Raul-Rafael Nemes is studying Life Sciences with Global Sustainable Development at Warwick. He identifies as 'gay, queer, questioning' and his general interests include 'visual arts like painting and sculpture' and 'the environment, climate change and social justice'. He says he wants to 'promote awareness around LGBTQ+ issues on campus and beyond, learn more about campaigning'. Less is known about Warwick Pride's president, who goes by the first name Mia. A mathematics and physics undergraduate, Mia identifies as 'transgender, non-binary, genderfae, asexual, demiromantic' and 'neptunic'. Their interests include 'music, electronics, programming, arcana, community management and moderation' and 'Lego'. The communications officer Aurore is studying English Literature & History and identifies as 'woman, lesbian'. She says that she wants to promote Warwick Pride's events 'and help reaching out many queer students at Warwick to make their experience more safe and enjoyable'. And the Treasurer and Trans & Aro/Ace Community Officer have used avatars in place of a photo of themselves on Warwick Pride's website. Treasurer Sylvia is studying MORSE and identifies as 'woman, transgender, predominantly heterosexual'. The Trans & Aro/Ace Community Officer goes by the name 'Uke/Jupiter', is studying Physics with Astrophysics and has listed 'dinosaurs' as a general interest. MailOnline has contacted Warwick Pride for comment. Do YOU know who was at the protest? Email jack.wright@mailonline.co.uk Latin American users blasted Netflix's 'confusing' extra charges after the streaming platform confirmed it was trialing a new password-sharing policy. The streaming giant announced the new password-sharing policy in Peru, Chile, and Costa Rica. Netflix lost subscribers for the first time in a decade in April, causing its stock to plunge by 72% over a six-month period, hitting a price of below $200 for the first time since late 2017. The streaming giant has laid off around 150 most US-based workers after earnings reports showed its growth had slowed relative to expectations, with some analysist suggesting its subscriber numbers had peaked. CEO Ted Sarandos (pictured) is a strong advocate for password control, believing it necessary to shore-up the company's future Central and South America is one of the lowest earning regions for Netflix, according to Statistica, making it particularly vulnerable to price changes but representing a lower risk should the company lose subscribers after the trial. The streaming service company is targeting countries outside the bigger markets 'so they don't potentially suffer a large amount of subscriber goodwill lost,' Paul Erickson, a streaming market analyst from the firm Parks Associates, was quoted saying in Rest of World. Netflix is not testing the new policy in the region's largest streaming markets, such as Brazil and Mexico, marking a strategic gambit for the company. Netflix's terms of use states that subscribers are not allowed to share accounts outside of their household, but approximately 33% of Netflix subscriptions are shared outside the household, while only 3% are used by multiple households that share the cost of the subscription, according to Leichtman Research Group. In Peru, subscribers can add up to two additional users who they don't live with for about 8 soles, the equivalent of around $2, per month each. The option is cheaper than setting up a new account, which costs 24.90 soles, around $6.80, per month on a basic plan. But users speaking with Rest of World said the new rules did not apply equally, with many being prevented from sharing passwords while other users were let off the hook. Netflix lost subscribers for the first time in 10 years, causing its stock to fall below $200 Others said they cancelled their Netflix accounts outright when the new charges came in, citing the lack of clarity around how Netflix decides what counts as a 'household'. Rest of World also reported that Netflix employees in Latin America charged with handling customer complaints were themselves still sharing their Netflix account with friends and relatives outside their household without facing extra charges. Peru's consumer agency said in a press release that Netflix should create clearer channels of communication about the policy with customers. The company said the rollout had been progressive, meaning that different subscribers may have ended up paying differing charges at different points in time. Netflix may also be testing different versions of the rollout on different customers as part of the trial. Competitors HBO Max, Amazon Prime, and Star+ subscriptions still allow accounts to be shared. While Netflix's growth figures have been disappointing to the company, other analysts say Netflix has weathered such economic storms before. CEO Ted Sarandos, who was chief content officer in 2011, recalled how the stock fell 75% when the company's founder created a separate company called Qwikster to handle the DVD business. 'It was horrifying, disappointing and embarrassing,' Sarandos told The New York Times. 'How much time do you spend licking your wounds?' he asked, adding: 'Let's have that burned into our memory, but we've got to move on and move fast.' Sarandos is a strong advocate for password control, believing it necessary to shore-up the company's future. Netflix lost subscribers for the first time in a decade in April, causing its stock to plunge by 200% Sarandos was in the video rental business which became completely disrupted with the rise of DVDs, a technology now largely replaced by streaming services like Netflix. In 2020, Sarandos decided to oust Cindy Holland, his vice president of original content who had developed big Netflix hits such as 'House of Cards', 'Orange Is the New Black,' 'Stranger Things,' 'The Crown' and 'The Queen's Gambit'. The company added 10 million subscribers in the first three months of the Covid-19 pandemic. Netflix seems to have hit a ceiling of 220 million subscribers, with the stock peaking above $700 a share in November 2021. But the company has overcome challenges before. It has the most viewers of any streamer, but accounted for just 6.6 percent of all TV viewership in the United States. A Netflix spokesperson said :' While we started working on paid sharing over 18 months ago, we have been clear for five years that 'A Netflix account is for people who live together in a single household'. The millions of members who are actively sharing an account in these countries have been notified by email but given the importance of this change, we are ramping up in-product notifications more slowly. We're pleased with the response to date'. Advertisement One of Britain's first street parties marking the Queen's Platinum Jubilee was rained off today, while tourists in London taking a look at preparations for the celebrations also got a soaking amid heavy downpours. A group of residents decked out a road in Newcastle-upon-Tyne with bunting and Union flags for their celebration today, but they had to pick up their chairs and dash inside a community centre when the heavens opened. Greggs donated food for the event on Roman Avenue in the Walker area of the city - with around 40 people eventually enjoying sausage rolls, pies and sandwiches inside the St Martin's Centre as live music played. And as the UK prepares for the four-day weekend, those planning street parties in the South on Sunday were urged to come up with contingency plans amid fears over more rain which could also hit the Jubilee Pageant. The Met Office said meteorologists are tracking a plume of warm air developing over the continent that could 'glance the far South East on Saturday and Sunday, which would bring with it the risk of some showers'. More 12 million people across Britain will be hoping for good weather as they celebrate Her Majesty's seven-decade reign with some 200,000 street parties due to be held for the Big Jubilee Lunch on Sunday. And conditions are likely to be fine for most of the UK with bright and sunny weather but forecasters said those planning outdoor gatherings in the South should start 'considering what your options might be' if it does rain. The weather is expected to be good in much of Britain for the bank holiday days of Thursday and Friday with highs of 22C (72F) and both days mainly dry and bright with long spells of sunshine albeit with some patchy cloud cover. An ice cream van with no customers next to rain-soaked tables at a Jubilee party in Newcastle which was rained off today An early Platinum Jubilee street party in Newcastle today was rained off and instead held in a local community centre A Platinum Jubilee street party in Newcastle is washed out today as people had to gather in a community centre instead Greggs donated food for the event on Roman Avenue in the Walker area of Newcastle which had to move inside Around 40 people enjoyed sausage rolls, pies and sandwiches inside today after the party in Newcastle was rained off Rogan Bowman, five, waves a flag as those attending the washed-out party in Newcastle today gather indoors instead Local residents enjoy the Platinum Jubilee street party inside after the outdoor event in Newcastle was washed out today The group in Newcastle were determined to carry on with their celebrations today despite the rain as live music played Doris Scowen has been the tea lady at the centre in Newcastle for 51 years and even met the Queen during a visit in 1974 Settled weather is on the cards for most parts of the UK on Saturday and Sunday with sunny spells - but the South East could see heavy showers, depending on how the plume of warm air develops to the south of the country. Speaking about the forecast for Sunday, Met Office spokesman Ollie Claydon told MailOnline: 'It's really confined to the real South of England that could see showers. But actually for a large proportion of the UK, Sunday is looking like a good day, especially the North of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland with bright conditions. Boris Johnson reins in killjoy councils over Jubilee street parties Boris Johnson has urged killjoy councils to be as 'flexible and accommodating as possible' following a crackdown on Platinum Jubilee street parties. The Prime Minister's remarks yesterday came after it emerged local authorities are denying applications made after deadlines and even restricting the hanging of bunting and flags in some areas. 'We obviously recognise it's important for councils to be able to plan around events, but as we set out in our guidance we want councils to be as accommodating as possible and accommodate short notice requests where they can,' a No 10 spokesman said. 'We want councils to be as flexible and accommodating as possible to ensure that as many people as possible can mark what is an incredibly important day in our history.' The Prime Minister's intervention comes after reports of red tape being placed on Britons planning to celebrate 70 years of service by the Queen. West Berkshire council has banned flying flags and bunting from lamp posts over fears they could snap or cause injury potentially putting them at risk of blame. Rochford District Council in Essex also warned local residents not to put up bunting and if they do it could stop residents having their bins collected. Advertisement 'It's just the South of England that's looking at a chance of showers coming up. The uncertainty is how a plume of warm air interacts with the conditions. 'That's what could bring the showers over the South of England on Sunday, that's what causing this uncertainty this far ahead. For a good proportion of the UK, Sunday's looking OK - so it's really just that southern bit. 'If you were to draw a line south of the M4. that's giving an indication. The thing to cover at the moment is that uncertainty, because if that warm plume doesn't come up and get to the south coast more favourable conditions will come through. 'But it's worth highlighting that the risk - if it does make that move up to the South of the UK - is there for Sunday and obviously with street parties being outside, it's worth considering what your options might be if that scenario does come out, and it's important to keep an eye on the forecast with that uncertainty as things might become more favourable.' Back in Newcastle, the group were determined to carry on with their celebrations today despite the rain as sandwiches were served and live music played. Suzanne Wellington, 49, chief executive of the St Martin's Centre, said: 'It's all about celebrating the Queens reign and bringing everyone together. It's been quite a lot of work to organise. We set a lot of it up outside but with the weather being as it is we had to move it indoors. 'We do a lot of events here and it's great to bring people together on an occasion like this. We've had a donation from Greggs and they've provided all of the food which is great. 'We had it today because we had to have it when the hall was available in case the weather was bad which has proved useful. It's also about bringing the community together here because on the Bank Holiday a lot of them will be with their families. 'The community spirit is absolutely fantastic and it's good to see. Even when he had to dash inside we had that British spirit of picking chairs up and cracking on.' Doris Scowen has been the tea lady at the centre for 51 years and even met the Queen during a Royal visit to the region in 1974. Tourists on The Mall take a look at the scenes in the rain today ahead of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations People walk down The Mall in the rain today with Buckingham Palace in the background ahead of the Platinum Jubilee Sightseeers and tourists shelter with umbrellas outside Buckingham Palace in London today during rain showers People stand under umbrellas near Buckingham Palace today as rain falls on the capital before the Jubilee celebrations Tourists on The Mall take a look at scenes in the rain today ahead of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations from Thursday Sightseeers and tourists shelter with umbrellas outside Buckingham Palace in London today during rain showers A tourist takes a selfie on The Mall in London today with Buckingham Palace in the background as rain falls in the capital People shelter from the rain under an umbrella as they walk along The Mall in London in the rain today Sightseeers cross The Mall in London during rain showers today ahead of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations People stand under umbrellas near Buckingham Palace today as rain falls on the capital before the Jubilee celebrations Sightseeers cross The Mall in London during rain showers today ahead of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations The 88-year-old said: 'It's very good to be able to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee with everybody. This centre does wonderful things and it's nice for people to come together. 'I run the tea club on a Tuesday and I have done since the 1970s. I still remember meeting the Queen and it was a real lovely moment. I'm a big supporter of her and the monarchy and I think she's doing a wonderful job especially with all of the trauma with her family. It's a really important day and I'm sure everyone else will have fun.' The group sang along to old classics Whatever Will Be, Will Be and Stand By Me by tribute act The Baldy Holly Band. Some even took to the floor to have a dance while the music played into the afternoon. Ms Wellington's mother Mary Wellington, 78, a retired caterer from Hayden Bridge in Northumberland, said: 'My husband volunteers here and he's in the kitchen today. I'm in the spirit today and so is everyone else. 'It's a shame we had to come inside but that hasn't stopped us. I think it's very important that we celebrate the Queen and her reign. A lot of the elderly people and myself can remember the day she became Queen in the 1950s, I was eight years old. 'It's very fitting because the weather was awful that day too. I think it's really great that we still have a Queen and that we'll have a King next. Everyone is smiling and we're here to make sure everyone has a good time.' People in the rain on High Street Kensington in West London today as the capital is hit by downpours People hold up umbrellas as they try to avoid getting soaked while out punting on the River Cam in Cambridge today Tourists try to avoid getting drenched along the picturesque River Cam as heavy rain hits Cambridge this morning People hold up umbrellas as they try to avoid getting wet while out punting on the River Cam in Cambridge today The Met Office said a cool and unsettled start to the week is set to make way for a largely dry latter half, with the possibility of isolated showers for some areas. Today will see a mixture of cloud, sunny spells and showers around the UK, with most areas expected to see rain at times and the most persistent downpours set to fall over Northern Ireland. However some of the better weather today will be over parts of Wales and West and South West England where showers should fade, leaving fine weather for the afternoon. Tomorrow will see unsettled weather continue, with early rain in the West before showers fall more widely later on along with a risk of hail and thunder in central and south-eastern areas. Temperatures will probably peak at about 20C (68F) in the South Conditions will be far more settled from Thursday, with good spells of dry and fine weather for most areas, especially in the South. A low pressure system will introduce some showers to north-western areas, especially Northern Ireland and western Scotland, but forecasters said there is uncertainty around exact locations and timings. They added that central and northern areas look likely to see some showers on Friday, while areas further south should get the best of any sunshine, with temperatures probably peaking at 22C (72F) in the South East. Settled weather is expected for most areas on Saturday and Sunday, but that is when the risk of rain for the South East arrives although it depends on how the plume of warm air develops. Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Helen Caughey said: 'While it may be an unsettled start for some with showers for northern and western areas, many areas will see generally settled conditions over much of the long Jubilee Weekend, with plenty of dry weather and good spells of sunshine. 'Temperatures will be widely into the low 20s, feeling warmer in the sunshine, although temperatures will drop off quickly into the evenings. 2012 -- A Diamond Jubilee party is held in Kensington, West London, on June 4, 2012 as people celebrate ten years ago 2002 -- A Golden Jubilee street party in Liverpool in 2002 as families celebrate the Queen's long reign 1977 -- People mark the Queen's Silver Jubilee in the UK in 1977 in Salford in one of 12,000 parties held for her that year 'The main source of any uncertainty for the weekend itself is to do with how far a plume of warm air to the south encroaches over southern areas of the UK. 'At present it's looking like it could glance the far South East on Saturday and Sunday, which would bring with it the risk of some showers, although the heaviest showers look likely to be contained over the continent.' There is also no sign in the forecast that the UK's hottest day of the year so far will be beaten over the coming fortnight, with the current 2022 record being May 17 when London Heathrow Airport got up to 27.5C (81.5F). Meanwhile the British Beer & Pub Association predicts more than 90million pints will be sold across the four days, which it said will be a 150million boost to the industry and 29million payment to the Treasury in VAT and duty. How the nation will mark Queen's 70 years on the throne: Days of joyous Jubilee celebrations will start with birthday parade, see royals visit EVERY corner of UK and end with 200,000 street parties... so how will YOU celebrate? ** What are you doing to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee? Please email: mark.duell@mailonline.co.uk ** Advertisement People across the UK are preparing to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee over the four-day weekend from this Thursday, with a series of major events scheduled - from Trooping the Colour to a special Pageant. Britons will also be able to celebrate the nation's longest-reigning monarch with a series of outdoor parties on Sunday, while there will be a televised concert on the BBC from Buckingham Palace the day before. The Queen is expected to delight crowds with a double appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony - at the start of celebrations after Trooping the Colour on Thursday, and after the Pageant parade finale on Sunday. The monarch is also hoping to be able attend the service of thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral on Friday, with her wider family including - it is expected - Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Prince Andrew. The Queen, 96, is also set to spend time with the Sussexes, who are bringing their children Archie and Lilibet over from the US - and could meet Lili for the first time as she celebrates her first birthday on Saturday. On Sunday, thousands of people will gather across the country as more than 85,000 Big Jubilee Lunches and street parties are staged in celebration of the Queen's record-breaking 70 year reign. Royal Family members will also visit every corner of the UK over the weekend for official engagements - with William and Kate going to Wales; Edward and Sophie travelling to Northern Ireland; and Anne to Scotland. Here, MailOnline looks at the programme of events over the four-day bank holiday weekend from Thursday: TODAY AND TOMORROW No official celebrations planned, but hundreds of ongoing events are being held across the UK by museums, art galleries and hotels to mark the Jubilee - with a full list of 652 public events before Thursday available here. The Tower of London's Superbloom - 20 million seeds planted in the moat to create a spectacular meadow - opens from Wednesday until September and features a family-friendly slide for visitors to shoot down into the attraction. THURSDAY Trooping the Colour (from 10am, flypast at 1pm) The official programme for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee begins with the Trooping the Colour military spectacle this Thursday, which is due to begin at around 10am at Buckingham Palace. More than 1,500 officers and soldiers and 350 horses from the Household Division will stage the display on Horse Guards Parade in London, with the colour trooped by the 1st Battalion, Irish Guards. Some 400 musicians from 10 military bands and corps of drums will march amid pomp and pageantry. The Colonel's Review, the final rehearsal of the Trooping the Colour, at Horse Guards Parade in London last Saturday The Royal Family will travel from Buckingham Palace along The Mall to the parade ground in carriages at about 10.30am, with the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and the Princess Royal on horseback. Plans are said to be in place either for the Queen briefly to inspect the troops on the parade ground or from the balcony with the Duke of Kent, or to only appear on the balcony with the royal family for a special flypast afterwards. If the Queen does delegate her salute duties at Trooping to another family member, it will be the first time she has done so in her 70-year reign. Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, William and the Duchess of Cambridge, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Anne, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent, Princess Alexandra and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence will be on the balcony for the flypast which is due to take place at about 1pm. The Duke of Cambridge, Colonel of the Irish Guards, on The Mall during the Colonel's Review in London last Saturday The Queen limited the numbers to working royals, meaning the Duke of York and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not be there. But her Cambridge great-grandchildren, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, and her two youngest grandchildren, the Wessexes' children Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn, will be present. A six-minute display by more than 70 aircraft will include the Red Arrows and the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. Platinum Jubilee Beacons (from 9.25pm) On Thursday evening, more than 3,000 beacons will be set ablaze across the UK and the Commonwealth in tribute to the Queen. The network of flaming tributes will stretch throughout the country, with beacons at sites including the Tower of London, Windsor Great Park, Hillsborough Castle and the Queen's estates of Sandringham and Balmoral, and on top of the UK's four highest peaks. The first beacons will be lit in Tonga and Samoa in the South Pacific, and the final one in the central American country of Belize. The principal beacon outside the Palace a 21-metre tall Tree of Trees sculpture for the Queen's Green Canopy initiative will be illuminated by a senior member of the royal family, and images will be projected on to the Palace. Major General Nick Eeles Governor of Edinburgh Castle lights the Diamond Jubilee beacon at Edinburgh Castle in June 2012 FRIDAY Service of Thanksgiving (from 11am) A traditional service of thanksgiving will be held at St Paul's Cathedral in the City of London from 11am on Friday. There will be no ceremonial journey to the cathedral and the Queen, if she attends, will use a different entrance to aid her comfort rather than the steep main steps. Wider members of the family are expected to be present including possibly Harry, Meghan and Andrew, and the service will be followed by a Guildhall reception for members of the royal family. The Archbishop of Canterbury has tested positive for Covid-19 and will miss the service. The Archbishop of York, the Most Revd Stephen Cottrell, will give the sermon instead. Justin Welby was diagnosed with mild pneumonia last Thursday and was continuing to work, but after developing symptoms over the weekend he tested for coronavirus. A full dress rehearsal yesterday for the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral which will take place on Friday Practice marches yesterday ahead of the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral which takes place this Friday SATURDAY The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit Cardiff Castle to meet performers and crew involved in the special Platinum Jubilee Celebration Concert taking place in the castle grounds later that afternoon, Buckingham Palace has announced. During their visit, William and Kate will view rehearsals and meet some of the acts taking part in the celebrations, including Bonnie Tyler and Owain Wynn Evans. Hosted by Aled Jones and Shan Cothi, the concert at Cardiff Castle will feature live performances from some of Wales' best-known singers and entertainers, alongside choirs, bands and orchestras. During the extended bank holiday weekend, the Earl and Countess of Wessex will carry out two engagements in Northern Ireland while the Princess Royal, accompanied by Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, will visit Edinburgh. Epsom Derby (from 4pm) The Queen is no longer planning to attend the Epsom Derby during her Platinum Jubilee weekend. The 96-year-old monarch is said to want to pace herself during her milestone celebrations, with her daughter the Princess Royal representing her at the racecourse instead, The Sunday Times reported. The Derby on Saturday June 4 was to be a personal highlight for the Queen during the four days of Jubilee festivities. The head of state, a passionate horse owner and breeder, was due to be greeted on the course with a special guard of honour including up to 40 of her past and present jockeys. But the newspaper revealed the monarch is now 'increasingly unlikely' to head to Epsom. However the Queen will still have a runner - Just Fine, in the penultimate race of the afternoon. Lilibet's birthday Saturday is also the first birthday of Harry and Meghan's daughter Lilibet, amid speculation the youngster could spend the day with her namesake great-grandmother. The Sussexes are flying over from the US with Lili, who has never met the Queen in person before, and her older brother Archie. It could be the first time Harry and Meghan have been seen alongside the Windsor clan since Megxit and since they accused an unnamed senior royal of racism during their controversial Oprah Winfrey interview. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are flying over from the US with Lilibet and her brother Archie (pictured last December) Party At The Palace (from 7.30pm) In the evening, the BBC's Party at the Palace set on three stages in front of Buckingham Palace will entertain a live crowd of 22,000 people and a television audience of millions. The line-up includes Diana Ross, Queen + Adam Lambert, Alicia Keys, Nile Rodgers, Andrea Bocelli, Duran Duran, Bond composer Hans Zimmer, Ella Eyre, Craig David, Mabel, Elbow and George Ezra. The show will also feature appearances from stars including Sir David Attenborough, Emma Raducanu, David Beckham, Stephen Fry and Dame Julie Andrews. Charles and William are preparing to deliver public tributes at the concert to the Queen, who will be watching on television from Windsor. An artist's impression released earlier this month of the stage outside Buckingham Palace for the Platinum Party at the Palace SUNDAY Big Jubilee Lunch Millions of people are expected to sit down with their neighbours at street parties, picnics and barbecues, with more than 200,000 Big Jubilee Lunches being held across the UK on the Sunday afternoon, Camilla, patron of the Big Lunch, will join Charles at a flagship feast at The Oval cricket ground in south London, while the Earl and Countess of Wessex will meet people creating the 'Long Table' down on The Long Walk leading up to Windsor Castle. The celebration also coincides with this year's Thank You Day originally set up to pay tribute to those who helped people through the pandemic. Celebrities Ross Kemp, Gareth Southgate, Prue Leith and Ellie Simmonds have urged people to throw the biggest thank you party for the Queen. A Jubilee street party on June 3, 2012 on the bridge that connects Goring in Oxfordshire and Streatley in Berkshire The Platinum Pudding, Scotch eggs and fruit platters will feature on a six-metre felt creation by artist Lucy Sparrow which is to be viewed by Charles and Camilla at The Oval. It will be given pride of place in the Grand Entrance of Buckingham Palace later this year. Members of the local community, 70 volunteers who have been recognised as Platinum Champions through the Royal Voluntary Service's Platinum Champions Awards, celebrity ambassadors and various charity representatives will be among the guests at the cricket ground. The royal couple will also present the Platinum Champions with certificates and pins, before cutting a Big Jubilee Lunch cake. More than 600 international Big Jubilee Lunches are being planned throughout the Commonwealth and beyond - from Canada to Brazil, New Zealand to Japan and South Africa to Switzerland. Revelers on the Mall in London on June 5, 2012 during the four-day Diamond Jubilee celebration for the Queen that year Edward and Sophie will join Berkshire residents for their special lunch on the Long Walk, not far from Windsor Castle. The Long Walk is being reinvented to create 'the Long Table' in celebration of the jubilee. This royal pair are also set to meet groups of street performers. Charles and Camilla will also celebrate with the residents of Albert Square in an EastEnders special. They will be seen attending a Big Lunch in a June 2 episode of the BBC soap. The Big Lunch is an annual event aimed at celebrating community connections. Jubilee Pageant (from 2.30pm) The finale on June 5 is the Jubilee Pageant through the streets of London. Set to be watched by up to a billion people across the globe, more than 10,000 people have been involved in staging the 15million procession. Puppet corgis, a giant 3D wire bust of the Queen and the Gold State Coach are just some of the sights set to feature in the 1.8-mile (3km) parade. Stars including Idris Elba, Sir Cliff Richard, Courtney Love and Slade's Noddy Holder will take to open-top buses in a through-the-ages tribute to the culture and music of the 70 years of the Queen's reign. Royal Navy and the Royal Marine Corps of Drums personnel during a rehearsal for the Platinum Jubilee Pageant at HMS Collingwood, in Fareham, Hampshire, yesterday A peloton of 300 cyclists, riding vintage bikes from across the seven decades of her reign, is to travel down The Mall led by Sir Chris Hoy and cycling golden couple Dame Laura and Sir Jason Kenny. Olympic champions Sir Chris, Dame Laura and Sir Jason will be among six 'hero cyclists' who race towards Buckingham Palace ready to complete a 360-degree circuit of the Queen Victoria Memorial on Sunday. Some 205 vehicles will appear as part of the parade, including 11 Morris Minors, seven Land Rovers, 20 vintage Minis including one in the shape of an Outspan Orange and seven original James Bond vehicles. Ice cream vans, JCBs, Del-Boy's Only Fools And Horses three-wheeled Reliant Regal Supervan III, 15 Sinclair C5s, and seven open-top double-decker buses decorated in images of the decade they represent will also head down The Mall and past the palace. It is hoped the monarch will make a final appearance on the Palace balcony to round off the weekend to see a musical finale of Ed Sheeran singing the national anthem with a choir made up of nearly 200 celebrities. The pageant is split into four acts: A Thai court has today convicted a British man of the 2014 murder of a sex worker whose dismembered body was found in a suitcase dumped in a river. Shane Kenneth Looker, 52, was given an eight-year prison sentence for killing Laxami Manochat, 31, in a hotel room and disposing of her body. Her remains were discovered days later when a bag was found in a river 95 miles away, in Kanchanaburi province. It contained Ms Manochat's body as well as her black stilettos, black dress and a pink thong. Police said he had been photographed with Laxami - nicknamed 'Pook' - leaving a Bangkok go-go bar on November 1, 2014. A Thai court has today convicted Shane Kenneth Looker, 52 (right) of the 2014 murder of a sex worker (left) whose dismembered body was found in a suitcase dumped in a river A British man was given an eight-year prison sentence for killing Laxami Manochat (pictured), 31, in a hotel room and disposing of her body The mother and daughter of Ms Manochat at her funeral shortly after she was found dead in November, 2014 The pair were seen entering a hotel together. Only Looker was seen leaving the premises, with a bellboy reporting his large bag was so heavy it took two people to carry it, and a hotel cleaner saying the room's bedsheets were bloodstained. An official at the court in the western town of Kanchanaburi said: 'The defendant is found guilty of charges and sentenced to 16 years in jail but due to his confession, the court reduced his sentence by half to eight years without suspended jail term.' Shane Looker pictured arriving at Bangkok airport in July, 2021. Looker was detained in June 2017 on the party island of Ibiza by Spanish authorities acting on an international arrest warrant Ms Manochat's remains were discovered when a bag was found in a river 95 miles away, in Kanchanaburi province The suitcase discovered in the river contained Ms Manochat's body as well as her black stilettos, black dress and a pink thong Looker was ordered to pay compensation of just under 10 million baht ($300,000) plus interest to Laxami's mother, as well as two million baht plus interest to the murdered woman's daughter, another court official said. Laxami's dismembered corpse was found on November 6 2014, in a suitcase loaded with stones and tossed into the Mae Klong River. Looker's DNA was later discovered under her nails. Kanchanaburi Provincial Court issued an arrest warrant on January 28, 2015 for 'murdering and hiding, moving or destroying a body in order to conceal the death or cause of death'. But Looker - who laid low at his holiday home in the upmarket Thai seaside resort of Hua Hin for weeks before taking a train over the border to Malaysia - had already fled to Spain. Looker pictured with Ms Manochat at the Nana Plaza strip club complex in Bangkok, Thailand, on November 1, 2014 Pictured, the police search for Shane Looker in November 2014. Kanchanaburi Provincial Court issued an arrest warrant on January 28, 2015 for 'murdering and hiding, moving or destroying a body in order to conceal the death or cause of death' Looker was detained in June 2017 on the party island of Ibiza by Spanish authorities acting on an international arrest warrant. He spent years fighting an exhaustive legal battle against extradition, claiming he would be subject to inhuman treatment in Thailand. Eventually the European Court of Human Rights rejected his challenge, after Thai authorities gave assurances he would not face the death penalty, and he was sent to the kingdom to face trial in July. An Instagram model who calls herself 'Torpedo Trish' argued she should have her community service hours cut because she feels they are excessive and she also feels 'out of place'. Patricia Hadjia, 28, pleaded guilty to high range drink driving after she crashed into three parked cars and flipped her Jeep Grand Cherokee while three times over the limit in Maroubra in Sydney's east on October 16. Her license was suspended after she blew a blood-alcohol reading of 0.181 and in March she was given a three-year community corrections order with 400 hours of community service. Appearing in NSW District Court on Tuesday, Ms Hadjia's lawyer Eidan Havas said the 400 hours of community service was 'offensively excessive' and asked for it to be significantly reduced. Patricia Hadjia (pictured), nicknamed 'Torpedo Trish', said she felt 'out of place' and 'uncomfortable' doing community service for high range drink driving Ms Hadjia's male friend emerged from the wreckage smoking a cigarette after the pair crashed the Jeep Cherokee in October last year The 28-year-old, who also works as a marketing manager, told the court when she attended a community service induction day she felt 'pretty out of place'. 'It was a bunch of men and they were, like, talking about their offences,' she told the court. 'It's very hard with the amount I've been given, looking at doing it long-term.' Ms Hadjia told the court she has been 'humiliated' by the process and was extremely remorseful for her actions, NCA NewsWire reported. 'There's absolutely no way I would do anything remotely like that ever gain; it's been completely humiliating,' she told the court on Tuesday. She said she had disappointed everyone around her and was disappointed by decisions. She blew a blood-alcohol level of 0.181 after crashing her car on Duncan Street in Maroubra, according to her charge sheet Her lawyer said Ms Hadjia was 'willing' to finish her 400 hours service, but added 'offensively it's too much'. Judge Ian Bourke noted she had already paid hundreds of thousands in compensation and was the subject of media coverage, saying she had suffered 'significant punishment'. He said however her actions could have resulted in serious injury or death. 'That didn't happen here, but that was a matter of good luck more than anything,' Judge Bourke said. The judge agreed to drop her community service hours from 400 hours to 250. Appearing in NSW District Court on Tuesday, Ms Hadjia's lawyer said the 400 hours of community service were 'offensively excessive' and asked for it to be significantly reduced Ms Hadjia was pictured on social media at a wedding with a glass of champagne in her hand just hours before the accident in October last year. A neighbour who witnessed the aftermath of the crash spoke of Ms Hadjia's male friend, who made a grand exit of the rolled vehicle. 'The standout moment for me was when the guy was still in there and he had his head out the window and he put a cigarette in his mouth,' one of the neighbours said. Torpedo Trish was arrested, charged with high-range drink driving and had her licence suspended The Instagram influencer had posted an image with a champagne glass in her hand to her 39,000 fans moments before the crash Witnesses said they were watching TV when they a thud, and rushed outside to find Ms Hadjia and her 29-year-old passenger pulling themselves from the wreckage. 'I came out and looked up the road and it was a really strange looking sight, it looked a bit like a UFO had landed because the tail lights were up where they shouldn't be normally,' a neighbour told the Daily Telegraph. 'I got up the road and I could see it was a car on its side, the headlights were on and I could see arms inside writhing over each other I ran back to my partner and she said 'what's going on?', I told her and she called Triple-0 immediately.' Patricia Hadjia, 28, (pictured) is a social media influencer with about 39,000 followers on Instagram - and opened up to Daily Mail Australia about her car crash Another woman said she heard a 'massive boom' and joined a crowd of people who gathered to see what was going on. Ms Hadjia's sister is Joelle Hadjia, who shot to fame after appearing on the X-Factor. A father and son have been found guilty of stabbing a thief to death with a 'dagger' and a ninja sword in a vigilante killing after a spate of thefts in their area. David and Edward King, both from Bury St Edmunds, had been watching their CCTV after burglaries in their area when Neil Charles was seen trying car doors and house handles in the town. The father and son had talked to each other often via text about their desire to catch criminals and police said they had a fascination with weapons. Jurors were told that the pair did not call police and instead armed themselves, and confronted Mr Charles, who had a number of convictions for theft. He was stabbed in June last year and died in hospital two days later. David King, 55, claimed the thief ran onto his knife, but the jury instead unanimously convicted both men of murder on Monday at Ipswich Crown Court. David King from Bury St Edmunds (left) was found guilty of the murder of Neil Charles, who had a number of convictions for theft and burglary. His 19-year-old son Edward King (right), was also convicted of murder Neil Charles (pictured) had been trying car doors and house handles in the town before he was fatally stabbed on June 20 last year and died in hospital two days later, the court heard David King later called 999 call at around 3.55am on June 20 last year saying a man had been trying to steal from his car on the Moreton Hall estate. King then told the call taker that he had tried to apprehend the man who had run off. He admitted on the phone he had a knife in his hand and the man claimed he was injured by this before he ran away. Police found King with a serious stab wound to the chest in Winsford Road, nowhere near his home or where the stabbing took place. David King was first arrested at the scene that morning, with the arrest of his son Edward following later in the day. A post-mortem examination recorded that Mr Charles died of a single 12cm stab wound to the chest. Police said that on the night in question, David and Edward King had been alerted by their own CCTV that a thief appeared to be active in the area. They armed themselves with weapons and went out to take the law into their own hands, the force said, adding no attempt was made by either of them to contact the police to come and investigate. David King had a double-edged knife resembling a dagger while his son Edward had with him a 27-inch ninja sword. The knife was used to inflict the fatal wound and the sword caused a horizontal wound above the left knee of Mr Charles, police said. David and Edward King, both of Radnor Close (pictured the road) in Bury St Edmunds, were on Monday found guilty of murder by unanimous verdicts The sword was also used to stab the tyre of Mr Charles's bicycle, which he left at the scene. Suffolk Police said Mr Charles was some distance from the King's property and was heading away from it when the vigilantes caught up with him and the fatal blow was delivered. During the trial both men denied intentionally killing Mr Charles, with David King maintaining his version of events that he had disturbed Mr Charles in the act of trying to break into his car and that Mr Charles had run onto his knife. However, the prosecution said the father and son had gone out together to hunt down and attack Mr Charles in an act of vigilantism. David and Edward King, both of Radnor Close in Bury St Edmunds, were on Monday found guilty of murder by unanimous verdicts. According to Rightmove, houses on Radnor Close have been sold at an average price of 450,000. The Kings have been remanded in custody to be sentenced on a date to be fixed. 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. Boris Yeltsin's son-in-law has quit his role as a Kremlin adviser amid speculation Vladimir Putin is losing his grip on power due to his health. Valentin Yumashev, who is married to the former president's daughter Tatyana, has served as an unpaid aide who was one of the last links inside the administration to Yeltsin's rule. Under Yeltsin, who was Russian president from 1991 to 1999, Yumashev served as a Kremlin adviser and later as Kremlin chief of staff. Boris Yeltsin's son-in-law Valentin Yumashev (pictured, far right at Yeltsin's funeral) has quit his role as a Kremlin adviser amid speculation Vladimir Putin is losing his grip on power Putin's policies over the years have diverged from the values that Yeltsin espoused, but the Russian leader has kept his ties to the former first family He ran the presidential administration in 1997 when Putin, a former KGB spy who had been given a middle-ranking administrative job in the Kremlin a year earlier, was promoted to be deputy Kremlin chief of staff. When Yeltsin asked Yumashev his thoughts on Putin, he told the then leader he thought he was 'a superb candidate. I think you should consider him'. That promotion provided the springboard for Putin to be anointed as Yeltsin's heir apparent, and win a presidential election in 2000 after Yeltsin had stepped down. Though Putin's policies over the years have diverged from the values that Yeltsin espoused, the Russian leader has kept his ties to the former first family. In January 2020, according to the Kremlin website, Putin visited Yeltsin's daughter Tatyana at her home to congratulate her on her birthday. The adult daughter of Valentin Yumashev and Tatyana, Maria, posted on her Instagram account on February 24 an image of the Ukrainian flag, along with the words 'No to war,' and a broken-heart emoji. Yumashev's departure comes following a number of other high-profile figures leaving the Kremlin. Pictured: Putin today Yumashev, who is married to the former president's daughter Tatyana, has served as an unpaid aide Maria Yumasheva, daughter of Yumashev, has previously shown her support for Ukraine on Instagram She posted an image of the Ukrainian flag with the caption 'no war' during the outbreak in February Yumashev's departure comes following a number of other high-profile figures leaving the Kremlin, while rumours about his ill-health persist. In March, Anatoly Chubais, another senior Yeltsin-era figure, left his role as Kremlin special envoy. This month, a diplomat in Russia's mission to the United Nations also resigned over the war. Western security analysts believe Putin's grip on power is failing due to his ill-health and weakened state of mind. Earlier this month, former NATO general secretary Lord Robertson of Port Ellen said Putin has developed a 'messianic obsession' with Russian greatness after being 'closeted away from the virus and the real world' for two years. The security chief who led the pact from 1999 to 2003 said: 'The man in the Kremlin has a remarkably thin skin and we should avoid provoking him into even more reckless violence against the Ukrainians. I have seen him in the meetings I had, in what were good times, display an emotional side which surfaced from the cool, controlled approach he took to most matters. 'Today, closeted away from the virus and from the real world, that emotionalism has been boiled up with a partial view of history and a messianic obsession with Russian greatness. It has produced a dangerous mindset.' CIA director William Burns also said Putin is a 'peculiarly Russian combination of qualities... cocky, cranky, aggrieved and insecure.' He added: 'I had dealt with and watched President Putin for many years and what I've seen, especially over the last decade, is him in a way stewing in a very combustible combination of grievance and ambition and insecurity [that] are all kind of wrapped together.' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Yumashev's leaving his adviser role, and did not answer a call to his mobile number. Yumashev did not respond to a request for comment sent by Reuters. Lyudmila Telen, first deputy executive director of the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Centre foundation, where Yumashev is a member of the board of trustees, told Reuters that Yumashev had given up his Kremlin adviser role in April. Asked why he left, she said: 'It was his initiative.' A second person familiar with Yumashev's thinking, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also said that Yumashev in April ceased to be a presidential adviser. As Kremlin figures continue to jump ship, Putin's army is also suffering heavy losses with reports it is on the verge of collapse. A confidential UK report that emerged yesterday suggested more than 30,000 troops have been killed in Ukraine. Russia's army could collapse amid huge losses of more than 30,000 troops in Ukraine, according to a confidential UK report that emerged on Monday. The document claims Putin sees the losses as a 'price worth paying' for victory. Smoke rises in the city of Severodonetsk during heavy fighting between Ukrainian and Russian troops at eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas on May 30, 2022, on the 96th day of the Russian invasion. A new report has claimed Russia's army could collapse under heavy losses An eldery woman walks away from a burning house garage after shelling in the city of Lysytsansk at the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas on May 30, 2022 However, the new report - a secretive analysis of Putin's brutal invasion seen by The Mirror - claims that the losses could be too great for his soldiers, amid other reports that Russian morale is low. Latest estimates from the Ukraine's Armed Forces suggest as many as 30,350 Russian soldiers have been killed since the invasion was launched on February 24, which came after more than 100,000 of the Kremlin's troops massed on the border. In addition, several thousand Russian military vehicles - including tanks, aircraft and mobile artillery units - have been destroyed in Putin's so-called 'special military operation' that has dragged into its fourth month. With his inner circle fleeing and soldiers falling, those still close to Putin have been forced to quash growing rumours that he is severely ill. Unconfirmed reports persist that the leader, who is turning 70 this year, suffers from deteriorating health issues and may have been diagnosed with cancer and Parkinson's. In an interview with French TV, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said no one 'sane' could see any signs of illness in Putin, who reportedly has his food tested before eating it and bans his staff from standing too close to him. 'You can watch him on screens, read and listen to his speeches,' Lavrov said in comments released by the Russian foreign ministry. 'I leave it to the conscience of those who spread such rumours.' An FSB officer was quoted in media outlets on May 29 warning that Putin has just three years left to live as speculation abounded over his health. Lavrov said the fact that viewers can watch Putin on screens and read his speeches disproved any notion that the Russian leader was unwell Putin's troops arrange the Russian flag at the city administration building of Svitlodarsk. Russia has taken control of the city, located 80km southwest of Severodonetsk, which was the center of Russian attacks in recent days British intelligence sources were quoted in various media reports telling outlets that Putin's health was deteriorating. Reports about Putin's health have conflicted, with accounts differing on whether Putin has thyroid, abdominal or blood cancer. Kyiv military spy chief Kyrylo Budanov said previously he fears the Russian leader still has a 'few more years' left in him. His comments suggested the Ukrainians believe Putin is suffering from cancer, but are unclear on how severe the condition could be and to what extent it could impede Putin's ability to direct Russian military strategy and exert influence over the country. The major-general also claimed Putin was the target of an assassination attempt shortly after launching his invasion. Rumours have been circling for years that Putin (pictured gripping table during a meeting last month) has health problems, and they have intensified since he launched invasion of Ukraine He said the abortive bid was by representatives of the Caucasus, but did no release further details. The report mirrored other claims that top-ranking Russian officials are said to be plotting a government without Vladimir Putin, with Kremlin sources claiming insiders are already looking for ways to replace the Russian President. The news outlet Meduza quoted sources claiming that high-ranking officials in Russia's security services FSB and GRU - referred to as 'hawks' - believe Putin has botched the invasion and want to seize control of the operation. One method of 'moving things on' without need for a violent coup would be to place him in a long term hospital for the incurably unwell, suggested former MI6 chief Richard Dearlove. Rumours in Moscow persist that Putin has undergone recent surgery to treat his illness. The General SVR Telegram channel, the owner of which has not been confirmed, said that trusted aide Nikolai Patrushev, a former FSB chief like Putin himself, took over from the Russian leader while the operation was underway and took charge temporarily in the Kremlin. Shocking audio has emerged of an Airbnb owner's expletive-filled tirade to a guest who left a less than glowing review about his luxury property. David Penman, 54, sent a series of emails to the woman and left a vile message on her voicemail after she stayed at Clifftop in Hepburn in central Victoria, which was 'crowned No.1 from 55,000 rental homes'. The guest left a two star 'just ok' review after her stay in May 2021, sparking a furious response from Penman who told the woman to 'burn in hell'. The explosive voicemail has been aired for the first time after Penman pleaded guilty in Moorabin Magistrates Court last week to using a carriage device to harass the guest. 'It's David from Clifftop. You have gravely misjudged me. You obviously didn't do your research about the defamation case on Google,' Penman is heard saying. Airbnb David Penman (above) left a expletive-filled tirade on a guest's voicemail threatening to sue after she left a two star review 'If you think you're going to get away with defaming us like this, you have another serious thing coming. Don't bother removing the review, don't bother offering to settle. 'I'll see you in f******g court. You better have a lot of money.' 'This is not over, we're not accepting a payout. We're going to f**king court, and you will burn in hell. 'I know you think I'm joking, F*** you.' But Penman didn't have much to say when he was confronted and bombarded with questions by A Current Affair. 'Are you Australia's worst AirBnb host,' the reporter asked. Penman replied: 'It's really not appropriate (that) I comment, but I'm very grateful you took the time to come out. 'My solicitors have asked me not to comment.' Clifftop at Hepburn in central Victoria is Australia's number one voted holiday accommodation Penman's barrister Mihal Greener described the outburst as 'out of character' and said her client was under lots of pressure and his business was suffering because of the Covid pandemic due to lockdowns and travel restrictions to regional Victoria. Penman was fined $2,500 and no conviction was recorded by the court. A Current Affair also revealed Penman also sent a series of text messages and emails to other guests who left unflattering reviews. He copied his lawyer into an email and told him to 'sue them (guests) penniless' and called another guest a 'slow learner'. Penman has previously admitted in court to harassing another prospective guest who left a one-star review when his booking was cancelled. 'Tomorrow 25,000 people in Melbourne are going to know ... what a scumbag you are,' Penman emailed the guest. Penman also sent a series of texts and messages to other guests who left unflattering reviews, including this email allegedly sent to a car dealership. Penman also allegedly sent emails to a car dealership. 'Your parents would be utterly ashamed of the person you have become. I can only hope they aren't alive to see it in person.' '(I) am launching a PR offensive tomorrow ... making sure you f----- are rewarded with the PR you deserve.' The Age also revealed last week Penman sent a text in May 2019 to a bank employee who booked The Clifftop to propose to his partner before leaving a two star review of the property. 'We have today received a complaint of possible domestic violence in your villa from another guest next door... We will consider this matter before deciding if it should be reported to the police,' Penman wrote. Penman also threatened court action against a guest who worked for the Department of Education Training after they cancelled a booking because they had been called to Gippsland after the bushfires in January 2020. He warned he had launched a defamation case against another guest who left a bad review and they were forced to pay more than $300,000 in legal costs. Penman also series of texts and messages to other guests who had left unflattering reviews Located 120 kilometres from Melbourne, The Clifftop at Hepburn is described on its website as the home of the perfect marriage proposal, unforgettable honeymoon and romantic getaway. You're invited to live a life less ordinary. Digital strategist Meg Coffey described Penman's reaction to bad reviews as inappropriate. 'They're completely destroying their brand and their image,' she told A Current Affair 'There is a line and people are allowed to have opinions you don't tell them to burn in hell.' She also urged customers to not be misleading. 'You want to be really careful and make sure that you're only saying things that are true and factual,' Ms Coffey said. 'That said, if it didn't live up to your expectations, by all means, in a nice, polite, considerate way, you can totally leave a review and explain that.' The Stonehenge tribute to the Queen for her Platinum Jubilee has sparked a Twitter row as Druids complain that the projected images are 'offensive'. English Heritage has illuminated the stone circle on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire with eight images of the Queen's glorious 70-year reign - from her 1953 coronation to the present - to mark the national milestone. But the official account of Jeremy Vine's Channel 5 programme has triggered a debate about whether the tribute is 'offensive' to Druids. Druids are nowadays spiritualists who believe in a range of gods, religious ceremonies and a 'hippy-type' love of nature. They usually hit the headlines during the Summer Solstice, when hundreds of them flock to Stonehenge in mid-June to celebrate the longest day of the year. 'Is the Stonehenge tribute to the Queen offensive to Druids?', the Jeremy Vine On 5 account tweeted today. 'Seven images of Her Majesty have been projected onto Stonehenge, to celebrate the jubilee. But it's a sacred space for druids, so is this tribute offensive?'. In response, hundreds of people have raged against the tribute - while others have called the row 'daft'. One piped up: 'Seriously? On Stonehenge? A place of worship for Druids? Okay.' Another tweeted: 'As a pagan who has visited this intensely spiritual 'church', I am disgusted it is being used like this'. The illuminated stone circle on Salisbury Plains, Wiltshire, included a black and white photograph of the now 96-year-old at her coronation in June 1953, when she was just 27 The official account of Jeremy Vine's Channel 5 programme has triggered a furious Twitter debate about whether the tribute is 'offensive' to Druids Hundreds of people have raged against the tribute while others have called the row 'daft' What are Druids? And why do they gather at Stonehenge on the Summer Solstice? A person looking up as she attends the celebration of the Summer Solstice at Stonehenge, June 21, 2021 Druids are nowadays spiritualists who believe in a range of gods, religious ceremonies and a 'hippy-type' love of nature. They usually hit the headlines during the Summer Solstice, when hundreds of them flock to Stonehenge in mid-June to celebrate the longest day of the year. For hundreds of years, people have held festivals, bonfires, picnics, Maypole dancing and other celebrations on the Summer Solstice. Many people visit Stonehenge, the monument in Avebury Wiltshire that dates back to between 3,000 and 1,600 BC, on the longest day of the year. Although people do not know why Stonehenge was built, it is a significant meeting spot for pagans. Pagans have traditionally believed Midsummer's eve to be the time when the veil between this world and the next is thinnest, and when fairies and mythical creatures were most powerful. Advertisement A third raged: 'And did you ask or consider Britain's Pagan community, to whom the stones are sacred, before you did this? Almost certainly not. Did you consider that the stones were erected by our Pagan ancestors eons before the Norman kings? HAVE SOME RESPECT!!!'. One added: 'Conflating a modern British monarch - and everything they represent in the current political environment - with ancient societies who in no way acknowledged any of the political boundaries we currently live with is a disservice to public history. Plays into some ugly narratives'. But others were bemused by the debate, with one user saying: 'Oh ffs. Why won't we all just stay indoors so we don't offend anyone by accident'. Another person posted: 'Stonehenge has nothing to do with the Druids of ancient times. That's a story concocted nearly 200 years ago when folk knew nothing about ancient Britain before the Romans recorded what they saw. Stonehenge was built far, far, far earlier than the Druids'. One added: 'Isn't this like projecting her image onto a church? I doubt people would be offended by it as it's not permanent'. And another tweeted: 'Stonehenge has nothing to do with the Druids of ancient times. That's a story concocted nearly 200 years ago when folk knew nothing about ancient Britain before the Romans recorded what they saw. Stonehenge was built far, far, far earlier than the Druids'. The illuminated Stonehenge included a black and white photograph of the now 96-year-old at her coronation in June 1953, when she was just 27. The Queen's love for animals was also celebrated within the photos, which include her riding a horse and walking her beloved corgis in the 1960s and 1980s. In one image from the 1960s the Queen, who has been riding since the age of three, was seen racing her horse wearing a smart riding jacket and headscarf. Another shot depicted her walking some of her corgis at the Cross Country course on the second day of the Windsor Horse Trials in 1980. The monarch wore a colourful navy, white and gold headscarf while watching her horse Barber's Shop win at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 2017, in a more recent photo. Other pictures used in the celebrative light show included shots of the monarch's colourful wardrobe. One stone showed the Queen in a polka-dot marigold printed pleated dress and a matching turban-style hat during a state visit to Mexico in February 1975. Others were bemused by the debate, with one user saying: 'Oh ffs. Why won't we all just stay indoors so we don't offend anyone by accident' More recently she wore an elegant pink coat, with striking black buttons and a flower-adorned hat on a joint engagement with the Duchess of Cambridge to King's College London in 2019. While English Heritage manages the Stonehenge site, the monument is owned by the Crown and the National Trust owns the surrounding land. The charity is also hosting family events across many of its sites nationwide until June 5 and will be part of the nationwide beacon lighting on June 2. Previously Stonehenge was lit up with photos to celebrate eight 'unsung champions of heritage' who continued working on community, heritage and arts projects during the Covid crisis in 2020. Dozens of migrants have been pictured arriving into Dover today after small boat crossings continued following a break in poor weather conditions. At least 100 asylum seekers were intercepted in the English Channel on Tuesday, with a steady stream of men, women and young children brought into harbour at Dover throughout the morning. Border Force vessels and RNLI lifeboats were pictured with dozens of migrants aboard, while a small boy was carried carefully from a lifeboat by a soldier in Army fatigues as his family came ashore onto the gangway up to the quayside where immigration officers were waiting for them. A father wearing a face mask was also seen carrying his young son off a Border Force vessel after navigating busy shipping lanes to arrive in Britain on Tuesday. With weather conditions improving, it is believed more small boats will attempt the treacherous 21-mile crossing through the day with a number in mid-Channel. As 35 migrants arrived in Dover by dinghy on Monday morning, some illegal immigrants already in Britain will be told they will be sent to Africa and will only have a week to provide detailed reasons as to why they should not be removed from the UK. Due to a change in weather conditions they were the first arrivals since May 23 when 252 people reached British soil, due to wet and stormy weather at sea. The Home Office declined to comment on claims the deportation orders are imminent - but is readying itself for a legal battle over the policy. A spokesman said: 'We are fully committed to working with Rwanda to get the arrangement operational as soon as possible.' Dozens of migrants have been pictured arriving into Dover today after small boat crossings continued following a break in poor weather conditions Military personnel help a young child amongst a group of people thought to be migrants as they are brought in to Dover, Kent, following a small boat incident in the Channel Data released by the MoD reveals that at least 2,637 people have reached the UK in 87 boats so far during the month of May A smiling migrant waves to the camera as he disembarks from an RNLI lifeboat in Dover Some illegal immigrants already in Britain will be told they will be sent to Africa and will only have a week to provide detailed reasons as to why they should not be removed from the UK Asylum claims have more than doubled in a year and hit the highest level for nearly two decades, figures released last Friday showed. Desperate families making their way from France to the UK are being put in increasingly dangerous situations as human traffickers tell them it was their 'last chance' to get to the UK before the Rwanda scheme. Despite a seven-day break in migrants attempting to cross the English Channel, data released by the MoD reveals that 2,637 people have reached the UK in 87 boats so far during the month of May. As it stands, 9,439 people have made the perilous journey across the 21-mile Dover Strait in 291 small boats in 2022. In 2021 a staggering 28,526 people crossed the Channel - significantly higher than the 8,410 who arrived in 2020. At least 100 asylum seekers were intercepted in the English Channel on Tuesday, with a steady stream of men, women and young children brought into harbour at Dover throughout the morning A migrant wrapped in a burgundy blanket puts up the 'V' sign after being picked up by an RNLI lifeboat in Dover, Kent Desperate families making their way from France to the UK are being put in increasingly dangerous situations as human traffickers tell them it was their 'last chance' to get to the UK before the Rwanda scheme A woman and a young girl are led into a building for processing by Border Force on Tuesday A small boy was carried carefully from a lifeboat by a soldier in Army fatigues as his family came ashore onto the gangway up to the quayside where immigration officers were waiting for them A border force official cradles a young child and wraps it in a blanket amid blustery conditions at Dover, Kent on Tuesday According to the MoD, 9,439 people have arrived in the UK in 291 small boats this year. In 2021, 28,526 people crossed the Channel - significantly higher than the 8,410 who arrived in 2020 Minister for Justice and Tackling Illegal Migration, Tom Pursglove MP, has said: 'The rise in dangerous Channel crossings is unacceptable. 'Not only are they an overt abuse of our immigration laws but they also impact on the UK taxpayer, risk lives and our ability to help refugees come to the UK via safe and legal routes. Rightly, the British public has had enough. 'Through our Nationality and Borders Bill, we're cracking down on people smugglers and fixing the broken system by making it a criminal offence to knowingly arrive in the UK illegally and introducing a maximum sentence of life imprisonment for those who facilitate illegal entry into our country.' It comes as new data showed the number of migrants to cross the Channel by boat was three times higher in the first three months of 2022 than during the same time last year. The Home Office said there were 55,146 asylum applications in the year to March, not including dependents up 102 per cent on the previous 12 months and up 56 per cent on pre-pandemic levels. Of those, 31,703 arrived by small boat across the Channel. Deportations slumped for the ninth year in a row, down 18 per cent year on year to 2,800 the lowest on record. Petrol prices have surged to yet another record high as drivers brace for more misery at the pumps after the European Union reneged on plans to completely ban Russian oil imports. New figures from Experian Catalist revealed the average price of a litre of the fuel at UK forecourts was a record 173p on Tuesday. That brings the cost of filling up a typical 55-litre family car with unleaded now stands at 95.16, according to the RAC. Industry insiders say 45 of that cost is currently tax. They also warned that 'worse is sadly yet to come', with expectations of petrol hitting 180p per litre in the coming days as crude oil prices continuing to skyrocket. The news marks the latest hammer blow for Britain's 33million motorists, many of whom will be tightening the purse strings amid an existing cost of living crisis. It could also spell fresh pain at the pumps for drivers planning on getaways during the Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday and over the half-term break. Brussels' bureaucrats agreed a watered-down ban on Russian fuel imports brought in by sea on Monday. A partial oil embargo marks a significant climbdown for the EU since Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed a complete ban four weeks ago. Petrol prices have surged to yet another record high as drivers brace for more misery at the pumps after the European Union reneged on plans to completely ban Russian oil imports Petrol prices have surged to yet another record high as drivers brace for fresh misery at the pumps after the European Union voted to ban Russian oil imports. Pictured: Prices at a Shell petrol station in Belgravia, London on Friday May 27 The news could also spell fresh pain at the pumps for drivers planning on getaways during the Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday and over the half-term break. Pictured: Slow moving traffic on the M3 near Winchester, Hampshire in April EU leaders were only able to agree a 70 per cent ban on Russian oil after deliberations on Monday evening - having previously promised a complete embargo Ursula von der Leyen had spoken of a complete ban on Russian oil just four weeks ago, but was forced into a climbdown due to opposition from Hungary RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: 'The EU's decision to ban the majority of Russian oil imports will cause the barrel price to go higher still, spelling yet more misery for fuel prices in the UK. 'The wholesale price of petrol has already been increasing due to the increased summer driving demand which means we are likely to see average forecourt prices for petrol climb to 180p a litre in a matter of days. 'Sadly, far worse will follow as the current oil price of $122 will likely lead to an average price of a litre of unleaded hitting 185p.' EU council president Charles Michel announced the 27-nation bloc had agreed a ban covering more than two-thirds of Russian oil imports on Monday evening. There are ambitions to ban 90 per cent of Russian fuel entering the bloc by 2023, officials say - having previously promised a complete embargo on their fuel. The watered-down embargo covers only Russian oil brought in by sea, allowing a temporary exemption for imports delivered by pipeline. Ukrainian president Volodymr Zelensky criticised the bloc's bickering stance as it was revealed the EU will continue to pay Putin tens of billions of euros per year for gas - a key source of income for Russia - after it was exempted from sanctions earlier this year. The partial oil embargo marks a significant climbdown for the EU since Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed a complete ban four weeks ago. Boris Johnson 'declares war' on rip-off petrol stations: Ministers could 'name and shame' garages that fail to pass on fuel duty cut Boris Johnson has ordered ministers to find ways to 'expose' petrol stations that fail to pass on lower prices from the Government's fuel duty cut. The PM is pushing for action after figures last week showed average petrol prices exceeded 1.70 per litre for the first time - despite the Chancellor introducing a 5p per litre duty cut on March 23. But two months later and Britain's motorists are yet to see any benefit at the pumps with forecourts continuing to advertise petrol and diesel at record prices. Department for Transport officials have been tasked with drawing up plans to 'name and shame' garages that choose to raise profit margins rather than pass on the cut to customers. According to Sunday Telegraph, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has suggested a 'pump watch' name-and-shame scheme. A Downing Street source said: 'Officials are considering mechanisms available to expose those companies that aren't passing on tax benefits to consumers.' Advertisement Viktor Orban, Hungary's hardline leader who shares good ties with Moscow, had been bitterly opposed - saying cutting his country off from Russian oil would be like dropping a 'nuclear bomb' on its economy. In the event, leaders agreed to a ban on Russian oil being brought in by sea - which Council President Charles Michel said on Monday would mean cutting off 70 per cent of supplies. Taken together with unilateral action from Germany and Poland to shut off pipeline oil, it will mean an effective ban of 90 per cent by the end of the year, he added. The ban will deprive Russia's economy of hundreds of billions of dollars in trade, along with billions more in coal exports which have already been banned. It forms part of a sixth package of sanction on Russia which will be published later this week, including cutting off another of its banks from the Swift payment system, as well as restrictions on more state media and asset freezes for individuals. The latest development could signal the return of the derisory situation millions of motorists faced in March, when fuel prices were hitting new records daily. Soaring fuel prices are a blow to families embarking on half-term trips and people planning to travel over the four-day Platinum Jubilee bank holiday period, which begins on Thursday. Diesel prices were also at record levels on Monday, after the average price hit 182.7p per litre over the weekend. Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: 'Millions of drivers will now be faced with a bill of 100 or more to fill up their cars. 'While many drivers will sensibly be seeking to maximise their miles per gallon by going easy on the throttle, the risk now is that some might misjudge the difference between running low and running out in the hope that tomorrow's prices will be lower. 'But we wouldn't bet against the pain increasing further, with oil pushing up above the 120 US dollars a barrel mark and the wholesale price of petrol still rising.' Pump prices only started falling after Chancellor Rishi Sunak (pictured in March) slashed fuel duty on petrol and diesel by 5p a litre in his March mini-budget British drivers are paying more in fuel tax than they did 12 months ago - even after Rishi Sunak's 5p per litre cut Figures show how hard-pressed motorists in the UK are forking out more in taxes per tank of petrol than most EU countries, including Ireland, Italy and Spain, as ministers face renewed calls to slash VAT on fuel It comes as MailOnline revealed British drivers are paying more in fuel tax than they did 12 months ago - even after Rishi Sunak's 5p per litre cut, a new analysis of pump prices has revealed. Figures show how hard-pressed motorists in the UK are forking out more in taxes per tank of petrol than most EU countries, including Ireland, Italy and Spain. And diesel drivers are paying more in taxes per tank than any EU country. Meanwhile, a new poll has found more than half of Britons blame the Government for rising petrol prices, as ministers face renewed calls to slash VAT on fuel. Based on official figures from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the analysis revealed Britons are currently paying 44 in taxes on petrol each time they fill up a typical car with a 55-litre tank. This is 55p more than they were paying in April last year, despite the Chancellor having cut fuel duty by 5p per litre on 23rd March this year. The analysis of BEIS figures, conducted by the Liberal Democrats, also showed diesel drivers are paying 45 in taxes per tank each time they fill up. Ministers are under pressure to ensure petrol stations are passing on Mr Sunak's 5p per litre cut in fuel duty to motorists. It has been claimed firms are 'profiteering' from the reduced levy by failing to pass on the full cut at the pumps. The developments come as it was widely reported Prime Minister Boris Johnson is ready to name and shame those firms that are refusing to drop their prices at the forecourts for Britain's beleaguered drivers. The PM is pushing for action after figures last week showed average petrol prices exceeded 1.70 per litre for the first time - despite the Chancellor introducing a 5p per litre duty cut on March 23. Department for Transport officials have been tasked with drawing up plans to 'name and shame' garages that choose to raise profit margins rather than pass on the cut to customers. According to Sunday Telegraph, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has suggested a 'pump watch' name-and-shame scheme. A Downing Street source said: 'Officials are considering mechanisms available to expose those companies that aren't passing on tax benefits to consumers.' A spokesperson for the Prime Minister today said the Government was 'exploring our options' with regards to further action, after Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng wrote to petrol firms earlier this month to warn they could face legal action. In a letter to industry leaders, the Cabinet minister informed them he had asked the competition watchdog to 'closely monitor' fuel prices. And Mr Kwarteng said he had been 'reassured' the Competition and Markets Authority would 'not hesitate to use their powers' if they found law breaches. A Roman pendant in the shape of a penis that was discovered in a Kent field has been declared as a piece of treasure. The phallic shape, which is 1.2inches long and less than half an inch wide, was found by retired estate agent Wendy Thompson while she was scouring farmland in Higham near Gravesend with a metal detector. The ancient relic is believed to date back between 43 AD and 410 AD - the years that troops from the Roman Empire occupied Britain. It has been dubbed a 'significant national find' by the British Museum and is believed to be only the second silver penis pendant found in England. A further 450 phallic objects made from other types of material have previously been found in the UK. It was not possible to narrowly date the pendant but a report by the British Museum that was read out at the inquest where the object was ruled as treasure said that the Empire was known for its 'large corpus of phallic imagery'. A Roman pendant in the shape of a penis that was discovered in a Kent field has been declared as a piece of treasure. The ancient relic is believed to date back between 43 AD and 410 AD - the years that troops from the Roman Empire occupied Britain Ms Thompson, 73, told KentOnline: 'The rarity of it is that it's a silver example of a penis pendant. WHEN IS A FIND CLASSED AS TREASURE? The following are Treasure by law in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, according to the British Museum: Any metallic object, other than a coin, that at least 10 per cent by weight of metal is precious metal and that it is at least 300 years old when found. If the object is of prehistoric date it will be Treasure provided any part of it is precious metal. Any group of two or more metallic objects of any composition of prehistoric date from the same find. Two or more coins from the same find provided they are at least 300 years old when found and contain 10 per cent gold or silver If the coins contain less than 10 per cent of gold or silver there must be at least ten of them. Only the following groups of coins will normally be regarded as coming from the same find: Hoards that have been deliberately hidden Smaller groups of coins, such as the contents of purses, that may been dropped or lost Votive or ritual deposits Any object, whatever it is made of, that is found in the same place as, or had previously been together with, another object that is Treasure. Any object that would previously have been treasure trove, but does not fall within the specific categories above. Only objects that are less than 300 years old, that are made substantially of gold or silver, that have been deliberately hidden with the intention of recovery and whose owners or heirs are unknown. SOURCE: British Museum Advertisement 'I've got other bronze ones that I have found in the past but they're nowhere near as significant, they hadn't ever found a silver one before in England. 'But it isn't really the worth of the thing to my mind, it's the interest. Some coins, for example, are just wonderful to look at. 'The last person to hold that was back in that era. It's a long, long time that it's been lying in the ground waiting for me to come along and find it.' Ms Thompson found the object on New Year's Eve in 2020. The other silver penis pendant in Britain was found. is a dual-sided pendant from the Caerleon bath-house in Wales. Unlike the latest find, that one features testicles. An inquest took place at County Hall in Maidstone, Kent on May 26 to determine whether or not the jewellery should be classed as treasure. Coroner Roger Hatch described the item before reading a short report from the British Museum. The report said: 'It is not possible to narrowly date this pendant, as no direct parallel with secure dating evidence can be found. 'The large corpus of phallic imagery across the Roman Empire however, strongly points to a exclusively 'Roman' tradition, and thus, in the case of phallic objects found in Roman Britain, a date of 43-410 AD can be confidently assigned.' Experts at the British Museum described the artefact as having a reverse triangular top section with 'ribbed decoration, presumably public hair, narrowing to a tapering shaft and terminating in a raised band foreskin.' The object weighs just 0.3 ounces (9.7grams). Phallic jewellery was worn by both people and animals during the Roman period as protective amulets against the effects of the 'evil eye' - a personification of bad luck. The vast majority were made from copper-alloy and were designed to be gaudy and noticeable. Similar archaeological discoveries, along with phallic wall carvings at locations such as Hadrian's wall, suggest the symbol of the penis had a close association with military sites. This is supported by written evidence from Pliny, a Roman author and philosopher, who attributed the phallus to the embodiment of Fascinus - the guardian of infants and generals. The association of the phallus with children is also mentioned by another prolific Roman author, Varro, who noted 'a certain indecent object that is hung on the neck of boys to prevent harm coming to them.' The phallic amulet, which is little more than 1.5inches long and less than half an inch wide, was found by retired estate agent Wendy Thompson (pictured) while she was scouring farmland in Higham near Gravesend with a metal detector The report added: 'It is clear that this object likely dates to before 1721 and, as the object is made of more than 10 per cent precious metals, it constitutes potential Treasure under the stipulations of The Treasure Act 1996. Mr Hatch agreed with the British Museum and declared the silver penis pendant a piece of treasure. Ms Thompson, from Lydd, Kent, said that she 'hates' the fact that the law requires metal detectorists to report finds within 14 days because 'you know you are going to lose sight of that object for years.' She is still waiting for the pendant to be valued and once it is sold the money will be split between her and the landowner, as is common practice. However the money is not what drives her enthusiasm for digging up ancient objects. She said: 'I'm not after the money but it is nice to see it sold for its value. 'I don't find things because they are valuable, it's because of the history and you know that somebody once had that object. It's magical really.' 'It is the first silver example of its class purported to be discovered, and thus a significant national find.' Johnny Depp received a standing ovation after performing at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Monday night alongside guitarist Jeff Beck for the second night in a row amid his ongoing legal battle with his ex-wife Amber Heard. Concert-goers had expressed hope the 58-year-old actor may appear at the Royal Albert Hall in west London after performing with Beck at Sheffield City Hall on Sunday. Depp did not disappoint them and took to the stage once more on Monday to perform in London. The actor waved and blew kisses to the crowd as they gave him a standing ovation and cheered his name after the set. His appearance comes as the jurors deliberating the duelling defamation claims from Depp and Heard are set to resume their deliberations today after failing to reach a resolution in the widely watched six-week trial on Friday. The seven-person jury deliberated for about two hours Friday before adjourning for the U.S. Memorial Day holiday weekend. Johnny Depp has appeared on stage at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Monday night alongside guitarist Jeff Beck for the second night in a row amid his ongoing legal battle The 58-year-old actor is currently embroiled in the high-profile legal fight with his ex-wife, Amber Heard , who he is suing for $50million (38.2million). Concert-goers had expressed hope the actor may appear at the Royal Albert Hall in west London after performing with Beck at Sheffield City Hall on Sunday The actor joined Jeff Beck at London's Royal Albert Hall playing seven songs including Jimi Hendrix's Little Wing and John Lennon's Isolation. One fan, Angela Flannery, 38, from Southend-on-Sea, a city in southeast England, said of Depp's appearance on stage: 'I was pretty shocked. I have always been a massive fan of his. 'My other half took me to this gig just to see Jeff Beck, I had no idea Johnny would be playing. 'It was brilliant, such a fantastic night in general... a special mention to the drummer girl, she was absolutely amazing (and) Johnny Depp smashed it. 'I'll die happy (that) I've been in the same room as him now.' Depp's appearance in the UK has surprised many as he awaits a verdict in his multimillion-dollar defamation lawsuit with Heard. Some fans were not keen on Depp performing at the gig. Austin Delord said: 'Too much Johnny Depp, we did not come here to see him. Bit of a publicity stunt, he did not bring much to the party, but he took away so much from Beck.' Francesca Cox, 23, said: 'It was cool, unexpected. I preferred what was before.' Others were glad to see the star, celebrating his arrival on stage with shouts of: 'I love you Johnny!' Moments before he appeared Beck said: 'We first met when he knocked on my dressing room door five years ago. The actor joined Jeff Beck at London's Royal Albert Hall playing seven songs including Jimi Hendrix's Little Wing and John Lennon's Isolation Some of the fans in London however said they would have rather just watched Beck on his own 'We've been trying to keep it a secret but, well, here he is.' The pair also played Marvin Gaye's What's Going On and The Beatles' A Day in the Life. Ann-Marie Robertson, a Californian who came to see Beck's show said of Depp: 'I loved it. He tells a story with the lyrics and I understand the words. He is an actor and he really gets it across.' After the show a 100-strong crowd gathered outside a back entrance hoping to catch a glimpse of the 58-year-old Pirates of the Caribbean star. The Pirates Of The Caribbean actor is suing his former partner over a 2018 article she wrote in the Washington Post, which was titled: 'I spoke up against sexual violence - and faced our culture's wrath. That has to change.' The Pirates Of The Caribbean actor (pictured performing on Monday night) is suing his former partner over a 2018 article she wrote in the Washington Post, which was titled: 'I spoke up against sexual violence - and faced our culture's wrath. That has to change' Johnny Depp pictured at the Royal Albert Hall in London, thanking fans after he performed alongside guitarist Jeff Beck for a second night in a row The article does not mention Depp by name, yet his lawyers say it falsely implies he physically and sexually abused the Aquaman actress while they were together. Depp spent Sunday night onstage after apparently flying straight from his libel trial in Fairfax, Virginia, to Sheffield City Hall to rock with Beck, performing a cover of John Lennon's 'Isolation,' according to MSN. After the show, the Hollywood star met fans outside the venue, posing for photos and signing autographs. Many clips of them playing together were circulated on social media on Monday (pictured). Depp's appearance in the UK has surprised many as he awaits a verdict in his multimillion-dollar defamation lawsuit with his ex-wife Amber Heard Depp also spent Sunday night onstage after apparently flying straight to Sheffield City Hall to rock with Beck, performing a cover of John Lennon's 'Isolation,' according to MSN. Depp pictured on Monday night Scenes outside of the Royal Albert Hall after Johnny Depp performed alongside Jeff Beck on Monday night An Instagram user who caught a shot of the Pirates of the Caribbean star wrote: 'Wasn't expecting this... I thought he was in court but turns out he's in Sheffield with Jeff Beck.' 'JOHNNY SINGING ISOLATION OMG' exclaimed a Twitter user who caught a quick video of the performance. The song, released officially by the pair in 2020, has recently gained notoriety due to the publicity from the trial. The duo also performed covers of Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On' and Jimi Hendrix's 'Little Wing,' according to The Hollywood Reporter. Depp flew straight from Virginia in the US to join his music collaborator Jeff Beck on his European tour Attendees expressed shock and delight over the Hollywood star's unannounced appearance 'Mr. Depp is in the United Kingdom, as he was a few weeks ago, to adhere to his previously scheduled work obligations,' a source close to Depp told CourtTV. Depp and Beck, 77, frequently recorded together during lockdown in the initial wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. He plays guitar in a band with Alice Cooper and Aerosmith's Joe Perry called the Hollywood Vampires. He plays guitar in a band with Alice Cooper and Aerosmith's Joe Perry called the Hollywood Vampires. Brits caught up in the ongoing chaos at airports revealed their horror stories today, from dream holidays cancelled at the departure gate by text and going without luggage for four days with no warning to standing in a 500-deep queue with one member of staff. Have you been hit by travel delays today or had your holiday cancelled? Email tips@dailymail.com with your story Advertisement There has been chaos, confusion and cancellations at the majority of the UK's airports over the past four days as families try to get away for half term and the jubilee, with 6,000-plus flights to and from Britain due each day peaking next Monday. There have also been long delays at Dover for drivers heading to France and delays at St Pancras for Eurostar services to the continent. People have queued through the night to check-in while some brought pillows and duvets knowing they would be forced to sleep on terminal floors. Others slept on baggage carousels while waiting hours for their suitcases, some of which never arrived and are missing 96 hours later. Airlines and airports have been blamed for the carnage having slashed staff during the pandemic while hoovering up furlough payments and state aid. Now they do not have enough workers to cope - and cannot find people to fill often low-paid vacancies - as the numbers booking foreign holidays over the Platinum Jubilee week and through the summer months hit pre-pandemic levels. Below is a snapshot of how the chaos is affecting passengers. Couple spend four days without baggage Legal reviewer Paris Nedderman and James Palmer were left waiting for their luggage for four days after it got 'stuck' at Manchester Airport - but never received any communication from carrier Ryanair to tell them what had happened. Ms Nedderman, 23, and her 28-year-old boyfriend left for Bologna in southern Italy on the morning of May 28. She described Manchester Airport as an 'absolute shambles with minimal staff, huge queues, broken conveyor belts and a lack of organisation'. Paris Nedderman, 23, and her 28-year-old boyfriend James Palmer left for Bologna in southern Italy on the morning of May 28. After arriving at Bologna Airport, the couple and around 60 other passengers spent three hours waiting to be told what had happened to their luggage. 'The lady at the lost baggage desk informed us that ''the conveyor belt broke'' in Manchester so they still had our luggage,' she told MailOnline. 'Kids were crying and parents were anxious as they knew they would have to bear the expense of having to buy lots of new clothes, suncream and whatever else was in their case. 'During our time in Bologna we spent over 200 euros on clothing for the week because we did not know when we would get our bags back due to the lack of communication. 'We are now on day 4, and have only just received a call from Bologna Airport to say that the case has been received and they will get it on the next flight to us. Still no call from Manchester Airport or Ryanair, we are disgusted.' Manchester Airport said: 'We are sorry to hear that these passengers had a disappointing experience. Due to a technical fault, some luggage in Terminal Three had to be manually processed for screening for a short period on Saturday morning. Once screened, this luggage was collected by the airline's designated handling agent, who are then responsible for ensuring that bags reach their destination. 'Our industry is still recovering from the most damaging two years in its history and throughout much of this period, Terminal Three was closed due to a lack of demand for travel, only reopening in April.' Ryanair said: 'Due to a baggage belt failure at Manchester Airport, a number of passengers did not receive their checked baggage upon arrival in Bologna. 'We are working with our handling agents at Manchester Airport to reunite customers with their baggage as soon as possible and sincerely apologise to customers for this delay.' Family fear they could be left 4,000 out of pocket Steven Hession, 45, was supposed to be flying from Manchester Airport to Kos on Saturday with his wife, Kerrie, and their two children for a fortnight and an upcoming family wedding. But after hours of delays and chaos, the family got to the departure gate only to get a text message from airline TUI informing them that their flight and holiday had been cancelled due to 'significant operational disruption' - believed to be a missing pilot. Mr Hession, from Blackburn, Lancashire, said: 'It was horrendous; even on arrival to check in at Terminal 2, the queues were stretching right back to Terminal 1. 'After many hours of delays, we were at the boarding gate just after 7pm and there was no staff one there, but then we saw the cabin crew walking through to the plane, which made us feel reassured. 'But then we heard people crying... and everyone got this text at the same time saying unfortunately, your holiday has been cancelled, click this link to get a refund within 14 days.' Steven Hession, 45, enjoys some fizz as he heads to Manchester Airport with his family for a 4,000 two week break to the Greek island of Kos. Hours later, after long delays, the entire break was axed Kind friends turned up in the middle of the night to take the disappointed family back to Blackburn, meaning that they arrived back home just after midnight, almost 13 hours after they had left home for what they thought would be an amazing fortnight overseas. Fortunately, the bride and groom managed to fly out to Kos on Sunday, and Mr Hession booked new flights for himself and his family in time for the wedding. He is due to fly from Newcastle on Wednesday, and his wife and children from Leeds Bradford Airport, at considerable extra cost. But he says questions hang over their accommodation when they get there, and that if they do manage to find some, they could lose their refund. Mr Hession added: 'Now that we have got the flights, it's a gamble because our hotel is full as it's half term... the TUI representative is telling people that if they turn up that means your holiday's valid so you might not get a refund. 'The holiday itself was four grand, and I've spent a grand on new flights, and around 200 on minibuses for them. If we get to the hotel, it could be that they have accommodation and look after us, and pay for the extra cost, or it could work out another three or four grand.' TUI said: 'We would like to apologise to some of our customers who have experienced flight delays in recent days. 'The May half-term holidays are always an incredibly busy period with many customers looking to get away, and this year is no different. 'We understand that many of our customers have been looking forward to these holidays, as it's the first peak period in more than two years that hasn't been impacted by border closures and mass testing requirements. Our priority is always to take customers on holiday safely.' Five-year-old's devastation as TUI cancel her FIRST EVER overseas trip A mother said her five-year-old daughter didn't want to go on holiday 'ever again' after the family went through a 'shocking' experience with TUI. Kim McManus, 40, from Widnes, was due to fly out to Turkey on Friday for her daughter's first ever holiday abroad when they heard their flight had been overbooked. Less than an hour later, the mother of one received a text from TUI announcing that their whole package holiday had also been cancelled. Autumn 'broke down sobbing' once she heard the news. Her Disney bag packed, Autumn, five, was beaming, left, at Manchester airport ready for her first foreign holiday. But her smiles turned to tears, right, after the trip to Turkey with her mum was cancelled after their flight was axed. Ms McManus said: 'We had to get there early because of traffic issues, and then the flight was delayed by about five hours. 'We were all queuing up to get on the plane when they came around to everybody and said that the flight had been overbooked by 13 people. 'Six people hadn't shown up so they were now seven people too many. They were asking people to volunteer to not fly but without the guarantee of another flight at all in the next week. 'Nobody was going to take that so we waited for another hour and then they came over the tannoy and said that the cabin crew have now gone over their allotted hours and therefore the flight would now be cancelled. 'I was so shocked. It's my first holiday in seven years and it's my little girl's first holiday ever. She just broke down sobbing, saying ''please mummy please you said there was only one more sleep''. She was just absolutely devastated.' Tui said: 'We would like to apologise for the inconvenience to our customers on flight TOM856 from Manchester to Antalya, on Friday 27th May who were delayed due to a combination of factors causing significant operational disruption. 'Unfortunately, we felt the impact to customers' holiday was too great and took the difficult decision to cancel the flight. We contacted affected customers as soon as we became aware of the change and all customers will receive a full refund within 14 days. 'We understand how disappointing and frustrating this is and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.' 'Hell on wheels' check-in at Gatwick... and POLICE sent to tell passengers of cancellations in Manchester Student Isabelle Gray, 27, told the Evening Standard that checking in at Gatwick today was 'hell on wheels'. She said: 'I arrived here just after 5am and queued for almost 2 hours to check my bag in, the queue was about 500 deep and there was one person at the check in desk. Some people next to me were thinking of putting their suitcase in a locker and running to the gate with just hand luggage.' Airlines and airports have been blamed for the carnage having slashed staff during the pandemic while hoovering up furlough payments and state aid. Now they do not have enough workers to cope - and cannot find people to fill often low-paid vacancies - as the numbers booking foreign holidays over the Platinum Jubilee week and through the summer months hit pre-pandemic levels. No airport or @TUIUK staff on hand, the police read out a statement on their behalf. From this point it took another 2 hrs to get our bags back as we were left stranded in baggage reclaim with no staff to advise us what was happening 2/3 pic.twitter.com/idn9uG5X49 Jayesh Patel (@smurfyhelp_jay) May 29, 2022 It was police, not TUI staff, who were sent in to tell weary passengers at Manchester Airport that their entire holiday to Greece was cancelled and they had to leave Meanwhile, Jayesh Patel, whose half term break to Kos had been two years in the planning, said there was anger and tears at Manchester Airport as two policemen arrived to read a statement from TUI, moments after they began receiving texts telling them their flight and package breaks would not go ahead. He told the BBC today: 'The airport was understaffed, a lot of the outlets had ran out of food or closed at 6pm. We got called to the gate for the 7pm take off - four hours late. There was no staff. 'People were very upset - some were going on their honeymoon. And then we all started getting texts that the flight was now cancelled and because it was a package booking the whole holiday was cancelled'. He added: 'The worst part that there was no Tui staff to help. And then two police officers arrived and read a statement telling us how we would exit the airport. 'Because the airplane hadn't arrived from anywhere, our flight wasn't listed at any of the baggage carousels so we didn't know where to wait - people were visibly upset and children were crying. 'We then had to wait another couple of hours and at this point, we'd spent the whole day at the airport and just wanted to leave.' Meanwhile, the Saunders family were left devastated after their first holiday since the Covid pandemic was cancelled by TUI as they waited to board their flight. Another family was left devastated after their first holiday since the Covid pandemic was cancelled by TUI as they waited to board their flight. Anna Saunders, pictured with her husband Matthew, and kids Eva and Jack Passengers told Vueling flight took off 'empty' because of delays at Gatwick Passengers booked on a Vueling flight from Gatwick were told the plane departed empty because of delays at the West Sussex airport. Flight VY6209 was due to take off for the Italian city of Florence at 8.20pm yesterday. But the Airbus A319 - which can carry up to 144 passengers - left nearly two hours late with no-one on board for the 734-mile flight. Nisha Gupta, 32, from Windsor, Berkshire, was booked on the flight with her husband Ash. She said that they were forced to queue for more than four hours to check in luggage, but when they arrived at the departure gate they were informed no passengers could board the plane due to a staff shortage. She said: 'Eventually we were told by staff that the pilots made a decision to fly the plane back empty without a single passenger onboard due to Florence airspace closing. 'The environmental impact of this is insane and a decision was clearly made to prioritise cost implications over customer experience and environmental impact. 'Throughout this entire experience, there was a maximum of three staff members dealing with all Vueling flights that day. 'We got to the airport at 3pm and did not leave until 2am after having to wait around to give details to the one staff member dealing with all cancelled flights, taking details and trying to book people into hotels. 'No food or drinks were provided at all. Neither were any meal vouchers as per customer rights in the instance of a delay.' The airline's passengers at Gatwick continued to face severe difficulties. One person posted a photograph showing a large crowd of people waiting to check-in, with the caption: 'Vueling you need to get a grip of this absolute chaos at Gatwick. 'One member of staff to handle this many people is completely unacceptable. Do you understand the impact this has on people?' The airline was approached for a comment. Family who released an image of their 'exhausted' six-year-old in tears while stuck in Cyprus due to two cancelled flights have finally made it home - after more than 50 hours of delays A family who released an image of their 'exhausted' six-year-old in tears while stuck in Cyprus due to two cancelled flights have finally made it home - after more than 50 hours of delays. Glenda, 40, and Stephen Powell, 46, were due to travel back to Bristol Airport from Paphos, Cyprus, with their two young children over the weekend but TUI cancelled their flights twice. The couple from Bristol claimed they had been left stranded abroad since Saturday - and revealed they only just returned home this morning at 4am. The pair have described the situation as an 'absolute joke' - and their story hit the headlines after Mrs Powell posted images of their 'exhausted' six-year-old daughter in tears. Mrs Powell said: 'It's pure relief to be back home. 'The stress of going back and forwards to the airport, packing, unpacking, washing some clothes in hotel room sinks because you've ran out. 'When you have pets at home and work commitments you don't want a couple of extra days of holiday, you want to get home. 'You book a weeks holiday for a reason, if I'd wanted to stay longer I would have booked 10 days. 'I am exhausted.' Mrs Powell took to social media on the night of the families second flight cancellation on May 29 - where she shared an image of her 'exhausted' six-year-old daughter, Freya, crying because she is unable to return to the UK The Powell's original flight back to Bristol airport at 6.25pm GMT was cancelled on Saturday, as was their subsequent flight home at 1:20am yesterday. The family were forced to stay in a hotel after learning about their flight cancellations. But on the third attempt, the family were able to finally get on a plane back to the UK at 8.35pm last night. The family had fly to Manchester Airport and had to get a long coach back to Bristol - adding another four hours onto their journey. TUI told Mrs Powell the reason for the delay was 'due to operational disruption in the TUI fleet' and the plane 'operated at the earliest opportunity'. Mrs Powell said: 'The cabin crew were very apologetic and we got through passport control and baggage reclaim fairly quickly at Manchester and into our coach. 'There was anxiety around the group about whether the coaches would turn up as, we had all read stories of passengers stranded at different airports having to pay for taxis! 'So when they did it was pure relief.' The couple, who both serve as police officers, said they were lucky to have missed problems at Bristol Airport when they flew out on May 21 - but upon returning home this morning (31 May) Mrs Powell described the scenes as chaotic. She added: 'We got into Bristol Airport at about 3.30am to carnage - I couldn't believe how busy it was at that time of the morning! 'So we grabbed an Uber and got out of there.' After demanding the 'powers that be to step up', Mrs Powell and her family admitted they were not 'convinced of returning to the UK last night until the landing gear went up and we were in the air'. Mrs Powell took to social media on the night of the families second flight cancellation on May 29 - where she shared an image of her 'exhausted' six-year-old daughter, Freya, crying because she is unable to return to the UK. She wrote: '2nd attempt to get home...So our Manchester flight is cancelled.... Literally got off the coach at the airport to be turned straight back round to go back to the same hotel/room. 'Absolute joke... Tui this is the face of a six-year-old who is exhausted from travelling to an airport at 10pm and just wants to go home we were supposed to get on our flight 24 hours ago.' Mrs Powell added: 'After the first cancellation, we were then told by email we would be put on the 1.20 am flight to Manchester on May 30 with a coach transfer to Bristol. 'Families were checking online themselves for the status of said flight and rumours were going around that it was cancelled. 'Sure enough, when we arrived at the airport and unloaded our luggage we did not even enter the airport as the information board displayed that our flight was again cancelled. 'My daughters burst into tears with the anxiety and just wanted to go home.' Mrs Powell also revealed the family were informed on Sunday by an airport representative that they would be upgraded to all-inclusive at their hotel - but were disappointed after there was 'no communicated about this at the hotel'. She said: 'I feel like TUI told us what we wanted to hear just to keep the peace at the time as emotions were running high. 'There's a lot going on in the world which is significantly worse than this but when you save and pay for a service you expect them to follow through.' Mr Powell was also due to attend a three-day trial at 9am on Monday morning to give evidence at Bristol Crown Court but was forced to cancel. The mother-of-two added the responses she had received from TUI have been 'fairly automated responses' and demanded 'the powers that be need to step up, put their hands up and apologise properly'. The family have been offered 200 each towards another TUI holiday, as well as the standard flight cancellation compensation, but Mrs Powell reveals she is 'not really feeling like booking a holiday with them unless this all calms down'. Mrs Powell says she has not formally complained yet from being 'too exhausted' but she is planning to. TUI issued a statement apologising to its customers for flight cancellations and claims to have been in contact with passengers to advise of new service departure times. A spokesperson said: 'We'd like to apologise to customers travelling on flight TOM6677 from Paphos to Bristol which was unable to depart as planned on Saturday 28 May due to operational issues. 'All impacted customers were offered welfare vouchers, overnight accommodation and meals while we worked through a new flight plan. 'We were in regular contact with customers and advised them of their new departure time as soon as we could. Customers are now due to arrive in Manchester this evening and transport back to Bristol Airport will be provided. 'We'd like to thank customers for their patience and understanding during this time.' Terrified residents in Hull say they are living in fear of a knife-wielding gang roaming their neighbourhood slashing car tyres, banging on homes and even smashing a window. Since December, people living in New George Street have repeatedly had their cars vandalised by a group of young men, aged about 18. They estimate that 37 cars have been targeted so far, resulting in thousands of pounds worth of damage. Despite the police being informed, the perpetrators have returned numerous times, residents claim. Some have struggled to go about their everyday lives taking their children to school or going to work without their cars in working order. Molly Bell (above) is a resident of New George Street in Hull, where locals say they have been targeted by a gang of knife-wielding young men, who have repeatedly slashed car tyres. After having her car vandalised multiple times, Molly says she is is now too afraid to leave it in the street she lives in. Other residents admitted they were now too scared to park their vehicles outside their own homes. While they say the saga has been going on for months, the recent batch of slashings started on May 19 in the early hours of the morning. Tenants on the street spotted three young men popping tyres around 2am, according to MEN Media. Sallah, a taxi driver who lives on the street, said: 'I saw them down on the pavement with a knife popping tyres. 'I then looked down the street and saw that nearly all of the cars on the street had flat tyres. 'I chased after them to Jubilee Square, while others called the police, but they were armed. 'The police didn't arrive for another 40 minutes, even though we told them that they had weapons.' Residents hoped that their CCTV footage would be enough to catch the youths, but the gang returned again the following night to wreak more havoc. The gang is accused of terrorising the neighbourhhood for months, including kicking over bins, banging on homes, stealing a bike and smashing a window. The suspects (above) can be seen fleeing the scene on May 25. Another resident, Molly Bell, described how the young men had tormented them in other ways - banging on windows and doors in the street, knocking over bins and screaming: 'Come on, do something!' She added that the recent events had made the street 'dangerous' and that she feared for her vulnerable neighbors, many of whom are children or disabled people. She said: 'I first had my tyres slashed in December last year and I thought it was personal, because other cars hadn't been vandalised at that point. 'I had them replaced and the same thing happened in February, then more recently I've had two tyres popped in May. 'It got to the point where I was too scared to park my car outside my house, so would take it to my family member's house in Willerby. 'I've had to walk home with all my shopping, because I can't drive in fear of having to pay to have my tyres replaced yet again. That's not the only thing those boys have been up to either. 'I was woken up to the sound of shouting and banging on windows and doors. 'Early in the morning, the young men had returned but this time they were knocking over all the bins in the street so that rubbish was strewn everywhere. 'They were screaming 'come on do something!' whilst they were doing it, so I would say they are very confrontational and scary people. 'There's lots of kids and disabled people on this street and it's usually very quiet and nice area, but it's so dangerous now.' Another resident, who did not wish to be named, detailed more of the gang's antics, which include stealing a bike off someone's balcony and smashing a flat window. She expressed her anger at how the situation has been dealt with and presented her call history to show how many phone calls she has made to police. The resident said: 'We have the names and addresses of the boys who we think did it, which we have handed to police, but still no arrests have been made. 'The police have told us to not put ourselves in harm's way but encourage us to film the suspects where we can. 'The young men have been up on someone's balcony stealing a bike, they've smashed a flat window, they have hammered nails into my neighbour's tyres - how much longer until they're in our houses? 'Sallah has chased after them and put himself at risk, but he thinks it's the only way of catching them and putting a stop to all of this. Residents of New George Street have issued a plea for the gang to cease their reign of terror. Victoria (above) has children who play on the street and she says she fears for them. 'You can bet that Sallah would be the one to get in trouble as well for going after them. 'How can the police just expect residents to sit back and let this happen? I couldn't go to work or drop my kids off at school because of the flat tyres on my car and a neighbour had to offer to give us lifts. 'There are also taxi drivers down this street who make a living from using their cars who are losing business. 'Thousands of pounds are having to be paid from our own pockets and they just keep returning. 'We've begged for a police car to be parked on the street overnight for a bit of protection but it hasn't happened - we just can't take it anymore.' The residents have now joined forces to issue a desperate plea for those responsible to end their reign of terror. They said they love the area and are fond of their neighbours and community, but are now fearful of being victimised. The Tyre Shop, a business located around the corner from New George Street, confirmed that they had had at least seven or eight residents come into the shop for tyre repairs. Residents have asked police to station a car in the street overnight to prevent further damage, but local Neighbourhood Inspector Caroline Andrews said they are considering the May 19 slashings as an 'isolated incident'. On police advice, they gave receipts to the customers to keep track of how many people have been affected. A Humberside Police spokesman said: 'Investigations are underway following reports that a number of tyres were damaged on vehicles down New George Street in Hull early on the morning of Thursday, May 19. 'It was reported that three men travelled down the street damaging tyres with a knife. 'They were challenged by a car owner and reportedly fled the area. Officers were deployed and carried out a full and thorough search of the area however the suspects were not located.' Local Neighbourhood Inspector Caroline Andrews said they are considering the May 19 slashings as an 'isolated incident'. She said: 'Firstly it is important to say that we believe this to be an isolated incident with no specific target. 'We have carried out a number of investigations since the incident, including speaking to witnesses and reviewing CCTV from the area, and these enquiries are continuing. 'As part of this, we have officers in the area and I would encourage anyone with any concerns to stop and speak to them.' Police urge anyone with information about the incident or those responsible to get in touch, either by calling the non-emergency 101 line quoting log 44 of 19 May or anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. A campaigner has today said that forcing rape victims to hand over their mobile phones to be scrutinised by police after reporting sex attacks in what is tantamount to a 'digital strip search' is 'really intrusive'. Kat Araniello, who was allegedly raped multiple times by a man she had briefly dated but whose case was dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service, blasted 'wrongheaded' police investigations into victims. UK Information Commissioner John Edwards has told police to stop treating rape and sexual assault complainants as suspects by collecting excessive amounts of personal information including phone analysis. In a report published today, he says that victims are being asked to allow access to medical records, school reports, social service records and the contents of the mobile phones as a precondition to accessing justice. The result is what campaigners and rape and sex assault victims have branded a 'digital strip search'. Speaking to BBC Breakfast today, Miss Araniello said: 'It was really, really intrusive, and there are medical records that are just personal that you don't want an investigating officer, potentially even the defence, asking for as well to be scrutinised. Undated handout photo of Kat Araniello who had her rape case discontinued by prosecutors File photo dated May 2019 of a woman using her mobile phone Who is Kat Araniello? And what happened to her? Kat Araniello is a campaigner who says she was raped three times in four days once at knifepoint by a man she had briefly dated. She went to the police after the man attacked her. The suspect was charged with three counts of rape, impersonating a police officer, assault by beating, false imprisonment and criminal damage. He pleaded not guilty at a pre-trial hearing. Subsequently, the case was dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service. In a letter, they said 'there is not enough [evidence] to have a realistic prospect of conviction'. Describing the ordeal, Miss Araniello told ITV News: 'He punched me really hard in my head, he was pulling my hair and then he tried to break my hand, then he raped me. 'Every person involved in my investigation said this was a very strong case. 'In terms of the evidence, the police had the knife they had my clothing, which was shredded. I had been to a sexual assault referral centre with the police so they had the medical evidence. The bruising on my hands and thighs.' Advertisement 'And I didn't feel comfortable with that amount of information no longer being under the jurisdiction of my GP. It's now sitting in a police cabinet somewhere; it's not destroyed, it's still out there.' Miss Araniello says she was raped three times in four days - once at knifepoint - by a man she had briefly dated. She went to the police after the man attacked her. The suspect was charged with three counts of rape, impersonating a police officer, assault by beating, false imprisonment and criminal damage. He pleaded not guilty at a pre-trial hearing. Subsequently, the case was dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service. In a letter, they said 'there is not enough [evidence] to have a realistic prospect of conviction'. Describing the ordeal, Miss Araniello told ITV News: 'He punched me really hard in my head, he was pulling my hair and then he tried to break my hand, then he raped me. 'Every person involved in my investigation said this was a very strong case. 'In terms of the evidence, the police had the knife they had my clothing, which was shredded. I had been to a sexual assault referral centre with the police so they had the medical evidence. The bruising on my hands and thighs.' Mr Edwards has ordered root-and-branch reform of the way forces seek information about victims of rape and other sex crimes. He called for an 'immediate stop' to the use of a controversial consent form which grants detectives 'indiscriminate' access to information about individuals, known as a 'Stafford statement'. Police must ensure that individuals give 'free and fully informed consent' to officers accessing information about them, today's Information Commissioner's Office report says. Mr Edwards added that his proposals would 'reorient the investigation to put the victim at the centre of it'. Government figures show two out of five cases are closed because the victim withdraws cooperation from the police. Asked why police take so much data from complainants, Mr Edwards told the BBC: 'Well, I think it's thoughtlessness principally - I don't think there's any malice - and an abundance of caution. 'I think there's a desire to kind of pull every possible thread that might come up as a defence and, you know, we've determined that that is excessive, putting people like Katherine through that kind of experience. 'Katherine's experience is repeated many, many times around the country with these disproportionate requests for information. Left, photo of Kat Araniello. Right, UK Information Commissioner John Edwards 'We've called our report Who Is Under Investigation?, because the experience of many survivors of these offences is that they are the ones who are being investigated, not the suspects.' Mr Edwards said rape victims should only have their phones taken away for 24 hours during police investigations and there should be a 'relationship of relevance' for information sought under new guidelines. 'We have seen changes in practice,' he told Radio 4's Today programme. 'The Attorney General's guidelines that came out last week mandate that the phones themselves should be returned within 24 hours. 'But we're still concerned about the experience of feeling examined and scrutinised, and all that data from a phone sitting on a police file.' He added: 'There's an element of indiscriminacy which we're concerned about. 'Our report, I think, is reinforced by the guidelines put out by the Attorney General last week, which demand a relationship of relevance between the information sought and the offence under investigation.' Assistant Chief Constable Timothy De Meyer, of the National Police Chiefs' Council, said: 'We accept these recommendations and will continue to strive to protect privacy whilst observing the absolute right of defendants to a fair trial.' Actor Kirk Cameron hit out against American schools are becoming breeding grounds for far-left progressive agendas when speaking Actor Kirk Cameron has said American schools are becoming breeding grounds for far-left progressive agendas, such as critical race theory and gender ideology. The actor made the comments while referencing his upcoming film 'The Homeschool Awakening', written and directed by Caleb Price. The movie follows the journey of 17 homeschooling families who respond to misconceptions and stereotypes. 'The problem is that systems have become so bad,' he told Fox News Digital. 'It's sad to say they're doing more for grooming, for sexual chaos and the progressive left than any real educating about the things that most of us want to teach our kids.' Cameron shared his own experience with home-schooling his six children with his wife, Chelsea. 'Homeschool was not on our radar screen because we had these misconceptions and stereotypes like so many people do. Like, you know, that's for like Quakers and the Amish, and how could you possibly teach your kids enough so that they get into college? What about socialization?' Cameron said. He added his children had been better able to socialize with people of different ages after home schooling, contrary to misconceptions about the practice. 'It's sad to say they're doing more for grooming, for sexual chaos and the progressive left than any real educating about the things that most of us want to teach our kids,' said the actor The movie follows the journey of about 17 homeschooling families who respond to misconceptions and stereotypes Cameron shared his own experience with home-schooling his six children with his wife, Chelsea (not pictured) He added his children had been better able to socialize with people of different ages after home schooling, contrary to misconceptions about the practice Psychological studies have arrived at different conclusions about the impact of home schooling on child socialization. The actor hit out against a list of subjects which he said were 'destroying the family, destroying the church, destroying love for our great country'. He singled out critical race theory, gender theory, as well as The New York Times' 1619 Project - a reframing of US history that puts the legacy of slavery at its center. The start of the Covid-19 pandemic, he said, had opened the eyes of parents to what their children were being taught in schools, leading to a surge in support for homeschooling. Around 3% of US students were homeschooled before the pandemic-induced surge, according to the US Census Bureau. The number of homeschooling students increased by 63% in the 2020-2021 school year, in 18 states that shared data. Cameron got in hot water for featuring pastor James MacDonald, whom he described as a close friend, as a guest on his TBN program on 'biblical illiteracy'. Pastor MacDonald was fired from harvest Bible Chapel in February 2019, following reports of financial misconduct. A financial review found he had misused millions of church funds, but Cameron did not mentioned the scandal when featuring the pastor on his show. The Homeschool Awakening is set to come to theaters for two nights only on June 13 and June 14 at 7:00pm local time. The Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard $100million libel case is so complicated, that the verdict sheet has 42 questions the jury must answer before the deliver a verdict, DailyMail.com can reveal. The document was released by the court in Fairfax, Virginia and shows that there are 24 questions for Depp's claims and 18 for Heard's counterclaim. A verdict form is used to formalize the jury's decision on the case. Spanning eight pages, it means the jury has to decide on dozens of matters before reaching their verdict. There is also a section where they will have to decide on the damages for Depp and Heard - and any punitive damages. The case is now being deliberated by the jury after six weeks of graphic and raw evidence about Depp and Heard's stormy four year relationship and 15 month marriage. Jurors in the Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard $100million libel case are being required to answer 42 questions concerning both actors' claims before being allowed deliver a verdict, documents filed in federal court in Fairfax, Virginia, reveal Depp is seeking $50m from Heard for allegedly defaming him with an op-ed in the Washington Post in 2018 which claimed she was a survivor of domestic abuse. Heard, pictured here with attorney Elaine Bredehoff on Friday, countersued for $100m claiming that Depp's lawyer defamed her by claiming her allegations were an 'abuse hoax' Depp is seeking $50m from Heard for allegedly defaming him with an op-ed in the Washington Post in 2018 which claimed she was a survivor of domestic abuse. According to the Pirates of the Caribbean star, even though it didn't mention him by name it was obviously about him. Heard countersued for $100m claiming that Depp's lawyer Adam Waldman defamed her by claiming her allegations were an 'abuse hoax'. The verdict sheet, called a 'Special Verdict Form' asks the jury eight questions about each of the three statements at issue in Heard's op-ed. They were that Heard 'spoke up against sexual violence - and faced our culture's wrath. That has to change'. The document, filed in federal court last week, contains a section where jurors will have to decide on the damages for Depp One of the statements jurors were asked to discern if inflammatory, made by Heard in a Washington Post piece that alleged she was abused by Depp The second statement is: 'Two years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse and I felt the full force of our culture's wrath for women who speak out'. The third is: 'I had the rare vantage point of seeing in real time how institutions protect men accused of abuse'. In each case the jury has to 'find that Mr. Depp has proven all the elements of defamation'. If the answer is no, then they can move on to the next statement. But if they answer yes then the jury has to confirm all the necessary elements of defamation: that the statement as published by Heard, it was about Depp, that it was false, has a defamatory implication, that it was 'designed and intended by Heard' and that it 'conveyed a defamatory implication' to someone who saw it other than Depp. It is six years ago to the day that Amber Heard filed a restraining order against Depp, which Vasquez said 'ruined' the actor's life Closing arguments finifshed in the blockbuster defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard Friday. The proceedings saw Depp's all-star attorney Camille Vasquez began by labeling Amber Heard an 'abuser' The final question for each statement in the op-ed is whether it was proven by 'clear and convincing evidence' that Heard acted with 'actual malice'. The test is to show that the statements in question were made knowing they were false, the threshold for defamation. For Heard's claims against Depp, the jury has to answer six questions for each of the three statements at issue made by Waldman, Depp's lawyer, to the media in 2020. They were that Heard used 'fake sexual violence allegations as both a sword and a shield,' that the claims were an 'ambush, a hoax' and that Heard and her friends faked a crime scene, and that the allegations were an 'abuse hoax'. In each case the jury has to answer whether Heard has proven all the elements of defamation. If yes then the jury has to go through each of the necessary elements: did Waldman make the statements while acting as an agent for Depp, was the statement about Heard, was it seen by someone other than Head and was it false. 'There is an abuser in this courtroom but it's not Mr. Depp. There's a victim of abuse in this court but it's not Miss Heard,' Vaquez said Friday. 'Miss Heard is in fact the abuser and Mr. Depp is the abused.' Jurors will likely deliver a verdict in the complex libel case this week The jury also has to find that Waldman acted with 'actual malice.' For both Depp and Heard's claims the jury has to enter an amount for damages and punitive damages. Both sides are asking for at least $350,000 in punitive damages, plus legal fees and court costs. While Depp has not disclosed how much he has spent on attorneys, Heard told the court she has blown $6m on legal fees, though that number may have included a previous trial in London in 2020 which covered similar allegations. During closing arguments on Friday Depp's lawyer Camille Vasquez described Heard as a 'deeply troubled person'. She said: 'There is an abuser in this courtroom but it's not Mr. Depp. There's a victim of abuse in this court but it's not Miss Heard. 'Miss Heard is in fact the abuser and Mr Depp is the abused.' Heard's lawyer Benjamin Rottenborn urged the jury not to become an 'accomplice' in sending a message to survivors of abuse that they have to be perfect. He said that abusive texts shown to the jury were a 'window into the soul of America's favorite pirate', referring to Depp's role as Captain Jack Sparrow. Depp was pictured smiling and waving to fans when he left the courthouse while Amber Heard was seen hugging her lawyer as jurors began deliberations Friday. He left and shook hands with police officers before appeasing the large crowd of fans outside who were armed with banners and cameras. Heard's legal team had told the jury in closing arguments to 'think about the message' Johnny Depp and his legal team are sending Heard and 'by extension every victim of domestic violence.' Taking the floor Friday, Heard's lawyer Benjamin Rottenborn said, 'If you didn't take pictures it didn't' happen. If you did take pictures they're fake. If you didn't tell your friends they're lying. If you did tell your friends they're part of the hoax.' 'Failure to seek medical attention meant you were not injured,' Rottenborn said. 'If you do seek medical treatment then you're crazy and if you do everything to help your spouse rid himself of drugs and drink then 'you're a nag.' Rottenborn continued, 'And if you decide enough is enough and you have to leave to save yourself you're a gold digger. That's the message Mr. Depp is asking you to send. He said that in Johnny Depp's 'world' you don't leave him, and if you do 'he will start campaign of global humiliation against you. 'He will do everything he can to destroy your life, to destroy your career. That's what they're trying to get you to be an accomplice to.' 'Mr. Depp cannot and will not take responsibility for his own actions.' Jurors are set to resume deliberations Tuesday, with a verdict in the coming days imminent. Two serving Russian colonels have been 'intercepted' making blistering criticisms of Vladimir Putin and his defence minister Sergei Shoigu over the failing war with Ukraine. Their outbursts in a private voice call - allegedly bugged by the Kyiv secret services - show deep dissent among the high ranks. The expletive-laden call blames Putin for incompetence in not bombing the Ukrainian parliament and other key sites. Shoigu - who did not rise though the ranks - is dismissed as incompetent in military affairs. They hint at devastating losses on the Russian side in Ukraine, which have not been officially acknowledged. The bugged colonels in the 'intercepted' call are named as Maxim Vlasov, 42 (left) and Vitaly Kovtun, 47 (right) The stinging criticisms from battle-hardened colonels, published by Radio Liberty/Svoboda, are an acute embarrassment to the Kremlin. The bugged colonels are named as Maxim Vlasov, 42, and Vitaly Kovtun, 47. Kovtun voices high-ranking military anger in Russia that Putin failed to order the missile destruction of key sites in Kyiv linked to Volodymyr Zelensky's government including the parliament, the 'Supreme Rada'. 'There must have been a f****** missile hitting Kyiv, the Supreme Rada,' he said. 'Why didn't it? Why not? I don't understand, f****** Putin, mother******! 'Why wasn't there a missile strike at Kyiv? 'So that they thought: Ah yes, something is not quite right. Sergei Shoigu (pictured) - who did not rise though the ranks - is dismissed as incompetent in military affairs in the alleged call Two serving Russian colonels have been 'intercepted' making blistering criticisms of Vladimir Putin (pictured) and his defence minister Shoigu over the failing war with Ukraine 'Why not? Hit Kyiv, hit the centre of the city, buildings of Supreme Rada and Government House. 'Likely there isn't anyone important there, but the building will be destroyed, and everyone will see it?' Vlasov blasted Shoigu as a 'totally incompetent laymanhe is simply a showman'. Kovtun tells his friend: 'Shoigu is just s***. There aren't enough contract soldiers - of course there aren't, where would they come from, b**** (?)' He complains troops were paid only 30,000 roubles a month - less than 300 at the start of the war. He bemoans: 'Where the f*** to recruit them?' Shoigu is blasted for gathering around him officers from the Russian ministry of emergencies - which he used to head. 'He hasn't f****** served in the army at all,' blasts Vlasov. Pro-Russian troops pictured last week, driving a tank along a street past a destroyed residential building in the town of Popasna in the Luhansk Region, Ukraine They are scathing, too , about 'idiot' General Alexander Dvornikov, 60, aka the 'Butcher of Syria', drafted in by Putin after early failures in the war. Vlasov was heard saying: 'They've bred the whole galaxy of f****** toadies. 'Like this Dvornikov, he is a legendary f*****. 'Now he invented some "Anti-Bendera Dash". He is a total headless f*****.' Kovtun declares' 'I am soon taking a pitchfork, f***, and going to "Kremlin" square, f***. 'They've bred these s*** generals, various f****** Chaika and the like. Kovtun (circled) in the alleged call voices high-ranking military anger in Russia that Putin failed to order the missile destruction of key sites in Kyiv 'First we kill so many of our own men, then we wait for them to f****** kill more of our men. 'Look at them f****** perking up, read what they f****** write there .' The failure to take Kyiv and to use heavy missiles - which would have caused utter devastation in Ukraine - leaves them furious. 'They want infantry to go, they f****** want artillery to work at a distance,' said Kovtun. 'Spend the f****** bombs, f***, there are f****** plenty of them, just f****** throw them! Even if they hit the wrong target, let them start fearing, f****** aim at railway stations, f****** aim at railroads, roads, for f***'s sake.' The timing to the intercepted calls is not clear but it was after the Moskva cruiser - flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet - was sunk in a Ukrainian missile strike on 14 April. Kovtun said: 'They f***** destroyed the cruiser, sank the cruiser - so why not to hit them back, as revenge? 'Hit Kyiv, do it! But no. And what does it tell us? That they don't f****** care about us.' He added: 'You must be a mother****** not to respond to bombed villages. 'As soon as our villages were hit, we should have answered, a missile should have arrived.' On the death toll from the war, Vlasov said: 'The losses are terrible, our guys, f******. 'And, you know, I know a little bit of this military history, I compare this [with the] Soviet-Finnish war, 1939-40, f******, one to one , in general, as a template, f**k, let's go.' According to the recording, Kovtun (pictured) said: 'They want infantry to go, they f****** want artillery to work at a distance' It is unclear if he means that the death rate per week or month is the same. But during the war, Soviet losses were put at 126,875 in three and a half months. Russia has so far failed to outline its toll from the war in Ukraine. Kyiv and Western estimates suggest a likely loss of around 30,000. Journalists from the Skhemy - or Schemes - investigations unit at Radio Liberty sought to contact the colonels. They played fragments of the intercepted calls to Kovtun - notably his blast at Shoigu. Kovtun replied: 'I don't care, I'll report you to the FSB and that's it.' Vlasov failed to comment. Supreme Court law clerks are being asked to turn over their personal cell phone records and sign affidavits as the search ramps up for the person who leaked the draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade. Language of the affidavits and what the scope of the cell phone search will be are not yet clear, sources familiar with the efforts told CNN but the potential of handing over their personal devices have clerks exploring their options, including hiring outside counsel. Considering the crack down on law clerks, it's likely the court has not yet been successful in determining the source of the breach. While the move asking for personal phone records is unprecedented in the Supreme Court, so is a leak of a draft opinion that led to the investigation in the first place. On May 2, Politico published a scoop with what appeared to be a photocopy of a draft opinion from conservative Justice Samuel Alito that showed the overturn of Roe v. Wade, which would end federal protections for a woman's right to get an abortion and kick the issue back to the states. Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed the authenticity of the draft opinion and immediately launched an investigation into who leaked the document. Efforts are ramping up to find who leaked a draft Supreme Court opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade as investigators ask clerks to hand over their personal cell phone records and sign affidavits He appointed Supreme Court Marshal Gail A. Curley to lead the investigation to track down the leaker. The leak launched the country into a frenzy earlier in May with pro-choice activists showing up at conservative Supreme Court Justies' homes in protest and pro-life activists praising the move. Democrats are demanding action in Congress to codify federal abortion rights, while Republicans are furious over the leak and demanding the person who shared the document from the court be brought to justice. According to CNN, Justice Roberts met with law clerks as a group following the breach. It is still unclear, however, whether individual interviews have been conducted. Supreme Court Marshal Gail A. Curley (pictured), on the behest of Chief Justice John Roberts, is leading the investigation into finding who leaked the draft opinion Supreme Court Justices typically hire four clerks, which are young lawyers selected each year and are usually considered the most elite, consisting almost entirely of Ivy League law school graduates. A one-year clerkship at the highest U.S. court nearly cements an indivduals' ability to move onto a prestigious law firm or top government job. Some even go on to serve as senators. Six of the nine current Supreme Court Justices are former clerks themselves. The leaked opinion by Justice Alito was signed on by four of the other justices with the lone dissenting conservative justice being Chief Justice Roberts. Alito's opinion stems from the Mississippi case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which examined states restricting abortion at the 15-week point of a pregnancy. Roberts says that while e does support limiting terminating a pregnancy at that point, but doesn't go as far as wanting to fully overturning the landmark abortion case. Even without Roberts, however, conservatives in the 6-3 majority have the numbers to overturn the 50-year-old ruling. The official opinion is expected to be published in late June. It appears the scrutiny is being placed on Supreme Court Justices' clerks, of which each of the nine on the bench usually has four The decision on Roe v. Wade in 1973 made abortion legal at the federal level, but those in the pro-life movement say the issue should have always been decided on a state-by-state basis. Thirteen red states have so-called trigger laws, which means that if the Supreme Court strikes down the precedent set by Roe v. Wade, their legislature would immediately enact a law that would totally ban abortions. These states include Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. The investigation into the Supreme Court leaker comes at the busiest time of the annual term as justices prepare to issue rulings on cases by the late June deadline amid increased public scrutiny. An urgent search was launched for a young girl missing in Western Australia. WA police issued an alert on Tuesday night looking for Laurana, 14, who may be in the Nedlands or Kings Park area. She was found a short time later. A police spokesman said she was 'safe and well'. Kevin Spacey says he will 'voluntarily appear' before a British court to 'confidently' deny claims he sexually assaulted three men in the UK between 2005 and 2013. In an exclusive statement shared with Good Morning America, the Oscar-winning star said: 'I very much appreciate the Crown Prosecution Service's statement in which they carefully reminded the media and the public that I am entitled to a fair trial, and innocent until proven otherwise. 'While I am disappointed with their decision to move forward, I will voluntarily appear in the U.K. as soon as can be arranged and defend myself against these charges, which I am confident will prove my innocence.' Spacey didn't say exactly when he will make his court appearance - although he will formally be arrested when he arrives in the UK as part of the legal process. Kevin Spacey leaves a civil court hearing in New York on May 26. The actor said Tuesday he'll 'confidently deny' four charges of sexual assault against three men made in the UK The claims made against Spacey center on four incidents, two of which are said to have taken place in March 2005 in London against one man. A third sex attack is alleged to have taken place in August 2008 against a second victim, according to prosecutors. And a fourth sexual assault against a third man happened in April 2013 in Gloucestershire, it is claimed. While the charges against Spacey have been green-lighted, the House of Cards star cannot be formally charged with the crimes until he arrives in England or Wales, where police officers will arrest him. Rosemary Ainslie, head of the UK's Crown Prosecution Service, told GMA that the decision to charge Spacey was made thanks to 'evidence gathered by the Metropolitan Police in its investigation.' Spacey's glittering career imploded in 2017 after he was accused of making a pass at actor Anthony Rapp when Rapp was just 14. Spacey is pictured at a pretrial hearing in Nantucket in June 2019. In the US, he is facing a civil trial over claims he made a pass at an actor called Anthony Rapp when Rapp was 14 Spacey said he didn't remember the incident, but apologized anyway. Rapp has filed a civil suit against Spacey, which is ongoing. The fallen star also used his statement over Rapp's claim to come out as gay. That sparked fury among LGBT groups, who were angry Spacey had chosen to wait until he was accused of a serious sexual offense to reveal his sexuality. They said the actor's behavior stoked homophobic stereotypes about gay men being pedophiles and sexual predators. A notorious paedophile who served 13 years in a Thailand prison for sexually assaulting a girl is set to be released on a strict set of 62 conditions. Bradley Pen Dragon, 62, has spent more than half his life in jail for a string of crimes including holding a knife to a woman while she was putting her child in their car. Most recently he has been serving time in a West Australian correctional facility for looking up child abuse material on the internet, with a Supreme Court ruling he would be released subject to 60 rules. Bradley Pen Dragon has spent more than half his life in jail for a string of crimes including holding a knife to a woman while she was putting her child in their car The WA District Court heard Dragon spent almost five hours on a public computer at a backpacker hostel in August of 2017. Among the terms he searched online were 'pre-teen porn' and 'child incest'. When questioned by police, Dragon denied searching the sickening material. 'These things just keep popping up when I use the internet,' he told officers at the time. Judge Hylton Quail didn't accept Dragon's explanation for his depraved behaviour, before going onto describe the offending as 'brazen.' 'Some of the material, albeit animated, ... is horrifying,' he said. He was deported to New South Wales before moving to Perth, where Dragon continued to offend. Bradley Pendragon, 58, (pictured) previously served 13 years in a Thai jail for sexually abusing children The convicted paedophile was sentenced to five years behind bars for holding a knife to a mother, before he was locked up again for looking up the child abuse material just two days after being released. He used a computer at a Northbridge backpacker hostel to access the twisted imagery. Dragon has been diagnosed with 'paedophilic disorder' of the non-exclusive type. He previously told a psychiatrist that 'much of the society doesn't agree with laws relating to the restriction of access to pornographic material about children or sexual contact with children, and much like homosexual relationships, this may be something which is legalised in the future'. The 62-year-old has been waiting for a Supreme Court decision since completing his time in December, 2021. Dragon used a computer at a Northbridge backpacker hostel to access the twisted imagery They were deciding whether Dragon is still considered 'high risk and serious offender', with Justice Larissa Strk saying he could be released under a strict set of 62 conditions. Dragon will be placed under a 10-year supervision order that includes him being electronically monitored, lives at a specified address and is subject to a curfew. He will also have to provide verbal or written accounts of all of his movements and banned from having any contact with a child under the age of 18 unless approved. The 62-year-old will have to undergo councilling, including anti-libidinal treatment, after he agreed it was a good idea. Bradley Dragon (pictured) is set to be released from a WA jail in mid-June Dragon also told the court he would be willing to undergo physical castration, but a phyciatrist insisted there was no clinic in Australia who would offer such an operation. WA's Shadow Treasurer and spokesman Steve Thomas said releasing Dragon was 'absolutely worrying' and said the government should be taking a harder stance on repeat offenders. 'I think we've developed to a stage where we're quite soft on law and order issues these days, and it's time for a far bigger focus on holding people responsible for their behaviour,' he said. 'I absolutely believe that a tougher on crime approach and going back to making the punishment fit the crime is where we want to see this government and this society go.' Dragon is set to be released from jail in mid-June. At least 64 convicted dangerous sex offenders are on the run in the UK after breaking their licence conditions after being let out of jail early. The fugitives - who include paedophiles - are all being hunted for recall to prison for breaching their strict release rules. Among them are a criminal, 40, described as a 'risk to women and children', who groomed a teenage girl on Facebook for four years before sexually assaulting her. Another - convicted of sexual activity with a child - had only been free for less than a month before he vanished. They are among 2,130 criminals currently unreturned to custody who should now be behind bars. There are some 341 of them who were originally been serving a prison sentence for violence against the person, separate from the sex offenders. The Met Police are currently hunting Daniel Joslin, 40, who they describe as 'a risk to young women and girls' after he vanished in Rugby, Warks, following his release. Joslin was jailed in 2012 for grooming a teenage girl on Facebook for four years before sexually assaulting her. He is wanted for failing to comply with a Registered Sex Offender notification after his release from prison in May. Joslin is a white male, 6ft 1ins tall, of slim build and is known to use a number of aliases. On the run: convicted child sex offenders Daniel Joslin, 40, (left) and Paul Hope, 38, (right) Colin Pitchfork - who raped and strangled two 15-year-old girls in the 1980s - was recalled to prison after being freed on licence. He is currently behind bars and not being hunted by police Lancashire Police officers are searching for Paul Hope, 38, who was jailed for 32 months in 2010 after being convicted of two counts of sexual activity with a child under 16. Detectives say Hope, who has links to Preston, was freed from prison on May 9 and has since gone missing. Following his release, he was ordered to attend a police station as part of the terms of his release, but failed to show. Hope has disappeared before after breaching the notification requirements of his Sexual Offences Prevention Order. In just April this year, he was jailed for a week at Preston Magistrates' Court after he failed to comply with his supervision order. Licences let prisoners on fixed sentences be freed, often half-way through their terms, but subject to certain conditions. Sex offenders frequently have extra rules added including banning contact with children or internet use and a requirement to notify the authorities where they are. Some are subject to regular lie detector tests - known as polygraphs - during their licence. Lawrence Bierton, 61, faces a possible whole life jail term after murdering a pensioner while out on licence from his sentence for killing two other elderly women in 1995 Pauline Quinn, a 73-year-old grandmother, died of a fractured skull in November last year, Nottingham Crown Court heard For the majority of cases the strict regulations work and there are no further offences committed. But there have been a number of cases where criminals freed on licence have gone on to be recalled for breaking the rules or worse. Child murderer and rapist Colin Pitchfork was recalled to jail after being freed last year during his sentence. The sex killer who raped and strangled two 15-year-old girls in the 1980s had been approaching teenage women in the street. Sources said the then 61-year-old had appeared to be trying to establish a connection with them. The mother of one of his victims said it proved there was no way the 'psychopath' would be cured of his lust for young females. And a convicted double killer serving a life sentence was allowed out on licence - only to murder a third pensioner the following year. Lawrence Bierton, 61, pleaded guilty to murdering his neighbour, Pauline Quinn, in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, on November 9, 2021. Ms Quinn, a 73-year-old grandmother, died of a fractured skull that resulted from 'a number of blows' with a 'degree of force', Nottingham Crown Court heard last month. Bierton was arrested 30 miles away from their street the next morning. It was heard that he had been driving Pauline's car. Bierton, of Rayton Spur, Worksop, was jailed for life in May 1996 but was released from prison on 11 May 2020. He was previously found guilty of killing sisters Aileen Dudhill, 79, and Elsie Gregory, 72, at their home in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, on June 25, 1995. A Probation Service spokesperson said: 'We work relentlessly with the police to track down offenders who have been recalled. 'Less than one percent of these offenders are not returned to prison and this includes some who have been deported or died.' Advertisement The Indiana woman who revealed that her pastor had sex with her when she was 16, forcing him to admit it in front of their congregation, has spoken out about the years of 'grooming' at the hands of the disgraced community leader and suggested 'molestation' occurred before she reached the legal age of consent. Bobi Gephart, 43, had taken the stage at the New Life Christian Church on May 22 when Pastor John Lowe II, 65, told his congregation that he had once committed adultery, only for Gephart to reveal that she was the person in his story and that she was only 16 at the time. Since confronting Lowe in the now viral video, Gephart, of North Manchester, told Fox News the pastor groomed her at a young age, touching her inappropriately and making trips to see her at Bible school. 'Shoulder massages, lap sits, long hugs, things like that nature that would get longer and deeper,' she said as she recounted her teenage years with Lowe, adding that 'molestation happened' before she turned 16, the legal age of consent in Indiana. The new allegations raises questions about potential legal action facing Lowe, who has yet to discuss the alleged 'grooming' but did admit to having sex with the then-16 year old as he resigned from his position. Bobi Gephart (right) rushed on stage at the New Life Christian Church on May 22 to confront Pastor John Lowe II (left) after he admitted he had committed adultery years ago, only for Gephart to reveal he had sex with her when she was 16 Gephart discussed how difficult it was opening up to her husband, Nate (right), about her trauma involving Lowe. Nate was going to confront Lowe about the pastor's sexual involvement with Gephart before she took the stage to speak out herself Gephart accused Lowe (above) of grooming her at a young age and molesting her when she was below 16 Although Gephart did not say when her relationship with Lowe began, she described it as 'the way a lot of grooming starts,' and said it was difficult to talk to anyone about it because of how close and influential Lowe and his family was to her own. 'They were like a family to us,' she told Fox. 'And that is what was the hardest part hard for people to realize that we were there all the time and heavily involved in our church. And this whole time, stuffing those secrets inside me.' She recounted once instance when Lowe allegedly laid his head on Gephart's lap while they were setting together on a couch and another when he made a trip to Texas where she was attending Bible school one year. Gephart said she had never considered herself 'an actual victim,' but the lines have become blurred after she forced herself to confront her past and review what actually happened between her and Lowe. 'And then realizing and opening up and just, when you step on the outside looking in, you realize what was really happening and just the prison of lies and deceit and the cover-ups,' she told Fox. Advertisement The Florida sheriff whose detectives perp-walked a 10-year-old boy and published his mugshot for allegedly threatening a mass shooting at his elementary school says the public disgrace is scaring kids straight. 'The vast majority of parents come forward and tell me: "Thank you for doing that. My child is now afraid of the consequences,"' Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno told DailyMail.com on Tuesday. 'It is changing the way we behave. Its changing the way children think.' Marceno, who touts himself as the state's 'law and order sheriff,' made an example of Daniel Issac Marquez, 10, after he sent a slew of text messages featuring pictures of assault style rifles and a written threat that said 'get ready.' The boy was arrested and charged on Saturday with making a threat to commit as mass shooting. His mugshot and video of the arrest were released shortly afterwards. The sheriff, who has repeatedly said that a 'fake threat' equates to 'real consequences,' said he will continue to release juvenile mugshots because doing so ensures safety and teaches that committing an 'adult felony' results in punishment. 'The last thing we want to do ever is put a 10-year-old or child in handcuffs, that's not what we want,' he explained. 'But, we have to do our job and we have to make certain child safety is number.' Lee County, where Marceno serves as sheriff, is no stranger to publicizing the crimes of children. The county has shared at least nine juvenile mugshots in recent years. Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno, whose detectives perp-walked a 10-year-old boy and published his mugshot for allegedly threatening a mass shooting at his elementary school, says the public disgrace is scaring kids straight Daniel Marquez, 10, (pictured) was arrested and charged on Saturday with making a threat to commit as mass shooting. His mugshot and video of the arrest were released shortly afterwards. Marceno, who has repeatedly said that a 'fake threat' equates to 'real consequences,' said he will continue to release juvenile mugshots because doing so ensures safety and teaches that committing an 'adult felony' results in punishment These are the mugshots of eight juvenile offenders that have been publicly ousted by Lee County officials Marquez sent a text to a friend joking that he would commit a mass shooting at Patriot Elementary School in Cape Coral. The boy's alleged text read: 'I scammed my friend' and included a Google image of money, according to his arrest report. 'I bought this,' he added a few seconds later, a included an image of four assault rifles. Marquez then stated: 'Get ready for water day,' referencing a recent school-sponsored event in which students participate in water activities, like playing in sprinklers. 'We have a ten-year-old, a fifth-grader, that sends text messages that circulate. Pictures of wads of money. Pictures of rifles and written threats after that,' Marceno said of the text during his interview Tuesday with DailyMail.com. Marquez's threatening text was sent to another child and was forwarded on. The recipient's parents then texted Marceno, prompting the investigation. 'We immediately, not waiting one second, investigate that. All hands of deck. Child safety is number one,' the sheriff, whose county is home to 118 schools and more than 100,000 students, explained, adding: 'That every threat is real until proven otherwise.' The fake threat was the second time in a week Lee County was rocked by the threat of violence against a school. A woman on Thursday said she would go to a high school graduation in the area with a bomb strapped to her chest. Then, on Monday, - the same day Marquez's mugshot was released - Corey Anderson, an 18-year-old from Hillsborough County, Florida, was arrested and charged with a felony after he posted a photo of a rifle, handgun and tactical vest online and captioned the image: 'Hey Siri, directions to the nearest school'. All three threats came after 19 children and two teachers were shot to death by a sick 18-year-old gunman in Uvalde, Texas. Salvador Ramos blasted his grandmother in the face before going on a rampage at Robb Elementary School last Tuesday. Daniel Marquez, shown here be walked out of a Lee County Sheriff's office, was described as 'sickening' the sheriff The sheriff said: 'My team didn't hesitate one secondNOT ONE SECOND, to investigate this threat' Marceno defended the boy's public arrest, saying that 'fake threats' result in 'real consequences.' 'If a 10-year-old, 12-year-old, 18-year-old presses the trigger, the aftermath is the same,' he said. 'As a sheriff I have to make certain that we leave no stone unturned and do everything possible to protect our children.' 'Doesnt matter who it is, you commit a felony, you write a threat to commit a mass shooting in a school - the mugshot, the picture, it's all going up there because the days of people trying to protect or hide are done.' He said officials 'cannot ignore red flags' and 'have to look at everything as real.' The sheriff, citing last week's massacre in Texas, also argued that parents need to engage in discussion with their children about mass shootings and the messages they are conveying online. 'As you see unfortunately in Texas, the text is sent. People are communicating. There's a TikTok video, then days or weeks later we have the event,' he recalled, before issuing a plea to parents: 'Parents and guardians, please sit your children down and tell them "fake threat, real consequences." 'We know as children, we're going to make mistakes. I understand that - a 10-year-old's brain is not fully developed like someone who is 35 years old. But, at the same token, when you commit an adult felony we cannot overlook that.' Marceno, noting that he did not speak with Marquez directly, claims the boy has admitted that he made a 'mistake' when he sent his alleged threatening texts. He confirmed the fifth-grader had no prior run ins with the law and said he was unaware if he had a history of mental illness. He did however, say that parents need to support their children and have open discussions to prevent school massacres. I will say this - at what point or where does that child get the idea of committing a mass shooting or threatening to do so? Is the child on the internet? Does he see it on the news and copycat it?,' he said of Marques. 'He learns it somewhere and its important for that parent or guardian interaction to say "Did you see what happened today on the news? Did you see the unfortunate events that are taking place in the rest of the world?" And sit their child down and say, "How do you feel about that? Do you understand that you have a smart phone? Do you understand that if you say something like that the repercussions are being charged with a felony? It's life-changing. Your picture is going to be on the news."' 'The parents I've talked to are paranoid about policy and procedure,' he adding, noting reiterating again that his policy is immediate investigation, which he alleges is well-supported by the members of his community. Marceno did not disclose how Marquez's parents reacting to the investigation or their child's arrest, pointing out that he did not interact with the boy's family directly. The incident involving Patriot Elementary School is being investigated by the The School Threat Enforcement Team and the Youth Services Criminal Investigations Division Corey Anderson, 18, also of Florida, has been arrested and charged with making a threat of a mass shooting The sheriff also argued that parents need to provide stricter discipline to their children. 'We need to get back to the old school. I can tell you this. When I was growing up my parents just looked at me and I knew all bets were off. We need to get back to the old school and hold people accountable,' he told DailyMail.com. 'When I was growing up the nun hit you with a wooden ruler. You understood what was right and wrong. Today what do we do? Society says well if your parents disciplines you and any kind of abuse come forward so we can report your parent. So parents are afraid, they're afraid to discipline their kids.' Additionally, while appearing on Fox News Tuesday morning, Marceno addressed the recent threat in Hillsborough County in which a teen posted photos on weapons online and then asked his iPhone for 'directions to the nearest school'. Corey Anderson, from Lutz, 15 miles north of Tampa, was arrested on Sunday after police were tipped off about the post. The weapons were later discovered to be airsoft guns. Anderson was arrested and charged with a felony. He could face 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted of making a threat of a mass shooting. 'Sheriff Chad Chronister does a great job,' Marceno said. 'Fellow brother of mine, fellow sheriff brother of mine, does a great job and he has the exact same stance. Child safety is number one. You can't take any chance, you have to take everything is real until proven otherwise.' Chronister, on Monday, declared 'this type of threat is unacceptable.' 'This man intentionally instilled fear into our community as a sick joke, but be warned, this is no laughing matter,' he said. 'We will do everything within our power to apprehend, and pursue charges on those who make school-based threats. Protecting students is our greatest priority. We take school threats very seriously, if you see something suspicious, please contact us immediately.' Sheriff Chad Chronister declared Anderson's threat 'unacceptable' and promised his office 'will do everything within our power to apprehend, and pursue charges on those who make school-based threats.' Pictured are photographs taken from outside Mort Elementary School on Monday Sheriff Carmine Marceno appeared on Fox News Fox and Friends this morning! Posted by Lee County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday, May 31, 2022 Florida's sheriffs have been incredibly vocal about their stance on mass shooting threats. Two days after the attack on Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, Marceno was forthright in his reaction telling the media: 'You don't get to shoot our children. You bring deadly force in this country, we are going to kill you.' The sheriff thanked Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for giving law enforcement in the state 'the tools' to keep children safe and to preserve law and order. On May 27, Marceno appeared in an eight-minute long video in which he criticized federal aid for Ukraine. The sheriff said that the money should be spent on 'target hardening' our schools. In front of six sheriff's deputies, all armed with assault rifles and clad in tactical gear, Marceno said that the residents of Lee County should rest assure that their children were safe in schools in the area. Marceno was named as sheriff of Lee County first in 2018 by then-Governor Rick Scott following the resignation of previous Sheriff Mike Scott. 18-year-old gunman Salvador Ramos (left) killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on May 24 leaving many schools in the country on edge. He legally purchased two AR-15 style rifles (right), including the one he used in the attack, and more than 300 rounds of ammunition after his 18th birthday the week before A photo shows kids running out of Robb Elementary School last Tuesday after Ramos opened fire. It's unclear what time the image was taken Lee County Sheriff Marceno pictured with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on May 23 In 2020, Marceno, a Republican, won a decisive election victory over Democratic challenger Robert Neeld. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said in 2020 that Lee County's crime rate dropped by 18.4 per cent during his initial tenure between 2018 and 2020. That's despite the county's growing population. Cape Coral became one of the most popular destinations among people leaving cities amid the Covid-19 pandemic. This is the second time in a week that the community of Cape Coral was rocked with a threat of violence against a school. On May 26, a woman named Tracy Carter threatened to attend a high school graduation in the area with a fake bomb strapped to her chest. According to the Cape Coral Police Department, Carter was upset that her child was unable to graduate or attend prom due to disciplinary issues. Carter said that she would 'feel bad for the children she would scare but she really needed to be heard. She stated that she didn't plan to hurt anyone.' Cape Coral woman Stacy Carter is accused of threatening to scare attendees at a high school graduation with a fake bomb just two days after the events in Uvalde, Texas The woman added that she wanted to mimic the Denzel Washington movie 'John Q,' about a father who holds a hospital emergency room hostage in order to secure a life-saving operation for his child. A subsequent search of Carter's home found no bomb making materials. The arrest of 10-year-old Daniel Marquez came just after the Department of Justice announced a critical review of the law enforcement response to the initial 911 calls regarding the shooting in Uvalde. DOJ spokesperson Anthony Coley said in a press release: 'The goal of the review is to provide an independent account of law enforcement actions and responses that day.' The review comes after it was revealed that Ramos' rampage in Uvalde carried on for 77 minutes before he was engaged by a border patrol agent. Parents of the students at Robb Elementary School showed up at the school after hearing about the reports of a shooting while the massacre was continuing inside. Early in May Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his country would return more than a million Syrian refugees living in Turkey to occupied areas in northern Syria. Those are supposed to be settled in Jarablus, Azaz, Bab, Afrin, Sere Kaniye and Gire Spi. The project by the Turkish president imply demographic change the matter that received much condemnation and denunciation. On the issue ANHA met notable of the Jubur Arab clan in the city of Hasaka Mohamed Barak who said: settling more than a million Syrian refugees is a settlement project by the Turkish occupation state and supported by Qatar and Kuwait to bring demographic change and is a breach of the Syrian sovereignty. Barak rejected, as many others, the project to settle more than a million Syrian refugees in northern Syria, ''Syrian makes up a mosaic by its various ethnicities, cultures and religions. There are Kurds, Syriacs, Arabs and many others that all reject the project proper. '' Barak indicated to the repercussions implied in the settlement project on the peoples living in the region more notably the Arab component, ''the Turkish occupation state uses mercenaries to carry out its project. The application of this project is an offense to all Arab countries''. The ARASB League expressed its rejection of the project embraced by the Turkish occupation state in a speech made by Husam Zaki Secretary General in the Sixth Brussels Conference to Support Syria. However, nothing was taken against Qatar or Kuwait that finance those projects in NES. Barak attributes the increase in Turkish crimes to the inaction by the Arab League in carrying out its missions, ''the Arab League ought to recall the Turkish ambassadors in all Arab countries to convey a clear message on the rejection to the project''. Mohamed Barak affirmed that the inherent rejection of the Arab League is not enough, rather serious steps ought to be taken in the face of such settlements that pose grave threats and contributes to untie the social fabric of communities''. From his part, Sheikh of the Ubaid clan Saleh Ubaidi rejected the settlement project embraced by the Turkish occupation state on the Syrian lands, '' we do not accept such a settlement project on our lands, we reject partition of our lands based on Turkish projects''. Ubaidi lashed out at the stances adopted by the Arab countries towards the beaches and violations of the Syrian lands and the absence of real and serious positions towards the policy of the Turkish occupation state calling on the Arab League to reject the project completely and to intervene to deter such settlement being built and to terminate the Turkish occupation of Syrian lands. The Ubaid Sheikh affirmed that projects of the Turkish occupation state and specifically settlements building have grave dangers and threats to the whole region and it imply grave repercussions to the neighboring countries too. l..a ANHA Ford's new F-150 Lighting is already changing the mind of longtime pickup truck owners who thought they would never go electric. The vehicle is the electric version of America's best-selling truck, the Ford-150. It features an $11,000 131 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion pack battery, which is nearly ten times more powerful than a Tesla Powerwall. Additionally, the battery can charge an average American home for up to three days, according to Ford engineers. 'That's a house like my house with AC, Xbox, kids going crazy leaving lights on everywhere,' Linda Zhang, the chief engineer of the Ford F-150 Lightning, told Bloomberg. This makes the F-150 Lighting the first electric vehicle sold in the US with bi-directional charging, which means it has the capability to both power the vehicle and send power to a home or the grid. Prices range from $40,000 for versions of the car aimed at commercial fleets to luxury models that reach the $90,000 price tag. Though in order to have those all perks, potential buyers must also splurge on the Ford 80-amp charging station, a $3,895 home integration system from Sunrun Inc., and installation costs that vary depending upon location and type of home. In May, President Joe Biden paid a visit to the Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan, with a surprise stop to speed his way around the test track. 'This sucker's quick,' Biden said, sticking his head out of the window, and wearing his signature aviator sunglasses. Ford's new F-150 Lighting, the first car sold in the US with bi-directional charging, is already changing the mind of longtime pickup truck owners who thought they would never go electric Its battery is nearly ten times more powerful than a Tesla Powerwall, and it can charge an average American home for up to three days, engineers who modeled the impressive vehicle assure In May, Biden paid a visit to the Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan, with a surprise stop to speed his way around the test track Ford F-150 impressive battery The vehicle, which is the electric version of America's best-selling truck- the Ford-150-, features an $11,000 131 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion pack battery. The F-150 Lightning has the ability to power a home when connected to the 80-amp Ford Charge Station Pro and Home Integration System. The car also has an estimated range of 230 miles, and 300 miles for Pro, XLT, and Lariat models. It also offers vehicle-to-vehicle charging and can charge an average American home during a blackout for up to three days. Advertisement Jason Glickman, vice president for engineering PG&E Corp described the vehicle to Bloomberg as a 'mini powerplant for your home.' When the vehicle is plugged in during a blackout, the home draws electricity from it. After the power is back on, the vehicle continues charging. 'It can support the grid on a hot summer day, when we have demand spiking,' Glickman told the outlet. 'At scale, when these vehicles are enabled to send energy back to the grid, flex alerts and notices of grid emergencies will be a thing completely of the past.' The car boasts a 240-volt outlet in the cargo bed, which provides power to heavy-duty machinery and two 120-volt outlets in the cab. It has four additional outlets in the bed and four in the front trunk. But the one feature that could potentially convince buyers is the savings from not having to fill up at the gas station. 'The real value right off the bat is the gas savings, as California gas prices are out-of-sight,' ranch co-owner Steve Dutton told Bloomberg. 'As we get the trucks and put them into service, we're going see more and more opportunities where we can use that electric power for equipment out in the field.' The car boasts a 240-volt outlet in the cargo bed, which provides power to heavy-duty machinery and two 120-volt outlets in the cab The nationwide average gas price is now just under $4.62 per gallon, the most expensive ever recorded by the American Automobile Association (AAA)'s gas price tracker. In California, gas prices topped $6. Ford's pilot program, which provides local farmers in California with options to finance commercial pickup fleets, has been a success. Sonoma County Winegrowers president Karissa Kruse told Bloomberg that grape growers were reticent to change to electric trucks, but have since come around. 'Now they're like, ''Can I get in on the pilot program? I heard you could get us a truck,'' she told the outlet. A young mum allegedly involved in the terrifying abduction of a man found on the side of a remote road with gunshot wounds near a burning car has been revealed as an OnlyFans star with almost 700 subscribers. Alice Mabel Weekes, 26, is one of two people charged over the alleged shooting and abduction of a man in Adelaide on Saturday night as the manhunt for two other suspects continues. She and co-accused Leonard Robert Richard Wilkins, 36, faced court via videolink on Monday on charges of false imprisonment, arson, theft, gun and drug trafficking. It's alleged the victim, 31, went to a Mawson Lakes home in Adelaide's north to visit a woman where he was assaulted by three armed men and was shot in the back. Mother of one Alice Mabel Weekes (pictured) has faced court on a string of offences, including false imprisonment, arson, theft, gun and drug trafficking He was then allegedly tied up and dragged into his Toyota sedan, which was driven 30 kilometres to a remote road in Port Gawler. His alleged kidnappers freed the victim before setting the car alight. A passing motorist drove the victim to hospital, where he has since been discharged. Neither Weekes or Wilkins applied for bail when they faced Elizabeth Magistrates Court on Monday. The young mum broke down after hearing she will spend the next six months behind bars until her next court date in December, the Adelaide Advertiser reported. Alice Mabel Weekes will spend the next six months behind bars until her next court appearance Alice Mabel Weekes was earning up to $12,000 on OnlyFans under the alias Poppy Days It's since been revealed Weekes has an OnlyFans account under the alter ego of Poppy Days, which consists of 324 photos and 126 videos. It has 694 subscribers and makes between $3,000 and $12,000 each month. The account promises consistent uploads, 'lots of nudes on feed', fetish videos and husky, sexy Aussie accent voice messages sent to every fan who subscribes. The last photo and video uploaded to the account was last Wednesday, three days prior to the alleged incident. Police investigations continues with the hunt for two suspects who fled from the Port Gawler scene in an unknown car. Investigators searched a Mawson Lakes house on Sunday and seized several items, including a gun. This is the remarkable moment fearless punters carry on eating and drinking with water up to their knees after a Cornwall pub flooded following heavy rainfall. Carefree Brits could be seen enjoying their meals at the Ship Inn, at Mevagissey, near St Austell - dubbed 'Britain's most flooded pub' - despite the leakage issue on Sunday. The seaside village pub is no stranger to a bit of a soaking but has seen one of its worst cases of heavy rainfall in the last decade, which has brought on spring tide effects and flooding. The pub's former landlord quit the position in 2012 after the famous pub flooded 12 times in 12 weeks. Pictures taken on the weekend showed the dramatic water levels reaching almost to the seat of dining chairs and the knees of the pub's waitress. Carefree Brits could be seen enjoying their meals at the Ship Inn, at Mevagissey, near St Austell - dubbed 'Britain's most flooded pub' - despite the leakage issue on Sunday But punters and staff inside the venue - located two streets back from the harbour - carry on as if nothing is wrong. At least two tables can be seen continuing to enjoy their meals while flash floods hit around 6pm. One local said the water level inside the building was the highest most people had ever seen it. He added that 'many people were still eating their meals', reports Cornwall Live. The Ship has seen its most serious floods in October 2012, and September 2019 despite the best efforts of local people to protect it. In 2012, the pub's former landlord told the BBC: 'We've been very unlucky. I can't trade like this. Financially I don't think I could last the winter. The last thing I want to do is lose all my money. The seaside village pub is no stranger to a bit of a soaking but has seen one of its worst cases of heavy rainfall in the last decade, which has brought on spring tide effects and flooding He continued: 'It's now flooded 12 times. We've had five or six really bad ones. I've had enough. It's hard trading in the winter in Cornwall. It's hard to build a reputation for a pub when this is happening so often.' The flooding comes as Britons planning street parties for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in southern England this weekend have been warned to come up with contingency plans amid fears over a possible washout. The Met Office said meteorologists are tracking a plume of warm air developing over the continent that could 'glance the far South East on Saturday and Sunday, which would bring with it the risk of some showers'. More 12 million people across Britain will be hoping for good weather as they celebrate Her Majesty's seven-decade reign with some 200,000 street parties due to be held for the Big Jubilee Lunch on Sunday. And conditions are likely to be fine for most of the UK with bright and sunny weather but forecasters said those planning outdoor gatherings in the South should start 'considering what your options might be' if it does rain. Sydneysiders are in for more icy weather with another cold front of the way The Alpine regions reported a 15-20 centimetre dump of snow on Tuesday Chilly conditions forecast are due to cold and low pressure system moved in Australia's east and southern states will go through big cold snap this week Australians will need to rug up over the next few days as temperatures continue to tumble due to an Antarctic blast sweeping across the country. The strong cold front and low pressure system has been moving east since Monday, bringing an icy start to winter for most of the country. In Sydney, the mercury is expected to reach a high of 15C on Wednesday. A severe weather warning remains in place for a third day due to strong winds wreaking havoc across the Harbour city. And while many will be hanging out for a beach day later in the week, the Bureau of Meterology has warned another cold front will hit just two days later. Melburnians are also in for a frosty few days with temperatures remaining at about 12C for most of the week. Residents may want to reach for their raincoats on Wednesday morning as heavy showers and thunderstorms are predicted too. The freezing temperatures come as snow is expected as low as 300m in northern parts of Victoria, 500m in NSW's southern highlands, and 600m in Tasmania. Anyone going for a walk in Sydney will have to rug up as the temperature plunges and strong winds linger (pictured: women in Bondi) While many Sydneysiders will be hanging out for a beach day, the Bureau of Meterology warned another cold front will hit just two days later (Pictured: A woman reads a book in Bondi) Wednesday will bring chilly temperatures to most parts of southern Australia Weatherzone meteorologist Brett Dutschke said on the Oberon Plateau near NSW's Blue Mountains as much as five centimetres of snow has been seen on the ground. The same could also be seen as far north as Walcha, just south of the Northern Tablelands, he said. Victoria's Mount Buller received 15cm of snow, while Perisher copped 20cm. Significant snow on alpine peaks of 20-50cm is also likely with blizzard conditions. The bureau warns the low-level snow and windy conditions will create particularly hazardous driving conditions, with inland highways likely to be hit by sleet. Most of the country's southeast has already been blasted with wild wind gusts this week. Southeast Queensland was hard-hit on Tuesday, with gusts reaching up to 90km/h, bringing down power lines and leaving more than 15,000 homes without power. Weatherzone meteorologist Brett Dutschke said snow would fall as low as 300m in northern parts of Victoria, 500m in NSW's southern highlands, and 600m in Tasmania Southern parts of South Australia and areas of Sydney are expected to see gusts of up to 100km/h. Wednesday is expected to be 'significantly windy' in both states, the meteorologist added, but should calm down by Thursday. The cold front is also bringing large swells that will batter most of the southern Australian mainland, in particular South Australia and western Victoria. Severe weather warnings for damaging wind gusts are in place for much of South Australia and NSW, plus northern Victoria. An icy blast hitting much of southern and eastern Australia is expected to intensify with low-level snow expected to fall in several states Fallen trees left behind a big clean-up job across Sydney's north shore on Monday South Australia was already battered by an intense weather system on Monday night, with some of Adelaide's northern suburbs even seeing a tornado form. FORECASTER'S PREDICTIONS FOR WINTER 2022 *This winter season will be wet and cold *Early start to the snow season - which was also experienced last year - could be triggered by moisture-laden air combining with cold Antarctic blasts. *Chance of above average snowfall is at it's highest. *La Nina will linger across Australia this winter causing heavy rainfall and the potential for flooding. *Experts predict most of the country has a 70 to 80 per cent chance of receiving above average rainfall. Advertisement Meanwhile in NSW, storms left behind a trail of destruction on the streets of Newcastle while snow has fallen for the first time this year west of Lithgow. Weather warnings are still in place around southeastern parts of Australia. In NSW the Great Dividing Range has been put on alert for potentially damaging winds. The same warnings have been issued for parts of Sydney, the Byron Coast, Macquarie Coast, Hunter Coast, Sydney Coast, Illawarra Coast, Batemans Coast and Eden Coast. At Lord Howe Island gusts may reach up to 90km/hour with swells to hit five metres high. In Victoria residents in Port Phillip, Western Port, Gippsland Lakes, West Coast and Central Coast have all been warned of severe winds. In South Australia strong winds are also forecast for Adelaide Metropolitan Waters, Upper West Coast, Lower West Coast and Gulf St Vincent. On Monday night wild winds and torrential downpours caused widespread destruction across the harbour city, including Lindfield, Turramurra, St Ives and Killara on the north shore and Dural in the north-west. A black Mercedes was crushed by a fallen tree branch in Double Bay in the city's east, causing extensive damage to its front windscreen. Canberra will see some showers on Tuesday with a maximum of 9C forecast. Adelaide will see a top of 14C while Sydney will reach highs of 18C. A map showing the lowest July temperatures ever recorded for major cities, according to the Bureau of Meteorology Residents in Hobart and Melbourne woke up to a chilly morning on Tuesday with both cities to reach a top of just 11C. Temperatures will be warmer in Brisbane with the Queensland capital to see tops of 21C but winds will hang around for most of the day. Meanwhile in Western Australia heavy rainfall is battering most of the Pilbara region, with up to 200mm of rain falling over the past few days. A map compiled by Daily Mail Australia using the Bureau of Meteorology's climate data search function has revealed the lowest July temperatures in recorded history. It shows Canberra recorded the lowest temperature freezing -8C while Hobart and Melbourne hit a chilly -2.8C. Perth's lowest temperature was 0C while Adelaide was marginally warmer at 0.4C, with Brisbane and Sydney plunging to 2.3C and 2.2C respectively. David Taylor, who runs the Brisbane Weather and East Coast Weather Facebook pages said there was a chance that temperatures could drop that low this winter, but predicted temperatures would be generally above average. However, Chris Matthews, a meteorologist at Weatherzone, predicted below average maximum temperatures this winter. Beijing launched a nationwide probe into all Chinese school and university textbooks amid fears they have been 'infiltrated' by the CIA. Cartoons in the country's maths books went viral on state-censored social media site Weibo late last week, with critics pointing out a series of pro-American images. Scenes in the People's Education Press books included kids sticking their tongues out, holding fingers up in peace signs and dressing like Westerners. They also featured bizarre sexualised images including a boy putting his hands up a girl's bra and another pulling up a girl's dress. The bizarre maths book cartoons included allegedly Westernised scenes and cheeky children Children were seen dressing in colourful Western clothing and playing playground games Outraged Weibo users accused the drawings of depicting Chinese children through racist stereotypes including 'slanted eyes' and 'narrow foreheads'. Parent and university professor Li Yuguo wrote. 'This is not a matter of art. It involves education, culture and even overseas infiltration.' Social media users and even China's largest state newspaper pointed the finger at the US, CNN reported. The Global Times headline yesterday read: 'Toxic textbooks sound ideological security alarm from infiltration'. Tianjin University professor Qin An told the paper: 'Problematic textbooks are not a matter of aesthetics, but a threat to the country's ideological security and the future of the nation. But the portrayal of 'slant-eyed' children was also accused of racism by some parents online 'Illustrations in many textbooks have obvious Westernized elements that vilify the Chinese. They are a clear sign of ideological struggle.' People's Education Press apologised for the cartoons and promised to 'elevate the artistry' of future editions. The publisher wrote: 'We have begun to redraw the covers and some illustrations of the relevant mathematics textbooks to improve the painting method and elevate the artistry. 'We have carried out serious reflection, and feel deep self-blame and guilt, and hereby express our deepest apologies.' Publisher People's Education Press said it felt 'deep self-blame and guilt' over the cartoons Despite widespread claims, there was no evidence that the cartoons' artist, Wu Yong, works for the CIA. Social media critics accused his art school at Tsinghua University of being a 'hotbed for breeding traitors'. Yong has stayed silent amid the outcry, according to the New York Times. Hangzhou-based manga publisher Hi Books said it would have to pause the release of its new comics while the state review continues. One drawing showed a young boy with his hands in his pocket, a subversive gesture for some Beijing is now reviewing all children's materials published in the country including mangas It wrote on Weibo: 'All the published children's picture books have entered a stage of self-inspection.' The top comment, with more than 30,000 votes, read: 'It's starting again. They never regulate what should be regulated, and only target those that shouldn't be targeted.' President Xi Jinping has banned foreign-made textbooks and classic novels in an effort to repress 'outside infiltrations'. Beijing dictates all classroom materials 'must reflect the will of the party and the country'. For support call the Samaritans on 116123 or go to www.samaritans.org Lance Corporal Ryan MacKenzie was found dead in his barracks A British soldier whose best friend was murdered by the Taliban hanged himself in his barracks years later, an inquest heard. Lance Corporal Ryan MacKenzie suffered from mental health issues after witnessing a slew of atrocities during two tours of Afghanistan, and after a bitter divorce, Northallerton Coroner's Court heard. L/Cpl Mackenzie had also struggled through a difficult divorce and missed his daughter who was in his wife's custody. Shortly before his death, he was the victim of a cruel lie that his daughter had died during surgery, the inquest heard. The inquest heard that on July 15, L/Cpl Mackenzie told his welfare officer that his ex-wife had informed him their daughter had died, but on July 19 said she had 'misled him' and that his daughter was not dead. The 30-year-old had been left devastated when fellow Highlander Scott McLaren, 20, from Edinburgh, was killed in Helmand Province in 2012. Mr McLaren was grabbed after wandering off from a checkpoint, while serving with D Company, 4 Scots regiment. At the time, the Ministry of Defence denied Afghan claims he was tortured. But L/Cpl MacKenzie told his family his best friend had been tortured and killed, the inquest heard yesterday. L/Cpl Mackenzie was also haunted by the memory of children wearing suicide vests being shot dead and two other friends being killed in combat. The soldier, born in Stornoway on the Western Isles, was found hanged in a bathroom at his barracks at Catterick Garrison on August 23 last year after failing to turn up for parade following an extended leave. He had been allocated a welfare officer after confiding in a fellow soldier that he was having suicidal thoughts. He had also made previous attempts on his life. L/Cpl Mackenzie's family said he had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but the inquest heard he was never diagnosed. His aunt Angela Mackenzie told the inquest: 'He was never the same after his first tour. He could never deal with loud noises and he would scream in his sleep.' Ryan was devastated when fellow Highlander Scott McLaren, pictured, was killed in Helmand Province in 2012 This photo shows L/Cpl Mackenzie during a game of tug and war in October 2017 She told Northallerton Coroner's Court that in May last year, L/Cpl Mackenzie had tried to hang himself and was placed on a suicide watch. Ms Allison's statement said: 'When he was staying with me he woke up at night screaming. 'He said he heard horrible voices in his head telling him to do things, and that he got flashbacks of his friends getting shot or mutilated.' She said he 'hated fireworks' and once came running into the kitchen from his bedroom when he heard her drop a pan. Mrs Mackenzie told the inquest that L/Cpl Mackenzie would drink whisky 'to numb the pain'. When his body was found, he had three times the drink drive limit of alcohol in his blood. Captain Phil Ingram, L/Cpl Mackenzie's welfare officer, had seen him every 28 days following his disclosure of suicidal thoughts and at the formal reviews he had mostly talked about his daughter. 'He was quite clear about not taking his own life because of his daughter,' Cpt Ingram told the inquest. He said that L/Cpl Mackenzie had never been diagnosed with PTSD. Cpt Ingram said he was 'upset' after learning of L/Cpl Mackenzie's death. 'It was completely unexpected,' he added. British Paratroopers from the 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment in July 2008 (file photo) On August 23 last year, all the PT staff had returned from leave and went on parade on Monday. LCpl Mackenzie was missing and checks were made on his barracks. At 2.55pm that day, the NCO was found dead in a bathroom at his accommodation in Munster Barracks, Catterick. No suicide note was found. The Army had granted him regular leave in Scotland and a welfare report in June had recommended he be transferred to 2 Scots in Glasgow, so he could be closer to his family. The review noted: 'He is desperate to be home and in his daughter's life, He feels lonely and extremely isolated.' But the report added L/Cpl Mackenzie 'was subject to an RMP investigation for theft but this needed to be dealt with first' before his transfer to 2 Scots. Coroner Jonathan Heath recorded a conclusion of suicide. For support call the Samaritans on 116123 or go to www.samaritans.org James Biden dismissed the idea that he acted as a 'fixer' during his brother Joe Biden's political career but instead used a rare interview to say that he had always tried to help his family as much as possible. Republican lawmakers have signaled that they want to probe the business affairs of the president's younger brother. And emails from Hunter Biden's laptop reveal further detail of how he was involved with his nephew in a lucrative deal with Chinese executives in 2017. The result has been a string of reports that James - known as 'Jim' or 'Jimmy' inside the Biden family - has tried to cash in on the family name, and at times acted as a 'fixer' to get things done for relatives. But in a telephone interview he said he was simply a responsible family member looking out for other Bidens. 'I'm the guy who assists in everything,' he told the Washington Post. 'When it comes to my family I try to be as supportive as I can. 'But this notion of "the fixer," or any reference that has a negative connotation, is offensive.' James Biden (right) with his elder brother at the Democratic National Convention in Denver in 2008. The younger Biden is known as a 'fixer' for his family - but in a rare telephone interview he said the word was 'offensive' and that he simply to be as supportive as possible James Biden was finance chairman of his brother's first Senate campaign in 1972 and then struck out as a serial entrepreneur. He has been accused of cashing in on the family name James Biden is seven years younger than the president. He was finance chairman of Joe's first Senate campaign in 1972 before launching a career as an entrepreneur. In the 2000s he entered the hedge fund world with his nephew Hunter. Throughout the telephone interview he suggested he should not be talking to a reporter, but pressed on to push back on criticism from Republicans and the media. 'The notion I am some underworld figure and I am a fixer or the cleaner or I'm this or that I'm a very concerned family member who tries to protect my family in every way I can, in what is a very ethical way,' he said. His brother has described what that support looks like, using the time his son moved into a new apartment as a law student 'My brother Jimmy, who fixes everything my brother Jimmy was with us, and we went down and bought about 28 gallons of paint,' he said during a visit to Connecticut last year. The newly revealed emails will also give fresh ammunition to opponents investigating whether the Bidens tried to use their famous relative's foreign policy experience to make money in deals with Chinese companies. In one, James Biden offers reassurance to his troubled nephew. Not only were they in the middle of a deal, but Hunter was struggling with addiction and a relationship with his late brother's s widow had become public knowledge. 'Hunter, we are cut from the same cloth,' James Biden wrote in a error-strewn email, according to the Washington Post which said it had authenticated the message. ' You are a fine and yes, a gentle person. Believe it or not, I know you. James Biden can be seen with Hunter and Joe Biden's wife Jill as the then presidential hopeful give a campaign speech in Iowa in 2008 'Sounds corney, but we both deserve to enjoy the moment. Concentrate on the good in our lives and try to step out of all the bull*** you deal with on a minute to minute basis.' Days later, James Biden sent another message urging his nephew to take advantage of an opportunity. 'You need to call me now,' he wrote on Oct. 1, 2017. 'Just got off the phone with your father...We have the two biggest days of our business life in front of us!!!!!! 'We must be smart, or everything goes up in smoke! Please call me. 'You MUST remain calm. Timing could not be worse. Calm and measured!!!! 'Paybacks can come later.' The pair signed a deal with officials from the Chinese energy group CEFC - an agreement that has drawn tight scrutiny from President Biden's political enemies. Entities controlled by uncle and nephew were paid $4.8 million even though projects they raised with CEFC never came to fruition. Republican Sen Chuck Grassley recently wrote to the Justice Department asking it to investigate whether Hunter and James Biden should have registered as foreign agents for their business arrangements in China. Sen. Chuck Grassley, the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, has been looking into the Biden's financial transactions for the past three years. He is pictured revealing receipts that claim Hunter had business dealings with a Chinese consulting firm 'Hunter Biden wasnt the only Biden family member who had connections to the communist regime,' Grassley said in a Senate floor speech. 'James Biden did as well.' Last month he revealed how James Biden received $65,000 a month from the Chinese-linked consulting group throughout 2018, totaling $780,000. The cash was given to his Lion Hall Group. The laptop also showed the tight bond between uncle and nephew. As well as the business messages, James Biden encouraged Hunter to take time to relax. 'It's worked for you in the past,' he wrote on Oct. 4, 2017. 'Force yourself. I'm hitting the gym big time. 'Let's take some stress off, any way we can! I'm with you pal.' And James would often be the only one who could reach Hunter when he was in the depths of despair and addiction. 'Look, my uncle is the most amazing man, one of the most amazing people I know,' Hunter told Marc Maron on his 'WTF' podcast. 'Yeah. He is literally there for everyone. He's my, he's my best friend in the world, my Uncle Jim. I mean, he's an incredible human being in his own right.' The Queen was joined by members of the Royal Family on the Buckingham Palace balcony today in front of tens of thousands of cheering Britons as the Platinum Jubilee celebrations marking her 70-year reign got underway. The 96-year-old monarch, who wore her Guards brooch and the blue Angela Kelly outfit used in her official Platinum Jubilee portrait, exclaimed 'incredible!' when she took the salute after arriving from Windsor Castle. The Queen then returned to the balcony around half an hour later to watch the RAF flypast featuring the Red Arrows along with senior royals including Prince Charles , Camilla, Prince William and Kate and their children. While Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis all appeared, there was no place on the Palace balcony for Prince Harry, Meghan Markle or Prince Andrew given that none of them are no longer working royals. Meghan did however join in the celebrations when she was seen putting her finger to her lips next to Mia Tindall and Savannah Phillips from a balcony at Horse Guards Parade in an apparent attempt to quieten the children. She was also seen speaking with Harry and the Duke of Kent, who joined the Queen for her first trip to the balcony. A Harley Davidson biker has been killed and his passenger remains in a critical condition after an antelope jumped in front of their motorcycle. The male driver, who has not been named, was going west on SR-12 with a passenger in tow when their motorcycle collided with the wild animal in Utah yesterday. The driver lost control and both were 'fully ejected' from the vehicle, Utah Highway Patrol troopers said. They had both been wearing helmets. A man riding a Harley Davidson was killed and the passenger is in critical condition after the pair were struck by an antelope who leapt in front of their vehicle causing the fatal Monday morning crash. The antelope seen pictured here was not the animal the cause the collision The Memorial day crash took place in Garfield County, Utah. Emergency crews were dispatched to the crash site, Route 12 about 2 miles north of Tropic Junction, around 9:45 am Emergency crews were dispatched to the crash site, Route 12 about 2.5 miles north of Tropic Junction, around 9:45 am on Monday morning. The male driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The passenger, whose identity has not yet been released either, was transported to a local hospital. The names of the deceased and injured are not being released at this time pending notification of family. The crash remains under investigation. Advertisement Construction work for Britain's longest ever railway bridge as part of the 100bn HS2 project began today. The Colne Valley viaduct will weave across two miles of lakes and waterways between the London borough of Hillingdon and parts of the M25 once completed. Pictures showed the 700-tonne 'launching girder' that has been drafted in from Hong Kong to lift one thousands huge concrete blocks into place. HS2 Minister Andrew Stephenson praised Tuesday's development as a 'landmark moment' and 'feat of British engineering'. 'Infrastructure is the backbone of HS2, and this viaduct will be integral to delivering faster journeys and an increased capacity rail network', he added. Construction work for Britain's longest ever railway bridge as part of the 100bn HS2 project began today The Colne Valley viaduct (artist impression above) will weave across two miles of lakes and waterways between the London borough of Hillingdon and parts of the M25 once completed HS2 Minister Andrew Stephenson praised Tuesday's development as a 'landmark moment' and 'feat of British engineering' Sources have already raised concerns about 'astronomical' costs of HS2, which have tripled to more than 100billion over the past decade Transport Secretary Grant Shapps previously hinted that HS2's eastern leg, which alone could cost 40billion, could be trimmed back to save money Construction workers watch on as the giant crane begins lifting a concrete deck segment near the sleepy village of Denham, Buckinghamshire Pictured: The 700-tonne 'launching girder' that has been drafted in from Hong Kong to lift one thousands huge concrete blocks into place The enormous crane, nicknamed 'Dominique', that will be used to build Britain's record-breaking railway bridge is the only one of its kind in the UK. It will be used to lift each giant concrete deck segment, each weighing up to 140 tonnes, that constitute the viaduct's arches into position. After that, the machine will inch itself forward to continue building the next stage of the structure - the 56 piers that run along the top of the viaduct arches. When fully assembled, the bridge will have used more than 100,000 cubic metres of concrete. The viaduct is expected to be completed by 2024. Once construction is complete, the factory and surrounding buildings will be removed and the whole area between the viaduct and the Chiltern tunnel will be transformed into an area of chalk grassland and woodland as part of HS2's 'green corridor' project. Mark Thurston, chief executive of HS2 Ltd, said: 'I'm absolutely delighted that we have started work to assemble the giant deck segments that will form the Colne Valley Viaduct. 'It is yet another big milestone for HS2 Ltd, as we work to deliver the UK's new high speed railway. 'Once complete, this record-breaking structure will form a key part of the HS2 railway helping to deliver better connections across the UK, free up rail capacity on the train network, and offer passengers a zero carbon travel option.' The design of the Colne Valley Viaduct was inspired by the flight of a stone skipping across the water, with a series of elegant spans, some up to 80m long, carrying the railway around 10m above the surface of the lakes, River Colne and Grand Union Canal. Set low into the landscape, wider spans will carry the viaduct crosses the lakes, with narrower spans for the approaches. This design was chosen to enable views across the landscape, minimise the viaduct's footprint on the lakes and help complement views across the natural surroundings. In another visible sign of progress on the project, the team have also completed the construction of three of four jetties across the lakes to get equipment into position to support the construction and help take construction vehicles off local roads. The enormous crane, nicknamed 'Dominique', that will be used to build Britain's record-breaking railway bridge is the only one of its kind in the UK It will be used to lift each giant concrete deck segment, each weighing up to 140 tonnes, that constitute the viaduct's arches into position After that, the machine will inch itself forward to continue building the next stage of the structure - the 56 piers that run along the top of the viaduct arches When fully assembled, the bridge will have used more than 100,000 cubic metres of concrete. The viaduct is expected to be completed by 2024 Once construction is complete, the factory and surrounding buildings will be removed and the whole area between the viaduct and the Chiltern tunnel will be transformed into an area of chalk grassland and woodland as part of HS2's 'green corridor' project The huge viaduct project is being led by HS2's main works contractor Align JV a team made up of Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine and VolkerFitzpatrick. Align Project Director, Daniel Altier said: 'The start of the erection of the deck segments marks the latest important milestone for Align, relating to the construction of the Colne Valley Viaduct. 'There has been a lot of hard work involved to get us to this point, and the achievements so far are a great example of what collaboration and excellent teamwork can deliver.' Sources have already raised concerns about 'astronomical' costs of HS2, which have tripled to more than 100billion over the past decade. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps previously hinted that HS2's eastern leg, which alone could cost 40billion, could be trimmed back to save money. He said ministers will not 'blindly follow' plans drawn up almost two decades ago when asked if the eastern leg will be scrapped. HS2 will link London to Birmingham in Phase One before forking into two sections. Of these, the western leg connecting Birmingham with Manchester is expected to go ahead. But the eastern leg connecting Birmingham with Leeds looks set to be scaled back or mothballed. It is thought a high-speed rail link between Manchester and Leeds will likely be prioritised instead. United States President Joe Biden reveals the real reason his government is not sending rockets to assist Ukraine in its fight against Russia amid the nearly four-month-long war. On Monday, the Democratic leader said the U.S. will not send rocket systems to the European nation that could potentially reach into Russia. The announcement came after reports that his administration was planning to send long-range systems to the besieged nation. Rockets To Help Ukrainians Several media outlets reported that the Biden administration was leaning toward sending advanced long-range systems to Ukraine. Reporters outside the White House asked the president if his administration would supply the latter with weapon systems that could strike Russia. The situation comes amid reports of the Biden administration considering the distribution of the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS). This would allow Ukrainian military forces to fire rockets much further than they are currently able. The MLRS had reportedly been one of Ukrainian officials' top requests from the United States and they argued they needed it to stop the advance of the Russian military in the east. Moscow's forces have already taken control of the key city of Lyman last week, as per Fox News. Biden's reluctance to send the weapon systems comes as the U.S. attempts to ease the tension with Moscow. While it was unclear what the president meant with his remarks, it was consistent with other briefings over the weekend that the White House was willing to provide the MLRS as long as it withheld the longest-range missiles. Read Also: Lavrov Comments on Putin's Health Rumors Amid Claims That Russian President Has 3 Years Left To Live The US-made MLRS comes in many different variants, which in turn, can use a variety of munitions. The longest range can fire missiles up to 185 miles away while others use rockets that have shorter ranges of 20 to 40 miles. According to The Guardian, one senior U.S. official said that MLRS was under consideration but noted that nothing was on the table with long-range strike capabilities. In a statement, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev described Biden's remarks as "reasonable" and warned that if Russian cities were struck, Moscow's forces would "have struck at the centers of these criminal decisions." Russia-Ukraine War Ukraine appears close to losing the city of Severodonetsk, which is the easternmost city that it has controlled in the Donbas region. The situation comes amid a relentless Russian artillery barrage that has already destroyed a large portion of the region that had a population of roughly 100,000. President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday acknowledged that "the entire critical infrastructure" and "more than two-thirds of the city's housing stock" had already been completely destroyed by Russian forces. He repeated his pleas to international governments for modern weapons to defend his count and his people. The Biden administration is expected to announce a decision regarding the deployment of weapon systems to Ukraine this week. Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said before the Memorial Day weekend that U.S. officials were still trying to determine what the next drawdown package will include in order to defend Ukraine against Russia's assault, Newsweek reported. Related Article: Lithuanians Pitch In To Buy Advanced Military Drone To Help Ukraine Against Russia @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing backlash over his calls to implement a 'national freeze' on handgun ownership in his country in the wake of the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Critics claim his new proposed ban will do nothing to protect citizens as many guns 'are already illegal' and the 'freeze' doesn't tackle the 'root cause' of the crime problem, which is gun smuggling. Trudeau, 50, announced on Monday that his government will introduce the legislation to prevent people from buying and selling handguns anywhere in the country. If passed, the freeze on handguns is expected to take effect in the autumn. Raquel Dancho, a conservative MP for Kildonan-St. Paul, lead the criticism, writing: 'Todays announcement fails to focus on the root cause of gun violence in our cities: Illegal guns smuggled into Canada by criminal gangs. The PM has had seven years to fix this serious issue, yet he continues to chase headlines and bury his head in the sand.' Pierre Poilievre, a member of Parliament for Carleton, who is also running for the PM spot, called the move a 'total failure' and said 'their useless registries [and] soft sentences for gun criminals make the problem worse.' 'Respect law-abiding gun owners, put dangerous criminals behind bars, [and] stop gun smugglers at the border,' he wrote on Twitter. The Canadian government does not have a national firearm tracking system, so it is unclear the exact number of smuggled guns that are from the US. However there are 'more than 1,500 models and variants of assault-style firearms have been classified as prohibited,' Canadian Border Patrol (CBP) told DailyMail.com in a statement on Tuesday. 'All travelers must declare any firearms in their possession to a CBSA officer when seeking entry to Canada,' CBP However, the Toronto Police reported in 2020 that 85 percent of handguns taken off the streets were able to be traced back the US. In addition, the CBP has seized 955 firearms - both restricted and non-restricted models - across 1,200 entry points so far in the 2021-2022 fiscal year, which ends in September, the agency reported. That's a 57 percent increase between the 2020-2021 year, where CBP only confiscated 548 firearms. The year prior, it confiscated 753; in the 2018-2019 year, it was 696; and the 2017-2018, it was 751 firearms. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, 50, has been blasted over his handgun ban by critics who claim most crimes are committed using illegal weapons smuggled from the US Toronto Police said 85 percent of handguns it confiscated in 2020 were traced back to the US Despite not having a centralized database for all of Canada, CPB does track how many firearms - both restricted and non-restricted models - it confiscated at the border each fiscal year. So far throughout 2021-2022 year, which ends in September, CBP has taken 955 guns. The number skyrocketed 57 percent from the 2020-2021 year With modern technology and the inability to be able to stop every vehicle at the border, CBP does use 'contraband detection tools such as handheld devices, small scale and large-scale X-ray machines, and detector dogs' to detect illegal guns, CBP said in a statement to DailyMail.com on Tuesday. Just earlier this month, a drone carrying guns was intercepted in Port Lambton in Ontario after it hit a tree. The drone was carrying a shopping bag with nearly a dozen handguns, the Guardian reported. When police recovered the shopping bag, they reportedly found the serial numbers on the guns - most of which were illegal to possess in Canada - were sanded off. Many guns reportedly come into Canada through gangs and criminals, the Toronto City News reported. 'Theyre being smuggled in because people that want to possess them do not register firearms. They are criminals, the criminal entity of the city, mainly gangs, but there are illegal firearms that are much easier to acquire from the United States,' Toronto Police Inspector Joe Matthews told the Toronto City News. 'They come in in many different ways. Transport truck, by plane, private citizens and their vehicles can smuggle guns into the country. As much as you can imagine. Thats the way that they can come in. 'So whats the market like for illegal guns? Its a huge market,' he lamented in 2021. Former gang member, Marcell Wilson, who was a former high-ranking official in South American cartels, said he and others used the 'car method' most often, but would resort to kidnapping and exploiting citizens to successfully carry weapons over the border. Harrison Faulkner, a producer a True North Centre - a digital media platform - criticized Trudeau on Twitter, saying the prime minister thinks 'we're all idiots' and said the new measures 'won't keep Canadians safe.' 'How many Canadians realize the governments handgun ban is a clear attempt by Trudeau to import American culture wars into Canada? The majority of guns being used in crimes are illegally acquired,' he wrote. Editor-in-Chief of the Post Millennial, Libby Emmons, agreed, writing on her own account: 'In Canada, they're going to ban guns that are already illegal, which cops say will not actually have an impact on crime, since gun crimes are committed with smuggled guns.' Canada banned the sale and use of some 1,500 models of assault weapons, like the AR-15 rifle, two years ago. Shortly afterwards, gun supporters marched to Parliament Hill during the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights in protest to the ban. Trudeau faced harsh criticism online for banning guns that 'are already illegal' in Canada and for bringing 'American culture wars into Canada' Wilson, the one-time gang member, who now runs One By One Movement, a 'thinktank' that works to curb extreme violence in Toronto, said the 'open border' leaves gangs and criminals with an expansive area to bring in illegal weapons, including through indigenous reserves. 'There were areas along the border where there are Indigenous reserves and we would exploit them to bring weapons in,' Wilson told Toronto City News. 'There are literally areas that you could throw a bag over the border and pick it up.' Another smuggler also said they reportedly like to use older people in their operations, as the younger crowd 'draws attention to themselves,' an unidentified former smuggler told the VeraCity: The Gun Chase, according to the Toronto City News. 'We were looking for more seasoned people. People who traveled to the States a lot anyways, whether to visit family or shop. A lot of older people,' he said. 'We always told them [the contraband] was just money.' He also said gun smugglers have advanced their technology, including using tricked-out cars and drones to transport the weapons over the border. Wilson said some cars have 'special compartments where the driver 'might have to turn the volume knob three times to the left and hit the horn and literally your dashboard will drop out and there will be a compartment with like some special lining that the scanners couldnt read.' Trudeau's gun ban came after 19 children and two teachers were killed in Uvalde, Texas, in a shooting at Robb Elementary School last week 'Theyre becoming more sophisticated in the methodology, but its kind of still the same,' he said. Detective Scott Ferguson, of Ontario, also told VeraCity that a cheap $200 USD gun could make a Canadian $5,000. 'Theyre so small, the guns, that if you purchase 10 or 20 of those guns, youre making a massive amount of money if you can get them into this province, into our country. Thats the value, the street value of guns,' he said on the TV program. He said the majority of guns coming in Ontario were coming from those traveling on Interstate 75, which leads all the way to Florida. DailyMail.com has reached out to Trudeau's office for comment. Virgin Atlantic are the first UK airline to allow their cabin crew to display tattoos on their arms while in uniform ahead of a fresh staff recruitment drive. A traditionally glamorous role, flight attendants have always been expected to look well groomed, with most airlines setting strict dress requirements for staff. But from today, any uniformed Virgin Atlantic employee can show off their tattoos in a bid to 'encourage staff to be themselves' and 'champion individuality'. Virgin Atlantic was one of the first major airlines to drop a requirement for female cabin crew to wear makeup whilst on duty in 2019, and also allowed them to wear trousers instead of a skirt. In a post on Twitter, the airline wrote: 'Happy International Flight Attendants Day. Today we're championing the dazzling collection of individuals who are our wonderful cabin crew. Virgin Atlantic are the first UK airline to allow their cabin crew to display tattoos on their arms while in uniform ahead of a fresh staff recruitment drive From today, any uniformed Virgin Atlantic employee can show off their tattoos in a bid to 'encourage staff to be themselves' and 'champion individuality' 'We've always encouraged our people to be themselves, so from today, they can now show their tattoos with pride.' The British airline founded by billionaire Richard Branson said it was now also relaxing its tattoo restrictions ahead of a fresh recruitment drive for cabin crew. Estelle Hollingsworth, Virgin Atlantic's Chief People Officer, said in a statement: 'Many people use tattoos to express their unique identities and our customer-facing and uniformed colleagues should not be excluded from doing so if they choose.' The airline said neck, face and head tattoos must still be covered, although it was currently reviewing that policy. Offensive tattoos are also required to be covered up, it said. Virgin Atlantic was one of the first major airlines to drop a requirement for female cabin crew to wear makeup whilst on duty in 2019, and also allowed them to wear trousers instead of a skirt Back in January, Virgin Atlantic opened applications to recruit 400 new cabin crew to take to the skies in the famous red uniform. The airline said they are committed to bringing back as many staff as possible after losing colleagues as a result of the pandemic. Estelle Hollingsworth, Chief People Officer, at Virgin Atlantic commented: 'It's the best jobs that make people fly, and we couldn't be more excited to be welcoming so many new cabin crew members to the skies with our recruitment drive. 'We're committed to supporting diversity both on the ground and on board, so are seeking people from all backgrounds who aspire to be the friendly, smiling and professional face that is the airline with the iconic Virgin Atlantic style and flair. We champion difference and individuality, and it's by encouraging all of our people to truly be themselves at work that we uphold an inclusive environment where they each can thrive. 'Being part of our incredible cabin crew is an adventure, with travel around the world and new experiences waiting at every destination. We welcome anyone interested in this exciting new career journey to apply now.' Eunisses Hernandez, 32, is running for City Councilwoman in L.A.'s first district Netflix CEO Reed Hasting's wife and billionaire heiress Liz Simons are backing a woke L.A. City Council candidate who wants to abolish the police, despite living in a completely different part of the state. Patty Quillin, Hasting's philanthropic wife and Simons both live nearer San Francisco than they do L.A. Quillin and Reed live in Santa Cruz, whereas Simons lives in the affluent Silicon Valley suburb Atherton. They paid $85,000 for part of the campaign for Eunisses Hernandez to win the city council election in District One of Los Angeles City Council One. The district sits in the heart of the city, taking in Chinatown, Cypress Park, Pico Union and Westlake. Hernandez is running on a platform of affordable housing but has in the past called to abolish the police. Hernandez campaigns on an anti-gentrification and displacement platform. Eunisses last year called to abolish the police and instead 'invest in community' One of her recent campaign ads was paid for by Elizabeth Simons and Patty Quillin The billionaires live more than 300 miles from where Eunisses is running, in multi-million dollar homes near Silicon Valley Simons and her husband live in an $18million home in Atherton, California (above) One of the properties Reed Hastings and his wife are linked to in records is this $3million home in Santa Cruz 'Some of yall havent had to pawn off your moms jewelry, rent rooms in your home to afford the payments, or work multiple jobs at once to survive gentrification & it definitely shows. 'Our people need deeply deeply affordable housing, and we are going to make it happen,' she said in a tweet on Tuesday afternoon. Simons and her husband live in the affluent town of Atherton, where homes cost upwards of $40million. In 2013, she and her husband hosted a fundraising brunch at their home which Barack Obama attended. Tickets to the event cost over $30,000 each. They bought their home in 2007 for $18milion. Los Angeles County's District One is shown above, highlighted in red. That is where Eunisses is running A snapshot of crime in the district in the last week alone shows hundreds of incidents Hastings and his wife live more modestly in Santa Cruz. Property records indicate they have two homes in the area; one near the beach worth around $2million and another in the hills worth some $3million. While she doesn't contain such language in campaign materials, her policies include investing more in mental health resources and finding alternatives to jail for criminals. Simons is the daughter of the billionaire investor and Democratic donor James Simons. She and her husband Mark Heising now run the Heising-Simons Foundation. Patty Quillin and Reed Hastings have donated over $100million to education funds at historically black colleges and universities in the last two years Liz Simons is the daughter of billionaire Jim Simons, a Democratic megadonor worth $28billion James Simons, often known as Jim, and his wife are worth an estimated $28billion. They have in the past donated to Democratic causes and education-focused charities. Patty Quillin and Reed Hastings worth an estimated $2billion. They too are known to donate to left-leaning, social causes. In the summer of 2020, at the height of the BLM movement, the couple gave $120million to four Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to fund scholarships programs. In February this year, they donated another $10million to Tougaloo College. It's unclear what their connection is to the race for the seat of L.A. City Council One, where Hernandez is running. US Senator Tammy Duckworth on Tuesday risked Chinese anger by reiterating America's support for Taiwan on her second visit in a year to the self-governing island. Duckworth, meeting with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, emphasized the close economic, political and security relations between Taipei and Washington. China sent 30 military aircraft toward the island on Monday in an ongoing campaign of regular flights. Taiwan's Defense Ministry said it responded by scrambling jets, putting air defense missile systems on alert and issuing radio warnings. In this photo released by the Taiwan Presidential Office, US Senator Tammy Duckworth, left, meets with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen at the Presidential Office in Taipei On a visit to Taiwan, Duckworth reiterated support for the island amid rising Chinese threats File photo: The PLA KJ-500 plane, which flew into Taiwan's air defense zone, is pictured File photo: The PLA J-16 aircraft, which flew into Taiwan's air defense zone, is pictured A map shows the routes the flight took, highlighted by the colour-coded routes. The Chinese planes flew into the air detection zone briefly before turning back around and returning to the mainland The former Army helicopter pilot and lieutenant colonel in the National Guard cited strong bipartisan backing for a bill she has put forward promoting cooperation between Taiwan's armed forces and the National Guard. Duckworth said she wanted to 'emphasize our support for Taiwan security.' 'I do want to say that it is more than just about military. It's also about the economy,' the Illinois Democrat told Tsai. Tsai thanked the US government and Congress 'for the importance they place on peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,' as well as Duckworth herself for 'keeping a close watch on Taiwan related security issues.' 'Taiwan is a province of China, and there is no so-called president,' Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said. He urged the US to end all official contacts with Taiwan. 'The US government has recently sent a series of erroneous signals on the Taiwan issue,' he said. 'What the US government should do is to put into practice President Biden's remarks that the US does not seek a new Cold War with China, does not aim to change China's system... and does not support Taiwan independence.' China said it strongly deplores the US Senator's visit. Duckworth lost both of her legs after her helicopter was hit by a RPG in 2004 during the Iraq war, making her the first female double-amputee from the war and the first to enter the senate. US President Joe Biden said on a recent trip to Japan and South Korea that the US would intervene militarily if China were to invade Taiwan. File photo: The PLA Y-8 ELINT aircraft, which flew into Taiwan's air defense zone, is pictured File photo: The PLA Y-8 EW aircraft, which flew into Taiwan's air defense zone, is pictured File photo: The PLA J-11 aircraft, which flew into Taiwan's air defense zone, is pictured File photo: The PLA Y-8 AWS aircraft, which flew into Taiwan's air defense zone, is pictured Russia's invasion of Ukraine has put China's threats against Taiwan under new focus, prompting increased backing for arms sales and political support from Democrats and Republicans. China upped the ante further in May, reaching out to the Solomon Islands and nine other island nations with a sweeping security proposal that, even if only partially realized, could give it a presence in the Pacific much nearer Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand and on the doorstep of the strategic American territory of Guam. That is seen as a potential route to blocking access to Taiwan by the U.S. and its allies in the event China makes good on its threat to invade the island. In a speech Thursday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said President Joe Biden's administration aims to lead the international bloc opposed to Russia's invasion of Ukraine into a broader coalition to counter what it sees as a more serious, long-term threat to global order from China. He did say that the US does not support Taiwan independence. While relations with Taiwan are informal in deference to Beijing, the U.S. remains its main supplier of defensive arms and source of political support in international organizations where China blocks Taiwan's participation. File photo: The PLA J-10 AWS aircraft, which flew into Taiwan's air defense zone, is pictured File photo: The PLA SU-35 aircraft, which flew into Taiwan's air defense zone, is pictured File photo: The PLA SU-30 aircraft, which flew into Taiwan's air defense zone, is pictured In October 2021, China flew 52 aircraft into Taiwan's airspace in its single largest mission to date. Over the same weekend, China flew a total of 93 aircraft close to the island in five separate missions, the largest of which comprised 25 planes. China started flying near-daily missions into Taiwan's airspace since the start of 2021, wearing down the island's alert systems. But most of those flights were comprised only of a single aircraft, with Beijing massively increasing the flights since the announcement of AUKUS, a military alliance between Australia, the US and the UK. Experts believe the practice is part of a Chinese attempt to catch Taiwan off-guard so it becomes desensitised to the continued presence of aircraft close to its airspace. Self-governing Taiwan, which is home to the Republic of China which fought against the Communist Party when it first emerged, views itself as an independent state but Beijing views it as a breakaway province. Tensions around the island are long-standing but increased significantly in 2019 when President Xi Jinping committed himself to 'reunifying' the islands - reserving the right to use force if necessary. Have your Platinum Jubilee travel plans been hit? Email: jonathan.rose@mailonline.co.uk with your story Advertisement A mother has claimed she was left stranded at Gatwick airport for 22 hours after being kicked off a plane because it was too full. Charlie Day, 33, from Chelmsford, Essex, was marched through security three times due to the repeated cancellations and said at one point passengers were stuck in a waiting room without food, water or toilet access due to the airport chaos. She had arrived on Friday morning with her husband Lewis and five-year-old son Ernie ahead of their 2.30pm flight to Barcelona. When checking in, Charlie noticed her family's boarding passes were missing a seat number but was told by a member of staff that airlines had recently stopped including that information. Despite the well-travelled mum-of-one questioning the apparent boarding pass change, she made her way through security, only later to discover the flight had been overbooked by 34 seats when queuing up to board. Have you been hit by travel delays today, your holiday cancelled. Or do you know a staff member who has quit or if an airline boss is on holiday? Email: jonathan.rose@mailonline.co.uk with your story Advertisement The family were forced to march through security to then check-in again for a 9.45pm flight later that evening. Having waited seven hours for the rescheduled flights, the gate didn't open until midnight. Dozens of passengers were left waiting without food, water and access to a toilet for the next 90 minutes, only to be sent an email at 1.30am telling them the flight had been cancelled. Charlie, who runs her own business Charlie Day Sales, claims there was no representative from Spanish airline Vueling to ease anxieties around the flight. She then paid 30 for an Uber to get to a 140 Premier Inn room, so her son could get three hours sleep, while Lewis waited an hour to collect their baggage. The flight was rescheduled again for 9am, only for the gate to be changed 13 minutes before departure on the other side of the terminal. Having eventually boarded after a 22-hour wait, there was then a 45-minute delay on the runway before passengers could jet off to Spain. 'I would just urge others not to book with the airline they have been outrageous,' Charlie said. Charlie Day, 33, from Chelmsford, Essex, was marched through security three times due to the repeated cancellations and said at one point passengers were stuck in a waiting room without food, water or toilet access due to the airport chaos She had arrived on Friday morning with her husband Lewis and five-year-old son Ernie ahead of their 2.30pm flight to Barcelona The family were forced to march through security to then check-in again for a 9.45pm flight later that evening. Having waited seven hours for the rescheduled flights, the gate didn't open until midnight Dozens of passengers were left waiting without food, water and access to a toilet for the next 90 minutes, only to be sent an email at 1.30am telling them the flight had been cancelled Charlie, who runs her own business Charlie Day Sales, claims there was no representative from Spanish airline Vueling to ease anxieties around the flight The flight was rescheduled again for 9am, only for the gate to be changed 13 minutes before departure on the other side of the terminal Having eventually boarded after a 22-hour wait, there was then a 45-minute delay on the runway before passengers could jet off to Spain At Manchester Airport a co-pilot, called Simon, loaded luggage on to a 32-hour delayed flight on Monday 'The conditions were just inhumane especially when travelling with a five-year-old. When we first arrived, we had left plenty of time and there was a bit of queueing but nothing too crazy. 'But when flights started getting cancelled it became jam packed. Everything was delayed. People were just flocking to Wetherspoons and there were dirty plates and glasses pilled everywhere. 'There was a 40-minute wait for Wagamama. It was just really hectic. When we were waiting for the second flight people were becoming really irate. 'Some had been in Wetherspoons for hours to pass the time so were a bit restless. We were told we couldn't leave the room you wait in while waiting to board. 'There was no access to food, water or even a toilet. And everyone had been waiting around for so long. 'At no point did a Vueling representative come out to apologise or even to hand out water. There were babies, toddlers and pensioners waiting to board. 'When the email came through to say it was cancelled, we were just so knackered. I had to phone around 12 hotels before we eventually found somewhere to stay for the night. 'But there were people there who couldn't find anywhere and had to sleep on the floor for the night. 'When we went to get the flight the third time, the gate was changed 13 minutes before departure on the other side of the terminal. 'People just didn't believe anything the airline was telling them so there was just a stampede to the other gate.' Charlie, Lewis and Ernie eventually arrived in Barcelona at 3pm on Saturday, before boarding their week-long Royal Carribean cruise around the Mediterranean. Although they have been rewarded 523 each in compensation, she says the cost of getting food at the 22-hour airport stay, missed wages from the two days off work along with a missed stay at the hotel in Barcelona has caused distress. Charlie added: 'We missed out on a whole day exploring in Barcelona. And we were running on just three hours sleep. 'I just can't believe how Vueling just didn't offer anything in terms of customer care.' A spokesman for Vueling said: 'On Friday there were several operational issues which impacted the scheduling of our outgoing flights. 'This affected our operations over the weekend. We always strive to offer a timely service, however, if this isnt possible our priority is to organise the best alternatives for our customers. 'Our team at Gatwick worked diligently to resolve these issues and our customer service team is in touch with those affected by the delays.' Gatwick airport have been approached for comment. Meanwhile, at Manchester Airport a co-pilot, called Simon, loaded luggage on to a 32-hour delayed flight on Monday. Jenny Cook, from Warrington, Cheshire, who was on the Tui flight to Crete, told the BBC: 'He said "even my co-pilot is loading bags" so we looked out of the window and there he was. 'The next thing we knew we were taxing to the runway. We were all cheering. Simon had gone above and beyond. 'As a HR director, employee recognition is key, after all the negative press Tui has had recently and the journey we had been on, we were all taken aback on what Simon had done. I think Tui need to do something to recognise Simon.' Mum, 49, left in Alicante with only 25 after Manchester Airport loses her suitcase A woman was left with only the clothes on her back and 25 cashback on holiday after her suitcase was lost. Zena Williams, 49, was flying out to Alicante for a trip to Benidorm when she witnessed first-hand the much reported chaos at Manchester Airport. She said she had heard the nightmare tales, but little did she know that she would become the subject of one herself when she arrived in Spain and her suitcase was nowhere to be seen. Zena, who was travelling with daughter Charlotte, who was taking part in a dance group event, also missed the transfer into Benidorm from the airport as she tried to find her suitcase with the help of Spanish airport staff. She eventually discovered the suitcase, containing both her belongings and items her daughter needed to dance in, was still at Manchester Airport. She was then told by staff that Manchester Airport would send the suitcase on the next possible flight, though two days later there was still no sign. Zena Williams (pictured left with her daughter), 49, was flying out to Alicante for a trip to Benidorm when she witnessed first-hand the much reported chaos at Manchester Airport The mum-of-one told said: 'The flight was due to take off at 7pm so it was an early evening flight, but check in was absolutely atrocious. 'It was self check in but it just wasn't registering any suitcases and even one of the members of staff just said "good luck because it's chaos here". 'We got through security side but the staff just didn't have a clue what they were doing. It was like they'd just been brought in off the street. 'When we got into Alicante I had no suitcase. Alicante airport managed to find out that it'd been left in Manchester and Manchester said they would put it on the next flight out to Alicante. They said that it'd be on the flight on Sunday. 'But by Sunday it was still in Manchester. So I literally only had the clothes I came in. At first I thought that it's okay because surely it'll be on the next flight. 'Then when it didn't arrive I was thinking "oh my lord". The dread hit me, just thinking everything I had was in that suitcase. It was just awful.' She continued: 'Afterwards, when we'd been trying to find it the transport into Benidorm from the airport had gone and left us. 'So we had to then pay a taxi to get into Benidorm and we got told that I won't get any money but that I'd be able to claim 25 cashback for the 24-48 hours without a suitcase. But what can 25 buy? Nothing. 'I felt physically sick. I know it's only a suitcase and lots and lots of things are going on in the world but I just felt like part of me had been ripped away. I'm angry and I'm disgusted at the way the airport is running at the moment I just don't understand why they can't get it right. Okay, we have been through a pandemic but it's beyond belief. 'A friend of mine who was also going on holiday said their suitcase has gone to Gran Canaria, but she was flying out to Portugal. It doesn't make sense does it.' After weeks of disruption at several terminals, Manchester Airport issued a response to the on-going chaos. It said: 'We are aware of the challenge being faced by a number of airlines and handling agents, which is leading to delays at check-in and baggage reclaim for some passengers. 'Airlines and their ground handlers are responsible for their own check-in and baggage handling services. Passengers are advised to direct any questions or concerns about these issues, or anything relating to their flight, to their airline, who will be best placed to respond. 'However, this is not the experience we want passengers to have at Manchester Airport and we are sorry to hear customers have faced disruption. We are in contact with the senior management teams of the relevant airlines and ground handlers to understand the cause of these issues, and to support their efforts to resolve them as quickly as possible. 'Our colleagues are on hand in the terminal to provide assistance to customers and we are working hard to ensure security waiting times are as quick as possible. It remains our advice that passengers should arrive three hours before their flight and be as prepared as they can be for their journey through the airport.' Advertisement It comes as Transport Secretary Grant Shapps demanded a meeting with aviation bosses to find out 'what's gone wrong' as travel chaos worsens across the country. Airlines continued to axe flights on Tuesday with passengers forced to wait for hours at airports including Manchester, Heathrow, Gatwick and Bristol. Heathrow passengers trying to board their flights claimed they had 'never' seen queues as long as those on Tuesday morning. Passengers have been hit by disruption for several months, with the situation worsening this week due to the rise in demand sparked by the half-term school holiday and the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday period. The aviation industry is suffering from staff shortages after laying thousands of people off during the coronavirus pandemic and is struggling to recruit more. Airlines and airports repeatedly called for more financial support during the Covid-19 crisis as Government restrictions suppressed demand. In a statement on Tuesday evening, Mr Shapps said the Government had 'done its part', adding that airlines and ground handlers need to ensure there is no more disruption. Mr Shapps referred to the 8 billion given to the aviation industry during the pandemic as well as legislation he introduced last month which allows new aviation recruits to begin training before passing security checks. He said: 'It's been very distressing to see passengers facing yet more disruption at airports - having well-earned holidays cancelled and plans left in disarray. 'We've been clear that industry leaders need to tackle the issues we saw at Easter head-on. Although some steps have been taken, we are still not seeing the progress we need to.' He said the Government 'will be meeting with airports, airlines and ground handlers again to find out what's gone wrong and how they are planning to end the current run of cancellations and delays'. He added that operators 'seriously oversold flights and holidays relative to their capacity to deliver' despite Government warnings. 'Government has done its part,' he said. 'It is now on airports, airlines and ground handlers to make sure everyone's well-deserved holidays can go ahead free from the major disruption we've seen in recent days.' Gatwick: Tired travellers lay on the carousel at the West Sussex airport as they wait for their bags to arrive in chaotic scenes Rishi Sunak today reminded Britain's creaking airlines and airports they took billions from the taxpayer during the pandemic and easing half term disruption must be their focus as experts told MailOnline that the crisis will only get worse through the Platinum Jubilee weekend and will peak on Monday. MPs have urged the aviation industry to 'get a grip now' as airlines face an investigation into claims they sold flights and holidays for the half term week without the air crew and check-in staff to cope with tens of thousands hit with delays or cancellations. Mr Sunak has insisted the Government is working with the airlines and airports to reduce disruption and delays - amid a furious blame game between ministers and industry leaders as holidaymakers complained about being left 'abandoned' with some flights cancelled minutes before their expected departure. 'We put in place billions of pounds of support for the travel industry in particular during the pandemic,' the Chancellor said, adding: 'Right now there are conversations happening between the industry and ministers to make sure disruption can be eased. That is where the focus is right now'. With 6,000 flights to and from Britain scheduled over the weekend, peaking at just under 7,000 on Monday, the problems are predicted to be even more dire - coupled with a two-day Tube strike on June 6 and June 7 that will cripple London's Underground network as people return home and to work. Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, told MailOnline: 'It's for travel firms themselves to get themselves in order. Sadly, I think it will get worse because were reaching its peak in a few days. Monday is scheduled to be the busiest day since 2019, with 2,864 departures from the UK, and the same number of inbound flights - it will be the busiest day since before the pandemic.' This afternoon TUI took the decision to cut 43 flights a week - 186 in total through June carrying 37,000 passengers from Manchester - just hours after an extraordinary video emerged revealing two police officers were drafted in to tell their irate customers their holiday to Kos was now cancelled as they queued to board the plane. The airline, which decided to cut 8,000 jobs during the pandemic and furloughed 11,000 of its staff, said in a statement: 'We would like to apologise to our customers who have experienced flight disruption in recent days and understand that they have been looking forward to these holidays for a long time. 'The May half-term holidays are always an incredibly busy period with many customers looking to get away, and this year is no different. Unfortunately, due to ongoing challenges in our operation, we have had to announce a small number of planned cancellations between now and 30 June from Manchester Airport only. 'We are directly contacting all impacted customers in departure date order and they will automatically receive a full refund'. For the past four days millions of Britons have suffered long queues at airport check-in and some even brought pillows and duvets knowing they would be forced to sleep on terminal floors. Others passed out on baggage carousels while waiting hours for their suitcases, some of which never arrived and are still missing more than 100 hours later due to a lack of ground staff. Those caught up in the carnage have described shops selling out of food and water and people being too frightened to go to the toilet in case they lose their place in the queues snaking around terminals at Manchester, Stansted, Birmingham, Bristol, Gatwick and Heathrow in conditions described as 'hell'. And many arrived at the airport or even at the gate to learn their flight had been delayed for hours or cancelled completely. Some dumped their suitcases in lockers at check-in and ran for security with hand luggage to avoid missing their flights. The delays also spread to Eurostar at London St Pancras today where queues for check-in and security stretched for close to half a mile. Tens of thousands of Britons fear their plans to jet abroad for the long weekend could now be in jeopardy after hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled, in some cases just as they were about to board. And a furious blame game has erupted as ministers blamed airlines and airports for the mayhem - while unions and aviation chiefs insisted the Government 'hasn't prepared' for the rise in demand for travel and has failed to clear a backlog of security checks for new workers, which insiders claim could be approaching 20,000 applications. Julian Knight, chairman of the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee, told the Evening Standard: 'They [the aviation industry] need to get a grip and now. They risk harming their industry's reputation for years to come as well as destroying the holiday plans of thousands of Britons.' He also called for an investigation into claims airlines are selling more tickets than they can service. Transport minister Andrew Stephenson said today: 'It is for the airports to plan and recruit enough people in order to deal with the significant increases in people flying which we have been expecting for some time'. But Labour MP Rupa Haq, vice chairwoman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on General Aviation, said: 'They [ministers] need to get a grip and face up to the fact that their botched Brexit has caused unprecedented vacancies in the aviation sector'. It was police, not TUI staff, who were sent in to tell weary passengers at Manchester Airport that their entire holiday to Greece was cancelled and they had to leave Long queues outside St Pancras today as passengers faced delays of an hour at check-in There has been chaos, confusion and cancellations at the majority of the UK's airports over the past four days as families try to get away for half term and the jubilee, with 6,000-plus flights to and from Britain due each day peaking next Monday. There have also been long delays at Dover for drivers heading to France and delays at St Pancras for Eurostar services to the continent. Couple spend four days without baggage Paris Nedderman, 23, and her 28-year-old boyfriend James Palmer left for Bologna in southern Italy on the morning of May 28. Legal reviewer Paris Nedderman and James Palmer were left waiting for their luggage for four days after it got 'stuck' at Manchester Airport - but never received any communication from carrier Ryanair to tell them what had happened. Ms Nedderman, 23, and her 28-year-old boyfriend left for Bologna in southern Italy on the morning of May 28. She described Manchester Airport as an 'absolute shambles with minimal staff, huge queues, broken conveyor belts and a lack of organisation'. After arriving at Bologna Airport, the couple and around 60 other passengers spent three hours waiting to be told what had happened to their luggage. 'The lady at the lost baggage desk informed us that ''the conveyor belt broke'' in Manchester so they still had our luggage,' she told MailOnline. 'Kids were crying and parents were anxious as they knew they would have to bear the expense of having to buy lots of new clothes, suncream and whatever else was in their case. 'During our time in Bologna we spent over 200 euros on clothing for the week because we did not know when we would get our bags back due to the lack of communication. 'We are now on day 4, and have only just received a call from Bologna Airport to say that the case has been received and they will get it on the next flight to us. Still no call from Manchester Airport or Ryanair, we are disgusted.' MailOnline has contacted Manchester Airport and Ryanair for comment. Advertisement Kully Sandhu, managing director of Aviation Recruitment Network, said: 'In my opinion, it could be up to 12 months before we see staffing at airports back to pre-pandemic levels. Recruitment for people at airports takes longer than roles elsewhere because of necessary, additional security and background checks'. As travel chaos wrecked travel plans for the jubilee and half term, it emerged today: Thousands have their breaks delayed, disrupted or destroyed due to staff shortages at airports and airlines; MPs have accused carriers of selling tickets they cannot honour and plan to launch investigation into the chaos; Airlines blame a lack of crew and ground staff caused by a delay in the Government completing security checks of new staff; Student Isabelle Gray, 27, told the Evening Standard that checking in at Gatwick today was 'hell on wheels'. She said: 'I arrived here just after 5am and queued for almost 2 hours to check my bag in, the queue was about 500 deep and there was one person at the check in desk. Some people next to me were thinking of putting their suitcase in a locker and running to the gate with just hand luggage.' Airlines and airports have been blamed for the carnage having slashed staff during the pandemic while hoovering up furlough payments and state aid. Now they do not have enough workers to cope - and cannot find people to fill often low-paid vacancies - as the numbers booking foreign holidays over the Platinum Jubilee week and through the summer months hit pre-pandemic levels. Jayesh Patel, whose half term break to Kos had been two years in the planning, said there was anger and tears as two policemen arrived to read a statement from TUI, moments after they began receiving texts telling them their flight and package breaks would not go ahead. He told the BBC today: 'The airport was understaffed, a lot of the outlets had ran out of food or closed at 6pm. We got called to the gate for the 7pm take off - four hours late. There was no staff. 'People were very upset - some were going on their honeymoon. And then we all started getting texts that the flight was now cancelled and because it was a package booking the whole holiday was cancelled'. He added: 'The worst part that there was no Tui staff to help. And then two police officers arrived and read a statement telling us how we would exit the airport. Because the airplane hadn't arrived from anywhere, our flight wasn't listed at any of the baggage carousels so we didn't know where to wait - people were visibly upset and children were crying. We then had to wait another couple of hours and at this point, we'd spent the whole day at the airport and just wanted to leave. ' Steven Hession, 45, was also supposed to be flying to Kos on Saturday with his wife, Kerrie, and their two children for a fortnight and an upcoming family wedding. But after hours of delays and chaos, the family got to the departure gate only to get a text message from airline TUI informing them that their flight and holiday had been cancelled due to 'significant operational disruption' - believed to be a missing pilot. He said: 'After many hours of delays, we were at the boarding gate just after 7pm and there was no staff one there, but then we saw the cabin crew walking through to the plane, which made us feel reassured. But then we heard people crying... and everyone got this text at the same time saying unfortunately, your holiday has been cancelled, click this link to get a refund within 14 days.' Steven Hession, 45, enjoys some fizz as he heads to Manchester Airport with his family for a 4,000 two week break to the Greek island of Kos. Hours later, after long delays, the entire break was axed Heathrow: Queues to enter Terminal 2 this morning as travel chaos is set to continue Manchester: Row after row of uncollected luggage at the north-west airport that has suffered problems for weeks Manchester: The lines left terminal and into the car park at 4.30am this morning Bristol: Passengers have been queuing through the night as they try to get through airports that are lacking staff to cope Bristol: There were lines snaking around the terminal at 3.30am today Birmingham: Regional airports are missing up to a third of the staff they had before the pandemic with airlines and airports accused of pure greed Her Disney bag packed, Autumn McManus, five, was beaming, left, at Manchester airport ready for her first foreign holiday. But her smiles turned to tears, right, after the trip to Turkey with her mum was cancelled after their flight was axed. Britain's travel crisis will peak next week and is predicted to continue for the entire summer. Chronic staffing shortages, IT glitches and extraordinary demand is causing the delays and chaos at airports Pictured: Stansted. Passengers sleeping at the airport overnight due to flight cancelations and excessive delays during the half term weekend in to travel hell for many passengers hoping for a first holiday in two years By Danny Hussain Brits are facing a summer of airport chaos amid chronic staffing shortages and IT glitches. Shocking scenes from around the country in recent weeks have shown holidaymakers stuck in huge queues with some forced to sleep on the floor of airports amid long delays. Industry chiefs have pointed the finger at mass layoffs during the pandemic which saw staff let go because of the collapse in demand for travel during the various lockdowns. Airlines are now struggling to rehire workers previously let go, leading to a shortage of security staff, ground handlers and check-in staff. Industry sources say staffing levels are around 80 to 90 per cent of where they need to be for the peak summer season at larger airports and about 70 per cent at smaller ones. Some workers have also decided to quit the industry and not return following the pandemic, it has been suggested. Another issue has been the vetting of new staff, with background checks taking several weeks. Unions and aviation chiefs say the security check backlog could be approaching 20,000 applications. Advertisement A Government source told The Times: 'The simple fact is that airlines and airports overcut staff during the pandemic, ignoring the fact that the billions of pounds of aid including furlough handed out by the government was meant to protect those very jobs. 'Operators are now struggling to meet increasingly busy schedules as we move towards the first Covid-free summer since 2019 a wholly foreseeable surge in bookings that should have been adequately prepared for. 'The responsibility for maintaining adequate staffing levels lies with the airlines and airports themselves. Not only are they causing huge frustration to their customers, they are missing out on the benefits of the strong recovery in foreign travel.' Ministers have been accused of failing to 'step up' as holidaymakers using UK airports continue to suffer major disruption. Shadow financial secretary to the Treasury James Murray claimed the Government 'hasn't prepared' for the rise in demand for travel. A spokeswoman for the Government insisted the aviation industry is 'responsible for making sure they have enough staff to meet demand'. Airline passengers have been hit by cancellations and long delays at airports for several months, with the situation appearing to worsen this week during the half-term school holiday and ahead of the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday period. EasyJet and British Airways are cancelling flights every day, while passengers at airports such as Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Bristol are reporting long delays. The aviation industry is suffering from staff shortages after thousands were let go during the coronavirus pandemic. Many airlines and airports repeatedly called for more financial support due to the collapse in demand for travel caused by the Covid-19 crisis. They are now struggling to recruit new workers and have their security checks processed. Labour MP Mr Murray told Sky News: 'We've been warning for months throughout the Covid pandemic that you can't just let the airline industry and airports fall over, let them shed all of their staff, and then expect to get back on track when demand comes back after the pandemic. 'We were warning about this, trade unions were warning about this, employee representatives were saying throughout the Covid pandemic, 'You need a sector-specific package to support the aviation sector', and now we're seeing what's happened because the Government hasn't prepared for what would obviously come next.' Arts minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay acknowledged that cancelled flights and long queues at UK airports are 'causing a lot of distress for people, particularly in half-term'. Asked about Government action over the airport disruption, he told Sky News: 'Colleagues in the Department for Transport are working with the industry. We have been for months urging them to make sure they've got enough staff so that, thanks to the success of the vaccine rollout, as people are able to travel again, that people can take the holidays that they've missed and that they've deserved and of course it's causing a lot of distress for people, particularly in half-term, people with family and children with them. 'It's very distressing if you turn up at the airport and your flight isn't ready, so we've been saying to the industry that they need to prepare for this, they need to have the staff that they need to make sure people can get away and enjoy holidays.' Yet more havoc looms as BA staff threaten to strike By David Churchill Transport Editor British Airways customers were yesterday warned they face a summer of chaos as hundreds of staff threaten to strike. Two unions representing check-in staff GMB and Unite are balloting members in a row over pay. Staff at Heathrow Airport took a 10 per cent pay cut during the pandemic and are demanding their full salaries are reinstated. Without any check-in staff, most flights will likely be grounded. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: 'British Airways used the cover of Covid to brutally cut members' pay. BA has now reversed the pay cuts imposed on management but refuses to do this for our members. This is disgraceful. 'Unite will not allow our members to be treated as a second-class workforce.' Nadine Houghton, GMB national officer, said: 'BA forced our members into pay cuts during the pandemic. It is their time to claim back what is theirs.' Strikes could begin by July and continue into August. BA said the majority of staff accepted a 'generous' one-off lump sum equivalent to 10 per cent of their salary. But check-in staff rejected this because it meant taking a long-term pay cut. Advertisement Transport workers trade union Unite also blamed the aviation chiefs for their mass-sackings during the Covid-19 pandemic, describing the airport chaos as a 'crisis of their own making'. The general secretary at Unite, Sharon Graham, told The Mirror that the chaos is to 'last the entire summer season': 'During the pandemic, when airline operators and others in aviation slashed jobs to boost corporate profits, we warned this corporate greed would cause chaos in the industry. 'The aftermath of mass sackings is now chronic staff shortages across the board. Aviation chiefs need to come clean with the public. This is a crisis of their making. 'We are determined that workers will not pay for this crisis. Current pay and conditions in the industry are so poor that workers are voting with their feet. It can only be resolved by offering higher wages and better working conditions for staff. Unite is utterly determined to fight for that.' Rory Boland, the travel editor of consumer group Which? said that the government must intervene to make sure airlines stop selling flights 'they can't actually provide'. He told The Times: 'We're already seeing very long queues, widespread chaos at airports, huge stress for people planning to get away, and we haven't hit the peak yet. 'Airports and airlines have known this recovery was coming for a period of time now. We're continuing to see things get worse, not better.' Airlines cancelled dozens more flights on Sunday and yesterday, forcing some travellers to lie down on airport floors while resting. Half-term sun-seekers were pictured laying on floors at Stansted Airport following disruption and lengthy queues. Snaking queues also formed outside Bristol and Gatwick airports from 4am yesterday. It comes following chaotic scenes at Manchester Airport over the weekend when hundreds of Tui passengers were told their holidays had been cancelled after an eight-hour wait. Industry sources say staffing levels are around 80 to 90 per cent of where they need to be for the peak summer season at larger airports and about 70 per cent at smaller ones. But airport bosses insist queues have also been exacerbated by passengers turning up earlier than normal from the early hours, with most of the carnage cleared by yesterday afternoon. Ministers are facing calls to slash more red tape to help travel firms recruit staff quicker in a bid to avoid similar scenes throughout the summer after they slashed thousands of jobs during the pandemic. But British Airways travellers were warned they face a summer of chaos as two unions representing check-in staff - GMB and UNITE - said they have started balloting members on strike action in a row over pay. A six-year-old girl was left in tears from 'exhaustion' after she and her family were stranded on their half-term holiday in Cyprus after TUI cancelled their flights twice - as a travel expert warns the travel chaos in UK airports is only set to get worse. Glenda Powell, 40, from Bristol, took to social media on Sunday night where she shared an image of her 'exhausted' six-year-old daughter, Freya, crying (pictured) because she is unable to return to the UK Another family was left devastated after their first holiday since the Covid pandemic was cancelled by TUI as they waited to board their flight. Anna Saunders, pictured with her husband Matthew, and kids Eva and Jack Holiday firm TUI sent a crushing text message after delaying the flight saying the family's entire trip - costing 5,200 - was cancelled for 'operational reasons' - code for a lack of staff Hundreds of staff at Heathrow Airport took a 10 per cent pay cut during the pandemic and are demanding their full salaries are reinstated amid cost-of-living pressures and passenger numbers surging again after the pandemic. Without any check-in staff, most flights will likely be grounded. It comes after easyJet announced it was cancelling at least 200 flights over the half-term holidays, which started yesterday, affecting around 30,000 passengers. EasyJet axed 32 flights yesterday while British Airways cancelled another 140. BA says the cancellations were made weeks ago and that customers were given plenty of notice. Like queues at airports, the cancellations are fuelled by staff shortages. Some airlines and airports have also struggled to recruit new staff since all Covid travel restrictions were dropped by the Government in March. Operators like BA and easyJet slashed thousands of jobs during the pandemic, which critics say was too many. Bosses at Bristol Airport said its bottlenecks were being caused by people turning up five hours early for their flights. But passengers hit back and said the 'morning rush hour', during which dozens of flights left before 8am, was simply more than staff could cope with. One Bristol passenger wrote online: 'Only half the security lanes open and not fast track. 'Two hours to get through. Queues started 300m on road outside.' One father, who booked with airline Vueling, claimed his young teenage son was forced to fly ahead of him due to the flight being overbooked. He posted: 'Anyone thinking about booking to fly with @vueling think again. They consistently overbook flights so your flight is not guaranteed. 'Waiting nearly 6 hours at Gatwick airport and counting.' Gatwick: One holidaymaker with binoculars found wherever he could to sit after long delays Birmingham: Holidaymakers wait for their bags at 11.30pm, with no sign of them arriving Manchester: Holidaymakers queue for check-in at the Tui desks at just after 7am today Heathrow: Terminal 5, home of British Airways, was also very busy this morning Transport Secretary Grant Shapps last month announced new laws so travel firms can begin training new recruits before they complete security checks. New rules mean they can also write a letter to HMRC asking them to confirm employment histories, which form part of the checks. However, industry leaders say they are still taking around four to five weeks to complete. Boss of Heathrow Airport, John Holland-Kaye, said the Government changes were 'limited' and called on ministers to go further by allowing aviation employers to access HMRC records. He told the Mail: 'Currently it can take weeks if not months to validate someone's employment. 'Quite often we have to do five years of checks for background employment and for some people that might be ten or 15 employers over that time. 'The HMRC change, accessing their records, would take the amount of time down from about four weeks to four minutes. It's not too late to make that change.' Asked about the fiasco yesterday, the Prime Minister's spokesman said: 'We recognise that passengers are understandably frustrated and upset by the delays in some cases and flight cancellations and other disruptions. 'We want everyone to be able to travel as freely and easily as possible and we want to see the travel and aviation sector bounce back from the pandemic. 'What we saw what we saw over the weekend is an exceptionally high number of people travelling, which has meant that airports and other ports have been exceptionally busy. 'We will continue to work with the aviation industry and port sector and be clear with them that we want to see disruption reduced to a minimum that includes working with them in terms of recruitment.' Separately, a Government spokesman said: 'The aviation industry is responsible for making sure they have enough staff to meet demand, and we have been clear that they must step up recruitment to make sure disruption is kept to a minimum.' Brits caught up in airport carnage reveal their travel nightmares: Dream holidays cancelled at the departure gate by TEXT, bags left 1,100-miles away with no warning and one member of staff for a 500-deep queue Brits caught up in the ongoing chaos at airports revealed their horror stories today, from dream holidays cancelled at the departure gate by text and going without luggage for four days with no warning to standing in a 500-deep queue with one member of staff. There has been chaos, confusion and cancellations at the majority of the UK's airports over the past four days as families try to get away for half term and the jubilee, with 6,000-plus flights to and from Britain due each day peaking next Monday. There have also been long delays at Dover for drivers heading to France and delays at St Pancras for Eurostar services to the continent. People have queued through the night to check-in while some brought pillows and duvets knowing they would be forced to sleep on terminal floors. Others slept on baggage carousels while waiting hours for their suitcases, some of which never arrived and are missing 96 hours later. Airlines and airports have been blamed for the carnage having slashed staff during the pandemic while hoovering up furlough payments and state aid. Now they do not have enough workers to cope - and cannot find people to fill often low-paid vacancies - as the numbers booking foreign holidays over the Platinum Jubilee week and through the summer months hit pre-pandemic levels. Below is a snapshot of how the chaos is affecting passengers. Couple spend four days without baggage Legal reviewer Paris Nedderman and James Palmer were left waiting for their luggage for four days after it got 'stuck' at Manchester Airport - but never received any communication from carrier Ryanair to tell them what had happened. Ms Nedderman, 23, and her 28-year-old boyfriend left for Bologna in southern Italy on the morning of May 28. She described Manchester Airport as an 'absolute shambles with minimal staff, huge queues, broken conveyor belts and a lack of organisation'. Paris Nedderman, 23, and her 28-year-old boyfriend James Palmer left for Bologna in southern Italy on the morning of May 28. After arriving at Bologna Airport, the couple and around 60 other passengers spent three hours waiting to be told what had happened to their luggage. 'The lady at the lost baggage desk informed us that ''the conveyor belt broke'' in Manchester so they still had our luggage,' she told MailOnline. 'Kids were crying and parents were anxious as they knew they would have to bear the expense of having to buy lots of new clothes, suncream and whatever else was in their case. 'During our time in Bologna we spent over 200 euros on clothing for the week because we did not know when we would get our bags back due to the lack of communication. 'We are now on day 4, and have only just received a call from Bologna Airport to say that the case has been received and they will get it on the next flight to us. Still no call from Manchester Airport or Ryanair, we are disgusted.' MailOnline has contacted Manchester Airport and Ryanair for comment. Family fear they could be left 4,000 out of pocket Steven Hession, 45, was supposed to be flying from Manchester Airport to Kos on Saturday with his wife, Kerrie, and their two children for a fortnight and an upcoming family wedding. But after hours of delays and chaos, the family got to the departure gate only to get a text message from airline TUI informing them that their flight and holiday had been cancelled due to 'significant operational disruption' - believed to be a missing pilot. Mr Hession, from Blackburn, Lancashire, said: 'It was horrendous; even on arrival to check in at Terminal 2, the queues were stretching right back to Terminal 1. 'After many hours of delays, we were at the boarding gate just after 7pm and there was no staff one there, but then we saw the cabin crew walking through to the plane, which made us feel reassured. 'But then we heard people crying... and everyone got this text at the same time saying unfortunately, your holiday has been cancelled, click this link to get a refund within 14 days.' Steven Hession, 45, enjoys some fizz as he heads to Manchester Airport with his family for a 4,000 two week break to the Greek island of Kos. Hours later, after long delays, the entire break was axed Kind friends turned up in the middle of the night to take the disappointed family back to Blackburn, meaning that they arrived back home just after midnight, almost 13 hours after they had left home for what they thought would be an amazing fortnight overseas. Fortunately, the bride and groom managed to fly out to Kos on Sunday, and Mr Hession booked new flights for himself and his family in time for the wedding. He is due to fly from Newcastle on Wednesday, and his wife and children from Leeds Bradford Airport, at considerable extra cost. But he says questions hang over their accommodation when they get there, and that if they do manage to find some, they could lose their refund. Mr Hession added: 'Now that we have got the flights, it's a gamble because our hotel is full as it's half term... the TUI representative is telling people that if they turn up that means your holiday's valid so you might not get a refund. 'The holiday itself was four grand, and I've spent a grand on new flights, and around 200 on minibuses for them. If we get to the hotel, it could be that they have accommodation and look after us, and pay for the extra cost, or it could work out another three or four grand.' TUI said: 'We would like to apologise to some of our customers who have experienced flight delays in recent days. 'The May half-term holidays are always an incredibly busy period with many customers looking to get away, and this year is no different. 'We understand that many of our customers have been looking forward to these holidays, as it's the first peak period in more than two years that hasn't been impacted by border closures and mass testing requirements. Our priority is always to take customers on holiday safely.' Five-year-old's devastation as TUI cancel her FIRST EVER overseas trip A mother said her five-year-old daughter didn't want to go on holiday 'ever again' after the family went through a 'shocking' experience with TUI. Kim McManus, 40, from Widnes, was due to fly out to Turkey on Friday for her daughter's first ever holiday abroad when they heard their flight had been overbooked. Less than an hour later, the mother of one received a text from TUI announcing that their whole package holiday had also been cancelled. Autumn 'broke down sobbing' once she heard the news. Her Disney bag packed, Autumn, five, was beaming, left, at Manchester airport ready for her first foreign holiday. But her smiles turned to tears, right, after the trip to Turkey with her mum was cancelled after their flight was axed. Ms McManus said: 'We had to get there early because of traffic issues, and then the flight was delayed by about five hours. 'We were all queuing up to get on the plane when they came around to everybody and said that the flight had been overbooked by 13 people. 'Six people hadn't shown up so they were now seven people too many. They were asking people to volunteer to not fly but without the guarantee of another flight at all in the next week. 'Nobody was going to take that so we waited for another hour and then they came over the tannoy and said that the cabin crew have now gone over their allotted hours and therefore the flight would now be cancelled. 'I was so shocked. It's my first holiday in seven years and it's my little girl's first holiday ever. She just broke down sobbing, saying ''please mummy please you said there was only one more sleep''. She was just absolutely devastated.' Tui said: 'We would like to apologise for the inconvenience to our customers on flight TOM856 from Manchester to Antalya, on Friday 27th May who were delayed due to a combination of factors causing significant operational disruption. 'Unfortunately, we felt the impact to customers' holiday was too great and took the difficult decision to cancel the flight. We contacted affected customers as soon as we became aware of the change and all customers will receive a full refund within 14 days. 'We understand how disappointing and frustrating this is and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.' 'Hell on wheels' check-in at Gatwick... and POLICE sent to tell passengers of cancellations in Manchester Student Isabelle Gray, 27, told the Evening Standard that checking in at Gatwick today was 'hell on wheels'. She said: 'I arrived here just after 5am and queued for almost 2 hours to check my bag in, the queue was about 500 deep and there was one person at the check in desk. Some people next to me were thinking of putting their suitcase in a locker and running to the gate with just hand luggage.' Airlines and airports have been blamed for the carnage having slashed staff during the pandemic while hoovering up furlough payments and state aid. Now they do not have enough workers to cope - and cannot find people to fill often low-paid vacancies - as the numbers booking foreign holidays over the Platinum Jubilee week and through the summer months hit pre-pandemic levels. No airport or @TUIUK staff on hand, the police read out a statement on their behalf. From this point it took another 2 hrs to get our bags back as we were left stranded in baggage reclaim with no staff to advise us what was happening 2/3 pic.twitter.com/idn9uG5X49 Jayesh Patel (@smurfyhelp_jay) May 29, 2022 It was police, not TUI staff, who were sent in to tell weary passengers at Manchester Airport that their entire holiday to Greece was cancelled and they had to leave Meanwhile, Jayesh Patel, whose half term break to Kos had been two years in the planning, said there was anger and tears at Manchester Airport as two policemen arrived to read a statement from TUI, moments after they began receiving texts telling them their flight and package breaks would not go ahead. He told the BBC today: 'The airport was understaffed, a lot of the outlets had ran out of food or closed at 6pm. We got called to the gate for the 7pm take off - four hours late. There was no staff. 'People were very upset - some were going on their honeymoon. And then we all started getting texts that the flight was now cancelled and because it was a package booking the whole holiday was cancelled'. He added: 'The worst part that there was no Tui staff to help. And then two police officers arrived and read a statement telling us how we would exit the airport. 'Because the airplane hadn't arrived from anywhere, our flight wasn't listed at any of the baggage carousels so we didn't know where to wait - people were visibly upset and children were crying. 'We then had to wait another couple of hours and at this point, we'd spent the whole day at the airport and just wanted to leave.' Meanwhile, the Saunders family were left devastated after their first holiday since the Covid pandemic was cancelled by TUI as they waited to board their flight. Another family was left devastated after their first holiday since the Covid pandemic was cancelled by TUI as they waited to board their flight. Anna Saunders, pictured with her husband Matthew, and kids Eva and Jack x The messaging application Slack is fast becoming a hotspot for employees to land new jobs. The platform, owned by Salesforce, was originally designed to help workers interact with each other inside their specific company's digital workplace, but that's not what an increasing number of job hunters are using it for. The digital workspace tool also allows users to start independent channels with other people who aren't necessarily working for the same company. These channels, which are flooded with career tips, advice and potential employers, are often private, and require an invitation in order to join them. Now, many job-hunters are using these channels instead of going through the traditional online job-application processes of applying to postings on websites and apps, including LinkedIn, Indeed or ZipRecruiter. 'It was nuts,' Clark Barron told the Wall Street Journal. He added that he was able to find his new role at Nisos - a cyber-intelligence and security company based in D.C. - after joining the Cybersecurity Marketing Society, a Slack group channel founded in March 2020. Slack, which is an acronym standing for 'Searchable Log of All Conversation and Knowledge, is taking over the job-matching sector, potentially rivaling competitors like LinkedIn Clark Barron, who now works at Nisos - a cybersecurity company in D.C. - found his current role on Slack, nearly just a week after joining a Slack channel named Cybersecurity Marketing Society Slack allows employees at the same workplace to interact with one another but also allows exchanges between different company employees through private, invite-only channels that often flag job openings for members to see Users in the same group channel can also privately message each other tp get to know each other better as well as their interests and career aspirations Like many others, Barron had to request to join the digital forum after several of his professional connections recommended it to him. A week after joining the Slack channel, Barron, who is based in Huntsville, Alabama, according to his LinkedIn profile, was flooded with requests to interview calls, texts and emails from recruiters. One of those was Nisos, his current employer. Barron described the recruiting process as much quicker and easier than any other means to find a new job. He starts his new role this week. 'I'm used to either being ghosted or waiting around for about 17 days,' he told the Journal. The number of private, recruiting-driven Slack channels is unknown, the California-based company shared. Many of the 'talkspaces' on the platform are popularly used in the tech sector. Employees working in human resources, sales, marketing and other domains also interact on these channels, which have mostly grown in terms of membership numbers since the start of the pandemic. Some examples of private, networking channels on Slack found by the Journal include MKTG WMN, which is for women in marketing; Customer Education Org for those with roles in product innovation and improvement; and Blacks in Technology, which has nearly has 8,000 group members since it was first created in 2015, its group founder - Greg Greenlee - told the Journal. Most people who've found new jobs through these digital lines of communication said they were hired in large part due to company employees sharing opportunities on these channels. Greenlee told the Journal that this new job-matching process helps those who come from underrepresented backgrounds feel a lot more wanted. 'If you had a person vouching for a company, that's going to speak a lot louder than a recruiter coming in and just posting a job and saying, 'We're looking for diverse talent,' he said. These networking groups also face competition from Reddit, Hive and FishBowl, but those users tend to use aliases. Users on Slack tend to use their real names for networking reasons. They can also privately message other group members and look up the channel's history and chats before they officially join. Slack group channels are often popular with employees in tech, cybersecurity, marketing, user experience and human resources, as well as product based companies Blacks in Technology, a popular Slack channel, helps minorities connect and land new jobs on its Slack channel directly through company employees Stewart Butterfield, co-founder and chief executive officer of Slack, stands outside the New York Stock Exchange. Slack has seen a rise in membership due to remote work becoming more and more popular since the COVID-19 pandemic Stephanie Ciccone-Nascimento, Director of Training and Talent, is part of seven different Slack Channels and says that job candidates recruited through the platform can be fast-tracked through the hiring process due to their personal and online connection with hiring managers and executives. 'You can be anywhere and still have conversations and connect,' Ciccone-Nascimento told the Wall Street Journal. Maria Velasquez, who is the co-founder of another Slack community, called the Cybersecurity Marketing Society, was able to find a new job through the channel. She now works for Feroot Security and initially connected with her new boss after he asked on the Slack group for advice on data translation. Velasquez interacted with him and recommended a tool that she uses herself. Later in the year, a job-opening at the Toronto-base security-software company was shared on the channel and Velasquez applied. She was hired, in part due to her already-established relationship with her boss. 'I'm no longer just a resume on the pile,' she told the Journal. 'The community knows me on a personal level.' Maria Velasquez is one of the founders of the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on Slack The Cybersecurity Marketing Society is also present on LinkedIn and has 2,525 followers. It's description reads: 'We are a bunch of humble cybersecurity marketers building a community to collaborate, help each other, and share our stories. The Cybersecurity Marketing Society's mission is to provide a platform for marketers working in cybersecurity where they can find helpful resources, proven strategies, and expert advice.' 'Less head scratching, more noodling! Join us as we build this one-of-its-kind community, membership comes with access to great content, virtual events, virtual happy hours, and a member-only slack community.' 'Do you have expertise in marketing and want to share your wisdom? Reach out for a chance to contribute to the society by writing a guest blog, hosting a webinar, or a live fireside chat,' it further read. The common chat on Slack channels also gives recruiters insight on workers' behaviors and how they interact with others. When Hannah O'Toole, a recruiter in California, was looking for a job early in the pandemic, she messaged Char Delapena, co-founder of URx, a Slack community for recruiters of early-career talent. She asked whether Robinhood Markets Inc. , the investment platform and Ms. Delapena's employer at the time, had any openings. Hannah O'Toole, an early career recruiter at Figma, messaged Char Delapena, co-founder of URx, a Slack channel that helps people in their early career land their first job. She wanted to know if Robinhood Markets Inc - a stock market investing app - and also Delapena's employer, was hiring. Hannah O'Toole landed a gig at Robinhood due to connecting with a company employee on a Slack group channel Before hiring O'Toole to join the financial service, Delapena said she analyzed her former new recruit's exchanges on the Slack group to get an understanding of how she interacted with others and how she networked. She also asked O'Toole via private chat if she could send her some professional reference, which she did. O'Toole, however, switched jobs and landed her role today at Firma thanks to a former colleague at an old job telling her about it on Slack. 'Everyone in the industry is basically in it,' O'Toole told the Journal, of the Slack group. LinkedIn has more than 58 million companies present on its website, according to Kinsta. On average, 50 million people search for job openings on the platform per week and 87 percent of recruiters use LinkedIn to look at candidates' profiles. A study led by the Statistic Brain Research Institute claims that 122 million people were able to be granted an interview for a job posting that they were interested in through LinkedIn, with 35.5 million of them being hired by someone they connected with on the website. Employees hired through LinkedIn also have a 40 percent less likelihood of leaving the company that they were hired by within the first six months, Small Business Trends reported. Goldman Sachs' recent decision to allow its senior staffers unlimited time off is being panned by critics who say the big bank has a hidden agenda with the policy. The guideline shift, announced last month, came on the heels of several complaints over the bank's long-hours and work-intensive culture. The new guidance no longer requires Goldman brass to compensate senior bankers for unused vacation time below the 15-day threshold - due to the fact that those workers are technically no longer accruing vacation days. In the past, prior to 2018, if employees had vacation days they did not use, the bank had to pay them for those hours. Now, the bank does not have to pay them anything. Combined with the company's long rumored intense work environment, analysts say the policy will likely see under-pressure staffers still work long hours, while brass continue to raise their own bottom lines. 'This was completely driven by financials,' Veehtahl Eilat-Raichel, cofounder of Sorbet - a firm that buys unused vacation days from companies and puts the cash value on prepaid cards - told The New York Times of the move. Goldman Sachs' decision to allow senior staffers unlimited time off is being panned by critics who say the bank has a hidden agenda with the policy - which comes in response to complaints over the bank's long-hours culture. Pictured is the banks' headquarters in Manhattan 'This was completely driven by financials,' Veehtahl Eilat-Raichel (pictured), cofounder of Sorbet - a firm that buys unused vacation days from companies and puts the cash value on prepaid cards - said of Goldman's move Renowned Wall Street analyst Mike Mayo, who currently serves as the managing director and head of US bank research at Wells Fargo, agreed with Eilat-Raichel's assertions, saying the move was likely a ruse to motivate staffers while making more profits According to Eilat-Raichel, the unlimited paid time off package is 'positioned as if its an amazing benefit for employees, where in fact it actually is really bad for employees and amazing for employers.' The CEO went on to cite how in the past employees had the benefit of being reimbursed for unused time off - a sentiment that spurred her to start Sorbet in 2019. Renowned Wall Street analyst Mike Mayo, who currently serves as the managing director and head of US bank research at Wells Fargo, agreed with Eilat-Raichel's assertions. 'It sounds psychologically soothing, and its part of Goldmans cultivating a gentler and softer Goldman image,' Mayo said. 'The reality is its not going to make any difference,' he added. 'Its like telling a restaurant owner you can have unlimited vacation - will that change how the restaurant owner works?' Moreover, the policy only applies to senior bankers, with junior employees still subject to a cap. It did, however, provide them with two additional vacation days, to a total of 17. They will also not be paid for unused days under the new guidance. The bank announced the plan with hopes it would improve staff 'wellbeing and resilience,' providing time off to 'rest and recharge,' a statement penned by Global Head of Human Capital Management Bentley de Beyer said. The bank announced the plan with hopes it would improve staff 'wellbeing and resilience', providing time off to 'rest and recharge,' a statement penned by Goldman CEO David Solomon (pictured) The 'flexible vacation' scheme came into effect from May 1 to allow senior staff 'to take time off... without a fixed vacation day entitlement', the memo said. It added that every employee will also be expected to take a minimum of 15 days leave per year from next January, with at least one week of consecutive time off. Goldman, the first major financial institution to bring in the policy, is notorious for its long-hours culture. Days before announcing the amended PTO policy, outspoken Sachs CEO David branded the pandemic-spurred advent of remote work 'an abberation.' Last year junior staff begged to work just 80 hours a week amid complaints 'inhumane' expectations were leading to mental health issues. In March, more than 10 staff in their first year at the company reported working around 98 hours each week, according to posts on eFinancial Careers. Unlimited holiday policies for staff Unlimited holidays are offered more widely in the US, and are often popular with startups and tech firms. Netflix, Kickstarter, and LinkedIn offer unlimited holidays. Recruitment site Glassdoor offers company-wide unlimited holidays. In the UK, AffectV, Crimson Hexagon, Dropbox, EventBrite, Honeywell, Songkick, Visualsoft, and offer unlimited holiday to staff. Some companies in the US have launched an unlimited holiday policy and then revoked it later down the line, after employees began taking less leave than before. One of these was CharlieHR, which launched its unlimited policy when the company was founded in 2015. After three years, it found staff were taking an around of 21 to 22 days off, with anxiety growing about what was an 'acceptable' number of days to take. Research has found that these policies are most successful when the company culture promotes taking leave. Evernote, which runs an unlimited holiday policy, also gives staff a $1,000 annual holiday stipend, acting as an incentive to take the break. Advertisement Chief executive Solomon said that the company is taking complaints from junior staff about workload and hours 'very seriously'. Unlimited holiday policies have become popular with some firms, including Glassdoor, LinkedIn and Netflix, as a way to stop burnout among staff. Goldman is one of a handful of financial institutions to get staff back in the office five days a week Mr Solomon described working from home a 'temporary aberration'. He said that being in the office is 'critical' to company operations On February 1, only half of the company's 10,000 employees showed up to the New York City headquarters when offices reopened. Workers were reportedly been given more than two weeks notice to prepare for the return. Mr Solomon has repeatedly argued that remote work 'is not ideal for us, and it's not a new normal.' He has maintained his distaste for remote work throughout the pandemic, arguing that one of Goldman Sachs' strengths is its network of staff collaborating together to serve clients. He said working from home inhibits relationship building and growth. 'The secret sauce to our organization is, we attract thousands of really extraordinary young people who come to Goldman Sachs to learn to work, to create a network of other extraordinary people, and work very hard to serve our clients,' he told CNBC in March. 'Part of the secret sauce is that they come together and collaborate and work with people that are much more experienced than they are.' Although he acknowledged that some businesses have made remote successful, he doesn't believe that is the best operating model for his company. 'I do think for a business like ours which is an innovative, collaborative apprenticeship culture, this is not ideal for us and it's not a new normal,' he said. Goldman Sachs reported its best years ever over as of late, recording a profit of $21.6billion in 2021. The company is currently valued at $112.85billion - well above its evaluation prepandemic. Solomon said earlier this month that more than half of the bank's nearly 44,000 employees have already returned to the office. DailyMail.com reached out to Goldman Sachs to comment on analyst' claims regarding their new vacation policy Tuesday afternoon. A spokesperson called any cost savings associated with the policy purely 'incidental.' 'Unlimited vacation for senior employees means we no longer accrue for vacation in a calendar year. We have not paid out unused vacation days carried over from a prior year service since 2017,' the rep said. Sachs Global Head of Human Capital Management de Beyer added: 'As a leading organization operating at a high metabolism, our focus is on incentivizing our people to take more time off, rest and recharge. 'We are proud to join with many other companies in introducing a flexible policy that requires a minimum amount of time out of the office to continue to build resiliency and sustained performance.' More than 150 people were killed across America during the Memorial Day weekend, as gun violence soared across the country just days after the school massacre in Uvalde left 19 children and two teachers dead. There were at least 14 'mass shootings' across the US over the weekend, from early Friday morning to late on Monday, according to the Gun Violence Archive, an institute tracking shootings in the country. At least nine people were killed in the mass shootings and more than 60 people were injured, according to the Archive, which defines mass shootings as an incident where at least four people are shot and injured or killed, not including any shooter. Overall, gun violence over the Memorial Day weekend saw 156 people killed and 412 injured. Philadelphia and Chicago saw the worst of the shootings with 20 fatally shot, with 12 killed in Pennsylvanias largest city and 8 killed in the Windy City. In Oklahoma, a 26-year-old man opened fire at a Memorial Day festival in a mass shooting, killing a 39-year-old woman and injuring seven victims. Pictured: A map showing the states that saw the highest number of gun violence deaths over the weekend, that saw more than 150 people killed in total across the United States The deadly weekend came just a week after the massacre of 19 elementary school students and two teachers by an 18-year-old man with an AR-15-style rifle in Uvalde, Texas. Salvador Ramos committed the deadliest US school massacre since the Sandy Hook shooting nearly a decade ago, going on a rampage at Robb Elementary before being shot dead by police. Joe Biden kicked off the gun control debate in a speech delivered from the White House late Tuesday, just hours after the shooting, saying it is time to 'turn pain into action' and asking voters: 'When in God's name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?' Texas senator Ted Cruz has been at the forefront of the pushback, repeating well-worn arguments that targeting the fugitives and the felons and the bad guys' rather than the constitutional right to bear arms is the key to reducing violence. Cruz is one of 50 Republican senators who are working to block the progress of two pieces of gun control legislation that were passed by House Democrats in 2021. The first would strengthen background checks on those seeking to buy guns and the second would expand the period to review gun purchases to 10 days. Eight dead in Chicago At least eight people were killed and 32 were injured in Chicago during the Memorial Day weekend, according to data collected by the Archive. A man was shot in the head in the city's Chicago Lawn neighborhood at 1.31pm on Saturday and later died at Advocate Christ Medical Center, NBC5 reported. Another two men, 29 and 28, were fatally shot when they opened fire on each other in the Englewood neighborhood at 5.04pm on Saturday. They later died at the University of Chicago Medical Center. In South Carpenter, a man was shot in the head and body while standing on a sidewalk at 1.05am on Sunday. A fifth fatal shooting occurred in West Madison at 6.40am on Sunday when a man, 33, was shot while driving eastbound. Five were also injured in a mass shooting near Daniel Webster Elementary School, The Tribune reported. This booking photo provided by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation shows Skyler Buckner, 26, on Sunday, May 29, 2022 Oklahoma man turns himself in Authorities said a 26-year-old man is in custody after one person was killed and seven people were injured in a shooting on Saturday night at an outdoor festival in eastern Oklahoma, where witnesses described frantic people running for cover amid gunfire. An arrest warrant was issued for Skyler Buckner and he turned himself in to the Muskogee County sheriff's office Sunday afternoon, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said in a statement. OSBI said that those shot at the Memorial Day event in Taft, located about 45 miles southeast of Tulsa, ranged in age from nine to 56. A 39-year-old woman was killed, OSBI said. The injuries of those wounded were considered non-life-threatening. A woman said that she was lucky to escape the bullets as she dove for cover when her food was hit Shooting in Memphis leaves one dead One person was killed and six people were injured during a shooting on East Shelby Drive, Memphis, Tennessee, at 6.30pm on Saturday. Two male victims were taken to Regional One Health in critical condition, where one died, according to Memphis Commercial Appeal. In another shooting, near the intersection of Chelsea Avenue and Peres Avenue at 11pm on Saturday, two people sustained gunshot wounds. Two killed in New York City Two people were killed in separate shootings in New York City during Memorial Day weekend, according to police. Donovan Davy, 45, was shot in Brooklyn and was pronounced dead at Kings County Hospital, The New York Post reported. Elsewhere, a victim was killed at an apartment complex in Brownsville, Brooklyn. A man was also shot in Queens before 12am on Sunday and three others were hit by gunshots in Brooklyn. Four dead in Maryland Shots were fired in an amphitheater in Inner Harbor, Baltimore, at 7.35pm on Saturday killing a 17-year-old boy, it was reported by The Baltimore Sun. Two men were also killed in a triple shooting on Saturday night and a woman was fatally shot. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said: 'I am sickened that this plague continues to grip our city. 'I will continue to push every public safety agency to do more, but it will also require all of us to collectively say enough is enough, that were not going to accept or allow violence in our city.' 12 fatally shot in Philadelphia At least 12 people were killed in Philadelphia, including a nine-year-old boy, while 12 people were injured. A man, aged between 18 and 21, died of his injuries sustained in Overbrook on Sunday afternoon. Another man, 30, was shot in the Mill Creek neighborhood and died of his wounds. There was a double shooting in Kensington killing one man, a 49-year-old man was fatally shot in North Philadelphia at 9.30am on Sunday and a man was also killed in East Germantown. News crews film at the scene of the fatal shooting , where food trucks were hit by bullets, in Taft, Oklahoma, on Sunday In the Wissinoming neighborhood, a father and his son, 9, were killed in a drive-by shooting, according to NBC Philadelphia. The shooting happened on Carver Street around 10.30pm. Police also said multiple weapons were involved and several shots were fired. A one-year-old boy was killed in another drive-by shooting in downtown Pittsburgh. One adult dead and three injured in California One adult died and three teenagers were left injured in Fresno, California. Police responded to gunfire and found multiple victims with gunshot wounds, Your Central Valley reported. One killed at graduation party in Atlanta, Georgia One person was killed at graduation party inside the Park Lane Event Center in Atlanta, Georgia. More than 200 teenagers were celebrating the occasion when a gunman opened fire leaving two more injured. Akeem Ellison, 18, later died at Upson Regional Medical Center, however cops have not made any arrests to date. One dead in Florida One person was killed at the exact same nightclub in Florida that a victim was killed three years previously. According to Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, shots were fired at the Blue Lounge club in Tampa at 3am on Sunday. Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday called his infamous phone call to a Georgia election official 'perfect' and tried to question the legitimacy of rival Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp's overwhelming primary victory last week. Trump made the statement on his Truth Social platform, where he complained that a grand jury is probing his 'absolutely PERFECT' phone call' with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffesnperger. 'Many lawyers, from both sides, were knowingly on the call,' Trump wrote. 'I also assumed it was taped,' he added. Fulton County Prosecutor Fani Willis got a special grand jury to probe Trump following revelations about the Jan. 2, 2021 call to Raffensperger, where he asked the official to 'find' votes and repeated his claims of fraud. That would have been enough to hand him a victory in the state. Former President Donald Trump attacked a Georgia prosecutor and defended the phone call where he asked the Georgia secretary of state to 'find' 11,780 votes 'The people of Georgia are angry the people in the country are angry," Trump said. "And there's nothing wrong with saying, you know, um, that you've recalculated,' he said, according to comments first reported by the Washington Post. 'All I want to do is this, I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. Because we won the state,' Trump said. Trump has called the call perfect previously, using a term he also used for his infamous phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, when he asked Zelensky to look into rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter. That call helped prompt Trump's first impeachment, for which he was acquitted in the Senate. Trump also blasted out a statement that questioned the count in rival Kemp's victory in the GOP governor's primary in Georgia despite Kemp's lopsided win. Trump called his call 'perfect,' but GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a member of the House Jan. 6th Committee, said he was 'a bit nervous.' Trump blasted out an article questioning Gov. Brian Kemp's 52-point victory over his favored candidate Kemp got backing from former VP Mike Pence, but Trump campaigned for his rival, former Sen. David Perdue Trump's call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger features in a Georgia grand jury probe and the House Jan. 6th Committee investigation Trump blasted out an article titled 'Something Stinks in Georgia' from his 'Save America' PAC. The article, by Emerald Robinson, called the result 'curious and so suspect' given that Trump's endorsement is the 'single most powerful thing in the universe of American politics.' Trump backed former Sen. David Perdue, who backed his own election fraud claims that fellow Republican Kemp resisted. Kemp won by a 74-22 margin on Election Day, a margin Robinson called 'obvious fraud' because 'Nobody in any election in America gets 74% of the votes.' Trump's call to Raffensperger features in a Georgia grand jury probe and the House Jan. 6th Committee investigation. Raffensperger was also reelected last week over a Trump-backed opponent, GOP Rep. Jody Hice. Connor Attridge, who was arrested for allegedly trespassing in the grounds of Buckingham Palace days before the Platinum Jubilee celebrations A man was arrested for allegedly trespassing in the grounds of Buckingham Palace days before the Platinum Jubilee celebrations after telling household staff: 'I want to see the Queen', a court has heard. Connor Attridge walked through the vehicle gate of the Royal Mews on Sunday night when it was opened to allow through an authorised car, Westminster Magistrates' Court heard. The 28-year-old, of Eastbourne, East Sussex, allegedly managed to breach the palace boundary by three to five metres after refusing to stop when challenged by a member of the household staff. Attridge, who has a face tattoo reading 'truly blessed', said: 'I want to come in. I want to see the Queen,' before being ushered out of the gate and arrested, the court was told. He appeared in the dock today charged with trespassing on a protected site on May 29. Attridge's arrest comes amid heightened security around the palace in the run-up to the extended bank holiday to celebrate the Queen's 70-year reign. On June 2, Trooping the Colour, the sovereign's official birthday parade, will kick-start the four days of festivities, with the expectation the Queen will join working members of the royal family on the Buckingham Palace balcony. Pedestrians and cyclists on the Mall which is lined with the Union Flags leading to Buckingham Palace in central London, May 30, 2022 Prosecutor Leila Nahaboo-Osman said: 'This is one of the most high-profile weeks in history, with it being the 70th anniversary.' She said the area where the defendant allegedly trespassed is 'one of the most heavily guarded places in London'. Daniel Mullin, defending, said his client suffers from mental health issues, did not use 'stealth' and had 'no motive or desire to go further than he did', having allegedly breached the boundary by just metres. 'This was at worst reckless and at best bordering on an accidental offence,' he said. District Judge Nina Tempia adjourned the case to June 28 for the Crown Prosecution Service to obtain consent from Attorney General Suella Braverman, which is required in cases involving trespass on a protected site. She granted Attridge bail with conditions, including a curfew monitored by electronic tag and exclusion from London, except to attend court. The Queen in a file photo taken on October 7, 2021 The alleged incident is the latest involving the Royal Mews - which houses the royal family's horses. Earlier this year, American tourist Joseph Huang Kang, 24, was fined 200 after jumping over the fence into the Mews on the afternoon of December 10 last year in the midst of a psychotic episode. Cameron Kalani, 44, scaled the fence in the early hours of May 10 last year and was caught with an 8in kitchen knife and cocaine in his bag when he was arrested after climbing back into Buckingham Palace Road. He was handed a 24-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, after pleading guilty to trespassing on a protected site, possession of a bladed article and possession of a wrap of cocaine. Kalani said he had travelled to London from his home in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, while in a state of psychosis in a bid 'to be arrested'. Turkey won't approve Finland and Sweden in its NATO bid due to coddling organizations that are outlawed by Ankara. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is under pressure from the US and other members to reverse his hardline position. Turkey Will Not Approve Erdogan stressed the Nordic nations are a danger to his country's security, deal with them, or they will never be members, reported RT. Support for enemies of Ankara like terror groups will not be tolerated, and no more repeats of mistakes in the past. The Turkish leader gave an ultimatum when he spoke to the press on the way back from an Azerbaijan meeting last Sunday. As head of his nation, it will not allow Helsinki and Stockholm to be part of the Western military alliance if they support terrorists, cited Free Press Kashmir. Following the Nordic nations' joint membership application to the US-led military alliance, representatives from Sweden and Finland met with Turkish counterparts in Ankara for discussions last a week ago. To become a full-fledged member, it needs all 30 members to vote or no admittance; Ankara says it will stop the process unless the two prospective members control groups that are extremists. He added they had not shown honesty or sincerity as the talks are seen. Steps aren't taken as requested, and these terrorists are free in Stockholm; they even have police security, noted Mass News. Erdogan expressed that accepting Finland and Sweden to join NATO that allows terrorists to stay is a big mistake that should be avoided. It was a reference to Turkey and a long-running feud with Athens over Cyprus, which ended in 1980 when Ankara consented to Greece's return after the military bloc was suspended halfway. Read Also: Vladimir Putin Net Worth 2022: Does Anyone Know Russian President's Hidden Wealth? Nordic Nations Must Abide by the Rules According to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Finland and Sweden are unlikely to join the alliance except if Turkey's conditions were met. Stoltenberg said last Thursday that Ankara had suffered many extremist attacks, and the alliance member is an important ally. Dealing with its concerns must be discussed to resolve the concern. Turkey is demanding that Sweden and Finland remove their limitations on Turkish arms sales and extradite people associated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Gulen movement (FETO). Both Stockholm and Helsinki recognize the PKK as a terrorist organization; Ankara intends the same reference implemented to the YPG and PYD, Syria's Kurdish military and political groups. Finland, Sweden Drops Neutrality On May 15, the two Nordic countries renounced their history of neutrality, referencing Russia's military campaign against Ukraine as the underlying reason for their decision. Washington and its allies welcome membership bids, but Turkey and Croatia are not for it, threatening to trash their bids over national security concerns. Vladimir Putin warned these Nordic nations are committing an error with unpleasant consequences if they enter the western military alliance, though not as severe as Ukraine. These potential territorial claims may pose a risk to Europe if it is admitted to the military bloc. Ankara has retained a neutral position in the conflict, preserving ties with Ukraine and Russia and refusing Western sanctions against Moscow while trying to play a mediator role. Turkey stands in the way of Finland and Sweden seeking a place in NATO, although Erdogan has maintained that extremists should be dealt with before membership talks start and that its problem with Greece will not be repeated. Related Article: Ankara Calls Out the US Over Arbitrary Sanctions as Unfair To Turkey, India Due to Russian S-400 Arms Purchase @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Two women enjoying a Memorial Day on the water are missing after they were knocked off their floatation devices and were swept up in the roiling current under low Virginia dam sometimes referred to as a 'drowning machine.' Rescue workers, family and friends are desperately searching for Lauren E. Winstead, 23, a wellness center employee, and Sara Erway, 28, a massage therapist, after they went missing on Monday in the James River, in Richmond. The women were with about dozen other people floating down the river on paddle board, kayaks and inflatable devices when they went over the 12-foot Bosher's dam, which was overflowing because heavy rains had raised to river to dangerous levels, according to Henrico County police. Family member posted Facebook pleas for prayers and a positive outcome, though the women have been missing for more than 24 hours. Lauren Winstead, seen here, could not be found after her tubing party got caught in the current and pulled into the churning water under the Bosher's Dam in Richmond Sara E. Erway, 28, of Chester County, Virginia was swept up in the current under the 12-foot Bosher's Dam The National Weather Service reported that the James River had risen to nine feet, nearly double its normal conditions. Low head dams, like the Bosher's can create a 'dangerous flow pattern' on the downside of the structure that have accounted for many deaths over the years. Conditions on Monday were prime for disaster. The 'current and strength of the water was a factor' Henrico police spokesman Lt. Matthew Pecka said. 'Someone came and banged on our window saying that their group went over the dam,' Richmond resident Finn Gardner told NBC 12. ' So, we ran out there, and we were trying to help get people out of the water and make sure that everyone was accounted for. Unfortunately, we couldn't find two of them, but we were going off through there making sure everyone got over onto the shore safely.' The Richmond Fire Department and police, with the help of civilian kayakers were able to fish the 10 people out of he river, but Erway and Winstead were nowhere to be found. The James River in Richmond rose to 9 feet on Memorial Day, nearly double its normal level Richmond Fire Department searches the waters below the Bosher's Dam for the bodies of the two women Floatation rafts bob in the churning water below the Bosher's Dam were the two women went missing Pecka said that the group were using their own boards and inflatable tubes on the water. Firefighters and police searched until dark on Monday night, but could not find the women. Richmond Police Chief Jeffery Segal refused to concede that the women were likely lost to the water Monday night. 'As of right now, we're hopeful,' he said Monday. 'We're going to give it our best effort.' On Tuesday, the neighboring Henrico Police Department identified the two women and said they will continue the effort to find their remains. Lauren Winstead, who runs a wellness center in Richmond, was tubing in the James when her party was swept over the falls of a dam on the James River Nearby Goochland Fire Rescue saved five people and a dog from the river that day. Even a local paddle board and kayak rental shop had to move location because the hazard posed by the swift moving current. 'The rapids that run through Richmond become too dangerous to send people out who haven't ever paddled before,' Waterfront RVA owner Benjamin Moore told NBC 12. Matt Perry, the president of raft and tube rental company the Riverside Outfitters, said that regulars on the James River avoid the Bosher's Dam completely and usually raft well below in the Huguenot Flatwater, which is much easier to navigate. He said that mostly powerboaters navigated above the dam. Even in the calmer waters where he operates, he said that he doesn't rent if the water rises above five and half feet because the current is too swift to paddle in. 'Amongst the Richmond paddling community, I don't know anyone who would attempt the Bosher's Dam under 12 feet because of the drop and hydraulics beneath the dam are really hazardous if the level isn't high enough.' A convicted Miami fraudster hired as a 'community liaison' officer would sit and swig gas-station beers in her city-issued car, a damning report has revealed. Jenny Nillo, 56, would also turn up at the city commissioner's house in the morning with Tequila and wine, the document shows. She would then spend hours running errands for him - such as taking his laundry to the dry cleaners - while being paid $53,000 by taxpayers, investigators found. This was despite the convicted mortgage fraudster - who was part of a fake 'marketing companies' ring - being hired to revitalize some of the ailing downtown. Convicted Miami fraudster, Jenny Nillo, 56, hired as a 'community liaison' officer would sit and swig gas-station beers in her city-issued car, a damning report has revealed Some of the items in Nillo's sparse-looking office at the Omni CRA headquarters in Overtown is a framed photo of her and the Commissioner, a few motivational frames, and an unopened box of business cards, a report said A criminal probe into Nillo broke open last year when she was pulled over in the city-issued car she was using at a Miami traffic stop after she was suspected of a DUI. She told the authorities she had just left Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla's apartment after he asked her to buy some alcohol. She also told them that she was there to pick up his laundry, the Miami Herald reported. She told the officers she had drank two beers prior and once at the commissioner's apartment where she poured wine into a paper coffee cup before leaving. When she was pulled she told the agent: 'Obviously I messed up,' before saying, 'So I'm going to be fired,' the Herald reported. After her arrest, Miami City Manager Arthur Noriega told WPLG Local 10 News he does not know what transpired. A photo of Nillo pictured here with her young son He said he was requesting reports of Nillo's traffic stop but said 'there seems to be no 'findable' record of it.' Nillo's relationship with the Diaz de la Portilla family goes back more than two decades. She previously worked for the commissioner's older brother Miguel when he served as a Miami-Dade County Commissioner from 1993 until 1999. One of the items in Nillo's office at the Omni Community Redevelopment Agency HQ in Overtown was a framed photo of her and the commissioner. Allegations were also made she was hired at CRA to be a 'spy' for Diaz de la Portialla, Local 10News reported. Nillo's Linkedin profile listed her as a senior consultant with On Target Hispanic Marketing, Inc. based in Florida since September 2010 until the present. But colleagues reported that she was a 'ghost' and was rarely seen entering the office. Modelo is the brand lager Nillo often purchased at the local Miami gas stations In March 2021, cops in Florida started an investigation into Nillo and her close dealings with Diaz de la Portilla. On March 23, 2021 a termination letter was issued to her by Omni CRA Executive Director Jason Walker after they rumbled her daily antics. In 2017, Nillo was charged by the feds in a South Florida mortgage fraud case and spent 36 months in federal prison before being put on probation. She had been part of a group that operated sham 'marketing companies' that laundered fraudulently obtained loans. In 2019, when released she worked as a telemarketer. In 2020, Diaz de la Portilla became Miami's commissioner, and shortly after was named chair of the Omni CRA. He was reportedly stripped of his position as chairman of the agency by Miami's other commissioners, but was reappointed again in February, a report said. Part of the probe being conducted was if the commissioner broke the law in hiring Nillo and their special work arrangement that included, running errands on the city clock. The city-car Nillo drove was a white Toyota Corolla, though she was not considered an official city employee and reportedly against city protocols, a report said. After her firing, Nillo was hired by Diaz de la Portilla to work at his office earning $40,000 annual salary. Diaz de la Portilla adamantly defended Nillo, saying she was a 'model employee' who was being unfairly criticized, Political Cortadito reported. He also claimed there 'was no state investigation' and said she was pulled over for making an illegal U-turn. Last year, FLEA agency closed the case, saying the commissioner's actions 'may have been immoral, unethical or [an] exploitation of his powers,' but did not amount to criminal conduct. The case is currently under investigation by the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics & Public Trust, the news outlet reported. Nillo did not respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment. Jailed Putin critic and arch political rival Alexei Navanly has revealed he is facing another 15 years behind bars after being slapped with fresh charges. The 45-year-old, already serving two sentences in a prison camp near Moscow for parole violations and fraud, has now been charged with creating an extremist organisation and inciting hatred. Navalny, who has dismissed all charges as politically motivated, revealed the new case in an Instagram post - musing sarcastically: 'Maybe Putin doesn't hate me, but secretly loves me? 'And that's why he wants me to be - just like himself - hidden in an underground bunker, guarded by reliable people.' Alexei Navalny said today that he has been charged with creating an extremist group and inciting hatred, that could land him another 15 years in jail Navalny revealed the new charges in an Instagram post, musing sarcastically: Maybe Putin doesn't hate me, but secretly loves me?' "Not even eight days have passed since my nine-year high-security sentence came into force, and today the investigator showed up again and formally charged me with a new case," he continued. "It turns out that I created an extremist group in order to incite hatred towards officials and oligarchs. 'And when they put me in jail, I dared to be disgruntled about it and called for rallies. For that, they're supposed to add up to 15 more years to my sentence.' There was no immediate confirmation of the new charges from the Russian Ministry of Justice. Originally a lawyer, Navalny became an anti-corruption campaigner and later political rival to Vladimir Putin who he intended to run against in the 2018 Presidential election before being banned. Navalny's legal troubles began shortly after his corruption campaigning turned its sights on Putin and his party, receiving two suspended sentences in 2013 and 2014 for embezzlement. In 2020, he collapsed during a domestic flight in Russia after being poisoned with nerve agent Novichok which was allegedly smeared in his underpants. He was flown for treatment in Germany and recovered, before travelling back to Russia to continue campaigning. Navalny was arrested on arrival, charged with breaching his parole on the embezzlement charges while in Germany, and in February 2021 was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in a penal colony. In late March this year, he had his jail time extended to nine years after he was found guilty of embezzling donations to his political organisations and contempt of court. He appeared in court via videolink just last week to appeal the charges, but was slapped down by a judge who ruled the court should 'leave the sentence without changes' and for it to enter into force immediately. Putin is widely suspected to be behind the campaign of legal charges and 2020 assassination attempt against Navalny, which he survived He dismissed his trial as 'meaningless', saying: 'I despise your court, your system.' 'It's you, your system and Putin who are traitors against the Russian people', said Navalny, 45. 'I am ready to sit in jail to prove that not everyone in Russia is like this'. Navalny used his speech to condemn the Kremlin and its military campaign in Ukraine. 'What Putin is doing is pointless,' he said. 'One crazy thief has seized hold of Ukraine and no one understands what he wants to do with it'. The opposition politician appeared composed during the hearing, even joking about problems with the sound system. 'Your time will pass and you will burn in hell,' he concluded. Dozens of Navalny's team and supporters have also been targeted over the last 12 months, with his Anti-Corruption Foundation designated an extremist organisation and effectively outlawed. Many of the people who worked for his foundation will be facing long-term jail sentences themselves and it is thought that a large number have emigrated. Navalny's constant and consistent charges of corruption against Putin and the Russian state were echoed by Russian diplomat to the UN office in Geneva Boris Bondarev, 41, who resigned on Monday after 20 years in the diplomatic service. He sent a letter to 40 diplomats in which he said he had never been 'so ashamed of my country' following Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine. In the letter, he condemned 'the aggressive war unleashed by Putin against Ukraine and in fact against the entire Western world'. Bondarev added that those who conceived the war 'want only one thing - to remain in power forever, live in pompous tasteless palaces, sail on yachts comparable in tonnage and cost to the entire Russian Navy, enjoying unlimited power and complete impunity.' Navalny is serving his sentences in a penal colony located near Moscow (file image) Navalny (pictured with his wife and family) was a lawyer before he became an anti-corruption campaigner and arch-rival to Putin Navalny's lawyer Olga Mikhailova told the court the sentence should be annulled as it is 'unjust' and 'contradicts international law', while the prosecutor called it 'legal and justified'. Navalny alleged his legal team 'caught judge (Margarita) Kotova right in the middle of the trial calling someone from the presidential administration'. Navalny rose to prominence as an anti-corruption blogger and, before his imprisonment, mobilised anti-government protests across Russia. In 2020, he narrowly survived a poisoning attack with Novichok, a Soviet-designed military-grade nerve agent. Despite accusations from Navalny, the Kremlin denied any involvement. He was arrested last year on his return from treatment in Germany, sparking widespread condemnation abroad and sanctions from Western capitals. In 2018, he campaigned as a presidential candidate but was barred from running in the election that saw Putin secure a fourth term in power. Navalny's political organisations across the country have been declared 'extremist' and shut down. His key allies have fled Russia and several are wanted by Russian authorities on criminal charges. Navalny's team continues publishing investigations into the wealth of Russia's elites that have garnered millions of views on YouTube. Former Hillary Clinton campaign attorney Michael Sussmann has been found not guilty of lying to the FBI in the first trial of Special Counsel John Durham's investigation into what sparked the investigation of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. It's one of just two indictments and one guilty plea in Durham's three-year inquiry into the origins of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe, spurred by allegations that Trump's 2016 campaign got help from Russia. After just six hours of deliberation, a jury rejected Durham's claim that Sussmann lied to federal agents when sending them dirt on Trump's alleged links to a bank backed by Moscow. Trump slammed the verdict as the result of a 'corrupt' legal system along with a host of Republicans. 'Our Legal System is CORRUPT, our Judges (and Justices!) are highly partisan, compromised or just plain scared, our Borders are OPEN, our Elections are Rigged, inflation is RAMPANT, gas prices and food costs are "through the roof," our Military "Leadership" is Woke, our Country is going to HELL, and Michael Sussmann is not guilty,' the ex-president fumed on his social media app Truth Social. 'How's everything else doing? Enjoy your day!!!' Sussmann said outside of the courthouse on Tuesday, 'I told the truth to the FBI, and the jury clearly recognized that with their unanimous verdict today. I'm grateful to the members of the jury for their careful, thoughtful service.' 'Despite being falsely accused, I'm relieved that justice ultimately prevailed in my case.' He said the past year had been 'difficult' on him and his family. 'But right now we are just grateful for the love and support of so many during this ordeal and i look forward to getting back tot he work I love,' the attorney said. Attorney Michael Sussmann's trial was the first in Special Counsel John Durham's three-year investigation into the 2017 Mueller probe Durham said after the trial, 'While we are disappointed in the outcome, we respect the jurys decision & thank them for their service.' 'I also want to recognize & thank the investigators & the prosecution team for their dedicated efforts in seeking truth & justice in this case,' the investigator added. 'Further proof there are separate systems of justice in America one for liberal Democrats and their elite backers, and one for everyone else. Sad,' tweeted Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson after the verdict was made public. Tennessee Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn also said: 'Michael Sussmann lied to the FBI about working for the Clinton campaign when he brought forward false allegations against Pres. Trump that Hillary personally approved. Todays verdict, while deeply disappointing, is not the end to ensuring this never happens in America again.' Durham was appointed to look into the government's handling of the 2017 Russian election interference probe by Trump Attorney General Bill Barr Donald Trump Jr. also jumped in on the backlash and tweeted: 'Im shocked the DC Clinton donor jury let Clintons lawyer offHAHAHA just kidding, absolutely no one is shocked. Hunter Biden off next then Paul Pelosi etc etc. We all know how this goes by nowOnly people not tied to the establishment DC swamp ever face accountability.' Prosecutors claimed that Sussmann misrepresented himself to former FBI General Counsel Jim Baker when he asked for a meeting in 2016, where he then presented purported evidence connecting the Trump Organization and a top Russian bank. Durham claimed the attorney posed himself as a concerned citizen when in reality he was working on behalf of Hillary Clinton and a tech executive named Rodney Joffe. Baker told a jury earlier this month that denying acting on behalf of 'any particular client' was 'part of [Sussmann's] introduction to the meeting' He said knowingly meeting with a campaign operative would 'raise very serious questions' in his mind 'about the credibility of the source and the veracity of the info,' according to the New York Post. 'I think I would have said: Meet with case agents associated with the Hillary Clinton email investigation. Meet with the Midyear Exam folks,' Baker said. The special counsel also claimed in an April court filing that Sussmann worked with Joffe and his company and 'numerous cyber researchers, and employees at multiple Internet companies' to access damaging information about Trump. Trump fumed about the verdict on Truth Social shortly after the jury's decision was announced They claim Sussmann did not tell agents that he was working on behalf of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign Durham's filing alleges that Sussmann met with 'the author of a now well-known dossier regarding Trump,' believed to be Christopher Steele, at the offices of 'Law Firm-1,' believed to be Perkins Coie, his former employer. John Durham's Russiagate probe: How it started and his zeroing in on Clinton's inner circle John Durham, the former top federal prosecutor in Connecticut, was appointed in 2019 by then-Attorney General William Barr to examine whether anyone committed misconduct as federal agencies investigated Russian election interference in the 2016 election. His investigation has gone on longer than Mueller's did and he has charged three people, including Sussmann who was the first to be acquitted. Though Durham's initial mandate was thought to focus on government officials, and though his team has interviewed FBI personnel, Justice Department lawyers and CIA officials, the investigation has also focused on private citizens such as Sussmann who came forward with information about Trump - such as the now debunked claims he had a secret back channel with the Vladimir Putin-linked Alfa Bank. It is unclear how much longer the investigation will last, though Attorney General Merrick Garland has shown no public interest in curtailing the work and Durham was given a specific title of special counsel in the weeks before Barr resigned to ensure he could continue his work in a new administration. In 2020, a former FBI lawyer named Kevin Clinesmith pleaded guilty to altering an email related to secret FBI surveillance of an ex-Trump campaign adviser, Carter Page. In applying for warrants to eavesdrop on Page, the FBI relied on a dossier of anti-Trump research known colloquially as the 'Steele dossier' that contained rumors and uncorroborated claims. Last year, Durham charged a Russia analyst who was a source for that dossier with lying to the FBI about his own sources of information - among them, a longtime Hillary Clinton supporter. Igor Danchenko has pleaded not guilty. The case is pending and set for trial in October. Advertisement Steele's dossier had been seized upon by Democrats as proof that Trump was under the Kremlin's influence but the former British spy's purported evidence has since widely been questioned and discredited. It was also used as the basis for the FBI to launch an investigation into the Trump campaign's ties to Russia, which led to the Mueller probe. That investigation did not find collusion between Trump's team and Moscow but uncovered Russia did make efforts to tip the scales in the ex-president's favor. Sussmann's lawyers denied that he lied to the FBI, and argue that his alleged misstatement would not have had any bearing on the bureau's actions either way. During the trial they stressed that there was no proof the Clinton campaign directed Sussmann to go to the FBI, nor did they believe prosecutors could prove what exactly was said during Sussmann's meeting with Baker. Durham had been appointed by Trump's Attorney General Bill Barr. His team indicted Sussmann in September 2021. Barr criticized Mueller's Russia investigation in a recent episode of conservative talk host Glenn Beck's podcast. 'I think whatever you think of Trump, the fact is that the whole Russiagate thing was a grave injustice. It was a it appears to be a dirty political trick that was used first to hobble him and then potentially to drive him from office,' Barr said. Asked by Beck if he believed the probe was 'at least seditious' if not 'treason,' Barr responded: 'I believe it is seditious, yes.' Durham's probe faced a setback late last month when a judge refused to allow Clinton's past tweets accusing Trump of working with Russia to be entered into the record. Judge Christopher Cooper had ruled that the social media posts constituted hearsay and were 'duplicative of other evidence.' The GOP-appointed special counsel had tried to get a pair of tweets dated October 31, 2016 into the record ahead of Sussmann's trial. In one, Clinton linked a Slate article detailing alleged communication between Trump's real estate business and Alfa Bank. 'It's time for Trump to answer serious questions about his ties to Russia,' the Democrat captioned her post. The additional follow-up tweet read: 'Computer scientists have apparently uncovered a covert server linking the Trump Organization to a Russian-based bank.' During his three-year probe, Durham also got an indictment against a Russian national who was residing in the United States. Researcher Igor Danchenko has pleaded not guilty after being accused of giving false information on Trump-Russia links to the FBI. Danchenko was indicted in November 2021 and faces an upcoming trial in October. Ex-FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith pleaded guilty in Durham's probe over charges stemming from deliberately altering an email that was used to obtain a surveillance warrant against former Trump aide Carter Page. From Bill Barr's confirmation hearing to indictments and the crumbling of the Steele dossier: The timeline of Durham's investigation leading up to bombshell Hillary claims May 17, 2017 Then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appoints Robert Mueller as special counsel. Among other things, Mueller is directed to investigate 'any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with' Trump's presidential campaign. January 15, 2019 Bill Barr first alluded to what would become the Durham investigation in his Senate confirmation hearing. He promised then-Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham he would examine the FBI's counterintelligence investigation against Donald Trump. On March 22, 2019 Mueller closed his special investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and submitted his final report to Barr. March 24, 2019 Attorney General Barr issued his summary of the report. March 25, 2019 Barr met with then-Connecticut Attorney General John Durham. Justice Department records show the two had 18 more meetings and three calls that year. April 10, 2019 Barr testified before a Senate Appropriations panel where he announced a review on 'the genesis and the conduct of intelligence activities directed at the Trump campaign during 2016.' April 12, 2019 A top Barr aide spoke with DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz to explain what appeared to be the start of Durham's probe. May 13, 2019 It became public that Barr tapped Durham to probe issues related to the origins of the FBI's Trump-Russia investigation. May 23, 2019 Trump said Barr asked him to direct intelligence officials to cooperate with the probe into surveillance during the 2016 election.' Trump authorized Barr to declassify and downgrade information related to the probe. July 25, 2019 Trump held his infamous phone call with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, revealing Trump may have referred to the Durham probe when he asked Kyiv for help and insisted Zelensky speak with Barr and Rudy Giuliani. October 19, 2019 Two articles came out indicating Durham interviewed two dozen FBI officials. October 24, 2019 The New York Times broke the news that the Durham inquiry was now a criminal investigation. December 2019 Durham was revealed to be examining the role of the Obama-era CIA director John Brennan in how the intelligence community assessed Russia's 2016 election interference. April 2020 Durham's probe proceeded despite the pandemic. April 10, 2020 Barr said Durham's 'primary focus... is looking to bring to justice people who are engaged in abuses if he can show that they were criminal violations.' April 24, 2020 Probe shifted to looking at leaks within the Trump administration that prompted chaos in his early years. May 18, 2020 Barr said during a press conference that neither Obama nor Biden was the focus of Durham's criminal probe. September 2021 Durham issued new set of subpoenas, including to a law firm with close ties to Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign. September 17, 2021 Cybersecurity lawyer Michael Sussmann pleaded not guilty in federal court. He was indicted for lying to the FBI in a 2016 meeting where he shared information related to ties between the Trump Organization and Russia's Alfa Bank. He said he wasn't working for a client but was hired by Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign. November 2021 Durham charged Russian-born analyst Igor Danchenko with lying to the FBI in fabricating a sources for the Steele dossier. He pleaded not guilty to five counts of making false statements to a federal agent. February 11, 2022 Durham filing reveals Clinton paid tp have Trump Tower and White House servers hacked to 'fabricate' ties between Trump and Russia. February 2022 Trump-era Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe reveals Durham thinks there is 'enough evidence' to indict 'several more people.' He also said Obama and Biden were briefed on the Clinton revelations in 2016. May 2022 - Jury finds Sussmann not guilty of lying to the FBI about misrepresenting himself when he provided debunked claims of a secret backchannel between Trump and the Kremlin-linked Alfa Bank. Advertisement Dominic Cummings has launched a fresh assault on Boris Johnson as he claimed his former boss is 'completely shot' - although he doubted whether the Prime Minister would be replaced by 'rotten' Tory MPs. The former Number 10 aide has waged a bitter campaign against Mr Johnson since leaving Downing Street in late 2020. He delivered his latest attack as speculation mounts the PM could face a crunch vote on his future as early as next week. Mr Johnson has been warned by Tory grandees he is 'in real trouble' as the fallout from the Partygate scandal continues. A steady trickle of no-confidence letters continues to be submitted by disgruntled Conservative MPs. A total of 54 letters from Tory MPs are needed before Sir Graham Brady, the chair of the 1922 Committee, calls a confidence vote in Mr Johnson's leadership. However, Mr Cummings cast doubt on whether the Conservative Party would actually oust the PM, as he suggested they 'can't think of anyone better than Boris'. The ex-Downing Street chief adviser delivered a withering verdict on the two Cabinet ministers who have previously been touted as the most likely successors to Mr Johnson - Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. Mr Cummings claimed Mr Sunak was 'out of the running' after he 'blew himself up' following a row over his family's tax affairs. And he branded Ms Truss 'about as close to properly crackers as anybody Ive met in Parliament'. The former Vote Leave boss also continued his bitter feud with the PM's wife, Carrie Johnson, as he accused her of 'causing chaos'. But he claimed Mrs Johnson 'cant be happy with the situation now' as 'it's all blowing up in her face'. Dominic Cummings cast doubt on whether the Conservative Party would actually oust the PM, as he suggested they 'can't think of anyone better than Boris' The former Vote Leave boss also continued his bitter feud with the PM's wife, Carrie Johnson, as he accused her of 'causing chaos' Mr Cummings claimed Rishi Sunak was 'out of the running' after he 'blew himself up' following a row over his family's tax affairs. And he branded Liz Truss 'about as close to properly crackers as anybody Ive met in Parliament' The renewed speculation about the PM's political future follows last week's publication of Sue Gray's report into Covid rule-breaking in Downing Street. The senior civil servant concluded in her report that it was 'not appropriate or proportionate' to look further into allegations of a party in the PM's private flat - at which it has been claimed ABBA music was played - on the night Mr Cummings left Downing Street on 13 November, 2020. Ms Gray revealed she took this decision once the Metropolitan Police's own probe into Partygate ended. But Mr Cummings, in an interview with the UnHerd website, branded Ms Gray's report 'brazen' and claimed the alleged gathering in the flat could be heard by 'dozens of people' downstairs in No10. 'All the police had to do was interview any one of them to find out,' he said. 'You dont have a work meeting, at the top of Number 10, where the music is so loud that you can hear it in the f****** press office.' Mr Cummings suggested the continuing Partygate scandal had left the PM 'completely shot' but predicted Mr Johnson would not be leaving No10 soon. He said: 'The Tory party itself is quite rotten now and the sign of that is that they cant think of anyone better than Boris, whos clearly just completely shot. 'They are collectively saying, if we get rid of him, we might get somebody worse. It says a lot about the state of the Tory party. And they actually could get somebody worse: Liz Truss would be even worse than Boris. 'Shes about as close to properly crackers as anybody Ive met in Parliament.' As well as his attack on Ms Truss, who is viewed as a likely leading candidate in any contest to succeed Mr Johnson, Mr Cummings also gave little chance of Mr Sunak replacing the PM. 'The fact that Rishi blew himself up makes it much more likely that Boris will somehow survive,' he added. 'I dont want to say no chance, but I think Rishi is out of the running.' The former aide also continued his feud with Mrs Johnson, who he accused of 'sort of injecting more craziness into the whole situation' in Downing Street under Mr Johnson. But he added: 'She cant be happy with the situation now. Obviously its all blowing up in her face.' President Joe Biden and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden spoke about the wrenching issue of gun violence and terrorism during a White House meeting Tuesday with Biden saying he has visited more mass shooting sites than any of his predecessors. Biden made the unusual comment days after meeting with families mourning the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, Texas at the top of a meeting with Ardern, who spoke of her own country's response to the mass shootings in Christchurch in 2019. 'We need your guidance,' Biden told his counterpart in a reference to New Zealand's ability to marshal a response to its own 2019 tragedy. Biden began brief remarks with Ardern in the Oval office by quoting Irish Poet William Butler Yeats' poem about the Easter uprising. 'Theres an expression by an Irish poet. Too long a suffering makes a stone of the heart,' Biden said. 'Well theres an awful lot of suffering.' 'Ive been to more mass shooting aftermaths than I think any president in American history, unfortunately,' he said. President Joe Biden meets with New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at the White House. Both spoke about experiences with mass shooting events He referenced his trip to Uvalde, where he consoled families of victims of the school shooting and attended Mass at a church that has been providing comfort to the grieving community. 'Much of it is preventable and devastation is amazing,' Biden said. The president had gone to visit families of shooting victims in Buffalo just days earlier. Despite his somber remarks, Biden was clearly enthusiastic to meet with Ardern, as the U.S. and allies seek to provide structure for the new U.S.-Pacific Economic Framework. 'Im really really delighted to have you here. Really,' Biden told Ardern, 41. 'Can I say, Mr. president,' the prime minister tried to respond grinning. 'You can do anything you want,' Biden told her. Later, Ardern spoke to reporters about her meeting, but avoided several entreaties to get her to comment on the U.S. gun control fight with no clear forward after the massacre, just as gun control legislation stalled after the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre nearly a decade ago. 'All I can do is reflect on New Zealand's own experience, and it did happen to us. And sure, it may not have been a frequent occurrence, but it happened.' 'And in the aftermath of that the New Zealand public had an expectation that if we knew what the problem was that we do something about that. Now the context I had to give us our political system was very different. We had the ability with actually the the unanimous support of parliamentarians place a ban on semi automatic military style weapons and assault rifles and so we we did that. But the New Zealand public safety expectation, first and foremost. Ardern spoke to reporters at the White House after her meeting with Biden President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden visit a memorial at Robb Elementary School to pay their respects to the victims of the mass shooting, Sunday, May 29, 2022, in Uvalde, Texas In this March 16, 2019, file photo, mourners pay their respects at a makeshift memorial near the Masjid Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand. Biden said he would ask Ardern for 'guidance' Extremists killed 51 people in the 2019 mosque attacks in Christchurch. There were no indications that the U.S. was poised to have a swift legislative response. Amid calls by gun control advocates, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell indicated in Kentucky that lawmakers 'might be able to come together to target the problem which is mental illness and school safety.' The U.S. is trying to maintain strong alliances in Asia in part as a counter to a rising China. Ardern noted in her remarks with Biden that 'our region is increasingly contested.' She also referenced 'domestic realities' in an apparent reference to the Trans Pacific Partnership trade agreement that former President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from. Star Wars was slammed over a woke tweet telling critics of its newest show 'don't be racist,' even though the Disney-owned franchise previously shrunk black star John Boyega's photo on a movie poster to appease Chinese audiences. The tweet came in response to a slew of Instagram stories Moses Ingram - who plays Reva Sevander, aka the Third Sister, in the franchise's new miniseries Obi-Wan Kenobi - posted revealing seemingly racist remarks sent to her by Star Wars fans. The franchise, rushing to her defense, took to Twitter early Tuesday saying: 'We are proud to welcome Moses Ingram to the Star Wars family and excited for Revas story to unfold. If anyone intends to make her feel in any way unwelcome, we have only one thing to say: we resist.' 'There are more than 20 million sentient species in the Star Wars galaxy, dont choose to be a racist,' the account added in a follow-up tweet. Radio show host Dana Loesch hit back at the franchise, pointing out how members of its promotions team diminished characters of color to ensure the film would be profitable in China. 'Didnt you shrink, or cut altogether, all characters of color from your promotional materials in China so you could get that markets dollars?' she questioned, referring to the poster for the 2015 film The Force Awakens. Boyega, 30, who played lightsaber-wielding Finn in the flick, appeared much smaller on the Chinese advertisement than the U.S. version. The British actor and lead role in the sci-fi epic was placed under Han Solo and Princess Leia, as TIE fighters firing upon the Millennium Falcon take up the right side of the poster. Star Wars was slammed over a woke tweet telling critics of its newest show not to be racist Fans hit back at the franchise, pointing out how in 2015 it shrunk black star John Boyega's photo on the promotional poster for The Force Awakens to appease Chinese audiences Ingram took to Instagram on Monday to share a slew of racist comments that had been direct messaged to her. 'Your days are numbered,' one message read. 'You are not the first n**** in Star Wars fool,' stated another. She also shared a message from one user alleging she was only hired because of her race, as well as a post connecting her being cast in the show to the pro-diversity culture that followed the murder of George Floyd. 'You suck loser,' the Instagram user attacked. 'You're a diversity hire and you won't be remembered for this acting role.' '"Ayo Kenobi, you ain't finna run forever white boy. Get back here." -Third Sister, Obi-Wan Kenobi,' another commentator wrote, seeming quoting a line that Ingram's character, Sevander, said in the show. 'You have now been converted into Saint George of Floydium of Star Wars, are you happy,' the user added. 'How the f**k does an alien know ebonics?' Floyd was was killed two years ago by arresting Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin who knelt on his neck until he passed out. His death prompted nationwide riots against racism and police brutality. Radio show host Dana Loesch hit back at the franchise, pointing out how members of its promotions team diminished characters of color to ensure the film would be profitable in the Chinese market The woke tweet came after Moses Ingram, who plays Reva Sevander, aka the Third Sister, in the franchise's new miniseries Obi-Wan Kenobi, took to Instagram to share a slew of racist comments aimed at her. Joel Edgerton's Owen Lars (left) is seen in an intimate conversation with Moses Ingram's Reva Sevander (right) in a scene from the show After she finished sharing the hurtful posts, Ingram, 29, posted a video discussing the hate and how she cannot stop it from spreading. 'Theres nothing anybody can do about this,' she told her followers. 'Theres nothing anybody can do to stop this hate. I question my purpose in even being here in front of you saying that this is happening. I dont really know.' She added: 'The thing that bothers me is this feeling inside of myself, that no one has told me, but this feeling that I have to shut up and take it, that I have to grin and bear it. And Im not built like that. So, I wanted to come on and say thank you to the people who show up for me in the comments and the places that Im not going to put myself. And to the rest of yall, yall weird.' The actress, in an interview with The Independent last week, claimed Star Wars had trained her on how to deal with 'racist online abuse' when she joined the franchise. She said Star Wars feared she would be met with the same hateful comments that Boyega and Kelly Marie Tran, who played Resistance mechanic Rose Tico in The Last Jedi, faced while starring in the franchise. 'It was something that Lucasfilm actually got in front of, and said: "This is a thing that, unfortunately, likely will happen. But we are here to help you; you can let us know when it happens,"' Ingram told the outlet. She said the franchise and Obi-Wan Kenobi Deborah Chow put 'proper systems in place so I feel safe as we do the work.' 'Of course there are always pockets of hate,' she added. 'But I have no problem with the block button.' Ingram posted a handful of racist comments that she had been DMed to her Instagram stories Ingram posted a video to her Instagram stories, telling her followers: 'Theres nothing anybody can do to stop this hate' Star Wars seemingly rushed to Ingram's defense on Tuesday with its 'don't be racist' tweet, however fans were quick to hit back, reminding the franchise of its movie poster faux pas. 'They didn't stand up for Gina Carano and they didn't stand up for John Boyega,' wrote @Chaotickeyblade. 'In fact they actively tried to censor John Boyega that way the movie could be played in China.' @StarDustInSp403 shared a picture of an article questioning how Star Wars had made the franchise 'more diverse' with a caption reading: 'Funny, we are asking the same thing.' 'Oh Golly, Star Wars fans, are you ready to get called racist again because you dared to point out that your favorite franchise already had a wide range of diversity and that Disney's preemptive campaign to inoculate against any potential genuine criticism is transparent as f**k? echoed @Rookie_425. 'We have characters from Legends that we love. We have influential cast from the OT that we love. We even have characters from the Disney era that we love, and ones that we don't. It has nothing to do with the color of their skin.' Others argued fans did not dislike Obi-Wan Kenobi because of Ingram, but instead disapproved of the plot and how her character was written. 'Maybe... just maybe... people wanted a show about Obi-Wan, not some random character the writers just made up and gave god-like powers to out of nowhere,' @PunishedGecko said. Fans were quick to criticize the franchise over its woke tweet, alleging it had a history of racism 'Its obvious that nobody has an issue with Moses or her skin color? Its that the story is s**t,' echoed @Md_Boater. 'Disney has chosen once again to disrespect the spirit of the original story and has thrown away a Golden opportunity to tell Obi Wans story and focuses instead on an inquisitor?!' '"No one cares about this new show, let's make the fans fight over racism!"' wrote @HappyMantShrimp, implying Disney was trying to start conflict in effort to get more people talking about the show. 'Words of a dying franchise...' @ABHibbs21 said of the woke tweet. @Nogreensocks added: 'If they spent half as much time as you do trying to gaslight the entire galaxy, they might have had a halfway decent show.' 'Its not racist to disagree with the writing of the character. Its bad, but maybe over the series it gets better.we will see,' said @MusicmanGamer. 'But dont call the R card when we just not feeling it from that character.' The Metropolitan Police have been refused permission to appeal for a second time against a High Court ruling which concluded the force breached the rights of organisers of a vigil for Sarah Everard with its handling of the planned event. Reclaim These Streets (RTS) proposed a socially distanced vigil for the 33-year-old, who was murdered by former Met officer Wayne Couzens, near to where she went missing in Clapham, south London, in March last year. The four women who founded RTS and planned the vigil brought a legal challenge against the force over its handling of the event, which was also intended to be a protest about violence against women. The Metropolitan Police have been refused permission to appeal for a second time against a High Court ruling which concluded the force breached the rights of organisers of a vigil for Sarah Everard. Pictured, the vigil on March 13, 2021 Reclaim These Streets withdrew from organising the vigil after being told by the force they would face fines of 10,000 each and possible prosecution if the event went ahead, and a spontaneous vigil and protest (pictured) took place instead They withdrew from organising the vigil after being told by the force they would face fines of 10,000 each and possible prosecution if the event went ahead, and a spontaneous vigil and protest took place instead. Jessica Leigh, Anna Birley, Henna Shah and Jamie Klingler argued that decisions made by the force in advance of the planned vigil amounted to a breach of their human rights to freedom of speech and assembly, and said the force did not assess the potential risk to public health. In a ruling in March, their claim was upheld by Lord Justice Warby and Mr Justice Holgate, who found that the Met's decisions in the run-up to the event were 'not in accordance with the law'. After considering an application on papers - without a hearing - by the Met to challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal, the judges refused the force permission to bring an appeal in April. Reclaim These Streets (RTS) proposed a socially distanced vigil for Sarah Everard, 33, who was murdered by former Met officer Wayne Couzens The Met then further pursued a challenge by asking the Court of Appeal to grant permission, but that was rejected in writing on Tuesday. Dismissing the appeal bid, Lord Justice Holroyde said in a court order that, while he recognised the application of principles guiding the right to protest 'may be difficult for the police, and that the difficulty may be increased when considering a prospective event' they were 'clear' and no separate guidance is needed. The judge said he could see 'no arguable basis on which it can be said that the (High) Court's decision was wrong'. He added: 'The court's evaluation of the evidence involved no error of principle or unsustainable finding... an appeal therefore does not have a real prospect of success, and there is no other substantial reason why an appeal should be heard. 'Permission to appeal must accordingly be refused.' From left: Henna Shah, Jamie Klingler, Anna Birley and Jessica Leigh argued that decisions made by the force in advance of the planned vigil amounted to a breach of their human rights to freedom of speech and assembly. Pictured, the four on March 11, 2022 after an appeal whereby their claim was upheld The decision means the force will not be able to further challenge the High Court ruling. RTS said on Twitter that they were 'thrilled to announce' the court's decision after receiving the order, while Ms Klingler tweeted: 'IT IS FINALLY OVER. Vindication.' A Met Police spokesperson said in a statement: 'We are aware of the Court of Appeal's decision. We will be considering it carefully and will comment further in due course.' In a summary of the High Court ruling, Lord Justice Warby said: 'The relevant decisions of the (Met) were to make statements at meetings, in letters, and in a press statement, to the effect that the Covid-19 regulations in force at the time meant that holding the vigil would be unlawful. 'Those statements interfered with the claimants' rights because each had a 'chilling effect' and made at least some causal contribution to the decision to cancel the vigil. Couzens, 49, was given a whole life sentence, from which he will never be released, at the Old Bailey in September after admitting Ms Everard's murder 'None of the (force's) decisions was in accordance with the law; the evidence showed that the (force) failed to perform its legal duty to consider whether the claimants might have a reasonable excuse for holding the gathering, or to conduct the fact-specific proportionality assessment required in order to perform that duty.' RTS took urgent legal action the day before the planned event, seeking a High Court declaration that any ban on outdoor gatherings under the coronavirus regulations at the time was 'subject to the right to protest'. But their request was refused and the court also refused to make a declaration that an alleged force policy of 'prohibiting all protests, irrespective of the specific circumstances' was unlawful. Couzens, 49, was given a whole life sentence, from which he will never be released, at the Old Bailey in September after admitting Ms Everard's murder. The policing of the spontaneous vigil that took place drew criticism from across the political spectrum after women were handcuffed on the ground and led away by officers. A report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services concluded the police 'acted appropriately' when dealing with the event, but also found it was a 'public relations disaster' and described some statements made by members of the force as 'tone deaf'. Arizona Republican Rep. Debbie Lesko was heckled by students and parents at a high school graduation ceremony on Friday, which prompted her to leave the stage. 'I can deal with hecklers. But, I believe that the executive director of the school made a big mistake. Because I believe that he now taught all those graduates that if you heckle somebody, you win,' Lesko told the Phoenix-based KJZZ News after the incident. Lesko, a top Trump ally, spoke at the graduation ceremony for the Arizona Virtual Academy, with students complaining to KJZZ that she didn't mention the graduates or their accomplishments. Arizona Republican Rep. Debbie Lesko was heckled by students and parents at a high school graduation ceremony on Friday, which prompted her to leave the stage. A video posted to Twitter caught part of the back-and-forth between the lawmaker and audience members Instead, the congresswoman polled the audience on political issues like school choice and federal student loan forgiveness. She encouraged the audience to sign up for her newsletter and brought voter registration forms to the ceremony. 'I have heard other commencement speakers make speeches, and they were just very motivating. Nothing to do with politics, or religion or anything. It was just about the graduates. And she seemed to not grasp that and not put that like in her speech at all,' attendee Juliana Butler told KJZZ. In a video posted online showing the end of her appearance, audience members can be heard shouting at the congresswoman 'you need to go!' and 'there's no place for this!' 'Wow, no freedom of speech here,' Lesko said in response. 'Alright, well thank you, best of luck in your future, and God bless each and every one of you,' the lawmaker added before walking offstage. Rep. Debbie Lesko (right), a top ally of former President Donald Trump (center), was blasted for giving an overly political spech Parents and students continued to express disbelief as Lesko exited. 'Get out of here, you embarrassed yourself,' one man is heard saying. 'Well, I hope that's on video,' a woman then said. The academy's administrator apologized to the audience after Lesko left, an attendee told KJZZ. 'The students were visibly angry, and he was like, "Well, you know, your voice is being heard today," and "We got your back," was basically the message that they gave to the students,' attendee Ethan Parr told KJZZ. Lesko told KJZZ that the speech was meant to be interactive and she left the podium after the school's administrator told her to change the speech. She said she also delivered the same speech at a difference commencement ceremony earlier that day without complaint. A black cab driver who breached a restraining order to send Jemima Goldsmith Khan a string of text messages in the middle of the night has been spared jail. Hassan Mahmood left Ms Khan terrified when he texted her 14 times in February this year, despite being previously ordered not to contact her. The 31-year-old had been banned from contacting Ms Khan for five years in 2017 after pleading guilty to harassment. Despite this he sent the 48-year-old messages this year claiming he had been 'set up' and urging her not to get him 'into trouble'. Ms Khan is the daughter of financier James Goldsmith and married to the deposed former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan before he took office. Jemima Goldsmith Khan, pictured, was left terrified when a man banned from contacting her sent a string of messages to her in the middle of the night Hassan Mahmood, pictured her at Isleworth Crown Court in October 2017, breached a restraining order banning him from contacting Ms Khan The cabbie had originally met Ms Kahn when he drove her home, and had obtained her phone number through the taxi service. He sent her 18 messages between 3 April and 12 July 2017, before receiving the ban in September 2017. On 28 February this year, after over four years of no contact, he texted Ms Khan, breaching the restraining order. He pleaded guilty to the breach at Southwark Crown Court, and today walked free after being given a nine-week prison sentence suspended for a year. Judge David Whittaker QC said: Your victim thought they (the messages) had been sent by you as they were in the same format and style as previous ones. Set against the background of this case, namely you harassing her...one readily understands why she was, as she wrote in her victim impact statement, very worried. Particularly as she knew that the restraining order was coming to an end. She was concerned that you knew where she lived. She knows how persistent you can be. Messages in the middle of the night are an obvious concern. The series of text messages in question were read out in court. Mahmood said: I hope you are well. Mahmood had originally met Ms Khan when he drove her home, and obtained her phone number through the taxi service Please dont get in trouble. I know youre looking out for me and I love you for that. Im not what you think I am, I could never be that. Thats disgusting. I swear to you. Please dont get me in trouble. I will never message you again. If you give me a chance to defend myself then you will understand how I was set up. Please dont tell anyone I messaged you. I just wanted to clear my name. Officers arrested and interviewed Mahmood on 5 March, at which point he claimed the messages were meant for his brother. Prosecutor Gregor McKinley said: Mr Mahmood was a taxi driver for a cab firm and had obtained her number through the cab firm. In that sense he had...access to that number and had pestered her. It was because she had remembered the character of those messages that she immediately thought those messages must be from Mr Mahmood. Ms Khan, pictured here with former husband Imran Khan, said she feared the cabbie might come to her house Ms Khan, in an impact statement read out in court, said she feared the cabbie might come to her house. This has made me feel very worried as I know the restraining order is due to end at the end of this year and I am concerned as he knows where I live and he has threatened to come to my house in the past and I know how persistent he can be. The messages are often sent in the middle of the night which is disturbing and prevents me from sleeping. He does not listen to reason. I warned him several times in the past to stop contacting me or I would report him to the police and that made no difference. In fact, he then just sent more messages. I think he is mentally unwell and needs help and support from appropriate services. Mahmood was given a nine-week prison sentence suspended for a year at Southwark Crown Court, pictured, today Tasmin Malcolm, defending, said her client had no intention of contacting the famous former journalist again. Of the messages, the barrister insisted that they were not threatening nor sexual nor persistent in nature. This is a man who does take responsibility for his actions, Ms Malcolm added. He is apologetic. An indefinite restraining order was put in place banning the cabbie from ever contacting Ms Khan. Mahmood, of Waltham Forest, northeast London, admitted breaching a restraining order. He was given a nine-week jail sentence suspended over a year. He must also fulfil a rehabilitation activity requirement for 40 days and pay 500 in prosecution costs. When asked about potential paths for gun regulation in the aftermath of the deadly school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, President Joe Biden referred to an assault weapons ban Monday morning, ranting against possession of what he termed "high-caliber weapons." On Sunday, the president and first lady paid a visit to Uvalde, where they met with first responders and consoled the relatives of the 19 students and two teachers slain in the Robb Elementary School shooting atrocity. He and Jill Biden visited the school and attended mass at a neighboring church, where protestors screamed "Do something," to which Biden replied, "We will." President Joe Biden Pushes for Gun Compromise Talking to reporters outside the White House after returning to Washington following a weekend that included a visit to the scene of last week's horrific massacre in Texas, Biden described a visit to a trauma center in New York, where physicians showed him X-rays of bullet wounds produced by various firearms, as per NBC News. "They said a.22-caliber bullet would lodge in the lung, and we can probably get it out - we might be able to retrieve it and save the life," Biden added. "A 9mm bullet removes the lung from the body." Later in his speech, Biden seemed to rule out substantial executive action on weapons, adding, "I can't prescribe this stuff." I can continue to do what I've done, and whatever executive action I can take, I will. But I can't make a weapon illegal. I can't modify the background checks, you know. That's something I can't do." Joe Biden's remarks against 9mm firearms are consistent with his views before entering the White House. At a 2019 event in Seattle, for example, then-candidate Biden questioned his audience, "Why should we let individuals carry military-style weapons, like handguns with 9mm ammunition and magazines that can store 10 or more rounds?" " 9mm pistols accounted for 56.8 percent of all handguns manufactured in the United States in 2019, according to Shooting Industry magazine. During the 2010s, this country manufactured more than 15.1 million 9mm firearms. Conservatives and gun rights activists are unlikely to support the idea of prohibiting or otherwise restricting such weapons. That allegation has been frequently debunked by fact-checkers, most recently when Biden proposed new measures to combat the spread of so-called "ghost firearms," according to the New York Post. Read Also: Presidential Election: Colombia Leftist Ex-Rebel Petro Wins First Round in Surprise Run-off Beckons GOP Meets To Discuss Gun Regulation After a decade of mainly fruitless efforts, a bipartisan group of senators met over the weekend to see if they could strike even a little agreement on gun regulation. This included lobbying states to enact "red flag" legislation to keep weapons away from people suffering from mental illnesses. Biden stated that he had not discussed gun control with Republicans. There isn't nearly enough Republican support in Congress for stronger gun-control measures that are popular with the public, such as a fresh ban on assault-style weapons or universal background checks for gun purchases. However, Democratic supporters remain optimistic that serious legislation will be passed. He claimed he didn't know where congressional discussions were, but "sensible Republicans" are realizing that "we can't keep repeating ourselves." Afterward, the president and his wife Jill Biden were joined at Arlington National Cemetery by Vice President Kamala Harris, her husband Doug Emhoff, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. President Joe Biden saluted as taps sounded after laying a wreath of multicolored flowers wrapped in red, white, and blue ribbon in front of the tomb beneath a cloudless sky in late May heat. "Memorial Day is always a day where sadness and pride are blended," he remarked, honoring slain service people. We are free now because they were brave." However, President Joe Biden stated that the country's democratic experiment was still under attack, both at home and abroad, in the shape of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He referred to preserving democracy as "the mission of our time," The National News reported. Related Article: Joe Biden Pays Tribute to Texas School Shooting Victims; Protesters Gather Outside NRA Convention as Gun Reform Debate Heats Up @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Durham police have given Sir Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner their questionnaires as part of an inquiry into Beergate, Labour said last night. The party leader and his deputy were sent the forms as officers investigate whether the gathering in April last year broke lockdown rules. Both Sir Keir and Mrs Rayner have denied wrongdoing, but have pledged to stand down if they are fined. The scandal broke after the Labour leader was photographed swigging a beer in an MPs office last year following a day of campaigning in the local elections. Police initially refused to investigate, but later announced a U-turn after a string of revelations by the Daily Mail about what had really happened at Durham Miners Hall. Sir Keir Starmer was filmed sipping beer at a boozy curry in Durham - an event that is now being investigated by police over alleged Covid rule-breaking Both Sir Keir and Ms Rayner (pictured left and right in Parliament on May 25) have denied wrongdoing but pledged to stand down if they are handed a Fixed Penalty Notice over an indoor beer and curry with aides during a campaign visit to the northeast city in April last year Despite denials stretching back three months, this newspaper discovered Mrs Rayner had also been present, along with Durham MP Mary Foy. It has also emerged that the group of around 20 people shared a 200 curry at a time when buffet-style meals were banned. Labour has so far failed to release any evidence that Sir Keir and others continued to work after the curry gathering at 10pm on a Friday. A source at the meeting has claimed no work was done afterwards, and that some of those present were getting p***** a claim denied by Mrs Foy. It later emerged that Sir Keir took time out to pose for a photograph and discuss a forthcoming football match during the evening. The revelations prompted a complaint from Tory MP Richard Holden, who wrote to police demanding an inquiry. The row was fuelled because Labour initially denied that deputy Angela Rayner (pictured last week) was present for the curry, before admitting she had been Boris Johnson is also facing mounting pressure from his own party over lockdown parties that were held in Number 10 Downing Street At the time of the Durham gathering, non-essential retail and outdoor venues including pub gardens were open, but social distancing rules which included a ban on indoor mixing between households remained in place. Separate non-binding guidance on election campaigning stated: You should not meet with other campaigners indoors. Labour has argued that the beer and curry were consumed either side of work events, meaning that the gathering was within the rules. It is understood that Durham Police will send out questionnaires to 20 Labour Party workers and campaigners asking them to explain if they had a reasonable excuse for attending. Sir Keir has previously said he put everything on the line by promising to quit if he receives a fixed penalty notice. He repeatedly called for Boris Johnson to stand down over a fine for a Partygate lockdown breach in June 2020. The Prime Minister jokingly nicknamed the Labour leader Sir Beer Korma last week in reference to the police probe into his trip to Durham. A statue of Baroness Margaret Thatcher has been officially unveiled in her home town days after it was vandalised with paint and egged by protesters. The 300,000 memorial to the former Prime Minister had been guarded by fences prior to its official opening in Grantham, Lincolnshire, today. It was lowered onto a 10ft-high granite plinth on May 15, and in the two weeks since has been targeted by vandals. The statue of Margaret Thatcher was officially unveiled in Grantham, Lincolnshire, at a ceremony today Prior to its official unveiling the statue had been targeted by vandals who threw red paint over it A protester holds a placard accusing Baroness Thatcher of selling off Britain at the official opening of the statue to the former Prime Minister The vandals also spray-painted a communist red hammer and sickle at the site of the memorial to the Conservative politician University worker Jeremy Webster threw eggs at it, and this was followed by protesters throwing red paint over it, with someone spray-painting a communist red hammer and sickle at the base of the plinth. Lincolnshire Police has said its officers are investigating possible criminal damage over this second incident, which took place on Saturday. That did not deter South Kesteven District Council spending 100,000 on a large-scale unveiling ceremony which took place today. The ceremony, which was approved in 2020, saw a crowd of 30 people and a lone bagpiper gather at the statue. A Union flag was draped over the memorial before the mayor of Grantham pulled a cord to uncover two plaques, with one reading: 'I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.' Shortly before the ceremony, a woman threw coffee in the direction of the statue, while others displayed placards such as 'Grantham resident against Maggie' and 'Thatcher sold off Britain, who paid the price?' The statue, which is raised on a 10ft-high plinth to deter vandals, cost an estimated 300,000 On the base are the words 'I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept my faith One passerby threw coffee at the statue before it was officially unveiled on Tuesday, May 31 One man walked by chanting 'take it down, take it down' and another shouted 'it's an absolute waste of money'. Two CCTV cameras were put up before the installation to combat any threats of vandalism, and police turned up in minutes when Webster egged the memorial. The council said the unveiling had been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Webster, who is deputy director at the University of Leicester's Attenborough Arts Centre, was fined 90 under Section 5 of the Public Order Act. Jeremy Webster was photographed and filmed throwing eggs at the statue of the late Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher moments after it was unveiled this month Police are investigating an offence of criminal damage after vandals threw red paint over the statue on Saturday In February 2019, a planning committee unanimously voted in favour of the statue, which was originally intended for Parliament Square in Westminster. Before planning permission was given, the only marking for Baroness Thatcher in the town was a plaque on the corner of North Parade and Broad Street to show where she was born. After the ceremony, council leader Kelham Cooke, said: 'The memorial... was paid for by public donations to the Public Memorials Appeal (PMA) and it is only right that they should have held a ceremony marking the completion of the project. 'Following its installation on May 15 the memorial was expected to be a talking point and a focus for debate attracting a range of opinions, and that has proved to be the case.' Bradford has been announced as the UK's City of Culture 2025. Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries made the announcement live on the BBC's One Show this evening. Bradford secured the prestigious title after beating off bids from three other finalists - Wrexham, Southampton and County Durham. BBC presenter Richie Anderson spoke with volunteers and bid teams in Coventry, the UK's current City of Culture, as the announcement was made on air. The winner was approved by Ms Dorries based on based on independent advice from a panel of experts led by TV writer-producer Sir Phil Redmond. The expert panel were said to be impressed by the ambition of Bradford's bid, which was centred around celebrating its residents, the power of diversity and aiming to 'create new opportunities for everyone'. Ms Dorries said: 'Congratulations to Bradford, which is a worthy winner of UK City of Culture 2025. 'Art and culture should be accessible to everyone and this prestigious title will help Bradford deliver unforgettable events for communities on their doorstep. 'There was stiff competition and I thank County Durham, Southampton and Wrexham County Borough for their excellent bids. 'Coventry has shown us how powerful the UK City of Culture title is at boosting investment, attracting visitors and leaving a lasting legacy for local people.' Pictured: Celebrations as it was announced Bradford has been named the UK City of Culture 2025 by Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries named Bradford as the UK's City of Culture 2025 surrounded by bid teams from the finalists in Coventry Residents in Coventry, the UK's current city of culture, hold up placards congratulating Bradford Labour MP for Bradford East Imran Hussain said he is 'beyond delighted' at the announcement. The shadow employment rights and protections minister tweeted: 'Bradford is beautiful, Bradford is brilliant, and Bradford is the now the UKCityofCulture2025!! 'There really is no better place, and I'm beyond delighted that the Minister agrees with me.' Prime Minister Boris Johnson also congratulated Bradford, tweeting: 'The Prime Minister tweeted: 'Congratulations to the city of Bradford on becoming the UK's City of Culture for 2025. 'This title builds on the rich history and dynamism of the city, bringing investment and opportunity for everyone who lives and works there.' Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer has congratulated Bradford on being named the UK City of Culture for 2025. He tweeted: 'Congratulations, Bradford for becoming the UK's City of Culture for 2025! A huge success for a city built on rich history, art and culture.' The Leader of Bradford Council said the win will bring 'so many opportunities' to the area. Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe said: 'We're delighted that our district has been recognised in this way. Bradford secured the prestigious title after beating off bids from three other finalists - Wrexham, Southampton and County Durham 'Being UK City of Culture brings with it so many opportunities for people not only in terms of creativity and culture, but also for employment, attracting inward investment, boosting the local economy and opening up opportunities for young people to enhance their skills. 'The way that people from across the district have got behind the bid and the confidence people are now starting to show, the Bradford district has started to come to life like never before.' Shanaz Gulzar, chairwoman of Bradford's bid, said the area had been 'overlooked and underestimated for so long' but the win was its 'time to shine'. The artist said: 'This fantastic result is down to the ambition, belief and hard work of thousands of people across the district who were behind our bid. 'We are thrilled that Bradford district has been chosen as the next UK City of Culture. This is a huge opportunity to celebrate our extraordinary cultural heritage and for our young, diverse population - who have been so involved in shaping our bid - to become leaders and changemakers and begin a new chapter in our story. 'Bradford has been overlooked and underestimated for so long - it's now our time to shine.' The Bradford 2025 official bid account added: 'This is our time to celebrate our extraordinary district - and for our young population to become leaders and change-makers to begin an exciting new chapter in our story.' Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said no city is more deserving of the win, and that 2025 will be 'a fitting showcase' for the 'cultural and artistic talent' in Bradford. She said: 'No city deserves this more. As one of the youngest and most diverse places in the UK, Bradford will benefit so much from this platform to highlight everything it has to offer. 'The entire year will be a fitting showcase for the incredible cultural and artistic talent in this amazing city. 'And the City of Culture judging process has also helped us to highlight the breadth of talent and the vibrant cultural offer throughout West Yorkshire. There's no doubt we have some of the finest creative and cultural talent, events, festivals, and destinations anywhere in the UK.' She described 2025 as the 'crowning glory' for the region, adding: 'I send my congratulations to all the team involved in this bidding process and I know the people of Bradford are ready to take this opportunity and shine on a national stage. Here's to the future!' Some of the 100 young people who gathered outside Bradford City Hall in March to support its bid An aerial view showing Lister's Mill, known locally as Manningham Mills in Bradford, Yorkshire Volunteers and bid teams watched on in Coventry as the Culture Secretary took to a small stage to announce Bradford as the winner The final four cities were whittled down from a record 20 initial bids. Experts then reduced the process to eight outstanding long list applications, which included bids from Cornwall, Derby, Stirling and Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon. An expert panel visited each of the four final locations to learn more about the bids before making their final recommendation. Each city was asked to explain how they would use culture to 'grow and strengthen their local area' and to recover from the impact of Covid. Bradford will now receive 275,000 in initial seed funding to make sure the city can hit the ground running and get the wheels in motion early as it develops its plans for 2025. Sir Phil Redmond, Chair of the Independent Advisory Panel, said: 'The selection is never about whether one bid is better than another, it is more that one bid has the potential to make a bigger and deliverable impact. 'For 2021 we asked Coventry to raise the bar previously set by Derry-Londonderry 2013 and then raised by Hull 2017. The old mill chimneys of Bradford, with surrounding terraced streets and the hills above the city covered in snow A view of steep hills around Bradford and Shipley as the city was today announced as the UK's City of Culture 2025 'Challenged by the pandemic, Coventry have certainly done that and I am looking forward to seeing how far the cultural bar can be raised in BD25.' As part of its status as UK City of Culture 2025, Bradford will be eligible for a 3 million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and now has three years to prepare for a year of groundbreaking cultural activities. Ms Dorries will also host a roundtable with the three unsuccessful bidders to discuss how best they can be supported. Elsewhere, the losing finalists have congratulated Bradford on their win. Michael Ockwell, who was on the Southampton2025 City of Culture steering group, said: 'Even though Southampton hasn't been successful in the bid to be City of Culture in 2025, the work of the organising team over the past two years has been fantastic. 'Arts and culture are so important to our city, we will help to build on the great foundations made through our two venues. Congratulations to Bradford on their winning bid'. Southampton residents also spoke of their disappointment. Helen Cutler, a 54-year-old retired accounts manager, said: 'Bummer, another northern city wins. But we've done so well to get to the last four nominated and it's good that all the runners up get 125,000. 'We are a city proud of the arts with the Mayflower Theatre and the Guildhall and the Nuffield theatre allowing all age groups to have access to theatre, music and comedy... We've just had The Killers play at St Mary's Stadium. 'There is such a choice of art galleries too and we are a city full of young people with two universities offering so much to younger generations. 'Then there's the history too with the Titanic story and all the historic buildings like the tudor house and the old walls round the city.' The people of Durham also spoke tonight of how they are 'heartbroken' to have lost the City of Culture bid. Vanessa Ward, 59, used to work as Head or Visitor Services at Durham Cathedral and now runs a religious retreat. She said: 'It's very disappointing to have lost out as I think Durham has an awful lot to offer. I do think Bradford was a worthy contender. But here in Durham we have such a depth of history. 'There is the very special connection with Bede and the Northern Saints. "It would have been quite something to have had that celebrated. Very often it feels as though the North East does not get the recognition it deserves for being the wonderful place that it is. 'There are pockets of deprivation in the county that would have benefitted from the funding. I do also believe that when a place gets the recognition it is worthy of it helps the people to take even more pride in it.' The Connecticut government is offering a $150,000 salary to the state's first 'misinformation spotter,' ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. The official job title will be security analyst, and the individual will be expected to combat misinformation 'on a full-time' basis, The New York Times first reported. Their job will be to identify and flag information that they think may significantly disrupt election activities, and to boost the public's confidence in the fairness and accuracy of results. It is all part of a massive campaign against alleged misinformation funded by Democrat Governor Ned Lamont, and overseen by Secretary of the State Denise Merrill. Merril, who has joined other state secretaries on the #TrustedInfo2022 national public education effort, called misinformation 'the issue of our lifetime.' 'With the 2022 elections fast approaching, it is important to remember that election officials are the trusted sources for accurate election information,' Secretary Merrill said in January. The job's appealing salary, $150,000, is just below twice the average income for a resident in the Constitution State. The job listing is part of a massive campaign against misinformation funded by Democrat Governor Ned Lamont (right), and overseen by Secretary of the State Denise Merrill (left) The right candidate, whose official job title will be security analyst, is expected to combat misinformation 'on a full-time' basis The state's misinformation officer will target certain platforms, such as websites Gettr, Rumble and 4Chan, and more commonly used platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, the New York Times reported. The initiative is part of a larger campaign by Lamont that will allocate $2 million for public information efforts to educate and inform registered voters. An additional $4million will be allotted to Democracy Initiatives Projects, a project managed by Merrill that focuses on upgrading dated voter registration systems and election applications. 'Connecticut and American elections are free, fair, and secure, and I will continue to fight election misinformation and ensure that American elections remain trustworthy for every voter,' Merrill wrote on her official website. According to Lamont's budget statement, 'over the last few election cycles, malicious foreign actors have demonstrated the motivation and capability to significantly disrupt election activities.' Lamont has served as Connecticut's 89th governor since 2019, and is running for re-election. He will face Bob Stefanowski, who in the past has dodged questions on whether he supported President Donald Trump's election claims. In the aftermath of the 2020 Presidential Election, during which Trump and his supporters alleged that processes had been 'rigged,' several state governments have bolstered their efforts to combat false election claims. Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan launched a similar campaign to 'prebunk' election claims by confronting voters with facts before they are exposed to misinformation. According to Lamont's budget statement, 'over the last few election cycles, malicious foreign actors have demonstrated the motivation and capability to significantly disrupt election activities.' Above, A poll worker waits for voters behind protective plexiglass as a Covid-19 precaution at Greenwich High School in Greenwich, Connecticut on November 3, 2020 'Our best tool in the fight against false information is true information,' said Secretary of State Shemia Fagan. 'We are committed to reaching Oregon voters early and often so the first thing they hear about Oregon elections is the truth.' The Idaho Secretary of State has also launched educational efforts such as video series to minimize the effect of false election claims on voters. Last year, an Arizona audit debunked several false claims raised by Trump, after the state's Maricopa County reviewed 2.1 million ballots and found his claims baseless. According to the New York Times, Colorado has also hired three cybersecurity experts to monitor sites known for disseminating misinformation. On the federal level, the Department of Homeland Security attempted to join the so-called fight against disinformation by establishing a disinformation board and hiring Nina Jankowicz, but the effort backfired Debunked claims about the 2020 election Claim: 'States stopped counting on election night with Trump comfortably ahead' Fact: Poll workers often stop counting ballots late on election night, and then continue their task. Claim: 'Late arriving ballots were counted' Fact: Only those ballots that arrived to the districts by Election Day were counted. Claim: 'Non-residents voted in the states where they used to reside' Fact: Two lawsuits bringing up these concerns were reviewed and dismissed. Claim: Dead people voted Fact: The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency confirmed this claim was unfounded. Source: FactCheck.org Advertisement On the federal level, the Department of Homeland Security attempted to join the so-called fight against disinformation by establishing a disinformation board and hiring Nina Jankowicz, but the effort backfired. Republicans and free speech advocates raised complaints against the board and its purpose, leading to Janowicz's resignation. The board was also paused. Former President Barack Obama has also voiced his concerned about election denialists and American's weakened election confidence. 'In recent years, we've seen how quickly disinformation spreads, especially on social media. This has created real challenges for our democracy,' Obama tweeted in April, announcing his foundation will support leaders struggling with misinformation concerns. 'Part of the reason its hard to bring about change is because we live in a media environment that elevates falsehoods as much as truths, and divides people as much as it brings them together,' he added. The Connecticut government employs at least 35 members as part of its election enforcement commission. It is unclear what the specific requirements will be for the new job, or whether the candidate will be chosen from a list of state employees. In 2020, the state ran its 'first, comprehensive, statewide multimedia voter education campaign,' using broadcast and cable television, satellite and terrestrial radio, as well as online and mobile advertising. Actor Danny Masterson arrived at an Los Angeles court wearing a pristine, navy blue, fitted suit with a red and blue stripped tie as he mounts his latest attempt to have rape charges against him dismissed. Three women, who were members of the Church of Scientology at the time of the alleged incidents, claim Masterson raped them in his Hollywood Hills home between 2001 and 2003. Masterson, 46, a Scientologist himself, appeared much more put together compared to some of his latest outings. In October, he was seen leaving his Santa Barbara estate, where he has been staying on a $3.3million bail, sporting a scruffy, unkept beard and causal attire. On Tuesday, he appeared as calm as ever. His outfit was accessorized with brown sunglasses, a matching soft-sided briefcase and dress shoes. Masterson's attorneys argued to dismiss Jane Doe #1's case since it was closed by the DA's office in 2004 and reopened in 2020. The actor argued that it should be thrown out due to the delay in pressing charges. The motion also claimed that part of the original LAPD report, which reportedly accused the woman of embellishing her report to police, was missing, according to the Underground Bunker. Deputy DA Reinhold Mueller opposed the motion, saying that Judge Charlaine Olmedo had already ruled on it. The actor also argued that the other two cases were too similar and should be tried separately. Masterson (left), 46, appeared before Judge Charlaine Olmedo on Tuesday in his latest attempt to dismiss his criminal rape case. (Right) Masterson was last seen in October looking worse for wear as he left his Santa Barbara estate, where he has been hiding out on a $3.3million bail The actor looked clean-cut in a pressed navy blue suit with a striped tie. He also accessorized his look with brown sunglasses and a matching bag and shoes as he marched into court in an attempt to get the case thrown out once again. He has denied all charges Jane Doe #1 testified last year at a preliminary hearing that Masterson threw her in his jacuzzi, raped her and then pulled a gun her, telling her: 'Don't say a f**king word. You're not going to tell anybody.' Masterson's attorney, however, had argued the two had consensual sex. They pointed out that testimony that Masterson threatened her with a gun hadn't appeared in an initial police report in 2004. The woman also claimed she had to overcome the objections of the Church to report her rape to the LAPD in 2004. In addition, all three women testified last year that the Church has a policy forbidding them from turning in other Scientologists to the police, which prevented them from reporting Masterson sooner. The Church, the judge said at the time, 'does not only discourage but prevents reporting of fellow Scientologists to law enforcement.' When they filed in 2019, the Church argued that they signed agreements to settle any claims in front of a panel of Scientologists when they joined, according to the Los Angeles Times. That trial is expected to start on August 29 and is scheduled to last four weeks. In a second motion, filed by Masterson, attorneys argued that two other women's allegations were vastly different and deserved separate trials, the Underground Bunker reported. It also argued that one of the women's cases did not meet the definition of 'forcible rape,' however, Olmedo has already ruled that her case does meet it. Jane Doe #3 described how she woke up naked to find Masterson raping her and when she tried to fight him off, he hit and spit on her, calling her 'white trash.' Masterson's lawyers argued that she had reframed the incident in recent years only after another alleged rape she reported could not lead to charges. The actor is most well-known for his roll as Steven Hyde on That 70's Show (pictured). If convicted, the actor faces 45 years to life in prison Jane Doe #2 told a LA court last year how he 'ravaged me like a rag doll and pounded her from behind like a jackhammer.' Defense attorneys said she knew she was going to his house for sexual purposes, that she voluntarily stayed most of the night, and that she sought a dating relationship with him that she did not get. All three said before each alleged rape, Masterson - who has pleaded not guilty to all charges - gave them a drink after which they felt 'blurry' and disoriented. The women also accused the Church of hiring people to follow them, photograph them, tap their phones and hack their emails and home security systems after they came forward with their allegations. In an earlier filing to dismiss the charges, one of Masterson's attorneys, Sharon Appelbaum, challenged and disputed the stories of the three women, claiming there were 'inconsistencies' between what they told police and what they said in the witness box. 'The prosecution did not establish that a crime had been committed in any of these cases, ' she argued. 'We believe that Mr. Masterson has been unjustly accused in this case for actions he did not doRape has not been proven in any of these cases. 'Mr. Masterson believes he had consensual sex' with Jane Does #1 and #2...and the alleged rape of the third woman 'did not occur at all.' Masterson was spotted living his Santa Barbara estate in October sporting a scruffy bear and causal attire In a court appearance in May (pictured), he was seen with wild hair and an unkept tie Appelbaum has talked about a 'sisterhood' between the three women 'who seem to want to take Mr. Masterson down. The communicate with each other. They speak often, even though the police asked them not to.' She accused the three - who are suing Masterson in a separate civil case - of 'colluding' with each other and 'changing their stories,' which she said have become 'more and more similar' over recent years. 'All three of these ladies have monetary motives. They have filed a lawsuit against Mr. Masterson,' she said last year the preliminary hearing. Responding to Appelbaum's accusations about collusion, Mueller had told the court: 'From the testimony I heard it was anything but collusion. These were not rehearsed statements. They were heartfelt.' And to the claim that there were inconsistencies in the alleged rape accounts of the three women, Mueller added: 'If there is one thing that is consistent her it's that the defendant [Masterson] was consistent in what he did to these girls.' Masterson has denied all the charges. If convicted, Masterson faces 45 years to life in prison. A paramedic stationed at a British Army base in Cyprus has been cleared of sexually assaulting a female soldier, after he claimed they had a 'flirtatious relationship' but denied groping her. Married Christopher Brogan, 41, was accused of pestering the female soldier with inappropriate Snapchat messages asking 'where have you been hiding that body', before allegedly squeezing her bottom with both hands as she walked past. The court was told the 'surreal' incident left the woman feeling 'distressed', 'scared' and in a state of shock. The service civilian court hearing was told the pair had exchanged WhatsApp and Snapchat messages which had simply been 'friendly' until he saw her on a beach in a bikini, swimming with colleagues. The female soldier told the hearing she was driven to block Mr Brogan on Snapchat when he then sent her a message saying 'where have you been hiding that body'. Army paramedic Christopher Brogan (pictured), 41, has been cleared of sexual assault, after facing allegations of having drunkenly squeezed a female soldier's bottom The 41 year old, who served for 17 years in the Royal Corps of Signals before becoming a paramedic and now works for the NHS. Pictured: Stock photo of British soldiers serving in Cyprus She added: 'He sent another message about being alone with me in a hot tub, a bottle of wine and what he would like to happen.' However, Mr Brogan was today cleared of sexually assaulting the woman after telling the court they had a 'flirtatious relationship' but that he had never touched her. He also denied messaging her on Snapchat and insisted their WhatsApp messages were 'never sexual'. He told the court: 'We had a friendly, amicable, flirtatious relationship. 'I never discussed anything with her on Snapchat. 'I wanted a clarification of where [the relationship] was going. I wanted to know what the situation was. 'But I then found out she was already in a relationship by a third party.' The hearing was told he drank two bottles of lager and six Long Island Iced Tea cocktails during the night prior to the alleged incident and agreed that he was drunk. However, he denied groping the woman, claiming he had moved back out of her way with his hands raised as she walked past facing towards him. Mr Brogan said: 'I was told [by a male colleague] that I was making her feel uncomfortable. I was shocked initially, 'I could not imagine how I was making her feel uncomfortable. 'I looked at her and apologised.' Mr Brogan told the court he later reported the incident himself after she confronted him. He continued: 'I felt angry and embarrassed. I was concerned she had told me she had reported the incident but that nothing had been done about it.' The woman told the court she had drunk three cocktails but was not drunk during the evening in which they had dined on a four course meal before leaving the base and heading to the bar. One of her male colleagues told the hearing Mr Brogan, however, was 'drunk' to the point where he was slurring his words, vomited later in the night, and eventually had to be carried back to his room. The female soldier, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court: 'I was coming back from the toilet. 'I squeezed to get through a gap between the table and the sofa he was sitting on. Mr Brogan's defence lawyer dismissed the accuser's memory of the alleged incident as being 'incredibly sketchy', adding that the story was 'close to farcical' 'I remember feeling hands on my bum. I was wearing a skirt. 'However his hands went so far under - the main part of his hand was on my bum - that I could feel fingers on my vagina. This was over my skirt. 'It was a long black silky skirt with a slit on the side. 'It felt intentionally like a grab and lasted longer than it should have, for around five seconds. 'I moved to go and sit down. I sat on the edge of the sofa, but Mr Brogan had moved up next to me, to get really close to me. 'I moved to sit on another chair, opposite him. I was uncomfortable, I was scared. It was a surreal situation to be in. I think I was in my own shock of what had just happened. 'It was out of the blue, I was not expecting to be touched. 'It's such an emotional, distressing situation: being touched without my consent.' She told the male colleague about the incident 'immediately' and made it clear she wanted to report it. The soldier told the court: 'She told me Mr Brogan was really freaking her out and making her uncomfortable, that he kept touching her. 'As she walked passed him she gave me a look like 'see what I mean'.' It was not until after the woman confronted Mr Brogan on another night around two weeks later, and asked him why he had 'felt it was ok to touch her' that he reported the matter to police himself. The alleged victim continued: 'He became aggressive towards me and said he did not do it that night. 'The way he stepped towards me made me feel quite threatened and he was shouting at me continuously, something like 'stop talking'.' Mr Brogan denied the incident, claiming he moved back to clear a path for her. In his submissions, defence counsel Nick Bonehill accused the woman of lying and told the court: 'Her recollections are incredibly sketchy. 'There is an abject lack of detail. It is close to farcical that she cannot remember whether she was facing towards or away from attacker when it happened. 'It is an incident which has a number of potential witnesses, yet nobody saw it happen.' Mr Brogan, who denied the single count of sexual assault, was found not guilty by Judge Advocate Alistair McGrigor. Police are hunting for a convicted sex offender who has disappeared from an open prison in Lincolnshire. Gary Butcher, 55, absconded from HMP North Sea Camp in Boston just after 5.30am on Tuesday, police said. Butcher, who is serving a life sentence for aggravated burglary, is described as a white male with a stocky build, brown/grey hair and blue eyes. He is also has a swallow tattoo on his right arm and a 'Phillip-Trina' tattoo on his left arm. Gary Butcher (above), 55, is a convicted sex offender and is serving a life sentence for aggravated burglary Lincolnshire Police said he may have travelled to the Leicestershire area and have released a mugshot. Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Paul Coleman, said: ''We are appealing for help to locate Gary Butcher who was reported missing from North Sea Camp this morning. 'If you have any information to his current whereabouts, please contact us immediately. 'If you do see him, please do not approach him and instead, call us on 101 quoting incident 37 of 31st May and if its an emergency, dial 999.' Butcher absconded from HMP North Sea Camp (pictured), an open prison in Boston, Lincolnshire, just after 5.30am, police said Earlier this year, Paul Robson, 56, fled from the same prison despite being given two life sentences in August 2000 after he broke into a 23-year-old woman's house in Oxford through a cat flap and sexually assaulted her while holding a knife to her throat. He was sentenced to a minimum of nine years but has spent 20 years behind bars and only moved to an open prison in February 2021 after five parole hearings. Robson was serving a life sentence for attempted rape and indecent assault. Boris Johnson's ethics adviser threatened to resign amid a row over whether his Partygate fine breached the Ministerial Code. In a dramatic intervention, Lord Geidt said there was a 'legitimate question' about whether the June 2020 birthday gathering over which Mr Johnson was fined represented a breach of the code. He also questioned the Prime Minister's willingness to be seen to 'take responsibility for his own conduct' in relation to the rules for ministers. Mr Johnson responded by insisting his fine was not a breach of the code but the ethics adviser's comments will be seized on by the PM's critics as he faces a growing revolt from his backbench MPs. Lord Geidt warned he could have quit if Mr Johnson had explicitly disregarded his advice on the requirements of the code, so he avoided giving it. In highly loaded remarks, he said: 'I have attempted to avoid the independent adviser offering advice to a Prime Minister about a Prime Minister's obligations under his own Ministerial Code. 'If a Prime Minister's judgment is that there is nothing to investigate or no case to answer, he would be bound to reject any such advice, thus forcing the resignation of the independent adviser.' Prime Minister Boris Johnson has insisted that his fine for breaching lockdown rules was not a breach of the code Lord Geidt (pictured) blasted Boris Johnson for having failed to have address allegations he breached the code in any of his recent public statements on Partygate A picture of Mr Johnson at a gathering in the Cabinet Room of No 10 on his birthday, which has been released with the publication of Sue's Gray report into Downing Street parties in Whitehall during Covid In a letter to the peer, Mr Johnson blamed a 'failure of communication' between Downing Street and Lord Geidt's office The PM insisted to his ethics adviser he was 'not aware of the weight you put on the absence of an explicit reference to the ministerial code' Lord Geidt said he suggested to No 10 officials that Mr Johnson should be 'ready to offer public comment' on his obligations under the code in terms of the fine. Noting that this advice 'has not been heeded', he said: 'It may be that the Prime Minister considers that no such breach of his Ministerial Code has occurred. 'In that case, I believe a Prime Minister should respond accordingly, setting out his case in public.' Lord Geidt, the Prime Minister's independent adviser on ministerial standards, made the pointed intervention in a preface to his annual report. Responding to the comments, Mr Johnson argued that, 'taking account of all the circumstances', his fine for attending the birthday event in No 10 in June 2020 did not breach the Ministerial Code. He said there was 'no intent to break the regulations', adding: 'I did not consider that the circumstances in which I received a fixed penalty notice were contrary to the regulations. 'I have accepted the outcome and paid it in compliance with legal requirements.' Lord Geidt penned a scathing preface to his annual report in which he suggested he could have been forced to resign No 10 last night did not dispute suggestions the Prime Minister had been forced to persuade Lord Geidt not to resign yesterday. But Mr Johnson claimed there had been a 'failure of communications' between their two offices. 'I was not aware of the weight you put on the absence of an explicit reference to the Ministerial Code,' the PM wrote. Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said: 'The Prime Minister's second ethics adviser has now threatened to quit, in the latest sign of the rampant sleaze engulfing Downing Street.' Mr Johnson was accused last week of 'watering down' the government's code of conduct following changes which mean ministers will no longer be compelled to resign if they breach the rules. A massive pirate ship 'sailed' by a Virginia courthouse Tuesday as jury deliberations continue in the Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard defamation trial. The vessel was a van atop a flatbed disguised to look like a pirate ship covered with 'Pirates of the Caribbean' images, including the face of Depp's character, Captain Jack Sparrow. A pirate mannequin stood at the bow of the 'ship' which delighted fans who saw it in person and on social media. It was towed past the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Virginia where jurors continue to deliberate the outcome of Depp's case against his ex-wife Amber Heard. But sadly Depp himself won't have seen what appears to have been a lavish means of supporting his case, as he is in the UK performing with his band Hollywood Vampires. There was no sign of Heard either on Tuesday, although Depp's star lawyer Camille Vasquez was pictured headed into court. Tuesday is the first full day of deliberations for them in what is a complicated and evidence-heavy case. A verdict is unlikely to be returned Tuesday, and is more likely to come back later this week. A massive pirate ship 'sailed' by a Virginia courthouse Tuesday as jury deliberations continue in the Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard defamation trial The vessel was a van atop a flatbed disguised to look like a pirate ship covered with 'Pirates of the Caribbean' images, including the face of Depp's character, Captain Jack Sparrow Depp, 58, is suing ex-wife Amber Heard, 36, for $50 million, claiming he was defamed by a 2018 Washington Post op-ed in which Heard described herself as a 'public figure representing domestic abuse.' Heard filed a $100 million counterclaim against the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' star after his lawyer called her allegations a hoax. Each accuses the other of destroying their career. The seven-person civil jury heard closing arguments Friday and deliberated for about two hours before leaving for the long Memorial Day weekend. Jurors resumed deliberations in Fairfax County Circuit Court just after 9 a.m. Tuesday. Testimony featured a litany of lurid details of their short marriage. Heard testified that Depp physically or sexually assaulted her more than a dozen times. During his testimony, Depp testified that he never struck Heard, that she concocted the abuse allegations, and that she was the one who physically attacked him, multiple times. Depp's lawyers Camille Vasquez (L) and Ben Chew (R), walk to their car as the jury deliberates in the Depp vs. Heard defamation trial Depp's legal team spotted outside the Fairfax County Courthouse before being summoned inside when jurors posed a question during deliberations on Tuesday During closing arguments, both sides told the jury that a verdict in their favor would give their clients their lives back. Depp flew to England over the Memorial Day weekend and made surprise appearances at concerts in Sheffield and London by Jeff Beck. Depp, a guitarist, has his own band, the Hollywood Vampires, with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry of Aerosmith. Neither Depp nor Heard were seen at the Fairfax County Courthouse where deliberations continued Tuesday. But all-star attorneys Camille Vasquez and Benjamin Chew, and other members of Depp's legal team were spotted outside the courthouse and then were summoned into court when they were alerted that the jury had posed a question. Depp, 58, is suing ex-wife Heard for $50M, claiming he was defamed by a 2018 Washington Post op-ed in which she calls herself a 'public figure representing domestic abuse' Heard filed a $100 million counterclaim against the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' star after his lawyer called her allegations a hoax. Each accuses the other of destroying their career The seven-member jury must decide if two passages and the headline of the op-ed are defamatory. The jury verdict form gives jurors instructions on how to determine that, including by asking them whether the statements were about Depp, were false and had a defamatory implication about him. Jurors wanted clarification on whether they are to consider the headline of the op-ed - 'I spoke up against sexual violence and faced our cultures wrath. That has to change' - to be false. Or the op-ed as a whole. Depp's team assembles inside the Fairfax County Courthouse Tuesday after being alerted that the jury had posed a question about whether they are to consider the headline or op-ed Judge Penney Azcarate told the Fairfax, Virginia court she would instruct jurors that they were to consider the headline, and not the op-ed Judge Penney Azcarate told the Fairfax, Virginia court she would instruct jurors that they were to consider the headline, and not the op-ed. 'The statement is the headline and not the entire op-ed,' Azcarate said. Because Depp is a public figure, Heard can only be found guilty of libel if the jury decides that she acted with 'actual malice,' meaning that she either knew what she wrote was false or that she acted with reckless disregard for the truth. Heard's lawyers told the jury Depp's libel claim must fail if Heard suffered even a single incident of abuse. Advertisement Members of the K-pop band BTS made an appearance Tuesday in the White House briefing room before their private meeting with President Joe Biden to discuss anti-Asian hate crimes. 'We're BTS and it is a great honor to be invited to the White House tonight to discuss important issues of anti-Asian hate crimes, Asian inclusion and diversity,' said RM, addressing the room in English, while the other six members of the group spoke in Korean. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre escorted the seven pop stars to the podium, but wouldn't let them answer questions. RM (center) a member of the K-pop group BTS addresses reporters Tuesday in the White House briefing room, marking the final day of Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month The K-pop band BTS attracted hoards of journalists to the briefing room for Tuesday's appearance White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre welcomes the K-pop group BTS to the White House briefing room on Tuesday before the band heads into a private meeting with President Joe Biden Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, welcomes BTS to the White House briefing room Tuesday ahead of a private meeting with President Joe Biden Droves of reporters showed up to Tuesday's White House press briefing to catch a glimpse of the K-pop group, BTS The seven members of the K-pop supergroup BTS line up behind White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday A doll in the likeness of BTS member Jungkook is displayed outside the White House on Tuesday Fans of BTS reach through the fencing outside the White House on Tuesday. The K-pop stars addressed the White House briefing room and then will have a private meeting with the president afterward A fan of BTS holds up a poster of the boy band outside the White House on Tuesday, when the seven members were due to meet with President Joe Biden They're slated to hold a private meeting with the president, a self-confessed fan, later Tuesday afternoon. Fans of the supergroup were spotted outside the White House in advance of BTS' appearance. Inside, the briefing room was packed. Tuesday marked the final day of Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. 'We joined the White House to stand with the AANHPI community and to celebrate,' BTS member Jin said. 'We were devastated by the recent surge of hate crimes, including Asian-American hate crimes. To put a stop to this and support the cause, we'd like to take this opportunity to voice ourselves once again,' added Jimin. Since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, hate crimes against Asians have been on the rise. 'We are here today thanks to our army, our fans worldwide, who have different nationalities and cultures and use different languages. We are truly and always grateful,' said J-Hope. 'We still feel surprised that music created by South Korean artists reaches so many people around the world transcending languages and cultural barriers,' added Jungkook. 'We believe music is always an amazing and wonderful unifier of all the things.' Suga then stepped forward and said, 'It's not wrong to be different.' 'Equality begins when we open up and embrace all of our differences,' he said. And then V took the podium. 'Everyone has their own history,' he said. 'We hope today is one step forward to respecting and understanding each and everyone as a valuable person.' RM then concluded the appearance, again speaking in English. 'Lastly we thank President Biden and the White House for giving this important opportunity to speak about the important causes, remind ourselves of what we can do as artists,' he said. 'Once again thank you very much.' Several reporters shouted questions at the pop group, but Jean-Pierre ushered the singers out. Members of the K-pop group BTS arrive to join White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre at the Tuesday briefing Fans of BTS hold up a blanket decorated with cartoon versions of the seven singers outside the White House on Tuesday Since the early months of his administration, Biden has spoken out against Asian-American hate. He blasted former President Donald Trump for using terms like the 'China virus' to refer to COVID. 'It's the coronavirus. Full stop,' Biden said in March 2021 after a shooter targeted Asians, and in particular Asian women, at spas outside of Atlanta. More recently, a shooting at a Taiwanese southern California church that killed one and injured five is now being investigated as a hate crime, as is a shooting at a Dallas salon that wounded three women of Asian descent. Both incidents happened this month. The group Stop AAPI Hate tracked more than 10,000 hate incidents against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders since March 2020, when COVID lockdowns began, and the end of last year. Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki previously connected Trump's rhetoric to the uptick in hate crimes. 'I think there's no question that some of the damaging rhetoric that we saw during the prior administration blaming - calling COVID the Wuhan virus or other things, led to perceptions of the Asian-American community that are inaccurate, unfair, have raised threatening, has elevated threats against Asian-Americans and we're seeing that around the country,' Psaki said. Biden previously made moves to stop usage of the term by signing an executive order titled 'Memorandum Condemning and Combating Racism, Xenophobia, and Intolerance Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States' on day No. 6 of his presidency. 'The Federal Government must recognize that it has played a role in furthering these xenophobic sentiments through the actions of political leaders, including references to the COVID-19 pandemic by the geographic location of its origin,' the order said. 'Such statements have stoked unfounded fears and perpetuated stigma about Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and have contributed to increasing rates of bullying, harassment, and hate crimes against AAPI persons,' it continued. Biden returned a week ago from his first trip to Asia as president, where he met with new South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul, before traveling to Tokyo to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and leaders of the Quad nations. As part of the coverage of Biden's trip, Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show ran a dubbed clip of Biden singing BTS' hit song, Butter. China refutes U.S. remarks on UN human rights chief's visit to China Xinhua) 09:01, May 31, 2022 BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Monday refuted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's remarks about the visit by United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet to China. Blinken issued a statement on May 28, saying that the United States is concerned about the conditions China imposed on Bachelet's visit to China and China's efforts to restrict and manipulate the visit. Zhao told a daily press briefing that at the invitation of the Chinese government, Bachelet visited China from May 23 to 28. "China believes that this visit has enhanced understanding and cooperation, and clarified misinformation. After meetings and talks, conversations and field trips in Guangzhou and Xinjiang, the High Commissioner had a deeper understanding and recognition of China's path for human rights development, and had first-hand experience of Xinjiang's reality with social security and stability, sound and sustained development and people's well-being," he added. Noting all lies and rumors related to Xinjiang have fallen apart in front of facts and truth, Zhao said the U.S. side this time made up new lies that China has restricted and manipulated the visit. "In fact, all the activities and arrangements of High Commissioner Bachelet during her stay in China were decided in accordance with her will and based on full consultation," Zhao said, adding Bachelet also said at the press conference that she had unsupervised and extensive meetings during the visit. "Where is restriction and manipulation to speak of? Look no further than the United States to find the one trying to manipulate this visit," the spokesperson added. Zhao said it is the one and the same United States that was most vocal about Bachelet's visit to China at first, imposed various kinds of conditions for the agreed visit, and ultimately attacked and slandered the visit after it was made. "This once again proves that the United States does not care about human rights conditions whatsoever. What it really wants is to use human rights as a pretext to constantly denigrate China and hold it down," Zhao said, adding such hypocrisy and political scheme of the United States has long been seen through by the whole world. By contrast, the human rights conditions in the United States are like "the emperor's new clothes", Zhao said. He noted the recent mass shooting at a school in Texas is particularly heart-wrenching. "The right to life of ordinary people, including children and teenagers, cannot be guaranteed." Zhao shared some figures. Since 2001, the United States waged wars or conducted military operations in about 80 countries in the name of counterterrorism, which killed more than 800,000 people including about 300,000 civilians. The United States set up black sites like the Guantanamo Bay prison across the world, where people are arbitrarily detained without trial for long periods of time and subject to torture and ill treatment. Racism in the United States is deeply entrenched and racial minorities like African Americans and Asian Americans have to live with systemic racism. "Shutting eyes to grave human rights violations at home, what rights does the United States have to act like a patronizing judge and interfere in other countries' affairs?" Zhao said, adding China asks the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to conduct investigations into and submit reports on U.S.' human rights problems. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun) Donetsk authorities blame Ukrainian forces that attack schools and residential areas with US-supplied arms killing non-combatants. Kyiv sanctions the attack that left five non-combatants dead and 18 hurt last Monday. The Azov Nazis and regular forces have attacked DPR civilians and used them as shields all over combat areas. Civilians Used as Targets in Donetsk A teenage girl is among the victims, according to local officials. Several civilian facilities in the city were destroyed, including schools and residential buildings, reported RT. First reports indicate the equipment sent by the American Neocons is used to shell civilians by design. According to Mayor Aleksey Kulemzin, two 14-year-old girls were injured, one dead but the other had to be hospitalized, noted the Press United. The mayor stated that three civilians had been killed, a dozen others were injured at two schools, and two people were in serious condition. Olga Rachinskaya, the school's headmistress, remarked to the media that the terrible attack had left teachers injured by shrapnel. Two school workers slain are elder people. Ukrainian troops used at least two Smerch rockets armed with cluster munitions, as well as 155mm artillery, according to the DPR defense HQ. DPR Mayor Speaks of Vile Attack Last Monday, Mayor Kulemzin thought the weapon used in the US 155mm M777 howitzers, Russia keeps away from schools and houses, unlike Ukrainian forces using civilian shields. The Donetsk official spoke on Russian TV describing the US-supplied arms sent with the intent of allegedly harming civilians. The shell fragment had English on them, he stated. US and allies shipped 100 of these M777s that are towed and used by Ukraine forces, which are attacking with this heavy weaponry supplied by a NATO member, which is condemned by Donetsk authorities. Read Also: Donald Trump Net Worth 2022: Did Trump Get Richer Since Leaving the US Presidency? Media reports, US-made multiple launch rocket systems can be sent, contributing to the weapons its Soviet stockpiles. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on the news from the DPR last Monday; he condemned Kyiv for allowing attacks on civilian infrastructure. Added that is why the Russian army is fighting against the twisted regime in Ukraine, to stop the Neo Nazis supported by Volodymyr Zelensky. After failing to enforce the terms of the Minsk agreements, first signed in 2014, and acknowledging Donetsk and Lugansk, Moscow launched an offensive on Ukraine throughout late February. The protocols negotiated by Germany and France designed to confer special status were ignored. Moscow wanted to avoid war and asked for Kyiv's neutrality; it would not seek NATO membership. Although Ukraine denies it was responsible for provoking the invasion, it will attack the DPR and LPR. EU Becomes Militant Instead of diffusing the tension, the EU decided to be militant like NATO, but it wanted to wear down Vladimir Putin, using Zelensky as their proxy war against Russia. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell mentioned on Monday that Moscow would make peace, but in another interview said the Russian military will still push on with France Info, mentioned the BBC. Donetsk authorities state that Ukrainian forces purpose target schools and civilian areas with their US-supplied arms. Josep Borell and the EU are helping the US-led military bloc in the uncalled-for attacks on DPR civilians by supplying arms via a proxy war. Related Article: Moscow Reports Ukraine Neo-Nazis Uses Civilians as Human Shields in Donetsk and Lugansk Republics After the Battle of Mariupol @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. American politicians who accuse the British government of undermining the Good Friday Agreement with plans to dump the Northern Ireland Protocol are the ones standing in the way of restoring the devolved government set up by the historic peace deal, according to Boris Johnson's envoy to Washington. Conor Burns, a Northern Ireland minister and confidant of Johnson, said his government was simply not planning to ditch the Protocol - a mechanism to ensure the free flow of goods from Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland. His comments, during the second of three week-long visits to win over American skeptics, reflect British concern about rhetoric coming from Washington. And there is growing anger that Irish-American politicians, who for years were associated with the hardline Irish Republican movement, have little understanding of the intricacies and nuance of Britain's relationship with modern Ireland. Burns said no one was talking about 'tearing up' or 'throwing away' the Protocol. Instead it was a 'recalibration' to improve the flow of goods into Northern Ireland and pare back a bewildering amount of bureaucracy. 'And the reality is - there's no escaping this, it is the Protocol as it is today that is the reason we are not having restored devolved government in Northern Ireland,' he told DailyMail.com. 'So it is actually the absolute reverse of what some suggest here. 'It is in fact the Protocol that poses the existential threat to the institutions born out of the Belfast, Good Friday agreement.' Conor Burns, a UK Northern Ireland minister, is a close ally of Prime Minister Boris Johnson and has been sent to Washington to speak to senior figures. He has brought a thick dossier setting out problems caused by the Northern Protocol in its current form Johnson's government has laid out a plan to modify with the Protocol, which governs goods shipped to Northern Ireland, to include a green channel and a red channel so that items staying in Northern Ireland do not need to undergo European Union customs checks The Protocol was the result of negotiations between London and the European Union on how to keep an open border between the two Irelands after Brexit. It means goods traveling from the UK mainland must pass E.U. customs checks before they arrive in Northern Ireland. However, Burns has brought a thick dossier of complaints from companies describing the time and cost needed to meet the new regulations. There is an English cheese company that has stopped shipping its products to Northern Ireland. Supermarkets there now only stock one brand of shortbread because of veterinary checks related to its butter content. And there is a complete embargo on shipping organic food. In the meantime, Unionists are blocking the formation of a new Northern Ireland government until the problems are addressed. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has unveiled plans to solve the problem by modifying the protocol, setting up a green channel - with no checks for goods that would stay in Northern Ireland - and a red channel - for items that could then travel on to the Republic of Ireland. It brought howls of outrage in Washington. A slew of politicians accused the UK of planning to abandon the protocol, allowing a 'hard border' between north and south, and undermining the Good Friday peace deal. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has accused the Johnson government of seeking to 'discard' the Northern Ireland Protocol and said she would block any US-UK trade agreement The Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998, ending most of the violence associated with 'The Troubles' in Northern Ireland. It restored a devolved government, established cross-border cooperation and overhauled the policing system House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was among the most blunt. 'It is deeply concerning that the United Kingdom is now seeking to unilaterally discard the Northern Ireland Protocol,' she said. And she issued a threat. 'As I have stated in my conversations with the prime minister, the foreign secretary and members of the House of Commons, if the United Kingdom chooses to undermine the Good Friday Accords, the Congress cannot and will not support a bilateral free trade agreement with the United Kingdom,' she said. Not only did that misrepresent the British government's plans, said Burns, but it was not helpful to link the protocol to other foreign policy issues. 'To tell somebody that you won't give them something that they are telling you they will not entertain conditionality on is not something that assists us either in finding the solution to the protocols implementation, or indeed to getting to a trade agreement,' he said. 'I have been incredibly clear with everyone I've spoken to from State to the administration to the Hill to business, that doing the right thing on the protocol, to fix it for Northern Ireland, to see a restoration of stable and devolved government in Northern Ireland is too important for us to be intertwined or intermeshed or caught up in any foreign policy or free trade ambition.' He spoke after meetings on Tuesday with business leaders and the Ad Hoc committee to Protect the Good Friday Agreement. Throughout his meetings, he said he had sought to explain the modifications as a technical solution to unintended consequences of the protocol that had emerged in the past 18 months. 'What is very important for what I'm trying to do here and what the government is trying to do more widely, is to take the protocol away from politics and take it back to process,' he said. 'This is about finding solutions around the movement of goods within the British Isles in a post-Brexit environment.' Failure to find a solution would mean that the devolved government in Belfast could not be formed, he said, casting a shadow over next year's 25th anniversary of the agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland. 'President Biden should be in Belfast next April celebrating the US role in that landmark international agreement that has meant that a young person born in Northern Ireland in the last 25 years grows up in a radically different environment one to I was born into in North Belfast 50 years ago this September. 'The reality is because of the lack of cross-community support for the Protocol as it is currently being implemented and interpreted that Protocol could mean that at the 25th anniversary the institutions born out of the Belfast Good Friday agreement may not be functioning.' Elon Musk has mocked Twitter in a meme making fun of companies for changing their online logos for LGBT Pride Month, even as he pursues his $44 billion takeover of the company. Musk on Tuesday posted a meme showing an approaching dust storm covered with corporate logos, including Twitter's, in rainbow colors, along with the words 'June is almost here.' It was just the latest jab Musk has taken at Twitter even after signing a deal to acquire the company, which is expected to close later this year. Wednesday will mark the first day of Pride Month, which is observed every June, and many of the world's largest companies typically change their main social media profiles. Elon Musk has mocked Twitter in a meme making fun of companies for changing their online logos for LGBT Pride Month, even as he pursues his $44 billion takeover of the company The tradition of rainbow corporate logos typically generates mockery and controversy each year, with some questioning whether it is a show of true solidarity or a craven attempt at pandering. Last year, Fortune magazine noted that many large firms with regional social medial accounts did not change their logo for Pride Month in accounts dedicated to the Middle East, where gay rights are often limited. 'Such contradictions did not go unnoticed on social media, drawing questions and even mockery of brands that couldnt keep their messaging consistent across markets,' the report noted. Last year, major car brands including Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Volkswagen changed their branding in the West for Pride Month, while leaving their Middle Eastern accounts unchanged. Google-owned YouTube, Microsoft, and Proctor and Gamble also had disparate Pride Month branding across regions. None of those companies' plans for June 2022 were immediately clear. Earlier on Tuesday, Musk declared that something 'very strange' is happening to his Twitter feed, fueling conspiracy theories that the company is purposely hiding his tweets from followers. Last year, many large firms with regional social medial accounts did not change their logo for Pride Month in accounts dedicated to the Middle East The concerns were first raised by Musk enthusiast and supporter Steven Mark Ryan on Monday, after he created a poll asking Twitter users whether they could see Musk's older tweets and replies after a short scroll. 'Hey @elonmusk, twitter is FKING you,' Ryan tweeted. 'Dear everyone, SCROLL down on @elonmusk's tweets & replies and tell me.. DO THEY STOP LOADING????' As of Tuesday at noon eastern time, nearly 8,500 people have participated in the survey, with 80percent of that group claiming they have experienced the same issue. Ryan went on to add that Twitter was neglecting its followers and violating their expectations of transparency, leaving them with 'no recourse.' Musk gave a nod to the claims brought up by Ryan by commenting 'very strange indeed!' on the thread. 'Maybe if they do the opposite, Twitter will be a much better experience just an idea,' Musk added. DailyMail.com confirmed that Musk's tweets older than 11 hours briefly stopped loading for some users, but the glitch went away on its own after repeatedly refreshing the page for around 30 minutes. Other users did not experienced any problems at the time this article was published. DailyMail.com has reached out to Twitter for comment. Musk has been in the South of France for the last week attending galas and weddings The pair chatted, drank wine and ate fries as they caught up in between events in the busy Riviera hotspot Musk has been complaining about fake accounts or bots on the Twitter platform and said that this has complicated his bid to purchase the company for $44billion. Musk claimed he wanted to pause the deal to verify that false or spam accounts represented fewer than 5 percent of the company's 229 million users during the first quarter. 'My offer was based on Twitter's SEC filings being accurate. Yesterday, Twitter's CEO publicly refused to show proof of <5%. This deal cannot move forward until he does,' he said. Musk has speculated that bots could make up at least half of Twitter's users, more than 10 times the company's official estimate. The tweet caused Twitter's stocks to nosedive since his deal was announced, as analysts speculated that Musk is trying to negotiate a lower purchase price or pull out of the agreement entirely. Following the rise of opioid deaths since the pandemic, Canada has moved to decriminalize small-scale possession of certain illicit drugs- including cocaine and MDMA- in British Columbia for three years. On Tuesday Canada's government announced it will allow the province of British Colombia to decriminalize possession of up to 2.5 grams opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA, also known as ecstasy, starting January 31, 2023. The allowable amount of illegal substances falls short of the 4.5 grams requested by British Columbia, and was already deemed too low a threshold by some drug-user groups that have criticized the province for failing to adequately consult them. The province's health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, (left) said that with the policy, 'we are taking an important step forward to removing that fear and shame and stigma' Since 2016 there have been over 9,400 deaths due to toxic illicit drugs in British Columbia and a record 2,224 last year While the newest policy does not legalize the substances, for three years after the policy is enacted drug users 18 and over caught with the substances will not be arrested and charged. The exemption would not apply to airports, schools and members of the Canadian military. The policy comes after British Columbia has become the epicenter of Canada's opioid crisis. Since 2016 there have been over 9,400 deaths due to toxic illicit drugs in British Columbia and a record 2,224 last year. Sheila Malcolmson, British Columbia's minister of mental health, said the coroner in British Columbia reports that between five and seven people die a day in the province from overdoses and that half of those happen in a private home, often when people are alone. 'Fear and shame keeps drug use a secret,' she said. Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart said he gets emails every Monday on drug deaths, including nine last week and 12 the week before. He said one week it was his own family member. 'I felt like crying, and I still feel like crying. This is a big, big thing,' Stewart said. The federal government said they hope that the new policy will help reduce overdose deaths by easing a fear of arrest by those who need help. British Colombia is set to decriminalize possession of up to 2.5 grams opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA (pictured) starting January 31, 2023 The policy comes after British Columbia has become the epicenter of Canada's opioid crisis 'Stigma and fear of criminalization cause some people to hide their drug use, use alone, or use in other ways that increase the risk of harm. This is why the Government of Canada treats substance use as a health issue, not a criminal one,' Canada's chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam tweeted on Tuesday. The province's health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, said that with the policy, 'we are taking an important step forward to removing that fear and shame and stigma.' 'This is not one single thing that will reverse this crisis but it will make a difference,' she added. British Columbia has long been the leader in Canadas harm reduction movement, opening the first supervised injection site in North America in 2003 in Vancouver a decade after launching the provinces first needle exchange program, the New York Times reported. It is now the first Canadian province to apply for an exemption from Canada's drug laws and could serve as a template for other jurisdictions across Canada. 'This time-limited exemption is the first of its kind in Canada,' Carolyn Bennett, the federal minister of mental health and addictions, said. 'Real-time adjustments will be made upon receiving analysis of any data that indicates a need to change.' Oregon was the first state in the United States to decriminalize possession of personal-use amounts of heroin, methamphetamine, LSD, oxycodone and other drugs after voters approved a ballot measure in 2020 to decriminalize hard drugs. The state's program, which has been promoted as a way to establish and fund addiction recovery centers that would offer people aid instead of incarceration, is being watched as a potential model for other states. But in the first year after the new approach took effect in February 2021, only 1 percent of people who received citations for possessing controlled substances asked for help via a new hotline. A South Carolina mayor has slammed the maddening string of violence that has plagued the US after a shooting in Charleston left 13 people injured, including three law enforcement officers. Gunfire erupted late Monday night at a large party held on a vacant lot that had more than 100 revelers in attendance. More than 50 shell casings were found at the scene from various weapons, including handguns, long guns and 223 rounds. Shots rung out after a Charleston police officer arrived on scene to address a noise complaint, WCBD reported. Although the cop wasn't struck, the bullet caused a domino effect, resulting in a 'couple different groups shooting at each other' and multiple fights to break out. Police say ten civilians, including a 17-year-old, were injured during the rampage, however it is unclear how many injuries were gunshot wounds. Four people were taken to area hospitals in critical conditions. Mayor John Tecklenburg, addressing the shooting at a press conference Tuesday, said he was 'fed up' with mass shootings erupting across the nation. 'I don't know about you but I'm mad about it. I'm fed up. Enough is enough,' Tecklenburg said. 'We're counting our blessings that no one in this incident was killed.' The Charleston shooting came of the heels of last week's Texas elementary school massacre that left 19 children and two teachers dead. It also followed a racially-motivated mass shooting that left 10 dead in a Buffalo supermarket in mid-May. Gunfire erupted at a large party in Charleston on Monday, injuring 13 people including three law enforcement officers Tahira McGee (left) and Ayesha Saleemah McGee (right) were both arrested for assaulting officers at the scene. Tahira struck a deputy across the face and Ayesha body slammed one to the ground. The deputies were injured during the attacks Police said the chaos erupted in the area of 41 South Street around 11.40pm. The shooting spanned several blocks and several cars were struck by bullets. Video captured on nearby surveillance cameras shows dozens running for cover as shots ring out. 'We're lucky we don't have a dead cop. Or dead citizens. Or dead community members,' Charleston Police Chief Luther Reynolds said during Tuesday's news briefing. 'This entire issue of gun violence has to be addressed,' Tecklenburg added. 'There's a lot of weapons that were fired. Handguns, long guns, 223 rounds. If anybody doesn't know what a 223 round will do, it'll blow your leg right off, it'll blow your head right off your shoulders. Those are the types of rounds that were fired last night.' The mayor said oficials are treating the incident as a mass shooting, citing the Gun Violence Archive's definition of the term which 'defines a mass shooting as being an incident where four or more are shot, either injured or killed.' 'That's how we are treating this incident,' Tecklenburg said. 'It's that serious.' Mayor John Tecklenburg, addressing the shooting at a press conference Tuesday, said he was 'fed up' with mass shootings erupting across the nation. He announced an eight-point plan to address gun violence in Charleston More than 50 shell casings were found at the scene from various weapons, including handguns, long guns and 223 rounds. Police say ten civilians, including a 17-year-old, were injured during the rampage The officer who responded to the scene was immediately met with gunfire. He wasn't hit, but his cruiser was struck twice. The cop did, however, suffer an injury from a shrapnel. He was taken to a nearby hospital and has since been released. Two Charleston County sheriff's deputies were assaulted while trying to control the crowd of partygoers. A woman, since identified as Tahira McGee, of North Charleston, struck one of the deputies across the face after becoming 'enraged' during the party. Ayesha Saleemah McGee, also of North Charleston, body slammed the other deputy, knocking the officer to the ground. 'My head hit the concrete during the fall, leaving a 2-3 inch laceration on the rear of my head,' the deputy reported. Both women were arrested on the scene. Tahira was charged with second-degree assault and battery and resisting arrest while Ayesha was charged with third-degree assault and battery. Law enforcement expects more arrests to follow as officials continue their investigation. Meantime, Tecklenburg announced an eight-point plan to address gun violence in the city. His plan includes graduated penalties for gun crimes, promoting safer firearm use and shutting down events without proper permits. President Zelensky's wife has said she speaks 'openly' about the war with her children, and has revealed her nine-year-old son gives his father advice on military matters. Olena Zelenska says she is trying to be 'honest' with her children about the ongoing conflict and their 'separation' from their father as he tries to lead the country back from the brink in the war with Russia. The 44-year-old said the couple's children Oleksandra, 17, and Kyrylo, nine, are aware of what's happening, and that the younger sibling has even taken to giving his father his thoughts on what the armed forces should do. Speaking with journalists, she added she thought Russia was trying to 'destroy our national consciousness' as part of its unjust and illegal invasion of the country. The first lady described the impact the conflict is having on her family. Pictured is a child next to a damaged car in Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv The Russian invasion has seen millions of Ukrainian's flee into Europe to escape the conflict. PIctured are residents from the outskirts of Kyiv examining a destroyed Russian tank Since Russia launched its invasion in February more than 6.8million Ukrainian's are thought to have fled the country, with more than half of these going into Poland. In the months since the world has been shown evidence of potential war crimes by Russian soldiers, with schools, museums and hospitals all being hit by missiles and thousands of civilians being killed. Despite Russian forces getting within touching distance of the capital Kyiv, in recent weeks they have been pushed back, with most of the fighting now taking place in the eastern Donbas region. Talking today Mrs Zelenska said she was heartbroken by the impact the conflict is having on her family. She said she was keeping her two children with her while her husband deals with the mountainous task of leading a country in the midst of a war. 'Luckily we were able to organize our lives in such a way that they (children) didn't have to go anywhere, and I didn't have to go anywhere from them,' she said. 'Of course, she (daughter) is a school graduate, we are all worried. 'This is an important milestone in her life and unfortunately it happens at such a difficult time in our family's life and in our country's life in general. 'There will be no prom. Nothing's going to happen. We are graduating from high school remotely. But she will be applying (to university) in Ukraine.' She added her son Kyryo was 'like all children now' and studying at home. The first lady said: 'I am engaged in this process. I really want our children to go back to school on the first of September. Ms Zelenska, pictured here with her husband at the funeral of former Ukrainian president Leonid Kravchuk, said her family has been separated 'I'm just trying to get through this whole period... and the separation. 'Our family is separated. I see Volodymyr periodically here at the office. I might come in and see him, if he's not in some meeting today, I'll greet him. 'The children? They somehow understand that this period will end at some point, but the questions 'when?' are constantly existing in our family.' Mrs Zelenska said she 'always tried to speak honestly' with her children about the war. 'With my eldest daughter, it is easier, she is already an adult,' she said. 'She reads everything, sees everything, and knows what victories we have to achieve to end the war. 'It is different with my son, he is a growing up politologist, he knows everything, he gives us military advice, what we should buy... Volodymyr Zelensky (left) and Olenska Zelenska (right) are pictured in Kiev on July 21, 2019 'And to his father as well... What tanks, planes, helicopters we need to buy, what we are lacking. What countries help us badly, what countries help us well. He is a military expert, you can talk to him about this for months.' Mrs Zelenska added she felt Russia does not see Ukraine as an independent country. She said: 'This is my personal opinion - they just don't see us as a country that should have a separate consciousness. 'Many of them think that we are some part of their society and we just made something up for ourselves. 'But our museums, our art and cultural objects, our songs, our literature prove that it is not so. 'And that is why they want to destroy it in the first place, to destroy our national consciousness.' The Ukrainian president and his wife Olena attend a state dinner hosted in Tokyo, 2019 Speaking earlier this month, Mrs Zelenska said she was not surprised that her husband has inspired the world with his steadfast leadership and formidable resistance to Russia. She added: 'Nobody takes my husband away from me, not even war.' 'I cant say that Volodymyr has changed since the start of this war. He was a reliable husband and a reliable man before, and that he remains.' 'His point of view hasnt changed, the way hes wired hasnt changed.' A North Carolina preschool teacher has resigned following backlash over her unauthorized use of LGBTQ-themed flashcards, which included images of a pregnant man. The identity of the teacher, who is believed to be a woman, has not been revealed by the Wake County Public School System. The teacher left her role at Ballentine Elementary School in Fuquay-Varina on Friday, according to Lisa Luten, a district spokeswoman. Some parents and social media critics pushed for the teacher to be fired, but a student-parent in the special-needs preschool class backed the teacher's move. 'She is an amazing teacher who has worked tirelessly in an unpredictable school year to provide a safe, loving and inclusive classroom for our children to grow,' Jackie Milazzo told the Charlotte Observer last week. The news broke out on Friday after a constituent of State Representative Erin Pare contacted the Republican about the cards. Pare then contacted the principal of the school to see if she was aware of the use of the teacher's decision to showcase LGBTQ relationships and the Pride Flag to teach three and four-year-old children about colors. The cards are made by a now-defunct company called ByUs Box, which also made sets of flash cards showcasing non-binary and transgender animals, gender neutral nursery rhymes and a 'Blackness Collection.' The company was created by two women who said they were inspired by the murder of George Floyd. North Carolina Speaker of the House Tim Moore and Pare say that Principal Lutashia Dove - who was unaware they were being used - verified that the teacher had been using the cards outside the approved curriculum. A preschool has been using unapproved LGBTQ flash cards , which include images of a pregnant man. Pare then contacted the principal of the school to see if she was aware of the use of the teacher's decision to showcase LGBTQ relationships and the Pride Flag to teach three and four-year-old children about colors. The cards are used to teach about colors as well as the diversity of mostly LGBTQ families The cards are made by a now-defunct company called ByUs Box , which also made sets of flash cards showcasing non-binary and transgender animals, gender neutral nursery rhymes and a 'Blackness Collection.' The company was created by two women who said they were inspired by the murder of George Floyd The constituent claimed that the flash cards that were being used to teach preschoolers at Ballantine Elementary School in Wake County Dove then 'took possession of the cards' and contacted the local superintendent and human resources. 'I am grateful that a concerned constituent reached out and that this issue is being addressed in a swift and professional manner by Ballentine Elementary School,' said Pare. 'Schools should only be using age-appropriate materials, and these flashcards clearly do not meet that standard for a pre-school classroom,' she added. 'I hope schools across Wake County and the State of North Carolina will follow the example of Ballentine and respond swiftly when a parent expresses concern and ensure that materials like this are not being used to teach young students.' The school district released a statement on its own, according to the News & Observer. Principal Lutashia Dove - who was unaware they were being used - verified that the teacher had been using the cards outside the approved curriculum and took the cards from the teacher State Representative Erin Pare had the cards brought to her attention by a constituent Speaker of the House Tim Moore commended Pare's efforts to get rid of the cards from the classroom 'The district is concerned to learn of the inappropriate instructional resource found in a preschool classroom,' the statement said. 'An initial review determined that flash cards were not tied to the district's Pre-K curriculum, did not complement, enrich, or extend the curriculum and were used without the principal's review, knowledge, and/or approval.' According to Milazzo, the parent of the special needs students who spoke out on behalf of the teacher, the lawmakers are being disingenuous. 'They wanted to get people riled up at the expense of the safety of our children,' Milazzo said. 'My special-needs child is being used as a prop and I hope that anyone reading about this remembers this come November when it comes time to vote that this is not supporting our children, not supporting our teachers, not supporting our schools.' Currently, the North Carolina General Assembly is attempting to pass legislation that they believe would address what they call 'age-inappropriate classroom materials' and would give parents more control over what children are taught in school. A hospital anaesthetist who was jailed for injecting his girlfriend with drugs during exorcism ceremonies and nearly killing her has been struck off. Dr Hossam Metwally, 61, left his girlfriend Kelly Wilson close to death with multiple organ failure after injecting her with painkillers and sedatives. He made made dozens of recordings of himself administering fluids through a cannula to Ms Wilson while chanting as part of a 'dangerous perversion' of the Islamic Ruqya ritual. Ms Wilson was found at Metwallys home on July 4, 2019 in a deep coma, on the brink of a cardiac arrest and with a fluid line inserted in her chest after engaging in an exorcism ritual the previous evening. The anaesthetist, who worked at Diana Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby, North-east Lincolnshire, also ran a pain clinic from his home. He denied injecting anaesthetics into Ms Wilson during an eight-week trial at Sheffield Crown Court last year. But he was found guilty of endangering his partners life and admitted further counts of voyeurism against two female patients following his conviction. Hossam Metwally (pictured), 61, caused multiple organ failure in Kelly Wilson after feeding her drugs through a cannula during a series of exorcism ceremonies Kelly Wilson (pictured) was injected with unknown substances via a tube attached to her chest as Metwally chanted verses from the Quran Ruqya: Islamic ritual to cast out evil spirits The process of Quranic healing in order to exorcise spirits can be divided into three stages. The first includes removing any distractions, such as music instruments and golden jewelry. The healer also removes all pictures in the room allowing angels to enter. The healer then tells the client and the family, that everything happens by God's will and that he is merely a mediator, also mentioning that other forms of healing, such as by sorcery, are not acceptable to Islam. In the second stage, the healer determines if the client is possessed or not and tries to enter a dialogue with the spirit. The healer might ask the spirit about type (Zar (red wind), ghosts (Arwah), jinn (genii), samum (devils), div), religion, sex or reason for possession. When he asks the client, instead of the spirit, about dreams and feelings involved of the dream. After that, the healer cleans himself, the room, and asks the people in the room to do the same. In the third stage, actual exorcism begins by reciting Quranic verses such as Al-Fatiha, Al Baqara, Al-Baqara 255, Al-Jinn and three Qul (Al-Ikhlas, An-Nas and Al-Falaq), depending on the type of spirit. Other treatments include using honey and water, as a purification ritual to clean the soul and body from sins. In a typical Islamic exorcism the treated person lies down while a white-gloved therapist places a hand on their head while reciting verses from the Quran. Advertisement The court heard he took pictures and moving footage of the women, without their knowledge and in a state of undress, when they attended his clinic for treatment. He also altered some of the images to make them appear indecent and erotic. Metwally was jailed for 14 and a half years at Sheffield Crown Court in September. And a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service panel today concluded he should be struck off the medical register following his conviction. Tribunal chairwoman Remy Alabi said: 'The tribunal considered that a fundamental aspect of a doctors role is to be trustworthy and act with integrity and within the law, and Dr Metwally has significantly departed from this. 'His actions have caused serious harm to Miss A (Ms Wilson) and the two victims of his voyeurism. He has brought the reputation of the profession into disrepute and has breached a fundamental tenet of the profession. 'Moreover, there is no evidence that Dr Metwally has any insight into his actions; there has been no apology and no expression of remorse. 'The tribunal was satisfied that Dr Metwallys behaviour is fundamentally incompatible with continued registration.' Dr Metwally did not attend the hearing. He qualified as a doctor in Egypt and worked in Saudi Arabia before coming to the UK in 1996 and Grimsby in 1999. Metwally met Ms Wilson around 2013 when she was a student nurse. The jury at his trial last year heard she had a history of depression and her health deteriorated so she stopped working as a nurse. Metwally had a 'vast stock of drugs' at his Laceby Road home, including ampoules of ketamine, propofol, fentanyl and Diazemuls. The trial heard that he 'fed' Ms Wilson's drug addiction and administered potentially lethal anaesthetic drugs to perform Muslim exorcism rituals known as Ruqya - a valid practice that an imam told the court would never involve drugs or sedation. Metwally was struck off the medical register today following his jail sentence in September last year A jury was told Metwally (right) was 'prepared to endanger' Miss Wilson's (left) life and that she was found in a deep coma after he had been injecting her with dangerous drugs at The Lincs Pain Clinic - which the couple ran out of their home - in July 2019 Judge Jeremy Richardson QC, the Recorder of Sheffield, described Metwally as a 'religious fanatic' and said the rituals he carried out on Ms Wilson were 'sham religious acts'. Extracts from 200 clips recorded by Metwally over four years were shown to the jury. They included footage of Ms Wilson strapped to a bed, in a bath and of a white liquid being administered - on occasions using an electronic device. Ukraine has challenged French President Emmanuel Macron to visit Kyiv before the end of France's presidency of the European Union comes to an end on June 30. Several foreign leaders have visited Ukraine's capital and its surrounding areas since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his brutal invasion on February 24. However, Macron has been a notable absentee, and has been criticised by Kyiv for allegedly asking Ukraine to make concessions to Russia in a bid to end the war. Speaking to French news channel LCI on Tuesday, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on the French leader to pay a visit to Kyiv, and also called on Macron so send more weapons to help in his country's fight against Russia's invading forces. 'It would be good that Macron came during the French EU presidency, and the best thing would be that he comes with more weapons deliveries for Ukraine,' Kuleba said, adding: 'That's the most precious aid we can receive from France.' Ukraine has challenged French President Emmanuel Macron (pictured Tuesday) to visit Kyiv before the end of France's presidency of the European Union comes to an end on June 30 Bomb disposal experts from the Ukrainian State Emergency Service make safe a Russian BM-30 Smerch rocket and remove it from a field on May 31, 2022 in Borodianka, Ukraine Local residents examine a destroyed Russian tank outside Kyiv on May 31, 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Canadian leader Justin Trudeau and high-ranking European officials have visited Kyiv since Russia withdrew its forces from the Ukrainian capital to refocus its attention on the east. New French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna visited Kyiv on Monday, the first such trip by a French official since the start of the war. But Macron, along with Germany's chancellor Olaf Scholz, is yet to travel to Kyiv, and both France and Germany have faced criticism for not doing enough to support Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invaders. Macron himself has come under fire for staying in touch with Putin, while Scholz has been criticised for not sending enough weapons to Kyiv's defenders. The newly re-elected French head of state on Tuesday repeated his wish to go to Kyiv 'in good time, in the right conditions'. Kuleba said a visit by Macron was 'on the agenda'. Ukraine's top diplomat added that the key eastern city of Severodonetsk was the scene of street fighting and requested rocket-launchers, tanks and cannons to bolster the army. He also called on countries to pass laws authorising the seizure of Russian assets for Ukraine's reconstruction. Macron is one of the few European leaders to maintain a regular dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin and has warned that humiliating Russia will not bring peace. 'We must not allow Putin an outcome that allows him to save face, otherwise he will continue his aggression,' Kuleba said, brushing aside those concerns. Speaking on Tuesday, Macron defended his decision to stay in touch with Putin. 'We have to keep discussing where Russia and Ukraine do stand in order to prepare [for] peace the day they will resume the negotiations,' he said, according to Politico. 'This is very important and this is our duty as Europeans,' he added. France's President has held more than 20 calls with his Russian counterpart since last December, with the most recent taking place on Saturday with Scholz. Several foreign leaders have visited Ukraine's capital and its surrounding areas since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his brutal invasion on February 24. Pictured: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) and Slovakian President Zuzana Caputova (L) attend a a joint press conference at the Mariinsky Palace in Kyiv, Ukraine, 31 May 2022 Speaking to French news channel LCI on Tuesday, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba (pictured in Davos last week) called on the French leader to pay a visit Kyiv, and also called on Macron so send more weapons to help in his country's fight against Moscow's invading forces Meanwhile, a regional governor said Tuesday that Russian forces now control 'most' of eastern Ukraine's key city of Severodonetsk, while EU leaders were split over banning gas from Moscow after agreeing to embargo most of its oil. On Monday, military analysts painted the battle for the city as part of a race against time for the Kremlin, which they said wants to complete its capture of the industrial Donbas region before more Western arms arrive to bolster Ukraine's defences. Both sides said Russian forces now controlled between a third and half of the city. Russia's separatist proxies acknowledged that capturing the city was taking longer than hoped, despite one of the biggest ground assaults of the war. Russia, responding to Western sanctions after its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, widened its gas cuts to Europe on Tuesday with Gazprom saying it would cut supplies to several 'unfriendly' countries which have refused to accept Moscow's roubles-for-gas payment scheme. EU leaders agreed overnight to cut imports of Russian oil by 90% by year-end, the bloc's toughest yet response. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed the move but criticised what he called an 'unacceptable' delay. 'When over 50 days have passed between the fifth and sixth sanction packages, the situation is not acceptable for us,' Zelensky said, speaking alongside Slovakian President Zuzana Caputova in Kyiv. Western military analysts say Moscow has drained manpower and firepower from across other parts of the front to concentrate on Sievierodonetsk, hoping a massive offensive will achieve one of its stated aims, to secure surrounding Luhansk province for separatist proxies. Smoke rises in the city of Severodonetsk during heavy fightings between Ukrainian and Russian troops at eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas on May 30, 2022 Local residents examine a destroyed Russian tank outside Kyiv on May 31, 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine 'We can say already that a third of Sievierodonetsk is already under our control,' Russia's TASS state news agency quoted Leonid Pasechnik, the leader of the pro-Moscow Luhansk People's Republic, as saying. Fighting was raging in the city, but Russian forces were not advancing as rapidly as might have been hoped, he said, claiming that pro-Moscow forces wanted to 'maintain the city's infrastructure' and moved slowly because of caution around chemical factories. A Russian air strike hit a nitric acid tank, Luhansk governor Serhiy Gaidai said on Tuesday. In a post on the Telegram app, he urged local residents not to leave bomb shelters because of the risk posed by toxic fumes. In its evening briefing note on Facebook, Ukraine's military command said that Russian forces were 'attempting to take full control of Sievierodonetsk' and surround Ukrainian units fighting there. 'Unfortunately ... the city has been split in half. But at the same time the city still defends itself. It is still Ukrainian,' the head of the city administration, Oleksandr Stryuk, said, advising those still trapped inside to stay in cellars. Ukraine says Russia has destroyed all of the city's critical infrastructure with unrelenting bombardment, followed by wave after wave of mass ground assaults involving huge numbers of casualties. Thousands of residents remain trapped. Russian forces were advancing towards the city centre, but slowly, regional governor Gaidai said. Gaidai said there did not appear to be a risk of Ukrainian forces being encircled, though they could ultimately be forced to retreat across the Siverskyi Donets river to Lysychansk, the twin city on the opposite bank. Stryuk, head of the city administration, said evacuating civilians was no longer possible. Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council aid agency which had long operated out of Sievierodonetsk, said he was 'horrified' by its destruction. 'We fear that up to 12,000 civilians remain caught in crossfire in the city, without sufficient access to water, food, medicine or electricity,' he said. 'The near-constant bombardment is forcing civilians to seek refuge in bomb shelters and basements, with only few precious opportunities for those trying to escape.' Local residents examine a destroyed Russian tank outside Kyiv on May 31, 2022 A local resident walks past a damaged building in the town of Irpin, near Kyiv, on May 31, 2022 Elsewhere on the battlefield, there were few reports of major shifts. In the east, Ukraine says Moscow is trying to assault other areas along the main front, regrouping to press towards the city of Sloviansk. In the south, Ukraine claimed in recent days to have pushed back Russian forces to the border of Russian-held Kherson province. Meanwhile, Germany will deliver infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) to Greece so that the government in Athens can pass on Soviet-style weapons to Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Tuesday. 'We will provide Greece with German infantry fighting vehicles,' he told reporters after a two-day EU summit in Brussels, adding he had struck an agreement with the Greek prime minister. Scholz gave no details as to what kind of infantry fighting vehicles Berlin will hand over to Greece - or what kind of weapons Athens will pass on to Kyiv. 'The defence ministries will work out the details and quickly implement this agreement,' he said. According to a defence source, Berlin aims to deliver some 100 old Marder IFVs owned by arms-maker Rheinmetall to Greece. Athens, in return, would supply Soviet-style BMP IFVs to Ukraine, the source told Reuters. Advertisement A group of men were pictured taking drugs out in the open near New York City's La Marqueta marketplace, in East Harlem, as vagrancy and crime continues to run rampant in the Big Apple. Photos and video of the men lying on Park Avenue between 115th E Street and 116 E Street outside the small but popular marketplace show them casually using needles to inject drugs into their arms and over the weekend. The men sit underneath the railway surrounded by bags of their belongings and an overturned Citi bike, and photos of the block the following day show even more men shooting up drugs at the site. Although the area is primarily a shopping district, many families pass by the marketplace as it borders the Cooke School Institute, which teaches special education students from ages 5 to 21, as well as the P.S. 57 and and P.S. 155 Elementary Schools. The marketplace is also nearby the New York City Housing Authority's East Harlem office and the East Harlem Neighborhood Health Action Center. The scene comes despite NYC Mayor Eric Adam's vow to crackdown on homelessness and crime in the city, which is up nearly 40 percent from last year. Two men were pictured on May 28 taking drugs out in the open in East Harlem's La Marqueta marketplace One of the men removed his shoe so he could inject his foot in order to get high at the small but popular marketplace The following day, seven other men were pictured at the same spot taking drugs together The men, sitting down with bags of filled with their belongings, injected the drugs in their arms It comes as vagrancy and crime runs rampant in the Big Apple despite Mayor Eric Adams vow to crackdown on both New Yorkers have been growing weary over the latest spike in violence and crimes on the city streets and subways. While murders and shootings are down 10 and roughly five percent respectively from 2021, overall crime in the Big Apple is up 39.24 percent so far in 2022. That includes a 19 percent rise in felony assaults, a nearly 15 percent increase in rapes and a 40 percent jump in robberies. Vagrancy has also been on the rise in the city, with Adams ordering wave after wave of officers to take down homeless encampments throughout the city since March. City officials said police have taken down more than 300 camps throughout the five boroughs, but the homeless continue to rebuild their encampments, claiming that the city's homeless shelters are 'dangerous' and not an adequate solution to its vagrancy problem. A tense face-off occurred earlier in May when seven NYPD vehicles arrived in Broadway to remove a single tent belonging to a homeless couple named James and Nico. The group of seven men were pictured prepping their needles on May 29 as they got high out in the open One of them injected the drugs directly into his foot underneath the railway New York Police have been cracking down on homeless encampments since late March. A homeless person gathers his belongings as DSNY workers supervised by NYPD and homeless outreach officials deconstruct a homeless encampment on Broadway, Manhattan, on May 11 The NYPD brought seven vehicles to line a block to get rid of just one homeless tent from the sidewalk in the East Village Homeless couple James and Nico (left) speak with an advocate for the homeless (right) as police remove their tent Adams also launched his subway safety initiative in April, sending about 1,000 officers into the city's busy transit system to weed out crime and vagrancy, yet both continue to persist to the point where some New Yorkers are even taking justice into their own hands. Last Friday, a group of men were filmed restraining and beating up another man suspected of trying to sexually assault a girl at the Fulton Subway stop in Manhattan. The clip, shared online over the weekend, shows one man restraining the suspect, while two others take turns to rain blows down on him. It has been presented as a racist attack by some advocacy groups online given the suspect was an Asian man, but others have claimed the punching was an act of vigilante 'justice.' They say the victim had tried to molest a girl on train shortly before the beating began, according to the New York Post. One of the men could be heard saying: 'You touching girls, you touching girls little sisters and all that, moms and everything. You filthy, son.' Another was heard to remark that he had a daughter, and that he'd pay his own bail if he was arrested. It remains unclear if any of the allegations made against the victim of the beating are true. The video, which was filmed at Fulton Street station, shows one man restraining the Asian man next to a metal pillar whilst another two take it in turns to punch him in the head The White House is 'looking at' additional executive actions on guns, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday, even as she ripped a new approach to focus on beefing up school security as senators meet on a potential bipartisan compromise. Biden is once again facing political opposition and structural obstacles in the Senate as he tries to fulfill calls to institute new gun control measures in the wake of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Jean-Pierre came out against a flurry of GOP proposals that focus on 'hardening' school security although they could feature in any potential compromise. Senate Republicans have succeeded in blocking gun control measures in that chamber in the past, including after the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut. Prominent Republicans floated such ideas as arming and training teachers and measures to harden school doors and security immediately after the mass school shooting, while arguing against efforts to ban the kind assault-style weapons used in the massacre. 'Though there's been conversation about hardening schools, that is not something that he believes in. He believes that we should be able to give our teachers the resources to be able to do the job that they're meant to do at schools,' she said. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Biden does not support efforts to harden schools or a ban on handguns. He does support a ban on assault-style weapons and expanded background checks That comment came even as a team of Democratic and Republican senators met virtually to discuss potential compromise legislation in response to the massacre. Jean-Pierre also sent mixed signals on whether Biden was considering more executive actions to try to respond to the mass shooting issue. 'Do something!' a man yelled during Biden's weekend visit to an Uvalde church. 'We will,' Biden responded. 'The president has done everything that he can from from from the federal government,' said Jean-Pieere. 'We are looking at other executive actions that we can possibly do. This President has done more executive actions at this point than any other president. But it's not up to him alone. He cannot do this alone.' Jean-Pierre also faced questions about Biden's statement that there are still 'rational' Republicans like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell who were willing to compromise on guns. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden visit a memorial at Robb Elementary School to pay their respects to the victims of the mass shooting, Sunday, May 29, 2022, in Uvalde, Texas Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said lawmakers 'might be able to come together to target the problem which is mental illness and school safety' without mentioning further gun control McConnell's latest statement, from his home state of Kentucky, said lawmakers 'might be able to come together to target the problem which is mental illness and school safety.' That seemed to indicate that gun control measures were not on the table. She cited broad public support for background checks for gun purchasers although that hasn't been enough to push expanded checks through the Senate in the past. Jean-Pierre also referenced the bipartisan talks but indicated the current White House posture is to stand back. 'When the time comes, he will get involved,' she said. Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz (D) is among those who have expressed openness to a compromise package that includes tradeoffs. 'I think arming teachers is an unusually stupid idea,' he told the Washington Post. 'But is there room for compromise? Sure. And if someones going to do something on the age at which you can buy an [AR-15 assault rifle] or universal background checks in exchange for stupid things that I think wont make a difference, Im open to that conversation.' Jean-Pierre also responded to a move in Canada to ban all private handgun purchases. 'He does not support a ban on the sale of all handguns,' she said. Biden backs a ban on assault-style weapons and high capacity magazines, and calls for expanded background such as closing the 'gun show loophole.' Biden had spoken on Memorial Day about the threat posed by 'high-caliber' weapons, and spoke about how a 9mm bullet to the chest can blow the lung 'out of the body.' Gun control opponents took that as a reference to 9mm handguns. 'Theres simply no rational basis for it in terms of self-protection, hunting,' Biden said, comparing the damage a 9mm round can do compared to a .22-caliber round. 'And remember: the Constitution, Second Amendment are never absolute,' he added. A bipartisan group of senators who are hoping to find common ground on gun laws will meet remotely this week to hold discussions about policies in the wake of a series of tragic mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York. Because of the Memorial Day recess period, the United States Senate is not in session this week, forcing lawmakers to meet remotely. Republican Sen. John Cornyn said on Monday that the group of senators will be meeting on Tuesday via Zoom "to try to see if we can agree on a basic framework about how we go forward." Discussing Gun Reform The Texas Republican has been tapped by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to engage in bipartisan discussions on gun reform. On Monday, Cornyn said that many issues on gun reform should be talked about at the state level. However, he said he does believe that "there are some things we need to do, and I think we can do, at the national level." The GOP member said that he previously mentioned access to mental health treatment and diagnosis was absolutely critical. He added that COVID-19 had isolated many young people during "an important period of social development," as per CNN. Cornyn noted that background checks have to be a national conversation as well, noting other possible "limitations under federal law of what sort of firearms you can buy and own and maintain if you have a criminal or mental health record." The Republican added that they will be considering all of these during the discussions. Read Also: Texas School Shooting: Robb Elementary Students Called 911 Multiple Times, But Police Made "Wrong Decision" The talks come after an outcry from a series of deadly mass shootings in the United States, particularly in Buffalo and Uvalde. However, it remains unclear if the bipartisan effort will result in anything given the highly polarized political environment of U.S. politics, even more so regarding gun laws. According to CBS News, Cornyn will meet with Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy with an aide to the latter confirming that he "is participating in tomorrow's meeting and will be holding meetings throughout the week." Series of Mass Shootings The offices of the two lawmakers did not specify if other members will join the bipartisan attempt at considering areas of agreement on gun reforms. On the other hand, the White House declined an invitation to have a member of the Biden administration join a show on Sunday with CBS News. They noted that they were leaving it up to Congress to act, moderator and senior foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brenna said. United States President Joe Biden said on Monday that it was hard to say what one element Republicans might support regarding gun reform. He noted that he has not been negotiating with the GOP yet. On Sunday, he grieved with family members of the victims of the Uvalde, Texas, shooting. Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beo O'Rourke confronted state leaders last week during a news conference, telling Gov. Greg Abbott that he was "doing nothing." He also said that the mass shooting in Uvalde was "totally predictable." On the other hand, the party's candidate for lieutenant governor, Mike Collier, blamed Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick for loosening gun laws in the state instead of tightening them after previous mass shootings, the Texas Tribune reported. Related Article: Joe Biden Pays Tribute to Texas School Shooting Victims; Protesters Gather Outside NRA Convention as Gun Reform Debate Heats Up @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A Missouri man who has his rifle stolen at gunpoint in the parking lot of a grocery store, grabbed another gun from his car and a Western-style shoot out ensued. Two female bystanders were struck by gunfire during the incident outside Wellston Food Market on Page Avenue in Missouri, at around 2:45 p.m. Friday. Their injuries were non-life-threatening, officials said. Meanwhile, the alleged robber was shot three times and transported to a local hospital with serious injuries. The other shooter, who had their rifle stolen, fled the scene. No one has been named. The outside of Wellston Food Market on Page Avenue in Missouri where shootout took place Police officers arrive at the scene, where two female bystanders were struck by gunfire and sustained non-life-threatening. The alleged robber suffered three gunshots and was transported to an area hospital by authorities In the aftermath of the shooting, police roped off the market with crime tape and multiple evidence markers were scattered in the parking lot The harrowing ordeal began when a man with a rifle entered the store 'open carrying' the rifle in a sleeve underneath his shirt. He did not appear to threaten anyone while inside. When he left the store he was confronted by another man with a gun, who reportedly stole his rifle. But as the alleged robber walked away, the victim grabbed another gun from his car and started firing shots at him. When officers arrived they found the robbery suspect laying in front of the store with several gunshot wounds. A Ford SUV was seen in front of the market with the rear driver window busted. Police said they have recovered the vehicle belonging to the alleged robber In the aftermath of the shooting, police roped off the area with crime tape and placed evidence markers where the shooting happened. In front of the market, a Ford SUV could be seen with the rear driver window busted. Police said the vehicle belonged to the alleged robber has been recovered. North County Police Cooperative detectives are investigating. In 2019, North County Police Cooperative Officer Michael Langsdorf was killed at the same Wellston Food Market while responding to the market regarding a bad check, KSDK News reported. Friday's shootout happened about 45 minutes after Officer Langsdorf's family and friends gathered at Wellston City Hall to remember him. Socialite Lady Victoria Hervey paid tribute to her friend - Princess Kasia Al Thani of Qatar - who was found dead aged 45 from a suspected drug overdose in her apartment in Marbella on Sunday. Kasia, who was of Polish origin, was the third wife of billionaire Abdelaziz bin Khalifa Al Thani, 73, the uncle of the current Emir of Qatar. The mother-of-three recently lost a custody case, in which she claimed he had sexually abused one of their three daughters, which he denies. 'Kasia was a fashion icon, elegant, gracious and an incredible mother,' Lady Hervey told the Daily Mail. 'She will be greatly missed.' According to Le Parisien, Spanish police officers discovered Gallanio's body in a bed with no signs of physical violence. She was found after her youngest daughter alerted the Spanish police from Paris that she had been unable to contact her mother for days, El Pais reported. The Spanish newspaper said that several officers were allowed by the doorman to enter Gallanio's apartment complex in Marbella at around 8am on Sunday. Le Parisien reported that on May 19, a Paris court had dismissed Gallanio's custody demands. She had recently spent several months in hospital, with the French publication saying she was prone to suffering from nervous breakdowns. As a result, the judge postponed the case until a psychological evaluation could be undertaken to better understand the family's circumstances, Le Parisien said. The former princess of Qatar (pictured) has been found dead in her Marbella home aged 45 amid an ugly custody battle with her ex-husband Socialite Lady Victoria Hervey (left) lead the tributes to her friend (right) who was found dead aged 45 from a suspected drug overdose in her apartment in Marbella on Sunday Kasia Gallanio was the third wife of Abdelaziz bin Khalifa Al Thani, the uncle of the current Emir of Qatar, who previously served as an oil and finance minister (pictured around 1980) The former couple share two 17-year-old twins (pictured with Galliano) and another daughter aged 15 The former couple share two 17-year-old twins who initially lived with Al Thani before they decided to move in with their mother in Marbella. But she said he then decided to 'cut them off as punishment'. They have another daughter, who is aged 15 and still lives with the Qatari royal in a luxury 50,000-square-foot apartment in Paris, where he was exiled following a coup led by his half-brother Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani in 1995. The former royal couple had been engaged in a bitter legal battle for 15 years over the custody of their children. He accused her of being an alcoholic with mental health issues, while Al Thani was accused of abusing one of the couple's daughters. The Paris Public Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation into the accusations of aggravated sexual assault, the French newspaper said. The 73-year-old father has denied the accusations against him, Le Parisien reported. Gallanio said in a recent interview with Women's World: 'Two of my daughters are twins. They wanted to live with me, so he cut contact with them as a punishment. It's very sad because children need both parents. 'The little one is not allowed to talk to me which makes me extremely sad because she gets a lot of material things from her father so it's almost like manipulation and blackmail. It's like a part of my body is missing.' Gallanio, of Polish origin, grew up in Los Angeles and met Abdelaziz when she was 19 years old and they married in 2004. Speaking to Olive Press - a Spanish English-language newspaper for Ex-Pats in the country - a close friend of Gallanio described her as a 'good person' who was 'against drugs' and denied that she was an alcoholic. 'I knew her very very well and am devastated at the news,' Louis Spagnuolo told the publication. 'She was a very good person and those who knew her loved her. 'She loved her daughters beyond belief and would never leave them. She was dead against drugs and was never an alcoholic.' Gallanio led a lavish lifestyle and was regularly partying with celebrities such as Antonio Banderas (pictured) She claimed the former Qatari oil and finance minister sexually abused one of their three daughters Gallanio (pictured with Clive Owen), of Polish origin, grew up in Los Angeles and met Abdelaziz when she was 19 years old During a recent court hearing in Paris, it was alleged that one of her daughters had been abused by her father. Gallanio said last month: 'We had some bad news last week which I was absolutely devastated about. 'It was alleged in court that her father had touched her inappropriately, which is going to go into an investigation.' The ex-wife has been increasingly speaking out against the royal in her bid to gain full custody of all her children. She told her 500,000 Instagram followers recently: 'I have been struggling with posting this on my IG but after getting so many messages of support and how so many parents are in the same situation, I decided to share my story. 'First a man should never disrespect the mother of his children and vice versa. 'No matter how mad, upset or jealous or spiteful the father of my kids is, I am doing whatever I can to provide, protect, love, raise, feed and educate the girls like no one else will. I'm not perfect but I try my best. 'Children should NEVER be used as victims or pawns when the parents can't get along. 'The father of my children Prince Abdulaziz Khalifa Al Thani has not paid one cent for child support for a over a year now to help me support and raise our children. 'In my opinion this is outrageous, unfair, embarrassing and a real shame. No matter on what financial level or status you are. It's really immoral because again the kids are the casualty. 'However it's more humiliating when you are a billionaire prince of QATAR.' Despite not being able to see her daughters often, in another post recently she shared a photograph of them together and shared how much she loved them. 'My darlings. Never forget that I love you so much. Life is filled with hard times and good times. If at certain moments you feel overwhelmed ..don't forget who you are..straighten up your crown and be braveLearn from everything you can and be the incredible, inspiring, powerful and compassionate women, I know you can be ~ love mommy,' she wrote. A post mortem will be held to establish the cause of Gallanio's death, with initial indications suggesting that she died of a drug overdose. The former royal couple have been engaged in a bitter legal battle for 15 years over the custody of their children (pictured with Channing Tatum) The ex-wife (pictured with rapper Tyga) has been increasingly speaking out against the royal in her bid to gain full custody of all her children A man who brutally raped a woman on a New York City street then fled to Georgia has been sentenced to 10 years behind bars. Rony Lopez Alvarez, 39, dragged the woman into a Queens alley in January 2020, then threatened to kill her before raping and robbing her. He was found hiding in his hometown in Georgia, and brought back to New York City to face charges. Alvarez pleaded guilty to rape in the first degree in April, and was sentenced to 10 years behind bars with five years of post-release supervision in May. Video below Rony Lopez Alvarez, 39, (left) during his sentencing on May 27, 2022. He received 10 years behind bars with five years of post-release supervision The security footage circulated of the suspect of the January 2020 rape in Queens that clearly shows Alvarez's face Queens district attorney Melinda Katz said in April: 'For more than a year, we continued our investigation in search of the man responsible for this horrible crime. The defendant, who fled the state and was extradited to face charges, has now admitted to brutally violating a woman as she walked along the sidewalk.' 'Although the trauma cannot be undone, I hope that the victim takes some solace and rests easier knowing her attacker will be incarcerated for his criminal actions.' On January 18, 2020, at about 4am, the 27-year-old woman was walking on Jamaica Avenue in Queens when Alvarez grabbed her and dragged her into an alley. Alvarez placed a hand over the victim's mouth, pressed a sharp object to her back, and threatened to 'snap her neck' if she made any noise. Alvarez (left) entering the court room during his May sentencing. He pleaded guilty to rape in April after being extradited from Georgia to New York Alvarez (center) hears his sentencing in May. In January of 2020 he pulled a 27 year old woman into an alley in Queens where he threatened to kill her while he raped her Alvarez leaves the courtroom in May after hearing his sentencing. DNA from a rape kit was linked to him before he was found hiding out in Georgia The woman tried to fight back, but Alvarez hit her and said 'I won't kill you if you do what I want,' the New York Post reported. He then removed her clothes and assaulted her, then emptied her pockets and ran. The victim was able to walk out of the alley after the assault, where she flagged down a pedestrian who called 9-11. She was taken to the hospital where a rape kit collected DNA, which was later linked to Alvarez. Alvarez was found hiding out in Forest Park, Georgia, where the NYPD Special Victim's Unit and Georgia's Clayton County Police Department detained him and returned him to New York City to face charges. Amerie Jo Garza, 10 Amerie Jo Garza (right) Amerie Jo Garza, a fourth grader at Robb Elementary, was one of 19 students confirmed to be killed Tuesday morning by Ramos, who cops say was carrying a handgun and an AR-15 during the attack that also killed two teachers in the classroom. Her grandmother, Berlinda Irene Arreola, said the 10-year-old was killed as she tried to phone 911 while sitting next to her best friend, who ended up 'covered in her blood.' Arreola said Ramos told the students and staffers inside the room, 'You're going to die,' before opening fire - shooting her granddaughter dead as she tried to phone for help. 'So the gunman went in and he told the children, 'You're going to die,' Berlinda told The Daily Beast. 'And [Amerie] had her phone and she called 911. And instead of grabbing it and breaking it or taking it from her, he shot her. She was sitting right next to her best friend. Her best friend was covered in her blood.' Uziyah Garcia Uziyah Garcia, 8 Uziyah Garcia, the youngest victim at age eight, was also killed in the attack. The child's family announced he was killed hours after announcing he was among the many children unaccounted for following the tragedy. The boy's grandfather, Manny Renfro, broke the news early Wednesday after being notified by authorities. '[He was] the sweetest little boy that I've ever known,' Renfro said. 'I'm not just saying that because he was my grandkid.' Renfro recalled how Uziyah last visited him in San Angelo over spring break. 'We started throwing the football together and I was teaching him pass patterns. 'Such a fast little boy and he could catch a ball so good,' the grieving grandad said. 'There were certain plays that I would call that he would remember and he would do it exactly like we practiced.' Makenna Elrod, 10 Makenna Lee Elrod Makenna Elrod, 10, had also been among the missing in the chaos that followed the massacre, with her father, Brandon Elrod telling reporters at the time he feared 'she may not be alive.' Her death was eventually confirmed by a family friend on Wednesday. 'It's pretty sad what this world's coming to,' the girl's father told local outlet KTRK after the shooting. A mother of one of Makenna's friends lamented the loss in a post to Facebook. 'Sweet Makenna Rest in Paradise!! My heart is shattered as my daughter Chloe loved her so much!!' the mom wrote. A relative Wednesday confirmed that the girl had been among the victims. Xavier Lopez, 10 Xavier Lopez Xavier Lopez, 10, was the first student victim to be identified as one of Ramos' victims. The child's mother, Felicha Martinez, told the Washington Post Tuesday that just hours before the massacre, the mom had been at the school to see her son participate an honor roll ceremony. She took a picture showing her son showing off his certificate. In the last exchange she had with the child, the mom heartbreakingly told the boy that she was proud of him and that she loved him, giving him a hug goodbye - not knowing it would be the last time she would see him alive. 'He was funny, never serious and his smile that smile I will never forget,' she recalled after learning of his death from police. 'It would always cheer anyone up.' The boy's cousin, Lisa Garza, 54, of Arlington, said Xavier enjoyed swimming and had been looking forward to the summer. 'He was just a loving 10-year-old little boy, just enjoying life, not knowing that this tragedy was going to happen today,' she said. 'He was very bubbly, loved to dance with his brothers, his mom. This has just taken a toll on all of us.' Amelia Sandoval, Lopez's grandmother, said: 'It's just so hard... you send your kids to school thinking they are going to make it back home but they're not.' Eliahana Torres, 10 Eliahana Cruz Torres Eliahana Cruz Torres, 10, had also been missing for hours until she was confirmed to be among the dead. Adolfo Cruz, her great-grandfather, said she didn't want to attend school the day of the shooting - but was told by her family that she had to attend. He said he remained outside the school gates throughout the night until he leanrned of her fate from local authorities. 'I hope she is alive,' he said at the time. Torres was an avid baseball player and played the sport in a local little league. Ellie Lugo, 10 Ellie Lugo Ellie Lugo was named as a victim of Tuesday's attack by her parents, with Steven Garcia and Jennifer Lugo confirming her death several hours after she was listed among the missing. 'It's hard to issue out a statement on anything right now my mind is going at 1000 miles per hour but I do wanna send our thoughts and prayers to those who also didn't make it home tonight!!! Our Ellie was a doll and was the happiest ever,' Steven Lugo said Wednesday. 'Mom and Dad love you never forget that and please try and stay by our side.' Nevaeh Bravo, 10 Nevaeh Bravo Nevaeh Bravo was confirmed to be among the dead late Tuesday, after her cousin posted on social media following the shooting to ask for helping the girl. Around 9 pm, she broke the news on Twitter. 'Unfortunately my beautiful Nevaeh was one of the many victims from todays tragedy,' she wrote. Sje said the schoolchild was 'flying high' and asked for the family to be kept in people's prayers 'Our Nevaeh has been found. She is flying with the angels above. We love you Navaeh very much princess.' 'Thank you for the support and help,' she wrote. 'Rest in peace my sweet girl, you didn't deserve this.' Bravo's age could not immediately be confirmed. Tess Marie Mata Tess Marie Mata Tess Marie Mata was also among those to perish in the attack, her sister, Faith Mata, revealed in a post to Facebook Wednesday. 'I honestly have no words just sadness, confusion, and anger,' she wrote. 'I'm sad because we will never get to tag team on mom and dad again and tell each other how much we mean to each other, I'm confused because how can something like this happen to my sweet, caring, and beautiful sister, and I'm angry because a coward took you from us.' Photos shared with the post showed Tess smiling in a baby photo, snuggling with a cat, doing gymnastics, flashing a peace sign, and posing in front of a large heart mural. 'Sissy I miss you so much, I just want to hold you and tell you how pretty you are, I want to take you outside and practice softball, I want to go on one last family vacation, I want to hear your contagious laugh, and I want you to hear me tell you how much I love you,' she wrote. Her age could not immediately be confirmed. Rojelio Torres, 10 Rojelio Torres Rojelio Torres, 10, was initially reported missing by his father, but on Wednesday was confirmed dead by his family. A person who said she was the boy's cousin wrote on Twitter: 'It breaks my heart to say my rojelio is now with the angels I'll forever miss you and love you my angel.' The child's father , Federico Torres, told Houston reporters that he was at work when he learned about the shooting and immediately raced to the school. 'They sent us to the hospital, to the civic center, to the hospital and here again, nothing, not even in San Antonio,' he said. 'They don't tell us anything, only a photo, wait, hope that everything is well.' Nearly half a day later, cops broke the news to the boy's family. 'Our entire family waited almost 12 hours since the shooting to find out Rojelio Torres, my 10-year-old nephew, was killed in this tragedy,' Torres' aunt, Precious Perez, told KSAT. 'We are devastated and heartbroken. Rojer was a very intelligent, hard-working and helpful person. He will be missed and never forgotten.' Jayce Carmelo Luevanos, 10 Jayce Luevanos Jayce Luevanos, 10, died in the shooting along with his ten-year-old cousin, Jailah, the child's mother said Wednesday. In a Facebook post, uncle Unberto Gonzalez shared photos of both kids while offering a touching tribute. 'My babies going to miss them like crazy!!!,' Gonzalez wrote. 'We luv y'all so much!!! I'm just lost right now!!! Fly high my beautiful Angels!!' Jailah Nicole Silguero, 10 Jailah Nicole Silguero Ten-year-old Jailah Nicole Silguero was also killed in the shooting, her mother, Veronica Luevanos, tearfully revealed to Univision Wednesday. She also lost her 10-year-old nephew Jayce to the tragedy. She said Jailah loved to dance and film videos on TikTok. The child reportedly also asked her mom the morning of the shooting if she could stay home from school - a request the now mourning mom rebuffed. 'I took her to school, but she didn't want to go. She told her father, 'Can I stay home?'' Luevanos said, noting that it was not a common occurrence for her daughter to make such a request. 'I think she knew something would happen.' Luevanos' mom confirmed the loss on Facebook Wednesday. 'Fly high my angels. We're going to miss yall so much,' wrote Veronica Luevanos - whose dad had died just a week earlier. 'I'm so heart broken,' she wrote with a photo of her daughter and nephew. 'My baby I love u so much fly high baby girl.' Alithia Ramirez, 10 Alithia Ramirez Fourth grader Alithia Ramirez was confirmed dead early Wednesday by her father, Ryan Ramirez, who shared a post to Facebook showing the 10-year-old with angel's wings. He had used the same photo the previous day as he pleaded for help finding her after the massacre He had heartbreakingly used the same photo the previous day as he desperately pleaded for help finding her after the massacre. 'Trying to find my daughter Alithia. I called all the hospitals and nothing,' he wrote at the time. He also reporters during his frantic search, 'I'm trying to find out where my baby's at.' Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez, 10 Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez, 10, was another killed by Ramos Tuesday - along with her cousin, who has yet to be identified. Annabell's father spent the afternoon after the shooting in frantic search for his daughter. Speaking to KHOU11 Tuesday, he lamented at how he was at a loss as to what do, having little success with the search. 'They're not letting us in at the hospital right now so we don't know where to go.' She has since been declared to be among the dead. Miranda Mathis, 11 Miranda Mathis Miranda Mathis, 11, was also confirmed as another casualty from the mass shooting early Wednesday, in a Facebook post by an older cousin who earlier that day had posted a desperate plea for help in locating the child. 'My sweet baby cousin we loved u dearly,' Deanna Miller wrote alongside a photo of the child with angel wings. 'I'm so sorry this happen to u baby please keep my family in your prayers,' she grieved. Miller's kids had also been at the school at the time of the shooting, but survived the attack. One of her sons told her that they were ushered out of a window by staffers during the attack and subsequently ran to a nearby funeral home after 'he heard the shooter say he was gonna kill all the kids.' Alexandria 'Lexi' Aniyah Rubio, 10 Alexandria Aniyah Rubio Alexandria Aniyah Rubio - who was better known to friends as 'Lexi' - was confirmed dead just before midnight on Tuesday. The ten-year-old was shot dead just hours after posing for a photo with her parents at the school's honor roll ceremony. Kimberly Mata-Rubio, the girl's mother, wrote of the loss: 'My beautiful, smart, Alexandria Aniyah Rubio was recognized today for All-A honor roll. She also received the good citizen award. We told her we loved her and would pick her up after school. We had no idea this was goodbye.' Maite Yuleana Maite Yuleana Maite Yuleana was another student to die in the attack that had attended the honor roll ceremony just hours before. A cousin of the girl's mother, Ana Rodriguez, announced the loss Wednesday. 'It is with a heavy heart I come on here on behalf of my cousin Ana who lost her sweet baby girl in yesterday's senseless shooting. 'We are deeply saddened by the lose [sic] of this sweet smart little girl. God bless and may she R.I.P Maite Rodriguez we love you.' Another relative shared a photo of Maite with her honor roll certificate. Her age could not immediately be confirmed. Jose Flores Jr, 10 Jose Flores Jose Flores, 10, was also killed in the shooting after attending the honor roll ceremony, where he was pictured triumphantly clutching a certificate celebrating the accomplishment. Uncle Christopher Salazar confirmed to the Washington Post Wednesday that his 10-year-old nephew was among the dead, after sharing a tribute to the child on Facebook. 'I love you and I miss you,' Salazar wrote in the post. The boy's father described Jose to CNN as an amazing boy and big brother to his two younger siblings. 'He was always fill of energy,' Jose Flores Sr. said. 'Ready to play till the night.' He said the boy loved playing baseball and video games. Jackie Cazares Jackie Cazares, 10 Jackie Cazares, 10, was another to be killed during the vicious attack at the elementary school. Her father Jacinto confirmed she lost her life inside her fourth-grade classroom. 'My baby girl has been taken away from my family and I,' the grieving father said in an online post. 'We're devastated in ways I hope no one ever goes through. ... It hurts us to our souls.' Cazares said his daughter, who was with her cousin, Annabell Rodriguez, when she died, was 'full of life and love'. Layla Salazar, 10 The 10-year-old student was the last of the slaying victims to be identified. Vincent Salazar told the Philadelphia Inquirer his young daughter was among those killed. He said she was 'a lot of fun' and recalled how they sang along to 'Sweet Child O' Mine' by Guns 'n' Roses whenever he drove her to school. Layla Salazar Irma Garcia, 46 - fourth grade teacher Irma Garcia Irma Garcia, who co-taught with Mireles for the last five year, had been at Robb Elementary for 23 years. Married to Joe for 24 years, she was a mother of four - Cristian, completing Marine boot camp; Jose, attending Texas State university University; Lyliana, a sophomore in high school; and Alysandra, a 7th grader. 'My tia did not make it, she sacrificed herself protecting the kids in her classroom, i beg of you to keep my family including all of her family in y'all's prayers , IRMA GARCIA IS HER NAME and she died a HERO,' tweeted her nephew John. 'She was loved by many and will truly be missed.' She was nominated as teacher of the year for the 2018-19 awards, organized by Trinity University. Eva Mireles, 44 - fourth grade teacher Eva Mireles Eva Mireles, a fourth grade teacher, was identified by her family as being one of the staff members shot dead. She had worked in education for 17 years. Her husband Ruben Ruiz, a veteran detective and SWAT team member currently serving as a police officer with the school district, held regular active shooter drills for the schools - most recently at the end of March. Advertisement Today holidaymakers are facing even more travel chaos after thousands of families saw their holidays disrupted - with even more Tui flights cancelled and painfully-long queues at Bristol and Manchester Airport at 4am this morning. Passengers travel plans for the Jubilee celebrations have been thrown into disarray after a 'shambolic' week of flight cancellations as the staffing crisis continues to cause mayhem at Britain's travel hubs. Families returning from their holidays have also complained of 'three hour delays' and 'abandoned luggage' left in 'stacks' at Manchester Airport's baggage reclaim area. One pilot was forced to call the police to help hundreds of passengers disembark an 'abandoned' plane after they were left sat on the runway for three hours due to staff shortages. Holidaymakers were left onboard the aircraft at Manchester Airport on Monday evening, with the TUI flight due to take-off for Tenerife, before officers were called in by the exasperated crew. Families had already been delayed by a few hours in boarding the plane, which was due to depart at 5.50pm, eventually getting into the craft at 7pm. Ground crew took so long to load luggage that the flight was cancelled, before 'abandoning' them on the tarmac. Passengers were then stuck waiting side the hot plane for three hours before being helped off the aircraft by police by 10pm. It comes as half-term travel chaos left a mother stranded at Gatwick Airport for 22 hours with her five-year-old son, due to an overbooked flight. And others had dream holidays cancelled by text at the departure gate, with some holidaymakers' bags being left 1,100-miles away. And transport secretary Grant Shapps said airport and travel firms bosses needed to do more to help customers - as he insisted the government had 'done their bit'. Last night, passengers on a British Airways flight that had landed at Heathrow Airport were encouraged to Tweet the company for help after the lack of ground crew meant no one could bring stairs to the plane's doors. Yesterday, EasyJet cancelled 42 Gatwick flights, British Airways scrapped some of its departures and TUI said that it will cancel six flights a day from Manchester Airport throughout June. Passengers waiting to board a Manchester flight to Greece were told by an armed police officer that their flight was cancelled after an eight hour delay. Police were called to help hundreds of passengers disembark an 'abandoned' plane after they were left sat on the runway for three hours Holidaymakers are facing yet more travel chaos with painfully-long queues at Manchester airport snaking outside the front entrance this morning Families travel plans for the Jubilee celebrations have been thrown into disarray after a 'shambolic' week of flight cancellations as the staffing crisis continues to cause mayhem at Britain's travel hubs today Holidaymakers were pictured queuing outside Manchester Airport this morning for the underground carpark check-in outside Terminal 1 Pictured: Passengers queue at the very busy Skylink between Terminal 2 and the railway station at Manchester Airport as people head on Jubilee weekend getaways Meanwhile, holidaymakers flying from Bristol airport encountered lengthy queues this morning as even more flights were delayed Families in the line for Tui at Bristol Airport today said they were 'constantly refreshing their emails' to see if their flights had been cancelled Pictured: Queues at Bristol airport on Wednesday snaked 'outside the front entrance' amid staffing shortages across Britain's travel hubs Families returning from their holidays this morning have complained of 'three hour delays' and 'abandoned luggage' left in 'stacks' at Manchester Airport's baggage reclaim area Many passengers said they had arrived at the airport 'six-hours' before their flight was due to take off due to the exceptionally long queues. Pictured: A man asleep after checking in this morning at Bristol airport Adam Wyczalkowski, 22, was due to fly on the TUI craft to the Spanish island with friends for a four-night trip. He said that people onboard were becoming 'frustrated and angry' with the situation. 'There was not a single member of staff in sight, so the captain informed us they will be calling the police in order to let us disembark,' he told the Manchester Evening News. 'It is so hot and there is no air con on and we were only offered a complimentary drink.' In a video filmed on board, the pilot can be heard telling passengers 'Swissport have abandoned us'. Mr Wyczalkowski said that passengers were told their bags were being loaded on to the plane by Swissport's ground crew before being told that only half had been stowed. 'We were then told all the staff had then disappeared, and the captain told us all that due to crew hour regulations, the flight might get cancelled in the end,' he told the news site. TUI confirmed that 'operational issues' had delayed the flight, and said that all customers were given a new departure time on Tuesday, as well as an overnight stay in a hotel. A spokesperson for the company said: 'We'd like to apologise to customers travelling on flight TOM2106 from Manchester to Tenerife on Monday 30 May which was unfortunately delayed due to operational issues. Passenger Adam Wyczalkowski said that people onboard were becoming 'frustrated and angry' with the situation 'We were in contact with affected customers, offered overnight accommodation and meals where needed, and advised them of their new departure time as soon as we could. This flight is now due to depart this evening. 'The May half-term holidays are always an incredibly busy period with many customers looking to get away, and this year is no different. 'We'd like to apologise again for the inconvenience caused and we thank customers for their understanding and patience during this time.' A spokesperson for Swissport apologised for the company's 'part in any delays', explaining that flight demand is 'exacerbating resource challenges' in the aviation industry. 'While the return in flight volumes after the serious impact of the pandemic is undoubtedly a positive development, it is also exacerbating resource challenges across the aviation industry, including at Swissport, especially at a busy period of holiday travel,' they said. 'We are very sorry for our part in any delays and disruption passengers have experienced. 'We're doing everything we can to address our role in meeting our resource challenges, welcoming over 2,000 new colleagues since the start of the year, and we continue to work with our partners to identify contingency measures and improve baggage and aircraft turnaround times.' Yesterday afternoon, Manchester Airport said that bosses are having 'extensive discussions' with both TUI and Swissport, which are both 'experiencing temporary staffing shortages'. It was police, not TUI staff, who were sent in to tell weary passengers at Manchester Airport that their entire holiday to Greece was cancelled and they had to leave It comes as passengers waiting to board a TUI Manchester flight to Greece were told by an armed police officer that their flight was cancelled after an eight hour delay. He read families a statement, saying: 'What's going to happen is this you're all going to get a full refund for the holiday you have purchased. 'There is also going to be a 350 per person worth of compensation. You will also get a 200 holiday voucher per person to go on another holiday.' In Gatwick Airport, Charli Harris, 36, from Devon, said that her honeymoon was ruined after easyJet cancelled her flight to Rome less than three hours before take-off with no other flights available for at least 48 hours, The Daily Telegraph reported. It said that another passenger had to wait three days for an available flight, after theirs was cancelled. And plans for the summer holidays could also be at risk, after travel bosses said that the couldn't guarantee flights in July. One man said that he has been warned about possible problems with his TUI flights in late July, during the school holidays. 'Millions of families are desperate for some sunshine. But this admission that they can't guarantee our flights in late July shows this isn't just a problem for this half-term,' the father told The Sun. On Friday, a mother was left stranded at Gatwick airport for 22 hours after being kicked off a plane because it was too full. Charlie Day, 33, from Chelmsford, Essex, was marched through security three times due to the repeated cancellations and said at one point passengers were stuck in a waiting room without food, water or toilet access due to the airport chaos. She had arrived on Friday morning with her husband Lewis and five-year-old son Ernie ahead of their 2.30pm flight to Barcelona. Their boarding passes were missing seat numbers, and then discovered that the flight had been overbooked by 34 seats when queuing up to board. Mrs Day, who runs her own business Charlie Day Sales, claims there was no representative from Spanish airline Vueling to ease anxieties around the flight. 'I would just urge others not to book with the airline they have been outrageous,' she said. It comes as Brits are facing a summer of airport chaos amid chronic staffing shortages and IT glitches. Shocking scenes from around the country in recent weeks have shown holidaymakers stuck in huge queues with some forced to sleep on the floor of airports amid long delays. Industry chiefs have pointed the finger at mass layoffs during the pandemic which saw staff let go because of the collapse in demand for travel during the various lockdowns. Airlines are now struggling to rehire workers previously let go, leading to a shortage of security staff, ground handlers and check-in staff. Industry sources say staffing levels are around 80 to 90 per cent of where they need to be for the peak summer season at larger airports and about 70 per cent at smaller ones. Some workers have also decided to quit the industry and not return following the pandemic, it has been suggested. Another issue has been the vetting of new staff, with background checks taking several weeks. Unions and aviation chiefs say the security check backlog could be approaching 20,000 applications. Meanwhile, the UK is facing a labour shortage, with more vacancies than workers available to fill them. This has led to suggestions that potential airport staff recruits are unwilling to accept lower wages and more demanding roles. Meanwhile, Julian Knight, chairman of the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee, called for an investigation into claims airlines are selling more tickets than they can service. Rory Boland, the travel editor of consumer group Which? said that the government must intervene to make sure airlines stop selling flights 'they can't actually provide'. He told The Times: 'We're already seeing very long queues, widespread chaos at airports, huge stress for people planning to get away, and we haven't hit the peak yet. Passengers at Stansted Airport sleeping at the airport overnight due to flight cancelations and excessive delays during the half term weekend 'Airports and airlines have known this recovery was coming for a period of time now. We're continuing to see things get worse, not better.' But airport bosses says queues have been exacerbated by passengers turning up earlier than normal from the early hours. Paul Charles, of travel consultancy The PC Agency, previously said that Covid travel restrictions led to a 'destruction of talent through job losses'. Kully Sandhu, managing director of Aviation Recruitment Network, said: 'In my opinion, it could be up to 12 months before we see staffing at airports back to pre-pandemic levels. Recruitment for people at airports takes longer than roles elsewhere because of necessary, additional security and background checks. 'Routine recruitment campaigns ground to halt during the pandemic and have been slow to start again as international travel has had a number of restrictions on it until recently. That means the recruitment pipeline was cut off and needs to be re-established. 'Aviation has lost its appeal, not only for returners but also for people who have never worked in an airport environment before.' Airlines are now asking travellers to arrive earlier for their flights - contributing to the long queues seen at airports. Meanwhile, some experts have discussed the long delays in vetting new recruits, adding to the chaos. The Unite union said there are 'chronic staff shortages across the board', and that 'current pay and conditions in the industry are so poor that workers are voting with their feet', adding: 'It can only be resolved by offering higher wages and better working conditions for staff.' Union officials added that many airport staff are being asked to work extra hours, and 'relying on staff overtime to run the business can't be a long-term solution'. GMBs national secretary, Andy Prendergast, told The Daily Telegraph that 'airports and operators need to offer fair wages and plan for peaks in demand.' And Garry Graham, from Prospect union, said that travel disruptions 'could get worse before they get better'. Experts said that airlines 'are simply unable to cope with that demand due to a lack of resources' and warned that the 'nightmare' disruption could last all year. BA has axed hundreds of flights up on some routes to the US and the Far East until September, affecting thousands of travellers after it had already cancelled more than 1,000 flights in little more than three weeks. Industry experts have also pointed the finger at security checks for issues with staff numbers, with vetting for new staff taking up to twice as long as the 14 weeks it is supposed to. They also believe that loss of thousands of experienced staff who were laid off during the pandemic has had an impact, with many not returning after finding jobs elsewhere. SARAH VINE: The shambles unfolding in airports up and down the country is shameful... The greed of airlines has made holidays sheer hell By Sarah Vine for the Daily Mail Excuse me if todays column seems a little skew-whiff. I didnt get to bed until gone 4am, and had to be up again at 7am. But Im one of the lucky ones: at least I crawled between the sheets at home before passing out like a starfish for three hours. Many had to make do with a grubby floor. No, I havent been whooping it up in a nightclub or reliving my misspent youth. I was doing what thousands of other Britons like to do every now and then: have a few days abroad, in this case Italy. But it seems getting on a plane that not only takes off vaguely on time but also reaches its destination is about as likely as J.K. Rowling being invited to speak at Stonewalls AGM. Actually, I have no right to complain. Compared with what some poor souls have had to endure, my experience was positively VIP. Sure, my easyJet flight was delayed repeatedly at Pisa airport where, for reasons best known to the Italians, all the food outlets shut at 7.30pm, leaving delayed families nothing to eat or drink but Duty-Free Smarties, Camel Lights and warm limoncello. Fun if youre heading to Ibiza on a three-day bender but its not to everyones taste. Passengers queue for flights at Heathrow Airport on Tuesday amid 'chaos' at airports across the UK Travellers queue to check in for their flights at Gatwick Airport, with holidaymakers facing continuing disruptions due to cancellations and lack of airport staff That was a picnic, however, compared with the scenes in Britain, which make tin-pot operations such as Pisa look positively state-of-the-art. The shambles unfolding in airports up and down the country is not just shocking, its shameful. Families stranded, children in tears, people exhausted and stressed out. Holidays theyve been looking forward to saving for, dreaming about up in smoke. Police drafted in to tell passengers their holidays are cancelled, people too anxious to go to the loo in case they lose their spot in line. And everywhere, crushing disappointment. That little bit of joy in their lives the one thing thats kept them going ruined, and all because a greedy bunch of airline bosses couldnt do their jobs properly. I mean, what did they think was going to happen? Its the first proper school holiday since Covid travel restrictions were lifted; its the Queens Platinum Jubilee; weve been locked up for two years. Surely it doesnt take a genius to predict a surge in passenger numbers. As for the airlines that have recruited new staff, they must have known that, in the aftermath of Covid, obtaining security clearance for them would take months rather than weeks. None of this is the fault of airline staff. Theyre just the foot-soldiers, as stressed and exhausted as the rest of us. Since its their colleagues jobs that were cut, its they who are having to take up the slack. Waiting in line in front of an empty check-in desk at Pisa on Monday evening, I asked a young woman in a high-vis jacket if she worked for easyJet. Unfortunately I do, she replied, in terms too colourful for a family newspaper. The captain and crew on our flight couldnt have been more professional. But its out of their hands. Passengers waiting in queues at Manchester Airport on Tuesday, another to have been impacted by huge delays Instead of recruiting the number of people required to deal with the inevitable post-Covid surge in demand for air travel, it seems the airlines and airport bosses decided to chance things and do it on the cheap: an approach thats not only venal, but also very stupid. Its not as though theyre giving these flights away, either. Prices are through the roof, plus all the extras. I paid 170 to check in three bags on our way home (my daughter had embarked on a forensic exploration of the second-hand clothes stores near Florence). Three teas on the flight cost 9. To be honest, by that stage I would cheerfully have parted with a kidney in exchange for a cuppa, but you know what I mean. When people hand over their hard-earned cash, they should get what theyve paid for and not be treated as though they are the ones who have done something wrong. To want a few days away from the stresses and strains of everyday life is not a criminal offence. But taking peoples money and then treating them with such cavalier disregard and lack of respect should be. Mother is stranded at Gatwick for 22 HOURS with her five-year-old son after being kicked off overbooked plane - as thousands of holidays are cancelled A mother has claimed she was left stranded at Gatwick airport for 22 hours after being kicked off a plane because it was too full. Charlie Day, 33, from Chelmsford, Essex, was marched through security three times due to the repeated cancellations and said at one point passengers were stuck in a waiting room without food, water or toilet access due to the airport chaos. She had arrived on Friday morning with her husband Lewis and five-year-old son Ernie ahead of their 2.30pm flight to Barcelona. When checking in, Mrs Day noticed her family's boarding passes were missing a seat number but was told by a member of staff that airlines had recently stopped including that information. Despite the well-travelled mother-of-one questioning the apparent boarding pass change, she made her way through security, only later to discover the flight had been overbooked by 34 seats when queuing up to board. The family were forced to march through security to then check-in again for a 9.45pm flight later that evening. Having waited seven hours for the rescheduled flights, the gate didn't open until midnight. Dozens of passengers were left waiting without food, water and access to a toilet for the next 90 minutes, only to be sent an email at 1.30am telling them the flight had been cancelled. Mrs Day, who runs her own business Charlie Day Sales, claims there was no representative from Spanish airline Vueling to ease anxieties around the flight. She then paid 30 for an Uber to get to a 140 Premier Inn room, so her son could get three hours sleep, while Mr Day waited an hour to collect their baggage. The flight was rescheduled again for 9am, only for the gate to be changed 13 minutes before departure on the other side of the terminal. Having eventually boarded after a 22-hour wait, there was then a 45-minute delay on the runway before passengers could jet off to Spain. 'I would just urge others not to book with the airline they have been outrageous,' Mrs Day said. Charlie Day, 33, from Chelmsford, Essex, was marched through security three times due to the repeated cancellations and said at one point passengers were stuck in a waiting room without food, water or toilet access due to the airport chaos She had arrived on Friday morning with her husband Lewis and five-year-old son Ernie ahead of their 2.30pm flight to Barcelona The family were forced to march through security to then check-in again for a 9.45pm flight later that evening. Having waited seven hours for the rescheduled flights, the gate didn't open until midnight Dozens of passengers were left waiting without food, water and access to a toilet for the next 90 minutes, only to be sent an email at 1.30am telling them the flight had been cancelled Charlie, who runs her own business Charlie Day Sales, claims there was no representative from Spanish airline Vueling to ease anxieties around the flight The flight was rescheduled again for 9am, only for the gate to be changed 13 minutes before departure on the other side of the terminal Having eventually boarded after a 22-hour wait, there was then a 45-minute delay on the runway before passengers could jet off to Spain At Manchester Airport a co-pilot, called Simon, loaded luggage on to a 32-hour delayed flight on Monday 'The conditions were just inhumane especially when travelling with a five-year-old. When we first arrived, we had left plenty of time and there was a bit of queueing but nothing too crazy. 'But when flights started getting cancelled it became jam packed. Everything was delayed. People were just flocking to Wetherspoons and there were dirty plates and glasses pilled everywhere. 'There was a 40-minute wait for Wagamama. It was just really hectic. When we were waiting for the second flight people were becoming really irate. 'Some had been in Wetherspoons for hours to pass the time so were a bit restless. We were told we couldn't leave the room you wait in while waiting to board. 'There was no access to food, water or even a toilet. And everyone had been waiting around for so long. 'At no point did a Vueling representative come out to apologise or even to hand out water. There were babies, toddlers and pensioners waiting to board. 'When the email came through to say it was cancelled, we were just so knackered. I had to phone around 12 hotels before we eventually found somewhere to stay for the night. 'But there were people there who couldn't find anywhere and had to sleep on the floor for the night. 'When we went to get the flight the third time, the gate was changed 13 minutes before departure on the other side of the terminal. 'People just didn't believe anything the airline was telling them so there was just a stampede to the other gate.' Charlie, Lewis and Ernie eventually arrived in Barcelona at 3pm on Saturday, before boarding their week-long Royal Carribean cruise around the Mediterranean. Although they have been rewarded 523 each in compensation, she says the cost of getting food at the 22-hour airport stay, missed wages from the two days off work along with a missed stay at the hotel in Barcelona has caused distress. Charlie added: 'We missed out on a whole day exploring in Barcelona. And we were running on just three hours sleep. 'I just can't believe how Vueling just didn't offer anything in terms of customer care.' A spokesman for Vueling said: 'On Friday there were several operational issues which impacted the scheduling of our outgoing flights. 'This affected our operations over the weekend. We always strive to offer a timely service, however, if this isnt possible our priority is to organise the best alternatives for our customers. 'Our team at Gatwick worked diligently to resolve these issues and our customer service team is in touch with those affected by the delays.' Gatwick airport have been approached for comment. Meanwhile, at Manchester Airport a co-pilot, called Simon, loaded luggage on to a 32-hour delayed flight on Monday. Jenny Cook, from Warrington, Cheshire, who was on the Tui flight to Crete, told the BBC: 'He said "even my co-pilot is loading bags" so we looked out of the window and there he was. 'The next thing we knew we were taxing to the runway. We were all cheering. Simon had gone above and beyond. 'As a HR director, employee recognition is key, after all the negative press Tui has had recently and the journey we had been on, we were all taken aback on what Simon had done. I think Tui need to do something to recognise Simon.' Mum, 49, left in Alicante with only 25 after Manchester Airport loses her suitcase A woman was left with only the clothes on her back and 25 cashback on holiday after her suitcase was lost. Zena Williams, 49, was flying out to Alicante for a trip to Benidorm when she witnessed first-hand the much reported chaos at Manchester Airport. She said she had heard the nightmare tales, but little did she know that she would become the subject of one herself when she arrived in Spain and her suitcase was nowhere to be seen. Zena, who was travelling with daughter Charlotte, who was taking part in a dance group event, also missed the transfer into Benidorm from the airport as she tried to find her suitcase with the help of Spanish airport staff. She eventually discovered the suitcase, containing both her belongings and items her daughter needed to dance in, was still at Manchester Airport. She was then told by staff that Manchester Airport would send the suitcase on the next possible flight, though two days later there was still no sign. Zena Williams (pictured left with her daughter), 49, was flying out to Alicante for a trip to Benidorm when she witnessed first-hand the much reported chaos at Manchester Airport The mum-of-one told said: 'The flight was due to take off at 7pm so it was an early evening flight, but check in was absolutely atrocious. 'It was self check in but it just wasn't registering any suitcases and even one of the members of staff just said "good luck because it's chaos here". 'We got through security side but the staff just didn't have a clue what they were doing. It was like they'd just been brought in off the street. 'When we got into Alicante I had no suitcase. Alicante airport managed to find out that it'd been left in Manchester and Manchester said they would put it on the next flight out to Alicante. They said that it'd be on the flight on Sunday. 'But by Sunday it was still in Manchester. So I literally only had the clothes I came in. At first I thought that it's okay because surely it'll be on the next flight. 'Then when it didn't arrive I was thinking "oh my lord". The dread hit me, just thinking everything I had was in that suitcase. It was just awful.' She continued: 'Afterwards, when we'd been trying to find it the transport into Benidorm from the airport had gone and left us. 'So we had to then pay a taxi to get into Benidorm and we got told that I won't get any money but that I'd be able to claim 25 cashback for the 24-48 hours without a suitcase. But what can 25 buy? Nothing. 'I felt physically sick. I know it's only a suitcase and lots and lots of things are going on in the world but I just felt like part of me had been ripped away. I'm angry and I'm disgusted at the way the airport is running at the moment I just don't understand why they can't get it right. Okay, we have been through a pandemic but it's beyond belief. 'A friend of mine who was also going on holiday said their suitcase has gone to Gran Canaria, but she was flying out to Portugal. It doesn't make sense does it.' After weeks of disruption at several terminals, Manchester Airport issued a response to the on-going chaos. It said: 'We are aware of the challenge being faced by a number of airlines and handling agents, which is leading to delays at check-in and baggage reclaim for some passengers. 'Airlines and their ground handlers are responsible for their own check-in and baggage handling services. Passengers are advised to direct any questions or concerns about these issues, or anything relating to their flight, to their airline, who will be best placed to respond. 'However, this is not the experience we want passengers to have at Manchester Airport and we are sorry to hear customers have faced disruption. We are in contact with the senior management teams of the relevant airlines and ground handlers to understand the cause of these issues, and to support their efforts to resolve them as quickly as possible. 'Our colleagues are on hand in the terminal to provide assistance to customers and we are working hard to ensure security waiting times are as quick as possible. It remains our advice that passengers should arrive three hours before their flight and be as prepared as they can be for their journey through the airport.' Advertisement It comes as Transport Secretary Grant Shapps demanded a meeting with aviation bosses to find out 'what's gone wrong' as travel chaos worsens across the country, and called for reassurances over the summer holiday period. 'Its been very distressing to see passengers having plans for well-earned holidays cancelled and left in disarray. Industry leaders need to tackle the issues head-on,' he told The Daily Telegraph. Airlines continued to axe flights on Tuesday with passengers forced to wait for hours at airports including Manchester, Heathrow, Gatwick and Bristol. Heathrow passengers trying to board their flights claimed they had 'never' seen queues as long as those on Tuesday morning. Passengers have been hit by disruption for several months, with the situation worsening this week due to the rise in demand sparked by the half-term school holiday and the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday period. The aviation industry is suffering from staff shortages after laying thousands of people off during the coronavirus pandemic and is struggling to recruit more. Airlines and airports repeatedly called for more financial support during the Covid-19 crisis as Government restrictions suppressed demand. In a statement on Tuesday evening, Mr Shapps said the Government had 'done its part', adding that airlines and ground handlers need to ensure there is no more disruption. Mr Shapps referred to the 8 billion given to the aviation industry during the pandemic as well as legislation he introduced last month which allows new aviation recruits to begin training before passing security checks. He said: 'It's been very distressing to see passengers facing yet more disruption at airports - having well-earned holidays cancelled and plans left in disarray. 'We've been clear that industry leaders need to tackle the issues we saw at Easter head-on. Although some steps have been taken, we are still not seeing the progress we need to.' He said the Government 'will be meeting with airports, airlines and ground handlers again to find out what's gone wrong and how they are planning to end the current run of cancellations and delays'. He added that operators 'seriously oversold flights and holidays relative to their capacity to deliver' despite Government warnings. 'Government has done its part,' he said. 'It is now on airports, airlines and ground handlers to make sure everyone's well-deserved holidays can go ahead free from the major disruption we've seen in recent days.' Gatwick: Tired travellers lay on the carousel at the West Sussex airport as they wait for their bags to arrive in chaotic scenes Rishi Sunak yesterday reminded Britain's creaking airlines and airports they took billions from the taxpayer during the pandemic and easing half term disruption must be their focus as experts told MailOnline that the crisis will only get worse through the Platinum Jubilee weekend and will peak on Monday. MPs have urged the aviation industry to 'get a grip now' as airlines face an investigation into claims they sold flights and holidays for the half term week without the air crew and check-in staff to cope with tens of thousands hit with delays or cancellations. Mr Sunak has insisted the Government is working with the airlines and airports to reduce disruption and delays - amid a furious blame game between ministers and industry leaders as holidaymakers complained about being left 'abandoned' with some flights cancelled minutes before their expected departure. 'We put in place billions of pounds of support for the travel industry in particular during the pandemic,' the Chancellor said, adding: 'Right now there are conversations happening between the industry and ministers to make sure disruption can be eased. That is where the focus is right now'. With 6,000 flights to and from Britain scheduled over the weekend, peaking at just under 7,000 on Monday, the problems are predicted to be even more dire - coupled with a two-day Tube strike on June 6 and June 7 that will cripple London's Underground network as people return home and to work. Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, told MailOnline: 'It's for travel firms themselves to get themselves in order. Sadly, I think it will get worse because were reaching its peak in a few days. Monday is scheduled to be the busiest day since 2019, with 2,864 departures from the UK, and the same number of inbound flights - it will be the busiest day since before the pandemic.' This afternoon TUI took the decision to cut 43 flights a week - 186 in total through June carrying 37,000 passengers from Manchester - just hours after an extraordinary video emerged revealing two police officers were drafted in to tell their irate customers their holiday to Kos was now cancelled as they queued to board the plane. The airline, which decided to cut 8,000 jobs during the pandemic and furloughed 11,000 of its staff, said in a statement: 'We would like to apologise to our customers who have experienced flight disruption in recent days and understand that they have been looking forward to these holidays for a long time. 'The May half-term holidays are always an incredibly busy period with many customers looking to get away, and this year is no different. Unfortunately, due to ongoing challenges in our operation, we have had to announce a small number of planned cancellations between now and 30 June from Manchester Airport only. 'We are directly contacting all impacted customers in departure date order and they will automatically receive a full refund'. For the past four days millions of Britons have suffered long queues at airport check-in and some even brought pillows and duvets knowing they would be forced to sleep on terminal floors. Others passed out on baggage carousels while waiting hours for their suitcases, some of which never arrived and are still missing more than 100 hours later due to a lack of ground staff. Those caught up in the carnage have described shops selling out of food and water and people being too frightened to go to the toilet in case they lose their place in the queues snaking around terminals at Manchester, Stansted, Birmingham, Bristol, Gatwick and Heathrow in conditions described as 'hell'. And many arrived at the airport or even at the gate to learn their flight had been delayed for hours or cancelled completely. Some dumped their suitcases in lockers at check-in and ran for security with hand luggage to avoid missing their flights. The delays also spread to Eurostar at London St Pancras yesterday where queues for check-in and security stretched for close to half a mile. Tens of thousands of Britons fear their plans to jet abroad for the long weekend could now be in jeopardy after hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled, in some cases just as they were about to board. And a furious blame game has erupted as ministers blamed airlines and airports for the mayhem - while unions and aviation chiefs insisted the Government 'hasn't prepared' for the rise in demand for travel and has failed to clear a backlog of security checks for new workers, which insiders claim could be approaching 20,000 applications. Julian Knight, chairman of the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee, told the Evening Standard: 'They [the aviation industry] need to get a grip and now. They risk harming their industry's reputation for years to come as well as destroying the holiday plans of thousands of Britons.' He also called for an investigation into claims airlines are selling more tickets than they can service. Transport minister Andrew Stephenson said yesterday: 'It is for the airports to plan and recruit enough people in order to deal with the significant increases in people flying which we have been expecting for some time'. But Labour MP Rupa Haq, vice chairwoman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on General Aviation, said: 'They [ministers] need to get a grip and face up to the fact that their botched Brexit has caused unprecedented vacancies in the aviation sector'. Long queues outside St Pancras yesterday as passengers faced delays of an hour at check-in There has been chaos, confusion and cancellations at the majority of the UK's airports over the past four days as families try to get away for half term and the jubilee, with 6,000-plus flights to and from Britain due each day peaking next Monday. There have also been long delays at Dover for drivers heading to France and delays at St Pancras for Eurostar services to the continent. Couple spend four days without baggage Paris Nedderman, 23, and her 28-year-old boyfriend James Palmer left for Bologna in southern Italy on the morning of May 28. Legal reviewer Paris Nedderman and James Palmer were left waiting for their luggage for four days after it got 'stuck' at Manchester Airport - but never received any communication from carrier Ryanair to tell them what had happened. Ms Nedderman, 23, and her 28-year-old boyfriend left for Bologna in southern Italy on the morning of May 28. She described Manchester Airport as an 'absolute shambles with minimal staff, huge queues, broken conveyor belts and a lack of organisation'. After arriving at Bologna Airport, the couple and around 60 other passengers spent three hours waiting to be told what had happened to their luggage. 'The lady at the lost baggage desk informed us that ''the conveyor belt broke'' in Manchester so they still had our luggage,' she told MailOnline. 'Kids were crying and parents were anxious as they knew they would have to bear the expense of having to buy lots of new clothes, suncream and whatever else was in their case. 'During our time in Bologna we spent over 200 euros on clothing for the week because we did not know when we would get our bags back due to the lack of communication. 'We are now on day 4, and have only just received a call from Bologna Airport to say that the case has been received and they will get it on the next flight to us. Still no call from Manchester Airport or Ryanair, we are disgusted.' MailOnline has contacted Manchester Airport and Ryanair for comment. Advertisement Kully Sandhu, managing director of Aviation Recruitment Network, said: 'In my opinion, it could be up to 12 months before we see staffing at airports back to pre-pandemic levels. Recruitment for people at airports takes longer than roles elsewhere because of necessary, additional security and background checks'. As travel chaos wrecked travel plans for the jubilee and half term, it emerged yesterday: Thousands have their breaks delayed, disrupted or destroyed due to staff shortages at airports and airlines; MPs have accused carriers of selling tickets they cannot honour and plan to launch investigation into the chaos; Airlines blame a lack of crew and ground staff caused by a delay in the Government completing security checks of new staff; Student Isabelle Gray, 27, told the Evening Standard that checking in at Gatwick yesterday was 'hell on wheels'. She said: 'I arrived here just after 5am and queued for almost 2 hours to check my bag in, the queue was about 500 deep and there was one person at the check in desk. Some people next to me were thinking of putting their suitcase in a locker and running to the gate with just hand luggage.' Airlines and airports have been blamed for the carnage having slashed staff during the pandemic while hoovering up furlough payments and state aid. Now they do not have enough workers to cope - and cannot find people to fill often low-paid vacancies - as the numbers booking foreign holidays over the Platinum Jubilee week and through the summer months hit pre-pandemic levels. Jayesh Patel, whose half term break to Kos had been two years in the planning, said there was anger and tears as two policemen arrived to read a statement from TUI, moments after they began receiving texts telling them their flight and package breaks would not go ahead. He told the BBC yesterday: 'The airport was understaffed, a lot of the outlets had ran out of food or closed at 6pm. We got called to the gate for the 7pm take off - four hours late. There was no staff. 'People were very upset - some were going on their honeymoon. And then we all started getting texts that the flight was now cancelled and because it was a package booking the whole holiday was cancelled'. He added: 'The worst part that there was no Tui staff to help. And then two police officers arrived and read a statement telling us how we would exit the airport. Because the airplane hadn't arrived from anywhere, our flight wasn't listed at any of the baggage carousels so we didn't know where to wait - people were visibly upset and children were crying. We then had to wait another couple of hours and at this point, we'd spent the whole day at the airport and just wanted to leave. ' Steven Hession, 45, was also supposed to be flying to Kos on Saturday with his wife, Kerrie, and their two children for a fortnight and an upcoming family wedding. But after hours of delays and chaos, the family got to the departure gate only to get a text message from airline TUI informing them that their flight and holiday had been cancelled due to 'significant operational disruption' - believed to be a missing pilot. He said: 'After many hours of delays, we were at the boarding gate just after 7pm and there was no staff one there, but then we saw the cabin crew walking through to the plane, which made us feel reassured. But then we heard people crying... and everyone got this text at the same time saying unfortunately, your holiday has been cancelled, click this link to get a refund within 14 days.' Steven Hession, 45, enjoys some fizz as he heads to Manchester Airport with his family for a 4,000 two week break to the Greek island of Kos. Hours later, after long delays, the entire break was axed Heathrow: Queues to enter Terminal 2 this morning as travel chaos is set to continue Manchester: Row after row of uncollected luggage at the north-west airport that has suffered problems for weeks Manchester: The lines left terminal and into the car park at 4.30am this morning Bristol: Passengers have been queuing through the night as they try to get through airports that are lacking staff to cope Bristol: There were lines snaking around the terminal at 3.30am yesterday Birmingham: Regional airports are missing up to a third of the staff they had before the pandemic with airlines and airports accused of pure greed Her Disney bag packed, Autumn McManus, five, was beaming, left, at Manchester airport ready for her first foreign holiday. But her smiles turned to tears, right, after the trip to Turkey with her mum was cancelled after their flight was axed. Britain's travel crisis will peak next week and is predicted to continue for the entire summer. Chronic staffing shortages, IT glitches and extraordinary demand is causing the delays and chaos at airports Pictured: Stansted. Passengers sleeping at the airport overnight due to flight cancelations and excessive delays during the half term weekend in to travel hell for many passengers hoping for a first holiday in two years By Danny Hussain Brits are facing a summer of airport chaos amid chronic staffing shortages and IT glitches. Shocking scenes from around the country in recent weeks have shown holidaymakers stuck in huge queues with some forced to sleep on the floor of airports amid long delays. Industry chiefs have pointed the finger at mass layoffs during the pandemic which saw staff let go because of the collapse in demand for travel during the various lockdowns. Airlines are now struggling to rehire workers previously let go, leading to a shortage of security staff, ground handlers and check-in staff. Industry sources say staffing levels are around 80 to 90 per cent of where they need to be for the peak summer season at larger airports and about 70 per cent at smaller ones. Some workers have also decided to quit the industry and not return following the pandemic, it has been suggested. Another issue has been the vetting of new staff, with background checks taking several weeks. Unions and aviation chiefs say the security check backlog could be approaching 20,000 applications. Advertisement A Government source told The Times: 'The simple fact is that airlines and airports overcut staff during the pandemic, ignoring the fact that the billions of pounds of aid including furlough handed out by the government was meant to protect those very jobs. 'Operators are now struggling to meet increasingly busy schedules as we move towards the first Covid-free summer since 2019 a wholly foreseeable surge in bookings that should have been adequately prepared for. 'The responsibility for maintaining adequate staffing levels lies with the airlines and airports themselves. Not only are they causing huge frustration to their customers, they are missing out on the benefits of the strong recovery in foreign travel.' Ministers have been accused of failing to 'step up' as holidaymakers using UK airports continue to suffer major disruption. Shadow financial secretary to the Treasury James Murray claimed the Government 'hasn't prepared' for the rise in demand for travel. A spokeswoman for the Government insisted the aviation industry is 'responsible for making sure they have enough staff to meet demand'. Airline passengers have been hit by cancellations and long delays at airports for several months, with the situation appearing to worsen this week during the half-term school holiday and ahead of the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday period. EasyJet and British Airways are cancelling flights every day, while passengers at airports such as Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Bristol are reporting long delays. The aviation industry is suffering from staff shortages after thousands were let go during the coronavirus pandemic. Many airlines and airports repeatedly called for more financial support due to the collapse in demand for travel caused by the Covid-19 crisis. They are now struggling to recruit new workers and have their security checks processed. Labour MP Mr Murray told Sky News: 'We've been warning for months throughout the Covid pandemic that you can't just let the airline industry and airports fall over, let them shed all of their staff, and then expect to get back on track when demand comes back after the pandemic. 'We were warning about this, trade unions were warning about this, employee representatives were saying throughout the Covid pandemic, 'You need a sector-specific package to support the aviation sector', and now we're seeing what's happened because the Government hasn't prepared for what would obviously come next.' Arts minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay acknowledged that cancelled flights and long queues at UK airports are 'causing a lot of distress for people, particularly in half-term'. Asked about Government action over the airport disruption, he told Sky News: 'Colleagues in the Department for Transport are working with the industry. We have been for months urging them to make sure they've got enough staff so that, thanks to the success of the vaccine rollout, as people are able to travel again, that people can take the holidays that they've missed and that they've deserved and of course it's causing a lot of distress for people, particularly in half-term, people with family and children with them. 'It's very distressing if you turn up at the airport and your flight isn't ready, so we've been saying to the industry that they need to prepare for this, they need to have the staff that they need to make sure people can get away and enjoy holidays.' Yet more havoc looms as BA staff threaten to strike By David Churchill Transport Editor British Airways customers were yesterday warned they face a summer of chaos as hundreds of staff threaten to strike. Two unions representing check-in staff GMB and Unite are balloting members in a row over pay. Staff at Heathrow Airport took a 10 per cent pay cut during the pandemic and are demanding their full salaries are reinstated. Without any check-in staff, most flights will likely be grounded. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: 'British Airways used the cover of Covid to brutally cut members' pay. BA has now reversed the pay cuts imposed on management but refuses to do this for our members. This is disgraceful. 'Unite will not allow our members to be treated as a second-class workforce.' Nadine Houghton, GMB national officer, said: 'BA forced our members into pay cuts during the pandemic. It is their time to claim back what is theirs.' Strikes could begin by July and continue into August. BA said the majority of staff accepted a 'generous' one-off lump sum equivalent to 10 per cent of their salary. But check-in staff rejected this because it meant taking a long-term pay cut. Advertisement Transport workers trade union Unite also blamed the aviation chiefs for their mass-sackings during the Covid-19 pandemic, describing the airport chaos as a 'crisis of their own making'. The general secretary at Unite, Sharon Graham, told The Mirror that the chaos is to 'last the entire summer season': 'During the pandemic, when airline operators and others in aviation slashed jobs to boost corporate profits, we warned this corporate greed would cause chaos in the industry. 'The aftermath of mass sackings is now chronic staff shortages across the board. Aviation chiefs need to come clean with the public. This is a crisis of their making. 'We are determined that workers will not pay for this crisis. Current pay and conditions in the industry are so poor that workers are voting with their feet. It can only be resolved by offering higher wages and better working conditions for staff. Unite is utterly determined to fight for that.' Rory Boland, the travel editor of consumer group Which? said that the government must intervene to make sure airlines stop selling flights 'they can't actually provide'. He told The Times: 'We're already seeing very long queues, widespread chaos at airports, huge stress for people planning to get away, and we haven't hit the peak yet. 'Airports and airlines have known this recovery was coming for a period of time now. We're continuing to see things get worse, not better.' Airlines cancelled dozens more flights on Sunday and yesterday, forcing some travellers to lie down on airport floors while resting. Half-term sun-seekers were pictured laying on floors at Stansted Airport following disruption and lengthy queues. Snaking queues also formed outside Bristol and Gatwick airports from 4am yesterday. It comes following chaotic scenes at Manchester Airport over the weekend when hundreds of Tui passengers were told their holidays had been cancelled after an eight-hour wait. Industry sources say staffing levels are around 80 to 90 per cent of where they need to be for the peak summer season at larger airports and about 70 per cent at smaller ones. But airport bosses insist queues have also been exacerbated by passengers turning up earlier than normal from the early hours, with most of the carnage cleared by yesterday afternoon. Ministers are facing calls to slash more red tape to help travel firms recruit staff quicker in a bid to avoid similar scenes throughout the summer after they slashed thousands of jobs during the pandemic. But British Airways travellers were warned they face a summer of chaos as two unions representing check-in staff - GMB and UNITE - said they have started balloting members on strike action in a row over pay. A six-year-old girl was left in tears from 'exhaustion' after she and her family were stranded on their half-term holiday in Cyprus after TUI cancelled their flights twice - as a travel expert warns the travel chaos in UK airports is only set to get worse. Glenda Powell, 40, from Bristol, took to social media on Sunday night where she shared an image of her 'exhausted' six-year-old daughter, Freya, crying (pictured) because she is unable to return to the UK Another family was left devastated after their first holiday since the Covid pandemic was cancelled by TUI as they waited to board their flight. Anna Saunders, pictured with her husband Matthew, and kids Eva and Jack Holiday firm TUI sent a crushing text message after delaying the flight saying the family's entire trip - costing 5,200 - was cancelled for 'operational reasons' - code for a lack of staff Hundreds of staff at Heathrow Airport took a 10 per cent pay cut during the pandemic and are demanding their full salaries are reinstated amid cost-of-living pressures and passenger numbers surging again after the pandemic. Without any check-in staff, most flights will likely be grounded. It comes after easyJet announced it was cancelling at least 200 flights over the half-term holidays, which started yesterday, affecting around 30,000 passengers. EasyJet axed 32 flights yesterday while British Airways cancelled another 140. BA says the cancellations were made weeks ago and that customers were given plenty of notice. Like queues at airports, the cancellations are fuelled by staff shortages. Some airlines and airports have also struggled to recruit new staff since all Covid travel restrictions were dropped by the Government in March. Operators like BA and easyJet slashed thousands of jobs during the pandemic, which critics say was too many. Bosses at Bristol Airport said its bottlenecks were being caused by people turning up five hours early for their flights. But passengers hit back and said the 'morning rush hour', during which dozens of flights left before 8am, was simply more than staff could cope with. One Bristol passenger wrote online: 'Only half the security lanes open and not fast track. 'Two hours to get through. Queues started 300m on road outside.' One father, who booked with airline Vueling, claimed his young teenage son was forced to fly ahead of him due to the flight being overbooked. He posted: 'Anyone thinking about booking to fly with @vueling think again. They consistently overbook flights so your flight is not guaranteed. 'Waiting nearly 6 hours at Gatwick airport and counting.' Gatwick: One holidaymaker with binoculars found wherever he could to sit after long delays Birmingham: Holidaymakers wait for their bags at 11.30pm, with no sign of them arriving Manchester: Holidaymakers queue for check-in at the Tui desks at just after 7am yesterday Heathrow: Terminal 5, home of British Airways, was also very busy this morning Transport Secretary Grant Shapps last month announced new laws so travel firms can begin training new recruits before they complete security checks. New rules mean they can also write a letter to HMRC asking them to confirm employment histories, which form part of the checks. However, industry leaders say they are still taking around four to five weeks to complete. Boss of Heathrow Airport, John Holland-Kaye, said the Government changes were 'limited' and called on ministers to go further by allowing aviation employers to access HMRC records. He told the Mail: 'Currently it can take weeks if not months to validate someone's employment. 'Quite often we have to do five years of checks for background employment and for some people that might be ten or 15 employers over that time. 'The HMRC change, accessing their records, would take the amount of time down from about four weeks to four minutes. It's not too late to make that change.' Asked about the fiasco yesterday, the Prime Minister's spokesman said: 'We recognise that passengers are understandably frustrated and upset by the delays in some cases and flight cancellations and other disruptions. 'We want everyone to be able to travel as freely and easily as possible and we want to see the travel and aviation sector bounce back from the pandemic. 'What we saw what we saw over the weekend is an exceptionally high number of people travelling, which has meant that airports and other ports have been exceptionally busy. 'We will continue to work with the aviation industry and port sector and be clear with them that we want to see disruption reduced to a minimum that includes working with them in terms of recruitment.' Separately, a Government spokesman said: 'The aviation industry is responsible for making sure they have enough staff to meet demand, and we have been clear that they must step up recruitment to make sure disruption is kept to a minimum.' Brits caught up in airport carnage reveal their travel nightmares: Dream holidays cancelled at the departure gate by TEXT, bags left 1,100-miles away with no warning and one member of staff for a 500-deep queue Brits caught up in the ongoing chaos at airports revealed their horror stories yesterday, from dream holidays cancelled at the departure gate by text and going without luggage for four days with no warning to standing in a 500-deep queue with one member of staff. There has been chaos, confusion and cancellations at the majority of the UK's airports over the past four days as families try to get away for half term and the jubilee, with 6,000-plus flights to and from Britain due each day peaking next Monday. There have also been long delays at Dover for drivers heading to France and delays at St Pancras for Eurostar services to the continent. People have queued through the night to check-in while some brought pillows and duvets knowing they would be forced to sleep on terminal floors. Others slept on baggage carousels while waiting hours for their suitcases, some of which never arrived and are missing 96 hours later. Airlines and airports have been blamed for the carnage having slashed staff during the pandemic while hoovering up furlough payments and state aid. Now they do not have enough workers to cope - and cannot find people to fill often low-paid vacancies - as the numbers booking foreign holidays over the Platinum Jubilee week and through the summer months hit pre-pandemic levels. Below is a snapshot of how the chaos is affecting passengers. Couple spend four days without baggage Legal reviewer Paris Nedderman and James Palmer were left waiting for their luggage for four days after it got 'stuck' at Manchester Airport - but never received any communication from carrier Ryanair to tell them what had happened. Ms Nedderman, 23, and her 28-year-old boyfriend left for Bologna in southern Italy on the morning of May 28. She described Manchester Airport as an 'absolute shambles with minimal staff, huge queues, broken conveyor belts and a lack of organisation'. Paris Nedderman, 23, and her 28-year-old boyfriend James Palmer left for Bologna in southern Italy on the morning of May 28. After arriving at Bologna Airport, the couple and around 60 other passengers spent three hours waiting to be told what had happened to their luggage. 'The lady at the lost baggage desk informed us that ''the conveyor belt broke'' in Manchester so they still had our luggage,' she told MailOnline. 'Kids were crying and parents were anxious as they knew they would have to bear the expense of having to buy lots of new clothes, suncream and whatever else was in their case. 'During our time in Bologna we spent over 200 euros on clothing for the week because we did not know when we would get our bags back due to the lack of communication. 'We are now on day 4, and have only just received a call from Bologna Airport to say that the case has been received and they will get it on the next flight to us. Still no call from Manchester Airport or Ryanair, we are disgusted.' MailOnline has contacted Manchester Airport and Ryanair for comment. Family fear they could be left 4,000 out of pocket Steven Hession, 45, was supposed to be flying from Manchester Airport to Kos on Saturday with his wife, Kerrie, and their two children for a fortnight and an upcoming family wedding. But after hours of delays and chaos, the family got to the departure gate only to get a text message from airline TUI informing them that their flight and holiday had been cancelled due to 'significant operational disruption' - believed to be a missing pilot. Mr Hession, from Blackburn, Lancashire, said: 'It was horrendous; even on arrival to check in at Terminal 2, the queues were stretching right back to Terminal 1. 'After many hours of delays, we were at the boarding gate just after 7pm and there was no staff one there, but then we saw the cabin crew walking through to the plane, which made us feel reassured. 'But then we heard people crying... and everyone got this text at the same time saying unfortunately, your holiday has been cancelled, click this link to get a refund within 14 days.' Steven Hession, 45, enjoys some fizz as he heads to Manchester Airport with his family for a 4,000 two week break to the Greek island of Kos. Hours later, after long delays, the entire break was axed Kind friends turned up in the middle of the night to take the disappointed family back to Blackburn, meaning that they arrived back home just after midnight, almost 13 hours after they had left home for what they thought would be an amazing fortnight overseas. Fortunately, the bride and groom managed to fly out to Kos on Sunday, and Mr Hession booked new flights for himself and his family in time for the wedding. He is due to fly from Newcastle on Wednesday, and his wife and children from Leeds Bradford Airport, at considerable extra cost. But he says questions hang over their accommodation when they get there, and that if they do manage to find some, they could lose their refund. Mr Hession added: 'Now that we have got the flights, it's a gamble because our hotel is full as it's half term... the TUI representative is telling people that if they turn up that means your holiday's valid so you might not get a refund. 'The holiday itself was four grand, and I've spent a grand on new flights, and around 200 on minibuses for them. If we get to the hotel, it could be that they have accommodation and look after us, and pay for the extra cost, or it could work out another three or four grand.' TUI said: 'We would like to apologise to some of our customers who have experienced flight delays in recent days. 'The May half-term holidays are always an incredibly busy period with many customers looking to get away, and this year is no different. 'We understand that many of our customers have been looking forward to these holidays, as it's the first peak period in more than two years that hasn't been impacted by border closures and mass testing requirements. Our priority is always to take customers on holiday safely.' Five-year-old's devastation as TUI cancel her FIRST EVER overseas trip A mother said her five-year-old daughter didn't want to go on holiday 'ever again' after the family went through a 'shocking' experience with TUI. Kim McManus, 40, from Widnes, was due to fly out to Turkey on Friday for her daughter's first ever holiday abroad when they heard their flight had been overbooked. Less than an hour later, the mother of one received a text from TUI announcing that their whole package holiday had also been cancelled. Autumn 'broke down sobbing' once she heard the news. Her Disney bag packed, Autumn, five, was beaming, left, at Manchester airport ready for her first foreign holiday. But her smiles turned to tears, right, after the trip to Turkey with her mum was cancelled after their flight was axed. Ms McManus said: 'We had to get there early because of traffic issues, and then the flight was delayed by about five hours. 'We were all queuing up to get on the plane when they came around to everybody and said that the flight had been overbooked by 13 people. 'Six people hadn't shown up so they were now seven people too many. They were asking people to volunteer to not fly but without the guarantee of another flight at all in the next week. 'Nobody was going to take that so we waited for another hour and then they came over the tannoy and said that the cabin crew have now gone over their allotted hours and therefore the flight would now be cancelled. 'I was so shocked. It's my first holiday in seven years and it's my little girl's first holiday ever. She just broke down sobbing, saying ''please mummy please you said there was only one more sleep''. She was just absolutely devastated.' Tui said: 'We would like to apologise for the inconvenience to our customers on flight TOM856 from Manchester to Antalya, on Friday 27th May who were delayed due to a combination of factors causing significant operational disruption. 'Unfortunately, we felt the impact to customers' holiday was too great and took the difficult decision to cancel the flight. We contacted affected customers as soon as we became aware of the change and all customers will receive a full refund within 14 days. 'We understand how disappointing and frustrating this is and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.' 'Hell on wheels' check-in at Gatwick... and POLICE sent to tell passengers of cancellations in Manchester Student Isabelle Gray, 27, told the Evening Standard that checking in at Gatwick yesterday was 'hell on wheels'. She said: 'I arrived here just after 5am and queued for almost 2 hours to check my bag in, the queue was about 500 deep and there was one person at the check in desk. Some people next to me were thinking of putting their suitcase in a locker and running to the gate with just hand luggage.' Airlines and airports have been blamed for the carnage having slashed staff during the pandemic while hoovering up furlough payments and state aid. Now they do not have enough workers to cope - and cannot find people to fill often low-paid vacancies - as the numbers booking foreign holidays over the Platinum Jubilee week and through the summer months hit pre-pandemic levels. No airport or @TUIUK staff on hand, the police read out a statement on their behalf. From this point it took another 2 hrs to get our bags back as we were left stranded in baggage reclaim with no staff to advise us what was happening 2/3 pic.twitter.com/idn9uG5X49 Jayesh Patel (@smurfyhelp_jay) May 29, 2022 It was police, not TUI staff, who were sent in to tell weary passengers at Manchester Airport that their entire holiday to Greece was cancelled and they had to leave Meanwhile, Jayesh Patel, whose half term break to Kos had been two years in the planning, said there was anger and tears at Manchester Airport as two policemen arrived to read a statement from TUI, moments after they began receiving texts telling them their flight and package breaks would not go ahead. He told the BBC yesterday: 'The airport was understaffed, a lot of the outlets had ran out of food or closed at 6pm. We got called to the gate for the 7pm take off - four hours late. There was no staff. 'People were very upset - some were going on their honeymoon. And then we all started getting texts that the flight was now cancelled and because it was a package booking the whole holiday was cancelled'. He added: 'The worst part that there was no Tui staff to help. And then two police officers arrived and read a statement telling us how we would exit the airport. 'Because the airplane hadn't arrived from anywhere, our flight wasn't listed at any of the baggage carousels so we didn't know where to wait - people were visibly upset and children were crying. 'We then had to wait another couple of hours and at this point, we'd spent the whole day at the airport and just wanted to leave.' Meanwhile, the Saunders family were left devastated after their first holiday since the Covid pandemic was cancelled by TUI as they waited to board their flight. Another family was left devastated after their first holiday since the Covid pandemic was cancelled by TUI as they waited to board their flight. Anna Saunders, pictured with her husband Matthew, and kids Eva and Jack Passengers told Vueling flight took off 'empty' because of delays at Gatwick Passengers booked on a Vueling flight from Gatwick were told the plane departed empty because of delays at the West Sussex airport. Flight VY6209 was due to take off for the Italian city of Florence at 8.20pm yesterday. But the Airbus A319 - which can carry up to 144 passengers - left nearly two hours late with no-one on board for the 734-mile flight. Nisha Gupta, 32, from Windsor, Berkshire, was booked on the flight with her husband Ash. She said that they were forced to queue for more than four hours to check in luggage, but when they arrived at the departure gate they were informed no passengers could board the plane due to a staff shortage. She said: 'Eventually we were told by staff that the pilots made a decision to fly the plane back empty without a single passenger onboard due to Florence airspace closing. 'The environmental impact of this is insane and a decision was clearly made to prioritise cost implications over customer experience and environmental impact. 'Throughout this entire experience, there was a maximum of three staff members dealing with all Vueling flights that day. 'We got to the airport at 3pm and did not leave until 2am after having to wait around to give details to the one staff member dealing with all cancelled flights, taking details and trying to book people into hotels. 'No food or drinks were provided at all. Neither were any meal vouchers as per customer rights in the instance of a delay.' The airline's passengers at Gatwick continued to face severe difficulties. One person posted a photograph showing a large crowd of people waiting to check-in, with the caption: 'Vueling you need to get a grip of this absolute chaos at Gatwick. 'One member of staff to handle this many people is completely unacceptable. Do you understand the impact this has on people?' The airline was approached for a comment. Family who released an image of their 'exhausted' six-year-old in tears while stuck in Cyprus due to two cancelled flights have finally made it home - after more than 50 hours of delays A family who released an image of their 'exhausted' six-year-old in tears while stuck in Cyprus due to two cancelled flights have finally made it home - after more than 50 hours of delays. Glenda, 40, and Stephen Powell, 46, were due to travel back to Bristol Airport from Paphos, Cyprus, with their two young children over the weekend but TUI cancelled their flights twice. The couple from Bristol claimed they had been left stranded abroad since Saturday - and revealed they only just returned home this morning at 4am. The pair have described the situation as an 'absolute joke' - and their story hit the headlines after Mrs Powell posted images of their 'exhausted' six-year-old daughter in tears. Mrs Powell said: 'It's pure relief to be back home. 'The stress of going back and forwards to the airport, packing, unpacking, washing some clothes in hotel room sinks because you've ran out. 'When you have pets at home and work commitments you don't want a couple of extra days of holiday, you want to get home. 'You book a weeks holiday for a reason, if I'd wanted to stay longer I would have booked 10 days. 'I am exhausted.' Mrs Powell took to social media on the night of the families second flight cancellation on May 29 - where she shared an image of her 'exhausted' six-year-old daughter, Freya, crying because she is unable to return to the UK The Powell's original flight back to Bristol airport at 6.25pm GMT was cancelled on Saturday, as was their subsequent flight home at 1:20am yesterday. The family were forced to stay in a hotel after learning about their flight cancellations. But on the third attempt, the family were able to finally get on a plane back to the UK at 8.35pm last night. The family had fly to Manchester Airport and had to get a long coach back to Bristol - adding another four hours onto their journey. TUI told Mrs Powell the reason for the delay was 'due to operational disruption in the TUI fleet' and the plane 'operated at the earliest opportunity'. Mrs Powell said: 'The cabin crew were very apologetic and we got through passport control and baggage reclaim fairly quickly at Manchester and into our coach. 'There was anxiety around the group about whether the coaches would turn up as, we had all read stories of passengers stranded at different airports having to pay for taxis! 'So when they did it was pure relief.' The couple, who both serve as police officers, said they were lucky to have missed problems at Bristol Airport when they flew out on May 21 - but upon returning home this morning (31 May) Mrs Powell described the scenes as chaotic. She added: 'We got into Bristol Airport at about 3.30am to carnage - I couldn't believe how busy it was at that time of the morning! 'So we grabbed an Uber and got out of there.' After demanding the 'powers that be to step up', Mrs Powell and her family admitted they were not 'convinced of returning to the UK last night until the landing gear went up and we were in the air'. Mrs Powell took to social media on the night of the families second flight cancellation on May 29 - where she shared an image of her 'exhausted' six-year-old daughter, Freya, crying because she is unable to return to the UK. She wrote: '2nd attempt to get home...So our Manchester flight is cancelled.... Literally got off the coach at the airport to be turned straight back round to go back to the same hotel/room. 'Absolute joke... Tui this is the face of a six-year-old who is exhausted from travelling to an airport at 10pm and just wants to go home we were supposed to get on our flight 24 hours ago.' Mrs Powell added: 'After the first cancellation, we were then told by email we would be put on the 1.20 am flight to Manchester on May 30 with a coach transfer to Bristol. 'Families were checking online themselves for the status of said flight and rumours were going around that it was cancelled. 'Sure enough, when we arrived at the airport and unloaded our luggage we did not even enter the airport as the information board displayed that our flight was again cancelled. 'My daughters burst into tears with the anxiety and just wanted to go home.' Mrs Powell also revealed the family were informed on Sunday by an airport representative that they would be upgraded to all-inclusive at their hotel - but were disappointed after there was 'no communicated about this at the hotel'. She said: 'I feel like TUI told us what we wanted to hear just to keep the peace at the time as emotions were running high. 'There's a lot going on in the world which is significantly worse than this but when you save and pay for a service you expect them to follow through.' Mr Powell was also due to attend a three-day trial at 9am on Monday morning to give evidence at Bristol Crown Court but was forced to cancel. The mother-of-two added the responses she had received from TUI have been 'fairly automated responses' and demanded 'the powers that be need to step up, put their hands up and apologise properly'. The family have been offered 200 each towards another TUI holiday, as well as the standard flight cancellation compensation, but Mrs Powell reveals she is 'not really feeling like booking a holiday with them unless this all calms down'. Mrs Powell says she has not formally complained yet from being 'too exhausted' but she is planning to. TUI issued a statement apologising to its customers for flight cancellations and claims to have been in contact with passengers to advise of new service departure times. A spokesperson said: 'We'd like to apologise to customers travelling on flight TOM6677 from Paphos to Bristol which was unable to depart as planned on Saturday 28 May due to operational issues. 'All impacted customers were offered welfare vouchers, overnight accommodation and meals while we worked through a new flight plan. 'We were in regular contact with customers and advised them of their new departure time as soon as we could. Customers are now due to arrive in Manchester this evening and transport back to Bristol Airport will be provided. 'We'd like to thank customers for their patience and understanding during this time.' What are your rights if your flight is cancelled? As holidaymakers are hit by airport chaos, we explain what you need to know British holidaymakers are facing travel chaos in airports across the UK, due to the half-term travel rush and staff shortages. Some have been forced to miss their flights due to security hold-ups, while easyJet, Tui, and British Airways axed hundreds of international flights over the weekend. But what are your options if you find yourself unable to jet off - or suffer delays - due to airport hold-ups or cancellations? This is Money explains your consumer rights, who to contact and how much money you can expect to get back if you don't fly. Holiday hiccup: In the unfortunate event that your flight is cancelled, your airline provider is required to make every effort to put you on the next available flight My flight has been cancelled: Who do I talk to? If a flight is cancelled on the day that you are travelling, the first thing you should do is get in touch with the airline. They should work to get you on a replacement flight, or other alternative modes of transport, to get you to your final destination. However, a large number of airlines are instead offering refunds, or travel vouchers for you to book an alternative flight yourself. You should also get in touch with your travel insurance provider. Events such as cancellations are one of the reasons why it it is a good idea to take out insurance, even if you are not going on a long trip or travelling far from home. > Read our guide to everything you need to know about travel insurance They will be able to discuss your options in regards to the other elements of your holiday, and begin any necessary claims processes. Ceri McMillan, travel insurance spokesperson for GoCompare says: 'If your flight is delayed or cancelled, then your airline is your first port of call. They have a duty to look after and compensate you under the rules set by the Civil Aviation Authority. 'If you're flying from an airport in the EU or with an EU-based airline, then your airline has to help if your flight is cancelled or delayed past a certain amount of time which means that you won't have to claim on your travel insurance. 'But, if you are traveling outside the EU, then your airline doesn't have the same duty of care so it will depend on your airline what compensation you will be entitled to. ' Does my airline have to offer me a new flight? As a consumer, you are entitled to travel on the original day of departure if there is any commercial way of getting you to your destination. Sometimes this may not be possible, and thus airlines could offer you an alternative flight for another day and it is up to you if you take it. The Civil Aviation Authority also says that the cancelling airline must offer a transfer another flight on the same day if it can, regardless of whether this is with the same provider or a different airline. Amid the recent travel chaos, some passengers say they have been told they cannot be transferred to another airline - but this is not the case, as you have the right to be booked on the next alternative flight. It's worth noting that airlines can also book you on to a flight from an alternative nearby airport. For example, if your British Airways flight from Newcastle to Madrid is cancelled and the only other departure that day is an easyJet from Edinburgh, the airline should provide transport to get you to your new airport, likely a National Express coach. Options: If there are no alternative flights to your destination, airlines can book you on to other providers' flights or redirect you to a similar location and provide any necessary transfers What if the airline won't arrange an alternative flight? In the unlikely event that your airline is unwilling or unable to put you on an alternative flight, you still have a number of options to help you get to your destination. The first is to contact your insurance provider immediately, and let them know what has happened, as you will most likely need to make a claim through them. Then, if you are willing and able to pay for your own way to get to your destination, you can claim back any reasonable additional charges from the airline. Reasonable charges would include the cost of public transfers between different airports if you need to make a change, or the cost of a new plane ticket. Of course, you are also within your rights to cancel the trip altogether. McMillan adds: 'If your flight is cancelled and you haven't opted for an alternative flight, then you can get a full refund for all or part of the journey. 'The distance of the flight and the amount of notice you were given before the cancellation might also mean that you are entitled to compensation for the cancellation itself.' The airline offered me a voucher for my flight: Am I entitled to a refund instead? Some airlines may offer travellers a voucher for an alternative flight with the same provider, but you should know you are entitled by law to a full refund. Airlines can often try to hide the refund option when they discuss your options with you after a flight cancellation, but if you know your rights and stand your ground, you will be able to receive a full refund. This even includes basic economy tickets, which are usually non-refundable if you cancelled your flight voluntarily. However, different policies might apply if a flight is delayed - but not cancelled - and the customer therefore chooses not to take it. If an airline is stonewalling on a refund and offering a voucher instead, you have a few options. First, you should get in touch with your airline's customer service team to request a refund. If they continue to say no, it could be worth hanging up and trying again with a different agent. Second, it's absolutely worth getting in touch with their social media customer service team over Twitter or Facebook to discuss your refund, or emailing them directly. Large queues at Heathrow Airport have forced some passengers to miss their flights, amid mass staff shortages and hundreds of cancelled flights with easyJet, Tui and British Airways This should make it easier to escalate your complaint if you have it in writing that the airline provider is unwilling to offer you a refund. Once you have made an effort to contact the airline, you should get in touch with your insurance provider to discuss your options, and file a complaint with the Civil Aviation Authority. If you have an unresolved complaint about an airline, the provider must inform you about an alternative dispute resolution scheme that you can use to help get an outcome. You also have the right to take an airline to the small claims court if you feel it is unfairly refusing to pay you compensation, but you should seek legal advice first if you decide to take this route. Lastly, if you booked your flight with a credit card you can dispute the charge, as most banks will refund you if you paid for something and didn't receive it. If you're not able to be booked onto a flight on the same day, your airline provider must provide you with accommodation and reasonable expenses for food until the next available flight What if I'm stuck in the airport for hours? Under UK law, airlines who have cancelled flights must provide customers with care and assistance, depending on their individual circumstances, while you wait for your next flight. According to the CAA they must provide: A reasonable amount of food and drink (often in the form of vouchers) A means for you to communicate (usually two free phone calls) Accommodation, if you are re-routed the next day (usually a nearby hotel) Transport to alternative airports, or accommodation (including your home) The airline must provide you with these items until it is able to fly you to your destination, no matter how long the delay lasts or what has caused it. Remember, if the airline does not offer to cover these costs, you should be able to claim them back at a later time, if the costs are reasonable. Be sure to keep hold of your receipts, and try to keep your costs as low as possible. How to find travel insurance The simplest way to look for travel insurance is to use a comparison site. Results will similar across most comparison sites but some may have special deals, so it could be worth using more than one. If you have previous serious medical issues consider a specialist insurer or broker. This is Money has partnered with Compare the Market to help you find great travel insurance. You can compare prices and cover at the link below. > Travel insurance: Check policies with Compare the Market Advertisement Note that easyJet says: 'We will always do our best to provide customers with overnight accommodation. In times of widespread disruption that's not always possible so we may ask you to find your own accommodation. 'In this case we ask that you look for accommodation, which is 3 stars or equivalent like Premier Inn, Ibis, Holiday Inn, Hotel Formule 1, Travelodge or Motel-One. 'If you choose to book more expensive accommodation when equivalent hotels within our suggested range were available, we will be unable to reimburse the full cost of the accommodation.' Additionally, its worth knowing that the amount of time you are delayed for can impact what the airline is willing to reimburse you for. Usually, the airline's obligation to provide you with 'a reasonable amount of food and drink' depends on the length of the flight you were supposed to take with them. This typically covers delays or cancellation for flights delayed more than two hours if travelling less than 1,500km, or for more than three hours if travelling between 1,500km-3,500km. You could receive up to 520 in compensation if your flight is cancelled within 14 days of your departure date, even if you are booked onto an alternative flight Passengers should be given a voucher for a certain amount after this time period, but if this is clearly inadequate, for example only offering a drink and a snack for a six-hour delay, you should claim for reasonable additional expenses. Just note that you won't be able to claim back costs for alcoholic drinks. Am I entitled to compensation for my cancelled flight? The good news is, you should be entitled to some amount of additional compensation if your flight is cancelled, but how much depends on your situation. You are instantly entitled to compensation if your flight is cancelled within 14 days of your departure, and your new flight lands at least two hours after your original arrival time. How much compensation am I entitled to if my flight is cancelled? If your flight was cancelled less than 7 days before departure Distance Departure and arrival times Compensation Less than 1,500km If your new flight takes off more than one hour before your original flight, and arrives less than two hours after it 110 If your new flight arrives more than two hours after your original flight 220 1,500km to 3,500km If your new flight departs more than one hour before your original flight, and arrives less than three hours after it 175 If your new flight arrives more than three hours after your original flight 350 More than 3,500km If your new flight departs more than one hour before your original flight, and arrives less than four hours after it 260 If your new flight arrives more than four hours after your original flight 520 If your flight was cancelled between 7 and 14 days before departure Distance Departure and arrival times Compensation Less than 1,500km If your new flight takes off more than two hours before your original flight, and arrives less than two hours after it 110 If your new flight takes off more than two hours before your original flight, and arrives more than two hours after it 220 If your new flight arrives more than four hours after your original flight 220 1,500km to 3,500km If your new flight takes off more than two hours before your original flight, and arrives less than three hours after it 175 If your new flight takes off more than two hours before your original flight, and arrives three to four hours after it 350 If your new flight arrives more than four hours after your original flight 350 More than 3,500km If your new flight departs more than two hours before your original flight, and arrives less than four hours after it 260 If your new flight arrives more than four hours after your original flight 520 The most you can hope to get through compensation is 520 per ticket, assuming your flight arrives more than four hours late and you are travelling more than 3,500km. The least you are likely to be able to claim is 110, assuming your new flight takes off around one hour earlier than your original flight, but that you arrive at your final destination two hours late. You can make a claim from the airline to get compensation and you may be able to claim from your travel insurance but be sure to check if your insurance policy covers cancellations first. To make a claim, you should contact the airline that was operating your flight, even if you booked through another provider or agent and have your booking reference details to hand. When you write your claim, be sure to include copies (not originals) of your tickets and any receipts to recuperate your costs, as well as any correspondence with the airline on your situation. What if I don't go on holiday due to a cancelled flight? Unfortunately, this is where things can get a little complicated. If you booked an ATOL-protected package holiday and you are no longer able to go due to the cancelled flights, then you are entitled to a full refund, and should get in touch with your holiday provider. However, if you booked your accommodation and flights separately, then you could be reliant on your travel insurance to help recoup the costs. As part of your travel insurance, flight cancellations outside of your control should come as standard. But you will need to ensure this also extends to the remaining portion of your trip - such as hotels and return flights you won't be using. If your specific policy does not cover this, then you are unlikely to receive a refund. McMillan says: 'Some travel insurance policies may cover delays, but that cover might depend on what your airline does, the length of time of the delays and the policy that you have taken out. 'For instance, some policies may cover delays of up to 12 hours while others would only cover you if you have been delayed for 24 hours or more. 'Some insurers may cover for flight cancellations but may state that you can only claim if your cancelled flight was not rearranged within 24 hours and may require evidence from the airline that they are not providing a refund. If you are no longer able to go on holiday because of your cancelled flights, you might be able get a refund for your other costs through your travel insurance, depending on your policy Could you get an air passenger duty refund? Its also worth noting that you have a right to a refund on the Air Passenger Duty costs for your flight, if you don't take it and don't accept a replacement. Also known as airport departure tax, it is a fee included in your ticket price which covers the levy airlines pay the Government for passenger leaving the country. There are different price bands but for commercial flights passengers can be charged up to 185 each, and the airline holds this cost until the passenger actually takes the flight, at which point it's paid to the Government. If you don't fly, the airline doesn't have to pay it, which means if you don't board the plane, you should get this part of the ticket refunded - no matter how late you are delayed. Advertisement 'Travel insurance policies and the levels of cover they provide vary significantly, which is why it's so important for you to check the details of your policy before you buy to ensure that you know what you are covered for before you travel.' In circumstances like this, its also worth checking with your hotel, as you may have booked a flexible room, which could mean you are able to cancel your accommodation and get a full refund. According to new research by GoCompare, around 40 per cent of holidaymakers are not planning on buying travel insurance prior to their holidays this year, with those aged between 55-64 the least likely to buy a travel insurance policy. But, if you suddenly find yourself delayed or unable to jet off on holiday, you may find yourself feeling a little regretful. McMillan added: 'This is a really worrying number of people who could potentially go on holiday this summer without the right cover in place. 'If people are thinking they're saving money by going away without the right level of insurance, this is most definitely a false economy. 'If the worst should happen and you need medical care whilst away, travel insurance will cover your costs. Without it, your bill could run into thousands. 'And it's not just medical costs. Travel insurance also covers for eventualities such as cancellations, disruptions, if your holiday is unexpectedly cut short, and if anything happens to your luggage or personal belongings.' McMillan explained: 'When it comes to travel insurance, most policies will offer some cover for delayed outbound or inbound journeys, however the requirements for the length of the delay and what compensation is available may differ. 'That's why it's important that you read your policy, so you know what you're covered for. 'We all buy travel insurance in the hope that we'll never have to use it, but going away without it just doesn't make sense unless you have enough money in savings to cover you if anything happens and you need to be flown back to the UK.' A dozen House Republicans introduced a bill Tuesday that would make it a crime for any staff member of the Supreme Court to leak a draft of an opinion before a final version is issued. The bill, called the Leaker Accountability Act, could see court employees fined or spend up to five years in prison if they divulge 'any confidential information' during their time of employment. The legislation is in response to a draft opinion being leaked to Politico showing conservatives on the court are poised to overturn the 1973 landmark abortion case, Roe v. Wade, and turn decisions on abortion laws back to the states. The leak created an uproar among both liberals and conservatives, with liberals concerned about the content of the draft opinion, and conservatives upset that the leak happened. The House GOP's Conference Vice Chair, Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana, is leading the effort to criminalize future leaks. GOP Conference Chair, Rep. Elise Stefanik, is one of the bill's co-sponsors. 'The unauthorized leak of the draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health constitutes a grave breach of judicial ethics and a deliberate attack on the independence of the Supreme Court,' Johnson said Tuesday in a statement. 'This legislation is now, unfortunately, a necessary step to discourage future such attempts to intimidate justices during their deliberative process and restore independence to the Court so that it can ensure the American people are afforded equal and impartial justice under the law.' 'The institution of the Court has been damaged and we must do what we can to try to repair it,' the congressman added. A dozen House Republicans introduced a bill Tuesday that would make it a crime for any staff member of the Supreme Court to leak a draft of an opinion before a final version is issued. Pictured: An anti-abortion activist stands outside the Supreme Court The House GOP's Conference Vice Chair, Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana (pictured), is leading the effort to criminalize future leaks and was joined by 11 House Republicans who are co-sponsoring the bill Earlier Tuesday, CNN reported that law clerks are being asked to turn over their personal cell phone records and sign affidavits as the search ramps up for the leaker. Language of the affidavits and what the scope of the cell phone search are not yet clear, sources familiar with the efforts the network but the potential of handing over their personal devices have clerks exploring their options, including hiring outside counsel. Considering the crack down on law clerks, it's likely the court has not yet been successful in determining the source of the breach. While the move asking for personal phone records is unprecedented in the Supreme Court, so is a leak of a draft opinion that led to the investigation in the first place. On May 2, Politico published a scoop with what appeared to be a photocopy of a draft opinion from conservative Justice Samuel Alito that showed the overturn of Roe v. Wade, which would end federal protections for a woman's right to get an abortion and kick the issue back to the states. Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed the authenticity of the draft opinion and immediately launched an investigation into who leaked the document. He appointed Supreme Court Marshal Gail A. Curley to lead the investigation to track down the leaker. The leak launched the country into a frenzy earlier in May with pro-choice activists showing up at conservative Supreme Court Justies' homes in protest and pro-life activists praising the move. Democrats are demanding action in Congress to codify federal abortion rights, while Republicans are furious over the leak and demanding the person who shared the document from the court be brought to justice. According to CNN, Justice Roberts met with law clerks as a group following the breach. It is still unclear, however, whether individual interviews have been conducted. Supreme Court Marshal Gail A. Curley (pictured), on the behest of Chief Justice John Roberts, is leading the investigation into finding who leaked the draft opinion Supreme Court Justices typically hire four clerks, which are young lawyers selected each year and are usually considered the most elite, consisting almost entirely of Ivy League law school graduates. A one-year clerkship at the highest U.S. court nearly cements an indivduals' ability to move onto a prestigious law firm or top government job. Some even go on to serve as senators. Six of the nine current Supreme Court Justices are former clerks themselves. The leaked opinion by Justice Alito was signed on by four of the other justices with the lone dissenting conservative justice being Chief Justice Roberts. Alito's opinion stems from the Mississippi case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which examined states restricting abortion at the 15-week point of a pregnancy. Roberts says that while e does support limiting terminating a pregnancy at that point, but doesn't go as far as wanting to fully overturning the landmark abortion case. Even without Roberts, however, conservatives in the 6-3 majority have the numbers to overturn the 50-year-old ruling. The official opinion is expected to be published in late June. It appears the scrutiny is being placed on Supreme Court Justices' clerks, of which each of the nine on the bench usually has four The decision on Roe v. Wade in 1973 made abortion legal at the federal level, but those in the pro-life movement say the issue should have always been decided on a state-by-state basis. Thirteen red states have so-called trigger laws, which means that if the Supreme Court strikes down the precedent set by Roe v. Wade, their legislature would immediately enact a law that would totally ban abortions. These states include Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. The investigation into the Supreme Court leaker comes at the busiest time of the annual term as justices prepare to issue rulings on cases by the late June deadline amid increased public scrutiny. Huge queues of passengers snaking outside airport terminals, hundreds of flights cancelled or delayed for up to seven hours, and travellers reduced to tears. This is the reality of Britain's half-term holiday hell so how did we get here and whose fault is it? Airlines and airports cut too many staff in pandemic Several operators escape the blame when it comes to the chaotic scenes of recent days. Jet2, Virgin Atlantic and Ryanair, for instance, have fared better with fewer cancellations and issues at check-in desks and baggage areas than other airlines. Some airports, such as Heathrow, London City and Stansted, have also generally coped with surging passenger numbers better than others. But it is no coincidence that those operators struggling most appear to be the ones who cut staff most aggressively during the pandemic. Queues of travellers who were due to board flights at Heathrow airport British Airways cut at least 10,000 roles, many of them experienced 'legacy' staff. It is partly why the flagship carrier announced this month it will axe 16,000 flights, or 8,000 round trips, from its schedule until autumn. Budget airline easyJet, which has ripped seats out of aircraft so fewer cabin crew are required, is another which cut too heavily. Last week it said it is axing 200 flights over the half-term holiday. Manchester Airport, which also shed hundreds of roles, has been host to the most chaotic scenes of all. Martin Chalk, head of the pilots' union Balpa, summed it up neatly by saying: 'Airlines have lost experienced staff [who] can often find the right ways to recover an operation. Once the dominos start to fall it has a knock-on effect.' Staff can't be replaced quickly Operators are struggling to recruit new staff quickly enough to meet surging post-Covid demand. One reason is the extensive background checks aviation staff must undergo, with operators reporting that these are taking much longer than usual. Some aviation chiefs say they are taking as long as five weeks or more or around 20 per cent longer than usual. Legally, aviation firms must seek references from new recruits' previous employers for the past five years. Until recently, they had to contact each employer manually, dragging out the process. In some cases, new recruits have had ten or more employers in that time, prolonging recruitment drives. The industry claims government counter-terror checks, which must be carried out, have also been taking longer. During this time, many prospective new workers are said to be dropping out after finding work elsewhere. Most airlines also like to spend at least a few weeks training cabin crew, although legally they can be deployed on planes after just a few days' training. Poor basic pay and terms and conditions being offered by operators has also been blamed for recruitment drives stalling. Some are offering barely more than the minimum wage to baggage handlers, security staff and cabin crew. Too many flights being scheduled Some airlines scheduled too many flights after all Covid travel restrictions were dropped in March, having apparently gambled that they could recruit new staff quicker. Hundreds of flights had to be cancelled at the last minute during the Easter holidays because some carriers didn't have enough staff to operate them. Passengers line up to check in at Gatwick as chaos at British flight hubs continues Hundreds more are now being pulled from schedules further in advance by BA, easyJet and TUI. It means they have effectively banked millions of pounds from travellers for trips they couldn't honour. But, despite a reduction in schedules, insiders say some airline and airport staff are still being pushed to the limit and stretched more than ever to ensure flights leave on time and huge queues are avoided. This is inevitably having a knock-on effect on quality of service and turn-around times as staff become exhausted. One senior industry source said: 'It would be unusual if operators were not pushing some staff harder than they'd like to be pushed. 'But right now the boundaries are probably being pushed as much as they can within the law.' Could Government be doing more? The industry claims the Government must also shoulder some of the blame and should now be doing more to help. It says all Covid travel restrictions were only dropped in March and that left only a month or two to ramp up operations to meet the surge in demand. It points to the fact that almost all restrictions were lifted towards the end of last year, only for them to be reimposed just before Christmas due to the discovery of the Omicron variant. The Government's furlough scheme also ended on September 30 last year, making it harder to retain staff. But in truth, the Government announced on January 24 that restrictions were to be dropped for the fully vaccinated the vast majority of travellers. Operators have therefore had five months to prepare for the peak summer season, which should be enough. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has also changed the law to streamline the process for employment checks, allowing staff to be recruited quicker. It means some operators have, in reality, mismanaged the situation and only have themselves to blame. Disruption may last for months Recruitment experts say disruption could last for up to a year due to the volatility of the aviation jobs market, meaning summer holidays also face severe disruption. Kully Sandhu, boss of the Aviation Recruitment Network agency, which has 300 sector vacancies, says those who left the industry after being sacked during the pandemic have found other, more lucrative work or jobs with more sociable hours. It means the industry faces an uphill struggle to get staff back to pre-pandemic levels. Mr Sandhu said: 'In my opinion, it could be up to 12 months before we see staffing at airports back to pre-pandemic levels. 'There is also now over-demand and under-supply, with everybody fighting for the same individuals to work in their business. 'Other industries have also taken away a lot of the talent. It's a whole catalogue of things.' Before Brexit, jobs such as baggage handling were typically done by Europeans. But fewer are applying for such roles since Britain left the EU. Operators may be forced to offer better wages and terms and conditions if they want to avoid a crisis this summer. UK operators are not alone Security waiting times at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport have become so long in recent weeks that airlines, among them Dutch carrier KLM, have halted bookings due to the risk of passengers missing flights. Queues there have been much like those at British airports in recent weeks, snaking outside terminal doors, with waits of several hours to check in bags. Fights have even broke out between passengers. Hundreds of flights have been cancelled by airlines using the airport as a result. Travellers have also described 'hellish' queues at Dublin Airport, while Los Angeles International Airport has struggled to meet demand, leading to dozens of flight cancellations. Dick Benschop, chief executive officer of the Royal Schiphol Group, has pledged that the chaos 'will be gone this summer'. British travellers can only hope the same will happen here. A Ukrainian refugee in Britain has spotted her looted new boiler perched on top of a Russian tank. Alina Koreniuk, who was a police officer back home, said her husband showed her the photo posted online and asked: Do you notice anything strange about this? Other items on the vehicle included their tablecloth, new Disney bedsheets and a red blanket. The picture was taken close to their home in Popasna, Luhansk, a few days ago. Our reaction was that whatever they hadnt destroyed they would steal, she told the BBC. Alina Koreniuk (right), a Ukrainian refugee in Britain, was surprised to spot her new boiler photographed on top of a Russian tank in Luhansk along with other loot. Pictured: Alina Koreniuk with her mother Other items on the vehicle included their tablecloth, new Disney bedsheets and a red blanket - as Russian troops begin looting abandoned civilian homes 'We expected houses in Popasna to be looted. Mrs Koreniuk fled to the UK on April 8 and is living with a family in Nottinghamshire, with her daughters Kristina, 12, and Olha, eight. Her husband had to stay behind. Their hosts are thought to be among the first in the country to register for the scheme. Mrs Koreniuks grandmother was forced to leave behind a pet dog, which was killed either by shrapnel or by the occupying forces. Her husband was forced to stay behind as men under 60 cannot leave the country. A woman accused of organising a hit against her ex-lover claimed her new husband blamed him for her miscarriage before shooting him over ruined Easter plans. Biannca Edmunds, 35, is accused of ordering Glen Cassidy to murder Michael Caposiena - the estranged father of her toddler son - after he expressed a desire to continue access visits with their child. On Monday, the Supreme Court of Victoria heard Edmunds immediately pinned the murder on Cassidy, who bled to death after shooting Mr Caposiena dead inside his West Meadows home, north of Melbourne, in March 2016. Biannca Edmunds has been accused of directing her husband Glen Cassidy (both pictured) to kill Michael Caposiena Biannca Edmunds leaves the Supreme Court of Victoria last week His bloody body was found outside the murder house next to a cap captioned 'Fear The Reaper'. Edmunds has pleaded not guilty to the murder. The jury heard Edmunds painted her ex-lover to police as a violent woman beater. 'I said that the visits would have to be supervised. When we were together, he shoved me into the cupboard and told my eight-year-old that I was going to kill the baby,' Edmunds told a detective upon learning of the deaths. Edmunds claimed Cassidy had blamed Mr Caposiena for her miscarriage, which happened a day after a Family Court hearing over the access visits. 'Glen thought that it was Michael's fault. Glen was so upset. I told him it was all right and that we'd go again, she said. The jury heard last week Edmunds is accused of manipulating Cassidy to do her alleged evil bidding by using a deadly mix of scathing abuse and kinky sex. 'If you were a real man and you had any f**king balls, you'd go and deal with this bloke,' Edmunds allegedly told Cassidy. 'You're a spineless coward. You're not a real man at all.' The jury heard Edmunds also had plans to profit from her ex-partner's demise by making a cruel legal challenge on his estate on behalf of their child. A court later ticked-off on half of the value of Mr Caposiena's $600,000 estate despite Ms Silva still being alive. Biannca Edmunds is accused of ordering a brutal hit against her former partner in an effort to keep him out of their child's life It took detectives almost a year to charge Edmunds with the murder following a series of supposed blunders, including confiscating the wrong laptop from her home and failing to adequately analyse Cassidy's mobile phone. Edmunds had insisted it was Cassidy who had been hell bent on removing her ex-lover from their lives. On the day of the deadly attack, Edmunds claimed Cassidy had been furious. 'I reminded Glen that we had to have Easter a day early because Michael was due for an access visit. We've had the dates for months. Glen cracked it,' she told police. 'Because he lost his job, he felt really useless not being able to look after his family. We argued about being broke and him not looking for work.' Edmunds claimed Cassidy grabbed his jumper and left the house. 'I'm f**king over it,' she claimed Cassidy told her. At 12.45pm that day, Edmunds claimed Cassidy texted her outlining his plans - it is a text message police claim she wrote herself to provide an alibi. The jury has been shown numerous text messages sent by Cassidy - most of which indicate he could hardly string a word together. This text, the jury has heard, showed all the signs of being typed by someone else. 'He texted he was going to sort it out,' Edmunds told police. 'I thought maybe he was going to pick up the wedding photos. When he said that he was going to sort it out, I thought he was just saying it to make me feel guilty for cracking it at him. I don't know. I thought he'd be back in like an hour.' Michael Caposiena died after he was shot in the head in March 2016 Biannca Edmunds (right) remains free on bail. She is pictured leaving the Supreme Court of Victoria on Wednesday Edmunds told police Cassidy's brother had been a member of The Outlaws motorcycle gang, but claimed she had no idea where he might have got access to the gun he used to shoot his victim. On Monday, Edmunds' mother and sister both gave evidence for the prosecution against her. Both claimed upon learning of Cassidy's death, Edmunds made comments suggesting she was in on the plot. 'Glen wasn't supposed to die,' Edmunds allegedly told her sister Karinia Edmunds. Karinia, who became estranged from her sister upon making a police statement in 2018, claimed Edmunds had told her she wanted Mr Caposiena 'out of the way'. Her ex had been disrupting of her lifestyle - in Victoria's north - and she had been sick of travelling down to Melbourne for the access visits, the court heard. Karinia had been with her sister in December 2016 when homicide squad detectives finally interviewed her. 'When she got home, she said she was grateful and relieved they didn't find the correct laptop ... they had taken the wrong one,' she told the jury. The jury has heard harrowing evidence about the night Mr Caposiena was shot dead in his own home. Silvana Silva and Mr Caposiena had been watching tv when Cassidy knocked on the door armed with a revolver. The knife used by Mr Caposiena to stab Glen Cassidy seconds before he was shot through the head Glen Cassidy's blood on the porch outside the house where he shot dead Mr Caposiena. He bled to death after attacking Silvana Silva 'I only had eyes to the gun. I was - I was - I was petrified when I saw the gun, I couldn't move, I couldn't - I couldn't think straight, I couldn't do anything,' Ms Silva said last week. The jury was shown bloody crime scene video and images of the aftermath of the pair's final battle. Ms Silva alleged Cassidy had pushed her partner back and pointed the revolver at his head. While she never saw Mr Caposiena repeatedly plunge the knife into his attacker in his last moments of life, the jury was shown Cassidy's corpse sprawled across the footpath just outside the home. He had succumbed to massive blood loss after attempting to pulverise Ms Silva to death with his empty gun. 'I rushed to the door to scream for help. I just started screaming outside for help and that was when he pointed the gun towards my head as well and pulled the trigger,' Ms Silva said. 'It didn't work because I'm not sure if the gun was fully loaded.' The trial continues. Fear The Reaper: a cap found at the bloody crime scene Advertisement Margate is the Queen's Jubilee property hotspot, having seen the biggest rise in asking prices since the Diamond Jubilee ten years ago. The Kent hotspot has seen typical values more than double during the decade from 148,000 to 308,508 - an increase of more than 150,000, according to Rightmove. It comes as people across the country prepare to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee over the four-day weekend from tomorrow, with a series of events from Trooping the Colour to street parties. Rightmove has revealed the places where property asking prices have increased the most during the past decade Margate is the Queen's Jubilee hotspot, having seen the biggest rise in property asking prices since the Diamond Jubilee ten years ago, according to Rightmove It is followed by Brislington, an area within the city of Bristol, where asking prices have risen 104 per cent from 166,192 to 338,800. And Dover in Kent takes the third slot, with asking prices increasing 101 per cent during the past 10 years to 261,474. The Kent hotspot of Margate (pictured) has seen typical values more than double during the decade from 148,000 to 308,508 - an increase of more than 150,000 Mark Brooks, of Miles & Barr estate agents in East Kent, said: 'It is no surprise to us to see Margate top the list of areas that have increased in price the most over the last ten years. 'Margate provides prospective buyers with the opportunity to live in a picturesque town with stunning views of the sea, and with travel time back to London taking less than 1 hour 30 minutes to St Pancras station, it is a place that allows many to either solely work from home or have a hybrid working solution. 'Developments such as the Turner Gallery and Dreamland, alongside investments by Kent County Council, have brought new energy to the town and they also have attracted tourists to Margate which increases the local economy. 'Margate is also becoming more well-known and attractive to potential buyers due to the film industry as 'The Empire of Light', a film directed by Sam Mendes, was recently shot in Margate.' This three-bed house in Margate, Kent, is on the market for 595,000 and is being sold by Miles & Barr estate agents JUBILEE PROPERTY HOTSPOTS WHERE ASKING PRICES HAVE RISEN THE MOST IN THE PAST TEN YEARS Location Region Average Asking Price April 2022 Average Asking Price April 2012 % change Margate, Kent South East 308,508 148,763 107% Brislington, Bristol South West 338,800 166,192 104% Dover, Kent South East 261,474 130,265 101% St. George, Bristol South West 293,269 146,344 100% Broadstairs, Kent South East 481,465 240,695 100% Minster-on-Sea, Kent South East 337,338 169,045 100% Patchway, Bristol South West 304,606 153,472 98% Pitsea, Essex East of England 296,350 149,616 98% Bedminster, Bristol South West 369,328 186,846 98% Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire East of England 298,999 151,359 98% Source: Rightmove This two-bed terrace in Brislington, Bristol, is for sale for 350,000 and is being sold by Eveleighs estate agents This four-bed detached house in Dover, Kent, is for sale for 650,000 and is being sold by Andrew & Co estate agents Areas in the South West and the South East make up the majority of the top ten hotspots, with four locations each. However, areas in the East of England have seen the biggest jump in asking prices overall at an average of 63 per cent. Meanwhile, in London, Rightmove analysed the rise in asking prices in areas along the Jubilee Line on the London Underground - the line that is named after the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977. Stratford topped the list, with asking prices for homes near the station more than doubling on average, up 102 per cent from 238,150 to 480,271. West Ham came second, increasing 99 per cent, while Wembley Park was third with values up 78 per cent. Stratford (pictured) topped the list for areas in London around the Jubilee Line on the Underground, which is the line named after the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977 LONDON JUBILEE HOTSPOTS WHERE ASKING PRICES HAVE RISEN THE MOST Location Average Asking Price April 2022 Average Asking Price April 2012 % change Stratford 480,271 238,150 102% West Ham 420,365 210,992 99% Wembley Park 514,172 288,938 78% Neasden 530,198 310,222 71% Kingsbury 548,848 321,332 71% Source: Rightmove Rightmove's Tim Bannister said: 'In a momentous occasion for the Queen, it's interesting to see the areas where house prices have risen the most since the last jubilee celebration. 'Homeowners in Kent are some of the biggest winners in this decade study, with four locations in the top ten, while for buyers, it's easy to see the appeal in moving to an area near the coast for less the national average asking price. 'Bristol also emerges as a key hotspot, with four areas of the city also making up the top ten. With working patterns very different to that of a decade ago, it will be fascinating to see market dynamics in ten years from now, particularly in cities such as Bristol which may continue to attract more people who may have traditionally headed to London.' Former United States President Donald Trump made remarks during a rally in Wyoming calling the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Hill insurrection a "hoax" despite the chaotic riot resulting in seven dead amid his attacks on Rep. Liz Cheney. The Republican businessman's statements came ahead of the state's Aug. 16 primary where Trump has endorsed Harriet Hageman to face Cheney. The latter has been critical of the former president and voted for his impeachment for his role in the insurrection and is part of the House Select Committee investigating the details of the Jan. 6 riot. Trump Calls' Jan. 6 a "Hoax" Speaking in front of a crowd in Casper on Saturday evening, Trump said that there was no "RINO in America who has thrown in her lot with the radical left more than Liz Cheney." He said that the Wyoming Republican was one of the country's leading proponents of the insurrection hoax. Trump said that Cheney has continuously pushed a grotesquely false, fabricated, hysterical partisan narrative regarding the Jan. 6 insurrection. The former president called the use of the word "insurrection" a "lot of cr*p," as per Independent. The former president also criticized Cheney and her father's hawkish foreign policy impulses, saying that Wyoming deserves a congresswoman who stands up for the people and their values. Trump argued that Cheney spent all of her time going after him in the most vicious way possible. Read Also: Donald Trump Criticizes Biden Administration for Prioritizing Ukraine Over the Security of American Kids From Savage Violence Before Trump took the stage in Wyoming, Hageman addressed the crowd, warning her supporters that Democrats will "turn the greatest country on Earth into a third-world failure. However, one of the lines that garnered the candidate her biggest applause was when she said that they were fed up with the Jan. 6 commission and the people who think they can gaslight them. According to Rolling Stone, Trump would sometimes invoke Cheney's Father, Dick, who is a former vice president of the United States, in his verbal attacks. He said that the Cheneys along with George Bush did not even pardon Scooter Libby. He noted that he was the one who gave Libby a pardon. Deadly Capitol Insurrection During the rally, Trump also showed a manipulated image that showed the congresswoman with Bush's face. The former president said that the Jan. 6 insurrection "hoax" was another con job similar to the Russia controversy. He argued that the issue was made up by Hillary Clinton and the Democrats and called it a "total fake story." Trump then continued to claim that he has been investigated more than Al Capone and a list of other infamous criminals in history. The situation comes as Trump is being accused of inciting the deadly insurrection because he held a rally near the White House prior to the riot. At the time, he urged the crowd to go to the Capitol and "fight like hell" to overturn the election result that showed he lost to Joe Biden. Trump then ignored calls from colleagues and relatives to publicly call his supporters off as the large group broke into the Capitol and rampaged through corridors, offices, and chambers. They attacked vastly outnumbered police officers and sent Democrats and Republicans fleeing for their lives, The Guardian reported. Related Article: Trump Aims To Oust Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, Expresses Support for Harriet Hageman @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Virtual children that play with you, cuddle you, and even look like you will be commonplace in 50 years, and could help to combat overpopulation, an artificial intelligence expert has claimed. These computer-generated offspring will only exist in the immersive digital world known as the 'metaverse', which is accessed using virtual reality technology such as a headset to make a user feel as if they're face-to-face with the child. They will cost next to nothing to bring up, as they will require minimal resources, according to Catriona Campbell, one of the UK's leading authorities on AI and emerging technologies. In her new book, AI by Design: A Plan For Living With Artificial Intelligence, she argues that concerns about overpopulation will prompt society to embrace digital children. She describes them as the 'Tamagotchi generation' a reference to the handheld digital pets that became wildly popular among Western youngsters in the late 1990s and the 2000s. Virtual children that play with you, cuddle you, and even look like you will be commonplace in 50 years, and could help to combat overpopulation, an artificial intelligence expert claims These computer-generated offspring will only exist in the immersive digital world known as the 'metaverse', which is accessed using virtual reality technology such as a headset to make a user feel as if they're face-to-face with the child What is the metaverse? The 'metaverse' is a set of virtual spaces where you can game, work and communicate with other people who aren't in the same physical space as you. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has been a leading voice on the concept, which is seen as the future of the internet and would blur the lines between the physical world and the digital one. 'You'll be able to hang out with friends, work, play, learn, shop, create and more,' Facebook has said. 'It's not necessarily about spending more time online it's about making the time you do spend online more meaningful.' While Facebook is leading the charge with the metaverse, it explained that it isn't a single product one company can build alone. 'Just like the internet, the metaverse exists whether Facebook is there or not,' it added. 'And it won't be built overnight. Many of these products will only be fully realised in the next 10-15 years.' Advertisement 'Virtual children may seem like a giant leap from where we are now, but within 50 years technology will have advanced to such an extent that babies which exist in the metaverse are indistinct from those in the real world,' she writes. 'As the metaverse evolves, I can see virtual children becoming an accepted and fully embraced part of society in much of the developed world.' Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has been a leading voice on the metaverse concept, which is seen as the future of the internet and would blur the lines between the physical world and the digital one. The term, coined in the 1992 dystopian novel 'Snow Crash', is used to describe immersive, shared spaces accessed across different platforms. Ms Campbell believes that people will one day be able to use high-tech gloves that are able to deliver tactile feedback to replicate physical sensations. This would allow someone to cuddle, feed and play with their digital offspring as though it were a real child. 'We're already well on our way to creating the Tamagotchi generation which, for all intents and purposes, will be "real" to their parents,' Ms Campbell adds. 'On the basis that consumer demand is there, which I think it will be, AI children will become widely available for a relatively small monthly fee. 'Make no mistake that this development, should it indeed take place, is a technological game-changer which, if managed correctly, could help us solve some of today's most pressing issues, including overpopulation.' The AI expert said the virtual children would likely have photo-realistic faces and bodies thanks to CGI and advance machine learning and would be able to recognise and respond to their parents with the help of voice analysis and facial tracking. Catriona Campbell, one of the UK's leading authorities on AI, describes virtual children as the 'Tamagotchi generation' a reference to the handheld digital pets (pictured) that became wildly popular among Western youngsters in the late 1990s and the 2000s The AI expert said the virtual children would likely have photo-realistic faces and bodies thanks to CGI and advance machine learning and would be able to recognise and respond to their parents with the help of voice analysis and facial tracking Ms Campbell (pictured) believes that people will one day be able to use high-tech gloves that are able to deliver tactile feedback to replicate physical sensations She said parents would be able to interact with them in digital environments such as a park, swimming pool or living room. They will also be able to choose how quickly the children grow up, if at all, and can share conversations and listen to a baby's coo and giggle as part of the vision for the futuristic technology. There is already a proof of concept for virtual children. 'BabyX', which is an experiment by New Zealand-based company Soul Machines, is aimed at humanising AI to make it more appealing for the public to interact with. The virtual child's 'brain' is composed of algorithms that deduce what is good and bad. This enables BabyX to learn how to respond to interactions just like a real baby. Its movements and expressions on screen are also devised from actual movements of babies. A supercomputer in the US called 'Frontier' has become the fastest in the world, beating its closest rival in Japan. Frontier, based at the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, is the first to achieve a level of computing known as 'exascale'. Exascale refers to a system that can perform at least one quintillion operations per second a billion billion calculations, or 1 followed by 18 zeroes. This makes Frontier more than twice as powerful than the Fugaku supercomputer in Japan, which was deemed the world's fastest supercomputer back in June 2020. Frontier will allow scientists to develop technologies for the US's energy, economic and national security, said Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and solve computational problems that were impossible to do just five years ago. The Frontier supercomputer at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has earned the top ranking as the world's fastest on the 59th TOP500 list THE TOP FIVE SUPERCOMPUTERS 1. Frontier (Tennessee, US) 2. Fugaku (Kobe, Japan) 3. LUMI (Kajaani, Finland) 4. Summit (Tennessee, US) 5. Sierra (California, US) Source: Top 500 list (June 2022 edition) Advertisement Frontier now sits at the summit of the 59th TOP 500 list, thanks to its 1.1 exaflops (1,100 petaflops) of performance power. Fugaku with its 442 petaflops, meanwhile, is placed second on the TOP 500 list, which ranks computer systems by power twice a year. Rankings were announced at the International Supercomputing Conference 2022, which is taking place this week in Hamburg, Germany. 'Frontier is ushering in a new era of exascale computing to solve the world's biggest scientific challenges,' said Thomas Zacharia, director of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). 'This milestone offers just a preview of Frontier's unmatched capability as a tool for scientific discovery.' According to ORNL, Frontier features a theoretical peak performance of 2 exaflops, or two quintillion calculations per second. This makes it 10 times more powerful than ORNL's existing Summit supercomputer, which sits on the TOP 500 list at number four. The system is the first to achieve an unprecedented level of computing performance known as exascale, a threshold of a quintillion calculations per second Testing and validation of the Frontier system is still ongoing, but full science operations are on track for the beginning of 2023 BREAKING THE 'EXASCALE BARRIER' Exascale refers to a computing system that can perform at least one exaflop or one quintillion calculations per second Each 'flop' represents a possible calculation, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication or division. And one quintillion is a billion billion, or 1 followed by 18 zeros. To put that number in perspective, the Milky Way galaxy is 1 quintillion kilometers wide, and it would take 40 years for 1 quintillion gallons of water to flow over Niagara Falls. Further, you'd need every single person on Earth calculating 24 hours a day for more than four years to do what an exascale supercomputer can do in 1 second. Source: HPE Advertisement According to one expert, two new supercomputers in China may actually be faster than Frontier it's just that operators of those Chinese systems have not submitted test results for evaluation by scientists at TOP 500. This may be due to tensions between the US and China, although there are some Chinese entries on the new list. 'There are rumours China has something,' Jack Dongarra, a computer science professor at the University of Tennessee, told the New York Times. 'There is nothing official.' Governments use supercomputers to simulate nuclear blasts, to perform virtual weapons testing and other computationally complex tasks. They are also used for modelling climate systems; the UK Met Office has a Cray XC4 which is one of the most powerful of its type dedicated to climate modelling, although it's set to be replaced by a more powerful system this year. Supercomputers can also be used biotechnology research and medicine the Fugauku machine has been working on the fight against Covid. The work to deliver, install and test Frontier began during the Covid pandemic, but shutdowns around the world strained international supply chains. More than 100 members of a public-private team worked around the clock to get Frontier built, from sourcing millions of components to ensuring deliveries of parts on time. Frontier is more than twice as powerful than the Fugaku supercomputer in Japan (pictured), which was deemed the world's fastest supercomputer back in June 2020 The lab said testing and validation of the system is still ongoing, but full science operations are on track for the beginning of 2023. 'When researchers gain access to the fully operational Frontier system later this year, it will mark the culmination of work that began over three years ago involving hundreds of talented people across the Department of Energy and our industry partners at HPE and AMD,' said Jeff Nichols at ORNL. 'Scientists and engineers from around the world will put these extraordinary computing speeds to work to solve some of the most challenging questions of our era, and many will begin their exploration on day one.' Frontier may be displaced at the Top 500 summit by a supercomputer that's currently being built by Mark Zuckerberg's firm Meta. The AI Research SuperCluster (RSC) will be the fastest supercomputer in the world when it's fully built by mid 2022, according to the tech giant. RSC will ultimately power the metaverse, a virtual-reality space online in which users can interact with a computer-generated environment and avatars of others. Meta hasn't revealed where exactly its supercomputer is based, although it could be at or close to the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, California. The mystery as to why the red supergiant star Betelgeuse experienced a massive dip in brightness two years ago may finally have been solved. Chance observations from a satellite that is actually designed to monitor weather on Earth show the so-called Great Dimming was caused by a combination of cooling and dust condensing nearby. This, Japanese researchers say, backs up previous research which suggested a cloud of dust and a cool spot on the star was likely to blame for Betelgeuse losing its shine. Astronomers were left stumped when it dimmed visibly in late 2019 and early 2020. The red supergiant which is about 550 light years from Earth reached a historical minimum of brightness, leading many experts to believe it might imminently explode as a supernova. The mystery as to why the red supergiant star Betelgeuse (pictured) experienced a massive dip in brightness two years ago may finally have been solved Chance observations from the satellite Himawari-8 (pictured in an artist's impression), which is actually designed to monitor weather on Earth, show the so-called Great Dimming was caused by a combination of cooling and dust condensing nearby WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT BETELGEUSE? Constellation: Orion Orion Distance: 700 light years 700 light years Age: 8 to 8.5 million years 8 to 8.5 million years Type: Red Supergiant Red Supergiant Surface Temperature: 5,800F 5,800F Diameter: 850 million miles 850 million miles Mass: 20 times the Sun Sitting in the constellation of Orion, it is the 10th brightest star in the sky. It is relatively young at about eight million years old and is 20 times larger than the Sun. As a supergiant it is likely to go supernova in 100,000 years - and likely becoming a black hole. It is a reddish variable star just 642 light years from Earth and is also known as Alpha Orionis. In near-infrared wavelengths it is the brightest star in the sky. Advertisement But data from the satellite Himawari-8 supports ground-based observations that the Great Dimming was caused both by the star cooling by about 284F (140C) and dust condensing from warm gas around it. Himawari-8 is used to continuously observe weather in Japan and nearby regions from a geostationary position nearly 23,000 miles (36,000km) above the Earth. However, it occasionally sees stars appear beyond the edges of our planet, including Betelgeuse once per day. Realising that the red supergiant might have occasionally been captured in the background of Himawari-8's images of the Earth, Daisuke Taniguchi and colleagues from the University of Tokyo pieced together four-and-a-half years of observations. This included the six months when Betelgeuse dimmed. The optical and infrared wavelengths of light that the Himawari-8 satellite normally detects were ideal for studying the dimming. Its location outside of the Earth's atmosphere also meant that it could record infrared light that the atmosphere might normally block. The researchers suggest that Betelgeuse's dimming was caused both by the star cooling by approximately 284F (140C), and by dust condensing from warm gas around it, in almost equal proportions. However, the cause of this sudden dust production is not yet clear. Experts think it may have been a shockwave in the star that shot gas outwards, which in turn then condensed into dust. This theory would also explain the subsequent cooling of the star, although researchers aren't certain if the two events were related. Himawari-8 is used to continuously observe weather in Japan from a geostationary position nearly 23,000 miles above the Earth. But it occasionally sees stars appear beyond the edges of our planet, including Betelgeuse once per day (pictured above) The red supergiant star Betelgeuse experienced a massive dip in brightness back in 2019 'The advantage of Himawari-8 over other telescopes is it is a monitoring telescope,' said Taniguchi. 'We saw Betelgeuse every day for five years [from 2017 to 2021].' The authors also collected data on four other stars over the same time period, suggesting that meteorological satellites like Himawari-8 could be valuable astronomical resources. This, the experts believe, is because they overcome some of the limitations of ground-based observatories, such as offering the potential for more frequent observations. Taniguchi now has plans to use Himawari-8 to observe more stars, including looking at their evolution and dust production. The discovery was revealed in the journal Nature Astronomy. Archaeologists are in a race against time to save a collection of undersea Stone Age cave art from rising sea levels and plastic pollution. To get to the 30,000-year-old paintings, they first have to dive to the bottom of the Mediterranean off southern France, before navigating a 450ft (137m) tunnel and eventually reaching a huge cavern that is now mostly submerged. It is the only place in the world where cave paintings of prehistoric marine life have been found. However, the art is now under threat from climate change and pollution. Experts are in a race against time to save undersea Stone Age cave art from rising sea levels and plastic pollution. To get to the 30,000-year-old paintings in the cave (pictured in a replica being built in Marseille), they have to dive to the bottom of the Mediterranean Divers have to navigate a 450ft (137m) tunnel to reach a huge cavern that is now mostly submerged WHAT IS THE COSQUER CAVERN? Although it was discovered in 1985, the Cosquer cavern wasn't officially made public until 1991. Henri Cosquer, a professional deep sea diver running a diving school, said he found the cave by chance but kept the news to himself and a few close friends. Despite this, rumours of its existence drew other divers and three died in the tunnel leading to the cave. Marked by the tragedies, Cosquer owned up to his discovery and it was classified as a historical monument that same year in 1991. The 229 figures depicted on the walls cover 13 different species. But neolithic men and women also left a mark of themselves on the walls, with 69 red or black hand prints as well as three left by mistake, including by children. It is estimated that the cave was occupied up to 33,000 years ago, although archaeologists don't think people lived there. Advertisement Since a sudden 5 inch (12cm) rise in the sea level there in 2011, archaeologist Luc Vanrell and his colleagues have been in a race against time to record everything they can. Every year the high water mark rises a few more millimetres, eating away a little more of the ancient paintings and carvings inside the Cosquer cavern. Vanrell and the diver-archaeologists he leads are having to work faster and faster to explore the last corners of the 27,000 square feet (2,500 square metre) grotto to preserve a trace of its neolithic wonders before they are lost. They have been carrying out digital mapping of the cave ahead of the opening of an almost life-sized 3D reconstruction of it a few miles away in Marseille. Around 600 signs, images and carvings some of aquatic life never before seen in cave paintings have been found on the walls of the immense cave 121 ft (37m) below the azure waters of the breathtaking Calanques inlets east of Marseille. 'We fantasised about bringing the cave to the surface,' said diver Bertrand Chazaly, who is in charge of the operation to digitalise the cave. 'When it is finished, our virtual Cosquer cavern which is accurate to within millimetres will be indispensable for researchers and archaeologists who will not be able to physically get inside.' The cave was some '10 kilometres from the coast' when it was in use, archaeologist Michel Olive told AFP. 'At the time we were in the middle of an ice age and the sea was 135 metres lower' than it is today. He said the entrance was protected by cliffs, adding: 'It was an extremely good place for prehistoric man.' The walls of the cave show the coastal plain was teeming with wildlife horses, deer, bison, ibex, prehistoric auroch cows, saiga antelopes but also seals, penguins, fish and a cat and a bear. The 229 figures depicted on the walls cover 13 different species. But neolithic men and women also left a mark of themselves on the walls, with 69 red or black hand prints as well as three left by mistake, including by children. That does not count the hundreds of geometric signs and the eight sexual depictions of male and female body parts, while Vanrell says the other thing that stands out about the cave is the length of time it was occupied 'from 33,000 to 18,500 years ago'. The sheer density of its graphics puts 'Cosquer among the four biggest cave art sites in the world'. 'And because the cave walls that are today underwater were probably also once decorated, nothing else in Europe compares to its size,' Vanrell added. Henri Cosquer (pictured), a professional deep sea diver running a diving school, said he found the cave by chance in 1985, just 50ft (15m) off the bare limestone cliffs While the law dictates that such discoveries must be declared immediately to the authorities so they can be preserved, Cosquer kept the news to himself and a few close friends Henri Cosquer, a professional deep sea diver running a diving school, said he found the cave by chance in 1985, just 50ft (15m) off the bare limestone cliffs. 'I came up in a pitch-dark cave. You are soaking, you come out of the mud and you slide around... It took me a few trips to go right around it,' he told AFP. 'At the start, I saw nothing with my lamp and then I came across a hand print.' While the law dictates that such discoveries must be declared immediately to the authorities so they can be preserved, Cosquer kept the news to himself and a few close friends. 'Nobody owned the cave. When you find a good spot for mushrooms, you don't tell everyone about it, do you?' he said. But rumours of its existence drew other divers and three died in the tunnel leading to the cave. Marked by the tragedies, Cosquer owned up to his discovery in 1991. The cave which bears his name is now sealed off by a railing and only scientific teams are allowed inside. Dozens of archeological research missions have been carried out since the cave's discovery was made public, in an attempt to preserve the site and make an inventory of the paintings Dozens of archeological research missions have been carried out since to study and preserve the site and make an inventory of the paintings and carvings. However, this gained added impetus following the discovery that the rapid rise in sea level had led to irreparable damage to some images. 'It was a catastrophe, and it really shook us psychologically,' Vanrell said of his discovery, particularly the enormous damage to the horse drawings. 'All the data shows that the sea level is rising faster and faster,' said geologist Stephanie Touron, a specialist in prehistoric painted caves at France's historic monuments research laboratory. 'The sea rises and falls in the cavity with variations in climate, washing the walls and leeching out soil and materials that are rich in information.' Microplastic pollution is making the damage to the paintings even worse. In the face of such an existential threat, the French government has launched a major push to record everything about the cavern, with archaeologist Cyril Montoya tasked with trying to better understand the prehistoric communities who used it. One of the mysteries he and his team will try to solve will be the trace of cloth on the cave wall, which might confirm a theory that hunter gatherers were making clothes at the time when the cave was occupied. Images of the horses with long manes also raises another major question. Archaeologists have been carrying out digital mapping of the cave ahead of the opening of an almost life-sized 3D reconstruction of it a few miles away in Marseille at the Villa Mediterranee Vanrell suspects this might indicate that they may have been already domesticated, at least partly, since wild horses have shorter manes, shorn down by galloping through bushes and vegetation. A drawing of what might be a harness may back up his theory. Areas preserved under a layer of translucent calcite also show the 'remains of coal', Montoya believes, which could have been used for painting or for heating or lighting. They may even have burned the coal on top of stalagmites, turning them into 'lamps to light the cavern'. But archaeologists say the central question of what the cave was used for remains an enigma. While experts agree that people did not live there, Olive said some believe it was a 'sanctuary, or a meeting place, or somewhere they mined moonmilk, the white substance on (limestone) cave walls that was used for body paint and for the background for paintings and carving.' The idea of making a replica of the site was first suggested soon after the cave was discovered. But it wasn't until 2016 that the regional government decided that it would be in a renovated modern building in Marseille next to Mucem, the museum of European and Mediterranean civilisations at the mouth of the city's Old Port. Using the 3D data gathered by the archaeological teams, the 23-million-euro ($24-million) replica is slightly smaller than the original cave but includes copies of all the paintings and 90 per cent of the carvings. Manchester United have been reportedly holding talks with Ajax over the signing of defender Jurrien Timber, who is high on Erik ten Hag's transfer shortlist. The new Red Devils boss is keen for the 20-year-old to follow in his footsteps and make the switch from Ajax to Old Trafford this summer, according to the Guardian. Following Manchester United's record-low 57 goals conceded last season, the new Dutch chief will be expected to revamp the back line and improve defensively ahead of August. Jurrien Timber helped Erik ten Hag win consecutive Eredivisie titles in 2020-21 and 2021-22 Timber played a pivotal role in both of Ten Hag's title-winning campaigns with Ajax, after the Dutch boss offered him an Eredivisie debut in March 2020. Although he operates predominantly as a central defender, rivalling club captain Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof to spots at the heart of defence, he can also be deployed as a full-back if required. The young United target made 43 appearances for Ajax in all competitions last season, including eight Champions League caps - he provided three goals and two assists across the campaign. The young Ajax defender has already made six senior international caps for the Netherlands Ajax reportedly value Timber at 43 million and have themselves offered the defender new terms despite United's initial interest. Villarreal defender and Spanish international Pau Torres, 25, is also on Ten Hag's radar, providing slightly more experience than his former Ajax colleague. As it stands, in order to lure Torres to Old Trafford, Manchester United would need to meet the 60 million release clause set out in his contract. The new Red Devils boss won six domestic trophies in five seasons whilst in Amsterdam Pau Torres' defending helped Villarreal make the Champions League semi-finals this season But Torres has reportedly been offered a new deal to keep him in Spain. Speaking about his future away from Villarreal, the Spaniard told AS: 'Right now there is nothing at all. 'I have peace of mind of being where they want me, at the club of my life and I have this offer right now that I value as very positive.' Erik ten Hag is eager to add midfielder De Jong to his new-look United squad The 26-year-old star has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United Frenkie de Jong has revealed his desire to stay at Barcelona despite speculation Frenkie de Jong has revealed his desire to stay at Barcelona, rather than link up with his former manager Erik ten Hag at Manchester United. The Holland international midfielder starred under Ten Hag at Ajax between 2016 and 2019 and is said to be available for around 65million if Barca can replace the 25-year-old with a major name. De Jong made 47 appearances for Barcelona in all competitions this season, scoring four times from midfield. Frenkie De Jong (left) has revealed his desire to stay at Barcelona rather than join Man United However, the midfielder has revealed to ESPN his desire to stay at Barcelona and fight for his place in the squad - despite the Catalan giants looking to offload him. The latest development is a huge blow to United's plans to rebuild their current squad to suit the style of play that incoming boss Ten Hag demands. 'I prefer to stay with Barcelona,' De Jong told ESPN. 'Barcelona is just my dream club. Also from a young age. I just said it too. 'I've never regretted my choice despite the fact that I had hoped for more in terms of prizes than I've achieved so far. But I have never regretted my choice.' It is a huge blow to United's plans to rebuild their current squad under new boss Ten Hag ESPN reporter Alex Shaw also tweeted: 'At 75m or so, and with a player who is not dead set on joining, Man Utd have got to pull the plug on this one and go elsewhere. 'It's becoming a totally pointless pursuit.' Frenkie De Jong has told ESPN that he'd prefer to stay at Barcelona. At 75m or so, and with a player who is not dead set on joining, Man Utd have got to pull the plug on this one and go elsewhere. It's becoming a totally pointless pursuit. pic.twitter.com/yNbuvqiSdm Alex Shaw (@AlexShawESPN) May 31, 2022 De Jong played under Ten Hag during his time at Ajax, where the Dutch manager helped him develop and attract interest from Barca among other elite clubs, following a string of superb displays during the 2018-19 season. He eventually joined Barcelona from Ajax for 64m in 2019 after months of speculation. De Jong has failed to impress heavily since arriving in Spain and could benefit from a move elsewhere. The Holland international midfielder starred under Ten Hag at Ajax between 2016 and 2019 Barcelona's salary limit is finally not in negative numbers this summer but a planned 1.3billion stadium renovation and the 331m the club owes in deferred wages means club president Joan Laporta remains open to offloading players. A report in the Spanish media on Thursday said that Barca would be willing to let De Jong leave if they can replace him with FIFA Men's Player of the Year Robert Lewandowski or Manchester City playmaker Bernardo Silva. Laporta admitted to Le Sportiu: 'Right now, everything is open. 'The truth is that there are players we have renewed and who have a present and a future, and it is obvious that we want them to continue in our ranks. Barcelona club president Joan Laporta remains open to offloading players including De Jong 'And there are others that also have a high quality but have a market, also have proposals, and in this case a lot will depend a lot on the issue of [financial] fair play. 'I'm talking about Barca's first-team players and there are many who have great quality. 'Frenkie has great quality, he knows our system and, yes, he is a coveted player in the market and we have received proposals, but we think he should continue at Barca.' Although De Jong could still potentially be available this summer, it is expected that Manchester United will begin to turn their focus elsewhere, as they look to recruit a new midfielder. LaLiga president Javier Tebas has insisted that Barcelona are currently unable to sign Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich. Lewandowski put Europe's top sides on high alert this week when he publicly declared his career at Bayern was 'over'. The 33-year-old has one year left on his deal at the Bundesliga side and has been widely linked with a move to the Nou Camp, with the striker said to be in contact with Blaugrana boss Xavi. LaLiga president Javier Tebas (left) insisted Barcelona cannot sign Robert Lewandowski (right) However, Tebas has rained on Barcelona's parade as he insisted the Catalan giants are in no financial position to be able to secure the services of the Poland international. Speaking to Marca, the LaLiga chief said: 'They (Barcelona) know what they have to do. 'They know perfectly well our economic control rules and their financial situation. The rules are there to avoid major economic problems. I don't know if they will sell De Jong, Pedri or Pepito Perez. The striker has one year left on his deal and has been widely linked with a move to Barcelona 'They know what they have to do - sell assets and earn more, this is what they have to do. 'Barca has had many accumulated losses in the last tax years, some which could have been avoided and they have to stock the pantry. 'Just as Madrid have stocked up, Barcelona have emptied it. Today they cannot sign him (Lewandowski).' Barcelona had been hoping to embark on a summer rebuild under the promising tutelage of club legend Xavi. The Catalan side had been hoping for a summer rebuild with club legend Xavi at the helm However, while they have looked to move early in the transfer market by snapping-up good value players where possible, their transfer plans have already hit a bump. Owing to their present financial situation, the club must sell if they are to make any more signings or even register new players. Barcelona were hoping to shift Frenkie de Jong amid interest from Manchester United but the Dutchman has dealt them a blow as he insisted he would rather stay and fight for his place at the Nou Camp, according to ESPN. The Catalan side have already been unable to register two players who are set to officially join on free transfers - Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen - and face a similar problem if they are to make a move for Lewandowski. Frenkie de Jong but he insisted he would rather stay at the Nou Camp and fight for his place Lewandowski has not been happy at Bayern for some time, with it recently being claimed that he told friends that he started to consider leaving when the club's sporting director, Hasan Salihamidzic, expressed interest in signing Erling Haaland last August. Now, he has made it clear he has no intention of playing for the German side ever again. 'My era at Bayern is over,' Lewandowski told reporters while on international duty with Poland. 'I don't see any possibility to continue playing for this club anymore. 'Bayerns a serious club and I believe they wont keep me, I don't want to play there anymore. A transfer is the best solution. I hope they don't stop me.' However, Barcelona face competition for the prolific striker as his former agent, Maik Barthel, recently claimed that the Pole has always dreamed of playing for Real Madrid, who recently missed out on securing the services of Kylian Mbappe. Meanwhile, there is also interest from England, with Chelsea eyeing a move for Lewandowski with Romelu Lukaku facing an uncertain future. New Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is reportedly monitoring Mason Mount's contract situation at Stamford Bridge ahead of a potential shock move. Mount still has two years remaining on his contract but his future at Chelsea is already in doubt. Following the takeover of the club by Todd Boehly's consortium, the England international has reportedly seen discussions over a new deal stall. Man United boss Erik ten Hag (left) is 'monitoring' Mason Mount's (right) contract situation According to The Sun, incoming United manager Ten Hag is aware of the 23-year-old's contract situation in west London. The Dutchman is claimed to be keeping a close eye on Mount's predicament and the Red Devils have reportedly already made their interest known. Ten Hag was said to first be made aware of Mount when he impressed on loan at Vitesse Arnheim in Holland and the manager has continued to monitor the Englishman's progress since. Discussions over a new deal have 'stalled' amid Todd Boehly's takeover of the west London side He is thought to be a big fan and the report claims that Ten Hag would pounce at the chance to bring him to Old Trafford. Despite being an integral part of Thomas Tuchel's side, Mount is one of Chelsea's lowest paid players - on an 88,000-a-week deal. With the Blues setting a defensive rebuild as a priority this summer in the wake of departures from Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger, a new deal for Mount has slipped down the order of business. Despite two years being left on his current contract, Chelsea run a greater risk of other clubs circling as his deal draws closer to its final 12 months. The England international is is one of Chelsea's lowest paid players on 88,000 a week Liverpool and Manchester City are said to have already made 'discreet enquiries' if he should ever consider a move away from Stamford Bridge, while Barcelona are also believed to be monitoring the Chelsea academy product. However, despite the speculation surrounding his future, Mount appears committed to Chelsea as he insisted he was excited for next season with the Blues. Mount, who enjoyed a weekend at the Monaco Grand Prix this week, told Sky Sports: 'It's an exciting time now with the owners being confirmed, going forward it's going to be exciting. 'The era under Roman [Abramovich] has been brilliant, now we look forward. It's exciting stuff, can't wait to get back to it.' Two Americans who recently visited the UK for the first-ever time have revealed the good, the bad, the weird and the scary of their trip, with driving in Devon and Cornwall falling into the latter category. Couple Cara Atwell, 37, and Jeremy Davis, 41, arrived in the UK for the first time on March 23 this year for a road trip around England and Scotland and told MailOnline Travel that 'driving in Cornwall and Devon was the scariest thing we experienced', adding: 'Coming from the large roads in America to the tiny, winding roads with tall walls [hedges] was terrifying. That's how our road trip began, so at least it made the rest of the driving seem easy in comparison.' The couple also had to contend with the hire-car's unfamiliar manual gearbox. Couple Cara Atwell and Jeremy Davis (above) arrived in the UK for the first time on March 23 this year for a road trip around England and Scotland. The first place they stayed was an Airbnb in the Shoreditch area of London Cara said: 'On the first day I drove, I pulled into a car park that I needed to reverse out of, but it had been so long since I had driven a manual transmission that we had to sit in the car park while looking up a Youtube video about how to put a gear stick in reverse. 'It turns out, there's a ring you have to lift.' One of the big-ticket sights that the couple visited once they'd figured out reverse gear was Stonehenge. It's one of the world's most famous prehistoric monuments and described by English Heritage as 'awe-inspiring'. Cara and Jeremy, however, said they were 'a little underwhelmed', adding: 'We knew ahead of time that we wouldn't be able to get very close to it, but even so, it was a bit anti-climactic. We are glad we finally got to see it in person but likely wouldn't visit again.' The rest of the trip was a big hit, though, with the locals being nice to them 'everywhere we went'. 'We didn't want to leave,' the couple said. Cara is pictured here eating a Cornish pasty at Ann's Pasties in Helston, Cornwall. She said that driving in the county was 'terrifying' After flying into Heathrow Airport, which they said was 'very easy to navigate', the couple settled into an Airbnb in the hipster Shoreditch area of London. They said: 'We loved staying there because it gave us a sense of what living in London would actually be like as opposed to if we had stayed in a hotel in a touristy area.' And London, they declared, has a 'great vibe'. They explained: 'There is so much history and so many different cultures in one city that every new experience was different from the previous one. 'We didn't want to leave. There is so much to see and do in London that we felt like we barely scratched the surface, so we can't wait to visit again. Cara (pictured having an afternoon tea at Bettys York Tea Room) and Jeremy said that they had 'amazing food in the UK', adding: 'We already miss things that we don't have in America like scones with clotted cream or chips with curry sauce' Jeremy and Cara in Bath - 'a city Americans would fall in love with' 'We thought Camden was really neat and definitely want to spend more time there in the future. We are big music fans, so taking a music tour and seeing so many significant places like Abbey Road and the Ziggy Stardust album cover location [Heddon Street] were amazing experiences. We were told we had to see a West End show, but I was hesitant about that until Jeremy convinced me that we should see Back to the Future: The Musical. It was an amazing show and so much fun! I'm so glad we didn't skip that.' It was York, however, that took the plaudit as 'best part of the trip'. The couple said: 'It was just an amazing and beautiful city, full of such interesting history. We went to some really neat pubs there and had some amazing food.' Bath was a winner, too. They added: 'York and Bath are two cities that I think most Americans would fall in love with.' Were there any preconceptions about the UK they had before arriving that subsequently dissolved? They said: 'We did a lot of research beforehand, so I don't think there were any unexpected surprises, but the UK seems to have a reputation for having bad food, which we did not find to be true at all. York, pictured, was the best part of the trip for Jeremy and Cara Jeremy and Cara are pictured here at Saint Michael's Mount in Cornwall. They said they'd love to visit Wales and Northern Ireland next time they're in the UK Jeremy is pictured here in Camden, a place that he and Cara found 'really neat' 'We had so much amazing food in the UK! We already miss things that we don't have in America like scones with clotted cream or chips with curry sauce.' When asked if they found any parts of life in the UK plain weird, they replied that they were 'fascinated by the number of faucets where the hot and cold water are separate', adding: 'Britain seems to be ahead of America in so many ways, yet that seems very old-fashioned. It's not very common in the U.S.' The couple - who are from Portland, Oregon, but describe themselves as 'digital nomads' - set out with a big to-do list, and have 'an even bigger list of things to do when we come back'. They added: 'We'd make sure to visit Kent and more of the South that we missed. We'd also love to visit Wales and Northern Ireland.' To see videos of Cara and Jeremy's travels, visit their YouTube channel The Magic Geekdom. Austin Butler looked suave as he attended the Elvis screening, hosted by Warner Bros. and British GQ, at The Ham Yard Hotel on Monday night in London. The actor, 30, who plays the titular character, put on a dapper display in a black pinstripe suit which he layered above a white scoop neck T-shirt. Posing up a storm with Olivia DeJonge, 24, who plays his wife Priscilla in the biopic, she flashed her midriff in a tight black maxi dress with a semi-transparent cutout. Main man: Austin Butler looked dapper in a black pinstripe suit as he and his co-star Olivia DeJonge attended the Elvis screening in London on Monday night She added inches to her enviable frame with a pair of towering charcoal heels while her sandy curls tumbled over her shoulder. Director Baz Luhrmann also sported a black suit while Yola (Sister Rosetta Tharpe) put on an eye-popping display in an orange silk gown. Ncuti Gatwa, who is set to become the new Doctor Who, looked suave in a grey Burberry jacket featuring an oversized black collar. He layered the number beneath a grey knitted sweater and a white polo neck top while donning a pair of khaki trousers. Talented: The actor, 30, who plays the titular character, layered the number above a white scoop neck T-shirt Looking good: Austin caused fans to gawk and point as he smouldered for onlookers Wow! Posing with Olivia DeJonge, 24, who plays his wife Priscilla in the biopic, she flashed her midriff in a tight black maxi dress with a semi-transparent cutout Sensational: She posed up a sultry storm for the camera while her sandy curls tumbled over her shoulder Rafferty Law put on a smart display in a brown suit while Zoe Zimmer flashed her midriff in a black crop top and leather trousers. Jude's son wore a black T-shirt beneath his blazer and accessorised with a gold chain necklace. Sabine Getty showed off her toned waistline in a form-fitting black top while Pegah Pourmand exhibited her toned legs in a white blazer minidress. Charithra Chandran put on an unmissable display in a green miniskirt and a black top, which she layered beneath a leather jacket. Pals: Director Baz Luhrmann (left) also sported a black suit, along with quirky brown shoes Unmissable: Yola (Sister Rosetta Tharpe) [far left] put on an eye-popping display in an orange silk gown Buddies: Glamorous Clara Amfo cosied up to Baz as they chatted at the event Harris Reed nailed 70s chic in a pair of black flared jeans and Ben Hardy wore an oversized striped navy shirt and cream jacket. Earlier in the evening, Tom and Austin joined hosts Emma Willis and Jermaine Jenas ahead of the forthcoming biopic of the King of Rock and Roll. As he takes on the titular role, Austin spoke of his all-consuming approach in taking on such an iconic figure. He said: 'I had about a year and a half before we started shooting. It feels like climbing Mount Everest, it's just so mammoth of a task so, for me, I just had to take it one step at a time. Dapper: Ncuti Gatwa, who is set to become the new Doctor Who, looked suave in a grey Burberry jacket featuring an oversized black collar Trendy: He layered the number beneath a grey knitted sweater and a white polo neck top Beaming: Appearing to be in high spirits, he flashed a dazzling smile for onlookers 'I started with absorbing everything. I watched every bit of footage that's out there, I watched every interview of his during his entire career and read every book that was written on his life. 'Then I started to break it up into pieces, so it was figuring out how his voice changed over the years and obsessing about that. 'It became this two-year obsession where I put the rest of my life on pause. I went through every bit of his being like that. From his spiritual evolution and the way that he moved and how that changed over the years. 'Really at the core of it all for me it was about stripping away the icon of Elvis or the caricature of him and getting down to the humanity of him. That's what I found really fascinating.' Looking good: Rafferty Law put on a smart display in a brown suit while Zoe Zimmer flashed her midriff in a black crop top and leather trousers Trendy: Jude's son wore a black T-shirt beneath his blazer and accessorised with a gold chain necklace Wow! Sabine Getty showed off her toned waistline in a form-fitting black top while Pegah Pourmand exhibited her toned legs in a white blazer minidress Chic: Charithra Chandran put on an unmissable display in a green miniskirt and a black top, which she layered beneath a leather jacket Stunning: Harris Reed nailed 70s chic in a pair of black flared jeans and Ben Hardy wore an oversized striped navy shirt and cream jacket Speaking about the performance nature of the role, taking to a stage and putting on a show as Elvis, Austin said: 'I was really nervous for those performances because it's something I've never done before. 'I spoke to Rami Malek beforehand, and he told me, "I believe those days will probably be the most fun days you have, "and it turned out to be exactly that. 'The first performance we filmed was the '68 Special and so I'm walking out in the black leather and I was so nervous beforehand. 'You do a year and a half of dedicating every day to this and suddenly here's the moment of truth, where I walk out there in front of everybody and it felt like my career was on the line, this job it felt like everything was on the line in this moment. On his way: Tom Hanks departed his London Hotel before arriving at The One Show earlier in the evening Smart: Cutting a navy suit, he continued his look with a pair of circular brown glasses and shot a puzzled expression as he stepped out in the capital 'I had this moment alone before I went out there and I really just rested in the fact that it was a make-or-break moment in Elvis's life. 'His career was on the line. So, it wasn't a bad thing that I was experiencing that fear and I knew that he was feeling the same thing. I could just take that energy and do what he did which was build a rapport with the audience.' The film stars Austin and Tom, who plays his infamous manager Colonel Tom Parker. Speaking of his his wife Rita Wilson's connection to Priscilla Presley, the Toy Story star said: 'My wife knows Priscilla from some women's cancer funds they've done together. Coming soon: There's a lot of excitement around the Elvis Presley biopic from Australia's Baz (Austin and Olivia pictured in-character) Priscilla and Jerry Schilling who is in the movie one of the original Memphis Mafia came by the house. 'I was anticipating hearing horror stories about the Colonel and I heard just the opposite. Jerry and Priscilla loved the Colonel, he said he was a wonderful man. 'He brightened up every room that he came into. Was he fishy with some of the money? "Yeah, we had to sue him and he gave it up and we got it." 'It turned from a guy who was this Machiavellian puppet master who was just a fella who said, "Well, of course!' I had a treasure trove of anecdotal information."' There's a lot of excitement around the Elvis Presley biopic from Australia's Baz, who is hoping to recreate the buzz he generated when he brought the can-can to Cannes with Moulin Rouge! 20 years ago. The film chronicles the life and career of Elvis from his early days as a child growing up in Mississippi to his ascent as a rock and roll icon and movie star, along with his complex relationship with his manager. The One Show airs weekdays at 7pm on BBC One. Authorities in northeastern Brazil's Pernambuco state reported 91 deaths from floods over the weekend on Monday, with more than a dozen others still missing. Hundreds of state and federal rescuers were searching for the 26 persons who were now unaccounted for. Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro traveled over the damaged area of Pernambuco's city, Recife, and neighboring Jaboatao dos Guararapes on Monday. He later told reporters that the saturated dirt made landing in the chopper impossible. Bolsonaro Visits Disaster Zone After Deadly Rains He also mentioned that comparable calamities had lately occurred in the highlands above Rio de Janeiro, in southern Bahia state, and Minas Gerais state. According to Daniel Ferreira, the minister of regional development, the government is trying to make money accessible to towns that have declared a state of emergency. He also mentioned a new credit line open to towns hit by natural calamities. Climate change, according to experts, adds to more severe rainfall, and Recife's metropolitan region has been designated as one of the world's most susceptible cities by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The low-lying metro area, which includes floodplains and a network of hundreds of canals, is home to around 4 million people. Recife became the first Latin American city to sign up for a program to generate insurance against climate disasters launched by a network of municipal and regional governments and funded by the German development bank KfW in March. The state's civil defense administration stated in a statement that the flooding has affected 5,000 people and that the risk of landslides remains high. Rain has persisted, but with less intensity, South China Morning Post reported. Read Also: China Threatens To Stop Starlink Satellites From Tipping the West About Its Hypersonic Missiles Locations At Least 32,000 Families Are at Risk in Brazil's Landslides Hundreds of Brazilians died in flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains in the last year. More than 230 people were slain at Petropolis, the 19th-century summer capital of the Brazilian empire, in Rio de Janeiro state, in February. Fourteen additional people were killed by floods and landslides in the state earlier this month. According to experts, the rainy season in Brazil is being exacerbated by La Nina (the periodic cooling of the Pacific Ocean) and climate change. Because a hotter atmosphere contains more water, global warming increases the likelihood and severity of floods caused by heavy rains. The risks posed by heavy rains are exacerbated by geography and inadequate construction in shantytowns situated on steep slopes. In accordance with MetSul meteorologist Estael Sias, the heavy rains lashing Pernambuco and, to a lesser extent, four other northeastern states are the result of a typical seasonal phenomenon known as eastern waves, which are areas of atmospheric disturbance that move from Africa to Brazil's northeastern coastal region, as per IOL. According to the state administration, another 765 individuals were forced to abandon their houses, at least temporarily. Brazil's federal emergency agency, authorities in the neighboring state of Alagoas have recorded two deaths. As reported by Pernambuco's civil defense service, around 32,000 households reside in locations prone to landslides or flooding. Many of the fatalities on Friday and Saturday (local time) happened in Recife, the state capital of Pernambuco. Many of Recife's neighborhoods, like many others in Brazil, were developed in places prone to land and mudslides, according to ABC News. Related Article: Nepal Plane Crash: 14 Bodies Recovered, But 8 Still Missing as Rescuers Lose Hope for Potential Survivors @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Dacre Montgomery has revealed he filmed his cameo for season four of Netflix hit Stranger Things remotely from his home city of Perth, Australia. The 27-year-old actor shared a serious of gruesome behind-the-scenes photos on Instagram from his brief and bloody dream sequence. He explained that his scene as villain Billy Hargrove was filmed by a local crew in Perth with director Shawn Levy overseeing the shoot via Zoom. Only a flesh wound: Dacre Montgomery has revealed he filmed his cameo for season four of Netflix hit Stranger Things remotely from his home city of Perth, Australia 'Feeling extremely fortunate to have been able to shoot these scenes during the pandemic in my hometown, Perth,' he wrote. Dacre said it was a blessing to work with the Perth crew, whom he described as 'incredible'. The scenes Dacre filmed for season four involved his character Billy, who died last season, returning to haunt his step-sister Max, played by Sadie Sink. Behind-the-scenes photos showed Dacre in a bloody singlet with a hole in his chest. Working remotely: The 27-year-old actor shared a serious of gruesome behind-the-scenes photos on Instagram from his brief and bloody dream sequence Getting ready: He explained that his scene as villain Billy Hargrove was filmed by a local crew in Perth with director Shawn Levy overseeing the shoot via Zoom He also posted a video of a particularly grisly makeup session, showing his torso cratered and burned. Dacre laughed at the wounds said, 'It's not a tumour!' in the voice of Arnold Schwarzenegger from the 1990 film Kindergarten Cop. Friends and colleagues sent messages of support, saying they missed having Dacre on set of season four. Back from the grave: The scenes Dacre filmed for season four involved his character Billy, who died last season, returning to haunt his step-sister Max, played by Sadie Sink 'We miss you on the show,' commented one friend. 'You did amazing. Proud of you,' another added. Director Shawn, based in the U.S., worked with Dacre remotely to shoot the scenes. 'It really moved the needle for me': Dacre, who played school bully Billy on Stranger Things for two seasons, previously revealed how the role changed his life Dacre, who played school bully Billy on Stranger Things for two seasons, previously revealed how the role changed his life. He told Esquire Singapore in August 2020: 'It really moved the needle for my career, which I don't take for granted in any way. I feel really fortunate.' Dacre said the producers allowed him to interpret the character in his own way. While his character was killed off in season three, the actor received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Drama Series last year. Dacre has also starred in 2020 film The Broken Hearts Gallery, alongside Geraldine Viswanathan and Suki Waterhouse. Lenny Henry has praised Doctor Whos returning showrunner Russell T Davies for casting Ncuti Gatwa as the show's first black Time Lord. Three years ago, Lenny ruffled feathers when he claimed BBC bosses would rather cast a dog than a person of colour in the role. So the comedian, 63, shared his delight at the show's new direction, however, stated that the TV industry still has a long way to go in promoting diversity. Lauded: Lenny Henry has praised Doctor Whos returning showrunner Russell T Davies for casting Ncuti Gatwa as the show's first black Time Lord Speaking to Radio Times about the casting, Lenny said: 'A lot of black fans have been looking at our watches for a while! More power to Russell T Davies. 'But with people like Kit, Steve McQueen, Malorie Blackman and our team on this writer Shola Amoo and director Lynette Linton we're securing a future for British drama. 'I grew up in a working-class neighbourhood in the Black Country I want to see those stories. The Crown is great, but can we see ourselves on TV too?' Lenny's comments came after he criticised the BBC for the lack of diversity in Doctor Who that came after Russell left his role as showrunner in 2010. Wow: Ncuti is likely to be catapulted into global stardom with the new role, as he is making history as both the youngest and first black actor to play the role (pictured with Russell) After Lenny was offered a small role in the sci-fi show in 2019, he told London's Colourful Radio that despite the introduction of Jodie Whittaker as the first female doctor, he thought the channel still had a long way to go when it came to promoting diversity. Lenny said: 'Why have we never had a black Doctor Who? They would rather have a dog do Doctor Who than a black person. There's no black people in Doctor Who. 'When Russell T Davis was doing Doctor Who there was so many black people in the show I rang up and said there are too many black people in the show put in some white people, it's getting embarrassing.' He added: 'We're still a long way away. The 'in' group who are in charge of everything are getting complacent.' Diversity: After Lenny was offered a small role in the sci-fi show in 2019 (pictured) he said the number of black people on the show had decreased since Russell left his post Ncuti is set to take over the Doctor role following Jodie's departure from the show at the end of 2022. Attending the BAFTA Television awards shortly after the announcement, the actor received some words of encouragement from previous doctors Jodie and David Tennant. Out now: Read the full interview in this week's edition of Radio Times magazine Taking to Instagram, he shared: 'There are a lot of thank you's in this caption so please excuse the cringe. But mans feeling hella grateful at the moment. 'The Doctor herself, Jodie Whittaker and Mr David Tennant for your beautiful words of support and encouragement on BAFTA day,' Ncuti wrote. 'I was absolutely cacking my pants and honestly speaking to you two was priceless.' He also thanked Russell, 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.' Ncuti is likely to be catapulted into global stardom with the new role, as he is making history as both the youngest and first black actor to play the role. They're still in the baby bubble after welcoming their daughter, Grace Warrior, in March last year. And Bindi Irwin and Chandler Powell took their little girl on a family hike over the weekend, sharing cute photos from the trip on Instagram. The couple, who have been married for two years, were joined on the outdoor adventure by Bindi's mother, Terri Irwin, and her younger brother, Robert. She's growing up fast! Bindi Irwin and Chandler Powell took their daughter, Grace Warrior, on a family hike over the weekend, sharing cute photos from the trip on Instagram Chandler, 25, looked every inch the proud dad and Bindi, 23, couldn't help but smile as Grace walked on her own in one photo. Another snap showed the whole family posing together for a selfie in front of a lake. The Irwins were accompanied by Luke Reavley, the general manager of Australia Zoo, and his long-term partner, Mitch. 'Thankful for every smile, every laugh, every moment we share,' Bindi captioned the gallery of heart-melting pictures. Gang's all here! The couple, who have been married for two years, were joined on the outdoor adventure by Bindi's mother, Terri Irwin, and her younger brother, Robert Look at her go! Chandler, 25, looked every inch the proud dad and Bindi, 23, couldn't help but smile as Grace walked on her own in one photo Family friends: The Irwins were accompanied by Luke Reavley, the general manager of Australia Zoo, and his long-term partner, Mitch Not long after taking her first steps, Bindi and Chandler's daughter is already starting to speak. Grace said 'dada' in a cute home video that Bindi posted to Instagram last Thursday. 'Where's dada?' asked Chandler as the trio gathered around the camera. 'Dada, dada, dada,' Grace replied, as her parents beamed with pride. Bindi and Chandler married on March 25, 2020, and welcomed their daughter exactly a year later. Look who's talking now! Not long after taking her first steps, Bindi and Chandler's daughter is already starting to speak Sweet: She said 'dada' in a cute home video that Bindi posted to Instagram on Thursday And it seems they are still very much in the honeymoon phase more than two years after tying the knot. Bindi, the daughter of late conservationist Steve 'The Crocodile Hunter' Irwin, paid tribute to her American husband in a gushing Instagram post earlier this month. She posted a photo of the couple posing with a cockatoo and a koala, and wrote in the caption: 'Most extraordinary man in the world just happens to be my best friendand my husband. Forever loving you @chandlerpowell .' 'The most extraordinary man in the world': Bindi (right) shared a beautiful message to her husband and 'best friend' Chandler (left) earlier this month So blessed: The conservationist wrote, 'Most extraordinary man in the world just happens to be my best friendand my husband. Forever loving you @chandlerpowell ' Chandler, a former professional wakeboarder from Florida, responded in the comments section: 'I love you and this post made my day .' The young couple first met in 2013 when Chandler was touring Australia as part of a national wakeboarding competition. He paid a visit to Australia Zoo, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, and Bindi happened to be giving tours that day. Romantic: Bindi and Chandler wed in a secret ceremony at Australia Zoo on March 25, 2020 After keeping in touch for two years after their first meeting, they went public with their romance in 2015, at about the time Bindi appeared on Dancing with the Stars. Chandler eventually relocated to Queensland, and the pair wed in a secret ceremony at Australia Zoo on March 25, 2020. They welcomed their daughter, Grace Warrior Irwin Powell, a year later - on their first wedding anniversary - on March 25, 2021. Young family: They welcomed their daughter, Grace Warrior Irwin Powell, a year later - on their first wedding anniversary - on March 25, 2021 Bindi's father Steve Irwin, known to millions around the world as 'the Crocodile Hunter', died on September 4, 2006, at the age of 44 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray while filming a documentary on the Great Barrier Reef. Bindi was just eight years old at the time. Following his death, Steve's family, including his children Bindi and Robert, widow Terri, and son-in-law Chandler, have continued his wildlife conservation work at Australia Zoo. Tragic: Bindi's father Steve Irwin, known to millions around the world as 'the Crocodile Hunter', died on September 4, 2006, at the age of 44 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray while filming a documentary on the Great Barrier Reef. (Seen here in LA in November 2003) Bindi spoke about her father's legacy during an interview in 2019. 'He was the greatest wildlife warrior to have ever lived,' she said, adding: 'He dedicated his whole life to protecting wildlife and wild places. 'And I think that it's really special that in this day we can all remember that khaki [the colour of the Australia Zoo uniform] is not just a colour, it's an attitude. 'And to remember the greatest dad on the planet and a wonderful conservationist.' Sofia Vergara showed off her impressive curves in a form-fitting one-piece bathing suit in a Memorial Day post. The 49-year-old actress stunned in the tight zebra print garment while enjoying a sunny day at a crystal clear pool. She added vibrant red-framed sunglasses to her look as well as big gold hoop earrings. Tight outfit: Sofia Vergara showed off her impressive curves in a form-fitting one-piece bathing suit in a Memorial Day post Her brunette locks were pulled back behind her head in a ponytail like style. She also posted a pair of photos to her Instagram story including a selfie where she was laid out by the pool. On the photo she added a gif of a woman fanning herself while sitting on a lounge chair. Going for a dip: The 49-year-old actress stunned in the tight zebra print garment while enjoying a sunny day at a crystal clear pool Selfie: She also posted a pair of photos to her Instagram story including a selfie where she was laid out by the pool Leggy: Another shot was more of a fully body image with the Modern Family star's legs clearly visible in the shot Another shot was more of a fully body image with the Modern Family star's legs clearly visible in the shot. Vergara held her arms up above her head and planted her hands firmly in her luscious hair. The Hot Pursuit star clearly spent quite a bit of time at the pool this weekend. She posted photos of herself in a cheeky green bathing suit on Sunday. All legs: Sofia Vergara showed off her incredible figure in a bright green swimsuit with daring cutouts on the side while ringing in Memorial Day weekend by the pool Looking good! As she posed for a sun-kissed snap in her backyard, the star oozed glamour while rocking a pair of oversized shades from Foster Grant and an emerald necklace with a gold chain As she posed for a sun-kissed snap in her backyard, the star oozed glamour while rocking a pair of oversized shades from Foster Grant and an emerald necklace with a gold chain. Her straight, light brown hair cascaded around her shoulder as she looked directly at the camera while posing with her arms stretched out behind her. In addition to her sexy full-body shot, Vergara also shared a selfie of herself with her sunglasses perched on top of her head with a sticker of a cartoon alligator on the bottom of the image to her Instagram Story. 'Feliz Memorial day weekend!' she captioned a photo of herself at lunch with her rescue chihuahua, Bubbles. The Bachelorette's Michelle Young took to Instagram Stories on Monday to address a clip in which she was not donning her engagement ring from fiance Nayte Olukoya, which some incorrectly perceived as an indicator the relationship was in turmoil. The Minnesota native, 28, clarified that while she doesn't normally 'address these types of things,' she received such a large amount of feedback, she felt compelled to make clear what had happened. 'There is a video circulating of me on a rooftop this weekend and I'm not wearing my engagement ring,' Young said. 'And what I will have to say is to the person who is paying close enough attention to catch that moment, you also had to be paying close enough attention to see one of my friends briefly remove my engagement ring to try it on and then place it back on my finger.' The latest: The Bachelorette's Michelle Young, 28, took to Instagram Stories on Monday to address a clip in which she was not donning her engagement ring from fiance Nayte Olukoya, 27, which some felt was an indicator the relationship was in turmoil The grade school teacher, who appeared on The Bachelorette's 18th season, said that 'videoing somebody without them knowing is creepy' and is 'not cool.' She added, 'Just a friendly reminder that Nayte and I, we are human beings - not a zoo exhibit.' Olukoya, 27, who proposed to Young on the December 2021 finale of the ABC reality romance, appeared in a TikTok clip on Sunday in which he joked about how '90% of [his] DMs' are people asking where Young is. Speaking with People following the engagement, Young said that she falls 'more in love every day' with the Austin, Texas native. The Minnesota native clarified that while she doesn't normally 'address these types of things,' she received such a large amount of feedback, she felt compelled to make clear what had happened Young said that a friend briefly tried on her engagement ring The grade school teacher said that 'videoing somebody without them knowing is creepy' and is 'not cool' 'I was fortunate enough to grow up in a family with a healthy marriage and I thought, I'm not going to give up until I have that,' she said. 'He's my person. And I didn't know I could love at this level.' Olukoya, a sales executive, opened up about he felt his proposal to Young 'was the best-case scenario, but it was also terrifying. 'I had a conversation with Michelle and I was like, "I want you to know I'm scared,"' he said. 'But at the end of the day, I've never been so aligned with how I feel about somebody. When I closed my eyes and thought about the future, I saw her next to me. 'So I was very confident and comfortable to get down on one knee. And I'm so glad she said yes!' Young's romance with Olukoya developed on The Bachelorette's 18th season She's not shy when it comes to her body. And Married At First Sight star Martha Kalifatidis bared all again on Monday during a trip to Berlin with her fiance, Michael Brunelli. The 33-year-old posed completely topless in an Instagram selfie as she got ready for bed in her hotel bathroom. Baring all in Berlin! Martha Kalifatidis posed completely topless as she got steamy with fiance Michael Brunelli in their hotel bathroom in Berlin over the weekend Martha was sharing her skincare regime when she shared the racy photo before cuddling up to her buff beau. She later spoke about the incredible kebab shop the couple visited while spruiking a face moisturiser. Martha and Michael have been travelling around Europe for several weeks now. Steamy: Martha was sharing her skincare regime when she shared the racy photo before cuddling up to her buff beau They were recently in London where an Airbnb bargain turned into a house of horror for the couple. Thinking they would save money on a thrifty deal, they arrived at the apartment they had booked online for a four-night stay to find it was seven flights up - with no lift. Once inside, the pair discovered the accommodation had an unusable fridge, no hot water for the shower, one bath towel and was riddled with ants. No bargain at all: The couple were recently in London where an Airbnb bargain turned into a house of horror 'Everything that could be wrong in an apartment...this has,' Michael said in a video of the ordeal he later shared to his Instagram. Michael, 31, shouldered the blame for the accommodation fail on his social media, admitting he was trying to save money on a deal he found on the booking.com website. 'I randomly saw the same apartment on Airbnb and the reviews were savage,' the Trufit founder posted. 'The worst I've ever seen.' House of horror: Thinking they would save money on a thrifty deal, the loved-up couple arrived at the apartment they had booked on line for a four night stay to find it was seven flights up - with no lift Soon after, the handsome star tried to cancel the booking, which was non-refundable. The recent snafu over accommodation is not the only disappointment the couple have faced while holidaying in London. Martha was left stunned when she witnessed six men urinating on the street. Guilty: Michael took the blame for the accommodation fail in his Instagram post Sharing a video to Instagram, the influencer revealed her shock after seeing the men relieving themselves while walking to her hotel after dinner. 'We were walking home from dinner the other night from central London and I saw six different grown men's penises,' Martha said. She explained: 'They literally p**s anywhere on the side of the road. What the f**k is wrong with people.' Bad deal: 'Everything that could be wrong in an apartment...this has,' Michael said in a video of the ordeal he later shared to his Instagram Pictured: Martha and Michael on holiday in London 'London was chaos. I feel very privileged to live in Australia,' Martha said. Martha's post comes after she recently called out Michael for causing a media frenzy by announcing they were 'moving' to Europe. The couple, who met on Married At First Sight in 2019, plan to spend a few months in Europe this year to pursue business opportunities - but Michael implied it was a semi-permanent move when he addressed fans on Instagram on April 26. Mark Wahlberg isn't taking any of the credit for his son Michael's Catholic confirmation. The actor, 50, posted a photo of his 16-year-old with his wife Rhea Durham on the day of the big event. Michael wore a white button-down shirt with a gray tie and matching gray slacks. All Rhea: Mark Wahlberg isn't taking any of the credit for his son Michael's Catholic confirmation His feathery brown hair was cut short, nearly shaved all the way down, and sat atop his head. Durham, 43, donned a black top and matching pants under a light gray blazer. She added a silver necklace to her ensemble and her dark brown hair was parted in the middle and fell to the top of her back. Big moment: The actor, 50, posted a photo of his 16-year-old with his mother Rhea Durham on the day of the big event Jokingly: He joked in the photo's caption, 'So proud of this young man[prayer hands emoji] congrats buddy!! Even though mommy deserves most of the credit[laughing face emoji] thanks babe[prayer hands emoji] [prayer hands emoji]' (pictured 2020) The model painted her full lips a vibrant red for the event. He joked in the photo's caption, 'So proud of this young man[prayer hands emoji] congrats buddy!! Even though mommy deserves most of the credit[laughing face emoji] thanks babe[prayer hands emoji] [prayer hands emoji].' Confirmation is one of the seven Catholic sacraments. It is a rite where Catholics reaffirm their faith in the religion they first joined after being baptized. Big family: The Uncharted actor shares four children with Durham: Michael, 18-year-old Ella, 13-year-old Brendan and 12-year-old Grace Across Atlantic: He also posted a clip from Europe to congratulate his son and everyone else in his Confirmation class on their achievement So grateful: 'Just got down on my hands and knees to express my gratitude on this beautiful day,' Mark wrote. 'Congratulations to my son Michael on making his confirmation' The Uncharted actor shares four children with Durham: Michael, 18-year-old Ella, 13-year-old Brendan and 12-year-old Grace. He also posted a clip from Europe to congratulate his son and everyone else in his Confirmation class on their achievement. 'Good morning from Europe,' he began the clip. 'Just got down on my hands and knees to express my gratitude on this beautiful day. Congratulations to my son Michael on making his confirmation. All the young people out there who were confirmed and taking their relationship with the lord into their adulthood, what a commitment you guys have made.' He also congratulated the Boston Celtics on their Eastern Conference Finals victory and the Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler on his impressive performance throughout the series. Carrie Bickmore's producer partner has made headlines for stripping naked in front of shocked ABC staff after he thought he left a company Skype call earlier this month. But it's not the first time TV exec Chris Walker has accidentally exposed himself during a video conference call. Back in November, The Project host revealed on her Carrie & Tommy radio show that Chris found himself naked in the background of a Zoom call she was doing with other journalists from around the world. Carrie explained she took the call late at night when a nude Chris burst into the room asking her to 'keep it down'. 'I turn around to see perched against the door pantless, undie-less Chris. Porky piggy with his bits out. Standing there, like fully [half] asleep going, 'What's happening? Why is everyone screaming? What's the noise all about?"' she recalled. Carrie initially assumed that no one could see Chris because he was standing outside the camera's view. Not his first rodeo! It turns out Carrie Bickmore's (left) partner Chris Walker (right) has accidentally flashed during a Zoom call before - as ABC offers counselling to staffers following his nude video conference blunder 'In my head I'm thinking, "They can just see me talking off camera to somebody'',' she recalled. However, when she looked at her computer, she realised that Chris was actually in the shot. 'Full-frame in the corner [of the screen] was Chris with his meat and veg, just standing there for the entire world press to see,' she laughed. Whoops: Back in November, The Project host revealed on her Carrie & Tommy radio show that Chris inadvertently found himself naked in the background of a Zoom call with journalists from around the world Carrie gasped and frantically swivelled the camera away from Chris. However it was too late, as the blonde could hear several members of the Zoom call laughing - including her own producer. Carrie said she and Chris later laughed about the incident for about 45 minutes. Exposed: 'I turn around to see perched against the door pantless, undie-less, Chris. Porky-piggy with his bits out', Carrie recalled The latest revelation comes after Chris, the executive producer of comedy show The Weekly, accidentally stripped naked in front of shocked ABC staff when he thought he had left a company Skype call, just two weeks ago. He had been dialled in for a May 17 meeting while on a European holiday with his Gold Logie winning wife. He wrongly thought he had left the conference when he took off his clothes in front of up to nine people, with the incident lasting between 40 seconds and two minutes, according to the Herald Sun. Not again: The latest revelation comes after Chris, the executive producer of comedy show The Weekly, accidentally stripped naked in front of shocked ABC staff when he thought he had left a company Skype call, just two weeks ago The ABC said in a statement Chris was simply getting into the shower. 'The ABC is acting like a commercial network trying to minimise this incident,' a television insider said. 'Staff are shocked that there have been no consequences for his (Mr Walker) actions.' Oh, dear: He wrongly thought he had left the conference when he took off his clothes in front of up to nine people, with the incident lasting between 40 seconds and two minutes, according to the Herald Sun Chris had dialled in while on sabbatical overseas with Carrie, with the naked faux pas occurring during a meeting following rehearsals and before the taping of the program. ABC said it was 'aware of an unintentional incident'. 'The ABC is in regular communication with the relevant team members and are in the process of developing strategies to ensure an incident of this nature does not occur again,' it said in a statement. Accident: The production team in charge of The Weekly, Thinkative Television, dismissed the incident as merely 'unintentional' 'The ABC has a counselling service available to all ABC employees which has been offered in this instance.' The production team in charge of The Weekly, Thinkative Television, dismissed the incident as merely 'unintentional'. 'It was clearly unintentional and I know the ABC has checked in with their crew about it. There are discussions ongoing about processes to make sure something like this doesn't happen again,' a Thinkative spokesman said. An insider says the ABC isn't doing enough to support staff after witnessing the incident. Carrie and Chris moved to the UK in April with their children, Oliver, Evie and Adelaide. Kim Kardashian put her iconic curves on display in a set of new Instagram photos on Monday. The 41-year-old megastar treated her followers to images of her in a sheer black bodysuit as she posed on a yacht. The mom-of-four topped the revealing one-piece with a crystal-covered bra and mini skirt. It comes after she arrived in London with beau Pete Davidson over the holiday weekend. Stunner: Kim Kardashian put her iconic curves on display in a set of new Instagram photos on Monday She finished out the eye-popping look with a pair of pointy-toe black booties with a stiletto heel. For some snapshots Kim upped the glamour with a pair of rectangular-shaped black sunglasses, despite the cloudy day. Kardashian got creative with her poses and angles, opting to shoot some pictures standing and kneeling on the side deck. Kim, who regularly documents her early morning workouts on social media, showed off the results of her time in the gym. Trendsetter: The 41-year-old megastar treated her followers to images of her in a sheer black bodysuit as she posed on a yacht The full, turtleneck bodysuit exposed her flat stomach and tiny waist. Her cleavage was also on display in the low-cut sweetheart neckline of the crop top. The abbreviated skirt hugged her hips and bared her toned legs as she put on her best model face. The SKIMS founder pulled her platinum blonde tresses back, leaving long face-framing pieces loose in the front. Layers: The mom-of-four topped the revealing one-piece with a crystal-covered bra and mini skirt She imparted some wisdom on her admirers as she wrote in the caption: 'Bad News-Nothing lasts forever. Good News- Nothing lasts forever.' The Keeping Up with the Kardashians alum flaunted a full face of glowing, glamorous makeup for the flicks. Her thick, dark eyebrows were expertly-shaped and her cheeks were chiseled with the help of a soft contour. Finally, Kim coated her plump pout in a matte nude lipstick with subtle shimmer. Fit! Kim, who regularly documents her early morning workouts on social media, showed off the results of her time in the gym Kardashian's layered bodysuit look demonstrates her recent commitment to the trend, which she began during sister Kourtney Kardashian's Italian wedding to Travis Barker. During the festivities she wore a similar look, opting for a solid black bodysuit under a vintage Dolce and Gabbana crystal-embellished corset and briefs. On another recent occasion the bombshell shared another look echoing the ensemble. Party girl: Kardashian's layered bodysuit look demonstrates her recent commitment to the trend, which she began during sister Kourtney Kardashian's Italian wedding to Travis Barker Taking to social media once again, the multihyphenate shared shots of herself in an archive burgundy corset and catsuit by the legendary designer. It had a matching shawl, which she was sure to include in her version of the set. Underneath it, the billionaire sported a solid black turtleneck catsuit. She captioned the post, 'La Dolce Vita.' Kim has been popping out in eye-catching looks with the help of stylist Dani Levi, who previously worked with the likes of her ex-husband Kanye West and Rihanna. Jennifer Saunders' daughter Freya married her husband Ryan Macphail in a black dress at their registry office wedding, which took place over the weekend. The yoga instructor, 31, whose father is actor Adrian Edmondson, inherited the 1960s Julian Rose gown from her late grandmother. She and the artist may have tied the knot in a London ceremony, but they're also set to hold a pagan-themed event after Ryan proposed with an 'elf queen ring' last spring. Couple: Jennifer Saunders' daughter Freya married her husband Ryan Macphail in a black dress at their registry office wedding, which took place over the weekend Tagging her location as London Borough of Islington, the celebrity offspring beamed from ear-to-ear in snaps which she shared to Instagram on Monday. Posing with her other half at the top of a set of stone steps, she wrote in her caption: 'Legally bound,' followed by a black heart and flower bouquet emoji. Jennifer's longtime collaborator Dawn French commented, 'Awwww. Yes. Lovely xx.' Family: Freya studied journalism and fashion at Kingston University in London, before helping to design costumes for the Ab Fab movie in 2016 (pictured with Jennifer in 2018) Freya studied journalism and fashion at Kingston University in south west London, before helping to design costumes for the Ab Fab movie in 2016. Jennifer and her husband Adrian have two other daughters - Ella, 36, and Beattie, 34 - and will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary in 2025. It comes after Freya's dad revealed he has spent much of his life believing suicidal thoughts are normal. The comedian told BBC radio listeners I am nuts as he detailed his lengthy mental health battles. Edgy: The yoga instructor, 31, whose father is actor Adrian Edmondson, inherited the 1960s Julian Rose gown from her late grandmother Happy: She and the artist may have tied the knot in a London ceremony, but they're also set to hold a pagan-themed event after Ryan proposed with an 'elf queen ring' last spring Support: Jennifer's longtime collaborator Dawn French commented, 'Awwww. Yes. Lovely xx' The 65-year-old recounted an incident from the 1970s which saw him risk his life after he tampered with the brakes on his motorbike before driving off after an argument with his former wife. It was not until 2007 that the former Young Ones actor realised that such thoughts are not normal and started to get an inkling that I might be nuts. And it was only then, after 22 years of marriage to his second wife, the actress Jennifer Saunders, that he told her of his struggles. She urged him to get help, but he avoided taking further action until, in 2011, he was hit by the deaths of two friends to suicide. Queen Elizabeth allegedly canceled a royal engagement with Prince Andrew to clear her calendar for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's daughter, Lilibet's, birthday. Royal palace staff are working hard to keep the Queen's diary clear so that she has the time and energy to visit Lilibet, who was born in the United States last year and has yet to meet her royal family. Queen Elizabeth Changes Jubilee Plan To Meet Lilibet According to Palace insiders, the Queen has the option of canceling her attendance at the Epsom Derby with Andrew, something she was previously thought to be quite pleased about. It occurs as three of the Queen's horses are claimed to have withdrawn from the race, while the Queen herself is at Balmoral for a little rest before the start of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations this weekend. According to sources, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are organizing a first birthday party for Lilibet at Frogmore Cottage on June 4, and the Queen does not want to miss out on the festivities, as per The News. Despite being named in her honor, Queen Elizabeth, 96, has never met Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's 11-month-old baby. The Queen has also had episodic movement issues over the previous six months and was photographed using a stroller at the Chelsea Flower Show last week. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be residing with their family at Frogmore Cottage, a 10-minute walk from Windsor Castle, after surprisingly renewing the lease at the residence where they spent an unpleasant six months before departing as senior royals and coming to America. Meghan Markle will be returning to the UK for the first time since the couple's interview with Oprah Winfrey sparked explosive charges that the Royal Family is racist. Buckingham Palace is expected to disclose which activities the Queen would attend to honor her 70th year on the throne on the day. It is expected that she will be spotted on the Buckingham Palace balcony for her traditional Trooping the Colour birthday procession. Read Also: NASA Plans Retest of Artemis I Mega Moon Rocket on June 6 After Several Failed Attempts Prince Andrew To Join in Queen Elizabeth's Jubilee Service She is also expected to attend Friday's Thanksgiving Service at St Paul's Cathedral with her family, which includes disgraced son Prince Andrew, who is still reeling from allegations that he paid to settle a civil sexual assault case brought against him by Jeffery Epstein sex slave Virginia Giuffre, 38, according to National Post. Apart from the Queen, the Firm believes the scandal-hit Duke of York, who has seldom been seen in public since his mother deprived him of his HRH title and several patronages and affiliations, should remain silent. But Prince Andrew is thought to be keen to make up for the embarrassment he imposed on the Royal Family by paying daily visits to his mother. He has been traveling five miles from his residence in Royal Lodge to Windsor Castle to see his mother for pre-launch to ensure she is comfortable and well-cared for. The Duke has firmly denied Guiffre's charges in front of the New York court. The payment is not an admission of guilt. It comes as it was revealed that Prince Andrew would attend Garter Day at Windsor Castle with the Queen on June 13. However, he will not appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee festivities because the queen stated that the privilege would be reserved solely for working members of the family. The decision is sure to raise eyebrows among royal observers, who are concerned that Prince Andrew will take center stage, Express reported. Related Article: 'Goodfellas' Star Ray Liotta Cause of Death, Revealed @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Leslie Mann and Tim Robbins have left the Amazon Studios series The Power, and their roles in the drama from Naomi Alderman will be recast. Deadline reported the changes in the production on the streaming service, as the 10-episode show is based on Alderman's 2016 book. Mann, 50, was initially cast to play the leading character Margot Cleary-Lopez, while Rainn Wilson, 56, was cast to play Daniel Dandon, the outlet reported. The latest: Leslie Mann, 50, and Tim Robbins, 63, have left the Amazon Studios series The Power, and their roles in the drama from Naomi Alderman will be recast Production on the show began in February of 2020 and was shut down weeks later when the coronavirus pandemic shutdown commenced in March of 2020. Following the long delays, Wilson departed the project and Robbins was recast in the role in January of 2021, the outlet reported. The role of Dandon was modified from a regular on the show to a recurring guest, and will remain as such moving forward. Production has restarted on the show, and scenes Mann and Robbins filmed will be reshot, the outlet reported. The show is set in a world in which teenage girls internationally gain the ability to electrocute people at will, according to a studio synopsis. Mann was cast to play the leading character Margot Cleary-Lopez in the sci-fi drama. She was pictured earlier this month in San Diego for Louis Vuitton's 2023 Cruise Show Rainn Wilson, 56, was cast to play Daniel Dandon before leaving the project due to scheduling issues because of the pandemic, and recast with Robbins 'Its hereditary, its inbuilt, and it cant be taken away from them,' the synopsis continued. 'The Power follows a cast of remarkable characters from London to Alabama, Nigeria to Seattle, as the Power evolves from a tingle in teenagers collarbones to a complete reversal of the power balance of the world.' The Cleary-Lopez character is the Democrat mayor of Seattle and a mother-of-three who is adapting to her new political position and how it relates to her family. The Dandon character is Washington's Republican governor who clashes with Cleary-Lopez in the show. Reed Morano, the Emmy-winning director of The Handmaid's Tale, is slated to direct the series, while Alderman is an executive producer on the show, which has an all-female writers' room. Other members of the cast, including to iMDb, include Alice Eve, John Leguizamo, Auli'i Cravalho, Toheeb Jimoh and Rob Delaney. Social media star Mary Magdalene has racked up thousands of followers online thanks to her outrageous and often extreme plastic surgery procedures. But despite spending over $200,000 on everything from butt implants to an operation to 'inflate' her vagina, Mary insists that she doesn't have body dysmorphia disorder. In a lengthy post on Instagram, the Canadian model said that it was a 'common misconception' that people with lots of plastic surgery are suffering from BDD. Hobby? Surgery-addicted model Mary Magdalene (pictured) says that she doesn't suffer from body dysmorphia disorder, and that her surgeries are just a fun hobby 'Here is the definition of body dysmorphia,' she explained. 'A mental illness involving obsessive focus on a perceived flaw in appearance. 'When I have surgery it is not because it is not because I think it is ugly or view it as a flaw,' she continued. 'I just simply prefer the overdone, unnatural fake look. To achieve that overdone look, you can't just achieve dramatic results with one or two surgeries. You need many!' Mary then insisted that extreme surgeries are nothing more than a simple hobby. Before and after: Mary has drastically changed her appearance over the years with tattoos, implants and more 'I view it as a hobby, here's the thing: an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure,' she said. 'I think maybe the whole surgery thing seems crazier than it really is, but I don't know, that's just my opinion.' It comes after Mary admitted to getting 'under-the-table' silicone butt injections after being refused more surgery. The 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. Preference: 'I just simply prefer the overdone, unnatural fake look,' she explained to her 110,000 Instagram followers 'Shots are dangerous and very hush hush, under the table,' she wrote 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.' He's notoriously private when it comes to his love life. But it seems AFL's most eligible bachelor, Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli, has finally found his WAG. The 26-year-old midfielder left his female admirers heartbroken on Monday when he uploaded a photo of himself getting cosy with a gorgeous mystery woman on Instagram. Has AFL's most eligible bachelor found his WAG? Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli, 26, (left) left his female admirers heartbroken on Monday after he shared this photo of himself getting cosy with a gorgeous mystery woman (right) The photo showed the pair posing arm-in-arm at a nightclub, with the pretty brunette leaning her body into his. She appeared to be celebrating her birthday on Monday, as Marcus also uploaded a photo of her next to the caption: 'Happy Birthday NTW'. He chose not to share the woman's name, but the letters NTW presumably refer to her initials. Who is she? The brunette appeared to be celebrating her birthday on Monday, as Marcus also uploaded a photo of her next to the caption: 'Happy Birthday NTW' Puppy love? Marcus also captioned another snap of the brunette cuddling a dog with a love-heart emoji Marcus also captioned another snap of the brunette cuddling a dog with a love-heart emoji. Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Marcus' representatives for comment. Despite his high profile as one of the country's best footy players, Bontempelli has never explicitly confirmed he was in a relationship. Private: Despite his high profile as one of the country's best footy players, Bontempelli has never explicitly confirmed he was in a relationship. Pictured playing in the AFL match between the West Coast Eagles and the Western Bulldogs in May 2022 He made headlines in 2016 after he chose not to bring a romantic partner to the Brownlow Medal ceremony, instead taking his mother Geraldine. 'It's a proud moment for me to be invited and it's great I'm able to bring mum along as a massive thank you for the work that she and dad have put in over the years,' Marcus told The Herald Sun at the time. 'I feel like I'm the child today, and he's the parent bringing me along. I couldn't be prouder of him,' added Geraldine. That night, Marcus placed eighth in the Brownlow count with 20 votes. Keeping it in the family! Marcus famously took his mother Geraldine (left) to the 2016 Brownlow Medal, instead of a romantic partner Their relationship may be on a knife-edge, but Married At First Sight stars Jackson Lonie and Olivia Frazer may have to keep up appearances at least for another month. The couple, who are said to be 'on a break' after Jackson was filmed kissing another woman on Friday, are scheduled to make a joint public appearance next month. Former MAFS groom Nasser Sultan revealed on Monday he is booked to appear at a celebrity boat party in late June - and Jackson and Olivia are also on the VIP list. Awkward! Their relationship may be on a knife-edge, but Married At First Sight stars Jackson Lonie and Olivia Frazer may have to keep up appearances at least for another month 'People are asking me what is going on and this is the basic information I've got. [The kiss] was set up by the girl and her friends,' Nasser said of the late-night pash between Jackson and 20-year-old traffic controller Han Hughes. 'She approached him, one thing led to another and he kissed her. Her friends filmed it and released it... Let's just leave them alone. Let them work it out,' he continued. 'I hope they come back together because I'm going to see them at the end of June on a big boat party that we're all invited for.' Will they attend? The couple, who are said to be 'on a break' after Jackson was filmed kissing another woman on Friday, are scheduled to make a joint public appearance next month Jackson, 30, was caught on camera passionately kissing another woman during a wild night out with the boys in Melbourne on Friday. He and Olivia had been out together earlier that evening, but the teaching student, 28, went home and Jackson continued partying with friends - and eventually ended up in the arms of another woman at the Lava Lounge bar. Footage of the kiss spread across the internet like wildfire, and a devastated Olivia later told Daily Mail Australia she was 'speechless'. Look away now, Olivia! Jackson, 30, was caught on camera passionately kissing 20-year-old traffic controller Han Hughes during a wild night out with the boys in Melbourne on Friday Their once-rock-solid relationship is said to be hanging by a thread after Jackson's indiscretion as the pair reevaluate their future. 'We're still together... I have told him to have a big think about what he wants,' Olivia said on Saturday night. She is understood to have cut short her weekend trip to Melbourne after the incident and is now back on the Central Coast with her family. Same night: Before Jackson's illicit kiss, the couple had been out together on Friday evening When the girlfriend's away! Jackson kissed the woman not long after Olivia called it a night 'Liv is broken and torn about the whole incident and doesn't know where she stands with Jack,' a source said. The couple had 'a serious discussion about their future' when Jackson sobered up on Saturday, before Olivia offered him an ultimatum. 'They're going to have a bit of a break and work out what they want to do and how they can move forward,' the insider added. 'Liv just wants him to ditch his partying lifestyle and grow up.' Nothing to see here? Han Hughes, the woman Jackson cheated with, told The Wash: 'Olivia was not there... The kiss was innocent, a two-way street. It wasn't anything more than that' Meanwhile, the woman Jackson cheated with has broken her silence. 'Olivia was not there. I'm fairly sure she left prior to me arriving,' Han told Instagram gossip account The Wash. 'The kiss was innocent, a two-way street. It wasn't anything more than that. Jackson seems like a nice guy and I have nothing bad to say on his behalf.' She raised eyebrows on Saturday by suggesting her rival Olivia Frazer's cheating scandal was a publicity stunt. And MAFS bride Domenica Calarco couldn't resist weighing in yet again on Tuesday, this time branding the saga 'a black hole' that 'doesn't deserve oxygen'. The 29-year-old said she would rather discuss pressing socio-political issues instead of 'the fact that some d**khead kissed someone in a club'. Weighing in: Married At First Sight's Domenica Calarco has responded to Olivia Frazer and Jackson Leonie's cheating scandal with a bizarre rant about gun control and abortions While the subject of her rant was obvious, she did not to refer to Olivia or Jackson by name, telling her Instagram followers: 'You guys know what I'm talking about.' Doubling down on her belief the whole scandal was staged, Domenica said: 'It's so difficult for me to have an opinion on this, because truly, I don't believe it. 'I'm honestly really disappointed in a lot of media outlets at the moment for the light that's being shone on this situation, when there are way bigger things going on in the world.' Bigger fish to fry? Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, Dom said she would rather discuss pressing socio-political issues instead of 'the fact that some d**khead kissed someone in a club' She who must not be named: While the subject of her rant was obvious, she did not to refer to Olivia or Jackson by name, telling her Instagram fans: 'You guys know what I'm talking about' 'Let's talk about the fact that women's vaginas have more rules and regulations than men who want to get a gun, or anyone for that matter. That's the thing we should be talking about,' Domenica continued. She later added: 'Guys, let's just move on and let's put our energy to things that we can make a difference in the world and spread positivity and not give any energy or oxygen to literally the black holes of the universe.' Fans will remember Domenica and Olivia clashed on this year's season of MAFS. Feud: Fans will remember the two women clashed on this year's season of MAFS. Domenica (pictured) was outed as an OnlyFans model at the couples' retreat after Olivia, with the help of friends, discovered one of her raunchy photos circulating on Twitter Fancy that! In a strange twist of fate, Olivia (pictured) has now started her own OnlyFans account after her teaching job became untenable due to her negative portrayal on MAFS Domenica was outed as an OnlyFans model at the couples' retreat after Olivia, with the help of friends, discovered one of her raunchy photos circulating on Twitter. The distribution of the image remains the subject of a police investigation. In a strange twist of fate, Olivia has now started her own OnlyFans account after her teaching job became untenable due to her negative portrayal on MAFS. Speculation: Domenica's rant comes just days after she controversially suggested Olivia and Jackson's celebrity agent Max Markson may be behind the cheating scandal Domenica's rant comes just days after she controversially suggested Olivia and Jackson's celebrity agent Max Markson may be behind the cheating scandal. Just hours after Jackson was filmed kissing another woman on a night out in Melbourne on Friday, Domenica tweeted: 'Kris Jenner works hard, but Max Markson works harder' - referencing Kardashian-Jenner matriarch and 'momager' Kris Jenner. The tweet implied Mr Markson had somehow orchestrated the kissing scandal to keep his clients in the news cycle - an allegation the publicist denied. Setting the record straight: Mr Markson (pictured), the founder of Sydney PR agency Markson Sparks, later told Daily Mail Australia the rumour started by Domenica was totally false Mr Markson, the founder of Sydney PR agency Markson Sparks, later told Daily Mail Australia the rumour started by Domenica was totally false. 'It's very kind of Dom to compliment me on my work ethic. I do like to think I work hard,' Mr Markson said on Monday. 'However, this whole situation was nothing to do with me. Definitely not one of my PR stunts.' Shattered: Olivia was left heartbroken after her boyfriend Jackson, 30, cheated on her with 20-year-old TikTok star Han Hughes (pictured) during a boozy night out in Melbourne on Friday Olivia was left heartbroken after her MAFS 'husband' Jackson, 30, cheated on her with 20-year-old traffic controller Han Hughes on a night out on Friday. The couple had been out together earlier that evening, but Olivia went home and Jackson continued partying with friends - and eventually ended up in the arms of another woman at the Lava Lounge bar. Footage of the kiss spread across the internet like wildfire, and a devastated Olivia later told Daily Mail Australia she was 'speechless'. Same night: Before Jackson's illicit kiss, the couple had been out together on Friday evening Their once-rock-solid relationship is said to be hanging by a thread after Jackson's indiscretion as the pair reevaluate their future. 'We're still together... I have told him to have a big think about what he wants,' Olivia said on Saturday night. 'Liv is broken and torn about the whole incident and doesn't know where she stands with Jack,' a source said. Nothing to see here? Han Hughes, the woman Jackson cheated with, told The Wash: 'Olivia was not there... The kiss was innocent, a two-way street. It wasn't anything more than that' The couple had 'a serious discussion about their future' when Jackson sobered up on Saturday, before Olivia offered him an ultimatum. 'They're going to have a bit of a break and work out what they want to do and how they can move forward,' the insider added. 'Liv just wants him to ditch his partying lifestyle and grow up.' Day job: Han is a traffic controller and rising social media star Meanwhile, the woman Jackson cheated with has broken her silence. 'Olivia was not there. I'm fairly sure she left prior to me arriving,' Han told Instagram gossip account The Wash. 'The kiss was innocent, a two-way street. It wasn't anything more than that. Jackson seems like a nice guy and I have nothing bad to say on his behalf.' Jason Segel cut a casual figure in a funky black jumpsuit, that was partially unzipped, on a stroll around Montecito, California on Sunday afternoon. As he walked around rocking sneakers without socks, the 42-year-old How I Met Your Mother star appeared to be paying homage to Tom Cruise's film Top Gun: Maverick in a one-piece, flight suit. Despite his jetsetting ensemble, the actor was simply going to lunch, not flying a fighter jet on a risky secret mission. Cool guy: As he walked around rocking sneakers without socks, the 42-year-old How I Met Your Mother star appeared to be paying homage to Tom Cruise's film Top Gun: Maverick in his one-piece, flight suit Segel appeared to be trying to keep a low profile as he sauntered down the sidewalk with one hand in his pocket. The performer was recently featured in the Netflix's thriller feature Windfall, which was released in March. The movie was directed by Charlie McDowell, who co-wrote the script with the actor, as well as Justin Lader and Andrew Kevin Walker. Low profile: Despite his jetsetting ensemble, the actor was simply going to lunch, not flying a fighter jet on a risky secret mission Windfall was centered on a squatter who is forced into holding a rich couple hostage when they return to their vacation home early. Segel portrayed the unnamed robber, while Jesse Plemons and McDowell's wife, Lily Collins, played the couple. A week after the film's release, the performer spoke to Collider about how the project came about as a result of a creative brainstorm during the middle stages of the pandemic. 'I thought it would be harder, I have to say. I thought it would be more stressful to have to work with him, but it honestly was really amazing and freeing,' she told the outlet Coming soon: She continued: 'It was great, and I'm really, really proud of the movie and I'm proud of him. It's a different type of role for me' He recalled: 'It was the heart of Covid and basically we were all stir crazy...and so on one of our chats we were like, "we've got a location, we've got a director, we've got actors, we're supposed to be making something."' The performer also confirmed that he did not leave the project's shooting area until physical production was completed during the sit-down. Segel also commended the efforts of the project's team, which was exceptionally small for a major motion picture. He stated: 'We had a really dedicated and amazing crew of I'm guessing 40, something like that.' Funny: During an interview with Vogue Australia late last year, Collins raved about getting to work with her spouse, which she said was easier than expected Star-studded: The cast of the modern-day noir movie, described as a Hitchcockian thriller, also includes Segel and Plemons Last April, Segel and his longtime girlfriend Alexis Mixter announced their break up in a since-deleted Instagram post after eight years of dating. The artist shared the news to her Instagram account as she noted 'we made the decision quite a while ago to let ourselves grow away from what our relationship had been.' The photo was a selfie of the two side by side as they touched heads. They are over: How I Met Your Mother actor and Alexis Mixter recently split after dating for eight years 'This is a photo of two best friends,' Alexis began the long note. The couple first started dating in 2014 and made their red carpet debut in 2016. 'This guy and I have shared so much life together. Changed each other at a soul deep level. All for the better.' She added the depth of their bond was something she could 'never have anticipated.' And Alexis noted she has never spent so much time with another person and 'grown so much alongside someone else, laughed so much, cried so much, shared so much.' Now friends: Last year, the artist shared news of their split to her Instagram account as she noted 'we made the decision quite a while ago to let ourselves grow away from what our relationship had been.' Jason, 41, has yet to comment; pictured in 2016 Then Mixter said it was 'odd to write about the end of a relationship, especially when the friendship that still exists is so full of life.' That is when she said 'change happens' and that they had made the decision 'quite a while ago to let ourselves grow away from what our relationship had been and into what it was becoming.' She also said that 'announcing a breakup on social media is a strange feeling.' There is a bond: And Alexis noted she has never spent so much time with another person and 'grown so much alongside someone else, laughed so much, cried so much, shared so much' (seen in 2016) 'Having a public romantic relationship is not easy,' she noted. 'Ending one feels like navigating a road that doesn't even exist. We are private people when it comes to our personal lives and I intend to keep it that way.' She expressed her gratitude to the universe for putting this man in her life. 'This post is a tribute to love and friendship and those relationships that make life worth living.' His big show: Segel on How I Met Your Mother with Alyson Hannigan, Josh Radnor, Cobie Smulders and Neil Patrick Harris She concluded, 'Thank you J for being my best friend. The person who shares all my favorite jokes, sees who I really am and all I want to be, loves me unconditionally and makes me always strive to be bigger and better than I was yesterday. I will never stop cheering you on with every cell of my body. I will never stop loving you unconditionally.' The couple were very private throughout their eight year relationship and hardly ever spoke of each other. Segel became a household name after starring on How I Met Your Mother from 2005 until 2014 with co-stars Alyson Hannigan, Josh Radnor, Cobie Smulders and Neil Patrick Harris. A Channel 10 executive has defended casting three white suitors for the new season of The Bachelor, insisting the full cast will include several diverse contestants. The tenth season of the dating show - dubbed 'The Bachelors' due to having three leading men instead of one - has faced criticism from franchise veterans Angie Kent and Abbie Chatfield, who say the line-up isn't inclusive enough. Beverley McGarvey, the Executive Vice President of Paramount Australia, told TV Tonight that while the Bachelors themselves are all white, the women vying for their hearts will be representative of Australia's diverse population. Criticised: A Channel 10 executive has defended casting three white suitors for the new season of The Bachelor, insisting the full cast will include several diverse contestants. (Pictured L-R: Felix Von Hofe, Jed McIntosh and Thomas Malucelli) 'This year, we were trying to do something different with The Bachelor, even just in terms of the age range,' Ms McGarvey said. '[That] allows us to cast different types of women as well.' Ms McGarvey said the show's critics may reconsider their position once they see the entire cast for this season is 'very representative of the Australian population'. She defended the casting of Felix Von Hofe, Jed McIntosh and Thomas Malucelli as the three Bachelors, noting that 'those guys don't necessarily all [look] like your typical Bachelor of years gone by'. Something different: Beverley McGarvey (pictured), the Executive Vice President of Paramount Australia, told TV Tonight that while the Bachelors themselves are all white, the women vying for their hearts will be representative of Australia's diverse population Paramount Global, which owns Channel 10, has a strict 'no diversity, no commission' policy, and McGarvey said this rule applies to crew members as well as talent. The criticism directed at the new Bachelors has been fierce. Abbie Chatfield, 26, who rose to fame on season seven of The Bachelor in 2019, blasted the lack of ethnic diversity on her radio show earlier this month. Critic: Abbie Chatfield (pictured), who rose to fame on The Bachelor in 2019, blasted the lack of ethnic diversity on the new season earlier this month 'Why is there not one person of colour?' she asked her Hot Nights with Abbie Chatfield co-host Rohan Edwards. 'I'm hoping at least one of them is bisexual. I'm just hoping that there's something going on here.' 'Why are they all white?' she added, before pointing out that suitor Jed McIntosh is only 25 years old. Disappointed: Ex-Bachelorette Angie Kent also whinged about the casting of three 'cisgender heterosexual men' for the show's tenth season, which is being filmed on the Gold Coast Former Bachelorette Angie Kent, 32, also whinged about the casting of three 'cisgender heterosexual men' for the show's tenth season, which is currently being filmed on the Gold Coast. Her social media post criticising the show sparked lively debate, with some fans questioning why diversity should be prioritised over improving the show's ratings. Outspoken comedian Nikki Osborne wrote: '[The Bachelor] did try [a diverse cast] last year though and the ratings would suggest Australia wasnt ready for that.' 'This is the death of the franchise': Juliette Herrera (pictured), a fan favourite from Locky Gilbert's season of The Bachelor in 2020, also waded in on the controversy Juliette Herrera, a fan favourite from Locky Gilbert's season of The Bachelor in 2020, also waded in on the controversy. The 36-year-old told Daily Mail Australia the casting was the 'death of the franchise' and said Channel 10 should be doing more to recruit diverse talent. 'We've had white Bachelors back to back. Why don't Channel 10 give another person of colour a chance? Is it because the last season bombed?' she said. Remember me? The Bachelor franchise attempted to fix its diversity issue last year by casting bisexual Indigenous woman Brooke Blurton (pictured) as The Bachelorette Last year's premiere of The Bachelor, starring pilot Jimmy Nicholson, garnered only 482,000 viewers compared to 2020's premiere, which drew 681,000 viewers. Jimmy's finale brought in 629,000 viewers, which was a significant drop from the previous year, which saw 879,000 viewers tune in to see Locky make his decision. The Bachelorette fared even worse last year, with Brooke Blurton's season bringing in the lowest audience since the show's Australian launch in 2015. Lily Collins cut a fashionable figure in a long yellow dress with sleeves that hung loosely off her slim frame. The 33-year-old actress posted a video and a photo to her Instagram on Monday in which she wore a gown with silver metallic fringe around the neckline. Her long hair was pulled back in a tight bun and bangs nearly covered her eyes. Gorgeous gown: Lily Collins cut a fashionable figure in a long yellow dress with sleeves that hung loosely off her slim frame She twirled around for the camera while a number of still images were taken, played in a row to simulate actual movement. Her dark brown eyebrows were perfectly sculpted and her lips were painted a vibrant pink. She held on to her husband Charlie McDowell's arm in one of the pictures she posed for. Twirling: The 33-year-old actress posted a video and a photo to her Instagram on Monday in which she wore a gown with silver metallic fringe around the neckline Stylish: Her long hair was pulled back in a tight bun and bangs nearly covered her eyes With her man: She held on to her husband Charlie McDowell's arm in one of the pictures she posed for The director, 38, wore a stylish black suit. His hair was shaved completely down and his beard was trimmed neatly against his jaw. She captioned the snaps, 'All dressed up with my love. So fun reuniting with @aureliepayenmakeup and @mikedesir to get glam ready at the spectacular #lancomedomainedelarose' She also shared some snaps to her Instagram story including a close-up on the side of her face and another was shot from her feet and showed her looming over the camera. The Emily in Paris star shared a picture of her food at a decadent table with many greens including cucumber and a pickle. Close-up: She also shared some snaps to her Instagram story including a close-up on the side of her face Looming: Another photo was taken from near her face and showed her staring down at the camera Greens: The Emily in Paris star shared a picture of her food at a decadent table with many greens including cucumber and a pickle Rumors about Collins and McDowell dating started in the summer of 2019. They announced their engagement in September of the following year from a location in New Mexico. They married in Colorado on September 4, 2021. Collins shared a photo of the pair kissing at the altar. 'I've never wanted to be someone's someone more than I do yours, and now I get to be your wife,' she said. 'On September 4th, 2021 we officially became each other's forever. I love you beyond @charliemcdowell' Jennifer Lopez dropped in on social media on Monday to acknowledge Memorial Day. The 52-year-old superstar modeled a red, white, and blue patterned Valentino dress as she posed by the pool. She wrote in her caption, '#HappyMemorialDay! Join me today in honoring all the service women and men who served our country and made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.' Social media appearance: Jennifer Lopez dropped in on social media on Monday to acknowledge Memorial Day Jennifer showed off her toned legs in the mini dress, which had a plunging neckline. She looked typically gorgeous with her honey-toned locks falling over her chest and down her back. The mother-of-two gave the camera a smoldering star as she sat on a dark-colored lounge chair. Jen accessorized with a pair of supersized gold hoop earrings and matching gold-rimmed aviator sunglasses in one photo. Fashion prowess: The 52-year-old superstar modeled a red, white, and blue patterned Valentino dress as she posed by the pool In another photo she changed up her look in retro-style red-rimmed shades that had gemstones on them. Nearby, on the chair, were several other sunglasses of varying styles. The Bronx, NY native flaunted a clean, milky manicure in the snapshots. On her French pedicured feet she wore the nude Tamin Sandal from her JLO Jennifer Lopez DSW collaboration. Message: She wrote in her caption, '#HappyMemorialDay! Join me today in honoring all the service women and men who served our country and made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom' The multihyphenate performer took to the app's Stories feature to share another snap along with festive GIFs. She donned a face of soft makeup that brought out her stunning features with light mascara, blush, and a nude lipstick. On Sunday she was also active on the site, posting a striking image in a gorgeous, patterned sundress. Poolside: The entertainer looked glamorous as she lounged poolside The Marry Me star wore natural looking makeup, while her long hair was pulled back with some loose locks in front. She displayed a pair of nude strappy espadrille heels, called the Minel Sandal, also from her DSW partnership, and she tagged the retailer. The style influencer wrote in the caption, 'BBQ-Chic. Happy sunday everybody' with green heart emojis. Pretty: On Sunday she was also active on the site, posting a striking image in a gorgeous, patterned sundress Before that, the future Mrs. Ben Affleck shared photos from her extravagant closet ahead of the holiday. She stunned in a green dress with cutout detailing in the middle, and a wide-brimmed statement hat. 'Getting my outfits together for the weekend' she wrote in the caption, finishing it with a green heart emoji. Carrie Bickmore was mourning the death of her husband when she met her future executive producer boyfriend - ten years before he inadvertently found himself naked on work video calls on two separate occasions. Chris Walker is one of three owners of production company Thinkative Television - which is responsible for popular ABC programs The Weekly, Hard Quiz, and Tomorrow Tonight. Despite his catalogue of vocational achievements, the 40-year-old made headlines on Monday when it was revealed he unknowingly stripped off at the end of a production meeting - which he attended remotely, while holidaying in Europe. Unbeknown to him, about nine confused colleagues were left to gawp at his naked body for up to two minutes. And it's not the first time it's happened. Bickmore revealed on her Carrie & Tommy radio show in November that her partner unknowingly exposed himself to journalists from around the world in the background of a Zoom call she was in for work. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Walker for comment. Chris Walker and Carrie Bickmore (pictured together) have been together since 2012 They have two daughters, Evie and Adelaide. Mr Walker is also a stepdad to Bickmore's son, Oliver (pictured together) Their love story capture the hearts of Australians after they met on the set of The Project in 2012 - where Bickmore worked as an anchor, two years after her husband Greg Lange lost his battle with brain cancer. Despite his terminal condition, they married in 2005 when Bickmore was just 25 and had a son, Oliver. She said having their son was the greatest thing they ever did together. After Mr Lange died at 35, she continued his legacy by starting her own charity, Carrie's Beanies for Brain Cancer, which she announced during her Gold Logie acceptance speech in 2015. Bickmore and Mr Walker fell in love while working together - he became a stepdad to Oliver, before they had two daughters - Evie in 2015, and Adelaide in 2018. The presenter previously told TV Week that her partner has also suffered loss in his life. 'He like many people understands loss and suffered his own loss in life and I think he just has a huge amount of compassion and he will always be incredibly supportive of me and for our family,' she said. Bickmore's husband Greg Lange died when he was just 35, after a decade-long battle with brain cancer (pictured together) Bickmore and Mr Lange had a son together, Oliver. Mr Lange is pictured with Oliver before he died in 2010 Bickmore also joked and said Mr Walker would be happy to add to their family. 'He'd have six kids if he had his way,' she said. 'He loves kids and loves watching them playing together.' Mr Walker keeps himself busy producing The Weekly with Thinkative Television co-owner and presenter Charlie Pickering, but he previously told the Herald Sun that he misses his partner due to her busy schedule. 'Carrie works so much [on The Project],' he said. 'Particularly at the start of the week I find myself missing her and the kids quite a lot.' To spend more time together as a family, Bickmore and Mr Walker took their three kids to the UK for a school term in April. In a lengthy Instagram post, she explained that they realised they needed to take a break during lockdown in Melbourne last year. 'We feel like this is our last chance to do something like this together before Ollie hits the pointy end of his schooling and no longer wants to hang out with us so we are heading to the UK for a school term,' she wrote. Mr Walker (pictured) took off his clothes in front of up to nine people, with the incident lasting between 40 seconds and two minutes The presenter said the break felt a little like long-service leave, having spent 13 years hosting The Project. Bickmore explained that she would be absent from TV screens for a few months, but that she would still co-host the Hit networks Carrie and Tommy Show each afternoon with Project colleague Tommy Little. The day before the naked incident, Bickmore announced she was nominated in the 2022 Logie awards in the category of most popular presenter. A week earlier, Mr Walker was featured on her Instagram stories - on a train in Amsterdam with their youngest daughter, Adelaide. According to the Herald Sun, the father-of-three wrongly thought he had logged off the Skype conference call on May 17, following a rehearsal for The Weekly. The ABC said in a statement Mr Walker was simply preparing to get into the shower when the faux pas took place. The broadcaster said it was 'aware of an unintentional incident' and has offered counselling services to employees who witnessed the incident. 'The ABC is in regular communication with the relevant team members and are in the process of developing strategies to ensure an incident of this nature does not occur again,' the broadcaster said in a statement. Carrie Bickmore's producer partner Chris Walker 9pictured together) stripped naked in front of shocked ABC staff after he thought he had left a company Skype call However, a television insider accused the public broadcaster of 'trying to minimise this incident'. 'Staff are shocked that there have been no consequences for his (Mr Walker) actions.' Thinkative Television dismissed the incident as 'unintentional'. 'It was clearly unintentional and I know the ABC has checked in with their crew about it,' a Thinkative spokesman said. 'There are discussions ongoing about processes to make sure something like this doesn't happen again.' The Skype faux pas was not the first time the hotshot producer found himself without clothes in front of his peers. In November, Bickmore revealed on her Carrie & Tommy radio show that her partner unknowingly exposed himself to journalists from around the world in the background of a Zoom call she was in for work. She explained she took the call late at night when a nude Chris burst into the room asking her to 'keep it down'. The pair moved to the UK for a school term in April, with their three kids Adelaide, Evie and Oliver 'I turn around to see perched against the door pantless, undie-less Chris. Porky piggy with his bits out. Standing there, like fully [half] asleep going, 'What's happening? Why is everyone screaming? What's the noise all about?"' she recalled. Carrie initially assumed that no one could see Chris because he was standing outside the camera's view. 'In my head I'm thinking, "They can just see me talking off camera to somebody'',' she recalled. However, when she looked at her computer, she realised that Chris was actually in the shot. 'Full-frame in the corner [of the screen] was Chris with his meat and veg, just standing there for the entire world press to see,' she laughed. Carrie gasped and frantically swivelled the camera away from Chris. However it was too late, as the blonde could hear several members of the Zoom call laughing - including her own producer. Carrie said she and Chris later laughed about the incident for about 45 minutes. China sent 30 military aircraft, including fighter jets, to Taiwan's air defense zone as Taipei is posed to strengthen its security relations with the United States. Beijing's latest incursion on Monday, its second-largest this year, occurred in Taiwan's southwestern region of its air defense identification zone (ADIZ), as Taipei's defense ministry reported, per Al Jazeera. The intrusion was the largest since Beijing deployed 39 aircraft into the ADIZ in January. It launched 18 warplanes into the area earlier this month. Beijing claims Taiwan as its own and has not ruled out using force to seize control of the island. The US has accused China of escalating the conflict across the Taiwan Strait in recent months, citing aircraft incursions as an example of "increasingly provocative" language and conduct, according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Even though the United States has no formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, it is the island's most significant international supporter and weapons supplier and continues a policy of "strategic ambiguity." Following the latest incursion, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen announced Tuesday that the Taiwan military and the US National Guard were discussing "cooperation." Tsai met with visiting US Senator Tammy Duckworth at her Taipei office, noting that Duckworth was one of the principal proponents of the Taiwan Partnership Act. The legislation has bipartisan support in the US Congress but has not yet been signed into law. "As a result, the US Department of Defense is now proactively planning cooperation between the US National Guard and Taiwan's defense forces," Tsai said, though she did not elaborate on the measure. US Ready To Defend Taiwan With Military Force Last week, US President Joe Biden announced that he would be willing to use military force to help Taiwan defend itself. On his first trip to Japan since taking office, Biden was asked by a reporter at a joint media conference with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida if the US would be ready to defend Taiwan if attacked. The US head of state answered, "Yes," in adherence to the commitment of Washington to Taipei. Read Also: Brazil Landslides: At Least 91 Dead, Many More Are Missing as Heavy Rains Trigger Disaster Zone "We agree with the One China policy. We signed on to it. All the attendant agreements [were] made from there. But the idea that that can be taken by force, just taken by force. It's just not, it's just not appropriate," Biden noted. Though Biden stated that he did not expect such an act to occur or be undertaken, as per a report from CNBC. Taiwan's Foreign Ministry expressed gratitude to Biden for confirming US backing for the island in the event of an invasion by Beijing. China's Foreign Ministry, on the other hand, expressed "strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition" to the statements. Continued Intimidation by Beijing NDTV reported Chinese jets entered Taiwan's ADIZ 969 times last year, more than double the 380 times they did in 2020 per an AFP database. On October 4, 2021, China sent the most planes in a single day, with 56. There were a total of 196 intrusions in that month, most of which occurred around China's annual national day celebrations. Taiwan has reported 465 incursions so far in 2022, up roughly 50% from the same period last year. Related Article: Russia-Ukraine War: Joe Biden Reveals Real Reason US Is Not Sending Rockets to Help Ukrainians @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Sam Wood is expanding his empire after selling his 28 by Sam Wood fitness program for a whopping $71million. The personal trainer has upgraded his office after the sale, moving his operations into a swanky new space. The 41-year-old shared some short clips of the new digs to Instagram this week. Upgrade! Sam Wood is expanding his empire with a new office space after selling his 28 by Sam Wood fitness program for a whopping $71million In one image, the 28 team stand crowded around the boardroom together. The Melbourne-based entrepreneur sold 28 by Sam Wood to myDNA, which provides customers with personalised fitness and health plans based on an analysis of their DNA results. 'I am so proud of what we have achieved so far and even more excited about what the future with myDNA holds,' Wood told news.com.au. Under the deal, Wood will become an investor in myDNA, holding a five per cent stake. 'Our new boardroom!' The personal trainer has upgraded his office after the sale, moving his operations into a swanky new space Tasty! Healthy sandwiches and a buffet was placed at the entrance to greet staff Since launching 28 by Sam Wood in 2016, the program has attracted more than 400,000 individual users and partnered up with the likes of Woolworths and Blackmores vitamins. Thanks to the myDNA deal, Wood plans to 'supercharge growth [and] add incredible new tech features and personalisation' to the program and app. 'I think that's why we've had the success that we've had, and myDNA, what they have that we find really attractive is that extra level of personalisation through genomics,' he told the Australian Financial Review. Mogul: The Melbourne-based entrepreneur sold 28 by Sam Wood to myDNA, which provides customers with personalised fitness and health plans based on an analysis of their DNA results Dennis Bastas, chairman of myDNA, told AFR that 28 by Sam Wood's custom-designed app and website was a big factor in the $71million deal. 'Sam's got a great following, and the platform itself is a beautiful user experience, which to be honest, from the myDNA perspective, the attractiveness in acquiring his business was all people that went along with it,' Bastas said. Wood made headlines earlier this year when he uploaded side-by-side photos of himself, showing how he went from having a 'dad bod' to looking like a bodybuilder in two months. The father of four explained he'd gained weight in the lead-up to the Christmas holidays and decided to follow his own 28 by Sam Wood program to get back in shape. Success: Since launching 28 by Sam Wood in 2016, the program has attracted more than 400,000 individual users and partnered up with the likes of Woolworths and Blackmores vitamins The 28 by Sam Wood program includes fun and challenging workouts, as well as recipes and meal plans to help people get back into shape. Back in 2018, Wood invested $1million into the 28 by Sam Wood program to make it a bigger contender in the fitness space. The fitness mogul is married to Snezana Wood (nee Markoski), whom he met on the third season of The Bachelor in 2015. The reality TV couple, who have been married for four years, welcomed their third daughter together, Harper Jones, on May 4. They are also parents to Charlie, two, and Willow, three. Wood is stepfather to 16-year-old Eve, Snezana's daughter from a previous marriage. Advertisement Bryce Dallas Howard looked sensational as she hit the red carpet at the premiere of her latest film, Jurassic World: Dominion, at Medienpark in Cologne, Germany, on Monday. The actress, 41, wowed in an elegant violet cape dress that was cinched in at the waist and featured sparkling stone details along the neckline and sleeves. The Help star was joined by co-stars Jeff Goldblum, 69, and DeWanda Wise, 38. The actor looked edgy in a black leather jacket and shimmery black pants, while Wise sported a unique high-collar frilly white gown with a waist-high split. Striking: Bryce Dallas Howard looked sensational as she hit the red carpet at the premiere of her latest film, Jurassic World: Dominion, at Medienpark in Cologne, Germany, on Monday Co-stars: The Help star was joined by co-stars Jeff Goldblum, 69, and DeWanda Wise, 38 Howard - who's the eldest daughter of actor and filmmaker Ron Howard , 68 - wore her auburn tresses in a chic updo, with her bangs left to frame her face. The California native accentuated her good-looking features with a touch of makeup, wearing voluminous lashes and a lovely shade of pink lipstick. The beauty kept her accessorizes to a minimum, wearing only a pair of delicate drop rose earrings, and simple clear polish on her nails. Howard will reprise her role as Claire Dearing - a dinosaur rights activist and the former park operations manager of Jurassic World. Elegant: The actress, 41, wowed in an elegant violet cape dress that was cinched in at the waist and featured sparkling stone details along the neckline and sleeves Chic: Howard - who's the eldest daughter of actor and filmmaker Ron Howard , 68 - wore her auburn tresses in a chic updo, with her bangs left to frame her face Meanwhile Wise paired her eye-catching look with silver sequin pants and open-toe silver platform heels. She further blinged up her ensemble with large silver hoops. The She's Gotta Have It star made sure she was glam for the event, wearing dramatic white winged eyeliner and a shiny gloss on her pout. The Maryland-born beauty wore her black and white braided tresses in a lovely updo, and had a blast on the red carpet as she twirled her dress around. Sensational: Wise sported a unique high-collar frilly white gown with a waist-high split, which she paired with silver sequin pants Lovely: The She's Gotta Have It star wore open-toe silver platform heels and further blinged up her ensemble with large silver hoops A good time: The Maryland-born beauty wore her black and white braided tresses in a lovely updo, and had a blast on the red carpet as she twirled her dress around DeWanda is a newcomer to the franchise, and will grace the big screen as Kayla Watts, a pilot that helps the group travel. The star also brought her husband Alano Miller to the event. The actor, 42, matched his wife in a cream suit worn over a white shirt, which he paired with black loafers. The lovely couple - who have been married since 2009 - were not shy about showing each other affection in front of the cameras, with Alano placing a tender kiss on his wife's temple. The couple was also seen gazing into each other's eyes with their foreheads placed against each other. Cute couple: The star also brought her husband Alano Miller to the event. The actor, 42, matched his wife in a cream suit worn over a white shirt, which he paired with black loafers Affectionate: The lovely couple - who have been married since 2009 - were not shy about showing each other affection in front of the cameras, with Alano placing a tender kiss on his wife's temple Loved-up: DeWanda enjoyed her husband's attention and smiled as he kissed her Goldblum looked effortlessly cool as he paired his outfit with a striped tie and a graphic black and white button-up underneath his jacket. The Independence Day star accessorized with a pair of black shades and studded black dress shoes. He wore his silver hair swept slightly to the side and gelled back. The celebrated actor returns to the Jurassic franchise as gifted mathematician Dr. Ian Malcolm, who specializes in chaos theory, for the fourth time, having first played the character in Steven Spielberg's groundbreaking 1993 blockbuster Jurassic Park. Back at it: Goldblum looked effortlessly cool in a black leather jacket and shimmery black pants, which he paired with a striped tie and a graphic black and white button-up shirt Navy look: Also at the premiere was Mamoudou Athie, 33 - another newcomer to the Jurassic Park franchise - who looked stylish in an ombre blue zigzag shirt and matching navy pants Stylish ladies: Howard and Wise looked incredible as they posed on the red carpet together Dynamic trio: In another shot they were joined by Goldblum, with the trio smiling for the cameras Also at the premiere was Mamoudou Athie, 33 - another newcomer to the Jurassic Park franchise - who looked stylish in an ombre blue zigzag shirt and matching navy pants. The actor plays Ramsay Cole - the head of communications for a company called Biosyn, who will play an important part in the return of Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) into the franchise. Athie was also spotted posing with Howard, Goldblum, Wise, and Colin Trevorrow, who co-wrote and directed the upcoming third installment of the trilogy. Trevorrow also co-wrote and directed the first installment Jurassic World, in 2015 - as part of a new trilogy - and co-wrote the 2018 sequel Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. All together: Athie was also spotted posing with Howard, Goldblum, Wise, and Colin Trevorrow (left) who co-wrote and directed the upcoming third installment of the trilogy He made it happen: Trevorrow also co-wrote and directed the first installment Jurassic World, in 2015 - as part of a new trilogy - and co-wrote the 2018 sequel Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Cool: Goldblum and Howard were seen posing with a very realistic T-Rex statue at the event Not scared: Howard then took a turn posing with Wise in front of the giant red carpet prop Goldblum and Howard were also seen posing with a very realistic T-Rex statue at the event. Howard then took a turn posing with Wise in front of the giant red carpet prop. The ladies were later seen inside the event, holding microphones as they spoke onstage. They were followed by Goldblum and Trevorrow. The cast and the film's director finished the evening by receiving white and green floral bouquets. The latest installment in the dinosaur mega-franchise also stars Chris Pratt, as well as Laura Dern and Sam Neill, who starred in the 1993 original alongside Goldblum. Inside: The ladies were later seen inside the event, holding microphones as they spoke onstage Enjoying themselves: Goldblum and Trevorrow took their turns speaking onstage as Athie, Howard, and Wise watched They deserve it: The cast and the film's director finished the evening by receiving white and green floral bouquets The film is a direct sequel to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and will be the final film in the Jurassic World trilogy, and sixth film in the Jurassic Park franchise. The synopsis of the film via IMDB.com reads: 'Four years after the destruction of Isla Nublar, dinosaurs now live -and hunt - alongside humans all over the world.' 'This fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators on a planet they now share with history's most fearsome creatures in a new Era.' As Claire: Howard will reprise her role as Claire Dearing - a dinosaur rights activist and the former park operations manager of Jurassic World Icon: Goldblum returns to the Jurassic franchise as gifted mathematician Dr. Ian Malcolm for the fourth time, having first played the character in Steven Spielberg's groundbreaking 1993 blockbuster Jurassic Park; Pictured on the set of Jurassic Park in 1993 Filming of the adventure/sci-fi movie began in Canada in February 2020 and moved to other locations in England the following month. In March 2020, production was put on hiatus as a safety precaution due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Production resumed in July 2020, and concluded four months later in November. Jurassic World: Dominion is set for release in cinemas across the United States on June 9, 2022. Kendall Jenner shared a gorgeous new post to her Instagram feed on Monday, engaging with her following of 239 million. The 26-year-old supermodel smoldered in a simple but sexy photo as she donned a bikini in the desert. The dark-haired beauty smiled in a blue swimsuit top with double-string straps. New post: Kendall Jenner shared a gorgeous new post to her Instagram feed on Monday, engaging with her following of 239 million In her first upload in two weeks she wrote no words in the caption, instead electing to type a smiley face emoticon. Her fans quickly liked the image, showering it in millions of double taps in just a couple of hours. Kendall wore her long dark hair pulled back and played with the strap of her top while striking a pose. The barely-there article of clothing showed off a bit of underboob as she showed off the top half of her amazing figure. Back in town: The post comes one week after Kendall returned to California after spending the previous weekend in Portofino, Italy The post comes one week after Kendall returned to California after spending the previous weekend in Portofino, Italy. She was there to attend the high-profile union of her oldest sibling, sister Kourtney Kardashian, and Travis Barker. The supermodel was spotted wearing a pair of deep blue denim pants with a casual tank top as she headed to a business building in West Hollywood. Out and about: The supermodel was spotted wearing a pair of deep blue denim pants with a casual tank top as she headed to a business building in West Hollywood Kendall was on the receiving end of social media mockery earlier this month, after leaving internet users in stitches with her 'insane attempt' to slice a cucumber on her family's new reality series. Last week, during an appearance on the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast, Khloe Kardashian was asked about the recent viral Kardashians scene. The Good American founder noted that her younger sibling was 'not happy' about the attention the clip has gotten. Kitchen trouble: Kendall was on the receiving end of social media mockery earlier this month, after leaving internet users in stitches with her 'insane attempt' to slice a cucumber on her family's new reality series While checking out mom Kris Jenner's brand new house on the Hulu show, she started making herself a snack... revealing that she doesn't know how to slice a cucumber properly. The matriarch later called for an in-house chef to assist her daughter as she tried to prepare the munch. Shortly after the episode aired Twitter went wild with humorous criticism. Kylie Jenner even got in on the joke, poking fun as she referred to Kendall as 'cucumber girl.' She's had multiple security scares while receiving rave reviews for her debut solo show. And on Monday night, Jodie Comer signed autographs for fans following another performance of her one woman play Prima Facie at London's Harold Pinter Theatre. The Killing Eve star, 29, kept things low key, wearing jeans and a black jacket as she was greeted by a crowd while exiting the West End theatre. Thespian: Jodie Comer was effortlessly chic in jeans and a black jacket as she signed autographs for fans following another Prima Facie performance on Monday Jodie looked effortlessly stylish in her light wash jeans and simple black jacket combination, which she teamed with a pair of New Balance trainers. The Liverpudlian beauty added a French twist to her ensemble with a black beret worn over her blonde tresses, while shielding her nose and mouth with a facemask. Earlier this month, Jodie was allegedly embroiled in yet another security scare as the same 'odd' fan who targeted her previously waited outside the Harold Pinter Theatre following a performance in Prima Facie. Post performance: The Killing Eve star, 29, kept things low key as she was greeted by a crowd while exiting the West End theatre Chic: The Liverpudlian beauty added a French twist to her ensemble with a black beret worn over her blonde tresses, while shielding her nose and mouth with a facemask The report came just weeks after the actress was whisked out of a separate door when a man exhibiting 'worrying' behaviour in a suit with flowers attempted to meet the star at her usual exit. He is thought to have returned to the spot - however onlookers soon recognised and pointed him out to the venue's security staff. A source told The Sun: 'He seemed to be trying to act casually but kept moving around. First he was across the road, then he moved to one side, and then another.' Mobbed: Earlier this month, Jodie was allegedly embroiled in yet another security scare as the same 'odd' fan who targeted her previously waited outside the Harold Pinter Theatre following a performance in Prima Facie They added that it appeared as though he was trying to avoid being noticed. However, her 'die hard' fans alerted security who 'identified him as the same man who had raised concerns before', it has been claimed. The onlooker continued: 'That night, Jodie came out and got straight into her car. But some of her die-hard fans recognised him and pointed him out to security. 'The staff registered their warning and told them that Jodie isn't stopping to greet fans outside the stage door at the moment. They insisted that her safety is paramount.' Representatives for Jodie and the Harold Pinter Theatre were contacted for comment by MailOnline at the time. It comes after Jodie reportedly found herself at the centre of a security scare after a fan allegedly tried to get under a shutter to the stage door at the theatre of her play. Role: Jodie's new theatre venture sees her play idealistic young barrister Tessa, who specialises in defending rape suspects Jodie's new theatre venture sees her play idealistic young barrister Tessa, who specialises in defending rape suspects. Her character, who is described as 'thoroughbred', vilifies the victims until she is sexually assaulted and forced to go up against the system she had taken advantage of during her career. Once Jodie was cast as Tessa, a decision was made to give the character a working-class Liverpudlian voice. Ioan Gruffudd's girlfriend Bianca Wallace has shared emotional videos as she details her battle with MS. In a post to mark World MS Day, Bianca, 30, spoke about day to day to live with her debilitating symptoms as she shared videos of herself in floods of tears. Hours before Bianca's post on Monday, Alice Evans, 53, who was married to Ioan, 48, for 14 years before their messy split last year, shared her own emotional Instagram update as she revealed she spent years struggling to get out of bed and has been living with chronic pain for 13 years. Struggling: Ioan Gruffudd's girlfriend Bianca Wallace has shared emotional videos as she details her battle with Multiple Sclerosis in a post to mark World MS Day Bianca, who went public with Ioan in October 2021, shared an update on living with Multiple Sclerosis to mark World MS Day alongside excerpts from her symptom diaries which showed her crying on camera as she described her pain levels, at one point sobbing 'my legs aren't working properly.' 'I am going to be as real and vulnerable as it gets I want to show you what really happens,' she wrote in a lengthy caption. 'Between July 2018 to October 2019, before I found a treatment that helped me, was a truly terrible time of my life spent almost entirely in bed & MRI machines. My memory and cognition were affected by MS almost immediately. It all happened so hard and fast having 10 attacks in the first year and three months.' 'I couldn't get out of bed for years': Hours before Bianca's post, Alice Evans , 53, who was married to Ioan, 48, for 14 years, shared her own emotional Instagram update as she revealed she has been living with chronic pain for 13 years 'I struggled with keeping my neurologist up to date because of the memory issues, so he suggested I begin a video journal For the sake of awareness, today I will share a few short extracts from some of these videos over the years (as well as some photos!).' 'I learned to accept that my life is not easy, that I will have a lot of physical issues, that not everyone has a good heart, and that my future will always be unsteady with a giant question mark that hangs quite heavily over my head' Bianca, who was diagnosed with the chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system three years ago, continued: 'It took having my a** handed to me by an illness that I had no way of controlling for me to truly understand what life is all about. I dont care how corny it sounds - I will never not be grateful for what it has taught me, not only about life, but about who I really am at my core. Its remarkable what a diagnosis can do for a soul!' Tears: Bianca shared excerpts from her symptom diaries which showed her crying on camera as she described her pain levels, at one point sobbing 'my legs aren't working properly' Living with MS: Bianca, who went public with actor Ioan in October 2021, shared an update on living with Multiple Sclerosis to mark World MS Day 'It is a harder life, but what it changed in me and for me has made it all worth every second of difficulty that I experience!' She ended her emotive post with the declaration: 'Follow your heart because life is terribly short and unpredictable and real, genuine regret is a hell of an experience to overcome' Posting house before Bianca, Alice shared a screenshot of a recent MailOnline story on presenter Kirsty Young and her experience of fibromyalgia, praising the star for speaking out on the condition. Tough: Alice previously revealed how she 'altruistically' allowed her ex Ioan to continue working during their 14 year marriage, while staying at home with the girls, despite battling chronic pain Chronic pain: The actress, 53, shared an emotional Instagram post on Monday night as she revealed she spent years struggling to get out of bed, while today she is forced to 'soldier on' and live with the pain to take care of her two daughters 'I am so proud of you Kirsty for coming back. I have this too. Who else does? There are so many of us living with it -usually scared to tell people because they do t understand and we dont want to feel like were malingering,' Alice wrote. 'Kirsty is right - since doctors dont really understand it they try all sorts of medications and theres a point where we dont know what causing the endless pain and glass joints, unbelievably painful muscles and inability to move.' Alice went on to add that after years of trying to cope with the pain with the help of medication, she no longer takes any drugs aside from ibuprofen. Health: Bianca has spoken openly about living with MS in her social media updates Moving on: Earlier this month Bianca spoke highly of Ioan and how he has handled her diagnosis as they attended an MS fundraiser in London together 'I couldnt get out of bed for years. I can now, but not for long. I no longer take any medication for it - Lyrica, Gabapentin, Plaquenil, Cymbalta ( that was the worst for me) Tramadol, Cyclobenzaprine only made me feel worse. Steroids were hell. They dont seem to touch the pain with me and they make me crazy.' 'I take ibroprofen even though it doesnt do anything. Fibro is apparently not an inflammatory disease ( but who knows?) I only take it when I cant cope with the pain anymore and I take it pretty much as a placebo.' 'Exercise DOES help, but Im at the stage now where it also puts me in bed for three days and I cant afford to do that with two kids. So I soldier on.' Split: Ioan filed for divorce from Alice in March 2021, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason behind their split (pictured in January 2020) WHAT IS FIBROMYALGIA? Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition defined by widespread pain and fatigue. It affects up to 2.7 per cent of people worldwide, with three women suffering for every one man, studies suggest. Fibromyalgia is often triggered by a trauma, such as a car accident or childbirth, as well as infections. Why this occurs is unclear. The discomfort tends to be felt as aches and burning from head-to-toe. And the fatigue ranges from feeling sleepy to the exhaustion of having the flu. Severe sufferers are often unable to work or socialise. The pain can be worse at some times than others and may change location, such as becoming more severe in parts of the body that are used the most. Other symptoms can include headaches; IBS; diarrhoea or constipation; poor concentration; dizziness; allergies and stimuli sensitivity, such as to light or heat. Studies suggest the average patient waits five years to be diagnosed, which is thought to be due to X-rays and other medical tests not picking the condition up. It is generally defined as pain that lasts for more than three months and affects 11 or more out of 18 tender points when pressed. Treatment aims to relieve pain and aid sleep. Source: Fibromyalgia Action UK Advertisement Alice said that her two daughters Ella, 13, and Elsie, eight, 'know I'm sick but they dont really understand why there are days when I can take them places, and others where it hurts if they even touch me ( let alone jump on the bed!)' The actress, who explained that she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia three months after the birth of Ella, ended her post by thanking other stars for using their platform to speak about the condition and pleading for more funding and research. Earlier this month Bianca spoke highly of Ioan and how he has handled her diagnosis. She said: 'Look it's not an easy illness. I'm more proud of the partners, I feel more sorry to the partners of people with MS because for us you have to face it, you genuinely don't know what it's going to be like'. 'But when you've got an amazing support system, everything's different everything changes' 'I feel very lucky to be with someone so supportive. It's amazing, I haven't had this before. To have someone who is understanding is incredible' Ioan, who spoke alongside Bianca at a fundraiser for MS in London, added: 'I think it's a matter of being continuously aware, being generous, being kind, being patient and understanding Alice previously revealed how she 'altruistically' allowed her ex Ioan to continue working during their 14 year marriage, while staying at home with the girls, despite battling chronic pain. Responding to a Twitter follower, on her since deleted account, who claimed it was her choice to become a stay at home mother and allow Ioan to work, she said: 'It was hard. Really hard. I felt I was doing my bit for the family... every time I came to near breaking I told myself I would get back out there once they were older and that at least my husband was getting the opportunity to do the stuff he wanted... 'Rather than the stuff which shoots here, which is very limited. everything I did was altruistic... It was so freaking hard during the early years... 'I have fibromyalgia so sometimes it was hard to move or get out of bed. But I brought the girls on planes to wherever he was and TRIED to do the occasional guest spot. I felt a bit sad when I saw my friends doing amazing'. Family: Alice applied for legal and physical custody of her children. In court documents obtained by People , the actress asked that visitation rights be granted to Ioan (pictured with Ella and Elsie in 2018) Ioan filed for divorce from Alice in March 2021, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason behind their split. The document, which was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on March 1, revealed the former couple separated on New Year's Day - a month before they went public with their relationship status. Alice applied for legal and physical custody of her children. In court documents obtained by People, the actress asked that visitation rights be granted to Ioan. She also requested 'spousal support, termination of the court's ability to award spousal support to Gruffudd, and for her attorney fees to be paid by her estranged husband', while citing 'irreconcilable differences' as the reason for their split. In October the actor went Instagram official with Bianca, Alice said at the time that she was was 'heartbroken' and felt 'dead'. In February 2022 Ioan applied for a restraining order against his ex and submitted 113 pages of abusive text messages, emails and social media posts as evidence. Alice returned to Instagram last week after appearing to delete her account days after sharing that she was suffering from 'nose bleeds and vomiting' following a positive Covid test. Earlier this year the star also dramatically deleted her Twitter account after slamming Bianca over a perceived 'lack of empathy'. Mick Jagger, 78, and the Rolling Stones crew touched down in Madrid on Monday ahead of the band's first Sixty Tour date in the city. And on Monday evening the band were spotted rolling up to a swanky flamenco party in Madrid as they prepared for their much anticipated concert. Mick was spotted attending the event along with his bandmate Keith who was joined by his wife Patti Hansen, 66. All Smiles: Mick Jagger, 78, and the Rolling Stones were spotted rolling up to a swanky flamenco party in Madrid on Monday as they prepared for their concert in the city this week And Mick was looking particularly party ready wearing a button up sweater followed by a baby pink jumper, and a light beige scarf. His bandmate Keith on the other hand decided to go full rock n roll with a snakeskin leather jacket and a satin green shirt. Finishing off the look with a pair of black jeans and some trendy black trainers to keep the look casual. Keith and his wife Patti also colour co-ordinated their outfits perfectly looking like the perfect rock couple. Turn up: Keith decided to go full rock n roll with a snakeskin leather jacket and a satin green shirt for the event Patti wore a similar black leather jacket and a flowy floral black dress, finishing off the look with some black ankle boots. The trio appeared to be in high spirits as they await the start of their huge tour, which was announced back in March and will be kicking off in Spain's capital on Wednesday. Over the weekend their bandmate Ronnie Wood, 74, touched down in Madrid in style via a swanky private personalized jet alongside his bandmates. Ronnie and his wife Sally Humphreys, 44 held their twins Gracie Jane and Alice Rose, 5, as they took a sweet family Instagram snap In front of the swanky jet on Sunday. Rock and roll: Keith's wife Patti also joined in on the pre-concert fun and the happy couple colour co-ordinated their outfits perfectly looking like the perfect rock couple Happy go lucky: The musician was ready to rock and roll as he made his way to the party in Madrid Ready to roll: Where he was followed by friend and bandmate Mick Jagger Got the moves like Jagger: Who was looking particularly party ready wearing a button up sweater followed by a baby pink jumper, and a light beige scarf The Rolling Stones Tour Dates June 1 - Madrid, Spain June 5 - Munich, Germany June 9 - Liverpool, UK June 13, Amsterdam, Netherlands June 17 - Bern, Switzerland June 21 - Milan, Italy June 25 - London, UK July 3 - London, UK July 11 - Brussels, Belgium July 15 - Vienna, Austria July 19 - Lyon, France Jul 23 - Paris, France July 27 - Gelsenkirchen, Germany July 31 - Stockholm, Sweden Advertisement As the band stepped off the plane they was in high spirits waving on to fans and cameras before getting into their cars. They also shared a snap to their Instagram revealing to their 3.2 million followers that they had arrived. Captioning the post 'Touch down in Madrid! Thanks for the warm welcome.' The last time the band played in Madrid was at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in 2014 for their 14 on Fire tour. The Sixty Tour will conclude almost two months after June in Stockholm, Sweden. However, on June 25 and July 3 UK fans will be set to fill out Hyde Park. The Sixty Tour show will be the first European tour the Rolling Stones will perform without their drummer Charlie Watts following his death in August 2021. In 2021 Ronnie also revealed he had secretly battled cancer for the second time during lockdown, admitting he was diagnosed with small cell cancer but had 'come through with the all-clear.' It is the second time Ronnie has beaten cancer, as in 2017 he successfully fought lung cancer after 54 years of smoking 25 to 30 cigarettes a day. And after having part of his lung removed he confirmed he was cancer free in 2018. Travelling: Before flying to Madrid on Monday Ronnie Wood, 74, and his wife Sally Humphreys, 44, were all smiles as they held twins Gracie Jane and Alice Rose, five, for a family Instagram snap on Sunday They've arrived: When the band arrived in Madrid they shared a snap to their Instagram followers, writing: 'Touch down in Madrid! Thanks for the warm welcome' Mia Regan posed up a sensational storm on Monday as she modelled Victoria Beckham's VB Body black mini dress. The girlfriend of David and Victoria's middle son Romeo looked effortlessly chic in the figure-hugging number as she stopped for a slew of photos in Monaco. The 19-year-old, who has been in a relationship with Romeo, also 19, for three years, contributed to her glowing look with a striking sleek hairdo. Stunning: Romeo Beckham's girlfriend Mia Regan was the epitome of chic on Monday as she modelled Victoria's VB Body mini dress in Monaco The garment, which features in fashion designer Victoria's brand new clothing range, presented Mia with an opportunity to show off her tanned legs. She rounded things off with black platform trainers and sported a beautiful face of makeup, including a bold application of eyeshadow. The photos, shared on Victoria's Instagram grid, were captioned: 'Mia in the VB Body Mini Dress in Black [black hearts] kisses @mimimoocher xx'. Mia replied with a star and heart emoji, which prompted compliments such as: 'girl u rocking this dress' and 'U are PERFECT [stars]'. Beauty: The girlfriend of David and Victoria's middle son Romeo, 19, looked effortlessly chic in the figure-hugging number Scenic: The garment, which features in fashion designer Victoria's brand new clothing range, presented Mia with an opportunity to show off her tanned legs Posing up a storm: The blonde beauty rounded things off with black platform trainers and sported a beautiful face of makeup, including a bold application of eyeshadow Range: The photos, shared on Victoria's Instagram grid, were captioned: 'Mia in the VB Body Mini Dress in Black [black hearts] kisses @mimimoocher xx' Appreciation: Mia replied with a star and heart emoji, which prompted compliments such as: 'girl u rocking this dress' and 'U are PERFECT [stars]' Last week, Mia cut a stylish figure in a short beaded black skirt and a matching shirt at the Maison Chaumet event in London. The model flashed her toned midriff in the blouse which fastened with one button and featured large pockets on either side. Mia looked effortlessly stylish in the black ensemble which she glammed up with a dazzling white, rose and yellow gold necklace and earrings. Glamorous: Last week, Mia cut a stylish figure in a short beaded black skirt and a matching shirt at the Maison Chaumet event in London She elevated her figure in a pair of black leather heeled boots and styled her blonde tresses in a chic up-do leaving her fringe down shaping her face. Mia beamed as she wrapped a arm around her mum Helen Regan who looked glam in a black maxi dress which she paired with tan sliders. The outings come amid rumours there is tension between Mia and Brooklyn's new wife Nicola Peltz - with Romeo's mother Victoria reportedly keen to hold a clear-the-air girls' lunch between them. Patsy Palmer shared her support for new Love Island star Luca Bish ahead of his ITV debut next week by posting a sweet message on her Instagram Stories. It is unclear how the former EastEnders star, 50, knowns the Brighton-born fishmonger, 23, but the soap star sent her well wishes after the 2022 contestants for the hit reality show were revealed on Monday. The star, who soared to fame playing Biance Jackson in the BBC soap, reshared Maria Bish's post of Luca's Love Island promo snap in a pair of pink trunks. 'You will smash it': Patsy Palmer shared her support for new Love Island star Luca Bish ahead of his ITV debut next week by posting a sweet message on her Instagram Stories Patsy penned: 'Omg @lucabish all grown up and going on @loveisland we cannot wait to watch you. 'You will smash it so beautiful, kind & funny. YAY from your Malibu crew,' she completed the post with several pink heart emojis. Luca also counts former Strictly Come Dancing star Saffron Baker among his celebrity supporters Exciting: The 2022 contestants for the hit reality show were revealed on Monday prompting the former EastEnders actress to wish the fishmonger from Brighton luck The YouTuber sweetly wished him luck on Instagram as she posted a message underneath his latest snap, which was shared by his sister who is currently managing his account. Ahead of his arrival in the villa next week, Luca opened up about why he has joined the show following a failed romance. He said: 'I was enjoying being in a relationship, there were just things I didn't like and we drifted apart,' he says of is new single status. The Brighton boy is ready for a new romance, and has been inspired by the lasting love stories of previous Islanders. 'When you actually look back at Love Island, you can see how many couples it's genuinely made. I don't know how many kids Love Island has made but there are a few aren't there?' he says. Friendship: Patsy penned: 'Omg @lucabish all grown up and going on @loveisland we cannot wait to watch you. You will smash it so beautiful, kind & funny. YAY from your Malibu crew' Not long to go: Luca will appear on the ITV2 reality show which will air next week 'I prefer to meet girls out and about,' he says of his dating patterns. 'I think when you go looking for it, it's not as easy though, it's like you're too desperate for it.' 'If I think you're the one or I like you, I'll take you out on a date but other than that, if we talk and I don't like where it's going - then I won't be throwing out dates.' Luca has already revealed he isn't afraid to pull out all the stops to impress a girl he likes, telling how he once whisked a girl on a private plane for their first date. On the hunt for love: Brighton boy Luca is ready for a new romance, and has been inspired by the lasting love stories of previous Islanders He said: 'I've taken a girl on a private plane for a first date. She wanted flying lessons. She flew the plane and I was in the back!' The ladies in the villa may have their work cut out for them when trying to impress Luca as he has 'high standards' when it comes to romance. Luca, who reckons his family would describe him as a 'class clown' and an 'idiot', is planning on being the jokester of the villa. Showbiz friends: Luca already has a showbiz in thanks to his friendship with Strictly Come Dancing star Saffron Barker Thoughtful: The blonde beauty sweetly wished him luck on Instagram He said: 'A lot of laughter hopefully. I like having a bit of fun, I'm not someone who takes everything too seriously. I want to have a good time there and make sure everyone else is - you don't want anyone sulking about. 'I don't think I'm a bad looking geezer but I think it comes down to personality and who can actually hold a conversation - I think I'll be good in the Villa. Love Island starts at 9pm Monday 6th June on ITV2 and ITV Hub. Episodes are available the following morning on BritBox. He has legions of adoring fans across the globe. And Amanda Holden was no exception as she was spotted leaving Heart Breakfast Radio studios on Tuesday looking flustered with wet hair after Harry Styles' recent confession. Harry recently left the Britain's Got Talent, 51, judge feeling flustered after confessing he dedicated his song 'Golden' to her in rehearsals, by changing the wording to 'Amanda Holden'. Wet and wild: Amanda Holden was spotted leaving Heart Breakfast Radio studios on Tuesday looking flustered with wet hair after Harry Styles' recent confession Following Monday's Britain's Got Talent first semi-final, Amanda referenced the admission by sharing a video of herself in a glitzy dress over Harry's hit. As she left her show, Amanda sported a wild wet hair look with a cream short puffed sleeve jumper, and a pair of denim flared jeans. The blonde bombshell also chose to elevate her height with a pair of white pumps that instantly dressed up the look. She then accessorized the look with some retro sunglasses, and gold hooped earrings, along with a matching bracelet. To finish off the retro ensemble she adorned a vintage style cross-body camera bag, and appeared to have a giddy high spirit as she left the studio. Love struck: The video comes after Harry recently joined Amanda on The Heart FM breakfast show to discuss his new music video. However, during the interview, Harry said: 'I just wanted to let you know, theres a song on my last album called Golden and whenever we sing it in rehearsal we replace Golden with Amanda Holden.' Simple but cute: The Britain's Got Talent judge, 51, sported a wild wet hair look with a cream short puffed sleeve jumper, and a pair of denim flared jeans The judge who is well known for her glam outfits and makeup looks on Britain's Got Talent decided to take a more natural route. Going with a simple but natural makeup look, and a blush pink lip to keep her appearance looking casual. The night before during her appearance on the first Britain's Got Talent semi-final, Amanda looked nothing short of sensational in a silver sequin number, featuring an off the shoulder design, and a high slit. All smiles: The blonde bombshell also chose to elevate her height with a pair of white pumps that instantly dressed up the look. Whilst accessorizing with some retro sunglasses, gold hooped earrings, and a matching bracelet. She shared a video of her look to Instagram and set the music as Harry's famous hit Golden. Harry recently joined Amanda on The Heart FM breakfast show to discuss his new music video where he made the funny confession. During the interview, Harry said: 'I just wanted to let you know, theres a song on my last album called Golden and whenever we sing it in rehearsal we replace Golden with Amanda Holden.' Stunning: The blonde bombshell recently referenced Harry Style's in a post by using his track 'Golden' to show off her glamorous outfit And Amanda instantly blushed and replied 'Oh my god! Can we make sure we edit that bit up please?' After being left flustered from the interview she managed to pull herself together and made a tweet later on. Saying: 'Well @Harry_Styles made my morning.' She always makes sure to put on a stylish display. And Ashley Roberts did not disappoint as she slipped into a checked dress with knee-high leather boots as she departed Heart FM in London on Tuesday. The radio presenter, 40, flashed her toned thighs in the black and white ensemble with a sweet pussybow neckline. Ashley Roberts looks effortlessly chic in a checked dress with knee-high leather boots as she flashes her toned thighs at the Heart FM studios Ashley layered over an oversized blazer with structured shoulder pads and completed her outfit with a miniature croc printed handbag. Her bright blonde locks were styled in a bun with a full fringe and face framing sections as she shielded her eyes with some cat-eye shaped sunglasses. Ashley, who is the show's showbiz correspondent, took to Instagram to share a snap from the Heart FM studio bathrooms, revealing her outfit details to her followers. Stylish: Ashley layered over an oversized blazer with structured shoulder pads and completed her outfit with a miniature croc printed handbag Radiant: Her bright blonde locks were styled in a high bun with a full fringe and face framing sections Pose! Ashley, who is the show's showbiz correspondent, took to Instagram to share a snap from the Heart FM studio bathrooms, revealing her outfit details to her followers It comes after Ashley put on a glamorous display on the BAFTA TV Awards red carpet at the Royal Festival Hall earlier this month. She put on a daring display in a metallic gown by designer Rami Kadi which featured a thigh-grazing slit to allow her to present her toned pins. The performer teamed the silver number, which was adorned with colourful feathers at the tail, with strappy heels and posed up a storm for onlookers. Incredible: It comes after Ashley exhibited her toned legs in a metallic silver thigh-split gown at this year's BAFTA Television Awards last Sunday afternoon at London's Royal Festival Hall Meanwhile, Ashley shared a snap of herself with her beloved parent Peggy to wish her a happy Mother's Day. The television personality could be seen planting a kiss on the cheek of her mother as she paid tribute on the day the US marks the occasion. She captioned the image: 'Happy Mother's Day in [US flag]. Love you Mom!!!!' The pair enjoyed some quality time in December after Peggy jetted over from the US for the first time in two years, appearing on the Heart FM breakfast show. With a powerful new supercomputer in Tennessee, the U.S. has reclaimed the coveted speed crown in computing, marking a watershed moment for the technology that is used in science, medicine, and other sectors, according to the report by The New York Times. US Frontier Tops World's Supercomputer Ranking Frontier, the gigantic machine at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, was named the first supercomputer to achieve performance of one quintillion operations per second - a billion billion calculations - in a set of standard tests used by researchers to evaluate supercomputers. Thomas Zacharia, director of Oak Ridge, said that the COVID-19 outbreak and difficulty procuring components in the supply chain crisis made building the system, which consists of 74 cabinets weighing 8,000 pounds apiece, more challenging. US Beat Japan's Arm-based Fugaku The Register reported that the U.S.' supercomputing prowess has conquered the country of the rising sun. The recently released Frontier supercomputer from Oak Ridge National Laboratory has surpassed Japan's Arm-based Fugaku to take the top spot on the Top500 list of the world's most powerful publicly known systems. Frontier's lead against Fujitsu's A64X-based system in Japan is far from narrow. According to the Linpack test, which has been used to rank supercomputers since the mid-1990s, the cluster achieved a peak performance of 1.1 exaflops. By a wide margin, Frontier is the first publicly benchmarked exascale computer. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory system outperforms Fugaku's 442 petaflops of performance, which was good enough to retain Fugaku in first place for two years. How Did China Fare in the Supercomputer Ranking? China held two top-ten spots with its Tianhe-2A built by China's National University of Defense Technology (NUDT) and Sunway TaihuLight from the National Research Center of Parallel Computer Engineering & Technology (NRCPC), as per Engadget's report. Read More: China's Tianhe-2 supercomputer is fastest in the world Despite the U.S.' dominance in the Top 500, according to The Register, China has already surpassed the exaflop threshold. The Sunway Oceanlite - the successor to TaihuLight - and Tianhe-3, both of which have purportedly exceeded 1.3 exaflops in the Linpack benchmark, are two systems to keep an eye on. However, it is also worth noting that the Asian country has maintained a lower profile in publicizing its supercomputer accomplishments as the U.S. has taken a number of moves to stifle China's technological advancements, including making it more difficult for some Chinese companies to obtain the foreign chips needed to build supercomputers. What Are the Uses of These Supercomputers? International competition has always revolved around supercomputers. The room-sized machines were originally designed to crack codes and construct weapons, but they are now used to develop vaccines, test automotive designs, and model climate change. Frontier, as Zacharia anticipated, would soon make a significant effect in areas such as studying the impact of COVID-19 and assisting in the transition to cleaner energy sources. Related Article: Why Did Samsung Decide To Cut Phone Production by 10% for 2022? Dame Maggie Smith was spotted with her co-star Kathy Bates as filming for their latest motion picture began in Ireland on Tuesday. The Downton Abbey star, 87, donned an all-black ensemble for the emotional graveyard scenes in the coastal town of Bray. Maggie wore a longline wool coat with a beret hat and gloves as she was joined by members of the crew as they made their way past the headstones. On set! Dame Maggie Smith, 87, was joined by Kathy Bates, 75, for a graveyard scene as filming for The Miracle Club began in Ireland on Tuesday Kathy, 75, mirrored Maggie as she also sported in an all black ensemble but she layered a padded jacket over the top of her costume to keep warm in between takes. She was joined by actor Mark O'Halloran who took on the role of the priest, dressed in purple robes with a gold cross emblazoned on his chest. The movie follows the story of three Irish working-class women from Dublin who take a pilgrimage to Lourdes in France where they discover their own personal miracles. Taking a break: Kathy mirrored Maggie as she also sported an all black ensemble but layered a padded jacket over the top to keep warm in between takes Co-star: She was joined by actor Mark O'Halloran who took on the role of the priest, dressed in purple robes with a gold cross emblazoned on his chest Production company Embankment Films detailed: 'Theres just one tantalising dream for the women of Ballyfermot to taste freedom and escape the gauntlet of domestic life: to win a pilgrimage to the sacred French town of Lourdes, and all for free. And with a little benevolent interference from their local community and a sparkly-eyed priest, close friends Lily, Eileen, and Dolly get their ticket of a lifetime after the riotous church talent competition. Having never even left Dublin let alone Ireland the journey provides our heroines the chance to let their hair down, celebrate life and delight in some sweet independence.' Plot: The movie follows the story of three Irish working-class women from Dublin who take a pilgrimage to Lourdes in France where they discover their own personal miracles Coming soon: Speaking to Ryan Tubridy on the Late Late Show last year, Kathy said that the cast were 'very excited' to begin filming the drama The Miracle Club is based on an original screenplay by Jimmy Smallhorne, Timothy Prager, and Josh Maurer. Speaking to Ryan Tubridy on the Late Late Show last year, Kathy said that the cast were 'very excited' to begin filming the drama. She added: 'The only catch is we have to learn working-class Dublin circa 1970s accents. So, that's going to be quite difficult. 'I suspect there's going to be plenty of Irish actresses with their knives out, waiting for us to make a misstep.' I've been watching movies like The Commitments and a few of them that they've sent to me to get an idea. So, it's like, "Oh Lord, I've really got a long way to go!" But, I'm very excited about it. Unlucky-in-love Tasha Ghouri is desperate to find her match on Love Island after spending the last eight months pouring her heart out about her single status. The new Love Islander, who will be the ITV2's series' first ever deaf contestant, has posted regularly about her heartbreak since October last year. The dancer and model posted 33 times on the topic in less than nine months - nearly half of her total output ever on Twitter. Looking for love: Unlucky-in-love Tasha Ghouri is desperate to find her match on Love Island after spending the last eight months pouring her heart out about her single status The blonde bombshell, 23, of Thirsk, North Yorks said in one tweet: 'How hard can it be to find someone who actually wants and appreciates me.' Two days later, on the release date of Adele's hit single Easy On Me she posted again. She said: 'Can relate to Adele's song in many ways.' One lyric of the ballad, which now has nearly a billion streams on Spotify, goes: 'You can't deny how hard I have tried / I changed who I was to put you both first / But now I give up.' Competitive: Describing her dating history as 'trash', Tasha has admitted she may have to 'step on a few toes' to find the one for her' Opening up about her heartbreak, details of which now appear to have been deleted from her Twitter account, Tasha said: 'Not nice when someone goes about their life, drops you and lets the other suffer. Definitely is a pride thing.' The day before, she also retweeted the definition of 'Scapegoat': 'A person who is blamed for the wrongdoings, mistakes, or faults of others, especially for reasons of expediency. Feels apt.' But at the end of the year, she hit a more positive note, saying: '2021 has been amazing and certain situations that have made me grow into a stronger person bring on 2022.' Dating life: The new Love Islander, who will be the ITV2 's series' first ever deaf contestant, has posted regularly about her heartbreak since October last year Her aunt, Fiona WIllis, salon owner and chair of trustees for homelessness charity Street Paws, had words of sage advice for her. She said: 'You're too amazing for most men. Wait until the right one comes along.' She later continued: 'Don't settle, remember you're an absolute queen.' Tasha has also shared broody messages to her followers. On October 30 she posted: 'Can't wait for the day when I'll have a mini me.' And a day later she retweeted: 'Anybody else got baby names written down in their notes?' She told ITV in an interview before going into the villa: 'My dating history is actually a shambles, I'm not even going to lie. I just don't know what I'm doing wrong, like is it me? Is it them? I've been waiting for this all my life. Bring it on!' Support: Her aunt, Fiona WIllis, salon owner and chair of trustees for homelessness charity Street Paws, had words of sage advice for her 'Shambles': She told ITV in an interview before going into the villa: 'My dating history is actually a shambles, I'm not even going to lie. I just don't know what I'm doing wrong' Family plans: Tasha has also shared broody messages to her followers. On October 30 she posted: 'Can't wait for the day when I'll have a mini me' Model Tasha is the show's first ever deaf contestant and experienced her first brush with fame when she modelled for a brand while wearign her cochlear implant last year. She explained: 'I was in articles worldwide last year because I was modelling for a brand and my [cochlear] implant went viral on Twitter. It was in Bangladesh, America, India, so many places!' When asked in the pre-show interview why she is single, Tasha admitted: 'I think guys get quite intimidated by me. Ive been on so many dates before but it just hasnt worked out for me. I havent found that click with somebody yet. I think Im waiting for that click moment and that spark, its all about the spark on the first date.' Gorgeous: Tash went viral last year when she showed her cochlear implant in a earring commercial for fast fashion brand ASOS. She said at the time: 'No matter what disability you've got, you can do it' Tasha has been unlucky in love so far but is hoping the villa will change things, saying: 'My dating life has been a shambles. This is an opportunity for me to find the one and have a great summer at the same time. 'Im definitely ready for a relationship. Im 23 now so Im ready to get to know someone, go on holidays and travel with them.' Describing her dating history as 'trash', Tasha admitted she may have to 'step on a few toes' to find the one for her. She said: 'Its a tough one because Im a girls girl but it is a dating show and Im here to find my man. I may have to step on toes but Ill do it in the nicest way possible.' Love Island starts at 9pm Monday 6th June on ITV2 and ITV Hub. Episodes are available the following morning on BritBox Lucy Mecklenburgh and Ryan Thomas have announced the birth of their daughter. Lucy, 30, took to Instagram on Tuesday to announce the happy news alongside a sweet black and white snap of the baby's hand. They are yet to reveal the child's name. Lucy Mecklenburgh has given birth! Star and Ryan Thomas announce arrival of baby daughter with sweet Instagram post - pictured with son Roman, two Lucy also shared a picture on her Stories, writing: 'She's here.' The news was met with an outpouring of love from Lucy's friends and former TOWIE co-stars, including Samantha Faiers and Jessica Wright, who both recently welcomed their own babies. Sam wrote: 'Aww she's here congratulations' while Jess added 'Congratulations lovely'. The couple are already parents to son Roman, two - and Ryan, 37, is dad to Scarlett, 13, from his relationship with Tina O'Brien. Love: Lucy pictured during her second pregnancy with Ryan Lucy previously told HELLO! Magazine that she was convinced she was pregnant with a girl, and was delighted when a scan confirmed her suspicions. 'I had an inkling that I was having a girl, but I was a bit more unsure than with Roman. With him I just knew I don't know why but even before we found out, I said: "I know, one hundred per cent, it's a boy", Lucy said. The couple also revealed in the interview that they were struggling to come up with names for their daughter, explaining how they had a long list of 15 picked out but would wait until she was born to decide, Happy for them: A host of celebrities including Olivia Attwood and Lucy Jo Hudson sent congratulatory messages Back in March, Lucy updated fans on her son Roman's health, revealing he has fluid in his lungs. She previously told how their little boy spent a week in intensive care last September after Lucy found the two-year-old 'blue in his cot.' Even though Lucy and Ryan were allowed to take him home a week after he was admitted, Roman has since been having regular check-ups, and results flagged that fluid has been entering the tot's lungs whenever he drinks. Admitting it was a conclusion she felt 'really weird about', she continued: 'I'm sad for Roman. Now, from Monday, when we pick up the thickener, he can't have any thin fluids for quite a long time - potentially years. 'So no lollies and ice-creams, no water or juice. Everything has to be a really thick consistency to stop it entering his lungs. 'But we have an answer. Maybe it's not the full picture, I don't know yet because we've not seen his consultant, but it's something.' If too much fluid builds up and presses on the lung it can be difficult for the lung to expand fully. In some situations, part, or all, of the lung will collapse. She concluded: 'It's a step forward and is something we can deal with and is something that will hopefully stop him getting so sick. It's a positive in a way, because we've got a little bit closer to the answer.' This is not the first time Lucy has provided a candid health update as last November, Lucy broke down in tears as she reflected on her son Roman's terrifying stint in hospital. Speaking on the Sweat, Snot & Tears podcast Lucy said: 'I heard sort of grumbles at 3am and like I think we all do, if they're not sounding like it's a big scream and they're in pain, you think, 'Oh well they're just having a little dream.' Families: The couple are already parents to son Roman, two - and Ryan, 37, is dad to Scarlett, 13, from his relationship with Tina O'Brien She revealed that when she checked the baby monitor an hour later that something 'didn't feel right': 'He was moving very slowly, side to side, and I thought, 'This doesn't feel right and I want to go and see him.'' It was then when she found Roman 'blue in his cot' and he was rushed to Basildon Hospital and St Mary's in London. Speaking about the staff, Lucy got emotional as she said: 'They absolutely were wonderful and I need to thank them and the ambulance service for arriving so promptly, for keeping my son here and it's quite emotional actually, talking about that.' Her son was diagnosed with a 'viral induced wheeze' and now requires an inhaler twice a day. Parents: Back in March, Lucy updated fans on her son Roman's health, revealing he has fluid in his lungs She added: 'I don't know this for a fact, but Roman was born ten days before Covid and because he was kept so isolated literally isolated for six months he didn't have the chance to fight off viruses. 'When he was in hospital, the test came back that he had six viruses, so what looked to me as a snotty nose was six viruses, so that's what his little body was having to fight and that's potentially why he was so poorly and got to the stage of needing a ventilator. 'But it does make you think, if he had been in a normal world at the beginning, would he have been able to fight those viruses.' Lucy and Ryan met on the Channel 4 reality series, The Island with Bear Grylls five years ago before getting engaged during a romantic holiday in Italy two years later, when Lucy was pregnant with Roman. 'I said YES!' Lucy and Ryan met on the Channel 4 reality series, The Island with Bear Grylls five years ago before getting engaged during a romantic holiday in Italy two years later, when Lucy was pregnant with Roman Lucy has joked that despite their long engagement, the couple are a way off getting wed as they have had no time to organise a wedding. Back in March, Lucy shocked her Instagram followers when she shared a snap of a set of keys, captioned: 'New house, new project, new memories to be made. '@ryanthomas84 bought our new Manchester home without me viewing it he is a very brave man hahahah!!!' Although she joked her fiance was a 'brave man', his risk appeared to pay off as she gushed: 'Its just perfect! Edwardian, tons of potential. I cant wait to get started on the renovation!! Married At First Sight groom Mitch Eynaud was brutally roasted by 'rude' waiters on Tuesday night. The financial planner, 27, was out enjoying dinner with his co-star Matt Ridley when a waiter decided to walk over and place a paper bag with the words 'loves sloppy seconds' over his face. The message was likely in reference to speculation Eynaud is dating his co-star Tamara Djordjevic, which they both deny. How rude! Married At First Sight groom Mitch Eynaud, 27, (pictured) was brutally roasted by waiters at Karen's Diner on Tuesday night At one point Matt and friends can be heard laughing before asking Mitch to turn the paper bag around to show what was written on the other side. To the table's surprise it had the words: 'washed up celebrity' written across it, sending everyone into fits of laughter. The footage was documented and uploaded to Matt's Instagram. Ouch! The financial planner was out enjoying dinner with his co-star Matt Ridley when a waiter decided to walk over and place a paper bag with the words 'loves sloppy seconds' over his face The American-style diner hires waitstaff who are deliberately rude to customers for a unique and funny dining experience. Karen's Diner's motto is, 'Great Burgers & Rude Service' and their slogan warns, 'For the love of Karen dont ask to speak to a manager'. Just last week a similar incident unknowingly reignited a long running feud with warring brides Olivia Frazer and Domenica Calarco. Date night: Mitch was enjoying a night out with his co-star Matt Ridley (right) and his girlfriend KJ White Liv, 27, was enjoying lunch with her boyfriend Jackson Lonie and co-stars Daniel Holmes and Carolina Santos when a waiter walked over and placed a paper bag with the words 'subscribe to my Only Fans (I need the follows)' over her face. It comes weeks after Tamara put rumours to bed she had recoupled with Mitch, saying that the pair were nothing more than good friends. 'Most asked question in the question box,' she said in response to a fan who asked if the MAFS co-stars were 'together' on Instagram. Just friends: 'Mitch and I are really good friends,' Tamara explained. 'I want to set the record straight by saying that we only became friends months after filming had ended'. Pictured attending an event on the Gold Coast together last month Mitch and I are really good friends,' she said. 'I want to set the record straight by saying that we only became friends months after filming had ended. 'We obviously didn't talk after the Commitment Ceremony' 'One day we were like "let's put our differences aside," and got to know each other. We have great banter and got heaps in common. 'He's been so supportive and unless you've been through this MAFS experience you don't know what it's like Mitch and I had similar struggles and just bonded a natural friendship so that's all that is.' Hollywood actor Owen Wilson was the victim of a grand theft auto robbery that occurred on Sunday. According to TMZ, the 53-year-old Marry Me actor had his rims and tires stolen off his Tesla. The electric vehicle was parked outside of his Santa Monica, California mansion on Saturday evening when the incident occurred. The Midnight In Paris actor only found out about the crime the following morning. The total cost for the stolen car parts was estimated to have been around $4,000. Unfortunate incident: Owen Wilson was the victim of a robbery that occurred this past Sunday, according to TMZ; he is seen in 2019 It is not known what model Tesla the star has. The Tesla Model X costs over $100,000, according to Motor Trend, though the model 3 can cost as low as $45,000. The local police department was said to be investigating the incident as grand theft. As of Tuesday, no arrests have been made in the case, and authorities are checking security cameras around the neighborhood. Crime has spiked in Los Angeles. In 2021, the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reported a total of 39,894 stolen vehicles compared to 34,003 in 2020- a staggering 17 percent surge. Progressive Los Angeles DA George Gascon released a PSA in March offering residents 'tips' to avoid having their vehicles stolen - amid skyrocketing car thefts fueled in part by his soft-on-crime policies. The car: A stock image of a Tesla vehicle at Tesla's primary vehicle; the Tesla Model X costs over $100,000 Gascon finally addressed the spike in car thefts after months of headline-grabbing incidents - which have reached a 10-year high in the city, according to LAPD statistics - by saying he is planning on 'working with law enforcement' to hold car thieves accountable. Meanwhile, Wilson talked about his career during an interview with Esquire. 'Sometimes it seems like life is being played by Gene Hackman in Hoosiers. Tough but fair. He's going to demand a lot, but if you play as a team and do your job, things work out,' he said. Tough break: The media outlet reported that the 53-year-old performer had parked his Tesla outside of his Santa Monica home on Saturday evening and found that its rims and tires had been stolen the following morning The performer admitted, however, that he often found himself in a position where the difficulties of life were particularly apparent. 'But of course sometimes life seems to be played by Tom Hardy in The Revenant, some nightmarish guy trying to kill you,' he stated. Wilson then offered a bit of advice regarding life's harsher and less hopeful moments. 'When life's being played by that guy, you just gotta hang on and wait for it to pass,' he advised. He is often not in LA: Wilson attended the Atlanta Hawks vs Dallas Mavericks home opener game at State Farm Arena in October in Atlanta The performer also expressed that he was grateful for the opportunities he had been given over the past few decades. 'I've been in sort of a lucky place of feeling pretty appreciative of things. I know everything's kind of up and down, but when you get on one of these waves, you've gotta ride it as long as you can,' he said. Although Wilson has a new focus in repairing his vehicle, he is also involved in the production of several upcoming feature films. The performer is set to appear in the upcoming film Secret Headquarters, which is centered on a child who suspects that his father may be a superhero when he finds a secret lair underneath his home. Major role: The actor is set to be featured in the horror-comedy feature Haunted Mansion, which is based on the Disneyland attraction of the same name; he is seen while working with Jennifer Lopez in 2019 on Marry Me The movie will also star Michael Pena and Jesse K. Williams, and it is set to be released on August 5. The actor is set to be featured in the horror-comedy feature Haunted Mansion, which is based on the Disneyland attraction of the same name. Wilson was cast as a priest who is contacted by a single mother in an effort to exorcise a New Orleans mansion. The movie, which will also star Rosario Dawson, Tiffany Haddish and Danny DeVito, is scheduled to be released on March 10 of next year. Spiritualized and Kae Tempest have been announced as the latest acts to join Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds at Luno presents All Points East 2022. The rockers and the critically acclaimed poet will perform before Nick and his band on the final night of the festival at London's Victoria Park on August 28. They will join The Smile, Michael Kiwanuka, Sleaford Mods, Aldous Harding, Anna Calvi, Japanese Breakfast, and Jehnny Beth who were previously confirmed to play. Exciting: Spiritualized and Kae Tempest will join Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds at All Points East festival in latest line-up announcement (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds pictured in 2008) Elsewhere, jazz star Robert Glasper, Hurray For The Riff Raff, Party Dozen (who Nick has previously collaborated), Starcrawler and Chilli Jesson of Palma Violets fame will also perform. The release comes after Nick Cave has thanked fans for their support as he continues to mourn the death of his eldest son. Jethro Lazenby, 31, died on May 7, two days after he was released from prison in Australia following an assault upon his mother. He thanked a fan for offering their condolences during a heartfelt exchange of messages on his Red Hand Fire blog. Taking to the stage: Spiritualized will perform before Nick and his band on the final night of the festival at London's Victoria Park on August 28 (Frontman Jason Pierce pictured in 2019) Performing: Critically acclaimed poet Kae Tempest will also take to the stage on August bank holiday 'I have no question for you today. I just wanted to send my heartfelt condolences on the tragic loss of Jethro,' wrote a fan named Teresa, Rolling Stone reports. 'All I can do is offer the collective love of all who read your letters.' Responding to her, Cave said: 'Thank you for your letter. Many others have written to me about Jethro, sending condolences and kind words. These letters are a great source of comfort and I'd like to thank all of you for your support.' Cave added that he would come back to the platform in several weeks' time and shared a childhood photograph of Jethro. 'With much sadness, I can confirm that my son, Jethro, has passed away,' theCave announced at the time. 'We would be grateful for family privacy at this time.' The release comes after Nick Cave has thanked fans for their support as he continues to mourn the death of his eldest son Jethro Lazenby, 31, (pictured in August 2006) At the time of his death, a judge had ordered Jethro to attend a drug treatment programme and to stay away from his mother for two years, The Metro reports. Jethro had previously enjoyed a successful career as a model and had acted using the stage name Jethro Cave. His death occurred seven years after Cave's son Arthur, 15, died from falling off a cliff in Brighton. All Points East have also teamed up with RayBan to host a trio of intimate gigs in London. The Ray-Ban X APE present The Summer Sessions kicked off on May 26, with Sherelle headlining Colour Factory in Hackney Wick, London. The DJ-and-producer was joined by Nia Archives, who was crowned Best Producer at the BandLab NME Awards earlier this year, musician and visual/audio artist LCY and Foundation FM. KOKO in Camden is still set to play host to Kenny Beats and more on June 8, and Self Esteem is playing Earth at Dalston on July 14. AEG Presents commented: 'Ray-Ban has been a partner of Luno presents All Points East since its launch in 2018 and we're really pleased to develop our relationship further with these intimate shows this summer.' Line-up: They will join The Smile, Michael Kiwanuka, Sleaford Mods, Aldous Harding, Anna Calvi, Japanese Breakfast, and Jehnny Beth who were previously confirmed to play They added: 'The festival is going to be a huge celebration of music and we're delighted to have Ray-Ban partner with us again on the West Stage across both weekends.' This year the festival is making an effort to be as environmentally friendly as possible. A press release detailed: 'Each night, BMW will be plugging into All Points East's sustainability policies, with a fleet of all-electric BMW iX providing artist transportation, actively reducing each event's carbon footprint.' First up: Gorillaz will kick off the festival on August 19 alongside Nia and Self Esteem who will support (Damon Albarn of Gorillaz pictured centre in 2021) Gorillaz will kick off the festival on August 19 alongside Nia and Self Esteem who will support. APE Presents: Field Day is back on August 20, with The Chemical Brothers and Kraftwerk co-headlining. Tame Impala headline on August 25, The National on August 26, dance duo Disclosure on August 27, followed by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds on August 28. Crown Princess Mary of Denmark was attending to her royal duties on Monday. The 50-year-old was on hand to lay the foundation stone for Mary Elizabeth's Hospital - Rigshospitalet for Children, Teens and Expecting Families in Copenhagen, Demark. Mary stunned in a white dress cut in a classy, retro silhouette and a dainty sash knotted at the waist. Lovely: Crown Princess Mary of Denmark (pictured) was attending to royal duties on Monday The long sleeves with a button detail, knee length hem and angular neckline of the frock brought to mind a 1960s style gown. The Princess added a pair of pale pink shoes to the ensemble, with a towering stiletto heel. For accessories, she had on a floral brooch in a gold metal, as well as a number of bracelets and a gold chain necklace. Appearance: The 50-year-old was on hand to lay the foundation stone for Mary Elizabeth's Hospital - Rigshospitalet for Children, Teens and Expecting Families in Copenhagen, Demark Beautiful: Mary stunned in a white dress cut in a classy, retro silhouette and a dainty sash knotted at the waist Beautiful: The long sleeves with a button detail, knee length hem and angular neckline of the frock brought to mind a 1960s style gown Mary added to the look with a beige straw hat with a white brim and rope detailing, as well as pearl statement earrings. For makeup, she chose a natural look with a rosy cheek, and a rich pink lipstick in a satin finish. Her brunette locks were worn down, straight and pushed back behind her ears to showcase her face. Pretty in pink: The Princess added a pair of pale pink shoes to the ensemble, with a towering stiletto heel Well hatted: Mary added to the look with a beige straw hat with a white brim and rope detailing Details: For accessories, she had on a floral brooch in a gold metal, as well as a number of bracelets and a gold chain necklace Finishing touches: Mary added a pair of pearl statement earrings to her look Mary - born Mary Elizabeth Donaldson - is one of the most respected women on the international scene. Mary famously met her husband Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark by chance at Sydney pub the Slip Inn during the 2000 Olympics. After their encounter, Fred - who was in Australia to support Denmark's Olympic sailing team - asked Mary for her phone number and a romance blossomed. Gorgeous: For makeup, she chose a natural look with a rosy cheek Plum tones: She added a rich pink lipstick in a satin finish Dressed up: Her brunette locks were worn down, straight and pushed back behind her ears Fans: The Princess stopped to take a selfie with one of her admirers 'The first time we met we shook hands. I didn't know he was the prince of Denmark. Half an hour later someone came up to me and said, "Do you know who these people are"?' Mary revealed in an interview about meeting the heir to the Danish throne. They maintained a long-distance relationship for a year, with Frederik making secret trips Down Under before Mary moved to Denmark to study Danish language at Copenhagen's Studieskolen in 2001. In early 2003, Frederik's mother Queen Margrethe publicly acknowledged the relationship and the couple announced their engagement at Amalienborg Castle later that year on October 8. Popular: Mary - born Mary Elizabeth Donaldson - is one of the most respected women on the international scene Romance: Mary famously met her husband Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark by chance at Sydney pub the Slip Inn during the 2000 Olympics Fairytale: After their encounter, Fred - who was in Australia to support Denmark's Olympic sailing team - asked Mary for her phone number and a romance blossomed Frederik and Mary married on May 14, 2004 at Copenhagen Cathedral, with the newly minted Crown Princess opting for a beautiful gown by Danish designer Uffer Frank and a veil first used by Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden in 1905. Their first child, Prince Christian Valdemar Henri John, was born October 15, 2005; Princess Isabella Henrietta Ingrid Margrethe followed on April 21, 2007. Almost four years later Mary and Frederik welcomed twins, Princess Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda and Prince Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander at the Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen on January 8, 2011. She found fame starring amongst her wealthy pals on Made In Chelsea. And, Georgia Toffolo, 27, oozed elegance as she went braless in a nude bodysuit and slip skirt while attending the HELLO! x Dubonnet Platinum Jubilee lunch in London, on Tuesday. The former Queen of The Jungle looked stunning in her elegant ensemble as she made her grand entrance, with a doorman keeping her sheltered from the pouring rain. Gorgeous: Georgia Toffolo, 27, oozed elegance as she went braless in a nude bodysuit and slip skirt while attending a Platinum Jubilee lunch in London, on Tuesday Georgia showed off her slim frame in the SKIMs bodysuit, while adding a splash of interest to her attire with feathers trailing down the side of her midi skirt. The silk skirt itself boasting a refined split to one side, and the reality star chose to step out in a slip-on pair of perspex heels. Completing her chic look, Toff accessorised with a diamond necklace and carried her belongings in a gold Chanel bag. The Platinum Jubilee outing comes after Georgia revealed that she is 'seeing' her aristocratic ex boyfriend George Cottrell again, who has previously spent time in jail for wire fraud. Divine: The former Queen of The Jungle looked stunning in her elegant ensemble as she made her grand entrance The pair initially sparked romance rumours back in 2019, but were said to have cooled things off. But as the relationship appears to be back in full swing, the Made In Chelsea star says she is 'really, really happy' after rekindling the spark. In a recent chat with The Sun, the TV personality explained that she is keeping her romantic life private, to avoid having to 'justify' things if they go wrong. But adding a small insight, Georgia told the publication: 'All I can say is that we have just been hanging out, and I'm really, really happy and everything's going really well and I don't want to jinx everything.' George, who was a former aide for Nigel Farage when the pair were involved in the UKIP party, is also a convicted felon - being jailed in the US in 2016 for wire fraud in connection with a drugs and money laundering investigation. The financier, who is reportedly worth 300million, spent eight months in a US jail. But standing up for her relationship, Georgia also told the publication: 'I dont want to have to justify why I'm with someone or why I'm not.' Admitting that while she'd like to share more detail on her personal life, the star said that the speculation is 'too much for me'. 'Id like to sort of shout from the rooftops about everything, but when you've got people speculating whether I am with someone, that is too much for me. Ive got to keep one bit for me,' she explained. Love Island have responded to a conspiracy involving one of the newest contestants and a stolen handbag, while Amber Gill called for the accuser to enter the villa. On Monday, the official Love Island Twitter account revealed that real estate agent Andrew Le Page would be entering the villa on June 6. But one Twitter user named Carol McGee appeared to recognise the Guernsey native, and tweeted out a damning accusation. Suspicious: Love Island have responded to a conspiracy involving one of the newest contestants and a stolen handbag, while Amber Gill called for the accuser to enter the villa She wrote: 'He looks like the man who stole my daughter's handbag in Sainsbury's.' Demanding answers, she asked the Love Island team: 'Can you confirm if he was in Bristol Sainsbury's on March 12th love island.' After another user mentioned that Andrew looked familiar and asked if he'd seen him somewhere before, Carol replied: 'Yes Bristol Sainsbury's'. Newbie: On Monday, the official Love Island Twitter account revealed that real estate agent Andrew Le Page would be entering the villa on June 6 The tweets soon went viral, with users making several memes depicting Andrew at a Sainsbury's. However, it seems after some digging that Andrew may be innocent of the heinous crime. One user said: 'Sorry to be the bearer of bad news Carol by Andrew was in Dubai on March 12, so it seems your perpetrator is still at large.' (sic) J'accuse! But one Twitter user named Carol McGee appeared to recognize the Guernsey native, and tweeted out a damning accusation Carol wasn't so sure however, responding: 'Ok thanks, are you sure.' From looking at Andrew's Instagram, he shared two posts on March 9 and March 17 in Dubai, suggesting that he was not, in fact, in Bristol. Previous Love Island winner Amber Gill also waded in, calling for Carol to be put on the show immediately. Hilarious: The tweets soon went viral, with users making several memes depicting Andrew at a Sainsbury's She tweeted: 'Get Carol on the show! NOW! First challenge: Did you steal my daughter's handbag?' And Love Island themselves responded by tweeting Amber back with a string of writing emojis saying: 'speak to challenge team.' Amber became a fan favourite on the fifth series of Love Island, before she was crowned as the 2019 winner alongside Greg O'Shea. MailOnline has contacted reps for Love Island for comment. Having her say: Previous Love Island winner Amber Gill has now waded in, calling for Carol to be put on the show immediately Response: And Love Island themselves responded by tweeting back Amber with a string of writing emojis saying: 'speak to challenge team' Andrew is a real estate agent from Guernsey and described himself as a romantic who likes to treat a girl, revealing he once surprised his ex with a trip to Paris. He said: 'With my ex, we went out for dinner for her birthday. I pretended that I got her absolutely nothing and she was kind of fuming. 'Then I whipped out that, 'We're actually going to Paris tomorrow'. She was very happy with that!' 'When I'm with someone I'm very loyal, I'm a good boyfriend as when I'm with someone I'm all for them,' the 27-year-old said, adding that now he's 'actually single for once' it's the best time to give Love Island a go'. Personality: Andrew is a real estate agent from Guernsey and described himself as a romantic who likes to treat a girl, revealing he once surprised his ex with a trip to Paris Lush: Andrew is also a qualified personal trainer and boasts more than 6,000 followers on his Instagram page, where he shares snaps of his live in Dubai Andrew, who lives in Dubai, is also a qualified personal trainer and boasts more than 6,000 followers on his Instagram page and joined TikTok ahead of entering the villa. He often takes to social media to share glimpses at his life in the United Arab Emirates, including snaps of him out with his pals and working out in the gym. So far, the new Love Island cast have won praise, as the inclusion of the show's first ever deaf contestant alongside Islanders from ethnic minorities are hailed by fans as representing 'the most diverse' lineup seen on the ITV2 dating show. As the first crop of contestants were revealed on Love Island's social media accounts on Monday, fans also applauded the use of unfiltered and unedited photos of the new lineup. LOVE ISLAND 2022: DUTY OF CARE Comprehensive psychological support Training for all Islanders on the impacts of social media and handling potential negativity Training for all Islanders on financial management Detailed conversations with Islanders regarding the impact of participation on the show A proactive aftercare package which extends support to all Islanders following their participation on the show Guidance and advice on taking on management after the show Information courtesy of ITV Advertisement A year ago, the line-up came under fire from 'disappointed' fans as they complained about the lack of different ethnic backgrounds, body types and members of the LGBT community represented on the show. This year there was praise from some fans who declared: 'I see they paid some attention.' This year's Love Island contestants will be given inclusivity training, round the clock access to mental health experts and bespoke guidance on how to cope with instant fame as part of an extensive care package implemented ahead of its latest series. Ahead of this series, contestants will be offered video training and guidance covering appropriate inclusive language around disability, sexuality, race and ethnicity, as well as general behaviours and microaggressions. Praise: The new Love Island cast have won praise, as the inclusion of the show's first ever deaf contestant is hailed by fans as 'the most diverse' lineup on the ITV dating programme The inclusion training, which Islanders are offered prior to entering the Villa, consists of conversations chaired by BCOMS (Black Collective of Media in Sport) founder Leon Mann MBE. It also included DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) consultant Hayley Bennett, disability specialist Shani Dhanda and broadcaster Sean Fletcher. The discussions have been devised to tackle topics including inclusive language, behaviour, creating safe spaces and being a good ally. Love Island starts at 9pm Monday 6th June on ITV2 and ITV Hub. Episodes are available the following morning on BritBox. Advertisement Olivia DeJonge, Austin Butler and Tom Hanks led the stars attended a special screening of Elvis at the BFI Southbank in London on Tuesday. The actress, 24, who plays Elvis' wife Priscilla in the biopic, ensured all eyes were on her on the red carpet as she donned a cream dress with a backless detail. The garment also featured long-sleeves with a cut out detail across the shoulder and a scooped neckline. Co-stars: Olivia DeJonge and Austin Butler lead the stars attended a special screening of Elvis at the BFI Southbank in London on Tuesday Olivia added height to her frame with a pair of heels while she styled her dark blonde locks into an updo. The Australian star appeared in good spirits on the red carpet where she signed autographs and posed for pictures with fans. Leading man Austin cut a dapper figure for the screening as he donned a white blazer with a matching T-shirt. The actor, who plays the legendary musician in the film, also sported a pair of black trousers with matching boots. Style: The garment also featured long-sleeves with a cut out detail across the shoulder and a scooped neckline Dapper: Another famous face at the event was Tom Hanks, who stars as Elvis' manager Colonel Tom Parker in the film In character: Austin and Olivia star as Elvis and his wife Priscilla in the biopic which charts his rise to global fame Styling his hair into a quiff, Austin posed for several snaps with Olivia and also chatted with his fellow co-stars on the red carpet. Another famous face at the event was Tom Hanks, who stars as Elvis' manager Colonel Tom Parker in the film. Tom looked suave for the screening in a dark grey blazer and matching trousers which he wore with a black shirt. Director Baz Luhrmann put on an animated display as he struck a series of playful poses on the red carpet where he was joined by his wife Catherine Martin and their daughter Lillian. Flawless: Olivia added height to her frame with a pair of heels while she styled her dark blonde locks into an updo In demand: The Australian star appeared in good spirits on the red carpet where she signed autographs and posed for pictures with fans Cast: Austin, Olivia and Tom were also joined by their fellow co-stars Yola Quartey and Luke Bracey at the star-studded screening Filmmaker: Also in attendance at the event was director Baz Luhrmann (centre) who joined Austin and Tom on the red carpet The filmmaker sported a black metallic turtle neck top which he wore with a matching cloak and black trousers, along with an Elvis belt. Yola Quartey, who plays gospel singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe in the flick, looked sensational in a bright red gown with a ruffled detail. The garment featured long-sleeves and a flowing train along with a daring leg split, with Yola also donning a pair of black heels. Looking in good spirits as she posed for the camera, the actress added to her look with a black headband and a pair of earrings. Leading man: Austin, who plays the legendary musician in the film, sported Alexander McQueen Pals: Austin and Tom looked in good spirits as they posed for a snap together on the red carpet Family: Baz attended the screening alongside his wife Catherine Martin and their daughter Lillian Outfit: The filmmaker sported a black metallic turtle neck top which he wore with a matching cloak and black trousers, along with an Elvis belt Sensational: Yola Quartey, who plays gospel singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe in the flick, looked sensational in a bright red gown with a ruffled detail Smart: Fellow star Luke Bracey looked smart as he sported a dark green and navy plaid blazer with matching trousers and a white shirt Fellow star Luke Bracey looked smart as he sported a dark green and navy plaid blazer with matching trousers and a white shirt. The actor stars as Elvis' talent manager Jerry Schilling and was a member of the singer's Memphis Mafia entourage. Other famous faces in attendance at the screening including singer and Strictly Come Dancing star HRVY who was accompanied by fellow singer Mimi Webb. House On Fire singer Mimi cut a glamorous figure in a black off the shoulder dress which she paired with open-toed heels. Star: Austin signed autographs and posed for photos with fans as he made his way down the red carpet Role: Luke (right) stars as Elvis' talent manager Jerry Schilling and was a member of the singer's Memphis Mafia entourage Big deal: Austin recently revealed that he spent a year and a half preparing for his role as Elvis Radiant: Lillian opted for a gold blazer and matching trousers while Catherine donned a cream blazer and matching skirt with a silver sequinned detail Production: The cast were joined by producer Gail Berman (left), writer Craig Pearce (second from left) and producer Schuyler Weiss (right) Styling her blonde locks into an updo, the hitmaker added to her outfit with a cream clutch bag and a gold necklace. HRVY opted for a green blazer and matching trousers, pairing it with a white shirt, matching trainers and a silver necklace. As he takes on the titular role, Austin spoke of his all-consuming approach in taking on such an iconic figure. Speaking on BBC's The One Show, he said: 'I had about a year and a half before we started shooting. It feels like climbing Mount Everest, it's just so mammoth of a task so, for me, I just had to take it one step at a time. Flawless: Other famous faces in attendance at the screening including singer and Strictly Come Dancing star HRVY who was accompanied by fellow singer Mimi Webb Playful: Keith Lemon put on an animated display as he attended the screening in a check blazer and matching trousers 'I started with absorbing everything. I watched every bit of footage that's out there, I watched every interview of his during his entire career and read every book that was written on his life. 'Then I started to break it up into pieces, so it was figuring out how his voice changed over the years and obsessing about that. 'It became this two-year obsession where I put the rest of my life on pause. I went through every bit of his being like that. From his spiritual evolution and the way that he moved and how that changed over the years. Success: Elvis premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and has received positve reviews from critics Dedication: As he takes on the titular role, Austin spoke of his all-consuming approach in taking on such an iconic figure Connection: Tom revealed his wife Rita Wilson's connection to Priscilla Presley, saying: 'My wife knows Priscilla from some women's cancer funds they've done together' Austin added: 'I started with absorbing everything. I watched every bit of footage that's out there, I watched every interview of his during his entire career and read every book that was written on his life' He said: 'Then I started to break it up into pieces, so it was figuring out how his voice changed over the years and obsessing about that' 'Really at the core of it all for me it was about stripping away the icon of Elvis or the caricature of him and getting down to the humanity of him. That's what I found really fascinating.' Speaking about the performance nature of the role, taking to a stage and putting on a show as Elvis, Austin said: 'I was really nervous for those performances because it's something I've never done before. 'I spoke to Rami Malek beforehand, and he told me, "I believe those days will probably be the most fun days you have, "and it turned out to be exactly that. 'The first performance we filmed was the '68 Special and so I'm walking out in the black leather and I was so nervous beforehand. Career: Olivia is best known her role on Netflix's mystery series The Society and her lead role in M Night Shyamalan's The Visit Austin said: 'It became this two-year obsession where I put the rest of my life on pause. I went through every bit of his being like that' 'You do a year and a half of dedicating every day to this and suddenly here's the moment of truth, where I walk out there in front of everybody and it felt like my career was on the line, this job it felt like everything was on the line in this moment. 'I had this moment alone before I went out there and I really just rested in the fact that it was a make-or-break moment in Elvis's life. 'His career was on the line. So, it wasn't a bad thing that I was experiencing that fear and I knew that he was feeling the same thing. I could just take that energy and do what he did which was build a rapport with the audience.' Meanwhile, Tom spoke about his wife Rita Wilson's connection to Priscilla Presley, saying: 'My wife knows Priscilla from some women's cancer funds they've done together. Priscilla and Jerry Schilling who is in the movie one of the original Memphis Mafia came by the house. He added: 'From his spiritual evolution and the way that he moved and how that changed over the years' Icon: 'Really at the core of it all for me it was about stripping away the icon of Elvis or the caricature of him and getting down to the humanity of him. That's what I found really fascinating' Nervous: Speaking about the performance nature of the role, taking to a stage and putting on a show as Elvis, Austin said: 'I was really nervous for those performances because it's something I've never done before' 'I was anticipating hearing horror stories about the Colonel and I heard just the opposite. Jerry and Priscilla loved the Colonel, he said he was a wonderful man. 'He brightened up every room that he came into. Was he fishy with some of the money? "Yeah, we had to sue him and he gave it up and we got it." 'It turned from a guy who was this Machiavellian puppet master who was just a fella who said, "Well, of course!' I had a treasure trove of anecdotal information."' There's a lot of excitement around the Elvis Presley biopic from Baz, who is hoping to recreate the buzz he generated when he brought the can-can to Cannes with Moulin Rouge! 20 years ago. The film chronicles the life and career of Elvis from his early days as a child growing up in Mississippi to his ascent as a rock and roll icon and movie star, along with his complex relationship with his manager. He said: 'I spoke to Rami Malek beforehand, and he told me, "I believe those days will probably be the most fun days you have, "and it turned out to be exactly that' The Ferris wheel has become a symbol of fun and excitement for most of us. It's commonly seen in adventure parks and expositions. But did you know that the first-ever Ferris wheel was built as an amusement during the summertime? According to the Guinness World Record, the first "Ferris" wheel was constructed for the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893 in Chicago, Illinois at a total cost of $385,000. It was designed by an American engineer named George Washington Gale Ferris Jr., who specialized in the construction of bridges and tunnels. As it came to be known, the Ferris wheel reached a maximum height of 80 meters above the ground and had a diameter of 76 meters and a circumference of 240 meters. The unloaded weight of the Ferris wheel was approximately 1,300 tons, and each of the wheel's 36 fully enclosed gondolas could accommodate up to 40 passengers in revolving chairs. The Story Behind the First Ferris Wheel The invention of the first-ever Ferris wheel came from the vision of an architect named Daniel Burnham in 1890. Burnham was inspired by how tall the structure of the Eiffel Tower was and how nothing like that stood on American soil yet. Burnham was toiling away in the shadow of a famous landmark built the previous year in Paris. This structure was made of elegant wrought iron and rose one thousand feet into the air. In an event, the man was tasked with transforming an enormous empty lot into a vacant space in which the World's Columbian Exposition would be held. To materialize his ideas into reality, he first hired a team of engineers to develop, craft, and build ambitious plans that surpassed the design of the Eiffel Tower. However, Burnham criticized a group of engineers working on the project for their lack of imagination. According to him, these engineers are tasked with creating something "novel, original, daring, and unique." Following that failed attempt, Burnham was able to find another engineer, a 33-year-old engineer from Pittsburgh named George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. Then Ferris, whose company was charged with inspecting the steel used by the fair, was struck by an idea and quickly sketched a large revolving steel wheel. After adding specifics, he discussed the concept with Burnham, who objected to the thin rods that would carry people to a height greater than the Statue of Liberty, which had only recently been completed. He remarked that it was "too fragile." Ferris was once more fueled to think big, as the massive crowds anticipated at the fair also inspired him to place large bets. He invested his own money into safety studies to the tune of $25,000, hired additional engineers, and sought out investors. On December 16, 1892, his wheel was selected to respond to Eiffel's invention. It had a diameter of 250 feet and could transport 36 cars, each of which could hold 60 passengers. Read Also: China Embarks on an Asteroid-Deflecting Mission - What About NASA? The First Ever Ferris Wheel Ride With the collective hard work of the people involved, the Ferris wheel became successfully operational. According to the Smithsonian Magazine, the ride on the first-ever Ferris wheel was worth 50 cents. In a span of 19 weeks, more than 1.4 million people paid a quarter for a ride that lasted twenty minutes and provided access to an aerial panorama that very few people had seen before. When it was first built, people described good words with experience, citing that it gives an incredible sensation. Unfortunately, the remains of the first Ferris wheel are no longer around. On November 22, 1896, George Ferris died at the age of 37 of typhoid fever. Ferris was also declared bankrupt and faced numerous cases of debt he owed to suppliers. In 1904, the first-ever Ferris wheel was purchased by the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis. Two years later, on May 11, 1906, the Ferris wheel was demolished. Related Article: Did You Know That the First US Television Sitcom Aired in 1947 - What is It? The second live show of Britain's Got Talent saw impressionist Ben Nickless win the public vote, as he heads to the next stage alongside runner-up singers Flintz & T4ylor, who were voted for by David Walliams, Alesha Dixon and Simon Cowell. Amber And The Dancing Collies - who were also in the top three - were unfortunately sent home after performing a swashbuckling routine on Tuesday. Meanwhile, behind the scenes chaos erupted after bawling children were turned away from the Hammersmith Apollo's doors since the venue was too packed to accommodate them, it has been reported. Deserving: The second live show of Britain's Got Talent saw impressionist Ben Nickless win the public vote, as he heads to the next stage According to claims, ticketing company ApplauseStore purposefully allocated an overflow of tickets in case of no-shows. With the semi-finals being held during the school half-term holidays, parents had the same idea of bringing their little ones along for a treat. A source told The Sun: 'There's been loads of adverts and emails sent out urging people to sign up for the BGT live shows for the semis. 'But loads and loads of people were left disappointed and it was utter mayhem. It's a no from us: Meanwhile, 'behind-the-scenes mayhem erupts when crying children were turned away from entering the venue' (pictured R-L, David Walliams, Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden and Simon Cowell in 2022) 'Some had been down there since 6am hoping to get a glimpse of their favourite acts, but were left gutted when they were told it was full up.' With ApplauseStore's small print refusing to guarantee entry to everybody who shows up, 'crying children' allegedly filled the street outside the venue. A spokesman from ApplauseStore said: 'As is standard practice, tickets are over-allocated to cover for the occasions when people fail to turn up for a free event. Woohoo! Runner-up singers Flintz & T4ylor, who were voted for by David Walliams, Alesha Dixon and Simon Cowell, will also perform again 'Ticket numbers are carefully considered, and we make it very clear that ticket-holders will not always be guaranteed entry. 'It's very rare the audience are disappointed, and we're pleased to have been able to seat over 2,700 people to enjoy the show last night.' MailOnline has contacted ITV and ApplauseStore for comment. Amanda Holden sent temperatures soaring yet again as she slipped into a racy outfit for night two of thensemi-finals on Tuesday. Wow! Amanda Holden sent temperatures soaring yet again as she slipped into a racy outfit for night two of the Britain's Got Talent semi-finals on Tuesday The TV personality, 51, put on a leggy display in a thigh-split purple gown featuring silver embellishments as she took to the judging panel at Hammersmith Apollo. Adding inches to her enviable frame with a pair of sparkling heels, she posed up a storm with her hand on her hip. After Amber And The Dancing Collies performed, Simon quipped that he had been inspired to run a dog-themed Pirates Of The Caribbean. David observed: 'This is a nation of dog lovers, the public go crazy for this but you are talented too and it's the chemistry that made it.' Out of this world: The TV personality, 51, put on a leggy display in a thigh-split purple gown featuring silver embellishments as she took to the judging panel at Hammersmith Apollo Gorgeous: Adding inches to her enviable frame with a pair of sparkling heels, she posed up a storm with her hand on her hip When asked how she felt about her pooches by Ant & Dec, following the performance, Amber said: Yeah, I'm really proud of them.' Earlier in the evening, the Geordie duo kicked off the first of a week of live shows with a spectacular Back To The Future musical-themed opening. As the judges were introduced during the segment, Alesha looked gorgeous in a sparkly purple dress with a plunging neckline. In her element: After Amber And The Dancing Collies performed a swashbuckling routine, Simon quipped that he had been inspired to run a dog-themed Pirates Of The Caribbean Big fan: David observed: 'This is a nation of dog lovers, the public go crazy for this but you are talented too and it's the chemistry that made it' Simon and David looked dapper as they dressed in suits for the occasion, with David opting for a navy tailored ensemble while Simon kept it classic in grey. After the Voices of Armed Forces Children Choir belted out a heart-wrenching track, Amanda gushed: 'I have to say I think that was one of the most emotional and courageous performances I've seen on the show. You all deserve it. 'I hope you're all crying happy tears. I feel so proud of you all, I barely know you but want to give you a massive cuddle. Ensemble: After the Voices of Armed Forces Children Choir belted out a heart-wrenching track, Amanda gushed: 'That was one of the most emotional and courageous performances' Impressed: Simon quipped: 'With the Jubilee it's interesting how a bunch of kids can make a stronger message than a bunch of rubbish politicians' Woah! Magician Ryland Petty asked the judges to mix up a Rubik's Cube. It soon transpired that the final result matched his own one, which he had prepared before the show Simon added: 'All of you were amazing. All of your mums and dads are in the armed forces, we must remember, and with the Jubilee it's interesting how a bunch of kids can make a stronger message than a bunch of rubbish politicians.' Magician Ryland Petty asked the judges to mix up a Rubik's Cube. It soon transpired that the final result matched his own one, which he had prepared before the show. After a group of children behind unzipped their hoodies to show the coordinating print on their T-shirts, the student used his magic to return to the cube to matching sides. Catchy: After Dante Marvin performed an original comedy song, David said: 'It should e in the pop charts! You put a smile on the face of everyone you meet' Having fun: Dante said: 'I absolutely loved it. I didn't know if I was gonna be here in the semis but now I might be going through to the final!' Alesha said in her feedback: 'Our little one Harry Potter. 'You are so cute and adorable. You did really well to hold up in front of our audience here.' After Dante Marvin performed an original comedy song, David said: 'It should e in the pop charts! You put a smile on the face of everyone you meet.' Amanda added: 'I'm gonna be singing that all night long. I didn't know how you would top your first audition but you did.' Incredible: Up next was Alesha's golden buzzer, Flintz & T4ylor, who belted out their own rap tune against a live piano tune Dante said: 'I absolutely loved it. I didn't know if I was gonna be here in the semis but now I might be going through to the final!' Up next was Alesha's golden buzzer, Flintz & T4ylor, who belted out their own rap tune against a live piano tune. Simon heaped them with praise. He said: This was without question the best performance of the night so far. Don't get me wrong, I liked a lot of the acts. I think this performance is going to change your life.' David chimed in: 'It couldn't have gone any better, guys!' Entertaining: When ranger Chris Roberts danced alongside people in dinosaur costumes against a medley of hits, Amanda appeared to be having a whale of a time Unimpressed: David, who pressed his buzzer while Alesha gave feedback, said, 'You just have a bunch of friends who like to dress up as dinosaurs' When ranger Chris Roberts danced alongside people in dinosaur costumes against a medley of hits, Amanda appeared to be having a whale of a time. She confessed, 'That was great. I was so ready to buzz this act and I ended up having the best night of my life. Thank you very much.' David, who pressed his buzzer while Alesha gave feedback, said, 'You just have a bunch of friends who like to dress up as dinosaurs.' Brave: Impressionist Ben Nickless poked fun at Elvis Presley, Gary Barlow, Boris Johnson, Kermit The Frog, Piers Morgan, Bear Grylls and Joe Wicks Impressionist Ben Nickless poked fun at Elvis Presley, Gary Barlow, Boris Johnson, Kermit The Frog, Piers Morgan, Bear Grylls and Joe Wicks. On his birthday, he also attempted Britney Spears, Prince Charles, Holly Willoughby, Scooby Doo, Homer Simpson, Billy Connolly, Michael McIntyre, Mrs Brown, Ozzy Osbourne, Dec Donnelly, Ant McPartlin, David Walliams, Alan Carr. Simon said: 'It absolutely cracked me up, it was so funny, so silly. The audience loved it. I can see in your face that it's dawned on you that you're here. You've been doing the club circuit, you've got your break now and good for you.' Escapologist Andrew Basso was restrained by his arms and chained by his neck inside a glass box, with a leather belt tied around his waist. Worrying: Escapologist Andrew Basso was restrained by his arms and chained by his neck inside a glass box, with a leather belt tied around his waist Sinister: As things grew more sinister, he began to bang his hands against the glass before ringing a bell which was in place for a case of a disaster Only Ant & Dec knew the passcode for the padlock. Submerged into a tub of water, black ink soon hid him from view. As things grew more sinister, he began to bang his hands against the glass before ringing a bell which was in place for a case of a disaster. After two minutes and 58 seconds, he emerged hanging from the bottom of the cage and it was revealed that he had survived after all. An unimpressed David said: 'For you, it's your greatest fear but for me it's an ordinary Saturday night. I couldn't see what you were doing. Were you having a sandwich?' Amanda added: 'There is a lot of work and this is dangerous but you left me disappointed this evening. I felt your first audition was much more intense. Because of the darkness, we were left wondering if there was less dangerous and more deceit. With a big task in mind, Simon said: 'I would put in a lot of piranha fish if you get to the final. Could you do that?' Theme: Earlier in the evening, Ant & Dec kicked off the first of a week of live shows with a spectacular Back To The Future musical-themed opening Advertisement Actress Carey Mulligan was seen filming with Bradley Cooper in New York City on Tuesday, as the pair filmed scenes for a new Netflix biopic on composer Leonard Bernstein. Bradley, 47, has completely transformed himself for the leading role, through the artful use of prosthetics and movie makeup. Meanwhile, Carey is playing his wife, actress Felicia Montealegre, who is said to have stayed by Bernstein's side despite knowing he was gay. The two movie stars may have gone unnoticed during the days filming, as Bradley looks unrecognizable thanks to the transformation, and is the spitting image of the Broadway artist who created iconic shows like West Side Story. Is that you, Bradley? Cooper looks unrecognizable as he makes a very dramatic transformation into character filming on location of his new Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro for Netflix on Tuesday In touching scenes, the stars were seen walking talking while linking arms, before embracing. At one point, Mulligan was seen sparking up a cigarette as they sat with their backs to one another. Cooper stars in and directs the project which will also Maya Hawke and Matt Bomer. Transformation: Carey Mulligan joins Bradley Cooper on set as he looks unrecognizable playing legendary composer Leonard Bernstein in Netflix biopic Maestro on Monday in New York Wow: Bradley, 47, has completely transformed himself for the leading role, through the artful use of prosthetics and movie makeup Getting into the habit: Mulligan sparks up a cigarette as she films a scene for the new biopic Who's that? It was nearly impossible to know that the tanned, white-haired and bespectacled man smoking a cigarette in new photos was really Oscar-nominee Bradley Cooper Let's dance! Carey is playing his wife, actress Felicia Montealegre, who is said to have stayed by Bernstein's side despite knowing he was gay It was nearly impossible to know that the tanned, white-haired and bespectacled man smoking a cigarette in new photos was really Oscar-nominee Bradley Cooper. The leading man embodied the look and vibe of Broadway icon Leonard Bernstein in images from the biopic about his life. In another early look at the production stills, Cooper's face was wrinkled and aged with the assistance of a crack team of hair and makeup artists. Smooch: The two actors were seen kissing while filming a romantic scene in the park Chivalrous: Bradley helps Carey up as they film a scene on location in NYC Hands on: Cooper stars in and directs the project which will also Maya Hawke and Matt Bomer Relationship: The film, which is backed by Netflix and co-written/directed by the Hangover star, examines the complex relationship between Leonard and Felicia History: Their romance spanned more than 30 years from their first meeting in 1946, continuing through two on-off engagements, a 25-year marriage and three children as Bernstein grappled with his own sexuality Compelling: Maestro tells the story of the behind the scenes Broadway legend and his relationship with Felicia Montealegre, who stayed with him his whole life despite knowing he was gay He is seen in photos wearing a white button down and modified aviator eye glasses as he worked on composing some of Broadway's most well-know scores. Other images from Maestro depicted Bradley as Bernstein from his younger years - looking far more like the actor that audiences already know and love. The black and white retro shots see Cooper with co-star Carey Mulligan who is playing Bernstein's wife Felicia. Busy: British star Carey is also starring in the upcoming drama She Said, acting alongside Oscar-nominee Samantha Morton Checking the view: Director Cooper is seen with a crew member while filming Heading to shoot: Bradley and Steven Spielberg are seen in-between takes Chemistry: Bradley and Carey appeared to be in good spirits while filming together Dab hand: This will be Bradley's second feature in the directors chair following the most recent remake of A Star is Born Maestro tells the story of the behind the scenes Broadway legend and his relationship with Felicia Montealegre, who stayed with him his whole life despite knowing he was gay. Maya Hawke has joined the cast and will play Jamie Bernstein, Leonard and Felicia's daughter. Succession star Jeremy Strong will play the role in the film of John Gruen, the author who penned the Bernstein biography The Private World of Leonard Bernstein. Producers Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg were also seen on the location shoot Working up a sweat: The star was seen taking a sip of water as he took a break while sweating underneath his shirt The film, which is backed by Netflix and co-written/directed by the Hangover star, examines the complex relationship between Leonard and Felicia. Their romance spanned more than 30 years from their first meeting in 1946, continuing through two on-off engagements, a 25-year marriage and three children as Bernstein grappled with his own sexuality. Filming is now underway in New York with Cooper, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Fred Berner and Amy Durning all producing the movie. Incredible: Bradley Cooper, 47, has completely transformed himself through the artful use of prosthetics and movie makeup into composer Leonard Bernstein for the biopic Maestro (Left, Cooper as Bernstein; Right, Cooper in May) Spot on: It was nearly impossible to know that the tanned, white-haired and bespectacled man smoking a cigarette in new photos was really Oscar-nominee Bradley Cooper (Left, Bernstein in 1990; Right, Cooper in Maestro) Leonard Bernstein was a musical savant and worked as a composer, pianist and conductor and was honored throughout his career with seven Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards and 16 Grammy Awards. He died in 1990 of a heart attack just five days after retiring from conducting. Spielberg was initially set to direct the film and had brought Cooper on board to star but then handed the reigns over to the actor. There he is: Other images from Maestro depicted Bradley as Bernstein from his younger years - looking far more like the actor that audiences already know and love Legend: In a first look at the upcoming Netflix biopic about his life, Bradley appears as the spitting image of the Broadway artist who created iconic shows like West Side Story Their story: Maestro tells the story of the behind the scenes Broadway legend and his relationship with Felicia Montealegre, who stayed with him his whole life despite knowing he was gay This will be Bradley's second feature in the directors chair following the most recent remake of A Star is Born. 'I [told Spielberg], "I always felt like I could play a conductor, but may I research the material and see if I can write it and direct it? Would you let me do that?'" Cooper told Variety. 'Steven has a lot of interests he'll just choose one thing and all of the other things will be on hold,' he continued. 'I think he knew he wasn't going to make that movie for a while. He was kind enough to hand it off to me, and that's what I've been doing for the last four and a half years.' Tom Hanks put on an animated display as he larked around with director Baz Luhrmann at a screening of Elvis at the BFI Southbank in London on Tuesday. The actor, 65, who stars as Elvis' manager Colonel Tom Parker in the film, struck a series of playful poses with Baz on the red carpet. The pair shook hands and joked around with each other before they joined the film's leading man Austin Butler to pose for the cameras. Pals: Tom Hanks put on an animated display as he larked around with director Baz Luhrmann at a screening of Elvis at the BFI Southbank in London on Tuesday Tom looked suave for the screening in a dark grey blazer and matching trousers which he wore with a black shirt. Baz, 59, ensured all eyes were on him as he posed for the cameras at the event where he was joined by his wife Catherine Martin and their daughter Lillian. The filmmaker sported a black metallic turtle neck top which he wore with a matching cloak and black trousers, along with an Elvis belt. As he takes on the titular role, Austin recently spoke of his all-consuming approach in taking on such an iconic figure. Screening: The actor, 65, who stars as Elvis' manager Colonel Tom Parker in the film, struck a series of playful poses with Baz on the red carpet Fun: The pair shook hands and joked around with each other before they joined the film's leading man Austin Butler to pose together for the cameras Speaking on BBC's The One Show, he said: 'I had about a year and a half before we started shooting. It feels like climbing Mount Everest, it's just so mammoth of a task so, for me, I just had to take it one step at a time. 'I started with absorbing everything. I watched every bit of footage that's out there, I watched every interview of his during his entire career and read every book that was written on his life. 'Then I started to break it up into pieces, so it was figuring out how his voice changed over the years and obsessing about that. 'It became this two-year obsession where I put the rest of my life on pause. I went through every bit of his being like that. From his spiritual evolution and the way that he moved and how that changed over the years.' Dapper: Tom looked suave for the screening in a dark grey blazer and matching trousers which he wore with a black shirt History: Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks) discovered an unknown Elvis in 1955 and secured him a recording contract within months Tom spoke about his wife Rita Wilson's connection to Priscilla Presley, saying: 'My wife knows Priscilla from some women's cancer funds they've done together. Priscilla and Jerry Schilling who is in the movie one of the original Memphis Mafia came by the house. 'I was anticipating hearing horror stories about the Colonel and I heard just the opposite. Jerry and Priscilla loved the Colonel, he said he was a wonderful man. 'He brightened up every room that he came into. Was he fishy with some of the money? "Yeah, we had to sue him and he gave it up and we got it." 'It turned from a guy who was this Machiavellian puppet master who was just a fella who said, "Well, of course!' I had a treasure trove of anecdotal information."' The film chronicles the life and career of Elvis from his early days as a child growing up in Mississippi to his ascent as a rock and roll icon and movie star, along with his complex relationship with his manager. She has a global reputation as a top supermodel. And Bella Hadid put her jaw-dropping credentials on display in a sizzling Instagram album from her current Caribbean holiday. The 25-year-old little sister of Gigi Hadid has been soaking up the sun on a romantic trip to St Barts with her sizzling boyfriend Marc Kalman. She enjoys global fame as a supermodel: Bella Hadid put her jaw-dropping credentials on display in a sizzling Instagram album from her current Caribbean holiday Bella and Marc were spotted passionately kissing by the water during their holiday - and she made sure to include him in her album as well. One of her pictures allowed Bella to show off her art director boyfriend's toned torso as he dove shirtless into the Caribbean Sea. She flaunted her own assets to full advantage over the course of the album, arcing herself over the rocks as the sun beat down on her. Bella had slipped into a sky blue swimsuit with matching shorts, leaving her vertiginous legs and impressively flat midriff in full view. Glowing: The 25-year-old little sister of Gigi Hadid has been soaking up the sun on a romantic trip to St Barts with her sizzling boyfriend Marc Kalman Sizzling sensation: She flaunted her own assets to full advantage over the course of the album, arcing herself over the rocks as the sun beat down on her Wow: Although she threw a blue wrap over the ensemble, she let it flap open as she sunbathed and breathed in the sea air Heartthrob: One of her pictures allowed Bella to show off her art director boyfriend's toned torso as he dove shirtless into the Caribbean Sea Although she threw a blue wrap over the ensemble, she let it flap open as she sunbathed and breathed in the sea air. Occasionally Bella apparently felt in the mood for a little glitz, as seen in one picture where she jazzed up the swimsuit with a dazzling array of bracelets and necklaces. 'Morning jump,' the busty bombshell captioned for her more than 52 million Instagram followers, adding a blue heart emoji for good measure. She and Marc went Instagram official last July in a picture Bella posted from France, where she was attending the Cannes Film Festival. The look: Bella had slipped into a sky blue swimsuit with matching shorts, leaving her vertiginous legs and impressively flat midriff in full view Swanking about: Occasionally Bella apparently felt in the mood for a little glitz, as seen in one picture where she jazzed up the swimsuit with a dazzling array of bracelets and necklaces A Page Six source claimed that Bella and Marc's relationship began in July 2020 and that the dynamic duo 'hid it well' for the first year. They are said to have carried on the romance in New York amid the coronavirus pandemic while assiduously making sure they never got caught together. Bella rarely discusses Marc in interviews even now. And she attributes the longevity of their relationship to their discretion. 'I think thats why things have been able to last. When you give other people room to have opinions on things that are so personal to you, it poisons it,' she told Vogue. The leap: 'Morning jump,' the busty bombshell captioned for her more than 52 million Instagram followers, adding a blue heart emoji for good measure Norm Macdonald spoke about mortality in his final comedy special Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special, which dropped on Netflix on Monday. In the posthumous release, the comedian - who died at 61 on September 14, 2021 after battling leukemia for almost 10 years - did not speak about his personal health, but spoke on topics such as speaking with God, composing his will and asking his family to 'pull the plug' on him if he was in a coma. The Saturday Night Live alum had recorded the special by himself at a desk in his home in a single take prior to undergoing surgery amid his illness, according to the streaming service. Details: The late Norm Macdonald spoke about his own mortality in his final comedy special Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special, which dropped on Netflix on Monday In the special, Macdonald sported a plaid blazer with a ballcap and headphones he was partial to because they covered his hair, which had turned white. 'I dont want anybody painting my hair black on account I dont want to die and then be surprised when God says, "Well, I made your hair white - what do you think that was all about? I was telling ya to get your affairs in order for Gods sake,"' the Quebec City-born comic said. Macdonald in the special spoke about the importance of having a living will, saying, 'Youve got to be ready for anything life throws at you, in this here world. Thats what Ive learned, as Ive aged ... you only got so much time; youve got to choose.' A title card in the special read: 'Norm was working hard preparing material for his Netflix special - until COVID shut things down. In the summer of 2020, he was scheduled to undergo a procedure and as he put it, "didn't want to leave anything on the table in case things went south." At home, the night before going in, he shot this in one take.' Macdonald in the special spoke about the importance of having a living will, saying, 'Youve got to be ready for anything life throws at you, in this here world' In the special, Macdonald sported a plaid blazer with a ballcap and headphones he was partial to because they covered his hair, which had turned white The special is divided into around 50 minutes of material from Macdonald with another half-hour of Macdonald's friends and comedy colleagues - including Dave Chappelle, David Letterman, Molly Shannon, Adam Sandler, Conan O'Brien and David Spade - providing commentary. Chappelle said in the special, 'This guy was, in a weird way, reconciling his mortality, hilariously. And ironically, he's no longer with us. We're sitting in the aftermath of Norm Macdonald, watching him be incredibly alive.' Letterman said of Macdonald filming the special during his illness: 'His circumstance, he nudged into it several times, but didnt linger. And to us, from this perspective, powerfully meaningful.' Sandler said that Macdonald 'never let you know anything' about his health, though he 'did get emotional' when they performed on a tour together. In the posthumous release, the comedian did not speak about his personal health, but spoke on topics such as speaking with God, composing his will and asking his family to 'pull the plug' on him if he was in a coma A title card in the special explained the circumstances behind the special Macdonald died at 61 on September 14, 2021 after battling leukemia for almost 10 years. He was snapped performing in San Diego in 2017 'He would just all of a sudden get really teary-eyed and stuff, and hed be like this is wonderful, just the tour itself,' Sandler said. 'Hed just be so much fun to see. He had so much energy to hang.' Shannon recalled how Macdonald was uncharacteristically emotional with her when they saw one another at the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special in 2015. She said, 'As soon as he saw me he was like, "I love you, Molly." He blurted it out, right away. I could feel that he had this urgency to say exactly what was on his mind in the moment because maybe hell never have that moment again. I was like, "Oh, somethings different with Norm."' The comic was known for hosting Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live, as well as his standup work and the feature film Dirty Work A number of the late comic's peers gathered for a celebration of his life earlier this month in LA Molly Shannon recalled in the special how Macdonald was uncharacteristically emotional with her when they saw one another at the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special in 2015 Conan O'Brien said that following Macdonald's death, he realized that the comedian would not have wanted the attention of people knowing about his health battle. O'Brien said that following Macdonald's death, he realized that the comedian would not have wanted the attention of people knowing about his health battle. 'When he went, everybody in the community was, we all thought we were the only one that didnt know and we were so upset that we didnt get a chance to tell him what he meant to us,' he said. 'I very quickly realized he would not have tolerated that.' The special's executive producer Lori Jo Hoekstra told Deadline following Macdonald's death that the late funnyman 'never wanted the diagnosis to affect the way the audience or any of his loved ones saw him.' Hoekstra said in a statement that the presentation 'was not originally meant to be the final product,' as 'COVID restrictions prevented him from filming in front of an audience.' Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special can be seen on Netflix. Advertisement Prince Harry's ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy enjoyed her first holiday as a mother and a wife after jetting to South Africa with her partner Sam Cutmore-Scott and their newborn son Leo. The new mother, 36, was seen in Cape Town alongside her new husband where the couple have reportedly been introducing their little boy to family and friends. A friend of the couple's told The Daily Mail's Richard Eden: Its been so heart-warming for Chelsys loved ones to spend time with both her husband and son.' Chelsy was not seen with her newborn as she enjoyed a sunsoaked stroll with her new husband in Cape Town on Monday. Newlyweds: Prince Harry's ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy enjoyed her first holiday as a mother and a wife after jetting to South Africa with her partner Sam Cutmore-Scott and their newborn son Leo (pictured with her partner in Cape Town on Monday) The newlywed kept a low-profile in a relaxed taupe hoodie and jogging bottoms, while her husband was sartorially in sync with his new wife as he opted for a casual jumper. Chelsy did add a touch of glamour, however, in the form of her dazzling engagement and wedding band. Zimbabwean born Chelsy, who runs a jewellery and luxury travel business, managed to keep her pregnancy under wraps and gave birth to Leo at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in January. She only hinted she was in a serious relationship in 2020, but did not give her new mans name, explaining: There is someone and I am quite taken by this one but its very new and I dont want to say too much. Family unit: The new mother, 36, was seen in Cape Town alongside her new husband where the couple have reportedly been introducing their son to family and friends Chelsy kept her wedding private, secretly marrying her millionaire hotelier partner earlier this month. She and Sam, 37, who was in the year above Harry at Eton College, live together in Chiswick, West London. The blonde beauty dated Prince Harry for seven years until 2010 and has remained largely out of the spotlight in the 12 years since. Bling: The newlywed kept a low-profile but added a touch of glamour in the form of her dazzling wedding band The couple welcomed son Leo in January without virtually anyone knowing she was pregnant and his birth was kept so private that his arrival only emerged three months later after he was introduced to their local parish council in Norfolk. Chelsy, who split up with Harry because she didnt want to be a royal bride, also kept her relationship with Sam secret until it was revealed just three weeks ago. Sam is the brother of Jack Cutmore-Scott, 35, the dashing Hollywood actor best known for his role in Christopher Nolans Oscar-winning film Tenet and the drama series Deception. The siblings are close, and Chelsy is believed to have spent time with him in LA since she met her now-husband around three years ago. They were first pictured together on a family holiday to Mauritius over Christmas 2019. Oxford graduate Sam is managing director at The Harper Hotel in Holt, the family business, and the couple are believed to split their time between a townhouse in Chiswick and the Norfolk coast. They are married, a friend told the Daily Mail's Richard Eden earlier this month, adding: Very few people knew about the wedding. Former flame: The blonde beauty dated Prince Harry for seven years until 2010 and has remained largely out of the spotlight in the 12 years since (pictured in 2008) Chelsy found her man after an 'on-again, off-again', relationship with Harry, who had told friends before they split in 2011 that she was 'the best thing that's ever happened to me'. They had met in London when they were both at school but got together in 2004, during Harry's gap year travels in Zimbabwe, where Chelsy's millionaire father owns and runs a game reserve. It became so serious palace officials remarked that he had started calling her 'wifey' and she in turn called him 'hubby'. It was clearly serious when Chelsy would not only attend Harry's cousin Peter Phillips' wedding to Autumn Kelly - where she was introduced to the Queen - but she would also be invited to Prince Charles's 60th birthday celebrations. Famous friends: Chelsy has recently married the brother of Hollywood actor Jack Cutmore-Scott, who starred in Christopher Nolan's Tenet (pictured far left) with stars John David Washington and Robert Pattinson But the pressures of their conflicting careers and long periods apart as Harry served in Afghanistan took their toll yet again. It was also rumoured that party-loving TV presenter Caroline Flack and other beautiful young women had caught Harry's eye. 'He was fascinated by her wild, carefree attitude and rock-chick lifestyle,' a confidante of the late Caroline had said at the time. The pair were reunited again in 2010 before splitting for good later that year, with Chelsy declaring that the life of a royal girlfriend is 'not for me'. She would, however, go on to appear as his 'plus one' at Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding in 2011. But it was clear that she and Harry remained friends afterwards, because she was invited to his wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018 - when royal watchers pondered whether it could have been her walking down the aisle with the royal had things been different. Sam Cutmore-Scott is a director of his parents hospitality company, the Bijou Collection, which owns four exclusive wedding venues: a mansion, a manor and an abbey in the Home Counties and a chateau in the South of France. He and Chelsy live together in Chiswick, West London. Party-loving Chelsy, who was born in Zimbabwe and now runs a jewellery and luxury travel business, revealed in 2020 that she had a serious boyfriend, but did not give his name, explaining: There is someone, and I am quite taken by this one, but its very new and I dont want to say too much. An ABC employee has made bombshell claims about the infamous 'nude Zoom' scandal involving Carrie Bickmore's TV executive partner Chris Walker. Walker, the executive producer of comedy show The Weekly with Charlie Pickering, stripped naked in front of shocked ABC staff after he thought he'd left a company Skype call earlier this month. Speaking to The Herald Sun on Wednesday, the staffer accused senior ABC managers of initially brushing off the gaffe as 'hilarious' and dismissing employees' concerns. Twist: An ABC employee has made bombshell claims about the infamous 'nude Zoom' scandal involving Carrie Bickmore's (right) TV executive partner Chris Walker (left) The ABC has since offered counselling to staffers who witnessed the incident. The anonymous staffer also accused the ABC of downplaying the gaffe because Walker's production company Thinkative Television is behind some of the public broadcaster's most popular shows, including The Weekly and Hard Quiz. 'You're not allowed plastic bottles in the building, but the nude guy is on the screen [and] that's hilarious,' they grumbled. Not happy: The staffer accused senior ABC managers of initially brushing off the gaffe as 'hilarious' and dismissing employees' concerns. (Pictured: Walker and Bickmore) 'If it was an ABC person [instead of someone from an external production company] they would never be allowed to set foot in the place again.' Furthermore, the staffer alleged footage of the 'nude Zoom call' was still floating around in the ABC archives. 'Everything that came in was recorded. That call was recorded, there is a technical log,' they claimed. 'There is a technical log': Furthermore, the employee alleged footage of the 'nude Zoom call' was still floating around in the ABC archives The latest claims come after Walker accidentally stripped naked in front of ABC staff when he thought he had left a company Skype call two weeks ago. He had dialled in for a May 17 meeting while on a European holiday with his Gold Logie-winning wife. He wrongly thought he had left the conference when he took off his clothes in front of up to nine people, with the incident lasting between 40 seconds and two minutes, according to the Herald Sun. Oh, dear: The latest claims come after Walker accidentally stripped naked in front of ABC staff when he thought he had left a company Skype call two weeks ago The ABC said in a statement Walker was simply getting into the shower. 'The ABC is acting like a commercial network trying to minimise this incident,' a television insider said. 'Staff are shocked that there have been no consequences for [Walker's] actions.' Mistake: He wrongly thought he had left the conference when he took off his clothes in front of up to nine people, with the incident lasting between 40 seconds and two minutes Walker had dialled in while on sabbatical overseas with Bickmore, with the naked faux pas occurring during a meeting following rehearsals and before the taping of The Weekly with Charlie Pickering. ABC said it was 'aware of an unintentional incident'. 'The ABC is in regular communication with the relevant team members and are in the process of developing strategies to ensure an incident of this nature does not occur again,' it said in a statement. Accident: The production team in charge of The Weekly with Charlie Pickering, Thinkative Television, dismissed the incident as merely 'unintentional' 'The ABC has a counselling service available to all ABC employees which has been offered in this instance.' The production team in charge of The Weekly, Thinkative Television, dismissed the incident as merely 'unintentional'. 'It was clearly unintentional and I know the ABC has checked in with their crew about it. There are discussions ongoing about processes to make sure something like this doesn't happen again,' a Thinkative spokesman said. Meanwhile, an insider has insisted the ABC isn't doing enough to support staff after witnessing the incident. On their way! Bickmore and Walker moved to the UK in April with their children, Oliver, Evie and Adelaide. They will be living and working there for several months Bickmore and Walker moved to the UK in April with their children, Oliver, Evie and Adelaide. They will be living and working there for several months. It wasn't the first time Walker had accidentally exposed himself during a video call. In November, The Project host revealed on her Carrie & Tommy radio show that Walker had strolled naked into the background of a Zoom conference she was doing with other journalists from around the world. Bickmore said she and her partner later laughed about the incident for 45 minutes. Keeley Hawes cut a chic figure as she attended a screening of her show The Midwich Cuckoos in London on Tuesday night. The actress, 46, who plays Dr. Susannah Zellaby in the horror, looked elegant in a white silk blouse by LAGENCE which she teamed up with a black maxi skirt and heels. She was soon joined Ukweli Roach (Tom Cork), Aisling Loftus (Zoe Moran), and Synnve Karlsen (Cassie Stone) at the photocall. Looking good: Keeley Hawes cuts a chic figure in a white silk blouse and black maxi skirt while attending The Midwich Cuckoos screening in London on Tuesday The Midwich Cuckoos is an eight-part adaptation of the critically acclaimed John Wyndham novel that was published in 1957 under the same title. The writer behind The Night Manager, David Farr, has penned the modern-day re-imagining, which follows the residents of Midwich as women from the village mysteriously become pregnant with alien children. Inhabitants of the sleepy Midwich village are sent into panic when a flurry of residents pass out with no explanation on a summer afternoon. Gang: She was soon joined Ukweli Roach (Tom Cork), Aisling Loftus (Zoe Moran), and Synnve Karlsen (Cassie Stone) [L-R] at the photocall Talented: Synnve, Keeley and Aisling (L-R) soon posed for photographers at the glitzy bash Speaking about her latest project Keeley said: 'Im absolutely delighted to be working with Sky on The Midwich Cuckoos. 'Im very much looking forward to working with the hugely talented Max Beesley and the amazing cast and I cant wait to enter the strange and unsettling world of Midwich.' Keeley and Max will also be joined by Last Night in Soho's Synnve, Aisling from A Discovery of Witches, I May Destroy You's Lewis Reeves, Ukweli from Blindspot, and Robin Hood's Lara Rossi. Filming for the Sky drama began in London in May with the series expected to hit small screens on June 2. This isn't the first time The Midwich Cuckoos has been the basis for an on-screen adaptation. Directors Wolf Rilla and John Carpenter have both previously adapted the terrifying tale under the alternative title Village of the Damned. She's on cloud nine after finding love with a mystery man. And Rebel Wilson may well have been chatting to her new boyfriend as she spoke on the phone while on a morning hike in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The Pitch Perfect star, 42, wore a vintage Jurassic Park T-shirt, thermal jacket and shiny black leggings as she enjoyed some light exercise. Getting her steps in: Rebel Wilson wore a vintage Jurassic Park T-shirt and shiny black leggings as she went for a hike in Los Angeles on Tuesday morning She completed her look with reflective aviator sunglasses and a pink cap. Rebel's outfit drew attention to her recent weight loss, after she shed a whopping 80lbs (36kg) since embarking on a health kick in 2020. She has attributed her dramatic slim-down to daily walks. The Aussie comedian recently confirmed she was 'happily in a relationship'. You go, girl! Rebel's outfit drew attention to her recent weight loss Transformation: The 42-year-old Bridesmaids star (left in August 2012; right in April 2022) declared 2020 her 'Year of Health' and dropped almost 80lbs (36kg) Rebel, who previously had little luck on dating apps, was introduced to her new partner through a mutual friend who thought they 'would hit it off'. While she did not reveal the man's identity, she revealed on the U Up? podcast that things were already getting serious for the couple. 'I am now happily in a relationship I met them at a friend's set-up,' Rebel told hosts Jordana Abraham and Jared Freid. Happy ending: The Aussie comedian (pictured in West Hollywood on May 10, 2022) recently confirmed she was 'happily in a relationship' 'He had known both of us for at least five years and he thought we would hit it off - and then we did! 'I think that escalates things quicker, meeting someone from a trusted source. I can trust that they are who they say they are, which is something that you don't really know on the apps.' The How to Be Single star also spoke about the process to get there, which included 'dating 50 people in one year' for practice. Set up: The Pitch Perfect star, who previously dated billionaire Jacob Busch, was introduced to her new partner through a mutual friend who thought they would 'hit it off'. (Rebel and Jacob - pictured here in September 2020 - dated for about a year until February 2021) Rebel explained: 'I think I went out with about 50 people in that one year, but some of them were just one date and then you think, "Oh, no." 'I deliberately wanted to push myself to date a bunch of people and gain that experience, which I know is not normal, but it really helped me find out what I liked and what I didn't like. 'It was a fun thing and I don't think anybody got hurt by it or anything and nobody else knew - just me and my close friends.' Gwyneth Paltrow and Kourtney Kardashian got fans excited on Tuesday as they teased an upcoming collaboration between their lifestyle brands, Goop and Poosh. The duo, 49 and 43 respectively, posed up for a series of smiley Instagram snaps with the caption, 'The collab we all need.' Goop x Poosh is set to go live on Tuesday, June 1, at 9PM PT. Coming soon! Gwyneth Paltrow and Kourtney Kardashian got fans excited on Tuesday as they teased an upcoming collaboration between their lifestyle brands, Goop and Poosh Though no further details about the collaboration were revealed, Gwyneth did encourage Goop's 1.7million followers to leave their 'predictions' in the comment section. In a post shared to Poosh's Instagram page, fans were urged to sign up for the wellness site's mailing list in order to 'be in the know' once the collaboration goes live. For their Goop x Poosh promo image, Gwyneth and Kourtney rocked their black tank tops of choice. Dynamic duo: The duo, 49 and 43 respectively, posed up for a series of smiley Instagram snaps with the caption, 'The collab we all need' The Shallow Hal actress' top had a button front design and appeared to be tucked into a pair of black linen pants, while the reality star opted for a sweetheart neckline and high-waisted jeans. Kourtney sported that newlywed glow and her jaw-length raven strands were parted down the middle and styled in loose waves. Gwyneth wore her signature blonde tresses in sleek strands that flowed down her chest as she cozied up to the KUWTK alum. Anticipation: Goop x Poosh is set to go live on Tuesday, June 1, at 9PM PT What could it be? Though no further details about the collaboration were revealed, Gwyneth did encourage Goop's 1.7million followers to leave their 'predictions' in the comment section The pair were seated in front fo a marble counter top with a wooden display case with glass shelves acting as their backdrop. The shelves were decked out with stacks of books, candles, skincare products and more. News of the exciting joint venture comes just a little over a week after Gwyneth used Instagram to shutdown speculation of a rivalry between herself and Kardashian. While hosting a Q&A with her 8million followers, the Iron Man actress clarified that she believes the 'wellness business' has place for every woman, after a fan asked her if she was upset that Kourtney's brand Poosh 'copied' her. 'This idea that women need to be in competition is legacy patriarchy bulls***,' she wrote, adding '@kourtneykardash is a really good person and also #KRAVISFOREVER.' Supportive: News of the exciting joint venture comes just a little over a week after Gwyneth used Instagram to shutdown speculation of a rivalry between herself and Kardashian; Gwyneth pictured in 2021 'Kravis' is the nickname for Kourtney and her husband Travis Barker, 46, whom she married today in a lavish ceremony in Italy. 'There is room for EVERY woman to fulfill her dreams,' the Ironman actress continued. The Oscar winner admitted that she can understand why some people may perceive the situation through a competitive lens. 'I used to fall prey to this kind of thinking years ago, so I understand where it comes from,' she admitted. Enough room: While hosting a Q&A with her 8million followers, the Iron Man actress clarified that she believes the 'wellness business' has place for every woman, after a fan asked her if she was upset that Kourtney's brand Poosh 'copied' her 'Now I get so happy when I see new wellness businesses there is a place for all of us,' she said. Paltrow launched Goop in September 2008, as a weekly e-mail newsletter offering wellness and lifestyle advice and insight into the star's life. The company's name was inspired by author Peter Arnell, who reportedly told the star that all successful internet companies have double O's in their name. Goop has expanded through the years, creating a website and branching off into e-commerce, pop-up shops, wellness summits, a print magazine, a podcast and recently a Netflix docuseries. Goop: Paltrow launched Goop in 2008, later expanding the brand into five locations where they sell her famous 'This Smells Like My Vagina' candle among other products Friends: 'This idea that women need to be in competition is legacy patriarchy b******t,' she wrote, adding '@kourtneykardash is a really good person'; Kardashian pictured on March 2022 In addition to pop-up stores, the brand also has five permanent brick-and-mortar locations where they sell the actress' famous 'This Smells Like My Vagina' candle, as well as clothes from GOOP brand G. Label and other products. Meanwhile Kourtney launched her lifestyle website Poosh in March 2019. The site features articles, healthy recipes, product recommendations, and advice on topics ranging from fashion, fitness and wellness. The beauty recently wed husband Travis Barker for a third time during a lavish ceremony in Portofino, Italy. The pair exchanged vows surrounded by loved ones, including their children: Kourtney's sons Mason, 12, and Reign, 7, and daughter Penelope, 9, as well as Travis' son Landon, 18, daughter Alabama, 16, and stepdaughter Atiana, 23. The couple officially tied the knot in Santa Barbara earlier this month, following a non-binding wedding ceremony in Las Vegas in April. The trial of Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard for defamation has sparked the interest of numerous people on the internet. Johnny Depp is a well-known actor, starring in movies such as Alice in Wonderland, Pirates of the Caribbean, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Beasts, and many more. Johnny Depp and Amber Heard Trial Johnny Depp is suing his ex-wife Heard for $50 million for defamation due to the op-ed that she wrote for the Washington Post in 2018, where she stated she was a victim of domestic violence, implying that Depp was the perpetrator. Heard is counter-suing the actor for $100 million. The respective legal teams had already made their closing arguments last Friday, May 27. The court will be closed from Saturday through Monday in observance of the Memorial Day holiday weekend. If necessary, the jurors will resume their deliberations on Tuesday, May 31. Social media has widely become so invested as this trial was broadcasted live. The trial has trended on Twitter, memes have been made, and as for TikTok, this subject just exploded. TikTok Trends From Depp v. Heard Trial TikTok creators have been very quick to take sides and improvise their own versions of their favorite parts during the trial. Numerous creators made skits and funnily added some spice. Here are some of the compilations we found. An account from Proud Dog Mom used the audio "My dog stepped on a bee" from Amber Heard, one of the famous lines from the trial that went viral on TikTok. And literally, the dogs are stepping on a stuffed bee. The two dogs were also dressed for the occasion. One dog was all wigged up and dressed like Judge Penney Azcarate. How cute can that be? Here is another TikTok creator showing off her pets. Notice the dog's teary and puffy eyes, great acting skills for sure. Another video that went extremely viral during the trial was from a former TMZ reporter named Morgan Tremaine, who testified last Wednesday, May 25. He was asked about the video that was released by TMZ, a video in the kitchen where Johnny was seen allegedly behaving rudely. Heard's lawyer asked Tremaine if he was "seeking 15 minutes of fame" on the stand since it was televised. There was an implied assumption that the former TMZ reporter was just taking the stand to get popularity. However, he responded by stating that he is not seeking 15 minutes of fame but rather somewhat putting himself as a target by TMZ, a litigious organization. Oh, and a rebuttal came quickly. Tremaine said, "I can say the same thing by taking Amber Heard as a client." This video right here went viral with millions of views and an astounding 1.1 million likes. People say he looks like Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter movies. With supporting comments such as "1000 points for Slytherin." Some comments also said that he took out the "uno reverse" card. Read Also: Louis Theroux's 'My Money Don't Jiggle, Jiggle' Rap Turned Dance Trend Is Taking TikTok By Storm Since the video of him went viral, numerous TikTok creators have made skits. One of them was from Helen Christie, where Tremaine himself duetted the video with his reaction. Helen Christie was praised for her overall acting, with props, wigs, and makeup. A TikTok creator, Peter Nugget, also posted his extreme comedic take on the case as a "gen z lawyer," and his reason for numerous objections. Another TikTok that went viral is from a creator named Paige Gaidieri, showing off her acting skills by mimicking famous Hollywood personalities like Britney Spears and Jennifer Aniston. Lastly, this next TikTok entry is from a creator named Chantal Hermez. This video right now has under 2.2 million views. Miss Hermez is showing off her talent for acting and brilliance in coming up with multiple reasons for the objections. Such reasons are the lack of "speculum," lack of "competency," lack of "literacy," and the highlight was the lack of "foundation." However, in her own opinion, she suggests using the Maybelline rather than the Revlon one. Still, if you have a better foundation recommendation, you can check her account and comment with your favorite. Related Article: Will Smith and Chris Rock Best Memes for Oscars 2022 A family who fled war in Ukraine said they were really happy to have their beloved dog back after he was quarantined by the UK authorities for more than eight weeks. Mike and Alla Haley desperately missed their one-year-old Pomeranian Archie, who kept up their spirits on their 2,000-mile journey from Kyiv to north-east England. A technical issue over Archies rabies vaccine led to him being quarantined on April 1 and kept from the family as they settled. He was released back to his owners after they made a plea, via the PA news agency last week, for an update on the progress of his paperwork. Mr Haley, 61, who is originally from South Tyneside but has lived in Ukraine for 17 years with his wife, said: Were really happy. He is a bit nervous, he has been in real isolation for two months. Mr Haley, who taught English and was a translator before the war, said Archie was like a circus dog, entertaining child refugees as they made the journey out of Ukraine. Stroking the little dog in their flat in Newcastle, he said: He kept us sane and amused, it felt like he saved us in a way. Because of the quarantine, it felt like we couldnt save him and we let him down. Mrs Haley, who suffers from panic attacks and depression, was very upset at losing her dog, and her husband made repeated unsuccessful attempts to find out when they could get him back from a quarantine centre in Aberdeen. After they spoke to the media about their situation, the Animal and Plant Health Agency which makes sure pets coming to the country are free of rabies, said Archie could come home soon. Mrs Haley has concerns about Archies ongoing health, particularly as the dog was forced to have a second rabies vaccine in the UK just six weeks after his first. Archie must now isolate at home for some weeks before he is allowed out of the flat the family has been loaned with the help of a charity. Mrs Haley was grateful to the people in the UK who have made them and her 81-year-old mother Valentyna feel welcome. The family are hoping to return to Kyiv in the summer. Mr Haley has struggled to access Government support, despite being British, said: We cannot complain about the bureaucracy and delays (because) I understand English people have the same problems. Its not just us coming here having problems, its everyone. Excel currently remains one of the most widely used spreadsheet programs, and its popularity spans both the professional and personal spheres. Excel is continually receiving new features and improvements from Microsoft. However, the company also sometimes takes features away. It has been reported that Microsoft will no longer provide support for three features beginning in June 2023. Customers of Microsoft 365 are the only ones who can access these capabilities. Hence, only those who subscribe to the service are impacted. Microsoft Excel Features That Will Be Removed This past weekend, Microsoft sent an email to the subscribers of its Microsoft 365 service informing them that the company will be removing two important features from Excel in the next year: Money in Excel and Wolfram Data Types in Excel. The Microsoft 365 email said: "Microsoft is committed to improving your Microsoft 365 subscription. As a result, we occasionally remove underused features and benefits. This email provides details on three features we plan to remove next year." According to Neowin, Money will be the first Excel product in the line to be taken off the market. This is essentially a dynamic template that allows users to connect safely to the data maintained by their banks and directly sync information. After June 30, 2023, it will no longer update a user's transaction history. Users won't be able to reconnect to their previously established financial accounts, nor will they be able to link up to any new accounts. Nevertheless, users will be able to keep their existing data, and Microsoft will not be able to access it in any way. The Redmond-based technology giant has suggested that people either switch to Tiller or use one of the other premium budget templates available in Excel. The latter product provides users with a greater number of functionalities than Money in Excel does but costs an additional $79 per year. The last feature to be removed in Microsoft Excel is the Wolfram Data Types. A collaboration between Microsoft and Wolfram was announced a few years ago, but the company has since come to the conclusion that it does not want to continue the partnership. The company that created Excel has decided to concentrate its efforts on developing its own custom solutions. After June 11, 2023, the functionality of refreshes for existing data types and connections to new ones will be discontinued. Having said that, the data you already have will not be removed; instead, it will no longer be connected to the Wolfram service. Read Also: Twitter Board Votes Against Elon Musk's Ally - Silver Lake CEO Egon Durban Microsoft's Decision Lastly, Microsoft has decided to discontinue its partner offers because the company is interested in pursuing additional business opportunities in which it can offer customers greater value. Although the company has not provided any further information, it has informed customers that if they sign up for an offer, they must redeem it before June 30, 2023, or else it will be permanently removed from their account. It is important to note that subscribers to Microsoft 365 are the only ones who can access these capabilities; therefore, only those who subscribe to the service are impacted. As reported by Thurrott, Microsoft has provided some explanations for why it is discontinuing all three of these products. Even though the company has made available some replacements and alternatives for the products that it has discontinued, it will be interesting to observe whether or not this has a significant impact on the number of customers who leave the company. Related Article: You Can Now Use Keyboard Shortcuts Like Copy, Cut, Paste in Google Drive! 'Twen' written instead of 'twenty', 'for' instead of 'forty' and 'thir' instead of 'thirteen' on the walls of Aliya Model School. HYDERABAD: Carelessness of building maintenance staff is set to cause a huge embarrassment to the education department as classroom walls of schools renovated under the 'Mana Ooru Mana Badi programme display wrong figures, patterns and words spelled all wrong. Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors galore not only on classroom walls, but also on the school buildings. As the government decided to introduce English medium in schools from the upcoming academic year, a few schools have been selected for facelift under the 'Mana Ooru Mana Badi' programme. Two government schools in the city Mahbubia and Aliya have been selected for the same. While both the schools are painted and most of the classes have new benches, blackboards, adequate tube lights and fans, words and figures on walls are all messed up. In Aliya Model School, a series of diagrams were drawn on the wall explaining colours and figures. However, both are not matching. A yellow square was drawn on the wall but a green circle was painted beside it. Similarly, a green rectangle was drawn but a blue triangle was beside it. A total of 8 diagrams were drawn explaining different shapes, but except one, diagrams and figures do not match. A math wall was also painted which explained fractions, graphs and more. The venn diagram was written as 'veen' diagram. A poem titled Imagine was also painted on a wall which was creative but had a spelling error. A line read, Imagine a bear, wearing pink 'underweer', instead of underwear. There are also a few proverbs written on the wall but do not have a starting quotation but do have an ending quotation. The walls also have numbers randomly written words but have spelling errors. Twen was written instead of twenty, for was written instead of forty, thir instead of thirteen and so on. In the map of India in Aliya School, Telangana was spelt as 'Telangan'. Aliya School also has a separate hand wash section that explains a step by step procedure to wash hands with interesting diagrams. However, grammar and sentences are difficult to understand. The steps read as: wet hands with water, apply enough soap to cover all hand surfaces, rub hands palm to palm, right palm over left dorsum with interlaced fingers and vice versa, palm to palm with fingers interlaced, backs of fingers to opposing palms with fingers interlocked, rotational rubbing of left thumb clasped in right palm and vice versa, rotational rubbing backwards and forwards with clasped fingers of right hand in left palm and vice versa and rinse hands with water. Mahbubia School has new benches in all classes on the ground floor, but most of the benches on the first floor are old ones. The school has India maps and world maps painted on the walls, but have spelling mistakes on it. One of the Indian maps in Mahbubia School read, Madya Pradesh instead of Madhya Pradesh, TeLANGANA instead of Telangana and West Bensal instead of West Bengal. U.S. not providing Ukraine with long-range rocket systems: Biden Xinhua) 09:06, May 31, 2022 WASHINGTON, May 30 (Xinhua) -- The United States will not provide Ukraine with long-range rocket systems capable of hitting targets inside Russia, President Joe Biden said Monday, despite pleas from Ukraine for the advanced weaponry. "We are not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that can strike into Russia," Biden said in response to a question from the media as he arrived at the White House from Delaware. Reports emerged last week that the United States was preparing to send Ukraine advanced long-range rocket systems as Russia focused its military operation in the eastern part of Ukraine, but the U.S. Defense Department refused to confirm such a plan. "We are still working through what the next package is going to look like," Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Friday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other top officials in the government have been requesting that the United States provide Multiple Launch Rocket Systems as well as High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems to their country to help it fight Russia. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun) According to Business Insider, Elon Musk got into a heated back-and-forth with Hard Drive, a satirical website, after posting a picture from one of the site's articles. The World's Richest Man Got Into a Twitter Fight! In a now-deleted tweet, Musk posted an image from an article published by Hard Drive without accreditation. Here's Hard Drive's reply: hey i'll give u a horse if u stop cropping our name off our articles https://t.co/QnNfyiNYs3 Hard Drive (@HardDriveMag) May 30, 2022 "Well, if you make something that looks like a meme & someone (not me) crops off your name, so it goes," Musk said, adding the image was only a "6/10 meme." Hard Drive did not raise the white flag and countered with another article titled "Elon Musk admits he wants to travel to Mars because no one hates him there yet." There have been a few more exchanges between the two, where both implied sarcasm in each reply. Hard Drive Is Not the First Satirical News Site To Draw Musk's Ire Meanwhile, Business Insider noted that Hard Drive isn't the only satirical news site to draw Musk's ire. In March last year, he also expressed his distaste towards satirical news site The Onion after it joked that Musk - who is from South Africa - was wealthy because of apartheid. This is Musk's response: Shame on you, Onion. This is why people are switching to @TheBabylonBee! Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 25, 2021 Musk has previously been accused of using memes and images without giving credit to the creators. Musk responded with two uncredited memes after The New York Times contacted him for a piece about his stealing memes. After Tesla began utilizing icons of a farting unicorn, the tycoon got into a copyright issue with a potter in 2018. Although Musk intimated in now-deleted tweets that the potter should be glad for the publicity, Musk and the potter came to an undisclosed agreement. Read More: Tesla's Elon Musk Hints Apple AirPlay, Lossless Music Support Musk had a Twitter fight in 2019 on whether he should credit fan art, tweeting "always credit everyone" and "no one should be credited with anything ever." It is worth noting that Musk seems proud of his sense of humor after telling a court in July 2021 that his jokes bring free publicity to his electric vehicle company Tesla. Musk Wants To Buy Twitter, but Has Put the Deal on Hold for Now As previously reported, there have been rumors for weeks that Musk is considering renegotiating his deal to buy Twitter. He has been requesting proof that the number of spam accounts on the site is fewer than 5%. Musk previously stated in a tweet that if he acquires Twitter, he will "defeat the spam bots or die trying," claiming that the company's reliance on advertising is the basis for the proliferation of spam bots. According to the Tesla CEO, his multibillion-dollar offer was contingent on the accuracy of this number from Twitter's SEC filings, hinting that the company's value to him would be significantly different if the estimate was inaccurate. With this, Musk announced that he had put the deal "on hold" until Twitter could supply him with the information he wanted. According to Mashable, if Twitter is unable to meet his demands, he will most likely try to barter Twitter down from the initial agreed-upon sale price of $54.20 per share. If not, he may just back out entirely. Related Article: Twitter Board Votes Against Elon Musk's Ally - Silver Lake CEO Egon Durban Hyderabad police commissioner C.V. Anand interacts with the bereaved family members of murdered Neeraj Panwar in Hyderabad on Monday. (DC) Hyderabad: City police commissioner C.V. Anand on Monday met the bereaved family members of Neeraj Panwar, who was murdered in Begum Bazaar allegedly after his inter-caste marriage. He assured stringent action against all those involved in the gruesome incident by ensuring expeditious investigation and trial. The commissioner also met elders of both communities in Shah Inayat Gunj police station. The scourge of honour killings is a threat to humanity and peaceful coexistence. Apart from law enforcement agencies, even the civil society and organisations should work towards bringing a societal change in order to put an end to such honour killings, he said. About 10 days ago, Neeraj Panwar was travelling on a motor-cycle when the attackers killed him with stones and knives. We deployed special teams and arrested nine persons for their involvement in the heinous crime. The community members were clearly told to stop targeting each other and attacking interfaith couples, Anand said. We will liaison with court officials to expedite trials through a fast-track court and ensure an early conviction, he added. Shimla: Corruption was viewed as an essential part of government before 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday and asserted that India saw a sea change in the last eight years due to the BJP-led dispensation's zero-tolerance towards graft. At a rally in Shimla's Ridge Maidan to mark the eighth anniversary of becoming prime minister, Modi said, Now our borders are more secure than they were before 2014. He said after coming to power, his government pruned nine crore fake names from the list of beneficiaries of various schemes. Be it Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana or scholarship or any other scheme, we have eradicated the scope of corruption through direct transfer of benefits. We have transferred over Rs 22 lakh crore to the bank accounts of beneficiaries of various schemes through direct benefit transfer, the prime minister said. He claimed that poverty was on the decline in the country and even the international agencies were admitting it. Modi said that before 2014, there was news about various scams but now his government's development schemes and zero-tolerance against corruption are discussed. Before 2014, corruption was viewed as an essential part of the government, he alleged. About his government's measures to combat the Covid pandemic, the prime minister said nearly 200 crore vaccine doses have been administered in India so far. India exported Covid vaccines to various countries and Himachal Pradesh's Baddi industrial unit played a vital role in manufacturing those jabs, he told the rally. Now India extends a hand of friendship not under compulsion but to help others as was done by providing Covid vaccines to several countries, the prime minister added. Referring to the under-construction AIIMS in Bilaspur, he said, We plan to build a medical college in every district of the country. I do not consider myself prime minister. Rather, I consider myself as 'pradhan sevak' and a member of the family of 130-crore Indians and my life is for them, Prime Minister Modi told the rally. Before the rally, interacted virtually with beneficiaries of various Central schemes and released Rs 21,000 crore as the 11th instalment of the Kisan Samman Nidhi. Following his arrival at the Mall Road in the Himachal Pradesh capital, Modi, accompanied by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, walked to the venue of the rally in Ridge Maidan around 11.30 pm. There the prime minister interacted with the beneficiaries of the Central schemes from across the country. During one such interaction, Modi told Santoshi, a woman from Karnatka's Kalaburagi, that he was impressed by the way she expressed her views and had she been a BJP worker he would have asked her to contest polls. An ex-serviceman from Ladakh told the prime minister that he has benefitted from the Jal Jeevan Mission and PM Aawas Yojana and faced no hiccup in availing the benefits of the scheme. Lalita Devi from Bihar's Banka informed Modi that she has got a 'pucca' house and a toilet under the PM Awas Yojana Rural. Pankaj Sahani from Tripura said that he had got a ration card under the 'One Nation, One card' scheme. Sama Devi from Himachal Pradesh's Sirmaur told the prime minister that she got Rs 1 lakh for building a 'pucca' house under the PM Awas Yojana (Gramin) and that she got Rs. 6,000 in three instalments in a year under the Kisan Samman Nidhi. On this occasion, the prime minister also released Rs 21,000 crore to 10 crore farmers as the 11th instalment of the Kisan Samman Nidhi. Union Minister Anurag Thakur, Himachal Pradesh Minister Suresh Bhardwaj, state BJP chief and Shimla MP Suresh Kashyap were also present on the stage at the rally. After the Taliban retook the country in August 2021, New Delhi withdrew its embassy from Kabul as Pakistan, seen as the Talibans mentor during its two-decade exile, was in the ascendant and physical harm to Indian interests was apprehended. (AFP File Image) New Delhi is in an unenviable position in Afghanistan although that country has strategic significance for it. India is the only major stakeholder which does not physically border the land where the Taliban have returned to rule a situation which raises the prospect of adjustments in regional geopolitics from which New Delhi may not like to be alienated. As such, even inadvertent contrary factors would be required to be finessed, and a small niggle does seem to be appearing on the horizon. It is the thinking in informed circles that the issue will melt away before long, probably before India returns to Kabul with its embassy which it had withdrawn in the wake of the Taliban takeover in August 2021. The reopening of the embassy in Afghanistans capital will by no means be a recognition of the Taliban government by India. Recognition by India will not be unilateral. It will likely emanate from a broader understanding among the major powers that the Talibans rule embraces key political segments of opinion in the country and does not disregard Afghanistans ethnic diversity since it was not established through an election process. Further, international recognition of the present regime in Kabul may require that it is not in discord with the basic principles of the UN Charter, especially those concerning gender justice and human rights more broadly. This column had revealed that an Indian representation was sought to be restored in Kabul (Is India Doing a Rethink on Role in Afghanistan?; May 13) a development of some significance given Indias initially negative and now cautious impulses in relation to the Taliban probably before the summer was out. Subsequently, in a May 27 interview to an Indian television channel, the influential young Taliban leader Anas Haqqani, brother of Afghanistans powerful acting interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, who is deemed to be the de facto deputy head of state, disclosed that the Taliban have urged India to reopen its mission in Kabul and re-establish its links with the Afghan people as before, without entertaining any security-related fears. At the regional security dialogue held in New Delhi just weeks ago, national security adviser Ajit Doval declared that India seeks to maintain its ties with the people of Afghanistan. Over a 15-year period after the Taliban were dislodged from power in 2001, New Delhi was the largest contributor of development assistance to Kabul, not counting the international institutions and the donor nations. This earned it goodwill at the level of government and warmth at the level of the people that remains unrivalled. However, after the Taliban retook the country in August 2021, New Delhi withdrew its embassy from Kabul as Pakistan, seen as the Talibans mentor during its two-decade exile, was in the ascendant and physical harm to Indian interests was apprehended. Since then, pursuant to an internal debate, India is thought to be seriously considering restoring its representation in the Afghan capital, although at a lower level than that of ambassador. In what manner Indias return to Afghanistan affects the Taliban-Pakistan dynamics, always seen as tight and terrific, and the tenuous Pakistan-India relationship, is for the future. For now, New Delhi would naturally seek to take every precaution that any positive outcomes for it are not side-tracked on account of unforeseen circumstances in Afghanistan politics, or through an exogenous factor. An unusual development has come to crease eyebrows in South Block of late. The senior Afghanistan republican leader, Dr Abdullah Abdullah, a former foreign minister and CEO (equivalent to Prime Minister) in the government of former President Ashraf Ghani which collapsed with the Taliban takeover last year, had arrived in New Delhi in early May to join his family to celebrate the Muslim festival of Id-ul-Fitr. Knowledgeable circles in Kabul expected his return to Kabul by the end of May. His longer than expected stay appears to be troubling New Delhi. Along with former President Hamid Karzai and former Speaker Fazl Hadi Muslimyar, Dr Abdullah has practically been a hostage of the Taliban. Mr Karzais requests to travel overseas have been turned down by the Taliban government, the most recently to attend the funeral of the UAE ruler. However, earlier Mr Muslimyar was allowed to visit his family residing in Dubai. In like manner, Dr Abdullah was permitted to fly to India. The former Speaker had returned as scheduled, but the former CEO has not. An undue delay in his return could worry the Taliban regime even if there are perfectly reasonable grounds for him staying on. Those hostile to Indias interests are also apt to exploit the situation. It is not quite clear if the Taliban regime is using the hostages as a card, or as a front that confers respectability in that they have not been harmed. No matter which, whether Dr Abdullahs longish sojourn in India will adversely impact President Karzais status can be a matter of speculation and concern. When the Taliban retook Kabul in August 2021, its government had unilaterally changed Mr Karzais guards. In a show of solidarity, Dr Abdullah had invited the former President and his family to share his residence. This is believed to have raised the former CEOs political stature in the country. It is not clear if the picture as regards Dr Abdullahs India visit will alter the status quo in Afghanistan. But a ticklish problem has arisen and Indian diplomacy needs to be activated in subtle ways. In what appeared to be a premeditated act, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait was attacked with a microphone and then ink was thrown at him while he was addressing a press conference in Bengaluru on Monday. Soon after the attack, angry farmers were seen throwing chairs on the miscreants. The police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. Visuals from a video of the incident, that went viral, showed a grey-haired man approaching the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait and hitting him with a microphone. Just as some farmers rush to protect their leader, another man walks on to the stage and smears blank ink on Tikait's face. The farmers surround the miscreants and throw chairs on them even as some members try to hand them over to the police. The incident took place at Gandhi Bhavan where Rakesh Tikait had called a press conference after meeting the farmers association who had extended support to the movement against the now repealed agricultural laws. Tikait was also expected to speak about a sting operation where a farmer leader from Karnataka was allegedly caught asking for money. Soon after the ink attack, Tikait blamed the failure of the state government and the police for not providing adequate security. It looks like a pre-planned conspiracy. The government should order an investigation, he told reporters. He has suffered minor injuries, police said. Three arrested The High Grounds police arrested three persons in connection with the attack and smearing black ink on Tikait. They are identified as: Bharath Shetty, Pradeep and Shiva Kumar, all activists of a pro-Kannada organization. An investigation is currently underway, the police said. In their defense, the arrested persons told police that they wanted the organizers to address the conference in Kannada. As a part of the investigation, the police are also looking into other reasons for the attack including their allegiance to political parties or pro-farmer groups. The arrested have been booked under IPC sections 355 (assault), 354 (outraging the modesty of women), 324 (causing hurt) 341 (wrongful restraint), 427 (causing mischief), 504 (intentional insult) and 506 (criminal intimidation). Environmentalist and farmers rights activist Chukki Nanjundaswamy, who witnessed the attack, said the attack was premeditated. It had nothing to do with language. Kavitha Kuruganti was speaking in a mix of Telugu and English. The miscreants attacked Rakesh Tikait. It was pre-planned as they had come with ink or black paint, she said. Tikait, she said, had come to Bengaluru to boost the morale of farmers who were dejected after a sting operation that alleged that Kodihalli Chandrashekar demanded Rs 3,000 crore during the historic struggle in Delhi to repeal three laws. The TV channel was airing slanderous content against the entire struggle. The press conference was called to announce a legal action against all parties involved in defaming the struggle, she said. Protest today Samyukta Horata, Karnataka, a collective of many farmers association, has called for a state-wide protest on Tuesday, condemning the attack on Tikait and others. The association alleged that the miscreants belong to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Shortage of drivers and conductors is turning into a major problem in the BMTC at a time when the organisation is trying to increase the number of buses and routes in the aftermath of the pandemic. The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has a total of 24,309 staffers in the operation section who work in different shifts to operate about 5,600 buses, which are operated for over 10 lakh km everyday. However, in the last six months, delay in the payment of salaries and other matters have led to more and more staff staying away from work. "We are facing a shortage of about 3,000 driver cum conductors. This is leading to cancellation of hundreds of trips everyday. In some depots, entire routes are cancelled because there is simply no possibility of making an alternative arrangement," sources in the BMTC said. The root of the problem, a senior official said, lies in the financial woes. "The corporation was on its way to recovery from the financial woes caused by the lockdown. But the Rs 25 hike in the diesel price in March has pushed it back into a crisis. We are once again dependent on the government for salary," an official said. The delay in disbursement of the salary means many employees have become irregular at work. Officials said some of the employees have decided to stay back in their villages or towns and explore an alternative job. It's a situation where officials are not in a position to take action. "About 1,500 employees are absent from work for a long time now. Any action taken against them will only demoralise the existing staffers," a source said. To a question, a senior official said the BMTC's future was left in the hands of the government. "The government has been funding part of the salaries. However, the rising diesel price has made it difficult for BMTC to meet other expenditures. The corporation requires the full support of government to return to normal operations," an official noted. SDLP Foyleside Councillor, Lilian Seenoi-Barr, says it is unconscionable that Coshquin kids have been waiting two decades for a playpark Two years ago, Derry City & Strabane District Council granted planning permission for a playpark to be built in Coshquin. Approval had been given for the park at lands adjacent to Little Acorns Pre-School and opposite the Cosh Bar with residents being informed that it would include play equipment, safety surfacing, seats, access infrastructure and landscaping works. However, two years on and Coshquin's schoolchildren are still waiting for their park. Cllr Seenoi-Barr insists that the Council must move swiftly on putting the playpark in place lest another generation of Coshquin children miss out. She said: It is unconscionable that residents in this area have been waiting more than two decades for the development of Coshquin Playpark. SDLP Councillor for Foyleside, Lillian Seenoi-Barr I recently met a man who was just a toddler when the request to have a playpark in Coshquin was first made. That man is now 27 years old with three young children of his own aged nine, seven and five who should be playing in that playpark that he himself was promised as a child. Instead, it remains undelivered and residents are still waiting. It is simply unacceptable that our local government has not been able to deliver this project for the people in our community. I have pursued this issue with Council officials and although I appreciate their diligent work, the process of seeking funding began three years ago. We must finally get it across the line. I have recently been made aware that the Council will be selecting projects for application to the UK Levelling Up Fund and I will be strongly advocating that Coshquin is one of the projects put forward. To neglect to include it after all this time would be a betrayal of local people. Thats why I have now launched a petition for Coshquin Playpark to be delivered and I would encourage everyone to come together as a community and sign it, to show the strength of feeling in the area. There can be no more excuses or delay for the development of this playpark. Its time to give the young people in this neglected area the facilities they desperately need and deserve. Cllr Seenoi-Barr's petition can be accessed via: www.sdlp.ie/deliver In response to Cllr Seenoi-Barr's comments, a Derry City & Strabane District Council spokesperson said: We can confirm that a playpark for the Coshquin area has been identified as a priority within Council's Draft Play Plan strategy. Planning permission for a new park featuring play equipment, safety surfacing, seats, access infrastructure and landscaping works was granted in 2020. Work is ongoing to source the funding needed to deliver the project, including the possibility of support through the UK Levelling Up Fund. Coshquin is one of a number of areas in need of new or upgraded play park facilities and Council officers are currently engaging with elected members in each area to understand and prioritise which parks should be included as part of an application to the Levelling Up Fund. Outdoor play provision for children is a key priority within Council's Strategic Growth Plan and we will continue to work to deliver suitable facilities that will benefit the health and wellbeing of children right across the Council area. Foyle Haven Day Centre, Derrys oldest drop in centre, is this week marking its 20th year. The centre provides life enhancing support to Derrys most vulnerable communities experiencing addiction, homelessness, poor mental health and social isolation. Foyle Haven, one of nine Depaul services that operate in Northern Ireland, is providing essential harm reduction services, mental and physical well-being interventions, as well as housing and health supports, and the provision of hot meals. Foyle Haven was first established in 2001 as a drop in centre for street drinkers by Sergeant Paul Sheehy and Sister Catherine Boyle who were determined to help Derrys street drinkers. The needs of service users increased through the years and in 2011 the centre amalgamated with Depaul to ensure its sustainability into the future. Foyle Havens 20 -year-milestone will be marked tonight (May 31 2022) by a commemoration event at The Guildhall, hosted by the Mayor of Derry City and Strabane Council, Alderman Graham Warke. The event will reflect on the early days, hearing the experiences of service users who have been supported through Foyle Haven and about the ongoing work Depaul is doing to close the door on social inequalities in Derry and Northern Ireland. Speaking ahead of the event, Chief Executive of Depaul, David Carroll said: Tonight we say thank you to those who founded Foyle Haven, for taking a wider role in civil society, celebrating the potential in people and putting their words into action. Social inequalities and homelessness remain a big problem in Derry and I want to commend our staff for their dedication to our service users, especially during the challenges of Covid-19. "Over the last number of years, our donors and supporters, both members of the public, and our elected representatives have shown incredible generosity in helping others facing challenges in life. I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Mayor, Alderman Graham Warke, for hosting tonights event on behalf of Depaul and for his support of our services through the years. Over the last twenty years, the demographic of the service user has changed and we are sadly seeing an increasing number of females and under 30s accessing support. "We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved through Foyle Haven and we will continue to work to empower our service users through the compassion and expertise of our staff. Derry has the highest rate (per,1000) of people presenting as homeless in the region and Deirdre Canavan, Depauls Senior Services Manager in Northern Ireland, says the service is key to supporting marginalised communities. Last year 2,085 people presented in Derry as homeless and mental health issues are particularly prevalent post Covid," Ms Canavan said. "Foyle Haven operates a health hub, providing onsite services such as Hepatitis B&C testing, homeless nurse clinics, counselling services, holistic therapies, naloxone kits, health and hygiene products, showers and laundry facilities. Foyle Haven seeks to make a positive difference in the lives of margianislied people and its supports are needed now more than ever. In the first three months of this year, Foyle Haven has provided 1,811 meals to service users, supported 110 individuals, 297 interventions across nine areas of support, 144 physical health interventions and 50 mental health interventions. They have also provided 59 interventions around preventing homeless and/or securing accommodation for people who were at risk of rough sleeping and five overdose interventions through the administration of 35 doses of Naloxone both onsite and in the community. For more information, please visit: https://ie.depaulcharity.org/projects/foyle-haven-day-centre/ Volunteers from St Mary's Youth Club in Creggan who helped build a public memorial in England have been praised for their hard work. Last week, Derry arts organisation, Feile, led a group of young Creggan men to work on artist David Best and The Artichoke Trusts latest project, Sanctuary, building an intricately carved wooden structure, Sanctuary, in the Miners Welfare Park in Bedworth, England. The unique public memorial stood as an unforgettable temporary structure and space of healing, built by the local community to commemorate the loss during the Covid-19 pandemic. The wooden tower structure at the Miners' Welfare Park in Bedworth, England, begins to take shape David Best, who helped created the famous Burning Man structure in Nevada, USA, was also involved in building the Temple in Derry back in 2015 a 72ft wooden structure that engaged the community and reached a total audience of 75,000 which concluded with the structure being set alight for a spectacular bonfire. Over the course of five days, the young Creggan men were given a mix of training in construction processes, using power tools, learning about on-site professional etiquette, working as part of a team, expanding their skill set and enabling them to support the build of Sanctuary. They also got the chance to meet health & safety experts and learn more about the dangers of illegal fires/bonfires and the legal requirements to deliver a safe fire. Last Saturday, the group returned to England to take part in the finale of Sanctuary, which saw the structure set alight before an audience of more than 10000 people. Connor Brown, Youth Leader at St Marys Youth Club said: This was an unforgettable, once in a lifetime opportunity for the young men who took part in this project. As well as being away from home and gaining valuable life skills, including being independent, the group learned many skills which they could use in future employment. The completed Covid-19 Memorial wooden structure attracts a crowd They were made to feel very welcome by all at Artichoke and by David Best and his crew. The group were treated as equal team members in the project and were fully involved at all stages of the construction of Sanctuary and in the burning of the structure itself. A spokesperson for Feile added: Feile have been delivering alternatives to bonfires across the Bogside, Brandywell and Creggan neighbourhoods for several years. We have been working with St Marys Youth Club on a number of initiatives as part of our Communities In Transition project including supporting young men from the Creggan estate who are seeking opportunities to alter the negative stereotypes around young people in the area and bonfire alternatives. It was great to be able to support this group to take part in this world class event. We look forward to developing new projects with the young people and their youth leaders in the months ahead. The volunteers from Creggan-based St Mary's Youth Club reflect on a job well-done Irelands ongoing housing crisis is the one of the longest and most severe the country has seen, a housing campaigner said. Macdara Doyle claimed the housing policies brought in by successive governments have failed to tackle the crisis. On Tuesday, the Raise the Roof campaign announced plans for a series of regional and national public meetings on the housing crisis over the coming weeks. At a launch event in Dublin, the group said it will hold the meetings in a bid to build public support for solutions to the crisis and alternative policies on housing. Peter McVerry, who has worked in homelessness services for over 40 years, said he has never been more despaired or depressed about the state of Irelands housing. He also called on the Government to implement the 1973 Kenny report, which contained measures for controlling the price of building land in the interests of the common good. Fr McVerry said the measures contained in the report, published almost five decades ago, will reduce the cost of housing by at least 30%. How can we bring down the cost of rents? My proposal, which will never be accepted, is to reduce rents across the board by 25%, reduce the tax that landlords pay on their rental income by 50%. Thats a win-win for renters and landlords. He also called on the Government to extend the eviction ban for another three years after a similar measure was used during the pandemic to protect renters. We need to get (the right to housing) into the constitution. We need to move fast because in December Fine Gael take over the Taoiseachs office and Fine Gael have always been opposed to the right to housing in the constitution, Fr McVerry added. Peter McVerry speaking at the Raise the Roof Launch. Making very clear and reasonable calls about how to address the housing and homelessness crisis. pic.twitter.com/UQXVeo8PSd Cian O'Callaghan T.D. (@OCallaghanCian) May 31, 2022 So unless theres considerable movement between now and December, my fear is the right to housing will go on the back boiler. The governments mantra is supply is the solution. Thats only half true. The solution is affordable supply. On Friday, it emerged that the number of homeless adults and children has risen above 10,000 for the first time since the pandemic. According to Department of Housing figures for April, there are 7,105 adults and 2,944 children registered as homeless a total of 10,049. Mr Doyle, the campaigns co-ordinator, described the housing crisis as one of the longest and most severe the country has seen, adding: We have an affordability crisis for renters and homebuyers with virtually an entire generation of young workers and families now locked out of the housing market. We also have a serious security-of-tenure crisis in the rental sector that has seen evictions almost triple since pandemic restrictions were lifted. We know that evictions are the single greatest cause of homelessness and so the cycle repeats and the downward spiral continues. The policies of successive governments have failed to tackle these multiple crises and have arguably made them worse. We have a remarkable capacity to keep repeating the same failed policies and to keep expecting different outcomes. Theres a common thread that runs through Rebuilding Ireland and Housing for All and its namely that the state has effectively abandoned its role in the direct housing provision and outsources to private interests. We are convinced that this crisis will continue to deepen until the state reverses this policy and once again takes a leading role in housing provision, tackles affordability, delivers genuine security for tenants, and creates a new legal right to housing. Phil Ni Sheaghdha, general secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) and current vice president of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, said provision of public services will be affected if its workers cannot afford to live in cities. Ms Ni Sheaghdha also said that essential workers and students should have the right to live in subsidised housing beside their place of work, including public hospitals and health care facilities. Were now in a situation where students cant source accommodation and youd want to have pretty wealthy parents in order to afford rent, she added. This will leave us in a situation where only those who have sufficient funds can become the future of our country and we believe that that is focused on elitism at a level that just cannot be acceptable to anybody. Student nurses, for example, have long been on a campaign to have their accommodation costs covered because they dont get paid at all. The series of regional and national public meetings will hear from housing experts, trade unions, political parties, and people directly affected by the crisis. Song Kang-ho, center, poses with his prize at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, May 30. Yonhap Song Kang-ho received a hero's welcome in Korea on Monday after winning the country's first Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival. Song arrived at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, along with "Broker" director Hirokazu Kore-eda and his co-stars, where about 300 fans and journalists were celebrating the historic honor. "Thank you to all Korean movie fans for your constant interest and support for Korean films," Song told reporters upon his arrival. "I thought this achievement wouldn't be possible without Korean fans' love and support." Actor Song Kang-ho, second from right, director Hirokazu Kore-eda, left, and other cast members of the film, "Broker," pose for a photo after arriving at Incheon International Airport, May 30. Yonhap Song received the Best Actor honor at this year's Cannes Film Festival in France on Saturday (CET) for his performance in the Korean drama feature, "Broker," written and directed by Japanese auteur Kore-eda. It is the first time Song has individually earned an award from Cannes, although he has starred in several Cannes-winning titles, including Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" (2019) and Park Chan-wook's "Thirst" (2009). He also served as a jury member at Cannes last year. He is the first Korean male actor to win an acting award at Cannes and became the third Asian male performer awarded the prize after Hong Kong's Leung Chiu Wai for "In The Mood for Love" in 2000 and Japan's Yuya Yagira for "Nobody Knows" in 2004. Actor Song Kang-ho poses for a photo with his Best Actor award, which he won at the 75th Cannes Film Festival for his performance in the film, "Broker," upon arrival at Incheon International Airport, May 30. Yonhap Kore-eda, whose previous family drama, "Shoplifters," earned Cannes' top honor of the Palme d'Or in 2018, also appreciated the support of Korean fans for his first Korean-language project. "Broker" is his second film to bring a lead actor the Best Actor prize at Cannes after "Nobody Knows." "Broker" depicts the relationships of characters formed through a baby box, a place for people anonymously to abandon newborns that they can't raise. Song plays Sang-hyun, who steals an infant abandoned by its parents at a baby box to sell on the adoption black market. Director Park Chan-wook, left, and actor Park Hae-il wave at reporters after arriving at Incheon International Airport, May 30. Yonhap Over 8,680 patients have been without a bed in Irish hospitals in May according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Monthly TrolleyWatch figures. The most overcrowded hospitals of May 2022 include: 1. University Hospital Limerick (1,823 patients) 2. Cork University Hospital (898 patients) 3. Sligo University Hospital / Galway University Hospital (761 patients) 4. St. Lukes Hospital, Kilkenny (637 patients) 5. St. Vincents University Hospital (509 patients) INMO General Secretary, Phil Ni Sheaghdha said: It has been another extremely difficult month for Irish nurses and midwives in our hospitals. May is traditionally a time in our hospitals where pressure begins to ease but our members have had no reprieve. Yet again, University Hospital Limerick is the most overcrowded hospital in the State. Nurses there are reporting that they are under tremendous pressure and are completely overwhelmed by the conditions they are working in day in and day out. Nurses right across the country are reporting high levels of burnout. The HSE Emergency Taskforce should convene in Limerick, so all members can see first-hand the suboptimal conditions that healthcare staff are working in and make recommendations on improving conditions in the countrys most overcrowded Emergency Department. The Minister for Health must make good on his proposed expert review of University Hospital Limerick. It has been over a month since he announced a review would take place, yet no terms of reference have been published or meetings have been scheduled with this union. Nurses and other healthcare staff cannot be expected to sustain this type of pressure all throughout the summer. If the Government and HSE are serious about retaining those who already work in the health service, meaningful action must be taken to ensure safe care conditions for both patients and staff. No nurse wants to have to care for patients in sub-optimal conditions. It is time for the HSEs Emergency Taskforce to urgently reconvene to discuss overcrowding and realistic solutions to same on a hospital-by-hospital basis. Traveller groups and campaigners gathered in front of Leinster House on Tuesday to raise awareness of the mental health crisis facing members of the Travelling community. During the demonstration, musicians played songs and speakers told demonstrators that they had been let down by promises made by successive governments to help improve Travellers mental health. Minister for Equality and Integration, Roderic OGorman, and a number of TDs attended the demonstration. Addressing the crowd, Hugh Friel of the Donegal Travellers Group said: Travellers are dying every day by suicide, and that mental health issues had been exacerbated during the Covid-19 pandemic. He said difficulties accessing education, employment, good accommodation and healthcare were contributing to a mental health crisis among the Travelling community. As a Traveller man, I have to die 15 years earlier than a settled man. Why is that, and who is accountable? Whos accountable when it comes to the mental health issues that were facing as a community? The Government. Micheal Martin needs to listen. Mr Friel added that the Government expected Traveller organisations to be a one-stop shop for all the Travelling communitys needs, which needed to end. Senator Eileen Flynn said that she has been begging the minister of state for mental health to address the mental health crisis faced by Travellers for two years. Its so tough to be yourself, and be a member of the Travelling community. You cant walk up the street and somebody has something to say to you just because youre a Traveller. According to a recent Behaviour & Attitudes survey, 82% of Travellers have been affected by suicide, and 44% of those affected were in their immediate family or their wider family. Traveller George Casey, who is originally from Limerick, told the PA news agency that he lost his 16-year-old sister to suicide, and that there are a lot of young Traveller men who struggle with their mental health. Theres a lot of men who have taken their lives in Travelling communities. Were not here for violence, were not here to cause trouble. We dont want money off them, were not here for money. I would like somebody to be able to come out to a Traveller site and talk to Traveller families about their mental health, he said. There should be a mental health person sent out to the Travelling community once a week to come and speak to us and actually speak to families about whats going on. A lot of Traveller men will not talk to their partners because they think that Traveller men are supposed to look after women. He said that a weekly mens woodwork service organised by Exchange House, which provides services to Travellers in the Dublin area, had saved his life. Mental health worker at Exchange House, John Paul Collins, told the PA news agency that someone in government needs to be held accountable for a lack of progress on mental health services for the Travelling community. Were looking for some sort of promise, and a promise that theyll keep this time, Mr Collins said. Because were going through programmes for Government, strategic reports, plans, and they all sound great, they look great on paper, (but) five years pass, (theres a) new government. Nothing. He said that there are more supports available in the capital city and other urban areas, but Travellers in more rural areas struggle more. Were looking at four or five suicides a week in Ireland. Its the sites that weve forgotten about in Offaly, a site thats isolated in Donegal. We need boots on the ground to go in there and explain to Travellers that the supports are available go and access them, and supports to access them. Thats all it is. The National Traveller Mental Health Network has called on Taoiseach Micheal Martin to meet with the group to discuss their concerns. Later in the Dail on Tuesday, People Before Profit/Solidarity TD Gino Kenny asked Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath whether the Taoiseach would meet with Traveller groups to discuss their concerns. I wont speak for the Taoiseach, but I dont think he would be reluctant to have a meeting, Mr McGrath said. He said the Department of Health was fully committed to delivering healthcare services for members of the Travelling community and that the finalisation and publication of the National Traveller Health Action Plan is a priority issue for the Department of Health and the HSE. He added that the Minister of State for Mental Health Mary Butler would be meeting with the Traveller and Roma rights NGO Pavee Point in the upcoming weeks. Described as a key milestone in the company's regional expansion, the recent launch of Virgin Mobile Kuwait isnt just a first for Virgin Mobile Middle East And Africa (VMMEA); this is, we are told, the first mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in Kuwait. VMMEA describes itself as the region's leading MVNO and, with its fully digital app-based proposition in Kuwait, it has expanded its footprint in the Middle East. But thats not all. Following news of VMMEA's partnership with Kuwait Telecommunications Company (STC) last year, this is not only the fourth service provider in the country but also the first MVNO to enter the market. Branding emphasises environmental awareness; in line with the group's focus on sustainability, Virgin Mobile Kuwait customers will receive a biodegradable SIM card when they sign up. In addition, based on VMMEA's proprietary operator platform, Virgin Mobile Kuwait offers users a completely digital experience from a quick and easy setup to online payments. These offerings, it could be argued, echo the emphasis on digital innovation and sustainability of the New Kuwait 2035 vision, which aims to drive economic diversification and transform enterprises and daily lives by 2035. As for market demand, VMMEA says early registration of numbers has indicated a strong appetite in the market for innovative new mobile services. Funding for the expansion into Kuwait was provided by Wafra International Investment Company, Impulse International for Telecommunications and Virgin Mobile Middle East and Africa. VMMEA is headquartered in Dubai. It has been in the region since 2009 and operates two consumer brands Virgin Mobile and FRiENDi Mobile across the region. Minister Coveney addressed the Standing Committee of the Council of Europes Parliamentary Assembly Press release Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney T.D. today addressed the Standing Committee of the Council of Europes Parliamentary Assembly, which met in Dublin under Irelands six-month Presidency of the continents leading human rights body. 42 senior parliamentarians, representing 34 Council of Europe member states, including Ukraine, were present for the exchange, chaired by the President of the Parliamentary Assembly, Dutch senator Martinus Tiny Kox. The Minister detailed Irelands priorities for our six-month Presidency term, focussing, in particular, on the steps the Council should take to support Ukraine and reaffirm the Conscience of Europe, following the expulsion of the Russian Federation. In that context, he argued that a Summit of the Councils 46 Heads of State and Government should be convened as soon as practicable. Recalling that Ireland was one of the Councils ten founding members in 1949, the Minister remarked: The Council of Europe was founded in the wake of war on our continent. And in the wake of war, its time for our Heads of State and Government to reconvene. To reaffirm their shared commitment to Europes conscience. To spur the EUs ratification of the European Convention on Human Rights. To write the next, peaceful chapter in our continents long history. Following his address to the Standing Committee, the Minister met President Kox to discuss how best to advance this objective. The Irish Presidency of the Council of Europes Committee of Ministers began on 20 May and runs to 9 November 2022. Further details are available on www.ireland.ie/coe ENDS Press Office 31 May 2022 Note for Editors Established in 1949, and headquartered in Strasbourg, the Council of Europe is the continents largest and oldest intergovernmental organisation. Ireland was amongst the organisations ten founding members. Today, following the expulsion of the Russian Federation on 16 March, it comprises 46 member states, including the 27 EU member states, the United Kingdom, Turkey and Ukraine. The organisation plays a leading role in the protection and promotion of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law across Europe and beyond notably through the European Court of Human Rights, which ensures the observance by member states of their obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights. The European Convention on Human Rights is also a key element of the Good Friday Agreement. The Agreement saw the Conventions incorporation into Northern Ireland law, ensuring citizens have direct access to the European Court of Human Rights. The Committee of Ministers is the principal intergovernmental decision-making body of the Council of Europe. Chaired on a rotating basis by member states over six month terms, Ireland has held the Presidency of the Committee on six previous occasions, most recently in 2000. The Parliamentary Assembly is the second of the Councils key statutory organs. It comprises 324 parliamentarians from the national parliaments of the 46 member states. The Standing Committee comprises the President and Vice-Presidents of the Assembly, the chairpersons of political groups, the chairpersons of national delegations and the committee chairpersons, totalling some 60 parliamentarians. Having assumed the Presidency in Turin on 20 May, Minister Coveney will now represent Ireland as Chair of the Committee of Ministers until November. Over the course of these six months, Ireland will chair more than a dozen meetings of the Committee of Ministers in Strasbourg, strengthening standards across a range of key areas, from media freedoms to the protection of human rights in conflict zones. Ireland will also host more than thirty Council of Europe conferences and seminars across Strasbourg, Dublin, Galway, Kerry and Cork. Notable events include: a meeting of the Councils 46 Justice Ministers in Dublin in September, at which Minister for Justice Helen McEntee T.D. will chair discussions on how to combat domestic, sexual and gender-based violence in all its forms. In July, meanwhile, Minister; the annual meeting of the Board of the Council of Europes Development Bank in Dublin in July; and two major conferences in Galway in September. | Where to Watch / Stream origami SAI 2022 Tokyo Online origami SAI 2022 Tokyo is not available on any OTT Platform right now. Advertisements About origami SAI 2022 Tokyo origami SAI 2022 Tokyo was released on Jun 01, 2022 . This show is available in language. origami SAI 2022 Tokyo is available in genre. Disclaimer: All content and media has been sourced from original content streaming platforms, such as Disney Hotstar, Amazon Prime, Netflix, etc. Digit Binge is an aggregator of content and does not claim any rights on the content. The copyrights of all the content belongs to their respective original owners and streaming service providers. All content has been linked to respective service provider platforms.This product uses the TMDb API but is not endorsed or certified by Advertisements Where to Watch / Stream The Real Housewives of Dubai Online The Real Housewives of Dubai is not available on any OTT Platform right now. Advertisements About The Real Housewives of Dubai The Real Housewives of Dubai will release on Jun 01, 2022 . This show will be available in English language. Lesa Milan Hall, Caroline Brooks, Nina Ali, Sara Al Madani, Chanel Ayan and Caroline Stanbury will be playing as the star cast in this show. The Real Housewives of Dubai will be available in Reality based genre. Season and Episode Details Disclaimer: All content and media has been sourced from original content streaming platforms, such as Disney Hotstar, Amazon Prime, Netflix, etc. Digit Binge is an aggregator of content and does not claim any rights on the content. The copyrights of all the content belongs to their respective original owners and streaming service providers. All content has been linked to respective service provider platforms.This product uses the TMDb API but is not endorsed or certified by Advertisements Reliance has released a new wireless game controller for Jios set-top box (STB) and other Android devices. It comes with a 20 button plus 2 stick design and works within a 10-meter radius for about 8 hours. Well, thats not the only new thing on the Jio Store, as the brand has recently unveiled new postpaid plans for its WiFi hotspot router called JioFi. Along with the purchase of these plans, you also get free hotspot routers, but theres a catch. Lets see what that is. JioFi Postpaid Plans: Whats new? The newly announced JioFi plans are priced at 249, 299, and 349. They come without voice calling or messaging benefits. The data included them are as follows: Rs 249 - 30GB of monthly data Rs 299 - 40GB of monthly data Rs 349 - 50GB of monthly data Once the aforementioned data limits are used up, the speed falls down to 64 Kbps. Note that all of them come with a lock-in period of 18 months which means whether you use the data or not, you will be charged the same amount each month for 18 months. You can opt out but only after paying an exit charge. Also, you need to make a minimum first order quantity of 200 to avail of these plans. Coming to the free router offer, there's a condition that they are offered on use and return basis when you cancel the JioFi postpaid subscription. Jio Game Controller Specs, Features, and Price Jios Bluetooth-enabled Game Controller has 20 buttons plus 2 vibration-based triggers. There is haptic control as well. It works over Bluetooth 4.1 and within a 10m distance. It is compatible with Android Tablets, Android TV, and Jio STB. The companys own set-top box is whats recommended for the best experience. It is rated to run for 8 hours. However, to charge it, you have to use its micro-USB port which can be a bit of an issue for some. The controller weighs 200gm and comes in a matte black finish. You can purchase the Jio controller for 3499 through the Jio store. EMI option is also available. As for other news, reviews, feature stories, buying guides, and everything else tech-related, keep reading Digit.in. Subscriber content preview ANCHORAGE (AP) The owner of the largest natural gas utility in Alaska says it is selling the company to Canada-based TriSummit Utilities Inc. The Anchorage Daily News reports the deal is worth $800 million. AltaGas Ltd. says the sale will include Anchorage-based ENSTAR Natural Gas, its associated pipelines and ENSTAR's majority ownership in a gas storage facility. . . . Subscriber content preview KIRKLAND The mostly vacant Houghton Village shopping center, 10702 N.E. 68th St., sold last week for $14 million, according to King County records. It had until this spring been anchored by a PCC. The buyer was the city of Kirkland, which is planning to find a development partner for a future mixed-use apartment building, probably with some retail. Some if not all units will be affordable, says the citys deputy city manager, Beth Goldberg, but not permanent supportive housing. . . . Members of South Korean boy group BTS leave Washington's Dulles International Airport via a VIP pass after arriving on May 29, for a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden later in the week. Yonhap Korean boy group BTS arrived in Washington on Sunday for a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden for discussions on ways to address anti-Asian hate crimes. Six members of the septet arrived at the Dulles International Airport where dozens of fans waited to welcome them on what will be their first-ever visit to the White House on Tuesday. The six were, however, ushered out of the airport via a special exit by airport authorities due to safety concerns, according to informed sources. One of the group's seven members, Jungkook, reportedly arrived in the U.S. on Saturday. The White House said the global K-pop phenomenon will join Biden to discuss "Asian inclusion and representation, and to address anti-Asian hate crimes and discrimination which have become more prominent issues in recent years." Tata Motors signs MoU to acquire Ford India's Sanand plant Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Limited (TPEML), a subsidiary of Tata Motors Ltd, and Ford India Private Limited (FIPL), on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the government of Gujarat for the potential acquisition of FIPLs Sanand vehicle manufacturing facility. Under the MoU, TPEML will acquire land and buildings, vehicle manufacturing plant, machinery and equipment and transfer all eligible employees of FIPL Sanands vehicle manufacturing operations, subject to the signing of definitive agreements and receipt of relevant approvals. The plant currently gives direct employment to 3,043 people and indirect employment to 20,000 more. FIPL will operate its powertrain manufacturing facilities by leasing back the land and buildings of the powertrain unit from TPEML. The terms of the deal are yet to be disclosed. The Ford India vehicle manufacturing site at Sanand is a state-of-the-art site. TPEML would invest into new machinery and equipment which is necessary to commission and make the unit ready to produce its vehicles. With the proposed investments, it would establish an installed capacity of 300,000 units per annum, which would be scalable to more than 400,000 units. We anticipate this to take a few months. This MoU for a potential acquisition of this unit is a win-win for all stakeholders and helps Tata Motors accelerate the enhancement of its PV/EV manufacturing capacity. This unit is adjacent to the existing manufacturing facility of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd at Sanand, which should help in a smooth transition, Tata Motors stated in a release. A statement from the chief ministers office stated that the whole takeover process was completed within 90 days due to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel-led Gujarat government's "positive approach" and will help in averting an unemployment crisis that could have emerged at the Sanand plant. Tata Motors has a strong presence in Gujarat for more than a decade with its own manufacturing facility at Sanand. This MoU further reinforces our commitment to the state by creating more employment and business opportunities. Rising customer preference for passenger and electric vehicles made by Tata Motors has led to a multi-fold growth for the company over the past few years. This potential transaction will support expansion of capacity, thus securing future growth and opportunity to further strengthen our position in the passenger and electric vehicles space, Shailesh Chandra, managing director of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Limited and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Limited, said while speaking on the occasion. Tata Motors Passenger and Electric Vehicles has delivered market beating growth with its New Forever range of products over the last two years. This growth momentum is expected to continue with the strong pipeline of future ready products and our proactive investments in Electric Vehicles. With increasing capacity utilisations, sustaining this growth will require augmenting TMLs PV/EV manufacturing capacity in the coming years, the release pointed out. TPEML and FIPL will be signing definitive transaction agreements over the next few weeks, the release added. Bus Eireann, Irelands national bus company has partnered with An Tain Arts Centre to unveil a new art installation at Drogheda bus station as part of Louth Culture Quest. The installation, by artist OMIN will be in place until the end of this year. The artwork, an abstract installation or Glitch in the Landscape is inspired by the Buttergate national monument, Droghedas only remaining medieval gate, which was built in the thirteenth century by the Normans and which is located adjacent to Drogheda bus station. The piece features a nine foot tall, ten foot wide depiction of a man and his horse, hinting at the sites historical importance for Drogheda, one of the largest walled towns of its time. Supporting local arts and cultural activities is important for Bus Eireann, said Adrian OLoughlin, Bus Eireann Senior Operations Manager, East. We are happy to be working with An Tain Arts Centre in support of Louth Culture Quest this year, and to facilitate this thought-provoking piece of art by OMIN at Drogheda bus station for our passengers and local residents to enjoy. We would also like to encourage people across Louth who are planning to participate in Louth Culture Quest to take the bus while travelling across the county in the coming weeks and months. Louth Culture Quest is an app based, county-wide arts and heritage treasure hunt, funded by the Arts Council of Ireland | In the Open / Faoin Speir and produced by An Tain Arts Centre in partnership with Louth County Council. Comedian Joe Rooney of Father Ted fame, plays the role of a custodian of art from 2050 in the Louth Culture Quest, encouraging audiences to engage with art to ensure its future survivial. We want to thank Bus Eireann for their collaboration and support for local cultural events and artists, said Mary Claire Cowley, Audience Development Manager at An Tain Arts Centre. As part of Louth Culture Quest, members of the public can traverse the county, unlock clues, visit 20 sites of heritage and cultural significance and discover wonderful examples of public art such as that created by OMIN which will go on display at Drogheda bus station. We hope that this piece begins a conversation about creating space for art in the public realm and we thank Bus Eireann for facilitating this. As Drogheda bus station has over 200 daily departures, including on Bus Eireanns D1 and D2 town services and Expressway 100X services to Dundalk and Dublin Airport, there are plenty of opportunities for members of the public in County Louth to stop by the bus station and enjoy the artwork on display. Fares on Bus Eireann PSO services nationally were recently reduced by 20%, with a further 50% reduction available to those aged 19-24 with a Student or Young Adult Leap Card, available from www.leapcard.ie. The government's dividend income from its stakes in public companies jumped 70.5 percent this year from the previous year as their earnings improved amid the economic recovery, the finance ministry said Tuesday. Dividend payments by 19 state-run companies to the government amounted to 2.45 trillion won ($1.98 billion) this year, up 1.01 trillion won from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The increased dividend income came as state-run firms' bottom lines improved amid the economic recovery. The 19 companies, including state housing developer Korea Land Housing and policy lender the Korea Development Bank, saw their combined 2021 earnings rise 34 percent from a year ago. The average dividend payout ratio, or the percentage of earnings paid to shareholders in dividends, came to 40.38 percent this year, up 3.46 percentage points from a year earlier. Of the 39 state companies in which the government holds stakes, 20 public firms, including the power monopoly Korea Electric Power (KEPCO), did not pay out dividends due to net losses. KEPCO swung to the red with a net loss of 5.6 trillion won last year due to soaring fuel costs. (Yonhap) Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-ho speaks during a meeting with the press corps at the Government Complex in Sejong, Tuesday. A recent feasibility study carried out by an outside research group on behalf of the ministry showed that tax revenue will decrease by 780 billion won ($629.8 million) per year if Korea scraps its policy taxing domestic corporations on all taxable income from their domestic and foreign operations. Yonhap By Yi Whan-woo The government is considering waiving taxes on the income that domestic corporations earn through their overseas businesses, in line with President Yoon Suk-yeol's vision to create a market-driven economy through regulatory reform. However, the plan is raising concerns over a sharp decline in tax revenues, estimated to be up to 780 billion won ($629.8 million) per year, amid the snowballing national debt. The plan is also casting doubt over whether it will help the Korean businesses find their own country less burdensome in terms of taxation and accordingly, induce massive corporate investments using offshore cash reserves. Korean companies currently pay taxes on all taxable income from their domestic and foreign operations, whereas tax liabilities of foreign companies are limited to Korea-sourced income. Regarding taxable income outside of Korea, domestic companies are taxed on the amount remaining after deducting the amount of corporate income tax that they paid to the host country. Korean companies are most likely to be subject to double taxation, considering that the nation's maximum corporate income tax rate 25 percent in 2021 is higher than that of some other countries. If the government waives taxes on domestic corporations' overseas income, a recent feasibility study carried out by an outside research group on behalf of the Ministry of Economy and Finance showed that the government's overall tax revenue will decrease by up to 780 billion won. The study referred to a case in the United Kingdom in 2009 in which a similar tax policy was implemented. Citing another case in Japan, the study hinted that the possibility is slim for offshore cash reserves to be used for domestic investments. Japan scrapped the double taxation policy in 2009. The offshore cash reserves of Japanese firms fell slightly that year, but have been rising since then. For instance, offshore cash reserves accounted for 0.5 percent of the national GDP in the early 2000s, but the ratio rose to 1.25 percent in 2016. "This is because keeping the assets in U.S. dollars outside the country brought higher benefits than tax incentives offered by the government," according to the report. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Economy and Finance is gearing up to propose a tax overhaul bill that will include the disputed double taxation policy by the end of July at the latest. According to sources familiar with the matter, the waiving of double taxation can be seen as a "rational move to meet international standards," given the fact that Korea is among only five OECD members that adheres to such a policy. The other four are Chile, Ireland, Israel and Mexico. Nevertheless, an official of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) said that the government's plan is "likely to meet fierce opposition from the party." The official added, "Its effect remains certain at this point." A member of the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice told The Korea Times, "Revising and improving the double taxation, rather than scrapping the entire policy, can be a possible choice on the path to regulatory reform." Among the OECD member nations, France has the highest corporate tax rate of 28.4 percent, followed by Japan at 23.2 percent, the United States at 21 percent, the U.K. at 19 percent and Germany at 15.8 percent. EBRD credit line of 4 million to Stopanska Banka in North Macedonia New finance for SME investments in sustainable, green technologies Loans supported by donor-funded incentive grants The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is extending new financing to Stopanska Banka, which will benefit small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in North Macedonia. EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso and Stopanska Banka Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors Diomidis Nikoletopoulos signed a 4 million loan agreement in Skopje today. The loan to Stopanska Banka will help boost SME investments in high performance standards, technologies and services, enabling them to become more competitive. It should also allow small firms to reboot their businesses following the Covid-19 pandemic. The credit line is part of the EBRDs new SME Reboot Programme, which supports small firms recovery from the pandemic-induced slowdown. It will also aid the expansion of the green economy in North Macedonia by promoting investments in energy efficiency improvements. Around 70 per cent of programme funding will be allocated to investments in energy-saving and green technologies, while the remainder will support investments in automation, increased productivity, product quality and safety. SMEs will also benefit from grant incentives worth up to 15 per cent of their loan amount. The grants will be funded by Luxembourg, Norway and the United States of America, with other donors expected to participate. President Renaud-Basso said: SMEs are the backbone of local economies. They provide jobs and opportunities to local communities. Supporting them is one of EBRDs key priorities in the economies where it invests. This is particularly needed following the slowdown induced by the Covid-19 pandemic and ongoing disruptions to global trade. We hope this fresh financing will help many companies to recover and boost their business, while supporting the green transition. Mr Nikoletopoulos said: Stopanska banka AD Skopje has historically been recognised as the financial partner behind major infrastructural and industrial projects. However, what is less known is the consistent support it provides to SMEs for growth and development. This is why we are pleased to sign this significant contract today and make an additional step towards supporting our SME clients. The recovery from the pandemic is slow and difficult, but it presents an opportunity to rethink and restructure the business, making it more sustainable for the future, which is exactly what this programme is meant to achieve. Stopanska Banka is the bank with the longest tradition in North Macedonia, founded back in 1944. It operates as a universal bank and is ranked as the largest bank in the country by net loans. It is 94.6 per cent owned by National Bank of Greece, with the remainder held by minority investors. The EBRD is a major institutional investor in North Macedonia. To date, it has invested more than 2.2 billion in 158 projects in various sectors of the economy. EBRD US$20 million loan will help finance telecoms growth in Armenia Telecom Armenia plans network expansion, including in rural areas EBRD is part of a US$45 million facility provided by IFC and Ameriabank Armenians will see their fixed and mobile phone services improve as a result of a US$ 20 million loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to leading Armenian telecoms company Telecom Armenia to finance growth, including network expansion in rural areas, and refinance existing debt. Telecom Armenia is undertaking a seven-year multi-million network improvement programme to upgrade fixed and mobile networks around the country, including in rural areas. Additional financing is provided by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Ameriabank, amounting to a total financing package of $45 million. The investment comes in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, which emphasised the need for faster and more reliable internet connections. The project supports 4G mobile network expansion and the rollout of a state-of-the-art fibre to the home network across the capital Yerevan, secondary cities and rural areas, increasing the digital connectivity and competitiveness of businesses across Armenia and making the network greener and more energy efficient. As well as enhancing digitalisation and energy efficiency, the project is consistent with the EBRDs two strategic priorities for Armenia, strengthening private sector competitiveness and promoting sustainable infrastructure through commercialisation and green economy transition, said Dirk Werner, the EBRDs Director for Telecoms, Media and Technology. Aleksandr Yesayan, Team Telecom Armenias Chairman and co-founder said: "We welcome our long-term partnership with the EBRD, especially given the reduced investor appetite amid global developments. This support will enable us to accelerate our capital investment program and expand and upgrade both our fixed and mobile networks and improve service quality to both individual subscribers and business clients, which will spur competitiveness, innovation, and economic growth in Armenia. Hayk Yesayan, Team Telecom Armenias CEO and co-founder said: "This funding will significantly speed up the region's best 25 GB/s Next Generation Network construction. Bringing this network to life is our strategic project. As part of the building process, we are going to connect our mobile system to the new fixed broadband infrastructure and greatly increase the quality of mobile and fixed communications throughout all Armenia. This is the first major signing since EBRD's recently appointed Head of Yerevan Resident Office. George Akhalkatsi started the role in early May. He said: I am excited to sign this important transaction with a major private sector player in Armenia. We believe the project will bring tangible benefits to Team Telecom customers and have a positive effect on wider economy. Telecom Armenia is the leading fixed-line operator in Armenia and the countrys second largest mobile operator. It was acquired in October 2020 by telecom entrepreneurs Hayk and Aleksandr Yesayan. The projects refinancing component will be used to refinance Telecom Armenias existing debt, incurred during the companys leveraged buyout in 2020, and simplify its capital structure. Farmers prune the grapevine plants at domestic winery Doranwon's vineyard in Yeongdong County, North Chungcheong Province, May 23. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin By Lee Hae-rin YEONGDONG COUNTY, North Chungcheong Province Winemaker Ahn Nam-rak, 64, couldn't believe what he heard from his neighbor, that his wine was on TV and that it had been chosen as one of the spirits to be served during President Yoon Suk-yeol's inauguration on May 10. "I thought it couldn't be true, because it was too good to be true," he told The Korea Times during a recent interview. "I thought, 'There must be some other winery with a similar label to mine,' because I got no phone call or prior notice from the presidential office that mine had been chosen." Then his wife got a call from her friend, an old-time fan of Ahn's wine, telling them the good news that their wine was indeed going to be served at the prestigious event. The couple looked it up on the internet and realized that what they heard from their acquaintances had been true. President Yoon Suk-yeol and the First Lady Kim Keon-hee attend the inaugural dinner at The Shilla Seoul on May 10. Foreign dignitaries and business leaders were some of those who were invited to the dinner. Ahn's rose wine chosen to be paired with Korean cuisine, along with five other Korean regional liquors. Joint Press Corp "At that very moment, I felt like I had done my job as a winemaker," Ahn said, recalling the joyful moment. Ahn checked with the distributor and discovered an unusual bulk order of 80 bottles, which they both concluded to be from the inaugural dinner preparation team. Ahn's "Chateau Miso Sweet Rose," made from Campbell grapes from his winery Doranwon, was chosen to be served at President Yoon's inauguration dinner at The Shilla Seoul on May 10, along with five other Korean regional specialty liquors. Over the past 20 years, the first-generation Korean winemaker has made 20 different types of wine and liquors and won countless awards at domestic and international competitions. His final mission had been to win Presidential recognition and it was the rose wine that had brought him the very first prize at the Korean Sool (K-Sool) Awards in 2013, which allowed him to receive the honor this year. Doranwon owner and winemaker Ahn Nam-rak poses with his signature wine, "Chateau Miso Rose," at his winery's main hall. The wine has received several prizes at international and domestic competitions and was served at the presidential inaugural dinner in May. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin Ahn's winery is in Yeongdong County, a rural county in North Chungcheong Province. It is a three-hour drive south from the capital. Yeongdong is home to many wines in Korea. With its population slightly over 45,000, the region yields an average of 30,000 tons of grapes every year, taking up about 12 percent of the country's total production of grapes. The region has been one of the country's leading fruit producers due to its geographical advantages. Located between the Chupungyeong ridge and the Geum River, one of the nation's three major rivers, running 392 kilometers from Sobaek Mountains to the Yellow Sea, the region features a big temperature range, a lot of sunshine and low annual precipitation, which together give high sugar content and strong aroma to fruit. To develop the regional specialty, the county designated itself as a special industrial district for grape farming and wine in 2005 and now has a belt of 37 wineries. Ahn's journey to becoming a Korean winemaker began much earlier than that, however. Ahn is one of many Koreans whose life was hit hard by the Asian Financial Crisis that hit a number of countries in the region in the late 1990s. Koreans refer to it as "the IMF crisis," because Korea was given a bailout by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the condition of massive layoffs and reforms in four sectors, including the banking sector. Back in those days, Ahn was self-employed. He had been a miller, a curtain business owner and even tried running different types of restaurants. After getting hit hard during the financial crisis, Ahn decided to return to his hometown in Yeongdong and help his mother with her grape farming. Driven by his business acumen which he had developed through his previous businesses, he said he has always searched for a way to create extra value from the fruit. First it was the early leftovers from thinning out the trees in summer, then it was the grape's short period for seasonal sales lasting less than a month that led him to run experiments making processed goods that are more easily storable. When Korea's Free Trade Agreement with Chile was signed in 2004, foreign grapes were imported at low prices and he felt he was left with no choice but to blaze a new trail. "Everybody in town was making grape juice and I didn't want to do the same. So I started teaching myself how to make wine," Ahn said. He started reading everything he could find about winemaking and learned through a wealth of trial and error. "I even once stored it in plastic bottle because I didn't know anything about wine," Ahn said. When the local government designated the county as a wine district and started supporting its farmers with financial aid and education, Ahn was already ahead of his peers. Having obtained a liquor manufacturing and sommelier license by 2010, Ahn has been wrestling with the idea of Korean wine. What makes it different from products of traditional winemaking countries? "The Campbell grapes grown in Korea have particularly small and sweet fruit. They are great to just munch on, but not suitable for winemaking due to their low tannin content," Ahn explained. He saw no hope in imitating western wines that Korean consumers are more familiar with. Instead, he chose to create a new type of drink that accentuates the strong points of the fruit and suits Korean cuisine. His solution was ice distillation and the blending of fermented grapes. By repeatedly freezing and removing ice, the drink grows richer in concentration and alcohol content and turns fuller in body. Then Ahn additionally chose to blend different types of grapes in search of a balance in flavor. "Korean wines could taste a little bland compared to others that we're more familiar with," Ahn said. "But we shouldn't say that they taste bad, just because they're different. Most importantly, their pairings with Korean foods, like seasoned vegetables and spicy dishes, are amazing." Ahn poses after winning the 2019 Korea Wine & Spirits Award in this photo taken in February 2019. Courtesy of Doranwon Ahn's odyssey in pursuit of excellence finally paid off as he started getting recognition from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the provincial government and global wine competitions. Doranwon's wines are now available at some restaurants in five stars hotels in Seoul like JW Marriott and department stores. The winery's annual income is reportedly worth about 1.3 billion won ($1 million), which is rare among domestic winemaking businesses mostly run at small scales by families. The COVID-19 pandemic has boosted its online sales among younger customers and President Yoon's dinner has given new momentum to its popularity. "After being served at the inaugural dinner, many more people are curious about my wines and buy them. Recognition like this could last for four to five years," Ahn said. His favorite part about winemaking is cherishing memories of his loved ones and having a good time with them. To celebrate the wedding of his daughter, Ahn made "Chateau Miso Wedding" with prunes, as its white flowers signify "pure love" in the language of flowers. His signature "Chateau Miso 27" is a red wine he made for his son's marriage, which was held on January 27. Ahn made its price more reasonable by cutting out the intermediary distribution process, to celebrate the occasion with a wider audience and promote Korean wine. The best in quality and highest in price is "Chateau Miso Queen," made of shine muscat grapes and dedicated to his wife, whom he literally calls "the queen" of the winery. His latest masterpiece is a heavy and dry red wine produced in limited quantity called "Chateau Miso Red Pants," symbolizing himself for wearing red pants at awards and events. Ahn said his favorite word in Korean is "miso" meaning "smile" and that's where the names of his wines originate from. The winery's name, "Doranwon," comes from the Korean onomatopoeic expression, "doran doran," meaning "gathering around to have a quiet and friendly chat," and used to have at least 40 to 50 guests coming for winery tours every week before the pandemic. "I hope this place invites many people and gives them a joyful time," Ahn said. EBRD organised financial package of US$ 6.3 million to Uzbek dairy company Milk Euro Food Up to US$ 750,000 of the package to be co-financed by the TaiwanICDF Support by FINTECC grant of US$ 39,000 The EBRD is promoting green technologies in Uzbekistans agribusiness sector by organising a financial package of up to US$ 6.3 million to Milk Euro Food, a Chirchik-based producer of butter and spreads. Up to US$ 750,000 of the loan amount will be provided by the TaiwanICDF. The facility is supported by the EBRDs Finance and Technology Transfer Centre for Climate Change (FINTECC) programme, which is designed to transfer technology in the area of climate change mitigation and adaptation and financed by the Global Environment Facility Trust Fund. A FINTECC grant of US$ 39,000 will finance the acquisition of 300 refrigerators that use an isobutene R-600a refrigerant with a low global warming potential. The company will be able to reduce energy consumption and cut its annual CO 2 emissions by 92 tonnes. Located north of the countrys capital, Tashkent, Milk Euro Food has been providing top-quality agricultural products to the people of Central Asias most populous country since 2004. The EBRD-organised financing, will help improve the companys environmental and social standards and should make the firm a benchmark for the domestic and regional agri-processing industry. The project was supported by donor funding from the EBRD Small Business Impact Fund (with contributions from: Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Taipei China and the United States of America) and the Japan-EBRD Cooperation Fund. To date, the EBRD has invested more than 3.2 billion in 110 projects across Uzbekistan. The beachguards that will be guarding Cork County Council beaches this summer were training hard in East Cork last weekend with guidance from the Irish Coast Guard. The Cork County Council beachguard teams from across the coastal county had induction training at Front Strand, Youghal last Saturday. The Cork County Council beachguard teams from across the coastal county had induction training at Front Strand, Youghal last Saturday. Posting on the Cork Co Co Beachguards Facebook page the team said this training forms a crucial part of the pre-season preparation to provide an effective and professional Lifeguard Service for the public. Training included station administration; First Aid and Basic Life Support with civil defence member and doctor Tony Lynch along with beach supervision and patrolling; board and tube rescues and simulated incidents; and familiarisation and procedure training with the Irish Coastguard. Posting on the Cork Co Co Beachguards Facebook page the team said this training forms a crucial part of the pre-season preparation to provide an effective and professional Lifeguard Service for the public. The Cork County Council beachguard teams from across the coastal county had induction training at Front Strand, Youghal last Saturday. Beachguards will be on duty this summer weekends only in June, every day during July and August, and the first two weekends in September. THe Cork County Council beachguard team thanked all the experts for assisting them over the weekend with their training including Dr Tony Lynch, Bernard Gallagher, Caroline Casey WSDO, Graham Kerr, Christine O'Flynn, Colm Doyle and Roisin O'Donovan Training is vital before commencing duty this weekend and we are very grateful we had the opportunity to learn new skills before a busy summer on the beaches, the team said. High Court reporters A farmer is taking a High Court case over An Bord Pleanalas decision to refuse permission for a one-off rural housing at her family farm and equestrian centre. Naomi Hanlon says she was born and raised less than 150 metres from the development site at Carrigeen, Rathcoole, Co Dublin, and is now the full-time operator of the family farm and equestrian centre, which hold about 60 ewes and 10 horses. She submitted that the planning board did not properly consider that she has a genuine need to live close to her employment, which is related to the rural community. South Dublin County Council has twice refused planning permission for the construction of a house on the 18-acre farmlands. Upon appeal, An Bord Pleanala found that the proposed development would contribute to random rural housing in an area under urban influence. It said she had not established a demonstrable economic or social need to live in this rural area. It also was not satisfied Ms Hanlons housing needs could not be met in the nearby Rathcoole village. The board pointed to national planning objectives and the South Dublin County Development Plan, which aims to restrict the spread of dwellings in areas, such as this, which are zoned to protect and improve rural amenities and agriculture. Ms Hanlons counsel, Christian Keeling, told the court on Monday that the board failed to properly engage with key documents in her application, including an expert opinion from Teagasc that said her work required her to live at the farm, particularly during lambing and foaling season. The inspector failed to adequately consider the land use, which amounts to an error of law, said Mr Keeling. He further submitted that the board did not adequately explain its reason for rejecting the application. Mr Justice Charles Meenan was satisfied there the applicant had raised substantial grounds that warranted granting permission for Ms Hanlon to pursue her judicial review challenge. He granted leave on an ex-parte basis (only Ms Hanlon was represented) and adjourned the matter. WAKEFIELD In our latest Ecotextile Talks podcast, Randy Rankin, Eurofins Consumer Products Assurance global client development director for North America, spells out the current key environmental, social and governance risks facing the textile and apparel industry. Rankin tells our host, Philip Berman, how he believes that new and proposed legislation on the fashion industry on both sides of the Atlantic are the key developments that should be concerning global brands right now. Listen to the full podcast here: He cited the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, as well as similar national moves in countries such as France and Germany, as a key example. These laws aim to make companies legally responsible for environmental and human rights issues in their global supply chains and to make it much easier for victims to seek legal redress. Rankin also talks about the proposed New York Fashion Act which would require larger companies operating in New York to map out at least half of their supply chains, from raw materials to final product. And he mentions the Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act which bans US imports of products, such as cotton, from the Xinjiang region of China unless proof can be provided that they were not the result of forced labour. Rankin says the trend towards legislation is a new development in the industry where concern over supply chain issues has been traditionally driven by reactions to major incidents, such as the Rana Plaza disaster. However, he feels increasing concern by both consumers and crucially investors are creating a new landscape where legislators are demanding more transparency from the industry's often opaque supply chains. If you look at social performance and environmental performance in the supply chain, it has historically been largely voluntary. Its been driven by companies who are doing things aligned with their values in an effort to help their reputation, but it hasn't been driven by legal requirements," he said. "The emergence of statutory requirements to do these things instead of them being voluntary and values based and the scope of those requirements is probably the most important thing that's happened in this space in the last 10 or 15 years." Subscribe to our podcasts and radio shows by following us on Apple, Google, Spotify and Amazon Music, to automatically get alerts when we launch a new Ecotextile Talks Behind the News podcast. Textile industry turns to sustainable chemistry To help customers accelerate their quest for sustainability, Eurofins Softlines & Leather is proud to present its Sustainable Chemistry Services for the textile, footwear and leathergoods industry. The companys Sustainable Chemistry Services offer an extensive range of tailored solutions to support different stakeholders in the industry. This includes Smart Chemical Compliance Testing (SCCT) and the California Proposition 65 Compliance Pack, two of the signature products that allow for fast, intelligent and cost-effective solutions for the industry. All manufactured products contain chemistry and with a high reliance on these chemicals, they must be assessed properly to minimise the immediate and long-term impact on people and ecosystems, which is a fundamental environmental performance business indicator. Sustainable chemistry, by definition, encompasses the design, manufacture and use of efficient, effective, safe and more environmentally benign chemical products and processes and seeks to improve the efficiency with which natural resources are used to meet human needs for chemical products and services. With the new Sustainable Chemistry Services, developed by sustainability and industry-specific experts at Eurofins Softlines & Leather, customers can leverage the company's global network of testing laboratories and technical expertise to execute their sustainability commitments and implement improvements. For more information on our Sustainable Chemistry Services, please visit the Eurofins Softlines & Leather website. By Julia Conley Scientists at the United Nations intergovernmental body focusing on biodiversity sounded alarms earlier this month with its report on the looming potential extinction of one million species but few heard their calls, according to a German newspaper report. While some international and progressive outlets including Common Dreams published high-profile stories on the report when it was released, just two of Britains national newspapers included any reporting about biodiversity on their front pages on May 7, the day after the royal baby was born to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Deutsche Welle reported Thursday that partially because the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) released its report on what it called natures unprecedented decline on the same day that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had their first child, news reports on the studys grave implications were few and far between. Where [is] the breaking news? tweeted Thunberg the day after IPBES released its report. The extra news broadcasts? The front pages? Where are the emergency meetings? The crisis summits? What could be more important? Deutsche Welles report was mirrored by revelations in a Media Matters report published earlier this week which showed that ABC News devoted more time to covering the royal babys birth in the week after the child was born than it had to stories about the climate crisis in all of 2018 even as organizers like 16-year-old Greta Thunberg led worldwide climate strikes. IPBESs report detailed how The health of ecosystems on which we and all other species depend is deteriorating more rapidly than ever, the panels chairman, Sir Robert Watson said in a statement. By rapidly expanding livestock and crop production, degrading land, concentrating activity in urban areas at more than double the rate than two decades ago, and increasing pollution by tenfold since 1980, humans are eroding the very foundations of our economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life worldwide, Watson said. In addition to the potential loss of one million species, the biodiversity crisis carries substantial risks for world economies, food security and the spread of disease, scientists warn. The report calls on policymakers to take immediate concrete action to protect nature by promoting sustainable agricultural practices, inclusive and equitable water management, renewable energy sources and other reforms. On Wednesday, Democrats in the U.S. House attempted to call attention to the ecological crisis which is causing the rapid loss of life among millions of species, with a House Natural Resources Subcommittee holding a hearing on the issue, including testimony from Watson and other IPBES officials. Biodiversity, Watson told the subcommittee, is the substance behind food security, water security, it does control our climate in part, it does control pollination, it does control storm surges. These are things that affect everyday Americans. If we continue to lose biodiversity, if we continue to fragment our ecosystems, then human well-being will indeed suffer. This is something the average American should care about, he added. But as The Guardian reported, lawmakers at the hearing also heard from climate science deniers who had been invited to testify by Republican committee members, diluting the urgency of IPBESs message. Scientists have published more than 20,000 articles in 45 languages on the subject of biodiversity loss in recent years, Deutsche Welle reported. Without the media reporting on and lawmakers expressing the urgency of the biodiversity crisis, the public has found little reason to become interested in the issue. The same day most news outlets devoted their coverage to the royal baby, Google searches for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle outnumbered those for biodiversity by 14 and 31 to one, respectively. Deutsche Welle reported that while politicians and the news media have slightly increased the attention theyve given to the climate crisis recently, under pressure from campaigners, the same consideration has not been given to biodiversity. Natures unprecedented decline, which has quietly sped up, is, in isolation, less dramatic than extreme weather events brought by global warming such as flash floods and wildfires. Its contributions to humans are also hard to grasp, reported Ajit Niranjan in the newspaper. An obscure earthworm may form part of an ecosystem that keeps soil fertile and helps put food on our plates. But its death rarely stirs hearts the way a polar bear on melting ice does. With its latest report, IPBES aimed to change that perception. One of the great things about the report is that it highlights the different ways we value nature, environmental scientist Kathryn Williams told the outlet. Not just tangible ways like food and clear air, but also the ways that we relate on a more emotional level. The G7 countries representing the worlds biggest economies made important climate commitments at the conclusion of three days of talks in Berlin on Friday, May 27. The nations climate, energy, and environment ministers agreed to largely decarbonize their electricity sectors by 2035, phase out the use of coal, end inefficient fossil fuel subsidies by 2025 and stop most international funding for fossil fuel projects by the end of the year. The meeting occurred in the context of Russias invasion of Ukraine, which has sent energy prices soaring and left especially European countries with the question of what to do about their dependence on Russian fossil fuels in the context of the climate crisis. This is enormous progress, which is more important than ever in times like these and in view of Russias terrible war of aggression against Ukraine, German Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck said, as Offshore Energy reported. Climate action, the coal phase-out and the expansion of renewable energies are matters of national, European and international energy security. We have to take resolute action on them together. I welcome some historic pledges at the @G7 Climate, Energy & Environment Ministerial Ending international fossil fuel finance by the end of 2022 Goal to phaseout unabated coal Climate & environmental security are intrinsically linked to energy & national security pic.twitter.com/rySLdj63s3 Alok Sharma (@AlokSharma_RDG) May 27, 2022 The G7 nations are Japan, the UK, the U.S., Canada, Italy, France and Germany. The decision to stop funding overseas fossil-fuel development is a milestone because Japan rejected a similar pledge last year before the COP26 UN climate conference, The Guardian pointed out. It builds on a commitment last year to stop international financing for coal, and could move $33 billion away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy sources. It could also pull funding from some oil-and-gas projects currently in development that The Guardian found would make it impossible to limit the world to 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming if completed. However, some projects that have already begun may not be included in the finance freeze. Further, the ministers communique said that some projects might continue in limited circumstances clearly defined by each country that are consistent with a 1.5 C warming limit and the goals of the Paris Agreement. Still, climate advocates spoke in favor of the new agreement. Oil Change International campaign co-manager Laurie van der Burg called it a massive win as The Guardian reported. COP26 president Alok Sharma of the UK also said it was a positive development in the context of the Ukraine invasion. We are united in the view that climate and environment security are absolutely synonymous with energy and national security and I cannot overstate that, he said, as The Guardian reported. Solving the global energy crisis and the chronic climate crisis requires the same solution its about reducing our dependence on fossil fuels as part of a managed transition. Environmental groups also responded favorably to the 2035 clean electricity sector commitment. The 2035 target for power sector decarbonisation is a real breakthrough, ECCO director Luca Bergamaschi said, as Euronews reported. In practice, this means countries need to phase out coal by 2030 at the latest. The ministers also said they wanted electric vehicles to dominate the market by 2030. The agreement will be considered by the leaders of the G7 nations at a summit at Elmau, Germany next month. U.S. climate envoy John Kerry said the agreement was very comprehensive and forward-leaning and hoped the G20 countries, which are responsible for 80 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions collectively, would follow suit. In 2010, representatives of 196 countries met in Japan and agreed to 20 targets to protect Earths imperiled biodiversity by 2020. That year has come, and not a single target has been met, according to a major UN assessment released Tuesday, as CNN reported. Many good things are happening around the world and these should be celebrated and encouraged, UN Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) Executive Secretary Elizabeth Maruma Mrema said in a press release. Nevertheless, the rate of biodiversity loss is unprecedented in human history and pressures are intensifying. Earths living systems as a whole are being compromised. And the more humanity exploits nature in unsustainable ways and undermines its contributions to people, the more we undermine our own wellbeing, security and prosperity. The report comes amidst a growing awareness that biodiversity loss threatens human well-being as much as the climate crisis. A major study published last week found that human activity had led to a 68 percent drop in wildlife populations in the last 50 years. And both the coronavirus pandemic and the wildfires devastating the Western U.S. are examples of what happens when humans develop without taking nature into consideration. These things are a sign of what is to come, report author and CBD Deputy Executive Secretary David Cooper told The New York Times. These things will only get worse if we dont change course. Tuesdays report, the Global Biodiversity Outlook 5, tracked the worlds progress on the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. It found that the signatories had failed to make progress in several key areas. (The U.S. was not included in the assessment because it did not sign the initial agreement.) Among the many failures, countries did not halve the loss of natural habitats like rainforests, halve the money spent subsidizing harmful industries like fossil fuels, find a way to manage fish stocks sustainably or reduce plastic pollution to levels that dont harm the environment, The Guardian reported. On the bright side, six targets were partially achieved. Governments increased the percentage of biodiversity hotspots under protection from 29 percent in 2000 to 44 percent today and successfully eradicated around 200 invasive species on remote islands. Included in the report were findings from a study last week concluding conservation efforts had saved 28 to 48 birds and mammals from extinction since 1993. If you put in place the policies, they do work, Cooper told The New York Times. By David Shiffman As we enter whats hopefully the home stretch of the COVID-19 pandemic, its time to take stock of how it affected every aspect of our world, to consider what happened, what could be done different to avoid those problems in the future, and whats next. That might mean confronting some of our earlier conclusions. For example, at the start of the pandemic we were bombarded with often false stories about suddenly quiet cities and waterways experiencing animals reclaiming what was once their habitat. Nature is healing stories like this seem to have created an overly rosy picture of the pandemics impact on the natural world. The reality is much more complicated, and Im not just talking about things like the well-publicized millions of inappropriately discarded plastic bags and protective masks ending up in the ocean. Many other changes to the worlds waters, including some potentially harmful ones, are taking place beneath the surface. Protected and conserved areas and the people who depend on them are facing mounting challenges due to the pandemic, says Rachel Golden Kroner, an environmental governance fellow at Conservation International. Indeed, for the past two decades a sizable chunk of global biodiversity conservation has been funded by ecotourism, a funding source that dries up when international travel slows down, as it did this past year. While any global complex event has many impacts including some that we almost certainly cant predict at this point, many of the medium and long-term effects are likely to be bad. And You Thought Your Virtual Meetings Were Bad Its not just your workplace thats been meeting online this past year. Its every meeting, including international wildlife conservation and management meetings. Some of these important events have been postponed, stalling critical political momentum that scientists and activists have been building for years. Others have met virtually, with notably less effectiveness. The highest profile example of this was the December 2020 failure of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission. The IATTC is an international gathering that governs a multi-billion-dollar series of global tuna fisheries, and meetings include representatives from all over the world who hammer out fishing quotas and other rules. The 2020 meeting closed without reaching an agreement on 2021 quotas. If allowed to stand, this would have meant that starting on January 1 of this year, a multi-billion-dollar global industry would have had absolutely no rules governing it. Imagine if your city council failed to agree on a policing budget, and this meant that The Purge was suddenly real thats what nearly happened in the world of tuna management this past winter. NOAA The pandemic didnt create the problem of tuna management politics, but experts believe that the virtual meeting, which precluded schmoozing in the hallway during coffee breaks and added an element of multiple time zone chaos, contributed to this years unprecedented breakdown in negotiations. These meetings are often difficult to get through, but usually they keep working until they get it done, until theres at least a decent solution, says Grantly Galland, a global tuna conservation expert with Pew Environment. Thats hard enough in person, but this year the meeting started at 6 p.m. for me in D.C., which was midnight in Europe, and early morning in Japan. People were often frustrated. As discussions dragged into the night the incentive to keep going disappeared, and the meeting ended without rules. Fortunately, after receiving intense pushback from environmental groups and the concerned public, the commission met for an emergency meeting a few weeks later and fixed this problem by just carrying over the 2020 rules to 2021 hardly an ideal solution given existing problems with the 2020 rules, but a lot better than open ocean anarchy. Still, this near-disaster shows how dependent our system of environmental management is on face-to-face meetings. Industry Relief Whenever theres any economic crisis, industry will ask for a temporary (or even permanent) rollback of environmental protection regulations that they find economically burdensome. Marine and coastal protected areas, long a priority for science-based conservation and long opposed by elements of the fishing industry, have been no exception. For example, a fisheries management council asked then-President Trump to allow fishing in currently protected areas, and the Trump administration did roll back fishing protections in the Atlantic around that time. NOAA OKEANOS Explorer Program, 2013 Northeast U.S. Canyons Expedition Marine protected areas also face other threats stemming from the pandemic. Rachel Golden Kroner, who also authored a recent paper on the impacts of the pandemic on protected areas, says: Key challenges for marine protected areas include budget cuts, declines in tourism revenue, disruption of seafood supply chains and challenges in implementing management activities. Golden Kroner shared examples of the near-collapse of the tourism-associated hospitality industry in Kenya, the Galapagos, Indonesia and Australia, noting that some of these industries employed former members of the fishing industry who had been persuaded to work in tourism instead. While some coastal communities and protected areas face these serious issues, the good news is that this problem is far from universal. While the shutdowns, restrictions, and closures of coastal areas disrupted access and temporarily interrupted stewardship and harvest activities across Hawaii, the connections between humans and nature forged over generations ensured that marine management actions never lost momentum, says Ulu Ching, the program manager for community-based conservation for Conservation Internationals Hawaii office. Well-established community networks in collaboration with government resource management agencies continued to advance the work of malama i ke kai (caring for the ocean) through the development and establishment of community-driven marine managed areas across the islands during the pandemic. A young monk seal underwater in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands. NOAA/PIFSC/HMSRP Additionally, Golden Kroner points out that while some momentum for creating protected areas has stalled and some industry groups have called for rollbacks, there is good news in the form of expanded protected areas in a handful of places around the world. But its clear that despite some positive signs, momentum in creating new marine protected areas has stalled in many places, tourism that funded their operations has slowed to a crawl, and some industries have been successful in rolling back protections. Threats Continue, But Monitoring Has Stalled One of the primary tools in the conservationists toolbox for making sure that the commercial fishing industry follows the rules is observer coverage: independent people on board fishing vessels who monitor and record the catch. Due to COVID-19 safety regulations, observer coverage in much of the world has been reduced or eliminated but fishing continues. For countries with fewer management resources, I can imagine that less observer coverage could lead to more rules being bent, says Simon Gulak, a fisheries consultant with Sea Leucas LLC who used to coordinate fisheries observers for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Fisheries observers provide fisheries management with accurate information on all discards/bycatch at sea, not just the cuddly protected species, he says. Theyre a bit like a fishers auditor and are liked about as much. The problem with a lack of observers means that we generally have no way of knowing if bad things are happening on the water, but there are certainly cases of fishing vessels who only follow the rules because theyll get fined if they dont. Gulak notes that in fisheries subject to electronic monitoring including GPS trackers and cameras that document all catch and bycatch observers may be less important because all relevant data is recorded automatically and its harder to get away with breaking the rules. Galland, the tuna conservation expert, also stressed the importance of ramping up electronic fisheries monitoring efforts. If the pandemic leads to an increase in e-monitoring, that may be a long-term good. In the meantime, we just dont know whats going on in many fisheries that were previously monitored by human observers. Its not just fisheries observing thats stalled due to workplace safety concerns, but also fish market surveys, an important scientific tool for monitoring catch from boats too numerous and small to have observers or electronic monitoring equipment. In large parts of the world, fish market surveys are the only data we have on local catch composition. Without them, we wouldnt know how many endangered species are caught, or if formerly common species started to disappear. Monitoring of things like sea turtle nests has similarly slowed down. These nest surveys are a critical way for scientists and managers to keep track of population trends of iconic endangered species, and to protect the nests themselves by marking them so beach drivers of off-road vehicles know to not crush the hidden nests. A recently emerged sea turtle hatchling. Becky Skiba/USFWS So what does the pandemic mean for ocean conservation? Experts caution that its probably too early to tell. However, its not all stories of dolphins frolicking in suddenly quiet rivers. Environmental planning meetings, funding schemes for protected areas, and monitoring of fisheries and endangered species populations were all disrupted, giving us good reasons to fear that the story is far more complicated, and far less happy, than many of us have been led to believe. David Shiffman is a marine biologist specializing in the ecology and conservation of sharks. He received his Ph.D. in environmental science and policy from the University of Miami. Follow him on Twitter, where hes always happy to answer any questions anyone has about sharks. Reposted with permission from The Revelator. Poultry farms in Malaysia expediting shipments to Singapore before export ban Poultry farms in Malaysia are shipping as many chickens as possible to Singapore before June 1, 2022 ban on poultry exports is enforced, The Straits Times reported. Malaysian operators have increased their work hours and delivery trucks to make the daily road journey across the borders to fulfil growing demand for fresh chickens in the republic, which has emptied several stores there of stock. The newspaper visited a farm in Johor and discovered that the chickens to be exported for the Singapore market were just 33 days old, compared to 40 days prior. An unnamed farmer said the number of lorries shipping chickens to Singapore has climbed from two to six per day, with each lorry carrying 6,000 chicks. Another unnamed farmer said even if the ban is overturned, if Singaporeans find alternatives, they may not buy Malaysian poultry. The farmer also said they will move their entire enterprise to Singapore if they were offered space to farm hens. The same farmer refuted charges that he was stockpiling chickens in order to generate a phoney demand in Malaysia. Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri said chicken exports will be halted from June 1 until prices and supply in the country stabilise. He also stated that the government will look at developing a chicken buffer stock and optimising the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries' cold storage facilities. Other participants in the poultry sector blamed the chicken scarcity on a labour deficit, rising input expenses, animal sickness, and bad weather. The Singapore Food Agency has approved only 115 farms in peninsular Malaysia to sell their chickens there, with 91 of them in Johor state alone. Singapore imported around 34% of its chicken supply from Malaysia last year, or close to 73,000 tonnes. Brazil (48%) and the US (8%) were the island nation's other major sources of poultry in the same year, but these were frozen meat. - The Straits Times An Air Busan airplane / Courtesy of Air Busan Air service resumed on a route between Korea's Gimhae International Airport and Japan's Fukuoka, Tuesday, making Busan the first local airport to reopen an international route to Japan, excluding Incheon International Airport, the main gateway to Seoul, after the COVID-19 outbreak. Following a resumption ceremony at Gimhae, attended by Korean and Japanese officials, an Air Busan jet carrying about 60 passengers departed for Fukuoka, according to the Korea Airports Corporation (KAC). The resumption of the Busan-Fukuoka air route came following a two-year suspension due to the pandemic. Gimhae used to see about 3 million passengers travel annually to 13 cities in Japan before COVID-19. The Gimhae-Fukuoka route, the closest in terms of geography between the two countries, was previously used by about 770,000 people a year. KAC officials said they will try to normalize international flights at Gimhae and restore demand as soon as possible following the resumption of flights. Malaysia to assist parties seeking to import chicken and other food supplies Datuk Haslina Abdul Hamid, Malaysia's Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries (MAFI) secretary-general, said they will assist parties seeking to import chicken and other food supplies into the nation, especially from legal processing plants, as import permits (AP) were abolished, Bernama reported. She said that the initiative to import hens, as well as the Cabinet instruction to halt poultry exports on June 1, will be able to quickly stabilise the poultry supply. Haslina said that MAFI was committed to boosting the country's self-sufficiency, particularly in meat production, in terms of long-term solutions to the national food supply issue. She mentioned corn as an example, saying that the grain, which was formerly imported and used as animal feed, is now being cultivated on a huge scale in the country in Chuping, Perlis, with the help of government-linked firms. Datuk Azman Mohd Yusof, the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry (KPDNHEP) secretary-general, said the issue of rising prices and a scarcity of chicken supply is likely to be rectified within a month. He said consumers who find chickens being sold at a high price can file a formal complaint by providing specific details through the numerous avenues provided by KPDNHEP. He also said KPDNHEP will continue to organise various sales programmes from time to time to enable the public acquire vital commodities at affordable prices. - Bernama South African chicken farmers deny they are taking advantage of soaring prices Izaak Breitenbach, the chair of the South African Poultry Association, said the country's chicken farmers are not taking advantage of soaring record poultry prices at the expense of consumers, Business Day reported. Chicken prices in South Africa have gone up 10% per year over the past 10 years and increased 17% in the past year, but are expected to reach record highs due to rising input costs such as livestock feed. This is partly because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as both countries are major grains exporters used as chicken feed. Breitenbach said soaring chicken prices are because of feed prices going up, as 70% of a producer's input costs come from feed. The local poultry industry has struggled to compete against cheaper chicken imports from the US, Europe, and Brazil, with thousands of jobs lost in the sector. The country's Association of Meat Importers and Exporters has urged the government to lift all tariffs and suspend the consumption tax on all poultry to lessen the impact of rising chicken prices on consumers. The association said domestic producers have unfair and excessively high levels of trade protection. To safeguard the sector from unfair competition, the government increased duties on bone-in chicken pieces to 62% in 2020, while tariffs on boneless portions were hiked to 42%. Despite the fact that SA's trading partners account for less than 15% of all chicken consumed in the country, critics contend that raising tariffs will make chicken less cheap since local producers have traditionally priced their products higher. While local producers support the elimination of VAT on some cuts of poultry used by low-income households, they are opposed to the elimination of tariffs, claiming that tariffs were not the reason of the price increase in the first place. Ebrahim Patel, Trade, Industry & Competition Minister is also opposed to tariff suspension, claiming that such a "extreme" action will result in the loss of local employment. Importers are pressing for tariff suspension or elimination to maximise their own profits, not necessarily to safeguard consumers, according to Francois Baird, the founder of FairPlay Movement, an organisation dedicated to combating predatory trade practises and chicken dumping in South Africa. Baird said the cheap prices at which chicken is imported are not passed on to consumers. Baird urged importers to reduce profit margins in order to make chicken more cheap to customers, particularly those on a tight budget. In answer to inquiries from Business Day, Paul Matthew, CEO of the Association of Meat Importers and Exporters, said that instead of banning imports, local producers should focus on alternative strategies to increase growth. He believes that imports, even in small amounts, are critical because they offer the essential competition to keep consumer prices in check. The EU has previously stated that it will purchase South African chicken provided the nation has met the necessary health and safety criteria. - Business Day By Lee Hae-rin Jeju International Airport will resume international flights in June for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago. According to Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, Friday, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport approved the resumption of international flight operations in Jeju airport starting next month. Since April 2020, the entry of international travelers to the country has been restricted within Incheon International Airport to control the spread of the coronavirus as well as seven other international airports in the country, including Jeju. Jeju Air will begin with nonscheduled chartered flights to Bangkok on June 2 and 6. Singapore's low-cost airline Scoot will resume regular operations between Jeju and Singapore three times a week from June 15 to 30. The Jeju provincial government plans to implement quarantine measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In partnership with the Korea Airports Corporation (KAC), a public enterprise that runs the airport, the airport will operate temporary quarantine facilities for unvaccinated international travelers and those who test positive on a PCR test upon arrival. These travelers will be carried via special transportation. Earlier this month, in response to growing demand for inbound travel, the Ministry of Justice resumed temporary visa waivers to tour groups of foreign nationality visiting Jeju Island for up to 30 days. Meanwhile, low-cost carriers are showing signs of recovery in international flight operations as the COVID-19 travel restrictions are eased. Korean low-cost carrier Air Premia announced Friday that it will begin flights between Incheon and Singapore on June 29. The flights are scheduled for twice a week at first, and the service will increase to three times a week in July, the airliner said. Island residents are being urged to check if they have any United Kingdom paper 20 or 50 notes before they are withdrawn from circulation on 30 September 2022. Anyone with notes in their possession is advised to pay them in to their bank or have them exchanged for newer notes. They may also be spent while they remain legal tender, although acceptance would be at the discretion of the business owner. The withdrawal from circulation follows the introduction of polymer, or plastic, versions of both notes which include additional security features designed to make them harder to counterfeit. The 20 note was introduced in February 2020 and features a picture of the artist JMW Turner; the 50 note was introduced in June 2021 and features the mathematician and computer scientist Alan Turing. Isle of Man Bank will continue to accept the discontinued notes after the deadline and repatriate them to the UK. Most other banks in the Island are expected to take a similar approach. 'Distracted' driver issued fine and penalty points A driver caught using their phone whist driving has been given a fine. The motorists was issued a 120 fine and recieved four penalty points yesterday. In a social media post, police said the driver failed to spot a patrol officer who was stood at the side of the road. "Cursed Bunny" author Chung Bora, right, and translator Anton Hur attend a press conference in Seoul, April 14. Newsis By Kwak Yeon-soo "Cursed Bunny," written by Chung Bora and translated by Anton Hur, failed to win this year's International Booker Prize, one of three largest literary awards in the world. The prestigious award went instead to "Tomb of Sand," written by Geentanjali Shree and translated by Daisy Rockwell, according to the Booker Prize Foundation on Thursday. Shree became the first Indian author to win the international prize. "Cursed Bunny" is a genre-defying collection of 10 short stories, one that can be best described as a gripping amalgamation of absurdist tales that draw on science fiction, horror and fantasy. The English version of Chung's novel was among the six works shortlisted for the 2022 International Booker Prize, which was established in 2005 to honor the author and translator equally for a single work of fiction translated into English. The other books on the shortlist included "The Books of Jacob" written by Olga Tokarczuk and translated from Polish by Crogy, "A New Name: Septology VI-VII" written by Jon Fosse and translated from Norwegian by Damion Searls, "Heaven" written by Mieka Kawakami and translated from Japanese by Sam Bett and David Boyd and "Elena Knows" written by Claudia Pineiro and translated from Spanish by Frances Riddle. "Now I'm just relieved that I've got plenty of time to meet deadlines for impending projects. I think the six finalists were under some pressure as if we were each representing our own countries. I appreciate what Shree said in her acceptance speech that this is not about competing," Chung said in a statement. "I will continue to write stories to express and convey the values that I believe in, not to win a prize or please readers." Hur stressed that translators deserve praise for their outstanding contributions, as they play a major role in increasing the global visibility of Korean literature. "I can't believe we made it this far. I hope this will embed a culture where translators get more recognition," he said. In 2016, an English translation by Deborah Smith of Han Kang's "The Vegetarian" became the first Korean winner of the International Booker Prize. Her "The White Book" also translated by Smith was shortlisted for the award again in 2018, while Hwang Sok-yong's "At Dusk" translated by Sora Kim-Russell was included on the prize's long list the following year. If you use Amazons Kindle app on Android, you may have noticed the software doesn't offer the option to buy and rent ebooks or subscribe to the companys Kindle Unlimited service anymore. Amazon announced the change last month and more recently began notifying customers of the move via email. If youre curious about whats going on, the change puts Amazon in compliance with a policy Google will begin enforcing on June 1st. Starting next month, the company will require all developers to process payments involving digital goods and services through the Play Store billing system. Previously, Amazon was among a handful of developers Google allowed to use third-party alternatives to collect in-app payments. Rather than give Google a commission for every ebook it sells on Android, Amazon has decided to remove purchases altogether. It has done the same in its Music app. In Audible, meanwhile, you can still purchase credits through the app, but it's no longer possible to buy audiobooks directly with your credit or debit card as of version 3.23 of the software. In the US, Amazon doesn't offer Kindle in-app purchasing on iOS either. Its worth noting Amazon isnt the only company that has stopped sales on Android. In April, for instance, Barnes and Noble removed direct purchasing from the Android version of its Nook app. Some companies have legally challenged Google on the matter, with Tinder parent company Match Group filing a suit against the search giant in May. Theres the possibility that direct purchasing could return to Amazons Android Kindle, Audible and Music apps at some point in the future. In March, Google partnered with Spotify to test third-party billing systems. However, how soon that pilot could expand to include other companies is unclear. Update 3:40PM ET: Added clarification about how purchasing works in Audible following Amazon's response to Google's policy change. Don't expect to play Diablo Immortal in the Low Countries when it launches this week. GamesIndustry.biz and Tweakers have learned Blizzard won't release the free-to-play game in Belgium or the Netherlands due to their "gambling restrictions" that is, their legislation banning loot boxes. It will also be illegal for people in those countries to download them from other regions, and Blizzard's support team warned that it couldn't guarantee that players in the affected countries would avoid bans. Belgium and the Netherlands determined in 2018 that some loot boxes, particularly those you can buy or trade for real money, amounted to gambling. Diablo Immortal tucks access to its best stat-enhancing items, such as some legendary gems, behind legendary crests that are often easier to obtain with real-world currency. While the items you get are frequently good (to the point where some have argued they're unfair), the attributes are random. That could theoretically pressure gamers to pay in hopes of scoring the 'perfect' crest, and might reel in people with addictive personalities. Blizzard halted loot box sales for other games in Belgium after the country cracked down on the practice. The company also isn't unique. EA, Konami, Nintendo and Epic's Psyonix have all pulled games to avoid violating anti-loot box laws. Even so, it's still notable that Blizzard would rather withdraw Diablo Immortal from those countries than change gameplay mechanics. Texas's HB20 was put on hold Tuesday by the Supreme Court, five-to-four. As is typical for emergency for emergency requests, the majority did not define its reasoning; Justice Alito wrote a six page dissent joined by fellow conservatives Gorsuch and Thomas, while Kagan, a moderate, wrote she would "would deny the application to vacate stay" without signing onto the dissent. The bill which has been tied up in court since it was passed by the state's Congress and signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott last September targets "censorship" by online platforms, insofar as conservatives have in recent years been wont to conflate any form of content moderation with censorship. It reframes large social platforms as "common carriers" similar to telecom companies, but uses that logic to restrict the ability of platforms to limit the spread of, ban or demonetize content based on the viewpoint of the user," whether or not that view is expressed on the platform. Unsurprisingly, the content, users and viewpoints the law's supporters believe are being unfairly targeted hew rightward: as the Texas Tribune reported last year, Governor Abbott said he believed social platforms were working to "silence conservative ideas [and] religious beliefs." The aggrievement of the interested parties and their desired outcomes weren't lost on Judge Robert Pitman of West Texas's District Court, who wrote that "the record in this case confirms that the Legislature intended to target large social media platforms perceived as being biased against conservative views." An emergency application to the Supreme Court to suspend HB20 was filed earlier this month by two tech industry groups NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) after a Fifth Circuit court had lifted an injunction on the law, doing so in a startling 2-1 decision for which no explanation was provided. Netchoice's members include Airbnb, TikTok, Amazon and Lyft among many other; Apple, Google, eBay, Meta and others count themselves among those associated with CCIA. Counsel for NetChoice at the time told Protocol that the Texas law was "unconstitutional" and would compel "online platforms to host and promote foreign propaganda, pornography, pro-Nazi speech, and spam. These same concerns were given new urgency after the Buffalo, New York shooting, in which a gunman with white supremacist beliefs killed 10 people and injured three others in a majority-black neighborhood while live-streaming the carnage. Social media companies worked to remove copies of the footage from their services. Even as they did so, the question remained unsettled as to whether those removals would result in Texas dragging these platforms into court. Confusion as to the law's application was not limited to interested observers, either: in a Twitter exchange with Techdirt's Mike Masnick, the sponsor of the bill seemed unsure on how such situations would play out. A related law in Florida, using a similar common carrier approach, had most of its major provisions deemed unconstitutional by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this month. The question of constitutionality for HB20 will continue to move forward in the Fifth Circuit Court. Good morning and welcome back! If you had time off yesterday, I hope you enjoyed it. And if you didnt, I hope you survived your Monday. DeLorean Due to Memorial Day, it was a relatively quiet tech news day, but we did get a glimpse at a new DeLorean. Yes, DeLorean Motor Company is making an EV. The four-seater Alpha5 should arrive with a 100kWh battery pack, capable of 0 to 60MPH in 2.99 seconds, and a heady $175,000 price. It won't be built by the original DeLorean people but by a Texas company that purchased the rights to the DeLorean name and spare parts. Expect gullwing doors, a futuristic profile and an overall design from the same studio that sketched the original DeLorean. Expect more details later today. Mat Smith The biggest stories you might have missed Are we getting closer to an AR/VR headset announcement? At the start of the year, developers spotted some references to realityOS, the operating system for Apples long-rumored virtual and augmented reality headset. Now, just before the start of WWDC 2022 on June 6th , the name has resurfaced in trademark filings seemingly linked to the company. Continue reading. A laptop powerhouse for work and play. Engadget The Triton 500 SE proves Acer can make a truly refined gaming laptop without gimmicks. No extra screens, no hybrid nonsense, no crazy design choices. It has a gorgeous 16-inch screen, and you can add to it the latest and greatest Intel and NVIDIA hardware. Prices, however, start at $2,300 but be prepared to shell out $3,000 if you want all the hardware from our review unit. Devindra Hardawar put the Triton 500 SE through its paces. Continue reading. Another major Google device leak. meetveeru/eBay Weeks after a Pixel Watch prototype was left at a restaurant, it appears someone tried to sell a Pixel 7 on eBay. The eBay listing for what looked like a prototype Pixel 7 popped up on the Pixel subreddit, but now its gone. The images dont reveal much more than we didnt already know or suspect. The front looks similar to the Pixel 6, hole-punch camera and all. The camera bar on the rear has two lenses as well. Although Google already announced the Pixel 7 and its Pro sibling at I/O, it'll be a while before the phones go on sale. Continue reading. But only for future iPhones. In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloombergs Mark Gurman suggests the company will have a fair amount to share about iOS 16 at the forthcoming WWDC, including enhancements to the lock screen. Gurman says the next version of Apples mobile operating system will include support for an always-on display initially exclusive to the companys next iPhone Pro models . Devices could show notifications and other glanceable information without you needing to fully wake the iPhones display. Continue reading. Matthew Morrison had no chance of judging who should be removed from the competition, because he's the one who gets the boot. Matthew Morrison Out of "So You Think You Can Dance" Alongside Stephen "Twitch" Boss and Jojo Siwa, the alumnus of "Glee" has joined the judging panel of the 17th season of the Fox reality dance competition series "So You Think You Can Dance." A little more than a week after the debut, though, the Tony-nominated Broadway performer is on the way out for violating "competition production protocols." He made the announcement himself and in the process, also apologized for the violation he made - although it is not really what exactly he violated. "Having the opportunity to be a judge on 'So You Think You Can Dance' was an incredible honor for me," Morrison said in a statement, as reported by Variety. "Therefore, it is my deepest regret to inform you that I will be leaving the show. After filming the audition rounds for the show and completing the selection of the 12 finalists, I did not follow competition production protocols, preventing me from being able to judge the competition fairly." He added, "I cannot apologize enough to all involved and I will be watching alongside you all on what I know will be one of the best seasons yet." ALSO READ: Queen Elizabeth Secret Weapon: THIS is Why Scandals, Drama Do Not Faze Her The nature of Morrison's protocol violation has not yet been disclosed, but an unidentified source informed Us Weekly, which broke the story, that it was a "small transgression." As preliminary rounds of the competition are prerecorded, the actor will continue to appear in four upcoming episodes until mid-June. Who Will Be The New Judge? In the following weeks, a replacement for Morrison is anticipated to be announced. According to Us Weekly, a Fox spokesman stated that the network will soon reveal a new judge for the next round of competition beginning on June 15 featuring the Top 12 performing for America's vote. Morrison was selected as a new "So You Think You Can Dance" judge in April after the network decided to revamp the series after a two-year break due to pandemic. The actor was hired to replace Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy, the show's original judges, who were not asked to return. Cat Deeley has remained the show's host. Morrison stated, upon learning of his casting, that he was thrilled to be returning to his dance roots. Unfortunately, he could not stay long. READ ALSO: Queen Elizabeth II Heartbreak: Monarch Hadn't Been Able To Do This Because of Her Health The eighth season of Love Island is coming out on Monday June 6th, and contestant introductions have officially begun. Love Island is the dating show that everyone loves to hate and will binge watch until the break of day. This captivating contest follows a group of single contestants that are made to go to an island together and pair up, all while facing potential elimination. The show has a brilliant way of casting individuals who keep the drama interesting and the love stories fascinating. The success of the show is what has led them to this point: staring at the brink of their eighth season. The new, sure-to-be-entertaining contestants have started to be announced on the show's Twitter page. Davide the Italian Stallion is looking *chefs kiss* #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/MDViYi5lGr Love Island (@LoveIsland) May 30, 2022 International dressage rider Gemma is trading in her riding boots to score a strapping lad #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/JzRRmsDnS5 Love Island (@LoveIsland) May 30, 2022 Pharmaceutical sales specialist Ikenna has got the perfect prescription for love #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/1gBZFJiSEy Love Island (@LoveIsland) May 30, 2022 Amber is bringing main character energy to the villa, but will she find a man to match her vibes? #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/4kFrB6rQcV Love Island (@LoveIsland) May 30, 2022 Fishmonger Luca is looking to reel in the girls this summer. Will he find his catch of the day? #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/wHHKQr4RNK Love Island (@LoveIsland) May 30, 2022 Each contestant that has been announced thus far is pictured wearing a bathing suit and holding a colorful flag that reads, "LOVE," in all capital letters. Alongside each photo, each contestant has a tagline. (Think Real Housewives, but on a mission.) Each tagline makes some reference to the contestant's profession. Some of the best include, "Welsh paramedic Paige is no stranger to getting hearts beating," and, "Pharmaceutical sales specialist Ikenna has got the perfect prescription for love." Welsh paramedic Paige is no stranger to getting hearts beating #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/CCrnZucU6k Love Island (@LoveIsland) May 30, 2022 Will charming Irish lad Dami be lucky in love? #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/dbqTGjGvKo Love Island (@LoveIsland) May 30, 2022 Hotel waitress Indiyah is ready to check in for a summer of love #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/lOP6CSh4ti Love Island (@LoveIsland) May 30, 2022 Welsh student Liam is ready to learn a thing or two in this university of love #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/7bVmpgyPem Love Island (@LoveIsland) May 30, 2022 Who's going to dig our dancing queen Tasha? #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/2w6pBWsFEX Love Island (@LoveIsland) May 30, 2022 These bright and colorful contestant announcements are incredibly indicative of the show that is set to premiere: There is a lot of drama, fun moments, and (let's be honest here) incredibly pretty people. We cannot wait to check out season eight of this hilarious must-watch show on June 6th, 2022. Russian president Vladimir Putin has made it apparent for the past several years that he is ready to move on from the democratically based international order that has shaped global governance norms since the end of World War II. These norms are clearly enshrined in the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights respect for the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of other states, peaceful resolution of disputes, and the rights of citizens to participate in political life. Inherent in the Charter, signed by 193 member states, is a collective responsibility to hold members accountable when these principles are violated in accordance with international law. Russias invasion of and attempt to annex all or parts of Ukraine, therefore, has always been more than just a bilateral dispute but an explicit effort to redefine international norms. Kenyas Ambassador to the United Nations, Martin Kimani, recognized the stakes from the outset by declaring at the United Nations Security Council during the launch of the Russian invasion of Ukraine that the viability of multilateralism itself was under attack. So, what does a Russian driven international order look like? Global actors shape international norms by exporting their domestic governance model. In Russias case, Russia analysts often characterize this as an authoritarian, kleptocratic system. Power is monopolized, elections are tightly controlled to perpetuate a president for life, and opposition voices are imprisoned (like Alexei Navalny), poisoned (like Sergei Magnitsky), or assassinated (like Boris Nemstov). Independent media is restricted and, if too critical, suffocated. Protesters are not tolerated. Russian state contracts and the countrys vast natural resource wealth are controlled by an oligarchic network close to Putin, resulting in economic stagnation and structural inequality. In effect, this is a transactional system where laws are arbitrarily applied to serve the interests of those in power. Human rights and democracy are inconveniences to be ignored. It is from such a premise of unencumbered governance that Putin could claim in the run-up to the invasion that Ukraine never really existed as an independent state and therefore there was no sovereignty to be violated. WHAT PUTINS INTERNATIONAL ORDER LOOKS LIKE IN AFRICA - Putins view of international order has dangerous implications for Africa. Imagine a larger African state asserting that its smaller neighbor never really existed as an independent sovereign entity. Applying this logic would not only be highly destabilizing but would undermine one of Africas major under-appreciated accomplishments respecting international borders, even if capriciously drawn by external actors, and mostly avoiding interstate conflict. Indications of what the Putin international order portends for Africa can be seen as Russia exports its governance norms onto the continent. In Libya, the Central African Republic (CAR), and Mali the African countries where Russia has become most entrenched a troubling pattern of undermining the United Nations, deploying unaccountable mercenaries, and violating human rights has become normalized. These destabilizing actions are invariably taken in support of Russias proxy in the target country who is propped up by Russian disinformation campaigns and election interference. In Libya, Russia has deployed substantial military resources including fighter jets, surface-to-air missiles, and mercenaries in the attempt to install warlord Khalifa Haftar as a new strongman. Throughout this campaign, ongoing since 2019, Russia has actively undermined the UN-recognized government in Tripoli. So far unable to accomplish its objectives by force, Russia is attempting to derail the UN process for establishing a constitutional basis for a unified government and holding elections, by backing a parallel government in the east. In CAR, a Russian is the national security advisor and mercenaries from the shadowy Wagner Group serve as the presidential guard of President Faustine-Archange Touadera. Russia was also blatantly involved in orchestrating Touaderas reelection in 2020. As Wagner has become embedded in CAR (especially around gold and diamond mines), the mercenaries have taken an increasingly aggressive posture against the 15,700-strong UN peacekeeping force deployed to help stabilize CAR. In Mali, Russian disinformation campaigns starting in 2019 have disparaged the UN, France, and the democratically elected president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. Russia swiftly became the prime backer of the military coup that followed in August 2020. As in the other contexts, the deployment of Wagner mercenaries has been accompanied by grisly accounts of human rights abuses. Tellingly, Russia has used its veto power at the UN Security Council to block independent investigations of these abuses. Opposition leaders have been arrested for questioning the legitimacy of the junta and have been threatened by regime sponsored youth militias. In short, we have a fairly good idea of what a Russian-shaped international order would look like in Africa and it is not appealing for citizens as their voice is being systematically silenced. Ukraine is not an aberration but part of a pattern of Russia undermining the rule of law to advance its interests. DIFFERING VISIONS WITHIN AFRICA - While uninviting for African citizens, the Russian model is attractive to certain African leaders who benefit politically and financially from Russias backing. Unsurprisingly, those most receptive to Russian influence tend to exhibit their own versions of Russias authoritarian, transactional governance template. In addition to those mentioned above, leaders in Sudan, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Eritrea, Uganda, and Burundi fall in this category. The dubious legitimacy of these leaders and the extralegal tools Russia typically employs to gain influence and keep these regimes in place mercenaries, disinformation, intimidation, and election interference are inherently destabilizing. The application of Russias international order in Africa, thus, serves the elite actors who enter such opaque arrangements, to the detriment of the general population. It is important to keep in mind, accordingly, that the former do not speak for the latter. The inevitable trajectory of this order is of growing disparities in access to resources and political voice. There is much at stake for Africa, then. Starkly different actors authoritarians unfettered by the rule of law versus citizens seeking to safeguard their civil liberties will benefit depending on the international order that endures. African supporters of these differing visions are not aligned on East-West ideological allegiances as was the case during the Cold War. Instead, they are defined by their level of commitment to the governance principles put forward in the UN Charter. While the current UN-based international order is far from perfect, it provides a legal, collective basis for African citizen voices to be heard, human rights protected, and governments held accountable. The alternative is that every country and every individual is on their own. Putins Threats to the International Order Loom Over Africa Commentary by Joseph Siegle Italian Institute for International Political Studies / ISPI. The Commentary can be downloaded here Archbishop Lazzaro You Heung-sik speaks during a memorial Mass celebrating the 200th birth anniversary of St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, the first Korean native Catholic priest, at St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican in this Aug. 21, 2021 photo. Yonhap Pope Francis announced Sunday that he will appoint 21 new cardinals in August, including South Korean archbishop Lazzaro You Heung-sik, according to news reports Sunday. You, 70, has been serving as Prefect for the Congregation for Clergy overseeing matters regarding priests and deacons since June 2021. He will be the fourth South Korean to receive the cardinal red hat. He was among 16 cardinal electors under 80 years old, who are eligible to vote for the next pontiff in secret conclave. Born in 1951 and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Daejeon, You became a coadjutor in the same diocese in 2003 and two years later assumed full responsibility. He was the head of the Peace Committee of the Korean Bishops' Conference and went to North Korea four times. Pope Francis announced his selection of cardinals during his traditional Sunday greetings to the public in St. Peter's Square. The ceremony will be held in at the Vatican on Aug. 27. (Yonhap) Valmet Oyj's stock exchange release on May 31, 2022 at 1:15 p.m. EEST HELSINKI, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the merger of Neles Corporation ("Neles" or "the Company") into Valmet Oyj on April 1, 2022, a notice is given to the shareholders of the Company to a Shareholders' Meeting to be held in accordance with Chapter 16, Section 17 of the Finnish Companies Act. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 22, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. EEST at Hotel Hilton Helsinki Airport, Lentajantie 1, 01530 Vantaa, Finland. The reception of those registered for the meeting and the distribution of voting tickets will commence at 9:15 a.m. The meeting will be conducted in Finnish only. In order to reduce the risk of infection resulting from the coronavirus situation, the participation of the members of the Company's Board of Directors and Executive Team will be kept to a minimum. Shareholders are recommended to vote in advance instead of participating at the meeting venue. A. Matters on the agenda of the Shareholders' Meeting B. Documents of the Shareholders' Meeting This notice as well as the Financial Statements, the Report of the Board of Directors and the Auditor's Report are available on Neles Corporation's website at the address www.neles.com/egm latest on May 31, 2022. Copies of the above-mentioned documents will be available at the Shareholders' meeting. In addition, the minutes of the Shareholders' Meeting will be available on the above-mentioned website from July 6, 2022, at the latest. C. Instructions for the participants in the Shareholders' Meeting 1. Shareholders registered in the shareholders' register The Company's last shareholders, i.e. shareholders listed in Neles' register of shareholders held by Euroclear Finland Oy as at the end of the last trading day of the Company's share on March 31, 2022, have the right to participate in the Shareholders' Meeting. A shareholder whose shares are registered on his/her personal Finnish book-entry account is registered in the shareholders' register of the Company. A shareholder who is registered in the shareholders' register and who wants to participate in the Shareholders' Meeting, shall register for the meeting no later than on June 16, 2022 at 2 p.m. (Finnish time) by giving a prior notice of participation. The notice must be received by the Company before the end of the registration period. Registration for the Shareholders' Meeting starts on June 1, 2022 at 10 a.m. (Finnish time): a) at the address www.neles.com/egm or b) by sending a written notification to the address Neles Corporation, Shareholders' Meeting, P.O. Box 304, FI-01301 Vantaa, Finland. In connection with the registration, a shareholder shall notify his/her name, personal identification number or business identity code, address, telephone number and the name of a possible assistant, proxy representative or statutory representative and the personal identification number of the proxy representative or statutory representative. The personal data given to the Company by shareholders is used only in connection with the Shareholders' Meeting and with the processing of related registrations. The Company's privacy notice is available at www.neles.com/privacy/. The shareholder, his/her authorized representative or proxy representative is required, where necessary, to be able to prove his/her identity and/or right of representation. 2. Holders of nominee registered shares A holder of nominee registered shares has the right to participate in the Shareholders' Meeting by virtue of such shares based on which he/she on would have been entitled to be registered in Neles' register of shareholders held by Euroclear Finland Oy as at the end of the last trading day of the Company's share on March 31, 2022. The right to participate in the Shareholders' Meeting requires, in addition, that the shareholder on the basis of such shares has been temporarily registered into the shareholder' register held by Euroclear Finland Oy by June 17, 2022 at 10 a.m. local time, at the latest. As regards nominee registered shares, this constitutes due registration for Shareholders' Meeting. A holder of nominee registered shares is advised to request well in advance the necessary instructions regarding the registration in the temporary shareholders' register, the issuing of proxy documents and voting, and registration for the Shareholders' Meeting from his/her custodian bank. The account management organization of the custodian bank shall register a holder of the nominee registered shares who wants to participate in the Shareholders' Meeting, into the temporary shareholders' register of the Company at the latest by the time stated above. 3. Proxy representative and powers of attorney A shareholder who has registered for the meeting may participate in and exercise his/her rights at the Shareholders' Meeting by means of proxy representation. The proxy representative is required to present a dated proxy document or otherwise in a reliable manner demonstrate his/her right to represent the shareholder. If a shareholder participates in the Shareholders' Meeting by means of several proxy representatives representing the shareholder with shares held at different book-entry accounts, the shares by which each proxy representative represents the shareholder shall be identified in connection with the registration for the Shareholders' Meeting. Any proxy documents should be notified in connection with registration and delivered by email to the address jatta.nylund@valmet.com by the end of the registration period. A proxy representative must be prepared to present the proxy document also at the meeting venue. Shareholders that are legal persons can also use the electronic Suomi.fi authorization service instead of the traditional proxy in Euroclear Finland's general meeting service. In this case, the shareholder that is legal person authorizes an assignee nominated by it in the Suomi.fi service at www.suomi.fi/e-authorizations using the authorization topic "Representation at the General Meeting". The assignee must identify himself or herself with strong electronic authentication in Euroclear Finland's general meeting service when registering, after which the electronic mandate is automatically checked. The strong electronic authentication works with personal banking IDs or a mobile certificate. More information on www.suomi.fi/e-authorizations and the Neles' internet pages at www.neles.com/egm 4. Advance voting Shareholders are recommended to vote in advance as set out in this section C. 4. A shareholder who has a Finnish book-entry account may vote in advance on certain items on the agenda of the Shareholders' Meeting during the time period June 1, 2022 at 10 a.m. until June 16, 2022 at 2 p.m. local time. Unless a shareholder voting in advance will be present in person or by proxy in the meeting, the shareholder may not be able to exercise his/her right under the Finnish Companies Act to request information or a vote in the meeting. Also, if decision proposals regarding certain agenda items have been changed after commencement of the advance voting period, the shareholder's possibility to vote on such item may be restricted. Advance voting is possible by the following means: Through the Company's website at the address www.neles.com/egm For natural persons, the electronic voting in advance requires secured strong electronic authentication and the shareholder may vote by logging in with his/her Finnish online banking codes or a mobile certificate. For shareholders that are legal persons, no strong electronic authentication is required. For identification purposes shareholders that are legal persons must notify their book-entry account number and other required information. If the shareholders that are legal persons use the electronic Suomi.fi e-authorization, registration requires a strong electronic authentication of the authorized person, which works with bank IDs or a mobile certificate. The conditions and other instructions relating to the electronic advance voting may be found on the Company's website at the address www.neles.com/egm 5. Other information Pursuant to Chapter 5, Section 25 of the Finnish Companies Act, a shareholder who is present at the Shareholders' Meeting has the right to request information with respect to the matters to be considered at the meeting. Before the completion of the merger on April 1, 2022 the total number of shares and votes in Neles Corporation was 150,348,256. The total amount included 150,361 treasury shares held by the Company. Such treasury shares held by the Company do not have voting rights. The Board of Directors of the former Neles Corporation Further information, please contact: Pekka Rouhiainen Director, Investor Relations, Valmet tel. +358 10 672 0020 Katri HokkanenInterim CFO Pekka RouhiainenDirector, Investor Relations www.valmet.com Valmet is a leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. With our automation systems and flow control solutions we serve an even wider base of process industries. We aim to become the global champion in serving our customers. Our 17,000 professionals work close to our customers and are committed to improving our customers' performance every day. The company has over 220 years of industrial history and a strong track record in continuous improvement and renewal. In 2022, a major milestone was achieved when the flow control company Neles was merged into Valmet. The combined company net sales in 2021 was approximately EUR 4.5 billion based on the respective company figures. Valmet's shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki and the head office is in Espoo, Finland. Follow us on valmet.com | Twitter | Twitter (IR) | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | Processing of personal data This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/valmet-oyj/r/notice-to-the-shareholders--meeting-of-merged-neles-corporation,c3577180 Monkeypox outbreak unlikely to lead to pandemic: WHO The World Health Organization does not believe the monkeypox outbreak outside Africa will lead to a pandemic, an official said. Monday, May 30, 2022 I experienced teenage hair loss. My name is Jill Vanderwood I am an author at jillvanderwood.com. I am also a licensed cosmetologist. The technical term for hair loss is alopecia and from what Ive read, the hair loss I experienced was not regular alopecia areata, which is baldness in spots. Mine would not be called pattern baldness either, because it was all over my head and not just a little bit. The term used for this type of baldness is: Diffuse Alopecia Areata, which is a sudden and unexpected thinning of the hair all over the scalp. Here is my story of teenage hair loss. During the eighth grade I became extremely ill. I had a high fever and couldnt even walk up and down the steps inside the house without falling, so someone had to help me. This sickness, which was not diagnosed at the time, lasted for two weeks. In the mornings someone would help me down the steps inside the house, and I would take up residence on the living room couch. I only went upstairs to use the bathroom. During the day I would sleep, until my brothers and sisters came home from school. I noticed that with this illness, everything seemed to be exaggerated. With food, for instance, if something was sweet, it seemed extra sweet. Mom gave me grapefruit, which I usually liked. During my sickness, it was way too sour for me. All the noises in the room were magnified and I couldnt stand all the commotion from the family, around me. After two weeks, I started to get better, however I still didnt have most of my strength back. My friend Kathy came over and wanted me to walk to the library. I got up and tried to get dressed. None of my clothes would fit. The only pants I could wear were my gym clothes because they were stretchy and fit me more tightly. Otherwise, all my clothes were too big. Mom asked if I was sure I could walk that far. I was sure, and of course it tired me out and I had to call my mom to get a ride home. I was completely worn out. This slowed my progress in getting better. I needed to take things really slow until I got my strength back. One Wednesday night, after I got better, my parents went to church, and I decided to take a bath and wash my hair. When I did, I noticed that something wasnt right. I had a huge tangle in my hair. It wouldnt comb out, no matter what I did. Teenage Hair Loss My mom came home and found me sitting on the living room floor, crying. She got down on the floor with me and asked me what was wrong. I told her about the tangle, and she tried to help me. After a while she said she knew what the problem was. She told me that my hair was falling out and as she combed it, more hair came out and joined the tangle. That was so scary! When she finally got the tangle out, it was a big wad of hair, I would say the tangle was the size of two fists. I could just run my fingers through my hair and come up with a whole mess of detached hair. It was coming out by the handful! My dad asked me what I used on my hair. I said that I washed my hair at Kathys house and used Breck Shampoobut that was the time before and I didnt see any problems then. He said I could only wash my hair at home. I was not to use Breck Shampoo ever again. It finally came to an end and no more hair fell out. That was not before I completely looked like a cancer patient with teenage hair loss, my scalp was showing through what was left of my thin stringy hair. It looked horrible. I was planning to go to my eighth grade graduation and wanted a hairpiece so I could wear my hair up in a bun. My older sister had a hairpiece, which she would never let me wear. I had a new dress and new shoes; in fact, I was able to get two new dresses with the money I had to spend. But my hair! Before that happened, I remembered riding with my friend Patsy home from school and her little sister, Jo Ann would play with my long hair and tell me how pretty it was! Mom made me a bun behind my head for graduation. It was very small, but it did look better because she made sure that my hair covered my head. I was at Kathys house one day and a lady who was visiting said, I had a neighbor who lost her hair like that. I asked, Did her hair ever come back? No, it never did. She got herself a nice wig. To this day, she wears a wig, but you can never tell. It looks just like she has hair. My heart sank. What if my hair never came back? I would be stuck looking like this! I knew my parents couldnt afford to get me a decent wig. I would have to wear the most cheaply made, ugly wig that was ever created! It wouldnt ever look real. Or, there wouldnt be a wig at all. Mom would have to continue wrapping my hair around my head in a bun to cover the baldness or I would have to wear a hat. This was the time of my life when I was just starting to notice boys. Im sure every boy noticed what a hideous loser I was! A lot of prayers were said on my behalf. The miracle did come one day when I was standing in front of a mirror. I noticed short, pokey hairs coming up, all over my head! I showed my mom. She said, Oh My! Your hair is growing back! It really was! It was exciting, but that didnt help much, at the moment. I had this long, stringy hair, with a short crop that seemed to stick straight up, filling in my scalp. In my first high school yearbook picture, because of teenage hair loss, I split my hair down the middle in the back and even with all my hair in front, it wasnt enough to cover my ears! I was so disgusted with my yearbook picture that whenever anyone asked me to sign my picture, I signed right across the whole picture. Freshman year9th grade, my best friend Kathy found some new friends. At first, I ate lunch with Kathy and her two new friends, who totally ignored me. I asked Kathy if we could eat lunch at our own table because I knew these girls didnt like me. I could feel it. But one day, I knew that for sure. I ate with the new girls and Kathy and then we went upstairs to the restroom. I heard one of the girls saying, Kathy, will you keep Jill in the restroom for a while? I want to meet up with my boyfriend and I dont want him to think Im friends with her. I came out of the restroom stall and washed my hands. I stormed past Kathy and the other girls and said, Whod want to be friends with you, anyway? I never sat with them for lunch again. Now I know that Kathy didnt hear what the girls said. I was an embarrassment. It wasnt until the tenth grade when Mom asked me if she could cut my hair. I refused at first, since my hair was too precious to me. I finally allowed my mom to give me a haircut. It was just below my ears, and it was thick again! All the new hairs had grown to that length, and by cutting it, my hair could all grow out to be thick. I had hair! It was short, but still, it was real, thick hair! My hair grew in and this time it was wavy. After Teenage Hair Loss, my hair grew back thick and wavy For many years I have wondered why I lost my hair. I read a story in Chicken Soup for the Soul, where a girl who suffered from teenage hair loss, and had to wear a wig. One day while she was at a skating party, the wig slipped off. In this story, she said the doctor told her that she was allergic to her period. I was about to begin my period when this hair loss began. I had also been sick for two weeks, so I wasnt getting the nourishment or vitamins my body needed. Either or both things may have contributed to my hair loss. One day I was talking to my mother-in-law about when this happened to me. She told me that the same thing happened to her around the time she started her period. I didnt go to a doctor when I was sick, but I think I had mono. No one took me to a doctor for my extreme hair loss either. But, I did get my hair back. Thank you, God! Tuesday, May 31, 2022 The last week in May, Bonnie and I will spend aboard a railroad traveling through the Canadian Rockies. Were scheduled to travel east from Vancouver and fly home from Calgary eight days later. Although we will be back in Vegas before you read this, and I may well write about that trip, Im writing this blog while still in Vegas. Why thats important is because more than one of the casinos I frequent had monthly playups in May of various sorts, where for so many points during the month, I get certain prizes. One that takes a lot of time is the South Point half-price Chevron or Walmart gift cards, requiring almost $167,000 in coin-in for Bonnie and me combined. And I only have three weeks to get in that play instead of four. I didnt have to get it all in. Every $8,334 in coin-in earns a $50 card (up to 10 per person), so I can cash in as much as Ive played. But its a good deal, and I set out to get them all. On Thursday, May 5, I went to bed early and got up about 2 a.m. I headed off to South Point. My usual video poker games are 9/6 Jacks Five Play Multi Strike and NSU Deuces Wild. There are also a few slots I sometimes play there, depending . . . My score went up and down, and the majority of my play that day was on Multi Strike. I finished up around 8 a.m., and I was pretty tired. I hadnt slept that much the night before, and it was more than five hours of concentration. I recorded my score (-$955 for the day) and how many points I put on my card and Bonnies. I visited the restroom and then drove towards home. About 15 minutes later I get a call from Richard Munchkin. He asked me if Im at the South Point. I told him I left a bit ago. He said hed received an email from a player named Al, who wasnt sure it was me who did it, but he thought I had left my players card and some money in the Multi Strike machine. Apparently, Al had an email address for Richard, but not for me. Shit! This was hardly a disaster. I only had $45 in credits when I finished, and getting a new player card is easily accomplished. Still, this is a sign of something not so good (Forgetfulness at the minimum letting being tired cause me to lose concentration possibly dementia? Who knows? But these kinds of things dont usually happen to me.) I turned my car around and headed back. I asked Richard to send me the email and Id try to get in touch with the guy. There was no money or card in my machine, but a man I didnt recognize was playing on a machine a few spots over. I walked over and asked him if his name was Al. He said yes. When he had seen what I had done, he called the slot attendant over and told him he thought it was Bob Dancer who left it behind. The slot department has the card and ticket somewhere. I thanked him profusely. I asked if I could buy him a meal or perhaps do something else for him? He declined. He said hed gotten a lot of value from the podcast and he was happy to return the favor. I figured out something he couldnt refuse. Along with a friend, weve come up with a computer perfect strategy for 9/6 JoB Multi Strike. I asked him if I could email him a copy. I figure the enhancements improve the strategy on the software by 0.01% or so, not a tremendous improvement, but certainly its better. And if you play that game a lot for $25 a hand, it adds up. Al told me hed be interested in seeing the new and improved strategy. I promised to send it later that day. I checked some specific slot machines I like, found them in a state I thought was positive, and in the next half hour turned my negative score into a positive one twice as large. To be sure, thats just positive variance (earlier I was quite a bit in the hole on the same machine), but going home $2,000 ahead instead of almost $1,000 behind felt good. And it all happened from a Good Samaritan. Many other people would have done the same thing as Al did, but certainly not everybody. Having one of the good guys find my mistake before anybody else did made my day! In my book, that was very good luck! Jasper, IndianaKevin Schewe's Bad Love Tigers won the BEST SCI-FI SCRIPT award at Mykonos International Film Festival in Greece. The Bad Love Tigers Screenplay was just released to the international screenplay circuit at the end of February 2022 and has already won 38 International Awards. It is a feel good, action-adventure, sci-fi blend of Stand by Me meets Raiders of the Lost Ark or Back to the Future meets Goonies. The strong international interest and accolades that it is generating shows its blockbuster potential to attract a global audience of all ages to the big screen. "The Bad Love Gang and I so incredibly honored and excited with this wonderful award. This means a lot because Greece is heading for the silver screen with stars in its eyes. The country has recently launched a series of incentives aimed at drawing the global filmmaking industry to its shores - and it seems to be working. I want to thank the MIFF for this amazing honor and GREECE IS THE WORD??," Kevin Schewe said. See and Hear Kevin Schewe's Instagram Post at https://www.instagram.com/tv/Cc-xqNKOVTU/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kevin L. Schewe, MD (@realkevinschewe) Bad Love Tigers has now won 38 awards including BEST SCI-FI SCREENPLAY at Thinking Hat Fiction Challenge in India, BEST FEATURE SCREENPLAY at South Film and Arts Academy Festival in Chili. BEST SCI-FI SCRIPT at the Gold Star Movie Awards in New Jersey, BEST SCI-FI SCREENPLAY AWARD at the BRNO Film Festival in the Czech Republic, BEST FEATURE SCREENPLAY at Filmmaker Life Awards in Hollywood, BEST STORY SCREENPLAY AWARD at The Madrid Art Film Festival, Best Feature Screenplay at the White Unicorn International Film Festival FEATURE SCRIPT AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD from the Black Swan International Film Festival, BEST SCRIPT from the New York Independent Cinema Awards, BEST THRILLER SCREENPLAY from the Adbhooture Film Festival in West Bengal, India, FEATURE SCRIPT OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD from the Royal Society of Television and Motion Picture, OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FEATURE SCRIPT award at Druk International Film Festival (DIFF) in Bhutan, BEST FEATURE SCRIPT award at Hollywood on the Tiber Film Awards in Rome, Italy, BEST SCRIPT OF THE MONTH at the Watch Out International Film Festival in Philadelphia, OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT award at the Tagore International Film Festival (TIFF) in West Bengal, India, BEST SCRIPT at the New Wave Short Film Festival in Munich, Germany, Best Screenwriter in a Feature Film at Onyko Film Awards in Ukraine, two screenplay awards at the Golden Wings International Film Awards, BEST THRILLER FEATURE SCREENPLAY and BEST SCREENPLAY OF THE MONTH, Best Feature Screenplay at the Sea of Art International Film Festival in Plock, Poland, Best Feature Screenwriting at the NYCinternational Film Festival, Best Feature Screenwriting at the Medusa Film Festival, Special Achievement Award at World Film Carnival-Singapore, Best Sci-Fi Screenplay at the Open Window International Film Challenge in India, Best Plot Award at the Beyond Earth Film Festival, Best Sci-Fi Feature Screenplay at the Karukrit International Film Festival in India, Best Script for Feature Film at the San Antonio Independent Film Festival in Ecuador, South America, Best Feature Film Screenplay at the Five Continents International Film Festival, Best Original Screenplay at the Naples Film Awards, Best Feature Script at the Cineville Calcutta Global Cinefest in India, Best Feature Screenplay at the Mumbai International Film Festival, Best Feature Screenplay and Best-Sci-Fi Screenplay at the Oniros Film Awards in New York City, Best Sci-Fi Screenplay at the New York International Film Awards, Best Feature Screenplay in London at the BIFF International Film Festival, Best Original Screenplay at the Rome International Movie Awards and Best Feature Screenplay Honorable Mention at the Florence Film Awards. Bad Love Tigers, book two of twelve planned in the best-selling Bad Love Book Series, is about a dynamic group of young adventurers, known as the Bad Love Gang, who use a time machine to travel back to the World War II era, meet with President Roosevelt and embark on a perilous secret mission to protect an alien spaceship and defeat the Japanese in combat. Keeping America's deepest secret safe at Area-51 hinges on the success of their quest. Schewe's screenplay adapted from the first book, Bad Love Strikes, has won 14 International Awards at prestigious film festivals all over the world. In Bad Love Strikes, the Gang of teens from Oak Ridge, Tennessee, accidently discovers The White Hole Project, a WWII era time machine created by Albert Einstein at the request of President Franklin Roosevelt in case the atomic bomb Manhattan Project failed. They learn how to use the White Hole Project and then design a time-travel mission back to WWII, Nazi-controlled Poland to save a group of Holocaust victims from certain death. The accurate history and edge-of-your-seat action has you rooting for this unlikely gang of misfit teenagers turned heroes! Bad Love Strikes screenplay awards: Best Sci-Fi Screenplay at the Los Angeles Film Awards; Hollywood Weekly Magazine Film Festival Best Screenplay; Best Script at the Rotterdam Independent Film Festival; Best Script in a Feature Film at the Hollywood International Golden Age Film Festival; New York Tri-State Film Festival Best Sci-Fi Screenplay; Florida Shorts Film Festival Best Unproduced Script; Tokyo's Genre Celebration Festival Best Feature Screenplay; Madrid Arthouse Film Festival Best Unproduced Feature Script; Madrid International Short Film Festival Best Script; the Seoul International Short Film Festival in Korea Best Script; and in Munich, Germany at the New Wave Short Film Festival, where it was chosen as a Special Jury Screenplay Selection. It also garnered a Prix Royal Paris Silver Screenplay Award; the South Florida International Film Festival for Best Original Screenplay for Young Adults, and a Gold Script Writing Award for Sci-Fi Adventure from the Depth of Field International Film Festival. Bad Love Strikes screenplay has also finished as a Finalist and Semi-Finalist at 23 other international film festivals. Watch the book trailer for Bad Love Tigers at https://bit.ly/BadLoveTigers_Trailer Each of the Bad Love series audio books are narrated by Alan Carlson, an award-winning narrator with credits in non-fiction, academic, romance fiction and many other categories. You can purchase the audio book at Amazon's Audible. The entire four book set is available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Bad-Love-Collection-Sci-Fi-Adventure-ebook/dp/B09LPPDBMM/ or www.jancarolpublishing.com. "If history was taught this way in school, everyone would be a scholar and educating ourselves not only about our accomplishments but the horrors of the past that should awaken and give insight to the path of a better future. A rare gem!" David Holladay, MD, 5-Stars Watch the book trailer from Bad Love Strikes at https://bit.ly/BadLoveStrikes-Trailer The Federal Aviation Administration again has delayed completion of its environmental review of SpaceXs plans for an orbital launch of its Starship and Super Heavy rocket from Boca Chica. The FAA said Tuesday that it pushed the target date to June 13 to account for ongoing interagency consultations. It was the fifth time the FAA has delayed completion of the environmental review since closing its public comment period in November. The agency has said it was taking more time to work through more than 17,000 comments it received and to consider changes made by SpaceX. On ExpressNews.com: Stuck on the launchpad; FAA again delays decision on SpaceXs planned Starship orbital launch from South Texas The latest postponement put an official end to SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musks goal to launch the Starship into orbit from South Texas in May. In March, he said, Well have 39 flight-worthy engines built by next month, then another month to integrate, so hopefully May for orbital flight test. Founded by Musk in 2002, California-based SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches reusable rockets and spacecraft with the goals of reaching the moon and Mars. In Texas, it has built out its Starbase launch facility in Boca Chica, near Brownsville in the Rio Grande Valley. The company also has a rocket development facility in McGregor, near Waco. The FAA in September released a 151-page draft environmental review that looked at the possible environmental effects of SpaceXs mission profile and debris recovery, local road closings in Boca Chica and other issues. The agency has also been reviewing SpaceXs plans to build a natural gas power plant, solar farm and parking lots on the campus. The FAA has noted that completing the environmental review does not guarantee issuance of a vehicle operator license, which the agency could grant after considering requirements for safety, risk and financial responsibility. In February, Musk told SpaceX employees, fans and reporters at Starbase that he is highly confident his company would send the Starship into orbit by years end. If the FAA delayed its environmental review, he said, the company would likely move the launch to Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. There, the company already has approval for a Starship takeoff. Our worst-case scenario is that we would be delayed for six to eight months to build up the Cape launch tower and launch from there, he said at the time. S.A. VOTES Voter Guide: What to know for the Texas runoff election A breakdown of key state and local races and candidates in the May 24 primary runoff. The FAA delayed its review in March and then again in April, saying SpaceX made multiple changes to its application that require additional FAA analysis. It remains unclear what SpaceX changed in its permit application to fly the 400-foot-tall Starship vehicle into orbit from Starbase. Community and environmental groups in the Valley have opposed SpaceXs plans to expand the Starbase campus. But Brownsville Mayor Trey Mendez has lauded SpaceX for employing more than 1,600 workers based at the Starbase campus, saying the company is the citys largest private employer. About 71 percent of the workers are from the Valley. SpaceX invested $430 million in operations last year in Cameron County, including payroll, construction and capital improvements, the mayor said during his state of the city address in April. The company is expected to contribute $885 million in gross economic output and job growth for the county by years end. eric.killelea@express-news.net An effort that says its the first cybersecurity accelerator in the nation is looking for its first batch of early-stage firms interested in receiving the capital and coaching they need to grow. The program a partnership between San Antonios Geekdom and Wisconsins gener8tor is expected to invest $100,000 in each of the startups selected through a competitive application and review process. Then, it would provide a network of experienced mentors, technologists and funding partners to help them grow through a 12-week program. Our goal is to have all five companies stay here, create jobs here and build here, said Amanda Lee Keammerer, managing director of the gener8tor Cybersecurity Accelerator program. Its taking applications through July 8 and plans to start the program Aug. 29. Geekdom-connected investors have put up $2 million to back 10 startups in 2022 and 2023. The goal remains to raise $4 million for the accelerator to support 25 startups through 2024. On ExpressNews.com: New Geekdom-gener8tor program aims to boost cybersecurity startups in San Antonio This is an ecosystem partner thats new to the community with actual funding for startups to create jobs in the pandemic, she said. Bringing people here and responding to the demand from local startups who have been long asked for something like this with so many potential clients in our backyard. Established in 2012, Madison, Wisc.-based gener8tor Management LLC has established 163 accelerator programs in 35 cities in 16 states across the U.S. More than 800 startups have gone through its programs, gener8tor says, and raised more than $1 billion in follow-on financing. The company is focused on secondary markets outside of Silicon Valley, New York and Boston, said Troy Vosseller, its co-founder. San Antonio was his top choice for a cybersecurity accelerator program. At its launch in November, Geekdom CEO Charles Woodin said the partnership makes sense for San Antonio, which he called a cybersecurity mecca. The city is already home to more than 40 cybersecurity company headquarters as well as Security Hill cyber warfare and defense operations at Lackland Air Force Base and the National Security Agencys Texas Cryptologic Center. There are more cybersecurity workers in San Antonio than anywhere in the country outside of Washington, D.C. This is our first program in San Antonio, and its our only program focused on cybersecurity, Vosseller said. Most of our programs are industry agnostic in the communities in which they operate. Increasingly, however, we are working with partners such as Geekdom to have industry-specific programs that really build on an ecosystem and that leads us to cybersecurity here in the San Antonio market. Part of wider effort It fits with a broader push backed by Geekdom. In February, it announced a new in-house game plan of searching for startups of all kinds in South Texas and Mexico in what Woodin called the South Texas Triangle encompassing the cities of Laredo, Corpus Christi and Guadalajara, Mexico. He promoted San Antonios standing as the largest Hispanic-majority city in the U.S. On ExpressNews.com: Building South Texas Triangle? Geekdom looks south to recruit startups He said the strategy would help Geekdom launch 500 startups over the next decade, with at least 75 percent of them headquartered in San Antonio. He said he now hopes the gener8tor Cybersecurity Accelerator will help bring in new businesses to help meet that goal. Vosseller said his companys track record of companies relocating to a city because of its programs support that. About one in five will end up permanently relocating or having a significant residual presence in that market, he said. We imagine that some in this cohort will already be here. The program can also have a halo effect that generates venture capital for startups outside of the cohorts, Vosseller said. S.A. VOTES Voter Guide: What to know for the Texas runoff election A breakdown of key state and local races and candidates in the May 24 primary runoff. Were not just investing $100,000 in each of these companies coming up, he said. We think theres going to be more eyeballs in general looking at San Antonio as a result. Woodin agreed. Its going to be shining a spotlight here toward the startups and the ecosystem that will bring VCs and others outside of San Antonio to see whats happening. Geekdoms role is while these companies are here to make San Antonio the most sticky place it could possibly be to convince these companies and the talent that they bring with them that this is a place they can continue to build that company, he said. Wooding said many tech leaders may consider cybersecurity as a threat the government needs to worry about. But its something that everyone needs to worry about, he said. And making cybersecurity less of a hoodie-up, hacker type of an environment and making it something that every business needs to be concerned about is where I think a broadening of it is important. Keammerer, a San Antonio native, said many types of businesses are putting an increasing focus on cybersecurity. Thats where we see cybersecurity going. Its not an IT problem, its a business problem, she said. Its not a line item in your budget, its an investment in the protection of your company against being shut down and going bankrupt. With that in mind, the Gener8tor Accelerator Program is aiming to broaden the scope of what it means to be a cybersecurity startup in San Antonio. When you think about San Antonio as Military City USA, a lot of those solutions that people create are geared toward the defense industry, Keammerer said. In this case, it doesnt have to be. You can be creating a commercial application or have a different target market or client in mind for your product. Maybe youre not even thinking about defense. Maybe youre focused on health insurance. eric.killelea@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate San Antonio-based DeLorean Motor Co. this week released the first full images of the reborn automakers sporty electric-powered coupe, called the Alpha5, which it has said will go on sale in 2024. The luxury car has a less angular body than its 1980s-era predecessor that was made famous in the Back to the Future films, but it still features the iconic gull-winged doors of the original. DeLoreans CEO has said the car will be priced similarly to other high-dollar electric vehicles, such as the Porsche Taycan, which ranges from $90,000 to $190,000, based on the model. The Alpha5 features two doors and four passenger seats. The interior images show two large screens on the dashboard and infotainment console. And the car nods to the original DMC-12 by featuring black louvers, the horizontal slats in the rear window. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio grants $562,500 to DeLorean, which aims to build new EV version of iconic gull-wing coupe The Alpha5 is for people that love to drive, CEO Joost de Vries said on DeLoreans revamped website. The release of the images this week is the latest in a series of steps DeLorean has taken to establish itself in San Antonio and build hype for its electric car in an increasingly crowded EV market. Other startups trying to produce electric cars, such as Rivian and Lordstown Motors, have increasingly struggled to meet production timelines amid rising costs and smarles in the supply chain. Meanwhile, giants such as Ford and General Motors have been pouring billions of dollars into EV production. DeLorean is contracting with the owner of a manufacturing plant in Ontario, Canada, which will produce a low volume of the car, de Vries said in April. DeLorean said the Alpha5s battery pack has at least 300 miles of driving range, and it can reach 155 miles per hour. DeLorean hasnt shared more traditional vehicle specs such as horsepower and weight. The images it released show preproduction vehicles, and the actual vehicle performance may differ slightly, DeLorean said. DeLorean received more than $1 million in incentives from the city of San Antonio and from Bexar County in exchange for establishing its headquarters at Port San Antonio. DeLorean plans to hire 450 workers here over four years. DeLorean is looking at also producing an electric SUV after the coupe hits the market. The company will likely utilize an existing facility in South Carolina to produce that model, according to the city contract. On ExpressNews.com: DeLorean gets another $500K in tax incentives to develop electric vehicles in Bexar County S.A. VOTES Voter Guide: What to know for the Texas runoff election A breakdown of key state and local races and candidates in the May 24 primary runoff. Along with sharing images, DeLorean this week added more information to its previously barren website. The company said it will share information with potential buyers in late summer 2022 about how to join this journey to ownership. De Vries said in April that the company will open up reservations this summer, and he expects to sell out within about 24 hours. The company on its website also added a cryptic reference to the metaverse, a version of the Internet that enables users to enter a virtual world where they interact with other users and buy and sell digital goods, among other things. Bridging the physical universe with the metaverse will be our way forward, DeLoreans website reads. The company also calls itself a new energy mobility brand. DeLorean will unveil the Alpha5 in person on Aug. 18 at the Concours dElegance auto show in Pebble Beach, Calif. diego.mendoza-moyers@express-news.net Gerald Herbert, STF / Associated Press San Antonio Spurs forward Zach Collins in September paid an amount likely close to the $1.3 million assessed value for a modern four-bedroom, 4,846-square-foot contemporary-style house in the Cresta Bella area of northwest San Antonio. A Las Vegas-area native who played for Gonzaga University, Collins, 24, was signed by the Spurs in August to a three-year, $22 million contract. He earned $7 million this past season and is set to make $7.35 million next season. Laredo police found guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition inside the home of a local man who had threatened to go "human hunting," officials said. Javier Torres, 37, was charged with making a terroristic threat. On May 25, authorities said Torres found a firearm optic scope for sale on social media. When he met with the seller, that is when he said that he was going "human hunting," according to Laredo police. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio man sent to prison for throwing Molotov cocktail through window of Democratic Party office The seller was concerned and contacted the police. The next day, the police executed a search and arrest warrant at Torres' Laredo home. There, they found several handguns, extended magazines, long rifles, a bulletproof vest with armor plates and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, officials said. Police noted that Torres lived less than 1,000 feet from an elementary school. No threats were made against students or faculty, police said. Torres' bail was set at $40,000. taylor.pettaway@express-news.net Xi voices 'full trust' for HK new chief, hopes city govt to unveil new changes By Chen Qingqing and Xu Keyue (Global Times) 09:12, May 31, 2022 President Xi Jinping meets with John Lee, the newly appointed sixth-term chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, on Monday in Beijing. Photo: Xinhua Chinese President Xi Jinping met John Lee Ka-chiu, the newly appointed sixth-term chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Monday in Beijing, during which he praised Lee for his patriotism and contributions for safeguarding national security and Hong Kong' s stability and assured that Lee has the full trust from the central government. The Chinese top leader also stresses the central government's resolve of unswervingly implementing the "one country, two systems" and that the city's new electoral system must be treasured and upheld, hoping that the new HKSAR government can unveil a new chapter for the city's development. Experts in both the mainland and Hong Kong consider the central government's affirmation of Lee as a major requirement for Hong Kong officials - patriots with the firm stance who take action in advancing reforms to fix deeply-rooted problems that Hong Kong society has been facing over the past decades and in bringing the city into a new future. As 2022 also marks the 25th anniversary of the city's return to the motherland, the message delivered by the central government is clear. The "one country, two systems" principle won't change as Xi fully recognized its practice over the past 25 years, and he also indicated a new direction for the future as the city is changing from chaos to being well governed and prosperous, experts noted. In his meeting with Lee after he was officially appointed as the new chief executive (CE) and received an official appointment certificate of the State Council from Premier Li Keqiang on Monday morning, Xi praised Lee for maintaining the unwavering stance of loving the country and the HKSAR, being willing to assume responsibilities and actively performing his duties, as well as his contributions to safeguarding national security and Hong Kong's prosperity and stability in various roles. "The central government gives full affirmation to you and has full trust in you," Xi said. Over the past year, Hong Kong has successfully held the Election Committee election, the seventh-term Legislative Council election and the sixth-term CE election, which proved that the new electoral system has played a decisive role in implementing the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong," ensuring the position of Hong Kong people as their own masters, and facilitating a good environment in which all sectors of society work together for Hong Kong's development, Xi said. He also noted that the new electoral system is a political and democratic system that is in line with the "one country, two systems" principle and suited to Hong Kong's realities and needs for development. It must be cherished and upheld for a long time. For the central government, the new electoral system is very important for safeguarding national security, helping fully implement the "one country, two systems" in a correct manner, so it has to be upheld for a long time. "For those who seek to restart the political reform, they must feel disappointed," Lau Siu-kai, vice-president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, told the Global Times on Monday. "I believe even if Hong Kong's electoral system will see further improvement in the future, those changes will only be made in making the patriots more united and stronger rather than copying the Western-style democratic system," Lau said. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, and despite challenges over the past 25 years, the practice of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong has been a resounding success, Xi said, noting that the central government's resolve to fully and faithfully implement the principle of "one country, two systems" has never wavered, still less will it change. Xi said he believes that the new HKSAR government will bring new changes and Hong Kong will make new advances in its development. In evaluating the political performance of Lee, his firm stance of being a patriot comes as the first quality, and in implementing the new electoral reform, electing those who are truly patriots is the top objective of the system, Tian Feilong, a legal expert at Beihang University in Beijing, told the Global Times on Monday. "Lee's political quality and governing performance is highly affirmed by the central government, and the new electoral system laid the foundation for Hong Kong's democracy," Tian said. Lee was elected with 99.16 percent of the supportive votes on May 8, which was the first election for CE since the implementation of the national security law for Hong Kong and the electoral reforms that brought about the principle of only patriots administering Hong Kong. The election also completed the final step of the electoral system reform, after electing EC members, LegCo members and now CE, which is a fresh starting point for Hong Kong in terms of local governance by eliminating interference from anti-China and rioting forces in the system, expert said. In the eyes of the top leader, the new HKSAR government is facing the most favorable environment in terms of governing than the previous CEs, as both the national security law for Hong Kong and the new electoral system ensure that the anti-China rioting forces and external forces won't be able to hinder local governance, Lau noted. "This brings up the new expectation from the central government for the local governance, as the new government is expected to make progress in fixing the problems that Hong Kong faces, and the central government will closely supervise it and hold it accountable," he said. Besides forming a capable team for the new government, fixing the region's housing woes and implementing Article 23 of the Basic Law were among the urgent tasks listed by Lee, who also highlighted youth education, the city's further integration into the country's overall development plan in his policy address. "The top leader's message is clear. The new government, along with different sectors of Hong Kong society, needs to work together and make some changes in carrying out the reforms," Tam Yiu-chung, a member of the National People's Congress Standing Committee from Hong Kong, told the Global Times. Lee will assume office on July 1, 2022. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with North Korea leader Kim Jong-un at the Capella Resort on Sentosa Island in Singapore, June 12, 2018. North Korea said Tuesday it has learned its lesson from countries that were lured into surrendering their war deterrence by the U.S., as Pyongyang has long sought to justify its own nuclear development for self-defense. AP-Yonhap North Korea said Tuesday it has learned its lesson from countries that were lured into surrendering their war deterrence by the United States, as Pyongyang has long sought to justify its own nuclear development as being intended for self-defense. The North made the claim in a book covering the military and diplomatic achievements of its leader Kim Jong-un in the past decade, published by the Pyongyang Publishing House. The book was released on Uriminzokkiri, a North Korean propaganda website. "The invasion tactic of the U.S. is to force (a country) to surrender its self-defensive capabilities," it said. "The U.S. has relentlessly laid out sugarcoated words, saying that it will help the country to prosper if it gives up its military buildup and takes a different path." The book also said the North has learned its lessons from other countries, including the 2011 military intervention in Libya, which leaves them with no choice but to resort to war deterrence. It then introduced leader Kim's accomplishments in summits with China, Russia and the U.S. In particular, the book praised Kim for "not giving in a single step" to protect the sovereignty and rights of his country at the Hanoi summit in 2019, though his meeting with former President Donald Trump ended without any agreement. (Yonhap) National Weather Service Almost every day in May, San Antonio experienced above-normal temperatures. Temperatures fell below normal only four times during the month, leading to the hottest May on record for the Alamo City, according to the National Weather Service. Contributing to the heat has been a lack of rain. The weather service said the dry ground and summer-like temperature patterns allowed the region to experience unseasonably warmer weather. Last week's mass shooting in Uvalde set off a heated debate about gun control in America. Many Republicans have zeroed in on the mental health crisis in the U.S., while Democrats have said it is too easy for people like the Robb Elementary shooter, Salvador Ramos, to purchase or get a hold of high-powered weapons. In fact, Ramos was too young to purchase alcohol but old enough to buy an assault-style rifle. As is usually the case, the gun control debate found its way onto social media. On Reddit, for example, one thread in particular is starting to gain traction after the person who started the thread said it was harder to buy a motorcycle in Texas than a gun. On ExpressNews.com: Texas teachers protest Ted Cruzs response to Uvalde massacre: Here to teach, not police. The person said they couldn't buy a motorcycle without a specialized license that could only be obtained with a half-day motorcycle safety class, a certificate of completion and proof of insurance. "Seems like a reasonable process since motorcycles are risky and require extra training. Also seems reasonable to have a similar process for gun ownership," the post reads. Soon after, others began pointing out things they said were harder to purchase, obtain or receive in Texas. Many of the examples touch on the recent controversies in the state. The Express-News could not independently verify if any of the items people posted are tougher to get in Texas. Below are some of the responses to the prompt in the Reddit thread, "It's harder to get ___ than a gun in Texas": Alcohol on Sunday Electricity (During the 2021 deadly winter storm) An abortion Baby formula Marijuana An absentee voting ballot Doctor's appointment Affordable rent Unemployment benefits Mental health care Pet adoption Therapy for transgender children Taylor.pettaway@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Marc Fries and Linda Welzenbach-Fries had never seen a highway so beautiful. The grass was freshly mowed. The road was flat. Light-colored gravel lined either side of U.S. 84 near Natchez, Miss. It was the perfect place to find freshly fallen space rocks. The husband and wife team had come to this spot after a drive of more than five hours from Clear Lake and a decade of using weather radar and computer models to predict where meteorites bits of space rocks that survive the trip through the Earths atmosphere would land. Marc Fries had made similar treks before, heading to spots where the computer model led him, only to be disappointed. On this hot day in late April, as they walked along the highway scanning the close-clipped grass and swatting away gnats, they hoped this time would be different. Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer The curse Meteorites are 4.5-billion-year-old time capsules of the early solar system, and the couple has long been fascinated by them, traveling separately with expeditions to Antarctica, a well-known landing field for meteorites, to find them. Marc Fries is the cosmic dust curator at NASAs Johnson Space Center. Linda Welzenbach-Fries, who previously curated meteorites for the Smithsonian Institution, is a science writer at Rice University. More than a decade ago, Marc Fries began thinking how they might find meteorites more quickly, within days of them falling from the sky. It all began with beers and banter between Marc Fries and his brother, Jeff, who is a retired Air Force meteorologist. On HoustonChronicle.com: Hubble confirms largest comet ever observed. It's 80 miles wide and larger than Rhode Island. Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer We apparently have some gene that codes for fascination with falling objects, Marc Fries said. He loves rain and weather, and I love meteorites. And it turned into a Yeah, I can totally do your job. You're not special. You know, I'm genetically predisposed. That banter turned into an idea. Perhaps weather radar could be used to find meteorites falling to the ground. They tested that theory after meteorites were found in the city of West, near Waco, in 2009. Marc Fries, living in California at the time, searched through Doppler radar records. He found that beams of energy emitted from Doppler antenna bounced off the meteorites and the turbulent wake they created in the atmosphere. Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer He began building a computer model to combine radar with wind speed and other factors to determine where these rocks might be found on the ground. But after nine journeys to meteorite falls, he never found a space rock. What made it worse, other meteorite hunters in the area, some using his data, would find the space rocks, shouting out their success. He felt cursed. The running joke was that the meteorite gods only allow meteorites to be found once, he said. And if I found them on radar, then that counts. I don't get to see them on the ground. The find By April, Marc Fries was on version 55 of his model. A citizen scientist spotted meteorites on weather radar and urged Marc Fries to take a look at the Doppler. The radar, eyewitness reports and satellites confirmed that meteorites fell Wednesday, April 27 at 8:03 a.m. Two days later, Marc Fries used his model to pinpoint an area in Mississippi that was about 3 miles wide and 10 miles long. Friday evening, he says, We have rocks on the ground. Lots and lots of rocks, Linda Welzenbach-Fries recalled. And so he says, Were going to Mississippi. We didnt even book a hotel room. They jumped into their Honda Civic, painted cosmic blue to sparkle like the stars, and reached the highway near Natchez around 1:30 p.m. the next day. Marc Fries searched the south side of U.S. 84, and Linda Welzenbach-Fries searched the north side. Matt Stream She spotted a potential meteorite within a half hour, but they werent totally convinced. I found a stick and poked it, and it went squish, Marc Fries said. It was a piece of tire rubber that had been sitting out in the sun for a long time, and it looked for all the world like a meteorite. I was so disappointed, Linda Welzenbach-Fries said. On HoustonChronicle.com: NASA's James Webb telescope prepares to release breathtaking images of the universe in mid-July But she continued looking. Less than an hour later, she spied a black, oblong object larger than the surrounding gravel. It had small broken areas that showed a light gray interior. It was roughly 2 inches long. Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Linda Welzenbach-Fries, science writer at Rice University, talks about one of the two meteorites recovered in April from a location near Natchez, Miss., in an X-ray CT lab at NASAs Johnson Space Center Tuesday, May 17, 2022 in Houston. I just heard loud exclamations. They weren't quite even formed into words, he said. And I looked over and witnessed Linda gesticulating and making noises and some of them were pointed at the ground. A few hours after that, it was Marc Fries turn to become incoherent. He found a stone nested in the grassy median. Half of it was covered with a black crust, the remainder light gray with tiny sparkling metal grains. It was a little shorter and more rectangular than the elongated triangle found by his wife. When he found his first stone, he was absolutely gleeful, she said. I have never seen him so happy. The couple was so enthusiastic that a driver pulled over and asked what they found. He was also searching for meteorites. The CT scan Marc Fries and Linda Welzenbach-Fries knew their space rocks were pristine. The meteorites had been on the planet for just a few days, before it could rain and cause the tiny grains of iron-nickel metal to rust. They were meticulous in picking up the rocks. They wore gloves so oils from their skin wouldnt contaminate the meteorites. They wrapped the rocks in aluminum foil that had been baked at 930 degrees Fahrenheit to remove anything that might contaminate the meteorite. Marc Fries had baked the foil himself in a lab while preparing to handle meteorites on a previous project. They then took the samples to the Johnson Space Center, where X-ray CT scientist Scott Eckley could peer inside the meteorites for clues as to what they might hold. The CT machine took thousands of X-ray images over many hours, and then Eckley stitched these together to create a 3d representation of the rocks interiors. Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Oh wow, Linda Welzenbach-Fries exclaimed after seeing a model of the meteorite collected by her husband. The model showed a large bright spot in the otherwise black-and-gray-speckled image. The bright spot represented a single mineral grain, one that was unusually large and unexpected in the type of meteorites they collected. It held the potential to unlock new discoveries. To learn more, Marc Fries and Linda Welzenbach-Fries plan to break open their rocks and look for salt crystals that might hold fluids from 4.5 billion years ago. They will also analyze the meteorites minerals to help understand which materials existed in the solar system when it was forming, and they will look for variations in chlorine and other elements that could only be produced by cosmic radiation. Together, these pieces will tell the history of the rock. The science Most meteorites come from the asteroid belt, where ancient space rubble has gathered between Mars and Jupiter. The meteorites are like tiny time capsules because this main asteroid belt is where rocks that werent formed into the sun and planets collected some 4.5 billion years ago. On HoustonChronicle.com: See the 50-year-old moon rock NASA is dissecting for scientists around the world NASA and other space agencies have missions to collect samples from asteroids in space. These samples are the most pristine and scientifically important. Still, its worthwhile to take advantage of rocks that fall to Earth, said Paul Abell, chief scientist for small body exploration at NASAs Johnson Space Center. Abell couldnt join Marc Fries and Linda Welzenbach-Fries on their journey to Mississippi. He was happy and a little jealous to receive text messages about their finds. Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer It rained after they returned, but people in Mississippi continued finding meteorites. Despite damage caused by the rain, scientists can still determine a meteorites mineralogy, toughness (which determines how far it makes it in the atmosphere before breaking apart) and age. But this becomes more difficult the longer the rocks are on the ground, giving nature, people and animals more time to alter the meteorites. Abell, for instance, mentioned an incident where researchers found dog tracks leading up to a meteorite and the rock was sitting in yellow snow. Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Still, Abell was convinced Mississippi meteorites would have value. He went to Mississippi two weeks after Marc Fries and Linda Welzenbach-Fries. He braved forested property with cottonmouth snakes, mosquitoes and poison ivy. He placed a magnet inside a ziplock bag to find quarter-of-an-inch fragments beneath the leaves, and he took GPS coordinates on where the shards were collected. Knowing their location can help to further refine Marc Fries model, enabling rapid response to fresh meteorites and providing useful planetary defense information on how a bigger space rock would break apart while entering the atmosphere. As for Marc Fries, he feels the curse is finally lifted. Im going to find more meteorites, he said. andrea.leinfelder@chron.com twitter.com/a_leinfelder Early voting begins today in the special election for Texas 34th Congressional District, where Republican Mayra Flores is getting an early shot to flip a blue seat in South Texas. The seat is up for grabs after U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, a Brownsville Democrat, resigned in late March to join a lobbying firm. The winner of the special will finish his term, which expires in January. Early voting will take place until June 10, and Election Day is June 14. Find your polling place here. As it stands now, the district stretches from Cameron County at the Texas border all the way up to Gonzales County east of San Antonio. The district elected President Joe Biden, a Democrat, by just 4 points in 2020. Its a coveted opportunity for Flores, who will run again to serve a full term this November. Then, the terrain will be more difficult for Republicans. IN-DEPTH: Texas Republican Mayra Flores gets a boost in quest to be first U.S. congresswoman born in Mexico First, redistricting made the seat bluer. Under the new lines, which cap the district at Kleberg County just south of Corpus Christi, voters elected Biden in 2020 by 15.5 points. Also in November, Flores will run against sitting U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, a McAllen Democrat who currently represents the neighboring 15th district. courtesy photo But in the meantime, a low-turnout special election and national interest in her campaign could help Flores secure a few months in Congress. Gonzalez declined to step down from his seat to run in the special, so her opponents include lesser-funded and less well-known candidates. In a special election, all candidates are listed on the ballot at once, and the race will head to a runoff if no person earns more than 50 percent of the vote. Flores, a respiratory care practitioner, will run against fellow Republican Juana Janie Cantu-Cabrera, a nurse practitioner, as well as Democrats Dan Sanchez, an attorney, and Rene Coronado, a city civil service director. If she wins, Flores would be the first congresswoman born in Mexico. She would also be the first Republican elected to represent that area of the Rio Grande Valley since 1870. cayla.harris@express-news.net In response to overwhelming public comments, city officials and the design team for the Brackenridge Park project meant to preserve historic structures have started exploring ways to do so while removing fewer trees. The Brackenridge Park design team, led by the firm SWA Group, hired four arborists to evaluate whether any trees can be kept in place or transplanted elsewhere, and they asked the San Antonio River Authority to conduct a study on the effect of moving the river walls, which were built along Lambert Beach in 1920 and are in need of repair. Shifting the walls could enable keeping the trees intact. Last week, city staff and partners met at the Witte Museum for a third community meeting regarding the Brackenridge Park project, which is included in the 2017-22 bond package and calls for removing dozens of trees from the park. One attendee suggested that the city should focus more on preserving nature than structures, saying that public comments from earlier meetings overwhelmingly show that residents prefer to save the trees. There is nothing that indicates to me that the city is prioritizing nature, which is the purpose of a park, the resident said. People go to the park to look at trees, to sit under trees. I dont understand why its such a conundrum, why its such a hard, difficult thing to say, Well, lets start with prioritizing trees and see where it takes us. However, Kinder Baumgartner, managing principal for the SWA Group, said the design decisions to made arent so simple. On ExpressNews.com: New Brackenridge Park renovation plan in the works to preserve more native trees At an entry level, for most, the question is just whether we keep the trees or the walls, Baumgartner said. But Im hoping some start to understand that some portions are black and white, and others are more nuanced. The project seeks to restore and preserve the northern side of the parks historic markers, such as the river walls and the 1970 Pump House both of which are listed on the National Register for Historic Places. As initially designed, the project requires removing 105 trees from the park, including 10 heritage trees, which are deemed irreplaceable due to their size and rarity. These details were not known to the public until earlier this year, which spurred protest among residents who want to see the trees preserved. During last weeks meeting, Baumgartner told attendees that while the River Authority is conducting studies on moving the wall, the contracted arborists reevaluated the trees that needed to be removed and found that two could be saved while two more actually need to go. On ExpressNews.com: This project needs to slow down: Historic buildings vs. rare trees in Brackenridge Park battle The team also hired tree-moving experts to evaluate whether any trees could be replanted elsewhere. One heritage tree a 44-inch live oak met the requirements for both removal and preservation. The arborists recommended preservation instead of removal by pruning and root removal. Nonetheless, residents who attended the meeting remained frustrated by the project and demanded more answers from the design team and the city. During a public question-and-answer period, Ida Ayala asked which of the main competing interests the trees and the walls the city would choose. Baumgartner said the process is ongoing and that the project team is still doing due diligence. I would say that [the trees] were prioritized because the city manager actually asked us to go back and pause, Baumgartner said. No trees have been removed from the park. On ExpressNews.com: It was our mistake: City takes a step back, consults residents over Brackenridge Park project Several residents also expressed concerns over the treatment of the birds in the park and the methods that are used to move the birds from the north side of Brackenridge Park, such as banging blocks together. Unfortunately, the birds are having a negative impact on the amenities that the city has to offer to our constituents, like having to close down certain areas of the park, said Jessica Alderson, urban biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife. The final meeting for phase one of the Brackenridge Park project will be June 14. After that, meetings to cover phase two, which stretches from the edge of the Lambert Beach zone to Hildebrand Avenue, will begin. Elena Bruess writes for the Express-News through Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms. ReportforAmerica.org. elena.bruess@express-news.net Billy Calzada, Staff / San Antonio Express-News A 10-year-old boy treated for a gunshot wound he sustained during last weeks mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde has been released from the Methodist Childrens Hospital. He was one of seven patients sent to San Antonio trauma hospitals. Noah Orona was shot in the back, and the bullet came out his shoulder, according to an ABC News report. He was discharged from the hospital on Sunday, a Methodist Healthcare official said. Uvaldes school district police chief, under fire for his handling of last weeks school shooting in which 19 children and two teachers died, was sworn in as a Uvalde city councilman on Tuesday. Pedro Pete Arredondo, police chief for Uvaldes Consolidated Independent School District, was elected to councils District 3 seat on May 7, more than two weeks before the massacre at Robb Elementary School. The swearing in had been on hold, but according to a Tuesday night news release, new council members were sworn in per the city charter. "Out of respect for the families who buried their children today, and who are planning to bury their children in the next few days, no ceremony was held," Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin Jr. said in a statement. The special council meeting was scheduled for 6 p.m. at City Hall. The only agenda item was the swearing in of Arredondo and two other newly elected council members. Earlier Monday, McLaughlin said in a statement the meeting will not take place as scheduled. Our focus on Tuesday is on our families who lost loved ones, he said. We begin burying our children tomorrow, the innocent victims of last weeks murders at Robb Elementary School. The mayor went on to say that since Arredondo was duly elected, nothing in the city charter, state election code or Texas Constitution would prevent him from taking his seat on the council. McLaughlin added that he was not aware of any investigation of Arredondo. As police chief for Uvalde CISD, Arredondo, 50, was the on-scene incident commander at Robb Elementary last Tuesday after 18-year-old Salvador Ramos entered the school, locked himself in two adjoining classrooms filled with students and two teachers, and sprayed the rooms with gunfire from an assault-style rifle. Police officers, sheriffs deputies and other law enforcement officers gathered in a hallway inside the school and on the grounds outside, but Arredondo ordered them to stand by and not try to breach the classroom. More than an hour passed before members of a Border Patrol special tactical unit went into the classroom and shot Ramos dead. By then, Ramos had killed 19 children and two teachers. At a news briefing Friday, Col. Steven C. McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said Arredondo had determined that he was dealing with a barricaded subject who did not pose a threat to the children and teachers. He said Arredondo wanted to await the arrival of Border Patrol officers with bulletproof shields and other specialized equipment. McCraw was unsparing in his assessment of Arredondos judgment: It was the wrong decision, period, he said, adding: Theres no excuse for that. From what we know, we believe there should have been an entry as soon as you can. McCraw said that when lives are at risk in an active-shooter situation, every officer lines up, stacks up, goes and finds where those rounds are being fired and keeps shooting until the subject is dead. Period. Arredondo was not at the briefing and has made no public comment on the tragedy. Before becoming police chief at Uvalde CISD in early 2020, he was a police captain with Laredos United Independent School District for three years. Arredondo is a native of Uvalde and graduated from Uvalde High School in 1990. Staff Writer Guillermo Contreras contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate UVALDE They grieved in the night. Mothers hugged their sons. Fathers cried with their daughters. About 10:30 p.m. Sunday, families walked silently past the metal barricades in front of Robb Elementary School. Earlier that day, law enforcement officers had manned those barricades as President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden placed flowers at a memorial for the 19 students and two teachers massacred in one of the nations worst school shootings. The families also placed flowers and teddy bears before the 21 white crosses. Biden had returned to the White House by then. There were no members of Congress, senators or other elected officials to offer consolation. Uvalde residents have struggled to understand why 18-year-old gunman Salvador Ramos unleashed such unspeakable violence. Now, theyre beginning to feel the full weight of their grief. Many have visited the ever-growing memorial at Uvaldes town square, partly to connect with others who are just as shocked and horrified as they. Residents have been experiencing all of this in full view of reporters and video crews from around the globe. Internationally, their farming town of more than 15,000 is now, and will be for years to come, linked with a teenagers murderous rampage. Bidens visit in which he met privately with families of the victims for several hours further sharpened the focus on Uvalde. Everyone is trying to pull themselves together, said truck driver Charlie Rattler Sr., 63, on Monday morning. Every time I turn on the TV, its about the massacre. Were living this over and over and over again. Its so overwhelming. Its affecting everyone trying to pull themselves together. While many people here continue to pay their respects to the dead, visiting memorials around town, others choose to stay home and mourn with family members. Early Monday morning, Boy Scouts posted American flags outside Uvaldes City Hall and post office in honor of the nations war dead. On past Memorial Days, the scouts and their parents put up flags on the town square. On Monday, they decided to forgo that tradition out of respect for the dozens of people visiting the memorial for the Robb Elementary victims. A 38-year-old father of a Boy Scout said he had avoided talking to reporters. Hed rather call or text the families of the dead to offer condolences or ask if they need anything from H-E-B or Walmart. I dont want it to be for show, said the father, who didnt want to share his name. I dont want this to be for cameras. I just prefer to call the families and first responders and ask them if theres anything I could do. Although residents say they feel like theyre under a microscope, many spoke fondly of Biden for visiting Uvalde on Sunday and for the funds donated by individuals, nonprofits and companies. On ExpressNews.com: President Biden meets with families of Uvalde shooting victims The visit Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer On Sunday, Biden attended a noon Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. To everyone impacted by the horrific elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas: We grieve with you. Biden tweeted that evening. We pray with you. We stand with you. And were committed to turning this pain into action. Rattler, the truck driver, said he appreciated Bidens visit. He also wants the president to follow through on his promises of action. Its good to see Biden. Its what a president should do, Rattler said. But we need change. At a news conference Friday, Gov. Greg Abbott pledged state support to help Uvalde heal. He also said that all options were on the table for Texas lawmakers to address gun violence. That same afternoon, however, Abbott said in videotaped remarks to the National Rifle Association convention in Houston that laws could not stop mass shootings. Remember this, there are thousands of laws on the books across the country that limit the owning or using a firearm, laws that have not stopped madmen from carrying out evil acts on innocent people and peaceful communities, he said. Promises On Monday, Martha Ruiz, 55, attended the visitation for 10-year-old Maite Yuleana Rodriguez, a victim of the mass shooting. Rodriguez was her cousins granddaughter. At her home near Uvalde High Schools Honey Bowl Stadium, Ruiz considered politicians promises to do something to curb gun violence. Its nice that a lot of people are helping, she said. But we need them to do something for the kids. Ruiz has refused to read or watch news coverage of the massacre. She hasnt looked at Facebook or watched a TikTok video since last Tuesday. She is one of many people here who find comfort in preparing meals for the victims family members. On Monday, Gilbert Vasquez, 58, an AT&T employee in Uvalde, joined other members of the Communications Workers of America Local 6143 as they cooked and gave away 500 plates of chicken, sausage, beans and potatoes to passersby on Main Street. Vasquez, a Uvalde resident, believes Biden, Abbott and state lawmakers might make good on their promises of change. I think theyll get something done, he said. Hes looking forward to when the international scrutiny of his town begins to fade. Were here for the people, Vasquez said. Once everyone leaves and forgets about us, were going to stay strong and survive. Eric.killela@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate UVALDE David Graham was a long way from Ohio, but he had made the drive to Texas out of love, born of a broken heart. He didnt know any of the 19 children and two teachers killed in the May 24 massacre at Robb Elementary School here. But you never would have known that by the red heart Graham, 63, spray-painted on the grass Tuesday on a corner of Grove Street where he could see hearses pass on their way to Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Graham wept as he removed his cowboy hat and held it to his heart as a funeral procession passed in the middle of the morning though it was not a victim of the shooting. Hours later, he would see the procession for Amerie Jo Garza, the 10-year-old girl described in an obituary by her family as a kind, caring, blunt, loving, sweet, sassy and of course funny little diva with a heart of gold who wanted to be an art teacher. She would be the first of the victims to be buried. Graham packed his pickup and drove to Uvalde from Bellville, Ohio, near Columbus, where he is a semi-retired farmer. I came here because I have a heart to lend to people, Graham said, holding back tears. I just want to try and leave a drop of love. For Uvalde native Hector Gomez, that gesture from a stranger who fast became a brother is just what his aching community of more than 15,000 needs. It affects me a lot, said Gomez, 64, who attended Robb Elementary as a child. You see the innocent children and teachers (gone). But the community has been so beautiful. People have come from all parts of the country. Belinda Garcia of San Antonio was shaking and in tears as she left Hillcrest Memorial Funeral Home. Her family came to Uvalde to drop off handmade rosaries to each of the families. Something to comfort them, she said through tears. She had made a special one for Maite Yuleana Rodriguez, 10. It is blue and adorned with turtles. Garcia read that Maite wanted to be a marine biologist when she grew up. There was a heavy police presence at the funeral home, which is directly across the street from the school. Visitation for two victims, Nevaeh Alyssa Bravo and Jose Manuel Flores Jr., both 10, was scheduled to last into the night. Visitors were forced to drive past the very spot where the gunman a week earlier had crashed through metal barriers at a drainage ditch before abandoning his vehicle and assaulting the school. Several quietly walked across the street from the funeral home to look at the school, standing briefly at the yellow crime scene tape that still surrounds it. On ExpressNews.com: Five victims of Uvalde shooting remain in San Antonio hospitals Rachel Rangel, of Uvalde, tried to get to the funeral home in time to pay her respects to Amerie Jo, but there was a line. She said she couldnt imagine how people will get through the upcoming days of funerals and vigils. Its very hard, she said. There were innocent kids who didnt have a chance in life. Her grandson is a second-grader at Robb Elementary. After an awards ceremony on campus the morning of May 24, Rangel said, something told her to sign him out to leave as soon as it was over. Sara Guerrero and her sister drove from Del Rio and said they were filled with grief as they paid their respects at the school. A fifth-grade teacher herself at Bible Way Christian Academy, Guerrero noted a silence hanging over Robb. You feel it in your chest, she said. Walking over here, my chest is so heavy. On ExpressNews.com: Lawyer: Uvalde teacher did not leave door open at Robb Elementary School Guerrero said she couldnt imagine being in a situation in which she could not protect her students. The love and care coming from other towns gave her a sense of uplift, knowing Uvalde is not alone, she said. Dora Valdez, 58, had just opened her shop, Dorys Beauty Salon, as people were arriving for Ameries service at the nearby Sacred Heart church. Valdez has cut hair in Uvalde for years, and many of her customers had lost loved ones in the shooting. Pallbearers wore white shirts with the girls name on the sleeves. One of them was wearing an empty holster. A grandmother, Valdez said in Spanish that the grief was hers, too. It was everyones Se siente en el ambiente, Valdez said: You feel it around you, in the air, in the environment. A steady stream of mourners declined to speak as they left Rushing Estes Knowles Mortuary, where visitation for the first of the slain teachers, Irma Linda Garcia, 48 and for her husband, Jose Antonio Joe Garcia, 50, who died of a heart attack two days after the shooting began in the afternoon. The obituary from the family spoke of Irma Garcia as selflessly protecting her angels and noted that the couple began their relationship in high school and it flourished into a love that was beautiful and kind. The funeral homes online guest book drew prayers for Uvalde from people across town, across Texas and across the United States. Several identified themselves as educators. Some left only their first names. More than 75 entries had been recorded by Tuesday. Please know that you are not alone and we are grieving for you all, wrote Kimberley Fuller of Georgia. I just hope you find comfort within your community, and know the entire country is sending their love, your way, added Jennifer Gustin of Puyallup, Wash. ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863 This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate UVALDE Mourners gathered Monday for the viewing of Amerie Jo Garza, a 10-year-old described as sassy, funny and kind. She also hated wearing dresses. She was one of the 19 children massacred Tuesday at Robb Elementary School here. Garza had called 911 for help from her classroom before an 18-year-old gunman killed her. Her visitation service was one of the first for victims of the mass shooting, who included fourth-grade teachers Irma Garcia, 48, and Eva Mireles, 44. Dozens of visitations and funerals are expected to take place this week the first week of summer vacation for Uvaldes public schools. By noon Monday, about two dozen cars and trucks crowded the parking lot of Hillcrest Memorial Funeral Home, and vehicles lined Geraldine Street in front of building. Family, friends and acquaintances somberly filed past news media and passersby, many of whom were carrying flowers to the memorial site at nearby Robb Elementary. Rosie Gonzales, with her husband and sister-in-law, drove to Uvalde from San Antonio to attend the service. Her sister-in-law had ties to the Garza family, and they wanted to pay their respects. Gonzales had grown up in this farming town of 15,000, located 85 miles from San Antonio. I never thought that this would happen, never even in my wildest dreams, especially in Uvalde, said Gonzales, 86. Salvador Ramos, a Uvalde High School dropout, entered Robb Elementary at 11:33 a.m. Tuesday, soon after a school awards ceremony. Minutes before, he had shoot his 66-year-old grandmother in the face at her home on nearby Diaz Street. Ramos entered a joint-classroom, rooms 111 and 112. The fourth-graders were watching the movie Lilo & Stitch. He locked the door behind him and began firing his assault-style rifle at students and teachers. By the time officers shot and killed Ramos at 12:50 p.m., the mass shooter had slaughtered 21 and wounded 17 others. Gonzales struggled to put her sorrow into words after Mondays visitation service for Garza. I went in to pray what else can you do? There are no words, she said. That little girl will never be here again. Theres only one of her. Garzas funeral is scheduled for Tuesday. Family and friends prayed over her casket, Gonzales recalled. ExpressNews.com: Remembering the lives lost in Uvalde Like an angel Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer Later Monday, Martha Ruiz, 55, and her husband Alfredo Ruiz, 58, stood with family members outside their home near Honey Bowl Stadium. The family was preparing for their second visitation service for 10-year-old Maite Yuleana Rodriguez, also a victim of Tuesdays mass shooting. They had attended a family-only service late Sunday. Martha Ruiz said Rodriguez was her cousins granddaughter. Rodriguezs obituary described her as a friendly and sweet soul who made the honor roll at school and loved learning about animals and the ocean. She dreamed of becoming a marine biologist. The Ruiz family has hosted family visitors from Eagle Pass and elsewhere, offering them menudo and a place to sleep overnight ahead of visitation for Rodriguez at Rushing Estes Knowles Mortuary on Monday and Tuesday. Her funeral service is set for Tuesday at 7 p.m. Ruiz saw the girl in her casket Sunday evening. We were worried that she would look different, but she looks beautiful, she recalled. She looks peaceful like an angel. Eric.killelea@express-news.net By Rory Kelly "As women in comedy, at the very least, none of us are mediocre straight white men." This is how "As women in comedy, at the very least, none of us are mediocre straight white men." This is how Kristen Pimley sells her all-women comedy showcase, , happening this Saturday in Seoul, with proceeds going to help single mothers. A desire to skewer institutions and upend social norms runs through Pimley's work; she started her own satirical newspaper in college, and even attended a workshop run by the writers of The Onion, she told The Korea Times. She describes her sense of humor as "biting" and "dark," and quips "When you're from a country with no universal healthcare, comedy is a lot cheaper than therapy." Originally from the U.S. state of Indiana, Pimley is a mainstay of the Seoul comedy scene. She started doing stand-up in February 2020, during "a very dark place" in her life. "The best part about stand-up comedy is that it allows me to rewrite my battles in my own narrativetelling jokes is my way of taking my power back," she said. But she won't be alone onstage. Andrea Tran , a fellow American who started doing stand-up almost a year ago, will also be performing that night. She told The Korea Times that getting into stand-up "was definitely one of the best decisions I've ever made." Tran is excited for this latest all-women showcase, because "stand-up comedy is a male-dominated field," she said. "As a result, sometimes women try to do comedy that's more appeasing for males." Would she encourage others with underrepresented voices to try out stand-up? Absolutely. "I say, 'Just do it.' If you think you're funnythen chances are, you are. But even if you're not, keep trying 'til you are." Both women draw from their own lives for inspiration, but in very different ways. "I think about something traumatic that happened in my life, and then try to write as many jokes about it as I can," Pimley said. Tran, on the other hand, said, "I live a unique life that sometimes feels unbelievable, which makes it that much funnier to talk about." Relatability is a great asset in comedy and Pimley and Tran are aware that when some groups are marginalized and unable to express themselves fully, audiences from that background might feel alienated. With Ladies Night, they want to make sure that the female population gets their turn to laugh. "It's important to bring up topics and situations that women can relate to," Tran explained. Performing English-language stand-up in Seoul, the audience is naturally somewhat limited. But Pimley says the limitedness means there is a greater pool of experiences that comedians in the scene can draw on, since they are more likely to be universal for English-language speakers here. An example? "The first conversation I ever had in Korean," Pimley recalled, happened due to "my parents mailing me my diploma and accidentally shipping it to North Korea." Of course, the limited population of foreign nationals presents other challenges. "Seoul is also a very transient city," Pimley lamented. "We have had a lot of strong comedians recently return to their home countries, and when that happens, we need to work hard to fill in the gaps." This reason is why it's so crucial to hold events like Ladies' Night and encourage others to join the fold. "My goal is to provide a platform for women and other underrepresented groups in comedy and help them develop the confidence to express themselves onstage," she said. Is that Pimley's only goal? Is success on the comedy circuit also something to which she aspires? How would she measure such a thing? "If I get more Instagram followers than my bullies in middle and high school, then I know I've truly made it," she said. Ladies' Night Comedy Show starts at 5 p.m. on June 4 at The Studio HBC near Noksapyeong Station on Seoul Metro Line 6. The host will be Krieger and the other performers will be Rami Moon, Ishi Sharma and Jackie Kim. Tickets are 10,000 won at the door, with the money raised going toward Galwol Community Welfare Center and the Yongsan District Office, which will help in putting the money into the hands of single mothers in need of assistance. A satirical video from the National Rifle Association convention in Houston over the weekend has gone viral on TikTok and other social media platforms. In the video, Jason Selvig, a member of the comedy duo The Good Liars, went up to the microphone during what appeared to be a question-and-answer session with a panel that included CEO Wayne LaPierre and delivered a speech. More Uvalde coverage: Uvaldes school police chief was supposed to take the oath as a city councilman tomorrow. Thats on hold. Selvig praised LaPierre for his thoughts and prayers at the convention that came just three days after an 18-year-old in Uvalde shot his grandmother in the face, walked into a fourth grade classroom with a military-grade assault rifle and killed 19 children and two adults. Selvig also highlighted other mass shootings elsewhere in the country over the years and mocked the idea that thoughts and prayers were the solution to preventing future tragedies. In his speech, Selvig said he was sick and tired of the left-wing media and others spreading misinformation about Wayne LaPierre whenever there is a mass shooting. Selvig said: They all say that Wayne LaPierre isnt doing enough to stop these mass shootings and even imply that Wayne LaPierre has played a part in making it easier for these shooters to get guns, to get weapons. The video repeatedly cuts away from Selvig to LaPierre, who looks confused. More Uvalde coverage: Morning of chaos: A reconstruction of how the Uvalde massacre unfolded Selvig said that LaPierre was accused of not doing enough after mass shootings in Las Vegas, Parkland, El Paso and others. You kept hearing that Wayne LaPierre isnt doing enough and, frankly, thats not true, Selvig said. The NRA, under Wayne LaPierres leadership, has provided thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families, and maybe these mass shootings would stop happening if we all thought a little bit more and prayed a little bit more. Selvig concluded: Im asking everyone in this room to think, to pray, give your thoughts and your prayers and your thoughts. And if we give enough of these thoughts and prayers, these mass shootings will stop. So I want to thank you, Wayne LaPierre, for all your thoughts and your prayers. timothy.fanning@express-news.net The fact that the gunman responsible for the massacre in Uvalde was able to buy two AR-15s days after his 18th birthday highlights how much easier it is for Americans to purchase rifles than handguns. Under federal law, Americans buying handguns from licensed dealers must be at least 21, which would have precluded the gunman from buying that type of weapon. That trumps Texas law, which only requires buyers of any type of firearm to be 18 or older. Following the May 24 massacre at Robb Elementary School, which killed 19 children and two adults, a growing number of lawmakers in Texas and beyond are calling for the minimum age to purchase assault rifles to be raised to 21 from 18. Doing so would require undoing nearly two centuries of more permissive regulations on so-called long guns. Its something that could happen at either the state or federal level, but I dont see movement on either front, said Sandra Guerra Thompson, a criminal law professor at the University of Houston Law Center. Only six states Florida, Washington, Vermont, California, Illinois and Hawaii have increased the minimum purchase age for long guns to 21, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. The majority did so following the 2018 massacre in Parkland, Fla., where a then-19-year-old assailant killed 17 people at a high school. Several states have since faced legal challenges. James Durbin / James Durbin The National Rifle Association is seeking to repeal the Florida law. The ban infringes the right of all 18-to-20-year-olds to purchase firearms for the exercise of their Second Amendment rights, even for self-defense in the home, the NRA argued in a court filing, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel. The ban does not just limit the right, it obliterates it. Government attorneys, however, argued that because 18-to-20-year-olds are uniquely likely to engage in impulsive, emotional, and risky behaviors that offer immediate or short-term rewards, drawing the line for legal purchase of firearms at 21 is a reasonable method of addressing the Legislatures public safety concerns. A federal judge upheld the law last year; the NRA is appealing. A U.S. Court of Appeals recently ruled that Californias version of the law was unconstitutional, though it did uphold a provision that requires adults under 21 to obtain a hunting license before buying a rifle or shotgun. After the shooting in Uvalde, lawmakers in New York and Utah called on their states to raise the age limit for long gun purchases to 21. U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein introduced federal legislation earlier this month less than a week before the Uvalde shooting that would raise the minimum age to purchase assault weapons to 21 from 18; the California Democrat said in a statement that it was in response to a shooting that killed 10 people at a Buffalo supermarket. That gunman also was 18 years old. It makes no sense that its illegal for someone under 21 to buy a handgun or even a beer, yet can legally buy an assault weapon, she said. Lindsay Nichols, federal policy director at the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, said increasing the age requirement at the federal level may be more effective because federal authorities can inspect and discipline licensed firearm sellers. State authorities often dont have a system in place for enforcing the laws governing licensed dealers, Nichols said. In the hours after the shooting in Uvalde, there was some confusion about what types of firearms the gunman had used. Gov. Greg Abbott initially said that the gunman had a handgun and possibly a rifle. That prompted some to speculate that he had been able to get hold of the weapons more easily because of recent changes to the gun laws in Texas, including a bill passed last year that allows Texans to carry handguns without a permit or training. But those early reports turned out to be inaccurate. After it became clear that the weapon used was a rifle, Texas Democrats questioned why the gunman was able to purchase one at the age of 18. Why do we accept a government that allows an 18 year old to buy an assault rifle, but not tobacco products? state Rep. Nicole Collier, a Fort Worth Democrat who chairs the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, said in a statement. The hypocrisy of government is deafening. We can develop gun policy that does not infringe upon ones constitutional right, while preserving and protecting life; thats called multitasking and we can do that. Democrats, including state Rep. Jarvis Johnson of Houston, have called on Abbott to convene a special session of the Legislature so lawmakers could pass real gun reforms, including raising the minimum age to purchase long guns. Enough is enough, Johnson said. Such a move would reverse a decades-old Texas system that treats handguns differently from long guns, which have long been exempted from state rules on open carry. The disparate rules date back to the post-Civil War era, when the state counter to its modern-day reputation adopted some of the strictest gun control laws in the nation. Despite its stereotype of being a state where cowboys promiscuously tote six-shooters, Texas is one of the few states that absolutely prohibits the bearing of pistols by private individuals, wrote firearms attorney Stephen Halbrook in a 1989 Baylor Law Review article, six years before former Gov. George W. Bush relaxed rules on handguns considerably. Following spasms of violence that were then plaguing the young state in the 19th century, lawmakers started specifically targeting weapons that they equated with crime, said Texas historian Brennan Rivas, who is writing a book about the states early gun laws. They equated Bowie knives, daggers and pistols with interpersonal violence and crime. Muskets, rifles and shotguns, by comparison, were excluded because they were used for hunting or participating in a militia. They didnt consider long guns to be deadly weapons, Rivas said. Those had valuable uses. Whereas these other weapons were kind of like a plague on polite society. Lawmakers of that time could not have envisioned that long guns would evolve from lumbering hunting rifles into AR-15s capable of firing dozens of rounds per minute, Rivas added. But any tighter requirements appear unlikely to pass in Texas. Just last year, following high-profile massacres in El Paso and in Midland and Odessa in 2019, lawmakers approved a variety of measures that loosened gun regulations. In addition to authorizing the carrying of handguns in public without a permit or training, the laws ban the governor from limiting gun sales during an emergency and allow gun owners to bring their weapons into hotel rooms. During a news conference last week at Uvalde High School, Abbott repeated a claim he and other Republican state leaders have often made, that mental health issues are to blame for the streak of mass shootings, not lax gun regulations. Officials conceded that they were not aware whether the gunman had any criminal or mental health issues. The ability of an 18-year-old to buy a long gun has been in place in the state of Texas for more than 60 years, Abbott said. And why is it that for the majority of those 60 years we did not have school shootings? And why is it that we do now? Disclosure: The University of Houston has been a financial supporter of the Texas Tribune. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. This article is co-published with ProPublica, a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. I find that the gun safety debate lacks candor. People believe it is savier to tell only part of the truth, to soft-pedal the sell in an effort to get something anything done. But lying will always lead to a trap. Let me explain: The truth that no one wants to tell the one that opponents of gun safety laws understand and the reason so many resist new laws is that no one law or single package of laws will be enough to solve Americas gun violence problem. The solution will have to be a nonstop parade of laws, with new ones passed as they are deemed necessary, ad infinitum. In the same way that Republicans have been promoting gun proliferation and loosening gun laws for decades, gun safety advocates will have to do the opposite, also for decades. Individual laws, like federal universal background checks and bans on assault rifles and high-capacity magazines, will most likely make a dent, but they cannot end gun violence. Invariably, more mass shootings will occur that none of those laws would have prevented. Opponents of gun safety will inevitably use those shootings to argue that the liberal efforts to prevent gun violence were ineffective: They told us that all we needed to do was to pass these laws and the massacres would stop. They havent. That said, I understand the by-any-means-necessary approach that gun safety advocates are taking. They would do anything to make progress on this issue, to save even one life, one group of shoppers in a grocery store, one classroom full of children. I share their exasperation. This past week I found myself thinking that I was happy my children are no longer of school age. The idea that a parent would have to worry about their children being shot down at school is unimaginable and unconscionable. The fact that children now have active shooter drills and bulletproof backpacks is obscene. I know the numbing feeling of seeing no progress as the slaughter spreads. It can breed in us a perpetual despair and desperation. But I chose to view this issue soberly, with clear eyes, understanding the hurdle to getting anything done but also not lying to myself about just how much would need to be done for more Americans to feel truly safe. I understand Republicans are the opposition, that they have come to accept staggering levels of death as the price they must pay to advance their political agenda on everything from COVID-19 to guns. But I am on the same page as they are on one point. They see the passage of gun safety laws as a slippery slope that could lead to more sweeping laws and even, one day, national gun registries, insurance requirements and bans. I see the same, and I actively hope for it. When I hear Democratic politicians contorting their statements so it sounds like theyre promoting gun ownership while also promoting gun safety, Im not only mystified, Im miffed. Why cant everyone just be upfront? We have too many guns. We need to get some of them out of circulation. That may include gun buybacks, but it must include no longer selling weapons of war to civilians. I grew up in a gun culture. If there was a family in my hometown that didnt have guns, I didnt know them. One of the required projects in shop class was the making of a gun rack. My home was filled with guns, and at one point we even had a gun case with a carousel for the long guns in the living room. Almost no one in my town needed those guns. We werent active hunters. Crime wasnt raging. We were probably safer without them than with them. Furthermore, people rarely, if ever, practiced shooting. Some guns were owned without ever being fired. Gun culture is a canard and a corruption. It makes people fearful and convinces them that guns provide security. More guns equate to even more security. But in fact, the escalation of gun ownership makes society less safe. In our gun culture, 99 percent of gun owners can be responsible and law-abiding, but if even 1 percent of a society with more guns than people is not, it is enough to wreak absolute havoc. When guns are easy for good people to get, they are also easy for bad people to get. We have to stop all the lies. We have to stop the lie that fewer gun restrictions make us safer. And we have to stop the lie that gun safety can be accomplished by one law or a few of them rather than an evolving slate of them. Robb Elementary School teachers Eva Mireles and Irma Garcia died in classrooms 111 and 112 shielding their students. Garcias body was found with students in her embrace. Uvaldes hardened schools, active shooter drills and plans didnt save them. Neither did law enforcement officers, so faint of heart. On ExpressNews.com: My heart will forever be broken: What we know about the victims of the Uvalde school shooting During an initial news briefing last week about the two murdered teachers and 19 students, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott lauded law enforcement for saving lives, calling them heroes. But we have since learned craven officers stood by for more than an hour while the 18-year-old gunman fired sporadically with an assault weapon. The true heroes are teachers, including those far from Uvalde, who show up to school in these dark times. They show up, knowing a school shooting could happen where they work. They show up despite a lack of fortitude from Texas lawmakers to even contemplate gun safety laws. The Uvalde teachers and students are martyrs to state and federal inaction. On ExpressNews.com: Editorial: A horror we wont accept As it goes with every mass school shooting, our devastated nation is heavy with questions of what could have been done. What if the shooter, who was deeply troubled and made threats online, had received mental health help? What if he werent able to purchase two semi-automatic rifles and ammo? What if the school door had locked? What if we hardened our schools? What if we armed teachers? In response, we offer three broad points for consideration: First, that the broader discussion has to be about reducing overall gun violence. Universal background checks for gun sales or red flag laws might not have stopped this shooting, but they would reduce other instances of gun violence. Second, that this conversation cannot meaningfully happen without including guns. Third, teachers did not sign up to be armed. Its not about hardening schools because they are targets. Its about ensuring schools are never targets. In a statement the day after the massacre, Zeph Capo, president of the Texas American Federation of Teachers, reflected on the devastation and lack of intellectual honesty from state leaders: When are we going to take the commonsense actions needed to help stop the slaughter of our children and their teachers where they should feel safest in our schools? Apparently, not after Uvalde. The Texas GOPs policy response has been feeble and rote. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Sen. Ted Cruz have called for armed police officers at a single point of entry, like airports and courthouses. Education experts say its not feasible. Indicted Attorney General Ken Paxton has called for arming teachers. On ExpressNews.com: As Schumer blasts Abbott as absolute fraud over Uvalde, Sen. Cornyn calls for bipartisan gun law Texas school districts bolstered security after the 2018 mass shooting at Santa Fe High School where a 17-year-old shot and killed 10 and wounded 13, but it wasnt enough. Arming teachers would be risky, adding an absurd responsibility to educators. The irony is not lost on us: GOP lawmakers dont trust educators to teach history or share books, but they can carry guns. Two years after the 1999 Columbine High School massacre in which two students shot and killed 12 students and a teacher, the Texas Legislature created the Texas School Safety Center at Texas State University and, in the years that followed, lawful requirements for schools to implement emergency operation plans. But the research centers 2017-20 audit of 1,022 Texas school districts revealed a sobering reality: Only 200 had a viable active shooter policy. What are the barriers? Since Columbine, 311,000 students have experienced gun violence and at least 185 children, educators and other people have been killed, according to a Washington Post database. A 2020 plan developed by Everytown for Gun Safety, the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association details root causes and calls for meaningful action. Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer We are in favor of every part of the plan: Pass extreme risk laws. Encourage secure firearm storage. Raise the age to purchase semi-automatic firearms. Require background checks on all gun sales. Create evidence-based threat assessment programs in schools. Implement expert-endorsed school security upgrades. Initiate effective, trauma-informed emergency planning. Create safe and equitable schools. Clay Robison, Texas State Teachers Association spokesperson, told us making schools safer means addressing Texas lax gun laws: How do they know enacting reasonable gun control laws wont work, if they havent tried it? After Uvalde, Abbott and other Texas GOP members have learned no lessons. Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer No matter how long you think about it, its hard to fathom that the 18-year-old gunman in last Tuesdays elementary school massacre in Uvalde was too young to legally buy a can of beer from a store, but old enough to legally purchase an assault-style rifle that he would use to slaughter 19 children and two teachers. Any serious consideration of this fact should compel elected officials to reevaluate and reconsider and rethink all their old, set-in-concrete stances on gun reform. But our collective response to mass shootings in this country tends to follow a predictable pattern: shock, sadness, a stated commitment to make sure this doesnt happen again, followed by stubborn legislative gridlock and, finally, bleak resignation. Will it happen again? Offers of "thoughts and prayers" by U.S. elected officials after mass shootings are often received with criticism with people claiming the messages are empty and void of any actionable response. After the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting on May 24, some social media users accused Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, of having a response template ready to go whenever a shooting occurs. At least 19 students and two teachers were killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde by a man named Salvador Ramos, authorities said. "These mass shootings happen so much that Ted Cruz really got a template ready to tweet whenever they occur," a May 26 tweet said. The tweet shows a wall of screenshots supposedly from Cruz Twitter account, with the most recent being about the Uvalde school shooting. Each tweet is almost exactly the same, with the exception of the location of the shooting, making it look like Cruz uses the same apologetic message for each tragedy. This claim is bogus. The tweet Cruz wrote on May 24 about the Uvalde shooting is real, but the rest of the images of the other tweets are fake. A review of Cruz Twitter account shows that he has posted different messages following mass shootings. Many do follow similar patterns, with him and his wife offering prayers to the victims and their families, but the posts arent copied and pasted like the claim suggests. Examples of some of his tweets: On May 16, after a gunman killed 10 people at a supermarket in Buffalo, NY, Cruz wrote: "Heidi & I are praying for the families of the victims of the horrific shooting in Buffalo, NY. The killer must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and brought to justice. The racism & antisemitism that purportedly motivated this killer have no place in America Im thankful there are heroes like security guard Aaron Salter, Jr., retired police officer, who fought back, and lost his life defending those around him." On Aug. 3, 2019, after a shooter killed 23 people in a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, Cruz wrote: "My heart is with everyone in El Paso struck by this unspeakable evil. Heidi & I are praying for the victims & their families & are grateful for the first responders, local authorities & law enforcement working tirelessly to bring the perpetrator of this depraved act to justice." On June 18, 2015, after a gunman killed nine people at a historic Black church in Charleston, South Carolina, Cruz wrote: "My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims of last night's shooting in Charleston." We rate this claim False. Sources Fairfield, MT (59436) Today Mostly cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low around 45F. ENE winds shifting to NW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low around 45F. ENE winds shifting to NW at 10 to 15 mph. Superb trade was seen in the highly-anticipated Shadwell Aberdeen-Angus herd dispersal, with a top of 28,000gns for a cow and calf outfit and a standalone high of 22,000gns for a maiden heifer. Craven Cattle Marts and United Auctions, in conjunction with the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society, joined forces to stage the fixture at Skipton Auction Mart, North Yorkshire. The entire award-winning pedigree Shadwell Aberdeen-Angus herd, consisting of 153 cattle based in Thetford, Norfolk, sold for a total of 653,730, with record breed averages recorded for both in-calf and maiden heifers. The sale comprised predominantly females proven breeding cows, in-calf and yearling heifers from one of the countrys most prominent herds on the show circuit. The herd has bred multiple national and interbreed champions at the UKs major shows since it was first established in 1997. Many cattle by Shadwell sires were included in the sale, along with embryos. The stars of the sale with a 28,000gns price tag were a herd favourite, Shadwell Lady Heather P738, a 2014 daughter of Te Mania Berkley B1, out of the Netherallan Peter Pershore EO52-bred Lady Heather M572, a full sister to the 25,000 Blelack Lord Hildalgo and the 16,000 Blelack Lady Heather G769. The top performing outfit on price joined JM Steele, Scottish Borders. However, it was the second daughter, the year younger Lady Heather X250, a maiden heifer and solid cow in the making by the prolific Evolution, who really caught the eye when making the days top call for a standalone entry of 22,000gns when going to Michael and Melanie Alford, Foxhill Farm, Devon. From another renowned female line and consistent family, Shadwell Blackbird R797, soared to 10,000gns. The 2015-born mother of five is one of the few daughters in the herd by the 40,000 Rawburn Black Hawk L261 (by Lockerley Legolas), out of a home-bred Peter Pershore dam. Her bull calf son, Shadwell Black Magic X281, by Evolution and one of the picks from the 2021 autumn calf crop, was also offered for sale separately, doing better than his prolific dam when sold for 14,000gns to Scottish buyer, Aberdeenshires NA Wattie, the outfit together netting 24,000gns. The stars of the sale with a 28,000gns price tag were a herd favourite, Shadwell Lady Heather P738 Another mother and son outfit, this time from the Evora family, were sold separately, jointly making 20,000gns. The dam, Evora UO55, a four-year-old daughter of Rawburn Fast Ball P844, is out of Evora J443 (by Muirhall Total Deal). The mother of two, scanned in-calf to Evolution, fell to a 15,000gns bid from the Isherwood familys local Airedale pedigree Angus herd in Kildwick, while her second calf, an October, 2021, bull, Shadwell Earthquake X288, another well-bred Evolution son, made 5,000gns when going to W&R Dunlop in Lanarkshire. Outfits from the Blue Belle line were also in ready demand. Hitting 9,000gns was the October, 2016, Idvies Eland daughter, S934, bred out of a Peter Pershore dam. In-calf to Evolution, she joined Porter Farms in Lisburn, Northern Ireland., being accompanied into the sale ring by her October, 2021, son, Shadwell Bravado, again by Evolution, who sold separately for 8,000gns, going to Ireland with M Irwin, of Omagh, Co Tyrone, the duo jointly netting 17,000gns. In addition, a total of 43 Shadwell embryos grossed 15,330 in total, averaging 356. The sale was conducted by United Auction. Herd manager Robert Clarke said afterwards: It was a sad day for myself and my family, including daughters Maddie and Isobel, and I can only thank them for their hard work over the past ten months. "We had been with the Shadwell herd for the last 12 years with much success along the way, but I couldnt have asked for a better sale. I thought the herd was heading in the right direction with the young females we had coming through and was so pleased that the prices reflected this. "Its never a one-man effort and I cant thank everyone enough for their help with the sale." Foreign residents participate in a mock poll held at a multicultural family support center in Daejeon, May 24, ahead of the June 1 local elections. Yonhap Over 120,000 foreign residents eligible to vote, but lack of institutional support makes it difficult to exercise their right By Lee Hyo-jin A record-high number of over 120,000 immigrants will be eligible to vote in the local elections slated for Wednesday, reflecting the rapidly growing foreign population in Korea. While the local elections are the only chance for residents of foreign nationality to express their opinions through voting, many of them are left feeling helpless due to limited access to information about the candidates and their campaign pledges. Following a revision to the Public Official Election Act in August 2005, foreign nationals who have resided in Korea for three years or longer after obtaining permanent residency are given the right to vote in the quadrennial local elections. According to the National Election Commission (NEC), a total of 127,623 foreign residents are eligible to vote in this year's elections, a 20 percent increase from the previous elections held in 2018. "As equal members of the local community, foreign-born residents have been guaranteed voting rights in local elections, so that they can participate in the basic process of forming political agendas," said an official at the NEC, explaining why foreign nationals are allowed to vote only in local elections, not in other elections in which the president and National Assembly representatives are chosen. Thus, the local elections are so far the only opportunity for immigrants to express their opinions on the country's politics by voting. "I am planning to vote on Wednesday," said David Tizzard, a 40-year-old British resident living in Nowon District of Seoul, adding that this election is his second time voting in Korea after he became a permanent resident in 2015. "I have received all the information (needed to vote) and have been following the local and national developments with some interest," he said. "And the qualities I look for in a candidate are rather simple: for someone to be both inspiring and honest. I look for those who seem like they are working for a greater good rather than simply their own self-promotion." Limited access to information But not all permanent residents of foreign nationality are prepared to vote. In fact, a significant number of them do not even know about their voting rights, according to a report by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea published in November 2018. Four out of every 10 foreign permanent residents thought that they were ineligible to vote, while another 24 percent were not aware of their voting rights. Tim Clauson, 33, a resident from New Zealand living in Mapo District of Seoul, is one of them. "I wasn't aware that I am eligible to vote. My Korean ability isn't good enough to fully understand the politicians and their campaigns," Clauson told The Korea Times. Residents in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, participate in a get-out-the-vote campaign in front of a foreign residents' support center, May 15, encouraging immigrant voters to participate in the June 1 local elections. Newsis With natural capital and afforestation driving market interest and land values, a new report by Scotlands Rural College (SRUC) has identified associated risks that need to be managed. Farmland values across the UK rose by 6.2% in 2021, with Scotland experiencing the strongest growth in values of just over 31% overall and 60.8% for poor livestock land. More than 40 percent of farmland was bought by investors and amenity buyers over the past five years, figures show. Natural capital buyers are also increasingly important in the estates market, with 112m invested in Scottish estates in 2020 an increase of 55% on the ten-year annual investment. In addition, increased demand from institutional investors and financial institutions led to average sale prices for commercial forestry land exceeding valuations by around 50% in 2021. The report, co-authored by Professor Mark Reed - Co-Director of SRUCs Thriving Natural Capital Challenge Centre, outlines the risks these trends could create for markets, land managers and rural communities. Following an evidence review and a roundtable event with more than 60 experts, the report also proposes sixteen options for policy and practice. Among the risks identified by the project is that without buyer checks, it is possible for highly polluting industries to reach net zero via offsetting rather than reducing their emissions at source. The report's authors warn this would undermine the integrity of both markets and global political agreements. And while land value increases provide benefits for existing owners, it could exclude new entrants to farming, re-concentrate landownership and limit access to land by rural communities. The options for reducing the risks and enhancing the positive impacts of natural capital investment include developing guidance on the rights and responsibilities for investors entering the UK market. The report also calls for support for alternative landowner models, such as community ownership, as well as addressing barriers to tenants engaging in ecosystem markets. Professor Reed said: Interest in natural capital and ecosystem markets is driving rapid and significant change in the land use sector across the UK. "But these changes are layered on top of - and often symptomatic of - long term and systemic issues in land markets, such as concentration of landownership, and other market drivers, such as timber prices. It is important that effective and well-aligned market-based and public-support mechanisms are designed to tackle existing structural barriers, avoid policy conflicts and ensure land use transitions are viable across a wide range of land managers and holding types and sizes. The report was funded as part of a SEFARI Special Advisory Group in collaboration with the Scottish Land Commission. The Soil Nutrient Health Scheme is now open for Northern Irish farmers in zone one, with the data set to provide vital information on soil nutrient levels for each field on their farm. The scheme, delivered by the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), will help to improve water quality and the progression towards climate change targets. The industry initiative is being rolled out in stages using a zonal approach over the next four years. It is now open for farmers located in zone one, and producers located in other zones will be contacted to apply at a later date. Data retrieved will provide farmers with information on soil nutrient levels, as well as an estimate of the amount of carbon stored in their soils, hedgerows, and trees. Responding, the Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) said the official opening of the initiative marked a major milestone for the Northern Irish farming industry. UFU president David Brown said: Being part of the scheme will be a requirement for future agriculture support payments, a decision that was taken by DAERA Minister Edwin Poots. We encourage them to submit their application as soon as possible as this new scheme will have massive benefits for their farm business as well as delivering for the environment." Mr Brown added: This soil testing and LiDAR scheme has the potential to revolutionise the way we manage our land and soils as a region, helping us understand more precisely what is happening on our farms. "Farmers will receive specific training to assist them with using the nutrient and carbon data, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact this scheme will have on the environment and the NI farming industry in coming years." Farmers in zone one can apply online for the scheme via DAERA online services portal. A week-long campaign of activities and events will promote Welsh food and agriculture to politicians, stakeholders and the wider public. NFU Cymru's Celebration of Welsh Food & Farming Week, taking place from 6 June, will see events promoting positive messaging about Welsh agriculture. On the first day, Welsh farmers are being encouraged to take to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to highlight the importance of farming to Wales and its communities. Farmers are being encouraged to tweet using the hashtags #WelshFarmingWeek and #WythnosFfermioCymreig and tag the union in their posts. The day after, on 7 June, NFU Cymru will take Welsh farming to the heart of Cardiff Bay with a special Celebration of Welsh Food & Farming event at the Senedd. The reception will also see the union launch its new policy document setting out its priorities for the upcoming Agriculture (Wales) Bill. Members of the Senedd attending the event will be encouraged to support Welsh agriculture over the course of this Welsh Parliament. On 8 June, NFU Cymru is heading north to Clwyd, where it will join forces with the Cows on Tour team to share the farm to fork story with Denbighshire primary school children. Day four of the Celebration of Welsh Food & Farming Week - 9 June - will see the second NFU Cymru Sustainable Farming Conference held at Trewarren Farm in St Ishmaels, Pembrokeshire. One of the highlights of the conference is likely to be the Farming in practice session, which will see a farmer panel showcasing the economic, environmental, social and cultural contribution of farming in Wales. A week of promotional activity will draw to a close on 10 June with Members of the Senedd invited to local on-farm meetings across Wales. The visits will be an opportunity for members to engage with politicians and discuss the opportunities and challenges facing Welsh agriculture at this juncture. NFU Cymru President Aled Jones said: There is no getting away from the fact that Welsh farming is facing significant challenges at present and has done for some time. "Thats why NFU Cymru felt it was really important to host this series of events to spread positive messaging about our role in feeding the nation healthy, climate friendly food, while enhancing the environment and ensuring prosperous rural communities. "We have an exciting week of activities planned across Wales and I hope we can see the industry unite over the course of the week to champion Welsh agriculture. Those interested in attending the event are being asked to register through the NFU Cymru website or by calling the union's office on 01982 554200. Illustartions: Dhanashree KoliThere is a life beyond screens. Make sure you like it. By Ritu AilaniLet them know we smile, we laugh, we love our life. We love our life. We love our life. We love our likes, our comments, our common interests being that we like being liked. A Chicago-based performing arts student Shea Glover recited these lines in her spoken word poem Social Media. Her video struck a chord with thousands of people on YouTube. They said her words were powerful and poignant, before going back to scroll through their Instagram feeds.Perhaps thats why she ends the piece the way she did: Hearing her phone beep, she hurriedly picks it up to check her latest notifications. You wait for her to put it down and finish what she had to say, but she never does. You spend the next minute watching her slip into a rabbit hole of likes, comments and shares, before realising youre in one yourself. Thats how most conversations are these days. And, somehow, weve accepted this matrix as a way of life.A similar thing happened when The Social Dilemma released on Netflix. The documentary revealed the shocking game plan of tech giants who deploy billions of dollars to use human psychology against us, and keep people hooked to their apps like puppets on a string. The developers roped in for the film confessed that they knew all along the repercussions of this technology on human relationships. They highlighted that the rate at which youngsters these days are obtaining driving licences or going out on real dates is substantially lower compared to the previous generation, because they dont know a life outside their 4x4-inch screens. Ironically enough, when that cat was let out of the bag, audiences took to social media to debate and discuss the issue.A motivational speaker and author of bestsellers Leaders Eat Last and Start With Why, Simon Sinek is known to have perfectly articulated what he calls The millennial problem in one of his talks. He says, Because weve allowed unfettered access to these dopamine-producing devices and media, millennials dont know how to form deep, meaningful relationships. They admit that many of their friendships are superficial, and that they dont count on their friends. They have fun with their friends, but they also know that their friends will cancel on them if something better comes along. Additionally, he points out that they dont have the coping mechanisms to deal with stress. So, when significant stress shows up, instead of turning to a person, they turn to a device.After the summer holidays leading up to her sophomore year at Dubai American Academy, Mayurakshi Ghosal found her best friend acting distant. The reason, believe it or not, was that Ghosal had failed to maintain a Snapchat streak with her while spending time with her grandparents back in India. I started to realise that our friendship was nothing but sending black screens to each other for a hundred days just to keep a streak going, Ghosal shared in her Ted Talk. Our past hangouts were only of us taking tons of pictures to post on Instagram and texting our other friends about just how much fun we were having.This awareness pushed Ghosal to do in-depth research on the impact of social media on relationships. She found that she wasnt the only one going through this, and that an overdependence on these apps was making people unknowingly get caught up in relationships that were meaningless and superficial.Illustartions: Dhanashree KoliTo find out how real or superficial your connections are, here aresome questions from an online news platform called Elite Daily that are worth asking yourself.- When you hang out, do you spend your time together doing something worthwhile or talking about something worthwhile?- Do you feel comfortable asking them for help? Will they actually help?- Do you talk to them frequently and not just a few times a year?- Do you consider yourself to have a higher level of closeness with this person than you have with all the other people you interact with?- Is face-to-face interaction your main form of communication?If the answer to these is yes, then you and your friends share a meaningful bond with each another. If its no or even maybe, then you must take corrective measures.When going out to meet your friends, leave your phone behind at times. This will help you stay present in the moment and break the habit of reaching for your phone when people around you are having a conversation.Set a strict screen time limit while hanging out with your friends. Take a few pictures if you want, but dontbe on your phone all the time.Engage yourselves in activities such as cooking, painting or going for walks activities that do not require your phone. This will also give you some fond memories to look back on.Not everything about your life needs to be made public. At times, the best place to store your experiences is in your memory. This also proves that you genuinely want to spend time with your friends, and your moments together are not merely an opportunity to get social approval.Make the effort to get to know your friends beyond the superficiality of responding to their Instagram stories and maintaining Snapchat streaks with them. Get to know their families, their likes and dislikes, anecdotes from their childhood, their future goals. Thats how real connections are made. Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category Ranbir and Alia's fairytale romance has been a source of fascination for their millions of fans. Their dream-like wedding that took place on April 14th this year has taken the world by storm and fans are still in awe of how perfect everything was.Soon after the wedding, both of them were off to work. Quite recently Alia even shared a selfie stating that she was finally kickstarting the shoot for her Hollywood film, Heart of Stone. Alia never shies away from PDA on social media and ever since their wedding, it seems like those expressions of love have become all the more stoic.Today was one such day when Ranbir Kapoor was papped at the airport as he headed to Vishakhapatnam with Brahmastra director and close friend Ayan Mukerji and ace filmmaker SS Rajamouli. They were received with aplomb but what caught our attention was Alia's reaction to Ranbir's look for the day. Ditching casuals this time, Ranbir looked handsome in a pristine white kurta set and a clean-shaven look to add to that.While fans love it as always, Alia too recently shared Filmfare's image of him clad in the ethnic wear in her social media stories and captioned it with - "Oh hi" with a fire emoticon to go with it. That sure made the fans love the couple all the more and how easy they make it look - the love and the compliments time and again. Here's a glimpse of the story she put up! Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 30, 2022) - PNG Copper Inc. (CSE: PNGC) (the "Company") announces the grant, pursuant to its Stock Option Plan, of options to an eligible employee to purchase a total of 300,000 Class A common shares, exercisable in whole or in part on or before October 30, 2024, at an exercise price of $0.10 per share. About PNG Copper Inc. PNG Copper Inc. is a mineral exploration company focused on acquiring, exploring, and developing quality mineral properties in Papua New Guinea. The Company's core values are respect for the Community, the Landowners, the environment and operating a safe workplace for its employees. The Company is also committed to best practice standards of Corporate Governance. For further information please visit the Company's website at pngcopper.ca or contact: PNG Copper Inc. Paul Rokeby, Chief Financial Officer Tel: +1.705.465.1880 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. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/125868 The Constitutional Court ruled Tuesday that the state does not have to enact laws to compensate businesses that operated in the now-shuttered Gaeseong industrial complex in North Korea. The court dismissed a lawsuit filed by one of the companies against the government, claiming it breached its constitutional duty to legislate laws to provide compensation for property rights violations. It said the companies decided to do business in North Korea at their own responsibility, knowing their investment was at risk of unpredictable damage depending on inter-Korean relations. "It is difficult to say that there is an obligation for legislation to provide compensation for losses that occurred when the risk is already expected," the court said. The government already operates funds to provide compensation for losses to inter-Korean businesses and there is a special law to support companies that operated in the North Korean border city, the court added. The company received the right to acquire a plot of land in Gaeseong in 2007. But its business was suspended after Seoul banned all forms of inter-Korean cooperation, May 24, 2010, after North Korea torpedoed the South Korean warship Cheonan in March of that year. The inter-Korean industrial complex was closed in 2016 following the North's fourth nuclear test. The company filed the constitutional petition in 2016 accusing the government of "legislative omission" in connection with the May 24 measure, immediately after losing a damages suit against the state. In January this year, the Constitutional Court ruled the government's 2016 shutdown of the Gaeseong complex was constitutional, dismissing a suit filed by a group of businesses, claiming their property rights were violated. (Yonhap) Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - May 30, 2022) - Mobi724 Global Solutions Inc. (TSXV: MOS) ("Mobi724" or the "Company"), a fintech enabler of AI-powered payment card-linked solutions, today released its first quarter 2022 results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2022. Operating and Financial Highlights for the period: Launched its first real-time card-linked offers solution with Visa Inc. to customers in the Latam markets of Costa Rica and Panama; Entered into an agreement to provide its value-added services on Ingenico's Payments Platform as a Service. Ingenico is a brand of Worldline (Euronext: WLN), the European leader in the payments and transactional services industry and the fourth largest worldwide; Revenues of $0.129 million, an increase of 28% when compared to the previous quarter; million, an increase of 28% when compared to the previous quarter; Operating costs of $1.184 million, a decrease of 29% when compared to the previous quarter; million, a decrease of 29% when compared to the previous quarter; Net loss of $1.463 million, a decrease of 30% when compared to the previous quarter; million, a decrease of 30% when compared to the previous quarter; Proceeds from the issuance of convertible debentures for a cash consideration of $0.460 million; Cash and cash equivalents of $0.453 million as of March 31, 2022. "Mobi724 continues to experience positive traction in Q2 as we are successfully reactivating a significant number of accounts that had become dormant during the pandemic. This quarter, we continue to add new partners to further expand the scope of our real time connectivity network and we are signing contracts with new and existing clients while focusing on completing the funding for our acquisition of Avenida," said Marcel Vienneau, CEO. This press release should be read in conjunction with the Company's condensed interim consolidated financial statements and the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis for the three-month period ended March 31, 2022. These documents and additional information can be accessed under Mobi724's company profile on www.sedar.com. Update on Acquisition The Company announces that it is continuing to progress towards completion of its previously announced proposed qualifying transaction involving the proposed acquisition of Avenida Compras S.A. (the "Acquisition") (see the Company's news release dated March 2, 2022). The Company and Seller have agreed to extend the closing deadline to June 30, 2022 as the Company is in advanced discussions with various funding partners to secure the necessary financing for completion of the Qualifying Transaction. The Company anticipates closing the Acquisition by the end of June 2022. The Acquisition is subject to regulatory approval by the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSX-V"), the Company securing the requisite financing, the execution of definitive documentation as well as certain conditions and closing adjustments which are customary for transactions of this nature. The Company will provide further details in respect of the Acquisition, in due course once available, by way of press releases. About Mobi724 Global Solutions Inc. Make Every Transaction An Opportunity Mobi724 Global Solutions Inc. (TSXV: MOS) is a fintech company that enables banks and merchants to offer their customers real-time payment card-linked incentives, in a white-label format. Mobi724's objective is to add a layer of AI-driven actionable intelligence to every payment transaction, creating engaging consumer experiences & generating incremental commercial opportunities to its clients. Legal Disclaimer Mobi724 cautions investors that any forward-looking statements or projections made by Mobi724 are subject to risks and uncertainties, that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Such factors include, but are not limited to, those described under Item 'Risk Factors and Uncertainties' in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis, available on SEDAR. These forward-looking statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations; they are not guarantees of future performance. Mobi724 cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond Mobi724's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to mobi724's ability to complete the proposed Acquisition; and other risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, Mobi724 undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information. Completion of the Acquisition is subject to conditions, including but not limited to, TSX-V acceptance. There can be no assurance that the Acquisition will be completed as proposed or at all. Neither TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. THIS NEWS RELEASE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION TO BUY OR SELL ANY SECURITIES IN THE UNITED STATES AND IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO US NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. Investor Relations: For further information, please visit www.MOBI724.com or contact: Marcel Vienneau, CEO Mobi724 Global Solutions Inc. T: 514-394-5200 ir@mobi724.com Renmark Financial Communication Inc. Scott Logan: slogan@renmarkfinancial.com T: (416) 644-2020 or (212) 812-7680 www.renmarkfinancial.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/125873 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 30, 2022) - Conquest Resources Limited (TSXV: CQR) ("Conquest") reports its first quarter results for the three months ended March 31, 2022. This news release should be read in conjunction with the Company's unaudited interim consolidated financial statements and the associated management's discussion and analysis (MD&A) for the three months ended March 31, 2022 which are available on the Company's website at www.conquestresources.com or under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. Q1 & RECENT HIGHLIGHTS In January 2022, the Company completed the Phase 1 drill program on its Belfast-TeckMag Project. The drill program was focused on testing those geophysical anomalies that are characteristic of magmatic Cu-Ni-PGE's, VMS, and IOCG mineralization. 25 drill holes, totaling 9,260 metres were drilled over the course of 8 months from June 2021 to January 2022. Assay results have been received for all holes except for the last drill hole (BC21-26) still pending results. On May 1, 2022, Conquest entered into an Ontario Transfer Payment Agreement under the Ontario Junior Exploration Program with the Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry (the "OJEP Funding Agreement"). Pursuant to the OJEP Funding Agreement, the province of Ontario will contribute up to a maximum of $200,000 towards Conquest's exploration costs incurred during the rest of the year up to February 15, 2023, on its drill programs at the Belfast TeckMag Project. The funds will be made available to the Company subject to its satisfying certain project reporting requirements. ONTARIO JUNIOR EXPLORATION PROGRAM Conquest is pleased to announce that on April 7, 2022, the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development of Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry ("MNDM") accepted Conquest's application to the second Ontario Junior Exploration Program ("OJEP") intake. Conquest is awarded a maximum $200,000 grant towards the cost of the Belfast-TeckMag Project, conditional upon the execution of a funding agreement which governs the program grants. The conditions were subsequently satisfied and an OJEP Funding Agreement was signed with the MNDM on May 1, 2022. Conquest CEO Tom Obradovich said, "We are pleased to have been awarded an OJEP grant which will add to the meters of drilling we need to execute in order to test our remaining exploration targets." RESULTS OF OPERATIONS For the three-month period ended March 31, 2022, the Company recorded a loss of $348,837 or $0.003 per share. The loss included exploration expenditures of $158,733 and stock-based compensation expense of $93,896. The Company completed its Phase 1 drilling program on its Belfast-TeckMag Project in January 2022 and had no material drilling activities, besides a downhole geophysical survey, during the rest of the first quarter. Therefore, the exploration costs during the three-month period ended March 31, 2022 decreased in comparison with the same period in 2021. At March 31, 2022, the Company had total current assets of $1,586,333, including cash and cash equivalents of $1,532,615 to settle accounts payable and accrued liabilities of $96,879. Cash used in operating activities amounted to $416,973 for the three months ended March 31, 2022. The Company had no proceeds or disbursements from financing or investing activities during the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021. At March 31, 2022, Conquest had not achieved profitable operations, and expects to incur further losses in the development of its business. The Company has continued to rely on equity financing to fund its working capital requirements. ABOUT CONQUEST Conquest Resources Limited, incorporated in 1945, is a mineral exploration company that is exploring for base metals and gold on mineral properties in Ontario. Conquest holds a 100% interest in the Belfast - Teck Mag Project, located in the Temagami Mining Camp at Emerald Lake, approximately 65 kilometers northeast of Sudbury, Ontario, which hosts the former Golden Rose Gold Mine and is underlain by highly prospective Abitibi greenstone geology along a strike length of seventeen (17) kilometers. In October 2020, Conquest completed the acquisition of Canadian Continental Exploration Corp. which holds an extensive package of mining claims which surround Conquest's Golden Rose Mine, and subsequently doubled its land holdings in the Temagami Mining Camp through the staking of 588 mining cells, encompassing approximately 93 sq km., centered on Belfast Township, on the edge of the Temagami Magnetic Anomaly. Conquest now controls over 300 sq km of underexplored territory, including the past producing Golden Rose Mine at Emerald Lake, situated in the Temagami Mining Camp. Conquest also holds a 100% interest in the Alexander Gold Property located immediately east of the Red Lake and Campbell mines in the heart of the Red Lake Gold Camp on the important "Mine Trend" regional structure. Conquest's property is almost entirely surrounded by Evolution Mining land holdings. In addition, Conquest owns a 100% interest in the Smith Lake Gold Property of six patented claims and 181 staked mining claims to the north, west and south of the former Renabie Gold Mine in Rennie Township in northern Ontario, operated by Corona and Barrick that had reported gold production of over 1,000,000 ounces between 1947 and 1991 (Northern Miner March 4, 1991). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: general@conquestresources.com www.conquestresources.com Tom Obradovich President & Chief Executive 416-985-7140 Forward-looking statements. This news release may include certain "forward-looking statements". All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the completion of the Acquisition and the Consolidation, the release of escrowed funds, future cash on hand, potential mineralization, resources and reserves, exploration results, and future plans and objectives of Conquest, are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Conquest's expectations are exploration risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by Conquest with securities regulators. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as defined in the policies of TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/125872 Winnipeg, Manitoba--(Newsfile Corp. - May 30, 2022) - Novra Technologies Inc. (TSXV: NVI) ("Novra") has announced its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2022. All amounts are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted. Continued COVID-19 lockdowns and escalating geopolitical turmoil negatively impacted the world's supply chains and this had a major effect on Novra's Q1 2022 financial results by delaying our ability to ship our $5.7 million in backlog orders. However, shipments against Novra's order backlog have commenced subsequent to quarter-end and are expected to begin positively impacting our financial results for the remainder of 2022. As a result of making strategic investments to build product inventory, Novra also continues to be able to ship most orders for standard products from stock. First Three Months of 2022 Consolidated Financial Results Revenue was down significantly compared to the same period in 2021 ($929 thousand versus $3.73 million) and this materially impacted our financial results. Net income and Adjusted EBITDA(2) were both negative for the first three months of 2022. Due to on-going global geopolitical and public health situations, we expect volatility in our revenue and income to continue over the next several quarters as these impact our clients and the economy in general. Global supply chain issues will also continue to affect lead-times to deliver new orders we may receive through at least the next few quarters, particularly orders for custom or unstocked products. (In Thousands) Three Months Ended March 31, 2022 2021 % Chg Revenue by type: Products $ 504 $ 3,280 -85% Services 425 448 -5% Total revenue 929 3,727 -75% Gross profit 348 2,164 -84% Gross margin 37.4% 58.0% Operating expenses 1,082 1,190 -9% Operating income (loss) (735 ) 974 NM Other income (expenses) (23 ) 145 NM Net income loss as reported under IFRS (758 ) $ 1,119 NM Adjusted EBITDA - non-IFRS measure (425 ) $ 1,338 NM NM - Not meaningful (1) Amounts in the table may not reconcile due to rounding differences. (2) Refer to the Management's Discussion & Analysis ("MD&A") for a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net Income (loss) as reported under IFRS. Gross margin for the period fell by more than 20% compared to the same period in 2021 (37.4% versus 58.0%). This was the result of certain fixed costs being spread over much lower revenue, as well as differences in the product/service mix. Operating expenses improved by 9%, or $108 thousand, as the result of targeted cost saving measures. At the same time, we continued to invest in product development and ramped up in-person meetings with customers and attendance at industry events to nurture existing customer relationships and build new ones. On March 31, 2022 Novra's deferred revenue was $1.1 million, and our bookings backlog remained strong at $5.7 million. Shipments against backlog orders have begun to ramp up in second quarter. This, coupled with additional subsequent sales and bookings, provides some visibility into our revenue for the remainder of 2022. "We are working closely with our customers and partners to make sure they get what they need when they need it. The complexities of supply chain challenges make communications and cooperation more important than ever. At the same time, we are heartened to see industry events coming back to life and to have major projects picking up momentum. These are positive signs for our company and the industry as a whole," said Diana Cantu, Vice President, Sales and Marketing. For additional details on Novra's results and outlook for the three months ended March 31, 2022, please refer to our MD&A and the Consolidated Financial Statements, which are available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). About Novra Technologies Inc.: Novra (TSXV: NVI) (OTCQB: NVRVF) is an international technology provider of products, systems and services for the distribution of multimedia broadband content. The Novra Group of companies includes Novra Technologies Inc, International Datacasting Corporation, and Wegener Corporation. The companies in the group are known for a strong focus on applications including: broadcast video and radio, digital cinema, digital signage, and highly reliable data communications. For more information visit: www.novragroup.com Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, concerning but not limited to: our profitability outlook, the pending acquisition of Wegener, and anticipated developments in our operations in future periods. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by words such as "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "intend", "estimate", "predict", "outlook", "opportunity", "momentum", "potential", "targeted", "plans" "possible", "positive indication for", "looking forward to", "getting ready to", "is starting to", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions or results "will", "may", "could" or "should" occur or be achieved. As such, forward-looking statements are not historical facts but reflect our current assumptions and expectations regarding future events. These are subject to a number of risk and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations and assumptions. Some of these risks and uncertainties are described herein under the "Risks and Uncertainties" section of the MD&A. For the above reasons, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. 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. # # # CONTACT FOR NOVRA: Harris Liontas President & CEO +1 204 989 4632 hliontas@novra.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/125855 Using the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, Calian enables military customers to design, develop, and deliver training to physically dispersed units. OTTAWA, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 30, 2022 / Calian Group Ltd. (TSX:CGY), a diverse products and services company providing innovative healthcare, communications, learning and cybersecurity solutions, announces a collaboration with Microsoft to deliver next-generation synthetic training in the Microsoft Azure cloud environment. Significantly for military customers - this enables cost-effective and time-efficient high-quality training for disparate units, including reservist units, regardless of location. Calian, a Microsoft Gold Partner, is a trusted partner across the military ecosystem. The Company's Synthetic Training Environment is a collective training experience focused on mission-critical decision-making in the face of live and simulated data. When deployed via Azure, all elements of the synthetic training environment, such as cloud computing, virtual and augmented reality, wargaming, data analytics, after-action reviews, collective training and individual engagement, are accessible to geographically distributed military personnel. Individual, collective, and command training supported by the cloud enhances readiness and decision-making for real-life situations. "Delivering any time training, anywhere, for any threat is the Calian promise to defence customers," says Kevin Ford, CEO Calian. "Distributed training via the cloud enables militaries to improve individual and collective high readiness while reducing overall costs." "Calian has delivered synthetic training to the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) through the Canadian Army Simulation Centre for over 25 years," says Don Whitty, President Learning, Calian. "Our collaboration with the Canadian Army is the foundation for the success of our synthetic training environment solution and will continue to be our focus as we roll out our distributed training solution through Microsoft Azure." "Microsoft Azure makes it easy for Calian's solutions to be quickly and securely deployed," says Derek Dobson, Defence Industry Lead, Microsoft Canada. "The deep product integration with the Calian Synthetic Training Environment in the cloud ensures a successful anytime, anywhere training solution." Calian also benefits from Microsoft technology such as HoloLens 2 and Microsoft Windows Speech Recognition to increase knowledge transfer and retention and improve training objectives in collaboration with the Royal Canadian Navy. For a demo of the Calian Synthetic Training Environment or the Naval Augmented Reality classroom trainer, visit Calian Booth # 701/M16 at CANSEC, June 1 and 2, 2022, at the EY Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. About Calian We keep the world moving forward. Calian helps people communicate, innovate, learn, stay safe and lead healthy lives with confidence. Every day, our employees live our values of customer-commitment, integrity, innovation and teamwork to engineer reliable solutions that solve complex problems. That's Confidence. Engineered. A stable and growing 40-year company, we are headquartered in Ottawa with offices and projects spanning North American and International markets. Visit calian.com to learn about innovative healthcare, communications, learning and cybersecurity solutions. Product or service names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Media inquiries: pr@calian.com 613-599-8600 x 2298 Investor Relations inquiries: ir@calian.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DISCLAIMER Certain information included in this press release is forward-looking and is subject to important risks and uncertainties. The results or events predicted in these statements may differ materially from actual results or events. Such statements are generally accompanied by words such as "intend", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" or similar statements. Factors which could cause results or events to differ from current expectations include, among other things: the impact of price competition; scarce number of qualified professionals; the impact of rapid technological and market change; loss of business or credit risk with major customers; technical risks on fixed price projects; general industry and market conditions and growth rates; international growth and global economic conditions, and including currency exchange rate fluctuations; and the impact of consolidations in the business services industry. For additional information with respect to certain of these and other factors, please see the Company's most recent annual report and other reports filed by Calian with the Ontario Securities Commission. Calian disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. No assurance can be given that actual results, performance or achievement expressed in, or implied by, forward-looking statements within this disclosure will occur, or if they do, that any benefits may be derived from them. Calian Head Office 770 Palladium Drive Ottawa Ontario Canada K2V 1C8 Tel: 613.599.8600 Fax: 613-592-3664 General info email: info@calian.com SOURCE: Calian Group Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/703287/Calian-Collaborates-With-Microsoft-on-Military-Distributed-Synthetic-Training-Environments-on-Microsoft-Azure Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 30, 2022) - XAU Resources Inc. (TSXV: GIG.P) ("XAU" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") has conditionally approved its qualifying transaction that entails the option to acquire the Noseno Property in Guyana (the "Transaction"). The Transaction remains subject to the final approval of the TSXV. The Company continues to work towards the completion of the Transaction. In connection with the Transaction, XAU recently completed a $1 million financing of subscription receipts. By subscription receipt holder resolution, the deadline for release of escrowed proceeds from the subscription receipts financing has been extended from May 31, 2022 to June 30, 2022. In addition to release of the financing proceeds from escrow and the conversion of the subscription receipts into common shares of the Company and routine filings with the TSXV, final TSXV approval of the Transaction is conditional upon shareholders Pavel Maslovskiy and Alexey Maslovskiy entering into a voting trust agreement that limits the number of Company common shares that may be voted by them to a combined 9.9% of the Company's issued and outstanding shares For more details concerning the Transaction, please see the Company's press releases dated October 22, 2021, December 21, 2021, March 7, 2022, March 8, 2022, March 30, 2022 and April 29, 2022. NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. For further information please contact: Gary Bay Chief Executive Officer Tel: 647-339-4301 CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This press release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the future business and operations of XAU. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; and the delay or failure to receive applicable Board or regulatory approvals. 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. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and XAU disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/125875 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 30, 2022) - Hank Payments Corp. (TSXV: HANK) ("Hank" or the "Company"), a North American leader in consumer FinTech Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) announced today record quarter-over-quarter organic revenue growth, record gross margins, continued strong ARR and LUM (defined below) and, in addition to the B2C application of personal financial wellness through automating payments management resulting in improved household cash flow and debt management and overall financial hygiene, acceleration of its B2B go-to-market strategy to become the industry-leading Enterprise SaaS payments platform. Headquartered in Canada with operations in the United States, Hank is on a mission to transform outmoded personal financial wellness and consumer financial technology through offering a best-in-class payments platform and payment management capabilities. Hank's modern, elegant and proprietary cloud-based solution is revolutionizing the way both consumers and lenders alike manage payments with speed, automation, ease-of-use and best-in-class service as well as B2B SaaS Enterprise solutions that allow Hank to power bank, lender, originator, debt settlement companies and gig-worker platforms. FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS - CONTINUED STRONG FINANCIAL FUNDAMENTALS Revenue for the third quarter ended March 31, 2022, grew 24% year over year to $1,378,598. (Nine month $3,863,691, 21%) Gross margins grew to an unprecedented 89.2% in keeping with our historical trajectory. Revenue quarter over quarter grew 6% as the Company benefits from the recovery in the auto industry. Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) and Liabilities under Management (LUM) continue to remain strong. OPERATING AND STRATEGIC MATTERS - EVOLUTION TO THE ENTERPRISE AND FEALTY TO SHAREHOLDER VALUE The Company's historical B2C sales channel, being the SME auto dealer channel, continues to perform well and has resulted in predictable consumer growth, consumer loan payment performance and related analytics, generating for the Company stable and predictable revenue growth and providing the resources and expertise necessary to win larger contracts in that channel and allowing the Company to focus on the additional goal of advancing its B2B SaaS Enterprise customer opportunities. The Company is pleased with the exceptional level of interest and demand it has received in the Enterprise SaaS space. As a result, the Company is, as a natural progression in its evolution, pivoting its head count, other resource and expense base focus from B2C retail customer digital sales strategies in favor of negotiating potentially significant revenue generating (and expense efficient) B2B Enterprise SaaS licensing contracts that allow Hank to power bank, lender, originator, debt settlement companies and gig-worker platforms. On the expense side of the ledger, operating expenses in the quarter grew in part due to investments in digital marketing and related overhead, public company expenses, technology platform advancements to support Enterprise SaaS proposals as well as costs associated with evaluating potential strategic transactions. The Company has in a prudent manner addressed this by identifying and acting on several cost reduction measures post-quarter end, namely the elimination of various roles not directly contributing to the B2B Enterprise SaaS strategy, which will result in significant ongoing cost savings as Hank now focusses on the execution of highly accretive SaaS Enterprise licensing deals and strategic partnerships that will when finalized enable the penetration of mass markets, with markedly lower customer acquisition costs and lower relative customer service costs as scale is achieved. On the M&A front, the Company has conducted a top-to-bottom analysis of its in-process acquisitions funnel with a laser focus on the amount of accretion of Hank shareholder value resulting from said acquisitions in relation to the amount of dilution that Hank shareholders will incur from said acquisitions and has determined that it will not be proceeding with the two transactions identified, including the previously announced mortgage servicing transaction. On balance, the organic growth the Company is currently enjoying and anticipated to enjoy from its current opportunities funnel will bring more users to the Hank platform than proceeding with the two proposed acquisitions, without the Company incurring the execution and integration risks and costs associated with said acquisitions. The Company is open to evaluating accretive transactions, however, strategically the Company has determined that expenditure of its resources is best suited to support the near-term demand from Enterprise SaaS accounts. GENERAL CORPORATE MATTERS The Company has granted a total of 150,000 stock options of Hank under its Stock Option Plan, with an exercise price of $0.15 and an expiry date of May 30, 2024. The options are subject to the standard provisions of the Hank's Stock Option Plan. Jeff Guthrie President & COO will be leaving the Company for personal reasons to attend to a family member illness effective May 31, 2022. The Company and its Board of Directors wishes him and his family member best wishes during this challenging personal period. A comprehensive discussion of Hank's financial position and results of operations is provided in the financial statements and MD&A for the three and nine-month periods ending March 31, 2022, filed on SEDAR. Commenting on the quarter and year to date results, Michael Hilmer, Chairperson and CEO comments: "I am very pleased with the work the team has done to grow the SME channels business while evaluating transactions and related planning for our Enterprise SaaS funnel. I personally want to thank Jeff for his dedication to Hank and offer my heartfelt good wishes for a speedy resolution of his family health situation. I would also like to thank our other existing and departing team members for their exceptional hard work as we qualified opportunities and set Hank on a strong and disciplined expense and growth path. I am most excited about the magnitude and economics of the Enterprise SaaS funnel which continued to build in many strategic verticals, as well as key partnerships we look forward to announcing through summer in conjunction with lower operating costs and expected increases in gross dollar margin." About Hank Payments Corp. Hank is a SaaS based consumer Fintech company. The industry leading Hank cloud-based software platform (the "Hank Platform") acts as a consumer's financial budget manager using powerful technology to automate a consumer's personal cash flow and payments. Through its FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) insured bank partners in the U.S., Hank helps consumers in all 50 States find funds in their existing cash flow and speed up the retirement of liabilities. The Hank Platform instructs its banking partners to debit consumers when they have cash, store the money in FDIC insured accounts, then automatically pay bills and loans as they come due; often sooner than required. Approximately half of Hank's customers are financially sound and use the Hank Platform for convenience, while the other half improve their payment performance through the Hank Platform. Hank's customers pay setup and ongoing monthly processing fees while remaining on the Hank Platform for an average of three years. Hank continues to innovate and anticipates launching more expansive state of the art features to its expected growing customer base to provide greater visibility into their cash flow, credit performance, and viability to borrow or refinance at lower rates, including introducing Hank customers to interested lenders. Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking statements (within the meaning of applicable securities laws) which reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events. Forward-looking statements are identified by words such as "believe", "anticipate", "project", "expect", "intend", "plan", "will", "may", "estimate" and other similar expressions. These statements are based on the Company's expectations, estimates, forecasts, and projections and include, without limitation, statements regarding the future success of the Company's business. Financial performance figures in Canadian Dollars unless otherwise indicated by "U" representing United States Dollars. The forward-looking statements in this news release are based on certain assumptions, including, without limitation, the Shares beginning trading on the TSXV. The forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to control or predict. Several factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Readers, therefore, should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Further, these forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and, except as expressly required by applicable law, the Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: For more information regarding Hank Payments Corp., please contact: Jason Ewart, EVP Capital Markets, at 1-833-HANKPAY. For Investor Relations please contact ir@hankpayments.com and visit the Company's website at www.hankpayments.com . Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/125877 London, United Kingdom and Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 30, 2022) - GlobalBlock Digital Asset Trading Limited (TSXV: BLOK) (OTC Pink: BLVDF) (FSE: BD4) (the "Company" or "GlobalBlock") announces that the preparation and audit of its annual financial statements, management's discussion and analysis, and related certifications for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 (collectively, the "Annual Filings") are now complete, the Annual Filings have been filed and are now available for viewing on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR), link https://www.sedar.com/. Further to the Company's April 28, 2022 press release, Mr. Amaan Jalwa's appointment as CFO and Corporate Secretary of the Company is effective as of May 31, 2022. Rufus Round, CEO of GlobalBlock, said: "Aggregating and synthesizing disparate data sources from multiple trading counterparties, exchanges and custodial venues in this exciting new asset class is no mean feat and led to the delay in reporting our 2021 annal financials. The lessons learned will streamline our operations and reporting functions and crucially are instrumental in building a unique, scalable multi-layered service offering as a service driven digital asset broker." ABOUT THE COMPANY GlobalBlock Digital Asset Trading Limited is a publicly traded holding company (TSXV: BLOK) whose subsidiary, GlobalBlock Europe, UAB (https://www.globalblock.eu), is a European Union based digital asset broker that provides a personalised telephone brokerage service, trading platform and mobile app. Established by an experienced team of financial services professionals, GlobalBlock Europe, UAB acts as a trusted agent serving the digital asset needs of individuals, corporations, institutional financial firms and intermediaries, providing best execution trading and safe custody of digital assets. At this time, clients or customers based in Lithuania and the UK can be onboarded to its digital asset broker and trading services. For further information please contact the Company at: Rufus Round, CEO c/o 65 Curzon Street, London, W1J 8PE, United Kingdom Tel. +44 20 3307 3795 info@globalblockdigital.com https://globalblock.eu/ and http://www.globalblockdigital.com/ https://twitter.com/Globalblocknews https://www.linkedin.com/company/globalblock/ Media Contact Angus Campbell Citigate Dewe Rogerson Angus.Campbell@citigatedewerogerson.com CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain information set out in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements or information. Forward looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "intend", "could", "might", "should", "believe" and similar expressions. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking statements in respect of among other things: the lifting of the Management Cease Trade Order currently in place; the continued and successful development of the businesses and technologies of each of the Company and its subsidiaries, the ability of the Company and its subsidiaries to obtain the applicable regulatory approvals to continue to conduct its business and other information concerning the intentions, plans, future action and future successes of the Company, and its businesses, technologies and products described herein. Forward-looking statements are based upon the opinions and expectations of management of the Company as at the effective date of such statements and, in certain cases, information provided or disseminated by third parties. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, and that information obtained from third party sources is reliable, they can give no assurance that those expectations will prove to have been correct. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements included in this document, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which the forward-looking statements are based will occur. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not occur, which may cause actual results in future periods to differ materially from any estimates or projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, risk factors set forth in the Company's most recent management's discussion and analysis, a copy of which is filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, and readers are cautioned that the risk factors disclosed therein should not be construed as exhaustive. These statements are made as at the date hereof and unless otherwise required by law, the Company does not intend, or assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/125904 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 30, 2022) - C21 Investments Inc. (CSE: CXXI) (OTCQX: CXXIF) ("C21" or the "Company"), a vertically integrated cannabis company, today announced a delay in filing its audited annual financial statements and management discussion & analysis for the financial year ended January 31, 2022, and the CEO and CFO certificates, all as required by National Instrument 51-102 - Continuous Disclosure Obligations and National Instrument 52-109 - Certification of Disclosure in Issuers' Annual and Interim Filings (collectively, the "Documents"). The Company previously announced that it is transitioning from International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) to accounting principles generally accepted in the United Stated of America (US GAAP) for its fiscal year end of January 31, 2022 (see news release dated November 18, 2021). The delay in filing the Documents is due to the Company's auditors requiring additional time to complete their audit of the annual financial statements for the financial year ended January 31, 2022, partially due to the Company's transition from IFRS to US GAAP accounting. Accordingly, the Company has informed the British Columbia Securities Commission (the "BCSC") of its anticipated delay in filing the Documents and has applied for a management cease trade order ("MCTO") from the BCSC pursuant to National Policy 12-203 - Management Cease Trade Orders ("NP 12-203"), pending the filing of the Documents, which MCTO would prohibit the Company's management from trading in the securities of the Company until such time as the Documents are filed. The MCTO will not affect the ability of any other shareholders of the Company to trade securities of the Company. There is no guarantee that a MCTO will be granted. During the period of default and until the filing of the Documents, the Company intends to satisfy the provisions of the "alternative information guidelines" as set out in NP 12-203, including the requirement to file bi-weekly status reports in the form of news releases containing prescribed updating information. The Company intends to work diligently and expeditiously with its auditors and expects to file the Documents by June 9, 2022. Until the Company has filed the Documents, members of the Company's management and other insiders are subject to an insider trading black-out. The Company confirms that, other than as disclosed in prior press releases and material change reports, there have been no material business developments since the filing of the Company's latest interim financial report. The Company is not currently subject to any insolvency proceedings. For further inquiries, please contact: Investor contact: Investor Relations info@cxxi.ca +1 833 289-2994 Company contact: Michael Kidd Chief Financial Officer and Director Michael.Kidd@cxxi.ca About C21 Investments Inc. C21 is a vertically integrated cannabis company that cultivates, processes, and distributes quality cannabis and hemp-derived consumer products in the United States. The Company is focused on value creation through the disciplined acquisition and integration of core retail, manufacturing, and distribution assets in strategic markets, leveraging industry-leading retail revenues with high-growth potential multi-market branded consumer packaged goods. The Company owns Silver State Relief and Silver State Cultivation in Nevada, including legacy Oregon brands Phantom Farms, Hood Oil and Eco Firma Farms. These brands produce and distribute a broad range of THC and CBD products from cannabis flowers, pre-rolls, cannabis oil, vaporizer cartridges and edibles. Based in Vancouver, Canada, additional information on C21 can be found at www.sedar.com and www.cxxi.ca. Cautionary Statement: Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking information in this news release may include statements about the expected filing of the Documents, the Company's continued ability to satisfy the information guidelines set out in NP 12-203, as well as the duration of the MCTO. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company, including, without limitation, information based on the current state of the Documents, and discussions with the auditors of the Company Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. These include, but are not limited to risks and uncertainties arising from any delay in filing the Documents, the Company's ability to satisfy the requirements of NP 12-203, the revocation of the MCTO and replacement with a cease trade order, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's operations, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release represent the Company's expectations as of the date hereof, and are subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities regulations. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/125905 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 30, 2022) - YANGAROO Inc. (TSXV: YOO) (OTCPK: YOOIF) ("Yangaroo", "Company"), a software leader in media asset workflow and distribution solutions, today announced its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2022. The full text of the Financial Statements and Management Discussion & Analysis is available at www.yangaroo.com and on the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. Please note that all currency in this press release is denominated in United States dollars. Q1'2022 Management Commentary Grant Schuetrumpf, CEO of Yangaroo, stated, "During the first quarter of 2022, we continued to work towards completing three critical objectives for the business - the completion of the DMS acquisition integration, the development of our new data analytics solution and a significant upgrade of our core DMDS technology platform." "We have now completed the integration and rationalization of the DMS business into Yangaroo. The unification of the businesses under the Yangaroo brand has provided the Company with meaningful operating synergies. With this, alongside the completion of certain key development projects that enhance our operating efficiency, we have been able to reduce our staffing levels in this segment of our business by over 10%. We now believe that the combined Yangaroo/DMS solution suite is well positioned to better compete in an increasingly competitive marketplace moving forward." "In addition to the completion of the DMS integration, I am pleased to share that we have successfully launched our new data analytics product suite. While this offering is still in its early stages and clients are only now beginning to evaluate the product, we are very optimistic that there will be significant interest once we have completed its trial phase." "On the technology side we have made some significant investments in the past few months. Our advertising production and delivery services have been significantly enhanced by the addition of our TV Clearance platform as well as new digital ad-serving capabilities required for the CTV market. As you may recall, we have partnered with Innovid, the leading digital ad-serving platform in the market. With the Innovid integration now complete, we are currently presenting our new solutions to the market, both directly to our clients and prospects, as well as at in-person industry conferences." Mr. Schuetrumpf further stated, "With the continued improvement of our core technology, we have been able to expand upon our offerings in the music business. Recently we announced a novel partnership with ShineX, a leader in music royalty tracking. The partnership and its seamless technology integration allows us to provide our independent music artists with the ability to better track their performance in digital radio and provide improved accuracy on their subsequent royalty payments." "In closing, we believe that the completion of the DMS integration coupled with our recent investments in technology development have solidified our commercial foundation and positioned us well to weather the current challenging economic environment. We look forward to updating the community on our progress over the coming months." Q1'2022 Operational Highlights Business Developments & Advancements The Company completed the integration of the DMS acquisition which has resulted in a rationalization of the Company's work force by over 10%. Cost savings from these changes are anticipated to drive improved cash-flow generation in the second half of the year. Yangaroo launched its new data analytics solution and is receiving positive customer feedback. It is anticipated that the data analytics trial period will conclude later this summer and that the solution will become a more significant contributor in the latter part of 2022. Yangaroo Music announced a partnership with ShineX, a third-party analytics provider of satellite radio tracking data. The integration allows for a seamless product offering to independent artists that to obtain key information and data on outstanding royalty payments from satellite radio. Yangaroo is a proud vendor of the 53 rd NAACP Image Awards, which aired on BET during February 2022. Yangaroo's Awards platform powered the submission and judging process of the awards show. Yangaroo exhibited at the Performance Marketing-Driven Institute's (PDMI) bi-annual conference for USA's Direct Response advertising industry, showcasing our latest advertising solution and ongoing technology improvements. Technology Development We continued to significantly invest in our technology advancements in the first quarter of 2022 with the following: Advertising: Yangaroo released a new iteration of its Clearance Platform to clients, providing self-serve and real-time collaboration between an advertiser and TV broadcasters for the review and approvals of legal clearance submissions required for TV advertising. Awards: Yangaroo continued with critical updates on the existing Awards platform to make it highly scalable to drive efficiency and its competitiveness. Music: Yangaroo released important development to improve third-party integrations, including the new partnership with ShineX. Q1'2022 Financial Highlights ($USD) Q1 2022 Q1 2021 BALANCE SHEET KPIs Cash and cash equivalents $ 783,159 $ 1,860,137 Working capital** $ (1,649,976) $ 2,624,981 Liquidity $ 1,862,483 $ 2,655,365 INCOME STATEMENT KPIs Revenue $ 1,989,042 $ 1,232,315 Operating expenses $ 2,492,222 $ 932,843 Other expenses (income) $ 94,395 $ 32,889 Income (loss) for the period $ (597,586) $ 266,587 EBITDA $ (340,174) $ 319,734 EBITDA Margin % -17.10% 25.95% Normalized EBITDA (loss) $ (259,849) $ 360,799 Normalized EBITDA Margin % -13.06% 29.28% Term Loan Facility The Company has a term-loan facility with a principal balance outstanding of $2,353,106 with a term of 42 months from May 21 2021, with payment amortization of 72 months. The Company is required to comply with certain covenants, terms and conditions, including certain non-IFRS measures, under the term loan facility. This includes a covenant that requires the Company to maintain, on a rolling four-quarter basis, a minimum Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio of not less than 1.20:1.00 and an Interest-Bearing Debt to EBITDA ratio of no more than 2.75 times between May 21, 2021 and December 31, 2022. The Company was not in compliance with the covenants as of at March 31, 2022. The Company is actively working on obtaining a waiver and amending the terms of the loan facility, including additional waiver(s) of the covenant violations if required, on a prospective basis, however, the ability of the Company to negotiate an amendment on terms that are favourable to the Company, or at all, are not guaranteed. If the Company is unable to negotiate an amendment or secure additional waiver(s) if required, this may have a material adverse impact on the Company's financial position and operations generally. **Accordingly, the term loan facility has been presented as current on the condensed interim statement of financial position as at March 31, 2022 which has negatively impacted working capital. About YANGAROO Yangaroo is a software leader in media asset workflow and distribution solutions for advertising, music, and awards industries. YANGAROO's patented Digital Media Distribution System is a leading secure business to business cloud-based solution that incorporates production services, traffic, clearance, delivery, analytics, and secure API integration for the industries various video and audio work-flow challenges. YANGAROO has offices in Toronto, New York, and Los Angeles. YANGAROO trades on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX-V) under the symbol YOO and in the U.S. under OTCBB: YOOIF. # # # Use of Non-IFRS Financial Measures The non-IFRS definitions described below are used in this press release because management believes that they provide useful information regarding the Company's ongoing operations. Readers are cautioned that the definitions are not recognized measures under IFRS, do not have standardized meanings prescribed by IFRS, and should not be construed to be alternatives to revenues and net earnings determined in accordance with IFRS or as an indicator of performance, liquidity or cash flows. The Company's method of calculating these measures may differ from the methods used by other entities and accordingly, these measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other entities or in other jurisdictions. EBITDA as defined by the Company means Earnings Before Interest and financing costs (net of interest income), Income Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization, and other nonrecurring items. EBITDA is derived from the statements of comprehensive income (loss) and can be computed as revenues less salaries and consulting expenses and property, technology, marketing and administration expenses. Normalized EBITDA as defined by the Company means EBTIDA adjusted for one-time non-recurring items or non-cash item such as stock based compensation expenses and foreign-exchange expenses. EBITDA Margin and Normalized EBITDA Margin as defined by the Company means EBITDA and Normalized EBITDA, respectively, as a percentage of revenue. The Company believes EBITDA, EBITDA margin, Normalized EBITDA, and Normalized EBITDA Margin, are useful measures because they provide information to both management and investors with respect to the operating and financial performance of the Company. # # # For YANGAROO Investor Inquiries: Dom Kizek Ph: (416) 534 0607 #162 dom.kizek@yangaroo.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor Its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements This news release contains certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively referred to herein as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements other than statements of present or historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "achieve", "could", "believe", "plan", "intend", "objective", "continuous", "ongoing", "estimate", "outlook", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "should" or similar words, including negatives thereof, suggesting future outcomes. Forward looking statements are subject to both known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of YANGAROO, that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of YANGAROO to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements, including but not limited to: the ability of the Company to compete as a result of the acquisition and implementation of DMS; the ability to garner significant interest with respect to the Company's data analytics product suite following completion of its trial phase; future updates to be provided by the Company; the timing of the conclusion of the data analytics trial period and the solution will become a more significant contributor in the latter part of 2022; the effect of recent critical updates to the existing Awards platform being able to drive efficiency and competitiveness; and the ability of the Company to continue to work with its lender on amendments to the term loan facility, including additional waiver(s) of the covenant violations if required, on a prospective basis. Although YANGAROO has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, some of which are described herein. Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause YANGAROO's actual performance and results to differ materially from any projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required by law, neither YANGAROO assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise such statements to reflect new information, subsequent or otherwise. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/125879 Images of the fuel cell mobile retail vehicle to be operated by AEON TOHOKU Toyota City, Japan, May 31, 2022 - (JCN Newswire) - Futaba Town, Namie Town, AEON TOHOKU Co., Ltd. (AEON TOHOKU), and Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) signed a Basic Agreement today for the Establishment of a Mobile Retail Business that Uses a Fuel Cell Vehicle in Specified Reconstruction and Revitalization Bases (Basic Agreement).Aim of the Basic AgreementThe two municipalities and two companies involved in the Basic Agreement aim to support residents experiencing difficulties with everyday shopping, through the establishment of a mobile retail business. Drawing on respective resources and expertise, the intention is to contribute to regional sustainability and environmental conservation to stimulate reconstruction efforts following the Great East Japan Earthquake. In this way, the four signatories aim to resolve regional issues, improve administrative services, and build sustainable cities of the future.Future InitiativesUnder the specific initiatives of the Basic Agreement, AEON TOHOKU, the main party involved, will launch on June 10 a mobile retail business serving Specified Reconstruction and Revitalization Bases and other areas in Futaba Town and Namie Town where residents have an acute need for shopping support. Centered around AEON Namie Store, the business will seek to support local residents with shopping and aim to create a community that will foster peace of mind among both residents set to return home to the two towns, and those who intend to relocate to those areas. As a result, it is hoped that the business will expedite the lifting of evacuation orders for Specified Reconstruction and Revitalization Bases in Futaba Town and Namie Town.Furthermore, working towards the realization of a carbon-neutral society by 2050, AEON TOHOKU and Toyota, together with Futaba Town and Namie Town, wish to contribute to the creation of a sustainable community of the future that utilizes hydrogen. To this end, the use of the world's first* hydrogen-powered fuel cell (FC) mobile retail vehicle will be implemented.Background to the Basic AgreementRecognizing that the retail sector is part of a region's critical infrastructure, AEON TOHOKU opened the AEON Namie Store in July 2019 to support the reconstruction of the Hamadori region of Fukushima Prefecture, which incurred significant damage from the Great East Japan Earthquake and ensuing nuclear disaster.Toyota is working together with various partners, mainly in collaboration with Fukushima Prefecture--including Namie Town, where the Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field is located--and is examining how hydrogen-based technologies can be implemented to help build cities of the future using hydrogen generated in Fukushima.Primary roles of the four signatories of the Basic AgreementFutaba Town and Namie TownFutaba Town and Namie Town will provide information regarding areas in which there is an acute need for shopping support--including the demand from residents for a mobile retail option, the location of existing stores in towns, and the living conditions of senior residents. With the aim of more sustainable community building, the two towns will work together with partner companies to resolve issues faced by local residents.AEON TOHOKUAEON TOHOKU will launch a mobile retail business in areas that have an acute need for shopping support. It will also create community spaces within the two towns, and work to provide services that encourage residents to return to their hometowns.ToyotaTo facilitate these shopping support measures, Toyota aims to realize an even better mobility society that supports the creation of happiness for local communities by manufacturing innovative, safe, and high-quality products and services. The company will provide next-generation mobility in the form of the world's first fuel cell mobile retail vehicle.Going forward, Futaba Town, Namie Town, AEON TOHOKU, and Toyota intend to deepen their partnership, further revitalize the region, and create new services for the benefit of local residents.*According to research carried out by Toyota in April 2022Source: Toyota Motor CorporationCopyright 2022 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. The National Human Rights Commission / Yonhap The National Human Rights Commission urged the justice ministry Tuesday to take swift measures to relieve overcrowding in prison cells. The recommendation follows a petition by an inmate of an unidentified detention center, who complained his time at an overcrowded prison cell infringed upon his human rights. The commission's subsequent investigation showed the inmate spent 47 days of his 71-day detention in a cell where the living space per prisoner was 1.9 square meters and another 11 days in a cell where the living space per person stood at 1.52 square meters. The minimum standard for personal living space for a single-occupancy cell, set by the justice ministry, is 2.58 square meters. "The detention facility failed to provide the minimum space needed for basic human living conditions as general male adult inmates had to take caution not to bump into other inmates even when they were sleeping," the commission noted. Putting an inmate into a cell more densely populated than the justice ministry standards violates the inmate's rights to maintain human dignity and pursue happiness, as well as personal liberty, the commission added. The recommendation is the latest in a series of similar calls the rights watchdog has made over the prison overcrowding issue. (Yonhap) CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - Asian stock markets are trading mostly higher on Tuesday, following the lack of cues from Wall Street overnight due to a holiday, as signs of easing COVID-19 curbs in Beijing and Shanghai as well as the announcement of more stimulus measures in China raised optimism about growth in the world's second largest economy and helped underpin sentiment. Asian markets closed mostly higher on Monday. Shanghai's Vice Mayor Wu Qing said over the weekend that authorities will loosen the conditions under which companies are able to resume work this week after strict lockdown for nearly two months. The Australian stock market is slightly lower on Tuesday, giving up some of the gains in the previous three sessions, with the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 staying below the 7,300 level, following the lack of cues from Wall Street overnight due to a holiday, dragged largely by technology and financial stocks. The losses were partially offset by gains in materials and energy stocks. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index is losing 35.00 points or 0.48 percent to 7,251.60, after hitting a low of 7,251.50 earlier. The broader All Ordinaries Index is down 28.50 points or 0.38 percent to 7,494.10. Australian stocks closed sharply higher on Monday. Among the major miners, BHP Group is edging up 0.2 percent and Rio Tinto is edging up 0.5 percent, while Mineral Resources and OZ Minerals are gaining almost 1 percent each. Fortescue Metals is up more than 1 percent. Oil stocks are mixed, with Beach energy gaining almost 3 percent and Santos adding more than 1 percent, while Woodside Energy is losing almost 1 percent. Origin Energy is flat Among tech stocks, Appen is gaining more than 1 percent and Xero is edging up 0.2 percent, while Afterpay owner Block is slipping more than 3 percent, WiseTech Global is declining almost 1 percent and Zip is sliding more than 4 percent. Gold miners are mixed. Newcrest Mining is losing almost 1 percent and Gold Road Resources is down 1.5 percent, while Northern Star Resources is edging up 0.2 percent. Resolute Mining and Evolution Mining are flat. Among the big four banks, Commonwealth Bank and National Australia Bank are edging down 0.3 to 0.5 percent each, while Westpac and ANZ Banking are losing almost 1 percent each. In the currency market, the Aussie dollar is trading at $0.719 on Tuesday. The Japanese stock market is slightly higher on Tuesday after being in the red in most of the morning session, extending the gains in the previous two sessions, with the Nikkei 225 moving above the 27,400 level, despite the lack of cues from Wall Street overnight, after economic data released showed better-than-expected unemployment rate and retail sales growth in April. The benchmark Nikkei 225 Index closed the morning session at 27,404.14, up 34.71 points or 0.13 percent, after touching a high of 27,463.33 and a low of 27,250.70 earlier. Japanese shares ended sharply higher on Monday. Market heavyweight SoftBank Group is edging down 0.4 percent and Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing is losing almost 1 percent. Among automakers, Honda is edging up 0.3 percent, while Toyota is flat. In the tech space, Advantest is edging down 0.2 percent and Tokyo Electron is losing more than 1 percent, while Screen Holdings is flat. In the banking sector, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial, Mizuho Financial and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial are edging down 0.3 to 0.5 percent each. The major exporters are mixed, with Sony and Mitsubishi Electric edging up 0.1 to 0.3 percent each, while Canon and Panasonic are edging down 0.5 percent each. Among the other major losers, Tokyo Tatemono is losing 3.5 percent, while Sumitomo Osaka Cement, Pacific Metals and Sumitomo Electric Industries are slipping almost 3 percent each. Conversely, Inpex is surging more than 6 percent, Subaru is adding almost 4 percent, Fujikura is up more than 3 percent and Minebea Mitsumi is advancing almost 3 percent. In the currency market, the U.S. dollar is trading in the 128 yen-range on Tuesday. Elsewhere in Asia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore and Indonesia are higher by between 0.1 and 0.6 percent each. Malaysia and Taiwan are down 0.2 percent each. On Wall Street, the markets were off on Monday for the Memorial Day holiday and will return to action on Tuesday. The major European markets all moved to the upside on the day. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 ended 0.19 percent up, Germany's DAX climbed 0.72 percent and France's CAC 40 surged up 0.7 percent. Crude oil futures hit their highest level in more than two months on Monday, as China eased COVID-19 restrictions and moved to stimulate the country's faltering economy. West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures for July ended at $115.75 a barrel, up $0.68 or 0.59 percent. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Buildings IOT to provide its smart building platforms and system integration services to buildings across the UK and Europe To decarbonise buildings and help advance Net-Zero initiatives, US-based Buildings IOT has launched operations in the UK to serve the unique needs of building stakeholders in Europe. Buildings IOT will market its IOT Jetstream smart building platform for building owners, managers, investors, contractors, and systems integrators located in the UK and across Europe. Buildings IOT's UK operation is led by Les Russell, Director of Business Development. Russell will be responsible for managing all key partner relationships, providing support, and expanding the profile of Buildings IOT within Europe. "Smart building technologies have reached an inflection point of maturity and performance, with speed to impact and a tangible ROI," explains Russell, who has spent the last five years in the smart buildings industry. "The UK market is ripe with opportunity, thanks to the country's concerns over carbon reduction, indoor air quality, and financial due diligence requirements. The UK's goal to reach Net-Zero by 2050 is also a major driver of demand for proven solutions, including those from companies like Buildings IOT, that hold decades of domain expertise in both building infrastructure and platform technologies. I'm thrilled to be part of a team that recognises the UK as a global leader in sustainability and environmental consciousness, setting a high benchmark in energy efficiency standards for buildings." The Buildings IOT UK team will be seeking opportunities in several London-based commercial buildings, including office and manufacturing, to improve the occupant experience as well as realise overall operational efficiencies. The company will work through key partners who have clients with specific requirements related to meeting ESG [environment, social, and governance] goals, in addition to addressing energy efficiency, sustainability, indoor air quality, security, and other operational considerations. "We're happy to have Les on our team. His strong commercial background and business acumen made him a perfect fit," notes Gina Elliott, Chief Services Officer of Buildings IOT. "In his last role, Les identified Buildings IOT as a company to assist with a high-profile customer and a bespoke request around data optimisation. His belief in the Buildings IOT solution and understanding of what the UK market needed made it seem natural to bring Les on board." There are approximately 1.7 million commercial, industrial, and public properties in the UK. According to University College London's UCL Energy Institute, buildings are a significant contributor to climate change and are responsible for 23 percent of all direct and indirect carbon emissions in the UK. "Owning and operating a Net Zero building requires comprehensive and consistent data to enable ESG reporting. Building owners need the right tools to properly report their properties' Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions," adds Russell. "IOT Jetstream from Buildings IOT provides the transparency building owners and managers need to accurately report emissions. This serves to reduce a building's carbon footprint and ultimately helps to protect our environment." Buildings IOT will be growing its European presence and adding engineers and customer success agents to its UK team. The company continues to practice Agile development, encouraging its partners and customers to contribute to its smart building platform roadmap. About Buildings IOT Buildings IOT simplifies smart buildings with software, services, and solutions for every aspect of building management. Command-and-control from a single pane of glass, analytics enhanced by machine learning, and a building-domain-centric data management platform, Buildings IOT delivers smart buildings that live up to the hype. We also design and install building controls and automation systems, offer IT-managed services and device testing for cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and provide data-driven maintenance to some of the world's largest building portfolios. For more information, visit http://www.Buildings IOT.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220530005069/en/ Contacts: Technica Communications for Buildings IOT Jake Wengroff Ph. 408-806-9626 Ext. 6816 buildingsiot@technicacommunications.com DKSH Management Ltd. / Key word(s): Acquisition/Mergers & Acquisitions DKSH Grows its Medical Device Business With the Acquisition of Acutest Systems 31.05.2022 / 07:00 Media release DKSH Business Unit Healthcare has signed an agreement to acquire Acutest Systems, a Malaysian in-vitro diagnostic provider. The transaction is in line with DKSH's strategy of further expanding in the fragmented medical devices industry in Asia Pacific. Zurich, Switzerland, May 31, 2022 - DKSH has signed an agreement for the acquisition of Acutest Systems. Founded in the 1980s, Acutest Systems is a distributor of clinical diagnostic point-of-care testing analyzers, diagnostic and screening devices and instruments, and laboratory systems in Malaysia. The transaction diversifies DKSH's medical device business and provides the company access to additional general practitioners, pharmacy chains, medical centers, laboratories, and hospitals. Malaysia is a dynamic medical device market which offers significant growth opportunities. Acutest also has a solid customer base and complementary supplier and product portfolios. The company employs around 25 people and recorded net sales of over CHF 3 million in 2021 at sound profitability and returns. Bijay Singh, Head Business Unit Healthcare at DKSH, commented: "The acquisition of Acutest Systems fits well with our strategy of expanding our medical device business through pragmatic M&A activity. Malaysia has a medical device market that offers growth opportunities. I look forward to welcoming all Acutest employees to DKSH and leveraging on their expertise." The closing of the transaction is expected during the second quarter of 2022 and is subject to certain conditions. About DKSH DKSH's purpose is to enrich people's lives. For more than 150 years, we have been delivering growth for companies in Asia and beyond across our Business Units Healthcare, Consumer Goods, Performance Materials, and Technology. As a leading Market Expansion Services provider, we offer sourcing, market insights, marketing and sales, eCommerce, distribution and logistics as well as after-sales services. DKSH is a participant of the United Nations Global Compact and adheres to its principles-based approach to responsible business. Listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange, DKSH operates in 36 markets with 33,100 specialists, generating net sales of CHF 11.1 billion in 2021. The DKSH Business Unit Healthcare distributes pharmaceuticals, consumer health and over-the-counter (OTC) products as well as medical devices. With around 7,290 specialists, the Business Unit generated net sales of CHF 5.6 billion in 2021. www.dksh.com/hec For more information please contact: DKSH Holding Ltd. Demet Bicer Manager, Group Media Relations Phone +41 44 386 7117 demet.bicer@dksh.com Rafael Duarte Director, Group Investor Relations Phone +41 44 386 7318 rafael.duarte@dksh.com Till Leisner Head, Group Investor & Media Relations, Sustainability Phone +41 44 386 7315 till.leisner@dksh.com End of Media Release Kuros Biosciences AG / Key word(s): Miscellaneous Kuros Biosciences announces favorable preliminary results of MagnetOs as standalone alternative to autograft in first randomized controlled trial 31.05.2022 / 07:00 Fusion rate 78%, vs 42% for autograft and 55-71% for other synthetic bone grafts First of five planned randomized controlled trials for MagnetOs Data will support product approvals at hospitals and within hospital systems Schlieren (Zurich), Switzerland, May 31, 2022 - Kuros Biosciences ("Kuros" or the "Company"), a leader in next generation bone graft technologies, announced today promising preliminary results from the first of its five planned randomized controlled trials for its MagnetOs family, comparing MagnetOs Granules to the gold standard of autograft bone. Data from the prospective, multi-center, intra-patient-controlled trial showed a fusion rate for MagnetOs of 78%, compared to 42% for autograft. This compares favorably to fusion rates of 55-71% reported for other synthetic bone grafts evaluated in similar well-controlled studies of posterolateral fusion.1,2 The first consecutive 50 patients (from a total of 100) requiring up to four-level instrumented posterolateral lumbar fusion (T10 - S2), were included in this preliminary analysis. The rate of posterolateral lumbar/thoracolumbar fusion was assessed by CT-scan 12 months after surgery. Data can be downloaded from the Kuros website. Joost de Bruijn, Chief Executive Officer of Kuros, said: "These interim results are truly exciting, exceeding our expectations for MagnetOs' performance and validating our product as an augmented bone grafting option. Previous bone grafts have been sold on the premise of improved clinical outcomes based on data from the benchtop or preclinical setting alone. This study underlines Kuros's commitment to a translational research approach through which we convert our ground-breaking research in the petri dish to Level I evidence of efficacy in humans, and as such is an important milestone in our Project Fusion global research program. It further demonstrates our commitment to fund research in the field of spine surgery for the benefit of patients, surgeons, and our wider society." The data will be used to support product approvals at hospitals and within hospital systems and will further support adoption of MagnetOs by surgeons who are looking for a reasonably priced augmented alternative to cell-based allografts, bone morphogenetic proteins and premium-priced synthetic bone grafts. This interim data will be presented by Professor Sigurd Berven, Chief of Spine Service at University of California, San Francisco, at the 22nd Annual Meeting of the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (ISASS), taking place in the Bahamas, June 1-4, 2022. For further information, please contact: Kuros Biosciences AG Michael Grau Chief Financial Officer t: +41 44 733 47 47 e: michael.grau@kurosbio.com LifeSci Advisors Hans Herklots Investors t: +41 79 598 7149 e: hherklots@lifesciadvisors.com About MagnetOs MagnetOs isn't like other bone grafts. It grows bone even in soft tissue thanks to its unique NeedleGrip surface technology which provides traction for our body's vitally important 'pro-healing' immune cells (M2 macrophages). This in turn, unlocks previously untapped potential to stimulate stem cells - and form new bone throughout the graft. The growing body of science behind NeedleGrip is called osteoimmunology. But for surgeons and their patients it means one thing: a more efficient and predictable fusion. *3-5 Indications statement Please refer to the instructions for use for your local region for a full list of indications, contraindications, warnings, and precautions. About Project Fusion Today, nearly 1 in 5 spinal fusions fail. So, what can we do to change this situation - for the benefit of patients, surgeons and our wider society? This is the question that drives us at Kuros Biosciences. Every day our team works across three continents to unlock the hidden secrets of bone healing through our research, development & technology program: Project Fusion. To deliver the ideal bone graft, we believe you need the highest quality & quantity of scientific evidence behind it. Which is why Project Fusion brings together an unprecedented blend of scientific, preclinical and clinical studies - all aimed at making the unpredictablepredictable. For more information on Project Fusion, visit kurosbio.com/project-fusion. About Kuros Biosciences Kuros Biosciences is a fast-growing leader in the development of spinal fusion biologics that ease the burden of back pain. With locations in the United States, Switzerland and the Netherlands, the company is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. The company's first commercial product, MagnetOs, is a unique synthetic bone graft that has already been used successfully across three continents and in over 5,000 spinal fusion surgeries. The next candidate in the Kuros pipeline is Fibrin-PTH - the first drug-biologic combination for interbody spinal fusions, currently undergoing a Phase 2 clinical trial in the US. For more information on the company, its products and pipeline, visit kurosbio.com. About ISASS Through ongoing advocacy efforts, ISASS works to expedite acceptance of the latest innovations in spine surgery by both the insurance industry and government. Although much of this works takes place in the U.S., these successes are typically taken to countries around the globe to promote and ensure that the science and patient care is the same across nations. Throughout this time of sustained growth, ISASS has truly become the international leader for spine surgery. During the ISASS annual meeting, attendees can truly grasp the diversity of ISASS members, both in their country of origin and their skills and accomplishments. Forward Looking Statements This media release contains certain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. You are urged to consider statements that include the words "will" or "expect" or the negative of those words or other similar words to be uncertain and forward-looking. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements include scientific, business, economic and financial factors. Against the background of these uncertainties, readers should not rely on forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no responsibility for updating forward-looking statements or adapting them to future events or developments. 1. Lehr, et al. Spine. 2020; 45(14):944-951. 2. Coughlan, et al. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2018;1-43(15):E860-E868. 3. Van Dijk, et al. eCM. 2021;41:756-73. 4. Duan, et al. eCM. 2019;37:60-73. 5. Van Dijk, et al. Clin Spine Surg. 2020;33(6):E276-E287. *Results from in vivo laboratory testing may not be predictive of clinical experience in humans. For important safety and intended use information please visit kurosbio.com. MagnetOs is not cleared by the FDA or TGA as an osteoinductive bone graft. MagnetOs has been proven to generate more predictable fusions than two commercially available alternatives in an ovine model of posterolateral fusion. End of Media Release HEERLEN, Netherlands, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Royal DSM, a global purpose-led science-based company, today announces that it has reached an agreement to sell its Engineering Materials business to Advent International and LANXESS for an Enterprise Value of 3.85 billion. The proposed transaction marks the conclusion of DSM's review of strategic options for its two Materials businesses and, following the agreement to sell DSM Protective Materials to Avient Corporation in April, the transformation of DSM into a focused science-based leader in Health, Nutrition & Bioscience. DSM Engineering Materials represented 1.5 billion of DSM's total annual net sales and 334 million of DSM's total Adjusted EBITDA for 2021. DSM expects to receive about 3.5 billion net in cash following closing, after transaction costs and capital gains tax. DSM Engineering Materials will become part of a newly created joint venture, together with LANXESS's High Performance Materials business, which will be co-owned by Advent International (60%) and LANXESS (40%). This will create a new global specialty materials company with the focus and investment that can drive the development of customer-focused innovation, in particular for industry's transition to bio-based and circular solutions. The transaction will create a platform for further growth for DSM Engineering Materials and its people. Completion of the transaction, which is subject to the customary conditions and approvals, is expected in H1, 2023. Geraldine Matchett and Dimitri de Vreeze, Co-CEOs of DSM, commented: "In reviewing possible futures for DSM's Materials businesses, we have found tremendous new homes where they will be core to each new owner's growth ambitions. DSM Engineering Materials has been a purpose-led, performance-driven frontrunner thanks to its global talented team since the 1980s. We are certain Advent International and LANXESS will be good new owners in a transaction that is strategically attractive for all parties as we focus DSM on improving people's health and well-being. DSM has a track record of successful transformation over the past half century, and we are well underway in another such moment of strategic change." Ronald Ayles, Managing Partner at Advent International, said: "We are deeply impressed by the people, performance and capabilities of DSM's Engineering Materials business. We are convinced that, together with LANXESS HPM, the combination of both firms will be in the best position to enact sustainable long-term growth in the engineering materials sector. At Advent International, we are very excited to contribute our deep chemical industry expertise and experience to this joint venture and we are looking forward to working with the outstanding people at DSM Engineering Materials. Together we will create a global engineering materials industry leader." Matthias Zachert, CEO of LANXESS, commented: "With the new joint venture, we are forging a strong global player in the field of high-performance plastics. The portfolios, value chains and global positioning of the two businesses complement each other perfectly. With its innovative products, the joint venture will be able to play a key role in shaping future developments - for example in the field of electromobility. In Advent, we have a strong and reliable partner with profound experience in the chemical industry and our customer industries." Advent International will be the majority owner of the newly created joint venture and has extensive investment experience in the global chemical sector with a proven track record in transforming companies from corporate carve-outs into industry-leading players. Advent also fosters the growth and market position of portfolio companies through further acquisitions and organic investments. About DSM Engineering Materials DSM Engineering Materials provides high-performance specialty materials that address key market needs in automotive, electronics, electrics and consumer goods. Besides serving these three main sectors, it also offers sustainable engineering materials to specialized industries including water and food management and health/medical. Its world-class product brands including Stanyl, Akulon, Novamid, Arnite, Arnitel and Xytron help push the boundaries of performance across a wide range of applications and enable key sustainable living trends such as the shift to electric mobility, connectivity and renewable energy. DSM Engineering Materials is a sustainability frontrunner in the high-performance materials industry. In addition to committing to developing a complete alternative portfolio of bio- and recycled-based alternatives by 2030, it has accelerated its carbon footprint reduction ambitions recently. DSM Royal DSM is a global, purpose-led company in Health, Nutrition & Bioscience, applying science to improve the health of people, animals and the planet. DSM's purpose is to create brighter lives for all. DSM's products and solutions address some of the world's biggest challenges while simultaneously creating economic, environmental and societal value for all its stakeholders - customers, employees, shareholders, and society at large. The company was founded in 1902 and is listed on Euronext Amsterdam. More information can be found at www.dsm.com. Or find us on: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DSMcompany Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DSM LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/3108 YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/dsmcompany For more information DSM Media Relations Gareth Mead tel. +31 (0) 45 5782420 email media.contacts@dsm.com DSM Investor Relations Dave Huizing tel. +31 (0) 45 5782864 email investor.relations@dsm.com Forward-looking statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements with respect to DSM's future (financial) performance and position. Such statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections of DSM and information currently available to the company. DSM cautions readers that such statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and therefore it should be understood that many factors can cause actual performance and position to differ materially from these statements. DSM has no obligation to update the statements contained in this press release, unless required by law. The English language version of the press release is leading. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/329419/dsm_logo.jpg OPEN Health is one of the leading global providers of scientific communications and market access services helping pharmaceutical companies to unlock the full potential of their clinical and commercial assets. Astorg will actively support and accelerate OPEN Health's next phase of growth and innovation, drawing on their extensive experience of investing in the healthcare space. Astorg and Amulet Capital Partners ("Amulet") today announce that they have signed a binding agreement whereby Astorg will acquire OPEN Health, a leading global provider of scientific communications and market access services to the pharmaceutical industry. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220530005444/en/ Established in 2011 and headquartered in London, UK, OPEN Health is a key partner to its customers in helping them develop strategies for evidence generation and data communication by leveraging their extensive scientific knowledge and relentless focus on quality. Together, this approach consistently delivers best-in-class scientific communications, health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) and market access services to an ever-increasing audience. OPEN Health has more than 1,000 employees in 15 locations and six countries, across North America, Europe and Asia. OPEN Health serves over 170 life sciences customers, including 48 of the top 50 pharmaceutical companies. OPEN Health's existing management team, led by CEO Rob Barker, will continue to lead the organization, building on a strong track-record of organic growth and strategic acquisitions. "We are excited to build on the momentum across our business and to continue executing with our new partners at Astorg on a shared long-term vision to bring deep scientific solutions that support our clients in driving positive health outcomes," said Rob Barker, CEO, OPEN Health. "We are grateful for the strong partnership of the Amulet team over the last three and a half years and for all that we have accomplished in expanding our industry-leading capabilities across disciplines. We continue to be very well positioned to drive innovation and growth, and we look forward to embarking on this next chapter for OPEN Health." Building on OPEN Health's leading service offerings, Astorg will invest in the development of the business across its main existing offerings, and beyond, to continue delivering best-in-class scientific content to OPEN Health's customer base and help them harness the full value of their most important assets. "OPEN Health is a very impressive company. We have been following the development of the medical affairs space for a long time as the function evolved from a supportive to a central role and identified OPEN Health as a global leader in the making. We have been impressed with its outstanding reputation and the trust it benefits from its customer base," said Judith Charpentier, Partner and Head of Healthcare, Astorg. "We look forward to supporting Rob and the OPEN Health management team in continuing to build a global leading scientific focused medical affairs platform, expanding the platform through both organic initiatives and additional strategic acquisitions," said Olivier Lieven, Director, Astorg. Ramsey Frank, President and Managing Partner of Amulet, said, "OPEN Health was built around Amulet's investment thesis in medical affairs: the current generation of drugs is fundamentally different from prior generations, and these therapies need to be brought to market with the support of high science communications and data analytics. We brought OPEN Health together very intentionally via three acquisitions to create a purpose-built suite of services to meet pharma's evolving needs." Amulet Partner Nick Amigone continued, "We could not be more grateful to Rob Barker and his team for the outstanding job they have done in building a true industry leader." The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals. Houlihan Lokey served as financial advisor to OPEN Health and Rothschild Co advised Astorg on the transaction. About OPEN Health OPEN Health brings together deep scientific knowledge, global understanding, and broad specialist expertise to support our clients in improving health outcomes and patient wellbeing. We are united as one flexible organization, harnessing the power of the collective to solve complex challenges. For more information on OPEN Health, please visit www.openhealthgroup.com. About Astorg Astorg is a European private equity firm with over 17 billion of assets under management. Astorg works with entrepreneurs and management teams to acquire market leading global companies headquartered in Europe or the US, providing them with the strategic guidance, governance and capital they need to achieve their growth plans. Enjoying a distinct entrepreneurial culture, a long-term shareholder perspective and a lean decision-making body, Astorg has valuable industry expertise in healthcare, software, technology, business services and technology-based industrial companies. Astorg has offices in London, Paris, New York, Frankfurt, Milan and Luxembourg. About Amulet Capital Partners, LP Amulet Capital Partners, LP is a middle-market private equity investment firm based in Greenwich, CT, focused exclusively on the healthcare sector. Amulet seeks to achieve long-term capital appreciation through privately negotiated investments in companies. Amulet Capital Partners focuses on those segments it believes have the most attractive long-term fundamentals with a target investment size generally between $25 million to $150 million. For additional information please visit www.amuletcapital.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220530005444/en/ Contacts: Press OPEN Health Candice Subero candicesubero@openhealthgroup.com Astorg Stephanie Tabouis Publicis Consultants +33 6 03 84 05 03 stephanie.tabouis@publicisconsultants.com Amulet Jon Keehner Erik Carlson Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher (212) 355-4449 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 European Masters of Excellence Awards highlights quality and manufacturing leaders in life sciences SALT LAKE CITY, May 31, 2022, a provider of software solutions that enable life sciences and other regulated companies to deliver life-changing products to more people sooner, announced the winners of the European Masters of Excellence Awards during the annual Masters Conference, held in Milan earlier this month. These awards recognize MasterControl customers who have excelled in quality and manufacturing innovation and are leaders in their respected professions. The one individual award, the European Masters of Excellence Quality Champion for 2022, recognized Maria Bengzon, a software quality specialist at BONESUPPORT AB. BONESUPPORT's mission is to restore health to improve the quality of life for patients with bone disorders. Bengzon has been an instrumental leader in the quality managementdepartment at BONESUPPORT. "I want to make it easy to get it right. That's what drives me regarding quality. If you make it right, it just flows because corrections and mistakes are so costly and annoying to fix," says Bengzon. Bengzon is consistently a champion for quality its importance when it comes to safety and compliance. Almac Sciences, a member of contract development and manufacturing organization Almac Group, received the Digital Transformation in Manufacturing Award, accepted by Martin Ross, quality manager. After seeing how paper records clouded visibility, Almac digitized their manufacturing processto allow for more transparency and flexibility in operations. "Digital transformation provides and gives the ability to design opportunities... we can predefine workflow, chronology, types of data, and acceptable limits, for example, volumes or times. Real-time control at the point of use is a powerful tool in ensuring compliance," says Ross. Almac has experienced many more key improvements since their digital transformation, positively impacting KPIs. "The European Masters of Excellence Awards allow us to celebrate our customers and their achievements in technology and innovation," says CEO Jon Beckstrand. "MasterControl is honored to be a partner to these amazing companies and individuals." About MasterControl MasterControl Inc. is a leading provider of cloud-based quality and manufacturing software for life sciences and other regulated industries. For three decades, our mission has been the same as that of our customers to bring lifechanging products to more people sooner. MasterControl helps organizations digitize, automate, and connect quality and manufacturing processes. Innovative MasterControl tools have a proven track record of improving product quality, reducing cost, and accelerating time to market. Over 1,100 companies worldwide use MasterControl solutions to streamline operations, maintain compliance, easily analyze and interpret large amounts of data, and visualize business insights in real time. For more information, visit www.mastercontrol.com Media Contacts: Jennifer Hurst, Sr. Director PR MasterControl jhurst@mastercontrol.com +1-801-560-9608 BEIJING, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NEWS PROVIDED BY Jiandanshiji: A bike riding activity themed "Light Up A Green Future With Science And Technology" was held in Shenzhen, south China'sGuangdong Province on May 30, 2022. The activity was joined by around 30 Gen-Zers, including four social media influencers from China, Russia, and Venezuela, participants to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Youth Technology and Innovation Forum, and young representatives from all walks of life in Shenzhen. Together, they visited landmarks in China's reform and opening-up drive and the headquarters of Tencent, one of the world's most valued internet firms. They started from the Lianhuashan Park, where a bronze statue of Deng Xiaoping, the chief architect of China's reform and opening-up, is located, and rode to the ferris wheel at the OCT Oh Bay via the Shekou Time Square, the Tencent Seafront Towers, and the Shenzhen Bay Park. During the low-carbon and green tour, both Chinese and foreign Gen-Zers learned the history of Shenzhen's reform and opening-up and experienced the young city's technological development and innovation vitality. After they hit the road, the Gen-Zers first visited the Tencent Seafront Towers, which is a test ground for new technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI), and then they rode through the Shekou Time Square, where they saw a giant poster with the slogan of "Time is money; efficiency is life" standing tall before the Shekou Industrial Zone. In July 1979, the Shekou Industrial Zone began construction in Shenzhen, which fired the "first shot" of China's reform and opening-up. Amid a joyous atmosphere, the Gen-Zers visited the Shenzhen Bay Park, where they started to cycle along the coastline. Finally, they arrived at the destination-the ferris wheel at the OCT Oh Bay, where they experienced charm, innovation vitality and prosperity of Shenzhen as a modern city. The activity was a warm-up for the SCO Youth Technology and Innovation Forum, which will be held in Shenzhenbetween May 31 and June 2. The forum aims to deepen friendly exchanges among the youngsters across the world in innovation cooperation, innovation education, talent training, agricultural development, rural poverty reduction, international health cooperation, information infrastructure construction and sustainable development. The bike riding activity was livestreamed on social media and aroused huge attention on multiple Chinese and overseas platforms. IFS solution will help support the operator's growth strategy, deliver operational efficiencies, and limit emissions LONDON, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- IFS, the global cloud enterprise software company, today announced that BW Energy, a global oil and gas Exploration and Production (E&P) company has selected IFS Applications enterprise resource planning (ERP) and enterprise asset management (EAM) software to support its global oilfield production and development strategy. The implementation will allow BW Energy to drive global enterprise-wide efficiencies across multiple business functions, from asset management and supply chain to human capital management (HCM) and finance. In addition, the operator will use the software to replicate data between offshore units and onshore offices. The IFS solution will also help BW Energy manage carbon emissions as it develops new oilfields and enhance the maintenance of its offshore production assets. The software will help BW Energy to plan, schedule and resource maintenance activities in advance, enabling the company to make changes quickly and easily. Knut R. Sthre, CFO, BW Energy, said: "We are focused on unlocking proven worldwide offshore oil and gas resources but utilising existing infrastructure that leads to lower development costs, faster project delivery and reduced carbon emissions. Supported by IFS technology, our strategy enables low-carbon field developments which support the ongoing transition." "IFS' oil and gas industry expertise is reflected in the rich and critical functionality of the software. Its ability to support multiple business activities, together with the ERP and EAM capabilities, helps us to meet our multiple goals quickly and efficiently while giving us the agility we need to navigate a rapidly changing market and regulatory environment." BW Energy is initially deploying IFS Applications across its US, Norway, Brazil, West Africa and Singapore hubs, with more country sites to follow in the future. Elni Kullmer, Regional President for North and Central Europe, IFS, said: "We look forward to working with BW Energy to ensure their strategic vision is realised over the coming years. IFS solutions are designed to offer fast growth companies like BW Energy an uncomplicated path towards becoming more data-driven and improving innovation. BW Energy is committed to developing oil and natural gas fields in a way that is efficient, low carbon and supports the energy transition, and we are proud to partner with them to help guide them on their journey." About BW Energy: BW Energy is a growth-focused oil and gas company with a differentiated strategy targeting proven offshore oil and gas reservoirs through low risk phased developments. The company has access to existing production facilities to reduce time to first oil and cashflow, with lower investments than traditional offshore developments. The main assets are 73.5% of the producing Dussafu Marine Permit offshore Gabon and a 95% interest in the Maromba field inBrazil, both operated by the company. Total net 2P+2C reserves were 241 million barrels at the start of 2022. For more information, please visit www.bwenergy.no About IFS IFS develops and delivers cloud enterprise software for companies around the world who manufacture and distribute goods, build and maintain assets, and manage service-focused operations. Within our single platform, our industry specific products are innately connected to a single data model and use embedded digital innovation so that our customers can be their best when it really matters to their customers-at the Moment of Service. The industry expertise of our people and of our growing ecosystem, together with a commitment to deliver value at every single step, has made IFS a recognized leader and the most recommended supplier in our sector. Our team of 4,500 employees every day live our values of agility, trustworthiness and collaboration in how we support our 10,000+ customers. Learn more about how our enterprise software solutions can help your business today at ifs.com. IFS Press Contact: Adam Gillbe IFS, Director of Corporate & Executive Communications Email: press@ifs.com Phone: +447775114856 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/ifs/r/bw-energy-chooses-ifs-to-drive-global-oilfield-development,c3576667 The following files are available for download: A voter casts a ballot at a polling station in Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport, May 27, the first day of two days of early voting in the June 1 local elections and National Assembly by-elections. (Yonhap) Rival political parties made last-ditch efforts Tuesday to woo undecided voters on the eve of nationwide local elections amid expectations the results will boost or weaken the mandate of the new government of President Yoon Suk-yeol. Up for grabs in Wednesday's elections are posts for 17 metropolitan mayors and provincial governors, 226 lower-level council heads, as well as 779 seats in provincial and metropolitan councils, and 2,602 in lower-level local councils. Also at stake will be seven National Assembly seats in by-elections. Surveys have shown the ruling People Power Party (PPP) is expected to win at least nine out of the 17 key races for big city mayors and provincial governors, including Seoul and Incheon, while the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is expected to win at least four races, including three on its home turf the Jeolla provinces. The other four races are considered neck and neck, including the contest for Gyeonggi Province governor. On the final day of the campaign period, the PPP appealed for support in regions ranging from the southern resort island of Jeju to Gyeonggi, while the DPK spent the final day focusing on campaigning in Seoul and the country's central Chungcheong Province. The elections come less than a month after Yoon took office. The PPP hopes it can extend the momentum of the presidential election victory. "If the presidential election was the first half of the government change, the local elections are the second half of the government change," PPP floor leader Kweon Seong-dong said at a party meeting. "We should remember that we won the presidential election by just 0.7 of a percentage point. We cannot be complacent." The DPK has been appealing for support, saying it needs enough power to keep the new government in check. "Heeding the people's order, which has called for self-reflection and reform, we have found our way to reform," DPK co-interim chief Park Ji-hyun said. "We cannot give up local governments to those armed with lies, incompetence and blunt remarks." While hoping for a complete sweep on its traditional home ground, Gyeongsang Province in the country's southeastern area, the PPP is also looking to win in key battleground provinces, such as the Chungcheong provinces and Gyeonggi Province. It also hopes to win at least four of the seven National Assembly seats in the by-elections. The DPK, which scored a resounding victory four years ago by grabbing 14 of the 17 gubernatorial and mayor posts in the 2018 local elections, is believed to be leading only on its home turf and Jeju. However, the liberal party claims it can turn the tables in regions such as Chungcheong, Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces. Oh Se-hoon, left, the ruling People Power Party candidate for Seoul Mayor, speaks with Song Young-gil, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea candidate at Boramae Park in Seoul, May 27. Kelowna, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2022) - Fission 3.0 Corp. (TSXV: FUU) (OTCQB: FISOF) ("Fission 3") and Traction Uranium Corp. ("Traction") are pleased to provide an update of the drilling at the Lazy Edward Bay project in the SE Athabasca Basin region which commenced on May 17, 2022. Drilling on the Horse West conductor has encountered anomalous radioactivity in drill hole LEB22-004 near the sandstone-basement unconformity at 164.6 m associated with a reverse fault. Hole LEB22-004 is the fourth hole to be completed during the ongoing summer drilling program and intersected elevated radioactivity associated with a reverse fault at the unconformity from 163.50 to 164.0 m with a maximum of 430 cps, measured on the drill core with a handheld Radiation Solutions RS-125 scintillometer. This corresponds with a peak of 1320 cps on the borehole gamma probe within a 1.6m interval from 162.56 m to 164.16 m greater than 500 cps. These results confirm what has been reported by Uranerz Exploration and Mining Limited in historic drill hole LE-73 drilled in 1989. Geochemical analyses by Uranerz showed that the radiometric anomalies encountered in LE-73 near the unconformity were predominantly caused by high thorium contents, but they were also accompanied with elevated uranium values (170.4 m to 170.6 m of 40 ppm U and 733 ppm Th). Follow up hole LEB-005 down dip of this intersection is in progress to test the footwall where the reverse fault intersects the basement, which is a similar setting to the occurrence of the McArthur River uranium mine. Natural gamma radiation in drill core that is reported in this news release was measured in counts per second (cps) using a handheld Radiation Solutions RS-125 scintillometer. Natural gamma radiation in the drill hole surveys that are reported in this news release was measured in counts per second (cps) using a Mount Sopris Instruments QL40-GRA borehole gamma probe. The reader is cautioned that scintillometer readings are not directly or uniformly related to uranium grades of the rock sample measured and should be used only as a preliminary indication of the presence of radioactive materials. All intersections are down-hole. All depths reported of core interval measurements of radioactivity are not always representative of true thickness. Qualified Person The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 and reviewed on behalf of the company by Raymond Ashley, P.Geo., Vice President, Exploration of Fission 3.0 Corp., a Qualified Person. About Fission 3.0 Corp. Fission 3 is a uranium project generator and exploration company, focusing on projects in the Athabasca Basin, home to some of world's largest high grade uranium discoveries. Fission 3 currently has 16 projects in the Athabasca Basin. Several of Fission 3's projects are near large uranium discoveries, including, Arrow, Triple R and Hurricane deposits. Fission 3 is currently planning a winter exploration/drill program on its PLN project. https://twitter.com/Fission3Corp About Traction Uranium Corp Traction Uranium (CSE: TRAC) (OTC: TRCTF) (FSE: Z1K) is in the business of mineral exploration and the development of discovery prospects in Canada, including its two flagship uranium projects in the world-renowned Athabasca Region. We invite you to find out more about our exploration-stage activities across Canada's Western region at www.tractionuranium.com. Forward Looking Statements This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs of future performance, including statements regarding the suitability of the Properties for mining exploration, future payments, issuance of shares and work commitment funds, entry into of a definitive option agreement respecting the Properties, are "forward-looking statements." These forward-looking statements reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company based on information currently available to it. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including those detailed from time to time in filings made by the Company with securities regulatory authorities, which may cause actual outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. These factors should be considered carefully and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. The TSX Venture Exchange and the Canadian Securities Exchange have not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this press release, and do not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Fission 3.0 Corp. Contact Information Investor Relations Telephone: 778 484 8030 Email: ir@fission3corp.com Traction Contact Information Lester Esteban Director and CEO Telephone: 604 561 2687 Email: info@tractionuranium.com ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Dev Randhawa" Dev Randhawa, CEO Cautionary Statement: Certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information", within the meaning of Canadian legislation. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur", "be achieved" or "has the potential to". Forward looking statements contained in this press release may include statements regarding the future operating or financial performance of Fission 3.0 Corp. which involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may not prove to be accurate. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in these forward-looking statements. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations. Among those factors which could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: market conditions and other risk factors listed from time to time in our reports filed with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and Fission 3 Corp. disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/125921 PRAGUE, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- This is a project that is unprecedented in the world. Two days after the Russian invasion, the Ukrainian Embassy in Prague set up a special account for donations to buy military equipment for the Ukrainian army. "I am incredibly proud of the solidarity of Czech citizens and companies with Ukraine, which is facing a brutal and criminal attack by Putin's Russia. 120,000 donors and the 40 million euro raised send a clear message about where the Czech Republic stands," says Czech Defence Minister Jana Cernochova. Experts from the Czech Ministry of Defence are cooperating with the Ukrainian Embassy in Prague. They know the needs of the Ukrainian army and use the money collected from people and companies to buy military equipment and transport it to the battlefield. According to unconfirmed information, the main items going to Ukraine are assault rifles, light machine guns, RPGs, howitzers and rocket launchers. The donation campaign has now been enhanced by a fictitious e-shop with a range of weapons. The English version can be found at: www.weaponstoukraine.com The campaign is being run under the title Gift for Putin. "We want to show that we are not afraid of Putin nor his army", says Dalibor Dedek, the entrepreneur and philanthropist behind Gift for Putin, adding: "it is important that donors see how expensive war really is. We want to convince them that every little bit of money can help to bring an end to a war in which innocent civilians are also dying." Among the most requested items in the e-shop are ammunition, grenades and a water disinfection kit. But by far the most popular donations are for the purchase of tanks and Javelin anti-tank systems. Donors can leave a message for Vladimir Putin on the website. The organizers of the collection will put the messages on the military equipment sent to the Ukrainian army. AVAILABILITY OF THE DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE SHAREHOLDERS' MEETING MODALITIES OF PARTICIPATION IN THE SHAREHOLDERS' GENERAL MEETING Regulatory News: Exclusive Networks (Paris:EXN) shareholders are invited to the Combined General Shareholders' Meeting to be held on 21 June 2022, at 3pm at the Company's registered Office, Auditorium, 20, Quai du Point du Jour, 92100 Boulogne-Billancourt, France. The documents referred to in the article R.225-73 of the French commercial Code are available on the Company's website under "General Meetings"at the following address: https://ir.exclusive-networks.com/event-directory/annual-general-meeting. The preliminary notice of meeting was published in the Bulletin des Annonces Legales Obligatoires of 11 May 2022 n 56 (https://www.journal-officiel.gouv.fr/pages/balo) that contains the agenda and the draft text of the resolutions due to be submitted to a shareholder vote. The terms and conditions to participate and vote to this General Shareholders meeting are detailed in this preliminary notice of meeting. The Shareholders who do not be able to attend physically the General Meeting on 21 June 2022 could exercise their respective voting rights remotely and before the General Meeting, either online using the VOTACCESS secure plateform, or with the paper voting form. Holders of bearer shares should ask their financial intermediaries for proxy or distance voting forms. Holders of registered shares will directly receive these forms with their convening notice. Live broadcasting of the Meeting The General Meeting will be broadcasted live, both in French and in English, on 21 June 2022 as from 3:00 p.m. (Paris time), on the General Meeting section of the Company's website, at the following address: https://ir.exclusive-networks.com/event-directory/annual-general-meeting. A replay will be also subsequently available at the same address. Disclaimer In the context of the Covid-19 Pandemic, the definitive arrangements for participation in this meeting may be updated depending on health and/or legal requirements. Shareholders are invited to regularly consult the General Meeting section of the Company's website. This page will be updated regularly to provide the latest information in respect with the 2022 Combined General Meeting, including regarding the arrangements and the draft resolutions. Please contact the Investors Relations Department should you have any questions About Exclusive Networks Exclusive Networks is a leading global specialist in innovative cybersecurity technologies, providing services to accelerate the sale of cybersecurity disruptive and digital infrastructure technologies on a global scale. Exclusive Networks helps cybersecurity vendors scale their businesses globally, and offering channel partners (such as value-added resellers, system integrators, telcos and managed service providers) expertise, disruptive technologies and services to fit the needs of their corporate customers. Exclusive Networks also works with several vendors offering solutions in specific sub-segments beyond cyber. Exclusive Networks excels by combining global scale with local execution. With offices in 43 countries and the ability to service customers across five continents, Exclusive Networks, headquartered in France, offers a "global scale, local sale" model. This model enhances performance in local operations by providing both global and local support. This approach has enabled Exclusive Networks to (i) develop one of the world's broadest portfolios of cybersecurity solutions from over 260 leading vendors and (ii) develop a worldwide customer base, consisting of over 21,000 VARs, SIs, Telcos and MSPs, indirectly serving more than 110,000 end-customers. Over the period from 2018 to 2021, Exclusive Networks engaged in business in more than 170 countries. Exclusive Networks' approach enables vendors to adopt a simple and agile go-to-market model in relation to their cybersecurity and digital infrastructure solutions, while benefiting from Exclusive Networks' local expertise and market knowledge in each jurisdiction where it operates. Exclusive Networks' scale is equally important to its customers as their own end-users may be located in multiple regions of the world. In addition, Exclusive Networks helps its customers through its expertise in vendor selection as cybersecurity and digital infrastructure solutions become ever more complicated and keep evolving in the face of increasing cybersecurity threats. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531005442/en/ Contacts: EXCLUSIVE NETWORKS CONTACTS Relations Investisseurs Hacene BOUMENDJEL Directeur des Relations Investisseurs ir@exclusive-networks.com Communication Hadas HUGHES VP, Global Marketing Comms Communications_Global@exclusive-networks.com FTI Consulting Christina Zinck +33 (0)1 47 03 68 18 exclusivenetworks@fticonsulting.com Scientists in Saudi Arabia looked at the potential of different solar technologies to meet energy demand for cooling systems. They found that PV is the best cost-effective option, especially for compression refrigeration cycles in hot climates.Researchers from Qassim University in Saudi Arabia have looked at how different solar technologies could be used for refrigeration purposes. They have found that PV has the biggest potential for such applications, especially in hot climates. They considered PV along with other two solar technologies - photovoltaic thermal collectors (PVT) and concentrating ... 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. Options Technology, the leading provider of cloud-enabled trading infrastructure to the global capital markets, and Code Willing, experts in financial data management, today announced the launch of end-to-end data platform products "Options Data Store" and "Quantify". This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531005465/en/ Options Technology, the leading provider of cloud-enabled trading infrastructure to the global capital markets, and Code Willing, experts in financial data management, today announced the launch of end-to-end data platform products "Options Data Store" and "Quantify". (Graphic: Business Wire) Options Data Store offers traders and researchers the ability to "try and buy" ready-to-use datasets without sourcing and storing large datasets. Data Store removes the complexity of capturing, normalising, and storing market data, enabling users to focus on alpha generation. Utilising a user-friendly GUI, data is made available in multiple formats, including ID mapped using a proprietary multi-asset security master. The datasets are accompanied by information and relevant research; once a dataset has been selected, users can launch this directly in an embedded Jupyter Notebook or within Quantify, a high-performance compute environment, with the ability to query in multiple languages. Quantify, the second of today's announcements, securely layers a fully auditable and high-performance self-service compute environment on top of Options Data Store, providing an abundance of data through a converged enterprise service. Key features of this new product include granular file system-level data entitlements and built-in audit and budgeting toolsets. The solution also boasts multi-cloud capabilities, with the ability to direct compute jobs to the lowest-cost or most efficient environment based on available capacity. As key additions to Options' product portfolio, these solutions are underpinned by Options' SOC compliant security services, with 24/7 follow-the-sun support and monitoring. Micah Kroeze, Options, SVP Product Management, commented, "Code Willing's unique technology solutions and Options' industry-leading infrastructure services have allowed us to address key industry pain points around data acquisition, trading strategy time to market, and enterprise data control. We are delighted to announce Options Data Store and Quantify and look forward to continuing to bring material value to our clients through our partnership with Code Willing." Baron Davis, CEO at Code Willing, added, "The partnership between Options and Code Willing is a real game-changer that will solve how data is absorbed, cleaned, and delivered across all cloud environments. Their incredible infrastructure and customer service, coupled with our high-end software solutions, make the perfect match. We are thrilled to be bringing these two revolutionary products to market as the next phase in our alliance." Today's products are the output of the firm's partnership announced last year. This news comes as the latest in a series of strategic announcements for Options, including VMware Cloud Verified Status in LHC, hosting capabilities in Bergamo, and a fifth Microsoft Gold partner status in the communications competency. In 2019, Options received investment from Boston-based Private Equity Firm, Abry Partners. This investment has enabled Options to accelerate its growth strategy and develop its technology platform whilst expanding its reach in key financial centres globally. About Options (www.options-it.com): Options Technology is the No. 1 provider of IT infrastructure to global Capital Markets firms, supporting their operations and ecosystems. Founded in 1993, the firm began life as a hedge fund technology services provider. Today, the company provides high-performance managed trading infrastructure and cloud-enabled managed services to over 550 firms globally, providing an agile, scalable platform in an Investment Bank-grade Cybersecurity wrapper. Options clients include the leading global investment banks, hedge funds, funds of funds, proprietary trading firms, market makers, broker/dealers, private equity houses, and exchanges. With offices in 8 key cities; New York, Toronto, Chicago, London, Belfast, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Auckland, Options are well placed to service their customers on-site and remotely. In 2019, Options secured a significant growth investment from Abry Partners, a Boston-based sector-focused private equity firm. This investment has enabled Options to considerably accelerate its growth strategy to invest further in its technology platform and expand its reach in key financial centres globally. Options has been named among the UK's leading growth companies in the 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017 Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200 league table. For more on Options, please visit www.options-it.com follow us on Twitter at @Options_ITand visit our LinkedIn page About Abry Partners (www.abry.com Abry is one of the most experienced and successful sector-focused private equity investment firms in North America. Since its founding in 1989, the firm has completed over $82 billion of leveraged transactions and other private equity or preferred equity placements. Currently, the firm manages over $5.0 billion of capital across their active funds. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531005465/en/ Contacts: Press Contact: Page McLaughlin Email: page.mclaughlin@options-it.com SHENZHEN, China, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- iQOO, an independent sub-brand of vivo, announced the international debut of iQOO Neo6. The new iQOO Neo6 delivers outstanding performance and a flagship-level gaming experience at a more affordable price point. Its unique features and design were crafted to appeal to smartphone users who seek a stylish device that offers a seamless user experience and excellent photography capabilities. "The new iQOO Neo6 device stands out with its original exterior design and offers strong performance for an immersive gaming experience," said Nipun Marya, Chief Executive Officer of iQOO. "Not only does the affordable yet powerful device continue to strengthen the iQOO brand in performance and gaming, but it also provides top-tier photography experience, satisfying the day-to-day needs of gaming enthusiasts." Powerful Performance iQOO Neo6 is designed for performance. The device is equipped with Snapdragon 870 5G Mobile Platform, 80W FlashCharge, 4700mAh battery, Extended RAM 2.0, and Enhanced UFS 3.1 technology, enabling uninterrupted multitasking and smooth gaming. With the Snapdragon 870 5G mobile platform, iQOO Neo6 provides robust performance in all usage scenarios. It ensures lower power consumption, excellent cooling, and powerful processing - achieving a perfect balance between the three. Furthermore, iQOO Neo6 features the all-around enhanced V6 UFS 3.1 high-speed memory chip that improves UFS performance by supporting the brand-new HID advanced defragmentation technology. The Extended RAM 2.0 in iQOO Neo6 allows part of the ROM to be utilized as RAM. This way, the iQOO Neo6 8GB model offers a maximum of 12GB RAM, while the 12GB model tops out at 16GB of RAM. This improved feature enriches the user experience by reducing application startup time and optimizing memory usage to allow multiple applications to run smoothly at the same time. iQOO Neo6 is also equipped with Defragmentation 2.0, a stream technology that prevents storage fragmentation, improves overall performance and eliminates lag. With Defragmentation 2.0, the device will classify and store data based on its different attributes, reducing the probability of file fragmentation by 25%. The Cascade Cooling System in iQOO Neo6 is an innovative heat dissipation system that accelerates heat transfer. The five-layer 3D graphite cooling plates of the Cascade Cooling System fit closely with the heat source, making full use of the space in the device. iQOO Neo6's single-IC and dual-cell design (20V/4A) of 80W FlashCharge can greatly reduce charging time. The 4700mAh battery gets a 50% battery in only 12 minutes. In addition, iQOO Neo6 has a smart charging mode that helps detect the user's sleep time and adjusts the charging time accordingly, extending the battery lifespan by 25%. Superb Gaming Experience iQOO Neo6 carries iQOO's gaming DNA and the pursuit of a premium gaming experience, featuring a 120Hz E4 AMOLED Display, 1200Hz Instant & 360Hz Touch Sampling Rate, Dual Stereo Speaker, and more. The 120Hz E4 AMOLED Display supports a high refresh rate of 120Hz and can display 120 frames per second, providing smooth animation and picture transition for a superb gaming experience. The 120Hz E4 AMOLED Display is more eye-friendly and power-efficient. The touch response speed is vital for a better gaming experience. iQOO Neo6 features a 1200Hz Instant & 360Hz Touch Sampling Rate. Many competitive games, especially first-person shooters, require a very high level of precision for aiming. The precise touch response on iQOO Neo6 allows users to adjust the touch recognition based on personal preference for smooth and continuous screen swiping, while the high touch response rate further improves touch sensitivity. Compared with the Z-Axis Linear Motor, the X-Axis Linear Motor featured in the iQOO Neo6 starts faster, has stronger vibration, and feels more vivid and real. It brings better physical feedback during typing, gaming, and more. With 4D Game Vibration, the system can intelligently identify usage scenarios and use the linear motor and software algorithms to provide custom vibrations for a better gaming experience. iQOO Neo6 features Dual Stereo Speaker to bring users a surround sound effect while gaming, listening to music or watching videos. Excellent Photography in Everyday Scenarios iQOO Neo6 has a 16MP front camera and a rear triple camera system consisting of a 64MP OIS Main Camera, an 8MP Wide-Angle Camera, and a 2MP Super Macro Camera. The main camera is equipped with a GW1P sensor and a 1/1.7" image sensor. GW1P sensor can achieve excellent image processing in bright or dark environments, ensuring ultra-clear photography. The main camera supports 4K/60fps video recording and uses OIS to minimize image blur caused by shaky hands, significantly improving the clarity of photos taken in low light, scenes requiring long exposure, or action-packed scenes. Trendy Appearance The new iQOO Neo6 presents a retro-futuristic design style that takes inspiration from factories, electronics, and the machine age, showcasing the extreme contrast between the past and future. The device will be available in two colors, Dark Nova and Cyber Rage. Dark Nova is inspired by outer space - the hidden galaxies spread across time and space. Cyber Rage represents a journey through the bustling streets of the cyberpunk city under the flickering neon lights. Availability iQOO Neo6 series will be available in India starting from May 31st, 2022. iQOO Neo6 comes with the 8GB RAM+128GB ROM edition and 12GB RAM + 256GB ROM edition. About iQOO iQOO, an independent sub-brand of the vivo group, aims to bring cutting-edge industry technology to users more quickly and easily for enhanced experiences with high-performance devices. The iQOO brand deeply understands the performance needs of users and the collective desire for technological innovation by a new generation. Backed by vivo's strong capabilities and user-oriented innovation, iQOO has multiple product lines operating independently. For more information, please visit www.iQOO.com. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1829119/iQOO_Neo6_Dark_Nova.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1829120/iQOO_Neo6_Dark_Nova.jpg The company aims to use this capital to usher in a new era of data-driven investing and decision making GURGAON and BANGALORE, India, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Synaptic, a leading alternative data insights start-up, announced today the successful closure of $20 million in Series B funding round led by Valor Equity Partners . Synaptic combines the best of technology, machine learning, and finance to bring sophisticated alternative data insights to decision-makers. With the funding, Synaptic will continue to invest in product innovations, double down on its data science capabilities, partnerships with data vendors, and expand its go-to-market teams in key global financial hubs. "The amount of data generated by the world grows exponentially every year and can be valuable in providing accurate, detailed insights across all types of markets. However, the data is raw, unstructured, and constantly shifting, making it difficult for companies to use it meaningfully. We are a leader in analyzing billions of data points every day to provide reliable insights to investors and corporations so they can make better decisions. With the Series B funding, we will massively increase our reach and bring our capabilities to more markets and geographies. We are highly enthusiastic about the investment from Valor and look forward to working together with their incredibly experienced team," said Anurag Abbott, Co-Founder, Synaptic. Synaptic is trusted by leading Venture Capital and Private Equity firms, Hedge Funds, and Asset Managers globally with combined assets of several hundred billion dollars. Synaptic provides a data and insights platform to investors looking to leverage diverse alternative datasets in sourcing and tracking companies of interest, market research, and portfolio monitoring. The Synaptic platform brings together well over 100 performance metrics like web and mobile traffic, SEO data, employee data, product reviews, developer activity, search trends, etc, on hundreds of thousands of public and private companies globally. These are layered with machine learning-powered analytics and an automated insights engine, allowing investors to get personalized insights from their data that would otherwise remain undiscovered. Speaking on the investment, Antonio Gracias, the Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Investment Officer of Valor noted, "Valor has a long history of leveraging alternative data to enhance decision making. As the world becomes more chaotic, the importance of alternative data only grows. We are excited to support the Synaptic team as they enhance the accessibility and utility of alternative data." Synaptic was incubated as the data and analytics team at Vy Capital, a $6 billion AuM global technology investment company and was spun out as an independent company in 2016. Previously, the company has raised $6mn in seed and Series A funding from Ribbit Capital, Felicis Ventures, and Vy Capital Management. Speaking on the funding, Rohit Razdan, Co-Founder, Synaptic, said, "This is a significant step forward to harness the full potential of merging ML and analytics with alternative data to improve investing decisions. We are grateful for the continued support of existing shareholders and the addition of new investors. Research and data is a $100bn+ industry that has just begun using alternative data. We want to be the partner of choice for any organization that wants to leverage alternative datasets." Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1829025/Synaptic_co_founders.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1829026/Synaptic_Logo.jpg Atech acquires IMEX Technical Services as it initiates its buy and build plans LONDON, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pelican Capital today announced its most recent investment, Atech, has acquired IMEX Technical Services Limited, a Swindon-based managed service provider. This is the first acquisition announced by Atech since securing an initial 10m of funding from Pelican Capital in February 2022. Pelican invests in businesses to help support both organic growth, and acquisitions, with flexible capital to align with the aspirations of its portfolio. Atech, a managed service provider with a client focused approach to cloud based modern workplace solutions has grown to a national service provider over the past 15 years. IMEX's team of specialists will allow Atech to increase their current remit in existing consulting and service teams, delivering client projects and managed services to a range of private sectors with a focus on legal, manufacturing, finance and retail. While the acquisition is an opportunity to introduce Atech to new clients, it is also of real benefit to existing clients of both Atech and IMEX. IMEX, one of the first Microsoft Gold partners in the UK, aligns with Atech's passion for innovation and its vision of making cloud technologies accessible for any organisation. Atech's status as a Microsoft Direct CSP with global support 24 x 7 offers the opportunity for existing clients from both businesses to realise the vision of optimised cloud services at scale. Ryan Langley, CEO at Atech commented "In the last 3 years, we have hit many milestones including achieving five major accreditations. Announcing our first acquisition is another exciting milestone and we look forward to executing on our strategic growth plans together with IMEX." Tim George, Co-founder at Atech added "We needed to ensure that the acquired company would align with our vision. The team at IMEX, led by Tony Payne, have proven themselves to be the perfect extension of the Atech family." Richard Morrison, Partner at Pelican Capital commented "At Pelican, we look to align with partners who show deep knowledge of their industry, but also the flair to innovate and progress by means of organic or acquired growth. We saw all of this in Atech, and they have proved us right with the fast paced and perceptive approach they have applied to their first acquisition, supported by Pelican. We look forward to building on this acquisition and welcome the IMEX team to the Atech group" About Pelican Capital Pelican Capital provides funding to businesses with management teams needing up to 25m of equity funding to accelerate growth, and where required, facilitate ownership change. Focusing on what makes management teams successful, Pelican aligns flexible capital to the ambitions of its portfolio companies. As the single point of contact from first meeting through to exit, Pelican's partners invest a substantial amount of their own capital in the businesses they invest in, alongside funds from family offices. This creates alignment between Pelican, the management team and the investors. With broad sector experience, and providing support to teams to professionalise their business, Pelican helps to develop and execute the right strategy to maximise growth. About Atech Atech delivers digital transformation, managed security and cloud services in addition to infrastructure and end-user support, with a specific focus and expertise built around optimising the Microsoft technology stack to deliver innovative technology transformation projects. Atech's track record is particularly strong in the private sector, delivering 24 x 7 global support to mid-market and enterprise organisations globally. With a deep focus and specialism in Microsoft technologies, Atech enables, and supports, digital transformation to visionary businesses. SAN FRANCISCO, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The global LiDAR market size is expected to reach USD 4.71 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 9.8% during the forecast period, according to a new report published by Grand View Research, Inc. The market growth is attributable to the rising adoption of LiDAR technology in environmental mapping, automobile safety application arenas, and construction and architectural sectors for monitoring 3D-modeling applications, among others. As this technology is one of the key sensing technologies for enabling hybrid and fully autonomous driving, the rapid development of self-driving vehicles is expected to propel market growth. Key Insights & Findings from the report: The rising automation in various industries has reduced human efforts and increased efficiency. The technological superiority of LiDAR-based technology in several engineering projects is expected to propel the market growth over the forecast period. The airborne segment is expected to remain dominant over the forecast period. The growth of the segment is attributed to the increasing adoption of aerial mapping devices. North America is expected to emerge as one of the leading regional markets over the forecast period owing to the rising R&D investments and the high adoption of LiDAR solutions in the automotive sector and environmental scanning & modeling operations. is expected to emerge as one of the leading regional markets over the forecast period owing to the rising R&D investments and the high adoption of LiDAR solutions in the automotive sector and environmental scanning & modeling operations. The growing demand for this technology in emerging economies such as India , Japan , and China is driving the growth of the market in Asia Pacific . Additionally, a rise in demand for technology across the automotive industry is contributing to the growth of the market. , , and is driving the growth of the market in . Additionally, a rise in demand for technology across the automotive industry is contributing to the growth of the market. The current market environment is witnessing intense competition among the key players for achieving market domination through product differentiation and quality enhancement. Request a free sample copy or view the report summary, "LiDAR Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product Type (Airborne, Terrestrial, Mobile & UAV), By Component, By Application, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030", published by Grand View Research. LiDAR Market Growth & Trends Various organizations are focusing on enhancing their LiDAR technology to provide improved safe driving car technologies. For instance, in January 2022, Cepton, a US-based developer and manufacturer of LiDAR products, selected OSRAM's 905 nm edge-emitting lasers to combine high optical output power with low-power consumption light detection and ranging systems for providing enhanced ADAS solutions. The ADAS application segment is expected to witness notable growth owing to the rising incorporation of automotive safety and forward-collision avoidance systems. The regulatory authorities in the U.K have mandated the installation of automotive safety technologies. The Euro NCAP Advanced forms clear guidance related to the safety benefits of technologies such as blind-spot monitoring, lane support, Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), speed alert, attention assist, vision enhancement, and pre-crash sensing. Rising developments in 3D scanning solutions are expected to propel market growth over the forecast period. For instance, in October 2018, Faro Technology, Inc., in partnership with STORMBEE, introduced a new cost-effective airborne LiDAR scanning solution. The increasing environmental concerns have enforced the formulation of government regulations over the past decade. The authorities have been implementing strategies, activities, and policies to tackle the concerns. Furthermore, the industry faces constraints due to the high cost of these services and the limited availability of geospatial data; however, the technological advancements in spatial resolution of LIDAR-based digital terrain models are providing better accuracy in applications such as change detection on hillsides, water runoff for agriculture or mining sites, and inland waterways. LiDAR Market Segmentation Grand View Research has segmented the global LiDAR market based on product type, application, component, and region: LiDAR Market - Product Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030) Airborne Terrestrial Mobile & UAV LiDAR Market - Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027) Corridor Mapping Engineering Environment Exploration Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) Others LiDAR Market - Component Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030) Laser Scanners GPS Navigation (IMU) Others LiDAR Market - Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030) North America U.S. Canada Mexico Europe Germany France U.K. Asia Pacific China India Japan South America Brazil Middle East & Africa List of Key Players in the LiDAR Market Faro Technologies, Inc. Leica Geosystems Holdings AG Teledyne Optech Incorporated (A part of Teledyne Technologies) Trimble Navigation Limited RIEGL USA , Inc. , Inc. Quantum Spatial, Inc. Velodyne LiDAR, Inc. Sick AG YellowsScan GeoDigital Check out more related studies published by Grand View Research: LiDAR Services Market - The global LiDAR services market size is expected to reach USD 2.6 billion by 2025, registering a CAGR of 14.5% from 2019 to 2025, according to a new study by Grand View Research, Inc. LiDAR services find prominent applications in the automotive industry. Further, favorable government policies regarding self-driven vehicles and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) are fueling market growth. The global LiDAR services market size is expected to reach by 2025, registering a CAGR of 14.5% from 2019 to 2025, according to a new study by Grand View Research, Inc. LiDAR services find prominent applications in the automotive industry. Further, favorable government policies regarding self-driven vehicles and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) are fueling market growth. Digital Map Market - The global digital map market size is estimated to reach USD 16.15 billion by 2027, registering a CAGR of 13.0% from 2020 to 2027, according to a new study by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is expected to witness significant rise in demand from navigational application developers and Geographical Information System (GIS) providers, driven by a growing end-user base. The prolific rise in the number of smartphone and internet users has further augmented market growth. Moreover, growth in the number of connected and semi-autonomous cars and anticipated developments in self-driving and navigation technology, among others is expected to drive the demand for digital maps. - The global digital map market size is estimated to reach by 2027, registering a CAGR of 13.0% from 2020 to 2027, according to a new study by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is expected to witness significant rise in demand from navigational application developers and Geographical Information System (GIS) providers, driven by a growing end-user base. The prolific rise in the number of smartphone and internet users has further augmented market growth. Moreover, growth in the number of connected and semi-autonomous cars and anticipated developments in self-driving and navigation technology, among others is expected to drive the demand for digital maps. Collision Avoidance System Market - The global collision avoidance system market is expected to reach USD 18.97 billion by 2025, according to a new study conducted by Grand View Research, Inc. The updated ratings of safety agencies and incorporation of anti-collision systems in mass-market models are expected to propel the market growth over the next six years. Browse through Grand View Research's Next Generation Technologies Industry Research Reports. About Grand View Research Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research Helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead. Contact: Sherry James Corporate Sales Specialist, USA Grand View Research, Inc. Phone: 1-415-349-0058 Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com Grand View Compass | Grand View Pipeline Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661327/Grand_View_Research_Logo.jpg Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2022) - SALAZAR RESOURCES LIMITED (TSXV: SRL) (OTCQX: SRLZF) (FSE: CCG) ("Salazar" or the "Company") is pleased to announce sampling results and an update on the Los Santos drill program. Phase 1 drilling is complete at Los Santos, El Oro Province, with thirteen holes completed for a total of 2,575 meters ("m"). Results from four holes have been received, with assays pending for nine holes. Results from channel sampling and trenches are also reported. Final assays from all holes are anticipated in the coming weeks. Highlights: Brecha Sur trench #5 returned 14.5 m @ 19.5 g/t Au and 274 g/t Ag trench #5 returned 14.5 m @ 19.5 g/t Au and 274 g/t Ag Esperanza - drillhole SAN-002 returned 1.2 m @ 1.9 g/t Au from 142.9 m - drillhole SAN-002 returned 1.2 m @ 1.9 g/t Au from 142.9 m Leon - drillhole SAN-003A returned 15.8 m @ 0.43 g/t Au from 57 m, and 32.7 m @ 0.2 g/t Au from 292.7 m - drillhole SAN-003A returned 15.8 m @ 0.43 g/t Au from 57 m, and 32.7 m @ 0.2 g/t Au from 292.7 m Rayo - drillhole SAN-004 returned 52.4 m @ 0.2 g/t Au from 78.1 m Fredy E. Salazar, CEO, commented: "Results from Brecha Sur include spectacular grades in trenches. We drilled a series of short holes to test the continuation of this surface mineralisation at depth. Elsewhere, the final two holes in the program intersected strong alteration and mineralization in a hydrothermal breccia at Fortuna. Assay results from both Brecha Sur and Fortuna are pending. At Leon and Rayo, broad intersections of anomalous gold mineralization were intersected. The gold-bearing structures identified at surface were confirmed at depth at Esperanza." Los Santos Background information to Los Santos is available at the Salazar Resources website: https://salazarresources.com/projects/100-salazar-owned/los-santos/ Exploration at Los Santos has comprised mapping, sampling, and drilling. Many of the targets shown in Figure 1, below, have been drill-tested. Drilling is completed, and consisted of 2,575 m in thirteen separate holes. Results from four holes have been received, with assays pending for nine holes. The drill rigs have been demobilized from Los Santos. Next steps for the project will be established once the remaining assays are included into a final report. New Drill Results, Los Santos Results have been returned from the first four holes completed in Phase 1 Drilling at Los Santos. A further nine holes have been drilled, comprising seven holes at the Brecha Sur target and two holes at the Fortuna target. A map showing the location of the drill holes is shown in Figure 1, below. Figure 1. Los Santos exploration targets and drill plan To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4631/125844_105b40e4241cdbf8_003full.jpg The collar locations of all thirteen holes are shown in Table 1, below. Table 1. Los Santos Phase 1 drill program collar locations Target Hole ID East North Dip Azimuth Total Depth Esperanza SAN-001A 637947 9610689 -60 280 298.8 SAN-002 637938 9610647 -60 270 227.0 Leon SAN-003A 637619 9611896 -70 80 327.6 Rayo SAN-004 637548 9611980 -50 290 439.0 Brecha Sur SAN-005 636693 9607234 -60 125 245.0 SAN-006 636655 9607128 -50 130 174.6 SAN-007 636654 9607083 -50 130 94.2 SAN-007A 636654 9607083 -42 320 35.0 SAN-008 636754 9607165 -46 320 44.0 SAN-008A 636754 9607165 -42 320 34.4 SAN-008B 636754 9607165 -60 320 130.9 Fortuna SAN-009 635744 9613500 -60 110 224.1 SAN-010 635744 9613500 -85 290 275.0 The results from the first four holes are shown in Table 2, below. Assays from the remaining holes are pending. Table 2. Drilling results from Los Santos Target Hole From To Width Results Esperanza SAN-001A 125.2 130.5 5.3 0.3 g/t Au and 142.9 144.1 1.2 1.9 g/t Au SAN-002 No significant results Leon SAN-003A 56.7 72.4 15.7 0.4 g/t Au and 247.6 254.1 6.6 0.2 g/t Au and 257.3 274.0 16.7 0.2 g/t Au and 292.7 325.4 32.7 0.2 g/t Au Rayo SAN-004 78.1 130.5 52.4 0.2 g/t Au At Esperanza, two drill holes were collared in weakly sheared, partially metamorphized tonalites, oriented almost due west, with a dip of 60o. The holes targeted depth extensions of mineralization identified through surface sampling. Both holes intersected sheared zones of veining and veinlets, with visible gold reported at a depth of 132 m in SAN-001. Although the zone of shearing and sulphide mineralization in SAN-001 was 10 m in thickness, the intersection carrying gold values was 1.2 m @ 1.9 g/t Au from a depth of 142.9 m. The core was assayed with conventional fire assay atomic absorption spectroscopy and metallic screen fire assay methods. The downhole intersection is lower grade and narrower than the channel sampling reported previously from surface (21.5 m @ 3.0 g/t Au). The grade differences are interpreted to reflect enrichment of the geology at the surface relative to the underlying geology. The narrower widths are interpreted to reflect the fact that the channel sample was taken obliquely to the structure whereas the drillholes were orthogonal to structure. Figure 2. Esperanza cross-section To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4631/125844_105b40e4241cdbf8_004full.jpg At Leon and Rayo, two holes were drilled across the main targets established by surface mapping and sampling. At Leon, previously reported mineralization at surface included 7.5 m @ 0.27 g/t Au and 0.25 % Cu across one of a series of north-south sheeted vein sets, varying in intensity across approximately 180 m of east-west oriented outcrop. Additional results from the eastern section include 2 m @ 0.2 g/t Au and 0.25% Cu, and 2 m @ 2.2 g/t Au and 0.43% Cu. At Rayo, previously reported sampling in an adit across a similar orientation of vein sets returned a best intersection of 8.0 m @ 8.0 g/t Au in an adit. The drilling in both areas intersected similar geology downhole as that seen at surface, namely mineralized structures and vein sets with oxidation in fractures and quartz-pyrite mineralization, minor chalcopyrite and trace arsenopyrite. At Leon, the results from SAN-003 indicate broad zones of gold mineralization, with several intervals between 247 m and 325 m downhole returning 0.2 g/t Au, as shown in Table 2, above. The results from the hole at Rayo, 52.4 m @ 0.2 g/t Au, are of a similar tenor and thickness to the nearby geology at Leon. The high grades previously reported in the channel at Rayo are interpreted to reflect surface enrichment due to oxidation processes. Figure 3. Leon cross-section, SAN-003 To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4631/125844_105b40e4241cdbf8_005full.jpg Figure 4. Rayo cross-section, SAN-004 To view an enhanced version of Figure 4, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4631/125844_105b40e4241cdbf8_006full.jpg At Brecha Sur, mapping and trenching continues to reveal high grade mineralization at surface. The area appears to represent a conjugate set of structures formed in a compressive environment. Locally at Brecha Sur the host instrusive rock exhibits brittle deformation with en echelon tension cracks visible at the metric to decimetric scale. The tension cracks often contain elevated levels of sulfide mineralization. These zones are associated with intense argillic alteration (kaolinite-alunite + illite-smectite-sericite) and a mineral association of pyrite + enargite (Cu) + tenantite (As+Ag) + tetrahedrite (Sb+Ag) + Ag sulfosalts (pyrargyrite). This suite of alteration and sulfides suggests these are high sulfidation (HS) lenses of mineralization. Trenching and channel sampling was carried out over a number of zones, as shown in figure 5. Figure 5. Brecha Sur trench and drill plan To view an enhanced version of Figure 5, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4631/125844_105b40e4241cdbf8_007full.jpg The sampling at Brecha Sur was carried out by chip sampling in friable rock, and using a rock saw in competent rock. Sample lengths were nominally 2 m, adjusted to lithologies. Table 3. Brecha Sur trench results Trench Length (m) Gold (g/t) Silver (g/t) Copper (%) TBx1 6.5 2.2 3.5 - TBx2 14.2 2.7 100.6 - TBx3 5.7 19.6 328.9 0.4 TBx4 5.8 6.9 90.5 0.2 TBx5 14.5 19.5 274.0 0.2 Drilling to test the depth extent of these bodies has intersected similar alteration and mineral suites and hydrothermal breccias within core. The intensity of mineralization does, however, appear to be much less intense than that seen at surface. The altered and veined zones, and the hydrothermal breccias are thinner at depth than those intersected at surface. Results for drill holes SAN-005, SAN-006, SAN-007, SAN-007A, SAN-008, SAN-008A, and SAN-008B are pending. Figure 6. Fortuna drill section, holes SAN-009 and SAN-010 To view an enhanced version of Figure 6, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4631/125844_105b40e4241cdbf8_008full.jpg At Fortuna, soil sampling identified a gold and copper anomaly centred on a tourmaline breccia. The breccia outcrop shows alteration and disseminated sulfide mineralization. It is hosted within a medium-coarse grained diorite. Two drill holes, SAN-009 and SAN-010, were collared within the breccia, and intersected strongly sodic-calcic alteration, increasing with depth, characterized by actinolite, albite, and epidote. The alteration is associated with sulfide mineralization of pyrite, chalcopyrite, magnetite, and molybdenite. Diamond drill hole SAN-009, was completed at a depth of 224.1 m. From surface it intersected hydrothermal breccias until a depth of 135.50 m. Diamond drill hole SAN-010, was drilled subvertically away from SAN-009 and it was completed at a depth of 275.0 m. From surface SAN-010 intersected hydrothermal breccias until a depth of 178.0 m. Assays for both holes are pending. QAQC Salazar maintains a rigorous chain-of-custody and quality assurance/quality control program that includes the insertion of certified standard control samples and blanks, and re-analysis of samples with high levels (over limit) of gold, copper and zinc. All samples were analysed by Inspectorate Services Peru S.A.C. (Bureau Veritas), a certified ISO 17025:1999 and ISO 9001:2000 laboratory. The laboratory also maintains a QAQC program that includes insertion of blanks, standards and duplicate reanalysis of selected samples. Gold was analysed by fire assay - atomic absorption spectroscopy (FA-AAS). Silver, copper, zinc and other elements were analyzed by aqua regia extraction with an Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP-ES) finish. Qualified Person Kieran Downes, Ph.D., P. Geo., a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and verified the technical information provided in this release. About Salazar Resources Salazar Resources is focused on creating value and positive change through discovery, exploration and development in Ecuador. The team has an unrivalled understanding of the geology in-country, and has played an integral role in the discovery of many of the major projects in Ecuador, including the two newest operating gold and copper mines. Salazar Resources has a wholly-owned pipeline of copper-gold exploration projects across Ecuador with a strategy to make another commercial discovery and farm-out non-core assets. The Company actively engages with Ecuadorian communities and together with the Salazar family it co-founded The Salazar Foundation, an independent non-profit organisation dedicated to sustainable progress through economic development. The Company already has carried interests in three projects. At its maiden discovery, Curipamba, Salazar Resources has a 25% stake fully carried through to production. A feasibility study for initial open-pit development announced in October 2021 (the "Feasibility Study") generated a base case NPV(8%) of US$259 million (for further information, please refer to the Company's news release dated October 26, 2021). At two copper-gold porphyry projects, Pijili and Santiago, the Company has a 20% stake fully carried through to a construction decision. For further information about Salazar Resources, please contact Merlin Marr-Johnson, Executive Vice President and Corporate Secretary, at merlin@salazarresources.com or ir@salazarresources.com or at +1 604 685 9316. 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. This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, identified by words or phrases such as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "is expected", "scheduled", "estimates", "pending", "intends", "plans", "forecasts", "targets", or "hopes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "will", "should" "might", "will be taken", or "occur" and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information herein includes, but is not limited to, statements that address activities, events, or developments that Salazar expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Although Salazar has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, and 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. Salazar undertake to update any forward-looking information in accordance with applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/125844 An interim chief of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) apologized Tuesday for making ageist remarks against a local election candidate of the ruling People Power Party (PPP). Rep. Yoon Ho-jung made the remarks Monday, saying actor Song Ki-yoon, the PPP's candidate for the head of Jeungpyeong County in central North Chungcheong Province, "will have a hard time learning new stuff, because he is over 70 years old." "I hope he continues to do what he has been doing until now," Yoon said of Song. After his remarks sparked criticism of ageism, Yoon apologized to Song during a radio interview with KBS, Tuesday morning. The PPP, however, urged Yoon to issue a public apology, saying he expressed discrimination and prejudice. "Age is just a number. I believe Yoon said something a politician should not say," PPP floor leader Kweon Seong-dong told reporters. "The problem is Yoon's fundamental perception that belittles all new challenges and dreams of people in their 70s or above," Rep. Yang Kum-hee, the spokesperson for the PPP's election committee, said. (Yonhap) Leading car maker joins Avanci's essential patent marketplace for connected vehicles Today, Avanci announced that it has signed a patent license agreement with Ford Motor Company. With one agreement, Ford gains access to all 4G, 3G, and 2G standard essential patents owned by the 49 patent owners currently participating in the Avanci licensing program, as well as any patent owner who joins the program in the future, for use in Ford's connected vehicles. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531005271/en/ Avanci's independent marketplace has transformed the way companies share technology. (Graphic: Business Wire) "Avanci extends a warm welcome to Ford, one of the world's leading automotive manufacturers," said Kasim Alfalahi, founder and chief executive officer of Avanci. "Ford is the fifth US-based auto maker to join the growing list of companies who have adopted the industry solution offered by our independent marketplace." Avanci has transformed the way the owners of patented cellular technology and automakers share technology, by offering a single joint license to the majority cellular standard essential patents on a set of transparent licensing terms that have been widely accepted by licensors and licensees. A total of 41 auto brands and more than 65 million vehicles are now licensed by Avanci. About Avanci Avanci believes that sharing patented technology in the Internet of Things era can be simpler. As an independent intermediary working at the intersection of different industries, our one-stop solution is designed to bring efficiency, convenience, and predictability to the licensing process. Since 2016, Avanci has been driving innovation forward by making connections through our marketplace. Companies with essential patents share their innovations with companies creating connected products for the IoT in one place, with one agreement, and for one fair, flat rate. In 2020, the World Economic Forum named Avanci a Technology Pioneer for its work in accelerating innovation for the Internet of Things. www.avanci.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531005271/en/ Contacts: Mark Durrant Vice President, Marketing Communications media@avanci.com +1 (469) 480-2558 +44 7875 276867 SAN JOSE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 31, 2022 / Guskin Gold Corp. (OTCQB:GKIN) ("Guskin Gold ' or the "Company,") is pleased to announce that the Company has retained veteran investor relations ("IR") agency Integrity Media Inc. to manage IR and corporate communications. Integrity Media has over two decades of experience working in the public markets in the United States and Canada and is led by published author, founder, and president Kurt Divich. Mr. Divich is a veteran investor relations specialist and a premier journalist in the financial industry. He has consulted and provided investor relations services to public companies ranging from American icons like Smith & Wesson to emerging companies like Guskin Gold Corp. "I am excited to join the team at Guskin Gold and implement a long-term communication strategy that articulates the Company's present and future work and report on the Company's advancements in a timely manner," stated Mr. Divich. "I have been a long-term 'gold bug' - for more than two decades - and have closely watched the industry flourish. The opportunities that Guskin Gold has created in Africa are both unique and compelling and I look forward to assisting them effectively communicate that story to the investing public, the brokerage community, and the industry media." "Integrity Media is well-known for consistent and clear communication always advocating for the investors," stated Mrs. Naana Asante, CEO of Guskin Gold. "We've had numerous discussions with Mr. Divich about the importance of the Company's obligation to be informative, transparent, and have expeditious communication with our individual shareholders and the investment community. Additionally, Mr. Divich and his team at Integrity Media, are among the most effective communicators in this industry and we look forward to harnessing that energy." About Guskin Gold Corp. Guskin Gold Corp. (OTCQB:GKIN) is a mining company publicly traded in the United States, with its head office in Santa Clara, California. Guskin is focused on gold exploration and mining in Ghana, the number one gold producer in Africa and seventh largest gold producing country in the world. The Company's leadership team is world-class. Many are native to Ghana, all offer specialized expertise in the business of gold exploration, mining, public markets, and finance. And all are passionately committed to the success of the Company, our partners, and investors. For additional information please visit www.guskingold.com . Company Contact Information Mrs. Naana Asante Chief Executive Officer Tel: + (408) 766-1511 naana.asante@guskingold.com www.guskingold.com Investor Relations & Financial Media Integrity Media Inc. team@integritymedia.com Toll Free: (888) 216-3595 www.IntegrityMedia.com Forward-Looking Statements and Disclosure This news release contains "forward-looking statements" which are not purely historical and may include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, the development, costs and results of new business opportunities and words such as "anticipate", "seek", intend", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "project", "plan", or similar phrases may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with the exploration and exploitation of the Kukuom Concession, new mineral and/or gold projects, securing necessary financing, the future of the U.S. and global economies, the impact of competition, and the Company's reliance on existing regulations pertaining to the mining and exploration of mineral properties in Ghana and internationally. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our annual report on Form 10-K, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For more information, please visit www.sec.gov SOURCE: Guskin Gold Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/703263/Guskin-Gold-Corp-OTCQBGKINEngages-Integrity-Media-Inc-for-Investor-Relations-and-Corporate-Communications-Services Nicho Main Zone development activities largely complete; Working Capital Facility provides short-term support for expanded mining rates Toronto, Ontario and Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2022) - Minera Alamos Inc. (TSXV: MAI) (the "Company" or "Minera Alamos") is pleased to provide an update on the continuing progress at the Company's Santana gold mine. The development of the Nicho Main Zone ("NMZ") is now underway with haulage and access roads largely completed along with the removal of limited vegetation and surface cover. Following the initiation of mining activities and as the pit working areas opens up, the much larger scale of the NMZ compared to the current starter pit at Nicho Norte will help drive project mining rates to planned levels for the overall commercial operation. First mineralized material from the NMZ should be stacked on the Santana leach pad as operations move into the second half of the year and will help drive gold production rates higher. "This advancement of the Nicho Main Zone is a significant and positive development and the final major milestone in the ramp-up of operations at Santana. Th development of the second and larger pit will provide access to the main source of known mineralization at the project supplementing current starter pit operations and allowing the Company to ultimately exit the project's pre-commercial phase of production," stated Darren Koningen, CEO. Photo 1: Main Haulage Road for the Planned NMZ Open Pit To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4183/125885_42f7148e64f1cabb_002full.jpg Working Capital Facility with Ocean Partners The Company has agreed to basic terms for a modest US$3 million unsecured working capital facility with Ocean Partners USA Inc. ("OP") and definitive documentation is in the process of being finalized. The facility will bolster the Company's existing working capital and provide added financial flexibility to assist with short-term demands related to the expansion of site mining activities to incorporate production from both the Nicho Norte and NMZ open pits (cover lags between mining and the receipt of proceeds from ultimate gold recovery). Company management have an existing relationship with OP and anticipate that the new facility will serve as a starting point that can grow in scale as the Santana project operations expand. Nicho Norte Operations Update Gold mined and stacked on the leach pad to date totals approximately 18,000 oz with roughly 7,000 oz of gold recovered in concentrate. Operations in May have been seasonally impacted from the severe and ongoing drought that has affected Sonora for much of the last two years. Typical rainfall in the region from January to June is in the range of 120-150 mm. However, in 2021 this totalled 45 mm and in the current year less than 2 mm has accumulated to date forcing the Company to locate additional local sources of water to support operations. The upcoming rainy season (late June-September) is expected to recharge water reservoirs and allow for an acceleration of the recovery of gold stacked on the leach pads in Q3. Following receipt of its explosives storage permit, the Company has now fully transitioned all production drilling and blasting activities "in-house". The added flexibility this has provided has been significant in terms of explosive purchase options as well as better utilization of existing mine contractor personnel for drilling and blasting operations. Overall, the changes implemented to date have allowed for a greater than 80% reduction in overall blasting costs while allowing the Company increased efficiency in scheduling the sequences between blasting and mining operations. Efforts continue to further optimize blasting activities. The implementation of these improvements were critical prior to decisions related to the initiation of mining activities at the Nicho Main Zone. The Company's on-site lab should be complete and operational in the coming weeks in anticipation of first blasting at the NMZ. The faster sample assay turnaround provided by these facilities is also a critical pre-requisite to maintaining effective mine and plant production controls as site mining activities continue to increase. Selected Financial Data: The following selected financial data is summarized from the Company's unaudited condensed interim consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto (the "Interim Financial Statements') for the three months ended March 31st, 2022, and the Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") for the three months ended March 31st, 2022 (all numbers in Canadian dollars). A copy of the Financial Statements and MD&A is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. In accordance with the adoption of the Amendment to International Accounting Standard ("IAS") 16 Property, Plant & Equipment, Proceeds Before Intended Use, the Company is providing revenues and costs of goods sold for the period ending March 31st 2022. A more thorough explanation of this new accounting rule is outlined in the financial statements (note that these costs pursuant to the IFRS accounting rule for their treatment do not factor in depletion or depreciation) Revenues from approximately 65% of gold production in the quarter totalled $5,160,026 with cost of goods sold amounting to $2,255,305. The remaining gold was sold post quarter end. Income from operations of $1,529,128 compared with a loss of $4,166,739 in the corresponding quarter of 2021 Net income of $1,067,853 for the quarter amounted to $0.002/share compared to a Net loss of $2,790,352 or $0.006/share in the corresponding quarter of 2021. Cash and Cash Equivalents totalled $8,177,510 compared to $9,379,390 at year end - the difference reflecting gold sales in process that were recorded after quarter end and a modest reduction in the marked to market valuation of investment holdings (subsequently sold - see below ). Subsequent to quarter end the Company sold its remaining 590,000 shares in Prime Mining at a price of $3.50/share for gross proceeds of $2,065,000. Photo 2: Site Preparations Underway at the Nicho Main Zone Breccia Pipe To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4183/125885_42f7148e64f1cabb_003full.jpg Cautionary Statement The Company made its production decision and has started the development and production of the Santana gold mine without having completed a feasibility study demonstrating economic and technical viability. As such, there may be increased uncertainty of achieving planned production levels, estimated recovery of gold, the costs associated with such recovery, including increased risks associated with developing a commercially mineable deposit. Historically, such projects have a much higher risk of economic and technical failure. Failure to commence production would have a material adverse impact on the Company's ability to generate revenue and cash flow to fund operations. Mr. Darren Koningen, P. Eng., Minera Alamos' CEO, is the Qualified Person responsible for the technical content of this press release under National Instrument 43-101. For Further Information Please Contact: Minera Alamos Inc. Doug Ramshaw, President Tel: 604-600-4423 Email: dramshaw@mineraalamos.com Victoria Vargas de Szarzynski, VP Investor Relations Tel: 289-242-3599 Email: vvargas@mineraalamos.com Website: www.mineraalamos.com About Minera Alamos Inc. Minera Alamos is a gold production and development Company undergoing the operational startup of its first gold mine that produced its first gold in October 2021. The Company has a portfolio of high-quality Mexican assets, including the 100%-owned Santana open-pit, heap-leach mine in Sonora that is currently going through its operational ramp up. The 100%-owned Cerro de Oro oxide gold project in northern Zacatecas that has considerable past drilling and metallurgical work completed and could enter the permitting process rapidly. The La Fortuna open pit gold project in Durango (100%-owned) has an extremely robust and positive preliminary economic assessment (PEA) completed and the main Federal permits in hand. Minera Alamos is built around its operating team that together brought 3 mines into successful production in Mexico over the last 13 years. The Company's strategy is to develop very low capex assets while expanding the projects' resources and continuing to pursue complementary strategic acquisitions. About Ocean Partners USA Inc. Ocean Partners specializes in the trading of precious metal, copper, zinc and lead, as well as related by-products and secondary materials. The Ocean Partners team has spent over 25 years providing successful trading services to miners, smelters, and refiners, and has a strong global network of relationships and contacts in the precious, base metal mining, smelting and refining sector. Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking information and Minera Alamos cautions readers that forward-looking information is based on certain assumptions and risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations of Minera Alamos included in this news release. This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements", which often, but not always, can be identified by the use of words such as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", or "plan". These statements are based on information currently available to Minera Alamos and Minera Alamos provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements with respect to Minera Alamos' future plans with respect to the Projects, objectives or goals, to the effect that Minera Alamos or management expects a stated condition or result to occur and the expected timing for release of a resource and reserve estimate on the projects. Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results relating to, among other things, results of exploration, the economics of processing methods, project development, reclamation and capital costs of Minera Alamos' mineral properties, the ability to complete a preliminary economic assessment which supports the technical and economic viability of mineral production could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements for many reasons. Minera Alamos' financial condition and prospects could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements for many reasons such as: an inability to finance and/or complete an updated resource and reserve estimate and a preliminary economic assessment which supports the technical and economic viability of mineral production; changes in general economic conditions and conditions in the financial markets; changes in demand and prices for minerals; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological and operational difficulties encountered in connection with Minera Alamos' activities; and other matters discussed in this news release and in filings made with securities regulators. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of Minera Alamos' forward-looking statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on Minera Alamos' forward-looking statements. Minera Alamos does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by Minera Alamos or on its behalf, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. The Company does not have a feasibility study of mineral reserves, demonstrating economic and technical viability for the Santana project, and, as a result, there may be an increased uncertainty of achieving any particular level of recovery of minerals or the cost of such recovery, including increased risks associated with developing a commercially mineable deposit. Historically, such projects have a much higher risk of economic and technical failure. Failure to commence production would have a material adverse impact on the Company's ability to generate revenue and cash flow to fund operations. NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/125885 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2022) - Edgemont Gold Corp. (CSE: EDGM) (FSE: EG8) ("Edgemont") has successfully completed a five hole Phase II drill program at the Dungate copper-gold porphyry project located 6 km southeast of the town of Houston, B.C.. A total of 2,046 metres were drilled, following up on widespread copper and gold mineralization identified during Phase I drilling in 2021. A map indicating the location and drill trace of all Phase II drill holes is below: 2022 Drill Hole Location Map To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6955/125895_c1542724744d0ac9_002full.jpg The first hole of the program, DG22-08, was drilled to a vertical depth of just over 500 metres and tested a hidden intrusive identified by magnetic surveys under overburden to the north of the Quartz Feldspar Porphyry ("QFP") tested during Phase I drilling in 2021. The target is a strong magnetic anomaly with a pronounced central u-shaped depleted magnetic signal. The hole intercepted approximately 350 m of quartz flooded and replaced volcanics with pyrite veinlets coincident with the depleted magnetic signature. The remaining four holes followed up on drilling in 2021 (including 27 m @ 0.44 g/t Au in DG21-04) that revealed structurally controlled gold mineralization within and proximal to the QFP (see our news release of March 28, 2022). Initial observations from these holes include: Hole DG22-09 was collared on a new drill pad 280 m south of hole DG22-08 (see map above) and was drilled at a dip of -50 degrees to a down hole depth of 450 m. This hole intercepted alternating bands of volcanics and QFP with structurally controlled sericite-silica-kpsar alteration with zones of high pyrite concentrations. Hole DG22-10 was drilled to a downhole depth of 411 m and tested a depressed magnetic signature on the edge of the QFP that appears to coincide with the gold zones. This hole remained in highly sericitic-clay alteration throughout its length, with zones of intense quartz stockwork with abundant pyrite. Hole DG22-11 was drilled to 351 m to test a linear magnetic signature coincident with the edge of a high IP chargeability anomaly, and coincident with a broad zone of anomalous gold intersected in hole DG21-01. This drill hole remained in highly altered QFP and intersected 56 meters of intense quartz-pyrite-magnetite stockwork. Hole DG22-12 was drilled to 243 m to test a depleted magnetic signature coincident with the edge of a high IP chargeability anomaly. This hole remained in altered QFP and intersected 20 meters of quartz-pyrite quartz veins. . As structural gold targets require more precise sampling, assaying will be done on 1.0-1.5m sample lengths instead of the 3.0m sampling protocol used in 2021. Core logging, cutting and sampling is expected to be completed this week; assay results will be reported when received and interpreted. The technical information contained in this news release has been approved by Joseph Campbell, P. Geo, a Director of Edgemont, who is a Qualified Person as defined in "National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects." About Edgemont Gold Corp: Edgemont is actively exploring the Dungate copper/gold porphyry project located just 6 km southeast of Houston, B.C., in a region with a history of successful mining projects including the Equity Silver Mine, Imperial Metals' Huckleberry Mine, and the more recent gold-silver discovery at Sun Summit Minerals' Buck Project which sits just 7 km to the south. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6955/125895_c1542724744d0ac9_003full.jpg Having acquired an interest in its initial claims at Dungate in 2018, the Company now holds five mineral tenures covering 1,582.2 hectares that can be explored year-round by all-season roads. For more information, please visit our website at www.edgemontgold.com. For further information, please contact: Stuart Rogers Chief Executive Officer Tel: (778) 239-3775 www.edgemontgold.com Kevin Arias VP Corporate Development Tel: (778) 773-4786 E-mail: info@edgemontgold.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as the term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements made and information contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation ("forward-looking information"). Generally, this forward-looking information can, but not always, be identified by use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects", "intends", "anticipates" or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events, conditions or results "will", "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotations thereof. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking information. Forward looking information is necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that 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. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information regarding risks inherent in exploration activities, including unforeseen delays due to circumstances beyond our control, including weather and other natural phenomena, and financial market and regulatory risks. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on information available to the Company as of the date of this news release. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as the Company's actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that would 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 or expected. All of the forward-looking information contained in this news release is qualified by these cautionary statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information due to the inherent uncertainty thereof. Except as required under applicable securities legislation and regulations applicable to the Company, the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/125895 Leverages AIOps for optimal network and application performance, with special focus on key sites or critical business periods Simplifies end-to-end monitoring of global infrastructure Orange Business Services is forging ahead in IT performance monitoring with the launch of Service Manage-Watch, a global supervision solution for network services and applications for both Orange-provided and third-party services. It is designed to ensure that connectivity and security at the edge, applications, equipment, and user experience are all performing at optimal levels to meet customers' business needs. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531005244/en/ Service Manage-Watch adds genuine predictive AI power to Orange's performance monitoring portfolio (Photo credit: Orange Business Services) Enterprise information systems rely on a multitude of interconnected services from various suppliers. Measuring the performance of these IT services is critical to keeping day-to-day operations running smoothly. Monitoring and measuring, however, are increasingly complex as IT estates expand, potentially resulting in lack of global visibility to identify root causes of issues or recurring glitches, inability to anticipate incidents, and poor alert management. Traditional monitoring tools take a siloed approach based on one tool per service, proving inadequate for today's distributed infrastructure. Service Manage-Watch differentiates itself from other offers on the market by delivering end-to-end real-time visibility via a single dashboard. In addition, the service is bolstered by a team of dedicated experts at Orange Business Services to fine-tune the correlation rules and work closely with service desk agents for advanced troubleshooting adapted to the specific customer requirements. This continuously improves global IT performance supervision. Metrics from monitoring tools are harvested into the Orange Data Lake and correlated for analysis using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to generate proactive and predictive alerts. Service Manage-Watch covers the entire enterprise's IT ecosystem. Working independently of existing suppliers and service desks, it interfaces with monitoring tools that are already deployed and IT service management (ITSM) software that manages the provision and lifecycle of IT services. It covers the full Orange portfolio and can additionally integrate any customer-owned monitoring tool. Moreover, Orange Business Services consulting teams can further support customers in their AIOps journeys. "Service Manage-Watch adds genuine predictive AI power to Orange's performance monitoring portfolio. Orange's proven consultative capabilities will help businesses ensure that they are getting the best out of Service Manage-Watch's capabilities. This launch strengthens Orange's position as an independent cloud access aggregator and gives it differentiation versus hyperscalers," said Gary Barton, Principal Analyst, Enterprise Technology and Services, GlobalData. "As both a telco-native company and an integrator, we provide the interface and manage the services, so we understand just how important performance can be to take a business from merely functioning to being outstanding when it comes to supporting business initiatives. Service Manage-Watch is a game-changer for enterprises focused on optimal performance, guaranteeing the availability of applications and networks, while enhancing decision making to increase productivity and user satisfaction. It is a key asset for our Multisourcing Service Integration (MSI) approach," explained Daniel Bigagli, vice president, Enterprise Services at Orange Business Services. About Orange Business Services Orange Business Services is a network-native digital services company and the global enterprise division of the Orange Group. It connects, protects and innovates for enterprises around the world to support sustainable business growth. Leveraging its connectivity and system integration expertise throughout the digital value chain, Orange Business Services is well placed to support global businesses in areas such as software-defined networks, multi-cloud services, Data and AI, smart mobility services, and cybersecurity. It securely accompanies enterprises across every stage of the data lifecycle end-to-end, from collection, transport, storage and processing to analysis and sharing. With companies thriving on innovation, Orange Business Services places its customers at the heart of an open collaborative ecosystem. This includes its 28,500 employees, the assets and expertise of the Orange Group, its technology and business partners, and a pool of finely selected start-ups. More than 3,000 multinational enterprises, as well as two million professionals, companies and local communities in France, put their trust in Orange Business Services. For more information, visit www.orange-business.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and our blogs. Orange is one of the world's leading telecommunications operators with revenues of 42.5 billion euros in 2021 and 278 million customers worldwide at 31 March 2022. Orange is listed on the Euronext Paris (ORA) and on the New York Stock Exchange (ORAN). In December 2019, Orange presented its new "Engage 2025" strategic plan, guided by social and environmental accountability. While accelerating in growth areas, such as B-to-B services and placing data and AI at the heart of innovation, the entire Orange Group will be an attractive and responsible employer. Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trademarks of Orange or Orange Brand Services Limited. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531005244/en/ Contacts: Press contact: Elizabeth Mayeri, Orange Business Services, elizabeth.mayeri@orange.com LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / May 31, 2022 / Horizonte (AIM:HZM, TSX:HZM) is pleased to announce the completion of the Company's Share Consolidation (as defined below) with a record date of 5:30pm BST on 30 May 2022, following the Company's announcement on 24 May 2022 that shareholder approval was granted at the Company's Annual General Meeting for a consolidation of the ordinary shares of the Company on the basis of 1 new share for every 20 existing shares (the "Share Consolidation"). Admission of the Company's New Ordinary Shares to trading on the London Stock Exchange's Alternative Investment Market took place at 8:00am BST on 31 May 2022, and admission to be listed for trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange is expected on or around 31 May 2022. The ISIN for the New Ordinary Shares is GB00BMXLQJ47 and the new CUSIP is G463B6 149. As a result of the Share Consolidation, the Company hereby notifies the market that the Company's issued share capital as at 31 May 2022 consisted of 190,418,279 ordinary shares of 0.20 each. The total number of voting rights in the Company as at 31 May 2022 was 190,418,279 shares. The above figure may be used by shareholders and others with notification obligations as their denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the Company under the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules of Financial Conduct Authority. Capitalised terms not otherwise defined in this Announcement have the same meaning given to them in the notice of Annual General Meeting posted to Shareholders on 27 April 2022. 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 admission of the New Ordinary Shares to trading on AIM and to be listed for trading on the TSX. 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 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 31 December 2021, 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/703343/Horizonte-Minerals-PLC-Announces-Share-Consolidation-and-Total-Voting-Rights NEW YORK, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) and Crowley Holdings today announced they have closed a $300 million preferred equity investment in Crowley Preferred Funding, LLC. The proceeds will fund key strategic capital and growth projects, including a greenfield jet fuel storage project in Darwin, Australia, and a new LNG bunker barge. GIP, a leading independent infrastructure investor, is making the investment through Global Infrastructure Partners Capital Solutions Fund II (GIP CAPS II), part of GIP's Credit platform (GIP Credit). The funds will be available through a customized delayed draw structure. Denny Sreckovic, Partner at GIP Credit, said: "We are excited about the opportunity to partner with a global transportation and logistics leader and help finance its strategic growth plan. Crowley's maritime transport assets provide a critical backbone in the infrastructure of global trade. Further, the Company is well positioned to capitalize on the expansion of offshore wind and other energy transition sectors. This investment exemplifies GIP's ability to work with an experienced management team and offer customized transaction structures to support the buildout of high-quality infrastructure assets." The Crowley investment represents the fifth commitment made by GIP CAPS II. The GIP CAPS II mandate supports strategic investments for capital projects and broader growth mechanisms of corporations, providing necessary resources for companies to expand and enhance their portfolio of services. In this case, the investment fits the Crowley strategic growth plan as it develops alternative energy solutions and other innovations. Chairman and CEO Tom Crowley said: "We welcome this opportunity to partner with GIP, a leading infrastructure investor, on this important transaction to support the continued strategic expansion of Crowley. As an experienced infrastructure investor and capital provider, GIP was able to seamlessly diligence and structure a financing that met our growth and capital structure objectives." DNB Markets, Inc acted as financial advisor to Crowley and the company received legal counsel from Vinson & Elkins LLP. Allen & Overy LLP provided legal counsel to GIP. About Global Infrastructure Partners GIP is a leading independent infrastructure fund manager that makes equity and debt investments in infrastructure assets and businesses. GIP targets investments in the energy, transport, digital infrastructure, and water/waste sectors in both OECD and select emerging market countries. Headquartered in New York, GIP operates out of 10 offices: New York, London, Stamford (Connecticut), Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Mumbai, Delhi, Singapore and Hong Kong. GIP manages US $81 billion for its investors. GIP's portfolio companies have combined annual revenues of US $61 billion with nearly 100,000 employees. For more information, visit www.global-infra.com. About Crowley Crowley is a privately held, U.S.-owned and -operated maritime, energy and logistics solutions company serving commercial and government sectors with more than $2.5 billion in annual revenues, over 170 vessels mostly in the Jones Act fleet and approximately 7,000 employees around the world - employing more U.S. mariners than any other company. The Crowley enterprise has invested more than $3 billion in maritime transport, which is the backbone of global trade and the global economy. As a global ship owner-operator and services provider with more than 130 years of innovation and a commitment to sustainability, the company serves customers in 36 nations and island territories through four business units: Crowley Logistics, Crowley Shipping, Crowley Solutions and Crowley Fuels. Additional information about Crowley, its business units and subsidiaries can be found at www.crowley.com. Democratic Party of Korea Gyeonggi Province governor candidate Kim Dong-yeon, left, meets citizens at a traditional market in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, and People Power Party candidate Kim Eun-hye meets citizens at Yatap Station in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. Yonhap Gyeonggi Province emerges as key battleground By Nam Hyun-woo Rival parties on Tuesday made their last pitches to appeal to the hearts and minds of voters across the country to turn out and cast their ballots for them in Wednesday's local and by-elections. Polls have shown that the ruling People Power Party (PPP) candidates are leading in nine out of 17 posts for governors and mayors of provinces and metropolitan cities. On the other hand, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), which had swept the previous local elections held four years ago, is casting a pessimistic outlook. It has set up a realistic goal of taking five of the 17 posts. During the local elections, voters will also select city council members and educational superintendents. People Power Party floor leader Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, right, speaks during a campaign speech for the party's Gyeonggi governor election candidate Kim Eun-hye, second from left, at Yatap Station in Seongnam, Tuesday. From left are lawmaker candidate Ahn Cheol-soo, Kim, and Seongnam mayoral candidate Shin Sang-jin. Joint Press Corps On Tuesday, a day before the election, parties focused on battlegrounds such as Gyeonggi Province, Jeju Island, Sejong and Daejeon and encouraged their traditional supporters to turn out to vote for them. PPP floor leader Rep. Kweon Seong-dong and local election campaign committee head Kim Gi-hyeon visited Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, to assist PPP candidate Kim Eun-hye in her campaign for Gyeonggi Province governor. "If President Yoon's most trusted candidate Kim is elected as governor, the central government and the provincial government will join hands to make the province a special one," Kweon said during his speech at Yatap Station in Seongnam. Kim has faced a tough race against DPK candidate Kim Dong-yeon. In the latest surveys, the PPP's Kim was trailing behind the DPK's Kim within the margin of error. Their showdown bears importance because Gyeonggi Province is the largest and most populous province in Korea. Until last year, the governor of the province was Lee Jae-myung, who unsuccessfully ran for president earlier this year on the DPK ticket, and is now running in a by-election for a National Assembly seat in Incheon. "This election is about handing down judgment to the arrogant DPK, and our victory in the elections completes the inauguration of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration," campaign head Kim said. The National Election Commission (NEC) said Monday that Kim had omitted approximately 1.6 billion won of her husband's real estate property and securities when making a mandatory report on her wealth as a candidate. While aides to PPP candidate Kim said it was a "mistake," the DPK slammed her, saying she should drop her candidacy and be punished for violating election laws. "More than 2 million voters in Gyeonggi Province cast their ballots in early voting not knowing her lies, and this is a crime that infringes on the people's suffrage," the DPK's co-interim chief Yun Ho-jung said Tuesday. Unlike other PPP leaders, the party's Chairman Lee Jun-seok visited Jeju Island and held a press conference to denounce Lee Jae-myung, running for an Assembly seat in Incheon's Gyeyang B district, over his campaign pledge to move Gimpo International Airport, which serves as a key airport for tourists visiting Jeju Island from Seoul. "The DPK claims there will be no changes in tourist influx to the island after the shutdown of the Gimpo airport, but that is nonsense," PPP Chairman Lee said, adding that the DPK's Jeju governor candidate Oh Young-hoon remains ambivalent about DPK candidate Lee's pledge. Democratic Party of Korea interim chief Rep. Yun Ho-jung, center, waves to citizens during a rally to support the party's Sejong mayoral candidate Lee Choon-hee, right, near the Government Complex in the city, Tuesday. Yonhap Denizli, Turkey--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2022) - Milas Madencilik invites you to visit them at Booth #3127 at The Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada Convention (PDAC) at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) on Monday June 13 to Wednesday June 15, 2022. About Milas Madencilik We are producing Industrial raw materials from our quarries. About PDAC The World's Premier Mineral Exploration & Mining Convention is the leading convention for people, governments, companies and organizations connected to mineral exploration. In addition to meeting more than 1,100 exhibitors, 2,500 investors and 23,000 attendees in person in 2020, participants could also attend programming, courses and networking events. The annual convention is held in Toronto, Canada. It has grown in size, stature and influence since it began in 1932 and today is the event of choice for the world's mineral industry. From 2021 it is also offered as an online event. For more information and/or to register for the conference please visit: https://www.pdac.ca/convention/registration. We look forward to seeing you there. For further information: Milas Madencilik Oguzhan Dogan 4167000349 oguzhandogan@milasmadencilik.com www.milasmadencilik.com Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2022) - Lorne Park Capital Partners Inc. (TSXV: LPC) ("LPCP") is pleased to announce that it has, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Bellwether Investment Management Inc. ("Bellwether"), made a capital contribution of $1,360,222 (the "Capital Contribution") to Infinite Wealth LP (the "LP"), an Ontario limited partnership, governed pursuant to a limited partnership agreement dated November 21, 2018 (the "Limited Partnership Agreement"). The LP has $80 million in assets under management, all of which are currently being managed by Bellwether. As consideration for the Capital Contribution, Bellwether was granted admission as a limited partner of the LP and granted certain strategic rights and privileges under the Limited Partnership Agreement, including the right for Bellwether to remain the investment manager over the assets of the partnership, and the right of first refusal in the event the partnership receives a third party offer for its assets. About Lorne Park Capital Partners Inc. LPCP was created to bring together boutique investment management and wealth advisory firms in order to deliver robust, cost effective investment solutions to affluent investors, foundations, estates and trusts. LPCP's unique strategy creates better alignment between investment managers and wealth advisors while providing them with additional resources to accelerate their growth. About Bellwether Investment Management Inc. Bellwether is a boutique investment manager that offers tailored investment solutions for affluent investors, foundations, estates and trusts utilizing its proprietary "Disciplined Dividend Growth" Investment Process. Bellwether provides discretionary investment management focused on North American Dividend Growth investing and is dedicated to serving the distinct needs of affluent families. Bellwether's suite of investment solutions includes Canadian, US and global equity and fixed income strategies. Bellwether is a subsidiary of LPCP, and is registered as a portfolio manager in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan, an exempt market dealer in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, and an investment fund manager in Ontario and Quebec. For further information, please contact: Robert Sewell Chief Executive Officer Lorne Park Capital Partners Inc. investor.relations@lpcp.ca (905) 337-2227 Cautionary Notes Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains statements which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information may be identified by such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", "plan", and other similar expressions. Forward looking information in this news release includes, without limitation, LPCP's objectives, goals and future plans. Forward-looking information addresses possible future events, conditions and financial performance based upon management's current expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions. In particular, the forward-looking information contained in this news release reflects assumptions about the timing and results of the amalgamation and regulatory approvals. Management of LPCP considers the assumptions on which the forward-looking information contained herein are based to be reasonable. However, by its very nature, forward-looking information inherently involves known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such information. Such risks include, without limitation, changes in economic conditions, applicable laws or regulations. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. LPCP disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. /NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES, ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF U.S. SECURITIES LAW/ To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/125583 40,000-Metre Infill Resource Drilling Commences at the San Matias Project Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2022) - Sarah Armstrong-Montoya, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cordoba Minerals Corp. (TSXV: CDB) (OTCQB: CDBMF) (otherwise "Cordoba" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the start of the Feasibility Study ("FS") technical work program at San Matias (the "Project") in Colombia. Highlights: The FS will focus on updating the mine plan and mineral resource estimate at the Alacran deposit. It will also involve numerous trade-off studies that are expected to improve project economics. A total 40,000-metre infill diamond drilling campaign is planned and will be the Company's largest drill program conducted to date. The 25,000-metre initial phase drill program has commenced. Six drills are currently turning at the central area of the Alacran deposit, an area shown to hosts multiple high-grade mineralized zones. The San Matias 2022 Preliminary Feasibility Study ("PFS") project generated an after-tax NPV of US$415.1M at an 8% discount rate and an IRR of 25.4%, with a 2.2-year payback period using US$3.60/lb copper, US$1,650/oz gold and US$21.00/oz silver (refer to Cordoba's press release dated January 11, 2022). A 20% increase in input metal prices, to US$4.32/lb copper, US$1,980/oz gold and US$25.20/oz silver, increased the PFS after-tax NPV to US$713.3M at an 8% discount rate and an IRR of 34.4%, with a 2.3-year payback period[1]. The current spot price for copper is US$4.31/lb[2]. "The Preliminary Feasibility Study result announced in January 2022 confirmed that the San Matias Copper-Gold-Silver Project will generate positive economics," commented Ms. Armstrong-Montoya, President and CEO of Cordoba. "We are excited to continue advancing the Project, designated as a Project of National Interest by the Government of Colombia, towards the feasibility stage." San Matias Copper-Gold-Silver Project Feasibility Study - Resource Estimate Upgrade and Project Optimizations The FS technical work program will initially focus on infill drilling of the Alacran deposit with the objectives of further upgrading the resource confidence and conducting trade-off studies expected to improve project economics. The Feasibility Study for the San Matias Project will be prepared in compliance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). With the submission of Mining Technical Work Plan (Programa de Trabajo y Obras or "PTO") in November, 2021 (refer to Cordoba's news release dated November 18, 2021), Cordoba is working towards the completion of the Environmental Impact Assessment ("EIA"). The PTO and EIA are the two required permits in Colombia to license the Project for building and construction of the mine. San Matias Copper-Gold-Silver Project 40,000-Metre Infill Drill Program The drill program has been designed in two phases. The initial phase of approximately 25,000 metres of drilling will focus on the central area within the Alacran deposit that hosts multiple high-grade mineralized zones with considerable widths. These higher grade zones are located in the Alacran village area where illegal mining occurs, and were previously inaccessible to the Company. Following Cordoba's significant and ongoing effort to establish and maintain cooperative relationships with the local communities, these important areas have now become accessible for diamond drill testing. The drill program will have an emphasis on the centre and upper portions of the proposed open pit, that is expected to be mined within the first 5 years of operations. The second phase of approximately 15,000 metres infill drill program will focus on increasing the drill density, providing material to support the metallurgical testing program and upgrading the resource classification within the deeper parts of the Alacran deposit. The company believes that drilling of these areas will have a positive impact on the current mineral resource and mineral reserve base. Figure 1: Alacran deposit 40,000-metre infill diamond drill plan To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3116/125878_12449952a4278a76_002full.jpg Technical Information & Qualified Person The technical information in this release has been reviewed and verified by Mark Gibson, P.Geo., a Qualified Person for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Gibson is the Chief Operating Officer of Cordoba Minerals and of Ivanhoe Electric Inc., Cordoba Minerals' majority shareholder, and is not considered independent under National Instrument 43-101. Further information about the assumptions, parameters, methods and risks in respect of the PFS can be found in the technical report for the PFS filed on Cordoba's profile on SEDAR at https://www.sedar.com/. About Cordoba Cordoba Minerals Corp. is a mineral exploration company focused on the exploration, development and acquisition of copper and gold projects. Cordoba is developing its 100%-owned San Matias Copper-Gold-Silver Project, which includes the Alacran deposit and satellite deposits at Montiel East, Montiel West and Costa Azul, located in the Department of Cordoba, Colombia. Cordoba also holds a 51% interest in the Perseverance Copper Project in Arizona, USA, which it is exploring through a Joint Venture and Earn-In Agreement. For further information, please visit www.cordobaminerals.com. ON BEHALF OF THE COMPANY Sarah Armstrong-Montoya, President and Chief Executive Officer Information Contact Ran Li +1-604-689-8765 info@cordobamineralscorp.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All statements included in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements including, without limitation statements with respect to the timing of completion and results of the feasibility study, including but not limited to the results of the contemplated updated mineral resource estimate and mineral reserve estimate; and timing of completion and results of the drill program. Forward-looking-statements include predictions, projections and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "potential", "target", "budget" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by management based on the business and markets in which Cordoba operates, are inherently subject to significant operational, economic, and competitive uncertainties, risks and contingencies. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results, and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include actual exploration results, interpretation of metallurgical characteristics of the mineralization, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, delays or inability to receive required approvals, uncertainties relating to epidemics, pandemics and other public health crises, including COVID-19 or similar such viruses, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators, including those described under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in the Company's most recently filed MD&A. The Company does not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable law. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. [1] Refer to Cordoba's press release dated January 11, 2022, Table 7: After-tax Valuation Sensitivity to Metal Prices and Discount Rate. [2] Spot copper price as of May 27, 2022, based on the website www.thestockmarketwatch.com/metal/prices.aspx. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/125878 Kenyan nutritionist is recognised for her work as founder and director of Food for Education Wawira Njiru , founder of Kenya's Food for Education, is named as the recipient of the Icon Award 2022 by The World's 50 Best Restaurants , founder of Food for Education, is named as the recipient of the Icon Award 2022 by The World's 50 Best Restaurants Her non-profit organisation provides nutritious meals to children in schools across the country and has delivered over 7 million meals to date Njiru was awarded the title of UN Person of the Year 2021 in Kenya and was also the very first recipient of the Global Citizen Prize: Cisco Youth Leadership Award in 2018 LONDON, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In the latest pre-announced award from The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2022, it is announced today that the recipient of the Icon Award 2022 is Kenyan nutritionist Wawira Njiru, founder and director of non-profit Food for Education. The Icon Award celebrates an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the food world worthy of international recognition and who has used their platform to raise awareness and drive positive change. With an estimated 80% of children in Kenya not receiving a school meal, Njiru believes no child should have to learn on an empty stomach. After majoring in food science at university in Australia, she founded Food for Education in 2016, at first making 25 meals a day. The organisation now feeds 40,000 children daily, providing nutritious meals to those in schools across Kenya, helping to boost attendance at primary level and combat hunger. It has delivered over seven million meals to date, leading to improved nutrition, academic performance and higher high school transition rates. By sourcing fresh food directly from farmers, Food for Education has also been able to help stimulate the local economy. Meals are prepared in a central kitchen to internationally recognised food safety standards, while the subsidised meals are delivered to students using cutting-edge technology to design a sustainable means of delivering high quality, wholesome food. During the pandemic, the organisation also provided food packages and cash transfers that delivered over 2,000,000 meals to children and their families at home due to COVID-19. Food for Education utilises Tap2Eat, a digital mobile platform whereby parents can pay for the subsidised lunches with mobile money. The amount is then credited to a virtual wallet linked to an NFC smart wristband, which students can wear and use accordingly, meaning no cash transfers and no lost money. Njiru hopes to expand the programme across more of Kenya and potentially beyond and provide meals to 1 million children over the next five years. William Drew, Director of Content for The World's 50 Best Restaurants, says: "The Icon Award recognises true trailblazers in the food sphere and we're honoured that this year we can present it to Wawira Njiru for her exceptional work. The achievements of Food for Education in just six short years have been astonishing and we know that Wawira and her organisation will go on to do incredible things in the future, across Kenya and beyond." Njiru comments on the award: "I am honoured and excited to be this year's recipient of the Icon Award for The World's 50 Best Restaurants. Hungry children cannot learn or grow and across the world, school meals are critical to children's growth and education. This has been especially exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic with school meals essential to recovery and rebuilding. I would like to acknowledge the entire Food for Education team that I work with and with whom I share this award, as they work tirelessly every day to provide these lunch meals. Every day we are working to ensure that more and more school-going children have access to nutritious meals and I am grateful for this award that recognises the critical work we are doing to end classroom hunger." Additional special pre-announced awards will be revealed between now and July, as part of the lead-up to The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2022 awards, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna. An extensive event programme will culminate in this year's awards ceremony, to be held at Old Billingsgate market in the City of London on Monday 18th July. For media centre registration access, please visit: https://mediacentre.theworlds50best.com/ Follow 50 Best Follow on Instagram: @TheWorlds50Best Worlds50Best Follow on Twitter: @TheWorlds50Best Like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/50BestRestaurants Subscribe to the YouTube channel: 50 Best Restaurants TV Visit the website: https://www.theworlds50best.com/ About The World's 50 Best Restaurants Since 2002, The World's 50 Best Restaurants has reflected the diversity of the world's culinary landscape. The annual list of the world's most prestigious restaurants provides a snapshot of some of the best destinations for unique culinary experiences, in addition to being a barometer for and a pioneer of global gastronomic trends. The 50 Best family also includes Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants, Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, Middle East & North Africa's 50 Best Restaurants, The World's 50 Best Bars, Asia's 50 Best Bars, North America's 50 Best Bars and the #50BestTalks and 50 Best Explores series, all of which are owned and run by William Reed. 50 Best aims to bring together communities across the hospitality sector to foster collaboration, inclusivity, diversity and discovery and help drive positive change. About the main sponsor: S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna are the main partners of The World's 50 Best Restaurants and 50 Best for Recovery. S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna are the leading natural mineral waters in the fine dining world. Together they interpret Italian style worldwide as a synthesis of excellence, pleasure and well-being. Other Partners: Estrella Damm - Official Beer Partner; sponsor of the Estrella Damm Chefs' Choice Award - Official Beer Partner; sponsor of the Estrella Damm Chefs' Choice Award American Express Resy - Official Credit Card & Booking Platform Partner (Resy); sponsor of the American Express One To Watch Award Gin Mare - Official Gin Partner; sponsor of the Gin Mare Art of Hospitality Award Flor de Cana - Official Rum Partner; sponsor of the Flor de Cana Sustainable Restaurant Award Sosa - Official Ingredients Partner; sponsor of The World's Best Pastry Chef Award Villa Massa - Official Limoncello and Amaretto Partner; sponsor of the Villa Massa Highest Climber Award Beronia - Official Wine Partner Nude Glass - Official Glassware Partner; sponsor of The World's Best Female Chef Award Illycaffe - Official Coffee Partner Nyetimber - Official Sparkling Wine Partner Cinco Jotas - Official Iberico Ham Partner The London Essence Co. - Official Mixers Partner Choco - Official Ordering Partner Aspire Lifestyles - Official Concierge Partner; sponsor of the Highest New Entry Award Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1826975/Wawira_Njiru.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1802051/World_50_Best_2022_Logo.jpg NEW YORK, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the market research and consulting firm P&S Intelligence, the total flow cytometry market size was $4,874.1 million in 2021, which is likely to reach $10,065.4 million by 2030, propelling at an 8.4% CAGR from 2021 to 2030. This will mainly be because of the growth in drug development, increase in the demand for analysis in clinical diagnostics, and the usage of flow cytometry for research purposes. For instance, this technology is widely used in in-vitro molecular studies and cancer research. Healthcare centers accomplish immunophenotyping for the analysis of primary immunodeficiency ailments, lymphoma and leukemia, and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), and reporting of immunity status in patients with HIV contagions and other malignant diseases. For example, globally, about 20 million new cancer cases were reported in 2020, and this number will likely reach around 30 million by 2040. Get the sample pages of this report at: https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/flow-cytometry-market/report-sample Hence, a sum of $105 million was invested in 2019 and another $137 million in 2020 by a U.S. government organization for advancing cancer detection and diagnosis technologies. In the years to come, the bead-based category will witness the higher CAGR, around 9%, in the flow cytometry market, under segmentation by technology. In recent times, flow cytometric studies utilizing beads have become popular in numerous laboratory analytical processes. Hospitals and clinics are the leading end users of flow cytometry analytical tools. Clinics and hospitals deal with hundreds of patients daily because of the snowballing occurrence of ailments, many of which are now being diagnosed using flow cytometry. Geographical Analysis of Flow Cytometry Market North America had the largest revenue share in the flow cytometry market in 2021. This is accredited to the presence of key healthcare administrations and research institutes, including four of the top five cancer research centers in the world. had the largest revenue share in the flow cytometry market in 2021. This is accredited to the presence of key healthcare administrations and research institutes, including four of the top five cancer research centers in the world. Further, the pharmaceutical industry of the U.S. has continued to lead in the development of new medicines and medical research. Here, the technology is widely utilized for understanding the response of single cells to pipeline drug candidates and the complicated pathways that are involved in the cell-drug interaction. Moreover, in Canada , 5,584 new medicines were aligned for numerous stages of assessment in 2019. Therefore, the increasing number of clinical trials for drug safety and efficacy evaluation push the growth of the market. Browse detailed report on Flow Cytometry Market Size, Demand, Emerging Opportunities, and Top Key Players By 2030 With a rise in healthcare investments and improvements in healthcare facilities, the biomedical R&D industry is forecast to expand significantly. For example, the total spending by Johnson & Johnson on R&D was $12.2 billion in 2020 and $14.7 billion in 2021. In all, the pharmaceutical business spent $83 billion in 2019 on R&D, and the count of the newly approved drugs for sale augmented by around 60% between 2010 and 2019. Therefore, the expansion of the flow cytometry market has resulted from the increasing investments in R&D by biotechnology and pharmacological firms and product launches and approvals. Flow Cytometry Market Segmentation Analysis By Technology Cell-Based Flow Cytometry Bead-Based Flow Cytometry By Offering Instruments Reagents Software and Services By Application Drug Discovery Cancer Diagnostics Stem Cell Therapy Hematology and Immunology Organ Transplantation By End User Hospitals and Clinics Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies Academic and Research Institutes Regional Outlook North America U.S. Canada Europe Germany U.K. Italy Spain France Asia-Pacific China India Japan Australia South Korea Latin America Brazil Mexico Middle East and Africa and Saudi Arabia South Africa U.A.E. Browse More Related Reports Global Genomics Market Trends and Growth Analysis Report Global AI in Genomics Market Trends and Growth Analysis Report Global Pharmacogenomics Market Trends and Growth Analysis Report Global Regenerative Medicine Market Trends and Growth Analysis Report About P&S Intelligence P&S Intelligence is a provider of market research and consulting services catering to the market information needs of burgeoning industries across the world. Providing the plinth of market intelligence, P&S as an enterprising research and consulting company, believes in providing thorough landscape analyses on the ever-changing market scenario, to empower companies to make informed decisions and base their business strategies with astuteness. Contact: Prajneesh Kumar P&S Intelligence Phone: +1-347-960-6455 Email: enquiry@psmarketresearch.com Web: https://www.psmarketresearch.com Follow Us: LinkedIn Twitter Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1224988/P_and_S_Intelligence_Logo.jpg Expansion allows Bond to further strengthen its position as a global leader in creating growth for customer-centric brands TORONTO, MADRID, HAMBURG and NEW YORK, May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bond, a leading customer experience, loyalty, and growth firm, announces the acquisition of Buljan & Partners Consulting, a European-based consultancy dedicated exclusively to customer-centricity, and customer and employee experience. Originally brought together as strategic partners in 2018, Bond's acquisition of Buljan continues to strengthen the company's global market position and expands its expertise and depth, allowing the organization to bring new insights, intelligence, and practices to its clients in North America and Europe. Buljan's impressive client roster includes Andreas Stihl, BMW Group, Ford Motor Company, HyperloopTT, Lufthansa Group, Munich Re, and other leading brands. "Our investment in Buljan provides the perfect complement to our capabilities while allowing us to serve our clients with deeper geographical and cultural knowledge," said Bob Macdonald, CEO of Bond. "We look forward to building on our already-established partnership, and the value we bring with our robust services and solutions will help Buljan further drive their client strategies and outcomes. We are thrilled to officially welcome Silvana and the team to Bond." "Buljan and Bond both recognize that customer experience is rapidly evolving and requires a global, sophisticated, 360-degree customer view," said Silvana Buljan, Founder and CEO, Buljan & Partners. "We are excited about combining forces to strengthen our capabilities and unlock new possibilities for our clients and their customers and employees. With Bond, we are now able to not only provide leading-edge advisory services, but can also partner more deeply with our clients through implementation and ongoing management of experiences that will help them differentiate for customers and employees." One of the immediate benefits to Bond and Buljan's clients is the depth in global experience, knowledge, and insights supported by two proprietary research studies. Bond's Loyalty Report 2022, which launches this June, and the first European study about customer experience in urban mobility which Buljan recently launched. The 2022 Best Xperience study, co-sponsored by Bond, gives clients a unique insight into the experiences of 10,000 mobility users in five countries, and why they make the choices they make. The study demonstrates Buljan's advanced CX leadership in Europe's cutting-edge automotive sector, providing insight to guide the future of how consumers move and adapt to the transition to electric vehicles. The acquisition is the latest for Bond, as the company continues its ambitious growth agenda and global expansion in support of our deep client partnerships. In 2020, Bond purchased rDialogue, a loyalty consulting firm with offices in Atlanta and Denver. In January 2022, Bond announced the acquisition of Drumroll, an Austin, Texas-based brand experience agency. Silvana Buljan will join Bond's senior Leadership Team as Managing Director, Bond EMEA. About Bond Bond generates growth for clients by creating enduring relationships between people and brands based on intelligent connections and engaging experiences. Bond serves clients globally with customer experience and loyalty solutions that enable brands, customers, employees, partners, and the communities they serve, to experience the benefits of growth. Headquartered in Toronto, Bond is management-owned with more than 800 people and six offices across North America. For more information, visit us at bondbrandloyalty.com or follow us on LinkedIn , Twitter , and Instagram . About Buljan & Partners Buljan & Partners is a Europe-based consulting firm specialising in Customer-Centric Management. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ad6e1386-ce9f-4a69-86c7-90a2081351a1 TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 31, 2022 / Magna Terra Minerals Inc. (the "Company" or "Magna Terra") (TSXV:MTT) is pleased to provide a brief update regarding its non-core exploration portfolio in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina.Through its wholly owned subsidiary Atala S.A. ("Atala"), the Company is pleased to confirm receipt of payment of the second installment owing from Oroplata S.A. ("Oroplata") a subsidiary of Newmont Corporation ("Newmont") for the purchase of the Boleadora Project. Per the Company's press release dated June 9, 2020, it entered into an Agreement to sell its wholly owned Boleadora Project in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, to Oroplata. The Boleadora Group of properties is a large greenfields exploration land package (approximately 55,000 hectares) encompassing 12 individual MD's or exploration licenses lying approximately 17 kilometres southeast of Newmont's Cerro Negro mine area in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. Newmont (Oroplata) will pay Magna Terra (Atala) US$1 million as follows: US$25,000 on signing and six installments totalling US$975,000 payable within six years from the date of the Agreement. In addition, Newmont (Oroplata) has granted a 2% NSR to Magna Terra (Atala) on the Boleadora package. The royalty can be reduced to 1% by payment of US$2.5 million by Oroplata to Atala at anytime, and the gross royalty payable is capped at US$20 million. Further to the Company's press release dated May 16, 2022 regarding the SEDAR filing of the Company's updated NI 43-101 Technical reports, please note that the amended reports were reviewed for disclosure deficiencies, but not approved by the AMF (as previously stated in the press release dated May 16, 2020). About Magna Terra Magna Terra Minerals Inc. is a precious metals focused exploration company, headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Magna Terra owns two district scale, resource stage gold exploration projects in the top-tier mining jurisdictions of New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador. Further, the Company maintains a significant exploration portfolio in the province of Santa Cruz, Argentina which includes its precious metals discovery on its Luna Roja Project, as well as an extensive portfolio of district scale drill ready projects available for option or joint venture. Forward Looking Statements Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward Looking Information Some statements in this release may contain forward-looking information. All statements, other than of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization) are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words "may", "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict, that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, without limitation, failure to establish estimated mineral resources, the possibility that future exploration results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations, changes in world gold markets or markets for other commodities, and other risks disclosed in the Company's public disclosure record on file with the relevant securities regulatory authorities. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Magna Terra Minerals Inc. Lewis Lawrick President and CEO, Director 647-478-5307 Email: info@magnaterraminerals.com Website: www.magnaterraminerals.com SOURCE: Magna Terra Minerals Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/703324/Magna-Terra-Corporate-Update Current Chairman & CEO Gordon M. LeBlanc, Jr., will continue to serve as Chairman PetroSun, Inc. also announces adoption of amended bylaws PHOENIX, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / May 31, 2022 / PetroSun, Inc. (OTC PINK:PSUD) ("PetroSun" or the "Company") announced today that Dr. R. Gerald Bailey, who has served as a Director on the Company's Board since 2017, has agreed to join the Company as its Chief Executive Officer effective June 1. The Company also announced its adoption of amended and restated bylaws. Gordon LeBlanc, Jr., who has served as the Company's Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President since the founding of the Company in 2001 and who is responsible for assembling the Company's helium, oil and gas assets and other projects, will continue as Chairman. In that role, he will oversee the workings of the PetroSun Board and will guide the Company's strategic development. Regarding the appointment of Dr. Bailey, Mr. LeBlanc stated, "I have spent more than twenty years developing PetroSun's core helium, oil and gas properties and opportunities. Today's commodity markets provide an unprecedented opportunity for the Company, and I believe this is the right time for someone of Dr. Bailey's experience to supervise PetroSun's operations and exploration and development activity. I look forward to remaining engaged in the development of the Company's strategy in my role as Chairman." In response to his appointment, Dr. Bailey commented that, "I am pleased to accept this opportunity as CEO to lead the execution of the Company's business plan, and particularly the exploration and development of its core helium, oil and gas assets. I believe that de-risking these assets will drive value for PetroSun shareholders. These commodities and their reserves are strategically important for the U.S. economy and particularly for U.S. national security and energy independence." Dr. Bailey has had a long and successful career in the energy industry, including service as Exxon's President of the Arabian Gulf region, where he supervised exploration and development activity in the Middle East and ultimately retired. Dr. Bailey has domestic and international experience in all aspects of the industry, both upstream and downstream. He has served on a number of industry boards and in executive management positions and is featured frequently in media appearances as an expert in energy issues. Dr. Bailey graduated with a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Houston. Finally, the Company announced that the Board has adopted amended and restated bylaws for PetroSun, Inc. Mr. LeBlanc, Jr. stated, "The adoption of a new set of bylaws was long overdue, given the amount of time that had passed since our last review." ABOUT PETROSUN, INC. PetroSun, Inc. owns and operates projects that are prospective for helium, oil and natural gas production in the United States, and it has agreed to acquire prospective lithium mining concessions in Mexico. The Company holds mineral leases that are prospective for helium, oil or natural gas on over 282,000 gross acres in the Holbrook Basin of Arizona, in the Four Corners region of New Mexico and Colorado, and on approximately 26,800 gross acres in the Paradox Basin of Utah. The Company trades on the OTC Pink Sheets under the symbol "PSUD". Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934, as amended. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "could", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "may", "ongoing", "plan", "potential", "predict", "project", "should", "will", "would", or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which such performance or results will be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time the statements are made and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainty and other factors that may cause our results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements in this press release. This press release should be considered in light of all filings of the Company that are disclosed on the OTCMarket.com website. Contact: PetroSun, Inc. 2999 North 44th Street, Suite 620 Phoenix, Arizona 85018 480-425-4290 Website: www.petrosun.us SOURCE: PetroSun, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/703330/PetroSun-Inc-Announces-Appointment-of-Dr-R-G-Bailey-as-Chief-Executive-Officer The purchase is part of an initiative called "Sohkastwawin," which is a Cree term meaning "the act of being resilient." Anzac, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2022) - Willow Lake Metis Nation (WLMN), a Metis community whose members primarily reside in Anzac, Alberta, has purchased land in Anzac to reset its ecosystem and provide their community a permanent home. The land acquisition was made possible thanks to the Astisiy partnership agreement with Suncor Energy signed last year. The Nation has purchased approximately 205 acres of land. Sohkastwawin, which includes an eco-bison ranch and local food source, community culture centre, Metis housing, and local power generation, will provide a sustainable future for WLMN. Sohkastwawin is the community's way of taking climate action and ensuring a resilient Nation. "We are no longer a landless Metis community," says Justin Bourque, CEO of WLMN. "Sohkastwawin reinforces our self-governance model and the actions we take now to develop resilience will change the course of our Nation's future." Last September, Willow Lake Metis Nation, Suncor, and seven other Indigenous communities in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo announced a historic partnership. The Astisiy Limited Partnership acquired all of TC Energy's equity interest in the Northern Courier Pipeline resulting in 15 per cent ownership of the pipeline. As a result of revenue generated from that partnership, the Willow Lake Metis Nation was able to acquire this land. Sohkastwawin is the first publicly announced meaningful investment related to Astisiy. "On behalf of Suncor, I want to congratulate the Willow Lake Metis Nation on this historic announcement," says Peter Zebedee, Suncor's executive vice president, Mining and Upgrading. "Together with eight communities, we formed Astisiy to help provide long-term, stable revenues for all of the communities involved. Today's land purchase serves as an example of the economic reconciliation made possible through increased Indigenous involvement in energy projects." In collaboration with the Resilience Institute, WLMN plans to take a transdisciplinary approach to revitalizing, developing, and monitoring the land, which has been highly impacted by industry activity. The Resilience Institute is a charitable organization dedicated to climate change research and education that partners with local and Indigenous Peoples. One of the first goals is to establish an ecologically healthy landscape, which includes reconnecting the historic relationship between bison and the land. "Bison, like the Metis peoples, are resilient," says Bourque. The Metis helped shape Canada and the bison helped shape our ecosystem. Our Nation will work in tandem with the bison to reclaim our land." A celebration will be held on Friday, June 3, on the newly acquired land in recognition of this historic Metis milestone. "As a result of Astisiy, WLMN has an unprecedented opportunity," continues Bourque. "Sohkastwawin will expand our self-sufficiency for generations to come by creating an economy for our peoples - on our own land." ### About Willow Lake Metis Nation Willow Lake Metis Nation (WLMN) is a Metis community whose citizens now mostly reside in the community of Anzac, Alberta. WLMN's roots lie in the history of the fur trade in Alberta and the economic and political circumstances that evolved during and after the fur trade. The historical Willow Lake community was close to trade and travel routes that connected Fort McMurray and Willow Lake to Lac La Loche to the east, to Fort Chipewyan to the north, and to Lac La Biche to the south. Willow Lake Metis people lived on and derived their livelihood from the lands between these locations through much of the later fur trade period, and WLMN people continue to use these lands to exercise their Indigenous rights, sustain their culture and identity as Metis people, support their community, and pass their knowledge and way of life on to their descendants. Key Metis family lines represented in the WLMN community include Bourque, Cardinal, Huppie, Lavallee, McKenzie, Quintal, and Whitford. For more information, visit www.wlmn.ca About Astisiy The Astisiy Limited Partnership is comprised of Suncor, WLMN, Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Chipewyan Prairie First Nation, Conklin Metis Local 193, Fort Chipewyan Metis Local #125, Fort McKay Metis Nation, McMurray Metis, and the Fort McMurray #468 First Nation. In 2021, Astisiy acquired a 15 per cent equity interest in the Northern Courier Pipeline. The asset, which Suncor operates, consists of two 90-kilometre pipelines that transport heated or diluted bitumen and condensate, diesel or crude from Fort Hills to the ETF; tank terminals also support the operation of the asset, including two 300,000 barrel bitumen storage tanks, one 150,000 barrel diluent storage tank and one 50,000 barrel diesel tank at the north end of the asset. For more information, visit https://www.wlmn.ca/astisiy-partnership Media Contact: Peter Pilarski Vice President, CIPR Communications 403-462-1160 peter@ciprcommunications.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/125850 North Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2022) - Aurora Solar Technologies Inc. (TSXV: ACU) ("Aurora", the "Company") provides an update on the previously-announced BT Imaging acquisition, the commercialization of the Company's new InsightTM data science product, DMTM measurement product enhancements and the appointment of David Robinson to the Company's Board of Directors. BT Imaging Acquisition Due diligence for the acquisition of BT Imaging Pty Ltd. ("BTi"), announced in March, is in progress and this transaction is now expected to close on or before June 30, 2022. BTi is a well-established leader in photoluminescence (PL) imaging tools for PV material inspection and quality control during production, and for laboratory use during product development. As stated previously, the acquisition will accelerate Aurora's growth by combining complementary quality control tools with Aurora's Insight data science platform. This provides for enhancement of Insight's value via new features for better production process optimization and control. BTi's products and strong brand will position the combined business as a first mover with an integrated systems-based approach to process control, driven by data analytics through the Insight platform. Insight update The current Insight evaluation in China also continues to progress but its timeline has been impacted by COVID-19 lockdowns and domestic travel restrictions in China. These external factors are now easing, and the timeline will be updated in the coming month. These factors have not affected the planned introduction of Insight to top-tier solar cell manufacturers, which are underway with such manufacturers in SE Asia. DM customer acceptance Following from the volume customer acceptance reported on December 14, 2021, the Company continues to systematically develop and implement DM product enhancements to achieve further acceptances. The Company has recently made significant strides in this area, particularly with increased tolerance of high-variance HVAC conditions uniquely seen in China-based plant environments. With these developments, we now continue our progress toward further acceptances as the industry ramps up a new buying cycle for PV cell manufacturing expansions. Board of Directors Appointment The Company is pleased to announce the appointment of David Robinson to the Board of Directors, effective May 12, 2022. Mr. Robinson brings over 35 years of experience to the Company, having founded and financed many junior resource and energy-related companies, successfully raising in excess of $400 million to launch or accelerate growth in these enterprises. David is a founder and partner in Calgary-based GCP Global Capital Partners, which has established a new energy transition fund on behalf of clients of Zurich-based Canopus Capital AG. David is currently Vice President of Business Development for Vancouver-based Columbia Capital Inc., which actively supports major Korean companies and investors, as they invest in the Canadian and global power and renewables sector. David has a Bachelor of Science in Geology from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC, and an MBA from Queen's University in Kingston, ON. The Company would also like to thank Mr. John McNicol for his valuable oversight and service as a member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Audit Committee since 2016. Mr. McNicol retired from these positions with Aurora, effective as of most recent Annual General Meeting held May 12, 2022. About Aurora Solar Technologies: Aurora Solar Technologies is a leader in the development and delivery of inline process control and yield management solutions for solar cell manufacturers. We believe that solar power will be a dominant element in the renewable energy field, and our mission is to bring quality and profitability to every customer through superior control of critical processes during solar cell manufacturing. Aurora's products are used by some of the world's most advanced and respected solar cell manufacturers. With headquarters near Vancouver, Canada, Aurora has operations in Shanghai, China, and partners in all major solar manufacturing markets. Aurora is a public company, traded on the TSX Venture Exchange (ACU) and is a two-time TSX-V Top 50 winner. Aurora's website is located at www.aurorasolartech.com. For further information contact: Jake Bouma Corporate Development Phone: +1 (604) 317-3936 corpcomm@aurorasolartech.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/125856 Lee Jae-myung, second from right, the Democratic Party of Korea's by-election candidate for a National Assembly seat representing Gyeyang-B District in Incheon, shakes hands with supporters at a traditional street market in the city's Namdong District, May 31. Yonhap Ruling party criticizes Lee Jae-myung's 'surprise' pledge for lacking logic By Ko Dong-hwan An all-of-a-sudden election pledge to close Gimpo International Airport and then redevelop the surrounding region has pitted rival parties against one another over the pledge's feasibility. The pledge was announced only days before the local elections by Lee Jae-myung, who is running on the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) ticket for a National Assembly seat representing Incheon's Gyeyang-B District. After Lee announced the pledge last week, the ruling People Power Party (PPP) heads and election candidates condemned it for being far-fetched and unexpected. Lee and DPK politicians have come forward defending the pledge, saying there is no need for their rival colleagues to get so upset over the pledge. The heated debate started on May 27 when Lee, who lost in the presidential election to the PPP's Yoon Suk-yeol by a slim margin earlier this year, announced the controversial plan on the grounds that the airport's presence is blocking urban development in the vicinity, which includes southwestern Seoul, Incheon's Gyeyang District and Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province. The DPK's Seoul mayoral election candidate Song Young-gil jointly proposed the pledge with Lee. If the airport is closed, Lee argued, travelers can instead use nearby Incheon International Airport, Wonju Airport in Gangwon Province or Cheongju Airport in North Chungcheong Province. "There are almost 10 million square meters of land that cannot be developed because of various regulations placed upon the region surrounding Gimpo airport," Lee said on Monday at his election campaign office in Incheon. "To develop Gyeyang, Incheon and southwestern Seoul, I believe (the function of) Gimpo airport must be relocated to Incheon airport." People Power Party Chairman Lee Jun-seok, center, Huh Hyang-jin, left, the party's candidate for governor of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, and Boo Sang-il, the party's by-election candidate for a National Assembly seat representing Jeju City-B, talk to the press about Lee Jae-myung's controversial Gimpo International Airport shutdown pledge in front of the Jeju provincial government's headquarters, May 31. Yonhap Lee's pledge, however, triggered chaos from within the party. Kim Dong-yeon, the DPK's candidate for Gyeonggi Province governor, said an air force base at Seoul Airport in Seongnam is better off being relocated to Gimpo airport. Oh Young-hoon, the DPK's candidate for governor of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, said that many visitors to Jeju Island use Gimpo airport to get there, and made an outright objection to the pledge on May 28, saying "the future and sovereignty of Jeju Island aren't in the hands of Lee Jae-myung and Song Young-gil." Oh added that the DPK had considered the pledge "inappropriate" and didn't include it in its platform for the recent presidential election campaign. PPP Chairman Lee Jun-seok on May 29 lampooned the DPK, saying the main opposition politicians cannot even find a common ground regarding the problematic pledge. "The DPK's Lee is trying to ruin the tourism industries on Jeju and Ulleung Island," the PPP chief said on Facebook, Monday, referring to the country's popular local destinations, which tourists have been visiting via Gimpo airport. "Lee should take that pledge back, or I would like to challenge him to a debate with no time limit." The same day, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who is running for re-election on the PPP ticket, said on Facebook that the DPK's Lee and Song made such a potentially large-scale pledge just days before the elections merely to attract attention from voters. "They don't deserve to represent Gyeyang and Seoul," he said. "They had better be extracted from the country's political circles." Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, who is running for reelection on the PPP ticket, also condemned the DPK on Facebook, Monday, over the controversial pledge. He said that if Gimpo airport gets shut down, its impact will fall not just on Jeju but also on Busan because the city's industry and tourism rely heavily on the flight route connecting Gimpo and Busan's Gimhae International Airport. Cars are parked outside Gimpo International Airport, and airplanes are parked on the tarmac behind the terminal, May 31. Yonhap Sudbury, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2022) - Transition Metals Corp (TSXV: XTM) ("Transition", "the Company") is pleased to announce that it has initiated a field programme to confirm airborne geophysical targets for drill-testing on its Maude Lake Property located near Schreiber, Ontario (Figure 1). A Versatile Time Domain Electromagnetic (VTEM) and Magnetic (Mag) geophysical survey completed over the property by the Company earlier this year highlighted a large, untested conductive anomaly in close proximity to known zones of mineralization (see Company news release of March 9, 2022). As shown in Figure 2, the newly defined target occurs in close proximity to the Maude Lake Ni-Cu-Co-PGM showing. This target covers an area of approximately 300 metres by 500 metres and is more strongly conductive than the response associated with the known mineralization. Appearing to be strongest at depths greater than 100 metres from surface in an area that has no outcrop, this target has never been drilled. Two base metal showings have been historically identified on the Property: Maude Lake Showing (Ni-Cu-Co-PGM); located on the western portion of the Property and was exposed at surface for over 70 metres of strike by previous explorers in the 1970's. In 2019, Transition channel sampled portions of this exposure returning: 2.09 % Ni, 0.64 % Cu and 0.32 g/t PGM (Pt+Pd+Au) over 4.0 metres, 2.11 % Ni, 1.30% Cu and 0.45 g/t PGM over 1.4 metres and 1.15 % Ni, 0.93% Cu and 0.49 g/t PGM over 2.0 metres (See Company news release of October 15, 2019). Ansell Lake Showing (Cu-Zn-Ag-Au); located on the eastern portion of the property, it is exposed at surface in a series of eight historic trenches where an average assay of 1.06 % Cu from grab samples taken across a 47 foot (14.3 metre) wide trench on Showing #7. The Company has dispatched field crews to complete geological mapping, trenching, and sampling to evaluate ground conditions related to the survey anomalies, and to better understand the relationship between the conductive anomalies and the extent of the known mineralization in preparation for drill testing. Transition CEO Scott McLean commented, "We are excited about the opportunity at Maude Lake. The sulphide mineralization hosts nickel tenors in excess of 6% Ni in massive sulphides. The new conductive targets have responses consistent with occurrences of semi-massive or massive sulphides in the vicinity of a known high-grade nickel showing. We are proceeding with a trenching and drilling program this summer to further evaluate this highly prospective area." About The Maude Lake Property The property is located approximately 10 kilometres north of the community of Schreiber, Ontario. It consists of staked mining claims on crown land that cover approximately 1,398 hectares in the Pays Plat Lake, Lower Aguasabon Lake and Priske township areas. The property lies within the traditional territory of the Pays Plat First Nation. Located in the southern limb of the Archean Hemlo-Schreiber greenstone belt, the property covers the contact between mafic to felsic volcanic rocks to the south and the Crossman Lake granitic pluton to the north. A late sill-like mafic to ultramafic body is interpreted to have been intruded along the contact and is the host to the main Ni-Cu-Co-PGM showing (Smyk, 1993). High tenor, nickel-bearing, base metal sulphides occur as massive to vein-like and net-textured aggregates along the contact between the mafic-ultramafic intrusion to the south and the granite to the north. Drilling by Zenmac Metal Mines Inc. in 1969-1970 extended the surface mineralization down-dip to a vertical depth of 150 metres. Hole 7 returned 1.0 % Ni, 0.32 % Cu over 15 feet (4.6 metres) from 245-260 feet (74.7 - 79.2 metres) including a higher-grade section of 1.56 % Ni and 0.41 % Cu over 5 feet (1.5 metres). Zenmac reported that the deposit was estimated to contain 185,000t @ 0.49% Ni, 0.26% Cu in a zone 300 ft long, 22 ft thick (91.4 metre long, 6.7 metre thick)). This historical estimate is not National Instrument 43-101 (NI-43-101) compliant. In 2001, Novawest Resources Inc. acquired the property and completed surface sampling, mapping, geophysics, and diamond drilling as well as an NI43-101 Technical Report in 20044. Source: Assessment Report, A Geological Report on the Mitto Option Schrieber Area, Ontario for East Sullivan Mines Limited, October 2nd, 1950, 42D14NE0092. Source: Smyk, M.C., (1993) Preliminary Investigation of the Nicopor Copper-Nickel Prospect, Northwestern Ontario, Institute on Lake Superior Geology, Proceeding Volume 39 Part 1 - Program and Abstracts, p.72. Source: Assessment Report, Ontario Northern Development and Mines, Zenmac Metal Mines Inc., 42D14NW0045 Source: The Fowler Option a portion of the Nickel Royale Project, Technical Report prepared for Novawest Resources Inc., Dr. Mikkel Schau and Garry Clarke, November 2004. Qualified Person The technical elements of this press release have been reviewed and approved by Tom Hart, P.Geo. (PGO), a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101. Transition Metals Corp Transition Metals Corp (TSXV: XTM) is a Canadian-based, multi-commodity project generator that specializes in converting new exploration ideas into discoveries. The award-winning team of geoscientists has extensive exploration experience which actively develops and tests new ideas for discovering mineralization in places where others have not searched, often allowing the company to acquire properties inexpensively. Joint venture partners earn an interest in the projects by funding a portion of higher-risk drilling and exploration, allowing Transition to conserve capital and minimize shareholder's equity dilution. Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Information Except for statements of historical fact contained herein, the information in this news release constitutes "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities law. Such forward-looking information may be identified by words such as "plans", "proposes", "estimates", "intends", "expects", "believes", "may", "will" and include without limitation, statements regarding estimated capital and operating costs, expected production timeline, benefits of updated development plans, foreign exchange assumptions and regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate; actual results and future events could differ materially from such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, among others, metal prices, competition, risks inherent in the mining industry, and regulatory risks. Most of these factors are outside the control of the Company. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except as otherwise required by applicable securities statutes or regulation, the Company expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Further information is available at www.transitionmetalscorp.com or by contacting: Scott McLean President and CEO Transition Metals Corp. Tel: (705) 669-1777 FIGURE 1: Location of the Transition Metals' Maude Lake Ni-Cu-Co-PGM Property and Maude Lake / Nicopar showing To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2766/125898_51f8c73714da8aa6_001full.jpg FIGURE 2: The dB/dt Calculated Time Constant (Tau) Anomaly in the vicinity of the Maude Lake / Nicopar Showing To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2766/125898_51f8c73714da8aa6_002full.jpg To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/125898 Wallbox (NYSE:WBX), a leading provider of electric vehicle (EV) charging and energy management solutions worldwide, today announced its participation in upcoming institutional investor-focused events during the month of June, 2022: June 6, 2022: Bank of America EV Charging Summit Co-founder and CEO Enric Asuncion will join Bank of America analyst Alexander Virgo for a virtual fireside chat. Virtual investor meetings will also be offered. Interested investors should reach out to their Bank of America sales contact directly. June 8th at 8:00am EDT: Stifel Cross Sector Insight Conference Douglas Alfaro, General Manager of Wallbox North America will join Stifel analyst Stephen Gengaro of Stifel for a live fireside chat in Boston. Interested investors can join in person or watch the live webcast here, or access it via the Events and Presentations section of the Investor Relations website at investors.wallbox.com. June 14th at 10:25am EDT: Evercore ISI Clean Energy Mobility Conference Co-founder and CEO Enric Asuncion and Jordi Lainz, CFO will join Evercore analyst James West for a live fireside chat in New York. In-person meetings with investors will also be offered. A replay of the fireside chat will be available following the event. Interested investors should reach out to their Evercore sales contact directly. June 21st: Credit Suisse Mobility Forum Co-founder and CEO Enric Asuncion will host virtual meetings with investors. No webcast will be provided. Interested investors should reach out to their Credit Suisse sales contact directly. June 29th: Investor Meetings Hosted by Bank of America CFO Jordi Lainz will host in-person meetings with investors in London. Interested investors should reach out to their Bank of America sales contact directly. About Wallbox Wallbox is a global technology company, dedicated to changing the way the world uses energy. Wallbox creates advanced electric vehicle charging and energy management systems that redefine users' relationship to the grid. Wallbox goes beyond electric vehicle charging to give users the power to control their consumption, save money, and live more sustainably. Wallbox offers a complete portfolio of charging and energy management solutions for residential, semi-public and public use in more than 100 countries. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Barcelona, the company now employs over 1,000 people in its offices in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. For additional information, please visit www.wallbox.com. Wallbox Forward Looking Statements This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding the timing of upcoming conferences and events. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "anticipate," "believe," "may," "can," "should," "could," "might," "plan," "possible," "project," "strive," "budget," "forecast," "expect," "intend," "will," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "continue" or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology, but the absence of these words does not mean that statement is not forward-looking. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements, including those discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" in Wallbox's final prospectus on Form 424(b)(3) filed with the SEC on November 12, 2021, as such factors may be updated from time to time in its other filings with the SEC, accessible on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov and the Investors Relations section of Wallbox's website at investors.wallbox.com. These and other important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any forward-looking statement that Wallbox makes in this press release speaks only as of the date of such statement. Except as required by law, Wallbox disclaims any obligation to update or revise, or to publicly announce any update or revision to, any of the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531005473/en/ Contacts: Wallbox Public Relations Contact: Elyce Behrsin Public Relations Press@wallbox.com +34 622 513 358 Wallbox Investor Contact: Matt Tractenberg VP, Investor Relations Matt.Tractenberg@wallbox.com +1 404-574-1504 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2022) - LevelJump Healthcare Corp. (TSXV: JUMP) (OTCQB: JMPHF) (FSE: 75J) ("LevelJump" or the "Company"), a Canadian leader in B2B telehealth solutions, is pleased to announce today it has reported financial results for the first fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2022. All amounts are expressed in Canadian dollars. Financial and Operational Highlights Revenues from Canadian Teleradiology Services, Inc. ("CTS") operations hits record level with $1,979,860 in revenues for the first quarter. Gross profit from CTS operations was $495,176 for the quarter, a 25% margin; Year over Year Q1 revenue increase of $419,139 an increase of 27%. CTS completed acquisition of 3 diagnostic imaging centers in Belleville and Cobourg, Ontario; Credit facility of $3.2 million secured from TD Canada Trust at 4.02% 2021 Q1 Financial Results for Leveljump JUMP EBITDA of $(197,516) and adjusted EBITDA of $33,484 for Q1. Management Comments "We had another record quarter of revenue with positive adjusted EBITDA", said Mitch Geisler CEO. "CTS continues to grow each quarter as the demand for our teleradiology services increases. Additionally, we acquired three clinics providing crucial services to the communities they serve. The Company continues to focus on broadening it's telehealth solutions, increasing its radiology services for critical care and show growth organically and through strategic acquisitions." Non-IFRS Financial Measures This news release contains financial terms (such as adjusted EBITDA) that are not considered in IFRS. Such financial measures, together with measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, provide useful information to investors and shareholders, as management uses them to evaluate the operating performance of the Company. The Company's determination of these non-IFRS measures may differ from other reporting issuers, and therefore are unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Further, these non-IFRS measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance or cash flows prepared in accordance with IFRS. These financial measures are included because management uses this information to analyze operating performance and liquidity. Adjusted EBITDA & Annual Revenue Run Rate Management believes adjusted EBITDA is a useful supplemental measure to determine the Company's ability to generate cash available for working capital, capital expenditures, debt repayments, interest expense and income taxes. EBITDA refers to net income (loss) determined in accordance with IFRS, before depreciation and amortization, net interest expense (income) and income tax expense (recovery). The Company defines adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA, plus stock-based compensation expense, restructuring, fair value adjustments, listing expense and transaction costs, impairment and finance income. A reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to net income (loss) is as follows: Three Months ended March 31 ($ in thousands) 2022 2021 Net income (loss) and comprehensive income (loss) (258) (709) Add back: Depreciation and amortization 30 8 Net interest expense 24 3 Stock-based compensation 146 393 Misc and foreign exchange 7 - EBITDA (51) (305) Add back: One-time Professional Fees related to Listing and fundraising - 95 One-time Professional Fees related to Acquisitions 85 - Adjusted EBITDA 34 (210) For further details on the results, please refer to Leveljump's Interim Management, Discussion and Analysis and Unaudited Condensed Interim Consolidated Financial Statements for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, which are available on the Company's website (www.leveljumphealthcare.com) and under the Company's profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). About LevelJump Healthcare LevelJump Healthcare Corp., (TSXV: JUMP) is building a national telehealth medical company and brand, currently by providing teleradiology (remote radiology) services to its client hospitals and imaging centers. Additionally, JUMP owns and operates independent healthcare facilities (IHF's) focused on diagnostic imaging. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF LEVELJUMP HEALTHCARE CORP. Mitchell Geisler, Chief Executive Officer info@leveljumphealthcare.com (833) 840-2020 CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to the Company's business plans and the outlook of the Company's industry. Although the Company believes, in light of the experience of its officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate, that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this release and the Company assumes no responsibility to update them or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances other than as required by applicable securities laws. The Company undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third-parties in respect of the Company, Canadian Teleradiology Services, Inc., their securities, or their respective financial or operating results (as applicable). Neither the Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/125918 MOSCOW (dpa-AFX) - The Russian forces who are advancing in eastern Ukraine with continuous bombardment have captured half of the city of Severodonetsk, reports said. 'The front line has cut (Severodonetsk) into two halves,' city head Oleksandr Stryuk told Ukrainian TV. Luhansk regional Governor Serhiy Haidai described it as 'a grave situation there.' The Norwegian Refugee Council said that thousands of civilians remain trapped in crossfire in the city without sufficient access to water, food, medicine or electricity. 'I am horrified to see Severodonetsk, the thriving city where we had our operational headquarters, become the epicenter of yet another chapter of the brutal war in Ukraine,' said Jan Egeland, Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council. European Union leaders agreed on Monday to cut oil imports from Russia by 90 percent by the end of the year as part of a new sanctions package targeting that country. Pipeline imports will be exempt from the sanctions. U.S. President Joe Biden has ruled out reports that his administration is planning to send long-range rocket systems to Ukraine. CNN had reported that Washington is preparing to approve advanced, long-range rocket systems for Ukraine. 'We're not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that can strike into Russia,' Biden told a reporter after Marine One Arrival on Monday. Responding to this, Ukraine's Presidential advisor Oleksiy Arestovych said rockets with ranges of around 70 kilometers would be 'more than enough' for the Ukrainian army to repel Russian offensives. 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. DGAP-News: Ameramex International AmeraMex International Receives Orders Totaling $1.1 Million 31.05.2022 / 14:20 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. 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 $1.1 million which brings year-to-date sales up to $11.7 million. According to CEO Lee Hamre, the Company currently has over $2.6 million of equipment in the sales pipeline that is being refurbished and is expected to ship before the end of the second quarter. The orders consist of the following equipment: -Liugong Forklift shipping to a high school welding shop in Chico; -Hoist 220 Container Handler shipping to the Pacific Northwest; -Taylor XLC975 Container Handler shipping to a customer in the West Coast; and -The Magni Telehandler also shipping to a customer on the West Coast. The Magni line of telehandlers are new products for AmeraMex. The fixed telehandlers combine craftsmanship with innovation and technology for high-end performance in each application. Magni models are perfect for applications in industry and construction as well as the mining sector. 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. McCloud Communications LLC Marty Tullio +1 949-632-1900 marty@mccloudcommunications.com https://www.ammx.net 31.05.2022 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 FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) - German regulators and authorities raided the offices of Deutsche Bank AG (DB) and its asset-management subsidiary DWS Group in Frankfurt over a probe into greenwashing allegations at DWS. The raid was conducted by about 50 officials, including public prosecutors, federal police and officials from the German financial regulator, BaFin. The raid was conducted as part of the probe over investment fraud allegations. It is alleged that DWS was marketing investment products as much greener than they really were. The environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards were not maintained in some of the products to the level they were mentioned in the sales prospectus. Financial institutions strive hard to market products that are in line with the global climate targets as such ESG standard products have become a major asset class and are quite popular with investors. Deutsche Bank has confirmed the raids and reportedly said they were fully cooperating with the probe and will continue to do so. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX DEUTSCHE BANK-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de At Hannover Messe 2022, the company unveils its strategic products for the next-generation ESS Targeting the Global Market Opportunity with Carbon Neutrality solutions SEOUL, South Korea, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- From May 30th to June 2nd, LS ELECTRIC is presenting at Hannover Messe 2022, one of the largest international exhibitions for industrial technology, to show its newest smart energy solutions based on the combination of ICT with global-scale power and automation solutions. Under the main concept of "Integrated Energy Solutions for Carbon Neutrality", LS ELECTRIC has prepared the three main themes, Carbon Neutrality, Digital Transformation, and Smart Factory. During the exhibition, visitors will find a variety of strategic products targeted to the global carbon-neutral market. Next-generation smart power solutions: MCCB (DC 1500V), Relays (DC 1000V & 1500V), and ACB (AC 1150V). In particular, DC-only solutions (such as a DC 1500V circuit breaker) is expected to draw attention from local clients as the demand for the high-capacity electric products is rising due to the expanding renewable energy industry. Modular Scalable String Platform: MSSP is a DC 1500V next-generation power conversion platform for global ESS market. MSSP is applied to the power converter, a main component of PCS, is modularized with a maximum unit capacity of 200kW, and enables stand-alone operation. MSSP is recognized as a platform specialized for ESS market, where demand is rapidly increasing in Europe and the United States. Cheongju Smart Factory Solution: In 2021, LS ELECTRIC Cheongju factory has been selected as the Lighthouse Factory by WEF. The use cases adopted in actual production lines and production systems include vibration inspection, digital twin platform, factory VR tour and automation solution. About LS ELECTRIC: Since the establishment in July 1974, LS ELECTRIC has been playing a pivotal role as a national power grid and industrial automation system leader by providing products and services for electric supply, protection and industrial automation that realizes energy optimization and smart grid system. LS ELECTRIC is leading the global smart energy industry by fostering green businesses such as smart grids, renewable energy and Energy Storage System as key future growth engines. Moreover, the company has been listed as one of the 100 global innovation companies by Clarivate Analytics for the 10th consecutive year. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1829068/2022.jpg TOCCOA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / May 31, 2022 / Galaxy Next Generation, Inc. (OTCQB:GAXY) ("Galaxy" or the "Company"), a provider of interactive learning technology solutions, will present at the LD Micro Invitational XII Conference being held at the Four Seasons in Westlake Village, CA on June 7 - 9, 2022. Galaxy's Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Gary LeCroy, and Chief Financial Officer, Magen McGahee, will conduct one-on-one meetings during the conference and deliver the Company's in-person presentation which can be viewed live and via replay at the webcast link below. LD Micro Invitational XII Date: June 7 - 9, 2022 Location: Westlake Village, CA Presentation Time: June 8, 2022 at 1:00 pm ET (10:00 am PT) in TRACK 3 Webcast: https://ldinv12.mysequire.com/ For more information on the LD Micro Invitational XII Conference or to schedule a one-on-one meeting with Galaxy management, please contact your conference representative or email your request to GAXY@mzgroup.us. About Galaxy Next Generation, Inc. Galaxy Next Generation ( OTCQB:GAXY ) is a provider of interactive learning technology solutions that allows the presenter and participant to engage in a fully collaborative instructional environment. Galaxy's products include Galaxy's own private-label interactive touch screen panel as well as numerous other national and international branded peripheral and communication devices. Galaxy's distribution channel consists of 22+ resellers across the U.S. who primarily sell the Company's products within the commercial and educational market. Galaxy does not control where resellers focus their resell efforts, although generally, the K-12 education market is the largest customer base for Galaxy products - comprising nearly 90% of Galaxy's sales. For additional information, please visit our website at: www.galaxynext.us Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements are based on the current plans and expectations of management and are subject to a number of uncertainties and risks that could significantly affect the company's current plans and expectations, as well as future results of operations and financial condition. A more extensive listing of risks and factors that may affect the company's business prospects and cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the reports and other documents filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Company Contact IR@GalaxyNext.us P: 888-859-1274 Investor Relations Brooks Hamilton MZ North America +1 949-546-6326 GAXY@mzgroup.us SOURCE: Galaxy Next Generation, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/703307/Galaxy-Next-Generation-to-Present-at-LD-Micro-Invitational-XII-Conference-on-June-8-2022 Conference call will be held on May 31, 2022 VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Zoomd Technologies Ltd. (TSXV: ZOMD) (OTC: ZMDTF) and its wholly-owned subsidiary Zoomd Ltd. (collectively, "Zoomd" or the "Company"), the marketing technology (MarTech) user-acquisition and engagement platform, today reported its financial results for the three months ended March 2022. The Company's financial statements and management discussion and analysis ("MD&A") are available on SEDAR under the Company's profile. Fiscal 2022 Outlook Maintained Zoomd expects business and revenues growth in fiscal 2022 to be in a range of $74M to $80M, representing a year-over-year growth of up to approximately 50%. The outlook is based on assumptions, each of which management considers to be reasonable and are set out in the MD&A. Key Highlights 1Q22 revenues increased 140% YOY to $16.2M . Results were driven primarily by the onboarding of new clients in recent months, growth with existing clients and expansion into growth geographies such as Latin America , Asia , and North America . Results were driven primarily by the onboarding of new clients in recent months, growth with existing clients and expansion into growth geographies such as , , and Operating profit was $0.9M for 1Q22 compared to an operating loss of $0.6M in 1Q21, primarily as a result of increased revenue for 1Q22 compared to an operating loss of in 1Q21, primarily as a result of increased revenue Achieved positive cash flow from operations of $1.7M in 1Q22, ended 1Q22 with a cash balance of $5M and no long-term debt in 1Q22, ended 1Q22 with a cash balance of and no long-term debt Achieved positive Adjusted EBITDA of $1.9M during 1Q22 during 1Q22 Increasing "large customers" numbers by 200% YoY Completed the acquisition of albert.ai, strengthening North America activity with tier 1 customers and consolidate self-serve and SaaS business model activity with tier 1 customers and consolidate self-serve and SaaS business model Apple's iOS14+ privacy changes helped drive new customers to Zoomd's platform and products Management Commentary The strong momentum of 2021 has maintained through 1Q22, as we achieved another robust quarter. Our partners are continuing to increase their budgets with us, and we have a powerful pipeline of new customers. Our user acquisition platform has been integral in enabling to manage multiple campaigns from one place, allowing time saving and efficiency with real-time control. Our platforms enable our customers to grow their UA with limited additional resources, giving the ability to scale immediately by demand. Our growth is coming from burgeoning sectors such as Ecommerce, Education (new targeted vertical), iGaming, Gaming and Fintech, and hypergrowth geographies such as Latin America, Asia, and North America, while we see increase within North America clienteles via the Albert.ai acquisition. In March 2022, the Company announced the acquisition of Albert, a U.S.-based artificial intelligence marketing platform for advertisers, driving fully autonomous digital campaigns for some of the world's leading brands, that will now be able to use the Company's products and services. The acquisition is aligned with the Company strategy to provide customers a variety of business models including self-serve abilities. Considering small and mid-market businesses, the self-serve abilities are an upper hand for scaling without the need of massive HR growth. Our visibility into revenues going forward is to maintain our 2022 revenue guidance range of $74M to $80M, which represents approximately 40% - 50% year over year growth, details of which are set out in the MD&A. "We are very pleased with the continued robust pace of our business, as we see strong demand for our user-acquisition activities from both new and existing clients" said Ofer Eitan, Zoomd's CEO, adding "Companies are seeing the results and value of our unique activity and are further allocating larger portion of their user acquisition budgets to Zoomd. While we are happy with our current pace of growth, we believe that our ability to execute in various verticals, geos, plus different business models while we make our platforms accessible for self-serve use, can bring us to the next level even further than expected. Almost every UA challenge will find a solution under our wings, hoping to become the last user acquisition platform that our customer will ever use." First Quarter 2022 Highlights (All Figures in Thousands in USD) For the three months ended March 31, 2022 , revenues were $16,250 , as compared to $6,776 for the three months ended March 31, 2021 , an increase of 140% year-over-year. The increase in revenues is primarily the result of customer acquisitions in the growth sectors such as e-commerce, education (new targeted vertical), fintech, and gaming as well as expansion in new geographies such as Latin America , Asia , and North America , targeting specific growth potential countries. In addition, our existing customers have allocated an increasing portion of their user acquisition budgets to Zoomd, as they have witnessed strong ROI on their spending. , revenues were , as compared to for the three months ended , an increase of 140% year-over-year. The increase in revenues is primarily the result of customer acquisitions in the growth sectors such as e-commerce, education (new targeted vertical), fintech, and gaming as well as expansion in new geographies such as , , and , targeting specific growth potential countries. In addition, our existing customers have allocated an increasing portion of their user acquisition budgets to Zoomd, as they have witnessed strong ROI on their spending. Gross profit margin was 30% for the three months ended March 31, 2022 , versus 35% for the same period last year, reflecting more social media advertising portion that is known to be with lower profit margins. , versus 35% for the same period last year, reflecting more social media advertising portion that is known to be with lower profit margins. Research and Development (R&D) expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2022 were $1,234 , a 17% increase YOY, primarily reflecting the amortization of capitalized software development costs. were , a 17% increase YOY, primarily reflecting the amortization of capitalized software development costs. Selling, General and Administrative (SG&A) expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2022 were $2,633 , 34% increase YOY, primarily reflecting increases in sales department bonuses as the result of increased revenues, and as a result of some new employees joining the company. , 34% increase YOY, primarily reflecting increases in sales department bonuses as the result of increased revenues, and as a result of some new employees joining the company. Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended March 31, 2022 was $1,932 as compared with Adjusted EBITDA of $63 for the three months ended March 31, 2021 , an increase of $1,995 . The improvement in the Adjusted EBITDA is primarily attributed to the significant increase revenue growth. was as compared with Adjusted EBITDA of for the three months ended , an increase of . The improvement in the Adjusted EBITDA is primarily attributed to the significant increase revenue growth. Operating profit was $932 for Q1 2022 compared to an operating loss of $638 in Q1 2021, primarily as a result of increased revenue. for Q1 2022 compared to an operating loss of in Q1 2021, primarily as a result of increased revenue. As of March 31, 2022 , the Company's cash and cash equivalents amounted to $5 million , and no debt. , the Company's cash and cash equivalents amounted to , and no debt. On March 28, 2022 , the Company announced that it has acquired substantially all of the assets of Albert Technologies Ltd. and Albert Technologies' Inc ("Albert") in a cash and share deal (the "Transaction"). The Company would like to provide additional disclosure in connection with the Transaction. The consideration payable by the Company pursuant to the Transaction consists of $125,000 in cash and share issuance by the Company of $375,000 worth of common shares of the Company at closing (being up to 375,000 common shares) and a second payment of $125,000 in cash and $375,000 worth of common shares of the Company (being up to 375,000 common shares) upon the satisfaction of certain performance-based metrics. The price per share used for the purposes of the aforementioned share issuances will be the greater of $1.00 and the closing price of the shares of the Company on the TSX-V prior to their issuance. In addition, as partial consideration for certain of Albert's employees hired by the Company, the Company has entered into certain shares for services arrangements with such employees totaling up to $0.2M worth of company shares, to be issued upon the completion of the services to the Company and using the price per share at the time of issuance. None of the employees are non-arm's length to the Company or any of its affiliates. CONFERENCE CALL Amit Bohensky, Founder and Chairman, will hold a conference call to discuss the quarter's financial results at May 31, 2022. Interested parties can listen via a live webcast, from the link available in the Investors section of the Company's website at https://zoomd.com/investors/ or at https://app.webinar.net/JWmgNewpM63. A replay will be available after the call, in the Investors section of the Company's website at https://zoomd.com/investors/ or via https://app.webinar.net/JWmgNewpM63. ABOUT ZOOMD: Zoomd (TSXV: ZOMD) (OTC: ZMDTF), founded in 2012 and began trading on the TSX Venture Exchange in September 2019, offers a site search engine to publishers, and a mobile app user-acquisition platform, integrated with a majority of global digital media, to advertisers. The platform unifies more than 600 media sources into one unified dashboard. Offering advertisers, a user acquisition control center for managing all new customer acquisition campaigns using a single platform. By unifying all these media sources onto a single platform, Zoomd saves advertisers significant resources that would otherwise be spent consolidating data sources, thereby maximizing data collection and data insights while minimizing the resources spent on the exercise. Further, Zoomd is a performance-based platform that allows advertisers to advertise to the relevant target audiences using a key performance indicator-algorithm that is focused on achieving the advertisers' goals and targets. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. CAUTION REGARDING NON-IFRS FINANCIAL MEASURES This press release refers to "Adjusted EBITDA" which is a non-IFRS financial measure that does not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS. The Company's presentation of this preliminary financial measure may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. This preliminary financial measure is intended to provide additional information to investors concerning the Company's estimated results. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization, as adjusted for share-based payments and non-recurring operating expenses, and is a measure of a company's operating performance. Essentially, it's a way to evaluate a company's performance without having to factor in financing decisions, accounting decisions or tax environments. Management uses this non-IFRS measure as a key metric in the evaluation of the Company's performance and the consolidated financial results. The Company believes Adjusted EBITDA is useful to investors in their assessment of the operating performance and the valuation of the Company. However, non-IFRS financial measures are not prepared in accordance with IFRS, and the information is not necessarily comparable to other companies and should be considered as a supplement to, not a substitute for, or superior to, the corresponding measures calculated in accordance with IFRS. A reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA and operating profit is available in Zoomd's MD&A located on the Company's profile at www.sedar.com which is incorporated by reference into this press release. DISCLAIMER IN REGARD TO FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to Zoomd's 2022 revenue outlook, its future ability to successfully continue its growth, its ability to continue to deliver products and services largely unimpacted by the privacy updates undertaken (or will be undertaken in the future) by Google and Apple as well as its ability to continue expanding into new geographies and industries. Forward-looking statements are based on our current assumptions, estimates, expectations and projections that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, technological, legal, privacy matters, political and social uncertainties (including the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the current war in Ukraine), the extent and duration of which are uncertain at this time on Zoomd's business and general economic and business conditions and markets. There can be no assurance that any of the forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. The reader should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. All forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Company Media Contacts: Amit Bohensky Chairman Zoomd ir@zoomd.com Website: www.zoomd.com Investor relations: Lytham Partners, LLC Ben Shamsian New York | Phoenix ZOMD@lythampartners.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1039696/Zoomd_Logo.jpg Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2022) - Bloom Health Partners Inc. (CSE: BLMH) (OTCQB: BLMHF) (FSE: D840) ("Bloom" or the "Company"), a leading provider of operational health and health technology, announces unaudited Fiscal Q2 2022 revenues of CAD $11.1M for the period ended March 31st, 2022, bringing year-to-date revenues to $16.9M for the first half of Fiscal 2022. Highlights in Fiscal Q2 2022: Revenues CAD $11.1 showing 92.1% increase from previous quarter (Fiscal Q1 2022) EBITDA ( 1) of CAD $2.1M of CAD $2.1M Cash on hand end at March 31, 2022 of CAD $1.7M with receivables of CAD $8.7M FY 2022 YTD revenues of CAD $16.9M Contract announced with State of Texas K-12 Schools Bloom announced Bloom Shield health-tech software platform for workplace health deployments. Software helps organizations utilize Bloom health services for workplace productivity Bloom announced seasoned health care executive as its new Chief Operating Officer whose background includes senior roles at Cancer Treatment Centers of America and Kaiser Permanente Full results available at www.sedar.com. As previously announced on February 9, 2022, Bloom anticipates Fiscal Year 2022 revenues of CAD $25M - $28M from continued business with new and existing clients and markets.(2) The Company also expects positive EBITDA(1) from operations in Fiscal Year 2022. "We continue to deliver what we've committed to clients and shareholders," said Andrew Morton, CEO of Bloom. "Our Fiscal Q2 2022 revenue of CAD $11.1M and EBITDA(1) of $2.1M show our team's ability to grow the business rapidly and scale efficient operations. Bloom is successfully evolving into a premium provider of Operational Health and Health-Tech to Fortune 500, Film/TV productions and large organizations. Large organizations see health as a key driver for productivity in the years to come. Bloom's end-to-end platform, comprised of laboratories, clinical operations and data, addresses the demands of modern workplaces and organizations." (1) This is a non-IFRS measure. Refer to the section "Non-IFRS Financial Measures" for information on the calculation of this non-IFRS measures. (2) Refer to the section "Disclosure on Financial Guidance" for additional information. Non-IFRS Financial Measures We believe that providing certain non-IFRS financial measures provide users with important information regarding the operational performance of our business. The non-IFRS financial measures used by management do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Accordingly, these measures should not be considered as a substitute or alternative for IFRS measures as determined in accordance with IFRS. By considering these measures in combination with the comparable IFRS financial measures, we believe that users are provided a better overall understanding of our business and financial performance during the relevant period than if they considered the IFRS financial measures alone. EBITDA EBITDA is defined as earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation, and amortization and is utilized by management to assess and evaluate the financial performance of its operations. Management believes that EBITDA improves comparability between periods by eliminating the impact of interest, income taxes, depreciation, and amortization. The most directly comparable GAAP measure to EBITDA is net income before tax, calculated as follows: For the three months ended March 31 2022 2021 Net income before tax $ 875,219 $ (497,169 ) Amortization of intangibles 736,304 - Depreciation 151,723 - Interest expense 383,529 - EBITDA $ 2,146,775 $ (497,169 ) Disclosure on Financial Guidance Anticipated revenue figures and EBITDA are based on modelling and estimates developed by management and updated as of March 31, 2022. These estimates are based on our Fiscal Year 2021 results and year-to-date 2022 results, including market size, and assume only ongoing business with announced contracts with Texas and Alabama schools, as well ongoing business with Film/TV productions and existing Fortune 500 clients, as well as marginal growth in fixed costs through Fiscal Year 2022. Readers are cautioned that actual results could differ materially from these estimates based on increases in operating costs, failure to maintain regulatory licensing, inability to execute on existing contracts with schools in Texas and Alabama, failure to attract and retain qualified employees, or a reduction in customer demand. About Bloom Health Partners Inc. Bloom Health Partners Inc. (CSE: BLMH) (OTCQB: BLMHF) (FSE: D840) is a global platform for healthcare security, diagnostic testing and occupational health-tech. Our mission is to ensure that "unstoppable is possible" for businesses and their employees through innovative, customized healthcare models. Bloom offers a system for businesses and organizations that helps engage employees and creates strategies to manage health and safety. Our stable, scalable system is an integrated health-tech platform that securely manages data while delivering comprehensive workplace health and safety outcomes. For more information: investors@bloomhealthpartners.com On behalf of the board of directors, Bloom Health Partners Inc. Andrew Morton, Chief Executive Officer Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the Company's forward-looking statements include the potential that milestones may not be satisfied, acquisitions may not achieve expected benefits, financing requirements, and the other risk factors described in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators on www.sedar.com. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under the applicable laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/125903 A digital avatar of President Yoon Suk-yeol used in a campaign video of a candidate of the ruling People Power Party in the southern county of Namhae / Courtesy of Democratic Party of Korea The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) claimed Tuesday that a digital avatar of President Yoon Suk-yeol has been used to campaign for a local election candidate of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), warning it could constitute a violation of political neutrality that could even warrant impeachment. Park Ji-hyun, an interim chief of the DPK, holds a mobile phone showing a video of a PPP candidate in the southern county of Namhae in which President Yoon Suk-yeol's AI avatar appears. Yonahp SINGAPORE, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Genashtim Pte. Ltd., a recruitment and education firm that works to provide sustainable, meaningful and gainful employment for disadvantaged individuals, has become the inaugural recipient of the ESG Excellence Award Singapore. Organised by MBH Corporation plc (MBH), a diversified investment holding company, the ESG Excellence Awards Singapore 2022 is a competitive awards initiative intended to showcase exceptional Environmental Social Governance (ESG) efforts by small to medium-sized Singapore businesses. ESG focuses on the protection of the environment, social justice, and long-term economic prosperity, and Genashtim's work in this field has been exceptional. Founded in 2008, the company's main goal has been to leverage technology and innovation to develop and connect marginalised communities to the global economy. Apart from delivering eLearning solutions from world-class institutions, and providing digital solutions for various business operations, Genashtim has also created a platform to provide training, and remote work opportunities for the disadvantaged communities in particular. As of January, this year, Genashtim has 150 employees across 20 countries on 6 continents and more than half that number are persons with disabilities, while another 30 percent are from other disadvantaged groups. Beyond their primary purpose of providing employment opportunities to marginalised communities, Genashtim has also worked to reduce their carbon footprint by establishing a 100 percent remote operation. Utilising the calculation methodology developed in the Home Emissions White Paper published by EcoAct, Genashtim has achieved a negative carbon emission of -639.44 kg of CO2 annually. In recognition of their achievement, Genashtim will receive a Media investment prize worth S$5,000 in social and media activation to create awareness around their business. This includes the production of a promotional video aimed at promoting their company and the important work they are doing in the area of ESG, a media release telling their ESG story that will be developed and distributed by MBH, and entrepreneur consultation with top leaders in MBH, including CEO of the MBH Corporation, Callum Laing and ESG Specialist and MBH Board Member, Victoria Sylvester. A representative from Genashtim will also be given the opportunity to be one of the judges in the next ESG Excellence Awards, set to take place in 2023. Callum Laing, CEO of MBH Corporation plc, added: "We are incredibly proud to be giving this award to Genashtim Pte. Ltd. While we saw several companies that have made a significant impact through ESG, Genashtim's unrelenting commitment to social responsibility made them truly stand out and we look forward to helping them grow and continue their unparalleled work in this field." Thomas Ng, Founder and CEO of Genashtim, commented: "Genashtim was set up with the single purpose of providing dignified, meaningful and gainful employment for the disadvantaged. This came with limitations that necessitated us to evolve a 100% remote work company which could only deliver services using the internet in a totally digitalised manner. It is providential that this became our strength, and allowed us to thrive especially during the recent tumultuous years, and to expand globally. We thank MBH for recognising this and honouring us with this award." About MBH MBH Corporation plc (M8H:GR) is a diversified investment holding company, listed on the Frankfurt and Dusseldorf Stock Exchanges and the OTCQX in New York (MBHCF). The company acquires small to medium enterprises across multiple geographies and sectors that are well established, profitable and looking to scale. By leveraging the Agglomeration strategy, MBH Corporation plc is able to create substantial shareholder value through the consistent and accretive acquisition of excellent companies. www.mbhcorporation.com Contacts for media enquiries: MBH Corporation plc, Nicholas Ferguson mbhpr@thistlework.co +65 9452 0613 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1829218/L_R_Christina_Yeoh_Senior_Executive_Corporate_Services_Genashtim_Pte_Ltd.jpg Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2022) - PharmaDrug Inc. (CSE: PHRX) (OTCQB: LMLLF) ("PharmaDrug" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement on May 31, 2022 with Khiron Life Sciences Corp. (TSXV: KHRN) ("Khiron") to sell all of the outstanding securities of Pharmadrug Production GmbH, ("Pharmadrug GMBH") the Company's wholly-owned German subsidiary, a medical cannabis distributor, with a Schedule I European Union narcotics license and German EuGMP certification allowing for the importation and distribution of medical cannabis to pharmacies in Germany and throughout the European Union (the "Transaction"). Under the terms of the share purchase agreement the Company has agreed to sell 100% of the securities of Pharmadrug GMBH for consideration consisting of 5,500,000 common shares in the capital of Khiron and a non-interest bearing promissory note in the principal amount of $1,100,000 which note will be payable one year from the date of issue. The agreement provides for an adjustment to the purchase price at closing to account for certain payments that may be made between the date of signing of the share purchase agreement and the date of closing. Daniel Cohen, the Company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer commented, "We are excited to be entering into this transaction with Khiron as it is a major step towards the company's shift into a pure play biotech strategy. We believe Khiron is perfectly positioned to take full advantage of the asset and believe PharmaDrug should ultimately yield the most value for Pharmadrug Production through and equity ownership in Khiron." The closing of the proposed Transaction is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions including receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals. The parties are targeting a closing on or before the end of July, 2022. There can be no assurance that the Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all. Rationale for the Sale The decision to sell Pharmadrug Production was driven by two main issues. Firstly, the Board of Directors and Management believes that the cannabis industry is at a point in maturity where critical mass as well as vertical expertise is needed to be able to execute on a successful strategy. Secondly, Pharmadrug production was a cash drag and unlike The Company's biotech efforts, management did not believe the cash burn in the German operations added any value to shareholders. The Company is of the opinion that Khiron is perfectly positioned to yield the appropriate value from Pharmadrug Production. Khiron has vertical experience in growing and in building and operating medical clinics. A successful strategy in Germany requires a knowledgeable sales force to be able to educate both physicians and patients. Khiron possesses that knowledge and has an active medical sales force. Management believes that by taking an equity position in Khiron, PharmaDrug shareholders have the opportunity to potentially realize further value by being able to participate in the upside that management still expects to arise form a growing cannabis market in Germany as well as Khiron's ability to potentially outperform in said market. Upon closing of the divestiture, PharmaDrug will have exited from the Cannabis Industry and all European operations. About PharmaDrug Inc. PharmaDrug is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the research, development and commercialization of controlled-substances and natural medicines such as psychedelics, cannabis and naturally-derived approved drugs. PharmaDrug owns 100% of Pharmadrug Production GmbH ("Pharmadrug Production"), a German medical cannabis distributor, with a Schedule I European Union narcotics license and German EuGMP certification allowing for the importation and distribution of medical cannabis to pharmacies in Germany and throughout the European Union. PharmaDrug owns 100% Sairiyo Therapeutics ("Sairiyo"), a biotech company that specializes in researching and reformulating established natural medicines with a goal of bringing them through clinical trials and the associated regulatory approval process in the US and Europe. Sairiyo is currently developing its patented reformulation of cepharanthine, a drug that has shown substantial third party validated potential for the treatment of infectious disease and rare cancers. Sairiyo is also conducting R&D in the psychedelics space for the treatment of non-neuropsychiatric conditions. The Company also owns 100% of Super Smart, a company building a vertically integrated retail business with the goal to elevate the use of functional mushrooms as natural based medicines. For further information, please contact: Daniel Cohen, Chairman and CEO dcohen@pharmadrug.co (647) 202-1824 Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information: THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED NOR DOES IT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking information. Generally, forward-looking information may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "proposed", "is expected", "budgets", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases, or by the use of words or phrases which state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, or might occur or be achieved. In particular, this press release contains forward-looking information in relation to the timing of the closing of the Transaction and the Company's future plans. This forward-looking information reflects the Company's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to the Company and on assumptions the Company believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to the ability of the Company to successfully execute on its plans for the Company and its affiliated entities; the ability to obtain required regulatory approvals and the Company's continued response and ability to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic being consistent with, or better than, its ability and response to date. Forward-looking information 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. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; general capital market conditions and market prices for securities; the actual results of the Company's future operations; competition; changes in legislation affecting the Company; the ability to obtain and maintain required permits and approvals, the timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals; risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic including various recommendations, orders and measures of governmental authorities to try to limit the pandemic, including travel restrictions, border closures, non-essential business closures, service disruptions, quarantines, self-isolations, shelters-in-place and social distancing, disruptions to markets, economic activity, financing, supply chains and sales channels, and a deterioration of general economic conditions; and a deterioration of financial markets that could limit the Company's ability to obtain external financing. A description of additional risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information can be found in the Company's disclosure documents on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. The Company's securities have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or applicable state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the United States or "U.S. Persons", as such term is defined in Regulations under the U.S. Securities Act, absent registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in the United States or any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking information contained in this press release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this press release and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. However, the Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/125942 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Hanesbrands Inc. (HBI) said, on May 24, 2022, the company identified that it had become subject to a ransomware attack. The company's forensic investigation and assessment of the impact of the event is ongoing. Hanesbrands has notified law enforcement authorities and is cooperating with the investigation. Hanesbrands said the company is in the early stages of its investigation and assessment of the event. As a result, the company cannot determine at this time whether or not such event will have a material impact on its business, operations or financial results. 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. Acquisition ExpandsKroll's Digital Services Capabilities with AI Technology Trainedto Discover and Track the Risk Signals Embedded Within Digital Chatter Kroll, the leading provider of data, technology and insights related to risk, governance and growth, announced today that it acquired Crisp, a Real-time Risk Intelligence company that protects brands, assets and people from reputational damage, security threats and online harms. This acquisition will accelerate Kroll's digital service capabilities with the leading expert in fast, actionable risk intelligence. Crisp's AI technology has been trained over 16 years to discover and track the risk signals embedded within digital chatter. Its comprehensive suite of intelligence solutions serves the global enterprise needs of communications, digital marketing, trust and safety, security and compliance clients across the globe. Following the acquisition, Crisp's Executive Chairman Andrew Burke will become a part of Kroll's digital services leadership team. "Digital chatter is an essential source of risk intelligence for protecting the global enterprise. In recent years, risks originating from or becoming amplified by digital chatter across the open, deep and dark web have reached an unprecedented scale. It's now a board-level issue and C-suite responsibility," said Andrew Burke, Executive Chairman of Crisp. "Joining the Kroll team strengthens our client promise to provide fast, actionable risk intelligence that delivers peace of mind, 24/7/365. By combining our AI technology and real-time alerts with Kroll's world-class risk advisory expertise, and Resolver's cutting-edge customer-focused SaaS interface and analytics machine, we see a huge potential to expand Kroll's client solutions." This announcement follows the recent acquisition of Resolver, Inc., a leading Risk Intelligence technology firm, to the Kroll digital services portfolio. "The ethos of our business has long centered around risk, governance and value creation. This acquisition helps us reinforce our growing position as a tech-enabled firm that marries data and technology with global professional services. I am thrilled to welcome Crisp to the Kroll family," said Jake Silverman, Chief Executive Officer of Kroll. "We now have the opportunity to combine our recently acquired Resolver platform with the capabilities of Crisp to create the most unique Risk Intelligence platform in the world. Our clients need partners and technology that can anticipate their needs across their entire enterprise, and the addition of the Crisp team to our business is a strategic extension of our investment in expanding our risk intelligence solutions." About Kroll Kroll provides proprietary data, technology and insights to help our clients stay ahead of complex demands related to risk, governance and growth. Our solutions deliver a powerful competitive advantage, enabling faster, smarter and more sustainable decisions. With 5,000 experts around the world, we create value and impact for our clients and communities. To learn more, visit www.kroll.com. About Crisp Crisp is a Real-time Risk Intelligence company that protects brands, assets and people from reputational damage, security threats and online harms. Our AI technology has been trained over 16 years to discover and track the risk signals embedded within digital chatter to be the leading expert in fast, actionable risk intelligence. Today we protect over $6.5 trillion in combined market capitalization for over 1,000 brands. Our customers are always first to know and first to act. Learn more at www.crispthinking.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531005433/en/ Contacts: Devonne Cusi Director, Global Communications +1 212-450-8199 Devonne.Cusi@kroll.com NEW YORK, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai recently announced the creation of the Center for Engineering and Precision Medicine (CEPM), one of the first centers in the nation to bridge engineering and engineering science with medicine. This undertaking will build on shared basic research discoveries, explore unique therapeutic innovations in cancer, Alzheimer's, tissue degeneration, and infectious diseases; educate a new generation of biomedical leaders; and develop new technologies and processes that enhance patient outcomes in unprecedented ways. CEPM represents an evolution in the successful partnership between Mount Sinai and RPI. The center at 619 West 54th Street in Manhattan will drive advances in point-of-care and point-of-use devices and diagnostics; microphysiological platforms for discovery and diagnosis; robotic surgery; biomedical imaging; therapeutics biomanufacturing; and artificial intelligence and machine learning applied to biomedical data. These engineering advances will improve patients' quality of life by synergizing state-of-the-art expertise in research and education at the nexus of engineering and medicine. "This transformative partnership between Rensselaer and Icahn Mount Sinai recognizes that engineering and engineering science is fundamental to the understanding of biomedical phenomena and is essential to the development of the next generation of precision diagnostics and therapeutics, human health and well-being, and to the training of advanced researchers and physicians," said Shirley Ann Jackson, PhD, President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. "Innovative research is a foundation of Rensselaer, as our students, faculty, and graduates continue to change the world through scientific and technological advances. This center will continue to fuel medical and scientific discoveries with life-changing impacts across the globe." "From highly sensitive and accurate bioimaging systems to new drug target discoveries, the major inventions that have shaped modern medicine were born out of close collaboration between engineers and clinicians," said Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and President for Academic Affairs of the Mount Sinai Health System. "The CEPM presents a bold new paradigm for that collaboration to continue that we believe will result in unprecedented advances in science, medicine, and human health. In addition, the PhD program will enable us to attract and equip a new generation of researchers with the interdisciplinary engineering and clinical skills to pursue more groundbreaking, impactful research." Contact: Deanna Cohen, cohend8@rpi.edu, 5182334828 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1828036/Rensselaer_Polytechnic_Institute_New_Center.jpg NEWBURY PARK, Calif., May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UnifyTwin announces the launch of Intelligent Industrial App Suite, which offers five business apps to address various aspects of the industrial life cycle driving towards sustainable business outcomes. These apps are now deployed and validated in over 450+ industrial customers worldwide. UnifyTwin is now on an expansion path and is pursuing strategic partnerships for scaling. UnifyTwin's next-generation offering of Intelligent Industrial Apps addresses pain points of various industry personas across the industrial life cycle. All apps are validated across multiple industry segments such as Pharma & Chemical, Textile, Refinery & Energy, Metals & Minerals and Building Materials. Customers across these industries are validating significant business value and quick Return on Investment (ROI) from these Intelligent Apps. The simplicity of the solution, along with apps for specific use cases, is the secret behind scaling across multiple industrial plants in such a short period of time. Here is what some of the customers who are scaling with this product had to say about the apps: Mr. Srirangarajan, CIO, Global Pulp and Fibre Business, Aditya Birla Group - "In our digital journey, UnifyTwin has been a great partner in co-creating a solution for the heart of Textile Fibre manufacturing leveraging their Intelligent App Suite and helped us meet our KPIs." Mr. G V Subramanyam Gupta, Chief Information Officer, Welspun Flooring Ltd - "Using the UnifyTwin Application, we are now able to take advantage of the unified contextualized insights from our connected workers and machines in real time. The differentiated Remote Monitoring digital manufacturing solution is now driving towards predictable productivity & quality of our products in the coating plant." C B Bhardwaj, EVP & Chief Of Manufacturing, Jubilant Ingrevia Ltd - "Our digital transformation initiatives leveraging the Intelligent App Suite from UnifyTwin for Yield/utilities Optimization with Analytics have been a great success. "We look forward to leveraging the UnifyTwin Knowledge Cloud to deploy across our plants." Gopi Krishan M, Deputy General Manager, Orient Cement Ltd - "UnifyTwin Solution, as a comprehensive IoT solution, has helped us to simplify Remote Monitoring, connectivity to machines, perform data acquisition, monitor and archive Plant Control room data for analysis." The details of the launched apps are as follows : Smart Energy: With an imminent need to reduce energy consumption and costs in industrial operations, Smart Energy App is a plug-and-play solution to connect smart energy meters to the cloud and provide proactive insights and recommendations for energy savings. Glens Sustainability: Focusing on helping customers measure & reduce industrial pollution, GHG and drive Net Zero goals, this app addresses the sustainability and carbon accounting needs of enterprises. This app is MCERT-certified and is already the market leader in Asia and the Middle East. Yield Optimizer: It is purpose-built to help process manufacturing plant managers capture golden batch parameters and provide autonomous recommendations to consistently achieve maximum yield, bringing multi-fold increase in manufacturing efficiencies & annual profits. Remote Monitoring: The app provides a simple plug-and-play model to monitor any machines or assets by configuring condition-based monitoring alerts and identifying operational anomalies. Asset Analytics: It takes asset monitoring to the next level with predefined 120+ digital asset models that apply artificial intelligence to achieve improvements in asset efficiency and provide proactive recommendations for predictive maintenance. "Our apps are built to solve specific pain points of multiple personas in the industrial journey by a team of industry veterans and domain experts. We learnt that the apps need to be built on a common Industrial Knowledge Graph by unifying human and machine interactions and events so that these apps can learn and drive contextualized insights and recommendations for real-time decisions," said UnifyTwin CEO and Founder, Sudheesh Narayanan. UnifyTwin will be demonstrating the apps live in Hannover Messe in Hall 4, Stand F78/1 from May 30-June 2, 2022. About UnifyTwin With its headquarters in California, UnifyTwin is an industry 5.0 company offering an AI-driven intelligent industrial app suite addressing customer needs across the industrial life cycle. The app suite is powered by a well-differentiated technology stack unifying human & machine intelligence across edge-to-cloud, driving sustainable business outcomes. UnifyTwin is recognized on the Gartner quadrant and has been proven in hundreds of industrial customers across multiple verticals such as Pharma & Chemical, Textile, Refinery & Energy, Metals & Minerals and Building Materials. Media Contact Ashis Khan (Chief Revenue Officer) +1 (805) 807-7739 contactus@unifytwin.com Related Images Image 1: UnifyTwin Intelligent Industrial App Suite This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment The Fintech Open Source Foundation continues to expand support across all constituents and geographies with increased buy-side, cloud and financial technology representation NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 31, 2022 / The Fintech Open Source Foundation ( FINOS ), the financial services umbrella of the Linux Foundation , announced today the addition of six new corporate members, including Google Cloud , Societe Generale , American Express , Point72 , Mirantis , and The Digital Dollar Project . Building upon its 19 new Members in 2021 and its recent addition of Wellington Management Company to its Governing Board, FINOS now has 57 corporate members ushering a new era in open collaboration across the global financial services industry. These new members, as well as the entire FINOS ecosystem will meet in London on July 13 at its annual Open Source in Finance Forum . This addition of new members reinforces FINOS' position as the arena of choice to build the next generation of financial technologies on common standards and open source components for financial institutions on both the sell-side and buy-side, fintechs, cloud companies, regulators, industry consortia and individual contributors. FINOS continues to see growth in the number and diversity of its corporate members across the world, with more than a 35% increase in the number of members year-over-year, fueling a community of more than 1,200 active contributors. This announcement is particularly significant as the engagement of cloud vendors and new buy-side firms signals widespread reception of open source return on investment across the technology value chain as a whole. "We are at a pivotal moment in our evolution as a Community, where literally every constituent of the industry has come to the realization that open source collaboration has the concrete potential to bring to life the vision of a highly efficient, interoperable and developer-friendly global financial technology stack," said Gabriele Columbro, Executive Director of FINOS. "From cloud and open source leaders heading the charge to some of the historically most conservative firms in the world now rolling out Open Source Program Offices (OSPOs), we are incredibly proud to see global recognition of the value in open source and of the role FINOS played in this evolution." Meet the new members Google Cloud becomes the first global cloud service provider joining FINOS as a Gold member. Google Cloud will contribute to critical efforts for cloud deployments in financial services like the FINOS Open RegTech and Compliant Financial Infrastructure initiatives, aimed at driving adoption of FINOS open source projects in the cloud. "For more than 20 years, Google has helped shape the future of computing with its technology leadership and support across the open source ecosystem," said Zac Maufe, Director, Financial Services, Google Cloud. "We are thrilled to join FINOS and its community of companies and people dedicated to open source. As the financial services industry accelerates its adoption of cloud technologies, FINOS open source projects will deliver valuable support to both our customers and the financial services tech community at large." Societe Generale (SocGen), a French multinational investment bank and financial services company, joins FINOS as a Gold member, representing an important addition to the European sell-side representation in FINOS. This comes on the heels of the Linux Foundation amplifying its global focus with the recently announced inaugural European World of Open Source: 2022 Europe Spotlight Survey , a testament to the truly global nature and potential of the open source Community. "Societe Generale implemented an 'Open Source First' policy in 2017 and established it's Open Source Program office (OSPO) in 2020," said Alain Voiment, CIO for Group digital foundations and corporate functions, Societe Generale. "Over the years, our focus has been to evolve in the open source journey by deriving benefits from infrastructure layer to applicative layer to business value add while engaging our developers' community. As we become a more 'tech enabled' company leveraging the power of IT, digital, and data, we continue to foster our innovation capacity in bringing added value for our clients. Collaboration with FINOS is the right step in this direction and there couldn't be a better time to embark on this journey." Our third Gold member, American Express, is dedicated to delivering digital products and services that enhance the lives of their customers, and believe open-source is a key component in supporting innovative growth across the industry. "Our technology philosophy focuses on delivering increased scale and efficiency, improved speed to market, high-quality, and security, while always keeping our customer at the center of all we do," said Hilary Packer, Executive Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, American Express. "We're excited to join FINOS because of the opportunities it will provide to collaborate with and contribute to the community, while supporting our ongoing adoption of open-source software, standards, and best practices, which in turn will help drive the continued success and growth of our company." FINOS also continues to expand the open source technology footprint among buy-side institutions to deliver innovation among the investment and asset management industries. Firms now have the ability to leverage open source connectivity, through projects like FDC3 that bolster interoperability with the sell-side, to access the market quickly in a vendor agnostic fashion. Newest Silver member Point72, a global asset manager which invests in multiple strategies and asset classes, was the first buy-side firm to join FINOS earlier in 2022, signaling their leadership and strong focus on the use of open source in this industry sector. "Open source has emerged as an increasingly important driver of innovation in leading technology organizations within financial services," said Mark Brubaker, Chief Technology Officer at Point72. "Our decision to join FINOS reflects our belief that open source collaboration raises all boats, benefiting all organizations and technologists." Mirantis, an established open source leader and cloud management platform that helps organizations easily ship code on public and private clouds, also joined FINOS as a Silver member. "We are proud and excited to join FINOS," said Andy Wild, Chief Revenue Officer of Mirantis. "With the rapid adoption of Cloud Native Technologies driven by Kubernetes in the financial industry, Mirantis understands that collaboration is the fastest path to innovation, and our open source based products and services have helped to drive innovation and growth for our financial customers for years. Joining FINOS, we look forward to having the opportunity to further align with the needs of the financial industry." FINOS also welcomes its latest Associate member, The Digital Dollar Project, a leading private-public partnership advancing the study and exploration of a potential U.S. Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), an initiative FINOS recently announced its support for in Davos . "New advances in financial technology, including CBDCs, have the power to transform economies and connect people, governments, and businesses, locally and globally," said Jennifer Lassiter, Executive Director of The Digital Dollar Project. "We know that experimentation and information sharing are critical to innovation, which is why we are thrilled to contribute to open source solutions as a new addition to the vibrant FINOS community." The addition of new Gold, Silver and Associate members marks continued forward momentum of FINOS' mission to drive mass open source adoption across all facets of the financial services industry, strengthening its position as the leading organization supporting the industry as they collaborate on vital areas, such as interoperability, data standards, and open source security. To learn more about joining FINOS as a member, visit the Membership Benefits page . Meet the FINOS team in London on July 13 at its annual Open Source in Finance Forum . About FINOS FINOS (The Fintech Open Source Foundation) is a nonprofit whose mission is to foster adoption of open source, open standards and collaborative software development practices in financial services. It is the center for open source developers and the financial services industry to build new technology projects that have a lasting impact on business operations. As a regulatory compliant platform, the foundation enables developers from these competing organizations to collaborate on projects with a strong propensity for mutualization. It has enabled codebase contributions from both the buy- and sell-side firms and counts over 50 major financial institutions, fintechs and technology consultancies as part of its membership. FINOS is also part of the Linux Foundation, the largest shared technology organization in the world. Get involved and join FINOS as a Member. Media Contact: Catharine Rybeck Caliber Corporate Advisers catharine@calibercorporateadvisers.com SOURCE: FINOS View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/703130/Google-Cloud-Socit-Gnrale-American-Express-Point72-Mirantis-and-The-Digital-Dollar-Project-Join-FINOS-as-Open-Source-Collaboration-Becomes-Increasingly-Critical-Across-the-Global-Financial-Ecosystem DOVER, DE / ACCESSWIRE / May 31, 2022 / Pacific Green Technologies, Inc. (the "Company" or "Pacific Green", (OTCQB:PGTK)) announces that it has entered into an agreement with Instalcom Limited ("Instalcom") to be the principal contractor (the "Principal Contractor Agreement") for its 99.98 MW battery energy storage system ("BESS") in development at Richborough Energy Park in Kent, England. The award of this Principal Contractor Agreement, in conjunction with the battery supply agreement previously signed with Shanghai Election Gotion New Energy Technology Co., Ltd., paves the way for construction to begin in early July 2022. Scott Poulter, Pacific Green's Chief Executive, commented: "Instalcom has a 30 year track-record of delivering complex, large-scale energy infrastructure projects throughout the UK. We're very pleased to have found such a partner with their capabilities, dedication and the resources to support Pacific Green as we rapidly scale up our battery energy park developments in the UK to 1.1 GW and beyond." As well as the Principal Contractor Agreement, Pacific Green has also awarded Instalcom with an operations and maintenance contract (the "Operations & Maintenance Agreement") to provide comprehensive operations and maintenance services for Pacific Green's Richborough Energy Park. The Operations & Maintenance Agreement will begin at the start of Richborough Energy Park's commercial operations via the UK's National Grid in June 2023. Vince Bowler, Instalcom's Managing Director, remarked: "Instalcom is very excited to be supporting Pacific Green in the development and delivery of this low carbon technology project that will make a positive contribution to the UK's Build Back Greener Net Zero Strategy." Scott added: "This is another huge milestone in Pacific Green's corporate growth into one of the world's leading vertical energy developers. Our UK pipeline utilizes Pacific Green's proprietary "ODCO2 Energy Development Platform" to deliver end to end capital efficient renewable energy and storage parks to the market." About Pacific Green Technologies, Inc.: Pacific Green Technologies, Inc. is focused on addressing the world's need for cleaner and more sustainable energy. The Company offers BESS, Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and Photovoltaic (PV) energy solutions to complement its marine environmental technologies and emissions control divisions. For more information, visit Pacific Green's website: www.pacificgreentechnologies.com About Instalcom Limited: Instalcom is a Utility Contractor operating in the power, water, telecoms, rail and oil & gas sectors. Instalcom is owned by OCU Group Limited, who operate with a work force in excess of 2,000 personnel and annual revenues exceeding 210 million (US$264 million). Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains "forward-looking statements," as that term is defined in Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Statements in this news release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, the construction of the 99.98 MW BESS the Company is to develop in Kent, the continuation of the Principal Contractor Agreement and the continuation of the Operations & Maintenance Agreement; and any potential business developments in the UK and future interest in the Company's battery, solar and emissions control technologies. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, general economic and political conditions, the continuation of the Principal Contractor Agreement and the continuation of the Operations & Maintenance Agreement, and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this news release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year, the Company's quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Contact: Scott Poulter, Chairman & CEO Pacific Green Technologies T: +1 (302) 601-4659 SOURCE: Pacific Green Technologies, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/703346/Pacific-Green-Appoints-the-Principal-Contractor-and-Operations-Maintenance-Provider-for-its-Richborough-Energy-Park-Battery-Storage-System-in-the-UK CHICAGO, IL / ACCESSWIRE / May 31, 2022 / Paxman will be thanking partners from across the Oncology speciality for their overwhelming support in implementation of their pioneering scalp cooling system throughout the US and the world as they participate at this year's ASCO Annual Meeting. In the 5 years since FDA clearance was granted, Paxman Scalp Cooling is now a treatment option for patients at over 400 facilities in 40 states, with over 4,400 Paxman devices installed in over 60 markets internationally. The pioneering system was used in the first-ever randomized multi-center clinical trial to evaluate the benefits of modern scalp cooling, with findings published by JAMA and presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in 2017. This paved the way for Paxman's purposeful work in the US over the past 5 years. Paxman Scalp Cooling is now a standard of care at some of the most trusted medical institutions not only in the United States, but also around the world. Richard Paxman, CEO of Paxman said: "Five years ago we took some of the most important steps in Paxman's history, launching operations in the US following FDA clearance, which has since been expanded to help support a more diverse patient population." "Today we continue our vision to make scalp cooling more universally accessible to help reduce the risks of one of the most devastating side effects of chemotherapy. We've celebrated a number of proud moments in the last five years to help improve the lives of cancer patients around the world. It is a pleasure to be participating in this year's ASCO, to mark this huge milestone, which five years ago provided a platform for us to proudly present the results of the very first randomized trial with modern scalp cooling in the world." Importantly in 2021, the American Medical Association (AMA) issued two separate CPT Category III Codes for "mechanical scalp cooling", 0662T and 0663T, subsequently the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reassigned payment for scalp cooling for Medicare claims filed using CPT code 0662T. This treatment has been reassigned to New Technology APC 1520 with a National Average Payment of $1,850.50. Upwards of 400 locations that already have Paxman equipment installed across the United States are now able prepare for the possibility of increased payer reimbursement opportunities for Paxman Scalp Cooling treatment in compliance with the laws and rules governing provision of items and services reimbursable by private insurance and federal programs including Medicare or Medicaid. To give patients and healthcare providers access to this new opportunity, Paxman have launched a new buy and bill business model along with first-class support services. Paxman HUB support services will assist practices and patients with insurance benefit verification and prior authorization processes, and Paxman's enhanced Patient Assistance Program (PAP) will allow many more patients to access scalp cooling. For those who may not qualify for the PAP, Paxman will continue to work with financial assistance foundations ensuring that scalp cooling is an affordable option for all who want the chance to avoid the devastating side effect of cytotoxic-induced hair loss. At ASCO 2022, Richard Paxman, CEO and the Paxman team invite delegates to learn more about how they can implement the new business model for their institution at Booth 22080. The 2022 ASCO Annual Meeting will offer presentations on the latest research in cancer care and takes place 3-7 June at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL & Online. Sterling Medical Devices provided FDA regulatory support to secure the authorization for consumer clearance. NOTES TO EDITOR For more information or to arrange an interview please contact julia@juliaprice.co.uk or call: +44 (0) 7737 864878 MORE INFORMATION A breast cancer diagnosis is only the first step in a long and often arduous battle for many patients. Treatments - radiation, chemotherapy, surgeries of varying severity - place an enormous burden on every patient's body but the weight of cancer treatment also is a massive emotional and psychological burden. The changes in a patient's physical presentation of cancer, especially chemotherapy induced alopecia (hair loss), can damage the person's sense of self and humanity, adding significantly to the emotional strain of the cancer treatment itself. In fact, studies have indicated that ten percent of cancer patients will refuse chemotherapy, or request a less efficacious treatment, because they are likely to lose a significant proportion of their hair, a highly visible signal to the outside world that patients are undergoing cancer treatment. A possible remedy to chemo-induced alopecia is the science of scalp cooling, a method of reducing the temperature of a patient's scalp to inhibit blood flow to hair follicles and minimize or eliminate hair loss in some patients. The Paxman Scalp Cooling System represents one method of achieving this. Patients undertake scalp cooling therapy using Paxman Cold Cap for a period of around 2.5 hours during the administration of chemotherapy treatments. The Paxman Scalp Cooling System is the world-leading hair loss prevention system for chemotherapy patients. It has been used by over 100,000 patients in 60 countries around the world and is responsible for helping patients to reduce chemotherapy-induced alopecia and retain normality whilst undergoing their treatment. In the US, there are currently over 400 hospitals in more than 40 states that have adopted the technology, ensuring that cancer patients across the country can access this important treatment in side effect management. SOURCE: Paxman View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/703223/Paxman-Celebrates-Five-Years-of-Increasing-Access-to-Scalp-Cooling-at-Asco-2022 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2022) - Nextleaf Solutions Ltd. (CSE: OILS) (OTCQB: OILFF) (FSE: L0MA) ("Nextleaf" or the "Company"), a federally regulated manufacturer and distributor of cannabis vapes and oils, announced today its Q2 financial and operational results for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 ("Q2 2022"). "Glacial Gold continues to establish itself as one of the best-selling brands in vapes and CBD oil. I'm proud of our team for competing head-to-head against the largest cannabis companies in the world, and winning our key categories," said Nextleaf Co-Founder and CEO, Paul Pedersen. During Q2, Nextleaf sold more vapes and oils in B.C. than Canopy Growth, Tilray Brands, Aurora Cannabis, Organigram, Sundial, The Valens Company, and Medipharm Labs. Key Highlights[1] Glacial Gold is the #2 selling brand of CBD oils in British Columbia is the #2 selling brand of CBD oils in British Columbia Glacial Gold is the #6 selling brand of 1-gram vapes in British Columbia is the #6 selling brand of 1-gram vapes in British Columbia Glacial Gold Anytime Vape is the #1 selling CBD forward vape SKU in British Columbia is the #1 selling CBD forward vape SKU in British Columbia Glacial Gold has the second most SKU listings for 1-gram vapes in British Columbia has the second most SKU listings for 1-gram vapes in British Columbia 44% increase in market share quarter-over-quarter in the oil category 14% increase in market share quarter-over-quarter in the vape category Selected Financial Highlights Selected financial highlights for the three months ended March 31, 2022, and March 31, 2021, was as follows: To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5347/125924_nextle2.gif For the quarter ended March 31, 2022, the Company reported revenue of $1,145,000, an increase of $1,014,000 as compared to revenue of $131,000 for the quarter ended March 31, 2021. The increase in revenue was a result of the Company having transitioned to a branded cannabis products company, with $825,710 in Glacial Gold product sales, and $319,602 in cannabis concentrate sales for the quarter ended March 31, 2022. Cost of sales for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, was $723,871, an increase of $114,225, compared to $609,646 for the quarter ended March 31, 2021. The increase in cost of sales was a result of increased sales activity. The use of cash in financing activities during the quarter ended March 31, 2022, was driven by convertible debenture repayments and facility lease payments. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5347/125924_b3b75416a4e98aa4_002full.jpg Key Milestones During Q2 Glacial Gold Distilled CBD 200 Oil became available nationally through Nextleaf's Quebec-based medical cannabis distribution partner, Mendo, in January 2022. Glacial Gold Distilled CBD 200 Oil is the highest potency CBD product available in Canada. Glacial Gold CBD and THC products became available in Nova Scotia through Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation cannabis stores in February 2022. Nextleaf launched three new Glacial Gold vape SKUs in B.C., including two new flavours: Sunshine Punch and Sparkling Grape. Cannavolve Inc. ("Cannavolve") was engaged by Nextleaf to provide field coverage at cannabis retailers and support the national rollout of Glacial Gold products. Cannavolve has a wide network of cannabis sales reps throughout every major provincial market in Canada. The partnership will help Nextleaf drive increased distribution and same-store sales of its award-winning prohibition-era brand, Glacial Gold. Key Milestones Subsequent to Q2 Glacial Gold vapes and oils launched in the Ontario Cannabis Store ("OCS") and are now available at retail stores across Ontario. Nextleaf announced its expansion into the "Capsules" category, with Glacial Gold THC softgels. The United States Patent and Trademark Office granted the Company its 18th issued U.S. patent. Nextleaf announced a strategic agreement (the "Agreement") with Hempcrete Natural Building Ltd. ("Hempcrete Natural"), an international construction company creating carbon neutral communities through sustainable, renewable, and stronger buildings. The Agreement permits Hempcrete Natural, on a non-exclusive basis, to commercialize certain Nextleaf intellectual property, specifically, a U.S. patent related to hemp biomass processing. Change to Board of Directors Nextleaf is pleased to announce the addition of Sam Kassem to its Board of Directors pending the issuance of his Health Canada security clearance. Mr. Kassem brings unique qualifications as a CFA charterholder with over 10 years of operational experience from servicing cannabis and hemp processors around the world. Sam Kassem is Co-Founder and President of Root Sciences Inc., one of North America's largest providers of end-to-end processing equipment solutions. Tim Gillis has resigned from the Board to pursue other interests. The Company would like to thank Mr. Gillis for his contribution since 2019 and wish him well on his future endeavors. Financial Statements The consolidated financial statements of the Company for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and accompanying MD&A have been filed with the securities regulators and are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under the Company's issuer profile. About Nextleaf Solutions Ltd. Nextleaf is a federally regulated manufacturer and distributor of cannabis vapes and oils under its award-winning prohibition-era brand, Glacial Gold. The Company's multi-patented ingredient processing technology transforms cannabis and hemp biomass into high-purity distillate at an industrial scale. Nextleaf is a low-cost producer of cannabis oils, and supplier of THC and CBD ingredients to qualified wholesale partners across Canada. Nextleaf is the first publicly traded company to be issued a U.S. patent for the industrial extraction and purification of cannabinoids. The Company has been issued 18 U.S. patents, and over 95 patents globally, on cannabinoid processing including distillation and acetylation. Nextleaf develops cannabinoid-based formulations and delivery technology through its Health Canada Research Licence with sensory evaluation of cannabis via human testing. For more information visit www.nextleafsolutions.com and www.Glacial.Gold Nextleaf trades as OILS on the Canadian Securities Exchange, OILFF on the OTCQB Market in the United States, and L0MA on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Follow the Company: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. Follow Glacial Gold: Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Jason McBride, Corporate Development 604-283-2301 (ext. 219) jason@nextleafsolutions.com On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company, Paul Pedersen, CEO Certain statements contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this press release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's anticipated delivery of its products to provincial markets across Canada and those regarding the Company's strategy, plans, objectives, goals and targets, and any statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words "believe", "expect", "aim", "intend", "plan", "continue", "will", "may", "would", "anticipate", "estimate", "forecast", "predict", "project", "seek", "should" or similar expressions or the negative thereof, are forward-looking statements. These statements are not historical facts but instead represent only the Company's expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual results may differ materially from what is expressed, implied or forecasted in such forward-looking statements. Additional factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially include, but are not limited to the risk factors discussed in the Company's MD&A for the most recent fiscal period. Management provides forward-looking statements because it believes they provide useful information to investors when considering their investment objectives and cautions investors not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Consequently, all of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and other cautionary statements or factors contained herein, and there can be no assurance that the actual results or developments will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect subsequent information, events or circumstances or otherwise, except as required by law. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed or approved the contents of this press release. [1] British Columbia market share by revenue according to BC Cannabis Wholesale sales data (January 1- March 31, 2022) To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/125924 China, Pacific Island nations expand cooperation at second FMs meeting covering poverty alleviation, climate change and agriculture By Zhang Hui, Liu Caiyu and Shan Jie (Global Times) 09:16, May 31, 2022 The second China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting is held on May 30, 2022. Photo: Chinese Foreign Ministry website One year since the first virtual foreign ministers' meeting between China and the Pacific Island nations, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi took a historic trip to eight regional countries and jointly chaired the second foreign ministers' meeting in Fiji on Monday, during which China and the countries reached a new consensus to deepen cooperation on sectors including poverty alleviation, climate change and agriculture. Chinese analysts believed that any cooperation between China and the Pacific Island nations is conducted on the basis of respecting the countries and their people, and the cooperation will never be imposed on them like some Western countries do. They said that even for some joint document that is not yet finalized, which is a normal process for bilateral relations, China will respect regional countries and continue the discussions. But they also pointed out that a few people in these countries, under the pressure and coercion of the US and former colonizer, may be willing to serve American interests at the cost of their national and people's interests. At the second China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting on Monday, Wang announced that China will continue to jointly build six new cooperation platforms with regional countries on sectors including poverty alleviation, disaster prevention, climate change and agriculture. The meeting was attended by foreign ministers of China, Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Micronesia, the Solomon Islands and Tonga, as well as secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum online and offline. China and the Pacific Island countries reached a five-point consensus at the meeting, which include deepening their comprehensive strategic partnership, upholding true multilateralism and pursuing common development and prosperity. Wang said facts proved that China's cooperation with Pacific nations conforms to the trend of the times, benefits the people in the region, and has bright prospects, and China will continue to listen to the voices of the regional countries and their people, respect the current cooperation mechanism of the region and support other countries to increase investment in promoting regional development and carry out three-party or four-party cooperation. The foreign ministers from the regional countries said they support the Belt and Road Initiative, will continue to firmly pursue the One China policy and look forward to working with China to expand cooperation in various fields and improve infrastructure and people's livelihood. China also released a 15-point position paper on mutual respect and common development with Pacific Island countries, including jointly promoting regional peace and security and cracking down on transnational crimes, such as cyber crimes, and tackling COVID-19 and strengthening people-to-people exchange. As for some people who questioned why China was actively helping the South Pacific nations, Wang urged them not to be over anxious and nervous about it, as the common development and prosperity of China and other developing countries will make the world fairer, more harmonious and more stable. On Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a written speech at the meeting, in which he said China remains committed to the equality of all countries regardless of size, and will always be a good friend, a good brother and a good partner of Pacific Island countries no matter how the international landscape evolves. Chinese analysts said that the meeting showed China's assistance to and cooperation with the regional countries are truly for the benefit of local people, as China's help has never been interrupted even after changes in local governments. Chen Hong, president of the Chinese Association of Australian Studies and director of the Australian Studies Centre at East China Normal University, told the Global Times that the second meeting, which was held in Fiji, went further than the first virtual one on deepening existing cooperation and exploring new fields, and the holding of the meeting was a success for the two sides. Fiji is the fourth leg of Wang's tour to the South Pacific island nations, which will also take him to Tonga, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, as well as Timor-Leste. Before arriving in Suva, Wang visited the Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Samoa. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at Monday's media briefing that the foreign ministers' meeting was held successfully, with representatives reaching new consensus on deepening cooperation. While some foreign media reported that China and the regional countries did not sign a planned joint agreement covering security and trade cooperation at Monday's meeting, Zhao said the joint document is under continued discussion and all parties reached a new consensus, marking an important step toward the final agreement. Chinese analysts said that the fact the two sides have yet to sign the agreement due to different opinions actually reflected China's sincere diplomatic attitude of respecting local countries, and it was a normal process for bilateral relations. Meanwhile, they warned that opposition to the agreement may also be a deliberate move carried out by a few politicians of some regional countries who are willing to be used by the US at the cost of the interests of the country and people. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi Cooperation milestones during his visit to the South Pacific Countries and Timor-Leste. Graphic: Global Times Behind the different voices In reporting that China and Pacific Island countries were unable to sign a sweeping agreement, several Western media outlets cited the previous opposition from President of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) David Panuelo, who said the draft of the agreement should be rejected as it essentially binds all Pacific Island countries to China and would affect the sovereignty of Pacific Island countries. It's not known which country voiced concerns over the joint agreement, but analysts said that all concerns will be taken seriously. Yang Honglian, a Fiji-based senior researcher at the Pacific Islands Research Center of Liaocheng University, told the Global Times on Monday that voicing concerns is the legitimate right of regional countries, but it is worth deep study on whether the concerns are from the majority or just a few politicians. If it was a few politicians making irresponsible remarks by kidnapping the will of the people, all regional countries should condemn such selfish actions, Yang said. A regional pact is difficult by nature and time-consuming, and may last for a decade, which is acknowledged internationally, Yu Lei, chief research fellow at the research center for Pacific Island countries of Liaocheng University in East China's Shandong Province, told the Global Times. For instance, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea was overwhelmingly supported by most countries, but some Western countries represented by the US rejected it out of their own selfish interests. This kind of behavior severely obstructs the worldwide marine pact from being implemented, Yu said. As for the remarks from FSM, Yu said that in the face of pressure and personal interests, a few people are willing to be led by the US, which would undermine the interests of the country and the people. Yu said FSM is one of three free associates of the US in the region and home to the world's largest and most advanced strategic missile testing site, adding that it is obvious to all which country is threatening FSM's survival and development. According to the Pacific Island Times, the US and FSM in 2021 agreed on a plan to build a military base in the Pacific Island nation to serve the Pentagon's strategic ambition of increasing its footprint in the Indo-Pacific region and contain China. The US and Australia have been smearing China's normal cooperation with regional countries since China and the Solomon Islands signed a security cooperation deal. Actually, as well as the Solomon Islands, many other regional countries need to improve their police's law enforcement abilities, and lacking national infrastructure and inadequate policing equipment makes it difficult to rely on their own police forces to do the job, Yang said, noting that police security cooperation is urgently needed in the region. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) A doctor from the Korean People's Army visits a pharmacy to give a man prescription medicine in Pyongyang, May 27. Health care workers in North Korea are "intensifying" COVID tests and treatments across the country, state media said, May 27, days after the impoverished country reaffirmed the epidemic was now "clearly" under control. AFP-Yonhap North Korea's daily new suspected COVID-19 cases stayed below 100,000 for the second straight day, according to its state media Sunday. More than 89,500 people showed symptoms of fever over a 24-hour period until 6 p.m. the previous day, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, citing data from the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters. It again gave no information on whether additional deaths were confirmed. The total number of fever cases reported in the country since late April came to 3.45 million, of which 3.26 million have recovered and around 186,110 are being treated, the KCNA reported. Meanwhile, the North's leader Kim Jong-un "guided" a politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) to discuss measures in the antivirus fight, the KCNA said in a separate report. Harriet Chung won the award for Outstanding Actress In An English Language Film for her performance in Golden Lotus This is Chung's fifth acting award for her portrayal of the titular role in Golden Lotus "Playing this role has been an achievement of a lifetime," Chung said after receiving the award. "I am truly honored and humbled by the recognition I have received for my performance." On May 21, 2022, Canadian artist Harriet Chung won the award for Outstanding Actress In An English Language Film for Golden Lotus, which also took home Best Picture of the Festival honors, at the prestigious Film Fest International Paris. The awards were selected by the jury from a highly competitive field of nominees at the annual event. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531005214/en/ Harriet Chung wins Outstanding Actress honors for Golden Lotus at the Film Fest International Paris. (Photo: Business Wire) "Playing this role has been an achievement of a lifetime," Chung said after receiving the award. "I am truly honored and humbled by the recognition I have received for my performance." This is Chung's fifth award for her portrayal of the titular role in Golden Lotus having previously won Best Actress nods at the Barcelona International Film Festival, Best Actor Director Awards, Dreamz Catcher International Film Festival and the Only the Best International Film Awards. A triple threat performer, Chung left her native Hong Kong for Canada to become a professional ballet dancer. Her dance and singing skills eventually led her to land roles in major musical productions such as The Phantom of the Opera, Cats and The King I Chung starred in the award-winning Hong Kong stage production of Golden Lotus where she earned a Best Actress nomination at the Hecklers Awards. Four performances of the show were captured live to create a definitive version of the musical in feature film format. Golden Lotus is based on the classic Chinese novel, Jin Ping Mei and was written and composed by Canadian artist George Chiang. The musical film has garnered over fifty awards at festivals around the world. Watch Chung in Golden Lotus Chung released two singles,Vancouver and the award-winning A World Away (Remix). She will be releasing several more singles and her debut solo album in the coming months. Chung can also be heard on the Golden Lotus soundtrack. Website Facebook YouTube Instagram Spotify Apple Music View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531005214/en/ Contacts: For inquiries contact: Joyce Chan joycechan@goldenlotusmedia.ca Tel: +1 647-945-3683 Sacramento, California--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2022) - Vibe Growth Corporation (CSE: VIBE) (OTCQX: VIBEF) (the "Company" or "Vibe"), a vertically integrated California cannabis enterprise, is pleased to announce its 2022 first quarter financial results. All financial information is provided in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated. The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and Management Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") for the three month period ended March 31, 2022, are available on the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com and Vibe's website at www.vibebycalifornia.com. "During the 2022 first quarter, the Vibe team was focused on opening our newest dispensary in Ukiah, preparing for the imminent opening of the dispensary in Salinas, and bringing the Sacramento cultivation expansion online," commented Vibe CEO Mark Waldron. "We remain determined to grow our California retail dispensary locations further, expand our cultivation footprint, realize significant economies of scale while improving margins, and optimize return on capital for Vibe shareholders." "We are pleased to see an improvement in Q2 vs. Q1 as both consumer demand and pricing have improved through the first 2 months of the second quarter. Similar to many other cannabis operators, we experienced lower revenues in Q1 compared to 2021, and Vibe has implemented marketing and sales initiatives we believe will yield material results. In addition, Vibe's focus on maintaining a lower cost structure than most of its peers has helped our competitive position," added Waldron. "Vibe anticipates continued improvement in consumer demand, and combined with new stores in Salinas and Ukiah and significant growth in cultivation output this year, we expect to see a return to profitability in the second half of 2022." First Quarter 2022 Highlights Retail revenue was $5.5 million for the first quarter of 2022, representing a 10.9% decline compared to the prior quarter. was $5.5 million for the first quarter of 2022, representing a 10.9% decline compared to the prior quarter. Dispensary Gross Margin increased to 36.5%, compared to 32.5% in the comparative 2021 quarter ( 1) ; increased to 36.5%, compared to 32.5% in the comparative 2021 quarter ; E-commerce Orders accounted for 19.8% of transactions in the first quarter of 2022; accounted for 19.8% of transactions in the first quarter of 2022; Cash Position as of March 31, 2022, was USD $7,480,325. (1) This is a non-IFRS measure. Readers are cautioned that the amounts presented do not have standardized meanings prescribed by IFRS. Please see the non-GAAP Financial Measures Disclosure below. 2022 First Quarter Financial Highlights The Company's key financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2022, and 2021 are as follows: U.S. Dollars For the three months ended March 31, 2022 For the three months ended March 31, 2021 Total revenue(a) $5,670,976 $7,542,735 Gross margin $1,959,431 $2,433,712 Adjusted Gross Margin(b) 1,943,431 $2,349,924 Adjusted Gross Margin(b) 34.3% 31.2% Net income (loss) $(990,468) $68,245 Adjusted EBITDA(a) $(25,506) $897,666 Special Note Regarding non-GAAP Financial Measures (a) This is a non-GAAP measure. Readers are cautioned that the amounts presented do not have standardized meanings prescribed by IFRS. See discussion of non-IFRS Measures in the MD&A for reconciliation to measures reported in the Company's consolidated financial statements. (b) Excludes changes in the fair value of biological assets. Additional First Quarter 2022 Highlights: Vibe Growth Corporation Announces Expansion of California Dispensary Portfolio (February 8, 2022) Vibe Growth Corp. has received provisional approval from the California Department of Cannabis Control to commence adult-use retail sales at its newest dispensary location in Salinas, California. Read Full Release. Vibe Further Expands its California Dispensary Portfolio, receiving a State license to open its seventh dispensary location in Ukiah, California (February 23, 2022) Vibe received its license from the DCC under its subsidiary - Vibe Ukiah LLC, for adult-use sales in its dispensary located at 441 State Street N, conveniently located in the heart of Ukiah's vibrant downtown core. The new Vibe By California branded Ukiah dispensary is scheduled to open on March 4 and offers exceptional foot traffic access and visibility from the city's bustling downtown core. The Ukiah dispensary will provide consumers across the Mendocino Valley with a wide selection of leading cannabis brands and products. Read Full Release. Vibe's newest dispensary, located in Ukiah, California, opens its doors to the public (March 10, 2022) The Ukiah store hours are from 9 am to 9 pm and will provide residents and visitors to the Mendocino Valley with a wide selection of leading cannabis brands and products. Vibe's Ukiah dispensary will offer a curated product assortment featuring top-tier California brands and the Company's Hype Cannabis Co. marijuana product lineup. Online ordering with a same-day express pickup is available at www.vibebycalifornia.com. Mark Waldron, CEO of Vibe, stated, "We are thrilled to be opening our doors to the Ukiah community. We look forward to providing our customers with the largest selection of premium cannabis products and a wonderful retail experience." Read Full Release. Subsequent Highlight Vibe's obtains State approval for Greenhouse cultivation license in Monterey County California (May 26, 2022) Vibe Growth Corp.'s greenhouse development site, located in Monterey county, has been approved for a commercial cannabis cultivation licence by California's Department of Cannabis Control (DCC). Vibe's Monterey greenhouses will serve as the company's flagship cultivation facilities in California. The company has commenced its 70,000-square-foot phase 1, with the potential to develop 188,000 additional square feet in future phases 2 and 3. Read Full Release. About Vibe Growth Corporation Vibe Growth Corporation and its cannabis retail brand, Vibe By California, is a trusted, vertically integrated cannabis enterprise with retail dispensaries; cannabis greenhouse cultivation; premium indoor cultivation; commercial cannabis distribution; brand sales and marketing; e-commerce platform; home delivery; and Hype Cannabis Co. marijuana and Vibe CBD (cannabidiol) products. Vibe is focused on maximizing shareholder value through accelerating organic growth, opportunistic acquisitions, distressed workouts, and new license applications. The Company operates retail and e-commerce under its iconic Vibe By California brand. To learn more about Vibe, please visit: www.vibebycalifornia.com. Forward-Looking Information Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "anticipate", "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the parties' current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events, and may be impacted as a result of general economic conditions or the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Actual future results may differ materially. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof. The parties are 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. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. Risk factors related to the Company are described in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis, a copy of which is available under the Company's profile on SEDAR. This press release includes market and industry data that has been obtained from third-party sources, including industry publications. The Company believes that the industry data is accurate and that its estimates and assumptions are reasonable. Still, there is no assurance as to the accuracy or completeness of this data. Third-party sources generally state that the information contained therein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but there is no assurance as to the accuracy or completeness of included information. Although the data is believed to be reliable, the Company has not independently verified any of the data from third-party sources referred to in this press release or ascertained the underlying economic assumptions relied upon by such sources. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any State securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable State securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. Not for distribution to U.S. Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of U.S. securities laws. Unlike in Canada, which has Federal legislation uniformly governing the cultivation, distribution, sale and possession of medical cannabis under the Cannabis Act (Federal), readers are cautioned that in the U.S., cannabis is largely regulated at the State level. To the knowledge of Vibe Growth Corporation, there are to date a total of 35 states, plus the District of Columbia, that have legalized cannabis in some form. Notwithstanding the permissive regulatory environment of medical cannabis at the State level, cannabis continues to be categorized as a controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act in the U.S. and as such, cannabis-related practices or activities, including, without limitation, the manufacture, importation, possession, use or distribution of cannabis are illegal under U.S. Federal law. Strict compliance with State laws regarding cannabis will neither absolve Vibe Growth Corporation of liability under the U.S. Federal law nor will it provide a defence to any Federal proceeding that may be brought against Vibe Growth Corporation. Any such proceedings brought against Vibe Growth Corporation may adversely affect its operations and financial performance. Company Contact Bill Mitoulas Investor Relations Phone: +1 416.479.9547 Email: ir@vibebycalifornia.com Website: www.vibebycalifornia.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/125954 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2022) - Stakeholder Gold Corporation (TSXV: SRC) ("Stakeholder" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the calculation of Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions produced across the Company's operations in Q1 of 2022. The World Resource Institute's greenhouse gas protocol (GHG Protocol) establishes a framework for calculating Scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon emissions. The framework for classifying carbon emissions can be summarized as follows: SCOPE 1 SCOPE 2 SCOPE 3 Direct Supporting Activities Suppliers & Contractors Fuel Combustion Purchased Electricity Purchased Goods & Services Company Vehicles Heat & Steam Business Travel Fugitive Emissions Retail Logistics Fleet Employee Commuting Waste Disposal Use of Solid Products Transport & Distribution (Upstream / Down) Investments Leased Assets & Franchises Stakeholder has calculated the following Scope emissions for operations in Q1 of 2022. Scope 1 Jan Feb Mar TOTAL 1 Quarry Ops. Diesel 14,027 kg CO2 19,296 kg CO2 19,296 kg CO2 52,619 kg CO2 Fugitive Emissions n/a n/a n/a n/a 2 Vehicles (Gasoline) 2,253 kg CO2 1,939 kg CO2 2,889 kg CO2 7,381 kg CO2 1 Vehicles (Diesel) 659 kg CO2 251 kg CO2 1,219 kg CO2 2,129 kg CO2 3 Vehicles (Ethanol) n/a n/a n/a n/a 4 Butane Fuel C4H10 39 kg CO2 39 kg CO2 117 kg CO2 195 kg CO2 17,278 kg CO2 21,525 kg CO2 23,521 kg CO2 62,324 kg CO2 1 Using 2.68 kg of CO2 / litre of diesel (C12H23) consumed in operations 2 Using 2.3 kg of CO2 / litre of gasoline (C8H18) consumed in operations 3 Using 0.0 kg of CO2 / litre of ethanol (C2H5OH) consumed in operations 4 Using 3.0 kg of CO2 / kg of butane (C4H10) consumed in operations Scope 2 Jan Feb Mar TOTAL Electricity Water 98.18% * 234.65 kWh - 0 kg CO2 234.65 kWh - 0 kg CO2 248.4 kWh - 0 kg CO2 0 kg CO2 Electricity Wind 1.8% * 4.30 kWh - 0 kg CO2 4.30 kWh - 0 kg CO2 4.55 kWh - 0 kg CO2 0 kg CO2 Electricity Solar 0.02% * 0.05 kWh - 0 kg CO2 0.05 kWh - 0 kg CO2 0.05 kWh - 0 kg CO2 0 kg CO2 239 kWh - 0 kg CO2 239 kWh - 0 kg CO2 253 kWh - 0 kg CO2 0 kg CO2 * CEMIG DISTRIBUICAO S.A. power generation complex (Water 98.18% - Wind 1.8% - Solar 0.02%) Scope 3 Jan Feb Mar TOTAL Business Travel 1,500 kg CO2 1,500 kg CO2 1,500 kg CO2 4,500 kg CO2 Employee Commuting n/a n/a n/a n/a Waste Disposal n/a n/a n/a n/a 1 Transportation 1 14,210 kg CO2 56,799 kg CO2 45,574 kg CO2 116,583 kg CO2 2 Processing * 352 kg CO2 1,410 kg CO2 1,132 kg CO2 2,894 kg CO2 3 Transportation 2 12,458 kg CO2 49,748 kg CO2 39,912 kg CO2 102,118 kg CO2 Investments n/a n/a n/a n/a Leases & Franchises n/a n/a n/a n/a 28,520 kg CO2 109,457 kg CO2 88,118 kg CO2 226,095 kg CO2 * ENERGIAS do BRASIL S.A. power generation complex (81% - Renewable in 2021) 1 Transportation 1 Transportation of quarry block to client purchasing station 2 Processing Cutting and polishing of quarry materials at client processing sites 3 Transportation 2 Transportation of refined quarry tiles to overseas markets "The first step in achieving carbon neutrality is to calculate and report on carbon emissions. Our corporate objective for 2022 is to be carbon negative, sequestering more carbon than the sum of our emissions by undertaking reforestation and rewilding initiatives in safe jurisdictions and by protecting the habitats that are rewilded in this way," stated Christopher Berlet, CEO of Stakeholder. "We have started this process by establishing carbon reporting protocols and publishing the results of our calculations. The company calculates that in Q1 of 2022 its operations were responsible for 288,329 kg (288.329 Tonnes) of CO2 emissions from all sources." The Company has reported sales in Q1, 2022 of $596,097 CAD vs. sales for Q1, 2021 of $506,342 CAD and gross margin in Q1, 2022 of $500,114 CAD vs. gross margin for Q1, 2021 of $352,282 CAD. Net profit margin for Q1 of 2022 was calculated at 84% for the quarter. About Stakeholder Stakeholder Gold Corp. is a junior resource company developing cash flow from the production and sale of exotic Blue Quartzite at its wholly owned Blue Quartzite quarry in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Stakeholder Gold Corp. also has 100% ownership of the Ballarat Gold Project which holds 7,442 hectares of claims located in the heart of the White Gold District of the Yukon Territory, Canada. The Company's Ballarat Project claim group includes an area extending over 10 km of the road construction route for the Northern Gateway Road which is being built to service the White Gold District. The Ballarat claim group also includes title to 10 claims located within the nearby Coffee Project which is being developed by Newmont Corp. south of the Yukon River. For further information please contact: Stakeholder Gold Corporation Telephone: (416) 525 - 6869 cberlet@stakeholdergold.com Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking information. All information, other than information of historical fact, constitute "forward-looking statements" and includes any information that addresses activities, events, or developments that the Corporation believes, expects, or anticipates will or may occur in the future including the Corporation's strategy, plans or future financial or operating performance. When used in this news release, the words "estimate", "project", "anticipate", "expect", "intend", "believe", "hope", "may" and similar expressions, as well as "will", "shall" and other indications of future tense, are intended to identify forward- looking information. The forward-looking information is based on current expectations and applies only as of the date on which they were made. The factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, the ability of the Corporation to fund the exploration expenditures required under the Agreement. Other factors such as uncertainties regarding government regulations could also affect the results. Other risks may be set out in the Corporation's annual financial statements, MD&A and other publicly filed documents. The Corporation cautions that there can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except as required by law, the Corporation does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking information contained in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/125936 DGAP Post-admission Duties announcement: Haier Smart Home Co.,Ltd. / Third country release according to Article 50 Para. 1, No. 2 of the WpHG [the German Securities Trading Act] Haier Smart Home Co.,Ltd.: Announcement on Update on ESG-Report and Supplementary Information to the Connected Transaction Announcement 31.05.2022 / 15:34 Dissemination of a Post-admission Duties announcement according to Article 50 Para. 1, No. 2 WpHG transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Third country release according to Article 50 Para. 1, No. 2 of the WpHG Announcement on Update on ESG-Report and Supplementary Information to the Connected Transaction Announcement Qingdao / Shanghai / Frankfurt / Hongkong, 31 May 2022 - Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. (the "Company" or "Haier Smart Home", D-share 690D.DE, A-share 600690.SH, H-share 06690.HK) today published a mandatory announcement in accordance with applicable trading rules of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in relation to an update on the ESG-Report and supplementary Information to the Connected Transaction Announcement. The announcement is fully available at: https://www1.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2022/0531/2022053101493.pdf IR Contact: Haier Smart Home Hong Kong T: +852 2169 0000 Email: ir@haier.hk Press Contact: CROSS ALLIANCE communication GmbH Sara Pinto Sven Pauly pi@crossalliance.de T: +49 (0) 89 1250903 35 About Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd.: Haier is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household appliances with a focus on smart home solutions and customized production. Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. develops, produces and distributes a wide range of household appliances. These include refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, air conditioners, water heaters, kitchen appliances as well as small household appliances and an extensive range of intelligent household appliances. The Company distributes its products through leading household brands such as Haier, Casarte, Leader, Candy, GE Appliances, AQUA and Fisher & Paykel. Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. has launched Smart Home Experiential Cloud, which connects homes, users, enterprises and ecosystem partners, and facilitates the integration of Haier's online, offline and micro-store businesses and supports user interaction to further optimize the user experience. 31.05.2022 The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de MARKHAM, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 31, 2022 / iFabric Corp. (TSX:IFA)(OTCQX:IFABF) ("iFabric") is pleased to announce the execution of a license agreement between Roots Corporation ("Roots") and iFabric's wholly-owned subsidiary, Intelligent Fabric Technologies (North America) Inc. ("IFTNA"). The license provides IFTNA with the right to use the Roots trademarks in connection with the manufacture and distribution of men's, women's and children's swimwear, to retailers and distribution channels approved by Roots, including Roots stores. "We are delighted to be associating iFabric, IFTNA, and our technologies with this iconic Canadian apparel brand," said Mr. Giancarlo Beevis, President & CEO of IFTNA. "It is a fantastic opportunity to collaborate with an organization and brand that shares our commitment to innovation and sustainability.All products distributed under the terms of the license will be designed and manufactured by IFTNA and will showcase a number of IFTNA's innovative textile technologies. The technologies that we will incorporate into the products will be key differentiators and bring a fresh approach to this commercially important market segment. We are confident that the license will be a great success for both consumers and our organizations," concluded Mr. Beevis. About Roots Established in 1973, Roots is a global lifestyle brand. Starting from a small cabin in northern Canada, Roots has become a global brand with over 100 corporate retail stores in Canada, two stores in the United States, and an e-commerce platform, www.roots.com, that serves over 55 international markets. We have more than 100 partner-operated stores in Asia, and we also operate a dedicated Roots-branded storefront on Tmall.com in China. We design, market, and sell a broad selection of products in different departments, including women's men's, children's, and gender-free apparel, leather goods, footwear, and accessories. Our products are built with uncompromising comfort, quality, and style that allows you to feel at home with nature. We offer products designed to meet life's everyday adventures and provide you with the versatility to live your life to the fullest. We also wholesale through business-to-business channels and license the brand to a select group of licensees selling products to major retailers. Roots Corporation is a Canadian corporation doing business as "Roots" and "Roots Canada". About IFTNA IFTNA's vision is to provide clients and consumers with the best products to create memorable and lasting brand loyalty. From patents to revolutionary textile technologies and on-trend designs and concepts, it is our mission to answer today's demand for innovative and forward-thinking solutions and products. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, please contact: Hilton Price, CFO Tel: 647.465.6161 Email: hilton.price@rogers.com Investor Relations: Renmark Financial Services Steve Hosein Tel: 514.939.3989 Email: shosein@renmarkfinancial.com Website: www.ifabriccorp.com SOURCE: iFabric Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/703355/iFabric-Announces-License-Agreement-With-Roots-Corporation The acquisition is the latest strategic investment by Go Global LOS ANGELES, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Go Global Retail today announced it has acquired Brums Milano, a leader in premium children's fashion with more than 150 corporate and franchise store locations in Italy, as well as strong online presence, offering apparel, footwear and accessories. Brums is also sold at La Rinascente and via 300 independent wholesale locations across Italy. Founded in 1951, Preca Brummel SpA is a well-known Italian childrenswear company. Based in Varese, Italy, the company designs, markets and distributes children's apparel and accessories under the Brums and MEK banners. Brums is a classic Italian brand that has created lasting memories for generations of customers. Its focus is on elevated fabrics with clean designs and fine details in sizes from newborn to teen. Brums Milano will continue to be based in Greater Milano. Go Global will invest in Brum's digital capabilities including artificial intelligence and predictive analytics. As a portfolio brand on the Janie and Jack platform, Brums Milano will initially focus on its core customers in Italy, with their modern take on children's fashion, and a commitment to sustainable product development and designs. Go Global previously acquired Janie and Jack from Gap Inc. in April of 2021. Janie and Jack has over 110 retails stores in the United States, a robust online flagship store and is also sold at Saks Fifth Avenue and other leading independent wholesale locations across the US. In this acquisition, Go Global will leverage back office synergies for technology, ecommerce, digital marketing, sourcing, and raw material collaboration for the two companies, creating a global premium childrenswear platform. "We are excited about our first investment in Europe", said Jeff Streader, Founder and Managing Partner of Go Global. "We will execute the same successful playbook that we deployed at Janie and Jack by resetting the operational model and investing into the company's digital capabilities." Go Global's international reach will open new markets for Brums Milano into the US as well as into the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Deborah Gargiulo, Partner and Group CFO of Go Global added: "our team of experienced retail and brand specialists will complement the existing, experienced team in areas of digital strategy, international business development, supply chain and global operations. Growth is our ultimate goal." "We welcome Brums Milano to the family", said Linda Heasley, CEO of Janie and Jack. "This is an exciting opportunity for Go Global, Brums and for Janie and Jack, and we are incredibly excited about expanding our brands globally. I believe we'll build a bright future together." About Go Global Retail Founded in 2016, Go Global Retail is an investment platform focusing on acquiring brands in the consumer sector. The firm invests appropriate capital to transform and grow brands that have been unable to achieve their digital or global potential. Go Global partners are Investment, Retail and Operational Executives working together to create a holistic approach to grow great brands through digital transformation in the ever-evolving world of global retail. For more information, visit www.goglobalretail.com About Janie & Jack Janie and Jack is a premium childrenswear brand based in San Francisco, California. The company operates as a design house, developing seasonal collections with modern twists on classic fashion. Janie and Jack is known for family moments, thoughtful details and memorable gifts. Janie and Jack stores are in the United States for kids' clothing from newborn to size 6 and janieandjack.com for up to size 16. For more information, visit https://www.janieandjack.com/ About Brums Milano Brums Milano was founded in 1951 in Varese, Italy. The brand is a historic a leader in premium children's fashion offered across over 450 points of sale across Italy. The company designs, markets, and distributes children's apparel and accessories under the Brums and MEK banners. https://www.brums.com/it/ Media Contact: Jeff Nicosia Go Global Retail jeff.nicosia@goglobalretail.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1827901/BrumsGirl.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1828771/Go_Global_Retail_Brums.jpg GMP LSD to be made available to qualified applicants for purpose of advancing research into the development of treatments for patients. GREENWICH, Connecticut, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ceruvia Lifesciences is pleased to announce that it has produced the world's first LSD that meets stringent "Current Good Manufacturing Practices" (CGMP) standards required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for new drug approvals and is offering to supply it at no cost to qualified researchers. Ensuring the availability of a supply of CGMP LSD will be a key factor in advancing research into LSD's safety and efficacy for the treatment of a range of neurological, mental health and neurodevelopmental disorders, including cluster headaches, migraines, alcohol use disorder, opioid use disorder, anxiety disorder and attention deficit disorder. First synthesized by Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann in 1938, LSD was during the 1950s to 1970s the subject of extensive research into its potential application for the treatment of substance use disorders and other mental health conditions. However, following LSD's prohibition in the United States in 1968, most of this research came to a halt and the last FDA approved study of LSD in patients ended in 1980. Now, over 40 years later, the first U.S. based trials of LSD with human subjects are set to take place at two of the county's leading psychedelic research centers, NYU Langone's Center for Psychedelic Medicine and John Hopkins' Center for Psychedelics and Consciousness Research. In addition to supplying CGMP LSD for these trials, Ceruvia Lifesciences will make it available at no cost to qualified researchers studying LSD's potential medical benefits. "As a leader in the research, development, and manufacturing of neurotransformational medicines to address challenging hard-to-treat disorders such as headache disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder, Ceruvia Lifesciences understands the complexities of sourcing Schedule I psychedelic drugs of pharmaceutical quality," said Carey Turnbull, Founder and CEO of Ceruvia Lifesciences. "Ceruvia Lifesciences is proud to have produced the world's first CGMP LSD, which we will offer at no cost to help researchers looking to advance the development of LSD treatments for approved use in patients with unmet medical needs." According to Stephen Ross, MD, Research Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Associate Director of NYU Langone's Center for Psychedelic Medicine, "We are extremely grateful to Ceruvia Lifesciences for their partnership in these efforts and their long-term commitment to advance the study of psychedelics in treating a myriad of conditions. We are very excited about our research examining the potential benefits of LSD in managing cancer-related pain. This work builds on earlier studies from decades ago when LSD was originally thought to be a compound with enormous potential." For qualified researchers interested in obtaining supplies of CGMP LSD from Ceruvia Lifesciences, applications can be submitted via our corporate website at https://ceruvialifesciences.com/lsd-program/ About Ceruvia Lifesciences Founded in 2017, Ceruvia Lifesciences is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a mission to improve the lives of underserved patients suffering from neurological and psychiatric disorders. Founded by Carey Turnbull, Ceruvia is relentlessly focused on the development and commercialization of neurotransformational medicines to deliver meaningful relief to patients suffering from hard-to-treat headache disorders, OCD and substance abuse disorder. For too long, these communities have been poorly understood and under-served. At Ceruvia, we believe they no longer have to live this way. In partnership with leading researchers at the Yale University School of Medicine, NYU School of Medicine and the Harvard Medical School, Ceruvia is undertaking clinical research in order to help them return to living their lives to the fullest. For more information, please visit www.ceruvialifesciences.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1828581/Ceruvia_Lifesciences_Logo.jpg CHICAGO and BANGALORE, India, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Impelsys, a leading global provider of digital transformation solutions, announced the launch of ASABE's new eLibrary on its iPC Scholar 3.0 platform. ASABE - a global leader in promoting sustainable technology and practices, will migrate over 17000 assets, including its internationally recognized scientific and research publications, standards, textbooks, annual meeting papers, and more, to the new platform. The first phase of the migration process has gone live with journals and will soon be followed by ASABE's other publications. The new eLibrary on iPC Scholar 3.0 platform accentuates an enhanced user experience for ASABE's individual and organizational members. Joseph Walker, director of publications at ASABE, said, "We will be able to host and distribute our journals to multiple types of subscribers with the iPC Scholar 3.0. The platform will provide our customers with an intuitive user experience, easy navigation, and content discovery. With this launch, we are looking forward to migrating all our content and digital assets to the iPC Scholar 3.0 platform." As an intelligent content delivery platform, the iPC Scholar 3.0 is a 'ready-to-deploy' journal solution and caters to all aspects of content management, distribution, and monetization. A white-label solution that represents an organization's brand effortlessly, it is a unified solution for publishing valuable content like journals and other digital research content. "We welcome ASABE to the iPC 3.0 community of innovative future-ready societies. iPC Scholar 3.0 is one of the most comprehensive content delivery platforms for societies and associations and will help ASABE to empower its members to improve their research with easy and quick access to relevant content. We are excited about many new possibilities in the future, working with ASABE and enabling them in their digital transformation journey," said Mahesh Chikodi, Vice President of Products & Platforms at Impelsys. Impelsys is exhibiting at The Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP) 44th Annual Meeting at booth 611 from June 1 - June 3, 2022. About Impelsys Impelsys is a market leader in providing cutting-edge platforms and technology services to leading enterprises, education providers, publishers, and content aggregators worldwide. We complement our solutions repertoire with services spanning eLearning, application support, digital marketing, and content engineering. With more than 20 years of experience, 1,000+ experts, & over 2500 tailormade solutions built for our clients, Impelsys has helped organizations evolve, transform, and stay relevant to the changing industry trends. Impelsys is a CMMi Level 3 company and has a global footprint, with offices in the US - New York, Netherlands, Portugal, and India - Bangalore, Mangalore. About the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers ASABE is an international scientific and educational organization dedicated to the advancement of engineering applicable to agricultural, food, and biological systems. Founded in 1907 and headquartered in St. Joseph, Michigan, ASABE comprises members in more than 80 countries. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1829408/Impelsys_Logo.jpg Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2022) - Battery Mineral Resources Corp. (TSXV: BMR) (OTCQB: BTRMF) ("Battery" or "BMR" or the "Company") announces that it has filed its audited financial statements, associated management's discussion and analysis, and the associated officer certifications (collectively, the "Annual Filings") for the year ended December 31, 2021. The Company also filed restated 2020 fiscal year audited financial statements. As previously announced on April 29, 2022, the Annual Filings delay resulted from additional audit work required to restate certain 2020 fiscal year transactions, primarily related to the ESI Energy Services Inc. ("ESI") common control acquisition (the "Restatement"). The Restatement of the 2020 fiscal year audited financial statements did not have an impact on previously reported loss for the period from continuing operations. In summary the Restatement included, among other changes to BMR's 2020 financial statements, the following: The consolidation of ESI in the financial statements of BMR on a 100% basis; A reduction in total assets of approximately $5.5 million, including reclassifying ESI from a non-current asset included in disposal group held for sale, to a current asset included in disposal group held for sale; No change in total liabilities, and a $5.5 million reduction in total equity corresponding to the aforementioned reduction in total assets; A reduction in the loss and comprehensive loss for the period, from approximately ($11.4) million to approximately ($3.9) million; and An increase in the total cash, end of period, from approximately $4.2 million previously reported, to approximately $14.0 million. Readers are cautioned that the summary provided above does not include all of the changes to the 2020 fiscal year audited financial statements. Readers can access the re-stated 2020 fiscal year audited financial statements, as well as the Annual Filings, under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Battery CEO Martin Kostuik states; "While we were disappointed with the delay to our Annual Filings which was due to additional audit work required, we are pleased that the Annual Filings and the Restatement have now been finalized and filed on SEDAR. The British Columbia Securities Commission, our principal regulator, has been informed of the filings and we anticipate that the Cease Trade Order (CTO) currently in place will be revoked within one to two business days. Trading in BMR's shares will resume once that has occurred. We will provide a further update on trading in BMR's shares once the CTO has been revoked." Mr. Kostuik continued; "Restatement of filings in concert with a change in auditors is not uncommon and we want to remind our shareholders that the Restatement and the delay of our Annual Filings did not impact the Company's assets or operations, including its Punitaqui project in Chile. We look forward to sharing continued news as we progress towards the restart of copper production and positive cash flow at Punitaqui." About Battery Mineral Resources Corp. Battery Mineral Resources ("BMR") is a battery minerals company providing shareholders exposure to the global mega-trend of electrification while being focused on growth through cash-flow, exploration, and acquisitions in favourable mining jurisdictions. Battery Mineral's mission is the discovery, acquisition, and development of battery metals (namely cobalt, lithium, graphite, and copper), in North America, South America and South Korea, to become a premier and responsible supplier of battery minerals to the electrification marketplace. BMR is currently pursuing a potential near-term resumption of operations in late 2022 of the Punitaqui Mining Complex, a past copper-gold producer, in the Coquimbo region of Chile. BMR is the largest mineral claim holder in the historic Gowganda Cobalt-Silver Camp in Ontario, Canada, and continues to pursue a focused program to build on the recently announced, +1-million-pound high-grade cobalt resource at McAra. In addition, Battery Mineral owns 100% of ESI Energy Services, Inc. a profitable mainline pipeline and renewable energy equipment rental and sales company with operations in Alberta, Canada and Arizona, USA. Battery Minerals Resources is based in Canada and its shares are listed on the Toronto Venture Exchange under the symbol "BMR" and on the OTCQB under the symbol "BTRMF". Further information about BMR and its projects can be found on www.bmrcorp.com. For more information, please contact: Martin Kostuik, CEO Phone: +1 (604) 229 3830 info@bmrcorp.com Mars Investor Relations +1 (604) 335-1976 bmr@marsinvestorrelations.com Twitter: @BMRcorp_ www.bmrcorp.com Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections of the Company on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation, the ability of the Company to obtain sufficient financing to complete exploration and development activities, timing of the completion of the Company's audit , risks related to share price and market conditions, the inherent risks involved in the mining, exploration and development of mineral properties, the ability of the Company to meet its anticipated development schedule, government regulation and fluctuating metal prices. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Battery undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements contained herein, whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/125966 31 May 2022 OSCILLATE PLC AQSE: MUSH ("Oscillate" or "the Company") UNAUDITED PRELIMINARY RESULTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2021 Oscillate, the AQSE traded enterprise company focused on opportunities in the natural resource sector, medicinal cannabis and special situations, is pleased to announce its unaudited preliminary results for the year ended 30 November 2021. The information set out below has been extracted from the Company's draft report and accounts for the year ended 30 November 2021 and has not been audited. A further announcement will be released by the Company on completion of the audit, expected shortly, and any material changes between the financial information set out below and the audited financial information will be disclosed in that announcement. "EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT I am pleased to report on the Company's results for the year to 30 November 2021 and the recent developments in the investment portfolio. Financial Review The fiscal period ended 30 November 2021 was a significant year for the Company, the pinnacle of which was in April 2021, when we announced gross proceeds of 3.5 million (net proceeds of 3.2 million) had been raised through the issue of 175,000,000 shares at 2p. In conjunction with the placing, we announced our intention to broaden the Company's investment strategy to include medicinal psychedelics, an evolving field that is showing increasing promise for treating an array of psychiatric conditions. The placing was led by the Company's broker, Peterhouse Capital. Following the placing, and subsequent legal opinion on investing in the medicinal psychedelics industry in the UK, the broadened investment strategy was duly approved by shareholders at a General Meeting in July 2021. The Company made a loss (after taxation) for the 12-month period to 30 November 2021 of 386,318 (2020: profit of 100,709), whilst the basic loss per share was 0.3p (2020: profit per share 0.2p). The Company's net assets were 3,122,943 at the period-end (2020: 239,261). Investee Company Update I am pleased to provide the following summary of the investee companies in Oscillate's portfolio. Psych Capital plc In August we announced that the Company had acquired 30,000,000 shares in Psych Capital ("Psych") for consideration of 300,000. Psych was founded by professionals who have focused on disruptive healthcare solutions that are rapidly becoming accepted in developed communities, including the accelerated push to legalise the use of medicinal cannabis on the back of a greater understanding as to its application. Psych is focused on leveraging its experienced team to replicate their success in the burgeoning medicinal psychedelics sector. To this end, Psych currently has exclusive use of Blossom Analysis, a leading source for scientific and regulatory data for the psychedelics industry. In addition, Psych owns just under 2% of Awakn Life Sciences ("Awakn"), a biotechnology company with clinical operations that is developing and delivering psychedelic therapeutics to better treat certain addictions. Awakn shares are listed on Canada's Neo Exchange (AWKN: NE). Psych has made an application for its share capital to trade on the AQSE Growth Market. We are optimistic that a public listing for Psych will see a meaningful appreciation of Oscillate's investment. We wish CEO, William Potts, and his team at Psych well in developing the company going forward. Igraine plc Igraine plc is an investment company whose shares are listed on AQSE Growth Market. In June 2021, Igraine plc (formerly Angelfish Investments plc), announced that it had raised 2,000,500 through the issue of 77,519,230 new ordinary shares, with the intention of becoming a premier Biotech and MedTech investment company. Oscillate was the cornerstone investor to the fundraise, investing 550,000 for 21,312,460 shares, representing 25.67% of the issued share capital. In conjunction with the fundraise, Igraine secured rights to co-invest in all healthcare and life science opportunities sourced or invested into by Excalibur Healthcare Services, a company founded and owned by renowned biotech entrepreneur, Sir Professor Christopher Evans. The maiden investment made by Igraine was the purchase of a 2% stake in Excalibur Medicines Ltd, which has secured exclusive rights to and owns the patents on a drug, AZF1656, an oral tablet which has been developed as a potential therapeutic for diabetics suffering from Covid-19. In December 2021, Igraine announced results from a Phase II clinical trial for AZF1656, with the trial data showing a strong trend towards reduced mortality in patients who received AZF1656. Diabetes, whether type 1 or 2, has been the leading single cause of co-morbidity during the pandemic, and one in three of all deaths with Covid-19 in hospital in England has been associated with diabetes. IamFire plc IamFire plc is an investment company whose shares are listed on the AQSE Growth Market. At the time of writing, IamFire holds positions in four companies, namely, Bio2Pure Ltd, Evrima plc, WeShop Ltd, and WeShop Holdings Ltd. In December 2021, IamFire announced that it had raised 4.75 million through a placing of 158,333,333 new ordinary shares at 3p per share. The funding has been largely deployed in exercising its option to subscribe for convertible loan notes in WeShop Holdings Ltd, with 4 million of the 4.5 million option being subscribed for to date. The date to exercise the final 500k of convertible loan notes is 18 May 2022, whilst the notes have a conversion price of 75p per share and a conversion date of 18 May 2023. IamFire has built up a strong position in WeShop, having a potential aggregate holding of 13.5 million shares in WeShop Holdings Ltd, based on taking up and subsequently converting the full convertible loan note position, and an in-specie distribution of shares by WeShop Ltd. The aggregate position would equate to 14.5% of the undiluted WeShop Holdings share capital. WeShop is a shoppable social network, which has aggregated the majority of the top 1,000 retailers across the UK onto its platform, thereby giving its community access to over 1 billion products across multiple categories. The WeShop platform allows users to shop and help one another by reviewing, asking about, or recommending products, and will reward its users by allowing them to earn shares in the business. Currently the WeShop platform is in beta release, and our understanding is that it will be launched to the general public in the coming months. We are excited by the WeShop platform, and are optimistic that the investment in WeShop Holdings will serve to create meaningful share price appreciation for investors in IamFire plc. Oscillate holds 1,055,000 shares in IamFire, and 1,425,000 warrants, of which 625,000 are exercisable at 4.8p to 11 October 2022, and 800,000 are exercisable at 10p to 8 July 2023. Evrima plc Evrima is an investment company whose shares are listed on the AQSE Growth Market. At the time of writing, Evrima holds positions in three companies, namely, Kalahari Key Mineral Exploration Pty Ltd, Premium Nickel Resources Corporation, and Eastport Ventures Inc. We note that on 17 February 2022, Premium Nickel Resources ("PNR") and North American Nickel Inc ("NAM") announced the execution of a non-binding letter of intent, whereby the two companies would combine by way of PNR reversing into NAM. Subsequently, on 26 April 2022, PNR and NAM announced that they had entered into a definitive amalgamation agreement regarding the proposed RTO transaction. Oscillate holds 500,000 shares in Evrima, and 500,000 warrants that are exercisable at 6p per share to 22 July 2023. Marula Mining plc Marula Mining plc ("Marula") is an investment company whose shares are listed on the AQSE Growth Market. Marula announced in April 2022 that it had entered into Heads of Agreement to acquire interests in the Blesberg Lithium and Tantalum Project in South Africa, and the Nkombwa Hill Tantalum, Rare Earth Elements, and Phosphate Project in Zambia. Oscillate continues to hold 22,260,712 shares in Marula. Premier Silver Corp Oscillate holds 50,000 shares in Premier Silver Corp, which it subscribed for at CAD$0.50 per share for a total consideration of CAD$25,000. Premier Silver controls one of the largest silver mining land packages in Peru through its ownership of the Mallay Mine and Processing Plant, and associated exploration and development assets, which have over US$120 million in capitalised expenditures. The assets are currently in care and maintenance mode whilst Premier Silver makes plans to conduct a thorough review of the resource base and existing mine development, with the intention of bringing the historical resources and reserves into current estimate status under National Instrument 43-101, and to create a new mine plan that will incorporate bulk tonnage underground mining methods. Outlook Over the past year the Company has seen its board restructured, with the departure of Jeremy Ross in April 2021, Burns Singh Tennent-Bhohi in January 2022 and Conrad Windham in May 2022. During the period, I was appointed as a director to the Company and following the period, Fungai Ndoro and John Treacy have been appointed as directors. The new appointments will serve to strengthen the Company as we move forward with delivering on our investment mandate. The strategy for the Board is to continue to identify opportunities for Oscillate that it believes will serve to create shareholder value. I would like to take this opportunity to thank shareholders for their continued support and patience as we work toward unlocking value in the months ahead. The Board views the coming months with optimism, and we look forward to keeping shareholders updated with the progress made. Narisha Ragoonanthun Executive Director 31 May 2022 The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement. ENQUIRIES: Company: Oscillate plc Fungai Ndoro 020 7638 9271 https://oscillateplc.com AQSE Corporate Adviser: Peterhouse Capital Limited Guy Miller Mark Anwyl 020 7220 9796 Statement of Comprehensive Income 2021 2020 Administrative expenses (227,417) (121,421) (Losses)/gains on investments at fair value through profit and loss (163,986) 222,057 Profit on sale of investment 5,085 - Operating (loss)/profit (386,318) 100,636 Interest income - 73 (Loss)/profit before tax (386,318) 100,709 Taxation - - (Loss)/ profit for the financial year (386,318) 100,709 Other comprehensive income for the year - - Total comprehensive (loss)/ profit (386,318) 100,709 Earnings per share (pence) from continuing operations attributable to owners of the Company Basic (0.3) 0.3 Diluted (0.3) 0.2 Statement of Financial Position 2021 2020 Non-current assets Investments 319,700 89,950 Total non-current assets 319,700 89,950 Current assets Investments 624,451 199,687 Trade and other receivables 249,445 3,756 Cash and cash equivalents 2,062,844 23,288 Total current assets 2,936,740 226,731 Total assets 3,256,440 316,681 Current liabilities Trade and other payables (133,497) (77,420) Total current liabilities (133,497) (77,420) Total liabilities (133,497) (77,420) Net assets 3,122,943 239,261 Capital and reserves Share capital 1,228,309 1,210,810 Share premium 4,705,050 1,452,549 Other reserves 29,753 29,753 Retained earnings (2,840,169) (2,453,851) Total equity 3,122,943 239,261 Statement of Changes in Equity Share capital Share premium Other reserves Retained earnings Total As at 1 December 2019 1,210,810 1,452,549 29,753 (2,554,560) 138,552 Profit for the year - - - 100,709 100,709 Other comprehensive income for the year - - - - - Total Comprehensive Income - - - 100,709 100,709 As at 30 November 2020 1,210,810 1,452,549 29,753 (2,453,851) 239,261 Loss for the year - - - (386,318) (386,318) Other comprehensive income for the year - - - - - Total Comprehensive Income - - - (386,318) (386,318) Issue of shares 17,499 3,482,501 - - 3,500,000 Transaction costs - (230,000) (230,000) Total Transactions with Owners 17,499 3,252,501 - - 3,270,000 As at 30 November 2021 1,228,309 4,705,050 29,753 (2,840,169) 3,122,943 Statement of Cash Flows 2021 2020 Cash from operating activities (Loss)/ profit before tax (386,318) 100,709 Adjustments for: Investment income - (73) Profit on sale of investments (5,085) (23,046) Fair value movements through profit and loss 163,986 (199,011) (227,417) (121,421) (Increase)/decrease in trade and other receivables (95,688) 10,174 (Decrease)/increase in trade and other payables (43,924) 51,816 Net cash used in operating activities (367,029) (59,431) Cash flow from investing activities Purchase of investments (750,000) (87,738) Proceeds on disposal of investments 36,585 68,936 Loans granted (150,000) - Interest income - 73 Net cash used in investing activities (863,415) (18,729) Cash flows from financing activities Net proceeds from issue of shares 3,270,000 - Net cash from financing activities 3,270,000 - Net cash flow for the year 2,039,556 (78,160) Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 23,288 101,448 Cash and cash equivalents at end of year 2,062,844 23,288" Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) Disclosure The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information. Upon the publication of this announcement via a Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain. An employee of Pyongyang Dental Hygiene Products Factory disinfects the floor of a dining room after the state increased measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 in Pyongyang, May 16. According to North Korea, its fight against the disease has been impressive. AP-Yonhap North Korea indicated Sunday that it may ease COVID-19 curbs as the country's pandemic situation has shown signs of improvement with disease transmission coming under control. Leader Kim Jong-un presided over a politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea and "made a positive evaluation of the pandemic situation being controlled and improved across the country," the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported, without saying when the meeting took place. The Political Bureau meeting "discussed the issues of continuously stabilizing and improving the overall anti-epidemic situation while further consolidating the experiences gained in the early period of the anti-epidemic work," the KCNA said. It also "examined the issue of effectively and quickly coordinating and enforcing the anti-epidemic regulations and guidelines given the current stable anti-epidemic situation." Monument Re announced today that it had reached an agreement with Zurich International Life Limited ("ZILL") to acquire the closed book portfolio of Zurich International Life Limited's Singapore long term life insurance business. Following Monument International Life Assurance Company Limited ("MILAC") successfully receiving a Singapore insurance licence on 27th May 2022, the ZILL Singapore branch portfolio and employees will transfer into the new Singapore branch of MILAC upon receipt of court and regulatory approvals in the Isle of Man and Singapore. Reginald Peacock, CEO of Zurich Singapore, said "Like in any business, we will always look for ways to improve and for opportunities to optimise our business in a respectful way for our customers, partners and employees. Be reassured no other business outside of our Singapore long term life insurance portfolio will be materially impacted and we remain dedicated to servicing all our existing customers and partners." Manfred Maske, CEO of Monument Re, added "We are pleased to have reached agreement with ZILL to acquire this block of business, our second transaction with the wider Zurich group. This transaction represents an important step in the Monument growth and consolidation strategy by strengthening our presence in the Isle of Man whilst also establishing our presence in the Singapore market." "We are delighted to have reached this agreement with ZILL. Acquiring this portfolio allows MILAC to secure its first footprint into the Asian market and execute our growth and consolidation strategy. We look forward to welcoming the transferring staff in Singapore to MILAC and the wider Monument Re Group from the transfer date," said Jeffrey More, CEO of MILAC. Monument Re Limited is a life Reinsurance and Insurance Holding Company with a presence in Bermuda, Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Isle of Man and Guernsey, with branches in Spain, Italy and Germany. Monument Re operates as a reinsurer and acquirer of European asset-intensive portfolios. Through this strategy, Monument Re assumes asset-based risks within its risk appetite and efficiently operates these businesses or portfolios. Monument Re is subject to Group Supervision by the Bermuda Monetary Authority. Monument International Life Assurance Company Limited is an Isle of Man insurance company regulated by the Isle of Man Financial Services Authority and 100% owned by Monument Re Limited. It has a Singapore branch for its Isle of Man business (and is therefore subject to regulation both in the Isle of Man and Singapore). Zurich International Life Limited provides life assurance, investment and protection products and is part of the Zurich Insurance Group. Zurich International Life Limited is fully authorised under the Isle of Man Insurance Act 2008 and is regulated by the Isle of Man Financial Services Authority. Registered in the Isle of Man number 20126C. Registered office: Zurich House, Isle of Man Business Park, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM2 2QZ, British Isles. Telephone +44 1624 662266 Telefax +44 1624 662038 www.zurich.com Zurich International Life Limited, Singapore Branch, which is registered (Registration number: T05FC6754E) as a Foreign Company registered in Singapore. Branch address: Singapore Land Tower, #29-05, 50 Raffles Place, Singapore 048623. Telephone: +65 6876 6750 Telefax: +65 6876 6751 Zurich Insurance Group (Zurich) is a leading multi-line insurer serving more than 55 million customers both people and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. Founded 150 years ago, Zurich is transforming insurance. In addition to providing insurance protection, Zurich is increasingly offering prevention services such as those that promote wellbeing and enhance climate resilience. Reflecting its purpose to 'create a brighter future together', Zurich aspires to be one of the most responsible and impactful businesses in the world. It is targeting net-zero emissions by 2050 and is one of the world's most sustainable insurers, as shown by the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment. In 2020, Zurich launched the Zurich Forest project to support reforestation and biodiversity restoration in Brazil. The Group has about 56,000 employees and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd (ZURN), is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and has a level I American Depositary Receipt (ZURVY) program, which is traded over-the-counter on OTCQX. Further information is available at www.zurich.com. For further information: To learn more, please visit www.monumentregroup.com or contact Fiona Davies at info@monumentregroup.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531005745/en/ Contacts: Fiona Davies, info@monumentregroup.com BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - The G7 Foreign Ministers have strongly condemned the test of yet another Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) by North Korea. Like a number of ballistic missile launches the North has conducted since the beginning of 2022, this act constitutes a further blatant violation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions and undermines international peace and security as well as the global non-proliferation regime, the foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States and the High Representative of the European Union said in a joint statement. They expressed serious concern over the unprecedented series of ballistic missile tests with increasingly versatile systems across all ranges. These reckless actions flagrantly breach North Korea's obligations under relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and pose a danger and unpredictable risk to international civil aviation and maritime navigation in the region, according to the G7. The G7 Foreign Ministers and the EU High Representative called on Pyongyang to abandon its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner and to fully comply with all legal obligations arising from the relevant Security Council resolutions. They called for a united response by the international community, including a united stance and further significant measures by the UN Security Council. The G7 urged North Korea to engage in diplomacy toward denuclearization and accept the repeated offers of dialogue put forward by the United States, South Korea and Japan. 'By diverting its resources into weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs the DPRK further aggravates the already dire humanitarian situation in the DPRK. We urge the DPRK to facilitate access for international humanitarian organizations and for independent assessment of humanitarian needs such as food and medicines as soon as possible,' the G7 Foreign Ministers' stataement added. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Proposal of two additional appointments to the Board of Directors to strengthen governance Regulatory News: AFYREN (Paris:ALAFY), a greentech company that manufactures biobased ingredients using fermentation technology and a circular business model, notifies the public that its Combined General Meeting will be held on Wednesday, 15th of June, 2022, 9:00 a.m, at Turing 22, 22 Allee Alan Turing, 63 000 Clermont-Ferrand. The preparatory documents for this General Meeting are available on the Company's website, in the Documentation General Meetings section. To submit their votes, shareholders may, in accordance with the procedures described in the meeting notice published in the BALO the 11th of May, 2022: attend the Meeting in person; vote by internet via the secure voting platform VOTACCESS; vote by mail; give proxy to the Chairman of the Meeting or to any other person of their choice. AFYREN's Combined General Meeting will in particular propose the appointment of Mrs Patrizia Marraghini and Mrs Caroline Lebel as directors for a period of three years. If the appointment of Mrs. Patrizia Marraghini is approved, the Board of Directors will be reinforced by a new independent director. AFYREN thus confirms its commitment to best practices in corporate governance, already demonstrated by the recent creation of an audit committee. Presentation of Patrizia Marraghini: Patrizia Marraghini started her career as a lawyer in various large law firms in Paris, where she dealt with stock exchange listings and project financing. She then moved on to international project development in the field of infrastructure and public service franchises with major French groups (water, waste, energy services, renewable energies and transport). After working for EdF and Bouygues, she joined Veolia from 2003 to 2006 in the International Department of Veolia Water, and then from 2007 to 2009 as Head of Legal Affairs for Veolia Environnement. From 2009 to 2011, she held the position of Legal Director "New Businesses" and General Secretary of the Group's renewable energy subsidiary (photovoltaic, wind and biomass) and member of its Management Board. From 2011 to 2022, she was in charge of the International Legal Department of Keolis (SNCF group) and of the development of international projects for all legal-financial, commercial and contractual aspects. She was also a member of the International Board of Keolis. At the same time, since 2016, she has held several positions as Director, member of the Audit and Compensation Committee in E.P.C. (an international group listed on the Paris Stock Exchange), Director of KMHI (a joint venture between Keolis and Mitsubishi in Dubai) and currently holds the position of Director, Chair of the Audit and Compliance Committee for SAIPEM SA and SAIPEM Nigeria. Presentation of Caroline Lebel: Investment Director within the Large Venture team of Bpifrance Investissement since 2019, Caroline Lebel joined Bpifrance in 2013 in the Mid Cap teams (development capital). After spending the early part of her career at General Electric in the Finance Management Program and then in the Corporate Audit Staff (France Ireland USA), she joined the strategy consulting firm L.EK. Consulting and worked on strategic due diligence for companies and investment funds including the Fonds Strategique d'Investissement. Caroline Lebel is a director of Virtuo Technologies and a censor of Fermentalg and IAdvize. Caroline Lebel is a graduate of ESCP Europe. About AFYREN Founded in 2012 to meet the growing need of industries to reduce the use of petroleum derivatives in their production chain, AFYREN produces biomolecules derived from the reuse of non-food biomass. These ingredients are widely used in human and animal nutrition, flavors and fragrances, cosmetics, and fine chemicals. This production of renewable carbon, which is firmly grounded in the circular economy, uses fermentation technologies that are the result of 10 years of research and are patented worldwide. AFYREN is a winner of the 2030 Global Innovation Contest in the "Plant proteins and plant chemistry" category and was selected in the French Tech 120 in 2020 and 2021. In 2018, AFYREN committed to its industrial project by creating the AFYREN NEOXY joint venture with Bpifrance's SPI fund. The AFYREN NEOXY plant under construction in the Grand Est region will produce AFYREN organic acids in 2022. AFYREN and AFYREN NEOXY employed more than 70 people at their sites in Lyon, Clermont-Ferrand and Carling Saint-Avold. In 2021, AFYREN listed on Euronext Growth exchange in Paris, raising a total amount of 70.4 million euros with the objective of accelerating its industrial development (Afyren's ISIN: FR0014005AC9, ticker: ALAFY). For more information: afyren.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531005440/en/ Contacts: AFYREN Chief Financial Officer Maxime Cordonnier investisseurs@afyren.com NewCap Investor Relations Theo Martin Mathilde Bohin Tel: 01 44 71 94 94 afyren@newcap.eu NewCap Media Relations Nicolas Merigeau Tel: 01 44 71 94 98 afyren@newcap.eu Bogert-Magnier Communications James Connell Tel: +33 6 2152 1755 jim@bogert-magnier.com With Imaging Lab, Median will provide biopharmaceutical companies with new decision-making tools for clinical trials by leveraging images with data mining and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies from iBiopsy and radiomics Imaging Lab's solutions will support the pharmaceutical industry's paradigm shift towards therapies targeting patients with early-stage cancers The Imaging Lab team will be exhibiting at the ASCO Annual Conference in Chicago, June 3-7, 2022, Median's booth #2098, Exhibit Hall A, McCormick place Regulatory News: Median Technologies (Paris:ALMDT) announces that the company is expanding its portfolio of services with Imaging Lab, a new entity whose mission is to leverage AI, data mining, and radiomics technologies to exploit imaging data from clinical trials in oncology. The creation of Imaging Lab materializes the convergence of iCRO's activities for image management in the development of new oncologic drugs and iBiopsy's activities for the development of software as medical device targeting early diagnosis of cancers, especially lung cancer. "We are seeing a paradigm shift of pharmaceutical companies towards new drug candidates targeting patients with early-stage cancers," said Fredrik Brag, CEO and founder of Median Technologies. "The synergy between our iCRO and iBiopsy businesses is perfect to respond to this change: iBiopsy develops software as medical device, integrating AI technologies, which allow the diagnosis of diseases at a very early stage, when patients are still asymptomatic. At the same time, iCRO has extensive knowledge of image processing and its management in clinical trials. The cross-fertilization of our two businesses will enable us to leverage imaging data in conjunction with other clinical information in an unparalleled way and provide biopharmaceutical companies with tools for Go/No-Go decisions in trials," adds Fredrik Brag. Imaging Lab will provide new answers in four areas that determine the success of clinical trials: selection of patients included in trials, especially inclusion of patients diagnosed at early stages of disease thanks to AI technologies, prediction of response to therapy, measurement of disease progression, and evaluation of the safety of drug candidates. The goal is to optimize development plans, including facilitating Go/No-Go decisions to increase the success rate of clinical trials. This rate is especially low in oncology, generating an average development cost of $2.8 billion to take a new molecule to market, compared with an average of $1 billion per new molecule brought to market for other therapeutic areas1 "Our experience of image management in clinical trials has shown that trial data is vastly underutilized. We can extract much more information from images through the widescale use of data mining, AI, and radiomics and use these technologies to better support our customers and biopharmaceutical partners in their clinical developments," says Nicolas Dano, COO iCRO of Median Technologies. The Imaging Lab team will be present from June 4-6 (exhibition dates) at the ASCO Annual Conference in Chicago Median's booth #2098, Exhibit Hall A, to meet the pharmaceutical community. About Median Technologies: Median Technologies provides innovative imaging solutions and services to advance healthcare for everyone. We harness the power of medical images by using the most advanced Artificial Intelligence technologies, to increase the accuracy of diagnosis and treatment of many cancers and other metabolic diseases at their earliest stages and provide insights into novel therapies for patients. Our iCRO solutions for medical image analysis and management in oncology trials and iBiopsy, our AI-powered software as medical device help biopharmaceutical companies and clinicians to bring new treatments and diagnose patients earlier and more accurately. This is how we are helping to create a healthier world. Founded in 2002, based in Sophia-Antipolis, France, with a subsidiary in the US and another one in Shanghai, Median has received the label "Innovative company" by the BPI and is listed on Euronext Growth market (Paris). FR0011049824- ticker: ALMDT. Median is eligible for the French SME equity savings plan scheme (PEA-PME), is part of the Enternext PEA-PME 150 index and has been awarded the Euronext European Rising Tech label. For more information: www.mediantechnologies.com 1 https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/new-drug-cost-research-development-market-jama-study/573381/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531005703/en/ Contacts: Median Technologies Emmanuelle Leygues Head of Corporate Marketing Financial Communications +33 6 10 93 58 88 emmanuelle.leygues@mediantechnologies.com Press ALIZE RP Caroline Carmagnol +33 6 64 18 99 59 median@alizerp.com Investors ACTIFIN Ghislaine Gasparetto +33 6 21 10 49 24 ggasparetto@actifin.fr Regulatory News: THERADIAG (ISIN: FR0004197747, Mnemonic: ALTER), a company specializing in in vitro diagnostics and theranostics, announces the launch of ez-Track1, a real Point-of-Care Testing (POCT) solution for therapeutic drug monitoring. In search of increasingly patient-focused solutions while respecting quality standards, the global healthcare sector is considering more Point-of-Care Testing (POCT), which is becoming a potential alternative allowing quickly diagnosing a disease, reducing waiting times and speeding up the start of treatment. As a company focused on quality innovation, Theradiag is entering this market with the ez-Track1 system. Marketed primarily in Europe for the time being under the Theradiag brand, ez-Track1 carries out tests as close as possible to patients thanks to whole blood samples (incl. capillary, i.e. from the fingertips). This ez-Track1 then provides the results of these tests within 10 minutes. The usage of the system allows therefore a rapid decision; it will definitively accelerate the implementation of biotherapies monitoring. Compact, easy to use and compatible with all the kits developed by Theradiag, the ez-Track1 technological solution completes the Theradiag range of systems which was until now the Lisa Tracker and the i-Track10 The system ez-Track1 is CE marked and this will enable a rapid launch activity. The menu at launch is composed of Infliximab and anti-Infliximab, as well as Adalimumab, and anti-Adalimumab, all CE marked. The ez-Track1 test menu related to chronic inflammatory diseases and other diseases will further expand rapidly. Bertrand de Castelnau, Chief Executive Officer of Theradiag, commented: "Six months after the completion of our capital increase, we are proud to announce the completion of one of our major projects in our strategic plan: the CE marking of a technological solution to bring tests closer to patients. Ez-Track1 expands our portfolio of patient solutions and accelerates our differentiation and our leadership in the biotherapies monitoring market. I would like to thank all the Theradiag teams for launching this new technological solution." Financial calendar: - H1 2022 revenue, Monday July 18, 2022 - H1 2022 results, Monday September 19, 2022 About Theradiag Theradiag is the market leader in biotherapy monitoring. Capitalizing on its expertise in the diagnostics market, the Company has been developing, manufacturing and marketing innovative in vitro diagnostic (IVD) tests for over 30 years. Theradiag pioneered "theranostics" testing (combining therapy with diagnosis), which measures the efficacy of biotherapy in the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases. Going beyond mere diagnosis, Theranostics aims to help clinicians set up "customized treatment" for each patient. This method favors the individualization of treatment, evaluation of its efficacy and the prevention of drug resistance. In response to this challenge, Theradiag develops and markets the CE-marked TRACKER range, a comprehensive solution of inestimable medical value. The Company is based in Marne-la-Vallee, near Paris, has operations in over 70 countries and employs over 60 people. In 2021, the Company posted revenue of 11.1 million. The Theradiag share is listed on Euronext Growth Paris (ISIN: FR0004197747) and is eligible for the French PEA-PME personal equity plan. For more information about Theradiag, please visit our website: https://www.theradiag.com/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531005794/en/ Contacts: Theradiag Bertrand de Castelnau CEO/Managing Director Tel.: +33 (0)1 64 62 10 12 contact@theradiag.com NewCap Financial Communications Investor Relations Pierre Laurent Quentin Masse Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94 theradiag@newcap.eu NewCap Media Relations Nicolas Merigeau Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 98 nmerigeau@newcap.fr The Chinese government says the nation is on track to install 108 GW of PV this year. Huaneng says it will build a new 10 GW module factory, while Akcome has revealed plans to increase its heterojunction panel capacity by 6 GW.China's National Energy Administration (NEA) expects around 108 GW of new PV installations in 2022, according to China Central Television (CCTV). China installed just 55.1 GW of new PV in 2021, but 16.88 GW of PV were connected to the grid in the first four months of this year, with 3.67 GW of new capacity in April alone. China Huaneng Group has revealed plans to build ... 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, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2022) - Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd. (TSXV: SCZ) ("the Company" or "Santacruz") reports on its financial and operating results for the first quarter ("Q1") of 2022. The full version of the financial statements and accompanying management discussion and analysis can be viewed on the Company's website at www.santacruzsilver.com or on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. All financial information is prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") and all dollar amounts are expressed in thousands of US dollars, except per unit amounts, unless otherwise indicated. Revenue increased by 284% to $42.9 million during Q1 2022 (Q1 2021: $11.1 million); Gross profit improved by $17.2 million to $19.4 million during Q1 2022 (Q1 2021: $2.2 million); Cash and marketable securities increased by 186% to $14.4 million as at March 31, 2022 (March 31, 2021: $5.0 million); On March 18, 2022, the Company closed the Glencore Transaction that included the acquisition of the Bolivar and Porco mines that are held in partnership with Corporacion Minera de Bolivia ("COMIBOL"), a Bolivian state-owned entity, the Caballo Blanco mining complex that includes the Tres Amigos, Reserva and Colquechaquita mines, the Soracaya development project and the San Lucas ore sourcing and trading business in addition to certain related properties and assets (collectively, the "Sinchi Wayra and Illapa Businesses"). Carlos Silva, CEO of Santacruz, stated; "During this first quarter we started to see the contribution of our recently acquired Bolivian assets with record revenue and profits. At our Mexican operations we expect increased production from new stopes and less lower grade mineralized material from development work. this should reduce our AISC at Zimapan beginning in the third quarter." Mr. Silva continued; "Q1 marked a strong start to the year for Santacruz Silver and we look forward for a full quarter of results from our Bolivian operations rather than just a few days (13) of operations as occurred in the first quarter. The transition and integration process are going smoothly, and we are very optimistic about the future. Selected consolidated financial and operating information for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 is presented below. The Company is not including production and unit cost results from the Veta Grande Project below as operations were suspended during Q1 2020 and to date have not recommenced. The Sinchi Wayra and Illapa Businesses results have been consolidated for the period March 18 to 31, 2022. (Expressed in thousands of US Dollars, except where noted) Three months ended Mar 31, Variance % 2022 2021 Financial Revenue 42,911 11,168 284% Gross Profit 19,351 2,181 787% Net Income 7,109 6,518 9% Net Income per Share - Basic ($/share) 0.02 0.02 - Adjusted EBITDA (1) 14,030 1,649 751% Operating Material Processed (tonnes milled) 227,570 176,239 29% Silver Equivalent Produced (ounces) (1)(2) 1,391,589 706,978 97% Silver Equivalent Sold (payable ounces) (1) (3) 2, 300,312 605,970 280% Cash Cost of Production per Tonne ($/t) (1) 60.90 50.03 22% Cash Cost per Silver Equivalent Ounce Sold ($/oz) (1) 15.05 20.54 (27%) All-in Sustaining Cash Cost per Silver Equivalent Ounce Sold ($/oz) (1) 17.95 23.76 (24%) Average Realized Price per Ounce of Silver Equivalent Sold ($/oz) (1)(4) 24.39 25.07 (3%) (1) The Company reports non-IFRS measures, which include Adjusted EBITDA, Cash Cost of Production per Tonne, Cash Cost per Silver Equivalent Ounce Sold, All-in Sustaining Cash Cost per Silver Equivalent Ounce Sold, Average Realized Price per Ounce of Silver Equivalent Sold. These measures are widely used in the mining industry as a benchmark for performance, but does not have a standardized meaning and may differ from methods used by other companies with similar descriptions. Refer to the "Non-IFRS Measures" section in Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations ("MD&A") for definitions and a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to the annual and quarterly financial statements. (2) Silver Equivalent Produced (ounces) in 2022 have been calculated using prices of $25.60/oz., $0.94/lb., $1.20/lb. and $4.01/lb. for silver, lead, zinc and copper respectively applied to the metal production divided by the silver price plus the respective concentrate produced by the Zimapan Mine, Bolivar, Porco, Tres Amigos, Reserva and Colquechaquita Mines multiplied by the respective silver content. Silver Equivalent Produced (ounces) in 2021 have been calculated using prices of $25.00/oz, $0.85/lb, $1.05/lb and $3.00/lb for silver, lead, zinc and copper respectively applied to the metal production divided by the silver price plus the respective concentrate produced by the Zimapan Mine and the Rosario Project, multiplied by the respective silver content. (3) Silver Equivalent Sold (payable ounces) have been calculated using the Average Realized Price per Ounce of Silver Equivalent Sold stated in the table above, applied to the payable metal content of the concentrates sold from the Zimapan Mine, the Bolivaor, Porco, Tres Amigos, Reserva and Colquechaquita Mines in 2022 and the Zimapan Mine and Rosario Project in 2021. (4) Average Realized Price per Ounce of Silver Equivalent Sold is prior to all treatment, smelting and refining charges. Discussion of Consolidated Financial Results The Company recorded a net profit of $7,109 for the three months ended March 31, 2021 (Q1 2021: $6,518). Revenue and gross profit increased to $42,911 (Q1 2021: $11,168) and $19,351 (Q1 2021: $2,181) respectively. These positive results were due primarily to the inclusion of the Bolivian operations that were acquired during the period. Operating Results Selected operating results for the Zimapan Mine and Rosario Project for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 and the Sinchi Wayra and Illapa Businesses, for the period March 18 to 31, 2022, is presented below: Q1 2022 Q1 2021 Variance % Material Processed (tonnes milled) (4) Zimapan Mine (Mexico) 191,413 156,433 22% Rosario Project (Mexico) (6) - 19,806 (100%) Sinchi Wayra and Illapa Businesses (Bolivia) (7) 36,157 - 0% Consolidated 227,570 176,239 29% Silver Equivalent Produced (ounces) (1) (4) Zimapan Mine (Mexico) 901,184 646,085 39% Rosario Project (Mexico) (6) - 60,893 (100%) Sinchi Wayra and Illapa Businesses (Bolivia) (7) 490,405 - 0% Consolidated 1,391,589 706,978 97% Silver Equivalent Sold (payable ounces) (2) (4) Zimapan Mine (Mexico) 872,745 553,450 58% Rosario Project (Mexico) (6) - 52,520 (100%) Sinchi Wayra and Illapa Businesses (Bolivia) (7) 1,427,567 - 0% Consolidated 2,300,312 605,970 280% Cash Cost of Production per Tonne (3) (4) Zimapan Mine (Mexico) 48.19 49.04 (2%) Rosario Project (Mexico) (6) - 57.86 (100%) Sinchi Wayra and Illapa Businesses (Bolivia) (7) 128.19 - 0% Consolidated 60.90 50.03 22% Cash Cost per Silver Equivalent Ounce Sold (3) (4) Zimapan Mine (Mexico) 17.04 19.91 (14%) Rosario Project (Mexico) (6) - 27.19 (100%) Sinchi Wayra and Illapa Businesses (Bolivia) (7) 13.83 - 0% Consolidated 15.05 20.54 (27%) All-in Sustaining Cash Cost per Silver Equivalent Ounce Sold (3) (4) Zimapan Mine (Mexico) 23.38 21.03 11% Rosario Project (Mexico) (6) - 52.57 (100%) Sinchi Wayra and Illapa Businesses (Bolivia) (7) 14.63 - 0% Consolidated 17.95 23.76 (24%) Average Realized Price per Ounce of Silver Equivalent Sold (3) (4) (5) Zimapan Mine (Mexico) 23.81 25.07 (5%) Rosario Project (Mexico) (6) - 25.00 (100%) Sinchi Wayra and Illapa Businesses (Bolivia) (7) 24.74 - 0% Consolidated 24.39 25.07 (3%) (1) Silver Equivalent Produced (ounces) in 2022 have been calculated using prices of $25.60/oz, $0.94/lb, $1.20/lb and $4.01/lb for silver, lead, zinc and copper respectively applied to the metal production divided by the silver price plus the respective concentrate produced by the Zimapan Mine, the Bolivar, Porco, Tres Amigos, Reserva and Colquechaquita Mines multiplied by the respective silver content. Silver Equivalent Produced (ounces) in 2021 have been calculated using prices of $25.00/oz, $1,925.00/oz, $0.85/lb, $1.05/lb and $3.00/lb for silver, gold, lead, zinc and copper respectively applied to the metal production divided by the silver price plus the respective concentrate produced by the Zimapan Mine and the Rosario Project, multiplied by the respective silver content. (2) Silver Equivalent Sold (payable ounces) have been calculated using the Average Realized Price per Ounce of Silver Equivalent Sold stated in the table above, applied to the payable metal content of the concentrates sold from the Zimapan Mine the Bolivar, Porco, Tres Amigos, Reserva and Colquechaquita Mines in 2022 and the Zimapan Mine and Rosario Project in 2021. (3) The Company reports non-IFRS measures, which include Cash Cost of Production per Tonne, Cash Cost per Silver Equivalent Ounce Sold, All-in Sustaining Cash Cost per Silver Equivalent Ounce Sold and Average Realized Price per Ounce of Silver Equivalent Sold. These measures are widely used in the mining industry as a benchmark for performance, but do not have a standardized meaning and may differ from methods used by other companies with similar descriptions. See 'Non-IFRS Measures' section below for definitions. (4) The Company is not including production and unit cost results from the Veta Grande Project in this MD&A as operations at Veta Grande were suspended during Q1 2020 and to date have not recommenced. (5) Average Realized Price per Ounce of Silver Equivalent Sold is prior to all treatment, smelting and refining charges. (6) Operations at the Rosario Project were suspended with no production from August 2021. The net assets of the Rosario Project were disposed of in December 2021, hence the variance is of limited value. (7) On March 18, 2022, the Company acquired the Bolivar, Porco, Tres Amigos, Reserva and Colquechaquita Mines, hence the variance is of limited value. Discussion of Operating Results and Costs Consolidated silver equivalent ounce production in Q1 2022 increased 97% to 1,391,589 ounces as compared to 706,978 ounces during Q1 2021. This increase is largely due to production from Bolivian operations acquired in March 2022, a 39% increase in production from the Zimapan Mine offset by no production from the Rosario Project following its sale in December 2021. The increase in silver equivalent production at the Zimapan Mine in Q1 2022 as compared to Q1 2021 is primarily due to a 22% increase in mineralized material processed at the Zimapan milling facility. Consolidated cash cost of production per tonne of mineralized material processed increased 22% in Q1 2022 to $60.90/t as compared to $50.03/t in Q1 2021. This change is due to higher unit costs at Bolivian operations offset by a decrease of 2% in unit costs at the Zimapan Mine and no unit costs for the Rosario Project in Q1 2022 following its sale in December 2021. The Zimapan Mine cash cost of production increased 20% to $9,224, which was offset in part by a 22% increase in tonnes milled. Consolidated cash cost per silver equivalent ounce sold decreased 27% in Q1 2022 to $15.05/oz as compared to $20.54/oz in Q1 2021. This change reflects the lower unit costs at Bolivian operations ($13.83/oz) compared to the Q1 2021 consolidated unit costs, a 14% decrease in the unit costs at the Zimapan Mine and no unit costs for the Rosario Project in Q1 2022 following its sale in December 2021. Consolidated cash cost increased 178% to $34,617, reflecting a 35% increase in cash cost of silver equivalent ounces sold at the Zimapan Mine, cash costs at the Bolivian operations of $19,742 offset by no cash costs for the Rosario Project in Q1 2022 following its sale in December 2021. Increased costs were offset by a 58% increase in silver equivalent ounces sold at the Zimapan Mine. Consolidated AISC per silver equivalent ounce sold decreased 24% in Q1 2022 to $17.95/oz as compared to $23.76/oz in Q1 2021. This change in unit costs reflects the lower unit costs at Bolivian operations ($14.63/oz) compared to the Q1 2021 consolidated unit costs, an 11% increase in the unit costs at the Zimapan Mine, offset by no unit costs for the Rosario Project in Q1 2022 following its sale in December 2021. Consolidated AISC increased 187% to $41,293, whilst consolidated silver equivalent ounces sold increased 280% to 2,300,312 ounces. The AISC increase at the Zimapan Mine of 75% was offset by the aforementioned 58% increase in silver equivalent ounces sold at the Zimapan Mine. Zimapan Mine (Mexico) Silver equivalent ounce production in Q1 2022 increased 39% to 901,184 ounces as compared to 646,085 ounces in Q1 2021. This increase is largely due to a 22% increase in mineralized material processed at the Zimapan milling facility and the impact of using different metal price decks for the 2022 and 2021 fiscal years. The Q1 2022 silver equivalent ounce production increased 27% (after adjusting for the metal price deck) as compared to Q1 2021. Cash cost of production per tonne of mineralized material processed decreased 2% in Q1 2022 to $48.19/t as compared to $49.04/t in Q1 2021 reflecting a 20% increase in cash costs of production offset by the aforementioned 22% increase in mineralized material processed. AISC per silver equivalent ounce sold increased 11% in Q1 2022 to $23.38/oz as compared to $21.03/oz in Q1 2021. AISC increased 75%, which was offset by the aforementioned 58% increase in silver equivalent ounces sold. Production at the Zimapan Mine is not supported by a feasibility study on mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability or any other independent economic study under NI 43-101. Accordingly, there is increased uncertainty and economic and technical risks of failure associated with production operations at the Zimapan Mine. Production and economic variables may vary considerably due to the absence of a complete and detailed site analysis in accordance with NI 43-101. Rosario Project (Mexico) Operations at the Rosario Project were suspended in August 2021 and the net assets were disposed of in December 2021. As a result, no comparative analysis of Q1 2022 to Q1 2021 is provided. Sinchi Wayra and Illapa Businesses (Bolivia) As noted earlier, on March 18, 2022, the Company acquired the Sinchi Wayra and Illapa Businesses from Glencore. As a result, no comparative analysis of Q1 2022 to Q1 2021 is provided. Production at the Bolivar, Porco, Tres Amigos, Reserva and Colquechaquita Mines are supported by NI 43-101 technical reports. About Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd. The Company is engaged in the operation, acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties in Latin America, with a primary focus on silver and zinc, but also including lead and copper. The Company currently has six producing projects, the Zimapan Mine, the Bolivar, Porco, Tres Amigos, Reserva and Colquechaquita Mines, holds two exploration properties in its mineral property portfolio, the La Pechuga Property and the Santa Gorgonia Prospect, and one development project, the Soracaya Project in addition to the San Lucas ore sourcing and trading business. 'signed' Arturo Prestamo Elizondo, Executive Chairman For further information please contact: Mars Investor Relations Telephone: (778) 999 4653 scz@marsinvestorrelations.com Arturo Prestamo Elizondo Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd. Email: info@santacruzsilver.com Telephone: (604) 569-1609 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-looking information Certain statements contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" as such term is used in applicable Canadian securities laws, including statements relating to production at the Zimapan Mine and the Company's plans to grow it. 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. In making the forward-looking statements included in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including that the Company's financial condition and development plans do not change as a result of unforeseen events and that future metal prices and the demand and market outlook for metals will remain stable or improve. 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. Factors that could cause the forward-looking information in this news release to change or to be inaccurate include, but are not limited to: the risk that any of the assumptions referred to above prove not to be valid or reliable; market conditions and volatility and global economic conditions, including increased volatility and potentially negative capital raising conditions resulting from the continued, or escalation of the COVID-19 pandemic and risks relating to the extent and duration of such pandemic and its impact on global markets; controls or regulations and political or economic developments in Mexico and Bolivia; risk of delay and/or cessation in planned work or changes in the Company's financial condition and development plans; risks associated with the Company's plan to undertake certain post-closing reorganization steps in respect of the target entities; the uncertainty of the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits and the risk of unexpected variations in mineral resources, grade and/or recovery rates; risks related to gold, silver, base metal and other commodity price fluctuations; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability and increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, including the risks of obtaining necessary licences and permits and the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; risks relating to environmental regulation and liability; the possibility that results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations, as well as the other risks and uncertainties applicable to mineral exploration and development activities and to the Company as set forth in the Company's continuous disclosure filings filed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurance that any forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, the reader should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information or statements, other than as required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/125976 The "NotCo A Start-Up that is Strategically Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to Drive Plant-Based Innovation A Success Case Study" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report details how a Latin American company has gone from start-up to unicorn status by leveraging artificial intelligence to produce meat and dairy alternatives. It looks at how it has expanded so rapidly, both in terms of geographic markets and products launched, and the role AI had to play in that expansion and success. The report also explores how its success is derived from the fact that NotCo sits at the intersection of two themes: ethical eating and developing technology. The correlation between COVID-19 mortality and obesity has led the UK government to look again at the national obesity crisis and find new ways to tackle it. A crackdown on promotional offers in-store as well as online and TV advertising will mean brands need to find new ways to adapt. We also explore the underlying reasons why some reformulations succeed and why some flop; it will be vital for manufacturers to understand this ahead of legislative changes in the UK. Scope Artificial intelligence means the timescale between development and market is vastly reduced Artificial intelligence also produces products that are a much better match to the real thing Getting the texture and consistency right means alt-milk products like ice cream become more palatable The alt-milk market is shifting away from soy-based products in Latin America and other proteins have already overtaken them in North America Reasons to Buy Understand how NotCo has leveraged AI rather than relying on conventional plant-alternative proteins Learn possible ways your brand will be impacted if NotCo reaches your market-space Find out where NotCo is thinking of expanding next, and with which products Appreciate how the meat and dairy alternative markets are changing and evolving, particularly since the pandemic Key Topics Covered: What? Why? Take-outs Appendix For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/jniqdt View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531005824/en/ Contacts: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares For immediate release 31 May 2022 FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC (the "Company") MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES The Company announces that it has today purchased 63,461 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 797.15p 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 3,239,223; 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 221,752,080. The figure of 221,752,080 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 Claranova's Board of Directors is strengthened by co-opting as directors the CEOs of the PlanetArt and Avanquest divisions Regulatory News: Claranova SE (ISIN: FR0013426004) (Paris:CLA) today announced that Claranova's Board of Directors has strengthen its governance by co-opting as new members Mr. Roger S. Bloxberg and Mr. Eric Gareau, the CEOs of PlanetArt and Avanquest. These appointments which follow the departures of Mr. Chahram Becharat and Mr. Jean-Yves Quentel are effective immediately, for the remaining terms of the latter's offices. These latest additions to the Board are accompanied by the co-option of Todd Helfstein, PlanetArt's President, as a non-voting observer (censor) with immediate effect. The appointments of Mr. Roger S. Bloxberg, Mr. Eric Gareau and Mr. Todd Helfstein will be submitted to the shareholders for ratification at Claranova's next General Meeting. Pierre Cesarini, Chairman and CEO of Claranova Group commented, "In addition to confirming the trust placed in the management of our divisions, these appointments will ensure that our main subsidiaries are fully committed to achieving the Group's next major strategic priorities. The addition of Roger, Eric and Todd to the Board of Directors reflects our desire to involve the managers of our subsidiaries in the current efforts focused on increasing the market value of the Group's share. A top priority in this area will be to address the growing dichotomy between Claranova's fundamentals and the intrinsic value of each of our businesses (particularly in relation to the direct comparables of these three divisions). We remain confident in our ability to bridge this gap based on the performance of our three divisions and the support of a Board of Directors strengthened by these new members. Their thorough knowledge of the Group's businesses will provide an invaluable contribution as we adopt measures to optimize and deliver growth in value for our shareholders Financial calendar: August 3, 2022: FY 2021-2022 revenue. About Claranova: As a diversified global technology company, Claranova manages and coordinates a portfolio of majority interests in digital companies with strong growth potential. Supported by a team combining several decades of experience in the world of technology, Claranova has acquired a unique know-how in successfully turning around, creating and developing innovative companies. With average annual growth of more than 40% over the last three years and revenue of 472 million in FY 2020-2021, Claranova has proven its capacity to turn a simple idea into a worldwide success in just a few short years. Present in 15 countries and leveraging the technology expertise of nearly 800 employees across North America and Europe, Claranova is a truly international company, with 95% of its revenue derived from international markets. Claranova's portfolio of companies is organized into three unique technology platforms operating in all major digital sectors. As a leader in personalized e-commerce, Claranova also stands out for its technological expertise in software publishing and the Internet of Things, through its businesses PlanetArt, Avanquest and myDevices. These three technology platforms share a common vision: empowering people through innovation by providing simple and intuitive digital solutions that facilitate everyday access to the very best of technology. For more information on Claranova Group: https://www.claranova.com or https://twitter.com/claranova_group Disclaimer: All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release about future events are subject to (i) change without notice and (ii) factors beyond the Company's control. Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control that could cause the Company's actual results or performance to be materially different from the expected results or performance expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. CODES Ticker :? CLA ISIN : FR0013426004 www.claranova.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531005845/en/ Contacts: ANALYSTS INVESTORS +33 1 41 27 19 74 ir@claranova.com FINANCIAL COMMUNICATION +33 1 75 77 54 68 ir@claranova.com North Korea threw its weight behind a new global security initiative, proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Monday, making clear its geopolitical stance amid a growing rivalry between Washington and Beijing. In a piece posted on the foreign ministry's website, Vice Minister Pak Myong-ho stressed that Pyongyang's commitment to further boosting relations and cooperation with its most important ally and economic benefactor remains firm "despite the complicated international situation." "The world is now faced with grave crisis and challenge due to the high-handedness and arbitrariness of the U.S. and its vassal states that are shaking international peace and stability at the basis," he wrote. Pak then extended "full support" for the global security initiative set forth by Xi at the 2022 Boao Forum for Asia last month, calling the proposal a "manifestation of the will of the Chinese Party and government" to make an active contribution to establishing a fair international security system and building a "new peaceful world." During a keynote speech, Xi said the initiative seeks to promote global security, respect national sovereignty and adhere to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, though he did not outline the details of his plan. Pak added his country will "continue to work together with comrades of China to safeguard the peace and stability in the Asia and the world as well as the genuine international justice, and make active efforts to develop as ever the bilateral exchange and cooperation." (Yonhap) Regulatory News: SFL (Paris:FLY): NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, CANADA, JAPAN, SOUTH AFRICA, AUSTRALIA OR IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE OFFER OF THE BONDS IS UNLAWFUL Today, SFL successfully priced its issue of 99 million bonds maturing on 5 June 2027 with an annual coupon of 1.50% (the "New Bonds"). The New Bonds will be assimilated with the 500 million bonds issued by SFL on 5 June 2020 (ISIN: FR0013515871) (the "Existing Bonds In accordance with the resolutions approved on 3 February 2022 by the general meeting of the holders of the Existing Bonds, an amount equivalent to the principal amount of the New Bonds shall be allocated by SFL to the financing or the refinancing of a portfolio of green assets meeting the environmental criteria described in more detail in the green financing framework (as may be amended and supplemented) available on SFL's website. The settlement of the New Bonds is expected to take place on 7 June 2022. The New Bonds will be listed on the regulated market of Euronext Paris. Pursuant to the exemption to the obligation to publish a prospectus provided by Article 1 paragraph 5.(a) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council, no prospectus was prepared by SFL or approved by the Autorite des marches financiers or any other competent authority for the purpose of issuing the New Bonds. The terms and conditions of the New Bonds will be available on SFL's website at the following address: https://www.fonciere-lyonnaise.com. SFL is rated BBB+ with a stable outlook by Standard Poor's. About SFL Leader in the prime segment of the Parisian commercial real estate market, Societe Fonciere Lyonnaise stands out for the quality of its property portfolio, which is valued at 8.1 billion and is focused on the Central Business District of Paris (cloud.paris, Edouard VII, Washington Plaza, etc.), and for the quality of its client portfolio, which is composed of prestigious companies in the consulting, media, digital, luxury, finance and insurance sectors. As France's oldest property company, SFL demonstrates year after year an unwavering commitment to its strategy focused on creating a high value in use for users and, ultimately, substantial appraisal values for its properties. Stock market: Euronext Paris Compartment A Euronext Paris ISIN FR0000033409 Bloomberg: FLY FP Reuters: FLYP PA S&P rating: BBB+ stable outlook www.fonciere-lyonnaise.com IMPORTANT INFORMATION This press release may not be released, published or distributed, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States of America, Australia, Canada, South Africa or Japan. The distribution of this press release may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions and persons into whose possession any document or other information referred to herein comes, should inform themselves about and observe any such restriction. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No communication or information relating to the offering of the New Bonds may be transmitted to the public in a country where there is a registration obligation or where an approval is required. No action has been or will be taken in any country in which such registration or approval would be required. The issuance or the subscription of the New Bonds may be subject to legal and regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions; SFL assumes no liability in connection with the breach by any person of such restrictions. This press release is an advertisement and not a prospectus within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (as amended, the "Prospectus Regulation") and Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law in the United Kingdom by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (the "UK Prospectus Regulation This press release is not an offer to the public, an offer to subscribe or designed to solicit interest for purposes of an offer to the public other than to qualified investors in any jurisdiction, including France. The New Bonds have been offered only by way of a placement in France and outside France (excluding the United States of America, Australia, Canada, South Africa and Japan), solely to qualified investors as defined in point (e) of Article 2 of the Prospectus Regulation and Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation and there will be no public offering in any country (including France) in connection with the New Bonds, other than to qualified investors. This press release does not constitute a recommendation concerning the issue of the New Bonds. The value of the New Bonds can decrease as well as increase. Potential investors should consult a professional adviser as to the suitability of the New Bonds for the person concerned. France The New Bonds have not been and will not be offered or sold or caused to be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, to the public in France other than to qualified investors. Any offer or sale of the New Bonds and distribution of any offering material relating to the New Bonds have been and will be made in France only to qualified investors as defined in point (e) of Article 2 of the Prospectus Regulation. United States of America This press release may not be released, published or distributed in or into the United States of America (including its territories and dependencies, any State or other jurisdiction of the United States of America and the District of Columbia). This press release does not constitute or form a part of an offer of securities for sale or of any offer or solicitation to purchase securities in the United States of America. The New Bonds mentioned herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act") or the law of any State or other jurisdiction of the United States of America and may not be offered or sold in the United States of America except pursuant to an exemption from, or a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and in compliance with applicable state securities laws. The New Bonds are and will be offered or sold only in "offshore transactions" outside of the United States of America, in accordance with Regulation S under the Securities Act. SFL does not intend to register any portion of the proposed offering in the United States of America and no public offering will be made in the United States of America. www.fonciere-lyonnaise.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531005822/en/ Contacts: SFL Thomas Fareng T +33 (0)1 42 97 27 00 t.fareng@fonciere-lyonnaise.com Nordea Bank Abp / Key word(s): Personnel Nordea suspends two employees on suspicion of fraud 31.05.2022 / 18:30 Nordea suspends two employees on suspicion of fraud Following months of investigation, Nordea reported suspicions of fraud earlier this year to the police. Today the Norwegian police arrested two Norwegian Nordea employees on the suspicion of loans being issued on false grounds. Nordea is working in close cooperation with the police on the matter and has suspended the employees in question. Nordea as a company is not being investigated in this matter. Nordea regards the arrests with the utmost seriousness and we are collaborating closely with the authorities, including the police, on the case. We are taking all necessary steps with regard to the two employees, says Randi Marjamaa, Country Senior Executive and Head of Personal Banking at Nordea Norway. Nordea will never accept any form of financial crime or being used for any activities that could facilitate financial crime. We give high priority to fighting financial crime at Nordea, says Randi Marjamaa. For further information: Group Communication, +358 10 416 8023 or press@nordea.com 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. End of Media Release Digital payments innovator, FintechCashier announced as finalist in the prestigious London & The East of England StartUp Awards National Series LONDON, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- FintechCashier UK, a dynamic digital payment gateway and solution provider, has been announced as one of only 6 finalists in the Fintech Category of the prestigious London & The East of English StartUp Awards National Series. With the global number of digital payment users expected to reach over 64 million by 2026, according to a recent Statista report, and the Covid pandemic, fintech startups have increased exponentially in the UK over the last 2 years, and to reach the top 6 in this particular territory, is impressive. The StartUp Awards National Series has been launched to recognise the booming startup scene across the UK which has accelerated since the pandemic began. In 2020, when most of the world was shutting down, more than 400,000 startups were set up in Britain, with similar increases seen in other European countries. Supported nationally by BT, EY, Dell & Intel, the programme will celebrate the achievements of the amazing individuals across the UK who have turned an idea into an opportunity and taken the risk to launch a new product or service. Co-founded by the team behind the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, the new series follows the success of the Wales StartUp Awards, after organisers recognised the exceptional potential in the startup scene across the other British regions. Professor Dylan Jones-Evans OBE, the creator of the StartUp Awards National Series, said: " New firms are important for generating economic prosperity, employment opportunities and innovation. Since 2016, the Wales StartUp Awards have celebrated this amazing annual contribution to our economy by entrepreneurs and the impact they have on communities across the nation. "Given the sheer volume of phenomenal startups we've heard from since then, as well as the huge post-pandemic shift in people's desires to take their career in a new direction and set up a business against the odds, we felt it was the right time to take the programme nationwide. We've been blown away by the standard of entries in this first year and truly look forward to crowning the winners in June." FintechCashier guarantees a seamless, transparent, and fast portal for their clients around the world to receive the transaction related funds of their customers, to manage their cash flow, and to make settlements. With their network of financial partners and banks, FintechCashier helps clients to reach the world. They service 150 countries, offer 35 processing currencies, 20 settlement currencies, partner with over 100 banks - all accessible via 1 gateway. About StartUp Awards National Series The StartUp Awards National Series is a collaboration between the founders of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards - an established programme nationally receiving over 5,000 applications annually - and the Wales Start-Up Awards, the only regional awards currently celebrating new businesses in the UK. The StartUp Awards National Series will recognise the achievements of those amazing individuals who have had a great idea, spotted the opportunity and taken the risks to launch a new product or service. Already established and thriving in Wales, the StartUp Awards National Series is now taking the passion and drive to celebrate new business and extending across the whole of the United Kingdom. For more information or to request an interview, please contact Sam at sam@paperclip-pr.co.uk About FintechCashier FintechCashier UK, a payment gateway and solution provider, licensed and authorised by the FCA holding EMI permission in the UK and Europe, guarantees a seamless, transparent, and fast portal for their clients around the world to receive the transaction related funds of their customers, to manage their cash flow, and to make settlements. FintechCashier supports a wide spectrum of services, ranging from credit card processing, exchange, eCommerce and wire solutions. ONE Application, ONE Integration, GLOBAL REACH. https://www.fintechcashier.com/ Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1829462/FintechCashier.jpg Contact: Christine Kulbas, Head of Marketing +447399837453 marketing@fintechcashier.com LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / May 31, 2022 / Gabriel Resources Ltd. ("Gabriel" or the "Company") announces that it has granted an aggregate of 120,446 incentive stock options under the Company's stock option plan (the "Option Plan") and 221,079 deferred share units under the Company's deferred share unit plan (the "DSU Plan") to certain directors of the Company as non-cash directors' fees for service during Q1 2022 (the "Director Grant"). All incentive stock options issued under the Director Grant are exercisable for a period of ten years at $0.24 per share and vest immediately from the date of grant. With effect from Q2 2022 the directors will cease to receive non-cash remuneration in the form of incentive stock options or deferred share units as fees for service. The maximum number of common shares of the Company ("Common Shares") available for issuance under the Option Plan shall not exceed 59,778,004. As of the date hereof, a total of 33,415,276 Common Shares are allocated for issuance in respect of outstanding incentive stock options granted under the Option Plan, representing approximately 3.5% of the issued and outstanding share capital. 4,707,924 Common Shares are currently allocated for issuance in respect of outstanding deferred share units granted under the DSU Plan. For information on this press release, please contact: Dragos Tanase President & CEO Phone: +40 730 399 019 dt@gabrielresources.com Richard Brown Chief Financial Officer Mobile: +44 7748 760276 richard.brown@gabrielresources.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. About Gabriel Gabriel is a Canadian resource company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company's principal focus has been the exploration and development of the Ro?ia Montana gold and silver project in Romania. The Rosia Montana Project, one of the largest undeveloped gold deposits in Europe, is situated in the South Apuseni Mountains of Transylvania, Romania, an historic and prolific mining district that since pre-Roman times has been mined intermittently for over 2,000 years. The exploitation license for the Rosia Montana Project is held by Ro?ia Montana Gold Corporation S.A., a Romanian company in which Gabriel owns an 80.69% equity interest, with the 19.31% balance held by Minvest Ro?ia Montana S.A., a Romanian state-owned mining company. Upon obtaining the License in June 1999, the Group focused substantially all of their management and financial resources on the exploration, feasibility and subsequent development of the Rosia Montana Project. Despite the Company's fulfilment of its legal obligations and its development of the Rosia Montana Project as a high-quality, sustainable and environmentally-responsible mining project, using best available techniques, Romania has blocked and prevented implementation of the Rosia Montana Project without due process and without compensation. Accordingly, the Company's current core focus is the ICSID Arbitration. For more information please visit the Company's website at www.gabrielresources.com. Forward-looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking information" (also referred to as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans and allowing investors and others to get a better understanding of the Company's operating environment. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. In this press release, forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company at this time, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies that may cause the Company's actual financial results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied herein. Some of the material factors or assumptions used to develop forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the uncertainties associated with: the ICSID Arbitration, actions by the Romanian Government, conditions or events impacting the Company's ability to fund its operations (including but not limited to the completion of further funding noted above) or service its debt, exploration, development and operation of mining properties and the overall impact of misjudgments made in good faith in the course of preparing forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors including those set out below, that may never materialize, prove incorrect or materialize other than as currently contemplated which could cause the Company's results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, identified by words or phrases such as "expects", "is expected", "is of the view", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "assumes", "intends", "strategy", "goals", "objectives", "potential", "possible" or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events, conditions or results "may", "could", "would", "should", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of fact and may be forward-looking statements. Numerous factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including without limitation: the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) may affect the Company's operations and/or the anticipated timeline for the ICSID Arbitration; the geo-political situation and the resulting economic developments arising from the unfolding conflict and humanitarian crisis as a consequence of the Russia-Ukraine conflict; the duration, required disclosure, costs, process and outcome of the ICSID Arbitration; Romania's actions following the inscription of the "Rosia Montana Mining Landscape" as a UNESCO World Heritage site; changes in the liquidity and capital resources of Gabriel, and/or the group of companies of which it is directly or indirectly parent; access to funding to support the Group's continued ICSID Arbitration and/or operating activities in the future; equity dilution resulting from the conversion or exercise of new or existing securities in part or in whole to Common Shares; the ability of the Company to maintain a continued listing on the TSX Venture Exchange or any regulated public market for trading securities; the impact on business strategy and its implementation in Romania of: any allegations of historic acts of corruption, uncertain fiscal investigations; uncertain legal enforcement both for and against the Group and political and social instability; regulatory, political and economic risks associated with operating in a foreign jurisdiction including changes in laws, governments and legal regimes and interpretation of existing and future fiscal and other legislation; volatility of currency exchange rates; and the availability and continued participation in operational or other matters pertaining to the Group of certain key employees and consultants. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and investors should not infer that there has been no change in the Company's affairs since the date of this press release that would warrant any modification of any forward-looking statement made in this document, other documents periodically filed with or furnished to the relevant securities regulators or documents presented on the Company's website. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements or the foregoing list of assumptions or factors, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, subject to the Company's disclosure obligations under applicable Canadian securities regulations. Investors are urged to read the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulatory agencies which can be viewed online at www.sedar.com. ENDS SOURCE: Gabriel Resources Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/703397/Gabriel-Resources-Ltd-Incentive-Scheme-Issuance Nantes, France, May 31, 2022 - Lhyfe (the "Company"), an independent green hydrogen producer for low carbon industry and mobility, has received notification that Portzamparc, acting as Stabilisation Agent in the context of the first admission to trading of ordinary shares of Lhyfe on Euronext Paris, has carried out stabilisation activities (as defined in Article 3.2(d) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (the "Market Abuse Regulation")) on the following securities: Issuer: Lhyfe Securities: Ordinary shares with a par value of EUR 0.01 (ISIN: FR0014009YQ1) Offering size: 12,571,429 ordinary shares (excluding the overallotment option) Offer price: EUR 8.75 per ordinary share Market: Euronext Paris Stabilisation Agent: Portzamparc Pursuant to Article 6, paragraph 2, of the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 supplementing the Market Abuse Regulation with regard to technical regulatory standards concerning the conditions applicable to buyback programs and stabilisation measures, Lhyfe, on the basis of the information provided by Portzamparc, is publishing in this press release the information relating to the stabilisation activities carried out by Portzamparc as Stabilisation Agent between 23 May 2022, date of first admission to trading, and 31 May 2022: Execution date Intermediary Buy/Sell Number of shares Average transaction price in EUR Lowest/Highest price in EUR Total amount in EUR Market 23/05/2022 Portzamparc Buy 408,781 8.5612 8.10/8.75 3,499,655.90 Euronext Paris 24/05/2022 Portzamparc Buy 80,000 8.4549 8.15/8.66 676,392.00 Euronext Paris 25/05/2022 Portzamparc Buy 31,350 8.4663 8.345/8.470 265,418.51 Euronext Paris 26/05/2022 Portzamparc Buy 5,000 8.57 8.57/8.57 42,850.00 Euronext Paris 27/05/2022 Portzamparc Buy 6,000 8.64 8.64/8.64 51,840.00 Euronext Paris 30/05/2022 Portzamparc Buy 12,097 8.6295 8.54/8.66 104,391.06 Euronext Paris 31/05/2022 Portzamparc Buy 2,000 8.6599 8.650/8.699 17,319.80 Euronext Paris The detailed list of transactions is available on Lhyfe's website (www.lhyfe-finance.com). This press release is issued also on behalf of Portzamparc pursuant to Article 6, paragraph 2, of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052. About Lhyfe Created in Nantes in 2017, Lhyfe produces and supplies renewable green hydrogen for mobility and industry. Its production plant and its commercial pipeline will allow access to renewable green hydrogen in industrial quantities and form part of a virtuous energy model benefitting the environment. It is a member of France Hydrogene and Hydrogen Europe. Lhyfe inaugurated its first green hydrogen industrial production site in September 2021. It currently has 93 projects in its pipeline across Europe, of which 20 in advanced development by 2026, to contribute in mobility and industry decarbonization. A research program started in 2019 should also lead to the start of a test phase in real conditions for the world's first floating electrolyzer linked to a floating wind farm planned for fall 2022. For more information go to Lhyfe.com Contacts Investor relations ACTUS Mathieu Omnes +33 (0)1 53 67 36 92 lhyfe@actus.fr Financial press relations ACTUS Manon Clairet +33 (0)1 53 67 36 73 mclairet@actus.fr Business press relations Nouvelles Graines Clemence Rebours +33 (0)6 60 57 76 43 c.rebours@nouvelles-graines.com Disclaimer This announcement does not, and shall not, in any circumstances constitute a public offering nor an invitation to the public in connection with any offer. The distribution of this document may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. Persons into whose possession this document comes are required to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. This announcement is an advertisement and not a prospectus within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2017, as amended (the "Prospectus Regulation"). The prospectus approved by the AMF is available on the AMF's website (www.amf-france.org) and Lhyfe's website (www.lhyfe.com). ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: ymtrYJVuamjKlZtqlp1qaJVml2mSlGiWbWLIyGJqaJvHamqWxmliZpqeZnBlnWZn - 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-0-74811-31.05.2022_cp_lhyfe_stabilisation-transactions_en.pdf Siemens Gamesa and UL help fuel fast-growing European renewable energy markets. Work begins across the Siemens Gamesa 5.X onshore platform in Germany, the U.K. and Spain. NORTHBROOK, Ill., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- UL, a global safety science leader, has awarded Grid Code Compliance Unit certification to Siemens Gamesa in Poland for its 2.X platform turbines, as well as component certificates for its Power Manager Unified Architecture power plant controller (PPC), according to both Polish (EqC/RoGA) and Spanish (NTS SEPE V2.1 and NTS SENP V1.1) grid codes. Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy engaged UL to certify a range of turbines in line with grid codes ahead of roll-out in Europe - with further certification work to begin this year. Certification by UL means that Siemens Gamesa can now sell and activate products in expanding markets in Poland and Spain. In recent months, Spain and Poland have published their grid codes according to the European Requirement for Generators (EU) 2016/631 grid code. Grid operators require unit and component certificates to allow connection to the grids in these territories, where there is expected to be a surge in clean energy development. The Polish Wind Energy Association estimates the country has the potential to develop up to 24 GW of onshore wind by 2035, while Spain is aiming to install 50 GW of capacity by 2030. It is widely expected that renewables expansion in Europe will see additional countries adopting new certification standards for grid code compliance. According to WindEurope, around 105 GW of new wind energy capacity will be installed across the continent over the next five years. UL is set to move forward with projects throughout 2022, including unit certification work on the Siemens Gamesa 5.X turbine platform according to German, United Kindgom (U.K.) and Spanish grid codes. Component certification for Siemens Gamesa's power plant controller product will also be undertaken per German grid codes. "We have been delighted to work with UL," said Julen Ortega Rodriguez, global certification technical project management at Siemens Gamesa. "Drawing upon their expertise, capabilities and accreditation for grid code compliance certification in the rapidly growing markets of Germany, Spain and Poland, as well as other European countries, they have certified two of our onshore wind turbine products and our power plant controller, helping us advance further towards a significant, renewable clean energy source." "This is a critically important part in the rollout of renewable energy, as growth and momentum meet safety and certification," said Guido Broring, global head of UL's Grid Integration group. "We are proud to be entrusted with undertaking this work for energy stakeholders globally. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Siemens Gamesa on compliance projects in the U.K., Germany and Spain early in 2022." About UL UL is a global safety science leader. We deliver testing, inspection and certification (TIC), training and advisory services, risk management solutions and essential business insights to help our customers, based in more than 100 countries, achieve their safety, security and sustainability goals. We believe our deep knowledge of products and intelligence across supply chains make us the partner of choice for customers with complex challenges. Discover more at UL.com. Press contact: Steven Brewster UL +1 847.664.8425 ULNews@UL.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1829532/Siemens_Gamesa.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/325015/ul_enterprise_logo.jpg Dhaka, Bangladesh--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2022) - Bangladesh's digital flagship program, a2i, has been revealed to play a significant role helping to bring the country toward achieving its 'Vision 2041,' which envisions the country to be a fully developed nation by the year 2041. Serving in part of the country's Digital Bangladesh Agenda, a2i acts as an innovation unit that works across the whole government and helps its citizens by creating faster, hassle-free, and reliable services. According to a2i senior officials, Digital Bangladesh implies the contextual application of ubiquitous technologies to unlock the full potential of education, health, job placement, and poverty reduction initiatives for the poor and marginalized. The program traces its early beginnings to the Office of the Prime Minister, originally mandated to bring about a change in civil service. With full support coming from the Government and working with global partners, the program seeks to position the government to be at the forefront of integrating new, whole-of-society approaches to achieve the SDGs. One of its initial projects included the implementation of an empathy training program that sought to give government officials a first-hand experience of what an ordinary citizen goes through when trying to secure a government service. The success of this initiative helped usher in a new concept called the Time, Cost, Visit (TCV) Audit-a full-pledged assessment program aimed at simplifying the process of accessing services by eliminating unnecessary steps, innovating interventions to save both cost and visits for citizens. The audit also gave way to learning how to further innovate the process via the infusion of newer technologies. Perhaps of equal importance was the fact that reducing TCV provided a clear byword for innovation that civil servants at all administrative tiers - from policymakers to field officers - irrespective of ministry or domain, could easily understand and rally around. Aggregated, citizens of Bangladesh have saved over $16 billion, nearly 12 billion workdays, and 7.5 billion visits in the last decade due to the more efficient delivery of public services alone. Int. Communication strategist Ashfaq Zaman explains that the a2i program is primed by its mission to enable the government to be citizen-centric-a single platform that offers multiple solutions to its constituents. To date, a2i has successfully formed key strategic partnerships with major companies and organizations. A2i is set to be formally established as Bangladesh's national innovation agency and roll out a series of new innovations to repurpose its existing programs such as the digital centers, national helpline 333, and MyGov app in lieu with making a SMART & Innovative Bangladesh for Vision 2041, whilst also exporting the successful models to be replicated in developing countries such as Yemen, Somalia, Philippines and others. Media Contact: Name: Ashfaq Zaman Email: info@a2i.gov.bd To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/125842 Regulatory News: TotalEnergies EP Gabon's (Paris:EC) ordinary Annual Shareholders' Meeting was held today in Libreville, chaired by Mr. Henri-Max NDONG NZUE. Shareholders approved all resolutions recommended by the Board of Directors, including: Approval of the 2021 financial statements including a net income of $33 million under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) referential and $24 million under OHADA standards. Approval of the payment of a net dividend of $16.67 per share related to the financial year 2021 for a total amount of $75 million. Renewal of the directors mandates of the Gabonese Republic and MM. Stephane BASSENE, Olivier JOCKTANE and Bertrand BRUN for a two-year term expiring at the end of the Annual Shareholders' Meeting called to approve the 2023 financial statements. Determination of the global compensation ceiling of the statutory auditors for preparing their reports on the 2021 financial statements. A detailed breakdown of the vote tallies will be posted on the Company's website www.ep.totalenergies.ga in the coming days. The Board of Directors in its meeting today approved the modalities of the dividend payment. The $16,67 per share dividend will be paid in euro as from June 10, 2022 in an equivalent amount of 15.56 per share, based on the European Central Bank's rate of $1.0713 per euro on May 31, 2022. About TotalEnergies EP Gabon TotalEnergies EP Gabon is 58.28% owned by TotalEnergies S. E, 25% by the Gabonese Republic and 16.72% by the public. About TotalEnergies TotalEnergies is a global multi-energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our 100,000 employees are committed to energy that is ever more affordable, cleaner, more reliable and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130 countries, TotalEnergies puts sustainable development in all its dimensions at the heart of its projects and operations to contribute to the well-being of people. Twitter @TotalEnergies LinkedIn TotalEnergies Facebook TotalEnergies Instagram TotalEnergies Cautionary Note The terms "TotalEnergies", "TotalEnergies Company" and "Company" appearing in this document are used to refer to TotalEnergies SE and the consolidated entities that TotalEnergies SE controls directly or indirectly. Similarly, the terms "we", "us", "our" may also be used to refer to these entities or their employees. The entities in which TotalEnergies SE holds a stake directly or indirectly are separate and autonomous legal persons. TotalEnergies SE cannot be held liable for acts or omissions emanating from these companies. This document may contain forward-looking statements. They may prove to be inaccurate in the future and are dependent on risk factors. Neither TotalEnergies SE nor any of its subsidiaries undertakes or assumes any commitment or responsibility to investors or any other stakeholder to update or revise, in particular as a result of new information or future events, any or all of the statements, forward-looking information, trends or objectives contained in this document. Information regarding risk factors that could have a material adverse effect on TotalEnergies' financial results or operations is also available in the most up-to-date versions of the Universal Registration Document filed by TotalEnergies SE with the Autorite des marches financiers and Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531005971/en/ Contacts: TotalEnergies EP Gabon actionnariat-epgabon@totalenergies.com Media Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 99 l presse@totalenergies.com l @TotalEnergiesPR Investor Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 46 l ir@totalenergies.com Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said Tuesday it will open an investigation into the shocking discovery of a dead tree frog in a lunch dish provided to students at a high school in the capital the previous day. The incident occurred at the unnamed high school in western Seoul, where students were appalled to find a tree frog carcass in radish kimchi, a popular Korean fermented side dish, served with their lunch Monday. The school sent a letter of apology to all students and their parents, saying the contaminated kimchi was discovered after being delivered by a supplier to the school as a finished product. The school said it discarded all the radish kimchi products stored in the school cafeteria and terminated its contract with the food supplier. The school also said it will take further measures against the supplier, if necessary, after receiving a written explanation from the company. The Seoul education office said it plans to investigate any problems with the food delivery and meal service process at the high school. "The Seoul School Health Promotion Center, together with Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade, will investigate the concerned kimchi supplier and conduct a special inspection at the high school," an official at the office said. (Yonhap) LONDON (dpa-AFX) - British drug company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK.L) will buy Boston-based vaccine developer Affinivax in a deal worth $2.1 billion, as per press releases issued by both the two companies on early Tuesday. As per the deal, GlaxoSmithKline will pay the vaccine maker up to $1.2 billion more if certain milestones are arrived at in Affinivax's impending clinical trials for a new pneumococcal vaccine. This is the UK pharma giant's second major deal in the last two months and it opens up the pharma giant's access to Affinivax's roster of next-generation vaccines. The US vaccine maker has developed a multiple antigen presenting system, which creates vaccines that train the immune system to know multiple pathogens at the same time and create protective anti-bodies and T cells. The company made use of this technology in developing a vaccine to prevent pneumococcal infections, such as pneumonia and meningitis. The company is moving on to a late-stage trial in adults over 50 after receiving good results in an earlier study, and is also starting paediatric trials this year. Commenting on the deal, Hal Barron, GSK's chief scientific officer, said that the acquisition would boost the company's vaccines pipeline and expand the UK drug maker's presence in the Boston area, which is a prominent force in the global biotech field. 'We look forward to working with the many talented people at Affinivax to combine our industry-leading development, manufacturing and commercialization capabilities to make this exciting new technology available,' he added. The acquisition follows GSK's plans to buy blood cancer specialist Sierra Oncology for 1.5 billion pounds in April, as part of plans to strengthen its drug pipeline after facing pressure from activist investors like US hedge fund Elliott Management. GSK is also planning to spin off its consumer health division into a new company known as Haleon in July. This may make the vaccines and pharmaceuticals divisions more exposed to investor scrutiny but will also bring the company investment of about 7 billion pounds to invest in its drug pipeline. Steven Brugger, Affinivax's chief executive, said that the company had created a pipeline of new vaccines over eight years from the initial development of the platform at Boston Children's Hospital. About the acquisition, he said, ' GSK's significant capabilities would help it develop vaccines that combat novel and resistant infectious diseases for which there are no effective immunization strategies available today.' Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX GSK-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de First quarter 2022 results Regulatory News: TotalEnergies EP Gabon (Paris:EC): Main Financial Indicators Q1 22 Q1 21 Q1 22 vs Q1 21 Average Brent price $/b 102.2 61.1 67% Average TotalEnergies EP Gabon crude price (1) $/b 97.4 54.4 79% Crude oil production from fields operated by TotalEnergies EP Gabon kb/d (2) 16.5 18.5 -11% Crude oil production from TotalEnergies EP Gabon (3) kb/d 16.5 26.8 -38% Sales volumes (4) Mb (5) 1.99 2.08 -4% Revenues (6) $M 188 139 35% Funds generated from operations (7) $M 30 88 -66% Capital expenditure $M 6 18 -67% Net income $M 21 1 n.a (1) The crude price calculation excludes profit oil reverting to the Gabonese Republic as per production sharing contracts, these barrels being handed over in kind to the host state. (2) kb/d: Thousand barrels per day. (3) Including profit oil reverting to the Gabonese Republic as per production sharing contracts. (4) Sales volume excludes profit oil reverting to the Gabonese Republic as per production sharing contracts, these barrels being handed over in kind to the host state. (5) Mb: Million of barrels. (6) Revenue from hydrocarbon sales and services (transportation, processing and storage)" including profit oil reverting to the Gabonese Republic as per production sharing contracts. (7) Funds generated from operations are comprised of the operating cash flow, the gains or losses on disposals of assets and the working capital changes. First Quarter 2022 Results Selling Price In the first quarter 2022, Brent averaged $102.2 per barrel ($/b), up 67% compared to the first quarter 2021 (61.1 $/b). In a favorable price environment, the average selling price of the crude oil grade marketed by TotalEnergies EP Gabon averaged to 97.4 $/b, up 79% compared to the first quarter 2021. Production In the first quarter 2022, TotalEnergies EP Gabon's equity share of oil production averaged 16.5 kb/d, down 38% compared to the first quarter 2021. This variation is mainly explained by: The interests divested in seven mature offshore field (Grondin non-operated sector) completed on December 7, 2021. A damage to a subsea electrical cable supplying the Anguille and Torpille offshore fields, which occurred on September 18, 2021. The power supply has been restored on January 15, 2022. A damage on the Anguille offshore field gas compressor which occurred end of January 2022. Repairs have been finalized on April 7, 2022. Partially offset by: A better availability of the operated production from Torpille field following the five-year shutdown. Revenue The first quarter 2022 revenues amounted to $188 million, up 35% compared to the first quarter 2021, mainly due to the average selling price improvement over the quarter. Funds Generated from Operations Funds generated from operations amounted to $30 million in the first quarter of 2022 down 66% compared to the first quarter of 2021, impacted by the working capital variation ($-66 million) due to the price effect on trade receivables. Capital Expenditure Capital expenditure amounted to $6 million in the first quarter 2022, down 67% compared to the first quarter 2021. They mainly include operations related to integrity works, repairs and improvements made on the Anguille offshore field gas compressor and the purchase of electrical pumps. Net Income The first quarter 2022 net income amounted to $21 million, compared to a loss of $-1 million in the first quarter 2021. The first quarter 2022 net income is mainly impacted by the significant prices increase, operational cost and depreciation decrease, partially offset by the tax charge increase. Highlights since the beginning of first quarter 2022 Board of Directors Meeting March 24, 2022 The Board of Directors approved on March 24, 2022 the accounts for the year ending December 31, 2021 and decided that it will recommend at the Annual Meeting on May 31, 2022 that shareholders approve the payment of a dividend of $16.67 dollars per share, for a total pay-out of $75 million. Cape Lopez oil terminal incident Following an incident on April 28, 2022 at the Cap Lopez oil terminal operated by Perenco Oil Gas Gabon, crude oil reception and export operations have been suspended. This situation led to a production shutdown of TotalEnergies EP Gabon on April 28, 2022. The restart of production operations have resumed on May 17. The impact of the incident on 2022 annual production is estimated to 1,200 b/d. About TotalEnergies EP Gabon TotalEnergies EP Gabon is 58.28% owned by TotalEnergies S. E, 25% by the Gabonese Republic and 16.72% by the public. About TotalEnergies TotalEnergies is a global multi-energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our 100,000 employees are committed to energy that is ever more affordable, cleaner, more reliable and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130 countries, TotalEnergies puts sustainable development in all its dimensions at the heart of its projects and operations to contribute to the well-being of people. @TotalEnergies TotalEnergies TotalEnergies TotalEnergies Cautionary Note The terms "TotalEnergies", "TotalEnergies Company" and "Company" appearing in this document are used to refer to TotalEnergies SE and the consolidated entities that TotalEnergies SE controls directly or indirectly. Similarly, the terms "we", "us", "our" may also be used to refer to these entities or their employees. The entities in which TotalEnergies SE holds a stake directly or indirectly are separate and autonomous legal persons. TotalEnergies SE cannot be held liable for acts or omissions emanating from these companies. This document may contain forward-looking statements. They may prove to be inaccurate in the future and are dependent on risk factors. Neither TotalEnergies SE nor any of its subsidiaries undertakes or assumes any commitment or responsibility to investors or any other stakeholder to update or revise, in particular as a result of new information or future events, any or all of the statements, forward-looking information, trends or objectives contained in this document. Information regarding risk factors that could have a material adverse effect on TotalEnergies' financial results or operations is also available in the most up-to-date versions of the Universal Registration Document filed by TotalEnergies SE with the Autorite des marches financiers and Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531005967/en/ Contacts: TotalEnergies EP Gabon actionnariat-epgabon@totalenergies.com Media Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 99 l presse@totalenergies.com l @TotalEnergiesPR Investor Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 46 l ir@totalenergies.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2022) - Silverton Metals Corp. (TSXV: SVTN) (OTCQB: SVTNF) ("Silverton" or the "Company") announces that Killian Ruby will be stepping down as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, effective June 15, 2022. Mr. Ruby's replacement will be announced in due course. The Company wishes to thank Mr. Ruby for his services as Chief Financial Officer. On behalf of the Board John Theobald President, CEO & Director Silverton Metals Corp About Silverton Metals Corp Silverton Metals Corp is a Canadian company focused on the exploration and development of quality silver projects. The company holds a 100% interest in three significant silver assets in Mexico - Pluton, in Durango, Penasco Quemado in Sonora and La Frazada in Nayarit. Silverton management and board have experience identifying and evaluating acquisition targets and exploration prospects. The company intends to build a strong portfolio of silver and gold-silver projects to drive future growth by exploration success and from later stage projects with production potential. To achieve this growth the Silverton business plan calls for a dynamic combination of development of its existing properties, acquisitions, and partnerships. For further information please contact: Silverton Metals Corp. W. Barry Girling, VP Corporate Development and Director (604) 683-0911 Forward-Looking Statements Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions, and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. Silverton cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond Silverton's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to Silverton's limited operating history and the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations. Accordingly, actual, and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions, and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, Silverton undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information. NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/125998 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2022) - Royal Fox Gold Inc. (TSXV: FOXG) ("Royal Fox" or the "Company") announces that further to its press release of May 21, 2021 and pursuant to the terms of the Share Purchase Agreement dated November 30, 2020, as amended March 23, 2021 and April 21, 2021, (collectively, the "Definitive Agreement"), entered into between the Company, Frank Guillemette (the "Principal Shareholder"), Jonathan Girard and Jean-Francois Girard (together with the Principal Shareholder, the "Vendors"), the Company purchased from the Vendors all of the issued and outstanding common shares in the capital of 9396-1217 Quebec Inc., whose sole asset is 100% of the common shares in the capital of 9220-5392 Quebec Inc. o/a Mines Royales Quebec ("MRQ"), the Company has issued an aggregate of 15,503,876 common shares (the "Common Shares") in the capital of the Company to the Vendors. The Common Shares will be subject to a hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance and the resale rules of applicable securities legislation. Pursuant to Definitive Agreement, Mr. Frank Guillemette was issued 15,127,264 Common Shares. Immediately prior to the issuance, Mr. Guillemette held, directly or indirectly, 59,242,510 Common Shares and 500,000 stock options. Upon completion of is issuance, Mr. Guillemette will beneficially own or control 74,369,774 Common Shares of the Company and 500,000 stock options, representing approximately 25.66% of the Company's issued and outstanding Common Shares on a non-diluted basis and approximately 25.79% of the Company's issued and outstanding Common Shares on a partially basis. Depending on market and other conditions, or as future circumstances may dictate, Mr. Guillemette may from time to time increase or decrease its holdings of Common Shares or other securities of the Company. A copy of the early warning report will be available on the Company's issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. About Royal Fox Gold Inc. Royal Fox Gold Inc. is a mineral exploration company focused on the development of the Philibert Project near Chibougamau, Quebec. The Philibert Project comprises 110 mineral titles having a total approximate area of 5,393 hectares of highly prospective ground, 9km from IAMGOLD's Nelligan Gold project which was awarded the "Discovery of the Year" by the Quebec Mineral Exploration Association (AEMQ) in 2019. To date, more than $10M (historical value) have been spent on the Philibert Project, with more than 60,000 metres of drilling completed. The Company is focused on de-risking the asset and releasing a maiden NI 43-101 resource estimate which will incorporate results from both brownfield and greenfield exploration, combined with extensive historical data. The Philibert Project is owned by SOQUEM. Royal Fox is currently undergoing an ownership option process, details of which can be found in the corporate presentation available on the Company's website. More details are available in the corporate presentation of Royal Fox at: www.royalfoxgold.com. About SOQUEM SOQUEM, a subsidiary of Investissement Quebec, is dedicated to promoting the exploration, discovery, and development of mining properties in Quebec. SOQUEM also contributes to maintaining strong local economies. Proud partner and ambassador for the development of Quebec's mineral wealth, SOQUEM relies on innovation, research, and strategic minerals to be well-positioned for the future. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS "Simon Marcotte", CFA Simon Marcotte, President and Chief Executive Officer of Royal Fox Gold Inc. For further information, please contact: Simon Marcotte, CFA President and Chief Executive Officer of Royal Fox Gold Inc. +1-647-801-7273 Email: smarcotte@royalfoxgold.com Cautionary Statements Neither the 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. The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to the TSXV listing, risk related to the failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/126028 TORONTO and LONDON, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. (TSX: CF) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that through its wealth management business in the UK and Crown Dependencies ("CGWM UK"), it has completed its previously announced acquisition of Punter Southall Wealth Limited ("PSW"). With a strong track record of successfully integrating businesses and clients, CGWM UK expects to achieve tangible revenue and cost synergies with a clear pathway to continued growth. PSW currently has approximately 4.8 billion (C$7.9 billion) in client assets and generated annual revenue of approximately 34.7 million (C$60.0 million) in the year ended December 31, 2021. David Esfandi, Chief Executive Officer of CGWM UK said: "We are so pleased to welcome the PSW team which brings a strong and complementary fit for our advice-led offering and builds on our footprint in the UK, including an expanded presence in Scotland. The addition of PSW will enhance our capabilities and will strengthen our model-based product and service offering to address the increasingly complex wealth management and financial planning needs of our clients." John Howard-Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Punter Southall Wealth, added: "On behalf of the Punter Southall Wealth team, we are very pleased to be joining our new colleagues at Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management. We look forward to working closely together to grow our integrated wealth management business and advance our product and service offering for our valued clients." As part of CGWM UK, the investment professionals, financial planners, and clients of PSW will also have access to the broad range of resources provided by CGWM UK and the Company's broader global platform. To help facilitate a seamless transition, PSW's investment team will play an important role in the combined businesses' investment process. In connection with completion of the acquisition, CGWM UK will add 100 million (C$169.2 million) to its existing bank facility. In addition, HPS Investment Partners, LLC, on behalf of investment accounts and funds it manages, has made an additional investment in CGWM UK through the purchase of a new series of convertible preferred shares of CGWM UK in the amount of 65.3 million (C$110.5 million). Cumulative dividends will be payable by CGWM UK on the convertible preferred shares at the greater of an annual 7.5% coupon and the proportionate share that such shares would receive on an as converted basis. The convertible preferred shares will also carry customary minority rights in respect of CGWM UK governance and financial matters, a liquidation preference, and call protections. The Company now holds an approximate 66.9% equity equivalent interest in CGWM UK on an as converted basis. CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This press release may contain "forward-looking information" as defined under applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). These statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's expectations, beliefs, plans, estimates, intentions and similar statements concerning anticipated future events, results, circumstances, performance or expectations that are not historical facts, including business and economic conditions and Canaccord Genuity Group's growth, results of operations, performance and business prospects and opportunities. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "predict", "potential", "continue", "target", "intend", "could" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and a number of factors could cause actual events or results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. In evaluating these statements, readers should specifically consider various factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statement. These factors include, but are not limited 'to, market and general economic conditions, the nature of the financial services industry and the risks and uncertainties discussed from time to time in the Company's interim condensed and annual consolidated financial statements, its annual report and its annual information form ("AIF") filed on www.sedar.com as well as the factors discussed in the sections entitled "Risk Management" and "Risk Factors" in the AIF, which include market, liquidity, credit, operational, legal and regulatory risks. Material factors or assumptions that were used by the Company to develop the forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, but are not limited to, those set out in its annual and quarterly MD&As and those discussed from time to time in the Company's interim condensed and annual consolidated financial statements, its annual report and its AIF filed on www.sedar.com. The preceding list is not exhaustive of all possible risk factors that may influence actual results. Readers are cautioned that the preceding list of material factors or assumptions is not exhaustive. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon assumptions that management believes are reasonable, there can be no assurance that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. Except as may be required by applicable law, the Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims, any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, further developments or otherwise. ABOUT CANACCORD GENUITY GROUP INC. Through its principal subsidiaries, Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. (the "Company") is a leading independent, full-service financial services firm, with operations in two principal segments of the securities industry: wealth management and capital markets. Since its establishment in 1950, the Company has been driven by an unwavering commitment to building lasting client relationships. We achieve this by generating value for our individual, institutional and corporate clients through comprehensive investment solutions, brokerage services and investment banking services. The Company has wealth management offices located in Canada, the UK, Guernsey, Jersey, the Isle of Man and Australia. The Company's international capital markets division operates in North America, UK & Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East. Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. is publicly traded under the symbol CF on the TSX. ABOUT CANACCORD GENUITY WEALTH MANAGEMENT The wealth management operations of the Canaccord Genuity Group (Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management) provide comprehensive wealth management solutions and brokerage services to individual investors, private clients, charities and intermediaries through a full suite of services tailored to the needs of clients in each of its markets. Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management has Investment Advisors (IAs) and professionals in Canada, the UK and its Crown Dependencies (Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man) and Australia and has advisors in Canada who are registered in the US. Reference to CGWM UK includes offices located in both the UK and the Crown Dependencies. Since 2016, Canaccord Genuity has materially invested to support the growth of its wealth management businesses in all geographies. As a result of this growth, client assets have increased substantially, and Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management has become a stable and significant contributor to firmwide profitability and earnings. Investor and media relations inquiries: Christina Marinoff, Vice President, Investor Relations & Communications, Phone: 416-687-5507, Email: cmarinoff@cgf.com, www.cgf.com/investor-relations Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2022) - China Education Resources Inc. (TSXV: CHN) (OTC Pink: CHNUF) ("CER") today provides shareholders and investors with an update: Further to the CER's press release dated May 17, 2022, CER still remains in the default status of filing the 2021 annual audited consolidated financial statements ("financials") and Management Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A"). Following the outbreaks of COVID-19 in many cities in China, including Beijing and Shanghai, the China central government has imposed "Zero-COVID" policy leading to lockdowns in these cities, which has caused our delay of the audit and finalize the 2021 financials and MD&A. CER intends to do the filings and any other periodic disclosure required under applicable securities laws as soon as practicable. CER also announces that the Company has appointed Mr. Ansheng Zeng as a member to the CER's Board of Directors (the "Board") to replace Ms. Lian Li who resigned from the Board as a director due to personal reasons. Appointment of Mr. Zeng is subject to the approval by TSX Venture Exchange. Mr. Zeng is an entrepreneur with extensive experience in consulting and IT industries. We thank Ms. Li for her contributions to the Company. The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed, and does not accept any responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the contents of this press release. For further information, contact China Education Resources at: (604) 331-2388. Email: admin@chinaeducationresources.com Website: http://www.chinaeducationresources.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/126045 CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - Australia will on Wednesday release Q1 figures for gross domestic product, setting the pace for a busy day in Asia-Pacific economic activity. GDP is expected to rise 0.5 percent on quarter and 2.9 percent on year after gaining 3.4 percent on quarter and 4.2 percent on year in the previous three months. Australia also will see May results for commodity prices and for the manufacturing index from the Australian Industry Group; in April, commodity prices surged 39.9 percent on year and the manufacturing index score was 58.5. South Korea will provide May numbers for imports, exports and trade balance. Imports are expected to surge 31.9 percent on year, accelerating from 18.6 percent in April. Exports are called higher by an annual 19.3 percent, up from 12.6 percent in the previous month. The trade deficit is pegged at $2.59 billion following the $2.66 billion shortfall a month earlier. Japan will release Q1 data for capital spending; in the previous three months, capex rose 4.3 percent on year. Hong Kong will provide April numbers for retail sales; in March, sales tumbled 16.8 percent on year. A number of the regional countries will see May results for their respective manufacturing PMIs from S&P Global, including Australia, Japan (Jibun), the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Taiwan, China (Caixin) and Thailand. Finally, the markets in Indonesia are closed on Wednesday for Pancasila Day and will re-open on Thursday. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de The Africa Business Leaders Coalition brings together CEOs from across the continent to advance Africa's sustainable growth, prosperity and development New York, U.S.A., May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Convened by the UN Global Compact, Chief Executive Officers from across Africa today announced the launch of the Africa Business Leaders Coalition (ABLC). The Coalition will provide a platform for African business leaders to have a unified private sector voice as they actively and meaningfully engage to work on the continent's most pressing issues through an organized, forward-looking, principles-based approach. The Africa Business Leaders Coalition is a CEO-led initiative emanating from the UN Global Compact Africa Strategy 2021-2023, and is committed to advancing sustainable growth, prosperity and development in Africa by bringing measurable impact to its most pressing issues. The ABLC will work closely with the UN Global Compact Hub in Abuja and 10 Global Compact Local Networks operating across Africa. Ahead of COP27 to be held in Egypt in November 2022, the ABLC will focus its efforts on sustainable development and ambitious climate action by bringing the perspectives of dozens of leading African CEOs and Board Chairs into the global conversation. This will culminate in an ABLC Climate Statement in support of COP27, anchored in the goals of the Paris Agreement, the Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Global Compact Ten Principles. ABLC members will be invited to sign on and announce credible commitments and actions through this Climate Statement. Welcoming the founding members of the Africa Business Leaders Coalition, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed urged them to use their influence to drive change across the continent. "This is an opportunity to establish a holistic dialogue to reconcile the development needs of the continent with the need for ambitious climate action, jumpstart the renewable energy transition, and build resilience across the continent," she said. Launching the ABLC, Assistant Secretary-General and CEO of the UN Global Compact Sanda Ojiambo said: "Climate change presents a $3 trillion investment opportunity in Africa by 2030. But this potential will not be realized unless the private sector is involved. This Coalition has a critical role to play in ensuring the voice of Africa's private sector is heard on the global stage to ensure the continent's growth is not only sustainable but also green." The 11 founding members of ABLC include Herbert Wigwe, CEO, Access Bank, Nigeria; Brahim Benjelloun Touimi, Chairman, Bank of Africa, Morocco; Hichem Elloumi, Chairman and CEO, COFICAB; Strive Masiyiwa, Founder and Executive Chairman, Econet Wireless, Zimbabwe; James Mwangi, CEO and Managing Director, Equity Group, Kenya; Karim Bernoussi, CEO, Intelcia Group, Morocco; Phuthi? Mahanyele-Dabengwa, CEO, Naspers, South Africa; Yasmine Mohamed Farid Khamis, CEO and Chairman, Oriental Weavers Carpets Co., Egypt; Peter Ndegwa, CEO, Safaricom, Kenya; Fleetwood Grobler, President and CEO, Sasol, South Africa; and Amir Barsoum, Founder and CEO, Vezeeta, Egypt. Members of the ABLC commit to upholding the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compactand becoming a UN Global Compact participant within six months of joining. During today's launch, the founding members shared their commitment to sustainability across the continent, focusing on potential company commitments, the sustainability efforts they are making across their communities, a move towards more innovative and robust methods of climate finance, and a call to action for the global community. The virtual launch event was also attended by leaders from the United Nations, including Abdulla Shahid, President of the United Nations General Assembly; Collen Vixen Kelapile, President, United Nations Economic and Social Council; Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations; Cristina Duarte, Under Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Africa to the UN Secretary-General and Sanda Ojiambo, Assistant Secretary-General and CEO of the UN Global Compact. They joined together today to launch the ABLC with Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, UN Climate Change High-level Climate Champion for Egypt. Boston Consulting Group is providing strategy and implementation support to the UN Global Compact for the Africa Business Leaders Coalition. Today's inaugural meeting was Chaired by Sanda Ojiambo with support from Patrick Dupoux, Managing Director, Senior Partner, and Head of Africa, BCG. Today's launch will be followed by six regional roundtable meetings in Abidjan, Cairo, Casablanca, Johannesburg, Lagos and Nairobi in June and July to discuss, shape and mobilize principled and sustainable business in Africa. About the United Nations Global Compact As a special initiative of the UN Secretary-General, the United Nations Global Compact is a call to companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies with Ten Principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. Our ambition is to accelerate and scale the global collective impact of business by upholding the Ten Principles and delivering the Sustainable Development Goals through accountable companies and ecosystems that enable change. With more than 15,000 companies and 3,000 non-business signatories based in over 160 countries, and 69 Local Networks, the UN Global Compact is the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative - one Global Compact uniting business for a better world. For more information, follow @globalcompact on social media and visit our website at unglobalcompact.org and Africa Business Leaders Coalition | UN Global Compact Media Contact Alex Gee gee@unglobalcompact.org Acrisure, a Grand Rapids, MI-based fintech operates that operates a global insurance broker, closed a $725 million Series B-2 Preferred Equity funding round. A wholly owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) led the round, with participation from Guggenheim Investments on behalf of certain clients and Oak Hill Advisors. The company, which received a $23 billion valuation, representing a 31% increase from its last preferred equity raise in March 2021, intends to use the funds to continue pursuing value-accretive acquisitions, grow its tech enabled solutions, increase marketing and brand awareness, and invest in human and technological infrastructure to support global expansion. Founded in 2005 and led by Greg Williams, CEO and President, Acrisure provides customers with intelligence-driven financial services solutions for insurance and reinsurance, real estate services, cyber services and asset and wealth management. The company has grown revenue from $38 million to more than $3.5 billion in over eight years with locations throughout the world. FinSMEs 31/05/2022 Two U.S. Secret Service agents who were working on Joe Biden's trip to Asia are being sent home after one was accused of drunkenly assaulting a South Korean the day before the president arrived in Seoul, officials said. The two Secret Service employees went barhopping before returning to their hotel in a taxi, the official said. One of the employees got into an argument with the taxi driver and two Korean citizens who apparently were trying to enter the vehicle. The incident occurred outside the Grand Hyatt hotel, where Biden stayed during his May 20-24 trip to South Korea and Japan. Biden arrived in Seoul on Friday evening. U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls of District 22 speaks during a news conference May 26 at the Sugar Land Marriott Hotel. Nehls is calling for support of law enforcement bolstering legislation in the wake of the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde. (Photo by Landan Kuhlmann) By Paola Subacchi LONDON The world order is at risk of a lasting split, with the United States and its allies on one side, and China and its partners on the other. As U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen noted at an Atlantic Council event last month, this outcome is far from desirable, and the U.S. must work with China to prevent it. But, practically in her next breath, Yellen advocated actions that could thwart such an effort. In Yellen's view, the U.S. should be deepening ties with countries that have "strong adherence to a set of norms and values about how to operate in the global economy and about how to run the global economic system." In her view, picking partners that are "committed to a set of core values and principles" is the key to effective cooperation on important issues. But where does that leave countries with different values and principles? How can the global institutional architecture survive if countries limit open engagement only to those who view the world the same way they do? If the West excludes a power like China from its multilateral arrangements, what can China do other than spearhead alternatives? A better approach to China would be based on three key considerations. The first is that multilateralism is impossible without China. Not only is China the world's second-largest economy; it also has one of the world's largest financial systems, with assets amounting to nearly 470 percent of its GDP. China's gross national savings equivalent to about 45 percent of GDP are similarly massive. Moreover, China is the world's largest bilateral lender, and it contributes substantially to multilateral financial institutions and not only those built and led by the West. In fact and this is the second consideration China has assumed an important role in the international financial architecture, as both a member and builder of institutions. In recent years, China has pioneered the creation of two new regional multilateral development banks. Both the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the New Development Bank (NDB) are designed to complement the international financial architecture, proving that China can lead institutions, act as a major provider of development finance, and be a "responsible stakeholder" in a system created by the U.S. and its allies. But, in a sense, that system is failing China. At the International Monetary Fund, China's voting share is 6.1 percent, slightly lower than Japan's 6.2 percent and well below the 16.5 percent U.S. share. Their shares at the World Bank are 5.4 percent, 7.28 percent, and 15.5 percent, respectively. Though this is clearly out of line with China's economic weight, the pace of reform has been slow, not least because of American obstruction a point Yellen brushed aside when discussing the need to modernize the IMF and the World Bank. This gives China's leaders good reasons to consider other options, including decoupling the institutions it leads from the existing multilateral system and creating new ones. The result would be a fragmentation of the global financial safety net, which would become less responsive, predictable, and inclusive, inevitably leaving some countries exposed to systemic risks. The third consideration that must shape the West's approach to China is the thorniest: China's economic and political systems and thus China's objectives and incentives differ sharply from those of the G7 countries. This is a major source of tensions between the West and China, and a key reason why officials like Yellen advocate the easier engagement that is possible with "likeminded" countries. To be sure, navigating conflicting perspectives, ideologies, and interests is challenging. This has been apparent during Russia's war against Ukraine, which China has refused to join the G7 in condemning. But, as frustrating as China's reticence is, confronting the country's leaders will not help matters. Nor will excluding China from multilateral arrangements. Instead, the G7 countries should focus on identifying areas of common interest where the risk of misunderstanding and disagreement is low and seize whatever opportunities for cooperation there may be. Climate change and, in particular, climate finance is an obvious example, but it is hardly the only one. While Western media have often presented China's leaders as intransigent or even deceitful, China has continued to engage constructively with the West on a variety of economic and financial issues. One example is debt management. Late last month, China joined Zambia's creditor committee and committed to the G20's Common Framework debt-restructuring process. It is a good sign not only for Zambia whose debt burden currently amounts to nearly $32 billion, or around 120 percent of GDP but also for other heavily indebted African countries. Even with regard to Russia's war in Ukraine, there is some convergence between Western and Chinese positions, albeit for very different reasons. In early March, the AIIB, citing the financial risks, froze all business with Russia and Belarus, and the NDB announced that it had "put new transactions in Russia on hold." This shows that appealing to shared values is far from the only way to convince countries to advance shared goals; practical considerations are also very powerful. In dealing with China, the West should attempt to build international dialogue and policy cooperation on a foundation of concrete common interests. Contrary to the prevailing narrative in the West, cooperation with China has been the norm for decades. But if G7 leaders decide to make "core values" the basis of international cooperation, this could well change. A global economy in which China and the G7 follow separate, non-converging paths will leave both sides worse off. Paola Subacchi, professor of international economics at the University of London's Queen Mary Global Policy Institute, is the author of the recent report, "China and the Global Financial Architecture: Keeping Two Tracks on One Path." This article was distributed by Project Syndicate (www.project-syndicate.org). Chaebol should keep their promise to create 300,000 jobs Korea's five largest family-run conglomerates, or chaebol, have unveiled massive employment plans. According to their announcements, the big business groups will likely create more than 300,000 jobs in the next three to five years. Earlier, they also announced huge investment plans worth nearly 1,000 trillion won ($807.4 billion). After a long hiatus, the business community appears to be actively engaged in hiring and investing and young jobseekers are most pleased by these employment plans. The news came amid a severe job shortage due to the chaebol's abolition of open recruitment and dwindled employment opportunities because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The jobless youths do not hide their expectations, searching for detailed recruitment information announced by businesses. However, many remain wary, wondering "whether these announcements will lead to actual employment." After the new government reiterated its intention to create a business-friendly environment by inviting chaebol owners to national events and promising to cut corporate taxes, the business community appeared quite motivated. Last year, Samsung Group vowed to hire 40,000 new workers over three years, but it later increased the number to 80,000 in five years. However, many jobless youths remember that the big five chaebol announced similar plans upon the inauguration of the previous government five years ago. Some skeptics say, "Are they hiring with their mouths?" and "They're like repeat-sign announcements made every five years." Tycoons must keep in mind that the sarcastic responses reflect the jobseekers' dire wishes that it will be different this time around. The businesses should present concrete employment plans by year and share progress reports. In this way, they could show the five-year employment plans are not aimed mainly at currying favor with the new government. Nor should they play a trick by sharply increasing recruitment one year and skipping hiring the following year. Equally important to increasing job opportunities is ensuring job quality. The Yoon Suk-yeol government must not forget that its predecessor became the target of criticism by increasing jobs only for the aged with taxpayers' money. By John Burton North Korea has played the role of mini-me to China when it comes to COVID. Both countries have pursued a zero-COVID strategy over the past two years and both now are facing the disastrous results of that decision. After claiming that it had kept COVID largely at bay, China was recently forced to lock down its two biggest cities Shanghai and Beijing due to the spread of COVID, while maintaining tight border controls. The result is that the Chinese economy is likely to see a sharp slowdown in growth this year. North Korea's strategy has been even more draconian. It claimed that it kept out COVID by closing off the entire country to outside contacts since early 2020, although there was widespread skepticism that it had achieved zero COVID cases. Pyongyang has now admitted that the dam has burst, with at least 3 million COVID cases in the last few weeks. The highly contagious Omicron variant apparently made its way into North Korea due to the recent easing of trade restrictions with China, with the largest number of cases occurring around Pyongyang. In theory, North Korea's strategy to seal off the country made sense since it realized that COVID could overwhelm its fragile healthcare system. But it wasted two precious years by failing to vaccinate the public in the meantime. It rejected offers from China and Russia to supply their Sinopharm and Sputnik vaccines because of concerns, somewhat justified, that they were ineffective. COVAX, the U.N.-affiliated vaccine agency, reserved several million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine for North Korea, but Pyongyang passed because of reports that it caused blood clots in rare cases. Instead, North Korea was holding out for offers of the top-of-the-line mRNA vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna that never came. In some ways, this reflects China's own selective policy on vaccines when it too favored domestic vaccines over foreign ones although the latter are more effective. The leadership in Pyongyang has naturally rejected any responsibility for this strategic error when it came to vaccines. Instead it blamed lower-level officials for "carelessness, laxity, responsibility and incompetence" for allowing the virus to enter North Korea. The country now faces a serious situation since it has created the conditions that would allow COVID to spread like wildfire. In addition to an unvaccinated population, widespread malnutrition and tuberculosis mean the majority of people are susceptible to the virus. The healthcare system is in no condition to deal with a pandemic. It lacks the medicines and equipment, such as ventilators, to help patients afflicted with COVID, while test kits to detect the illness are nearly non-existent. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appeared to confirm some of these problems by criticizing the slow pace of medicine distribution and complaining about the lack of proper medicine storage. The existential threat posed by the COVID outbreak has led some to believe that it represents an opportunity to force North Korea to re-engage with the outside world by opening its borders to assistance. South Korea and the U.S. have offered to provide medicines and other COVID-related humanitarian aid in the hope that it could lead to the resumption of stalled diplomatic talks on North Korea's nuclear program. However, Pyongyang's initial public response to the outbreak suggests that such hopes are naive. It claims, for example, that only around 70 people have died from the disease, which would be one of the lowest fatality rates in the world, adding that COVID cases are falling rapidly. The public is being urged to rely on medicinal herbs and other home remedies to deal with "fever" symptoms, while many are being placed in quarantine. "No need for us to worry," North Korea appears to be telling the world and its own people as it reaffirms its 'Juche' ideology. Like some other authoritarian leaders, Kim Jong-un may also be using the COVID outbreak as an excuse to tighten internal controls further and boost his leadership as he mobilizes military medical personnel and local party units. Nevertheless, such an approach also carries risks. The outbreak could kill at least 100,000 North Koreans, based on the same fatality rate as in South Korea. And this is an optimistic assessment given the North's lack of preparedness in controlling epidemics. Nonetheless, there are ways to help control the situation. Instead of accepting aid from South Korea and the U.S., Pyongyang may be willing to cooperate with the U.N., although the resources of that organization are already overstretched. If North Korea is incapable of procuring sufficient supplies of vaccine for its population, it might try to get antiviral pills which would be easier to administer than vaccines. The U.S. should also ease sanctions that limit the local production of medicines. John Burton (johnburtonft@yahoo.com), a former Korea correspondent for the Financial Times, is a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and consultant. The emergency palace in the Pukhan fortress region in the early 1900s. Robert Neff Collection By Robert Neff For many young foreign diplomats, Seoul in the late 1880s was a wild and exciting adventure. It was, of course, filled with political intrigue and assassinations; the main players were disgruntled court officials, members of the royal family and, reportedly, even the supernatural. According to Charles Chaille-Long, the secretary of the American legation in Seoul: "The King's Palace in 1888 was a collection of yamen, temple-like constructions, gloomy enough in the day, very dark and difficult to illuminate at night the very place for the pranks of the Evil Dragon." One morning presumably in the spring a great cry arose in the palace. In the middle of the night, while they were sleeping, several of the Korean soldiers at the palace were deprived of their topknots ("sangtu"). This act was a serious blow to their masculinity as topknots were a symbol of manhood gained only after marriage. A Korean laborer in the early 1900s. Note the sangtu on his head. Robert Neff Collection According to our American observer, the court astrologers and wise men were all consulted and, after some deliberation, they came to the conclusion that it was the work of the "evil dragon" that dwelt beneath the city. Naturally enough, this alarmed the Korean monarch and his court, and a decree was issued in which the dragon was to be killed or driven out of the palace and city. Messengers were sent to the handful of various foreign legations in the city including the American legation and the diplomats were informed that they should not be alarmed, as there would "be firing at the palace." Charles Chaille-Long duly noted: "During the night, in fact, there was a continuous discharge of Remington rifles, loaded with ball cartridges which pattered on the tiled roof. Several shots, which had certainly missed the Dragon, passed through the sides of my oil-papered chip [house], and this evidence of bad marksmanship induced me to put up defenses in the shape of mattresses, pillows, etc." The following morning, a messenger arrived at the American legation and told Charles Chaille-Long that the dragon had been driven away and now the city would once again return to peace. Of course, he was wrong. Charles Chaille-Long, the unreliable witness to Korea's past. Public domain image taken from his Wikipedia page Transaction creates a top-4 global gold major with a diversified portfolio of high-quality, long-life assets with tangible near and long-term growth opportunities Strengthened financial and operational capacity with complementary cash flow and growth profiles Combined Group will be headquartered in Johannesburg with operations across South Africa, Ghana, Australia, Canada and South America All-share offer by Gold Fields at an Exchange Ratio of 0.6 Gold Fields Consideration Shares for each Yamana share implying a valuation for Yamana of US$6.7 billion JOHANNESBURG AND TORONTO, May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gold Fields Limited (JSE, NYSE: GFI) (Gold Fields) and Yamana Gold Inc. (TSX:YRI; NYSE:AUY; LSE:AUY) (Yamana), today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement (the Arrangement Agreement), under which Gold Fields will acquire all of the outstanding common shares of Yamana (Yamana Shares) pursuant to a plan of arrangement (the Transaction). Under the terms of the Transaction, all of the outstanding Yamana Shares will be exchanged at a ratio of 0.6 of an ordinary share in Gold Fields (each whole share, a Gold Fields Share) or 0.6 of a Gold Fields American depositary share (each whole American depositary share, a Gold Fields ADS) for each Yamana Share (the Exchange Ratio). The Transaction implies a valuation for Yamana of US$6.7 billion and represents a premium of 33.8% to the 10-day Volume-Weighted Average Price (VWAP) of Yamanas Shares of US$ 5.201 on Friday, May 27, 2022, being the last trading day on the NYSE prior to the date of this announcement, based on the 10-day VWAP of Gold Fields ADSs of US$ 11.592. Upon closing of the Transaction, it is anticipated that Gold Fields Shareholders and Yamana Shareholders will own approximately 61% and 39% of the Combined Group, respectively. The acquisition of Yamana by Gold Fields significantly strengthens the ability of the combined company (the Combined Group) to deliver on Gold Fields three strategic pillars: maximizing asset potential; advancing ESG commitment; and growing the value and quality of its asset portfolio. The Combined Group has the potential to create significant long-term value for shareholders through greater scale, an industry-leading portfolio of assets, an enhanced production profile with significant growth potential, operational and geological synergies, and a strengthened financial profile for future growth and shareholder returns. Gold Fields Board believes that offering the Gold Fields Consideration Shares is the best way to capture and unlock growth opportunities while still maintaining financial flexibility, capital and operational discipline, and providing attractive returns to shareholders. Strong near-term operating cash flows from Gold Fields producing assets complement the manageable capital requirements of Yamanas world class, high return project portfolio, providing greater capacity to fund the combined growth pipeline internally, while maintaining shareholder returns in line with Gold Fields existing policy. As traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) As traded on the NYSE Yamana is a natural strategic fit for Gold Fields, with its high quality, diversified portfolio of long life assets located in mining friendly rules-based jurisdictions across the Americas (including its five producing mines and pipeline of development projects and exploration properties) and with a shared focus on health and safety and ESG performance. With the combination of Gold Fields and Yamanas portfolio of assets, Gold Fields will become a new global gold major able to create value at every stage of its pipeline. The Combined Group will maintain its presence in all regions while continuing to honour commitments to stakeholders. Gold Fields believes that this Transaction offers employees and communities more opportunities in the long-term given its track record of ongoing investment in the regions in which it operates. The Transaction has been unanimously approved by the Board of Directors of both Gold Fields and Yamana and is expected to close in the second half of 2022 subject to and following the satisfaction of the conditions precedent to the Transaction. Gold Fields will remain headquartered in Johannesburg. The acquisition will be implemented by way of a plan of arrangement of Yamana under the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA) pursuant to the Arrangement Agreement entered into between Gold Fields and Yamana dated 31 May 2022. The consideration payable (the Transaction Consideration) to the shareholders of Yamana will consist of either, at the election of a Yamana shareholder, newly issued Gold Fields Shares or newly issued Gold Fields ADSs, which each represent one Gold Fields Share, in accordance with the Exchange Ratio. The Gold Fields Shares are listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) and the Gold Fields ADSs are listed on the NYSE. Chris Griffith, Chief Executive Officer of Gold Fields said: Today we are announcing the acquisition by Gold Fields of Yamana, two companies with complementary portfolios, cultures and strategic priorities. The result is a combination with much greater capacity and potential value than the sum of its parts. Each company brings with it a unique set of skills and geological knowledge, enabling the Combined Group to enhance its assets more efficiently over the long-term than they could as separate companies. Todays announcement is the result of a robust and extensive process carried out by the Gold Fields Board and management team to identify the optimum solution to support our revised strategy. Yamanas high-quality asset base in the Americas and strong development and exploration pipeline will further diversify the geography of our portfolio, creating a top-4 global gold major, well positioned to deliver long-term value creation. Combined, Gold Fields will boast an industry leading portfolio of high-quality, long-life flagship assets that span some of the worlds most established gold mining jurisdictions. Like Gold Fields, Yamana is focused on operational delivery, disciplined capital allocation, portfolio management, maximising shareholder returns, and upholding leading sustainability, safety and ESG performance. These shared priorities are foundational to this Transaction. Peter Marrone, Executive Chairman of Yamana Gold said: This is an outstanding opportunity for our shareholders, employees and the local communities in which we operate throughout the Americas. The Transaction delivers an immediate and compelling premium for Yamana Shareholders, reflecting the inherent fair value of our assets, while also offering an opportunity to benefit from the creation of a new global gold producer with an attractive value proposition. We saw significant merit in pursuing discussions with Gold Fields because of the quality of their company on a standalone basis and because of the quality a combination would create. After many months of discussions and conduct of diligence, including site diligence, over a period beginning late last year, we felt even more certain in our premise that Gold Fields was a high-quality standalone company and the company resulting from the combination would be even better. We were also encouraged and influenced by Gold Fields conclusions, after their extensive diligence, of what was our inherent, fair value. The combination of Yamana and Gold Fields creates a world-class, globally diversified company with regional relevance across premier, rules-based mining jurisdictions that is underpinned by low cost, long life mines. The combined entity will be well positioned to deliver long-term value creation with its enhanced scale, management strength and improved capital markets profile. Yamana and Gold Fields also have complementary corporate cultures and values with an ESG-first operating model with a strong focus on supporting host communities and environmental stewardship. We believe that Yamana's shareholders ownership of the Combined Group reflects the fair value of the contribution that each company brings. Strategic Rationale for Gold Fields The Transaction has a compelling strategic rationale and is expected to provide considerable benefits to the shareholders of Gold Fields (Gold Fields Shareholders), shareholders of Yamana (Yamana Shareholders) and the Combined Groups employees and stakeholders. The Transaction will bring together two highly complementary gold portfolios with an enhanced long-term value proposition, centred around: Growing the value and quality of our portfolio of assets with an industry-leading combined portfolio of high-quality assets comparing favourably to the scale, cost and life of the premium-rated majors, and an appropriate balance of existing production with future growth; with an industry-leading combined portfolio of high-quality assets comparing favourably to the scale, cost and life of the premium-rated majors, and an appropriate balance of existing production with future growth; Enhanced geographical diversification with a combined portfolio of high-quality assets across the worlds premier mining jurisdictions in South Africa, Ghana, Australia, Canada, and South America, with risk mitigated through a balanced geographical spread and majority exposure to OECD countries; with a combined portfolio of high-quality assets across the worlds premier mining jurisdictions in South Africa, Ghana, Australia, Canada, and South America, with risk mitigated through a balanced geographical spread and majority exposure to OECD countries; Strengthened financial position driven by Gold Fields and Yamanas highly complementary cash flow generation profiles with strong near-term operating cash flows from producing assets, healthy balance sheets and staggered major capital investment cycles providing the Combined Group with greater capacity to fund its project pipeline without compromising balance sheet flexibility or shareholder returns; with strong near-term operating cash flows from producing assets, healthy balance sheets and staggered major capital investment cycles providing the Combined Group with greater capacity to fund its project pipeline without compromising balance sheet flexibility or shareholder returns; Industry-leading growth pipeline combining Gold Fields track record in portfolio optimisation and project development with Yamanas current assets and deep pipeline with accelerated growth potential. The Combined Group will benefit from the near-term growth of Gold Fields Salares Norte and South Deep mines, and longer-term growth from Yamanas Wasamac, Malartic Odyssey and MARA projects as well as additional opportunities in Yamanas high-quality exploration pipeline; combining Gold Fields track record in portfolio optimisation and project development with Yamanas current assets and deep pipeline with accelerated growth potential. The Combined Group will benefit from the near-term growth of Gold Fields Salares Norte and South Deep mines, and longer-term growth from Yamanas Wasamac, Malartic Odyssey and MARA projects as well as additional opportunities in Yamanas high-quality exploration pipeline; Complementary cultures and aligned strategic priorities with shared values as disciplined, value-driven companies focused on operational delivery, capital allocation, portfolio management, responsible growth and shareholder returns underpinned by a strong focus on people, particularly their safety, and upholding leading sustainability and ESG performance. The Combined Group will continue to commit to Gold Fields 2030 decarbonisation, environmental, safety and health, diversity and stakeholder value creation targets; and with shared values as disciplined, value-driven companies focused on operational delivery, capital allocation, portfolio management, responsible growth and shareholder returns underpinned by a strong focus on people, particularly their safety, and upholding leading sustainability and ESG performance. The Combined Group will continue to commit to Gold Fields 2030 decarbonisation, environmental, safety and health, diversity and stakeholder value creation targets; and Initial target pre-tax synergies of approximately US$40 million per year anchored in operational integration, as well as potential financing synergies and a streamlining of overhead cost structures. Strategic Rationale for Yamana For shareholders of Yamana, the Transaction presents compelling rationale including: Company scale with Yamana Shareholders retaining approximately 39% ownership in the combined top tier, globally diversified, senior gold producer, ranked highest by reserve life index relative to senior gold peers, third largest by gold production in 2024, and fourth largest by market capitalization; with Yamana Shareholders retaining approximately 39% ownership in the combined top tier, globally diversified, senior gold producer, ranked highest by reserve life index relative to senior gold peers, third largest by gold production in 2024, and fourth largest by market capitalization; International presence and regional relevance with 14 mines providing regional relevance across premier, rules-based mining jurisdictions including North America, South America, Africa and Australia; with 14 mines providing regional relevance across premier, rules-based mining jurisdictions including North America, South America, Africa and Australia; Management strength with the Combined Group offering Yamana Shareholders industry leading management bench strength which shares the philosophy of managing regionally dominant platforms. Gold Fields management provides significant experience in certain geologies such as paleo placer deposits which could unlock the full value of the Jacobina gold belt in addition to significant experience in advancing projects which will be of strategic significance in the advancement of Yamanas portfolio of world class development assets; with the Combined Group offering Yamana Shareholders industry leading management bench strength which shares the philosophy of managing regionally dominant platforms. Gold Fields management provides significant experience in certain geologies such as paleo placer deposits which could unlock the full value of the Jacobina gold belt in addition to significant experience in advancing projects which will be of strategic significance in the advancement of Yamanas portfolio of world class development assets; Enhanced capitalized position along with exposure to significant near-term production and cash flow growth from Gold Fields portfolio, improving the ability to deliver a leading growth profile through Yamanas high return, project pipeline including MARA, Odyssey, Wasamac, Jacobinas phased expansion in addition to further opportunities throughout the portfolio; along with exposure to significant near-term production and cash flow growth from Gold Fields portfolio, improving the ability to deliver a leading growth profile through Yamanas high return, project pipeline including MARA, Odyssey, Wasamac, Jacobinas phased expansion in addition to further opportunities throughout the portfolio; Realization of inherent fair value, crystallizing value for Yamana Shareholders while allowing for upside appreciation from further growth and the potential re-rating of the combined portfolio. Board of Directors Recommendations Gold Fields has engaged financial and legal advisors, which are listed below. The Board of Directors of Gold Fields has unanimously approved the Arrangement Agreement. The Board of Directors of Gold Fields recommends that Gold Fields Shareholders vote in favour of the Transaction. After consultation with its outside financial and legal advisors, the Board of Directors of Yamana has unanimously approved the Arrangement Agreement. The Board of Directors of Yamana recommends that Yamana Shareholders vote in favour of the Transaction. In addition, all of the Directors and Senior Officers of Yamana, have entered into binding voting support agreements with Gold Fields under which such individuals have agreed to support and vote their Yamana Shares in favour of the Transaction. The Board of Directors of Yamana has received fairness opinions from Canaccord Genuity Corp. and Scotiabank that, as of the date of each such opinion, and based upon and subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications stated in each such opinion, the Transaction Consideration to be received by Yamana Shareholders is fair from a financial point of view to Yamana Shareholders. Transaction Summary and Timing The Transaction will be effected by way of a plan of arrangement under the CBCA, pursuant to which all of the Yamana Shares will be acquired by a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of Gold Fields in exchange for the Transaction Consideration to be settled by Gold Fields in the form of the Gold Fields Consideration Shares. Pursuant to the terms of the Transaction, the consideration payable to the Yamana Shareholders at closing of the Transaction will consist of: either newly issued Gold Fields Shares; or at the election of Yamana Shareholders, newly issued Gold Fields ADSs, which each represent one Gold Fields Share together the Gold Fields Consideration Shares), in accordance with the Exchange Ratio. The Transaction will require the approval of at least 66 2/3% of the votes cast by Yamana Shareholders voting in person or represented by proxy at a special meeting of Yamana Shareholders called for that purpose. The issuance of Gold Fields Consideration Shares under the Transaction is also subject to the approval of at least 75% of the voting rights exercised on such resolution by Gold Fields Shareholders at a special meeting of Gold Fields shareholders called to approve the Transaction. The Transaction is subject to, among other things, the approval by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List), applicable stock exchange approvals and other regulatory approvals. The Arrangement Agreement includes reciprocal non-solicitation provisions (subject to provisions allowing the Board of Directors of each of Gold Fields or Yamana to exercise their fiduciary duties to change their recommendation and/or to enter into a permitted acquisition agreement in certain circumstances), and rights to match superior proposals. In addition, the Arrangement Agreement provides that, under certain circumstances, Gold Fields would be entitled to a US$300m termination fee and Yamana would be entitled to a US$450m termination fee. Senior officers and directors of each of Yamana and Gold Fields have entered into voting support agreements with Gold Fields and Yamana, respectively, agreeing to vote their Yamana Shares and Gold Fields Shares, respectively, in favour of the Transaction It is anticipated that both the Yamana and Gold Fields shareholder meetings will take place, and closing and completion of the Transaction is expected to occur, in the second half of 2022, subject to satisfaction of the conditions under the Arrangement Agreement. Following the completion of the Transaction, the Gold Fields Shares will continue to trade on the JSE and the Gold Fields ADSs will continue to be listed on the NYSE, and the Yamana Shares will be delisted from each of the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), NYSE and London Stock Exchange (LSE). NOTICE OF INVESTOR CONFERENCE CALL: An investor conference call and presentation on the recommended offer is available to all interested parties via live webcast today at 1:00pm UK time/ 2:00pm South Africa/ 8.00am Eastern Time, via www.newgoldmajor.com or per the link and numbers below. A replay of the webcast will be available after the completion of the call and will remain available for an extended period. https://broadcaster-audience.mediaplatform.com/#/event/628fe34440a1834ffa25891b UK & International +44 (0) 33 0551 0200 UK Toll Free 0808 109 0700 North America Toll +1 212 999 6659 North America Toll Free 1 866 966 5335 South Africa Toll +27 (0) 11 589 8302 South Africa Toll Free 0 800 980 512 South America +55 11 4700 3774 Canada Toll Free 1 866 378 3566 NOTICE OF MEDIA CALL: Gold Fields CEO, Chris Griffith will host a media conference call at 12:15pm UK time/ 1:15pm South Africa/ 7:15am Eastern Time today. Callers are advised to dial in 5 minutes prior to the start time. Dial in details are as follows: UK & International +44 (0) 33 0551 0200 UK Toll Free 0808 109 0700 North America Toll +1 212 999 6659 North America Toll Free 1 866 966 5335 South Africa Toll +27 (0) 11 589 8302 South Africa Toll Free 0 800 980 512 South America +55 11 4700 3774 Canada Toll Free 1 866 378 3566 For further information, please visit the dedicated Transaction microsite www.newgoldmajor.com. Advisors and Counsel Gold Fields has engaged Merrill Lynch South Africa (Pty) Ltd t/a BofA Securities (BofA Securities) as its sole financial advisor and JSE transaction sponsor, and Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Linklaters LLP and Webber Wentzel as its legal advisors in connection with the Transaction. Yamana has retained Canaccord Genuity Corp., Stifel GMP, and Scotiabank as financial advisors, and Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP as Canadian legal counsel and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP as United States legal counsel in connection with the Transaction. Further Information Further details are provided in the Gold Fields SENS announcement released today and will also be expanded on in the required transaction documents that will follow in due course. Yamana will file a material change report in respect of the Transaction in compliance with Canadian securities laws, as well as copies of the Arrangement Agreement and forms of voting support agreements, which will be available under Yamanas SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Full details of the Transaction will be included in the meeting materials of each of Gold Fields and Yamana, which are expected to be mailed to their respective shareholders in the third quarter of 2022. About Gold Fields Gold Fields Limited is a globally diversified gold producer with nine operating mines in Australia, Chile, Ghana, Peru and South Africa, including the Asanko Joint Venture in Ghana, with total attributable annual gold-equivalent production of approximately 2.3Moz. It has attributable gold Mineral Reserves of around 47.4Moz. Attributable copper Mineral Reserves total 474 million pounds. Gold Fields has a primary listing on the JSE, with a secondary listing on the NYSE. About Yamana Gold Yamana is a Canadian-based precious metals producer with significant gold and silver production, development stage properties, exploration properties, and land positions throughout the Americas, including Canada, Brazil, Chile and Argentina. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Gold Fields Investors Avishkar Nagaser, EVP, Investor Relations and Corporate Affairs Tel: +27 11 562 9775 Mobile +27 82 312 8692 Email Avishkar.Nagaser@goldfields.com Thomas Mengel, Manager, Investor Relations Tel: +27 11 562 9849 Mobile: +27 72 493 5170 Email Thomas.Mengel@goldfields.com Gold Fields Media Sven Lunsche, Vice President Corporate Affairs Tel: +27 11 562 9763 Mobile: +27 83 2609279 Email Sven.Lunsche@goldfields.com Investors BofA Securities (Financial advisor to Gold Fields) Ben Davies / Peter Surr / Christos Tomaras / Anthony Knox Tel: +44 20 7628 1000 Media Brunswick Group (Communications advisor to Gold Fields) Johannesburg: Timothy Schultz Tel: +27 82 309 2497 London: Pip Green / Nick Bias / Tom Pigott Tel: +44 20 7404 5959 North America: Emily Levin / Nikki Ritchie Tel: +1 202 617 8582 / Tel: +1 845 682 9850 Yamana Gerardo Fernandez, SVP, Corporate Development and Investor Relations 416-815-0220 1-888-809-0925 Email: investor@yamana.com FTI Consulting (UK Public Relations / Communications advisor to Yamana) Sara Powell / Ben Brewerton +44 7931 765 223 / +44 203 727 1000 Email: yamana.gold@fticonsulting.com Important Information Further information pertaining to the Transaction will be provided in due course pursuant to the documentation to be released by Gold Fields and Yamana in relation to the Transaction (the Transaction Documents). Investors are advised to read the Transaction Documents, which will contain the terms and conditions of the Transaction, with care and in full. Any decision or analysis of and/or election in respect of the Transaction, and/or other matters dealt with in the Transaction Documents should be made only on the basis of such information. BofA Securities, a subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation, is acting exclusively for Gold Fields in connection with the Transaction and for no one else and will not be responsible to anyone other than Gold Fields for providing the protections afforded to its clients or for providing advice in relation to the Transaction. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is made or given, and no responsibility is accepted, by or on behalf of any financial adviser or any of its affiliates or any of its respective directors, officers or employees or any other person, as to the accuracy, completeness, fairness or verification of the information or opinions contained this announcement and nothing contained in this announcement is, or shall be relied upon as, a promise or representation by any financial adviser or any of their respective affiliates as to the past or future. Accordingly, any financial advisers and its affiliates and respective directors, officers and employees disclaim, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, all and any liability, whether arising in tort or contract or that they might otherwise be found to have in respect of this announcement and/or any such statement. Nothing contained in this announcement constitutes, or is intended to constitute, investment, tax, legal, accounting or other professional advice. No Offer or Solicitation This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute or form part of any offer to sell or issue or any solicitation of any offer to buy or subscribe for any securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction. This announcement does not constitute a prospectus or other offering document. No securities have been or will be registered under the U.S. Securities Act, or the securities laws of any state of the United States or any other jurisdiction, and any securities issued in connection with the Transaction are anticipated to be issued in reliance upon the exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act provided for by Section 3(a)(10) thereof and in accordance with applicable state securities laws. No public offering of securities is being made in any jurisdiction where such an offering would be unlawful. The distribution of this announcement may be restricted by applicable laws and regulations. Persons who are physically located in those jurisdictions and in which this announcement is circulated, published or distributed must inform themselves about and observe such restrictions. The information contained in this announcement does not constitute or form a part of any offer to the public for the sale of, or subscription for, or an invitation, advertisement or the solicitation of an offer to purchase and/or subscribe for, securities as defined in and/or contemplated by the South African Companies Act, No. 71 of 2008 (South African Companies Act). Accordingly, this announcement does not, nor does it intend to, constitute a registered prospectus or an advertisement relating to an offer to the public, as contemplated by the South African Companies Act and no prospectus has been, or will be, filed with the South African Companies and Intellectual Property Commission in respect of this announcement. The information contained in this announcement constitutes factual information as contemplated in Section 1(3)(a) of the South African Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act, 37 of 2002, as amended (FAIS Act) and should not be construed as an express or implied recommendation, guide or proposal that any particular transaction in respect of any securities referred to in this announcement or in relation to the business or future investments of Gold Fields and/or Yamana, is appropriate to the particular investment objectives, financial situations or needs of a prospective investor, and nothing contained in this announcement should be construed as constituting the canvassing for, or marketing or advertising of, financial services in South Africa. Gold Fields is not a financial services provider licensed as such under the FAIS Act. The information contained within this announcement is deemed to constitute inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of EU Regulation 596/2014 (which forms part of domestic UK law pursuant to the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018). Upon publication of this announcement, this information is now considered in the public domain. This announcement is not for release, publication or distribution, in whole or in part, in or into any jurisdiction where to do so would constitute a violation of the relevant laws of such jurisdiction. No shares are being offered to the public by means of this announcement. This announcement does not constitute or form part of, and should not be construed as, any offer, invitation or recommendation to purchase, sell or subscribe for any securities or the solicitation of any vote for approval in any jurisdiction and neither the issue of the information nor anything contained herein shall form the basis of or be relied upon in connection with, or act as an inducement to enter into, any investment activity, or the making of any investment decision. Forward-looking Statements This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934 which are intended to be covered by the safe harbor created by such sections and other applicable laws and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Where a forward-looking statement expresses or implies an expectation or belief as to future events or results, such expectation or belief is expressed in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis. However, such statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed, projected or implied by the forward-looking statements. Undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Forward-looking statements often address our expected future business and financial performance and financial condition, and often contain words such as anticipate, intend, plan, will, would, estimate, expect, goal, believe, target, indicative, preliminary, or potential. Forward-looking statements in this announcement may include, without limitation: statements relating to the Transaction and the expected terms, timing and closing of the Transaction, including receipt of required approvals and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions; anticipated Transaction synergies; estimates of future production; estimates of future costs applicable to sales and all-in sustaining costs; estimates of future growth rates; climate-related statements, targets and metrics, expectations regarding future exploration and the development, growth and potential of the Combined Groups operations, project pipeline and investments, including, without limitation, project returns, capital costs, capital intensity, annual production, and feasibility study schedules; expectations of future dividends and returns to shareholders; expectations of future free cash flow generation, liquidity, balance sheet strength and credit ratings; expectations of future plans and benefits; expectations regarding mineral reserves and mineral resources, grade and recoveries; estimates of future closure costs and liabilities; the Combined Group constituting a new senior gold producer and the attributes thereof; leadership in sustainability and the ability to develop the MARA project. Estimates or expectations of future events or results are based upon certain assumptions, which may prove to be incorrect. Such assumptions, include, but are not limited to: there being no significant change to current geotechnical, metallurgical, hydrological and other physical conditions at Gold Fields and Yamanas properties and operations; permitting, development, operations and expansion of Gold Fields and Yamanas operations and projects being consistent with current expectations and mine plans; political developments in any jurisdiction in which Gold Fields or Yamana operate being consistent with current expectations; certain exchange rate assumptions for the Australian dollar, South African rand or the Canadian dollar to the U.S. dollar, as well as other exchange rates being approximately consistent with current levels; certain price assumptions for gold, copper, silver, zinc, molybdenum and oil; prices for key supplies being approximately consistent with current levels; the accuracy of current mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates; and other planning assumptions. Risks relating to forward-looking statements in regard to Gold Fields and Yamanas business and future performance may include, but are not limited to, volatility in the price of gold and other metals, currency fluctuations, operational risks, supply chain shortages, rising inflation, increased production costs and variances in ore grade or recovery rates from those assumed in mining plans, political and country risk, community relations, increased regulation of environmental and sustainability matters, the impact of climate change on Gold Fields and Yamanas operations, conflict resolution governmental regulation and judicial outcomes and other risks. In addition, material risks that could cause actual results to differ from forward-looking statements include: the inherent uncertainty associated with financial or other projections; the prompt and effective integration of Gold Fields and Yamanas businesses; the risk associated with Gold Fields and Yamanas ability to obtain required shareholder approval of the Transaction; timing of completion of the Transaction, including the risk that the conditions to the Transaction are not satisfied on a timely basis or at all and the failure of the Transaction to close for any other reason; the risk that a consent or authorization that may be required for the Transaction is not obtained or is obtained subject to conditions that are not anticipated; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against the parties and others related to the arrangement agreement; unanticipated difficulties or expenditures relating to the Transactions, the response of business partners and retention as a result of the announcement and pendency of the Transactions; potential volatility in the price of the Gold Fields Shares or Gold Fields ADSs due to the Transaction; the anticipated size of the markets and continued demand for Gold Fields and Yamanas resources and the impact of competitive responses to the announcement of the Transaction; and the diversion of management time on Transaction-related issues. Further details of potential risks and uncertainties affecting Gold Fields and Yamana are described in Gold Fields filings with the JSE and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Gold Fields Integrated Annual Report 2021 and annual report on Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on 31 March 2022 (SEC File no. 001-31318) and Yamanas most recent annual information form as well as its other filings made with the securities regulatory authorities in all provinces of Canada and available at www.sedar.com, and Yamanas most recent annual report on Form 40-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Gold Fields is not affirming or adopting any statements or reports attributed to Yamana in this announcement or made by Yamana outside of this announcement. Yamana is not affirming or adopting any statements or reports attributed to Gold Fields in this announcement or made by Gold Fields outside of this announcement. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements. Gold Fields and Yamana do not undertake any obligation to publicly release revisions to any forward-looking statement, including, without limitation, outlook, to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this announcement, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. Investors should not assume that any lack of update to a previously issued "forward-looking statement" constitutes a reaffirmation of that statement. Continued reliance on "forward-looking statements" is at investors' own risk. Portland, OR , May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the report published by Allied Market Research, the global real-time location systems market generated $3.93 billion in 2020, and is projected to reach $39.12 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 25.7%. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the top investment pockets, top winning strategies, drivers & opportunities, market size & estimations, competitive scenario, and wavering market trends. Significant surge in the adoption of Wi-Fi in various end-use industries across the globe, immaculate availability of affordably priced sensors, wide application and acceptance of RFIDs due to its high accuracy and long battery life, availability of fast internet connectivity, and increase in the use of smart phones and smart gadgets among people across the globe are expected to drive the growth of the global real-time location systems market. On the other hand, low awareness about these systems among people are expected to hinder the growth to some extent. However, persistent technological advancements in gadgets and increase in the adoption of business analytics across various industries are expected to create ample opportunities for the growth of the industry. Download Report Sample (244 Pages PDF with Insights) at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/1931 COVID-19 Scenario The outbreak of COVID-19 has had a positive impact on the growth of the of the global real-time location systems market. Lockdowns resulted in the increased adoption of RTLS in the healthcare industry so as to effectively evaluate the impact of a new telemedicine platform, allowing clinicians to conveniently interact with both healthcare workers and patients. Increasing use of telemedicine so as to enable healthcare workers to provide remote care for both outpatients and inpatients further promoted the market growth even more. Get detailed COVID-19 impact analysis on the real-time location systems market : https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/1931 The report provides a detailed segmentation of the global real-time location systems industry based on component, technology, industry vertical and region. Based on components, the hardware segment held the largest market share in 2020, garnering more than two-fifths of the total market. The service segment, on the other hand, is expected to cite the fastest CAGR of 27.9% during the forecast period. Based on technology, the RFID segment held the majority share in 2020, holding nearly one-third of the total market. The ultra-wideband segment, on the other hand, is expected to exhibit the fastest CAGR of 31.3% during the forecast period. For Purchase Enquiry: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/1931 Based on region, the area across North America held the lions share in 2020, garnering more than two-fifths of the total market. The Asia-Pacific region, on the other hand, is predicted to cite the fastest CAGR of 28.6% during the forecast period. The key players of the market analyzed in the global real-time location systems market report include Zebra Technologies Corporation, Ubisense Group PLC, AeroScout, Inc., TeleTracking Technologies, Inc., and Savi Technology. >> LIMITED-TIME OFFER << Buy Now, Getting Exclusive Discount on this Premium Report 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 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. Phoenix, Arizona, May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Food for the Hungry (FH) and Maverick City Music today announced a partnership to address poverty both locally in the United States and globally. During Maverick City Musics highly anticipated US summer tour, FH and Maverick City Music are offering a unique opportunity for sponsors who sign on at the concert events to have a portion of their monthly gift go towards Maverick City Music Initiative (MCMI), which will focus on creating programs for youth impacted by incarceration across the US and those currently in prison. By donating through this partnership, the sponsor is helping in-need people worldwide, and across the US. MCMI is a non-profit started by Maverick City Music that initiates change by providing safe, creative outlets through strategic partnerships in overlooked and marginalized communities disproportionately affected by mass incarceration. FH has a mission to end all kinds of poverty. By providing life-changing resources, such as clean water, medical aid, and equal educational opportunities to girls and boys, the non-profit organization aims to work side-by-side with the communities where they are based. The partnership with the Maverick City Music initiative (MCMI) is deeply aligned with FHs mission and values, and the first US based partnership of its kind for the international development agency. We are thrilled to partner with Food for the Hungry and use our tour to bring awareness and vital fundraising to support communities affected by mass incarceration in the United States. We believe in the power of music to change lives, and Food for the Hungry is helping us take this to new levels. Music brings people together, and we want to support our local communities who have been overlooked or marginalized and are disproportionately affected by the prison system, says Maverick City Music. "MCMI is impacting children affected by the consequences of mass incarceration and bringing hope and healing to inmates. MCMI sponsors a group home for at-risk teens, mentorship programs for teens in marginalized communities that meet on a weekly basis as well as conducting music writing camps for inmates in prison. Through this partnership, our sponsors are transforming the lives of children, families and communities across the world and here in the United States, shared Breeon Phillips, senior director, artist program, Food for the Hungry. The sponsor's $45 monthly contribution will support the work of MCMI in the United States and Food for the Hungrys child sponsorship. The international nonprofit is partnering with Maverick City Musics summer tour that will take place across the US, starting on June 1st until July 31st. Assets can be found here. ### Media Contact Yulu Public Relations fh@yulupr.com About Food for the Hungry Food for the Hungry (FH) is a Christian humanitarian deal organization ending all forms of human poverty by providing life-changing development programs, disaster relief, and advocacy. For over 50 years, FH has been working to respond to human suffering and graduate communities from extreme poverty into self-sustainability within a decade. By creating context-specific solutions in education, agriculture, health, livelihood, clean water, and disaster risk reduction, the nonprofit focuses on transformational development, investing in children as the key to lift entire communities out of poverty. With 99% of staff working in their country of origin, FH works side by side with local leaders, churches, and families to implement innovative solutions. The organization currently serves in over 20 countries worldwide. For more information, follow FH on Instagram and Twitter, or visit www.fh.org About Maverick City Music: Maverick City Music is a multi-racial, multicultural, genre-bending collective that brings hope to all regardless of whatever race, gender preference and faith. Launched in 2018 after hosting seventeen songwriting camps, which brought together more than 100 Christian artists and songwriters Maverick City Music is a collective comprised of breakout artists who include: Chandler Moore, Brandon Lake, Naomi Raine, Chris Brown, Dante Bowe, Tiffany Hudson, MJ George, Joe L Barnes and Aaron Moses. The groups album Old Church Basement, a collab album with Elevation Worship, broke streaming records at both Apple Music and Spotify. On Apple Music, the group set a new worldwide record for the most first-day streams for a Christian and Gospel album, and on Spotify, the album broke the U.S. record for the most streams in a day for an album by a Christian group and was No. 4 out of all U.S. albums its first weekend of release. Maverick City Music recently won a GRAMMY for Contemporary Christian Album, and beyond being the first eligible year for nomination, they also performed on the televised show. English French MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SEB Administrative Services Inc. (SEB Admin), a subsidiary of Smart Employee Benefits Inc. (SEB or the Company) (TSXV: SEB) (OTCQB: SEBFF), an Insurtech provider of cloud based, end-to-end IT and Benefit Processing solutions for the life and group benefits marketplace and government, is pleased to announce that it has signed a letter of intent with Everyday People Financial Inc. (EP or Everyday People), a financial technology and consumer financing company, to launch a bespoke healthcare spending account program, offering a challenger product to traditional employer health spending accounts. Healthcare spending accounts help business owners save on medical costs by turning an after-tax personal medical expense into a before-tax business expense. This plan is a smart and efficient option for the modern-day entrepreneur. It also helps the plan member minimize coverage gaps between government funded health care and other health insurance options. The health spending account is particularly applicable to small companies and self-employed business owners. There are over 1.2M small businesses in Canada. Over 97.0% of all businesses in Canada are small businesses. In Canada, small business represents over 15.0M employees, and 2.5M gig workers. The Mastercard Healthcare Spending Account (HSA) solution is unique to the Canadian marketplace. EP and SEB are the first to introduce into the Canadian market this integrated membership-based employee healthcare spending account and credit card program. This program represents a large specialty opportunity targeting the HSA market, currently estimated at over $8 billion premium in Canada. The objective is to capture a minimum of 20% market share in the overall HSA Canadian marketplace. States Mohamad El Chayah, COO of SEB and President & CEO of SEB Administrative Services, This innovative program will streamline operations, increase accuracy and boost efficiency, and offers employees a reduction of out-of-pocket burden and costs normally associated with traditional health spending accounts. Members of this HSA program are issued a spending account for health care and wellness services tied to a Mastercard. This provides more financial flexibility in managing health care options and an improved customer experience, allowing immediate reimbursement of health care expenditures at the point of sale. Within the joint venture, EP will operate as the program manager and SEB will operate as the HSA program administrator and adjudicator. SEB has an established customer base of employers who use SEBs proprietary SaaS-based benefit solutions to self-administer health benefit programs for their employees. States Barret Reykdal, CEO of EP, A joint venture with SEB to offer a health spending account program for small business owners and their employees is yet another way that EP, along with one of its partners, provides people with greater financial flexibility. Giving small business employees access to a blended credit card health spending account helps fill coverage gaps, allows individuals to manage healthcare spending and direct funds according to their personal life situation. The solution provides an instant, easy to use, efficient method of transacting in the form of a credit card based platform. Today, EP offers similar specialty credit payment card solutions in multiple markets. The HSA solution adds to EPs extensive digital banking solutions portfolio. About SEB Administrative Services Inc.: SEB Administrative Services Inc. (SEB Admin), a wholly owned subsidiary of Smart Employee Benefits Inc. (SEB), is a third-party administrator (TPA) providing leading edge cloud-based, fully bilingual, benefit processing solutions using SEB Admins proprietary and customized technologies, solutions and services of Partners. SEB Admins FlexPlus platform provides single sign-on connectivity for all group benefit stakeholders. FlexPlus has over 20 modules supporting multiple revenue models, capturing over 90% of all benefit processing activities for all benefit types. Each module can operate standalone or as an integrated solution. SEB Admin manages benefit plan environments for more than 50 of Canadas name brand companies and government entities. SEB Admin has over 370,000 plan members under administration and more than 160,000 additional plan members under contract and in transition; in total representing more than $1.3B of premium. FlexPlus cloud-enabled solutions support all plan designs traditional, flex, cafeteria, hour bank, dollar bank, marketplace via co-sourced, fully outsourced or SaaS models. Our solutions turn cost centers to profit centers for many of our clients and partners. For further information about SEB Administrative Services Inc., please visit: www.seb-admin.com. About Smart Employee Benefits Inc.: SEB is an Insurtech company focused on Benefits Administration Technology driving two interrelated revenue streams software/solutions and services. The Company is a proven provider of leading-edge IT and benefits processing software, solutions and services for the Life and Group benefits marketplace and government. We design, customize, build and manage mission critical, end-to-end technology, people and infrastructure solutions using SEBs proprietary technologies and expertise and partner technologies. We manage mission critical business processes for over 150 blue chip and government accounts, nationally and globally. Over 90% of our revenue and contracts are multi-year recurring revenue streams contracts related to government, insurance, healthcare, benefits and e-commerce. Our solutions are supported nationally and globally by over 600 multi-certified technical professionals in a multi-lingual infrastructure, from multiple offices across Canada and globally. Our solutions include both software and services driven ecosystems including multiple SaaS solutions, cloud solutions & services, managed services offering smart sourcing (near shore/offshore), managed security services, custom software development and support, professional services, deep systems integration expertise and multiple specialty practice areas including AI, CRM, BI, Portals, EDI, e-commerce, digital transformation, analytics, project management to mention a few. The Company has more than 20 strategic partnerships/relationships with leading global and regional technology and consulting organizations. For further information about SEB please visit: www.seb-inc.com. About Everyday People Financial Inc.: Everyday People is a financial technology and consumer financing company founded on the belief that everyone deserves access to credit, instant payments and the opportunity for homeownership. Through our technology driven ecosystem, our alternative and speciality credit financing programs offer credit and payment cards, homeownership facilitation, consumer lending, digital banking, and credit collection services. Our Mission is to help our clients be their best financial self. Were with them every step of the way, listening and adapting to offer the kinds of credit products and services that help everyday people add extraordinary value to their everyday lives. For more information visit: www.everydaypeoplefinancial.com. Forward-Looking Statements Certain information in this release may constitute forward-looking information. In some cases, but not necessarily in all cases, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, targets, expects or does not expect, is expected, an opportunity exists, is positioned, estimates, intends, assumes, 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, will or will be taken, occur or be achieved. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking information. Statements containing forward-looking information are not historical facts but instead represent managements expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events. THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE COMPANYS CURRENT EXPECTATIONS AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. HOWEVER, THE COMPANY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY INTENTION OR OBLIGATION TO UPDATE OR REVISE ANY FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION, WHETHER AS A RESULT OF NEW INFORMATION, FUTURE EVENTS OR OTHERWISE, EXCEPT AS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW. Neither TSX Venture Exchange Inc. nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange Inc.) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. All figures are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated. Smart Employee Benefits Inc. Investor & Media Contacts John McKimm President/CEO/CIO Office (888) 939-8885 x 2354 Cell (416) 460-2817 john.mckimm@seb-inc.com www.seb-inc.com Mohamad El Chayah, COO of SEB President & CEO SEB Administrative Services Inc. Cell: 416.418.0619 mohamad.elchayah@seb-admin.com www.seb-admin.com Eric Balshin Office: (437) 836-8676 Eric@SophicCapital.com all@SophicCapital.com Pune, India, May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to MarketStudyReport, that global roof insulation market size was valued at USD 1479.2 million in 2021 and is expected to grow at 4.2% CAGR over the next six years, thus generating a revenue of USD 1974.3 million during 2022-2028. The study categorizes the industry based on type and application to provide a clear understanding of the markets current position by stating the growth rate and revenue share forecasts of each vertical. It gives a granular analysis of the regional front of the business sphere by giving a country-level assessment of the areas contributing to amplifying the profitability. Lastly, a brief overview about the prominent companies is furnished in the document to give an outline into the competitive hierarchy of the marketplace. Request Sample copy of this Report @ https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/4573649/ The industry expansion can be accredited to the extensive rise in worldwide construction activities as well as the soaring awareness about the conservation of energy among consumers. The widespread use of insulation across sectors like household, industrial applications, and commercial is likely to lift the volume of demand through the research timeline. Notably, the product is employed as a barrier to heat (loss & gain), sound, and electricity. Moreover, new companies are focusing on manufacturing roof insulation materials at affordable prices which is boosting the competition and further garnering profitable prospects for businesses in global roof insulation industry. Segmental Overview: Based on type, the market is categorized into rock wool, foam, glass wool, and others. Herein, the glass wool segment is slated to gain traction in the coming years, owing to properties like easy usability, environment friendliness, physical stability, and wide insulation temperature range from -30C to 540C. In terms of application spectrum, the industry is classified into flat roof insulation, pitch roof insulation, and others. The flat roof insulation segment is estimated to record significant growth during the projected timeline, due to the preference for flat roofs in urban areas as compared to others given that they are easy to install, cost & space efficient, and facilitates solar system installation. Ask Discount of this research report at: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/check-for-discount/4573649/ Regional Analysis: As per credible researchers, Asia Pacific market is poised to rise exponentially during the assessment timeframe, with China at the forefront. This growth can be credited to the availability of inexpensive labor and raw materials which is accelerating the rate of industrialization in the country, thus facilitating regional development. Competitive Dashboard: The established names augmenting the competitive scope of worldwide roof insulation market include BASF SE, GAF Materials Corp., Knauf Insulation, Compagnie de Saint-Gobain S.A., Paroc Oy Ab, Owens Corning, Kingspan Group plc, Rockwool International A/S, Jiangsu Wonewsun, Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and Asia Cuanon Technology Co. Ltd. among others. To access a sample copy or view this report in detail along with the table of contents, please click the link below: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/global-roof-insulation-market-2022-by-manufacturers-regions-type-and-application-forecast-to-2028 Global Roof Insulation Market, By Type (Revenue, USD Million, 2017-2028) Rock Wool Glass Wool Foam Others Global Roof Insulation Market, By Application (Revenue, USD Million, 2017-2028) Flat Roof Insulation Pitch Roof Insulation Others Global Roof Insulation Market, Regional Analysis (Revenue, USD Million, 2017-2028) North America Canada Mexico United States South America Argentina Colombia Brazil Rest of South America Europe France Italy Germany Russia United Kingdom Rest of Europe Middle East & Africa Egypt UAE Saudi Arabia Rest of Middle East & Africa Asia-Pacific India Japan Korea China Australia Southeast Asia Global Roof Insulation Market, Competitive Dashboard (Revenue, USD Million, 2017-2028) BASF SE GAF Materials Corp. Knauf Insulation Compagnie de Saint-Gobain S.A. Paroc Oy Ab Owens Corning Kingspan Group plc Rockwool International A/S Jiangsu Wonewsun Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Table of Content: 1 Market Overview 1.1 Roof Insulation Introduction 1.2 Market Analysis by Type 1.3 Market Analysis by Application 1.4 Global Roof Insulation Market Size & Forecast 1.5 Global Roof Insulation Production Capacity Analysis 1.6 Market Drivers, Restraints and Trends 2 Manufacturers Profiles 3 Roof Insulation Breakdown Data by Manufacturer 3.1 Global Roof Insulation Sales in Volume by Manufacturer (2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022) 3.2 Global Roof Insulation Revenue by Manufacturer (2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022) 3.3 Key Manufacturer Market Position in Roof Insulation 3.4 Market Concentration Rate 3.4.1 Top 3 Roof Insulation Manufacturer Market Share in 2021 3.4.2 Top 6 Roof Insulation Manufacturer Market Share in 2021 3.5 Global Roof Insulation Production Capacity by Company: 2021 VS 2022 4 Market Analysis by Region 4.1 Global Roof Insulation Market Size by Region 4.1.1 Global Roof Insulation Sales in Volume by Region (2017-2028) 4.1.2 Global Roof Insulation Revenue by Region (2017-2028) 4.2 North America Roof Insulation Revenue (2017-2028) 4.3 Europe Roof Insulation Revenue (2017-2028) 4.4 Asia-Pacific Roof Insulation Revenue (2017-2028) 4.5 South America Roof Insulation Revenue (2017-2028) 4.6 Middle East and Africa Roof Insulation Revenue (2017-2028) 5 Market Segment by Type 5.1 Global Roof Insulation Sales in Volume by Type (2017-2028) 5.2 Global Roof Insulation Revenue by Type (2017-2028) 5.3 Global Roof Insulation Price by Type (2017-2028) 6 Market Segment by Application 6.1 Global Roof Insulation Sales in Volume by Application (2017-2028) 6.2 Global Roof Insulation Revenue by Application (2017-2028) 6.3 Global Roof Insulation Price by Application (2017-2028) 7 North America by Country, by Type, and by Application 7.1 North America Roof Insulation Sales by Type (2017-2028) 7.2 North America Roof Insulation Sales by Application (2017-2028) 7.3 North America Roof Insulation Market Size by Country 7.3.1 North America Roof Insulation Sales in Volume by Country (2017-2028) 7.3.2 North America Roof Insulation Revenue by Country (2017-2028) 7.3.3 United States Market Size and Forecast (2017-2028) 8 Europe by Country, by Type, and by Application 8.1 Europe Roof Insulation Sales by Type (2017-2028) 8.2 Europe Roof Insulation Sales by Application (2017-2028) 8.3 Europe Roof Insulation Market Size by Country 8.3.1 Europe Roof Insulation Sales in Volume by Country (2017-2028) 8.3.2 Europe Roof Insulation Revenue by Country (2017-2028) 8.3.3 Germany Market Size and Forecast (2017-2028) 8.3.4 France Market Size and Forecast (2017-2028) 9 Asia-Pacific by Region, by Type, and by Application 9.1 Asia-Pacific Roof Insulation Sales by Type (2017-2028) 9.2 Asia-Pacific Roof Insulation Sales by Application (2017-2028) 9.3 Asia-Pacific Roof Insulation Market Size by Region 9.3.1 Asia-Pacific Roof Insulation Sales in Volume by Region (2017-2028) 9.3.2 Asia-Pacific Roof Insulation Revenue by Region (2017-2028) 9.3.3 China Market Size and Forecast (2017-2028) 9.3.4 Japan Market Size and Forecast (2017-2028) 9.3.5 Korea Market Size and Forecast (2017-2028) 10 South America by Region, by Type, and by Application 10.1 South America Roof Insulation Sales by Type (2017-2028) 10.2 South America Roof Insulation Sales by Application (2017-2028) 10.3 South America Roof Insulation Market Size by Country 11 Middle East & Africa by Country, by Type, and by Application 11.1 Middle East & Africa Roof Insulation Sales by Type (2017-2028) 11.2 Middle East & Africa Roof Insulation Sales by Application (2017-2028) 11.3 Middle East & Africa Roof Insulation Market Size by Country 11.3.1 Middle East & Africa Roof Insulation Sales in Volume by Country (2017-2028) 11.3.2 Middle East & Africa Roof Insulation Revenue by Country (2017-2028) 11.3.3 Turkey Market Size and Forecast (2017-2028) 11.3.4 Egypt Market Size and Forecast (2017-2028) 12 Raw Material and Industry Chain 12.1 Raw Material of Roof Insulation and Key Manufacturers 12.2 Manufacturing Costs Percentage of Roof Insulation 12.3 Roof Insulation Production Process 12.4 Roof Insulation Industrial Chain 13 Sales Channel, Distributors, Traders and Dealers Related Report: Building Thermal Insulation Market Size, COVID-19 Impact Analysis, Regional Outlook, Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Landscape & Forecast, 2022 - 2028 Global building thermal insulation market trends over 2022-2028 will be driven by increased demand from both developed and emerging economies. Glass wool, polyurethanes, aerogel and other materials have become popular across commercial and industrial infrastructure applications. A gradual shift towards improving the energy efficiency of buildings is impacting the selection of insulation materials worldwide. Thermal insulation is used in roofing and flooring applications as well, representing the significant market scope over the next few years. Middle East and Africa (MEA) region held nearly 6.52% share of global building thermal insulation industry in 2021 in terms of volume, and could surpass USD 2 billion in valuation by 2028. The construction sector in the region has grown at a rapid pace over the past decade, with focus on sustainable materials for building gaining traction in recent times. About US: Market Study Report is a hub for market intelligence products and services. We streamline the purchase of your market research reports and services through a single integrated platform by bringing all the major publishers and their services at one place. Our customers partner with Market Study Report, to ease their search and evaluation of market intelligence products and services and in turn focus on their company's core activities. If you are looking for research reports on global or regional markets, competitive information, emerging markets and trends or just looking to stay on top of the curve then Market Study Report, is the platform that can help you in achieving any of these objectives. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marimaca Copper Corp. (Marimaca Copper or the Company) (TSX: MARI) is pleased to announce the progression of various ESG initiatives in its commitment to integrate ESG best practice into development activities. Marimaca Copper has completed its first independent ESG performance assessment via the Digbee ESG reporting and assessment framework, to assist in its evaluation of ESG performance and current positioning. The Digbee framework provides a practical and forward-looking basis of assessment for junior mining companies at various stages of project lifecycles across several international and global standards, including those adopted by the most recognised governing bodies including Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, Global Reporting Initiative, International Finance Corporation, Equator Principles Association, and the World Gold Council. In addition, the assessment is conducted by a team of internationally recognised, independent, ESG experts with significant experience across the mining and resources sector. The assessment identifies the Companys achievements to date and highlights opportunities to progress ESG performance as part of the continuing development of its Marimaca Project. Highlights: The assessment provided an overall score of BB for the Company and the Marimaca Project. The assessment underlined the significant ESG credentials of the Marimaca Project, in particular: The geological characteristics of the Marimaca project mean that it can be extracted and processed using simple, low cost and low ESG impact methodologies The location of the Marimaca project means that existing infrastructure, including transportation, water (sea water) and power can be easily accessed This is complemented by the presence and availability of relevant mining industry skills and robust Chilean mining industry governance The current and future land use in the project and surrounding area is viewed as stable and low risk, given ownership by the Chilean State In addition, there are no resettlement requirements for the Marimaca Project No tailings storage facility is required, which significantly mitigates hazardous risks The Project aligns with the Antofagasta Regional Development Plan (8-year plan issued in 2019) The location of the Project site minimises the potential impact of noise, dust and vibration on any local community The assessment outlined that, at this stage, the Marimaca Project has the potential to reach AA through risk mitigation Marimaca has established a strategic pathway for continued performance improvements incorporating guidance from the assessment Marimaca Copper is already putting the findings of the Digbee assessment to work, having recently launched its first set of Sustainability Commitments, to outline forward-looking objectives across a range of areas that are material to project development and operations in the context of long-term sustainable practices. The Company has also adopted a new protocol to provide for engagement with stakeholders on any concerns that may arise in relation to the Marimaca Project and its development. Further information on these initiatives can be found here. Hayden Locke, President and CEO of Marimaca Copper commented: We see clear benefits in taking part in the Digbee ESG performance assessment as we have always understood the significant ESG opportunities provided to us as a Company and for the Marimaca project itself. This process will help us to refine our plans and thinking as we move towards development. We have already taken significant steps to adopting our new Sustainability Commitments, which we will use to take the project forward. We are also looking to provide a new basis for stakeholder engagement, one which focuses on dialogue at an early stage to address any issues as they may arise. We will be completing our second Digbee assessment in Q3/Q4 2022, by which time we expect to have made additional strides in the development of ESG-related areas, particularly with our plans for long-term sea water supply for operations and anticipated sourcing of power. Jamie Strauss, CEO of Digbee commented: "Our assessment highlights the enviable natural position of the Marimaca Project, a project that is unique in terms of ESG potential because its location is extremely beneficial for sustainable development purposes. In addition, the intention to use seawater for operational purposes is a material advantage for water use and management, which is one of the most important sustainability considerations in Chile. Beyond this, the Company has demonstrated an early commitment to ongoing sustainable improvement, and we congratulate them on their embracement of an independent assessment and their adoption of clear sustainability commitments for the future." Figure 1: Digbee ESG assessment for Marimaca Copper at corporate level and project level (source: Digbee ESG): https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/57c11b3a-41de-4c46-8d03-80d88eb5806d About the Digbee ESG performance assessment process A Digbee ESG submission comprises two types of questionnaires: (1) a single corporate-level questionnaire, and (2) one or more project-level questionnaires. The questionnaires are tailored to the stage of the mining company and its projects (i.e., exploration, development and/or producing). Each question is scored in accordance with Digbee's scoring criteria and averaged to provide an overall output score along with a confidence banding. A confidence banding illustrates the potential range with which the awarded score can move should any of the risks be realized or mitigated. Contact Information Tavistock +44 (0) 207 920 3150 Jos Simson/Oliver Lamb / Nick Elwes marimaca@tavistock.co.uk Forward Looking Statements This news release includes certain forward-looking statements under applicable Canadian securities legislation. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by Marimaca Copper, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: risks related to share price and market conditions, the inherent risks involved in the mining, exploration and development of mineral properties, the uncertainties involved in interpreting drilling results and other geological data, fluctuating metal prices, the possibility of project delays or cost overruns or unanticipated excessive operating costs and expenses, uncertainties related to the necessity of financing, the availability of and costs of financing needed in the future as well as those factors disclosed in the annual information form of the Company dated March 25, 2022, the final short form base prospectus and other filings made by the Company with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities (which may be viewed at www.sedar.com). Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Marimaca Copper undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements contained herein whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Portland, OR, May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the report published by Allied Market Research, the Europe basmati rice market was estimated at 577.7 million in 2021 and is expected to hit $866.5 million by 2031, registering a CAGR of 4.2% from 2022 to 2031. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the top investment pockets, top winning strategies, drivers & opportunities, market size & estimations, competitive scenario, and wavering market trends. Significant rise in demand for basmati rice from European countries such as Netherlands and Germany is driving the growth of the Europe basmati rice market. Moreover, several government initiatives to strengthen the basmati rice supply chain have supplemented the growth even more. At the same time, the top market participants have continued to improve authenticity in the basmati rice supply chain, which has been beneficial for the industry. Get detailed COVID-19 impact analysis on the Europe Basmati Rice Market: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/2293?reqfor=covid Covid-19 scenario- The outbreak of the pandemic gave way to disrupted supply chain across the globe, which impacted the Europe Basmati rice market negatively, especially during the initial period. However, the market has already started recovering at a swift pace. The Europe basmati rice market is analyzed across type, application, distribution channel, and country. Based on type, the Indian variety segment accounted for around three-fourths of the market share in 2021, and is expected to rule the roost by 2031. The same segment would also cite the fastest CAGR of 4.5% throughout the forecast period. Based on distribution channel, the hypermarkets/supermarkets segment contributed to nearly one-third of the total market revenue in 2021, and is expected to lead the trail by 2031. Simultaneously, the online segment would exhibit the fastest CAGR of 6.0% from 2022 to 2031. Download Sample Copy of Report @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/2293 Based on country, the U.K held the major share in 2021, holding more than two-fifths of the total market. Spain, however, would showcase the fastest CAGR of 7.4% by 2031. The key market players analyzed in the Europe basmati rice market report include HBI, Estraco, East End Foods, TBA Suntra, Amira Basmati Rice, Amira Nature Foods, VSR Rice, The Rice n Spice International Ltd., Kohinoor Foods, and S.G.S. International Rice Company. These market players have taken recourse to several strategies including partnership, expansion, collaboration, joint ventures, and others to prove their flair in the industry. Schedule a FREE Consultation Call with Our Analysts/Industry Experts to Find Solution for Your Business @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/2293 Avenue Basic Plan | Library Access | 1 Year Subscription | Sign up for Avenue subscription to access more than 12,000+ company profiles and 2,000+ niche industry market research reports at $699 per month, per seat. For a year, the client needs to purchase minimum 2 seat plan. Avenue Library Subscription | Request for 14 days free trial of before buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/avenueTrial Get more information: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/library-access About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. The palace in the winter of 1883/84 Robert Neff Collection By Robert Neff In late November 1886, William McKay, a 23-year-old Scottish-American, his wife Anna and their infant son Willie arrived in Jemulpo to help "enlighten" Joseon at least the palace with electricity. McKay was brought to the peninsula as an "electric light teacher" and his primary responsibility was to set up the power plant purchased by the Korean government from the Edison Company. McKay and his family made their way to Seoul and stayed with Horace N. Allen, an American missionary and physician, and his family until the Korean government could provide them with their own home. While waiting for the power plant and a second (unnamed) engineer to arrive, McKay examined the palace grounds and decided the best spot for the plant would be next to a lotus pond so that it could provide water for the boiler. On Jan. 3, 1887, a resident in Jemulpo wrote: "The Higo Maru brought an Electric Light plant here for the King's palace, in Seoul. It is said to be the best plant that has ever been sent from the U.S. Two first-class engineers have come with it. The plant has been supplied at a little more than the actual price, and the enterprising Edison Electric Co. have guaranteed to make a success of it, even if they lose money on it. It is understood that the light will be in working order in about three months' time, and it is calculated that the Corean Government can save money by using the Electric light instead of oil." The "two first-class engineers" were undoubtedly McKay and his unnamed assistant but it is not clear how the power plant was transported from Jemulpo to Seoul. Heavy equipment and goods were often transported by boat up the Han River but considering it was winter and the Han River had a tendency to freeze making river travel impossible the power plant may have been transported overland. Construction of the plant was begun immediately and progressed very quickly, in fact, much faster than anticipated, but not without some problems. The audience hall in the winter of 1883/84 Robert Neff Collection One of the Americans I am guessing it was McKay but am not sure despite his recent arrival, had managed to learn some basic commands in Korean. They say knowledge is power this power almost cost him his life. While trying to set the plant's boiler on its foundation of masonry, the engineer (McKay?) climbed under it to get a better look. The boiler was supported by a number of ropes held by Korean coolies. The engineer, desiring them to pull on the ropes and hoist the boiler higher, called upon them to "come on," or pull on the ropes. Apparently he had been using Korean with them earlier and they misunderstood his English for a Korean word meaning stop the command they were expecting, and so they let go of the ropes. Fortunately for the engineer, he was able to avoid the falling boiler and learn a valuable lesson that a little knowledge is sometimes dangerous. By February (possibly Jan. 26) most of the work had been completed and the palace, at least parts of it, was supplied with electricity. It was celebrated as a success, but some members of the Korean government viewed it as a bad omen, especially after all the carp in the lotus pond were discovered dead. Perhaps, as mentioned in last week's article, they believed the dragon was responsible. The Korean monarch (or someone in his court) had a fascination with lights not only for lighting the palace up but also as decorations. One of the early purchases from New York by the Korean government was 14 glass vases to decorate the royal dining table. These vases, each costing $75, contained bouquets of artificial flowers mingled with flowers of colored glass, and a small incandescent four-candle-lamp which served as the center for each of the glass flowers. Tragedy struck on March 8, 1887 when McKay was accidently shot by a young Korean soldier. Apparently, while setting up lights in the palace, the soldier accompanying McKay, intrigued by the American's revolver, asked to examine it. As he examined it, the soldier accidently shot McKay. The wounded man was rushed to Dr. Allen for treatment, but there was nothing to be done, and the following morning, at 6 a.m., McKay succumbed to his wounds. Prior to his death, he pleaded for the soldier to be spared any punishment as he was convinced it had been an accident. McKay was presumably buried in Jemulpo but his tombstone has long been lost and forgotten. Several witnesses, including McKay's assistant, agreed it was an accident. However, the Korean government, perhaps afraid of offending the foreign powers, decided to make an example out of the soldier and had him arrested immediately. The palace circa 1900s Robert Neff Collection New York, May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Bone Densitometer Market Research Report by Type, Application, End User, State - United States Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06276836/?utm_source=GNW The United States Bone Densitometer Market size was estimated at USD 62.28 million in 2021 and expected to reach USD 65.70 million in 2022, and is projected to grow at a CAGR 7.45% to reach USD 95.86 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 Bone Densitometer to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets: Based on Type, the market was studied across Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry Scanners and Peripheral Bone Densitometers. The Peripheral Bone Densitometers is further studied across Quantitative Ultrasound Scanners and Radiographic Absorptiometry Scanners. Based on Application, the market was studied across Body Composition Measurement, Cystic Fibrosis Diagnosis, Osteoporosis & Osteopenia Diagnosis, and Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosis. Based on End User, the market was studied across Diagnostic & Imaging Centers, Hospitals & Specialty Clinics, and Other. Based on State, the market was studied across California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. 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. 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 Bone Densitometer 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 United States Bone Densitometer Market, including CompuMed, Inc., CyberLogic, Inc., DMS, Inc., GE Healthcare, Hologic, Inc., JD Honigberg International, Inc., Medical Outfitters Inc., Medilink International Ltd, OSI Systems, Inc., Stemlab, Inc., Swissray International, Inc., and Trivitron Healthcare. 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 United States Bone Densitometer Market? 2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the United States Bone Densitometer Market during the forecast period? 3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the United States Bone Densitometer Market? 4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the United States Bone Densitometer Market? 5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the United States Bone Densitometer Market? 6. What is the market share of the leading vendors in the United States Bone Densitometer Market? 7. What modes and strategic moves are considered suitable for entering the United States Bone Densitometer Market? Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06276836/?utm_source=GNW About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Portland, OR, May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the report published by Allied Market Research, the Europe basmati rice market was estimated at 577.7 million in 2021 and is expected to hit $866.5 million by 2031, registering a CAGR of 4.2% from 2022 to 2031. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the top investment pockets, top winning strategies, drivers & opportunities, market size & estimations, competitive scenario, and wavering market trends. Significant rise in demand for basmati rice from European countries such as Netherlands and Germany is driving the growth of the Europe basmati rice market. Moreover, several government initiatives to strengthen the basmati rice supply chain have supplemented the growth even more. At the same time, the top market participants have continued to improve authenticity in the basmati rice supply chain, which has been beneficial for the industry. Download Report Sample (160 Pages PDF with Insights) @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/2293 Covid-19 scenario- The outbreak of the pandemic gave way to disrupted supply chain across the globe, which impacted the Europe Basmati rice market negatively, especially during the initial period. However, the market has already started recovering at a swift pace. The Europe basmati rice market is analyzed across type, application, distribution channel, and country. Based on type, the Indian variety segment accounted for around three-fourths of the market share in 2021, and is expected to rule the roost by 2031. The same segment would also cite the fastest CAGR of 4.5% throughout the forecast period. Get detailed COVID-19 impact analysis on the Europe Basmati Rice Market @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/2293?reqfor=covid Based on distribution channel, the hypermarkets/supermarkets segment contributed to nearly one-third of the total market revenue in 2021, and is expected to lead the trail by 2031. Simultaneously, the online segment would exhibit the fastest CAGR of 6.0% from 2022 to 2031. Based on country, the U.K held the major share in 2021, holding more than two-fifths of the total market. Spain, however, would showcase the fastest CAGR of 7.4% by 2031. Schedule a FREE Consultation Call with Our Analysts/Industry Experts to Find Solution for Your Business @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/connect-to-analyst/2293 The key market players analyzed in the Europe basmati rice market report include HBI, Estraco, East End Foods, TBA Suntra, Amira Basmati Rice, Amira Nature Foods, VSR Rice, The Rice n Spice International Ltd., Kohinoor Foods, and S.G.S. International Rice Company. These market players have taken recourse to several strategies including partnership, expansion, collaboration, joint ventures, and others to prove their flair in the industry. Avenue Basic Plan | Library Access | 1 Year Subscription | Sign up for Avenue subscription to access more than 12,000+ company profiles and 2,000+ niche industry market research reports at $699 per month, per seat. For a year, the client needs to purchase minimum 2 seat plan. Avenue Library Subscription | Request for 14 days free trial of before buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/avenueTrial Get more information: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/library-access About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. English Finnish Incap Corporation Press release 31 May 2022 at 3:30 p.m. EEST Incap Estonia invests in new production lines Incap Estonia is upgrading its two current SMT production lines and adding a third SMT line to its factory in Kuressaare. The new investment will increase the overall SMT production capacity by more than 50% and will be opened in the third quarter of this year. According to Greg Grace, Managing Director of Incap Estonia, the investment in two existing and one new SMT (surface-mount technology) line will help the company to support its growth and customer demands. Incap Estonia is investing EUR 1.35 million in a long-term lease agreement of six years by renting new production equipment from SMT Renting. Technology is changing rapidly and therefore we have seen and experienced that the renting model suits our factory as a concept very well, as it allows us flexibility and guarantees us the latest technology in the field, Grace explained. The contract for investments was signed with SMT Renting which has also provided the SMT lines for Incap in 2017 as well as in 2020. Our plan is to upgrade our two existing production lines to make them faster and to add a third line in order to be able to increase the production capacity by more than 50%, Grace stated. To maintain a well-functioning, agile and flexible modern manufacturing facility in Incaps Kuressaare factory, the upgrades on the lines will be completed in the third quarter of this year. Incap Estonia is part of Incap Corporation, which is an international contract manufacturer. Electronics manufactured by Incap Estonia can be found for example in smart meters, in light electric vehicles on the streets, in smart led lights in different regions in Estonia as well as in the machinery of the worlds most famous marine company. Photos of Incap Estonia: https://incapcorp.com/media/#1627833268534-6871c5d8-fc05 INCAP CORPORATION For additional information, please contact: Greg Grace, Managing Director of Incap Estonia, tel. +372 516 3643 Otto Pukk, President and CEO, tel. +372 508 0798 Distribution: Principal media www.incapcorp.com INCAP IN BRIEF Incap Corporation is a trusted partner and full service provider in Electronics Manufacturing Services. As a global EMS company Incap supports customers ranging from large multinationals and mid-sized companies to small start-ups in their complete manufacturing value chain. Incap offers state-of-the-art technology backed up by an entrepreneurial culture and highly qualified personnel. The company has operations in Finland, Estonia, India, Slovakia, the UK and Hong Kong and employs approximately 2,500 people. Incaps share has been listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd stock exchange since 1997. CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Glatfelter Corporation (NYSE: GLT), a leading global supplier of engineered materials, is proud to partner with Aakar Innovations (Aakar) from India, to increase access to period products for Indian women and girls while providing gainful employment to women in rural India through the conversion of Glatfelters repurposed airlaid materials. This initiative supplies period products to women who could not otherwise obtain these resources, promoting menstrual equity and advancing Glatfelters Core Values of Environmental and Social Responsibility. Worldwide, 500 million women are estimated to be living in period poverty due to financial constraints or lack of access to adequate period products. In countries like India, many girls drop out of school once they reach puberty because they lack menstrual products. Additionally, approximately 70% of women and girls in India are unable to afford period products, which often leads to using harmful, unsafe alternatives. This project is Enhancing Everyday Life for women and girls by providing resources and means to access menstrual products to eliminate period poverty, said Ramesh Shettigar, Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer of Glatfelter, who oversees the Companys ESG strategy. Through the Make a Change initiative, we are a repurposing material away from landfills, reducing our environmental impact and demonstrating our commitment to social sustainability and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. As part of the Companys broader mission to advance sustainability efforts, Glatfelter has made several shipments of repurposed nonwoven material from its Gatineau, Canada facility to Aakar, which will be converted into menstrual pads by village-level entrepreneur women in India. This material will create approximately 3 million pads, ensuring nearly 30,000 local girls and women are period secure for one year. This project will provide access to those who may not have period products and also invests in women by supplying access to capital, training, and resources to generate a viable income. The conversion of Glatfelter material will help sustain the employment of roughly 150 local women working in independent villages. The lack of access to period products for rural girls in India threatens the countrys educational progress. Through this ongoing project, we can maximize the access girls have to menstrual products, allowing them to receive the education that is important to their futures, said Jaydeep Mandal, Founder and Managing Director of Aakar. About Glatfelter Glatfelter is a leading global supplier of engineered materials with a strong focus on innovation and sustainability. The Companys high quality, technology-driven, innovative, and customizable nonwovens solutions can be found in products that are Enhancing Everyday Life. These include personal care and hygiene products, food and beverage filtration, critical cleaning products, medical and personal protection, packaging products, as well as home improvement and industrial applications. Headquartered in Charlotte, NC, the Companys 2021 net sales were $1.1 billion with approximately 3,250 employees worldwide. Glatfelters operations utilize a variety of manufacturing technologies including airlaid, wetlaid and spunlace with sixteen manufacturing sites located in the United States, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, and the Philippines. The Company has sales offices in all major geographies serving customers under the Glatfelter and Sontara brands. Additional information about Glatfelter may be found at www.glatfelter.com. HOUSTON, May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Many state law requires that a business files a "Doing Business As" name before they can trade, which can sometimes be a complex process. EFileDBA now cuts through the difficulty with its simple, online e-filing solution. In most states, a company that wants to trade under an assumed or fictitious name must register with the Secretary of State or the county within which they wish to form the business. Sometimes, they'll need to post a notice in a local newspaper as well. For many new business owners, this can be challenging. "Business owners have a lot to deal with. They must worry about sales, marketing, staffing, customer service, taxes, and the list goes on," says Leroy Hammond, the director of compliance at EFileDBA. "It should be easy for them to get their business name registered, and we've taken care of the unnecessary bureaucracy. They can use our simplified five-minute solution and focus their valuable time elsewhere." Assumed, trade, or fictitious names (DBAs) are the public-facing names used by business owners. Sometimes, organizations use multiple DBAs for one legal entity. Anyone who wants to conduct business under a name that is different from their incorporated name must go through the process of filing a DBA. After all, they won't be able to open a bank account in the business's trading name without a DBA and would instead have to open it in their personal or incorporated name. Unfortunately, the DBA requirements in the US can be complex, with various requirements at the state or local level. Also, when someone registers a DBA, it can help to protect the business and stop others from using the same name in their local area. This makes filing advantageous for many business owners as they seek to protect their branding image and marketing plans. EFileDBA has been perfecting its new e-filing platform and is now ready to launch. When business owners access the platform, they can register their preferred business name (DBA) online quickly and simply without any hidden costs or fees. Hammond recognizes the challenge that business owners face: "As the cost of doing business increases, we are keen to help owners avoid all of that time and money, simply to register their trade name." Consequently, business name registration has never been easier through the EFileDBA platform. It's available 24/7, and business owners can get the job done with just a few quick clicks. When someone enters a preferred DBA name into the EFileDBA system, it will automatically search state, county, and local databases to make sure that the name is available. Then, the system will file the DBA name electronically with state and local government agencies and, if necessary, print the notice in their local newspaper. Therefore, with no paperwork, no lengthy waits, and just a few questions, a business owner can "e-file" their registration. The platform is fully integrated with state and local government databases. With a team of dedicated business specialists, EFileDBA is proud of its 99% approval rate. About EFileDBA.com EFileDBA has registered more than 10,000 DBA names in the last four years. The company's goal is to help business owners manage their trademarks and business names affordably through the government registry. The company partners with agencies at the state and local levels to provide an effective platform. This ensures that all users can comply with any trademark-related business regulations and stay in compliance. Contact: Joe Hammond 16770 Imperial Valley Drive, Suite 302 Houston, TX77060 customercare@efiledba.com Ph: (888) 544-1040 Related Images Image 1: EFILEDBA This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment Washington DC, May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Association of University Women (AAUW) will host a free program for high-school girls this summer, aimed at encouraging students to pursue studies and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). With a particular focus on girls of color, AAUW STEMEd for Girls virtual summer sessions seek to pave the way for students success in college and beyond. Piloted in summer 2021, the program reached over 600 teen girls and 350 caregivers. Click for more information or to register for the program Only 11% of teen girls say they plan to pursue a STEM career, compared to 35% of boyswe need to change that, said AAUW CEO Gloria L. Blackwell. This program will give more girls access to resources and connections and will show them how accessible and exciting STEM fields can be. Taking place from June 1-July 20, AAUW STEMEd for Girls will feature sessions for girls, each focusing on a main STEM subject. It will also include programming for parents and caregivers, who are key to providing support and encouragement for girls to explore STEM fields. Supported by funding from the Arconic Foundation and the Baxter International Foundation, the program will: Explore the variety of subjects students can choose as a college major, from astronomy to zoology. Teach girls about rewarding and well-paying careers in STEM. Connect girls with a STEM Ambassador who can inspire and guide them in their education and beyond. Engage parents, guardians, or caregivers to ensure girls have the support and encouragement they need to pursue a pathway in STEM. Check out AAUW's resources on girls and STEM education. ### The American Association of University Women (AAUW) advances gender equity for women and girls through research, education, and advocacy. Our nonpartisan, nonprofit organization has more than 170,000 members and supporters across the United States, as well as 1,000 local branches and more than 800 college and university members. Learn more and join us at www.aauw.org. San Diego, CA, May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Latia Parham, Community Services Coordinator at Liberty Military Housing, and her fellow team members pooled their resources to give five-year-old Max a terrific send-off on his Make a Wish trip to Disney World with his family. Latia and her fellow Pax River team members immediately started making phone calls to coordinate a special send-off for Max and his family as they headed to Orlando. The team coordinated with the NAS base leadership, NAS Patuxent River Fire and Police departments, Navy Housing, and Foundation 4 Heroes to arrange for an extra special escort, including some of Maxs favorite superheroes. Over the years, Foundation 4 Heroes has visited 1000s of children in hospitals, homes, and schools. Nothing is as exciting as being able to celebrate a childs victory over an Illness. We have known Max for several years, and we have brought gifts and inspiration to encourage him and bring joy, but the greatest gift is his full recovery. We were so pleased to be a part of his miracle, said Dr. Jay Lipoff, Foundation 4 Heroes founder. Recently, Maxs family notified LMH that Max is now cancer-free after battling through the last couple of years with a compromised immune system. What started as a thought that the team could go and wave Max off in his limo grew into an entire event. The team wanted to find some way outside the box to brighten the familys day and experience living with us. The team all felt Max's recovery warranted celebrating and is grateful that the Trader family allowed our team to be a part of such a wonderful occasion. When I found out Max had finally kicked cancer, I let out a sigh of relief that I didn't know I was holding in. I wanted to shout it from the rooftop with her [Maxs mother]! I will admit his send-off to Disney was supposed to be pretty small, but after hearing more and more about Max, we got a little carried away, said Latia. About Liberty Military Housing Liberty Military Housing (LMH), formerly known as Lincoln Military Housing, is the leading privatized housing provider and the largest employee-owned company in the multifamily industry. LMH provides more than 36,000 homes in over 200 communities across ten states and the District of Columbia. We are proud of the award-winning communities we build and manage and continue looking ahead to new ways of serving military families, our team, and our partners. Our mission is to contribute to military readiness and morale by ensuring military families live in homes and communities built and maintained to the highest standards. LMH was formed in 2001 through a Department of Defense (DoD) partnership. livelmh.com About the Foundation 4 Heroes The Foundation 4 Heroes is a 501c.3 nonprofit organization that has had the opportunity to visit 1000s of children and Veterans over the years. Traveling to many communities and states, these superhero volunteers' mission is to bring gifts, inspiration and smiles to patients of all ages in hospitals, visit schools to teach children how to be a hero and about bullying and find ways to honor and thank Veterans for their courage, service and sacrifice. f4heroes.com About Make a Wish Foundation The mission of the Make-A-Wish Foundation is to create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. The children we serve are fighting for their lives, and their families are doing everything that they can to help them in their battles. wish.org Attachments Austin, TX, May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On November 2, 2021, the voters of Westwood ISD passed a $38 million bond referendum. The largest project to come out of that bond is the additions and renovations to Westwood Junior High School and its conversion to a middle school serving grades 6-8. "The campus design conforms to the learner, educator, leader, and learning space profiles developed by the district's Educational and Facilities Long-Range Master Planning Committee," said Superintendent, Wade Stanford. "The Committee put a lot of effort into defining who we are in Westwood and what we want for our students, teachers, staff, and community. This is the first opportunity to turn those concepts into something tangible." The new middle school design takes advantage of the original buildings' good "bones," stable foundations, and solid loadbearing walls. It will join the four current buildings under a single roof. Using the newly developed, district-wide design standards and working with leadership and community members, the new middle school will have flexible instructional spaces that integrate technology, spark curiosity, and offer real-world experiences. The project architects, Pfluger Architects of Dallas, Fitzpatrick Architects of Tyler, and the project's construction manager, Jackson Construction, have worked closely with district leadership to maintain the allotted budget and construction timeframe. "The design intent is to support the learning space profile defined by input from the community, parents, staff, and students," said Pfluger CEO, Terry Hoyle. "The learning space profile we're designing to includes flexible and comfortable instructional spaces; collaborative spaces for engagement, creativity, and student choice; and non-academic spaces for community engagement and outdoor learning." Updating the original brick with metal panels and additional glazing breathes new life to the existing exterior walls. "The design strikes a balance between transparency and safety," said Steve Fitzpatrick of Fitzpatrick Architects. "With windows and clerestories, we can bring natural light to educational spaces, and adding wood soffits will warm the facade and create a welcoming feel." The campus reconfiguration is a blend of new and refreshed buildings, resulting in a 102,000 GSF campus with a branded entrance to give the campus a unique identity. Construction is scheduled to begin in September 2022. _______ ABOUT PFLUGER Founded in Austin, Texas, in 1972, Pfluger Architects believes architecture is more than the built environment. It's peoplelistening to the client and designing flexible, functional environments with sustainable solutions that positively impact the environment and bottom line. With offices in Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio, Pfluger inspires people to create a more meaningful human experience. ABOUT WESTWOOD ISD Westwood Independent School District is a public school district based in Palestine, Texas. With an enrollment of 1,352 students, the district serves parts of Palestine and rural areas in west-central Anderson County. Westwood ISD prepares future-ready students in a positive and engaging educational environment. ABOUT FITZPATRICK Fitzpatrick Architects was established in 1986 and has been in continuous operation for 30 yearsgrowing to become the largest firm in East Texas. They are a service-oriented firm that believes that architectural solutions will meet expectations and typically exceed them through listening, understanding, and working as a team. ABOUT JACKSON CONSTRUCTION Jackson Construction is a leading industry partner in K-12 construction, serving over 45 districts in the State of Texas. Founded in 1984 in Quitman, Texas, the construction management company has been successfully building and renovating educational facilities while establishing relationships with school districts, architects, and local subcontractors for the last 38 years. They also have offices in Richardson and Selma, allowing them to serve all of North, East, Central, and South Texas. Attachments English French PRESS RELEASE MAISONS DU MONDES 2022 GENERAL MEETING ALL RESOLUTIONS APPROVED NANTES 31 May 2022, 17:45 CEST Maisons du Monde (Euronext Paris: MDM; ISIN: FR0013153541), a European leader in affordable and inspirational home and living, announces that its General Meeting of Shareholders was held in Paris today. 86,723 % of the share capital was represented at the Meeting which was presided by Thierry Falque-Pierrotin, Chairman of the Board of Directors. Shareholders overwhelmingly approved all of the resolutions submitted to a vote, including the annual and consolidated financial statements for fiscal year 2021 and the proposed cash dividend of 0.55 euro cent per share. The ex-dividend date is 08 June 2022, and the payment date is 10 June 2022. Furthermore, the Meeting approved the appointment of Ms. Alexandra Palt, of Mr. Gabriel Naouri and of Teleios Capital Partners as directors. The Meeting also ratified the appointment of Mr. Victor Herrero Amigo as director. The General Meetings presentation and the detailed results of the votes are available on the Maisons du Monde corporate website at: https://corporate.maisonsdumonde.com/en/finance/ag. Financial calendar 31 May 2022 Annual General Meeting 10 June 2022 Dividend payment date 28 July 2022 Q2 and H1 2022 financial results 27 October 2022 Q3 and 9M 2022 sales *** Disclaimer: Forward Looking Statement This press release contains certain statements that constitute "forward-looking statements," including but not limited to statements that are predictions of or indicate future events, trends, plans or objectives, based on certain assumptions or which do not directly relate to historical or current facts. Such forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the future results expressed, forecasted or implied by such forward- looking statements. Accordingly, no representation is made that any of these statements or forecasts will come to pass or that any forecast results will be achieved. Any forward-looking statements included in this press release speak only as of the date hereof and will not give rise to updates or revision. For a more complete list and description of such risks and uncertainties, refer to Maisons du Mondes filings with the French Autorite des marches financiers. *** About Maisons du Monde Maisons du Monde, a uniquely positioned and beloved brand across Europe, stands as the European leader in inspirational and affordable home & living. It offers a wide and constantly renewed range of furniture and home accessories across multiple styles. Creativity, inspiration and engagement are the brands core pillars. Leveraging its distinctive direct-to-consumer omnichannel model, the company generates over 50% of its sales digitally, through its online platform and in-store digital sales and operates 350 stores across 9 European countries. End 2020, the Group launched a curated marketplace to complement its offering and became the reference one-stop shop in inspirational and affordable home and living. In November 2021, Maisons du Monde unveiled its company purpose: Inspiring everyone to open up to the world, to create together unique, warm and sustainable places to live. corporate.maisonsdumonde.com *** Contacts Investor Relations Press Relations Clemence Mignot-Dupeyrot Tel: (+33) 6 20 36 93 58 Pierre Barbe Tel: (+33) 6 23 23 08 51 cmignot@maisonsdumonde.com pbarbe@maisonsdumonde.com Attachment "Nothing more uncivilized" than U.S. politics' inurement to constancy of mass shootings: NYT Xinhua) 09:19, May 31, 2022 NEW YORK, May 30 (Xinhua) -- There is nothing more uncivilized than the political establishment's inurement to the constancy of mass shootings in the United States, said a recent opinion on The New York Times, criticizing U.S. politicians' hypocrisy as they called for civility facing protests against prevalent gun violence. "When politicians talk about civility and public discourse, what they're really saying is that they would prefer for people to remain silent in the face of injustice. They want marginalized people to accept that the conditions of oppression are unalterable facts of life," said contributing writer Roxane Gay in the article "Don't Talk to Me About 'Civility.' On Tuesday Morning Those Children Were Alive." An 18-year-old man opened fire at an elementary school in Uvalde city in the U.S. state of Texas Tuesday afternoon, leaving at least 21 people dead, including 18 children. "Time and again we are told, both implicitly and explicitly, that all we can do is endure this constancy of violence," the author said. "And if we dare to protest, if we dare to express our rage, if we dare to say enough, we are lectured about the importance of civility." However, the history of the United States, founded on stolen land, built with the labor of stolen lives, has witnessed much incivility, she said. "The document that governs our lives effectively denied more than half of the population the right to vote. It counted only three-fifths of the enslaved population when determining representation." (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun) Artwork by Sara Sejin Chang (Sara van der Heide) at the ARKO Art Center / Courtesy of ARKO Art Center The following article presents an art project of Sara Sejin Chang (Sara van der Heide), an internationally acclaimed Dutch Korean artist, who is exhibiting her artwork for the first time in Seoul. ED. By Lee Kyung-eun Lee Kyung-eun Korean adoptee artists have garnered attention in the western countries where they live, but their works remain relatively unfamiliar to people in their country of origin. This obscurity isn't due to a lack of effort on the part of the adoptees. Despite their attempts to engage with Korean society, Koreans have yet to reciprocate in kind. Therefore, the artistic endeavors brought to Korea represent more than the creative expressions of the individual artist's experience. They additionally serve as part of the collective discourse of adoptees and their attempts to cultivate a dialogue with Korean society. Whether through performances, paintings, or written words, these artists raise questions that often confront and challenge the dominant adoption narratives in Korea. One such prevalent belief among people in Korea insists that if a person enjoys comfortable conditions in the present, then there's little need to broach questions about the past, including inquiries about one's roots. This notion remains prominent in adoption representation, having been historically constructed first by adoption agencies and now reproduced by overly sentimental media portrayals of adoptees. However, the recent work of Sara Sejin Chang (Sara van der Heide) counters such accounts by employing art that unravels persistent untruths that adoptees are orphans, and she critically examines the colonial narratives around adoption. Her long-term project, "The Mother Mountain Institute," centers on the mothers who have been dehumanized and silenced by the lucrative transnational and transracial adoption industry. Sara Sejin Chang (Sara van der Heide) / Courtesy of POCStories Louisville, KY, May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- During the pandemic, the public learned about the critical role respiratory therapists play in hospitals. As practitioners treating people with sudden or chronic breathing problems, they were on the frontlines, helping people survive COVID-19. While the pandemic may have driven awareness about the field, the demand for more practitioners was growing well before the appearance of COVID-19 and is forecasted to continue through the next decade. Aging baby boomers increasingly suffer from medical conditions that affect breathing like COPD and pneumonia, making respiratory therapy one of the fastest growing fields in healthcare. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 23 percent employment growth for respiratory therapists between 2020 and 2030. In that period, an estimated 31,100 jobs will likely become available. Bellarmine University, a private, liberal arts school in Louisville, Ky., is meeting this workforce demand with one of the nations top-ranked respiratory therapy programs. College Choice and Intelligent.com both rank Bellarmine Universitys Respiratory Therapy undergraduate degree as the best in the nation. Bellarmine offers a Bachelor of Health Science in Respiratory Therapy degree and a Master of Health Science in Respiratory Therapy degree. The entry-level Respiratory Therapy graduate program is one of only six in the nation. As an entry-to-practice program, no prior healthcare experience is required for admission to the masters program. Tiffany Stanley, Director and Chair of the program, said there are a number of reasons why Bellarmines program has risen to national prominence. Its a smaller program, so professors are able to focus on students needs, she said. They get to know the students very well, along with how individual students learn and what works for them. Professors keep an open-door policy, so students always feel comfortable approaching them. Faculty and staff are attentive to details and dedicated to students success. Bellarmines undergraduate program was awarded the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (COARC)s Distinguished RRT Credentialing Success for five consecutive years, from 2013 through 2017, and also for 2020. Both undergraduate and graduate students exhibit credentialing success higher than the national average. Dr. Christy Kane, Dean of the Donna and Allan Lansing School of Nursing and Clinical Sciences and a respiratory therapist, said the program also has outstanding clinical experiences. Students complete more than 800 hours of clinical experience across varying patient populations in Louisville, a regional health-care hub. All students, undergraduate and graduate, complete a capstone project. Students connect with a hospital leader to examine a hospital problem and propose a solution. Several student proposals have even been implemented. The Louisville area has such strong hospitals and other healthcare settings, Kane said. We have a strong alumni base too; a lot of our alumni serve as preceptors or clinical instructors. Kane said respiratory therapy is a highly rewarding career, now especially. Respiratory therapists earn above the median income in the United States, with a median salary of just under $70,000 a year, according to salary.com. Opportunities to be a traveling practitioner are plentiful, as well. Everyone comes into healthcare wanting to make a difference, she said. We take care of the airway and breathing for patients. You can only live a few minutes without breathing and oxygen. Every day we know we make a difference because if youre not breathing, nothing else matters. Carolyn Masters, a Bellarmine respiratory therapy alumna who has worked at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital since 2010, said Bellarmines program set her up for a career shes loved. Id do it all over again. Im happy in the profession and I dont worry about its future, she said. Bellarmines professors made me the respiratory therapist I am today. I dont think I would have done as well at a bigger school. I only have positive things to say about Bellarmine and the path I chose. Click here to learn more about what respiratory therapists do and click here to learn more about Bellarmines respiratory therapy program. ### About Bellarmine University: Bellarmine (Louisville, Ky.) is an inclusive independent Catholic university with strong liberal arts focus that educates students in mind, body and spirit for meaningful lives, rewarding careers, ethical leadership and service to improve the human condition. Founded in 1950, Bellarmine offers more than 60 majors with an undergraduate and graduate enrollment of nearly 3,500 students and has an alumni community of more than 25,000. The Bellarmine Knights field teams in 22 Division I sports, most in the ASUN conference. Bellarmine is listed as a top U.S. university by publications including The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. Attachment Toronto, ON, May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The AdvantAge Ontario Board of Directors is pleased to announce the election of Sue Graham-Nutter as Chair. Sue is the CEO of the Rekai Centres, a non-profit, charitable corporation that has two long-term care (LTC) homes located in downtown Toronto providing care to 276 residents. In addition, Sue is leading the Rekai Centres in building a new LTC home, The Rekai Centre at Cherry Place, which will be located on the Waterfront lands at Front and Cherry streets. Once open, the home will have 348 residents and include many innovations to support aging in place. Sue has been active with AdvantAge Ontario for many years, including her roles as the Region 5 Representative, Member at Large, and, most recently, Vice Chair on the Board of Directors. In addition, she has lent her expertise to the Associations education offerings, including the Administrator Leadership Program. She has an Honours BA in Public Administration from the University of Toronto and a Graduate Certificate in Real Estate Financing from Harvard University. Sue is looking forward to leading the Board as the senior care sector continues to recover from the impact of COVID-19 and as the new Fixing Long-Term Care Act is rolled out. This is a pivotal time for seniors care. We are continuing to recover from COVID, we continue to face challenges with staffing, and the sector is expanding rapidly with the addition of many new and redeveloped LTC beds, says Graham-Nutter. Nonetheless, in my new role as Chair, I look forward to collaborating with fellow Board members, association staff, members, and stakeholders to advocate for not-for-profit care and to ensure that our seniors receive the care they expect and deserve. AdvantAge Ontario has been the trusted voice for not-for-profit senior care for over 100 years and is the only provincial association representing the full spectrum of the senior care continuum. Our more than 400 members are located across the province and include not-for-profit, charitable, municipal, and hospital-affiliated long-term care homes, seniors housing, assisted living in supportive housing, and community service agencies. Attachment Investors can contact the law firm at no cost to learn more about recovering their losses LOS ANGELES, May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Portnoy Law Firm advises International Business Machines Corporation ("IBM" or the "Company") (NYSE: IBM) investors that a class action filed on behalf of investors that lost money on their IBM stock. IBM investors are encouraged to contact the firm to discuss their legal rights. Investors are encouraged to contact attorney Lesley F. Portnoy, by phone 844-767-8529 or email: lesley@portnoylaw.com, to discuss their legal rights, or click here to join the case via www.portnoylaw.com. The Portnoy Law Firm can provide a complimentary case evaluation and discuss investors options for pursuing claims to recover their losses. On October 20, 2021, after the close of the market, IBM disclosed that it was going to suffer a revenue shortfall, with its Cognitive & Cloud Computing segment the main culprit. Unbeknownst to the investing public, the Company had stopped and/or curtailed its improper conduct described below, which caused Company results to suffer. On this news, IBM's common stock fell from its close on October 20, 2021, of $133.87 per share to close at $121.07 per share on October 21, 2022, a loss of almost $13.00 per share, thereby injuring investors. The complaint filed in this class action alleges that prior to and throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants overstated IBM's revenues from its strategic side of the business, by misclassifying and/or shifting revenues from its non-strategic mainframe part of the business, to appease market expectations about the Company's future prospects and boost incentive compensation for its executives. This misconduct began prior to the start of the Class Period and continued throughout. The defendants in the case are IBM, Virginia M. Rometty, Martin J. Schroeter, James J. Kavanaugh and Arvind Krishna. The Complaint alleges that the conduct of Defendants violates Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Exchange Act of 1934. Please visit our website to review more information and submit your transaction information. The Portnoy Law Firm represents investors in pursuing claims against caused by corporate wrongdoing. The Firms founding partner has recovered over $5.5 billion for aggrieved investors. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Lesley F. Portnoy, Esq. Admitted CA and NY Bar lesley@portnoylaw.com 310-692-8883 www.portnoylaw.com Attorney Advertising Townsend, TN, May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Company Distilling announced today the official Grand Opening weekend of their first newly-constructed distillery in Townsend, TN on July 8-10. Throughout the weekend, guests can expect to experience live music, enjoy a cocktail, and tour the facility. The full product portfolio for Company Distilling will also be available to sample, including their Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished with maple wood, which hit the shelves last November as their inaugural offering. Since their founding in 2020, Company Distillings goal has been to create spaces where people can gather around and enjoy exceptional spirits. Formed by a group of industry leaders with a goal of creating a strong culture, the focus of Company Distilling is people, places, and communities. Our initial vision for Company Distilling was to be more than just a whiskey brand. We envisioned being a full portfolio spirits company, and we had a collective group experience that I thought brought different areas of expertise to the table. We were stronger together especially when we were thinking about doing more than just one thing, says Jeff Arnett, Master Distiller, I think one of the greatest things about where we are is the freedom that comes from being a small, nimble group of people controlling our own destiny. Kris Tatum, President, further elaborates on the togetherness aspects of Company. Were committed to living up to our promises. We have high expectations and a team that collectively has years of industry experience. Our uncommon bond and friendships drive us to continue to make quality spirits that bring people together. Company Distilling is proudly partnering with local businesses to provide guests with an exceptional distillery experience that is unique to Blount County. Maryville-based restaurant, Amici, will have a permanent menu at the distillery, allowing visitors to gather with friends and enjoy delicious food and fine spirits. The new restaurant space will be called Amico, which means a friend in Italian. We are thrilled to share the Amici experience with Company Distilling and their visitors, says, Chris Thompson, Chef/Owner. Food has consistently been a contributor to creating friendships and impactful impressions for our guests. Its clear Company Distilling has similar goals of creating long-lasting relationships by bringing people together to share something they can all enjoy. The grand opening weekend festivities will include a concert on Friday night at 7 PM featuring Southerland and a concert on Saturday night at 7 PM featuring The Coveralls. For more information about the recent announcement or to schedule an interview with the Company Distilling team, please get in touch with the communications team at media@companydistilling.com. ### About Company Distilling Company Distilling is based in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. When it comes to making spirits, their know-how runs deep. An unlikely assemblage of friends with a history of building distilleries, crafting exceptional spirits, and bringing people together. So, when you pour a glass of Company, youre experiencing something new. But one sip and youll know its not our first go around. For more information about Company Distilling, please visit https://www.companydistilling.com. Follow Company Distilling Facebook | Instagram Attachments Beverly Hills, California, May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hollywood Actress and entrepreneur Aliia Roza arrived in Cannes this week to join Hollywoods biggest stars to attend the glamorous Cannes Film Festival on the French Riviera. The stunning socialite dazzled while attending the red carpet premiere of Anne Hathaways new film Armageddon and Tom Cruise's Top Gun as well as the film festivals opening ceremony whilst stunning fans in haute couture gowns. She also attended the famed World Influencer and Blogger Awards at the iconic Hotel Martinez where she wore a ravishing crimson red gown by Sima Couture. The ceremony, which is held annually, awards the worlds most influential and accomplished social media personalities for their work inspiring others, advocacy and acknowledges their incredible achievements across social media. This years awards was held in aid of the people of Ukraine with attendees raising both money and awareness to help Ukrainian civilian as well as the millions of refugees who have fled to Europe. Joining TikToks most followed star Khaby Lame, YouTube sensation Nikki Tutorials, Alec Monopoly, House of Gucci star Madelina Ghenea and Swedish socialite Victoria Silverstedt- Roza won one of the prestigious and sought after awards at the glamorous ceremony. Picking up the award for Womens Empowerment, Roza delivered a powerful and moving speech in front of the distinguished guests at the event sharing her inspiring journey from former spy to successful entrepreneur and actress. Sharing her life story with the audience she said this is a true honour and this is an award for all women across the world that go through hardships. Women are the core of our societies and its important to recognise the incredible contribution women make to society. The Russian-born beauty hit headlines last year after sharing her shocking ordeal as a former Russian spy where she worked to infiltrate human and drug trafficking gangs to help save kidnapped children. According to TMZ, Roza had to flee Russia after being threatened with her life and has since lived in London, Switzerland, Italy and France before moving to the U.S. over 2 years ago. She has since gone on to become a successful entrepreneur, hosting events for luxury brands including; Cartier and Damiani, owning a Public Relations firm and helping to inspire women through her platform "Super Lady". The star is also set to release her tell-all book over the next year, which details her life story and teaches women how to get what they want through seduction, confidence and various techniques that Roza learnt through her years of experience in the military. Media Contact Company Name: Roza London Public Relations Contact Person: Emily Moore Email: pr@rozalondon.com City: Beverly Hills State: California Country: United States Website: https://rozalondon.com Disclaimer: There is no offer to sell, no solicitation of an offer to buy, and no recommendation of any security or any other product or service in this article. Moreover, nothing contained in this PR should be construed as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any investment or security, or to engage in any investment strategy or transaction. It is your responsibility to determine whether any investment, investment strategy, security, or related transaction is appropriate for you based on your investment objectives, financial circumstances, and risk tolerance. Consult your business advisor, attorney, or tax advisor regarding your specific business, legal, or tax situation. For more info, please contact brandnewsproject@gmail.com. Attachment Houston, TX, May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Red Mountain Scientific (RMS) and Visual Intelligence announced a partnership to provide rural carriers with a unified solution that encompasses a full spectrum of data and analytical services to support Rip & Replace activities. Visual Intelligence, the first unified drone platform to digitize tower infrastructure with millimeter accuracy, will work with RMS, a comprehensive image intelligence platform for wireless infrastructure management, to digitize sites that possess untrusted network gear and simulate changes required to replace equipment. With a patented drone sensor that collects data that is 10-20 times more accurate than mobile Lidar technologies and 50-100 times more accurate than single camera commercial drones, Visual Intelligence generates a new class of engineering-grade drone data to produce millimeter-accurate tower 3d models that serve as a foundation for engineering analysis, streamlining pre- and post-modification workflows. RMS provides a fast, lightweight, and easy-to-use software that enable rural telecom providers, engineering firms, and local industry to leverage the most advanced image data acquisition and analysis techniques available for the management of their broadband facilities and wireless tower infrastructure. Together, the collaboration of Visual Intelligence and Red Mountain Scientific provides rural carriers with a complete solution for monitoring and managing Rip & Replace activities. Engineering Class 3D models aide Digital Twin analysis, helping carriers simulate equipment swaps and understand available capacity when legacy data is incomplete or inaccurate. In concert with the RMS platform, carriers will have one central repository for all tower imagery, including data from smartphones and drones, to streamline antennae inventory, identify structural issues, locate available space for additional equipment, and visually document site walks and closeouts. Over the tower lifecycle, carriers require different classes of data to carry out routine activities. When there has been a structural change, engineering-grade 3d data is needed to create an as-built reality model and generate an up-to-date design model. Other times, for work verification or conditional assessment, inspection class data from an iPhone or off-the-shelf drone will suffice, said Ted Miller, Founder and Chairman of Visual Intelligence. Together with RMS, we now offer carriers a unified source of tower truth that incorporates the full spectrum of 2d and 3d data, providing value that is useful long after Rip and Replace is complete.Integrating Visual Intelligence 3d data and Digital Twin technology into the RMS platform will provide carriers with a complete solution for managing pre and post-modification Rip and Replace activities, said Mike Moses, CEO and Founder of RMS. For rural carriers who face service downtime, high costs and labor shortages, our unified solution automates both inspection and engineering activities, accelerating workflows and reducing the labor required. Both Visual Intelligence and Red Mountain Scientific are currently servicing Rip & Replace customer projects. Attachments The partnership will initially cover 50,000 students and 7,500 interns and workers IRVINE, CA, May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire EON Reality Inc. (EON Reality), a global leader in Augmented- and Virtual-Reality-based knowledge and skills transfer for industry and education, announces a new partnership with Cho Thavee Public Company Limited (Cho Thavee) in Thailand to expand the Knowledge Metaverse starting with 50,000 students and 7,500 interns and workers, with plans of expanding throughout Thailand and Laos. As a pioneer in the transportation business who has since become a leader in cutting-edge technology, Cho Thavee is a company that is primed to begin implementing the power of EON Realitys EON-XR and the Knowledge Metaverse on an everyday basis. This partnership also marks the formal launch of EON Realitys support for Thailands groundbreaking Infinitland project. EON Reality is extremely excited to formally begin our partnership with Cho Thavee, as we believe this will provide a massive opportunity for both EON Reality, Cho Thavee and all of Thailand, said Dan Lejerskar, CEO of EON Reality. In situations like this, EON Reality is pleased to be able to offer life-changing technology like the Knowledge Metaverse to countless students and working professionals throughout Thailand and the region. We believe that both our partnership and Infinitland have a real possibility of being the prototype to shape the way that the next generation learns and grows with the Knowledge Metaverse worldwide. Powered by EON-XR and the Knowledge Metaverse, Cho Thavee will be able to expand on its XR offerings to students and trainees within Infinitland and beyond. By utilizing the technology to share and create immersive and interactive experiences using lifelike 3D models, it can provide truly unique and memorable content in ways that would likely not otherwise be possible. Through EON Reality and its newest partner in Southeast Asia, Cho Thavee, countless students and work interns will not only be important users and beneficiaries of EON-XR and the Knowledge Metaverse, but they will also help to shape the international growth of the technology across EON Realitys global network. Over the past two years, EON Reality has seen over 100 different institutions and companies around the globe, like Cho Thavee, become committed creators and curators for the growing Knowledge Metaverse each creating and sharing experiences based on their own areas of expertise. With the addition of Cho Thavee and Infinitland to EON Realitys ever-growing network, the possibilities and reality of expanding the Knowledge Metaverse and related capabilities have never been greater or more assured. This partnership with EON Reality is pivotal and strategic to our Infinitland project and for knowledge transfer and education in Thailand and Laos. EON-XR will fill in the key missing gaps with its right platform, technologies and solutions to successfully implement Infinitland and the Knowledge Metaverse in both countries, significantly benefiting students and knowledge workers in the new knowledge economy, says Suradech Taweesaengsakulthai, CEO of Cho Thavee. About EON Reality EON Reality is a leading company in Augmented- and Virtual-Reality-based experience creation for education and industry as well as the reputed creators of the Knowledge Metaverse. EON Realitys over 20 years of existence and success are tied to its belief that knowledge is a human right and should be available, accessible, and affordable for every person on the planet. To carry this out, EON Reality developed and launched EON-XR, a SaaS-based platform dedicated to the democratization of XR content creation that brings code-free XR development and publishing to smartphones, tablets, laptops, and any other XR-focused devices. EON-XR can be used in devices of different sizes, in different shapes and at different types of locations: from hand-held mobile devices, to head-mounted displays, to large-scale screens, and even at mega-size facilities. EON Realitys global network now comprises of more than 1.1 million licenses who are collectively building the Knowledge Metaverse in more than 100 locations. EON Reality has also created the worlds leading XR library for education and industry with access to at least 2.16 million 3D assets and counting. For further information, visit www.eonreality.com . About Cho Thavee PCL Cho Thavee is a leading engineering integrator providing a wide range of products and services. With its long history, vast experience, and the specialties of its executives and teams, Cho Thavee has successfully: combined the fields of world-class engineering technology with professional management; developed its capability to design, create and produce commercial vehicles; expanded its business into project management of inland transportation and rail transportation for special project pertaining to logistics: and provided other related services dealing with the companys products and services. For further information, visit www.cho.co.th . New York, U.S.A., May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Convened by the UN Global Compact, Chief Executive Officers from across Africa today announced the launch of the Africa Business Leaders Coalition (ABLC). The Coalition will provide a platform for African business leaders to have a unified private sector voice as they actively and meaningfully engage to work on the continents most pressing issues through an organized, forward-looking, principles-based approach. The Africa Business Leaders Coalition is a CEO-led initiative emanating from the UN Global Compact Africa Strategy 20212023, and is committed to advancing sustainable growth, prosperity and development in Africa by bringing measurable impact to its most pressing issues. The ABLC will work closely with the UN Global Compact Hub in Abuja and 10 Global Compact Local Networks operating across Africa. Ahead of COP27 to be held in Egypt in November 2022, the ABLC will focus its efforts on sustainable development and ambitious climate action by bringing the perspectives of dozens of leading African CEOs and Board Chairs into the global conversation. This will culminate in an ABLC Climate Statement in support of COP27, anchored in the goals of the Paris Agreement, the Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Global Compact Ten Principles. ABLC members will be invited to sign on and announce credible commitments and actions through this Climate Statement. Welcoming the founding members of the Africa Business Leaders Coalition, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed urged them to use their influence to drive change across the continent. This is an opportunity to establish a holistic dialogue to reconcile the development needs of the continent with the need for ambitious climate action, jumpstart the renewable energy transition, and build resilience across the continent, she said. Launching the ABLC, Assistant Secretary-General and CEO of the UN Global Compact Sanda Ojiambo said: Climate change presents a $3 trillion investment opportunity in Africa by 2030. But this potential will not be realized unless the private sector is involved. This Coalition has a critical role to play in ensuring the voice of Africas private sector is heard on the global stage to ensure the continents growth is not only sustainable but also green. The 11 founding members of ABLC include Herbert Wigwe, CEO, Access Bank, Nigeria; Brahim Benjelloun Touimi, Chairman, Bank of Africa, Morocco; Hichem Elloumi, Chairman and CEO, COFICAB; Strive Masiyiwa, Founder and Executive Chairman, Econet Wireless, Zimbabwe; James Mwangi, CEO and Managing Director, Equity Group, Kenya; Karim Bernoussi, CEO, Intelcia Group, Morocco; Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa, CEO, Naspers, South Africa; Yasmine Mohamed Farid Khamis, CEO and Chairman, Oriental Weavers Carpets Co., Egypt; Peter Ndegwa, CEO, Safaricom, Kenya; Fleetwood Grobler, President and CEO, Sasol, South Africa; and Amir Barsoum, Founder and CEO, Vezeeta, Egypt. Members of the ABLC commit to upholding the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact and becoming a UN Global Compact participant within six months of joining. During todays launch, the founding members shared their commitment to sustainability across the continent, focusing on potential company commitments, the sustainability efforts they are making across their communities, a move towards more innovative and robust methods of climate finance, and a call to action for the global community. The virtual launch event was also attended by leaders from the United Nations, including Abdulla Shahid, President of the United Nations General Assembly; Collen Vixen Kelapile, President, United Nations Economic and Social Council; Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations; Cristina Duarte, Under Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Africa to the UN Secretary-General and Sanda Ojiambo, Assistant Secretary-General and CEO of the UN Global Compact. They joined together today to launch the ABLC with Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, UN Climate Change High-level Climate Champion for Egypt. Boston Consulting Group is providing strategy and implementation support to the UN Global Compact for the Africa Business Leaders Coalition. Todays inaugural meeting was Chaired by Sanda Ojiambo with support from Patrick Dupoux, Managing Director, Senior Partner, and Head of Africa, BCG. Todays launch will be followed by six regional roundtable meetings in Abidjan, Cairo, Casablanca, Johannesburg, Lagos and Nairobi in June and July to discuss, shape and mobilize principled and sustainable business in Africa. About the United Nations Global Compact As a special initiative of the UN Secretary-General, the United Nations Global Compact is a call to companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies with Ten Principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. Our ambition is to accelerate and scale the global collective impact of business by upholding the Ten Principles and delivering the Sustainable Development Goals through accountable companies and ecosystems that enable change. With more than 15,000 companies and 3,000 non-business signatories based in over 160 countries, and 69 Local Networks, the UN Global Compact is the worlds largest corporate sustainability initiative one Global Compact uniting business for a better world. For more information, follow @globalcompact on social media and visit our website at unglobalcompact.org and Africa Business Leaders Coalition | UN Global Compact Media Contact Alex Gee gee@unglobalcompact.org North Augusta, May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- North Augusta, South Carolina - Between The Edges Lawn Care & Landscaping, based in North Augusta, South Carolina, is pleased to offer a wide range of landscaping services to their local community in Augusta, Evans, and Grovetown, GA; North Augusta and Aiken, SC; and across the CSRA. The company takes pride in being one of the premier lawn care and landscape companies in the region, and they service many commercial and residential properties. The company is fully licensed, insured and bonded in Georgia and South Carolina, and is a member in good standing with the Better Business Bureau. The company has been in the lawn care and landscape design business since 1999. They offer a range of lawn care services (tailored to the needs of each customers property) as well as a wide variety of landscape design services intended for both commercial and residential properties (including retaining walls, irrigation systems, mulching, brick & stone work, grass sodding, and complete landscape installations). When it comes to commercial lawn care and landscaping, Between the Edges is one of the most comprehensive providers of commercial landscaping and lawn care services across Augusta, Evans and Grovetown, GA, North Augusta and Aiken, SC and throughout the CSRA. The companys highly trained team of professionals is dedicated to providing area businesses with a high standard of service and offers far more than just simple maintenance for commercial landscapes. The company acknowledges that a landscape makes an important first impression on customers and tenants and being an operations partner that knows the importance of fast, proactive service is what sets the company apart. Services range from regular turf management and maintenance to complete landscape enhancement services, including weed control, seasonal color planting, tree and shrub care, irrigation system installation, and landscape and hardscape design and execution. The company also offers residential lawn care services to their local community. Regardless of a customers lawn type, the team will have a program ideal for the customers individual needs. Whether a customer is interested in a long-term lawn care maintenance program or one of the companys additional services, the results a customer will receive are a greener, weed-free lawn just waiting to be enjoyed. Maintenance programs vary from yard to yard and from neighborhood to neighborhood; however, all of the services offered will be delivered by a professionally trained lawn care and landscaping specialist who is knowledgeable and experienced in the field. In addition to residential lawn maintanence, Between The Edges can help clients execute landscaping and hardscaping projects of any size and scope, including fire pits, paver patios and walkways, irrigation systems, sodding and retaining walls. Between the Edges Lawn Care & Landscaping was founded by Jeremy and Tonya Kelley in 2006. They serve both commercial and residential landscape clients in the CSRA region of South Carolina and Georgia. The Kelleys look forward to serving a customers home or business by offering unique services designed especially for the customers property, and this includes the building of hardscapes, sodding, and retaining walls. The team is able to provide a reasonable and accurate quote for landscape design projects, draft the design plans and complete the install all within a reasonable time frame. The companys experienced and highly trained, uniformed technicians are capable of handling most lawn care and landscaping needs. Team members all commit to continual quality-assurance training and on-site professional management. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt40j4diMrY The Kelleys have made it their mission to provide their customers with the highest level of quality landscaping design services at fair and market competitive prices. They strive to ensure the longevity of their landscape design company through repeat and referral business, achieved by customer satisfaction in all areas including timeliness, attention to detail and communication. To learn more about the commercial and residential services offered by Between The Edges Lawn Care & Landscaping, customers may visit the companys official website. The team can also be contacted via phone or email. ### For more information about Between The Edges Lawn Care & Landscaping, contact the company here: Between The Edges Lawn Care & Landscaping Jeremy Kelley (803) 278-1888 service@betweentheedges.com Between The Edges Lawn Care & Landscaping 816 Edgefield Rd North Augusta, SC 29841 Companies expected to speed up investments in small modular reactors By Lee Kyung-min Korea's leading firms are fortifying investments in their nuclear power businesses, propelled by the rapidly elevated standing of the long-shunned power source at the recent Korea-U.S. summit, according to market watchers, Wednesday. During their three-day summit, Presidents Yoon Suk-yeol and Joe Biden reaffirmed their commitment to the development and advancement of a cheaper, affordable and stable source of energy, alongside strengthened overall cooperation in semiconductor and battery manufacturing. The new priority of the joint economic alliance underscores the rare momentum for both countries, a sign many firms characterize as a stable corporate growth opportunity to overcome years of setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Also anchoring the optimism are new energy policy directives by the Yoon administration to scrap the nuclear phase-out policy of the previous Moon Jae-in administration, which has been criticized largely for lacking viable alternatives. Small modular reactors Chief among the recipients of major, long-term investments will be the small modular reactor (SMR) industry. SMRs are widely viewed as the next generation of nuclear reactors. Although they are lower in power generation capacity and size compared to existing large nuclear power plants, they make up for that in terms of safety, simplicity of design and construction method. Hyundai Engineering, a construction affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group, said May 23 that it had established an organization dedicated to advancing nuclear power projects. Employees of the organization will expand SMR businesses, propped up by the production of the small reactors and hydrogen, as well as decommissioning nuclear power plants and conducting research on nuclear cycle projects and nuclear fuel manufacturing facilities. "SMRs have emerged as a key vehicle for promoting carbon neutrality, as recognized by global market players," a Hyundai Engineering official said. "The SMR business will grow significantly, backed by recently reiterated commitments of leaders in Korea and the U.S." Joint investments Similarly, SK Inc. signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), May 17, with TerraPower, a U.S. SMR design firm set up by Bill Gates in 2008. The U.S. firm is best known for sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) technology expected to be fully commercialized as early as 2028, an area of cooperation with SK affiliates including SK Innovation in joint research and development projects. "Local and overseas expansion will be expedited by the industry's overall vigor which will be strengthened," SK Inc. said in a statement. Samsung Heavy Industries, a plant construction and energy affiliate of Samsung Group, signed an MOU with Seaborg, a Danish next-generation nuclear reactor developer, April 7, to develop floating nuclear power plant barges. The project will be enabled by close integration of the Samsung affiliate's shipbuilding capabilities and Compact Molten Salt Reactor (CMSR) technology by the Danish firm. The Seaborg-developed CMSR uses highly efficient fission energy to generate electricity without producing greenhouse gases. The reactor far smaller in size is suited for broader use with fewer limitations compared to existing large nuclear power plants. Doosan Enerbility, an energy affiliate of Doosan Group, said Wednesday that it will invest 5 trillion won ($3.9 billion) in SMR, gas- and hydrogen turbines and hydrogen fuel cell batteries over the next five years. The announcement was the latest development after the U.S. president's visit to Korea, on top of its ongoing cooperation with NuScale Power, a leading U.S. firm specializing in SMR technology. They plan to begin the production of key SMR products in the second half of 2023, buoyed by the increase in investments to revitalize the ecosystem of the nuclear energy market. Optimism The collective move is encouraging, according to Lee Jong-ho, a senior researcher at the Nuclear Research Institute for Future Technology Policy (NIFTEP) affiliated with Seoul National University. "The nuclear energy industry was close to collapsing altogether, but recent investments show signs of hope," he said. The rapid upturn in corporate investments offers much-awaited economic growth momentum, Seoul National University economist Lee In-ho said. "Businesses have long remained reluctant to make investments, leading to a slowdown in the economy. Jobs created by new investments will help lift vibrancy," Lee said. Park Ho-jeong, a professor of Resources and Energy Economics at Korea University said corporate activities will be bolstered, as indicated by the recent shift in priorities by the Yoon administration's newly-appointed energy authorities. Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Lee Chang-yang said at his inauguration on May 13 that the government will reorient energy policies to give more weight to the use of nuclear power. Second Vice Industry Minister Park Il-jun made a visit to a nuclear power equipment manufacturing plant of Doosan Enerbility in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, May 20. He attended a meeting joined by industry workers as one of his first official schedules as the energy authority. Park said he would review ways to simplify approval procedures for nuclear power facility construction. Government assistance in nuclear system exports will be strengthened to bring more work for local firms, he added. Subscribe to The Freeman today! DIGITAL: JUST $10 PER MONTH PRINT+DIGITAL: AS LOW AS $21 PER MONTH A trusted news source since 1859 Delivered Tuesday-Saturday SUBSCRIBE TODAY By Kim Hyun-bin Samsung and SK are seeking to increase cooperation with Japanese companies to secure supplies of semiconductor materials and equipment. Since the Yoon Suk-yeol administration took office, Korea-Japan economic cooperation has been accelerating, with some business meetings taking place between the two countries. Many industry officials believe there is a high possibility Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong will travel to Japan. SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won is planning to visit in June. Lee aims to enhance relations with Japanese firms to stabilize the supply of semiconductor materials and equipment, as uncertainty has been rising around the world. Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong Although Japan's competitiveness in semiconductor manufacturing has deteriorated compared to the past, it is still evaluated as having the world's top level of technology for semiconductor manufacturing equipment and the resists (thin layers) used to form silicon wafers and circuits, as well as semiconductor surface abrasives. After the Korean Supreme Court's 2019 ruling on compensation for surviving South Korean victims of wartime forced labor by Japan companies, the Japanese government retaliated by regulating the export of certain semiconductor materials, parts and equipment. However, the restrictions are starting to ease. According to a study by the Institute for Foreign Economic Policy, 100 percent of laser cutting machines for semiconductors imported over the past two years came from Japan. In addition, the import amount of photoresists from Japan, an essential element for the semiconductor exposure process, increased from 861 tons in 2019 to 954 tons in 2021, and the import amount increased from $268.42 million in 2019 to $367.23 million in 2021. This is why industry officials believe there is a high possibility that Vice Chairman Lee will visit Japan to check the supply chain as economic exchanges between the two countries are becoming active again. Chey, who is also chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), is also expected to visit Japan to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI). Earlier this month, the KCCI held a luncheon meeting at the 63 Building in Seoul, inviting a delegation of the Japanese Oriental Medical Association to Korea to attend the inauguration ceremony of Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol. KCCI Chairman Chey Tae-won Minister of Science and ICT Lee Jong-ho, third from left in the front row, speaks during a meeting with officials of the semiconductor industry and research institutes at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon, Monday. Yonhap U.S. President Joe Biden and President Yoon Suk-yeol take a look around Samsung Electronics' semiconductor factory in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, under the guidance of Samsung Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, third from left, Friday. Yonhap By Baek Byung-yeul U.S. President Joe Biden let the world know that Samsung Electronics is playing a huge role in the global chip industry as he became the first U.S. president to visit the world's No. 1 memory chip maker's plant in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, as soon as he stepped on Korean soil, Friday. The U.S. president arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek at 5:23 p.m. to start his three-day official visit to Korea. The first place he visited was Samsung's Pyeongtaek plant, the world's largest semiconductor factory. Biden arrived at the factory at 6:10 p.m. and President Yoon greeted the U.S. president at the main gate. The two leaders talked to each other for about a minute and took a photo together. While having a conversation, Biden expressed his friendliness tapping Yoon's shoulder and Yoon also put his hand on Biden's back. Both leaders wore masks and showed their smiled with their eyes. NVIDIA announced that a range of the worlds leading computer makers are adopting the new NVIDIA Grace superchips to create the next generation of servers turbocharging AI and HPC workloads for the exascale era. Atos, Dell Technologies, GIGABYTE, HPE, Inspur, Lenovo and Supermicro are planning to deploy servers built with the NVIDIA Grace CPU Superchip and NVIDIA Grace Hopper Superchip. Grace CPU Superchip All these new systems benefit from the just-announced Grace and Grace Hopper designs in the NVIDIA HGX platform, which provide manufacturers the blueprints needed to build systems that offer the highest performance and twice the memory bandwidth and energy efficiency of todays leading data center CPU. As supercomputing enters the era of exascale AI, NVIDIA is teaming up with our OEM partners to enable researchers to tackle massive challenges previously out of reach. Across climate science, energy research, space exploration, digital biology, quantum computing and more, the NVIDIA Grace CPU Superchip and Grace Hopper Superchip form the foundation of the worlds most advanced platform for HPC and AI. Ian Buck, vice president of Hyperscale and HPC at NVIDIA Leading supercomputing centers in the US and Europe will be among the first with systems featuring the superchips. Los Alamos National Laboratory announced that Venado, its next-generation system, will be the first system in the US to be powered by NVIDIA Grace CPU technology. Built using the HPE Cray EX supercomputer, Venado is a heterogeneous system that will feature a mix of Grace CPU Superchip nodes and Grace Hopper Superchip nodes for a wide and emerging set of applications. When completed, the system is expected to exceed 10 exaflops of AI performance. Alps, the Swiss National Computing Centers new system, also to be built by HPE using the HPE Cray EX supercomputer, will use the Grace CPU Superchip to enable breakthrough research in a wide range of fields. It will serve as a general-purpose system open to the research community in Switzerland, as well as the rest of the world. NVIDIA Grace speeds up compute-intensive workloads. The NVIDIA Grace CPU Superchip features two Arm-based CPUs, connected coherently through the high-bandwidth, low-latency, low-power NVIDIA NVLink-C2C interconnect. This design features up to 144 high-performance Arm Neoverse cores with scalable vector extensions and a 1 terabyte-per-second memory subsystem. The Grace CPU Superchip interfaces with the latest PCIe Gen5 protocol to enable maximum connectivity with the highest-performing GPUs, as well as with NVIDIA ConnectX-7 smart network interface cards and NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPUs for secure HPC and AI workloads. The Grace Hopper Superchip pairs an NVIDIA Hopper GPU with an NVIDIA Grace CPU in an integrated module connected with NVLink-C2C to address HPC and giant-scale AI applications. The NVIDIA Grace-powered systems will run the portfolio of NVIDIA AI and NVIDIA HPC software for full-stack, integrated computing. Stellantis N.V. and Toyota Motor Europe N.V. (TME) announced the expansion of their existing partnership with an agreement for a new large-size commercial van, including a battery electric version. The new vehicle marks the third body type under the agreement, completing a full LCV line-up, with compact-, mid- and now also a large-size LCV. Stellantis will supply TME with the new large-size commercial van for sale in Europe under the Toyota brand. The new vehicle will be produced at Stellantis plants in Gliwice, Poland and Atessa, Italy. Planned for mid-2024, the new large-size commercial van marks TMEs first entry into the large-size commercial vehicle segment. With this third successful engagement, Stellantis is further demonstrating its expertise in the commercial vehicle segment and in developing battery electric technology built to support a full range of needs. This agreement strengthens our leadership in the EU30 for LCVs and low emission vehicles and moves us a step closer to realizing our Dare Forward 2030 goal of becoming the undisputed global light commercial vehicle leader, in terms of technology, manufacturing, market share and profitability. Carlos Tavares, Stellantis CEO Operational excellence is by definition recognized in this expanded deal, said Stellantis and TMEs collaboration started in 2012 with the Toyotas mid-size LCV produced at Stellantis Hordain plant in France, followed in 2019 by a competitive and appealing addition to the compact-size LCV segment, produced at Stellantis plant in Vigo, Spain. The large-size LCV announcement deepens the collaboration enabling Toyota to complete a full LCV line-up in Europe, while allowing both companies to benefit from development and production cost optimisation. Futaba Town, Namie Town, AEON TOHOKU Co., Ltd. and Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) are partnering to establish a mobile retail business that uses a fuel cell vehicle in specified reconstruction and revitalization bases. Futaba and Namie are both in Fukushima Prefecture, and were evacuated following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant meltdown resulting from the Great East Japan Earthquake. The two municipalitieswhich are gradually repopulatingand the two companies involved in the agreement aim to support residents experiencing difficulties with everyday shopping with the establishment of a mobile retail business. Drawing on respective resources and expertise, the intention is to contribute to regional sustainability and environmental conservation to stimulate reconstruction efforts following the Great East Japan Earthquake. Images of the fuel cell mobile retail vehicle to be operated by AEON TOHOKU Under the specific initiatives of the agreement, AEON TOHOKU, the main party involved, will launch on 10 June a mobile retail business serving Specified Reconstruction and Revitalization Bases and other areas in Futaba Town and Namie Town where residents have an acute need for shopping support. Centered around AEON Namie Store, the business will seek to support local residents with shopping and aim to create a community that will foster peace of mind among both residents set to return home to the two towns, and those who intend to relocate to those areas. As a result, it is hoped that the business will expedite the lifting of evacuation orders for Specified Reconstruction and Revitalization Bases in Futaba Town and Namie Town. Furthermore, working towards the realization of a carbon-neutral society by 2050, AEON TOHOKU and Toyota, together with Futaba Town and Namie Town, wish to contribute to the creation of a sustainable community of the future that utilizes hydrogen. To this end, the use of the first hydrogen-powered fuel cell (FC) mobile retail vehicle will be implemented. Recognizing that the retail sector is part of a region's critical infrastructure, AEON TOHOKU opened the AEON Namie Store in July 2019 to support the reconstruction of the Hamadori region of Fukushima Prefecture, which incurred significant damage from the Great East Japan Earthquake and ensuing nuclear disaster. Toyota is working together with various partners, mainly in collaboration with Fukushima Prefectureincluding Namie Town, where the Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field (FH2R) is locatedand is examining how hydrogen-based technologies can be implemented to help build cities of the future using hydrogen generated in Fukushima. FH2R has been constructed with a renewable energy-powered 10MW-class hydrogen production unit. FH2R can produce as much as 1,200 Nm3 of hydrogen per hour (rated power operation) using renewable energy. Renewable energy output is subject to large fluctuations, so FH2R will adjust to supply and demand in the power grid in order to maximize utilization of this energy while establishing low-cost, green hydrogen production technology. Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field (FH2R) Hydrogen produced at FH2R will also be used to power stationary hydrogen fuel cell systems and to provide for the mobility devices, fuel cell cars and buses, and more. Primary roles of the four signatories are: The technology group Wartsila, and its collaborators WEC Energy Group, (WEC), the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and Burns & McDonnell (B&McD), have been contracted to carry out hydrogen fuel testing at the A.J. Mihm power plant in Michigan. The project supports WECs ambition to reduce the CO 2 emissions from its electric generating fleet by 60% by the end of 2025, and by 80% by the end of 2030 from 2005 levels, and to be net carbon-neutral by 2050. This will be one of the first cases where hydrogen is tested for use to reduce the carbon footprint of an existing gas-fueled power plant delivered by Wartsila. The 55 MW plant currently operates with three Wartsila 50SG reciprocating internal combustion engines (RICE) running on natural gas. The parties will aim for testing fuel blends of up to 25 vol.% hydrogen mixed with natural gas, thus demonstrating the capability of the plant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Wartsila engines can operate with this level of hydrogen blended with gas with little to no modification needed. Although Wartsila engines can be operated on even higher hydrogen-blend levels, these tests will be restricted to the limit of 25 vol% hydrogen for natural gas systems, according to the international equipment standard IEC/EN 60079-20-1. These hydrogen tests reinforce the viability of the internal combustion engine as a future-proof technology that plays a key role in decarbonizing the power industry. We have long had a focus on creating solutions that enable zero-carbon power generation, and are excited to begin this hydrogen testing project in the USA as a natural next step in developing our products to meet customer needs for a decarbonized future. Our engines already have the flexibility for both balancing the input of renewables into the power system, and baseload generation with a continuously increasing range of fuels. Jon Rodriguez, Director, Engine power plants, Wartsila North America One engine will be selected for the test program, during which time it will continue to deliver power to the grid. For defined engine load levels, the hydrogen content within the fuel will be gradually increased to a maximum of 25 vol.%. Measurements of the engines performance will be made throughout the testing. Wartsila has already successfully carried out engine tests at its testing facilities in Vaasa, Finland and Bermeo, Spain, to assess the optimum engine parameters for operating with hydrogen fuel. In addition to the A.J. Mihm power plant, Wartsila has also supplied WEC Energy Group with seven Wartsila 50SG gas engines for the F. D. Kuester power plant in Michigan. Wartsila already has engine generating sets operating successfully on a natural gas and hydrogen blend in a newbuild power plant at an offshore floating testbed in Singapore. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen talks with the press after an extraordinary meeting of EU leaders to discuss Ukraine, and energy and food security at the Europa Building in Brussels, May 30. AP-Yonhap European Union leaders agreed Monday to embargo most Russian oil imports into the bloc by the end of the year as part of new sanctions on Moscow worked out at a summit focused on helping Ukraine with a long-delayed package of new financial support. The embargo covers Russian oil brought in by sea, allowing a temporary exemption for imports delivered by pipeline, a move that was crucial to bring landlocked Hungary on board for a decision that required a consensus. EU Council President Charles Michel said the agreement covers more than two-thirds of oil imports from Russia. Ursula Von der Leyen, the head of the EU's executive branch, said the punitive move will ''effectively cut around 90 percent of oil imports from Russia to the EU by the end of the year.'' Michel said leaders also agreed to provide Ukraine with a 9 billion-euro ($9.7 billion) tranche of assistance to support the war-torn country's economy. It was unclear whether the money would come in grants or loans. Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, responded to the EU's decision on Twitter, saying: ''As she rightly said yesterday, Russia will find other importers.'' The new package of sanctions will also include an asset freeze and travel ban on individuals, while Russia's biggest bank, Sberbank, will be excluded from SWIFT, the major global system for financial transfers from which the EU previously banned several smaller Russian banks. Three big Russian state-owned broadcasters will be prevented from distributing their content in the EU. ''We want to stop Russia's war machine,'' Michel said, lauding what he called a ''remarkable achievement.'' ''More than ever it's important to show that we are able to be strong, that we are able to be firm, that we are able to be tough,'' he added. European Council President Charles Michel arrives at the first day of a Special European Summit on Ukraine at the European Council, in Brussels, Belgium, May 30. EPA-Yonhap Michel said the new sanctions, which needed the support of all 27 member countries, will be legally endorsed by Wednesday. The EU had already imposed five previous rounds of sanctions on Russia over its war. It has targeted more than 1,000 people individually, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and top government officials as well as pro-Kremlin oligarchs, banks, the coal sector and more. But the sixth package of measures announced May 4 had been held up by concerns over oil supplies. The impasse embarrassed the bloc, which was forced to scale down its ambitions to break Hungary's resistance. When European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed the package, the initial aim was to phase out imports of crude oil within six months and refined products by the end of the year. Both Michel and von der Leyen said leaders will soon return to the issue, seeking to guarantee that Russia's pipeline oil exports to the EU are banned at a later date. Hungarian Prime minister Viktor Orban had made clear he could support the new sanctions only if his country's oil supply security was guaranteed. Hungary gets more than 60 percent of its oil from Russia and depends on crude that comes through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. Von der Leyen had played down the chances of a breakthrough at the summit. But leaders reached a compromise after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged them to end ''internal arguments that only prompt Russia to put more and more pressure on the whole of Europe.'' The EU gets about 40 percent of its natural gas and 25 percent of its oil from Russia, and divisions over the issue exposed the limits of the 27-nation trading bloc's ambitions. In his 10-minute video address, Zelenskyy told leaders to end ''internal arguments that only prompt Russia to put more and more pressure on the whole of Europe.'' He said the sanctions package must ''be agreed on, it needs to be effective, including (on) oil,'' so that Moscow ''feels the price for what it is doing against Ukraine'' and the rest of Europe. Only then, Zelenskyy said, will Russia be forced to ''start seeking peace.'' It was not the first time he had demanded that the EU target Russia's lucrative energy sector and deprive Moscow of billions of dollars each day in supply payments. But Hungary led a group of EU countries worried over the impact of the oil ban on their economy, including Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria. Hungary relies heavily on Russia for energy and can't afford to turn off the pumps. In addition to its need for Russian oil, Hungary gets 85 percent of its natural gas from Russia. Orban had been adamant on arriving at the summit in Brussels that a deal was not in sight, stressing that Hungary needed its energy supply secured. Von der Leyen and Michel said the commitment by Germany and Poland to phase out Russian oil by the end of the year and to forgo oil from the northern part of the Druzhba pipeline will help cut 90 percent of Russian oil imports. The issue of food security will be on the table Tuesday, with the leaders set to encourage their governments to speed up work on ''solidarity lanes'' to help Ukraine export grain and other produce. (AP) This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Petros Giannakouris/AP Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Petros Giannakouris/AP Show More Show Less 3 of 3 CANNES, France (AP) The Cannes Film Festival is one of the most colorful spectacles in the world all Cote dAzur sunshine, palm trees and glittering ballgowns. But the soul of Cannes will always exist in black and white. The images that first made Cannes synonymous with glamour were captured in monochrome pictures that still linger in the collective fantasy of the French Riviera extravaganza, where thousands descend annually to participate in a grand, gaudy tradition in the name of cinema. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate UVALDE, Texas (AP) The blame for an excruciating delay in killing the gunman at a Texas elementary school even as parents outside begged police to rush in and panicked children called 911 from inside has been placed with the school district's homegrown police chief. It's left residents in the small city of Uvalde struggling to reconcile what they know of the well-liked local lawman after the director of state police said that the commander at the scene Pete Arredondo made the wrong decision last week not to breach a classroom at Robb Elementary School sooner, believing the gunman was barricaded inside and children werent at risk. Steven McCraw, the head of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said at the Friday news conference that after following the gunman into the building, officers waited over an hour to breach the classroom. Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in the shooting. Arredondo, who grew up in Uvalde and graduated from high school here, was elected earlier this month to the Uvalde City Council. A special City Council meeting for him and two re-elected incumbents to take their oaths of office had been set for Tuesday evening, but Mayor Don McLaughlin said Monday that the meeting wouldn't be held. Then the mayor issued a Tuesday evening statement saying no ceremony had been held, but the members were sworn in Tuesday. The 50-year-old Arredondo has spent much of a nearly 30-year career in law enforcement in Uvalde, returning in 2020 to take the head police job at the school district. When Arredondo was a boy, Maria Gonzalez used to drive him and her children to the same school where the shooting happened. He was a good boy, she said. He dropped the ball maybe because he did not have enough experience. Who knows? People are very angry," Gonzalez said. Another woman in the neighborhood where Arredondo grew up began sobbing when asked about him. The woman, who didn't want to give her name, said one of her granddaughters was at the school during the shooting but wasn't hurt. Juan Torres, a U.S. Army veteran who was visibly upset with reports coming out about the response, said he knew Arredondo from high school. You sign up to respond to those kinds of situations Torres said. If you are scared, then dont be a police officer. Go flip burgers. After his election to the non-salaried spot on the City Council, Arredondo told the Uvalde Leader-News earlier this month that he was ready to hit the ground running. I have plenty of ideas, and I definitely have plenty of drive, he said, adding he wanted to focus not only on the city being fiscally responsible but also making sure street repairs and beautification projects happen. At a candidates forum before his election, Arredondo said: I guess to me nothing is complicated. Everything has a solution. That solution starts with communication. Communication is key. McCraw said Friday that minutes after the gunman entered the school, city police officers entered through the same door. Over the course of more than an hour, law enforcement from multiple agencies arrived on the scene. Finally, officials said, a U.S. Border Patrol tactical team used a janitors key to unlock the classroom door and kill the gunman. McCraw said that students and teachers had repeatedly begged 911 operators for help while Arredondo told more than a dozen officers to wait in a hallway. That directive which goes against established active-shooter protocols prompted questions about whether more lives were lost because officers didnt act faster. Two law enforcement officials have said that as the gunman fired at students, law enforcement officers from other agencies urged Arredondo to let them move in because children were in danger, The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they had not been authorized to talk publicly about the investigation. In his Monday statement, McLaughlin, the Uvalde mayor, pushed back on officials claims, including remarks made over the weekend by Texas lieutenant governor, that they werent told the truth about the massacre. McLaughlin said in that statement that local law enforcement hadn't made any public comments about the investigation's specifics or misled anyone. But in his Tuesday statement, McLaughlin, noting that emotions are raw, and hearts are broken," said he misunderstood" statements he thought Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had said. Arredondo started out his career in law enforcement working for the Uvalde Police Department. After spending 16 years there, he went to Laredo, a border city located 130 miles (209 kilometers) miles to the south, where he worked at the Webb County Sheriff's Office and then for a local school district, according to a 2020 article in the Uvalde Leader-News on his return to his hometown to take the school district police chief job. The school district's board of trustees approved his appointment to the spot. According to the Uvalde school district's website, the police force led by Arredondo also has five other officers and a security guard. Ray Garner, the police chief of the district in Laredo where Arredondo worked, told the San Antonio Express-News in a story published after the Uvalde shooting that when Arredondo worked in the Laredo district he was easy to talk to" and was concerned about the students. "He was an excellent officer down here, Garner told the newspaper . Down here, we do a lot of training on active-shooter scenarios, and he was involved in those. Arredondo, who spoke only briefly at two short news conferences on the day of the shooting, appeared behind state officials speaking at news conferences over the next two days, but was not present at McCraws Friday news conference. After that news conference, members of the media converged at Arredondo's home and police cruisers took up posts there. Arredondo has not responded to multiple requests for comment from The Associated Press. At one point, a man answering the door at Arredondo's house told a reporter for The Associated Press that Arredondo was indisposed. The truth will come out, said the man before closing the door. On Tuesday, Travis Considine, chief communications officer for the Texas Department of Public Safety, said Arredondo had not responded to DPS interview requests for two days, Considine said. State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, a Democrat whose district includes Uvalde, said on CNNs State of the Union on Sunday that he's asking a lot of questions after so many things went wrong. He said one family told him that a first responder told them that their child, who was shot in the back, likely bled out. So, absolutely, these mistakes may have led to the passing away of these children as well, Gutierrez said. Gutierrez said while the issue of which law enforcement agency had or should have had operational control is a significant concern of his, he's also suggested to McCraw "that its not fair to put it on the local (school district) cop. At the end of the day, everybody failed here," Gutierrez said. ___ Associated Press writer Stengle contributed from Dallas, and also contributing were Curt Anderson in Miami, Jim Vertuno in Austin, Mike Balsamo in Washington and Elliott Spagat in Uvalde. ___ More on the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas: https://apnews.com/hub/school-shootings The smartwatch market between January and March 2022 saw a 13% increase in shipments, according to Counterpoint Research. The analysis of the wearable market across the globe revealed Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi all recorded an increase on yearly basis, despite the quarterly 24% decline - the holiday quarter is obviously hard to match. Associate Director Sujeong Lim stated that brand loyalty is the main reason for the success factor of Apple, which increased its overall share, as well as its YoY shipments by 14%. Weaker international positions are the reason why Huawei, despite being third, kept flat shipments. Users in major markets are wary about the lack of GMS in mobile devices and as such are less likely to switch to a Huawei wearable as well. However, the Chinese company boosted its performance in the domestic market. Most key regions grew in terms of total shipments, with only Europe remaining flat, the report stated. The market was affected by the war in Ukraine and the resulting logistical constraints. The impact is expected to become even more serious in Q2. Other key takes from the report are Garmin was the premium segment leader for wearables over $500. Another US maker Fitbit saw a massive decline because it hasnt launched any new products following its acquisition from Google, and the switch to Wear OS is yet to happen. Source In an official statement at its annual shareholder meeting, Foxconn confirmed its expecting stability to improve in the supply chains in the second half of 2022. Foxconn chairman Young Liu stated the company is confident in the stability of their supply chain for the second half of this year. The recent wave of COVID across China has disrupted demand and supply for all major electronic products including smartphones, tablets and PCs. Foxconn - the worlds largest electronics manufacturer was severely impacted by the long-spanning Shanghai COVID-19 lockdowns. The local government has assured that residents in low-risk areas will be able to return to work from Tuesday. In addition to producing contract manufacturing for electronic products, Foxconn is also looking to enter the electric vehicle (EV) market with its Foxtron line of cars. Source A test tube labelled "Monkeypox virus positive" is seen in this photo taken May 22. Reuters-Yonhap The World Health Organization's top monkeypox expert said she doesn't expect the hundreds of cases reported to date to turn into another pandemic, but acknowledged there are still many unknowns about the disease, including how exactly it's spreading and whether the suspension of mass smallpox immunization decades ago may somehow be speeding its transmission. In a public session Monday, the WHO's Dr. Rosamund Lewis said it was critical to emphasize that the vast majority of cases being seen in dozens of countries globally are in gay, bisexual or men who have sex with men, so that scientists can further study the issue. She urged those at risk to be careful. ''It's very important to describe this because it appears to be an increase in a mode of transmission that may have been under-recognized in the past,'' said Lewis. ''At the moment, we are not concerned about a global pandemic,'' she said. ''We are concerned that individuals may acquire this infection through high-risk exposure if they don't have the information they need to protect themselves.'' She warned that anyone is at potential risk for the disease, regardless of their sexual orientation. Other experts have pointed out that it may be accidental that the disease was first picked up in gay and bisexual men, saying it could quickly spill over into other groups if it is not curbed. Last week, the WHO said 23 countries that haven't previously had monkeypox have now reported more than 250 cases. On Monday, the U.K. announced another 71 cases. Lewis said it's unknown whether monkeypox is being transmitted by sex or just the close contact between people engaging in sexual activity and described the threat to the general population as ''low.'' Mature, oval-shaped monkeypox virions, left, and spherical immature virions, right, are seen in this sample of human skin associated with a 2003 outbreak, in this 2003 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. AP-Yonhap Monkeypox is known to spread when there is close physical contact with an infected person, their clothing or bed sheets. She also warned that among the current cases, there is a higher proportion of people with lesions that are more concentrated in the genital region and sometimes nearly impossible to see. ''You may have these lesions for two to four weeks (and) they may not be visible to others, but you may still be infectious,'' she said. Last week, a top adviser to the WHO said the monkeypox outbreak in Europe, U.S., Israel, Australia and beyond was likely linked to sex at two recent raves in Spain and Belgium. That marks a significant departure from the disease's typical pattern of spread in central and western Africa, where people are mainly infected by animals such as wild rodents and primates. Scientists haven't yet determined whether the monkeypox outbreak in rich countries can be traced to Africa, but the disease continues to sicken people on the continent. On Monday, authorities in Congo said nine people have died of monkeypox this year. Dr. Aime Alongo, chief of the Sankuru Health Division in Congo, also said 465 cases have been confirmed, making it one of the worst-hit nations in West and Central Africa. A healthcare worker prepares a dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine during a door-to-door vaccination campaign, in El Alto, Bolivia, Sept. 17, 2021. AP-Yonhap Shopping for zero-waste products with local business Numalo Refillery just got even easier! The business opened in the fall of 2021 with a weekly pop-up and home delivery-based model, and founder Jasmine Flores-Cantrell is taking it to the next level with expanded hours in a convenient, central location in Harmon. Flores-Cantrell says that the change comes after receiving feedback from the community that the pop-up model, originally designed to offer heightened convenience to customers, wasnt having the desired effect. I thought maybe the pop-ups would be good and convenient for people from different regions to visit us, but it seems like it ended up just confusing people more. So the decision to open a storefront is really in direct response to peoples feedback and just trying to make it more accessible, Flores-Cantrell said. The changes that come with a storefront are exciting ones extended hours mean shoppers have access to Numalos products when it is most convenient for them, and Flores-Cantrell says it will change the shopping experience, too. People will be able to pump or fill up their bottles themselves rather than having us do it, which makes refilling more enjoyable. Its a hands-on activity, people can feel empowered to do this themselves. Were also hoping to get more inventory in now that we have a bigger space than the van to offer a wider range of selections of zero waste products, she said. One element of the pop-up model that Flores-Cantrell will miss is the chance to interact with and educate strangers. During the hours spent at Fuuna Cultures, Dededo farmers market, Talofofo Bay and more, Flores-Cantrell and co-founder Tori Flores had the chance to initiate conversations about their mission and their services. But at the same time, pop-ups were really a challenge because of the weather. Anytime its rainy, we can anticipate people are not going to be wanting to go outdoors and waiting in front of the van, Flores-Cantrell said. Beyond the comfort of the customers, weather has taken its toll on the Numalo team. Rainy days would lead to plenty of rain getting inside the van, and when I asked Flores-Cantrell what she was most looking forward to about the new space, she quickly answered Air-con. Im looking forward to just having one central location where we can come in and relax and not have to stress out about What if this happens, what if you know the traffic is bad? So it just seems like one central location is just going to be a little bit stress free for us, she said. Shoppers can also expect to see Flores at the helm by herself for a little while, as Flores-Cantrell will be off island for the first in-person meeting of Ripe for Creative Disruption: An Environmental Justice Movement Fellowship, a two-year endeavor she is participating in alongside Micronesia Climate Change Alliance team members Moneka De Oro and Cami Egurrola, as well as CNMI Precinct 4 Representative Sheila Babauta. And if youre already missing the fun of the pop-up schedule, Flores-Cantrell has some good news for you. We will still be doing pop-ups for special events the festivals that go around, or if people request for us to come and do a potluck at their house or whatever, we will still have the van. Its not like the van is going anywhere, Flores-Cantrell said. Were just trying to offer people more access, were trying to make it easier on people. The government of Guam sued telecommunications company GTA in 2019 because of consumer complaints by its competitor, Docomo Pacific, according to oral arguments Tuesday in the Supreme Court of Guam. The attorney generals office has accused GTA of violating the Deceptive Trade Practices Act by charging its customers for a 2018 increase in the business privilege tax. Lawmakers that year increased the tax from 4% to 5% to generate more revenue for the local government. The attorney generals office, which represents GovGuam in the case, petitioned the Supreme Court after the Superior Court of Guam disqualified Assistant Attorney General Ben Paholke from representing the government in the case. Paholke had performed much of the work in the GTA case, including issuing a public statement when the case was filed. The Superior Court agreed with GTAs argument that Paholke, who conducted much of the GTA investigation himself, had become a necessary witness and could no longer represent GovGuam in the case. Allowing Paholke to continue with the case would violate the code of professional conduct for attorneys in Guam, according to the Superior Court. The attorney generals office wants the Supreme Court to review and void the Superior Courts order, even though Paholke has since resigned from the attorney generals office. Implications Assistant Attorney General Jordan Pauluhn on Tuesday told justices GTA still plans to call Paholke as a witness and the Superior Courts order also could affect other attorneys general who work on the GTA case. I firmly believe that the implications of this order are staggering and will chill prosecutorial conduct and attorney advocacy all across the board, Pauluhn said. He said Paholke was doing work typical to that type of case. Pauluhn said if justices decide the governments petition is moot, they should set aside the Superior Courts finding that Paholke is a necessary witness, so at least the parties can start on a blank slate. GTA attorney Anita Arriola told justices Paholke didnt use investigators from the attorney generals office to investigate the case and Paholke therefore is the only person who has some of the information. GTA countersued the government in February, stating the governments negligent actions in the case have damaged the company. Be careful You need to be careful about your investigations, she said, adding the Superior Court repeatedly asked who will provide testimony in the case. The only person who has this information is Mr. Paholke. Arriola told justices the main reason Paholke is a witness is because, He had direct communications with James Hofman, from Docomo, not only a competitor but a company that filed a consumer complaint against GTA. Hofman is Docomos chief legal officer. It is (Paholkes) direct communications with Mr. Hofman that are at issue here, Arriola said, because Docomo lodged its consumer complaint after communicating with Paholke. We dont think thats coincidental, she said, adding that Paholke has testified he relied on Docomos complaint to bring the governments case against GTA. The other consumer complaint against GTA was lodged by Docomos Frank Cruz, Arriola said. Cruz is Docomos director of product management. Created a mess The government filed a straightforward civil enforcement action under the Deceptive Trade Practices Act against Teleguam Holdings Inc., alleging violations because it passed on the 2018 business privilege tax increase to its customers as a separate line item, in a matter this court disapproved of (in other cases), Assistant Attorney General Pauluhn told justices. Instead of being allowed to prosecute its case, a non-party, Teleguam Holdings LLC, has shown up and created a mess in innumerable ways. Pauluhn said the Superior Court shouldnt have entertained Teleguam Holdings LLCs request to disqualify Paholke because the company isnt part of the case. The attorney generals office sued Teleguam Holdings Inc., not Teleguam Holdings LLC, he said. Arriola told justices there is no legal justification for the Supreme Court to intervene in the case at this time. This issue has been fully briefed in the trial court and the trial court should get first shot at determining this issue, she said. An expert witness testified about finding inconsistencies in Hansen Helicopters bank statements on the 21st day of trial at the District Court of Guam. Forensic auditor Teshara Jones testified Tuesday about her analysis of Hansen Helicopters and its subsidiaries bank statements as the company and President John Walker continue trial for fraud charges. Jones was classified as an expert witness with experience in developing summaries of accounting records for complex fraud cases, which she did in this case and often referred to her records during her testimony. In particular, Jones was questioned by prosecuting attorney Samantha Miller about wire transfers to an alleged shell company, Caledonian Agency, used to cover up the fraud, for which Walker also is president. Did you see in your review of the evidence legitimizing those transfers? Miller asked. I did not, Jones responded. What kinds of evidence would you expect to see that you didnt see? With outgoing funds you would expect to see the description and nature of those transactions I didnt see anything in the accounting records to substantiate those transfers and the swirling of funds in the account, Jones explained. You see the money coming in, you see the money going out and theres no clear documentation or explanation in the accounting records or any other evidence I was provided to explain why. Jones testified about one transaction in particular that resembled other transfers she found in the statements was for $119,000.41. Objections A recurring theme throughout the 3-week trial so far has been attorneys making objections to their counterparts line of questioning that would often spark an argument on the side. It continued again in Tuesdays proceedings which caused Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood to urge the attorneys to calm down. I dont care about everybodys objections I just want to hear the answer You guys got to calm down because Im telling you its so much easier if the judge whos making the decision can hear one person at a time and not everybody jump in, she said. Just take it easy, Tydingco-Gatewood added before asking the court reporter to repeat what was said before an argument began. Walker and Hansen Helicopters charges stem from using unworthy and uncertified helicopters to defraud the government. Although senators expressed concerns over cost, parking and convenience, early voting for the primary election will begin July 28 at the Westin Resort in Tumon. On Tuesday, senators discussed Bill 281, which would appropriate $609,000 to the Guam Election Commission for the primary election and early voting. Commission Executive Director Maria Pangelinan said a contract has been finalized with the Westin Resort as a site for early voting. In 2020, more than 12,000 voters participated in early voting, and election officials will expand the service this year to better accommodate people with disabilities. While early voting will be held on the mezzanine level of the resort, people with disabilities will be able to vote curbside without having to go into the hotel. We hope to get higher voter participation for both Election Day and early voting, Pangelinan said. She said other sites, including public buildings, were considered, and the award to the Westin Resort was made following Guam procurement law. The voting site will be rented for five months at a rate of $15,000 per month. In addition, 20 people will be hired to operate early voting, and Guam Police Department will provide security. Supplies are also needed, including two ballot sheets. Speaker Therese Terlaje raised concerns about parking at the resort. Ive been to the Westin many, many times, even recently, and the parking spaces are tight. So I feel sorry for the manamko parking, Terlaje said. Sen. Telo Taitague asked about the convenience of holding an early election in Tumon. Pangelinan explained officials needed a place within a 5-mile radius of the election office. Police escorts are needed to protect the ballots as they are transported from the voting site to the vault. Im sorry, but whether you drive five miles or 10 miles, you still have to be accompanied by a police officer, you said chauffeuring, or somebody, security there, I just dont see taking away the convenience of a location thats centralized versus somewhere in Tumon, Taitague said. A second man was arrested in connection with a shooting at Paseo that was recorded on video and widely shared on social media. Kyle Joaquin Topasna, 20, surrendered to police Monday, according to Guam Police Department spokesman Sgt. Paul Tapao. He was arrested on suspicion of: Purchasing, possession, use or carrying of firearms without valid identification. Concealing firearms without valid firearms identification permitting concealing. Transferring firearms without valid identification. Discharging firearms. Reckless conduct. Disorderly conduct. On Saturday, Evin Babauta Pangelinan surrendered to authorities and was arrested for his involvement in the incident. Pangelinan told police a group of men began to "bash" his vehicle and other vehicles, and one of the men swung a machete at him, according to a magistrate's complaint filed in Superior Court. A friend fired a gun in the air and Pangelinan said, "Par, let me have that. I'll show you how it's done." The friend gave Pangelinan the gun and Pangelinan shot a round toward the back of a car, according to the complaint. "I wasn't thinking straight," Pangelinan said. "I should have just moved my truck." The case remains open as police follow up on leads and witness interviews, Tapao said. As the kids nowadays say, it was lit literally as the stage lit up with sparklers as the Simon Sanchez High School Class of 2022 took the opportunity to celebrate the graduation milestone in their lives Tuesday at the University of Guams Calvo Field House. Being the first of the six public high schools to hold an in-person graduation ceremony, the students, their families and friends all cheered, some even cried, that not only were 337 of them able to graduate but to have a traditional, in-person ceremony. They say Friday the 13th is known as the unluckiest day. What a coincidence that Friday, March 13, 2020, was the last day we all spent together before all schools, businesses, airports and just the overall island shutdown, said Merry Ann Ocampo, salutatorian. We were all so happy in the beginning because we thought we would only be away from school for two weeks. But then two weeks became four weeks, and four weeks became a whole year. In her address, Ocampo lamented how she and the rest of graduating class had to quickly adapt to the different modes of learning and how difficult the transition was for them despite being teenagers and growing up being more technologically literate. Valedictorian Give yourself more credit for everything you have accomplished When you take the risks and put in the work, you have a chance to see all of the beauty that comes from it and just like flowers, success does not grow overnight, said Grace Ann Sulit Dela Cruz, valedictorian and chairperson for the Island Wide Board of Governing Students. In attendance at the schools graduation, was outgoing Superintendent Jon Fernandez, who addressed the graduating class, noting that hes known them since they were in the third grade. He said, that although they made the best of not having a traditional ceremony for the past two years, it doesnt compare to the feeling of graduating in person. This day is about you nothing compares to the excitement that I feel in this room, the excitement of you being together on these very last moments before you graduate and Im just so honored and glad to be a part of that with all of you, Fernandez said. As the class bid farewell, the Sanchez Sharks danced and sang to their picked graduation song, The Show Goes On by Lupe Fiasco, accompanied by glow sticks and sparklers onstage before they embarked on their journeys into adulthood. I think we can all learn from them and continue to look on the brighter side of things, and most importantly, to find our light, what drives us, what inspires us and what causes us to take action, said Dela Cruz. Three legally-owned hand guns are displayed on a gun owner's table in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada after the government there introduced legislation to implement a "national freeze" on the sale and purchase of handguns, as a part of a gun control package that would also limit magazine capacities and ban some toys that look like guns. May 30. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government introduced legislation Monday that would put a freeze on importing, buying or selling handguns. ''We are capping the number of handguns in this country,'' Trudeau said. The regulations to halt the growth of personally owned handguns is expected to be enacted this fall. ''It will be illegal to buy, sell, transfer or import handguns anywhere in Canada,'' the prime minister said. Families of shooting victims joined him at a press conference in Ottawa. Canada already has plans to ban 1,500 types of military-style firearms and offer a mandatory buyback program that will begin at the end of the year. Trudeau said if someone really wants to keep their assault weapon it will be made completely inoperable. Canada has already expanded background checks. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks at a press conference after his government introduced legislation to implement a "national freeze" on the sale and purchase of handguns, as a part of a gun control package that would also limit magazine capacities and ban some toys that look like guns, May 30. Trudeau has long had plans to enact tougher gun laws but the introduction of the new measure comes after mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, N.Y., this month. Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino called the legislation the most significant step Canada has taken in a generation. ''Countries that do a good job of controlling guns do a good job of controlling gun violence,'' Mendicino said in an interview with The Associated Press. Bill Blair, minister of emergency preparedness, said Canada is very different from the United States. ''In Canada, gun ownership is a privilege not a right,'' Blair said. ''This is a principal that differentiates ourselves from many other countries in the world, notably our colleagues and friends to the south.'' Canada has had far fewer mass shootings than the U.S. in part because of a lack of easy access to guns, though the U.S. population also is far larger than Canada's. A legal owner poses with his 9mm Sig Sauer P239 after Canada's government introduced legislation to implement a "national freeze" on the sale and purchase of handguns, as a part of a gun control package that would also limit magazine capacities. Haiti - FLASH : A bus with 43 passengers targeted, 1 dead and 2 seriously injured On Monday, a bus from the company "La voix des anges" with 43 passengers on board, which provides the Cayes-Port-au-Prince route, was targeted in Martissant (at the southern entrance to the capital) by heavily armed individuals who control the RN#2, confirmed Mehu Changeux, President of the union of the Association of Owners and Drivers of Haiti (APCH). 3 passengers were seriously injured and rushed to a hospital in Carrefour: Steevenson Theodore (19 years old) succumbed to his injuries at the hospital the other two Fernand Lenor (24 years old) Jacques Dieuly, (42 years old) received the care required by their condition according to the Justice of the Peace Moise Jean in charge of the legal report. We have no news of the condition of the two injured passengers. According to testimonies, it would be bandits from Village-de-Dieu who opened fire in the direction of the bus SL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Assassination of the President : The extradition of Turkey of Samir Handal stalls Monday, May 30, 2022, an Istanbul court rejected the request for release presented by the lawyer of Samir Handal suspected by the Haitian justice of complicity in the plot which led to the assassination of President Jovenel Moise on July 7, 2021 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34162-haiti-flash-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated-by-mercenaries-official-updated-7am-+-video.html Handal followed the hearing by video from Maltepe prison (east of Istanbul) where he is imprisoned. Let's recall that Samir Handal under an international arrest warrant (red notice) from Interpol (since lifted) was arrested in Turkey on November 15, 2021 upon his arrival on a Turkish Airlines flight from Miami. Regarding the possible extradition request for Samir Handal made by Haiti, nothing really seems to be progressing, the Turkish justice clarified that the Haitian authorities had not yet responded to a letter from the court asking for assurances that if Handal was found guilty convicted, his sentence would be in line with international human rights agreements to which Turkey is a party. More specifically, Turkish justice wants to know if the crimes that are the basis of the extradition request do not require the death penalty or a sentence incompatible with human dignity. Turkey thus wishes to know the type of penalty incurred (imprisonment, life imprisonment, aggravated life imprisonment, forced labour, etc...) and the period of the maximum sentence, separately for each of the crimes appearing in the extradition request for which accuses Handal. As well as the texts of Haitian law (translated into Turkish) which regulate the alleged offenses constituting the justification for the extradition request. For his part Handal continues to deny the charges against him, claiming that his name was cited in the assassination plot for having rented an office to a doctor (Christian Emmanuel Sanon, arrested Haiti in July 2021 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34210-haiti-flash-arrest-of-one-of-the-intellectual-authors-of-the-assassination-of-president-moise-and-an-attempted-coup.html charged in the assassination ) claiming that he was unaware of any conspiracy when he made this hire to this doctor. Read also about the Samir Handal case : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36457-haiti-assassination-of-the-president-postponement-of-the-extradition-hearing-of-samir-handal-in-turkey.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35261-haiti-assassination-of-the-president-haitian-businessman-samir-handal-in-prison-in-istanbul-for-40-days.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35541-haiti-assassination-of-the-president-the-eventual-transfer-of-samir-handal-from-turkey-may-take-a-long-time.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35253-haiti-flash-samir-handal-suspect-in-the-assassination-of-president-moise-arrested-in-turkey.html Read also about the assassination of President Moise: https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34162-haiti-flash-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated-by-mercenaries-official-updated-7am-+-video.html SL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... 5th judge appointed to investigate the President's assassination case 11 months after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34162-haiti-flash-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated-by-mercenaries-official-updated-7am-+-video.html Me Bernard Saint-Vil, Dean of the Court of First Instance (TPI), appointed Monday, May 30, 2022 Me Walther Wesser Voltaire as the new judge (the 5th) in charge [of attempting] to instruct the file of the assassination of the President... The targeted sector of gangs According to figures communicated by the Unified Movement of Haitian Transporters (MUTH) over the past 18 months, about 50 drivers and trade unionists have been kidnapped, 25 murdered and 102 others injured. In addition, more than 310 vehicles were hijacked, looted or burned by armed bandits. 2nd burglary in 15 days at the PAP prosecutor's office On the night of May 29 to 30, individuals robbed the office of the Government Commissioner, Me Jacques Lafontant, at the Parquet in Port-au-Prince and leave with various materials. Note that this is the second burglary at the Parquet since May 11, 2022 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36641-haiti-flash-major-burglary-at-the-parquet-of-port-au-prince.html 41 Democratic congressmen hold the US accountable In a letter to Samantha Power, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), 41 Democratic congresswomen said they believed there was an urgent need for the U.S. government "[...] to take action on the food aid arriving in Haiti and U.S. food aid policy more broadly," noting "While this is currently the result of the domestic situation in Haiti and lower than expected humanitarian food aid, historic policy of the United States also contributed to the problem and we have a moral responsibility to solve it" Archipelago Invitation : Online Chat As part of the Archipelago exhibition which lasts until June 18 at Maison Dufort, the Art Center invites you to follow a virtual chat with the Dominican painter, Michelle Ricardo in conversation with the Haitian painter, Phaidra McQueen Sterlin on Thursday, June 2, 2022 at 4 p.m. The mediation will be provided by the Haitian visual artist, Ronald Mevs. To register and follow the chat online on zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87232482403?pwd=SW7QgmQHRhszWKm3y33r33Ad_6dPMd.1 or on the Cenre dArt Facebook page. HL/ HaitiLibre Login or sign up to follow actresses, movies & dramas and get specific updates and news Login Sign Up Email Password Password Username Your E-mail will only be used to retrieve a lost password. Stay logged in Help A FORMER mayor of Henley has criticised John Howell for not responding to questions about licences for outdoor seating in the town centre. Ken Arlett is unhappy that the town council is losing income of about 24,000 a year due to temporary legislation brought in by the Government to help businesses provide outdoor eating spaces during the coronavirus pandemic. The council normally charges businesses renting space in Market Place thousands of pounds each with large companies such as Starbucks paying more than local businesses. But the Business and Planning Act 2020 means a local authority can charge only 100 to any business renting an outdoor eating space. The law came into force in April last year and will not end until September. The council wrote to Mr Howell to ask how he thought the shortfall should be recouped but he did not reply. Councillor Arlett, who was mayor when the pandemic began, said this was not acceptable. Speaking at a meeting of the councils recreation and amenities committee, he said: We wrote to John Howell on this a while ago. Have we had any response? I have written to him on a couple of points and have had no response. Is it just me? We are losing 24,000 a year on a one-size-fits-all from government where we can only charge 100. Where maybe in the centre of London they can probably afford it, I dont know why should we lose out on 24,000 a year just for some government policy. One would imagine that our MP would at least come back to us with an answer to our question why is it one-size-fits-all. I dont think it should be. Town clerk Sheridan Jacklin-Edward said: It was temporary emergency legislation that was put in place to help businesses. Usually seating licences would be issued by a principal authority where the income would be relatively small in comparison to the income that we as a council receive from them. I would hazard a guess that the impact on virtually every other licensing authority would be negligible so it would only be ourselves really who are greatly impacted by that versus a lot of businesses which have obviously benefitted greatly from the legislation. Also, the legislation does come to an end at the end of September. I very much doubt that anything could be done retrospectively so hopefully we only have to wait it out for another four-and-a-half months or so and then it should be back to normal. Cllr Arlett, a member of the ruling Henley Residents Group on the council, replied: What you say is totally correct and I dont have a problem with that but why havent we had a response from our MP that is more of a concern. We are paying money out there to clean it [Market Place], which is absolutely dead money now because we are getting no income in to pay for that. I think the likes of our MP should be responding to this to see the problem weve got and what its costing us. I think you should send him a letter tomorrow and politely ask why we havent had a response. It has been four months now. Councillor Kellie Hinton added: Now the Conservatives have control over so few councils in the United Kingdom I think they really are out of touch. I think there is now a real disconnect between local councils and the Government. John Howell was unavailable for comment. TRIBUTES have been paid to a businesswoman described as the best of Henley. Carolyn Molyneux, who ran Delegate Office and Conference Services in Hart Street, passed away on Sunday. Despite suffering from ill health for a number of years and beating cancer several times, she continued to be actively involved in her company and the wider community. Ms Molyneux, who lived in River Terrace, supported the Henley Living Advent Calendar and the Henley Regatta for the Disabled and was a familiar face at both events. She also organised Henleys annual window display competitions during the royal regatta and at Christmas. Ms Molyneux won a Henley Heroes award in 2019 for her long-standing commitment to charities. Richard Rodway, who chairs the living advent calendar, said: Carolyn has had a bad run of luck with her health and I think only the people who were closest to her knew the extent of it because she always put on such a brave face and didnt let her health get her down. Her way of dealing with things was always to be positive and to help others, to her great credit. Her death is very, very sad and kind of came out of the blue. I was only speaking to her a couple of weeks ago about Christmas and she was so positive and looking forward to having the living advent back again. The messages that have been put online show just how much she did, which I think a lot of people were not aware of. That speaks volumes about what people thought of her. Eva Rickett, of Henley Scan in Reading Road, said: I first got to know her about four years ago as we were both on the living advent calendar committee together and I considered her a friend. At Mayor making I sat down with her and we had a long chat about how she was and her business. She had been making plans. Having sold her flat in River Terrace, she was going to be moving into Victoria Court so I was saying how she could pop into my shop for a cup of tea as we are just over the road. When I think of her I just think of kindness. She was the best of Henley. Lucy Bowley, who chairs the Regatta for the Disabled, said Ms Molyneux had joined the organising committee when the event was launched in 2010. She said: Carolyn was part of the committee from the word go. We asked her to join us for some administrative help and she got us really well organised. She promoted the event everywhere she went she was like our ambassador. Carolyn had a great sense of humour and was hard-working. She was always more interested in other people than herself. She had health issues but she would never put them ahead of checking up on someone else. I have disabled children and she would always ask after them and when she came to my wedding she had brought with her a frame and asked everyone to sign. She would always make a fuss if there was something to celebrate. Carolyns passing is a huge loss to the regatta but also to the wider community in Henley. Niki Schafer, who chairs the Henley Business Partnership, said: Carolyn always used to organise the partnership as our administrator. She did lots for businesses and brought the community together in such a loving way it wasnt hardcore commerciality. She went to all the events and her presence was always felt so she will be sorely missed. Ms Molyneux was born in Farnham, Surrey, and moved to a farm in Bray when she was eight. She went to school in Maidenhead and then completed a course in secretarial services at East Berkshire College. She then worked as a junior secretary. One of her first jobs was at Aspro Nicholas in Slough, where she was given the title Nurse Grange as one of her duties was to reply on behalf of a resident doctor to questions sent in by users of Rennie, one of the companys products. She spent seven years at Good Optical doing the administration and selling spectacles to opticians. Ms Molyneux moved to Henley to work for Alan Bradley, who ran a software company with a lot of overseas clients so she had to deal with 13 currencies. This was where she learnt double entry book-keeping. She then saw an advert in the Henley Standard offering an office services company for sale for 200 and bought it. It had been owned by Sally Rowlands and her main client was the Henley Show, now the Henley Farm & Country Show, whose account she took over. Ms Molyneux managed to persuade most of the other clients to continue working with her, too. On the events side, she organised a conference and exhibition for the Association of British Dispensing Opticians for 25 years. She became the proprietor of Delegate on August 14, 1985. She put her success down to Level-headedness, enjoying what you do and embracing the challenge of each clients individual needs. Ms Molyneux was a trustee of the Braywick Charitable Trust, which helps young people who are disabled or autistic to build their skills and self-confidence, enabling them to find work, and a long-term supporter of the Reverse Rett Syndrome and Sue Ryder charities. U.S. COVID-19 7-day average cases more than 6 times year on year Xinhua) 09:25, May 31, 2022 WASHINGTON, May 30 (Xinhua) -- The seven-day average daily new COVID-19 cases as of Saturday in the United States is 119,725, more than six times it was last year, The Hill reported Sunday, citing data from the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center. The more than fivefold increase comes as health experts have warned Americans to exercise caution ahead of a possible surge, said the article. Dr. Deborah Birx, who headed up the country's COVID-19 response under then-President Donald Trump, has warned southern U.S. 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. (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. This Privacy Policy (Policy) sets out our data collection and processing practices and your options regarding the ways in which your personal information is used. This Policy contains important information about your personal rights to privacy. Please read it carefully to understand how we use your personal data. We may update this Policy from time to time without notice to you, so please check it regularly. The provision of your personal data to us is voluntary. However, without providing us with your personal data, you will be unable to (as appropriate): contact us; subscribe to our mailing list; subscribe to any of our publications; or receive information about In Defence of Marxism. We collect information about you: (1) When you give it to us DIRECTLY You may give us your personal data in order to subscribe to a newsletter or publication, when you contact us by phone, email or post, when you sign a petition / statement, and/or when you donate money to us. (2) When you give it to us INDIRECTLY Your information will also be provided to us when you follow us or otherwise interact with on or via Twitter, when you like and/or join our page on Facebook or interact with us in other ways on or via Facebook. (3) When you give permission to OTHER ORGANISATIONS to share it or it is AVAILABLE PUBLICLY We may combine information you provide to us with information available from external publicly available sources. Depending on your privacy settings for social media services, we may also access information from those accounts or services. We use this information to gain a better understanding of you and to improve our communications and fundraising activities. (4) When you visit our WEBSITE We use cookies to identify you when you visit our website. Please refer to our Cookies Policy for details on the way our use of cookies affects your personal data. What information do we collect? We may collect, store and use the following kinds of personal data: (1) We will typically hold your name and contact details, including telephone number, location, and e-mail address. However, we may request other information where it is appropriate and relevant, for example: Your bank details or debit/credit card details (if making a donation). (2) any communication preferences you give; (3) information about your computer and about your visits to and use of this website including your IP address, geographical location, browser type, referral source, length of visit and number of page views; and/or (4) any other information shared with us as per clause 1. Do we process sensitive personal information? Applicable law recognises certain categories of personal information as sensitive and therefore requiring more protection, including political opinions and trade union membership. In limited cases, we may collect sensitive personal data about you. We would only collect sensitive personal data if there is a clear reason for doing so; and will only do so with your explicit consent. How and why will we use your personal data? Personal data, however provided to us, will be used for the purposes specified in this Policy or in relevant parts of the website. We may use your personal information to: (1) Enable you to subscribe to our hard copy publications; (2) Send you information about our work, campaigns, organisations and any other information, products or services that we provide (this will not be done without your consent); (3) Provide you with the services, products or information you have requested; (4) If you request, put you in touch with other supporters in your area (who have also provided such consent); (5) Handle the administration of any donation or other payment you make via credit/debit card, cheque, standing order or BACS transfer; (6) Collect payments from you and send statements and/or receipts to you; (7) Conduct research into the impact of our activity / campaigns; (8) Deal with enquiries and complaints made by you relating to the website or us in general; (9) Make petition submissions to third parties, where you have signed a petition and the third party is a target of the campaign to which the petition relates; and/or (10) Audit and/or administer our accounts. Supporter Analysis Google Analytics We may use some of your personal information to analyse our digital performance, for example to see how our website can be improved to help us achieve the purposes set out in section 9 below, to record how you are using our website or to assess the popularity of different articles / campaigns. For more information on how we use your personal information in relation to Google Analytics, please view our cookie policy by clicking this link cookies policy You can opt-out of the collection of information for such purposes here: http://www.aboutads.info/choices Communications, updates, fundraising Where you have provided appropriate consent, we will contact you by telephone and e-mail, with targeted communications to let you know about our events and/or activities that we consider may be of particular interest; about the work of In Defence of Marxism; and to ask for donations or other support. Donations and other payments All financial transactions carried out on our website are handled through either: PayPal (Europe) S.a r.l. (PayPal), a third party payment services provider. We recommend that you read PayPals privacy policy (available at https://www.paypal.com/uk/webapps/mpp/ua/privacy-full?locale.x=en_GB ) prior to effecting any transactions with us through PayPal; or GoCardless Ltd (GoCardless), a third party payment services provider. We recommend that you read GoCardlesss privacy policy (available at https://www.gocardless.com/legal/privacy) prior to effecting any transactions with us through GoCardless. We will provide your personal data to PayPal / GoCardless only to the extent necessary for the purposes of processing payments for transactions you enter into with us. We do not store your financial details. Childrens data We do not knowingly process data of any person under the age of 16. If we come to discover, or have reason to believe, that you are 15 and under and we are holding your personal information, we will delete that information within a reasonable period and withhold our services accordingly. Security of and access to your personal data We endeavour to ensure that there are appropriate and proportionate technical and organisational measures to prevent the loss, destruction, misuse, alteration, unauthorised disclosure or of access to your personal information. Your information is only accessible by appropriately trained staff and volunteers. We may also use agencies and/or suppliers to process data on our behalf. We may also merge or partner with other organisations and in so doing transfer and/or acquire personal data. Please note that some countries outside of the EEA have a lower standard of protection for personal data, including lower security requirements and fewer rights for individuals. We may transfer and/or store personal data collected from you to and/or at a destination outside the European Economic Area (EEA). Such personal data may be processed by agencies and/or suppliers operating outside the EEA. If we transfer and/or store your personal data outside the EEA we will take reasonable steps to ensure that the recipient implements appropriate measures to protect your personal data. Otherwise than as set out in this Privacy Policy, we will only ever share your data with your informed consent. Your rights Where we rely on your consent to use your personal information, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. This includes the right to ask us to stop using your personal information for direct marketing purposes or to be unsubscribed from our email list at any time. You also have the following rights: (1) Right to be informed you have the right to be told how your personal information will be used. This Policy and any other policies and statements used on our website and in our communications are intended to provide you with a clear and transparent description of how your personal information may be used. (2) Right of access you can write to us to ask for confirmation of what information we hold on you and to request a copy of that information. Provided we are satisfied that you are entitled to see the information requested and we have successfully confirmed your identity, we have 30 days to comply. (3) Right of erasure as from 25 May 2018, you can ask us for your personal information to be deleted from our records. (4) Right of rectification if you believe our records of your personal information are inaccurate, you have the right to ask for those records to be updated. (5) Right to restrict processing you have the right to ask for processing of your personal data to be restricted if there is disagreement about its accuracy or legitimate usage. (6) Right to data portability to the extent required by the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) where we are processing your personal information (i) under your consent, (ii) because such processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which you are party or to take steps at your request prior to entering into a contact or (iii) by automated means, you may ask us to provide it to you or another service provider in a machine-readable format. To exercise these rights, please send a description of the personal information in question using the contact details in section 15 below. You can also unsubscribe from our email list by sending a blank email to news-unsubscribe@marxist.com Where we consider that the information with which you have provided us does not enable us to identify the personal information in question, we reserve the right to ask for (i) personal identification and/or (ii) further information. Lawful processing We are required to have one or more lawful grounds to process your personal information. Only 4 of these are relevant to us: Personal information is processed on the basis of a persons consent Personal information is processed on the basis of a contractual relationship Personal information is processed on the basis of legal obligations Personal information is processed on the basis of legitimate interests (1) Consent We will ask for your consent to use your information to send you electronic communications such as newsletters and and fundraising emails, and if you ever share sensitive personal information with us. (2) Contractual relationships Most of our interactions with supporters are voluntary and not contractual. However, sometimes it will be necessary to process personal information so that we can enter contractual relationships with people. For example, if you subscribe to one of our publications, or purchase merchandise online. (3) Legal obligations Sometimes we will be obliged to process your personal information due to legal obligations which are binding on us. We will only ever do so when strictly necessary. (4) Legitimate interests Applicable law allows personal information to be collected and used if it is reasonably necessary for our legitimate activities (as long as its use is fair, balanced and does not unduly impact individuals rights). We will rely on this ground to process your personal data when it is not practical or appropriate to ask for consent. Achieving our purposes These include (but are not limited to) promoting socialist policies Governance Internal and external audit for financial or regulatory compliance purposes Statutory reporting Publicity and income generation Conventional direct marketing and other forms of marketing, publicity or advertisement Unsolicited messages, including campaigns, newsletters, and fundraising appeals Analysis, targeting and segmentation to develop and promote or strategy and improve communication efficiency Personalisation used to tailor and enhance your experience of our communications Operational Management Maintenance of suppression files Processing for historical, scientific or statistical purpose Purely administrative purposes Responding to enquiries Delivery of requested products or information Communications designed to administer existing services including subscriptions, administration of petitions and financial transactions Thank you communications and receipts Maintaining a supporter database and suppression lists Financial Management and control Processing financial transactions and maintaining financial controls Prevention of fraud, misuse of services, or money laundering Enforcement of legal claims Reporting criminal acts and compliance with law enforcement agencies When we use your personal information, we will consider if it is fair and balanced to do so and if it is within your reasonable expectations. We will balance your rights and our legitimate interests to ensure that we use your personal information in ways that are not unduly intrusive or unfair in other ways. Data retention The length of time each category of data will be retained will vary depending on how long we need to process it for, the reason it was collected, and in line with any statutory requirements. After this point the data will either be deleted, or we may retain a secure anonymised record for research and analytical purposes. In the event that you ask us to stop sending you direct marketing/fundraising/other electronic communications, we will keep your name on our internal suppression list to ensure that you are not contacted again. Policy amendments We keep this Privacy Policy under regular review and reserve the right to update from time-to-time by posting an updated version on our website, not least because of changes in applicable law. We recommend that you check this Privacy Policy occasionally to ensure you remain happy with it. We may also notify you of changes to our privacy policy by email. Third party websites We link our website directly to other sites. This Privacy Policy does not cover external websites and we are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any external websites you visit via links on our website. Updating information You can check the personal data we hold about you, and ask us to update it where necessary, by emailing us at webmaster@marxist.com Contact We are not required by law to have a Data Protection Officer however we have a Data Protection Manager. 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 Raptors swingman OG Anunoby may be a name to watch as offseason trade talks begin to heat up, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Anunoby reportedly grew frustrated at times this season as much of his ball-handling responsibility in Torontos offense was taken over by Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes. However, two sources told Fischer that Anunoby hasnt informed the front office that he wants out and there is speculation that any rumors are coming from teams hoping to acquire him. Even so, the addition of Barnes could make Anunoby expendable if the Raptors are hoping to make an impactful move this summer. According to Fischers sources, Toronto told teams at the trade deadline that it wasnt willing to move any of its top six players: Anunoby, Barnes, Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr. and Precious Achiuwa. But the organizations desire to land a top center could change that stance. After pursuing Jarrett Allen last offseason, the Raptors talked to the Pacers about Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis ahead of this years trade deadline and reached out to the Spurs about Jakob Poeltl, Fischer adds. The Jazz and Trail Blazers would reportedly be among the most interested teams if Toronto decides to part with Anunoby, who has two more guaranteed seasons left on his contract, plus a $19.9MM player option for 2024/25. Sources tell Fischer that Rudy Gobert is one of the Raptors prime targets for upgrading at center. Utahs management is divided on whether to part with Gobert, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and an elite rim protector, but it could become necessary as the Jazz look to improve on the wing. Fischer notes that Toronto might have to offer Trent along with Anunoby to match Goberts salary, which would mean parting with one of the teams only reliable outside shooters. The Blazers are expected to offer the No. 7 pick to try to revamp its roster and Fischer states that Anunoby is one of their main targets, along with Pistons forward Jerami Grant. He notes that the Blazers have a decision to make next month on whether to guarantee Josh Harts $12.9MM contract for 2022/23, but states that Hart and the lottery pick wouldnt be enough for Toronto to move Anunoby. Fischer adds that Anunoby is seen as more valuable than Grant, for whom Detroit is seeking two first-round picks or a first-rounder and a promising player on a rookie-scale contract. Minor Hotels, a hotel owner, operator and investor, currently with a portfolio of 529 hotels and resorts in 56 countries across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Indian Ocean, announces an upcoming addition to its Anantara portfolio in the United Arab Emirates. Anantara Downtown Dubai Hotel will be the brand's third property in the thriving global leisure and financial hub when it joins the portfolio on 1 July. The property, which is owned by Aujan Group Holding, has 252 guest rooms and suites, each with views of Downtown Dubai - some including the Burj Khalifa, of the Dubai skyline or the hotel pool, a wide variety of food and beverage options, a dedicated wellness floor including a spa, gym and swimming pool, meeting and events spaces and car parking. With the hotel's central location amidst Dubai's Downtown and Business Bay areas, close to DIFC the city's financial district, and with easy access to the central attractions of Dubai Mall, the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Opera and the recently launched Museum of the Future, Minor Hotels plans to position Anantara Downtown Dubai as a lifestyle hub with a range of exciting food and beverage outlets, an Anantara Spa with Thai treatments giving a nod to the brand's Thai roots and additional wellness offerings. Anantara's exceptional experiences and luxury touch points will gradually be introduced over the coming months, and a series of property enhancements will commence later in 2022. The addition of this hotel is part of the brand's strategic expansion into city properties, adding to the existing portfolio of city hotels including Anantara Eastern Mangroves Hotel in Abu Dhabi, Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel and the growing portfolio of city hotels in Europe including Anantara Palazzo Naiadi Rome Hotel, Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel and most recently added, Anantara Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky in Amsterdam. Minor Hotels kicked off 2022 in the United Arab Emirates with a record-breaking first quarter performance across its multi-brand hotel portfolio. The addition of a third Anantara in Dubai will strengthen the group's position in the country, also giving the opportunity to capitalise on the addition of its first Downtown Dubai property, which is one of the busiest and highest performing areas of the city. Dillip Rajakarier, Group CEO of Minor International and CEO of Minor Hotels, commented, "We are pleased to grow our strategic partnership with Aujan Group Holding to bring Minor Hotels' luxury Anantara brand to the downtown area of Dubai. The continued expansion of Anantara into strategic global capitals including Abu Dhabi, Doha, Bangkok, Rome and Amsterdam is positioning the brand as a key player in urban hubs. The addition of Anantara Downtown Dubai is a testament to our ongoing efforts and we expect the property to become a landmark in the market." Abdulla Aujan, Executive Chairman of Aujan Group Holding, commented, "We are delighted to further extend our partnership with the Minor Hotels and are particularly excited to add another Anantara to our portfolio. With a positioning towards luxury urban business and leisure, we think that the brand has great potential to take advantage of developing customer trends." Minor Hotels currently operates a total of eight properties in Dubai across its Anantara, Avani and Oaks brands, and will add a fourth brand into the mix in Q4, with the launch of NH Dubai The Palm. IHG Hotels & Resorts announces the opening of Crowne Plaza Kearney, conveniently attached to the Younes Conference Center and close to many of Nebraska's top attractions. The hotel is centrally located between Omaha and Denver and is the first new-build convention hotel from Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts in the U.S. since 2020. The opening signals excitement for the return of business travel and in-person events to facilitate meaningful connections. Ideally suited for the growing 'bleisure' travel segment, this new hotel features Crowne Plaza's modern, purposeful style designed around connection. Throughout the main areas, the spaces are flexible with a mix of private and social gathering spaces that help guests to feel productive and comfortable. Each of the 172 modern guest rooms are designed using Crowne Plaza's signature zoning concept to create spaces where guests can move easily through their day. Crowne Plaza Kearney gives guests more options to work and socialize. With the 70,000-square-feet of dedicated space for meetings and events at the Younes Conference Center, and the brand's signature Plaza Workspace areas, Crowne Plaza Kearney is the perfect setting for large scale events, weddings, as well as informal meetings and meals. While the meetings and events industry experienced the most uncertainty throughout 2021, there are encouraging signs from planners this year with forecasts showing 58.3 percent of meetings volume will return by the end of 2022. IHG's award-winning Meet with Confidence program was created in 2020 to support the changing needs of meeting planners. A Crowne Plaza Meeting Director is on hand to ensure that any gathering planned at the hotel is seamless from start to finish. On-site amenities also include a premium coffee shop and an indoor waterpark. The hotel's restaurant and bar, Fyre Grill & Spirits, provides flexible all-day dining with a menu reflecting the flavors of the Midwest, while global favorites are available via room service. Guests can easily walk to six restaurants, shops, and a spa located on the convention center campus, and the hotel provides free parking and a complimentary shuttle service to the Kearney Regional Airport. The Great Platte River Road Archway, the Classic Car Collection, and the University of Nebraska Kearney are all a short drive away. Ginger Taggart, vice president, Global Brand Management, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts said: "The new Crowne Plaza Kearney is a wonderful example of how Crowne Plaza is delivering service and spaces which exceed the needs of today's traveler and their blended work and leisure needs. The premium dining options, prime location and people-focused service make this the ideal place to stay, connect and experience the Midwest. As business travel continues to return, we are excited to see this property become a sought-after destination." Paul Younes, President of Younes Hospitality commented: "We're excited to add Crowne Plaza Kearney to our growing portfolio of brands on the Younes Campus. This addition brings a new level of upscale accommodations for our leisure and business guests. Hospitality is in our name, and we continue our commitment to providing an exceptional guest experience for both our business and leisure travelers who are here for an event and also want to explore all that Kearney has to offer. " Crowne Plaza continues its growth across the U.S., with two multi-million-dollar renovations set to open later this year in Indiana and Florida. The brand currently has over 400 hotels located in major urban centers, gateway cities and resort destinations in more than 60 countries, with 15 more due to open in 2022. To learn more about Crowne Plaza Kearney and book your stay, click here. Hotel website Horwath HTL Italy is pleased to release the Italy Hotels & Chains Report 2022. The industry-established reference for the Italian hotel branded supply is now in its 9th edition. This years census highlights the first consequences of the Pandemic on the Italian hotel chain supply in terms of room inventory, including existing properties and in the pipeline, and preferred business models. The supply trends observed in the previous years have therefore been accelerated, supporting the consolidation of the hospitality landscape in Italy and, as a result, strengthening the international competitiveness of the Italian Hotel Supply. The report presents updated hotel chains rankings, and key highlights include: The total hotel room stock (still the first in Europe) has decreased, consequently there was an increase in the penetration rate of international hotel chains; International brands have gained market over domestic brands, reaching a total of 645 hotels (+26 properties), versus a decrease to 1,191 properties (-15 hotels) for domestic chains; 8 new hotel brands have entered the market, driven by international operators; Sun & Beach destinations, still dominated by domestic brands, have seen their international brand supply increase. This trend is confirmed to be pursued in the upcoming years; By the end of 2024, additional 21,450 branded rooms are expected to open, with almost 50% of them in the Upscale tier. Leases still confirm their prevalence over other hotel business models, while the owner-operator model has recorded a sharp decline in the pipeline compared to last years census. Stephanie Henley Horwath DUSSELDORF, GERMANY The disruption of the pandemic meant not only less travel, but markedly different travel. Since its rebound, how have people traveled differently, how will they travel differently? One year after its inaugural consumer travel study (here) revealed pent up demand and a willingness to give up almost anything to hit the road, global accommodations search platform trivago recently conducted a survey examining whats changed. The findings reveal an appetite for increased spending and adventure, a continued willingness to sacrifice for a chance to go abroad and a clear desire to treat ourselves. Best Summer, Ever The travel forecast is heating up with the majority planning trips this spring (52%) and summer (70%). And the consumer outlook is a positive one with 83% indicating that they believe 2022 will be their best summer yet and they plan to spend it at the beach. One in five said that if they could plan their dream trip in the next few months it would be to the beach followed by a cruise and a city sightseeing trip. As a follow up to the 2021 study, trivago asked what would-be travelers would be willing to give up to go abroad this year. Twenty-one percent would give up their daily coffee, followed by their favorite food, laptop/tablet, a dream trip in two years, and eating out for a year. Number eight was intimacy (18%), a decrease of 20% since the same time last year. Consumer Sentiment: Treat Yoself While sheltering in place or traveling closer to home, many consumers saved funds that would have been spent on annual getaways. When asked what they will do with funds saved, the just under half indicated that they would be spent on a large purchase (44%), followed by rent or a deposit on a new home (41%) and treat themselves (29%). Furthermore, most respondents shared that they are browsing more frequently (68%), 64% are willing to spend more and 63% are planning on organizing a bucket list trip sooner than planned as a direct result of the pandemic. On the flip side, 50% said if they were guaranteed to get their money back should the holiday get cancelled that would make them more likely to make concrete travel plans for 2022. What else has changed? Everything. From restaurants to airlines and everything in between, the recovery has taken a toll on all sectors resulting in longer hold times, lines, and delays indicating that its going to take a little bit of time to get back to its pre-pandemic rhythm. While more than 40% experienced more eager staff, more than a third (40%) reported staff and venues too busy to provide service and interaction with staff who were unskilled or unable to help (38%). And travel isnt the only thing changed forever, so too has the traveler. When asked whether they would be any more or less willing to travel alone post-Covid, one third (33%) said they are more willing. As for preferences, American travelers are seeking relaxation (43%), bleisure travel (36%) and exploration (33%). Finally, of those who take at least one holiday per year, one in four are more likely to take short haul trips post-pandemic. To learn more, visit trivago.com. About trivago trivago is a leading global hotel search platform focused on reshaping the way travelers search for and compare hotels and alternative accommodations. Incorporated in 2005 in Dusseldorf, Germany, the platform allows travelers to make informed decisions by personalizing their hotel search and providing them access to a deep supply of hotel information and prices. trivago enables its advertisers to grow their businesses by providing access to a broad audience of travelers via its websites and apps. About the Survey The survey was deployed online and ran from February 25-March 3, 2022 polling a sample of 2,000 adults age 18+ in both countries for a total of 4,000 respondents. For both countries, quotas were used to ensure an accurate representation of each countries population by gender, age, geographic region, education, and income. Forward-looking statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Words, and variations of words such as believe, expect, plan, continue, will, should, and similar expressions are intended to identify our forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, and important factors that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. For additional information factors that could affect our forward-looking statements, see our risk factors, as they may be amended from time to time, set forth in our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We disclaim and do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement in this press release, except as required by applicable law or regulation. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Robotics might not come to mind when thinking of recession-proof industries, but Dan Allford is delighted that his industrial robot manufacturing company ARC Specialities had what it took to weather the pandemic downturn in 2020. My biggest fear has always been a global recession, Allford said, because if all the business cycles go down at once, we've got a problem. And when COVID first hit, things werent looking so good. His companys bread and butter, Allford said, is building robots for the oil and gas industry, which slashed budgets, lost billions of dollars and basically halted activity in 2020. Fast forward to 2022, after ARC worked with other industries, things look better for oil and gas. Investment in both onshore and offshore drilling is expected to soar 20 percent to more than $340 billion globally this year, according to Rystad Energy. High oil prices are fueling that investment, and experts say oil is likely to trade at or above $100 through the end of the year. Rystad also predicts that public exploration and production companies will rake in record profits of more than $800 billion this year. Meanwhile, the robotics industry also is expected to grow. In 2020 the industry was worth around $45 billion, according to London analytics and consulting firm GlobalData, and is set to experience a compound annual growth rate of 28 percent through 2030. Now Playing: ARC Specialties building robots to work on offshore rigs. Video: Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle Enter Offshore Robotics in 2021, a separate company operating alongside ARC Specialties. Allford, one of three equal owners, said it was created to apply industrial robotics specifically to the offshore oil and gas industry, and ARC builds the robots for Offshore Robotics based on needed specifications. They say robots are good at the dull, the dirty and the dangerous, said John Martin, president of Offshore Robotics and vice president of operations at ARC Specialties. BIG SHOES TO FILL: Could robots replace roughnecks? Worlds first autonomous rig drills first well in Permian Basin. In the oil and gas industry the dull, dirty and dangerous can range from inspections of hazardous or hard to access locations to complex tasks like drilling, according to GlobalData. The firm says energy companies from all over the world are adopting robotics, such as Saudi Arabias Saudi Aramco, Norways Equinor, Frances Total Energies, Houstons Exxon Mobil and Baker Hughes, and the big three players in the Gulf of Mexico: Shell, BP and Chevron. On the manufacturing floor of Offshore Robotics, Martin said, the company is getting ready to send its second robotic riser system to the Gulf of Mexico. Standing in front of two school bus yellow robot arms attached about a cars length away from each other on an ocean blue hexagon-shaped platform, Martin said the first system they built which was deployed about three months ago was also the first time industrial robots have been used offshore in this capacity. The riser is what connects the drill's drilling platform to the wellhead at the bottom of the ocean, Martin explains as two workers move around the riser system, punching in commands on tablets that program the robots. And so all those risers are connected by a series of bolts. This particular style of riser has six bolts. Each bolt weighs about 55 pounds, Martin said, and it normally takes four people to get them on. Two guys have to run the torque wrench, he said. And not to mention they're underneath a piece of riser that might be 70 feet tall, suspended. Martin explains that the riser will be assembled high above the ocean on the drill ship before being lowered into the water. Putting the riser together is dangerous work in what Martin calls the red zone of the drill ship, a place youd ideally like to keep people out of, he said. Safety is a big draw for companies interested in adding robotics to their workflow, especially for offshore drilling. It was just a dozen years ago that high-pressured gas in a BP-operated Gulf of Mexico well expanded into the marine riser and onto the Deepwater Horizon drill rig, where it exploded, killing 11 workers and forcing about 4 million barrels worth of oil into the Gulf. Allford said getting people out of harms way is the top thing driving demand for his products in the oil and gas industry. Fuel Fix: Get energy news sent directly to your inbox We're getting the robots to do the stuff that's dangerous, he said. If we hurt a robot, nobody cares. For the 'bots working on offshore risers, Allford said theyre particularly challenging because ARC Specialities needed to use nearly every sensor system its developed to solve oil field problems and put them together so that Offshore Robotics could build a system ready for places like the Gulf of Mexico. But challenges are nothing new to Allford. Since he started the company in his Houston garage in 1983, hes become accustomed to taking technology designed for one thing and redirecting it to another. It's called analogous thinking, Allford said with a hint of a smile. Makes us look smart, but really we're just taking old solutions and reapplying them to new problems. When Allford first started building robots, inspired by his business-owner dad, he just picked it up as a side gig. His first job was for a plutonium plant in Idaho. They didn't know I was a kid in his garage building it, he jokes. But it worked so well that in the 90s they called us back to do it again. So that's how it started. VIDEO: Four-legged, data-gathering robot being tested on offshore oil rig Since then Allford has had the opportunity to solve a lot of problems in his nearly four decades building robots, growing his company mostly by offering cutting-edge technology to the oil and gas industry, pivoting to other industries during the bust cycles, and now being part owner in the first company to deploy a robotic riser running system on an offshore drilling ship. Over the years hes collected experts in robotics, programming and engineering to craft highly technical and precise machines ready to answer some of the most pressing problems of safety and efficiency in industries like oil and gas. I can tell you it's much easier to have a team of 60 engineers and craftsmen, Allford said, than it is to do it on your own, out of your own garage. Spiking gas prices have exposed, once again, the risk posed by Americas continued overdependence on oil for automobile transportation. The crisis is a reminder that, irrespective of domestic production levels, oil prices are set in a global market a market vulnerable to geopolitical shocks and, in particular, manipulation by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. Legislation being advanced in Congress now provides an opportunity to do what should have been done long ago: curb OPECs ability to manipulate oil markets in ways that empower rogue regimes and harm Americans. The largest producer, most dominant force and entrenched player within OPEC is Saudi Arabia. The United States has expended significant blood and treasure protecting the Arabian Gulf monarchies. Yet the Kingdoms leaders have refused to release additional oil supply to mitigate the economic damage inflicted on the U.S. and our allies. Instead, the cartel has decided to stick with their agreement limiting oil production. The inflated prices are effectively funding the Russian war machine in Ukraine while inflicting considerable hardship on ordinary Americans. Many Americans think of OPEC chiefly as a problem of the 1970s and 1980s. The shale revolution has since made the United States the worlds leading producer. But there is no doubt that the nation remains dangerously exposed to global oil markets controlled by the cartel, which consists of 13 members (from Nigeria to Iran to Venezuela) and colludes with non-member plus countries like Russia. Oil price volatility stresses the economy on both the high and low ends. And there has been no bigger drive of oil price volatility in the last decade than Saudi-led OPEC. On HoustonChronicle.com: The era of cheap oil is over. Instead of hoping for lower gas prices, buy an electric vehicle. In 2014, for example, the cartel members broke from a history of propping up oil prices to flood an oversupplied market to harm U.S. producers. More than 200 U.S. energy sector bankruptcies followed. OPEC reversed course in 2016 realizing that the U.S. oil industry would not disappear and needing more oil-generated revenue. In the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine, we have seen prices exceed $120 per barrel without any remedial action. It appears now that the OPEC heavyweights are finally running short of friends in Washington. Earlier this month, the Senate Judiciary Committee, in a strong bipartisan vote, advanced the No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act (NOPEC). This was a bill first introduced last year by Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who was later joined by the unlikely trio of Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont. NOPEC would eliminate the loopholes in U.S. antitrust law that have kept the cartel from being subject to the same legal standards as any other market actors. It makes interference in the oil market by OPEC illegal to the extent it has a direct, substantial, and reasonably foreseeable effect on U.S. petroleum supplies and prices. Importantly, NOPEC gives only the attorney general not private litigants the ability to sue OPEC in federal courts. This addresses what has been a major objection to similar legislation in the past, that enactment would lead to a confused tangle of private suits. Four-star support Only the president will have the ability to pursue litigation in accordance with U.S. national security interests. The goal is to force Saudi Arabia to become a responsible market manager within OPEC. That means using its considerable spare (and easily accessible) capacity to be a swing producer that stabilizes global energy prices during times of volatility and crisis. Additionally, NOPEC could get the Saudis to reevaluate the benefits of propping up the Putin regime in Russia. Thirteen retired four-star military officers, including former leaders of combat operations in the Middle East, signed a letter imploring the Senate to move ahead on NOPEC. As the bill moves to towards passage and enactment it will face a thicket of opposition inside and outside the U.S. government obstruction that can and should be overcome. To be sure, much more needs to be done to get through this crisis including tapping our own reserves with a consistent leasing policy and transitioning to electrified transportation. But right now, Americas national and economic security, indeed its sovereignty, demand action to break free of the cartels abuses once and for all. And before this critical opportunity again slips away. General Michael Hagee was the 33rd Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps and is a member of the Energy Security Leadership Council for SAFE, an organization dedicated to secure supply chains for Americas energy and transportation needs. Energy supplies are flying out of the Port of Corpus Christi as exporters scramble to fill holes in the global market, helping the port shatter its previous record for tonnage shipped. Companies moved 59 million tons of goods through the port during the first four months of the year, up 10 percent from the previous record set in 2020, when companies caught with a glut of oil headed to the port in droves to move product offshore for storage. The record set this year was driven by a boost in exports of liquefied natural gas as Russias war with Ukraine creates a global energy crunch. LNG exports from the terminal were already running hot last year, 80 percent higher in 2021 over the previous year. Even before Russia invaded Ukraine, demand for LNG was rising as more countries transitioned from coal to gas, but demand soared as Russia previously Europes primary supplier of natural gas was hit with sanctions and much of the world stopped buying its oil and gas. American LNG companies jumped in to fill the market void, surpassing Russia as Europes largest supplier of natural gas. Yet LNG production still isnt meeting demand even as existing facilities are operating at maximum capacity. FEELING BLUE: Enbridge, Humble partner in planned billion dollar blue hydrogen facility outside Corpus Christi Thats created a real opportunity for American producers, said Port of Corpus Christi CEO Sean Strawbridge, which is something that we should be taking full advantage of. The port also said revenue reached a record $57.4 million, up 19 percent compared with the same period last year. Strawbridge said the port will continue to receive increasing volumes of crude, LNG, and gasoline and diesel fuels bound for overseas. We think weve got another 6-7 hundred thousand (barrels) per day of upside, he said. Thats certainly within reach. Strawbridge said he was surprised to see how much additional capacity Cheniere has been able to squeeze from its facilities in Corpus Christi. While the leading U.S. LNG company has a reported capacity of about 13.5 million metric tons per year, he said, they are on track to do probably 16 million. Fuel Fix: Get energy news sent directly to your inbox Cheniere has done a fantastic job of squeezing every possible molecule through that facility, he said. Cheniere plans to expand its LNG operations in Corpus Christi, adding about 100 cargoes a year to the 200 it already moves, Strawbridge said. One cargo of LNG is enough to power all the homes in Corpus for six months. Looking ahead, Strawbridge said the port is working to lay a foundation for the hydrogen economy. He said that while the port adapts to the energy industrys shifting trends, it has to be on the cutting edge of any curve so it can support companies forging ahead on sources such as hydrogen. All of our work comes in the front end, he said, building the base infrastructure that they can build off of. The growing global population is moving into a phase when all forms of energy will have to be on the table, he said. Renewables cant serve the need alone, he said, but perhaps neither can hydrocarbons. Weve got to look at everything. An earlier version of this story misstated the projected potential upside in tons per day. amanda.drane@chron.com Global oil supplies are tight, and all signs point to them getting tighter as the European Union maneuvers to sanction Russian crude and OPEC stubbornly refuses to boost production beyond modest monthly increases. As a result, expect little relief from high oil prices, which many analysts see marching toward $150 a barrel. Oil last week gained nearly 2 percent to settle Friday at $115.07 a barrel. The market was already short on supplies before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and both formal sanctions and corporate decisions not to do business with Russia have made matters worse by keeping Russian oil and gas from the market. Oil market analysts will focus on a summit of EU leaders, who are considering tighter restrictions on Russian crude and natural gas. The outcome will depend on whether the EU members can agree to a carve-out for Hungary, which is heavily dependent on Russian energy and has blocked efforts to impose sanctions. The latest proposal would ban seaborne oil, but allow landlocked countries, such as Hungary, to recevie supplies via pipeline. But that might be enough, said Tamas Varga, an analyst at London oil broker PVM. I believe Hungary will keep proving a stumbling block in agreeing on the sixth round of sanctions, he said. On HoustonChronicle.com: Demand for Texas energy pushes Corpus exports to record shipments But even a watered-down moratorium on Russian oil could exacerbate shortages. Last week, for example, U.S. commercial crude inventories dropped by another 1 million barrels, leaving stockpiles 14 percent below average for this time of year. U.S. production is increasing, but. as the inventory declines show, its hardly enough ease the strain on supplies. President Joe Biden has used various other means to try to bring crude oil prices lower, including tapping the nations strategic reserves. But few, if any, of his efforts have worked. The president is expected to visit Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, in June to try his hand at wooing the Saudis to open the taps. OPEC and its allies, which include Russia, are not expected to increase July production beyond the 400,000 barrels per day that the group, known as OPEC+ has routinely approved in recent months. Long accused of weaponizing its natural resources, Russia pulled off a coup of sorts in 2017 by securing a seat at the OPEC table by joining the OPEC+ alliance. Politics, in theory, are left at the door of the halls of OPEC, but that objectivity has faded given the worlds obvious need for more oil. OPEC has become increasingly irrelevant for its inability to control prices due to its lack of willingness in upsetting the Russians, said Ole Hanson, the head of commodity strategy at Danish investment firm Saxo Bank. More: Read the latest oil and gas news from HoustonChronicle.com On the demand side, analysts are waiting to see what China does on its COVID-19 containment strategy, which has shut down entire cities and curbed Chinas appetite for energy. Easing restrictions in Shanghai, with its estimated 25 million people, would unleash pent-up demand and put more pressure on supplies.. Trading this week will be shortened by the long Memorial Day holiday weekend in the United States, the unofficial start of the summer travel season. With fuel prices setting daily records, analysts will watch whether the urge to travel overwhelms the need to save money. Coronavirus infections are on the rise across Houston, wastewater tracking shows, even as fewer people seek testing two years into the pandemic. Four months after the city saw record infection rates caused by the highly contagious omicron variant, new COVID-19 cases are once again climbing, according to data collected by Rice University and the Houston Health Department. The most recent sewage samples show increased viral loads at all but a few of the citys three dozen wastewater treatment plants. Q&A: Memorial Hermann had a pandemic plan, but COVID threw it out the window, CEO says Citywide, the amount of virus particles detected in wastewater is up 242 percent above baseline, with an overall positivity rate of 14 percent. Both metrics increased by about a third over the previous samples, taken in early May. At the 69th street plant, serving much of the Inner Loop, officials said virus levels are 123 percent above baseline, with a 22 percent positivity rate. Despite the uptick, health officials do not anticipate raising Harris Countys threat level to the highest level. The countys threat level is currently set at moderate, signaling a controlled level of COVID spread. Even though we see positivity rates going up, our hospital rates continue to remain low, said Dr. Erika Brown of the Harris County Health Department. Health officials have been tracking COVID levels in the citys sewage since the beginning of the pandemic to understand how quickly the virus is spreading among the citys 2 million inhabitants. The data offers clues to the severity of the pandemic that may be invisible in testing data. On HoustonChronicle.com: Dr. Peter Hotez warns of nations hidden COVID wave thats almost like omicron News of the rise in viral levels in the wastewater comes days after researchers at Houston Methodist reported new insight into how the omicron variant is mutating in Houston and across Texas. Researchers demonstrated that two dominant sublineages of omicron have developed unprecedented numbers of spike protein mutations, leading to increased transmissibility. The mutations also enhance its ability to evade vaccines and the immune system. Houstons biggest culinary showcase to date, Top Chef Houston, ends June 2 but the impact from series 19 of the hit Bravo show is a gift that will keep on giving. The final episode which will include local chef Evelyn Garcia duking it out against fellow finalists Sarah Welch and Buddha Lo doesnt spell the end of the Top Chef juggernaut that has cast a bright light on the citys multicultural food scene. Even if Garcia doesnt triumph in Thursdays finale, the show has left a positive mark on her career as well as the citys hospitality industry, still recovering from two years of pandemic upheaval. Top Chef Houston, even though the final two episodes were shot in Tucson, Ariz., played out as an extended, serieslong commercial for the city that will continue to bring economic value long after the show concludes, said Michael Heckman, president and CEO of Houston First, the local corporation that promotes Houston tourism and convention trade. If you watched the show, you became a fan of Houston, Heckman said. Houston at large is a big winner in this, not only did our culinary and chef talent get a national platform for an entire series, but small businesses and many other parts of our city that you dont always see. This is real-life content that shines a very favorable light on the city. Heckman said that since Top Chef Houston was announced last September, Houston has tracked more than 3 billion media impressions engagement that translates into tens of millions of dollars in positive public relations value. Houston First is not commenting on what it paid the producers of the show to come to Houston; any money spent came from a hotel occupancy tax dollars fund for marketing the city. Here are the other people and places that got a bump from the show. Local restaurants Filmed during the fall, when pandemic precautions remained high, Top Chef aired as travel returned and social distancing and masking mandates eased. With restaurants and bars at full capacity, the show has been a boon for Houston hotels, dining and drinking. Especially for those featured on the show, such as The Annie Cafe & Bar, Brennans and Bludorn. Chef Kiran Verma, who appeared on two episodes as a guest judge, said business at Kirans increased tremendously because of Top Chef, with new traffic coming not just from Houston but from Austin, Dallas and San Antonio. Ive been cooking for 25 years. I never knew the effect of being on a national show like this. Its unbelievable, she said. The show put the citys diverse restaurant scene on an international platform, said Melissa Stewart, executive director of the Greater Houston Chapter of the Texas Restaurant Association. People around the world have known this for some time, but the latest season of Top Chef introduced Houstons rich, chef-led scene to an even larger audience, both at home and abroad, she said. Our citys incredible restaurant community is coming out of the pandemic supported not just by a resurgence of travelers eager to taste innovative fusions and traditional dishes but by Houstonians who are rediscovering the wealth of cultures and cuisines that are just around the corner from all of us. Houston foods Top Chef showed how Houston eats, beginning with the beef-happy Episode 1 and the chef challenge in Episode 2 on the revered Tex-Mex classic, queso. The citys sprawling Asiatown might have been the biggest winner from the Episode 3 Asian Night Market challenge, when the Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Indian cuisines were on display. The barbecue challenge in Episode 5 was a shoutout not just to host J-Bar-M Barbecue in EaDo but to the citys glowing reputation as a Texas barbecue capital. Houston area pitmasters, too many to count, were among the judges and guests during the brisket challenge. And barbecue again got a shoutout with This Is It! Southern Kitchen and Bar-B-Qs appearance on Episode 9. Women/chefs of color Our dining scene diversity was highlighted by a variety of chefs, including Verma, Irma Galvan of Irmas Original, Greg Gatlin of Gatlins BBQ, Trong Nguyen of Crawfish & Noodles, Chris Williams of Lucilles, Ope Amosu of ChopnBlok, Hugo Ortega of Hugos, Ashley and Amiley Lai of Dumpling Haus, Christine Ha and husband John Suh of Xin Chao, Naoki Yoshida of Shun Japanese Kitchen and Andrew Musico of The Fattest Cow. Chef Dawn Burrell, a Season 18 finalist, emerged as an ambassador, with her many engaging appearances as a guest judge. The showcase of people of color is nothing short of what the world looks like. For (Top Chef) to be so intentional about including people of color shows what Houston looks like, Burrell said. Viewers saw Houston for what it really is. It brought people of color to the forefront, where they should have been all along. Tourist destinations/cultural institutions Thanks to Top Chef, the world now knows about the pleasures of the Houston Farmers Market. Episode 7 was set at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, and the same episode cast a spotlight on West African foods and Houston as home to one of the largest Nigerian populations in the country. Freedmens Town national historic district in Houstons Fourth Ward was the star of Episode 9, where viewers learned about the history of Juneteenth. The Episode 10 NASA-themed elimination challenge, set at Space Center Houston, tasked contestants with creating food on an imagined mission to Mars. Texas Gulf riches oysters, shrimp, blue crab and hefty fish were showcased in Episode 11, which was set in Galveston. Even a location such as downtowns Post Market food hall in Episode 8, the site of the dreaded Restaurant Wars challenge, proved to be a marketing windfall. Chef Paul Qui, who is curating the restaurants at Post Market, said Top Chef will have a positive impact for the food hall and the featured chefs, such as Amosu of ChopnBlok. The more things we can do for Houston that expose us nationally is only good for the city, he said. Evelyn Garcia From the very first episode on March 3, Houstons lone chef contestant a 32-year-old Houston native of Mexican and El Salvadoran descent proved to be not just a sharp contender but a smiling, shining face of the citys cooking chops. As a finalist, her star status as a top chef is cemented, bringing culinary notoriety to Houston and her own Kin HTX with partner/chef Henry Lu, a catering company that will soon blossom into a restaurant. Garcias exposure is the biggest win/win, said Ha, the Blind Goat and Xin Chao chef whose win on MasterChef in 2012 catapulted her to international culinary stardom. Regardless of winning, a show like Top Chef with its caliber and reputation, offers opportunities and opens doors, Ha said. She will be nationally recognized; people will be dying to visit her restaurant and try her food. The world, to borrow a distinctly Gulf Coast reference, will be her oyster, Ha said. greg.morago@houstonchronicle.com MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Three teenagers and two adults have been charged in the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old boy during a funeral procession for a teen homicide victim in Memphis, Tennessee. A grand jury handed down five indictments on charges including first-degree murder and attempted murder in the shooting death of Emmit Beasley, the Shelby County district attorney's office said in a statement Monday. WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden said Monday that the Second Amendment was never absolute and that, after the Texas elementary school shooting, there may be some bipartisan support to tighten restrictions on the kind of high-powered weapons used by the gunman. "I think things have gotten so bad that everybodys getting more rational, at least thats my hope, Biden told reporters before honoring the nation's fallen in Memorial Day remarks at Arlington National Cemetery. His comments came a day after he traveled to the shattered Texas community of Uvalde, mourning privately for three-plus hours with anguished families grieving for the 19 children and two teachers who died in the shooting. Faced with chants of do something as he departed a church service, Biden pledged: We will. After the Uvalde trip, Biden spent Sunday night at his home in Delaware. As he arrived at the White House for Memorial Day events, he was asked if he's now more motivated to see new federal limits imposed on firearms. Ive been pretty motivated all along," he said. Im going to continue to push and well see how this goes. In Congress, a bipartisan group of senators talked over the weekend to see if they could reach even a modest compromise on gun legislation after a decade of mostly failed efforts. That included encouraging state red flag laws to keep guns away from those with mental health problems. A congressional aide said the senators would meet virtually Tuesday and throughout the week. The Second Amendment was never absolute," Biden said. You couldnt buy a cannon when the Second Amendment was passed. You couldnt go out and buy a lot of weapons. Later, the president and first lady Jill Biden were joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at Arlington National Cemetery for a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Standing at attention under a cloudless sky in the late-May heat, Biden saluted as taps played, after laying the wreath of multi-colored flowers wrapped in red, white and blue ribbon in front of the tomb. Delivering remarks honoring fallen servicemembers, he said Memorial Day is always a day where pain and pride are mixed together. Today we are free because they were brave, the president said. But Biden said the nations experiment in democracy remains under threat, both abroad, in the form of Russias invasion of Ukraine, and in division at home. He called upholding democracy the mission of our time. Our memorial to them must not be just a day when we pause and pray, Biden said. It must be a daily commitment to act, to come together, to be worthy of the price that was paid. In his earlier statements to reporters on guns, Biden said hed not spoken to Republicans on the issue but my guess is ... theyre going to have to take a hard look. There is nowhere near enough support from congressional Republicans for broader gun measures popular with the public like a new ban on assault-type weapons or universal background checks on gun purchases. Still, Democratic advocates hope meaningful measures could still pass. Biden said he had taken some executive actions on guns but I cant outlaw a weapon and can't "change the background checks. He said he didn't know where congressional negotiations stand, but theres realization on the part of rational Republicans that we cant keep repeating ourselves. Before returning to Washington, the president and first lady, whose veteran son Beau died of cancer caused by a brain tumor in 2015, attended church Monday morning and laid flowers at their sons grave. Todays the day our son died, Biden said at Arlington, telling families that he knows remembrances like Mondays can reopen that black hole of pain. But he said because of their commitment to the ideals of America, A part of them is still with us no matter how long ago we lost them. The Bidens also hosted a breakfast in the White House's East Room with about 130 members of veteran organizations, military family groups and senior Defense Department and other administration officials. The president, the first lady and representatives from five Gold Star families who lost relatives in combat also planted a Southern magnolia tree on the White House South Lawn. The tree came from a sapling of a nearby magnolia planted by President Andrew Jackson in 1835. As the group used shovels to toss dirt on the newly planted tree, Biden grinned and said shovel brigade." He and the first lady later held hands with those gathered in a circle around the tree and prayed silently. __ AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report. CAIRO (AP) An international charity on Tuesday urged Yemens warring sides to extend a two-month truce, appealing to the parties in the conflict to work together to avoid catastrophic hunger in the war-wrecked country. Oxfam said the U.N.-brokered cease-fire is essential for millions of Yemenis suffering from a lack of basic services and soaring prices of food and other goods. The charity's Yemen director, Ferran Puig, said the truce has brought a long overdue sense of hope that we can break the cycle of violence and suffering in Yemen. The opportunity must be seized to extend the truce and push for a lasting peace if we are to avert the risk of millions of Yemenis being forced into acute hunger, Puig said. The cease-fire , which went into effect on April 2, expires Wednesday night. Later Tuesday, about three dozen aid groups working in Yemen joined Oxfam's appeal, saying in a joint statement addressed to the warring sides that the gift for a better life for the people of Yemen is in your hands." The truce has been the first nationwide cease-fire in the past six years of Yemens civil war, a conflict now in its eighth year. The fighting erupted in 2014 when Iran-backed Houthi rebels descended from their northern enclave and took over the capital of Sanaa, forcing the internationally recognized government to flee. A Saudi-led coalition entered the war in early 2015 to try to restore the government to power. In recent weeks, the U.N. envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, has intensified efforts to renew the truce. He tweeted Monday that an extension was critical to solidify benefits delivered so far & provide space to move towards a political settlement. However, Grundbergs efforts have been hobbled by the Houthis refusal to lift their ground blockade of the government-held city of Taiz, Yemens third largest. The provisions of the truce included reopening the roads around Taiz, establishing two commercial flights a week between Sanaa and Jordan and Egypt, and also allowing 18 vessels carrying fuel into the port of Hodeida. Both Sanaa and Hodeida are controlled by the rebels. Fighting, airstrikes and bombardment have subsided during the truce, which started in early April, and the rebels have ceased their cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the two pillars of the Saudi-led coalition. Yemens war has killed over 150,000 people, including over 14,500 civilians. It has created now one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. The United Nations has warned that 19 million people out of Yemen's population of 32 million would face hunger in 2022, including 160,000 likely to suffer from famine-like conditions. Russias invasion of Ukraine earlier this year has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Yemen as it hit global food supplies and sent food prices soaring. Yemen imports 90% of its food, including over 42% of its wheat from Ukraine, Oxfam said. ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) New York would expand legal protections for people seeking and providing abortions in the state under a legislation package that lawmakers began debating Tuesday. Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul has called for New York to increase legal protections for abortion services in case the U.S. Supreme Court overrules Roe v. Wades nationwide right to abortion this summer. Hochul didn't specify Tuesday whether she would sign the half dozen abortion-related bills that lawmakers plan to pass this week. In anticipation of a Supreme Court decision that could overturn Roe v. Wade, Governor Hochul has been taking action to safeguard abortion access in New York, including directing $35 million to support providers, and we have been working with the legislature on additional actions to protect abortion rights in our state before the end of session," Hochul said. Lawmakers in the state Assembly and Senate began voting on the bills Tuesday, with votes expected through Thursday, according to spokespeople for the two chambers' leaders. One bill would protect abortion providers from arrest, extradition and legal proceedings in other states by forbidding New York state and local courts and law enforcement agencies from cooperating in most scenarios. Exceptions could include criminal cases where another states governor says someone committed a crime there, and later fled to New York. Under another bill, New York would protect the right of people to seek abortion or gender affirming care in the state. People could sue for unlawful interference with their right to reproductive healthcare when other people or entities bring civil or criminal charges against them for seeking, accessing or providing abortions. A bill would allow abortion providers and patients as well as their family members to participate in an existing state program that lets people shield their address from abusers. The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Cordell Cleare, a Harlem Democrat, follows similar changes to the law in California and New Jersey. A online summary of the bill on the state's website cites data suggesting threats against abortion providers, employees and patients have been increasing in recent years. The National Abortion Federation says death threats against providers more than doubled from 92 in 2019, to 200 in 2020. The bills were expected to pass largely on party lines in the Legislature, where Democrats hold supermajorities in both chambers. New York plans to give abortion providers $35 million to expand services and boost security in anticipation of an influx of out-of-state people seeking abortions in New York if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. Republican lawmakers on Tuesday argued that New York should prohibit the use of taxpayer dollars to help fund abortions for out-of-state residents. New York lawmakers are also facing calls to by August launch the process of amending the state constitution to guarantee abortion rights and prohibit discrimination based on factors ranging 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. OREGON CITY, Ore. (AP) Officials in Clackamas County, Oregon, said Tuesday they have finished duplicating the majority of primary election ballots that were rejected by vote-counting machines because of a printing error that resulted in blurred barcodes on tens of thousands of ballots. Elections officials were forced to transfer the voters intent from a spoiled ballot to a fresh one that could be read by the machines. Vinal Technical High School in Middletown was put into secure mode on Wednesday after a staff member received a phone threat from the parent of a student. At approximately 8:20 a.m., the trooper assigned as the school resource officer was contacted by the school principal and notified of the threat, according to Connecticut State Police. UVALDE, Texas (AP) The blame for an excruciating delay in killing the gunman at a Texas elementary school even as parents outside begged police to rush in and panicked children called 911 from inside has been placed with the school district's homegrown police chief. It's left residents in the small city of Uvalde struggling to reconcile what they know of the well-liked local lawman after the director of state police said that the commander at the scene Pete Arredondo made the wrong decision last week not to breach a classroom at Robb Elementary School sooner, believing the gunman was barricaded inside and children werent at risk. Steven McCraw, the head of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said at the Friday news conference that after following the gunman into the building, officers waited over an hour to breach the classroom. Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in the shooting. Arredondo, who grew up in Uvalde and graduated from high school here, was elected earlier this month to the Uvalde City Council. A special City Council meeting for him and two re-elected incumbents to take their oaths of office had been set for Tuesday evening, but Mayor Don McLaughlin said Monday that the meeting wouldn't be held. Then the mayor issued a Tuesday evening statement saying no ceremony had been held, but the members were sworn in Tuesday. The 50-year-old Arredondo has spent much of a nearly 30-year career in law enforcement in Uvalde, returning in 2020 to take the head police job at the school district. When Arredondo was a boy, Maria Gonzalez used to drive him and her children to the same school where the shooting happened. He was a good boy, she said. He dropped the ball maybe because he did not have enough experience. Who knows? People are very angry," Gonzalez said. Another woman in the neighborhood where Arredondo grew up began sobbing when asked about him. The woman, who didn't want to give her name, said one of her granddaughters was at the school during the shooting but wasn't hurt. Juan Torres, a U.S. Army veteran who was visibly upset with reports coming out about the response, said he knew Arredondo from high school. You sign up to respond to those kinds of situations Torres said. If you are scared, then dont be a police officer. Go flip burgers. After his election to the non-salaried spot on the City Council, Arredondo told the Uvalde Leader-News earlier this month that he was ready to hit the ground running. I have plenty of ideas, and I definitely have plenty of drive, he said, adding he wanted to focus not only on the city being fiscally responsible but also making sure street repairs and beautification projects happen. At a candidates forum before his election, Arredondo said: I guess to me nothing is complicated. Everything has a solution. That solution starts with communication. Communication is key. McCraw said Friday that minutes after the gunman entered the school, city police officers entered through the same door. Over the course of more than an hour, law enforcement from multiple agencies arrived on the scene. Finally, officials said, a U.S. Border Patrol tactical team used a janitors key to unlock the classroom door and kill the gunman. McCraw said that students and teachers had repeatedly begged 911 operators for help while Arredondo told more than a dozen officers to wait in a hallway. That directive which goes against established active-shooter protocols prompted questions about whether more lives were lost because officers didnt act faster. Two law enforcement officials have said that as the gunman fired at students, law enforcement officers from other agencies urged Arredondo to let them move in because children were in danger, The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they had not been authorized to talk publicly about the investigation. In his Monday statement, McLaughlin, the Uvalde mayor, pushed back on officials claims, including remarks made over the weekend by Texas lieutenant governor, that they werent told the truth about the massacre. McLaughlin said in that statement that local law enforcement hadn't made any public comments about the investigation's specifics or misled anyone. But in his Tuesday statement, McLaughlin, noting that emotions are raw, and hearts are broken," said he misunderstood" statements he thought Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had said. Arredondo started out his career in law enforcement working for the Uvalde Police Department. After spending 16 years there, he went to Laredo, a border city located 130 miles (209 kilometers) miles to the south, where he worked at the Webb County Sheriff's Office and then for a local school district, according to a 2020 article in the Uvalde Leader-News on his return to his hometown to take the school district police chief job. The school district's board of trustees approved his appointment to the spot. According to the Uvalde school district's website, the police force led by Arredondo also has five other officers and a security guard. Ray Garner, the police chief of the district in Laredo where Arredondo worked, told the San Antonio Express-News in a story published after the Uvalde shooting that when Arredondo worked in the Laredo district he was easy to talk to" and was concerned about the students. "He was an excellent officer down here, Garner told the newspaper . Down here, we do a lot of training on active-shooter scenarios, and he was involved in those. Arredondo, who spoke only briefly at two short news conferences on the day of the shooting, appeared behind state officials speaking at news conferences over the next two days, but was not present at McCraws Friday news conference. After that news conference, members of the media converged at Arredondo's home and police cruisers took up posts there. Arredondo has not responded to multiple requests for comment from The Associated Press. At one point, a man answering the door at Arredondo's house told a reporter for The Associated Press that Arredondo was indisposed. The truth will come out, said the man before closing the door. On Tuesday, Travis Considine, chief communications officer for the Texas Department of Public Safety, said Arredondo had not responded to DPS interview requests for two days, Considine said. State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, a Democrat whose district includes Uvalde, said on CNNs State of the Union on Sunday that he's asking a lot of questions after so many things went wrong. He said one family told him that a first responder told them that their child, who was shot in the back, likely bled out. So, absolutely, these mistakes may have led to the passing away of these children as well, Gutierrez said. Gutierrez said while the issue of which law enforcement agency had or should have had operational control is a significant concern of his, he's also suggested to McCraw "that its not fair to put it on the local (school district) cop. At the end of the day, everybody failed here," Gutierrez said. ___ Associated Press writer Stengle contributed from Dallas, and also contributing were Curt Anderson in Miami, Jim Vertuno in Austin, Mike Balsamo in Washington and Elliott Spagat in Uvalde. ___ More on the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas: https://apnews.com/hub/school-shootings An alleged member of the Southwest Cholos gang has admitted he helped smuggle young women across the border and then forced them to work for a family-run sex trafficking ring that operated, undetected for nearly a decade, in Houston's Gulfton neighborhood. Erik Ivan Alvarez-Chavez, the common-law husband of the woman accused of running the scheme, pleaded guilty before a federal magistrate in downtown Houston Thursday to seven human trafficking and smuggling counts, including aiding and abetting bringing people into the country to engage in prostitution and conspiracy to transport and conceal unauthorized immigrants. The 43-year-old could face dozens of years in prison at his sentencing on July 27. THE TRACK PART 1: Open-air sex trade permeates daily life on Houstons outskirts The sex trafficking ring ran for years out of several Gulfton-area apartments. The accused madam behind the operation, Maria Angelica "Patty" Moreno-Reyna, is charged with running the scheme along with several of her sons and other relatives. Moreno-Reyna was slated to enter a guilty plea earlier this month but she has requested a postponement and new counsel. Alvarez-Chavez was her common-law husband. Godofredo A. Vasquez/Houston Chronicle Investigators said the family-run crime syndicate lured young girls, some of who had worked at the family's brothel in Cancun with the promise of restaurant jobs in Houston. The women were smuggled across the border and forced into prostitution, according to testimony. The enforcers in the crew told the young women and their families they faced grave consequences if they attempted to flee. Alvarez-Chavez helped Moreno-Reyna and others transport the young women, including at least one he picked up from San Antonio and drove to Houston, court documents show. He was heard on multiple recorded phone calls coordinating with other co-defendants, many of whom are his family members, to transport the women to the Houston brothels. Alvarez-Chavez also helped run the family's illegal smuggling business, helping transport unauthorized immigrants from China and the Dominican Republic for up to $40,000 per person. Alvarez-Chavez ran a Houston stash house where the unauthorized immigrants would sometimes be held, court documents show. THE TRACK PART 2: Struggling to escape: Prostitutes try multiple times before leaving the streets In addition to the smuggling charges, Alvarez-Chavez also pleaded guilty to immigration fraud and identity theft for submitting false information on immigration documents in 2013 and 2015. Alvarez-Chavez's lawyer was not immediately available for comment Tuesday morning. Alvarez-Chavez is one of more than 20 defendants charged in federal court with aiding in the scheme. Several are scheduled to be sentenced on the same day he is, including co-defendant Eddie Alejandro Torres, who is Moreno-Reyna's son, and Bianca Stephanie Reyna. Another one of Moreno-Reyna's sons and co-defendant Walter Lopez is due back in federal court on June 9. Lopez is accused of operating several of the Houston apartments that served as brothels for his mother's operation. rebecca.hennes@chron.com Brett Coomer, Staff / Houston Chronicle Two charges of indecency with a child have been dropped against a Houston restaurateur more than four years after the allegations prompted his arrest, according to court records. Bruce Molzan, 64, chef at the paleo-focused Ruggles Black on Kirby, no longer faces two felony counts. The charges were dropped last Thursday after prosecutors determined that probable cause exists, but case cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt at this time. Four years ago, Richard Cheatum watched his 64-year-old wife lose her grip on reality inside a Baylor St. Lukes Medical Center intensive care unit. Belinda Cheatum had suffered from Crohns disease, a type of chronic inflammatory bowel disorder, and developed severe complications that put her on a mechanical ventilator for about three weeks. When she recovered enough to breathe on her own, she thought the helicopters flying outside of her hospital room window were part of an invasion, Richard said. She tried talking through the TV remote like a cellphone. More from Julian Gill: In Uvalde's wake, Houston doctors stress need for more research funding, bipartisan policy change Belindas hallucinations eventually subsided, but her confusion lingered until she died in the hospital. Doctors say her case illustrates classic symptoms of ICU delirium a mysterious yet common diagnosis that has been tied to lower survival rates and longer hospital stays. Up to 80 percent of ICU patients are diagnosed with some form of delirium, which is defined by the American Psychiatric Association as a disturbance of consciousness and cognition that develops quickly and fluctuates over time. It can present itself through a wide range of temporary or long-lasting states of confusion, from hallucinations to forgetting a family members name to more generalized disorientation. Post-traumatic stress disorder and depression are also common symptoms. Critical care specialists have been unraveling the phenomenon for decades, but the COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the problem as patients flooded ICUs in need of mechanical ventilation one factor that studies show increases the risk of delirium. Efforts are underway in Houston to learn more about what causes the condition. Were honestly just at the beginning of understanding this, said Dr. James P. Herlihy, chief of critical care service at Baylor St. Lukes Medical Center. This is a big black box for us in medicine. Linked to mortality Hospital staff couldnt give Richard clear answers when he told them about Belindas confusion. Doctors explained it was likely temporary but could offer no timetable for her mental recovery. Even when the hallucinations stopped, his wife of 47 years once a quick-thinking registered nurse continued to struggle with basic questions, like what kind of food she wanted to eat, Richard said. She didnt understand what you were trying to ask her, he said. On HoustonChronicle.com: A young dad clings to his only hope after a destructive COVID infection. It comes with a heavy price. ICU delirium has been recognized as a distinct condition for decades, going by a variety of terms like ICU psychosis, ICU syndrome and acute confusional state. The term delirium became more popular in the 2000s after researchers developed standardized methods to measure it through observation. When Herlihy graduated from medical school in 1984, he said the medical community thought poor sleep patterns, caused by the around-the-clock medical care and the constant sound of machines, accounted for delirium. Further research suggested that sleep was only part of the problem. Doctors noted that a wider range of physical factors severe infections, respiratory disease, cardiovascular issues could cause delirium, as well as other potential environmental triggers such as a lack of mobility and heavy intake of sedative drugs known as benzodiazepines. Older patients also tended to be more predisposed to delirium. But to this day, the ways in which each of those factors cause delirium remains largely unknown, experts say. What exactly is the link? How does it work? Herlihy said. Understanding those connections is the key to understanding ICU delirium in general. One thing is clear: There is a strong connection between delirium and death rates, especially among patients who need mechanical ventilation. Delirium in mechanically ventilated patients is associated with a 2.5-fold increase in deaths within six months and a 3.2-fold increase in deaths after six months, according to a 2012 National Institutes of Health article. Every additional day of delirium in the ICU was associated with a 10 percent increase in the risk of death within one year after the patient returns home, the article said Detection of delirium remains a major struggle, said Dr. Wes Ely, a national leader in ICU delirium research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Some patients, like Belinda Cheatum, experience hallucations that can clearly be attributed to delirium. But its more common for patients to quietly experience the symptoms without drawing the attention of medical staff, he said. It becomes this invisible problem, Ely said. If the person was in shock, or had their (oxygen levels) dropping, everybody would be paying attention. But because delirium isn't monitored with some technology, people overlook it. Families need to know that quiet isnt always good, he said. Each day a patient stays delirious leads to an increased risk of dementia, in addition to the heightened risk of death. We need to shorten delirium durations, Ely said, in order to save the person's humanness on the back end of their critical illness. Push for solutions As the impact of delirium has come into sharper focus over the last two decades, critical care doctors and nurses have changed the way they treat patients. The use of benzodiazepines has dropped off. ICUs have widely adopted a group of intervention techniques that prioritize mobility and family engagement, because activity and communication tends to improve outcomes. Experts say the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted efforts to address ICU delirium. The use of benzodiazepines increased among patients on ventilators as supplies of safer drugs dwindled. Strict visitation rules dramatically cut down family contact. Houston Methodist Hospital psychotherapist Kerry Ewens spent much of the last two years offering coping mechanisms for isolated patients who often lived in a dream-like state. Sometimes acting as their only human contact outside of hospital staff, she reminded them they were safe, despite hallucinations that appeared real and sometimes terrifying. On HoustonChronicle.com: Baylor College of Medicine to open new long-COVID clinic Now, as fewer COVID patients require critical care and more visitors are allowed inside, she encourages families to touch their loved ones and strike up conversations anything to boost brain stimulation without overdoing it. Its kind of like a baby, she said. You find out what makes them comfortable. Dr. Chethan Rao, a neurologist at Baylor St. Lukes Medical Center, is studying delirium as part of a spectrum of disorders of consciousness, which also include comas, to develop best practices around treatment and education. Comas and delirium share many similarities, he said, and uncovering treatment options for one disorder may provide clues for the other. People accept comas or these disorders of consciousness as a normal part of sickness, he said, and I think that needs to change. Other ICU delirium studies are in the early stages at Houston Methodist. Dr. Hina Faisal, an anesthesiologist and critical care physician, is leading a project on virtual reality technology that will function like a video game for patients to improve brain function. Dr. Atiya Dhala, medical director of the hospitals virtual ICU, is using an innovative, wearable device to measure how sleep patterns contribute to delirium. Ultimately, their work could help prevent astronomical hospital bills from longer hospital stays and the lasting psychological impacts that follow many ICU patients home, said Dr. Faisal Masud, Houston Methodist Hospitals medical director of critical care. There are physical and psychological components (of the ICU), and it takes a huge toll, which people should not underestimate, he said. julian.gill@chron.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate More than one million people were expected to fly through Houston during the Memorial Day weekend travel period, just 6 percent shy of pre-pandemic levels, as travelers nationwide ditched their masks and booked flights for overdue vacations. Hobby Airport was expecting 250,900 passengers for the six-day period that began Thursday and continues through Tuesday. Bush Intercontinental Airport was expecting 752,900 travelers arriving, departing or connecting through the Bayou City. The combined travel at Hobby and Bush Intercontinental is up 13 percent from last year. RELATED: Houston's Bush, Hobby Airports end mask requirements after federal judge's ruling Its really optimistic for us, said Zeljka Momirovic, director for air service development for the Houston Airports. We are seeing a strong demand and pent-up demand thats coming for the summertime. Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Nationwide, travelers have packed their bags despite higher gasoline prices and increased airfare. AAA forecast that 39.2 million people would travel 50 miles or more from home for the Memorial Day weekend. Thats up 8.3 percent from 2021 and down 8.2 percent from 2019. Memorial Day is always a good predictor of whats to come for summer travel, Paula Twidale, senior vice president for AAA Travel, said in a news release. Based on our projections, summer travel isnt just heating up, it will be on fire. People are overdue for a vacation and they are looking to catch up on some much-needed R&R in the coming months. Airlines are slowly increasing flight frequencies to pre-pandemic levels at Hobby and Bush Intercontinental airports. Domestic leisure travel as well as long-haul flights to Europe and Latin America are picking up the pace of their schedules. Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Last week, Frontier Airlines started new nonstop flights from Hobby to Cancun, Mexico, Orlando, Fla., and Las Vegas. It also initiated a new flight from Bush Intercontinental to Cancun. With these additions, Frontier now flies to three destinations from Hobby and six destinations from Bush Intercontinental. Air New Zealand is resuming service in July. It had halted flights from Bush Intercontinental to Auckland, New Zealand in March 2020. Also in July, Turkish Airlines will surpass pre-pandemic levels with flights between Bush Intercontinental and Istanbul, Turkey. It had seven weekly flights, one per day, before COVID-19, and will increase to 10 weekly flights with three days of the week offering two daily flights. Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Ultimately, 2019 is the benchmark for recovery, and Momirovic noted that this years Memorial Day holiday travel did not reach the numbers from three years ago. But what shes seeing makes her optimistic for the months ahead. Its going to be a busy summer, she said. Thats for sure. Were seeing a very nice recovery. andrea.leinfelder@chron.com twitter.com/a_leinfelder Authorities have released new photos of a Texas inmate who made a bold escape May 12 from a prison bus in a rural area between Dallas and Houston. Gonzalo Lopez, 46, who is reportedly affiliated with the Mexican Mafia and has ties to the Rio Grande Valley and San Antonio, has not been found since his escape. He is approximately 6 feet tall and weighs 185 pounds. He is heavily tattooed. The photos released May 25 by the U.S. Marshals Service show he has a tattoo that reads Gonzo across his stomach and another that says Mexican across his upper back. Another tattoo across his lower back say Aztlan. Lopez had been serving a life sentence for the 2006 murder of a man on the Texas-Mexico border. He most recently was being held in a Gatesville prison but was en route to Huntsville for a medical appointment when he fled, the Texas Tribune reported. During the drive, Lopez managed to get out of his handcuffs and cut through a metal gate that separated the inmates from the driver. He stabbed the driver, stole the transport bus and eventually fled into the woods off Highway 7 near Centerville, authorities said. No other inmates escaped. The Leon County Sheriff's Office issued warrants for his arrest. He should be considered armed and extremely dangerous, and people should not try to apprehend him, authorities said. Multiple agencies are offering a combined reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to Lopezs capture. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to contact the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Crime Stoppers at 1-800-832-8477 or 936-437-5171. You can also call your local law enforcement agency at 911 or send tips to the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102 or via the USMS Tips app. julian.gill@chron.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Several dozen Texas teachers, school employees and union officials argued Tuesday afternoon at a protest in downtown Austin, that teachers should be focused on their students and the curriculum, not target practice or how to stem the bleeding on a child with a gunshot wound. The group met downtown at a union headquarters, marching to a Uvalde memorial on the steps of the Texas Capitol and then to Sen. Ted Cruzs office, who the teachers union identified as having a particularly abominable response to last weeks shooting. Their goal was to call for safer classrooms and tighter gun regulation policies, as well as against the arming of teachers as a way to secure classrooms. Educators are here to teach, not to police, said Zeph Capo, the Texas chapter president of the American Federation of Teachers, which organized the rally. More broadly, many were angered by the idea that it falls to schools to stop mass shootings from occurring, while Republican politicians refused to consider tighter regulations on the firearms used to perpetrate such slayings. For too long, the focus has been on protecting guns, not protecting students, said Dan Wright, a special education teacher with Round Rock ISD, in an interview while walking with the crowd. At the same time, he said he in not hopeful for change given the powerful political forces that defend gun access in this country, and how attached culturally the nation is to guns. Honestly, I dont know. I havent seen it happen. Its failing us, our institutions are failing us. In the post-Uvalde discussions of how to stop future mass shootings, Cruz and other Texas Republicans have focused on school hardening, making the buildings more secure or arming teachers rather than limiting access to the firearms used by mass shooters. Cruz has derided proposals for gun control measures being pushed by Democrats as infringements upon law abiding gun owners that wouldnt stop mass shootings. The elites who dominate our culture, tell us that firearms lie at the root of the problem, Cruz said in a Friday speech at the National Rifle Association conference in Houston. Its a lot easier to moralize about guns and to shriek about those you disagree with politically, but its never been about guns. RECONSTRUCTION: How the Uvalde massacre unfolded Several teachers at the event said its hard to hold onto hope that things will improve given the cycle repeated after past mass shootings: horror, grief, calls to action, fading headlines and finally inaction. I want it to be different, said Tammy Conrad, an elementary school math teacher also with Round Rock ISD. Conrad took a long pause. Yeah, but Im afraid to say that. The 22 kids in Conrads classroom are about the same age as the 19 slaughtered last week in Uvalde, she said, making it all too easy for her to imagine the horror. The day after the shooting, she said she welcomed students into the school building at the front entrance. She studied their faces to try to tell which of them had been told about the Uvalde school shooting, looking for signs of fear or paranoia, but they were hard to read. Teachers were nervous to discuss the shooting even among themselves, away from their students, out of fear of discussing a political issue, Conrad said. Republicans around the country, and notably in Texas, have over the last year identified teachers and the public school system as political actors aiming to brainwash their kids with leftist values such as critical race theory. The Legislature took action to ban discussion of controversial political topics in classrooms without offering the perspective of both sides. One Dallas-area school district interpreted that to mean they couldnt have one-sided discussions about the Holocaust. That state law was opposed by teachers groups and education experts on the grounds that it could whitewash American history and discourage troubling conversations about the way Black people have been treated historically. More recently, school and public libraries have faced huge numbers of book challenges, with adults in the communities saying their kids are being exposed to pornography or inappropriate content. Many of the objections were aimed at award-winning books about race in America or childrens books that promote tolerance for LGBT people. I think there is a sense of we cant take this anymore, Conrad said. While Sen. John Cornyn, Cruzs counterpart, has taken on a leading role among Republicans in negotiating with Democrats to arrive at compromise gun control legislation, Cruz said Friday the real goal of anyone seeking to place additional restrictions on military-style rifles frequently used in mass shootings is disarming America. Gov. Greg Abbott gave a similar message in his videotaped speech played at the NRA conference shortly before Cruz spoke, although in a press conference in Uvalde happening almost simultaneously he also said all options are on the table regarding a potential special session on gun violence, and promised new laws. A spokesperson on Tuesday pointed to Cruzs School Security Enhancement Act, his Protecting Communities Act as examples of legislation to keep our kids safe by improving background checks and securing schools. The GOP in Texas took this approach after the Santa Fe High School shooting in 2018, passing school security policies, mental health programs for schools and a pathway for teachers to arm themselves in class the thinking being that a good guy with a gun could stop a bad one. A recent Houston Chronicle investigation found that Texas school mental health programs remain hugely insufficient. In Uvalde last week the shooter, a teenager with an AR-15 assault-style rifle and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, walked in the unlocked backdoor of a school just as the Santa Fe high school shooter did. Then, he barricaded himself in a fourth grade classroom, outside of which 19 police officers waited for nearly an hour before the room was breached and the shooter killed. edward.mckinley@chron.com The Management Board and Governing Council of the African Legal Support Facility (ALSF) have expressed satisfaction with the strong 2021 performance of the ALSF. They also commended the teams timely and sustained response to the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic across the Facilitys areas of intervention. The Board and Council also passed resolutions regarding ALSF operations. This was the Facilitys 38th Management Board meeting and the Governing Councils 14th meeting. Both took place on 23 May in the margins of the African Development Bank Groups 2022 Annual Meetings in Accra, Ghana. In 2021 ALSF approved 33 new projects and disbursed $11.07 million for advisory and capacity building projects. They covered various sectors, notably sovereign debt, natural resources and extractives, power, infrastructure public-private partnerships, and investment treaties and dispute resolution sectors. These were in Angola (https://bit.ly/3NF6Ozm), Botswana, Chad (https://bit.ly/3x0sdfP), Ethiopia (https://bit.ly/3t0D3B6), Central African Republic, Gabon (https://bit.ly/3wZWlrq), The Gambia (https://bit.ly/3PSb93U), Lesotho, Sudan (https://bit.ly/3GLee1X), and Somalia (https://bit.ly/3wU0OvT). Some projects were multinational. At this weeks meetings, the Management Board and the Governing Council considered and approved the Facilitys 2021 audited financial statements. According to the statements, the ALSF received cumulative financial contributions of about $120 million and disbursed nearly$ 94 million from 2010 through year end-2021. The documents confirm that ALSF is in good financial standing. The meetings also approved the African Legal Support Facilitys 2021 Annual Report. The report provides an account of activities in 2021. They include projects initiated and completed, key results and achievements, institutional development and corporate management, partnerships and outreach, risks and challenges, and prospective areas for intervention. The Management Board and the Governing Council also recognized the outstanding and invaluable services of three outgoing members. Ms. Eva Jhala (Chairperson) and Ms. Nimatou D. Feliho will complete their three-year tenures on the Management Board on 29 June 2022. Mr. Denis Dubuissons tenure as a member of the Governing Council representing Belgium will end on 31 August 2022. The Chairman of the Governing Council, Mr. Christopher Chalmers, expressed gratitude to the departing members for what was described as their excellent contributions to ALSFs work. ALSF Director and CEO Olivier Pognon commended the outgoing members for their dedication and accessibility. He thanked them for their guidance and support to the ALSF team as it continues its vital work. The Governing Council appointed two new members to replace the outgoing Management Board members. The Management Board and the Governing Council also urged the Facility to intensify its support for member countries as they seek to accelerate economic recovery and sustainable development efforts. They stressed the importance of addressing issues of climate change, environmental and social protection gender equality and good governance. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires A satirical video from the National Rifle Association convention in Houston over the weekend has gone viral on TikTok and other social media platforms. In the video, Jason Selvig, a member of the comedy duo The Good Liars, went up to the microphone during what appeared to be a question-and-answer session with a panel that included CEO Wayne LaPierre and delivered a speech. More Uvalde coverage: A reconstruction of how the massacre unfolded Selvig praised LaPierre for his thoughts and prayers at the convention that came just three days after an 18-year-old in Uvalde shot his grandmother in the face, walked into a fourth grade classroom with a military-grade assault rifle and killed 19 children and two adults. Selvig also highlighted other mass shootings elsewhere in the country over the years and mocked the idea that thoughts and prayers were the solution to preventing future tragedies. In his speech, Selvig said he was sick and tired of the left-wing media and others spreading misinformation about Wayne LaPierre whenever there is a mass shooting. Selvig said: They all say that Wayne LaPierre isnt doing enough to stop these mass shootings and even imply that Wayne LaPierre has played a part in making it easier for these shooters to get guns, to get weapons. The video repeatedly cuts away from Selvig to LaPierre, who looks confused. More Uvalde coverage: Were the messages of Gov. Abbott different at two different places? Selvig said that LaPierre was accused of not doing enough after mass shootings in Las Vegas, Parkland, El Paso and others. You kept hearing that Wayne LaPierre isnt doing enough and, frankly, thats not true, Selvig said. The NRA, under Wayne LaPierres leadership, has provided thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families, and maybe these mass shootings would stop happening if we all thought a little bit more and prayed a little bit more. Selvig concluded: Im asking everyone in this room to think, to pray, give your thoughts and your prayers and your thoughts. And if we give enough of these thoughts and prayers, these mass shootings will stop. So I want to thank you, Wayne LaPierre, for all your thoughts and your prayers. timothy.fanning@express-news.net NOAA National Hurricane Center Forecasters are monitoring a disturbance that could become a tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico later this week. According to the National Hurricane Center, a large and complex area of low pressure is expected to develop near the Yucatan Peninsula and the northwestern Caribbean Sea in a couple of days, partially related to the remnants of Hurricane Agatha from the eastern Pacific. The release last week of a secret list of more than 700 church leaders and volunteers accused of sexual abuse was a groundbreaking moment in the history of the Southern Baptist Convention. It just made David Pittman mad as hell. Leaders were documenting abuse all along while lying to us, he said. Pittman, 52 and now living in south Florida, spent years tracking Franklin Wiley, the minister he says abused him at a Georgia church decades ago. Pittman spent much of his early adulthood using drugs and alcohol to drown out the trauma, and by the time he and others came forward, it was too late to press criminal charges. Multiple pastors have since said Wiley confessed to misconduct to them, including his current pastor. Pittmans repeated warnings were largely ignored. Wiley was not included on the list made public last week, which Pittman said shows the shortcomings of relying on news reports about arrests to track credibly-accused predators while ignoring complaints from survivors. Related: Georgia minister dismissed over abuse, but victim sees SBC backtracking Survivors and advocates had for years recommended a database of accused ministers to help churches vet applicants and weed out offenders in the SBC, a collective of 47,000 self-governing churches that has no uniform ordination standards or central records to track ministers. That system has made the SBC a prime target for predators, activists warned for years. Its a perfect profession for a con artist, because all he has to do is talk a good talk and convince people that hes been called by God, and bingo, he gets to be a Southern Baptist minister, Christa Brown, a longtime activist, once said. Then he can infiltrate the entirety of the SBC, move from church to church, from state to state, go to bigger churches and more prominent churches where he has more influence and power, and it all starts in some small church. More: Bombshell 400-page report finds Southern Baptist leaders routinely silenced sexual abuse survivors Brown was one of the most vocal advocates for such a database. A trained lawyer, she and others repeatedly spelled out how the idea could help deter predators without sacrificing the local church autonomy that leaders said for decades prevented them from forcing churches to do almost anything. It turns out a handful of insiders had kept such a list that, since 2007, had grown to more than 700 names, most of them confirmed as Southern Baptist-affiliated. It was released last week amid fallout from a report by Guidepost Solutions, a third-party firm that was hired by the SBC to investigate its top leadership body last year. ABUSE OF FAITH: Offend, then repeat: Southern Baptist churches hired dozens of leaders accused of sex offenses Its really typical for entities to keep a secret list, said Rachael Denhollander, a prominent attorney and survivor who was the first person to publicly accuse ex-USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar. The Catholic Church had one. Michigan State University had multiple reports against Larry (Nassar). Included on the list was Tommy Gilmore, the man Brown has for years said abused her as a child before moving from Texas to a new church in Orlando, Fla. Gilmore was among the at least 75 accused sexual abusers on the list who had worked or volunteered at Southern Baptist churches in Texas, an SBC stronghold. Thats more than twice as many as the next highest state Florida. A dozen individuals were accused of sexual abuse in multiple states, including in Texas. Ambiguous method Compiled at the behest of former SBC general counsel August Augie Boto, the list relies heavily on news articles about criminal convictions. It includes roughly 260 cases published in an online database by the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News as part of Abuse of Faith, a 2019 investigation into the SBCs mishandling of sexual abuse complaints. The Guidepost report notes that abuse survivors were also contacting Boto and other SBC officials over the years to raise concerns about incidents at Southern Baptist churches that hadnt reached the court system. In response to the report, SBC leaders quickly moved forward to publish the 203-page list, though with some redactions of sensitive information. Leaders also said they hope to strip retirement benefits from Boto as a result of the reports findings. From 2019: 20 years, 700 victims: Southern Baptist abuse spreads as leaders resist reforms We need to be very mindful that the world is watching, SBC president Ed Litton said last week during a discussion on the report, including a debate about how to best release Botos list. They dont need to see business as usual. One lawyer who has sued the SBC wondered how many complaints from survivors made it on the list, or whether links to news stories were later added to make it appear as if the SBC learned about some cases through the media not through earlier warnings from the public. I could go on the internet right now and make a database of everyone whos ever been convicted of a crime related to the Southern Baptist Convention based on news reports, but thats not what the Guidepost report is about, said Kevin Biniazan, a lawyer who filed a lawsuit on behalf of numerous boys who say they were molested or raped by youth minister Jeffrey Dale Clark at a Southern Baptist church in Virginia. Read more: We made a database of hundreds of accused SBC church leaders and volunteers. The Guidepost report is about complaints that were made directly to the executive committee that they didnt share with anyone, Biniazan said. Biniazan noticed that Clarks name and his conviction was on the list of accused abusers, but theres no indication when details about that case was added to the SBCs list or how it was revised. How long had SBC officials known that Clark and others were abusing children? Its completely ambiguous, Biniazan said. They want all of us to believe that the only time that they knew about (a case) was after their conviction. But Im willing to bet that some of those people they knew about beforehand. Many of those who contacted the SBC did so because they said they were too traumatized to come to terms with their abuses until the statute of limitations, their window for filing criminal charges, had passed. That includes Pittman, who raised concerns for years, both to SBC leaders and to churches where Wiley ministered throughout Georgia, Guidepost found. Read more: She spent decades warning Southern Baptists about abuse. This week's revelations brought no joy. In the wake of the 2019 Abuse of Faith investigation, Wileys current employer, Trinity Baptist Church in Ashburn, Georgia, was among 10 churches that then-SBC President J.D. Greear said should face scrutiny for their alleged mishandling of abuses. Behind the scenes, Boto apologized to Trinitys pastor Rodney Brown, Brown said at the time. Not long after, Brown said that Wiley had confessed to misconduct years earlier, but said he was repentant. Wiley resigned, but had returned to the church as recently as this year, according to news reports. The church has also since changed its name. Last year, another one of Wiley's former churches conducted its own review and found 10 victims. Pittman said he cant help but wonder how many names on the SBCs internal list have victims that will never be known about, or who could have been spared had the SBC acted on survivors requests more than a decade ago. How many other boys and girls were harmed by the ones on this list and others well never know of because of (leaders) efforts to block advocacy? he wondered. It is vile. It is evil. It is anything but Christian. robert.downen@chron.com Regarding AR-style rifles like the one used in Uvalde shooting often leave victims unrecognizable, experts say, (May 25): We have rendered so many words and expressions in our language useless from overuse: heartbroken, tragic, thoughts and prayers, moment of silenceI am too numb to weep. I am searching for words of anguish that still have some meaning to express the inexpressible. I was confused the day after the killings to learn that many parents had to wait for DNA results to come in before they knew if their child was one of the victims. Today I learned the reason: AR-style rifle victims are often unrecognizable. I cannot find words for the horror that brings to mind for those parents. I am at a loss. What can I do? Pray, vote, write letters to multiple elected officials at many levels of government? March in the streets with a banner that says, NO MORE!!! Sit on the steps of the Capitol and scream until mental health officials are called in? Maybe I should do all these things. I certainly should do some of them. I must not bury my numbness in the sand and pretend all is well until the next time the inevitable next time. In the meantime, I grieve; I grieve with those who have lost so much, knowing my grief cannot begin to match theirs. Cathy Woods, Houston Moving forward Regarding Opinion: After Uvalde, Texas must support mental health in schools and common-sense gun reforms, (May 25): In light of horrific shootings and politicians who say we need better mental health support (Im looking at you, Gov. Abbott), I propose that proceeds from the excise tax on bullets be dedicated to mental health programs. The Uvalde shooter purchased more than 300 rounds. At an excise of $5 per bullet, purchasers may contribute resources to help victims and fund resources to stop senseless violence. The Second Amendment absolutists cant squawk as bullets are not mentioned in the text of the Constitution, only the firearms themselves. Who should lead this effort? Senator John Cornyn is a logical choice. Just as only Nixon could open China, it will take a stalwart Republican to take the point on gun violence prevention. He needs to muster up courage and leadership and face down those who would enable the next mass shooting. If he wants to go down in history as a great and worthy man, he has the power to do so. The choice is his. Anita Darras, Houston I propose the elementary school that was targeted by the 18-year-old gunman be demolished, and a new state-of-the-art elementary school be built to honor the innocent lives lost. A playground for the community and the children should also be built in its place. Schools are hallowed ground. If we can send billions of dollars to support a war in another country, if we can raise taxes on the middle class, then we can care enough about the future of our childrens education and our country by rebuilding and healing when tragedy strikes such as this one in Uvalde. Bill Pond, Humble As a retired teacher and a mother my heart breaks for the people of Uvalde. We saw what happened when the shooter, an unlicensed driver, got behind the wheel of his grandmothers truck. Does this not indicate what may happen when no licensing and training is required for using a gun? And shouldnt that licensing include a mental health assessment? As for background checks, the purchaser may not have a record yet. It starts with one criminal offense. A school shooting? An interview with a politician suggests that schools need to have more security. Are we going to expect the schools to be spending money, time and emotional energy on defense? Life is not fair and this is an example. We can move forward with hope if the purchase of a gun were taken as seriously as the privilege of driving a car. Patty Carroll Smith, St. Louis, Mo. 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. Air Mauritius has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to extend their cooperation and explore new avenues for collaboration. During a ceremony held at the Air Mauritius Centre in Port Louis, on Tuesday 31 May 2022, the MoU was signed by Mr Marday Venketasamy, G.O.S.K, C.S.K, Chairman of Air Mauritius Ltd and Mr. Puneet Kumar, Additional General Manager of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Kanpur, India (On behalf of Mr Apurba Roy, GM, Hindustan Aeronautics AL, Kanpur).] Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is the manufacturer of the Dornier HAL DO 228 aircraft which has been developed for coast guard duties and maritime surveillance among others. On this occasion, Mr Sajal Prakash, CEO, Accessories Complex, HAL stated that, The signing of this MoU is a great step to boost the business relationship between HAL and Air Mauritius. It will enable both HAL and Air Mauritius to initiate mutual collaboration in fields like maintenance & upgrades of Do-228 fleet, refresher and recurrent trainings, Technical and logistics support. This MoU will also benefit HAL and Air Mauritius to explore the possibility of setting up an MRO hub for Do-228 fleet in India Oceania Region (IOR). Mauritius counts three Dornier 228 in the Maritime Air Squadron, a branch of the National Coast Guard under the Mauritius Police Force. Since 1990, the Air Mauritius Technical Services has been collaborating with the Mauritius Police Force to offer technical support to its Dornier fleet and will extend its support to the increased fleet. This MoU represents an opportunity for Air Mauritius Technical Services to offer maintenance, repair and overhaul services to Dornier aircraft in the region. Mr Marday Venketasamy G.O.S.K, C.S.K, Chairman of Air Mauritius, stated that, Air Mauritius is very proud to celebrate the continued technical support for the Dornier 228 aircraft. The collaboration with HAL will be a key factor in expanding our MRO services regionally and supporting the governments vision for aerospace MRO in Mauritius. at the left and right hand side of the screen move forwards and backwards for the other images associated with the media you selected. Usually this is used for previous/next photo in a gallery, in an article or in search results. Keyboard shortcuts: use shift + the left and right arrow keys. < and > in the bottom center are used for switching between the photos of the same specimen. Keyboard shortcuts: use the left and right arrow keys. > in the bottom center, raises the information box giving details and further options for the media, < at the top of this box then hides it. Keyboard shortcuts: use the up and down arrow keys. ? opens this help window. Keyboard shortcuts: use the H key or the ? key. Other keyboard shortcuts: 1 Fit image to screen 2 Fill screen with image 5 Display at full resolution < Make background darker > Make background lighter space Hide/dim titles and buttons Scalebar If the field of view (FOV) is specified for the photo, the scalebar appears in the left bottom corner of the viewer. The scalebar is draggable and resizeable. Drag the right edge to resize it. Double click will reset the scalebar to it's default size and position. If the scalebar is in default position, double click will make it circular. Controls - Video Video files have a standard set of video controls: - Reset to start, - Skip back, - Play, - Pause, - Skip forwards. Keyboard shortcuts: You can stop/start video play with the P key. Controls - Animation (Spin Rotation) Animation (usually 360 degree spin rotations) have their own controls: - enable spin mode. Note that while images are loading this option will not be available but will be automatically activated when the animation has loaded. Once active you can spin the image/change the animation by moving your mouse or finger on the image left/right or by pressing the [ or ] keys. The button switches to move mode so that you can use your mouse/fingers to move the image around the screen as with other media types. The button, or the P key will start playing the animation directly, you can interrupt this by using the mouse or finger on the image to regain manual movement control. Controls - 3D Stereoscopic images If a stereoscopic 3D image is opened in the viewer, the 3D button appears in the bottom right corner giving access to "3D settings" menu. The 3D images can be viewed in several ways: - without any special equipment using cross-eyed or parallel-eyed method - with stereoscope - with anaglyph glasses. - on a suitable 3D TV or monitor (passive 3D system) For details about 3D refer to: Mindat manuals: Mindat Media Viewer: 3D To enable/disable 3D stereo display of a compatible stereo pair image press the 3 key. If the left/right images are reversed on your display (this often happens in full-screen mode) press the 4 key to reverse them. Controls - photo comparison mode If a photo with activated comparison mode is opened in the viewer, the button appears in the bottom right corner giving access to "Comparison mode settings" menu. Several layouts are supported: slider and side by-side comparison with up to 6 photos shown synchronously on the screen. On each of the compared photos a view selector is placed, e.g.: Longwave UV . It shows the name of currently selected view and allows to select a view for each placeholder. Summary of all keyboard shortcuts 31.05.2022 LISTEN Popular Nollywood actor, Kalu Ikeagwu, on Monday told an Ikeja High Court how his estranged wife, Ijeoma allegedly deserted their matrimonial home and denied him sex after welcoming their son. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Ikeagwu, in the suit marked LD/8939HD/2021, is seeking a dissolution of his six-year-old marriage to Ijeoma. The actor is also seeking full custody of his three-year-old son and ten-year-old step-daughter. Under cross-examination by the respondent's counsel, Mrs S.I. Amedu, Ikeagwu said his wife packed out of his matrimonial home and sent him a mail that she was on her way to her father's house in Enugu. He, however, said contrary to her claim that he later saw her at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport with the children after some days. He said, I got back home from a trip on August 4, 2021 to find out that my wife had left our matrimonial home with the children to an undisclosed location. I tried to contact her when I got to the house and found it empty. I sent her an email on that same day and she replied that she had gone to her father's house in Enugu. She told me she was at her father's place in Enugu and four days later, I saw her at the airport in Lagos, heading to God knows where. In the mail she sent, she said she was In Enugu. Ikeagwu also debunked the claim that he sent his wife and kids out of the house and failed to provide for their upkeep. He said, I did not send her out of the house. Someone has to tell me why it takes four days to get to Enugu from Lagos. If you say 'you are on your way' it means it is a continuous sentence. It was a stated fact that she was on her way. The actor further told the court that his wife denied him sex and also poured water on him while he was asleep. The petitioner also said he was not aware that his wife lost a pregnancy due to a Sexually Transmitted Infection while they were together. He added, After the birth of our son, she has refused to have sex with me. I was not aware she lost the pregnancy due to an infection as I did not give her any infection. Till date, I have not seen any report attached to a document that she lost a baby through STD. Though I did not ask her why she lost the baby. Ikeagwu said he stopped sending money to the children for upkeep and maintenance because his wife denied him being the father to his step-daughter. Korra Obidi, estranged husband disagree over domestic violence, cheating claims He added that this was after she accused him of attempting to sleep with the child and she failed to acknowledge the money he sent to her. The last time I sent money to them was in November 2021. I stopped sending money because my wife denied me being a father to my step-daughter and she also accused me of wanting to sleep with her, the actor said. On why he was seeking custody of his step -daughter whom he had earlier sought for revocation of guardianship, the actor said he had information that his wife wanted to relocate the children. He said, I want custody of the two children. The reason I sought for revocation was because my wife had turned my step-daughter against me and at that point, I got a hint that she wanted to fly the children abroad. I have never been married to any woman before I got married to my wife. I married her after she had her daughter. I earlier said the issue of revocation was because I felt she wanted to use me. My Lord, look at the precedence on how I have treated the girl from the very beginning. I am an actor by profession and I travel to locations within and outside Nigeria in which I can spend five days to one month. At the moment, it may be difficult but I am thinking about the future when I remarry and get a stable wife. Justice Christopher Balogun had earlier ordered the children to play with their father in court and ordered the respondent to present the receipts of the tuition fees of the children in court. Balogun said, According to the Child's Right Act, you can not deny the children the best education even if you're quarreling with your wife. If I should as a judgment grant you a divorce, and if your wife is in Enugu and you stay in Lagos, why should I give the custody of a 10-year-old girl to you while her mother is alive? The Supreme Court ruled that it is not the wealth of a father that the children of that age need, they need the care and attention of their biological mother. The only reason the girl child should not be in the custody of the mother is if the mother is mentally derailed or the issue of infidelity is involved. Assuming the girl starts her monthly period, you as a father do not know what to do. You will be scared of the blood. A female girl is delicate. Your own case is worse because an accusation has been leveled against you. The judge adjourned the case until June 23 for continuation of hearing NAN Popular Nollywood actress, Mercy Johnson, has described her husband, Prince Odi Okojie as a good man and a man of the people. This was after Prince Odi Okojie won one of the All Progressive Congress (APC) House of Representatives primaries tickets in Edo State over the weekend. The businessman announced the big news via his Instagram page on Saturday, May 28, 2022. He wrote, My dear good people and Leaders of Esan North East and Esan South East Federal constituency, it gives me a great sense of gratitude to God Almighty for making it possible for me to emerge as the APC candidate in the upcoming election into the Federal House of Representatives representing the aforementioned constituency after the just concluded primaries. Okojie went on to thank his wife and family members for their support during the campaigns. This feat will not be possible if not for your kindest and surest support and prayers. It behooves me to use this medium to express my sincere appreciation to God Almighty, my adorable wife Mrs Mercy Johnson Okojie for all your love and support, to all my family members, friends and well-wishers. I thank you all, he added. An elated Mercy Johnson heaped a lot of praises on her husband for attaining an enviable feat. She wanted Nigerians to accept her man as the right person for the job. She wrote: Congratulations to @princeodiokojie on this win. You are a good man and a man of the people. I am sure you will be an awesome federal representative for the good people of EsanlandThe mission is now a movement. Guru 31.05.2022 LISTEN Lapaz Toyota, Guru NKZ has waded into the Nkoranza fracas between the youth and the Ghana Police Service over the killing of 27-year-old Albert Donkor. The musician cum artist manager says he will be embarking on a peaceful demonstration with the people of the area soon. According to Guru, the demonstration will come off should the police fail to render a transparent account to the people. I am planning on going there to demonstrate peacefully if they dont prove why they did that, we will go all out. If they prove why they did that, for me I dont have a problem, he stated. In an interview on Adom TVs Ahosepe Xtra show, the rapper described the actions of the Nkoranza police as unprofessional. To me, first of all, making the case as the guy being an armed robber was wrong without giving the proof and shooting through the crowd was wrong. They need to bring footage and proof to convince the people, he added. He further stressed that the police must arrest all parties involved in the act for further questioning. All those involved should be detained and questioned, they need to give the answers. The names he mentioned to his friends must be arrested as well. Dr Vikram D Kekatpure, Senior Consultant, Head and Neck Oncology, Aster CMI Hospital 31.05.2022 LISTEN 31st may is observed as world no tobacco day. It is an opportunity to renew our commitment towards tobacco control, creating awareness about tobacco related health issues, helping to quit tobacco use, initiate early cancer detection strategies and most importantly resolutely dissuade youths from getting addicted. Worldwide, there are about 1.3 billion tobacco users, about one-third of Indias population either smoke or uses smokeless form of tobacco. This is responsible for about 80 lakhs deaths every year and an additional 10 lakh deaths among nonsmokers who are exposed to second hand smoke. Tobacco associated diseases cause more deaths every year than covid pandemic in last 2.5 years. Tobacco use is causally associated with multiple cancers, most common being head and neck cancers (mouth, throat, voice box) and lung. India has one of the highest incidences of head and neck cancers with estimated 500,000 new cases every year being added to existing burden. Besides cancer, tobacco use significantly increases risk of cardiovascular diseases (heart attack, stroke), chronic lung diseases, asthma, miscarriage, impotency etc. The long-term morbidity, like inability to open mouth, spice intolerance, tooth decay, anxiety, depression etc, leads to a poor quality of life. It is estimated about 30% of hospital beds can be freed if there is no tobacco. Besides health, tobacco habit has economic consequences, cost of buying tobacco, frequent hospital visits and absence from work, higher or no insurance. According to WHO, India loses 1% of its GDP to diseases and early deaths from tobacco use. With increasing awareness, most tobacco users are aware of the harmful effects. Then why is it so difficult to quit tobacco habit? The answer is nicotine, a content of tobacco which is highly addictive. Nicotine releases neurotransmitters in brain activation reward signals and along with release of adrenalin which increases blood pressure and heart beats resulting in pleasurable response, colloquially kick. The problem is the response lasts for a short duration leading to urge for further nicotine. Each time there is incremental requirement of nicotine to experience the surge. The body becomes physically and psychologically dependent on nicotine. Stopping of tobacco causes withdrawal effect, such as intense craving, light headedness, restlessness, irritability, aggressiveness, lack of sleep, change in appetite, anxiety, depression etc. Why should one quit tobacco habit? It is never late to stop smoking or chewing tobacco for own and loved ones health, economic and social reasons. Tobacco cultivation and manufacturing is damaging the environment also, which is the theme of this years world no tobacco day. On an average, Individuals who have never smoked typically live 7 to14 years longer than smokers. Beneficial effects like clearing of carbon monoxide, normalization of heart rate and blood pressure, recovery of smell and taste buds can be experienced within few days. Within a few years the risk of heart attack and stroke reduces. Tobacco control and cessation intervention has three main levels: individual, health care and societal level. Individual Ievel: The most significant step towards quitting is determination. Most tobacco users want to quit, atleast half have tried to give up the addiction in last one year. However, only one in ten adult smokers succeed in quitting. Mark Twain had famously remarked Quitting smoking is easy. Ive done it a thousand times. pr Preparing to quit Enlist the important reasons to quit tobacco. It helps to remind each time there is an intense urge. List the factors triggering tobacco urge, e.g work stress, alcohol intake, friend who smoke etc. Seek information from doctor regarding available options for nicotine replacement. Nicotine gums, patches etc are commonly prescribed. A psychological assessment may be necessary to understand level dependance and anticipate severity of withdrawal symptoms. Other medication including antidepressants may help to quit. Discuss with friends or join a support group who have successfully stopped tobacco use. Decide a date to quit. Staying Quit: D ont chew or smoke tobacco, even once. ont chew or smoke tobacco, even once. D iscard all supplies from home, car, office, including lighters, paan and betel nut tray. iscard all supplies from home, car, office, including lighters, paan and betel nut tray. D istract yourself by keeping busy. Plan activities with family and friends. Avoid being alone. istract yourself by keeping busy. Plan activities with family and friends. Avoid being alone. D rink plenty of water. rink plenty of water. D o some physical activity every time there is an urge. Practice relaxation techniques. o some physical activity every time there is an urge. Practice relaxation techniques. D odge every situation enlisted earlier which drives the urge. odge every situation enlisted earlier which drives the urge. Discuss with doctor in case of severe withdrawal effects, which are difficult to handle. Medications can be altered to better control the symptoms. Health care Professional: Hospital visits for any reason including preventive health checkup is a good opportunity for health care workers to sensitize tobacco user regarding harmful effects and encourage to quit. Studies have shown even a brief intervention from a doctor helps to improve quit rates. Incorporating, tobacco cessation counselling and providing information on cessation programs as part of every clinical consult could be a game changer. Similarly, opportunistic screening of high-risk individuals by health work helps in early detection of cancers. Oral cancer which is one of the commonest cancers in India can be detect by performing an office oral examination. Early detection of oral cancer helps in improving survival rates and reducing the treatment related morbidity and cost. Societal level: The tobacco control is effective if there are no new addicts. There should be zero tolerance to underage tobacco sale, smoking in public places like restaurants, offices, bus stations etc, direct or surrogate marketing of tobacco products. It is easy to influence young minds with surrogate advertisements and by imitating celebrity role models. We need to redouble our efforts to create awareness among children at school and college level. Unfortunately, still the average age of tobacco initiation remains under 18 years. Children should not only be protected from taking up this habit but they can be messengers of tobacco cessation by effectively convincing parents or close family members to quit. There is need for easy accessibility to tobacco cessation clinics and support groups. Health insurances need to support the cessation program, early detection and screening and treatment of related ailments. Instead of being judgmental, family, friends and workplaces should encourage and support cessation efforts. Therefore, let us all commit to Discourage our youth from tobacco menace our youth from tobacco menace Cheer Determination to quit tobacco to quit tobacco And Drive cancer early detection and prevention Authored by Dr. Vikram Kekatpure, Head & Senior Consultant - Head & Neck Oncology, Aster CMI Hospital Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Sunday lifted a state of emergency imposed since last year's military coup, the ruling sovereign council said. Burhan "issued a decree lifting the state of emergency nationwide," the council said in a statement. The order was made "to prepare the atmosphere for a fruitful and meaningful dialogue that achieves stability for the transitional period", it added. Sunday's decision came after a meeting with senior military officials recommending the state of emergency be lifted and people detained under an emergency law be freed. It also came after the latest calls by UN special representative Volker Perthes for removing the state of emergency, following the killing of two protesters during anti-coup protests on Saturday. Sudan has been rocked by mass protests since the coup, which have been met by a violent crackdown that has left nearly 100 people dead and hundreds wounded, according to pro-democracy medics. Hundreds of activists have also been rounded up in the clampdown under emergency laws. On Sunday, military officials also recommended allowing the live TV unit of the Qatar-based network Al Jazeera to resume operations in Sudan, after authorities banned it in January for "unprofessional" coverage of protests. Sudan has been reeling from deepening unrest since Burhan led the October 25 coup, upending a fragile transition following the 2019 ouster of president Omar al-Bashir. The military takeover triggered widespread international condemnation and punitive measures, including crucial aid cuts by Western governments pending the resumption of the transition to civilian rule. Sudan, one of the world's poorest countries, is also struggling from a plunging economy due to decades of international isolation and mismanagement under Bashir. The United Nations, along with the African Union and regional bloc IGAD, have been pushing to facilitate Sudanese-led talks to resolve the crisis. Western governments have backed the UN-AU-IGAD bid and urged Sudanese factions to participate in the process. Burhan has pledged to free political detainees to set the stage for talks among Sudanese factions. Last month, Sudanese authorities released several anti-coup civilian leaders arrested in the crackdown. Around 100 people have died in clashes between gold miners in northern Chad, Defence Minister General Daoud Yaya Brahim said on Monday. Violence broke out on May 23 at Kouri Bougoudi near the Libyan border, sparked by a "mundane dispute between two people which degenerated," he said, adding that the toll was "around 100 dead and at least 40 wounded." The clashes occurred in the Tibesti Mountains, a rugged and lawless region in the central Sahara some 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) from the capital N'Djamena. The discovery of gold there 10 years ago sparked a rush of miners from across Chad and neighbouring countries, and tensions often run high. The latest clashes were between Mauritanians and Libyans, Yaya Brahim said. He spoke to AFP by phone from the area, where he said he was with a large military contingent sent to help restore order. "This isn't the first time that there's been violence among gold miners in the region, and we have decided to suspend all gold mining at Kouri until further notice," he said, adding that "the great majority (of mines in the area) are illegal." The incident was first announced last Wednesday, when Communications Minister Abderaman Koulamallah said in a statement there had been "loss of human life and several wounded," but gave no further details. The same day, the head of Chad's National Human Rights Commission, Mahamat Nour Ibedou, told AFP that after the fighting broke out, "the government sent in a force to intervene, which fired on people". "According to our information, there are at least 200 dead," he said, adding that he had no evidence to support this figure. Succes Masra, who heads an opposition party called The Transformers, and Chad's main armed rebel movement, the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT), also gave a toll of some 200 dead. But Yaya Brahim denied this figure and said the authorities were not to blame. "The defence and security forces absolutely did not open fire, and there were not 200 deaths," he said. On Monday, another rebel group in the region, the Military Command Council for the Salvation of the Republic (CCMSR), said in a statement there had been "carnage," which had unfolded "under the complicit gaze of the security forces." Troubled region The Tibesti region is notorious for ethnic troubles and for fostering revolts that have marked Chad's history since the vast central West African country gained independence from France in 1960. Chad. By (AFP) In January 2019, several dozen people died in Kouri when fighting erupted between Libyan Arabs and people from the eastern Chadian region of Ouaddai. Koulamallah, in comments to AFP last Wednesday, described the gold-mining area as a "hostile zone, almost lawless, it's the Far West. They all go there because there's gold, so there's conflict." The impoverished Sahel state last year lost its 30-year ruler, Idriss Deby Itno, who was killed during an operation against rebels. His place was taken by his son, General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, at the head of a 15-member military junta. The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has tasked its various Regional Executive Committees to begin processes for the appointment of seven other regional executives. This follows the successful conduct of its regional annual delegates conference over the weekend. It is also in line with the partys constitutional provision in Article 9 that each Region shall have a Regional Executive Committee comprising 17 Executives, 10 of whom are to be elected at a Regional Annual Delegates Conference, and the remaining 7, to be appointed. Subsection (8) of Article 9 of the NPP constitution states that: Within fourteen (14) days of their election, the Officers [i.e. the Elected Regional Officers] shall, in consultation with the National Executive Committee, appoint the Regional Officers who are required to be appointed under clause 2 of this Article. In accordance with this provision, the party has directed that, the 10 elected regional executive officers, in the regions that have held their conferences, should take immediate steps, in consultation with the National Executive Committee, to effect these appointments. The Regional Officers to be appointed include: 1) Regional Financial Secretary; 2) Deputy Regional Organizer; 3) Deputy Regional Youth Organizer; 4) Deputy Regional Nasara Coordinator; 5) Deputy Regional Women Organizer; 6) Regional Communications Officer; and 7) Regional Research and Elections Officer. Here is the full statement from the party On the occasion of the successful conduct of the NPP's Regional Annual Delegates Conference, the Party is pleased to commend its rank and file particularly Candidates for the various Regional Executive Positions and their Supporters; the various Regional Elections Committees; the National Appeals Committee; and Delegates to the Party's Regional Annual Delegates Conference, for the peaceful conduct of the Conference across the country, which was held between May 27 and May 29, 2022. With the exception of the Central Region, which is the only Region that as yet, has not been able to hold its Regional Annual Delegates owing to a court process that was duly served on the Party, the Regional Annual Delegates Conference came off successfully in all the other 15 Regions of the country. It is the expectation of the Party that the court process would soon be 'disposed of' to allow for the conduct of the Regional Conference within the shortest possible time. The Party is thankful to the Electoral Commission of Ghana for effectively supervising the conduct of the Regional Executives Elections in line with their statutory mandate. Equally, the NPP is appreciative of the role played by the Media, the Security Agencies, and all Stakeholders during the conduct of Regional Annual Delegates Conference. The Party wishes to take this opportunity to once again congratulate all the candidates who were successful in the Regional Executives Elections and wish them the very best in their tenure of office whilst assuring them of the Party's continuous support at all times. The Party equally commends those who were unsuccessful in the elections for putting themselves up to serve the Party, and more importantly, for respecting the rules of engagement in the interest of the Party. APPOINTMENT OF OTHER REGIONAL EXECUTIVE OFFICERS The Constitution of the NPP provides in Article 9 that, each Region shall have a Regional Executive Committee comprising 17 Executives, 10 of whom are to be Elected at a Regional Annual Delegates Conference, and the remaining 7, to be appointed. Subsection (8) of Article 9, states that: Within fourteen (14) days of their election, the Officers [i.e. the Elected Regional Officers] shall, in consultation with the National Executive Committee, appoint the Regional Officers who are required to be appointed under clause 2 of this Article. In accordance with this provision, the Party is directing that, the 10 Elected Regional Executive Officers, in the Regions that have held their Conferences, should take immediate steps, in consultation with the National Executive Committee, to effect these appointments. For the avoidance of doubt, the Regional Officers to be appointed include: 1) Regional Financial Secretary; 2) Deputy Regional Organizer; 3) Deputy Regional Youth Organizer; 4) Deputy Regional Nasara Coordinator; 5) Deputy Regional Women Organizer; 6) Regional Communications Officer; and 7) Regional Research and Elections Officer. NATIONAL ANNUAL DELEGATES CONFERENCE The Party once again wishes to remind all stakeholders and members of the general public that National Executive Elections of the Party shall be held between 14th July and 16th July 2022. In accord with this, and following the successful conduct of the Regional Annual Delegates Conference, the Party would soon issue appropriate Rules and Regulations for the conduct of the National Annual Delegates Conference to elect National Executive Elections. To conclude, it is the expectation of Leadership of the Party that all Stakeholders and Members of the Party would respect and strictly abide by these guidelines in the appointment of the remaining Regional Officers, and in the conduct of National Annual Delegates Conference, in the supreme interest of the Party. Thank you. JOHN BOADU GENERAL SECRETARY By Citi Newsroom The Anidaso Parkinson's Disease Foundation (APDF) in partnership with Parkinsons Africa (PA) will hold an awareness campaign on the Parkinson's Disease (PD) in Accra. The campaign is held from June 1 to June 3, 2022 is in collaboration with Colonel Guy Deacon, a retired British colonel, CBE, who was diagnosed with the disease the past 11 years. APDF and PA are two organisations with a common goal of improving the lives of Ghanaians affected by disease. PD is the second most common neurological disorder in the world, and it is currently the fastest growing, with cases across Africa expected to rise dramatically in the coming years. It is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder that affects the part of the brain that controls movement and though formal prevalent studies have not been done, we know it forms 12 per cent of diseases reported at the Neurology Clinics in our four major hospitals in Ghana. Many other functions, including mood, memory, cognition and sleep are also impacted. As the disease progresses, the affected persons ability to move and function independently becomes severely impacted, rendering them partially or wholly reliant on family, relatives and caregivers. Across the world, neurological disorders, like PD, are now the leading cause of disability. What this means is that as Parkinsons cases continue to rise across Ghana, and Africa, so will the burden it bears on society as a whole. Both Anidaso Parkinsons Disease Foundation and Parkinsons Africa are committed to reducing this burden by equipping Ghanaians affected by Parkinsons disease with the tools and resources they need to make informed health decisions about the best management and treatment options, in order to live as well as possible with the disease. We believe that the first step to doing this is raising the levels of awareness of PD in Ghana. In addition to utilising various media outlets to inform and educate the public about PD, the two organizations have teamed up with Guy Deacon, a former British army officer who has the disease. On April 11, 2022 (known globally as World Parkinsons Day), Guy embarked on a Freetown to Cape Town journey that started in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and will take him through Liberia, Cote dIvoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Congo, Angola, Namibia and, ultimately, Cape Town, South Africa. He will meet with people with Parkinsons, neurologists and health leaders in each of these countries. He will also visit some Parkinsons projects that are growing across the continent. He is keen on meeting the relevant stakeholders who help shape policies that affect these patients and to help Parkinsons disease organizations and groups to map out how they can engage policy makers in the interest of the patients Guy Deacon will be creating a documentary, following his travels, to portray the difficult realities of living with Parkinsons in both the UK and Africa, and to highlight the work being done by organisations such as APDF and PA. He is currently in Liberia, and we expect him to arrive at Ghanaian borders in the last week of May 2022. We are actively trying to create solutions that will remove some of the heavy burden that Ghanaian families and communities affected by PD face, but we cannot do it on our own. We need as much support as we can get. We have plans to utilise the opportunity of Col. Deacons trip to Ghana to significantly raise the levels of awareness of PD in Ghana; and, to raise the profiles of APDF and PA to enable people who could benefit from both organisations services will know how to find them. The terrorist threat in Africa is becoming more aggressive, with the appearance of new groups that adapt to national and regional responses, to better target chaos and profit, underlined, Saturday in Malabo, the minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, Nasser Bourita, noting that the ecosystem of terrorism is evolving towards a nexus between terrorism, separatism and criminality. Mr. Bourita, who represents HM King Mohammed VI in the Extraordinary Summit on Terrorism and Unconstitutional Changes of Government of the African Union (AU), which opened on Saturday, stressed that the 85 member states of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, which meet in Marrakech on May 11, recorded these changes, which the Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security, held in 2016, under the chairmanship of Mr. Macky Sall had anticipated. In the face of this mutating threat, our collective strength has never been so much a function of our individual vulnerabilities, said Mr. Bourita. Moreover, the minister pointed out that dwelling once again on this theme of terrorism and unconstitutional changes of government reflect a concern that is very relevant. "Relevant in view of the challenging situation that Africa is going through, marked by a succession, even a concomitance, of crises, security in this case, which leaves no respite," he explained. Relevant, too, in that it reflects a lucid look at the evolution of the terrorist phenomenon in Africa; and in particular this ability that it acquires to take on the colors of all the evils on which it feeds: instability, insecurity, precariousness and separatism, he noted. In this regard, the minister pointed out that the Continent's security indicators are turning red, one after the other, adding that this is a sign of the "mixed" operational assessment of the AU Action Plan on the prevention and the fight against terrorism adopted in 2002. But, he said, if it has not made it possible to structure an effective response at the continental level, this Action Plan will have had the merit of existing, and of advocating for the strengthening of a legal framework which can be very useful in the future. Mr. Bourita called for not neglecting any political or operational space, any source of national or regional tension; and, above all, leave no country behind. In this regard, the minister regretted Mali's decision to withdraw from the G5-Sahel which is "very bad news to ponder", expressing the wish that this brotherly country, whose commitment against terrorism is well known, can quickly recover its place in "our collective response". On the other hand, the Moroccan minister welcomed Mauritania's efforts in this area, calling, once again, for a truly strategic continental action against terrorism. This, he underlined, can only be conceived within a global and integrated approach combining security action, economic and social action; and cultural and religious action. Source (MAP). The Ghana Police Service has denied claims by the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) that there is an upsurge of crime in the country, following the killing of a lawyer, Mr Richard Badombie, by alleged armed robbers during his journey on the Bole-Bamboi highway in the Savanna Region. The GBA has put a GHS20,000 bounty on the heads of the killers. The group expressed worry about the upsurge in crime and urged the police to be proactive in fighting criminals. The Police Service has rejected claims by the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) that there is an upsurge in crime in the country. We humbly and respectfully implored the relevant security agencies to carry out swift and thorough investigations of the incident in order to identify the perpetrators of this heinous crime and make them face the full rigours of the law, the GBA said in a statement. Subsequently, the police issued a statement, saying: We wish to assure the public that there is no upsurge in crime. The Service is on top of the security situation in the country, the statement added. Source: Classfmonline.com 31.05.2022 LISTEN The Ga Central Municipal Assembly has indicated that the assembly's task force will embark on an exercise to pull down all structures erected on waterways in the Assembly. According to the Municipal Chief Executive, Bashiru Mohammed, a team was deployed to mark all buildings that will be affected by the exercise. This comes on the back of a directive from President Nana Akufo-Addo instructing all Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Greater Accra Region to demolish all structures that cause flooding in the city. In a Citi News Interview, Mr. Bashiru Mohammed stressed that every structure found on a waterway during the exercise will be demolished. Any building that stands in a waterway and any structure that prevents the free flow of water will be demolished. That is an assurance, he said to Citi News. We are going to fully comply with the President's directive so that when it rains, there wouldn't be any flood in this municipality. Mr. Mohammed further added that affected residents will be informed of the exercise before it is carried out. He said affected persons would be given a one-to-two week window before the assembly takes action. When there is that engagement, they would understand, and they would even support the exercise so that it wouldn't be like they are there without knowing what is going on, he explained. Citi Newsroom The Law Society of Ghana (LSG) is calling on the Police to expedite investigations into the killing of Lawyer Richard Badombie. The private legal practitioner was shot dead by suspected armed robbers along the Bole-Bamboi highway. According to the other occupants of the car the lawyer was in, the gunmen stopped the vehicle and shot at the deceased, who was driving at the time. Police reports indicate that on reaching a section of the road between Banda Nkwanta and Nuoyiri, three men signalled the victim, who was driving with two other occupants, to stop the vehicle. While slowing down, the suspects shot and killed the victim, who was travelling to Jirapa. The Law Society of Ghana in response to the news, said its members have been thrown aback that our beloved learned colleague, Lawyer Richard Badomble was shot and killed instantly on his way to his hometown at Jirapa in the Upper West Region of Ghana. It urged the Police to ensure that the case does not go unresolved. We continue to mourn our learned colleague painfully by this murder, which resembles a homicide in many respects; and granted that the victim a law-abiding citizen, an officer of the law and courts and we deem it crucial to call on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to, as a matter of urgency, institute an expeditious investigation into his murder in a bid to bring the perpetrators to book very quickly. This call is in place also because these gruesome and cold-blooded murders of mainly decent, renowned, and well-meaning citizens of Ghana have become too often, as crimes have remained unanswered, responsibilities reneged by the Police, and hopes dashed. The Law Society expressed unwavering interest in the murder of its colleague and requested that the police provide regular, perhaps, public briefings on the progress of the investigation. Three suspects have been arrested by the Savannah Regional Police Command in connection with the murder. We have the confidence that Ghana Police can rise to the occasion, and we pray this unbelievable cruelty is unravelled as soon as possible. We commend the Police on the arrest of three (3) suspects to assist in further investigation, the Law Society of Ghana added in its statement. citinewsroom Social action group, OneGhana Movement, says it is disturbed by recent developments of government's decision to transfer portions of the Achimota Forest Reserve lands to private individuals. We call on His Excellency, the President, to take immediate steps to reverse all actions taken so far and fully restore the State's complete control and ownership over the entire Achimota Forest, the movement said in a statement. OneGhana Movements concerns come in the wake of public angst over a document alleging that the late former Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, popularly called Sir John, included portions of the Achimota forest lands in his will. Issues bordering on conflict of interest appear to surface following reports that portions of the land may have been directly or indirectly sold to the former Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, whose responsibility, among others, was to protect our forest reserves, the statement read in parts. We wish to state in no uncertain terms that we are against any form of diversification of the State's interest in the Achimota Forest, given that the Achimota Forest represents the last frontier of the green belt within the Accra City metropolis, it added. E.I. 144 is in relation to 361 acres of Achimota forest that the government is returning to its custodial owners, the Owoo family. The government has also said there is an accompanying E.I., 154, which says the area of the forest returned shall remain a forest reserve. But OneGhana Movement maintains that, governments handling of the Achimota Forest Reserve lands must be done with prudence. Read below the full statement citinewsroom China remains attractive destination for foreign investment 09:46, May 31, 2022 By Luo Shanshan, Wang Junling ( People's Daily Farsighted multinationals dont want to miss the opportunity to invest and operate in China. Photo shows workers busy with production in the workshop of a Japanese-funded company in Songjiang district, east Chinas Shanghai, May 15, 2022. (Peoples Daily Online/Cai Bin) Data from Chinas Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) indicated that China saw 185 newly-added major projects during the first four months of this year, each with foreign investment of over $100 million. This means that an average of 1.5 major foreign-funded projects had been launched in China per day during the period. Chinas actual use of foreign capital expanded to 478.61 billion yuan ($71.65 billion) from January to April, up 20.5 percent year on year, which represented a double-digit growth achieved on the high comparison base during the same period of last year. The Chinese market is the best choice as BMW pushes ahead with transformation toward electrification, digitalization, and sustainable development, said an executive with German carmaker BMW. Although global markets have suffered impacts of multiple factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, during the past two years, BMWs business in China has maintained steady growth and reached a new high in sales last year, according to the executive, who disclosed that the company will continue to increase investment in China. For BMW, China is not only the worlds largest auto market and new-energy vehicle market, but the most important manufacturing base and innovation base in the world, the executive added. China has continuously opened its door wider to share its development opportunities with the rest of the world. A large container ship is loaded with containers at the container terminal of the Lianyungang Port of Lianyungang city, east Chinas Jiangsu province, May 22, 2022. (Peoples Daily Online/Wang Jianmin) Besides BMW, many other foreign enterprises, including Amazon, Dell, and Johnson & Johnson, also expressed their intention to continue increasing investment in China. Recent survey reports released by the American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham China) and the German Chamber of Commerce in China showed that 83 percent of the surveyed U.S. companies and 96 percent of the German companies in China remain bullish on the Chinese market, and that 66 percent of the U.S. companies and 71 percent of the German companies in China plan to invest more in the country. Over the past five years, China has continuously shortened its negative lists for foreign investment, cutting the numbers of off-limit items on its national negative list and pilot free trade zone (FTZ) negative list to 31 and 27, respectively. The country has taken a large number of important and major measures to further boost opening-up in sectors including finance and automobile, and basically opened its manufacturing sector and guaranteed steady and continuous progress in the opening-up of the agricultural and service sectors, effectively stabilizing foreign enterprises expectations of development in China and providing broader space for foreign investment. Production technicians of a German-funded company in the high-tech industrial development zone of Taicang city, east Chinas Jiangsu province, adjust stamping equipment developed for automobile manufacturing, household appliances and industrial electrical equipment, May 12, 2022. (Peoples Daily Online/Ji Haixin) So far, 21 pilot FTZs have been established across China. Its comprehensive bonded zones and economic and technological development zones are speeding up efforts to promote reform and innovation. In addition, various platforms launched to facilitate opening up continuously roll out measures to advance investment liberalization and facilitation, becoming a new high ground for attracting foreign investment. This year, China will continue giving full play to the role of its special working group for key foreign-funded projects so as to provide service guarantee for stable operations of enterprises and make sure relevant projects are signed, put into operation, and reach full-capacity production as early as possible, according to the MOFCOM. Besides, the country will revise and expand the catalogue of encouraged industries for foreign investment to guide more foreign investment toward sectors such as advanced manufacturing, modern services, high and new technology, green and low-carbon development and digital economy and toward the central and western regions by leveraging favorable policies related to taxation and land, said the ministry. China will also intensify efforts to protect the legitimate interests and rights of foreign investors and ensure national treatment for all foreign-invested enterprises, the MOFCOM stressed. On April 10, the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinas State Council jointly issued guidelines on accelerating the building of a national unified market, saying explicitly that the country will uphold a unified fair competition system and treat all market entities, regardless of their type, as equals. Chinas stable economic and social environment, sound industrial chain and supply chain system, and super-large market provide a solid foundation for the stable development of foreign enterprises. It is very difficult to match the scale and scope of Chinas supply chains outside China at the moment, pointed out Vishrut Rana, Singapore-based economist at S&P Global Ratings, in a recent interview. The 2022 American Business in China White Paper recently released by the AmCham China said that 83 percent of the AmCham Chinas member companies disclosed that they are not considering relocating manufacturing or sourcing outside of China. China remains a priority market for U.S. companies, with many of them believing it is vital to stay competitive in this market in order to win globally, according to the white paper. China will continue to optimize its business environment to help more foreign-invested companies enter, stay and prosper in the Chinese market, and retain its attractiveness to foreign investment. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) The Municipal Chief Executive for Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem, Solomon Ebo Appiah, has announced the Komenda Sugar Factory will soon start the processing of unrefined sugar. According to the MCE, the management of the Sugar factory will import the molasses to be refined until such a time they are able to grow the right kind of sugarcane needed to feed the plant. In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Solomon Ebo Appiah said the measure is to get the factory functioning and produce sugar at a cheaper cost. This is no political talk. I will not play politics with the people I serve, Mr. Appiah stated. There are a lot of works going on at the factory right now. A three million litre reservoir has been constructed. The roof of the factory has been changed, and a raw sugar warehouse has been built to store raw unrefined sugar for the processing, he noted as an example of the ongoing work. Background The Komenda Sugar Factory was built at a cost of $35 million from an Indian EXIM Bank facility. It was inaugurated by then-President John Mahama in May 2016, but stopped operations not long after. The factory was expected to employ 7,300 people along the value chain, boosting employment prospects in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem municipality. President Akufo-Addo had given indications that the Komenda Sugar Factory would be fully operationalised in April 2022. At the time, he said there were some civil works ongoing at the factory site, and that by the end of March 2022, all those activities would be completed to pave way for production. A Ghanaian-Indian company, Park Agrotech Ghana Limited, is the new investor who will take over the operations of the factory. The government in 2019 said the company was expected to inject $28 million into the factory between 2020 and 2023. $11 million was to go into sugarcane cultivation; $6 million to upgrade plant and machinery, and $11 million as working capital to bring the ailing factory back on its feet. The Ghana-based company is a subsidiary of the Skylark Group of Companies of India, one of the largest integrated farming businesses in India. By Citi Newsroom Advocacy group, OneGhana Movement is calling on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to as a matter of urgency take the necessary action to stop the transfer of parts of the Achimota Forest land to private individuals. Following the declassification of parts of the land, the government intends to transfer parts of the Achimota Forest to the original owners, the Owoo Family. Sharing its thoughts on the matter, OneGhana Movement has issued a press release stressing that it is against any form of diversification of the States interest in the Achimota Forest given that the Achimota Forest represents the last frontier of the green belt within the Accra City metropolis. The group while emphasising the importance of the forest to the capital city, is calling on the government to protect and preserve the States interest in the Achimota Forest in perpetuity for the current and future generations of Motherland. We call on His Excellency the President to take immediate steps to reverse all actions taken so far and fully restore the States complete control and ownership over the entire Achimota Forest, OneGhana Movement states in a press release dated May 30. It adds, It is a cold reminder of the need for reform of critical portions of our constitution to minimise or mitigate the wanton abuse of executive power. We continue to call for responsible governance anchored on service to the people of Ghana. Below is a copy of the OneGhana Movement press release: The Institute for Education Studies (IFEST) has expressed concern over the lack of coordination between the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ministry of Education. IFEST said it cannot fathom how Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP) could be purported to have been carried out without the explicit knowledge and involvement of the GES. As a result, the institute is appealing to the President of the land, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to step in to ensure the two critical bodies in charge of education work in harmony. ..we appeal to the President of the Republic of Ghana to step in and ensure that the investments made in the education sector do not go down the drain because of the lack of coordination between these two critical institutions, part of a press release from IFEST signed by its Executive Director Peter Anti reads. Citing a number of examples why it believes the Ministry of Education is not on good terms with GES, IFEST stresses that it seems the Ministry of Education is consciously or unconsciously weakening the GES with its constant posture. In a recommendation, IFEST calls on the Minister of Education to show leadership and ensure that there is proper coordination and cordiality between these two critical institutions. IFEST adds, We further call on the GES council to ensure that the mandate of the service is not compromised. Read more from the IFEST press release below: Concerns have been raised about rising insecurity in Nigeria after the head of the Methodist Church in the country, His Eminence, Samuel Kanu-Uche was kidnapped on Sunday before being freed. The Methodist Church in Britain had issued a statement on Monday expressing its deep shock and concern at the abduction of the Most Rev Dr Samuel Kanu. However, the BBC reported late on Monday night that the prelate had been freed, although it was unclear how he had been released. The cleric was kidnapped alongside Rt. Rev. Dennis Mark, the Methodist Bishop of Owerri, and the Prelate's Chaplain, the Very Rev Jeremiah Shittu on Sunday. They were kidnapped along Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State, south-east Nigeria, after the Church leaders had attended an event. His release has led to jubilation in Nigeria's Christian community. Soon after the news of the abduction came out, members of the Methodist Church in the country started hourly chain-prayers for the release of Dr Kanu and the other priests. His Eminence, Samuel Kanu, is a peace-loving Christian leader whose abduction came as a shock, the Very Rev Nosakhare Nosayaba of Abuja's Methodist Cathedral of Unity told the BBC after his kidnapping. Kidnappings, often for ransom, are common in many parts of Nigeria. There has also been a resurgence of attacks by armed gangs, including Islamist militant groups in the north, as the country prepares for a general election next year. Much of the unrest in Nigeria's south-east region stems from separatists who are demanding a breakaway state. The government blames the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) movement for many attacks in the region, which Ipob denies. But the group continues to enforce sit-at-home orders on Mondays, which are usually preceded by attacks on Sunday evenings to scare people into complying. It is not clear who was responsible for the abductions. In a joint statement, the President of the Methodist Conference of Great Britain, Rev Sonia Hicks, and Vice President Barbara Easton, had asked for prayers and for Nigeria where kidnappings, violent extremist attacks and murders by armed groups, are frequent occurrences, and many live in fear. ---DGN online A democracy that has morphed into a friends-and-family-kleptocracy, in which the judiciary is seen by the vast majority of ordinary people, as being beholden to the government of the appointing authority, and, to add insult to injury, happens to be dominated by super-ruthless big-thieves-in-high-places, is, by definition, an unjust and inequitable society, which sits on a social time bomb, of epic proportions, oooo, Ghanafuo. Yoooooo... A society like that is simply beyond redemption and must undergo revolutionary change, if a ruinous and destructive civil war isn't to break out, in it. To prevent that, perhaps we must look to aspects of our pre-colonial traditional culture's governance structures, in fashioning a new system bedrock on good governance and social equity. That will enable us to finally replace the 4th Republic, with what will be an elected Monarchy, led by a Ghana Omanpanin, who will be elected by a people, in whom sovereignty is reposed, and are declared royals, eligible to vote in all national and district elections, and, eligible themselves, to stand as candidates, and be voted for, in elections. The Ghana Omanpanin will appoint a Prime Minister, to form a government, whose members will not be legislators (from Parliament). And, furthermore, all Chief Executives of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), will be elected for five-year terms, with no term limits. Finally, in the interim, the current government would be wise to rally Parliament, to pass a new law, which makes it mandatory for all senior public officials, and government appointees, to publicly publish their assets (as well as that of their wives/husbands/long-term partners), immediately before the beginning of their tenures, and immediately after the end of their tenures. If that were done we just might be able to save Ghanaian democracy from destruction. 31.05.2022 LISTEN Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia has announced that the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) are the next target for governments digitalisation drive. What we want to do next is the assemblies, he announced at the 6th CEO Summit in Accra. He added, The Assemblies are also a major bottleneck, especially when it comes to granting of permits and so on, he told the audience, indicating that digitalising them will ensure efficiency. That is where we are going to turn our attention to, Dr Bawumia stressed, explaining: To help digitise the operations of the MMDAs so that they can offer services in a very efficient manner. We are integrating all the databases slowly with one source of truth, which is the National Identity Card. Also, he noted: We are integrating the SSNIT, DVLA, bank accounts, NHIS, SIM card and so on. Tokyo, 31 May - United Nations Assistant-Secretary General and UN Development Programmes Regional Director for Africa Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwahighlighted the unique role government and private sector partners in Japan could play in support of African countries as the war in Ukraine generates new economic shocks across the continent. "We have never experienced a greater challenge or pressure on our ability to sustain development in Africa. Reinforced multilateralism and strong partnerships, including with Japanese government entities and private sector, will be decisive in supporting African countries aptitude to respond to the new economic shocks caused by the war in Ukraine, at a time when they were already reeling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic," Ms Eziakonwa said. "This new crisis has direct implications including food and fuel price hikes, trade disruption, and overall macroeconomic instability, which indirectly will lead to economic stress that could trigger violent protests and unconstitutional transfers of political power, especially in already fragile regions." The Regional Directors remarks came at the conclusion of a five-day mission to Japan during which she explored stronger and more innovative partnerships between UNDP and the Government of Japan, the countrys development agencies and private sector, as well as with civil society and youth groups. Ms. Eziakonwa stressed that given Africas high dependency on food imports from Russia and Ukraine, the prolonged conflict has serious implications on food security in Africa and risks eroding the development gains and progress that Africa has made in the past few decades. In 2020, African countries imported US$ 4 billion worth of agricultural products from Russia, 90 percent of which was wheat. Russia and Ukraine account for 30 percent of global wheat production and 80 percent of global sunflower oil production. She noted that whereas several African countries were among the best performing economies prior to the compounded impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the outbreak of war in Ukraine, African exports growth is now expected to shrink by half. We now forecast exports to grow by 4.1 percent in 2022 as opposed to 8.3 percent had the war not occurred. Businesses in Africa will bear the costs of rising energy prices and could experience severe difficulties. The rise in fuel prices also increases transport costs for manufacturers, she said. Moreover, the impact of the war could push Africa into serious debt distress, making countries less likely to meet their debt obligations, and already scarce budget resources will be diverted to pay debts as opposed to financing much needed development objectives. "Strong measures are needed to mitigate the negative impact on African economies. Accelerating agricultural productivity through modernization, for example, is a great priority. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) provides a platform to raise Africas low productivity, accelerate industrialization and promote higher investment in the continent. Harnessing digital technologies and promoting free and fair competition will also be fundamental in revitalizing African economies," Ms. Eziakonwa said. She added that the international community, including Japan, can support key priorities to move Africa forward starting with intensifying efforts to reframe development finance. The international communitys commitment to close the US$ 2.5 trillion per annum funding gap to achieve the SDGs is an imperative. "Partnerships are essential to build resilience in African countries especially by transforming Africas resource wealth by taking advantage of blue-carbon markets and green financing mechanisms. Other critical areas include climate risk-sensitive investment, environmentally sustainable projects and sustainable energy investment," she said. Ms. Eziakonwas mission to Japan is another milestone ahead of the 8th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) scheduled to take place in Tunisia on 27- 28 August 2022. In March, African ministers and their Japanese counterparts held a Ministerial Meeting which identified some of the key development challenges facing the continent as preparations get underway for the Summit-level meeting. Since its inception in 1993, one of TICADs primary aims is to facilitate global partnerships between the public and private sector. As a co-organizer, UNDP has supported TICAD as thought leaders, in providing expertise on both conceptual and regional matters. Additionally, UNDP has helped facilitate coordination and partnerships, advocacy for sustainable development, and drawn upon its vast network in Africa in order to provide logistical and operational support. British High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson 31.05.2022 LISTEN The Ghana Police Service has taken on British High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson, for her recent remarks on the arrest of #FixTheCountry convener, Oliver Barker-Vormawor. The police service in a statement said her comments on the matter, which came in a tweet, were either a biased or uninformed position. It feels the comments were intended to tarnish the reputation of the Ghana Police Service and that of our Country. What is more, we consider your tweet a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961 which enjoins diplomatic missions not to interfere in the internal affairs of their host country, the police added. Harriet Thompsons tweet said: Oliver Barker-Vormawor, convener of #FixTheCountry movement, arrested again, I understand [its] for a motoring offence [and hes currently] on his way to court. Ill be interested to see where this goes The comments came after Barker-Vormawor was arrested for careless and inconsiderate driving and non-observance of road markings at the East Legon tunnel in Accra. Mr. Barker-Vormawor pleaded not guilty and was granted bail by the court. The police service said its actions were warranted given the lack of discipline on Ghanas roads and high road fatalities. This arrest came after he was charged with treason felony after he made comments on social media that have been deemed to be a coup threat. The police service also said the prosecution of Mr. Barker-Vormawor, in this regard, was warranted. As a Foreign Service officer, even though you might not have personal experience, you doubtless have access to the records of the periods of unrest and coups in Ghana; are you really wishing on us, a return to those times? The police concluded its statement by urging the High Commissioner to learn to keep within the limits of what concerns you. ---citinewsroom A murder suspect, Kwabena Sampana standing trial at the Wamfie Magistrate Court in the Dormaa East District of Bono Region was on last Friday caught after he fled while in a witness box in Court. The incident created a scene as a number of people in the town were attracted to the precincts of the Court. But following a chase by the Police and other male staff of the Court, the prosecutor, Detective Chief Inspector Robert Apelkiwine captured and brought him back to the Court. He is being trialled with fellow suspect, Kwabena Oppong for allegedly killing one Kofi Kyereh at Kwajumokrom, a community in the Dormaa West District of the Bono Region. Briefing the Ghana News Agency (GNA) about the incident, Detective C/Inspt. Apelkiwine said the docket of the two suspects had been forwarded to the Attorney Generals' Office for advice and the Court presided by Mrs. Dzifa Azumah was waiting for it. The prosecutor explained the suspects had been on remand in Police custody and that day was their third appearance to the Court where Sampana fled from lawful custody. Detective C/Inspt. Apelkiwine narrated when suspects' case was called the handcuff on their hands were removed to enable them to enter the witness stand. But, he said Sampana took advantage and escaped, saying it took the timely intervention of Police personnel and civilians who pursued him close to 2 kilometres before he was captured and brought back to the courtroom. Detective C/Inspt. Apelkiwine said escaping from lawful custody warranted an offense, so Sampana would be arraigned before the Dormaa Circuit Court to face another charge of unlawful escape from custody. GNA The Bank of Ghana (BoG) is working on an offline version of the e-cedi digital currency that could be used for consecutive payments between individuals and merchants in the absence of connectivity infrastructure. The innovation forms part of the bank's commitment to promoting financial inclusion and financial digitalization programme, partnering with GD technology to pilot the issuance of a digital currency. So far, the usage and uptake of the offline version of the eCedi is being piloted in a small town called Sefwi Asafo in the Western North Region, said Dr Ernest Addison, the BOG Governor, at the 6th CEO Summit in Accra on Monday. Speaking on the theme: Digital Leadership for a Digital Economy, Dr Ernest Addison said digitising the offline transactions of rural and frontier households held the key to creating the necessary market linkages that could result in access to finance in future. He said that the Bank would work with users to obtain the critical usage data that would inform the decision about the future of the digital currency after the pilot. Over the past two decades, the Central Bank has been at the forefront of the country's digitisation agenda. This started with the passage of the Payment Systems Act 2003 (Act 662), which provided the legal and regulatory basis for the introduction of technology in the banking industry. This was followed with the implementation of a real-time gross settlement system, which is the Ghana Interbank Settlement (GIS) system. The infrastructure significantly improved the efficiency of wholesale and large-value interbank funds transfer and liquidity management. In 2007, additional institutional reforms were carried out which led to the establishment of the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems Limited (GhIPSS). Since then, GhIPSS has rapidly transformed the payment ecosystem through the implementation of interoperable interbank retail payment systems, including electronic cheque clearing, Automated Clearing House for direct debit and credit funds transfer, instant payment, Gh-Link card, and mobile money interoperability. The Bank reinforced the regulatory frameworks to tackle financial exclusion in a practical and affordable manner. This led to the issuance of Branchless Banking Guidelines (BBG) in 2008, which provided regulatory support for mobile money through partnerships between banks and telecommunication companies. A further review of the BBG led to the Electronic Money issuers and Agents Guideline in 2015 to address some regulatory challenges and boost adoption of the mobile money concept. These regulatory changes provided the needed boost to the expansion of mobile money operations and set the stage for financial technology in Ghana. The enabling regulatory environment attracted several FinTech companies into the ecosystem, who introduced innovative digital financial products and services on the back of mobile money operations. This, notwithstanding, the operations of FinTechs were largely unregulated, and to better harness their potential, an extensive review and consolidation of laws, regulations, policies, and guidelines within the payment systems was done. The Payment Systems and Services Act, 2019 (Act 987) was then passed which has since established a conducive environment for inclusive and competitive delivery of digital financial services. GNA The family of the 17-year-old resident of Ho in the Volta Region killed by lightning has sent a delegation to the Nogokpo shrine to get answers on the cause of the incident. On Monday, May 30, 2021, a lightning incident that happened in Ho killed a 17-year-old student while leaving two others with various injuries. Through checks, the deceased was subsequently identified as Emmanuel Torli. While the two injured victims of the lightning incident were rushed to the hospital for medical care, the body of the deceased as of Tuesday morning had still been abandoned. From reports, residents are staying away from the body of the deceased for fear that it may have been the work of a thunder god known as Xebieso in the local parlance. In order not to incur the wrath of the gods, residents have refused to attend to the body. The few people that have been bold only managed to cover the body of the deceased with leaves from a plantain plant. Checks reveal that per tradition, the body of the young man killed by the lightning can only be touched when rites are performed. Mr. Nicolas Nfodjo, grandfather of the victim in an engagement with the media, has disclosed that a delegation has been sent to the Nogokpo shrine in the Ketu South Municipality for a consultation with the gods to ascertain the cause of death. He said the family will proceed with the next line of action when the delegation returns from the shrine. An Accra Circuit Court has remanded two persons into police custody for unlawful control of narcotic drugs and abetment of unlawful control of narcotic drugs. Alhassan Mukarla alias Mara, was charged unlawful control of narcotic drugs, an offence he pleaded not guilty to. Meanwhile, Jonas Osae alias Kwasi, aged 32, a gas cylinder repairer, was also charged with abetment of unlawful control of narcotic drugs, an offence he pleaded guilty with the explanation that, he does not sell Indian hemp and that, Mukarla gave it to him to handle it for him. The Court presided over by Mr Emmanuel Essandoh adjourned the case to June 10, 2022. Prosecuting, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Fuseini Yakubu told the Court that the complainants were personnel of the Drug Law Enforcement Unit, CID Headquarters, Accra. The Prosecution said Mukarla was a fashion designer and a resident of Akweteyman, whilst Osae was a gas repairer, who resided at Achimota, Accra. ASP Yakubu said on September 21, 2021, at about 0900 hours, the complainants acting on intelligence gathering, arrested Osae at Achimota Vegas and recovered 88 brown paper wraps of cannabis, a narcotic drug concealed in a black polythene bag from him. The Prosecution said on questioning him, Osae mentioned Mukarla as the one who gave the exhibit to him to handle for him. ASP Fuseini said on September 22, 2021, about 0345 hours, with the assistance of Osae, Mukarla was arrested in his room at Akweteyman, Accra. During interrogation, Mukarla claimed ownership of the exhibit and confirmed that he was the one who gave the exhibit to Osae to handle for him. However, Osae declined to disclose his source of the supply. The Prosecution said forensic examination conducted on the exhibit proved that the exhibit tested positive for cannabis, a narcotic drug with net weight of 121.75 grammes. Upon receipt of the test, Mukarla and Osae were charged with their respective offences. GNA When a state of disaster was declared in South Africa in 2020 in response to the COVID pandemic, a hard lockdown was instituted and schools were shut. This was followed by varying periods of lockdowns, school closure and rotational timetables to maintain social distancing across different grades. Administrative data show that children in South Africa missed at least three-quarters of a year of school in the past two school years. This reduced their opportunities to learn and allowed more time to forget what they had learnt. To measure the effect of time out of school on learning, we analysed the test performance of almost a quarter of a million learners at the end of 2021, comparing them to performance in 2019. We found that the time out of school left public school learners in South Africa about a year behind previous cohorts. Earlier studies on learning losses in South Africa, mainly in poor schools and with relatively small samples, found similar results. Our study used data from the Western Cape province's Systemic Test , which tests all public school pupils in grades 3, 6 and 9. None of the country's other eight provinces tests learners on such an extensive scale so the Western Cape's data is the best opportunity to measure learning loss. Because we measured learning losses in both rich and poor schools and in three grades across primary and secondary schools, we can generalise with some confidence to the whole country and to all grades. The findings are important for all those with an interest in education, from government officials to teachers and parents. These tests were conducted in both mathematics and language, which form the foundation for learning in most other subjects, both in school and beyond. Maths and language test results The Western Cape Systemic Test system has been in place for two decades. Every year almost all public school learners are tested in mathematics and language in grades 3, 6 and 9. The pandemic prevented testing in 2020. We analysed the 2019 and 2021 tests. Most questions were exactly the same in both years to allow valid comparison. We analysed only the common questions. The figure below shows average learner performance and learning losses between 2019 and 2021. The arrows reflect large learning losses in all six tests, but much larger losses in mathematics than in language, consistent with international experience . Learning losses by grade and subject from 2019 to 2021. Provided by author. In language, the biggest learning loss was in grade 6. Most South African learners are taught all subjects in their home language in the first three years of schooling. From grade 4, they switch to being taught in English in all subjects except their home language. Even in 2019, schools where there was a language transition from isiXhosa (one of the home languages used in Western Cape schools) to English performed weakly, but in 2021 they also experienced larger learning losses. The pandemic may have made this difficult language transition even more difficult. Moreover, the language problems may also have affected grade 6 mathematics performance, because language is key to understanding other subjects. Read more: Policy options to crack the mother tongue versus English riddle in South African schools As expected, learning losses were on average smaller in schools serving the richest communities. But even learners in these affluent schools lost around two-thirds of a school year. The Western Cape has a higher proportion of rich public schools than other provinces. There are more learners in the Western Cape who attend well resourced schools and with higher levels of parent education compared to other provinces. Thus learning losses may be even larger in poorer provinces. Read more: South Africa's no-fee school system can't undo inequality Losses were smallest in grade 9 language in fact, rich schools experienced almost no learning losses in these tests. The reason may be that language at this level is less dependent on school-based learning. Or it may be because the common test items we could analyse contained less writing. In all the tests, girls significantly outperformed boys, except in grade 9 mathematics in 2019. But because grade 9 boys experienced greater learning losses in mathematics, their earlier performance advantage disappeared in 2021. International maths and reading tests What does this mean for South Africa's performance on international tests? South Africa generally performs poorly on international tests in both mathematics and reading. Many South African learners don't even reach the low international benchmarks that are regarded as a bare minimum that should be achieved. If learning losses in the Western Cape were applied to the whole country, many more learners would fail to reach the low international benchmarks. The Trends in International Mathematics and Science study of 2019 found that 63% of all South African grade 5 children performed below the low international benchmark in mathematics . This may now rise to around 76%. For reading, the proportion of grade 5 pupils who score below the low international benchmark in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study 2016 reading tests would rise from 80% to about 88%. Going forward Younger learners can catch up over their school career. But teachers now have an even more difficult task to cover the curriculum for each grade, and to fill some gaps in understanding from previous grades. This is especially true for a subject such as mathematics. Two policy areas require special attention. The schooling system needs to find more time for maths, to overcome the accumulated deficit from the COVID years. For instance, grade 9 learners who have fallen a year behind in mathematics need to catch up a full year before the matric examinations (grade 12, the final year of secondary school). This requires them to learn as much in three years as previous cohorts learned in four. In language, the big challenge is to ensure that reading is mastered by the end of the foundation phase the third year of schooling and to ease the subsequent language transition. Weak reading skills and an inadequate English vocabulary can inhibit all further learning for the majority of learners who have to make this language transition. Servaas van der Berg receives funding from the Millennium Trust, the National Research Foundation, the Allan Gray philanthropies and the MS Dell Foundation. Chris van Wyk receives funding from receives funding from the Millennium Trust, the Allan Gray philanthropies and the MS Dell Foundation. By Servaas van der Berg, Professor of Economics and South African Research Chair in the Economics of Social Policy, Stellenbosch University And Chris van Wyk, Researcher, Stellenbosch University The Council of Bono and Ahafo Associations of North America (COBAANA) has applauded the Bono Regional House of Chiefs for meeting the President His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo to present to him problems facing the region. Recently, a delegation from the Bono Regional House of Chiefs visited the presidency to present a petition from the organizers of the #Sunyani Deserve Better/#Bono Deserve Better demonstration held a few months ago in Sunyani. Oseadeyo Nana Agyeman Badu II who spoke on behalf of the house mentioned the numerous problems confronting the region in terms of infrastructural deficit. In the view of COBAANA, such an encounter is the best way to let the presidency know for instance how the lack of road infrastructure is seriously affecting the evacuation of farm produce from the famed food basket of the country. The Council of Bono and Ahafo Associations of North America (COBAANA) wants to congratulate the Bono Regional House of Chiefs for meeting the President His excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo and bringing to the fore the myriad of problems and concerns pertaining to the region, part of a press release from COBAANA signed by General Secretary Augustine Boahen reads. COBAANA stresses that the Bono region lacks behind in many areas and the sooner these issues are addressed the better it will be for the youth and the general population of the region as a whole. Read more from the press release from COBAANA below: COBAANA Congratulate The Bono Regional House Of Chiefs On Their Meeting With The President The Council of Bono and Ahafo Associations of North America (COBAANA) wants to congratulate the Bono Regional House of Chiefs for meeting the President His excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo and bringing to the fore the myriad of problems and concerns pertaining to the region. Cobaana is an umbrella Association of citizens from the hitherto Brong Ahafo region residing in North America who have come together to foster unity among themselves and also to be developmental partners with the three regions. Even though the former region has been split into three, Cobaana has not been broken up and we have resolved to harness the strong bond that exists between the people of the three regions as a force for development of the three regions. COBAANA has followed the delegation from the Bono Regional house of chiefs that were at the presidency to present a petition from the organizers of the #Sunyani Deserve Better/ #Bono Deserve Better demonstration held some few months ago in Sunyani. Oseadeyo Nana Agyeman Badu II who spoke on behalf of the house mentioned the numerous problems confronting the region in terms of infrastructural deficit in the region. COBAANA would like to add their voice to the many infrastructural challenges in the three regions. In the view of COBAANA, such an encounter is the best way to let the presidency know for instance how the lack of road infrastructure is seriously affecting the evacuation of farm produce from the famed food basket of Ghana (the Bono and Ahafo regions). COBAANA would like to add our voice to the call from the demonstrators which was echoed by the chiefs that the region lacks behind in many areas of our lives and the sooner these issues are addressed the better it will be for the youth and the general population of the region as a whole. Of greater concerns to COBAANA among the many issues raised are the educational needs of the two universities in the region (Sunyani Technical University and the University of Energy and Renewable Natural Resources). It is amusing that it is only in Bono region that government converts an existing education institution into a university and never augments that with requisite infrastructural support. We ask that the infrastructures for the satellite campuses of the above mentioned Universities should be given the urgent attention because with the increase in the student population of these institutions, there is the urgent need for the institutions to have those infrastructures to make teaching and learning easy on their campuses. Similarly, the issue of the proposed teaching hospital should be given an utmost consideration. Such a facility (a Teaching Hospital) will not serve only the people of the Bono region but also the two other sister regions (Bono East and Ahafo) and even parts of the northern regions and hence the need to give it the necessary and urgent consideration. Many researches on the proposed Teaching hospital in Sunyani reveal that much will be derived when it is put up and the benefits in having such an institution in the region far outweigh the cost in establishing it. The catchment areas to be served by the proposed Teaching University is such that we call on the Ministries of Health and Education to come together to make the teaching hospital a reality. The regional hospital at Sunyani and the University of Energy and Natural Resources has the basic infrastructure to start this all important institution. COBAANA wants to call on the politicians from the region to rise up and do all in their power to help the region receive its fair share of the national cake. Our politicians should help and work with our Chiefs and the youth when it comes to the development of the region. The practice where some of these political leaders from the region are not engaging with other stakeholders when it comes to the development of their respective areas should cease forthwith and should work with all those who have the interest of the regions at heart. COBAANA is also calling on the government to address similar needs of the other two regions- Bono East and Ahafo regions since their problems are not different from those of the Bono Region and as such they should also be addressed. Road network, health and education facilities in our sister regions (Bono East and Ahafo regions) are in dire need of attention and it is our expectation that attention should be given to them. COBAANA is calling on all politicians in the regions irrespective of their political affiliation, whether from NPP, NOC or any other political party to work in unison when it comes to the development of the regions. We have sadly observed that not much is seen in such collaboration when it comes to thinking about the development of the region. Our politicians should know that when their time in politics is over, they will return to the region and as such if they help build a better region, they will enjoy "the fruits of their labor". COBAANA calls on the Regional house of chiefs to make such visits to the presidency a regular occurrence and in so doing the government will be reminded of the needed infrastructure and other needs of the region. We also call on the government to make do its promise to the chiefs to address the concerns of the youth and the chiefs from the Bono region. We once again congratulate our Nananom for taking that step and to dialogue with the presidency all with the view to bringing our challenges and concern to the presidency. Issued by Augustine Boahen General Secretary, COBAANA May 30, 2022 In its report released on World No Tobacco Day, the UN health agency called for the tobacco industry to be held to account and foot the bill for the cleanup with regards to the pollution it generates. The tobacco industry is a far greater threat than many realise as it is one of the world's biggest polluters, the World Health Organization said Tuesday. The UN agency's report, "Tobacco: poisoning our planet", looks at the impacts of the whole cycle, from the growth of plants to the manufacturing of tobacco products, to consumption and waste. The industry is accused of causing widespread deforestation, diverting badly needed land and water in poor countries away from food production, pumping out plastic and chemical waste as well as emitting millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide. While tobacco's health impacts have been well documented for decades - with smoking still causing more than eight million deaths worldwide every year - the report focuses on its broader environmental consequences. The findings are "quite devastating," Ruediger Krech, WHO director of health promotion, told French news agency AFP, charging that the industry is "one of the biggest polluters that we know of." Poisoning the planet He slammed tobacco companies' frequent efforts to rehabilitate their image through beach cleanups and funding environmental and disaster relief organisations as "greenwashing". "The tobacco industry dumps toxic waste into communities and depletes natural resources," he told a press conference. "Tobacco is not only poisoning people, it's poisoning our planet." The industry is responsible for the loss of some 600 million trees each year - or five percent of global deforestation -- while tobacco growing and production uses 200,000 hectares of land and 22 billion tonnes of water annually, the report found. It also emits around 84 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, it said. In addition, "tobacco products are the most littered item on the planet, containing over 7,000 toxic chemicals, which leech into our environment when discarded," Krech said. He pointed out that each one of the estimated 4.5 trillion cigarette butts that end up in the oceans, rivers, sidewalks and beaches every year can pollute a 100 of litres of water. And up to a quarter of all tobacco farmers contract so-called green tobacco sickness, or poisoning from the nicotine they absorb through the skin. Children at risk Farmers who handle tobacco leaves all day consume the equivalent of 50 cigarettes worth of nicotine a day, Krech said. This is especially worrying for the many children involved in tobacco farming. "Just imagine a 12-year-old being exposed to 50 cigarettes a day," he said. Most tobacco is grown in poorer countries, where water and farmland are often in short supply, and where such crops are often grown at the expense of vital food production, the report said. UN agencies have launched a project to try to help farmers transition to other crops. At the same time the processing and transportation of tobacco account for a significant share of global greenhouse gas emissions -- with the equivalent of one-fifth of the global airline industry's carbon footprint. Microplastics In addition, products like cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes also contribute significantly to the global build-up of plastic pollution, WHO warned. Cigarette filters contain microplastics -- the tiny fragments that have been detected in every ocean and even at the bottom of the world's deepest trench -- and make up the second-highest form of plastic pollution worldwide, the report said. Stressing that there is no evidence filters provide any proven health benefits over smoking non-filtered cigarettes, the UN agency urged policy makers worldwide to consider banning them. The WHO also called for governments to immediately halt the some $500 billion in subsidies the tobacco industry receives each year, and also urged them to stop allowing taxpayers to foot the bill for cleaning up the industry's mess. Each year, China for instance dishes out around $2.6 billion and India around $766 million, while Brazil and Germany pay some $200 million each to clean up littered tobacco products, the report found. It is important, Krech said, that "the industry pay actually for the mess that they are creating." (with wires) Mr. Ignatius Baffour Awuah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Sunyani West has donated a total of 625 pieces of furniture to the Municipal Education Directorate for onward distribution to needed schools in the Municipality to enhance teaching and learning. In a short ceremony to hand over the furniture, the legislature noted that quality education was the most integral component of development in any society and pledged to give premium to the development of the education sector. He said the Akufo-Addo led government had taken education as a major priority, hence its effort in committing resources to provide facilities to ensure quality education for the nation's development. He called on the beneficiary schools to practice good maintenance culture to prolong the life span of the items. He also donated 500 school uniforms to be given to brilliant and needy students in the Municipality. Receiving the items, the Municipal Director of Education Mr. Issah Baffour said furniture is one of the things the directorate was in dire need of and expressed gratitude to the MP for his assistance. Aden At least 27,800 people have crossed from the Horn of Africa to war-torn Yemen in the first five months of 2022, more than the total who made the journey all of last year along what was the worlds busiest maritime migration route prior to COVID-19, according to the International Organization for Migrations (OIM) Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM). IOM last year reported that an estimated 27,700 migrants entered Yemen through the so-called Eastern Route, down from 138,000 in 2019 due to heightened COVID-19 mobility restrictions. Approximately 37,500 made the journey in 2020. The rise in arrivals is cause for alarm in a country now grappling with its eighth year of conflict. We are increasingly concerned about the safety and well-being of people moving through Yemen, said Christa Rottensteiner, IOM Yemens Chief of Mission. Our teams meet migrants every day who have been injured in the conflict or become stranded on their journeys. Photo gallery of IOMs response to migrants in Yemen is available for media. A variety of factors may be influencing this years increase, including a loosening of COVID-19 mobility restrictions, more favorable weather conditions, and the security situation and drought in Ethiopia, where most migrants originate from. Upon arriving in Yemen, migrants face perilous onward journeys to Gulf countries in search of work. They often travel across conflict frontlines and face grave human rights violations such as detention in inhumane conditions, exploitation and forced transfers across lines of control. Women and girls often report experiencing gender-based violence, abuse or exploitation, usually at the hands of traffickers and smugglers. In the north of the country, IOM's partners and the local community have reported that over 1,000 migrants including women and children have been injured or killed by attacks this year. Every month, hundreds are treated for gunshot wounds at an IOM-supported hospital near the border town of Sadah. In Marib some 25 kilometres from one of the conflicts frontlines approximately 4,500 migrants are stranded, unable to continue their journey onward or return back. More than 900 migrants departed on Voluntary Humanitarian Return (VHR) flights from Aden in May (as of 31/05 mid-day), but greater funding is needed to help thousands of others waiting to leave from Aden, Sanaa and Marib. One of the main ways we can offer relief and protection is to open more opportunities for migrants who wish to return home to do so, and to provide life-saving assistance and medical aid to those in need, said Rottensteiner. At a time when funding for the Yemen response is on a decline, we must not turn our backs on stranded migrants who are often forgotten in times of crisis. We urgently require greater funding to ease the suffering of more than 190,000 migrants in need of assistance in Yemen. IOM is currently appealing for USD 7.5 million to support thousands of stranded migrants to voluntarily return from Yemen to Ethiopia, through IOMs VHR programme. The Organization also requires USD 9 million to continue its displacement and mobility tracking activities. IOMs humanitarian assistance and protection services for migrants in Yemen are supported by the US State Departments Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration; EU Humanitarian Aid; and the governments of Germany, Finland, Sweden and Norway. For more information, please contact Angela Wells at IOM Yemen, Email: [email protected], Tel: +967 730 552233 or IOM Yemens Communications Team at [email protected] ---IOM Press 31.05.2022 LISTEN Mr. Thomas Elorm Tagbotor, a PhD Marketing student of the University of Professional Studies, Accra has been elected President of the Graduate Students Association of Ghana (GRASAG). He was elected along with his running mate, Mr. Mohammed Shaid, a Master of Commerce Accounting, student of SD Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (formerly UDS Wa campus). Thomas was elected at the 27th Annual Delegates Congress, which was held from 26 to 28 May, 2022 at the University of Health and Allied Sciences (Ho). Mr. Tagbotor won the presidency with 380 votes (74.2%) while his other contenders, Eric Adjei and Stephen Fosu had 123 votes (24.1%) and 6 votes (1.2%) respectively. Delegates at the Congress believed Thomas presented a more feasible and potent policy document than his opponents. Others also felt he is more experienced in student leadership and could best serve the interest of graduate students. Other elected Executives include; Barbara Deladem Mensah, General Secretary, Isaac Afful, Financial Controller, Francis Omane Baidoo, Organizing Coordinator and Abiba Asoma, Gender Commission. The election was conducted by the Electoral Commission of GRASAG in strict adherence to the GRASAG Constitution. In a short victory remarks, Mr. Tagbotor expressed his appreciation to the delegates and all institutional executives who believed in his vision to transform GRASAG. 31.05.2022 LISTEN On December 31, 1981, at about 11 a.m., the voice of Flt. Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings came on air calling for nothing less than a revolution. On the night of Saturday, January 2, 1981, he made a second broadcast on radio and TV in which he accused the Limann administration of deliberately reneging on the pledge to continue the "house-cleaning" exercise. Rawlings advocated for such an exercise when he first took power through a military coup d'etat on June 4, 1979, with the intention of erasing all manifestations of corruption, profiteering or malfeasance associated in any way with previous governments. As a first step, some senior military officers were executed at the Teshie military range on June 16 and June 26, 1979. After these executions, the whole country was subjected to a state of terror as the organised violence in the military camps spilled over into the civilian sector. This notwithstanding, majority of Ghanaians saw Rawlings as a blessing to the nation because prior to his taking over power, Ghana was in deep economic crisis. Production of export commodities had decreased, and there were severe shortages of essential commodities such as sugar, soap, bread, milk and even toilet rolls. I remember we had to queue for those items. As a way of solving this problem of shortages, the Acheampong government adopted the "chit system" to ration the supply of the existing stock of essential commodities, but this system worsened the situation because a few managed to collect large consignments of goods only to sell them at exorbitant prices to the already impoverished citizens of the country. Corruption was at its peak, and the term "kalabule" was coined to denote economic malpractices. Unfortunately, the then Head of State, General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong was allegedly neck deep in the rape of the economy. With the stroke of his famous green ink (pen), he ordered Principal Secretaries of the Ministries of Trade and Finance in particular to issue import licenses to his favourites - young girlfriends, mistresses and Makola market women. One of such letters read: His Excellency the Head of State and Commissioner for Finance recommends that import license worth 1,152,000 cedis for the importation of one (1) Ford Cortina Estate Car and six (6) Model 3022T Forestmill portable sawmills be issued to Madam Alice Adae Garbrah of Post Office Box 86, Tepa, for the establishment of a rural industry. Women, those days, especially those who sold at the Makola market were extremely powerful; there were stories of Makola market women pouring urine on some men in military uniforms whenever these women were dared. It was, therefore, not surprising that some soldiers decided to demand their pound of flesh from these female traders: some were stripped almost naked, and others were whipped openly, during the revolution. And there were also serious excesses of how people living in the country were maltreated. The story was told of some group of soldiers who went on operation, led by a captain. They stopped vehicles, and asked all passengers and drivers to get down for them to be searched. Each person was asked to mention his or her name before a search, and if you are fortunate not to have any contraband goods on you, you were given one slap on the cheek. It got to the turn of a man who mentioned his name as Lieutenant General Appiah-Agyei. The soldiers saluted him, and accorded him all the courtesies of a senior military officer. But the leader of the operation observed something unusual about the General: he looked shorter than the 5 feet 6 inches minimum requirement for recruitment into the military service. The captain became skeptical, and asked the General which of the regiments he was with. He confidently and proudly responded that he was from the Salvation Army! Laa ilaaha ilaa laa, he was beaten to pulp! For those of you who do not know, members of the Salvation Army Church are given military ranks; their leaders or pastors are often given big military titles, and that was the case of Lt. General Appiah-Agyei. Anthony Obeng Afrane Spain opened the borders of its North African enclaves Ceuta and Melilla to Moroccan workers on Tuesday, two years after their closure and following the resolution of a drawn-out diplomatic crisis. The European Union's only borders on African soil had been shuttered in 2020 at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, then later become hostage to a bitter spat over migration and the issue of the disputed Western Sahara. Before they were closed, some 4,400 Moroccans had regularly made the crossing visa-free to work and trade. A spokesperson for authorities in Ceuta said Tuesday that Spain was hoping for a "progressive and orderly reopening, and most of all, an end to the underground economy" in the region. For now, the reopening only affects 230 Moroccans, primarily domestic workers with the correct papers. Up to 40 more will be allowed to enter each day to apply for a visa. But on Tuesday, dozens of women gathered on the Moroccan side of the crossing, waving work permits and chanting "No to visas!" "I'm protesting today because I want to be able get into Ceuta to work," said Latifa, a nanny who had spent 15 years working in the enclave before the closure. "We used to be able to cross without visas". Aziza, who had worked as a cleaner in Ceuta for a decade before the closure, said that in two years without work she had been forced to sell her furniture to feed her six children. 'Unjust' Facts and locations of the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Mellila in Morocco.. By (AFP) A union for cross-border workers said many had seen their visas expire during the crisis and were now being forced to apply for new ones, a measure it said was "unjust". The borders had been the focus of 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. In mid-May 2021, ten thousand migrants surged across the Moroccan border into Ceuta as Moroccan border forces looked the other way, a move widely seen as a punitive gesture by Rabat. In March this year, Spain moved to end the diplomatic crisis with Morocco by changing 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. The borders of the enclaves had reopened on May 17, but only for holders of passports and visas from countries in the Schengen zone. Moroccan authorities have vowed to clamp down on smuggling, which had been tolerated until late 2019 despite the loss of customs revenues. Rabat in February opened a business park in the border town of Fnideq it hopes will create up to 1,000 jobs. Theophilus Tetteh Laryea, a 50-year-old fisherman, has been sentenced to three years imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court for indecent assault. Laryea was earlier on held on the charge of defilement. However, at the end of the trial, the Court presided over by Mrs Christina Cann reduced the charge to indecent assault and sentenced Laryea accordingly. Prosecuting Police Chief Inspector Simon Terkpor said the complainant was a 45-year-old trader and mother of the victim, also aged 10. Prosecution said the complainant and Laryea resided in the same area at Osu, Accra. It said on March 20, this year, the complainant went to church and left the victim and her younger sister at home. The Prosecutor said the victim and her younger sister and another minor were indoors watching television. It said Laryea went to the room and managed to lure the victim into the chamber of the room and defiled her. A report was made to the Police and a medical form issued to the victim to seek medical treatment. On March 21, this year, Laryea was arrested and in his caution statement he denied having sex with victim although he went into the room to watch television. GNA 31.05.2022 LISTEN The former Ashanti Regional Chairman for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Yaw Obimpe has expressed concerns over what he described as a political mafia in the Ashanti Region. In an interview with Omanhene Yaw Adu Boakye on the Sompa TV morning show on May 31, he said the NDC is poised for action against the ruling NPP and ready to square off with anyone irrespective of what happens in the 2024 general elections. He emphasized the number of occasions the NPP has had their way with lies, false accusations and propaganda in the region leading to the NDC's failure to amass numbers or even maintain their numbers in the elections in the region. "We saw what happened in 20216 and 2020 respectively, the ballot boxes at the Georgia hotel, the one at Wontumi's house, the planned game against Yaw Amoa Ponko of Ejisu, Iddisa Adams of Kwabre et al. The insult raised against John Dramani Mahama. Look, we are ready to face them, they will have to kill us, we will spill blood if we have to," he said. He asserted the NDC have prepared enough for the 2024 elections. In reaction to the comment by the former chairman of the NDC, the former 1st vice-chairman of the New Patriotic Party in the Ashanti region, Kwabena Senkyire said the NPP is focused and will not give room for any intimidation from the opposition party. Listen to audio here: 31.05.2022 LISTEN The Ministry for Finance has been cited as an institution where financial recklessness is very high. This was contained in the 2020 IMANI Fiscal Recklessness Index launched in Accra on Tuesday, May 31, 2022. Ghana over the years has enacted various laws and regulations to improve public finances and service delivery. Despite laws and regulations on accounting and auditing standards, political economy issues continue to hamper the effective implementation of Public Financial Management (PFM) systems, resulting in the regular occurrence of financial irregularities. This includes the over politicisation of government function and the lack of independence of state institutions coupled with weak corporate governance in the public sector. In the revealing Fiscal Recklessness score (FRS) of the IMANI Centre for Policy and Education report put together with support from Oxfam Ghana, the Ministry of Health, Roads and Highways, Employment, and Foreign Affairs Ministry joined Finance Ministry in the top five. Speaking to journalists after presenting the findings of the report, Research Consultant Mr. Dennis Asare stressed that the irregularities uncovered in Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government are very worrying. Disclosing that over GHS9.2 billion in tax irregularity was recorded in the last six years, the IMANI Research Consultant noted that there is a need to tighten internal controls. Over the period between 2015 and 2020, the irregularities of public institutions that is Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, it is about GHS13.9 billion. If you compare that with the period between 2010 and 2014, the irregularities in this period between 2015 and 2020 have increased more than 13 times which means that the Public Financial Management (PFM) reforms that we have implemented are not delivering optimal results to the country, Mr. Dennis Asare told journalists. The Research Consultant continued, If we are able to tighten the internal controls and Public Financial Management measures in the country we will be able to address the cause of the recklessness which are mainly driven by lack of compliance, weak internal audit control system, and lack of application of sanctions. On his part, an Economist and Professor of Finance at the University of Ghana (UG), Prof. Godfred Bokpin said he is not surprised the Finance Ministry is topping the Fiscal Irregularities Index. He said it is sad that there are so many irregularities in these government institutions but government is focused on forcing E-Levy down the throat of the citizenry instead of addressing the irregularities. I think it's very sad. I'm saying it's very sad because in the face of suffering where we are being told to tighten belts, at a time where Covid has impacted individuals, households, businesses, and the government is forcing E-Levy down our throat we have had to accommodate recklessness like this. It's contradictory and it doesn't send a good signal to stakeholders, taxpayers, the citizens, to the international community, Prof. Godfred Bokpin said. He proposed, I think we should be looking at tightening many of these leakages because that is the only way we can progress. At this rate of recklessness, then generating more money is not the solution. In a recommendation, IMANI wants the Auditor-General to rigorously apply the disallowance and surcharge powers given to it under Article 187 (7) (b) of the 1992 Constitution. It also wants the Attorney General to further enforce punitive measures against persons or individuals found to have committed irregularities. IMANI further recommends that the Public Accounts Committee be strengthened to address the lag in accountability. In his closing remarks, Franklin Cudjoe who is the Founder and President of IMANI expressed his gratitude to Oxfam for its support. He disclosed that his outfit will follow commentary on the report and work to bring out another one in due time. We are grateful to Oxfam for this report. We hope that we will be able to do another report next year. Lets continue to engage, Franklin Cudjoe remarked. For the full 2020 IMANI Fiscal Recklessness Index, click HERE . Coco Gauff beat former finalist Sloane Stephens in straight sets on Tuesday at the French Open to reach her first semi-final at a Grand Slam tournament. The 18-year-old beat her fellow American 7-5, 6-2 and will play the unseeded Italian Martina Trevisan after she upset the 17th seed Leylah Fernadnez 6-2, 6-7, 6-3. Gauff, the 18th seed, will go into the encounter as the favourite against the 28-year-old even though Trevisan won their only previous meeting in the second round at the 2020 French Open. After that success, Trevisan advanced as far as the last eight. Two years later, she stands one match away from a final at a Grand Slam tournament. "It's an incredible moment for me," said Trevisan. "It was a very difficult match but I did it, so I'm very happy." Fernandez, who reached the final of the US Open last September struggled with an injury to her right foot during the latter stages of the match. Injury But despite her reduced mobility, the 19-year-old Canadian battled on. Trevisan served for the match at 5-1 but fluffed her lines. But she made no mistake at the second time of asking against an increasingly impaired opponent. Trevisan will encounter far more movement from Gauff in their match on Thursday. She kept her patience in the long baseline exchanges with Stephens and threw in an array of drop shots. Her service, despite six double faults, proved more solid in the key moments during the 90 minute encounter. "It obviously wasn't my best day," said Stephens. "I think Coco played a full, complete match and sometimes you just have those days and it was her time and that's really it." The Volta Region Revenue Taskforce of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in a clampdown exercise has made more than GHC1.5 million to the Company. The money was accrued from clients in arrears and those engaged in illegal power theft through surcharges. The exercise, which begun early this year, in its catchment areas across Volta and Oti Regions took the operation to households, hostels, hotels, cold stores, pubs, restaurants and government institutions, who owed the company to comply with settlement of debts or power terminated. The task force has visited customers in Ho, Denu, Sogakope and Kpando Districts and are set to visit about 100 debtors to ensure they settle their debts. Mr Emmanuel Lumor, the Volta Regional General Manager of ECG, speaking to the media, said the directorates are replicating the inauguration of the national taskforce by the Energy Minister Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, to help the Company retrieve monies owed it by some customers and to curb the menace of illegal connection. He said the Revenue Taskforce empowered by LI 2413, allows the Company to disconnect clients who refuse to pay their bills within 14 days after receiving the bill. He added that the taskforce has also served some institutions disconnection notices in accordance with LI 2413, giving them three days to settle their debt or face disconnection. The General Manager said two such tertiary institutions responded with dispatch to settle their indebtedness after receiving notices of disconnection and warned clients who remained adamant would be taken off the national grid, until they do the needful. He said the Company has intensified stakeholder engagements including announcements and radio education to sensitise customers on the need to pay their bills promptly to help ECG serve them better. Mr Lumor disclosed some illegalities uncovered during the ongoing exercise to include meter bypass, unauthorised and direct connections, and meter tampering. He bemoaned how illegal connections by some customers affected the financial strength of the Company, which hinders it from undertaking capital intensive projects that would inure to the benefit of customers. As a Company, we have to pay power producers when we purchase power from them to distribute to our cherished customers, hence consuming power illegally prevents the Company from generating money to pay these key players on the electricity supply chain, he said. According to Mr Lumor, illegal connection affects the distribution system by overloading transformers, which eventually leads to the breakdown of transformers and causes outages. He cautioned the public to do the right thing through prompt payment of bills and desist from illegal acts such as meter bypass since it is a criminal and dangerous act, which could cause fire outbreak and the loss of life through electrocution. Mr Lumor announced that the Company has the authority to prosecute persons engaged in such illegal acts within ECG network by an Executive Instrument (EI) 38 of the Appointment of Public Prosecution Instrument (2010). He called on the public in general to support the Company in its fight against illegal connection by reporting people who engaged in such acts to the nearest ECG office or call the national taskforce via telephone number 0551444011 and indicated that it comes with a financial reward. There is a six per cent commission of any amount we recoup as an incentive for anyone who gave us reliable information to unearth any illegality, he said. GNA Eric Kwatei Quartey, a 39-year-old goldsmith, who inflicted deep cutlass wounds on his maternal nephew for insulting his mother, has been sentenced to five years imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court. Quartey, charged with causing harm, pleaded not guilty. The Court presided over by Mrs Christina Cann, however, found him guilty and sentenced him accordingly. Prosecuting Police Chief Inspector Simon Terkpor said the complainant Tawiah Boadu aka Paa T. was a mason and civilian employee of the Ghana Armed Forces. It said Quartey was a maternal nephew to the complainant and he resided at Nungua. According to prosecution, on October 1, 2021, Quartey claimed the complainant had insulted his mother hence decided to take a revenge. Knowing the complainant sometimes load and off-load goods at a shop in the area, he visited the said shop three times to ask of the complainant. However later, Prosecution said Quartey met the complainant loading goods at the shop and without any provocation inflicted deep cutlass wounds on complainant's both arms and escaped. Prosecution said the complainant was rushed to the Police Hospital for treatment. A report was made to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service, Cantonment and Quartey was arrested. Prosecution said Quartey in his caution statement admitted the offence. GNA The National Communications Officer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi has hit out at the Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare describing as disgusting his letter to the British High Commissioner, H.E Harriet Thompson. The Commissioner in a Tweet earlier this month said, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, convener of #FixTheCountry movement, arrested again, I understand [its] for a motoring offence [and hes currently] on his way to court. Ill be interested to see where this goes With the Tweet not going down well with the Police administration, it sent a letter to the British High Commission, telling the Commissioner to stop poking her nose in local matters. ..we consider you tweet violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961 which enjoins diplomatic missions not to interfere in the internal affairs of their host countries. Your Excellency, the fact that you use the arrested again we believe must mean you were making reference to previous occasions Mr. Barker Vormwaor was arrested for threatening the security of the state and recently for motor traffic offences, parts of the letter from the Ghana Police Service reads. Today, Sammy Gyamfi has waded into the matter insisting that the IGP has displayed arrogance and intolerance. According to the NDC Communications officer, there was nothing wrong with the Tweet of H.E Harriet Thompson. The arrogance and intolerance displayed by the IGP in his response to a harmless tweet by the to Ghana is disgusting to say the least. His 20th May 2022 letter, a copy of which is attached to this post, is in very bad taste and has the potential of undermining Ghanas long-standing diplomatic relations with the UK, Sammy Gyamfis post on Facebook reads. It adds, There is absolutely nothing wrong with the tweet by the British High Commissioner which is what appears to have angered our celebrity IGP. If Dampare had apprised himself of Article 3(d) of the Vienna Convention, I am not sure he would have embarrassed himself and the nation this way." The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has expressed concern over the strong-worded letter issued by the Ghana Police Service to the British High Commission indicating that it could stain bilateral relations between Ghana and Britain. This is contained in a press release issued by the party on Tuesday, May 31, 2022, and signed by General Secretary Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketia. The British High Commissioner H.E Harriet Thompson in a Tweet earlier this month said, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, convener of #FixTheCountry movement, arrested again, I understand [its] for a motoring offence [and hes currently] on his way to court. Ill be interested to see where this goes With the Tweet not going down well with the Police administration, it sent a letter to the British High Commission, telling the Commissioner to leave her nose out of local matters. ..we consider you tweet violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961 which enjoins diplomatic missions not to interfere in the internal affairs of their host countries. Your Excellency, the fact that you use the arrested again we believe must mean you were making reference to previous occasions Mr. Barker Vormwaor was arrested for threatening the security of the state and recently for motor traffic offences, parts of the letter from the Ghana Police Service signed by IGP Dr. George Akuffo Dampare reads. Describing the letter from the Police as regrettable and misguided, the NDC says it has the tendency to jeopardise the enviable cordial bilateral relations between Ghana and Britain. The NDC takes the considered view that Inspector-General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare should have raised his concerns about the British High Commissioners tweet on Oliver Barker-Vormawors latest arrest with Ghanas Foreign Minister through the Minister of the Interior for it to be addressed via the usual diplomatic channels, part of the NDC press release notes. It added, The IGPs rather ill-advised attack on the British High Commissioner for being meddlesome in Ghanas internal affairs appears rather far-fetched, particularly considering the significant fact that the activist of interest is a student in the UK and that matters of human rights are universal and cardinal. In its conclusion, the NDC says the IGP should rather focus his attention on the worsening security environment which has led to the gruesome loss of life of a lawyer, gold dealers in Asamang Tamfoe, and many other victims of unresolved police brutalities from the 2020 election killings to Ejura, Tamale, Akatsi, Asawase, and Nkoranza. Below is a copy of the NDC press release: The National Democratic Congress has accused Ghanas Inspector General of Police of having committed a diplomatic gaffe with his strong-worded letter to UK High Commissioner Harriet Thompson, in which he warned the diplomat to stay out of Ghanas internal affairs. In the letter, Dr George Akuffo Dampare described the High Commissioners recent Ill be interested to see where this goes comment on the last arrest of #FixTheCountry Movement convener Oliver Barker-Vormawor, as uninformed, biased, misguided and unwarranted. After Mr Barker-Vormawor was arrested in mid-May this year for an alleged traffic offence, the UK envoy tweeted on 17 May: Oliver Barker Vormawor, the convener of #FixTheCountry Movement, arrested again, I understand, for a motoring offence on his way to court. Ill be interested to see where this goes The IGP, however, said in his letter: Ordinarily, the Ghana Police Service would not have responded to comments such as yours, obviously made from either a biased or uninformed position. However, he continued, We have learnt from a previous painful experience that it has not been helpful to ignore such misguided, unwarranted, and biased comments intended to tarnish the reputation of the Ghana Police Service and that of our country. The police also accused the UK envoy of interfering in Ghanas internal affairs with her tweet. What is more, we consider your tweet as a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961 which enjoins diplomatic missions not to interfere in the internal affairs of their host country. In a statement issued by the NDC on the matter, the biggest opposition party said: The IGPs rather ill-advised attack on the British High Commissioner for being meddlesome in Ghanas internal affairs appears rather far-fetched, particularly considering the significant fact that the activist of interest is a student in the UK, and that matters of human rights are universal and cardinal. The party said the IGP should have used the appropriate channels to air his concerns. The NDC takes the considered view that Inspector-General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, should have raised his concerns about the British High Commissioners tweet on Oliver Barker-Vormawors latest arrest with Ghanas Foreign Minister through the Minister for the Interior for it to be addressed via the usual diplomatic channels. Read the full statement below: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 31st May 2022. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has become aware of a letter from Ghanas Inspector-General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, addressed to the British High Commissioner, H.E. Harriet Thompson, which has now been widely published. The NDC takes the considered view that Inspector-General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, should have raised his concerns about the British High Commissioners tweet on Oliver Barker-Vormawors latest arrest with Ghanas Foreign Minister through the Minister for the Interior for it to be addressed via the usual diplomatic channels. The IGPs regrettable and misguided letter has the tendency of jeopardising the enviable cordial bilateral relations between Ghana and Britain. Ghana and the UK have shared strong friendly bilateral relations and official communications must avoid tones and language which are considerably discourteous, offensive and needlessly provocative. The IGPs rather ill-advised attack on the British High Commissioner for being meddlesome in Ghanas internal affairs appears rather far-fetched, particularly considering the significant fact that the activist of interest is a student in the UK and that matters of human rights are universal and cardinal. In any case, international relations of the modern era creates great accommodation for peer reviewthis has been on exhibition in recent times when the Ghanaian President criticised western nations including the UK in his 2021 UN address for apparently using COVID-19 vaccination policies as a discriminatory immigration tool against Africans. The Ghanaian Government was among the first nations of the world to condemn President Vladimir Putin for Russias invasion of Ukraine. In all these instances, no one has accused Ghana of violating the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961. The NDC has, on no occasion described these very recent examples cited above as tantamount to President Akufo-Addo meddling in the internal affairs of other nations. It is only autocratic regimes that have no regard for democratic principles that are averse to criticism and international scrutiny. The NDC calls on Ghanas Foreign Ministry to immediately intervene in offering diplomatic guidance to the IGP and also taking concrete steps to ease tensions. The NDC wishes to caution the IGP against a posture of high handedness and insipid arrogance which creates the impression that the Ghana Police Service under his leadership is above reproach. He must also be reminded that he does not speak for the Ghana Armed Forces or the Government of Ghana. We request of IGP Akuffo Dampare to rather focus his attention on the worsening security environment which has led to the gruesome loss of the life of a lawyer, gold dealers in Asamang Tamfoe, and many other victims of unresolved police brutalities from the 2020 election killings to Ejura, Tamale, Akatsi, Asawase and Nkoranza. Signed. Johnson Asiedu Nketia- General Secretary ---Classfmonline.com The Gambian Government has released a white paper accepting recommendations by the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) which conducted investigations into the human rights violations committed under the presidency of Yahya Jammeh from July 1994 to January 2017. It has also pledged to work closely with partners to ensure adequate resources and expertise available for the search and identification of burial sites, exhumations, and identification of remains to be given to their families for befitting burial. The government would ensure prosecution of Jammeh and 13 other accomplices. Mr William Nyarko, Coordinator, Jammeh2Justice (J2J) Ghana Coalition, disclosed these to the media at a press conference in Kumasi. It bothered on the release of the Gambia Government White Paper on the TRRC recommendations on the Murder of 44 Ghanaians and other West Africans in the Gambia in 2005. He said the government also accepts to pay the sum of D32, 400,000 (Thirty-two million, four hundred thousand Dalasis) to the West African Migrants and other non-Gambian nationals. This amount is not reflected in the outstanding payment outlined in the TRRC report. The reparations to these victims are to be paid through their respective governments as soon as possible, Mr Nyarko told the media. The government, again accepts to work with their survivors and governments, through the independent reparations body to be created and also recognise the supplementary list of victims provided and grant them reparations in line with the provided guidelines on reparations. Mr Nyarko who is also the Executive Director, Africa Center for International Law and Accountability (ACILA), said the government recognizes that victims have a right to reparations, which it has a corresponding obligation to fulfil and is in the process of developing a Victim's Reparation Bill in consultations with stakeholders. Mr Nyarko said the actions by the Gambian government were commendable and urged that governments in the West African sub-region must have deep respect for the lives of marginalized people. Mr Emmanuel Gershon Oduro Mensah, Spokesperson for J2J Victims, called on the Government of Ghana to immediately engage with the Government of the Gambia for an upward revision of the compensation amount to reflect current awards made by the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in cases of wrongful death, torture, unlawful detentions and enforced disappearances. Madam Regina O. Amanfo, Jammeh2Justice GhanaProject Campaign Manager, Center for Democratic Governance (CDD-Ghana) said in 2018, a Coalition of Civil Society Organizations led by the CDD-Ghana was formed to revive the campaign as new evidence by international partners, Human Rights Watch and TRIAL International alleged that Ghanaians were unlawfully killed by the Junglers, a Gambian paramilitary group on the orders of president Jammeh. Since the initiation of the campaign the coalition has undertaken several activities including engagements with key institutions such as the Ghana Police Service, Ministry of Justice and Attorney General's Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Presidency, Parliamentary Select Committee on Foreign Affairs, media, CSOs and individuals among others. GNA Rwanda will retaliate against any further attacks launched from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the East African nation's foreign minister warned Tuesday, as tensions between the two neighbours soar. A diplomatic feud between Kigali and Kinshasa has escalated in recent days as both sides trade accusations of aiding armed militias in the volatile eastern DRC region which borders Rwanda. Rwanda last week accused the Congolese armed forces of firing rockets into its territory, and said two of its soldiers had been kidnapped on patrol by the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a rebel group active in eastern DRC. The Congolese army in turn said Sunday that the two soldiers had trespassed on its soil and had been taken into custody. At a press conference in Kigali on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta warned: "If the attacks continue, Rwanda will have a right to respond and we have the capacity to respond." "We do not want war, we want peace," he said, but added: "As the government we have a duty to protect the lives of Rwandans." "Should we let everyone to just shoot us in Rwanda and just keep quiet?" On Saturday, Congolese authorities suspended Rwanda's national carrier RwandAir over Kigali's alleged support for the M23 rebel group, prompting the airline to cancel all flights to the DRC. Rwanda has meanwhile accused the DRC government of working closely with the FDLR. Relations between the two countries have been strained since the mass arrival in the eastern DRC of Rwandan Hutus accused of slaughtering Tutsis during the 1994 Rwanda genocide. Kinshasa has regularly accused Rwanda of carrying out incursions into its territory, and of backing armed groups there. Kigali has denied involvement. Relations began to thaw after DRC President Felix Tshisekedi took office in 2019 but recent fighting between Congolese forces and M23 -- a primarily Congolese Tutsi group -- has reignited tensions. On Monday, hundreds staged an anti-Rwanda protest in the DRC capital Kinshasa, with demonstrators calling for the expulsion of the Rwandan ambassador. The United Nations said last week that the fresh clashes had displaced 72,000 people, and warned that those on the run faced constant violence and the looting of their homes. Naa Fuseini Seidu Pelpuo IV, the Overlord of the Wala Traditional Council, has condemned, in no uncertain terms, the flogging of a young woman and a man for allegedly involved in sexual misconduct in Wa and sharing the naked videos on social media. He said the act could only drag the reputation of the palace into disrepute and gave the assurance that the perpetrators of the barbaric act would be fished out to face the full rigours of the law. Naa Kadri Ibrahim, Jinpehi Naa, the Spokesperson of the revered chief, said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Wa in reaction to the incident which happened at a scene purported to be Wa Naa's Palace. He explained that the flogging incident happened at a time the Wa Naa was not around while he, the Spokesperson, was also in school, and added that none of the principal chiefs was also around saying, Whosoever took that decision to have them flogged has erred and must be arrested and brought to book. The position of His Majesty, Wa Naa, and for that matter, the palace, is that that is an unfortunate incident and we condemn the act of flogging and we are going ahead to collaborate with the police to see how professionally, they will go about it. It is something that we are not for. We are not for it at all, Na Ibrahim intimated. According to him, the victims should have been reported to the law enforcement agencies for the necessary actions to be taken against them if they were deemed to have committed a crime rather than taking the law into their own hands by flogging them in public. Some videos are in circulating on social media on May 31, 2022, with a date stamp of May 29, 2022, of some irate youths flogging a young man and a young woman at a scene purported to be Wa Naa's Palace. The victims were said to have engaged in sexual misconduct and shared the nude videos on social media, which, according to the youth, was to serve as a deterrent to other young people in Wa. GNA The Nzema Muslims Leadership Coalition (NAMLEC) in the Western Region has inaugurated a scholarship scheme to provide financial assistance to brilliant but needy Muslim students. The scholarship scheme will benefit the three Nzema Districts namely Ellembelle, Nzema East and Jomoro. Its aim is to help the brilliant but needy Muslim children to acquire knowledge to support national development. The Nzema Muslims Leadership Coalition has established a 12-acre rubber plantation to sustain the scholarship scheme. Speaking on behalf of the Nzema Muslims Leadership Coalition (NAMLEC) at the colorful inaugural ceremony at the Asasetre Islamic Basic School park over the weekend, Mallam Issa Pennah who is the newly-elected Treasurer for the coalition, commended all the Imams and Mallams of the entire Nzema Muslim Community for contributing towards the establishment of this first-ever scholarship scheme to support Muslim children. He emphasized that the scholarship scheme would not benefit one particular District but benefit all the three Districts in Nzemaland. "Let me acknowledge all Imams and Mallams in the Nzema Muslim Community for supporting us to establish this scholarship scheme and I want to assure everybody that this scheme will benefit all Districts in Nzema here", he stated. He therefore, implored the parents who graced the occasion and those who couldn't to encourage their children to take their education seriously in order to benefit from the scholarship package. Sheikh Suleyman Ahmed Mozu, the Western Regional Chief Imam who took the opportunity to swear-in the newly elected executives to steer the affairs of the Nzema Muslims Leadership Coalition for the next four years, to commend Muslims in the three Nzema Districts to come together to form an association to support the growth of Islam. Speaking on the theme for the occasion, "Building a responsible Muslim Society for National Development", the Western Regional Chief Imam said before the theme would be actualized, unless parents and Imams take good care of their children. He therefore, called on the Muslim brothers and sisters in the area to support the scholarship scheme financially to achieve its intended purpose. "We have a lot of rich people in our various Muslim communities in Nzema here but some are not helping our children to become great Islamic scholars, this is a great opportunity for all of us to come together to contribute immensely to support and sustain the scholarship scheme", he said. Sheikh Suleyman Ahmed Mozu advised the Muslim youth not to involve themselves in any terrorist group to attack the country. He also called on the Muslim youth not to allow themselves to be used by some selfish politicians in this country to foment trouble in the upcoming general elections in 2024. He urged them to use their strength to work hard for the development of this country. On his part, the District Chief Imam of Ellembelle, Alhaji Mustapha Kwasi Buah Abdellah stressed and cautioned the Muslim youth to stay away from anything that would jeopardize the progress of this country. He took the opportunity to appeal to the gathering to take their personal security seriously and report any suspicious thing to the police for immediate action to be taken. "From today going as the National Security Minister, Mr. Albert Kan Dapaah has said terrorist attackers are coming to attack this country and we should be alert, I want us to also join the campaign to expose those terrorists so if you see anybody who looks very strange and dangerous, kindly report him or her to the police and don't let us entertain such people in our various Zongos", he advised. Moreover, the three Members of Parliament (MPs) for Ellembelle, Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira, Jomoro, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Kofi Arko Nokoe and Dorcas Afo-Toffey respectively donated an undisclosed amount of money to support the aim of the Nzema Muslim Leadership Coalition (NAMLEC). The aim of NAMLEC is to bring Muslims within the Nzema area together to fight a common goal that is, to settle disputes amongst the Muslim fraternity based on Islamic constitution, Qur'an and Sunnah, encourage Muslims to take education seriously, and promote economic activities. The Nzema Muslims Leadership Coalition however has Mohammed Yakubu as its Chairperson, Alhaji Sheihu Abubakar as the Vice Chairperson, Osman Mandoh as the Secretary, Mohammed Arthur as the Secretary, Mallam Issa Pennah as the Treasurer, Abubakar Mohammed as the Farm Manager, Umouro Mohammed as the Organizer, Abdellah Swallar as the Assistant Secretary, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakari as the Founding-father. The rest are Gibrilu Alhassan Laminn, an Executive Member, Abraham Tanko, an Executive Member and Abass Quainoo, an Executive Member. AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF JAPAN AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA REGARDING MUTUAL ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANCE AND COOPERATION IN CUSTOMS MATTERS will enter into force on 1st June. TEXTAGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF JAPAN AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA REGARDING MUTUAL ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANCE AND COOPERATION IN CUSTOMS MATTERS(English) (PDF:194KB) May 31, 2022 Rape Allegations Against Russian Troops In Ukraine Were Fake There is a first and still very low noise signal that the Zelenski regime in Kiev is coming apart. Six weeks ago there were suddenly many claims that Russian soldiers in Ukraine had raped people. Time headlined: Ukrainians Who Have Been Raped by Russian Troops Are Refusing to Stay Silent Ukraines human rights ombudsman, Lyudmyla Denisova said that 25 teenage girls were kept in a basement in Bucha and gang-raped; nine of them are now pregnant. Elderly women spoke on camera about being raped by Russian soldiers. The bodies of children were found naked with their hands tied behind their backs, their genitals mutilated. Those victims included both girls and boys, and Ukrainian men and boys have been sexually assaulted in other incidents. A group of Ukrainian women POWs had their heads shaved in Russian captivity, where they were also stripped naked and forced to squat. Eager anti-Russian activists were spreading those dubious claims: "25 teenage girls were gang-raped; 9 are now pregnant. Elderly women spoke about being raped by Russian soldiers. The bodies of children were found naked with their hands tied behind their backs, their genitals mutilated." A harrowing read, by @Amie_FR. Link to Time report Quoting Julia Joffe's tweet I immediately dismissed those claims: Such accusations of mass rape by the enemy de jour are made in every war (Libya, Syria) . They rarely turn out to be true. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Libyan_rape_allegations It turns out that my hunch was right: Ukraine's parliament just fired human rights ombudsman Lyudmila Denisova. MPs claimed her work focusing on the rape of Ukrainians by Russian troops which "couldn't be confirmed with evidence [...] only harmed Ukraine and distracted the global media from Ukraine's real needs." 238 MPs voted her out. Other complaints were that Denisova had failed to organize humanitarian corridors and POW exchanges, and that she had spent time in "warm Western Europe" during the invasion "but not in Russia or Belarus, where her status and powers could help prisoners." Lyudmila Denisova had made lots of sensational claims about Russian soldiers: Ukraine's human-rights commissioner said on Tuesday that investigators had heard more than 400 allegations of sexual violence, including rape, of Ukrainians by Russian soldiers in the space of two weeks. ... "There are two features," Denisova said. First, she said, the allegations generally involve young soldiers between 20 and 25 years old. "That is, those who just grew up on Putin's rule, on his propaganda," she said. Second, the soldiers are typically accused of committing rape in public or in view of others, she said. She gave an example of a 25-year-old woman who said she was made to watch the rape of her 16-year-old sister and begged that they rape her instead. "We need help for both," said Denisova. She went on to describe the alleged rapes of two 11-year-olds, a girl and a boy, and a 14-year-old. She said she had received a report that the 11-year old girl was raped after sneaking out to pick flowers in Hostomel, a city northwest of Kyiv that has been under heavy assault. She said the girl "remembers only the beginning, and then remembers nothing, only when she was knocked to the ground." Back then the rape allegations were part of the Ukrainian propaganda campaign: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Friday that Russian soldiers had committed rape in Ukrainian cities. Kuleba did not give any evidence for his claim. Reuters was unable to independently verify the claim. "When bombs fall on your cities, when soldiers rape women in the occupied cities - and we have numerous cases of, unfortunately, when Russian soldiers rape women in Ukrainian cities - it's difficult, of course, to speak about the efficiency of international law," Kuleba told an event at Chatham House in London. However, a bunch of eager NGOs in Ukraine, hoping for fresh 'western' money for new 'rape consultation and recovery' projects, tried to find real rape cases. They were disappointed when they found that there was no evidence that any rape had taken place (machine translation): On May 25, a number of media outlets and NGOs published an open appeal to Lyudmila Denisova calling for improved communication on sexual crimes during the war. The signatories insist that Denisova should disclose only information about which there is sufficient evidence, avoid sensationalism and excessive detail in their reports, use correct terminology and take care of the confidentiality and safety of victims. "Sexual crimes during the war are family tragedies, a difficult traumatic topic, not a topic for publications in the spirit of the 'scandalous chronicle.' We need to keep in mind the goal: to draw attention to the facts of crimes, "the appeal reads. Other reason cited for firing Denisova were her extensive stays in west Europe during the war and her neglect of negotiations with Russia about prisoner exchanges and other humanitarian issues: [Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee the Verkhovna Rada Pavlo] Frolov also noted that since the beginning of the war and the great suffering of Ukrainians, Denisova has hardly exercised her authority to organize humanitarian corridors, protect and exchange prisoners, oppose the deportation of people and children from the occupied territories, and other human rights activities. The incomprehensible concentration of the ombudsman's media work on numerous details of "unnatural sexual crimes" and "rape of children" in the occupied territories, which could not be confirmed by evidence, only harmed Ukraine and distracted the world media from Ukraine's real needs. After February 24, the current Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights spent abroad, but not in Russia or Belarus, where her status and powers could help prisoners, deportees and victims of the occupation of Kherson, and in Davos, Vienna, Warsaw and other warm Western Europe. Denisova had become too embarrassing. Her firing seems to be part of a remake of the Ukraine propaganda campaign. Here is another data point from The London Times that points into this direction: Azov Battalion drops neo-Nazi symbol exploited by Russian propagandists (not satire) The Azov Battalion has removed a neo-Nazi symbol from its insignia that has helped perpetuate Russian propaganda about Ukraine being in the grip of far-right nationalism. At the unveiling of a new special forces unit in Kharkiv, patches handed to soldiers did not feature the wolfsangel, a medieval German symbol that was adopted by the Nazis and which has been used by the battalion since 2014. This reminds one of al-Qaida in Syria which was relabeled to Jabhat al-Nusra before being named Jabhat Fatah al-Sham and ended up being called Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Names and symbols changed. But all the time the leadership, ideology and behavior of the group stayed the same. Rebranding of radical groups to make them more acceptable in 'western' media happens all the time. Here are two more Moon of Alabama headlines about similar product name changes: To summarize: The rape allegations against Russian soldiers in Ukraine were made up and false. The Ukrainian propagandist responsible for them has been fired. Ukraine and its Nazi stormtroopers of the Azov battalion are correcting their appearance to become more acceptable for the 'western' public. Nothing of the above will change the cold fact that Ukraine and the 'west' are losing in their war against Russia. Posted by b on May 31, 2022 at 16:18 UTC | Permalink Comments next page Walk through the hot pink front door of Best Little Wine & Books in Lockhart looking for a bottle, and you'll quickly be greeted by sommelier Kaye Askins trilling out a cheerful "Hello my darling!" closely followed by her small scruffy dog, Chicken Hawkins, should he deign to move from his bed under the shop's built-in fireplace. It's immediately apparent why Askins gave her shop, which had its grand opening in April, the name. The place is small, but it's bright and colorful. Shelves stocked with wine bottles feature tags with facts about each wine, dutifully handwritten by Askins. Four round gold tables make up the front of the shop, where guests can sit and sip from purple or pink stemmed wine glasses, settled in front of a large picture window that faces the street. Consumable Content Lockhart may seem like an interesting spot for Best Little Wine & Booksit certainly wouldn't be out of place on Austin's famed South Congress Avenue. The Central Texas town 30 miles south of Austin, population 14,379, is better known for its rustic barbecue joints than its cute wine shops. The Texas legislature dubbed it the "Barbecue Capital of Texas" in 2003, a reputation anchored by Kreuz Market, Black's Barbecue and Smitty's Market. For Askins, Lockhart was the perfect place for her little wine shop. Her partner, Travis Tober, who co-owns hip Austin cocktail bar Nickel City, opened Old Pal Bar in Lockhart in May 2021. After going back and forth weekly for months, the couple moved to Lockhart last November. Theyre passionate about preserving, protecting and supporting the small town. And as Austin gets more and more expensive, Askins is seeing others put down roots in Lockhart. A tiny shop in a small town, where she can wave to people heading to the downtown square through the window, is exactly what Askins wants. "I don't want anything bigger than this," Askins said. "I want it to stay little. I've got people telling me, 'You're already going to need' And I promise you, I don't need." Consumable Content It's a definite change of pace for Askins. A Fort Worth native, she's been in hospitality for 13 years, most recently as senior beverage manager for restaurants at Eataly Dallas47,000 square feet of restaurant space versus the 700 square feet of wine shop she manages now. There wasn't a tipping point when she realized she was done with fine dining or the rush of the restaurant floor. Best Little Wine & Books was always a far-off "maybe someday when I'm old and retired" dream, she says, until Tober took her past an available building in Lockhart he heard would be perfect. Askins scoffed when he suggested looking at it. Then she saw the outside, a lime green building, and fell in love with it. She and Tober met with their realtor and toured the building the very next day. "Everything about it was so perfect. It was very serendipitous," said Askins. "[We thought], if we get approval for this, this is exactly how we dreamed it: A small space that is very much part of the neighborhood." The building was built in 1945 and originally served as the town clinic (though it was a loan office right before Askins came in), and its not uncommon for people to come in and tell Askins they were born exactly where 150 wine selections now sit. She kept most of the building's existing character, mainly just installing shelves, putting in a vintage door marked "Private" to cordon off an interior room, and painting the front door and an interior pillar hot pink to match. Consumable Content She curated her wine list to include producers people may recognize and some that they may not. She found out what people in Lockhart wanted from a local bottle shop and expanded her offerings in kind, emphasizing female and minority winemakers, as well as those using sustainable practices. "I can geek out on stuff, but really it's about giving something to the community," Askins said. "That's just something I always want to put out there. This is accessible to you, it's not some big secret, drink and enjoy." Askins also wants it to be a place where anyone can come in and learn about wine, whether they're an experienced and adventurous drinker or a Pinot Grigio loyalist. She's happy to recommend a book, or take anyone around the shop and answer questions, or talk about the history of a producer or the significance of a bottle. And she says she's already been welcomed by the community who were excited to see a wine shop open near its historic downtown square. "If people legitimately want to come in and sit with a book and ask me questions and ask for suggestions on how to get started with wine tasting, what should they be drinking, what should they be looking for I'm not going to charge for that. That's not the point," she said. Consumable Content Locals and visitors can purchase bottles to go, to enjoy in the shop (though again, Askins emphasizes how small the space isshe's had to politely break the news to a group of 10 that wanted to come in), or purchase and peruse books about wine, food and cocktails in the shop's cozy book nook. "This is such a crazy and cool opportunity I never thought I could have for myself, but that is how Lockhart is," Askins says. "The majority of the business owners here are female, and there's a lot of young [women] coming down and a lot of young people coming down, like minded as us, just wanting an opportunity to have a little slower pace of life." Askins is happy about visitors coming from Austin and outside Lockhartwho are welcomed with that same "Hello my darling!"but that's not why she's set up shop here. More Information See More Collapse "That's not why I'm doing it. I'm doing it because this is our home," she said. Best Little Wine & Books Find it: 210 W San Antonio St, Lockhart, TX 78644 Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m.-8 p.m. JERUSALEM (AP) Israel said Tuesday it has proof that Iran stole classified documents from the U.N. atomic energy agency nearly two decades ago and used them to conceal its nuclear activities from international inspectors. The documents appear to show that Iran was spying on the inspectors and trying to anticipate and respond to any allegations of wrongdoing, but they do not appear to contain any evidence it was pursuing nuclear weapons. The release came as Israel has been pressing the U.S. and other world powers not to restore a tattered nuclear deal with Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett circulated the documents to media. His office said they came from a trove of Iranian nuclear files seized by Israel in 2018 but have not previously been made public. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the documents last week, saying it had obtained them from a Middle East intelligence agency" in a country opposed to Iran's nuclear program. Bennett said he was sharing the documents in response to remarks by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, who dismissed the allegations as lies." The foreign minister pointed to previous times when Israel has issued dire warnings which did not come to pass that Iran was about to develop nuclear weapons. Spreading lies? Come on. Im holding right here the proof of your lies in my hands," Bennett said in a video circulated to media. The Persian-language documents, which could not be immediately authenticated, appear to be marked with official stamps, some bearing the word secret. After Iran stole classified documents from the U.N.s atomic agency, Iran used that information to figure out what the atomic agency was hoping to find, and then created cover stories and hid evidence to evade their nuclear probes," Bennett said. Iran has always insisted its nuclear program is for purely peaceful purposes. U.S. intelligence agencies, Western nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency have said Iran ran an organized nuclear weapons program until 2003. Israel views Iran as its greatest threat and was virulently opposed to the 2015 nuclear agreement signed by Iran and world powers, saying it did not contain enough safeguards to keep Iran from developing a weapons capability or address other Iranian military threats in the region. It welcomed the Trump administration's decision to unilaterally withdraw from that deal, causing its collapse, and is opposed to U.S. efforts to revive the accord. Israel is widely believed to be the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East. It has never publicly acknowledged having such weapons. One of the documents shared by Israel, a purported Iranian intelligence memo from 2004, says 27 pages of classified IAEA documents are being sent to prepare for an inspection of Iran's Arak heavy water nuclear reactor. The reactor produces plutonium as a byproduct, which can be used for nuclear weapons. The memo says the documents were obtained using intelligence methods. Another purported Iranian intelligence memo, from 2006, offers a translation of a highly confidential agency report about a green salt project. The U.S. has said the Green Salt Project was an Iranian plan to link diverse components of a nuclear weapons program, including uranium enrichment, high explosives testing and a missile re-entry vehicle. In one set of documents, an Iranian official requests in handwritten notes that the liquidation date of a company that had been operating the Gachin uranium mine be changed from 2001 to 2003. The official writes that the atomic agency will be asking about it, saying we must hurry. The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed intelligence officials, said this change allowed Iran to tell the IAEA that the work done on the mine prior to 2003 was carried out by a private company under the auspices of Irans atomic energy agency, when in fact the mine was operated by the Defense Ministry as part of a potential nuclear weapons program. The Biden administration says it is making a final push for an agreement that would lift sanctions on Iran in return for limits and oversight of its nuclear activities. The inspections would likely be carried out by the IAEA. Since the collapse of the deal, Iran has resumed key aspects of its nuclear program, including enrichment of uranium beyond the limits outlined in the agreement. Israel's defense minister recently claimed that Iran is just weeks away from producing enough enriched uranium required to make a bomb. Rob Malley, the U.S. envoy to the talks, acknowledged last week that the chances of success were tenuous." But he said the administration still believes Iran's nuclear program is less of a threat inside a deal than outside one. Yoel Guzansky, a senior fellow and Iran expert at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies, said the leak of the documents was likely aimed at influencing the U.S. as it tries to close a new deal. But he said it would likely not have much impact. People understand what the threat from Iran is, he said. They understand that Iran is lying and cheating and hiding for years. I don't think it comes as a surprise for anyone, so I don't see any long-term effect of these documents. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate UVALDE, Texas (AP) The blame for an excruciating delay in killing the gunman at a Texas elementary school even as parents outside begged police to rush in and panicked children called 911 from inside has been placed with the school district's homegrown police chief. It's left residents in the small city of Uvalde struggling to reconcile what they know of the well-liked local lawman after the director of state police said that the commander at the scene Pete Arredondo made the wrong decision last week not to breach a classroom at Robb Elementary School sooner, believing the gunman was barricaded inside and children werent at risk. Steven McCraw, the head of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said at the Friday news conference that after following the gunman into the building, officers waited over an hour to breach the classroom. Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in the shooting. Arredondo, who grew up in Uvalde and graduated from high school here, was set to be sworn in Tuesday to his new spot on the City Council after being elected earlier this month, but Mayor Don McLaughlin said in a statement Monday that the meeting wouldn't happen. It wasnt immediately clear whether the swearing-in would happen privately or at a later date. Pete Arredondo was duly elected to the City Council, McLaughlin said in the statement. There is nothing in the City Charter, Election Code, or Texas Constitution that prohibits him from taking the oath of office." The 50-year-old Arredondo has spent much of a nearly 30-year career in law enforcement in Uvalde, returning in 2020 to take the head police job at the school district. When Arredondo was a boy, Maria Gonzalez used to drive him and her children to the same school where the shooting happened. He was a good boy, she said. He dropped the ball maybe because he did not have enough experience. Who knows? People are very angry," Gonzalez said. Another woman in the neighborhood where Arredondo grew up began sobbing when asked about him. The woman, who didn't want to give her name, said one of her granddaughters was at the school during the shooting but wasn't hurt. Juan Torres, a U.S. Army veteran who was visibly upset with reports coming out about the response, said he knew Arredondo from high school. You sign up to respond to those kinds of situations Torres said. If you are scared, then dont be a police officer. Go flip burgers. After his election to the City Council, Arredondo told the Uvalde Leader-News earlier this month that he was ready to hit the ground running. I have plenty of ideas, and I definitely have plenty of drive, he said, adding he wanted to focus not only on the city being fiscally responsible but also making sure street repairs and beautification projects happen. At a candidates forum before his election, Arredondo said: I guess to me nothing is complicated. Everything has a solution. That solution starts with communication. Communication is key. McCraw said Friday that minutes after the gunman entered the school, city police officers entered through the same door. Over the course of more than an hour, law enforcement from multiple agencies arrived on the scene. Finally, officials said, a U.S. Border Patrol tactical team used a janitors key to unlock the classroom door and kill the gunman. McCraw said that students and teachers had repeatedly begged 911 operators for help while Arredondo told more than a dozen officers to wait in a hallway. That directive which goes against established active-shooter protocols prompted questions about whether more lives were lost because officers didnt act faster. Two law enforcement officials have said that as the gunman fired at students, law enforcement officers from other agencies urged Arredondo to let them move in because children were in danger, The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they had not been authorized to talk publicly about the investigation. McLaughlin, the Uvalde mayor, pushed back on officials claims, including remarks made over the weekend by Texas lieutenant governor, that they werent told the truth about the massacre. Local law enforcement has not made any public comments about the specifics of the investigation or (misled) anyone, he said in a Monday statement. Arredondo started out his career in law enforcement working for the Uvalde Police Department. After spending 16 years there, he went to Laredo, a border city located 130 miles (209 kilometers) miles to the south, where he worked at the Webb County Sheriff's Office and then for a local school district, according to a 2020 article in the Uvalde Leader-News on his return to his hometown to take the school district police chief job. Ray Garner, the police chief of the district in Laredo where Arredondo worked, told the San Antonio Express-News in a story published after the Uvalde shooting that when Arredondo worked in the Laredo district he was easy to talk to" and was concerned about the students. "He was an excellent officer down here, Garner told the newspaper . Down here, we do a lot of training on active-shooter scenarios, and he was involved in those. Arredondo, who spoke only briefly at two short news conferences on the day of the shooting, appeared behind state officials speaking at news conferences over the next two days, but was not present at McCraws Friday news conference. After that news conference, members of the media converged at Arredondo's home and police cruisers took up posts there. At one point, a man answering the door at Arredondo's house told a reporter for The Associated Press that Arredondo was indisposed. The truth will come out, said the man before closing the door. State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, a Democrat whose district includes Uvalde, said on CNNs State of the Union that he's asking a lot of questions after so many things went wrong. He said one family told him that a first responder told them that their child, who was shot in the back, likely bled out. So, absolutely, these mistakes may have led to the passing away of these children as well, Gutierrez said. Gutierrez said while the issue of which law enforcement agency had or should have had operational control is a significant concern of his, he's also suggested to McCraw "that its not fair to put it on the local (school district) cop. At the end of the day, everybody failed here," Gutierrez said. ___ Associated Press writer Stengle contributed from Dallas, and also contributing were Curt Anderson in Miami, Jim Vertuno in Austin, Mike Balsamo in Washington and Elliott Spagat in Uvalde. ___ More on the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas: https://apnews.com/hub/school-shootings New Marketing Leader for Acceldata Data observability specialist Acceldata has appointed former Splunk and Sumo Logic exec Girish Bhat as SVP of Marketing, leading the global marketing team. Acceldata was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, CA. Its Data Observability Cloud helps enterprises make their data systems 'stable, agile, and cost efficient', promising 'comprehensive visibility and insight to improve the performance, quality, reliability, and cost of data'. Bhat was head of Marketing and Product at Bay Area software firm Wave Systems Corp for four years from January 2011 before joining Splunk as Head of Product and Solutions Marketing. He left in 2019 to join MobileIron as VP Marketing, and for the last nearly two years has been VP Marketing at digital experience and security firm Sumo Logic. He holds an MBA from the University of Ottawa and a Master's degree in Computer Engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology. In his new role Bhat is responsible for all aspects of growth, corporate communications, branding, digital, product and solutions marketing. CEO and co-founder Rohit Choudhary says of the hire: 'Acceldata is in the middle of an exciting period growth and momentum. We've added some incredible players to our leadership team, and Girish is the most recent example. His success at several large technology and data-based companies shows a determination for results and growth across all levels. I'm excited to work with him as Acceldata's SVP of marketing and a key member of our leadership team'. Web site: www.acceldata.io . Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) The South African Cabinet has approved a Constitutional Amendment Bill, which when signed into law, will make sign language the country's 12th official language Texas State Rep. Erin Zwiener, who is pro-abortion rights, speaks during a news conference after a tour through Mexico to learn about Mexican strategies on pro-abortion from activists, to help women in places where abortion is banned, at Quinta Real hotel, in San Pedro Garza Garcia, Mexico May 27, 2022. Wayne LaPierre, CEO of the National Rifle Association, speaks at the NRA-ILA Leadership Forum during the NRA annual convention in Houston, Texas, May 27, 2022. BOSTON (AP) The suspect in a nearly four-decade old killing in South Boston that authorities have linked to notorious mobster James Whitey Bulger and his iron-fisted control of the drug trade in the neighborhood was held without bail on Tuesday. Michael Lewis, 61, pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder at his arraignment in Suffolk Superior Court in connection with the July 1984 shooting death of Brian Watson, whose body was found along a New Hampshire highway about two months after he disappeared. Lewis adamantly denies the allegations and looks forward to his day in court," defense attorney James Sultan said. The slaying took place when Bulger, who was killed in a federal prison in West Virginia in 2018, terrorized the neighborhood. And although neither the suspect nor the victim had a direct link to Bulger, his influence played a role, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden said after the arraignment. We had a glimpse in the courtroom today of a very different Boston, a Boston that we can never allow to happen again," Hayden said. After nearly 40 years we are reminded of the mayhem and murder inflicted by cold-hearted and corrupt, cruel men. That lawless era in Boston's history has often been romanticized in the movies, said New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella, who attended the arraignment to represent several law enforcement agencies in the state that contributed to the investigation. I think its a stark reminder that while Hollywood and others tend to glorify that era, the criminal actors of that era were not Robin Hoods, they were not heroes," he said. The human suffering and the toll that was taken from the criminal acts that were committed during that era are still being felt today, and this case is an example of that. Watson, 23, was last seen alive on July 16 or 17, 1984, and was reported missing by his mother on July 28 that year, authorities said. His body was found hidden among the trees and bushes by a motorist who had pulled over on Interstate 93 in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Sept. 16, 1984. According to the prosecution's account of events, the then 24-year-old Lewis and an another man involved in the drug trade drove around the neighborhood in July 1984 looking for a drug dealer they thought had told Bulger that Lewis' associate was selling angel dust in South Boston. As a result, Bulger had demanded a $5,000 payment plus another $1,000 per week from the man, whose name was not disclosed by prosecutors. Bulger, who was also an FBI informant, was known to shake down drug dealers doing business in South Boston. The pair encountered Watson, who agreed to help them find the other dealer and got in their car, prosecutors said. While the three men drove around South Boston, Lewis suddenly turned, shot and killed Watson," the district attorney's office said in a statement. Bulger, the model for Jack Nicholsons ruthless crime boss in the 2006 Martin Scorsese movie, The Departed, fled Boston in 1994 after his FBI handler warned him he was about to be indicted. Bulger spent 16 years as a fugitive before he was caught. He was convicted in 2013 of participating in 11 killings. Federal authorities developed a significant break in Watson's case in 2009, but not enough to secure an indictment, the district attorney said. But new information was developed within the past year that led to Lewis' indictment on Friday. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden praised New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Tuesday for her success in curbing domestic extremism and guns as he tries to persuade a reluctant Congress to tighten gun laws in the aftermath of horrific mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York. The long-planned talks between Biden and Ardern centered on trade, climate and security in the Indo-Pacific, but the two leaders' starkly different experiences in pushing for gun control loomed large in the conversation. Ardern successfully won passage of gun control measures in her country after a white supremacist gunman killed 51 Muslim worshippers at two Christchurch mosques in 2019. Less than a month later, all but one of the countrys 120 lawmakers voted in favor of banning military-style semiautomatic weapons. Biden told reporters at the start of his meeting with Ardern that he will meet with the Congress on guns, I promise you, but the White House has acknowledged that winning new gun legislation will be an uphill climb in an evenly divided Congress. The U.S. president praised Ardern for her galvanizing leadership on New Zealand's efforts to curb the spread of extremism online, and said he wanted to hear more about the conversations in her country about the issue. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the two leaders spent part of the meeting discussing what has been done on gun reform" under Ardern's watch. Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron in 2019 launched an effort to work with tech companies on eliminating terrorist and violent extremist content online. Then-President Donald Trump declined to join the effort, but the Biden administration has since joined the Christchurch Call to Action. Biden over the weekend traveled to Uvalde, Texas, to grieve with a community that he said made clear to him they want to see Washington tighten gun laws in the aftermath of the shooting rampage that killed 19 children and two teachers. Biden heard similar calls for an overhaul of the nation's gun laws earlier this month when he met with families of 10 Black people who were killed in a racist attack at a Buffalo supermarket. Biden and Ardern also discussed a May 15 shooting at a lunch banquet at a Taiwanese church in Laguna Woods, California that killed one person and wounded five others. The pain is palpable, said Biden, recalling his anguished conversations Sunday with families of victims of the Texas elementary school shooting. Ardern offered condolences and said she stood ready to share "anything that we can share that would be of any value" from New Zealand's experience. Our experience demonstrated our need for gun reform, but it also demonstrated what I think is an international issue around violent extremism and terrorism online, Ardern told reporters following her more than hour-long meeting with Biden. That is an area where we see absolutely partnership that we can continue to work on those issues. It's unclear what, if anything, from New Zealand could be applicable to the United States, which hasn't passed a major federal gun control measure since soon after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut that left 26 dead. A bipartisan group of senators held a private virtual meeting Tuesday to try to strike a compromise over gun safety legislation, but expectations remain low. Senators aren't expected to even broach ideas for an assault weapon ban or other restrictions that could be popular with the public as ways to curb the most lethal mass shootings. Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who led the session alongside Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., called Tuesday's talks a very constructive conversation." Meanwhile, House Judiciary Committee Jerrold Nadler plans to hold a hearing Thursday on the Protecting our Kids Act -- a package of eight bills that has almost no hopes of passing the Senate but would serve as a marker in the debate. It includes calls to raise the age limits on semi-automatic rifle purchases from 18 to 21 years old; create a grant program to buy back large-capacity magazines; establish voluntary safe practices for firearms storage and build on executive measures to ban bump stock devices and so-called ghost guns made from 3-D printing. Ardern, in comments to reporters, said the two countries' political systems are very different. Speaking of the Christchurch shooting, she said that "in the aftermath of that, the New Zealand public had an expectation that if we knew what the problem was, that we do something about it. We had the ability with actually the near-unanimous support of parliamentarians to place a ban on semiautomatic military-style weapons and assault rifles and so we did that. But the New Zealand public set the expectations first and foremost. The New Zealand prime minister did not urge any particular course of action to Biden during their talks, but expressed a broad understanding of what the United States is going through, according to a senior Biden administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversation. Ardern last week, during a speech at Harvard University's commencement, spoke to the scourge of disinformation that is spread and amplified on social media. She said it represents a threat to fragile democracies. The Christchurch gunman was radicalized online. The attack, like the Buffalo supermarket rampage, was livestreamed on social media, she noted. The time has come for social media companies and other online providers to recognize their power and act on it, she said at Harvard. Biden's talks with Ardern came after he made his first visit to Asia last week, a trip to Japan and South Korea meant to highlight his administration's efforts to put greater focus on the Indo-Pacific. In Japan, Biden launched the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, a new trade pact forged with 14 Pacific allies, including New Zealand. The U.S. sees the pact as an alternative to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which moved forward without the U.S. after Trump pulled out. Ardern said she reiterated her commitment to TPP even as New Zealand has joined the new U.S.-launched Indo-Pacific framework. ___ AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report. RUSHVILLE Those who travel a section of U.S. 67 between Beardstown and Rushville will need to find another route starting Wednesday. Bridge replacement over Bluff Ditch north of Beardstown will close U.S. 67 between Bluff Ditch Road and Illinois Route 103/Illinois Route 100, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. Warmer weather is bringing animals and people into closer proximity, and that is prompting warnings from state health officials to avoid contact. The biggest concerns is that animals, especially bats, that are more active this time of year can carry the potentially fatal disease rabies. The Illinois Department of Public Health said there have been four rabid bats found statewide since mid-May. They were noted in Will, Macon, Jackson and Champaign counties, according to the state health agency. Rabies is a virus that attacks the central nervous system. It can be transmitted to people through a bite from an infected animal or by its saliva getting into a person's eyes, nose, mouth or a cut in the skin. Although rabies deaths are rare, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control said they are increasing dramatically. In 2019 and 2020, there were no rabies deaths in the United States; last year, there were five. Among those was the first rabies death in Illinois in almost seven decades. An 87-year-old man in Sugar Grove woke up to find a bat on his neck but declined treatment. He died in September. "While there is a preventive treatment for rabies, it is one of the deadliest diseases we know, Illinois Department of Public Health acting Director Amaal Tokars said. If treatment is delayed until symptoms appear, the virus is almost always fatal. Bats are the primary carrier of rabies in Illinois. "[They] are responsible for the vast majority of human rabies cases in the United States in recent years," Tokars said, "but they are not the only carrier of rabies. The public should be not approach bats or any wild, unfamiliar or stray animal, and any animal that appears to be sick. A bat that is active during the day or one that is found on the ground or unable to fly is more likely to be rabid and should never be handled, according to the health department. Other high-risk animals include skunks, raccoons, foxes and coyotes. It is also important any pets, horses and livestock that could come into contact with a wild animal be up to date on its rabies vaccination, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism. Elvis impersonators told to stop weddings Putting it all in Elvis terms, they "can't go on together with suspicious minds." First case of monkeypox identified in Illinois Public health officials in Illinois announced a Chicago resident with recent travel history to... Kiwanis holding kids fishing event The Kiwanis Club is holding its annual fishing day at Nichols Park June 11. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) Three more nations on Tuesday joined an international investigation team probing war crimes in Ukraine, and the International Criminal Court prosecutor said he plans to open an office in Kyiv, amid ongoing calls for those responsible for atrocities since Russia's invasion to be brought to justice. Estonia, Latvia and Slovakia signed an agreement during a two-day coordination meeting in The Hague to join Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine in the Joint Investigation Team that will help coordinate the sharing of evidence of atrocities through European Union judicial cooperation agency Eurojust. ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan said the teamwork underscores the international community's commitment to the rule of law. I think it shows that there is this common front of legality that is absolutely essential, not just for Ukraine ... but for the continuation of peace and security all over the world, he said. Moscows invasion of Ukraine has been widely condemned as an illegal act of aggression. Russian forces have been accused of killing civilians in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha and of repeated attacks on civilian infrastructure including hospitals and a theater in the besieged city of Mariupol that was being used as a shelter by hundreds of civilians. An investigation by The Associated Press found evidence that the March 16 bombing killed close to 600 people inside and outside the building. Since Russia invaded on Feb. 24, the AP and PBS series Frontline have verified 273 potential war crimes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denounced killings of civilians as genocide and war crimes, while U.S. President Joe Biden has called Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal who should be brought to trial. The team that met Monday and Tuesday at Eurojust's headquarters in The Hague was established in late March, a few weeks after the ICC opened an investigation in Ukraine, after dozens of the court's member states threw their weight behind an inquiry. Khan has visited Ukraine, including Bucha, and has a team of investigators the largest team of prosecutors ever deployed by the international court in the country gathering evidence. Khan now plans to work toward opening an office in Ukraine in the next few weeks." Ukraine's prosecutor general, Iryna Venediktova, said that her office has already opened some 15,000 criminal investigations related to the war and identified over 500 suspects, including Russian ministers, military commanders and propagandists. She said her office was ready to proceed against some 80 of them. Last week, in the first case of its kind linked to the war, a Ukrainian court sentenced a captured Russian soldier to the maximum penalty of life in prison for killing a civilian. On Tuesday, a court in Ukraine convicted two Russian soldiers of war crimes for the shelling of civilian buildings and sentenced both to 11 1/2 years in prison. Russia staunchly denies its troops are responsible for atrocities. The Defense Ministry said earlier this month that not a single civilian has faced any violent action by the Russian military. Analysts warn that the process of meting out justice will be long and complex as investigators piece together forensic and other evidence and seek to establish who ordered or knew about atrocities and failed to act to prevent or punish them. The meeting in The Hague isn't the only place accountability is being sought. Prosecutors in Poland, Germany, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, France, Slovakia, Sweden, Norway and Switzerland have opened investigations of their own. And there have been growing calls to set up a special tribunal to try Russia for the crime of aggression in Ukraine. The ICC can't prosecute the crime of aggression because neither Russia nor Ukraine are members of the court. Khan said the united front of nations investigating crimes since the Russian invasion hopefully can provide some modicum of accountability for the crimes that we are seeing in Ukraine and that really should no longer be tolerated. ___ Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate While the Department of Defense has created an independent committee to assess its efforts to prevent suicide in the ranks of the military, at least one organization says more needs to be done. Warrior Call, a nonprofit organization working to prevent veteran suicide, is urging the Defense Department to take action on mild traumatic brain injuries suffered by service members that may lead to suicide. Warrior Call Chairman Frank Larkin said his concern is that the panel, while an important tool for highlighting any deficit in mental health services and approaches, may not be sufficiently focused on the physiological contributors to suicide. Specifically, the commission should include in its assessment the impact of brain injuries that service members can sustain during regular training and operations. Importantly, service members suffering military-related mild traumatic brain injuries can present as having other ailments, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, and can go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, Larkin said. Some Veterans Affairs doctors say they agree that misdiagnosed or under-treated mild traumatic brain injuries can affect a persons physical and mental health throughout their life. In MTBI, short-term and long-term memory difficulties and language difficulties can happen over time. Often concurrent with this is behavioral issues that evolve. Things like aggression, irritability, fatigue and, in some rare cases, paranoia, said Dr. Keith Robinson, chief of rehabilitation services at Cpl. Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center in Philadelphia. Over his career, Robinson has found flaws in the way mild traumatic brain injuries are graded. For example, both the VA and the Pentagon adopted the well-known Glasgow Coma Scale, which assesses severity at the point of the event that caused the injury. But Robinson says thats not a good indicator of recovery or functional trajectory. Some traumas classified as severe injury can have remarkable recoveries with minimal deficits over time. What we see, if youre classified as mild, with no motor sensory or physical involvement, is that cognition and behavior problems over time can become quite severe, Robinson said of his experience with traumatic brain injury patients. It is a trend seen across the mental health field, too. Dr. David Oslin, chief of behavior health and director of mental illness research and education center at the Crescenz VA Medical Center, works with patients who have experienced traumatic brain injuries. In his experience, traumatic brain injuries, even mild in severity, are risk factors for developing mental health challenges later in life. For example, Oslin cites noted research showing that people are more prone to develop post-traumatic stress disorder if they have had a traumatic brain injury, even a mild case. According to Oslin, symptoms become apparent and exacerbated when left untreated or mistreated. Long-term studies of patients with traumatic brain injury are costly often cost-prohibitive for hospitals and research centers. Instead, Robinson hopes the defense committee will look into the relationship between traumatic brain injury and the development of dementia. When veterans access VA care, they complete a questionnaire that includes questions about past head trauma. Once a veteran is in the VA system of healthcare, the staff and technical software work together to create a list of patients who may be at high risk for mental illness or suicide. We take this list and outreach to them. We check in, let them know weve identified them as high-risk factors, and see if there is anything we can do to help, Oslin said. The VA understands veterans have the option to choose private/civilian healthcare. But both Oslin and Robinson are insistent that VA healthcare works better for veterans. In 2005, after a rise in TBI patients from the Iraq and Afghan wars, the VA started a PolyTrauma System of Care to study the interaction between psychology and brain injuries. Robinson credits this system of care with todays quality of treatment for traumatic brain injury patients, but acknowledges theres still more work to do. For veterans struggling with mental illness or thoughts of suicide, please call the VA Crisis Line at 800-273-8255. 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 ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) The head of the Methodist Church Nigeria regained his freedom a day after being kidnapped by unknown gunmen in the countrys southeast, police told The Associated Press late Monday. Samuel Kanu Uche was kidnapped Sunday along with two other senior clerics along a highway in the Umunneochi area in southeastern Abia state. Police spokesman Geoffrey Ogbonna said the two clerics were also freed, but he did not provide details of their release. Nigeria is Africas most populous nation and abductions for ransom have been a worrying trend. Though the abductions are more rampant in the troubled northwestern Nigeria, the southeast has also grappled with violent attacks in recent years. Authorities have accused members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, a leading separatist group, of being behind many of the attacks. The leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria had condemned the kidnapping and called on Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari to stop the incessant abduction of clerics and other innocent Nigerians. If a great servant of God of Uches caliber could be kidnapped like a three-year-old baby on a major road without any resistance from the police, it speaks volumes of what our security architecture has become, the association said. By CHINEDU ASADU Associated Press Chinas foreign minister arrives in Tonga on Pacific tour View Photo WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Tonga on Tuesday as he continued his regional island-hopping tour a day after failing to ink an ambitious deal with 10 South Pacific nations. While Wang didnt manage to get consensus on the multilateral security and economic plan at a meeting in Fiji after several nations voiced concerns, he has been notching up smaller wins by signing bilateral agreements with the countries hes been visiting, and he signed more deals in Tonga. His tour comes amid growing international concerns about Beijings military and financial ambitions in the region. Tonga is continuing to recover from a massive volcanic eruption and tsunami in January which killed three people locally and destroyed hundreds of homes. The tsunami also cut the nations internet connection to the rest of the world when it severed an undersea cable which took five weeks to repair. In Tonga, Wang met with King Tupou VI and Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni and signed several agreements with Sovaleni that covered everything from disaster management to a royal tomb improvement project. Chinese Ambassador Cao Xiaolin said in a statement the two countries already had close ties in a number of areas including trade, infrastructure and clean energy. He said China had provided various training programs to about 1,200 Tongan government officials and people. The relationship between China and Tonga is a shining pearl, the ambassador said in his statement. Tongas government said the two sides had fruitful talks and thanked China for sending two military planes and two naval ships to deliver supplies after the tsunami. Wangs tour is causing consternation among some Western nations that see themselves as traditional partners with the South Pacific. Australia last week sent new Foreign Minister Penny Wong to Fiji in an attempt at counter-diplomacy. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a speech last week that China posed an even more serious long-term threat than Russia. China is the only country with both the intent to reshape the international order and, increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to do it, he said. At a news conference Monday in Fiji, Wang said China had long championed developing nations both in the Pacific and around the world, addressing how some have been questioning why China has been so active in supporting Pacific Island countries. My advice for those people is: Dont be too anxious and dont be too nervous, Wang said. By NICK PERRY Associated Press Sonora, CA Tuolumne Utilities District(TUD) will begin the Curtis Creek Elementary School Water System Consolidation Project this week. The water project will provide Curtis Creek Elementary School with clean drinking water as well as fire flow. Motorists on Standard road will see activity starting on Tuesday and are advised to use caution in the work area. Mozingo Construction, Inc has been hired for this undertaking with work hours taking place between 7 am to 4 pm, Monday-Friday. The school district received grant funding to install the new water pipeline, the project will involve installing close to 5,535 linear feet of 12-inch portable water pipeline and appurtenances, a 12-inch diameter pipeline is needed to deliver Curtis Creek Elementary School the required fire flow. The project also involves installing seven new fire hydrants along Standard Road, three of which will be converted from raw water to potable water. The school had been relying on well water which has been seen as inadequate for several years due to issues ranging from water source and storage capacity to water quality and creating a situation where bottled water had to be purchased. The school will continue to buy water until the connection to TUD is complete and operational which is anticipated to take place in early August. TUD received a California State Water Resources Control Board grant in the amount of $2,281,884 to fund the design, inspection and testing, construction management, and administration of the project. CAL Fire logo View Photo Update at 5:20 p.m.: Due to unfavorable weather conditions, the prescribed burn has been canceled and will be rescheduled for a later date. Original post at 4:40 p.m San Andreas, CA The California Department of Forestry and Fire protection will conduct a prescribed burn operation on the Mt.Havalia Vegetation Management Project in Tuolumne County, near the community of Tuolumne. Smoke from this project will be visible from Tuolumne and the surrounding areas. The goal of the prescribed burn is to maintain the Mt.Havalia Fuel Break along the top of the North Fork Tuolumne River Canyon. The prescribed burn will commence Tuesday, May 31st from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Resources assigned to the burn will include fire engines, hand crews, and cooperating agencies. BAGHDAD (AP) At least five missiles hit a sprawling Iraqi army base hosting U.S. troops in the countrys western desert Monday, two Iraqi security officials said. The officials said the Grad missiles struck inside the Ain al-Asad base in Iraqs western Anbar province and caused minor damages but no casualties. The officials said the missiles hit only a few meters (yards) from where U.S. forces are stationed. The officals spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media. The culprits were not immediately known, but the U.S. has previously accused Iran-backed Iraqi militia groups of targeting the American presence in Iraq, including the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. The attacks were once a frequent occurence, but have lessened in recent months. In March, Iran attacked Iraqs northern city of Irbil with a dozen ballistic missiles claiming it was targeting Israeli spy centers. Iraq later said an investigation found there was no Israeli presence in the areas. The attack was also considered a warning to the U.S., a staunch ally of Israel. U.S.-led coalition forces recently ended their combat mission in Iraq, but continue to play an advisory role to Iraqi forces in the fight against the Islamic State extremist group. By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA Associated Press Lebanons Parliament reelects Berri as speaker for 7th time View Photo BEIRUT (AP) Lebanons longtime parliament speaker who has held the post for 30 years, was reelected Tuesday for a seventh four-year term with the minimum number of votes needed and despite multiple crises plaguing the nation. Still, the slim majority in favor of Nabih Berri was a reflection of a significant shift in public opinion in the crumbling economy on the verge of bankruptcy. His reelection was practically guaranteed even though more than a dozen new lawmakers won seats running on a reform platform. The new legislature is being ushered in as Lebanon remains in the grip of the worst economic and financial crisis in its modern history, rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement by the ruling class, which has been running the country since the end of the 1975-90 civil war. To most Lebanese, Berri, an 84-year-old former warlord, is a symbol of this entrenched sectarian-based political system and ruling class, which continues to hold despite rising discontent and the newly elected, reform-minded lawmakers. As leader of the Shiite Amal movement, which is closely allied with the militant Hezbollah group, Berri is virtually untouchable always running uncontested. The two parties hold all 27 seats allotted to Shiites in parliament under Lebanons power-sharing system. In a reflection of the divisions and polarization in the new assembly, Tuesdays session was characterized by tense back-and-forth shouting and arguing between Berri and indignant lawmakers. The May 15 election was the first since Lebanons economic crisis began in late 2019 with nationwide mass protests against the political class. Since then, the Lebanese currency has collapsed, banks have clamped down on depositors money and the countrys foreign currency reserves have dwindled to barely enough to purchase essentials such as fuel and medicine amid severe shortages. The new parliament is deeply divided with no coalition holding a majority. Hezbollah and its allies lost the dominance they had held since 2018, and now hold 61 seats four short of an absolute majority in the 128-seat chamber. Berri was elected with 65 votes in favor the lowest number he has ever received over the past three decades. There were 23 blank ballots and 40 were annulled. In 2000, Berri received 124 votes in the assembly and in 2018, he got 98. My hand is extended to everyone who wants to cooperate with good faith to save Lebanon, Berri said as celebratory gunfire by his supporters rang out across parts of Beirut. He had issued a statement on Monday calling on his supporters to abstain from the traditional firing in the air. Mr. Speaker, shooting is ongoing outside, quipped legislator Sammy Gemayel, interrupting Berri as he spoke. Berri responded: I issued a statement, what can I do? The 13 independent candidates, drawn from the 2019 protest movement, and some of the Christian parties in parliament had said they would not vote for Berri, leaving him with a much slimmer margin of support, mainly from Shiite parties belonging to the Hezbollah-led coalition. The powerful Berri was the only candidate for the post of speaker, which under Lebanons power-sharing agreement is held by a Shiite. Ahead of the session, some of the independents and new legislators gathered outside Beiruts port the scene of a massive explosion in August 2020 that killed more than 200 people and met with families of the victims who perished in the blast. After the meeting, they walked to Parliament, surrounded by hundreds of supporters chanting revolution. Independent legislator Mark Daou, a newcomer, entered the parliament building carrying a large poster with photographs of those killed in the blast. Two of the politicians charged in connection with the blast are members of Berris parliamentary bloc. They have legally challenged the investigative judges order and were present in the assembly Tuesday after being reelected on May 15. This is a moment of change in Lebanon. There is a new political group that represents a big part of Lebanese society that has taken a sizable bloc in parliament and will change the dynamics that weve had and that destroyed the country since the Civil War, he told The Associated Press ahead of the session. The investigation into the port explosion, when hundreds of tons of improperly stored ammonium nitrate detonated, has been stalled for months amid legal challenges by officials charged by the investigative judge. Beirut has the right to know who killed her, said independent legislator Yassin Yassin, in a reference to the bungled probe. Reflecting the divisions in parliament, many of the annulled ballots Tuesday had slogans written on them such as justice for the victims of the port blast and justice for Lokman Slim, an anti-Hezbollah Shiite political activist who was found shot in his car last year. The presence of the independent lawmakers in the legislature is a major achievement they went into the vote fragmented and faced intimidation and threats by entrenched mainstream parties. It sent a strong message to politicians who have for decades held on to their seats and continue to do so despite the economic meltdown, which has impoverished Lebanon and triggered the biggest wave of emigration since the 1975-90 civil war. By BASSEM MROUE and ZEINA KARAM Associated Press Probe could shed light on police time lapse in Uvalde deaths View Photo Since the Columbine High School massacre more than 20 years ago, police have been trained to quickly confront shooters in the horrific attacks that have followed. But officers in Uvalde, Texas, took more than an hour to kill a shooter who massacred 19 children, a lapse of time that will likely be a key part of a Justice Department probe into the police response. The rare federal review comes amid growing, agonized questions and shifting information from police. Authorities now say that several officers entered the elementary school just two minutes after alleged gunman Salvador Ramos and exchanged fire with him, but he wasnt stopped until a tactical team entered a classroom more than an hour later. Thats a confounding timeline for law enforcement experts like Jarrod Burguan, who was the police chief in San Bernardino, California, when the city was hit by a terrorist attack that killed 14 people in 2015. Officers entered that facility, a training center for residents with developmental disabilities, within two minutes of arriving. Columbine changed everything, Burguan said Monday. Officers are now trained to form up and enter buildings to confront shooters as quickly as possible to prevent them from killing more people. This has been drilled into this industry for years now. Justice Department officials probing the Texas slayings will examine a host of questions about the police response in Uvalde. A similar review that largely praised the response to the San Bernardino mass shooting was over 100 pages long. In announcing the review, Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley said it would be conducted in a fair, impartial and independent manner and the findings would be made public. It could take months. Handling the review is the departments Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. One key question for Maria Haberfeld, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, is why a school district police chief had the power to tell more than a dozen officers to wait in a hallway at Uvaldes Robb Elementary. The key question for me is, who designated him to be in charge? she said. Officials have said he believed the suspect was barricaded inside adjoining classrooms and there was no longer an active threat. But school police officers dont typically have the most experience with active shooters, and Haberfeld questioned why people with more specialized training didnt take the reins. A U.S. Border Patrol tactical team finally used a janitors key to unlock the classroom door and kill the gunman, raising more questions about the choice of entry. Its not some fortified castle from the Middle Ages. Its a door, she said. They knew what to do. You dont need the key. The Justice review wont investigate the crime itself, or directly hold police civilly or criminally liable. What it will likely do is examine things like how police communicated with each other, said Thor Eells, executive director of the National Tactical Officers Association. Its not yet known why the school chief, Pete Arredondo, thought the shooter was barricaded and he hasnt commented. I think we need to be a little patient on that and wait to ensure we understand what that mindset was, Eells said. It goes back to communication. What information did they have? The review will also likely examine how well officers were prepared with gear like weapons and body armor. The shooter wore a tactical vest and was armed with an AR-15-style rifle, a powerful weapon capable of piercing basic bulletproof vests. In previous shootings reviewed by the Justice Department, non-specialized law enforcement units did not have the kind of body armor needed to fully protect themselves. At the 2016 massacre that killed 49 people and hurt dozens more in the LGBT community at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, a detective on the scene exchanged gunfire with the suspect, knowing his handgun was no match for the weapon being fired in the club. Despite that, the first officers on the scene formed up in a team to enter the club quickly and begin searching for the shooter, according to the report. In San Bernardino, meanwhile, only one of the first officers on scene had a shotgun and several did not have body armor. But they still used their training on active shooter situations to form up in a four-officer team to immediately enter the complex. Moving quickly is important not only to stop a shooter from killing more people, but to help the wounded. In San Bernardino and Orlando, the Justice Department reviews credited the quick response in getting the wounded transported to treatment within a golden hour where victims are mostly likely to survive. It is unclear what impact the delayed entry into the Texas classroom might have had on any of the children who were wounded and needed treatment more than an hour away in San Antonio. Police do have to quickly analyze the risks to themselves and others in a violent, quickly changing situation but theyre also trained to stop people from getting hurt, Eells said. Making an entry into that room is very, very, very dangerous, he said. But we are going to incur that risk, knowingly and willingly, because our priorities are to help those that cannot help themselves. ___ Whitehurst reported from Salt Lake City. Associated Press writer Gary Fields in Washington contributed to this report. ___ More on the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas: https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting By LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press Very angry: Uvalde locals grapple with school chiefs role View Photo UVALDE, Texas (AP) The blame for an excruciating delay in killing the gunman at a Texas elementary school even as parents outside begged police to rush in and panicked children called 911 from inside has been placed with the school districts homegrown police chief. Its left residents in the small city of Uvalde struggling to reconcile what they know of the well-liked local lawman after the director of state police said that the commander at the scene Pete Arredondo made the wrong decision last week not to breach a classroom at Robb Elementary School sooner, believing the gunman was barricaded inside and children werent at risk. Steven McCraw, the head of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said at the Friday news conference that after following the gunman into the building, officers waited over an hour to breach the classroom. Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in the shooting. Arredondo, who grew up in Uvalde and graduated from high school here, was elected earlier this month to the Uvalde City Council. A special City Council meeting for him and two re-elected incumbents to take their oaths of office had been set for Tuesday evening, but Mayor Don McLaughlin said Monday that the meeting wouldnt be held. Then the mayor issued a Tuesday evening statement saying no ceremony had been held, but the members were sworn in Tuesday. The 50-year-old Arredondo has spent much of a nearly 30-year career in law enforcement in Uvalde, returning in 2020 to take the head police job at the school district. When Arredondo was a boy, Maria Gonzalez used to drive him and her children to the same school where the shooting happened. He was a good boy, she said. He dropped the ball maybe because he did not have enough experience. Who knows? People are very angry, Gonzalez said. Another woman in the neighborhood where Arredondo grew up began sobbing when asked about him. The woman, who didnt want to give her name, said one of her granddaughters was at the school during the shooting but wasnt hurt. Juan Torres, a U.S. Army veteran who was visibly upset with reports coming out about the response, said he knew Arredondo from high school. You sign up to respond to those kinds of situations Torres said. If you are scared, then dont be a police officer. Go flip burgers. After his election to the non-salaried spot on the City Council, Arredondo told the Uvalde Leader-News earlier this month that he was ready to hit the ground running. I have plenty of ideas, and I definitely have plenty of drive, he said, adding he wanted to focus not only on the city being fiscally responsible but also making sure street repairs and beautification projects happen. At a candidates forum before his election, Arredondo said: I guess to me nothing is complicated. Everything has a solution. That solution starts with communication. Communication is key. McCraw said Friday that minutes after the gunman entered the school, city police officers entered through the same door. Over the course of more than an hour, law enforcement from multiple agencies arrived on the scene. Finally, officials said, a U.S. Border Patrol tactical team used a janitors key to unlock the classroom door and kill the gunman. McCraw said that students and teachers had repeatedly begged 911 operators for help while Arredondo told more than a dozen officers to wait in a hallway. That directive which goes against established active-shooter protocols prompted questions about whether more lives were lost because officers didnt act faster. Two law enforcement officials have said that as the gunman fired at students, law enforcement officers from other agencies urged Arredondo to let them move in because children were in danger, The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they had not been authorized to talk publicly about the investigation. In his Monday statement, McLaughlin, the Uvalde mayor, pushed back on officials claims, including remarks made over the weekend by Texas lieutenant governor, that they werent told the truth about the massacre. McLaughlin said in that statement that local law enforcement hadnt made any public comments about the investigations specifics or misled anyone. But in his Tuesday statement, McLaughlin, noting that emotions are raw, and hearts are broken, said he misunderstood statements he thought Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had said. Arredondo started out his career in law enforcement working for the Uvalde Police Department. After spending 16 years there, he went to Laredo, a border city located 130 miles (209 kilometers) miles to the south, where he worked at the Webb County Sheriffs Office and then for a local school district, according to a 2020 article in the Uvalde Leader-News on his return to his hometown to take the school district police chief job. The school districts board of trustees approved his appointment to the spot. According to the Uvalde school districts website, the police force led by Arredondo also has five other officers and a security guard. Ray Garner, the police chief of the district in Laredo where Arredondo worked, told the San Antonio Express-News in a story published after the Uvalde shooting that when Arredondo worked in the Laredo district he was easy to talk to and was concerned about the students. He was an excellent officer down here, Garner told the newspaper. Down here, we do a lot of training on active-shooter scenarios, and he was involved in those. Arredondo, who spoke only briefly at two short news conferences on the day of the shooting, appeared behind state officials speaking at news conferences over the next two days, but was not present at McCraws Friday news conference. After that news conference, members of the media converged at Arredondos home and police cruisers took up posts there. Arredondo has not responded to multiple requests for comment from The Associated Press. At one point, a man answering the door at Arredondos house told a reporter for The Associated Press that Arredondo was indisposed. The truth will come out, said the man before closing the door. On Tuesday, Travis Considine, chief communications officer for the Texas Department of Public Safety, said Arredondo had not responded to DPS interview requests for two days, Considine said. State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, a Democrat whose district includes Uvalde, said on CNNs State of the Union on Sunday that hes asking a lot of questions after so many things went wrong. He said one family told him that a first responder told them that their child, who was shot in the back, likely bled out. So, absolutely, these mistakes may have led to the passing away of these children as well, Gutierrez said. Gutierrez said while the issue of which law enforcement agency had or should have had operational control is a significant concern of his, hes also suggested to McCraw that its not fair to put it on the local (school district) cop. At the end of the day, everybody failed here, Gutierrez said. ___ Associated Press writer Stengle contributed from Dallas, and also contributing were Curt Anderson in Miami, Jim Vertuno in Austin, Mike Balsamo in Washington and Elliott Spagat in Uvalde. ___ More on the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas: https://apnews.com/hub/school-shootings By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON and JAMIE STENGLE Associated Press Some Democrats voting in GOP primaries to block Trump picks View Photo WASHINGTON (AP) Diane Murray struggled with her decision all the way up to Election Day. But when the time came, the 54-year-old Georgia Democrat cast a ballot in last weeks Republican primary for Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. While state law allowed her to participate in either partys primary, she said it felt like a violation of her core values to vote for the Republican. But it had to be done, she decided, to prevent a Donald Trump -backed election denier from becoming the battleground states election chief. I feel strongly that our democracy is at risk, and that people who are holding up the big lie, as we call it, and holding onto the former president are dangerous to democracy, said Murray, who works at the University of Georgia. I dont know Ill do it again because of how I felt afterward. I just felt icky. Raffensperger, a conservative who refused to support the former presidents direct calls to overturn the 2020 election, probably would not have won the May 24 Republican primary without people like Murray. An Associated Press analysis of early voting records from data firm L2 found that more than 37,000 people who voted in Georgias Democratic primary two years ago cast ballots in last weeks Republican primary, an unusually high number of so-called crossover voters. Even taking into account the limited sample of early votes, the data reveal that crossover voters were consequential in defeating Trumps hand-picked candidates for secretary of state and, to a lesser extent, governor. Gov. Brian Kemp did not ultimately need Democrats in his blowout victory against his Trump-backed opponent, but Raffensperger probably did. The Republican secretary of state cleared the 50% threshold required to avoid a runoff election by just over 27,000 votes, according to the latest AP tallies. Based on early voting data alone, 37,144 former Democrats voted in the Republican primary. The total number of crossovers including Election Day votes, set to be revealed in the coming weeks, may be even higher. Crossover voting, also known as strategic voting, is not exclusive to Georgia this primary season as voters across the political spectrum work to stop Trump-backed extremists from winning control of state and federal governments. The phenomenon is playing out in multiple primary contests, sometimes organically and sometimes in response to a coordinated effort by Trumps opponents. While Trump railed against the practice over the weekend, there is nothing inherently wrong with crossover voting. Dozens of states make it legal and easy for voters to participate in either partys primary. And there are several isolated incidents of both parties engaging in strategic voting over the years. Still, Trump warned conservatives about crossover voting while campaigning Saturday in Wyoming, another state where the former presidents opponents are calling for Democrats to intervene this time to help save Rep. Liz Cheney from a Trump-backed primary challenger. Cheney, like Raffensperger and Kemp, refused to embrace Trumps lies about the 2020 election. She also voted for his second impeachment after the Jan. 6 insurrection. Dont let the Democrats do what they did in another state last week, Trump told Wyoming supporters, complaining about what happens when you allow Democrats to vote in a Republican primary. While the practice has Trumps attention, it is often ineffective. Trumps opponents encouraged Democrats to help defeat U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in her Georgia primary last week. The congresswoman, who has embraced election lies and spoken at an event organized by a white nationalist, won by more than 50 percentage points. And in some cases, Democrats have been too focused on their own competitive primaries to cast a Republican ballot. That was probably the case in Pennsylvania, where some Democrats openly encouraged their base to vote for the Republican candidate for governor, Doug Mastriano, whose extreme views they felt made him more beatable in November. To cast a ballot in the May 17 GOP primary, however, voters needed to register as Republicans ahead of the contest because Pennsylvania has a closed primary system. And on the same day, Democrats were deciding their own high-stakes Senate primary. If the advance vote in Pennsylvania is any indication, few Democrats heeded the call to vote GOP. Of Republican primary voters who cast early or absentee ballots this year, only 1.7 percent voted Democratic in the 2020 primary. Those 2,600 votes, even if ultimately bolstered by more Election Day participants, were unlikely to have moved the needle in an outcome in which Mastriano beat his closest rival by nearly 320,000. On the forefront of the crossover movement, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., has called for an uneasy alliance between Democrats, independents and Republicans to take down pro-Trump candidates in GOP primaries whenever and wherever possible. Some states have open primaries like Georgia that allow people to vote in either primary, while other states have more restrictive rules. In an interview, Kinzinger said he was pleasantly surprised by the Democrats response in some races. He said he never expected the movement to be an earth-shattering game-changer right away. Kinzingers political organization, Country First, targeted thousands of former Georgia Democrats with mailers and text messages urging them to support Raffensperger for the sake of democracy. A Country First text message widely distributed to Georgia voters in the days before the election read: Dont wait for until the general election to go after the extremes. Vote in the Republican Primary for the candidate that supports truth and democracy. Kinzingers team was also active in North Carolinas closely watched congressional race in North Carolinas 11th District, where voters ousted the polarizing pro-Trump freshman Rep. Madison Cawthorn in the Republican primary. As was the case in Georgia, the AP found a sizable percentage of Republican early ballots were cast by voters who participated in the Democratic primary two years ago. Specifically, more than 14% of the 38,000 early or absentee votes cast in the Cawthorn race more than 5,400 voters came from a Democratic 2020 primary voter. Cawthorn lost his primary by fewer than 1,500 votes. Back in Georgia, Raffenspergers team pushed back on the idea that he won the GOP primary because of Democrats. The team suggested that a number of crossover voters were actually Republicans who voted Democratic in recent years to protest Trump. It is clear that Brad Raffensperger carried a majority of the Republican vote here in the state of Georgia, and that there are people who stopped voting in Republican primaries after 2016 who are now reengaged, said Jordan Fuchs, a consultant to the Raffensperger campaign. An AP examination of voting records from before the Trump era shows at least a portion of Georgias 37,000 party switchers in 2022 had been in the Republican camp before Trump took office. Roughly between 9,000 to 13,000 voted Republican in the 2010, 2012 and 2014 primaries, according to the L2 data. Trump allies in the state, caught off guard by the crossover trend, were furious. It was a Democratic version of Operation Chaos, said Debbie Dooley, president of the Atlanta Tea Party, referring to the secret Nixon-era push to infiltrate liberal groups. I did not realize just how heavily the Democrats were going to cross over. Dooley launched a petition late last week to close Georgias Republican primaries to non-Republicans. More than a dozen states have closed, or partially closed, primaries that block members of opposing parties from participating. Meanwhile, Kinzinger said hes already crafting plans to execute a similar playbook in coming primaries in Michigan, Wyoming and Alaska. In addition to helping Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the Alaska Republican who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial, Kinzinger said hes weighing whether to invest resources in trying to block former Gov. Sarah Palins congressional bid. Donald Trump came in and took over the Republican Party with nationalism, Kinzinger said. The American people have every right to determine who represents them in a congressional district, and if thats in a primary, thats in a primary. If they want to take back the Republican Party from the liar, they can do that, and Im certainly going to help them. ___ Peoples reported from New York. Associated Press writers Jeff Amy in Atlanta and Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report. By STEVE PEOPLES and AARON KESSLER Associated Press Americas summit agenda takes shape, but who will show up? View Photo WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Bidens administration is putting final touches on an agenda for next weeks Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, but its still unclear if Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador will attend. His absence would be a setback for the United States, which is hosting the summit for the first time since 1994. Mexico is a top U.S. trading partner and Latin Americas second-most populous country. Lopez Obrador has said that he doesnt want to go unless every country in the region is invited, but the U.S. has resisted inviting autocratic governments like Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela. He said Monday that Biden has not been able to give us an answer, but there is time, and we trust him and were going to wait. If all countries are invited, I am going to attend the summit, Lopez Obrador said. If not all countries are invited, the government representative Foreign Affairs Secretary Marcelo Ebrard is going to attend. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the final guest list was still being ironed out. Senior administration officials, who declined to be identified while discussing planning for the summit, played down questions about whether Lopez Obrador will be there. Although they insisted that the event, which is held every few years, is an important opportunity for national leaders to meet, they also said Lopez Obradors attendance would not undermine U.S. efforts to tackle issues like migration. The officials said the U.S. is planning an ambitious agenda, but shared few details. Vice President Kamala Harris will lead a new partnership focused on climate change in the Caribbean, the officials said, and the administration is preparing a new effort to bolster health care systems throughout the hemisphere. More conversations are planned on migration. One question about the summits attendance appears to have been cleared up. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has decided to go, according to three top officials from his government. An ally of former President Donald Trump, the right-wing leader of Brazil has yet to meet one-on-one with Biden. ___ Associated Press writer Christopher Sherman in Mexico City contributed to this report. By CHRIS MEGERIAN Associated Press Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Biden talks gun control, extremism with New Zealands PM View Photo WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden praised New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Tuesday for her success in curbing domestic extremism and guns as he tries to persuade a reluctant Congress to tighten gun laws in the aftermath of horrific mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York. The long-planned talks between Biden and Ardern centered on trade, climate and security in the Indo-Pacific, but the two leaders starkly different experiences in pushing for gun control loomed large in the conversation. Ardern successfully won passage of gun control measures in her country after a white supremacist gunman killed 51 Muslim worshippers at two Christchurch mosques in 2019. Less than a month later, all but one of the countrys 120 lawmakers voted in favor of banning military-style semiautomatic weapons. Biden told reporters at the start of his meeting with Ardern that he will meet with the Congress on guns, I promise you, but the White House has acknowledged that winning new gun legislation will be an uphill climb in an evenly divided Congress. The U.S. president praised Ardern for her galvanizing leadership on New Zealands efforts to curb the spread of extremism online, and said he wanted to hear more about the conversations in her country about the issue. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the two leaders spent part of the meeting discussing what has been done on gun reform under Arderns watch. Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron in 2019 launched an effort to work with tech companies on eliminating terrorist and violent extremist content online. Then-President Donald Trump declined to join the effort, but the Biden administration has since joined the Christchurch Call to Action. Biden over the weekend traveled to Uvalde, Texas, to grieve with a community that he said made clear to him they want to see Washington tighten gun laws in the aftermath of the shooting rampage that killed 19 children and two teachers. Biden heard similar calls for an overhaul of the nations gun laws earlier this month when he met with families of 10 Black people who were killed in a racist attack at a Buffalo supermarket. Biden and Ardern also discussed a May 15 shooting at a lunch banquet at a Taiwanese church in Laguna Woods, California that killed one person and wounded five others. The pain is palpable, said Biden, recalling his anguished conversations Sunday with families of victims of the Texas elementary school shooting. Ardern offered condolences and said she stood ready to share anything that we can share that would be of any value from New Zealands experience. Our experience demonstrated our need for gun reform, but it also demonstrated what I think is an international issue around violent extremism and terrorism online, Ardern told reporters following her more than hour-long meeting with Biden. That is an area where we see absolutely partnership that we can continue to work on those issues. Its unclear what, if anything, from New Zealand could be applicable to the United States, which hasnt passed a major federal gun control measure since soon after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut that left 26 dead. A bipartisan group of senators held a private virtual meeting Tuesday to try to strike a compromise over gun safety legislation, but expectations remain low. Senators arent expected to even broach ideas for an assault weapon ban or other restrictions that could be popular with the public as ways to curb the most lethal mass shootings. Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who led the session alongside Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., called Tuesdays talks a very constructive conversation. Meanwhile, House Judiciary Committee Jerrold Nadler plans to hold a hearing Thursday on the Protecting our Kids Act a package of eight bills that has almost no hopes of passing the Senate but would serve as a marker in the debate. It includes calls to raise the age limits on semi-automatic rifle purchases from 18 to 21 years old; create a grant program to buy back large-capacity magazines; establish voluntary safe practices for firearms storage and build on executive measures to ban bump stock devices and so-called ghost guns made from 3-D printing. Ardern, in comments to reporters, said the two countries political systems are very different. Speaking of the Christchurch shooting, she said that in the aftermath of that, the New Zealand public had an expectation that if we knew what the problem was, that we do something about it. We had the ability with actually the near-unanimous support of parliamentarians to place a ban on semiautomatic military-style weapons and assault rifles and so we did that. But the New Zealand public set the expectations first and foremost. The New Zealand prime minister did not urge any particular course of action to Biden during their talks, but expressed a broad understanding of what the United States is going through, according to a senior Biden administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversation. Ardern last week, during a speech at Harvard Universitys commencement, spoke to the scourge of disinformation that is spread and amplified on social media. She said it represents a threat to fragile democracies. The Christchurch gunman was radicalized online. The attack, like the Buffalo supermarket rampage, was livestreamed on social media, she noted. The time has come for social media companies and other online providers to recognize their power and act on it, she said at Harvard. Bidens talks with Ardern came after he made his first visit to Asia last week, a trip to Japan and South Korea meant to highlight his administrations efforts to put greater focus on the Indo-Pacific. In Japan, Biden launched the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, a new trade pact forged with 14 Pacific allies, including New Zealand. The U.S. sees the pact as an alternative to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which moved forward without the U.S. after Trump pulled out. Ardern said she reiterated her commitment to TPP even as New Zealand has joined the new U.S.-launched Indo-Pacific framework. ___ AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report. By AAMER MADHANI Associated Press CANBERRA, Australia (AP) Australias center-left Labor Party secured enough seats Tuesday to hold an outright majority in the House as vote counting from an election 10 days ago continued. That means new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his party will be able to govern alone although it's possible they might still seek deals with other parties to strengthen their hand. The calculus remains different in the Senate, where the Labor Party will likely need help from other liberals to command a majority. With about 80% of the vote counted, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. projected Labor will win at least 76 of the 150 House seats, the minimum required to form a majority government. Two seats remained too close to call. Labor will need to provide a Speaker, which will reduce their voting ranks by one, although the Speaker also gets the casting vote in the case of a tie. Albanese's party defeated the conservative coalition led by Prime Minister Scott Morrison in the May 21 election. Albanese was sworn in last week when it became clear he had the numbers to govern, with or without a majority. He flew to Tokyo for a summit with President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Albanese got a standing ovation when he addressed his Labor caucus Tuesday. He outlined his agenda for the rest of the year and announced the new parliament will open on July 26. He said Labor will introduce a bill to form a federal anti-corruption commission, review wasteful spending and announce a budget in October. Albanese told his colleagues the party won by showing unity, discipline and a sense of purpose. We had a good story to tell, he said. We werent intimidated by anyone, we didnt get distracted, we stayed on course and the discipline we showed was magnificent." He welcomed those colleagues who had won their first elections. For those newbies, you really struck gold because opposition is not fun. At all, he said. He said Australia would join the global effort to combat climate change "after nine wasted years. Albaneses Cabinet and ministers are due to be finalized and sworn in this week before he flies to Indonesia on Sunday for a three-day diplomatic visit. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Two Minnesotans filed federal civil rights lawsuits Tuesday against the city of Minneapolis and Derek Chauvin, alleging they were traumatized when the former police officer used his signature move of kneeling on their necks the same way that he killed George Floyd. John Pope Jr. was just 14 in September 2017 when he says Chauvin subjected him to gratuitous force while responding to a domestic assault report. The other case alleges Chauvin used excessive force against Zoya Code in June 2017 after she allegedly tried to strangle her mother with an extension cord. Both lawsuits claim racism; Pope and Code are Black and Chauvin is white. They allege the city knew he had a record of misconduct but didn't stop him and let him stay on the job long enough to kill Floyd on May 25, 2020, a case that led to a national reckoning on racial injustice. Both lawsuits seek unspecified damages and name other officers involved. The Minneapolis City Attorney's Office indicated it is considering settlements. Criminal charges against Pope and Code were eventually dropped. "The incidents involving John Pope and Zoya Code are disturbing," Interim City Attorney Peter Ginder said in a statement. We intend to move forward in negotiations with the Plaintiffs on these two matters and hope we can reach a reasonable settlement. If a settlement cannot be reached on one or both lawsuits, the disputes will have to be resolved through the normal course of litigation. Chauvins attorneys have not responded to requests for comment. Pope and Code are represented by Minneapolis civil rights attorney Robert Bennett, who negotiated a $20 million settlement for the family of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, an Australian woman who was fatally shot by a Minneapolis police officer in 2017. Bennett also negotiated a nearly $3 million settlement for the family of Philando Castile, a Black motorist killed by a suburban officer in 2016. The city paid out $27 million to the family of George Floyd. Bennett was not involved in that settlement. Chauvin admitted to many of Popes allegations when he pleaded guilty in December to federal civil rights charges in Floyds death, a deal that also included a guilty plea for his actions against Pope. Chauvin is awaiting sentencing on the federal charges. He was sentenced to 22 1/2 years in state court last year for murdering Floyd by pressing his knee to the Black man's neck for 9 1/2 minutes as he pleaded that he couldn't breathe. According to Pope's complaint, his mother was drunk when she called police because she was upset with him and his 16-year-old sister for leaving their cellphone chargers plugged in when not in use, leading to a physical confrontation. It alleges Chauvin struck Pope in the head with a large metal flashlight at least four times as a scuffle ensued, then put Pope in a chokehold. Defendant Chauvin then executed his signature move: he pinned John to the floor with his body weight, pressing his left knee into Johns upper back and neck. ... Chauvin would proceed to hold John in this prone position for more than fifteen minutes, all while John was completely subdued and not resisting," the complaint alleges. "Over those minutes, John repeatedly cried out that he could not breathe. The complaint alleges that at least eight other officers did nothing to intervene. It says Chauvin did not mention in his report that he had hit Pope with his flashlight, nor did he mention pinning Pope for so long. Chauvin's sergeant reviewed and approved his report and use of force, despite having firsthand knowledge that the report was false and misleading, it alleges. The lawsuit alleges that in addition to physical injuries, Pope suffered significant emotional distress and continues to attend counseling and therapy. Code's lawsuit alleges Chauvin and another officer were investigating her mother's assault report when they handcuffed her on the ground after a brief struggle. When she refused to stand up, the officers carried her outside. Outside the residence, Defendant Chauvin gratuitously slammed Zoyas unprotected head on the ground. Then he immediately took his signature pose, kneeing on the back of Zoyas neck, the complaint alleges. It says, his knee was on her neck for 4 minutes and 41 seconds. Code's complaint alleges that Chauvin's partner that day did nothing to intervene, and that his sergeant that shift later reviewed and approved the use of force. Code acknowledges having a history of mental illness and homelessness, and alleges Chauvin's actions made her condition worse. Both lawsuits claim if the department had disciplined Chauvin back then, history could have been stopped from repeating itself with George Floyd. Umiya, the new all-you-can-eat sushi spot, is now open in San Antonio. The Corpus Christi-based concept is now housed in the former spot of Drew Brees' Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux. The highway-facing restaurant at 11075 Interstate 10 West takes over the space that once housed the sports bar, which closed in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Another Walk-On's location remains at 1400 Pantheon Way in Stone Oak. An employee at Umiya tells MySA the restaurant is now open daily. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. most days, except Fridays and Saturdays when Umiya closes at 10:30 p.m. The restaurant was not immediately available to return requests for comment. According to the Corpus Christi location's social media pages, the restaurant is not a buffet, but all-you-can eat options are available for soups, salads, appetizers, hibachi, and sushi. The business also has a full bar serving mixed drinks. Social media promotions show drinks like a lychee martini are available. The restaurant also shared online that staff is in a soft opening phase and tables will not be sat within 30 minutes of closing. While limitless sushi seems to be a strong pull for local Japanese food fans, Umiya tells customers the restaurant has "so many options to choose from." The menu includes teriyaki and hibachi items. Like most all-you-can-eat sushi spots, Umiya does employ some rules on the menu, like sharing is not allowed and leftovers will be charged as a la carte menu items. The menu includes classic rolls, chef options, and tempura rolls. The lunch menu is $19.95 for adults and $9.95 for kids. The dinner menu is $29.95 for adults and $15.95 for kids. Umiya joins Izumi, an all-you-can-eat option which opened in Thousand Oaks in February 2021, as a never-ending sushi option. San Antonio also welcomed Kura, a revolving sushi bar which allows customers to pluck as many rolls of sushi that they're willing to pay for and eat, off a conveyor belt. After learning about the devastating Uvalde mass shooting where 19 children and two teachers were killed, San Antonio artist Michael "Mikey" Sanchez wanted to provide something to the community that would bring them comfort and remembrance of the victims. Sanchez told MySA he found a Uvalde building, not far from the city's cemetery, that allowed him to create a mural after he sent out a social media post. Days later, on Saturday, May 28, Sanchez headed to the Texas town to paint his 10-by-30-foot piece that will have 22 doves flying free. "The building is a block away from the cemetery so every single funeral procession will see it as they pass," Sanchez said of the ACE bail bonds establishment located at 1200 West Main Street in Uvalde. Michael Sanchez Two larger doves honor the teachers, while the smaller ones represent the 19 children. Although 21 people were shot and killed at Robb Elementary School, Joe Garcia, the husband of fourth-grade teacher Irma Garcia, died two days later out of grief. Sanchez said he plans on adding another dove to remember Joe Garcia as well. "It's very tragic that this happened," Sanchez said. "We want to remember their names, and the mural depicts 22 doves flying free into the sky." Michael Sanchez While out painting, Sanchez said he could feel the sadness and grief within the community. He recalled how he met Alfred Garza, the father of Amerie Jo Garza, one of the victims of the shooting. Sanchez said Garza came up to him, thanking him. When Sanchez asked why he was thanking him, that's when Garza explained how he lost his daughter. "He broke down," Sanchez said. "He hugged me and I felt his pain. He transmitted that pain to me and I felt like I was in his shoes for just that moment. He squeezed me so hard and told me he couldn't cry anymore. He was tearless but he was crying. He was hurt." The mural will be finished on Sunday, June 5 as Sanchez works full-time in San Antonio. Sanchez also is receiving help from artists and volunteers, Alina DeLeon, Mariah Hinojosa, Yanira Castillo, Angelica DeLeon, and 12-year-old Josiah Villanueva. You can follow Sanchez on Instagram for more on the project @mikeyasanchez3. Michael Sanchez In the next two-and-a-half weeks, people in this southwestern Texas town will say goodbye to the children and their teachers, one heart-wrenching visitation, funeral, and burial after another. Funerals for the victims are scheduled to start on Tuesday, May 31. The gathering for 10-year-old Amerie Jo Garza was at Hillcrest Memorial Funeral Home on Monday, May 30, according to CBS News. This week alone, funerals are planned for 11 children and teacher Irma Garcia. Andrew Merry/Getty Images Three people were transported to a San Antonio hospital after their plane crashed into a tree in the Canyon Lake-area on Saturday, May 28. Around 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, a child, a man, and a woman were hospitalized after their plane crashed near Canyon Lake's Hancock Airport. according to a report by the New Braunfels Herald-Zeiting. "It is unknown if the accident occurred during a landing or when taking off, said Canyon Lake Fire and EMS Chief Robert Mikel to the newspaper. Two adults and one pediatric patient were transported to University Hospital in San Antonio with non-life threatening injuries. The three were the only reported occupants of the plane. Sinisa Kukic/Getty Images A man was pulled from his upside-down vehicle after reportedly driving off a Guadalupe River bridge on Monday, May 30, authorities told the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung. The 22-year-old man drove off at River Road's second crossing just after midnight on Memorial Day. Robert Mikel, Canyon Lake Fire and EMS chief, told the publication that his crew responded to the scene where the vehicle and its sole occupant drove off the bridge and settled upside down in the Guadalupe River, which is about 42 miles northeast of San Antonio. According to authorities, bystanders pulled the driver out of the submerged vehicle before emergency crews arrived. A never-before-seen meteor shower may light up the skies with untold numbers of brilliant streaks Monday night into early Tuesday Eastern time. Or the event could fizzle out and be a dud. Those are the best predictions that meteor watchers have for the Tau Herculids, a potential celestial spectacle that has sky-watching enthusiasts eager with anticipation. Meteor showers can happen when the Earth plows into debris produced by a comet (or, occasionally, asteroids). The source of the Tau Herculids is Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3, or SW3. Discovered in 1930, the trifling ice ball originally clocked in at about two-thirds of a mile in diameter, so it rarely produced enough material to generate major nighttime fireworks. But in 1995, SW3 crumbled, producing a large fragment field that our planet is about to encounter. When and where can I see the potential shower? If the Tau Herculids happen, they will be most visible throughout the contiguous United States on Monday night into early Tuesday, probably about 1 a.m. Eastern. The farther south you live, the better your view. Skywatchers in West Africa, the Caribbean and South America are also favored to see some action. Those in high-latitude places such as Alaska are out of luck. To catch the shower, get away from bright city lights and find the darkest and clearest location you can, one with few hills or other obstacles on the horizon. The moon will be new that night, so its light will not interfere with the display. Allow about a half-hour for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. The best piece of equipment is to go to your attic and haul out that beach chair, said Joe Rao, an associate astronomer at the Hayden Planetarium in New York City. Then just lay back and look up. Meteor showers appear to emanate from a point in the sky known as their radiant. The Tau Herculids was predicted to come from the constellation Hercules hence the showers name a forecast that has since turned out to be incorrect. The Tau Herculids will actually originate from the constellation Bootes, radiating from just above the star Arcturus, a ruddy orange-yellow entity that will be the brightest star in the sky of the Northern Hemisphere at that time. Locating Arcturus is easy if you can find the Big Dipper: Simply trace a line from the last two stars in the Dippers handle in a direction away from its bowl. The first bright star you see should be Arcturus. Unlike meteor showers that are visible for days before and after a peak night, this show will not last long, if it occurs at all. This is not a long-term event, said Robert Lunsford, secretary-general of the International Meteor Organization. I would certainly try to be out at 10 oclock Pacific time or 1 a.m. Eastern, because if nothings happening then, then its a nonevent. How many meteors might the Tau Herculids produce? Thats the $64,000 question, said Rao. Theres no consensus. The predictions are absolutely all over the place. NASA models are on the pessimistic side, suggesting few or potentially no meteors will be visible. But Rao points to estimates from reputable meteor watchers at the opposite end of the spectrum who predict seeing as many as 10,000 meteors to 100,000 meteors per hour. If those are true, the Tau Herculids will be a meteor storm and possibly one of the biggest displays in recorded history. Id be happy just to see one in the entire hour, Lunsford said. But theres a possibility we could see one per second. Much will depend on the size and the speed of the debris as it hits the atmosphere and how big the comets leftover particles are. The particles may be sand-grain-sized, said Rao. I maintain that there must be stuff out there at least as big as pebbles, or nuggets, or even pingpong-ball-size. If the fragments are on the smaller side, they may produce many slow streaks that are too dim for the human eye to see. Night-sky devotees have been burned before when announcing possible wonders such as the supposedly once-in-a-lifetime sighting of Comet Kohoutek in 2020 that failed to live up to expectations. Weve gotten a lot of black eyes over predicting some marvelous event, and then nothing happens, said Lunsford. We need a certain set of circumstances to occur for this meteor shower, and the likelihood is remote. But we owe it to the general public to let them know this is a possibility. Why might the Tau Herculids appear for the first time? New meteor showers are rare events, Lunsford said, happening only a couple times a century. But in October 1995, astronomers began getting phone calls from people claiming to have discovered a new comet, Rao said. The comet wasnt new: It was SW3 falling apart and becoming hundreds of times as bright as normal, he said. It was like breaking open an egg, he said. All this dusty debris suddenly emerged. Although our planet has already hit bits of SW3s dust, this will be the first time Earths orbit meets all the material that burst out in 1995. No one is exactly sure what caused SW3s collapse, but NASAs Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes watched the comet fragment for years. It was possible that the icy object made too many close passes to both the sun and the powerful gravitational pull of Jupiter. Maybe after countless numbers of times of having its orbit perturbed, its like the comet finally said, I cant deal with this anymore, and broke up into pieces, Rao said. When did we learn what caused meteor showers? Humans have been spotting shooting stars for millennia. It is unknown when ancient skygazers first associated them with a particular point in the sky. Mark Littman, author of The Heavens on Fire: The Great Leonid Meteor Storms, says that some Indigenous traditions in the Americas may indicate an early understanding of radiants. The Kiliwa, who are Indigenous people in Baja California, Mexico, for instance, describe meteor showers as a kind of fiery celestial urine coming from a constellation they call Xsmii. If you think of a meteor shower, and you have, excuse me, the spray coming out, it suggests that they noticed there was a radiant, Littman said. That would be the most ancient observation of a radiant that we have. The oldest-known written observation of a radiant came from Islamic sky watchers who recorded a great shower after the death of conqueror Abu Ishaq Ibrahim II ibn Ahmad in 902. They noted that the meteors were coming from one spot as they rained, Littman said. Our modern understanding of meteor showers can be traced to the late 18th century, when people noted a major comet passing by a year before a large meteor storm from the direction of the constellation Leo. Then on Nov. 12, 1833, the Leonids shower put on a display so spectacular that thousands of shooting stars fell every minute. There were reports of people falling to the ground in prayer and rushing to church to repent their sins, Littman said. Denison Olmsted, who was an astronomer in Connecticut, was awakened by his neighbors that night and went out to see the storm. Olmsted wrote to a local newspaper asking viewers to send him their own accounts, a request that was reprinted in newspapers across the country. After collecting many replies and conducting further investigations, Olmsted concluded that meteor showers originate beyond our planet, contradicting a long-held belief expressed by Aristotle that meteors were exhalations from Earths surface. He really should be credited as the father of meteor science, Littman said. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. RCEP expected to bolster China, ASEAN cooperation Xinhua) 10:05, May 31, 2022 HAINAN, May 30 (Xinhua) -- The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement is expected to boost the cooperation between China and the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), according to officials and experts. Speaking at the Media &Think Tank Forum held in South China's Hainan, Chi Fulin, head of the Hainan-based China Institute for Reform and Development, said that economic complementarity between China and the ASEAN countries has continued to rise. Data showed that in the first quarter of this year, trade between China and ASEAN accounted for 47.2 percent or nearly half of China's foreign trade with RCEP partners. In 2020, ASEAN and China became each other's largest trading partners. The enforcement of RCEP will further deepen the integration of the two energetic markets with great potentials, Chi said. Under the RCEP framework, China will open its door wider to the ASEAN countries, thus injecting greater impetus into the region, said Xia Deren, deputy director of the economic committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, citing China's headway in promoting cooperation with these countries in spheres including agriculture and transportation. Stressing the importance of RCEP in strengthening the supply chain cooperation between China and ASEAN countries, Zhao Jinping, former head of the Development Research Center of the State Council, called for efforts to accelerate regional economic integration, broaden investment space and speed up the digitalization of the trade and investment activities. The RCEP, the world's largest free trade deal to date, covers 10 member states of the ASEAN and its five free trade agreement partners, namely China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. The countries under the framework 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. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun) The big Wall Street defendants in the seemingly never-ending Mayberry v. KKR saga, over charges of breaches of fiduciary duty, fee grifting, and other bad behavior, got a big break due to a remarkably lame error by the presiding judge, Philip Shepherd. His being assigned to the case in 2017 was seen as offering some hope of getting relief for Kentucky Retirement Systems, the most fabulously underwater state pension system in the US. Unfortunately, Shepherd is in an elected post. And his campaign website made the remarkable mistake of including headlines from stories celebrating how tough he was on big bad financiers. As you can see from the first embedded filing below, KKR quickly and brazenly ran to the Kentucky Supreme Court demanding that Shepherd be replaced by a special judge. This was procedurally improper and the matter was remanded to Judge Shepherd. As you can see from the second document, Shepherd decided to recuse himself and referred the case to Judge Thomas D. Wingate. Shepherd was widely seen as the most progressive judge in the state, so this outcome is a win for KKR, Blackstone, and the other defendants. As much as we hoped for a different outcome, it wasnt too likely. As former prosecutor Dave in Santa Cruz wrote: The use of a headline about pending litigation probably by a campaign consultant was the kiss of death. Judges are required to avoid even the appearance of partiality. I went through the mandatory training when I volunteered as a judge pro tem. You are responsible for reviewing your campaign materials. You cant put off blame on a spouse or consultant. Recall that the Kentucky Attorney General swooped in to intervene in the case and is now attempting to represent all interests related to the defined benefit plans, even though there are conflicts among the parties. As a correspondent added: Attorney General Cameron did not file anything to help Shepherd a Democrat. Cameron is McConnell clone. McConnell is a hedge fund political vehicle. Shepherds campaign opponent is right wing nut. Cameron wants rid of Shepherd even though that is bad for the case he filed. One has to wonder if Shepherd is glad to escape. Hed ruled in favor of the plaintiffs on the major challenges made by the defendants, but the case astonishingly went to appeal before any trial court ruling was made, on the issue of standing, due to adverse appellate and US Supreme Court rulings after the case was filed. In a sign Shepherd was getting tired of how long the case had dragged out, he did not allow the plaintiffs to replead the case, when theres ample precedent saying that should have been allowed. Well continue to keep tabs on these cases, but I dont expect things to work out well for Kentucky Retirement Systems beneficiaries or Kentucky taxpayers. A Covid outbreak at the CalPERS headquarters buildings in Sacramento has become so severe that the SEIU Local 1000 District Labor Council 781 President Hoang-Van Nguyen, who represents staff in the three-building compound, has published an Emergency Telework Petition on Action Network, which weve embedded below. As you can see, Nguyen charges CalPERS with violating Department of Industrial Relations in not providing her with case counts and close contact data as required. As well discuss below, the likely reason for CalPERS violating employee notification requirements is that they are also violating OSHA and Cal-OSHA rules by not engaging in contact tracing. Note that Nguyen also states that that five Divisions1 have Covid cases, which qualifies as a major outbreak, and strongly implies that CalPERS is also violating regulatory requirements by not evaluating whether to stop some or all in-office activities. Note that CalPERS employees have informed us of additional violations, which CalPERS has denied. As well show below, CalPERS has also misrepresented how many cases it has, with with management reporting to a retiree group more than 50% more that CalPERS admitted to to in its communication with us. Oh, and with am outbreak in full force, CalPERS still has cafeteria, a daycare facility and a fitness room open on its campus, so it isnt just endangering workers but children and toddlers.and even seniors! As well see soon, sources indicate that CalPERS is not engaging in required contact tracing but merely notifying staffers in the work area with a positive case that they may have been exposed and need to take protective measures, like masking up. So they arent looking into, let alone making proper notifications, of exposures via its cafeteria, its meeting rooms, the fitness room, bathrooms, or usual workplace interactions, like someone visiting a colleague who works in another part of the campus to discuss a current project. A CalPERS employee last week who has a track record of high accuracy, sent me the following e-mail: I have first-hand knowledge that CalPERS HQ has been experiencing COVID outbreaks in the office, and in my opinion, grossly mismanaging them. I do not know the total count, but I would imagine it is significant. When there are COVID outbreaks, management is only notifying staff that work directly in the same area as those reporting the infection, and instructing them to work from home for the next two weeks. But obviously the infected individuals have frequented communal areas bathrooms, conference rooms, break rooms, the cafeteria, and fitness center and on a daily basis coming into contact with people from all over the complex. Areas of concern: 1. Management is not notifying all staff of these outbreaks despite the fact that everyone theoretically could come into contact with everyone else. There is ZERO contact tracing going on to my knowledge. 2. Management is not implementing any deep cleans or other sanitization measures to control infection spread. 3. Management is not mandating testing for everyone coming into the office nor taking temperatures. 4. Throughout the complex, there are doors everywhere that have to be opened by hand. 5. Management continues to mandate an office-centric work environment and has taken aggressive measures to punish individuals (that have minimally violated the remote work policy) by revoking their work-at-home privileges. This message was far more restrained than comments on Reddit: One labor leader said that there were 90 cases at CalPERS at the three buildings on the main campus alone as of early last week. A CalPERS employee on the Reddit thread guesstimated that there were between 50 and 70 cases in the same time frame. At a May 27 retiree event, a CalPERS spokescritter said that there had been 62 cases since April 1 at CalPERS. Participants at that event took that figure in context to refer only to Covid cases at the main headquarters, as in not including CalPERS satellite offices. Needless to say, its hard to reconcile CalPERS admission on May 27 with the response Brad Pacheco, CalPERS Head of Communications and Stakeholder Relations, on the evening of May 23, unless there had been an over 30% increase in the number of cases in a mere three days. That would confirm infections were out of control: CalPERS has had 47 positive COVID cases since April 1, 2022 among our three buildings. The 90 number you cited is incorrect. We are following all state and federal health procedures. Case numbers and the number of exposure notifications sent out to team members are provided to team members monthly on our intranet as well as the guidelines, on site testing procedures and resources. Whether the case count is correct is up for grabs. But its flat out false to assert that CalPERS is complying with all applicable procedures when they obviously arent following regulations. The big and obvious fail is that CalPERS is not engaging in contact tracing. Its simply notifying workers who regularly sit close to the infected individual, when the standard in anyone who has been exposed for 15 minutes or more, within 6 feet, in a 24 hour period, per https://www.dir.ca.gov/oshsb/documents/Apr212022-COVID-19-Prevention-Emergency-txtbrdconsider-3rd-Readoption.pdf. The idea that CalPERS would not bother looking into interactions in the Investment Office (INVO in the Reddit clips above) and would simply deem that a Covid positive case on one floor couldnt possibly have infected someone in the same department on another floor, let alone co-workers they met for lunch or coffee or saw while working out or in a meeting. CalPERS is required to have pre-mapped high risk, high contact areas, but their lackadaisical conduct suggests theyve done nothing of the sort.2 Further confirmation comes from a follow-up e-mail: 1) The management of exposure notifications has been really poorand I know specifically of an instance where no notifications had gone out until it was far too late and a large group of people had already tested positive. Its a day late and a dollar short. What good is the mask if youve already been in an environment with lots of people testing positive? 2) Also, when the exposure notices go out they instruct everyone to immediately mask. Not everyone has a mask on hand and masks arent available all over the complexso what is one to do? So get thisCalPERS, which in its better days was a $500 billion pension fund, is too cheap to have a box of N95s on every floor. Remember that CalPERS has engaged in another confirmed regulatory violation, that of failing to inform employee representatives of positive cases and close contacts. Of course, if youre not doing contact tracing, faking it via using only immediate workplace neighbors would likely produce suspiciously low number, strongly pointing to a contract tracing lapse. CalPERS is also required to provide Covid data, most importantly positive cases, to the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) weekly. Weve submitted a Public Records Act request for those documents, so well know in due course whether CalPERS was complying therw or not. Those of you who are very attentive may recall the mention of risk to seniors at the very top. How could that be true? Seniors from a retirement center across the street from CalPERS headquarters regularly come to the cafeteria to eat! Gee, ya think people who were infected but didnt know it yet were all skipping having lunches and coffees with colleagues? That sure seems to be CalPERS default position. Any prudent manager would worry about potentially infecting cafeteria staff and anyone else who happened to be nearby.which includes not just the seniors who regularly visit the cafeteria, but vendors, consultants, and workmen. One can anticipate that CalPERS will fall back on legalistic excuses, that it had no obligation to inform visiting members of the general public of Covid risk on its facilities. That argument seems like quite a stretch in light of Cal-OSHA requirements: (D) In accordance with subsection (c)(3)(B), communicate information about COVID-19 hazards and the employers COVID-19 policies and procedures to employees and to other employers, persons, and entities within or in contact with the employers workplace. And dont get me started on the day care center: So we have yet more evidence that CalPERS priority is not financial results, or serving beneficiaries, or even pampering staff, but promoting culture which is the Cult of Marcie Frost. And it isnt just wrecking investment returns and morale, its now putting health at risk. As epidemiologist Ignacio summed it up: Only one word: irresponsible. And a symptom of bad management or ideologically driven management: Covid is over no matter how many cases we have. ______ 1 Im at a loss with the mention of five divisions, since the CalPERS site indicates it has four divisions and five offices. I suspect most CalPERS staff would regard the Investment Office as a division. If so, that would mean all the divisions are affecting, begging the question of how many of the remaining smaller offices are also afflicted. 2 From Cal-OSHA: (Natural News) Doctors in California who advise their Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) patients to take ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), or really anything outside of the norm could soon face prosecution under a new proposed law. The California legislature recently introduced Assembly Bill 2098, also known as the medical misinformation bill, which would criminalize health practitioners who deviate from the states official position on safe and effective remedies for the Fauci Flu. If a doctor tells a patient to take zinc and green tea instead of deadly remdesivir, for instance Tony Fauci profits every time a patient is given remdesivir, by the way then he or she could lose the ability to legally practice medicine in the Golden State. Back in April 2020 near the start of the plandemic, the State of California Department of Consumer Affairs, the California State Board of Pharmacy and the Medical Board of California all issued a statement regarding the improper prescribing of medications related to treatment of Novel Coronavirus. One of the treatments mentioned was HCQ, the prescription of which was described as inappropriate and unprofessional. On June 29, 2021, the Federation of State Medical Boards also issued a warning about how Physicians who generate and spread COVID-19 vaccine misinformation or disinformation are risking disciplinary action by state medical boards, including the suspension or revocation of their medical license. A few months later, Fauci himself came out to claim that there is no evidence that ivermectin works against the Chinese Virus, even though Fauci said the exact opposite back in the early 2000s. It was then, long before covid appeared, that Fauci agreed that ivermectin is a powerful and effective remedy against coronaviruses. Ivermectin Derangement Syndrome is a serious problem in the United States In December 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also chimed in, echoing the same statements made by Fauci and officials in California that people should not use ivermectin to treat or prevent Covid-19. In an updated statement issued on April 29, 2022, the FDAs Covid-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel added that it recommends against the use of ivermectin for the treatment of Covid-19, except in clinical trials. The system really does not want people using ivermectin, in other words, which suggests that it actually works otherwise they would not be trying to punish physicians for helping their patients with it. Should AB 2098 become law, doctors who prescribe medications not approved by the state or who claim unsanctioned drugs are effective would see their licenses revoked and face strict penalties and disciplinary actions by the Medical Board of California, reports The Epoch Times. In short, AB 2098 would designate the dissemination of information not approved by the state related to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, as misinformation or disinformation, which constitutes unprofessional conduct. One physician by the name of Dr. Syed Haider says that he has been reported to four state medical boards since the plandemic began. Pharmacists, he says, dont like filling ivermectin prescriptions, and when they are asked to, some of them suffer meltdowns that can only be described as Ivermectin Derangement Syndrome (IDS). Dr. Haider now has to retain a lawyer in order to protect his medical license from being stripped by IDS sufferers who do not want people healing with ivermectin or any other remedy that actually stops the Fauci Flu. Official state-sanctioned position is communism, plain and simple, wrote someone at the Times about how any government holding this much power is a threat to freedom and liberty. Politics has no business in medicine, wrote another, getting straight to the point. The latest news about medical fascism can be found at Tyranny.news. Sources for this article include: TheEpochTimes.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Despite ever-rising carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, arctic ice is actually expanding, not melting. The World Economic Forum (WEF) recently convened its annual conference in Davos, Switzerland, to discuss the climate crisis. It was revealed there that arctic ice is currently at a 30-year high, according to data from the intergovernmental European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites. Globalist groups like the WEF have been pushing for years to redistribute the wealth of nations as a remedy for alleged global warming and climate change. It turns out that the real problem might be global freezing. (Related: Remember back in 2017 when an arctic science expedition got caught in too much ice?) One of the primary metrics used by climate fanatics to make their wild climate claims is arctic ice. We have been told for years that the polar ice caps are melting, which Al Gore infamously said would cause flooding due to sea level increases. In 2007, Al Gore began warning the world that scientists were predicting that by 2013, the Arctic would be ice-free during the summer, writes Art Moore for WND about how wrong these fanatics ended up being with their climate hysteria. FACT: The climate is always changing Climate change skeptic Tony Heller remains an outspoken critic of all this wrongness by the climate cult. Last September, he wrote a piece about how the Arctic Ocean gained a record amount of sea ice for that time of year. Most years the Arctic loses ice, but this year ice extent has increased, he tweeted, further noting that this would not get reported on by the likes of CNN, The New York Times, or BBC News. Last summer, sea melt was the lowest it has been in 15 years while the expanse of the Antarctic Sea was well above average. All of this points to the fact that the planet is not warming; if anything, it is freezing or better yet, it is just normal based on shifting climate cycles that have been occurring since the beginning of time. Even so, the corporate-controlled media continues to fearmonger about the fictitious notion of global warming. The Times, for instance, published a story last fall claiming that climate change is the greatest threat to global public health that exists. The solution, of course, is more government control over people, more taxes, and more tyranny. This, the experts claim, will keep the planet at just the right temperatures. The Biden regime is also on board with this agenda, as its Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued an announcement about how it plans to treat climate change as a public health issue. By doing this, the government has now granted itself the authority to invoke emergency powers just as it did with the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19), except this time the restrictions will include things like curbing private vehicle use and limiting the amount of animal products people consume. Fossil fuels like gas and oil are also slated for elimination, only to be replaced with highly unstable and unreliable green technologies such as wind and solar. If climate activists were allowed, they would take us from COVID lockdowns straight into climate lockdowns, says Steve Milloy, founder of JunkScience.com. Now that theyve seen arbitrary lockdowns successfully imposed under the guise of a public health emergency, they cant wait for federal, state and local declarations of a climate emergency to achieve the same sort of dominance over us. In the comment section at WND, someone noted that the same people who say they need unlimited power over our lives because the earth is warming too much will now simply shift gears and say it is because the earth is freezing: the outcome will still be the same. The latest news about climate hysteria can be found at ClimateScienceNews.com. Sources for this article include: WND.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Two-time presidential loser Hillary Clinton should be arrested and made to stand trial for perpetuating the Russian collusion hoax along with everyone else involved in the plot, according to an analysis published this week. A post at Armstrong Economics notes that because the hoax against then-GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump involved the use of government resources and involved federal agencies, Clinton and Co. should be held legally responsible. Whats more, Clinton very obviously attempted to manipulate the outcome of the election, which in and of itself amounts to seditious behavior. The analysis references bombshell testimony in federal court last week from her campaign manager who admitted under oath that she personally approved of spreading the lie to the mainstream media and eventually to the FBI. Hillary Clinton is GUILTY of manipulating the 2016 US Presidential Election. No one believed Donald Trump when he said that the Russian collusion narrative was fake news,' the analysis begins. Top Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook testified under oath in federal court and confirmed that Hillary Clinton devised the Russia/Alfa Bank rumors. She encouraged her people to promote the hoax to the press in a failed attempt to beat Donald Trump, it adds. The report adds: Clinton campaign attorney Michael Sussmann first faced trial for the Clintons crime. The judge, Christopher Cooper, was an Obama appointee and was given an order to spare the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee [of] potential embarrassment. The truth still came to light. On July 28, 2016, former CIA Director John Brennan briefed former President Obama on the plan to lie to the public as a means of distracting the public from her use of a private email server. The sitting president was fully aware of the plan to smear Donald Trumps name, and agreed to go along with a proposal from one of her foreign policy advisers to vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a scandal claiming interference by the Russian security service. The analysis points out as well that Clinton purposely involved the FBI in the grand lie, even though there was no obvious, traceable connection between Trump and Alfa Bank, let alone any other person or entity in Russia. The most anyone could come up with was the fact that Trump, at one point and years ago, explored putting a Trump Hotel property in Moscow, but it never happened. Nevertheless, the Clinton team including then-senior adviser Jake Sullivan, who is now President Bidens national security adviser continued to push the hoax. Computer scientists have apparently uncovered a covert server linking the Trump Organization to a Russian-based bank, Hillary tweeted shortly after the fake story was leaked. Then, on October 31, 2016, just one week before the election, Sullivan claimed in a lengthy statement (that Clinton included in her lying tweet) Computer scientists have uncovered a covert server linking the Trump Organization to a Russian-based bank. Sullivan added that he could only assume federal authorities will now explore this direct connection between Trump and Russia as part of their existing probe into Russias meddling in our elections. Now, Sussmann is playing the role of scapegoat for Clinton, a role played by a dozen other former Clinton surrogates and friends, as Bill and Hillary are never held responsible for anything they do. But what about the ringleader herself? Shouldnt she be made to pay, finally? Mook admitted that Hillary gave her stamp of approval for her minions to release the story to mislead voters deliberately. Hillary Clinton lied to the American people for her own self-interest and still lost the election, the analysis by Armstrong Economics concludes. She did not want the public to investigate her email scandal and involved top intelligence agencies in her intricate rumor that has taken years to debunk. Voters should be outraged that the Democrats, Obama included, supported a narrative they knew was an outright lie. Arrest this woman and everyone associated with this plot. But dont try them in Clinton-Democrat-friendly Washington, D.C., where only conservatives are convicted. Sources include: ArmstrongEconomics.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) The more we learn about the horrific tragedy that unfolded at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas this week, the more outraged we and tens of millions more Americans become. Most readers know that the shooter, whose name we wont mention because he doesnt deserve any notoriety, went to the school armed with an AR-15 where he shot and killed 19 4th-grade students and two teachers in the worst school shooting since the Sandy Hook massacre at Newtown, Conn., in December 2012, where 20 second-grade students and six adults were murdered. Shockingly, now we are learning that police responded almost immediately to the incident but then waited outside the school for 30-60 minutes while the gunman was inside murdering children. Worse, one mother who drove 40 miles to get to the school was herself handcuffed after she arrived to find officers doing nothing and demanded that they get inside and rescue kids. Angeli Rose Gomez said, The police were doing nothing. They were just standing outside the fence. They werent going in there or running anywhere. The Post Millennial noted: While state officials said that police were at the school mere moments after the teen gunman entered the school, barricading himself in a classroom and opening fire on young students, they also said that officers were unable to gain access to the classroom. Gomez said that she was only one of several parents at the school demanding that officers stop waiting around and go into the school. It was then that federal marshals approached her and put her in handcuffs, the Journal reports. The officers told her that they were arresting her for intervening in an active investigation. Eventually, she was able to convince local police to free her, but she also said that she saw a father pepper-sprayed and another tackled and thrown to the ground by law enforcement personnel as he attempted to get past them and get into the school to rescue his child, a 10-year-old daughter who was one of the 19 victims slaughtered by the 18-year-old psycho. After she was freed, Gomez nonchalantly moved away from the crowd before breaking into a run and jumping a fence. She then ran inside the school and rescued her kids. The Journal notes: She sprinted out of the school with them. The psychopath had between 40 minutes to an hour alone inside the school without police even attempting to neutralize him. Eventually, he was engaged by a Border Patrol agent and killed, though that agent also sustained injuries. Video posted to social media also showed how other parents were attempting to get the police to act and tried to also get inside the school themselves but police, many armed with similar weapons as the shooter, refused to act and instead kept parents out. The Post Millennia added: A woman in one clip can be heard yelling Shoot him or something! A man can be heard to say Theyre all just f*cking parked outside, dude. They need to go in there. Police had set up a perimeter around the building while the shooter was actively massacring small children. Kids still in the school at the time who survived the massacre nevertheless recounted scenes of horror that will be with them for the rest of their lives. One boy told of how he hid under a table with a table cloth while the shooter was murdering other children in the class. A girl recalled hearing the shooter say, What do I have here? as he opened the door to her classroom and began firing. Police not responding when there is an active shooter murdering anyone, let alone children, is completely, one-thousand percent unacceptable. Every one of them should be fired. Sources include: ThePostMillennial.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Getting ahead of the narrative before it mutates into another contrived global plandemic, Dr. Robert Malone has published an excellent piece dispelling all the fearmongering over monkeypox that is spreading over the airwaves and online. According to Malone, monkeypox is really nothing to worry about, despite being related to smallpox. Its symptoms are mild and it does not spread as rapidly and profusely as, say, influenza. There is zero evidence of so-called asymptomatic transmission, and containing the spread of monkeypox is relatively simple with no need for lockdowns, mandates or other tyranny. Africa has dealt with monkeypox from time to time for centuries, and there was never any need there to shut down entire economies, force people to wear cloth over their faces or mandate vaccine injections. In fact, monkeypox mostly stays within primate populations, rarely crossing species into human transmission. This latest outbreak, assuming it is even real, is an anomaly that will likely fizzle out with minimal need for intervention. At the current time, monkeypox only seems to be spreading among homosexual men who engage in sexual activity with other men. It seems to be contained mostly to pride events and other perversions that most people avoid. Key takeaway: this is not influenza or COVID this virus mutates slowly, it is not highly infectious, naturally acquired immunity is potent and long lasting, and Orthopox vaccines are usually cross protective, Malone writes, along with many more details about why this is the case. The risk of immunologic escape is very, very low. And the spread of this virus can be readily stopped by simple, inexpensive classical public health measures. If it were otherwise, we would already have experienced a pandemic of Monkeypox decades ago. CNN caught fearmongering about monkeypox with misinformative past images of people suffering from smallpox Despite all this, the mainstream media, including fake news giant CNN, is running with wild scare stories about how the entire world is doomed now that a few cases of monkeypox have been detected outside of Africa. While traveling recently, Malone was exposed to a CNN segment in an airport lounge that relentlessly presented the situation as a major threat in need of drastic government intervention. It turns out that CNN was displaying historic imagery of people with smallpox, presenting them as current cases of monkeypox. This is the epitome of deception, and it needs to be nipped in the bud before it gets the chance to spread. This provides a classical example of public health fearporn, in my opinion, and CNN should be reprimanded for broadcasting irresponsible propaganda misinformation and disinformation under the guise of journalism, Malone writes. Simply put, monkeypox is something that people would do best to ignore because it mostly exists in the media rather than real life. Based on everything we know about it, there is zero threat to the average person unless he or she is engaging in homosexual sex with strangers. In my opinion, based on currently available information, Monkeypox is a virus and disease which is endemic in Africa, emerges sporadically after transmission into humans from animal hosts, and is typically spread by close human contact, Malone concludes in his piece. It is readily controlled by classical public health measures. It does not have a high mortality rate. Unless there has been some genetic alteration, either through evolution or intentional genetic manipulation, it is not a significant biothreat, and has never been considered a high threat pathogen in the past. As the media continues to spread fear and hysteria about monkeypox, we will keep you informed about the latest from an independent perspective at Propaganda.news. Sources for this article include: RWMaloneMD.substack.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) In an attempt to appear inclusive of the LGBTQ+ cult, American corporations are partnering with organizations that promote transgender ideology to children. One of these transgender-pushing organizations is called GenderCool. This group aims to increase representation of LGBTQ+ books in schools to encourage 5-year-old children to question their own gender identity and to reconsider their pronouns. The USDA, General Mills and State Farm were just a few of the American corporations and federal agencies that supported GenderCool. Now these corporations are rescinding their support for GenderCool as the public learns about the horrors of corporations backing the grooming and genital mutilation of children. State Farm rescinds their support for GenderCool but is all for children questioning their gender On May 24, State Farm announced they have withdrawn support for GenderCool, but the companys official press release called the organization a philanthropic program. State Farms official press release stated their support for organizations that provide resources for parents to have conversations about gender and identity with their children at home. State Farm distanced themselves from GenderCool because they do not support required curriculum in schools on this topic. State Farm might NOT have acted had employees and customers not spoken up in official inquiries and responded to the news provided by Consumers Research. A nonprofit organization called Consumers Research uncovered State Farms partnership with GenderCool and exposed the corporate funds behind the insane, gender-bending indoctrination of children. After State Farm rescinded their support, GenderCool quickly erased nine of the remaining twenty-two entities that were listed as partners and supporters on their website. These former GenderCool partners and supporters include Adobe Inc., Bank of America Corp., Capital One Financial Corp., General Mills Inc., Indeed, NBCUniversal, Oracle Corp., Sprout Social Inc., and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The founder and chairman of GenderCool, John Grosshandler, said the website was updated on May 25th with the most current supporters and partners, but there was no confirmation that the drop-off in financial support had anything to do with the reasons why State Farm rescinded their official partnership. The following list of US corporations continue to support the psychological takedown and and physiological mutilation of children by supporting GenderCools perverted grooming program: HP, AllState, Bayer, Intel, Dell, Nike, Intuit, Out & Equal, Prudential, Abbvie Pharmaceuticals, VMWare, CBRE Group Commercial Real Estate Services, and JLL Real Estate Industry Services. Corporate funding of transgender indoctrination revealed The corporate funding of transgender indoctrination in US schools was brought to light by State Farm employees in a January 18th letter. Many employees were concerned about the State Farm-GenderCool partnership, which funds and promotes transgender ideology to children. Wil Hild, Executive Director at Consumers Research posted this leaked letter to Twitter on May 23rd. The letter explicitly states that GenderCool wants to increase representation of LGBTQ+ books and support challenging, important and empowering conversations with kids aged five and above. Part of this child-predator agenda is to make kids question their own gender identity and to reconsider their pronouns. State Farm compelled 550 of their agents and/or employees to donate books selected by the GenderCool project. These books encourage kids to lookup the sick and perverted lifestyles of transgender people to question their own identity and sexual nature. The books teach kids step-by-step how to lookup transgenderism online and how to come out as a transgender to their parents and community. The State Farm employees were instructed to donate these books to a local teacher, a community center or library, so the LGBT mafia can continue to turns schools into cult indoctrination centers and allow LGBTQ predators to prey on children and groom them for sexual perversion. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com GenderCool.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) The Washington Posts moniker is Democracy Dies In Darkness, but the newspaper of record in the nations capital literally works to destroy democracy on a daily basis with fact-less, biased fake news. This past week as the two-year anniversary of the death of George Floyd drew near, the Post made sure to mention it because the summer of violence and riots in 2020 following his death wasnt enough, apparently. But the Post didnt just remind readers of the date; the paper blatantly lied about the manner in which Floyd died. On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was shot and killed in police custody. His death sparked outrage, wide scale protests and calls to change policing. Two years later, what has or hasnt changed? said a tweet from the paper along with a link to a story full of propaganda. Never mind the fact that widescale was misspelled, although that is significant in and of itself. But, Floyd wasnt shot to death; he died after being pinned to the pavement by the knee of then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. What contributed to his death is also significant: Floyd, a felon with priors, was high on drugs and was resisting arrest. And whether you agree or disagree with the manner in which Chauvin was detaining him, at the time, an officer using a knee to subdue a suspect was part of the MPDs training and was completely legal to use. Butbutbut Floyd was complaining that he couldnt breathe, argue his defenders. If that were true and no air was moving into his lungs he also would not be able to speak. So theres that. Chauvin was eventually convicted of second- and third-degree murder and will spend the rest of his life behind bars, being held responsible for a death that was, frankly, not really his fault. Yes, he was the one who pinned Floyd to the pavement, but it was an approved restraint technique in use at the time by his department and an autopsy found that Floyd most likely died from heart failure due to the excessive amount of drugs he had in his system. As for the Washington Post, thats another story, so to speak. The newspaper has an extensive history of publishing false information and never being held accountable for it. Throughout Donald Trumps presidency, the Post like every other mainstream media rag covering D.C. politics published one fake news story after another regarding the then-president, starting with the fabricated narrative that Trump was in cahoots with Vladimir Putin and that the both of them conspired to steal the election from the hapless and unpopular Hillary Clinton. Then, when her cronies in the deep state literally stole Trumps reelection from him, the Post claimed that the election was on the level, there was no mass vote fraud, and Joe Biden legitimately got 81 million votes, more than any president in the history of the country the same guy who, during the campaign, could not draw flies to a manure festival and had difficulty speaking clearly and remembering details, even then. Between 2016 and 2020, the Post allowed itself to be used as a portal by the intelligence apparatus and the CIA to spread fake news planted by operatives to hurt and undermine Trump and his surrogates and advocates every step of the way. When those fake news reports failed to lead to Trumps demise, then the deep state went after his associates: Steve Bannon, Paul Manfort, Roger Stone, Michael Flynn, and others. And every step of the way, the Post was a willing accomplice to the fakery. Jeff Bezos needs to spend less time whining about Elon Musk and trying to pin his weirdo affairs on the Saudis and more time hiring editors who dont spend their days trying to bite their own ears. pic.twitter.com/lmSKGbrOoY Sean Davis (@seanmdav) May 24, 2022 The Washington Post is a newspaper in the nations capital, that much is true. But its not a media operation, its a disinformation hub for the deep state. Sources include: CitizenFreePress.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) A dozen liberal groups that pressured Twitter advertisers to boycott the platform in response to Elon Musks plans to acquire it received money from entities backed by Bill Gates and George Soros, an analysis of public filings shows. (Article by Eva Fu republished from TheEpochTimes.com) In early May, a group of 26 organizations penned a public letter claiming that the Tesla CEOs takeover of Twitter would be a direct threat to public safety and turn the platform into a cesspool of misinformation. The letter called for Twitters top advertisers to hold [Musk] to account by committing to non-negotiable standards for doing business with the site, one of which is to not restore the accounts of political and public figures banned for egregious violations of Twitter Rules. The letter contained the logos of Accountable Tech, Media Matters for America, and UltraViolet Action. An analysis of the public filings and records shows that at least 11 of the letters signatories or their affiliated groups have taken money from organizations funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. One of the three groups leading the letter has received over $1 million from billionaire financer George Soross grant-making network Open Society Foundations, while the two others were founded in part by former staffers for Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton. Eight signatories also collected roughly $10.25 million in federal grants and loans between 2020 and 2021, public records show. The New Venture Fund, the recipient of more than $500 million in grants from the Gates Foundation since 2012, in 2020 gave $180,000 in total to two signees, Media Matters for America and Center for Media Justice. Another $11.2 million of the New Venture Funds 2020 grant money went to North Fund, a shadowy progressive nonprofit based in Washington that funnels money to a number of other activist groups, including Accountable Tech, which published the letter. Accountable Techs website shows that two members on its teamits co-founder and digital directorworked for Clintons 2016 presidential campaign. Founded in 2004, Media Matters for America describes itself as a progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media. A key function of the organization is to provide tools for monitoring what it considers to be conservative misinformation, which it defines to be news or commentary that is not accurate, reliable, or credible and that forwards the conservative agenda. The Center for Media Justice, which in 2019 was rebranded to MediaJustice, aims to promote racial, economic, and gender justice in a digital age, its website states. Tides Foundation, a Gates Foundation grantee since at least 2013, has handed over $2.34 million to eight of the signatories or their affiliates over a three year-period since 2019. Among the recipients is Indivisible Project and its nonprofit charitable arm Indivisible Civics that work to defeat the Trump agenda, of which the signatory Indivisible Northern Nevada is a local chapter. The other seven signatories that received money from Tides Foundation in the past three years are: womens advocacy group UltraViolet Action; environmentalist groups Union of Concerned Scientists and Friends of the Earth; pro-abortion association NARAL Pro-Choice America; Black Lives Matter South Bend, a local chapter of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation; GLAAD, which monitors media portrayal of LGBTQ groups; and Media Matters Action Network, a partner project of Media Matters for America. UltraViolet Actions board chair and board member Karen Finney was the Democratic National Committees first African American spokeswoman and had served as the senior spokesperson for Hilary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign, according to the groups website. Another board chair, Arisha Hatch, was an organizer for then-candidate Barack Obamas presidential campaign in 2008. Access Now, which focuses on internet accessibility around the world, in 2021 received funds totalling $1.35 million from the Open Society Foundations that Soros founded and chairs, along with grants from Wikimedia Foundation, Microsoft, governments in Germany, Switzerland, Canada, and the Netherlands. Beginning in 2017, the Open Society Foundation has also awarded three grants with a combined value of 1.625 million to Free Press, a pro-net neutrality group that also signed on to the letter. The Microsoft founder last month admitted to having taken a $500 million short position on Tesla shares, according to a leaked text message string between Gates and Musk said that the latter said was authentic. Musk had reacted to the boycott letter by calling for an investigation of the signatories funders. Who funds these organizations that want to control your access to information? Lets investigate he wrote on Twitter on May 3, adding: Sunlight is the best disinfectant. He later made note of a report that some signatories received funding from Soros and European governments. Interesting. I wonder if those funding these organizations are fully aware of what the organizations are doing, he wrote. Twitter in recent years has drawn criticism for censoring and suspending conservative users. Among its list of banned public figures are former President Donald Trump, Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, COVID-19 vaccine critic Dr. Robert Malone, and retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn. Musk has called Twitters ban of Trumps account in early 2021 flat-out stupid. He said he would reverse the move if he becomes the platforms new owner. At a recent Miami tech conference, Musk also said he would be voting Republican after having voted overwhelmingly for Democrats. He described the $44 billion deal as not some right-wing takeover, but instead a moderate take over and an attempt to ensure that people of all political beliefs feel welcome on a digital town square and they can express their beliefs without fear of being banned or shadowbanned. The Gates Foundation connections were first reported by Breitbart. The Epoch Times has reached out to all the named organizations. Read more at: TheEpochTimes.com (Natural News) The Clinton body count has increased following the suspicious death of a second Clinton associate who vowed to expose details about an elite pedophile ring involving Epstein and the Clintons. (Article by Sean Adl-Tabatabai republished from NewsPunch.com) Ashley Haynes, 47, was found drowned in an Arkansas River with an extension cord knotted to her ankle and attached to a concrete block. She had been seen just months before visiting Clinton adviser and longtime Epstein Pal Mark Middleton, whose body was discovered earlier this month hanging from a tree with the same style electrical cord wrapped around his neck and a close-range shotgun blast through his chest. A stunned business associate who knew Middleton and is calling for an independent investigation into his suspicious death told reporters that its not a coincidence that Haynes, 47, had visited Clintons now-dead pals office to discuss an urgent matter. I saw her in Marks office! the business associate told RadarOnline.com. I was leaving and he (Middleton) was telling me that he had a very important meeting and thats the woman who came in! I dont know if there is anything connection there or not, but I know that it was shocking to me to hear she drowns while paddling in the Arkansas River, the anonymous source said. Then Mark mysteriously dies a few months later? Radarline.com reports: Haynes, a mother of two from the Little Rock suburb of Maumelle, vanished on Jan. 12 after leaving a note on her kitchen island counter stating on the water, love you all. She was last seen by a local resident paddle boarding in a wetsuit, according to the police report obtained by RadarOnline.com. After a massive search, her corpse was discovered four days later by a family friend submerged in 10 feet of water! Mrs. Haynes had a bag strapped to her leg with a green extension cord, states the police report. Inside the bag was a large concrete block that measured 16x16x4. A source close to Haynes, who worked for a charitable group to feed and clothe the homeless, tells Radar the 110-pound former model turned yoga teacher, would have never taken her own life let alone paddleboard down the river lugging a 58-pound concrete suicide block! It didnt make any sense, she would never kill herself, the Haynes source said. When I heard she went missing I knew instantly it was foul play. I dont believe she killed herself. How could she water paddle down the river with a concrete block! The source did not know if Haynes knew or associated Middleton. Just like Middleton, Haynes allegedly suffered from depression, and both their deaths were determined to be suicide by investigators even though neither left a tell-tale suicide note. Middletons death is equally baffling. Clintons former presidential campaign finance director was found hanging from a tree with a cheap Dollar Store-type extension cord around his neck after trespassing on a farm with a table to construct makeshift gallows. Everyone that I know here, that has worked with Mark, knows it is physically impossible for Mark to have killed himself, Middletons business associate tells RadarOnline.com. Middleton and Haynes are part of a growing list of corpses linked to Clinton and Epstein, who was found hanging inside his New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting sex trafficking charges. The others include Epsteins closest associate Jean-Luc Brunel, the 76-year-old French modeling scout turn pimp who was found hanging inside his Paris, France jail cell; and Clinton/Epstein pal Steve Bing, 55, who allegedly committed suicide by falling from a 27-story Los Angeles building in 2020. The business associate tells Radar Middleton was actively engaged in financial investments with the same Little Rock characters who allegedly worked with John Glasgow, the chief financial officer of CDI Contractors Inc., the lead firm that constructed the Clinton library. Glasgow vanished without a trace in 2008 after reporting financial irregularities with the Clinton library construction costs and his skeletal remains were found at Petit Jean State Park in 2015. His cause of death is undetermined. Attempts to reach the families of Middleton, Haynes and Glasgow were unsuccessful. Read more at: NewsPunch.com (Natural News) The biggest Big Tech platforms are literally large enough now they can and have influenced the outcome of elections. Because they are all run by left-wing billionaires, you can guess for which political party they skewer the outcomes: Its not for Republicans. One state, Texas, is tired of seeing Big Tech manipulate our society and our political outcomes in ways favorable to their ideologies, so the Lone Star State is attempting to do something about it. Attorney General Ken Paxton is defending a state law that bars the tech platforms from censoring political, social and cultural viewpoints they dont like, and that law is set to take effect soon. It will allow the state to take legal action against the platforms if Texans are silenced. But the platforms see the writing on the wall, so to speak, and through a trade organization, they are attempting to get a decision favorable to them rushed through the nations highest court before the issue gets a full hearing (and the full courts consideration), according to The Federalist: Netchoice v. Paxtonthe lawsuit that may determine the fate of free speech on social media platformshas taken a dramatic turn. Just short of two weeks ago, the large platformsincluding the likes of Amazon, Google, Twitter, and Facebook, all acting through their trade group, NetChoicemade an emergency application to Justice Samuel Alito. This sort of application is familiar in cases involving grave harm, such as an execution. But is there really any risk of such harm or other emergency in this case? Or are the platforms trying to bum rush the Supreme Court so as to sidestep the ordinary course of judicial inquiry? The Supreme Court needs to be careful that it is not being manipulated. Again, the case stems from a Texas free speech statute that bars the biggest social media platforms from discriminating against users on the basis of their viewpoints. In response, the platforms are claiming that their censorship of speech (a tacit admission that they actually do censor speech remember all the times their CEOs denied it under oath?) is a protected act under the First Amendment. Texas argues that the platforms are common carriers and they serve as outlets for other peoples speech, and as such, they can be banned from discriminating against users who espouse different viewpoints. In other words, the platforms are not being restricted in their own speech, but only barred from discriminating against the speech of others that they carry in their conduits, The Federalist reported. But these are all very complex questions, the outlet continued, and thus require careful consideration and thought. Even a slight hint as to the high courts response will have major implications in lower courts. As such, its disturbing to see the platforms, via their trade group NetChoice, trying to seek a quick ruling from Alito via a rushed emergency application. An issue with this gravity cannot and should not be decided in a hurry. So what is behind the rapid push for a decision? Already in the district court, proceedings were accelerated, because the platforms sought a preliminary injunction. And because the platforms were seeking to bar the Texas attorney general from enforcing the statute, there was no discovery on a key question for the constitutionality of the statutenamely, whether the platforms have been cooperating with government to censor Americans, The Federalist explained. Such coordination is very dangerous, and states have a compelling interest in preventing it. The platforms are worth tens of billions and have well-lawyered representation; not so much those opposed to the censorship. Nevertheless, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals In New Orleans blocked a lower courts injunction against Texas. And now, the same wealthy platforms are trying to get Alito to rule quickly without consideration. If they win, our country loses. Sources include: TheFederalist.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Just as many predicted would happen, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is ratcheting up the fear over monkeypox, which appears to be the globalists next plandemic. According to reports, an Alert Level 2 has been issued advising travelers to practice enhanced precautions. This is similar to the travel recommendations that were issued at the start of the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) plandemic, only to eventually become mandates. The new advisory urges travelers to avoid people with skin lesions or genital lesions, as well as wild animals and small mammals such as rodents (rats and squirrels) and non-human primates (monkeys and apes). It is also a good idea, according to the CDC, to not eat or prepare any meat from wild game such as bushmeat, or to use any products derived from wild animals in Africa, including creams, lotions and powders. If someone believed to possibly be infected with monkeypox uses a bed or blankets, those items should also be avoided, the CDC warns. (Related: The drug industry is already raking in the dough from its new monkeypox cash cow.) Risk to the general public is low, but you should seek medical care immediately if you develop new, unexplained skin rash (lesions on any part of the body), with or without fever and chills, and avoid contact with others, the CDCs new advisory reads. If possible, call ahead before going to a healthcare facility. If you are not able to call ahead, tell a staff member as soon as you arrive that you are concerned about monkeypox. First U.S. monkeypox vaccine approved in 2019 how convenient! Twenty countries are listed in the advisory as having cases of monkeypox, including the following: Australia Austria Belgium Canada Czech Republic Denmark England France Germany Israel Italy The Netherlands Portugal Scotland Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland United Arab Emirates United States At the current time, the CDC is only recommending that smallpox vaccines be given to people who work in close proximity to viruses such as monkeypox monkeypox is related to smallpox but is much milder. The Biden regime already ordered a cache of the Jynneos vaccine from Bavarian Nordic to administer to certain healthcare workers and laboratory personnel. The Jynneos jab was first approved in the U.S. in 2019 to prevent both smallpox and monkeypox in high-risk adults 18 years of age and older. People who were recently in contact with known monkeypox patients are already being offered the jab, according to CDC officials. It is expected that many more, once additional doses arrive, will be pushed to take the jab later on down the road. This is a never-ending nightmare, wrote someone at Natural News about the direction in which this all is going. Just when I think that things cant get any worse, I find out that I was totally wrong. Over at Newsmax, someone else wrote that those in charge have clearly milked covid as far as they could and are now switching to something new. Unfortunately for them, the only people who listen to them anymore are the leftists who are scared of their own shadow, this person added. Another pointed out that there really does not seem to be anything legitimate to worry about with the whole monkeypox fiasco. Anyone born before 1972 has already received a smallpox vaccine regardless, and thus has protection. That is, this person added as a caveat, until the authoritarian government tells us differently. Another speculated that the government will once again try to require mail-in voting this year due to the monkeypox so it can steal the midterms. The latest news about monkeypox can be found at Outbreak.news. Sources for this article include: Newsmax.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) China is now using specialized emotion recognition technology to monitor the feelings of people. This technology allows the Chinese regime to criminalize certain emotions and arrest citizens based on these. In fact, it has started using artificial intelligence that scrutinizes if a person is more nervous than usual for crime prevention purposes as mentioned by a state-run publication. Chinese state-run paper Global Times wrote in a March 4 article that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is applying the technology in various fields such as health and urban security. It added that Chinese citizens are increasingly being accustomed to the everyday use of emotion recognition technology. The state-run paper illustrated an example of how emotion recognition technology can fight crime. With the help of artificial intelligence (AI) pre-warning systems observing drivers and passengers, officers can monitor people looking strangely nervous while inside a car. A subsequent flag-down and search reveal illegal drugs hidden inside the vehicle. Global Times remarked that emotion recognition technology in China has achieved high precision use. According to EmoKit Tech Co., Ltd. head Wei Qingchen, products based on AI emotion recognition can achieve an accuracy rate of 70 percent to 95 percent. His firm specializes in developing products based on its emotion recognition engine Emokit: The engine accurately [combines] signals from video, audio and body sensors and [performs] multi-frequency overlay analysis. Wei cited an instance of the Emokit engines accuracy in a clinical setting through a project done in cooperation with a renowned Beijing psychiatric hospital. The AI system achieved a combined computerized accuracy of 78.8 percent in identifying schizophrenia, almost the same as that of clinical testing performance. He added that the system diagnosed depression with a 70 percent accuracy rate, through merely listening to a patients voice. Global Times also noted the use of emotion recognition technology in the Chinese penal system in 2019, adding that it has contributed to the risk assessment of prisoners in a few regional prisons. According to sociology professor Ma Ai of the China University of Political Science and Law, the technology helps prison officials evaluate if a prisoner presents potential risks [such as] possible mental problems and violent or suicidal tendencies. He added that the technology can also estimate prisoners recidivism following release. Ma told the state-run paper that this most advanced [technology] in the world is used in five to six prisons in China. (Related: Big Tech propping up Chinas police state surveillance system.) The use of emotion recognition technology on prisoners can lead to more nefarious uses A December 2019 report by the MIT Technology Review estimated the emotion recognition technology market to be at least $20 billion and is growing rapidly. Currently, the technology is used to assess people applying for a job and those suspected of crimes. Further tests are being done for other applications, such as in virtual reality headsets to find out the emotional states of gamers. Breitbart National Security Editor Frances Martel warned that China can use emotion recognition technology for more sinister intents. She specifically noted that it can be woven into existing systems to surveil Muslim Uighurs in the western autonomous region of Xinjiang. The CCP has installed high-resolution security cameras with facial recognition technology to monitor the movements of the Uighur minority. This is aside from the arbitrary detention and forced sterilization imposed on them which a number of nations have condemned. (Related: Leaked documents show how China is using AI and mass surveillance to commit cultural genocide and put people in concentration camps.) Aside from the possible ill uses, privacy concerns have also emerged in the budding industry. Some have voiced out their discomfort about AI technology capturing and reading their emotions. Others have also pointed out the possible abuse and leakage of personal information that may subsequently undermine peoples safety. But a number of Chinese insiders have remarked that emotion recognition technology need not be vilified. Ningbo University neuromanagement expert Ma Qingguo said: The right to life is a fundamental human right. In some cases, emotion recognition can figure out dangerous or violent persons and help prevent their wrongdoings which helps save peoples lives. Meanwhile, Wei commented that emotion computing is not an evil mind-reading technique. He asserted that Chinese companies behind emotion recognition technologies strictly follow the principle of technology for good. The EmoKit head told the Global Times that emotion recognition technologies have the ultimate aim of better serving people and not letting lawbreakers get away with [their crimes.] Visit Surveillance.news to learn more about the CCPs foray into monitoring citizens emotions. Sources include: Breitbart.com GlobalTimes.cn TechnologyReview.com (Natural News) At State Farm, perverts are committed to including 5-year-old children in discussions about sexual identity, cross-dressing and pretending that theres no such thing as a biological man or woman, because everyone is supposedly gay to some extent. State Farms latest target is kindergartners, and State Farm says that gender fluid and LGBTQ+ arent just words and acronyms, theyre how we do business and lead our organization, according to their own statement shared with Fox News and posted on Fox News Digital. Thats right, Drag Queen Story Hour and litter boxes in the childrens bathrooms for kids who identify as cats isnt quite enough for the libtard nation of sex freaks, now its on to educating the youngest of school children about how to act flamboyant, choose your sex partners during kindergarten, and figure out how men somehow have vaginas and can have babies, while women may garner a package down there and use it on each other for some gender fluid pleasures. State Farm is recruiting agents to push any books on kindergartners that explain gender fluidity, as exposed by an internal State Farm whistleblower Got some gay sex books you want little kids to read in school, without telling their parents? State Farm is hiring, because they really care about LGBTQ+ rights. Like a creepy neighbor, State Farm is there, staring at your little kids like theyre sex dolls, ready for conversions that involve cancer-causing hormones, life-long-regretting surgeries, and self-mutilation in the name of gay activism. Internal State Farm email chain traffic reveals theyve been intentionally attempting to target kindergartners for discussions about sexual identity and transgender preferences, and all WITHOUT parental consent (they know every straight parent would dogmatically object). State Farm is not even informing parents about this, much less asking permission. Forget about school boards, administrators and non-perverted normalcy, these gay rights activists are extremists who push perverted thoughts into the childrens minds every chance they get, then back-pedal later when they get caught. State Farm wants 5-year-old children in schools to act on that knowledge from LGBTQ+ books and propaganda about gender fluidity An internal email exposed by a State Farm whistleblower to Consumers Research reveals that State Farm is not just about pushing perverted gender fluidity books and propaganda on kindergartners, but they want those children to ACT on the knowledge they get from them, whatever that creepy diction means. This message was literally sent by a State Farm corporate responsibility analyst, urging Florida State Farm agents to take action and get these perverted materials in the laps of kindergartners right away, without telling or asking the parents! State Farm is partnering with the Gender Freak Project known as Gender Cool to coerce little kids into thinking about women with penises and men with vaginas who prance around and act flamboyant all day, indoctrinating children to believe sex is the most important topic in school and in life. Bringing clarity and understanding to the new communist national conversation that everyone should be gay and is gay is a total freak show and should be illegal in schools, at every level. What comes next is kids taking cancer-causing hormone pills prescribed by psychiatrists, and getting sex-change surgery that can cause permanent infertility and thoughts of suicide for teens and young adults who end up regretting what they can never undo. State Farm is an insurance company whos jumping in bed (pun intended) with a perverted movement to brainwash children, starting at five years young, to think and act like people who think about sex all day, often including sex with children. Its just one step away from having creepy sex-offenders as guest speakers in elementary schools and daycare centers across America, like some sort of extra-curricular, creepy sex education, twisted mental health program. This has NOTHING to do with gay rights or respecting gay people, and everything to do with indoctrinating children early on to become gay as soon as possible and think about sex all day. The entire State Farm organization should be ashamed of themselves, and measures should be taken to not only protect all children from this in the future, but put in place repercussions for agencies that try it again. Remember, gender fluid indoctrination of children is ABUSE and should not be tolerated, especially at the kindergarten and elementary school levels. Tune your internet frequency to groomers.news for updates on the communist regime in Washington DC, along with Disney and State Farm, looking to perv-out Americas children while theyre really still just babies. Sources for this article include: FoxNews.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Lack of action by police officers on the scene of the Uvalde, Tex., shooting could be the subject of new criminal charges. The school district police chief and other law enforcement officers are named in an investigation into the school massacre, which was allowed to take place for more than an hour before something was finally done to stop it. The defendants could face discipline, lawsuits, and / or criminal charges over the matter, which left 19 children and two teachers dead, we are told. The Associated Press (AP) further revealed that the defendants gave confusing and contradictory statements when asked about what happened. Officially speaking, students and teachers were begging 911 operators for help while the local police chief told his officers to wait in a hallway and do nothing inside Robb Elementary School. Because the suspect was supposedly barricaded inside adjoining classrooms, police say there was no longer an active attack requiring intervention. This decision, and the officers willingness to obey established active-shooter protocols, is drawing ire among parents and the public over whether consequences should ensue. In these cases, I think the court of public opinion is far worse than any court of law or police department administrative trial, commented Joe Giacalone, a retired New York police sergeant. This has been handled so terribly on so many levels, there will be a sacrificial lamb here or there. It is extremely rare for criminal charges to be pursued against law enforcement in school shooting cases Law enforcement officers from other agencies pushed the local police chief in Uvalde to let them enter the building to save more childrens lives, but he would not comply. Officials privy to all this spoke on the condition of anonymity because they say they were not allowed to talk publicly about the investigation. Alleged audio recordings from the scene capture these officers from the other agencies pleading with the school police chief to let them in because the shooter was still active. Why they were not allowed to still remains unknown. In a news conference, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott praised the police officers for saving lives, adding that he was misled about the initial response. Abbott has promised an investigation into exactly who knew what, when, (and) who was in charge. The bottom line would be: Why did they not choose the strategy that would have been best to get in there and to eliminate the killer and to rescue the children? Abbott further stated. It is extremely rare that criminal charges are pursued against law enforcement in school shooting cases. Perhaps the most notable exception is the 2018 shooting that allegedly took place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. The families can sue the police department for failing to act, said Paul Martin, a New York City defense attorney who has represented police officers charged with assault, murder and other crimes. They can clearly be found civilly liable. Martin personally believes that the officers in Uvalde could be let off the hook because they were simply following official orders. Convicting the school district police chief, he added, would also be a very high bar due to police officers being given great latitude to make tactical decisions. Qualified immunity, as it is called in civil liability terms, protects police officers against lawsuits unless their actions clearly violate established laws. Potential administrative punishments meted out by the department itself could range from a suspension or docked pay to forced resignation or retirement, or outright termination, the AP explains. The latest news about the Robb Elementary shooting can be found at FalseFlag.news. Sources for this article include: APNews.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) It is undeniable, based on mounting evidence, that the new monkeypox scare is another contrived outbreak that has been deployed for the purpose of committing domestic terror against the public which should know better by now that we are once again being scammed and terrorized. Appearing on the Man in America program, Dr. David Martin told his host that the modus operandi behind this operation is nothing new. The world got a heavy dose of it all throughout the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19), for which monkeypox appears to be round two. When you want to terrorize a population, what do you do? Turn to the experts! Martin explained. It turns out that monkeypox was planned, just like covid was, to be released at just this point on the timeline. And many of the same players who profited from covid are once again slated to rake in the cash from monkeypox. I love to point out (that) a lot of people have been really upset about this monkeypox scheduled release on May of 2022 coming from a March 21 publication, Martin added. And people sit there and go, oh my gosh how on earth could they have ever been so prescient to find out that they were going to have a monkeypox release three days away from the stated date for the alleged outbreak to occur?' A full 15 months before now back in March of 2021, the global architects had scheduled a later monkeypox release that landed right on schedule plus or minus three days, Martin notes. Listen, this is a willful continuation of a campaign of domestic terror, and it is done to make sure the public remains in fear and in cognitive dissonance and in the disbelief of what Plato described in The Republic, he says. You know Plato in The Republic made reference to the fact that sometimes crimes are so audacious that the mere statement of their audacity paralyzes the population. We the People must say NO to another round of plandemic tyranny Millions of people already have covid burnout and are unlikely to be fearful about monkeypox, recognizing that many of the same tactics are being used to spread fear and paranoia about testing positive for it. On the other hand, millions of other people also bought all-in to the covid plandemic and still believe that there is some invisible threat out there just waiting to kill them and their grandmas hence why some people are still wearing a face mask while out in public. Which side wins out in the next wave of health wars remains to be seen. Hopefully there are enough people wide awake to what is really going on that another scheduled plandemic fails to gain traction. The government and the media can fearmonger all they want about monkeypox, but their power ends where and when the public refuses to listen to or comply with any of it. We the People hold far more power than we realize, after all. All it takes is for a few good men and women to take a stand against these attempted crimes against humanity, inspiring others to do the same until a snowball of resistance is formed. We can be glad that the CCP-Davos axis chose the comparatively benign monkey-pox over Marburg, smallpox and bird flu, for their next global pandemic hoax, justifying world depopulation through starvation and lethal injections, commented someone at Natural News about the situation. I have read that shingles is a known adverse effect of the jab, wrote another. I searched for images on the net. Shingles and monkeypox look the same. How do doctors identify one from the other? The latest news about monkeypox can be found at Outbreak.news. Sources for this article include: Rumble.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) A Canadian researcher and ER doctor recently put the Pfizer and Moderna covid-19 vaccines under the microscope to see what they are made of. The electron microscope images show no sign of biological material, not DNA nor the glorified mRNA that the experimental injection was supposed to deliver. Lead researcher, Dr. Daniel Nagase is a former ER doctor who was persecuted for using ivermectin to treat covid-19 patients in Canada. On involuntary leave since 2021, Dr. Nagase has been traveling through Alberta and British Columbia to educate others on the treatment options for covid-19. Canadian researcher claims to finds non-biological aluminum and carbon nano-particles in Moderna vaccines When the contents of the vaccine were put under an electron microscope, Dr. Nagase was able to identify basic elements like carbon and oxygen. You would expect to see carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus all the things you would normally see in a protein, Nagase said. However, none of the samples contained nitrogen or phosphorous, not in the X-ray spectroscopy or the electron microscope images. X-ray spectroscopy didnt detect any nitrogen or phosphorus. So, if those complex shapes that rectangle with all the dots arranged in a grid were the result of some kind of biological process then there should be nitrogen and phosphorus there in addition to carbon and oxygen. Because every living thing, whether its a virus, plant or animal, is made up of proteins that contain nitrogen, carbon, oxygen, and phosphorus, he said. Dr. Nagase found some very interesting shapes inside the contents of the so-called vaccines. One of the non-biological life forms (in the Moderna vaccine) contained neurotoxic aluminum and looked like a ball with the legs growing out of it. The object was not a biological contaminant because it did not contain nitrogen or phosphorous. So, this thing thats growing is non-biological, Nagase concluded. He found no mRNA in the samples, either. The mRNA is the principal ingredient of the vaccine that is intended to interfere with the biological process of protein transcription in human cells. The mRNA is the vehicle by which toxic, lab-made spike proteins are encoded. According to this discovery, its safe to say that not all covid-19 vaccine lots are the same, and some may have no mRNA at all because it degrades easily and may not be preserved properly. Nagase cautioned that there is no way of ensuring that this vaccine lot was properly refrigerated to preserve the mRNA. Pfizer vaccine appears to contain rare-Earth metal, thulium The Pfizer sample contained an unusual fiber-like structure that contained a rare-Earth element called thulium, says the researcher. Thulium is one of the highly-reactive elements in the lanthanides series of the periodic table. This rare metal is easy to work with and is used as a source of radiation in portable X-ray devices. Under the electron microscope, these thulium samples were found in various polymorphic forms, including crystals, chips, strands, bulbs, spheres, fibers, and balls with legs growing out of them. Polish biologist Dr. Franc Zalewksi previously discovered these one-headed, three-legged objects in 2021. He found bromine, carbon, and aluminum in the peculiar structures, and he named them nano-octopus. Pathologists have also found unknown objects in the blood of vaccinated Germans. I dont even know if this carbon technology is in every batch or is it just in the batches they sent to Canada? Dr. Nagase questioned. Is Canada one half of an experiment and certain States in the US are getting a slightly different batch without the carbon nanotech? As post-vaccine deaths pile up, more doctors are asking questions. Informed consent has been vanquished from medicine over the past three years, so Dr. Nagase asks, Are countries around the world being given different injections, and were being observed to see, well, who dies the fastest, who gets the sickest or what kind of illnesses result from experimental ingredients being indiscriminately and without disclosure being given to people? Sources include: Expose-News.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Dr. Stephanie Russell, a pediatrician working in Louisville, Kentucky, may work to save lives as a doctor, but apparently saved some of her earnings to pay a hitman to murder her ex-husband. One problem. She hired an undercover FBI agent by accident, and put half of the $7,000 murder-for-hire fee in a drop box outside her medical office as a down payment on the hit. Oops. She was arrested May 19th on federal charges and could face a decade in federal prison for the attempt. Shes in custody now waiting for the US Attorneys Office of the Western District of Kentucky to put the screws to her instead of her ex-husband. Doctors kill more people than gun owners Who knew? They say doctors in America kill more people than guns, and this, had it worked out, would have added to that statistic. Its true. There are 700,000 physicians in the USA and 120,000 accidental deaths caused by them. That calculates to a rate of .171 death per physician. Conversely, there are 80 million gun owners in the USA, and only 1,500 accidental deaths from guns yearly, which computes a gun-caused death rate of .0000188. That tells us that doctors are 9,000 times more likely to kill you than a gun owner. The Democrats in DC are screaming for gun control, meaning full confiscation of all guns, every time theres a mass shooting, but its not the guns that are killing people, its the psychotic people on psychotropic drugs and the doctors who sling those suicide-meds as if they were vitamin C. Every time theres a mass shooting in America, we find out days later that the shooter(s) were in and out of mental wards and taking SSRI depression and anxiety drugs. Even when taken as directed, these patients experience massive mood swings and side effects that include feelings of homicide and suicide. Many carry out those drug-induced emotions and thoughts. We need Big Pharma control and the banning of SSRIs, not guns. Thats whats killing so many people. Now weve got a physician in jail for allegedly hiring an undercover FBI agent to kill her ex-husband. Ban SSRIs, not guns, and the mass shootings will all but disappear as a mass death statistic in America Physicians and psychiatrists who sling SSRIs are just glorified drug dealers who are literally accomplices to these mass shootings and suicides we see plastered all over the news so frequently in America, yet the DRUGS are never mentioned by the mass media, because they are the big money makers. Plus, mass shootings are always the catapult for gun control propaganda and legislation, so the tyranny in Washington DC can try to take complete control of the populace by disarming the 80 million gun owners. Its never going to happen. What we need is a disarming of the doctors who sling these drugs, and pharma-control legislation that confiscates the SSRIs once and for all. The war on drugs is real, but its not so much about street drugs; its more about doctor-prescribed drugs. Let that sink in for a minute. This deserves much careful consideration. You never hear about these dangerous mind-altering drugs being the culprit of mass shootings, but they usually are. Nearly every mass shooting thats happened over the past two decades involved teenage boys and young adult men who were taking these drugs. It doesnt take a genius or FBI investigations to figure out that SSRIs are the real serial killers. We need pharma control legislation in this country. Lets all push for THAT. Tune your internet frequency to BigPharmaNews.com for updates on doctors and their evil schemes that kill more Americans than guns. Sources for this article include: WKYT.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) An unreleased federal report has said there is no evidence online free speech causes hate crimes offline. The January 2021 report sent to the U.S. Congress has yet to appear on any government website, but Breitbart News managed to get a copy of it. Government sources have expressed bafflement as to why the report, typically made public after being sent to lawmakers, had not been released. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) under the Department of Commerce prepared the report. NTIA is responsible for advising the U.S. president on all things related to telecommunication and the internet. While the report was prepared under the Trump administration, the request to revise it came from the 116th Congress with a Democrat majority. The report included revisions to a 1993 NTIA paper titled The Role of Telecommunications in Hate Crimes. While the 1993 document is still available, the latest edition of the NTIA report is not. Sources in close proximity to the drafting and approval process surmised that bureaucrats and establishment politicians are trying to suppress the report. This is because its conclusions challenge popular media narratives that internet-inspired hate crimes are on the rise. These same personalities trying to suppress the report also have a vested interest in the hate crimes panic. According to a source who was formerly with the Trump administration, the Department of Justice (DoJ) Civil Rights Division was at the helm of efforts to oppose the report. The division in charge of prosecuting hate crimes is also at the forefront of efforts to drum up hysteria over white nationalist extremism in the country, the source added. The Office of Management and Budget eventually approved the report and sent it to Congress, despite its opposition to the reports findings. The source who worked closely with the NTIA on the report commented: Reports like these are typically made public. I dont know why this report isnt up on a government website yet. Its already been submitted to Congress, [so] its not a private thing anymore. I suspect the Civil Rights Division might have something to do with it. The reports suppression only proves that actions to curtail free speech online are unjustified The NTIA report said there is no evidence that growth in internet usage and hate crimes were explicitly linked together. In fact, the report even pointed out that there is not even any correlation between the two. Such a discovery delivers a knockout blow to mainstream media allegations of a surge in hate crimes over the past five years because DoJ statistics do not support it. (Related: Democrats TERRORIZE themselves with endless parade of fake hate crime hoaxes and made-up fake news.) If anything, the report had strong words against efforts to clamp down on online communications. It stated: We caution that efforts to control or monitor online speech present serious First Amendment concerns and runs counter to our nations dedication to free expression. It quoted former President Barack Obama who said the strongest weapon against hateful speech is not repression, [but] more speech. Big Tech companies have been at the forefront of efforts to suppress First Amendment rights, and the report strongly condemned these firms for undermining freedom of expression. It mentioned that technology firms have recognized the need for artificial intelligence (AI) to augment human moderation. While technologies are being developed to address the limits of these algorithms, many of these have been developed by the Chinese regime to suppress dissent and political discussion. The report further elaborated: Given that all the major social media platforms have rules against hate speech and employ sophisticated algorithmic AI approaches to enforce these often vague and contradictory rules, it is appropriate to ask what they gain from it. Big Tech companies do not reasonably expect their moves to censor free speech will end or diminish hate crimes, the report also mentioned. Furthermore, the NTIA report said Big Tech censorship poses real dangers to the political system. The platforms have removed content that many consider seriously engaged with pressing political and social issues under the guise of hate speech rules. (Related: Sen. Ted Cruz: Big Tech censorship greatest threat to free speech and democracy.) Breitbart News has reached out to both the NTIA and the DoJ Civil Rights Division for comment on the matter. Visit FirstAmendment.news to read more about efforts to suppress Americans free speech rights. Sources include: Breitbart.com SlideShare.net NTIA.Doc.gov [PDF] (Natural News) Modern political scandals, like Caesars Gaul, are divided into three parts. The first is the actual malfeasance. That might be taking bribes, lying to federal agents, leaking classified materials, sexual misconduct, selling political access, whatever. The second part is the hyper-partisan involvement of Congress and, often, federal agencies, all eager to score points for their side. The third part is the medias role, which goes beyond bias to include active promotion of political goals. (Article by Charles Lipson republished from RealClearPolitics.com) Federal agencies, like all bureaucratic institutions, have always tried to increase their power and preserve their autonomy. Whats different today is that the bureaucrats, and often their entire agencies, are frequently partisan players. Thats disheartening but understandable. One party is clearly the party of government and the party of experts. Most educated professionals, including bureaucrats and journalists, identify with that party. Filled with partisan civil servants, these agencies routinely tilt investigations (or kill them outright) to advance political goals the same ones as their favored party. For the same reasons, they leak insider information to friendly media. Predictably, the opposing party tries to score points by attacking them for doing so. That brings us to the third element of these scandals: the friendly media. Mainstream outlets are not just biased. They often become outright partisans when a potential scandal could hurt conservatives or populists. That bias degrades what was once called hard news. Today, neutral reporting is as antiquated as rotary phones, conservative Democrats, and liberal Republicans. The medias bias, both left and right, is amplified by the fragmentation of the digital landscape. That fragmentation encourages each outlet to appeal to its self-selected audience and avoid alienating them with uncomfortable information. The trial of Hillary Clinton lawyer Michael Sussmann illustrates how modern scandals have devolved into this dismal three-ring circus. Last Thursday, the FBIs former general counsel, James Baker, testified at length that his old friend Sussmann had requested an urgent private meeting and provided the bureau damning, confidential information. Sussmann claimed he did so solely as a good citizen, not on behalf of any client. Sussmann made the same claim in a text message to Baker the night before. Baker testified that he was 100% confident Sussmann had repeated his disclaimer at the beginning of their meeting. (Before Special Counsel John Durhams team concluded their case on Wednesday, they showed the jury that Sussmann had actually billed the Clinton campaign for that meeting.) Bakers testimony was especially powerful because he was clearly reluctant to provide it. The papers and thumb drives Sussmann gave Baker were designed to show that Donald Trump was secretly communicating with a Kremlin-connected European bank. The implication was that this back-channel communication was part of Vladimir Putins effort to elect Trump, a line the Clinton campaign eagerly promoted. Baker testified he was alarmed by the prospect, which is why he immediately briefed his bosses, including FBI Director James Comey. Baker gave the materials Sussmann had provided to the bureaus cyber experts, who quickly discovered it was rubbish. Their conclusion: Trump was not secretly communicating with Russias Alfa Bank. Bakers testimony was followed, on Friday, by that of Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook. Mook casually (perhaps inadvertently) dropped a bombshell. Hillary Clinton, he said, had personally approved sharing the Trump-Alfa Bank story with the press. Mook said the campaign wasnt sure if the story was true but figured the press would look into it. Hillary agreed and approved spreading the false story. But Mook cannot be right when he says the campaign didnt know if the Alfa Bank story was true. Mook may not have known, but others in the campaign surely did since they were the ones who created the false story. They expended campaign funds to generate that dishonest inference and narrative about Trump and Alfa Bank from internet data, knowing it would fool only naive FBI agents and reporters. Real cyber experts could and did disprove the inference almost immediately. The Alfa Bank tale wasnt the Clinton campaigns only dirty trick. They also commissioned the now-disproven Steele dossier and aggressively shopped it to the FBI, Department of Justice, State Department, and, of course, the press. Both the Alfa Bank story and the Steele dossier had the same goals: Smear Donald Trump, generate media reports that the FBI is investigating, and distract the media from Hillarys own problems with her private email server and the classified documents it contained. The obvious goal before November 2016 was to prevent Trumps election. Thats why Sussmann wanted the late October meeting with Baker so urgently. After Trump was elected, the new goal was to hamstring his presidency by tying him up in investigations. That is presumably why Sussmann later met with the CIA and gave them the same Alfa bank story, plus another fable about secret Russian mobile phones that were always near Trump. Again, pure garbage, based on cherry-picked data and quickly shown to be worthless. The Sussmann trial indicates how the media and federal agencies play into the Democrats scandal-industrial process. Take Mooks testimony last Friday. It was a huge story because, for the first time, a Clinton insider directly tied Hillary to the smear campaign. That campaign was the biggest political dirty trick in modern American politics, one the media had actively promoted. Yet, when the bombshell exploded, the mainstream media went silent, both about the news and about their own culpability. On Friday, when the news broke, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, and MSNBC did not mention the Mook bombshell or even the Sussmann trial. Not a peep. Saturdays New York Times was equally silent. The Washington Post did cover the story but buried the lede Hillary Clintons direct involvement well down in their report. A Post national correspondent actually ran an analysis piece entitled Again: Theres No Evidence Hillary Clinton Triggered the Russian Probe. Robert Muellers prolonged investigation as Special Counsel missed this whole massive scandal. When Mueller testified before Congress, he was asked about Fusion GPS, a central player in Clintons smear campaign, and the Special Counsel said hed never even heard of the firm. What about the FBI? How did it treat Sussmanns information about Trump and Alfa Bank? General Counsel Baker testified that he immediately informed the bureaus top officials, noting Sussmanns assurance that he had no client. Although the Alfa Bank story was quickly disproven, that didnt stop the bureaus relentless investigation of Trumps ties to Russia. Two days after Sussmann gave the FBI his (false) information, the head of the bureaus counter-intelligence division texted a colleague, People of the 7th floor to include Director are fired up about this server. They were so fired up they refused to let agents know Sussmanns name, referred to him (dishonestly) as the Department of Justice, and refused to let agents interview the authors of the cyber data given to Baker. The FBI handled the Steele dossier the same way they handled Sussmanns material a mixture of incompetence and malign intent, trampling over administrative safeguards and legal rules in an effort to ensnare Donald Trump. Even though the FBI couldnt verify the dossiers salacious allegations, it used them to impale the president-elect. Comey briefed Trump on the worst allegations and then secretly told the press that the FBI was investigating them. Over the next month, the bureau conducted lengthy interviews with Steeles principle source (Igor Danchenko, now indicted himself) and learned the dossiers allegations were based on bar talk and rumors, as told by a Brookings Institution researcher, not Kremlin insiders. That didnt stop or even slow the governments pursuit of Trump, and its use of this discredited material. The falsity of the Alfa Bank connection and Steele dossier and the FBIs knowledge of their falsity did not stop the bureau from spying on Trump associates for purported Russian connections. That surveillance didnt stop even after field agents said their investigation turned up no evidence and should be closed. Instead, Comey and his deputy, Andrew McCabe, personally kept the investigation open. Since the spying required FISA warrants (from the court overseeing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act), the FBI omitted or doctored exculpatory information to renew their authorization. Yet another subversion of justice. The full scope of this multi-pronged scandal is finally emerging after five years of administrative misconduct, media coverups, partisan reporting, and pervasive deceit by Washington insiders. What is still submerged is any accountability. The media is still burying the story and its own role in promoting those lies. Nobody has returned their dubious Pulitzer Prizes. Senior officials in Comeys FBI have never been held to account. Congressmen, led by California Democrat Adam Schiff, who continued the smear and leaked their closed-door inquiries to the press, still appear on the Sunday talk shows. Hillary Clinton, who sat atop the conspiracy, was given a quick all clear by the FBI on her server and has not been targeted for federal investigation in the subsequent scandals. That Mooks testimony surprised Durhams prosecutors indicates they never bothered to probe Hillarys involvement before the grand jury. The Sussmann trial, like all modern political scandals, is part of a three-ring circus, showcasing sleazy political enablers, malfeasance by public officials, and biased reporting. In this circus of deceit, the public has to walk behind the elephants with a huge shovel. Read more at: RealClearPolitics.com (Natural News) Gov. Greg Abbott is understandably upset at his state police hierarchy after they failed to accurately inform him about the response to the horrific massacre in Uvalde, Texas last week. During a Friday press conference to discuss the shooting, which left 19 fourth-grade children and two adult teachers dead, the GOP governor slammed officials for misleading him about the police response to Robb Elementary School. As reporters peppered the governor with questions, one of them asked about a revelation that emerged from an earlier press conference involving police leaders and other officers. Governor, with all due respect, for three days this community has heard a version of the story based in large part on what you told them on Wednesday afternoon that police officers had acted with amazing courage, the reporter asked. Today we learned that 19 officers stood in the hallway of that school for nearly an hour while the gunman was inside with the children, which goes against the way theyve been trained, he continued, going on to ask whether Abbott was aware of those facts during his Wednesday press conference or if he had been misled. Short answer, yes, I was misled, Abbott began. I am livid about what happened. I was up on this very stage two days ago, and I was telling the public information that had been told to me in a room just a few yards behind where were located right now. I wrote down hand notes in detail about what everybody in that room told me in sequential order about what happened, the governor continued. And when I came out here on this stage and told the public what happened, it was a recitation of what people in that room told me, whether it be law enforcement officials or non-law enforcement officials, whatever the case may be, he noted. And as everybody has learned, the information that I was given, turned out in part to be inaccurate. And I am absolutely livid about that. And heres my expectation: My expectation is that the law enforcement leaders that are leading the investigations, which includes the Texas Rangers and the FBI, they get to the bottom of every fact with absolute certainty, he continued. There are people that deserve answers the most. And those are the families whose lives have been destroyed. They need answers that are accurate. And it is inexcusable that they may have suffered from any inaccurate information whatsoever. And it is imperative that the leaders of the investigations about what exactly happened get down to the very second of exactly what happened with 100 percent accuracy and explain it to the public, but most importantly to the victims who have been devastated, Abbott concluded. In a follow-up question, the GOP leader stated that he expects that the law enforcement will earn the trust of the community by doing exactly what theyre supposed to do. My expectation is that as we speak and in every minute going forward, law enforcement is going to earn the trust of the public by doing exactly what theyre supported to do from this point on, and that is making sure that they thoroughly, exhaustively investigate exactly what happened and explain to you and the public and the victims of the crime exactly what happened, Abbott said. WATCH: The governors remarks came just hours after Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw and other officials held a presser in which they went through the timeline of the police response. The Post Millennial added: During his rundown of the timeline, McCraw said that shortly after 11:51, 19 officers had been positioned inside the schools hallway, around half an hour after the shooter had entered the school. It wasnt until 12:50 that the door to classroom was breached, and 18-year-old shooter Salvador Ramos was shot and killed. When pressed on why officers didnt enter the classroom sooner, McCraw said that [The Chief of Police] was convinced at that time that there was no more threat to the children and that the subject was barricaded and that they had time to organize with the proper equipment to go in. McCraw went on to note that law enforcement personnel understand that they made poor decisions the day of the shooting. It was the wrong decision, he said of the choice not to go in immediately and neutralize the shooter. Sources include: ThePostMillennial.com NewsTarget.com (Natural News) This is my third and last post on the fraudulent TOGETHER trial and its investigators as I am just done with it. I hope that the my global network of colleagues trying to expose this fraudulence have better success than I had so far. (Article by Pierre Kory, MD, MPA republished from PierreKory.Substack.com) Anyway, in Part 1, I introduced the trial in the context of a decades-long Disinformation war waged by Big Pharma (using tactics pioneered and perfected by Big Tobacco) against generic, repurposed drugs like ivermectin. In Part 2, I detailed the most brazen of a multitude (47 to be exact) of actions consistent with the aim of producing a negative trial, with these actions committed in both the design and conduct of the TOGETHER trial, by a group of the most deeply Pharma-conflicted study investigators of any trial in the pandemic. They brought out the superstars for this one. I have long wondered how the investigators conduct can be so blatant and obvious. I only recently concluded that it is because they dont have to be subtle. It just doesnt matter. The newspaper headlines are out across the world and the NIH has quietly changed its recommendation from neutral to now against the use of ivermectin outside a clinical trial. Which leaves us arguing over the bomb fragments of a massive detonation of what could have been world-changing and life-saving Public Health policy. I remind all, again, that my accusations of fraud could be easily refuted or clarified, simply by an open sharing of the patient-level data by these investigators. That they refuse, even with their own outside colleagues, despite promising repeatedly to do so, is to me, damning and definitive evidence of massive fraud. What is hilarious is that instead of sharing with the public, they instead claim to have parked the data behind an organization called ICODA funded by Bill Gates. See below. What is even more telling.. is that on the ICODA website, the trial is not even listed. Again, not subtle. Now, to the point of this third post. In the past year, I have been privy to comments uttered or written both publicly and semi-privately by several investigators of the TOGETHER trial. I will present them here. I believe they add another pillar of evidence supporting the conclusion of fraud as they lend disturbing insight into the people who designed and conducted the trial. Liars at a minimum. You be the judge for whatever else you think they are. So buckle your seatbelts because it gets weird, disturbing, and infuriating. First, who are these investigators? From the C19early.com group: Possibly the largest financial conflict of interest of any trial to date. Disclosed conflicts of interest include: Pfizer, Merck, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Australian Government, Medicines Development for Global Health, Novaquest, Regeneron, AstraZeneca, Daichi Sankyo, Commonwealth Science and Research Organization, and Card Research. Many conflicts of interest appear unreported. For example, Unitaid is a sponsor [Harper, togethertrial.com (B)]. Analysis done by a company that receives payment from and works closely with Pfizer. All analyses were done by Cytel. Cytel is a statistical modelling company that helps pharmaceutical companies get approval they work very closely with Pfizer [cytel.com]. Cytels software and services are used by the top 30 pharmaceutical companies [cytel.com (B)]. A co-principal investigator (Ed Mills) works for Cytel and the Gates Foundation [empendium.com]: The majority of the time I work for a company called Cytel, where I design clinical trials, predominantly for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The first author (Gilmar Reis) runs a company that survives on contracts from pharmaceutical companies. His research company has never done a trial on any generic drug. Note that, per the c19early.com group, independent investigators without conflicts of interest) tried to participate in the trial but were denied [odysee.com (B)]. The independent, non-conflicted investigator who was denied participation in the trial was none other than the FLCCCs Dr. Flavio Cadegiani. I wonder if it was his integrity, ethics, professionalism, humanity and intelligence that disqualified him? Or was it the fact he was treating the COVID gamma variant with double the dose of ivermectin for three times as long as the studys protocol? Again, from the c19early.com group: The Gates Foundation is a founding partner of GAVI, which took out Google ads telling people not to use ivermectin [ 10/n La fondation de Bill & Melinda Gates, financierement et ideologiquement investie dans le vaccin comme solution au covid, a finance via GAVI de la publicite pour un article critique sur livermectine. Elle a finance TOGETHER, notamment le bras sur lHCQ, egalement defavorable pic.twitter.com/LPSzjIWz0R Collectif Sauver la Science (@GabinJean3) April 5, 2022 rel=>twitter.com (V) ], and a major funder of Unitaid, which (my words here) modified the results of the Hill meta analysis in a way that prevented adoption [c19ivermectin.com, c19ivermectin.com (B), 11/n La meme fondation est fortement impliquee dans le scandale lie a la meta-analyse dAndrew Hill, via Unitaid. Andrew Hill etait egalement conseiller de cette fondation. Quels sont les autres liens dinterets des auteurs ?https://t.co/O0QhABqyy3 Collectif Sauver la Science (@GabinJean3) April 5, 2022 rel=>twitter.com (C) ]. Associated with MMS Holdings. The trial is associated with MMS Holdings [dcricollab.dcri.duke.edu], whose mission includes helping pharmaceutical companies get approval and designing scientific studies that help them get approval. One of their clients is Pfizer [mmsholdings.com]. Certara. One of the senior investigators was Dr. Craig Rayner, President of Integrated Drug Development at Certara another company with a similar mission to MMS Holdings. They state on their website that: Since 2014, our customers have received over 90% of new drug and biologic approvals by the FDA. One of their clients is Pfizer [certara.com]. Craig Rayner has had previous financial relationships with: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation ? Medicines Development for Global Health ? Novaquest ? Regeneron ?Merck ? Astrazeneca ?Pfizer ? Daichi Sankyo ? Commonwealth Science and Research Organization ? I wonder what all these investigators prospects are for future pharmaceutical company contracts if they blow up a 100 billion dollar market for COVID-19 vaccines and pharmaceuticals by proving the preventive and therapeutic efficacy of a generic drug? I should remind myself here that some supporters have told me to be careful because I am poking the 100 billion dollar bear with these posts. Its not that I am brave in that way, but rather that I think they would have taken me out long ago and that now it no longer matters because Big Pharma just doesnt give a shit anymore about ivermectin. They already won the battle, the TOGETHER trial was just the final blow no advanced health economy in the world recommends it. The NIH just reversed the neutral recommendation that Paul Marik and myself got them to make. To see just how wickedly effective this Disinformation campaign was, check out this recent editorial in the Annals of Emergency Medicine. One of the top-rated journals in that field, regurgitating propaganda with zero awareness. If they ever start wondering why everyone I meet is terrified about going to an establishment doctor or hospital, I will point them to this editorial. OK, so lets review the lies, attacks, and duplicitous statements made by some of these folks, in particular those of Ed Mills, David Boulware and Craig Rayner. Lets start with the duplicitous statements about the trial conclusions, uttered by Ed Mills and David Boulware. I dont want to spend too much time on this as the brilliant journalist/filmmaker Phil Harper already nailed them for these in his substack called The Digger, where he argued that their statements are 100% in-line with a public relations campaign against ivermectin. Although this characterization is completely unsurprising to me, what I find intriguing is that their private, conflicting, positive statements supporting ivermectin (i.e. duplicitous) just might reflect a conscience. However weak or remote it may reside in their soul. Or it could just be they are trying to feign some sort of intellectual honesty among their academic colleagues to preserve their professional reputations. Yeah, lets go with that one. Lets start with what Ed Mills told a colleague named Marc Rendell, an exchange published by Steve Kirsch in his substack post on the TOGETHER trial (I will tell you that this is the very last correspondence between Ed Mills and Marc Rendell, given that all subsequent emails from Rendell to Mills have gone unanswered). Hmm. Anyway: Heres the reply from Ed Mills to Marc Rendell on April 3, 2022: Hi Marc I hope you are well. Thank you for your email. You have been the only person courteous enough to ask the questions. I dont understand the psychology of the ivermectin advocates. They fail to see the positive in this study and just focus on it not being overwhelmingly positive. I actually think it is quite positive. I presented this a couple weeks ago at the NIH Collaboratory Rounds and, if they listened, I advocate that actually, there is a clear signal that IVM works in COVID patients, just that our study didnt achieve significance. In particular, there was a 17% reduction in hospitalizations that would be significant if more patients were added. I really dont view our study as negative and, also in that talk, you will hear me retract previous statements where I had been previously negative. I think if we had continued randomizing a few hundred more patients, it would have likely been significant. The idea that Mills might have a conscience also stems from another exchange after his NIH presentation. Frank Harrell, a Professor of Biostatistics asked Mills, When you have a confidence interval that goes all the way down to a 30% reduction in relative risk, the question of whether the trial was stopped too early in light of the political ramifications of needing to demonstrate that the efficacy is really unimpressive, it really could be raised as a logical question. Any reaction to that? asked the host. I totally agree with Frank, Mills said. What? He totally agrees with a statement suggesting that stopping the trial early could have been the result of political motivations? He is the Principal Investigator! Wow, he must have been given truth serum before that presentation because this is what he and Boulware told the newspapers instead: Ivermectin did not result in a lower incidence of medical admission to a hospital, Edward Mills in TOGETHER paper, March 30th 2022. Here is the headline that statement generated: Also, he said this to another newspaper: There was no indication that ivermectin is clinically useful, Edward Mills quote March 18th 2022 In the New York Times: Theres really no sign of any benefit, said Dr. David Boulware, an infectious-disease expert at the University of Minnesota. I guess David wasnt paying attention during the NIH presentation. No sign of ANY benefit? Maybe he and Mills should get their stories straight. Or not. Seems it was best for them to tell the papers one thing and the exact opposite to the academic community. Boulware goes even further to try to destroy ivermectin. In that same article, the NY Times quotes him as follows, Now that people can dive into the details and the data, hopefully that will steer the majority of doctors away from ivermectin towards other therapies, Dr. Boulware said. Umm, diving into the details and the data actually finds that there are tons of evidence to show they buried, hid, and manipulated the evidence of efficacy to show their non-statistically significant evidence of benefit. My colleagues (chief among them being Alexandros Marinos whose posts on the TOGETHER trial are a masterwork) have done deep dives into the data by scouring the published manuscripts, protocols, and presentations of all the repurposed medicines studied in the TOGETHER trial. Their conclusion, based on the blatantly withheld data along with the to-date-unrefuted evidence of manipulation of multiple control groups in violation of the study protocol, is that the investigators are hiding the finding of a massive benefit of ivermectin. Boulwares invitation to dive into the details and the data is a farce. What data David? You mean the data you are having Gates hide for you behind ICODA? Now, lets examine the numerous statements that Ed Mills has given in defending the 3-day dose used in the trial. What follows is that Ed Mills, a year ago, wrote that they changed the protocol from one day only (I laugh each time I read that) to three days only, and that this decision was based on Andrew Hills work because he had shown a dose-response in his early pre-print posted on January 19th, 2021 (i.e. dose-response means that the higher the dose, the more potent the benefit). To wit, see his email below to Steve Kirsch and Filipe Rafaele in March of 2021, two deeply researched observers and/or funders of therapeutic trials (Kirsch) in COVID. Note that I am cced on a number of these emails). I have redacted all email addresses but in this one below, Mills email was literally one ending with @cytel.com. Hilarious. From: Edward Mills <> Sent: Saturday, March 6, 2021 4:48 PM To: Steve Kirsch Cc: filipe rafaeli Pierre Kory Patrick Collison Subject: Re: IVM under dosing in Brazil trial We are doing three days of dosing. The original protocol had one day of dosing, which was used back in January, when we submitted this for approvals at the ethics and national bodies. It then changed to three days of dosing after an amendment based on emerging trials from Andrew Hills synthesis. I have already explained that on several occasions. Thats what is being administered. Clinicaltrials.gov needs to be updated. Clinicaltrials.gov is not a protocol, its a registry. Gates funded the first part of this trial, when we evaluated HCQ and lopinavir vs placebo Editorial interlude (PK): Of course Gates did HCQ was actually the OG (original gangster) of repurposed drugs in COVID, and man did they murder that drug using a submachine gun of fraudulent trials). Back to Mills: Thats why they are on the website. Again, this has been clearly explained in the past. We will do an interim analysis after 800 patients. We arent making any changes until then. Ed Quick word about Filipe Rafaele - he had been in repeated contact with Mills given he was equally disturbed as I was, from the beginning, in regards to the issue of trials of repurposed, generic drugs that were designed to fail. Filipe had closely followed the hydroxychloroquine frauds, and was fighting the good fight as they say. He is a prolific and talented writer and filmmaker among other pursuits. His essay "The day I understood 'the Good German" is stunning in power, and a required reading to best understand the times we are living through. Here is just one paragraph in the introduction to that essay that ends in a telling description of the frustrating role that me and my colleagues have found ourselves in (colleagues such as Robert Malone, Peter McCullough, Paul Alexander, Harvey Risch, Aaron Kheriaty, Ryan Cole, Richard Urso, Kat Lindley and others). ..the almost unlimited powers of big pharmaceutical corporations over science, creating what the BMJ - British Medical Journal, calls "The illusion of evidence based medicine". This article explains that academia has been corrupted, research has been corrupted, regulatory authorities have been corrupted, and dissenters are persecuted . I have also written long pieces about this and understand that the communicators cannot give voices to the dissident scientists, the only ones left to tell the truth about these issues. Anyway, back to the emails. Filipe replies: On Mar 15, 2021, at 11:00 AM, filipe rafaeli <> wrote: Hello Edward, Nine days ago, you said: There will be an updated protocol on the website in the next few days that is far more elaborate. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04727424?cond=Covid19&intr=ivermectin&draw=6&rank=49. In the website, it is still saying that is single dose: Drug: Ivermectin Tablets 06 mg oral tablet: Three tablets if weight 40 60 kg, single dose; Four tablets if weight > 60 kg, single dose. Do you have any news about this? Filipe Ed Mills writes back. Em ter., 16 de mar. de 2021 as 02:35, Edward Mills < escreveu: I have come across your previous articles and I abhor your views on everything. Your admiration for Josef Mengele is disgusting. I have no sympathies for nazis, under any circumstances. Never, ever. These were people that were killed, I knew them and I knew their families. Your views disgust me. I suggest no-one else on this email thread supports you either, Please, never contact me again. Your hate will not win. Fuck you Ed Whoa. Crazy town. Filipe goes on to school him below. Note how at the end, in his post-script, Filipe predicts the exact nonsense that Ed will pull in his hydroxychloroquine trial. Em ter., 16 de mar. de 2021 as 03:54, filipe rafaeli <> escreveu: Edward, If you understood, after reading the entire article, that I am an admirer of Mengele, you are either illiterate or cognitively impaired. I have no admiration for Mengele. I am a Latin American leftist. I am a socialist. Here I know what fascism is. Here I know what dictatorship is. I am an anti-fascist. My grandfather was arrested during the Brazilian dictatorship (64-85). By the fascist military with machine guns. I have friends who were tortured. Do you want to know why I mentioned Mengele? Because I remembered him. I remembered Mengele when I read studies by scientists with hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin. I remembered Mengele when I saw scientists administering low dose or overdose. It doesnt work. I remembered Mengele when I saw scientists giving medicines at the time of extreme unction. It doesnt work. I remembered Mengele seeing studies that stopped when they were partially positive, before statistical significance. It doesnt work. I remembered Mengele when a fake study was published which justified stopping several studies with HCQ when they were partially positive. And after the hoax was revealed, I remembered Mengele again because those studies were not resumed. I remembered Mengele when Kory and Mariks study was censored after peer review. All by coincidence, of course. And I always remember Mengele every time I see a scientist seeking power, positions, and money instead of saving lives. Read the entire article, word for word, twice, and do your work. PS: I am curious about the result with your HCQ study. I saw that you are very excited. I hope it is not too small (Impossible to achieve statistical significance this way) I hope it is not early treatment after 5 7 days of symptom. I hope it is not in patients outside the risk group. I hope it wasnt at too low a dose (Impossible to achieve statistical significance this way). Filipe After Mills HCQ trial gets published in JAMA, Filipe wrote again. Check it out: Date: sab., 24 de abr. de 2021 as 17:26 Subject: Re: IVM under dosing in Brazil trial To: Edward Mills < Cc: Steve Kirsch, Pierre Kory Hi Edward, I have just read your article carefully. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2779044 You should probably be receiving effusive congratulations. You will have a brilliant career. Risk of death reduced by 66%. Risk of hospitalization reduced by 24%. But it was not statistically significant (it doesnt work). Too bad. [Remember that] on March 16, I played Nostradamus here: Oh dear, unfortunately it was *finished early*. It was too small, 200 patients! So it was not statistically significant. Oh dear, unfortunately *more than 80%* of people were randomized after 5 days of symptom onset. Oh dear, unfortunately *it was in monotherapy*. Comment by covid crusher: Do not expect the authors to point out that those hospitalization results are entirely and remarkably consistent with the other 4, all identically underpowered, HCQ outpatient RCTs, homogenously pointing to 30%-ish hospitalization benefit. My congratulations, Edward. History will be very kind to all the scientists working on this pandemic. I am now waiting for your study with ivermectin. For sure it will be a success! Filipe Read more at: PierreKory.Substack.com (Natural News) Emmanuel Vincent is a hunted man. (Article by Paul D. Thacker republished from DisinformationChronicle.Substack.com) On June 24, an officer of the French Ministry of the Interior, acting under the terms of the Hague Convention, summoned him to a police station and served him papers to appear in court for posting false and misleading statements in his role as president of Science Feedback, a Facebook fact checking service. On top of this, the beleaguered nonprofit has weathered multiple critiques for posting politicized, biased opinions that call themselves fact checksincluding a Wall Street Journal editorial that called out Science Feedback for attacking Johns Hopkins physician-researcher Marty Makary, after he wrote an essay predicting the arrival of COVID-19 herd immunity. This is counter-opinion masquerading as fact checking, the Wall Street Journal wrote, noting that Dr. Makary never made a factual claim; he had made a prediction based on his analysis of available evidence. If youre interested in falling down a science rabbit hole, feel free to read what Dr. Makary wrote and how Science Feedback responded. But heres the thing, you dont need a PhD in epidemiology to understand that when experts analyze studies and make predictions they might be wrong. Duh. Predictions are opinions, not facts. And while theres nothing wrong with Science Feedback posting a contrary prediction, labeling their own opinion a fact just proves they fail at logic. This inability to grasp the difference between opinion and fact has made Science Feedback the butt of online scorn, but what landed Vincent in a police station and sent him fleeing from justice like a man who stole something is colluding with Facebook and the federal government to deny people their First Amendment rights. All while pretending to be an independent fact check. Well get to the specifics of that in a second. Nonetheless, the charge alone has sent Vincent running from address to address, all over Paris. Man on the run Back in August of 2020, Vincent was first served a legal complaint at the address for Science Feedback, at 40 Rue Alexandre Dumas, 75011, Paris, France. He was then served at a second address in Paris, 16, rue Cecile Furtado Heine. By September 2020, a French legal agent learned that Vincent had registered Science Feedback at a different address in Paris. He then called Mr. Vincent on his cell phone and delivered him the documents at a completely new address. (I think were now at four addresses) Vincent confirmed to the legal agent that he had already received the documents at one of the addresses, and then refused to sign a receipt. The court documents were then translated into French, and sent to various addresses for Vincent and Science Feedback. Vincent was then sent certified translations of other legal proceedings against him, and by July of last year, the French Ministry of Justice attested that Vincent was served the documents under the Hague Convention. According to a certified translation of the French Ministry documents, Ms. Marie Fonquerne, a judicial police officer, requested that Mr. Vincent appear at a police prefecture where he confirmed that he is president of Science Feedback. Vincent then agreed to accept correspondence at an email for Science Feedback, but then gave this weird explanation for why he could not accept the documents: [I]t is the company SCIIVERIFY that works in partnership with FACEBOOK and not the association SCIENCE FEEDBACK. SCIVERIFY is a subsidiary of SCIENCE FEEDBACK and is located at 40 Rue Alexandre Dumas 75011 PARIS and it is who must be assigned, I refuse to accept the act which is not addressed to the right entity. Vincents absurdist game of hide and seek has thus far cost over $17,000as it required the hiring of French legal agents to personally hand-deliver him documents which he refused to sign, and the pursuit of service under the Hague Convention, in which he was summoned to a police station and once again refused to sign for documents. Emmanuel Vincent did not respond to multiple requests for comment. What is this man afraid of? Colluding with the government In their legal complaint against Facebook, Childrens Health Defense cites an article in Fast Company that reports how Facebook sometimes changes the fact check labels of groups like Science Feedback in response to business pressure. In an awkward statement, climate scientist Andrew Dessler of Climate Feedback backed into Children Health Defenses argument that the government is restricting free speech that is protected under the First Amendment by forcing companies to censor speech instead. We need to have a society-wide discussion about how corporations should deal with disinformation, and then the government should require corporations to adopt that policy. The most important thing about the story, and something that doesnt seem to bother a lot of people, is that we have outsourced decisions like this to corporations. This is a truly terrible situation to be in. Dessler didnt realize he was pulling the curtain back on the governments game to violate the First Amendment by outsourcing free speech restrictions to Facebook. But thats exactly what Dessler did, and his argument is the same claim made by Childrens Health Defense. If the federal government censored people for disagreeing with the National institutes of Health (NIH) or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), that would obviously violate the First Amendment. Instead, the government outsources this censorship to Facebook. Facebook provides censorship through a network of contract fact checkers like Science Feedback which receive some funding and training through Facebook and follow guidelines set up by Facebook for how to identify false information. If youre wondering what Facebook consider the baseline of scientific truth against which the measure other information as false, just check the websites of federal agencies such as the NIH or the CDC. Deviations from the government is likely to get a Science Feedback fact check. Yes, as laid out in the lawsuit and essentially confirmed by Climate Feedbacks Andrew Dessler, the shell game is that transparent. Thus the need for Science Feedbacks Emmanuel Vincent to hide out in Paris so that he can avoid public accountability before a judicial system that is not (yet) rigged by Facebook. End note If youre still confused if Science Feebacks work is actually biased, consider who they choose to focus their fact checks on, and who they very carefully avoid. Yes, they play favorites. Science Feedback has never once called out a media report or Twitter account for using the conspiracy theory label to attack the credibility of people questioning if the pandemic started from a lab accident in Wuhan, China. A POLITICO-Harvard poll last summer found that the majority of Americans believe that COVID leaked from a Wuhan lab, but science writers at multiple outletsScientific American, New York Times, Science Magazine, Washington Post, and Nature Magazinehave dismissed anyone stating this as a conspiracy theorist. Only the Washington Post has gone back to correct prior stories for misusing the term conspiracy theory. Yet, Science Feedback has never fact checked a single science outlet for throwing around the conspiracy theory label like confetti at a New Years Day parade. Nor has Science Feedback fact checked the NIHs Anthony Fauci for misleading Congress and the American public about money his institute provided for dangerous virus research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. That fact checking was done here at the DisInformation Chronicle, and by Vanity Fair (In Major Shift, NIH Admits Funding Risky Virus Research in Wuhan) and by The Hill (Fauci LIES On Gain Of Function Research CONFIRMED By NIH, EcoHealth Failed To Report Findings). And when it comes to vaccines, Science Feedback provides little scientific feedback when the person spitting out disinformation on Twitter is Fauci favorite Peter Hotez, from the Baylor College of Medicine. Hotez is NEVER fact checked, despite tweeting obvious examples of blatant falsehoods. Read more at: DisinformationChronicle.Substack.com (Natural News) Justin Castro Trudeau, a WEF puppet and traitor to the people of Canada, has just declared his intention to finalize legislation that would outlaw the sale, transfer and importation of all handguns in Canada. Following in the footsteps of Adolf Hitler who pushed strict anti-gun measures before initiating a massacre of millions of Jews, Trudeau clearly plans to disarm the citizens of Canada before unleashing the government to carry out arrests, executions and disappearances of those who disagree with government tyranny. It will no longer be possible to buy, sell, transfer or import handguns anywhere in Canada. In other words, were capping the market for handguns, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated over the weekend. We saw Trudeaus tyrannical tendencies on display just a few months ago when he ordered Canadas banks to seize the accounts of law-abiding citizens who merely donated a few dollars to the peaceful freedom convoy truckers that were protesting vaccine mandates in Canada. According to Trudeau, anyone who disagrees with Trudeaus tyranny is by definition a terrorist and must have their assets seized. Once Canada is fully disarmed thanks to new legislation, Trudeau will no longer have to be concerned with citizens ability to defend themselves against government death squads and secret arrests. In that scenario, Trudeau can simply claim theres a new outbreak of some infectious disease, then round up all political opposition at gunpoint then take them to infectious disease death camps and have them exterminated at will. Their deaths will be blamed on the current pox or pandemic, of course, and the government will claim they died because they resisted the governments vaccines. Those vaccines, obviously, are slow-acting euthanasia shots engineered to reduce the population of the world through blood clots, cancers, heart attacks, autoimmune disorders and neurological damage. In freezing all handgun sales just two years after banning AR-15 self-defense rifles Justin Trudeau is doubling down on his commitment to carrying out crimes against humanity via government genocide against his own people. The disarming of Canada is the last necessary step before the large-scale rounding up and extermination of the masses can begin. Private ownership of firearms is the very LAST thing in the way of global mass extermination of civilians at the hands of criminal government regimes Alongside Biden and other treasonous leaders of western governments, Trudeau is following a step-by-step WEF blueprint for global genocide against the human race. This blueprint calls for governments to engineer a nine-point collapse scenario to drastically reduce the human population on planet Earth before 2030: Engineered famine and mass starvation The deliberate dismantling of the energy infrastructure that provides electricity, heating and fuel Multiple waves of biological weapons designed to kill Global vaccine mandates to coerce the obedient masses into slow-acting euthanasia injections Planetary-scale geoengineering and weather control to collapse the biosphere and cause global crop failures Deliberate collapse of the worlds debt-based fiat currencies to cause global poverty Escalation of global conflicts into world war involving both Russia and China Controlled demolition of the global supply chain to cause economic collapse The destruction of fertility via plastics chemicals, pesticides, hormone disruptors, LGBT grooming and transgenderism In order to carry out this plan, globalists much achieve: DISARMAMENT of the masses so they are unable to fight back when they realize they are being exterminated. CENSORSHIP of all major communication platforms in order to keep the masses oblivious to the truth for as long as possible. COMPLIANCE of the masses through social pressures and punishments for non-compliance (such as losing your job). PERMANENT CRISIS in order to keep the masses in a state of constant fear and confusion where they defer to authority. RESET of the money supply via CBDCs (digital wallets controlled by central banks) while outlawing cash. CERTAINTY of all election outcomes by rigging the ballot counting machines and counterfeiting ballots. SUPPRESSION of all whistleblowers in science, medicine, government and academia who try to warn the public. ENGINEERED SCARCITY of all natural resources such as fossil fuels, lumber, land, minerals and crop yields. DEMONIZATION of all who criticize government as extremists or terrorists to be arrested, silenced or executed. CONTROL of all media, science funding, pop culture messaging and search engine results in order to erase knowledge. Trudeaus gun control measures are merely the next step in eliminating any resistance to government extermination and depopulation across Canada. Make no mistake: If you live in Canada and oppose tyranny, the government is coming to kill you after they take your guns. The same would be true if Biden were attempting nationwide gun confiscation in America. This is your last line in the sand. Once they take away the guns from citizens, its off to the death camps, with no one stopping the Canadian Holocaust now in the making. We strongly encourage all Canadians to watch the interview below with Christopher James, and then listen to todays Situation Update podcast, below: Brighteon.com/76d553c6-efa7-44f9-a9db-ad96748d389e And heres todays Situation Update podcast with full details and more: Brighteon.com/70ee7030-72b4-4948-91f3-00ac7500afc6 Discover more information-packaged podcasts each day, along with special reports, interviews and emergency updates, at: https://www.brighteon.com/channels/HRreport Follow me on: Brighteon.social: Brighteon.social/@HealthRanger Telegram: t.me/RealHealthRanger Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@healthranger Gettr: GETTR.com/user/healthranger Parler: Parler.com/user/HealthRanger Rumble: Rumble.com/c/HealthRangerReport BitChute: Bitchute.com/channel/9EB8glubb0Ns/ Clouthub: app.clouthub.com/#/users/u/naturalnews/posts Join the free NaturalNews.com email newsletter to stay alerted about new, upcoming audiobooks that you can download for free. Download my current audiobooks including Ghost World, Survival Nutrition, The Global Reset Survival Guide and The Contagious Mind at: https://Audiobooks.NaturalNews.com/ Download my new audiobook, Resilient Prepping at ResilientPrepping.com (Natural News) A Twitter thread posted late last week following the horrific massacre of 19 children and two adults at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, examined actions taken by local police as the situation progressed, and found some shocking details. In a series of posts, New York Times national correspondent Mike Baker laid out several examples he and other Times reporters uncovered showing how Uvalde cops and other law enforcement responders to the scene acted negligently and counter to their own training much of it only recently that may have contributed to a higher number of deaths. I have spent the past few days researching the training of Uvalde officers, including the tactics they were expected to use to halt school shooters. The documents are jarring. Heres a thread of our findings so far, Bakers thread begins. In the past two years, the Uvalde school district has hosted at least two active-shooter training days. One of them was just two months ago. The trainings included both classroom teachings and role-playing scenarios inside school hallways as seen in photos that accompanied the tweet, Baker continued. In the past two years, the Uvalde school district has hosted at least two active-shooter training days. One of them was just two months ago. The trainings included both classroom teachings and role-playing scenarios inside school hallways (below).https://t.co/vE11bemXYg 2/9 pic.twitter.com/wehrjsvi6j Mike Baker (@ByMikeBaker) May 28, 2022 The Uvalde training session 2 months ago relied on guidelines that give explicit expectations for officers responding to an active shooter. The training is clear: Time is of the essence. The first priority is to move in and confront the attacker,' Baker wrote, including a graphic outlining the directive. The Uvalde training session 2 months ago relied on guidelines that give explicit expectations for officers responding to an active shooter. The training is clear: Time is of the essence. The first priority is to move in and confront the attacker.https://t.co/UV5I33bFhi 3/9 pic.twitter.com/7IuKw1lnMi Mike Baker (@ByMikeBaker) May 28, 2022 But how should officers confront the gunman? With a tactical team? The training says thats probably not feasible, because the urgency is so high. A SINGLE OFFICER, the training says, may need to confront the suspect on their own, he added. But how should officers confront the gunman? With a tactical team? The training says thats probably not feasible, because the urgency is so high. A SINGLE OFFICER, the training says, may need to confront the suspect on their own. 4/9 pic.twitter.com/he8A49apFl Mike Baker (@ByMikeBaker) May 28, 2022 The guidelines provide sobering clarity: The first officers may be risking their lives. But, it says, innocent lives take priority. A first responder unwilling to place the lives of the innocent above their own safety should consider another career field,' the training states, according to Baker. The training expectations are obviously in stark contrast to what we are seeing in Uvalde. Police officials have said that officers were reluctant to engage the gunman because they couldve been shot,' Baker added, quoting a ranking Texas Department of Public Safety officer. The guidelines provide sobering clarity: The first officers may be risking their lives. But, it says, innocent lives take priority. A first responder unwilling to place the lives of the innocent above their own safety should consider another career field. 5/9 pic.twitter.com/tQCcODkfTa Mike Baker (@ByMikeBaker) May 28, 2022 The guidelines actually provide scenarios in which officers are shot, including one modeled after the Santa Fe High School shooting, also in Texas. The scenario explains that if one officer is shot, the second is expected to go on responding solo,' the thread continued, quoting the training curriculum. Its clear that officers did not follow that scenario this week. 19 officers staged outside the classroom. 78 minutes elapsed before they entered. Children repeatedly called 911 from inside. It was the wrong decision, top officer says. Its clear that officers did not follow that scenario this week. 19 officers staged outside the classroom. 78 minutes elapsed before they entered. Children repeatedly called 911 from inside. It was the wrong decision, top officer says.https://t.co/08outQNCyr 8/9 Mike Baker (@ByMikeBaker) May 28, 2022 Obviously. So the question must be asked, were officers told to stand down? If so, by whom? And for what reason? Sources include: ThreadReaderApp.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) By far, the majority of men and women who serve our nation as police officers are selfless, self-sacrificing individuals who literally put their lives on the line daily to protect their communities. But something went terribly awry last week in Uvalde, Texas, as police stood by for nearly an hour while a crazed gunman murdered 19 children and two adults at Robb Elementary School. Instead of rushing in immediately to confront the shooter, as their training requires them to do, dozens of cops waited outside and formed a perimeter around the school, focusing more on tasing and arresting parents who came to rescue their children instead of worrying about the gunman. HeadlineUSA News notes: Indeed, the quickly shifting narrative of a police force that allowed the rampage to continue looks more and more like what some might consider to be a false-flag operationan accusation that drew outrage when popular conservative pundit Alex Jones floated it in the wake of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. Jones later recanted his claim that the Newtown, Conn., massacre was staged to help the Obama administration push through gun-control legislation, although he continues to grapple with a contentious defamation lawsuit filed by the grieving parents. But with Uvalde, even left-wing media outlets are piling on the Texas Department of Public Safetys explanations as to why officers on the scene did not more aggressively confront the 18-year-old shooter, with reports noting that some officers even retreated. Texas DPS Lt. Chris Olivarez told CNN that three of the departments officers entered the school building, but they were taking gunfire and thus had to retreat and call for additional backup. Thats not what their training called for, as noted by New York Times reporter Mike Baker late last week. I have spent the past few days researching the training of Uvalde officers, including the tactics they were expected to use to halt school shooters. The documents are jarring, he wrote to begin a Twitter thread. In the past two years, the Uvalde school district has hosted at least two active-shooter training days. One of them was just two months ago. The trainings included both classroom teachings and role-playing scenarios inside school hallways, he noted further, adding photos of the event. In the past two years, the Uvalde school district has hosted at least two active-shooter training days. One of them was just two months ago. The trainings included both classroom teachings and role-playing scenarios inside school hallways (below).https://t.co/vE11bemXYg 2/9 pic.twitter.com/wehrjsvi6j Mike Baker (@ByMikeBaker) May 28, 2022 The Uvalde training session 2 months ago relied on guidelines that give explicit expectations for officers responding to an active shooter. The training is clear: Time is of the essence. The first priority is to move in and confront the attacker,' Baker continued, quoting the training manual. But how should officers confront the gunman? With a tactical team? The training says thats probably not feasible, because the urgency is so high, Baker continued. A SINGLE OFFICER, the training says, may need to confront the suspect on their own. But how should officers confront the gunman? With a tactical team? The training says thats probably not feasible, because the urgency is so high. A SINGLE OFFICER, the training says, may need to confront the suspect on their own. 4/9 pic.twitter.com/he8A49apFl Mike Baker (@ByMikeBaker) May 28, 2022 The guidelines provide sobering clarity: The first officers may be risking their lives. But, it says, innocent lives take priority. A first responder unwilling to place the lives of the innocent above their own safety should consider another career field,' he added, again quoting the training manual. The guidelines actually provide scenarios in which officers are shot, including one modeled after the Santa Fe High School shooting, also in Texas. The scenario explains that if one officer is shot, the second is expected to go on responding solo,' the reporter continued. Its clear that officers did not follow that scenario this week. 19 officers staged outside the classroom. 78 minutes elapsed before they entered. Children repeatedly called 911 from inside, he concluded. Its clear officers in Uvalde did not follow their own recent training. The question is why not? Sources include: ThreadReaderApp.com HeadlineUSA.com According to environmental NGO Sea Shepherd, a sick orca that spent two months swimming up France's Seine river died of natural causes. It was discovered by a Norwegian freight ship making its way up the channel towards Rouen. A sailor found the killer whale lying on its side on the riverbanks between Rouen and Le Havre. Rescue Attempts After attempts to lead it back to sea failed, a critically ill orca that became separated from its pod and swam dozens of miles up the Seine in France died of natural causes, according to the advocacy organization Sea Shepherd. Nous avons malheureusement retrouve le cadavre de l'orque ce matin a 11h48. Nous sommes actuellement avec elle pour empecher que son corps ne soit percute par un navire, ce qui compromettrait l'autopsie. Nous attendons l'equipe mobilisee par lEtat pour la recuperer. pic.twitter.com/kHunMaxGyt Sea Shepherd France (@SeaShepherdFran) May 30, 2022 "We discovered him late this morning," Sea Shepherd France chair Lamya Essemlali said. Over the weekend, scientists determined that the 4-meter (13-foot) whale was terminally sick and was likely suffering from mucormycosis, or black fungus, a condition prevalent in whales in North America but never before seen in Europe. Observing the Orca for Weeks For weeks, French authorities have been tracking the orca that has been trapped in the Seine River. It has been sighted several times, swimming 30 kilometers from the English Channel since April 5. After unsuccessful attempts to lead the whale into the water, a committee of scientists monitoring the animal decided to euthanize it on Sunday. They attempted to guide it back to the water using drones playing orca noises but were unsuccessful. This strategy was employed to avoid getting boats close to the animal for fear of stressing it out. Also Read: Endangered California Vaquita Porpoise Could Be Saved From Extinction If We Stop Illegal Fishing Orca's Reaction The whale responded wildly and incoherently to the sounds during an attempt to coax it back out to sea with a drone broadcasting orca sounds on Saturday, according to the prefecture of the Seine maritime area. The whale's recordings recorded what they said were distress sounds. Essemlali claimed it resembled little more than "a ghost of an orca" on Monday, and it died before euthanasia could be attempted. According to the prefecture, mucormycosis may travel to the heart, lungs, and brain after infecting the skin of vulnerable animals, which explains the whale's bewildering behavior. The sickness appeared to be advanced in this case, and the whale was most likely suffering greatly. Already in Poor Condition Officials say the orca was in poor condition after spending so much time in fresh water that it had gotten quite frail. They also suspected it was suffering from mucormycosis, or black fungus, affecting its organs, skin, and brain functions. The orca's body is presently being pulled to the Seine's banks. "Lifting mechanisms will be implemented to allow specialist vets and biologists to carry out an autopsy and sampling procedures," the Seine-Maritime prefecture states. Autopsy According to local officials, the whale's remains will be brought to the riverbank, and an autopsy will be performed. They want to gather enough information to determine why the porpoise traveled so far from home and ended up dead on the Seine River's banks. Related Article: Florida Manatees are Starving to Death Despite Feeding Efforts For similar news, don't forget to follow Nature World News! For over 40 years, a facility on Algeria's largest gas field, a crucial source of energy for the EU, has been leaking a strong greenhouse gas into the environment. According to a new satellite study shared exclusively with Unearthed and published alongside Bloomberg, the compression plant, which helps pump gas from the Hassi R'Mel field to Europe, has been spewing methane on a regular basis since at least 1984. Satellite data from November 5 of that year indicated methane seeping from the location, presumably from a flare pit. Decade-old methane leak in Algeria (Photo : OLIVIER MORIN/AFP via Getty Images) In light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the EU is planning to increase gas imports from Algeria, which is already a major source of energy for the union, as per Unearthed. In the midst of the gas rush, the EU is aiming to tighten regulations on methane leaks both within the bloc and from major exporters. Between 2017 and March 2022, 188 days where excellent quality satellite photos were available at the plant saw methane surges, with the most strong plumes identified between 2017 and 2020. The plant is located roughly 14 kilometers south of the major gas hub at Hassi R'Mel. Algeria is considered a methane hotspot, yet the nation has refused to participate in measures to reduce pollution. Last year, at the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, the country declined to join 105 other countries in accepting a promise to cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030. A team of experts from the Netherlands discovered significant methane leakage at two sites on Algeria's largest oil field. Scientists from SRON, a satellite research center, discovered 80 plumes from two gas compressor units on the Hassi Messaoud oilfield in 2021. The majority of the gas generated at Hassi Messaoud is reinjected to boost oil output, although some appear to escape. Fjord Methane Emissions In related news, scientists have also discovered that fjords have been emitting the same greenhouse gas into the atmosphere during heavy storms. During the years 2009 to 2021, researchers from the University of Gothenburg researched By Fjord near Uddevalla and performed field tests to assess methane generation in the fjord, as per ScienceDaily. By Fjord suffers from hypoxia and eutrophication. The Bave River runs into the fjord, carrying significant quantities of fertilizers from the region's farmland. It was obvious that methane emissions to the atmosphere increased during mixing episodes in the fjord. During these episodes, anoxic water from the bottom is swiftly brought to the top, carrying methane with it, which can then be released into the atmosphere. Also Read: Fjords Act as Major Carbon Sinks, Study Says What are fjords? A fjord is a long, narrow, deep body of water that extends far inland. Fjords are frequently found in U-shaped valleys with sheer granite cliffs on either side, as per the National Geographic. Fjords are mostly located in Norway, Chile, New Zealand, Canada, Greenland, and the state of Alaska in the United States. Sognefjorden, a fjord in Norway, stretches for more than 160 kilometers. Glaciers carved out fjords. During the previous ice age, glaciers covered almost everything on Earth. Glaciers travel slowly over time and may significantly affect the terrain after they pass through a region. This is known as glaciation. What can be found in fjords? Norway's fjords include some of the world's biggest coral reefs. They are home to various fish, plankton, and sea anemones. New Zealand has several coral reefs as well. Scientists understand far less about these deep, cold-water reefs than they do about tropical coral reefs. They have discovered, however, that the living creatures on cold-water reefs prefer complete darkness. Cold-water reef organisms have also evolved to survive under high pressure. Water pressure at the bottom of a fjord can reach hundreds or even thousands of pounds per square meter. In this frigid, gloomy environment, few species can live. Related article: Scientists Bring Oxygen Back to Suffocating Waters According to United Nations climate experts, it is "now or never" to avert catastrophic temperature rises and the disintegration of the climatic systems that support our way of life. Reports of bomb-like blizzards and scorching droughts create a grim image of climate change's potential reality. Indeed, weather is growing worse for people in the United States and across the world, according to Spencer Weart, a historian and retiring head of the Center for History of Physics at the American Institute of Physics in College Park, Maryland. Worsening of weather due to climate change The average weather through time is referred to as climate, and Earth has a long and dramatic history of natural climate change, as per LiveScience. A million-year rainfall might have concluded the Triassic epoch (252 million to 201 million years ago). Furthermore, the dinosaur-killing asteroid that struck Earth at the end of the Cretaceous period (145 million to 66 million years ago) plummeted sections of the sky into frozen shadows for centuries under thick clouds of ash and particles. Then, Earth's temperatures spiked by 100,000 years due to the ginormous concentration of carbon dioxide the meteor stirred up when it wrecked into the Yucatan Peninsula. While huge climatic swings are nothing new to our planet, they have historically been extremely destructive, and our present insatiable hunger for fossil fuels is putting in motion a fast swing that might have disastrous repercussions for civilization. Modern data showed that an unnatural global warming trend has taken control of the Earth's climate in recent decades. Humans are releasing heat-trapping carbon dioxide and other emissions into the atmosphere through fossil fuel burning, which is rising global temperatures. According to Weart, when the earth warms, more water evaporates from the surface of dry places and increases precipitation in wet parts, implying that this warming will impact weather in a number of ways, making it hotter and colder, more intense, more chaotic, and, in a word, "worse." In other words, dry areas become drier and wet parts become wetter. More moisture in the atmosphere as the globe warms can also result in more snowfall throughout the winter. Also Read: UN Report: Measures Against Climate Change and Global Warming not Sufficient Why are these kinds of climate events important? Long-term climate change may have a negative impact on many sectors of civilization, either directly or indirectly, as per the US EPA. Warmer average global temperatures, for example, may raise air conditioning expenses and impact the spread of infections such as Lyme disease, but they may also improve growth conditions for specific crops. Extreme weather changes pose a hazard to civilization as well. For example, extreme heat events that are more frequent and intense can cause more diseases and fatalities, particularly among vulnerable people, as well as damage to some crops. While greater rainfall can restore water supplies and help agriculture, severe storms can inflict property damage, loss of life, and population relocation, as well as temporarily interrupt key services including transportation, telecommunications, energy, and water supplies. Temperatures in the United States and throughout the world Since 1901, average temperatures in the contiguous 48 states have risen, with a faster pace of warming in the last 30 years. Since 1998, eight of the top ten hottest years on record have happened. Average global temperatures follow a similar pattern, and the top ten warmest years on record have all happened since 2005. Temperatures have risen the greatest in portions of the United States' north, west, and Alaska. Temperature Variation by Season Average temperatures rise throughout the year as the Earth warms overall, but the increases may be greater in some seasons than others. The average winter temperature in the contiguous 48 states has risen by almost 3F since 1896. Related article: How Previous El Ninos Revealed Crucial Information About Climate Change A cold front and low pressure system have delivered a blow to New South Wales and its surrounding regions in Australia, as of Monday night, May 30. A downpour of heavy snow occurred in Sydney's western region due to a reported icy polar blast that has already covered most of the country at a time the winter season is beginning. Prior to the winter storm system, Australian weather authorities have issued warnings for a cold snap and a pressure area with icy temperatures and damaging winds affecting portions of eastern New South Wales, southern Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania. The officials also issued initial weather alerts for residents in the affected regions and advised to take precaution since potential severe thunderstorms with hail, torrential rain, and snow may occur anytime, especially in high-altitude areas. This comes several months after the first quarter of 2022 brought heavy rain and widespread flooding in Queensland and New South Wales, causing multiple casualties, large-scale property damage, and travel disruption. Wet Winter Weather A winter system with cold temperatures navigated through South Australia then into Victoria before heading to New South Wales and Queensland on Monday, according to Nine News, Australia's national news service. The system has brought a wet winter weather across New South Wales, where an ongoing severe weather warning remain in effect due to damaging winds with maximum winds gusts of up to 90 kilometers per hour. The warning came as the strong winds impacted Sydney, accompanied by consistent rainfall in the following areas: Central West Slopes and Plains, South West Slopes, and Southern Tablelands. Local authorities warned motorists to remain vigilant, slow down, and use their headlights due to the risk posed by snowfall. Also Read: As Cold Front Approaches Houston, Texas, Strong Storms and Severe Weather Are Possible Adelaide Suburb Tornado A so-called mini tornado struck the Adelaide suburb of Salisbury on the early morning of Monday, downing power lines and tress, as well as damaging houses, according to the South Australian State Emergency Service (SASES), as cited by The Canberra Times. Over 200 people reportedly called for help to SASES, claiming some roads became impassable due to the blockage of a large amount of debris. The twister in Salisbury occurred as the said system passed through north of the city, bumping over 70 milimeters of rain in several areas. Residents also resorted to Facebook and other social media platforms to post photos of the fallen debris along with damaged buildings and flooded roads, as reported by The Canberra Times. Based on the local media reporting, a similar severe weather warning remains in place across the South Australia as well. Australia Weather Forecast Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) issued its latest weather forecast on the early afternoon of Monday, indicating that much of southern and eastern Australia will be impacted by the winter storm system and severe weather. Aside from South Australia and New South Wales, the BoM also issued severe weather warnings for southern Queensland and northern Victoria. These inclement weather and winter weather conditions have been forecasted to continue on Tuesday, May 31. Meanwhile, damaging winds are expected regionally until Wednesday, June 1. Related Article: Icy Polar Blasts, Severe Thunderstorms Will Strike Through Australia This Week A new disease affecting the kidney and the liver was identified by scientists from Newcastle University in Tyne, England. As part of their new study, the experts narrowed down behind previously mysterious organ fibrosis and ciliopathy triggered by genetic mutations. Specifically, the breakthrough research provides insight for patients with unexplained liver and kidney problems. This entailed that the discovered disease is inherited rather than acquired through an individual's lifespan factored by lifestyle and the environment. Chronic kidney and liver diseases are one of the main causes of illnesses and deaths worldwide. While non-genetic acquisition of the disease is preventable through early detection or a healthy lifestyle, the new UK-based study offers a potential escape for people afflicted with the chronic condition since birth. New Disease Discovered In a new academic paper published in the American Journal of Human Genetics (AJDH) on May 5, the researchers explored organ fibrosis and described it as a shared terminus of various diseases. However, the experts claimed that we do not fully understand yet the underlying biological processes of the new disease. In particular, the study focused on the progressive heart, kidney, and liver degeneration amongst children and adults. Through genetic sequencing, the Newcastle University experts found these medical conditions are caused by the mutation of a gene called TUB Like Protein 3 (TULP3). The ground-breaking discovery led to the identification of the new liver and kidney disease caused by the inherited and mutated form of TULP3. The gene is associated with cilium or cilia, characterized as hair-like structures outside eukaryotic cells, ranging from the cell body to the fluid surrounding the cell, according to a separate study published in the journal Bio Science in November 2014. Spearheaded by Professor John Sayer, the deputy dean of clinical medicine at Newcastle University, the new study was funded through the Genomics England's 100,000 Genomes Project. It was also co-funded by the Kidney Research UK and the Northern Counties Kidney Research Fund. Also Read: 13 Hospitalized, One Dead as Rare Disease From Rat Urine Plague New York City The Faulty Gene According to a press release by the Newcastle University regarding its study on May 26, "a faulty gene is the catalyst for the increased risk of organ fibrosis targeting the liver and kidney." The disease is collectively called as TULP3-related ciliopathy, a genetic disorder affecting the cellular cilia of the body. Multiple studies generally agree that ciliopathy or ciliopathies are a group of genetic human diseases with a damaged or defective cilia. In relation to the new study, the UK-based researchers determined that the TULP3-related ciliopathy is a monogentic cause of progressive degenerative disease affecting the major organs of the body. Kidney Disease Cases According to the National Kidney Foundation, 10% of the world's population are affected with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and millions of patients die each year due to their inability to access affordable treatment. The organization emphasizes only 2 million people globally receive such treatment for kidney failure in five countries, including the United States, Brazil, Germany, Italy, and Japan. The limited treatment of CKD stems from the mentioned countries' universal health care, especially for the old age group. Related Article: For People with Pre-Existing Liver Disease, Toxic Algae May Be More Dangerous The Chilean scientist who has studied the world's oldest tree says it's an astonishing 5,484 years old, reports AccuWeather. There is one majestic tree that stands out among the lush green forest of the Alerce Costero National Park in southern Chile. According to a study conducted by Dr. Jonathan Barichivich, a Chilean scientist at the Climate and Environmental Sciences Laboratory in Paris, the ancient cypress tree known as "great grandfather" could be more than half a millennium older than the current record holder, the 4,853-year-old "Methuselah," a bristlecone pine in California. However, the tree's trunk, which measures 4 meters in diameter, has posed a challenge to Chilean scientists attempting to determine the tree's exact age. Normally, a one-meter cylinder of wood is extracted and the tree rings are counted to determine the age of a tree; however, the tool used is not long enough to reach the massive trunk's center, so the age of the tree will be determined only to the minimum. The researchers could not count all of the rings and the minimum age is estimated. The scientific challenge, according to Barichivich, for this type of tree is to estimate the part that the team cannot see and that is missing using science. The millennial alerce underwent the same procedure. According to Barichivich, the method yields information that 80% of all possible growth trajectories give an outcome age of more than 5,000 years for this living tree. "Great Grandfather" has the potential to become not only the world's oldest tree but also the world's oldest living thing, having survived multiple epochs of human civilization, including the end of the Stone Age. Great Grandfather Barichivich hopes that viewers will consider what it means to live 5,000 years and put things into perspective. The scientist hopes that this will help people understand the current challenges, which include the earth's ecological and climate crisis. According to The Guardian, "Great Grandfather" grows in a cool, humid environment, but climate change is causing the environment around the forest to become drier, which is one threat the tree faces in addition to human threats. If Barichivich's calculations are correct, the tree predates almost all known forms of human written communication. The earliest known human writing was dated to around 3,400 B.C., roughly 78 years after the "Great Grandfather" tree began growing, according to the Getty Center, a cultural and philanthropic institution based in Los Angeles. Even though Barichivich hopes to publish his estimate in the coming months, he has yet to do so formally because his projection does not include a complete count of the tree's growth rings. the great grandfather is an ancient cypress tree, specifically an alerce tree. It is a coniferous tree native to southern Chile and southern Argentina, is related to redwoods, and shares many characteristics with them. Read also: Scientists Claim These Microfossils Could Indicate Earth's Oldest Life Alerce Trees Alerce trees are redwood relatives found south of the equator, according to the Save the Redwoods League. While redwoods can reach heights of 300 feet, the alerce tree only reaches an average of 164.04 feet, and it does so at a glacial pace, taking hundreds of years to reach full height. Redwoods can grow up to ten feet per year and reach their full height in less than a century. Alerce trees can also live to be very old. An alerce stump in southern Chile had 3,622 growth rings, according to a 1993 study by Antonio Lara of the Austral University of Chile, Valdivia. In the United States, old tree locations are protected, but this is not the case in Chile. Visitors frequently visit the "Great Grandfather" tree, frequently leaving the observation platform, stepping on the tree's roots, and removing pieces of its bark. Barichivich is concerned that the tree's survival will be jeopardized by ongoing damage and climate change. Related article: 4,851-Year-Old Tree in California Reflects Nature's Resourcefulness for Long Life Pet cats kill up to 270 million prey each year from Reading and Royal Holloway, University of London. However, there is variation across the country, with suburban cats killing an average of 34 animals per year near natural areas, according to the study. The number of felines in more developed areas, further away from green or natural spaces, drops to 15 per year on average. The researchers discovered that putting a bell on a cat did not reduce the number of prey killed, implying that the cats in the study were excellent hunters and the owners had put the device on because they were aware of it. The study found that pets wearing bells brought back the most prey. They discovered that wearing a bell was associated with a significant increase in prey returns as well as, somewhat unexpectedly, increased overall predation. Dr. Rebecca Thomas of Royal Holloway University described the estimated 9.5 million cats in the UK as "mini super predators" and non-native species. She claims that the cats breed at unnaturally high densities, particularly in suburban areas. Thomas pointed out that the cats are fed and cared for by their owners, so they could be considered mini super predators. Environmental Infuence During the study, cats on the edge of green spaces killed more mammals, while cats in both types of environments killed the same number of birds. Those with less access to natural land, on the other hand, killed far more blackbirds, whereas robins were the preferred prey of cats in green spaces. The findings were based on a year of tracking 79 cats in the counties of Berkshire and Hampshire. The researchers compared the predation rates of cats living within 100 meters of natural land to those living one kilometer away. According to the researchers, a simple extrapolation based on the predation rates found in this study suggests that the 9.5 million pet cats in the United Kingdom may kill between 160 and 270 million prey individuals each year. Dr. Tara Pirie, the study's lead author, also mentioned a "fear effect" that the predator's presence can have on its prey. Pirie discovered that simply seeing a predator can cause wildlife to change their behavior, such as reducing feeding through increased vigilance or staying away from a nest, leaving it vulnerable. The lead author went on to say that this can lower adult and offspring survival rates. However, in addition to actively killing prey, cats may infect nearby animals and wildlife with diseases carried by their prey. Pirie pointed out that cats can carry diseases like Toxoplasma gondii, which can be transmitted to wildlife and reduce their chances of survival. The researchers also found that increasing food portions in the hopes of deterring hunters had little effect. Dr. Pirie believes that the cat's hunting behavior is simply triggered by the movement of prey. Read also: German Town Bans Cats From Going Outdoors to Save Endangered Crested Lark Joy of Companionship vs. Feline Kills The researchers concluded by contrasting the joy and companionship cats bring to their owners with the tens of millions of animals killed each year as a result of feline hunting behavior. The team stated in their study that appropriate approaches to environmentally-sensitive cat ownership can only be developed by understanding the possible negative ecological effects pet cats may have on their local biodiversity. The team published their research in the journal Landscape and Urban Planning. Related article: Woman Married Cat to Avoid Landlords From Evicting It According to experts, we may see the first landing of astronauts on an asteroid real soon. NEOs The ways near-Earth objects (NEOs) on a probable collision trajectory with Earth may be steered away, averting disastrous impact occurrences, are known as asteroid impact avoidance. A sufficiently big asteroid or other NEO would trigger major tsunamis or numerous firestorms and an impact winter caused by the sunlight-blocking effect of large quantities of pulverized rock dust and other material pushed into the stratosphere, depending on its impact position. The Chicxulub crater is considered to have formed 66 million years ago when the Earth collided with an object about 10 kilometers (6 miles) wide, triggering the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event, which is thought by scientists to have wiped out all non-avian dinosaurs. While the likelihood of a significant collision in the near future is minimal, it is almost guaranteed that one will occur soon unless defensive measures are adopted. Recent astronomical occurrences, such as the Shoemaker-Levy 9 impacts on Jupiter and the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteor, have re-ignited interest in such risks, as has the expanding number of items on the Sentry Risk Table. The success of the 2021 film "Don't Look Up" contributed to increased public awareness of the option of avoiding NEOs. A NASA expert warned in 2016 that the Earth is unprepared for such a disaster. Also Read: Environmental Activists Praises Adam McKay's 'Don't Look Up' Saying "It's an Allegory for the Climate Crisis" Looking Back Researchers looked at NASA's budget from the 1960s to see if an asteroid belt expedition is feasible in the next century. According to their calculations, the first crewed voyage to an asteroid might occur as early as 2073. Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena spearheaded the study published last week on the Arxiv website. They did this by looking at how NASA's funding has evolved since 1958. The researchers noticed several surges in the amount of money NASA had to burn throughout the years, corresponding to major events. The early years of the Apollo program in 1966 and the announcement of the Artemis project to return to the Moon in 2018 were among them. According to researchers led by Jonathan Jiang, the overall trend is a constant increase. They also analyzed historical data to forecast how technology would evolve over decades. Before NASA can safely send people on long-distance journeys to other planets, it needs to achieve several leaps and bounds. According to the experts, a crewed journey to the asteroid may launch as early as 2073, with people landing on Jupiter in 2103 and Saturn in 2132. "The results thus far imply that the worlds of our solar system, which have been only specks of light in the night sky throughout human history, may soon be within our reach," they said. "According to our model, many people alive now may see human landings on worlds other than the Moon and Mars." Sending Humans Into Space NASA's crewed flights have only gotten as far as the Apollo program, which landed people on the Moon for the last time 50 years ago. Since then, hundreds of astronauts have been sent to the International Space Station, located 250 miles above Earth. It is planning a handful of trips to far-flung asteroids in the foreseeable future, but none of them will include humans. DART NASA launched a spacecraft last year that will crash into an asteroid on a suicide mission that may one day save humanity. This summer, the DART Mission will collide with the space rock Dimorphos, 11 million miles away from Earth. Other Plans The complex project, which includes NASA and the European Space Agency, is a test of methods for avoiding a deadly asteroid from colliding with Earth. NASA also intends to deploy a space mission to the asteroid Psyche 16 to investigate the Solar System's beginnings. In 2018, Japan's space agency successfully landed a spacecraft on the asteroid Ryugu and returned samples to Earth. Related Article: NASA Plans to Deflect Asteroids to Defend the Planet from Cosmic Disaster For more Space news, don't forget to follow Nature World News! G5 storms are among the most powerful-and possibly dangerous-space weather occurrences. But what is a G5 storm, and what might it do to the Earth? Space Weathers The phrase "space weather" refers to the occurrences in the space environment between the sun and Earth and beyond. Solar activity causes it, and it may show itself in various ways, including solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and geomagnetic storms, to name a few. While the Earth's magnetic field shields us from charged particles generated by the sun, space weather may influence our planet, disrupting life and technological infrastructure both in space and on the ground. Affecting The Planet Changes in the solar wind-a stream of energetic, charged particles that flows out of the sun-and the interplanetary magnetic field create severe perturbations in the Earth's magnetic field. The nature of the Earth's magnetic field may be affected by variations in the solar wind, resulting in geomagnetic storms that can last anywhere from hours to days. CMEs Coronal mass ejections (CME)-large expulsions of plasma (the fourth basic state of matter) and magnetic fields from the sun's corona's atmosphere are common sources of these storms. High-speed solar wind streams can also cause geomagnetic storms. However, they are usually less severe than CME-related occurrences. The ionosphere-a component of the Earth's upper atmosphere that begins approximately 50 miles above sea level-is heated and distorted by geomagnetic storms. Long-range radio communication and global positioning systems may be affected (GPS). These storms can damage satellite electronics. These phenomena may cause electrical grid spikes on the ground, resulting in blackouts. Also Read: CMEs: Solar Particles Can Create Aurora Displays, But May Also Cause Worldwide Disruptions G5 Storms The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has developed a system for grading geomagnetic storms and their possible consequences, which range from G1 (small) to G5 (major) (extreme). An associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at West Virginia University, Piyush Mehta, told Newsweek, "Essentially, think of it as a scale for how violent the storm will be." "The G5 is likely to influence everything we know about present space weather issues," he added. While mild geomagnetic storms are unlikely to influence the Earth significantly, a G5 storm might have catastrophic consequences. Some electrical grid systems, for example, might entirely fail, resulting in widespread outages. Meanwhile, satellite navigation systems might have problems for days. According to the NOAA, aurorae may be visible as far south as Florida and southern Texas. G5 storms are uncommon, but they can wreak significant damage when they do happen. The Carrington Event of 1859 was the largest geomagnetic storm ever recorded, causing telegraph networks worldwide to fail and even setting fires in some telegraph stations. Possible Disaster "We didn't have a lot of IT infrastructure when it happened," Mehta added. "Back then, we just had telegraph wires and stuff like that; we didn't have electricity lines, so a replica of the Carrington Event today might wreak $2 trillion in damage." "Various models have been devised to forecast how probable or how frequently such catastrophes are likely to occur," he explained. "And most models anticipate that a Carrington-type event will happen every few hundred years or so; nobody knows when it will happen, so it's better to be prepared and enhance our capacity to forecast when it will happen." According to Mehta, storms stronger than the Carrington Event may occur at some point in the future. "There's always the uncertainty; we just don't know how bad the storm will be," he explained. While it's impossible to forecast when a geomagnetic storm will occur, they're more likely to happen during a solar maximum-a moment in the sun's 11-year cycle when it's most active. Related Article: Can We Survive a Catastrophic Solar Storm? What to do When a Solar Flare Hits Earth For more cosmic news, don't forget to follow Nature World News! PAHOA, HI - MAY 27: Lava from a Kilauea volcano fissure advances up a residential street in Leilani Estates, on Hawaii's Big Island, on May 27, 2018 in Pahoa, Hawaii. Lava from the volcano also flowed to a geothermal power plant today raising fears that toxic gas could be released if wells are breached by lava. The Big Island, one of eight main islands that make up Hawaii state, is struggling with tourist bookings following the Kilauea volcano eruptions, with summer bookings at the island down 50 percent. Officials stress that the eruptions have thus far only affected a small portion of the island. (Photo : Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) The Klauea crater in Hawaii is claimed to be amongst the highest explosive volcanoes in the globe, however researchers certainly can't comprehend how it formed. The World's Most Active Volcano According to recent study reported by news media site ScienceAlert,, the primordial magma chamber is 90 kilometers under the summit. Earlier investigations discovered two deep volcanic channels under Klauea, but they were inadequate to describe all of the molten rock this mountain spouting. In 2014, gravitational waves spotted a significantly bigger compartment about 11 kilometers underground, but it now appears that the initial subduction zone is even subtler. Posted under the journal of Nature Communication is the recent investigation of shattered shards of old rock formations recovered from the Big Island's south-eastern slope suggests Klauea erupted from a reservoir of molten material 100 kilometers below. Around 210,000 and 280,000 years ago, the Southern Ocean subduction zone transitioned and a plume of molten rock hustled upwards into the ocean. Moreover, as the searing scorching fluid settled and hardened, it produced a gigantic 'barrier' that emerged through the ripples some 100,000 years back. So Kilauea began to be, however the initial boulders blasted from this access point are exceedingly difficult to discover, submerged as they are behind multiple strata of subsequent magma. The volcanic rock washed up in the latest investigation gives an unparalleled view into the supervolcano's profound and remote history. Previously, it was considered the Kilauea volcano was generated from rock formation gradually dissolving from the temperature of the peak. Nevertheless, the recent study found hardly a proof to back up that scientific theory. The rock formations were discovered to comprise a series of uncommon earth elements that, according to designs, could only be formed in one way. Rather than contact metamorphism, it appears that the Klauea volcano constituted via crystallisation. This concept refers to the formation of crystallites in profound magma reservoirs that do not afterward respond with remnant thaw. In her statement, study researcher and geochemist Laura Miller from Monash University in Australia discusses that researchers investigated the creation of these specimens via research investigation, which engaged softening artificial stones at warm altitudes (> 1,100 C) and constant pressure (> 3 GPa), and by using a novel process for simulating their unusual earth material quantities. Also read: Scientists Puzzled by Mysterious and Extinct Creature as It may be One of Our Ancient Ancestors The Foreseeable Explosion of Kilauea volcano Researchers discovered that the specimens might exclusively get generated through the phase separation and ablation of garnet (fractional crystallization). Garnet is a crystalline that forms when molten lava is subjected to extreme conditions of pressure and temperature at depths of further 90 kilometers deep within the earth. The notion that its existence is important to discuss the chemistry of Klauea minerals shows that the initial explosion occurred at comparable levels. Tests show that garnet may crystallization up to 150 kilometers deep in the earth. The primary foundation of the Hawaiian archipelago will not be so profound, yet fresh results indicate that Klauea's infrastructure is not as shallow as previously assumed. "In which contradicts the basic opinion that comparatively small crystal growth is only a subsurface method and implies that the formation of a deep (> 90 km) molten material is an essential initial phase in the birth of a Hawaiian crater. Numerous different volcanoes around the globe, such as Mount Vesuvius, have gemstone structure periods that indicate long-lived deep-seated pyroclastic water sources beneath. Despite this, Klauea's initial earth's crust appears to be far deeper unlike many. Related article: U.K. Scientist Warns Radioactive Gas Trapped Beneath the North's Melting Permafrost 'Might Get Out' According to information published by Tass on May 31, 2022, the test launch of Russia's latest hypersonic cruise missile Zirkon was carried out at the maximum range, this work completed the state tests of the product from a surface carrier. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile launched by Admiral Gorshkov frigate (Picture source: Russian MoD) The 3M22 Zircon also spelled as 3M22 Tsirkon (SS-N-33) is a scramjet-powered maneuvering anti-ship hypersonic cruise missile currently in production by Russia. Zircon is believed to be a maneuvering, winged hypersonic cruise missile with a lift-generating center body. A booster stage with solid-fuel engines accelerates it to supersonic speeds, after which a scramjet motor with liquid fuel in the second stage accelerates it to hypersonic speeds. The high speed of the Zircon likely gives it better target-penetration characteristics than lighter subsonic cruise missiles, such as Tomahawk. Being twice as heavy and almost eleven times as fast as Tomahawk, the Zircon has more than 242 times the on-cruise kinetic energy of a Tomahawk missile (~9 gigajoules, or equal to 2,150 kg TNT explosive energy). Its 8-9 mach speed means that it cannot be intercepted by existing missile defense systems and its precision makes it lethal to large targets such as an aircraft carrier. The missile can be fired from the vertical launch systems mounted on cruisers Admiral Nakhimov and Pyotr Veliky, Project 20380 corvettes, Project 22350 frigates, and Project 885 Yasen-class submarines, among other platforms. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. Three war criminals were sentenced to death on Tuesday for committing crimes against humanity during the War of Independence of Bangladesh in 1971. The convicts were identified as Md Rezaul Karim Montu, Md Nazrul Islam and Md Shahid Mandal, all residents of Badalgachhi in Naogaon. They all were involved in the politics of Jamaat-e-Islam Bangladesh. International Crimes Tribunal-1 Justice Md Shahinur Islam handed down the verdict. Of the convicts, Md Nazrul Islam was absconding while the rest were present at the courtroom. Three counts of crimes against humanity were proved against them. The trial process completed on April 26, 2022. Denmarks supreme court on Tuesday overturned a lower court ruling ordering the government to compensate 18 civilians tortured during the Iraq war in a joint operation by Iraqi forces and a Danish battalion. A total of 23 Iraqi plaintiffs had sued Denmark after they were arrested and subjected to torture and inhumane treatment in 2004 during operation Green Desert near Iraqs main port city of Basra. The Supreme Court ruled that since the Danish troops neither took part in nor were aware of the torture, the defence ministry was not obliged to pay compensation. An appeals court in Copenhagen had ruled in 2018 that although the Danish soldiers did not join in the torture, they failed to prevent the abuse. It said they were aware the prisoners faced a real risk of being physically abused by the Iraqi security forces, and ordered the Danish state to pay 18 of them 30,000 Danish kroner ($4,300, or 4,000 euros) in damages. But the supreme court instead found the Danish forces had no command over the Iraqi military and police forces, that the operation was Iraqi-led, and that the Danish forces participation in and conduct of the operation was in accordance with the mandate they were sent under. The Danish forces had no concrete and current reason to believe that the Iraqi parties would be subjected to abuses, the court said in a written statement. It concluded therefore that the defence ministry is not liable for assaults committed by Iraqi special forces following the military operation with the participation of Danish forces. Experts have said they hope the verdict will clarify what responsibility soldiers have when participating in military missions abroad. All four maritime ports in the country have been asked to hoist cautionary signal number three amid an extremely heavy rainfall alert issued on Tuesday for the coastal zone in Bangladesh. In a special long-range flood outlook issued on Tuesday, the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre warned that rivers in the Teesta and Meghna basins and also in coastal region could swell over their danger marks in the second week of June depending on the upstream rain. The southern part of the north bay is very rough with the clouds hanging low, said meteorologist Abdul Mannan. The weather system seems to be in transition, he said, with chances of it turning into a low or depression. We are watching the weather system carefully, Mannan said, predicting that if developed into a low or depression the system could cause up to 300mm rainfall anywhere in the coastal region. The southwesternly monsoon is causing the rough weather with chances of the rainy season setting in over the next two to three days. June is the first of the three-month-long monsoon season in Bangladesh. In a special weather warning the Met Office in Bangladesh also advised all fishing boats and trawlers to remain close to the shore and proceed with caution. The FFWC on Tuesday warned that moderate to heavy rain was likely in 12 coastal districts leading to rapid increase in their river water levels over the 24-hour until noon today. The districts put on the rainfall alert are Khulna, Bagherhat, Barguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, Barishal, Laxmipur, Chandpur, Noakhali, Chattogram and Coxs Bazaar. The Indian Met Office predicted heavy to very heavy rain in upstream areas such as Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh between June 1 and June 4. Reporter Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk). The area's Memorial Day ceremonies were made better by the prep work done by so many volunteers at so many area cemeteries. Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death. Submit One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021 Members of the Interfaith Alliance of Champaign County co-signing this column: The Rev. Sheryl Palmer (chair), Rabbi Alan Cook (Sinai Temple), the Rev. Matt Matthews (First Presbyterian Church of Champaign), Imam Ousmane Sawadogo (Central Illinois Mosque and Islamic Center), Ann Rasmus (University YMCA), B.A. Davis-Howe (Pagans Night Out), the Rev. Michael Crosby (First Mennonite Church of Champaign), Creel Unbeloved (Prairie Sky Grove ADF), the Rev. Dan King Crede (Wesley United Methodist Church), the Rev. Terrence Thomas (Bethel AME Church), Renee Antrosio (New Covenant Fellowship), the Rev. Deborah Owen (St. Peters UCC/Disciples of Christ Fellowship), Kim Gollings, Jason Fisher, Lynn Laskowski, Amy Felty, Terry Goode, Dick Flood and Jean Flood. In a latest development in connection with the cruise ship raids case in which Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan was placed under arrest, few NCB officials including Sameer Wankhede involved in the alleged shoddy probe have been transferred to Chennai. Wankhede, the former head of the Mumbai zone of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), has been transferred from Directorate of Revenue Intelligence to DG TS, Chennai. Other NCB officials who have been transferred are P. Ram Mohan and T. Rajashree. The SIT formed in the case might be filing a report with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to fix responsibility for conducting shoddy probe in the matter, sources in the NCB said. The report will fix the responsibility of the officials who were involved in the investigation due to which Aryan Khan and others were given clean chit. The MHA is keeping an eye on the matter. Earlier, NCB official Ashish Ranjan Prasad was placed under suspension. However, his suspension was later revoked, and he was transferred to CISF. Another NCB official who faced the music was Intelligence Official V.V. Singh who filled the arrest memo of Aryan Khan. Singh was placed under suspension which has not been revoked till now. Dr Gail Marzetti has been appointed as the new Director of Science, Research and Evidence (SRE) in the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). She will take over the role previously held by Dr Louise Wood. Helping to lead the NIHR and steer research across health and social care, Dr Gail Marzetti will work under the direction of Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser to DHSC and Chief Executive of the NIHR. She brings with her a wealth of relevant experience with a background in research funding and a track record in the inclusion of vulnerable and marginalized people. NIHR aims to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. Their research helps discover new treatments, improve diagnosis, advance medical technologies and bolster health and care services. Health research was fundamental in tackling Covid and the NIHR was integral to this. They co-funded and supported the research behind the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine as well as dexamethasone, the first effective treatment of Covid. In the last 10 years, NIHR researchers have reported more than 6,500 cases where their research has influenced health and care policy or impacted on practice and guidelines. Minister for Innovation, Lord Kamall, said: Health and care research is crucial to transform our health service and ensure the NHS is able to deliver world-class care. It has been vital in our fight against Covid and in saving thousands of lives - whether through the rapid creation of vaccines or the identification of life-saving treatments like dexamethasone. I want to thank and pay tribute to Dr Louise Wood for her incredible work and leadership. I know Dr Gail Marzetti will build on Dr Woods' contribution, working alongside Professor Lucy Chappell to ensure the UK remains a world-leader in diverse, ground-breaking research." Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Executive of the NIHR and Chief Scientific Adviser at DHSC, said: This is an exciting new chapter for NIHR. Louise will be hugely missed, but I am confident Dr Marzetti brings with her a wealth of experience with a background in research funding and an interest in underserved communities. She will be well placed to help deliver the strategic aims of NIHR, focusing on improving care and outcomes for patients and the public, and tackling inequalities across health and care." Dr Gail Marzetti, incoming Director of Science, Research and Evidence, said: I'm thrilled to be joining the leadership of NIHR and once again working in the field of research and evidence. So many of NIHR's strategic priorities are about inclusion and health inequalities, topics close to my heart, and I'm excited to bring my experience to bear both on NIHR's national work and on its work in low and middle income countries. I look forward to collaborating with colleagues across the health and care research sector to help NIHR deliver against its vital mission. Dr Marzetti is a senior civil servant with 25 years of experience across a range of policy areas. She joined DHSC in March 2020 and is currently Director of Refugees and Head of International Workforce. Prior to this she worked for the Department for International Development (DfID) for over 20 years. This included six years as one of the team that established DfID's Research and Evidence Division, putting evidence at the heart of policy and programs. More recently she was head of DfID Myanmar, leading the UK response to the Rohingya crisis, and before that head of DfID Nepal. Dr Louise Wood has been in DHSC since 2005 and played an instrumental role alongside Dame Sally Davies and Sir Chris Whitty. Louise has co-lead the organization with great integrity and passion, having watched it grow from inception. Dr Louise Wood leaves DHSC in June 2022 and Dr Gail Marzetti will take up her role in July. Two recently published studies by UW Medicine researchers indicate that clinicians should offer non-pharmaceutical help for pain, fatigue, depression, or anxiety at the time of diagnosis for patients with multiple sclerosis, rather than wait. The first study, published in the April 2022 edition of the Multiple Sclerosis Journal, noted that clinically-significant levels of pain, fatigue and depression, as well as anxiety, were commonly seen in newly diagnosed patients. The findings also indicated that prompt screening was necessary if quality of life was to be maintained and optimized. "The take home was that we found these symptoms, pain, fatigue, depression and anxiety quite prevalent" at the point of diagnosis, said Kevin Alschuler, principal investigator of this National MS Society-funded research study. Alschuler directs of psychology service at UW Medicine's Multiple Sclerosis Center. The study found that 60% of the patients experienced fatigue; 50 % experienced pain, and 47 % experienced depression, with 39 % experiencing anxiety within the first year of diagnosis. We want to address this immediately, rather than 5 or 10 years down the road." Kevin Alschuler, principal investigator of the National MS Society-funded research study According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, more than 1 million people are living with MS in the Unites States. A majority live in cooler climates, such as the Northwest. The disease, of which there is no known cure or exact cause, works by something triggering the body's immune system to attack the brain and spinal cord. The resulting damage to the myelin - the protective layer around the nerve fibers - disrupts signals to and from the brain. The result is numbness, memory problems, pain, fatigue or even paralysis. This study, as well as a companion study published in the May print edition of the Journal of Neurology, followed the same cohort of patients - largely White and female- through the first year after their diagnosis. In all, the studies followed 230 patients. The patients were recruited from the UW Medicine Multiple Sclerosis Center and the Swedish Neuroscience Institute's MS Center between 2014 to 2018. The second study looked at the quality of life for patients immediately after, at two months, three months, six months, nine months and then a year after diagnosis. The results of the study showed that, on average, quality of life was largely stable throughout the year, a finding that surprised researchers. "Patients who are newly diagnosed have to deal with the emotional impact of the diagnosis, as well as numerous tests and treatment decision-making," noted Alschuler, who was lead author on the study. "Results showed that, on average, if they came in and were doing great at diagnosis, they had a tendency to stay that way throughout the first year, " Alschuler said. "If they were struggling, they also tended to stay that way." Alschuler and his colleague Dawn Ehde are both interested in early non-pharmaceutical interventions for common symptoms experienced by MS patients. Ehde is a clinical psychologist and holds the Nancy and Buster Alvord Endowed Professorship in MS Research in the UW School of Medicine's Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. Many times, patients had been dealing with the symptoms years before a formal diagnosis, both noted. "Through symptom self-management, including cognitive behavioral therapy, we help patients become empowered with coping skills, especially in the areas of fatigue and pain," said Ehde, who was a co-author on the quality of life study published this month. With Alschuler, she has published studies demonstrating the effectiveness of such interventions in people who have had MS for years. Ehde was also one of the lead authors of the April study. which looked at the trajectory of symptoms a year after an MS diagnosis. "We teach them how to use strategies such as relaxation or mindfulness meditation techniques, as well as how to pace themselves to decrease fatigue and better manage stress," she said. "Patients who learn these skills often find that not only do their pain and fatigue go down, they are able to do more of what is important to them despite their MS." The next step for the team is to explore options for early interventions to help newly diagnosed patients. Along these lines, Alschuler has worked with colleague Ivan Molton, another clinical psychologist, to develop an intervention to help newly diagnosed patients cope with the uncertainty that is central to living with MS. Their 2019 pilot study looked at the impact of promoting tolerance for uncertainty in improving quality of life and lessening anxiety. They followed this with a larger clinical trial that recently completed data collection, Alschuler said. Results of that study are anticipated later this year. The internationally renowned pharmaceutical scientist Professor Hans Lennernas of Uppsala University has been given a Humboldt Research Award worth EUR 60,000 by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Among other things, he will be using the award funding to spend six months as a visiting scholar at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) to join Professor Peter Langguth of the Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, who nominated him for the prize. Hans Lennernas is among the world's leading specialists in the field of pharmaceutical science. His unique translational projects have repeatedly demonstrated how findings from pure biomedical research can successfully result in the development of applications that can be used in practice. We are both delighted that the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation is thus providing us with the opportunity to intensify our existing collaboration." Professor Peter Langguth, Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences Lennernas is expected to arrive in Mainz this fall. He and Langguth will work together to investigate ways to mitigate the typical undesirable effects experienced by patients undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. "Following the administration of chemotherapeutic drugs, the result can often be mucosal inflammation or damage to the digestive tract. Such side effects can be so severe that the drug dosage needs to be reduced, in turn reducing their effectiveness against cancer," Langguth pointed out. "Our goal is to identify active substances that will counteract these adverse reactions and then explore whether it is possible to develop drugs based on these substances. Our teams perfectly complement each other in terms of their expertise. Hans Lennernas' research team has extensive knowledge of the healing processes of intestinal tissue, while in Mainz we know a great deal about how we need to produce drugs to ensure that their active ingredients are transported precisely to the sites in the body where they can best exert their effects." Langguth's and Lennernas' research will complement the work of the JGU Collaborative Research Center on Nano-Dimensional Polymer Therapeutics for Tumor Therapy, in which Langguth is a co-project coordinator. Hans Lennernas has been Professor of Pharmaceutical Biosciences at Uppsala University, Sweden, since 2000. His current research focuses on the development of drugs for prostate and liver cancer. He has published more than 240 research papers, supervised 28 doctoral students, and received a number of national and international awards, including that of the Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the UK. His work as a lead scientist in a project for the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) at the University of Michigan and at the Swedish Medical Products Agency from 1992 to 2000 has earned him worldwide recognition. In the project, Lennernas played a key role in developing the Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS), which differentiates between drugs on the basis of their solubility and permeability. This enables medical prescribers to select from multisource drug products with identical active contents (e.g., generics) and allows pharmacists to dispense more cost-efficient products with similar quality. The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation gives its Humboldt Research Award annually to up to 100 leading international researchers from outside Germany whose overall achievements during their careers to date have been particularly outstanding. It is possible to nominate researchers for an award whose discoveries, findings, or theories have had a lasting effect on their discipline beyond their immediate research area and who are expected to continue producing exceptional research in the future. Award winners are invited to conduct a research project of their choice at a research institution in Germany in cooperation with specialist colleagues there for a period of up to one year. Nominations can be submitted by researchers at research institutions in Germany. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) quickly spread worldwide in 2020, causing over 6.2 million deaths and widespread economic crises. In most cases, the disease causes mild flu-like symptoms, but it can progress to a more serious disease, causing organ failure and long-term damage. Severe acute respiratory symptom coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19, primarily spreads between hosts through droplet transmission but can follow other routes also. Researchers from the Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Maranon have been investigating the spread of the disease from pregnant women to newborns, and have published their results in The Paediatric Infectious Disease Journal. The study Any pregnant woman with microbiologically confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection during any trimester or delivery was eligible for inclusion in the study, which took place across thirteen different Spanish hospitals. Diagnosis must have been confirmed using reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on nasopharyngeal swabs. Demographic data and clinical history, including time of diagnosis, comorbidities, obstetric history, and clinical presentation of infection were gathered, as well as perinatal and delivery clinical data. Samples were collected from pregnant women at the time of diagnosis and delivery, and nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from infants within 48 hours post-delivery. Breast milk samples were collected through hand or breast pumping. Biological samples were tested for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA using a commercially available kit. To classify how an infection could pass from the mother to the infant, Blumberg's classification was used. This defines intrauterine transmission as requiring positive nasopharyngeal swabs, amniotic fluid or neonatal blood within 24 hours as well as a positive swab of the neonatal respiratory tract within 24 hours or positive IgM within the first week. Intrapartum/early postnatal transmission is defined as requiring a negative RT-PCR swab of the neonatal respiratory tract within 24 hours of delivery and a positive swab of the same respiratory tract after 24 hours. Superficial exposure/transient viremia was defined as positive PCR results from a nasopharyngeal swab, amniotic fluid, cord blood, or neonatal blood within 24 hours, but no evidence of persistence or immune response. Statistical analysis consisted of the use of medians and interquartile ranges for continuous variables, and categorical variables presented as absolute frequencies and percentages. Categorical variables were compared using the X^2 or Fisher's exact test, and continuous variables were assessed with the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. In total, the details of 174 women infected with SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy were recorded, with 177 newborns detailed. At the time of delivery, 39% of women had an acute infection, 30% had a recent infection, and 31% had a past infection. 115 maternal blood samples and 81 placenta samples were collected for RT-PCR, revealing only one case of viral load in both blood sample and placenta, which originated from a woman with mild clinical symptoms beginning 48 hours prior to delivery. The newborn tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 and remained asymptomatic. No viral load was detected in any breast milk samples. All RT-PCR results for cord blood and newborn blood samples were negative, but viral load was detected in three newborn urine samples and 3 meconium samples, and all of these newborns tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infections by RT-PCR of nasopharyngeal swabs in their first 48 hours of age. While all newborns were tested within the first forty-eight hours after delivery, only twelve infants showed positive test results. The researchers determined that three of the infants were infected through intrauterine transmission, five were infected through intrapartum or early postnatal transmission, and two were through secretal contamination or transient viremia. As expected, all were born to mothers who were acutely infected at the time of delivery. Only two of the infected newborns showed any symptoms, both of which resolved without any significant adverse events. When the statistical analysis was performed, no significant differences were found when comparing the development of symptoms and admission to the neonatal intensive care unit between infected newborns and noninfected newborns. Conclusions This study reveals that while intrauterine transmission of SARS-CoV-2 does appear very rare, it is possible - although early postnatal transmission through contact with infected individuals is far more frequent. Healthy infants infected in this manner appear largely resistant to the disease, with most remaining asymptomatic or showing mild symptoms that resolved well. The presence of viremia remains difficult to determine, but the researchers have shown that it is extremely unlikely for the disease to pass in breast milk. Overall, this study may help to inform healthcare workers and reassure infected pregnant women. In an effort to mitigate the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), world leaders implemented a variety of restrictions such as social distancing measures and nationwide lockdowns. Although these non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) reduced viral transmission rates, they also discouraged individuals from seeking certain healthcare services. Study: Impact of first UK COVID-19 lockdown on hospital admissions: Interrupted time series study of 32 million people. Image Credit: ESB Professional / Shutterstock.com Background Previous research conducted in the United Kingdom suggests that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a significant impact on healthcare. However, it remains unclear the extent to which the pandemic impacted healthcare services, as well as whether these effects were temporary or had long-term negative consequences that persisted after lockdown restrictions were lifted. Furthermore, pre-pandemic healthcare services in the United Kingdom, as well as in other nations throughout the world, were associated with various disparities in their access and quality of care, particularly in the treatment of marginalized communities. As a result, researchers fear that lockdown measures may have worsened these pre-existing inequities that existed within healthcare systems. In a recent eClinicalMedicine study, researchers use three tracer health disorders including cancer, cardiovascular, and respiratory-related diseases to quantify the impact that COVID-19 lockdowns had on healthcare services throughout the United Kingdom. Moreover, the researchers also assessed whether these effects differed according to socioeconomic status, gender, or ethnicity. About the study The OpenSAFELY platform, which was approved by the National Health Service (NHS) England, as well as the EAVE II platform and SAIL Databank, were used to obtain secondary care data from England, Scotland, and Wales, respectively. Between January 1, 2019, and October 31, 2020, all weekly hospital admissions with a primary diagnosis of cancer, cardiovascular disease, or respiratory disease in England were studied. These same diagnoses were also identified between January 1, 2016, to October 31, 2020, in Scotland and Wales. Weekly admission rates were stratified by disease, socioeconomic status, sex, ethnicity, and admission type. The researchers were interested in comparing how historical admission rates in these patient populations changed after lockdown restrictions were introduced in the United Kingdom. Notably, the researchers categorized their data into two distinct follow-up periods. Whereas weeks one through 11 referred to data acquired between January 5, 2020, to March 15, 2020, weeks 12-43 referred to data obtained from March 22, 2020, to October 25, 2020. Study findings In general, hospital admission rates in weeks one through 11 in pre-pandemic and pandemic years were similar in England, Scotland, and Wales. However, each of these nations experienced a significant change in the mean rates of admission during weeks 12-43 between pre-pandemic and pandemic years. These observations were confirmed in the interrupted time series (ITS) analysis, which similarly identified a significant decline in the overall hospital admission rates in England, Scotland, and Wales immediately after the lockdown was implemented in March 2020. As compared to unexpected admission rates, scheduled admissions decreased to a greater extent in England, Scotland, and Wales. Cancer-related hospital admission rates exhibited the most significant decline in all three nations, which was followed by admissions due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. The reduced scheduled admission rates for all three diseases in England, Scotland, and Wales were significantly lower as compared to unscheduled admission rates. Notably, the most significant decline in scheduled admissions was associated with respiratory-related diseases. Differences in admission rates were comparable between both men and women in all three nations; however, men experienced a slightly greater decline in their admission rates as compared to women. Additionally, individuals in both the least and most deprived socioeconomic statuses also experienced comparable reductions in their hospital admission rates. In England, scheduled admission rates for Black individuals exhibited the greatest decline, while those of a Mixed ethnicity experienced the greatest reduction in unplanned admissions rates. Asians experienced the smallest decline in overall admission rates. Non-White individuals in Scotland experienced a significantly larger reduction than White individuals in both planned and unplanned admissions. Limited data were available in Wales regarding patient ethnicity. When the lockdown restrictions began to ease in the three countries between August and September 2020, hospital admission rates were lower as compared to those reported at the same time in pre-pandemic years. Implications The study findings revealed that COVID-19 lockdown restrictions had a significant impact on healthcare-seeking behaviors in England, Scotland, and Wales. More specifically, hospital admission rates related to cancer, cardiovascular-related conditions, and respiratory-related causes significantly declined as compared to the same admission rates reported in pre-pandemic years. This reduction in hospital admission rates was similar in both males and females, as well as across all races and socioeconomic statuses. Cancer-related admission rates declined to a greater extent than those due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases across England, Scotland, and Wales. In England and Scotland, some ethnic minorities were affected more than Whites. Despite the relaxation of lockdown restrictions over the six months following the first lockdown, admission rates for cancer, cardiovascular, and respiratory-related diseases were much lower than pre-pandemic levels, thus indicating a long-term impact on healthcare provisions in these patient populations. Older adults who have survived covid-19 are more likely than younger patients to have persistent symptoms such as fatigue, breathlessness, muscle aches, heart palpitations, headaches, joint pain, and difficulty with memory and concentration problems linked to long covid. But it can be hard to distinguish lingering aftereffects of covid from conditions common in older adults such as lung disease, heart disease, and mild cognitive impairment. There are no diagnostic tests or recommended treatments for long covid, and the biological mechanisms that underlie its effects remain poorly understood. "Identifying long covid in older adults with other medical conditions is tricky," said Dr. Nathan Erdmann, an assistant professor of infectious diseases at the University of Alabama-Birmingham's school of medicine. Failing to do so means older covid survivors might not receive appropriate care. What should older adults do if they don't feel well weeks after becoming ill with the virus? I asked a dozen experts for advice. Here's what they suggested. Seek medical attention. "If an older person or their caregiver is noticing that it's been a month or two since covid and something isn't right they've lost a lot of weight or they're extremely weak or forgetful it's worth going in for an evaluation," said Dr. Liron Sinvani, director of the geriatric hospitalist service at Northwell Health, a large health system in New York. But be forewarned: Many primary care physicians are at a loss as to how to identify and manage long covid. If you're not getting much help from your doctor, consider getting a referral to a specialist who sees long covid patients or a long covid clinic. Also, be prepared to be patient: Waits for appointments are lengthy. At least 66 hospitals or health systems have created interdisciplinary clinics, according to Becker's Hospital Review, an industry publication. For people who don't live near one of those, virtual consultations are often available. For specialist referrals, ask whether the physician has experience with long covid patients. Also, more than 80 medical centers in more than 30 states are enrolling patients in a four-year, $1.15 billion study of long covid that is being funded by the National Institutes of Health and is known as RECOVER (Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery). Older adults who choose to participate will receive ongoing medical attention. Pursue comprehensive care. At the University of Southern California's covid recovery clinic, physicians start by making sure that any underlying medical conditions that older patients have for instance, heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are well controlled. Also, they check for new conditions that may have surfaced after a covid infection. If preexisting and new conditions are properly managed and further tests come back negative, "there is probably an element of long covid," said Dr. Caitlin McAuley, one of two physicians at the Keck School of Medicine clinic. At that point, the focus becomes helping older adults regain the ability to manage daily tasks such as showering, dressing, moving around the house, and shopping. Typically, several months of physical therapy, occupational therapy, or cognitive rehabilitation are prescribed. Dr. Erica Spatz, an associate professor of cardiology at the Yale School of Medicine, looks for evidence of organ damage, such as changes in the heart muscle, in older patients. If that's detected, there are well-established treatments that can be tried. "The older a person is, the more likely we are to find organ injury," Spatz said. At the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago, a rehabilitation hospital, experts have discovered that a significant number of patients with breathing problems have atrophy in the diaphragm, a muscle that's essential to breathing, said Dr. Colin Franz, a physician-scientist. Once inflammation is under control, breathing exercises help patients build back the muscle, he said. For older adults concerned about their cognition after covid, McAuley recommends a neuropsychological exam. "Plenty of older patients who've had covid feel like they now have dementia. But when they do the testing, all their higher-level cognitive functioning is intact, and it's things like attention or cognitive fluency that are impaired," she said. "It's important to understand where deficits are so we can target therapy appropriately." Become active gradually. Older patients tend to lose strength and fitness after severe illness a phenomenon known as "deconditioning" and their blood volume and heart muscles will start shrinking in a few weeks if they lie in bed or get little activity, Spatz said. That can cause dizziness or a racing heart upon standing up. In line with recent recommendations from the American College of Cardiology, Spatz advises patients who have developed these symptoms after covid to drink more fluids, consume more salt, and wear compression socks and abdominal binders. "I often hear that going for a walk feels awful," Spatz said. When returning to exercise, "start with five to 10 minutes on a recumbent bicycle or a rower, and add a couple of minutes every week," she suggested. After a month, move to a semi-recumbent position on a standard bike. Then, after another month, try walking, a short distance at first and then longer distances over time. This "go slow" advice also applies to older adults with cognitive concerns after covid. Franz said he often recommends restricting time spent on cognitively demanding tasks, along with exercises, for brain health and memory. At least early on, "people need less activity and more cognitive rest," he noted. Reset expectations. Older adults typically have a harder time bouncing back from serious illness, including covid. But even seniors who had mild or moderate reactions to the virus can find themselves struggling weeks or months later. The most important message older patients need to hear is "give yourself time to recover," said Dr. Greg Vanichkachorn, director of the Mayo Clinic's Covid Activity Rehabilitation Program in Rochester, Minnesota. Generally, older adults appear to be taking longer to recover from long covid than younger or middle-aged adults, he noted. Learning how to set priorities and not do too much too quickly is essential. "In this patient population, we've found that having patients grit their teeth and push themselves will actually make them worse" a phenomenon known as "post-exertional malaise," Vanichkachorn said. Instead, people need to learn how to pace themselves. "Any significant health event forces people to reexamine their expectations and their priorities, and long covid has really accelerated that," said Jamie Wilcox, an associate professor of clinical occupational therapy at the Keck School of Medicine. "Everyone I see feels that it's accelerated their aging process." Consider vulnerabilities. Older adults who have had covid and who are poor, frail, physically or cognitively disabled, and socially isolated are of considerable concern. This group has been more likely to experience severe effects from covid, and those who survived may not readily access health care services. "We all share concern about marginalized seniors with limited health care access and poorer overall health status," said Erdmann, of UAB. "Sprinkle a dangerous new pathology that's not well understood on top of that, and you have a recipe for greater disparities in care." "A lot of older [long covid] patients we deal with aren't accustomed to asking for help, and they think, perhaps, it's a little shameful to be needy," said James Jackson, director of long-term outcomes at the Critical Illness, Brain Dysfunction, and Survivorship Center at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. The implications are significant, not only for the patients but also for health care providers, friends, and family. "You really have to check in with people who are older and vulnerable and who have had covid and not just make assumptions that they're fine just because they tell you they are," Jackson said. "We need to be more proactive in engaging them and finding out, really, how they are." We're eager to hear from readers about questions you'd like answered, problems you've been having with your care and advice you need in dealing with the health care system. Visit khn.org/columnists to submit your requests or tips. Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) shows which genes are turned on in a cell and what their level of transcription is. This allows in-depth assessment of the biology of individual cells, and detection of changes that may indicate disease. scRNA-seq is becoming widely used across disciplines including developmental biology, neurology, oncology, immunology, cardiovascular research and infectious diseases. It is critical for studying population heterogeneity, identifying minority sub-populations of interest, and for discovering unique characteristics of individual cells. Applications reach far beyond ophthalmology: single-cell sequencing is widely used for the analysis of de novo germline mutations and somatic mutations in normal and diseased cells, e.g. in cancer cells. FLASH-seq: An optimized full-length single-cell RNA-sequencing protocol. Image Credit: Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel A new scRNA-seq protocol developed at IOB, with scientists from the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, can be used to study any disease model requiring the analysis of rare cell populations at high resolution. Our modular FLASH-seq protocol provides a snapshot of the cell transcriptome at an unprecedented resolution. The method can be miniaturized, automated and adapted to different needs. It helps to define which gene isoforms are present in health and disease. It also provides a much deeper picture of the gene expression, especially after perturbation due to disease, developmental defects or external agents. Moreover, it is easy to set up in the lab, 50% faster and cheaper than similar existing protocols and enables the study of molecular mechanisms of disease beyond the scope of current single-cell sequencing tools. Simone Picelli, Head of IOB Single-Cell Genomics Platform and Senior Author of Paper The new method can generate sequencing-ready libraries in just half a day. Researchers at IOB therefore believe that FLASH-seq has the potential to become the tool of choice when looking for an efficient, robust, modular, affordable and automation-friendly full-length scRNA-seq protocol. With a $3 million gift from Elisa and Marc Stad, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals have launched the Stad Center for Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine one of the most innovative and comprehensive programs of its kind in the nation. Marc Stad, founder and managing partner at Dragoneer Investment Group, and Elisa Stad, a former international marketing executive and current member of the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals board, recognized the need for an innovative approach to treating children in pain and made it their mission to seek out an expert in the field. They found the expertise in Stefan Friedrichsdorf, MD, an internationally renowned pediatrician specializing in pain management and palliative medicine, and established an endowed professorship for him at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals in San Francisco and Oakland. From being a child who was in and out of medical centers for asthma treatment to parenting a young family of my own, I understand the inherent fear children have of the hospital experience. Children affected by severe illness are grappling with so much more than a clinical diagnosis. Many are also experiencing trauma, anxiety, social isolation and chronic pain, which requires a holistic approach that can address all of these conditions simultaneously." Elisa Stad During a visit to Shanghai Children's Medical Center (SCMC), one of the top pediatric hospitals in Asia, Elisa Stad was struck by the fluid interplay between Western techniques and Eastern medicine. Inspired by the holistic treatment offered to SCMC oncology patients, Elisa Stad returned to the United States with a plan to help UCSF employ integrative methods in both its San Francisco and Oakland campuses. "Establishing this Center will propel new advances in integrative medicine and pain management to provide expert care that prioritizes comfort and healing," said Matthew Cook, president of UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals. "Given that many of these critical services are not reimbursed by insurance, this generous philanthropic support will help meet our promise to always aim higher for the patients and families that need us most." Expanding innovative pain care for every child The Stad Center for Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine is an intensive, interdisciplinary and rehabilitative inpatient and outpatient pain clinic treating children affected by both acute and chronic pain, including the discomfort from sickle cell disease. Specialized teams provide expert consultative services with state-of-the-art technology and innovative techniques to work collaboratively with providers from across the health system. In the past 12 months, the Stad Center has managed more than 8,000 inpatient and outpatient encounters - a number that is expected to rise significantly as the center adds eight clinicians to the staff, including three physicians, nurse practitioners, acupuncturists, massage therapists, psychologists, social workers, and specialists in Eastern medicine. As medical director, Friedrichsdorf leads the center in treating children for pain by integrating concepts from Eastern and Western medicine. His goal is also to educate the medical community about the impact of pain during childhood and bring innovative treatments to the field. "Children with unrelieved pain turn into adults with much higher rates of chronic pain, anxiety and depression," said Friedrichsdorf, who joined UCSF from Children's Minnesota, where he was medical director of the Department of Pain Medicine, Palliative Care & Integrative Medicine from 2005-2020. During his tenure, the department grew to one of the largest in the country and received national acclaim. During the next three years, the Stad Center will implement a new UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals "Comfort Promise," at its pediatric facilities, Friedrichsdorf said. "I often hear from my colleagues nationwide that we don't have enough staff. But our commitment at UCSF is to do everything possible to prevent and treat pain for every child, every time." Generous support brings integrative vision to life More than 1 in 5 youth suffer from severe chronic pain, such as migraines, abdominal pain and joint discomfort, resulting in absences from school. The Stad Center treats children from birth to adulthood with the latest technologies in pain management, such as advanced and safe pain medications, nerve blocks and implantable medication pumps. Integrative therapies include acupuncture, acupressure, massage, meditation and clinical hypnosis. The center also specializes in pediatric palliative care, with the goal of improving the quality of life for children with life-limiting illnesses, allowing them to live as long and as well as possible. Stephen Wilson, MD, PhD, chief medical officer and pediatric pain specialist, led early work at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals to establish a pain and palliative care program in San Francisco and worked with the Stads to bring Friedrichsdorf to UCSF. "Physical, emotional and spiritual pain are among the greatest challenges children face when seriously ill," Wilson said. "The Stads' philanthropic support has brought to life Dr. Friedrichsdorf's vision of a comprehensive, multidisciplinary and integrative approach to pediatric pain. With this center, our hospitals can harness both cutting-edge science and traditional integrative practices to improve our patients' lives and lead the nation in providing integrative medicine to manage pediatric pain." Extending impact through research and training Another crucial component of Friedrichsdorf's vision is educating other clinicians in pain management, since medical training often does not require formal training in pain management and prevention. Board certified in both the United States and Germany, he has presented more than 800 lectures about pediatric pain medicine, palliative care and integrative medicine in 30 countries on 6 continents. The Center will deploy a portion of the Stad gift to fund research. By conducting patient comfort surveys and cross-referencing data from 10 hospitals, Friedrichsdorf and his colleague Andrea Postier, PhD, aim to identify areas of improvement for UCSF. They also will conduct trials to evaluate different modalities to reduce pain and distress, giving patients access to the latest, evidence-based therapies. Marc Stad shared his passion for providing access to high-quality health care for all families, regardless of socio-economic status, citing research from the Children's Health Fund that found as many as 28% of U.S. children, including the insured, lack acceptable access to pediatric care. "Through the Stad Center, Elisa and I aim to support UCSF's efforts to offer every child sufficient access to world-class, integrative and innovative medical care," he said. The nervous system is known to communicate with the immune system and regulate inflammation in the body. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden now show how electrical activation of a specific nerve can promote healing in acute inflammation. The finding, which is published in the journal PNAS, opens new ways to accelerate resolution of inflammation. The way the body regulates inflammation is only partly understood. Previous research by Peder Olofsson's group at Karolinska Institutet and other research groups has shown that electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve can reduce inflammation. Such nerve stimulation has been used with encouraging results in clinical studies of patients with inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis. However, how nerve signals regulate active resolution of inflammation was unclear. "We have now studied effects of signals between nerves and immune cells at the molecular level," says April S. Caravaca, a researcher in Peder Olofsson's group at the Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet and the Stockholm Center for Bioelectronic Medicine at MedTechLabs. "A better understanding of these mechanisms will allow for more precise applications that harness the nervous system to regulate inflammation." The researchers showed that electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve in inflammation shifts the balance between inflammatory and specialized anti-inflammatory molecules, which promotes healing. Inflammation and its resolution plays a key role in a wide range of common diseases, including autoimmune diseases and cardiovascular diseases. Our findings provide insights on how the nervous system can accelerate resolution of inflammation by activating defined signalling pathways." Peder Olofsson, Karolinska Institutet The researchers will continue to study how nerves regulate the healing of inflammation in more detail. "The vagus nerve is only one of many nerves that regulate the immune system. We will continue to map the networks of nerves that regulate inflammation at the molecular level and study how these signals are involved in disease development," says Dr Olofsson. "We hope that this research will provide a better understanding of how pathological inflammation can resolve, and contribute to more effective treatments of the many inflammatory diseases, such as atherosclerosis and rheumatism." A recent article posted to the medRxiv* preprint server assessed the potency of tixagevimab/cilgavimab in averting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in vaccinated immunocompromised people. Background CoV disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with a high risk of mortality and morbidity in immunocompromised people. While COVID-19 vaccines have helped halt SARS-CoV-2 spread and reduce the risk of severe illness in the general population, immunocompromised persons are still at high risk of continuous viral replication and breakthrough infections. A Phase III, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial, the PROVENT investigation, showed a single intramuscular tixagevimab/cilgavimab dose substantially decreased symptomatic COVID-19 incidence by 76.7% following 90 days in a large sample of adults with an elevated risk of insufficient vaccination response or SARS-CoV-2 exposure. Relying on these results, on 8 December 2021, the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provided tixagevimab/cilgavimab an emergency use authorization (EUA) as a pre-exposure prophylactic for moderate or severely immunocompromised people or for whom vaccination with any existing SARS-CoV-2 vaccine is not advised because of a severe adverse reaction history. However, the efficacy of tixagevimab/cilgavimab in preventing COVID-19 in vaccinated immunocompromised individuals is uncertain, especially following the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain. About the study The present retrospective cohort research aimed to investigate the efficacy of tixagevimab/cilgavimab in preventing COVID-19 and severe SARS-CoV-2 infection across COVID-19 vaccinated immunodeficient patients via difference-in-difference analyses (DiD) and propensity matching. The study was performed using the electronic data from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system in the US, the most comprehensive healthcare network in the US, of Veterans aged 18 or older as of 1 January 2022 who were getting VA medical care. The researchers compared a group of 1,848 patients who received a minimum of one intramuscular dose of tixagevimab/cilgavimab with matched controls identified from 251,756 patients who were immunodeficient or were at increased risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Patients were monitored through 30 April 2022 or till death, whichever came first. The investigation's key outcomes were a COVID-19 composite, SARS-CoV-2-linked hospitalization, and all-cause death. The team employed Cox proportional hazards modeling to calculate the hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the link between tixagevimab/cilgavimab use and outcomes. On the whole, in the current study, the scientists determined the real-world efficacy of tixagevimab/cilgavimab in preventing COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2-related hospitalization, and all-cause death in COVID-19 vaccinated immunocompromised Veterans. Findings and discussions Overall, the study results showed that 69% of Veterans who received tixagevimab/cilgavimab were 65 years or older, 92% were recognized as immunodeficient by electronic data, and 73% got three doses of COVID-19 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine or two Ad26.COV2 doses. Before receiving tixagevimab/cilgavimab, almost all (95%) of the study participants had received a minimum of two COVID-19 mRNA vaccine doses or one Ad26.COV2 dose. Tixagevimab/cilgavimab-treated patients had a notably decreased occurrence of the composite SARS-CoV-2 infection outcome (17/1733 versus 206/6354), as well as COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2-associated hospitalization, and all-cause death relative to propensity-matched controls. The present results were invariant over two robust statistical techniques, including DiD estimations and propensity score matching. Since these findings were observed among moderate to severely immunocompromised and older patients, they backed up the EUA guidelines for tixagevimab/cilgavimab use in this cohort. The investigators discovered that fully vaccinated (at least two doses) immunocompromised patients administered tixagevimab/cilgavimab had enhanced protection against COVID-19, similar to fully boosted (primary vaccination regimen plus a booster dose) non-immunocompromised adults. While tixagevimab/cilgavimab retained neutralization against the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant, they had a lower neutralizing effect against the Omicron BA.1 variant, urging the FDA to revise the EUA to increase tixagevimab/cilgavimab's initial dose. Further, current evidence illustrated that tixagevimab/cilgavimab retained neutralization against Omicron BA.2.12.1 and BA.2 variants, albeit their efficacy might be diminished with Omicron BA.5 and BA.4 strains. In addition, the authors noted that the trial had immortal time bias and indication confounding. Conclusions According to the scientists, this research offered the initial real-world proof of tixagevimab/cilgavimab's potential in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection and valuable information about the patient population who received tixagevimab/cilgavimab throughout the VA healthcare network. Overall, in the present work, utilizing nationwide US real-world data from mostly vaccinated, immunodeficient Veterans, the authors found using tixagevimab/cilgavimab during the Omicron surge period was linked with diminished COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2-related hospitalization, and all-cause death rates. These results suggested that in addition to COVID-19 vaccination, tixagevimab/cilgavimab treatment safeguards susceptible individuals from COVID-19 and severe SARS-CoV-2 infection in the current phase of the pandemic. The study showed that only a tiny percentage of eligible subjects received tixagevimab/cilgavimab therapy, implying that additional outreach and education were needed to ascertain that more immunodeficient Veterans throughout the VA healthcare network received tixagevimab/cilgavimab, notably during SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks. Besides, the authors stated that continued real-world data might aid in the understanding of tixagevimab/cilgavimab's effectiveness for pre-exposure COVID-19 prophylaxis across time and against new SARS-CoV-2 variants. *Important notice medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case, will be produced in court on Tuesday. will be produced before a special judge in Rouse Avenue Court in the national capital on Tuesday around 2 p.m. The central probe agency is likely to seek his custodial remand to confront him with some documents and statements. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader was placed under arrest by the ED on Monday evening. The ED had attached the properties of Jain's relatives' worth Rs 4.81 crore in April this year. "Immovable properties worth Rs 4.81 crore belonging to different firms owned by Swati Jain, Sushila Jain, and Indu Jain, the relatives of Jain were attached. Akinchan Developers Pvt Ltd, Indo Metal Impex Pvt Ltd, Paryas Infosolutions Pvt Ltd, Manglayatan Projects Pvt Ltd, JJ Ideal Estate Pvt. Ltd were the firms against which action was taken," a source said. The ED initiated the money laundering investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), against Jain and others under Section 109 of IPC -- read with sections 13(2) and 13(1) (e) of Prevention of Corruption Act. The ED learnt in the investigation that during the period 2015-16, when Jain was a public servant, these companies owned and controlled by him received accommodation entries to the tune of Rs 4.81 crore from shell companies against cash transferred to Kolkata-based entry operators through the Hawala route. These amounts were utilised for the direct purchase of land or for the repayment of loans taken for the purchase of agricultural land in and around Delhi. "Accordingly, immovable properties worth Rs 4.81 crore in the form of land belonging to the accused and their companies under section 5 of PMLA were attached," said the ED official. The burden of health literacy is commonly placed on consumers, however, it is also the responsibility of the healthcare sector health professionals, service providers and health organizations to reduce the complexity of the healthcare system. The ABC of health literacy is the theme of the 2022 National Medicines Symposium (NMS) taking place today. Health literacy is how people understand information about health and health care, and how they act on it. The fully virtual event hosted by NPS MedicineWise expands on what health literacy is, why it is important, and what can be done to improve it, especially where the need is greatest. Professor of Public Health at the University of Sydney Prof Don Nutbeam is discussing why health literacy is so important and that poor health literacy is more widespread than we may think. Almost half (49%) of people have difficulty locating information on a bottle of medicine about the maximum number of days a medicine can be taken. Around 80% of people dont understand home care instructions after discharge from the Emergency Department. Half of all medicines are prescribed, dispensed or sold inappropriately, and half of all people fail to take them correctly. Prof Nutbeam says to improve this we need to both increase the skills and confidence of consumers, while also simplifying information. Health literacy is such an important and wide-ranging issue, not only for our personal health and the health of those around us but for a sustainable health system. We know that low health literacy leads to poorer health outcomes. When thinking about how to tackle this, we need to consider the environment in which people are accessing healthcare and how to set that up in a way that supports health literacy." Katherine Burchfield, CEO, NPS MedicineWise The National Medicines Symposium brings together important organizations, individuals and decision makers in the health sector to discuss and debate key issues around health literacy. Lightening talks and posters focus on real world examples around the three NMS themes of organizational health literacy, medicines literacy and supporting vulnerable communities. We are also showcasing a toolkit to help put health literacy into action, with tools linked to each of these themes, she says. Supporting health literacy by improving communication is the focus of a workshop with Dr Julie Ayre from the Sydney Health Literacy Lab at the University of Sydney. She is explaining how the SHeLL editor, developed by the Sydney Health Literacy Lab, can be applied to create health materials that are easy to understand. The online event the third time the National Medicines Symposium is being hosted as a virtual event, supporting online discussion between delegates. The conversation will also continue on social media with the hashtag #NMS2022. (Newser) In one of its biggest gun control moves in decades, Canada is planning place a so-called "freeze" or cap on handgun ownership in the country. Thanks to a deal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has with a smaller left-wing party to support the minority Liberal administration and its legislation, the sweeping proposed gun control bill, which has been introduced in Parliament, is likely to pass, the Wall Street Journal reports. "What this means is that it will no longer be possible to buy, sell, transfer, or import handguns anywhere in Canada," Trudeau said in announcing the legislation, per CNN. People who already own handguns will be allowed to keep them. Trudeau cited rising gun violence in Canada as the reason for the handgun ban, and also mentioned the recent US mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York. "Other than using firearms for sport shooting and hunting, there is no reason anyone in Canada should need guns in their everyday lives," he said. "We need only look south of the border to know that if we do not take action firmly, it gets worse and worse and more difficult to counter." There's a lot more to the bill: Starting at the end of this year, a previously voluntary buyback program for banned semiautomatic weapons will become mandatory. The maximum criminal penalties on gun trafficking and smuggling will be increased, and law enforcement will be given more resources to investigate such crimes. Courts will be allowed to order guns surrendered if their owners are deemed a danger to themselves or others, and authorities will be allowed to seize guns from people convicted of domestic violence or stalking. And long guns will be prohibited from holding more than five rounds at a time. (Read more Canada stories.) (Newser) Despite the horror and grief over the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and the rampage at a Buffalo, New York, grocery store before it, gun violence in the US has not diminished in the week since Uvalde. As of Monday, there had been at least 14 mass shootings in the US since the elementary school massacre, the Washington Post reports. Eleven of those were over the Memorial Day holiday weekend (Saturday, Sunday, and Monday). Defined by the Gun Violence Archive as any shooting in which four or more people are shot, not including the gunman, many mass shootings "just end up being local stories," said CNN anchor Brian Stelter in a clip that's gone viral. The incident Stelter was speaking about took place in Tennessee on Saturday night, where six children between the ages of 13 and 15 were shot in what authorities believe was an altercation between teenagers. At a California party, one person was killed and three others were injured, one critically. At a Pennsylvania party, two people between the ages of 14 and 21 were killed and two were hurt. Six people were shot at an Alabama graduation party. At an Oklahoma festival, one person was killed and seven injured. A mother and her three young children were killed by a relative in Michigan, NPR reports. (Read more mass shootings stories.) (Newser) The school police chief accused of holding back officers from a classroom in Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, as a gunman murdered children inside will apparently take his place on the City Council, despite plenty of anger in his hometown. Pedro "Pete" Arredondo, the chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, was elected to one of five council seats on May 7 with 126 votes, "more than two-thirds of the total in the city of more than 15,000," NBC News reports. "There is nothing in the city charter, election code, or Texas Constitution that prohibits him from taking the oath of office," Mayor Don McLaughlin said Monday, adding there was no known investigation of the police chief. Arredondo's swearing-in ceremony, initially scheduled for Tuesday, will be delayed, however. "Our focus on Tuesday is on our families who lost loved ones," McLaughlin said in a Monday statement, per USA Today. "We begin burying our children tomorrow." Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw has said Arredondo made the "wrong decision" to direct more than a dozen officers to wait in a school hallway for more than an hour while the gunman was barricaded in a classroom where 19 children and two teachers were ultimately killed. That order, in defiance of established active-shooter protocols, has prompted plenty of anger in Arredondo's hometown, the AP reports. "He dropped the ball maybe because he did not have enough experience. Who knows? People are very angry," a woman who has known Arredondo since he was a child tells the AP. Arredondo, who has spent almost 30 years in law enforcement, including 16 with the Uvalde Police Department, hasn't given a public statement since speaking at two short news conferences on the day of the shooting. Earlier this month, he told the Uvalde Leader-News that he was "ready to hit the ground running" as a member of the City Council. "I have plenty of ideas, and I definitely have plenty of drive," he said, adding his focus would be on "smart spending" and "keeping our streets clean." (Read more Uvalde mass shooting stories.) (Newser) Popular Indian rapper Sidhu Moose Wala was fatally shot 24 times in Punjab on Sunday, one day after the state lifted security for hundreds of celebrities. Thousands of fans of the rapper, who was born Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, have now descended on his home village of Moosa, not far from the murder scene in Mansa district. The 28-year-old had been driving with friends in Mansa when he was apparently targeted by unknown assailants. Punjab's top police official, VK Bhawra, said the investigation pointed to an inter-gang rivalry, the AP reports. Six people have been detained, per the BBC. Punjab's chief minister Bhagwant Mann, who expressed shock and sadness over the killing, said "no culprit will be spared." But there is already "massive outrage from fans and opposition leaders" in the state, per the BBC. The Punjab government had cut back on security for more than 400 individuals on Saturday in an effort to curtail VIP culture, the outlet reports. VK Bhawra said "two out of four commandos were withdrawn from Sidhu Moose Wala's security temporarily," per the Globe and Mail. "But when he left home that afternoon, he did not take the commandos along. He also did not take his private bulletproof car." His vehicle was subsequently peppered with 30 bullets, which pierced the windshield and hood. A preliminary post-mortem found the rapper was shot in the chest, abdomen, and feet, according to the BBC. He was well known not only in India but also in the United Kingdom and Canada, where he was living as an international student when he rose to stardom in 2017. His 2018 debut album, which reached Canada's Billboard Albums chart, included an homage to the Canadian city of Brampton, where he spent much of his time. In 2020, he was charged with violating India's Arms Act for allegedly promoting gun culture in his music. He later joined India's principal opposition Congress Party and unsuccessfully ran in Punjabs assembly elections. His most recent track, "The Last Ride," was released in May. It references his idol, Tupac Shakur, who was similarly murdered while riding in his BMW in 1996, per the BBC. (Read more India stories.) (Newser) In the early days of the pandemic, a San Diego doctor offered a beacon of hopemore specifically what he called a "miracle cure" for COVID. Now, however, Dr. Jennings Ryan Staley is going to prison for 30 days over his purported remedy, reports Fox 5. Staley attempted to smuggle hydroxychloroquine into the US from China falsely labeled as "yam extract," says the Justice Department. At the time, hydroxychloroquine was being touted by President Trump and others as a COVID remedy, though studies would later prompt the FDA to crack down on the malaria's drug's use for COVID. Staley began marketing $4,000 "treatment kits" out of his Skinny Beach Med Spa. Its preventive and curative, Staley told an undercover agent who bought a kit, per the Washington Post. Its hard to believe, its almost too good to be true. But its a remarkable clinical phenomenon. The doctor said it was a "guaranteed" cure, but added that "there's always exceptions." Prosecutors say he sold a "family kit" to the agent without asking any questions about medical history. He also boasted of how he was acquiring the hard-to-find drug: He said he got the last tank of hydroxychloroquine smuggled out of China, and then tricked customs with the bogus label. At the height of the pandemic, before vaccines were available, this doctor sought to profit from patients fears, says US Attorney Randy Grossman in a news release. He abused his position of trust and undermined the integrity of the entire medical profession. Staley pleaded guilty last year. When he finishes his 30-day stint in prison, he will be under home confinement for a year. He also must pay a $10,000 fine. (Read more COVID-19 stories.) (Newser) Whoever the designers of Stonehenge were, it's probably a decent bet that they didn't have this week's use of their monument in mind: Visitors this week will see photos of Queen Elizabeth II splashed across the front of the sarsens on Salisbury Plain, a tribute to the monarch ahead of the Platinum Jubilee marking her 70 years on the throne, reports USA Today. The eight images represent the queen throughout various decades during her reign, from her coronation ceremony in 1953she officially ascended to the throne in February 1952, after the death of her father, King George VIup to a more recent depiction of her attending the Royal Windsor Horse Show. "We've brought two British icons together," English Heritage, the group that oversees the landmark, tweeted on Monday. The group added in a statement, per UPI: "We wanted to show different aspects of the Queenof her personality, of her interests, and really show what a special lady she is." Six Elizabeth images were also projected Monday onto London's Marble Arch to celebrate England's longest-reigning monarch ever. The Platinum Jubilee runs Thursday through Sunday, with a star-studded concert planned for Saturday and the wrap-up pageant in front of Buckingham Palace on the final day. Not everyone in the British Commonwealth is in a Jubilee mood, however. The AP reports on the "apathy" and protests that have emerged as the celebration gets ready to kick off, with the former spurred mainly by the country's colonizing past. "It's not about her," one Jamaican academic tells the news agency. "It's about her family's wealth, built on the backs of our ancestors. We're grappling with the legacies of a past that has been very painful." More on that here. (Read more Queen Elizabeth II stories.) China's immigration authority introduces new measures to facilitate production, business activities Xinhua) 10:06, May 31, 2022 BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua) -- China's National Immigration Administration has introduced a series of new measures aimed at facilitating the production activities and operation of enterprises with foreign business links. The new measures are expected to help enterprises reduce cost, boost production efficiency, and further explore the international market, said an official with the administration. To facilitate international transportation of cargo and personnel, the border inspection procedure for international transport workers who frequently enter and exit the country has been simplified. Employees of domestic enterprises participating in important construction projects abroad can now enjoy more convenience in passport application procedures as well as entry and exit. The measures also include shortening the customs clearance and inspection time for international cargo ships. Vehicles carrying important medical, agricultural, energy and livelihood supplies will receive priority in customs inspections. The handling of paperwork and visa extension applications of relevant foreign personnel has now been streamlined to help the resumption of business activities. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun) In a paper published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers described the signature whistles produced by six distinct geographical units of the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) in the Mediterranean Sea and identify the main determinants of their variability. Their results show that it is the local ocean environment and population demographics, and not genetics, that best explains the different lengths and pitches of the whistles. Acoustic signals are widely used in animals, from insects to mammals, and can be involved in a variety of contexts such as sexual selection, social cohesion, individual and group recognition, resource defense and competition, said Dr. Gabriella La Manna, a researcher with the Universita degli Studi di Sassari and MareTerra Onlus, and her colleagues. Cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) rely on acoustic communication for orientation, locating food, reproduction and avoiding predators. Consequently, they have a varied and complex acoustic repertoire, used to transmit information related to the sender identity (individual, social group, population, species), sender position and behavioral contexts. Some of the most studied cetacean species produce individual signals aimed to identify the emitter, as in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops spp.), or have acoustic repertoires able to identify family group or population, as in killer whales (Orcinus orca) and sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus). Bottlenose dolphins live in fission-fusion societies where individual recognition, contact maintenance, and group coordination are mediated by frequency-modulated, narrow-band acoustic signals, called whistles. Those whistles characterized by a stereotyped frequency modulation pattern and used to identify the emitter are known as signature whistles. They are primarily produced when an animal is separated by the conspecifics and to ensure social cohesion. The signature whistle develops during the first year of a dolphins life and seems to be modeled hearing whistles from conspecifics and through vocal production learning. Using 188 hours of recorded acoustic data, Dr. La Manna and co-authors analyzed the differences in signature whistles between six geographically distinct populations of common bottlenose dolphins across the Mediterranean Sea. The sites included Port Cros in the French Riviera, Alghero in the Sardinian Sea, and Ostia-Fiumicino in the Tyrrhenian Sea (all considered the western Mediterranean region); Cres-Losinj in the Adriatic Sea and the Gulf of Corinth in the Ionian Sea (both considered eastern); and Lampedusa in the Strait of Sicily (considered southern). The researchers identified 168 individual signature whistles and mapped variations in acoustic features such as duration and changes in pitch. They analyzed the influence of region (a proxy for genetic variation), geographic site, the local ocean environment (such as whether the sea bottom was muddy or covered in seagrass), and population demographics had on differences between signature whistles. The local ocean environment and population most strongly influenced signature whistle variation, they said. For example, signature whistles in areas with seagrass, such as Lampedusa and Port Cros, were higher pitched and shorter in length compared to when the sea bottom was muddy. In small populations, such as in the Gulf of Corinth, signature whistles had more changes in pitch than among larger populations. In contrast, region and therefore genetic variation had no strong influence on whistles. The findings support the acoustic adaptation hypothesis and that bottlenose dolphins develop signature whistles best suited to their local habitat. _____ G. La Manna et al. 2022. Determinants of variability in signature whistles of the Mediterranean common bottlenose dolphin. Sci Rep 12, 6980; doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-10920-7 (Newser) In the ancient days of 2020, the fastest computer was measured in mere petaflops. Now, we're talking ... exaflops. Over the weekend, the powers-that-be in the realm of computers anointed the Frontier computer at the federal Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee as the fastest on the planet, reports PC Mag. That gives the US bragging rights over Japan, where the Fugaku computer in Kobe fell to No. 2. Frontier now has the distinction of being the first "exascale" computer in the world, which means it can perform a mind-boggling billion billion operations per second, per New Scientist. (This video provides a sense of its scale.) A typical laptop can perform "a few teraflops, or a trillion operations per second, which is a million times less," New Scientist adds. A thousand teraflops is equivalent to one petaflop, and No. 2 Fugaku is capable of "just" 442 petaflops per second, note PCMag. Frontier, then, takes things to a whole new level. A thousand petaflops is one exaflop, and Frontier registered 1.1 exaflops per second. A post at TheNextPlatform has a further explainer of the Top 500 supercomputer rankings, and what Frontier must do to reach the next goal of 2 exaflops per second. (Read more supercomputer stories.) (Newser) Crews are searching for two missing women, part of a group of floaters who were whisked over a 12-foot dam in Virginia on Memorial Day. A dozen people on rafts and paddleboards took to the James River from Watkins Landing in Powhatan, intending to reach shore at Robious Landing in Chesterfield, reports WTVR. But officials say the current was too strong for the individuals, who were swept over Bosher Dam west of Richmond around 3:15pm Monday. One person made it out of the river to seek help. Kayakers rescued nine others, per the AP. Crews searched the river until dusk but were unable to locate 23-year-old Lauren E. Winstead of Henrico and 28-year-old Sarah E. Erway of Chesterfield. "I'm hoping that they're in someone's house somewhere trying to find a way to contact their group," Finn Gardner, a local resident who helped with the rescue, tells WWBT. "You got to hope for the best." Richmond Assistant Fire Chief Jeffrey Segal describes officials as "very hopeful," per CBS News. That's despite high water levels, which have now reached 9 feet, per WTVR. The outlet notes no one was to be on the river without a lifejacket and permit as a result of the swell. The AP reports "some of the group's paddleboards and inflatable rafts [remained] caught in the currents" below the dam during the search effort. After an overnight delay, the search resumed at 7am Tuesday. (Read more Virginia stories.) (Newser) The Supreme Court voted 5-4 to temporarily block a controversial Texas social media law Tuesdaybut the court didn't split along its usual lines. The law, HB20, bans social media companies with more than 50 million users from banning users based on their political views, the Hill reports. It has been praised by conservatives, but the top court's conservative and liberal blocs were both divided in the Tuesday ruling, with Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett voting to block the law and Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Elena Kagan and Neil Gorsuch voting to allow it to take effect, reports the AP. The majority voted to grant an emergency request from two industry groups representing major tech companies. The groups argued that the law would "compel platforms to disseminate all sorts of objectionable viewpoints, such as Russias propaganda claiming that its invasion of Ukraine is justified, ISIS propaganda claiming that extremism is warranted, neo-Nazi or KKK screeds ... and encouraging children to engage in risky or unhealthy behavior like eating disorders," per CNBC. Chris Marchese at one of the groups, NetChoice, said he was glad the court had blocked the "constitutional trainwreck." "No online platform, website, or newspaper should be directed by government officials to carry certain speech," said Matt Schruer, president of the second group, the Computer and Communications Industry Association. The law was initially blocked by a district judge but a panel of the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals later ruled that it should be allowed to take effect while the court deliberates the case. In his dissent, Alito described HB20 as a "groundbreaking Texas law that addresses the power of dominant social media corporations to shape public discussion of the important issues of the day." (Read more US Supreme Court stories.) (Newser) A week after a gunman ran into a Texas grade school and started shooting, the first of 21 funerals began on Tuesday. Meanwhile, at least one family still hasn't seen the body of their loved one. Hundreds of mourners turned out for an afternoon Mass to remember Amerie Jo Garza. Six pallbearers wearing white shirts and gloves carried her small casket into Sacred Heart Catholic Church, which turned away several mourners after reaching capacity, the AP reports. Maite Rodriguezs funeral was scheduled for later Tuesday at one of the funeral homes in Uvalde, Texas. The two 10-year-old fourth-graders were among 19 children and two teachers killed when an 18-year-old gunman burst into a classroom on May 24 and began firing a military-style rifle. Visitation for one of the teachers, 48-year-old Irma Garcia, also was Tuesday, along with visitations for children Nevaeh Bravo and Jose Flores Jr. Amerie loved purple, and Erika Santiago, her husband, and their two children wore purple shirts adorned with images of the victims to Amerie's funeral. Santiago described Amerie as "a nice little girl who smiled a lot," and who was "so humble and charismatic but full of life." Santiago said her 10-year-old son, Adriel, watched in horror when the first images came out on the news after the shooting and he recognized his friends Amerie and Maite Funerals will continue over the next two-and-a-half weeks. Vincent Salazars 11-year-old daughter, Layla, has the last of the scheduled servicesher visitation is June 15 with the funeral the following day. Salazar said the family likely wont see Laylas body until soon before the visitation. Uvalde County Justice of the Peace Eulalio Diaz Jr. said the bodies of all 21 victims were sent to the medical examiners office in San Antonio for autopsies, which he said is standard for a major crime. Diaz said the autopsies are complete, but there simply isnt enough space at Uvaldes two funeral homes to keep all of the bodies, so many were sent to out-of-town funeral homes until services near. (Robb Elementary School may never reopen.) Local_news Ceremonies, words of wisdom mark Memorial Day in Fairbanks Amanda Bohman/News-Miner American flags dot the Clay Street Cemetery Saturday, May 28, 2022, for Memorial Day weekend. Jack Barnwell/News-Miner Jack Barnwell/News-Miner A U.S. Air Force color guard presents the flags during a Memorial Day ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park Monday, May 30, 2022. Jack Barnwell/News-Miner Jack Barnwell/News-Miner Heather Woods, left, wife of deceased U.S. Army Master Sgt. Wesley Woods, plants a memorial flower in Pioneer Park as part of the Fairbanks North Star Boroughs Memorial Day ceremony on Monday. Jack Barnwell/News-Miner Jack Barnwell/News-Miner Flags adorn the graves of U.S. military service members at Clay Street Cemetery in recognition of Memorial Day, Monday, May 30, 2022. Jack Barnwell/News-Miner Jack Barnwell/News-Miner Fort Wainwright garrison commander Col. Nate Surrey reflects on the meaning of Memorial Day during a ceremony at Pioneer Park Monday, May 30, 2022. Jack Barnwell/News-Miner Jack Barnwell/News-Miner VFW officer Willa Watts sings during a Memorial Day ceremony at Clay Street Cemetery. Amanda Bohman/News-Miner Amanda Bohman/News-Miner An American flag marks a veterans grave at the Clay Street Cemetery for Memorial Day weekend. On a clear sunny day, veterans, military families and local residents paid homage to the service members who died during the call of duty. Military organizations, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars Posts 10029 and 2629, and American Legion Posts 57 and 30, held a series of ceremonies threaded throughout the Fairbanks North Star Borough. Ceremonies included ones held at Veterans Memorial Park, Birch Hill, Northern Lights and Clay Street cemeteries, and Golden Heart Park. Speakers remarked on honoring the fallen soldiers who served to protect the nation, echoing the words of President Abraham Lincoln during his 1863 Gettysburg Address that soldiers who died gave the last full measure of devotion to defend the nation. Fort Wainwright Command Sgt. Maj. Ruben Murillo, speaking at Veterans Memorial Park, told assembled veterans and family members that the ones they wont see gathered are the ones with us in spirit. Some are named, some are unnamed, but they are honored not for their physical being, but for their service, Murillo said. They are the unforgotten, the saviors, the heroes, the ones who were called to face evil in its worst face. Murillo said Memorial Day was dedicated to those who are still serving or still living. It is to honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice when their time was called, who stood at the enemys door with complete disregard for their own safety and fought to protect the lives of so many, the brothers and sisters they sat next to on the battlefield and the friends and families back home who knew their call to duty as a undetermined one, Murillo said. Murillo said the Monterey Lakes Memorial Park on Fort Wainwright symbolizes that by honoring the members of the 172nd Stryker Brigade, 1st Stryker Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division and 16th Aviation Brigade. The walking path along the lake is surrounded by markers and memorials that honor those heroes, Murillo said. Remember what they serve for and pray for those families and friends who still mourn their loss, for they will never physically sit at the table we dine at or enjoy a moment of laughter, but they will never be forgotten. At Clay Street Cemetery, U.S. Army veteran and Alaska Native Benno Cleveland, said Memorial Day in many ways transcends national borders Our ancestors those service men and women of the past gave their lives fighting for the nations across the world, Cleveland said. He lamented that many parts of the world have forgotten that. The Fairbanks North Star Boroughs annual Memorial Day service at Pioneer Park saw testimony from Eielson Air Force Base 354th wing commander Col. David Berkland, Fort Wainwright garrison commander Col. Nate Surrey and Sen. Lisa Murkowski. Berkland said every Memorial Day he reflects on the brothers Ive lost in Iraq and Afghanistan. For those who are serving, it is our responsibility to continue to protect and defend this country as so many have before us, Berkland said. Every day that we serve, we pay tribute to those who came before us and remember our fallen or else we forget what our nation stands for. Surrey asked residents to take a moment to pray for and reflect on these magnificent American heroes. Cherish their legacy and be truly thankful that these people who possessed the courage to run toward overwhelming danger exist and continue to exist from generation to generation, Surrey said. Murkowski reflected that those who served died cannot and will never be forgotten. Service to our country is not easy but is the ultimate definition of who we are as a free nation, Murkowski said. She said ceremonies across Alaska share the same, from Anchorage to Unalaska, where the remains of Army soldier and Alaskan Native George Fox will receive a gravestone marker after 78 years without one. The borough ceremony honored the memory of Army Master Sgt. Wesley Woods, who was reported dead in his North Pole home on Dec. 30. This Black Diamond History Nugget has been proudly brought to you by the Fairbanks Igloos of the Pioneers of Alaska who would like to remind you that you can be further rocked by more nuggets on our website at pioneersofalaskafairbanks.org. released details about the final stages of work on its Tiangong space station, an under-construction orbiter started after the US barred Beijing from participating in the Space Station. The Shenzhou XIV, which will carry three astronauts in June for a six-month mission to Tiangong, was moved to the launchpad at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Inner Mongolia on Sunday, state media reported, with a launch scheduled in the coming days. After the space labs, the Tianzhou 5 cargo craft and the Shenzhou XV crew are scheduled to arrive at the massive orbiting outpost around the end of the year, according to the China Daily report. Last week, China released a new, high-definition image of Tiangong, which is in orbit around 400 kilometers (250 miles) above the Earth. You can read full article at: https://www.business-standard.com/article/international/china-prepares-final-missions-to-complete-its-tiangong-space-station-122053000197_1.html TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, highlighted Bahrains commitment to creative and innovative solutions in further accelerating performance and development across key industries, in line with the comprehensive development goals, led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. This came as HRH Prince Salman yesterday met with the Global Chairman and CEO of Arthur D. Little, Ignacio Garcia Alves, at Gudaibiya Palace. His Royal Highness noted the importance of sustainable solutions to challenges, and transforming adversity into opportunity. He further noted the private sectors role in supporting efficiency and innovation across a range of economic sectors. Alves expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to meet with His Royal Highness, and noted his continued support for the Kingdoms innovative and sustainable development. Finance and National Economy Minister Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa and the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Zayed R Alzayani, also attended the meeting. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Stemming from its belief in the importance of giving back to society and supporting those in need, the National Hotels Company BSC has contributed an amount of BD2,500 to the Children & Mother Welfare Society. The cheque was presented by Mr Zaher M Al Ajjawi, Chief Executive Officer of the company, to Ms Sawsan Qamber. This modest support is part of the companys corporate social responsibility program aiming to support national institutions and charity organisations in their efforts to direct funds and services to those in need, said Mr Al Ajjawi. Spreading the value of social solidarity and advancing charitable and humanitarian efforts, services and contributions to our society is a key objective of the company that we are proud to participate in. The National Hotels Company BSC presented its annual donation to the Red Crescent Society. Mr Al Ajjawi handed the cheque to Mr Mohamed Ebrahim, Administration supervisor of the Society, in the presence of the head of account of the Society, Ms Zainab Zayer. The National Hotels Company is proud to support local philanthropic organisations and societies that we believe are an integral part of our community, providing a strong bond to its social fabric, said Mr Al Ajjawi. The National Hotels Company BSC presented a cheque to the Bahraini Association for Intellectual Disability and Autism Society, in support of the Societys activities and services focused on helping those in need. The cheque was presented by Mr Al Ajjawi to the Societys Chairman, Ms Fareeda A. Almoayyad, and Vice Chairman, Prof. Ahmed Alansari. On this occasion, I would like to thank the Society and those in charge for the relentless efforts and services extended to our local community, said Mr Al Ajjawi. The National Hotels Company BSC presented its annual financial support to the Bahrain Association for Parents & Friends of Disabled. The cheque was presented at the companys head office by Mr Al Ajjawi to Mr Jassim M Seyadi, Chairman of the association. Mr Seyadi thanked the company for its continuous contributions and support to the association and its activities. The National Hotels Company BSC received Bahrain Cancer Societys Executive Director, Mr Ahmed Al Nuwakhtha, at the Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel, Residence and Spa and presented to him a cheque of BD 5,000 in support of the Societys contributions. The cheque was presented by Mr Al Ajjawi, Chief Executive Officer of the company, in the presence of the Hotels General Manager, Mr Petr Dubsky. On this occasion, Mr Al Nuwakhtha presented to the National Hotels Company, on behalf of the Society, a certificate of thanks and appreciation for the companys continued financial support. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Speaker Fawza bint Abdullah Zainal and Oman's Shura Council Chairman Shaikh Khalid bin Hilal Al Maawali have signed a memorandum of cooperation to bolster ties between the two countries. The memorandum reflects the keenness of the two chambers to contribute to strengthening their bonds in various fields and to bolster coordination at all levels. The agreement covers strengthening parliamentary cooperation and promoting shared interests in sustainable development, future foresight, innovation and the exchange of parliamentary and diplomatic experiences. The memorandum also stressed the importance of consultation, coordination and exchange of views on various issues of common interest, and working together to exchange experiences on commitment to international charters and agreements ratified by both countries, and the optimal mechanisms for their implementation within national frameworks. The memo emphasized the importance of harnessing joint efforts and unified positions on the basic principles of international cooperation, especially with regard to the principles of national sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. It also called for strengthening communication between the two countries through the exchange of parliamentary visits and activities between the two sides, and holding bilateral parliamentary meetings on the sidelines of regional and international forums. Agencies | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani received the newly appointed Algerian Ambassador to Bahrain Abdelhamid Ahmed Khoja. Al Zayani stressed Bahrain's keenness to intensify cooperation with Algeria, especially in issues and topics related to the economic and commercial sector. He highlighted Bahrain's interest in strengthening its economic relations with all countries, and stressed the importance of mutual visits and joint economic activities in consolidating bilateral relations. The minister wished the ambassador success throughout his diplomatic tenure in Bahrain. Agencies | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Minister Essam bin Abdullah Khalaf met with Special Secretary for Strategic Affairs of the Presidency of Brazil, Flavio Rocha and his accompanying delegation. They discussed cooperation between the two countries in the agricultural and animal fields and ways to enhance opportunities for exchanging experiences and various agricultural and animal products. The minister highlighted Bahrain's strategy in food security and the efforts made by the ministry in this regard, noting that its interest in this field iupon directives from His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. The two sides discussed climate change and the importance of preserving vegetation, protecting the terrestrial and marine environment, and preserving biodiversity worldwide. Khalaf stressed Bahrain's initiative to reach zero neutrality in 2060, in addition to the national afforestation strategy to increase the number of trees in the Kingdom. He explained that the ministry's efforts are focused on developing national capacities in food industries, working to raise the proportion of local production, and providing incentives and facilities to boost the expertise of professionals, especially in the areas of food security. The minister reviewed cooperation in livestock and importing live animal products from Brazil, looking forward to increasing mutual investments in this field. The Special Secretary for Strategic Affairs highlighted Brazil's expertise in food industry development and food security, as well as in the development of agriculture and animal production. The two sides agreed to exchange experiences, develop joint ventures and benefit from Brazil's experience in food industry, food security, and its latest technologies in developing the sector. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani participated in the inauguration of the Freedom of Religion and Belief Conference, held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, in the presence of ministers, senior officials, ambassadors and guests. In his speech, Al Zayani conveyed the greetings of His Majesty the King and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and their wishes of success for the conference. He also welcomed the participants from the European Union (EU) to the conference that brings together policy makers and diplomats with religious and community leaders. The minister highlighted Bahrain's pride in continuing to build on a centuries-old history, during which "our authentic Bahraini values of tolerance, coexistence and respect for religions, beliefs and cultures, derived from the principles of our true Islamic religion, were rooted." Al Zayani noted that Bahrain's long experience as a regional trade center has given Bahrainis a unique understanding of the value of cooperation and dialogue among all religions and societies. They have also appreciated the benefits that accrue to society through the protection of these freedoms, based on the Kingdom's keenness to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms regardless of gender, origin, religion or sect. He noted that the Kingdom grants freedom of religion and belief to all, which is reflected in the presence of mosques, churches, synagogue and temples, in addition to the opening of the Lady Arabia cathedral in 2021. Al Zayani stressed that Bahrain, under the directives of HM the King, is keen to consolidate a culture of tolerance, coexistence and fraternity, and to spread the values of peace, cooperation and human solidarity. He noted that the King has adopted several initiatives in that regard. They include the launch of the Isa Award for Service to Humanity, the establishment of the King Hamad Global Center for Peaceful Coexistence, the King Hamad Center for Cyber Peace, and the King Hamad Chair for Interfaith Dialogue and Peaceful Coexistence at Sapienza University in Italy, and the Declaration of the Kingdom of Bahrain on Religious Tolerance. The minister added that Bahrain continued to extend a hand of cooperation and to engage in dialogues with all religions and nations, which were evidenced by the Kingdom's signing of the Abraham Accords in September 2020, along with the United Arab Emirates, Israel and the United States of America, in order to build partnerships that can benefit all. The Minister confirmed the governments keenness, in light of the comprehensive reform approach of HM the King and the directives of HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to promote and protect human rights and public freedoms in accordance with the Constitution, the National Action Charter and national legislation. The keenness is also in line with Bahrain's accession to international human rights covenants, foremost of which is the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. In this regard, he noted the approval of the National Human Rights Plan, and the role of the relevant ministries and government bodies in implementing a complete set of laws, regulations and procedures that promote religious freedoms and spread a culture of religious tolerance and coexistence in society. This is carried out through religious platforms and the media as well as criminalizing incitement to religious, sectarian or racial hatred, and rejecting extremism and terrorism. Al Zayani said Bahrain looked forward to the conference being an important step in the promotion and protection of freedom of religion and belief, and providing opportunities to exchange views and experiences openly and transparently. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, today met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, His Excellency Sergey Lavrov, at Gudaibiya Palace. His Royal Highness highlighted the ongoing development of Bahrain-Russia cooperation and coordination in areas of common interest. Regional and international issues were discussed, in particular recent developments in Ukraine. HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister emphasised the importance of diplomatic solutions and dialogue in accordance with the rules of international law, and of resolving the conflict by peaceful means, to support humanitarian relief efforts and establish a lasting and comprehensive peace in the region. For his part, HE Lavrov expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to meet with His Royal Highness, and for the warm reception and hospitality he received. HE Lavrov concluded by wishing the Kingdom of Bahrain further progress and development. The Deputy Prime Minister, HH Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, HE Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, the Minister of Finance and National Economy, HE Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, also attended the meeting. Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, we encourage you to act without delay. As the great leader of Sweden, you have the ability and responsibility to establish and deploy IDT now. by Dr Thomas Nordlund, Lt Col (Ret) Gunter Chasse, Dr David Leffler Europe is in turmoil. The world has been shaken. Uncertainty pervades the globe in the face of the Russian incursion into Ukraine. As a result, despite its long-held tradition of neutrality, Sweden is seeking NATO protection. But whether or not Sweden joins NATO, a wise course of action would be for Sweden to quickly adopt Invincible Defense Technology (IDT) to achieve the desired goals of national security and peace. Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson IDT is a systematic, reliable, effective way to create peace through peaceful means. Over many years, the properly applied nonviolent approach of IDT has been effective in ending war and violence in Cambodia, Peru and Ecuador, and Mozambique. Today, the high level of international tensions from the Ukraine invasion could quickly escalate into global catastrophe. Given this looming crisis, now is the time for Sweden to consider prompt and peaceful action to deploy IDT. What is IDT? IDT consists of large groups regularly practicing in synchrony the non-religious, evidence-based, peace-creating Transcendental Meditation (TM) program and its advanced techniques that harness group brain power. This approach is a scientifically verified and field-tested means to defuse societal tensions. The deployment of this technology creates a super-radiance field effect that radiates orderliness and harmony in the proximity of the group, thereby elevating the collective consciousness of society and resulting in people cooperating to find positive solutions to formerly unsolvable social problems. With sufficient numbers of practitioners, shown through research to be the square root of one percent of a given population, that field effect would extend to the entire globe. An online video, Quantum Mechanisms of Societal Peace, by John Hagelin, a Harvard-trained Ph.D. quantum physicist and President of the Global Union of Scientists for Peace, explains in detail this powerful brain-based IDT technology. IDT provides comprehensive defense for the nation because it operates on the level of what physicists call the unified field of all the laws of nature - a level a thousand million million times more powerful than the nuclear force. IDT therefore supersedes all other defense technologies. But the IDT system cannot be used for nefarious purposes against any country because its deployment creates an immediate and measurable effect of calm, order, and social harmony that is not constrained by national or political boundaries. As demonstrated in numerous interventions in the past, a large, organized and properly trained group of individuals engaged in IDT has the effect of calming national and international tensions and cutting off the roots of war - the stresses accumulating between nations and throughout the world. Any country that deploys IDT will have a profound, positive and immediate influence on a global scale that will benefit ALL countries. Extensive scientific research indicates that the application of IDT by either a military unit (called a Prevention Wing of the Military) or civilian group (such as the one being established in Cambodia: Google "Group practice of Transcendental Meditation dramatically reduced violence in Cambodia, new study shows") can reduce crime, violence, terrorism, and war and create the conditions for all people to enjoy peace. A study published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Offender Rehabilitation documents the global super-radiance effect created by three large groups of IDT experts meditating twice a day in unison, with the largest group being 7,000 participants. Terrorism-related casualties decreased 72%, international conflict decreased 32%, and overall global violence was significantly reduced. Higher numbers of participants have been shown to produce greater results. With the worlds population currently at 7.9 billion, a group of 10,000 advanced TM meditators (representing more than the square root of 1% of the worlds population) would be able to produce profound positive effects on a global scale. How can such small numbers have a global effect? A simple example from the kitchen shows that when a pot is boiling over, just a few drops of cold water instantly calms the eruption. The coherent influence generated by these large groups of peace-creating experts similarly defuses the buildup of societal stress and creates the conditions for peace in society. IDT is currently in various stages of local deployment in many nations worldwide. (See Google search on "New Solution for Latin America: Transforming Lives and Changing Nations.") Given the powerful evidence demonstrating the ability of IDT to create peace through peaceful means, we call on the intelligence, foresight and courage of Swedens Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson to promptly establish a large, fully operational IDT group capable of creating a positive impact for the entire global family, eliminating the threat of nuclear war that now looms over humanity. Economically, this approach is highly cost effective: less than the cost of 2-3 modern fighter jets. Such an IDT group could be created in the Swedish military, as has been done in other militaries around the world. Alternatively, a civilian IDT coherence-creating group could be established by the MSB Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency. Justification for such a group could fall under the MSB governmental doctrine of prevention to help to make society safe and secure. By assembling a coherence-creating IDT group large enough to influence the entire globe, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson has the strategic opportunity to bring honor to Sweden and to foster permanent world peace - a lasting boon for all humankind. The Nobel Peace Prize and the gratitude of all humanity awaits whomever brings perpetual peace to our troubled planet. Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, we encourage you to act without delay. As the great leader of Sweden, you have the ability and responsibility to establish and deploy IDT now. History will record you as a visionary leader. And with your prompt action, a new world of peace, prosperity, and plenty will be assured for all generations to come. About the Authors: Dr. Thomas Nordlund, a general medicine specialist in Arlov Sweden since 1991, has been a consulting physician for the police, custody and prisons in Malmo Skane. He is Project Leader for Heal the Healers Now, a project established to create resilience to stress and wellbeing in hospital staff. As an experienced teacher of Transcendental Meditation (TM) since 1970 in Scandinavia, Poland and Latvia, he serves as the national director for the nonprofit organization MIKI, for teaching TM in Sweden. From 2018-2019 Dr. Nordlund served as Project Leader for Quiet Time with Transcendental Meditation in Swedish schools funded by grants from the EU. Lt. Col. (Ret.) Gunter Chasse decorated with the Honorary Cross of the Bundeswehr in Gold served in the German Air Force, mainly in the Integrated NATO-Air Defense and alternately in command and staff positions, and also was employed in Home Defense with territorial tasks. He is the author of the pioneering IDT alternative white paper On the New Security and Defence Policy of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Future of the Bundeswehr: Indomitable Strength through a PREVENTION WING of the Military. Dr. David Leffler has a Ph.D. in Consciousness-Based Military Defense and has served as an Associate of the Proteus Management Group at the Center for Strategic Leadership, US Army War College. Currently, he serves as the Executive Director at the Center for Advanced Military Science (CAMS) and lectures and writes worldwide about IDT. Dr. Leffler's editorial "Creating an Invincible Military" was featured in Fox News. He is available on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. The Japanese government on Tuesday revoked the permit of an intermediate organization that introduces foreign trainees to host companies after it failed to prevent the physical abuse of a Vietnamese man by his Japanese co-workers at a construction firm. The organization, Okayama Sangyo Gijutsu Kyodo Kumiai in Okayama Prefecture, western Japan, was prohibited from introducing foreign trainees to companies for five years under an administrative punishment issued by the justice and labor ministries. The 41-year-old Vietnamese man, who came to Japan in the fall of 2019, sustained serious injuries, including a broken rib, in repeated assaults by his co-workers that began a month after he joined the construction firm, Six Create in the city of Okayama, according to the man and a labor union supporting him. When he was taken to hospital for a broken tooth following a beating, an organization worker who accompanied him falsely told a doctor that the man had fallen off his bicycle, they said. In punishing the intermediary organization, the Immigration Services Agency of Japan said the body had failed to properly oversee the construction firm, submit a report on the matter and implement necessary steps after it was consulted by the man. Women in Japan could be forced to seek their partners consent before being prescribed the abortion pill, which will reportedly be approved late this year three decades after it was made available to women in the UK. Under Japans 1948 Maternal Protection Law, consent is already required for surgical abortions with very few exceptions a policy that campaigners say tramples over womens reproductive rights. In principle we believe that spousal consent is necessary, even if an abortion is induced by an oral medication, Yasuhiro Hashimoto, a senior health ministry official, told a parliamentary committee earlier this month, according to Bloomberg. Campaigners are calling on health authorities to ditch the rule requiring women to gain written consent from their partners before a doctor can prescribe a course of abortion drugs. Kumi Tsukahara, a founding member of Action for Safe Abortion Japan, said: Spousal consent becomes an issue is when there is a disagreement with the spouse or the spouse is forcing the woman to give birth against her will. ...continue reading DANBURY Two people were arrested Tuesday after they were allegedly seen pointing a paintball gun at children waiting for the bus, according to police. Police received numerous calls about a vehicle with two males pointing a weapon at children waiting for buses Tuesday morning, then quickly found it based on the calls from the public, arresting the two men inside, Det. Lt. Mark Williams said in an email. An unloaded paintball gun, believed to be the gun in question, was recovered from the vehicle upon arrest, said Williams. One of the arrested parties admitted pointing the paintball gun at people, and the other admitted to his involvement. Both denied the gun was loaded. Justin Balzarini, 26, of Danbury, and Elijah LaPenga, 20, of New Milford, were both charged with first-degree threatening, second-degree breach of peace and illegal possession of weapons in a motor vehicle, as well as conspiring to commit said offenses, Williams said. They were each held in lieu of a $100,000 bond, he said. Superintendent Kevin Walston said in a statement that the students waiting for the bus did not attend the Danbury Public Schools, but underscored the seriousness of the incident. As you know safety is our top priority and any such incident will garner our full attention. We are in communication with the Danbury Police Department and will provide additional updates should any further relevant details emerge, said Walston. The incident comes nearly a week after police in Milford arrested a teen they said was waving an airsoft-style gun on a local beach last Wednesday. The day prior, the teen was also seen carrying the weapon on school property, according to police. Those incidents follow the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, last week. In response, local police agencies said they are stepping up their presence at schools. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DANBURY Most of the students Emily Lopes works with hail from Portuguese- or Spanish-speaking countries and have been in the United States for less than a year. Its not easy a new school, new language, a new culture its very hard for them, and I try to do the best I can to help them feel valued and important, she said. Lopes, a sixth-grade bilingual educator known for her enthusiasm and dedication, has been named Danbury Public Schools 2021-22 Teacher of the Year. The Rogers Park Middle School teacher, who has more than two decades of experience, said shes honored by the recognition. Ive been teaching for 22 years and I do it because I love being in the classroom, I love teaching and I love the kids, she said. Lopes was one of 20 Danbury public school educators nominated for Teacher of the Year. Superintendent Kevin Walston said choosing only one of the districts amazing teachers was a difficult task, but Lopes truly deserves it. Her dedication to her students and families social-emotional and academic well-being is inspiring, he said. We are extremely proud of Ms.Lopes. School officials say Lopes devotion to making sure the needs of students and families are met and ability to connect and build long-lasting relationships earned her the Teacher of the Year title. I have been very impressed with the dedication and enthusiasm Ms. Lopes brings to her work, Rogers Park Principal Kristy Zaleta said. Not only does Lopes create a warm and welcoming environment to new arrival students and their families, according to Zaleta, but her supportive nature lays the foundation of a positive school experience. Her classroom is one of the classrooms we send new teachers to watch and learn from, as well as veteran teachers to get new ideas of how to utilize time, space, data, and resources effectively, Zaleta said. Lopes said her career as ESL and bilingual teacher started in Bridgeport. I began teaching at Central High School in a bilingual Portuguese classroom, she said. I lived in Danbury, got a job here and was between two schools before becoming full-time here at Rogers Park. Having spent the majority of her career at Rogers Park, Lopes who is certified in both K-6 education and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages said the middle school community is like family. I work with amazing teachers, and I always brag because theyre the best, she said. The administrators and principals are amazing and the hardest working people I know. As a bilingual teacher, Lopes works with students who have come from other countries. Coming to a new school in a new country is really hard for them, she said. They have a lot of adjustments to make, and the most important thing that I do is try to build positive relationships with them by talking and interacting with them and making them feel safe so they can learn. In addition to helping her students adjust and grow in their new environment, Lopes is someone they can turn to for support. These new kids really need us they need an advocate and somebody who they can go to, said Lopes, whose ability to speak Portuguese and Spanish allows her to fill that important role. Relationship-building is at the core of Lopes approach to teaching. You need to build relationships with students in order to open their minds and their hearts so that they can grow, she said. We want them to grow, we want them to be challenged, and we need to stretch their minds to move forward. Lopes said she doesnt see the work she does at Rogers Park as a job. Its something she enjoys. I love coming in every day. I truly love my job, and I always have a good feeling in the classroom, she said. These kids inspire me every day, and its a really rewarding job. As Danbury Public Schools 2021-22 Teacher of the Year, Lopes will not only be honored by the Board of Education during its June 8 meeting, but go on to represent Danbury in the Connecticut Teacher of the Year Program. STOCKHOLM, May 31, 2022 /CNW/ - As momentum grows worldwide to address climate change, prevent biodiversity loss, and tackle pollution, Canada is leading with international partners to raise our ambition and benefit from the opportunities to drive a strong, prosperous future. Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, hosted the sixth Ministerial on Climate Action (MoCA6) in Stockholm, Sweden. The meeting is occurring at the key halfway point between COP26, held in Glasgow in late 2021, and COP27, to be held in Egypt in late 2022. Canada emphasized three key priorities, which reflect major domestic policies. Those are: Encouraging countries to plan and deliver increased greenhouse gas reduction targets (called the Nationally Determined Contributions). Countries exchanged updates on the concrete actions they are taking at home to advance their ambition to cut emissions. Canada shared that, since Glasgow , the Government has published its 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan, a sector-by-sector roadmap to reduce emissions by 40 percent compared with 2005 levels and create good, sustainable jobs in Canada . Countries exchanged updates on the concrete actions they are taking at home to advance their ambition to cut emissions. shared that, since , the Government has published its 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan, a sector-by-sector roadmap to reduce emissions by 40 percent compared with 2005 levels and create good, sustainable jobs in . Protecting biodiversity and nature will be paramount to reach our collective climate goals. Forests, oceans, and wetlands are the lungs of the world, acting as a carbon sink that also provides critical habitat for species. Canada continues to champion a global framework for biodiversity to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, with a goal of protecting 30 percent of the world's lands and oceans by 2030. Canada shared the major strides it has made since 2015 towards this goal in partnership with Indigenous Peoples in Canada . Forests, oceans, and wetlands are the lungs of the world, acting as a carbon sink that also provides critical habitat for species. continues to champion a global framework for biodiversity to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, with a goal of protecting 30 percent of the world's lands and oceans by 2030. shared the major strides it has made since 2015 towards this goal in partnership with Indigenous Peoples in . Helping developing countries contribute to climate solutions and adapt to the impacts of climate change by achieving the goal of $100 billion in climate finance by 2023. Developing countries can be the hardest hit, and often have limited capacity to address climate change impacts like severe weather, drought, and flooding. Canada shared that it has recently doubled its climate finance to $5.3 billion and is committed to allocate at least 20 percent (over $1 billion ) to projects that leverage nature-based solutions or deliver the added benefit of protecting biodiversity in developing countries. Canada will also provide up to $1 billion to support developing countries in phasing out coal. Since Canada founded MoCA with the European Union and China in 2017, MoCA continues to be an important forum for a representative group of parties to the Paris Agreement to participate in achieving collective global environmental ambitions. By engaging major economies and developing countries on the path towards a net-zero economy, we can help ensure that the goods and services purchased by Canadians come from countries who are equally committed to lowering the global carbon footprint. Immediately following MoCA6, the Minister will attend the United Nations' Stockholm+50 meeting, where he will showcase Canada's leadership on ambitious climate and environmental action, stress the need to maintain global momentum on environmental obligations, as well as enhance ambition globally and reiterate the importance of multilateral cooperation. The Minister will also participate in several leadership dialogues with the global environmental community. Quotes "Hosting this meeting in Sweden was a big opportunity for Canada to help raise the level of ambition on climate action and nature protection by other countries, and build the momentum from Glasgow to Egypt. To achieve the goals agreed to in the Paris Agreement and the Glasgow Climate Pact, we need to bring all countries on board, from major nations like India and China to developing countries that need assistance to fight and adapt to climate change. Once again, the ambitious policies launched by our government, including the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan and our progress on 30 by 30 nature protection, give us a credible voice at the table. We've come a long way, but there is so much more to doour planet needs us working together." The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Quick facts Ministers and climate leaders from over 30 countries participated in MoCA6, including Antigua and Barbuda (Chair of AOSIS), Argentina , Australia , Brazil , Chile (Chair of Independent Association of Latin America and the Caribbean [AILAC]), China , Costa Rica , Egypt ( COP27 Presidency), Ethiopia , European Union, France (EU Presidency), Germany , India , Italy , Japan , Marshall Islands , New Zealand , Norway , Poland , Republic of Korea, Singapore , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland , United Arab Emirates (UAE), United Kingdom , United States , Zambia (Chair of the African Group of Negotiators [AGN]), UNFCCC, UN Secretary General, and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) Chair. They gathered to drive progress on the goals set out in the Paris Agreement and the Glasgow Climate Pact. (Chair of AOSIS), , , , (Chair of Independent Association of and the [AILAC]), , , ( Presidency), , European Union, (EU Presidency), , , , , , , , , Republic of Korea, , , , , (UAE), , , (Chair of the African Group of Negotiators [AGN]), UNFCCC, UN Secretary General, and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) Chair. They gathered to drive progress on the goals set out in the Paris Agreement and the Glasgow Climate Pact. Canada hosted the first co-convened Canada , China , and European Union Ministerial Meeting on Climate Action (MoCA) in Montreal in 2017. The goal then, and now, is to bring major economies and key climate actors together to discuss concrete action to help advance implementation of the Paris Agreement and demonstrate continued commitment to global climate action. hosted the first co-convened , , and European Union Ministerial Meeting on Climate Action (MoCA) in in 2017. The goal then, and now, is to bring major economies and key climate actors together to discuss concrete action to help advance implementation of the Paris Agreement and demonstrate continued commitment to global climate action. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has determined that the global temperature will stabilize when carbon dioxide emissions reach net zero and that keeping this temperature rise within 1.5C requires achieving net-zero carbon dioxide emissions globally in the early 2050s. Its latest report highlights that the window of opportunity is rapidly closing to keep a limit of 1.5C temperature rise within reach and secure a livable and sustainable future for all. In October 2021 , Canada and Germany released, with other developed countries, a Climate Finance Delivery Plan that provides a transparent picture of when and how developed countries will reach the USD$100 billion climate finance goal. The Plan demonstrates that donors remain committed to achieving the goal. , and released, with other developed countries, a that provides a transparent picture of when and how developed countries will reach the USD$100 billion climate finance goal. The Plan demonstrates that donors remain committed to achieving the goal. Canada is one of at least 120 countries that have committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and has gone further by defining how this country will ensure it is achieved: by enshrining accountability and transparency into law. is one of at least 120 countries that have committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and has gone further by defining how this country will ensure it is achieved: by enshrining accountability and transparency into law. Canada's new 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan outlines our next steps to deliver clean air, good middle class jobs, and $9 .1 billion in new investments to cut pollution and grow the economy. new outlines our next steps to deliver clean air, good middle class jobs, and in new investments to cut pollution and grow the economy. Canada continues to support efforts by developing countries to phase out coal. At last year's COP26 , the Prime Minister announced that Canada will provide up to $1 billion to the Climate Investment Funds Accelerated Coal Transition Program. Associated links Environment and Climate Change Canada's Twitter page Environment and Climate Change Canada's Facebook page SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada For further information: Kaitlin Power, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, 819-230-1557, [email protected]; Media Relations, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll-free), [email protected] OTTAWA, ON, May 31, 2022 /CNW/ - Diversity and inclusion are integral to creating an economy that works for everyone. Today, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, announced an investment of up to $734,806 to help five organizations increase the participation of under-represented groups in the Canadian agriculture and agri-food industry. With funding under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership's AgriDiversity Program, the organizations will identify barriers and address issues to help more people from diverse backgrounds enter the industry and pursue careers as agricultural entrepreneurs. The recipients include: The Federation des Agricultrices du Quebec will receive up to $315,301 The Native Women's Association of Canada will receive up to $136,954 will receive up to Indigenous Works will receive up to $123,406 The Canadian Federation of Agriculture will receive up to $82,389 The Do More Agriculture Foundation will receive up to $76,756 The projects being undertaken by these organizations will open doors for Canadians of diverse backgrounds, creating new opportunities in Canada's agriculture and agri-food industry. The organizations will also help raise awareness in the sector of the barriers to starting and growing an agriculture or agri-food business. The work includes a national project to address systemic barriers facing women trying to succeed in agriculture, local initiatives to empower Indigenous peoples to create business opportunities through traditional food and medicine, and national research to address gaps in mental health support for under-represented groups working in agriculture. The Government of Canada strongly believes that for the Canadian economy to reach its potential, everyone must have the opportunity to fully contribute. It is essential that Canadians in every region of the country see themselves reflected in the agriculture sector. Canada's diverse population is a source of strength, and helps to make the sector more competitive and prosperous. Quotes "Companies and organizations are most successful when they bring together skilled and talented people from different genders, generations, and cultures. The agriculture sector has everything to gain from growing its diversity at a time when career and business opportunities are multiplying, from the farm to the laboratory, and through new technologies." - The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food "This funding will allow us to promote our Dimension E Program across Canada, develop new business partnerships and offer concrete services to French-speaking women farmers living outside Quebec and to English-speaking clients in our province. This project will strengthen the entrepreneurial capacities of 270 women farmers through training and professional workshops. These activities are perfectly aligned with our new organizational mission, which is to provide women working in agriculture and forestry with a network dedicated to the development of their full potential." - Jeannine Messier, President, Federation des Agricultrices du Quebec "The Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC) is pleased to receive this funding. We are committed to empowering Metis, Inuit, and First Nations women, girls, two-spirit, transgender, and gender-diverse people to grow traditional food and medicine and this funding will help enable us to do that. NWAC is installing a rooftop greenhouse at its Gatineau location in order to explore urban horticultural possibilities. The produce we grow is used in the building's state-of-the-art kitchen to make Indigenous-based meals for patrons, adding a new kind of cuisine to Gatineau's urban culinary experience. As well, NWAC has two satellite rural growing areas that provide smart growth strategies for food security in small Indigenous towns and rural communities alike." - Lynne Groulx, Chief Executive Officer, Native Women's Association of Canada "The Indigenous Agriculture and Agrifood Sector holds so much promise for Indigenous people and communities, both for employment and business development. This project, to identify gaps, challenges and opportunities for Indigenous peoples and organizations participating in the agriculture and agri-food industry, comes at a time when issues pertaining to Indigenous food security and food sovereignty are paramount. Innovation will be important for the development of the sector." - Kelly J. Lendsay, President and CEO, Indigenous Works "The Canadian Federation of Agriculture is pleased to receive this funding to support our Engaging and Advancing Women in Agriculture project, which will help provide farm organizations across Canada with a framework to help systematically address the barriers women face in getting involved in agriculture and also to celebrate those women who have become leaders in our sector. I believe any person with an interest in a career in agriculture should be openly encouraged and welcomed to contribute to this industry that embodies so much potential and opportunity." - Mary Robinson, President, Canadian Federation of Agriculture "We are very thankful for Minister Bibeau's commitment to mental health in agriculture and are very excited to be moving forward with our research project through the AgriDiversity Program. While the needle has started to move in regards to talking about and supporting mental health in agriculture, we haven't specifically looked into what support exists for minority groups within the industry. This research project will identify existing gaps in support and create collaborative next steps for how we, as an industry, move forward." - Megz Reynolds, Executive Director, the Do More Agriculture Foundation Quick Facts The AgriDiversity Program is a five year, $5-million program under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership which helps under-represented groups in Canadian agriculture, including youth, women, Indigenous Peoples, and persons with disabilities, to fully participate in the sector by helping these groups address the key issues and barriers they often face for sector participation. To date, $3.7 million has been approved for 20 projects. program under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership which helps under-represented groups in Canadian agriculture, including youth, women, Indigenous Peoples, and persons with disabilities, to fully participate in the sector by helping these groups address the key issues and barriers they often face for sector participation. To date, has been approved for 20 projects. The Canadian Agricultural Partnership is a five-year, $3-billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen the agriculture and agri-food sector. investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen the agriculture and agri-food sector. In 2020, Canada's farmers generated farm market receipts of $68.7 billion and the country's food and processing sales totaled $122.1 billion . The sectors employ over 550,000 people. Additional Links AgriDiversity Program Federation des Agricultrices du Quebec Native Women's Association of Canada Canadian Federation of Agriculture Indigenous Works The Do More Agriculture Foundation Contacts Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn Web: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Backgrounder Government of Canada invests in strengthening diversity in Canadian agriculture The five projects announced today total up to $734,806 to help organizations increase the participation of under-represented groups in the Canadian agriculture and agri-food industry. Recipient: Federation des Agricultrices du Quebec The Federation des Agricultrices du Quebec is a farm women's network dedicated to developing the potential of women in the sector and lobbying on issues that directly affect farm women and their families. Location : Longueuil, Quebec Federal funding : Up to $315,301 Project: Through the project, the organization will strengthen the entrepreneurial skills of 270 farm women, integrating linguistic minorities across Canada. It will also promote the Dimension E entrepreneurial training program and develop new business partnerships to help farm women develop their business skills. Recipient: Native Women's Association of Canada The Native Women's Association of Canada represents the political voice of Indigenous women, girls and gender-diverse people in Canada, with a goal to promote and enhance the social, economic, cultural and political well-being of Indigenous women in Canada. Location: Ottawa, Ontario Federal funding: Up to $136,954 Project: The funding will allow the association to empower Metis, Inuit, and First Nations women, girls, two-spirit, transgender, and gender-diverse people to grow traditional food and medicine, while obtaining a better understanding of agriculture and agri-food through an Indigenous lens. The association is installing a rooftop greenhouse at its Gatineau location in order to explore urban horticultural possibilities. The produce grown will be used in the building's state-of-the-art kitchen to make Indigenous-based meals for patrons, adding a new kind of cuisine to Gatineau's urban culinary experience. As well, the association will use two satellite rural growing areas to provide smart growth strategies for food security in small Indigenous towns and rural communities. Recipient: Indigenous Works Indigenous Works, formerly the Aboriginal Human Resource Council, has for over 20 years worked with companies and organizations to strengthen their performance and results in Indigenous employment, workplace engagement and inclusion. Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Federal funding: Up to $123,406 Project: The purpose of this project is to identify gaps, challenges and opportunities for Indigenous peoples and organizations participating in the agriculture and agri-food industry. Indigenous Works will engage with sector organizations and Indigenous stakeholders to develop a strategy to increase Indigenous participation and innovation in the industry. Recipient: Canadian Federation of Agriculture The Canadian Federation of Agriculture was formed in 1935 as a unified voice to speak on behalf of Canadian farmers and today represents approximately 200,000 farm families across the country. Location: Ottawa, Ontario Federal funding: Up to $82,389 Project: The funding will support the organization's Engaging and Advancing Women in Agriculture project, which will help provide farm organizations across Canada with a framework to help systematically address the barriers women face in getting involved in agriculture. It will also celebrate women who have become leaders in the sector. Recipient: The Do More Agriculture Foundation The Do More Agriculture Foundation is the national voice and champion for mental health in Canadian agriculture. Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Federal funding: Up to $76,756 Project: The purpose of this project is to engage national stakeholders in the development of a research report to identify gaps in mental health support for women and youth working in the agriculture industry and share recommendations for collective action in the industry to address the gaps. SOURCE Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada For further information: Marianne Dandurand, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, [email protected], 343-541-9229; Media Relations, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, 1-866-345-7972; [email protected] Cote-Nord Organization Receives Nearly $290,000 in Financial Assistance TADOUSSAC, QC, May 31, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED) Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED) and Canadian Heritage are granting a total of $288,520 in financial support to the Festival de la chanson de Tadoussac. The Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for CED, and the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage, made the announcement today. To market its 2022, 2023 and 2024 editions outside Quebec, the festival is receiving a non-repayable contribution of $163,520 through CED's Quebec Economic Development Program. To promote Canadian culture and art, the festival plans to launch an intensive promotional campaign targeting approximately 100 professionals and media outlets outside Quebec. By increasing its visibility, it will be able to offer an innovative tourism experience as part of its overall event and position the festival and the entire Cote-Nord region on the national and international scenes. The Department of Canadian Heritage is providing $55,000 per year for the 2022 and 2023 editions of the festival through the Canada Arts Presentation Fund, which comes on top of an additional $15,000 through the Creative Export Envelope. This amount will be used to welcome a delegation of foreign broadcasters during the event, among other things. Quotes "An event such as the Festival de la chanson de Tadoussac has long been recognized for its quality programming. It stimulates the entire region's economy and attracts many tourists. The pandemic obviously shook things up for the organization, as it did for most of our SMEs and organizations, and the burgeoning recovery represents a wonderful opportunity to promote the festival outside Quebec. Our government is here to help develop and promote our regions' assets: The festival represents a unique promotional opportunity for several attractions and businesses not only in Tadoussac, but also across the entire MRC de la Haute-Cote-Nord." The Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Member of Parliament for BromeMissisquoi, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for CED "We have so much talent! Events such as the Festival de la chanson de Tadoussac really showcase our music, and I am certain that like me, Quebecers are happy to be able to return to our much-loved festivals and cultural events. Thank you to the festival's entire team for organizing a program that will please young and old alike and that will be held in natural settings in so many locations overlooking the fjord. I wish everyone a spectacular festival!" The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Member of Parliament for Honore-Mercier and Minister of Canadian Heritage and Quebec Lieutenant "For many years now, the Festival de la chanson de Tadoussac has endeavoured to promote the rich heritage of Francophone song writing and the Haute-Cote-Nord region among the public, the media, and industry professionals both in Quebec and outside the province. The renewed support from CED and Canadian Heritage enables us to resume our activities this year and promote our event and our region to many festival-goers." Julien Pinardon, Director General, Festival de la chanson de Tadoussac Quick facts Four-time recipient of the Grand Prix du tourisme, the Festival de la chanson de Tadoussac has been promoting the development of cultural and tourism events around Francophone song writing for nearly 40 years. has been promoting the development of cultural and tourism events around Francophone song writing for nearly 40 years. CED's Quebec Economic Development Program aims to help communities seize promising economic development and diversification opportunities that are promising for the future. The Canada Arts Presentation Fund provides financial assistance for organizations that present professional arts festivals or performing arts series. It also supports organizations that assist arts presenters. CED is a key federal partner in Quebec's regional economic development. With its 12 regional business offices, CED accompanies businesses, supporting organizations and all regions across Quebec into tomorrow's economy. Associated links Stay connected Follow CED on social media Consult CED's news SOURCE Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions For further information: Media Relations, Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, [email protected]; Media Relations, Canadian Heritage, 819-994-9101, 1-866-569-6155, [email protected]; Ariane Joazard-Belizaire, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, [email protected]; Laura Scaffidi, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage, [email protected] Today, the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada (PacifiCan), announced over $11.1 million in funding for four innovative companies in the life sciences, clean technology and digital technology sectors. Minister Sajjan made the announcement at Burnaby-based Kardium Inc., a leading life sciences company. In 2021, Kardium was named medical technology company of the year by Life Sciences BC. The Minister's announcement included Business Scale-up and Productivity (BSP) funding of $5 million for Kardium. This funding will help Kardium increase manufacturing capacity at its Burnaby facility to support worldwide sales of its Globe system. The Globe system is a medical device for the treatment of atrial fibrillation, a common heart rhythm disorder. It is anticipated that this investment will result in increased sales, revenue and the creation of 350 new jobs. Minister Sajjan also announced support to three other companies. HTEC will also receive $5 million in BSP funding. HTEC designs, builds and operates hydrogen fuel supply solutions to support the deployment of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles. The company currently has 17 stations at various stages of operations, development and planning in B.C., Alberta, Quebec, and California. With the funding, the company plans to build a green hydrogen production plant in Burnaby, BC. This plant will be able to produce 1000 kg of hydrogen a day, which will help support its current fueling stations and add additional ones. This investment will spur revenue growth and is anticipated to create 10 direct and additional indirect jobs. Kobalt Security Inc. is also receiving $530,025 through the BSP program. Kobalt provides cyber security programs for SMEs. With this funding, Kobalt will engage in an ambitious expansion of its services into the US and other English-speaking countries. The company expects this expansion to create 60 new jobs. Symvivo Corporation will receive $650,000 in BSP support. Symvivo is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that has developed a bacterial gene delivery platform that uses engineered live bacteria to deliver genetic material into disease sites. With the BSP funding, the company will purchase and install new equipment, acquire laboratory materials and hire additional staff to expand in-house bio-manufacturing capacity at its current facility in Burnaby. This investment will boost revenue and create 20 new jobs. Promoting innovation is a priority for PacifiCan. These investments will generate jobs and growth in the life sciences and digital technology sectors. Quote(s) "With the creation of PacifiCan, B.C. companies have a partner they can rely on. These investments are an example of this commitment and will allow these innovative companies to scale up their businesses, providing jobs and helping create a stronger B.C. economy." - The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada "We are very excited to receive the BSP funding from PacifiCan. This funding will help Kardium build a new, state of the art cleanroom manufacturing facility for our Globe System, right here in Burnaby. We plan to grow our team to manufacture the Globe Systems that will be used in our pivotal clinical study and worldwide commercial launch." - Kevin Chaplin, CEO, Kardium, Inc. "Kobalt.io is excited to be partnering with PacifiCan to further accelerate our growth in US and overseas markets. Closer to home, Canadian clients working with Kobalt.io benefit from improved cybersecurity, which enables them to focus on their core business and accelerate growth and hiring." - Michael Argast, CEO and Co-founder, Kobalt.io "The BSP program adds the manufacturing capabilities and essential scale required for Symvivo to expand our partnerships and continue the development of our innovative medicines. We are greatly appreciative of the support." - Alexander Graves, CEO, Symvivo "Having designed and built the first hydrogen fueling station network in BC, HTEC is continuously working on innovative solutions to get us closer to the net zero goal by 2050. And advancing low-carbon hydrogen projects will allow us to significantly reduce our emissions and air quality. Specifically, this green-hydrogen production facility will enable the deployment of more than 2,000 hydrogen electric cars in BC and will lead to more than 70,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions reduction over a ten-year period." - Colin Armstrong, President and CEO, HTEC Quick facts PacifiCan is the regional development agency dedicated to British Columbia . PacifiCan promotes growth and diversification in British Columbia's economy by enhancing innovation, improving business competitiveness, and promoting inclusive growth. . PacifiCan promotes growth and diversification in economy by enhancing innovation, improving business competitiveness, and promoting inclusive growth. The Business Scale-up and Productivity (BSP) program makes strategic investments in key economic sectors, helping innovative companies accelerate their growth and compete globally. Associated links Stay connected Follow PacifiCan on Twitter and LinkedIn SOURCE Pacific Economic Development Canada For further information: Haley Hodgson, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Economic Development, [email protected]; Ben Letts, Communications Manager, Pacific Economic Development Canada, [email protected]; Toll-Free Number: 1-888-338-9378, TTY (telecommunications device for the hearing impaired): 1-877-303-3388 OTTAWA, ON, May 31, 2022 /CNW/ - The Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Youth, Marci Ien, and the President of the Treasury Board, Mona Fortier, today issued the following statement in response to the Auditor General's third performance audit report on Gender-based Analysis Plus: "The Government of Canada undertakes Gender-based Analysis (GBA) Plus in the development and implementation of its programs, policies, and services to ensure that no one is left behind. Every Minister in the federal government is mandated to apply GBA Plus in decision-making across their portfolios. This analysis is crucial as it continues to reflect the increased diversity of Canada's population, and identifies root causes of discrimination and structural inequalities, as well as opportunities to promote equality in everything we do. The 2022 Auditor General Report findings focus on the implementation of GBA Plus at the Department of Women and Gender Equality, Treasury Board Secretariat and Privy Council Office in response to selected recommendations from the 2015 Auditor General Report on GBA Plus. The report also examined the use and availability of data to support GBA Plus. We acknowledge the Auditor General of Canada's findings. As federal leads, we have been working together to address recommendations from the 2015 Report and better integrate an intersectional lens into the Government of Canada's policies and decision-making. That includes making GBA Plus mandatory in all federal budget proposals, Treasury Board Submissions and Memoranda to Cabinet, and investing over $200 million in disaggregated data and research. Although progress has been made, we recognize that gaps remain, and we must seize the opportunity to improve. Drawing on the 2022 Report findings, an action plan will be drafted to continue to build on the Government of Canada's GBA Plus approach. We will also continue to work with other Ministers, departments, and agencies to support the application of GBA Plus across government in decision-making processes." Follow Women and Gender Equality Canada: SOURCE Women and Gender Equality Canada For further information: Johise Namwira, Press Secretary and Issues Manager, Office of the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, 873-353-0985, [email protected]; Media Relations, Women and Gender Equality Canada, 819-420-6530, [email protected] This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) The head of the Food and Drug Administration told lawmakers Thursday that a shuttered baby formula factory could be up and running as soon as next week, though he sidestepped questions about whether his agency should have intervened earlier to address problems at the plant that have triggered the national shortage. FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf faced a bipartisan grilling from House lawmakers over the baby formula issue that has angered American parents and become a major political liability for President Joe Biden. The problems are largely tied to Abbott Nutritions Michigan formula plant, the largest in the U.S., which has been closed since February due to contamination problems. The FDA announced a preliminary agreement with Abbott earlier this week to restart production, pending safety upgrades and certifications. We had to wrestle this to ground with Abbott, Califf told members of a House subcommittee I think we are on track to get it open within the next week to two weeks. After production resumes, Abbott has said, it could take about two months until new formula begins arriving in stores. Califf said it will be a few weeks before supplies return to normal levels, especially in rural areas that aren't near distribution hubs. When lawmakers asked why it took the FDA months to investigate a whistleblower complaint about safety violations at Abbott's plant, Califf said he couldnt share details due to the agency's ongoing investigation. Several lawmakers rejected that response. Its not acceptable to say you just cant comment on it, said Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis. This is a problem Ive seen over and over with the FDA: You guys arent good at communicating." Califf is the first administration official to testify before Congress on the shortage, which has left some parents hunting for formula and become a political talking point for Republicans. On Wednesday evening Biden announced sweeping new steps to improve U.S. supplies, including invoking the Defense Production Act and flying in imported formula from overseas. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., repeatedly asked Califf to explain what the FDA did after receiving a whistleblower complaint in October alleging numerous safety violations at Abbotts plant, including employees falsifying records and failing to properly test formula before releasing it. The former Abbott employee wasn't interviewed by the FDA until late December and the plant wasn't closed until mid-February, she noted. It all begs the question, why did the FDA not spring into action? DeLauro asked. Who in the leadership had access to that report who didnt have access to the report and why was there no reaction? Califf said he had reviewed the complaint but didnt specify when or what immediate steps were taken. I am committed to getting back to you on specifics of what happened, Im just not prepared to today, Califf said. One point on which lawmakers and Califf agreed is that consolidation in the U.S. formula market makes it highly vulnerable to disruption. Just four companies produce an estimated 90% of U.S. formula, including Abbott, Gerber, Perrigo and Reckitt. Those companies also dominate federal contracts that provide about half of all U.S. formula through a program called WIC, for low-income mothers, infants and children. Abbott shut its Michigan plant in February after FDA inspectors began investigating four bacterial infections in infants who had consumed formula from the plant. All four were hospitalized and two died. The first of those cases was reported to the FDA in September, but agency staff didn't begin inspecting the facility until late January. Califf said earlier this week that the agency hasn't yet reached a conclusion on whether bacteria from the plant caused the infant infections. Abbott has said there is no direct evidence linking its products to the illnesses. The baby formula shortage is the first major crisis for Califf since returning to the FDA in February. He briefly led the agency under President Barack Obama and was tapped for the job again based on his past experience leading the sprawling agency, which regulates food, drugs, medical technology and tobacco. Thursday's hearing was scheduled to review the FDA's budget request for next year, and Califf asked lawmakers for $76 million in new funding for food safety and nutrition. I was very well aware coming in that we need to do major improvements on the food side of the FDA -- not because the people are bad -- but there is a need for consistent leadership and the right resources, Califf told lawmakers. The funding request comes amid longstanding concerns that the FDA's food program which oversees most U.S. foods except meat, poultry and eggs has been chronically underfunded and undermanaged compared to its medical divisions. On Wednesday evening, House Democrats passed a $28 million spending bill that would boost FDA funding to inspect domestic and international formula producers. Its fate in the Senate is uncertain. The subcommittee's top Republican, Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland, said many of the problems facing the FDA could be "solved by strong leadership, rather than money. While supporting increased funding, DeLauro also said the problems in the agency's food center run deeper. You have serious structural, leadership issues, she told Califf. Someone at this agency needs to have serious, relevant food credentials. Otherwise, food will be a second class citizen at the FDA. ___ Follow Matthew Perrone on Twitter: @AP_FDAwriter. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. ___ This story has been corrected to show Rep. Mark Pocan is a Democrat, not a Republican. Connecticut was a hotbed for celebrity sightings in May, with everyone from the main cast of "Breaking Bad" bartending to some of the "Real Housewives" spilling gossip for their fans. Here are some of the Hollywood sightings and murmurings that happened in and around Connecticut in May: This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate LONDON (AP) After seven decades on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II is widely viewed in the U.K. as a rock in turbulent times. But in Britain's former colonies, many see her as an anchor to an imperial past whose damage still lingers. So while the U.K. is celebrating the queens Platinum Jubilee 70 years on the throne with pageantry and parties, some in the Commonwealth are using the occasion to push for a formal break with the monarchy and the colonial history it represents. When I think about the queen, I think about a sweet old lady, said Jamaican academic Rosalea Hamilton, who campaigns for her country to become a republic. Its not about her. Its about her familys wealth, built on the backs of our ancestors. Were grappling with the legacies of a past that has been very painful. The empire that Elizabeth was born into is long gone, but she still reigns far beyond Britains shores. She is head of state in 14 other nations, including Canada, Australia, Papua New Guinea and the Bahamas. Until recently it was 15 Barbados cut ties with the monarchy in November, and several other Caribbean countries, including Jamaica, say they plan to follow suit. Britains jubilee celebrations, which climax over a four-day holiday weekend starting Thursday, aim to recognize the diversity of the U.K. and the Commonwealth. A huge jubilee pageant through central London on Sunday will feature Caribbean Carnival performers and Bollywood dancers. But Britains image of itself as a welcoming and diverse society has been battered by the revelation that hundreds, and maybe thousands, of people from the Caribbean who had lived legally in the U.K. for decades were denied housing, jobs or medical treatment and in some cases deported because they didnt have the paperwork to prove their status. The British government has apologized and agreed to pay compensation, but the Windrush scandal has caused deep anger, both in the U.K. and in the Caribbean. A jubilee-year trip to Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas in March by the queens grandson Prince William and his wife Kate, which was intended to strengthen ties, appears to have had the opposite effect. Images of the couple shaking hands with children through a chain-link fence and riding in an open-topped Land Rover in a military parade stirred echoes of colonialism for many. Cynthia Barrow-Giles, professor of political science at the University of the West Indies, said the British seem to be very blind to the visceral sort of reactions that royal visits elicit in the Caribbean. Protesters in Jamaica demanded Britain pay reparations for slavery, and Prime Minister Andrew Holness politely told William that the country was moving on, a signal that it planned to become a republic. The next month, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne told the queens son Prince Edward that his country, too, would one day remove the queen as head of state. William acknowledged the strength of feeling and said the future is for the people to decide upon. We support with pride and respect your decisions about your future, he said in the Bahamas. Relationships evolve. Friendship endures. When then Princess Elizabeth became queen on the death of her father King George VI 1952, she was in Kenya. The East African country became independent in 1963 after years of violent struggle between a liberation movement and colonial troops. In 2013, the British government apologized for the torture of thousands of Kenyans during the 1950s Mau Mau uprising and paid millions in an out-of-court settlement. Memories of the empire are still raw for many Kenyans. From the start, her reign would be indelibly stained by the brutality of the empire she presided over and that accompanied its demise, said Patrick Gathara, a Kenyan cartoonist, writer and commentator. To this day, she has never publicly admitted, let alone apologized, for the oppression, torture, dehumanization and dispossession visited upon people in the colony of Kenya before and after she acceded to the throne. U.K. officials hope countries that become republics will remain in the Commonwealth, the 54-nation organization made up largely of former British colonies, which has the queen as its ceremonial head. The queens strong personal commitment to the Commonwealth has played a big role in uniting a diverse group whose members range from vast India to tiny Tuvalu. But the organization, which aims to champion democracy, good governance and human rights, faces an uncertain future. As Commonwealth heads of government prepare to meet in Kigali, Rwanda, this month for a summit delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, some question whether the organization can continue once the queens eldest son, Prince Charles, succeeds her. Many of the more uncomfortable histories of the British Empire and the British Commonwealth are sort of waiting in the wings for as soon as Elizabeth II is gone, royal historian Ed Owens said. So its a difficult legacy that she is handing over to the next generation. The crisis in the Commonwealth reflects Britains declining global clout. Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth under its authoritarian late President Robert Mugabe, and is currently seeking readmission. But many in its capital of Harare have expressed indifference to the queens jubilee, as Britains once-strong influence wanes and countries such as China and Russia enjoy closer relations with the former British colony. She is becoming irrelevant here, social activist Peter Nyapedwa said. We know about (Chinese President) Xi (Jinping) or (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, not the queen. Sue Onslow, director of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London, said the queen has been the invisible glue holding the Commonwealth together. But she says the organization has proven remarkably resilient and and shouldn't be written off. The Commonwealth played a major role in galvanizing opposition to apartheid in the 1980s, and could do the same over climate change, which poses an existential threat to its low-lying island members. The Commonwealth has shown a remarkable ability to reinvent itself and contrive solutions at times of crisis, almost as if it's jumping into a telephone box and coming out under different guise," she said. Whether it will do it now is an open question. ___ Cara Anna in Nairobi, Kenya, Alex Turnbull in Paris, and Andrew Meldrum in Johannesburg, contributed to this report. ___ Follow all AP stories on the British royals at https://apnews.com/hub/queen-elizabeth-ii This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BRUSSELS (AP) The European Unions groundbreaking decision to ban nearly all oil from Russia to punish the country for its invasion of Ukraine is a blow to Moscows economy, but its effects may be blunted by rising energy prices and other countries willing to buy some of the petroleum, industry experts say. European Union leaders agreed late Monday to cut Russian oil imports by about 90% over the next six months, a dramatic move that was considered unthinkable just months ago. The 27-country bloc relies on Russia for 25% of its oil and 40% of its natural gas, and European countries that are even more heavily dependent on Russia had been especially reluctant to act. European heads of state hailed the decision as a watershed, but analysts were more circumspect. The EU ban applies to all Russian oil delivered by sea. At Hungarys insistence, it contains a temporary exemption for oil delivered by the Russian Druzhba pipeline to certain landlocked countries in Central Europe. In addition to retaining some European markets, Russia could sell some of the oil previously bound to Europe to China, India and other customers in Asia, even though it will have to offer discounts, said Chris Weafer, CEO at consulting firm Macro-Advisory. Now, for the moment, thats not financially too painful for Russia because global prices are elevated. Theyre much higher than last year, he said. So even Russia offering a discount means that its probably selling its oil for roughly what it sold for last year also. He noted that India has been a willing buyer and Chinas certainly been keen to buy more oil because theyre both countries who are getting big discounts on global market prices. Still, Moscow has traditionally viewed Europe as its main energy market, making Monday's decision the most significant effort yet to punish Russia for its war in Ukraine. The sanctions have one clear aim: to prompt Russia to end this war and withdraw its troops and to agree with Ukraine on a sensible and fair peace, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said. Ukraine estimated the ban could cost Russia tens of billions of dollars. The oil embargo will speed up the countdown to the collapse of the Russian economy and war machine, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address that Ukraine will be pressing for more sanctions, adding that there should be no significant economic ties left between the free world and the terrorist state. Simone Tagliapietra, an energy expert and research fellow at the Brussels-based think tank Bruegel, called the embargo a major blow. Matteo Villa, an analyst at the ISPI think tank in Milan, said Russia will take a pretty significant hit now but cautioned that the move could eventually backfire. The risk is that the price of oil in general goes up because of the European sanctions. And if the price goes up a lot, the risk is that Russia starts to earn more, and Europe loses the bet, he said. Like previous rounds of sanctions, the oil ban is unlikely to persuade the Kremlin to end the war. Moscow seized on the new sanctions to try to rally public support against the West, describing it as bent on destroying Russia. Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russias Security Council who served as the countrys president, said the oil ban aims to reduce the countrys export earnings and force the government to scale down social benefits. They hate us all! Medvedev said on his messaging app channel. Those decisions stem from hatred against Russia and against all of its people. Russia has not shied away from withholding energy to get its way. Russian state energy giant Gazprom said it is cutting off natural gas to Dutch trader GasTerra and Denmark's Oersted company and is also stopping shipments to Shell Energy Europe that were bound for Germany. Germany has other suppliers, and GasTerra and Oersted said they were prepared for a shutoff. Gazprom previously stopped the flow to Bulgaria, Poland and Finland. Meanwhile, the EU is urging other countries to avoid placing trade barriers on farm products as Russias war increases the risks of a global food crisis. Zelenskyy has said Russia has prevented the export of 22 million tons of Ukrainian grain, much of it meant for people across the Middle East and Africa. He accused Moscow of deliberately creating this problem. Russian oil delivered by sea accounts for two-thirds of the EU's oil imports from Moscow. In addition to the EU cutoff of such imports, Germany and Poland have agreed to stop using oil from the northern branch of the Druzhba pipeline. Agreeing on sanctions against Russian natural gas is likely to prove much tougher because it represents a larger percentage of Europe's energy mix. "The very loud and clear message that Moscow will hear is that it will be near impossible for the European Union to get any agreement on blocking gas because gas will not be as easily replicated from other sources in Europe as oil will be, Weafer said. ___ Associated Press journalists Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Ukraine, Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, Colleen Barry in Milan, Italy, and Derek Gatopoulos in Athens contributed to this report. ___ Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Inspectors general need more authority to go after fraud in the COVID-19 relief programs, the independent committee overseeing federal pandemic relief spending said Tuesday. The agencies watchdogs' authority to administratively prosecute fraudsters is limited to fraud of $150,000 or less from COVID-19 relief programs and the Department of Justice is too busy for cases under $1 million a gap that must be closed, the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee said. Michael Horowitz, head of the committee and the inspector general of the Department of Justice, said the $150,000 threshold is far too low given the scope of the fraud in programs set up to help businesses and people who lost their jobs due to the pandemic. He's asking Congress to modify provisions in the law on fraud committed against the federal government, to raise the maximum amount of a fraud claim that may be handled administratively to $1 million. The request was highlighted in the committees semiannual report to Congress released Tuesday. It cant be the case that people come away from this thinking theres a certain level of fraud thats just OK, or a certain level of improper payments thats just OK, Horowitz said in an interview with The Associated Press before the report was released. We dont believe that as IGs, and we want to get to the bottom of that. So its a very important tool and every dollar matters. Out of more than $5 trillion in pandemic relief spending, more than 1 million awards under $1 million have been given out, according to the committee. Inspectors general nationwide are focused on multi-million dollar cases of alleged fraud that are turned over to the Department of Justice for prosecution. Horowitz said he was not aware of any cases being brought for below $150,000, though he does know of cases that they would like to prosecute administratively involving hundreds of thousands of dollars. Most U.S. attorneys would not pursue cases for under $1 million because they are overwhelmed with other fraud cases, he added. Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa is sponsoring a bill that would make the change. It has bipartisan support, including from co-sponsor Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee was created by Congress in March 2020. It brings together the inspectors general offices to oversee pandemic relief emergency spending and investigate fraud and improper payments spread out among more than 400 programs implemented by 40 federal agencies. Its report to Congress also stressed the need to better use the data the federal government already has, and improve data collection, particularly when the prime recipient of a grant shares it with sub-recipients to follow the funding from the federal to the local level. Billions in loans were paid to potentially ineligible recipients at the beginning of the pandemic because the Small Business Administration didn't check the Treasury Department's do not pay list, the report said, and billions went to applicants with foreign IP addresses. Horowitz said simple data matching at the agency level should've flagged hundreds of applications using the same phone number from a gas station in Texas before the committee found it. That shouldnt be the case, right? An agency should be able to figure that out, he said. Thats not sophisticated data analytics. Horowitz said agencies have substantially improved their ability to verify eligibility for pandemic relief payments, but there is still a significant way to go. That prompted the committee to set up a data analytics center, which it has asked Congress to keep in place to use when the federal government responds to future emergencies with relief spending. NEW HAVEN A 26-year-old city man was shot and wounded on Sunday, police said. Officials are investigating a shooting that occurred on Howard Avenue, between 2nd and 3rd streets, sometime before 4:39 p.m., according to Officer Scott Shumway, a spokesperson for the New Haven Police Department. Shumway said the victim sustained injuries that are not believed to be life threatening. He said officers began investigating the incident after the victim walked into Yale New Haven Hospital. Detectives from the police departments major crimes unit are leading the investigation, Shumway said. No suspects have been named in the case. Police ask that any witnesses who have not yet spoken with investigators contact the New Haven Police Department Investigative Services Division at 203-946-6304. Callers may remain anonymous or submit tips anonymously by calling 1-866-888-TIPS(8477), or text NHPD plus your message to 274637 (CRIMES). richard.chumney@hearstmediact.com EAST HAVEN Officers arrested a Joseph Melillo Middle School student accused of making threats against several other students, authorities said Monday. Police said they will have an increased presence at all of the districts schools through the end of the academic year. As soon as the police department was made aware of potential threats involving Joseph Melillo Middle School, the police department immediately launched an investigation which quickly led to a juvenile suspect, Police Chief Edward Lennon said in a statement Monday. After conducting interviews and investigating the matter, it was learned that one juvenile, who is a student at JMMS, was responsible for the threats. Lennon said investigators contacted the student and their parents/guardians, who cooperated with the investigation. The child, who was not identified, was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday. Police did not offer specifics on the alleged threats. Joseph Melillo Middle School Principal Darci Doyon said the threats were reported to the administration on Monday. There will be increased police presence at JMMS tomorrow as with any incident involving threats to East Haven Public Schools, Doyon said. We continue to encourage all students to report any threat or concern they may see or hear. Parents and guardians are encouraged to monitor their childs social media use and activity. The incident comes amid a number of similar school lockdowns and other security measures following the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, last week. In Milford, police said a teen was arrested for waving a fake gun on a beach a day after surveillance footage showed him allegedly carrying the airsoft-style gun on school grounds. In Stamford, an elementary school went into lockdown last Friday after a man tried to enter the building. He was later charged with trespassing. East Haven Public Schools appreciates the swift and detailed work of the East Haven Police Department in identifying the juvenile, Superintendent Erica Forti said in a statement. We will continue to collaborate and partner with the East Haven Police Department to ensure the safety and security of our schools. We encourage all students to report any threat or concern they may see or hear. Additionally, parents are encouraged to monitor their childs social media use and activity. Hamden Police Department / Contributed HAMDEN Police said they charged a woman after she was allegedly found outside an apartment complex on Fitch Street Sunday with a loaded gun and heroin packaged for sale. Francesca Pisano, 28, was charged with criminal possession of a firearm, possession of narcotics and possession of narcotics with intent to sell, Hamden police said in a news release. Pisano was also charged with carrying a pistol without a permit, theft of a firearm and second degree breach of peace. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate After a positive COVID-19 test sidelined actress Chita Rivera, Broadway's Norm Lewis has come to the rescue of the Shubert Theatre in New Haven performing at its annual gala on June 8. Rivera, known for originating the roles of Anita in West Side Story and Velma Kelly in Chicago, was originally slated to perform her show, "Chita: The Rhythm of Life," at the venue's gala. Lewis, a Tony Award-nominated actor, has recently made a resurgence on the small screen with appearances in the Spike Lee-Netflix feature "Da 5 Bloods," and FX's "Pose." He can also be seen in "Law & Order," "Riverdale," "The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" and "Scandal." Last year, Lewis returned to the Broadway stage in "Chicken and Biscuits," which ran only for two months before closing due to the "significant financial impact of the show cancellations." Douglas Lyons, the playwright of "Chicken and Biscuits," is a New Haven native and centered the play around the fictional location of St. Lukes Church in New Haven. Other acting credits to Lewis' name include "The Little Mermaid," "Les Miserables," "Chicago" and "Miss Saigon." Off the stage, Lewis is a founding member of Black Theatre United, an organization that protects Black talent, people and lives "of all shapes and orientations in theatre and communities across the country." For his performance, Lewis will be performing a number of selections from musicals such as "Les Miserables," "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Company." All patrons attending the Shubert's gala will be required to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test. Additionally, masks must be worn at all times inside the venue except will actively eating or drinking. Tickets are currently on sale for the gala. Adesola Adedeji, a receptionist at Hilton Hotel in Ile-Ife, said Ramon Adedoyin, the owner, asked her to deny that late Timothy Adegoke lo... Adesola Adedeji, a receptionist at Hilton Hotel in Ile-Ife, said Ramon Adedoyin, the owner, asked her to deny that late Timothy Adegoke lodged in the facility. Adegoke, a postgraduate student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), was found dead in November last year a few days after he lodged in the hotel. Adedoyin is standing trial alongside six others for the alleged murder of the student. The defendants had earlier pleaded not guilty to 11-count charges bordering on conspiracy, murder, attempted felony, unlawful interference with a dead body, altering, and intent to destroy evidence. The receptionist, who is among the defendants, spoke on Monday when the trial resumed at the Osun state high court sitting in Oshogbo. During cross-examination by Femi Falana, the prosecuting counsel, Adedeji said Adedoyin came to the hotel around 8 pm on the day Adegoke checked in to check on his employees. According to her, Adedoyins son also visited the hotel at 10 pm the same day. She, however, said she did not know when they left the facility. Ramon Adedoyin did not enter the room that day. Roheem also did not enter room 305 on the day the incident happened, she said. Adedeji also said the close circuit television (CCTV) camera in the hotel was functional as of November 5 when the deceased arrived at the facility. The receptionist, however, said by the time she resumed duty on November 9, the CCTV had been removed, adding that she did not understand the rationale behind the move. Adedeji told the court that the hotel owner held a meeting at the house which had in attendance Esther Asigor and Quadri Moshood her fellow receptionists who are now on the run. The receptionist alleged that Adedoyin asked her to tell investigating police officers that the deceased did not lodge in the hotel. Adedeji also said the hotel owner asked her to deny receiving money from the late PG student. Adepele Ojo, the judge, thereafter adjourned the case till June 27 for the adoption of a final written address. The crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) took another twist on Tuesday when members of the National Working Committee (... The crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) took another twist on Tuesday when members of the National Working Committee (NWC) warned that the autocratic style of the National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Adamu will no longer be tolerated. The NWC members lamented that the National Chairman takes decisions unilaterally when it suits him. They equally decried that he invokes the name of President Muhammadu Buhari to blackmail NWC members into accepting his decisions. In a statement issued Tuesday titled, APC and the Need for Vigilance: Urgent Call for Intervention, and jointly signed by the National Vice Chairman, North-West, Dr. Salihu Lukman and the National Vice Chairman, South-West, Mr. Isaacs Kekemeke, said no member was elected at the March 26, 2022, National Convention to warm seats or offices in the National Secretariat. They lamented that every effort to get the Chairman to respect the authority of the NWC as elected was proving very difficult. They stated that they were compelled to make a statement following the serial postponement of the scheduled NWC meetings, twice within 48 hours. The party Chieftains noted that they were convinced beyond doubt that this was a deliberate attempt to foist a fait accompli on the NWC on fundamental issues that affect the party. They stated: Within just two months in the lifespan of the new leadership of our great party, APC, led by His Excellency, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, the NWC, organ of the party vested with the power of managing the day-to-day affairs, including implementing decisions of the National Executive Committee (NEC), as provided in Article 13.4 of the APC Constitution, has been rendered redundant. The National Chairman takes decisions unilaterally. When it suits him, he invokes the name of our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari to blackmail NWC members into accepting his decisions. Every effort to get the Chairman to respect the authority of the NWC elected on March 26, 2022, APC National Convention is proving very difficult, if not impossible. Note that NECs donation of its powers was to NWC and not to the National Chairman or any individual. Against this background, the NWC members called all APC leaders to intervene urgently and call Adamu to order. The added: The National Chairman must be properly reminded to recognise that the business of managing the day-to-day affairs of the party is the responsibility of the NWC as provided in provisions of the APC Constitution. He is free to consult any party leader(s). Such consultations will not represent decisions of the NWC or any organ of the party unless and until it is adopted by a properly constituted meeting of the NWC or organ in question according to the letters and spirit of the APC constitution. As a party, we have suffered enough judicial embarrassments arising from clearly avoidable leadership breach of our partys constitution and spelt out rules. Nollywood actor, Pere Egbi, has debunked the report which claimed that he and the current First Lady of Kogi State, Rashida Bello, were ha... Nollywood actor, Pere Egbi, has debunked the report which claimed that he and the current First Lady of Kogi State, Rashida Bello, were having an affair. In a tweet on Tuesday, the former Big Brother Naija housemate described the news as a demonic lie. He also threatened a lawsuit against the Nigerian US-based journalist, Jackson Ude, who wrote the report on Twitter. The reality TV star tweeted, For the records, the publication about me and the First Lady of Kogi State is a demonic lie and a figment of a diseased imagination of Jackson Ude and those retweeting that rubbish. They must answer me in court both in Nigeria and in the United States of America where he is based. Ude, in a tweet, had allegedly stated that there was gist around Abuja that Pere and Rashida Bello, wife of Kogi State Governor and presidential aspirant, Yahaya Bello, were alleged lovers. Why is #BBNaija Pere Egbi all over the place with Kogi First Lady, Rashida Bello? Gist around Abuja says that they are lovers. Egbi and Mrs Bello are said to have been sighted severally at the Hilton Hotel, Abuja. The gist is that when they first met, First Lady gifted Egbi N5 million, Ude claimed. Though the tweet had been deleted, the screenshot of the said tweet has gone viral on social media. See screenshot below: The corpse of a missing child, Kamal Ibrahim, suspected to have been stolen by ritualists in Agyaragu town, Obi Local Government Area of N... The corpse of a missing child, Kamal Ibrahim, suspected to have been stolen by ritualists in Agyaragu town, Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, was discovered on the outskirts of the town. Relative of the deceased confirmed that Kamal, was her younger brother, had gone missing after he went out to play. She said his body was discovered three days later. When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, of the Nasarawa State Command, DSP Ranhan Nansel, said he was oblivious of the incident at the time of writing this report. It was learnt that cases of missing children and corpses being discovered have been a regular occurrence in the area. In February this year, an unidentified body was found at the heavy-duty park, on the outskirts of Agyaragu town, with the eyes and other sensitive parts removed. It was also gathered that after two weeks, a man was caught with two stolen school children in a sack also in Agyaragu town, one was killed by the suspect and the other one was alive, prompting a mob to lynch him. Political associates, friends and sympathizers of detained former Imo State Governor, Anayo Rochas Okorocha are being turned back at the ent... Political associates, friends and sympathizers of detained former Imo State Governor, Anayo Rochas Okorocha are being turned back at the entrance gate of the Federal High Court in Abuja as part of crowd control mechanisms. The sympathizers, who thronged the court premises as early as 7am, are in their hundreds struggling to access the court to witness proceedings. Okorocha, who has just been moved to the court room by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is billed to battle today for his bail in the N2.9B corruption charges brought against him by the Federal Government. His plea of not guilty was taken on Monday before Justice Inyang Ekwo who thereafter fixed today for arguments for and against his bail request. At the time of this report, the gate of the court had been firmly locked against the crowd which kept on surging upon the arrival of the former governor to the court. Although, no official statement from the court yet, it was reliably gathered that the private security men at the gate took the decision to avoid implosion in the court room. Already, the court room has been filled to the brim, while several others are loitering around the court room. It was also gathered that as a proactive measure, Okorocha himself has mobilized some highly placed persons comprising Senators, house owners in Abuja and top government functionaries to court to surety him if admitted to bail. The five Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SANs, engaged for defence by the embattled former governor are already putting their heads together on how to marshall arguments for the bail of their client. The International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested three Nige... The International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested three Nigerians over alleged internet fraud. Interpol, in a statement published on its website, said the suspects allegedly used a malicious Remote Access Trojan (RAT) to steal confidential online details from corporate organisations. The affected corporate organisations were said to be located in south-east Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. According to Interpol, the suspects were arrested in a sting operation codenamed Killer Bee conducted in the Ajegunle axis of Lagos and Benin, Edo state. The agency disclosed that Hendrix Omorume, one of the suspects, was charged with three counts of serious financial fraud and has been sentenced to one-year imprisonment. Speaking on the arrest, Craig Jones, Interpols director of cybercrime, said millions could have been lost if the Interpol had not alerted the EFCC. Through its global police network and constant monitoring of cyberspace, INTERPOL had the globally sourced intelligence needed to alert Nigeria to a serious security threat where millions could have been lost without swift police action, Jones said. Further arrests and prosecutions are foreseen across the world as intelligence continues to come in and investigations unfold. On his part, Abdulkarim Chukkol, EFCC director of operations, said the commission partners Interpol to keep pace with new technologies and understand how they are being used by criminals. Cybercrime is spreading at a fast pace, with new trends constantly emerging. Through operations like Killer Bee, INTERPOL partners EFCC to keep pace with new technologies and understand the possibilities they create for criminals and how they can be used as tools for fighting cybercrime, Chukkol said. The enforcement actions led by Nigeria and coordinated by INTERPOL send a clear message that cybercrime will have serious repercussions for those involved in business email compromise fraud, particularly in Nigeria. The Osun State correspondent of The Nation Newspaper, Toba Adedeji was on Tuesday shot by men of the Nigeria Police in Osogbo. It was gather... The Osun State correspondent of The Nation Newspaper, Toba Adedeji was on Tuesday shot by men of the Nigeria Police in Osogbo. It was gathered that Toba was hit by a stray bullet alongside an unidentified female student by police personnel who were engaged in quelling a protest at the popular Olaiya junction, Osogbo. The police personnel, it was gathered were shooting sporadically to disperse the protesters. The protesters who had gathered at the popular junction were mourning the April 4, 2022 killing of Abiola Afolabi by police personnel. Afolabi, it was learnt was buried on Tuesday while his friends decided on a rally to mourn him. The bullet hit Toba on the leg while the lady was hit on the thigh. The Osun State Police Command is yet to react to the shooting. Toba Adedeji, at the time of filing this report, has been taken to the Osun State University Teaching Hospital for medical treatment. Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has declared that he would not allow himself to be treated as a second class citizen in the country. Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has declared that he would not allow himself to be treated as a second class citizen in the country. Wike, who lost the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential primary election to the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, spoke on Monday while addressing Rivers people after his return from the election held in Abuja. Lamenting the outcome of the election, Wike said the North should not claim ownership of the country, saying Nigeria does not belong to a particular geo-political zone. He said, We have all it takes to do whatever we want to do. It is a matter of you to be fruitful. We cannot answer second class citizens in Nigeria. We just used this one to tell them that enough is enough. We made them not to sleep, we made them not to eat, we made all of them from wherever they think they are coming from to know that there is somebody who can take them on. This country does not belong to one particular zone. If people are afraid of talking, it is their business. I cannot be a second class citizen in my country. They just want somebody they can control, somebody that will do whatever they want him to do, I will never be a party to that, they only people that can control me are Nigerians not the few people that want to remain in power since the military regime. The Association of South East Town Unions (ASETU) popularly known as Igbo Town Unions has again begged President Muhammadu Buhari to free th... The Association of South East Town Unions (ASETU) popularly known as Igbo Town Unions has again begged President Muhammadu Buhari to free the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB. This formed part of the communique issued after an Emergency Extra-Ordinary National Caucus meeting in Awka, Abia State. In the communique signed by Chief Sir G. U. Mgborukwe, President-General, Abia State, Hon. Totus Akpudo, Anambra State, Chief Ugochukwu Akpa, Ebonyi State, Chief Paully Eze, Enugu State and the Imo State coordinator, Chief Monday Ikokwu. They decried the worsening security situation in Igboland, particularly, in parts of Imo and Anambra States. The group said ASETU and indeed Igbo in general are most grieved by the continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, an action which it said has not helped the security situation in Igbo land and Nigeria but rather introduced the monstrous and retrogressive sit-at-home with the attendant massive deterioration of security situation and debilitation of the South East economy. It noted that the daily loss of innocent Igbo lives and the crippling of the South East economy occasioned by the monstrous sit-at-home calls and worsening insecurity in Igbo land attributed to the continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu (as claimed) is not to the best interest of the country. We passionately appeal to His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari to extend his milk of human kindness to Ndi Igbo in this most trying period and abate the continued loss of innocent souls and the destruction of the South East economy by applying a political solution and using his prerogative of Presidential Amnesty to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from detention. ASETU said as the father of all, Buhari should remember the Igbo adage that says: if a father beats his child with the left hand, he draws him back with the right hand. Also, an axiom in criminal justice administration advocates that it is better to release one hundred condemned criminals than punish one single innocent soul. The continued detention of one man (Nnamdi Kanu) has caused the death of so many innocent lives and destruction of properties worth billions of naira. If releasing him will stop the killings, and the sit at home orders as claimed, what do we lose by trying this option to save further lives and property. It is a costless benefit of doubt. We assure Mr. President that releasing him will not worsen the security situation, rather it will bring enduring peace and eliminate or reduce drastically the killings. Our leadership is grassroots based and we feel the heartbeat of the people more. Let us not over-stretch the logic and legality of his offence and resultant trial as that may gainlessly lead us to unending circles of justifications including the claimed primary cause of the anger of Igbo youths, which is the obvious and unwarranted marginalization of Ndigbo (which is indeed our collective agitation). However, while we are not justifying his approach in pursuit of that cause, we are saying that in the interest of peace and the remaining lives of our people especially the youths (our future generation), let Nnamdi Kanu be released to us and let us talk thereafter. This is not the first time Nigeria is compromising logic and legality to achieve peace, except there is more to it. It was done in the Niger Delta in the case of Asari Dokubo and Co. Also, confirmed Boko Haram killer terrorists and bandits who have murdered several innocent soldiers, Police, and thousands of other security agents and innocent civilians were said to have been pardoned, compensated with billions of Naira and placed on salaries above Level 15 civil servants; ironically but dangerously, they were recruited and absorbed into the same Nigerian Army they swore to wipe out! We the Igbo Town Unions, the grassroots of the Igbo and to which every Igbo by birth is a member, most respectfully appeal to you to please release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to us. As the closest administrative structure to the people in Igbo land, who feel the heart beat and know the pulse of the people, we know the incalculable damage Nnamdi Kanus continued detention is causing our people and the great reprieve his release would bring to Ndigbo in particular and Nigerians in general, the group further begged. It urged to all Igbo sons and daughters wherever they are domiciled to maintain peace and good neighbourliness as we patiently and hopefully await the Presidents positive response to our passionate appeal. On Monday, popular Nollywood actor Kalu Ikeagwu told the Ikeja High Court how his estranged wife, Ijeoma, allegedly deserted their matrimo... On Monday, popular Nollywood actor Kalu Ikeagwu told the Ikeja High Court how his estranged wife, Ijeoma, allegedly deserted their matrimonial home and prevented him from gaining access to their two children. Ikeagwu, in the suit marked LD/8939HD/2021, is seeking a dissolution of his six-year-old marriage to Ijeoma. The actor also seeks full custody of his three-year-old son and ten-year-old stepdaughter. Under cross-examination by the respondents counsel, S.I. Amedu, Ikeagwu said his wife packed out of his matrimonial and sent him a mail that she was going to her fathers house in Enugu. She told me she was at her fathers place in Enugu and four days later, I saw her at the airport in Lagos, heading to God knows where. In the mail she sent, she said she was In Enugu. Ikeagwu also denied that he sent his wife and kids out of the house and failed to provide for their upkeep. The actor further told the court that his wife denied him sex and poured water on him while he was asleep. After the birth of our son, she has refused to have s.....3,.Ex with me. I was not aware she lost the pregnancy due to an infection as I did not give her any infection. Till date, I have not seen any report attached to a document that she lost a baby through STD. Though I did not ask her why she lost the baby, he said. Ikeagwu said he stopped sending money to the children for upkeep and maintenance because his wife denied him being the father to his stepdaughter. He added that this was after she accused him of attempting to sleep with the child, and she failed to acknowledge the money he sent to her. On why he was seeking custody of his stepdaughter whom he had earlier sought for revocation of guardianship, the actor said he had information that his wife wanted to relocate the children. Justice Christopher Balogun had earlier ordered the children to play with their father in court and ordered the respondent to present the receipts of the childrens tuition fees in court. The judge explained that it would be difficult to give him custody of their daughter while the mother is alive. The Supreme Court ruled that it is not the wealth of a father that the children of that age need, they need the care and attention of their biological mother. The only reason the girl child should not be in the custody of the mother is if the mother is mentally derailed or the issue of infidelity is involved. Assuming the girl starts her monthly period, you as a father do not know what to do. You will be scared of the blood. A female girl is delicate. Your own case is worse because an accusation has been levelled against you, he said. The judge adjourned the case until June 23 for a continuation of the hearing. (NAN) Elder statesman and leader of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, Chief Edwin Clark, has asked the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Part... Elder statesman and leader of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, Chief Edwin Clark, has asked the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, to resign. According to him, Ayu is no longer fit and proper to retain his position as the national chairman of the PDP. Clark, a former First Republic federal Commissioner of Information, said this in a statement on Tuesday, titled, Resign now: Youre no longer fit to remain PDP national chairman, Clark tells Iyorchia Ayu. He said, Even much worse, in the extreme, was the action of the National Chairman of the PDP, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, in his open visit to Governor Tambuwal to congratulate and hail him, in his words, as the hero of the convention. This clearly reveals his partiality and predilection in the processes leading to the baffling conclusion of the PDP presidential primary. His undignified and parochial conduct, to please his northern principals, is not only a big disgrace to the office he occupies but, also, a sad display of lewd subservience to the political subjugation of one ethnic group, in a diverse country like Nigeria. We had earlier suspected that he was in favour of a Northern candidate, when on the day of his inauguration as national chairman, last year, he, needlessly, said during his speech, that he would resign if a Northerner emerged as the presidential candidate of the party. Senator Ayu has failed to realize that what we are fighting for affects all minorities in Nigeria. The Southern Nigeria relationship with the Middle Belt is well established, dating back to the First Republic, during the period of Dr. J. S. Tarka, from todays Benue State, a founding member of the then, United Middle Belt Congress, and the strong alliance with Chief Obafemi Awolowos Action Group. The relationship subsisted during the Second Republic, when the Minorities of the South and the Minorities of the North combined to fight for a common course; the inclusion, and full participation of all Minorities in the politics and governance of the Country, of which I was the Leader. Senator Iyorchia Ayus appalling, thoughtless and unpatriotic public conduct bears grave negative consequences. He should, therefore, no longer consider himself fit and proper to retain his position as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, and should resign now. I decided to issue this press release because of the worrying occurrences in our polity vis-a-vis the dappled party primaries being conducted, across the country; the reported outrageous financial inducements of delegates and the cynical dollarization of the electoral process. These happenings give strong warnings of, more likely, deleterious outcomes of the 2023 general elections, mainly the Presidential, and their aftermaths. Most disturbing is what happened at the special national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party, in Abuja, on Saturday May 28 2022. I followed the live broadcasts of the proceedings, keenly, until about 12.30 am on Sunday 29. I was quite impressed by the efforts of the convention committee, which was headed by former Senate President, Senator David Mark, and his assistants, particularly, the Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri. But, sadly, the outcome of the election leaves much to be desired; it was very unjust and rather unwholesome. It will definitely impact severe, adverse ramifications on the future unity of the country. I was alarmed by the outrageous and Machiavelli manner in which Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, Governor of Sokoto State, was so apparently arranged to announce his withdrawal from the contest, at the last minute; his speech changed the mood of the event. That was done in order to foist another Northerner as the partys flag bearer; having regard to the fact that Governor Aminu Tambuwal was the only aspirant from the whole of the North West, which had about 192 delegates at the convention. What Tambuwal did was not only dishonourable but also a serious electoral abnormality and a tragic betrayal of national patriotism for hidebound interests. Another Northern aspirant, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, a businessman from Borno State, had, earlier, also suddenly, withdrawn from the contest, citing its obscene monetization as his reason; but we now know better. It is now widespread understanding that there were pressures mounted on Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, and former Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, to also withdraw, while Tambuwal deliberately delayed his action till the last minute. By so doing, unduly swept his North West votes to Atiku Abubakar. One can now appreciate the reasons given by Peter Obi for his withdrawal from the PDP, both as a member, and as an aspirant, few days before the partys primary. And I would think that what he did was, without doubt, in respect, or obedience, to the position of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum. Unfortunately, some aspirants from the South believed that, with the resources and facilities at their disposal, their Elders no longer matter, and disregarded, with impunity, the patriotic advice on the need to be steadfast on the position of the zoning of the Presidency to the South. They never minded that what we have been advocating was in their interest. They proved themselves to be selfish and arrogant, and thought they could win on their own steam. They failed; I can only hope that they have, now, learned their lessons. Rabiu Kwankwaso, former governor of Kano, says Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party, could have become his running mate i... Rabiu Kwankwaso, former governor of Kano, says Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party, could have become his running mate if the latter had joined the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). Kwankwaso spoke on Monday in an interview on Channels Television. On May 27, Obi joined the Labour Party hours after announcing the resignation of his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Before the former governor joined the LP, there were speculations that Obi may form an alliance with Kwankwaso in the NNPP to contest the presidency. On Monday, Obi was elected the presidential candidate of the LP after three other aspirants stepped down for him. On the other hand, Kwankwaso is the only presidential aspirant in NNPP. Asked if there Obi was approached on joining NNPP, Kwankwaso said he discussed national issues with the former Anambra governor a few days before he joined LP. Well, actually, we had the opportunity to talk to ourselves on many national issues until a few days to the time when he declared for the Labour Party of which now he is the presidential candidate, he said. I wish him well and I wish all other presidential candidates well. Im sure this (presidential election) will be decided by the people across the country who are going to vote on 25th February 2023. Asked if he would have considered Peter Obi as his running mate, the former Kano governor said many people suggested the idea. Many people just suggested that. I believe that it could have been possible if not because he joined another party. Now, he is already a candidate as we have seen from the news now. We look forward to seeing what happens in the next few weeks, he added. Detained former governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha, has filed suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja, demanding N1billion from th... Detained former governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha, has filed suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja, demanding N1billion from the Economic and Finance Crimes Commission, EFCC, alleging gross violation of his fundamental human rights. Okorocha, in the suit he filed through a team of lawyers led by Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, and sighted by NigerianEye on Monday night, had aside from asking for monetary compensation as examplary damages against the anti-graft agency, equally demanded a public apology, to be published in at least three national dalies. He cited the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, as the 2nd defendant in the matter. The applicant, is among other things, praying the court to declare that the seige the EFCC laid on his house without any legal justification, was unconstitutional and a flagrant abuse of his fundamental human rights. He is seeking a declaration that the attempt on the life of the applicant by the 1st respondent (EFCC), through the officers working under them who shot sporadically at the applicants compound, broke into the applicants home through the rooftop all the way into his bedroom and immediately apprehended the applicants family members phones including that of the applicant on the 24th day of May, is illegal Okorocha alleged that EFCC operatives had after they besieged his home, cut off electricity supply, manhandled his domestic staff and relatives after some of their handsets were seized. He applied for an order of injunction restraining the respondents (jointly or severally) from intimidating him, threatening his life, arresting or detaining him. In an affidavit that was deposed to by his daughter, the applicant, told the court that EFCCs action against him ran contrary to a subsisting judgement that barred the agency from arresting or detaining him. It will be recalled that the former governor was on May 24, arrested by operatives of the EFCC in an operation that lasted over seven hours. The arrest followed his alleged refusal to make himself available for trial on a 17-count money laundering charge that was entered against him and six others. Okorocha, who was accused of complicity in the illegal diversion of funds from the Imo state treasury totaling over N2.9billion, was subsequently arraigned before trial Justice Inyang Ekwo on Monday alongside a chieftain of the All Progressive, APC, Anyim Nyerere Chinenye and five companies- Naphtali International Limited, Perfect Finish Multi Projects Limited, Consolid Projects Consulting Limited, Pramif International Limited, and Legend World Concepts Limited. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has expressed optimism about the All Progressives Congress chances of winning the 2023 presidential election. ... Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has expressed optimism about the All Progressives Congress chances of winning the 2023 presidential election. He said this after being screened by the APC Presidential Screening Panel on Tuesday. Osinbajo, who spoke with newsmen shortly after emerging from the screening, said the exercise was fruitful and He said, We were able to discuss several issues; issues of national and party concerns; and it went very well indeed; we had a very good chat. Of course, we are ahead of any party; way ahead, APC is ahead. Apart from Osinbajo and former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, other aspirants are the Senate President Ahmad Lawan and former ministers Rotimi Amaechi, Ogbonnaya Onu, Godswill Akpabio, and Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba. Serving governors who are also aspiring to be president are Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Ben Ayade (Cross River) and Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa). Others are former Senate President Ken Nnamani, former House of Representatives Speaker, Dimeji Bankole, and serving senators Ibikunle Amosun, Ajayi Boroffice, and Rochas Okorocha. President Muhammadu Buharis running mate in 2011, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Uju Ken-Ohanenye, Nicholas Felix, Ahmad Rufai Sani, Tein Jack-Rich, Ikeobasi Mokelu are also expected to face the partys presidential screening panel. Earlier, Buhari met behind closed doors with members of the Progressives Governors Forum at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday. However, Vice-President Osinbajo was absent from the meeting. Osinbajo, who concluded his interactive sessions with stakeholders and delegates of the APC in the 36 states and the FCT ahead of the partys presidential primary on May 26, declared his intention to contest the 2023 presidential election on April 11, 2022. I believe that the very reason the Almighty God gave me these experiences, these insights, and these opportunities, is that they must be put to the use of our country and its great people, Osinbajo had said in his declaration speech. Osinbajo then began the interactive sessions with the delegates in Ibadan, Oyo State, on April 22. At each of those interactions with stakeholders and delegates from the 36 states and the FCT, Osinbajo had robust question-and-answer sessions while also discussing and exchanging ideas. During the interactive sessions, Osinbajo fielded questions from stakeholders on various national issues. The issues include security, economy, technology, education, health, youth, women empowerment, social investments and exchanged ideas on issues of national development, governance and politics. At the end of each interactive session, the vice president took time to personally share moments with all the delegates and stakeholders while taking photographs with every one of them individually. During the visits across the country, he also paid courtesy calls at the palaces of traditional rulers, meeting with many of the traditional councils in the respective states. The APC Special Convention for the presidential primary comes up on May 29. Watertown, NY (13601) Today Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 53F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 53F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Three New Orleans chefs Brett Monteleone, Amy Sins and Grant Wallace are in the running for seafood royalty. The trio and nine more of the state's chefs will battle it out at the 15th annual Louisiana Seafood Cook-off on Tuesday, June 7, at the Cajundome Convention Center in Lafayette. The winner will be crowned the king or queen of Louisiana seafood. Monteleone, of Juniors on Harrison, and Wallace, of Dickie Brennan's, are first-time competitors, while Sins, of Langlois, competed in 2016, 2019 and 2020. With so many chefs in Louisiana to choose from, it was hard to narrow it down to just 12 competitors. There is no doubt judging dishes this year will be more difficult than ever before, said Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser. In Louisiana, good food is just part of what connects us to our diverse heritage and seafood is a big part of that. "From recipes passed down through generations to the culinary creations of our states chefs, seafood has developed a culinary identity for Louisiana unlike any other state." Others vying for the title will be: Food and restaurant news in your inbox Every Thursday we give you the scoop on NOLA dining. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Ryan Cashio, Cajun House & Catering, LaPlace (first-time competitor) Russell Davis, Eliza Restaurant & Bar and JEDS Local Louisiana Po-boys, Baton Rouge (first-time competitor) Kyle Hudson, of Beausoleil Coastal Cuisine, Baton Rouge (first-time competitor) David Dickensauge, Tsunami, Baton Rouge (competed in 2014 and 2015) Amanda Cusey, The Villa Harlequin, Lake Charles (first-time competitor) Ben Fidelak, Mariners Restaurant, Natchitoches (competed in 2017, 2020) Ryan Gaudet, Spahrs Seafood, Des Allemands (competed in 2015, 2016) Karlos Knott, Bayou Teche Brewing & Cajun Saucer, Arnaudville (first-time competitor) Joshua Spell, Fezzos Seafood Steakhouse & Oyster Bar, Crowley (first-time competitor) Judges for the cook-off will include chef Edgar Dooky Chase IV and Celeste Chachere. Chase is the scion of the Dooky Chase Restaurant family in Treme and has served as executive chef at Dooky Chases Restaurant. Chachere is the great-granddaughter of the Ole Master of Creole cooking Tony Chachere. She is also the director of marketing and development for Tony Chacheres Creole Foods, which began in 1972 and celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. To be eligible for the cook-off, one must be the executive chef of a free-standing Louisiana restaurant belonging to the Louisiana Restaurant Association, a partner of both the Louisiana and Great American Seafood Cook-Offs. The winner will represent the state at a variety of events including the Great American Seafood Cook-Off, hosted by the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board and held in New Orleans during the Louisiana Restaurant Association Showcase on Saturday, Aug. 6. Christy Lorio lives her life from one CT scan to the next. Every three months, her body slides into the massive CT scan machine short for computed tomography to capture images of her organs. Its looking for dark spots, tumors backlit by a dye injected into her veins. Sometimes its good news: no new tumor growth related to her stage 4 colorectal cancer. Other times the news has not been good. But at least she knows, and she can start aggressive treatment whenever a new growth pops up in her lungs or brain, as they have in the past. Basically I live my life in three-month increments, said Lorio, 42. It makes me feel like I'm being closely monitored they're gonna catch it early. So we can address it immediately so it doesn't spread to other organs. Now those increments are stretching out for Lorio and many patients who rely on CT scans to monitor and diagnose a number of illnesses. A nationwide shortage of the contrast dye that makes her organs light up means her typical CT scan has been canceled, and shes a week overdue. Currently, the scans are limited to people who have immediate emergencies things like car crashes or strokes. I get that, said Lorio, a freelance photographer and writer in New Orleans. But I mean, when your whole life is an emergency, its just like really, man? Its stressful enough. The shortage is nationwide, but as a state with one of the highest rates of cancer and vascular disease, patients in Louisiana are feeling it acutely. And with a large number of residents who put off procedures during the pandemic, health experts worry the shortage could lead to more missed diagnoses, just as patients are trying to catch up on scans. The shortage couldnt have come at a worse time, said Dr. Bradley Spieler, professor and vice chair of radiology at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine. The dye, a clear fluid that passes through the blood stream and creates contrast based on the density of the organ and surrounding tissue, is manufactured by GE Healthcare at its plant in Shanghai, China. Recent COVID lockdowns have shut down about half of the plant. As of last week, it was operating at 60% capacity, according to a statement from the company. In the meantime, GE Healthcare has increased production at a second plant in Ireland to relieve some of the shortage. The firm is one of two major manufacturers the U.S. relies on for the dye. Like the infant formula shortage, the scarcity of contrast dye demonstrates the fragility of relying on a few global suppliers with a majority of the market share, an issue Dr. Robert Califf, the commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, addressed in a Senate committee hearing on Thursday. Health news in your inbox Reporter Emily Woodruff shares weekly updates and insights on local health news, including COVID coverage and medical research. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Across the industries we regulate, were seeing evidence that the just-in-time distribution system, market concentration and sole-source contracting are leading to shortages, said Califf. Califf said the pattern of shortages that may lead to a lapse in care was unbelievable, but its happening adding there are dozens of supply shortages on the horizon. The good news: Spieler said there are alternatives to a CT scan in some instances. Using an ultrasound is one option. Using less dye or a CT scan without the contrast dye is another. Contrast is a critical ingredient to what we do as a craft, said Spieler. But there are a lot of things we will do in imaging that we don't necessarily have to. Lorio, for instance, just scheduled herself for a PET scan. But a CT scan with the contrast dye remains the best diagnostic tool for certain illnesses, particularly strokes and certain procedures that involve the arteries. Spieler, who works at University Medical Center in New Orleans, said they hope to see some relief from the shortage sometime between July and October. In Baton Rouge, Our Lady of the Lake has adjusted procedures over the last few weeks due to the dye shortage, according to a spokesperson. The hospital is also experiencing critical shortages of O negative and O positive blood. At Ochsner Health, where Lorio gets her scans, supply was slightly up compared to previous weeks, according to an employee, but the system is still reserving it for emergencies. Although we are not receiving our standard volume of contrast media," said Dr. Dennis Kay, system chair of the radiology department, "we are seeing signs of progress and are hopeful that well see an increased supply on a consistent basis in the coming weeks. A New Orleans man accused of seeking vigilante justice in the slayings of his son and daughter by gunning down the man who allegedly killed them has been formally indicted by a grand jury on charges of second-degree murder and obstruction of justice, court documents show. According to New Orleans police, Bokio Johnson allegedly shot and killed Hollis Carter, 21, as he was stopped at a traffic light while driving with his mother on Chef Menteur Highway in Gentilly. Johnson, 47, was also charged with attempted second-degree murder for hitting Carters mother with several bullets in the March shooting. She survived her injuries. Video surveillance from the scene showed an F-150 pickup that police said was registered to Johnson driving up to Carters white sedan before a shooter fired into the smaller vehicle. On the day he was shot, Carter was driving to Orleans Parish Criminal District Court, where he was scheduled to appear for a hearing ahead of his own trial on murder charges. He had been charged with second-degree murder in the March 2021 shooting deaths of Johnsons children, Caleb Johnson, 18, and and Breyiana Brown, 25. Mr. Johnson is not guilty, and that is what he will plead at his arraignment, said Johnsons defense attorney Michael Kennedy, who is representing him alongside attorney Tanzanika Ruffin. NOLA Business Insider The biggest stories in business, delivered to you every day. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Kennedy said that Johnson and his family are victims who have lost children to rampant the gun violence of New Orleans, and that the indictment only added to the familys victimization. While we are disappointed with the decision to indict, he said, we look forward to proving his innocence. Johnsons indictment was one of several a grand jury returned on May 26. Eugene Weathers, 43, was indicted on charges of second-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a felon in connection with the 2019 shooting death of Jonathan Simmons, 35, who was killed outside of Lawsons Grocery and Deli on Newton Street in Algiers. The grand jury also indicted James D. Patton on charges of second-degree murder, obstruction of justice and possession of a firearm by a felon, and Joshua Taylor on charges of second-degree murder and aggravated flight from a police officer. Patton is accused of shooting to death 41-year-old Russell Ricou on Jan. 9 near the intersection of Burgundy and Conti streets, police said. Taylor is accused of killing Raynell Hughes Jr. on March 16, according to court documents. The body of a Thibodaux boater was recovered from a body of water in St. John the Baptist Parish Sunday afternoon, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and authorities are investigating the series of events that led to his death. Search and rescue crews found the body of Christopher Martin, 52, in Bayou Chevreuil at around 1 p.m. Sunday, after receiving reports of a missing boater the evening before. Martin had jumped out of a vessel while it was traveling at a slow speed, Wildlife and Fisheries said, and he briefly surfaced before disappearing. Wildlife and Fisheries agents and the St. John, Lafourche and St. Charles parish sheriff's offices responded immediately and began their search for Martin's body on Sunday. Martin's body was turned over to the St. John Parish Coroner's Office for an autopsy. Hurricane season begins June 1, and south Louisiana must again hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Here are 10 questions and answers on what's predicted, how to prepare and how to respond. How many storms are predicted? NOAA is predicting another above-average hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. It has forecasted 14-21 named storms, including three to six major hurricanes, or those Category 3 and above. If those predictions prove correct, it would be the seventh straight above-average hurricane season. +4 Another tough hurricane season? Predictions indicate a rough ride South Louisiana has barely had time to catch its breath. But here we go again. What factors contribute to this years forecast? Particularly warm waters for a range of reasons, including the Loop Current and climate change, have contributed to the outlook. This year also includes a La Nina pattern in the Pacific, which means that there is not expected to be enough wind to shear across tropical formations in the Atlantic and prevent them from developing. How should you prepare? State officials urge residents to have an evacuation plan in place for their families and to tune in to local updates, which will also provide information on shelters. Fuel up your car and gather three to five days worth of non-perishable supplies. Bring in all objects such as lawn furniture that could act as flying missiles in the wind. Board up your windows if needed. Do not leave your pets behind. For more tips, download the states emergency preparedness guide. +12 'Great Wall of Louisiana'? 17 years after Katrina, New Orleans levee system complete Its a modern-day fortress nearly two decades in the making, complete with a Great Wall of Louisiana and the biggest pumping station in the When should you evacuate? Pay attention to local updates on evacuation orders and advice. Parish leaders will issue evacuation orders if needed. Traffic will be heavy, so dont wait until the last minute to leave. Take into account the specifics of your situation, including if you must care for elderly family members, and leave with enough time to spare to avoid placing them in risky circumstances. Sooner is almost always better than later. When should you return home? Wait for the OK from local and state officials before returning. Do not touch downed power lines and make sure tap water is safe before drinking or cooking with it. Be prepared and have sufficient supplies to cope without electricity if power is out. Get hurricane updates in your inbox Sign up for updates on storm forecasts, tracks and more. e-mail address * Sign Up What should you do if your home is damaged? Should you be worried about your insurer under compensating you after hurricanes? Many residents in recent years have spoken of frustrations with their insurers after storms. Lots of advice can be found at the Louisiana Department of Insurances site on the subject. A few key points: Take pictures or video of damage Keep receipts from temporary repairs Do not start permanent repairs until your adjuster instructs you to do so What if you dont have insurance? FEMA can often provide help to those without insurance. Go to disasterassistance.gov for more details as well as sba.gov/disaster. What other assistance outside of governmental resources are available? Help can also be obtained through the Red Cross, the United Way and various charitable organizations. Lots of advice and links can be found at the website of the Governors Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. How can I avoid contractor fraud after hurricanes? Contractor fraud is a major problem after storms, with residents desperate to repair their homes often targeted. Verify the contractor is licensed at lacontractor.org and do not provide a down payment of more than 10%. Never pay with cash. Take a photo of the contractor, their ID and credentials just in case. Read our earlier story for lots more advice. Stay up-to-date on hurricane season with NOLAs Hurricane Center newsletter. This article was produced for ProPublicas Local Reporting Network in partnership with The Advocate | The Times-Picayune, and it was also co-published with WWL-TV. The state of Louisiana is pausing efforts to collect money from thousands of homeowners who accepted hurricane recovery grants and used them for repairs rather than elevating their houses. The decision comes after news outlets presented the state with evidence showing that its lawyers have stepped up the pace of court filings even as the state hopes to wipe away the lawsuits entirely. Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne, an appointee of Gov. John Bel Edwards, said Monday that the state has agreed to settle a related lawsuit against a company that ran the recovery program after Hurricane Katrina. If the federal government approves that agreement, he said, the state would drop the suits against homeowners who didnt follow the rules on how they spent elevation grants. An investigation by ProPublica, The Advocate | The Times-Picayune, and WWL-TV found evidence that some of those people were told they could use the $30,000 grants on repairs instead. Years later, the state sued about 3,500 families roughly 1 in 9 grantees demanding the money back. Dardenne said he was troubled by evidence gathered by the news organizations showing that the law firm Shows, Cali & Walsh, which represents the state, has accelerated its efforts to collect tens of thousands of dollars from each homeowner. With the state on the cusp of a solution, theres no reason to try and take any more cases to judgment, Dardenne said. He said the state is waiting for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to approve a proposed settlement between the state and the company it hired to manage the federally funded Road Home recovery program from 2006 to 2009. In 2016 the state sued that firm, ICF Emergency Management Services, accusing it of mismanagement. A mediator helped the two sides come to an agreement in late 2020. The state wants to send the money it expects from that settlement to HUD to satisfy its obligations for Road Home grants that werent spent according to the rules. If HUD agrees, the state will drop its lawsuits against homeowners and cease collection efforts in cases that have gone to judgment, Dardenne said. I think were inching very close to that happening, Dardenne said. Dardenne said he and Edwards have spoken with HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge about accepting the proposed ICF settlement. When asked if he believes Fudge is in favor of dropping the suits, Dardenne said, I do. A HUD spokesperson declined to comment on that characterization, but said, HUD continues to work with the state. Meanwhile, the litigation continues. In New Orleans, home to almost half of the elevation lawsuits, lawyers filed almost as many motions for judgment in a recent six-week span as they had in the first three and a half months of the year. Lawyers with Shows, Cali & Walsh filed 42 motions for judgment from January to mid-April, according to court records. Over the following six weeks, they filed 38 motions seeking roughly the same amount $1.2 million. About half of the filings in both periods were for default judgments, a ruling that can be imposed when a defendant fails to respond in court. Such judgments result in liens on the properties, preventing them from being sold until the debt is paid. Dardenne said the state has not sought to speed up recovery efforts. He said any increase in court filings likely reflects the timeline of individual cases. Among those targeted was New Orleans homeowner Celeste Matthews. The same day she was featured in news stories by ProPublica, The Advocate | The Times-Picayune and WWL-TV that detailed the lawsuits, the law firm notified her that it would pursue a default judgment against her. U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, a Democrat whose district includes much of New Orleans, where many of the lawsuits have been filed, said last week the state should put such filings on hold. Conversations are getting more frequent and focused in these past few weeks in the work to end the injustices of the Road Home program, Carter said. The state should not continue, and is not required to, keep exacting these punishing actions against my constituents. State seeks $103 million from grantees The lawsuits stem from Road Home elevation grants that were awarded to about 32,000 homeowners whose houses were damaged by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. A majority lived in lower-income neighborhoods and communities of color. The money, typically $30,000, was supposed to be used to raise homes off the ground to prevent future flooding. An investigation by the news organizations found that the state Office of Community Development and its contractor, ICF, mismanaged the program. They distributed grants without verifying that people were eligible, according to the testimony of a top state official. Some homeowners said Road Home representatives told them they could use the money to rebuild. HUD, which funded the program, found widespread noncompliance with grant requirements. The agency told the state to recover any misspent funds, leading to the lawsuits. The state is seeking $103 million in the elevation lawsuits. So far, it has recovered about 5% of that from 425 families. Any money recovered would be returned to HUD. The news organizations investigation sparked anger and calls from housing advocates and politicians to end the lawsuits. The New Orleans City Council passed a resolution calling on the state to drop the lawsuits. Retired U.S. Army Gen. Russel Honore, who led federal troops into New Orleans after Katrina and is now an environmental advocate, called the states legal actions against its own residents a travesty. The house-raising issue after Katrina was a mess from the day it started, he said. NOLA Business Insider The biggest stories in business, delivered to you every day. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up 'Anxiously awaiting' HUD response The state and HUD have been talking for years about what to do about people who didnt elevate their homes. Documents provided by the state to the news outlets show the solution hinges on the resolution of the states lawsuit against ICF. In its lawsuit, the state alleges ICF committed numerous breaches of its contract, citing errors in handling files, deciding who was eligible, calculating grants and handing out the money. At one point, the state estimated ICF handed out more than $137 million in grants that were either miscalculated or paid to ineligible homeowners, though Dardenne said that figure has decreased. ICF has denied those allegations in court. Spokesperson Lauren Dyke has said the firm worked within the policies put in place by the state. Shortly after the state sued ICF, the two sides entered settlement talks and eventually came to an agreement, documents show. The amount of the settlement was redacted in documents provided by the state. Pat Forbes, executive director of the Louisiana Office of Community Development, which oversaw the Road Home program, wrote HUD in May 2021, asking if the proposed settlement would end the states liability for ineligible grants. A HUD official responded with steps the state must take to close out the program. Four months later, Forbes asked for an update. HUD said it should have an answer by March. When that deadline passed, Dardenne wrote Fudge and Carter, saying the state and ICF were anxiously awaiting HUDs answer. In an April letter to Dardenne, a HUD official said issues with the states recordkeeping system had delayed the agencys response. However, the official said the agency was analyzing the data and its analysis would be provided to HUDs Office of Inspector General. After that, the letter said, HUD would be able to provide sound guidance on the proposed settlement. HUDs decision will determine what happens with the suits, Dardenne said. When the ICF case is settled and HUD closes out the Road Home program, all the pending cases are going to be dismissed, he said. The judgments are not going to be pursued. I mean, this would end everything. Homeowners describe pressure to settle Two homeowners and an attorney representing two others said lawyers representing the state tried to strong-arm them into agreeing to payment plans. None of their accounts stem from efforts to collect this year. Alice Sanders, who lives on Social Security, said Mary Cali, a senior partner at Shows, Cali & Walsh, badgered her into signing a $200 monthly payment plan last May and said Sanders would lose her home if she didnt. Sanders did not have an attorney. It leaves me with no money. I cant even buy my own groceries or medicine, said Sanders, an associate minister who lives in Baton Rouge. Its a sin, what theyve done against their own residents. Cali said that claims she pressured homeowners are patently false. I have never threatened a homeowner with the loss of their home, and I find such allegations offensive. Forbes said he has no reason to believe the states attorneys threatened anyone or insinuated the state would take their home. The state will not foreclose on homeowners to collect these debts, he said. Attorney Jennifer Jones said two families being sued by the state told her John Walsh, another senior partner in the firm, pressured them to sign agreements, called consent judgments, to repay the money. Jones, who only took on the families as clients later, said neither had a lawyer at the time. Thats a disgrace, for a plaintiffs lawyer to be doing that to someone who is unrepresented, Jones said. They dont know what the lawyer is telling them. Walsh did not respond to a request for comment. Donna Hilliard, who contacted the news organizations after the investigation was published, said she, too, was a victim of the law firms aggressive tactics. A tree pierced her roof during Hurricane Katrina, but the home never flooded. The house was already a couple feet off the ground, so when she and her husband, Honoray, were offered Road Home money in 2007, they checked a box saying they didnt want an elevation grant. And yet, two years later, the Road Home program awarded them the elevation money. Hilliard said she never planned to raise her house, but a Road Home representative told her not to fret. The state sued the Hilliards in 2021 because they had not raised their home. Hilliard said she was bullied last year by three attorneys, including Cali, who told her she should agree to a payment plan. A longtime hospice nurse, Hilliard was having her own health problems at the time. She was undergoing chemotherapy, and she and her husband couldnt afford a lawyer. So they signed an agreement in February to pay the state $250 a month for five years, with a $15,000 balloon payment due at the end. Now 56 and using a cane, she doesnt know how shell afford it. I just want them to stop it now, so that I could be able to live whatever time I have left without that hanging over my head, Hilliard said. I dont look for nobody to do nothing for me. When you do me wrong, just fix it. The latest on the RussiaUkraine crisis, May 30. Click here for updates from May 29. EU Leaders Agree to Ban 90 Percent of Russian Oil by Year-End European Union leaders agreed Monday to embargo most Russian oil imports into the bloc by year-end as part of new sanctions on Moscow worked out at a summit focused on helping Ukraine with a long-delayed package of new financial support. The embargo covers Russian oil brought in by sea, allowing a temporary exemption for imports delivered by pipeline, a move that was crucial to bring landlocked Hungary on board a decision that required consensus. EU Council President Charles Michel said the agreement covers more than two-thirds of oil imports from Russia. Ursula Von der Leyen, the head of the EUs executive branch, said the punitive move will effectively cut around 90 percent of oil imports from Russia to the EU by the end of the year. Michel said leaders also agreed to provide Ukraine with a 9 billion euro ($9.7 billion) tranche of assistance to support the war-torn countrys economy. It was unclear whether the money would come in grants or loans. Mikhail Ulyanov, Russias permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, responded to the EUs decision on Twitter, saying: As she rightly said yesterday, Russia will find other importers. The new package of sanctions will also include an asset freeze and travel ban on individuals, while Russias biggest bank, Sberbank, will be excluded from SWIFT, the major global system for financial transfers from which the EU previously banned several smaller Russian banks. Three big Russian state-owned broadcasters will be prevented from distributing their content in the EU. ___ Turkey Tells US It Wants Concrete Steps From Finland, Sweden for NATO Bids A chief adviser to Turkeys president told his U.S. counterpart that Turkey wanted concrete steps on the existence of what it calls terrorist organizations in Finland and Sweden before it would consider their NATO bids, the Turkish presidency said. U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Ibrahim Kalin, chief foreign policy adviser to President Tayyip Erdogan, spoke on Monday to discuss the NATO bids and the war in Ukraine, the Turkish presidency said in a statement. Turkey has objected to the two countries joining the Western defense alliance on the grounds that they harbor people linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) terrorist group and others it deems terrorists, and because Finland and Sweden halted arms exports to Turkey in 2019. In a statement, the Turkish presidency said Kalin had told Sullivan in a phone call that nations wanting to join NATO must internalize the alliances values and principles on security and counter-terrorism. It was emphasized that it is imperative for Sweden and Finland to take concrete steps regarding the terrorist organizations that threaten Turkeys national security, it added. ___ Gazprom Cutting Gas Sales to Dutch Supplier Russian state gas giant Gazprom confirmed on Monday it will halt gas supplies to a Dutch gas trader starting Tuesday due to its refusal to pay for deliveries in rubles, a requirement for European nations Russian President Vladimir Putin put forward earlier this year. GasTerra, based in the northern Dutch city of Groningen, announced the shutoff Monday. It said the move means Gazprom will not deliver some 2 billion cubic meters of gas through Oct. 1, the date the supply contract ends. In its statement cited by the Russian state news agency Tass, Gazprom said that GasTerra has not paid for the gas supplied in April. The Dutch trader said it has bought gas from other providers in anticipation of a possible Gazprom shutoff and Dutch Climate and Energy Minister Rob Jetten said in a statement that the government understands the cutoff will have no effect on the physical delivery of gas to Dutch households. GasTerra is a private company that is owned by the Dutch arms of energy giants Shell and Esso and the Dutch government. ____ Biden Wont Send Rockets to Strike in Russia President Joe Biden is suggesting that there are no plans for the United States to send long-range rocket systems to Ukraine, amid reports that the move is being considered. Biden told reporters outside the White House on Monday that we are not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that can strike into Russia. Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russias Security Council, said that it was a reasonable decision. He said that otherwise, if our cities come under attack, the Russian armed forces would fulfill (their) threat and strike the centers where such criminal decisions are made. Medvedev added that some of them arent in Kyiv. And he said that there is no need for a further explanation. ____ Kremlin Says Putin, Erdogan Discuss Ukraine The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken on the phone to Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and discussed the situation in Ukraine, among other things. According to the Kremlins readout of the Monday call, the emphasis was placed on the issues of ensuring safe navigation in the Black and Azov Seas, eliminating the mine threat in their waters. The readout says Putin noted the readiness of the Russian side to facilitate the unimpeded maritime transit of goods in coordination with Turkish partners. It says, This also applies to the export of grain from Ukrainian ports. The Kremlin says Putin confirmed to Erdogan that Russia can export significant amounts of fertilizers and agricultural products if sanctions against it are lifted. ____ French Journalist Killed in Ukraine, 1 Hurt A French news broadcaster says a 32-year-old French journalist has been killed in Ukraine while covering a humanitarian operation. BFM TV says the journalist was fatally hit by shell shrapnel while covering the Ukrainian evacuation operation on Monday. The broadcaster says Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff was in an armored vehicle near Sievierodonetsk, a key city in the Donbass region. French President Emmanuel Macron has paid tribute to Leclerc-Imhoff. Macron tweeted the journalist was in Ukraine to show the reality of the war. Macron says, Aboard a humanitarian bus, alongside civilians forced to flee to escape Russian bombs, he was fatally shot. Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko says another French journalist was wounded along with a Ukrainian woman who was accompanying them. ___ Hungarys PM Welcomes Possible Oil Compromise Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is welcoming a proposal for the European Union to slap an embargo on Russian oil transported by ship and to exempt oil pumped overland through Ukraine to his country. Orban says the idea is a good approach. But he wants guarantees that in the case of an accident with the pipeline Hungary would have the right to get Russian oil from other sources. Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Bulgaria rely on Russian oil and are reluctant to impose sweeping sanctions on crude. Russia supplies more than 60 percent of Hungarys oil. Orbans remarks came Monday at an extraordinary EU summit focused on helping Ukraine, with sanctions a clear focus of attention. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala also says that a ban on sea-transported oil has our support. Fiala says his country simply cannot afford a situation when wed lack some oil products. ____ Germanys Scholz: EU Oil Agreement Sooner or Later German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says hes confident that a good solution to a standoff over a proposed European Union embargo on Russian oil will be found sooner or later. Scholz said as he arrived at an EU summit Monday that Europes unity so far in the face of Russias attack on Ukraine sends a good signal and I am very confident that we will do so in the future too. Divisions have emerged over whether to target Russian oil in a new series of sanctions, with Hungary leading objections. But Scholz said he saw talks being conducted with a will to reach an agreement. He didnt address details of a possible solution but said the EUs strength lies in solving problems together and he is firmly convinced that we can continue discussing a good solution with each other today and tomorrow. Scholz said: No one can predict whether this will actually be the case, but everything I hear sounds as though there could be a consensus, and sooner or later there will be one. ____ Germany Cuts Red Tape to Issue Visas for Russian Government Critics Germany will make it faster and easier for critics of the Russian government to come and live in the country based on newly agreed criteria, an interior ministry spokesperson said. Human rights activists, employees of NGO and civil society groups with a connection to Germany, journalists, and researchers who have taken a stance against the war in Ukraine are among those who qualify to stay in the longer term, said the spokesperson on Monday at a regular government news conference. The spokesperson added that there was no reliable way to predict how many people this measure would affect. The move aims to remove some of the red tape involved in Germanys visa process and guarantee a longer stay than the 90 days allowed under the Schengen tourist visa. ____ NATO Looks to Historic Madrid Summit, With Sweden, Finland NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday that next months summit in Madrid will be a historic opportunity to strengthen the alliance in the face of Russian aggression against Ukraine. Speaking at a gala in Madrid to mark Spains 40th year as a NATO member, Stoltenberg said he looked forward to welcoming Sweden and Finland at the summit hosted by Spains capital on June 2930. At the Madrid summit, we will chart the way ahead for the next decade, Stoltenberg said. We will also be joined by Finland and Sweden, who have just made historic applications to join our alliance. The Madrid summit is an important opportunity to reaffirm our NATO values. But the leader of the 30-member alliance didnt address Turkeys reluctance to open the doors to Sweden and Finland. Turkey, which commands the second-largest military in NATO behind the United States, has cited the alleged support by the Nordic countries for Kurdish militants that Turkey considers terrorists as reason to reject their applications. Unanimous support is needed to add new NATO members. On Sunday, when Stoltenberg held a private session with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to prepare the summit, he expressed his confidence that Turkey can be convinced to drop its rejection of the Scandinavian pair. Turkey, an important ally, has expressed its concerns, and we have to do what we always do because our decisions are reached by consensus, he told Spanish state broadcaster TVE. Next months summit will redefine NATOs strategic priorities for the next decade, which Stoltenberg said include facing Chinese ambitions, the rise of anti-democratic states, and instability in Africa, a top priority for Spain on Europes southern flank. But its immediate focus will be on how to continue supporting Ukraine and deter any further aggression by Russian President Vladimir Putin. ____ Germany to Change Constitution to Enable $110 Billion Defense Fund Germany has agreed to change its constitution to allow for a credit-based special defense fund of 100 billion euros ($107.35 billion) proposed after Russias invasion of Ukraine, the German finance ministry announced on Sunday. Germanys center-right opposition and ruling coalition with center-left Social Democrats (SPD), Greens, and pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) said they reached the required two-thirds majority to exempt the defense fund from a constitutional debt brake. The money is to be used over several years to increase Germanys regular defense budget of around 50 billion euros and enable the country to meet the NATO target of spending 2 percent of its economic output on defense each year. ____ Heavy Fighting as Russian Troops Enter Outskirts of Sievierodonetsk Russian troops have entered the outskirts of the Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk, the regional governor said on Monday, describing very fierce fighting in the ruins of a city that has become the focus of Moscows offensive. Russia has concentrated its firepower on the last major population center still held by Ukrainian forces in the eastern Luhansk Province, in a push to achieve one of President Vladimir Putins stated objectives after three months of war. Incessant shelling has left Ukrainian forces defending ruins in Sievierodonetsk, but their refusal to withdraw has slowed the massive Russian offensive across the Donbass region. Luhansk region governor Serhiy Gaidai said Russian troops had advanced into the citys southeastern and northeastern fringes. But he said Ukrainian forces had driven the Russians out of the village of Toshkivka to the south, potentially frustrating Moscows push to encircle the area. Capturing Sievierodonetsk is a fundamental task for the occupiers We do all we can to hold this advance, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a televised speech. European Union leaders were due to meet on Monday and Tuesday to discuss a new sanctions package against Russia, potentially including an oil embargo. But EU governments have been unable to reach an agreement in a month of talks, with Hungary in particular saying it cannot afford to shut off the Russian oil that supplies its refineries through the huge Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. Ahead of the summit, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck expressed fears that EU unity was starting to crumble. But EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell claimed that there will be an agreement in the end, with a deal on the next sanctions package by Monday afternoon. ____ Authorities: At Least 5 Civilians Die in New Strikes Authorities in a Russia-backed separatist region in eastern Ukraine say at least five civilians have been killed in new Ukrainian shelling. The separatist authorities said those killed during the shelling of the city of Donetsk included a 13-year-old boy. They said another 13 civilians have been wounded in shelling Monday that damaged three schools in the city. Donetsk Mayor Alexei Kulemzin said that the Ukrainian forces apparently used U.S.supplied artillery systems in the attack. _____ Official Says Grain Being Sent to Russia An official installed by Russia in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine says grain from the area is being sent to Russia. Kirill Stremousov, the deputy head of the Russia-backed administration for the Kherson region, told Russias Tass state news agency on Monday that grain from last years harvest was being delivered to Russian buyers. There is space for storing [the next crop] although obviously there is a lot of grain here, Stremousov was quoted as saying. Now people are partially exporting, having reached agreements with those who are buying from the [Russian] side. Tass also reported that Stremousov said sunflower seeds could be sent to Russian processing plants to make sunflower oil. Ukraine has accused Russia of looting grain and farm equipment from territories held by its forces and the United States has alleged Russia is jeopardizing global food supplies by preventing Ukraine from exporting its harvest. Russian troops overran most of the Kherson region in the early weeks of the war and have tightened their grip on the area since. Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin visited the region earlier this month and suggested it could become part of our Russian family. ____ Russia Says It Struck Shipyard in Ukraines Mykolaiv Russias defence ministry said on Monday that its forces had struck a shipbuilding facility in the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv. Russian artillery struck a hangar in Mykolaivs Okean Shipyard, destroying vehicles and other equipment, the ministry said. Reuters was not able to independently verify the report. ____ Russia Plans Bond Payment System Like Rubles-for-Gas Scheme to Get Around Sanctions Russias finance chief said Moscow is planning a new system for making foreign bond payments similar to the rubles-for-gas scheme in an effort to prevent a historic sovereign default after Washington ended a key sanctions exemption that raised Russias chances of defaulting on its debt. Anton Siluanov, Russias finance minister, was cited by Vedomosti on May 30 as saying that the new system that is in the works would basically mirror the one in place that lets foreign buyers of Russian natural gas settle the transactions without falling afoul of sanctions. In March, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow would require unfriendly countries to pay for natural gas in rubles by opening several accounts at Gazprombank, then make payments in euros or dollars, which Russias settlement infrastructure converts into the Russian currency. Siluanov told Vedomosti that the new bond settlement system would operate in much the same way, but in reverse and in a way that bypasses Western payment infrastructure. Read the full article here ____ UK Claims Russia Suffers Devastating Losses Among Lower-ranked Officers Russia appears to have suffered devastating losses amongst mid- and junior-ranking officers in its conflict with Ukraine, raising the prospect of weaker military effectiveness in future, Britains defence ministry claimed on Monday. Brigade and battalion commanders were probably deploying to the most dangerous positions while junior officers have had to lead low-level tactical actions, the ministry said on Twitter in its latest Defence Intelligence update. With multiple credible reports of localised mutinies amongst Russias forces in Ukraine, a lack of experienced and credible platoon and company commanders is likely to result (in) a further decrease in morale and continued poor discipline, it said. The loss of younger officers was likely to exacerbate Russias problems in modernizing its military command and control, the ministry claimed. More immediately, battalion tactical groups which are being reconstituted in Ukraine from survivors of multiple units are likely to be less effective due to a lack of junior leaders, it said. ____ Ukraine Get Missiles, Howitzers as Zelenskyy Expects Good News on Arms Ukraine has started receiving Harpoon anti-ship missiles from Denmark and self-propelled howitzers from the United States, arms that will bolster forces fighting Russias invasion, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on Saturday. He said Harpoon shore-to-ship missiles would be operated alongside Ukrainian Neptune missiles to defend the coast, including the southern port of Odesa. Serhiy Bratchuk, a spokesman for the Odesa regional military administration in southern Ukraine, said in an online post that so many Harpoons have been handed over to us that we can sink the entire Russian Black Sea Fleet. Why not? Reznikov said Ukraine had also received a range of heavy artillery pieces, including modified U.S.made M109 self-propelled howitzers that will allow the Ukrainian military to strike targets from longer distances. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed Ukraine, working to boost weapons supplies, was approaching the point where it would outnumber the Russians technologically and in terms of its ability to strike. Of course, a lot depends on our partners and their readiness to provide Ukraine with everything necessary to protect freedom. And I expect good news on this next week, he said in a late-night video, without giving details. Zelenskyy adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said late on Saturday that the weapons we so desperately need will most likely be delivered soon. Key will be a NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels in mid-June, attended by Reznikov, Arestovych said on social media television. If the allies in the West do not delay then around June 20 the situation on the front will change greatly in our favor. ____ Ukrainian Defenders Hold Out in Donbass City Under Heavy Fire Russian forces intensified their attacks with barrages of heavy artillery to capture a key Ukrainian city in the southeastern region of Donbass, whose full takeover Moscows top diplomat said was now an unconditional priority. Constant Russian shelling has destroyed all of the critical infrastructures in Sievierodonetsk, the largest city Ukraine still controls in Luhansk, one of the regions in Donbass, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, while pledging to do everything to hold off the advance. Some 90 percent of buildings are damaged. More than two-thirds of the citys housing stock has been completely destroyed. There is no telecommunication, he said in a televised speech. Capturing Sievierodonetsk is a fundamental task for the occupiers We do all we can to hold this advance, he added. ___ Ukraines Donbass Unconditional Priority for Moscow: Russias Lavrov The liberation of Ukraines Donbass region is an unconditional priority for Moscow, while other Ukrainian territories should decide their future on their own, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Sunday. Lavrov was speaking in an interview with Frances TF1 television channel as Russia pressed on with its offensive to secure control of key towns in Donbass, Ukraines traditional industrial heartland made up of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. He reiterated Moscows claims that its special military operation in Ukraine is to demilitarize its neighbor after waves of NATOs eastward expansion and cleanse it of what it sees as Nazi-inspired nationalism. Kyiv refutes those claims as baseless pretexts for a land grab. The liberation of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, recognized by the Russian Federation as independent states, is an unconditional priority, Lavrov said, according to a text released by Russias Foreign Ministry. For the rest of the territories in Ukraine, he said: I do not believe that they will be happy to return to the authority of a neo-Nazi regime that has proven it is Russophobic in essence. These people must decide for themselves. Russias incursion, he said, became inevitable after Western countries failed to heed what he described as warnings about Ukraines disregard for, and military attacks on, its Russian-speaking citizens. Ukraine has denied making any such attacks. ____ Zelenskyy Visits Frontline in Rare Trip Outside Kyiv Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited troops on the frontline in Ukraines northeastern Kharkiv region on Sunday, his first official appearance outside the Kyiv region since the start of Russias invasion on Feb. 24. You risk your lives for us all and for our country, the Presidents office website cited him as telling the soldiers, adding that he handed out commendations and gifts. Zelenskyys chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, wrote on the Telegram app that the president had also visited Ukraines second-largest city of Kharkiv. Yermak said Zelenskyy toured destroyed residential buildings, noting that their replacements had to be built with bomb shelters in place. The presidents chief of staff added that 31 percent of the Kharkiv regions territory was currently occupied by Russia, and a further 5 percent had been taken back by Ukraine having been occupied earlier. Tom Ozimek, The Associated Press, and Reuters contributed to this report. NTV News 24 is a service of Nippon Television, Japan's leading broadcasting network. This page provides a selection of today's stories in English. U.S. bent on invading Venezuela, Venezuelan ruling party warns Xinhua) 10:46, May 31, 2022 CARACAS, May 30 (Xinhua) -- The United States is bent on invading Venezuela and has not relaxed its sanctions against the South American country, Diosdado Cabello, first vice president of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela, warned Monday. "It should be known and discussed daily in every corner of the country: imperialism has not stopped its efforts to invade our country," Cabello said during the Party's weekly press conference. Former U.S. officials recently acknowledged plans to destabilize Venezuela, and the White House has not abandoned that objective, he said. Venezuela is not a submissive nation, Cabello said, "we are rebels." (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun) CSIA is ready to make some noise again. The Chicago Southland Interstate Alliance, a project that linked Mokena, Orland Park and Tinley Park in 2017, is ready to make headway on property in the Interstate 80 corridor near the three villages. Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau gave a status report on the CSIA group at a State of the Village address May 24 at the Orland Park Civic Center. Weve been working on it for a long time, but its been sitting quiet because of no activity because of COVID and everything else, Pekau said after his speech. We were ready to start. We had some events planned, and COVID stopped everything. Now, were trying to figure out whats next and what the marketplace is going to give. The giving could be good. Pekau told the audience that one of the many projects the alliance is seeking is to bring a $10 billion auto parts manufacturer to the corridor. He said the corridor is one of four sites being considered, two in Illinois and two out of state. He said this company would be supplying a plant Hyundai is building in Georgia. First, they have to choose a site in Illinois, and we think we have the best site because were so close to the train stations and the highway, Pekau said. Well see how that plays out. Im pretty comfortable that this project is happening somewhere. Were down to being one out of four. We have a chance for that. That would be great. The corridor, near I-80 and LaGrange Road, boasts of quick access to several highways and rail services. It has a population of 4 million people in a 25-mile radius. Much of the corridor has been empty all this time and while the three villages would like to get something done, Pekau preaches patience. We are going to continue to stay patient, he told the crowd. We could fill that place up with warehousing and trucking and that would be very short-sighted and it would be a bad idea. We all agree on that. We would rather wait and see how everything works out. He says the group has the luxury of time. You dont have to say yes to everything, he said during his speech. I can tell you right now we can fill up all of our empty space with apartments. I dont think anybody would like that. We have to look at the long term and make sure the projects we approve are the right things, because we are not in a rush. While Pekau said that while some businesses dont find Illinois to be an attractive option, this area has plenty to offer. Its a good area for offices and different types of development, he said after the address. Were not looking at retail, but there might be a little bit of retail. "But it will be mixed-use, heavily on office and technological manufacturing. Maybe some biotech. Thats a possibility. COVID-19 has temporarily derailed some of CSIAs plans, but it also changed the business landscape and the alliance hopes to capitalize on that. Pekau points out that the pandemic forcing people to work from home has created a new dynamic in the workforce. Its not that they want to stay home and work, but they dont want to commute, he said. I think were going to see a lot of satellite offices for the workforce and we hope to see some of that. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 MICHIGAN CITY A person was shot at one of Northwest Indiana's most popular beaches as people started to flock back to the Lake Michigan lakefront on Memorial Day weekend. Several people called 911 at 4:10 p.m. Sunday to report shots fired on the beach at Washington Park Beach Stop 2 on the Michigan City lakefront. One person was shot, according to the Michigan City Police Department. "Multiple officers from Uniform Patrol Shift 2 quickly responded to Washington Park Stop 2 and learned that one subject had been shot," Sgt. Steve Forker said in a news release. "LaPorte County EMS arrived on scene and immediately transported the subject to Franciscan Health Michigan City Hospital with life-threatening injuries. Officers canvased the area and began to look for evidence and witnesses." The incident drew a massive response from first responders, including from the LaPorte County Sheriffs Office, Trail Creek Police Department, Michigan City Fire Department and LaPorte County EMS. Police interviewed witnesses at the two-mile-long white sands beach in the 99-acre Washington Park that visitors flock to every summer. The park is a Michigan City and Northwest Indiana landmark because of its iconic lighthouse. "Detectives were called in to assist," Forker said. "Detectives continue to interview witnesses, attempt to identify any suspect(s), search for video surveillance in the area and process evidence collected at the scene." Michigan City police are asking witnesses to contact them and provide any surveillance or cell phone videos they may have. "Additional information pertaining to this investigation will not be released at this time in order to protect the integrity of this ongoing investigation," he said. People are encouraged to submit tips to Lt. Anna Painter at 219-874-3221, ext. 1077, or via email at apainter@emichigancity.com. 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. VALPARAISO A former Porter County police officer is going to prison for child neglect that left his young son severely disabled. Lake Superior Court Judge Michael A. Fish imposed a 10-year sentence Tuesday on 52-year-old Curtis Jones for delaying medical aid to the then 6-month-old Braxson. The boy, who is now 6 years old, is blind and unable to walk, feed himself or communicate on his own. Jones, speaking publicly for the first time since his trial began in April, demanded the judge overturn two neglect counts now on his record and free him from what his lawyer described as an irrational, hate-filled prosecution. For the last six years, I have been living in this hellish nightmare, Jones said. The boys mother, Susan Jones, called Curtis Jones a monster and demanded he receive the maximum prison term of 15 years. Fish chose the middle ground. The judge suspended five years of a 15-year judgment and refused to declare Braxson a victim of shaken baby syndrome since last months jury acquitted Jones of battering the child. Fish also rejected defense claims Jones did nothing wrong, and was the real victim in a six-year legal drama. He said Jones, a nursing student and former police officer, should have acted immediately when his then 6-month-old son began having breathing problems early July 24, 2016, in their home. The judge said Jones ignored the danger signs and displayed a leisurely attitude about his sons medical difficulties when he finally called 911 for help. He has shown zero remorse today. Nor has he apologized. This was a tragic case. It will be difficult to believe justice can be done because I cant return Braxson Jones to good health, the judge said. The judge said only Jones and the boy know what happened between midnight, when Jones took over from a babysitter, and when he called his wife at her overnight nursing job to say Braxson was cold, stiff and barely breathing. He then called 911. The paramedic who responded to the distress call testified at last months trial he did not notice any injuries or suspect child abuse. But doctors found bleeding and a swelling of the childs brain they said could only be explained by head trauma. A Porter Superior Court jury heard three weeks of evidence and deliberated 28 hours before acquitting Jones May 13 of battery, but convicting him of neglect verdicts that left neither the prosecution nor defense dissatisfied. The mother said afterwards she remains upset it took six years to achieve, blaming a former prosecutor and judge in the case of handling the former police officer too leniently. She said Braxson survived a recent bout with COVID-19, but still requires 24-hour care, faces major surgeries and a shortened life expectancy. Hes trapped in a body that doesnt work, she said. She said she will sue to terminate Jones parental rights and hopes Indiana law will be changed so Jones could be prosecuted for homicide if Braxson does die prematurely. Jones, wearing orange Porter County Jail coveralls and handcuffed for most of the hearing, told the court, What am I guilty of? Please see that I was innocent. The whole (prosecution) case was to show I was so stressed out that I snapped that I hurt my son." He argued Braxson had been a sickly child previously and he and the mother took him to hospital emergency rooms, only to be told it was a minor infection and the child was otherwise healthy. So he said he wasnt overly alarmed that morning: I didnt know how sick Braxson was. He said he called the boys mother and then 911 that morning. "If I had wanted to neglect him, I wouldnt have called anyone. I would have left him sleeping in his swing and he wouldnt be here today, Jones said. The boy sat quietly in the courtroom audience section in a child-sized mobility chair, only moaning occasionally during the two-hour sentencing. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CROWN POINT Three weeks after pleading guilty to a felony count of official misconduct in connection to allegations he illegally signed off on salvage auto title applications, a Gary police officer remained on unpaid administrative leave, officials said. Officer Nicholas M. Range, 32, pleaded guilty May 10 to official misconduct, a level 6 felony, and was placed on probation for six months. In exchange for his plea, Lake County prosecutors agreed to dismiss a felony count of perjury filed against Range in February 2021. Gary Police Chief Brian Evans filed an administrative complaint seeking Range's termination in January 2021, Gary Police Civil Service Commission records showed. At the time, the commission unanimously voted to accept the complaint and assign a hearing officer. However, the commission had not scheduled a hearing on the complaint as of late last week, said Angela Brown, the commission's administrator. When Lake Criminal Court Judge Natalie Bokota accepted Range's plea agreement earlier this month, she thanked him for entering public service and urged him to find a way to forgive himself for a "dramatic mistake." Deputy Prosecutor Douglas Shaw said Range would not be able to seek employment as a police officer as a result of his conviction. Range's attorney, Russell Brown, said the crime was a result of a lapse in judgment and Range was facing the consequences. Range had no previous criminal history, Shaw said. Bokota entered Range's conviction as a misdemeanor, which was a condition of his plea agreement. Prosecutors also agreed to allow Range to petition the court to expunge his conviction upon successful completion of probation. According to charging documents, Range signed off on 18 individual affidavits for restoration of a salvage vehicle that were subsequently submitted by a Gary car lot to the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. On each form, Range certified he was a law enforcement officer in Indiana and had personally examined each vehicle, its major components and ownership documents, according to court records. Range attested that the salvage restoration of each vehicle conformed with the law and that making a false statement on the form could result in a perjury charge, records state. Salvage title applications help ensure stolen auto parts are not being used to restore wrecked vehicles, police said. Indiana State Police determined Range had used the computer in his police car to check the vehicle identification numbers of just two of the 18 vehicles, according to documents. A business owner told police he paid Range $30 for each salvage title, but Range never visually inspected the vehicles. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 1 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CEDAR LAKE As people fired up grills and burn pits across Northwest Indiana during Memorial Day weekend, one fire got out of hand. Police officers had to rescue a homeowner and her two dogs Monday from a house fire sparked by "careless open burning in a fire pit by a neighbor in the high winds," according to the Cedar Lake Police Department. "Southcom Dispatch received a 911 call of a residential structure fire in the 13500 blk of Bryan St. Officer Alexis Dills and Officer Jarrett Stickle arrived on scene and assisted the homeowner and her two dogs in getting out of the residence," Cedar Lake Police Department Deputy Chief Carl Brittingham said in a news release. "Sgt. Tim Kilgore assisted in making certain the Cedar Lake Fire Department would be able to get into the area which is restricted to one narrow roadway in and out of the neighborhood." Firefighters from the Cedar Lake Fire Department responded to the house fire. First responders also assisted from the Lake Dale, Lake Hills, Lowell, Crown Point, St. John, Dyer and Beecher fire departments and the Tri-Creek EMS. "The fire was quickly struck which saved a large part of the home and personal belongings," Brittingham said. "This was a tremendous accomplishment considering the high winds, the type of exterior fire, and the limited access to the house and neighborhood." Preliminary investigation showed a neighbor was to blame for the blaze. "The details of the fire are still under investigation, however, preliminary investigation revealed that the fire was the result of careless open burning in a fire pit by a neighbor in the high winds," Brittingham said. "The fire pit caught tires and a wooden fence on fire, which quickly spread to the rear of the structure." The Cedar Lake police and fire departments plan to bring the findings of their investigation to the Lake County prosecutor for consideration of criminal charges. "The Cedar Lake Police Department commends our Officers, the Cedar Lake Fire Department, and supporting agencies for their quick response to preserve life and property," Brittingham said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CROWN POINT Gold Star dad Dana Stewart reined in until the end of his speech the emotions of losing his son, Ian, a U.S. Marine on Dec. 12, 2004. It was then that Stewart couldn't contain his deep grief. "I miss him," Stewart said. Stewart, of Crown Point, was one of several speakers, local and state officials, veterans and others who gathered Monday at Historic Maplewood Cemetery to remember fallen soldiers, sailors and Marines. The Memorial Day service began with a parade that included local Boy Scouts and the Crown Point High School Royal Regiment band. The parade started at the Cal Ripken parking lot and ended at the cemetery entrance. Opening remarks at the service were made by American Legion Post 20 Kevin Dvorak. Dvorak spoke of the history of Memorial Day, formerly known as Decoration Day, following the Civil War. The holiday has continued to be a day to honor with flags and flowers the gravesites of those who paid a personal price for us and our nation, Dvorak said. The loss of servicemen and servicewomen through the history of the United States is 1.2 million, Dvorak said. He asked everyone at the service to later in the day pause at 3 p.m. to reflect and remember those who served. "Thank a veteran today. Thank them for making our lives better," Dvorak said. Crown Point Mayor David Uran spoke of honoring at the service a melting pot of sorts since all branches of the military come together. Uran thanked those who volunteered their time to put together the service and also thanked those who came to the service to honor the military who sacrificed their lives. "Your presence today is a tribute to the lost troops and their families," Uran said. Uran spoke about losing his own grandfather, who served in World War II. Uran read a letter, signed by then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in honor of his grandfather's ultimate service to his country. "This is what today is all about," Uran said. Stewart, who had also lost his grandfather to war, said his son, Ian, was only 17 years old when he decided in 2000 to join the U.S. Marines. "I told him that our country is at peace now but that may not always be the case," Stewart said. His son joined the service and was in boot camp on Sept. 11, 2001. Ian was later sent to Iraq, and it was there that he lost his life on Dec. 12, 2004 when Ian was shot and killed by a terrorist. Ian's assignment had been to train Iraq soldiers. "On one of his last phone calls, home he told us he understands why he was there. I'm thankful he could see a point," Stewart said. Many veterans were in attendance at the service, including retired U.S. Navy Commander David Stanton, of Lafayette. Stanton, who grew up in Crown Point, said he's been coming to the Crown Point service since 1971 "I've only missed eight times, and those were when I was in active duty," Stanton said. Stanton said he comes to his hometown each year because he loves Crown Point and Memorial Day. "It's the most important secular day of the year," Stanton said. Veteran Catherine Miller, of Crown Point, who served in the U.S. Air Force for 22 years, said she comes to the service each year. "Just to remember my fellow servicemen who died," Miller said. Mary Ann Graden, of Crown Point, who serves as an American Legion honor guard, said she has been coming to the Memorial Day service for more than 30 years. Graden said her late husband, Donald Graden, served in both World War II and the Korean War and is buried at the cemetery. "It's a sad day but a happy day because he's at peace," Graden said. In addition to her husband's military service, Graden had a brother who served in the U.S. Navy and two grandsons who served or are serving in the military. "We have a lot of military in our family," Graden said. Music was provided by the Crown Point High School Royal Regiment, which performed a patriotic salute and the Star-Spangled Banner. The service closed with a prayer by Perry McLemore, of Southlake Christian Church, a salute to the dead by Post 20 and Taps. 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. GARY Police officers hope to do their job daily, then return home safe. Most do. Some never return home. The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 61 paid tribute to 15 officers at its annual Fallen Officers Memorial recently at the citys Public Safety Facility. Officers honored fallen comrades and their families. It doesnt get easier, only harder, said Tim Yaros, of Valparaiso, whose father, George Yaros, was killed in 1981. I was married five months before the shooting, and my father was my best man. A few months later, his first grandchild was born. Honored were Gary officers killed in the line of duty between 1921 and 2014, when Jeffrey Westerfield died. Lt. Dawn Westerfield, the mother of his children, has been on the Gary force for more than 20 years. Coming back to the annual ceremony, the lieutenant said, is like the first time, every time. Its wonderful to see them remembered. Sgt. Greg Wolf, president of Gary FOP, said these fallen officers were willing to make sacrifices for the common good. They will never be forgotten. Gary police Lt. Derrick Cannon called these officers peacemakers who exhibited true love through sacrifice, virtue, and caring for one another. Noting that police work is not easy for officers or their families, Police Chief Brian Evans told his fellow officers, Im so proud of the job you do every day and continue to do. For Mayor Jerome A. Prince, These officers all paid the ultimate price to protect us. When they put on that uniform, every day they put their lives on the line for every one of us. Despite daily challenges, the mayor continued, They keep believing they can make a difference in the community. That is the true definition of valor and honor. In addition to officers killed on duty, the service recognized 12 former officers who died in the past year. These officers will be missed, said Lt. Jeff Tatum. Keynote speaker William Godwin, president of the Gary City Council, cited recent acts of violence and said, We benefit from the sacrifices from all officers. Noting that citizens have the luxury of calling upon police to fight our battles," Godwin said todays police continue the tradition of those who died in action. Current police, the First District councilman said, carry the banner of honor. Honoring Dorian D. Rorex, killed in 1974, were his sons David, of Valparaiso, and Dorian Jr., of Portage, and grandson Kylo, 1. We come ever year, David said. Its good to know hes remembered. As the names of fallen officers were announced, an officer attached a white flower to a floral star. In some cases, family members accompanied the officer. These included Jeannette Donald-Gillis, of Gary, sister of Louis W. Donald Jr., killed in 2001. He lived his life for people, the sister said. Id like people to remember him as we do. He was a good guy. 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. LAPORTE COUNTY A teenager died and four more were hurt in an off-road vehicle crash in LaPorte County on Saturday night. The fatal off-road vehicle crash took place before 9 p.m. in Rolling Prairie. Indiana conservation officers from the Department of Natural Resources were dispatched to the 9400 block of N 500 E in LaPorte County to investigate a report of a serious off-road vehicle accident with bodily injury. "Upon arrival, investigating officers learned a 13-year-old juvenile operator lost control of a side-by-side ORV while attempting to turn at a high rate of speed. This caused the ORV to roll over, ejecting the occupants," Indiana Conversation Officer Tyler Brock said in a news release. A 14-year-old passenger was taken to Northwest Health LaPorte and pronounced deceased at the hospital. A 15-year-old passenger had to be airlifted to a Chicago trauma center to be treated for serious injuries. That teen's condition was not immediately available. Three other juveniles were treated for minor injuries at the scene. "The investigation into the incident is ongoing and additional information will be released as it becomes available," Brock said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. PORTAGE A Portage man still with a vice grip-like handshake and sharp mind was preparing for possible combat duty when World War II ended. Walter Spuck, 94, was recognized during the annual Memorial Day ceremony in Portage. He and his also spry wife, Dolly, 92, were among the well over 100 people at Founders Square for the ceremony where U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-Highland, was the keynote speaker. The audience responded when Mrvan encouraged applause for the longtime married couple at the ceremony every year. Ive been around a little bit, said Spuck, who credited staying active by doing things like bowling for his long and still healthy life. Spuck, who grew up in Chicago, was 17 and in boot camp with the Marines when the war with Germany ended in 1945. He served his country for four years and later relocated to Portage where he drove a truck delivering groceries. He held that job for 34 years before retiring in 1989. Spuck said his late brother, Richard, survived the infamous Battle of the Bulge, widely viewed as the beginning of the end of the war because of heavy casualties, especially for the Germans, during the over six-week offensive. He killed five Germans. He wiped out a machine gun nest, he said. Spuck also revealed his brother-in-law, Richard Eckenstahler, came back from the war safely after being taken as a prisoner by Germany. Theyre both gone now, so here I am, he said. Al Poracky, of Portage, spent four years in the Air Force beginning in 1975 after the Vietnam War. Poracky, 66, said he takes time on Memorial Day to remember the people he served with and hopes the city always honors fallen soldiers with a ceremony. Itll be up to the younger generation to carry it on. I really hope they do, he said. The ceremony included the traditional posting of colors and 21-gun salute by members of the Portage High School Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps, which is sponsored by the United States Armed Forces across the country. Portage Mayor Sue Lynch thanked the American Legion Post 260 for hosting the event and the people in attendance for paying tribute to all of the fallen soldiers in the nations history. It is because of their great sacrifice that we enjoy the freedom we have in this country, she said. Mrvan said those freedoms valued across the globe are sometimes taken for granted here. He said Americans should always remember the men and women driven by a strong faith and belief in the country to fight and lose their lives for it. Theyre not there for their children. Theyre not there for their wives and husbands. That sacrifice equates to our freedom and the greatness of this nation, Mrvan said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. One of the five commissioners responsible for ensuring Indiana utilities provide Hoosiers safe, reliable and affordable service is leaving his post to become a lobbyist for the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. David Ober, a Purdue University Northwest graduate first appointed to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission in 2018 by Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb, is set to resign as an IURC commissioner June 22, according to the governor's office. He'll then begin working for the state's top business organization as vice president of taxation and public finance, tasked with promoting tax policies favored by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce to members of the Republican-controlled General Assembly. Ober previously served as a Republican member of the Indiana House from 2012 to 2018 representing five counties in the Fort Wayne area. "David is one of the most intellectually curious and thorough individuals Ive ever come across in the public policy and rule making arena. Couple that with his firsthand knowledge of the General Assembly and experience with state fiscal matters and he is an ideal fit for this role," said Kevin Brinegar, chamber president. "We couldnt be more pleased to welcome him on board to lead our efforts to further enhance the states business tax climate." Ober said he's eager to continue the work of his retiring chamber predecessor, Bill Waltz, by building on the chamber's reputation with Hoosier policymakers. "The Indiana chamber leadership and public policy team has some of the best minds working to shape the future of commerce and the economic environment in our state," Ober said. The governor's office is soliciting applications through June 30 from individuals interested in taking over Ober's $134,000 a year position at the IURC. More information about the vacancy and the application are available online by searching "IURC Nominating Committee." 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 authorities in Omaha urged some residents to evacuate on Monday after a three-alarm fire at a chemical plant sent clouds of black smoke billowing over the city, officials said. The fire was detected just before 7 p.m. at a factory owned by Nox-Crete, said Scott Fitzpatrick, a battalion chief with the Omaha Fire Department. The company is based in Omaha, a city of nearly half a million people in Nebraska, and manufactures chemical products. Fire crews that entered the factory on Monday evening left after discovering propane and other chemicals inside, and the front side of the building later collapsed, Chief Fitzpatrick said. There were no immediate reports of injuries. The authorities, however, urged people who live near the Nox-Crete plant, which is south of downtown, to evacuate on Monday night because smoke from the fire was threatening to blow over a residential area, Chief Fitzpatrick said. In April, Ali Alexander, a prominent Stop the Steal organizer, revealed that he had been served with his own grand jury subpoena, asking for records about people who organized, spoke at or provided security for pro-Trump rallies in Washington after the election, including Mr. Trumps incendiary event near the White House on Jan. 6. Mr. Alexanders subpoena also sought records about members of the executive or legislative branches who may have helped to plan or execute the rallies, or who tried to obstruct, influence, impede or delay the certification of the 2020 presidential election. Last week, word emerged that the same grand jury, sitting in Washington, had more recently issued a different set of subpoenas requesting information about the role that a group of lawyers close to Mr. Trump may have had played in a plan to create alternate slates of pro-Trump electors in key swing states that were won by Joseph R. Biden Jr. The lawyers named in the subpoena included Mr. Trumps personal attorney, Rudolph W. Giuliani; Jenna Ellis, who worked with Mr. Giuliani; John Eastman, one of the former presidents chief legal advisers during the postelection period; and Kenneth Chesebro, who wrote a pair of memos laying out the details of the plan. Those subpoenas also requested information about any members of the Trump campaign who may been involved with the alternate elector scheme and about several Republican officials in Georgia who took part in it, including David Shafer, the chairman of the Georgia Republican Party. Mr. Navarros subpoena, by his own account, was issued by a different grand jury. In the draft of the suit he said he intends to file, he argues that only Mr. Trump can authorize him to testify. He asks a judge to instruct Mr. Graves, the U.S. attorney in Washington, to negotiate his appearance with Mr. Trump. Mr. Navarro cites Mr. Trumps invocation of executive privilege over materials related to the attack on the Capitol. The executive privilege invoked by President Trump is not mine or Joe Bidens to waive, Mr. Navarro writes. Rather, as with the committee, the U.S. attorney has constitutional and due process obligations to negotiate my appearance. BRUSSELS European Union leaders have reached a landmark political agreement to ban the vast majority of Russian oil imports by the end of the year, a measure that was considered impossible in the early stages of the Russian invasion of Ukraine because of the blocs high dependency on the fuel. In the coming days, negotiators still need to work out technical details of the agreement, but E.U. leaders said they had agreed to ban Russian oil arriving in the bloc by sea by the end of the year, cutting off two-thirds of the E.U.s total imports. Hungary and its prime minister, Viktor Orban, an occasional ally of Mr. Putin, had been blocking the measure. To win Hungarys approval, European leaders agreed to allow pipeline imports. Five European countries import Russian oil by pipeline. Germany and Poland agreed to cut off all Russian imports, including those arriving by pipeline, by the end of the year, but Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic made no such pledge. The three countries are very dependent on Russian oil imports, but Slovakia and the Czech Republic have already indicated that they were working toward switching their supply away from Russia. EMBRACE FEARLESSLY THE BURNING WORLD: Essays, by Barry Lopez I would ask you, writes Barry Lopez in one of the essays collected in Embrace Fearlessly the Burning World, not to give in to the temptation to despair. These days, its what you could call a Big Ask. Lopez, who before his death at 75 had traveled to more and stranger corners of the earth than most of us have bothered to imagine, certainly understood it as such. To read the newspapers today, to merely answer the phone, he wrote elsewhere, is to know the world is in flames. So perhaps his request is better read as a challenge not only to readers but also to himself, a writer who, as long as he can keep our attention, holds our souls in his hands. Lopez did not take the task of writing lightly. The books for which he is still best known Of Wolves and Men (1978) and Arctic Dreams (1986) are works of extraordinary immersive rigor, imaginative breadth and intellectual depth. He published novels, short stories, a memoir of sorts and countless essays, both substantial and ephemeral. In one of the 27 essays that are collected here, he tries to pin down the point of it all: The central project of my adult life as a writer, he says, is to know and love what we have been given, and to urge others to do the same. Throughout this book, Lopez considers his calling in terms that are unabashedly spiritual. Raised a Catholic, he was fixated in high school, he wrote, on emulating the life of the Jesuit paleontologist and theologian Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. Even after drifting away from Catholicism, he took time off from a New York publishing job for a retreat at the Kentucky abbey where the mystic and writer Thomas Merton lived. Fortunately for us, he didnt stay. But years later, Lopez still relied on the centrality of a life of prayer, which I broadly took to be a continuous, respectful attendance to the presence of the Divine. Prayer was ones daily effort to be incorporated within that essence. That is a definition broad enough to include the act of writing, especially if your sentences shimmer and punch as magnificently and as hard as Lopezs do. Lopez focused much of his respectful attendance on the land itself: this earth and the manifold forms of life that teem upon it. In one of the best essays in the collection, and one of the finest pieces of writing about Los Angeles that I have read, Lopez recalls a bucolic childhood in Reseda, a San Fernando Valley neighborhood that is now synonymous with dense suburbia but that in the 1950s was mainly farmland. The essay is in part a history, from the genocidal arrival of whites in the Valley to the whiplash suburbanization of the postwar boom. (He describes the latter as like watching something emphatic move across the land, implacable, unfolding like the flaps of a cardboard box.) Americas birthing was a glorious story, clean and brave noble men rebelling against an unjust and arbitrary power in the name of freedom and equality and self-determination. In 1976, his scout troop raised the flag over Lexington Green at the start of the Bicentennial celebration. As he says, I came by my patriotism honestly. But much later in life this story takes on a different meaning to McKibben. He laments that some of the New England revolutionaries were slaveholders. There was a place name not far from his old neighborhood where a rebellious enslaved man was hanged and tarred, his body displayed in an iron cage as a warning. McKibben is greatly influenced, as well, by Nikole Hannah-Joness 1619 Project, which seeks to reframe American history by putting slavery at the center of the narrative. McKibben does note that many historians took issue with Hannah-Joness original contention that one of the main reasons the colonists went to war was to protect slavery. (The phrasing was later changed to some of the colonists.) No matter. McKibben has shed his long-held view of Americas founding. Because lets be real: Right now all that talk about equality, and farmers standing up to kings, and so on the talk that was so appealing to me when I was a guide, and which still stirs me when I read it is hard to take seriously in a country that has turned out as unequal as the one in which we live. Of course, you could argue that flawed people still produce lasting change for the betterment of humanity, a pattern for much of history. Behind the stirring words of many a brave and enlightened soul is someone doing something dastardly. What matters is the longevity of the ideas. For McKibben, one revisionist view led to another. Once the thread tugging begins, of course, it continues; that is its nature, and before long your warm and cozy sweater is full of raveling holes. At the beginning of Albions Seed, Fischer justified this approach by stating that every period of the past, when understood in its own terms, is not just prologue, but immediate to the present. It is erroneous, he explained, to think of history as the study of change and discontinuity. He was much criticized for these assumptions in his earlier book, and here too he asserts the connections without tracing the explicit links and influences through the years of the mid-19th century and beyond. But for all the parallels between the two studies, 2022 is not 1989. In the era of The 1619 Project and of right-wing attacks on what is characterized as critical race theory, African American history poses different challenges and questions than did a study of British folkways. Fischer assails what he sees as a deeply negative turn in historical writing in the 21st century, as well as a cultivated carelessness of fact and evidence. He insists that his study will be an open-ended inquiry, not an argument or a thesis or a polemic. Yet his book, as its subtitle indicates, is clearly an argument: How Enslaved People Expanded American Ideals. He is intent to show, in a phrase he repeats often, that Africans made a difference in American history, and that they continue to make a profound difference in our world. He does not ignore or minimize the brutality, cruelty and injustice of slavery and racism, but this is nonetheless a celebratory narrative that belies his declaration in the introduction that he does not begin with predominantly positive or negative judgments about the main lines of American history. African Founders is fundamentally an appreciation of the place of Black people in America past and present, as well as an appreciation of the nation of which they became a part. Their creativity he uses the words creative or creativity over 100 times in the book combined African characteristics with the customs of the peoples and societies among which they found themselves to make signal contributions to a syncretic American culture. For each region he outlines this process, summarizing in his conclusion four distinctive African gifts to American life: language and speech, music, spirit and soul, and ethics and freedom. The very word gift which also makes frequent appearances in his text may offer a hint about the difficulties inherent in this approach. Gift indicates something that is freely given, not something seized from one who is in bondage. And at the same time, it suggests something that is less than essential or formative: a contribution or an add-on rather than a foundation. Yet Fischer has titled his book African Founders, a term that resonates within our national history and mythology with its implications of defining and enduring influence. He argues that in struggling for their own freedom, Black people expanded and transformed Americas understanding of what freedom meant. The presence of enslaved Africans and their descendants, he suggests, has made us freer than we would otherwise be. Does that describe us today? Is not the exact opposite the case? How do we explain why the United States has incarcerated the highest percentage of its population of any country in the world, with Black men imprisoned at more than five times the rate of white men? Persisting racism and the inequality and injustice it yields continue to make us less free in spite of the centuries of struggle Fischer venerates. As he acknowledges, good history does indeed require us to go beyond both celebration and condemnation. Perhaps the debate his new book is likely to generate can help move us toward that goal. A new world opens before Mary, full of shiny furniture and shiny ideas. She embarks on a daring friendship with Nettletons head nurse, the dashing Roberta Nolan call me Bertie that leads to a romance with a muckraking journalist, Jake Enright. Marys future gleams with promise, until she glimpses a familiar face among the Nettleton inmates. Lillian Faust grew up in the same orphanage as Mary and now finds herself milking cows on Vogels model farm not because she is feebleminded shes the opposite of that but because she bore a child with a Black man. Mary doesnt awaken to the corruption at Nettleton in an instant. Her eyes open in flickers, because she is a human being and doesnt want to see what is inconvenient to her own needs, both materially and spiritually. Vogels motherly patronage offers rewards that seduce her compliance. But, as the doctors monstrousness reveals itself, Mary enters a baroque psychological dance. The weather turns colder; the mood turns darker. Leary is in full command as the story spirals to the kind of harrowing climax blizzard raging, phone lines cut that forces Mary to stake her moral ground. The Foundling is Learys first historical novel, and she has all the right instincts, by which I mean she inhabits Mary without modern conceit. Yes, the speakeasy slang and the gin fizzes are there, but any competent hack can recreate the sounds and sights of the past. Leary does something more daring she asks you to root for a protagonist who comes equipped with the orthodoxies of her own day. Engle isnt some magically enlightened dream girl who sheds the pixie dust of contemporary social justice on the benighted bigots of yesteryear. She is on a journey, as we say, which gives her moment of reckoning its power. If The Foundling lacks the sly, delicious wit of Learys previous books, its only because Leary is such a virtuoso that she doesnt indulge herself at the expense of Marys characterization. Back to the conundrum in the introduction. Our villains moral impulses are corrupted by good old-fashioned lust for power, whereas Sanger and most of her fellow eugenicists wanted only to harness science to make the world a better (in their eyes) place. When Leary aligns Dr. Vogel with the forces of cronyism and big business, she may be pointing a finger at her historical inspiration or she may be serving our taste for a familiar bad guy. But Leary is too clever and too honest not to know exactly what shes doing; The Foundling arrests us precisely because its antagonist comes cloaked in the good intentions of progressive social reform. Leary pins her cautionary tale on the portrait of Vogel herself and her iron conviction that shes doing the right thing. The end very often justifies the means, she tells Mary. No revolutionary believes herself to be on the wrong side of history, after all. Book clubs, uncork your bottles. Advocates of mandates sometimes argue that they do have a big effect even if it is not evident in populationwide data, because of how many other factors are at play. But this argument seems unpersuasive. After all, the effect of vaccines on severe illness is blazingly obvious in the geographic data: Places with higher vaccination rates have suffered many fewer Covid deaths. The patterns are clear even though the world is a messy place, with many factors other than vaccines influencing Covid death rates. Yet when you look at the data on mask-wearing both before vaccines were available and after, as well as both in the U.S. and abroad you struggle to see any patterns. Almost 30 percent The idea that masks work better than mask mandates seems to defy logic. It inverts a notion connected to Aristotles writings: that the whole should be greater than the sum of the parts, not less. The main explanation seems to be that the exceptions often end up mattering more than the rule. The Covid virus is so contagious that it can spread during brief times when people take off their masks, even when a mandate is in place. Airplane passengers remove their masks to have a drink. Restaurant patrons go maskless as soon as they walk in the door. Schoolchildren let their masks slide down their faces. So do adults: Research by the University of Minnesota suggests that between 25 percent and 30 percent of Americans consistently wear their masks below their nose. Europes leaders reach deal on Russian oil embargo The E.U. agreed yesterday to ban most imports of Russian oil, the harshest economic penalty yet imposed for Russias invasion of Ukraine and potentially Europes biggest sacrifice. The bloc had already cut off Russian banks, frozen Russian assets and sent advanced weaponry to Ukraine. Follow the latest updates from the war. E.U. leaders endorsed an embargo on Russian oil delivered by tankers, the primary method, effectively reducing imports by two-thirds, with commitments to reduce imports by pipeline. Charles Michel, president of the European Council, announced the deal in a late-night tweet, though many details remain to be hashed out. Russias war in Ukraine is financed by sales of crude and refined petroleum and natural gas, which account for most of the countrys export revenue, collected primarily by state-controlled energy companies. Analysts say that Russia will continue to find some buyers for its oil but that sales volume and profits are likely to drop significantly once the embargo takes effect. Impact: Europe relies heavily on Russian fuels. Officials have warned that the financial cost to E.U. countries will be high. Other sources are expected to be more expensive, and gas and oil shortages are a real possibility. The prohibition on oil deliveries aboard tankers will have no effect on Hungary, a landlocked nation. Still, when Okada first offered the NFT, it was valued at about $12,000; its now worth half that. While his company seeks tenants for the building, it is also putting the property up for sale as an NFT essentially a ticket to acquire the deed. Houses have been sold this way, but Mr. Okada, who is offering his building on OpenSea for $29.5 million or 15,105 Ether, the cryptocurrency that can be used to purchase the NFT, said he believed this was the first time a commercial building in New York had gone the same route. Whether this is the wave of the future or a marketing gimmick remains to be seen, insiders say. Solana, which took a 10-year lease at 141 East Houston, does not intend to fill up its new office with desk space for employees the company does not require daily appearances. Instead, it plans to build out the space for meetings and boot camps, known as hacker houses. Solana also plans to occupy a floor at EmpireDAO, the new web3 co-working operation, at 190 Bowery, a six-story former bank with landmark status that was the longtime home of the photographer Jay Maisel. Solana is taking the floor meant for TerraUSD, a stablecoin that imploded this month. EmpireDAO is envisioned as a sort of maker space for the web3 community. Its management system will be based on cryptocurrency, said Mike Fraietta, EmpireDAOs founder, but its landlord, RFR, requires rent payments the old-fashioned way. Our lenders require U.S. dollars, were making our mortgage payments in U.S. dollars, and that means our rents have to come in U.S. dollars, said AJ Camhi, director of leasing at RFR Realty. The whole energy policy dynamic in Florida has alienated the public interest, said E. Leon Jacobs Jr., a former chairman of the Florida Public Service Commission who was elected president of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, a nonprofit environmental organization, in September 2020. There absolutely were issues and challenges that should have been made in regard to that transmission line. The project will be funded in part by a $692 million increase in customers rates in 2022 part of $4.9 billion in cumulative rate increases over four years that the Public Service Commission approved long after Mr. Jacobss departure. Because of the lines voltage, the projects design and suitability did not require more detailed reviews by the commission and other state agencies. Transmission data collected by the U.S. Department of Energy highlights how unusual 161-kilovolt lines are, particularly over long distances. Just 3 percent of all transmission lines in the country are 161 kilovolts, and they average five miles in length, said Mr. McCullough, who reviewed the data. The Public Service Commission, responsible for ensuring that utility investments are prudent and avoid economic waste, declined to comment about the transmission line, its funding or Florida Power & Lights practices, noting that the rate case could be appealed. The company said it had met its legal and regulatory requirements. To be blunt, this type of criticism is misguided and demonstrates a fundamental lack of understanding of how the regulatory process works, said David Reuter, a spokesman for NextEra Energy, which owns the utility. The unanimous F.P.S.C. decision on FPLs rate case is the culmination of the customary, transparent, nearly yearlong public process of reviewing and setting new electric base rates. Richard Gentry, who was named the states top consumer advocate early last year after long working as a lobbyist for tobacco, alcohol, horse racing, manufacturing and other industries, said his office had no authority to question a low-voltage transmission project. Mr. Gentry did, however, take part in negotiations regarding the rate case that included the transmission project. The approved rate increase includes a return for the utility that is among the highest in the country and valued at as much as $1 billion more than the states two other investor-owned utilities (Duke Energy and Tampa Electric). There are other long-running environmental conflicts in Alaska as well. Among them is the dispute over oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which has simmered since the 1970s, and the fight over the Ambler Road, a proposal for a 210-mile mine-access road, part of which would run through Gates of the Arctic National Park. The project is a relative newcomer, having been first proposed in the 2000s. Clearly, environmental disputes in Alaska are in a league of their own. The reasons are complex, but heres a quick basic look at some of them. Theres a lot of environment to fight over. Alaska is a behemoth, and aside from the Anchorage area, Fairbanks and Juneau, still largely undeveloped, with more wilderness by far than any other state. The law at the center of the King Cove dispute, for instance, in one fell swoop provided protection for 104 million acres of land. Thats an area the size of California, and nearly 5 percent of the total land area of the United States. There are a lot of resources to fight over, too. The metals that the Pebble Mine would extract are estimated to be worth $300 billion. The commercial salmon fishery that opponents say the mine would harm generates about $2 billion in economic benefits a year, according to a recent report. These are just two examples the states richness in resources. Oil is another, with tens of billions of barrels already produced and billions more thought to be present in places like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Its not just environmentalists vs. business interests. Another seminal piece of federal legislation, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971, was an effort to treat Indigenous peoples in the state more justly than they were treated in the Lower 48 under the reservation system. In return for giving up aboriginal claims to Alaskas land, the act established for-profit Native corporations, both regional and local, and transferred about 40 million acres of land to them. Native corporations are everywhere in the state, and thus have been involved in many of the environmental fights, on both sides. In the King Cove road dispute, for example, the local Native corporation wants the road, arguing that it is needed for medical emergencies. But some Native corporations elsewhere are against it, concerned that by going through the wildlife refuge the road would affect populations of migratory geese that their members have traditionally hunted for food. My first encounter with a real Moroccan tagine was 30 years ago in the home of a taxi driver who had invited me to dinner with his family in Fes. We sat in a circle on the floor around a chicken his mother had simmered with onions, as the aroma of cinnamon and saffron filled the small room. She fished from the pot what looked like the bent length of drainpipe found under a sink and, with the proud smile of a host presenting the most sought-after portion to a guest, laid it on my plate. It was the entire neck of the chicken. My polite smile became a real one after I began to pull the tender strands of dark meat from the bones and eat them with torn patches of whole-grain khobz, a low-rising bread that is the perfect thing for drinking up the juices of a tagine. In two weeks traveling through Morocco, I never ate anything more delicious than that chicken neck, although it was equaled a few nights later by a lamb and quince tagine cooked by the same woman. Neither tagine, though, was prepared in an actual tagine, the two-piece clay vessel that shares its name with the fragrantly spiced stews that are its main product. If my hosts owned one of those, I never saw it. When tagine was on the menu, it was made in a wide aluminum pot. Headliner La Marchande Nearly 200 years ago, the financial district was New York Citys hub for fine dining. With Crown Shy, Harrys, Nobu Downtown, Temple Court, the new Le Gratin and this gracious restaurant and bar by John Fraser in the Wall Street Hotel, its heading in that direction again. The hotel, owned by Paspaley, a major pearl company in Australia, is in a repurposed office building with a mercantile past. (The restaurants name the merchant in French reflects that.) An elegant bar leads to a white-tablecloth dining room with an elaborate raw bar and a couple of semiprivate tables framed in heavy drapes. Despite the formality of the setting, Mr. Fraser hopes to attract what he sees as a younger crowd who live and work in the area, by modernizing the French fare that shaped his career in Paris. Im looking at the 21st century, using global ingredients, sometimes out of left field, he said. Hes supported by his executive chef, Rick Horiike, who worked at Buddakan and Wild Ink. Among the raw-bar items and appetizers on the lengthy menu are beef tartare, asparagus or blue crab enclosed in rice paper rolls; littleneck clams with cilantro mignonette; and lightly seared duck breast, sliced carpaccio-thin, with a drizzle of fish sauce caramel. Main courses include sweet rice with mushrooms cooked in a banana leaf, a version of homard a lAmericaine made with coconut milk, coffee-crusted pork chop with lentils, trout baked with a basting of miso, and roasted or steamed Dover sole for two with vermouth-lime butter. Desserts include a floating island with Japanese-style cheesecake. Amy Racine, the beverage director for Mr. Frasers JF Restaurants, will oversee the 120-label wine list that, while mostly French, lists some Australian selections to honor the hotels owners. (Opens June 7) The Wall Street Hotel, 88 Wall Street (Water Street), 212-837-1918. Opening Il Gradino An accommodating head captain at Scalinatella, especially for regulars, Luis Diego Argudo has opened his first restaurant nearby, in the former Fig & Olive space. Carlos Inga, formerly of San Pietro and Il Mulino, will be the executive chef, executing a traditional upscale Italian menu. In his new restaurant, Mr. Argudo offers several items a piacere, cooked however you like. That applies to calamari, risotto, veal, chicken and lobster. 808 Lexington Avenue (62nd Street), 646-649-3289, ilgradino.com. Calle San Marcos PDT, the bar behind Crif Dogs, has opened this street-side summer pop-up inspired by Mexico. Cocktails feature agave-based spirits. For food, there are hot dogs created in collaboration with the chefs Rick Bayless (a chicken Milanesa dog) and Enrique Olvera (esquites dog with corn and queso fresco). 113 St. Marks Place (Avenue A), pdtnyc.com. Singlish Named for the colloquial language spoken in Singapore, this latest from Salil Mehta, a restaurateur and chef who specializes in Southeast Asian cuisines, is a second-floor bar serving drinks that look both East and West, adding splashes of fish sauce, touches of galangal and dustings of Sichuan pepper to drinks made with tequila, bourbon and gin. Alongside are street-food snacks like fries with salted egg aioli, papaya salad and marinated duck tongues. 17 East 13th Street, 646-609-2633, singlishnyc.com. But scientists warned that many older Americans remained susceptible. To protect them, geriatricians called on nursing homes to organize in-home vaccinations or mandate additional shots. In the longer term, scientists said that policymakers needed to address the economic and medical ills that have affected especially nonwhite older Americans, lest Covid continue cutting so many of their lives short. I dont think we should treat the premature death of older adults as a means of ending the pandemic, Dr. Stokes said. There are still plenty of susceptible older adults living with comorbid conditions or living in multigenerational households who are highly vulnerable. The pattern of Covid deaths this year has recreated the dynamics from 2020 before vaccines were introduced, when the virus killed older Americans at markedly higher rates. Early in the pandemic, mortality rates steadily climbed with each extra year of age, Dr. Stokes and his collaborators found in a recent study. That changed last summer and fall, during the Delta surge. Older people were getting vaccinated more quickly than other groups: By November, the vaccination rate in Americans 65 and older was roughly 20 percentage points higher than that of those in their 40s. And critically, those older Americans had received vaccines relatively recently, leaving them with strong levels of residual protection. As a result, older people suffered from Covid at lower rates than they had been before vaccines became available. Among people 85 and older, the death rate last fall was roughly 75 percent lower than it had been in the winter of 2020, Dr. Stokess recent study found. At the same time, the virus walloped younger and less vaccinated Americans, many of whom were also returning to in-person work. Death rates for white people in their late 30s more than tripled last fall compared to the previous winter. Death rates for Black people in the same age group more than doubled. A just transition must be community and Inuit-led and incorporate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (Inuit traditional knowledge and societal values). Inuit need to be meaningfully consulted in any process, and Im not seeing that right now. Its not just about getting something out there so we can have a renewable energy policy in Nunavut, it needs to benefit and stem from Inuit communities. What is one reality of the climate crisis that everyone needs to understand? For me, the biggest reality that people dont necessarily understand is the urgency of the climate crisis. There are a lot of climate targets for 2030 or 2050, but things need to change now. Its this thought that we just have to keep the lights on right now, but we also need to transition away from diesel as 100 percent of the territorys electricity. Have you watched the movie Dont Look Up? What are your thoughts? I did. When I first got involved in climate justice, the dialogue was mostly Here are all the terrible things that are happening, and I felt that from the film. The message tried to be Theres an urgency that people arent taking seriously, which is accurate of climate justice, but I prefer the dialogue of Heres what we can do to make things better. Advocating climate justice is important, but it can also be exhausting. How do you take care of yourself while taking care of the environment? It can be frustrating to feel like nothing is changing, so its important to find or build a network of people who share your concerns and passions. Getting outside also reduces my stress. I got a dog a few years ago, so having her force me to go out is a good thing. Having other passions beyond this one thing that is so big is important. How hopeful are you that governments and businesses will get on board with the transition to renewable energy? I am optimistic that things are changing. We now realize that leaders are making decisions that affect youth, and businesses have been getting on board with this transition because theyll generate cheaper electricity. We just need the territorial government and utility companies to cooperate with us. Im optimistic, but theres still room for improvement. ALBANY, N.Y. Money and lobbying hold enormous sway in the State Capitol, but there are few pressures like an old-fashioned deadline to get major legislation over the finish line. With New Yorks yearly legislative session scheduled to conclude June 2, state lawmakers are racing to put finishing touches on a wide range of legislative packages, from efforts to strengthen gun laws and reproductive rights to a deal to renew New York Citys authority over its schools. The Legislature, controlled by Democrats, has already passed a steady stream of legislation in recent weeks, including a landmark bill to allow adult victims of sexual assault to sue their abusers, and legislation to ban the sale of cosmetics tested on animals. The Senate has passed bills to crack down on monopolies and cap the cost of insulin, though it remained unclear if the Assembly would follow suit. Consensus on other hot-button legislation seemed even less certain, with many legislators already eyeing re-election campaigns and grappling with the chaos of new district lines that have led to a harried game of musical chairs. Just beyond the reach of New York Citys frenetic, round-the-clock subway, people in a slice of western Queens wait and wait to board one of the boroughs slowest buses. Many of the 2.3 million New Yorkers who live and work in Queens arent served directly by the vast network of trains that keeps the nations biggest metropolis moving. The borough, the citys second most populous, has less subway service relative to its size and population than the other four. So hundreds of thousands of people here plan their lives around the only mass transit choice they have: the buses that lumber along traffic-choked streets. One of those buses, the Q23, is among the slowest in the city. For the past four years, it has consistently traveled more slowly than the citywide average of about 8 miles per hour about the speed some people can run bogged down by an awkward path and riders who swarm two stops that connect to the subway. ECSA ICS Almost two and a half years ago, I took my oath of office as prosecutor and swore to protect my community from those who broke the law. The real threat, I now realize, may stem from those who write the law. If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, the rights of thousands of Virginia women will be thrown into question. While the commonwealth does not have an abortion ban on the books, our governor has said that he is staunchly, unabashedly against abortion and fully committed to going on the offense against abortion rights in our legislature. Should Roe fall, he could well strip women of their reproductive rights and go after thousands more who flock to the state whenever neighboring jurisdictions clamp down on abortion access. Whats more, in Virginia today women who are suspected of terminating a pregnancy without the assistance of a certified medical professional can face felony charges if they miscarry. So when the courts draft decision overturning Roe v. Wade was leaked earlier this month, I committed to never prosecute a woman for making her own health care decisions. That means that no matter what the law in Virginia says, I will not prosecute a woman for having an abortion or for being suspected of inducing one. I didnt make this decision lightly. But I knew my constituents were tired of the empty rhetoric from Democrats in Washington, desperate for action and understandably fearful for their future. One woman in her 60s told me she was irate that her daughters and granddaughters would have to fight for a right she has had for most of her adult life. A woman who recently got pregnant after a miscarriage was overcome with anxiety about how her choices may be limited if there are complications with her pregnancy. Kate believes that Justice Stevenss dissent in Heller provided a better account of both the text and history of the Second Amendment and that in any event, the method of historical inquiry the majority prescribes should lead to the court upholding most gun safety measures, including the New York law pending before the Supreme Court. John believes that Heller correctly construed the original meaning of the Second Amendment and is one of the most important decisions in U.S. history. We disagree about whether Heller should be extended to protect citizens who wish to carry firearms outside the home for self-defense and, if so, how states may regulate that activity issues that the Supreme Court is set to decide in the New York case in the next month or so. But despite our fundamental disagreements, we are both concerned that Heller has been misused in important policy debates about our nations gun laws. In the 14 years since the Heller decision, Congress has not enacted significant new laws regulating firearms, despite progressives calls for such measures in the wake of mass shootings. Many politicians cite Heller as the reason. But they are wrong. Heller does not totally disable government from passing laws that seek to prevent the kind of atrocities we saw in Uvalde, Texas. And we believe that politicians on both sides of the aisle have (intentionally or not) misconstrued Heller. Some progressives, for example, have blamed the Second Amendment, Heller or the Supreme Court for mass shootings. And some conservatives have justified contested policy positions merely by pointing to Heller, as if the opinion resolved the issues. Neither is fair. Rather, we think its clear that every member of the court on which we clerked joined an opinion, either majority or dissent, that agreed that the Constitution leaves elected officials an array of policy options when it comes to gun regulation. Justice Scalia the foremost proponent of originalism, who throughout his tenure stressed the limited role of courts in difficult policy debates could not have been clearer in the closing passage of Heller that the problem of handgun violence in this country is serious and that the Constitution leaves the government with a variety of tools for combating that problem, including some measures regulating handguns. Heller merely established the constitutional baseline that the government may not disarm citizens in their homes. The opinion expressly recognized presumptively lawful regulations such as laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms, as well as bans on carrying weapons in sensitive places, like schools, and it noted with approval the historical tradition of prohibiting the carrying of dangerous and unusual weapons. Heller also recognized the immense public interest in prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill. At the more macro level, were all still commending one another for the unity that this crisis has brought both within Europe and in the trans-Atlantic community. But there are little cleavages emerging, between East European countries and West European countries, with the East European countries the Baltics and Poland saying, why are you guys so slow? Why arent you tougher on Russia? And countries like Germany were saying, look, if we cut off gas, its 400,000 lost German jobs. On the trans-Atlantic side, we could be moving into a new period. I think as this progresses and as Europe bears more and more of the costs of this, with the United States looking to be more and more the beneficiary because of the huge quantities of natural gas it will be selling to Europe that were going to be tougher on Russia than the Europeans are going to be. And if theres a negotiation, the United States will want to keep sanctions on longer than the Europeans are going to want to. The European Commission recently released a proposal for Europe to cut its dependency on Russian gas by two-thirds by the end of this year. Is that plausible, do you think? When I saw those numbers I thought, first, two-thirds is an awful lot to cut, and second, that still leaves one-third, which is still plenty of leverage, especially at the end of the year heading right into winter. BORDOFF: I think its a very ambitious goal. It will be hard to achieve. And if the Russian gas supply were cut off by the end of the year, I think that would be more economically painful than some recognize. Youd be talking about needing to make plans for how to ration energy. Governments would need to be having those conversations now and they are. The second thing I would say is that half of that two-thirds reduction is supposed to come from imports of liquid natural gas. And theres not that much extra LNG you can sort of ramp up and put in the market. So if its coming into Europe, its not going somewhere else. Thats why Chinas planning to increase coal production by 300 million tons, and coal prices are already at incredibly high levels. And Asias going to be using more coal, and emerging markets and developing economies are really struggling to make it through the hot summer, made worse, as your book reminded us, by climate change. Typically, they rely on cheap coal for that, but there is no cheap coal anymore, and that all feeds into the food crisis and all the rest. So these things are all kind of interlinked in really worrisome ways. OSULLIVAN: The International Energy Agency put out its own report back in March, a 10-point plan for how to reduce reliance on Russian gas. It indicates that Europe can get off of a bit more than half of the Russian imports of gas right now but theres a certain segment it will be exceptionally hard to do. And then theres the question of how clean or green doing that would be. OSULLIVAN: According to the I.E.A., roughly half of what Europe might do in the short term is actually consistent with its climate goals these are things Europe wants to do already, and the war is just hastening the process. And then the rest of what can be done immediately is actually contrary to its climate goals like a lot of bringing in new coal. There are many examples of photographs that gave history a nudge sometimes even a vigorous one. Think of the My Lai massacre photographs, of the Abu Ghraib torture photos taken by American troops and of Darnella Fraziers phone video of George Floyds murder. But just as the Till photograph didnt end Jim Crow, the My Lai images didnt end the Vietnam War (nor did press reports of the atrocity), the Abu Ghraib photographs didnt end the Iraq war (or even lead to high-level prosecutions), and the Floyd video didnt end police brutality. These photographs did support, encourage and strengthen public perceptions, political movements and public debates that were already in play. But none resulted in the kinds of immediate change that their supporters hoped for. When it comes to images, there are few Damascene moments, which is why most photojournalists are modest, if not pessimistic, about the influence of their work. And viewers who look to photographs to effect political change should be careful what they wish for: Formulating political decisions on the basis of images can be treacherous. Photographs of skeletal Somalis dying of hunger those by James Nachtwey are particularly brutal were one of the key inspirations for the U.S.-United Nations intervention in Somalia in late 1992; less than one year later, Paul Watsons horrific photograph of a gleeful crowd dragging an American soldiers naked corpse contributed to our hasty retreat. (The Somali debacle was a major reason for the Clinton administrations refusal to respond to the Rwandan genocide the following year.) In 2004, Khalid Mohammeds photograph of Iraqis in Falluja celebrating beneath the burned, mutilated bodies of American contractors hanging from a bridge resulted in what might be called the anti-Somalia effect: Rather than force a U.S. withdrawal, as some in the crowd had apparently hoped, the image encouraged an embarrassed President George W. Bush to order the Marine invasion of the city and intensify the war. The resulting battle was one of the longest and deadliest of the conflict. In its aftermath, one newspaper described Falluja as a city of ghosts. The most vexing political conflicts are the most resistant to photographic interventions as the Syrian civil war, now in its 11th year, shows. Nilufer Demirs internationally disseminated photographs of little Aylan Kurdi, a drowned Syrian refugee who washed up on the shores of a Turkish beach, inspired fervent responses of outrage and promises of action in 2015. But outrage proved easier than action, and the plight of Syrian refugees remained pretty much the same. And one might well wonder why the so-called Caesar images a trove of 55,000 photographs depicting Syrians tortured to death in the prisons of President Bashar al-Assad had zero political effect. The photographs, which were smuggled out of Syria in 2013 and depict victims of eye gouging, strangulation and starvation, were shown to the U.S. Congress, at the United Nations and to the secretary of state at the time, John Kerry, as well as to other world leaders. Geoffrey Nice, a war crimes prosecutor, described them as akin to getting the keys to the Nazi archive. However, as this newspaper reported, Syrians Photos Spur Outrage, but Not Action. In the case of Uvalde, all of this remains, for the most part, theoretical. It is highly unlikely that the grieving parents would ever consent to the publication of images of their children and equally hard to imagine that the pictures would not circulate on sites that would dishonor, if not defile, the victims. Images of dead children, after all, are different from all others. Children represent both innocence and promise represent, in fact, our belief in the future. To see them violated elicits instinctual reactions of pity, anger, grief and shame. The question, though, is what we do with that vortex of emotions once it has been unleashed. Despite the very real dangers of exploitation and misuse that disclosure of the Uvalde photographs would pose, I myself would like politicians to view them: to look really look at the shattered face of what was previously a child and to then contemplate the bewildered terror of her last moments on earth. But that would not mean that the jig is up. People, not photographs, create political change, which is slow, difficult and unpredictable. Dont ask images to think, or to act, for you. Ed Lu wants to save Earth from killer asteroids. Or at least, if there is a big space rock streaking our way, Dr. Lu, a former NASA astronaut with a doctorate in applied physics, wants to find it before it hits us hopefully with years of advance warning and a chance for humanity to deflect it. On Tuesday, B612 Foundation, a nonprofit group that Dr. Lu helped found, announced the discovery of more than 100 asteroids. (The foundations name is a nod to Antoine de Saint-Exuperys childrens book, The Little Prince; B612 is the home asteroid of the main character.) That by itself is unremarkable. New asteroids are reported all the time by skywatchers around the world. That includes amateurs with backyard telescopes and robotic surveys systematically scanning the night skies. What is remarkable is that B612 did not build a new telescope or even make new observations with existing telescopes. Instead, researchers financed by B612 applied cutting-edge computational might to years-old images 412,000 of them in the digital archives at the National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory, or NOIRLab to sift asteroids out of the 68 billion dots of cosmic light captured in the images. Oregon, Idaho and Arizona have education and ad campaigns on the internet, TV, radio and billboards meant to spread accurate information about polling times, voter eligibility and absentee voting. Colorado has hired three cybersecurity experts to monitor sites for misinformation. Californias office of the secretary of state is searching for misinformation and working with the Department of Homeland Security and academics to look for patterns of misinformation across the internet. These states, most of them under Democratic control, have been acting as voter confidence in election integrity has plummeted. In an ABC/Ipsos poll from January, only 20 percent of respondents said they were very confident in the integrity of the election system and 39 percent said they felt somewhat confident. Numerous Republican candidates have embraced former President Donald J. Trumps falsehoods about the 2020 election, campaigning often successfully on the untrue claim that it was stolen from him. Some conservatives and civil rights groups are almost certain to complain that the efforts to limit misinformation could restrict free speech. Florida, led by Republicans, has enacted legislation limiting the kind of social media moderation that sites like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter can do, with supporters saying the sites constrict conservative voices. (A U.S. appeals court recently blocked most aspects of the law.) On the federal level, the Department of Homeland Security recently paused the work of an advisory board on disinformation after a barrage of criticism from conservative lawmakers and free speech advocates that the group could suppress speech. State and local governments are well situated to reduce harms from dis- and misinformation by providing timely, accurate and trustworthy information, said Rachel Goodman, a lawyer at Protect Democracy, a nonpartisan advocacy group. But in order to maintain that trust, they must make clear that they are not engaging in any kind of censorship or surveillance that would raise constitutional concerns. Connecticut and Colorado officials said that the problem of misinformation had only worsened since 2020 and that without a more concerted push to counteract it, even more voters could lose faith in the integrity of elections. They also said they feared for the safety of some election workers. I asked Dr. Wintemute how California is different. Heres a lightly edited excerpt from our conversation, which took place on Memorial Day after his emergency room shift: Just a couple of weeks ago, California had a mass shooting. By what measures are our policies a success? You have to look at it on a population basis. We do have more mass shootings in California, but were also by far the largest state. I looked a while ago at the rates of firearm violence across the 21st century homicide and suicide together and the rest of the country was up, but Californias rates were so far down that the average was flat. We always hear that nothing works, that even Californias strict gun laws are ineffective. Thats because we evaluate policies one at a time, in isolation. The results for one policy might be mixed or even negative. But what California has done over a number of decades has been to enact a whole bundle of policies that I think work in synergy, to measurable effect. It sounds like the Swiss cheese model public health experts have used to address Covid. Yes. The idea is to prevent the holes in the policies from lining up. But if we rank the states, Californias rate of firearm violence ranks 29th out of 50 states for homicides and 44th for suicides. Can you share some examples? California has done a lot to prevent high-risk people from purchasing firearms. Weve broadened the criteria for keeping guns out of the hands of people who pose a danger to themselves or others due to mental illness. If youre convicted of a violent misdemeanor in California, you cant have a gun for the next 10 years; that offense has to be a felony in most states. Public health officials said they were investigating an outbreak of hepatitis A in the United States and Canada that is potentially linked to organic strawberries. American health officials said the outbreak most likely came from fresh organic strawberries branded as FreshKampo and H-E-B that were bought between March 5 and April 25. The strawberries were sold at stores including Aldi, H-E-B, Kroger, Safeway, Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joes, Walmart and Weis Markets, the Food and Drug Administration said. The strawberries are now past their shelf life, and people who bought them between March 5 and April 25 should throw them out, even if they froze them to eat later, health officials said. When I look up in the organization, at least just a couple years ago there was not a ton of diversity, Admiral Fagan said in an interview. Even still we dont have the diversity we need at the senior leadership ranks. But as I look back, its all there and coming certainly for women, and we still need to increase our number of underrepresented minority males. She will be the 27th commandant of the service, which traces its roots back to the creation of the Revenue Cutter Service shortly after the Revolutionary War, and merged with the U.S. Life-Saving Service to become the Coast Guard in 1915. At Coast Guard headquarters in Washington last week, Admiral Fagan noted the historic significance of her achievement as she walked through a hall filled with portraits of her predecessors. She paused in front of a painting of Adm. Owen W. Siler, the 15th commandant of the service, in the 1970s. He was the commandant when the service academies were first integrated, Admiral Fagan said. Years later, Admiral Silers wife approached her at an event and said, I just want to tell you how proud Si and I are of the women, Admiral Fagan recalled. When she entered the academy, the Coast Guard no longer had policies that prevented women from serving in any particular role or capacity, unlike other branches of the military at the time. But its fleet needed to be retrofitted with sleeping accommodations and bathroom facilities for women. Larger ships like icebreakers had numerous staterooms and bathrooms meant for officers, areas of which could be assigned to female officers immediately. Building permanent facilities for enlisted women on those ships, as well as on smaller cutters, would take time. Mr. Brooks offered a simple answer to why hes not worried about his race: Theres no fraud in Republican primaries, he said. Im in a Republican primary, and noncitizens dont normally vote in Republican primaries, Mr. Brooks said. In a Republican primary or a Democrat primary, the motivation to steal elections is less because the candidates philosophy-of-government differences are minor. Noncitizens do not vote in federal elections in significant numbers, in Alabama or elsewhere, according to a 2020 report from the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank. Investigators from both parties have unearthed only minuscule numbers of any type of voter fraud. In recent years, the rare instances of broad fraud schemes that have become public have been engineered by Republicans, including an absentee ballot scheme in North Carolina that led the states Board of Elections to order a redo of a House race in 2018. Not all Republicans who spread false claims about the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election considered their own races to be exempt. Some said that fraud existed in their own elections and that investigations were needed. Still, they accepted their victories. We dont know how much fraud exists or existed because we werent able to see, Representative Scott Perry of Pennsylvania told a local CBS affiliate a week after the 2020 election. Mr. Perry focused on Philadelphia as a source for fraud in the presidential race and called for additional review. He also said he was humbled to take his seat in the House. In the Pennsylvania primaries last week, Mr. Perry ran for re-election unopposed. He did not respond to messages left on his cellphone, and his campaign did not return requests for comment. The Republican effort to sow skepticism about elections in racially diverse Democratic cities is a generations-long project, with roots as far back as Richard Nixons 1960 defeat against John F. Kennedy. By the time Mr. Trump lost the 2020 election, he and millions of his supporters were primed to believe false allegations about ballot harvesting and machines miscounting in Americas populous cities. Mr. Brooks said in an interview that, in Alabama, fraud occurred in predominantly Democrat parts of the state. MANZINI Police officers shot a car theft suspect following a dramatic chase of about 27 kilometres. Subsequent to the rise of car theft in the Manzini Region in recent weeks, yesterday, members of the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS), had to fire shots in order to stop a suspected motor vehicle thief at Mafutseni. This was after the suspect had supposedly stolen a blue Volkswagen (VW) Cross Polo at Ngwane Park. The vehicle, according to impeccable sources, was parked near Mkhiweni by a businessman while he had lunch in his house. It was gathered that after about half an hour later, the entrepreneur returned to where he had parked his vehicle only to find that it had been stolen. Soon after discovering that his car had been stolen, he was said to have contacted the police officers from the Manzini Police Station and some of his associates. Impeccable sources informed this publication that within minutes of sending the SOS, one of the businessmans acquaintances spotted the vehicle. The associate is said to have informed the businessman about seeing the vehicle passing by Mavuso Exhibition and Trade Centre. Pursued It was at this instance that the entrepreneur reportedly relayed the developments to the police, who are said to have promptly responded and pursued the vehicle. The police, according to sources, caught up with the suspect driving the stolen vehicle near St Josephs Mission School. The suspect is said to have stopped to offer a ride to a minor aged 15, who had been hitch-hiking. The sources claimed that the police signalled and ordered the suspect to stop the vehicle; however, he was said to have refused to follow the instruction. Instead, the suspect is said to have driven off at high speed in a mission to elude the police officers. It was then that the high-speed car chase started as the police officers pursued the fleeing suspect. The pursuit of the stolen vehicle is said to have ended at Mafutseni, wherein the police officers had to fire several gunshots at the motor vehicle in a quest to coerce the suspect to stop. At this instance, the suspect was reportedly shot and injured. He is said to have subsequently parked the vehicle along the newly-constructed Manzini Mbadlane (MR 3) Public Road, opposite the Mafutseni Shopping Complex and surrendered himself to the police. Consequently, he was then apprehended by the police officers and was rushed to the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital in Manzini where he is currently admitted. Police Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed the incident. She said the police had to use other means to stop the suspect as he was fleeing from them. Vilakati said the suspect was taken to hospital (RFM) where he was being treated. She also confirmed that the vehicle was stolen at Ngwane Park. In recent weeks, survivors of car theft have been reporting on social media of their ordeals which happened in most instances around Ngwane Park, in the Manzini Region. Most of them have been robbed of their vehicles at gunpoint by the daring suspects. A recent incident was of a female motorist who was robbed at gunpoint of her grey VW Polo registered HSD 310 CH while at Ngwane Park on Saturday evening. The vehicle estimated to be valued at E80 000 was reportedly forcefully taken from the woman by a robber who brandished a gun. Also, on April 16, 2022, a Toyota Legend 45 was taken at gunpoint. The robbers also took E45 000 cash and mobile phones valued at E50 000. WASHINGTON The Russian military, beaten down and demoralized after three months of war, is making the same mistakes in its campaign to capture a swath of eastern Ukraine that forced it to abandon its push to take the entire country, senior American officials say. While Russian troops are capturing territory, a Pentagon official said that their plodding and incremental pace was wearing them down, and that the militarys overall fighting strength had been diminished by about 20 percent. And since the war started, Russia has lost 1,000 tanks, a senior Pentagon official said last week. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia appointed a new commander, Gen. Aleksandr V. Dvornikov, in April in what was widely viewed as an acknowledgment that the initial Russian war plan was failing. Soon after his arrival, General Dvornikov tried to get disjointed air and land units to coordinate their attacks, American officials said. But he has not been seen in the past two weeks, leading some officials to speculate as to whether he remains in charge of the war effort. I think its very natural that given the enormous destruction in Ukraine and huge rebuilding costs that they will face, that we will look to Russia to help pay at least a portion of the price that will be involved, she said. Its not something that is legally permissible in the United States. But within the Biden administration, one official said, there was reluctance to have any daylight between us and the Europeans on sanctions. So the United States is seeking to find some kind of common ground while analyzing whether a seizure of central bank funds might, for example, encourage other countries to put their central bank reserves in other currencies and keep it out of American hands. In addition to the legal obstacles, Ms. Yellen and others have argued that it could make nations reluctant to keep their reserves in dollars, for fear that in future conflicts the United States and its allies would confiscate the funds. Some national security officials in the Biden administration say they are concerned that if negotiations between Ukraine and Russia begin, there would be no way to offer significant sanctions relief to Moscow once the reserves have been drained from its overseas accounts. Treasury officials suggested before Ms. Yellens comments that the United States had not settled on a firm position about the fate of the assets. Several senior officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal debates in the Biden administration, suggested that no final decision had been made. One official said that while seizing the funds to pay for reconstruction would be satisfying and warranted, the precedent it would set and its potential effect on the United States status as the worlds safest place to leave assets was a deep concern. In explaining Ms. Yellens comments, a Treasury spokeswoman pointed to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977, which says that the United States can confiscate foreign property if the president determines that the country is under attack or engaged in armed hostilities. Legal scholars have expressed differing views about that reading of the law. Laurence H. Tribe, an emeritus law professor at Harvard University, argues that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act gives the president ample authority to freeze and seize Russias central bank assets. Even if that were in doubt, he said, an amendment to the law that passed after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks gives the president broader discretion to determine if a foreign threat warrants confiscation of assets. President Biden could cite Russian cyberattacks against the United States to justify liquidating the central bank reserves, Mr. Tribe said, adding that the Treasury Department was misreading the law. BAMAKO, Mali On the last Sunday in March before Ramadan, thousands of merchants and villagers filled the market of Moura, in central Mali, trading cattle in a vast pen and stocking up on spices and vegetables in the towns sandy alleys. Suddenly, five low-flying helicopters thrummed overhead, some firing weapons and drawing gunfire in return. Villagers ran for their lives. But there was nowhere to escape: The helicopters were dropping soldiers on the towns outskirts to block all the exits. The soldiers were in pursuit of Islamist militants who have been operating in the region for years. Many of the soldiers were Malians, but they were accompanied by white foreigners wearing military fatigues and speaking a language that was neither English nor French, locals said. The foreigners, according to diplomats, officials and human rights groups, belonged to the Russian paramilitary group known as Wagner. Mercenaries are enjoying a resurgence in Africa, hired to fight in some of the continents most intractable conflicts. Perhaps the most famous outfit is the Wagner Group, a nebulous network that combines military force with commercial and strategic interests, now at the vanguard of Russias expanding ambitions in Africa. Wagner fighters have been active in the wars of Mali, Central African Republic, Mozambique and Libya. They ally with embattled leaders and militia commanders who can pay for their services in cash, or with lucrative mining concessions for precious minerals like gold, diamonds and uranium. Wagner troops have faced frequent accusations of torture, civilian killings and other abuses. But Wagner is far more than a simple guns-for-gold scheme. Operating through a sprawling web of shell companies, it has become a byword for a broad spectrum of Kremlin-backed operations in over a dozen African countries. Wagner meddles in politics, props up autocrats and orchestrates digital propaganda campaigns. It donates food to the poor and produces action movies set in Africa. It has even organized a beauty pageant. He said there was a growing movement in the Quechua-speaking community in recent years that has embraced the language and fought stereotypes that portray the language as a relic of the past or a cultural curiosity. Yeni Erazo, 24, a health administrator in Lima, said that while her family raised her to take pride in speaking Quechua, she was bullied for speaking it at elementary school. Even at the prestigious university she attended, she said, people would look at me weird. But she found a group of native Quechua speakers who not only liked to speak Quechua, but liked to speak it loudly, as she did. Together, they made a digital magazine in Quechua focused on cultural identity, with 11 editions so far, and now she is working on a series of TikTok videos to promote more Quechua discussion on social media. When I speak in Quechua, I feel like myself, she said. Why shouldnt I take pride in it? After the Spanish conquest of the Incan Empire in 1532, Quechua came to be seen as a sign of backwardness or a source of suspicion by the new ruling class. Its use was officially banned after the Indigenous leader Tupac Amaru II led a revolt that swept the southern Andes in the late 18th century, ending with his public torture, dismemberment and beheading. Still, Quechua speakers continued to make up a majority of Perus population in the early 20th century. But by 2017, the percentage of Peruvians who identified Quechua as their first language was just 14 percent. BAKHMUT, Ukraine The volunteers listened patiently to the pensioner and stuffed a frozen chicken into her shopping bag. Olena Tyvaniuk, 70, a slight woman with a stoop, explained tearfully that she needed more than food. She needed drugs. I have a son, he is 48, he is a paranoid schizophrenic, she said. I need medication for him. As the towns and cities of eastern Ukraine empty out in the face of the Russian offensive, some residents are choosing to stay on. Like Ms. Tyvaniuk, some are trapped by medical imperatives. Or they are too poor to leave. Or, disillusioned by the longstanding corruption of Ukrainian officials, they think things cant be worse under the Russians. Bakhmut, just 10 miles from the front, is largely deserted. There are few cars on the streets except for military vehicles; shops and banks are boarded up. Only one or two cafes and supermarkets are still open. SUVA, Fiji Take a walk through the city where Chinas foreign minister met on Monday with the leaders of nearly a dozen Pacific Island nations, and Chinas imprint is unmistakable. On one side of Suva, the capital of Fiji, theres a bridge rebuilt with Chinese loans and unveiled with the countrys prime minister standing beside Chinas ambassador. On the other, down Queen Elizabeth Drive, sits Beijings hulking new embassy, where the road out front has been fixed by workers in neon vests bearing the name of a Chinese state-owned enterprise. Looming over it all is Wanguo Friendship Plaza, a skeletal apartment tower built by a Chinese company and meant to be the South Pacifics tallest building, until Fijis government halted construction over safety concerns. Eight years after Xi Jinping visited Fiji, offering Pacific Island nations a ride on Chinas express train of development, Beijing is fully entrenched, its power irrepressible if not always embraced. And that has left the United States playing catch-up in a vital strategic arena. PARIS When France, land of Talleyrand and the general strike, decides to abolish the heart of its diplomatic corps at a time of war in Europe, it is perhaps only natural that its diplomats should respond with fierce indignation. Irked by a decree quietly promulgated in the governments Official Journal between the two rounds of the presidential election in April, seven labor unions representing the countrys diplomats have called a strike this week in protest at the brutal suppression of the diplomatic corps. The strike on June 2 would be only the second in the history of Quai dOrsay the Paris location of the foreign service that is the shorthand for the institution. It reflects the dismay sweeping through diplomatic ranks. The change pushed by President Emmanuel Macron would disband the two-century-old corps of senior career diplomats to merge about 800 of them into a state administrative corps made up of high-level public servants, who would then be interchangeably picked to serve as, for example, ambassador to Moscow or a director in the Ministry of Solidarity and Health. Fighting raged in Sievierodonetsk on Tuesday as Russian troops advanced toward the center of a city that has become a central focus for President Vladimir V. Putins forces since they failed to seize Ukraines capital, Kyiv, early in the war and pivoted to the east of the country. Russian forces had occupied parts of Sievierodonetsk, an industrial city on the Seversky Donets River that is the last in the Luhansk region to remain outside Russian control, and were gradually moving toward downtown, the head of the Ukrainian military administration in Luhansk, Serhiy Haidai, said. Street fighting continues, he said. Two civilians had been killed since Monday and four others were wounded. Most of the citys civilian prewar population of around 100,000 has fled in the face of a Russian artillery barrage that has endured for weeks, but 12,000 people, many of them elderly, are trapped in appalling conditions, according to an estimate by the Norwegian Refugee Council aid group. JERUSALEM Government ministers from Israel and the United Arab Emirates signed a free-trade agreement on Tuesday that, once ratified, would be the widest-ranging deal of its kind between Israel and an Arab country and the latest example of deepening ties between the Jewish state and some Arab governments. The text of the deal has yet to be published and is still subject to review by the Israeli Parliament and formal ratification by the Israeli government, a process that will take at least two weeks. But officials said that once confirmed, the agreement would loosen restrictions on almost all trade between the two countries and could increase its annual value 10-fold within five years. The speed at which the deal took shape it was sealed less than two years since the establishment of formal ties between Israel and the Emirates highlights the readiness with which Israel is now being accepted by some Arab leaders after years of diplomatic isolation. For decades, Israel was ostracized by all but two Arab countries, with the others mostly avoiding formal diplomatic relations with it because of the lack of resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. MBABANE The Crown says Hosea and Ngwempisi MPs Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube have a case to answer. This, the Crown said in opposition to the application filed by the incarcerated Members of Parliament (MPs), who want to be acquitted and discharged for alleged failure by the State to prove its case against them. The MPs application was filed in terms of Section 174 (4) of the Constitution. This section provides that, if at the close of the case for the prosecution, the court considers that there is no evidence that the accused committed the offence charged or any other offence of which he might be convicted thereon, it may acquit and discharge him. In the heads of argument in opposition to the MPs Section 174 (4) application, the Crown alleged that Mabuza, Dube and former Siphofaneni MP Mduduzi Gawuzela Simelane, who is at large, encouraged members of the public to riot against the government of the day. In the first count, where they are charged under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, and alternatively accused of sedition, MP Mabuza and Simelane actively encouraged the people of Eswatini to disobey a government order by encouraging the delivery of petitions. This, according to the Crown, resulted in, among other things, serious damage to property and endangered the lives of various people. The MPs, according to the Crown, acted in common purpose when committing the alleged offences. The evidence of post-banning (of delivery of petitions) order violence and unrest bore testimony to the alleged encouragement of the public to disobey government, said the Crown. Objectively viewed, the inference that accused one (Mabuza) and accused two (Dube) encouraged people to disobey the banning order is irresistible and hence that the accused sought the continuation of the petition delivery is inescapable, reads the Crowns papers. The Crown based the submission on extracts from the videos that were played in court when it presented its case before Judge Mumcy Dlamini. The extracts included ...he doesnt have that power that he says he has, let me say this Swazis, this that you do, delivering petition it is constitutional and it is the right of Swazis. It is the Constitution, no one can have the power to tell you to stop, no one has the power to tell you to stop. The only way he can do so is to deploy the police as he always does. But he cannot stop you, he cannot make you to be stopped from exercising your right that is in the Constitution... This, according to the Crown, meant in other words that what the Deputy Prime Minister, Themba Masuku, who was the Acting Prime Minister when the delivery of petitions at tinkhundla centres was banned by government, had done was unlawful and he had no right hence you do not have to obey and thus continue with the petitions delivery. Protesting The other extract that the Crown highlighted was ... protesting is a constitutional right, you are expressing your oppression and grievances. Delivering a petition is constitutional right. You are submitting your grievance where you sent your member of parliament and there is nobody constitutionally who has a right to control you. These are some of the extracts that the Crown say proved that the MPs encouraged the public to riot. Another one reads; We will never entertain what the government has said today. And I say those who are with us should not entertain that. We are calling for change. We did not request permission from government to deliver petitions. You cannot stop something you have not launched, you cannot come and say you are stopping petitions... According to government; The message is unmistakable. It is a clear exhortation to continue with petition delivery, contrary to a specific government banning order, which the accused reassure the people is unlawful. Mabuza, according to the Crown, was clearly referring to the banning of the delivery of petitions. The rest of the House rose according to you petitions. So do not allow that today someone tries to disrupt you..., reads the Crowns papers. I am saying, do not be intimidated. This that has been done by the Honourable DPM is not constitutional and unlawful. The Crown said the message by MP Mabuza could not be clearer, including that the MP had allegedly invited members of the public to go out to the streets, protest and deliver petitions. Former MP Simelane is alleged to have informed members of the public that the then acting prime minister was testing how much the people meant regarding the call for political change. He is just testing how serious the masses are on the call for change. He is testing and shaking the pillars, to see if we really mean it. I just want to make it clear, when I check everything, he is just testing whether we are serious or not. The message by former MP Simelane, according to the Crown, was equally blunt; do not obey the banning order. It also told the court that it was a thinly-veiled threat by MP Mabuza that we are not begging, we are not pleading, we are telling you, we are ready for everything but what we can tell you is that we shall have the final say, you like it nor not. The Crown further informed the court that the prime minister was responsible for, among other things, State and internal security. The prime minister, the court was told, was well equipped and authorised to deal with internal strife in Eswatini. While the Constitution does provide for freedom of expression and freedom of movement, equally, where there is interests of defence, public safety and public order are threatened, the application of the relevant laws to combat such will not be inconsistent with the said sections (Section 24 and 25) of the Constitution, submitted the Crown. It follows that the deputy prime minister was not obliged to act in terms of the COVID-19 regulations, nor the Disaster Management Act, but was empowered by his office to ban petitions delivery, as it threatened national security. A court in central Ukraine sentenced two Russian soldiers on Tuesday to 11 and a half years in prison for shelling a town in the countrys northeast during the war. It was the second guilty verdict handed down by Ukrainian courts for war crimes since Russias full-scale invasion began in February. The court found the soldiers, Aleksandr Bobikin and Aleksandr Ivanov, an artillery driver and a gunner, guilty of shelling the town of Derhachi, north of Kharkiv, from Russia. The guilt of Bobikin and Ivanov has been proven in full, Judge Evhen Bolybok told the courtroom in the Kotelva district court in central Ukraine. When the proceedings began last week, both men pleaded guilty to being members of a unit that targeted Derhachi with shelling from the region of Belgorod, on the Russian side of the border. The men and their unit had then entered Ukraine and continued attacking the town. They later surrendered to the Ukrainian authorities. Alex Stanton Were all emerging from two long years of COVID-related impacts, and from a period when communications proved to be an even more important resource for organizations in their engagement with team members, business partners, customers and other key stakeholders. Its also been a busy time for balancing the demands of work life and home life, and this has created challenges in finding the time and resources to do strategic re-assessments of reputational risks and opportunities. So, when better to do this than spring, a time of renewal and cleaning out winter clutter to make room for focus on new growth opportunities? Too often, reputational risks are addressed only once a crisis occurs. Despite the best intentions, once the metaphorical fire has been put out, organizations tend to breathe a sigh of relief, get back to business as usual and put off dedicating the time and resources to address potential future vulnerabilities. Thats why now is the right time for communications leaders to conduct a reputational audit of their organizations, to identify and address potential negative exposure to their earned reputation and/or value proposition in todays difficult environment. And in the process, to make plans for amplifying attention on the positive things the organization does to make a difference. This article is featured in O'Dwyer's May '22 PR Firm Rankings Magazine (view PDF version) In our experience, every communications leader has an innate sense of where the real risks reside, and at least a running start on how best to address them. Part of this sixth sense is a nagging recognition that they havent done enough to prepare their organizations to address these downside risks, or to promote the positive contributions that would partially offset these negative perceptions. Here are some thoughts on how you might get started on this initiative: Conduct scenario planning around your five or six biggest potential reputation risks. You know what they are. These are the things that could really undermine the confidence that your employees, customers, regulators, suppliers and other key audiences have in your organization and its leadership. The damage from these can be temporary or permanent, but you know they are things that will stick. Corners you cut to survive or thrive during COVID? Executive attitude issues? Departures from sales or service practices the business community or society would expect you to live up to? Use of technology in ways that might disappoint outside observers? Look in the rearview mirror to examine the last two years of media coverage and social channel activity to really evaluate any negative stories and/or accusations about the company. This look back, outside of the stress and emotion of the moment, tends to enlighten future responses. Was your messaging on point and effective? What could have been done better? Are there systemic issues or roadblocks in how your organization activates and responds that could still be better? How effective have you been since that time in telling the positive side of your story on those issues? Re-examine your responsibilities matrix and protocols for timely handling of media inquiries and for monitoring relevant reporter activity on social channels. Any adjustments needed to reflect changes or geographic shifts in your business operations? What about staff changes or alterations in hybrid work schedules and operations? Who are key influencers inside the organization whose opinions shape employee attitudes? Examine ESG communications practices to keep pace with a fast-moving and high profile business area. A decade ago, ESG, if talked about at all, was set it and forget itjust stating you had a policy was often good enough for investors, employees, and business partners. Today, ESG receives more scrutiny from more groups than almost anything else your company does. There is no shortage of potential criticism for overstating your contributions or greenwashing. Is your organization living up to the principles and commitments you espouse in your ESG communications? Where can improvements be made? What accomplishments should be recognized and highlighted, and where is it better not to try to claim credit? Review social media policies platform-by-platform to try to address problems before they start. Social media is something you cant control, but you can hope to contain it. If you havent updated your social media guidelines for employees with respect to what they should and should not post on their personal accounts regarding your organization, this is an opportune juncture to do so. Do gaps exist between guidelines for corporate sites and whats asked of employees? Are you paying appropriate attention to the activity of senior executives who are on social and who have wide networks and meaningful connections (including reporters)? Re-evaluate your philanthropy to reflect a post-COVID environment. Youve faced unprecedented demand for support from community partners to help them navigate the impact of the pandemic on the people they serve and maybe added new partners to address unmet needs. Now is a good time to re-evaluate the go-forward potential of those partnerships to generate real impact in the community while also contributing to your companys trust bank with important stakeholders. Are you backing causes that are relevant today? Are your employees fully aware of and engaged in your charitable work? Are you getting appropriate credit for your good works? Giving attention to business risks and creating plans to address them during springtime will allow you to focus the rest of the year on communicating the good news of your organization, knowing you have a solid foundation and are ready for whatever crises may come your way. *** Alex Stanton is CEO of Stanton, a communications firm with offices in New York and the San Francisco Bay Area. He can be reached at [email protected] FTI Consulting is handling Mexico-based building materials giant Cemex on infrastructure and sustainability matters. The US accounted for 30 percent of Cemexs $14.5B sales in 2021, while Mexico generated 25 percent of revenues. US sales rose 18 percent to $1.2B during the first quarter of this year, while Cemexs revenues in Mexico grew two percent to $881M. The company in March restarted a facility in northwest Mexico to meet burgeoning cement demand in California, Arizona and Nevada. FTI has a five-member team working on the Cemex business, which includes government affairs head Bryan Zumwalt; and strategic communications unit managing directors John Steitz and Russ Kelley. MikeWorldWide handles earned media relations and creative integrated consumer marketing campaign development for Marcos Pizza. The work will focus on increasing awareness and relevance for the brand across the US. Founded in 1978 by Italian-born Pasquale Giammarco, Marcos Pizza has grown from its roots as an Ohio brand to operate over 1,000 stores in 34 states, as well as locations in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. "We engaged with a number of agencies in our selection process and MWW stood out as a passionate partner with great creative thinking," said Marcos Pizza senior vice president and chief marketing officer Chris Tussing. Zapwater Communications picks up North American destination marketing duties for Discover Dominica Authority, the government agency responsible for promoting tourism to the Caribbean nation. The agency will lead PR, influencer marketing and trade relations. Located south of Guadeloupe and north of Martinique in the eastern Caribbean, Dominica targets adventure travelers with such activities as hiking, diving and water sports, cultural events/festivals, whale watching and canyoning. MACADOO signs on as national agency of record across multiple marketing services disciplines by the Foundation for Sickle Cell Disease Research, which is based in Hollywood, FL and has six satellite locations across the state. MACADOO will lead marketing, advertising, digital and social media, public relations, experiential marketing, and strategies for FSCDR across the United States. Their team is uniquely equipped and will amplify the Foundation's platform to provide care, wrap around services, and clinical research to thousands of patients and families suffering from sickle cell disease," said FSCDR founder and president Dr. Lanetta Bronte-Hall. TULLAMORE District Court heard that a man convicted of stealing antigen tests in a supermarket thought they were free of charge. Judge Patricia Cronin was told that on January 7 last gardai received a call to Dunnes Stores in Edenderry where a man had been apprehended by security staff for stealing five antigen tests. The tests were valued at 14.50 and the customer had put them into a black holdall. Jason Harford (33), Glasmore Park, Swords pleaded guilty to the offence. Sergeant James O'Sullivan said Mr Harford had 46 previous convictions, including 15 for theft and last September had received a five-month suspended sentence at a district court in Swords, Dublin. In November 2020 he had been sentenced to terms of four and six months in Mountjoy prison and had also previously received a nine-month sentence for theft. Segeant O'Sullivan said the five-month sentence had been suspended for 16 months. Judge Cronin noted the latest offence could trigger the activation of a prison sentence. Defending solictor Patrick Martin said Mr Harford thought the tests were free and he put them into a bag with other items he had purchased. The tests were free through the HSE at the time and he did not think they were of huge value. When he was stopped he accepted he had them and accepted he hadn't paid for them. Mr Martin said his client had a chequered history over the past couple of years but had turned a corner and the suspended sentence related to an offence committed in 2020. Mr Harford was now in a much better position and had a girlfriend who was with him in court and he had got accommodation with her. He was a father of one and in the past he had served some time in custody and dealt with a drug issue as well. The 33-year-old is currently seeking work in construction, the solicitor added, asking the judge for leniency. Judge Cronin said the difficulty was that on September 8, 2021 a five-month suspended sentence was imposed for theft and four months later a further theft happened. Mr Martin said the previous matters for which his client was convicted may have been more significant and he repeated that Mr Harford had paid for other items and was passing by the antigen tests and genuinely thought they were free and put them into his bag. He accepted they weren't free. The HSE had been advertising free tests at the time. Apart from this matter his client had kept himself out of trouble and he did co-operated when he was stopped. Sergeant O'Sullivan said he was in the court's hands in relation to sentencing but added it was a rather unusual item that the accused had stolen. Judge Cronin agreed it was an unusual item but said the HSE was providing antigen tests without charge but they were obtained by going online. Shops were selling them, she said. She imposed a four-month sentence but suspended it for two years on the man's own bond of 100. She said she was not imposing a custodial sentence in the case but the period of suspension was lengthier and given that she had heard he had turned a corner, secured accommodation and hoped to get work, there was an incentive for him to remain out of trouble with the suspended sentence hanging over him. THE management of the Tullamore Court Hotel have extended sympathy to the family of the six-year-old boy who died following an incident there on Sunday evening (May 29). The hotel confirmed there was an incident in the hotel pool and said emergency services responded quickly. In a statement issued on their behalf this evening (May 31), hotel management said the child involved was brought to the Midlands Regional Hospital and was later transferred to a Dublin hospital. It is with great sadness we have been informed that the child passed away on Tuesday 31st May. We offer our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones at this difficult time. The thoughts of all our team are with them. We would ask everyone to please respect their privacy, the statement said. Earlier, both the gardai and the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) said investigations and enquiries were taking place. In a statement, a garda spokesperson said: Gardai are investigating the death of a male child, aged 6 years, following an incident at a premises in Co Offaly that occurred on Sunday, May 29 2022. The child was taken to Childrens Health Ireland at Crumlin where they later passed. A file will be prepared for the Coroner's Court. No further information is available. A spokesperson for the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) told the Tullamore Tribune today: I can confirm the HSA are aware of this incident and the relevant enquiries are being made. Local sources indicated the tragedy occurred after the boy got into difficulty at the hotel swimming pool on Sunday evening. Primary school children and their families from two DEIS schools in Offaly are set to benefit from an expanded Tesco Stronger Starts programme. As part of the expansion, Tesco Ireland will provide one million healthy and nutritious meals across the DEIS school network by May 2023. Tesco has also launched a Whatsapp recipe hotline (089 222 6040) in which customers are encouraged to share their favourite family recipes that include potatoes, onions, carrots, or apples before June 7. Selected recipes will be posted on the Tesco Ireland.ie website. Consumers are invited to get involved in this initiative and help make a difference. The Stronger Starts programme, in partnership with The Good Grub Initiative, will grow over the next year. From this month, Tesco is delighted to be supported by its long-standing local suppliers, Country Crest, Keelings and Dole as they come on board to support children in need. According to the CSO, one in thirteen Irish people were at risk of poverty prior to the Pandemic. Stronger Starts builds on the work of the Good Grub Initiative who, during Covid-19 restrictions with support from home school community liaison officers, identified families who needed additional support at home, through DEIS schools. The initiative complements the existing Government programme which provides food support to children and their families. This is the second phase of Stronger Starts, which started as a pilot programme in 40 DEIS schools in November (2021) providing 1,000 packs per week of healthy and nutritious food parcels, containing apples, onions, potatoes, and carrots to children and families most in need. Across this school year, the programme will double to 2,000 packs per week through 80 DEIS schools. Tesco commits that by May 2023, the programme will have provided over one million meals through DEIS schools around Ireland. Rosemary Garth, Communications Director, Tesco Ireland said: The Stronger Starts programme is our commitment to provide fresh ingredients for one million meals to primary school children most in need and their families by the middle of next year. As we celebrate twenty-five years in Ireland, we hope that this programme expansion will help make a positive change for children and families in our communities who are at risk of food insecurity. "The aim of this recipe crowd source call out is to gather family-favourite recipes, using staples like potatoes, onions, carrots and apples, to inspire other families with those recipes, and get the children involved at mealtimes. I know there are lots of fantastic family favourites out there and I cant wait to try some for myself. Stronger Starts is the latest community support programme from Tesco, which is helping to build thriving communities across Ireland. Tesco was the first national retail partner of FoodCloud in 2014, and since then we've redistributed the equivalent of 15 million meals to nearly 400 charitable groups in communities all over Ireland from breakfast clubs, to Meals on Wheels, to community kitchens and food banks. A couple of councillors warned during a recent Council meeting that Offaly's response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis should be sensitively and intelligently done and not at the expense of the people of Offaly. The councillors said there will obviously be a limit to the number of refugees the country can cope with, but it's not known what this limit will be. They pointed out that 30,000 refugees from Ukraine are now in Ireland. Looking after these people is of course essential, said Cllr Ken Smollen, but we shouldn't forget about our own people in the process. We are still in the throes of a housing crisis which shows no signs of abating. I am hearing reports that some void properties in Offaly have been made available to Ukrainian refugees. This could cause resentment because people on the housing list could rightly ask why aren't they in line for these void properties? Cllr Eddie Fitzpatrick agreed. We have to remain very mindful of our own large housing list. Cllr John Leahy commented that community groups and sporting organisations may have to step up and help with providing accommodation for the refugees. Cllr Peter Ormond praised the people of Offaly for being so kind-hearted and positive-minded towards the refugees. A council official said the government hasn't told the Council yet exactly how many refugees the county will be expected to take in. Meanwhile, the Charities Regulator is reminding the public and registered charities in Offaly and in the wider midland area to consider carefully how they support the people of Ukraine, to ensure the significant funds and volunteering efforts being donated achieve their intended purpose. Registered charities, in particular, are being urged to plan fully before undertaking any initiatives. Helen Martin, Chief Executive, Charities Regulator pointed out that "Charities have a serious and significant duty of care. They must have all required safety and safeguarding procedures in place, along with the necessary resources and capacity." She added, "People across the country, including in Offaly, continue to be moved by the plight of the people of Ukraine and understandably want to help in whatever way they can. Donating time or money to an established registered charity is a much more effective way of assisting people at a time of crisis than seeking to set up a charity from scratch. "We urge the public to support registered charities with a track record of providing the kinds of practical supports and assistance that the Ukrainian people need at this time. They can check simply and quickly whether a specific charity is on the Register of Charities at Charitiesregulator.ie MBABANE Former Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) Public Relations Officer (PRO) Vusi Masuku has passed on after being involved in a car accident. News about death of the senior police officer, who was now the Deputy National Commissioner and Police College Commandant, started making the rounds yesterday afternoon. It was gathered that Masuku died while admitted to the Mbabane Clinic following an accident which occurred on Saturday while he was descending the notorious Mehlwabovu Hill. A very close relative confirmed the news about the demise of the senior police officer. The relative asked his name not to be mentioned, as he was not the rightful person to speak on the matter. The relative then referred this reporter to the late Masukus sister, Thobile Masuku. Emotional Thobiles phone rang unanswered. It was gathered at the time that the family had just been informed about the sad news and was still too emotional to speak. Masuku was from the Shiselweni Region as his home is at Benezer area, at Hlatikhulu under Mtsambama Inkhundla. Another senior police officer, who was the late Masukus friend, also confirmed the news, though stating that there was nothing much to say since he was still with the family ferrying the late police officers body to Dups Funeral Home. At the time of the interview, the police officer stated that they had just left Mbabane Clinic, heading to the mortuary. The senior police officer said he could only make a comment some other time when they had calmed down. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati said her office could not confirm nor deny the news. She said such news had to be confirmed by the concerned family. Meanwhile, former National Commissioner of Police Isaac Magagula said he was still in shock over the death of Masuku, whom he worked with for a very long time. Masuku served as the police PRO during Magagulas tenure as the national commissioner. Magagula, who is now a senator, described Masuku as a humble, professional and diligent officer. He said the death of Masuku meant a loss to the police organisation and the country at large. He said Masuku was serving the country as a police officer with so much dedication and had helped a lot of people. The senator expressed his shock on how Masuku died in the car accident, as he was one person known for not overspeeding. Meanwhile, tributes poured in for the late senior police officer on social media after the news of his demise circulated in the late afternoon. Most social media users described Masuku as a humble man. Local company Dotser was announced this week as a finalist in the Irish Exporters Association 2022 Export Industry Awards. The Export Industry Awards recognise the tremendous achievements of companies working in international trade in Ireland. The local ecommerce, software development and integration company is shortlisted for the category of High Potential Exporter Award; a category which identifies an early stage exporting company which has surpassed its potential and is demonstrating success and commitment in one or more markets. Dotser was founded in 2000 in Tullamore by local man Loughnan Hooper and employs 14 staff from its Axis Business Park headquarters with out-reach presences in Dublin, London and Sydney. Home to Dotser Commerce, Dotser Agri, Dotser Tools and SuperShow - Event Management System; Dotser has achieved significant international growth in the past two years and is today supported by Enterprise Ireland by way of an effective sustainable strategy to deliver a steady pipeline of target customers and key contracts to achieve significant sales growth. The awards ceremony will take place at a black-tie Export Industry Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner in the Mansion House on September 30th. This will be followed by an Alumni Masterclass hosted by Trinity Business School, Trinity College Dublin on the 14th October. Visit https://irishexporters.ie for more information. Dotser is an innovative software development company offering a suite of cloud based software products to automate business processes including ecommerce and event management platforms. The company was established in 2000, and has developed software platforms such as SuperShow Show Management Platform, for the events industry and agricultural industry, and Dotser Agri and Dotser Tools; software integration and ecommerce solutions for the agricultural and machinery markets. Today, the company is backed by Enterprise Ireland and is expanding internationally. Key platforms: SuperShow Show Management System is the leading Competition & Show Management System, providing one central platform to manage website, competitions, trade stands, memberships and shop. DotserAgri - Agri Dealer eCommerce Platform is a central platform which allows users to manage and promote new & used Machinery, parts & merchandise In one central platform. DotserTools - The DotserTools Platform is a central platform that allows users to integrate online businesses with leading tool and hardware supplier. DotserCommerce - DotserCommerce is an eCommerce platform designed and developed to give you everything you need for your business to sell online. Each DotserCommerce website is designed and coded specifically for the clients and its users requirements using our solid and robust platform which can integrate with any or multiple stock management systems and scale in line with your business growth. See www.supershow.io and www.dotser.ie for more information. The Irish Exporters Associations Export Industry Awards is the premier event for recognising the achievements of Irish Exporters and has been growing in strength and recognition each year. It is important that we highlight the exporting companies and service providers who have excelled across the industry despite some difficult trading conditions and that we highlight these companies who have been fundamental to Irelands success. Exporting businesses have been an essential part of Irelands global success despite incredibly difficult international trade conditions over the past two years. The Export Industry Awards allows us to celebrate those Irish businesses that continue to succeed in an increasingly uncertain world. Over 500 export industry professionals will attend the black-tie gala event on September 30th at the Round Room at the Mansion House. Sponsors: KPMG, Trinity Business School, Trinity College Dublin, Bord Bia, Dixon International Logistics, Enterprise Ireland, the Institute of Sustainable Trade, Thyme IT and media partner The Times & The Sunday Times. The Export Industry Awards have been recognising the tremendous achievements of companies working in the industry for 19 years and has been growing in strength and recognition each year. It is important that we highlight the exporting companies and service providers who have excelled across the industry despite some difficult trading conditions and that we highlight these companies who have been fundamental to Irelands success. Visit https://irishexporters.ie for more information. Borgen is a Danish political drama television series. Adam Price is the co-writer and developer of the series, together with Jeppe Gjervig Gram and Tobias Lindholm. Borgen is produced by DR, the Danish public broadcaster which had previously produced The Killing. In Danish: Borgen, lit. '"The Castle"', is the informal name of Christiansborg Palace where all three branches of Danish government reside: the Parliament, the Prime Minister's Office, and the Supreme Court, and is often used as a figure of speech for the Danish government. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addresses his party for the first time as Prime Minister - as he prepares to unveil his ministry. The former teacher has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his first wife Lynette Dawson, who vanished from Sydneys northern beaches in January 1982. Several Goodna residents are still living out of caravans after February's Queensland floods destroyed their homes. Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) announced today the secondary listing of GFH Financial Group (GFH), a major financial group with interests in key sectors such as asset management and real estate. The listing is set to further expand GFHs investor base and enhance liquidity in its shares amid increased regional and international participation on the exchange. Saeed Hamad Al Dhaheri, ADX Managing Director and CEO, and Hisham Alrayes, the GFH Group Chief Executive Officer, rang the market-opening bell at ADX, to celebrate the listing. The Groups shares began trading under the symbol 'GFH'. This is GFHs fourth regional listing with its shares already listed and actively traded on the Bahrain Bourse, Boursa Kuwait and the Dubai Financial Market. The listing comes as GFH undergoes continued expansion and transformational growth having recently partnered with SQ Asset Management Company in the US, completed the acquisition of logistic warehouses with assets of more than $2 billion and spun out infrastructure and real estate assets. Currently, the Group has over $15 billion of assets and funds under management including a global portfolio of investments in logistics, healthcare, education and technology in the Mena region, Europe and North America. This includes new investments of more than US$2 billion over the past 12 months alone. The listing of GFH on ADX brings the number of dual listings on the exchange to four. Shares of Ooredoo, Sudan Telecom Group and Oman and Emirates Investment Holding Company also have secondary listings on the exchange. Commenting on the listing, Al Dhaheri said: "As part of our 'ADX One' strategy to promote greater market liquidity, we have been actively encouraging listings on our dynamic capital market and forging deeper ties with regional markets, including the Bahrain Bourse." "The pipeline for IPOs and listings on our Main Market and Growth Market remains strong for the remainder of the year, a testament to our strength and resilience amid global market volatility," he stated. Alrayes said: "GFH is delighted to celebrate another landmark achievement for the Group with our listing on ADX. This is a strategic move supporting our expansion and enhancing our financial position and funding for the next phase of growth." "With our listing, we continue to broaden our shareholder base and increase our reach and visibility among key global and regional investors. Importantly, we also underscore the strong demand for GFHs shares and the market and investor confidence that exists in the Group, our performance and prospects," he added. During the first quarter of 2022, ADX recorded an 87 percent year-on-year increase in the value of total trades made in the first quarter of 2022. Traded values (buy + sell) on the exchange rose to AED 202 billion in Q1 2022 from AED 108 billion in Q1 2021. Meanwhile, the market value of shares owned by foreign investors in Q1 2022 jumped 163 percent to AED 131 billion from AED 50 billion in Q1 2021. GFH was advised on the cross listing by First Abu Dhabi Bank as its listing advisor and Al Tamimi and Company as its legal advisor.-TradeArabia News Service Ten people have been arrested as part of an investigation into a Malaysian syndicate linked to trafficking commercial quantities of heroin in Victoria. US President Joe Biden and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern discussed gun violence, climate change, and the rise of China at the White House. When it comes to ideology this election, the Coalition had none, Labor had too little, and the Greens have too much. A Ukrainian court has sentenced a young Russian soldier to life imprisonment after he pleaded guilty for killing an unarmed civilian in the ongoing war. 21-year-old Vadim Shishimarin thus became the convict in the first war crimes trial held in Ukraine in Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Prosecutors say Shishimarin, a tank commander, shot a 62-year-old man in the northeastern Ukrainian village of C Picking up nine years after the last season ended, the Danish drama seamlessly returns to the cut and thrust of modern political.. Brisbane Times 01 Jun 2022 Canada is introducing a bill that would ban the sale of handguns, less than a week after 19 children and two teachers were killed in a school shooting in Texas. China has made the second largest incursion into Taiwan's air defence zone this year with Taipei reporting 30 jets entering the.. News24 31 May 2022 After several hours of face-to-face wrangling, and many weeks of back and forth discussions, EU leaders have agreed to ban most Russian oil from the bloc's markets by the end of the year. The embargo will target only seaborne imports, however, excluding supplies coming in by pipelines. Andy Murray says the deaths of 19 children and two teachers in a mass shooting at a Texas school is "unbelievably upsetting". Russian energy firm Gazprom says it has suspended supplies of gas to the Netherlands after payments were not made in rubles. Despite facing numerous challenges related to time, cost overruns and the capacity to post better industry performance, the Kuwaiti construction industry is growing at a rapid pace and is projected to hit $9.19 billion by 2028, according to Verified Market Research. The local construction market caters to a wide range of activities that cover upcoming and ongoing project developments in key sectors such as commercial, residential, industrial construction and infrastructure transportation as well as the energy and utilities sector. Between 2022 to 2025, the Kuwaiti construction sector is expected to witness an annual average growth rate of 6%, stated the report. When coupled with the governments programmes to promote the development of economic zones, logistic cities, transport, and renewable energy infrastructure, the Kuwaiti construction field is estimated to post strong rebound in the post-Covid era, it added. The industry is further buoyed and supported by reforms to diversify the economy away from hydrocarbons. "With the right technology solutions in BIM and Construction Cloud Collaboration Solutions, companies within the construction sector can transform and innovate to become more efficient, competitive, and profitable. The current growth rate of the Kuwaiti construction market is accompanied by certain challenges that continue to stifle the industrys performance. Companies that intend to rise above the competition within the Kuwaiti and GCC markets need to adopt the right technology solutions. This approach alone can prove to be a game-changer, said Belal Ibrahim Hamouda, General Manager of Grand International Company (GIC). In this regard, due to the support and service that GIC Kuwait gave to the Architecture Engineering & Construction Industry, they were awarded Autodesk Excellence Award. The awards were announced at the Autodesk OTx (One Team Conference) in March. The top honour emphasises GICs commitment towards Autodesk Business and the customers in the Architecture Engineering & Construction sector in Kuwait, stated Hamouda after collecting the award on behalf of GIC along with Regional Manager Abhilash Nair. Kuwait is also a fast-emerging IT hub within the Middle East and GCC regions. With the countrys 2035 Vision, the nation is poised to become a financial and commercial center within the region. The rapid development in network connectivity and increased support from government bodies in addition to high adoption of cloud, big data and IoT services have been strong drivers for the growth of Kuwait's IT industry. Additionally, the private sectors approach towards adopting the latest in IT solutions, particularly within the construction industry, is a strong indicator of how far the industry will go in the near future. "For an industry to grow at an unprecedented rate, it requires strong infrastructural, government, and policy support. Kuwait has the ideal combination of all three," remarked Nair. "Therefore, we believe that the country is on its way to becoming the financial and commercial hub within the Middle East in the years to come," he added.-TradeArabia News Service A Ukraine court has sentenced two Russian soldiers to over 11 years in prison for the shelling of civilian buildings. Meanwhile, Ukraine says Russia controls "around half" of Sievierodonetsk. DW has the latest. Russian troops now control "around half" of the Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk, an official has said, with British intelligence warning "gains are being held". Officials from Ukraine, Lithuania and Poland will discuss early findings with the International Criminal Court's lead prosecutor as thousands of potential war crimes cases are being pursued in Ukraine. Rumble 24 Apr 2022 Freedom Fighters all over Canada are taking to the streets this weekend to peacefully protest mandates, lockdowns, government.. Canada has imposed sanctions on Alina Kabaeva, reportedly the girlfriend of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The former Olympic gymnast is one of 22 close associates of the Russian regime added to the sanctions list over the country's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Mediaite 31 May 2022 Trump took to his Truth Social media platform on Tuesday to rage against Hillary Clinton lawyer Michael Sussmann being acquitted of.. The Texas law, inspired by former President Donald Trump, bans social media sites like Facebook and Twitter from moderating -- and erasing -- content. United States President Joe Biden announced the reason that his administration was not sending rockets to help Ukrainians defend themselves against the Russian military assault. The Democrat's administration officials said that they were considering the distribution of rocket systems as long as they withhold the longest range. Former United States President Donald Trump has called the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Hill riot a "hoax" during his Wyoming rally where he took aim at Rep. Liz Cheney. The Republican businessman expressed support for Harriet Hageman during the rally. China sent 30 military aircraft, including fighter jets, to Taiwan's air defense zone as Taipei is posed to strengthen its security relations with the United States. Bahrain-based TCIGs CEO Hyder Cohen has been announced as the CEO of the Year 2022 by the CEO Today Magazine. Every year CEO Today Magazine identifies and honours the most respected companies and their C-Level executives who lead the way on a global stage. The CEO Today Magazine team collate votes and in-depth sector by sector research to choose the very best of the best among the worlds CEOs to reward and celebrate the leadership and strategic vision of CEOs across a number of sectors to identify the most successful, innovative and forward-thinking CEOs in business today. Growing remarkably Accepting this award Cohen said: It is humbling to have received this award, not just for me personally but for my whole team too. In addition to being recgonised as an entity based in Bahrain for which we are very proud. Being in Bahrain has allowed us to grow remarkably without the normal complexities in other regions. Being in Bahrain is one of the key reasons to our success. Cohen also credits the award to his team: Without my teams unstinting support and alignment to my vision, the success and recognition would be meaningless. So, I accept this award not just as a CEO of a global organisation but as a person who sees the reason for my personal and organisational success in the hands of a dedicated, diverse, and committed team of experts and perfectionists who are not simply in a job for namesake but do things with conviction and passion. TCIG has been established in Bahrain since 2012, who were introduced to the kingdom with the support of the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) which played a significant supporting role in getting the group to relocate from the UK to Bahrain. Tough times never last Coming out of the Covid-19 Pandemic phase Cohen said: Tough times never last but solid businesses with clear positions do. He adds: Whilst others where consolidating positions we were at the peak of growth and during the Pandemic we grew our business 10-fold. In a 10-year span, Cohen led the business to grow impressively with a diverse business operation from Bahrain that now boasts clients and customers all over the world.-- TradeArabia News Service Newsy 24 May 2022 Watch VideoSri Lanka's navy said Tuesday that it has arrested 67 people who it believes were trying to travel by sea to Australia.. Mourners paid their respects to 10-year-old Amerie Jo Garza Monday at a funeral home in Uvalde, Texas. The funeral home is directly across the street from the school where Amerie, her classmates and two teachers, were shot to death May 24th. (May 31) Some European officials want to use more than $300 billion in Russian central bank assets to rebuild Ukraine. But Biden administration officials warn that diverting those funds could be illegal. 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. China has made the second largest incursion into Taiwan's air defence zone this year with Taipei reporting 30 jets entering the area, including more than 20 fighters. Leaked documents revealed that Germany had hardly been sending any weapons to Ukraine. The next day, it made new commitments. Business Insider 01 Jun 2022 Newsy 31 May 2022 Watch VideoShanghai authorities say they will take some major steps Wednesday toward reopening China's largest city after a.. Sky News 27 May 2022 Shelling has intensified in the city of Severodonetsk - one of the few parts of the Luhansk region in Donbas that is still under.. Some residents of Omaha, Nebraska were urged to evacuate due to a raging fire in the Nox-Crete chemical facility. (May 31) USATODAY.com 31 May 2022 Bailey McCann, Opalesque New York: Fullerton Fund Management has reached a $100 million first close for its first Thai Private Equity strategy via KBank Private Banking. Fullerton is an Asian investment specialist firm backed by Temasek. The strategy is now in the latter stages of its capital-raising phase, with initial deployments already made into underlying companies. Fullerton has partnered with KBank Private Banking, Hatton Equity Partners, and Land and Houses Fund Management to launch the first-ever Thailand focused private equity strategy accessible to Thai investors in the form of a mutual fund. The strategy will invest in eight to 12 mid-sized companies in Thailand. The fund will have a seven year life cycle. "The Thai investable market is deeply underserved by private equity relative to the economy's size. These companies are looking to alternative sources of funding like private equity in place of traditional bank loans as funding sources, especially in the wake of Covid-19," said Tan Huck Khim, Head of Alternatives, at Fullerton Fund Management."Thailand is an attractive market for private equity investing, as it is home to many family-run businesses that are experiencing leadership transitions to the next generation. This new generation is increasingly open to external influences that can add value." Family-owned businesses in Thailand make up 75% of Thailand's stock exchange, according to PwC's 2019 Global Family Business Survey. These famil...................... To view our full article Click here Facts about Russia-Ukraine conflict: Putin, Erdogan discuss situation in Ukraine over phone Xinhua) 13:04, May 31, 2022 BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine: Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the situation in Ukraine during a telephone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday. Putin noted that Russia was ready to "facilitate the unhindered sea transit of goods" in coordination with the Turkish side, adding that this also applied to grain exports from Ukrainian ports. The Turkish president emphasized the need for steps that will "minimize the negative effects of the conflict and build trust by re-establishing the ground of peace between Russia and Ukraine as soon as possible." - - - - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that he had talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with both sides agreeing on the need to restore peace in Ukraine. According to a statement issued by Erdogan's office, the two leaders discussed the recent developments in the Ukrainian crisis, and Erdogan said Turkey attached importance to the project of creating a safe corridor for the export of Ukraine's agricultural products by sea. Erdogan said Turkey had made every effort to continue the negotiations between Ukraine and Russia and that his country was ready to provide the needed support including mediation, the statement said. - - - - Russia's Gazprom Export said Monday it would suspend gas supplies to Dutch energy company GasTerra from Tuesday due to its refusal to pay in rubles. GasTerra announced that it did not intend to pay for the supplied gas in rubles, Gazprom said, adding that it would suspend deliveries from May 31 until a payment is made in accordance with a Russian presidential decree from March. - - - - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday met with visiting French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna to discuss support for Kiev, the presidential press service said. The parties talked about the assistance in armaments, strengthening sanctions on Russia and bringing Ukraine closer to European Union membership, according to a statement on the Ukrainian presidential website. - - - - A new division of the Azov Battalion of Ukraine has been formed in the eastern city of Kharkiv, the Ukrainian UNIAN news agency reported on Monday. The soldiers of the newly-formed military unit will defend the Kharkiv region from Russian forces, the agency said. The Azov Battalion, which is part of the Ukrainian National Guard, took part in the battle for Mariupol, a key Azov Sea port city that had been under siege for more than two months. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun) The UAE and Israel have signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement in Dubai, thus beginning a new era of co-operation between the two nations that established diplomatic ties in September 2020. The CEPA deal is expected to advance bilateral trade beyond $10 billion within five years. The UAE-Israel CEPA, the second bilateral trade agreement signed by the UAE, offers unprecedented economic benefits for both parties by lowering or eliminating tariffs on more than 96% of tariff lines and 99% value of trade, enhancing market access for exporters, attracting new investment, and creating opportunities in key industries, including energy, environment, and digital trade. The deal will also support service sectors such as hospitality, financial services, distribution, and construction and provide a platform for SMEs in both countries to expand internationally, reported state news agency Wam. The UAE-Israel CEPA is expected to advance bilateral trade beyond $10 billion within five years and add $1.9 billion to the UAEs GDP within the same time period. Total UAE exports are expected to increase 0.5 percent by 2030, said Abdulla Bin Touq, the UAE Minister of Economy after signing the deal with Major General (Retd) Orna Barbivay, Israel Minister of Economy and Industry. Bin Touq pointed out that this CEPA with Israel will create a new paradigm for the region. "It will accelerate growth and underscores a shared belief that the only way to build resilient and sustainable economies in a complex world is by doing so together," he noted. "It also symbolises something greater than business: the importance of building meaningful partnerships. Our agreement can demonstrate to nations and governments around the world that cooperation and dialogue are the best ways to transform challenges into opportunities," he added. Barbivai said: "This is a visit of strategic importance for economic relations between Israel and the UAE. Today we have signed a CEPA and advanced a series of economic partnerships. Together, we will break down obstacles and we will advance comprehensive trade and new technologies that will serve as a basis for our shared path, contribute to the benefit of our citizens and make it easier to do business." "This is the first full free trade agreement made with an Arab state, that is happening such a short time after the establishment of diplomatic relations," he added. The agreement builds on the exponential growth in trade and investment the UAE and Israel have enjoyed since the signing of the Abraham Accords. From September 2020 to March 2022, non-oil trade surpassed $2.5 billion, while it reached $1.06 billion in the first three months of 2022 five times the total from the same period in 2021. Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, said: "By establishing diplomatic ties in 2020, the UAE and Israel embarked on a new era of regional trade, investment, and exchange. The UAE-Israel Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement will further catalyze economic activity and, importantly, create new research and investment opportunities in agri-tech, renewable energy, and advanced technology, which are priority sectors for both countries." "Over the past 18 months, our nations have demonstrated what can be achieved when we cast aside our differences and, as we emerge from the challenges of the global pandemic, the UAE and Israel believe that multilateral approaches are needed to rebuild supply chains, reinvigorate economies, and restore confidence. We are confident this deal will pave the way for a new era of regional economic success," he added. Laxman Pai, Opalesque Asia: The world's largest infrastructure asset manager Macquarie Group Ltd.'s asset-management arm closed a US$4.2 billion Asia-Pacific regional infrastructure fund that exceeded the US$3.0 billion target. "The successful fundraise brings total capital managed under the manager's Asia-Pacific Infrastructure Fund series, dedicated to investing in Asia-Pacific infrastructure, to over $US15 billion," said the Australian global financial services group in a press release. The fund received the commitments from a diverse range of returning and new institutional investors, including pension funds, insurance companies, and sovereign wealth funds, Macquarie said. "The infrastructure markets across Asia-Pacific have been maturing at a particularly fast rate, and our clients continue to value the investment merits brought by infrastructure," said Frank Kwok, head of Macquarie Asset Management's real assets business in Asia-Pacific. "Leveraging our local relationships and experience in managing funds in Asia-Pacific, we remain focused on identifying proprietary investment opportunities through our network for our clients," said Verena Lim, Head of Investments for the Macquarie Asia-Pacific Infrastructure Fund series. Last year, Macquarie's asset management unit had raised $6.9 billion for its fund dedicated to investing in North American infrastructure as U.S. lawmakers negotiated a plan to spend $1.2 trillion over five years on pu...................... To view our full article Click here Photo provided/Creative 360 In conjunction with the Midland Art Fair weekend, the 2nd Annual Art Speaks Poetry & Playwriting Festival takes the spotlight on the Creative 360 Gallery stage this Friday and Saturday, June 3 and 4. The event features the debut of 28 original poems and plays, including 10 minute plays, one act plays and a full length play More than 40 piece were submitted to Creative 360 in May of this year and were adjudicated by published poets, playwrights and theatre professionals. Creative 360 recruited directors from the Great Lakes Bay Region to direct staged readings of several of the play submissions, including the winning works. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate CANBERRA, Australia (AP) Australias center-left Labor Party secured enough seats Tuesday to hold an outright majority in the House as vote counting from an election 10 days ago continued. That means new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his party will be able to govern alone although it's possible they might still seek deals with other parties to strengthen their hand. The calculus remains different in the Senate, where the Labor Party will likely need help from other liberals to command a majority. With about 80% of the vote counted, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. projected Labor will win at least 76 of the 150 House seats, the minimum required to form a majority government. Two seats remained too close to call. Labor will need to provide a Speaker, which will reduce their voting ranks by one, although the Speaker also gets the casting vote in the case of a tie. Albanese's party defeated the conservative coalition led by Prime Minister Scott Morrison in the May 21 election. Albanese was sworn in last week when it became clear he had the numbers to govern, with or without a majority. He flew to Tokyo for a summit with President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Albanese got a standing ovation when he addressed his Labor caucus Tuesday. He outlined his agenda for the rest of the year and announced the new parliament will open on July 26. He said Labor will introduce a bill to form a federal anti-corruption commission, review wasteful spending and announce a budget in October. Albanese told his colleagues the party won by showing unity, discipline and a sense of purpose. We had a good story to tell, he said. We werent intimidated by anyone, we didnt get distracted, we stayed on course and the discipline we showed was magnificent." He welcomed those colleagues who had won their first elections. For those newbies, you really struck gold because opposition is not fun. At all, he said. He said Australia would join the global effort to combat climate change "after nine wasted years. Albaneses Cabinet and ministers are due to be finalized and sworn in this week before he flies to Indonesia on Sunday for a three-day diplomatic visit. Courtesy photo A fire in the milking parlors at Roundtree Dairy in Chandler Township north of Elkton forced owners to evacuate their cows to other dairy farms late Monday afternoon, sparking area farmers to rally to their aid. A constant flow of trucks towing cattle trailers could be seen arriving and leaving the farm on Farver Road as fire trucks and other emergency vehicles from the Oliver Township and Winsor Township fire departments left the scene around 6:30 p.m. The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriffs Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Tereasa Nims. Monday, May 30 11:23 p.m. Police were called to the 4300 Block of Andre Street for a domestic violence complaint. 9 p.m. Deputies responded to a 47-year-old man having suicidal thoughts at his Homer Township residence. Deputies spoke with the man who denied being suicidal. The family was advised to contact the courts regarding a possible mental health pick up order. 8:29 p.m. - Deputies were dispatched to an Edenville Township residence regarding a 63-year-old man reporting that his 80-year-old neighbor damaged several items around his property. The property value is estimated to be approximately $160. A report is being sent to the prosecutor. 8:25 p.m. Police were called to the 300 block of East Larkin for an assault. 5:02 p.m. - A 30-year-old intoxicated woman called 911 to report that her 30-year-old live in boyfriend took her phone. When deputies arrived, the woman realized that the boyfriend didn't take her phone but was helping her look for it. No assault. 4:05 p.m. - Deputies spoke to a 73-year-old Lincoln Township woman who stated she had gotten several odd phone calls from a West Branch number. Deputies investigated the phone number and ultimately requested a well-being check be completed at an Ogemaw County address. 3:15 p.m. Deputies were called when a black pickup driver failed to pay for $60 in gas in Coleman. No plate or further information was obtained. 9:38 a.m. - An out of area camper observed a dog she believed to be abandon and poor health. She called 911 to request a deputy check on the animal. The deputy located the animal and its owner. The owner explained the dog is 16 years old and has cancer. The owner was asked to update the dog's tags. 2:08 a.m. - Deputies were dispatched to an Ingersoll Township residence for a 37-year-old woman who assaulted her 44-year-old husband. The woman was arrested for domestic assault. She was transported to the Midland County Jail without incident. A report was completed and forwarded to the Prosecuting Attorney's Office for review. Sunday, May 29 10:04 p.m. - Deputies were dispatched to a Jerome Township location for a report of a 40-year-old Jerome Township woman who was standing in the roadway. Deputies contacted the woman who advised she was attempting to rescue a bird. The woman was advised to not walk in the roadway for her safety and others. 10:36 p.m. - A Deputy was dispatched to a Coleman residence for a report of a stolen vehicle. The deputy contacted a 31-year-old Coleman man who advised his cousin, a 31-year-old Midland man had taken his vehicle without permission, and he wanted it back. The man advised he did not want to pursue charges against his cousin. 9:46 p.m. Police responded to South Saginaw Road and Discovery Way for an operating while intoxicated/operating under the influence of drugs complaint. 7:10 p.m. Police were called to State and East Indian streets for a private property crash. 5:30 p.m. - Deputies assisted a Michigan State Police Trooper on the investigation of a 39-year-old man who believed he was having a child. The man was taken and transported by EMS. 2:53 p.m. An 81-year-old Geneva Township woman almost caused two crashes. Deputy stopped the vehicle. A family member responded to the scene to drive the vehicle and woman home. 3:55 p.m. - Deputies spoke to a 45-year-old woman who had questions referencing civil issues with her soon-to-be ex-husband. 1:12 p.m. Police were called to East US-10 and Stark Road for a private property damage crash. 12:36 p.m. - Deputies assisted Midland Township fire with traffic control during a car fire incident. No crash, no injuries. 8:04 am. - A 35-year-old Midland man inmate received additional charges after damaging jail property and assaulting jail staff. A report is being sent to the prosecutor. 7:06 a.m. - Deputies responded to a Lee Township residence regarding verbal argument, upon speaking to the 39-year-old caller he stated his ex-girlfriend showed up knocking on his door but left once he called 911. 5:25 a.m. - Deputies were dispatched to a Lee Township residence for an unwanted person complaint. Deputies were disregarded prior to the arrival because the unwanted person voluntarily left. 12:59 a.m. - Deputies were dispatched to a Greendale Township residence for a verbal domestic. Upon arrival, Deputies contacted a 63-year-old Greendale Township woman who advised her roommates were fighting and she wanted them removed. Deputies contacted a 29-year-old Greendale Township woman who advised she and her boyfriend, a 45-year-old Greendale Township man got into a verbal argument and there were no assaults. The man left prior to arrival. The woman caller was advised of the eviction process. 12:25 a.m. Police responded to the 500 block of Townsend Street for an assault and obstructing justice. Saturday, May 28 11:51 p.m. - A 28-year-old Owosso woman was cited for driving while unlicensed following a traffic stop in Jerome Township. A report was completed and forwarded to the prosecutor for review. 8:07 p.m. - A 56-year-old man called to report that his 58-year-old woman neighbor was yelling at him from the private road. Both parties were advised to stay away from each other and not talk to each other. 6:07 p.m. - An unknown white truck pumped $26.08 worth of gas I Warren Township without paying for it. The clerk did not obtain a plate. 5:12 p.m. Police responded to the 7300 block of Eastman Avenue for a private property crash. 3:08 p.m. - Deputies spoke to a 64-year-old man who believes his neighbors are throwing trash into his yard. The man stated he wanted the incident noted. 1:16 p.m. A 58-year-old Edenville Township man reported his neighbor was walking down the wrong side of the road and yelling at him when he passed 8 a.m. Deputies were called for a suspicious man in Homer Township, walking down the side of the road. When contacting the 36-year-old they learned he was just out for a walk after recently getting home from work. Friday, May 27 11:38 p.m. - Deputies responded to a Porter Township location for a report of cows in the roadway. The deputies located the cows and assisted their 41-year-old Porter Township man owner return them home. 10:56 p.m. - A deputy was dispatched to a single vehicle car/deer crash in Jasper Township. The passenger had complaints of minor injury after airbag deployment. A crash report was completed. 9:07 p.m. - A 49-year-old Lincoln Township man was cited for improper plate following a traffic stop in Lee Township A report was completed and forwarded to the prosecutor for review. 7:34 p.m. - Deputies were dispatched to a Homer Township residence for a verbal domestic. A neighbor had called stating there was yelling at a residence next door. Deputies contacted a 38-year-old Homer Township woman who advised she got into a verbal argument with her brother and he left the residence and returned to Bay City. There were no assaults. 5:31 p.m. - A Deputy was dispatched to Larkin Township regarding a neighbor complaint. A 61-year-old Larkin Township man reported that while his 75-year-old neighbor was walking his dog, on a leash, the dog stepped onto the complainant's property. There are longstanding issues between the neighbors and a report was sent to the prosecutor. 3:54 p.m. - A Deputy was dispatched to Warren Township regarding a possible larceny. A 50-year-old Clare man reported that his dog was missing. He felt that the dog could've been stolen, but also acknowledged that the dog may have just snapped his lead. There was no indication that the dog was stolen. The man was going to call all of the local dog shelters to report his dog as missing. 3:24 p.m. Police were called to the 800 block of S. Saginaw for a hit and run crash. 3:06 p.m. - A Deputy spoke with a 52-year-old Porter Township man who reported that someone illegally dumped 31 tires on a Porter Township roadway. The complainant took it upon himself to collect the tires from the roadway. 11:55 a.m. A 13-year-old Lincoln Township boy broke into a neighbors house and damaged a computer. He was lodged at the juvenile correction center. 11:22 a.m. A Deputy spoke with a 30-year-old Jasper Township man regarding a larceny. The items were stolen from the back of his truck between Pennsylvania and his residence in Jasper Township. 10:21 a.m. - A Deputy spoke with a 69-year-old Edenville Township man who advised that his personal information was leaked during a data breach. The man needed a police report to lock his credit. At this time the man has not fallen victim of any crime. 3:46 a.m. - Deputies responded to a-Lee Township residence for a verbal dispute between a 73-year-old Lee Township man and his 35-year-old Lee Township son. There was no assault, and the son left the residence for the day to be separated. 2:24 a.m. Deputies were called to a loud party in Jerome Township. The deputies spoke with the 49-year-old Jerome Township homeowner and the party ended for the night. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Four Jefferson Middle School students in Midland are gearing up for a national competition in Houston, Texas, next week. Kanushi Desai, Louis Huang and Ian Koh, who all just completed eighth grade, and Emma Huang, who just completed sixth grade, have reached the highest level of a chemist competition. "This has gotten me more interested in science, and it is a good opportunity to do further research in chemistry," Louis said, adding he thinks chemical reactions are cool. The students will present to a live panel as national finalists for the "You Be The Chemist" challenge on Monday, June 6 in Houston. Jefferson Middle School will represent Michigan at the competition, which features five of the state team winners of regionals. Koh said participating in the competition could be an experience that helps differentiates him from other college applicants. "All of this stuff is really useful in the future," Koh said. "It's good information to have in the back of your mind, especially for high school science courses. Those can be tough." School Coordinator Christine Brillhart, who teaches science at Jefferson Middle School, acted as an advisor for the group. She explained that participating in the competition has helped the students develop skills that are broader than chemistry, such as teamwork and public speaking. "I've just seen them able to grow," Brillhart said. "Wow to get to this point, too. A lot of it was their independent, outside work to prepare." The students utilized Midland's chemistry roots to their advantage by networking with helpful adults who could help students through the competition process. Desai said she contacted a Midland chemist who used to work for Dow, which she said was both intimidating and supportive. WATCH: "But wait! There's another one!" Emma is presenting information about states of matter, including plasma, which is not commonly found on Earth but is one of the most abundant states of matter in the universe. Brillhart said the team received a score of .98 out of one. In addition, she said the team scored second on the regional test, which was considered for the combination score that reached the state winner. The students didn't share an early prediction of winning; rather, they were surprised with the results. "I didn't think we would get in because we only had (second place) in regionals," Emma said, adding that she was feeling excited after passing the initial reaction. Brillhart said the students took this opportunity on their own. Koh said he was prompted to participate because of his family's background, then he ended up on a winning team. "I kind of thought it would be cool," he said. "My dad's a chemist. My mom, she used to work in a similar area. They've helped me a lot recently, because it went from a casual thing to something I really needed to work on." Brillhart said she administered the original test within the competition to eight students to narrow down who would participate in the challenge, representing Jefferson. Zain, the leading digital service provider in Kuwait, has announced the launch of voice over 5G services, becoming the first telecom operator globally to commercially launch Vo5G with nationwide coverage. The service will have coverage all over Kuwait on the all-new Samsung Galaxy S22 lineup, a Zain release said. This revolutionary technology offers Zains customers an unprecedented experience with ultra-fast internet while making voice calls on compatible smartphones. The commercial launch of this service comes after Zain has completed extensive tests to assess the readiness of its network and its technical capabilities to operate this service at the highest quality on a nationwide level. Without any additional cost Vo5G is currently available on the all-new Samsung S22 lineup and is activated for customers without any additional cost. The service will also be available on all compatible future devices. Voice over 5G offers users a practical solution with unique technical capabilities, allowing them to enjoy the fastest telecommunications experience with flexibility and quality. With Vo5G, Zain customers will be able to make crystal-clear voice calls over the 5G network side by side with data services without interruption. In addition, Vo5G allows users to enjoy using the internet, streaming services, and data-hungry apps while making voice calls with the consistent and ultra-fast speeds of 5G. The service offers an effective solution for users who heavily depend on data services, as they will not have to end phone calls to get back to the best internet experience anymore. Hosted on SA 5G The voice over 5G service is hosted on Zains state-of-the art standalone 5G network (SA 5G), which the company deployed earlier this year. SA 5G is widely considered the future of 5G, allowing Zains network to reach its full potential by increasing coverage and laying a foundation for applications that harness the fast speed and low latency of 5G. Zain's 5G development leads the Kuwait telecom market, and its business success has been a result of its overall strategic objective to provide first-class 5G services for users in Kuwait. This announcement reflects Zains efforts in presenting Kuwaits biggest and most powerful 5G network. Back in June 2019, Zain was the first operator to offer 5G technology in the GCC region via the Kuwaiti market with nationwide coverage of all areas. The company succeeded in designing the first integrated network for 5G services built on a world-class infrastructure, ultimately transforming the telecom sector across the country and region.-- TradeArabia News Service File Photo GAYLORD The Michigan Department of Transportation will be investing $1.07 million to resurface 3.2 miles of M-22 in and near the city of Frankfort. The resurfacing project is scheduled to begin June 13, and will be from north of M-115, also known as Forest Avenue in Frankfort, to north of South Shore Drive, and from south of First Street to the Betsie Lake Causeway. It will include new concrete curb and gutter, as well as sidewalks and ramps meeting Americans with Disabilities Act standards. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 Courtesy photo/Julia Raddatz Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Courtesy photo/Julia Raddatz Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Courtesy photo/Julia Raddatz Show More Show Less 5 of 5 MANISTEE Members of Veterans of Foreign Wars Walsh Post No. 4499 visited Jefferson Elementary last week to lead the students in the raising of a new flag to commemorate Memorial Day. The veterans shared the history of the flag, ways to fold and care for the flag, and how to dispose of a flag. The students said the Pledge of Allegiance when the flag was raised, and shared a moment of silence to honor all the people who keep the community safe as the flag was lowered to half-mast. Senate Bill 1029, Suspend gas tax this summer: Passed 30 to 7 in the Senate To suspend collection of the states 27.2 cent-per-gallon "motor fuel tax" on gasoline and diesel fuel sales from June 15 to Sept. 15, 2022. The Senate Fiscal Agency reports this would reduce the amount available for future road and bridge repairs by around $360 million. Y Rick Outman (R) Six Lakes, Sen. Dist. 33 Y Curt VanderWall (R) Ludington, Sen. Dist. 35 Senate Bill 972, Suspend sales tax on gas and diesel: Passed 36 to 1 in the Senate To suspend collection of the states 6% sales tax on purchases of gasoline and diesel fuel from June 15 to Sept. 15, 2022. The Senate Fiscal Agency reports that suspending sales and use taxes on fuel would reduce state and school revenue around $680 million in the current fiscal year. Y Rick Outman (R) Six Lakes, Sen. Dist. 33 Y Curt VanderWall (R) Ludington, Sen. Dist. 35 House Bill 5291, Authorize port subsidies to private and public developers: Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate To authorize state grants of up to $2.5 million each to developers and owners of shipping ports and related facilities. The bill creates a new state agency to manage the subsidies, and to pursue more projects eligible for them. Y Rick Outman (R) Six Lakes, Sen. Dist. 33 Y Curt VanderWall (R) Ludington, Sen. Dist. 35 House Bill 4527, Authorize carnival ride safety violation fines: Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate To authorize civil fines of $2,500 per day for carnival ride safety violations. The bill would also revise procedures on permit revocations, appeals, reporting and disclosure mandates and more. Y Rick Outman (R) Six Lakes, Sen. Dist. 33 Y Curt VanderWall (R) Ludington, Sen. Dist. 35 House Bill 5190, Revise state high school graduation requirements: Passed 35 to 2 in the Senate To revise state high school graduation requirements by adding a new one, that schools offer and students take a one-semester personal finance course, which would also substitute for a portion of the math credits that are currently required. The Michigan Department of Education would be required to develop the personal finance course. Y Rick Outman (R) Six Lakes, Sen. Dist. 33 Y Curt VanderWall (R) Ludington, Sen. Dist. 35 House Bill 4239, Revise vehicle immobilization after arrest: Passed 106 to 1 in the House To revise details of the requirement that a vehicle be immobilized after certain offenses where police detain the driver. Currently, that involves taking the license plate and issuing a temporary plate. The bill would eliminate the requirement that a temporary plate be issued, essentially making the vehicle unusable until the violation is adjudicated or the vehicle is sold outside the family. Y Jason Wentworth (R) Clare, Rep. Dist. 97 X Scott VanSingel (R) Grant, Rep. Dist. 100 Y Michele Hoitenga (R) Manton, Rep. Dist. 102 House Bill 6070, Authorize adoption-related business tax credits: Passed 95 to 12 in the House To authorize adoption leave business tax credits for employers, which would be equal to half the annual wages of the employee for up to 12 weeks of adoption leave, up to a maximum of $4,000. On Monday, a doctor at the Bad Axe VA clinic received a special honor during the annual Memorial Day service at Port Austin's Veterans Waterfront Park. Dr. John Klosowski, DO, was presented with an American flag for his service to area veterans. The ceremony also featured a presentation of a red, white and blue memorial wreath, a 21-gun salute, a reading of the names of veterans who have died over the past year while a bell was tolled, renditions of "God Bless America" and the national anthem by Destiny Booms, words from one of the organizers, Air Force veteran Kurt Damrow, (Ret.) Brig. Gen. John D. Slocum of the Michigan Air National Guard and others as well as a prayer and blesssing. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate KRAMATORSK, Ukraine (AP) Russian troops pushed deeper into a key eastern Ukrainian city Monday, fighting street by street with Kyiv's forces in a battle that has left Sievierodonetsk in ruins. In a bid to pressure Moscow to end the war, the European Union agreed to embargo most Russian oil imports by the end of the year. As Moscow's advance on Sievierodonetsk increased in intensity, Russian forces also shelled parts of Ukraine's northeast, and a struggle continued for control of a southern region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, said Russia has prevented the export of 22 million tons of Ukrainian grain, contributing to a growing global food crisis. Military analysts described the fight for Sievierodonetsk as part of a race against time for the Kremlin. The city is important to Russian efforts to quickly complete the capture of the eastern industrial region of the Donbas before more Western arms arrive to bolster Ukraines defense. Moscow-backed separatists already held territory in the region and have been fighting Ukrainian troops for eight years. The Kremlin has reckoned that it cant afford to waste time and should use the last chance to extend the separatist-controlled territory because the arrival of Western weapons in Ukraine could make it impossible," Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said. In a potential setback for Ukraine, U.S. President Joe Biden appeared to dismiss reports that the U.S. was considering sending long-range rocket systems to the country. But the European Union approved additional sanctions on Russia. As part of a long-delayed financial support package to help Ukraine, EU leaders agreed Monday to embargo most Russian oil imports into the 27-nation bloc by year-end. The agreement came after Zelenskyy asked the EU to target Russian oil exports so Moscow feels the price for what it is doing against Ukraine. The embargo covers Russian oil brought in by sea, allowing a temporary exemption for imports delivered by pipeline. EU Council President Charles Michel said the agreement covers more than two-thirds of oil imports from Russia. Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the EUs executive branch, said the move will effectively cut around 90% of oil imports from Russia to the EU by the end of the year. In an effort to punish and divide the West over its support for Ukraine, Russia has cut off natural gas to a handful of European countries. In its latest move, Russian state gas giant Gazrpom said it will halt gas supplies to Dutch gas trader GasTerra starting Tuesday. Russia also ramped up its actions on the battlefield. In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy said the situation in the Donbas remains extremely difficult as Russia has put its armys maximum combat power there. The Ukrainian military said Russian forces reinforced their positions outside Sievierodonetsk, a city 145 kilometers (90 miles) south of the Russian border in an area that is the last pocket of Ukrainian government control in Luhansk. Sievierodonetsk Mayor Oleksandr Striuk said the city has been completely ruined. Artillery fire has destroyed critical infrastructure and damaged 90% of the buildings, and power and communications have been largely cut to a city that was once home to 100,000 people, he said. The number of victims is rising every hour, but we are unable to count the dead and the wounded amid the street fighting, Striuk told The Associated Press in a phone interview, adding that Moscows troops advanced a few more blocks toward the city center. He said that only about 12,000 to 13,000 residents remain, sheltering in basements and bunkers to escape the Russian bombardment. The situation recalls the siege of Mariupol, which trapped residents and led to some of the worst suffering of the war. More than 20,000 are feared dead in Mariupol. Striuk estimated that 1,500 civilians have died in Sievierodonetsk since the war began from Russian attacks and from dire conditions that include a lack of medicine and medical treatment. A 32-year-old French journalist, Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff, died Monday near Sievierodonetsk when he was hit by shrapnel from shelling while covering Ukrainian evacuations, according to his employer, French broadcaster BFM TV. Zelenskyy said Leclerc-Imhoff was the 32nd media worker to die in Ukraine since Russia invaded on Feb. 24. Governors of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions which make up the Donbas said six civilians, including the journalist, were killed in shelling. Authorities in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, also reported one person died in shelling there. Zelenskyy said Russian troops also shelled the Sumy region near the Russian border, and the struggle continued for the southern Kherson region, which has been largely controlled by Russian troops since the early days of the war. Russia-installed officials there said they would ask the Kremlin to annex it, while Kyiv, in turn, has vowed to liberate the region. The Russian advance in Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk on either side of the strategically important Siverskiy Donetsk River is part of an all-out push, said Zhdanov, the Ukrainian military analyst. He said the intensity of the latest fighting and the influx of Russian troops have surprised Ukrainians, who are trying to hold out until more weapons arrive. On Monday, Biden told reporters that there are no plans for the United States to send long-range rocket systems to Ukraine, amid reports that the move is being considered. Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russias Security Council, called it a reasonable decision. He said that otherwise, if our cities come under attack, the Russian armed forces would fulfill their threat and strike the centers where such criminal decisions are made. Medvedev added that some of them arent in Kyiv. In the Kherson region, the Russia-installed deputy head of the regional administration, Kirill Stremousov, told Russias Tass state news agency that grain from last years harvest is being delivered to Russian buyers, adding that obviously there is a lot of grain here. Russia has pressed the West to lift sanctions against it as it seeks to shift the blame for the growing food crisis, which has led to skyrocketing prices in Africa. Zelenskyy accused Moscow of deliberately creating this problem and said Russias claim that sanctions are to blame is a lie. He said sanctions havent blocked Russian food, and he accused Russia of stealing at least a half million tons of Ukrainian grain. __ Karmanau reported from Lviv. AP journalists around the world contributed to this report. ___ Follow APs coverage of the Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine SHANGHAI (AP) Shanghai authorities say they will take major steps Wednesday toward reopening China's largest city after a two-month COVID-19 lockdown that has set back the national economy and largely confined millions of people to their homes. Already, a steady stream of people strolled in the Bund, the city's historic waterfront park, on a pleasant Tuesday night, some taking selfies against the bright lights of the Pudong financial district on the other side of the river. Elsewhere, people gathered outside to eat and drink under the watch of police deployed to discourage large crowds from forming. Lu Kexin, a high school senior visiting the Bund for the first time since late March, said she went crazy being trapped at home for so long. Im very happy, extremely happy, all the way, too happy," she said. I could die." Vice Mayor Zong Ming announced that full bus and subway service will be restored on Wednesday, as will basic rail connections with the rest of China. Schools will partially reopen on a voluntary basis, and shopping malls, supermarkets, convenience stores and drug stores will reopen gradually at no more than 75% of their total capacity. Cinemas and gyms will remain closed. "The epidemic has been effectively controlled, Zong said. She added that the city will enter the phase of fully restoring work and life on Wednesday. Officials, who set June 1 as the target date for reopening earlier in May, appear ready to accelerate what has been a gradual easing in recent days. A few malls and markets have reopened, and some residents have been given passes allowing them out for a few hours at a time. In online chat groups, some expressed excitement about the prospect of being able to move about freely in the city for the first time since the end of March, while others remained cautious given the slow pace and stop-and-go nature of opening up so far. Workers took down some of the barriers that had been erected along sidewalks during the lockdown. A few people walked or biked on the still mostly empty streets. One man got his hair cut on the sidewalk, a common sight in recent days, as a worker or volunteer in full protective clothing looked on. The most difficult part of the lockdown was psychological, said Cao Yue, who has worked in Shanghai for five years. She recalled the early days when it was difficult to buy food and she didn't know what to do. "It was quite depressing to be locked at home and see the whole Shanghai under lockdown, she said. More than half a million people in the city of 25 million won't be allowed out Wednesday 190,000 who are still in lockdown areas and another 450,000 who are in control zones because they live near recent cases. Shanghai recorded 29 new cases on Monday, continuing a steady decline from more than 20,000 a day in April. Li Qiang, the top official from China's ruling Communist Party in Shanghai, was quoted as saying at a meeting Monday that the city had made major achievements in fighting the outbreak through continuous struggle. The success came at a price. Authorities imposed a suffocating citywide lockdown under China's zero-COVID strategy that aims to snuff out any outbreak with mass testing and isolation at centralized facilities of anyone who is infected. Huge temporary facilities were set up in exhibition centers and other venues to house thousands of people who had tested positive. Teams of health care and other workers flew in from around the country to help run the massive undertaking. Factories were shuttered, or were allowed to operate only if workers slept on site to prevent the spread of the virus. Reduced production at semiconductor plants added to the global chip shortage. Containers backed up at the port of Shanghai because of a shortage of truck drivers to deliver them to their destinations. Though it all, leaders of the ruling Communist Party repeatedly expressed a determination to stick to the zero-COVID policy even as other countries have opened their borders and are trying to live with the virus. Outside economists widely expect China to fall short of its 5.5% growth target for this year. However, the latest economic data showed that Chinese manufacturing activity started to rebound in May as the government rolled back some containment measures. Schools will reopen for the final two years of high school and the third year of middle school, but students can decide whether to attend in person. Other grades and kindergarten remain closed. Outdoor tourist sites will start reopening Wednesday, with indoor sites set to follow in late June, the Shanghai tourism authority said. Group tours from other provinces will be allowed again when the city has eliminated all high- and medium-risk pandemic zones. Beijing, the nation's capital, further eased restrictions Tuesday in some districts. The city imposed limited lockdowns, but nothing near a citywide level, in a much smaller outbreak that appears to be on the wane. Beijing recorded 18 new cases on Monday. ___ Moritsugu reported from Beijing. Associated Press researchers Si Chen in Shanghai and Yu Bing in Beijing contributed to this report. Director of Content and Operations Spencer McKee is OutThere Colorado's Director of Content and Operations. In his spare time, Spencer loves to hike, rock climb, and trail run. He's on a mission to summit all 58 of Colorado's fourteeners and has already climbed more than half. The Standard Chartered Women in Technology Bahrain Programme (SCWTBP) has announced the selection of the top 10 participants for the 3rd cohort of its 8-week incubation programme. The programme is held under the patronage of the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) in partnership with Bahrain FinTech Bay (BFB) and the Supreme Council for Women (SCW). Ten established women-led Bahraini startups were selected to receive training and mentorship to develop their business solutions during the incubation period. Various verticals This was marked by an event that took place recently at Bahrain FinTech Bay, welcoming the participants in the presence of Dr Boutros Klink, CEO of Standard Chartered Bahrain, Muna Al-Hashemi, Board member of the Fintech committee, the Supreme Council for Women, Bader Sater, CEO of Bahrain FinTech Bay, Yousif Al Fadhel, Executive Director of Corporate Services, Central Bank of Bahrain and Yasmeen Al-Sharaf, Director, FinTech & Innovation Unit, the Central Bank of Bahrain. The ten short-listed female-led solutions shortlisted to take part in the 8-week long programme focus on various verticals such as: Micro-finance Financial marketplace Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Health Technology (Health-Tech) Artificial Intelligence (A.I) Education Technology (Ed-Tech) Mentoring During the incubation phase, the teams will benefit from mentorship delivered by Bahrain FinTech Bay and some of the kingdoms subject experts, workshops will be carried out on critical aspects of building and growing a tech startup, and pitch practice sessions leading up to the demo day finale. Following the incubation programme, three winning startups will be selected during the demo day finale in July. They will be awarded cash prizes including $30,000, $20,000, and $10,000 awarded by Standard Chartered Bahrain as part of the programme and a 3-month incubation at Bahrain FinTech Bay. The SCWTBP, launched for the third time, is part of a global initiative that exists within the Standard Chartered global network. The programme is aimed at empowering women-owned businesses and targets female-led entrepreneurial teams by providing them with the necessary training and mentorship for them to be able to sustain their digital business solutions.-- TradeArabia News Service Photo: (Photo : SAMUEL CORUM/AFP via Getty Images) An Australian firm plans to ship at least 1.25 million cans of baby formula to the United States to help ease a nationwide shortage. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said some supplies are now in stock for transport, and Bubs Australia would produce more in the coming weeks and months. It is the latest measure the United States is taking to address the baby formula shortage that has left many parents struggling to feed their infants and babies after Abbott Laboratories, the largest producer in the country, issued a nationwide recall, according to the Guardian. The commander-in-chief wrote that they are doing everything in their power to get more formula milks on shelves as soon as possible. Bubs Australia reassured Australian customers in a statement on its website that the country's own infant formula supply would not be affected by this product transfer to the United States. FDA imports six products of Bubs Australia The company said that due to the strong control of their supply chain security and their wholly-owned production facility, they have already manufactured what is required and have been able to take steps to immediately increase the level of their future production, as needed. It noted the decision of the FDA to allow the six products of Bubs Australia to be imported and sold in the United States following a thorough review to ensure that they are "safe, clean, and nutritionally sound for American babies." The company said the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) had advised that they are evaluating options for getting Bubs Infant Formula products to the United States as quickly as possible, according to a report by 9 News. The importing of Bubs' products followed the relaxation by the U.S. of some regulations this month to mitigate one of the biggest baby formula shortages in the country's recent history. The Biden administration also decided to import emergency supplies from the European continent, the first of which arrived in the U.S. this week. Read Also: Reckitt Tightens Grip on US Baby Formula Market As Nationwide Shortage Persists Abbott plans to restart production at the Michigan plant on June 4 The baby formula shortage is partly due to Abbott Laboratories' manufacturing facility in Michigan recalling some products, including Similac, back in February. Abbott announced on Tuesday it planned to restart production at the plant on June 4. CNN reported that Abbott would prioritize making EleCare and supplying it on or about June 20. The FDA revealed this month that it would not object to releasing about 300,000 cans of EleCare amino acid-based infant formula that were previously produced at Abbott Nutrition's Sturgis, Michigan plant. The said products would undergo enhanced microbiological testing before their release. FDA Commissioner Robert Califf told authorities they were doing everything in their power to ensure adequate infant formula was available across the United States. He said their recent steps would help further bolster the supply of infant formula, including importing safe and nutritious products from overseas based on their increased flexibility. Related Article: President Biden Invokes Defense Production Act to Address Baby Formula Shortage in the U.S. Photo: (Photo : Jon Cherry/Getty Images) Indiana state police announced on Friday, May 27, that a young boy found dead inside a suitcase in rural woods last month died of dehydration and had no signs of trauma on his body. According to the autopsy report, the child - who has yet to be identified - died of an "electrolyte imbalance" likely caused by a stomach flu. Police said the kid, believed to be about five years old, was clothed and clean when a mushroom hunter discovered him in the Washington County woods on April 16. No trauma was found on the boy's body, and a toxicology report returned negative. Detectives believed the child was already dead when he was stuffed inside the hard-shell suitcase with a Las Vegas design on the front and back, according to the New York Post. Indiana police said the boy likely died less than a week before the suitcase was found. Detectives have not been able to identify the young boy According to cops, he was about four feet tall with a short haircut and a slim build. State police said that investigators continue to utilize various investigative techniques and have worked with several outside agencies in this investigation. State police added that although numerous tips have been called into the nationwide tip line, detectives have not been able to identify the young child, with investigators not ruling out the possibility that the boy could be from out of state or out of the country. According to a report by USA Today, Indiana State Police Sgt. Carey Huls bluntly said during a press conference that somebody knows something. Huls added that the child did not put himself in that suitcase; somebody did. Huls said somebody out there has firsthand knowledge of what happened in the situation, and they need that person to come forward. According to Huls, the electrolyte imbalance was most likely caused by gastroenteritis, which in common layman's terms would be diarrhea and vomiting, resulting in the boy's dehydration. Read Also: Double Murder-Suicide in Florida: Air Force Veteran Kills Terminally Ill Wife and Stepdaughter Before Ending His Life Dead kid is not Virginia child Codi Bigsby According to the Mayo Clinic, gastroenteritis can be caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses, or medication. The child, who is Black, was found dead in the woods of Southern Indiana, about 70 miles south of Indianapolis and 25 miles northwest of Louisville, Kentucky. Huls said the dead boy had not matched any descriptions of kids on the national missing children's list. He added that the boy is not Codi Bigsby, a 4-year-old Virginia child who went missing on January 31. The boy's funeral will be held next week in Salem, Indiana, with the burial planned by the Washington County Sheriff's Department. Todd Murphy, the sheriff's department's chaplain, said that this little boy was not respected in life, and they at Washington County, want to make sure he is respected in death. The child's funeral service will be at Weathers Funeral Home at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, June 1, followed by his burial at Crown Hill Cemetery. Related Article: Gun Goes Off in 8-year-old's Backpack at School Grazing a Classmate; Chicago Mom Charged Photo: (Photo : Getty images ) Animal rights activists criticized Lego for using farmyard scenes, claiming that it misled children about the "blood-soaked" reality of farming. The campaign animal-rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), wrote the toy firm and called for the rebranding of its "toy farm" to animal sanctuaries so that children will not be misled about the "horror and cruelty" of farmed food, Perth Now reported. Letter to LEGO Mimi Bekhechi from PETA wrote Niels Christiansen, chief executive of the Lego Group, stating that animal farming is a "bloody, cruel business." The toy company should not promote the practice, especially for children. The group cited that the "pastoral scenes" mask the truth about chickens kept in cages, pigs housed in cramped pens, and cows sent to the abattoir. PETA's letter comes after Guardian journalist and environmental campaigner George Monbiot attacked the "cozy story" told to children about farms and animals. The journalist's Twitter post on May 23 claimed that young children are constantly exposed to "benign visions" of livestock farms that do not provide the story about how animals end as food. As very young children, we are constantly exposed to benign visions of the livestock farm, which bear no relation to reality. pic.twitter.com/2pJ8Dcp0gb George Monbiot (@GeorgeMonbiot) May 22, 2022 Earlier, Monbiot also shared on Twitter that around 95 percent of Americans eat meat, but 47 percent favor closing slaughterhouses, a swipe at how people may not understand where meat products originate. #RegenesisFact 3: Around 95% of US citizens eat meat. But, according to one survey, 47% of them want to ban slaughterhouses. George Monbiot (@GeorgeMonbiot) May 22, 2022 As per Nixolympia News, Lego has declined to respond to PETA's letter. The National Beef Association, in response, defended the importance of teaching youngsters the sources of their food. Neil Shand, the National Beef Association chief executive, said that the PETA message is misleading, adding that "we have a responsibility to teach children where the food comes from" through farm toys. Emeritus professor of the University of Kent Frank Fured is concerned that the letter takes something natural and innocent, like children's interest in farm animals, and turns it into something malevolent. Read Also: Aussie Mom Warns About Using Vaporizers After Toddler Suffers from Burns Greatest Toddler Toy Award According to Daily Mail, Lego released Lego Duplo Farm Adventures with 104 pieces and was recognized with the Greatest Toddler Award in the U.K. in 2018. The set includes a farmer, two children, a sheep, a cow, a goat, a rooster, and a rabbit. It also has a farmhouse with a barn, tractor, picnic bench, and a slide. The set also has a working pulley on the side of the barn, and toy reviewers noted it as a proper toddler magnet. The toy is not gender-specific, so it appeals to all children, a mom of a two-year-old said. A recent version, Lego Barn and Farm Animal 60346, will be released in June 2022. Animals in the current set include a cow, her calf, a wooly sheep, a lamb, a pig, two piglets, and a squirrel. Related Article: Mom Issues Warning After Her Baby Got Killed by an Amber Teething Necklace Photo: (Photo : KEREM YUCEL/AFP via Getty Images) Moments before Minnesota police arrested Julissa Thaler in the death of her six-year-old son Eli Hart, officers found blood in her vehicle but drove her home without further incident. New documents showed Thaler's excuse at the time was that the blood was from a tampon, and the flesh found on her body and in the seats was from a deer she picked up from a butcher. Orono police officers said in the new documents that they located the 28-year-old's car after being initially notified about a vehicle with a smashed window driving on a flat tire, FOX 9 of Minneapolis reported. During the traffic stop, they found what appeared to be blood on Thaler and additional blood and bits of flesh in the car. The documents further stated that the cops also saw a bullet hole in the car and shell casings, but none of those details resulted in the police officers initially detaining Thaler. Officers drove mom home before finding the child's body in the trunk Instead, the officers drove Thaler to her home while other cops who remained at the scene inspected her vehicle, according to the report. Officers then found the body of Thaler's son, Eli, in the car's trunk. Alongside the child's body was a shotgun. An autopsy later revealed that the young boy was shot nine times, including in his head. The Hennepin County Attorney's Office subsequently charged the Minnesota mom with second-degree murder. Thaler's boyfriend was in the vehicle during the initial traffic stop and was taken into custody by the police before he was released due to a lack of evidence to charge him. Thaler was awarded full parental custody of her son just ten days before Eli's body was discovered, according to the New York Post. The young boy's death is especially heartbreaking for his father, Tory Hart, who tried to get custody of him before the murder. Read Also: Robb Elementary Mass Shooting: 10-Year-Old Girl Who Tried to Call 911 During Attack Died a Hero Mound community in mourning following Eli Hart's death He made several complaints about Thaler's drug and mental health problems, but the courts ignored him. Hart's fiancee Josie Josephson said in an interview that the court failed the child by handing him to his mother despite her mental health and substance abuse issues. Family court documents revealed that several social workers were concerned with Thaler's mental health and the mother's unstable living situation and criminal history. A document showed Thaler having a hearing in June regarding the theft of pharmaceuticals. She also has received numerous traffic infractions for using a phone while driving and speeding. The Mound community gathered on Friday night in remembrance of Eli. Ray Salazar, the mayor of Mound, Minnesota, said there is a lot mourning and that they lost a great little kid a week ago. Chris Foley, a Mound resident, told KSTP that what happened to Eli was heartbreaking. He added that he can't even imagine and can't believe this happened to him. Related Article: Isa Slish Makes History as First Gerber Baby With a Congenital Deformity Photo: (Photo : Getty images ) After four years of silence, the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, reached out to her father's camp, Thomas Markle, 77, who is now out of the hospital after five days of treatment for his massive stroke. Meghan is trying to make amends with her father after being estranged since she married in 2018. The Duchess of Sussex is "concerned" about his health and wants to heal their broken relationship, the Mirror reported. Meeting her father in private Since the Royal couple's wedding in 2018, Meghan had not been in touch with her father. He also has yet to meet his grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet. The father-daughter relationship had gone downhill, as they clashed in the press on several occasions. Sources said that the Duchess was looking for ways to get in touch with her ailing father without communicating with her siblings, Thomas Jr., 55, and Samantha, 57. Samantha previously launched a defamation case against her, while her brother wrote a letter to Prince Harry in 2018 asking him to cancel the wedding. In 2021, he wrote another open letter to Prince Harry, apologizing for what he did. Meghan wanted to meet her father in private. She also had conditions for the meet-up, such as it should not involve Netflix, photographs, or tip-offs to the paparazzi. According to Daily Mail, she is concerned for her father despite their estrangement. Thomas, a retired Hollywood lighting director, fell ill in Mexico and was rushed to the hospital. Samantha, however, told "Good Morning Britain" that Meghan had not contacted their father so far. Read Also: Kourtney Kardashian's Doctor Advised Her to Drink Hubby's Semen to Improve Thyroid Levels Lucky to be alive Karl Larsen, a vlogger who shares a YouTube channel with Markle, said that the father was looking forward to traveling to the U.K. for the jubilee and meeting the Royal Family for the first time. However, the recent stroke left him with limited speech and impaired his swallowing ability. Last week, he was in a critical-care ward, but doctors said he had made remarkable progress. The doctors said the severe stroke was due to a blood clot on the right side of his brain. He can now speak a few words, but the doctor said it would be an uphill battle for him to be able to regain his speech completely. Using a whiteboard and a felt tip pen, he wrote that he was "lucky to be alive." He expressed gratefulness to doctors and nurses and promised he would "properly" thank them when he could speak again. He also wrote that he wanted to pay respects to the Queen, to wish her a happy Jubilee and more years to come. Meghan's father missed her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018 after he had two heart attacks before the event. He blamed the attack on the stress he suffered after he was caught staging paparazzi photographs ahead of their wedding. Per Metro, Meghan is due to fly to London for the jubilee celebrations, alongside Prince Harry and their two children. Related Article: Husband Divorces Wife for Being Chronically Late Collaboration between Bahrain and Japan in the field of pearls and gemstone was discussed during a visit of the Japanese Ambassador to Bahrain, Miyamoto Masayuki, to the Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones (Danat) today. Danat Board of Directors Chairman Yaser Alsharifi, and Noora Jamsheer, CEO, welcomed the Ambassador and the visiting delegation to Danat. The Ambassador was accompanied by the President of the Bahrain-Japan Business and Friendship Society, Nasser Al-Arayedh, and several members of the society. During a tour of the institute's headquarters, the Ambassador visited Danat's laboratory, which is equipped with cutting-edge testing equipment and is managed by a team of the highly competant local experts. He was briefed on the laboratory's work, which is regarded as the best of its kind in the world, in examining pearls, coral, amber, and other types of gemstones, in addition to issuing internationally accredited certifications. They discussed the opportunities for developing Bahrain-Japan cooperation in the fields of pearls, jewellery, and gemstones as an essential component of trade and economic partnership between the two countries. In addition, to exchanging experiences and strengthening capacities in the field. Alsharifi welcomed the delegation and noted that Danat aims to promote Bahrain's pearl heritage, which dates back over 5,000 years, at the regional and international levels, whether through such visits or through the events it hosts and participates in both locally and internationally, as part of the country's National Plan to Revive the Pearl Sector. Jamsheer, for her part, outlined the services provided by Danat in terms of studies, training programmes and activities related to pearls, as well as the workforce and their accumulated and various experiences in gemology and other sciences. At the end of his visit, the Japanese Ambassador expressed his admiration for Danats key role in enhancing the pearl trade in Bahrain and around the world, as well as its success in promoting Bahrains reputation as a leading centre in the field of pearls and gemstones, stating that Japan welcomes future opportunities to develop the partnership between Tokyo and Manama in this field. Al-Arayedh emphasised that Danat has become an important cultural and economic landmark in Bahrain, as it also holds a prominent place globally among traders of jewellery, pearls, and gemstones. - TradeArabia News Service This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions A Twitter investor is suing Elon Musk and the social media platform over the handling of the billionaire's $44bn (34.9bn) bid for the company. The case alleges he violated California corporate laws in a number of ways. It accuses the Tesla boss of "wrongful conduct" as his "false statements and market manipulation have created 'chaos' at Twitter's headquarters in San Francisco". Twitter shares are around 27% lower than Mr Musk's $54.20 offer price. The proposed class action lawsuit was filed this week at the US District Court for the Northern District of California by investor William Heresniak, who said he was acting "on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated". A class-action is a lawsuit that has been filed or is defended by an individual acting on behalf of a group of people. The lawsuit claimed Mr Musk benefitted financially by delaying the disclosure of his significant stake in Twitter, and his plan to become a board member of the company. It also claimed that several tweets posted by Mr Musk, who is a regular Twitter user with more than 95m followers, were "misleading". It included a post in which Mr Musk said his takeover bid for the social media firm was on hold because of his doubts over the number of fake accounts on the platform. The tweet on 13 May "constituted an effort to manipulate the market for Twitter shares as he knew about the fake accounts," the lawsuit said. It also said Mr Musk "doubled down" on his allegations four days later, by stating on Twitter that the deal "cannot go forward". On Friday, Frank Bottini, who is one of the lawyers representing the Twitter investors, told the BBC that the lawsuit was filed as Mr Musk "continues to disparage the company he wants to buy for $44bn in an effort to renegotiate the purchase price". "The complaint we filed in San Francisco seeks to hold Musk liable for his unlawful conduct," Mr Bottini said. Mr Musk's lawyers and Tesla did not immediately respond to a BBC request for comment on Friday. Twitter declined to comment when contacted by the BBC. Analysts have speculated that Mr Musk may be looking for ways to lower his takeover offer or walk away from the deal. He has tweeted several times that he was concerned about the number of fake accounts, or bots, on Twitter. A bot is a software programme that sends out automated posts and is often associated with misinformation on social media platforms. Mr Musk has also hinted that he may seek to pay less for Twitter than the $44bn agreed with the company's board in March. Speaking at a technology conference earlier this month, he said striking a deal at a lower price was "not out of the question". Earlier this month, a Florida pension fund also challenged Mr Musk's move to buy Twitter as it claimed a deal could not be struck in months as planned. The Orlando Police Pension Fund said Mr Musk was an "interested shareholder" in Twitter, as he had made agreements with major shareholders, including its co-founder Jack Dorsey, before he offered to buy the business. Citing the law in the US state of Delaware, where Twitter is incorporated, it said the deal should not be allowed to close before 2025. The fund did not disclose its stake in the social media platform, although it said it has been "a beneficial owner of Twitter common stock" at "all relevant times". Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video About 5,012 people die every year from tobacco-related illnesses, out of the 3.5 per cent of the adult population who smoke in the country, according to data from the Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction, an NGO. The Executive Director of Harm Reduction Alliance, Ghana, Samuel Cudjoe Hanu, who disclosed this at a press conference in Accra yesterday[May 30, 2022], therefore, called for increased education on the health implications of tobacco smoking and the need for tobacco harm reduction programmes to be made an integral part of Ghana's public health system for healthier lives. The press conference formed part of activities commemorating the 2022 World Vape Day, which was observed in Accra yesterday, and the World No Tobacco Day, which is being commemorated today. The World Health Organisation established World No Tobacco Day in 1987 to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and the preventable deaths and the diseases it causes. The theme for this years commemoration is: Protect the environment. Tobacco health reduction Tobacco health reduction is a public health strategy to lower the risk tobacco products pose to individuals and the wider society. Mr Hanu said cigarette smoking was considered deadly because of the toxic mix of chemicals in smoke from the combustion of tobacco. We do not believe that there is ever going to be a drug-free society. There are some who cannot quit smoking cigarette, and for such people they should have options. Electronic nicotine delivery systems (EMDS), otherwise known as e-cigarette, is one of the harm reduction products which, when encouraged for use among smokers, will help them quit smoking or reduce the number of people who smoke, he said. He, therefore, advocated that instead of banning EMDS, the country should rather encourage people who smoked cigarettes to switch to EMDS. There have been concerns that because we do not know the long-term effect of EMDS, policymakers should ban them, but the WHO has described the system as 95 per cent safer than traditional cigarettes. Harm reduction products such as EMDS are effective ways to quit smoking. If you ban e-cigarettes, the chances of people going back to combustible smoking cigarettes are high, and that is dangerous, he said. Information Mr Hanu further entreated the authorities to provide the right information on e-cigarettes and other reduced risk products for the public to enable smokers to have the option of switching from combustible nicotine products such as cigarettes to non-combustibles and reduced-risk products such as EMDS. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was on Monday presented with the highest award by the Africa Federation of Teaching Regulatory Authorities (AFTRA) for promoting education in Africa. The President was presented with a citation for improving access, quality and efficiency of education systems on the African continent. The presentation took place in Accra at the ninth AFTRA and Learning Conference and 11th Roundtable on the theme: "Unpacking Teaching and Learning in Africa for Excellence, " hosted by the National Teaching Council (NTC). Mrs Frema Osei Opare, the Chief of Staff who received the award on behalf of the President thanked AFTRA and expressed gratitude and honour for the recognition. President Akufo-Addo stated that Ghana considered education a critical pillar to human development, protection of human rights and the promotion of healthy lifestyles. He said the Government had put in place interventions to ensure that there were adequate qualified teachers to improve learning outcomes. The President said the Government through the NTC had developed the national teacher education curriculum, ensured that teachers got a minimum of degree qualification to teach at the basic levels, and instituted the Ghana Teacher Licensing Exams to improve their professionalism. "My Government has invested heavily in education in terms of teacher development, infrastructure, access and participation, hoping to consolidate the gains for the benefit of all," he said. The President said the introduction of the free Senior High School policy had increased enrolment by 69 per cent, stressing that the Government was poised to work assiduously to meet the Sustainable Development Goal four. He announced that Ghana recorded the best performance in the 2021/2022 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, outclassing its sister countries due to incentives given to teachers for the preparation of the students. President Akufo-Addo said the Government had extended the free education policy to the Technical and Vocational Education and Training,(TVET) with the aim of equipping the students with employable skills and making them productive in life. The President said the continent had developed frameworks for the teaching arena, including the Africa Continental Guidelines for the profession. He announced that this year's World Teacher Day would be celebrated on October 5, in Tamale, and expressed the Governments commitment to continue to support NTC to regulate the teaching profession in the country. Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Minister of Education, said the Government was working assiduously to move from textbooks and focus more on practical modes that would enable students to be creative and innovative. That, he explained, was critical because the fourth industrial revolution focused on skills development, stressing that TVET was the missing link in the resolution of the countrys socio-economic challenges. The Government, he said, had prioritised Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programmes to transform the countrys socio-economic development. For the nation to stay competitive, he said, there was the need to build a scientifically literate citizenry and a pool of highly STEM literate employees. Professor Josiah Asiboye, the President of ASTRA, said the Federation had grown since its inception and contributed immensely to regulating the teaching profession in Africa. The conference, he stated would among others, examined all issues relating to teaching and learning in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era and come out with strategies to mitigate challenges. Dr Christian Addai-Poku, Registrar, NTC, Ghana said the Conference would share and learn experiences from countries to improve teaching and learning. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video There is no upsurge in crime in the country, the Police Service has said. The Service is on top of the security situation in the country and remains committed to its crime-fighting efforts, a statement signed by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Kwesi Ofori, Director-General, Public Affairs said. It said the Police fought crime every day and treated every crime with the same urgency and same professional attitude, and regretted the loss of every life. The statement said the Police Service had taken note of the statement issued by the Ghana Bar Association, GBA, with reference to the murder of a member of the GBA, Mr Richard Badombie on the Bole- Bamboi highway. It said since the incident occurred, the Police had been working around the clock as they did on all such cases to get to the bottom of it and get the perpetrators arrested and brought to justice. The statement said in line with standard operating procedure, they immediately commenced an investigation into the incident, launched a manhunt for the perpetrators, and issued a statement to that effect on Saturday, May 28, 2022. It said in addition, the Inspector-General of Police and the Regional Police Commander, Savanna Region, had been in touch with the bereaved family to commiserate with them and assured them of a thorough investigation into the case. The statement said three persons had so far been arrested in connection with the case and being interrogated. It said the Police would put out further details when possible without jeopardizing the ongoing investigation. The statement said in recent times, the Police Administration had deployed various strategic crime prevention and control interventions to counter violent crimes, including armed robbery in the country. It said special anti-robbery task forces had been deployed to locations identified as crime-prone. The statement said a holistic community policing programme was being implemented across the country, which involved the top echelon of the Service, as well as Regional, Divisional and District Police Commanders travelling across the country to educate the public on crime prevention, deepen their security consciousness and gather intelligence to inform police operations. It said those were among other policing interventions being implemented by the Service. The statement urged the public, including all special-interest groups, to be circumspect in their commentary on the matter and support the Police to find a quick resolution to the case. It assured the public that the Police remained focused and committed to fighting crime in the country. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Alshaya Starbucks KSA has launched its first all-Saudi female operated Drive-Thru store in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia as part of its ongoing commitment to creating more work opportunities for Saudi women in line with the Kingdoms 2030 vision. The new all-female Drive-Thru only store located on the Coast Road is a significant step towards increasing its women workforce to 30% by the end of 2022, with plans to launch many more Drive-Thru stores over the coming years in Saudi Arabia, said Starbucks KSA. Managed by a team of all Saudi female partners, the store will continue to deliver the Starbucks Experience that brings customers great coffee at their convenience. Partners will be responsible for all aspects of store operations, customer service, day-to-day administration, and brewing coffee for the customers, it said. This is an exciting time for our Saudi partners to lead our first all-female driven operation in the country as they set new benchmarks and progress in their career journey at Starbucks, commented Andy Holmes, President of Starbucks MENA at Alshaya Group. Our first all-female Saudi partners operated Drive-Thru store in KSA is a significant step towards creating more opportunities for women as we continue to build on the local female talent and empowering them in the workplace. As we continue to see a spike in more Saudi women joining the workforce in various sectors, we demonstrate active support to the Kingdoms focus on empowering Saudi youth and highlighting the role of women by offering access to wider employment and career opportunities, said Holmes. Alshaya & Starbucks take pride in offering a supportive and encouraging work environment for its partners. Today, women make up 20% of Starbucks KSA's workforce. With the first all-women Starbucks Drive-Thru store launch, the company has further plans to expand its network in Saudi Arabia with more Saudi female partners, he said. TradeArabia News Service The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has underscored the importance of digital leadership to the success of organisations and transformation of economies in the 21st century. Addressing leaders and captains of industries at the 6th Ghana CEO's Summit in Accra on Monday, Dr. Bawumia stressed that digital leadership in the 21st century is crucial in order to ensure organisational success, and ultimately, make greater contributions toward the digital economic transformation agenda of the government. He, therefore, urged captains of industries to provide effective and unwavering digital leadership in their various organisations. "Effective leadership has always been considered a key factor in organisational performance. For an organisation to be successful in these times, the leaders of that organisation must set the tone from the top and must be willing to champion sustainable digital programs in their operations,' Dr. Bawumia told the Summit, which discussed the importance of digital leadership in economic transformation. "It goes without gainsaying that the advent of technology, including social media, has changed the way that we conduct business. As business leaders, therefore, it is important that you guide your organisations towards digital transformation through creative and effective methods." Dr. Bawumia noted that from government's experience, changing the status quo through digitization comes with stiff resistance by interest groups within the status quo, so business leaders ought to develop strong commitments, just as the government did, to be able to make the required transformation. "As a government, we realized very early on the need to transform our economy in that manner (digitalisation) and while the initial phase of this transformation, like all reforms, entailed some major costs, the benefits are already beginning to show. Digital leadership requires that we stay the course and not waver as we continue to invest in that direction." "We acknowledge that this is a painstaking process and will require a gradual adjustment that entails a lot of planning and behavioural change, but I am confident that the results will benefit all stakeholders and accordingly the pain will match the gain. "I therefore will like to charge all of you gathered here today, as business leaders, to make deliberate efforts towards employing digital leadership in the running of your businesses and strive to complement the efforts of government in the realization of this goal." "As leaders of your various organisations, you need to build a culture of digital transformation to remain competitive." The Vice President noted further that the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals requires a concerted effort from both the private and public sectors, and these efforts, he added, must be underpinned by digital leadership to yield results. He shared with the CEOs the trajectory of government's digital transformation and how the digital investment is impacting lives and the economy, and how it will be the bedrock for future economic development, especially in the aftermath of the current global economic challenges, which he said is forcing nations to rethink and be less dependant on others. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Metropolitan Archbishop of Tamale, Most Reverend Philip Naameh, has urged Ghanaians, particularly politicians, to emulate the life and leadership style of the late Professor John Evans Atta Mills. Unlike other politicians, the late Prof. Mills was very transparent and hated corruption and corrupt people while alive, he said. According to him, Prof. Mills distinguished himself as a selfless and honest leader and described him as a God-fearing person who had compassion for humanity. Lecture Most Rev. Naameh, who is also the President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, made the call when he delivered a speech at the maiden edition of John Evans Atta Mills Memorial Lecture for Northern Ghana in Tamale last Saturday. It was on the theme: The man John Evans Atta Mills-Ten years on". Some of the dignitaries who graced the occasion were running mate of the NDC Presidential Candidate for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2020 general election, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang; the Minority Leader and NDC Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu; former ministers of state, MPs, among other personalities, from the academia, students, traditional leaders and civil society organisations. Treading party lines Most Rev. Naameh said it was worrying that MPs, to whom the citizens had entrusted their hopes and welfare to represent them in Parliament, had disappointed them by treading on party lines. "The only time parliamentarians from both the ruling government and the opposition party will agree on something is when they are fixing their emoluments. At that point, they all agree but not beyond what they will get, our parliamentarians don't agree", he lamented. Tax expert Speaking on the topic: "The man Atta Mills and Taxation in Ghana, a former Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Development Authority (NDA), Dr Charles Abugri, noted that the late Professor Mills would go down in history as the best manager of Ghanas revenue since the inception of the fourth Republic. Memorial heritage For his part, the Chairman of the John Evans Atta Mills Memorial Heritage, Alex Segbefia, explained that the John Evans Atta Mills Memorial Heritage was established with a vision to inspire humanity for a better society. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A Justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice Dennis Dominic Adjei, has advised magistrates and judges not to allow their clerks to extend the remand period for accused persons. He said in recent times, persons standing trial have been remanded beyond the 14 maximum days prescribed by the Constitution in violation of their fundamental human rights. It is only judges and magistrates who have the power to remand, but if we allow our court clerks to extend dates, it means that we are giving judicial power to them, and that is why accused persons are kept in jail for over three years on remand. When the 14 days mature, those accused persons are not brought, and sometimes when they come and the court is not sitting, the clerks give dates, which is unlawful, he said in Accra at a days workshop on the Narcotics Control Commission Act 2020 [Act 1019] for magistrates and judges. Justice Adjei, therefore, urged the magistrates and judges to ensure that they kept track of the accused persons to ensure that their rights were not unduly violated, stressing that: we should ensure that when we remand, we keep an eye on the remandees and record them in our diary. When we are sitting as judges and magistrates, we must bear in mind that we have so many people on remand who are to be brought for bail consideration or hearing. He further explained that the move would also help to decongest the countys prisons. Workshop Jointly organised by the POS Foundation and the Judicial Training Institute, the workshop was dubbed: Understanding the Narcotics Control Commission Act 2020 (Act 1019); The Role of Judges in health and rights-based best practices to handling people who use drugs in the implementation of the Act. It was in partnership with International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) and the Ghana chapter of the West Africa Drug Policy Network (WADPN). It was the latest in a series of engagements for stakeholders on the implementation of the new law passed on March 20, 2020. The workshop attended by magistrates and judges from Greater Accra, Volta, Eastern, Central and Western regions was also to sensitise them to know their role in the delivery of the law while consulting them on the best practice in the implementation process. The Executive Director of POS Foundation, Jonathan Osei Owusu, explained that with the intervention of the Justice For All programme spearheaded by his outfit, an accused person who had spent over 20 years on remand was released. He said there were loopholes in the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960 Act 30, which needed to be reviewed. He said, for instance, judges may be willing to commit convicts for a non-custodial sentence, but the law limited them. Prisons The Director-General of the Ghana Prison Service, Isaac Kofi Egyir, said convicts in prison custody for the offence of use of narcotic drugs were not many though, compared to other drug-related offenders. He, however, noted that majority of them were in their youthful age between 18 and 35 years. The Ghana Prisons Service, he said, supports appropriate alternatives to imprisonment for such young people. The service further advocates that this group of users should be referred to the appropriate rehabilitation centres for treatment instead of being incarcerated considering the risk of contamination and other related challenges for such persons in congested prison environments, he added. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Central Region office of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has said the lax in the fight against illegal mining in water bodies is having critical consequences on water production. It has, therefore, urged the security agencies to step up efforts at clamping down on such illegality. The Central Region Chief Manager of the GWCL, Kwesi Yeboah Abebrese, said it was also important that all Ghanaians saw the need to join the fight and campaign against the illegal mining activities destroying the nation's water bodies or expect "thirsty times." Mr Abebrese was speaking at an engagement with the Bantama community in Elmina last week Tuesday. The first of such engagements was held at Bantama to address concerns of consumers and to improve cordiality between them and their consumers. It was also to explain the operations of the company to them, their challenges and what consumers could do to help improve the efficiency of water supply, as well as educate consumers on water quality, billing and metering. Nine more of such community engagements have been scheduled for communities across the region before the end of this year. Worsened situation Mr Abebrese said the pollution of water sources had worsened and was greatly affecting GWCL activities and thus, called for intensified efforts. "Virtually all our water sources for our treatment plants are affected. We are talking about something as important as water and I think our security agencies must rise up brutally again to save our water bodies," he said. Mr Abebrese stated that the GWCL could not ensure the efficient supply of potable water to communities if they did not have their cooperation and support. "There are often issues that bring misunderstanding and tension between the company and the communities. Water not flowing, high billing, improper development which encroaches on utility spaces and the quality of water among others. We cannot achieve much if is there is tension between us and the consumers. This is what we should be doing and we are going to intensify such engagements," he said. Water potability Mr Abebrese stated that water from the GWCL was wholesome for consumption and disabused the minds of consumers that the water caused typhoid. He said the company was committed to its standards of ensuring consumers had safe drinking water and would do all to maintain such. He said it was also important that consumers played their part by paying their bills promptly to support the company's operations. He urged the residents to make their complaints to the offices of the GWCL for prompt redress. The assembly member for Elmina Bantama, Kofi Gyeni, commended the GWCL for the engagement. He called on the government to subsidise the cost of laying water pipes to homes in vulnerable communities. Other consumers called for improved communication in the billing system. Source: Graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Boadu says he deserves another term in office because almost all members of the current National Executive Committee are moving out of office. The current National Chairman, Freddie Blay is not seeking re-election. The current National Treasurer, Abankwa Yeboah is not seeking re-election, he is rather eyeing the national chairman position. The current National Organiser, Sammy Awuku is not seeking re-election. There are indications he may be entering the Member of Parliament race in a constituency in the Eastern Region. He has been linked to the Akropong North seat. The National Youth Organiser, Henry Nana Boakye is not seeking re-election for that position, rather he is eyeing the National Organiser position. Therefore, someone with institutional memory like myself [John Boadu], ought to stay on for a smooth transition. Besides, to be able to help "Break the 8", someone like himself needs to steer the administration of the party for that purpose. Mr Boadu is officially announcing launching his campaign on Tuesday at the Alisa Hotel in Accra but ahead of that, and in publicly declaring his bid for another term, he said. He spoke in a radio interview on Accra based Okay FM, monitored by Graphic Online on Monday morning. The radio interview touched on the various regional conferences that were held at the weekend to elect new regional leaders to steer the affairs of the party for the next four years. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former Eastern Regional Chairman of the NPP, Kwadwo Boateng Agyemang strongly believes his successor, Mr Jeffrey Konadu Addo will be a good leader for the party in the region. He was empathic that He [Mr Jeffrey Konadu Addo] is capable to lead this great party to victory. Mr Jeffrey Konadu Addo was elected Regional Chairman for the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Eastern Region over the weekend. The immediate former Chairman, Kwadwo Boateng Agyemang in an interview with NEAT FMs morning show, 'Ghana Montie' pledged to support his leadership for achievement. He told host, Akwasi Aboagye that the NPP needs a united front to win the next presidential election. The majority has spoken, we must unite, work together to break the 8, he said. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Director of Elections of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Evans Nimako, has given the party members and supporters the green light to take advantage of the Regional elections to pitch for their favourite Presidential aspirant. The NPP on Saturday, May 28 held its Regional elections to elect their Regional executives. The contests peacefully ended with some aspirants singing songs of praises and left others disappointed with the votes that came in for them. One of the Regions that were closely contested was Ashanti Region as some delegates earnestly wished for a change of leadership but the incumbent Chairman of the Region emerged winner at the end of the elections. Mr. Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, beat his main contender Odeneho Appiah by a landslide victory. In the Greater Accra Regional contest, the delegates also maintained their Chairman, Divine Otoo Agorhom. The NPP Regional elections have taken a different twist with the camps of the Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and Minister of Trade, Alan Kyerematen, pitching for their candidates to win the flagbearer position of the party. The supporters of the Vice President and the Trade Minister have divided the Regions between their favourite candidates as they rate their Presidential hopeful's performance in the Regions. The pro-Alan camp claims he beat the Dr. Bawumia camp in 10 Regions with 91% good chance of emerging the flagbearer of the party in their impending primaries. Speaking on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo", Evans Nimako described what the supporters are doing as a "psychological warfare". He found nothing wrong with them taking advantage of the Regional elections to sell their candidates to the party delegates. He, however, admonished them to engage in a decorous internal politics devoid of anything that would jeopardize the fortunes of the party. "It's a psychological warfare . . . The party hasn't yet outlined our rules and regulations for Parliamentary and Presidential [elections], so people can be testing the waters," he said. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Director of Elections of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Evans Nimako, has disclosed the date for the party's national annual delegates conference. The party on Saturday, May 28, 2022 held its Regional elections and elected Regional executives. The Regional elections will be followed by national elections and subsequently go into primaries to elect a Presidential candidate for the party. Speaking on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme Monday morning, Evans Nimako revealed that the much-awaited national delegates conference will be held in the Greater Accra Region. He stated the conference will come off from 14th to 16th July this year. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ashanti Regional Communications Director for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Abass Nurudeen, has disclosed that he and some members of his party (NDC) prayed for Odeneho Kwaku Appiah (COKA) to lose the NPPs regional executives election. Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi was declared the winner of the just-ended polls after he (Wontumi) defeated Odeneho Kwaku Appiah (COKA), his closest contender, by 185 votes. According to the NDC communication director, Wontumi knows nothing about politics; his victory does not scare them at all. Wontumis win does not scare us if COKA had won then we the NDC would have problem. He is a very strategic guy. He said on Oyerepa Breakfast Show. COKA will frustrate NDC in the region because he made one move. I remember one occasion COKA bought cards, hampers distributed them to many people including you, Joel, Anuty Naa and others, is then that we decided to pray against him heavily. Nurudeen explained. He asserted COKA as regional chairman would have given hope to the angry NPP members Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The National Communications Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Sammy Gyamfi says the Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare was "intolerant" in his response to a tweet by the British High Commissioner to Ghana. In a post on Facebook, Mr Gyamfi said the response to what he described as a harmless tweet had the tendency to undermine diplomatic relations between the two countries. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with the tweet by the British High Commissioner which is what appears to have angered our celebrity IGP," Mr Gyamfi posted. "If Dampare had apprised himself of Article 3(d) of the Vienna Convention, I am not sure he would have embarrassed himself and the nation this way". Mr Gyamfi also alleged that the IGP's reaction was not surprising, given that harassment, human rights abuse and extra-judicial killings of innocent Ghanaians by some rogue elements in the Ghana Police Service were on the ascendancy. "No wonder that harassment, human rights abuse and extra-judicial killing of innocent Ghanaians by some rogue elements in the Ghana Police Service is on the ascendancy. IGP Dampare must know that the Police Service, like any other human institution, is not sacrosanct and not immune from criticism. The least expectation of a leader worth his salt is to focus on cleaning up the battered image of the Police and restoring public confidence in the Service. Defending wrong-doing while snapping at genuine criticism is not the new dawn of Policing that he promised us". Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ethiopian Airlines, a leading airline in Africa, is set to start thrice weekly operations to Chennai, India from July 2, 2022, marking the airlines fourth destination in the country after New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Ethiopian started its service to India with a debut flight to New Delhi in 1966, just 20 years after the airline was founded. Ethiopian pioneered the air transport linkage between Africa and India. Recently, Ethiopian marked its 50th year anniversary of uninterrupted service to Mumbai, the commercial capital of India. The flights to Chennai will fly a B737-8 aircraft on the Addis Ababa-Chennai route. Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tasew said: I am excited that we are getting closer to our customers with our signature service and global connectivity options. We have been connecting Asia and Africa for 55 years now facilitating trade between the two continents. The addition of Chennai as a fourth passenger destination in India is a testimony of our resilience and unwavering commitment to serve our customers in India and the continent at large. We will continue to serve India with enhanced frequency and more destinations in the future. Chennai is a modern cosmopolitan city and the most prominent cultural, economic and educational centre of South India. Ethiopian has been serving India without any interruption even during the pandemic cementing the longstanding bilateral relationship between the two countries. India is one of Ethiopian Airlines key destinations in the Asian continent and Ethiopian currently flies to three passenger and five cargo destinations with its enhanced services and modern fleet. Besides the opening of a new route to Chennai, Ethiopian Airlines flight frequency to the cities of Mumbai and New Delhi will increase to double daily and ten weekly flights, respectively, as of July 2022. TradeArabia News Service Cannabis plants grow inside a facility in Ontario, Tuesday, April 13, 2021. Albertas cannabis regulator sent a warning to pot retailers and suppliers after receiving complaints about agreements requiring marijuana producers to purchase sales data in exchange for shops carrying their products. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tara Walton Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during the National Prayer Breakfast of Canada in Ottawa on Tuesday, May 31, 2022. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered a prayer of peace and spoke of moving together on the difficult path of reconciliation. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick Brazil to authorize 2nd Covid booster dose for people over 50 03 Jun 2022 | 6:34 AM Brasilia, June 3 (UNI/Xinhua) The Brazilian government plans to approve the application of the second booster dose against COVID-19 for people over 50 years old, Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga said. see more.. Western sanctions against Russia to bring end to US hegemony 03 Jun 2022 | 6:29 AM Caracas, June 3 (UNI/Sputnik) US and EU sanctions against Russia are accelerating the transition to a multipolar world without US and dollar hegemony, Venezuelan lawmaker Julio Chavez said on Friday in an interview with Sputnik. see more.. US Commerce Department publishes names of 71 blacklisted Russian entities 03 Jun 2022 | 6:18 AM Washington, June 3 (UNI/Sputnik) The US Commerce Departments Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued a notice in which it published the names of 71 newly blacklisted Russian entities, including aircraft and shipbuilding companies. see more.. Two Red Cross staff members killed in attack in western Mali 03 Jun 2022 | 6:16 AM Bamako, June 3 (UNI/Sputnik) Two employees of the Red Cross have been killed in an attack in the Kayes region in western Mali, while returning from a field visit, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFCR) said. see more.. NORTH AUGUSTA A New Hampshire native and Fort Gordon leader with 34 years of military experience was the featured speaker at American Legion Post 71's Memorial Day event, sharing thoughts on the meaning of the holiday and the nature of military service. At the microphone was Lt. Col. Laura Bellot, the Army installation's deputy garrison commander for transformation - "responsible for leading all garrison transformation operations with internal and external leaders and stakeholders to plan, evaluate and synchronize all growth actions," as described in her biography for Monday's gathering. Addressing the assembly at Wade Hampton Veterans Park, she shared stories of several of the U.S. military's most highly honored individuals in terms of courage under fire, including some who received the Medal of Honor. "Freedom is not free. The men and women who have worn the military uniform and made the ultimate sacrifice have paid that cost," she said. "Memorial Day is a time to honor our commitment to never forget those who have served and sacrificed for America, and today, we do this once again." Bellot, a native of Hudson, New Hampshire, put particular emphasis on Americans who served in Vietnam. "I am here and blessed that every day, when I walk through an airport, people stop me to say 'Thank you' for my service. Those veterans that came back from Vietnam did not have those opportunities." Her audience included at least one person who can relate closely to her current role, as North Augusta's city administrator, Jim Clifford, is a former garrison commander at Fort Gordon. A garrison commander is sometimes described as being an Army installation's "mayor," in terms of responsibility for infrastructure and many day-to-day activities. Monday's event, in keeping with tradition, included the reading of a list of Post 71 members who have died since the previous year's Memorial Day ceremony. This year's reading, presented chronologically and beginning with June 1, 2021, included Thomas Stribling, Norbert Jasin, Charles Green, Van Williams Jr., Les Gotchall, Raymond Morris, Charles Smith, Michael Redmon and Patrick Sizemore. Completing the list were Cobie Williams, Lee Thompson, Robert Lang, Thomas Machak, Buz Yarnell, Ira Gilbert, Robert Lemon, Victor Ramage, William Paul Jr. and Robert Goings (April 19). Aiken, SC (29801) Today Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. Moncks Corner, SC (29461) Today Sunny, along with a few afternoon clouds. High 93F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mainly clear skies. Low near 70F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Moncks Corner, SC (29461) Today Mostly clear. Low around 70F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mostly clear. Low around 70F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. A Los Angeles-based wholesale flower company plans to tap into the Lowcountry's thriving wedding industry with its 21st branch and its first in South Carolina. Mayesh Wholesale Florist recently signed a lease for a 10,000-square-foot warehouse at 5935 Rivers Ave. in North Charleston. The new business will take over the space Sept. 1 with an opening expected by year's end. It will be open for wholesale only. There are no retail sales to the public. The facility will include a dock, parking and a 3,000-square-foot cooler. It will be open weekdays for deliveries and pickup. Most of the Mayesh warehouse operations are in large metropolitan areas, but regional corporate director Manny Gonzales believes Charleston has the potential to support an outpost because of the strength of the wedding and event industry in the Lowcountry. Gonzales said providing service to the Lowcountry from Mayesh's Charlotte branch isn't working the way the company wants it to, and he believes the new facility could be "a game changer" for the Charleston floral market. "Charleston has such a tough time getting fresh flowers here due to our remote location," said Gonzales, who once operated Tiger Lily Florist in Charleston. "We'll have two to four trucks arriving weekly with product from our L.A. and Miami distribution centers." Mayesh CEO Patrick Dahlson called Charleston "a great event town" that the company looks forward to serving. "Our investment will significantly enhance our ability to serve the many talented floral professionals throughout the region by offering daily deliveries, in-store shopping, online shopping, box lots, standing orders and so much more," Dahlson said. Gonzales also is overseeing the expansion of a branch in Raleigh, N.C., by August, when the 20th site will open. Wholesale florists are not new to the Lowcountry. Horst Wholesale Florist on Ashley River Road in West Ashley has been around since 1968. Charleston Wholesale Florist opened in 2013 on Rivers Avenue in North Charleston. EU reaches compromise deal on banning Russian oil imports Brussels, May 31 (UNI) European Union leaders reached a compromise agreement on a plan to block more than two-thirds of Russian oil imports, BBC reported on Tuesday. This ban will only be applicable on oil that arrives by sea and not the one that is transported through the pipeline, after Hungary opposed it. According to European Council chief Charles Michel the deal is expected to cut off a huge source of financing for the Russian war machine and is part of a sixth package of sanctions approved at a summit in Brussels, which all 27 member states have had to agree on. New Jersey-based Saxum Real Estate Development and Investment Co. plans to build a pair of cold-storage warehouses at the Ridgeville Industrial Campus to take advantage of fast-paced growth in frozen and chilled food products moving through the Port of Charleston. The state's Fiscal Accountability Authority on May 31 approved the State Ports Authority's plan to sell 30 acres at its Ridgeville site to Saxum for $3.3 million, or $110,000 per acre. Saxum's plan is to build two temperature-controlled warehouses totaling 395,100 square feet at the site. The $90 million project which previously went by the code name Project Aardvark eventually will employ about 100 people moving roughly 985 million pounds of frozen and refrigerated goods, such as pork and poultry, each year. That amounts to an additional 5,000 cargo containers moving through the port's terminals annually. A construction timetable was not provided. It would be the second tenant at the 1,000-acre, rail-served industrial park located at the intersection of U.S. 78 and S.C. 27 in Dorchester County, which the SPA purchased in 2018 from paper and packaging giant WestRock. Walmart opened a 3 million-square-foot import distribution center at the site in January that supplies about 850 stores with retail goods brought through the port. That $220 million project employs about 1,000 people and is expected to boost annual cargo levels at the port by 70,000 containers. Dorchester County Council has given initial approval to incentives that would reduce Saxum's assessed property tax rate for the Ridgeville facility to 6 percent from the 10.5 percent normally charged to industrial sites. The agreement would also refund 25 percent of the company's tax payments over a 10-year period to help pay for infrastructure and equipment costs. The council is expected to give final approve to the incentives at its June 6 meeting. Refrigerated cargo at the Port of Charleston has more than doubled in recent years, with growth driven by the Southeasts booming population and changes in grocery consumption. A report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows there were nearly 151 million pounds of beef and 334.6 million pounds of chicken in cold-storage warehouses in the region increases of 7.4 percent and 20 percent, respectively. Within the past year, cold-storage leader Lineage Logistics spent $34 million on an expansion of its North Charleston warehouse, and developer RealtyLink Investments announced plans for a temperature-controlled warehouse at the Camp Hall Commerce Park off Interstate 26 in Berkeley County. Those warehouses join an existing Agro Merchants Group cold-storage facility in Summerville. The SPA also has invested $73 million to boost its capacity for cold-storage cargo, including expanding its refrigerated rack and plugs and creating a dedicated cold-storage service area at the Wando Welch Terminal in Mount Pleasant. Privately held Saxum specializes in cold-storage facilities and multifamily developments, with a $2 billion portfolio of more than 2.6 million square feet of warehouses and 1,400 rental units. The Ridgeville facility would be Saxum's first development in South Carolina, according to the company's website. State legislators have approved Santee Cooper's planned $18.3 million sale of commercial real estate and the donation of property near its headquarters to be considered for a veterans cemetery. The Joint Bond Review Committee that oversees state agency financial commitments before they can be finalized said it had no objection to the sale by the power and water utility for $18.1 million of four industrial parcels totaling about 104 acres at its Camp Hall business park in Berkeley County. The utility also will take on between $8 million and $9 million in short-term debt to pay for the infrastructure needed to support the lots being sold at the 6,800-acre property, which is home to the Volvo car plant. About 2,800 acres was given to the Swedish automaker, with the rest set aside for a mixed-use development that would combine space for industrial users, commercial businesses and recreational purposes. Pamela Williams, chief public affairs officer and general counsel at Santee Cooper, said at the May 24 committee meeting that the infrastructure investments are necessary for the utility to "sell every developable acre in Camp Hall." Santee Cooper will recoup in excess what it spends and make the parcels more valuable, said Sen. Thomas Alexander, committee member and president of the state Senate. Indianapolis-based Pure Development is buying two lots for a 1.1 million-square-foot warehouse near Jedburg. It also plans to build a 427,000 square-foot building on 27.66 acres site across from the Volvo Cars campus. Other Camp Hall sites are being sold to Magnus Development of Columbia, which plans to build a 150,000-square-foot warehouse on 10.5 acres, and Fresh Continents of Greensboro, N.C., which plans to build a cold-storage facility on 64.5 acres. Another property sale will mark the launch of Avian Commons a "village center" with services catering to employees of Camp Hall businesses. Mount Pleasant-based Refuel Operating Co. is purchasing 1.65 acres for $1.25 million for a gas station and convenience store. In Horry County, Santee Cooper was cleared to sell off its last three lots totaling 22 acres at the 220-acre Ascott Valley Industrial Park off S.C. Highway 22 in Conway for $194,850. Freeman Bisi Investors LLC bought 13.3 acres and S&H Investments Group bought 4.56 acres to expand their operations. The Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corp., which is in charge of attracting industry to the Grand Strand county, acquired 3.74 acres to double the size of an existing building to 100,000 square feet. Legislators also had no objection to a separate real estate proposal by the Santee Cooper to donate 90 acres next to its Moncks Corner headquarters to the S.C. Department of Veterans Affairs. It is one of three South Carolina sites under consideration for two proposed state cemeteries for military members. The others are in Bamberg and Union counties. The utility must turn the property over by July 1 for submission and review by the federal VA's National Cemetery Administration, which will pick the two sites between next September and August 2023. If the Santee Cooper property is selected, design and construction will begin either in 2024 or 2029. Otherwise, the land will be returned. A South Carolina business owner who helped veterans handle their government benefits pleaded guilty last week to embezzling more than $300,000 from at least 10 clients since 2015. Raymond Huffman of Huffman Fiduciary Services LLC was a legal custodian who was supposed to help former military members manage funds they received from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. He pleaded guilty May 26 to using electronic means to stealing benefits, assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Kittrell said during a May 26 plea hearing in U.S. District Court in Charleston. Stealing funds meant for a veteran is a despicable crime, U.S. Attorney Corey F. Ellis said in a statement from the U.S. Attorneys Office. We owe it to our veterans, who have sacrificed so much for this country, to ensure they are not victimized when they most need assistance." Huffman, 61, faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution and 30 years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. Huffman is free on bond. Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks accepted the guilty plea. A sentencing date has not been set. The case was filed under seal on June 9, 2021. It listed 26 charges. Suspicions arose when one of the veterans he was working with died. His family then filed a complaint with Dorchester County when they noticed missing funds. They felt they were "ripped off" by Huffman, Kittrell said during the plea hearing. The victims were identified only by their initials. Huffman's lawyer, Ann Briks Walsh, declined to comment. Records filed with the S.C. Secretary of State's office show that he registered his business, also was known as HFS, in June 2015 using an address in Brunson, a small town in Hampton County. Huffman and his firm each entered federal fiduciary agreements with the VA, according to court documents. Huffman will also be required to forfeit any property or other assets he obtained with embezzled funds, according to the indictment. Columbia, SC (29201) Today Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. HILTON HEAD ISLAND To spend the morning with the Sea Turtle Patrol is to undergo a master class not only in reptile habits, but in vocabulary. What the patrol is looking for is a body pit, said group leader Amber Kuehn from the driver's seat of a pick-up at dawn. That is the shape a sea turtle leaves in the sand. "It's like a turtle snow angel," she said. To the untrained eye, a loose oval of sand is indistinguishable from the rest of the beach, but Kuehn spotted one immediately. The body pit meant that sometime in the night a female turtle lumbered out of the ocean, made her way to dry sand, dug a hole, released a clutch of eggs and covered up the nest. Most likely it was a loggerhead. That's the most common type around Hilton Head, although three other species of sea turtles have laid nests on the island. All seven species worldwide are endangered. At the sight of the body pit, Kuehn slammed on the brakes, jumped out of the pick-up and inspected the turtle's tracks a pair of zig-zagging trenches like something heavy had been dragged on the shore. A female loggerhead weighs about 400 pounds. Kuehn pointed to one of the flipper prints. "See how you can tell which direction the turtle was moving?" she asked. The volunteers who accompanied Kuehn looked at her blankly. Sighing, Kuehn drew an arrow in the sand. Incoming. Interpreting the incoming and outgoing tracks is important because it informs where the patrollers dig. They check every new body pit to confirm the turtle really laid eggs. If she didn't, the tracks represent what's known as a false crawl. The turtle might've come ashore, hit too much natural debris on the beach called wrack, Kuehn clarified and returned to the sea. If she did lay eggs, the patrollers make sure the nest is in a safe place. A few years ago, Kuehn drove the 14-mile length of the beach with a GPS identifying the line of the king tide the highest tide. The patrollers ensure the nests are comfortably out of this zone, especially since it will be about two months before the eggs hatch. If they discover a nest at risk of being disturbed, Kuehn and her crew will carefully move it. Finding the eggs On this morning, Kuehn was training two new volunteers Cindy Wilson and Kathy Sanders to uncover the eggs. To demonstrate how to probe the body pit she grabbed a wooden stick with a handle like a bike pump and stuck it into the sand. The idea is to poke around until the probe gives. Kuehn hit the soft sand on the first try. While a small crowd of early morning dog-walkers and beachcombers gathered, Wilson dropped to her knees and dusted off the sand around the probe. About six inches below the surface a glimmer of white peeked through, like a waxing moon: the day's first egg. The onlookers cheered. Public relations turns out to be a major part of the job for the Sea Turtle Patrol. Residents and visitors notice their silver truck and wander over to see what's happening. Kuehn, a marine biologist who also founded an eco-tour company called Spartina Marine Education Charters, would like to teach them about sea turtles. One of her repeated lessons: The sandy shores of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina are all one beach. Even though sea turtles return to their birthplaces to lay eggs, what that really means is that the female turtles coming to Hilton Head could have hatched anywhere in the tri-state area. But most onlookers don't particularly want to listen. They want to talk. While chatty bystanders told her about the time they saw a loggerhead or how they spotted the tracks even before the Sea Turtle Patrol, Kuehn deftly guided them away from the nest. She has a word for this role, too. She's a deflector. Digging a nest Distracting the crowd was important because it allowed Wilson to count the eggs in the nest. One by one, she lifted 144 out of the sand and settled them gently into a plastic bucket. Kuehn determined they were too close to the water. A little higher on the shore, Sanders looked for a place to relocate them. When a mother turtle searches for a place to lay her eggs, she uses a sensitive spot under her chin to detect dry sand. Then she uses her back flippers, which Kuehn compares to mittens, to displace the sand. Making a nest takes about two hours, which is one reason she does it in the middle of the night it's too hot in the day for that kind of work, especially for a cold-blooded reptile. But even warm-blooded mammals struggle. After only ten minutes of digging with a plastic scoop, Sanders squatted back on her heels, sweating and exhausted. "Is that good?" she asked. Kuehn came over and peered into the hole. She frowned. The chamber the precise term for the interior of the nest should be about two feet deep and in the shape of an upside down lightbulb. Sanders handed Kuehn the scoop. In about 90 seconds, the marine biologist had created a perfect specimen. Given that a loggerhead lays a clutch of eggs every few weeks during nesting season, and Kuehn is on the beach with the patrol nearly every day between May and October, it's likely that Kuehn has made more sea turtle nests than a sea turtle. Collecting the data Watching the Sea Turtle Patrol work, seeing the eggs, inspecting the tracks, and if one is lucky enough actually encountering a turtle inspires awe. "If you haven't seen it, you don't get it," said Sanders. "It's my miracle experience," said Wilson, who wore a pair of turtle earrings for her first day on the patrol. Spots on the Sea Turtle Patrol are coveted. While another nonprofit, Turtle Trackers, is comprised of 500 members who report holes, property or lights on the beach anything that could interfere with nesting the Sea Turtle Patrol is limited to 18. Kuehn hand-picks the volunteers. She is the only one who draws a salary, and the only one with a S.C. Department of Natural Resources permit. Kuehn was also the only one who didn't glow as Sanders and Wilson stretched tape around two poles to mark the site of the relocated nest, warning beachgoers to keep away. Instead, she squinted down at a scratched, beat-up iPad, focused on the data. After volunteers started informally keeping an eye on nests in the late 1970s, and officially organized in 1985, the number of hatchlings that made it to the water steadily increased. The vast majority were promptly eaten by predators. However, about 1 in 100 survived to spend their adolescence in the Canary Islands and the Azores, then return to the North American coast to reproduce. Because it takes 30 years for a sea turtle to become sexually mature, the early 2000s is when the Sea Turtle Patrol really saw their efforts pay off. The graph on Kuehn's iPad shows a huge spike in the number of nests on Hilton Head beginning in 2010. Monitoring programs, along with public education, seemed to be working. "We'd be excited if we broke 100 (nests) in 1998," Kuehn said. That was the year she joined the patrol. "Now, we're disappointed if we don't get at least 300 nests on the beach." But the number of nests keeps leveling off. Even more worrisome, the same mother turtles are coming back to Hilton Head every year. Instead of joining them, their sisters and cousins are washing up on the shore. Kuehn has a succinct phrase for this: "We see more strandings than new recruits." Threats to sea turtles In Hilton Head, climate change is not the key factor affecting the turtle population at least not yet. People are. People in boats who accidentally strike sea turtles, causing them to drown. People whose garbage winds up on the ocean floor, where it looks like food. People whose concrete structures crowd out turtles, and whose fishing line entangles them. These activities aren't done to harm the reptiles. Gauging by the dozens of people Kuehn's truck attracted on the beach as the morning wore on, humans in general love sea turtles. But as the population of humans on Hilton Head continues to grow, turtles cannot keep up with the changes. Perhaps that is why Kuehn looked so troubled by the end of the patrol's run, even as the volunteers delighted in the four new nests they'd discovered that morning. Sanders and Wilson were already anticipating early July, when the baby turtles would tear out of their leathery shells using a sharp protrusion on their beaks, calling a pipping horn. Their movement would cause the sand to cave in, and the Turtle Tracker who'd been monitoring the nest would activate the phone tree. Other volunteers, along with a crowd of spectators, would gather in the night to watch more than 100 hatchlings come bubbling to the surface and spill onto the sand. "That's really something to see," Sanders said, her eyes shining. "It's called a boil." GEORGETOWN The Georgetown Board of Zoning Appeals will meet June 1 to continue its hearing of Liberty Steel's appeal of a decision that the mill was not in compliance with city zoning and should close. By a 4-3 vote, the board delayed a decision April 6 on the fate of the downtown Liberty Steel mill to gather more information after a contentious three-hour meeting in a packed meeting room. Here's what happened and what's at stake: How did things get here? The dispute between the city and the mill centers around whether Libertys prolonged closing during the COVID outbreak triggered a zoning change that would shut down the plant for good. According to Liberty Steels zoning appeal, company CEO Gregory Jones informed Georgetown in April 2020 that the company needed to idle the mill for 90 days because of economic issues from the COVID-19 pandemic. In a Feb. 4 letter, former Georgetown interim Zoning Administrator Chris Inglese wrote that he accepted that date as the commencement for abandonment, or the date on which the 365-day clock enforced by the city's REDD ordinance began ticking. The 2018 ordinance changes the zoning of the 50-acre site on the Sampit River from industrial to commercial if the plant is not operating for a year. Liberty Steel appealed Ingleses decision on the grounds that the pandemic was an act outside of its control and that Inglese was no longer a city employee. Inglese became Newberry Countys administrator in late 2021, though he continued to work for Georgetown on a contractual basis. Liberty Steels owners contend that the plant closed in February 2021, pointing to a January 2021 letter in which Georgetown city administrator Sandra Yudice wrote that the city would be proceeding accordingly with the February 1, 2021 date. If the closing clock began on that date, it would mean the companys mid-January restart with 65 workers kept the mill compliant with city zoning ordinances. Part of Libertys zoning appeal and much of its argument on April 6 was that Ingleses involvement violated the state constitution forbidding public officials to hold dual offices. What will happen next? Board of Zoning Appeals chairwoman Ede Graves told Georgetown Times that any appeals of the board's June 1 decision would go through circuit court in Georgetown County, with the potential for final appeals to the S.C. Supreme Court. The matter would not go back to the Georgetown City Council. A spokesman for Liberty Steel's parent company, GFG Alliance, declined comment when asked if the London-based business group would seek further legal action in the case that the Georgetown Board of Zoning Appeals rules against the mill. However, United Steelworkers Local 7898 President James Sanderson told Georgetown Times that a June 1 ruling against Liberty Steel Georgetown would be appealed in circuit court. Yudice did not immediately respond to an email asking if the city would appeal to circuit court if the mill is allowed to remain. When and where will the zoning board meet? The meeting will take place in the municipal courtroom at 2222 Highmarket St. in Georgetown at 6 p.m. on June 1. Eighty spectators will be allowed inside the courtroom. The hearing will be livestreamed on the citys Facebook page. Thousands of South Carolina children and millions across the country could lose the Medicaid coverage they gained during the pandemic after federal protections expire later this year, advocates said. They are calling on state agencies like the S.C. Department of Health and Human Services to do more to keep children and families in the program. Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act soon after the pandemic began that offered states a deal: The federal government would increase the matching funds it pays states for Medicaid by 6.2 percent if the state essentially agreed to not kick anyone off the program while the Public Health Emergency declaration was in effect. South Carolina and other states usually do an annual review to see if a person is still eligible for Medicaid but agreed to forego that. Due to income losses and parents who lost jobs during the pandemic, millions of children were suddenly eligible and covered by Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program, which provides coverage at higher income levels. The number could be nearly 7 million children nationwide, including almost 80,000 in South Carolina who gained coverage as of March 31, according to an analysis of data from the state Department of Health and Human Services. South Carolina's Medicaid rolls increased overall from 1,044,980 in February 2020 to approximately 1.25 million as of March 31, an increase of 19.6 percent, according to an analysis of public data. Nationally, state Medicaid programs will have grown by 25 percent between 2019 and the end of fiscal year 2022, or by about 22.2 million people, of whom 42 percent are children, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. While some of that is due to a few states expanding Medicaid and other expected growth, much of it is due to the pandemic-related increase, the foundation found. Once added, they stayed on as the emergency declaration has been extended by 90 days several times since 2020, most recently in April, and was set to expire July 15. However, the Biden administration assured states it would give them 60 days' notice before it ended the declaration, and that deadline passed May 16 with no official word from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "We're hoping that no news is good news at this point," said Sue Berkowitz, director of South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center, which advocates for health reform and Medicaid expansion among other issues. "I dont think we are going to get any kind of notice," said Tricia Brooks of the Georgetown Center. Instead, the department will just issue a new declaration as it has done before previous deadlines. "I would be flabbergasted if it is not extended," Brooks said. Several powerful groups, including the American Hospital Association, the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, wrote earlier this month to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra urging him to extend the deadline in part to avoid the potential loss of coverage, particularly amid rising COVID-19 cases. "Those that are closest to health care and what this would mean, particularly for low-income families, know that we are not out of the woods yet," Brooks said. "This continuous coverage provision has been critical to the United States avoiding a surge in the number of uninsured people." If extended again, the deadline would move to mid-October. Reassessments of eligibility would begin the following month. And that's when advocates fear the chaos could start. "Without having a huge, huge public push (for educating those affected), I really worry it is going to be a lot of kids and adults getting disenrolled," Berkowitz said. "While some will be able to come back on, there will be a huge churn." The fear is not that adults and children will be found to be ineligible; it is the fear they will not receive the notice that allows them to continue coverage or participate in the redetermination process. If a state sends a letter, it may not find people who have moved in the last two years and there has been a lot of disruption and transitions during the pandemic, Brooks and Berkowitz said. "We know that folks have moved and havent gotten their notices," Berkowitz said. Or the notices themselves may be difficult to understand and comply with, Brooks said. South Carolina Health and Human Services does appear to have a comprehensive plan for reaching out to those on Medicaid. According to a presentation to the Medical Care Advisory Committee earlier this month, the agency will first try to use information it can access electronically to determine if the person is still eligible, such as wage and salary data from the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce and other state and federal agencies, spokesman Jeff Leieritz said. For those it cannot confirm that way, it plans to send a notice to members about the redetermination 60 days in advance of the deadline, and then a follow-up notice 30 days later before ending eligibility. But the agency is already reaching out to those on Medicaid to try and get updated information and it plans to use text messages and phone calls, as well as working with the managed-care organizations that administer some Medicaid health plans, to reach those members. "And thats great," Brooks said. "Thats exactly what we want to see happening." The state agency also plans to take advantage of flexibility the federal government offered to spread the redetermination process out over 12 months and will not exceed more than a certain amount of reviews in any given month to create a "balanced workload" that should help minimize disruption, according to the agency presentation. The agency also presented a communication plan that includes speakers, videos and social media. Berkowitz wants to see churches and pastors get involved as well to help spread the word and prevent disenrolling people who deserve and need the coverage. "It really could become a huge disruption for our health care system," she said. "As a state, if we can avoid all of this, why would we not do that?" Summerville, SC (29483) Today Some passing clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some passing clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Kingstree, SC (29556) Today Mostly clear. Low around 70F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Mostly clear. Low around 70F. Winds light and variable. New Delhi, May 31 (UNI) India and Pakistan concluded two days of talks on the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty here on Tuesday, with the meeting held in a cordial atmosphere, and with appreciation of the "commitment of the two sides to interact frequently and resolve issues through dialogue". The talks also came amid rising water scarcity in both countries. An official statement said that the 118th meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) comprising of Indus Commissioners of India and Pakistan was held on May 30-31 in New Delhi. The Indian delegation was led by A.K. Pal, the Indian Commissioner for Indus Waters, and the visiting Pakistan delegation was led by Syed Muhammad Mehar Ali Shah, the Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Waters. During the meeting, annual report of the PIC for the year ending on 31 March 2022 was finalised and signed. The meeting was held in a cordial manner. The Commission appreciated the commitment of the two sides to interact frequently and resolve issues through bilateral discussions under the Indus Water Treaty. It was agreed to hold the next meeting of the PIC in Pakistan on mutually convenient dates, it said. The Indus system comprises of the main Indus River, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej. The basin is mainly shared by India and Pakistan with a small share for China and Afghanistan. Under the Indus Waters Treaty signed between India and Pakistan in 1960, all the waters of three rivers, -- Ravi,Sutlej and Beas ( Eastern Rivers) averaging around 33 million acre feet ( MAF) were allocated to India for exclusive use. The waters of the Western rivers - Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab averaging to around 135 MAF were allocated to Pakistan, except for specified domestic , non-consumptive and agricultural use permitted to India as provided in the Treaty. India has also been given the right to generate hydroelectricity through run of the river (RoR) projects on the Western Rivers which, subject to specific criteria for design and operation is unrestricted. As per the treaty, both the nations need to have Indus Commissioners. They also have to meet at least once a year. The meeting can be organised, alternatively in India and Pakistan. A five member Pakistani delegation had arrived in India via the Attari Wagah border on Sunday to hold talks under the Indus Water Commission. The Pakistani commissioner was reported as saying that they will hold talks with India on "sharing flood data besides also raising objections on three water reservoir projects on the River Chenab." This was the second Pakistani delegation to visit India in the last few weeks. Earlier this month a Pakistani delegation visited Delhi for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) regional anti-terror structure (RATS) meet. UNI RN Mount Pleasant, SC (29464) Today Mainly sunny to start, then a few afternoon clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 89F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Mainly clear skies. Low 74F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. A pregnant woman, a 17-year-old girl and a Charleston police officer were among 10 people hospitalized after a mass shooting at a late-night Memorial Day party in the city's East Side neighborhood, authorities said. Four people remained in critical condition the afternoon of May 31, Charleston Police Chief Luther Reynolds said at a news conference. No deaths have been reported, and police indicated the pregnant woman did not lose her baby. A police officer came under fire after responding to a noise complaint around 11:40 p.m. at 41 South St., Reynolds said. Two bullets struck his police cruiser as he took cover and called for backup, Reynolds said. The officer was not shot, but he suffered minor injuries from shattered glass. At least one bullet was found lodged in the headrest of the squad car, police said. "We are lucky we don't have a dead cop," Reynolds said. "Up to 100 people or more" were on South Street attending an unauthorized party in a vacant lot when the shooting started, the chief said. The party was the third unauthorized event held on the block since late April, he said. Some residents who attended the news conference voiced frustration with how police officers handled the gathering, saying they contacted authorities about the party well before shots were fired. "We need to do better," Reynolds acknowledged. More East Side neighbors gathered later in the afternoon to express their frustration in the wake of the shooting. Resident Steve Bailey called for an independent investigation into what police officers knew about the block parties prior to the violent outburst. Bailey writes a freelance column for The Post and Courier. The cops knew about each of the three parties, Bailey said, because he told them. The resident said he had called, emailed and even met with law enforcement officials about the unauthorized events, but his concerns weren't taken seriously. "The first two events, nothing happened. (Police officers) got lucky," Bailey said. "They ran out of luck when we came to the third event." Mayor John Tecklenburg said at the news conference he plans to examine law enforcement's response to the shooting to understand "what went wrong, what went right, how we can do a better job." Monday's party began at a private residence, but the large crowd eventually spilled into a vacant lot and the street, Tecklenburg said. Surveillance footage provided by a neighborhood resident shows dozens of people walking on South Street before gunfire sends them scrambling for cover. Two women cower behind an SUV as a man jumps over a fence and lies in the grass before sprinting away, the video shows. Sporadic gunfire is heard for at least 45 seconds in the video. The shooting marked the latest bloodshed in a neighborhood that has long grappled with gun violence and a persistent drug trade. It was one of at least a dozen mass shootings that occurred across the country over the Memorial Day weekend, according to reporting by The Washington Post. More than 100 placards marked evidence at the sprawling crime scene, which extended across several blocks, Reynolds said. Not all of the evidence collected was shell casings, but much of it was, the chief said, for both pistols and long guns. Reynolds said some of the casings were for .223 ammunition, a large projectile commonly used in semiautomatic weapons. I have seen the pictures from the crime scene," he said. "It is no joke. Charleston County sheriff's deputies and North Charleston police officers helped local police control the crowd after the shooting. Two women were arrested on allegations they assaulted two deputies amid the chaos, authorities said. Tahira McGee, 50, of North Charleston is charged with second-degree assault and battery and resisting arrest. Ayesha Saleemah McGee, 26, of North Charleston is charged with third-degree assault and battery. Both women appeared at bond hearings May 31. Sheriff's Deputy Bobby Hoskins told Magistrate Amanda Haselden that Tahira McGee punched Deputy Stuart Prettel II in the face. Ayesha McGee is accused of pushing Deputy Caroline Yeargin, causing the officer to fall and strike her head on the concrete, Hoskins said. Both deputies suffered minor injuries. Tahira McGee's right eye was swollen shut during the morning court hearing. Haselden said it was her understanding that the woman had to be subdued by multiple deputies after the alleged assault. Haselden ordered $35,000 bail for Tahira McGee. Ayesha McGee, who is charged with a misdemeanor, was ordered jailed on a $1,087 bail. Officers arrested a third person the morning of May 31. Maurice Antonio Malloy, 35, is charged with public disorderly conduct. He was released from the Charleston County jail by noon the same day, records show. Crime-scene tape was still strung across several intersections around South Street the afternoon of May 31. Police officers guarded the roads in the neighborhood while investigators processed the scene. Residents milled about, chatting among themselves. A few waited to retrieve their cars, which were trapped inside the crime scene. Yellow evidence markers dotted the roadway around America and South streets. An empty package of QuickClot Combat Gauze, medical gloves and bandage scissors were left outside the stoop of one residence. Red disposable cups and other trash littered the streets. Paper tape measures were still stuck to the outside of another South Street home, framing a small bullet hole. The homeowner, who asked to remain anonymous, said she had been sitting on her couch when the gunfire erupted. She immediately dropped to the floor, the foam cushions of her couch swallowing a bullet that tore through her wall. Police officers who came to survey the damage told her she was lucky, the resident said. The shooting occurred near the road's intersection with America Street. Bookended by housing projects and lined with wood-frame, Victorian-era homes in various states of repair, America Street runs for about a mile and serves as a main artery through the East Side. South Street bisects that path, leading to bustling East Bay Street, where a U.S. Post Office complex sits perched on the corner. The East Side has long struggled with violence that often went hand-in-hand with grinding poverty. In the 1990s and early 2000s, the heroin and crack cocaine trades drove a black-market economy that kept some afloat and lured a host of outsiders to the area. Young men lined street corners along America, brazenly hawking drugs in an open-air market that drew people through the region. Gun violence became a common occurrence. The neighborhood underwent marked changes in the past decade, as Charlestons soaring housing prices drove more and more college students, young professionals and would-be homebuyers into the East Side in search of affordable rents and mortgages. Longtime Black residents have been pushed out by the rising prices that followed, leading to tensions over gentrification. Through it all, complaints about crime have been a nagging constant, as have suspicions that the culprits are coming from outside the community. In April, a stray bullet struck a 9-year-old boy in the foot during a suspected drive-by shooting at America and Johnson streets. Last July, five people were shot one fatally near Hanover and Johnson streets amid a dispute at Meeting Street Manor, a public housing complex owned by the Charleston Housing Authority. In 2019, there were four fatal shootings between mid-June and late September, including a daylight August shooting on Hanover Street that claimed the life of a popular sous-chef at The Darling Oyster Bar. In the months after the shooting, about 125 new cameras were donated and installed to help curb crime and address the pervasive no snitch policy on the East Side. Both Tecklenburg and Reynolds pledged action following the Memorial Day shooting, expressing anger over the recent bout of violence. Thoughts and prayers for the victims are necessary, but they aren't enough, Tecklenburg said. He presented what he referred to as an actionable plan in response to the incident. He plans to: Ask City Council to put in place an "accountability measure" for landlords, like the one at the South Street property. Push state legislators to "give us a simple tool of making a graduated penalty system for offenders of gun laws." Seek "continued enforcement" of current gun laws, as well as the arrest of anyone involved in the mass shooting. Authorities must also promote responsible gun ownership, Tecklenburg said. Shut down unpermitted events in the city. Anyone who hosts a gathering of more than 25 people in a public space is required to request a permit from the Police Department, the mayor said. Review with city officials traffic measures on the East Side to improve police security and enforcement. Examine law enforcement's response to the shooting. Following remarks from the mayor and police chief, local activists gathered at a park near the crime scene for a separate press conference. Justin Hunt, of the South Carolina Black Activist Coalition, said Tecklenburg should not waste his time with his suggestions and should instead meet with community members to come up with solutions. How about we have a meeting with the community leaders right now, or tomorrow or this weekend? Hunt said. I want you to talk to people youve never talked to before. Marcus McDonald, of Charleston Black Lives Matter, pleaded for people to seek mental health help for the emotional wounds caused by this and other shootings. Its a continuous trauma, McDonald said. The shooting is eerily reminiscent to one that occurred barely a year ago in North Charleston's Deas Hill neighborhood. A 14-year-old girl was killed and 14 others injured after a shootout erupted at an unpermitted block party and nighttime concert on May 22, 2021. Gun violence has become a startlingly common occurrence throughout the Lowcountry: There were 34 homicides in North Charleston involving firearms in 2021, compared with 19 cases the year prior. So far this year, 15 homicides have been counted, all of which involved guns. In Charleston, 16 homicides were reported each of the past two years, a sharp increase for a city where killings usually hover around 10. Again, guns caused almost all of those deaths. Just last month, dozens of gunshots rang out next to a baseball field during a youth sporting event at Pepperhill Park in North Charleston. No one was injured in the melee, which prompted swift action from city officials. Stephen Hobbs contributed reporting. Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations. Today is primary election day in South Carolina. So is tomorrow, and the day after, for eight of the next 10 days. Our first-ever, non-pandemic early voting period means voting in the Republican or Democratic primaries should be easier than ever, and we urge everyone to participate. In most contests in our state, these primaries will decide who takes office, so if you wait until November to vote, youre less likely to have a say about who represents you in statewide office, in Congress, in the Legislature and even some local offices. For awhile, it looked as if the Legislature was going to fail once again to make voting more accessible, but with the clock ticking toward the end of this years session, Sen. Chip Campsen and Rep. Weston Newton were able to break through a bizarre standoff between the House and Senate and push through a long-promised plan to transform Election Day from a single day to two weeks. It was an imperfect compromise, but a compromise nonetheless something thats almost always better than either side getting everything it wants and we all ought to be excited about todays start of early voting. Unless were committed to voting on the traditional Election Day which we still prefer, for mostly sentimental reasons, but also just in case something bizarre happens at the last minute we need to understand the new rules for early voting and the changed rules for absentee voting so we dont get tripped up, particularly as election officials are getting used to the new regimen. And our lawmakers need to pay close attention to how this all sorts out, with an eye toward making adjustments as needed to fulfill their noble promise of making it easier than ever to vote and tougher than ever to cheat. Its disappointing that legislators insisted on making universal early voting available only in person. Mail-in voting remains the cheapest and most efficient way to accomplish what has always for us been the primary reason (outside of a raging pandemic) to give voters more time to cast votes: to reduce Election Day lines, without having to spend ridiculous amounts of money on additional voting machines and poll workers. Despite the persistently popular claims to the contrary, South Carolinas mail-in voting system was never subject to massive fraud, and the security tweaks lawmakers included in S.108 make it even less vulnerable to instances of one person casting a vote in the name of another. Disappointing too, that the Legislature actually reduced the number of people who may vote absentee, which is now available only by mail. Its still open to everyone 65 and older, but its no longer available for government employees and people who have work obligations or who will be out of town, unless theyre unavailable during the entire early voting period. Still, early in-person voting should shorten the lines on Election Day, which this year is June 14 for the primaries. On the other hand, we tend to agree at least initially with a warning from the League of Women Voters of South Carolina. It's advising us not to mail in our votes but instead to cast them in person, since voting in person is far less likely to involve a mistake that would get the vote tossed out. We also advise patience at early voting sites. Although state law allows counties to open as many as seven early voting locations, the short turnaround between Gov. Henry McMaster's signing the bill on May 13 and todays voting start means that most counties plan to open only one site for the primaries. Among those will be Charleston County, which is offering early voting at its election office at 4367 Headquarters Road in North Charleston. On the other end of the spectrum, Richland and Florence counties plan to open five locations each. Legislators must watch to ensure that the counties open enough polling places in future elections to meet the demand without requiring people to wait in line for hours. If such lines get out of control, the Legislature should either extend the time for early voting, require a minimum number of locations in each county, or allow more of us to cast our ballots by mail. The political opposition to that should decrease once people become familiar with the new provisions in our law that make even it more difficult for anyone to mail in a fraudulent ballot. Lawmakers also need to watch the time it takes for election officials to tabulate absentee ballots after the polls close on June 14. The House had voted to let officials start that counting earlier; while the new law allows in-person votes to be tabulated shortly after theyre cast, the Senate refused to allow any extra time for the mailed ballots. Lawmakers should be prepared to go back and allow an earlier start if this causes the long waits for election results that many fear it will. Those of us along the coast know what hurricanes can do: This September 2018 photo shows what Hurricane Florence did to Longs, a small Horry County community near the North Carolina state line. File/AP COLUMBIA Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mia McLeod is accusing chief opponent Joe Cunningham of refusing to participate in a televised debate ahead of the June 14 primary. Cunningham fired back that numerous officials tied to the sponsorship of their derailed June 1 debate on South Carolina ETV the S.C. Democratic Party's Black Caucus were connected to the McLeod campaign payroll, which is why he dropped out. "South Carolinians deserve an open exchange of ideas," Cunningham, Charleston's former congressman, said in a tweet. "We welcome a fair debate, not one directly organized by individuals on my opponents payroll." He added, "integrity and honesty matter if there are any objective groups that would like to organize a debate, were in." One of the event's primary organizers, Black Caucus Chairman Brandon Upson, accepted $900 from the McLeod campaign for "acquisition" work, according to financial disclosures filed with the state Ethics Commission on May 29. Another top official with the Black Caucus accepted thousands of dollars in consulting fees from the McLeod campaign. Cunningham's exit leaves little chance the two candidates will debate before the June 14 primary. But in a May 31 news release, McLeod noted there were three televised debates in the months leading up to the 2018 primaries conducted in front of full auditoriums, allowing "the voting public the opportunity to observe the distinctions between the candidates prior to casting their votes." While my primary opponents and I have engaged in a number of caucus-sponsored online forums, they do not serve as a substitute for a professionally broadcasted and moderated, formal debate on the issues, McLeod, a state senator from Columbia, said. As candidates, we all agree that our states broadband infrastructure is woefully inadequate social media streaming is not a replacement for a televised debate that airs statewide, she added. Officials with ETV declined to answer questions about the event, saying in a statement the organization looked forward to bringing live coverage of next month's primaries. Sign up for updates! Get the latest political news from The Post and Courier in your inbox. Email Sign Up! McLeod declined to comment on Upson's role in organizing the debate, throwing the blame back on Cunningham. "Of course the Cunningham campaign is trying to deflect from the real issue here: the fact that there hasn't been a debate, and there isn't one scheduled," McLeod said in a statement. "We have less than two weeks to make a televised debate happen. Like I've said, I'm ready. I wholeheartedly invite my opponent to produce any invitation to a televised debate that I did not accept." Cunningham's campaign described McLeod's characterization of the events "inaccurate at best, or purposefully misleading at worst" in its own statement May 31. "We tend not to participate in forums sponsored by groups that are supporting our opponent or debates organized by our opponent's paid staffers," Cunningham campaign manager Tyler Jones said in a statement to The Post and Courier. McLeod and Cunningham, the two frontrunners in the five-way field for the Democratic nomination, have rarely appeared with one another on the trail in the closing months of the campaign. Instead, both have focused their outreach on intimate meetings with potential voters and visits to county partisan organizations. Cunningham also has run an extensive statewide media strategy that includes television and social media ads. S.C. Democratic Party Chairman Trav Robertson Jr. said the state party had been trying for months to schedule a sanctioned debate around the time of their convention on June 10. To-date, all of those attempts, including several with outside media outlets, have been unsuccessful. Robertson declined to comment on other details about the missed June 1 debate. "You can quote me: I'm not getting in the middle of it," he said. The Wells Fargo Jazz Series of the 46th annual Spoleto Festival USA has officially been blessed. From an exuberant fete to a sublime invocation, each reserved for one-night-only performances, the dialogue between Charleston, South Carolina, and continental Mama Africa deepened, as programmed and by cosmic design. With little introduction, living legend Youssou NDOUR seemingly floated to center stage. The contemporary Senegalese griot was dressed in a traditional white boubou, seraphic to the eyes, apropos for the evenings celebratory meditation. Seated in a high-backed rolling office chair, flanked by two large white box fans, he would masterfully guide with his spine-tingling vocalese, embodying the familiar role of a preacher. In many ways, he was. Without cue, the bands transfixing mbalax groove started and liberation ensued. We were all transported to another dimension a full-on vibe. For every call, there would be a response. NDOUR's instrument is his voice, a pure, organic tenor, delivering a straight tone and a clear message in his modal, pan-ethnic music. With a timbre cloaked in an amalgamation of Arabic and diasporic African influence, he sings as he prays, and as he prays, he issues an invitation to contribute to the magnificent mix. The Dakar overgroove, a term coined by NDOUR, distinctly meshes the talking drum and other traditional West African instruments and rhythms with popular music jazz, soul, funk, blues, R&B and other Western genres. It is a particular part of NDOURs artistic identity and what has led to him being tapped as a cultural ambassador in merit and official capacity. This groove, along with a well-timed dancer, moved everyone in attendance, literally, from their chairs to their feet. NDOUR and his 15-piece ensemble lifted a full Cistern Yard to an inexhaustible height of joie de vivre. The next night, though with a quarter of the musicians on stage, South African pianist, composer and educator Nduduzo Makhathini headlined with an equally enthralling presence and captivating prowess. Dressed oppositely in black, he quickly found his seat at the grand Steinway piano and let the music do the talking. Makhathini uses his artistic voice in a vastly different way than NDOUR, namely through the tradition of jazz, within the context of its structure and freedom in improvisation. His precision was impressive, channeling the deftness and angularity of Thelonious Monk and nimble modal brilliance of fellow South African pianist, Abdullah Ibrahim. His quartet was deeply engaged and fully present, each finding their space to spectacularly shine in exhilarating extended solos while in constant conversation. Makhathini paused only briefly to graciously thank attentive concertgoers while offering a reflection: What happens if you are displaced and refusing to forget? The two bandleaders are healers in their own right, refusing to forget, devoted to their unique perspectivesNDOUR a Sufi Muslim, Makhathini from the Zulu traditionboth eliciting a spiritual manifestation through their music. Both seek truth in their delivery, even bellowing in their native languages. Both share an atrocious history of colonization, themselves versions of freedom fighters within a collective movement. Both transcend genre, time and space and are multidimensional beings. At their root, both musicians are deeply African and profoundly human, neither of which is a monolith. As Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie observed, Stories matter. Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign, but stories can also be used to empower and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people, but stories can also repair that broken dignity. When we reject the single story, when we realize that there is never a single story about any place, we regain a kind of paradise. While NDOURs performance on Sunday was brimming with an at-capacity crowd, Makhathinis Memorial Day Monday played to a noticeably light crowd. Both audiences were predominantly Caucasian. While these are not mutually exclusive issues, nor unique or new to Spoleto, it is an imbalance that would serve well to be course-corrected. If we are sincere in our call for reconciliation, we must start with truth. If we are dedicated to the arts being that vessel of truth and change, there is work to be done. This opportunity was seemingly missed or much too subtle. No seat should be empty. The work lies in making this music, and the artists who create it, accessible to the people who unequivocally need to see and feel themselves within it. It is a powerful opportunity to reconcile their own identity within a long history of displacement. It is the key to a kind, compassionate, interconnected global village and a future well beyond our collective imagination, a kind of paradise Adichie talks about, Nelson and Martin fought for, Coltrane and Ibrahim played in, NDOUR and Makhathini create in, and one Omar ibn Said, the enslaved Muslim scholar and subject of Spoleto's opera "Omar," could only dream. What we now call the Middle East held a distinct fascination for Western European baroque composers like Handel and Monteverdi. The trouble was, the stories they folded around their gorgeous scores often dreamed up, from whole cloth, their faraway dramatic figures. There was no real interaction with the people and the places that so captured their imagination. And the Crusades, when Western European Christians aimed to make the Holy Lands their own, seem to have had a particular hold on some bold-face baroque names. Monteverdi's "Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda," which takes place in Jerusalem, involves a Christian knight, Tancredi, who falls in love with the Muslim warrior Clorinda, then mistakenly kills her. In the opera, the composer attributes the dying Clorinda's saving grace to becoming baptized and thus embracing Christianity. Handel got into the act, too. In his work "Rinaldo," Jerusalem is again in the crosshairs of the Crusader army, and the intertwined fates of the invaders and the invaded swirl around songs like "Lascia ch'io piango," or "Let me weep," which is sung by the Christian character Almirena as an appeal to her abductor, Argante, the king of Jerusalem. Guilia Caccini and his son Francesca Caccini went there artistically, too, the former in works "Dalla porta d'oriente" and the latter in "Chi e costel." Centuries later, enter the celebrated tenor Karim Sulayman to throw some shade on such erroneous notions, and a little on-stage soil, too. In his opera "Unholy Wars," he trains his transcendent voice and his Lebanese American vantage on this Middle East-centric baroque canon, reshaping its collective narrative perspective from an Arab point of view. The work, which was conceived and is performed by Sulayman, made its world premiere May 29 at Spoleto Festival USA. Directed by Kevin Newbury with musical direction by Julie Andrijeski, the work weaves together selections of these musically enduring, if culturally misguided works, fixing them firmly on Middle East terrain. It does so visually through the illustrated, animated projections of work by visual artist Kevork Mourad, which share scenes of a burning Jerusalem, as well as wispy ethereal figures and more. And it does so with dance, by way of the charged, mesmerizing choreography of Ebony Williams, which is performed by Coral Dolphin, who also contributed to its creation. Mainly, the strength of "Unholy Wars" is in its music. Interstitial compositions by Mary Kouyoumdjian, a first-generation Armenian American who draws from her heritage in her music, successfully form a larger, provocative sum from its existing compositional parts. And they are all realized by a stellar slate of its four performers, along with a baroque ensemble of eight musicians, with period instruments like the theorbo and harpsichord in play. It is evocative and fraught, urgent and tender, hard-hitting and heart-rending, this complex foray through the centuries to recast age-old missteps that resonate still. Its agency comes through those phenomenal voices, recontextualized by the set's layered illustrations that build upon one another, then get consumed by footage of flames. The magnetic Sulayman is the work's poignant core, with his lyrical, staggeringly beautiful voice serving as the narrative thread through the featured works. As he sings, Dolphin, dressed in Arab attire, dances around him, sometimes intensely, and at other times enfolding him as if she were his very Arab identity. Together, the two regularly dip into pails of dirt, as if it were the land itself, slipping through their hands. The stirring, soulful tones of soprano Raha Mirzadegan mine all the sorrow of works like "Lascia ch'io piango." The strong, crystal-clear character of bass-baritone John Taylor Ward adds immeasurably to the vocal impact. As they inhabit characters such as Clorinda and Tancredi, they at times engage in a literal West and East tug of war, rope in hand one that ultimately inextricably connects the four performers onstage. At this point, you may have gleaned that there is quite a bit happening on the Dock Street Theatre stage. Supertitles translate the Italian lyrics, which at times fought for legibility with the illustrations. If I did it again, I might abandon my plot-junkie inclinations and bother less with the impulse to follow those translations so stringently. I might give a glance up during a key interlude when Handel's Clorinda lay dying, when Baptism is offered as the way toward heavenly salvation a watershed moment in a work casting a conflicted eye on the Western European canon. Instead, I'd parse the thrust of Sulayman's deeply considered vision mainly through the sonic and the visual and the gestural. I'd simply give a glance to the program notes for some basic baroque navigation, then let the work wash over me. I'd let that carry me through, as cultures clash and intertwine, as foreign flames engulf both a people and their beliefs, as their sense of self and God threatens, by marauding strangers from faraway lands, to slip through their hands to be scattered to the wind. Vice President Naidu holds talks with Senegalese President, three MoUs inked 03 Jun 2022 | 1:17 AM Dakar/New Delhi, Jun 2 (UNI) Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, who is visiting Senegal, held talks with Senegalese President Macky Sall, during which both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in agriculture, health, defence and railways among other things. see more.. India brushes off criticism over purchase of Russian oil 03 Jun 2022 | 12:36 AM New Delhi, June 2 (UNI) India on Thursday bluntly stated that the issue of purchase of crude oil from Russia is not an India related issue at all as its approach is guided by the nations energy security requirements, similar to that of "many other regions and countries" - pointing to the West. see more.. Looking forward to next round of commanders meeting with China: India 03 Jun 2022 | 12:16 AM New Delhi, June 2 (UNI) India said on Thursday that it is looking forward to the next round of commanders level meeting with the Chinese side at an early date for resolution of the remaining friction points along the LAC. see more.. India and Israel to technologically co-operate with a focus on drones 02 Jun 2022 | 11:34 PM New Delhi, June 2 (UNI) The defence cooperation between India and Israel would be in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Make in India vision and the two countries will collaborate with a focus on drones and defensive capabilities. see more.. Atkins Kroll announced Tuesday in a press release that new senior executives will lead AK into the next phase of its strategic growth plan. Alex Yap will assume the role of president when current president Wendi Herring leaves at the end of the month. Herring has been with the company since January 2021 and was instrumental in launching the companys global strategy into the business. Yap currently is director of retail sales and distribution for Borneo Motors, an Inchcape Company in Singapore. Beginning July 1, he will begin his role as president for Atkins Kroll, overseeing Atkins Kroll Guam and Saipan, as well as Morrico Equipment. He will be based in Guam. I am pleased to welcome Alex to Atkins Kroll, Inchcape Managing Director for Asia Developing Markets Alex Hammett said in the press release. His more than 25 years of automotive experience will be integral to our operations as we continue to our accelerated growth plan in Guam and Micronesia, said Hammett. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Yap currently oversees Toyota, Lexus, and Hino brands in Singapore. Throughout his career, he has managed super luxury brands to include Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, and Jaguar Land Rover. He is a graduate of SIM Global Educations Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, with a bachelor of business administration and holds a master of business administration in international management. He has completed a senior executive program in business management from the London Business School. AK also announced the appointment of Tracy Guerrero to director of operations for Atkins Kroll Guam and Saipan. Tracy is a well-respected businesswoman in our region, said Herring. Her innate knowledge of our industry and profound insights for the communities we serve will be integral to our growing operations. Guerrero was most recently the corporate controller for Triple J Saipan. She also served as the chief financial officer for Northern Marianas College. She has a bachelor of arts in political science from the University of California at Berkeley and a master of business administration from California State University at Hayward. Federal efforts to stop illegal drugs from making their way through Guams borders are far from over. Information that more than 50 pounds of methamphetamine were seized by federal authorities over the past three years became public only recently when once-confidential reports of the outcome of search warrants in multiple cases were unsealed in the District Court of Guam. The majority of the unsealed cases were the result of U.S. Postal Service inspectors intercepting drugs in the mail that were sent to Guam mailing addresses from various locations throughout the U.S. mainland between April 2019 and September 2021. The U.S. attorneys office has yet to prosecute any defendants in connection with these specific findings. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. For a variety of reasons, an investigation does not always result in prosecution, said U.S. Attorney Shawn N. Anderson. Additionally, we can neither confirm nor deny any pending investigations. Our efforts to combat this activity will continue. Any drugs that are seized will eventually be destroyed. There's no indication as to when or how the drugs will be destroyed or if investigators plan to use the drugs as evidence in pending cases. Federal authorities have said the price of a gram of meth in Guam is $150 to $300. That means the street value for the drugs seized in these recently unsealed cases is about $6.9 million. Insights Their number is growing year by year, and it wont be long before they take over the country. Just wait and see what happens then! Did you e Read more Feature: Chinese vaccines help protect Cambodian children against COVID-19 Xinhua) 13:29, May 31, 2022 PHNOM PENH, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Life has returned to normalcy for children in Cambodia as most of them have been vaccinated against COVID-19, and the southeast Asian nation has reported no new cases for more than three weeks. Cambodia has administered COVID-19 vaccines to over 15 million people, or 94 percent of its total population of 16 million, the Health Ministry said, adding that 4.72 million of them, or 29.5 percent, are children aged three to 18 years old. China's Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines have been widely used in the country's immunization program, and Sinovac is the only vaccine used to inoculate children. With high rates of vaccination, children are able to return to school and play outside again after they had been restricted at home for over two years. Speaking to Xinhua while taking her 7-year-old son to play at a public playground in front of Wat Botum pagoda, Ouk Socheata, a market vendor in Phnom Penh, said it's the first time this year that children can go out to enjoy the Children's Day again after they had missed it for the last two years due to the pandemic. "I'm very happy to see daily lives returning to normalcy and children have returned to school, and in free time, I can bring my son to play at public playgrounds or to go to malls again," she said. The 29-year-old mother said, like other children, her son looks fresh after he can go back to school and play outside again. "I can say that daily lives in Cambodia have almost returned to the pre-COVID-19 pandemic era thanks to the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines," she said. Socheata said she and her son had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with China's Sinovac vaccine and that she trusted the quality, safety and efficacy of the vaccine in protecting them from COVID-19. "So far, none of my family members has been infected with COVID-19," she said. Ung Bunheng, a public servant in the southern Kandal province, said his four-year-old daughter has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with Sinovac vaccine. The 30-year-old father said he is very grateful to China for supplying vaccines to Cambodia timely and regularly and to the Cambodian government for providing the jabs to people free of charge. "Chinese vaccines have not only saved our lives, but also helped revive our economy," he said. Bunheng said the Cambodia-China joint COVID-19 fight should be a role model for international cooperation, and he believes that it will inject greater vitality into building a community of a shared future between Cambodia and China. The Health Ministry's Director-General and spokesman Hok Kim Cheng said Chinese vaccines have helped Cambodia achieve strong herd immunity and revive its economy. "Chinese vaccines are essential for Cambodia to save people's lives and stabilize our health system," he told Xinhua. Cambodia has fully resumed its socio-economic activities and reopened its borders to fully vaccinated travelers without quarantine since last November. "The Cambodian government has made the correct decision to choose China as a strategic supplier of COVID-19 vaccines, so that's why Cambodia has enough vaccines for its people," Kin Phea, director-general of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, told Xinhua. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun) Sri Lanka's opposition divided on PM's oversight committees By Duruthu Edirimuni Chandrasekara Colombo, May 30 (UNI) The group of former government ministers of parliament, now functioning independently, will support Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's proposal to appoint oversight committees, to settle the economic crisis. "We support the decision to appoint committees. We will support it." This came after the second televised address to the nation by the newly-appointed Prime Minister on Sunday, saying that he was working to establish two new Committees on Monetary Affairs. The latest school shooting incident has promptedindeed, prompted before the victims had even been buriedthe usual stale anti-gun proposals. Once again, Democrats are pushing for a ban on assault weapons, by which they mean semiautomatic rifles that dont have wooden stocks. My Marlin 60 has a wooden stock, so it is safe from the Democrats. It is a classic semiautomatic rifle that fathers often give their sons as a 15th or 16th birthday present. Never mind that rifles are rarely used to commit murder, ranking well behind knives and bare hands. In 2020, rifles of all kindsnot assault riflesaccounted for less than 3% of homicides. Never mind that assault weapons were banned from 1994 until 2004. The ban expired, unlamented, because it obviously had done no good. But the Democrats say, if at first you dont succeed, make the same futile gesture all over again. Never mind, too, that the homicide rate has risen during the last two years after a long period of decline, as a result of the Black Lives Matter movement, the defund the police movement, and general hostility to law enforcement. Democrats are entirely unconcerned with this increase in homicides, which vastly exceeds the total number of mass shooting victims, because they find political advantage in promoting the myths that have led to the increase. On cue, we also hear the same old nonsense about large capacity magazines. Anti-gunners consider 10 rounds or more to be large capacity, when in fact a 10-round magazine is below average for any handgun other than a carry piece. And, in any event, even a novice gun user can switch out an empty magazine for a full one in two seconds or less. Anyone intending to fire a lot of rounds will equip himself with multiple magazines. Joe Biden came up with a new anti-gun theme when he suggested that 9 mm handguns should be banned: Speaking to reporters outside the White House after returning to Washington from a weekend that included a visit to the site of last weeks mass shooting in Texas, Biden recounted a visit to a trauma hospital in New York, where he said doctors had showed him X-rays of gunshot wounds caused by various firearms. They said a .22-caliber bullet will lodge in the lung, and we can probably get it out may be able to get it and save the life, Biden said. A 9mm bullet blows the lung out of the body. That is an insane claim. So the idea of these high-caliber weapons is, uh, theres simply no rational basis for it in terms of self-protection, hunting, the president went on. 9 mm is a medium-caliber, not a high-caliber, cartridge. Currently more than half of all pistols sold in the U.S. are 9 mm, which is the standard caliber for law enforcement agencies. An attempted ban on 9 mm firearms would undoubtedly be held unconstitutional. Andby the wayI have never heard of anyone hunting with a 9 mm pistol. The Second Amendment is not about hunting. In this sea of futility, San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler stands out. As a protest against the Uvalde school shootings, or something, he is refusing to take the field for the National Anthem. So a maniac commits mass murder, and a sensible response is to be unpatriotic? The logic escapes me. Happily, I guess, Kapler made an exception for Memorial Day and stood for the Anthem. It was big of him. If we really care about protecting school children from deranged killers, there is a simple and practical solution: better security. If every public school in America fired a diversity consultant and hired an armed guard, it would help dramatically. Even more enlightened are the schools that encourage teachers, custodians and others who have carry permits to carry in school. In those schools, would-be murderers have no way to know how many firearms will be present, or where they might be. They will go elsewhere. Beyond the school setting, a corollary measure is to do away with gun-free zones. Mass murderers may be crazy, but they generally arent stupid. They nearly always look for gun-free zones to wreak their mayhem. Strangely, I havent seen Democrats talking about these practical, effective measures. Why not? I guess they sound too much like law enforcement. And if the Democrats werent anti-law enforcement, our homicide rate would not have spiked over the last two years. This is one of those days when the Babylon Bee staff must shrug and wonder why they work so hard, when the real world of the left is working for you for free. A real story: The Mona Lisa was attacked by a cake-throwing eco-warrior in a bizarre stunt that thankfully failed to damage her famous smile. Videos posted on social media appear to show a young man in a wig and lipstick arriving at the Louvre in Paris in a wheelchair Sunday then leaping up and attacking Leonardo da Vincis 16th-century masterpiece. The man, who was not immediately identified, first tried to smash the bulletproof glass, one witness said, according to Agence France-Presse. Think of the Earth, the wig-wearing attacker called out after the attack. There are people who are destroying the Earth. Think about it. Artists tell you: think of the Earth. Thats why I did this, he said, without explaining why it should make da Vincis masterpiece a target. Seems to me all he succeeded in doing was a feeble and derivative attempt to transform the Mona Lisa into an old Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass album cover. If hed only asked, I am sure the NEA would have given him a grant for this performance art, and maybe CFC-free whipped cream. On Monday, Nollywood star Kalu Ikeagwu told an Ikeja High Court that his estranged wife, Ijeoma, allegedly deserted their matrimonial home and prevented him from gaining access to their two children. Mr Ikeagwu, in the suit marked LD/8939HD/2021, is seeking a dissolution of his six-year-old marriage to Ijeoma, a makeup artist. The British-Nigerian actor also seeks full custody of his three-year-old son and ten-year-old step-daughter. The couple, who dated for three months, wedded in 2016 and have two children. The estranged couple met at a movie location in Port-Harcourt in 2005, where Ijeoma was hired to make up the actors. Under cross-examination by the respondents counsel, Mrs S.I. Amedu, the actor, said his wife packed out of his marital home and informed him via email that she was going to her fathers house in Enugu. He, however, said, contrary to her claim, that he later saw her at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport with the children after some days. He said: I got back home from a trip on Aug. 4, 2021, to find out that my wife had left our marital home with the children to an undisclosed location. I tried to contact her when I got to the house and found it empty. I sent her an email on that same day, and she replied that she had gone to her fathers house in Enugu. She told me she was at her fathers place in Enugu, and four days later, I saw her at the airport in Lagos, heading to God knows where. In the mail she sent, she said she was in Enugu. Mr Ikeagwu also debunked tales that he sent his wife and kids out of the house and failed take care of their upkeep. I did not send her out of the house. Someone has to tell me why it takes four days to get to Enugu. If you say you are on your way, it is a continuous sentence. It was a stated fact that she was on her way, he said. More allegations The actor further told the court that his wife denied him sex and poured water on him while he was asleep. The petitioner also said he was not aware that his wife lost a pregnancy due to a Sexually Transmitted Infection while they were together. After the birth of our son, she has refused to have sex with me. I was not aware she lost the pregnancy due to an infection as I did not give her any disease. To date, I have not seen any report attached to a document that she lost a baby through STD. Though I did not ask her why she lost the baby, he said. Mr Ikeagwu said he stopped sending money to the children for upkeep and maintenance because his wife denied him being the father to his stepdaughter. He added that this was after she accused him of attempting to sleep with the child and failed to acknowledge the money he sent to her. The last time I sent money to them was in November 2021. I stopped sending money because my wife denied me being a father to my step-daughter, and she also accused me of wanting to sleep with her, the actor said. On why he was seeking custody of his stepdaughter, whom he had earlier sought for revocation of guardianship, the actor said he had information that his wife wanted to relocate the children. I want custody of the two children. The reason I sought revocation was that my wife had turned my stepdaughter against me, and at that point, I got a hint that she wanted to fly the children abroad. I have never been married to any woman before I married my wife. I married her after she had her daughter. I earlier said the issue of revocation was because I felt she wanted to use me. My Lord, look at the precedence of how I have treated the girl from the very beginning. I am an actor by profession, and I travel to locations within and outside Nigeria in which I can spend five days to one month. At the moment, it may be difficult, but I am thinking about the future when I remarry and get a stable wife, Mr Ikeagwu said. Judges instruction Earlier, Justice Christopher Balogun asked the children to play with their father in court and asked the respondent to present the receipts of his childrens tuition fees in court. Justice Balogun said: According to the Childs Right Act, you can not deny the children the best education even if youre quarrelling with your wife. If I should, as a judgment, grant you a divorce, and if your wife is in Enugu and you stay in Lagos, why should I give the custody of a 10-year-old girl to you while her mother is alive? The Supreme Court ruled that it is not the wealth of a father that the children of that age need; they need the care and attention of their biological mother. The only reason the girl child should not be in the mothers custody is if the mother is mentally derailed or the issue of infidelity is involved. Assuming the girl starts her monthly period, you as a father do not know what to do. You will be scared of the blood. A female girl is delicate. Your case is worse because an accusation has been levelled against you, he said. The judge adjourned the case until June 23 to continue the hearing. WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 Nsini Christina was 27, an age when women in Nigeria usually come under sustained societal pressure to get married. But this was not her priority at the time. After twice failing the Joint Admissions Matriculation Board exams, gaining admission into a university was top of her mind. On her third try, she was eventually accepted into the University of Calabar in Southern Nigeria. This ecstatic moment was short-lived however as the Academic Staff Union of Universities embarked on a five-month strike. This made her consider a marriage proposal from her now-former husband. After he agreed to allow her to continue her education when her school resumed, they got married in July 2000 and moved to Kubwa in Abuja, Nigerias capital. Turbulent marriage A few months into the marriage, a lady told Ms Christina that the latters husband had physically assaulted her. When he returned home, I told him about the matter and I asked him if he beats women. He told me to forget it, that he would never beat me, Ms Christina narrated in a phone interview with PREMIUM TIMES. She dismissed the matter from her mind but later realised she shouldnt have. In 2001, he began to beat her. Shocked by the unexpected behaviour, she reported him to her pastor, expecting the pastor to pray and cast out the demon in her husband. But the pastor instead advised her to return to her parents house, warning that the abuse would continue. It did, but she stayed with the hope that he would change. This was the best intervention the church could provide for her because it lacked resources or guidelines to help members in such relationships. I started fasting and doing midnight prayers while laying hands on his properties. Sometimes while cooking and I add salt, I will say as this salt is going to give taste to this food, my marriage will be tasteful. I was making declarations thinking things would change but they never did, Ms Christina narrated. She did not inform her parents of the beatings because she thought it was something she could handle. Her parents had never needed external help to resolve any differences they might have had, she thought. Unfortunately for Ms Christina, the beatings continued. On a Sunday afternoon in January 2006, after finishing her duties as a worker in the counselling unit of her new church, Dunamis International in Kubwa, Ms Christina returned home. An argument between them soon led to her husband beating her again. Despite suffering a dislocated wrist, she wanted to keep the assault to herself but for her sister who witnessed and reported it to the church. With the help of her church, she was treated and given some money to return to her parents. She stayed there for three months but returned home following repeated apologies from her husband. Ms Christina is one of the millions of women worldwide who suffer from intimate partner violence. A 2021 report by the World Health Organisation estimated that 736 million womenone out of three women worldwide have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their lives. According to the report, intimate partner violence perpetrated by spouses or partners affects more than 640 million women aged 15 and older. Many of those women, like Ms Christina, for different reasons, choose to remain with their abusive partners. But Ms Christina says she has learnt her lesson. Now, I see it as foolishness but then I wanted him to see it as a sacrifice and for him to treat me better, the 47-year-old survivor said. He resumed his habit in 2008 and continued whenever there was a quarrel. The journey to the end In 2012, push came to shove when her husband joined a cultural fraternityOgboni and insisted that she and the children join him in it, to complete the cycle, an activity she thought was part of his initiation rite. For Ms Christina, this was an absolute no because he had boasted severally about an imminent breakthrough and she was unsure how he intended to achieve it. According to a leader of the Reformed Ogboni Fraternity, Francis Meshioye, in 2019, the group was created to promote positive values, justice and cultural heritage. This was corroborated by two scholars who gave an extensive insight into the fraternity. While they noted that the secret society does not use violence, they however said their initiation rituals would involve some mystical elements, as portrayed in Ms Christinas narration when her former husband indicated an interest in joining the group. The academicians disclosed that members of the fraternity are sworn to secrecy, which is why people are afraid of the group. They further revealed that membership in the cult is for networking and improving ones financial position or power. On March 31, 2012, Ms Christinas husband returned home drunk at about 11 p.m, picked up some items, and left the house. He returned at 3 a.m. and demanded sex from her, but she refused. That was how the beating started again. He kept saying I will kill you and bury you and no one will question me. I called for help but nobody responded, she recounted, corroborating a previous interview with Vanguard. He left her to get his sword which he used to strike her back, hand and leg while aiming for her neck. She slumped and pretended to gasp for her last breath, then laid still. He fled from the house, thinking she was already dead. Writhing in pain, she dragged herself from a pool of her blood, jumped through a window and limped to her neighbours house. They tried getting a vehicle to convey her to the hospital but none was available as it was 4:30 a.m. Another neighbour on her street took her in his car to a clinic. She got admitted after approval from the Divisional Police Officer in the area. After the police had detained her husband for a week, she asked for him to be released because she could not pursue the case and was relocating to her parents house. Although she asked for the case to be withdrawn, the police can decide to continue it, a human rights lawyer, Peter Kefas, told PREMIUM TIMES. It is no longer at the prerogative of the survivor once it is established that the violence took place. It is a crime now and a crime against the state, Mr Kefas said. He, however, said the police were wrong to release the accused but added that the survivor can still pursue the case whenever she is ready. Raped by a family friend While Ms Christina experienced domestic violence, Priye Diri was nearly raped by a close family friend. In 2017, Ms Diri left Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for Lagos State to search for a job. The family friend invited her to stay with him until her life picked up. One day after she had gone to bed early, the family friend entered her room at 1 a.m. and started to touch her. She screamed for help as she struggled to break free from him. But the more she struggled, the more emboldened he became. She was eventually rescued by a mutual friend in the house who rushed into the room and pushed the abuser away from her. That day, I cried profusely because I kept asking myself if there is something on my head that says rape her because I had just come out of an experience where I was sexually violated, she said. Data from the 2018 Demographic Health Survey extracted by Dataphyte indicates that more than 17 million Nigerian women have experienced sexual violence. Intimate partner violence in Nigeria (2013-2018) Rising above trauma While finding her feet as a single mother, a friend linked Ms Christina with Josephine Effah-Chukwuma, the Executive Director of Project Alert, a non-governmental organisation helping women dealing with gender-based violence. Ms Effah-Chukwuma offered her a job in July 2012 to work as the administrator of the first-ever GBV shelter in Nigeria. This shelter, called Sophias place, located in a suburb of Lagos (the exact location can not be made public for the safety of the women survivors), has housed over 1000 individual women, girls and children since it started operating in 2001. It can accommodate eight families at a time. As the administrator, Ms Christina uses her experiences to encourage women facing similar predicaments to speak out. I use my story to show them that they are not alone in what they are going through, that they too can overcome, and to serve as a source of support, she said. Apart from providing GBV survivors with a safe space, the NGO has over the years introduced several programmes to fight the prevalence of GBV in Nigeria, such as involving community-based organisations and selected residents to serve as first responders to tackle the menace in the state. I tell the women the road is not rosy but it is about determination and the peace that comes, knowing that you can go to sleep and wake up every day without being afraid of being assaulted, she said. Like Ms Christina, Ms Diri also got help. But this time, from Dorothy Njemanze, an Abuja-based gender advocate whom she had earlier met while working on a short film on sexual violence. Ms Diri now works as the Programme Manager of Dorothy Njemanze Foundation which has a 24- hour response service to rescue survivors and also operates a shelter for GBV survivors in Abuja. Before it was established, survivors were housed in hotels which the organisation paid for with the support of external donors. The shelter was eventually set up with the help of the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), which funded its construction and has been providing support. The shelter was established in August 2020, following increased GBV cases during the COVID-19 lockdown in Nigeria. It has been a safety net for 193 women, girls and children. These two shelters are part of 21 recognised public and privately run GBV shelters in Nigeria, according to a recent publication released on March 8 2022 by Invictus Africa in partnership with OSIWA and some Nigerian government agencies. To find healing, Ms Diri encourages the women and girls not to lose hope but to forge a new path beyond their plight. She said working as a filmmaker has helped her find healing. Some days, you will smile and some days might remind you of your abusers perfume or even the smell of a place might trigger your trauma. But you will live through all this, be happy and find yourself again, Ms Diri said. Alert signals to help survivors These women have deployed some offline and online channels to create awareness, protect and create alert signals to rescue molested women and girls. A donation of 50 pieces of lip balm with inscribed helplines of Project Alert on the surface, was once made to the NGO which they shared with abused women and girls during one of their programmes. The lip balm inscription served as a decoy that abused women could use to contact the NGO without the abuser knowing. Because it is a feminine item, the abuser may not know that there is a phone number on it which you dont have to store on your phone or write somewhere. It was effective because we had a lot of calls at that time, she said. After the initial distribution, the organisation could not continue because it lacked the resources to sustain it. Dorothy Njemanze Foundation, where Ms Diri works, introduced an e-escape route on their website in 2020. At the top left corner of the website, a white on blue inscription reads you can leave this site quickly. Click on the button to escape. When a user clicks on the button, it directs them away from the website to Googles home page. This feature was introduced to prevent abused women and girls from being caught by their abusers while reporting a case to the foundation. Persons who lack access to smartphones or the internet to use this feature are encouraged to report cases to churches, local organisations, and radio stations who will then refer the same to the Foundation. Another GBV reporting and rescue mechanism is the Kasala mobile application designed by the Rector Group of Companies. The application is used for reporting emergencies and security breaches, which include incidents of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. Stand to End Rape Initiative (STER), an NGO that provides a preventive mechanism and supports survivors with psychological and legal services, partnered with the creator of the app in August 2020 to provide support services to survivors and persons in danger. To contact the NGO, the homepage of the app contains a Speak with someone feature that enables users to seek help by reporting a case either through forms or direct calls to the organisation in the case of an emergency. Ayodeji Osowobi, the Executive Director of STER and a survivor of sexual violence, explained that their operations are 24/7 and the response is in real-time, depending on the location of the rescue team of security officials available in Lagos and the eastern part of Nigeria, while they work on penetrating the northern region. When the person alerts us, we get their contact information and call them. We work with the police on such reports, and provide the survivors with mental health support, legal advice and representation, Ms Osowobi told PREMIUM TIMES. In addition to STERs response, the app provides features of notifying registered emergency contacts, live streaming, GPS tracking, a timer and simulating fake phone calls as a guise to leave a threatening situation. The downside to the app is that it does not function without the internet, excluding persons without smartphones who live in high-risk areas. How paucity of funds, COVID-19 hamper the rescue operation Ms Christina and Ms Diris experiences occurred before the emergence of COVID-19, but in their varying capacities at the organisations they work, they are overwhelmed with the effects of increased GBV cases during and after the pandemic. For Ms Njemanze told PREMIUM TIMES that before the pandemic, the organisation received an average of six to 10 GBV cases weekly but during the lockdown period in 2020, they recorded 574 cases of abuse. This increase was corroborated by the countrys National Agency for the Prohibition of Tracking in Persons and Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Team who said they got a 50 per cent rise in daily reported cases. A survey done between April to September 2021, among 13 countries conducted by the United Nations Women, looked at the proportion of women who reported ever having experienced violence or knowing another woman who experienced it, since the pandemic. Nigeria ranked first with 1,482 female respondents. UN Women survey on Gender-based violence in Nigeria cases against women between March and April 2020 Though the number of reported cases at Dorothy Njemanze Foundation has now reduced to the previous situation, their shelter still accommodates more persons than its intended capacity, causing a strain on their operations, particularly their finances. Originally, the shelter is meant to take care of 13 people at the most for three months, as they help them navigate their next steps. But they currently have 19 people while some have stayed for over a year as they struggle to be reintegrated into the society. Similarly, at Project Alert, Ms Christina, the shelter administrator, said the NGO can afford to feed survivors on an occasional basis when sponsored by donors. Impact on rescued survivors After the incident, Ms Diri placed a call to Ms Njemanze to rescue her. Ms Njemanze booked a hotel room for her to recover for a few days before she relocated to work with the Foundation in Abuja. A similar response is given to all women and girls who reported their cases to the NGO. First, the survivors are rescued and housed at the shelter, then depending on the nature of the case, they follow up with security agencies or the hospital. Through the support of Action Aid, an international donor, some of the women have undergone some business training while some are taught skills based on their economic interests, to make them independent from their abusers and self-sufficient. After leaving the shelters, some survivors refer cases to the foundation. It feels like we have soldiers littered around, Ms Diri said with a wide smile. Some of the rescued women and girls also serve as volunteers in the foundation. One of them is Sade Ajayi, (real name withheld to protect her identity) who was raped twice in 2017 and during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. The second incident got her pregnant and she was referred to the foundation for care and protection from her parents vicious union. Now 19 and with a two-year-old daughter, Ms Ajayi decided to volunteer when she noticed her story can help teenagers with similar experiences to speak out during advocacy. I understand how they feel and I am fulfilled doing what I do, she said.. Likewise, survivors helped by Ms Osowobi also work as volunteers and donate to the organisation. They are now part of our system, which is the biggest testament to the quality and impact of our work. It is like a sisterhood that we are building and that makes me excited, she said. These female survivors shared their stories to encourage abused women and girls to speak out and leave their abusive experiences. They want them to know that they can be free and can venture into new paths beyond their situations. This article was produced as part of the WA GBV Reporting Fellowship with support from the Africa Womens Journalism Project (AWJP) in partnership with the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and through the support of the Ford Foundation. WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 Gazprom, the Russian energy major, announced Tuesday it has halted natural gas supply to the Netherlands. It said the development came after the gas trader GasTerra, the Dutch company, failed to pay for gas supplied in April and refused to pay in roubles. Gazprom completely suspends gas supplies to Netherlands GasTerra B.V. due to failure to pay in roubles, the Russian energy major said in a statement on Tuesday. Gazprom had earlier demanded that European countries pay for Russian gas supplies in roubles because of sanctions imposed over Moscows invasion of Ukraine. In mid-March, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that in future he would only sell Russian gas to unfriendly states in exchange for roubles. Mr Putin justified his rouble initiative with the fact that in violation of the norms of international law, the foreign exchange reserves of the Bank of Russia were frozen by the member states of the European Union (EU). The group of G7 economic powers and the European Union as a whole have rejected payments in roubles and accused Russia of breach of contract. As of the end of the working day on May 30, Gazprom Export did not yet receive a payment from GasTerra B.V. for the gas supplied in April, which was to be made in compliance with the Russian Presidents Decree No. 172 dated March 31, 2022. Payments for gas supplied since April 1 must be made in rubles via new account details, of which the counterparties were duly informed, Gazprom said in the statement. On Monday the Dutch company GasTerra announced it will not go along with Gazproms payment demands. Dutch gas trader GasTerra has decided not to comply with Gazproms one-sided payment requirements. These payment requirements are set out in a decree passed by Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding payment for the supply of Russian gas, it said in a statement. The Dutch company said in a decree issued on March 31, that Russian President Putin stated that, from now on, Russian gas would have to be paid for in rubles. This means that anyone wanting to buy gas would have to open both a euro and a roubles account with Gazprombank in Moscow. GasTerra will not go along with Gazproms payment demands. This is because to do so would risk breaching sanctions imposed by the EU and also because there are too many financial and operational risks associated with the required payment route. In particular, opening accounts in Moscow under Russian law and their control by the Russian regime pose too great a risk for the Groningen company. The cessation of supply by Gazprom means that between now and 1 October 2022, the date on which the contract ends, approximately 2 billion m3 of contracted gas will not be delivered. GasTerra has anticipated this by buying gas from other providers. GasTerra has repeatedly urged Gazprom to respect the contractually agreed payment structure and supply obligations, but to no avail, it said. In response to GasTerras decision, Gazprom declared to discontinue supply with effect from May 31. In April, Russia cut gas deliveries to Bulgaria and Poland and in May, Finland was cut off also. WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 Twelve presidential aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were on Monday screened by the partys Screening Committee led by former National Chairman, John Oyegun. The screening exercise is scheduled for two days, Monday and Tuesday, at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja. The National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Adamu, had earlier inaugurated the committee. Following the inauguration, the panel screened the aspirants one after the other. Those screened so far are; former Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajuiba; Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State, Felix Nicholas; a U.S.-based pastor, former Governor of Ogun state, Ibikunle Amosun; Governor Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa State, a serving senator, Ajayi Borroffice, former Senate President Ken Nnamani. Others are; Uju Ken-Ohaneye, former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; former governor of Zamfara State, Sani Yerima; former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu and Tunde Bakare, a cleric. Mr Tinubu, who is facing a petition over his education qualification, arrived at the venue with the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Chiarman House Committee on Finance, James Faleke and others. In a video posted on social media, Mr Tinubu explained how his government invested in ECONET, a mobile telecommunication company now known as Airtel. He promised to establish commodity exchange board and fix the power sector. Speaking to journalists after his screening, Mr Bakare said he will respect the decision of ther party if asked to step down. The party supremacy is the utmost essence. You cannot force your way through a partys structure. The party has the final say. And when we get to that bridge, we will know how to cross it, Mr Bakare said. Ms Ken-Ohaneye, the only female aspirant, also said she will respect the decision of the party if asked to step down. I want you to know that we are a family politically, and if I am asked by the party to step down, I will not challenge the party because like they say charity begins at home, she said. The committee will resume the screening on Tuesday. Those to be screened on Tuesday are, governor of Cross Rivers State, Ben Ayade, Senate President, Ahmed Lawan; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, Tein Jack-Rich, former Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu; former Minister of Information, Ikeobasi Mokelu; former Speaker of House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole; Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi; former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, odswill Akpabio and former governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha. It is not clear if Mr Okorocha will appear as he is in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over corruption All cleared aspirants are to battle for the ticket of the party on June 6. The eventual winner will face former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other candidates. WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, admitted a former governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, to bail. Mr Okorocha and his co-defendant, Anyim Nyerere, on Monday, pleaded not guilty to allegations of stealing N2.9 billion public funds while the former was in office. Subsequently, the defendants filed their separate bail requests. Mr Okorochas lawyer, Solomon Umoh, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), while arguing the bail application, begged the judge, Inyang Ekwo, to admit his client to bail on liberal terms. He contended that it was within Mr Okorochas constitutional right to be granted based on the doctrine of presumption of innocence. The (bail) applicant (Mr Okorocha) has been a man known in this society, therefore , the procesecutions (EFCC) contention that he could not be served with the charge is not true as he could have been served through subbstituted means, Mr Umoh told the judge. The defence lawyer asked the judge to admit Mr Okorocha to bail on self-recognisance. We beg the court that the applicant be admitted to bail on liberal terms. Similarly, Mr Nyerere through his lawyer, Oba Maduabuchi, asked the court to admit him to bail based on the earlier administrative bail granted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). There is no day that he (Mr Nyerere) was requested to come to court that he did not come, Mr Maduabuchi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), told the court. EFCC opposes bail But the EFCC opposed the Messrs Okorocha and Nyereres bail requests. The lawyer to the anti-graft agency, O.C Ugwu, while opposing the defendants bail applications, chronicled how Mr Okorocha evaded service of court documents. On two consecutive occasions, the 1st defendant (Mr Okorocha) frustrated his arraignment by refusing to appear in court, the prosecuting lawyer told the judge. Mr Ugwu argued that Mr Nyerere will jeopardise the criminal administration system if granted bail. He will tamper with evidence and compromise witnesses because he is directly linked to the alleged crimes, he contended. Ruling But in a ruling, the judge admitted Mr Okorocha to a N500 million bail. Mr Ekwo said bail is at the discretion of the court. The judge further noted that the constitution provides for the defendant to be given adequate time to defend himself. While granting Mr Okorocha bail, the judge imposed a N500 million bail bond with one surety in a likesome who must be within the jurisdiction of this court. Mr Ekwo directed the Federal High Court registry to verify the documents of property to be presented as bail bond. He also ordered Mr Okorocha to deposit his international passport with the court registry. Mr Okorocha will remain in the custody of the EFCC pending his compliance with the bail conditions. The judge admitted Mr Nyerere to the earlier administrative bail that was granted to him by the EFCC. Subsequently, the Mr Ekwo adjourned the suit until November 7, for commencement of trial. Background The EFCC had, in January, filed a 17-count charge against Mr Okorocha over allegations of cornering N2.9 billion public funds while in office. But attempts to get the former Imo State governor stand trial were futile until the anti-corruption agency raided Mr Okorochas Abuja residence. Mr Okorocha, who is a presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was last Tuesday arrested after a six-hour siege to his home in Abuja. He has since been held by the EFCC from where he was brought to court on Monday and Tuesday for trial. Mr Okorocha, 59, was a two-term governor of Imo State, serving from 2011 to 2019 when he lost an intense political battle to install his son-in-law and Chief of Staff, Uche Nwosu, as a successor. He, however, succeeded in winning the Imo West senatorial election for himself as a candidate of the APC. His co-accused, Mr Nyerere, open-source searches show, was the APC governorship candidate in the 2015 Abia State election and currently serves as a commissioner at the National Pension Commission. Mr Nyerere features in all the 17 charges and is accused of conspiring with Mr Okorocha to steal and launder N2.9 billion belonging to Imo State and local government areas in the state in contravention of the Money Laundering Act 2011. As Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) searches by PREMIUM TIMES showed, he owns or controls three of the charged companies, namely Consolid, Pramif, and Legend World, all registered in Abuja. According to the EFCC charges, the stolen funds were diverted between October 2014 and February 2016 from the Imo State Government House account and Imo State Joint Local Government Project account. Timeline of the alleged diversions: 1. February 11, 2014: N67,500,000 conspiracy between Mr Okorocha, Mr Nyerere, and Perfect Finish Multi Projects Limited 2. August 28, 2014: N486,000,000 conspiracy between Mr Okorocha, Mr Nyerere, and Perfect Finish Multi Projects Limited. 3. October 14, 2014: N900,000,000 conspiracy between Mr Okorocha, Mr Nyerere, and Naphtali International Limited 4. August 4, 2015: N279,000,000 conspiracy between Mr Okorocha, Mr Nyerere, and Naphtali International Limited 5. February 10, 2016: N243,000,000 conspiracy between Mr Okorocha, Mr Nyerere, and Consolid Projects Consulting Limited 6. February 10, 2016: N200,000,000 conspiracy between Mr Okorocha, Mr Nyerere, and Consolid Projects Consulting Limited 7. February 10, 2016: N243,000,000 conspiracy between Mr Okorocha, Mr Nyerere, and Pramif International Limited 8. February 11, 2016: N243,000,000 conspiracy between Mr Okorocha, Mr Nyerere, and Perfect Finish Multi Projects Limited 9. February 12, 2016: 243,000,000 conspiracy between Mr Okorocha, Mr Nyerere, and Legend World Concepts Limited. WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 President Muhammadu Buhari is currently meeting with governors of states controlled by the All Progressives Congress (APC). The meeting is holding at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. All the APC governors except that of Kaduna are believed to be at the meeting. The Kaduna governor, Nasir El-Rufai, is being represented by his deputy. Also at the meeting is the APC national chairman, Abdullahi Adamu. The meeting is being held a few days before the presidential primaries of the APC scheduled for June 6 to 8. Details later WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has attributed his failure to clinch the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during Saturdays primaries to gang up from northern governors and betrayal from southern governors. I contested in an election (primary) based on the principle and agreement with all Southern governors and leaders of the South that presidency should go to the South this period, Mr Wike said on Monday at a ceremony organised in Port Harcourt to welcome him back from Abuja. Mr Wike was speaking for the first time after losing the party primary to former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar. We have done our part. We never betrayed anybody because it is not in our blood to betray. But it is a shame to those people, some of the governors from the South they are the people that were used to sabotage our course. Political analysts believe Mr Wike could probably have scored more votes if not for the last-minute withdrawal of Mr Tambuwal, from the primary. Mr Tambuwal, after withdrawing from the race, asked delegates who were on his side to vote for Mr Abubakar. In a video that captured his visit to the Sokoto governor, the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, could be heard hailing Mr Tambuwal as hero of the convention. Mr Abubakar, 75, polled 371 votes to clinch the party presidential ticket, while Governor Wike came second with 237 votes. Bukola Saraki, a former president of the Nigerian Senate, came third with 70 votes, while Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, came fourth with 38 votes. Not second-class citizen For those accused of betrayal, Mr Wike has a message for them: You will continue to be perpetual slaves. And for his people back home, the governor said, Rivers people, you dont need to bother yourselves. PDP needs us. If they say they dont need us, they should wait. Speaking amidst cheers from party supporters, Governor Wike said he had used the PDP primary to send a message to Nigeria. They underrated us, but now, they will not underrate us again, the governor said. We have all it takes to do whatever we want to do. It is a matter of you being firm. It is a matter of you being hopeful. There is nobody that is born greater than us in this country; therefore, we cannot answer second-class citizens. We cant. We just used this one to tell them that enough is enough. We made them not to sleep. We made them not to eat. We made all of them from wherever they said they come from to know that there is somebody who can take them on. This country does not belong to one particular zone. If people are afraid of talking, it is their business. I cannot be a second-class citizen in my country. Mr Wike, despite his remarks, has declared support for Mr Abubakar and the PDP for the 2023 general elections. WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 On Sunday, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu, described the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, as the hero of the partys presidential convention where on Saturday a former vice-president, Atiku Abubakar, was elected the partys presidential candidate for the 2023 general elections. Mr Ayu was referring to the stepping down of Mr Tambuwal for Atiku shortly before voting started, a development observer said decisively swung the contest and saved the party the tension of a close race and possible deadlock. However, PREMIUM TIMES has now obtained new information on Mr Tambuwals actions shortly before he withdrew from the race. Our findings indicate that Mr Ayu was one of three persons the governor consulted on the convention ground before he made the announcement. The governor had, like other aspirants, taken his five minutes slot to address delegates during which he appealed to them to vote for him. But after the last aspirant spoke, Mr Tambuwal suddenly rose from his seat, called a former governor from the north-central, and calmly walked with him to one of the northern aspirants, Bala Mohammed, to inform the Bauchi governor that he had come to a decision to step down for Atiku. According to a party official who attended the convention, a bewildered Mr Mohammed, apparently shocked, stared at his colleague governor and his witness for a moment, before regaining his composure to demand from Mr Tambuwal the reason for the last-minute decision. According to the source, Mr Mohammed tried to dissuade the Sokoto governor but the latter told him that his mind was made up and that there was no going back. After the exchange, Mr Tambuwal walked to where former Kwara Governor, Bukola Saraki, was seated and gave him the same message. A witness said Mr Sarakis countenance also changed in surprise, before he later responded by claiming that the two of them had agreed between themselves to step down only for each other, meaning that the Sokoto governor should rather withdraw for him (Mr Saraki). But Tambuwal responded by saying there was no such agreement and that he had considered all factors and made up his mind to shelve his own ambition and throw his weight behind Atiku, our source said. Immediately after his conversation with Mr Saraki, Mr Tambuwal immediately dashed to where Mr Ayu was seated, a witness said. He then told the party chairman he was quitting and that he had put his two other colleagues (Messrs Saraki and Mohammed) on notice. Mr Ayu reportedly sighed in relief and patted Mr Tambuwal on the back. The Chairperson of the partys convention committee was then notified that the Sokoto governor had an important message to deliver to delegates before the commencement of voting. The governor then returned to the stage to announce his withdrawal from the race, saying he was doing so as a patriotic duty to his party and country. Before his sudden withdrawal from the contest, Mr Tambuwal was said to believe he had support from a majority of party leaders and delegates in six of the seven North-West states (Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Jigawa, Katsina and Kaduna) as well as from Imo, Taraba, Anambra, Nasarawa, Kogi, Ondo and Benue and therefore in pole position to win the primary with sprinkles of votes from other states of the federation. The North-West had the largest number of delegates (193) and Mr Tambuwal banked on this in considering himself one of the frontrunners until he asked delegates to switch their votes to Atiku. With the Sokoto governors last-minute support for his candidature, Atiku overwhelmed Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike (371 votes to 237 votes) to clinch the partys presidential ticket. Mr Wike later said Mr Tambuwals withdrawal and speech to delegates as voting was about to begin violated the conventions procedures and guidelines. I have never seen how people can violate procedures and guidelines, the Rivers State governor said. Somebody had spoken, it is only at that point he was speaking that he can say I have withdrawn. You dont call him back. I just decided that this our party must not be destroyed. I would have left where I was sitting down and say this convention cannot go ahead except you allow me to talk. I would have flattened him. WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 President Muhammadu Buhari has charged governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to ensure that the forthcoming convention to pick a presidential candidate reflects all the values and virtues of the party. He also said the candidate to be selected has to be one who would give the Nigerian masses a sense of victory and confidence even before the elections. Femi Adesina, the presidents spokesman, in a statement on Tuesday, said the president gave the charge at a meeting with 22 Governors elected on the platform of the APC and the National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Adamu, at the State House, Abuja. The APC will hold its convention to pick its presidential candidate in Abuja between June 6 and 8. Mr Buhari told the governors to ensure internal cohesion so as to achieve bigger electoral fortunes come 2023. The processes for the 2023 General Elections have commenced in earnest and I note that the most successful political parties globally have always relied on their internal cohesion and a strong leadership brand to achieve bigger electoral fortunes. Our party, the APC, shall not be any different, more so as we are still implementing the blueprint for a more prosperous nation. As I begin the final year of my second term as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and leader of the party, I recognize the compelling need for me to provide stronger leadership to the party under this transition process and to ensure that it happens in an orderly manner. Such leadership is required so that the party remains strong and united. It is also needed to improve our electoral fortunes by ensuring that it retains power at the centre, hold the great majority in various legislative chambers and also gains an additional number of states. In a few days, the party will be holding its Convention during which primaries would take place to pick the Presidential Flag Bearer for the 2023 General Elections. This is a very significant process and its outcome should prove to the world the positive quality of the APC regarding democratic principles, culture as well as leadership, Mr Buhari said. The president appealed to all the governors to allow our interests to converge, our focus to remain on the changing dynamics of our environment, the expectations of our citizens and the global community. Our objective must be the victory of our party and our choice of candidate must be someone who would give the Nigerian masses a sense of victory and confidence even before the elections. Mr Buhari assured that the consultation process would continue, to ensure that all aspirants and stakeholders would be brought on board right through to the convention. According to him, this will also ensure that any anxiety occasioned by different factors is effectively brought under control and that the party (APC) emerges stronger. Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, and Chairman of Progressive Governors Forum, said the party must build on the successes of its recent elective convention, and the primaries conducted so far. He said the party must come up with a candidate who would walk in the footsteps of patriotism and love for the country, which the president had shown. We will support Mr President to have a very successful convention, he pledged. The aspirants Altogether, 23 aspirants are currently jostling for the ticket of the ruling party. The aspirants are former Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajuiba, Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State, Felix Nicholas, a US-based pastor, former Governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun; Governor Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa State, a serving senator, Ajayi Borroffice, and former Senate President Ken Nnamani. Others are; Uju Ken-Ohaneye, former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; former governor of Zamfara State, Sani Yerima, former governor of Lagos state, Bola Tinubu and a popular pastor, Tunde Bakare. Governor of Cross Rivers State, Ben Ayade, Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, a business mogul, Tein Jack-Rich, former Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, former Minister of Information, Ikeobasi Mokelu, former Speaker of House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi, former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio and former governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha. A committee set up by the party and chaired by its former National Chairman, John Oyegun, is currently screening the aspirants in Abuja. It is not clear, however, if Mr Okorocha will appear before the panel as he is in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over corruption (NAN) WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 President Muhammadu Buhari has told governors of his party, APC, that he would want to pick his successor and needs the governors to support him to do so. Mr Buhari said this Tuesday at a meeting with governors elected on the APC platform at the State House, Abuja. In keeping with the established internal policies of the Party and as we approach the Convention in a few days, therefore, I wish to solicit the reciprocity and support of the Governors and other stakeholders in picking my successor, who would fly the flag of our party for election into the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2023, the president said at the meeting which was also attended by the APC National Chairman, Abdulahi Adamu. Mr Buhari told the governors that he realises the compelling need for him to provide stronger leadership to the party under this transition process. The stronger leadership, Mr Buhari said, is not only to ensure that APCs electoral fortunes improve but also to ensure that the party retains power at the centre by winning the presidential election. Mr Buhari told the governors that he realises the compelling need for him to provide stronger leadership to the party under this transition process. The stronger leadership, Mr Buhari said, is not only to ensure that APCs electoral fortunes improve but also to ensure that the party retains power at the centre by winning the presidential election. The APC holds its presidential primary from June 6 to 8. At the meeting with the governors, Mr Buhari also stated the factors he would consider in supporting a presidential candidate among the 23 persons seeking to fly the APC flag. Our objective must be the victory of our party and our choice of candidate must be someone who would give the Nigerian masses a sense of victory and confidence even before the elections, he said. The president left for Spain after the meeting with the governors, who later convened another meeting to deliberate on the request by Mr Buhari. PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the initial meeting by the governors failed to yield any outcome as they bickered over the region the candidate should emerge from. The governors are to resume that meeting by 8pm. Out of the 23 aspirants in the race, five of them are governors. They are Governor Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River and Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State. There are others who are not governor but popular. There is the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, the Immediate past Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi. There have been speculations that the president may decide to pick one of the aspirants as he did during the election of the National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Adamu. The endorsement of Mr Adamu forced the other aspirants to step down some hours to the convention. However, in the race, the president may have to consider power shift to the south as repeatedly canvassed by the Southern Governors Forum. The PDP has already concluded its primary election. The exercise produced the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who is from Adamawa State, North-east Nigeria as the partys presidential candidate. WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 Governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are currently in a closed-door meeting in Abuja. The governors are believed to be discussing President Muhammadu Buharis message to them earlier on Tuesday that he wants to pick his successor. PREMIUM TIMES learnt from two of the attendees that the governors meeting was still on at about 5:00 p.m. Mr Buhari had at a Tuesday afternoon meeting told the APC governors that they should support him in picking the partys presidential candidate. In keeping with the established internal policies of the Party and as we approach the Convention in a few days, therefore, I wish to solicit the reciprocity and support of the Governors and other stakeholders in picking my successor, who would fly the flag of our party for election into the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2023, Mr Buhari said. At the meeting with the governors, Mr Buhari also stated the factors he would consider in supporting a presidential candidate among the 25 persons seeking to fly the APC flag. Our objective must be the victory of our party and our choice of candidate must be someone who would give the Nigerian masses a sense of victory and confidence even before the elections, he said. The president left for Spain immediately after the meeting, presidential sources told PREMIUM TIMES; thus leaving the governors to discuss his message. PREMIUM TIMES will bring details of the APC governors meeting in subsequent reports. WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 In what appears the diminishing of President Muhammadu Buharis influence within his ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), many of his loyalists, aides, and relatives were beaten in primaries to elect the partys candidates in the next years general elections. While some of them contested to be the partys candidates in elective positions during the general elections, others sought to be re-elected as the partys representatives for positions they currently occupy. Below is the list of Buharis associates and relatives who were defeated during the APC primary elections. Shaaban Sharada Shaaban Sharada is the former Personal Assistant broadcast media to President Buhari. He is also the chairman House Committee on Internal Security. He is believed to be one of Mr Buharis closest allies from Kano. He has been a staunch supporter of Mr Buhari since his days in the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and one of the founding members of the Congress of Progressive Change (CPC), which merged with the Action Congress of Nigeria to form the ruling All Progressives Congress. Mr Sharada failed in his bid to become the governorship candidate of the party in Kano. He was defeated by Governor Gandujes anointed candidate Nasiru Gawuna by 2,289 votes to 30 votes. In a statement sent to journalists a day after the primary, Mr Sharada said he nearly escaped assassination and that his supporters were attacked and some killed. He called on security agencies and party leadership to investigate and punish the perpetrators. He also asked for the nullification of the primary election saying it was marred by irregularities, vote-buying and intimidation. Ismaeel Ahmed Ismaeel Ahmed is the immediate past senior special assistant to the President on social investment. Mr Ahmed sought to be the APC candidate for Kano Central Senatorial District but stepped down just before the commencement of the primary elections due to the intervention of the governor of the state Abdullahi Ganduje. In the last few weeks, we ran a good campaign for the Senate of my Senatorial District in Kano. We toured all the Local Governments and interacted with delegates and party leaders and elders. However, yesterday I got a call from our leader and Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and he asked if I could step down for some reasons, I met with my team and supporters and pored over all other considerations and knowing that in a delegate election its all about what the Party leadership wants, we stepped down, he wrote on Facebook. Bashir Ahmad A former new media aide to President Buhari, Bashir Ahmad, failed to secure the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket to contest the House of Representative seat for Gaya/Ajingi/Albasu Federal Constituency, Kano, despite his relationship with the president. Mr Ahmad was defeated by the incumbent member, Abdullahi Gaya, with 109 to 16 votes. The election was conducted by the chairman of the Kano Municipal local government council Faizu Alfindiki, a staunch loyalist of Mr Ganduje. Mr Ahmad had on the day of the election written on his Facebook page that he left the venue of the primary to protect his supporters because thugs were intimidating them. As an aspirant, I left the venue of the primary election for Gaya, Ajingi and Albasu Federal Constituency, because of the security of our majority delegates, if want to compete with the best, thugs shouldnt be part of any election, Mr Ahmad wrote. The following day, Mr Ahmad in a statement rejected the result of the election and called for a fresh, free and fair election. Sani Shaaban Sani Shaaban, an in-law to President Muhammadu Buhari, also lost a bid to secure the APC governorship ticket in the Kaduna state governorship primary Mr Shaaban came third with 20 votes only from 1,245 delegates accredited for the exercise. Uba Sani, Nasir El-Rufais anointed candidate, polled 1,149 votes to clinch the governorship ticket while Bashir Abubakar, scored 37 votes. However, Mr Shaa ban kicked against the entire exercise, alleging that the poll was fraught with irregularities. He alleged that the election was a charade, as most of the delegates from the 23 local governments were locked out of the voting venue and denied the right to vote for candidates of their choice. Muftahu Muhammad President Muhammadu Buharis nephew, and member representing Daura/Sandamu/Maiadua Federal Constituency, Fatuhu Muhammad, also failed in his bid to be re-elected as the partys candidate for the Constituency. Mr Muhammad lost the primary to Aminu Jamu who polled 117 votes to Mr Muhammads 30 votes. Faruk Adamu Faruk Adamu is another close associate of Mr Buhari who lost the APC governorship primary in Jigawa state. He was defeated by the deputy governor of Jigawa State, Umar Namadi, aka Danmodi, with 1,220 to 15 votes. He was the Minority Leader in the House of Representatives between 2003 2007. Mr Adamu had also failed to secure the slot of the deputy national chairman (North) of APC during the last convention. He was said to have lost reelection due to his unflinching support to Mr Buhari. WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 A meeting the APC governors held Tuesday evening to discuss the stance of President Muhammadu Buhari on the partys presidential candidate ended in a deadlock, PREMIUM TIMES has learnt. The meeting was held in Abuja, minutes after the APC governors had a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari. The governors meeting is to reconvene at 8 p.m., one of them told this newspaper. At the meeting with the president, Mr Buhari told the governors that he would like to pick his successor and wants the governors to support him to do so. The president left for Spain immediately after his meeting with the governors. Governors Meeting At their own meeting, one of the governors told PREMIUM TIMES, members could not agree on how to implement the presidents request. We believe the president has not settled for any particular person and that is why some governors felt the best thing to do was to nominate two of us (one each from the north and south) to the president for consideration, the source said. The source said many northern governors, however, argued that no southern governor could defeat Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate, in the presidential election; so the north should be given preference. This angered some southern governors. Some of the southern governors also argued that the nominees do not have to be state governors. This position is believed to have been pushed by governors loyal to some southern presidential candidates such as Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and ex-Lagos governor Bola Tinubu. Since the governors could not agree, they resolved to end the meeting and reconvene at 8 p.m. Buharis Position PREMIUM TIMES reported how President Muhammadu Buhari told APC governors that he would want to pick his successor and needs the governors to support him to do so. Mr Buhari said this Tuesday at a meeting with governors elected on the APC platform at the State House, Abuja. In keeping with the established internal policies of the Party and as we approach the Convention in a few days, therefore, I wish to solicit the reciprocity and support of the Governors and other stakeholders in picking my successor, who would fly the flag of our party for election into the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2023, the president said at the meeting which was also attended by the APC national chairman. Mr Buhari told the governors that he realises the compelling need for him to provide stronger leadership to the party under this transition process. The stronger leadership, Mr Buhari said, is not only to ensure that APCs electoral fortunes improve but also to ensure that the party retains power at the centre by winning the presidential election. The APC holds its presidential primary from June 6 to 8. At the meeting with the governors, Mr Buhari also stated the factors he would consider in supporting a presidential candidate among the 25 persons seeking to fly the APC flag. Our objective must be the victory of our party and our choice of candidate must be someone who would give the Nigerian masses a sense of victory and confidence even before the elections, he said. WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 Nigerian music star Davido has mocked President Muhammadu Buharis erstwhile new media aide, Bashir Ahmad, who lost out in APCs primary elections. Mr Ahmad, who hoped to represent Gaya/Ajingi/Albasu/ Federal Constituency, scored only 16 votes against the 109 votes scored by Abdullahi Gaya, the winner of the primary. Reacting to Mr Ahmads loss, the DMW label owner tweeted, Karma was at work. These-called elections in Osunnoo .. KARMA A BITCH, the superstar tweeted. The so called elections in Osun nko .. KARMA A BITCH https://t.co/dohIYiM5bQ Davido (@davido) May 29, 2022 Mr Ahmad has since rejected the result of the primary elections and is demanding that fresh elections be held. In a statement released by Mr Ahmad, he said he left the premises of the primary elections to ensure security as thugs had invaded the venue. As an aspirant, I left the venue of the primary election for Gaya, Ajingi and Albasu Federal Constituency because of the security of our majority delegates; if you want to compete with the best, thugs shouldnt be part of any election, he said. The All Progressives Congress has held most of its primary elections, except that of the president. Its significant contenders are; APC chieftain Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Ahmed Lawan, former transport minister Rotimi Amaechi and a couple of others. Meanwhile, former vice president Atiku Abubakar has emerged as PDPs presidential candidate. He beat Rivers state governor Nyesom Wike and former senate president Bukola Saraki to clinch the ticket. WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Tony Ojukwu, SAN, Monday, said journalists operate under difficult conditions where freedom is relegated to the background. Mr Ojukwu said this in his speech at the opening of a two-day training organised by the NHRC in Abuja for the commissions staff and journalists. The theme of the training is Defending the Rights of Journalists and Media Practitioners through National Safety Mechanism. According to Mr Ojukwu, the training is designed to give more insight into the situation and challenges of journalism practice in Nigeria. He added that it was another opportunity for media practitioners and experts in the field to share experiences. It is not gainsaid that safety of journalists has been a growing concern in the country and elsewhere in the world. Given that some journalists operate under difficult conditions, where freedom of expression and the press is relegated to the background. In such climes, the issue of censorship, harassment, unlawful arrest and detention and assassination are not uncommon, he said. Mr Ojukwu said despite constitutional guarantees and legislation, journalists rights were often violated and trampled upon. He added that the culprits could be state or non-state actors or others who are not comfortable with certain investigated issues. In view of the foregoing, capacity building training is very crucial to help journalists survive in any situation and pragmatically discharge their duties effectively. The UN Plan of Action on Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, says, in a climate where journalists are safe, citizens find it easier to access quality information and many objectives become possible as a result. There are democratic governance and poverty reduction, conservation of the environment, gender equality and the empowerment of women, justice and culture of human rights, to name a few, he said. Mr Ojukwu said the commission had always enjoyed a robust partnership with media houses, which has helped in keeping the public abreast with the commissions activities. According to him, the training is designed to reflect on conflict reporting and hazards of journalism, the new media and challenges to freedom of expression. Incidentally, the above concerns highlighted in the training outline about journalism practice relate to this years theme of World Press Freedom Day celebration, Journalism Under Digital Siege. The theme is apt as it seeks to bring to the fore the impact of the digital era on the freedom of the press, the safety of journalists, and access to information and privacy. You are expected to put into practice whatever skills and knowledge you will garner from this training, bearing in mind the saying that practice makes perfect, he said. (NAN) WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 Robbers, armed with machetes, attacked Juliana Solomon, a 100-level student of Banking and Finance of the Lagos State University (LASU) on her way to school, PREMIUM TIMES learnt on Tuesday. The attackers struck the student on the head. The incident happened on Monday, Badmus Uthman, an outgoing president of the Students Union told this newspaper. The victim has been taken to the Federal Railway Hospital, Oyingbo. This newspaper gathered that the victim was attacked at Igbo-Elerin by the robbers on her way to write her exams. The robbers also stole her valuables and money. The victims father, Olamilekan Solomon, said he was shocked when he received the news. She was robbed by robbers on her way to school. She is receiving treatment at the hospital, he said. Students from the university visited and assisted us with her medical bills. We have visited her lecturers to inform them about her condition so she wont fail her examinations. The spokesperson for Lagos State University, Adekoya Martins, said he does not have any information on the matter yet. Phone calls to Benjamin Hundeyin, the police spokesperson in the state, did not go through. WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 A 14-year-old girl (name withheld) on Tuesday told an Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court how his fathers neighbour, Rafiu Sanusi, allegedly raped her five times in his room. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the girl was 12-year-old at the time Mr Sanusi allegedly had sex with her for the first time. The defendant, whom she recognised in the dock as Baba Aliyah and Baba Maruwa is being charged with defilement. The girl said this while being led in evidence by the Lagos State Director of the Public Prosecutions, Babatunde Martin. She told the court that the defendant had sex with her every time she went to pay her father a visit in the Amukoko suburb of Lagos. She said: I know the defendant, he is my fathers neighbour. He used to have sex with me every time I go to my father to greet him. He used to call me inside his room and would ask me to remove my clothe and have sex with me. He had sex with me five times but I did not report to anyone because the defendant threatened that I will die if I tell. It was Brother Ibrahim, who caught him having sex with me through the window, that informed my father. My father told my grandmother and she reported the case to the police. I was taken to the police station which I cannot remember the name and from there they directed us to a hospital where they checked my private part and informed my grandmother about the report, she said. In cross-examination by the defence counsel, Idowu Adekoya, the girl said she was a JSS 3 student and her father was a butcher who went to work as early as 9.00 a.m. and returned at 10 p.m. She said her school aunt advised her to inform the father when the defendant allegedly defiled her the fifth time. Prior to the time that Brother Ibrahim caught us, no one had caught him having sex with me, she said. NAN also reports that her father (name withheld) testified and said the defendant used to lure her with N10 or N20 to allegedly have sex with her. He said: I know the defendant. He is my neighbour. It was one Alfa who saw the defendant having sex with my daughter through the window. The residents were very angry at what the defendant did because my wife died recently. They advised that I should take my daughter to a hospital in Ikeja. From there, we went to court in Agege and the case was later taken to the High Court. He said his daughter started living with her maternal grandmother after the death of her mother in 2017. A forensic expert with Mirabel Medical Centre in Ikeja, Oyedeji Alagbe, also testified that the result of the examination carried out on the girl showed a forceful blunt penetration into her vagina. The charge, Ramon Oshodi, adjourned the case until June 27 for the continuation of trial. (NAN) WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 Kobulnicky Receives UW Foundation Stewardship Award UW Department of Physics and Astronomy Professor Chip Kobulnicky, here leading an active-learning project with students, is the winner of the 2022 UW Foundation Stewardship Award. (UW Photo) University of Wyoming Department of Physics and Astronomy Professor Chip Kobulnicky has received the UW Foundation Stewardship Award. The UW Foundation Stewardship Award recognizes the leadership of a UW faculty member who excels in the relationship-building and stewardship of alumni and donors through effective use of private gifts, engaging former students in the activities of the university, and a commitment to strong external relationships for the betterment of UW. When the passion of a donor intersects with the mission of the university, wonderful things can happen. Even greater things are possible when a donor sees that their gift is having enormous impact, says UW Provost and Executive Vice President Kevin Carman. Dr. Kobulnicky has done a wonderful job of building the Teton STEM Academy, advocating for it and delivering on fulfilling its vision. Kobulnicky was nominated by UW College of Arts and Sciences Associate Dean Danny Dale. Kobulnicky is being recognized specifically for his leadership of UWs Teton STEM Academy -- a science camp for high school students that incorporates life science, physical science, math and engineering. Chip has done a fantastic job in creating and executing a stimulating and impactful experience for our youth, Dale says. And he has put in considerable legwork in developing and maintaining an effective relationship with the donor. It is our hope that this camp will be permanently funded through an endowment. I know Chip is doing his usual very best in conveying to the donor the impact of their remarkable ongoing gift. Teton STEM Academy was founded in 2003. The science-based camp has inspired the next generation of scientists and citizen leaders and has become one of UWs best recruiting tools, as it helps students and families become more familiar with the university. Since its inception, the program has faced challenges in fundraising. The Teton STEM Academy operated on a shoestring budget for the first six years before receiving $80,000 in annual funding from the Bernard Harris Foundation and ExxonMobil -- private funding that significantly enhanced the program. The Bernard Harris Foundation and ExxonMobil funded the Teton STEM Academy from 2010-15. The camp was then paused due to lack of funding. In 2021, the Teton STEM Academy was reinstated with the support of a private, anonymous donor. Kobulnicky worked with the UW Foundation and the donor to reenvision the camp as a weeklong experience for 24 high school students. Private support for UWs outreach mission enables faculty like me to touch the lives of so many young people and their families across Wyoming, Kobulnicky says. We want to encourage Wyoming youth to see college and see UW as part of their future. Theres no better evidence for the impact of these private gifts than when I meet a freshman and they say, Remember me? I came to your summer camp here four years ago! What they mean is that they had a good experience here at UW, and so they came back. Kobulnicky earned a Ph.D. in astrophysics from the University of Minnesota in 1997. He was a Hubble Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California-Santa Cruz and an associate scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison before joining the UW faculty in 2002. Kobulnicky is an observational astronomer, using ground-based and space-based telescopes at radio, infrared, optical and X-ray wavelengths to study stars, star formation, the chemical composition of interstellar material and the evolution of galaxies. Chip has done a wonderful job of building a trusting relationship with this particular donor, says Senior Vice President for Development John Stark. That relationship has been built, in large part, because of Chips ongoing communication and personal touch points with the donor that clearly demonstrated the impact that the donors philanthropy was having on the lives of young people. The UW Foundation Stewardship Award recognizes the pivotal role faculty members play in donor philanthropy. Stewardship is critical for the university, as it connects donors with the mission of campus and inspires private funding for areas that need it most. It also builds lasting relationships that promote loyalty and generosity. Recipients of the UW Foundation Stewardship Award personally receive $5,000. Their college/department receives $2,500, with another $2,500 that the recipient can direct to a separate university unit or club. The UW Foundation funds the awards. I know this particular donor has a great deal of faith in Chip as a result of the strong relationship that has been established, Stark says. Chip is very deserving of this recognition. An Abuja-based lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to disqualify Atiku Abubakar from vying for the 2023 presidential election. With the fresh suit, Mr Abubakar, who emerged the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) last Saturday, has one more legal hurdle to cross in his race to be Nigerias president. But in February this year, a similar case challenging Mr Abubakars Nigerian citizenship was struck out by a federal judge Inyang Ekwo. Mr Ekwo cautioned the plaintiff incorporated trustees of the Egalitarian Mission for Africa a nongovernmental organisation to desist from filing frivolous suits aimed at harassing politically exposed Nigerians. The judge held that the incorporated trustees lacked the right to institute the legal action, describing them as busy body and meddlesome interlopers. Nigerias Supreme Court had also in 2019 dismissed a similar application by the APC in the aftermath of the 2019 presidential election. Fresh suit In the new suit, the plaintiff challenges Mr Abubakars Nigerian citizenship, despite serving as Nigerias vice president from 1999 to 2007. According to court filings, Mr Jideobi mentioned Mr Abubakar, the PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) as defendants. He argued that Mr Abubakar is not constitutionally qualified to contest in the presidential election. He claimed that Mr Abubakar is not a Nigerian citizen by birth as required under the Nigerian constitution. Mr Jideobi contends that Mr Abubakar acquired his citizenship of Nigeria by virtue of the 1961 plebiscite which integrated some people of Northern Cameroon into Nigeria as new citizens of Nigeria. The plaintiff claimed that, Allowing the first defendant (Mr Abubakar) to a participant in the 2023 presidential election as the candidate of the PDP would amount to a grave desecration of the otherwise sacrosanct and inviolable provisions of Sections 1(1) & (2), 25 and 131(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended). The third defendant (INEC) is under a bounden duty to ensure that the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall not be governed, nor shall any persons or group of persons take control of the government of Nigeria or any part thereof except in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. Prayers Mr Jideobi is asking the court for a declaration that by virtue of Sections 1(1) & (2), 25 and 131(a) of the Constitution, it is only a Nigerian citizen by birth that is constitutionally eligible to contest for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He further seeks a declaration that given the circumstances of the birth of the first defendant (Atiku), he is not constitutionally qualified to stand for election into the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The plaintiff seeks an order of the court disqualifying the first defendant Atiku Abubakar from contesting for election to the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He also begged the court to declare that the PDP does not have a candidate for the office of the president in the 2023 presidential election to be organised by the third defendant. He requested for An order of perpetual injunction restraining the first defendant from contesting for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or occupying the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by whatever means and throughout his lifetime. An order of perpetual injunction restraining the second defendant from fielding or presenting the first defendant as its candidate for the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. An order of perpetual injunction restraining the third defendant from accepting and or publishing the name of the first defendant as a candidate of the second defendant for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the forthcoming 2023 presidential election. This suit comes a couple of days after Mr Abubakar became the standard bearer of Nigerias main opposition party the PDP at a primary election held in Abuja, Nigerias capital city. Meanwhile, no date has been fixed for the hearing of the case. WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 A national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, on Monday appeared before his partys presidential screening panel, led by former chairman, John Odigie Oyegun. The committee screening the 23 aspirants contesting to be President of Nigeria on the platform of the APC is holding the exercise at Transcorp Hilton Hotel Abuja. Mr Tinubu appeared on Day One. The screening exercise will end on Tuesday (today). Tinubu impressed the panel during the screening process with the way and manner he answered and provided insight into many of the questions asked, his campaign spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, said in a statement emailed to PREMIUM TIMES. Some of the questions bordered on his upbringing, educational and professional background. He confidently told the panel why he is qualified to fly the flag of APC as its presidential candidate. He cited his success as governor of Lagos State, his raising the internal revenue generation of the state from a paltry N600M monthly, which has now grown to N51 Billion today. He also cited his invitation to Enron to begin the first state-backed power generation in Nigeria and how Nigeria will need to take the power transmission lines as a highway. Tinubu in his answers demonstrated vast knowledge in economic management and a perfect understanding of Nigerias political economy. Mr Onanuga said the screening Committee expressed satisfaction with Tinubus knowledge of the economy and sociopolitical issues that are affecting the country. WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 European Union leaders, on Monday, agreed in principle to cut 90 per cent of oil imports from Russia by the end of this year, after reaching a compromise deal with Hungary, Al Jazeera reported. With this agreement, a vital source of funding for Moscows invasion of Ukraine will be cut off, the European leaders believe. The 27-nation organisation has spent weeks haggling over a complete ban on Russian oil but encountered stubborn resistance from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban who said an embargo would destroy his countrys economy. At a meeting in Brussels on Monday, a compromise deal was reached to exempt deliveries arriving in Europe by the Druzhba pipeline. Agreement to ban export of Russian oil to the EU. This immediately covers more than two thirds of oil imports from Russia, cutting a huge source of financing for its war machine, European Council chief Charles Michel said in a tweet at the end of the first day of a two-day leaders summit. Maximum pressure on Russia to end the war, Mr Michel added. The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said the move will effectively cut around 90 per cent of oil imports from Russia to the EU by the end of the year when Germany and Poland have promised to end deliveries via pipeline. Two-thirds of the Russian oil imported into the EU is delivered by tanker and one third by the Druzhba pipeline. The embargo would reach 90 per cent after Poland and Germany, which are also connected to the pipeline, stop taking delivery of Russian oil by the end of the year. The remaining 10 per cent will be temporarily exempt from sanctions so that Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, which are all connected to the southern leg of the pipeline, continue to have access to the fuel they cannot easily replace. Russia has chosen to continue its war in Ukraine. Tonight, as Europeans, united and in solidarity with the Ukrainian people, we are taking new decisive sanctions, French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted. The compromise means other measures can also take effect, including disconnecting Russias biggest bank, Sberbank, from the global SWIFT system, banning three state broadcasters, and blacklisting individuals blamed for war crimes. However, Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine had criticised the EU in a video address to the summit for being too soft on Moscow despite several sanctions the organisation had placed on Russia. Why are you dependent on Russia, on their pressure, and not vice-versa? Russia must be dependent on you. Why can Russia still earn almost a billion euros a day by selling energy? Al Jazeera quoted Zelenskyy as saying. While the EUs decision will impact the Russian oil sales, Moscow has already started focussing its oil sales eastwards with China and India buying more Russian oil than before the Ukrainian war started. WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 The Human & Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Center) has sued the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, for engaging in partisan politics. In the suit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, HEDA is seeking an interpretation of Section 9 of the CBN Act 2007, to determine whether the CBN governor can participate in the 2023 presidential election while occupying the office of the apex bank. PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Emefiele had sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), asking the court to stop them from disqualifying him from contesting the primary election of any political party of his choice ahead of the general elections next year. But on May 23, Mr Emefiele withdrew the suit against the INEC and the AGF. In a statement issued by HEDAs chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, the civil society organisation said it asked the Federal High Court in Abuja, to order the defendants to enter appearance within 30 days. Listed as defendants are Mr Emefiele, the CBN and the AGF. Plaintiff seeks interpretation of CBN Act The plaintiff is seeking an interpretation of Section 9 of the CBN Act, as to whether Mr Emefiele is allowed to engage in other business or partisan politics considering the provision of Section 9 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007. The suit also seeks an interpretation of whether the act of the 1st Defendant (Mr Emefiele) being a registered member of a political party; the All Progressive Congress (APC) and nursing a political ambition does not give the 3rd Defendant (AGF) a valid reason to remove the 1st Defendant as Governor of the 2nd Defendant (CBN)? Request HEDA is asking the court for a declaration that Mr Emefieles engagement in partisan politics is in violation of Section 9 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007. The organisation is also urging the court to make a declaration that the 1st Defendant while being the Governor of the 2nd Defendant cannot engage in any other business, engagement or be a member of a political party. The plaintiff asked the court for an order to remove Mr Emefiele from office as the CBN governor for contravening the provision of Section 9 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act 2007 in accordance with Section 1 1(2)(c) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act 2007. It also requests An Order Of Perpetual Injunction restraining the 1st Defendant from parading himself as the Governor of the 2nd Defendant. HEDA also requests An Order of Perpetual Injunction against the 1st Defendant from being appointed to any public office in the federation for ridiculing the high level of trust placed on him as the Governor of the 2nd Defendant. No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit. WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 As monkeypox continues to spread globally, health experts with the World Health Organisation (WHO) have explained the risk factors associated with the virus, during a facebook live session on Monday. According to the WHO Technical Lead for monkeypox, Rosamund Lewis, close contact with monkeypox patients is the most significant risk factor for monkeypox virus infection, adding that the virus is moving into older populations, even in the endemic setting. She added that measures to curtail the further spread of the virus should be taken before it reaches more vulnerable people and makes itself a replacement for smallpox in the broader population. Health workers, doctors, nurses and health authorities, governments need to realise this is something they need to work on. Get tested, train health workers and raise awareness, so that the cases that are occurring can be detected quickly and so that transmission and for the spread can be stopped, that is the objective, she said Meanwhile, in the latest publication on the WHO website, between May 13 and 26, 2022, 23 member states that are non-endemic for mokeypox have reported a cumulative total of 257 laboratory confirmed cases and around 120 suspected cases. The United Kingdom topped the infection log with 106 cases, followed by Portugal and Canada with 49 and 26 cases respectively. On a separate log, five African countries were listed under countries endemic for monkeypox, as the Democratic Republic of the Congo topped the chart with 1,284 infections and 58 deaths between January 1 to May 8, 2022. According to the log, Nigeria recorded 46 infections between January and April 2022, with no fatalities. Cameroon is said to have reported 25 infections with nine deaths between December 2021 and May 1, 2022, while the two other countries are the Central African Republic and the Republic of Congo. What to look out for Speaking on the kind of symptoms people should be aware of, the WHO Advisor on HIV, Hepatitis and STI programmes, Andy Seale, said the critical thing that people need to do is really look out for any unusual rash, sudden onset of fever, or swelling in lymph nodes. And of course, be conscious of your own social networks. If you hear from a previous or current partner, whether its a social partner or somebody that youve had a sexual relationship with, that theyre either unwell, take extra care and seek health advice, he added. Similarly, in an explainer on the WHO website, the incubation period of monkeypox, which is the interval from infection to onset of symptoms is usually from 6 to 13 days but can range from 5 to 21 days. The global health body says the infection can be divided into invasion period and skin eruption. It said; The invasion period lasts between 0 to 5 days and is characterized by fever, intense headache, lymphadenopathy (swelling of the lymph nodes), back pain, myalgia (muscle aches) and intense asthenia (lack of energy). While the skin eruption usually begins within 1 to 3 days of the appearance of fever. It mostly affects the face in 95 per cent of cases, and palms of the hands and soles of the feet in 75 per cent of cases. Vaccination When asked about the kind of vaccine that is available for the prevention, Mrs Lewis explained that the monkeypox virus is related to the virus that did cause smallpox, which was declared eradicated in 1980 worldwide, suggesting that the smallpox vaccine is an alternative. Corroborating that, the explainer on the WHO website stated that the vaccination against smallpox was demonstrated through several observational studies to be about 85 per cent effective in preventing monkeypox. However, the WHO warned that any request for vaccines should be directed through health authorities at national level. On how monkeypox relates to smallpox, WHO explained that the clinical presentation of monkeypox resembles that of smallpox. Smallpox was more easily transmitted and more often fatal as about 30 per cent of patients died, while the last case of naturally acquired smallpox occurred in 1977. Clades of monkeypox Speaking further, Mrs Lewis said the WHO has been monitoring the monkeypox infection since it was first discovered in 1958, and since the first human being was found to have this virus in the 1970. And so since that time, it has been learned that there are two clades of the virus: one is the Central African region called the Congo Basin clade and second is the West Africa region called the West African clade Historically, monitoring the disease for 50 years, we have seen that the West Africa clade seems to cause less severe illness overall, fewer deaths. While the Congo Basin clade is as high as 10 per cent, as children are also at higher risk, and monkeypox during pregnancy may lead to complications, congenital monkeypox, or stillbirth, she said. The WHO explainer also stated that the genomes of the recorded infections belong to the West African clade of monkeypox virus. Public health response As a means to curb the further spread of the infection, WHO said public health outbreak investigations are ongoing in countries that have identified cases, including extensive case finding and contact tracing, laboratory investigation, clinical management and case isolation. It added that smallpox and monkeypox vaccines, where available, are being deployed in a limited number of countries to manage close contacts. WHO said; While smallpox vaccines have been shown to be protective against monkeypox, there is also one vaccine approved for prevention of monkeypox. This vaccine is based on a strain of vaccinia virus (known generically as modified vaccinia Ankara Bavarian Nordic strain, or MVA-BN). This vaccine has been approved for prevention of monkeypox in Canada and the United States of America. In the European Union, this vaccine has been approved for prevention of smallpox. WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 A member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Sagir Mai Iyali, has asked the screening committee to disqualify the former governor of Lagos, Bola Tinubu, from the presidential race. Mr Iyali, who claimed to be a member of APC Kano, wrote a petition dated May 17 and addressed to the National Chairman of the APC, Abdulahi Adamu. In the petition, Mr Iyali said the former Lagos State governor lied to the Independent Electoral Commission in his governorship form in 1999, where he claimed to have graduated from the University of Chicago. Mr Iyali said Mr Tinubu must prove to the party that he indeed graduated from the school. From the information contained in prior submissions to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), particularly in 1999, Mr. Tinubu presented a false claim, on oath, of his attendance at University of Chicago from 1972-1976. It is clear now that these claims are false. Not only was this filed in the INEC form with a declaration on oath on December 20 1999, it was also contained in an affidavit of loss sworn to before the High Court of Lagos, Ikeja Registry, December 29th 1998. The latter claim that seeks to transpose history is untenable. Mr. Tinubu has to show proof he attended University of Chicago or he must stand disqualified as the opposition is in possession of these same documents. Over the years, the identity of Asiwaju Bola Anmed Tinubu has been shrouded in secrecy, the letter reads. He prayed that the aspirant should be disqualified by the committee. We therefore urge the screening committee to invoke the powers vested on it by the constitution and guidelines of the party to disqualify Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu from taking part in the APC primary election for the presidential election. Mr Tinubu was governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007. Hre is one of the 23 presidential aspirants being screened by the John Oyegun-led screening committee at the Transcorp Hotel, Abuja. He appeared before the screening committee around 7:30 p.m. on Monday. WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 Flour Mills of Nigeria grossed N1.2 trillion in turnover for the financial year 2021, pushing top-line more than a half higher above the figure for 2020, when N771.6 billion was recorded, data from the audited earnings report of the food processing firm showed on Tuesday. The company, which aside flour manufacturing, produces pasta, sugar, vegetable and soya oils as margarine, earned the bulk of the revenue from sale of goods with the balance coming from rendering of services. Cost of sales, which measures the direct costs of production, gulped as much as 90.7 per cent of the total earnings for the year compared to 86.2 per cent a year earlier. And that could prove more burdensome this year given that Nigeria hinges on importation to meet about 98 per cent of its wheat need and the war between Russia and Ukraine (both of them among the worlds top five wheat producers) is bound to heap more pressure on prices. Finance costs the costs incurred by the company in the process of borrowing funds rose by over one-third in the period under review, putting more strain on earnings. Profit before taxation rose to N39.2 billion, 5.2 per cent higher than what was reported a year ago, while after-tax profit advanced by 8.9 per cent to N28 billion. That had negative implications for profit margin, with only 2.4 of the entire revenue for the year realised as profit. In April, Flour Mills of Nigeria, currently Nigerias biggest consumer goods company by revenue, got regulatory approvals to acquire a combined 76.8 per cent stake in rival Honeywell Flour Mills, with the latters enterprise value put at N80 billion. Flour Mills also controls a 53.1 per cent stake in another listed firm Northern Nigerian Flour Mills. Analysts estimate the latest acquisition move narrow competition in a market where, as early as 2016, Flour Mills, Honeywell and Singaporean firm Olam together control over 70 per cent of the market. In a separate note to the Nigerian Exchange on Tuesday, the board of Flour Mills proposed a dividend of N2.15 per share equivalent to N8.8 billion. That implies a 30 per cent increase over the payout for the financial year 2020. WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 The Prelate of the Methodist Church, Nigeria, Samuel Kanu-Uche, and two other priests have been freed by their abductors. The two others are the Bishop of Owerri, Dennis Mark, and the Prelates Chaplain, identified simply as Shitti. The police spokesperson in Abia State, Geoffrey Ogbonna, confirmed their release to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia on Monday. Asked if they paid any ransom, Mr Ogbonna, a superintendent of police, said: I can only confirm to you that they have been freed this evening. I dont have the details for now. NAN reported the abductors had demanded N100 million as ransom. The clerics were abductedon Sunday while they were on their way from a programme in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State. Meanwhile, the Chairman of Umunneochi Local Government Area, Ifeanyi Madu, also confirmed their release. This was contained in a statement signed by the council secretary, Peter Uba and made available to NAN. The Chairman joyfully wishes to announce the release of His Eminence, Dr SCK Uche JP, the Prelate of Methodist Church Nigeria and his entourage from their abductors. This was confirmed by the Lay President Methodist Church Nigeria, Sir Ifeanyi Okechukwu. The prelate is currently in a church giving praises to God, the statement said. The Presbyter, Methodist Church Nigeria, Wesley Cathedral, Umuahia, Aaron Akabuokwu, described the abduction of the prelate as a sacrilege and national embarrassment. It is sacrilegious, an abomination and height of national and international embarrassment. It is regrettable that a man of such calibre could be whisked away into the bush all for the sake of money, Mr Akabuokwu said. (NAN) WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 The prices of crude oil rose on Tuesday after the European Union agreed in principle to cut 90 per cent of oil imports from Russia by the end of the year. Brent futures contract for July, which expires on Tuesday, rose $2.11, or 1.7 per cent, to $123.78 a barrel by 1103 GMT, after earlier rising to $124.10 its highest since March 9. The August contract rose from $1.57 to $119.17. The premium of August-loading Brent contracts over a six-month spread hit a nine-week high at close to $15 a barrel, indicating current supply tightness. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was trading at $118.53 a barrel, up to $3.46 in a fourth consecutive session of gains, up 3 per cent from Fridays close, hitting its highest since March 9. There was no settlement on Monday due to a U.S. public holiday, Reuters reported. The development came immediately after the EU agreed to ban 90 per cent of oil imports from Russia by the end of the year. Earlier in May, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that European Union countries would stop importing Russian oil in the next six months. On Monday, the EU announced it has agreed to ban 90 per cent of Russian oil imports by the end of the year as part of sanctions for Russias invasion of Ukraine. Agreement to ban the export of Russian oil to the EU. This immediately covers more than two-thirds of oil imports from Russia, cutting a huge source of financing for its war machine, European Council chief Charles Michel said in a tweet at the end of the first day of a two-day leaders summit. Maximum pressure on Russia to end the war, Mr Michel added. Russia is the worlds second-biggest crude oil exporter, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Any rise in price presents a bitter-sweet scenario for Nigeria which relies mostly on oil for its revenue and foreign earnings, but also has to pay higher subsidies to keep the price of imported fuel low back home. WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 A former chairman of Surulere local government, who is on the run for credit card fraud in the United States, has emerged as the governorship candidate of the ACCORD Party in Lagos. Hakeem Dickson, who fled the U.S. in 1991 to escape a 24-year jail term, emerged via a nomination by 500 delegates of the party at the primaries held at the Lagos Airport Hotel Ikeja. Dare Ogundare, the ACCORD Party Chairman, Electoral Committee, announced Mr Dickson as the flag bearer of the party for the 2023 general elections in Lagos State. Mr Ogundare said that James Kolawole also won the ACCORD party Lagos West Senatorial ticket, while Fatai Balogun won the ticket for Ikeja Federal Constituency. Mr Dickson in his acceptance speech thanked the party leaders and delegates for their trust and confidence. He appealed to the teeming youth for their collective support to the party to ensure total victory in the general elections. We need the youths to take over governance and through seminars, workshops, and professional training, we will get it done. We are not a violent party and we assure the people that there wont be any form of violence from us, he said. Convicted for fraud On June 14, 1991, Mr Dickson, also a U.S. citizen, was arrested on a complaint of bank and credit card fraud. Four months later, he pleaded guilty to Count One of a four-count indictment which charged that from August 29, 1990, to September 10, 1990, he knowingly and willfully executed and attempted to execute a scheme to defraud a federally insured institution in violation of U.S. laws. On June 25, 1992, Mr Dickson was sentenced to a 24-month jail term, to be followed by a term of supervised release of three years. He was also ordered to repay $14,400. The judge fixed August 3, 1992, for his voluntary surrender, despite opposition from the U.S. government to the plaintiff in the suit. The government had urged at sentencing that Defendant be remanded forthwith or at least surrender to the Bureau of Prisons no later than the following Monday, June 29, 1992, the judge said. The court noted that while on bail Defendant returned on three occasions after being given permission to leave the country. The Court also took account of Defendants wish to spend more time with his one-year-old son, who suffered severe medical problems. Thus the August 3, 1992, surrender date. But on August 3, 1992, Mr Dickson was nowhere to be found in the U.S., forcing the judge to revoke his bail and issue a warrant for his arrest. On the run 20 years later, on January 27, 2012, Mr Dickson filed a motion seeking to adjust his sentence of 24 months incarceration in the U.S. by claiming that he had already served 17 months on the same sentence in a Lagos Prison. In his motion, Mr Dickson claimed that a series of events after his sentencing, preceded by violent clashes between Muslims and Christians in Lagos, forced him to disobey the August 3 surrender date. During these clashes, two of Defendants sisters were killed and the family home was burned to the ground, the judge quoted Mr Dickson as claiming, in his judgment dated May 12, 2012. Following his sentencing Defendant returned to Lagos to bury his sisters, assess the damage to his fathers house, and take his mother for treatment. When Defendant arrived in Lagos, he was arrested at the airport and was told that since he was convicted in the United States, he would also serve time in Nigeria. He was retained in custody until December 10, 1993, a total of 17 months. PREMIUM TIMES investigations had shown that the Nigerian Prisons Services does not have any record of Mr Dickson serving a jail time between 1992 and 1993. Ruling on Mr Dicksons motion, Judge Dickinson Debevoise noted that the defendant claimed he spent 17 months in prison because of his United States conviction, and then went on to lead a successful political and business life. For 20 years, Defendant successfully evaded all United States government efforts to locate and arrest him, Mr Debevoise said. He has not served the 24 months sentence lawfully imposed upon him in June 1992. The law forbids granting the relief he seeks, and the equities of the situation point to no other outcome. The motion will be denied. The court will file an order consistent with the foregoing. WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 The Nigerian government on Monday co-opted community pharmacies into COVID-19 vaccination campaign to enable more access to vaccines among rural communities. The executive director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, while speaking at the flag-off on Tuesday said this will ensure vaccine availability to tackle the virus which has claimed millions of lives globally. Mr Shuaib said with over 6000 community pharmacies spread across the country, the partnership will contribute to increased vaccination coverage. He said community pharmacies are some of the most easily accessible and frequently consulted points of care for health care service delivery by the public sector, especially in underserved populations. He explained that the involvement of pharmacies in differentiated care and administration of antiretroviral medicines for HIV care have proven to improve retention on treatment, adherence to medication, and overall better treatment outcomes. In fact, community pharmacists have contributed greatly during the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic through ensuring the availability and distribution of personal protective equipment (PPEs), hand sanitisers etc, he said. Pharmacists involvement Mr Shuaib said many countries around the world have authorised COVID-19 vaccination in community pharmacies and has shown promise in countries like South Africa, the United States of America, and the United Kingdom. He affirmed that this synergy with pharmacies will enhance COVID-19 vaccination programme and help attain the national target of 70 per cent vaccination coverage that is necessary to achieve herd immunity. He said this will also strengthen the health care system and contribute to the countrys health security. I want to recognise the strong leadership and commitment of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, and the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria for their relentless efforts to ensure that this collaboration becomes a reality, he said. Vaccination so far Mr Shuaib said 30,327,550 persons, representing 23.9 per cent of the eligible population have received the 1st dose of vaccine as of May 31, 2022. He said 14,629,451 persons have received their second dose and 18,291,072 persons, representing 16.4 per cent of the eligible population have been fully vaccinated against the virus. Over 1.2 million persons have also received their booster doses. The executive director said the partnership with pharmacies will improve vaccination rates within the shortest time possible. In his address, the National Chairman of ACPN, Adewale Oladigbolu, said the immunisation agency has prioritised the needs of the people and worked tirelessly in making COVID-19 vaccination widely accessible. Mr Oladigbolu said this is a public health initiative that will improve access to vaccines as pharmacists are easily accessible. He said pharmacists offer extended hours of service; they are trusted health care professionals and as such their inclusion in vaccination processes will drive down vaccine hesitancy and improve coverage tremendously. He said; Nigeria, our dear country; trains critical human resources for health and the job being done by the NPHCDA on immunisation, reducing maternal and child deaths, strengthening PHC towards achieving Universal Health Coverage and improving human capital development demands all hands to be on deck. Community pharmacists are critical human resources for health, and we are ever ready to replenish the wealth of our nation with the wealth of our experience and expertise. WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 the other thing (which is dark) that people do will haunt them, as it has haunted Igbos, which is that when things go wrong, they become easy to point the finger at. It is the sad nature of humanity (think of the historical pogroms against the Jews, they always happened during times of economic downturn), and the mitigating factors are economic. The above chart from SBM Intelligence shows that you are actually more likely to be lynched in Southern Nigeria. It should be food for thought for Southern Nigerians. It should be food for thought for someone like me, who is a parent. Imagine sitting in your house, and your child goes out, then you hear that he has been killed because of 100 ($0.17)? That is what happened to David Imohs parents. Sadly, too low-income Nigerians have been socialised by the random violence in the country to see mob justice as normal. When you include the fact that most of us have no trust in the legal system in any event, too many Nigerians will likely to resort to mob justice at the drop of a hat, and thus the cycle continues. We will see more lynchings in future. No one is safe, because even the child of a top banker who lives in Banana Island could one day want to cross the road at Admiralty Way in Lekki, and could very easily be accused of failing to pay a random 100 toll. Then thats it If we are honest, it is what Nigeria has always been. Lynching is not a new thing in Nigeria, so the Deborah Yakubu and David Imoh tragedies should surprise no one. What were the Aluu 4 killed for 10 years ago? What was that young boy lynched for at Stadium Bus Stop in Surulere back in 2004 (does anyone still remember that?). Speaking of Hobbesian states, we cannot deny the ethnic element to these tragedies as seen by the attacks on Igbo-owned businesses in Sokoto two weekends ago, for an incident in which no Igbo person was involved. It is true that other ethnicities (especially Southern minorities) have also been victims of repeated religious violence in Northern Nigeria, but it is also true that Igbos are the biggest victims. In general terms, the difference between the nature of violence in Northern Nigeria and Southern Nigeria is that in the North of the country, the violence is typically nihilist; while in the South, it is typically for economic reasons. The murder of David Imoh brings these two threads together, the rapid violence of the North, with the commercial violence of the South. We have been used to it for a very long time in all parts of the country, but I think what has now changed is the ubiquity through which the mobile phone brings these things to peoples doorsteps now, and, like the way a mobile phone live-streamed the Lekki Massacre into our living rooms, it makes us confront the stark reality of what our country is a Hobbesian state. Speaking of Hobbesian states, we cannot deny the ethnic element to these tragedies as seen by the attacks on Igbo-owned businesses in Sokoto two weekends ago, for an incident in which no Igbo person was involved. It is true that other ethnicities (especially Southern minorities) have also been victims of repeated religious violence in Northern Nigeria, but it is also true that Igbos are the biggest victims. This ethnic dimension has also shown up in the fact that many commentators have seized on the apparent identity of Daniels killers as Hausa-speaking motorcycle riders to call for the deportation of (lower-class) Hausas from Lagos. It is true that Daniel Imohs killers were Hausa speakers, but it is also true that other perpetrators of mob violence in Southern Nigeria have been locals. For example, the day after Deborah Yakubu was killed in Sokoto, in Auchi, Edo State, 847 kilometres away, a mob set a robbery suspect on fire. He died on the spot. The killers were local Etsako speakers. Essentially, all of these things can be true at the same time, in much the same way as we can walk and chew gum at the same time. What we need, at least those of us who know where our next meal is coming from, is to ask ourselves why. For me, the answers are economic. Many people from Southern Nigeria move for better opportunities outside the country. Much the same, when we move, for the most part, like the Hausas in Nigeria, we start at the bottom of the rung in the new places, and face discrimination. Where the difference comes is in the ease of resort to violence. The Igbos have always been the go-to victims of Nigerias ethnic violence for the simple fact that we are everywhere. I always tell how I have been to every State in Nigeria (except Taraba), and I have always spoken the Igbo language with someone who is resident in every place I visit. Historically, the Igbos moved because of geographical reasons. The same is happening to Arewa people now, but also they are moving largely because of economic reasons, and as a result, they will take roles that are at the lower rungs of society. That ubiquity will stand them out and make them targets. The flow of Hausa speakers into Southern Nigeria is not an invasion, as I have seen many Southerners claim; it is simple economics. Nigeria has failed them, so they are doing what people do in order to put food on the tables of their families; they are moving to areas of more opportunity. Many people from Southern Nigeria move for better opportunities outside the country. Much the same, when we move, for the most part, like the Hausas in Nigeria, we start at the bottom of the rung in the new places, and face discrimination. Where the difference comes is in the ease of resort to violence. Of course, the other thing (which is dark) that people do will haunt them, as it has haunted Igbos, which is that when things go wrong, they become easy to point the finger at. It is the sad nature of humanity (think of the historical pogroms against the Jews, they always happened during times of economic downturn), and the mitigating factors are economic. If Nigerias economy was creating enough jobs to get people busy, wed see less crisis. It is not an accident that Nigeria is becoming more hateful as the economic outcomes are deteriorating. Its the economy. Cheta Nwanze is a partner at SBM Intelligence. WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 In keeping with the established internal policies of the party and as we approach the Convention in a few days, therefore, I wish to solicit the reciprocity and support of the governors and other stakeholders in picking my successor, who would fly the flag of our party for election into the office of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2023. I am delighted to address this gathering of the Progressive Governors Forum as part of the consultative processes that have always strengthened the internal dynamics of our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). You will all recall that APC came to power at the centre in 2015 through a cohesive machinery, notwithstanding its status as the opposition party. Similarly, in 2019, it was returned to power under my leadership, because of the dividends of democracy delivered to Nigerians, irrespective of their political leanings. The party has since grown in strength and capacity to govern. The key to both electoral successes is the ability of the party to hold consultations and for its members to put the nation above other interests. The transition processes for the 2023 general elections have commenced in earnest and I note that the most successful political parties globally have always relied on their internal cohesion and a strong leadership brand to achieve bigger electoral fortunes. Our party, the APC, shall not be any different, more so as we are still implementing the blueprint for a more prosperous nation. As I begin the final year of my second term as president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and leader of the Party, I recognise the compelling need for me to provide stronger leadership to the party under this transition process and to ensure that it happens in an orderly manner. Such leadership is required so that the party remains strong and united. It is also needed to improve our electoral fortunes by ensuring that it retains power at the centre, hold the great majority in various legislative chambers and also gain an additional number of states at the state level. As we approach the Convention, I appeal to all of you to allow our interests to converge, our focus to remain on the changing dynamics of our environment, the expectations of our citizens and the global community. Our objective must be the victory of our party and our choice of candidate must be someone who would give the Nigerian masses a sense of victory and confidence, even before the elections. In pursuit of the foregoing objectives, the party has successfully established internal policies that promote continuity and smooth succession plans, even at the state and local government levels. For example, first term governors who have served credibly well have been encouraged to stand for re-election. Similarly, second term governors have been accorded the privilege of promoting successors that are capable of driving their visions, as well as the ideals of the party. In a few days, the party will be holding its Convention during which primaries would take place to pick the presidential flag bearer for the 2023 general elections. This is a very significant process and its outcome should prove to the world the positive quality of the APC regarding democratic principles, culture, as well as leadership. As we approach the Convention, I appeal to all of you to allow our interests to converge, our focus to remain on the changing dynamics of our environment, the expectations of our citizens and the global community. Our objective must be the victory of our party and our choice of candidate must be someone who would give the Nigerian masses a sense of victory and confidence, even before the elections. In keeping with the established internal policies of the party and as we approach the Convention in a few days, therefore, I wish to solicit the reciprocity and support of the governors and other stakeholders in picking my successor, who would fly the flag of our party for election into the office of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2023. I wish to assure you that the consultation process shall continue to ensure that all aspirants and stakeholders would be brought on board right through to the convention. This would also ensure that any anxiety occasioned by different factors are effectively brought under control and that our party emerges stronger. God bless our party, the APC and God bless our nation, Nigeria. Muhammadu Buhari is the president and commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is the text of the address given to the Progressives Governors Forum at the consultative meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on tuesday, May 31. WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 The AU was established with a vision to achieve an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in global arena. Hence, the birth of the AU marked a shift in the focus of Africas foremost pan-African institution away from mainly the support of anti-colonial and anti-apartheid (liberation) movements to the task of greater integration for expedited development. I am happy that the Thabo Mbeki Foundation has chosen, as its focus for 2022, the history and evaluation of the African Union, which was officially launched twenty years ago in South Africa. The African Union (AU), Africas foremost continental organisation, has come of age. Some twenty years ago, in July of 2002, this prestigious African institution came into being in continuance of the Pan-African vision of an independent, united and prosperous Africa shared by the continents independent leadership, for which they set up its parent institution, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). This occasion of the commemoration of the African Unions twentieth anniversary provides an opportunity for all of Africa to come together and listen to each other as a way of determining how well the continental organisation has fared in achieving the goals for which it was set up; what challenges have limited its success; how to surmount these challenges; and what opportunities there are in a fully operational continental organisation in todays global geopolitics. The establishment of the OAU on May 25, 1963 marked the culmination of diverse and far-reaching political trends, on and off the continent. Its ideological basis can be found in the late nineteenth century Pan-Africanist movement, which had its origins amongst Black American intellectuals Martin Delany and Alexander Crummel in the United States of America (USA). Canvassing for a Black nation independent of the U.S.A as the only means to ensuring the prosperity of Black peoples, their ideas caught on and were further developed by W. E. B Du Bois and Marcus Garvey, who urged a return to the continent. The Pan-African idea was picked up and advanced on the continent by several prominent intellectuals and heads of state, including Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia, and Sekou Toure of Guinea. These individuals provided practical expressions of Pan-African ideals in Africa, applying them to the African reality of colonial subjugation and other forms of foreign oppression. Therefore, when the Heads of Africas thirty-two independent states gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to sign the OAU Charter in 1963, it was with a common belief that for Africa to achieve its potential and aspirations, it must be free from external control, and its peoples must rise above racial, ethnic, and national differences and work together cooperatively in the spirit of brotherhood and solidarity. As a result, Article II of the OAUs founding Charter included an agenda to promote African unity and solidarity; coordinate and intensify their cooperation and efforts to achieve a better life for Africas people; protect their sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence; obliterate all forms of colonialism in Africa; and encourage international cooperation, with due regard for the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Armed with a pledge of cooperation in all aspects of social endeavour, politics, economics, education, health, science, and defence by member states, the OAU immediately embarked upon what was then the foremost obstacle to its agenda of a united and prosperous Africa the struggle for the independence of all African states under colonialism and other forms of foreign oppression (apartheid). In this regard, the OAU Coordinating Committee for the Liberation of Africa swung into action, organising diplomatic, financial, and logistical support for liberation movements wherever they existed in Africa. The organisation was involved in the independence agitation of Guinea Bissau, Angola, Mozambique, Central African Republic, Namibia (former South West Africa) and the struggle against the apartheid regime in South Africa. It was also active in defending its member nations integrity and sovereignty, and resolving border disputes. This impact was especially observed in the Congo, where strategic raw materials have always been a source of unrest, in Nigeria during a civil war that threatened the unity of the Federal Republic, and in Egypt during the 1967 Israeli occupation. In pursuance of its mandate, the AU has recorded reasonable successes through direct contributions and international community collaborations. It has been active in minimising and settling conflicts in conflict-prone areas like Somalia and Sudan; it has successfully arbitrated post-election violent conflicts in Kenya, Comoros and Cote de Ivoire; and it has intervened in coup situations by ensuring a return back to civilian rule. Another landmark achievement of the OAU was the ambition to create an economically integrated Africa. In this instance, it was instrumental to the establishment of Regional Economic Communities (RECS), notably the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the East African Community (EAC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMMESA), the South African Development Coordinating Commission (SADCC), and the Arab Maghreb Union. In addition, it established the African Economic Community (AEC) in 1991, which was expected to expand into a common market, a customs union, and an African monetary union. Notwithstanding the OAUs commendable achievements, its membership identified a need to refocus the organisations attention away from its decolonisation agenda and more towards promoting peace and stability as a prerequisite to an eventual political and economic integration that will ensure African interests in an increasingly geopolitically quartered world. To that effect, the Heads of Government of the OAU came to a consensus and issued the Sirte Declaration of September 1999, calling for the establishment of an African Union that would accelerate the process of integration on the continent to enable her to compete favourably in a changing global economy and address any social and political challenges arising from globalisation. Thus, the African Union (AU) came into existence in 2002. The AU was established with a vision to achieve an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in global arena. Hence, the birth of the AU marked a shift in the focus of Africas foremost pan-African institution away from mainly the support of anti-colonial and anti-apartheid (liberation) movements to the task of greater integration for expedited development. Among the AUs stated goals are: Achieving greater unity and solidarity among African countries and peoples; defending the territorial integrity and independence of its member states; accelerating the continents political and socio-economic integration; promoting common positions on issues of concern to the continent and its peoples; promoting sustainable economic, political, and cultural development; fostering cooperation in all fields of human endeavour to raise African peoples living standards; protecting and promoting human and peoples rights in accordance with the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights; and promoting peace, security, and stability on the continent. In pursuance of its mandate, the AU has recorded reasonable successes through direct contributions and international community collaborations. It has been active in minimising and settling conflicts in conflict-prone areas like Somalia and Sudan; it has successfully arbitrated post-election violent conflicts in Kenya, Comoros and Cote de Ivoire; and it has intervened in coup situations by ensuring a return back to civilian rule. Unrestricted by the OAUs non-interference concept, the AU has reserved the authority, through its Peace and Security Council, to intervene in the domestic affairs of member nations to promote peace and safeguard democracy, even employing military action in circumstances of genocide and crimes against humanity. Through its voluntary Peer Review Mechanism, whereby individual member states concede to be assessed by a group of experts collected from other member states, the AU has been able to encourage democracy and good governance on the continent. The AU has also established a practice of sending election monitoring teams (Observer Missions) to all member states to guarantee that the terms of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance (2007) are followed. Many untapped opportunities can be gained from an objective, independent, and people-oriented continental union. Without some of the AUs encumbrances vested interests and constitutional limitations the continental organisation can do much more to ensure good governance, peace, stability and economic prosperity through extensive collaborative networks that transcend any cultural, national, and regional divide. The AU has demonstrated strategic leadership on the continent. Africa has presented a common front on several issues that have shaped global debates and decisions through its activities. It had some impact on the terms of engagement between the UN and regional organisations. By achieving an African consensus, it has been able to drum support for African candidates vying for positions in international organisations, such as Nigerias Okonjo Iweala as director-general of the World Trade Organisation, Ethiopias Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as secretary-general of the World Health Organisation, and Rwandas Louise Mushikiwabo as secretary-general of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie. The AU has also demonstrated commendable leadership and served as an advisor to governments and intergovernmental agencies. In pursuit of its agenda of African prosperity, the AU put necessary declarations and institutions in place that promote economic integration among its fifty-four member states. It has established development organisations such as the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD and progressive frameworks such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and Agenda 2063. There have been proposals for an African Monetary Union and an African Central Bank, even though these have not seen a political will by member states to bring them to fruition. The AU also made considerable efforts to ensure that the COVID-19 vaccines are available to its member states. Financial dependence, poorly governed states and a constant push for reforms have been identified as some of the impediments to the AUs progress. Other factors identified include the development of the cult of personality, concentration of power in the office of the chairperson of the commission and the shrinking spaces for popular participation in decision making. The AU exhibited some flaws in its decision-making when it relocated its July 2012 bi-annual summit from Lilongwe, Malawi, to Addis Ababa, for the formers refusal to invite Omar al-Bashar because he had been charged with war crimes by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Also reprehensible is its practice of appointing leaders with questionable democratic credentials as chairpersons. Other issues that cast aspersion on the AUs image and performance include its inability to find a lasting solution to Africas teeming educated and unemployed youths, the recent resurgence of coups and violent conflicts, and its romance with China, which has seen the latter gain increasing and unbalanced concessions on the continent. Many untapped opportunities can be gained from an objective, independent, and people-oriented continental union. Without some of the AUs encumbrances vested interests and constitutional limitations the continental organisation can do much more to ensure good governance, peace, stability and economic prosperity through extensive collaborative networks that transcend any cultural, national, and regional divide. To achieve this, the AU must be seen to uphold the highest standards and be more people-oriented. Toyin Falola, a professor of History, University Distinguished Teaching Professor, and Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at The University of Texas at Austin, is the Bobapitan of Ibadanland. WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on Monday said he could have scuttled the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary on Saturday night but that he allowed peace to reign. The primary was held to elect the presidential candidate of the party for the 2023 general election. If I wanted to scuttle the convention, I would have done that and I told them. There are people you think they are human beings but they are not human beings, he said. Mr Wike said this at a ceremony organised in Port Harcourt to welcome him from Abuja after the partys presidential primary where he was floored by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. I have never seen how people can violate procedures and guidelines. Somebody had spoken, it is only at that point he was speaking that he can say I have withdrawn. You dont call him back, the Rivers governor said, apparently referring to the Sokoto State Governor and fellow presidential aspirant, Aminu Tambuwal, who withdrew from the race and asked his supporters to vote for Mr Abubakar. I just decided that this our party must not be destroyed. I would have left where I was sitting down and say this convention cannot go ahead except you allow me to talk. I would have flattened him. Governor Wike vented his anger on the party leaders for allowing the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, to speak for a second time after exhausting the time allotted for each aspirant to address the delegate. Mr Tambuwal, while addressing the delegates the second time, announced his withdrawal from the race and directed his delegates to vote for Mr Abubakar. The development, Mr Wike said, violated the conventions procedures and guidelines. Political analysts believe Mr Wike could probably have scored more votes if not for the last-minute withdrawal of Mr Tambuwal from the primary. In a video that captured his visit to the Sokoto governor, the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, could be heard hailing Mr Tambuwal as the hero of the convention. Mr Abubakar, 75, polled 371 votes to clinch the party presidential ticket, while Governor Wike came second with 237 votes. Bukola Saraki, a former president of the Nigerian Senate, came third with 70 votes, while Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, came fourth with 38 votes. Mr Wike, despite his reservations, has declared political support for Mr Abubakar and the PDP for the 2023 elections. WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 There was a heavy shootout on Tuesday morning between some Navy officers and gunmen at Amiyi junction, Ochuche Community, Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigerias South-east. The shootout lasted for hours as frightened residents scampered for safety, PREMIUM TIMES learnt. Sources said many transport operators who had rushed out early morning to make up for the Monday-sit-at-home order were compelled to return home to avoid being caught by stray bullets. Gunmen and Navy people are shooting since morning, said Amaka Okafor, a resident of the area. We are scared. Ms Okafor said residents, frightened by the gunshot sound, were forced to remain indoors. The police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES. Mr Ikenga said the naval officers accosted the gunmen while they were obstructing and harassing innocent road users and residents who were going about their businesses in the area. The operatives stood firm (and) engaged the hoodlums which made them flee from the scene, he said. The police spokesperson said patrol has been intensified in the area. Increased attacks Security in Nigerias South-east has deteriorated in recent times, with frequent attacks by armed persons. Anambra State has witnessed some of the worst attacks in the region, despite Governor Charles Soludos effort to placate members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), including a visit to the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, in detention. The attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities. During his inauguration as the state governor, Mr Soludo had called for dialogue with the IPOB and similar groups. The governor, thereafter, announced an amnesty programme for the gunmen and declared an end to the sit-at-home order in the state. WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023 Collaboration will focus on three key pillars: Natural Language Processing (NLP) including Arabic, AI applications in the healthcare industry, and sustainability ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, May 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI)the world's first graduate, research university dedicated to Artificial Intelligence (AI)has announced plans for a strategic collaboration with IBM (NYSE: IBM ). Senior leaders from both organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at advancing fundamental AI research, as well as accelerating the types of scientific breakthroughs that could unlock the potential of AI to help solve some of humanity's greatest challenges. Professor Eric Xing, President of MBZUAI, delivered short remarks, as did Jonathan Adashek, IBM's Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer, and Saad Toma, General Manager, IBM Middle East, and Africa. The agreement was then signed by Sultan Al Hajji, Vice President for Public Affairs and Alumni Relations at MBZUAI and Wael Abdoush, General Manager IBM Gulf and Levant. "We're excited to to be among the first research universities in the MENA region to host a Center of Excellence for AI research and development with technology and expertise from a world-leading technological giant like IBM. This center will provide highly valuable resource and collaborative environment to our faculty and students to broaden their work in AI. IBM has a long history of technological innovation, and we look forward to joining their latest efforts in our region and together advance AI technology and commercialization for mutual good," MBZUAI President, Professor Eric Xing said. Saad Toma, General Manager, IBM Middle East and Africa, said: "This collaboration will help drive innovations in AI which is critical for the future of business and society. We're bringing together some of the brightest minds across both the industry and academia, while reinforcing IBM's commitment to promoting knowledge and skills in critical areas for the UAE's development, where the use of technologies like AI is fundamental." Central to the collaboration is the establishment of a new AI Center of Excellence to be based at the university's Masdar City campus. The Center will leverage the talents of IBM researchers, in collaboration with MBZUAI faculty and students, and will focus on the advancement of both fundamental and applied research objectives. The initiative seeks to develop, validate, and incubate technologies that harness the capabilities of AI to address civic, social, and business challenges. Further, the collaboration aims to provide real-life applications, particularly in the fields of natural language processing, as well as AI applications that seek to further climate and sustainability goals, and accelerate discoveries in healthcare. IBM will provide targeted training and technologies as part of the initiative, which supports the university's vision to be a global leader for advancing AI and its application for the good of society and business. For example, through the IBM Academic Initiative , IBM will provide MBZUAI students and faculty with access to IBM tools, software, courseware and cloud accounts for teaching, learning, and non-commercial research. In addition, through the IBM Skills Academy program, MBZUAI will have access to curated AI curricula, lectures, labs, industry use cases, design-thinking sessions, and an AI Practitioner certification. The planned relationship is subject to the parties reaching definitive agreements. About IBM IBM is a leading global hybrid cloud and AI, and business services provider. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs, and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Nearly 3,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently, and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and business services deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity, and service. Visit www.ibm.com for more information. About Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) MBZUAI is a graduate, research university focused on artificial intelligence, computer science, and digital technologies across industrial sectors. The university aims to empower students, businesses, and governments to advance artificial intelligence as a global force for positive progress. MBZUAI offers various graduate programs designed to pursue advanced, specialized knowledge and skills in artificial intelligence, including computer vision, machine learning, and natural language processing. For more information, please visit www.mbzuai.ac.ae For press inquiries, please contact: Nicholas Demille Jumana Akkawi Associate Director of Communications at Communications Director, IBM Middle East MBZUAI and Africa and Central Eastern Europe [email protected] [email protected] Aya Sakoury Head of Communications at MBZUAI [email protected] Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/95470/ibm_logo.jpg SOURCE IBM Global competitiveness and key competitor percentage market shares Market presence across multiple geographies - Strong/Active/Niche/Trivial Online interactive peer-to-peer collaborative bespoke updates Access to our digital archives and MarketGlass Research Platform Complimentary updates for one year Edition: 6; Released: April 2022 Executive Pool: 476 Companies: 95 - Players covered include Ashtree Vision & Safety; Bennett Mirror Technologies Ltd (BMT) - Duravision; Clarke's Safety Mirrors Ltd.; Fred Silver & Co., Inc.; Safe Fleet; Se-Kure Domes & Mirrors, Inc.; Smartech Safety Solutions Pvt. Ltd.; Walker Glass Company Ltd and Others. Coverage: All major geographies and key segments Segments: Product (Convex Safety Mirrors, Flat Safety Mirrors, Dome Safety Mirrors) Geographies: World; United States; Canada; Japan; China; Europe (France; Germany; Italy; United Kingdom; Spain; Russia; and Rest of Europe); Asia-Pacific (Australia; India; South Korea; and Rest of Asia-Pacific); Latin America (Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; and Rest of Latin America); Middle East (Iran; Israel; Saudi Arabia; United Arab Emirates; and Rest of Middle East); and Africa. Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry ABSTRACT- Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Safety Mirrors estimated at US$65.7 Million in the year 2022, is projected to reach a revised size of US$79.1 Million by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 4.2% over the analysis period. Convex Safety Mirrors, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to grow at a 4.2% CAGR, while growth in the Flat Safety Mirrors segment is readjusted to a revised 3.6% CAGR. Safety mirrors are becoming increasingly commonplace as an effective safety measure as they provide businesses and establishments with an affordable solution to protect customers, staff and merchandise. Available in different sizes, formats and types, safety mirrors address specific needs of end-users. Businesses planning to embrace the approach are required to select a suitable type as per their requirements. Safety mirrors are used in places where additional viewing is required. A wider view field is achieved by these mirrors, wider than what is offered by the normal plane mirror. Several traffic problems are resolved with these mirrors. They reduce accident potential by eliminating blind spots and improving visibility. Motorists can easily see around corners, particularly at garages, parking and internal lanes. Safety mirrors are also ideal for retail and commercial applications. They are used for surveillance and monitoring systems in stores, mini markets, booth kiosks, and shops among other places for preventing theft. Occupation health applications also utilize these mirrors for providing safer working environment to employees. Factories and warehouses install them at obscure intersections and complex crossings. The mirrors prevent truck and other equipment collisions by offering critical insight into the blind corners of spaces. They are also placed at heights in the warehouses as well as receiving docks. Elevators are sometimes fitted with these mirrors where they allow people to view the happenings behind them. In such tight spaces, the potential for theft is generally high and safety mirrors help in alleviating them. ATMs are also fitted with these mirrors. Other spaces where the mirrors are most suitable include public rest areas, recreational facilities, swimming pools, hospitals, schools, and prisons among others. Safety mirrors enhance security, surveillance and safety of various spaces including blind spots on roads, workspaces, warehouses, factories, public parks, and malls among several others. On roads, convex mirrors are installed, primarily at blind spots and in highways, underpasses, as well as hilly regions, for preventing road accidents. Safety mirrors as dome safety mirrors are installed even in commercial spaces such as shopping complexes, intersection points in large hotels, hospital corridors etc. When installed at intersection points, they offer cross-sectional view of the entire place and thus increase surveillance and security. Flat safety mirrors on the other hand are installed mainly for inspection applications in warehouses, residential areas, and factories, for preventing collision. Flat mirrors are also employed for vehicle inspections at parking areas, hospitals, malls and such other places. In the forthcoming years growing need to control road accidents would continue to drive market growth for safety mirrors. Strict government regulations that require the installation of these mirrors in various areas to ascertain safety of roads is anticipated to bode well for the market. The installation of these mirrors is fast and they do not entail a high cost. Another important growth promoting factor is the continued investment of manufacturers in the development of more innovative mirrors. Manufacturers are seeking to develop innovative features for the mirrors, for example making the mirrors weather resistant. The three major types of safety mirrors include Convex, dome and flat mirrors. Convex mirrors account for the maximum revenue generated by the convex type. Fastest growth over the coming years however, would be reported by dome mirrors. The convex mirror is curved outwards with the center bulging towards viewer. The mirror's outward bulge expands visible field for the viewer. This feature makes the mirror most suitable for safety and security applications. It is able to reflect wider view field compared to standard flat mirror and also the dome mirror. The dominance of convex mirrors is due to the stringent rules being laid by governments across countries to install these mirrors at all the accident-prone sites, blind turns, hilly roads, flyovers, parking areas, underpasses etc. Convex mirrors also provide enhanced safety at construction sites and workplaces in addition to roads, as they provide a wider view. The mirrors are also used in shops. Demand for convex mirrors is high from the residential segment as well. The mirrors are used in residential parking spaces as well as driveways. Homes with driveways on a bend find convex mirrors useful. Convex safety mirrors are also suitable for schools. Industrial facilities also prefer convex mirror for providing additional visibility at blind spots in factories and warehouses. In these applications the mirrors are positioned in static locations for example, at entrances/exits, dispatch areas, delivery areas and vehicle compounds. In factories, the mirrors are installed even on forklift trucks and such other heavy vehicles allowing them to negotiate tight spaces, easily. Convex mirrors are offered in a broad array of materials, mostly lightweight materials such as polycarbonate and acrylic among others. Reflective properties of acrylic are better compared to glass. It is therefore preferred for general usage. Polycarbonate on the other hand is unbreakable and therefore the better choice for road safety mirrors. Stainless steel is also sometimes used. Stainless steel does not corrode and is robust. However, it is not preferred for road safety. Dome safety mirrors provide panoramic view of areas. They are considered ideal for indoor use where they increase visibility and remove blind spots. Visibility with dome safety mirrors is offered at a broader angle than convex mirrors. The mirrors are available in quarter, half and full dome models to suit varying needs. While full dome safety mirrors offer 360-degree angle of view, half dome mirrors provide a 180-degree view. They are mounted on ceilings of walls and offer a 180-degree viewing angle of the space. They are considered perfect choice for T intersection and blind corner viewing, especially in retail spaces, for discouraging thefts. Over the coming years, growth for dome safety mirrors is anticipated to be the fastest in the overall market for safety mirrors. Dome mirrors are being increasingly used at intersection points and hotel, hospital, mall, shop, and dormitory corridors where they help enhance surveillance through improved visual security. In the years ahead, demand for dome safety mirrors would be high in developing country markets especially, where the construction sector is anticipated to grow at the fastest. Externally, dome mirrors are generally mounted adjacent to tight corners on roads. More MarketGlass Platform Our MarketGlass Platform is a free full-stack knowledge center that is custom configurable to today`s busy business executive`s intelligence needs! This influencer driven interactive research platform is at the core of our primary research engagements and draws from unique perspectives of participating executives worldwide. Features include - enterprise-wide peer-to-peer collaborations; research program previews relevant to your company; 3.4 million domain expert profiles; competitive company profiles; interactive research modules; bespoke report generation; monitor market trends; competitive brands; create & publish blogs & podcasts using our primary and secondary content; track domain events worldwide; and much more. Client companies will have complete insider access to the project data stacks. Currently in use by 67,000+ domain experts worldwide. Our platform is free for qualified executives and is accessible from our website www.StrategyR.com or via our just released mobile application on iOS or Android About Global Industry Analysts, Inc. & StrategyR Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (www.strategyr.com) is a renowned market research publisher the world`s only influencer driven market research company. Proudly serving more than 42,000 clients from 36 countries, GIA is recognized for accurate forecasting of markets and industries for over 33 years. CONTACTS: Zak Ali Director, Corporate Communications Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Phone: 1-408-528-9966 www.StrategyR.com Email: [email protected] LINKS Join Our Expert Panel https://www.strategyr.com/Panelist.asp Connect With Us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-industry-analysts-inc./ Follow Us on Twitter https://twitter.com/marketbytes Journalists & Media [email protected] SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc. ESPOO, Finland, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Trueflaw (Finland) and EPRI (USA) used artificial intelligence (AI) to evaluate inspection data at a U.S. nuclear power plant. As part of the first of its kind field trial, the ultrasonic inspection data from non-destructive evaluation (NDE) of pressure vessel head penetrations was evaluated using AI developed by Trueflaw. Critical components in power plants are inspected during scheduled outages using various non-destructive techniques, including ultrasonic testing. Inspections are used to detect any possible service induced degradation. These inspections generate vast amounts of data that need to be reviewed by highly skilled human experts. This critical task is time consuming and difficult. Automated data analysis with AI works alongside the human experts and makes the inspections both more efficient and more reliable. AI is used to pre-screen the data and to highlight any potential defects found. The human experts then review these areas of interest and make the final decisions. The analysis, that took the human inspector alone hours will be reduced to minutes with help of the AI. At the same time, the evaluation is made more consistent, and the potential of human error is reduced. Human experts still have the final say and the AI is there to help concentrate their effort to make the data analysis faster and more dependable. This field trial is an important step in adopting AI in the nuclear industry to improve inspections and supports the continued safe and economic operation of the nuclear fleet. Trueflaw Ltd. (trueflaw.com) is a company based in Espoo, Finland that specializes in AI-based defect detection systems and reliability of non-destructive evaluation (NDE). Founded in 2001, Trueflaw started out making cracked samples used to test and develop NDE reliability, then expanded to provide statistical reliability evaluation services and now leverages this expertise to provide industry leading AI-based automated defect recognition systems to wide range of industries. The Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. (EPRI, www.epri.com) is an independent, tax-exempt, non-profit organization that conducts research and development relating to the generation, delivery and use of electricity for the benefit of the public, on a non-discriminatory basis. EPRI brings together its scientists and engineers, as well as experts from academia and industry, to help address challenges in electricity; including reliability, efficiency, health, safety and the environment. Founded in 1972, EPRI is the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, with offices around the world. EPRI's trusted experts collaborate with more than 450 companies in 45 countries, driving innovation to ensure the public has clean, safe, reliable, affordable, and equitable access to electricity across the globe. Together, we are shaping the future of energy. Contact: Iikka Virkkunen [email protected] +358456354415 Trueflaw Ltd. SOURCE Trueflaw Ltd. New data from Omaha Steaks reveals insights and attitudes about summer cooking and grilling habits OMAHA, Neb., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Now that it's officially summer, Americans nationwide are ready for one of their favorite activities: outdoor grilling. In fact, 76% of Americans plan to grill out more during the next six months, according to a new Harris Poll conducted on behalf of Omaha Steaks. America's 'Original Butcher' surveyed 2,000 U.S. adults going into the summer season to better understand attitudes and anticipated behaviors towards grilling, cooking, buying and eating meat. The results found 8 in 10 (79%) Americans enjoy outdoor BBQs with friends and family more than going out to a restaurant. Yet even as they are eager to grill, nearly half (48%) of Americans let fresh meat purchases go to waste, throwing out raw and fresh meat each month. In fact, Americans commonly waste between $11 and $50 monthly on raw and fresh meat that goes unconsumed. One solution, agreed on by 8 in 10 (78%) of Americans, is to stock their freezers with more high-quality meat. "Flash-frozen quality meat ensures you are ready for on-the-go summers with kids, and any-size-guest-list BBQs with friends and family. Simply quick thaw only the meat you need to reduce or eliminate the waste," said Omaha Steaks executive chef David Rose. "It's a simple solution your favorite restaurants and chefs use, and home cooks can benefit from too." Dinner made simple Six in 10 (62%) Americans don't know what they're having for dinner and 7 in 10 (73%) say they let their cravings decide what they'll eat. Yet, 8 in 10 (78%) agree a well-stocked freezer of meat would help them be more prepared when deciding what's for dinner. Not only are consumers wasting money when they throw out fresh meats, but they're also wasting time spent at grocery stores picking out the perfect - at that time meat, if their favorite cuts are available. Further, by the time most people realize their meat is going bad, it's too late to freeze it for later use because the peak freshness window recommended has expired. That's why 6 in 10 (61%) of Americans agree high-quality meat, flash-frozen, is better than fresh meat that's been sitting out in supermarkets. "It's not a surprise to see how many people let their raw or fresh meats go to waste on a regular basis," said Omaha Steaks CEO Todd Simon. "In the summer, plans and tastes change on a dime one night you're grilling steaks for two, and the next, you're making hamburgers and hot dogs for a crowd. Omaha Steaks has over a century of grilling wisdom on how to make the most of the summer season. We offer guaranteed, convenient delivery of our highest quality meats, hand butchered and flash-frozen at peak freshness so Americans can get the ultimate enjoyment out of summer gatherings at a moment's notice, no matter how many hungry guests show up." Some other key survey findings and attitudes include: Stay in and grill. Most Americans cook dinner at home 4-5 nights per week, and 70% of Americans are looking forward to hosting more outdoor BBQs this summer. Most Americans cook dinner at home 4-5 nights per week, and 70% of Americans are looking forward to hosting more outdoor BBQs this summer. Experimenting on the grill. 7 in 10 Americans have difficulty choosing meat, with most struggling to decide what type of meat they're in the mood to eat. Nearly as many (66%) plan to grill different foods more this summer than in the past, and 63% of survey respondents agreed they enjoy experimenting with the latest grilling trends. 7 in 10 Americans have difficulty choosing meat, with most struggling to decide what type of meat they're in the mood to eat. Nearly as many (66%) plan to grill different foods more this summer than in the past, and 63% of survey respondents agreed they enjoy experimenting with the latest grilling trends. Grilling is America's pastime. 56% of Americans are passionate about grilling as a hobby. For most, the grilling atmosphere is their favorite part of the experience. 56% of Americans are passionate about grilling as a hobby. For most, the grilling atmosphere is their favorite part of the experience. Nothing goes to waste. Nearly 6 in 10 (59%) Americans want to reduce the amount of fresh meat they waste due to spoilage, and 58% are interested in buying more high-quality frozen meat to reduce meat wasted. With an array of choices flash-frozen at their peak steaks, burgers and seafood to desserts, side dishes and more, Omaha Steaks is ready to make summer grilling easier and a lot less wasteful. To learn about all the best grilling techniques, recipes and tips from Omaha Steaks executive chef David Rose, check out The Block. For more information, visit OmahaSteaks.com, and be sure to follow @OmahaSteaks on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. About Omaha Steaks Omaha Steaks, America's Original Butcher, founded in 1917, is an Omaha, Nebraska-based, fifth-generation, family-owned company, who has a history of supporting food security through long-standing relationships with food banks, and partnerships with national organizations to provide food to those in need during natural disasters and during the pandemic. Omaha Steaks markets and distributes a wide variety of the finest quality USDA-approved, grain-fed beef and other gourmet foods including seafood, pork, poultry, slow cooker and skillet meals, side dishes, appetizers and desserts. Today, Omaha Steaks is recognized as the nation's largest direct response marketer of premium beef and gourmet foods, available to customers by calling 1-800-228-9055, online at www.OmahaSteaks.com or at retail stores nationwide. Contact: Libby Hudson Phone: (314) 552-6719 E-mail: [email protected] Contact: Kathleen Al-Marhoon, APR Phone: (402) 597-8220 E-mail: [email protected] Survey was conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of Omaha Steaks from March 18 to 24, 2021, among 2,000 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. SOURCE Omaha Steaks INDIANAPOLIS, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- American College of Education (ACE), accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a leading provider of online and affordable higher education, announced that its president, Dr. Shawntel Landry, will be stepping down after nearly 13 years in leadership roles at the college. Landry, who has overseen an era of record student growth and exceptional performance by the institution in its finances and across all areas of specialties, said she plans to take time off to consider the next steps in her education-centric career. She will stay until Sept. 30 to help the Board of Trustees fill the top post and assist in an orderly transition at ACE, widely recognized for offering high-quality, affordable doctorate, master's and bachelor's degrees, along with micro-credentials and graduate-level certificate programs. "I've had the privilege and honor to lead this amazing college of talented individuals during an extraordinary stretch," Landry said. "Now is the time to move on to the next chapter of my life's work, and I leave knowing our faculty and staff are well positioned to keep up the momentum that has seen ACE deliver much-needed support for professionals nationwide." The board will begin a national search for a new president and CEO, a change in title and scope that reflects ACE's recent program enhancements and growth plans, including educational partnerships offering online graduate credit courses for teacher license renewal and professional development; expansion of STEM, health and wellness and other related degrees; and accelerated efforts to help students make an immediate return on their investment. ACE's unique model of using real-world experience in its courses allows faculty to share their expertise with students for practical application in day-to-day practices, networking, career advancement and more. "We are indebted to Shawntel, whose dedication to excellence has made our college a stronger, more dynamic and more visible institution. It's been a transformational tenure that has elevated ACE as a leader in online higher education programs. She has been instrumental in setting us on a course toward even greater eminence and impact, and we wish her all the best in her further endeavors," said the Board of Trustees chair, Dr. Jeri Nowakowski. Landry, an advocate for student-first approaches to scalable operations and programming, joined ACE in 2009 as a senior vice president. Becoming president in 2013, she led the college through development of a new mission, vision, and strategic plan. That included adding the new disciplines of healthcare, nursing, and business. Under her leadership, ACE's student population has grown over 100%, with more than 7,500 current students and a network of more than 31,000 alumni across 50 states and 84 countries. ACE has kept costs low, with 85% of students graduating with no student debt. Since 2012, students have received more than $9 million in institutional scholarships and grants, including $1.9 million in the most recent year. Program expansion has been a major focus as the graduate college that started with two main education offerings now has 75 programs and bachelor's, master's, specialist, and doctorate degrees in education, healthcare, nursing and business. "Together, we have grown the college in so many ways, touching so many lives," Landry said. "All of this was achieved as a result of our mission, our heart for service and our commitment to a student-first culture. I look forward to seeing the college continue to prosper and grow." ACE is top-ranked among institutions of higher learning in the number of degrees it has conferred in key, competitive disciplines, based on the most recent U.S. Department of Education data. That includes being No. 1 for most degrees conferred in health and wellness education, STEM education and English as second language/bilingual education. It is No. 2 in degrees conferred in educational technology, educational leadership and literacy. At the master's in education level, ACE is ranked third for most conferred degrees nationwide. At the doctorate in education level, ACE is ranked ninth for most conferred degrees nationwide. Currently, ACE has eight state-level non-profit partnerships, two national non-profit partnerships, more than 2,300 academic or education partnerships, more than 250 partners in the healthcare and business fields. Together, these partnerships help ACE reach more than an estimated 3 million professionals across the country. Among other milestones during Landry's tenure: Across all programs, a 90% satisfaction rate among students and an overwhelming job preparedness rate. Employer satisfaction with graduates rated at 95% in a survey last year. Six consecutive years of Best Places to Work awards in Indiana . . A winner of the 2022 Top Workplaces USA award, a national award recognizing its support of a flexible, inclusive and innovative environment for all employees. award, a national award recognizing its support of a flexible, inclusive and innovative environment for all employees. A winner of four First Quarter 2022 Culture Awards through the national Top Workplaces USA program: Innovation, Work-Life Flexibility, Leadership, and Purpose and Values. program: Innovation, Work-Life Flexibility, Leadership, and Purpose and Values. The first company in Indiana that is both a Certified B Corp and a Public Benefit Corporation, emphasizing its commitment to community development, sustainable programming and expansive scholarship opportunities. Before joining ACE, Landry worked in K-8 classrooms, later serving as a curriculum writer, editor, and director for Voyager Learning. She also worked in higher education as a researcher at the Lyle School of Engineering at Southern Methodist University. She holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education and a master's degree in gifted education from University of Louisiana-Lafayette, and she has an MBA and a doctorate in educational leadership from Texas Christian University. About American College of Education American College of Education (ACE) is an accredited, 100% online university specializing in high-quality, affordable programs in education, business, leadership, healthcare and nursing. Headquartered in Indianapolis, ACE offers more than 70 innovative and engaging programs for adult students to pursue a doctorate, master's or bachelor's degree, along with micro-credentials and graduate-level certificate programs. In addition to being a leader in online education, ACE is a Certified B Corporation. Certified B Corporations are leaders of a global movement to use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. Media contact: Catherine Masri [email protected] 214-886-5870 SOURCE American College of Education Ameritas President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Lester announces officer elections. Tweet this Susanne Denby has been promoted to second vice president, sales supervision. She was previously director, wealth management and investment services. Denby earned a Bachelor of Science degree in communication from California State University, Fullerton. She also earned a certificate of merit in ancient history from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. She holds the FINRA series 7, 24, 63 and 65 licenses. Denby is licensed in life, health and variable insurance by the State of Texas. Beth Goldsmith has been promoted to second vice president, practice management and development. She was previously manager, field education and development. Goldsmith earned a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in organizational development focus from Concordia University. She earned her Bachelor of Science in music education from Nebraska Wesleyan University. She holds the FINRA series 6 and the Associate, Life Management Institute designation. She is on the national education committee for Women in Insurance and Financial Services (WIFS) and on the NAIFA Certification Committee for their LACP designation, as well as a member of the Field Development and Performance Committee for LIMRA. Samantha Vopalensky has been promoted to second vice president, development and integration. An Ameritas associate for over 25 years, she was previously director, development and integration. She obtained her Master of Professional Accountancy from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Bachelor of Arts in accounting from Doane College. Vopalensky is a Life Management Institute fellow. John Webb has been promoted to vice president, compliance, retirement plans. Previously the second vice president, compliance and risk in retirement plans, Webb has 25 years of experience in retirement plans and earned his Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in management consulting from Montreat College in North Carolina. He received a Bachelor of Science in business administration with an emphasis in accounting and a Bachelor of Arts in music from Berea College in Kentucky. An associate of Ameritas for over five years, Webb is an enrolled retirement plan agent with the IRS. He also holds the following designations from the American Retirement Association qualified 401k administrator (QKA), qualified pension administrator (QPA), tax-exempt and governmental plan consultant (TGPC) and a certified plan fiduciary advisor (CPFA). He also holds designations from the National Institute of Pension Administrator (NIPA), an accredited pension representative (APR) and an accredited pension administer (APA). Webb is also the past president of the ASPPA Benefits Council (ABC) of Greater Cincinnati and is currently the treasurer. About Ameritas Ameritas is a marketing name for Ameritas Mutual Holding Company and its affiliated subsidiary companies, including Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. and Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. of New York. Founded in 1887, Ameritas offers a wide range of insurance and financial products and services to individuals, families and businesses. These products and services include life insurance; annuities; individual disability income insurance; group dental, vision and hearing care insurance; retirement plans; investments; asset management; and public finance. Securities offered through affiliate Ameritas Investment Company LLC., member FINRA/SIPC, and investment advisory services offered through affiliate Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC. For more information, visit ameritas.com. Contact: Derek Rayment, Sr. Media Relations Specialist Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. Phone: 402-467-7850 [email protected] SOURCE Ameritas Physician Services is the leading strategy into key markets of Washington, Oregon and Florida NEWARK, Del., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Asenda Health Inc. (the "Company"), through its wholly owned subsidiary Kater Medical, has acquired a controlling 61% interest in Washington based Post Acute Healthcare ("Post Acute") with commitment to purchase the remaining 39% over the next two years. Post Acute is an outsourced physician services business currently conducting 3,000 monthly patient encounters through contracts with 18 long-term care and skilled nursing facilities in Washington and Oregon. " At this stage of Asenda Health's life cycle, it is vital to identify opportunities to connect with patients' care on a daily basis so that we can collect, process and analyze the data as part of our technology platform development. By simultaneously developing and validating our Asenda technology, we will be in the best position to monetize the only connected solution in healthcare that will ultimately drive superior patient outcomes while lowering costs and risks in the industry" said Mark Catroppa, Chief Executive Officer of Asenda Health. "The acquisition of Post Acute is inline with our strategy and fast-tracks our entry into the attractive and large Florida market". Asenda Health not only completed the transaction in a cash effective way whereby 55% of the initial consideration was paid in Asenda Health shares, but more importantly, successfully aligned the founders of Post Acute with all other shareholders of the Company was of vital importance. Asenda Health is also delighted to announce that the three principal owners and operators of Post Acute have agreed to join the Company in important senior roles to oversee and drive growth in the Company's Physician Services business nationally. "Asenda Health is immensely focused on assembling the strongest people to curate our culture and scale our business nationally, so welcoming the founders and their team to Asenda Health is an important event in our short history" said Jessica Muzquiz, Chief Human Resource Officer of Asenda Health. Lastly, sellers of Post Acute are heavily incentivized to drive growth as cash performance-based adjustments that are based on 2023 revenue, will be reflected in a final cash payment on or before April 30, 2024. Following the acquisition of Post Acute, Asenda Health has developed a relationship with one of the leading long-term care and skilled nursing facility operators in Florida. Asenda Health has entered into a definitive commercial contract to commence Physician Services in an initial 26 facilities across the state starting July 2022. "The ability to enter Florida with a strong and large local partner will not only propel the growth of our Physician Services business but facilitate quicker development and monetization of our Pharmacy Services" said Dr. Jodhvir Sarai, Chief Operating Officer of Asenda Health. "Enrolling these patients onto the Asenda technology platform will add tremendous value and validation to Asenda, our patients, and our partners." It is expected that the acquisition of Post Acute and the entry into Florida will add $19.9 million and $3.2 million (post synergies) in revenue and EBITDA respectively during the first year (based on existing contracts only). Furthermore, and where the long-term monetization opportunity is tremendous, the acquisition will lead to the enrollment of 3,800 unique monthly patients or just over 50,000 per year on to the Asenda platform. About Asenda Health Asenda Health Inc. (formerly known as Healthstore Holdings Inc.) is determined to build the only connected platform in the chronic care healthcare industry, where providers can collect, exchange, analyze, and act on patient data in real-time. Through its proprietary Asenda software coupled with pharmacy operations and physician services practices, the company will have a disruptive impact on the industry. Resulting in lower costs and financial risks for payers, hospital/facility groups and providers while improving patient outcomes. Asenda Health currently has 140 employees in California and Texas serving more than 25,000 chronic care patients. Contact Details: Karim P. Salamatian, CFA Chief Financial Officer Asenda Health Inc. +1.713.337.3008 [email protected] SOURCE Asenda Health Direct Support Professionals offered industry-leading compensation for helping people with I/DD achieve independent, fulfilling lives COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Circulo Health, provider of services that facilitate full-circle social, behavioral and physical health, is raising the bar on high-quality services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) by offering care to hundreds of Ohio families across the state. Through expansion of its Circulo Homes division, the company is improving the health and independence of people with I/DD, who in general experience far worse physical and mental health conditions than people without disabilities. Over half (54.4%) of Ohio adults with I/DD report their overall health status as "fair" or "poor," compared to fewer than 9% of Ohio adults without disabilities, according to a report from the University of Cincinnati Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. They experience up to seven times more social isolation and lack of companionship than Ohioans without disabilities. And Ohio adults with I/DD have rates of heart disease, hypertension, stroke, high cholesterol, diabetes, and asthma that are up to five times higher than those of Ohio adults without disabilities, according to the report. Circulo is expanding to support more people across the state and country while making current services easier to manage. The company plans to expand its current home and community-based services from six Ohio counties to all 88 counties in the state within the next year. To staff the expansion, Circulo is planning to hire over 1,000 new direct support professionals (DSPs), managers and staff in Ohio this year, offering the industry's most competitive pay package, including broad education for those for whom DSP is a new career. "Circulo Homes is building a culture of empowerment and respect for the I/DD community to enable three of the most important things we can provide: Independence, Equity and Inclusion," said Tom McMahon, Vice President of I/DD at Circulo. "In the process, we expect to significantly lower healthcare costs as we support people with I/DD across Ohio in their pursuit of healthy, enjoyable and fulfilling lives." McMahon continued, "And part of the way we accomplish that is by ensuring that our direct support professionals feel valued and know we have their backs, with the industry's most competitive pay, benefits, training and support." In-Person Hiring Events in June Anyone interested in a new caregiving career is invited to attend two upcoming Circulo hiring fairs. Attendees can apply, interview, and get hired all in one place. Circulo is welcoming walk-ins to this event. Both hiring fairs will be held at Home2 Suites by Hilton, 400 Coleman's Crossing Boulevard, Marysville, OH 43040. Top Overall Compensation Package Circulo's full-time DSP team members receive the industry's most generous total compensation package. Direct compensation for DSPs includes: $4,000 in retention bonuses paid periodically throughout the first year of employment in retention bonuses paid periodically throughout the first year of employment Starting pay of $17 /hour for high school graduates or GED after 60 hours of training /hour for high school graduates or GED after 60 hours of training Fully paid health insurance for employees and their families Holiday pay of $30 /hour /hour Cost-of-living and merit increases every 6 months To learn more about joining the Circulo team, visit www.CirculoDSP.com. About Circulo Health Circulo Health is building the future of health by addressing the full circle of health determinants social, behavioral and physical. We believe that everyone deserves personalized and proactive care that extends beyond their medical needs. Circulo helps people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) live fulfilling lives with a tech-enabled, human-centered and holistic approach that delivers optimal health and independence. Media Contact: Todd Stein [email protected] 510-417-0612 SOURCE Circulo Health The rollout of CivicEye software will provide Methuen police officers with mission-critical, real-time communication, reporting, and analytics. The Methuen Police Department joins 80 agencies across the US that are using CivicEye software to modernize operations and better serve their communities. "After a year-long search with particular requests, Client Success Manager Gary Holliday and the team at CivicEye were willing and able to accept the challenge. I am elated to be part of bringing a future-forward, COMPSTAT-capable, cloud-based system to the City of Methuen. It was not easy to satisfy, but Gary and the team at CivicEye rose to the challenge, and we are looking forward to a productive and successful relationship with CivicEye," said Sgt Scott Lever, Methuen Police Department. CivicEye will deliver a software system to Methuen PD providing integrated communication between dispatch and officers in the field, seamless transfer of information to a modern records management system, efficient management of the city jail, and an advanced suite of data and crime analytics to assist police leaders in officer deployment, staffing, and strategic planning. CivicEye software will be fully integrated with the state of Massachusetts and is Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Incident-Based Reporting System compliant and meets all the requirements of the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services. "Methuen Police Department has been at the forefront of community advocacy, and we're honored that they recognized our team and software as the best fit for their needs," said Khristian Gutierrez, CEO of CivicEye. "We're thrilled to partner with Chief McNamara and the MPD as it drives innovation, transparency, and innovative policing as a model for public safety professionals across the nation." About CivicEye CivicEye provides advanced cloud-based software solutions that support public safety professionals and helps save lives. The company combines a deep understanding of law enforcement and public safety with an unrivaled technology platform, bringing robust, easy-to-use solutions to law enforcement, drug control, prosecution, campus police, private security, and fusion centers. Media Contact: Shannon McGevna, [email protected] Sales Contact: Nathan Leatherwood, [email protected] SOURCE CivicEye "We are excited to welcome Mr. Lewis to the team," said Jennifer Porter, chief operating officer for Commonwealth Hotels. "This is a pivotal time for our organization, and we welcome Isaiah's experience as we continue to grow our portfolio." As general manager, Lewis is responsible for overseeing and executing the hotel and property operations, including staff management, guest satisfaction, and community relations. Prior to joining The Hampton Inn Louisville Airport, Lewis served in multiple leadership roles with White Lodging Services and the Malcolm Bryant Corporation, LLC. Starting as a front desk clerk at the Louisville Marriott Downtown in 2016, Lewis worked his way up the hospitality ladder until becoming general manager of several Hampton Inns. Lewis holds several bachelor's degrees in English, Political Science, and Spanish from the University of Louisville. Lewis resides in Louisville, Kentucky where he enjoys traveling and spending time with his family and friends. About Commonwealth Hotels, LLC Commonwealth Hotels, LLC was founded in 1986 and is a proven partner in providing hotel management services with superior financial results. The company has extensive experience managing premium branded full service and select service hotels. Commonwealth Hotels currently manages 61 properties with nearly 7,600 rooms. Additional information may be found at www.commonwealthhotels.com. Contact Barbara E. Willen Commonwealth Hotels, LLC [email protected] 859.392-2254 SOURCE Commonwealth Hotels, Inc. NEWARK, Del., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- We are writing to notify you of an incident that may affect the security of your personal information. On February 25, 2022, Christiana Spine Center, P.A. ("CSC") discovered unauthorized activity on our system. We are providing this notice to ensure that you are aware of the incident and so that you may take steps to monitor your identity, financial accounts and any existing credit file should you feel it is appropriate to do so. While we have no evidence that any of your personal information was compromised or misused in any manner, we are taking appropriate precautionary measures to ensure your financial security and help alleviate concerns you may have. What is CSC doing to address this situation? Upon learning of the unauthorized activity on our system, CSC immediately launched an internal investigation into this incident. This investigation revealed that we were victims of a ransomware attack into our computer network. CSC retained several external, nationally recognized computer forensic experts to confirm these findings and to identify the full extent of data potentially exposed as result of this incident. While the investigation and restoration is ongoing, it is possible that files containing names, addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers, health insurance identification number and personal health information may have been accessed during this incident. In response to the incident, we are providing identity monitoring services at no charge. These services provide alerts for twelve months from the date of enrollment when changes occur to any one of your Experian, Equifax or TransUnion credit files. This notification is sent to you the same day that the change or update takes place with the bureau. These services will be provided by Epiq through TransUnion, a company specializing in fraud assistance and remediation services. How do I enroll for the free services? To enroll in Credit Monitoring* services at no charge, please call 1-866-845-3116 from 9:00 am 9:00 pm Eastern, Monday through Friday and follow the instructions provided. In order for you to receive the monitoring services described above, you must enroll within 90 days from the date of this letter. What can I do on my own to address this situation? To further protect against possible identity theft, fraud or other financial loss, we encourage you to remain vigilant, to review your account statement, to monitor your credit reports for suspicious activity, and to only respond to emails from a known/authenticated sender. If you choose not to use these services, we strongly urge you to do the following: * Services marked with an "*" require an internet connection and e-mail account and may not be available to minors under the age of 18 years of age. Please note that when signing up for monitoring services, you may be asked to verify personal information for your own protection to confirm your identity. If you choose to place a fraud alert on your own, you will need to contact one of the three major credit agencies directly at: Experian (1-888-397-3742) Equifax (1-800-525-6285) TransUnion (1-800-680-7289) P.O. Box 4500 P.O. Box 740241 P.O. Box 2000 Allen, TX 75013 Atlanta, GA 30374 Chester, PA 19016 www.experian.com www.equifax.com www.transunion.com Also, should you wish to obtain a credit report and monitor it on your own: Under U.S. law, you are entitled to one (1) free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus. You can obtain your free copies by going to the following website: www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling them toll-free at 1-877-322-8228. (Hearing impaired consumers can access their TDD service at 1-877-730-4204). Upon receipt of your credit report, we recommend that you review it carefully for any suspicious activity. we recommend that you review it carefully for any suspicious activity. You may also contact the three major credit bureaus directly to request a free copy of your credit report. At no charge, you can also have these credit bureaus place a "fraud alert" on your file that alerts creditors to take additional steps to verify your identity prior to granting credit in your name. Note, however, that because a fraud alert tells creditors to follow certain procedures to protect you, it could delay your ability to obtain credit while the agency verifies your identity. You can further educate yourself regarding identity theft, security freezes, and the steps you can take to protect yourself, by contacting your state Attorney General or the Federal Trade Commission. The Federal Trade Commission can be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580, www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsotes/idtheft, 1877-ID-THEFT (877-438-4338); TTY; 866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them, and information regarding fraud alerts and security freezes may also be obtained from the Federal Trade Commission. Instances known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and/or your state's Attorney General. What if I want to speak with CSC regarding this incident? You may still feel the need to speak with Christiana Spine Center regarding this incident. We have established a confidential assistance line for you to utilize if you have questions or concerns regarding the incident or the contents of this letter. Please call 1-866-845-3116 from 9:00 am 9:00 pm Eastern, Monday through Friday. We apologize for any inconvenience or concern that this may have caused you. Please know that we are taking steps that will prevent this from happening again in the future, and that the safety and security of your personal information remains a top priority for Christiana Spine Center. Thank you for your patience, understanding and support of Christiana Spine Center as we ensure your personal security. Sincerely, Amy Roberts Chief Executive Officer * Services marked with an "*" require an internet connection and e-mail account and may not be available to minors under the age of 18 years of age. Please note that when signing up for monitoring services, you may be asked to verify personal information for your own protection to confirm your identity. SOURCE Christiana Spine Center, P.A. Dr. Ruble (pronounced "roo-ble") has extensive experience as a physician in private, commercial and public practice, a medical school and residency leader and educator and an executive with healthcare providers. Most recently, he served as Lead Medical Director for Humana where he worked for seven years and created an innovative model of integrated medical and behavioral health and directed the clinical Utilization Management for Behavioral Health. Previously, he worked for 14 years at Cambridge Health Alliance, a division of Harvard Medical School Teaching Hospital, where he served as Associate Training Director for the residency program with duties of oversight of the curriculum, clinical rotations, supervision of teaching and clinical staff and residents' recruitment, quality initiatives, productivity, and integrated behavioral and primary care practices. With the increasing integration of clinical practices with telehealth to provide comprehensive behavioral healthcare, Dr. Ruble envisions one of his objectives as Chief Medical Officer as strengthening the alliance between patient and provider. "Measuring the strength of this alliance will be one of the most powerful predictors of outcomes. To that end, my goal is to provide evidence-based behavioral health treatment for all those who need it by expanding the access points in our current healthcare system, including telehealth, primary care practices and even schools," he says. He endorses the concept of creating a universal mental health exam for children. Given the recent advisory by U.S. Surgeon General on the nation's youth mental health crisis, Dr. Ruble says the need is urgent for creating such an annual exam that would complement the recommended annual physical exams given to school age children. "The pandemic has underscored how we need to assess mental as well physical development in children of all ages. Providing a standardized mental exam that could be administered by behavioral health clinicians, pediatricians and or primary care providers would go a long way in improving the mental health challenges experienced by youth, which existed long before COVID-19," he says. " The mass murder of elementary school students in Uvalde, Texas the 27th mass shooting at a school in the U.S. this year demands the need to think in new ways of providing mental health support to our youth and families." The opioid drug overdose crisis has continued to expand even as it's been overshadowed over the past two years by the pandemic, he says. The CDC recently issued a report that overdose deaths in 2021 from drugs increased 15 percent over the previous year to a record number of 107, 622. "There is a 60-to-80 percent comorbidity rate between substance use disorder and mental illness," he notes. Efficacious, evidence-based treatments exist for behavioral illnesses, substance use disorders and the combination of the two. Dr. Ruble, a native of Iowa, holds a medical degree from the University of Iowa College of Medicine, internship and residency in adult psychiatry from Harvard Medical School's Cambridge Health Alliance. He also completed his Chief Residency in Advanced Psychopharmacology and a Fellowship in Medical Education from Harvard Medical School. Says DBH President & CEO John Peloquin, "Later this year Discovery Behavioral Health will unveil a new integrated healthcare model that will seamlessly integrate the best of telehealth and in-person patient visits. Dr. Ruble's experience as a practicing psychiatrist, a teacher and a healthcare provider executive is foundational for meeting our goal of providing best outcomes for the treatment of eating, mental health and substance use disorders." About Discovery Behavioral Health Everyone deserves a happy, rewarding life. That's why Discovery Behavioral Health has worked to make evidence-based, outcome driven healthcare accessible and affordable since inception. With a full continuum of care detoxification, medical residences, residential treatment centers, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, outpatient, psychiatric and addiction medicine, TMS, virtual and telehealth services, we strive to offer the right care at the right time for adults or teens struggling with mental health, substance use or eating disorders. We are a contracted provider with 100 payers and other managed care organizations. Our portfolio of more than 130 treatment centers includes service lines in successful operation since 1985. When treatment is complete, our patients become part of Discovery's growing family of alumni, connected through free aftercare programs, support groups, activities, and a caring community. Because when quality behavioral healthcare is within reach, so is happiness. Press Contact: Greg Ptacek Communications Discovery Behavioral Health, Inc. 323-841-8002 mobile [email protected] SOURCE Discovery Behavioral Health The founder and CEO of Fintel Connect has been selected amongst Canada's Top Female Entrepreneurs, recognized as a Woman of Influence VANCOUVER,BC, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fintel Connect is proud to announce its founder and CEO, Nicky Senyard, has been nominated for the 30th Annual RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards. The founder and CEO of Fintel Connect has been selected amongst Canada's Top Female Entrepreneurs The RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards, sponsored by the Royal Bank of Canada, is the premier national awards program celebrating the achievements of the most successful Canadian female entrepreneurs. Now in its 30th year, tens of thousands have been nominated and over 200 women have taken home the top awards for demonstrating excellence from economic growth to social change, across multiple sectors. "It's an honour to be nominated," shares Senyard. "As a leader of a women-led technology company in financial services, I'm proud to be surrounded by talented, capable women that are shaping the future of technology and finance across Canada. It's an exciting role to be in as we help drive growth in a male-dominated industry." Senyard founded Fintel Connect, the leading specialist in performance marketing technology for financial services, in January 2020. The company provides marketing intelligence solutions for financial brands across North America and is led by an all-women C-suite team. RBC's awards showcase forward-thinking entrepreneurs who have recognized a new market, product, service, technological advancement, or opportunity and led the way. Nominees have demonstrated outstanding leadership within their company and market, and have set standards for originality, quality, and successful management. Award finalists will be announced in September 2022, and the winners will be announced at the November 2022 gala event. About Fintel Connect Fintel Connect is the leading specialist in performance marketing technology for the financial industry. As a marketing intelligence solution built specifically for financial services, Fintel Connect serves North American fintechs, banks, credit unions, and insurtechs. The company's suite of turn-key products drive scalable growth through its tracking and reporting platform, curated network of financial publishers and influencers, and AI-driven marketing compliance tools. As a proud partner of the Visa Fintech Partner Connect program, Fintel Connect is helping build the next generation of digital banking. Discover how Fintel Connect helps brands scale their growth: www.fintelconnect.com. Media inquiries: Gilian Ortillan, 604-783-1724, [email protected] For brands: Please visit https://www.fintelconnect.com/brands For publishers interested in joining our network, please visit http://www.fintelconnect.com/publishers SOURCE Fintel Connect WASHINGTON, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, leading organizations in the chemical and affiliated industries announced a significant milestone in the industry's collaborative diversity, equity and inclusion program, the Future of STEM Scholars Initiative (FOSSI). Launched in 2020, FOSSI has raised more than $17 million to fund $40,000 scholarships for over 350 students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). A nationwide program, FOSSI supports students from underrepresented communities pursuing studies in a range of preferred science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, including chemical and mechanical engineering, chemistry, and environmental sciences. In its inaugural year, FOSSI provided 151 scholarships. This fall, the program will fund an additional 144 scholarships, bringing the program closer to its goal of 1000 scholarships through 2025. Jadyn Fleming, an Arkansas native and 2021 FOSSI scholarship recipient attending Spelman College, shared why receiving this scholarship was important, "FOSSI is helping not only me, but HBCU students nationwide to pursue their goalsBy alleviating a portion of the financial burdens that I am facing, FOSSI has invested in the future of STEM." FOSSI Chairman and former CEO of The Chemours Company, Mark Vergnano, noted the importance of FOSSI in helping to create a diverse future workforce. "With an ambitious goal of funding 1000 HBCU students, FOSSI aims to have a significant and meaningful impact on the future workforce. These talented scholarship recipients bring new and diverse perspectives to help innovate the solutions that will address global challenges like clean energy and climate change." Notably, FOSSI's support goes beyond financial assistance, connecting students with nearly 60 Corporate Sponsors and a 4-year skills development program, providing leadership training, mentoring and internship opportunities at supporting organizations. Carlton Carter, a rising sophomore at Southern University and A&M College from Georgia, shared, "It made a big difference, knowing I could count on that funding. Plus, the mentoring program has been very helpful. It's given me insight into how business works and what I can expect once I finish my degree." The 2023 FOSSI application period will open on September 23. To learn more about FOSSI, visit FutureOfSTEMScholars.org. About the Future of STEM Scholars Initiative The Future of STEM Scholars Initiative was founded in 2020 by the American Chemistry Council, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, The Chemours Company, and the HBCU Week Foundation. FOSSI is a national chemical industry-wide program which provides scholarships to students pursuing degrees in relevant science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), helping to eliminate financial barriers for historically under-represented groups. Sponsored by chemical manufacturers and related industry stakeholders, FOSSI provides scholarship recipients $10,000 per year for four years and connects these students to leadership development, mentoring and internship opportunities at participating companies. Learn more at FutureofSTEMscholars.org. SOURCE American Chemistry Council Global competitiveness and key competitor percentage market shares Market presence across multiple geographies - Strong/Active/Niche/Trivial Online interactive peer-to-peer collaborative bespoke updates Access to our digital archives and MarketGlass Research Platform Complimentary updates for one year Edition: 17; Released: May 2022 Executive Pool: 454 Companies: 152 - Players covered include A.L.M.T. Corp.; Allegheny Technologies Inc.; Almonty Industries Inc.; Betek GmbH & Co. KG; Buffalo Tungsten Inc.; China Molybdenum Co., Ltd.; Chongyi Zhangyuan Tungsten Co., Ltd.; Guangdong XiangLu Tungsten Co. Ltd.; H.C. Starck GmbH; IMC Group; Kennametal, Inc.; Nippon Tungsten Co., Ltd.; Plansee Group; QuesTek Innovations LLC; Sandvik Group; Umicore N.V.; WOLFRAM Company JSC; Xiamen Tungsten Co., Ltd. and Others. Coverage: All major geographies and key segments Segments: Application (Hardmetals / Cement Carbides; Steels, Superalloys, & Wear-Resistant Alloys; Mill Products; Other Applications); End-Use (Drilling, Boring & Cutting Equipment; Automotive Parts; Aerospace Components; Logging Equipment; Electrical & Electronics Appliances; Other End-Uses) Geographies: World; USA; Canada; Japan; China; Europe; France; Germany; Italy; UK; Russia; Rest of Europe; Asia-Pacific; Latin America; Rest of World. Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry ABSTRACT- Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Tungsten estimated at 119.1 Thousand Metric Tons in the year 2022, is projected to reach a revised size of 141.4 Thousand Metric Tons by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 4% over the analysis period. Hardmetals/Cement Carbides, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to grow at a 4.2%, while growth in the Steels, SupeRalloys, & Wear-resistant Alloys segment is readjusted to a revised 3.6% CAGR. The global market for tungsten is anticipated to deliver a subdued performance over the long term, and has experienced notable turbulence in the recent years owing to China's dominance. China has been the leading refined and mine producer of the metal for the past several decades, claiming more than 80% of global mine output in the year 2020. The country commands the major share regarding production of tungsten intermediates tungsten oxide and ammonium paratungstate (APT) along with tungsten carbide and tungsten metal powder. In addition to satiating considerable demand from the domestic cemented carbide tool sector, China exports finished and refined tungsten products to other countries. Considering high influence of China, tungsten prices have witnessed notable turbulence in the recent years. The announcement of a widespread environmental reform program by China that impacted tungsten smelter sites and mining activity significantly interrupted refined and upstream tungsten supply over 2017-2018. The performance of global tungsten market in 2020 was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. European APT quotation that peaked in February and maintained the level until April felt the heat following nationwide lockdowns and other stringent restrictions enforced by several governments globally. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted supply chains and made numerous end-use sectors to suffer heavily, with aerospace and automotive sectors reporting considerable losses. The COVID-19 pandemic made the aerospace sector to face an extremely tough phase, with global deliveries of commercial aircraft declining by 40% over 2019-2020. Despite continuously increasing confirmed cases of COVID-19 across countries due to second and third waves, tungsten prices started recovering during the latter half of 2020. Though the scenario has coerced various governments to re-impose COVID-19 restrictions, global demand for the metal remains uninterrupted owing to consistent manufacturing output and announcement of vaccination programs. The market is anticipated to face some uncertainty over the coming years as various end-use industries are struggling to attain pre-pandemic levels. Vehicle production remains below the pre-COVID-19 level as well as significantly less than the production peak experienced in 2017. Tungsten demand from the automotive industry is unlikely to touch earlier levels owing to increasing adoption of electric vehicles on the expense of internal combustion engines. The tungsten market is also affected by continuing US-China trade dispute. As the trade deal in January 2020 failed to remove majority of US tariffs imposed on Chinese goods, the situation is affecting various tungsten-based products. Though the new administration in the US is expected to assume a low-tariff approach, it is unlikely to effectively mitigate trade tensions between China and the US. Tungsten producers in China have continued to face rising production costs and depleted high-grade ores owing to the safety guarantee costs, labor costs, and environmental laws. Thus, the price of ammonium paratungstate (APT) has remained firm in recent months. China's government policy, ore grades, and production levels always provide wider signals about the market price as the country is the largest exporter of tungsten. Additionally, the consumer reference prices for tenders and domestic demand in China support the global tungsten market as the country is one of the largest consumers of tungsten in the world. Global tungsten trade can witness a complete and sudden halt in exports and imports as China's government adopted a zero-tolerance stance concerning the spread of COVID-19, which can be accompanied by the closure of ports. Such a scenario can tighten the spot supply of tungsten and increase the prices. The policy followed by the Chinese government is mainly responsible for the higher prices of tungsten in the US and Europe markets. APT prices in Europe have witnessed a substantial rise in recent years. In China, reducing demand from downstream users, lower bid prices from major tungsten consumers, and a decline in ingredient costs are the major factors influencing the tungsten market in the last few months. APT prices have declined significantly in recent months after reaching record levels in the latter half of 2021 due to subdued consumption of tungsten by major end-use industries such as aerospace, construction, and automotive sectors. The price rise in the latter half of 2021 has been attributed to the substantial increase in ingredient costs for ammonium sulfide, sulfuric acid, and caustic soda and curbs on power supply in the main tungsten production hub of Ganzhou City. On the other side, there are certain breathers for the tungsten market such as promising outlook for majority of first-use sectors. While the robust demand for super-alloys and other alloys is anticipated to push overall consumption of alloys and steel, the market is likely to receive a notable impetus from healthy performance of the chemicals industry along with rising demand for semiconductors and consumer electronic products. In addition, decent performance of various segments in the cemented carbides industry is likely to counterbalance dismal demand from the automotive tooling category. The market is anticipated to gain further from commencement of operations at new mining projects. As numerous large-scale mines in Russia and China are nearing their end of useful life, they are indicating the requirement of new mines for ensuring uninterrupted supplies. More MarketGlass Platform Our MarketGlass Platform is a free full-stack knowledge center that is custom configurable to today`s busy business executive`s intelligence needs! This influencer driven interactive research platform is at the core of our primary research engagements and draws from unique perspectives of participating executives worldwide. Features include - enterprise-wide peer-to-peer collaborations; research program previews relevant to your company; 3.4 million domain expert profiles; competitive company profiles; interactive research modules; bespoke report generation; monitor market trends; competitive brands; create & publish blogs & podcasts using our primary and secondary content; track domain events worldwide; and much more. Client companies will have complete insider access to the project data stacks. Currently in use by 67,000+ domain experts worldwide. Our platform is free for qualified executives and is accessible from our website www.StrategyR.com or via our just released mobile application on iOS or Android About Global Industry Analysts, Inc. & StrategyR Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (www.strategyr.com) is a renowned market research publisher the world`s only influencer driven market research company. Proudly serving more than 42,000 clients from 36 countries, GIA is recognized for accurate forecasting of markets and industries for over 33 years. CONTACTS: Zak Ali Director, Corporate Communications Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Phone: 1-408-528-9966 www.StrategyR.com Email: [email protected] LINKS Join Our Expert Panel https://www.strategyr.com/Panelist.asp Connect With Us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-industry-analysts-inc./ Follow Us on Twitter https://twitter.com/marketbytes Journalists & Media [email protected] SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc. ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- It's not a secret that running a business requires a lot of effort and many tools to aid the process, and MegaTel Merchant Services has been providing these solutions for business owners for more than a decade. Knowing how complicated running a business can be, these solutions can assist in growing businesses and helping move business into the future with a solid foundation. There are so many things that the team at MegaTel can do for any business and the satisfaction of their customers is only one of the markers that talk about how great their services are! MegaTel Merchant Services There is one key factor that defines the services provided by MegaTel excellence! Customer service and support is part of their day-to-day practices and the team is always there to provide answers and support so you can continue running your business the way it's intended to run. This at-the-ready support can be the difference between a business being back on track in a matter of minutes and losing money until there's a solution. MegaTel staff are there to help their clients every step of the way. Some of the things that business owners can expect from their solutions are: Processing credits cards and payments to help the growth of the business Improved reviews Branding campaigns Loyalty programs Increase in customer loyalty Local support And more! Fast Product Delivery When businesses join the MegaTel partnership, they don't have to wait months before they receive the product so they can start running the business more efficiently right away. The payment processing machines from MegaTel can be shipped and delivered in a short period of time so clients can open their store or business without delays. Added to this, the products are installed quickly and easily. Competitive Prices Other business solutions, POS systems, and other payment processing machines that can be expensive and sometimes even require a certain percentage of sales or a set amount no matter the number on the transaction. With the MegaTel processing machines, businesses can rest assured that they are receiving an affordable solution that will allow them to run their business without breaking the bank. If you are thinking about starting a business, taking your current business to the next level, or changing your current systems because you are looking for better options, partnering with MegaTel Merchant Services can be the solution you are looking for. You can always contact the team of professionals that's always at your disposal and ready to get you set up in no time. Reach out today to learn more! Contact: Matthew Boone [email protected] 877.350.5999 SOURCE MegaTel Merchant Services TUSCON, Ariz., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pets are an essential part of millions of American families who treasure their furry family members. As a fact of life, people move for a variety of reasons, and will not leave their pets behind. Family is forever, pets included! Many pet owners are in distress as their pets are unable to fly on an airline due to substantial changes in the airline industry for pet friendly flights. The restrictions have increased steadily and now there are very few domestic flight options available for live animals. Happy Tails Travel, Inc For travel within the contiguous United States, there is an alternative to airline travel, which is ground transportation. There are many advantages for pets and their owners that this alterative provides for people moving or adopting a pet. Ground transportation is a door-to-door service, so no family member needs to leave their home on either end. The pet is exposed to only the driver during the transport, unlike air travel where pets are exposed to several people and pets throughout the journey. There are no restrictions on breed, size, or temperatures. One on one care of the pet 24/7 with continuous communication provides peace of mind for the pet's family. Although one can drive their own cat or dog, there are many times where it is simply not possible due to logistics, timing, having the correct vehicle, or owner's preference due to extra stops for dogs or meowing from cats. A professional long distance pet transport service can help with all of logistics from start to finish to provide a safe and comfortable journey for pets across the country. Some companies offer private transport with only one pet family at a time, directly from home to home. Others take several pets from different families from several areas of the country at a time. The services do vary on what is included, so conducting research to find the best fit and price for your pets' needs is important, as well as, checking on reputation, credentials, and social media reviews. After 24 years in business providing 100% air travel, Happy Travel saw a significant decline in people wanting their pets to fly and faced challenges finding pet friendly flights for those that did. Since our inception of our private ground transportation service 3 years ago, it is now 25% By Air with Care and 75% By Ground Safe & Sound. At times it is necessary to combine these two services, in such situations as when a flight can only get into a major airport and from there it is several hundred miles to the new home, which must be covered by ground transportation. When people find out that a move is happening, many times their number one concern is their pets and how to make it happen. By hiring a professional pet relocation company, the best transport options are presented, the logistics of driving or flying are handled, and excellent customs service and care for their pets can be provided; all while offering peace of mind for pet parents. This provides a big relief so that pet owners can concentrate on all the other details of their big move. Media Contact: Bridget Monrad 520-850-0890 [email protected] SOURCE Happy Tails Travel, Inc NEW YORK, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Klein Law Firm announces that a class action complaint has been filed on behalf of shareholders of International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE: IBM) alleging that the Company violated federal securities laws. Class Period: April 4, 2017 to October 20, 2021 Lead Plaintiff Deadline: June 6, 2022 No obligation or cost to you. Learn more about your recoverable losses in IBM: https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/international-business-machines-corporation-loss-submission-form?id=27803&from=4 International Business Machines Corporation NEWS - IBM NEWS CLASS ACTION CASE DETAILS: The filed complaint alleges that International Business Machines Corporation made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Strategic Imperatives Revenue and growth, CAMSS and CAMSS Components' revenue and growth, and the Company's Segments' revenue and growth were artificially inflated as a result of the wrongful reclassification of revenues from non-strategic to strategic to make those revenues eligible for treatment as Strategic Imperatives Revenue; (ii) the Company's present success and positive future growth prospects concerning its Strategic Imperative business strategy were being fueled by the wrongful reclassification of revenues from non-strategic to strategic to make those revenues eligible for treatment as Strategic Imperative Revenue and, as a result (iii) the Company misled the market by portraying the Company's Strategic Imperative's financial performance and future prospects more favorable than they actually were as a result of the wrongful reclassification of revenues from non-strategic to strategic to make those revenues eligible for treatment as Strategic Imperatives. WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU AS A SHAREHOLDER: If you have suffered a loss in IBM you have until June 6, 2022 to petition the court for lead plaintiff status. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff. NO COST TO YOU: If you purchased IBM securities during the relevant period, you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out-of-pocket fees. HOW TO PROTECT YOUR FINANCIAL INTERESTS: For additional information about the IBM lawsuit, please contact J. Klein, Esq. by telephone at 212-616-4899 or click this link: https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/international-business-machines-corporation-loss-submission-form?id=27803&from=4. ABOUT KLEIN LAW FIRM J. Klein, Esq. represents investors and participates in securities litigations involving financial fraud throughout the nation. The Klein Law Firm is a boutique litigation firm with experience in a wide range of areas including securities law, corporate finance and commercial litigation. Since 2011, our experienced attorneys have achieved superior results for our clients with a personalized focus. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. CONTACT: J. Klein, Esq. Empire State Building 350 Fifth Avenue 59th Floor New York, NY 10118 [email protected] Telephone: (212) 616-4899 www.kleinstocklaw.com SOURCE The Klein Law Firm DUBLIN, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Space Launch Services Market (2022-2027) by Launch Platform, Vehicle Size, Orbit, Payload, Service, End User, Geography, Competitive Analysis and the Impact of Covid-19 with Ansoff Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Global Space Launch Services Market is estimated to be USD 14.13 Bn in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 29.27 Bn by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 15.68%. Market dynamics are forces that impact the prices and behaviors of the Global Space Launch Services Market stakeholders. These forces create pricing signals which result from the changes in the supply and demand curves for a given product or service. Forces of Market Dynamics may be related to macro-economic and micro-economic factors. There are dynamic market forces other than price, demand, and supply. Human emotions can also drive decisions, influence the market, and create price signals. As the market dynamics impact the supply and demand curves, decision-makers aim to determine the best way to use various financial tools to stem various strategies for speeding the growth and reducing the risks. Company Profiles The report provides a detailed analysis of the competitors in the market. It covers the financial performance analysis for the publicly listed companies in the market. The report also offers detailed information on the companies' recent development and competitive scenario. Some of the companies covered in this report are Antrix Corporation, Arianespace, Astrogate Labs, Astroscale, Bellatrix Aerospace, Blue Origin, LLC, Boeing Company, China Great Wall Industry Corporation, Dhruva Space, Earth-i, Eurockoti Launch Service Provider, ILS International, ISC Kosmotras, ISRO, ISC Kosmotras, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Lockheed Martin Corporation, etc. Countries Studied America ( Argentina , Brazil , Canada , Chile , Colombia , Mexico , Peru , United States , Rest of - Americas) , , , , , , , , Rest of - Americas) Europe ( Austria , Belgium , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , Italy , Netherlands , Norway , Poland , Russia , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland , United Kingdom , Rest of - Europe ) ( , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Rest of - ) Middle-East and Africa ( Egypt , Israel , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , South Africa , United Arab Emirates , Rest of MEA. and ( , , , , , , Rest of MEA. Asia-Pacific ( Australia , Bangladesh , China , India , Indonesia , Japan , Malaysia , Philippines , Singapore , South Korea , Sri Lanka , Thailand , Taiwan , Rest of Asia-Pacific ) Competitive Quadrant The report includes Competitive Quadrant, a proprietary tool to analyze and evaluate the position of companies based on their Industry Position score and Market Performance score. The tool uses various factors for categorizing the players into four categories. Some of these factors considered for analysis are financial performance over the last 3 years, growth strategies, innovation score, new product launches, investments, growth in market share, etc. Ansoff Analysis The report presents a detailed Ansoff matrix analysis for the Global Space Launch Services Market. Ansoff Matrix, also known as Product/Market Expansion Grid, is a strategic tool used to design strategies for the growth of the company. The matrix can be used to evaluate approaches in four strategies viz. Market Development, Market Penetration, Product Development and Diversification. The matrix is also used for risk analysis to understand the risk involved with each approach. The analyst analyses Global Space Launch Services Market using the Ansoff Matrix to provide the best approaches a company can take to improve its market position. Based on the SWOT analysis conducted on the industry and industry players, the analyst has devised suitable strategies for market growth. Why buy this report? The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global Space Launch Services Market. The report includes in-depth qualitative analysis, verifiable data from authentic sources, and projections about market size. The projections are calculated using proven research methodologies. The report has been compiled through extensive primary and secondary research. The primary research is done through interviews, surveys, and observation of renowned personnel in the industry. The report includes an in-depth market analysis using Porter's 5 forces model and the Ansoff Matrix. In addition, the impact of Covid-19 on the market is also featured in the report. The report also includes the regulatory scenario in the industry, which will help you make a well-informed decision. The report discusses major regulatory bodies and major rules and regulations imposed on this sector across various geographies. The report also contains the competitive analysis using Positioning Quadrants, the analyst's competitive positioning tool. Key Topics Covered: 1 Report Description 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Market Dynamics 4.1 Drivers 4.1.1 Increase In Small Satellite Deployments 4.1.2 Increasing Applications and Services of Satellites 4.1.3 Increasing Investment In Space Exploration Mission 4.2 Restraints 4.2.1 Rising Volume Of Space Debris 4.2.2 Stringent Regulations 4.3 Opportunities 4.3.1 Increasing Ground Station Network as a Service for Next-Generation Satellites 4.3.2 Space Tourism 4.3.3 Expand Satellite Capacity and Related Infrastructure 4.4 Challenges 4.4.1 Interoperability Issues 4.4.2 Absence of A Dedicated Small Satellite Launch Vehicle 5 Market Analysis 5.1 Regulatory Scenario 5.2 Porter's Five Forces Analysis 5.3 Impact of COVID-19 5.4 Ansoff Matrix Analysis 6 Global Space Launch Services Market, By Launch Platform 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Air 6.3 Land 6.4 Sea 7 Global Space Launch Services Market, By Vehicle Size 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Medium to Heavy Vehicles 7.3 Small Lift Launch Vehicles 8 Global Space Launch Services Market, By Orbit 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Beyond Geosynchronous Orbit 8.3 Geosynchronous Orbit 8.4 Low Earth Orbit 8.5 Medium Earth Orbit 9 Global Space Launch Services Market, By Payload 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Satellite 9.3 Large Satellite 9.4 Medium Satellite 9.5 Small Satellite 9.6 Nano-Satellites 9.7 Micro-Satellites 9.8 Minisatellites 9.9 Stratollite 9.10 Testing Probes 10 Global Space Launch Services Market, By Service 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Post Launch Service 10.2.1 Launch and Early Operations Phase 10.2.2 Re-Supply Missions 10.2.3 Stabilization 10.3 Pre Launch Service 10.3.1 Insurance 10.3.2 Integration & Logistics 10.3.3 Launch Acquisition & Coordination 10.3.4 Management Services 10.3.5 Tracking, Data 11 Global Space Launch Services Market, By End User 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Defence 11.3 Private Companies 11.4 Satelite Services Providers 11.5 Space Agencies 12 Americas' Space Launch Services Market 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Argentina 12.3 Brazil 12.4 Canada 12.5 Chile 12.6 Colombia 12.7 Mexico 12.8 Peru 12.9 United States 12.10 Rest of Americas 13 Europe's Space Launch Services Market 13.1 Introduction 13.2 Austria 13.3 Belgium 13.4 Denmark 13.5 Finland 13.6 France 13.7 Germany 13.8 Italy 13.9 Netherlands 13.10 Norway 13.11 Poland 13.12 Russia 13.13 Spain 13.14 Sweden 13.15 Switzerland 13.16 United Kingdom 13.17 Rest of Europe 14 Middle East and Africa's Space Launch Services Market 14.1 Introduction 14.2 Egypt 14.3 Israel 14.4 Qatar 14.5 Saudi Arabia 14.6 South Africa 14.7 United Arab Emirates 14.8 Rest of MEA 15 APAC's Space Launch Services Market 15.1 Introduction 15.2 Australia 15.3 Bangladesh 15.4 China 15.5 India 15.6 Indonesia 15.7 Japan 15.8 Malaysia 15.9 Philippines 15.10 Singapore 15.11 South Korea 15.12 Sri Lanka 15.13 Thailand 15.14 Taiwan 15.15 Rest of Asia-Pacific 16 Competitive Landscape 16.1 Competitive Quadrant 16.2 Market Share Analysis 16.3 Strategic Initiatives 16.3.1 M&A and Investments 16.3.2 Partnerships and Collaborations 16.3.3 Product Developments and Improvements 17 Company Profiles 17.1 Antrix Corporation 17.2 Arianespace 17.3 Astrogate Labs 17.4 Astroscale 17.5 Bellatrix Aerospace 17.6 Blue Origin, LLC 17.7 Boeing Company 17.8 China Great Wall Industry Corporation 17.9 Dhruva Space 17.10 Earth-i 17.11 Eurockoti Launch Service Provider 17.12 ILS International 17.13 ISC Kosmotras 17.14 ISRO 17.15 ISC Kosmotras 17.16 Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency 17.17 Lockheed Martin Corporation 17.18 Maxar Space 17.19 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries 17.20 NASA 17.21 Oxford Space Systems Seradata 17.22 Raytheon Company 17.23 Sierra Nevada Corporation 17.24 Skyrora 17.25 Space Exploration Technologies corporation 17.26 Space International Services Inc. 17.27 Spaceflight 17.28 Starsem 17.29 United Launch Alliance, LLC 18 Appendix For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/494lle Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Innovative New Double Barrel Aged Inspiro Tequila Rosa Reposado Launches in the U.S. CHICAGO, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Inspiro Tequila, which launched in the U.S. in 2021 to bring a fresh new female perspective to the growing tequila category, just announced the release of an innovative new addition to their portfolio, Inspiro Tequila Rosa Reposado. Inspiro Tequila Rosa Reposado is the first-of-its-kind, small batch, 100% Blue Weber Agave tequila aged in rose wine oak casks. Tweet this Inspiro Tequila Rosa Reposado This unique expression is carefully distilled from the highest-quality, hand-selected 100% Blue Weber Agave before it is aged in oak casks that were previously used for rose wine. The Rosa Reposado is then finished in pinot noir wine barrels for a short period to impart a beautiful rose gold color and create an exceptionally complex and unique taste profile. Like Inspiro Tequila Luna Blanco (the brand's first release), the new Inspiro Tequila Rosa Reposado is confirmed additive-free and Kosher certified. Mara Smith, a former attorney in Chicago, founded Inspiro Tequila, a brand created, owned, and led by women. Smith started drinking tequila when she was looking for a clean, gluten-free spirit that fit into her active lifestyle. She searched for a tequila brand that was additive-free with a look, taste, and aroma that appealed to her. That perfect tequila simply did not exist, so she decided to create one. Smith's goal was also to help make women feel more seen and relevant in the spirits industry by having women involved in every step of the process. She enlisted legendary maestra tequilera, Ana Maria Romero Mena, one of the preeminent master distillers in the tequila industry in Mexico, to create the taste profiles and meticulous process for Inspiro Tequila. "My friends and I enjoy the light and crisp flavor of rose wine, but we don't like the after-effects of drinking sugar-laden wines. So, I thought it would be interesting to explore the taste profile of tequila aged in rose wine barrels This is an easy-to-drink reposado with distinctive fruit and honey notes and a beautiful rose gold color all naturally achieved without the use of any additives," said Smith. "While some other tequilas are rested in wine barrels, none are aged in rose barrels, and none taste quite like this. That is what makes Inspiro Tequila Rosa Reposado truly so innovative and unique." Perfect for sipping, Inspiro Tequila Rosa Reposado is characterized by its toffee, vanilla, and white chocolate aromas, with a balanced taste of fresh cooked agave married with sweet and complex notes of vanilla, red berries, nuts, and roasted pineapple. The finish is long-lasting, light, and silky. Inspiro Tequila Rosa Reposado is packaged in the same bottle as Inspiro Tequila Luna Blanco, an elegant and sleek custom designed bottle that is easy to hold and pour. The word "Inspiro" is Spanish for "inspire." Smith credits her mother and grandmother both strong women in her life for her drive to succeed. They are her role models and her inspiration, and they instilled in her the belief that she could do anything if she worked hard enough. She hopes to share that confidence with other women by establishing the Inspiro Purple Bicycle Project to give back by supporting and inspiring other female entrepreneurs to follow their passion. Inspiro Tequila can be purchased at InspiroTequila.com to be delivered across the U.S., and it is available in Illinois and other select local markets. To learn more about Inspiro Tequila and the Inspiro Purple Bicycle Project, please visit www.InspiroTequila.com and follow the brand on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. About Inspiro Tequila: Inspiro Tequila was born with a vision to redefine what it means to enjoy tequila, by crafting a clean, smooth and sippable 100% Blue Weber Agave ultra-premium tequila without any additives (Inspiro Tequila is proudly confirmed additive-free by the tequila industry experts at Tequila Matchmaker.) Inspiro Tequila is also certified by WBENC, the most widely recognized and respected national certification for women-owned businesses in the U.S. Contact: Ronica Cleary Media & Press Relations [email protected] 302-414-9977 SOURCE Inspiro Tequila PITTSBURGH, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "I thought there should be a convenient and comfortable way to enjoy a screen house in your backyard," said an inventor, from Haverhill, Mass., "so I invented the PULL OUT SCREEN HOUSE. My design would provide protection against pesky bugs and it could increase privacy." The patent-pending invention provides a convenient way to erect a screen house outside a home. In doing so, it offers a private and insect-free space. As a result, it enhances comfort and it could make an outdoor space more enjoyable. The invention features a practical design that is easy to assemble and use so it is ideal for households. The original design was submitted to the Boston sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 20-BMA-5624, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com. SOURCE InventHelp MT. PLEASANT, Mich., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Isabella Bank Corporation (OTCQX: ISBA) today announced its Board of Directors declared a second-quarter cash dividend of $0.27 per common share at its regular meeting on May 25, 2022. The dividend will be payable June 30, 2022, to shareholders of record as of June 28, 2022. Based on ISBA's closing stock price of $25.00 per share as of May 25, 2022, the annualized cash dividend yield is 4.32%. "I am pleased to announce the second quarter cash dividend of $0.27. Our second quarter dividend, coupled with a strong start to 2022 and record financial results for 2021, demonstrate our unwavering commitment to increasing shareholder value and, most importantly, the value of our stock," said Jae A. Evans, President and Chief Executive Officer. About the Corporation Isabella Bank Corporation (OTCQX: ISBA) is the parent holding company of Isabella Bank, a state chartered community bank headquartered in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. Isabella Bank was established in 1903 and has been committed to serving the local banking needs of its customers and communities for 119 years. The Bank offers personal and commercial lending and deposit products, as well as investment, trust and estate planning services through Isabella Wealth. The Bank has locations throughout seven Mid-Michigan counties: Clare, Gratiot, Isabella, Mecosta, Midland, Montcalm, and Saginaw. For more information about Isabella Bank Corporation, visit the Invest in Us link at www.isabellabank.com. Isabella Bank Corporation common stock is quoted on the OTCQX tier of the OTC Markets Group, Inc.'s electronic quotation system (www.otcmarkets.com) under the symbol "ISBA." The Corporation's market maker is Boenning & Scattergood, Inc. (www.boenninginc.com) and its investor relations firm is Renmark Financial Communications, Inc. (www.renmarkfinancial.com). Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes forward-looking statements. To the extent that the foregoing information refers to matters that may occur in the future, please be aware that such forward-looking statements may differ materially from actual results. Additional information concerning some of the factors that could cause materially different results is included in the sections entitled "Risk Factors" and "Forward Looking Statements" set forth in Isabella Bank Corporation's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available from the Securities and Exchange Commission's Public Reference facilities and from its website at www.sec.gov. SOURCE Isabella Bank Corporation Karimoku Showcases the Wide Variety and High Quality of Its Bespoke Furniture Collections in a Comprehensive Interior Resembling an Apartment Designed by Norm Architects and Keiji Ashizawa Design. Two New Designs Are to Be Launched. AICHI, Japan, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Japanese lifestyle brand Karimoku exhibits at Salone del Mobile, showcasing the wide variety and high quality of its bespoke contemporary furniture collections to an international audience. Referencing the concept of the brand, the versatility of the bespoke collections is displayed in a comprehensive, thoughtfully curated interior resembling an apartment. Karimoku Furniture Inc. Karimoku Furniture Inc. Designed by the brand's co-founders, Danish architecture and design studio Norm Architects and Japanese architecture and design practice Keiji Ashizawa Design, the interior concept is a representation of Japanese and Danish design principles. The presentation at Salone del Mobile also sees the debut of several new, bespoke products to the collection. EXHIBITION DETAILS SALONE DEL MOBILE 2022 JUNE 7TH TO 12TH 9:30- 18:30 RHO FIERA, HALL 1 3, BOOTH E09 CONTACT [email protected] KARIMOKU.COM ABOUT KARIMOKU Emerging from shared design values, Karimoku is a contemporary lifestyle brand based in Japan and born out of admiration and love for serene beauty, material richness and timeless appeal. The collection is brought to life by the world's leading architects through individual cases, and the story of each collection is told through its native setting. KARIMOKU FURNITURE INC . The origins of Karimoku Furniture date back to 1940, when Shohei Kato took over a longstanding timber company and established a small woodworking shop in the town of Kariya, Aichi. The company produced various wooden parts in the ensuing decades, developing a range of techniques before launching its own line of wooden furniture in the 1960s. Building upon the concept of manufacturing high-tech and high-touch products, the company established bases in timber production areas and soon developed into one of Japan's leading manufacturers of wooden furniture. Media contact: Yuki Fukushima [email protected] 08091226929 SOURCE Karimoku Furniture Inc. HOUSTON, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- KBR (NYSE: KBR) announced today its participation in upcoming investor events. KeyBanc Capital Markets' Industrials & Basic Materials Conference: Doug Kelly, President of Technology, Mark Sopp, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, and Alison Vasquez, Vice President of Investor Relations, will host investor meetings on Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Stifel 2022 Cross Sector Insight Conference: Mark Sopp, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, and Alison Vasquez, Vice President of Investor Relations, will host investor meetings and participate in a fireside chat on Wednesday, June 8, 2022 at 9:45 a.m. ET. Jefferies Virtual A&D ESG Summit: Byron Bright, President, Government Solutions, Doug Kelly, President of Technology, and Alison Vasquez, Vice President of Investor Relations, will participate in a fireside chat on Tuesday, June 14, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. ET. Interested investors may listen to the live webcasts at https://investors.kbr.com. About KBR We deliver science, technology and engineering solutions to governments and companies around the world. KBR employs approximately 28,000 people performing diverse, complex and mission critical roles in 34 countries. KBR is proud to work with its customers across the globe to provide technology, value-added services, and long- term operations and maintenance services to ensure consistent delivery with predictable results. At KBR, We Deliver. Visit www.kbr.com Forward Looking Statement The statements in this press release that are not historical statements, including statements regarding future financial performance, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's control that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the significant adverse impacts on economic and market conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic and the company's ability to respond to the resulting challenges and business disruption; the recent dislocation of the global energy market; the company's ability to manage its liquidity; the outcome of and the publicity surrounding audits and investigations by domestic and foreign government agencies and legislative bodies; potential adverse proceedings by such agencies and potential adverse results and consequences from such proceedings; changes in capital spending by the company's customers; the company's ability to obtain contracts from existing and new customers and perform under those contracts; structural changes in the industries in which the company operates; escalating costs associated with and the performance of fixed-fee projects and the company's ability to control its cost under its contracts; claims negotiations and contract disputes with the company's customers; changes in the demand for or price of oil and/or natural gas; protection of intellectual property rights; compliance with environmental laws; changes in government regulations and regulatory requirements; compliance with laws related to income taxes; unsettled political conditions, war and the effects of terrorism; foreign operations and foreign exchange rates and controls; the development and installation of financial systems; the possibility of cyber and malware attacks; increased competition for employees; the ability to successfully complete and integrate acquisitions; and operations of joint ventures, including joint ventures that are not controlled by the company. The company's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K, any subsequent Form 10-Qs and 8-Ks, and other U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings discuss some of the important risk factors that the company has identified that may affect its business, results of operations and financial condition. Except as required by law, the company undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason. SOURCE KBR, Inc. WEST CHESTER, Pa., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Venerable is pleased to announce that Kroll Bond Rating Agency, LLC (KBRA) has recently affirmed the BBB- issuer and debt rating of Venerable Holdings, Inc., and the A- insurance financial strength rating of its subsidiaries, Venerable Insurance and Annuity Company (VIAC) and Corporate Solutions Life Reinsurance Company (CSLR), as well as VIAC's and CSLR's BBB surplus note ratings. In addition, KBRA has upwardly revised their outlook of Venerable from Stable to Positive, noting that it is expected that Venerable will continue to successfully onboard and manage acquired books of business, and that future acquisitions will be structured and financed in a way that would not, for a sustained period, have a material negative impact on Venerable's operational or financial profile or its conservative approach to financial management. "KBRA's affirmation of our ratings and revised outlook confirms Venerable as a provider of choice in the variable annuity risk transfer solutions space," said David Marcinek, Chairman of Venerable. "We have consistently demonstrated an ability to structure and close complex transactions, all while remaining diligent in our risk management and hedging practices, and capitalization and liquidity philosophies. We remain focused on the robust deal pipeline our strength has helped generate." About Venerable Venerable is a privately held company with business operations based in West Chester, Pennsylvania and Des Moines, Iowa. Venerable owns and manages legacy variable annuity business acquired from other entities. Created by an investor group led by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, LLC, Crestview Partners, Reverence Capital Partners, and Athene Holdings, Ltd., Venerable is a business with well-established, strategic investors, experienced in successfully building and growing insurance businesses with patient, long-term capital. For more information, please visit www.venerable.com. Contact: Allison Proud Corporate Communications 610-249-9730 SOURCE Venerable BALTIMORE, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Schochor & Staton, P.A., formerly known as Schochor, Federico and Staton, P.A., is proud to announce its new name. "We are delighted with this change and committed to delivering the same level of unparalleled legal representation and exceptional degree of personal attention our clients have come to trust for more than 38 years," said Jonathan Schochor, founding partner and chairman of Schochor & Staton, P.A. "This transformation represents the next-level version of our renowned firm. The Firm stands willing and able to deliver the extraordinary service we have always provided to our clients and we will continue to do so." Since 1984, the Firm has built one of the largest Plaintiffs' medical malpractice firms in the area. It has been recognized nationally and regionally, with more than 80 awards and honors for the firm and its lawyers. Its solid foundation includes Founding Partner and Chairman, Jonathan Schochor, Managing Partner Kerry Staton and longtime Partners Scott P. Kurlander and Jonathan Goldberg, who will continue the time-honored tradition of exemplary legal representation and service to the community. With offices in Maryland and Washington D.C., the Firm's resources include a team of full-time medical investigators and professional relationships with hundreds of Board-Certified medical experts throughout the United States. Since its inception, the Firm has filed more medical negligence cases than any other lawyer or law firm in Maryland, and led the largest Class-Action settlement in Maryland State history regarding a single perpetrator sexual abuse case. In the process, the Firm has recovered well over a billion dollars on behalf of its clients with an extraordinary success rate. Schochor continues, "Passionate advocacy, superior technical skill, devotion to our clients' interests, unique strategic relationships and creative problem solving have earned us a reputation for both outstanding results and client satisfaction. The Firm is proud to have gained our clients' confidence for nearly four decades. Schochor & Staton, P.A will continue our time-honored tradition of serving our clients and community." Schochor has focused the practice on the preparation and trial of medical negligence cases for 47 years. During that time, he and the Firm have been involved in the investigation of claims and/or representation of plaintiffs in thousands of medical malpractice cases. Schochor was honored with Trial Lawyer of the Year award three times and has earned The Daily Record's Leaders in Law Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition to numerous other awards and honors, Schochor received the Icon Honors Award and Influential Marylanders Honor, in addition to being named to the Power 30 Law List. Founding and Managing Partner, Kerry Staton, was elected as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Membership in the College is restricted to the top 1% of lawyers in each state. He also is a fellow of the prestigious International Society of Barristers. Staton was appointed as a Commissioner to the Attorney Grievance Commission, by the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals of Maryland. Staton was named Baltimore Medical Malpractice Law Plaintiffs "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers on multiple occasions. On top of many other awards and accolades, Staton was the recipient of America's Top 100 Attorney's Lifetime Achievement Award and was named the Attorney of the Year by the Top 100 Lawyers Registry. If you would like to speak with an attorney, please contact Aimee Duffy at [email protected]. For more information, visit www.sfspa.com. About Schochor & Staton, P.A. Since 1984, the Firm has been committed to the preservation and pursuit of the rights of individuals and groups (class action litigation) who are victimized by the wrongful acts of others, through medical malpractice and negligence. Among other honors, the firm, with offices in Baltimore and Washington, DC, carries an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and is listed in the Bar Register for Preeminent Lawyers. Recovering well over a billion dollars on behalf of its clients, attorneys at Schochor & Staton, P.A. are consistently recognized for excellent representation of their clients, superior results and unwavering involvement in the community. Schochor & Staton, P.A. has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to individuals and organizations that make a difference. Some of those local and national non-profits include MADD, the American Cancer Society, The Kristin Rita Strouse Foundation, March of Dimes, and many others. SOURCE Schochor and Staton, P.A. Financial $17.3 million in Revenue in Revenue $8.3 million in Adjusted EBITDA (1) in Adjusted EBITDA $8.7 million in Mine Operating Cash Flow ( "Mine OCF ") (1) (3) in Mine Operating Cash Flow ( ") $1.0 million in Net Loss in Net Loss $797 Cash Costs ($/oz sold) (1) (2) Cash Costs ($/oz sold) $862 Total Cash Costs ($/oz sold) (1) (2) Total Cash Costs ($/oz sold) $1,104 All-In Sustaining Costs (" AISC ") ($/oz sold) (1) (2) All-In Sustaining Costs (" ") ($/oz sold) $4.6 million of principal repayments during Q1 2022 (1) Refers to a Non-GAAP financial measure within the meaning of National Instrument 52-112 Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Disclosure ("NI 52-112"). Refer to information under the heading "Non-GAAP Measures" as well as the reconciliations later in this press release. (2) Refers to a Non-GAAP ratio within the meaning of NI-52-112. Refer to information under the heading "Non-GAAP Measures" later in this press release. (3) Refer to "Chart 1 Q1 2022 - Mine OCF Calculation and Cash Reconciliation (in $ millions)" for a reconciliation of the beginning and ending cash position of the Company, including OCF. Growth $1.9 million in exploration and evaluation expenses ( $1.4 million at San Albino and $0.4 million at Las Conchitas) in exploration and evaluation expenses ( at San Albino and at Las Conchitas) $2.1 million of surface rights for regional expansion added this quarter Subsequent to March 31, 2022 401,500 shares purchased under the normal course issuer bid for total consideration of $94,340 (C$121,770) Two monthly repayment installments totaling $0.8 million were made on the Sailfish Loan were made on the Sailfish Loan Principal repayments of $0.5 million were made on the Wexford Loan were made on the Wexford Loan Total principal repayment of approximately $9.0 million since the beginning of Q4 2021 to Wexford and Sailfish Akiba Leisman, Chief Executive Officer, states that, "Q1 2022 was the third full quarter of financial results since declaring commercial production at San Albino at our initial 500 tonnes per day mine and processing plant, where 9,580 ounces were sold at $797/oz Cash Costs and $1,104/oz AISC. Costs are higher than Q4 due to an increase in diesel and other key reagents as well as an increase in waste development tonnage. The processing plant was operating at 596 tonnes per day at 87% availability (104% of nameplate capacity), as the plant has now been fully debottlenecked. The Company generated $8.3 million in Adjusted EBITDA, which excludes $1.9 million in exploration expenditures incurred in the quarter. As a result, approximately $9 million of principal has been repaid since the beginning of Q4 2021, including $4.6 million repaid in Q1 2022, and $1.3 million repaid on outstanding loans subsequent to quarter end. In addition, the $17.2 million exploration program announced in March 2022 is being funded out of cash flow, with the focus on discovering new veins and mineralization elsewhere on our property. The first results from this program are expected to be announced later this week. These extraordinary cash flows from our relatively small scale mine are expected to allow us to fund our growth with the ultimate objective of doubling capacity to 1,000 tonnes per day by next year." Table 1 Revenue (1) Realized price before deductions from Sailfish streaming agreement Table 2 Operating and Financial Data (1) Refers to a Non-GAAP financial measure within the meaning of NI 52-112). Refer to information under the heading "Non-GAAP Measures" as well as the reconciliations later in this press release. (2) Refers to a Non-GAAP ratio within the meaning of NI-52-112. Refer to information under the heading "Non-GAAP Measures" later in this press release (3) Realized price before deductions from Sailfish streaming agreement Table 3 EBITDA Reconciliation (1) Refers to a Non-GAAP financial measure within the meaning of National Instrument 52-112 Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Disclosure ("NI 52-112"). Refer to information under the heading "Non-GAAP Measures" later in this press release. Please refer to the MD&A for detailed calculations. Chart 1 Q1 2022 - Mine OCF Calculation and Cash Reconciliation (in $ millions) (1) Refers to a Non-GAAP financial measure within the meaning of NI 52-112. Refer to information under the heading "Non-GAAP Measures" later in this press release. (2) Includes all expenses incurred to sustain operations. Excludes Nicaraguan Taxes and Royalties, changes in Non-cash Working Capital, and Exploration expenses For complete details, please refer to the Consolidated Financial Statements and the associated Management Discussion and Analysis for the three months ended March 31, 2022, available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) or on the Company's website (www.makominingcorp.com). Non-GAAP Measures The Company has included certain non-GAAP financial measures and non-GAAP ratios in this press release such as EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Mine Operating Cash Flow cash cost per ounce sold, total cash cost per ounce sold, AISC per ounce sold. These non-GAAP measures are intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. In the gold mining industry, these are commonly used performance measures and ratios, but do not have any standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to other issuers. The Company believes that, in addition to conventional measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, certain investors use this information to evaluate the Company's underlying performance of its core operations and its ability to generate cash flow. "EBITDA" represents earnings before interest (including non-cash accretion of financial obligation and lease obligations), income taxes and depreciation, depletion and amortization. "Adjusted EBITDA" represents EBITDA, adjusted to exclude exploration activities, share-based compensation and change in provision for reclamation and rehabilitation. "Cash costs per ounce sold" is calculated by deducting revenues from silver sales and dividing the sum of mining, milling and mine site administration cost. "Total cash costs per ounce sold" is calculated by deducting revenues from silver sales from production cash costs and production taxes and royalties and dividing the sum by the number of gold ounces sold. Production cash costs include mining, milling, mine site security and mine site administration costs. "AISC per ounce sold" includes total cash costs (as defined above) and adds the sum of G&A, sustaining capital and certain exploration and evaluation ("E&E") costs, sustaining lease payments, provision for environmental fees, if applicable, and rehabilitation costs paid, all divided by the number of ounces sold. As this measure seeks to reflect the full cost of gold production from current operations, capital and E&E costs related to expansion or growth projects are not included in the calculation of AISC per ounce. Additionally, certain other cash expenditures, including income and other tax payments, financing costs and debt repayments, are not included in AISC per ounce. "Mine OCF" represents operating cash flow, excluding Nicaraguan taxes and royalties, changes in non-cash working capital and exploration expenses. On behalf of the Board, Akiba Leisman Chief Executive Officer About Mako Mako Mining Corp. is a publicly listed gold mining, development and exploration company. The Company operates the high-grade San Albino gold mine in Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua, which ranks as one of the highest-grade open pit gold mines globally. Mako's primary objective is to operate San Albino profitably and fund exploration of prospective targets on its district-scale land package. Forward-Looking Information: Some of the statements contained herein may be considered "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information can be identified by words such as, without limitation, "estimate", "project", "believe", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan", "predict", "may" or "should" or variations thereon or comparable terminology. The forward-looking information contained herein reflects the Company's current beliefs and expectations, based on management's reasonable assumptions, and includes, without limitation, that, based on the financial results, the Company intends to announce the first results from its previously announced exploration results later this week; the Company expects to fund its growth with the ultimate objective of doubling capacity to 1,000 tonnes per day by next year and Mako's primary objective to operate San Albino profitably and fund exploration of prospective targets on its district-scale land package. Such forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking information, including, without limitation, changes in the Company's exploration and development plans and growth parameters and its ability to fund its growth to reach its stated target capacity; unanticipated costs; and other risks and uncertainties as disclosed in the Company's public disclosure filings on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Such information contained herein represents management's best judgment as of the date hereof, based on information currently available and is included for the purposes of providing investors with information regarding the Company's Q1 2022 financial results and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Mako does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE Mako Mining Corp. MWW will drive consumer awareness and relevance for the more than 1,000 Marco's locations to further support its growth as one of the nation's fastest-growing pizza brands NEW YORK, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MikeWorldWide (MWW), one of the world's leading independent public relations agencies, is proud to announce a new client relationship with Marco's Pizza. The communications assignment includes earned media relations and creative integrated consumer marketing campaign development to increase awareness and relevance across the United States. Marco's Pizza Pepperoni Magnifico "Aside from our team's shared love of pizza and creative storytelling, there was immediate strategic chemistry with the Marco's communications and marketing team," said Tara Naughton, MikeWorldWide Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer. "The pizza category often uses creativity and risk-taking to deliver positive experiences for consumers, and Marco's Pizza is embracing this opportunity in their approach to marketing and communications." "We engaged with a number of agencies in our selection process and MWW stood out as a passionate partner with great creative thinking," said Chris Tussing, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Marco's Pizza. "We immediately clicked with the team's positive energy, excitement and breakthrough thinking. The team quickly jumped in, generating earned coverage and great traction in top targets like Today.com, People.com, and USA Today thanks to their consumer media relationships and relevant storytelling expertise." Marco's Pizza, the No. 5 pizza brand in the U.S.*, looks to reach $1B in annual systemwide sales this year and reach 2,000 locations by 2026. Founded in 1978 by Italian-born Pasquale Giammarco, the brand is known for its high-quality pizza with dough made from scratch, three fresh signature cheeses and premium toppings. The company has grown from its roots as a beloved Ohio brand to operate over 1,000 stores in 34 states with locations in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. Most recently, Marco's Pizza was ranked No. 2 in the Pizza category on Entrepreneur Magazine's 2022 "Franchise 500" ranking, and No. 4 in the Fastest Growing category on Restaurant Business' 2021 "Top 10 Fastest Growing Chains" ranking. Other recent accolades include a first-time presence on Newsweek's 2022 "America's Best Customer Service" in pizza chains list and ranked No. 42 on QSR's Top 50. "If you haven't tried their signature Pepperoni Magnifico specialty pie featuring Old World Pepperoni and there is a Marco's in your city or town, order it as fast as you can," added Naughton. *Based on systemwide sales About MikeWorldWide Thirty-five years young, MWW is among the world's leading independent, full-service PR agencies with talent hubs across the US and the UK. It prioritizes CorpSumerTM insights, cultural currency, and earned-worthy impact to create integrated programs that turn brands' reasons to believe into audiences' reasons to care. Because more than ever, Caring Counts. MWW combines corporate reputation, consumer marketing, crisis & issues management, and public affairs expertise with dedicated strategy, analytics, DE&I, digital, and creative and content teams. To learn more about MikeWorldWide, visit https://www.mww.com or follow us on social @MWW_PR. SOURCE MikeWorldWide CAESAREA, Israel, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Max Stock Limited (TASE: MAXO) (the "Company") today reported financial results for first quarter ended March 31, 2022. First Quarter 2022 Summary Compared with First Quarter 2021 Revenue decreased 0.4% to ILS 250.9 million. Comparable store sales decreased 10%. Adjusted net income decreased 32.2% to ILS 20.9 million. Adjusted EPS1 (attributable to shareholders) decreased 32.2% to ILS 0.13 Adjusted EBITDA2 decreased 25.1% to ILS 31.8 million. The Company views comparison to the 2019 period to be more meaningful than the comparable 2021 period given the exceptional COVID-19 related consumer demand changes experienced in the same period in 2021. First Quarter 2022 Summary Compared with First Quarter 2019 Revenue increased 44.2%. Comparable store sales increased 22%. Adjusted net income increased 29.5%. Adjusted EPS1 (attributable to shareholders) increased 29.5%. Adjusted EBITDA2 increased 36.0%. Ori Max, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "We achieved revenue largely in-line with the first quarter last year along with a strong operating cash-flow, despite the shift of Passover holiday sales into the second quarter this year. Our performance on a multi-year basis underscores the progress we have made expanding our market share and strengthening Max Stock's position as Israel's leading extreme value retailer. We have opened 5 new stores over the last four quarters and intend on continuing our store expansion in the coming years, while concurrently laying the groundwork for future growth engines. We look forward to creating enhanced value for our customers and our shareholders in the months and years ahead." First Quarter Results Revenue decreased 0.4% to ILS 250.9 million in the first quarter 2022 as compared with revenue of ILS 252.0 million in the first quarter 2021. The slight decrease over the same period last year was driven primarily by sales contributions from new stores, offset by difference in timing of the Passover holiday, which occurred in the first quarter of 2021 and the second quarter of 2022, respectively. Revenue in Q1 2022 increased 44.2% from ILS 174.0 million in Q1 2019. Gross profit decreased 2.0% to ILS 97.8 million in the first quarter 2022 from ILS 99.8 million in the first quarter 2021. Gross margin was 39.0% as compared to 39.6% in the prior year period and 38.6% in the three year ago period. The 60-basis point change in gross margin year-over-year was due primarily to higher logistics costs. Gross profit in Q1 2022 increased 45.5% from ILS 67.2 million in Q1 2019. Selling, general and administrative expenses increased to ILS 70.1 million in the first quarter 2022 from ILS 60.8 million in the first quarter 2021, primarily driven by an increase in salary and wage expenses, branch maintenance, depreciation of fixed property and amortization of right of use assets arising from opening new branches. Selling, general and administrative expenses in Q1 2019 were ILS 43.6 million. Selling, general and administrative expenses (including stock-based compensation) as a percentage of net sales in Q1 2022 were 27.9% compared with 24.1% in Q1 2021 and 25.1% in Q1 2019. Adjusted net income decreased 32.2% to ILS 20.9 million, or ILS 0.13 per share, in the first quarter of 2022 as compared with adjusted net income of ILS 30.8 million, or ILS 0.18 per share, in the first quarter of 2021. Adjusted net income in Q1 2019 was ILS 16.2, or ILS 0.10 per share. Adjusted EBITDA decreased 25.1% to ILS 31.8 million in the first quarter fiscal 2022 from ILS 42.4 million in the first quarter 2021. Adjusted EBITDA in Q1 2022 increased 36.0% from ILS 23.4 million in Q1 2019. Balance Sheet, Cash Flow and Other Highlights The Company's cash and cash equivalents balance at March 31, 2022 was ILS 60.9 million compared with ILS 50.3 million at December 31. The Company ended the first quarter of 2022 with total debt of ILS 77.6 million compared with total debt of ILS 70.5 million at the end of fiscal 2021. Inventories at March 31, 2022 were ILS 219.1 million compared with ILS 213.7 million at December 31, 2021. Operating cash flows in Q1 2022 were ILS 23.6 million compared with negative operating cash flows of ILS 18.5 million in the first quarter of 2021. The increase was primarily attributable to a decline in the Company's working capital relative to the same period last year in which the Company was building up on inventories due to a concern of delays with merchandise supplies on the backdrop of the global COVID-19 crisis. On April 26, 2022, the Israel Tax Authority rendered a decision regarding a VAT assessment of transactions totaling approximately ILS 5.1 million, whereby all the Company's arguments were accepted, and the entire assessment charges were cancelled. Conference Call Information The Company will host a conference call on May 31, 2022 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time to discuss fiscal 2020 results. There will be a slide presentation that accompanies the call. The slides and audio will be accessible through a live webcast at https://ir.maxstock.co.il/en/event-en/. Investors and analysts interested in participating in the call are also invited to dial (877) 407-9716 (US) or (201) 493-6779 (international) and entering the conference identification number: 13730079. A telephone replay of the call will be available until June 7, 2022, (844) 512-2921 (US) or (412) 317-6671 (international) and entering the conference identification number: 13730079. About Max Stock Max Stock is Israel's leading extreme value retailer, currently present in 55 locations throughout Israel. We offer a broad assortment of quality products for customers' everyday needs at affordable prices, helping customers "Dream Big, Pay Small". For more information, please visit https://ir.maxstock.co.il Forward-Looking Statements It should be emphasized that this report includes forward-looking information as defined under the Securities Law, 5728-1968. Forward-looking information is uncertain information regarding the future, including forecasts, projections, estimates or other information which refer to a future event or matter, the eventuation of which is uncertain and/or not within the Company's control. The forward-looking information included in this report is based on the current information held by the Company or its current assessments, as of the publication date of this report. Company Contacts: Talia Sessler, Chief Corporate Development and IR Officer [email protected] Ifat Nir Katz, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary [email protected] SOURCE Max Stock Limited WASHINGTON, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA will provide live coverage of the launch and docking of a Russian cargo spacecraft carrying about three tons of food, fuel, and supplies for the Expedition 67 crew aboard the International Space Station. The unpiloted Russian Progress 81 is scheduled to launch at 5:32 a.m. EDT (2:32 p.m. Baikonur time) Friday, June 3, on a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Coverage will begin at 5:15 a.m. on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency's website. The Progress spacecraft will be placed into a fast-track, two-orbit journey to link up to the aft port of the station's Zvezda service module at 9:02 a.m. Friday, June 3. NASA coverage of rendezvous and docking will begin at 8:15 a.m. The International Space Station is a convergence of science, technology, and human innovation that demonstrates new technologies and enables research not possible on Earth. NASA recently recognized 21 years of continuous human presence aboard the orbiting laboratory, which has hosted 258 people and a variety of international and commercial spacecraft. The space station remains the springboard to NASA's next great leap in exploration including missions to the Moon under Artemis and ultimately, human exploration of Mars. Learn more about the International Space Station, its research, and crew, at: https://www.nasa.gov/station Get breaking news, images, and features from the space station on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. SOURCE NASA Global competitiveness and key competitor percentage market shares Market presence across multiple geographies - Strong/Active/Niche/Trivial Online interactive peer-to-peer collaborative bespoke updates Access to our digital archives and MarketGlass Research Platform Complimentary updates for one year Edition: 10; Released: May 2022 Executive Pool: 752 Companies: 39 - Players covered include 3D Glass Solutions, Inc.; 3DiS Technologies; Global Communication Semiconductors, LLC; Infineon Technologies AG; Johanson Technology, Inc.; Koa Speer Electronics, Inc.; M/A-Com Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc. (Macom); ON Semiconductor Corporation; OnChip Devices, Inc.; Qorvo, Inc.; Skyworks Solutions, Inc.; STATS ChipPAC Pte., Ltd.; STMicroelectronics; TDK Corporation; Viking Technologes; Wavenics, Inc.; Xpeedic Technology, Inc. and Others. Coverage: All major geographies and key segments Segments: Material (Silicon, Glass, Other Materials); Wireless Technology (WLAN, Cellular, GPS, Bluetooth, Other Wireless Technologies); Application (EMS & EMI Protection, RF IPD, LED Lighting, Other Applications); End-Use (Consumer Electronics, Automotive, Communications, Aerospace & Defense, Other End-Uses) Geographies: World; United States; Canada; Japan; China; Europe (France; Germany; Italy; United Kingdom; Spain; Russia; and Rest of Europe); Asia-Pacific (Australia; India; South Korea; and Rest of Asia-Pacific); Latin America (Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; and Rest of Latin America); Middle East (Iran; Israel; Saudi Arabia; United Arab Emirates; and Rest of Middle East); and Africa. Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry ABSTRACT- Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Integrated Passive Devices estimated at US$1.2 Billion in the year 2022, is projected to reach a revised size of US$1.7 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 6.7% over the analysis period. Silicon, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to grow at a 6.5% CAGR, while growth in the Glass segment is readjusted to a revised 7.6% CAGR. Integrated passive devices (IPDs) are also called embedded passive components or integrated passive components. These are electrical components encompassing capacitors, resistors, inductors, chokes or coils, baluns, impedance matching components or any combinations embedded inside the same package or similar substrate. . the passive components are formed between dielectric layers and the same substrate. The basic forms of IPDs are resistor-capacitor, resistor, capacitor or resistor-capacitor-coil inductor networks (RCL). Passive transformers can also be formed as integrated passive tools like two coils atop each other with a slim dielectric layer in the middle. The diodes like Zener, PN and PIN can be embedded on similar substrates with holistic passive especially if the substrate is a semiconductor like gallium arsenide or silicon. The growing white goods market will also boost the demand for IPDs. Integrated passives will be increasingly deployed in consumer electronics such as portable media players, set-top boxes, smartphones, and tablets. Consumers are looking for compact and cost-effective electronics. New materials are being harnessed to develop miniaturized components that improve reliability and advanced integration. Emerging technologies such as 5G technology and AI (Artificial Intelligence) will provide a fillip to the integrated passive device market. Power-efficient and miniaturized 5G devices will need IPDs. With the projected number of global 5G connections poised to grow substantially in the coming years, the opportunities for IPD manufacturers will be plenty. The automotive infotainment and wearable industries will also propel the global demand for integrated passive devices. In-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems and advanced telematics are being harnessed in modern automobiles. Other vehicle electronic devices such as GPS systems and instrument clusters deploy ultra-miniaturized RF passive devices. With self-driving cars and ADAS in developmental stages, the demand for IPDs will be on the rise. Inductors are deployed in the management of power supply and to prevent undesired frequencies. They are used in IPDs to be deployed in wearable gadgets, computing devices, and television sets. With expanded circuitry, the demand for IPDs will be on the rise. The demand for high-density mounting in motors and ECUs of automobiles is on the rise. This will in turn increase the demand for power resistors and other IPDs. Electric vehicles will come in for more focus due to environmental and energy concerns. Regenerative braking helps recover the energy lost during braking thereby extending the range of the battery. Automobile suppliers will increasingly demand integrated passive devices. The portable medical segment will also create significant opportunities for digital and mixed-signal applications. The medical devices industry is employing several innovative technologies to develop new portable devices. There will be greater demand for implantable electronics in healthcare and medical equipment. Since IPDs are small and consume less power, they can be deployed in several medical monitoring systems such as pulse oximetry, ECG, and blood analysis. These applications demand accurate analog-to-digital conversion. Mobile devices and gadgets are becoming smaller and at the same time carry out several functions. In this advancement, the device hardware design and IPD play a huge role. IPDs play an instrumental role in alleviating interconnection complexities and costs of electronic devices and enhance yield, reliability, and tolerance. IPDs are utilized in RF modules such as WiFi and cellular applications. Technological proliferation among wireless systems caused size reduction, enhanced battery performance, and augmented signal reception in IPD. The growing demand for IPDs is accountable to the benefits offered by IPDs like cost-effectiveness and enhanced compatibility, enabling the IPDs to be utilized in wireless IoT devices. The IPDs have four applications such as EMS/EMI protection, LED lighting, RF, and digital and mixed Signal IPD. EMS/EMI IPDs allow interference suppression among mobile phones and noise suppression among personal computers. RF IPD is extensively utilized among connected devices such as tablets and mobile phones and LED indicators usage in portable and microelectronics is propelling the LED IPS demand considerably. The IPD technology's rapid advancements are compelling the manufacturers to compete for offering increased functionality in a size as small as possible. There is huge growth potential for IPD market specifically in medical applications and mobile phones. Component miniaturization to make the system more compact and reliable is boosting the IPD market growth. Increased usage of RF modules in garage door openers, wireless home automation systems, and wireless monitoring systems is driving the market growth of IPDs. The attempt of vehicle manufacturers to assimilate advanced infotainment systems into their products is providing a growth avenue for the IPD market. LED products are in high demand from end-users and consumers, due to the products' low power consumption capacity augmenting the IPD market growth. Wafer-based devices' extensive usage in electronics because of their cost-effectiveness is estimated to propel the IPD market growth in years to come. However, in comparison with discrete components, IPDs are quite expensive and this is estimated to hinder the market growth. Yet the initiation of 5G and the growing affection of consumers towards wearable devices is anticipated to alleviate the impact of high cost. Like most other industries, the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the semiconductor industry. The supply chain was severely disrupted. Manufacturing operations were halted due to lockdowns and other restrictions. This led to a decrease in the global sales of semiconductors. The passive electronic components sector was also impacted by the pandemic. Raw materials were not available due to reduced operations across the supply chain. While the Japanese enterprises remained largely unaffected, other regions were severely affected. Automobile production also experienced a slowdown and this had a braking effect on the integrated passive devices market. However, the market for integrated passive devices is slowly picking momentum and is likely to bounce back to pre-COVID levels. However, growth in the IPDs market is being restrained, mainly due to the fact that IPDs are more expensive than discrete components. The development of advanced IPs is also hampered by the lack of skilled technicians and stringent government rules. With low-cost fabrication, the price of IPDs will reduce. Conventional PCBs are expensive when used with IPDs as they are standardized for individual discrete components. The product design cycle for RF tuning of IPDs is long. In comparison, it is easier to tune discrete components. During the RF tuning, it is not possible to change or replace IPDs. The product design cycle thus becomes longer. This longer design cycle hampers the growth of the IPD market. More MarketGlass Platform Our MarketGlass Platform is a free full-stack knowledge center that is custom configurable to today`s busy business executive`s intelligence needs! This influencer driven interactive research platform is at the core of our primary research engagements and draws from unique perspectives of participating executives worldwide. Features include - enterprise-wide peer-to-peer collaborations; research program previews relevant to your company; 3.4 million domain expert profiles; competitive company profiles; interactive research modules; bespoke report generation; monitor market trends; competitive brands; create & publish blogs & podcasts using our primary and secondary content; track domain events worldwide; and much more. Client companies will have complete insider access to the project data stacks. Currently in use by 67,000+ domain experts worldwide. Our platform is free for qualified executives and is accessible from our website www.StrategyR.com or via our just released mobile application on iOS or Android About Global Industry Analysts, Inc. & StrategyR Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (www.strategyr.com) is a renowned market research publisher the world`s only influencer driven market research company. Proudly serving more than 42,000 clients from 36 countries, GIA is recognized for accurate forecasting of markets and industries for over 33 years. CONTACTS: Zak Ali Director, Corporate Communications Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Phone: 1-408-528-9966 www.StrategyR.com Email: [email protected] LINKS Join Our Expert Panel https://www.strategyr.com/Panelist.asp Connect With Us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-industry-analysts-inc./ Follow Us on Twitter https://twitter.com/marketbytes Journalists & Media [email protected] SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc. The 28th Conference of Directors General of Customs of the WCO West and Central Africa (WCA) Region was held on 26 and 27 May 2022 in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo. The Secretary General of the World Customs Organization, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, joined the 22 Heads of Customs (out of the 24 that make up the WCA Region) who had accepted the invitation extended by the Director General of Customs of the Republic of the Congo, Dr. Guenole Mbongo Koumou, in his capacity as Vice-Chair for the Region. This Conference rounded off the series of WCO regional meetings held ahead of the Policy Commission and Council sessions which are to take place in June. The Conference was aimed at evaluating progress with the implementation of the Regions Strategic Plan and the recommendations made by the Directors General of Customs at their 27th Conference, which took place virtually on 30 November 2021. It was also convened to examine the reports of the WCO Secretariat, the Office of the Vice-Chair, the regional entities and the regional (IT) working group, as well as to review a draft proposal to restructure Members' contributions to the regional fund and discuss other emerging topics. H.E. Pierre Mabiala, Minister of State, Minister of Land Affairs and the Public Domain, delivered the inaugural address on behalf of the Prime Minister; he recognized the vital role played by Customs administrations in State affairs and called on all those present to participate actively in the deliberations. In his opening remarks, the Vice-Chair for the Region expressed his satisfaction at the massive attendance of his peers and guests at this Conference, and highlighted the need to further strengthen the status of the regional entities which, in his view, play a key role in supporting Customs modernization in the Region. The WCO Secretary General, in his opening remarks, thanked the authorities of the Republic of the Congo for their hospitality, before outlining the WCO Data Strategy and inviting participants to rise to the challenges of this year's theme, namely "Scaling up Customs Digital Transformation by Embracing a Data Culture and Building a Data Ecosystem". Later in the Conference, he delivered a keynote speech covering the items on the Agenda of the upcoming Policy Commission and Council sessions, aimed at addressing the concerns raised by Members during the regional consultations on the Strategic Plan. In this context he touched upon various topics that the Secretariat has been working on, including Green Customs and Fragile Borders. The Conference chose Nigeria as the Regions next Vice-Chair and, to represent the Region on WCO bodies: Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo for the Policy Commission, Gambia for the Finance Committee, and Togo and Cameroon for the Audit Committee. These selections will be presented to the Council for endorsement in June. A major highlight of the Conference was the opportunity to welcome Equatorial Guinea to the WCOs WCA Region, following its recent accession to the Organization. In this regard, the Conference recognized the efforts made by the WCO Secretary General and the Directors General of Customs of Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, the Republic of Guinea and Nigeria in bringing Equatorial Guinea into the WCO family. Dr. Kunio Mikuriya was appointed Commander of the Congolese Order of Merit by the President of the Republic of the Congo, and accordingly decorated by the Grand Chancellor of National Orders. Global competitiveness and key competitor percentage market shares Market presence across multiple geographies - Strong/Active/Niche/Trivial Online interactive peer-to-peer collaborative bespoke updates Access to our digital archives and MarketGlass Research Platform Complimentary updates for one year Edition: 17; Released: May 2022 Executive Pool: 3243 Companies: 123 - Players covered include Anglo American Plc; ArcelorMittal S.A.; BHP Billiton Group; Champion Iron Limited; Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.; Ferrexpo plc; Fortescue Metals Group Ltd.; Hainan Mining Co., Ltd.; Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd; Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara AB; Mechel PAO; Metalloinvest MC LLC; Rio Tinto Group; United States Steel Corporation; Vale S.A. and Others. Coverage: All major geographies and key segments Segments: Product Type (Fines, HBI/DRI, Pellets, Lumps) Geographies: World; USA; Canada; Japan; China; Europe; France; Germany; Italy; UK; Spain; Russia; Turkey; Ukraine; Rest of Europe; Asia-Pacific; India; South Korea; Taiwan; Rest of Asia-Pacific; Latin America; Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; Rest of Latin America; Middle East; Africa. Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry ABSTRACT- Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Iron Ore estimated at 2.2 Billion Metric Tons in the year 2022, is projected to reach a revised size of 2.5 Billion Metric Tons by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 3.2% over the analysis. Fines, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to grow at a 3.4% CAGR, while growth in the Hbi/dri segment is readjusted to a revised 2.9% CAGR. The steel industry has experienced faster-than-expected recovery from the impact of lockdowns and production disruptions amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The rebound can be attributed to the strong contribution from major end-use sectors like construction and automotive. In 2020, steel and therefore iron ore demand was adversely impacted by the interruptions in industrial production and the world construction industry. But in 2021, demand for iron and steel is expected to revive significantly, with resumption of industrial activity due to easing of lockdowns. In 2020, China contributed to 56.5% of the world production of crude steel. China and various other countries have introduced novel infrastructure programs for fostering economic growth. As steel, iron, and other metals are critical for these projects, the global iron ore price has spiked, with demand being more than supply. Therefore, the iron ore mining sector is expected to gain from this. The iron ore mining industry is characterized by considerable volatility and is impacted by global demand, commodity prices, and business cycles. The extent of global industrialization, especially in China, India and in other emerging countries has given impetus to the demand for iron and steel, thus having an impact over global metal prices. In the last several years, there has been a rise in seaborne trade of iron ore. Typically, most leading iron ore producers engage in exporting to overseas markets. In the year 2021, over 62% of the world seaborne iron ore demand was from China (in volume terms), on account of its expanding steel production and increasing demand in several industries. The world iron ore market is anticipated to witness modest growth due to the rising infrastructure investments, and the growing construction market in emerging regions such as Latin America and APAC. Rising demand for steel worldwide and the steady increase in infrastructure projects in countries such as Indonesia, India, and other such regions is also fueling iron ore growth. Supportive government policies such as less stringent import and export restrictions and financial support have also boded well for the market. Iron ores refer to minerals and rocks which are leveraged to extract metallic iron. Ores can contain high levels of magnetite or hematite or both. Alumina and silica are also present in iron ore. Iron ore deposits can be titanomagnetite ores, magnetite ores, or hematite ores. The North American market is anticipated to register robust growth, driven by the rising steel demand in the automotive and construction industries. Further, the strict environment related policies have resulted in the growing use of iron ore pellets, as they are considered to be more eco-friendly in comparison to other kinds of iron ores. Technology adoption is significant in the regional market for improving operational efficiency while lowering costs. Latin America is the second leading iron ore market. The market is supported by the growing adoption in industries such as manufacturing and construction, especially in Brazil. The market in Europe is anticipated to register considerable growth mainly due to the growing investments in infrastructure projects in the region. The APAC market is also likely to record strong growth, attributed to the increasing economic growth of various countries in the region, growing population, and the improving disposable income levels. India, Korea, and China are the key markets in the region. The Middle East and Africa is anticipated to be the iron ore market with the fastest growth (note: pls check), thanks to growing use in industries such as manufacturing, automotive, and construction. The world iron ore market is also gaining from the novel plants and growing production capacities in emerging regions such as China and India. India is the world's 4th leading iron producer, and 67 million MT of iron ore production capacity was attained in 2021-2022. For this, iron ore producers are required to augment their production capacities. SAIL intends to increase its iron ore mines in the state of Jharkhand in the near term. JSW Steel aims to start work in the iron ore mine in Karnataka, with 4.7 million MT of yearly run rate. Further, the mines in China will be developed in stages, with 7 million MT capacity and 15 million MT capacity in the first and second phase. But the market is challenged by the considerable capital investment required for the heavy machinery and equipment needed for mining operations as well for the logistic infrastructure required for transportation. Further, regulations and duties enforced by governments on the mining sector, and shortage of skilled labor also pose challenges to the market. The presence of established domestic and international companies in the market is expected to hamper the entry of new players. Furthermore, the advent of the Coronavirus pandemic adversely impact growth of the iron ore market, due to declining demand, labor shortages, compulsory shutdown of operations on account of lockdowns, and piled-up inventory. The use of robotics is growing in the mining industry, as the technology offers time savings, reduces operational expenses, and keeps workers safe. Robotics is being leveraged for mining activities such as blasting, truck guidance in iron mines, and drilling, among others. Unmanned rock drilling rigs and trucks are also increasingly being used as they can operate around the clock and therefore considerably increase production capacity. In 2022, prices of iron ore are expected to rise due to recovery in demand. During the previous year, prices were on a downward trend, after reaching $220.1 per ton. Demand for iron ore is expected to continue to grow, supported by the stimulus package allocated for the infrastructure industry, given the decelerating economic growth. There is not likely to be a considerable rise in the supply of iron ore from leading producers. There also exist significant supply risks on account of weather conditions and potential interruptions in operations due to COVID-19. Supply limits from mining companies and demand from China are considered to be the factors behind the expected price rise, resulting in the yearly average iron ore price for the years 2022 and 2023 to be over the levels registered before COVID. In 2022, China is expected to give a boost to its economy, financially, given the sluggish economic growth scenario due to the dull real estate market and the stringent Coronavirus-related lockdowns. The market is also expected to be impacted by the potential government efforts that aim to improve the self-sufficiency of China in ferrous units. The steel industry's consumption of iron ore is likely to gain momentum, subsequent to low steel production in 2021 due to power shortages. There are improvements in production in Australia and Brazil. There is a likelihood of novel supply emerging from West Africa. More MarketGlass Platform Our MarketGlass Platform is a free full-stack knowledge center that is custom configurable to today`s busy business executive`s intelligence needs! This influencer driven interactive research platform is at the core of our primary research engagements and draws from unique perspectives of participating executives worldwide. Features include - enterprise-wide peer-to-peer collaborations; research program previews relevant to your company; 3.4 million domain expert profiles; competitive company profiles; interactive research modules; bespoke report generation; monitor market trends; competitive brands; create & publish blogs & podcasts using our primary and secondary content; track domain events worldwide; and much more. Client companies will have complete insider access to the project data stacks. Currently in use by 67,000+ domain experts worldwide. Our platform is free for qualified executives and is accessible from our website www.StrategyR.com or via our just released mobile application on iOS or Android About Global Industry Analysts, Inc. & StrategyR Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (www.strategyr.com) is a renowned market research publisher the world`s only influencer driven market research company. Proudly serving more than 42,000 clients from 36 countries, GIA is recognized for accurate forecasting of markets and industries for over 33 years. CONTACTS: Zak Ali Director, Corporate Communications Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Phone: 1-408-528-9966 www.StrategyR.com Email: [email protected] LINKS Join Our Expert Panel https://www.strategyr.com/Panelist.asp Connect With Us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-industry-analysts-inc./ Follow Us on Twitter https://twitter.com/marketbytes Journalists & Media [email protected] SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc. The high levels of vulnerabilities detected across all ten segments both in the U.S. and Canada is very concerning. Tweet this 82% of U.S. and 78% of Canadian SMBs have spoofing vulnerabilities that attackers can easily exploit. CyberCatch's report detected significant levels of session riding vulnerability among SMBs, with 50% of such businesses in the U.S. demonstrating this vulnerability and 49% in Canada . This is the first time this vulnerability has reached such critical levels in the research report. . This is the first time this vulnerability has reached such critical levels in the research report. Spoofing, clickjacking, session riding and sniffing are the four key vulnerabilities that SMBs are susceptible to in the U.S. and Canada . . Spoofing, clickjacking and sniffing vulnerabilities levels more than doubled in the U.S. when compared to Q4 2021. Defense contractors, manufacturers, managed service providers (MSPs), technology companies, colleges and universities, legal and accounting firms and medical practices have significantly higher rates of vulnerabilities both in the U.S. and Canada . "The Q1 2022 SMBVR should be a wake-up call for all types of SMBs. The high levels of vulnerabilities detected across all ten segments both in the U.S. and Canada is very concerning. It indicates that large numbers of SMBs have security holes that can be easily exploited remotely to steal data and install ransomware. This is an existential threat to SMBs and to the overall economies of the U.S. and Canada," said Sai Huda, founder, chairman and CEO, CyberCatch. Mr. Huda is a globally recognized risk and cybersecurity expert and author of the best-selling book, "Next Level Cybersecurity." "Given its size, limited knowledge about cybersecurity and resources, an SMB may never be able to recover from a cyberattack. Foreign adversaries and criminal gangs view SMBs as the weakest link in the chain and are increasingly targeting SMBs for the initial payout but also to get to the eventual larger target who the SMB may be a supplier to (upstream risk), or to the SMB's customers (downstream risk) and in the process, they don't care a bit about any collateral damage caused or if the SMB survives or not," continued Mr. Huda. "In fact, two Joint Advisories issued in May 2022 from International Cyber Authorities, confirm the risk identified by CyberCatch. The May 11 Joint Advisory from the U.S. CISA, NSA, FBI and International Cyber Authorities (Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand) warns of expected increased attacks targeting MSPs focusing on their customers (downstream risk). The majority of MSPs are themselves SMBs and CyberCatch's SMBVR identified MSPs as one of ten segments with significant vulnerabilities that could be exploited. The May 17 Joint Advisory from U.S. CISA, NSA, FBI and International Cyber Authorities (Canada, UK, New Zealand and Netherlands) warns of missing or ineffective cybersecurity controls that are commonly exploited by attackers, which includes failing to scan for vulnerabilities and failing to perform ongoing testing of controls, so SMBs need to take enhanced risk mitigation action as recommended in the Joint Advisories and in the SMBVR," said Mr. Huda. To download a copy of the SMBVR, please visit CyberCatch's website. About CyberCatch CyberCatch is a unique cybersecurity Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company that protects small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) from cyberattacks by focusing on the root cause why SMBs fall victim: security holes. It provides an innovative cloud-based SaaS platform coupled with deep subject matter expertise to help SMBs implement just the right type and amount of cybersecurity controls. The platform then performs automated testing of controls from three dimensions: outside-in, inside-out and social engineering. It generates the Cyber Breach Score to continuously measure cyber risk, and finds security holes and guides the SMB to fix them promptly, so attackers can't exploit any missing or broken controls to break in and steal data or infect ransomware. CyberCatch's continuous value proposition: Test. Fix. Secure. Learn more at: https://www.cybercatch.com Media Contacts For U.S. inquiries, KCD PR: [email protected] For Canada inquiries, PRMediaNow: [email protected] SOURCE CyberCatch Global competitiveness and key competitor percentage market shares Market presence across multiple geographies - Strong/Active/Niche/Trivial Online interactive peer-to-peer collaborative bespoke updates Access to our digital archives and MarketGlass Research Platform Complimentary updates for one year Edition: 21; Released: May 2022 Executive Pool: 1197 Companies: 50 - Players covered include China National BlueStar (Group) Co., Ltd.; Elkem AS; Ferroglobe PLC; The Rima Group; M & M Alloys Limited; Imexsar; Sinoferro Dense Medium Powders Limited; Anyang Xinchuang Metallurgy Material Co., Ltd.; DMS Powders (Pty) Ltd; Westbrook Resources Ltd; Eurasian Resources Group; Ferro Alloys Corporation Limited (FACOR); Mechel PAO; Finnfjord AS and Others. Coverage: All major geographies and key segments Segments: Application (Deoxidizer, Inoculants, Other Applications); End-Use (Carbon & Alloy Steel, Stainless Steel, Electric Steel, Cast Iron, Other End-Uses) Geographies: World; USA; Canada; Japan; China; Europe; France; Germany; Italy; UK; Spain; Russia; Rest of Europe; Asia-Pacific; Australia; India; South Korea; Rest of Asia-Pacific; Latin America; Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; Rest of Latin America; Middle East; Africa. Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry ABSTRACT- Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Ferrosilicon estimated at US$10.7 Billion in the year 2022, is projected to reach a revised size of US$12.1 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 2.9% over the analysis period. Deoxidizer, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to grow at a 2.8% CAGR, while growth in the Inoculants segment is readjusted to a revised 3.3% CAGR. Ferrosilicon is an alloy of silicon, iron, coke, and coal. The content of silicon in ferrosilicon ranges from 15 wt% to 90 wt%. It is primarily used in cast iron and steel applications owing to its superior properties such as hardness, high strength, and resistance to high temperatures and corrosion. Close to 90% of ferrosilicon is used in producing steel and iron. The raw materials required in the production of ferrosilicon are mill scale, quartz, and charcoal. Ferrosilicon is also used in arc welding for electrode coatings. Ferrosilicon is also used in production of ductile iron. It is added to alloys to improve the physical properties such as high temperature, corrosion resistance and heat resistance of the resultant compound. Ferrosilicon is also used in producing semiconductor pure silicon in the electric industry. Growing demand for ferrosilicon as an inoculant and deoxidizer across several end-use industries is anticipated to impact the global ferrosilicon market significantly in the future. Electrical steel, which is also known as silicon steel, utilizes considerable amount of ferrosilicon and silicon to enhance steel's electrical properties such as resistivity. Additionally, increasing demand for electrical steel in manufacturing motors, transformers and other power generating devices is expected to boost the demand for ferrosilicon further during the forecast period. Over the recent past, the consumption of ferrosilicon has declined due to the slowdown in the production of crude steel and growing preference of substitute materials such as crude steel in several countries. In addition, rapid growth of iron castings results in greater utilization of aluminum in manufacturing automobiles. As a result, utilization of substitute materials is considered to be a major challenge in the market. All these factors are expected to hinder the global ferrosilicon market growth during the forecast period. Ferrosilicon is widely applied in metallurgy. It is also extensively used in steel production industries. Corrosion reduces strength and resistance of the surface to fluids. It decreases the chemical and mechanical properties of certain materials. Abrasion and corrosion resistance are other properties of ferrosilicon. The demand for corrosion resistant materials has been growing significantly in the automobile and construction industries. Automotive bodies, structural supports and bridges are required to last long without undergoing corrosion. Hence, several companies have been preferring ferrosilicon in automobile and construction for long lasting quality. Alloying ferrosilicon with other metals makes it useful in producing semiconductors, which are in great demand by the electronics industry. Increasing demand for electronics and rapid industrialization have been resulting in a surge in the use of ferrosilicon. The global impact of COVID-19 on production industries is expected to reduce the use of ferrosilicon temporarily. Furthermore, demand for automotive in Asian countries such as India and Japan is expected to increase in the future once the COVID-19 impact ceases. Increasing adoption of ferrosilicon in manufacturing steel and metal alloys is foreseen to drive the global ferrosilicon market during the analysis period. The demand for steel in industries such as construction, automotive, and manufacturing is very high. Ferrosilicon offers high resistance to corrosion and enhances tensile strength and hardness of steel. Growing investments in the steel sector is a major factor driving the market. For instance, Steel Authority of India Limited is aiming at increasing its steel production capacity from 13 million tons per annum to 50 million tons per annum by 2025. Furthermore, strategic collaborations among key players and entry of international manufacturers into steel production are expected to augment the market growth during the forecast period. Huge demand for renewable energy is another important factor boosting the market. Growing ferrosilicon demand in the cast iron and steel industries is likely to augment growth in the global ferrosilicon market over the analysis period. The steel industry uses ferrosilicon as an essential deoxidizer to prevent carbon loss during steel production. Hence, growth in steel industry investments is likely to spur growth in the global market. For example, POSCO set up a joint venture with HBIS for the production of galvanized steel sheets and started construction work on a plant in Tangshan, Hebei province, China in 2022. With an estimated 900-kiloton production capacity per year, the $600-million plant will ensure a steady galvanized steel sheet supply for the automotive industry. Plumbing applications widely utilize cast iron pipes owing to their remarkable compressive strength and longevity. The silicon alloys market has been evolving rapidly due its ability to impart significant tribiological properties to the alloys, when mixed with aluminum and iron. Excessive use of ferrosilicon alloys in different forms such as steel alloys has benefited the market player to gain consistent revenues. Advancements made in silicon alloys refining have resulted in several materials with desired structural properties, increasing the competition in the silicon alloys market. Increasing adoption of metal forming technologies is expected to keep the landscape more competitive. Increasing utilization of silicon alloys in automotive industry has resulted in market expansion over the recent years. Also, demand for iron and steel in several end-use industries has made the market highly competitive. Advancements made in producing steel and cast iron in the industrialized nations are the major factors boosting the silicon alloys market. Rapid industrialization in such economies has increased the demand significantly. Markets in the rapidly emerging regions such as ASEAN and Brazil have witnessed rise in infrastructural development augmenting the utilization of silicon alloys. New avenues are opening up in the silicon alloys market due to new methods in metal matrix composite formation. These advances are prominently witnessed in the automotive components market, and hence the APAC region is anticipated to witness huge growth in the silicon alloys market in the coming years due to the region's vast strides in the automotive manufacturing. However, the availability of substitute products such as ferrochromium, ferromagnesium, and ferroaluminum and their growing preference over ferrosilicon in the steel industry due to their ease of availability could present challenges for the market. Regular exposure to ferrosilicon is proved to cause cancer among the mining workers, which is another major market restraining factor. More MarketGlass Platform Our MarketGlass Platform is a free full-stack knowledge center that is custom configurable to today`s busy business executive`s intelligence needs! This influencer driven interactive research platform is at the core of our primary research engagements and draws from unique perspectives of participating executives worldwide. Features include - enterprise-wide peer-to-peer collaborations; research program previews relevant to your company; 3.4 million domain expert profiles; competitive company profiles; interactive research modules; bespoke report generation; monitor market trends; competitive brands; create & publish blogs & podcasts using our primary and secondary content; track domain events worldwide; and much more. Client companies will have complete insider access to the project data stacks. Currently in use by 67,000+ domain experts worldwide. Our platform is free for qualified executives and is accessible from our website www.StrategyR.com or via our just released mobile application on iOS or Android About Global Industry Analysts, Inc. & StrategyR Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (www.strategyr.com) is a renowned market research publisher the world`s only influencer driven market research company. Proudly serving more than 42,000 clients from 36 countries, GIA is recognized for accurate forecasting of markets and industries for over 33 years. CONTACTS: Zak Ali Director, Corporate Communications Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Phone: 1-408-528-9966 www.StrategyR.com Email: [email protected] LINKS Join Our Expert Panel https://www.strategyr.com/Panelist.asp Connect With Us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-industry-analysts-inc./ Follow Us on Twitter https://twitter.com/marketbytes Journalists & Media [email protected] SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Perfect for dressing salads, marinating meats, topping pasta and dipping bread, Newman's Own new Garlic Vinaigrette & Marinade is light and fresh, full of flavor, and incredibly versatile. Made with premium ingredients and a special blend of herbs and spices, the double-purpose vinaigrette and marinade sets itself apart by featuring four different forms of garlic minced, powdered, granulated and chopped delivering deliciously bold and zesty flavor with every bite. It is the latest addition to the brand's extensive offering of classic vinaigrettes and dressings. Expanding beyond the brand's Thin and Crispy and Cauliflower Crust Pizzas for the first time, Newman's Own new Stone-Fired Crust Pizzas are authentic, Italian pizzas with lightly blistered crusts. To achieve the perfect crust, the pizzas are stone-fired at a very high temperature (900F) for 60 seconds to lock in the flavors of the high-quality Italian toppings and maintain a light, airy, and slightly crispy texture until they're ready to be baked in the oven at home. Newman's Own Stone-Fired Crust Pizzas are imported from Italy and available in three authentic Italian flavors including classic Margherita, Quattro Formaggi (Four Cheese), and Spinaci & Formaggi (Spinach & Cheese). The Margherita pizza is topped with a traditional tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella cheese, and basil leaves. The four-cheese pizza features fior di latte mozzarella, buffalo ricotta, buffalo mozzarella, Pecorino Romano cheese, and basil leaves. The spinach and cheese pizza is made with caciocavallo cheese, fior di mozzarella, Grana Padano, spinach, garlic, and a splash of lemon. "Forty years after Newman's Own was founded with the launch of its first salad dressing, we remain committed to Paul Newman's vision of giving all profits away," said Nicole Malcolm-Manyara, Chief Marketing Officer of Newman's Own, Inc. "As we launch a bold and zesty new dressing this year, as well as a new Italian pizza line, I'm proud that our customers can still feel doubly good about reaching for convenient, tasty foods with high-quality ingredients while helping support organizations that improve the lives of children at the same time." The Garlic Vinaigrette & Marinade is gluten-free and has no artificial flavors, preservatives, colors or high fructose corn syrup. Within the Stone-Fired Crust Pizza line, Margherita has no preservatives or artificial ingredients, Quattro Formaggi has no preservatives or artificial ingredients, and Spinaci & Formaggi has no artificial colors or flavors. Newman's Own Garlic Vinaigrette & Marinade and Stone-Fire Crust Pizza products are rolling out nationwide this summer with an SRP of $3.99 and $7.29, respectively. For additional information and to find products in a store near you, visit NewmansOwn.com or follow the brand on Instagram @NewmansOwn. About Newman's Own Inc. Newman's Own, Inc., founded by Paul Newman in 1982, offers great tasting, high-quality food and beverage products for people and pets. Products include salad dressings, pasta sauces, frozen pizza, salsa, refrigerated drinks, cookies, and popcorn as well as dog food, and dog treats. Newman's Own Inc. continues Paul Newman's founding commitment to "give it all away," with 100% of profits going to organizations that help children who face adversity through the Newman's Own Foundation. SOURCE Newman's Own, Inc. CHICAGO, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Next News Network is thrilled to announce that, in addition to our YouTube channel, we now have a website where subscribers can get the latest news from a conservative standpoint. Next News Network Launches New Website "It is more important than ever that conservatives have a place to go to get the truth. Next News Network was created to ensure that free press would continue to thrive by serving millions of Americans and viewers across the world every day. Next News Network has proven to be the conservative choice for news by surpassing over 2 billion views on YouTube. The website will provide a place to go to read the news, and will supplement the YouTube channel," Gary Franchi stated. The website continues the company's mission to bring free press to the world and features several new reporters and commentators. The website is split up into 6 categories: US, Politics, White House, Culture, World, and Business. Readers can easily pick the category of news that they want to read by navigating the menu. The site will provide interesting and exclusive coverage of important political, national, and global events for Next News Network's growing audience. It will also host many of Next News Network's original news videos, tying them directly to the associated written content, and giving the readers more options for how to consume the news. The launching of the site coincides with the 10th anniversary of Next News in June along with an increase in activity on Next News Network's social media accounts including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to better engage our audience and help get the word out about important news stories. Gary S Franchi Jr. is Executive Producer and Lead Anchor of The Next News Network, a YouTube channel with over 2.14 million subscribers, and over 1.4 billion views. His work has been mentioned by the Chicago Tribune, New York Times, THE GUARDIAN, HUFFPO, BUZZFEED, FORBES, WASHINGTON POST, THE VERGE, REUTERS, THE HILL, BUSINESS INSIDER and other national publications. Prior to Next News Network, Franchi was the lead television news anchor for WHDT World News, served as the head of the first Ron Paul Super PAC in 2012, and the managing editor of the nationally distributed REPUBLIC Magazine. He's produced 3 documentary films and was the National Director of the late Aaron Russo's Restore the Republic, a grassroots organization supporting sound monetary policy. The Next News Network has provided unique insight to viewers around the world since 2012, but, says Franchi, "we wanted to go further, to become the most comprehensive conservative news source around." Franchi continued, "For far too long, the mainstream, liberal media has dominated the news, and fake news was everywhere. I have spent my career working to change that, to make it so there is a place to go and find the truth." Be sure to go check out the Next News Network website at www.nextnewsnetwork.com . And follow Next News Network on our YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/NextNewsNetwork Also, follow our social media: https://www.facebook.com/NextNewsNet/ https://www.tiktok.com/@nextnewsnetwork https://twitter.com/nextnewsnetwork https://gettr.com/user/nextnewsnetwork Media Contact: Stacey Shelton [email protected] | (702) 483-8094 SOURCE Next News Network Refocused plans include further advancing its Empower Pilot Facility, fully delivering its Calgary Empower Facility, and reducing corporate costs VANCOUVER, BC, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Northstar Clean Technologies Inc. (TSXV: ROOF) (OTCQB: ROOOF) ("Northstar" or the "Company"), in an effort to reflect current market conditions and to create positive shareholder value, is pleased to announce the details of its refocused expansion plans following the review of its Phase 1 Expansion Program. Phase 1 Expansion Program Project Financing Update The Company has recently completed a wide engagement of potential financing partners for its proposed Phase 1 Expansion Program in Calgary, Toronto, and the Pacific Northwest, anticipated to be strategically implemented over the next two years. Indicative term sheets were sought for provision of both debt and equity. The expected funding was for $50M, less anticipated government non-dilutive funding support, capable of supporting construction of the three facilities, plus operation of the Northstar business until the end of 2023, supporting ongoing organization capability and facility development. The level of indicative support was substantial and included: Debt proposals from two Canadian commercial banks; Equity proposals from five Canadian investment banks; Project and full funding proposals from two Canadian infrastructure funds; and Full funding indicative proposals from two US infrastructure funds. Although non-binding, these proposals, combined with anticipated government non-dilutive funding, highlight the potential for the full funding of the Company's proposed Phase 1 Expansion Program. However, given the current market condition, Northstar's senior management, the board of directors of the Company (the "Board") as well as the Board's special finance committee have decided that financing the whole proposed Phase 1 Expansion Program would be unnecessarily dilutive and not in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders at this time. Consequently, Northstar will focus its Phase 1 Expansion Program to: i) Advance the pilot facility in Delta, B.C. ("Empower Pilot Facility"); ii) Deliver its commercial scale up facility in Calgary, Alberta (the "Empower Calgary Facility"); and iii) Reduce Northstar's corporate expenditures to provide further focus and financial support for items i) and ii) above. Mr. Aidan Mills, President & CEO and Director, stated, "We have been delighted at the considerable interest from a range of strong potential financial partners to support our proposed $50M three facility Phase 1 Expansion Program. However, in light of the current equity markets, we felt that this is an inappropriate time to fully fund the Phase 1 Expansion Program, as originally proposed. Therefore, as described above, we have refocused our expansion plans to significantly advance the Empower Pilot Facility in the short term, execute our flagship project, the Empower Calgary Facility, and ensure costs are focused on these projects with internal resources only. Refocus deliverables The Company has decided to refocus on delivering shareholder value through the following three steps: 1. Bringing the Empower Pilot Facility into commercial production Secure its formal collection license to generate input revenue via tipping fees; Execute an off-take agreement for liquid asphalt production and commence sales of its liquid asphalt; Steadily increase production throughout Q3 2022 to a target level of 40 tonnes/day; and Further optimize the Empower Pilot Facility to enter commercial production of 50-75 tonnes/day by end of Q4 2022. 2. Execute construction of the Empower Calgary Facility Finalize site selection and identify a suitable long-term lease in an industrial area of Calgary, Alberta strategically located close to City of Calgary landfills; strategically located close to landfills; Execute a long term off-take agreement for 100% of its liquid asphalt production; Commence site permitting work at municipal and provincial levels of government; Place orders for long-lead capital equipment to secure guaranteed timeline and pricing on long lead items; and Complete key engineering studies prior to entering detailed engineering design. 3. Reduce corporate costs Business development activities for both Toronto and Pacific Northwest are anticipated to be continued using internal resources only and consulting support for these activities will be minimized. and Pacific Northwest are anticipated to be continued using internal resources only and consulting support for these activities will be minimized. Potential site lease acquisitions, equipment pre-orders and feasibility studies for Toronto and Pacific Northwest have been deferred into 2023. and Pacific Northwest have been deferred into 2023. Northstar consultant support, except for technical support for the Empower Pilot Facility and the Empower Calgary Facility, will be minimized. Revised Near-Term Project Financing Update As outlined in the Q1 results, Northstar remains in a strong balance sheet position. This enables: Funding of capital requirements to further advance the Empower Pilot Facility production levels; Ordering of critical long lead items to maintain the timeline for the Empower Calgary Facility; and Completion of key engineering studies prior to entering detailed engineering design. We note that input to the engineering studies is supported by both customer feedback and operational learning from the Empower Pilot Facility. Outside necessary expenditures, the Company anticipates focusing any additional funding on the Empower Calgary Facility. In addition to the anticipated non-dilutive government funding, discussions are ongoing regarding the refocused finance plan with the potential funding providers identified above. Considerable detailed commercial, legal, and technical due diligence has already been performed by all parties involved and execution with our preferred finance partners is expected to be timed to best benefit our expansion plans going forward. The Company continues to target a range of 50% to 60% of the capital required from non-equity sources, excluding anticipated government grants, with the overall objective of minimizing the need for equity capital to finance the Empower Calgary Facility. Update on Government Non-Dilutive Funding Opportunities The Company continues to engage with federal, provincial, and municipal government funding agencies for grants and loans to support the construction of the Empower Calgary Facility. As previously announced on March 29, 2022, Alberta Innovates awarded the Company a $200,000 grant for the Empower Calgary Facility's engineering costs. The Company has also applied for non-dilutive funding from several other well-known government agencies. "We believe the focus on Calgary also provides reassurance to shareholders that Northstar is committed to the critical next step for an ESG company - the clear delivery of a commercial facility - prior to a broader Canada and North American rollout," said Mr. Mills. "Once this step is complete, we expect the technology, operations, revenue and return on investment to be clearly demonstrated, reducing the risk of unnecessary dilution at our current valuation. We are aligned with shareholders and the best interests of the Company and will continue to grow the business with both in mind." "We have not stopped work on Toronto and the Pacific Northwest as we continue to engage local governments and customers regarding site locations, non-dilutive funding opportunities and supply and offtake discussions, however, we will be minimizing the costs to carry out these business development activities in the near-term which significantly reduces costs", concluded Mr. Mills. About Northstar Northstar Clean Technologies Inc. is a Vancouver-based clean technology company focused on the sustainable recovery and reprocessing of asphalt shingles. Northstar has developed a proprietary design process for taking discarded asphalt shingles, otherwise destined for already over-crowded landfills, and extracting the liquid asphalt, aggregate and fiber for usage in new hot mix asphalt, construction products and other industrial applications. Focused on the circular economy, Northstar plans to reprocess used or defective asphalt shingle waste back into its three primary components for reuse/resale at its Empower Pilot Facility in Delta, British Columbia. As an emerging innovator in sustainable processing, Northstar's mission is to be the leader in the recovery and reprocessing of asphalt shingles in North America, extracting the recovered components from asphalt shingles that would otherwise be sent to landfill. For further information about Northstar, please visit www.northstarcleantech.com . On Behalf of the Board of Directors, Aidan Mills President & CEO, Director Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The TSXV has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. This press release may contain forwardlooking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, which forwardlooking information reflects the Company's current expectations regarding future events. Forward-looking statements are often identified by the words "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements concerning the Company's refocused Phase 1 Expansion Program, the funding composition, equity or otherwise, of the proposed Phase 1 Expansion Program, the Company's ability to increase shareholder value or fund its proposed Phase 1 Expansion Program, estimated production targets for each of the Empower Pilot Facility and Empower Calgary Facility, the Company's ability to enter into any necessary off-take agreements, the Company's belief that its products can enter the circular economy while diverting waste from landfills, and its projected project economics for its Empower Pilot Facility and Empower Calgary Facility. Forwardlooking information is based on a number of assumptions and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, which could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forwardlooking information. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements, including risks related to factors beyond the control of the Company as well as those risks and uncertainties which are more fully described under the heading "Risk Factors" in the final prospectus of the Company dated June 18, 2021 and in the Company's annual and quarterly management's discussion and analysis and other filings with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities under the Company's profile on SEDAR. The novel strain of coronavirus, COVID-19, and ongoing dispute between the sovereign state of Ukraine and Russia also pose risks that are currently indescribable and immeasurable. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update such forwardlooking information whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended and such changes could be material. The Company does not intend, and do not assume any obligation, to update the forward-looking statements except as otherwise required by applicable law. SOURCE Northstar Clean Technologies Inc. Notix has been named the recipient of the Top Performer award from SourceForge, the world's largest software reviews and comparison website. LIMASSOL, Cyprus, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Notix , a leading global push notification service provider, has been named the recipient of a Spring 2022 Top Performer Award by SourceForge , the world's biggest software and service review platform. The Top Performer Awards are presented to companies who have received a high volume of exceptional reviews for their services or products, placing them in the top 10% of SourceForge's overall rankings. Notix Recognized as a 2022 Top Performer in Push Notifications "It's a great honor to receive this prestigious award. Since the moment we established Notix, our team has strived to create a great ecosystem for all of its members. Not only are we delighted by the internal response from our customers, but we're also humbled by SourceForge's prestigious award and encouraged to continue growing and improving," said Karina Arkhangelskaya, leader of the Notix project. To receive a Spring 2022 Top Performer Award, candidates must garner enough positive reviews to rank in the top tenth percentile of SourceForge's overall rankings. Notix's reception of the award confirms the platform's superb quality and dedication to delivering an outstanding customer experience every time. About Notix Notix is an innovative push notification service that focuses on re-engaging passive audiences, bringing users back to the site, and monetizing all subscribers. Some of the platform's best features and benefits include: Up to 30% more subscribers More targeted push message creation Higher conversion rates on landing pages of affiliates and on direct portals of website owners 30% better delivery rate Parallel testing possibility and user migration Through Notix, website owners and marketers can publish their content and interact with their audiences through an extremely engaging channel while also having an opportunity to monetize both mobile and web subscribers. Thanks to features such as parallel testing with similar platforms, audience segmentation, platform migration, and real-time tracking, stakeholders can make adjustments and boost results across the board. The company has also scheduled a brand new feature to be released very soon in-app notifications that will further expand the platform's possibilities. Marketers and website owners can quickly reach their customers by sending messages within mobile applications. One of the most prominent characteristics of this new tool is that website owners are not required to have an app Notix offers a test app with an installed SDK. Contact: Alina Fatchikhina +35795186411 [email protected] SOURCE Notix TULSA, Okla., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE: OKE) will participate in the Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference on June 1-2, 2022, in New York City. ONEOK's latest investor materials are available at www.oneok.com. ONEOK, Inc. (pronounced ONE-OAK) (NYSE: OKE) is a leading midstream service provider and owner of one of the nation's premier natural gas liquids (NGL) systems, connecting NGL supply in the Rocky Mountain, Mid-Continent and Permian regions with key market centers and an extensive network of natural gas gathering, processing, storage and transportation assets. ONEOK is a FORTUNE 500 company and is included in the S&P 500. For information about ONEOK, visit the website: www.oneok.com. For the latest news about ONEOK, find us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Analyst Contact: Megan Patterson 918-561-5325 Media Contact: Brad Borror 918-588-7582 SOURCE ONEOK, Inc. Companies operating in France will soon benefit from an integrated cloud payroll system that helps simplify payroll processes AUSTIN, Texas, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Oracle plans to deliver Oracle France Payroll, part of Oracle Fusion Cloud Human Capital Management (HCM). The new cloud payroll solution will help organizations manage compliance, automate workflows, and quickly process payroll for employees working in France. With the addition of Oracle France Payroll, Oracle Cloud HCM will provide built-in payroll support for 13 countries including Bahrain, Canada, China, Kuwait, Mexico, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States, with upcoming support for India and Oman. France has one of the most complex payroll processes in Europe, requiring employers to report and withhold income for a variety of taxes on behalf of the country's 30 million workers. Additionally, organizations operating in France experience rapid and continuous legislative and regulatory changes, meaning payroll processes will often vary from one year to the next. To manage this complexity, organizations with employees working in France need the support and flexibility of a cloud-based payroll system that automatically updates to match current payroll and reporting needs. "Payroll is one of the single most important functions for keeping a workforce running smoothly. Employees have zero tolerance for mistakes or delays when it comes to their compensation, no matter how complicated the local rules and regulations are," said Holger Muller, principal analyst, Constellation Research. "It's essential that organizations use a cloud-based payroll system that natively integrates with their core HR systems to automatically stay up to date with changes in regulations and their workforce. The upcoming launch of Oracle France Payroll is a huge opportunity for local and multinational companies operating in France to benefit from that integration in their HR and payroll operations." Oracle France Payroll will help organizations save time and reduce payroll errors by eliminating manual processes and automating complex rules and calculations so customers can easily comply with tax and reporting obligations. Adding France-specific capabilities to Oracle Payroll will allow French companies and multinational organizations operating in France to grow with one global payroll solution. Oracle France Payroll will provide the following benefits to organizations: Built-in Compliance Rules: Will address regulatory and legislative requirements for processing payroll in France . As Oracle France Payroll is built in the cloud, it can adapt to France's frequently changing rules as needed. It will also give payroll administrators the flexibility to configure pay rules for different collective bargaining agreements, trade union activities, and complex regulations for minimum and variable wages. Will address regulatory and legislative requirements for processing payroll in . As Oracle France Payroll is built in the cloud, it can adapt to frequently changing rules as needed. It will also give payroll administrators the flexibility to configure pay rules for different collective bargaining agreements, trade union activities, and complex regulations for minimum and variable wages. Robotic Process Automation: Will help simplify payroll and data entry tasks for payroll administrators, enabling them to calculate payroll faster and more accurately. It will also help reduce errors in more complex work rules that are common in France . Will help simplify payroll and data entry tasks for payroll administrators, enabling them to calculate payroll faster and more accurately. It will also help reduce errors in more complex work rules that are common in . Payroll Unified with Core HR: Will give Oracle France Payroll complete access to workforce data within Oracle Cloud HCM to help ensure that deductions for income, social, and other tax withholdings are managed correctly. This will also help organizations easily onboard new employees and get them paid quickly. "In France, the government and collective bargaining groups are constantly changing the laws and agreements regarding taxes and compensation in hopes of improving working conditions for employees. That can make it challenging for organizations to stay up to date on the latest processes they need to follow to pay their employees accurately and fairly," said Chris Leone, senior vice president of development, Oracle Cloud HCM. "With Oracle France Payroll, local and multinational organizations with employees in France will be able to automate payroll operations to pay their workers quickly and accurately. Frequent and automatic updates will help ensure payroll operations are always in compliance, even as laws and contracts change." See here for more information about Oracle Payroll: https://www.oracle.com/human-capital-management/payroll/ About Oracle Oracle offers integrated suites of applications plus secure, autonomous infrastructure in the Oracle Cloud. For more information about Oracle (NYSE: ORCL), please visit us at www.oracle.com. Trademarks Oracle, Java, and MySQL are registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation. SOURCE Oracle TEL AVIV, Israel , May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Authomize, the first Cloud IAM Security Platform, announced today that Shailesh Rao and Daniel Bernard have joined its advisory board. The addition of the two marketing leaders will help drive Authomize's push to scale. Rao is currently the President of Global Go-to-Market, Cortex, Prisma at Palo Alto Networks. He has also held senior leadership roles at Google among other leading technology companies. As CMO at SentinelOne, Bernard has led its marketing and business development efforts, helping to lead the company through to its recent IPO in June 2021. "I am excited to join the advisory board for the talented team at Authomize," says Mr. Rao. "The Authomize platform is already gaining a lot of traction, offering a fresh approach to a major opportunity in managing complex environments - a challenge facing many IT and security teams today." "The identity layer is under increasing threat from malicious actors," says Bernard, noting the high profile attacks on Okta and SolarWinds. "Cybersecurity leaders understand that they need stronger, more comprehensive visibility and control over their access. "Authomize's platform brings authorization security lifecycle management to organizations, continuously validating access state and entitlements to reduce risk." "We are thrilled to have Shailesh and Daniel join our advisory board," says Authomize's Co-Founder and CEO Dotan Bar Noy. "They bring with them considerable experience and expertise in GTM, Sales, Product Management, and Marketing that will help the Authomize team reach new successes in addressing the growing need for identity and access security. We are looking forward to building on their insights as we continue our expansion in the US." Rao and Bernard join a growing list of security and identity leaders who have signed on to Authomize's advisory board in recent months. Other distinguished members include Mark Settle (Okta), Rinki Sethi (Twitter), Declan Morris (Splunk), Paul Trulove (SailPoint), Cochavit Almagor (Google), and Gai Hanochi (Fiverr). In the coming months, more veteran industry leaders are expected to join the advisory board. About Authomize The first Cloud IAM Security Platform, Authomize continuously monitors identities, access privileges, assets, and activities to secure apps and cloud services. Our full-stack yet granular visibility across IaaS, SaaS, and Data environments enables organizations to understand how their access privileges are being used and ensure effective control over the security of their assets. Backed by Innovation Endeavors, Blumberg Capital, Entree Capital and Microsoft's M12 venture fund, Authomize is headquartered in Tel Aviv and Austin. Learn more at www.authomize.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn for news and updates. MEDIA CONTACT Cole Christy Gregory FCA on behalf of Authomize [email protected] 619.972.9836 SOURCE Authomize (The Center Square) A constitutional amendment to devote a quarter of all nonrecurring state revenues to the unfunded liabilities of state retirement systems has cleared the House. Members of the lower chamber voted 70-21 last week to approve House Bill 29, sponsored by Rep. Richard Nelson, R-Mandeville, to enshrine a provision in the state constitution that would require lawmakers to devote 25% of all nonrecurring revenues to the unfunded accrued liability of the states four public retirement systems. The Louisiana constitution currently requires 10% of surplus dollars go toward paying down retirement debt. Because HB 29 is a constitutional amendment, the bill must pass both chambers of the Legislature with a two-thirds majority, and gain approval from a majority of voters. In June 2020, the unfunded accrued liability of the states largest retirement systems the Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana (TRSL) and the Louisiana School Employees Retirement System (LSERS) stood at $11.1 billion. Over the course of fiscal year 2020, schools and other state and local government employers paid $1.1 bill to TRSL and $63.3 million to LSERS toward the unfunded accrued liability. The Louisiana Legislative Auditor issued a report in October that showed schools participating in the retirement systems collectively had $852.8 million less to spend on retirement educational expenses like teacher salaries, class materials, and facilities due to the debt. The unfunded accrued liability accounted for an average of 10% of schools total revenues and 23.9% of their Minimum Foundation Program state funding. That translates into 11.8% of participating schools total expenditures, compared to the 4.1% non-participating schools paid toward retirement. Nelson pointed out that Louisiana is required to pay down about $6 billion in debt through previous legislation, while total unfunded accrued liability stands at about $17 billion. Since the state started mandated payments toward the $6 billion portion in 1988, "weve spent $23.2 billion in interest." "Some of the opponents last week came up and said you know what this will tie our hands as politicians and we wont be able to kick this can down the road if we pass your bill and thats absolutely the point," he said. "The problem is we spent $23.2 billion in interest over the last 20, 30 years when we could have paid that down, saved that money, and used it for other things." "We just had a record-breaking $2 billion surplus and guess how much money this legislature spent toward" the debt? Nelson said. "Exactly the amount required by the constitution and not a penny more." "This is the only way were going to establish that minimum payment to make future legislators actually address this responsibility," he said. Rep. Alan Seabough, R-Shreveport, countered that by mandating the payments lawmakers would be unable to weigh other obligations that are also important before allocating surplus funds. "We have a $14 billion backlog of road projects that need to be completed," he said. "We get to appropriate that money. If this passes, our hands are tied and we cant put that money towards roads or bridges or any other project that we want to put it toward." "Right now, instead of mandating that we put it toward the (unfunded accrued liability) we can," he said. "If its a good idea, bring the bill, bring the amendment and we can put it towards it, but dont tie our hands." Rep. Robbie Carter, D-Amite, echoed Seaboughs perspective. "This is tying the legislatures hands way, way, way too much," he said. "We dont know what were foreseeing in the future and I would think that by putting this in the constitution we are tying our hands in case there is something tragic that may happen." HB 29 now moves to the Senate for consideration. All six tiny homes at the new Natchez Trace Tiny House Village were built by Tumbleweed Tiny House Company. Tumbleweed tiny houses are certified green by TRA Certification. The homes meet the criteria for efficiency in resources utilized, indoor air quality, water and energy. In fact, their tiny houses exceed the highest category of efficiency under TRA Certification standards, Emerald, for energy, water and indoor air quality. Tumbleweed uses low-VOC products in all builds, mineral wool insulation, low flow plumbing fixtures, and air exchangers are installed in every unit. The tiny houses also have products and fixtures from IKEA incorporated throughout, while being built under Tumbleweed's current TRA Certification standards. IKEA is a leader in sustainability, aiming to use only renewable or recycled materials by 2030. "We are thrilled to open our newest tiny house village," said Petite Retreats' spokeswoman Pat Zamora. "Natchez Trace Tiny House Village represents the type of unique vacation rentals Petite Retreats offers and this open house provides a glimpse into the tiny experience available when guests visit," Zamora added. Petite Retreats offers tiny houses among its variety of vacation rentals, including yurts, cabins, cottages, tents and teepees, across more than 180 RV resorts and campgrounds nationwide. The five other tiny house villages include Mt. Hood Tiny House Village outside Portland, OR, Leavenworth Tiny House Village east of Seattle, Tuxbury Tiny House Village north of Boston, Sunshine Key Tiny House Village in the Florida Keys, and two tiny houses near Sedona, Ariz. at Verde Valley RV Resort. About Petite Retreats Petite Retreats offers a collection of unique vacation accommodations across the U.S. Owned and operated by Equity Lifestyle Properties, Inc. (NYSE: ELS), Petite Retreats and its affiliates offer vacationers the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors in top vacation destinations, complemented with resort-style amenities. Petite Retreats' unique accommodations consist of tiny houses, cabins, cottages, yurts, tents and teepees. Visit www.PetiteRetreats.com for more information. SOURCE Petite Retreats Facility is utility's 13th publicly accessible CNG fueling station; eighth in North Carolina . Location offers convenient fueling option for CNG-powered vehicles traveling on coastal highways. CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Piedmont Natural Gas today announced the opening of a compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station in Wilmington, N.C. The facility is Piedmont's 13th CNG fueling station in the company's three-state service territory and its eighth in North Carolina. Located at 141 Sutton Steam Plant Drive, near the intersection of Interstate 140 and U.S. Highway 421, and conveniently accessible to Interstate 40, the station provides a fueling stop for trucks, fleet vehicles and other vehicles that run on CNG. The station features four fast-fill fuel pumps, can accommodate Class 8 tractor-trailer trucks and is accessible 24/7. For resiliency, a natural gas backup generator is on-site to help ensure reliability during hurricanes and severe weather. "Compressed natural gas offers several advantages to traditional fuels, from fuel-cost savings to helping reduce vehicles' carbon footprints," said Phillip Grigsby, senior vice president of ventures and business development at Piedmont Natural Gas. "The lower-cost, lower-emission CNG offered at our network of publicly accessible CNG stations can help companies and fleets meet their sustainability goals, and we're pleased to make this fuel available to more motorists driving along the I-40 and I-140 corridors." Thanks to the domestic abundance of natural gas, the price of CNG remains below that of conventional vehicle fuels. With savings over conventional fuels such as gasoline and diesel, business fleets and the trucking industry have found CNG to be a cost-effective fueling solution. Approximately 50% of Piedmont's own utility fleet consists of CNG-powered or CNG-capable vehicles. CNG also is a more environmentally friendly choice; natural gas vehicles are 90% cleaner than the federal Environmental Protection Agency's current NOx standard. CNG emits up to 21% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than comparable gasoline and diesel vehicles. Many state and local governments also offer incentives to encourage the adoption of natural gas vehicles. To learn more about Piedmont's network of CNG fueling stations, natural gas vehicles and their benefits, visit piedmontng.com/ChooseCNG . Piedmont Natural Gas Piedmont Natural Gas, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, distributes natural gas to more than 1.1 million residential, commercial, industrial and power generation customers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Piedmont is routinely recognized by J.D. Power for excellent customer satisfaction, and has been named by Cogent Reports as one of the most trusted utility brands in the U.S. More information: piedmontng.com . Follow Piedmont Natural Gas: Twitter , Facebook . Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 28,000 people. Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business and at least a 50% carbon reduction from electric generation by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The 2050 net-zero goals also include Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 emissions. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear. Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2022 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' "America's Best Employers" list. More information is available at duke-energy.com . The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter , LinkedIn , Instagram and Facebook . Media contact: Jason Wheatley Piedmont Natural Gas Phone: 877.348.3612 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Piedmont Natural Gas MINNEAPOLIS, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Plus One, the center of innovation for Plus Relocation, is thrilled to announce the launch of its new website for Point C, its flagship product. The new website, located at PointC.com, offers a clean, streamlined design, easy navigation and insightful tools and testimonials. The site better informs and empowers those companies wanting to transform their employee mobility program with Point C. Introduced in 2018, Point C is a technology solution that dramatically enhances the relocation experience for mobile employees while redefining the idea of what mobility policies and benefits can be. Developed using a design-thinking approach and grounded in extensive qualitative and quantitative research, Point C gives users full control over their relocations through a system unlike anything seen before in the industry. Going far beyond the restrictions of conventional relocation policies, the Point C platform offers a unique and responsive experience with services that mobile employees from new hires to top-level executives truly want and need. "The new website offers mobility teams a unique look into how they can use Point C to meet their business goals," said Plus CEO Susan Benevides. "Point C supports DE&I initiatives, attracts better talent and can recession-proof a mobility program by containing or even reducing costs." She added: "PointC.com demonstrates how our technology meets mobile employees where they are and provides a platform for them to define their own mobility experience with benefits never before offered. We're taking relocating employees beyond logistics. While other relocation management companies take employees from Point A to Point B; we take them to Point C." For more information on Point C or to find out how you can use it at your company, visit the new website at pointc.com. About Plus One Plus One is Plus Relocation's center of innovation where we dream, explore and scale new solutions for today's talent challenges. With a commitment to ideation and innovation, Plus One is focused on radically transforming the mobility industry through cutting-edge platforms and services. Contact: Stephanie Ottenbacher [email protected] +1-952-562-8970 SOURCE Plus One BARRANQUILLA, Colombia, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Promigas S.A. E.S.P. (BVC: PROMIG) today announced it will host an Investor Day event on June 2, 2022 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time. "In this 2022 Investor Day we will present how Promigas has been expanding its operations while generating value for all stakeholders," said Juan Manuel Rojas Payan, CEO. "We look forward to discussing our growth plans in Latin America and how we are preparing the Company for the future of clean energy, where natural gas will play a key role." Promigas executives presenting during the event include Chief Executive Officer Juan Manuel Rojas Payan, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Vice President Natalia Abello, Chief Financial Officer Aquiles Mercado Gonzalez and other senior leaders. Promigas will also be presenting its financial results for the first quarter 2022 during the event. Presentation materials and a webcast replay will be available in the Investor Relations section of Promigas.com after the event concludes. Investors and analysts are invited to register for the event at https://promigasinvestorday.com, where a more detailed agenda and leadership profiles is provided. For more information, please contact Promigas Investor Relations at [email protected] or Lucia Domville from Grayling at [email protected]. About Promigas Promigas is a leading natural gas and energy services company in Latin America. For more than 47 years, the company has been connecting markets to sources of energy and generating value through environmentally responsible management and by being committed to sustainable development. Promigas develops energy markets in Colombia and Peru, focusing on natural gas transportation and distribution, integrated solutions for the industry and electricity generation. It also participates in the only LNG import regasification terminal in Colombia, the Sociedad Portuaria El Cayao (SPEC), located in Cartagena. SOURCE Promigas Procurement Promotional Products Procurement report explains key category management objectives that should form the base for sourcing strategy, including: Top-line growth Scalability of inputs Green initiatives Category innovations Supply base rationalization Demand forecasting and governance Minimalization of ad hoc purchases Adherence to regulatory nuances Cost savings Customer retention Reduction of TCO Supply assurance Sign Up for a Sample Procurement Promotional Products Procurement Market Report: www.spendedge.com/report/promotional-products-sourcing-and-procurement-intelligence-report Price Strategies and Benchmark To optimize the value of the purchase, it is crucial to keep a track of current and future price trends. Price forecasts are beneficial in purchase planning, especially when supplemented by the constant monitoring of price influencing factors. During the forecast period, the market expects an incremental spend of USD 6.87 billion due to various market drivers prevalent across multiple regions. Also, the report speaks about various cost-saving factors through analysis of the below factors: Identify favorable opportunities in promotional products TCO (total cost of ownership) Expected changes in price forecast and factors driving the current and future price changes Identify pricing models that offer the most rewarding opportunities. Key Selling Reports: 1. Mobile Device Management - Forecast and Analysis: The mobile device management procurement category is projected to grow at a CAGR of 12.22%. International Business Machines Corp., BlackBerry Ltd., and Microsoft Corp. are among the prominent suppliers in mobile device management market. Click the above link to download the free sample of this report. 2. Corporate Training Sourcing and Procurement Report: Corporate Training Procurement, prices will increase by 8.93% - 9.40% during the forecast period and suppliers will have a Moderate bargaining power in this market.. Click the above link to download the free sample of this report. 3. Temporary Corporate Housing - Sourcing and Procurement Intelligence Report: This report offers detailed insights and analysis of the major cost drivers, volume drivers, and innovations of the temporary corporate housing procurement and sourcing market, which the global suppliers have been leveraging to gain a competitive edge across regions. Click the above link to download the free sample of this report. Table of Content Executive Summary Market Insights Category Pricing Insights Cost-saving Opportunities Best Practices Category Ecosystem Category Management Strategy Category Management Enablers Suppliers Selection Suppliers under Coverage US Market Insights Category scope About SpendEdge: SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions. Contact SpendEdge Anirban Choudhury Marketing Manager Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340 https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us SOURCE SpendEdge "At RobinFood we are proud of each of the achievements we've made. We share the vision of our new investors by considering technology as a fundamental tool to revolutionize the quick service restaurant industry and develop essential sustainable processes in today's world," said Jose Guillermo Calderon, CEO of RobinFood. Robin Food announces this new investment within the significant growth of the company in Latam, given its disruptive technology and its innovative sustainability projects that are already generating a significant impact in the countries where it operates. "This new round will allow us to strengthen our presence in Colombia and position ourselves as market leaders in Mexico and Brazil, launching 10 new brands, reaching more than 100M USD in ARR by end of 2022 and more than 1,000 brand-locations. We are currently in 29 cities, and we hope to be in 100 by the end of 2022," says Calderon. A new impulse for RobinFood Partners digital restaurant franchise model The investment round will also be a catalyst for the company to continue conquering intermediate cities thanks to 'RobinFood Partners', the program which they have been able to double their presence in Colombia in just 8 months, reaching a total of 21 cities through 'Partners'; in the case of Mexico, there are a total of 4 cities, and it continues to expand rapidly. In Brazil, they will launch their Partners program in May 2022. To date, more than 100 Partners have already joined in the region, where the small restaurateur is given the opportunity of additional income and they hope to have 500 Partners by the end of 2022. Innovation and technology, the pillars of 'RobinFood' to create a more sustainable industry RobinFood is a company that works under a complete technological ecosystem where more than 130 engineers work to generate the best user experience and optimize processes inside and outside the production and logistics chain, with the commitment to generate the least possible impact in the environment. Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its revolutionary technology, developed 100% in the region, RobinFood cooks food according to a sophisticated model that allows it to forecast demand and reduce food waste. This allowed the company to save more than 650 tons of food in 2021. In 2021 RobinFood became the first Latin American member of the Cool Food Pledge, a WRI (World Resources Institute) initiative that helps organizations globally reduce the environmental impact of their operations. In addition, thinking of promoting equality within the company, RobinFood promotes the effective participation of women and equal opportunities. For this reason, it currently employs more than 160 single mothers; 48.7% of operational employees are women; with the closing of the round, Jocelyn Cortez Young, Managing Partner & Founder of Minerva Capital Group, joins the Board of Directors. SOURCE RobinFood Large majority of public schools report increase in students seeking mental health services during pandemic and rise in staff concerns about students' mental health, new NCES data show WASHINGTON, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Roughly half (56 percent) of public schools moderately or strongly agreed that they could effectively provide mental health services to all students in need, according to data released today by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES). Seventy percent of public schools reported an increase in the percentage of their students seeking mental health services at school since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and roughly three-quarters (76 percent) of schools also reported an increase in staff voicing concerns about their students exhibiting symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and trauma. "We've seen an increase in students seeking mental health services and in staff voicing concerns about students' mental health since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic," said NCES Commissioner Peggy G. Carr. "The pandemic has taken a clear and significant toll on students' mental health. This snapshot of the pandemic's mental health impact is critical in informing the need for student mental health services." During the 2021-22 school year, the most common type of mental health service provided by public schools was individual-based intervention (e.g., one-on-one counseling) at 84 percent of public schools, followed by case management (e.g., coordinating mental health support) at 70 percent, and external mental health referrals at 66 percent. Nearly all (96 percent) public schools reported providing mental health services for their students during the 2021-22 school year. However, 88 percent of public schools did not strongly agree that they could effectively provide mental health services to all students in need. The three most prevalent limitations identified by these schools that limit their ability to serve their students' mental health needs were an insufficient number of mental health professionals to manage their school's caseload, inadequate access to licensed mental health professionals, and inadequate funding. The findings released today are from the latest round of the experimental, monthly School Pulse Panel (SPP). The panel was designed to be nationally representative of public primary, middle, high, and combined-grade schools, with data collected between April 12 and April 26, 2022. A total of 830 schools participated in the April collection. The School Pulse Panel is part of NCES's innovative approach to delivering timely information regarding the pandemic's impact on public K-12 schools in the U.S. The survey provides reliable data focused on virus spread mitigation strategies, learning modes offered by schools, student and staff quarantine prevalence, and mental health needs of, and services provided to, students and staff, as reported by principals in U.S. public schools. This is the fifth experimental data product from the School Pulse Panel. Experimental data products are innovative statistical products created using new data sources or methodologies. Experimental data may not meet all NCES quality standards but are of sufficient benefit to data users in the absence of other relevant products to justify release. NCES clearly identifies experimental data products upon their release. The data released today can be found at the COVID-19 dashboard at https://ies.ed.gov/schoolsurvey/. Key Findings: Mental Health & Well-Being Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, public schools have seen an increase in mental health concerns among their students. Seventy percent of public schools reported an increase in the percentage of their students seeking mental health services at school and 76 percent reported an increase in staff voicing concerns about their students exhibiting symptoms of depression, anxiety, and trauma. In response, 67 percent of public schools reported having increased the amount or types of mental health services they provide since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ninety-six percent of public schools reported providing mental health services for their students during the 2021-22 school year. Among these public schools, the three most common types of mental health services provided were individual-based intervention (i.e., one-on-one counseling, 84 percent), case management (i.e., coordinating mental health support, 70 percent), and external mental health referrals (66 percent). To help students cope with the pandemic, the three most common practices public schools implemented that addressed students' social, emotional, and mental health needs were encouraging staff to address these needs (85 percent), providing teachers with additional professional development centered on these needs (56 percent), and creating or expanding programs focused on these needs (46 percent). Fifty-six percent of public schools reported that they moderately agreed or strongly agreed that they can effectively provide mental health services to all students in need. The 88 percent of public schools that did not strongly agree were asked which factors limited their efforts to effectively provide mental health services to all students in need. Those schools indicated that the three primary limitations are an insufficient number of mental health professional staff necessary to manage the school's caseload (61 percent), inadequate access to licensed mental health professionals (57 percent), and inadequate funding (48 percent). agree were asked which factors limited their efforts to effectively provide mental health services to all students in need. Those schools indicated that the three primary limitations are an insufficient number of mental health professional staff necessary to manage the school's caseload (61 percent), inadequate access to licensed mental health professionals (57 percent), and inadequate funding (48 percent). Over two-thirds (67 percent) of public schools reported taking various approaches to address their staff's mental health needs during the pandemic. The three most common types of approaches included proactive outreach (35 percent), additional professional development focused on mental health (35 percent), and giving staff increased prep time (32 percent). Quarantine Prevalence About 30 percent of public schools reported having a student in quarantine during the April collection window (compared to 31 percent in March). There was an increase in quarantine prevalence for staff, with 15 percent of public schools having staff in quarantine during this time (compared to 8 percent in March). The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, is the statistical center of the U.S. Department of Education and the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education in the U.S. and other nations. NCES, located within the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), fulfills a congressional mandate to collect, collate, analyze, and report complete statistics on the condition of American education; conduct and publish reports; and review and report on education activities internationally. The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) is the independent and nonpartisan statistics, research, and evaluation arm of the U.S. Department of Education. Its mission is to provide scientific evidence on which to ground education practice and policy and to share this information in formats that are useful and accessible to educators, parents, policymakers, researchers, and the public. CONTACT: Josh Delarosa, National Center for Education Statistics, [email protected] James Elias, Hager Sharp, [email protected] SOURCE National Center for Education Statistics In the first quarter of 2022, the consolidated revenues of the Selvita Group increased by 35% y/y and amounted to EUR 20.5 million The Group's EBITDA and net profit (excluding the impact of the non-cash incentive program) reached EUR 6.0 million (29.1%) and EUR 3.6 million (17.7%) Services provided in Poland recorded revenues from external customers in the amount of EUR 9.8 million , along with a high EBITDA margin of 28.1% Revenues from services provided in Croatia (formerly Fidelta) amounted to EUR 7.8 million , indicating an increase of 22% y/y. The EBITDA margin remained at a high level of 31.1% ( EUR 2.4 million ) At Ardigen, the Group's bioinformatics segment, revenues from external customers, amounted to EUR 2.2 million and increased by 60% y/y. EBITDA increased from EUR 0.4 million in the previous year to EUR 0.6 million in 2022, which indicates a margin of 24.3% KRAKOW, Poland, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Selvita S.A. (WSE: SLV) one of the largest preclinical contract research organizations in Europe, continues its development in all business segments in the first quarter of 2022. The increase in the scale of operations along with high margins In the first quarter of 2022, Selvita Group reported revenues in the amount of EUR 20.5 million, indicating an increase of 35% y/y. EBITDA and net profit (excluding the impact of the non-cash incentive program) amounted to EUR 6.0 million and EUR 3.6 million, respectively, which translates into an increase of 56% and 119%. Margins grew in line with the expanding scale of the business. The EBITDA margin increased from 25.2% in the previous year to 29.1% in 2022, while the net profit margin increased from 10.9% to 17.7%. Services provided in Poland closed the first quarter of 2022 with revenues of EUR 9.8 million, an increase of 43% y/y. EBITDA in the reporting period amounted to EUR 2.9 million, achieving the annual growth dynamics of 110%. The segment also significantly improved the EBITDA margin, which increased from 19.0% in the previous year to 28.1% in 2022. A significant increase in the revenues in the area of regulatory research was noted, from EUR 1.5 million achieved in in the first quarter of 2021, to EUR 2.7 million in 2022 (+ 83% y/y). The segment of services provided in Croatia increased the commercial revenues generated by 22% y/y, reaching EUR 7.8 million. EBITDA in the analyzed period amounted to EUR 2.4 million, showing an increase of 21% y/y. The margin on the services remained at a similar level, 31.3% in Q1 2021 vs. 31.1% in Q1 2022. In the reporting period, Ardigen generated EUR 2.2 million in commercial revenues, compared to EUR 1.4 million last year, which translated into an improvement of 60% y / y. EBITDA increased from EUR 0.4 million to EUR 0.6 million (+44% y/y), and the EBITDA margin was 24.3%, which means a minimal decrease compared to Q1 2021 (-2 pp). "I am very pleased with the results achieved. The high pace of growth in all our business segments, as well as the improvement in EBITDA profitability and net profit, show that dynamic development can go hand in hand with good margins. This is the result of the work of our scientists who strive to provide our clients with high quality services every day. At Selvita, we believe that people are the most important asset, and our financial results reflect this," comments Bogusaw Sieczkowski, Chief Executive Officer at Selvita S.A. The backlog of Selvita Group also grew dynamically in the reported period, and currently amounts to EUR 58.8 million, indicating an increase of 38% y/y. In the area of drug discovery, backlog reached EUR 44.6 million, increasing by 30% as compared to the same period previous year. The regulatory research segment has been growing even faster, with backlog amounting to EUR 6.2 million (+ 111% y/y). Ardigen reported EUR 6.5 million of backlog, almost EUR 2.0 million more than in 2021. "The high value of contracted orders allows us to be optimistic about the entire year 2022," adds Sieczkowski. New Development Strategy 2022 - 2025 "During the first quarter of this year, we worked intensively on our new strategy. Rapid development of the Group over the last years meant that our previous, four-year strategy, was implemented in a little over two years. As part of the assumptions of the new development plan, we plan to grow three times by 2025, and achieve annual revenues of EUR 200 million, while maintaining a stable, high margin. We are convinced that the implementation of these goals will allow us to become a global, preclinical CRO, offering clients an increasingly comprehensive range of services," said Sieczkowski. In the first months of 2022, Selvita made several operational steps supporting further development of the Group. Integration of services in the area of drug discovery, integration of sales and business development, as well as creation of a department supporting the management of operational activities, investments, and infrastructure, constitute a strong foundation for the implementation of the assumptions of the new strategy for 2022-2025. About Selvita [SLV] Selvita is one of the largest preclinical contract research organizations in Europe, driven by a clear mission: to offer a comprehensive scope of services bridging the gap between early drug discovery and the clinical stage of drug development. Selvita provides comprehensive solutions supporting Clients and their drug discovery projects, across a broad range of therapeutic areas, specializing in infectious diseases, inflammation, fibrosis, and oncology. The Company offers a range of stand-alone or fully integrated drug discovery and development solutions spanning the entire value chain from early drug discovery to preclinical development. On top of that Selvita also offers analytical support of drug development and contract testing studies. Selvita, established in 2007, operates globally with over 900 highly qualified employees, of which over 40% hold a PhD degree. The Company's research sites are in Krakow (HQ), Poznan, Poland, and Zagreb, Croatia. The international offices are located in Cambridge, MA, and San Francisco Bay Area, in the U.S., as well as in Cambridge, UK. Ardigen, a bioinformatics company harnessing advanced Artificial Intelligence methods for novel precision medicine, is part of Selvita Group portfolio of companies. Selvita is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE: SLV). For more information, please see www.selvita.com. SOURCE Selvita Rising consumer class, educated workforce and surge in post-pandemic digital demand set tone of Vietnam's golden decade ahead HANOI, Vietnam, May 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Golden Gate Ventures, a venture capital fund founded by Silicon Valley natives and based in Southeast Asia for over a decade, was joined by the Vietnam National Innovation Centre (NIC) and founders of leading Vietnamese startups to announce the opening of 2 new Golden Gate Ventures offices in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. The group discussed opportunities in the SEA 'Startup Golden Triangle' of Vietnam, Singapore and Indonesia and its influence on the region's next wave of growth. Earlier this month Golden Gate Ventures' founding partner, Vinnie Lauria, settled in Ho Chi Minh City with his family to open the firms' new Vietnam offices. Today he signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) today with the Vietnam National Innovation Centre to cement a long-term partnership to help Vietnam grow its startup ecosystem and support Vietnamese entrepreneurship. The MoU sees Golden Gate Ventures bringing investments into the market, fostering the exchange and growth of new ideas and innovations, and as a catalyzing force to help Vietnamese startups build regional businesses. Golden Gate Ventures now has offices across Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia mirroring the SEA 'Startup Golden Triangle'. "We began our plans to establish offices in Vietnam in 2019 when Golden Gate Ventures co-hosted the very first Vietnam Venture Summit to help accelerate the growth of Vietnam's significance in the 'Startup Golden Triangle'. Despite the pandemic, we were committed to get boots on the ground and make our efforts truly local. We spent the last year working around COVID-19 restrictions so my family and I could move to Vietnam, understand and appreciate local culture, and ensure senior leadership was on the ground. We are very excited to be here," said Vinnie Lauria, Founding Partner at Golden Gate Ventures, who has since relocated to Vietnam. Vietnam's Time to Shine Following a tremendous decade of growth, the global investment community starts to pay more attention to Southeast Asia . Golden Gate Ventures has been firmly established in Southeast Asia for over 10 years with offices today across Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia mirroring the SEA 'Startup Golden Triangle' and is uniquely positioned to serve the region. Vietnam is rising to the top to join the ranks of Singapore and Indonesia as another jewel of the region marked by a record high of USD1.4 billion Vietnamese startups in 2021[1], 1.6 times higher than the previous record of US$874 million in 2019. "2021 was a very strong year for Vietnamese startups, netting our highest-ever investment of US$1.4 billion, and newly established enterprises in the first four months of 2022 have increased by 31.9% from two years ago. This coupled with the positive momentum of foreign investment, greater recognition of Vietnam's potential across the startup ecosystem, and Vietnamese startups reaching a new level of sophistication, we are expecting investments to double in the next three years," said Mr Vu Quoc Huy, Director at National Innovation Centre in Vietnam, a unit of the Ministry of Planning and Investment. While Vietnam has been on the radar of founders and investors in the last decade, the next few years is where attention to this market is going to truly pay off because of the confluence of its rising consumer class, young and educated workforce, and accelerated digital demand post-pandemic. Domestic consumption is forecast to increase at a rate of 20% per year[2]. In fact, the country looks set to be a significant driver of Asia's consumption story over the next decade, adding 36 million more to its consumer class. Its middle-class population is believed to be the fastest growing in Southeast Asia, and estimated to comprise about 40 per cent of the total population today, up from a mere 10 per cent in 2000. By 2030, this figure could reach 75 per cent[3]. Vietnam's young and educated workforce is another draw, with 70 per cent of the population under 35 of its population of over 98 million[4], and a literacy rate of about 95.4% amongst the highest in Asia[5]. A third factor contributing to Vietnam's potential is the rising post-pandemic digital demand. Vietnam added 8 million new digital consumers, with 55% of them coming from non-metro areas between the start of the pandemic and the first half of 2021. Vietnam's 2021 Internet economy GMV was forecast at US$21 billion a 31% YoY surge that was underpinned by a 53% growth in e-commerce. Looking ahead to 2025, the overall Internet economy will likely reach US$57 billion in value, growing at a 29% CAGR[6]. "In the next decade, we expect to see Vietnam grow at a rate that we have never experienced before. We are at the perfect position of having extremely high internet penetration, a very strong domestic market, founders with innovative ideas that can scale beyond Vietnam, and partners that are helping to grow Vietnam's startup ecosystem here on the ground in Vietnam. The Vietnam government has invested in the last decade to put many pillars in place from education support to infrastructure build-out and ecosystem development. These investments are now paying off it is clear from the tremendous investor interest and extremely high startup activity," said Kim Ngoc Thanh Nga, Head of Ecosystem Development Department, Vietnam National Innovation Center. Singapore Continues its HQ Stronghold Singapore continues to hold its position as the region's go-to market as a regional and global HQ, and the pandemic has further reinforced this positioning, with investment appetite remaining strong in digital services that surged as a result of COVID-19. In spite of its size, Singapore internet economy continues to grow at breakneck pace: the gross merchandise value (GMV) of its internet economy was estimated at US$15 billion in 2021, up a whopping 35% year-on-year[7]. This surge is underpinned by a 45% growth in e-commerce, e-grocery, and digital financial services. With 97% of Internet users also being digital service consumers, the city-state's penetration rate remains highest in the region. Its Internet economy will likely reach US$27 billion by 2025, growing at a 16% CAGR[8]. Indonesia's Tremendous Domestic Market and Strong Localised Innovation Indonesia is the third arm of the SEA 'Startup Golden Triangle' not only because it is the region's most populous country and largest economy, but the pandemic has fuelled digital growth and localised innovation unlike any the country has seen before. Between the start of the pandemic and up till the first half of 2021, Indonesia has seen 21 million new digital consumers, of which 72% are from non-metro areas a sign of accelerating penetration in the region's largest market. The country's Internet economy GMV was estimated at US$70 billion last year surging 49% YoY, underpinned by a 52% growth in e-commerce. Looking ahead to 2025, the overall Internet economy will likely reach US$146 billion in value, growing at a 20% CAGR. As one of the most vibrant digital services markets in the region, Indonesia continues to attract strong global capital inflows, with the e-commerce, fintech, healthtech and edtech segments grabbing the spotlight[9]. "SEA has always been a region of tremendous opportunity, but scaling business models has been a challenge for many because of the unique dynamic of each market. Our research into the region's largest unicorns has shown that putting the unique strengths of Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam together creates a winning combination to help them innovate and grow at lightspeed," said Vinnie Lauria, Founding Partner at Golden Gate Ventures. "As a VC turned entrepreneur, I understand that the key markets of Southeast Asia are Vietnam, Singapore, and Indonesia, the 'startup golden triangle'. Founders in Vietnam need to understand business models that work in these markets in order to build the best product and to scale regionally," said Trung Huynh, Founder of Mio, a social commerce platform for groceries and fresh produce that recently bagged its Series A funding and beating out traditional commerce models. Startup Golden Triangle Opportunity Areas Although healthtech, fintech and supply chain analytics continue to be big bets in this 'Startup Golden Triangle', gaming and D2C are key sectors to watch. Southeast Asia, one of the fastest-growing games markets in the world, generates the largest revenues in the global gaming sector, with Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore leading the pack for mobile gaming in the region. The region is expected to register a CAGR of 8.5% over the forecast period of 2022 to 2027, driven by a rapidly rising online population, increased mobile device usage, and with almost two-thirds of the gaming population engaged in eSports[10]. Gaming is a particularly huge opportunity area in Vietnam, with revenues of almost $530 million in 2020, double those of 2015[11]. D2C brands have nearly tripled the capital raised from investors in 20, which amounted to over US$2 billion across 105 deals. The segment had witnessed a dip in 2020 when it raised US$735 million, while in 2019, the total came close to US$1.5 billion through 120 deals, according to Venture Intelligence data. For more information on the SEA Startup Golden Triangle, please refer to a brief prepared by Golden Gate Ventures available on this link: https://ggv.sg/startup-golden-triangle About Golden Gate Ventures Golden Gate Ventures is a VC fund in Southeast Asia (SEA) founded by Silicon Valley natives. Since 2011, Golden Gate Ventures has launched four funds and invested in over 60 companies. The firm focuses on investing in the rising consumer internet class in Southeast Asia. Breakout companies include Carousell (mobile classifieds), CodaPay (mobile payments), Appota (Vietnam mobile publishing platform), Loship (last mile logistics), Mio (social commerce), Carro (Auto Marketplace), Vui (early wage access) and Xendit (Payment Processing). SOURCE Golden Gate Ventures The Pay As You Save program allows customers to upgrade homes with little or no upfront costs ST. LOUIS, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Spire and Ameren Missouri are teaming up to offer Pay As You Save (PAYS), a program helping Missouri customers reduce their utility bills through energy-efficiency upgrades with little to no upfront costs. Through the PAYS program, customers can lower their annual energy costs while Spire and Ameren Missouri cover all or most of the upfront costs required to install energy-efficiency equipment in the home. While Ameren Missouri launched a PAYS program in 2021, this is the first time Spire and Ameren Missouri are jointly offering PAYS to assist customers of both utilities. To participate, customers sign up for a free, no-obligation home energy assessment. Energy analysts create a customized plan outlining recommended cost-effective energy-efficient upgrades such as a new furnace, water heater, duct sealing, or insulation upgrades. Spire and Ameren Missouri then pay most or all the upfront costs to install the upgrades. Customers repay the cost through a fixed monthly charge on their utility bills. For customers of both Ameren Missouri and Spire, the charge will be split and reflected on both energy statements. The energy-efficiency upgrades help customers use less energy and lead to lower annual costs, even while paying off the upgrade each month. "We're excited to offer another opportunity to help our customers save energy and money," said Shaylyn Dean, Spire director of external affairs. "Energy-efficiency programs like PAYS can help customers afford energy-saving strategies and equipment upgrades for their homes while lowering their utility bills. And because there's no credit check, more customers can take advantage of important upgrades. A more energy-efficient home can mean not only savings, but a heathier and more comfortable place to live." "The PAYS program is helping St. Louis-area families make their homes safer, more comfortable and more energy-efficient by removing financial barriers," said Tony Lozano, director of energy solutions at Ameren Missouri. "We know many customers want to make these changes in their homes, but the upfront costs often keep them from acting. PAYS offers an avenue through this while also lowering monthly energy costs." For eligibility information and more details about the PAYS program, visit SpireEnergy.com/PAYS or at AmerenMissouriSavings.com/PAYS. About Spire At Spire Inc. (NYSE: SR), we believe energy exists to help make people's lives better. It's a simple idea, but one that's at the heart of our company. Every day we serve 1.7 million homes and businesses making us the fifth largest publicly traded natural gas company in the country. We help families and business owners fuel their daily lives through our gas utilities serving Alabama, Mississippi and Missouri. Our natural gas-related businesses include Spire Marketing, Spire STL Pipeline and Spire Storage. We are committed to transforming our business through growing organically, investing in infrastructure, and advancing through innovation. Learn more at SpireEnergy.com. About Ameren Missouri Ameren Missouri has been providing electric and gas service for more than 100 years, and the company's electric rates are among the lowest in the nation. Ameren Missouri's mission is to power the quality of life for its 1.2 million electric and 135,000 natural gas customers in central and eastern Missouri. The company's service area covers 64 counties and more than 500 communities, including the greater St. Louis area. For more information, visit Ameren.com/Missouri or follow us on Twitter at @AmerenMissouri or Facebook.com/AmerenMissouri . Spire Media Contact: Jason Merrill 314-365-7125 [email protected] Ameren Missouri Media Contact: Ameren Missouri Communications 314-554-2182 [email protected] SOURCE Spire Inc. Fort Polk, LA (71446) Today Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds light and variable. The top ranking builds on St. Elizabeth's reputation as one of the region's leading hospitals for cardiovascular care. At the beginning of the year, St. Elizabeth's Medical Center received the American Heart Association's GoldPlus Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality Achievement Award for their commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the best care. Additionally in October, Healthgrades ranked St. Elizabeth's Medical Center as one of the America's 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery for the fifth consecutive year. According to Healthgrades, the hospitals that have achieved the Healthgrades America's 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery have demonstrated exceptional quality of care. From 2018-2020, patients treated at hospitals receiving the America's 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery Award have, on average a 52.8% lower risk of dying than if they were treated in hospitals that did not receive the award.* "We are honored to be recognized again by Healthgrades for our cardiac surgery team's superb dedication to delivering the highest quality of care for our patients. We take pride in the exceptional care that our surgical patients receive when they come to St. Elizabeth's Medical Center." said Frank Pomposelli, M.D., Chairman of the Department of Surgery at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, Director of Surgery for the Steward Health Care Network and Professor of Surgery at Tufts University School of Medicine. "Our entire team's primary focus is on providing the best experience and the best outcome for our patients from the moment they walk in the doors to long after they have returned home after surgery. We are honored that the quality of our work has been recognized by Healthgrades," added Stanley Tam, M.D., Chief of the Division of Cardiac Surgery at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center. "Being ranked #1 in MA for Cardiac Surgery is a testament to St. Elizabeth's Medical Center continued commitment to top quality care. Hospitals receiving a #1 ranking in their state have much to be proud of as their deep medical expertise has built a track record of delivering positive outcomes for their patients," said Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Data Science, Healthgrades. Bowman added, "For almost 25 years, our mission has been to provide consumers with clear and accessible information to make more informed healthcare decisions. Patients can feel confident knowing that they have access to #1 ranked care for Cardiac Surgery at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center." Hospitals recognized as among the Top Ranked in their state by Healthgrades are providing patients with measurably superior clinical outcomes. Data from 2018-2020 showed that patients treated at hospitals receiving a state ranking for Cardiac Surgery have, on average 51.4% lower risk of experiencing a complication while in the hospital than if they were treated in hospitals that were not state ranked for Cardiac Surgery. Access to quality information can inform and empower consumers in their decision making process, and direct them to the best care. This is why Healthgrades is committed to delivering the most scientifically accurate and comprehensive information about doctors and hospitals with data insights not available anywhere else. St. Elizabeth's Medical Center was previously recognized for the following clinical achievements by Healthgrades: Five-Star Recipient for Coronary Bypass Surgery (2022) Five-Star Recipient for Valve Surgery for 5 Years in a Row (2018-2022) Five-Star Recipient for Hip Fracture Treatment for 2 Years in a Row (2021-2022) Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Sepsis for 2 Years in a Row (2021-2022) Consumers can visit healthgrades.com for more information on how Healthgrades measures hospital quality and access the complete methodology here . For the State Ranking analysis, Healthgrades evaluated Medicare inpatient records for nearly 4,500 short-term acute care hospitals nationwide to assess hospital performance. Each of the eight specialties considered for state ranking have eligibility requirements specific to the nature and intent of the achievement that are aligned with requirements for Specialty Excellence Awards in those areas. State Rankings may reference a singular cohort (e.g. Stroke Care) or require the combination of a grouping of cohorts (e.g. Critical Care). For each hospital, Healthgrades assigns an overall score for each specialty area based on hospital performance as determined by z-score or average of volume-weighted z-scores when more than one condition or procedure is included in the award. The strength of a hospital's single z-score or average of volume-weighted z-scores, is the key driver in ranking determination. Additionally, hospital eligibility for State Ranking awards requires a hospital receive a rating in the cohort(s) included in the determination of the award, no 1-Star ratings in the cohort(s) included in the determination of the award, and at least one 5-Star rating in a cohort included in the determination of the award. About St. Elizabeth's Medical Center St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, a Boston University Teaching Hospital, offers patients access to some of Boston's most respected physicians and advanced treatments for a full-range of medical specialties, including family medicine, cardiovascular care, women and infants' health, cancer care, neurology care, and orthopedics. The 308-bed tertiary care facility is part of Steward Health Care. SOURCE St. Elizabeth's Medical Center FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- West Marine, Inc. the nation's leading omni-channel provider of products, services, and expertise for the marine aftermarket, announces the appointment of Stacey Renfro as Chief Commercial Officer. She joins the company's senior leadership team and reports to Eric Kufel, CEO. West Marine announces Stacy Renfro as new Chief Commercial Officer. "We are extremely pleased to welcome Stacey Renfro to the West Marine team," said Eric Kufel, CEO of West Marine. "Through her complex growth initiatives and game-changing strategies, she has built lifestyle brands and transformed omni-channel retailers to accelerate digital strategies. Stacy's passion for boating and the category along with her skillset and proven track record of success, will be an immediate asset to West Marine as we look to enhance our merchandising, productivity and customer experience." Renfro is a seasoned executive with more than 25 years of progressive experience in E-commerce, marketing, planning, merchandising and customer experience. Most recently she held the position of CEO at mDesign where she led this digitally native brand through times of hyper-growth as they expanded into new categories, new selling channels, built an enthusiast brand and developed brand partnerships. Prior to joining mDesign in 2020, Renfro was the Chief Digital and Customer Experience Officer for The Vitamin Shoppe where she led all digital channels, marketing, creative, customer care, and customer experience for the $1B retailer. She drove year-over-year revenue growth for the company by developing a brand architecture that created seamless customer experiences across selling channels, driving improvements in performance marketing, deploying new channel go to market strategies, and rolling out an enhanced customer loyalty program. Before joining The Vitamin Shoppe, Renfro held several executive leadership positions at Pier 1 Imports where she led the transformation of the legacy brick and mortar retailer into a modern omni-channel organization. She also previously spent nine years in senior merchandising, allocation, planning, and eCommerce positions at JC Penney where she worked cross-functionally with executive leadership as well as merchandising, IT, call centers, supply chain, creative, CRM, customer experience and marketing teams to drive business results. Renfro has been recognized as one of the top women in retail in 2107 and in 2016 was recognized as one of the top ten women in retail technology. She is active in the retail community serving as the co-chair for the National Retail Federation's Digital Council and a former board member of Women in Retail Leadership. Stacey also serves on the board of directors for FullSpeed Automotive which is a leading automotive aftermarket company services business with over 690 franchised and company-owned locations which includes brands such as Grease Monkey and SpeeDee Oil Change. About West Marine Founded in 1968, West Marine is the leading integrated, omni-channel provider of aftermarket products and services to the boating, fishing, sailing, and watersports markets in the U.S. With 236 physical locations across 38 states and Puerto Rico and two eCommerce platforms reaching consumers and professional customers, West Marine is recognized as the leading resource for cruisers, sailors, anglers, and watersports enthusiasts. West Marine uses its scale, product breadth, and expert field crew members to service all the needs of consumers seeking an exceptional on water experience. Media Contact: Lorene Frank [email protected] 831-761-4431 SOURCE West Marine RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Amidst a national youth behavioral health crisis, Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) is partnering with Molina Healthcare, County Behavioral Health, the Offices of Education in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, and select local school districts and charter schools to implement the Student Behavioral Health Incentive Program (SBHIP). Amidst a national youth behavioral health crisis, Inland Empire Health Plan is partnering with Molina Healthcare, County Behavioral Health, the Offices of Education in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, and select local school districts and charter schools to implement the Student Behavioral Health Incentive Program (SBHIP). [Photo: Envato Elements] The three-year program is in accordance with the California Department of Health Care Services' (DHCS) goal to expand prevention and early intervention behavioral health services in schools and provides financial incentives to partnering school districts and charter schools. A total of $389 million has been allocated for California. Between both IEHP and Molina Healthcare, up to $50,845,334 can be utilized to support this program. According to the American Psychological Association, one in five young women and one in ten young men experience a major depressive episode before the age of 25. The COVID Collaborative also notes one in 330 California children have lost either a parent or caregiver in the last two years, adding significant stress and trauma to the lives of California's youth, along with stay-at-home orders and remote learning. "If the past few years have taught us anything, it's that we need to be proactive in addressing mental health and wellness needs early on, before traumas have a chance to manifest later in life," said Amrita Rai, IEHP's clinical director of community behavioral health. Through SBHIP efforts, existing mental health initiatives will be bolstered, and coordination between schools, managed care plans, county behavioral health and community partners aim to address the equity gap and improve access to mental health prevention and treatment for students. Resources will be directed to fill gaps in these areas throughout the participating schools and their respective communities. Services will be limited to schools who are participating in SBHIP and who receive funding. "We are well into a crisis when it comes to the mental health and wellness of our youth. Now is the time to be bold and work tirelessly for our children because what we do now will affect generations to come," said Rai. "Why not focus our resources, our passion, and our commitment back into the community and schools? Our children spend most of their lives in school, which makes this multi-organizational partnership so worthwhile." Partnerships with local education agencies and school sites include San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS); Riverside County of Education; Palm Springs Unified School District; Hemet Unified School District; San Bernardino City Unified School District; Rialto Unified School District; Victor Valley Union High School; Ontario-Montclair School District; Leadership Military Academy; Nuview Union School District; Provisional Accelerated Learning Academy; and Riverside County Office of Education Alternative Education Program. While the initiative will begin at these partner sites, it is anticipated that learnings would benefit other schools and districts interested in implementing similar programs in the future. "San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools recognizes the growing mental health crisis among our youth and supports this joint effort to address this critical issue," said County Superintendent Ted Alejandre. "SBCSS seeks to build capacity within countywide systems and increase access to much needed support to ensure every child receives the services they need when they need them." "Educators at the Riverside County Office of Education and within all Local Educational Agencies (LEA) in Riverside County, are vitally interested in addressing the needs of the whole student beyond the classroom. Linking arms with partners across the county via the Student Behavioral Health Incentive Program (SBHIP) will equitably provide mental health services to those who might not otherwise have access to this level of support," said Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edwin Gomez. Selection of school districts and charter schools was dependent on DHCS guidelines and considered specific criteria, such as the number of students who received Medi-Cal, were foster youth or English learners, received free or reduced priced meals, were interested in participating in the program and other factors. "It's the right thing to do. This program gives us a great opportunity to extend both heart and hand to children in our community," said Dr. Takashi Wada, IEHP's chief medical officer. "Working together, we can equip them with necessary skills, habits and care they can use today and through adulthood, setting them up for a healthier and happier tomorrow." "The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated and elevated behavioral health needs in our communities, including in young people. Mental and emotional wellbeing make up a significant portion of overall health and healthy youth lead to improved community wellness. We are proud to partner with IEHP, local offices of education and mental health professionals to address the youth behavioral health crisis in tangible, preventative ways." said Dr. Sayeed Khan, chief medical officer at Molina Healthcare. Program preparation began this year and will support a January 2023 launch at all 10 participating local education agencies. Through careful planning and implementation, the program will aim to build and support a sustainable system beyond the life of the program, which will end in December 2024. About IEHP With a mission to heal and inspire the human spirit, Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) is one of the top 10 largest Medicaid health plans and the largest not-for-profit Medicare-Medicaid plan in the country. In its 26th year, IEHP is supporting more than 1.5 million residents in Riverside and San Bernardino counties who are enrolled in Medicaid or Cal MediConnect Plans and has a growing network of over 7,800 providers and nearly 2,500 Team Members. Through dynamic partnerships with Providers and Community Organizations, paired with award-winning service and a tradition of quality care, IEHP is fully committed to their vision: We will not rest until our communities enjoy optimal care and vibrant health. For more information, visit iehp.org. About Molina Healthcare of California Molina Healthcare of California has been providing government-funded care for over 40 years. The Company serves members through Medi-Cal, Medicare, Medicare-Medicaid (Duals) and Covered California (Marketplace). Molina's service areas include Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego, Orange County, and Imperial counties. Through its locally operated health plans, Molina Healthcare, Inc., a FORTUNE 500 company, served approximately 5.2 million members as of December 31, 2021. For more information about Molina Healthcare of California, visit www.MolinaHealthcare.com. SOURCE Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) Enhancements include easy-order options, convenient pickup and delivery, and refreshed packaging, as well as the introduction of Subway to the ezCater marketplace MILFORD, Conn., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As more businesses are calling employees back to the office, they're finding a simple perk can smooth the transition: free meals. In fact, 93% of leaders report that more employees show up to the office on days when the company provides free food. With more people returning to the workplace and get togethers on the rise, Subway, one of the world's largest restaurant brands, is serving up a redesigned catering program, complete with new easy-order menu choices, convenient delivery and pick-up options, and improved packaging to make feeding a crowd simple. "Over the last year, we've continued to see an increased demand for pickup and delivery orders overall, alongside larger catering orders spurred by a return to in-office operations and increased gatherings," said Trevor Haynes, president of Subway North America. "As demand for catering continues to grow, Subway is the ideal choice with refreshed options and craveable, signature sandwiches that travel well, are easy to serve and accessible from virtually anywhere." Refreshing the Subway Catering Program The refreshed catering program enables guests to enjoy the same convenience and affordability as in-restaurant dining, with plenty of new and familiar flavorful menu items to launch a feeding frenzy. Elevated catering offerings include: "Easy Order" options: In addition to the continued offering of customized orders, guests can enjoy a simplified and convenient ordering process, thanks to new pre-selected platters and lunch box options, gallon-size beverages, toppings trays and condiment packets. In addition to the continued offering of customized orders, guests can enjoy a simplified and convenient ordering process, thanks to new pre-selected platters and lunch box options, gallon-size beverages, toppings trays and condiment packets. Pickup and delivery: With thousands of Subway restaurants in neighborhoods across the country, guests can easily place catering orders for delivery or pickup, no matter the size or type of event. With thousands of Subway restaurants in neighborhoods across the country, guests can easily place catering orders for delivery or pickup, no matter the size or type of event. Upgraded packaging: Guests can flip open new cardboard boxes and with health and safety top of mind enjoy dining with single-serve and pre-wrapped food packaging. Lunch box options, toppings trays, gallon-size beverages and tote bags also feature a refreshed design. "The enhancements to our catering program reflect a wealth of research, improve upon the guest experience with a simplified ordering process and reduced wait time for pickup or delivery, and have a positive impact on our franchisees' bottom line, with most orders representing incremental sales," said Jenn Saunders-Haynes, director of catering at Subway. Introducing Subway to ezCater In addition to refreshing the entire catering program, Subway is also making its debut as one of the largest catering providers on the ezCater marketplace, one of the leading nationwide providers of corporate food solutions. Through ezCater, organizations can easily centralize food orders and fulfill everything from daily employee meals to company-wide meetings and events. ezCater's expansive network means easier access for professionals to Subway's turnkey catering solutions as well as expanded reach for franchisees who will have the opportunity to cater for new guests in their area. "Subway is a fan favorite in the workplace," said Mike O'Hanlon, chief customer care & operations officer at ezCater. "As food for work becomes an increasingly important employee perk, we're thrilled to help power the relaunch of Subway's catering program. Now companies nationwide can bring Subway catering into their workplace and make the most of their lunch break." Subway's catering relaunch is part of the brand's ongoing transformation journey to improve across all aspects of the brand, including the guest experience in restaurant and online as well as introducing new and craveable signature menu items and ingredients. To learn more about Subway's enhanced catering experience or to place an order, visit Subway.com, the Subway app or ezCater.com. About Subway Restaurants As one of the world's largest quick service restaurant brands, Subway serves freshly made-to-order sandwiches, wraps, salads and bowls to millions of guests, across more than 100 countries in more than 37,000 restaurants every day. Subway restaurants are owned and operated by Subway franchisees a network that includes more than 20,000 dedicated entrepreneurs and small business owners who are committed to delivering the best guest experience possible in their local communities. Subway is a Registered Trademark of Subway IP LLC. 2022 Subway IP LLC SOURCE Subway Hershey's holistic ESG strategy, known as its Shared Goodness Promise, guides the company to make a positive impact at scale and leverage its business to advance more sustainable growth with socially conscious and responsible business practices. This year's report marks Hershey's evolution from sustainability to ESG reporting, a reflection of the company's continued progress integrating ESG priorities into business strategy and operations. "Hershey has been an integral member of the communities in which we live and operate since our founding," said Michele Buck, CEO, The Hershey Company. "The culture that Milton Hershey created propels us to build on that legacy as we focus our efforts on integrating the important environmental, social and governance priorities throughout our business. We've made meaningful advancements on our global commitments, including our efforts to improve cocoa sustainability and support cocoa-growing communities. We've also made significant progress reducing our emissions in line with our science-based targets and were named by Forbes as the World's Top Female Friendly Company." Advancing Progress on Cocoa Sustainability Hershey's Cocoa For Good Strategy aims to improve farmer livelihoods in cocoa-growing communities through a $500 million investment by 2030 that focuses on four key interconnected areas of impact: nourishing children, empowering youth, prospering communities and preserving ecosystems. Sourcing Cocoa: In 2021, Hershey achieved 68 percent cocoa sourcing visibility by volume in Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana . The company's goal is to achieve 100 percent sourcing visibility by 2025 under which all farmers are polygon mapped to improve traceability and monitor deforestation and are covered by the Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation System (CLMRS) to prevent, monitor and remediate child labor. In 2021, Hershey achieved 68 percent cocoa sourcing visibility by volume in Cote d'Ivoire and . The company's goal is to achieve 100 percent sourcing visibility by 2025 under which all farmers are polygon mapped to improve traceability and monitor deforestation and are covered by the Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation System (CLMRS) to prevent, monitor and remediate child labor. Addressing Child Labor: Hershey signed a five-year agreement to address child labor in Cote d'Ivoire by investing in 2,500 new classrooms and improving foundational literacy and numeracy skills for five million children at the primary school level. This agreement brings together the Jacobs Foundation, the Government of Cote d'Ivoire Ministry of Education and Literacy, and 14 other chocolate producers and cocoa suppliers. Hershey signed a five-year agreement to address child labor in Cote d'Ivoire by investing in 2,500 new classrooms and improving foundational literacy and numeracy skills for five million children at the primary school level. This agreement brings together the Jacobs Foundation, the Government of Cote d'Ivoire Ministry of Education and Literacy, and 14 other chocolate producers and cocoa suppliers. Offering Nutritious Options: The company distributed ViVi, its vitamin-fortified, peanut-based, ready-to-use therapeutic food that provides children with 30 percent of their daily nutrition intake requirements, to 45,000 children in Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana . Reducing Environmental Impact to Combat Climate Change Hershey is making significant progress against its science-based targets, which focus on what the planet needs most from the company and its supply chain. Reducing Emissions: Hershey achieved a 48 percent reduction of its Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; significant progress toward its 2030 goal of a 50 percent absolute reduction, compared to a 2018 baseline. The company also reported an 18 percent reduction in Scope 3 emissions, on track to reach its goal of a 25 percent absolute reduction in Scope 3 emissions by 2030, compared to a 2018 baseline. To reduce its Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions, Hershey continues to transition to renewable energy through investments in three new solar farm projects across the U.S. and purchasing Renewable Energy Credits and Zero-Emissions Credits, an important step as solar farms are being constructed. With more than 96 percent of Hershey's total GHG emissions resulting from its extended value chain, the company seeks to further its impact across sourcing, production, operations and manufacturing. Hershey's key drivers of progress include reducing land use change through 100 percent independently verified cocoa and partnering with dairy and sugar suppliers on sustainable farming practices. Broadening Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Efforts Through The Pathways Project, Hershey has increased efforts to bring in a wider range of talent, strengthen its development programs and support diverse and inclusive communities through its supply chain. Driving Inclusive Hiring: In 2021, Hershey set a new goal to achieve a college recruiting portfolio that is at least 50 percent diverse and added 23 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) to its roster of universities and schools to recruit from. In 2021, Hershey set a new goal to achieve a college recruiting portfolio that is at least 50 percent diverse and added 23 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) to its roster of universities and schools to recruit from. Advancing Economic Equality: The company also established a new goal to increase spending with diverse suppliers to $400 million by 2030 to promote economic equality and opportunity for diverse businesses. In 2021, the company spent $92 million with 139 diverse suppliers. Recognizing that transparency drives accountability, Hershey's 2021 ESG report contains expanded DEI and human capital disclosures. The report includes data representative of The Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)-1 U.S. gender and U.S. people of color (POC) workforce data by function, including all corporate and hourly employees. The company has goals in place to increase POC representation in its U.S. workforce, as well as increase gender representation across all employees globally. Having achieved 1-to-1 aggregate gender and POC pay equity for salaried employees in the U.S. in 2020 and 2021 respectively, the company now aims to achieve pay equity for similar job categories across its global salaried employees by 2025. Integrating ESG into Business Operations Hershey has built a comprehensive corporate governance model to drive its ESG strategy forward across the business, overseen by its Board of Directors. In 2021, Hershey updated its governance structure to better integrate, manage and optimize ESG as a key part of business operations. The company also established an ESG Advisory Committee of executive team members and senior leaders to discuss proposed investments, disclosures and policy changes and review ESG strategic direction. About The Hershey Company The Hershey Company is headquartered in Hershey, Pa., and is an industry-leading snacks company known for bringing goodness to the world through its iconic brands, remarkable people and enduring commitment to help children succeed. Hershey has approximately 19,000 employees around the world who work every day to deliver delicious, quality products. The company has more than 100 brand names in approximately 80 countries around the world that drive more than $8.9 billion in annual revenues, including such iconic brand names as Hershey's, Reese's, Kit Kat, Jolly Rancher and Ice Breakers, and fast-growing salty snacks including SkinnyPop, Pirate's Booty and Dot's Pretzels. For more than 125 years, Hershey has been committed to operating fairly, ethically and sustainably. Hershey founder, Milton Hershey, created the Milton Hershey School in 1909 and since then the company has focused on helping children succeed. SOURCE The Hershey Company HOUSTON, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- HOLBA celebrated the achievements of the top landlord representatives during its 23rd Landlord Representative of the Year Award ceremony held at the River Oaks Country Club on May 24th, 2022. Industry performers were recognized for their 2021 accomplishments with HOLBA's Landlord Representative of the Year, Deal of the Year, and Landlord Representative Rising Star awards. "HOLBA honored some of the most accomplished landlord representatives," said Charlie Neuhaus, President of HOLBA. "These representatives were acknowledged for their sizable and complex transactions, their contribution to the city of Houston, the communities they serve, and their passion for mentoring young professionals starting in this industry." HOLBA's 2021 Landlord Representative of the Year was awarded to Tyler Garrett, Senior Vice President of the Houston Office Division of Transwestern. Garrett was acknowledged for the numerous clients he represents in all of Houston's major submarkets and his breadth of market knowledge. Garret has leased over 3.5 million square feet throughout his career. He has also received numerous awards and recognition. HOLBA's 2021 Deal of the Year was awarded to Wade Bowlin and Marti Grizzle with Madison Marquette for the Shell Oil lease renewal. This deal had a significant impact on Houston's central business district which had some of the highest vacancy rates in the nation before the pandemic and the shift to working from home. Shell Oil Company, whose lease was up in 2025, was considering moving its downtown office to west Houston where thousands of employees had already been relocated. Wade and Marti, in collaboration with the tenant representatives Tim Relyea and Joseph Peddie, were able to get the lease renewed at 1000 Main. HOLBA's 2022 Landlord Representative Rising Star was awarded to Jenny Mueller Sealy, Senior Associate on the Investor Leasing Team at CBRE. Sealy was acknowledged for her significant role in transactions and her involvement in associations and the community. About HOLBA HOLBA is the Houston Office Leasing Brokers Association for tenant brokers. HOLBA supports and advances the interests of the office leasing brokerage industry promoting the profession and encouraging professional development. SOURCE Houston Office Leasing Brokers Association Packaged in plastic three-gallon tubs, the newly distributed Tillamook Ice Cream for foodservice currently has eight, taste-tempting flavors stocked, including Butter Pecan, Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Cookies & Cream, Mint Chocolate Chip, Oregon Strawberry, Rocky Road, and Vanilla Bean, with another 20 flavors available for special order. Made with no shortcuts and with extra cream, all Tillamook Ice Cream is made with rBST-free milk and no artificial flavors or preservatives. 1 "We are thrilled with this new opportunity to provide Tillamook Ice Cream to foodservice operators and their customers throughout the country," said Preston Simon, Director of Foodservice, Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA). "Our premium Tillamook Ice Cream has tremendous loyalty now in retail, and this new distribution is poised to grow that fan base even more when they are away from home one delicious scoop at a time." TCCA has been making ice cream with more cream than industry standards require since 1947. As a long-time re-distribution partner for Tillamook Cheese, the expanded ice cream partnership with Dot Foods will help build on TCCA's rapidly growing presence as a national dairy brand. In 2021, Tillamook Ice Cream grew to become the fastest-growing family-size ice cream brand in the United States.2 Since 2018, TCCA has expanded its household reach by 45%, adding 9 million new brand buyers in just three years. Today, nearly 1 in 4 U.S. households are currently buying Tillamook products3. In 2021 alone, 2 million households were added up 7% over the prior year achieving a total U.S. household penetration of 23.3%. "Based on the success that Tillamook Cheese has had within the foodservice sector, organically growing to be the most menu mentioned cheese in the U.S., we anticipate excellent enthusiasm and demand for our ice cream as well," said Simon. "We look forward to all that Dot Foods partnership will deliver for our Tillamook Ice Cream." About Tillamook County Creamery Association Founded in 1909 as a farmer-owned cooperative, Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA) recently achieved the distinction as a Certified B Corporation (B Corp) and prides itself on its commitment to bringing to market the most consistent, best tasting, highest quality dairy products made in the most natural way possible. Guided by the belief that everyone deserves real food that makes them feel good every day, Tillamook produces internationally recognized, award-winning cheese as well as exceptional ice cream, butter, cream cheese spreads, yogurt and sour cream, made with unwavering values that never sacrifice or compromise quality for profit. TCCA is owned by almost 80 farming families, primarily based in Tillamook County, Oregon. TCCA operates production facilities in Tillamook and Boardman, Oregon and employs more than 900 people throughout the state. The Tillamook Creamery is the largest tourist attraction on the coast of Oregon and one of the most popular in the state, attracting more than one million visitors each year. For more information on TCCA and Tillamook, visit Tillamook.com. About Dot Foods Dot Foods, Inc. carries 125,000 products from 1,020 food industry manufacturers making it the largest food industry redistributor in North America. Through Dot Transportation, Inc., an affiliate of Dot Foods, the company distributes foodservice, convenience, retail, and vending products to distributors in all 50 states and more than 55 countries. Dot Foods operates 12 U. S. distribution centers, located in Bullhead City, Arizona; Modesto, California; Bear, Delaware; Vidalia, Georgia; Burley, Idaho; Mt. Sterling, Illinois; University Park, Illinois; Cambridge City, Indiana; Williamsport, Maryland; Liverpool, New York; Ardmore, Oklahoma; and Dyersburg, Tennessee. Dot's 13th U.S. facility will be located in Manchester, Tennessee. Dot Foods' Canadian operations are located in Brampton, Ontario and Calgary, Alberta. A new Dot Foods Canada distribution center is currently under construction in Ingersoll, Ontario. For information, visit Dotfoods.com 1 All farmers who supply milk for Tillamook products pledge to not use artificial growth hormones. The FDA has stated that no significant difference has been shown between milk derived from rBST treated and non-rBST treated cows. 2 In terms of absolute dollar sales; 52 weeks ending 12/26/21. 3 23.3% HH pen; 52 weeks ending 12/26/21. Media Contacts: Jenna Faller, FleishmanHillard [email protected] Jenna Cerruti, Tillamook [email protected] SOURCE Tillamook County Creamery Association Global competitiveness and key competitor percentage market shares Market presence across multiple geographies - Strong/Active/Niche/Trivial Online interactive peer-to-peer collaborative bespoke updates Access to our digital archives and MarketGlass Research Platform Complimentary updates for one year Edition: 21; Released: May 2022 Executive Pool: 1185 Companies: 137 - Players covered include Cerro Flow Products LLC; Cambridge-Lee Industries LLC; Fabrika bakarnih cevi Majdanpek; Foshan Huahong Copper Tube Co., Ltd.; Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.; Golden Dragon Precise Copper Tube Group, Inc.; Grupo IUSA, S.A. de C.V.; H& H Tube; Hailiang Group Co., Ltd.; KME Germany GmbH; Kobelco & Materials Copper Tube, Ltd.; Luvata Oy; MM Kembla; Mueller Industries, Inc.; Ningbo Jintian Copper (Group) Co., Ltd.; Poongsan Corporation; Qingdao Hongtai Copper Co., Ltd.; Shanghai Metal Corporation; Wieland-Werke AG and Others. Coverage: All major geographies and key segments Segments: End-Use (HVAC, Industrial Heat Exchange, Plumbing, Other End-Uses) Geographies: World; USA; Canada; Japan; China; Europe; France; Germany; Italy; UK; Spain; Russia; Rest of Europe; Asia-Pacific; Australia; India; South Korea; Rest of Asia-Pacific; Latin America; Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; Rest of Latin America; Middle East; Iran; Israel; Saudi Arabia; UAE; Rest of Middle East; Africa. Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry ABSTRACT- Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Copper Pipes and Tubes estimated at 4.4 Million Tons in the year 2022, is projected to reach a revised size of 5.3 Million Tons by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 4.1% over the analysis period. HVAC, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to grow at a 4.6% CAGR, while growth in the Industrial Heat Exchange segment is readjusted to a revised 3.5% CAGR. Growth in the market is expected to be led by the HVAC&R Systems end-use application. Copper is the material of choice for air conditioning and refrigeration tubes (ACR tubes). Copper tube is among the most important components used in air conditioning and refrigerant systems, where the tube is used for enabling the refrigerant to flow between various systems components and also for preventing the refrigerant from escaping to the atmosphere. Copper is the best conductor of heat after precious metals, and is hence a preferred material for heat transfer applications such as air conditioning and refrigeration in residential, commercial as well as industrial sectors. In the HVAC segment, the use of copper pipes and tubes continues to be driven by the heat transfer and antimicrobial features of the material, which makes them suited for use in HVAC applications. The shift towards intelligent and energy efficient HVAC systems is likely to spur growth in demand for copper pipes and tubes, due to the high corrosion resistance, machinability and superior thermal conductivity offered by copper. Stringent new requirements, such as reduction and/or elimination of toxic emissions and demands for enhanced operating efficiency, have enabled copper tubes to remain competitive in the segment. Energy efficiency is one of the key advantages of using copper tubes in ACR products. Air conditioning and refrigeration applications are among the major contributors to greenhouse gases, as these applications are energy intensive. With most industrialized nations embarking on energy efficiency as part of Montreal and Kyoto protocols, the onus is on the air conditioning and refrigeration industry to improve efficiency of products and systems. Consequently by using reduced diameter copper tubes in coils, the energy efficiency of ACR products can be improved. With energy efficiency becoming a focus area for HVAC manufacturers, there is growing demand for higher efficiency offering components in refrigerants that are leading to new system designs. Energy efficiency is also being achieved through the use of smaller diameter copper tubes, which also cut down the material cost while reducing the size of the system. Another key advantage of using copper tubes in coils is that copper tubes and copper fins are more reliable and durable, offer improve corrosion resistance and enhance life of the component. Also driving growth is the use of Copper Pipes and Tubes in the water end-use industry. While water infrastructure requires increased investments, utilities are however facing higher volatility in cash flows and loss of revenues. Utilities are expected to register a cost and revenue impact on account to the impact of coronavirus across the country, with reductions in capital investments and delays anticipated, which will impact pipeline investments. However, in the long run demand for water pipes will grow, supported by the growing demand for clean water among the expanding population globally. The increase in industrial, commercial, and other institutions is also spurring demand for such pipes. In addition to establishment of new pipeline systems, water industry is also witnessing need to replace existing pipe networks. During the last few years, breakages in water mains have increased. This is indicative of the uncertain nature of the water infrastructure that is present underground. Some of the aspects that are taken into consideration during their installation include diameter and material, and climate and soil. Pipes that are 12 inches and smaller in diameter account for about 85% of the overall water pipe inventories. The 10-year average cost of breaks in small diameter pipes includes direct and indirect costs to the tune of over $18000. More chronic impacts relate to interruption to commercial business and notices regarding boiled water. And for bigger diameter water transmission pipes, such indirect costs are significantly high and have an impact on cities. Most utilities aim to replace 1% of their pipe network every year, which indicates a 100 year replacement cycle. The main goal of such replacements is to prevent disruptions to services, such as due to sinkholes, breaks, and leaks. Such disruptions have economic effects, with loss of revenues on account of water outages and also repair costs. While more difficult to measure, the bigger impacts are witnessed in political and social areas, through disruption of the business of industrial, governmental, commercial and individual stakeholders. The most problematic pipes are first replaced to prevent failures, thus presenting opportunities for the market. For laying water distribution infrastructure, different types of piping materials are used including plastic, aluminum, steel and copper, depending on the scale of requirement and budget outlay. Among various materials, copper has certain degree of edge over other competing materials. Low maintenance, less need for repairs, and longer life span are the major benefits of copper tubes in water distribution applications. On the other hand, laying water distribution system with copper tubes tends to be expensive, which prohibits its use in low- to mid-budget structures. Use of copper tubes for water supply is more prevalent in the US, Canada, and Western Europe countries, where building construction projects always emphasize high-quality solutions irrespective of the costs involved. However, copper emits toxic gases when it is smelted. Copper found in drinking water ranges between 0.05 to 1 mg/L due to leaching of copper-pipes and fittings. More MarketGlass Platform Our MarketGlass Platform is a free full-stack knowledge center that is custom configurable to today`s busy business executive`s intelligence needs! This influencer driven interactive research platform is at the core of our primary research engagements and draws from unique perspectives of participating executives worldwide. Features include - enterprise-wide peer-to-peer collaborations; research program previews relevant to your company; 3.4 million domain expert profiles; competitive company profiles; interactive research modules; bespoke report generation; monitor market trends; competitive brands; create & publish blogs & podcasts using our primary and secondary content; track domain events worldwide; and much more. Client companies will have complete insider access to the project data stacks. Currently in use by 67,000+ domain experts worldwide. Our platform is free for qualified executives and is accessible from our website www.StrategyR.com or via our just released mobile application on iOS or Android About Global Industry Analysts, Inc. & StrategyR Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (www.strategyr.com) is a renowned market research publisher the world`s only influencer driven market research company. Proudly serving more than 42,000 clients from 36 countries, GIA is recognized for accurate forecasting of markets and industries for over 33 years. CONTACTS: Zak Ali Director, Corporate Communications Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Phone: 1-408-528-9966 www.StrategyR.com Email: [email protected] LINKS Join Our Expert Panel https://www.strategyr.com/Panelist.asp Connect With Us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-industry-analysts-inc./ Follow Us on Twitter https://twitter.com/marketbytes Journalists & Media [email protected] SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Global competitiveness and key competitor percentage market shares Market presence across multiple geographies - Strong/Active/Niche/Trivial Online interactive peer-to-peer collaborative bespoke updates Access to our digital archives and MarketGlass Research Platform Complimentary updates for one year Edition: 17; Released: April 2022 Executive Pool: 397 Companies: 78 - Players covered include Bystronic Laser AG; Dardi International Corp.; Flow International Corp.; Jet Edge, Inc.; Omax Corp.; Resato International BV; Shape Technologies Group, Inc.; WARDJet Inc.; Water Jet Sweden AB; Waterjet Corporation s.r.l. and Others. Coverage: All major geographies and key segments Segments: Offering (Hardware, Software, Services); Machine Type (3D, Robotics, Micro); End-Use (Automotive, Metal Fabrication, Electronics, Mining, Aerospace, Other End-Uses) Geographies: World; United States; Canada; Japan; China; Europe (France; Germany; Italy; United Kingdom; Spain; Russia; and Rest of Europe); Asia-Pacific (Australia; India; South Korea; and Rest of Asia-Pacific); Latin America (Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; and Rest of Latin America); Middle East (Iran; Israel; Saudi Arabia; United Arab Emirates; and Rest of Middle East); and Africa. Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry ABSTRACT- Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Waterjet Cutting Machines estimated at US$1.1 Billion in the year 2022, is projected to reach a revised size of US$1.3 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 5% over the analysis period. Hardware, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to grow at a 4.5% CAGR, while growth in the Software segment is readjusted to a revised 5.1% CAGR. The 2020 year of pandemic originating from the deadly COVID-19 coronavirus severely impacted demand for waterjet cutting machines, with growth witnessing marked erosions during the year. Global demand plunged over 16% in the year 2020 as a result of recessionary pressures manifested in the form of reduced demand for automobiles, aerospace and electronics among others, and subsequent reduction in manufacturing of these finished products. Diminished manufacturing and commercial activity along with fall in the business confidence index, bleeding corporate balance sheets, and enterprise skepticism over infrastructure/capital investments, and delays in new plant establishments, upgrades, renovations, and refurbishments, also took its toll on the market. Especially hard hit were automotive, electronics and general manufacturing industries which are prone to exhibit knee-jerk sensitivity to economic conditions. One of the main causalities of the pandemic induced recessionary environment, the capital goods sector, received the hardest blow from the financial hardships. Demand for production of machinery was especially affected. Heavy production machinery came under the yoke of the recession with freezing of capital expenditure in the manufacturing and industrial sectors negatively impacting sales. Production machinery used in general goods manufacturing, automotive manufacturing, and construction sectors were hit hard. The meltdown witnessed in the housing and automobile sector stifled opportunities for most types of manufacturing and assembly line machinery, while production cutbacks and decline in the manufacturing sector eroded the immediate need factor. Slowing levels off economic activity, complete collapse of global production & trade, fall in industrial production, commercial activity, plant closures, capacity idling, scaling back of operating capacity, and the resultant sputtering investments in industrial production resulted in broad based declines in heavy machinery market. Fall in the business confidence index, tighter lending standards, high borrowing costs, weak debt markets and the resulting shortages of credit availability to finance investments in new machinery, represented common woes that cut through all end-use sectors, thus weakening new and replacement demand. The market however is expected to stage a strong upward correction in the year 2022 and beyond led by improvement in capital spending across key end-use industries as manufacturers re-direct their focus and efforts on achieving global competitiveness by increasing production capacities and productivity. Waterjet cutting systems continues to be the preferred machine tool for manufacturing companies due to varied reasons such as the ability to machine thicker materials, superior edge finish, tight tolerances, eco-friendly nature and safety and versatility of the technology. Capability to cut wide range of material types, such as metals, non-metals, stone, plastics, wood, and ceramics represents the most important driver of waterjet cutting technology. Waterjets feature a maximum cutting capacity of nearly 160mm in thickness for myriad materials, and can cut both hard and soft materials with ease. Majority of the waterjet customers are able to realize improved productivity gains, which is a function of speed of cutting and set-up time, in comparison to an alternative cutting technology. Cutting speed is based on a controller's sophistication, pump strength, and the number of cutting heads being utilized in the system. Controllers are the cheapest means to improve cutting speed, and enhance the cut quality by automatically altering the speed of the cut. A key benefit of waterjet is its cold cutting process, which requires fewer secondary operations, can cut with thin kerfs, causes no heat distortion, and does not produce any hazardous material. Low cutting forces reduce mechanical stresses due to cutting and allow usage of cheaper fixtures and jigs. Although waterjet technology has been around since 1970s, it is still considered to be in the early stages of its product adoption lifecycle, as its applications got publicized only in 1990s after advancements made in the domain of controller software technology, and increased awareness among end-users. Waterjet cutters that initially gained popularity with kitchen stone cutting shops, and machine shop, is hitting the spotlight for its ability to enable higher precision and machining operations remarkably faster than ever before. The waterjet market is drawing keen interests from fabricators due to its ability to cut materials of various thickness ranging from wafer-thin foils up to 6"/150 mm, while offering extremely high tolerances (up to +/-0.1mm). Improved software capabilities coupled with lower penetration rates, novel applications in existing markets, and compelling price ranges will expand the installed base of waterjet machines. Industries such as automotive, aerospace, and electronics, are currently the most aggressive adopters of waterjet technology. Rising utilization of composite materials by automotive and aerospace industry, and the capability of waterjets to adeptly cut electronic composites and substrates have additionally fueled market adoption. With material substrates being omnipresent in the world of mechanical engineering, waterjet cutting machines find widespread applications in diverse industries across the globe. Waterjet cutting machines are expected to witness steady demand so long as there is demand for manufactured durable goods such as automobiles, electronics, semiconductors, and aerospace, among others. This is because any increase in demand for manufactured durable goods warrants their increased production, thus warranting tools such as waterjet cutting machines. Increase in demand for finished products also increases manufacturer investments on production machinery, thus driving demand for waterjet cutting machines. In the coming years, growth in the market is expected to stem primarily from the consumer electronics sector, spearheaded by the high demand for smartphones and tablet PCs. Waterjet cutting machines have been increasingly implemented in applications for production of key components used in electronics such as integrated circuits, displays and printed circuit boards. The growing level of sophistication with reference to use of specialized materials in aerospace and shipbuilding has also positively impacted the market by spurring innovations in the field of waterjet cutting machines. The fact can be evidenced through innovations in waterjet cutting technology, in which a combination of high water pressure and fine abrasives such as garnet are being used to expand cutting applications into harder and thicker metals such as titanium, nitinol and aluminum. In addition, industries demanding high precision of cutting such as medical, biotechnology and dentistry could present revenue-spinning opportunities for waterjet cutting machines. On the other hand, applications including measuring, aerospace fields, control and mechatronics also present lucrative opportunities for the technology. Rock excavation has been an active area of application for waterjet cutting machines since many years. Recent years witnessed an increase in the cutting depths through waterjet technology on account of changes effected in the abrasive-injection method, thus expanding application areas. Innovations in the domain has also led modern waterjet cutting machines to be powered by highly advanced UI with computer touch screens, which enables workers to handle multiple cutting tasks. Countries including Germany, Italy and the US are technologically advanced in the development of UHP waterjet cutting technology. Growing use of composite materials, technological advancements and customer awareness are expected to increase the demand for waterjet cutting systems. More MarketGlass Platform Our MarketGlass Platform is a free full-stack knowledge center that is custom configurable to today`s busy business executive`s intelligence needs! This influencer driven interactive research platform is at the core of our primary research engagements and draws from unique perspectives of participating executives worldwide. Features include - enterprise-wide peer-to-peer collaborations; research program previews relevant to your company; 3.4 million domain expert profiles; competitive company profiles; interactive research modules; bespoke report generation; monitor market trends; competitive brands; create & publish blogs & podcasts using our primary and secondary content; track domain events worldwide; and much more. Client companies will have complete insider access to the project data stacks. Currently in use by 67,000+ domain experts worldwide. Our platform is free for qualified executives and is accessible from our website www.StrategyR.com or via our just released mobile application on iOS or Android About Global Industry Analysts, Inc. & StrategyR Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (www.strategyr.com) is a renowned market research publisher the world`s only influencer driven market research company. Proudly serving more than 42,000 clients from 36 countries, GIA is recognized for accurate forecasting of markets and industries for over 33 years. CONTACTS: Zak Ali Director, Corporate Communications Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Phone: 1-408-528-9966 www.StrategyR.com Email: [email protected] LINKS Join Our Expert Panel https://www.strategyr.com/Panelist.asp Connect With Us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-industry-analysts-inc./ Follow Us on Twitter https://twitter.com/marketbytes Journalists & Media [email protected] SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc. DUBLIN, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Time and Attendance Software Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global time and attendance software market reached a value of US$ 2.45 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 4.16 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 8.50% during 2022-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, they are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic on different end use sectors. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor Time and attendance software is an application that tracks and optimizes employee hours on the job and assists the HR department in keeping a record of payroll and leaves of employees. It also minimizes errors in bookkeeping and breaks down processes and events into tables, graphs, and charts. Besides this, it can generate, maintain, and archive important tax information and help organizations maximize their cash flow. It also offers employees a centralized location for viewing schedules and making requests and being notified of any changes in the company policies. In addition, as it provides transparent, accurate and fully audited data that increases employee trust in the business, the adoption of time and attendance software is increasing worldwide Time and Attendance Software Market Trends: The growing need for keeping track of the efficiency and productivity of employees in organizations of different verticals represents one of the key factors driving the market. Moreover, there is a rise in the usage of automation tools in human resource management (HRM) systems. This, along with the wide-ranging features and benefits of time and attendance software, is propelling the growth of the market. In addition, technological developments in the software allow organizations to create automated workflows and build custom policies for the company. This, in confluence with a digitized timesheet approval process that works automatically, is stimulating the market growth. Besides this, a considerable shift towards the work from home (WFH) culture in organizations across the globe due to coronavirus outbreaks is resulting in the implementation of time and attendance software. This, coupled with the rising utilization of cloud-based software that allows employees to clock in and clock out via web browser, phone, and tablets, is bolstering the market growth. Some of the factors projected to impel the market growth are Wi-Fi-enabled time clocks, advancing scheduling modules with calendar integration, and improving scheduling flexibility in the time and attendance software. Competitive Landscape: The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Automatic Data Processing Inc., Ceridian HCM Inc., International Business Machines Corporation, Kronos Incorporated, Oracle Corporation, Paycom Software Inc., Paycor Inc., Reflexis Systems Inc (Zebra Technologies Corporation), SAP SE, Workday Inc. and WorkForce Software LLC Key Questions Answered in This Report: How has the global time and attendance software market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years? What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global time and attendance software market? What are the key regional markets? What is the breakup of the market based on the component? What is the breakup of the market based on the deployment mode? What is the breakup of the market based on the organization size? What is the breakup of the market based on the end user? What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry? What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry? What is the structure of the global time and attendance software market and who are the key players? What is the degree of competition in the industry? Key Topics Covered: 1 Preface 2 Scope and Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Introduction 4.1 Overview 4.2 Key Industry Trends 5 Global Time and Attendance Software Market 5.1 Market Overview 5.2 Market Performance 5.3 Impact of COVID-19 5.4 Market Forecast 6 Market Breakup by Component 6.1 Software 6.1.1 Market Trends 6.1.2 Market Forecast 6.2 Services 6.2.1 Market Trends 6.2.2 Market Forecast 7 Market Breakup by Deployment Mode 7.1 On-premises 7.1.1 Market Trends 7.1.2 Market Forecast 7.2 Cloud-based 7.2.1 Market Trends 7.2.2 Market Forecast 8 Market Breakup by Organization Size 8.1 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises 8.1.1 Market Trends 8.1.2 Market Forecast 8.2 Large Enterprises 8.2.1 Market Trends 8.2.2 Market Forecast 9 Market Breakup by End User 9.1 BFSI 9.1.1 Market Trends 9.1.2 Market Forecast 9.2 IT and Telecom 9.2.1 Market Trends 9.2.2 Market Forecast 9.3 Healthcare 9.3.1 Market Trends 9.3.2 Market Forecast 9.4 Retail and E-Commerce 9.4.1 Market Trends 9.4.2 Market Forecast 9.5 Manufacturing 9.5.1 Market Trends 9.5.2 Market Forecast 9.6 Government 9.6.1 Market Trends 9.6.2 Market Forecast 9.7 Education 9.7.1 Market Trends 9.7.2 Market Forecast 9.8 Others 9.8.1 Market Trends 9.8.2 Market Forecast 10 Market Breakup by Region 11 SWOT Analysis 12 Value Chain Analysis 13 Porters Five Forces Analysis 14 Price Analysis 15 Competitive Landscape 15.1 Market Structure 15.2 Key Players 15.3 Profiles of Key Players 15.3.1 Automatic Data Processing Inc. 15.3.1.1 Company Overview 15.3.1.2 Product Portfolio 15.3.1.3 Financials 15.3.1.4 SWOT Analysis 15.3.2 Ceridian HCM Inc. 15.3.2.1 Company Overview 15.3.2.2 Product Portfolio 15.3.2.3 Financials 15.3.3 International Business Machines Corporation 15.3.3.1 Company Overview 15.3.3.2 Product Portfolio 15.3.3.3 Financials 15.3.3.4 SWOT Analysis 15.3.4 Kronos Incorporated 15.3.4.1 Company Overview 15.3.4.2 Product Portfolio 15.3.5 Oracle Corporation 15.3.5.1 Company Overview 15.3.5.2 Product Portfolio 15.3.5.3 Financials 15.3.5.4 SWOT Analysis 15.3.6 Paycom Software Inc. 15.3.6.1 Company Overview 15.3.6.2 Product Portfolio 15.3.6.3 Financials 15.3.7 Paycor Inc. 15.3.7.1 Company Overview 15.3.7.2 Product Portfolio 15.3.7.3 Financials 15.3.8 Reflexis Systems Inc (Zebra Technologies Corporation) 15.3.8.1 Company Overview 15.3.8.2 Product Portfolio 15.3.9 SAP SE 15.3.9.1 Company Overview 15.3.9.2 Product Portfolio 15.3.9.3 Financials 15.3.9.4 SWOT Analysis 15.3.10 Workday Inc. 15.3.10.1 Company Overview 15.3.10.2 Product Portfolio 15.3.10.3 Financials 15.3.10.4 SWOT Analysis 15.3.11 WorkForce Software LLC 15.3.11.1 Company Overview 15.3.11.2 Product Portfolio For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/30jrm3 Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Residents welcome normal hustle and bustle as Chinas top two cities reemerge from epidemic cautiously but steadily By Lin Xiaoyi (Global Times) 13:31, May 31, 2022 A father takes photos of his children at the Temple of Heaven on May 29, 2022. Photo: Li Hao/GT A reward for the perseverance of residents in China's two biggest cities during the hard battle against Omicron, there is finally a bright light at the end of the tunnel. Starting from June 1, Shanghai will open residential communities, fully resume public transport operations, and allow vehicles on roads, ending the static management put in place since the end of March. This financial hub is not alone to see anti-epidemic victory ahead of the Dragon Boat Festival holidays set in early June. With the number of daily confirmed new cases having dropped to single digits in Shanghai and 18 in Beijing, the two cities are gradually driving Omicron away, speeding up the return to normal life for the tens of millions of residents. Although there has not been an immediate return to the usual hustle and bustle, many people in Beijing and Shanghai are already excited about starting to consider their Dragon Boat Festival holiday plans, returning to pre-epidemic routines: free movement to and from one's compound, being able to enjoy public transport, buying zongzi at reopened time-honored snack shops, breaking a sweat and shaping the body again at the gym, or tearfully watching a movie in the cinemas. A view of Hang Lung Plaza in Shanghai on May 30. Photo: Feng Yu/GT When she saw the news that Shanghai would soon receive a city-wide easement, 47-year-old newspaper editor Xi Xi rushed out of her house to Xujiahui, one of the busiest shopping areas in Shanghai. Even though she hadn't wasted the four precious four hours a day she was allowed to go out in recent days, she still wants to feel the heartbeat of the city at a moment of great importance. "Looking at the increasing number of vehicles and people on the streets, I feel that the city will soon be coming back to life," she said. In Beijing, 1,220 kilometers away from Shanghai, the city is also alive and active again. Since May 29, except for the temporary control zones, public transportation services such as buses, subways, and taxi operations all resumed in Chaoyang, Shunyi and Fangshan districts, the most severely affected areas in the city in the latest round of Omicron infection. On May 30, residents in Chaoyang - the most populous district in Beijing and the first to implement a work-from-home order a month ago, amended its remote work proposal to in-office work. During the morning rush hour of the first working day after the resumption of public transportation, Beijing subway operated in an orderly manner with a large increase in passenger traffic. A worker disinfects handrails during morning rush hour at the Guomao subway station in Beijing on May 30. Photo: Li Hao/GT Major shopping malls in the capital also reopened over the weekend as customers eagerly and cautiously returned to grab a long-awaited cup of milk tea. In addition to the parks such as the Beijing Wildlife Park, Chaoyang Park, and Olympic Forest Park which have been embracing the laughter of tourists since Sunday, the Badaling Wildlife World, the Ming Tombs, and the Juyongguan Great Wall section also reopened on May 30 to the public in accordance with the 50 percent restriction on visitor flow. In Beijing, the restoration of city life and the epidemic prevention go hand in hand. "The barbershops are sterilized before every customer; grocery stores opened for residents to make orderly purchases, and nucleic acid testing sites have been added to the city in large numbers to guarantee regular testing among residents. The public is looking forward to the gradual, complete lifting of restriction, but also takes a cautious attitude toward the unpredictable virus," Zhang Qi, a COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control volunteer at Taiyanggong community of Chaoyang district, told the Global Times. A woman swims in Houhai, Beijing on May 30. Photo: Li Hao/GT (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) The Metropolitan AntiViral Drug Accelerator, or MAVDA, will be funded by a three-year, $65,141,731 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID)'s Antiviral Drug Discovery (AViDD) Centers for Pathogens of Pandemic Concern program. MAVDA combines world-class virologists and academic drug finders from Rockefeller University, Columbia University and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) in New York City, and the Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI) and Rutgers University in New Jersey, along with proven antiviral drug developers Merck, the Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute (Tri-I TDI), and Aligos Therapeutics. MAVDA's mission will be to discover, optimize and test innovative small molecule antiviral drugs to target coronaviruses (CoVs), emphasizing SARS-CoV-2, and one or more select RNA viruses with pandemic potential. The goal is to rapidly develop drugs which can be given orally, and in an outpatient setting, in the near future. The overall program will be co-led by drug discovery expert Dr. David Perlin at the Hackensack Meridian CDI and Rockefeller University virologist and Nobel laureate, Dr. Charles Rice. The program benefits from other senior world class virologists including Dr. David Ho (Columbia) and Dr. Stephen Goff (Columbia); drug discovery experts Dr. Jingyue Ju (Columbia) and Dr. Tom Tuschl (Rockefeller); structural biologists Dr. Lawrence Shapiro (Columbia) and Dr. Dinshaw Patel (MSK); Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology, and drug screening experts Dr. James Balkovec (CDI), Dr. Joel Freundlich (Rutgers), Dr. Veronique Dartois (CDI), and Dr. Fraser Glickman (Rockefeller). Key to the initiative's success is the participation of commercial partners Merck and Co.; the nonprofit Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute through its industrial partnership with Takeda; and Aligos Therapeutics, the sole entity based in California, all of whom have committed extensive internal resources to support the drug development goals of the MAVDA. "This public-private partnership is how science can prepare for the next phase of SARS-CoV-2 - as well as other current and new viral threats," said David Perlin, Ph.D., the chief scientific officer and senior vice president of the CDI, and also a professor at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. "Vaccines were a terrific breakthrough to help stem COVID-19 after the initial spread - but as we have learned with COVID-19 and other pandemic diseases, vaccines alone are insufficient. We need effective drugs that can be used early and distributed widely to diverse populations around the world." "We need to think differently," said Charles M. Rice, Ph.D., the Maurice R. and Corinne P. Greenberg Professor in Virology and Head of the Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease at Rockefeller University, who is the recipient of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. "Bringing all this experience and expertise into the same program, and having everyone 'pull' in the same direction, can produce some great results." The MAVDA consortium brings together scientists who already collaborate on many anti-infective projects, chief among them the CDI's NIH Center of Excellence in Translational Research (CETR), helmed by Perlin and which includes industry participation. Merck has been among the world leaders in developing antiviral drugs and received FDA Emergency Use Authorization for the outpatient drug molnupiravir. Merck Research Laboratories Infectious Diseases and Vaccines Vice President Daria Hazuda, Ph.D., said: "Collaborations such as these are critical to develop much needed antiviral options. We are delighted to be participating in this important endeavor." This partnership, which coalesced during the federal agencies' call for plans to discover new anti-viral therapies last year, seeks specifically to leverage the strength of the partners on coronavirus and flavivirus targets. The scientists have a specific set of eight molecular features in the SARS-CoV-2 virus which have critical roles in viral replication, maturation, and also immune-system evasion. Chief among them is 3CLpro, which is the virus's main protease for replication. The teams have put together a "drug accelerator" plan involving five cooperative projects focusing on the targets, and matching likely drug candidates against them. Six integrated pharma-style "cores" of MAVDA provide the expertise from the various institutions; for instance, Rice and Rockefeller's virology contributions will be complemented by the expertise of Columbia's David D. Ho, M.D., the professor of Microbiology & Immunology, Clyde '56 and Helen Wu Professor of Medicine and Director, Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center. In other areas, Columbia and Memorial Sloan Kettering will provide structural biology prowess, while the CDI and Rutgers will contribute medicinal chemistry know-how. The CDI's capabilities in pharmacology and animal research models will also play a major part in the drug accelerator program, which patterns itself on the TB Drug Accelerator program, of which CDI members have played a major part over the last decade. "Having these teams, which contribute in their own ways, is going to move the work along faster and more efficiently," said Ho, of Columbia. "We're eager to do our part." Equally important to these early phases of discovery are the pharmaceutical partners. As Perlin and others have described, the public-private partnership will bridge gaps which normally stifle advancements in key health areas. For instance, the CDI and Merck partnered starting in 2020 to conduct drug discovery via the Perlin-led CETR funded by the NIH. "Tri-I TDI's mission is to accelerate transformational drug discovery programs this challenge certainly is of global importance," said Peter T. Meinke, Ph.D., of Tri-I TDI. "We are excited to join with the distinguished MAVDA consortium to advance the development of much needed oral antiviral drugs for the treatment of COVID-19," said Julian Symons, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Aligos Therapeutics. "Our broadly acting, potent, SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibitor offers the potential to effectively inhibit both current and future variants that may emerge." The goal is to take what the scientists discover on the academic side, and rapidly translate it using the capabilities of the pharmaceutical companies. "We are excited at the breadth of this project, and the huge difference it could make," said Perlin. "For a global health challenge like COVID-19, we need to think bigger and differently. We embrace the challenge." ABOUT MAVDA The Metropolitan AntiViral Drug Accelerator, or MAVDA, has a mission to discover, optimize and test innovative small molecule antiviral drugs to target coronaviruses (CoVs), emphasizing SARS-CoV-2, and one or more select RNA viruses with pandemic potential. The goal is to rapidly develop drugs which can be given orally, and in an outpatient setting, in the near future. The group is funded by a three year, $65 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID)'s Antiviral Drug Discovery (AViDD) Centers for Pathogens of Pandemic Concern program. MAVDA combines world-class virologists and academic drug experts from the Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI), Rockefeller University, Columbia University, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), Rutgers University, along with proven antiviral drug developers Merck, the nonprofit Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute (Tri-I TDI), and Aligos. ABOUT THE CENTER FOR DISCOVERY AND INNOVATION The Center for Discovery and Innovation, a member of Hackensack Meridian Health, translates current innovations in science to improve clinical outcomes for patients. More than 21 laboratories, 155 professional researchers and physician-scientists at the CDI have set their sights on cancer, infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders, and other acute and chronic diseases. Clinical need drives the scientific insights, and their application, for these researchers, as shown in the real-time response to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in new diagnostics, therapies, and surveillance abilities. The CDI leverages a new wave of scientific advances involving genetics, cell engineering of the human immune system, and imaging to better diagnose, treat and prevent disease through personalized medicine approaches. For additional information, please visit www.hmh-cdi.org . ABOUT THE ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY The Rockefeller University is one of the world's leading biomedical research universities and is dedicated to conducting innovative, high-quality research to improve the understanding of life for the benefit of humanity. The university's unique approach to science has led to some of the world's most revolutionary and transformative contributions to biology and medicine. During Rockefeller's 121-year history, our scientists have won 26 Nobel Prizes, 25 Albert Lasker Medical Research Awards, and 20 National Medals of Science. SOURCE Hackensack Meridian Health JERSEY CITY, N.J., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd. announces the release of a market assessment report on the "Global ATMP Service Providers Market by Type of Services (Analytics/CRO (Microbiology, Endotoxin, PCR, Flow Cytometry, ELISA, Container Closure, Sterilty, and Pre-clinical), Quality (Documentation, QMS And Regulations), CMO (HQ/GMP plasmid DNA, MSC Manufacture, Pluripotent Stem Cells), Logistics (Storage, Stability And Transport)), Application (GTMP(Gene Therapy Medicinal Products), sCTMP(somatic Cells Therapy Medicinal Products) and TEP(Tissue Engineered Products))-Trends, Industry Competition Analysis, Revenue and Forecast To 2030." According to the latest research by InsightAce Analytic, the Global ATMP Service Providers Market is valued at US$ 13.85 Billion in 2021, and it is expected to reach US$ 34.59 Billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 10.9% during the forecast period of 2022-2030. By region, North America dominated the market with major market share in 2021. Request for Sample Pages: https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/request-sample/1228 ATMPs, or Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products, are cutting-edge treatments created with specifically modified cells, genes, and tissues. ATMPs open the way to personalized and precise medicines that can prevent, diagnose, treat, or cure diseases at their source instead of more typical, one-size-fits-all drugs. They offer groundbreaking new opportunities to treat life-threatening diseases where one or limited doses have a curative effect. Characterization and analysis are essential in providing critical chemistry, manufacturing, and control (CMC) information for Investigational New Drug Applications in the case of ATMP services (INDs). Testing is also required as part of stability studies and to support release. Service providers support product development from early-stage to in-process control and product release assays. The global prevalence is increasing regarding chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and hereditary diseases like cystic fibrosis and others. As the demand for individualized medicine grows, technology advances in biological treatments, resulting in breakthrough Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products. This is a critical aspect of ATMP service providers' market expansion. Most new advanced therapy products are being developed in the US and EU. Companies will look for low-cost clinical trials in emerging markets that offer innovative opportunities to ATMP service providers. Huge investments by commercial and non-commercial sponsors in testing cell-based product candidates in clinical studies will also accelerate the service provider's market. However, ATMPs are expensive for patients, and health insurance schemes will slow down the market growth. Furthermore, several factors such as the lack of manufacturing capabilities to meet rising consumer demand and the resource and budget limitations faced by advanced therapy medicinal product developers have developed lucrative opportunities for contract services providers and increased market competition. Geographically, North America accounted for the leading revenue share, followed by the Asia Pacific region, owing to the exponential rise in clinical trials of advanced therapies with significant investments. Also, strategic collaborations and a strong pipeline of ATMPs accelerates revenue generation in the region. Enquiry Before Buying: https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/enquiry-before-buying/1228 Significant market players are Takara Bio, NorthX Biologics, Cellco Labs, AWA, ClinStorage, Key2Complience, Nordic BioAnalysis, YSDS, Truly Labs, ABC Labs, Mikrolabs, NDA group, Propharma group, Celonic, Bio Elpida, CGT Catapult, Rentschler Biopharma SE, AGC Biologics, WuXi Advanced Therapies, BlueReg, Minaris Regenerative Medicine, Patheon, Bio-Techne Corporation, bioMerieux SA, Catalent, Inc., Charles River Laboratories International Inc., Eurofins Scientific SE, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Intertek Group plc, Lonza Group AG, Merck KGaA, Sartorius AG, SGS S.A., Sistemic Scotland Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Vigene Biosciences, Inc., WuXi AppTec and others. Key Developments in the market In Mar 2022 , Rentschler Biopharma and Vetter Unveil Xpert Alliance. This strategic collaboration delivers effective solutions to address clients' changing and expanding needs in the area of complex biopharmaceuticals. Rentschler Biopharma and Vetter Unveil Xpert Alliance. This strategic collaboration delivers effective solutions to address clients' changing and expanding needs in the area of complex biopharmaceuticals. In Oct 2021 , The Swedish government, through their Life Sciences department, announced a 36 million SEK investment to the Swedish Innovation agency (Vinnova) to establish an Innovation hub enabling the production of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) and DNA and RNA based vaccines. The Swedish government, through their Life Sciences department, announced a investment to the Swedish Innovation agency (Vinnova) to establish an Innovation hub enabling the production of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) and DNA and RNA based vaccines. In Sept 2021 , Lonza announced plans to expand drug manufacturing capabilities at its Stein facility in Switzerland . Lonza's investment aims to expand its overall drug product development and manufacturing services. Lonza announced plans to expand drug manufacturing capabilities at its Stein facility in . Lonza's investment aims to expand its overall drug product development and manufacturing services. In June 2021 , Bio-Techne Corporation and Catamaran Bio announced an expansion of their collaboration to develop cell engineering and cell process technologies for use by Catamaran in the manufacturing of CAR-NK cell therapy products. Market Segments Global ATMP Service Providers Market, by Type of Service, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn) Analytics/CRO Microbioilogy Endotoxin PCR Flow Cytometry ELISA Container Closure Sterility Pre-clinical Quality Documentation QMS Regulations CMO HQ/GMP Plasmid DNA MSC Manufacture Pluripotent Stem Cells Logistics Storage Stability Transport Global ATMP Service Providers Market, by Application, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn) GTMP sCTMP TEP Global ATMP Service Providers Market, by Region, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn) North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America Middle East & Africa North America ATMP Service Providers Market, by Country, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn) U.S. Canada Europe ATMP Service Providers Market, by Country, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn) Germany France Italy Spain Russia Rest of Europe Asia Pacific ATMP Service Providers Market, by Country, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn) India China Japan South Korea Australia & New Zealand Latin America ATMP Service Providers Market, by Country, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn) Brazil Mexico Rest of Latin America Middle East & Africa ATMP Service Providers Market, by Country, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn) GCC Countries South Africa Rest of Middle East & Africa For Customization @https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/customisation/1228 Other Related Reports Published by InsightAce Analytic: Global Cell and Gene Therapy Bioassay Services Market Global Regulatory T-Cell (Tregs) Therapies Market Global iPSCs Manufacturing Services Market Global Biopharmaceutical Excipient Manufacturing Market Global Allogeneic Cell Therapy Manufacturing Market Why should buy this report: To receive a comprehensive analysis of the prospects for the Global ATMP Service Providers Market To receive an industry overview and future trends of the ATMP Service Providers Market To analyze the ATMP Service Providers Market drivers and challenges To get information on the ATMP Service Providers Market Size (Value US$ Mn) forecast to 2030 Significant investments, mergers & acquisitions in the ATMP Service Providers Market industry About Us: InsightAce Analytic is a market research and consulting firm that enables clients to make strategic decisions. Our qualitative and quantitative market intelligence solutions inform the need for market and competitive intelligence to expand businesses. We help clients gain a competitive advantage by identifying untapped markets, exploring new and competing technologies, segmenting potential markets, and repositioning products. Our expertise is in providing syndicated and custom market intelligence reports with an in-depth analysis with key market insights in a timely and cost-effective manner. Contact Us: InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd. Tel.: +1 718 593 4405 Email: [email protected] Site Visit: www.insightaceanalytic.com Follow Us on LinkedIn Follow Us On Facebook SOURCE InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd. Growth-Stage MLOps Startup Plans to Double Headcount This Year with Additions to Engineering Team AUSTIN, Texas, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Striveworks ' 2022 staffing plans include a doubling of its headcount. The firm's engineering-first approach means the majority of new hires will be technical. New hires will either be supporting the continued development of Striveworks' core product, the Chariot MLOps platform, or be engaging on customer-specific projects. Striveworks Austin Headquarters Striveworks Team Meeting The Machine Learning Operations company has headquarters in Austin, Texas, and a satellite office that opened last year in New York City's Chrysler Building. Striveworks is hiring for positions in both of those locations, as well as for positions in Florida, North Carolina and Virginia. Several of the positions are also available to remote workers. The company welcomes resumes for the following roles that can be submitted through its careers page at https://striveworks.us/careers . Data Engineers Machine Learning Engineers Senior Software Engineers Site Reliability Engineers Recruiters "One of the unique things about Striveworks is how deeply rooted engineering and data science are into our culture," said Thomas Tracey, Striveworks' VP of Engineering. "We are a company founded and led by engineers and data scientists, and we're building products that make data science possible in some of the world's largest and most complex organizations. Every team member at Striveworks has a direct impact on the direction of the company. We don't know how to do it any other way. That's our DNA." Earlier this year, Striveworks was listed among the Best Places to Work by Built In Austin in both the categories of Best Small Companies and Best Paying Companies. The firm also made headlines when the former Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) Commander GEN(R) Miller joined Striveworks' Board of Advisors , when it was awarded a Basic Ordering Agreement for Data Readiness for Artificial Intelligence Development (DRAID), and when it recently formed a partnership with Figure Eight Federal to support enhanced AI capabilities for Defense and Federal Law Enforcement. About Striveworks Striveworks is a pioneer in operational data science for national security and other highly regulated spaces. Striveworks' flagship MLOps platform is Chariot , purpose-built to enable engineers and business professionals to transform their data into actionable insights. Founded in 2018, Striveworks was highlighted as an exemplar in the National Security Commission for AI 2020 Final Report. Media Contact Tracy Shank 8058742650 [email protected] SOURCE Striveworks Growing adoption of paper & paperboard materials to generate sizable opportunities during forecast period; beer brands increasingly seeking more biodegradable materials in the product packaging to capture customers' attention Widespread use of recyclable glass bottles and reusable glass bottles to endow incremental opportunities to players in alcohol packaging market; Consumption of alcohol in emerging economies fuelling demand ALBANY, N.Y., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Trends and innovations in alcohol packaging designs underscore a discernible shift of beverages brands toward adopting eco-friendly, flexible, and sustainable solutions. Over the years, beer & alcohol packaging solutions have witnessed massive adoption on the back of rising consumption of alcoholic beverages, particularly among young adults. The global market is projected to advance at CAGR of 5.3% during the forecast period of 20222027. Alcoholic beverage manufacturers are keen on adopting the best alcohol packaging ideas for brand awareness as well as for meeting the packaging sustainability concerns. A case in point is the trend of glass returnable bottles gathering steam. Of note, companies in the alcohol packaging market are adopting recyclable materials to explore new sources of profits among consumers of alcoholic beverages. The importance of alcoholic beverage packaging is growing for beer brands as it is more popular than any other alcoholic beverage, observed the study on the alcoholic packaging market. Growing R&D on paper beer bottles by a spate of alcoholic beverage manufacturers has paved the way to the packaging that can be recycled easily. This has set the stage of product innovation in the next few years. Grab an Exclusive PDF Brochure of this Report - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=9590 Key Findings of Alcohol Packaging Market Study Popularity of Eco-friendly Packaging Extending Canvas for Market Stakeholders: Eco-friendly solutions underpin incredible revenue potential for growth of the market. Of note, beverage manufacturers are massively adopting recyclable glass bottles and reusable glass bottles during the forecast period. The TMR report on the alcohol packaging market found that the material type segment will spawn a total incremental potential of US$ 7.07 Bn during 20222027. Rising adoption of paper & paperboard to generate profitable avenues is also spurring profitable opportunities. Eco-friendly solutions underpin incredible revenue potential for growth of the market. Of note, beverage manufacturers are massively adopting recyclable glass bottles and reusable glass bottles during the forecast period. The TMR report on the alcohol packaging market found that the material type segment will spawn a total incremental potential of during 20222027. Rising adoption of paper & paperboard to generate profitable avenues is also spurring profitable opportunities. Growing Consumption of Beer Propelling Revenue Growth: The total APC (alcohol per capita consumption) for young adults especially aged more than 15 years is projected to rise in Western Pacific, the Americas, and South East Asia at least until 2027. The average alcohol consumption is high in Europe and is significant in India . All these regions and countries are expected to be potentially lucrative for alcohol packaging manufacturers. Developed nations in Europe and Asia Pacific are witnessing demand for next-gen sustainable solutions, which thus are poised to steer revenue growth for players in the alcohol packaging market. The TMR study found that beer is remarkably lucrative segment, and is projected to account for 66% market share globally 2027. How Alcohol Packaging Market will recover after covid19 - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=covid19&rep_id=9590 Alcoholic Beverages Packaging--Flexible & Sustainable Solutions to Define New Customer Propositions: Alcoholic manufacturers are ebulliently looking to adopt recyclable materials that are sourced sustainably. Protypes for paper bottles have stridently extended the canvas for innovation in the alcohol packaging market. A slew of next-gen eco-friendly solutions are focusing on exploiting the prototypes for plastic free paper-based spirits bottles. The launch of a number of branded paper bottles in recent years has enriched the alcohol packaging market outlook. Alcohol Packaging Market: Key Drivers The past few decades have witnessed a remarkable expansion of number of alcoholic beverages retailers and pubs especially in emerging economies around the world. This is a key factor bolstering the revenue potential for various companies in the alcohol packaging market. Growing awareness about several health benefits of beer when consumed in moderation is another key driver for alcoholic beverages, which, in turn has underpinned the evolution of the alcohol packaging market. Alcohol Packaging Market: Key Players Some of the key players in the alcohol packaging market are DS Smith Plc., Amcor Plc., Smurfit Kappa Group, Stora Enso Oyj, WestRock LLC, BA Glass Germany GmbH., Beatson Clark Ltd, Intrapac International Corporation, Vidrala S.A., Nampak Ltd., Gerresheimer AG, Berry Global, Inc., O-I Glass, Ardagh Group S.A., Crown Holdings, Inc., and Ball Corporation. Request a Sample Research Report at - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=9590 Segmentation Packaging Type Primary Packaging Bottles Cans Bag-in-box Liquid Brick Carton Growlers Pouches Secondary Packaging Boxes Folding Cartons Others (Multipacks, tubes) Enquiry before Buying - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=EB&rep_id=9590 Application Beer Wine Spirits Others (ciders, FAB) Material Type Glass Metal Plastic Paper & Paperboard Regions Covered North America Latin America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East & Africa Countries Covered U.S. Canada Brazil Mexico Argentina UK Russia Germany U.K. France Spain Poland Japan China India ASEAN Australia & New Zealand & South Africa North Africa GCC Countries Browse Latest Packaging Market Research Reports by TMR: Food cans market - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/food-cans-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/food-cans-market.html Metal cans and glass jars market - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/metal-cans-glass-jars-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/metal-cans-glass-jars-market.html Beverage cans market - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/beverage-cans-market.html About Transparency Market Research Transparency Market Research is a global market research report company providing business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insights for thousands of decision makers. Our experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools & techniques to gather and analyse information. Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports. For More Research Insights on Leading Industries, Visit our YouTube channel -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8e-z-g23-TdDMuODiL8BKQ Contact : Rohit Bhisey Transparency Market Research State Tower, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany NY 12207 United States USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453 Email: [email protected] Follow Us: Twitter | LinkedIn Blog: https://tmrblog.com Website: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com SOURCE Transparency Market Research Investment Furthers Altamont's Multi-Unit Consumer Sector Leadership PALO ALTO, Calif., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Altamont Capital Partners ("Altamont") today announced the acquisition of Service Minds, a leading provider of electrical, plumbing and HVAC services based in Sarasota, Florida. Owned and operated by David Connolly since 2014, Service Minds has been a leading franchisee in the Mister Sparky system since its inception and today also operates in the One Hour Heating & AC and Benjamin Franklin Plumbing systems, servicing the Southeastern United States across all three trades. The Service Minds transaction represents Altamont's most recent multi-unit franchisee investment, following its successful investments in Tacala and Excel Fitness, leading franchisees in the Taco Bell and Planet Fitness systems, respectively. Similar to the approach with those investments, Altamont plans to invest heavily in the Service Minds team and infrastructure to drive growth and further build upon the company's reputation for operational excellence. "Service Minds holds great potential for growth thanks to a strong business model that provides critical services, delivers industry leading customer service, has developed best-in-class training and apprenticeship programs, and offers exciting career development opportunities for its team members," said Kevin Mason, Managing Director of Altamont. "David built an impressive playbook and strong team that allow us to now scale the business to additional branches and service offerings. We could not be more excited to have an opportunity to partner with this team and leverage our experience driving growth through infrastructure investment, team member recruitment and retention, organic sales drivers, and mergers and acquisitions within franchise systems." At the time of acquisition, Service Minds was the largest franchisee of the Mister Sparky brand, a leading provider of residential electrical services. In conjunction with the investment by Altamont, Service Minds acquired multiple franchisees operating under the One Hour Heating & AC and Benjamin Franklin Plumbing brands. Along with Mister Sparky, both brands operate under the Authority Brands portfolio of home services businesses. The transaction creates one of the largest providers of residential services across the electrical, heating and cooling, and plumbing trades in the Southeastern United States. Service Minds currently operates over 20 locations across Florida and Alabama. Going forward, David Connolly will remain a shareholder and serve as Executive Chairman of the board of directors. Service Minds has also already added a number of seasoned senior leaders to the business to support business scaling, including CEO Brannan Lahoda, who formerly served as Senior Vice President of Operations at Driven Brands, and CFO Magda Farren, who served as CFO at W.S. Badcock Corporation and Colorado Boxed Beef Company, a prior Altamont Capital portfolio company. David Cox joined the company as Chief Growth Officer, having previously been CEO of About Time Management, a One Hour Heating & AC and Benjamin Franklin Plumbing franchisee acquired by Service Minds. "The leaders we've brought in, along with continued guidance from David Connolly, will make a strong company even stronger," Randall Eason, Managing Director of Altamont said. "Service Minds has always provided best-in-class training, mentorship, company culture, and incentives for its talented team members and we endeavor to continue that tradition." "I'm pleased to be working with such a talented team as we work to make Service Minds the employer of choice for industry professionals across the electric, HVAC, and plumbing trades," Lahoda added. "Going forward, we're focused first and foremost on delivering the absolute best customer service and employee experience and we plan to bring our services to more branches, more states across the southeast, and more residential service lines." Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Boxwood Advisors acted as exclusive financial advisor, and Ropes & Gray and Morrison & Foerster served as legal counsels, to Altamont on the transaction. Truist Securities acted as exclusive financial advisor, and Shumaker, Loop and Kendrick, LLP served as legal counsel, to Service Minds. Financing for the transaction was provided by Varagon Capital Partners, L.P., Stellus Capital Management, LLC, and Principal Alternative Credit. About Service Minds Service Minds is headquartered in Sarasota, Florida, where it was founded in 2007 as a single Mister Sparky location. The company grew from one Mister Sparky branch in 2014 to 13 branches by April 2022 before acquiring multiple franchisees in the One Hour Heating & AC and Benjamin Franklin Plumbing systems. Service Minds currently operates over 20 locations across Florida and Alabama, currently servicing brands in the Authority Brands system, a leading home service franchisor. About Altamont Capital Partners Altamont Capital Partners is a private investment firm based in the San Francisco Bay Area with more than $4.5 billion of assets under management. Altamont is focused on investing in middle market businesses where it can partner with leading management teams to help its portfolio companies reach their full potential. The firm's principals have significant experience building business success stories across a range of industries, including healthcare, business services, financial services, consumer/retail, and industrials. CONTACT: Greg Blair, [email protected] SOURCE Altamont Capital Partners Annexus Health has achieved the highest level of compliance for service organizations SEWICKLEY, Pa., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Annexus Health, Inc., the leading healthcare technology company that is revolutionizing the patient access journey through its innovative solutions, today announced that it has attained SOC 2 Type 2 certification, a voluntary compliance standard for service organizations developed by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). The certification demonstrates the company's dedication to excellence in process monitoring, encryption control, intrusion detection, user access authentication, and disaster recovery. "While data security, scalability, and system availability have always been integral to our solutions at Annexus Health, this independent third-party audit and certification assures our customers and partners that their data and business processes will always be secure and available within the AssistPoint platform," said Annexus Health Chief Technology Officer Scott Mullins. The SOC 2 Type 2 certification details the operational efficiency of Annexus Health systems, covering infrastructure, software, people, data, and procedures. The initial certification is based on the company's previous 12 months of compliance with the AICPA's trust services criteria of security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. Annexus Health will submit to voluntary annual audits to maintain compliance as the company grows to meet customer needs. About Annexus Health Annexus Health is the leading healthcare technology company that is revolutionizing the patient access journey by delivering innovative solutions, including tech-enabled services, that reduce financial and administrative burdens to improve access, speed, and adherence to critical care. Learn more at annexushealth.com. Tim Koenig VP of Marketing [email protected] SOURCE Annexus Health Decrease in enrollment during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic erased a decade of steady enrollment growth in nation's public schools WASHINGTON , May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Total public elementary and secondary school enrollment for prekindergarten through grade 12 students declined 3 percent between fall 2019 and fall 2020, erasing a decade of steady growth, according to The Condition of Education 2022, an annual report to Congress released today by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). This was the largest single-year decline in total public school enrollment since 1943. This decrease in enrollment during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic was concentrated in lower grades. Looking specifically at the youngest children, overall enrollment rates (across public and private schools) fell 13 percentage points for 3- to 4-year-olds (from 54 to 40 percent). "The Condition of Education is part of a 150-year tradition at NCES, and provides historical and contextual perspective on key measures of educational progress to Congress and the American public," said NCES Commissioner Peggy G. Carr. "This year's report reaffirms the mission of the National Center for Education Statistics to provide the nation with data on the condition and progress of education, and sheds new light on the major disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic for all levels of education." The Condition of Education summarizes the latest data on education in the United States and contains key indicators on all levels of education (prekindergarten through postsecondary), labor force outcomes, and international comparisons. The indicators summarize important developments and trends in education using the latest statistics. The Condition of Education includes a total 88 indicators, 52 of which were updated this year, on the condition of education in the United States at all levels and uses data from across NCES and from other sources to help inform policymakers and the public about significant trends and topics in education. Annual indicators include pandemic-era data for school enrollments from early childhood through postsecondary education, as well as postsecondary finance data and labor force outcomes. New, pre-pandemic analyses are also available for high school course completion data and NAEP long-term trend assessment performance. In addition to annual indicators, this year's Condition features a closer look at how the pandemic might have influenced education choices and school enrollment. The full report can be viewed at https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe. The Condition of Education is a compilation of statistical information collected and assembled from other statistical products. For more information on the data sources, please visit https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/sources. Key Findings: Preprimary, Elementary, and Secondary Education Between fall 2019 and fall 2020, the total public elementary and secondary school enrollment for prekindergarten through grade 12 students dropped 3 percent, from 50.8 million students to 49.4 million students. This decrease in enrollment during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic brought enrollment back to 2009 levels (49.4 million), erasing a decade of steady enrollment growth. It was the largest single-year decline in total public school enrollment since 1943. Whereas the 1943 dropduring World War IIwas concentrated among public school students in grades 9 through 12, the 2020 drop was concentrated among those in grades preK through 8. Specifically, between fall 2009 and fall 2019, enrollment in preK through grade 8 increased by 3 percent (from 34.4 million to 35.6 million) before dropping 4 percent to 34.1 million students in fall 2020. In contrast, enrollment in grades 9 through 12 increased 2 percent between fall 2009 (15.0 million) and fall 2019 (15.2 million) and continued to increase in fall 2020 (15.3 million). Enrollment rates for 5-year-olds fell 6 percentage points from 2019 to 2020 (from 91 to 84 percent), while enrollment rates for 3- to 4-year-olds fell 13 percentage points (from 54 to 40 percent). Public charter school enrollment more than doubled between fall 2009 and fall 2019. Enrollment in public charter schools grew from 1.6 million students in fall 2009 to 3.4 million students in fall 2019. At the same time, the number of students attending traditional public schools decreased by 0.5 million (from 47.5 million to 47.0 million students). As a result of these two concurrent trends, the percentage of all public school students who attended public charter schools increased from 3 to 7 percent over this period. The NAEP long-term trend assessments showed improvement in reading and mathematics achievement at ages 9 and 13 between the 1970s and 2020. However, average scores for 9-year-olds were not measurably different for either subject in 2020 compared with the previous assessment in 2012. For 13-year-olds, the average scores were lower in 2020 than in 2012 for both subjects, marking the first time reading or mathematics scores for this age group declined between assessments. Postsecondary Education Undergraduate enrollment was declining before the pandemic (a decrease of 0.9 million students, or 5 percent, over a period of 10 years between 2009 and 2019), but during the pandemic it decreased by 0.7 million students (or 4 percent) between 2019 and 2020 alone. For male and female students, postsecondary enrollment patterns exhibited similar trends from 2009 to 2019 (both decreasing by 5 percent). However, from 2019 to 2020, female enrollment fell 2 percent, while male enrollment fell 7 percent. By contrast, total enrollment in postbaccalaureate programs (such as master's and doctoral programs) increased by 8 percent between 2009 and 2019 (from 2.8 million to 3.1 million students). It continued to increase between 2019 and 2020, by another 2 percent (67,300 students). Based on reports from adults who had household members planning to take classes from a postsecondary institution in fall 2021, plans for postsecondary education were disrupted to a lesser extent than they were one year earlier in the pandemic. Specifically, 44 percent of adults reported that there was no change for any household member in their fall 2021 plans for postsecondary classes, compared with 28 percent who reported no change to fall 2020 plans. Despite this improvement, it is worth noting that a majority of adults in households with prospective postsecondary students reported some change to fall 2021 plans due to the pandemic, over a year after its emergence in the United States . Nearly one third (32 percent) reported that the classes would be taught in different formats in the fall (e.g., formats of instruction would change from in-person to online), 16 percent reported that all plans to take classes in the fall had been canceled for at least one household member, and 12 percent reported that at least one household member would take fewer classes in the fall. Population Characteristics and Economic Outcomes In 201920, postsecondary institutions conferred about 5.1 million awards, ranging from certificates below the associate's level to doctor's degrees. At all award levels, the number conferred was higher in 201920 than in 200910. Between 2010 and 2021, educational attainment among 25- to 29-year-olds increased at each attainment level. During this period, the percentage who had completed at least high school increased from 89 to 94 percent, the percentage with an associate's or higher degree increased from 41 to 49 percent, and the percentage with a bachelor's or higher degree increased from 32 to 39 percent. In March 2021 , roughly one year into the coronavirus pandemic, the employment rate of 25- to 34-year-olds was higher for those with higher levels of educational attainment. For example, the employment rate ranged from 53 percent for those who had not completed high school to 86 percent for those with a bachelor's or higher degree. , roughly one year into the coronavirus pandemic, the employment rate of 25- to 34-year-olds was higher for those with higher levels of educational attainment. For example, the employment rate ranged from 53 percent for those who had not completed high school to 86 percent for those with a bachelor's or higher degree. Compared with 2010, employment rates were higher in 2021 only for those with a bachelor's or higher degree (84 vs 86 percent). For those who had completed high school and those with some college, employment rates increased from 2010 to 2019, but these gains were reversed during the coronavirus pandemic (to rates of 68 and 75 percent, respectively). International Comparisons In 2019, U.S. 4th- and 8th-graders scored in the top 25 percent of participating education systems in both mathematics and science in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, is the statistical center of the U.S. Department of Education and the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education in the U.S. and other nations. NCES, located within the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), fulfills a congressional mandate to collect, collate, analyze, and report complete statistics on the condition of American education; conduct and publish reports; and review and report on education activities internationally. The Report on the Condition of Education is a congressionally mandated annual report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Using the most recent data available from NCES and other sources, the report contains key indicators on the condition of education in the United States at all levels, from prekindergarten through postsecondary, as well as labor force outcomes and international comparisons. There are core indicators that are updated every year and spotlight indicators that provide in-depth analyses on topics of interest to education systems, policymakers, researchers, and the public. CONTACT: Josh Delarosa, National Center for Education Statistics, [email protected] James Elias, Hager Sharp, [email protected] SOURCE National Center for Education Statistics LONDON, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Aquadrill LLC ("Aquadrill" or the "Company") and a subsidiary of Vantage Drilling have reached an agreement to provide the Polaris, a 6th generation drillship, for a 9 month contract for operations in India with Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited. The total contract value is expected to be approximately $66.5 million and work is expected to commence in Q4 2022 following relocation of the rig from Sri Lanka to Malaysia for reactivation, contract preparation and upgrades, including equipping the rig with the piping required for future use of a Managed Pressure Drilling system. In addition, Aquadrill and a subsidiary of Energy Drilling Management have reached an agreement to provide the T-15, a tender assisted drilling barge, for a 5 month contract plus a three month priced optional period for operations in Thailand. The total contract value of the firm portion of the contact is expected to be approximately $11.6 million and work is expected to commence in August 2022 following reactivation and contract preparation. In the event the optional period is exercised, the total additional contract value is expected to be approximately $5.4 million. 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, contracts, agreements, changes and trends in its business and the markets in which it operates. The duration, timing (including both starting and ending dates) and total contract value of customer contracts and any related agreements are estimates only. The actual total contract value over the course of any given contract or agreement may be lower and could be substantially lower, depending on a number of factors (cancellation, suspension, delays, rig downtime, etc.). 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 (some beyond the control of the Company), 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 periodic 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: [email protected] This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com SOURCE Aquadrill LLC The easy-to-create no-code security automation and threat response workflows will be presented at RSA Conference 2022 PALO ALTO, Calif., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Armis , the leading unified asset intelligence platform, today announced Armis Enterprise Workflow Automation (EWA), a new module for security automation and threat response workflows, in partnership with Torq, a no-code automation platform for security teams. The module provides security teams with a seamless experience to build extremely powerful workflows, and to replace manual processes with an orchestrated response to events. The Armis EWA module allows security teams to automate any remediation or workflow, involving literally any IT or cyber tool, without requiring any professional services or coding. A rich library of integrations allows any security professional to build event-triggered workflows, no matter how simple or complex the process, and no matter how many tools are involved. Consequently, all of the underlying asset intelligence and threat prioritization can be fully realized, and put into action without the complexity of coding and testing new integrations. "Digital transformation has accelerated the adoption of new assets and technologies, creating an extended attack surface that organizations are struggling to effectively manage and control. We are excited to offer our customers a full platform that combines unprecedented visibility into assets, contextual intelligence into the vulnerabilities and threats that put these assets and operations at risk, and automated workflows that can orchestrate the response to detected threats," said Peter Doggart, Chief Strategy Officer at Armis. The Armis Asset Intelligence Platform enables enterprises to see and control their full cyber asset attack surface. By providing complete asset discovery, real time cyber vulnerability and threat intelligence, and highlighting critical assets that should be prioritized, Armis enables enterprises to quickly hone in on the assets that put their operations at risk, prioritize mitigation efforts to better manage their attack surface, and improve their overall risk posture. Armis EWA enables organizations to: Maximize their investment in IT and Security tools Enable every security practitioner to replace daunting manual processes with automated workflows Create complex workflows that leverage new integrations without coding Respond faster to threats and operational events Deliver better protection to the organization "The goal of the cybersecurity industry is to prevent threats from affecting the critical digital infrastructure our businesses rely upon. The powerful combination between highly detailed contextual intelligence collected by the Armis Asset Intelligence Platform and flexible no-code automation provided by Torq gives security practitioners uniquely high accuracy when building automated remediation of vulnerabilities and threats," said Eldad Livni, Chief Innovation Officer at Torq. Armis Enterprise Workflow Automation (EWA), in partnership with Torq, provides the security team a seamless experience to build extremely powerful workflows and replaces manual processes with an orchestrated response to events. Join Armis at RSA Conference 2022 Armis will demonstrate this new workflow and other capabilities at Booth S-951 (South Hall), RSA Conference 2022, June 6-9, 2022, at Moscone Center, San Francisco, CA. Armis executives and experts will be on-hand at RSAC to discuss the platform enhancements, our recent asset security vulnerability research into TLStorm 2.0 , and the Critical Infrastructure Protection Program . To schedule a 1:1 executive meeting with Armis, please visit armis.com/rsac-2022/ . RSAC FOMO Afterparty with Armis, SentinelONE, and Torq Tuesday, June 7, 2022 @ 9:00 pm PST - METREON @ - METREON Special Performance by: Incubus Additional Resources Join the conversation with Armis on LinkedIn , Twitter , and YouTube , , and Visit Armis.com to learn more about our platform to learn more about our platform If you're ready to get started, request a demo About Armis Armis is the leading unified asset intelligence platform designed to address the new threat landscape that connected devices create. Fortune 1000 companies trust our real-time and continuous protection to see with full context all managed, unmanaged assets across IT, Cloud, IoT devices, medical devices (IoMT), operational technology (OT), industrial control systems (ICS) and 5G. Armis provides passive and unparalleled cybersecurity asset management, risk management, and automated enforcement. Armis is a privately held company and headquartered in Palo Alto, California. About Torq Torq is a no-code automation platform for security teams. Torq allows any security professional to connect to any system, anywhere, and easily create automated workflows that streamline security processes. Fortune 100 enterprises and cutting edge startups alike trust Torq to help them maximize their cybersecurity investments, respond to threats faster, and deliver protection at the speed of business. Media Contacts: Dillon Townsel Sr. Director, Public & Media Relations [email protected] 512-571-3455 SOURCE Armis BEIJING, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Autohome Inc. (NYSE: ATHM; HKEX: 2518) ("Autohome" or the "Company"), the leading online destination for automobile consumers in China, today announced that it will hold its annual general meeting of shareholders (the "AGM") at 18th Floor Tower B, CEC Plaza, 3 Dan Ling Street, Haidian District, Beijing, The People's Republic of China on June 23, 2022 at 3 p.m. (local time). The board of directors of the Company has fixed the close of business on May 27, 2022 (Hong Kong time) and the close of business on May 27, 2022 (New York time) as the respective record dates for determining the shareholders and holders of the Company's American depositary shares entitled to receive notice of and attend the AGM or any adjournment or postponement thereof. No proposal will be submitted for shareholder approval at the AGM. The notice of the AGM is available on the Company's website at http://ir.autohome.com.cn. The Company has filed its annual report on Form 20-F, including its audited financial statements, for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Form 20-F can be accessed on the Company's website at http://ir.autohome.com.cn/, as well as on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. The Company has also published its annual report for Hong Kong purposes pursuant to the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited ("HKEX"), which can be accessed on the Company's investor relations website at http://ir.autohome.com.cn/, as well as the HKEX's website at http://www.hkexnews.hk. About Autohome Inc. Autohome Inc. (NYSE: ATHM; HKEX: 2518) is the leading online destination for automobile consumers in China. Its mission is to engage, educate and inform consumers about everything auto. Autohome provides original generated content, professionally generated content, user-generated content, and AI-generated content, a comprehensive automobile library, and extensive automobile listing information to automobile consumers, covering the entire car purchase and ownership cycle. The ability to reach a large and engaged user base of automobile consumers has made Autohome a preferred platform for automakers and dealers to conduct their advertising campaigns. Further, the Company's dealer subscription and advertising services allow dealers to market their inventory and services through Autohome's platform, extending the reach of their physical showrooms to potentially millions of internet users in China and generating sales leads for them. The Company offers sales leads, data analysis, and marketing services to assist automakers and dealers with improving their efficiency and facilitating transactions. Autohome operates its "Autohome Mall," a full-service online transaction platform, to facilitate transactions for automakers and dealers. Further, through its websites and mobile applications, it also provides other value-added services, including auto financing, auto insurance, used car transactions, and aftermarket services. For further information, please visit www.autohome.com.cn. For investor and media inquiries, please contact: In China: Autohome Inc. Investor Relations Tel: +86-10-5985-7483 E-mail: [email protected] The Piacente Group, Inc. Jenny Cai Tel: +86-10-6508-0677 E-mail: [email protected] In the United States: The Piacente Group, Inc. Brandi Piacente Tel: +1-212-481-2050 E-mail: [email protected] SOURCE Autohome Inc. About 80% of household retail in sub-Saharan Africa is delivered through informal channels, which perennially face several challenges like stockouts, leading to an instability in earnings, and a lack of attractiveness to financiers. These challenges befall millions of micro-retailers across the continent, and Betastore, a B2B retail marketplace for informal retailers, is working to resolve in Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Senegal. The Betastore marketplace enables informal traders to source fast moving consumer goods (FMCGs) directly from manufacturers or distributors - which keeps the prices of the products competitive by eliminating interactions with sales agents. It also works with logistics partners to ensure the delivery of goods within 24 hours. Each year Bucks Happening Magazine asks residents of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, to nominate and vote for the best companies in the area. YARDLEY, Pa., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bucks Happening Magazine named Biondo Creative of Yardley, Pennsylvania, the Best Bucks County, Pennsylvania Web Design Company for 2022. Each year, Happenings Media publishes the Bucks Happening List and asks local residents and businesses to vote in a dozen categories for their favorite companies. The Bucks Happening List is Bucks County's People's Choice competition, and it features all the best Bucks County people, places, businesses, and events. From the most loved restaurants to Bucks County's favorite web designer to the most happening family event in the area. "We are honored to win this award, especially since Bucks County, PA, residents nominate and vote for each company. We are being recognized among so many talented Pennsylvania web design companies; it's really amazing.", said Anthony Biondo, CEO of Biondo Creative. This year's top web design nominees included: 2B-Unique, Sagefrog Marketing Group, Gabadelphia LLC, SIDES Creative, Zohf Design, Moxie Labs. Finalists included: Planet 8 Digital Agency (Langhorne) and FZP Digital (Richboro). Previously while headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, Happenings Media awarded Biondo Creative Best Philadelphia Web Design Company three years in a row. Happenings Media calls for nominations each year, asking residents to vote for their favorite companies in the following areas. Hunterdon County, New Jersey Bucks County, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Montgomery County, Pennsylvania About Happenings Media Local lifestyle is our passion. From small businesses to community organizations, events to charities, our mission is to deliver value in the communities we serve in a way that rocks. About Biondo Creative We're more than just fantastic web designers. Biondo Creative is an award-winning digital agency and web design company. We equip businesses, non-profit organizations, and individuals with the perfect blend of advertising, marketing, science, and technology that delights users, improves brand awareness, and increases sales. We want to leave our mark on the world by inspiring the next generation of digital marketing company leaders, developing talent worldwide, and giving back to the communities where we live and work. Our agency is headquartered in Yardley, Pennsylvania, and serves clients locally and globally. Learn more about us at: https://www.biondocreative.com/about/ Follow us: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/biondo-creative Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/biondocreative Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/biondocreative Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/biondocreative YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/biondocreativetv SOURCE Biondo Creative Mr. Wagner previously worked for ten years with Mr. Doyle at other companies. He joins Blackford from Coastal Group , where he served as Chief Financial Officer with Coastal's then-CEO Paul Doyle to create nearly $80M of equity value in four years. Prior to that, Wagner and Doyle worked together at GHSP, a Tier 1 automotive supplier of advanced shift systems and smart pump systems, where Wagner was CFO and they created $400M of equity value over seven years. Prior to these positions, Mr. Wagner held a number of progressively responsible executive level positions in operations and finance with Magna and Donnelly Corporation companies Magna Mirrors Corporation, Magna Electronics, Inc and Magna E-Car Systems. The Wagner appointment comes as part of a strategic plan for organizational change within the Blackford Capital executive leadership team. In addition to several internal promotions and organizational restructuring, Blackford recently announced the appointment of Paul Doyle to Managing Partner after more than seven years as an Operating Partner. "We continue to make significant investment in our executive leadership team," said Blackford Capital founder and Managing Director Martin Stein. "As part of our commitment to delivering maximum growth and value creation for our investors we are laser-focused on leveraging our talents when and where they can be most effective. Ken's proven experience will help accelerate our ability to deliver the executive financial oversight, operational expertise and process excellence necessary to drive maximum returns." Mr. Wagner has extensive experience in asset restructuring, financial management and operations. "I'm delighted to join Martin and the dynamic Blackford Capital team at this time in the firm's growth cycle," said Ken Wagner. "This is a terrific opportunity for me to work with Paul again. We are already developing plans to implement new processes and procedures to improve the firm's efficiency and effectiveness, and to provide portfolio company oversight and standardization of reporting and controls, as well as guide CFO talent enhancement." Mr. Wagner earned a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting and Business Administration from Hope College in Holland, Michigan. He previously served in both committee and board chairman positions with Fleetwood Group, Inc., and is a past member of Geneva Camp and Retreat Center Board of Directors. About Blackford Capital Founded in 2010, Blackford Capital is a private equity investment firm headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Blackford acquires, manages, and builds founder and family-owned, lower middle-market companies, with a focus on the manufacturing, industrial and distribution industries. With a reputation for a relentless approach to value creation and a focus on operational excellent, Blackford was named the Private Equity Firm of the Year by M&A Advisor in 2021 and 2018. The firm has also received Deal of the Year honors from M&A Advisor in multiple categories, and its portfolio companies have also been included on the Inc. 5000. For more information, visit blackfordcapital.com. Media Contact: Amy Romano Lambert (480) 577-9989 [email protected] SOURCE Blackford Capital ELSTREE, England, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bio Products Laboratory (BPL), a leading manufacturer of plasma-derived protein therapies, based in Elstree, UK, announced today the issuance of a marketing authorization for Coagadex in the Dominican Republic. Coagadex is the first and only specific treatment for Hereditary Factor X Deficiency, an ultra-rare inherited clotting disorder, affecting up to 1 in a million people worldwide. The disease causes problems with blood clotting due to not having enough Factor X in the blood, and people with Factor X Deficiency can have serious and life-threatening bleeding episodes. The treatment is critical to meet the increasing needs of patients in the region, with a population of 10.8 million, the Dominican Republic is the tenth largest economy in Latin America. The approval is also timely, as only two months ago, the protocol was updated in the country for the treatment of paediatric and adult Haemophilia, including Hereditary Factor X Deficiency. This is the first marketing authorization for BPL in Central America and the Caribbean, and with a robust strategic expansion plan in motion, the company expects this to be the first of many countries in the region to receive marketing authorization. It also follows some key milestones for BPL this past year who received two marketing authorizations for Coagadex, firstly in India last September, followed by Mexico in May. Bob Rossilli, Chief Commercial Officer, Global Business, said, "We are delighted by this approval, which means we can soon provide patient communities in the Dominican Republic with Coagadex - the only treatment specifically for Hereditary Factor X Deficiency. This authorization and our recent approvals in India and Mexico for Coagadex, reflects our plans for expansion in Central America and across the world. It also highlights our corporate mission of providing a continuous supply of plasma-derived products worldwide to support healthcare professionals and patients every day." Thank you to our distributor, Bioplus Care, and all those involved, for the great collaborative work during a long journey to make another success happen for patients in the Dominican Republic and around the world." Stephanie Waserstein, Head of BioPlus Care, said, "It is extremely satisfying for BioPlus Care to have partnered with BPL, a truly patient centred company, committed to making its therapies available in all parts of the world where patients need them." About Bio Products Laboratory (BPL) Recognising the importance of plasma and with many years of experience in the industry, BPL supplies high-quality plasma derived medicines to meet the needs of clinicians, patients, and customers globally. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, with US offices in Durham, NC, and plasma collection centres across the United States, we are dedicated to producing medicines for the treatment of immune deficiencies, bleeding disorders and infectious diseases as well for critical care. BPL invests in the latest R&D, technology and manufacturing methods, and continuously adapts to ensure that we continue to serve all our stakeholders effectively. For more information visit http://www.bplgroup.com or https://www.bpl-us.com. BPL consists of two operating divisions BPL Plasma and BPL Therapeutics. BPL Plasma, headquartered in Austin, Texas and operating in the USA, collects plasma from donors in around 29 centers across the U.S. BPL Plasma employs over 900 staff to support the needs of donors and to ensure high-quality plasma collection in all their centers. Plasma collection is regulated by both FDA and MHRA, and BPL Plasma follows industry guidelines. BPL Plasma operates plasma facilities, staffed with trained personnel, dedicated to supporting donors through the process that leads to the donation of plasma. Plasma is shipped to the headquarters of BPL Therapeutics in Elstree, United Kingdom. The plasma is fractionated, purified, and filled through the efforts of our over 1,000 employees involved in production, quality, R&D, commercial, customer services, and administrative activities. BPL's plasma-derived medicines are commercially available in the U.K., USA, and 30 plus other countries around the world through our network of local affiliates and distribution partners. SOURCE Bio Products Laboratory USA IFS solution will help support the operator's growth strategy, deliver operational efficiencies, and limit emissions LONDON, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- IFS, the global cloud enterprise software company, today announced that BW Energy, a global oil and gas Exploration and Production (E&P) company has selected IFS Applications enterprise resource planning (ERP) and enterprise asset management (EAM) software to support its global oilfield production and development strategy. The implementation will allow BW Energy to drive global enterprise-wide efficiencies across multiple business functions, from asset management and supply chain to human capital management (HCM) and finance. In addition, the operator will use the software to replicate data between offshore units and onshore offices. The IFS solution will also help BW Energy manage carbon emissions as it develops new oilfields and enhance the maintenance of its offshore production assets. The software will help BW Energy to plan, schedule and resource maintenance activities in advance, enabling the company to make changes quickly and easily. Knut R. Sthre, CFO, BW Energy, said: "We are focused on unlocking proven worldwide offshore oil and gas resources but utilising existing infrastructure that leads to lower development costs, faster project delivery and reduced carbon emissions. Supported by IFS technology, our strategy enables low-carbon field developments which support the ongoing transition." "IFS' oil and gas industry expertise is reflected in the rich and critical functionality of the software. Its ability to support multiple business activities, together with the ERP and EAM capabilities, helps us to meet our multiple goals quickly and efficiently while giving us the agility we need to navigate a rapidly changing market and regulatory environment." BW Energy is initially deploying IFS Applications across its US, Norway, Brazil, West Africa and Singapore hubs, with more country sites to follow in the future. Elni Kullmer, Regional President for North and Central Europe, IFS, said: "We look forward to working with BW Energy to ensure their strategic vision is realised over the coming years. IFS solutions are designed to offer fast growth companies like BW Energy an uncomplicated path towards becoming more data-driven and improving innovation. BW Energy is committed to developing oil and natural gas fields in a way that is efficient, low carbon and supports the energy transition, and we are proud to partner with them to help guide them on their journey." About BW Energy: BW Energy is a growth-focused oil and gas company with a differentiated strategy targeting proven offshore oil and gas reservoirs through low risk phased developments. The company has access to existing production facilities to reduce time to first oil and cashflow, with lower investments than traditional offshore developments. The main assets are 73.5% of the producing Dussafu Marine Permit offshore Gabon and a 95% interest in the Maromba field in Brazil, both operated by the company. Total net 2P+2C reserves were 241 million barrels at the start of 2022. For more information, please visit www.bwenergy.no About IFS IFS develops and delivers cloud enterprise software for companies around the world who manufacture and distribute goods, build and maintain assets, and manage service-focused operations. Within our single platform, our industry specific products are innately connected to a single data model and use embedded digital innovation so that our customers can be their best when it really matters to their customers-at the Moment of Service. The industry expertise of our people and of our growing ecosystem, together with a commitment to deliver value at every single step, has made IFS a recognized leader and the most recommended supplier in our sector. Our team of 4,500 employees every day live our values of agility, trustworthiness and collaboration in how we support our 10,000+ customers. Learn more about how our enterprise software solutions can help your business today at ifs.com. IFS Press Contact: Adam Gillbe IFS, Director of Corporate & Executive Communications Email: [email protected] Phone: +447775114856 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/ifs/r/bw-energy-chooses-ifs-to-drive-global-oilfield-development,c3576667 The following files are available for download: https://news.cision.com/ifs/i/1200x630-bw-energy-company-photo,c3054849 1200x630 BW Energy company photo SOURCE IFS "Our franchise owners are the backbone of our success and setting aside this time to both honor them and provide them with the tools they need to grow is absolutely essential," said Caring Senior Service founder and CEO Jeff Salter. "This convention is not only a chance for us to kick up our heels as a corporate family and salute our outstanding franchisees, it's also a time to network, learn from one another and plan ahead to meet our goals for the upcoming year." The highlight of the conference, held this year at the Dreams Macao Beach Punta Cana, is the announcement of the Hedgehog Award, which is given to the franchisee that most embodies the spirit and entrepreneurship of the Caring Senior Service methodology. This year, Rick and Kathy Casey of Caring Senior Service of North Houston, were bestowed the award, which is named after the centuries-old fable, "The Fox and the Hedgehog." In the fable, the fox uses a variety of methods to avoid predators, while the hedgehog hunkers down into a ball a single, but proven mission to fend off them off. "The fox may be a complex thinker, but the hedgehog has the ability to focus on a single path toward excellence," Salter said. "Like the hedgehog, Rick and Kathy Casey are big idea people. They know the value of their decisions and work confidently down the path that leads them to achieving success." In addition to the Hedgehog award, Caring Senior Service presented the following awards during the awards ceremony: Shakin' the Bushes Award (awarded to the franchise location with the most referrals from referral sources) : Andy Gillen of Caring Senior Service in Corpus Christi (awarded to the franchise location with the most referrals from referral sources) of Caring Senior Service in Sign 'Em Up Award (awarded to the franchise location with the most new clients admitted) : Delia Sousa of Caring Senior Service in Northeast Dallas (awarded to the franchise location with the most new clients admitted) of Caring Senior Service in Voice of Caring Award (awarded to the franchisee who best sets the sets the tone for the Caring Senior Service brand): Cindy Sheller of Caring Senior Service of Northeast Tucson ( Arizona ). In addition to these awards, 21 Caring Senior Service locations were admitted to the Champions Circle after meeting certain financial criteria, and six of those locations were also lauded for meeting these goals for the entirety of 2021. Several franchise offices were also honored for other financial success and impressive sales in 2021. For more information about Caring Senior Service, please visit their website at https://www.caringseniorservice.com/. About Caring Senior Service Caring Senior Service is a non-medical home care service company based in San Antonio, Texas. Founded by CEO Jeff Salter in 1991, the company provides assistance to seniors, the disabled population and any adult who may need help with the tasks of everyday living such as bathing, running errands and preparing food. After adding locations throughout Texas in the 1990s, the company extended its reach through franchising in 2002. It now boasts nearly 50 locations in the United States. Its non-profit "Close the Gap in Senior Care" program started in 2021 to raise awareness of the overlooked and underserved aspects of senior care. This program was launched when Salter rode an electric bike more than 9,000 miles to each Caring Senior Service location nationwide to raise awareness of home modifications needed to avoid fall risks among the senior population. For more information on Caring Senior Service, please visit their website at https://www.caringseniorservice.com/. MEDIA CONTACT: Heather Ripley Ripley PR (865) 977-1973 [email protected] SOURCE Caring Senior Service Company is one the few CBD companies to see continued double-digit growth in 2022 LOS ANGELES, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading CBD brand, CBDfx , today announced that founders Ali Esmaili and Jameson Rodgers, along with members of the CBDfx management team, will attend the invitation-only Jefferies Cannabis Summit at the Intercontinental Barclay in New York City on June 2, 2022. The second largest privately held CBD company in the world, CBDfx is one of the US and UK's most popular CBD brands, with a retail presence across both mass market pharmacy retailers, as well as high street. The company was one of only a handful of CBD products companies included in Amazon UK's CBD pilot program and the only US-headquartered brand where it continues to dominate as the #1 CBD brand by market share. CBDfx is also one of only a curated few CBD companies invited to participate in eBay UK's CBD pilot program, where shoppers can enjoy the company's popular CBD gummies, oil drops, and topicals. Additionally, the company also continues its retail expansion in Japan, launching on Amazon JP in May 2022 with a variety of its most popular products. The Jeffries Cannabis Summit is an invitation-only event held for Jeffries' clients and other equity investors. The company, a multinational investment bank, holds this exclusive one-day live event for thought-leaders and innovators in the cannabis and CBD industry to meet with and present to institutional investors, as well as engage in roundtable discussions about the future of the industry, compliance and regulations, and brand-building, among other strategic topics. About CBDfx: CBDfx is a Southern California-based company founded on providing high quality, organically-sourced hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) wellness products to customers in a wide variety of formats; from tinctures to topicals, and gummies to capsules. Founded in 2014 with a mission to push quality to the forefront of the CBD industry, CBDfx provides some of the finest, purest, and most trusted CBD products in the world. CBDfx products are sold in more than 25,000 points of distribution in 21 countries, and online at www.CBDfx.com . CBDfx DeEtte Christie [email protected] 1-888-991-7471 SOURCE CBDfx Wan Gang, president of the China Association for Science and Technology, called on the Chinese science community to unite scientists across the globe and bring scientific exchanges and technological cooperation to the forefront, in order to work under the principle of building a community and shared future for mankind. This will require Chinese scientists to be more collaborative and advocate principles of open science without borders to facilitate new innovations and solutions to the common issues faced by all humankind, Wan said in an article. At present, the global situation has been fundamentally shaken by particular issues including the COVID-19 pandemic. The new phase of the scientific and technological revolution and industrial reform is now unfolding. At this moment, there is an urgent demand for collaboration among the global community engaged in scientific research, Wan said. A senior Chinese official once said innovation is the decisive factor in promoting economic and social development and addressing the common challenges of mankind. Such global cooperation can boost higher-level openness and provide systematic solutions to the common concerns of people all over the world. At present, China has established cooperation relationships in scientific research with more than 160 countries and regions. It is a member of more than 200 international organizations and multilateral frameworks. It has signed up to 115 intergovernmental scientific and technological cooperation agreements. The China Association for Science and Technology and its regional offices across China have joined 372 international scientific and technological organizations. It has firmly set eyes on some major projects such as the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor based in France and paved the way for more cooperation in epidemic prevention and control amid a grim COVID-19 situation. Some major projects, such as the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope the world's largest single dish radio telescope and the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility project, were put into service and opened to global visitors. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Chinese scientific and technological workers have been actively promoting a shared system to deliver anti-epidemic knowledge and information. They quickly isolated and identified virus strains and shared the whole genome sequence with the World Health Organization. They carried out frequent information exchanges on scientific journals and initiated close cooperation in virus tracing, clinical diagnosis and treatment, vaccination experiments and testing of infected people. Those efforts have provided basic information for scientists around the world in their relevant research and helped some developing countries and vulnerable groups get vaccines and medicine at lower costs. Since the Chinese government announced that it would peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060, China has taken many routes and put in substantial efforts to pursue the goals. In recent years, technological innovations have played a key role in China's energy field, with new achievements continuously emerging. China's ultra-supercritical coal-fired power generation and ultrahigh voltage power transmission technique achieved a world leading level. Nuclear power projects, such as Hualong One technology China's domestically developed third-generation reactor are also a crucial step in this effort. The utilization scale of renewable energy in China ranked top across the globe. By the end of 2020, the cumulative installed capacity of renewable energy in China accounted for about one-third of the total installed capacity in the world. Among them, the cumulative installed capacity of hydropower, wind power and photovoltaic power generation all ranked first in the world, providing strong support for the utilization of clean and low-carbon energy. Accelerating the development of new energy vehicles is also a key path to move towards the goal of carbon neutrality. In 2021, the global market of new energy vehicles maintained rapid growth. The sales volume of new energy vehicles in China has exceeded 3 million for the year. At the 2021 World New Energy Vehicle Congress, automobile enterprises from 15 countries established the "Hainan consensus" which advocated the green and low-carbon development of the whole life cycle and the whole industrial chain of new energy vehicles through low-carbon energy supply, low-carbon material supply, low-carbon production process and low-carbon transportation. While dealing with global climate change, land desertification has also become an increasing concern. As a major force in tackling desertification around the globe, China has adhered to the principle of "ecology and green development are the priority" and made every effort to solve land desertification over the decades. International collaboration on science and technology is also a significant component of the Belt and Road Initiative which takes cultural exchanges and people's connections across the globe as a main subject, Wan said. Under the framework of the BRI, China has adhered to the principles of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, to pursue mutual benefit and win-win results. With full respect for the development targets of BRI countries and regions, China carried out scientific and cultural exchange projects, constructed jointly managed laboratories, set up science and technology industrial parks and guided better commercialization of research results, Wan said. Under the principle of building a community with a shared future for mankind, China held fast to the global vision and built up its innovation confidence. It worked hand in hand with BRI countries and regions in scientific and cultural cooperation, education, public health, digital economy, green development and other fields, Wan said. A senior official said: "Science and technology are powerful tools for development and may also be the reason for risks. We should proactively study and judge the conflicts, social risks and ethical challenges brought about by science and technology and improve the laws and regulations, ethical review rules and regulatory framework." "Moreover, the Chinese science community should deeply participate in global governance, provide valuable Chinese insight and help shape the concept of science and technology for the greater good. In this way science and technology can better promote human well-being and make greater contributions under the principle of building a community of a shared future for mankind." At present, a new phase of the scientific and technological revolution is taking place. And scientific and technological innovation is profoundly influencing the production and lifestyles of human society, Wan said. Entering a new stage of development, China is more determined to deepen opening-up and global cooperation in science and technology and advocate the spirit of open science without borders, barriers and discrimination, Wan added. SOURCE chinadaily.com.cn Firm to facilitate data improvement based on NENA standards and best practices SANTA ANA, Calif., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- DATAMARK, the public safety geographic information systems (GIS) team of Michael Baker International, announced today that the City of McAlester, Oklahoma, has selected the firm for GIS data remediation services. "Public safety relies on accurate, complete and precise GIS data to support emergency response," said Robert Murphy, ENP, RPL, Associate Vice President of Business Development at DATAMARK. "We are proud to partner with the City of McAlester to ensure its GIS data is accurate, complete and up-to-date after completing our GIS data remediation process." DATAMARK's proven data remediation process leverages its cloud-native VEP (Validate-Edit-Provision) solution to ensure data meets National Emergency Number Association (NENA) standards. GIS data is used to support mission critical public safety systems to include Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1), call-handling-systems, computer-aided dispatch and automatic vehicle location system. The City of McAlester will receive data remediation for the address points, road centerlines, public safety answering point (PSAP) boundaries, emergency service boundaries (ESB), provisioning boundaries and master street address guide (MSAG) data. About DATAMARK As trusted advisors in public safety, DATAMARK brings comprehensive, real-world expertise in police, fire, EMS and 9-1-1 leadership roles to Next Generation 9-1-1 transitions. The DATAMARK team leads the industry by shaping rules and legislation, and by building a suite of products and services that ensure accurate emergency response location data in life-critical situations. DATAMARK empowers its team and stakeholder partners to foster trusted relationships and cultivate data integrity for informed decision making. DATAMARK, the public safety GIS team of Michael Baker International, has decades of proven experience in mission-critical government addressing projects. The team works with clients to solve their complex needs, from data quality checks and addressing to workflow analysis and more. Learn more about the company at www.datamarkgis.com and follow DATAMARK on Twitter , LinkedIn and Facebook . About Michael Baker International Michael Baker International is a leading provider of engineering and consulting services. The firm's Practices encompass all facets of infrastructure, including design, civil engineering, planning, architecture, environmental, construction and program management. For more than 80 years, the company has been a trusted partner, providing comprehensive services and solutions to commercial clients and all branches of the military, as well as federal, state and municipal governments. Embracing emerging technologies and the latest innovations like intelligent transportation and design-build project delivery Michael Baker is an industry leader that delivers expertise and quality. The firm's more than 3,000 employees across nearly 100 locations are committed to Making a Difference for clients and communities through a culture of innovation, collaboration and technological advancement while Reimagining Michael Baker to become a full-service engineering and consulting firm over the next five years. To learn more, visit https://mbakerintl.com/ . Contact: Julia Covelli [email protected] (866) 293-4609 SOURCE DATAMARK THUNDER BAY, ON, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Clean Air Metals Inc. ("Clean Air Metals" or the "Company") (TSXV: AIR) (FRA: CKU) (OTCQB: CLRMF) announces that it has filed its audited consolidated financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for the year ended January 31, 2022, available for viewing on www.sedar.com . Year End Financial Highlights Total assets as at January 31, 2022 of $35,059,465 of Total cash as at January 31, 2022 of $542,573 of Working capital deficit as at January 31, 2022 of $1,632,099 of Shareholder's equity as at January 31, 2022 of $31,032,029 The Company subsequently announced and closed February 23, 2022, a private placement raising gross proceeds of approximately $12.5 million through the issuance of 12,280,800 flow-through units at $0.285 and 10,869,600 flow-through units at $0.23 and 32.25 million hard equity non-flow-through units at $0.20. During the year ended January 31, 2022 as previously reported, the Company: Continued with metallurgical studies as a precursor to smelter offtake analysis and underground mine modelling as key inputs into an independent Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) of the Current and Escape deposits, reported December 1, 2021 with technical report filed January 12, 2022 ; with technical report filed ; Added approximately 37,000m of expansion and infill drilling to the Escape Deposit and 7,500m infill drilling to the Current Deposit areas which with additional drilling in FY2022, will form the basis for a resource update supporting feasibility studies; of expansion and infill drilling to the Escape Deposit and infill drilling to the Current Deposit areas which with additional drilling in FY2022, will form the basis for a resource update supporting feasibility studies; Made a payment of C$1.5 million to Panoramic Resources Ltd. of Australia and two payments of $1 million each to Rio Tinto Exploration Canada Inc. (RTEC), for and on behalf of Benton Resources Inc., pursuant to the terms of the definitive option agreement relating to the Escape Lake property. The final payment, which was originally due October 9, 2022 , was accelerated at the Company's option; to Panoramic Resources Ltd. of and two payments of each to Rio Tinto Exploration Canada Inc. (RTEC), for and on behalf of Benton Resources Inc., pursuant to the terms of the definitive option agreement relating to the Escape Lake property. The final payment, which was originally due , was accelerated at the Company's option; Commenced environmental baseline field data gathering in support of a future environmental impact assessment and permitting of the Thunder Bay North Project. The Company's service providers DST, a Division of Englobe Corp. and NorthWinds Environmental were mandated to systematically gather and report on baseline data for hydrology (surface waters), hydrogeology (subsurface water table), noise, water quality, aquatic biology, wildlife biology, weather patterns and potential for metals leaching and acid rock drainage (ARD). Closed an $11.5 Million bought-deal private placement financing on February 23, 2021 ; bought-deal private placement financing on ; Appointed Mr. Shannin Metatawabin , CEO of the National Aboriginal Capital Corporation Association as non-executive independent Director of the Corporation; , CEO of the National Aboriginal Capital Corporation Association as non-executive independent Director of the Corporation; Appointed Dr. Geoff Heggie as Exploration Manager of the Corporation. Financial Summary For the year ended January 31, 2022 January 31, 2021 Operating Expenses $ 3,405,191 $ 3,535,976 Net Loss and Comprehensive Loss (2,170,832) (1,273,525) Loss per share Basic and Diluted $ (0.02) $ (0.01) Total Assets $ 35,059,465 $ 27,146,884 Total Liabilities 4,027,436 3,923,352 Total Shareholders' Equity $ 31,032,029 $ 23,223,532 Full details of the financial reports and operating results for the year ended January 31, 2022 are described in the Company's audited consolidated financial statements with accompanying notes and related Management's Discussion and Analysis, available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Qualified Person Mr. Geoff Heggie, P.Geo. a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 and Vice-President Exploration of the Company, has reviewed and approved all technical information in this press release. Social Engagement Clean Air Metals Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary Panoramic PGMs (Canada) Ltd. acknowledge that the Thunder Bay North Project is on the traditional territories of the Fort William First Nation, Red Rock First Nation and Biinjitiwabik Zaaging Anishinabek. The parties together are the Cooperating Participants in a Memorandum of Agreement dated January 9, 2021 (press release January 11, 2021) and Exploration Agreement signed April 13, 2022 (press release April 14, 2022). The Company appreciates the opportunity to work in these territories and remains committed to the recognition and respect of those who have lived, traveled, and gathered on the lands since time immemorial. Clean Air Metals is committed to stewarding Indigenous heritage and remains committed to building, fostering and encouraging a respectful relationship with First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples based upon principles of mutual trust, respect, reciprocity and collaboration in the spirit of reconciliation. About Clean Air Metals Inc. Clean Air Metals' flagship asset is the 100% owned, high grade Thunder Bay North Project, a platinum, palladium, copper, nickel project located near the City of Thunder Bay, Ontario and the Lac des Iles Mine owned by Impala Platinum. The Thunder Bay North Project hosts the twin magma conduit bodies which host the Current and Escape deposits forming the basis for a robust preliminary economic assessment PEA) filed January 12, 2002. The PEA of a ramp access underground mine and on-site 3600tpd milling complex and the 2-year trailing average price deck, features a pretax NPV5 of C$425m and an IRR of 31% on initial capital of $378m over a 10-year mine life. Executive Chair Jim Gallagher and CEO Abraham Drost lead an experienced technical team who are using the Norilsk magma conduit stratigraphic and mineral deposit model to guide ongoing exploration and development feasibility studies for a low-carbon, all-electric sustainable mining operation at Thunder Bay North. As the former CEO of North American Palladium Ltd. which owned the Lac des Iles Mine prior to the sale to Impala Platinum in December 2019, Jim Gallagher and team are credited with the mine turnaround and creation of significant value for shareholders. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS "Abraham Drost" Abraham Drost, Chief Executive Officer of Clean Air Metals Inc. Website: www.cleanairmetals.ca Neither the 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. Cautionary Note The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections. SOURCE Clean Air Metals Inc. TEL AVIV, Israel and BETHESDA, MD, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CNBX Pharmaceuticals Inc. (OTCQB: CNBXD), a global leader in the development of cancer related cannabinoid-based medicine, announced today the release of its updated corporate presentation, now available on the Company's website: https://cnbxpharma.com/investors/ The Company's updated corporate presentation reflects the Company's latest development pipeline as well as the team's forward-looking approach to molecule-based drug development of Neoadjuvant Treatment for Colorectal Cancer, and the company's plan to launch a Phase I/II (a) clinical validation study for Company's proprietary RCC-33 drug candidate by end of 2023. About CNBX Pharmaceuticals: CNBX Pharmaceuticals Inc. (OTCQB: CNBXD) is a U.S. public company and a global leader in the development of cancer related cannabinoid-based medicine. The Company's R&D is based in Israel, where it is licensed by the Ministry of Health to conduct scientific and clinical research on cannabinoid formulations and cancer. For more information, please visit www.cnbxpharma.com For the latest updates on CNBX Pharmaceuticals follow the Company on social media: Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cnbx/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CNBXPharma/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cnbxpharma/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/CNBXPharma Disclaimer: Certain statements contained in this release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other U.S. Federal securities laws. Such statements include but are not limited to statements identified by words such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "intends," "plans," "targets," "projects" and similar expressions. The statements in this release are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of our Company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from those outlined in the forward-looking statements. Numerous factors could cause or contribute to such differences, including, but not limited to, results of clinical trials and other studies, the challenges inherent in new product development initiatives, the effect of any competitive products, our ability to license and protect our intellectual property, our ability to raise additional capital in the future that is necessary to maintain our business, changes in government policy and regulation, potential litigation by or against us, any governmental review of our products or practices, as well as other risks discussed from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no duty to update any forward-looking statement or any information contained in this press release or other public disclosures at any time. Finally, the investing public is reminded that the only announcements or information about CNBX Pharmaceuticals Inc., which are condoned by the Company, must emanate from the Company itself and bear our name as its source. CNBX Pharmaceuticals Inc. +1 (877) 424-2429 [email protected] https://www.cnbxpharma.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1774404/CNBX_Pharmaceuticals_Logo.jpg SOURCE CNBX Pharmaceuticals Inc. A protest outside the Supreme Court of the United States in Washington DC, on May 4, 2022. Nairobi / Bogota As the U.S. Supreme Court looks set to overturn the Roe v. Wade ruling that established the right to abortion, campaigners for abortion access from Africa to Latin America say the move could have devastating consequences Top U.S. court looks set to overturn Roe v. Wade ruling Abortion banned in 26 countries from El Salvador to Egypt Deaths rising globally due unsafe abortions, say activists As soon as Kenyan housewife Ann found out she was pregnant in September last year, she knew having the child was out of the question. For years, the 27-year-old had been a victim of domestic violence: her husband beat her routinely, denied her money to feed their three children, and had sexual relationships with other women. Ann - whose name has been changed to protect her children's identity - did not want to bring another child into her world of violence and poverty, one of her close friends told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. But in a country where access to abortion is tightly restricted by law, and those who undergo the procedure are stigmatised, Ann was forced to secretly obtain abortion pills from an unregistered pharmacist. Days later, she was dead. "I heard the screaming coming from her home in the middle of the night and found her lying on the ground bleeding," said one of Ann's friends who also lives in Korogocho, an informal settlement in northeast Nairobi, asking not to be named. "We took her to the hospital, but there was a long queue and she died while we were waiting for treatment," the friend said. With the U.S. Supreme Court poised to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling that legalised abortion nationwide, campaigners for abortion rights from Africa to Latin America are warning of the potentially devastating consequences. They say the conservative-majority court should consider the impact of anti-abortion measures globally - from deaths like Ann's in Kenya and women being wrongly jailed over miscarriages in El Salvador to the persecution of abortion rights defenders in Poland. "My message to the U.S. Supreme Court judges is that they will never end abortion. Women have had and always will have abortions regardless of the law," said Evelyne Opondo, senior regional director for Africa at the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR). "All overturning the law will do is end safe abortions. Women will turn to unsafe abortions like those done by quacks in backstreet clinics and it will be the poor and marginalised who will be hit most." Christian conservatives and many Republican officeholders have long sought to overturn Roe v. Wade, and numerous Republican-led states have passed various abortion restrictions in defiance of the Roe precedent in recent years. BACKSTREET ABORTIONS Around the world, abortion is completely banned in 26 countries including El Salvador, Honduras, Egypt, Madagascar and the Philippines, according to CRR. Another 50 nations only allow abortion when the woman's health is at risk or in cases of rape or incest, the group says. More than three-quarters of countries have some kind of legal penalties related to abortion, which can include lengthy prison sentences or hefty fines for people having or assisting with the procedure. Health experts say such restrictions lead women and girls to take desperate measures to end their unplanned pregnancies - from using coat hangers or drinking bleach to visiting backstreet clinics run by untrained practitioners. Globally, more than 25 million unsafe abortions occur every year, resulting in the deaths of about 39,000 women and girls and leading millions more to be hospitalised with complications, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Most of these deaths are among poor women living in lower-income countries - with more than 60% of them in Africa and 30% in Asia, it said. In Kenya - where abortion is permitted only when the woman's health or life is at risk and in cases of rape - more than 2,500 women and girls die annually in unsafe abortions, amounting to seven deaths every day, according to the CRR. A ministry of health study shows almost half a million abortions - most of which were unsafe - were conducted in Kenya in 2012, with one in four women suffering complications such as high fever, sepsis, shock and organ failure. The study also found that women and girls seeking treatment due to botched abortions placed an added burden on Kenya's public healthcare system - costing an additional $5 million. "All of the things we are seeing here in Kenya, they will see in the U.S. if the ruling is overturned," said Nelly Munyasia, executive director of the Reproductive Health Network Kenya. JAILED FOR MISCARRIAGES In El Salvador, where abortion has been a crime since 1998 under all circumstances - even in cases of rape, incest, fetal anomalies or when the woman's health is in danger - scores of women have been sent to jail on abortion charges. In 2008, Cinthia Rodriguez was eight months pregnant when she went to hospital to seek emergency care after she had a stillbirth. Instead, she was handcuffed to the hospital bed, arrested, convicted of aggravated homicide, and sentenced to 30 years imprisonment. "You're in mourning for the loss of your child and then when you're charged with a crime that you didn't commit, it's really hard," said Rodriguez, adding that she was labelled a "baby killer" and was physically assaulted by other inmates. She was released only after serving nearly 11 years. Five other Latin American countries also have total abortion bans, but El Salvador stands apart for its conviction rates and harsh jail terms. In the last two decades, more than 180 women have been jailed for abortion-related crimes, says the Citizen Group for the Decriminalization of Abortion, a nonprofit. "Abortion shouldn't be criminalised," said Rodriguez. "Every woman knows their own situation and the truth about what they have gone through." Campaigners said policies that outlaw or restrict access to abortion have also resulted in high rates of teenage girls having to drop out school due to unplanned pregnancies. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Women Africa Human Rights By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. In some countries such as Tanzania and Sierra Leone, pregnant girls and young mothers have even been banned from attending school in the past. The policies - which not only promote stigma and shame, but also lead to harassment and discrimination - can impact others too, abortion rights advocates say. In many countries, sexual and reproductive health clinics as well as women's rights campaigners are targeted by right-wing groups, members of the public, and even by the authorities. In Poland, where abortion is permitted only in cases of rape, incest and threat to the woman's life, abortion rights campaigners also face threats, persecution and jail terms of up to three years. Marta Lempart, a 43-year-old lawyer and a leader of Strajk Kobiet (Women's Strike) - a movement opposing tighter abortion restrictions, said her actions in protest against Poland's abortion law had come at great personal cost. "I had to leave my home because my address was published and there was at least one attempt on my life," Lempart said, adding that she had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of such persecution. (Reporting by Nita Bhalla @nitabhalla in Nairobi and Anastasia Moloney in Bogota; Additional reporting bu Joanna Gill in Brussels. Writing by Nita Bhalla; Editing by Helen Popper. The Thomson Reuters Foundation is the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, and covers the lives of people around the world who struggle to live freely or fairly. Visit http://news.trust.org) The technology and healthcare leaders bring their combined expertise to help Color transform healthcare delivery BURLINGAME, Calif., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Color Health, a health technology company committed to advancing public health, today announced the addition of Ann Mather and Luis Borgen to their board of directors. The two executives join Color to advance its goal of delivering the last mile of care across a diverse set of healthcare services. "Color is committed to making healthcare accessible where your life happens," said Othman Laraki, CEO of Color Health. "To deliver on our ambitious vision, we are continually investing in building the best team in the world, including our board of directors. Ann and Luis bring a wealth of experience leading innovative companies that transformed multiple industries. I could not be more excited to have them join us as we continue developing our model for delivering accessible healthcare." Ann and Luis are joining Color's Board of Directors, which also includes Hemant Taneja from General Catalyst, Sue Wagner, the co-founder of BlackRock and current Apple board member, and Color co-founders Othman Laraki and Elad Gil. Luis will serve on Color's board as the Audit Chair and Ann is joining as an independent board member. Ann is currently Chair of the Audit Committees for Alphabet and Netflix, was Chief Financial Officer at Pixar from 1999 to 2004, and has held executive leadership positions at Village Roadshow Pictures, and The Walt Disney Company. Luis most recently served as the CFO of athenahealth, which is a leading provider of cloud-based enterprise software solutions for medical groups and healthcare systems. He has over two decades of experience as a senior corporate finance leader in both public and private companies, including CFO at healthcare services provider DaVita, Inc and Vistaprint. He also sits on the board of directors for Synopsys, Carter's, and Eastern Bankshares. "As an early investor in Color's innovative approach to healthcare access, I've seen just how much impact the company has already had on the healthcare landscape," said Mather. "I have a passion for working with companies that are transforming their industries, from content streaming to healthcare. What Color has already accomplished is impressive, and I believe it represents a model for how we can create a globally scalable model for accessible care delivery." "Color's innovative approach is delivering healthcare at a scale and quality few other companies have achieved," said Borgen. "It's an exciting time to work in health tech, especially with game-changers like Color, a company that provides real patient impact and dramatic cost savings to their customers through a highly sustainable business model. I look forward to working with them to turn their goals into a reality." About Color Health Color, a health technology company, makes population-scale healthcare programs accessible, convenient, and cost-effective for everyone. Color works with governments, public health institutions, employers, and national health initiatives around the world, including Thermo Fisher Scientific, Salesforce, the Teamsters Union, the National Institutes of Health, the State of California, the City of San Francisco, the Broad Institute and more than 100 major employers and universities. Color provides the tools for preventive health and infectious disease management, including testing, vaccinations, and other services, and is responsible for the largest school testing program in the country. For more information about Color, visit www.color.com. SOURCE Color ROWLEY, Mass., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Comstar, LLC ("Comstar") is providing notice of a recent event that may affect the security of certain information. On or about March 26, 2022, Comstar discovered suspicious activity related to certain servers within its environment. Comstar immediately took steps to secure our network, and launched a thorough investigation, with the assistance of third-party experts, to determine the nature and scope of the incident. On April 21, 2022, the investigation determined that certain systems on Comstar's network were subject to unauthorized access. However, the investigation was unable to confirm what specific information on those systems was accessed. As such, Comstar reviewed the contents of those systems to determine what information was contained therein and to whom it related for purposes of notification. The review of the systems determined information related to certain individuals was contained within. The information varied by individual but may have included name, date of birth, medical assessment and medication administration, health insurance information, driver's license, financial account information, and Social Security number. Individuals who have questions about this incident or believe they may be impacted by this incident, can contact our dedicated call center at 877-587-4280, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time except holidays, or visit our web site for more information at www.comstarbilling.com Monitor Your Accounts Under U.S. law, a consumer is entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. You may also directly contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below to request a free copy of your credit report. Consumers have the right to place an initial or extended "fraud alert" on a credit file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer's credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer's credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer's identity before extending new credit. If you are a victim of identity theft, you are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should you wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any one of the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below. As an alternative to a fraud alert, consumers have the right to place a "credit freeze" on a credit report, which will prohibit a credit bureau from releasing information in the credit report without the consumer's express authorization. The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent. However, you should be aware that using a credit freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application you make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, you cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on your credit report. To request a credit freeze, you will need to provide the following information: Full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.); Social Security number; Date of birth; Addresses for the prior two to five years; Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill; A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver's license or ID card, etc.); and A copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft if you are a victim of identity theft. Should you wish to place a fraud alert or credit freeze, please contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below: Equifax Experian TransUnion https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit- report-services/ https://www.experian.com/help/ https://www.transunion.com/credit-help 888-298-0045 1-888-397-3742 833-395-6938 Equifax Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 105069 Atlanta, GA 30348-5069 Experian Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 TransUnion Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016 Equifax Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 105788 Atlanta, GA 30348-5788 Experian Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 TransUnion Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 160, Woodlyn, PA 19094 Additional Information You may further educate yourself regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, credit freezes, and the steps you can take to protect your personal information by contacting the consumer reporting bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission, or your state Attorney General. The Federal Trade Commission may be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. You can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. You have the right to file a police report if you ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, you will likely need to provide some proof that you have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and your state Attorney General. This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement. For California residents: Visit the California Office of Privacy Protection (www.oag.ca.gov/privacy) for additional information on protection against identity theft. For Kentucky residents: Office of the Attorney General of Kentucky, 700 Capitol Avenue, Suite 118 Frankfort, Kentucky 40601, www.ag.ky.gov, Telephone: 1-502-696-5300. For District of Columbia residents: the District of Columbia Attorney General may be contacted at: 400 6th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20001; 202-727-3400; and [email protected]. For Maryland residents: the Maryland Attorney General may be contacted at: 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202; 1-410-528-8662 or 1-888-743-0023; and www.oag.state.md.us. Comstar is located at 8 Turcotte Memorial Drive, Rowley, MA 01969. For New Mexico residents: you have rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, such as the right to be told if information in your credit file has been used against you, the right to know what is in your credit file, the right to ask for your credit score, and the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information. Further, pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the consumer reporting bureaus must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information; consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated negative information; access to your file is limited; you must give your consent for credit reports to be provided to employers; you may limit "prescreened" offers of credit and insurance you get based on information in your credit report; and you may seek damages from violator. You may have additional rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act not summarized here. Identity theft victims and active duty military personnel have specific additional rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. We encourage you to review your rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act by visiting www.consumerfinance.gov/f/201504_cfpb_summary_your-rights-under-fcra.pdf, or by writing Consumer Response Center, Room 130-A, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. For New York residents: the New York Attorney General may be contacted at: Office of the Attorney General, The Capitol, Albany, NY 12224-0341; 1-800-771-7755; or https://ag.ny.gov/. For North Carolina residents: the North Carolina Attorney General may be contacted at: 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; 1-877-566-7226 or 1-919-716-6000; and www.ncdoj.gov. For Oregon residents: Oregon Department of Justice, 1162 Court Street NE, Salem, OR 97301-4096, www.doj.state.or.us/, Telephone: 877-877-9392. For Rhode Island residents: the Rhode Island Attorney General may be reached at: 150 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903; www.riag.ri.gov; and 1-401-274-4400. Under Rhode Island law, you have the right to obtain any police report filed in regard to this incident. For Washington D.C. residents: the Office of Attorney General for the District of Columbia can be reached at: 441 4thStreet NW, Suite 1100 South, Washington, D.C. 20001; 1-202-442-9828; https://oag.dc.gov. For All U.S. residents: Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20580, www.consumer.gov/idtheft, 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338). SOURCE Comstar, LLC Collaboration between Deloitte AI Academy and IIT Roorkee to advance artificial intelligence proficiency required for the digital economy NEW YORK, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Deloitte today announced a strategic collaboration with IIT Roorkee to deliver rigorous, immersive programs in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) that are designed to build the next generation workforce. This relationship aims to revolutionize how organizations and academia work together to bridge the AI talent gap and develop future leaders with a higher level of AI proficiency. This collaboration can impart industry-relevant skills to Indian talent in new-age tools and create a roadmap for the future of AI. Deloitte's collaboration with IIT Roorkee aligns with the "Digital India" vision of the Government of India aiming for a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. Given India's scale of tech savvy talent, the robust technology ecosystem, the proliferating opportunities requiring digital skills in all fields, and the growing innovation-led entrepreneurships, AI proficiency will be pivotal in addressing current, emergent and future employment opportunities and in helping make the workforce market-ready. The collaboration between Deloitte and IIT Roorkee will focus on a prioritized set of initiatives in the AI space. The two organizations will: Design and deliver AI and machine learning certification courses to educate Deloitte practitioners via the Deloitte AI Academy. Offer a work-study program for IIT Roorkee scholars and students to work on AI projects with Deloitte. Also, Deloitte will provide fellowships for doctoral research on AI and advanced analytics Promote AI fluency for aspiring students and the community at large with online learning courses thus enabling digital empowerment of citizens and talent pools. "We at Deloitte are committed to developing new talent with the right skill sets to deliver on the benefits of AI for business and all of society," said Jason Girzadas, managing principal, businesses, global and strategic services, Deloitte Consulting LLP. "As we look to facilitate our clients' journeys to becoming AI-fueled organizations, our collaboration with IIT Roorkee will educate future business leaders, instilling AI proficiency designed to broaden the pool of business-ready, AI talent." While highlighting the importance of the collaboration with Deloitte, Professor Ajit K. Chaturvedi, director, IIT Roorkee, said, "The coming together of IIT Roorkee and Deloitte will create new opportunities for both of us. In fact, this partnership has the potential to strengthen the AI roadmap of India." "The Deloitte AI Academy's collaboration with IIT Roorkee brings together in-depth business knowledge, mastery of technology and the rigor of academics to provide practitioners with an immersive learning experience that will accelerate their careers and help them thrive in the increasingly dynamic AI market," said Nitin Mittal, principal, U.S. AI leader, Deloitte Consulting LLP and Vishal Sharma, president and national managing director, Deloitte Consulting US India. Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee is among the foremost of institutes in higher technological education, engineering and applied research. Celebrating the 175th year of its founding, the Institute has played a pivotal role in providing technical know-how and the pursuit of research. The Institute ranks amongst the best technological institutions in the world and has contributed to all sectors of technological development. It is considered a trend-setter in education and research in the fields of science, technology, and engineering. To cater to the growing needs in the areas of AI and ML, IIT Roorkee has established Mehta Family School for Data Science and Machine Learning which offers MTech in data science, MTech in artificial intelligence and a Ph.D. program and will soon offer a full-fledged BTech in data science and artificial intelligence from the autumn 2022 semester. The Institute also supports and seeds AI and digital start-ups with resource centers. Deloitte is a leader in AI aimed at becoming the No. 1 talent destination for those looking to help companies transform into AI-Fueled organizations. The Deloitte AI Academy provides a comprehensive learning experience and brings together an education ecosystem from academia, technology companies, corporate learning providers and Deloitte AI specialists. Launched in September 2021, the Deloitte AI Academy plans to train up to 10,000 professionals across the United States, India and other geographies in the next four years. About Deloitte Deloitte provides industry-leading audit, consulting, tax and advisory services to the world's leading brands, including nearly 90% of the Fortune 500 and more than 7,000 private companies. Our people come together for the greater good and work across the industry sectors that drive and shape today's marketplace delivering measurable and lasting results that help reinforce public trust in our capital markets, inspire clients to see challenges as opportunities to transform and thrive, and help lead the way toward a stronger economy and a healthier society. Deloitte is proud to be part of the largest global professional services network serving our clients in the markets that are most important to them. Building on more than 175 years of service, our network of member firms spans more than 150 countries and territories. Learn how Deloitte's global team of 345,000 people connects for impact at www.deloitte.com. Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee ("DTTL"), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as "Deloitte Global") does not provide services to clients. In the United States, Deloitte refers to one or more of the US member firms of DTTL, their related entities that operate using the "Deloitte" name in the United States and their respective affiliates. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more about our global network of member firms. SOURCE Deloitte Consulting LLP Lumina is also pleased to announce increasing the total drill program at Gran Bestia by an additional 4,000 to 6,750 metres. The drill program has been designed to define the northwestern step-out area to at least an indicated category of mineral resource, so that it can be incorporated into a Pre-feasibility study mine plan. In addition to adding indicated mineral resources to the pit, the program has the potential to enhance the already excellent strip ratio at Gran Bestia. The original planned infill and step-out drill program will be completed in mid-June and the additional drilling will take approximately one and a half months to complete. Cangrejos Drill Hole Results Hole C22-185 was drilled on the eastern margin of the deposit and intercepted 83m from 178m down the hole grading 1.19 g/t gold and 0.14% copper, for 1.39 g/t Au Eq., in hydrothermal breccias cutting strongly potassic and tourmaline altered quartz diorite mineralized with chalcopyrite and pyrite. Including intervals above and below this, a total of 318 metres exceeding the cut-off grade were drilled in the uppermost 410m from surface in hole C22-185 (see Table 1). This hole extends the eastern margin of the Cangrejos deposit. Holes C22-186, C22-194 C22-195 were drilled in the southwestern quadrant of Cangrejos and all holes contain multiple intercepts reported in Table 1, including 30 metres from 54 metres down the hole grading 0.83 g/t gold and 0.08% copper, for 0.97 g/t Au Eq in hole C22-195 and 36 metres from 244 metres down the hole grading 0.75 g/t gold and 0.08% copper, for 0.88 g/t Au Eq in hole C22-186. Holes C22-184, C22-189 and C22-190 were drilled along the northern margin of the Cangrejos deposit and grades were typical of those encountered in this area, except for the previously reported vein encountered by hole C22-178 (10 metres from 148 metres down the hole grading 19.33 g/t gold with 0.12% copper for a gold equivalent 19.51 g/t). Gran Bestia Drill Hole Results At Gran Bestia, hole C22-187 intersected 12m grading 1.46 g/t gold with 0.12% copper for a gold equivalent of 1.68 g/t gold from surface, 60m grading 0.96 g/t gold with 0.10% copper for a gold equivalent of 1.12 g/t gold from 82m down the hole and 28m grading 1.01 g/t gold with 0.07% copper for a gold equivalent of 1.12 g/t gold from 200m. These intervals extend the higher-grade breccia zone by approximately 50m to the northeast from those reported for hole C22-181 (see Figure 2 and Table 2). This higher grade breccia is further defined to the southwest by holes C22-170, C22-167 and C22-157. Hole C22-192, which was collared on top of the Gran Bestia ridge and angled east-northeast towards the higher grade breccia, contained six intervals but did not extend deep enough to intersect the breccia. At Gran Bestia, the corridor where the higher grade breccias occur over a northeast-southwest oriented axis, measures at least 500m in length and 200-300m in width. This irregular breccia has gradational margins and is open to northeast, to depth, and laterally in all directions except the southwest where it appears to have been closed off by drilling. Also at Gran Bestia, holes C22-193 and C22-196 were drilled along the eastern margin of the deposit and encountered grades typical of this area. Similarly, hole C22-191 was drilled at the southern margin of the deposit and also encountered grades characteristic of the deposit limit. Table 1: Drill Hole Results Hole Deposit / From To Interval Au Cu Au Eq Cu Eq Total Depth (m) Azimuth / Dip () (m) (m) (m) (g/t) (%) (g/t) (%) C22-184 Cangrejos 8 142 134 0.29 0.06 0.39 0.29 346.9 And 330 / -60 160 174 14 0.24 0.15 0.45 0.33 And 212 240 28 0.22 0.02 0.24 0.18 C22-185 Cangrejos 26 40 14 0.35 0.11 0.52 0.38 325.9 And 330 / -71 52 74 22 0.47 0.11 0.64 0.47 And 178 216 38 1.19 0.14 1.39 1.01 And 258 268 10 0.21 0.09 0.35 0.26 And 296 320 24 0.24 0.08 0.35 0.26 C22-186 Cangrejos 60 74 14 0.23 0.08 0.36 0.26 427.3 And 0 / -90 104 160 56 0.20 0.04 0.26 0.19 And 174 294 120 0.55 0.08 0.69 0.50 Incl. 244 280 36 0.75 0.08 0.88 0.64 And 306 328 22 0.23 0.04 0.30 0.22 And 340 410 70 0.26 0.06 0.36 0.26 C22-187 Gran Bestia 0 336 336 0.70 0.08 0.82 0.60 337.6 Incl. 330 / -60 0 12 12 1.46 0.12 1.68 1.22 Incl. 82 142 60 0.96 0.10 1.12 0.82 Incl. 200 228 28 1.01 0.07 1.12 0.81 C22-188 Gran Bestia 4 310.2 306.2 0.43 0.09 0.57 0.41 310.2 Incl. 330 / -70 14 84 70 0.74 0.11 0.90 0.66 C22-189 Cangrejos 58 74 16 0.33 0.06 0.41 0.30 329.4 And 0 / -90 184 206 22 0.33 0.06 0.42 0.30 Incl. 184 194 10 0.65 0.09 0.79 0.58 And 224 238 14 0.25 0.10 0.40 0.29 C22-190 Cangrejos 68 120 52 0.50 0.02 0.54 0.40 223.4 And 330 / -66 144 176 32 0.21 0.04 0.27 0.20 And 200 222 22 0.37 0.08 0.48 0.37 C22-191 Gran Bestia 0 24 24 0.23 0.04 0.29 0.21 289.1 And 0 / -90 80 184 104 0.23 0.05 0.30 0.22 And 208 218 10 0.24 0.08 0.36 0.26 C22-192 Gran Bestia 12 40 28 0.23 0.06 0.34 0.25 368.2 And 112 / -45 54 76 22 0.46 0.04 0.54 0.39 And 150 170 20 0.27 0.05 0.34 0.26 And 184 194 10 0.26 0.06 0.35 0.25 And 226 338 112 0.44 0.04 0.49 0.36 And 350 368.2 18.2 0.44 0.05 0.52 0.38 C22-193 Gran Bestia 0 120 120 0.34 0.07 0.45 0.33 122.5 330 / -60 C22-194 Cangrejos 18 48 30 -0.53 0.06 0.63 0.46 247.6 And 0 / -90 114 152 38 0.27 0.06 0.37 0.27 And 174 212 38 0.55 0.06 0.64 0.46 C22-195 Cangrejos 2 104 102 0.47 0.06 0.57 0.42 326.6 Incl. 330 / -62 54 84 30 0.83 0.08 0.97 0.71 And 280 300 20 0.37 0.14 0.58 0.42 C22-196 Gran Bestia 6 34 28 0.21 0.04 0.27 0.19 104.1 And 0 / -90 54 76 22 0.26 0.03 0.30 0.22 Note: Intervals in the reported holes are calculated using a cut-off of 0.2 g/t Au with maximum internal dilution of ten continuous metres. Sampling is done in consistent, continuous 2-metre intervals. The highest gold value used in the reported weighted averages is 17.65 g/t Au. In addition to the above results there were multiple intercepts of lower-grade material in the drill holes. Equivalent values were calculated using Gold equivalent values were calculated using the following prices: a gold price of US$1,500 per ounce, a copper price of US$3.00 per pound, a molybdenum price of US$7.00 per pound and a silver price of US$18.00 per ounce. Table 2: Intervals of higher-grade breccia preciously released by Lumina, shown in Figure 2. Note that drill holes 6 and hole 8 on Figure 2 (full designation C99-06 and C99-08 respectively), are not listed as they are historic in nature. Hole Deposit / From To Interval Au Cu Au Eq Cu Eq Total Depth (m) Azimuth / Dip () (m) (m) (m) (g/t) (%) (g/t) (%) C22-157 Gran Bestia 16 126 110 1.03 0.09 1.17 0.86 335.5 330 / -62 C22-167 Gran Bestia 0 134 134 1.01 0.1 1.17 0.85 453.7 0 / -90 C22-170 Gran Bestia 406 454 48 1.25 0.17 1.51 1.10 325.9 142 / -45 C22-181 Gran Bestia 0 280.6 280.6 0.84 0.10 0.99 0.72 280.6 Incl. 330 / -47 80 124 44 1.32 0.15 1.55 1.13 C19-112 Gran Bestia 0 224 224 0.58 0.15 0.78 0.57 548.0 Incl. 330 / -45 6 72 66 1.09 0.22 1.43 1.04 And 248 272 24 0.24 0.07 0.34 0.25 And 286 298 12 0.25 0.02 0.27 0.20 And 342 354 12 0.96 0.07 1.05 0.77 And 394 418 24 0.54 0.05 0.60 0.44 And 430 510 80 0.48 0.04 0.53 0.39 C19-115 Gran Bestia 0 194 194 1.24 0.10 1.38 0.91 522.0 And 150 / -60 232 248 16 0.25 0.04 0.30 0.21 And 304 418 114 0.47 0.05 0.54 0.38 And 488 504 16 0.52 0.01 0.53 0.43 Note: Intervals in the reported holes are calculated using a cut-off of 0.2 g/t Au with maximum internal dilution of ten continuous metres. Sampling is done in consistent, continuous 2-metre intervals. The highest gold value used in the reported weighted averages is 10.85 g/t Au. In addition to the above results there were multiple intercepts of lower-grade material in the drill holes. Equivalent values were calculated using Gold equivalent values were calculated using the following prices: a gold price of US$1,500 per ounce, a copper price of US$3.00 per pound, a molybdenum price of US$7.00 per pound and a silver price of US$18.00 per ounce. Quality Assurance All Lumina sample assay results have been independently monitored through a quality control / quality assurance program that includes the insertion of blind standards, blanks and pulp and reject duplicate samples. Logging and sampling are completed at Lumina's secure facility located at the Cangrejos project. Drill core is sawn in half on site and half drill-core samples are securely transported to either Bureau Veritas Labs' ("BV") or ALS Labs' ("ALS") sample preparation facilities in Quito, Ecuador. Sample pulps are sent to BV's or ALS' chemical labs in Lima, Peru for analysis. Gold content is determined by fire assay of a 30 gram charge with total copper content determined by four-acid digestion with ICP finish. Both labs are independent from Lumina. Lumina is not aware of any drilling, sampling, recovery or other factors that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data referred to herein. Qualified Persons Leo Hathaway, P.Geo., Senior Vice President of Lumina and the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects for the Cangrejos Project has reviewed, verified and approved the contents of this news release and has verified the data underlying the contents of this news release. About Lumina Gold Lumina Gold Corp. (TSXV: LUM) is a Vancouver, Canada based precious and base metals exploration and development company focused on the Cangrejos Gold-Copper Project located in El Oro Province, southwest Ecuador. Cangrejos is being advanced to a Pre-Feasibility Study and is the largest primary gold deposit in Ecuador. Lumina has an experienced management team with a successful track record of advancing and monetizing exploration projects. Follow us on: Twitter, Linkedin or Facebook. Further details are available on the Company's website at https://luminagold.com/. To receive future news releases please sign up at https://luminagold.com/contact. LUMINA GOLD CORP. Signed: "Marshall Koval" Marshall Koval, President & CEO, Director 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. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information Certain statements and information herein, including all statements that are not historical facts, contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements or information include but are not limited to statements or information with respect to the size of the expanded Gran Bestia drill program, and the timing for completion of the drill program, upgrading mineral resource estimates for the project, adding mineral resources or potentially improving the Gran Bestia strip ratio. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements or information can be identified by the use of words such as "will" or "projected" or variations of those words or statements that certain actions, events or results "will", "could", "are proposed to", "are planned to", "are expected to" or "are anticipated to" be taken, occur or be achieved. With respect to forward-looking statements and information contained herein, the Company has made numerous assumptions including among other things, assumptions about general business and economic conditions, the prices of gold and copper, and anticipated costs and expenditures. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive. Although management of the Company believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements or information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that a forward-looking statement or information herein will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking statements and information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. These factors include, but are not limited to: risks associated with the business of the Company; business and economic conditions in the mining industry generally; the supply and demand for labour and other project inputs; changes in commodity prices; changes in interest and currency exchange rates; risks relating to inaccurate geological and engineering assumptions (including with respect to the tonnage, grade and recoverability of reserves and resources); risks relating to unanticipated operational difficulties (including failure of equipment or processes to operate in accordance with specifications or expectations, cost escalation, unavailability of materials and equipment, government action or delays in the receipt of government approvals, industrial disturbances or other job action, and unanticipated events related to health, safety and environmental matters); risks relating to adverse weather conditions; political risk and social unrest; changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets; and other risk factors as detailed from time to time in the Company's continuous disclosure documents filed with Canadian securities administrators. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. SOURCE Lumina Gold Corp. The acquisition of Hargray Managed IT will expand Dynamic Quest's presence in the Southeast region. GREENSBORO, N.C., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Spire Capital Partners backed Dynamic Quest, a managed service provider offering IT and cloud services to enterprises and businesses, completed the acquisition of Hargray's Managed IT Services division ("Hargray Managed IT"). Hargray Managed IT is a carve-out from Hargray, a Cable One company, based in Phoenix, Arizona. Dynamic Quest, led by CEO and Founder Javier Gomez, continues to execute on its strategic vision to become a regional leader in the Southeastern United States with its acquisition of Hargray Managed IT. Hargray Managed IT offers Managed Network services, Hardware-as-a-Service, Cloud Hosting, Backup & Disaster Recovery, and Managed Security Services for small-to-medium sized business across a wide array of verticals. The company has a long-tenured and strong customer base located primarily in South Carolina and Georgia. The Hargray Managed IT team members will join Dynamic Quest and continue to serve their client base in the Southeast markets. Javier Gomez, CEO of Dynamic Quest stated, "We are extremely excited about bringing the fantastic team at Hargray Managed IT Services (HMIT) division into our Dynamic Quest-Family. The addition of the HMIT team into Dynamic Quest brings with it a great team of resources, a fantastic group of clients as well as opening two more regional markets in Macon-GA and Savannah-GA. Dynamic Quest has a core objective of bringing stability and reliability to our clients while also growing to become the best Southeastern Managed IT Service Provider. This acquisition brings us closer to our goals of being able to help clients in new geographic locations as well as clients that have multiple locations around the Southeast." "We are pleased to have the Hargray Managed Services team join Dynamic Quest a company with a culture of integrity and exceptional service to their clients," said Chris Boone, Cable One Senior Vice President Business Services and Emerging Markets. The transaction will expand Dynamic Quest's presence in the Southeast and provide the ability to cross-sell a broader base of products and services to the Hargray Managed IT customer base. Dynamic Quest will look to leverage its infrastructure including its data center, centralized delivery team, and sales and marketing initiatives to enhance service solutions for end clients and accelerate growth. Bank Street Group LLC served as the exclusive financial advisor to Cable One, Inc. in connection with this transaction. About Spire Capital Partners Spire Capital Partners (https://spirecapital.com/) is an active and experienced private equity firm with an investment focus in small market companies within the technology enabled business services, media, communications and education sectors. Spire Capital Partners was founded on the principle of partnering with management teams and founders to help effectuate the next stage of growth for their companies. Spire professionals have a broad array of past operating, investing and advisory experiences they leverage to help portfolio companies accelerate growth, guide strategic direction and execute their business plan. Spire Capital Partners is a New York-based investment advisor registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. About Dynamic Quest Founded in 2000, Dynamic Quest is a managed service provider for IT services to enterprises and mid-sized businesses. Dynamic Quest offers a broad set of services including hosted cloud services, disaster recovery, managed IT, service plans, application support, virtual CIO and security services. The Company's headquarters is in Greensboro, North Carolina. Dynamic Quest currently has satellite offices in Raleigh, North Carolina; Atlanta, Valdosta, Macon, and Savannah, Georgia; Jacksonville, Florida; Birmingham, AL; and Clark, Philippines. For more information, visit https://dynamicquest.com/ or follow Dynamic Quest on LinkedIn SOURCE Spire Capital Partners This Mega Real Estate Team is expanding to Southwest Florida to go full out for clients and provide the Best Real Estate Experience in the world. NAPLES, FL, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Today, Faris Team Real Estate, Canada's #1 Real Estate Team, announced that they are expanding to the Southwest Florida Region. With the launch of their new office in Naples, Faris Team is ready to go full out for the Southwest Florida Housing Market and the communities of Fort Myers, Estero, Bonita Springs, Naples and Marco Island. "We're super excited to be opening our Florida branch. This is our ninth location," says Mark Faris, CEO and Broker of Faris Team. In 2021, Faris Team Real Estate Brokerage achieved $1.4 billion in annual sales volume and sold over 1,700 homes. Its client service is unparalleled to others in the market, with nearly 10,000 Best Real Estate Experiences since 2007. With specialists in every field, from negotiating to marketing, to Real Estate agreements, Faris Team is focused on delivering the best results for their clients and community. With this new location, Faris Team is looking forward to serving clients from both sides of the border. "We are thrilled to offer Canadians who are looking to move to Florida the opportunity to find their dream vacation home, as well as serving Floridians with our Best Experience Guaranteed promise, as we continue to transform the Real Estate industry," says Faris. Faris Team attributes their success to three brand promises: Professional, Loving, Local Realtors who live where you live and will always go full out for you. Exceptional Marketing including complimentary home staging, professional photography and videography, premium home feature books and so much more! Clients' homes sell faster and for more value with Faris Team's proven system backed by a team of experts. The Best Experience Guaranteed in delivering exceptional End-To-End Stress-Free Real Estate Experience, or clients can cancel their agreement at no cost. To learn more or to book an appointment, visit faristeam.com. About Faris Team: Faris Team is Canada's #1 Real Estate Team with eight locations across Ontario. Since its launch in 2007, Faris Team has helped nearly 10,000 clients buy and sell homes with its team of Professional, Loving, Local Realtors, Exceptional Marketing and Best Real Estate Experience Guarantee. SOURCE Faris Team THOMASVILLE, Ga., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE: FLO), producer of Nature's Own, Dave's Killer Bread, Wonder, Canyon Bakehouse, Tastykake, and other bakery foods, today announced that effective December 31, 2022, Bradley K. Alexander, chief operating officer, will retire from the company after 41 years of service. Consistent with the company's management succession plan, on January 1, 2023, Heeth Varnedoe, the company's current chief transformation officer, will succeed Alexander as chief operating officer. "I wish to express my deep appreciation to Brad for his service to our company," said A. Ryals McMullian, president and chief operating officer. "His many contributions to the sales, operations, and marketing functions of Flowers have been instrumental to many of our company's successes and we have benefitted greatly from his extensive knowledge of the industry and steadfast leadership. We wish him the very best in his retirement." McMullian continued, "In several key roles at Flowers, Heeth has consistently demonstrated his superior business acumen and in-depth understanding of our company's operations. Given his proven leadership skills, I have every confidence he will do an outstanding job as we continue our digital transformation efforts while remaining focused on serving the needs of our consumers." Varnedoe joined Flowers Foods in 1990, holding a number of management positions, including president of the company's bakery in Jacksonville, Florida. He left Flowers in 2000 to pursue other business interests and rejoined in 2012 as director of DSD cake sales, then served as vice president of national accounts from 2012 to 2015. In 2016, he was promoted to president of the company's Phoenix, Arizona bakery and served as senior vice president of DSD Regions/Sales from 2017 to 2020, when he was named to his current role. Varnedoe holds a bachelor's degree in business administration and history from Presbyterian College. About Flowers Foods Headquartered in Thomasville, Ga., Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE: FLO) is one of the largest producers of packaged bakery foods in the United States with 2021 sales of $4.3 billion. Flowers operates bakeries across the country that produce a wide range of bakery products. Among the company's top brands are Nature's Own, Dave's Killer Bread, Wonder, Canyon Bakehouse, and Tastykake. Learn more at www.flowersfoods.com. FLO-CORP Forward-Looking Statements Statements contained in this filing and certain other written or oral statements made from time to time by Flowers Foods, Inc. (the "company", "Flowers Foods", "Flowers", "us", "we", or "our") and its representatives that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements relate to current expectations regarding our changes to the management team and strategic plans and objectives regarding new digital capabilities and data management tools and are often identified by the use of words and phrases such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "predict," "project," "should," "will," "would," "is likely to," "is expected to" or "will continue," or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions we believe are reasonable. Forward-looking statements are based on current information and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those projected. Certain factors that may cause actual results, performance, liquidity, and achievements to differ materially from those projected are discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K (the "Form 10-K") and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC') and may include, but are not limited to, (a) unexpected changes in any of the following: (1) general economic and business conditions; (2) the competitive setting in which we operate, including advertising or promotional strategies by us or our competitors, as well as changes in consumer demand; (3) interest rates and other terms available to us on our borrowings; (4) supply chain conditions and any related impact on energy and raw materials costs and availability and hedging counter-party risks; (5) relationships with or increased costs related to our employees and third-party service providers; (6) laws and regulations (including environmental and health-related issues); and (7) accounting standards or tax rates in the markets in which we operate, (b) the ultimate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and future responses and/or measures taken in response thereto, including, but not limited to, new and emerging variants of the virus and the efficacy and distribution of vaccines, which are highly uncertain and are difficult to predict, (c) our ability to manage the demand, supply and operational challenges with the actual or perceived effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; (d) the loss or financial instability of any significant customer(s), including as a result of product recalls or safety concerns related to our products, (e) changes in consumer behavior, trends and preferences, including health and whole grain trends, and the movement toward more inexpensive store branded products, (f) the level of success we achieve in developing and introducing new products and entering new markets, (g) our ability to implement new technology and customer requirements as required, (h) our ability to operate existing, and any new, manufacturing lines according to schedule, (i) our ability to implement and achieve our environmental, social, and governance ("ESG") goals in accordance with suppliers, regulations, and customers; (j) our ability to execute our business strategies which may involve, among other things, (1) the ability to realize the intended benefits of planned or contemplated acquisitions, dispositions or joint ventures, (2) the deployment of new systems (e.g., our enterprise resource planning ("ERP") system), distribution channels and technology, and (3) an enhanced organizational structure, (k) consolidation within the baking industry and related industries, (l) changes in pricing, customer and consumer reaction to pricing actions (including decreased volumes), and the pricing environment among competitors within the industry, (m) our ability to adjust pricing to offset, or partially offset, inflationary pressure on the cost of our products; (n) disruptions in our direct-store-delivery distribution model, including litigation or an adverse ruling by a court or regulatory or governmental body, or other regulatory developments, that could affect the independent contractor classifications of the independent distributor partners, (n) increasing legal complexity and legal proceedings that we are or may become subject to, (p) labor shortages and turnover or increases in employee and employee-related costs, (q) the credit, business, and legal risks associated with independent distributor partners and customers, which operate in the highly competitive retail food and foodservice industries, (r) any business disruptions due to political instability, pandemics, armed hostilities (including the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine), incidents of terrorism, natural disasters, labor strikes or work stoppages, technological breakdowns, product contamination, product recalls or safety concerns related to our products, or the responses to or repercussions from any of these or similar events or conditions and our ability to insure against such events, (s) the failure of our information technology systems to perform adequately, including any interruptions, intrusions, cyber-attacks or security breaches of such systems or risks associated with the planned implementation of the upgrade of our ERP system; and (t) the potential impact of climate change on the company, including physical and transition risks, higher regulatory and compliance costs, reputational risks, and availability of capital on attractive terms. The foregoing list of important factors does not include all such factors, nor necessarily present them in order of importance. In addition, you should consult other disclosures made by the company (such as in our other filings with the SEC or in company press releases) for other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected by the company. Refer to Part I, Item 1A., Risk Factors, of the Form 10-K, Part II, Item 1A., Risk Factors of the Form 10-Q for the quarter ended April 23, 2022 and subsequent filings with the SEC for additional information regarding factors that could affect the company's results of operations, financial condition and liquidity. We caution you not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as they speak only as of the date made and are inherently uncertain. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise or update such statements, except as required by law. You are advised, however, to consult any further public disclosures by the company (such as in our filings with the SEC or in company press releases) on related subjects. SOURCE Flowers Foods, Inc. PHILADELPHIA, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- FMC Corporation (NYSE: FMC) has announced that Bethwyn Todd, FMC vice president and president of FMC Asia Pacific, has decided to leave the company for health reasons. Pramod Thota, president of FMC U.S.A., will succeed Todd as president of FMC's Asia Pacific region. Consistent with his new responsibilities, Thota was elected an FMC vice president, effective July 1, by the company's Board of Directors. "I know this was a very difficult decision for Bethwyn," said Mark Douglas, FMC president and CEO. "She has been an exceptional leader throughout her 12-year tenure at FMC. As president of one of FMC's largest and complex regions, Bethwyn tripled revenue and significantly increased market share and profitability in Asia Pacific. However, her success extends well beyond the P&L statement. She has been an inspiring role model for all employees at FMC, and especially for women, demonstrating that professional success and personal achievement come not from luck, but rather from hard work and a passion to reach one's full potential. Although we are disappointed, we respect Bethwyn's decision and wish her the best in her new endeavors." In his new role, Thota will report to Douglas and will relocate to the company's Asia Pacific region headquarters in Singapore. He joined FMC in 2012 as director of Strategy and Development, and in 2014 was named business director of FMC's non-crop business, Global Specialty Solutions. Thota became president of FMC India in 2017, and early last year was named president of FMC U.S.A. "Pramod is a strong leader with exceptional commercial insights," said Douglas. "Having led our India business for four years, as well as serving on our Asia Pacific Operating Committee, he brings experience and deep knowledge of our business in one of the fastest-growing regions of the world. I know he will build on the many advances that Bethwyn led over the last seven years." About FMC FMC Corporation is a global agricultural sciences company dedicated to helping growers produce food, feed, fiber and fuel for an expanding world population while adapting to a changing environment. FMC's innovative crop protection solutions including biologicals, crop nutrition, digital and precision agriculture enable growers, crop advisers and turf and pest management professionals to address their toughest challenges economically while protecting the environment. With approximately 6,400 employees at more than 100 sites worldwide, FMC is committed to discovering new herbicide, insecticide and fungicide active ingredients, product formulations and pioneering technologies that are consistently better for the planet. Visit fmc.com to learn more and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Statement under the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release contains forward-looking statements, which are based on management's current views and assumptions regarding future events, future business conditions and the outlook for the company based on currently available information. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by any forward-looking statement. These factors include, among other things, the risk factors and other cautionary statements included within FMC's 2021 Form 10-K filed with the SEC as well as other SEC filings and public communications. FMC cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by the above cautionary statement. FMC undertakes no obligation, and specifically disclaims any duty, to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances arising after the date on which they were made, except as otherwise required by law. SOURCE FMC Corporation Geek+ has deployed its AMR technologies in major markets across the continent, reaching this milestone in under three years The Geek+ Europe team is expanding rapidly to support the company's growing European client base STUTTGART, Germany, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Geek+, the global leader in AMR technology, has now successfully deployed its smart logistics technology in 16 countries in Europe. Having recently seen the installation of a Geek+ goods-to-person solution for an e-commerce retailer, Hungary has become the latest European country to benefit from world-leading goods-to-person technology. Since arriving in Europe in 2019, Geek+ has successfully completed automation and modernization projects with some of the continent's best-known companies. Household names such as ASDA, Leroy Merlin, and DB Schenker have all turned to Geek+ technology to upgrade their logistics and supply chain operations. Over the course of the past three years, Geek+ Europe has grown by leaps and bounds. The company's European headquarters in Dusseldorf, Germany was originally staffed by a team of three revolving around Geek+ Europe president Jackson Zhang, but is now the home base for over 120 employees. This team offers the full range of Geek+ services including, sales, engineering, solutions innovation, marketing, customer support, and implementation. Reflecting on his experience, Zhang said: "Europe has always been a key market for Geek+ and represented a unique and exciting challenge. I'm very proud of the team we have built here and everything that they have achieved. Having successful projects in 16 countries in three years is a testament to their hard work." Geek+ today offers a full range of warehouse solutions developed through years of research and hands-on experience. These include world-leading goods-to-person mobile robots for retail, e-commerce, and apparel logistics; parcel sorting robots used by major couriers and postal services; and high-density storage solutions for racks and pallets. Geek+'s success has not gone unnoticed. The company's solutions have been awarded several awards in recognition of the advances in innovation that they represent. Geek+'s RoboShuttle high-density picking solution was awarded the 2021 European Product Design Award in the industrial robot category. At this year's Semaine de l'Innovation du Transport & de la Logistique (SITL) in Paris, the 8-meter tall version of RoboShuttle won over the jury and took home the Innovation Award in the Intralogistics, Robotics, and Automation category. This week, members of the Geek+ Europe team and senior management will be at LogiMAT, where they will be presenting PopPick, a next-generation goods-to-person solution that represents the culmination of Geek+'s experience and expertise. Visit Booth D51 in Hall 7 to see the solutions and consult with Geek+ experts. About Geek+ Geek+ is a global technology company leading the intelligent logistics revolution. We apply advanced robotics and AI technologies to realize flexible, reliable, and highly efficient solutions for warehouses and supply chain management. Geek+ is trusted by over 500 global industry leaders and has been recognized as the world leader in autonomous mobile robots. Founded in 2015, Geek+ has over 1500 employees, with offices in Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, South Korea, Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, and Singapore. For more information, please visit: https://www.geekplus.com/ SOURCE Geek+ DUBLIN, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Healthcare Data Collection and Labeling Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Data Type (Image/Video, Audio, Text), by Region (North America, Europe, APAC, LATAM, MEA), and Segment Forecasts, 2022-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global healthcare data collection and labeling market size is expected to reach USD 4.5 billion by 2030. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 26.9% from 2022 to 2030. The market is driven by the increased adoption of artificial intelligence and machine learning across the globe. The demand for data labeling is rising due to technological advancements in the industry. Many hospitals and private medical institutions are outsourcing data labeling services for better disease management. Medical institutions are increasingly using medical data such as videos, images, and patient reports for early and accurate diagnosis of diseases. Medical image labeling provides better diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases than the traditional method of diagnosis. It delivers corresponding results with higher accuracy in the early detection of diseases. It would prove to be one of the powerful methods for future applications in healthcare. Imaging techniques were extensively used for the diagnosis of COVID-19 during the initial stage. Data collection is crucial for the training of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. In association with machine learning, medical imaging diagnostic procedures and AI algorithms have progressed in the recognition of patterns related to disease detection. There was a shortage of medical professionals all over the world at the beginning of the pandemic. Many developed nations opted for AI-assisted solutions to tackle the problem. AI-based data collection and labeling technologies have proved to be useful. Healthcare Data Collection and Labeling Market Report Highlights Based on data type, the image/video segment held the largest revenue share in 2021 as it is majorly used in medical diagnosis and artificial intelligence requires labeled data for training the algorithms. The text data type segment is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 29.1% from 2022 to 2030 as the collection of clinical data, particularly unstructured text documents, has become one of the most significant resources for clinical labeling. In 2021, North America dominated the market in terms of revenue owing to the increased adoption of artificial intelligence in the healthcare industry. dominated the market in terms of revenue owing to the increased adoption of artificial intelligence in the healthcare industry. Asia Pacific is likely to expand at the fastest CAGR of 28.4% from 2022 to 2030. This growth is attributed to the increased use of medical imaging in the healthcare industry in China , India , and Japan . Key Topics Covered: Chapter 1 Report Scope and Objectives Chapter 2 Methodology Chapter 3 Executive Summary Chapter 4 Market Variables, Trends & Scope 4.1 Market Lineage Outlook 4.1.1 Parent Market Outlook 4.2 Healthcare Data Collection and Labeling Market Dynamics 4.2.1 Market Driver Analysis 4.2.2 Market Restraint Analysis 4.3 Healthcare Data Collection and Labeling Market: Business Environment Analysis Tools 4.3.1 PORTER'S FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS 4.3.1.1 Threat of new entrants 4.3.1.2 Bargaining power of suppliers 4.3.1.3 Bargaining power of buyers 4.3.1.4 Competitive rivalry 4.3.1.5 Threat of substitutes 4.3.2 PESTEL Analysis 4.3.2.1 Political & Legal 4.3.2.2 Economic & Social 4.3.2.3 Technological 4.4 Penetration & Growth Prospect Mapping 4.5 Technology Trend Analysis 4.6 Regulatory Framework 4.7 Impact of COVID-19 on Healthcare Data Collection and Labeling Market Chapter 5 Healthcare Data Collection and Labeling Market: Data Type Analysis 5.1 Healthcare Data Collection and Labeling Market Data Type Market Share Analysis, 2021 & 2030 5.2 Healthcare Data Collection and Labeling Market Data Type Market: Segment Dashboard 5.3 Market Size & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2017 to 2030 for the Data Type Segment 5.3.1 Image/Video 5.3.1.1 Image/video market, 2017-2030 (USD Million) 5.3.2 Audio 5.3.2.1 Audio market, 2017-2030 (USD Million) 5.3.3 Text 5.3.3.1 Text market, 2017-2030 (USD Million) 5.3.4 Others 5.3.4.1 Others market, 2017-2030 (USD Million) Chapter 6 Healthcare Data Collection and Labeling Market: Regional Analysis Chapter 7 Competitive Analysis 7.1 Recent Developments & Impact Analysis, by Key Market Participants 7.2 Company Profiles 7.2.1 Appen Limited 7.2.1.1 Company overview 7.2.1.2 Product benchmarking 7.2.1.3 Strategic initiatives 7.2.2 Shaip 7.2.2.1 Company overview 7.2.2.2 Product benchmarking 7.2.2.3 Strategic initiatives 7.2.3 Cogito Tech LLC 7.2.3.1 Company overview 7.2.3.2 Product benchmarking 7.2.3.3 Strategic initiatives 7.2.4 Imerit 7.2.4.1 Company overview 7.2.4.2 Product benchmarking 7.2.4.3 Strategic initiatives 7.2.5 Alegion 7.2.5.1 Company overview 7.2.5.2 Product benchmarking 7.2.5.3 Strategic initiatives 7.2.6 Snorkel AI 7.2.6.1 Company overview 7.2.6.2 Product benchmarking 7.2.6.3 Strategic initiatives 7.2.7 Labelbox 7.2.7.1 Company overview 7.2.7.2 Product benchmarking 7.2.7.3 Strategic initiatives 7.2.8 Infolks 7.2.8.1 Company overview 7.2.8.2 Product benchmarking 7.2.9 Datalabeller 7.2.9.1 Company Overview 7.2.9.2 Product Benchmarking 7.2.10 Centaur Labs 7.2.10.1 Company overview 7.2.10.2 Product benchmarking 7.2.10.3 Strategic initiatives For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ii16nx Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets With record-high temperatures in Northern Africa and food security worries from Egypt to Morocco, agrivoltaic projects in the region are getting more and more attention. As food and energy security emerge as top priorities in several regions, an innovative use of existing technologies might help serve both: Agrivoltaic projects allow energy production and agricultural activity on the same land, potentially increasing farming productivity. Several agrivoltaic programs, mainly with the participation of European research centers and agencies, are in their pilot phases on the African continent. One project in Algeria, named Watermed4.0, moves toward the final days of its research phase. Results are about to come in, says German research organization Fraunhofer ISE, one of altogether eight institutions involved. "We only had the first harvest of potatoes so far. Early data had some promising results: under the agrivoltaic installation there was a significantly higher yield and size of the crop compared with an uncovered reference field -- about 16% more," said Brendon Bingwa, project manager Agrivoltaics Africa at Fraunhofer, told DW. He explained that some additional work would provide more data and evidence. The German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) notes that exchanging experiences is essential for new processes like agrivoltaic programs. "It would be desirable if data and experiences on projects in this field were shared publicly for further assessment," a spokesperson told DW. Helpful change in microclimate The shading effect and ensuing improvement of the microclimate in the areas below PV modules are among the main benefits of agrivoltaic projects, which could not only increase agricultural productivity, but also allow the cultivation of new crops. These technologies will be increasingly crucial with climate change in mind, explains ENEA's Photovoltaic and Smart Devices division manager, Ezio Terzini. ENEA is Italy's public research agency, participating as a research partner in a proposed agrivoltaic project led by environmentalist organization Green Cross International. The idea is to build a 5 MW photovoltaic power plant in an agricultural region in Morocco. "Many formerly fertile agricultural areas located in mild climate zones now suffer from progressive infertility due to rising temperatures or water scarcity," Terzini told DW. "Other areas are exposed to extreme weather phenomena. Agrivoltaic projects could help with both, restoring fertile conditions to areas in progressive abandonment." Agrivoltaic projects can produce electricity to pump and desalinize water, opening the doors to agriculture in difficult regions, also in desert areas. Export potential Terzini explains that the southern shores of the Mediterranean have long been boosting the spread of photovoltaics over large areas, exacerbating the trade-off between electricity and food production. While electricity is a medium-term necessity, food production is the short-term priority. "The armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine is looming over a serious food crisis that will significantly affect Africa -- we need to find solutions for increasing food production in this area," Terzini emphasized. This potential is significant. According to Fraunhofer's project manager Bingwa, the agrivoltaic projects would not only ease local food security concerns. "The project in Algeria is an example: Strawberries are the second crop. Production would satisfy local markets and allow exports, thanks to cold storage facilities, which are not part of the ongoing project, but would be an added advantage if implemented." Looking forward, agrivoltaic projects could indeed use electricity to power cold-storage facilities to shield crops from high temperatures, prolonging the shelf-life of the harvested crops. This additional service would be controlled by data-based control systems, which are currently being tested mostly to optimize water use. "I hope that we will witness progress from this demonstrator phase to building them in communities in the next five years, with wider impacts on the region," said Bingwa. A stronger local economy would also have positive impacts on the job markets, eventually decreasing the probability of migration flows. Business models The Algerian experience shows that many institutions from different countries, including Algeria, Germany, Spain and Turkey, can bring together technologies and different know-how. Spain's University of Murcia (UMU) for instance offers its expertise in digitalization in the Watermed4.0 project. The next step is to find a suitable business model to make this experimental systems pay off. According to Bingwa, public funding is critical to research. Still, private investors and local players should then step in to make these projects viable and replicable. Solar-powered irrigation systems Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Climate Energy North Africa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Agrivoltaic projects in the research phase in Africa combine several technologies, including solar-powered irrigation systems (SPIS). The German federally owned enterprise Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) have already worked on SPIS. FAO underlines that these systems require reinforcing the technical capacities of local staff and farmers. "FAO and its partners developed the Toolbox on SPIS designed to enable advisers and service providers to provide broad hands-on guidance to end-users, policymakers, and financiers. Thus, risks related to system efficiency, financial viability and the unsustainable use of water resources can be minimized," a FAO spokesperson told DW. On the ground, FAO is currently working on three projects in Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya. The Rome-based organization stresses that projects in strategic regions could provide examples of good practice, allowing operations to be scaled up. That will also require the collaboration of local policymakers, which will need to create the framework for the investments. "Strong institutions and clear policy vision help advance the adoption of such technologies," the spokesperson concluded. Edited by: Hardy Graupner NEW YORK, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) and Crowley Holdings today announced they have closed a $300 million preferred equity investment in Crowley Preferred Funding, LLC. The proceeds will fund key strategic capital and growth projects, including a greenfield jet fuel storage project in Darwin, Australia, and a new LNG bunker barge. GIP, a leading independent infrastructure investor, is making the investment through Global Infrastructure Partners Capital Solutions Fund II (GIP CAPS II), part of GIP's Credit platform (GIP Credit). The funds will be available through a customized delayed draw structure. Denny Sreckovic, Partner at GIP Credit, said: "We are excited about the opportunity to partner with a global transportation and logistics leader and help finance its strategic growth plan. Crowley's maritime transport assets provide a critical backbone in the infrastructure of global trade. Further, the Company is well positioned to capitalize on the expansion of offshore wind and other energy transition sectors. This investment exemplifies GIP's ability to work with an experienced management team and offer customized transaction structures to support the buildout of high-quality infrastructure assets." The Crowley investment represents the fifth commitment made by GIP CAPS II. The GIP CAPS II mandate supports strategic investments for capital projects and broader growth mechanisms of corporations, providing necessary resources for companies to expand and enhance their portfolio of services. In this case, the investment fits the Crowley strategic growth plan as it develops alternative energy solutions and other innovations. Chairman and CEO Tom Crowley said: "We welcome this opportunity to partner with GIP, a leading infrastructure investor, on this important transaction to support the continued strategic expansion of Crowley. As an experienced infrastructure investor and capital provider, GIP was able to seamlessly diligence and structure a financing that met our growth and capital structure objectives." DNB Markets, Inc acted as financial advisor to Crowley and the company received legal counsel from Vinson & Elkins LLP. Allen & Overy LLP provided legal counsel to GIP. About Global Infrastructure Partners GIP is a leading independent infrastructure fund manager that makes equity and debt investments in infrastructure assets and businesses. GIP targets investments in the energy, transport, digital infrastructure, and water/waste sectors in both OECD and select emerging market countries. Headquartered in New York, GIP operates out of 10 offices: New York, London, Stamford (Connecticut), Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Mumbai, Delhi, Singapore and Hong Kong. GIP manages US $81 billion for its investors. GIP's portfolio companies have combined annual revenues of US $61 billion with nearly 100,000 employees. For more information, visit www.global-infra.com. About Crowley Crowley is a privately held, U.S.-owned and -operated maritime, energy and logistics solutions company serving commercial and government sectors with more than $2.5 billion in annual revenues, over 170 vessels mostly in the Jones Act fleet and approximately 7,000 employees around the world employing more U.S. mariners than any other company. The Crowley enterprise has invested more than $3 billion in maritime transport, which is the backbone of global trade and the global economy. As a global ship owner-operator and services provider with more than 130 years of innovation and a commitment to sustainability, the company serves customers in 36 nations and island territories through four business units: Crowley Logistics, Crowley Shipping, Crowley Solutions and Crowley Fuels. Additional information about Crowley, its business units and subsidiaries can be found at www.crowley.com. SOURCE Global Infrastructure Partners DUBLIN, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Pediatric Interventional Cardiology Market, Size, Forecast 2022-2027, Industry Trends, Share, Growth, Impact of COVID-19, Company Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Global Pediatric Interventional Cardiology Market is estimated to reach US$ 2,190.1 Million by 2027, from US$ 1,510.3 Million in 2021. Pediatric interventional cardiology is a sub-specialty of cardiology that focuses on using particular catheter-based procedures to treat cardiac problems in newborns, children, and adolescents up to the age of 18. Balloon angioplasty, coil occlusion, stent implantation, and aortic valve stenosis are some of the procedures available. In addition, as compared to traditional cardiology procedures, pediatric interventional cardiology is less invasive, resulting in fewer post-surgery problems. Hence, they are widely utilized to perform angioplasty, valvuloplasty, coronary thrombectomy, and congenital heart defect corrective treatments. Global Pediatric Interventional Cardiology Industry is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 6.39% during 2021-2027: The global Pediatric Interventional Cardiology Market Size is expanding rapidly, owing to a growth in the number of children with cardiac disorders and technical breakthroughs in the area. The worldwide pediatric interventional cardiology devices demand is also being driven by the increased incidence of congenital cardiac diseases and government initiatives in this field. In addition, the worldwide pediatric interventional cardiology devices market is benefiting from rising awareness and popularity of more minor invasive procedures. Congenital Heart Defect Closure Devices and Transcatheter Heart Valves are significant segments: By Device Type, the dominance of congenital heart defect closure devices in the pediatric interventional cardiology market is due to an increase in the number of cases of congenital disabilities and increased awareness of the necessity for pediatric interventional cardiology devices. Furthermore, because cardiac procedures involving transcatheter heart valves are more effective, the market for transcatheter heart valves is predicted to develop at a constant rate throughout the forecast period. The Hospitals Segment Dominates the Market for Global Pediatric Interventional Cardiology Devices: The hospital segment will lead the Paediatric Interventional Cardiology Devices market in 2021 and beyond. The domination of hospitals can be attributed to well-equipped infrastructure, the availability of technical equipment, an increase in the number of practitioners and patients, and an increase in collaborations to help alleviate the load of diagnosis and treatment around the world. In addition, the availability of sophisticated technology to monitor pediatric cardiac abnormalities and a change in attention toward ambulatory centers for treatment has increased the number of patients choosing mobile facilities for diagnosis. As a result, there is an association between ambulatory center expansion and ambulatory center growth. North America Dominates the Global Paediatric Interventional Cardiology Devices Industry: North America dominates the global pediatric interventional cardiology devices market, owing to the rising frequency of cardiac illnesses among children and the region's technical improvement. In the next few years, the pediatric interventional cardiology devices market in Asia-Pacific is predicted to rise rapidly. In the Asian region, China and India are expected to be the fastest expanding markets for pediatric interventional cardiology devices. This is due to massive investments in these countries by various multinational corporations. Large patient pools, increased government funding, and improved healthcare facilities are the primary driving forces for emerging countries' pediatric interventional cardiology devices market. Key Players: The international market for pediatric interventional cardiology is highly consolidated, oligopolistic, and competitive. Furthermore, the market is capital-intensive, necessitating significant investments in R&D initiatives. The global pediatric interventional cardiology market is monopolized by Cardinal Health Inc., Medtronic Inc., Abbott Laboratories, Boston Scientific Corporation, General Electric, Siemens AG, and Koninklijke Philips N.V. Furthermore, these market participants in the Global Pediatric Interventional Cardiology Industry are focusing on expanding their product portfolios through inorganic growth strategies including acquisitions, mergers, and collaborations. How COVID-19 Turned Down the Global Paediatric Interventional Cardiology Market: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted pediatric cardiac care worldwide, resulting in fewer hospitalizations and cardiac operations. Thus, in a resource-constrained setting, such a considerable reduction in the number of procedures had a significant impact. However, the recovery and vaccine data have shown to be valuable in establishing a strategy to manage the COVID-19 pandemic's future effects. Companies Covered: Cardinal Health Inc. Medtronic, Inc. Abbott Laboratories Boston Scientific Corporation General Electric Siemens AG Koninklijke Philips N.V Key Topics Covered: 1. Introduction 2. Research & Methodology 3. Executive Summary 4. Market Dynamics 4.1 Growth Drivers 4.2 Challenges 5. Global Pediatric Interventional Cardiology Market 6. Market Share - Global Pediatric Interventional Cardiology Market 6.1 By Device Type 6.2 By End Use 6.3 By Region 7. Device Type - Global Pediatric Interventional Cardiology Market 7.1 Congenital Heart Defect Closure Devices 7.2 Transcatheter Heart Valves 8. End Use - Global Pediatric Interventional Cardiology Market 8.1 Hospitals 8.2 Ambulatory Surgical Centers 8.3 Specialty Clinic 9. Region - Global Pediatric Interventional Cardiology Market 9.1 North America 9.2 Europe 9.3 Asia Pacific 9.4 Middle East & Africa 10. Porters Five Forces 10.1 Bargaining Power of Buyers 10.2 Bargaining Power of Suppliers 10.3 Degree of Competition 10.4 Threat of New Entrants 10.5 Threat of Substitutes 11. Company Analysis 11.1 Overview 11.2 Recent Development 11.3 Financial Insights For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/w5q90u Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Global competitiveness and key competitor percentage market shares Market presence across multiple geographies - Strong/Active/Niche/Trivial Online interactive peer-to-peer collaborative bespoke updates Access to our digital archives and MarketGlass Research Platform Complimentary updates for one year Edition: 11; Released: May 2022 Executive Pool: 1536 Companies: 79 - Players covered include Advantech B+B SmartWorx Inc.; Analog Devices Inc.; Belden Incorporated; Broadcom Inc.; Cisco Systems, Inc.; CommScope Holding Company Inc.; Dell Technologies Inc.; MICROSENS GMBH & CO. KG; Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company; Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.; Kinetic Technologies; Maxim Integrated Products Inc.; Microsemi Corporation; Monolithic Power Systems Inc.; NETGEAR Inc.; ON Semiconductor Corp.; Silicon Laboratories Inc.; STMicroelectronics N.V.; Texas Instruments Inc. and Others. Coverage: All major geographies and key segments Segments: Type (Powered Device Controllers & ICs, Power Sourcing Equipment Controllers & ICs); Application (Connectivity, Security & Access Control, Infotainment, LED Lighting & Control, Other Applications); Vertical (Commercial, Residential, Industrial) Geographies: World; USA; Canada; Japan; China; Europe; France; Germany; Italy; UK; Rest of Europe; Asia-Pacific; Rest of World. Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry ABSTRACT- Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Power Over Ethernet Solutions estimated at US$915.8 Million in the year 2022, is projected to reach a revised size of US$1.3 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 9.5% over the analysis period. Powered Device Controllers & ICs, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to grow at a 10% CAGR, while growth in the Power Sourcing Equipment Controllers & ICs segment is readjusted to a revised 8.6% CAGR. Against this backdrop of increasing proliferation of Ethernet networking, its little surprise that Power over Ethernet (PoE), defined as a technology that facilitates the transmission of data and electrical signals over cables which eliminates the need for separate or dedicated power cords, is witnessing parallel adoption by enterprise end-users. The growing demand for devices compatible with PoE technology and the considerable cost benefits of the technology are fueling growth in the PoE solutions market. The flexible and efficient network design of PoE technology and the economical nature of installation are fueling growth in PoE solutions market. The use of PoE solutions is aimed at improving reliability of energy sources, enabling enterprises to cut overall costs. The relative ease of installation and operations of PoE solutions and the advantage of better performance of networks owing to higher reliability are fueling market growth. The growing demand for a range of wireless networking systems and VoIP communication systems and the rising deployment of smart lighting solutions integrated with PoE networks are also propelling growth prospects. Factors fueling growth in PoE solutions market include the steadily rising demand for cost effective wireless network infrastructure, widespread proliferation of wireless devices, government support for development of smart cities and the rapid transition towards cloud-based networking technologies. With enterprises increasingly seeking economical network solutions to manage assets such as access control systems and security devices, demand for PoE solutions poised to grow. The market is expected to benefit from the growing adoption of VoIP solutions, smart office buildings, IP cameras and access control systems. The adoption of PoE solutions will be fueled by technology and digital advancements that are currently transforming security operations. Also supporting market growth is the development of new standards that offer support for new networks equipment. Further, regulatory bodies are also focusing efforts on driving changes to existing standards and protocols, which will ensure faster adoption of PoE solutions in various applications. The PoE solutions market is expected to benefit from the rising usage of VoIP phones. In particular, enterprises are increasingly deploying VoIP phones as businesses look to improve communications and collaborate more effectively with remote users and employees, and hence improve business productivity. The significant advantages of converged voice and data services is enabling companies to improve communication and enhance business performance. With converged unified communication services as well as enterprise VoIP enabling live chats, video conferencing and other communication capabilities, the VoIP market is expected to witness strong growth and will lead to higher demand for PoE solutions. A notable trend fueling growth in the PoE solutions market is the rapid proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT), with enterprises increasingly adopting IoT devices and solutions to support the rapid pace of advancements being witnessed in business infrastructure. A large number of enterprises use IoT solutions for ensuring security of physical assets, while the use of IoT in daily enterprise activities is also gathering pace. PoE solutions are offering support for various IoT initiatives including smart cities, smart grids and smart constructions. Driven by the growing deployment of IoT solutions in enterprise settings, the demand for PoE solutions continues to grow given the ability of PoE to power network ecosystems in a digitized world. Enterprises are also focusing efforts on infrastructure security aspects in order to ensure protection of highly sensitive data. The growing use of security and access control systems in office settings involving high level of investments is expected to fuel growth in the PoE solutions. Smart lighting feature, which is an integral part of smart buildings, is also expected to fuel demand for PoE solutions. Currently, lighting accounts for as much as 40% of total electricity use in buildings. This consequently raises the need to develop smart spaces with minimal electricity usage, whereby there is increased focus on smart LED lighting solutions. The growing integrated of smart lighting systems and the need to regulate the same are expected to fuel need for using PoE solutions. By using PoE solution, the need for a separate power device for supplying power to IP-enabled lighting systems is eliminated, thus favoring its use in smart lighting networks. In addition PoE solutions play a vital role in enhancing energy efficiency as well as productivity at commercial places. Several companies are offering lighting systems that use PoE solutions for power-connected smart buildings. Using PoE-based smart lighting systems, the lighting systems of a facility can be remotely management and room temperatures can be adjusted based on occupancy levels. By vertical, commercial sector is expected to witness highest growth in adoption of PoE solutions worldwide, driven mainly by the rising deployment of smart solutions such as smart lighting in commercial and office spaces. PoE solutions have significant potential for adoption in the industrial sector, which confronts harsh operating environments and generally rely on varying power capacities for their operations. PoE solutions, due to advantages such as multipurpose controlling facilities, flexible installation, and high power capacity source, have potential applications in building access control systems, lighting controllers, building automation, audio and video systems, and other industrial applications. Residential segment is expected to grow led by the growing trend towards smart homes, which involve the use of powered devices such as IP cameras, LED lighting, and access controller for optimizing power and improving safety. For installation of such devices in residential systems, significant complications are confronted as there is limited availability of power sources. Using PoE solutions, residential users can eliminate or reduce such complexities related to the need for using additional power supply that is need to power such devices. Also, with PoE solutions, homeowners can significantly improve overall lighting conditions in home settings. PoE solutions demand in Industrial sector is being fueled by their rapid adoption in energy, telecom, automotive, oil & gas, and transportation sectors. Rapid pace of technology advancements and increasing IoT penetration in industrial sectors is leading to a significant increase in the number of wireless devices in the network. Such devices are vital for addressing the high power and connectivity needs of several business critical applications, thus fueling demand for PoE solutions such as PoE-enabled gigabit routers and switches for supporting high speed data transfer for wireless devices. Digisol launched L2-Managed Din-Rail Industrial Gigabit PoE switch for supporting industrial applications. The global market for PoE solutions is being driven by the adoption of smart technologies and PoE-enabled devices such as IP cameras in healthcare facilities. Hospitals and other healthcare facilities around the world are increasingly using IP cameras for patient monitoring purposes and also for improving overall patient care. The growing adoption of IP cameras in hospitals is thus expected to fuel demand for PoE solutions in the coming years. Developed economies of North America and Europe represent the leading regional markets for PoE solutions. In North America, the presence of several leading manufacturers of PoE equipment, including Broadcom, Cisco, HPE and Dell EMC, is favoring market growth. The growth in PoE solutions market is also supported by the increasing adoption of IoT for factory and building automation purposes. The increasing investments into smart building and smart factory solutions is hence expected to fuel growth in North America's PoE solutions market. The increasing network of connected devices and equipment due to the transition towards Industry 4.0 and the growing use of wireless equipment such as smartphones and network-connected systems such as hubs, routers and gateways will also spell opportunities for PoE solutions in North America. European market for PoE solutions will be fostered by growing acceptance of the solutions supported by favorable government policies. With leading regional economies such as the UK and Germany focusing efforts on industrial automation, there is tremendous scope for growth in PoE solutions market across Europe. In the coming years, Asia-Pacific is anticipated to emerge as a market with immense potential for PoE solutions, given the significant presence of associated companies in the region. Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, India, China, and Australia constitute the key countries fueling market growth, mainly on account of deployment of smart grid infrastructure. The establishment of data centers by CSPs and global organizations in the Southeast Asia region is also likely to encourage market growth. Rising penetration of broadband, such as cloud based service adoption, mobile-based Internet access, among others, are stimulating the adoption of 10/40GbE routers and switches. More MarketGlass Platform Our MarketGlass Platform is a free full-stack knowledge center that is custom configurable to today`s busy business executive`s intelligence needs! This influencer driven interactive research platform is at the core of our primary research engagements and draws from unique perspectives of participating executives worldwide. Features include - enterprise-wide peer-to-peer collaborations; research program previews relevant to your company; 3.4 million domain expert profiles; competitive company profiles; interactive research modules; bespoke report generation; monitor market trends; competitive brands; create & publish blogs & podcasts using our primary and secondary content; track domain events worldwide; and much more. Client companies will have complete insider access to the project data stacks. Currently in use by 67,000+ domain experts worldwide. Our platform is free for qualified executives and is accessible from our website www.StrategyR.com or via our just released mobile application on iOS or Android About Global Industry Analysts, Inc. & StrategyR Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (www.strategyr.com) is a renowned market research publisher the world`s only influencer driven market research company. Proudly serving more than 42,000 clients from 36 countries, GIA is recognized for accurate forecasting of markets and industries for over 33 years. CONTACTS: Zak Ali Director, Corporate Communications Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Phone: 1-408-528-9966 www.StrategyR.com Email: [email protected] LINKS Join Our Expert Panel https://www.strategyr.com/Panelist.asp Connect With Us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-industry-analysts-inc./ Follow Us on Twitter https://twitter.com/marketbytes Journalists & Media [email protected] SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc. DUBLIN, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Vertical Farming Market (2022-2027) by Structure, Growth Mechanism, Offering, Geography, Competitive Analysis and the Impact of Covid-19 with Ansoff Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Global Vertical Farming Market is estimated to be USD 3.81 Bn in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 10.02 Bn by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 21.34%. Market dynamics are forces that impact the prices and behaviors of the Global Vertical Farming Market stakeholders. These forces create pricing signals which result from the changes in the supply and demand curves for a given product or service. Forces of Market Dynamics may be related to macro-economic and micro-economic factors. There are dynamic market forces other than price, demand, and supply. Human emotions can also drive decisions, influence the market, and create price signals. As the market dynamics impact the supply and demand curves, decision-makers aim to determine the best way to use various financial tools to stem various strategies for speeding the growth and reducing the risks. Company Profiles The report provides a detailed analysis of the competitors in the market. It covers the financial performance analysis for the publicly listed companies in the market. The report also offers detailed information on the companies' recent development and competitive scenario. Some of the companies covered in this report are 4D Bios INC, Aerofarms, Agricool, Altius Farms, Bowery Farming, Eliospectra Ab, Ertical Future Ltd, etc. Countries Studied America ( Argentina , Brazil , Canada , Chile , Colombia , Mexico , Peru , United States , Rest of Americas) , , , , , , , , Rest of Americas) Europe ( Austria , Belgium , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , Italy , Netherlands , Norway , Poland , Russia , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland , United Kingdom , Rest of Europe ) ( , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Rest of ) Middle-East and Africa ( Egypt , Israel , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , South Africa , United Arab Emirates , Rest of MEA) and ( , , , , , , Rest of MEA) Asia-Pacific ( Australia , Bangladesh , China , India , Indonesia , Japan , Malaysia , Philippines , Singapore , South Korea , Sri Lanka , Thailand , Taiwan , Rest of Asia-Pacific ) Competitive Quadrant The report includes Competitive Quadrant, a proprietary tool to analyze and evaluate the position of companies based on their Industry Position score and Market Performance score. The tool uses various factors for categorizing the players into four categories. Some of these factors considered for analysis are financial performance over the last 3 years, growth strategies, innovation score, new product launches, investments, growth in market share, etc. Ansoff Analysis The report presents a detailed Ansoff matrix analysis for the Global Vertical Farming Market. Ansoff Matrix, also known as Product/Market Expansion Grid, is a strategic tool used to design strategies for the growth of the company. The matrix can be used to evaluate approaches in four strategies viz. Market Development, Market Penetration, Product Development and Diversification. The matrix is also used for risk analysis to understand the risk involved with each approach. The analyst analyses the Global Vertical Farming Market using the Ansoff Matrix to provide the best approaches a company can take to improve its market position. Based on the SWOT analysis conducted on the industry and industry players, The analyst has devised suitable strategies for market growth. Why buy this report? The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global Vertical Farming Market. The report includes in-depth qualitative analysis, verifiable data from authentic sources, and projections about market size. The projections are calculated using proven research methodologies. The report has been compiled through extensive primary and secondary research. The primary research is done through interviews, surveys, and observation of renowned personnel in the industry. The report includes an in-depth market analysis using Porter's 5 forces model and the Ansoff Matrix. In addition, the impact of Covid-19 on the market is also featured in the report. The report also includes the regulatory scenario in the industry, which will help you make a well-informed decision. The report discusses major regulatory bodies and major rules and regulations imposed on this sector across various geographies. The report also contains the competitive analysis using Positioning Quadrants, the analyst's Proprietary competitive positioning tool. Key Topics Covered: 1 Report Description 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Market Dynamics 4.1 Drivers 4.1.1 High Yield Associated With Vertical Farming Over Conventional Farming 4.1.2 Advancements in Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Technology 4.1.3 Year-Round Crop Production Irrespective of Weather Conditions 4.1.4 Requirement of Minimum Resources 4.2 Restraints 4.2.1 Lack of Technically Skilled Workforce and Limited Crop Types 4.2.2 High Start-Up Costs 4.3 Opportunities 4.3.1 Reduced Environmental Impact from Agriculture by Adoption of Vertical Farming 4.3.2 Potential Market Opportunities in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East 4.3.3 Cannabis Cultivation Through Vertical Farming 4.4 Challenges 4.4.1 Maintenance of Temperature, Humidity, and Air Circulation in a Vertical Farm 4.4.2 Vertical Farming on a Large Scale 5 Market Analysis 5.1 Regulatory Scenario 5.2 Porter's Five Forces Analysis 5.3 Impact of COVID-19 5.4 Ansoff Matrix Analysis 6 Global Vertical Farming Market, By Structure 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Building-based Structure 6.3 Container-based Structure 7 Global Vertical Farming Market, By Growth Mechanism 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Aeroponics 7.3 Aquaponics 7.4 Hydroponics 8 Global Vertical Farming Market, By Offering 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Climate Control 8.2.1 Air Purification/Control 8.2.2 Ventilation Fans 8.3 Hydroponics Components 8.3.1 Meters and Solutions 8.3.2 Pumps and Irrigation 8.3.3 Water Filtration 8.4 Lighting 8.4.1 Light Ballasts 8.4.2 Light Reflectors 8.4.3 Lights 8.5 Sensors 8.5.1 CO2 Sensors 8.5.2 Crop Sensors 8.5.3 Nutrient Sen 9 Americas' Global Vertical Farming Market 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Argentina 9.3 Brazil 9.4 Canada 9.5 Chile 9.6 Colombia 9.7 Mexico 9.8 Peru 9.9 United States 9.10 Rest of Americas 10 Europe's Global Vertical Farming Market 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Austria 10.3 Belgium 10.4 Denmark 10.5 Finland 10.6 France 10.7 Germany 10.8 Italy 10.9 Netherlands 10.10 Norway 10.11 Poland 10.12 Russia 10.13 Spain 10.14 Sweden 10.15 Switzerland 10.16 United Kingdom 10.17 Rest of Europe 11 Middle East and Africa's Global Vertical Farming Market 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Egypt 11.3 Israel 11.4 Qatar 11.5 Saudi Arabia 11.6 South Africa 11.7 United Arab Emirates 11.8 Rest of MEA 12 APAC's Global Vertical Farming Market 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Australia 12.3 Bangladesh 12.4 China 12.5 India 12.6 Indonesia 12.7 Japan 12.8 Malaysia 12.9 Philippines 12.10 Singapore 12.11 South Korea 12.12 Sri Lanka 12.13 Thailand 12.14 Taiwan 12.15 Rest of Asia-Pacific 13 Competitive Landscape 13.1 Competitive Quadrant 13.2 Market Share Analysis 13.3 Strategic Initiatives 13.3.1 M&A and Investments 13.3.2 Partnerships and Collaborations 13.3.3 Product Developments and Improvements 14 Company Profiles 14.1 4D Bios INC 14.2 Aerofarms 14.3 Agricool 14.4 Altius Farms 14.5 Bowery Farming 14.6 Eliospectra Ab 14.7 Ertical Future Ltd 14.8 Everlight Electronics 14.9 Freight Farms 14.10 Grilution 14.11 Growpod Solutions 14.12 Infarm 14.13 Intelligent Growth Solutions 14.14 Merican Hydroponics 14.15 Osram 14.16 Plenty 14.17 Rban Crop Solutions 14.18 Reen Sense Farms 14.19 Right Farms 14.20 Sananbio 14.21 Sky Greens 14.22 Spread 14.23 Uture Crops 14.24 Valoya 14.25 Vertical Farm Systems 14.26 Wegreen 15 Appendix For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/915r9z Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Founded in 1951, Preca Brummel SpA is a well-known Italian childrenswear company. Based in Varese, Italy, the company designs, markets and distributes children's apparel and accessories under the Brums and MEK banners. Brums is a classic Italian brand that has created lasting memories for generations of customers. Its focus is on elevated fabrics with clean designs and fine details in sizes from newborn to teen. Brums Milano will continue to be based in Greater Milano. Go Global will invest in Brum's digital capabilities including artificial intelligence and predictive analytics. As a portfolio brand on the Janie and Jack platform, Brums Milano will initially focus on its core customers in Italy, with their modern take on children's fashion, and a commitment to sustainable product development and designs. Go Global previously acquired Janie and Jack from Gap Inc. in April of 2021. Janie and Jack has over 110 retails stores in the United States, a robust online flagship store and is also sold at Saks Fifth Avenue and other leading independent wholesale locations across the US. In this acquisition, Go Global will leverage back office synergies for technology, ecommerce, digital marketing, sourcing, and raw material collaboration for the two companies, creating a global premium childrenswear platform. "We are excited about our first investment in Europe", said Jeff Streader, Founder and Managing Partner of Go Global. "We will execute the same successful playbook that we deployed at Janie and Jack by resetting the operational model and investing into the company's digital capabilities." Go Global's international reach will open new markets for Brums Milano into the US as well as into the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Deborah Gargiulo, Partner and Group CFO of Go Global added: "our team of experienced retail and brand specialists will complement the existing, experienced team in areas of digital strategy, international business development, supply chain and global operations. Growth is our ultimate goal." "We welcome Brums Milano to the family", said Linda Heasley, CEO of Janie and Jack. "This is an exciting opportunity for Go Global, Brums and for Janie and Jack, and we are incredibly excited about expanding our brands globally. I believe we'll build a bright future together." About Go Global Retail Founded in 2016, Go Global Retail is an investment platform focusing on acquiring brands in the consumer sector. The firm invests appropriate capital to transform and grow brands that have been unable to achieve their digital or global potential. Go Global partners are Investment, Retail and Operational Executives working together to create a holistic approach to grow great brands through digital transformation in the ever-evolving world of global retail. For more information, visit www.goglobalretail.com About Janie & Jack Janie and Jack is a premium childrenswear brand based in San Francisco, California. The company operates as a design house, developing seasonal collections with modern twists on classic fashion. Janie and Jack is known for family moments, thoughtful details and memorable gifts. Janie and Jack stores are in the United States for kids' clothing from newborn to size 6 and janieandjack.com for up to size 16. For more information, visit https://www.janieandjack.com/ About Brums Milano Brums Milano was founded in 1951 in Varese, Italy. The brand is a historic a leader in premium children's fashion offered across over 450 points of sale across Italy. The company designs, markets, and distributes children's apparel and accessories under the Brums and MEK banners. https://www.brums.com/it/ Media Contact: Jeff Nicosia Go Global Retail [email protected] SOURCE Go Global Retail Transaction creates a top-4 global gold major with a diversified portfolio of high-quality, long-life assets with tangible near and long-term growth opportunities Strengthened financial and operational capacity with complementary cash flow and growth profiles Combined Group will be headquartered in Johannesburg with operations across South Africa , Ghana , Australia , Canada and South America All-share offer by Gold Fields at an Exchange Ratio of 0.6 Gold Fields Consideration Shares for each Yamana share implying a valuation for Yamana of US$6.7 billion JOHANNESBURG, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Gold Fields Limited (JSE,NYSE: GFI) ("Gold Fields") and Yamana Gold Inc. (TSX:YRI) (NYSE:AUY) (LSE:AUY) ("Yamana"), today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement (the "Arrangement Agreement"), under which Gold Fields will acquire all of the outstanding common shares of Yamana ("Yamana Shares") pursuant to a plan of arrangement (the "Transaction"). A full media release is available on the company website: www.goldfields.com For more information, please contact: Gold Fields Investors Avishkar Nagaser, EVP, Investor Relations and Corporate Affairs Tel: +27 11 562 9775 Mobile: +27 82 312 8692 Email: [email protected] Thomas Mengel, Manager, Investor Relations Tel: +27 11 562 9849 Mobile: +27 72 493 5170 Email: [email protected] Gold Fields Media Sven Lunsche, Vice President Corporate Affairs Tel: +27 11 562 9763 Mobile: +27 83 2609279 Email: [email protected] Investors BofA Securities (Financial advisor to Gold Fields) Ben Davies / Peter Surr / Christos Tomaras / Anthony Knox Tel: +44 20 7628 1000 Media Brunswick Group (Communications advisor to Gold Fields) Johannesburg: Timothy Schultz Tel: +27 82 309 2497 London: Pip Green / Nick Bias / Tom Pigott Tel: +44 20 7404 5959 North America: Emily Levin / Nikki Ritchie Tel: +1 202 617 8582 / Tel: +1 845 682 9850 Yamana Gold Gerardo Fernandez, SVP, Corporate Development and Investor Relations Tel: 416-815-0220 Mobile: +1 888 809 0925 Email: [email protected] FTI Consulting (UK Public Relations / Communications advisor to Yamana) Sara Powell / Ben Brewerton Tel: +44 7931 765 223 / +44 203 727 1000 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Gold Fields Limited The official motto of Greatness Digital is, "If You Serve Seniors, We Serve You". A perfect fit for the senior care industry's newest go-to agency for digital marketing. ALBANY, Ore., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Greatness Digital, a digital marketing agency located in Oregon, has announced the official pivot of their firm towards the senior care and senior living industries. After opening its doors in 2020 as a high-impact marketing agency, Greatness Digital thrived serving clients in all different industries, becoming a leader, and establishing a reputation that is truly reflective of its name, Greatness! "The approach that we take requires us to really get to know our clients and their business, but we were stretching ourselves too thin to really be Great in every industry, so we decided to focus on our roots, our passion," says Digital Stuntman and founder Zeth Owen. The company's leadership announced in May that it would look to exclusively serve the senior care industry. The company's founder, Zeth Owen, spent 10 years of his career working with seniors and their families. "The agency first came into being because senior care & senior living companies need a trusted source to create a digital strategy post Covid-19 and we knew we could be that source." Please visit greatnessdigital.com to learn more about our team and our mission. About Greatness Digital Our approach to digital marketing is as unique as the individuals being served. We know that marketing in senior care is much different than "generalist" agencies understand and that it's important any outsourced marketing efforts have a high touch feel. We started in the senior care industry because of a passion for serving seniors ourselves. Greatness Digital continues that passion work through helping companies communicate their greatness and attract more consumers for the long run. Greatness Digital takes a hands on and collaborative approach working with companies to unleash their greatness. Media Contact: Zeth Owen 725 Hickory Street NW #101 Albany, OR 97321 (503) 914-4564 [email protected] SOURCE Greatness Digital BANGALORE, India, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Healthcare Interoperability Solutions market is segmented by Type (EHR Interoperability, Health Information Exchange, Enterprise) and Application (Hospitals, Medical Centers, Free-standing Reference Laboratories, Home health Agencies) : : Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20222028. It is published in Valuates Reports under the Health Category. The Global Healthcare Interoperability Solutions market size is projected to reach USD 3440.1 million by 2028, from US$ 1925.7 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 8.2% during 2022-2028. Major factors driving the growth of the Healthcare Interoperability Solutions market The healthcare interoperability solutions market is predicted to develop due to the rising demand for patient-centered, value-driven care that improves health outcomes while lowering costs. Healthcare interoperability also smoothens communication between different entities. Get Your Sample Today: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/QYRE-Auto-2M6336/Global_Healthcare_Interoperability_Solutions TRENDS INFLUENCING THE GROWTH OF THE HEALTHCARE INTEROPERABILITY SOLUTION MARKET By sharing crucial health data among hospitals, payers, labs, vendors, and public health registries, healthcare interoperability can boost productivity while lowering costs and errors. This not only improves the lives of medical professionals and staff in the healthcare system but also improves the patient experience. Interoperability in healthcare is critical for smooth communication between clinicians, patients, and their families. This factor is expected to drive the growth of the Healthcare Interoperability Solutions market. When interoperability solutions are scaled across a health system, patient outcomes are positively impacted, care delivery is streamlined and financial performance is amplified. This factor is expected to further drive the growth of the interoperability solutions market. Interoperability in healthcare reduces paperwork for employees and eliminates the need for human data entry. By facilitating seamless health data exchange, interoperability solutions are seamlessly taking over labor-intensive tasks backlogged in EHR inboxes, reducing the number of tasks that require manual touches, reducing redundant testing, and eliminating the burden placed on physicians by providers and payers. Additionally, doctors using real-time patient data have a more holistic perspective of patients, may minimize medical errors, participate in, and conduct seamless care partnerships, and more. In essence, healthcare interoperability allows health institutions to build the technology infrastructure needed to maximize the value of their EHR data and provide more comprehensive care. Compliance is an important driving factor for healthcare interoperability market growth. Hospitals are balancing the need for patient health data to be available with the requirement to protect patient privacy as the number of cybersecurity assaults on healthcare institutions rises. Browse The Table Of Contents And List Of Figures At: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-2M6336/global-healthcare-interoperability-solutions HEALTHCARE INTEROPERABILITY SOLUTION MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS Based on application, the Hospital segment is expected to be the most lucrative. This can be attributed to supportive government policies. During the forecast period, Asia Pacific is expected to increase at a faster rate. Major reasons driving growth in this region include expanding medical tourism, rising demand for better healthcare, and rising government expenditure on healthcare facilities. Furthermore, in densely populated nations like India and China, a huge patient pool creates a large volume of patient data each year, necessitating effective data sharing between pharmacies and hospitals. Inquire for Regional Report: https://reports.valuates.com/request/regional/QYRE-Auto-2M6336/Global_Healthcare_Interoperability_Solutions Key Players Cerner Infor Allscripts Healthcare Koninklijke Philips InterSystems Orion Health Group Interfaceware Quality Systems OSP Inquire for Chaptercost: https://reports.valuates.com/request/chaptercost/QYRE-Auto-2M6336/Global_Healthcare_Interoperability_Solutions Buy Now for Single User + Covid-19 Impact : https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Auto-2M6336&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 Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Healthcare Market was valued at USD 4,836.87 Million in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 99,491.58 Million by 2027, registering a CAGR of 42.8% from 2020 to 2027. - The Global Healthcare Gamification market size is projected to reach USD 6094 Million by 2027, from USD 892.2 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 31.0% during the forecast period 2021-2027. - The Global Augmented and Virtual Reality in Healthcare Market size is projected to reach USD 4367 million by 2027, from USD 962.6 million in 2020, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 23.6% during 2021-2027. - The Global Digital Healthcare market size is projected to reach USD 95430 Million by 2026, from USD 77240 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 22.4% during 2021-2026. - The Global Digital Therapeutics Market size was valued at USD 2.88 Billion in 2019 and is expected to reach USD 13.80 Billion by 2027 with a CAGR of 20.5% during the forecast period. - The Global Healthcare Analytics market size was valued at USD 23.51 Billion in 2020 and is projected to reach USD96.90 Billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 15.3% from 2021 to 2030. - The Global Connected Healthcare market size is projected to reach USD 182300 million by 2027, from USD 58330 million in 2020, at a CAGR of 17.2% during 2021-2027. - The Global healthcare information technology (IT) market size was valued at USD 250,577.15 million in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 880,688.75 million by 2030, registering a CAGR of 13.3% from 2021 to 2030. - The Global Digital Pathology market size is projected to reach USD 1742.7 million by 2028, from USD 729 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 13.1% during 2022-2028. - The Global Healthcare Reimbursement market size is projected to reach USD 8736100 million by 2028, from USD 4139480 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 10.8% during 2022-2028. - The Global Healthcare Business intelligence market size is projected to reach USD 8379.9 million by 2027 from USD 4205.7 million in 2020 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 9.9% during the forecast period 2021-2027. - The Global Healthcare Supply Chain Management market size is projected to reach US$ 4225.6 million by 2027, from US$ 2267.5 million in 2020, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 9.3% during the forecast period 2021-2027. - The Global Medical Tubing market size is estimated to be worth USD 8136.6 million in 2022 and is forecast to be a readjusted size of USD 13570 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 8.9% during the review period. - The Global Electronic Health Records market size is projected to reach USD 47.25 Billion by 2027, from USD 29.16 Billion in 2020, at a CAGR of 7.14% during 2021-2027. - The Global Hospital Asset Tracking and Inventory Management Systems market size is projected to reach US$ 23650 million by 2027, from US$ 18880 million in 2020, at a CAGR of 2.8% during 2021-2027. - The Global Compounding Pharmacies market size is projected to reach US$ 13500 million by 2027, from US$ 11180 million in 2020, at a CAGR of 2.7% during 2021-2027. Click here to see related reports on Healthcare Interoperability Solutions 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 [email protected] 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 SOURCE Valuates Reports During the first quarter, sales of 2.7 BCM of natural gas were made from the Leviathan reservoir, generating an operating profit of $49 million and net profits of $28 million The introduction of the additional transmission route to Egypt allowed record demand in the export markets to be met, resulting in regional sales of 1.8 BCM during the quarter From the beginning of the year, and until the report release date, 4.5 BCM of natural gas were sold from the Leviathan reservoir TEL AVIV, Israel, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ratio Energies (TASE: RATI-L), which holds 15% of the Leviathan natural gas reservoir, reports results for the first quarter of 2022. Revenues and operating profit in this quarter totaled $82 million and $49 million respectively, up 14% over the same quarter last year. Ratio's net profit for the first quarter was $28 million, representing an increase of 12% over the same quarter last year. During the first quarter, 2.7 BCM of natural gas were sold from the Leviathan reservoir, of which 1.8 BCM were exported to Egypt and Jordan. From the beginning of the year and until the report release date, 4.5 BCM of natural gas were sold from the Leviathan reservoir. The growth in sales was facilitated by the introduction of an additional transmission route in early March between Israel and Egypt via Jordan Naturel gas was sold at an average price of $5.59 per MMBtu compared to $4.91 in the same quarter last year, an increase of 14% which directly affected the profit line recorded by the partnership. The increase in the average price is mainly due to a change in the sales mix in favor of exports which are affected by, among others, oil prices. The rise in the oil prices in recent months should also be expressed in a rise in the average price of natural gas to the export markets in the second quarter of 2022. During the quarter, drilling of the "Leviathan-8" well commenced, which will enable maximization of the potential volumes of gas for sale while also increasing reservoir redundancy when it joins the four existing production wells. In this quarter, Ratio continued to maintain its high cash balances which stood, as of the end of the quarter, at $222 million, $21 million more than at the end of the previous quarter. The partnership is working to start distribution of profits to the unit holders based on its financial results for 2022. Yigal Landau, CEO of Ratio Energies : "2022 continues the trend of peak demand of the past year, resulting in another strong quarter for Ratio in sales and export combined with an increase in the average price of natural gas. The agreement we signed during the first quarter to open an additional natural gas transmission route to Egypt via Jordan is proving itself and enables us to respond to the growing demand for natural gas from customers in countries in the region alongside regular delivery to the local market. We believe that the Leviathan reservoir will be able to contribute to gas supplies to European countries as part of the process of diversifying supply sources. Accordingly, we continue to work with the Leviathan partners on selecting the best alternative for the development of Stage 1B, which will enable a significant increase in production and sales from the reservoir." Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1777783/Ratio_Energies_Logo.jpg SOURCE Ratio Energies Limited Partnership analysis Cannabis is a drug crop with a long history in Africa. Alongside coca and opium poppy, it has been subjected to international control for nearly a century. The International Opium Convention of 1925 institutionalised the international control system and extended the scope of control to cannabis. In 1961 a new international convention was adopted to replace the existing multilateral treaties for control of narcotic drugs. The prohibitionist framework it provided for control of cannabis was adopted by post-colonial African states. These official efforts succeeded in driving cannabis production underground and limiting its contribution to citizens' livelihoods. But they failed to eradicate the crop. Paradoxically, many African states that persecuted citizens for cannabis related offences for years are now promoting legal cannabis production. Over the past five years 10 countries have passed laws to legalise production for medical and scientific purposes. These include Lesotho, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Ghana, Eswatini, Rwanda and Morocco. South Africa has also legalised the private growing of cannabis plants by adults for their own personal consumption. The cannabis policy liberalisation in Africa has been brought about by two main factors. One is the lobbying by local activists. Cannabis use is still criminalised in most African countries. But even in the most conservative ones there are emerging debates ultimately aimed at spurring cannabis policy reforms. The other factor is the emergence of the global legal cannabis industry projected to grow to nearly US$200 billion by 2028. For state authorities, policy changes are aimed at opening avenues for scarce foreign exchange revenue critically needed to boost stagnating economies. But there are still policy and practical concerns requiring attention if the cannabis sector reforms are to have a positive impact on the economy and citizens' livelihoods. These include the need to ensure participation of ordinary producers in the legal cannabis sector. This is because the emerging regulation frameworks seem to favour corporate businesses over smallholder farmers. Winds of change The liberalisation of the cannabis policy in Africa is primarily for production for medical and scientific purposes. Production, trade and consumption of cannabis outside of these purposes remain criminalised. The production by many smallholder farmers, who historically were custodians of the cannabis plant and knowledge, is not covered by the new regulations. It means their cannabis related livelihoods are still in contravention of the laws. Among other conditions, producers must acquire a license from state authorities. There are various types of licenses and fees for cannabis manufacture, distribution and research. These can range from US$5,000 to US$50,000 in Zimbabwe. In South Africa the gazetted fees range from R9 200 (US$579.27) for an export permit to R25 200 (US$1,586.69) for the manufacture permit. The highest licence fees have been reported in Lesotho and Uganda. Here, they range from hundreds of thousands of dollars to a couple of million dollars. The average farmer in these countries can't afford these kinds of fees. Additional requirements include tax clearance certificates, bank guarantees, compliance with cultivation guidelines and security guarantees. For authorities, these preconditions are designed to secure an end-product that could be easily "abused" if not properly regulated. They seem to be aimed also at ensuring that governments do not lose on tax revenues from the emerging industry. However, the limited scope of legal production, the high license fees and business set-up costs and other conditions are likely to limit participation of many smallholder producers who lack resources to set up legal cannabis businesses. The emerging picture We are involved in a pan-African research project which aims to develop a deeper understanding of cannabis in Africa. We focus not only on its "traditional" uses, but on its contemporary growth as an economic cash crop, and source of livelihoods in a global context where drug policy is in flux. Run jointly by the universities of Bristol and Cape Town, the project is gathering new empirical data in Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa. This will be used to examine the historical and contemporary place of cannabis in African rural and urban settings. Our research also involves capturing the experiences of ordinary citizens, beyond the official narrative of medical and scientific production. Our initial observations show that the risk of corporate capture of the legal cannabis industry, and exclusion of smallholder producers, is serious. Because the license fees are high, many smallholder producers cannot afford them. This leaves corporate businesses as the main holders of licences. In Uganda, for instance, only one company is currently licensed by the government to produce medical cannabis. The strict regulations include a minimum capital of US$5 million and a bank guarantee. This is clearly a deterrent to most aspiring producers. In Zimbabwe, the government licensed dozens of new investors for cultivation and processing of medical cannabis in 2021. The beneficiaries are established agribusinesses and large-scale commercial farmers. Similar concerns in Malawi and South Africa led small farmers to protest against the licensing process in November 2020 and April 2021. Jacob Nyirongo, the chief executive officer for the Farmers Union of Malawi, argued: The question is, if you buy a license at $10,000 what kind of market price for cannabis (must) a farmer (get) to make a profit? Other conditions attached to licenses are also obstacles for smallholder producers. For South Africa, applicants need to comply with certification, be registered, and provide police clearance, among other conditions. Police clearance, in particular, may affect those with past criminal records for the illegal production, possession or consumption of cannabis. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa Business Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Towards an inclusive cannabis future Early insights from our research show an emerging legal cannabis industry with a limited role for smallholder producers. This limits the industry's ability to contribute to livelihoods of the poor and the majority more widely. Further, the limiting of legal cannabis production to medical and scientific purposes excludes production activities of many existing smallholder producers. This perpetuates their criminalisation. It also creates a dual model where established businesses benefit from the reforms while small producers' activities remain outlawed and suppressed. Legalising cannabis production for medical purposes is all very well. But ensuring the participation of ordinary citizens and producers in the industry is the big challenge facing African states. The risk of corporate capture of the industry is a real possibility. Clemence Rusenga, Research Associate, University of Bristol; Gernot Klantschnig, Associate Professor in International Criminology, University of Bristol; Neil Carrier, Associate Professor in Social Anthropology, Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Bristol, and Simon Howell, Research Fellow, Global Risk Governance Programme, University of Cape Town Jury: Spring man fatally shot neighbor for helping his estranged wife leave abusive marriage HOUSTON, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A Spring man who fatally shot his neighbor in what police say was an act of revenge for helping his estranged wife leave an abusive marriage has been hit with a $70 million wrongful death verdict. Jurors in a Harris County district court deliberated less than two hours before finding Hector Campos liable for the January 2017 shooting death of 53-year-old Ana Weed. During three days of trial, trial lawyer Bill Ogden of Houston-based Farrar & Ball presented evidence that Mr. Campos shot Ms. Weed as revenge for helping his estranged wife leave with the couple's 1-year-old child. "The family that Ana left behind will forever be affected by what this man did, so this verdict while important is a small degree of justice," Mr. Ogden said. "We're now hoping the jurors in his upcoming criminal trial send him where he belongs prison." According to court files and police reports, the shooting occurred in the 3400 block of Mourning Drive during a verbal altercation between the two next-door neighbors in the front yards of the two homes. Although Mr. Campos had claimed self-defense, jurors heard evidence that Ms. Weed was not armed and was wearing a body brace from recent neck surgery and had limited mobility. The jury's May 25 award for damages included $20 million each between Ms. Weed's surviving husband, son and mother and $10 million for her estate. The case is Scottie Weed et al. v Hector Arturo Campos, Cause No. 2017-19225 in the 269th District Court of Harris County. Mr. Campos, who is free on bail, faces a murder trial later this summer. Based in Houston, the trial lawyers at Farrar & Ball LLP have hard-earned expertise in cases against global vehicle and tire manufacturers over product defects that can cause significant injury or death. The firm is a nationwide leader in securing verdicts and settlements against the world's largest tire and vehicle manufacturers. For more information, visit www.fbtrial.com. Media Contact: Robert Tharp 214-420-6011 [email protected] SOURCE Farrar & Ball Expanded product line adds heavier payload capability to address new use cases with flexible and coordinated, multi-bot integration with fast ROI. AMSTERDAM, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Locus Robotics, the leader in autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for fulfillment warehouses, and 2022 IFOY nominee announced its expanded line of warehouse AMRs. These new form factors join the Locus Origin robot to form a comprehensive family of AMRs that meet a broad range of warehouse use cases from ecommerce, case-picking, and pallet-picking to scenarios requiring larger, heavier payloads to support the full range of product movement needs in today's fulfillment and distribution warehouses. "The new LocusBots allow us to further help our clients alleviate significant labor challenges and achieve optimal productivity by using the right bot for the job," said Rick Faulk, CEO of Locus Robotics. "Locus continues to be the proven leader in developing highly productive and innovative AMR technology that efficiently solves our customers' needs for total warehouse optimization, while delivering a fast time to value." The LocusBots are fully integrated within LocusOne, the intelligent, multi-bot warehouse orchestration platform that delivers predictable, efficient, and scalable productivity and cost optimization for all product movement within the four walls of the warehouse. The platform seamlessly centralizes and coordinates a dynamic, multi-bot fleet while also providing detailed, forward-looking, and actionable business intelligence and reporting for effective management and planning. All LocusBots will be available through the company's all-inclusive, Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) pricing model and can be added to existing and new workflows, enabling operations to dynamically scale and adapt to changing market demands. "The extended product family cements Locus's position as the international industry AMR leader for the automation and digitalization of warehouses, distribution, and fulfillment centers," said Denis Niezgoda, Vice President, Europe. "As operators work to meet increasing order volumes, labor shortages, and rising consumer expectations, Locus AMRs are able to deliver the right robot for the job to meet current and future market demands." For more information, please visit http://www.locusrobotics.com. About Locus Robotics Locus Robotics' revolutionary, multi-bot solution incorporates powerful and intelligent autonomous mobile robots that operate collaboratively with human workers to dramatically improve piece-handling productivity 2X to 3x, with less labor compared to traditional piece handling systems. This award-winning solution helps retailers, 3PLs, and specialty warehouses efficiently meet and exceed the increasingly complex and demanding requirements of fulfillment environments, easily integrating into existing warehouse infrastructures and greenfield, new builds without disrupting workflows. With headquarters in Wilmington, MA (USA) and Amsterdam, Locus Robotics is a member of the Inc. 500. For more information, visit www.locusrobotics.com. CONTACT: Christina Gorini [email protected] SOURCE Locus Robotics These amendments were driven by recently published research and were crafted and approved by the ADA's Professional Practice Committee, which is responsible for developing the Standards of Care. Updates to Section 10, Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Management, have also been reviewed and approved by the American College of Cardiology, which endorses this section. The Living Standards of Care are available immediately online at Diabetes Care. Updates to the Living Standards of Care include information added to the following sections: Section 10 has been updated to include the evidence from Empagliflozin Outcome Trial in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction (EMPEROR-Preserved), the Dapagliflozin in PRESERVED Ejection Fraction Heart Failure (PRESERVED-HF) trial , the Efficacy and Safety of Finerenone in Subjects With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Diabetic Kidney Disease (FIDELIO-DKD) trial , and the Efficacy and Safety of Finerenone in Subjects With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and the Clinical Diagnosis of Diabetic Kidney Disease (FIGARO-DKD) trial . has been updated to include the evidence from the , the , and the . Section 11 has been amended to include the evidence from Empagliflozin Outcome Trial in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction (EMPEROR-Preserved) trial, the Efficacy and Safety of Finerenone in Subjects With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Diabetic Kidney Disease (FIDELIO-DKD) trial, and the Efficacy and Safety of Finerenone in Subjects With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and the Clinical Diagnosis of Diabetic Kidney Disease (FIGARO-DKD) trial, as well as the NKF-ASN Task Force recommendations on reassessing the inclusion of race in diagnosing kidney disease. "This is the fifth year that we are able to update the Standards of Care after it has been published through our Living Standards of Care updates, making it possible to give diabetes care providers the most important information and the latest evidence relevant to their practice," said Dr. Robert Gabbay, chief scientific and medical officer for the ADA. "With approximately 537 million adults living with diabetes around the world, it's important to equip providers with the newest research through our guidelines as we learn more." The Standards of Care provides the latest in comprehensive, evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of children and adults with type 1, type 2, or gestational diabetes; strategies to improve the prevention or delay of type 2 diabetes; and therapeutic approaches that reduce complications and positively affect health outcomes. In 2018, the ADA began updating and revising the online version of the Standards of Care throughout the year with annotations for new evidence or regulatory changes that merit immediate incorporation. The online version of the Standards of Care now includes any research updates or policy changes that are approved throughout 2022. The complete, annotated Standards of Care, which includes updates made today, can be accessed online at Diabetes Care. The Abridged Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes has also been updated and can be accessed online at Clinical Diabetes. About Diabetes Care Diabetes Care, a monthly journal of the ADA, is the highest-ranked, peer-reviewed journal in the field of diabetes treatment and prevention. Dedicated to increasing knowledge, stimulating research, and promoting better health care for people with diabetes, the journal publishes original articles on human studies in clinical care, education, and nutrition; epidemiology, health services and psychosocial research; emerging treatments and technologies; and pathophysiology and complications. Diabetes Care also publishes the ADA's recommendations and statements, clinically relevant review articles, editorials, and commentaries. Topics covered are of interest to clinically oriented physicians, researchers, epidemiologists, psychologists, diabetes care and education specialists, and other health care professionals. About the American Diabetes Association The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is the nation's leading voluntary health organization fighting to bend the curve on the diabetes epidemic and help people living with diabetes thrive. For 81 years, the ADA has driven discovery and research to treat, manage, and prevent diabetes while working relentlessly for a cure. Through advocacy, program development, and education we aim to improve the quality of life for the over 133 million Americans living with diabetes or prediabetes. Diabetes has brought us together. What we do next will make us Connected for Life. To learn more or to get involved, visit us at diabetes.org or call 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383). Join the fight with us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Spanish Facebook (Asociacion Americana de la Diabetes), LinkedIn (American Diabetes Association), Twitter (@AmDiabetesAssn), and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn). Contact: Daisy Diaz, 703-253-4807 [email protected] SOURCE American Diabetes Association OLD BRIDGE, N.J., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hema Vyas, MD has been appointed as the new medical director at Innerspace Counseling of Old Bridge, New Jersey. Dr. Vyas is a board-certified psychiatrist with over 15 years of experience working in the mental health field. Her specialty includes holistic psychiatric care for children, adolescents, and adults. The team at Innerspace Counseling is excited to have her on board and looks forward to the contributions she will make in her new role. Learn more about Dr. Hema Vyas and the rest of the dedicated staff of Innerspace Counseling at https://www.innerspacecounseling.com/about-us/our-dedicated-staff . Innerspace Counseling Most recently, Dr. Vyas served as a Psychiatrist and the Psychiatric Director in Freehold, New Jersey. While in the role for 12 years, she focused primarily on an intensive outpatient program (IOP) for children, adolescents, and adults, as well as chemical dependency psychiatric care. In her new role as Medical Director for Innerspace Counseling, Dr. Vyas will be responsible for leading the clinical team and providing expert medical oversight of all client care. She will also work closely with the counseling staff to ensure that each client receives top-quality, comprehensive care. Having Dr. Vyas on the team is a significant appointment for Innerspace Counseling, as it solidifies their commitment to providing the highest quality of care. Dr. Vyas's experience and expertise will be a valuable asset to the team, and they are confident that she will help them continue to provide the excellent level of care that their clients have come to expect. About Innerspace Counseling: Innerspace Counseling is a mental health counseling center located in Old Bridge, New Jersey. They offer a variety of counseling services for children, adolescents, and adults. Their goal is to provide comprehensive, holistic care that addresses the mind, body, and spirit. Innerspace Counseling uses a technique known as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to help patients cope with difficult emotions and behaviors. DBT is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy that focuses on building skills to manage emotions, improve relationships, and reduce self-destructive behaviors. Innerspace Counseling is proud to offer this effective treatment to its clients. Additionally, Innerspace Counseling is proud to offer intensive outpatient programs, or IOP services, for adolescent, teen, and adult clients. These outpatient programs include three sessions per week and offer holistic support and assistance for those struggling with mental health issues. To learn more about the services offered and treatment specialties at Innerspace Counseling, please visit https://www.innerspacecounseling.com/ . If you or someone you know is in need of non-emergency mental health care and counseling in the Old Bridge, New Jersey area, please contact Innerspace Counseling at 732-332-8270 or visit their website at https://www.innerspacecounseling.com/contact-us to schedule an appointment. Contact: Melissa Maranzano [email protected] 732-332-8270 SOURCE Innerspace Counseling DUBLIN, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Policy Management Software Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global policy management software market reached a value of US$1.33 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$3.04 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 13.7% during 2022-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, they are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic on different end use industries. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor Policy management software refers to the technological solution used for creating, communicating and maintaining organizational policies and procedures. It enables the enterprises to centralize policies, optimize stakeholder involvement and transfer information efficiently. The software is commonly used for document review and approval, automated reminder notifications, electronic approval signatures and document versioning and revision tracking. It aids in enhancing the accessibility of the policies and protecting the enterprise from litigations and financial risks. The software can be deployed through the web or on the cloud that provides additional security for sensitive documents and data. As a result, it is widely used across various industries, such as banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), information technology (IT), energy, healthcare, manufacturing and retail Policy Management Software Market Trends: Significant growth in the healthcare industry across the globe is one of the key factors creating a positive outlook for the market. As the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to spread, there has been a substantial increase in the demand for efficient information management solutions across the medical centers. Small, medium and large-scale enterprises are also widely adopting policy management software to monitor employee performance and record risk impact for policy exemption. It is also utilized for automating the management of new regulations and policies and enhancing the overall organizational efficiency. Additionally, the increasing implementation of machine-to-machine communications is acting as another growth-inducing factor. Service providers are also integrating various value-added services with the software application programming interface (API) for document access controls and policy status reporting. Other factors, including extensive improvements in the IT infrastructure, along with the increasing adoption of subscriber data management solutions, are anticipated to drive the market toward growth Competitive Landscape: The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise International SAS (China Hoaxin Post and Telecom Technologies Co. Limited), Amdocs Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., Comarch SA, ConvergePoint Inc., Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., Intracom S.A. Telecom Solutions, Juniper Networks Inc., Nokia Corporation, Optiva Inc., Oracle Corporation and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson Key Questions Answered in This Report: How has the global policy management software market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years? What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global policy management software market? What are the key regional markets? What is the breakup of the market based on the component? What is the breakup of the market based on the deployment model? What is the breakup of the market based on the enterprise size? What is the breakup of the market based on the industry vertical? What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry? What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry? What is the structure of the global policy management software market and who are the key players? What is the degree of competition in the industry? Key Topics Covered: 1 Preface 2 Scope and Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Introduction 4.1 Overview 4.2 Key Industry Trends 5 Global Policy Management Software Market 5.1 Market Overview 5.2 Market Performance 5.3 Impact of COVID-19 5.4 Market Forecast 6 Market Breakup by Component 6.1 Solution 6.1.1 Market Trends 6.1.2 Market Forecast 6.2 Services 6.2.1 Market Trends 6.2.2 Market Forecast 7 Market Breakup by Deployment Model 7.1 On-premises 7.1.1 Market Trends 7.1.2 Market Forecast 7.2 Cloud-based 7.2.1 Market Trends 7.2.2 Market Forecast 8 Market Breakup by Enterprise Size 8.1 Large Enterprises 8.1.1 Market Trends 8.1.2 Market Forecast 8.2 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises 8.2.1 Market Trends 8.2.2 Market Forecast 9 Market Breakup by Industry Vertical 9.1 BFSI 9.1.1 Market Trends 9.1.2 Market Forecast 9.2 IT and Telecom 9.2.1 Market Trends 9.2.2 Market Forecast 9.3 Energy and Utilities 9.3.1 Market Trends 9.3.2 Market Forecast 9.4 Healthcare 9.4.1 Market Trends 9.4.2 Market Forecast 9.5 Government and Defense 9.5.1 Market Trends 9.5.2 Market Forecast 9.6 Manufacturing 9.6.1 Market Trends 9.6.2 Market Forecast 9.7 Retail 9.7.1 Market Trends 9.7.2 Market Forecast 9.8 Others 9.8.1 Market Trends 9.8.2 Market Forecast 10 Market Breakup by Region 11 SWOT Analysis 12 Value Chain Analysis 13 Porters Five Forces Analysis 14 Price Analysis 15 Competitive Landscape 15.1 Market Structure 15.2 Key Players 15.3 Profiles of Key Players 15.3.1 Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise International SAS (China Huaxin Post and Telecom Technologies Co. Limited) 15.3.1.1 Company Overview 15.3.1.2 Product Portfolio 15.3.2 Amdocs Inc. 15.3.2.1 Company Overview 15.3.2.2 Product Portfolio 15.3.2.3 SWOT Analysis 15.3.3 Cisco Systems Inc. 15.3.3.1 Company Overview 15.3.3.2 Product Portfolio 15.3.3.3 Financials 15.3.3.4 SWOT Analysis 15.3.4 Comarch SA 15.3.4.1 Company Overview 15.3.4.2 Product Portfolio 15.3.4.3 Financials 15.3.5 ConvergePoint Inc. 15.3.5.1 Company Overview 15.3.5.2 Product Portfolio 15.3.6 Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. 15.3.6.1 Company Overview 15.3.6.2 Product Portfolio 15.3.6.3 SWOT Analysis 15.3.7 Intracom S.A. Telecom Solutions 15.3.7.1 Company Overview 15.3.7.2 Product Portfolio 15.3.8 Juniper Networks Inc. 15.3.8.1 Company Overview 15.3.8.2 Product Portfolio 15.3.8.3 Financials 15.3.8.4 SWOT Analysis 15.3.9 Nokia Corporation 15.3.9.1 Company Overview 15.3.9.2 Product Portfolio 15.3.10 Optiva Inc. 15.3.10.1 Company Overview 15.3.10.2 Product Portfolio 15.3.10.3 Financials 15.3.11 Oracle Corporation 15.3.11.1 Company Overview 15.3.11.2 Product Portfolio 15.3.11.3 Financials 15.3.11.4 SWOT Analysis 15.3.12 Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson 15.3.12.1 Company Overview 15.3.12.2 Product Portfolio 15.3.12.3 Financials 15.3.12.4 SWOT Analysis For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/or6quc Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets When it comes to the question that "Did you know that young adults could sign a rental contract without parents' permission" based on the fact that the legal adult age has been lowered to 18 years old in Japan . Around 40% of the people being researched answered with "No". . Around 40% of the people being researched answered with "No". 57.1%, expressed their worries about this change. 67.6% of the people feel positive about the change. The reason for this is that "An 18-year-old is mature enough to take responsibility for themselves." In which there are also many 18-year-old already started to support themselves as adults. 77.7% of the people expressed their worries as "most people do not have much knowledge about the real estate market and how does it work." More than 80% of the people answered that they hope "the realtor should take the responsibility and explain as detailed as possible regarding the basic flow of a rental contract, rules and anything that a client needs to know. (especially to young adults)" 1. Changes it brought to the rental & lease market along the change of the legal adult age About 96.1% of the people researched confirmed that they do know the change about change that the legal adult age has been lowered to 18-year-old from the original 20-year-old started from April 1st, 2022, in Japanese citizen law, When it comes to the question" Did you know young adults could sign a rental contract without parents' permission once they reached 18?" 62.5% answered "Yes", while 37.5% answered with "No". We can see that about 40% of the people do know that the legal adult age has been lowered, but some people do not know the changes it also brings to the real estate contract process. 2How do you feel about the fact that an 18-year-old could sign a rental contract without parents' permission? About 45.9% of the people expressed that "they are a little bit worry" about an 18-year-old is in charge of a rental contract on his / her own without parents' permission. 29% showed that "overall they are more or less lean towards the positive side of the change." 13.9% believe that "the change is definitely a good sign." 11.2% answered that "they are certainly worried about such a change." We could see that overall, 57.1% which is more than half of the people are feeling some kind of anxiety about the change. 3Following the question above, what is your reason for that? There are 67.7% of the people believe that it is either certainly good or overall positive about such a change. People believe that many 18-year-old already entered the workforce to support themselves as adults, and they should be able to take the responsibility to determine a rental contract by themselves. 47.7% answered that "An 18-year-old should be mature enough to make a decision on their own." While 38.7 % of the people believe that by deciding a house contract on their own will be a lesson to these young adults about "what a sense of responsibility is." On the other hand, 77.7% of the people worried that an 18-year-olds usually does not have much knowledge about the real estate market and how it works exactly. 70.9% worried that young adults usually do not have a stable finance to afford a rent or any expenses that come with a rental contract. While 57.4% pointed out that many 18-year-olds are still high school students and do not have the ability to support themselves independently. Why do you think it is good for young adults to be able to take charge of a rental contract all by themselves? 67.7%: "There are many 18-year-old already started to support themselves as adults" 47.7%:" An 18-year-old is old enough to make decisions for oneself" 38.7%:" By deciding a contract for themselves can teach these young adults a sense of responsibility" 12.6%:" Most countries set 18 as the legal adult age so why not Japan?" 9%:" A rental contract usually does not cost as much as a purchasing contract, and it is easier to terminate the contract if you want / must" Why do you feel anxious about such a change? 77.7%: "Most 18-year-old don't know much about how real estate transaction works" 70.9%: "It is worrisome that young adults might not have the money to pay the rent and other expenses" 57.4%: "Many 18-year-old are still high school students which don't have the money to support themselves" 53.4%:" Young adults have to be careful not to get fooled around or becoming the target by / of some of the realtors" 29.7%:" I just do not think it is OK to change the legal adult age suddenly. It is just worrisome" 4. Advice for young adults when signing a rental contract 69.1% hoping that realtors should take the responsibility and explain the details to these young adults to make the whole process as smooth as possible. 64.5% of the people worried that these young adults might get into trouble even for crimes if not paying attention to the details of the contract. 60.2% expressed their worries that it will be difficult to terminate a contract once it has been signed. 69.1%: "Realtors should explain the contracting process, rules etc. as much detailed as possible" 64.5%: "Young adults should watch out for themselves not to get into troubles when signing a contract" 60.2%: "Young adults should be careful that sometimes it might be difficult to terminate a contract once you have signed it" 40.5%: "Plan everything you need to do before & after you move accordingly" 25.5%: "Get familiar with the surrounding environment as quick as possible" 5. The responsibility of realtors when helping these first-time contractors 81.1% of the people are requesting the realtors should take the responsibility to explain the rules and process of a rental contract thoroughly in helping these young adults as first-time contractors. While "the delivery of the necessary information and documents to the contractors" comes in second with 62.2%. "An 18-year-old will still need to grant a permission from the parents if the individual is still a student before signing a contract" comes in third with 51.7%. And 38.2% of the people hoping that the realtors could also advise these young adults about the manners, rules, tips when living by themselves the first time. From the list we could see that different advises are given to the young adults in order to prepare them for a smooth transition into living alone by themselves. What about foreigners? There are few advice from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport & Tourism of Japan on finding a house in Japan as a foreigner 2. A guarantor or use of a rental guaranteed company is usually required : A guarantor is often required when a foreigner decided to sign a rental contract for a Japanese house. Most rental properties required the applicant to provide a contact information as the guarantor usually an individual who resides in Japan . For those of who are not able to provide a guarantor, a rental guaranteed company is often suggested. Foreigners are also recommended to seek for help from their employers or schools. : A guarantor is often required when a foreigner decided to sign a rental contract for a Japanese house. Most rental properties required the applicant to provide a contact information as the guarantor usually an individual who resides in . For those of who are not able to provide a guarantor, a rental guaranteed company is often suggested. Foreigners are also recommended to seek for help from their employers or schools. The purpose of a guarantor : The purpose of a guarantor is to cover the unpaid expenses including but not limited to unpaid rent or unpaid repair costs when the applicant has difficulty in paying or do not pay the expenses himself / herself. : The purpose of a guarantor is to cover the unpaid expenses including but not limited to unpaid rent or unpaid repair costs when the applicant has difficulty in paying or do not pay the expenses himself / herself. Required documents : The following documents are required when foreigners sign the contract. Passport, residency card, proof of earnings, employment certificate (if applied), student Visa (if applied). Contact information of the guarantor or a rental guaranteed company will also be required if being used. : The following documents are required when foreigners sign the contract. Passport, residency of earnings, employment certificate (if applied), student Visa (if applied). Contact information of the guarantor or a rental guaranteed company will also be required if being used. Required fees : The following payments are usually required when rent a house in Japan . Security deposit, key money, agency fee, damage insurance premium, rent for the first month paid in advance, common management fee. These could vary depending on the property or the location. : The following payments are usually required when rent a house in . Security deposit, key money, agency fee, damage insurance premium, rent for the first month paid in advance, common management fee. These could vary depending on the property or the location. Renewal of the contract : The rental lease agreement in Japan is usually signed for 2 years. There will be a renewal fee involved if the renter plans to continue the agreement. : The rental lease agreement in is usually signed for 2 years. There will be a renewal fee involved if the renter plans to continue the agreement. About "OHEYAGO"https://oheyago.jp/ OHEYAGO is a self-tour house viewing service with 3 main characteristics. Everything can be done online Only offers a property that is definitely available on the market 3 Provides you with great service with a reasonable price4OHEYAGO provides our customers with a fast and smooth house viewing service. House seekers can reserve an appointment 30 minutes prior based on one's own schedule. We offer a complete online service starting from house searching to the final contract signing. Customers can find a house easily all by using a smartphone. What's more is that, with an amendment revision that is going to be enacted on May 18th. Originally, the documents those required to be provided in paper form including the agreement of important matters can be offered in an electronic file5. OHEYAGO is putting its effort in promoting the evolution in the real estate industry of bringing a brand-new way of real estate transaction that is purely online. Data Collection Method Time period: March 24,2022 ~ April 14,2022 Number of answers received: 259 Source of research: OHEYAGO Twitter followers Research method: Online Q1,Q2: single reply only, Q3,Q4,Q5: multiple answers allowed About ITANDI Company name: ITANDI Co.,Ltd. Representative: Shinpei Noguchi Website: https://www.itandi.co.jp/ Head office: 40F of Sumitomo real estate Roppongi Grand Tower, Roppongi 3-2-1, Minato-Ku, Tokyo, Japan Established: June 2012 Capital fund: 36,000,000 JPY Service: The development & operation of "ITANDI BB" : SaaS for the real estate people (B2B) The development & operation of "ITANDI BB +" : SaaS for accelerating the digital transformation of the real estate business (B2B) The development & operation of "OHEYAGO" : a B2C self-tour house hunting site About GA technologies Company: GA technologies Co., Ltd. Representative: Ryo Higuchi URL: https://www.ga-tech.co.jp/en/ Head office: 40F of Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower, Roppongi 3-2-1, Minato District, Tokyo Year of founding: March 2013 Capital fund: 7,224,816,203 JPY (by March 2022) What we do: Running the RENOSY service, an online, one-stop real estate service platform Running the ITANDI BB service, a cloud service targets at real estate management companies Sub companies: ITANDI Co.,Ltd, Modern Standard Co., Ltd, Shenjumiausuan Co.,Ltd and 8 other companies Reference: Promotion video of "OHEYAGO"https://youtu.be/IeolLfS11Yc "OHEYAGO" on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/OHEYAGO "OHEYAGO Journey": Lifestyle magazinehttps://journey.oheyago.jp/ "OHEYAGO App", the iOS versionhttps://apps.apple.com/jp/app/id1561076788 Reference source: Citizen laws amendments; "Revision of the legal adult age"; Ministry of Justice https://www.moj.go.jp/MINJI/minji07_00218.html Reference source: "Housing advises for dealing with foreigners (rental & leasing)" Ministry of Land, Infrastructures, Transport & Tourism https://www.mlit.go.jp/jutakukentiku/house/jutakukentiku_house_tk3_000017.html A usual way of advertising in the real estate market is that sometimes customers would find houses that are actually not available for renting for some reasons or that has been leased out already, even a house that cannot be viewed but is posted online only for advertising purposes etc. Sometimes, these situations happened because of the administrative process on the agency's side or purely for advertising reasons. OHEYAGO is working hard to prevent such a situation from happening to provide the most updated and accurate information to our customers. OHEYAGO is bringing technology into the transaction process with a low rate of commission fee and a total online service. We are hoping to help lowering the expenses our customers have to pay by providing a new business model. Reference source: Revision on "Real estate transaction laws & regulations & laws for protecting elderly customers benefits"; Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism https://www.mlit.go.jp/report/press/tochi_fudousan_kensetsugyo16_hh_000001_00035.html CONTACT: Nami, (+81-90-1503-9158), Judy, GA technologies Co., Ltd., MAIL: [email protected] SOURCE GA technologies Co., Ltd. HARRISONBURG, Va., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- James Madison University's College of Education Secondary Education Post-Baccalaureate Program has created a new accelerated pathway into the teaching profession for aspiring secondary teachers (grades 6 through 12) who are looking to transition into education as a second career. Schools across Virginia and the United States are facing crisis-level teacher shortages that have been exacerbated by the pandemic; education experts warn that staffing shortfalls are expected to get worse in years ahead. Responding to the enormous need for qualified teachers, JMU's Secondary Education Program is taking action to help alleviate teacher shortages by educating aspiring second career teachers who are already in the workforce and inspired to leave their current job, but who may need flexibility as they pursue becoming educators. "Many people during the pandemic have begun to consider changing careers or have always felt drawn to inspire youth through teaching," said Dr. Katie Dredger, associate professor and academic unit head, middle, secondary, and mathematics education at JMU. "As teacher shortages are expected to only get worse, we need this program as another option for adult learners who are aspiring teachers to get their credentials." The unique three-semester graduate licensure program is designed to provide an option that suits the needs of career professionals and adult learners who are inspired to become teachers. Eighteen new teachers have graduated from the program since 2021, and 13 more will graduate in 2023. Originally a hand surgeon in the Shenandoah Valley for 17 years, Dr. Timothy Bill is one of those 18 new teachers. Dr. Bill completed his degree this spring in 18 months and will begin teaching science at Harrisonburg High School in the fall. "The traditional master's programs take more time to complete. Because of how the JMU program is organized, I obtained my degree in 18 months. I am excited to begin teaching at Harrisonburg High School this fall," said Bill. "I always had an interest in basic science and I look forward to teaching chemistry and biology. Thirty years of my life have been as a student. Now I feel it is time to give back to education and honor my former teachers." JMU's College of Education, the second largest public preparer of teachers in Virginia, has more than 100 full-time faculty and more than 3,000 students in teacher licensure programs. SOURCE James Madison University Beethoven's 5th Symphony of Fate Evening 2 June Splendid is the perfect title for this event Performed by Ahmadi Music Group led by Maestro Richard Bushman playing the Fifth Symphony of the great German composer Ludwig van Beethoven in grand style and precise and elaborate performance. The event also includes a specialised lecture on the life of Beethoven and the importance of the Fifth Symphony in the world of music, as well as the art of listening to that symphony and a number of other surprises. Gipsy Kings...The soul of Spain in Kuwait 16, 17 June In the spirit of early Andalusian music and worldwide success spanning 30 years, The Gipsy Kings showcase their music with varied styles, such as rumba mixed with pop effects and Latin music at the strings of jazz guitars via the hands of the famed award-winning and record-holding virtuoso Tonino Baliardo, accompanied by his traditional band and with the participation of two new members, his sons Cosso and Michael. A bunch of the band's most popular and well-known songs await the audience that evening, such as Bamboleo, and the dreamy, romantic Un Amor, among other favourites. As for the great surprise, the band will present their new song Chica Del Sol which will be released for the first time on stage in Kuwait. (Turkish Delights) Different Music Night 20 June Nostalgia may take you to the streets of Old Istanbul or bring you memories of Trabzon's picturesque nature. When this feeling comes to you, a Turkish tunes event is all you need. Composer and virtuoso Qanun player Bassam Al Bloushi, accompanied by a group of talented musicians will carry us to a harmonious world of rich maqams (musical structures) and melodies that evoke the beauty of Turkish music and its original long-standing creations. (MINISTRY OF SCIENCE) Show: Great fun and education for little ones 23, 24, 25 June Since its launch in 2014, the show has toured The World from New Zealand to Portugal, and now taking on Kuwait. It is a show that the whole family can enjoy and is centred around the children's curriculum and aims to inspire them at an early age to be passionate about science in a wonderful, fun and action-packed style so it's loved by adults too. Let your children watch how nitrogen clouds form? What are oxygen and hydrogen balloons? Even a self-built Hovercraft. All in an interactive environment throughout the show. All these events take place at Jaber Al-Ahmed Cultural Centre theatres and the audience can book tickets via the site https://www.jacc-kw.com or the center's app on Apple Store and Google play. Jaber Al-Ahmed Cultural Centre is an architectural and cultural landmark in the heart of Kuwait that opened in 2016 and aims to highlight and showcase local and international arts and creations and is a national centre for culture in the country. It consists of 4 buildings with attractive jewel-inspired design and contains theatres, conference halls, concert halls, exhibition halls and restaurants surrounded by parks and green spaces. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1829321/Jaber_Al_Ahmed_Culture_Centre_Kuwait.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1829320/Jaber_Al_Ahmed_Cultural_Centre_Logo.jpg Contact: Fahad Al-Ibrahim +965 (0)99151540 SOURCE Jaber Al-Ahmed Cultural Centre OSLO, Norway, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kahoot! ASA will host a virtual Investor Day on Wednesday June 1, 2022 beginning at 15:00 CEST/9:00 AM EST/6:00 AM PST or applicable. Kahoot!'s Chief Executive Officer, Eilert Hanoa; Chief Financial Officer, Ken streng; and members of the leadership team at Kahoot! including Clever's newly-appointed Chief Executive Officer, Trish Sparks, will host a series of presentations showing the progress and long term strategy of the Kahoot! Group to achieve its plans and ambitions for future growth. Participants interested in the event can register here . Investor Relations: Jonas Forslund [email protected] Media Relations: Alejandro Viquez [email protected] About Kahoot! Kahoot! is on a mission to make learning awesome! We want to empower everyone, including children, students, and employees to unlock their full learning potential. Our learning platform makes it easy for any individual or corporation to create, share, and host learning sessions that drive compelling engagement. Launched in 2013, Kahoot!'s vision is to build the leading learning platform in the world. Since launch, Kahoot! has hosted hundreds of millions of learning sessions with over 7 billion participants (non-unique) in more than 200 countries and regions. The Kahoot! Group includes Clever, the leading US K-12 EdTech learning platform, together with the learning apps DragonBox, Poio, Drops, Actimo, Motimate, and Whiteboard.fi. The Kahoot! Group is headquartered in Oslo, Norway with offices in the US, the UK, France, Finland, Estonia, Denmark, Spain and Poland. Kahoot! is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker KAHOT. To learn more, visit us at kahoot.com . Let's play! SOURCE Kahoot! PITTSBURGH, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kennametal Inc. (NYSE: KMT) announced today that they will virtually attend the Loop Capital Investor Conference. Details of the conference are as follows: When: Thursday, June 2, 2022 Attendees: Damon Audia, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Kelly Boyer, Vice President, Investor Relations About Kennametal With over 80 years as an industrial technology leader, Kennametal Inc. delivers productivity to customers through materials science, tooling and wear-resistant solutions. Customers across aerospace, earthworks, energy, general engineering and transportation turn to Kennametal to help them manufacture with precision and efficiency. Every day approximately 8,600 employees are helping customers in more than 60 countries stay competitive. Kennametal generated $1.8 billion in revenues in fiscal 2021. Learn more at www.kennametal.com. Follow @Kennametal: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube## SOURCE Kennametal Inc. Pastor Christian Lekoya Kpandei's hand covered in oily mud, Bodo Creek, in 2011. His fish farm once provided a living for about 30 families. Its collapse forced him to move to a single-room apartment, to pull his youngest child out of school and left him with no regular source of income. To win a prize once awarded Nigeria's Ken Saro-Wiwa and Wangari Maathai, renowned Kenyan environmental activist, Chima Williams has for years confronted powerful oil majors who degraded the Niger Delta environment. As an environmental lawyer, Chima Williams has won multiple precedent-setting cases in the last 20 years. One involved a court declaration that gas flaring in the Niger Delta violated the constitution. Another centred on a decades-long effort by a Rivers community to have Agip, the Italian multinational now known as Eni, remove its facility blamed for flooding. In January 2021, a Dutch appeals court delivered the latest victory. After a 13-year legal battle, the Court of Appeal of the Hague held Royal Dutch Shell responsible for oil spills in two communities in the region, agreeing with four farmers represented by Mr. Williams and lawyers in the Netherlands that as the parent company, Shell had an obligation to prevent the spills. The landmark judgement, the first time a Dutch transnational corporation was held accountable for the violations of its subsidiary in another country, opened Shell to legal action from Nigerian communities devastated by the firm's disregard for environmental safety. As if timed, a similar ruling came a month later when the UK Supreme Court affirmed that Nigerian communities could also sue Shell in English courts. Last Wednesday, Mr Williams, executive director of Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, was named one of the winners of the prestigious Goldman Prize for his work - the third Nigerian to win the prize after Ken Saro Wiwa and Odigha Odigha. The Goldman Environmental Prize, also known as the "Green Nobel Prize", is awarded to environmental activists who demonstrated sustained and significant efforts to protect and enhance the natural environment, often at great personal risk. Mr Williams joins an illustrious list of past winners from Africa that also includes Wangari Maathai, renowned Kenyan environmental and political activist, who also won the Nobel prize before her death in 2011. Seeking environmental Justice Mr Williams has been involved in the fight for environmental justice for years, working with other lawyers and activists to take on oil majors accused of abuse. The Niger Delta is reputed as one of the most polluted places on earth, and the Nigerian oil industry records several oil spills annually. It recorded more than 6,800 oil spills between 1976 and 2001, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and two-thirds of some 3 million barrels of spilled oil were never recovered, contaminating water, farms, mangrove forests, and fisheries. While attending the University of Benin where he studied law, Mr Williams founded the Students Environmental Assembly Nigeria in 1998, Nigeria's first-ever student-run environmental justice group. For his activism, he was jailed by the military regime of Sani Abacha, forcing him to miss two school years. His first major case involved gas flaring, the harmful practice of burning gas associated with oil production. Working with Millieudefensie, a Dutch environmental organisation, Mr Williams challenged the Nigerian law that allows gas flaring for a small fee. "That case was the first of its kind, the legality of gas flaring in Nigeria, something that nobody would ever have considered that can be litigated upon because for most Nigerians it's not a normal thing," Mr Williams said in an interview. In 2005, the court upheld his argument that the law violated a constitutional provision for the right of citizens to life and dignity. Gas flaring continued nonetheless after the ruling, and in 2008, Mr Williams was held in a Shell facility and interrogated by a military taskforce after he led environmentalists and community leaders to a site that showed Shell had not ended the practice. Years later, he worked on a case that compelled Eni and its Nigerian subsidiary, Nigeria Agip Oil Company, to pay compensation to a Bayelsa community, Elebiri, affected by oil spill. While working on the case, he succeeded in getting the company and government regulators to re-investigate the spill site. "That was when we got to know that in the history of oil industry practices in Nigeria, it was the first time those regulators and the companies were called back to the site that they claim to have given regulatory certification as having been cleaned up," he said. The company paid N4.5 million to the community, constructed a four-kilometre road there, in addition to upgrading its health centre and building a small electricity gas turbine. Mr Williams and his team, sometimes including lawyers in Italy, helped another community address a flooding problem caused by a facility owned by Eni. This time, the team applied the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's complaint procedure, a non-judicial mechanism for achieving remedy for corporate misconduct. The facility had obstructed water flow for over four decades, causing periodic flooding in Aggah, a small community in Rivers State. The company is currently working on resolving the problem. "Progress has been made after many years," said Evaristus Nicholas, a community leader involved in the case. "They have built culvert, drainage, a hospital, even though there is a delay, progress has been made." The Dutch Case The Dutch case started after oil spills caused by Shell in 2004 and 2005 polluted farmland, drinking water and wetlands in and around Goi and Oruma. Mr Williams organised community meetings and surveys of oil spill damage and Shell's pipelines - SPDC operates more than 6,000 km of pipelines in the Niger Delta - and brought together the communities to take legal action. Shell won the first round in 2013, prompting Mr Williams to organise an appeal. While waiting for the hearing, his legal team obtained documents revealing that Shell was aware of the poor management of the Goi pipeline and that it needed replacing. It meant the company had lied in court. On January 29, 2021, the Court of Appeal of The Hague ruled that Shell has control over SPDC's operations and a duty to prevent oil spills, and ordered the Goi and Oruma farmers be paid compensation, while the areas are cleaned up. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Environment By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. One of the farmers, Eric Doo, said they were still negotiating with Shell over a year after. He said he could not disclose details of the talks but believed once the matter is resolved, clean-up will be done as directed by The Hague court. "It is now between my lawyers and Shell's lawyers. I believe the right thing will be done," he said, praising Mr Williams for his commitment to "less privileged community like my community and for coordinating the cause that will enhance justice without demanding anything from me". Mr Williams said the biggest challenge in holding oil majors accountable for environmental damage is poor enforcement of the decisions of courts. "Yes, and this is what has led to self-help mechanisms being deployed. This is where the chain is broken," he said. Oil majors Shell, ExxonMobil, and TotalEnergies who for decades were the major operators in Niger Delta, have recently announced they are divesting their assets to focus on deep-water fields away from the difficulties of operating in close proximity with local communities. Mr Williams said he believed the decision was primarily driven by the recent court victories that showed oil majors will be held accountable in future for poor environmental practices. "In the era of effective litigation that brings justice, communities are getting to know more about that and how to use that," he said. "So, the multinational realized that given the way they operate, they may be into more problems or trouble in the coming years so they choose to move." The Corporation recorded revenues of $4.6 million in Q1 2022, a 65% increase from Q1 2021, and a 28% increase from Q4 2021 in Q1 2022, a 65% increase from Q1 2021, and a 28% increase from Q4 2021 Record revenue in medical cannabis of over $2.6 million in Q1 2022, a 470% increase from the prior year and 32% increase from Q4 2021 in Q1 2022, a 470% increase from the prior year and 32% increase from Q4 2021 Gross profit before fair value adjustments grew to $2.1 million , up 96% from Q1 2021, driven primarily by its 75% gross margin medical cannabis business, compared to 49% in Q4 2021. , up 96% from Q1 2021, driven primarily by its 75% gross margin medical cannabis business, compared to 49% in Q4 2021. In Q1 2022, Europe (the UK and Germany ) represented 53% of all medical cannabis revenue, compared to 10% in Q1 2021. (the UK and ) represented 53% of all medical cannabis revenue, compared to 10% in Q1 2021. The net change in cash and cash equivalents of - $3.3 million , compared to - $8.6 million in Q1 2021, ending Q1 2022 with $5.1 million in cash TORONTO, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Khiron Life Sciences Corp. ("Khiron" or the "Corporation") (TSXV: KHRN) (OTCQX: KHRNF) (Frankfurt: A2JMZC), a global leader in medical cannabis throughout Latin America and Europe, announced today its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, reporting record revenue in the medical cannabis business. These filings are available for review on the Corporation's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. All financial information in this press release is reported in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated. Summary of Key Financial Results: 3 Months Ended March 31 2022 3 Months Ended March 31 2021 3 Months Ended Dec 31 2021 Canadian dollars ('000s) $ $ $ Revenues 4,643 2,836 3,636 Medical Cannabis 2,650 563 2,011 Gross profit before fair value adjustments 2,137 1,090 1,083 Gross profit from Medical Cannabis before FV 1,973 505 1,068 General and administrative costs 5,550 6,313 5,304 Net loss (5,412) (5,494) (19,969) Adjusted EBITDA (1) (3,057) (4,019) (5,649) Net loss per share (basic and diluted) (0.03) (0.04) (0.11) Net cash used in operating activities (2,803) (8,195) (5,166) Weighted average shares outstanding 179,395 150,718 179,144 (1) Adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization or in this case loss) does not have a standardized meaning prescribed by International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") and is therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. The Corporation calculates Adjusted EBITA as net loss before tax as reported under IFRS and adding back share-based compensation expense, transaction fees, unrealized gain on changes in fair value of biological assets, depreciation and non-recurring items. Please refer to the section entitled "Non-IFRS Financial Measures" in this press release. Q1 2022 operating highlights and subsequent events: Khiron's unique patient-focused medical cannabis segment posted 7th quarter of consecutive revenue growth in Q1 2022, and now represents 57% of the Corporations revenue and 92% of its total gross profits. In the month of March 2022 , Khiron had surpassed $1 million in monthly revenues in medical cannabis alone. , Khiron had surpassed in monthly revenues in medical cannabis alone. Khiron's unique business model is already beginning to yield positive financial results during Q1 2022. ILANS SAS (Khiron's health service business in Colombia ) has been instrumental in driving higher gross margin medical cannabis and clinical services. ) has been instrumental in driving higher gross margin medical cannabis and clinical services. Both Khiron's European expansion and continued growth in Colombia , is driving the medical cannabis segment growth in Q1 2022. In Q1 2022, Khiron surpassed $1 million in medical cannabis revenues in the United Kingdom . , is driving the medical cannabis segment growth in Q1 2022. In Q1 2022, Khiron surpassed in medical cannabis revenues in the . In Colombia , Khiron continues to be a market leader in medical cannabis with its unique vertically integrated approach and leverage of insurance coverage on its clinics. Over 82% of sales were sold through insurance coverage, and over 84% of the sales were sold to returning patients, who are now purchasing up to 1.8 bottles per month. , Khiron continues to be a market leader in medical cannabis with its unique vertically integrated approach and leverage of insurance coverage on its clinics. Over 82% of sales were sold through insurance coverage, and over 84% of the sales were sold to returning patients, who are now purchasing up to 1.8 bottles per month. At the end of Q1 2022, the Corporation had $37.6 million in total assets (excluding goodwill), with more than $9.4 million in land and buildings, high-quality medical cannabis inventory of $8.1 million , healthy Accounts Receivables with credit-worthy clients in Colombia and Europe of $4.4 million and $0.8 million in financial debt. in total assets (excluding goodwill), with more than in land and buildings, high-quality medical cannabis inventory of , healthy Accounts Receivables with credit-worthy clients in and of and in financial debt. The Corporation's cash used in operating activities for Q1 2022 was $2.8 million , compared to - $8.2 million in Q1 2021 and approximately - $5.4 million in Q4 2021, resulting in net cash of $5.1 million at the end of Q1 2022. This is a result of actively managing the working capital cycle, improving collection times for the Corporations Accounts Receivable, and extending payment terms on its Accounts Payables while reducing overall general and administrative costs and increasing its high gross margin medical cannabis business. Management commentary: Alvaro Torres, Khiron CEO and Director, comments, "Khiron is the top-selling medical cannabis brand in Latin America and one of the top-selling brands in the United Kingdom. Our unique approach will continue to generate double-digit revenue and gross profits quarter over quarter in markets poised to become significant in the coming years. Our focus is to leverage the infrastructure we have built to continue driving sales in our target markets while maintaining discipline in our expenses so we can achieve profitability in the near future, and then continue to look for more growth opportunities in Latin America and Europe." Mr. Torres added, "The results of Q1 2022 continue to showcase the success of Khiron's global expansion and the Corporation's unique "patient-first" strategy. Webcast Details: Khiron invites individual and institutional investors, as well as advisors and analysts, to attend the Corporation's First Quarter 2022 Conference Call, followed by a Q&A session. DATE: Tuesday, May 31th, 2022 TIME: 10:00am ET PRESENTERS: Alvaro Torres, Khiron Chief Executive Officer and Director, Swapan Kakumanu, Khiron Chief Financial Officer, and Franziska Katterbach, President of Khiron Europe. FORMAT: Live 45 minute presentation & Q&A session REGISTER LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_VVgAryILSl-W9at7iftkCQ About Khiron Life Sciences Corp. Khiron is a leading vertically integrated international medical cannabis corporation with core operations in Latin America and Europe. Leveraging medical health clinics and proprietary telemedicine platforms, Khiron combines a patient-oriented approach, physician education programs, scientific, product innovation, and cannabis operations expertise to drive prescriptions and brand loyalty with patients worldwide. The Corporation has a sales presence in Colombia, Peru, Germany, United Kingdom, and Brazil and is positioned to commence sales in Mexico. The Corporation is led by co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Alvaro Torres, together with an experienced and diverse executive team and board of directors. Visit Khiron online at https://investors.khiron.ca. Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/khiron-life-sciences-corp/ Non-IFRS Financial Measures This press release includes references to Adjusted EBITDA, which is a financial measure that does not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS. Adjusted EBITDA is calculated as net loss before tax as reported under IFRS and adding back share-based compensation expense, transaction fees, unrealized gain on changes in fair value of biological assets, depreciation and non-recurring items. Adjusted EBITDA provides an indication of the results generated by the Corporation's principal business activities prior to how these activities and assets are financed (including mark-to-market movements of the warrant value), depreciated and amortized or how the results are taxed in various jurisdictions, impairment of property, plant, and equipment, impairment of intangible assets, changes in fair value of inventory, unrealized changes in fair value of biological assets, prior to the effect of foreign exchange, other income and expenses, and non-cash share-based payment expense. The term Adjusted EBITDA does not have any standardized meaning and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. The Corporation believes Adjusted EBITDA not only provides management with comparable financial data for internal financial analysis but also provides meaningful supplemental information to investors. In particular, management believes that this financial measure can provide information useful to its shareholders in understanding the performance of the Corporation and may assist in the evaluation of its business relative to that of its peers. Investors are cautioned that this non-IFRS measure should not be considered in isolation or construed as an alternative to the measurements of performance calculated in accordance with IFRS as, given the non-standardized meaning, it may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Existing Adjusted EBITDA is not necessarily predictive of the Corporation's future performance or the Adjusted EBITDA of the Corporation as at any future date. Calculation and Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA The following table provides a reconciliation of net loss to Adjusted EBITDA. For the three months ending March 31 ($ Cdn thousands) 2022 2021 Net loss before tax (5,412) (5,494) Add back (deduct): Interest expense 155 95 Taxes (6) (7) Depreciation and amortization 596 298 Net fair value adjustment on biological assets and cannabis product sales 642 (471) Impairment on other items 3 Share-based compensation 309 721 Amortization of signing bonus - 839 Unrealized gain on warrants 686 - (3,057) (4,019) Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All information contained herein that is not historical in nature constitutes forward-looking information. Forward-looking information contained in this news release include, without limitation, statements pertaining to the Corporation's business plans and goals, including its goal of achieving profitability in the near future and improving revenue collections, reducing cash outflows, and leveraging the Corporation's assets to generate more working capital. Forward-looking information and statements contained in this news release reflect management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available and on assumptions that management believes to be reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to, assumptions regarding the future regulatory developments and economic conditions, the Corporation's ability to continue its growth and reduce costs. Although management believes that its expectations and assumptions to be reasonable, forward-looking information is always subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of management, that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking information. Such risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to the following: risks relating to general economic conditions and capital markets; risks relating to the availability of financing on satisfactory terms; risks relating to the COVID-19 pandemic or other health crises; risks relating to regulatory, legislative, competitive and political conditions; as well as those other risk factors discussed in Khiron's most recent annual information form which is available on Khiron's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. As a result of the foregoing and other risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information contained in this press release. Readers are further cautioned that the foregoing risks and uncertainties is not exhaustive, and there may be other risks and uncertainties, presently unknown to management of the Corporation, that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements contained in this press release. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Khiron disclaims any intention to update or revise any forward-looking information disclosed herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. SOURCE Khiron Life Sciences Corp. The acquisition will accelerate Khiron's growth in Europe by controlling the complete value chain for its products and gaining direct access to German pharmacies by controlling the complete value chain for its products and gaining direct access to German pharmacies The acquisition will provide Khiron with an EU GMP-certified European manufacturing and distribution hub for various pharmaceutical products The target is an experienced player in the European pharmaceutical market, and the acquisition will help to significantly expand the medical portfolio of Khiron's brand The first new product is expected to be the full spectrum extract KHIRIOX 25/1, which will soon be available for pharmacies and patients in both Germany and the United Kingdom TORONTO, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Khiron Life Sciences Corp. ("Khiron" or the "Company") (TSXV: KHRN) (OTCQX: KHRNF) (Frankfurt: A2JMZC), a global leader in medical cannabis throughout Europe and Latin America, announces that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Pharmadrug GmbH ("Pharmadrug GmbH") from its parent PharmaDrug Inc. (CSE:PHRX) (OTC:LMLLF) ("PharmaDrug"). Pharmadrug GmbH has been active worldwide for almost 40 years as a manufacturer and wholesaler of medicinal products and active pharmaceutical ingredients. Pharmadrug GmbH is EU-GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) and EU-GDP (Good Distribution Practice) certified, fulfilling the European guidelines for the highest quality standards and holds a license to handle narcotics in Germany. Franziska Katterbach, President of Khiron Europe, stated: "This acquisition will provide us with a European manufacturing and distribution centre for cannabinoid-based medicines with EU-GMP certification. This will have a direct positive impact on our revenues and higher gross margins. The long-established German company will be instrumental in expanding Khiron's product portfolio with new dosage formats and bringing Khiron's full-spectrum extracts to Germany and the United Kingdom to grow the patient base. Our team in Europe is excited to join forces with new colleagues from Pharmadrug GmbH, with their valuable expertise in the German pharmaceutical market." Under the terms of the deal, Khiron will acquire all of the shares of Pharmadrug GmbH from PharmaDrug, in consideration for common shares of Khiron ("Khiron Shares") and a promissory note. An aggregate of 5,500,000 Khiron Shares are expected to be issued at closing (subject to certain adjustments to account for certain payments that may be made between signing and closing, referred to as the "Closing Adjustments"), at a deemed price per Khiron Share of $0.16. The promissory note will be issued at closing in the principal amount of $1,100,000 (subject to certain other Closing Adjustments) and will be non-interest bearing and repayable one year from the date of issue in cash or, at Khiron's option, additional Khiron Shares issued at the 10-day volume-weighted average trading price per Khiron Share on the TSX Venture Exchange at the time of issue. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. It is expected that the acquisition of Pharmadrug GmbH will constitute an "Expedited Acquisition" under the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. The parties are targeting a closing on or before the end of July, 2022. There can be no assurance that the Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all. The agreement was signed on May 31st, 2022. About Khiron Life Sciences Corp. Khiron is a leading global medical cannabis company with core operations in Latin America and Europe. Leveraging wholly-owned medical health clinics and proprietary telemedicine platforms, Khiron combines a patient-oriented approach, physician education programs, scientific expertise, product innovation, and focus on creating access to drive prescriptions and brand loyalty with patients worldwide. The Company has a sales presence in Colombia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Peru, and Brazil and is positioned to commence sales in Mexico. The Company is led by its co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Alvaro Torres, together with an experienced and diverse executive team and board of directors. Visit Khiron online at https://investors.khiron.ca Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/khiron-life-sciences-corp/ NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE, NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VEMTIRE EXCHANGE), ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS PRESS RELEASE. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All information contained herein that is not historical in nature constitutes forward-looking information. Forward-looking information contained in this news release include statements pertaining to the acquisition of Pharmadrug GmbH, the expected synergies and benefits to the Company from the acquisition, as well as statements concerning the expected timing to complete the acquisition. Forward-looking information and statements contained in this news release reflect management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available and on assumptions that management believes to be reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to, the Company's ability to satisfy various closing conditions regarding the acquisition of Pharmadrug, the expected benefits to be realized by the Company's business as a result of the acquisition, and assumptions regarding market opportunities in the jurisdictions in which the Company operates and where it seeks to operate. Although management believes that its expectations and assumptions to be reasonable, forward-looking information is always subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of management, that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking information. Such risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to the following: general economic conditions, adverse conditions in capital markets, political uncertainties, counterparty risk, failing to obtain required regulatory requirements and approvals, failure to maintain required permits and licences, business integration risks, as well as those other risk factors discussed in Khiron's most recent information form which is available on Khiron's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. As a result of the foregoing and other risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information contained in this press release. Readers are further cautioned that the foregoing risks and uncertainties is not exhaustive, and there may be other risks and uncertainties, presently unknown to management of the Company, that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements contained in this press release. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Khiron disclaims any intention to update or revise any forward-looking information disclosed herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Investor Contact: Paola Ricardo E: [email protected] T: +1 (647) 556-5750 Media Contact: Carolina Gomez Latam Communications E: [email protected] Peter Leis Europe Communications E: [email protected] Khiron Europe: Franziska Katterbach, President E: [email protected] SOURCE Khiron Life Sciences Corp. DALLAS, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kimberly-Clark today announced that 3BL Media has named the company to its 2022 ranking of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens , which recognizes outstanding environmental, social, and governance (ESG) transparency and performance among the 1,000 largest U.S. public companies. This marks the 13th year that Kimberly-Clark was included in the ranking. "This year, Kimberly-Clark celebrates 150 years of category-defining innovation, a strong culture of care and growing our business the right way," said Mike Hsu, Chairman and CEO of Kimberly-Clark. "We're proud to be included in the 100 Best Corporate Citizens list. This recognition reflects the dedication of our teams around the globe who are fulfilling our purpose of Better Care for a Better World by positively impacting billions of lives through the products we make, the workplaces we create and the communities we serve." The 100 Best Corporate Citizens ranking is based on 155 ESG factors in eight pillars, including climate change, employee relations, environment, finance, governance, human rights, stakeholders and society, and ESG performance. "Achieving the transformational targets in the Paris Agreement and UN Sustainable Development Goals in this decisive decade requires all companies to truly embed ESG issues into the core of their business," said Dave Armon, CEO of 3BL Media. "The 100 Best Corporate Citizens of 2022 are answering the call by demonstrating the societal and bottom-line value of leadership and transparency around ESG topics. They are setting ambitious goals, outlining robust strategies for achieving them, disclosing data to measure progress, and accounting for all stakeholders in business decisions." Kimberly-Clark's commitment to corporate citizenship, sustainability, and environmental and social responsibility was recognized by its inclusion on the Ethisphere Institute's list of the World's Most Ethical Companies in 2022. In addition, the company received a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's 2022 Corporate Equality Index (CEI). Kimberly-Clark was honored with the 2021 SmartWay Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and it was also named one of America's 2022 Most JUST Companies by JUST Capital. To view the 100 Best Corporate Citizens of 2022 ranking and full methodology, visit: https://100best.3blmedia.com/ About Kimberly-Clark Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB) and its trusted brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries. Fueled by ingenuity, creativity, and an understanding of people's most essential needs, we create products that help individuals experience more of what's important to them. Our portfolio of brands, including Huggies, Kleenex, Scott, Kotex, Cottonelle, Poise, Depend, Andrex, Pull-Ups, GoodNites, Intimus, Neve, Plenitud, Sweety, Softex, Viva and WypAll, hold the No. 1 or No. 2 share position in 80 countries. We use sustainable practices that support a healthy planet, build stronger communities, and ensure our business thrives for decades to come. To keep up with the latest news and to learn more about the company's 150-year history of innovation, visit kimberly-clark.com. About the 100 Best Corporate Citizens Ranking The 100 Best Corporate Citizens debuted in 1999 in Business Ethics Magazine and appeared annually in Corporate Responsibility Magazine for many years. 3BL Media has managed the ranking since 2018. To compile the ranking, each company in the Russell 1000 Index is ranked according to its transparency and performance on 155 environmental, social, and governance factors. About 3BL Media 3BL Media's unrivaled distribution platforms and TriplePundit Brand Studio promote the environmental, social, governance (ESG) initiatives of leading companies, private equity firms, nonprofits, and NGOs to a global audience. Learn more here . Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/648588/Kimberly_Clark_Logo.jpg SOURCE Kimberly-Clark Corporation Target Area Area (acres) Strike Length (km) Width (km) Gold Assay Highlights Ogilby 635 1.8 0.8 1.4 g/t ss, 0.7 g/t ss Powerline 350 2.4 0.8 9.98 g/t ss Ironwood 80 1.0 0.5 Anomalous Smoketree 15 0.3 0.3 Anomalous East Mesquite 1,350 2.6 1.1 0.08 g/t rc, 0.07 g/t ss ss = stream sediment sample rc = rock chip sample g/t = grams per tonne There are a total of nine drill target areas identified in the overall Mesquite-Imperial-Picacho District ("District") that captures a 28 kilometers ("km") trend. Refer to KORE's April 26, 2022 news release for exploration targets identified on the eastern portion of the District. KORE's Executive Chairman, James Hynes, commented, "KORE had a great field season on the Mesquite-Imperial-Picacho trend. While the area is still not fully covered with field mapping and sampling, KORE field tested all satellite alteration and historic known gold anomalies and outcrops aligned with the regional geophysical trend from the Mesquite mine through Imperial towards the closed Picacho mine. We have a large number of drill targets in inventory and must now prioritize for additional drill permit applications ." Over 100 additional rock chip and stream sediment assays are pending from the winter exploration program and any significant results will be released. Refer to KORE's May 17, 2022 news release for assays released on the Powerline and Ogilby target areas. KORE is committed to operating within the stringent environmental and labour standards of California. Exploration drilling is designed to avoid any sensitive areas and all land disturbances will be rehabilitated. Figure 2 shows the georeferenced ground resistivity sections intersecting the western area targets and mentioned subsurface anomalies. Figures 3-5 shows three photo compilations of the western area prospects Ogilby, Powerline/Smoketree/Ironwood, and East Mesquite. Ogilby Target Area Ground resistivity and induced polarization ("IP") surveys provide strong evidence that the primary mineralizing structure at the Imperial deposit is continuous across the 3 km of strike length to the Ogilby target area. This data indicates two anomalous trends (Figure 2) which completed reconnaissance scale mapping and sampling in February 2022. Assay results have confirmed the presence of gold near the surface trace of these anomalies, including highlights of 1.4 g/t gold ("Au") and 0.8 g/t Au stream sediment samples (Figure 1). To date, a total of 19 strongly anomalous samples have been collected along the 2 km strike length of this WNW-ESE structural corridor. The Ogilby target area is covered by a thin veneer of young volcanic flows, which are steeply incised by seasonal stream channels ("arroyos") that expose the underlying Bear Canyon conglomerate. This unit is a significant alluvial sandstone conglomerate that covers the majority of the property. Proximal to known gold occurrences, the Bear Canyon often displays iron oxide alteration and quartz + calcite veining (Figure 3). Over nine acres of this type of altered bear canyon has been documented in the Ogilby target area, which yielded strongly anomalous assays and suggests that the mineralizing system is strong and near surface. Powerline Target Area The Powerline target area contains the largest and highest-grade surface expression of gold mineralization west of the Imperial Deposit. The Powerline area spans over 1300 acres and contains the highest-grade assay on the property at 9.98 g/t Au. Powerline also contains all known gneiss exposures west of the Imperial deposit (Figure 1). The mineralized trend of Powerline remains open and untested along strike for 3 km to the east, towards the Ogilby target area. Ground IP and resistivity survey data indicate two distinct anomalous structural trends that persist across the strike length of the Powerline target area (Figure 2). Along these trends, ground observations have confirmed the presence of these structural corridors which have assayed strongly anomalous for gold. Powerline currently contains three named prospect areas: the Powerline Discovery Outcrop, the Ironwood Prospect, and the Smoketree Prospect. The Powerline Discovery outcrop consists of two distinct, strongly brecciated and altered gneiss exposures that are interpreted as stacked thrust sheets. These regional scale faults bring crystalline basement host rock closer to surface. In 2021, KORE commissioned a multispectral satellite alteration survey, which highlighted the Powerline discovery area as being strongly anomalous for chlorite alteration. Other types of alteration observed at the outcrop include sericite, local silicification and quartz veining, and strong iron oxide staining (Figure 4). This is consistent with the alteration assemblage of the Imperial deposit, which was used to "tune" or fingerprint the signature associated with gold mineralization. Similar to the Powerline Discovery Outcrop, the Ironwood Prospect contains two structurally dismembered gneiss outcrops which are strongly folded, brecciated, and altered (Figure 4). Ironwood was first identified as an area of interest by the multispectral satellite data. The Ironwood outcrop is the largest gneiss exposure west of the Imperial deposit and forms a cliff approximately 25 feet tall. Ironwood is interpreted to have been formed via the same thrust fault architecture which causes the exposure of the Powerline discovery outcrops 2.5 km to the northwest. The Smoketree Prospect is a low grade subcrop of gneiss with an associated anomalous gold trend detected downstream. Smoketree is overlain by a thin veneer of Bear Canyon conglomerate that appears to be moderately altered and veined. The poor exposure of Smoketree makes it a priority target for the fully permitted person-portable drilling system, which produces BQ sized core at depths up to 30 feet. East Mesquite Target Area The East Mesquite segment boundary is located only 2 km to the southeast from the operating Mesquite Mine's Vista pit. Geophysical survey data indicates a strong anomaly that is directly on strike with the mineralized trend of the Vista pit. A small gneiss exposure referred to as the "Predator Hill outcrop" has been observed along this trend and provides strong evidence of structural continuity (Figure 5). Adjacent to the segment boundary in the southeast is a turtleback feature similar in character to the Powerline target area, which contains the highest-grade gold assays on site. Follow up reconnaissance sampling is ongoing in this area. About the Imperial Gold Project KORE owns 100% of the Mesquite-Imperial-Picacho District which consists approximately 31,000 acres of claims capturing the entire 28-km trend from the operating Mesquite mine (Equinox Gold - TSX:EQX) to the closed Picacho mine and including KORE's Imperial project. In the District, gold is hosted in local fault structures related to a series of regional faults connecting the known District deposits. Those three District deposits (Mesquite, Imperial and Picacho) were discovered in exposed outcrops and from placer workings. The rest of the District is covered by alluvium and has never been systematically explored. The Mesquite-Imperial-Picacho District centers on KORE's Imperial project. Imperial is a structurally controlled orogenic gold deposit. The 100% oxide gold deposit is currently defined at 2.44 km long and up to 0.75 km wide and is open both along strike and down dip. It is hosted in a shallowly southwest dipping, amphibolite grade metamorphic rock suite along a west- northwest trending low-angle regional thrust fault system which controls the regional geometry of mineralization. East-west striking, post-mineralization normal faults control the property scale geometry of mineralization. Geophysical characterization of the deposit and regional controlling structures is an essential component of exploration for additional resources. Imperial has a mineral resource estimate and a positive preliminary economic assessment effective April 6, 2020 with the following highlights: Robust economics: US$ 343 million NPV5% post-tax with 44% IRR at US$ 1,450 per ounce gold NPV5% post-tax with 44% IRR at per ounce gold Low capital intensity project with only US$ 143 million pre-production capital cost pre-production capital cost Average 146,000 ounces gold per year over 8 years for 1.2 million ounces total production Technically simple project: shallow open pit, run-of-mine heap leach with existing infrastructure Value enhancement through Mesquite-Imperial-Picacho District exploration and resource expansion The Company's NI 43-101 compliant resource and preliminary economic assessment is titled "Preliminary Economic Assessment Technical Report Imperial Gold Project" effective as of April 6, 2020 and revised and amended on June 10, 2021, prepared by Terre Lane and Todd Harvey of Global Resource Engineering and Glen Cole of SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. can be found under the Company's profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and on the Company's website. About KORE Mining KORE Mining is focused on responsibly creating value from its portfolio of gold assets in California, USA. The Company is advancing the Imperial project towards development while continuing to explore across both district-scale gold assets. Management and Board, along with strategic investor, Eric Sprott (26% owner), are aligned with all KORE shareholders with the goal of creating per share value. Further information on Imperial and KORE can be found on the Company's website at http://www.koremining.com/ or by contacting us as [email protected] or by telephone at (888) 407-5450. On behalf of KORE Mining Ltd "Scott Trebilcock" Chief Executive Officer (888) 407-5450 Technical information with respect to the District and Imperial Gold Project contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Marc Leduc, P.Eng, who is KORE's Senior Technical Consultant and former COO, and is the qualified person under National Instrument 43-101 responsible for the technical matters 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 release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to the future operations of the Company and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "should", "anticipate", "expects", "intends", "indicates" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the future plans and objectives of the Company are forward- looking statements. Forwardlooking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: the nature and implication of sample assay results, the potential of target areas, the highly prospective nature of the project; the strategy, process, timing and grant of a permit for regional exploration drilling in the 28-kilometer Mesquite-Imperial-Picacho District ("Regional Exploration Drilling"); potential actions, behavior or position of the Bureau of Land Management (the "BLM"); the underexplored and prospective nature of the Imperial Regional Exploration Drilling area; the results of the preliminary economic assessments for the Imperial Project, including future project opportunities, the projected NPV, permit timelines, the current mineral resource estimate, and the ability to obtain the requisite permits; the market and future price of and demand for gold; the opportunities of expansion at the Imperial Project; and the ability to work cooperatively with stakeholders, including all levels of government. Such forwardlooking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are based, are made in good faith and reflect our current judgment regarding the direction of our business. In connection with the forwardlooking information contained in this presentation, the Company has made numerous assumptions, including, among others: there being no significant change to current geotechnical, metallurgical, hydrological and other physical conditions at the Imperial Project; exploration, permitting, and development of the Imperial Project being consistent with current expectations and planning; the geological, permitting and economic advice that the Company has received is reliable and is based upon practices and methodologies which are consistent with industry standards; and other planning assumptions. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies. Forward looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forwardlooking information. Known risk factors include, among others: the outcome of BLM's review processes for permitting, including the final outcome(s) of BLM's mineral claim validity examination(s) and administrative review process(es) with respect to the Imperial Zone, including a change to the findings from the mineral claim validity examination conducted in 2002 for the mill sites at the Imperial Zone, resulting in the Company having to move its future Imperial Zone project support facilities to areas that are not within the Indian Pass mineral withdrawal area; the possibility that BLM may require and/or conduct further mineral claim validity examinations with respect to the Imperial project, and the outcome and final determination of such examination could, among other things, invalidate one or more mining claims; the possibility that BLM or other governmental authority review of the Regional Exploration Drilling program, delays or changes the Company's plan for Regional Exploration Drilling permitting, which could result, among other things, in delays, additional project requirements, additional costs and uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones; the exploration drill program may not be completed as planned; the need to obtain additional financing; uncertainty as to the availability and terms of future financing; the possibility of delay in exploration or development programs and uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones; uncertainty as to timely availability of permits and other government approvals. Additional risks and uncertainties are described in the "Risks" sections of (i) the Company's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2020 prepared as of April 29, 2021, and (ii) the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the nine months ended September 30, 2021, both available under the Company's issuer profile on www.sedar.com. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. There is no certainty that all or any part of the mineral resource will be converted into mineral reserve. Itis uncertain if further exploration will allow improving the classification of the Indicated or Inferred mineral resource. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. SOURCE Kore Mining ARLINGTON, Ma., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leader Bank is pleased to welcome four new team members to their Business and Government Banking team -- all four joining from Century Bank following its closure. "I am incredibly excited that these four immensely talented individuals are joining Leader Bank's Business and Government Banking team," said Jay Tuli, President of Leader Bank. "With their extensive knowledge and experience, Leader Bank will be able to improve our already robust municipal and business banking offerings." Susan Delahunt joins Leader Bank as a Vice President and Director of Government Banking following a 16-year tenure in cash management and government banking. Susan has experience developing innovative marketing and sales initiatives throughout southeastern Massachusetts as well as cultivating municipal client relationships resulting in portfolio deposits exceeding $500 million. Anna Gorska is also joining Leader Bank as a Vice President and Director of Government Banking. During her 17-year stint at her prior bank, Anna most recently served as Senior Vice President of Government Banking where she was instrumental in establishing the institution's presence in western Massachusetts and New Hampshire. She developed a portfolio of 120 municipal clients totaling more than $780 million in deposit balances. Renee LeMoure joins Leader Bank as an Assistant Vice President and Lockbox Client Specialist, with16 years in Lockbox services. Renee has been in the banking industry since 1985, starting in retail and most recently in Lockbox client services. Renee has built strong relationships with municipal and corporate clients as well as their business partners. John Lavallee will be Leader Bank's new Senior Lockbox Specialist, bringing many years of experience in cash management, Lockbox services, and municipal banking. John led his previous team with a focus on promoting Lockbox to cities and towns to condense tax bill processing. Under John's leadership municipal balances for the institution grew to $3 billion. ABOUT LEADER BANK Founded in 2002, Leader Bank is a Massachusetts-based entrepreneurial financial institution that approaches banking differently. The core tenets of Leader Bank include world-class client service, exemplary products, and innovation to meet the needs of its clients. At its founding, Leader Bank had $6.5 million in assets in the two decades since, the Bank has grown into one of the most successful financial institutions in the Commonwealth with $3.7 billion in assets. Leader Bank's best-in-class team members have been at the forefront of supporting the Bank's rapid growth and client-oriented solutions over the last two decades as the Bank has continued to expand its commercial and retail products and solutions. Leader Bank is a committed corporate citizen and prides itself on partnering with and supporting philanthropic organizations. More information on Leader Bank can be found at www.LeaderBank.com. SOURCE Leader Bank BIRMINGHAM, Ala., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lloyd W. Gathings is being recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Lifetime Achiever his distinguished career in the legal field and in acknowledgment of his work at the Gathings Law firm. As the Founding Senior Partner at Gathings Law, Mr. Lloyd Gathings works with clients on individual cases and class-action lawsuits. He has provided legal services to the Birmingham, AL, area for the past 45 years. Lloyd W. Gathings Mr. Gathings began his college education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry in 1972. He later graduated Juris Doctor Summa Cum Laude in 1976 from Samford University's Cumberland School of Law. During his time at Samford University, he also served on the Cumberland Law Review. He is admitted to practice law in Alabama and Florida. Today, Mr. Gathings practices before numerous Federal Trial and Appellate Courts, including the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eleventh Circuits and the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Alabama. In his daily work, Mr. Gathings works with clients who have been harmed as a result of negligence or other people, business tort litigation, product liability, injuries on the job, fraud, toxic tort, complex litigation, and more. He has experience as both the Lead and Co-Counsel in many trials, some of which have resulted in jury awards and negotiated settlements upwards of a million dollars. He says, "I founded Gathings Law more than 20 years ago on the basic concept that every person, regardless of social or economic status, is entitled to receive the best representation in court and a level playing field when they enter the litigation arena." Mr. Gathings is the Original Director and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Alabama Lawyers for Children. The organization aims to prevent child abuse in the state of Alabama. Mr. Gathings was a crucial member of the formation of the Alabama Civil Justice Foundation, which fundraises for charitable organizations and legal funds in Alabama. He is a member of the Alabama Association for Justice. Mr. Gathings is actively involved in other local legal groups and community organizations. Outside of his law work, Mr. Gathings often gives speaking engagements to Attorneys on topics in which he is knowledgeable. He has been published in numerous journals, including The Cumberland Law Review, The Alabama Lawyer, and The Alabama Trial Lawyers Association Journal. He continues to author the Recent Civil Decisions column in the Birmingham Bar Association Bulletin, which Mr. Gathings has written for many years. Mr. Gathings has been awarded for his work with the AV Preeminent rating through Martindale-Hubbell, and an Excellent Peer Review rating through Avvo. He is a Lifetime Member of Strathmore's Who's Who, an Alabama Super Lawyer, and is among Birmingham Biz Magazine's 2016 Top Lawyers. Mr. Gathings has been featured in national publications like Newsweek magazine and Fortune magazine. In addition, he has been featured on Sky Radio as one of America's Premier Lawyers. He would like to dedicate this honorable recognition to his wife of 42 years, Honorah Gathings. For more information, visit www.gathingslaw.com. Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE Continental Who's Who Lorestry sets a new standard for consumer control of self-collected information. Users are provided with premium features of the app when they opt-in to data sharing. Alea Diagnostics hopes to accelerate understanding of early child development in collaboration with parents and leading organizations committed to child well-being. The app is inclusive of children with differences in baseline health, also a market first. To kick off Lorestry's launch, the company CEO, Linda Craib , is attending the LIFE ITSELF conference that starts today at the Hotel Del Coronado near San Diego. LIFE ITSELF, in partnership with CNN , is "a three night retreat, converging about 50 speakers and a limited number of guests it includes leaders from multiple disciplines who intersect the fields of health & medicine." About Lorestry The Lorestry storybook app provides parents with a timeline of their child's early life and developmental progression, empowering them with a private data-set of their observations. SOURCE Alea Diagnostics, Inc. The Snacks and Treats Maker's On-trend Innovations Take Home Most Innovative New Product Award in the Gum & Mints Category, Chocolate and Fruity Brands Named as Finalists NEWARK, N.J., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mars Wrigley, a leader in the snacks and treats category, had an impressive showing at the 25th annual Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago. The company's EXTRA brand was honored with a Most Innovative New Product Award (MINPA) in the Gum & Mints category for its new EXTRA Refreshers Fruity Mix Chewing Gum a refreshingly fruity mix pack of strawberry freeze, tropical mist, and lemonade chill flavored gum. Mars Wrigley takes home a Most Innovative New Products Award in the Gum & Mints category for its EXTRA Refreshers Fruit Mix Mars Wrigley's M&M'S, TWIX, and STARBURST brands were also recognized as 2022 MINPA Finalists. Both M&M'S Crunchy Cookie Chocolate Candy and TWIX Salted Caramel Bars were recognized in the chocolate category while new STARBURST Airs Gummies were a finalist in the non-chocolate category. "Gum has seen significant growth over the past two years and winning the Most Innovative New Product Award in this category speaks to our ability to pinpoint consumer trends and shifting preferences. Mars Wrigley has been an innovator in the snacks and treats category for more than 100 years, and being recognized for our chocolate and fruity products in addition to gum shows the breadth of our cutting edge portfolio," said Tim LeBel, President of Sales at Mars Wrigley. "As always, the Sweets & Snacks Expo was an amazing experience, and we want to give a huge thank you to the National Confectioners Association for putting on an incredible show we can't wait to see what is to come in the year ahead." The MINPA winners were selected from more than 300 product award entries across candy and snack categories, including chocolate; non-chocolate; sweet; salty; savory; novelty; gourmet/premium; and gum & mints. Product submissions were judged on the following criteria: taste, packaging, innovation and go-to market feasibility. Mars also showcased their family of brands including Ethel M Chocolates, Lucas, and Turin at the Sweets & Snacks Expo, which offer everything from gourmet chocolate to gummies: Ethel M Chocolates super premium chocolates made fresh daily in small batches with the finest ingredients and no artificial preservatives, showcased its 4-Piece Genuine Sampler Collection; Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate Duos; and Handcrafted Gourmet Chocolate Bars available in Dark Chocolate Lemon Satin Creme, Milk Chocolate Macadamia Coconut Carmel, Milk Chocolate Pecan Caramel Sea Salt and Dark Chocolate Kona Espresso Ganache flavors. super premium chocolates made fresh daily in small batches with the finest ingredients and no artificial preservatives, showcased its 4-Piece Genuine Sampler Collection; Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate Duos; and Handcrafted Gourmet Chocolate Bars available in Dark Chocolate Lemon Satin Creme, Milk Chocolate Macadamia Coconut Carmel, Milk Chocolate Pecan Caramel Sea Salt and Dark Chocolate Kona Espresso Ganache flavors. Lucas Mexican Spicy Candy makes unique, wildly tasty treats combining fruity flavors with different spicy product textures to offer a distinctive yet delicious flavor. At the show, the Brand shared its Lucas Muecas, Gusano, Polvos and Pelucas products in addition to Lucas Skwinkles and Lucas Salsaghetti. makes unique, wildly tasty treats combining fruity flavors with different spicy product textures to offer a distinctive yet delicious flavor. At the show, the Brand shared its Lucas Muecas, Gusano, Polvos and Pelucas products in addition to Lucas Skwinkles and Lucas Salsaghetti. Turin Chocolates offers a range of premium everyday gifting chocolates and featured its Turin Sugar Free chocolates, Turin Conejos, and Turin filled chocolates. For more information on the snacks and treats maker's new products visit Mars.com. About Mars, Incorporated For more than a century, Mars, Incorporated has been driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. This idea is at the center of who we have always been as a global, family-owned business. Today, Mars is transforming, innovating, and evolving in ways that affirm our commitment to making a positive impact on the world around us. Across our diverse and expanding portfolio of confectionery, food, and pet care products and services, we employ 133,000 dedicated Associates who are all moving in the same direction: forward. With $40 billion in annual sales, we produce some of the world's best-loved brands including DOVE, EXTRA, M&M's, MILKY WAY, SNICKERS, TWIX, ORBIT, PEDIGREE, ROYAL CANIN, SKITTLES, BEN'S ORIGINAL, WHISKAS, COCOAVIA, and 5; and take care of half of the world's pets through our pet health services AniCura, Banfield Pet Hospitals, BluePearl, Linnaeus, Pet Partners, and VCA. We know we can only be truly successful if our partners and the communities in which we operate prosper as well. The Mars Five Principles Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency, and Freedom inspire our Associates to take action every day to help create a world tomorrow in which the planet, its people, and pets can thrive. MEDIA CONTACTS: Joelle Hutcheon Mars Wrigley [email protected] Mary Jane Baker Weber Shandwick [email protected] SOURCE Mars, Incorporated SEOUL, South Korea and BETHESDA, Md. , May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mezzion Pharma Co., Ltd. (Mezzion Pharma) met with the FDA Division of Cardiology and Nephrology (DCN) on Friday, May 27th to discuss with the FDA the path forward for the regulatory approval of udenafil for the treatment of single ventricle heart disease (SVHD) in children with Fontan physiology. More specifically, Mezzion sought clarity on the critical elements of an additional clinical trial that may be needed to complete the NDA submission. The FDA responded to the Meeting Background Package that was submitted by Mezzion to DCN with detailed advice and direction for the path forward for an FDA approval. Specifically, only one new clinical trial, FUEL-2, will be needed. FUEL-2 will be similar to the previously completed FUEL-1 trial (Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled Safety and Efficacy Trial) in the adolescent and young adult population. The primary difference in FUEL-2 will be the exclusion of 'Super Fontan' patients with peak VO 80% of predicted to avoid de-enriching the FUEL-2 study population. We learned from FUEL-1 that 'Super Fontan" patients are at near-maximum physiologic value and, thus, their peak VO 2 cannot be meaningfully further improved. We therefore learned from FUEL-1 that, when the 'Super Fontan' patients were excluded (n=300) from the FUEL-1 study population, the subgroup met both the primary (p-value=0.023) and secondary endpoints. We are therefore confident that we will achieve similar statistical significance for the primary and secondary endpoints in FUEL-2 with an enriched target population. If the additional new trial meets statistical significance on the primary endpoint, then FDA agreed that it will be considered a positive trial and sufficient for approval. The FDA also advised that meeting statistical significance on the secondary endpoints, while enhancing the potential labeling for the product, would not be a prerequisite for approval. Mezzion anticipates enrolling the first patient within the next few months. The FDA agreed with Mezzion regarding the specific primary and secondary endpoints to use for the measurement of function capacity in trial subjects in the new trial, FUEL-2, and further agreed that the protocol for this new trial would be reviewed by DCN under a Special Protocol Assessment. About the Fontan Procedure and Subsequent Expectations The Fontan procedure is a surgical intervention that allows for the survival of children born with congenital heart disease characterized by only a single functional pumping chamber. This procedure consists of re-configuring the circulation to allow the single ventricle to pump blood to the body while connecting the great veins directly to the arteries that bring blood to the lungs. In this "Fontan circulation" the blood returning from the body bypasses the heart and travels to the lungs without the assistance of a dedicated right ventricle pumping chamber. The goal of the Fontan procedure is to separate the systemic and pulmonary circulations and to improve oxygen levels by redirecting venous blood directly to the lungs. While the Fontan procedure creates a stable circulation, the risk of hospitalization and cardiac death rises significantly in the second and third decades after Fontan completion, a risk that is associated with a decline in exercise capacity. The Fontan circulation is also associated with non-cardiac complications such as protein-losing enteropathy, plastic bronchitis, and liver failure, all of which can be attributed to a chronic elevation in central venous pressure and a chronically reduced cardiac output. For all of these reasons, a 35-year-old patient who has gone through Fontan palliation has the approximate life expectancy of a 75-year-old with normal, but serious age-advanced, cardiac physiology. Mezzion Pharma Co., Ltd. Mezzion Pharma Co., Ltd. is headquartered in Korea. Mezzion and its wholly owned subsidiary, Mezzion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., have administrative offices in Deerfield, Illinois and Boca Raton, Florida. Mezzion Pharma is an innovation-driven pharmaceutical company that is focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing novel therapeutics in the field of rare pediatric diseases. Mezzion Pharma is a publicly-listed pharmaceutical company in Korea on the Korean stock exchange under (140410:KOSDAQ). Forward-Looking Statements Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: Mezzion Pharma's expectations regarding the potential benefits of udenafil; Mezzion Pharma's expectations regarding the anticipated timing of any future clinical trials; Mezzion Pharma's expectations on regulatory submissions for marketing approval of udenafil for the treatment of patients that have undergone the Fontan operation, to improve exercise capacity in the United States, including the timing of these submissions; and Mezzion Pharma's expectations regarding the potential commercial launch of udenafil, including the timing of a potential approval of udenafil. Risks and uncertainties that contribute to the uncertain nature of the forward-looking statements include: the expectation that Mezzion Pharma will need additional funds to finance its operations; Mezzion Pharma's or any of its collaborative partners' ability to initiate and/or complete clinical trials; the unpredictability of the regulatory process; the possibility that Mezzion Pharma's or any of its clinical trials will not be successful; Mezzion Pharma's dependence on the success of udenafil; Mezzion Pharma's reliance on third parties for the manufacture of Mezzion Pharma's udenafil and udenafil tablets; possible regulatory developments in the United States and foreign countries; and Mezzion Pharma's ability to attract and retain senior management personnel. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in Mezzion Pharma's most recent filings with the Statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act: with the exception of the historical information contained in this release, the matters described herein contain forward-looking statements that involve risk and uncertainties that may individually or mutually impact the matters herein described, including but not limited to FDA review and approval, product development and acceptance, manufacturing, competition, and/or other factors, which are outside the control of Mezzion Pharma. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Mezzion undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made. Contact: Dr. James Yeager, Deerfield, Illinois, USA, Tel: +1-847-2122679 Email: [email protected] Mr. S.I. Noh, Seoul, Korea, Tel: +82 2 560 8000 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Mezzion Pharma Co. Ltd. The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) recognizes Milliman with two 2022 Gold Quill Awards SEATTLE, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Milliman, Inc., one of the premier global consulting, actuarial and administration firms, announced today that it has won two 2022 Gold Quill Awards in Human Resources and Benefits Communication from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). Gold Quill Award winners will be recognized at the Gold Quill Awards Excellence Gala in New York City on June 28. Milliman received a Gold Quill Award of Excellence for the "Benefits from the heart: 2022 Parkland Benefits Information Website," developed for client Parkland Health, and a Gold Quill Award of Merit for the benefits open enrollment campaign, "A Sip Above: 2022 Top Shelf Benefits," developed for client Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits. "Gold Quill award-winning work is innovative, strategic, and delivers significant results," said Julie Bentz, a Milliman principal and employee benefits administration communication director. "When we enter the 2022 Gold Quill Awards program, we validate our best work against a global standard, which makes this award especially meaningful. More importantly, we are thrilled to have supported the Parkland and Southern Glazer's benefits teams to help them achieve their objectives." The Gold Quill judges noted that Parkland's new website had "excellent organization and execution in design, accessibility and copywriting" and was "mindful of the demographics and psychographics of the employees and their dependents by representing diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout." They also said Milliman's campaign for Southern Glazer's demonstrated "creative thinking, imagination, and a clear approach that engages the audience emotionally and factually." "Just as we are committed to bringing health services to the greatly diverse community that we serve, our new benefits website brings news about our valuable benefit programs to our equally diverse workforce," said Felicia Miller, executive vice president and chief talent officer, Parkland Health. "We appreciate the communication partnership with Milliman to help us reach our goal of creating a 'one stop' place where all employees and their dependents can go to get a clear and consistent message about our competitive benefit programs." "The Gold Quill award is very gratifying because it recognizes our efforts to ensure employees and their families understood their benefits offerings, felt supported by the company, and took appropriate action," said Michelle Toney, vice president employee benefits, Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits. "The 'A Sip Above' theme honors the ability of our employees to rise above with incredible resilience during a challenging year. Just as SGWS employees stand above the rest, so does our Top Shelf Benefits package. Thank you to the Milliman team for supporting us on this very successful campaign." About Milliman Milliman is a leading provider of consulting services, benefit administration and employee communication. The firm has practices in healthcare, property and casualty insurance, life insurance and financial services, and employee benefits. Founded in 1947, Milliman is an independent firm with offices in major cities around the globe. For further information, visit milliman.com. SOURCE Milliman, Inc. The passengers have spent 67 days in captivity as their relatives continue to appeal to the Nigerian government to hasten the process of freeing them. The gunmen who abducted passengers on a Kaduna-bound train have released another video of the abductees. In the recent video, the hostages were pleading with the Nigerian authorities to come to their rescue. Monday's video is the fifth time the bandits, as the gunmen are locally called, are releasing video or pictorial evidence that the abductees are alive. The abduction was executed after the bandits planted explosives on the rail track and immobilised the train around Katari and Rijana axis. The attack was carried out in the evening of the 28 of March. At least nine people were killed in the attack while several others were injured. The Nigerian government said it is doing its best to rescue the abducted passengers but 67 days later, only the managing director of the Bank of Agriculture, Alwan Hassan, and a pregnant woman have been released by the gunmen. Recent video clip There were eight passengers in the new video released by the bandits. Five of the abductees - all men - were in kneeling position behind three women sitting on a tarpaulin while a masked gunman stood behind them with a rifle. The gunman spoke in English - the first time the abductors would. They had spoken in Hausa in all their previous videos. "They (passengers) are appealing to us that they want to talk to the government. So we're giving them chance to talk to the federal government so, left for you to listen or abandon them.." (sic) One of the passengers, Maryam Abubakar, said she was abducted alongside her husband and four children. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. She said two of her sons are seriously sick. The son of the leader of the Northern Elders Forum, Ango Abdullahi, Sadiq Ango, also spoke. "We are appealing to the federal government to once again come to our aid. We have been here for 62 days. Most of us here are sick and we are not in good condition and everyday the situation deteriorates. We are appealing to the federal government to please come to our aid before we start losing our lives." Another passenger, who said her name is Gladys, said the condition has been unfavourable. "My name is Gladys... .I'm pleading particularly to professor Yemi Osinbajo who was my classmate at 78/79 law school. You are a grandfather and a father; come to our aid because we have been here for 62 days and I have a son who is a sickler; I don't know his condition now, " she said. All the passengers pleaded with the Nigerian authorities to come to their rescue. In today's macroeconomic landscape, alternative capital sources are more important to sponsors than ever before. By combining these groups, Walker & Dunlop will more effectively navigate its clients through evolving market dynamics as well as provide a broad and diversified suite of equity and debt products for all property types. Last year, the combined groups invested nearly $200 million in equity and originated $3.3 billion in debt across the commercial real estate market and we expect the realized synergies of these business lines to fuel future platform growth. "Mitch's established relationships and commercial real estate experience will be an invaluable addition to the proprietary capital, high yield, seniors bridge, and WDIP teams," commented Sheri Thompson, Executive Vice President of Affordable Housing, Investment Management & Proprietary Capital. "As we continue to pursue our mission of matching the diverse investment needs of our investors with the capital needs of commercial real estate owners, we are thrilled to have Mitch, an industry veteran and tenured Walker & Dunlop employee, bolster collaboration and cross-selling throughout our platform." "Commercial real estate remains a consistent and stable source of value in the capital markets, and I am excited to elevate Walker & Dunlop's product offerings as we continue to build one of the most versatile, skilled, and diversified financial services companies," Mr. Resnick said. "Walker & Dunlop has established itself as a truly unique force in the market, thanks to our talented team of investment professionals, our unparalleled brand and our ongoing development of innovative technology." Mr. Resnick joined Walker & Dunlop in 2016, bringing over 25 years of commercial real estate experience with him. Prior to his new role, he served as Treasurer of the firm. Before joining Walker & Dunlop, Mr. Resnick led Freddie Mac's Multifamily Capital Markets department where he oversaw the growth of Freddie's lending and securitization programs and he also spent 15 years at Goldman Sachs on the Mortgage Trading Desk. Walker & Dunlop and its affiliates currently hold over $15 billion in assets under management, far surpassing the company's Drive to '25 goal of reaching $10 billion in assets under management by 2025.[i] To learn more about Walker & Dunlop's long-term strategic plans, read our Drive to '25 press release. About Walker & Dunlop Walker & Dunlop (NYSE: WD) is one of the largest providers of capital to the commercial real estate industry, enabling real estate owners and operators to bring their visions of communities where Americans live, work, shop and play to life. The power of our people, premier brand, and industry-leading technology makes us more insightful and valuable to our clients, providing an unmatched experience every step of the way. With over 1,300 employees across every major U.S. market , Walker & Dunlop has consistently been named one of Fortune's Great Places to Work and is committed to making the commercial real estate industry more inclusive and diverse while creating meaningful social, environmental, and economic change in our communities . About Walker & Dunlop Investment Partners Walker & Dunlop Investment Partners is an alternative investment manager that provides capital solutions to middle-market commercial real estate sponsors. Investing on behalf of insurance companies, public pension funds, endowments, foundations, family offices, and high-net worth individuals, WDIP partners with sponsors whose transactions are in need of financing but are under-served by institutional capital. The Denver, Colorado-based firm has $1.2 billion assets under management through investment vehicles focused on opportunistic, value-add, and income-oriented commercial real estate strategies. As a wholly owned subsidiary of Walker & Dunlop, one of the largest commercial real estate finance companies in the United States, WDIP has unmatched access to proprietary resources and market intelligence. This partnership offers clients unique, real-time insights into market movements, valuation, pricing, and underwriting. For more information, visit www.wdinvestmentpartners.com . All investments have risk of loss and WDIP cannot guarantee any investment strategy will achieve its goals and objectives. Nothing herein is an offer to sell any security, including an interest in any private fund. iAssets under management includes both WDIP regulatory assets under management and Walker & Dunlop non-advisory managed assets. SOURCE Walker & Dunlop, Inc. The financing round was co-led by new investor Lansdowne Partners, one of Britain's leading asset managers, together with existing investors, Oxford Science Enterprises, an investment company created to found, fund and build businesses through its unique partnership with the University of Oxford; and Parkwalk Advisors, the largest EIS growth fund manager focused on university spinouts. Existing investors BGF Investments, Bits x Bites Growth Fund, IP Group and University of Oxford also participated. moa is driving the evolution of an industry by investigating nature's design for a new generation of safe and sustainable herbicides to solve an urgent problem that threatens the viability and security of food production the world over. Effective and safe weed control is crucial to producing sufficient food for a growing global population without it, ~40% of crop yields can be lost. However, in a dynamic similar to that driving the antibiotic resistance crisis affecting healthcare, an innovation drought has forced the industry to rely on a small number of similar products, such that existing weed control chemistries are rapidly losing efficacy due the evolution of weed resistance. Despite the urgency, no major new herbicide that works in a new way that can break resistance has been introduced to the market in the last thirty years. Spun out of Oxford University in 2017, moa has developed a unique plant-led approach to revolutionize the discovery process for the new modes of action that can solve the resistance challenge. moa's three proprietary platforms, GALAXY, TARGET, and SELECT, uniquely utilise miniaturized living plants in combination with cutting-edge techniques in genetics, phenotypic analysis and data analytics to rapidly screen hundreds of thousands of natural and synthetic chemistries to find those that work differently. In its first two years, the approach has already yielded an order of magnitude increase in the discovery rate of these novel interactions between chemistry and plant biology which have the potential to control weeds in safe new ways. Virginia Corless, CEO at moa, said: "We are pleased to have completed this funding round, which will enable us to accelerate the development of the most promising leads in our abundant pipeline and deliver the novel safe and sustainable products necessary for us all farmers, consumers, anyone with an interest in the food we grow and eat to be able to count on a safe, reliable, and resilient agricultural industry for the future. We are excited to welcome the new investment from Lansdowne and are grateful for the continued support from our existing investors. " Hadyn Parry, Chairman at moa, added: "Global agriculture needs a new Green Revolution if we are to feed the world sustainably. Being able to control weeds is critical to both yield and the cost of production in most crops and new herbicide modes of action are essential. It's very exciting to see moa starting to play its part in this new revolution by advancing so far in such little time." The investment will enable moa to advance its portfolio of leads through to the next stage of development and to further expand its prolific high-throughput in vivo screening platforms. Martin Fiennes, Principal at Oxford Science Enterprises and Non-Executive Director at moa, said "There has been tremendous progress developing the mode of action discovery platform since we helped moa spin-out of Oxford's Plant Sciences Department. It is very exciting to see the output from the platforms now begin to show the new modes of action for effective and clean herbicides that farmers so desperately need." Cassie Doherty at Parkwalk Advisors and Non-Executive Director at moa, added "Parkwalk is excited to offer its continued support to moa, helping advance the development of their novel technology that is so critical to farmers across the UK and globally. We have always felt that moa's relentless effort to strive for global food security will enable a better future" Over the next few years, moa's pipeline is expected to produce several new candidates to advance into development and registration. The company is pursuing a range of commercial opportunities including collaborations, joint ventures, and downstream partnerships to bring its portfolio to market, with the aim of delivering to farmers as quickly as possible the tools they need to counter resistance and ensure the resilience of our food production system. About moa moa Technology Limited is leading the evolution of ethical and collaborative crop protection to feed the world's growing population efficiently, safely and sustainably. Spun out from Oxford University's Plant Sciences Department in 2017 from ground-breaking research by co-founders Professor Liam Dolan FRS, and Dr Clement Champion, moa was set up to address the challenge of increasing levels of weed resistance to herbicides. The company has developed its own discovery platforms and is focused on the discovery of a new generation of sustainable herbicides from both natural and synthetic chemistry. At moa, we are working hard to solve an urgent global problem with new mode of action herbicides that respect human and environmental health, support farmers with better products to face the food supply challenge safely, consistently and efficiently, and advance the industry with a collaborative approach to integrated weed management. About Oxford Science Enterprise Oxford Science Enterprises is a Science Business Builder with a unique partnership with the University of Oxford and a commitment to helping solve the world's toughest problems for more people, in more places, faster. The company does this by transforming world-leading science into world-changing businesses, partnering the best scientists from the world's best university with the best business brains. Oxford Science Enterprises grows its companies with care and expertise, investing for real-world impact, not only financial returns, and re-investing proceeds back into the next generation of original research and world-changing businesses. Since 2015, the company has received an automatic stake in all Oxford University science spinouts and has taken a leading role in creating and building enterprises that address problems that affect people in life-changing ways: their health, the availability of food, the survival of the planet. Find out more: oxfordscienceenterprises.com | Twitter | LinkedIn About Parkwalk Advisors Parkwalk is the largest growth EIS fund manager, backing world-changing technologies emerging from the UK's leading universities and research institutions. With 400m of assets under management, it has invested in over 150 companies across its Parkwalk Opportunities and Knowledge Intensive EIS Funds, as well as the award-winning enterprise and innovation funds Parkwalk manages for the Universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Bristol and Imperial College. Parkwalk invests in businesses creating solutions to real-world challenges, with IP-protected innovations, across a range of sectors including life sciences, AI, quantum computing, advanced materials, genomics, cleantech, future of mobility, medtech and big data About Lansdowne Partners Lansdowne Partners is one of the UK's oldest and most established alternative asset managers, focusing on public and private market equities. SOURCE moa Technology Ltd VANCOUVER, BC, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - (TSX: NANO) (OTC: NNOMF) (FF: LBMB) Evaluation of Nano One's patented M2CAM One-Pot process for BASF's next-generation cathode active materials. One-Pot process for BASF's next-generation cathode active materials. Multi-phase agreement includes detailed commercialization study for pre-pilot, pilot and scaled up production. Nano One Materials Corp. (Nano One), a clean technology innovator in battery materials, and BASF SE (BASF), a globally active chemical company with extensive experience in the development and manufacture of battery materials, today announce they have signed a joint development agreement (JDA). Under the JDA, the companies will co-develop a process with reduced by-products for commercial production of next-generation cathode active materials (CAM), based on BASF's HEDTM-family of advanced CAM and using Nano One's patented One-Pot process and metal direct to CAM (M2CAM) technologies. BASF has a family of CAM products well-suited to the evolving requirements of batteries in automotive drivetrains and a proven track record of developing these products in collaboration with others. Nano One and BASF will also use the M2CAMprocess for higher flexibility in terms of manufacturing approach and resulting product performance, reduced energy consumption and environmental footprint. The joint development plan has various phases and stage gates and is the result of evaluating Nano One's processes and products. The signing of the JDA represents a significant milestone in the business relationship between BASF and Nano One. Dan Blondal, Nano One CEO, said: "BASF is a global leader in chemistry and high performance lithium-ion battery cathode materials, and we are proud to be forging new ground with them to improve performance, cost and environmental footprint for CAM production. There is a tremendous opportunity to jointly differentiate the production processes and products for a more resilient and sustainable supply chain. We look forward to advancing this partnership." Dr. Heiko Urtel, Vice President Global R&D Battery Materials, BASF SE, added, "Nano One has an advanced technology with the potential to improve the product performance of our high-performance cathode active materials and to further simplify the synthesis of battery materials . We are looking forward to building a collaborative working relationship and advancing the business opportunities for our next-generation cathode active materials." About Nano One Nano One Materials Corp (Nano One) is a clean technology company with a patented, scalable and low carbon intensity industrial process for the low-cost production of high-performance lithium-ion battery cathode materials. The technology is applicable to electric vehicle, energy storage, consumer electronic and next generation batteries in the global push for a zero-emission future. Nano One's One-Pot process, its coated nanocrystal materials and its Metal to Cathode Active Material (M2CAM) technologies address fundamental performance needs and supply chain constraints while reducing costs and carbon footprint. Nano One has received funding from various government programs and the current "Scaling of Advanced Battery Materials Project" is supported by Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) and the Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund of the Province of British Columbia. For more information, please visit www.nanoone.ca About BASF At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 111,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of 78.6 billion in 2021. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com Certain information contained herein may constitute "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to: results of the JDA and status of the partnership with BASF, future projects that may be put into place, the execution of the Company's plans which are contingent on collaboration, support and awards and the commercialization of the Company's technology and patents. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of terminology such as 'believe', 'expect', 'anticipate', 'plan', 'intend', 'continue', 'estimate', 'may', 'will', 'should', 'ongoing', 'target', 'goal', 'potential' or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the current opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made are not, and cannot be, a guarantee of future results or events. Forward-looking statements are 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 statements or forward-looking information, including but not limited to: results of the JDA and status of the partnership with BASF, future projects that may be put into place, the execution of the Company's plans which are contingent on such support and awards and the commercialization of the Company's technology and patents and other risk factors as identified in Nano One's MD&A and its Annual Information Form dated March 28, 2022, both for the year ended December 31, 2021, and in recent securities filings for the Companies which are available at www.sedar.com. 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 statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that is incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. SOURCE Nano One Materials Corp. WASHINGTON, May 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Following is a statement from Jen Judson, President of the National Press Club and Gil Klein, President of the National Press Club Journalism Institute on the death of French Journalist Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff, who was working in Ukraine. "Our hearts are broken for the family and colleagues of Fredric Leclerc-Imhoff, who became the 14th journalist killed in Ukraine. According to reports, Fredric was killed when he was struck in the neck by shrapnel from a Russian artillery round. At the time he was riding in an armored vehicle following a bus carrying refugees from the Severodonetsk region. Fredric was on his second trip covering the war in Ukraine. He worked for BFMT, one of France's most watched news channels, where he had been employed about 6 years. He was 32. There must be a full accounting and accountability for his tragic death." Founded in 1908, The National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. The Club has 3,00 members representing nearly every major news organization and is a leading voice for press freedom in the United States and worldwide. The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged, global citizenry through an independent and free press and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire civic engagement. Contact: Bill McCarren, 202-662-7534 for The National Press Club SOURCE National Press Club ShootProof professional photographer survey confirms predictions of the "Year of the Wedding" with 64% reporting revenue gains in 2022 - with an increase in more intimate gatherings ATLANTA, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ShootProof, a platform used by more than 300,000 photographers to share, deliver, print, and sell their photos, conducted a broad survey of professional and small business photographers. The goal was to understand the impact the pandemic had on bookings and revenue and how the industry is rebuilding toward the anticipated "year of the wedding" in 2022. Of the nearly 200 survey participants, 60% reported a loss of business with the onset of the pandemic with half reporting revenue losses of more than 50% in 2020. On the other hand, the findings indicate the current rebound is better than the initial industry hit, with 64% reporting revenue gains in 2022 over a relatively stable 2021. "For professional photographers particularly, this has been a period of change and flux. We wanted to check in with our community to see how we could help navigate the industry's quick pivots," noted Rachel LaCour Niesen, Head of Market Intelligence at ShootProof. "Professional photographers are bellwethers of economic health. We feel these survey findings underscore the enduring need to capture memories and the resiliency of the wedding category as whole." Along with the indicated resurgence in wedding photography in 2022, survey participants reported a strong trend toward smaller weddings, with a majority predicting the shift to be permanent. "I think people are getting back to basics: less "fluff", more substance. Sure, we all love a ceiling-tall centerpiece...but I really believe couples are focusing more on the love," noted one ShootProof survey participant. The sense of "less is more" resonated with many of the open-ended responses to the survey. "I think the pandemic fundamentally changed the wedding industry. Couples who thought they had to have a big wedding to meet their family's expectations found that they didn't need to spend $30k+ to celebrate their love. And although intimate weddings and elopements became popular out of necessity, couples realized they were cheaper, less stressful, and more meaningful." In an age where image content is abundant, photographers also advocated the need for more permanence around wedding photography, not just capturing moments but documenting them for generations to come. "My focus for 2022 is educating clients about the importance of printing their photos rather than burying them in the digital graveyard," added a survey participant. With the results of the survey, Niesen feels optimistic about the industry she's been part of for 30 years. "I think we can evolve the 'year of the wedding' slogan, to 'year of memorializing special moments,'" added Niesen. "Photographers have an honorable role in that act of capturing and preserving our most treasured memories." To learn more about the survey and request additional data, email [email protected] . About ShootProof ShootProof is a leading provider of online gallery software, sales, and business management tools for professional and semi-professional photographers around the world. The user-friendly platform enables photographers to share and sell their photos in customizable galleries and apps, and deliver a better client experience with digital downloads, proofing, printing, and more. ShootProof serves hundreds of thousands of photographers in 38 countries. For more information on ShootProof, visit https://www.shootproof.com/ . About Foreground Formed in 2021 as an umbrella entity that seamlessly connects professional photographers and photo consumers, Foreground serves as a dynamic marketplace where special moments are documented, memorialized and preserved. The company harnesses the expert position and expertise from leading brands like ShootProof, Collage, Tave, Design Aglow and Cole's Classroom to create an innovative product suite. Foreground is proud to offer multiple remote work and work from home options for all of its employees. For more information on Foreground, visit https://foreground.co/ . Media contact: Erinn Lynch 805-570-0990 [email protected] SOURCE Foreground Key asthma organizations release National Asthma Public Policy Agenda, host webinar on June 1 CHICAGO, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly 25 million Americans have asthma, including 5.5 million children. To help people living with asthma and save lives, the American Lung Association and other leading asthma experts with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s National Center for Environmental Health, will release the National Asthma Public Policy Agenda on June 1. Asthma is a chronic lung disease that makes it harder to move air in and out of your lungs. It causes millions of lost school and work days every year and is the third leading cause of hospitalization among children. "The burden of asthma in the United States is complex, multi-factorial, unequal and serious. Efforts to address asthma must be equally significant and must look at the underlying systemic causes of both the disease and the barriers to controlling it," said Harold Wimmer, National President and CEO for the American Lung Association. "This document establishes a blueprint for national asthma policy on which lawmakers, regulators and advocates must act. To save lives, we all need to come together to advance these important policy recommendations." The National Public Policy Agenda has already made a difference for people living with asthma. Since the agenda was first developed in 2009, there have been several notable accomplishments, including the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, the adoption of stricter national air standards for particle pollution in 2012 and ozone in 2015, and the 2018 implementation of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's smokefree public housing policy. "The impact that asthma has on the quality of life, health and opportunity for families across this country is enormous. The National Asthma Public Policy Agenda, led by the American Lung Association and its partners is comprehensive, achievable and urgently needed. Adoption of this plan goes to the heart of addressing the social determinants of health, opportunity and equity and will create far better outcomes not only for healthcare but the environment, education, work attendance and healthier housing. We strongly endorse this Agenda and urge adoption at every level of government and public policy," said Ruth Ann Norton, President and CEO, Green & Healthy Homes Initiative. "The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) was pleased to contribute to the update of this national policy agenda. We are hopeful that this agenda, which echoes many of the policy recommendations in our Asthma Disparities in America report, will save lives, improve health outcomes, and reduce the exorbitant costs of asthma (last estimated at $82 billion/year)," said Kenneth Mendez, AAFA's President and CEO. "Over 4,100 people die each year from asthma. Black Americans are three times more likely to die from asthma than white Americans and five times more likely to be treated for asthma in hospital emergency rooms. We must act now to support the recommendations contained in this agenda to fix the glaring disparities that persist in asthma mortality and morbidity in the United States." "Public policy is essential to ensure the right treatment gets to the right patient at the right time with the fewest barriers. Allergy & Asthma Network is excited to work with our advocacy community partners to advance these policy priorities and ensuring they are resourced appropriately," said Tonya A. Winders, President and CEO of the Allergy & Asthma Network. The National Asthma Public Policy Agenda consists of 22 public policy recommendations in six categories: Public Health Infrastructure and Surveillance; Outdoor Air; Healthcare Systems and Financing; Homes; Schools; and Workplaces. The agenda was developed by a broad, multi-disciplinary group of asthma specialists, medical professionals, and public health and policy experts. On June 1 at 2 p.m. Central Time, the Lung Association will host a webinar for partner organizations to learn about the recommended policies and strategies from the National Asthma Public Policy Agenda. Registration for the webinar is available here. The American Lung Association encourages asthma-focused organizations and stakeholders to download the National Asthma Public Policy Agenda, which will be available at Lung.org/asthma-policy-agenda June 1, to begin advancing these policies at the local, state and federal levels. About the American Lung Association The American Lung Association is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease through education, advocacy and research. The work of the American Lung Association is focused on four strategic imperatives: to defeat lung cancer; to champion clean air for all; to improve the quality of life for those with lung disease and their families; and to create a tobacco-free future. For more information about the American Lung Association, which has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and is a Gold-Level GuideStar Member, or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNGUSA (1-800-586-4872) or visit: Lung.org. American Lung Association 55 W. Wacker Drive, Suite 1150 Chicago, IL 60601 1331 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Ste. 1425 North Washington, D.C. 20004 1-800-LUNGUSA (1-800-586-4872) Lung.org CONTACT: Jill Dale | American Lung Association P: 312-940-7001E: [email protected] SOURCE American Lung Association Rapidly Growing Cloud Security Company Continues To Attract, Grow, Retain Cybersecurity Professionals In Talent-Rich Region SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Netskope , the leader in Security Service Edge (SSE) and Zero Trust, today announced the grand opening of a new office located in Clayton, Missouri, part of the greater St. Louis metropolitan area. The new location was selected based on the St. Louis region's talent-rich technology environment, and will serve as Netskope's primary hub in the central United States. Netskope executives including Chief Information Security Officer Lamont Orange and Chief Strategy Officer Jason Clark will lead the company's expansion. Both reside in the St. Louis area and have long-standing local business and community ties. "From our strong partnership with global technology leader World Wide Technology to our working relationships with the area's top universities such as Washington University, Maryville University, Missouri University of Science and Technology, selecting St. Louis as the next location for our strategic expansion just makes sense," said Lamont Orange, Chief Information Security Officer, Netskope. "The plethora of local technology and cybersecurity talent resources in Clayton and the Greater St. Louis area is undeniable, and we are very excited to expand our role in the local community." "We are delighted that Netskope has chosen to make Clayton their home in the St. Louis region," said Clayton Mayor Michelle Harris. "From their offices in the heart of Clayton's bustling downtown, they will provide a key strategic security partner for the education and business community alike. Clayton is proud to welcome them." Netskope is uniquely positioned to meet the emerging security and performance demands of a cloud-centric, hybrid work environment. Earlier this year, Netskope was recognized by industry analyst firm Gartner as a Leader in the 2022 Magic Quadrant for Security Service Edge (SSE), which describes a set of capabilities critical to creating and securing how businesses will use hybrid work models today and in the future to achieve their goals. "Building upon our corporate philosophy of extending flexibility to our global workforce, which includes the option of working from anywhere, we've found that many of our employees prefer the choice of a hybrid work experience," said Marilyn Miller, Chief People Officer, Netskope. "Our new St. Louis area office provides our local team with the best range of options possible, and we look forward to expanding our presence in the region and wherever top talent resides." Netskope will celebrate the opening of the new office tomorrow, June 1, with a ribbon cutting ceremony that will be attended by local business leaders, politicians, university officials, Netskope customers, Netskope employees, and more. To learn more about Netskope, please visit our website or view our open career opportunities to join our growing team. About Netskope Netskope, a global cybersecurity leader, is redefining cloud, data, and network security to help organizations apply zero trust principles to protect data. The Netskope Intelligent Security Service Edge (SSE) platform is fast, easy to use, and secures people, devices, and data anywhere they go. Netskope helps customers reduce risk, accelerate performance, and get unrivaled visibility into any cloud, web, and private application activity. Thousands of customers, including more than 25 of the Fortune 100, trust Netskope to address evolving threats, new risks, technology shifts, organizational and network changes, and new regulatory requirements. Learn how Netskope helps customers be ready for anything on their SASE journey, visit netskope.com. Media Contact Inkhouse for Netskope [email protected] SOURCE Netskope Global competitiveness and key competitor percentage market shares Market presence across multiple geographies - Strong/Active/Niche/Trivial Online interactive peer-to-peer collaborative bespoke updates Access to our digital archives and MarketGlass Research Platform Complimentary updates for one year Edition: 23; Released: April 2022 Executive Pool: 654 Companies: 113 - Players covered include Darling Ingredients Inc.; Rousselot B.V.; Ewald-Gelatine GmbH; Gelita AG; Italgelatine S.p.A.; JuncA Gelatines SL; Lapi Gelatine S.p.a.; Lonza Group Ltd.; Nitta Gelatin Inc.; Nitta Gelatin, NA Inc.; REINERT GRUPPE Ingredients GmbH; Sterling Biotech Limited; Suheung Co., Ltd.; Geltech Co., Ltd.; Tessenderlo Group NV; PB Leiner; The Roxlor Group; Roxlor LLC; Trobas Gelatine B.V.; Weishardt Holding SA and Others. Coverage: All major geographies and key segments Segments: Raw Material (Pig Skin, Bovine Hide, Bone, Other Raw Materials); Application (Food & Beverage, Nutraceuticals, Pharmaceuticals, Photography, Cosmetics, Other Applications) Geographies: World; USA; Canada; Japan; China; Europe; France; Germany; Italy; UK; Spain; Russia; Rest of Europe; Asia-Pacific; Australia; India; South Korea; Rest of Asia-Pacific; Latin America; Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; Rest of Latin America; Rest of World. Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry ABSTRACT- Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Gelatin estimated at 580.9 Thousand Metric Tons in the year 2022, is projected to reach a revised size of 799 Thousand Metric Tons by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 8% over the analysis period. Pig Skin, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to grow at a 8.1% CAGR, while growth in the Bovine Hide segment is readjusted to a revised 6.8% CAGR. The global market is projected to grow in the future, propelled by confluence of several factors including rising demand for convenience and functional foods, increasing health awareness, expansion of end-use industries and growth across emerging markets. Demand for the product is also driven by the essential requirement of gelatin in food, pharmaceutical, and nutritional solutions due to its distinctive behavioral properties. The market is likely to be driven by rising health awareness, strong demand for supplements, technological advancements related to softgel capsules and increasing use of pharmaceutical drugs. While rising healthcare spending and growing demand from end-use applications are anticipated to favor the gelatin and collagen peptide segment, increasing disposable income in urban areas and growing rural population in emerging economies including India, China, Brazil and South Africa are likely to benefit gelatin and its derivatives. As a safe, natural product, gelatin is also being targeted by researchers for novel applications such as tissue engineering and wound care products that are likely to further extend overall application scope of the material. Rising standards of living, increasing preference for preventive healthcare, and a rapidly aging world population are few of the factors driving growth in these application markets, thereby indirectly benefiting the consumption of gelatin. The steadily growing animal protein is touted as a trend setting ingredient driven by its myriad applications in several food products including confectioneries, dairy, desserts, and meat processing; in joint care and nutritional solutions; in the production of plasma substitutes, capsule shells, health supplements, and granulations; as stabilizers for oil emulsions; in cosmeceutical products such as lipsticks, conditioners, nail products, and shampoos; and various technical applications including photographic supplies, explosives, electroplating, dyes, papermaking, and printing, among others. Growing interest in nutraceutical ingredients and the boom in functional foods are expected to drive healthy demand for gelatin in the coming years as it contains all the essential amino acids required to improve health. In the pharmaceutical industry, one of the major factors behind the market growth is increasing use of gelatin in capsules that remain the most popular drug delivery option for solid oral dosage formulations. The market growth is likely to be also propelled by increasing geriatric population, better access to medical services, improving living standards and rising disposable incomes. Increasing significance of microencapsulation in the pharmaceutical sector due to gelatin's ability to release active ingredients in a controlled manner and targeted delivery of drugs is also expected to fuel gelatin demand in the near-term. Other applications in the pharma sector that are likely to foster use of gelatin include plasma volume replacer, medical sponges, vaccines, and regenerative medicine. Additional factors that are expected to benefit market prospects for this vital food additive include the expanding global food & beverage industry driven by globalization; growing prominence of fish-derived gelatin as a substitute to mammalian gelatin; changing lifestyles; increased preference for ready-to-eat products; focus on preventive healthcare, and growing incidence of osteoarthritis. High concentration of amino acids in gelatin is capable of strengthening bones and joints, and also acts as an effective anti-inflammatory agent that assists in easing discomfort, pain and stiffness caused by osteoarthritis. Despite the positive outlook, the global gelatin market continues to face challenges in terms of stringent regulatory norms associated with animal welfare, quality and safety of products; scarcity of raw materials arising as a result of feed shortages; and increasing cultural, ethical & religious requirements. More MarketGlass Platform Our MarketGlass Platform is a free full-stack knowledge center that is custom configurable to today`s busy business executive`s intelligence needs! This influencer driven interactive research platform is at the core of our primary research engagements and draws from unique perspectives of participating executives worldwide. Features include - enterprise-wide peer-to-peer collaborations; research program previews relevant to your company; 3.4 million domain expert profiles; competitive company profiles; interactive research modules; bespoke report generation; monitor market trends; competitive brands; create & publish blogs & podcasts using our primary and secondary content; track domain events worldwide; and much more. Client companies will have complete insider access to the project data stacks. Currently in use by 67,000+ domain experts worldwide. Our platform is free for qualified executives and is accessible from our website www.StrategyR.com or via our just released mobile application on iOS or Android About Global Industry Analysts, Inc. & StrategyR Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (www.strategyr.com) is a renowned market research publisher the world`s only influencer driven market research company. Proudly serving more than 42,000 clients from 36 countries, GIA is recognized for accurate forecasting of markets and industries for over 33 years. CONTACTS: Zak Ali Director, Corporate Communications Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Phone: 1-408-528-9966 www.StrategyR.com Email: [email protected] LINKS Join Our Expert Panel https://www.strategyr.com/Panelist.asp Connect With Us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-industry-analysts-inc./ Follow Us on Twitter https://twitter.com/marketbytes Journalists & Media [email protected] SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Global competitiveness and key competitor percentage market shares Market presence across multiple geographies - Strong/Active/Niche/Trivial Online interactive peer-to-peer collaborative bespoke updates Access to our digital archives and MarketGlass Research Platform Complimentary updates for one year Edition: 17; Released: May 2022 Executive Pool: 3744 Companies: 116 - Players covered include ArcelorMittal SA; Borusan Mannesmann Boru Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S.; ChelPipe Group; EEW-Bergrohr GmbH; EUROPIPE GmbH; EVRAZ North America; Jindal SAW Ltd.; National Pipe Company Ltd.; Nippon Steel Corporation; PAO Severstal; PAO TMK; Sutor; Tenaris S.A.; United Metallurgical Company (AO OMK); United States Steel Corporation; Welspun Corp. Ltd. and Others. Coverage: All major geographies and key segments Segments: Type (LSAW Pipes, SSAW Pipes); Application (Oil & Gas, Water Treatment, Chemical, Other Applications) Geographies: World; USA; Canada; Japan; China; Europe; France; Germany; Italy; UK; Spain; Russia; Turkey; Rest of Europe; Asia-Pacific; India; South Korea; Rest of Asia-Pacific; Latin America; Middle East; Saudi Arabia; Rest of Middle East; Africa. Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry ABSTRACT- Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Large Diameter Steel Pipes estimated at US$12.3 Billion in the year 2022, is projected to reach a revised size of US$13.7 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 2.7% over the analysis. LSAW Pipes, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to grow at a 2.5% CAGR, while growth in the SSAW Pipes segment is readjusted to a revised 2.9% CAGR. The discovery of the hollow tubes' capability in fluid transportation significantly transformed the way mankind utilizes available water and energy resources. Pipes form the structural foundation of economies worldwide, transporting essential fluids across various regions. Pipes, used commonly in potable water distribution, storm sewers, and surface water drainage are indispensable to the infrastructure of a nation. Buoyed by expanding population and the subsequent rise in demand for potable water and drainage systems, market for pipes and fittings is set to rise over the analysis period. Demand is expected to increase further by the increasing distance between consumers and sources of potable water leading to the need for additional pipeline infrastructure for transmission and distribution. The trend is expected to be additionally supported by increasing migration of population to newer regions entailing the need for new infrastructure. The scenario is expected to promote demand for pipes, employed in public infrastructure applications including sewage and storm drain projects. However, demand for pipes is largely altered by the changing patterns in government spending in each country. Initially, pipe systems were made of wood and clay. Subsequent advancements in technology have resulted in use of various materials such as plastic, ductile iron, fiberglass and steel for pipe making. Today, pipes and tubes represent an important part of human civilization with the segment playing an important role in transportation of water and gas to homes and businesses, and also for draining out liquid wastes through sewer lines. Pipes transport virtually all types of gaseous and liquid products over short distances such as milk transportation line in a dairy farm; and also over long distances such as a petroleum pipelines connecting different continents. Besides, the regular water transportation and sewer lines, pipes and tubes are widely used in several industries, which do not involve fluid transportation. For instance, electronics and electrical industry uses pipes and tubes as conduits to carry wires and conductors. Pipes and tubes are also used in applications that involve movement of the same fluid within a closed loop such as in hot water heating systems and in air conditioning and refrigeration systems. Mechanical tubing is used in light poles and furniture. The energy sector continues to be the biggest market for large diameter steel pipes. More than 50% of all steel pipes and tubes produced are used for transport of gas or oil. Large Diameter Pipes (LDPs) form the structural foundation of economies worldwide, comprising a major mode of transport for natural gas, oil and other fluids from isolated areas of production and refining to consumption centers across national and international boundaries. The regional distribution of crude oil and natural gas reserves is highly uneven raising the need for large scale pipeline transport system. About 65%-70% of the global oil reserves are located in the Strategic Ellipse extending from Middle East to North of West Siberia, covering the Persian Gulf states and the Caspian Basin. Together these blocks account for more than 60% of worldwide primary energy supply. With shortfalls in gas supplies to consuming countries in Europe and Asia, there is a growing need to build the required infrastructure to ensure flow of oil and natural gas in these regions. In recent years, Eastern Europe witnessed the construction of several pipeline networks for transmission oil and gas for secured supplies. The next half decade is likely to witness the development of several large scale interregional projects, via new supply routes such as Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, West Nabucco, TAPI between Russia and South Korea. Countries are also contemplating on exploiting the untapped hydrocarbon reserves in the Caspian region from both offshore deposits in the Caspian Sea and onshore fields in Caspian basin. Among the major pipeline projects seeking to tap the resources from the landlocked countries is the pipeline west from northern Caspian to Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk from where the oil would be transported through Bosporus to Mediterranean and other markets. With Russia focused on reducing exports to Europe through the Ukraine's pipeline system, the region's oil & gas company, Gazprom is increasingly spending on construction of new pipeline, Nord Stream 2, scheduled for operations by 2030. East-Asia comprises the largest market for LNG, accounting for about 60% of the global demand. About 45% of the natural gas consumption is accounted for by electricity generation. The region lacks adequate oil and gas reserves to meet existing demand and heavily relies on Pacific Rim countries for majority of natural gas supplies. In Europe, the second largest market for LNG after East Asia has for long heavily relied on Middle East surpluses to address its oil deficits. The region is gradually moving towards Russia, FSU countries, and Africa to serve its gas requirements. The region already competes with Asia for oil supplies from Northern Iraq, Central Asia, West Africa, and Eastern Siberia. Also with drop in North Sea production, Europe is expected to become dependent on imports to meet its demand for oil. Pipelines built with the large diameter steel pipes (LDSPs) deliver unmatched benefits in transportation of liquids and gases as well as solid materials. Superior flexibility in deployment & maintenance, support for high volume transport, 24x7 functioning, best-in-class safety & efficiency, negligible impact of weather events, low operating cost, are some of the highly acknowledged benefits offered by pipeline transportation. Rendering best-in-class support, large diameter pipes can transport massive volumes of oil, gas, and refined petroleum products over long distances with ease. For instance, LDSPs can effortlessly carry over 50 million liters of oil/day over long distances, which is not practical with roadways, railways or sea lines. Further, pipelines function on a 24x7 basis, providing a reliable medium for transport of crude oil, natural gas, and refined petroleum products from various connectivity points including exploration and production sites, processing units, and storage and distribution facilities. Such capability to function on 24x7 basis makes pipelines the most desired transportation medium. Loss-in-transit or supply leakages also remain minimal in pipeline transportation. As pipelines associate themselves with fewer mechanical failures, the operational efficiency of pipelines remains robust and consistent over longer periods of time. At the same time, LDSPs enable end-to-end automation of labor-intensive material loading/unloading processes, to bring new level of efficiency in transportation applications. Pipelines are acknowledged as one of the safest transportation mediums and safety related issues in pipeline transportation are very rare, at around 1.5 incidents per 10,000 kilometers of pipeline in a year, much lower than any other transportation medium. Further, pipelines remain unaffected by weather events such as cyclones, heavy rains etc., quite contrast to transportation via roadways, railways, and waterways, where weather patterns play important role in delivery schedules. At the same time, pipeline transportation is highly economical and per ton-mile costs incurred in pipeline transportation is significantly lower than the costs incurred in railroad, marine and road transport mediums. More MarketGlass Platform Our MarketGlass Platform is a free full-stack knowledge center that is custom configurable to today`s busy business executive`s intelligence needs! This influencer driven interactive research platform is at the core of our primary research engagements and draws from unique perspectives of participating executives worldwide. Features include - enterprise-wide peer-to-peer collaborations; research program previews relevant to your company; 3.4 million domain expert profiles; competitive company profiles; interactive research modules; bespoke report generation; monitor market trends; competitive brands; create & publish blogs & podcasts using our primary and secondary content; track domain events worldwide; and much more. Client companies will have complete insider access to the project data stacks. Currently in use by 67,000+ domain experts worldwide. Our platform is free for qualified executives and is accessible from our website www.StrategyR.com or via our just released mobile application on iOS or Android About Global Industry Analysts, Inc. & StrategyR Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (www.strategyr.com) is a renowned market research publisher the world`s only influencer driven market research company. Proudly serving more than 42,000 clients from 36 countries, GIA is recognized for accurate forecasting of markets and industries for over 33 years. CONTACTS: Zak Ali Director, Corporate Communications Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Phone: 1-408-528-9966 www.StrategyR.com Email: [email protected] LINKS Join Our Expert Panel https://www.strategyr.com/Panelist.asp Connect With Us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-industry-analysts-inc./ Follow Us on Twitter https://twitter.com/marketbytes Journalists & Media [email protected] SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc. ** Classroom of the Future Foundation's Innovation in Education program recognizes San Diego County school initiatives modeling the future of K-12 education ** SAN DIEGO, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As the Premier Sponsor of the Classroom of the Future Foundation (CFF), North Island Credit Union recently presented the organization's prestigious 2022 Innovation in Education Impact Award to Poway Unified School District (PUSD) for its Through the Lens of Equity: Jump Starting Pathways to Rewarding Careers Program. North Island Credit Union presents the 2022 Innovation in Education Impact Award to Poway Unified School District for its Through the Lens of Equity: Jump Starting Pathways to Rewarding Careers Program at the 19th Annual Classroom of the Future Foundation Awards event on May 26, 2022. "We congratulate the outstanding educators at Poway Unified School District for receiving CFF's Impact Award, which is well-deserved recognition of their efforts to support their students' transition to college and rewarding careers," said North Island Credit Union President/CEO Steve O'Connell. "PUSD's innovative program creates exciting career development opportunities and industry partnerships to set these students up for life-long success. We look forward to seeing the results of this program's expansion as a model for other districts across San Diego." In recognition of the award, North Island Credit Union provided PUSD with $10,000 to expand its career and college readiness program for under-represented student populations across the district. Offered as part of PUSD's College & Career Technical Education curriculum, the grant will be used to help increase meaningful work-based learning opportunities, work readiness curriculum, career counseling, early college credit, and industry certifications. "I'm especially proud of how our District has worked hard to improve access for historically underrepresented students in high-demand STEM fields such as computer science, engineering, health sciences, and business/entrepreneurship. Earlier exposure and exploration of these areas helps to inspire more students in pursuing their passions and dreams in high school, college, and future careers," said Dr. Marian Kim Phelps, PUSD Superintendent. The CFF annual Innovation in Education Awards program honors innovative classroom programs, educators, and students in San Diego County schools that model the future of K-12 education. Following an intensive application and selection process, four classroom programs are recognized for their ability to get students excited about learning and enhance outcomes through the effective use of technology. The Impact Award is given to the program that exceeds all others in its ability to impact students and teachers. A complete list of 2022 CFF Innovation in Education Award recipients is available here. "These programs demonstrate that innovation isn't about technology; it's about identifying where there are gaps in our existing systems and plugging them, and about creating supports so every child can gain the skills needed to thrive," said San Diego County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Paul Gothold. "On behalf of all of us at the San Diego County Office of Education and San Diego County Board of Education, congratulations and thank you to all the award winners, who are building opportunities for learning that ignite students' imagination and passion." In its fourth year as Premier CFF Sponsor, North Island Credit Union has provided $20,000 annually to support the organization's mission. Since 1997, CFF has united business, community, and educational leaders to create innovative learning environments in San Diego County public schools that prepare students to thrive in a competitive, global society. About North Island Credit Union, a division of California Credit Union California Credit Union is a federally insured, state chartered credit union founded in 1933 that serves public or private school employees, community members and businesses across California. With more than 165,000 members and assets of over $4 billion, California Credit Union has 24 branches throughout Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties. The credit union operates in San Diego County as North Island Credit Union, a division of California Credit Union. California Credit Union offers a full suite of consumer, business and investment products and services, including comprehensive consumer checking and loan options, personalized financial planning, business banking, and leading-edge online and mobile banking. Please visit northisland.ccu.com for more information or follow the credit union on Instagram or Facebook @northislandcu. SOURCE North Island Credit Union The incident occurred when some fishermen were ambushed while fishing in a river between Oku Iboku community in Akwa-Ibom and Ikot Offiong community in Cross River States An ambush on fishermen in Oku Iboku, Akwa Ibom State by suspected gunmen from Ikot Offiong in Cross River State has left an unspecified number of people dead, many injured while others are said to be missing. The ambush, according to the Village Head of Ikot Essien, Oku Iboku in Itu Local Government Area, Evans Enwan, occurred on May 19, when men in the area were fishing in a river. The river serves as the boundary between the two sister states and the border between the communities. It has been under dispute between the two border communities resulting in frequent clashes which have claimed hundreds of lives and properties worth millions destroyed. The fishermen, the royal father said, had returned safely from fishing the previous day but were ambushed on the second day while capturing fish in the said river. The gunmen, Mr Enwan said, launched the attack using speed boats, "killing more than 20 people with some beheaded while they took some corpses with them." PREMIUM TIMES could not independently establish the actual number of people killed in the incidents after the authorities in the two states gave conflicting figures. The Clan Head of Oku Iboku in Itu L.G.A, Ubong Okokon, told PREMIUM TIMES that over 30 people were killed, including non-indigenes, during the incident. He, however, declined to comment further except this reporter visits his palace. Military gunboat on maintenance - Itu chairperson Etetim Onuk, the chairperson of Itu LGA, who confirmed the incident to this newspaper, said he couldn't ascertain the actual number of people killed but that three corpses have been recovered. "We don't know the actual number of people killed. You know when people are killed in the water the corpse does not float immediately. But so far, as of yesterday (May 21), three corpses have been recovered." Mr Onuk described the killings as a "perennial problem" and said both state governments are taking measures to broker peace and understanding among the communities." He added: "The federal government has been sending security men to patrol the waterways. Unfortunately the day this incident happened the military gunboat had gone for maintenance so that is why they had their way. It is only one gunboat that is always there." Asked why the authorities would apply for more gunboats, he said: "It is not a matter of applying, the government is aware and besides the cost of maintenance is enormous." Mr Onuk, who had told our reporter that he was studying the development and gathering information on the incident and would make a statement on the conclusion, did not respond to requests by this newspaper for updates on the incident. Police reactions When contacted, the police spokesperson in Cross River State, Irene Ugbo, confirmed the incident but said she was only aware of the death of three, not 20 persons. Ms Ugbo said policemen drafted to the area had taken the three corpses to the mortuary. She appealed to the government to carry out proper demarcation of the disputed area to ensure a lasting solution. Her counterpart in Akwa Ibom State, Odiko Macdon, said his command had been briefed on the incident and that only one person was reported to have died. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Ini Ememobong, the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information, did not respond to requests for comments on the matter. Records of previous clashes Findings revealed that the communal clashes between Oku Iboku and Ikot Offiong communities, which have claimed many lives with properties destroyed, date back to the days of the Eastern Region Government. In January 2017 this newspaper reported that four persons were killed and scores injured in the renewed boundary crisis between the communities. In April same year, Thisday reported that 12 persons were killed during a clash on the waterways that serve as a boundary between the two states. In May 2018, Vanguard newspaper reported that 11 people, mainly women and children, were killed in the communal clash between the two communities. CENTER VALLEY, Pa., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Olympus today announced it has been awarded a group purchasing agreement in the Single-Use Visualization Devices category for its single-use bronchoscope portfolio with Premier, Inc. The Olympus single-use bronchoscope portfolio is made up of the five premium H-SteriScope single-use bronchoscopes that can be used in complement with Olympus' leading re-usable bronchoscope portfolio, already available under the Premier Flexible Surgical Endoscopy agreement. As such, Olympus is currently the only provider of a full-range bronchoscopy solution, which is intended to provide physicians the right endoscope, for the right patient, in the right situation. Olympus has been awarded the Premier Surgical Disposable Scope contract for its single-use bronchoscope portfolio, which includes five models of the single-use H-SteriScope bronchoscopes that complement the reusable bronchoscopes already available within the Premier portfolio. Premier is a leading healthcare improvement company, uniting an alliance of more than 4,400 U.S. hospitals and health systems and approximately 225,000 other providers and organizations to transform healthcare. With integrated data and analytics, collaboratives, supply chain solutions, and consulting and other services, Premier enables better care and outcomes at a lower cost. "Olympus is honored to be recognized for its strengths by Premier as a hybrid bronchoscopy solutions supplier," said Swarna Alcorn, Vice President for the Respiratory Business Unit at Olympus America Inc. "Our customers have told us that a range of bronchoscope choices allows them to treat each individual patient depending on unique clinical needs, enabling the right scope for the right conditions in the right healthcare setting. Premier's choice in awarding Olympus this contract helps further physicians' ability to take a hybrid bronchoscopy approach." The Olympus portfolio of premium single-use bronchoscopes gives physicians access at contracted pricing to a comprehensive selection of bronchoscopes for any procedure and site of care. A full and robust portfolio ensures the right bronchoscope is available when and where needed for both standard and advanced diagnostic and therapeutic pulmonary procedures. According to a hands-on evaluation and survey conducted during the Second Conference of the American Association of Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology (AABIP), held in August 2019, the H-SteriScope bronchoscopes were rated higher than current single-use flexible bronchoscopes in scope quality, imaging quality, maneuverability, handling, tool interaction, and overall assessment.i The advanced H-SteriScope bronchoscope portfolio includes five single-use bronchoscopes intended to offer efficiency, control, and variety to healthcare providers. The H-SteriScope bronchoscopes range in size from ultra-thin to extra-large with working channels up to 3.2 mm to fulfill a variety of clinical needs. Differentiating features of the H-SteriScope bronchoscopes that are useful in respiratory care include 90 rotation left and right, 210 angulation up and down, and passive bending designed for enhanced maneuverability. The new Olympus single-use bronchoscope portfolio complies with the latest safety recommendations from the FDA to advance performance in the bronchoscopy suite. For more information, visit the medical.olympusamerica.com/single-use-bronchoscopes. About Olympus Olympus is passionate about creating customer-driven solutions for the medical industry. For more than 100 years, Olympus has focused on making people's lives healthier, safer and more fulfilling by helping to detect, prevent, and treat disease; furthering scientific research; and ensuring public safety. As a leading medical technology company, Olympus uses innovative capabilities in medical technology, therapeutic intervention, and precision manufacturing to help healthcare professionals deliver diagnostic, therapeutic, and minimally invasive procedures to improve clinical outcomes, reduce overall costs, and enhance the quality of life for patients and their safety. Olympus' Medical portfolio includes endoscopes, laparoscopes, and video imaging systems, as well as surgical energy devices, system integration solutions, medical services, and a wide range of endotherapy instruments for endoscopic and therapeutic applications. For more information, visit medical.olympusamerica.com. i Liu LH, Wahidi M, Mahmood K, et al. Operator Perception of a Single-Use Flexible Bronchoscope: Comparison with Current Standard Bronchoscopes. Respiratory Care. 2020; 65(11), 1655-1662. DOI: 10.4187/respcare.07574 SOURCE Olympus DOGERN, Germany, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With a turnover of EUR 195.9 million, the Sedus Stoll Group was able to record sales gains of 6.5% in the 2021 financial year. Despite the continuing challenges of COVID-19 and extraordinary cost increases in the energy, transport and material sectors, the Group's net profit for the year was EUR 2.6 million. The Sedus Stoll Group further expanded its position as a European player in 2021: With revenues of around EUR 88.6 million, the Group was able to record an increase of 18.6% overseas. The group of companies further strengthened its market position, in particular, with international business customers. "2021 was a very good year for the entire office furniture industry as well as for us," explains Christoph Kargruber, Director of Marketing and Sales at the Sedus Stoll Group. "We have not yet been able to fully make up for the drop in 2020, however, we perceive 2022 as promising and are confident of achieving a very good level of turnover. Should our plans continue on course, we will have come through the Corona pandemic in very good shape overall." The innovative and trend-oriented product developments are reflected in the significant growth in revenue for the Sedus Stoll Group in 2021. The shift to agile working, accelerated by the Corona pandemic, has further increased demand for system programmes, such as se:lab, which was developed specifically for New Work Environments. The demand for ergonomic furniture for mobile working also continued to increase in 2021. Not only for end consumers, but also employers. The awareness for employers that their home office employees also need ergonomic office furniture has continued to grow. In the coming years, the Sedus Stoll Group will continue to invest in original solutions for New Work and modern workplace concepts. The innovation pipeline for the next few years has already been well filled. Further launches are planned for the second half of 2022. Investments in all sectors The investments of the Sedus Stoll Group in tangible and intangible assets came to a total of EUR 14.0 million in the 2021 financial year. They were, therefore, EUR 3.2 million above the previous year's value. In 2021, around EUR 8.5 million was invested in the 9,000 m expansion of the production and storage halls and the FUTURA II production facility at the Geseke production site in eastern Westphalia. The new halls are scheduled to be ready for operation in autumn 2022. Employees The number of employees in the Sedus Stoll Group has remained nearly unchanged, with a total of 926 to date. Picture is available at AP Images ( http://www.apimages.com ) Sedus Press Office Bernadette Trepte +49 221 26136742 [email protected] SOURCE Sedus Stoll AG Recent years have seen unprecedented increases in malaria incidence in Djibouti's capital city and surrounding communities. Where national annual malaria cases previously numbered in their hundreds, public health authorities are now reporting many tens of thousands of cases. This explosion has been ascribed to the arrival, first reported in 2012, of a single invasive mosquito species, Anopheles stephensi . Native to Asia, this malaria vector is highly capable of colonising urban locations, unlike many other malaria-transmitting mosquitoes. In Djibouti, where 70% of people live in the capital city, this urban invasion has exposed most of the country's population to a very new and deadly threat. And it is spreading through the region: it has now been reported in Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, and is predicted to spread much further. Leading malaria experts have warned that "urgent action is needed to prevent urban malaria epidemics from emerging and causing a public health disaster". The government of Djibouti has expressed the need for, as part of an integrated approach, innovative solutions to complement existing tools such as mosquito nets, indoor residual spray or environmental management. From that perspective, the Government of Djibouti approached Oxitec in 2018 to explore how the Friendly mosquito technology, already proven against the dengue fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, could serve as a new tool to combat this urban malaria vector. Oxitec recently launched its Friendly Aedes as a commercial product for households, communities and businesses in Brazil. Oxitec's malaria program is well under way, and this collaboration heralds a new pilot phase that will enable field validation of the Friendly Anopheles stephensi solution under development. Grey Frandsen, CEO of Oxitec, said, "We're excited and honored to be partnering with the Government of Djibouti and Association Mutualis as we work together to pilot Oxitec's newest Friendly mosquito technology. It is exactly this type of public-private partnership that unlocks real potential for public health impact to new and growing health challenges. Djibouti's leadership on this front will no doubt serve as an exemplar for how other countries in the region tackle emerging issues, especially in the face of a rapidly changing climate. We are thrilled with our partnership with the Government of Djibouti and Mutualis, as it represents yet another collaboration we undertake to move our technologies to impact." Djibouti's Ministry of Health commented that "As a government, we are focused on delivering safe, effective and sustainable vector control to protect our people from disease-spreading mosquitoes. This new partnership demonstrates our government's commitment to lead the way in changing how malaria-spreading mosquitoes are combated. We're excited about working with Oxitec to explore the impact that this new solution can deliver in our country's malaria-threatened communities. And we believe that this kind of public-private collaboration is the way forward to deliver impact in many fields." A spokesperson for Association Mutualis added, "Current vector management tools are inadequate against Anopheles stephensi and, despite our best efforts, malaria continues to blight people in and around our capital city. We have established a strong partnership with Oxitec, with a shared purpose: to improve management of this invasive mosquito for the benefit of malaria-threatened communities. Their Friendly solution represents a promising new tool which we look forward to assessing in Djibouti." About Oxitec Oxitec is the leading developer of biological solutions to control pests that transmit disease, destroy crops and harm livestock. Founded in 2002 at the University of Oxford, Oxitec is led by a passionate team comprised of 15 nationalities and is supported by world-class public, private and non-profit partners. Learn more at oxitec.com . SOURCE Oxitec Ltd Deborah Gallegos and Carlos Reyes Promoted to Co-Heads of ESG & Sustainability NEW YORK, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Palladium Equity Partners, LLC (along with its affiliates, "Palladium"), the oldest minority-owned private equity buyout firm in the industry, announced today it has launched the next phase of the firm's sustainability framework to further its mission to be a trusted manager recognized for delivering outstanding returns to all stakeholders. Following Palladium's recent certification as a B-Corp, Palladium today announced the promotion of Deborah Gallegos and Carlos Reyes, both Managing Directors, to lead the Firm's ongoing ESG initiatives as Co-Heads of ESG & Sustainability. Ms. Gallegos and Mr. Reyes will lead Palladium's ESG and sustainability efforts and advance its commitments as a UNPRI signatory and a founding signatory to both ILPA's Diversity in Action Initiative and the Data Convergence Project. Palladium has a robust ESG infrastructure focused on implementing a fully-integrated process for the identification and analysis of ESG factors that seek to drive value creation, reduce costs, and mitigate enterprise risk across the firm. The team has been instrumental in building the program, and will seek to further identify and manage ESG risks throughout the life cycle of Palladium's investments. Ms. Gallegos and Mr. Reyes' deep prior experience in both investment and investor roles has already brought a differentiating factor to Palladium's ESG program, as they are both already embedded into Palladium's funds and work closely with the investment teams and portfolio companies. Ms. Gallegos and Mr. Reyes bring decades of experience investing institutional assets. Ms. Gallegos has more than 25 years of investment experience, including serving as Chief Investment Officer of the New York City Comptroller and as Deputy State Investment Officer for the New Mexico State Investment Council. Mr. Reyes has more than 20 years of experience in private equity, sustainability/ESG, and corporate M&A. Prior to joining Palladium, Mr. Reyes worked at IFC Asset Management Company, a division of IFC itself a member of the World Bank Group where he was a Principal in IFC's $1.0 billion African, Latin American and Caribbean Fund, as well as Head of IFC Asset Management Company's Direct Equity Impact Fund. Marcos A. Rodriguez, Palladium's Chairman and CEO, said, "Both Deborah and Carlos are well suited for success in their new roles as Co-Heads of ESG & Sustainability. They are strong leaders who will help us implement the next phase of Palladium's sustainability framework, which we believe will accrue to the benefit of all our investors, our portfolio companies as well as our employees." Eugenie Cesar-Fabian, who formerly held the role of Head of ESG & Sustainability, will be transitioning out of the firm to pursue a senior legal role at a sustainability-focused fintech firm. She noted that, "Deborah and Carlos are exceptionally strong ESG professionals who have achieved significant success already in designing, building and implementing Palladium's internal ESG program. I believe their understanding and passion for ESG will support the firm's position as one of the leading industry voices in this area." Mr. Rodriguez added that, "Genie made a major contribution to Palladium during her decade-plus tenure at the firm. We appreciate her efforts and wish her all the best." About Palladium Equity Partners, LLC Palladium is the oldest minority-owned private equity buyout firm in the industry with over $3 billion of assets under management. The firm seeks to acquire and grow companies in partnership with founders and experienced management teams by providing capital, strategic guidance and operational oversight. Since its founding in 1997, Palladium has invested over $3 billion of capital in 38 platform investments and 153 add-on acquisitions, realizing 23 of these platform investments. The principals of the firm have meaningful experience in consumer, services, industrials, and healthcare businesses, with a special focus on companies they believe will benefit from the growth in the U.S. Hispanic population. Palladium, which is a Certified B Corp, is based in New York City. For more information, visit www.palladiumequity.com. Media Contacts Todd Fogarty or Jeffrey Taufield Kekst CNC [email protected] or [email protected] SOURCE Palladium Equity Partners VANCOUVER, Wash., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Parklio is the first and currently the only smartphone-controlled parking barrier that protects parking places and enables key sharing among the users. With Parklio you can easily control and share your parking place with other users and guests through the free mobile application. Pacific Cascade Corporation (PCC) was founded in 1987 by Mark Curtis, and through its ParkingZone division has become the parking industry go-to resource for all necessary products to efficiently operate a parking lot or garage. ParkingZone has been chosen as the Master distribution partner for the Parklio Smart Parking Barrier and Gateway throughout North America. "We are very proud to have the honor of being the first distributor of the Parklio Smart Parking Barriers in the U.S. and Canadian markets. These Parking Barriers are unsurpassed in performance and innovative features," stated Curtis. The Parklio Smart Parking Barriers have had a really diverse client base throughout Europe that includes universities, cities, municipalities, hotels, and parking lots. The Smart Parking Barriers have a galvanized steel base and powder coated components which allows the barrier to withstand up to 9 tons of load while weighing only 33 lbs. The vandal-proof design will protect the barrier from tampering and damage. All you have to do is fasten Parklio with the provided screws to the ground and guarantee your parking place will be protected. The barriers have a set of sensors that detect vehicle departures and close automatically, resulting in a worry-free experience. The barrier and all its components are designed and made to endure severe weather conditions such as rain, snow and extreme temperatures. In case of an excessive force, replacement of the safety pin is quick and easy. The safety pin also allows for manual control of the barrier. Parklio barrier comes with rechargeable li-ion batteries which can last up to 1 year on one charge and there is also an option for constant supply with 90V-250V AC. it is also equipped with a modern solar panel for sustainable autonomy. Ethan Curtis, Mark's eldest son, has been involved with ParkingZone product sales for the past 7 years, and was tasked with finding a high-end frictionless parking solution after customer interest arose. Parklio emerged as a unique, creative and well-made solution when compared to less-capable competitor devices. "Traveling to Croatia to meet Parklio's team and see their operations was a terrific experience. I was immediately impressed by the clinical precision and attention to detail in all aspects of their business operation and product development. We are very excited to be bringing a cutting-edge piece of technology and industry-first to the North American markets like the Parklio Smart Barrier and Gateway," said Ethan. "We are super excited to be entering the USA market. We couldn't have chosen a better partner than Pacific Cascade Corporation and we are looking forward to solving many parking problems across the States," said Parklio CEO Dario Boras. ParkingZone is proud to supply the parking industry with the best products available. Call us at 1-800-292-7275, chat with us from our website, or message us online if you have any questions about your needs and challenges. We are available from 8am to 5pm PST, Monday through Friday. CONTACT PERSON: Ethan Curtis Sales Team Pacific Cascade Corporation 14208 N.W. 3rd Court, Suite 200 Vancouver, WA 98685 1-800-292-7275 ext. 209 [email protected] ParkingZone.com ABOUT PACIFIC CASCADE CORPORATION AND PARKINGZONE Since 1987, Pacific Cascade Corporation has been providing the Parking, Hospitality, Traffic Enforcement, and Environmental Sustainability Industries with products to manage and support their effective operational needs. ABOUT PARKLIO - Split,Croatia Since 2016, Parklio has been fundamentally changing the parking industry. For the first two years on the market, Parklio barriers have been used in all types of parking across industries, from private to public parking on 3 continents, providing an unprecedented experience of smart parking. Now available in North America. SOURCE Pacific Cascade Corporation New study shows alarming levels of pet anxiety and a dramatic increase in anxiety among dogs. EUGENE, Ore., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Green Element, an artisanal CBD company, has published new original research detailing alarming levels of pet anxiety in the U.S. along with explosive growth in anxiety in dogs over the past two years during COVID. The data, available here , presents findings on causes and types of anxiety in cats and dogs and compares anxiety in dogs with data from a 2020 study of Finnish dogs. Causes of pet anxiety "We've all known the COVID pandemic has had a significant impact on our daily lives, but now it's clear our pets have been suffering over the same period, as well," said Doug McHart, CEO of Green Element. "National Pet month might be coming to a close at the end of May, but the summer months will be ushering in a host of new anxiety triggers and our pets need our support and attention more than ever." According to Green Element research Dog separation anxiety jumped well over 700% in only two years Fear of strangers surged, outpacing a fear of loud noises to become the leading cause of anxiety in dogs after a 295% increase since 2020 Anxiety caused by other cats or dogs jumped significantly in dogs from just 16.5% in 2020 to 43.52% in 2022 To read the complete report, including methodology and all data sets, visit: https://greenelementcbd.com/pages/pet-anxiety-2022 . About Green Element: Green Element was started in partnership with family farms in Oregon's Willamette Valley to bring high-quality CBD to everyone who needs it. Contact: Doug McHart Green Element 541.649.2149 Ext. 101 [email protected] SOURCE Green element On June 14th at 10am, Las Vegas wedding company Cactus Collective Weddings will hold a photo shoot event at The Gathering Place studio, with all proceeds benefitting Southern Nevada Conservancy. LAS VEGAS, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Top elopement and micro-weddings company, Cactus Collective Weddings, announces their charitable initiative, Cactus Cares. Cactus Collective Weddings is known for creating exquisitely appointed, intimate, and environmentally sustainable weddings in picturesque locations. Each quarter, Cactus Collective Weddings will select a new 501c3 non-profit organization to donate its time and resources to. On June 14th Cactus Cares will be holding a photo shoot event benefitting the Southern Nevada Conservancy. Couples, families, or friends who want to make great memories can be professionally photographed while contributing to a great cause. A $100 donation per photo session is suggested, with all proceeds going to the Southern Nevada Conservancy. Cactus Collective Weddings is teaming up with local Las Vegas natural light studio and lifestyle space, The Gathering Place, for this photo shoot event. The Gathering Place features fun, whimsical, and elegant photo backdrops and settings for the most memorable photography experiences. Cactus Collective Weddings is famous for creating memorable elopements and intimate destination micro-weddings with picturesque Las Vegas-area backdrops, including: Valley of Fire, Cactus Joe's Plant Nursery, Red Rock Canyon, Dry Lake Bed, and Floyd Lamb Park to name a few. Clients are able to frame their wedding day with some of the region's most stunning natural wonders. Editor's Note: For more information about Cactus Collective Weddings' Cactus Cares Photo Shoot Event at The Gathering Place to benefit the Southern Nevada Conservancy , and to sign up, please visit https://cactus-collective.com/cactus-cares . About Cactus Collective Weddings Founded by McKenzi Taylor in 2017, Cactus Collective Weddings offers chic, stylish, and affordable elopement and micro-wedding packages for adventurous couples. Cactus Collective Weddings has helped more than 1,000 couples from around the world take the overwhelm and stress out of organizing an intimate Las Vegas or San Diego destination wedding. McKenzi Taylor is a Wedding International Professionals Associate (WIPA) Board Member, has been awarded Wedding Wire Couples' Choice Award, and has been featured in media outlets including the New York Times, Bridal Guide Magazine, and Brides Magazine. Examples of professional photography shot at The Gathering Place studio: https://tayloredphotomemories.pixieset.com/marketingcactuscollective/thegatheringplace/ PIN: 4103 SOURCE Cactus Collective Weddings PlantX's United States and Canadian platforms continue to excel as resources for the plant-based community. In collaboration with Conversion Rate Optimization (" CRO ") and user experience (" UX ") specialists, the Company has been employing CRO and UX strategies that are consistently enhancing website performance through improved website speed and navigation. and Canadian platforms continue to excel as resources for the plant-based community. In collaboration with Conversion Rate Optimization (" ") and user experience (" ") specialists, the Company has been employing CRO and UX strategies that are consistently enhancing website performance through improved website speed and navigation. As of May 31, 2022 , the US PlantX e-commerce platform, PlantX.com, will feature an additional 10,000 new products with no burden on PlantX for inventory investment. , the US PlantX e-commerce platform, PlantX.com, will feature an additional 10,000 new products with no burden on PlantX for inventory investment. The Company's United Kingdom platform, PlantX.uk, has added 8,000 new products to the website since partnering with a UK-based distributor. platform, PlantX.uk, has added 8,000 new products to the website since partnering with a UK-based distributor. Bloombox Club, PlantX's wholly owned subsidiary and plant subscription e-commerce platform, is now operating in five different countries across two continents. Since indoor plants are a seasonal product, the Company has been adding more accessories, outdoor plants and plant-related gift items to the Bloombox Club e-commerce platform to address any potential reduction in sales during the summer season. At the same time, the Company's search engine optimization and performance marketing agency teams of specialists have curtailed marketing spending and restructured advertisement campaigns in order to boost customer subscription activity and improve customer loyalty. Little West, PlantX's cold-pressed juice brand and e-commerce platform, has experienced increased average order values after adding the following two new products in upsell bundles: Vive Shots and Rind Fruit Snacks. Wholesale Expansion The Locavore Bar & Grill, PlantX's retail location in Squamish, British Columbia , continues to grow month over month and year over year under the direction of its founder, Cory Balano . , continues to grow month over month and year over year under the direction of its founder, . Little West has been experiencing revenue growth due to its wholesale activity, increasing from US$138,000 for the month of April 2021 , to US$317,000 in April 2022 . A primary reason for this wholesale increase is due to Little West recently securing a new wholesale contract with Alfred Coffee in Los Angeles, California , which ensured Little West's wholesale distribution along the US West Coast. This recent partnership is expected to lead to the national distribution of Little West cold-pressed juices in the coming months. for the month of , to in . A primary reason for this wholesale increase is due to Little West recently securing a new wholesale contract with in , which ensured Little West's wholesale distribution along the US West Coast. This recent partnership is expected to lead to the national distribution of Little West cold-pressed juices in the coming months. Portfolio Coffee, PlantX's wholly-owned subsidiary retailing speciality coffees, continues to build its exclusive wholesale partnership with one of the top coffee shops in Toronto, Canada . This popular coffee shop has committed to purchasing 1000lbs of Portfolio Coffee beans each week, ensuring that Portfolio Coffee products can be found at each of its location in Toronto. The uptake in Portfolio Coffee's wholesale activity combined with the recent launch of its e-commerce website in April 2022 is expected to boost this vertical's sales by the Fall of 2022. Retail Strategy and Performance Peter Rubi , PlantX's retail location in Plainfield, Illinois , continues to experience monthly revenue growth and excellent customer feedback. Revenue for the month of May 2022 (US$183,000) increased by 17% compared to April 2022 . , PlantX's retail location in , continues to experience monthly revenue growth and excellent customer feedback. Revenue for the month of increased by 17% compared to . PlantX's retail location in Chicago, Illinois , XMarket Uptown, has been fully stocked with over US$500,000 of inventory and has shipped out over 2000+ orders between the week of May 23 and May 27, 2022 . The integration of third-party delivery apps continues to take place and the Company expects this vertical to be profitable by the Fall of 2022. , XMarket Uptown, has been fully stocked with over of inventory and has shipped out over 2000+ orders between the week of and . The integration of third-party delivery apps continues to take place and the Company expects this vertical to be profitable by the Fall of 2022. PlantX's Venice Beach retail location, Vegan Popup By XMarket, is now fully integrated within the Company's third party delivery apps and has experienced strong results with no marketing spend. PlantX is expected to announce its next Vegan Popup by Xmarket partner at the end of June 2022 . retail location, Vegan Popup By XMarket, is now fully integrated within the Company's third party delivery apps and has experienced strong results with no marketing spend. PlantX is expected to announce its next Vegan Popup by Xmarket partner at the end of . PlantX's Israel retail location, PlantX Israel, has recently partnered with Wolt Delivery, a delivery platform, and has experienced significant revenue growth since its launch in May 2022. PlantX is expected to launch Double Zero in partnership with Matthew Kenney (MKC) for the first time in Israel in July, 2022. retail location, PlantX Israel, has recently partnered with Wolt Delivery, a delivery platform, and has experienced significant revenue growth since its launch in May 2022. PlantX is expected to launch Double Zero in partnership with (MKC) for the first time in in July, 2022. PlantX's retail store at the Hudson's Bay location in CF Rideau Centre Ottawa, XMarket Rideau, is also gaining momentum after finalizing its integration with two popular Canadian delivery platforms, Instacart and Uber Eats. The warmer weather has enhanced store foot traffic at the XMarket Rideau, and the store is experiencing consistent return customers via its partner delivery apps. PlantX's store at the Hudson's Bay location in Yorkdale Shopping Centre, Toronto , is now fully integrated within Hudson's Bay's checkout system and is staffed by Hudson's Bay employees. All delivery apps for this location are expected to go live during the month of June, 2022. , is now fully integrated within Hudson's Bay's checkout system and is staffed by Hudson's Bay employees. All delivery apps for this location are expected to go live during the month of June, 2022. PlantX's retail location in Hillcrest, San Diego , XMarket Hillcrest, has been permanently closed with all expenses ceasing as of June 1, 2022 . PlantX has launched a lawsuit against the landlord due to an issue related to the location's sewage system. Management Changes Mr. Fred Leigh , the Company's previous Executive Chairman, has stepped down from his positions within the Company. Mr. Leigh has decided to spend more time with his family and focus on traveling this summer and with PlantX growing so quickly he does not think it is fair for him to remain on as Executive Chairman and be compensated. Mr. Leigh will continue to support PlantX as a special advisor to the Company. , the Company's previous Executive Chairman, has stepped down from his positions within the Company. Mr. Leigh has decided to spend more time with his family and focus on traveling this summer and with PlantX growing so quickly he does not think it is fair for him to remain on as Executive Chairman and be compensated. Mr. Leigh will continue to support PlantX as a special advisor to the Company. Mr. Ralph Moxness , a PlantX board member of two years, will replace Mr. Leigh as Executive Chairman. "Overall, in just two years PlantX has achieved incredible growth which would not have been possible without the consistent support of our shareholders," said PlantX CEO, Lorne Rapkin. "PlantX is looking forward to building on this growth in 2022." The wholesale revenue results of Little West and the revenue results of Peter Rubi disclosed in this press release are management prepared and have not been audited or reviewed by the Company's auditors. Unless otherwise indicated, all amounts are expressed in Canadian dollars. About PlantX Life Inc. As the digital face of the plant-based community, PlantX's platform is the one-stop-shop for everything plant-based. With its fast-growing category verticals, the Company offers customers across North America more than 5,000 plant-based products. In addition to offering meal and indoor plant deliveries, the Company currently has plans underway to expand its product lines to include cosmetics and its own water brand but the business is not limited to an e-commerce platform. The Company uses its digital platform to build a community of like-minded consumers, and most importantly, provide education. Its successful enterprise is being built and fortified on partnerships with top nutritionists, chefs and brands. The Company eliminates the barriers to entry for anyone interested in living a plant-based lifestyle and thriving in a longer, healthier and happier life. The Company website is http://investor.PlantX.com/. Forward Looking-Information This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by words or phrases such as "may", "will", "expect", "likely", "should", "would", "plan", "anticipate", "intend", "potential", "proposed", "estimate", "believe" or the negative of these terms, or other similar words, expressions and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" happen, or by discussions of strategy. The forward-looking information contained herein includes, without limitation, the business and strategic plans of the Company. By their nature, forward-looking information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. A variety of factors, including known and unknown risks, many of which are beyond our control, could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information in this press release including, without limitation: the Company's ability to comply with all applicable governmental regulations including all applicable food safety laws and regulations; impacts to the business and operations of the Company due to the COVID-19 epidemic; a limited operating history, the ability of the Company to access capital to meet future financing needs; the Company's reliance on management and key personnel; competition; changes in consumer trends; foreign currency fluctuations; and general economic, market or business conditions. Additional risk factors can also be found in the Company's continuous disclosure documents which have been filed on SEDAR and can be accessed at www.sedar.com . Readers are cautioned to consider these and other factors, uncertainties and potential events carefully and not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained herein is made as of the date of this press release and is based on the beliefs, estimates, expectations and opinions of management on the date such forward-looking information is made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law. SOURCE PlantX Life Inc. PITTSBURGH, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC) announced today that Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Robert Q. Reilly will discuss business performance, strategy and banking at 11 a.m. (ET) Tuesday, June 14, at the Morgan Stanley US Financials Conference in New York City. The following will be accessible at www.pnc.com/investorevents: a link to the live webcast; related materials, including cautionary statements regarding forward-looking information, also available prior to the start of the webcast; and a webcast replay available for 30 days. The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking including a full range of lending products; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com. CONTACTS: MEDIA: Marcey Zwiebel (412) 762-4550 [email protected] INVESTORS: Bryan Gill (412) 768-4143 [email protected] SOURCE PNC Financial Services Group PRA Group began its partnership with America's VetDogs as part of its commitment to supporting military, veterans and first responders. When it came time to name a future service dog, PRA Group asked its employees to decide through a nation-wide vote. When it came time to name a future service dog, PRA Group asked its employees to decide through a nation-wide vote. "Employees overwhelmingly voted to name him 'Ace,' which is fitting not only because our business is in financial services, but also because of the nickname's associations with military prowess," said Alexandra Bitonti, manager of events and community engagement and volunteer Puppy Raiser for America's VetDogs. America's VetDogs provides enhanced mobility and renewed independence to veterans, active-duty service members and first responders with disabilities at no cost to the individual. These specially trained service dogs allow a veteran or first responder to live with pride and self-reliance. Ace will be raised in Hampton Roads, Virginia, where the company has been headquartered since its founding in 1996. The area's military presence renders this partnership especially close to home for PRA Group. "With the world's largest naval base close by in Norfolk, this is a critical cause for our local community. I am proud PRA Group will support veterans and service members on a national scale with America's VetDogs. I know first-hand that this organization does a fantastic job of raising awareness, making life-changing connections, and providing long-term solutions," Bitonti added. About PRA Group As a global leader in acquiring and collecting nonperforming loans, PRA Group returns capital to banks and other creditors to help expand financial services for consumers. With thousands of employees worldwide, PRA Group companies collaborate with customers to help them resolve their debt. For more information, please visit www.pragroup.com. About America's VetDogs: Since 2003, America's VetDogs (www.VetDogs.org) has trained and placed guide and service dogs to provide independence, enhanced mobility, and companionship to veterans with disabilities from all eras. In 2015, VetDogs opened its programs to first responders, including fire, police and emergency medical personnel. America's VetDogs is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization founded by the Guide Dog Foundation and serves clients from across the United States. VetDogs relies on contributions from generous individuals, corporations, service clubs and foundations to fund its mission to help those who have served our country live with dignity and independence. It costs over $50,000 to breed, raise, train and place one assistance dog, but America's VetDogs provides its services completely free of charge to the individual. America's VetDogs has been accredited by both the International Guide Dog Federation and Assistance Dogs International. News Media Contact: Elizabeth Kersey Senior Vice President, Communications and Public Policy (757) 961-3525 [email protected] Investor Contact: Lauren Partin Senior Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations (757) 431-7913 [email protected] SOURCE PRA Group Mr Obi joined the Labour Party last week after dumping the PDP. Former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, has emerged as the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP). He emerged as the party's choice at its ongoing national convention and presidential primary in Asaba, the capital of Delta State, on Monday, after other aspirants stepped down for him. Those who stepped down were a former presidential adviser, Pat Utomi; Faduri Joseph and Olubusola Emmanuel-Tella. They all stepped down for the former governor at the venue to make the former Anambra governor a lone aspirant. As one of the 15 presidential aspirants cleared by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Obi last week dumped the party, citing "recent developments" which appear in contrast to his personal principles as his reason. "Since I resigned from the PDP because of issues that are at variance with my persona and principles, I have consulted widely with various parties and personalities to ensure we do not complicate the route to our desired destination. "For me, the process of achieving our goal is as fundamental as what one will do thereafter," he explained in a tweet on Friday, two days after his defection from the main opposition PDP. Days before joining his new party, the LP had received a boost as Mr Utomi-led National Consultative Front (NCFront), an umbrella body of the Third Force, in collaboration with Ayuba Wabba-led Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Quadri Olaleye-led Trade Union Congress (TUC) adopted the party for the 2023 presidential election. At the Monday event, the three aspirants pledged their support to Mr Obi as 185 delegates were earlier accredited to elect the LP flag bearer. PREMIUM TIMES reported the NCFront and the LP's efforts to ally with other minor political parties to displace the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition, PDP, from dominating the coming elections. With Mr Obi's emergence, the party may receive more boost to achieve lasting alliance talks with the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), National Rescue Movement (NRM), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and African Democratic Congress (ADC), among others before the February 2023 presidential race. DUBLIN, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Priothera, a late-clinical stage biotechnology company pioneering the development of its S1P receptor modulator compound, mocravimod, today announces that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation (FTD) for mocravimod in combination with allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT) for post remission therapy of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) patients. FDA's Fast Track designation is designed to facilitate the development and expedite the review of new drugs that are intended to treat serious or life-threatening diseases and that demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs. Priothera is working to initiate the MO-TRANS global Phase 2b/3 study in Europe, US and Japan, to assess the efficacy and safety of mocravimod as an adjunctive and maintenance therapy in adult AML patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT. The MO-TRANS study is expected to start in the second half of 2022 and preliminary data from this study are expected by the end of 2024. Karen Von Graevenitz, Head of Regulatory Affairs at Priothera, commented: "The Fast Track designation grant for mocravimod in combination with allogeneic HSCT is an important milestone and underlines the significant unmet need in AML patients undergoing HSCT, a serious disease where currently no available therapy exists. The designation means mocravimod will be eligible for expedited review and we will work closely with the US FDA to advance the global Phase 2/3 trial which is due to start in the second half of 2022." Florent Gros, Co-Founder and CEO of Priothera, added: "Following being granted orphan drug designations for mocravimod in the US and Europe, we are pleased to have been granted Fast Track designation for this highly promising compound. This important regulatory milestone moves us a step closer to bringing mocravimod to patients with AML and other hematologic malignancies." About mocravimod Mocravimod (also known as KRP203), is a synthetic, sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor (S1PR) modulator. This novel investigational drug has been assessed in Phase 1 and Phase 2 trials for safety and tolerability, as well as for efficacy in several autoimmune indications. Promising data from a Phase 1b/2a clinical study in patients with hematological malignancies led Priothera to further develop mocravimod for the treatment of blood cancers. Mocravimod will be investigated as an adjunctive and maintenance treatment in a Phase 2b/3 study as a potential treatment for patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Allogeneic HSCT is the only potentially curative approach for AML patients, but current treatments have unacceptably high mortality and morbidity rates. Priothera leverages S1PR modulator's unique mode of action to maintain anti-leukemia activity - graft-versus leukemia (GVL) while reducing tissue damage resulting from graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a consequence of allogeneic HSCT. This novel treatment approach mocravimod being the only S1PR modulator treating blood cancers tackles a high unmet medical need and intends to add quality life to patients. About Priothera Priothera is leading the way in developing orally applied sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulators for the treatment of hematological malignancies. S1P receptor modulators are known to largely reduce egress of T cells from lymphatic tissues. Not being an immunosuppressant, mocravimod maintains the graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) benefits in patients receiving HSCT while inhibiting graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD). Priothera was founded in 2020 by an experienced team of drug development experts and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, and with a subsidiary in Saint-Louis, France. The Company is backed by international founding investors Fountain Healthcare Partners (Dublin, Ireland), funds managed by Tekla Capital Management, LLC (Boston, Massachusetts), HealthCap (Stockholm, Sweden) and EarlyBird Venture Capital (Berlin, Germany). For more information please visit: www.priothera.com or follow Priothera on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/company/priothera/ Contacts Priothera Florent Gros, CEO E: [email protected] MEDiSTRAVA Consulting Sylvie Berrebi, Sandi Greenwood, Frazer Hall E: [email protected] T: +44 (0) 203 928 6900 SOURCE Priothera Fullerton hospital leads state in patient outcomes for stroke diagnosis and treatment, according to new analysis by Healthgrades FULLERTON, Calif., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- After comparing the clinical performance of California hospitals in treating stroke, Healthgradesa national leader in healthcare measurement and transparencyranked Providence St. Jude Medical Center as the state's best performing hospital. While this is the first year Healthgrades has used patient outcomes to determine state rankings, the ratings organization earlier this year announced its annual America's 100 Best Hospitals for Stroke Care: an honor Providence St. Jude has earned three years in a row. "We're grateful to be recognized as the best in California," explains Providence St. Jude Chief Executive, Laura Ramos. "But we're more grateful for what it means for our patients: more mothers, fathers, husbands, and wives returned to their families." The Fullerton hospital also ranked fourth in the state for Critical Care based on superior outcomes in conditions from pulmonary embolism and respiratory failure to sepsis and diabetic emergencies. Like stroke, the critical care top ranking follows three years of being named one of America's 100 Best Hospitals for Critical Care by Healthgrades. Only four other hospitals in California matched Providence St. Jude's accomplishment of ranking among the top five in multiple areas: Stanford University Medical Center, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center, and UC Davis Medical Center. "Being ranked as the best in the state is a testament to Providence St. Jude's ongoing commitment to top quality care. Their deep medical expertise has built a track record of delivering positive outcomes for their patients," said Dr. Brad Bowman, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Data Science, Healthgrades. For almost 25 years, Healthgrades' mission has been to provide transparent hospital ratings, using comprehensive data insights not available anywhere else, allowing consumers to make better healthcare decisions. "Patients can feel confident knowing they have access to #1 ranked care at Providence St. Jude." Additional Healthgrades' distinctions earned by the tertiary care hospital this year include: America's 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care, America's 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopedic Surgery, and America's 100 Best Hospitals in overall clinical quality. Designated as an elite Comprehensive Stroke Center by The Joint Commission, Providence St. Jude offers some of the nation's most advanced neuro-interventional, neurosurgical, and neuro-rehabilitation capabilities and serves as a referral center for other hospitals with difficult or challenging cases. "There has always been something unique about the passion our doctors and caregivers bring to creating extraordinary care," explains Sajen Mathews, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Providence St. Jude, pointing to another recent award: being named the top hospital in the state for culture and caregiver engagement by Modern Healthcare. "Consistently earning the state and nation's top quality honors begins with a culture where outstanding is simply a starting point." Healthgrades evaluates hospital quality for conditions and procedures based solely on clinical outcomes to help consumers understand, compare and evaluate hospital performance. Visit healthgrades.com to see a full list of rankings and methodology. About Providence Southern California Providence Southern California is a not-for-profit Catholic health network of 11 hospitals, approximately 120 clinics, TrinityCare Hospice and its TrinityKids Care pediatric hospice, Providence High School, home health care services, eight wellness centers and numerous physician groups. Together these ministries, including secular affiliates and some representing other faiths, generate $7.5 billion in net revenue and have approximately 35,000 employees called caregivers and nearly 5,200 physicians on staff. Providence Southern California is part of Providence, a health system of 111,000 caregivers serving in 51 hospitals, 829 clinics and a comprehensive range of services across Alaska, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas and Washington. PSJH strives to increase access to health care and bring quality, compassionate care to those we serve, with a focus on those most in need. SOURCE Providence St. Jude Medical Center NEW YORK, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As per Zion Market Research study, The global Radiation Dose-Reduction System market was worth around USD 249.50 billion in 2021 and is estimated to grow to about USD 524.99 billion by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 13.20 percent over the forecast period. The report analyzes the digital remittance market's drivers, restraints/challenges, and the effect they have on the demands during the projection period. In addition, the report explores emerging opportunities in the digital remittance market. Key Industry Insights & Finding of the Radiation Dose-Reduction System Market Reports: As per the analysis shared by our research analyst, the Radiation Dose-Reduction System Market is expected to grow annually at a CAGR of around 13.20 % (2022-2028). (2022-2028). Through the primary research, it was established that the Radiation Dose-Reduction System Market was valued approximately USD 249.50 Billion in 2021 and is projected to reach to roughly USD 524.99 Billion by 2028. Billion in 2021 and is projected to reach to roughly Billion by 2028. According to a survey published by Harvard Medical School , more than 80 million CT scans are performed in the United States each year. , more than 80 million CT scans are performed in each year. Many research centres and hospitals are employing modern state-of-the-art CT equipment that are coupled with software and ERP systems to provide accurate radiation dose estimates that can be compared to reference standards. The average dosage is calculated using the past CT examination doses by the dose tracking software.The US radiation dose management market is likely to grow at a healthy rate throughout the forecast period due to the aforementioned factors. Zion Market Research published the latest report titled as "Radiation Dose-Reduction System Market By Products & Services (Standalone Solutions, Integrated Solutions, Services), By Modality (Computed Tomography, Fluoroscopy and Interventional Imaging, Nuclear Medicine, Radiography and Mammography), By End User( Ambulatory Care Settings, Hospital, Other), and By Region Global and Regional Industry Overview, Market Intelligence, Comprehensive Analysis, Historical Data and Forecasts 2022 2028." into their research database. Radiation Dose-Reduction System Market: Overview A radiation dose-reduction system is a device that adjusts various factors, such as the distance between an examination table and the tube head, to help lower the amount of x-ray irradiated. The primary goal of this technology's development is to improve patient safety while performing medical examinations. Radiology departments are implementing many strategies for decreasing the intensity of X-Ray rays on the human body as technology advances. Growing geriatric population, rising prevalence of chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) across the globe, rising awareness of early disease diagnosis and treatment, and increasing number of medical imaging and radiation procedures are all driving the global radiation dose management market revenue growth.Other major factors driving the global market revenue growth include the rapid adoption of technologically advanced medical imaging modalities such as computer tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET), rising concerns about sensitivity to radiation exposure, adverse health effects of radiation exposure in several cases, and the growing need for better radiation dose control and management. Get a Free Sample Report with All Related Graphs & Charts (with COVID 19 Impact Analysis): https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/radiation-dose-reduction-system-market Our Free Sample Report Includes: 2022 Updated Report Introduction, Overview, and In-depth industry analysis COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak Impact Analysis Included 195 + Pages Research Report (Inclusion of Updated Research) Provide Chapter-wise guidance on Request 2022 Updated Regional Analysis with Graphical Representation of Size, Share & Trends Includes Updated List of tables & figures Updated Report Includes Top Market Players with their Business Strategy, Sales Volume, and Revenue Analysis Zion Market Research methodology Industry Dynamics: Radiation Dose-Reduction System Market: Growth Drivers Growing concerns over radiation exposure to drive global market growth. Radiation exposure to patients has increased dramatically over the previous two decades. This is due to an increase in the radiation doses used in radiological procedures such as CT, fluoroscopy, and interventional imaging techniques, as well as an increase in the utilization of these treatments. For obese individuals, greater tube currents are employed in diagnostic imaging modalities to increase image quality. Obese people are at a higher risk of radiation overexposure as a result of this. Previously, dose management was not a big concern for the medical community, which was more concerned with image quality (with overexposure providing better images). As a result, the radiation dosages employed in procedures began to rise steadily. Patients were more likely to be exposed to too much radiation as a result of this. Radiation Dose-Reduction System Market: Restraints High service & treatment charges in Radiation Dose-Reduction Systems to hamper the market growth. The charges connected with Radiation Dose-Reduction Systems are a major factor limiting their growth. This is mostly due to high operational costs and service charges. Technology is always improving, which has an impact on the cost of treatment at Radiation Dose-Reduction Systems because they must keep up with the latest equipment and technologies in order to maintain a competitive advantage. Directly Purchase a Copy of the Report @ https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/buynow/su/radiation-dose-reduction-system-market Global Radiation Dose-Reduction System Market: Opportunities Growing focus on interventional radiology and nuclear medicine to bring growth opportunities for global market. Because of their great imaging efficiency, interventional radiology and nuclear medicine treatments are becoming increasingly popular around the world. Patients get a very high dosage of radiation during these treatments, which, combined with the prolonged duration of these procedures, can raise the risk of cancer in those who undertake them. The Society of Nuclear Medicine estimates that over 20 million nuclear medicine operations are performed in the United States each year. According to the World Nuclear Association, radioisotopes are used in medicine in more than 10,000 hospitals around the world, with 90 percent of treatments employing radioisotopes being diagnostic.As a result, numerous market participants, such as Bayer Healthcare and Sectra Medical Systems, are delivering dose management software specifically for RDM in interventional imaging and nuclear medicine to meet the needs of end-users. Despite the fact that CT applications account for a big portion of the radiation dose control industry, interventional radiology and nuclear medicine applications are likely to rise significantly in the next five years. Global Radiation Dose-Reduction System Market: Challenges Lack of benchmarking for dose optimization across the globe may give rise to challenges for its growth. Government-defined guidelines for radiation dose benchmarking across all radiology procedures do not exist. Dose management software cannot be completely leveraged to achieve dose reduction due to the lack of established practises. The American College of Radiology has been attempting to develop national guidelines for CT treatments through DIR since 2011, however benchmarking for all imaging modalities must be done globally. On a global scale, consistent protocols are required for all sorts of examinations, imaging modalities, and patients of all sizes and ages. Individual practises would be able to monitor dose indices and compare standard dose reduction measures followed by similar healthcare provider facilities at the regional, state, national, and international levels if thorough benchmarking criteria and established protocols were available. Global Radiation Dose-Reduction System Market: Segmentation The global Radiation Dose-Reduction System market is segregated based on product & services, modality, end user, and region. By products & services, the market is classified into standalone solutions, integrated solutions and services. During the projection period, the standalone solutions segment is expected to develop at the fastest rate. The growing adoption of radiation dose control solutions by healthcare providers as a result of tightening ionising radiation laws around the world is a major driver driving this segment's growth. By modality, the market is divided into computed tomography, fluoroscopy and interventional imaging, nuclear medicine and radiography and mammography. In the modality segment, computed tomography is expected to grow at the fastest rate. Radiation exposure in patients undergoing computed tomography (CT) has increased, resulting in burns and radiation poisoning. Manufacturers are including technology for precise dose prediction for a CT process due to high dosage exposures while conducting CT scans. The risk of radiation exposure to patients is reduced with new CT equipment that includes dose reduction hardware and software. Bayer's Radimetric Enterprise Platform, for example, automates dose documentation with Certegra and the Medrad Stellant CT injectable device. Because it captures the image of the entire brain with a single 640-slice rotation, the Canon Medical Systems Aquilion One/Genesis Edition CT can eliminate the necessity for multimodality studies. Get More Insight before [email protected] : https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/inquiry/radiation-dose-reduction-system-market List of Key Players of Radiation Dose-Reduction System Market: Bayer AG Bracco Imaging SpA Fujifilm Holdings Corporation GE Healthcare Medsquare Novarad Corporation PACShealth LLC Koninklijke Philips N.V. Qaelum NV and Sectra AB. Key questions answered in this report: What are the growth rate forecast and market size for Radiation Dose-Reduction System Market? What are the key driving factors propelling the Radiation Dose-Reduction System Market forward? What are the most important companies in the Radiation Dose-Reduction System Market Industry? What segments does the Radiation Dose-Reduction System Market cover? How can I receive a free copy of the Radiation Dose-Reduction System Market sample report and company profiles? Report Scope: Report Attribute Details Market size value in 2021 USD 249.50 Billion Revenue forecast in 2028 USD 524.99 Billion Growth Rate CAGR of almost 13.20 % 2022-2028 Base Year 2020 Historic Years 2016 - 2021 Forecast Years 2022 - 2028 Segments Covered By Product Type, By Application, and By End Use Forecast Units Value (USD Billion), and Volume (Units) Quantitative Units Revenue in USD million/billion and CAGR from 2022 to 2028 Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa, and Rest of World Countries Covered U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina, GCC Countries, and South Africa, among others Companies Covered Bayer AG, Bracco Imaging SpA,Fujifilm Holdings Corporation,GE Healthcare, Medsquare, Novarad Corporation, PACShealth LLC, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Qaelum NV and Sectra AB. Report Coverage Market growth drivers, restraints, opportunities, Porter's five forces analysis, PEST analysis, value chain analysis, regulatory landscape, market attractiveness analysis by segments and region, company market share analysis, and COVID-19 impact analysis. Customization Scope Avail customized purchase options to meet your exact research needs. https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/custom/3495 Free Brochure: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/requestbrochure/radiation-dose-reduction-system-market Regional Dominance: Grow at a healthy rate throughout the forecast period. North America is the leading region in this market. According to a survey published by Harvard Medical School, more than 80 million CT scans are performed in the United States each year. CT angiography, colonography, and dual-energy and perfusion CT are examples of scanning procedures that have changed diagnosis and therapy. However, due to the hazards linked with ionising radiation, there is growing worry about high-dose radiation exposure. As a result, radiology departments are performing CT scans with minimal doses. Many research centres and hospitals are employing modern state-of-the-art CT equipment that are coupled with software and ERP systems to provide accurate radiation dose estimates that can be compared to reference standards. The average dosage is calculated using the past CT examination doses by the dose tracking software.The US radiation dose management market is likely to grow at a healthy rate throughout the forecast period due to the aforementioned factors. Global Radiation Dose-Reduction System Market is segmented as follows: Radiation Dose-Reduction System Market: By Products & Services Outlook (2022-2028) Standalone Solutions Integrated Solutions Services Radiation Dose-Reduction System Market: By Modality Outlook (2022-2028) Computed Tomography Fluoroscopy and Interventional Imaging Nuclear Medicine Radiography and Mammography Radiation Dose-Reduction System Market: By End User Outlook (2022-2028) Ambulatory Care Settings Hospital Other End Users Radiation Dose-Reduction System Market: By Region Outlook (2022-2028) North America The U.S. Canada Europe France The UK Spain Germany Italy Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China Japan India South Korea Southeast Asia Rest of Asia Pacific Latin America Brazil Mexico Rest of Latin America Middle East & Africa GCC South Africa Rest of Middle East & Africa Press Release For Radiation Dose-Reduction System Market: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/news/global-radiation-dose-reduction-system-market Browse Other Related Research Reports from Zion Market Research AI-based Clinical Trials Solution Provider Market - Global Industry Analysis : AI-based Clinical Trials Solution Provider Market accrued earnings worth approximately 1.32 (USD Billion) in 2020 and is predicted to gain revenue of about 5.53(USD Billion) by 2028, is set to record a CAGR of nearly 22.1% over the period from 2021 to 2028. AI-based Clinical Trials Solution Provider Market accrued earnings worth approximately 1.32 (USD Billion) in 2020 and is predicted to gain revenue of about 5.53(USD Billion) by 2028, is set to record a CAGR of nearly 22.1% over the period from 2021 to 2028. Healthcare E-Commerce Market - Global Industry Analysis : The global Healthcare E-Commerce Market accrued earnings worth approximately 353.1 (USD Billion) in 2020 and is predicted to gain revenue of about 840.1 (USD Billion) by 2028, is set to record a CAGR of nearly 17.1% over the period from 2021 to 2028. The global Healthcare E-Commerce Market accrued earnings worth approximately 353.1 (USD Billion) in 2020 and is predicted to gain revenue of about 840.1 (USD Billion) by 2028, is set to record a CAGR of nearly 17.1% over the period from 2021 to 2028. Orthopedic Soft Tissue Repair Market - Global Industry Analysis: The global Orthopedic Soft Tissue Repair Market accrued earnings worth approximately 5.7 (USD Billion) in 2020 and is predicted to gain revenue of about 11.2 (USD Billion) by 2028, is set to record a CAGR of nearly 6.4% over the period from 2021 to 2028. Browse through Zion Market Research's coverage of the Global Healthcare Industry Follow Us on: LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook About Us Zion Market Research is an obligated company. We create futuristic, cutting edge, informative reports ranging from industry reports, company reports to country reports. We provide our clients not only with market statistics unveiled by avowed private publishers and public organizations but also with vogue and newest industry reports along with pre-eminent and niche company profiles. Our database of market research reports comprises a wide variety of reports from cardinal industries. Our database is been updated constantly in order to fulfill our clients with prompt and direct online access to our database. Keeping in mind the client's needs, we have included expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends in this database. Last but not the least, we make it our duty to ensure the success of clients connected to usafter allif you do well, a little of the light shines on us. Contact Us: Zion Market Research 244 Fifth Avenue, Suite N202 New York, 10001, United States Tel: +49-322 210 92714 USA/Canada Toll Free No.1-855-465-4651 Email: [email protected] Website: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/ Blog - https://zmrblog.com/ SOURCE Zion Market Research Austin Business Journal "Best Places to Work" contest names RazorMetrics as a winner AUSTIN, Texas, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- RazorMetrics, an Austin-based drug cost reduction platform, has won the "Best Places to Work" award from Austin Business Journal. The award is given to those companies that go above and beyond to develop and reward employees, and the award is based on a nomination and feedback from the employees. Austin Business Journal works with partner Quantum Workplace to collect anonymous surveys measuring a wide range of research-validated workplace factors that impact employee engagement and satisfaction. There are six key areas in the survey: Communication and Resources Individual Needs Manager Effectiveness Personal Engagement Team Dynamics Trust in Leadership According to "Best Places to Work", RazorMetrics fosters a workplace where employees willingly go above and beyond in their work, advocate for the organization, and intend to stay into the future. RazorMetrics' leadership score was 100 out of 100 possible demonstrating that the senior leaders of the organization value people as their most important resource. And it shows in the "employee engagement" score 100% of RazorMetrics employees were deemed "highly engaged." Austin Business Journal provided an anonymous quote from one of RazorMetrics' employees, "The go getter attitude of the team I work with helps in pushing new ideas and expanding our market. In addition, the team has a good sense of humor which keeps stress levels low and helps us relax and focus better on the job at hand. The diverse team brings different perspectives to the mix from business concepts to cultural and social interactions. The dynamic personalities of the team combined with a seasoned and experienced leadership team makes the workplace motivating and encourages us to push our abilities to grow together. That is what makes us grow and succeed." "I'm very excited RazorMetrics won the esteemed "Best Places to Work" award. We have a strong Tribe that is working towards a common goal to improve peoples lives and this award validates our focus and strategy to make RazorMetrics a great place to work," said Tom Dorsett, CEO and Co-founder of RazorMetrics. "To me, this is one of the most meaningful awards a company can win because it's about the employees and how they feel about their workplace and culture," said Dr. Siva Mohan, Co-founder of RazorMetrics. The Austin Business Journal will post more about RazorMetrics and the other winners in their July 1 edition, both in print and online. They will highlight the winners and some of the strategies they use to attract and retain workers in today's challenging environment. About RazorMetrics RazorMetrics is a healthcare technology company whose SaaS-based platform uses AI and ML to lower drug spend for health plans, self-insured employers, and consumers. RazorMetrics unique, physician-first approach process that is simple, requires no extra clicks in the EHR and no external programs or apps to access. Switches are straightforward, easy to make, and the entire process stays within the normal clinical workflow. The platform is complementary to existing pharmacy initiatives and works with PBMs and other drug cost savings solutions to optimize results. RazorMetrics is fully scalable and customizable to each client's unique variables and formularies. For more information, visit www.razormetrics.com. Media Contact: Casey DeMoss, RazorMetrics [email protected] 504-982-0468 SOURCE Razor Metrics "Autonomous delivery using Refraction's robots creates an exciting new opportunity to extend the Chick-fil-A experience to a growing number of delivery guests." Tweet this "Autonomous delivery using Refraction's robots creates an exciting new opportunity to extend the Chick-fil-A experience to a growing number of delivery guests," said Luke Steigmeyer, Operator of Chick-fil-A 6th & Congress. "The platform will allow us to provide fast, high quality, and cost-effective meal delivery within a mile radius of our restaurant all while helping to keep the community we serve environmentally clean and safe." Refraction AI develops and operates last-mile, autonomous robot delivery systems for restaurant, grocery and retail customers, including both robot-as-a-service and delivery-as-a-service business models. Looking for a way to realize the benefits of self-driving technology today, co-founders Matt Johnson-Roberson and Ram Vasudevan set their sights squarely on last-mile goods delivery. Joined by transportation entrepreneur and CEO Luke Schneider, and an experienced leadership team, Refraction has developed an offering designed to affordably meet the surging demand for delivery in the restaurant, grocery and retail categories, while raising the bar for safety, quality and performance. "We are thrilled about working with Chick-fil-A, an organization that is admired and respected as much for its commitment to the communities it serves, as it is for the innovation and quality of its business," said Schneider. "We are kindred spirits partnering with Chick-fil-A restaurants to demonstrate a smart, sensible approach to delivery that continues a tradition of surprising and delighting guests." Johnson-Roberson added, "Refraction AI was founded as a way to unlock the many benefits of affordable, sustainable delivery using autonomy technology that is available today. Scaling the last-mile making it work for our communities, restaurants, grocers and retailers is a key step in the journey to a safer, cleaner, brighter future." After initial testing at Chick-fil-A 6th & Congress, Chick-fil-A and Refraction AI plan to continue exploring autonomous delivery in Austin at the Chick-fil-A restaurant on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard beginning in late June. About Refraction AI Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Refraction AI is a last-mile delivery company that uses lightweight, high-utility, autonomous robots operating in road margins and bike lanes. With its proprietary self-driving technology, focus on efficiency and differentiated form-factor, Refraction AI serves the restaurant, grocery and retail categories with an offering that improves delivery performance, reduces carbon emissions by 90%, and reduces energy consumption by 80%, all at a fraction of the cost of conventional delivery. For further information about Refraction AI, please visit www.refraction.ai. About Chick-fil-A, Inc. Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A, Inc. is a restaurant company known for the Original Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich and signature hospitality. Represented by more than 170,000 Team Members, Operators and Staff, Chick-fil-A restaurants serve guests freshly prepared food at more than 2,700 restaurants in 47 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and Canada. The family-owned and privately held restaurant company was founded in 1967 by S. Truett Cathy and is committed to serving the local communities in which its franchised restaurants operate. Known for its leadership and growth opportunities, in 2022 Chick-fil-A was named a Best Employer in America by Forbes and a top company for career opportunities for Black employees by Glassdoor. The company was also awarded the Employee's Choice by Glassdoor honoring top CEOs and was named a Culture 500 Culture Champion in 2020. A leader in customer service, Chick-fil-A was named QSR magazine's Drive-Thru Restaurant of the Year in 2021. More information on Chick-fil-A is available at www.chick-fil-a.com and @ChickfilANews. Media Contact: Lindsay Mahaney 419-764-9705 [email protected] SOURCE Refraction AI As a 10-time platinum award winning vodka and advocate of social responsibility, elit Vodka is pairing with the best bartenders in the industry from 13 countries (United Kingdom, France, Austria, Spain, Italy, Greece, Israel, South Africa, Australia, Turkey, Dominican Republic, United Arab Emirates and Mexico) to bring the perfect sustainable martini to life and unearth the future of the classic cocktail. Todays' consumers are ever more conscious of the environmental impact of the brands they choose, and elit Vodka is proud to lead the sustainability agenda amongst luxury spirits brands by inspiring bartenders to rethink the martini in an eco-conscious way. elit Vodka believes the future of the martini is sustainable, and through the elit Martini Masters is looking to welcome the global bartender community's' take on how to make sustainability not only the future of the cocktail, but bring it into the present through their creations. Following the country heats, where the entries will be judged on three criteria: Sustainability, Performance and Perfection, the winner from each market will get the chance to mix their drinks at the global finals in Greece at the Athens Bar Show this November. To be successful, elit Vodka recommends each competition serve to showcase the Five T's of a perfect sustainable martini: Trend, Technique, Taste, Temperature and Tall Tale. More information about both the judging criteria and the guiding Five T's is available via the elit Martini Masters private Facebook groups in each market and here. The sustainability challenge for this year's edition falls in line with elit Vodka's dedication to championing sustainability, diversity, and inclusion further demonstrated by the brand's partnership with Formula E team ROKiT Venturi Racing. The winner will become the Global elit Martini Master and will visit three Formula E events during the 2023 racing season, receiving the opportunity to present their winning drink at elit's events during race weekends. Formula E aspires to accelerate change towards an electric future, one race and one city at a time. Using the spectacle of sport, they are sending a powerful and meaningful message to help alter perceptions, with elit Vodka fully aligned with spreading the word off the track. Damian McKinney, CEO of Stoli Group commented: "The martini is an iconic cocktail and reinventing it is no easy task. To make it even more challenging, we're pushing the boundaries of cocktail-making, asking bartenders to demonstrate their knowledge, skill and performance and develop this classic drink with a sustainable twist." The best bartenders will compete in local heats before heading to the global final, taking place in Athens from 7th 8th November 2022. To learn more about elit Martini Masters, follow us on Facebook and Instagram @elitvodka and #elitMartiniMasters across social channels. For more information about elit Vodka visit https://elitvodka.com/. About Stoli Group Stoli Group was established in 2013 and is responsible for the production, management, and distribution of a global spirits and wines portfolio. Mainly known for the Stoli Vodka brand, Stoli Group has expanded to appeal to luxury on-premise and more sophisticated global consumers. Signature brands are: Stoli Vodka, elit Vodka, Bayou Rum, Kentucky Owl, Villa One, Gator Bite Rum Liquers, Cenote Tequila, Tulchan Gin, Se Busca Mezcal and Stoli Group's wine division, Tenute del Mondo. With a presence across a network of more than 176 markets, Stoli Group works with a passionate team of 200 distributors around the world. Headquartered in Luxembourg, Stoli has production facilities in Spain, Italy, Argentina, and the United States, some of which are steeped in history dating back to the early part of the last century. For more information, visit stoli-group.com . About elit Vodka Part of the Stoli Group's brands, elit Vodka is one of the highest-rated white spirits in the world, receiving 10 platinum awards and has been named as the best vodka of the year on 10 occasions by the Beverage Tasting Institute, Chicago, USA. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1829284/elit_Martini_22_competition.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1829285/elit_Martini_22_competition.jpg SOURCE elit vodka The Peridot and Moonstone open for tours this weekend at Windsong at Winding Creek ROSEVILLE, Calif., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Richmond American Homes of California, Inc., a subsidiary of M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: MDC), is pleased to announce that Windsong at Winding Creek (RichmondAmerican.com/WindsongAtWindingCreek) now has two fully furnished model homes on site, both of which will open for tours this weekend. This inviting new community in Roseville showcases four inspired ranch and two-story floor plans from the builder's sought-after Seasons Collection (RichmondAmerican.com/SACSeasons), designed to put homeownership within reach for a variety of buyers. The Emerald is one of four Richmond American floor plans available at Windsong at Winding Creek in Roseville, California. Model tours Prospective homebuyers and area agents are encouraged to schedule a tour of the new Peridot and Moonstone model homes at Windsong at Winding Creek for Saturday, June 4, or Sunday, June 5. Visits can be booked by calling 916.472.7380 and making an appointment with a New Home Specialist. More about Windsong at Winding Creek: New Seasons Collection homes from the $600s Four ranch and two-story floor plans with open layouts and designer details 3 to 6 bedrooms, approx. 1,590 to 2,630 sq. ft. Prime location near Westfield Galleria at Roseville and Fountains at Roseville and Fountains at Convenient access to Highways 65 and 80 Close proximity to over 140 acres of protected land, 3.5 miles of trails, four future parks and several notable schools Peridot and Moonstone models opening this weekend! Those who choose to build a new home from the ground up at Windsong at Winding Creek will have the opportunity to work with professional design consultants at the builder's Home Gallery to select colors, textures, finishes and fixtures for their new living spacesa complimentary service! Windsong at Winding Creek is located at 509 Silver Cloud Court in Roseville (off Blue Oaks Boulevard and Westbrook Boulevard). Call 916.472.7380 or visit RichmondAmerican.com for more information. View health and safety updates at RichmondAmerican.com/COVID-19. About M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. Operating under the name Richmond American Homes, MDC's homebuilding subsidiaries have built more than 220,000 homes since 1977. Among the nation's largest homebuilders, MDC's subsidiary companies have operations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington. Mortgage lending, plus insurance and title services are offered by the following MDC subsidiaries, respectively: HomeAmerican Mortgage Corporation, American Home Insurance Agency, Inc. and American Home Title and Escrow Company. M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "MDC." For more information, visit MDCHoldings.com. SOURCE M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. Last week's U.S. Rocky Mountain and Canadian B.C. regional events attracted 17,500+ online bidders VANCOUVER, BC, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Ritchie Bros. is building bigger and better events with its regional auction format, bringing together more consignors and buyers to provide more selection and increased competition. Last week, the company held regional auctions on both sides of the border, with US$65+ million of equipment sold in its U.S. Rocky Mountain Event and US$27+ million (CA$35+ million) sold in the Canadian B.C. Regional Eventboth of which were new regional records. "Consignors love these big events because they attract more bidders and the increased competition results in more money in their pockets at the end of the auction," said Chad Apland, Regional Sales Manager (Denver), Ritchie Bros. "Our Rocky Mountain event last week featured 5,700+ items from 800+ consignors stored across eight locations, with all items selling to online bidders around the world. Low-hour construction equipment was in especially high demand, resulting in some phenomenal prices, including a 2011 Cat 988H wheel loader that sold for US$515,000!" The May 25 26 Rocky Mountain Event attracted 11,000+ bidders from 54 countries, with approximately 94% of the equipment sold to U.S. buyers, including 20% sold to Colorado, 11% to Utah, and 7% to Texas. The remaining 6% was sold to international buyers from as far away as Honduras, India, and Taiwan. Meanwhile, up north, Ritchie Bros. was selling 2,100+ items for approximately 500 consignors in its B.C. Regional Event, with equipment stored at three locations across the province. The May 24 25 auction was B.C.'s biggest ever in terms of gross transaction value and attracted 6,500+ bidders from 34 countries. "Our Chilliwack yard usually fills up quick, so it's great that we could add hundreds of additional items from elsewhere in B.C. and store them at yards in Prince George and Kamloops," said Pat Elliott, Regional Sales Manager (Chilliwack), Ritchie Bros. "We built the auction around a great package of forestry equipment and achieved excellent results on the late-model gear. Good quality, low-hour equipment continues to bring big money, so I encourage interested sellers to contact us to take advantage today." Approximately 94% of the equipment sold in the B.C. Regional Event was sold to Canadians, including 71% sold to B.C. buyers. The remaining 6% was sold to international buyers from as far away as Guatemala, Egypt, and Thailand. Top 5 Sellers Rocky Mountain Regional Event May 25 26, 2022 2011 Caterpillar 988H wheel loader US$515,000 2018 Volvo A45 articulated dump truck US$500,000 2013 Grove TMS9000E 90-ton 8x4x4 hydraulic truck crane US$345,000 2011 Komatsu PC490LCI-11 hydraulic excavator US$300,000 2019 John Deere 850K LGP dozer US$295,000 Top 5 Sellers B.C. Regional Event May 24 25, 2022 2016 Caterpillar 3252D FM roadbuilder CA$770,000 (US$602,294) 2021 John Deere 959ML leveling heel boom log loader CA$610,000 (US$477,142) 2019 John Deere 872GP AWD motor grader CA$410,000 (US$320,702) 2019 John Deere 850L dozer CA$350,000 (US$273,770) 2019 Kenworth T880 6x4 twin-axle dump truck CA$255,000 (US$199,461) AUCTION QUICK FACTS CHART Event Rocky Mountain Event (May 25 26) B.C. Regional Event (May 24 25) Gross Transaction Value US$65+ million CA$35+ million (US$27+ million) Items Sold 5,700+ 2,100+ Bidders 11,000+ bidders from 54 countries 6,500+ bidders from 34 countries Consignors 800+ 500 Ritchie Bros. has more than 50,000 equipment items and trucks set to be sold in its upcoming auctions and online events, including a Phoenix, AZ auction on June 3 with 3,100+ items; 1,600-item auction in Saskatoon, SK on June 7 8; and a June 8 10 auction in Grande Prairie with 2,800+ items. The company also sells items weekly through IronPlanet.com, Marketplace-E, Ritchie List, and GovPlanet.com. About Ritchie Bros . Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is a global asset management and disposition company, offering customers end-to-end solutions for buying and selling used heavy equipment, trucks and other assets. Operating in a number of sectors, including construction, transportation, agriculture, energy, mining, and forestry, the company's selling channels include: Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, the world's largest industrial auctioneer offering live auction events with online bidding; IronPlanet, an online marketplace with weekly featured auctions and providing the exclusive IronClad Assurance equipment condition certification; Marketplace-E, a controlled marketplace offering multiple price and timing options; Ritchie List, a self-serve listing service for North America; Mascus, a leading European online equipment listing service; Ritchie Bros. Private Treaty, offering privately negotiated sales; and sector-specific solutions GovPlanet, TruckPlanet, and Kruse Energy. The Company's suite of solutions also includes Ritchie Bros. Asset Solutions and Rouse Services LLC, which together provides a complete end-to-end asset management, data-driven intelligence and performance benchmarking system; SmartEquip, an innovative technology platform that supports customers' management of the equipment lifecycle and integrates parts procurement with both OEMs and dealers; plus equipment financing and leasing through Ritchie Bros. Financial Services. For more information about Ritchie Bros., visit RitchieBros.com. Photos and video for embedding in media stories are available at rbauction.com/media. SOURCE Ritchie Bros. Conflicts and natural disasters prevent many refugees from returning home, and they often rely on legal aid to help them relocate to a safe country. IRAP grew out of similar efforts supporting refugee families displaced by the Iraq War to navigate complex and lengthy resettlement processes. It later expanded to become a global human rights organization that mobilizes free legal aid, litigation and systemic advocacy initiatives to empower displaced people. Rosetta Stone has supported IRAP since 2018. The collaboration began by providing language learning subscriptions to IRAP's staff, enabling the organization to better communicate with displaced persons while providing legal assistance. In light of the worsening refugee crisis, the partnership was extended in 2022 to aid IRAP's efforts and help more refugees acquire language skills. IRAP and its clients now have access to immersive lessons in 25 languages that build fluency and confidence, including the most popularly requested languages: English, French, German, Spanish and Arabic. Many refugees use Rosetta Stone as a valuable tool to better communicate with IRAP throughout resettlement and adjust to the culture of their new home before relocating there. Since displacement has a significant impact on children's education, the language lessons can also serve as a high-quality instructional resource. Additionally, IRAP staff use the language lessons to grow professionally and navigate cultural differences as the organization expands internationally. "Rosetta Stone is an important professional development resource for our team and organization," said IRAP Policy Director, Sunil Varghese. "IRAP works with refugees and partner organizations from around the world, and language capacity is a key component to our success. As global advocates for refugee rights and students of various languages, we appreciate Rosetta Stone's generosity to our organization and our clients." "Refugees face arduous journeys through complex legal systems in unfamiliar languages. IRAP's mission to provide displaced persons with legal resources to navigate these systems is both vital and admirable," said Paul Mishkin, CEO of IXL Learning, Rosetta Stone's parent company. "The renewed partnership underscores our commitment toward using education as an instrument of empowerment and removing language barriers so that refugees can build new futures." Through Rosetta Stone, learners practice new languages in an immersive environment that helps them build the fluency and confidence to speak. Lessons are filled with real-world images and audio from native speakers that accelerate language acquisition. Additionally, the TruAccent speech engine compares the learner to native speakers and gives immediate feedback on pronunciation, helping refugees feel confident participating in real-world conversations. Rosetta Stone can be accessed online or through its mobile app, which provides learners with a robust collection of speaking-focused activities that are available anytime, anywhere on iPhone, iPad and Android devices. Rosetta Stone also recently renewed its partnership with the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) to continue providing its platform free of charge to assist the nonprofit's relief efforts. About IRAP The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) develops and enforces a set of legal and human rights for refugees and displaced persons. Mobilizing direct legal aid, litigation, and systemic advocacy, IRAP serves the world's most persecuted individuals and empowers the next generation of human rights leaders. About Rosetta Stone Rosetta Stone is dedicated to changing people's lives through the power of language education. The company's innovative digital solutions drive positive learning outcomes for the inspired learner at home or in schools and workplaces around the world. Founded in 1992, Rosetta Stone uses advanced digital technology to help all types of learners read, write and speak 25 languages. Rosetta Stone joined the IXL Learning family of brands in 2021. Press Contacts Spencer Tilger International Refugee Assistance Project [email protected] 646.761.2556 Eric Bates IXL Learning [email protected] SOURCE IXL Learning Organic Sweet Potato made with yellow corn, sweet potato, flaxseed, chia seeds and black sesame seeds. made with yellow corn, sweet potato, flaxseed, chia seeds and black sesame seeds. Organic Everything featuring white corn, plus poppy and sesame seeds, onion, garlic and sea salt. featuring white corn, plus poppy and sesame seeds, onion, garlic and sea salt. Organic Lentil with Turmeric a delicious blend of corn and lentil with a savory turmeric seasoning and flaxseed, sesame seeds and chia seeds. "RW Garcia provides delicious snacking options for those who prioritize clean, organic, high-quality foods," said RW Garcia Chief Operating Officer Genelle Chetcuti. "Bringing our flagship organic crackers to Whole Foods Market will further broaden our brand's reach and offer the Whole Foods Market customer more choices for unique, craveable snacks they can feel good about eating." Like all RW Garcia products, the crackers are made with the highest-quality ingredients, certified gluten free, cholesterol-free, kosher and contain no trans fats. They are produced in peanut- and tree nut-free facilities and contain no additives or preservatives. Family-founded RW Garcia, recently acquired by Utz Brands, is celebrating its 40th year in 2022. Complete product line information is available at www.RWGarcia.com. About RW Garcia Founded in 1982 and based in Scotts Valley, California, RW Garcia is an artisan maker of high-quality, organic corn chips, tortilla chips and artisan crackers. RW Garcia was the first U.S. snack brand to receive Non-GMO Project verification in 2009 and remains committed to sourcing the finest ingredients available. As a result, all RW Garcia products are Non-GMO Project verified, certified gluten free, low sodium, kosher and free of artificial additives, and are produced in the company's own tree nut- and peanut-free facilities. In 2021, RW Garcia was acquired by Utz Brands, Inc. (NYSE: UTZ), a leading U.S. manufacturer of branded salty snacks. For more information, visit RWGarcia.com or visit the brand on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest. Media Contact: Ashley Lennington [email protected] 214-379-7000 SOURCE RW Garcia Bandits attacks are becoming frequent in the state but they rarely attack security checkpoints Several gunmen, locally called bandits, attacked a Nigeria Customs Service checkpoint in Mil Takwas community, a few kilometres from Katsina town. Multiple sources told PREMIUM TIMES that the attack occurred around 1 a.m. on Monday. The Customs Service in Katsina State confirmed the attack to PREMIUM TIMES. A resident of Magama Jibia area, Shamsu Magama, told this newspaper that the bandits arrived at the checkpoint on motorbikes. "They came from the forest around Bugaje village and stopped a commercial vehicle going to Jibia. The driver was killed on the spot. After that, they drove their motorcycles towards Mil Takwas," he said. Another resident, Audu Alhasan, told PREMIUM TIMES that the customs officers were attacked because "the bandits knew if they go to the village without chasing away the Customs officers, they might repel the attack." He said four vehicles belonging to the customs were burnt. Customs react The Nigeria Customs Service public relations officer in Katsina State, Isa Danbaba, said only two vehicles belonging to the Service were burnt down. He also said the officers didn't "cowardly" run away from the bandits. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "Yes. There was an attack yesterday on a community and our checkpoint was also attacked. Two operational vehicles belonging to the Service and Nigeria Immigration Service and a private car belonging to an officer were burnt," he said. Mr Danbaba said 12 officers were at the checkpoint when the bandits attacked. He said none of the officers was injured or killed during the attack. Two communities attacked PREMIUM TIMES gathered that two villages of Zamfarawa and Walawa were attacked by the bandits. While the number of those killed in Walawa is still unknown, Mr Magama said eight people were killed by the bandits in Zamfarawa village. He said some women were also abducted in Walawa by the bandits The police command spokesman in the state, Gambo Isa, didn't respond to calls and SMS sent to him on the attacks. Bandits have been attacking communities in the far north, especially in Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara States making life difficult for residents of the local communities and even motorists. The attacks have led to the death of hundreds of thousands of people, displacement of thousands of others while farmers are chased away from their farms and students abducted from schools. Recently, Katsina State Governor Aminu Masari said the people of the state have suffered immensely due to incessant bandits' activities. Funding from Peach State Health Plan helps local health providers with purchasing medical equipment ATLANTA, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Peach State Health Plan announced it awarded $35,000 in financial grants to seven providers in Georgia for ranking among the top 100 providers with the highest increase in COVID-19 vaccination rates. Last year, Centene, the parent company of Peach State Health Plan, formed an initiative to encourage Peach State Health Plan providers to educate members about the COVID-19 vaccine. The top 100 providers with the highest increase in vaccination rates after the initiative would receive a $5,000 grant for medical equipment. Seven local providers were recognized for their top rankings: Buford Norcross Primary Care, Southbridge Pkwy, Alpharetta Better Health Medical Group, Steve Reynolds Blvd, Norcross Gwinnett Hospital System, East Crogan St, Lawrenceville SY Med, LLC, Philip Blvd, Lawrenceville QCPI-VillageMD, PC, Old Norcross Rd, Lawrenceville Sumter Pediatrics, LLC, GA Hwy 27 E, Americus Stone Mountain Family Medicine, Hairston Rd, Stone Mountain Receiving a $5,000 grant each, providers will be able to purchase medical equipment upgrades for their facilities to better serve their communities. The investment will allow them to serve patients with new equipment and improved healthcare delivery. "Medical equipment can be expensive, especially as providers deal with the ongoing repercussions of the pandemic and its impact on their resources," said Wade Rakes, CEO and President of Peach State Health Plan. "By pairing vaccination efforts with medical equipment grants, we're not only helping our network of trusted providers protect their communities and loved ones from COVID-19; we're helping them invest in efficiency and new equipment for their facilities to continue providing quality healthcare to every individual who walks through their doors." As the world continues to face outbreaks caused by COVID-19 variants, it is important as ever to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Through this initiative, Centene and Peach State Health Plan worked with local providers to conduct engagement campaigns that educated their patients about the importance of getting vaccinated. The additional incentive helped motivate providers to engage their communities as much as possible and increase vaccination rates. "We take it seriously in protecting our community, especially the vulnerable population during this pandemic," said Dr. Nelson Madrazo of Sumter Pediatrics, LLC. "We believe vaccination is our best tool in combating COVID-19. Get vaccinated!" For more information about Peach State Health Plan and its activities, visit https://www.pshpgeorgia.com/www.pshp.com. About Peach State Health Plan Peach State Health Plan is a Care Management Organization that serves the needs of Georgians through a range of health insurance solutions. Peach State Health Plan serves the Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids population in partnership with Georgia Families. The organization also focuses on under-insured and uninsured individuals through its federal insurance marketplace plan, Ambetter, and its Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plan. Peach State Health Plan is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a leading multi-line healthcare enterprise. For more information visit www.pshp.com. SOURCE Peach State Health Plan NEW YORK, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Purcell & Lefkowitz LLP, a class action law firm dedicated to representing shareholders nationwide, is investigating a potential breach of fiduciary duty claim involving the board of directors of Ennis, Inc. (NYSE: EBF). If you are a shareholder of Ennis, Inc. and are interested in obtaining additional information regarding this investigation, free of charge, please visit us at: http://pjlfirm.com/ennis-inc/ You may also contact Robert H. Lefkowitz, Esq. either via email at [email protected] or by telephone at 212-725-1000. One of our attorneys will personally speak with you about the case at no cost or obligation. Purcell & Lefkowitz LLP is a law firm exclusively committed to representing shareholders nationwide who are victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty and other types of corporate misconduct. For more information about the firm and its attorneys, please visit http://pjlfirm.com. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. SOURCE Purcell & Lefkowitz LLP COLUMBIA, Md., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Modern astronomy relies on understanding the life cycle of molecular material, and though astronomers understand much of the process, there are a lot of missing pieces. By studying six hydride molecules in 25 regions of the Milky Way, data from the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is helping to fill in some of the gaps, namely, how molecular clouds form and evolve. Arshia Jacob, an astronomer at Johns Hopkins University outlines the life cycle process of molecular material "diffuse atomic gas becomes dense molecular gas, which ultimately forms stars and stellar systems, and continues to evolve over time, and yet there is a lot we don't understand." Jacob, the lead author on a recent paper published in the Astrophysical Journal used SOFIA in characterizing the interstellar medium in the Milky Way to fill in some of these missing pieces. By studying six hydrides, which are molecules or molecular ions in which one or more hydrogen atoms are bound to a heavier atom through shared electron pairs, Jacob and her collaborators hope to better understand how molecular clouds form and evolve. Hydrides are useful to astronomers because they are very sensitive tracers of different phases of the interstellar medium, and their chemistry is relatively straightforward. Moreover, hydride observations provide measurements of the amount of material present. The multi-investigator SOFIA project Hydrides in the Galaxy (HyGAL) uses a diverse selection of hydride molecules, allowing different processes to be monitored while complementing other observations. For example, one of the hydrides studied, argonium, can only form in regions that are almost purely atomic gas, so detecting argonium is indicative of a low molecular content in its surrounding environment. Other hydride molecules can indicate the presence of dense gas, intense cosmic radiation, turbulence, and more. "Hydrides are small, but we can understand so much from them. Small molecules, big impact," Jacob said. In the first stage of the project, the group compared the hydride abundances in three regions of the Milky Way: two star-forming regions, W3(OH) and W3 IRS5, and a young stellar object, NGC 7538 IRS1. Though the average properties of these first three sources are similar, the full HyGAL project plans to study a total of 25 regions. With the remaining 22 sources covering distances from the inner galaxy all the way to the outer galaxy, they expect vastly different results. "The sources are very different: Some of them are older, some have more chemical enrichment, some are younger and still forming stars," Jacob said. "All of these will affect the nature of molecules that are formed, like their abundances, for example." Moving away from the galactic center, the transitions from atomic to molecular gas change, and the cosmic ray ionization rates vary vastly, which will result in differences in the ratios of molecules present and other properties. This will help astronomers understand the diversity of environments within the Milky Way. "Imagine you're moving into a cloud. At each stage, you're seeing different molecules, reflecting changes in the cloud properties as it gets denser," Jacob said. "Through this project, we're filling in the properties of this transition." Currently, there have only been a handful of bright sources emitting a broad range of radiation that have been studied in this way, all concentrated in the inner galaxy. The SOFIA data will more than double the existing data, providing additional answers about the structure, dynamics, and chemistry of these clouds and where the dense material comes from. SOFIA is the only facility presently capable of accessing the frequency range necessary for these observations at the required resolution. The German REceiver Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies (GREAT) instrument aboard SOFIA allows five frequencies to be monitored simultaneously, each tuned to five of the six hydrides in question to determine the makeup of the cloud sources. These are complemented by studies at radio wavelengths with observatories such as the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array near Socorro, New Mexico. "The idea is to give us not only information about the sources themselves, but also information about the different spiral arms they cross, making this truly a study over galactic scales," Jacob said. About SOFIA SOFIA is a joint project of NASA and the German Space Agency at DLR. DLR provides the telescope, scheduled aircraft maintenance, and other support for the mission. NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley manages the SOFIA program, science, and mission operations in cooperation with the Universities Space Research Association, headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, and the German SOFIA Institute at the University of Stuttgart. The aircraft is maintained and operated by NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center Building 703, in Palmdale, California. SOFIA achieved full operational capability in 2014, and the mission will conclude no later than Sept. 30, 2022. SOFIA will continue its regular operations until then, including science flights and a deployment to New Zealand this summer. About USRA Founded in 1969, under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences at the request of the U.S. Government, the Universities Space Research Association (USRA), is a nonprofit corporation chartered to advance space-related science, technology and engineering. USRA operates scientific institutes and facilities, and conducts other major research and educational programs. USRA engages the university community and employs in-house scientific leadership, innovative research and development, and project management expertise. More information about USRA is available at www.usra.edu. PR Contact: Suraiya Farukhi, Ph.D. [email protected] 443-812-6945 (cell) SOURCE Universities Space Research Association CHICAGO, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Spaulding Ridge, leading cloud implementation and advisory firm, has been recognized as a Partner Innovation Award winner by OneStream at the 2022 Splash Global User Conference and Partner Summit. The Partner Innovation Award recognizes the top three OneStream Global Advisory Program partners who have taken the OneStream platform to new heights for customers globally. The firm received the award for its recent work with a VC-backed financial tech firm needing to quickly and easily onboard companies. Spaulding Ridge's work implementing OneStream and leveraging its Extensible Dimensionality resulted in allowing the Fintech firm to streamline a complex consolidation process and provide valuable insights and analysis for its diverse network of companies. "OneStream's intelligent finance platform paired with Spaulding Ridge's implementation and advisory methodologies and legacy knowledge make for a truly unique and empowering digital transformation, like the one our Fintech client experienced," says Emil Fernandez, Spaulding Ridge Partner. "With our continued growth and innovation in OneStream's technology, we will continue to distinguish Spaulding Ridge as a valuable, reliable partner to enterprise businesses seeking a modern financial solution." Spaulding Ridge has expanded its OneStream team over the past year, most recently acquiring a CPM and data solutions firm in EMEA and subsequently achieving Diamond Partner status with OneStream. The Spaulding Ridge OneStream team is comprised of experienced CPAs, MBAs, and global industry leaders and has conducted projects worldwide across 20+ industries. Also, during OneStream's Splash conference, Spaulding Ridge Associate Partner Carrie Salzwedel presented with client Joerns Healthcare's Molly Cogburn and Keith Moskowitz on its transformational journey from Excel to leveraging the industry-leading OneStream technology. Spaulding Ridge Associate Partner Beau Reynolds and Director Jennifer Mulligan also presented Spaulding Ridge's Dynamic Cashflow Solution for OneStream, that allows for drillable, flexible cash flow to support both statutory and management views. "We are thrilled to announce Spaulding Ridge as a 2022 Partner Innovation Award winner," said Stephanie Cramp, Senior Vice President, Global Alliances at OneStream. "This award recognizes the leading innovation and expertise of our partners, who are essential to OneStream's growth across the globe. As we continue to expand into new markets, these partners are essential for providing our customers with the tools, expertise and support to drive insights and deliver long-term growth." OneStream's annual Splash conference brings together finance experts, OneStream staff, customers and partners from around the globe to learn about new innovations, share best practices, review customer successes and gain hands-on training. ABOUT SPAULDING RIDGE Spaulding Ridge is a global cloud advisory and implementation firm that helps leading companies deploy Best-in-Cloud solutions. Spaulding Ridge enables organizations to accelerate operational efficiency, drive digital transformation, and increase competitive advantage. Spaulding Ridge partners with digitally savvy companies to help: Finance gain control: Increase top-line revenue, gross margins, and profits through better insight. Connect financial planning to strategy and automate financial close processes. Increase top-line revenue, gross margins, and profits through better insight. Connect financial planning to strategy and automate financial close processes. Sales increase productivity: Manage quota and territories more consistently and effectively, automate customer contracts and onboarding. Manage quota and territories more consistently and effectively, automate customer contracts and onboarding. Operations drive efficiency: Improve supply chain agility, automate strategic sourcing and purchasing, deliver superior customer service experiences. To learn more, visit spauldingridge.com. About OneStream OneStream provides a market-leading intelligent finance platform that reduces the complexity of financial operations. OneStream unleashes the power of finance by unifying corporate performance management (CPM) processes such as planning, financial close and consolidation, reporting and analytics through a single, extensible solution. We empower the enterprise with financial and operational insights to support faster and more informed decision-making. All in a cloud platform designed to continually evolve and scale with your organization. OneStream is an independent software company with over 950 customers, 200 implementation partners and 1,100 employees, our primary mission is to deliver 100% customer success. To learn more visit www.onestream.com. SOURCE Spaulding Ridge, LLC NEW YORK, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- After pausing for nearly three years due to the pandemic, the Specialty Food Association (SFA) Summer Fancy Food Show, sponsored by official partner county Italy, will return to New York City. The largest B2B-only specialty food and beverage show in the U.S., the Show is open only to the trade and will run June 12-14 at the GBAC-certified Javits Center. The hours will be 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Sunday and Monday, and 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Tuesday. Q1 net revenues decreased by 11.7% year-over-year Q1 gross billings (non-GAAP) decreased by 34.2% year-over-year Q1 net income reached RMB179.4 million BEIJING, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sunlands Technology Group (NYSE: STG) ("Sunlands" or the "Company"), a leader in China's online post-secondary and professional education, today announced its unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022. First Quarter 2022 Financial and Operational Snapshots Net revenues were RMB613.3 million ( US$96.7 million ), representing an 11.7% decrease year-over-year. ( ), representing an 11.7% decrease year-over-year. Gross billings (non-GAAP) were RMB390.6 million ( US$61.6 million ), representing a 34.2% decrease year-over-year. ( ), representing a 34.2% decrease year-over-year. Gross profit was RMB516.6 million ( US$81.5 million ), representing a 12.1% decrease year-over-year. ( ), representing a 12.1% decrease year-over-year. Net income was RMB179.4 million ( US$28.3 million ), compared with net loss of RMB53.3 million in the first quarter of 2021. ( ), compared with net loss of in the first quarter of 2021. Net income/loss margin, defined as net income/loss as a percentage of net revenues, increased to 29.3% from -7.7% in the first quarter of 2021. New student enrollments [1] were 117,182, representing a 19.5% decrease year-over-year. were 117,182, representing a 19.5% decrease year-over-year. As of March 31, 2022 , the Company's deferred revenue balance was RMB2,170.9 million ( US$ 342.5 million ). [1] New student enrollments for a given period refers to the total number of orders placed by students that newly enroll in at least one course during that period (including those students that enroll and then terminate their enrollment with us, excluding orders of our low-price courses). In June 2019, we introduced low-price courses, including "mini courses" and "RMB1 courses," to strengthen our competitiveness and improve customer experience. We offer such low-price courses mainly in the formats of recorded videos or short live streaming. "We are pleased to have carried our momentum into 2022, with our first quarter net profit hitting a new high of RMB179.4 million, a significant improvement compared to a net loss of RMB53.3 million in the prior year period and 19.0% higher quarter-over-quarter. This was driven by the ongoing strong execution of our balanced growth and profitability strategy as well as our extensive course resources, which continue to effectively fulfill our users' learning demands," said Mr. Tongbo Liu, Chief Executive Officer of Sunlands. "As we focused on healthy and sustainable growth with an emphasis on student acquisition efficiency, we strategically scaled back on our marketing activities, as evidenced by a 51.4% year-over-year decrease in sales and marketing expenses. This led to 19.5% and 34.2% year-over-year decreases in new student enrollments and gross billings, respectively. Despite that, we continued to forge ahead, optimizing our product mix and expanding our course catalogs for our master's degree-oriented and professional skills programs while striving to provide our students with an optimal learning experience. In light of the increasingly tough job market in the first quarter, we concentrated more on designing and developing new courses to provide a diverse range of skills training for our students to enhance their overall competitiveness and thereby increase their employment opportunities. Going forward, we will remain dedicated to empowering each of our students' individual success by constantly evolving and enriching our product offerings to satisfy their needs, which we believe will benefit our long-term growth and contribute to China's economic development against macro headwinds," concluded Mr. Liu. Ms. Selena Lu Lv, Chief Financial Officer of Sunlands, commented, "We are excited to start the year with encouraging first quarter results. Our net revenues reached RMB613.3 million during the quarter, above the top end of our guidance range despite an 11.7% year-over-year decrease, as we remain unwavering regarding meaningful and sustainable growth instead of blind pursuit of scale expansion amid the existing complex macroeconomic environment. Meanwhile, we continued to manage our costs responsibly, thanks to which our operating expenses in the first quarter declined by 48.1% year-over-year. As a result, we sustained our profitability in this quarter, with net profit margin reaching 29.3%, representing a substantial 37.0 percentage point increase year-over-year. Notably, we also maintained positive operating cash flow in the first quarter at RMB10.1 million. We are confident that our improved operational efficiency and profitability, combined with our unremitting efforts to diversify course offerings and enhance service quality, will drive our future growth while creating additional value for our students, employees and shareholders." Financial Results for the first quarter of 2022 Net Revenues In the first quarter of 2022, net revenues decreased by 11.7% to RMB613.3 million (US$96.7 million) from RMB694.3 million in the first quarter of 2021. The decrease was mainly driven by the year-over-year decline in gross billings. Cost of Revenues Cost of revenues decreased by 9.1% to RMB96.7 million (US$15.3 million) in the first quarter of 2022 from RMB106.4 million in the first quarter of 2021. The decrease was primarily due to: (i) declined compensation expenses related to our cost of revenues personnel; and (ii) reduced insurance-related costs incurred for our integrated online education service package purchased by students. Gross Profit Gross profit decreased by 12.1% to RMB516.6 million (US$81.5 million) in the first quarter of 2022 from RMB587.9 million in the first quarter of 2021. Operating Expenses In the first quarter of 2022, operating expenses were RMB345.8 million (US$54.6 million), representing a 48.1% decrease from RMB666.6 million in the first quarter of 2021. Sales and marketing expenses decreased by 51.4% to RMB295.0 million (US$46.5 million) in the first quarter of 2022 from RMB606.4 million in the first quarter of 2021. The decrease was mainly due to: (i) lower spending on branding and marketing activities; and (ii) declined compensation expenses related to our sales and marketing personnel. General and administrative expenses decreased by 9.1% to RMB38.5 million (US$6.1 million) in the first quarter of 2022 from RMB42.3 million in the first quarter of 2021. The decrease was mainly due to: (i) a decrease in rental expenses; and (ii) declined compensation expenses related to general and administrative personnel. Product development expenses decreased by 31.0% to RMB12.4 million (US$1.9 million) in the first quarter of 2022 from RMB17.9 million in the first quarter of 2021. Product development expenses were mainly comprised of compensation expenses. Other Income Other income decreased by 54.9% to RMB9.6 million (US$1.5 million) in the first quarter of 2022 from RMB21.3 million in the first quarter of 2021. The decrease was primarily because value-added tax exemption offered by the relevant authorities as part of the national COVID-19 relief effort came to an end in April 2021. Net Income Net income for the first quarter of 2022 was RMB179.4 million (US$28.3 million), compared with net loss of RMB53.3 million in the first quarter of 2021. Basic and Diluted Net Income Per Share Basic and diluted net income per share was RMB27.16 (US$4.28) in the first quarter of 2022. Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-term Investments As of March 31, 2022, the Company had RMB637.7 million (US$100.6 million) of cash and cash equivalents and RMB219.9 million (US$34.7 million) of short-term investments, compared with RMB676.7 million of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash and RMB184.2 million of short-term investments as of December 31, 2021. Deferred Revenue As of March 31, 2022, the Company had a deferred revenue balance of RMB2,170.9 million (US$342.5 million), compared with RMB2,348.2 million as of December 31, 2021. Capital Expenditures Capital expenditures were incurred primarily in connection with information technology infrastructure equipment and leasehold improvements necessary to support the Company's operations. Capital expenditures were RMB0.9 million (US$0.1 million) in the first quarter of 2022, compared with RMB1.7 million in the first quarter of 2021. Outlook For the second quarter of 2022, Sunlands currently expects net revenues to be between RMB520 million to RMB540 million, which would represent a decrease of 14.2% to 17.4% year-over-year. The above outlook is based on the current market conditions and reflects the Company's current and preliminary estimates of market and operating conditions and customer demand, which are all subject to substantial uncertainty. Exchange Rate The Company's business is primarily conducted in China and all revenues are denominated in Renminbi ("RMB"). This announcement contains currency conversions of RMB amounts into U.S. dollars ("US$") solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from RMB to US$ are made at a rate of RMB6.3393 to US$1.00, the effective noon buying rate for March 31, 2022 as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board. No representation is made that the RMB amounts could have been, or could be, converted, realized or settled into US$ at that rate on March 31, 2022, or at any other rate. Conference Call and Webcast Sunlands' management team will host a conference call at 7:30 AM U.S. Eastern Time, (7:30 PM Beijing/Hong Kong time) on May 31, 2022, following the quarterly results announcement. The dial-in details for the live conference call are: International: +1-412-902-4272 US toll free: +1-888-346-8982 Mainland China toll free: 400-120-1203 Hong Kong toll free: 800-905-945 Hong Kong: +852-3018-4992 Please dial in 10 minutes before the call is scheduled to begin. When prompted, ask to be connected to the call for "Sunlands Technology Group." Participants will be required to state their name and company upon entering the call. A live webcast and archive of the conference call will be available on the Investor Relations section of Sunlands' website at http://www.sunlands.investorroom.com/. A replay of the conference call will be available 1 hour after the end of the conference call until June 07, 2022, by dialing the following telephone numbers: International: +1-412-317-0088 US Toll Free: +1-877-344-7529 Replay Access Code: 7410658 About Sunlands Sunlands Technology Group (NYSE: STG) ("Sunlands" or the "Company"), formerly known as Sunlands Online Education Group, is the leader in China's online post-secondary and professional education. With a one to many, live streaming platform, Sunlands offers various degree and diploma-oriented post-secondary courses as well as online professional courses and educational content, to help students prepare for professional certification exams and attain professional skills. Students can access its services either through PC or mobile applications. The Company's online platform cultivates a personalized, interactive learning environment by featuring a virtual learning community and a vast library of educational content offerings that adapt to the learning habits of its students. Sunlands offers a unique approach to education research and development that organizes subject content into Learning Outcome Trees, the Company's proprietary knowledge management system. Sunlands has a deep understanding of the educational needs of its prospective students and offers solutions that help them achieve their goals. About Non-GAAP Financial Measures We use gross billings, EBITDA, non-GAAP operating cost and expense, non-GAAP loss/income from operations and Non-GAAP net loss/income per share, each a non-GAAP financial measure, in evaluating our operating results and for financial and operational decision-making purposes. We define gross billings for a specific period as the total amount of cash received for the sale of course packages, net of the total amount of refunds paid in such period. Our management uses gross billings as a performance measurement because we generally bill our students for the entire course tuition at the time of sale of our course packages and recognize revenue proportionally over a period. EBITDA is defined as net loss/income excluding depreciation and amortization, interest expense, interest income, and income tax expenses. We believe that gross billings and EBITDA provide valuable insight into the sales of our course packages and the performance of our business. These non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, their most directly comparable financial measure prepared in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation of the historical non-GAAP financial measures to their respective most directly comparable GAAP measure has been provided in the tables included below. Investors are encouraged to review the reconciliation of the historical non-GAAP financial measures to their respective most directly comparable GAAP financial measures. As gross billings, EBITDA, operating cost and expenses excluding share-based compensation expenses, general and administrative expenses excluding share-based compensation expenses, sales and marketing expenses excluding share-based compensation expenses, product development expenses excluding share-based compensation expenses, non-GAAP net loss/income exclude share-based compensation expenses, and basic and diluted net loss/income per share excluding share-based compensation expenses have material limitations as an analytical metric and may not be calculated in the same manner by all companies, it may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures used by other companies. In light of the foregoing limitations, you should not consider gross billings and EBITDA as a substitute for, or superior to, their respective most directly comparable financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. We encourage investors and others to review our financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure. Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements made under the "safe harbor" provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "confident" and similar statements. Sunlands may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports filed with or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Any statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Sunlands' beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements that involve factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such factors and risks include, but not limited to the following: Sunlands' goals and strategies; its expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of its brand and services; its ability to retain and increase student enrollments; its ability to offer new courses and educational content; its ability to improve teaching quality and students' learning results; its ability to improve sales and marketing efficiency and effectiveness; its ability to engage, train and retain new faculty members; its future business development, results of operations and financial condition; its ability to maintain and improve technology infrastructure necessary to operate its business; competition in the online education industry in China; relevant government policies and regulations relating to Sunlands' corporate structure, business and industry; and general economic and business condition in China Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Sunlands' filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is current as of the date of the press release, and Sunlands does not undertake any obligation to update such information, except as required under applicable law. For investor and media enquiries, please contact: Sunlands Technology Group Investor Relations Email: [email protected] The Piacente Group, Inc. Brandi Piacente Tel: +1-212-481-2050 Email: [email protected] Yang Song Tel: +86-10-6508-0677 Email: [email protected] UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data, or otherwise noted) As of December 31, As of March 31, 2021 2022 RMB RMB US$ ASSETS Current assets Cash and cash equivalents 626,715 637,700 100,595 Restricted cash 50,008 - - Short-term investments 184,159 219,897 34,688 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 176,349 128,322 20,242 Deferred costs, current 89,353 74,632 11,773 Total current assets 1,126,584 1,060,551 167,298 Non-current assets Property and equipment, net 857,648 848,379 133,828 Intangible assets, net 2,761 2,531 399 Right-of-use assets 362,335 356,752 56,276 Deferred costs, non-current 109,020 98,692 15,568 Long-term investments 54,844 53,690 8,469 Deferred tax assets 39,265 34,706 5,475 Other non-current assets 40,163 43,426 6,850 Total non-current assets 1,466,036 1,438,176 226,865 TOTAL ASSETS 2,592,620 2,498,727 394,163 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' DEFICIT LIABILITIES Current liabilities Accrued expenses and other current liabilities (including accrued expenses and other current liabilities of the consolidated VIEs without recourse to Sunlands Technology Group of RMB197,467 and RMB197,459 as of December 31, 2021 and March 31, 2022, respectively) 586,043 508,757 80,254 Deferred revenue, current (including deferred revenue, current of the consolidated VIEs without recourse to Sunlands Technology Group of RMB295,958 and RMB286,579 as of December 31, 2021 and March 31, 2022, respectively) 1,266,948 1,136,859 179,335 Lease liabilities, current portion (including lease liabilities, current portion of the consolidated VIEs without recourse to Sunlands Technology Group of RMB8,366 and RMB13,168 as of December 31, 2021 and March 31, 2022, respectively) 14,310 19,589 3,090 Long-term debt, current portion (including long-term debt, current portion of the consolidated VIEs without recourse to Sunlands Technology Group of nil and nil as of December 31, 2021 and March 31, 2022, respectively) 38,654 38,654 6,098 Total current liabilities 1,905,955 1,703,859 268,777 UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS-continued (Amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data, or otherwise noted) As of December 31, As of March 31, 2021 2022 RMB RMB US$ Non-current liabilities Deferred revenue, non-current (including deferred revenue, non-current of the consolidated VIEs without recourse to Sunlands Technology Group of RMB257,071 and RMB255,618 as of December 31, 2021 and March 31, 2022, respectively) 1,081,231 1,034,089 163,124 Lease liabilities, non-current portion (including lease liabilities, non-current portion of the consolidated VIEs without recourse to Sunlands Technology Group of RMB318,598 and RMB318,184 as of December 31, 2021 and March 31, 2022, respectively) 404,133 401,986 63,412 Deferred tax liabilities (including deferred tax liabilities of the consolidated VIEs without recourse to Sunlands Technology Group of RMB2,312 and RMB2,223 as of December 31, 2021 and March 31, 2022, respectively) 21,782 13,037 2,057 Other non-current liabilities (including other non-current liabilities of the consolidated VIEs without recourse to Sunlands Technology Group of RMB963 and RMB963 as of December 31, 2021 and March 31, 2022, respectively) 11,698 11,667 1,840 Long-term debt, non-current portion (including long-term debt, non-current portion of the consolidated VIEs without recourse to Sunlands Technology Group of nil and nil as of December 31, 2021 and March 31, 2022, respectively) 181,973 172,309 27,181 Total non-current liabilities 1,700,817 1,633,088 257,614 TOTAL LIABILITIES 3,606,772 3,336,947 526,391 SHAREHOLDERS' DEFICIT Class A ordinary shares (par value of US$0.00005, 796,062,195 shares authorized; 2,085,939 and 2,085,939 shares issued as of December 31, 2021 and March 31, 2022, respectively; 1,839,553 and 1,818,126 shares outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and March 31, 2022, respectively) 1 1 - Class B ordinary shares (par value of US$0.00005, 826,389 shares authorized; 826,389 and 826,389 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and March 31, 2022, respectively) - - - Class C ordinary shares (par value of US$0.00005, 203,111,416 shares authorized; 4,002,930 and 4,002,930 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and March 31, 2022, respectively) 1 1 - Treasury stock - - - Accumulated deficit (3,456,073) (3,275,435) (516,687) Additional paid-in capital 2,364,313 2,363,014 372,756 Accumulated other comprehensive income 82,532 79,913 12,604 Total Sunlands Technology Group shareholders' deficit (1,009,226) (832,506) (131,327) Non-controlling interest (4,926) (5,714) (901) TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS' DEFICIT (1,014,152) (838,220) (132,228) TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' DEFICIT 2,592,620 2,498,727 394,163 UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data, or otherwise noted) For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2021 2022 RMB RMB US$ Net revenues 694,298 613,314 96,748 Cost of revenues (106,422) (96,720) (15,257) Gross profit 587,876 516,594 81,491 Operating expenses Sales and marketing expenses (606,429) (294,997) (46,535) Product development expenses (17,916) (12,355) (1,949) General and administrative expenses (42,298) (38,460) (6,067) Total operating expenses (666,643) (345,812) (54,551) (Loss)/income from operations (78,767) 170,782 26,940 Interest income 5,861 3,166 499 Interest expense (2,557) (2,725) (430) Other income/(expense), net 21,283 9,592 1,513 Impairment loss on long-term investments - (500) (79) (Loss)/income before income tax (expenses)/benefit (54,180) 180,315 28,443 Income tax benefit/(expenses) 348 (691) (109) Gain/(loss) from equity method investments 553 (213) (34) Net (loss)/income (53,279) 179,411 28,300 Less: Net loss attributable to non-controlling interest (350) (1,227) (194) Net (loss)/income attributable to Sunlands Technology Group (52,929) 180,638 28,494 Net (loss)/income per share attributable to ordinary shareholders of Sunlands Technology Group: Basic and diluted (7.87) 27.16 4.28 Weighted average shares used in calculating net (loss)/income per ordinary share: Basic and diluted 6,729,197 6,650,244 6,650,244 UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS)/INCOME (Amounts in thousands) For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2021 2022 RMB RMB US$ Net (loss)/income (53,279) 179,411 28,300 Other comprehensive loss/(income), net of tax effect of nil: Change in cumulative foreign currency translation adjustments 2,422 (2,619) (413) Total comprehensive (loss)/income (50,857) 176,792 27,887 Less: comprehensive loss attributable to non-controlling interest (350) (1,227) (194) Comprehensive (loss)/income attributable to Sunlands Technology Group (50,507) 178,019 28,081 SUNLANDS TECHNOLOGY GROUP RECONCILIATION OF GAAP AND NON-GAAP RESULTS (Amounts in thousands) For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2021 2022 RMB RMB Net revenues 694,298 613,314 Less: other revenues (15,422) (26,907) Add: tax and surcharges 37,494 27,212 Add: ending deferred revenue 2,902,451 2,170,948 Add: ending refund liability 232,207 197,494 Less: beginning deferred revenue (3,024,443) (2,348,179) Less: beginning refund liability (232,859) (243,236) Gross billings (non-GAAP) 593,726 390,646 Net (loss)/income (53,279) 179,411 Add: income tax (benefit)/expenses (348) 691 depreciation and amortization 8,479 9,887 interest expense 2,557 2,725 Less: interest income (5,861) (3,166) EBITDA (non-GAAP) (48,452) 189,548 SUNLANDS TECHNOLOGY GROUP RECONCILIATION OF GAAP AND NON-GAAP RESULTS (Amounts in thousands) For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2021 2022 RMB RMB Cost of revenues (106,422) (96,720) Less: Share-based compensation expenses in cost of revenues (51) (33) Non-GAAP cost of revenues (106,371) (96,687) Sales and marketing expenses (606,429) (294,997) Less: Share-based compensation expenses in sales and marketing expenses (155) (78) Non-GAAP sales and marketing expenses (606,274) (294,919) General and administrative expenses (42,298) (38,460) Less: Share-based compensation expenses in general and administrative expenses 95 (257) Non-GAAP general and administrative expenses (42,393) (38,203) Operating costs and expense (773,065) (442,532) Less: Share-based compensation expenses (111) (368) Non-GAAP operating costs and expense (772,954) (442,164) (Loss)/income from operations (78,767) 170,782 Less: Share-based compensation expenses (111) (368) Non-GAAP (loss)/income from operations (78,656) 171,150 Net (loss)/income attributable to Sunlands Technology Group (52,929) 180,638 Less: Share-based compensation expenses (111) (368) Non-GAAP net (loss)/income attributable to Sunlands Technology Group (52,818) 181,006 Net (loss)/income per share attributable to ordinary shareholders of Sunlands Technology Group: Basic and diluted (7.87) 27.16 Non-GAAP net (loss)/income per share attributable to ordinary shareholders of Sunlands Technology Group: Basic and diluted (7.85) 27.22 Weighted average shares used in calculating net (loss)/income per ordinary share: Basic and diluted 6,729,197 6,650,244 Weighted average shares used in calculating Non-GAAP net (loss)/income per ordinary share: Basic and diluted 6,729,197 6,650,244 SOURCE Sunlands Technology Group SAN DIEGO, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 24, 2022, state officials approved a proposal to cut water consumption in California by 10 to 20%, which includes a total ban on watering beautiful lawns in subdivision common areas and on all commercial properties. "We are in this unprecedented drought. We need to act like it," said Laurel Firestone a California State Water Resources Control Board member, at Tuesday's board meeting. In the coming weeks, we will see local water companies implementing restrictions on the watering of landscaping here in California. Outdoor irrigation accounts for 50-70 percent of household water usage in most homes across the country. It takes around 685 gallons of water each year to apply one inch of water over 1,000 square feet of lawn to maintain it green. Just maintaining a green lawn, places a tremendous strain on the local freshwater supply. What options do you have to make a difference? You can save up to 70% on your water bill by replacing your natural lawn with SYNLawn artificial grass. Switching to SYNLawn not only provides you with a beautiful, low-maintenance lawn all year, but it also helps to reduce your carbon impact. SYNLawn is the first provider of plant-based artificial grass in southern California. Our products are environmentally responsible and offer many ways to give back to the planet. In times like these where every bit of help counts, it is our responsibility to provide the alternatives that will benefit the environment. Without the need to keep up on weekly maintenance, you'll save time and thousands of gallons of water while enjoying the most-realistic appearances and behaviors provided by San Diego artificial turf. Our products will not fade in harsh sunlight and are backed by an unmatched limited lifetime warranty with financing options available. Save money on your water bill each year and do your part to help today. For more information on San Diego artificial grass and the many environmental benefits it provides, contact us today to schedule a free consultation! SOURCE SYNLawn San Diego Workers and Allies Protest Planned Layoffs, Attack on Organizing Rights STOCKTON, Calif. , May 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On Tuesday, May 31 at 10:30 AM PST, AAA Insurance Sales Agents and their allies in will rally outside of the company's Stockton, Calif. branch to protest the planned closure of the facility. The workers recently voted to affiliate with the Teamsters and are in the midst of negotiating their first collective bargaining agreement. The branch is the fourth most profitable out of 70, indicating that the decision to shutter it is a clear retaliatory action. Furthermore, none of the affected workers have been offered jobs elsewhere, in a clear break from past practice on behalf of AAA. What: AAA Rally to Protect Our Jobs When: Tuesday, May 31 at 10:30 AM PST Where: 10916 Trinity Parkway, Stockton, CA 95219 Speakers: Teamsters Local 665 Secretary-Treasurer Tony Delorio, Rev. James Byrd (Lifesong Church), Stockton Councilwoman Christina Fugazi, Stockton Councilwoman Kim Warmsley, Congressional Candidate Harpreet Chima, AAA Insurance Sales Agent Angie Matthews Visuals: Workers and their allies holding signs, speeches to attendees Interviews: Available upon request Teamsters Local 665 represents over 5,000 members throughout the Bay Area in a wide variety of industries. For more information, go to https://www.teamsters665.org/. Contact: Matt McQuaid, (202) 624-6877 [email protected] SOURCE Teamsters Local 665 OTTAWA, ON, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc. ("Tetra" or the "Company") (TSX: TBP) (OTCQB: TBPMF) (FRA: JAM1), a leader in cannabinoid-derived drug discovery and development, held its annual general and special meeting (the "Meeting") of its holders of common shares (the "Shareholders") virtually on May 30, 2022. The Company is pleased to announce that all matters presented for approval at the Meeting were approved, except with respect to the proposed share consolidation of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company, as further detailed below. The complete voting results for each item of business at the Meeting are presented below. Election of Directors The Board of Directors of the Corporation had fixed at five the number of directors to be elected at the Meeting. Following the vote at the Meeting, each of the five (5) nominees proposed by management of the Company were elected as directors of the Company until the next annual meeting of the Shareholders or until they are earlier replaced, with the following results. All the nominee directors were members of the board of directors of the Company (the "Board") prior to the Meeting. Nominee Votes For % Votes For Votes Withheld % Votes Withheld Guy Chamberland 68,973,628 72,53 26,126,575 27.47 Brent Norton 73,316,430 77.09 21,783,773 22.91 Dale Weil 77,095,010 81.07 18,005,193 18.93 Catherine Auld 78,639,590 82.69 16,460,613 17.31 John Kim 81,112,809 85.29 13,987,394 14.71 Appointment of Independent Auditors Following the vote at the Meeting, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, was appointed as the independent auditors of Tetra, as successor auditors of the Company in place of McGovern Hurley LLP, and the Board was authorized to fix the remuneration of the auditor, with the following results: Votes For % Votes For Votes Withheld % Votes Withheld 111,411,759 96.71 3,789,241 3.29 Other Resolutions A ballot was also conducted with respect to an ordinary resolution (the "IQ Warrant Resolution") of the Shareholders approving the grant of common share purchase warrants to Investissement Quebec, having an exercise price lower than market price, upon the terms and in accordance with the provisions of the offer letter from Investissement Quebec dated February 4, 2022 and all as more described in the management information circular dated April 19, 2022 filed in connection with the Meeting. Following the vote at the Meeting, the IQ Warrant Resolution was adopted with the following results: Votes For % Votes For Votes Against % Votes Against 83,689,465 88.00 11,410,738 12.00 A ballot was conducted with respect to a special resolution of the Shareholders approving the amendment of the Company's articles to change the location of the Company's registered office from the Province of Ontario to the Province of Quebec (the "Registered Office Resolution"), at a time to be determined at the discretion of the Board. Following the vote at the Meeting, the Registered Office Resolution was adopted with the following results: Votes For % Votes For Votes Against % Votes Against 79,141,241 83.22 15,958,962 16.78 Lastly, Shareholders were also presented with a special resolution of the Shareholders authorizing the Board to amend the articles of the Company to effect a consolidation (the "Share Consolidation") of all of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company on the basis of a consolidation ratio to be selected by the Board within a range between ten (10) pre-consolidation Common Share for one (1) post-consolidation Common Share and thirty (30) pre-consolidation Common Shares for one (1) post-consolidation Common Share, and to be effected at a time to be determined at the discretion of the Board, provided that such date shall be before May 30, 2023. Following the vote at the Meeting, the Share Consolidation was not approved. Votes For % Votes For Votes Against % Votes Against 75,437,655 65.48 39,763,345 34.52 Please refer to the Company's report of voting results filed under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com on May 31, 2022 for further details on the above matters. Virtual Meeting This year again, the Company held its Meeting as a virtual only meeting, where all Shareholders regardless of geographic location had an equal opportunity to participate at the Meeting. The virtual-only format for the Meeting also helped to mitigate health and safety risks to the community, shareholders, employees, and other stakeholders in light of the continuing COVID-19 environment. About Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc. Tetra Bio-Pharma (TSX: TBP) (OTCQB: TBPMF) (FRA:JAM1) is a leader in cannabinoid-derived drug discovery and development with a FDA and a Health Canada cleared clinical program aimed at bringing novel prescription drugs and treatments to patients and their healthcare providers. Their evidence-based scientific approach has enabled them to develop a pipeline of cannabinoid-based drug products for a range of medical conditions, including pain, inflammation, and oncology. With patients at the core of what they do, Tetra Bio-Pharma is focused on providing rigorous scientific validation and safety data required for inclusion into the existing biopharma industry by regulators, physicians and insurance companies. For more information visit: www.tetrabiopharma.com SOURCE Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc. VANCOUVER, BC, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Texas Oncology has selected proXimity as the primary tool to automate the transfer of clinical trial data from the oncology EMR to the electronic data capture (EDC) systems used by biotech, pharmaceutical, and contract research organizations providing clinical trials with Texas Oncology. proXimity is an innovative cloud-based software platform that accelerates the transfer of clinical trial subject data from multiple electronic medical records (EMR) to the sponsor's electronic data capture systems (EDC). Typically, this data is transcribed manually by data management employees from the EMR to the EDC, which is time-intensive and error-prone. proXimity automates this process and transfers the data from one system to another without the need for manual transcription, dramatically reducing the time needed to transfer data while eliminating transcription errors. Texas Oncology is a leader in cancer research and clinical trials with more than 1500 patients enrolled annually and, on average, 150+ open national trials. In a recent pilot study conducted using proXimity to transfer data from the EMR to the EDC, the data transfer using proXimity was 4.5 times faster than manual entry and the data was transferred error free compared to manual entry. "We look forward to leveraging proXimity in our ongoing program to combine clinical and operational excellence in the performance of clinical trials. With our large network and mass of data, proXimity holds the potential to not only accelerate data entry and management, but also to significantly improve its accuracy. This is a big win for cancer research and cancer patients in Texas," said Scott Paulson, M.D. medical oncologist and director of clinical research at Texas Oncology. About Texas Oncology Texas Oncology is an independent private practice with more than 500 physicians and 210 locations across the state. Meeting the oncology needs of Texans for more than 35 years, the practice includes Texas Center for Proton Therapy, Texas Breast Specialists, Texas Oncology Surgical Specialists, Texas Urology Specialists, and Texas Center for Interventional Surgery. As a lead participant in US Oncology Research, Texas Oncology played a role in the development of more than 100 FDA-approved therapies. For more information, visit www.TexasOncology.com . About Equicare Health Equicare Health is the industry's leading provider of comprehensive care coordination solutions for oncology. EQUICARE CS (ECS) is a multi-facility web-based software tool that facilitates patient engagement including patient reported outcomes, patient navigation, survivorship care and a several other clinical tools. Proximity is a tool set designed to automate data transfer between EMRs and EDCs in support of sponsored clinical trials. For more information, visit www.dataproXimity.com SOURCE Equicare Health Inc. Hong Kong: 6 factors to adjust civil service pay Chief Executive Carrie Lam said the Chief Executive-in-Council will consider a basket of six factors regarding civil service pay. Ahead of todays Executive Council meeting in the morning, Mrs Lam noted this year's pay trend survey results show that there is a positive rate, especially at the higher level of civil service positions. However, she stressed that the survey is not the only factor to be considered for the civil service pay annual adjustment. As the Secretary for Civil Service has repeatedly said in public, we have been practising this repeatedly in previous years that we do not just rigidly follow the pay trend survey results to adjust the civil service pay on an annual basis - there is a basket of six factors. We are still in this process. So for the time being, no decision has been made on adjustments to civil service pay in the 2022 pay adjustment exercise. This story has been published on: 2022-05-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. PLA sends 30 warplanes near Taiwan island amid US senator visit, carrier drills By Liu Xuanzun and Guo Yuandan (Global Times) 16:36, May 31, 2022 Fighter jets attached to a naval aviation brigade fly in formation during a round-the-clock flight training exercise on April 26, 2022. Photo:China Military The Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) reportedly dispatched 30 warplanes to the vicinity of the island of Taiwan on Monday, the same day a US senator arrived on the island for a surprise visit, and also at the same time the US Navy was holding dual carrier drills not far away from the region. With most of the aircraft involved being fighter jets, the PLA practiced the seizure of air superiority and aerial strikes in a simulation of reunification-by-force, thus warning the parties involved in the US-Taiwan collusion that the PLA has the capacity to launch a lightning-quick assault that would end the Taiwan question once and for all when necessary, experts said on Tuesday. The 30 PLA warplanes featured in the mission were two KJ-500 early warning aircraft, four Y-8 electronic intelligence aircraft, a Y-8 electronic warfare aircraft, a Y-8 anti-submarine warfare aircraft, six J-16 fighter jets, eight J-11 fighter jets, four J-10 fighter jets, two Su-35 fighter jets and two Su-30 fighter jets. The aircraft entered Taiwans self-proclaimed southwest air defense identification zone between the Dongsha Islands and the Taiwan island on Monday, said Taiwans defense authority on Monday. This was the second largest PLA aircraft activity in 2022, after 39 sorties on January 23. It also marked the first time in a long period that the PLA Air Forces Su-35 has made a public reappearance, observers said. On the same day, US Senator Tammy Duckworth and her delegation arrived on the island of Taiwan for a surprise three-day visit, media on the island reported. Duckworth is reportedly scheduled to meet with Taiwans regional leader Tsai Ing-wen and others on Tuesday. The PLA warplane activities also came shortly after two US aircraft carriers, the USS Abraham Lincolnand the USS Ronald Reagan, reportedly held drills on Saturday and Sunday in waters to the southeast of Okinawa, a strategic location analysts said is a main maritime battlefield if the US militarily intervenes in a possible conflict across the Taiwan Straits. While the PLA aircraft sorties are part of the regular drills, they are also pointed at Taiwan secessionists and external interference forces like the US, analysts said. Most of the PLA warplanes dispatched in the drills were fighter jets, and the rest were special-mission aircraft. This means the PLA likely rehearsed the seizure of air superiority from the islands air force and the US carrier-borne aviation force, a Beijing-based military expert told the Global Times on Tuesday, requesting anonymity. Some of the fighter jets tend to being pure air superiority fighters, like the J-11 and the Su-35, while some others tend to being more of a multi-role type that can also launch attacks on ground and maritime targets, like the J-16 and the Su-30, the expert said. The expert noted that the special-mission aircraft can provide command and control as well as intelligence and electronic warfare support. All types of aircraft will join combat, and that is why they all need to train in drills, the expert said. It is possible that Taiwans defense authority failed to identify all PLA aircraft under strong electronic interference or because of stealth capabilities from warplanes like the J-20, observers said. Flight data released by Taiwan showed that the PLA likely practiced several waves of non-stop aerial strikes, Zheng Jian, director of the National Taiwan Studies Association and chair professor at the Taiwan Research Institute of Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Tuesday. Drills like this tell the island that when the PLA makes a real move, it will likely be a sudden attack that can put an end to the Taiwan question once and for all, Zheng said. If and when that happens, there would be even more warplanes, in addition to forces on the ground, at sea and in cyberspace, he said. The PLA staged in May at least two more large-scale drills around the island of Taiwan targeting collusive US-Taiwan activities, according to official announcements made by the PLA. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Mr Abubakar emerged as the PDP presidential flag bearer at the party's primary election on Saturday in Abuja. Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Walid Jibrin, has described the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as PDP presidential candidate as a huge success for the party. Mr Jibrin, a former senator, in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja also described it as a good omen for all Nigerians. Mr Abubakar emerged as the PDP presidential flag bearer at the party's primary election on Saturday in Abuja. Mr Jibrin said the former vice president's success had opened a way for all Nigerians as far as the 2023 general elections were concerned. The BoT chairman recalled how Mr Abubakar had been elected at the PDP presidential primaries in Port-Harcourt in 2019 and how it was sabotaged. "We must remember Atiku's outstanding performance as vice-president to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. "Our party and all our delegates across the 36 states and the FCT must be congratulated for playing good roles," Mr Jibrin said. He said the BoT would assist the party and Mr Abubakar to come out with a very acceptable running mate from the Southern part of Nigeria. "My advice, as the PDP BoT Chairman, the conscience of the party, is that we must come together as one entity. "We must come out as a party, talking with one voice to make our party the greatest, not only in Nigeria and West Africa but in Africa, with no ethnic, sectional or religious segregation," he said. Mr Jibrin also congratulated the David Mark-led Convention Committee for organising the best national convention after the one held in Port Harcourt which was chaired by Governor Okowa of Delta State in 2019. (NAN) 100 Million Ways has launched all four programs planned for 2022! Tweet this 2. Peer Support Specialist Certification - In collaboration with the National Association for Mental Illness, San Diego (NAMI), 100MW is offering a six week program for certified Peer Support Specialist. Amanda Carrillo, from Weed For Warriors, is the first person in the program. Amanda will moderate group support sessions for veterans with PTSD. 3. The Odyssey Registry* will be launched in June. It is an anonymous data collection study for opioid users, people with symptoms of PTSD, family, friends and caregivers - offering a quality of life toolkit for participants to measure how they are doing compared to how they were doing and compared to how the community is doing. 4. The 100 Million Ways Podcast, 10 Minutes On, launched in April with: a. Social Inequity and the Opioid Crisis b. Psychedelics (coming soon) c. Being a Caregiver (coming soon) *Odyssey Registry sponsors can add data collection elements to the registry and will be acknowledged on the Registry home page. All donations are tax deductible. To help those struggling with opioid dependence, mental illness, and their caregivers, friends, and families, you can donate on our site. Words Matter: Below is a corrected version of Sean Kiernan's brief bio. Our apologies to Sean. Sean Kiernan is a Cofounder & CEO of Weed for Warriors (wfwproject.org). As a 100% service-connected disabled veteran from his service in Central America, Sean understands the challenges of PTSD firsthand. Mr. Kiernan left Wall Street to cofound WFW - to bring holistic rehabilitation for veterans through community-based projects, care advocacy, cannabis, education, and compassion. *DISCLAIMER STATEMENT: 100MillionWays is a project of Players Philanthropy Fund, (Federal Tax ID: 27-6601178), a Maryland charitable trust with federal tax-exempt status as a public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to 100MillionWays are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. CONTACT: [email protected] SOURCE 100 Million Ways With an estimated 80% of children in Kenya not receiving a school meal, Njiru believes no child should have to learn on an empty stomach. After majoring in food science at university in Australia, she founded Food for Education in 2016, at first making 25 meals a day. The organisation now feeds 40,000 children daily, providing nutritious meals to those in schools across Kenya, helping to boost attendance at primary level and combat hunger. It has delivered over seven million meals to date, leading to improved nutrition, academic performance and higher high school transition rates. By sourcing fresh food directly from farmers, Food for Education has also been able to help stimulate the local economy. Meals are prepared in a central kitchen to internationally recognised food safety standards, while the subsidised meals are delivered to students using cutting-edge technology to design a sustainable means of delivering high quality, wholesome food. During the pandemic, the organisation also provided food packages and cash transfers that delivered over 2,000,000 meals to children and their families at home due to COVID-19. Food for Education utilises Tap2Eat, a digital mobile platform whereby parents can pay for the subsidised lunches with mobile money. The amount is then credited to a virtual wallet linked to an NFC smart wristband, which students can wear and use accordingly, meaning no cash transfers and no lost money. Njiru hopes to expand the programme across more of Kenya and potentially beyond and provide meals to 1 million children over the next five years. William Drew, Director of Content for The World's 50 Best Restaurants, says: "The Icon Award recognises true trailblazers in the food sphere and we're honoured that this year we can present it to Wawira Njiru for her exceptional work. The achievements of Food for Education in just six short years have been astonishing and we know that Wawira and her organisation will go on to do incredible things in the future, across Kenya and beyond." Njiru comments on the award: "I am honoured and excited to be this year's recipient of the Icon Award for The World's 50 Best Restaurants. Hungry children cannot learn or grow and across the world, school meals are critical to children's growth and education. This has been especially exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic with school meals essential to recovery and rebuilding. I would like to acknowledge the entire Food for Education team that I work with and with whom I share this award, as they work tirelessly every day to provide these lunch meals. Every day we are working to ensure that more and more school-going children have access to nutritious meals and I am grateful for this award that recognises the critical work we are doing to end classroom hunger." Additional special pre-announced awards will be revealed between now and July, as part of the lead-up to The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2022 awards, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna. An extensive event programme will culminate in this year's awards ceremony, to be held at Old Billingsgate market in the City of London on Monday 18th July. For media centre registration access, please visit: https://mediacentre.theworlds50best.com/ Follow 50 Best About The World's 50 Best Restaurants Since 2002, The World's 50 Best Restaurants has reflected the diversity of the world's culinary landscape. The annual list of the world's most prestigious restaurants provides a snapshot of some of the best destinations for unique culinary experiences, in addition to being a barometer for and a pioneer of global gastronomic trends. The 50 Best family also includes Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants, Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, Middle East & North Africa's 50 Best Restaurants, The World's 50 Best Bars, Asia's 50 Best Bars, North America's 50 Best Bars and the #50BestTalks and 50 Best Explores series, all of which are owned and run by William Reed. 50 Best aims to bring together communities across the hospitality sector to foster collaboration, inclusivity, diversity and discovery and help drive positive change. About the main sponsor: S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna are the main partners of The World's 50 Best Restaurants and 50 Best for Recovery. S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna are the leading natural mineral waters in the fine dining world. Together they interpret Italian style worldwide as a synthesis of excellence, pleasure and well-being. Other Partners: Estrella Damm Official Beer Partner; sponsor of the Estrella Damm Chefs' Choice Award Official Beer Partner; sponsor of the Estrella Damm Chefs' Choice Award American Express Resy Official Credit Card & Booking Platform Partner (Resy); sponsor of the American Express One To Watch Award Gin Mare Official Gin Partner; sponsor of the Gin Mare Art of Hospitality Award Flor de Cana Official Rum Partner; sponsor of the Flor de Cana Sustainable Restaurant Award Sosa Official Ingredients Partner; sponsor of The World's Best Pastry Chef Award Villa Massa Official Limoncello and Amaretto Partner; sponsor of the Villa Massa Highest Climber Award Beronia Official Wine Partner Nude Glass Official Glassware Partner; sponsor of The World's Best Female Chef Award Illycaffe Official Coffee Partner Nyetimber Official Sparkling Wine Partner Cinco Jotas Official Iberico Ham Partner The London Essence Co. Official Mixers Partner Choco Official Ordering Partner Aspire Lifestyles Official Concierge Partner; sponsor of the Highest New Entry Award Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1826975/Wawira_Njiru.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1802051/World_50_Best_2022_Logo.jpg SOURCE 50 Best DUBLIN, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Forklift Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Class (Class 1, Class 2, Class 3, Class 4/5), by Power Source (Internal Combustion Engine, Electric), by Region, and Segment Forecasts, 2022-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global forklift market size is projected to reach USD 154.3 billion by 2030. The market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 12.8% from 2022 to 2030. Increasing demand for forklifts across food and beverage and industrial manufacturing warehouses to load and unload trucks and transport goods, coupled with the advantages of forklifts such as eliminating the need for manpower, increased safety, and lower maintenance, is driving the market. Additionally, rapid urbanization in countries such as India, Brazil, and South Korea is resulting in a significant increase in construction activities, which is expected to increase the demand for forklifts for material handling and lifting heavy equipment. Governments of developed and developing countries are seeking ways of reducing the use of combustion engines due to rising environmental problems. The impending ban on fossil fuel vehicles across several countries in the near future is resulting in the increased focus of manufacturers on developing fuel-cell technology. For instance, in August 2021, Hexagon Purus and Ballard Power Systems announced a collaboration to develop Class 6 & 7 fuel cell electric trucks. The new trucks would provide a range of over 400 miles. Even though the market is witnessing high growth, factors such as the availability of vehicle rental options and the high costs of batteries factors expected to hinder the market growth. In addition, fluctuating raw material prices are expected to challenge market growth in the near future. The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the growth of the market. In the first quarter of 2020, governments of several countries imposed regulations such as social distancing and the temporary closure of manufacturing facilities. The shutdown of production facilities and disruptions in the supply chain of raw materials impacted the sales of forklifts. However, the second quarter of 2021 showed positive growth for industries due to relaxation in lockdowns, followed by the reopening of warehouses, allowing the market to slowly recover. Forklift Market Report Highlights In terms of class, the class 3 segment dominated the market in 2021. The segment is expected to witness increased traction owing to the rising demand from small and medium-sized warehouses for loading and unloading materials. In terms of power source, the electric segment is expected to register a CAGR of more than 13.0% during the forecast period. This growth can be attributed to the impending ban on the sales of ICE vehicles and rapid technological advancements in EV battery power and life. The Class 1 segment is projected to witness a CAGR of over 10.0% over the forecast period. Favorable government initiatives to increase electric vehicle sales and rising demand from the construction industry are expected to drive market growth over the forecast period. Key Topics Covered: Chapter 1. Methodology and Scope Chapter 2. Executive Summary Chapter 3. Forklift Market Variables, Trends & Scope 3.1. Market Size and Growth Prospects, 2018-2030 3.2. Industry Value Chain Analysis 3.3. Market Dynamics 3.3.1. Market Driver Analysis 3.3.2. Market Restraint/Challenge Analysis 3.3.3. Market Opportunity Analysis 3.4. Penetration & Growth Prospect Mapping (Key Opportunities Prioritized) 3.5. Business Environment Analysis Tools 3.5.1. Industry Analysis-Porter's Five Forces Analysis 3.5.2. PEST Analysis 3.5.3. COVID-19 & Russia-Ukraine Impact Analysis Chapter 4. Forklift Market Class Outlook 4.1. Forklift Market Share by Class, 2021 & 2030 (USD Million) 4.2. Class 1 4.2.1. Market Size Estimates and Forecasts, 2018-2030 (USD Million; Units) 4.2.2. Market estimates and forecast by region, 2018-2030 (USD Million; Units) 4.3. Class 2 4.3.1. Market estimates and forecast, 2018-2030 (USD Million; Units) 4.3.2. Market estimates and forecast by region, 2018-2030 (USD Million; Units) 4.4. Class 3 4.4.1. Market estimates and forecast, 2018-2030 (USD Million; Units) 4.4.2. Market estimates and forecast by region, 2018-2030 (USD Million; Units) 4.5. Class 4/5 4.5.1. Market estimates and forecast, 2018-2030 (USD Million; Units) 4.5.2. Market estimates and forecast by region, 2018-2030 (USD Million; Units) Chapter 5. Forklift Market Power Source Outlook 5.1. Forklift Market Share by Power Source, 2021 & 2030 (USD Million) 5.2. Internal Combustion Engine 5.2.1. Market Size Estimates and Forecasts, 2018-2030 (USD Million; Units) 5.2.2. Market estimates and forecast by region, 2018-2030 (USD Million; Units) 5.3. Electric 5.3.1. Market estimates and forecast, 2018-2030 (USD Million; Units) 5.3.2. Market estimates and forecast by region, 2018-2030 (USD Million; Units) Chapter 6. Forklift Market: Regional Outlook Chapter 7. Competitive Landscape 7.1. Anhui Heli Co., Ltd 7.1.1. Company overview 7.1.2. Financial performance 7.1.3. Class benchmarking 7.1.4. Recent developments 7.2. CLARK 7.2.1. Company overview 7.2.2. Financial performance 7.2.3. Class benchmarking 7.2.4. Recent developments 7.3. Crown Equipment Corporation 7.3.1. Company overview 7.3.2. Financial performance 7.3.3. Class benchmarking 7.3.4. Recent developments 7.4. Doosan Corporation 7.4.1. Company overview 7.4.2. Financial performance 7.4.3. Class benchmarking 7.4.4. Recent developments 7.5. Hangcha. 7.5.1. Company overview 7.5.2. Financial performance 7.5.3. Class benchmarking 7.5.4. Recent developments 7.6. Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc. 7.6.1. Company overview 7.6.2. Financial performance 7.6.3. Class benchmarking 7.6.4. Recent developments 7.7. Jungheinrich AG 7.7.1. Company overview 7.7.2. Financial performance 7.7.3. Class benchmarking 7.7.4. Recent developmentsDaiichi J 7.8. KION Group AG 7.8.1. Company overview 7.8.2. Financial performance 7.8.3. Class benchmarking 7.8.4. Recent developments 7.9. Komatsu Ltd. 7.9.1. Company overview 7.9.2. Financial performance 7.9.3. Class benchmarking 7.9.4. Recent developments 7.10. Mitsubishi Logisnext Co., Ltd. 7.10.1. Company overview 7.10.2. Financial performance 7.10.3. Class benchmarking 7.10.4. Recent developments 7.11. Toyota Industries Corporation 7.11.1. Company overview 7.11.2. Financial performance 7.11.3. Class benchmarking 7.11.4. Recent developments For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/7cmhek Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets CALGARY, AL, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - TransAlta Corporation ("TransAlta" or the "Company") (TSX: TA) (NYSE: TAC) announced today that it does not intend to exercise its right to redeem all or any part of the currently outstanding cumulative redeemable rate reset first preferred shares Series C ("Series C Shares") (TSX: TA.PR.F) on June 30, 2022 (the "Conversion Date"). As a result and subject to certain conditions set out in the prospectus supplement dated November 23, 2011 relating to the issuance of the Series C Shares, the holders of the Series C Shares will have the right to convert all or any of their Series C Shares into cumulative redeemable floating rate first preferred shares Series D of the Company ("Series D Shares") on the basis of one Series D Share for each Series C Share on the Conversion Date. With respect to any Series C Shares that remain outstanding after June 30, 2022, holders thereof will be entitled to receive quarterly fixed cumulative preferential cash dividends, if, as and when declared by the Board of Directors of TransAlta. The annual dividend rate for the Series C Shares for the five-year period from and including June 30, 2022 to but excluding June 30, 2027, will be 5.85400%, being equal to the five-year Government of Canada bond yield of 2.75400% determined as of today plus 3.10000%, in accordance with the terms of the Series C Shares. With respect to any Series D Shares that may be issued on June 30, 2022, holders thereof will be entitled to receive quarterly floating rate cumulative preferential cash dividends, if, as and when declared by the Board of Directors of TransAlta. The annual dividend rate for the 3-month floating rate period from and including June 30, 2022 to but excluding September 30, 2022 will be 4.57700%, being equal to the annual rate for the most recent auction of 90-day Government of Canada Treasury Bills of 1.47700% plus 3.10000%, in accordance with the terms of the Series D Shares (the "Floating Quarterly Dividend Rate"). The Floating Quarterly Dividend Rate will be reset every quarter. As provided in the terms of the Series C Shares, if TransAlta determines after reviewing all Series C Shares tendered for conversion into Series D Shares that: (i) there would remain outstanding on June 30, 2022, less than 1,000,000 Series C Shares, all remaining Series C Shares shall be converted automatically into Series D Shares on a one-for one basis effective June 30, 2022; or (ii) there would remain outstanding after June 30, 2022, less than 1,000,000 Series D Shares, the holders of Series C Shares shall not be entitled to convert their shares into Series D Shares effective June 30, 2022. There are currently 11,000,000 Series C Shares outstanding. The Series C Shares are issued in "book entry only" form and must be purchased or transferred through a participant in the CDS depository service ("CDS Participant"). All rights of holders of Series C Shares must be exercised through CDS or the CDS Participant through which the Series C Shares are held. The deadline for the registered shareholder to provide notice of exercise of the right to convert Series C Shares into Series D Shares is 3:00 p.m. (MST) / 5:00 p.m. (EST) on June 15, 2022. Any notices received after this deadline will not be valid. As such, holders of Series C Shares who wish to exercise their right to convert their shares should contact their broker or other intermediary for more information and it is recommended that this be done well in advance of the deadline in order to provide the broker or other intermediary with time to complete the necessary steps. If TransAlta does not receive an election notice from a holder of Series C Shares during the time fixed therefor, then the Series C Shares shall be deemed not to have been converted (except in the case of an automatic conversion). Holders of the Series C Shares and the Series D Shares will have the opportunity to convert their shares again on June 30, 2027, and every five years thereafter as long as the shares remain outstanding. The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) has conditionally approved the listing of the Series D Shares effective upon conversion. Listing of the Series D Shares is subject to TransAlta fulfilling all the listing requirements of the TSX. About TransAlta Corporation: TransAlta owns, operates and develops a diverse fleet of electrical power generation assets in Canada, the United States and Australia with a focus on long-term shareholder value. TransAlta provides municipalities, medium and large industries, businesses and utility customers with clean, affordable, energy-efficient and reliable power. Today, TransAlta is one of Canada's largest producers of wind power and Alberta's largest producer of hydroelectric power. For over 100 years, TransAlta has been a responsible operator and a proud community-member where its employees work and live. TransAlta aligns its corporate goals with the UN Sustainable Development Goals . For more information about TransAlta, visit our web site at transalta.com . Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-looking Information: This news release contains certain information that is forward-looking and is subject to important risks and uncertainties (such statements are usually accompanied by words such as "may", "will", "should", "estimate", "intend" or other similar words). Specifically, this news release contains forward-looking information with respect to the Company, the Series C Shares and the Series D Shares, including but not limited to future conversions, redemptions and dividends. All forward-looking information reflect the Company's beliefs and assumptions based on information available at the time the statements were made and as such are not guarantees of future performance. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is given as of the date it is expressed in this press release. TransAlta undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information except as required by law. For additional information on the assumptions made, and the risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward-looking information, refer to the Company's Annual Report and Management's Discussion and Analysis, and the risks set out in the prospectus supplement dated November 23, 2011 relating to the issuance of the Series C Shares, filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. SOURCE TransAlta Corporation New Joshua Tree Gallery of Contemporary Art Exhibition Raises Awareness and Support JOSHUA TREE, Calif., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Joshua Tree Gallery of Contemporary Art's (JT-GOCA) new exhibition, THROUGH THEIR EYES, is a solo exhibition featuring the extraordinary photographic art of Stephan Gladieuand it's literally helping to support a collective of about thirty Congolese artists whose goal includes bringing awareness to the global exploitation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Gladieu's vibrant portrait series, Homo Detritus (trash human), captures the members of the art collective, "Ndaku, ya la vie est belles," as they don intricate costume masks created from the western-world garbage polluting the streets of their capitol city, Kinshasa. Gladieu photographed the artists in their costumes in symbolic areas throughout the streets of Kinshasa to create this vivid series. Drawing parallels between modern eco-activism and ancestral nature-centric rituals in African cultures, the exhibition includes Gladieu's new body of work, Egungun, capturing spectacular portraits of African Egun priests in their culturally-rich, full-body, ritual masks. All the portraits remain on exhibition at JT-GOCA through August 28, 2022marking the first time that these works have been exhibited outside of Paris, Franceas the gallery takes an affirmative stand against the shrouded continuation of the colonization of the Congo. Stephan Gladieu, THE RUBBER MAN, 2021 included in the "Homo Detritus" series of works shown as part of the Joshua Tree Gallery of Contemporary Art's exhibition, THROUGH THEIR EYES. The Congolese artist collective member, Pape noir Kilomboshi, created this mask costume from the voluminous rubber trash dumped in the Limete industrial district in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Fine art print on Hahnemuhle paper, exhibited at 80x100 cm. An installation view at the Joshua Tree Gallery of Contemporary Art featuring the "Homo Detritus" series of works by Stephan Gladieu as part of the THROUGH THEIR EYES exhibition. Harnessing the direct and unadulterated essence of photographic art, THROUGH THEIR EYES acutely elevates awareness of the ongoing exploitation of the DRC and its native people. Laboring in abysmal conditions and for some of the lowest wages in the world, primarily courtesy of large multi-national corporations, residents of Kinshasa mine the rare minerals necessary for much of Asia's and western countries' consumer production. The result is a despoiling of the country's wealthboth human labor and natural resources. Intensifying this exploitation, ironically, is the in vogue focus on climate change, as dominant corporations and wealthy countries rush to acquire the rare and valuable natural resources necessary to build the electric vehicles so prominent in many national environmental discussions. The exploitation continues full cycle as consumer waste resulting from the resultant consumer products returns to Kinshasa on barges of garbage that dump millions of tons of waste back into the DRC, furthering the environmental and human disaster. The exhibition curates the artwork to indelibly highlight this human and eco crisis so that the artwork creates a public awareness and opens a significant solution-minded discussion. Importantly, a portion of the profit from the sales of exhibited works featuring the artist collective will go to the Congolese artists themselves, removing at least one potential origin of exploitation. THROUGH THEIR EYES is completed with the addition of Gladieu's contrasting portrait series, North Korea, that documents a different human exploitation; namely that of indoctrination. Following the gallery exhibition, the work is scheduled to be shown in multiple museum exhibitions in Europe within the next two years, and Homo Detritus is featured in the upcoming June 2022 edition of National Geographic magazine. JT-GOCA is an innovative partnership between multi-national art gallery, ARTCO Gallery, and the Hi-Desert Cultural Center (HDCC), the arts organization for the greater Joshua Tree National Park region. The cutting-edge Joshua Tree Gallery of Contemporary Art is located at 58325 Highway 62 in Yucca Valley, just west of HDCC's Joshua Tree arts complex. Visit www.jtgoca.com and www.artco-art.com for more information. Media Contact: Jarrod Radnich 760-853-5003 [email protected] SOURCE Joshua Tree Gallery of Contemporary Art NEWARK, Calif., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ultima Genomics, Inc. today announced partnerships with Sentieon and Google DeepVariant to offer highly accurate and accelerated variant calling for customers who wish to run pipelines at scale. Both DeepVariant and Sentieon have developed Ultima-specific machine learning models which will be made available in the coming months. Ultima's early access customers will be offered a Sentieon license to process Ultima data at no cost through the end of 2022. Over the last 5 years, Ultima Genomics has developed a fundamentally new sequencing architecture designed to scale beyond conventional approaches, including completely different flow cell engineering, sequencing chemistry, and machine learning. Ultima is currently in an early access program for the UG 100, its first high-throughput NGS instrument using this new technology architecture which enables customers to generate high-quality sequencing data at a cost of $1/Gb. "Ultima's mission is to continuously drive the scale of genomic information," said Gilad Almogy, CEO of Ultima Genomics. "As we prepare to launch our first high-throughput sequencer, we are excited to partner with informatics leaders such as Google and Sentieon to continually improve and accelerate the generation of high-quality data at scale." Google DeepVariant DeepVariant is an open-source technology that identifies genetic variants in sequencing data using deep learning. DeepVariant is noted for its high accuracy, with awards in multiple PrecisionFDA challenges, and for its extensibility to new sequencing methods. DeepVariant is available under the BSD open source license. "I'm excited by the potential for new methods to generate genomic data at much greater scales", said Andrew Carroll, Product Lead for Genomics in Google Research. "I'm particularly impressed by the technical abilities of the Ultima informatics team, who are the first external team to extend DeepVariant's input channels to capture additional rich information specific to their sequencer in order to further improve accuracy." Sentieon Sentieon, a developer of highly accurate and optimized algorithms for bioinformatics applications, has created tools that are faster and cheaper alternatives to the industry standard for secondary analysis in NGS data processing. Sentieon technology provides high accuracy and ease of use, while dramatically improving processing speed. "We are delighted to support Ultima's UG 100 platform as it increases the potential for scale in the high-volume sequencing market," said Jun Ye, CEO of Sentieon. "This partnership enables Ultima's customers to gain additional efficiencies when generating high-quality sequencing data by lowering the cost of computing. During our collaboration, we've already seen significant improvements in sequencing quality, and look forward to continued optimization of our solutions." Data from both the Sentieon and DeepVariant models will be shared at the upcoming AGBT conference June 6-9th, 2022. About Ultima Genomics Genomics is unleashing the power of genomics at scale. The Company's mission is to continuously drive the scale of genomic information to enable unprecedented advances in biology and improvements in human health. With a virtually endless need for more genomic information to address biology's complexity and dynamic change, it is important to continue to challenge conventional next-generation sequencing technologies. Ultima has built a revolutionary new sequencing architecture designed to scale far beyond conventional technologies and overcome the cost-driven tradeoffs scientists and clinicians are forced to make between the breadth, depth and frequency with which they use genomic information. By driving down the costs of sequencing, Ultima hopes to catalyze the next phase of genomics in the 21st century. About Google Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. Through products and platforms like Search, Maps, Gmail, Android, Google Play, Chrome, and YouTube, Google plays a meaningful role in the daily lives of billions of people and has become one of the most widely-known companies in the world. Google is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. For more information, visit our Google AI Blog. About Sentieon Sentieon develops award-winning, extremely accurate and highly-optimized algorithms and software for bioinformatics data processing applications. Sentieon is a team of professional engineers with deep expertise in algorithm, software, and system optimization acquired through experience developing image processing, computational lithography, large-scale data mining, and bioinformatics applications. Using our accumulated expertise in modeling, optimization, machine learning, and high-performance computing, we strive to enable precision data for precision medicine. Visit our website for more information. Media inquiries: [email protected] SOURCE Ultima Genomics "As we continue growing our ingredients and specialties business in Latin America, it's critical that we partner with world-class suppliers who are also committed to helping meet customers' product performance needs while keeping sustainability top-of-mind. The addition of Cabot's specialty carbon black products to our expansive product portfolio allows us to better serve those looking to innovate, grow and differentiate their business," said Jorge Buckup, president of Latin America for Univar Solutions. Cabot's specialty carbon black products are used for multiple applications in the automotive market, including helping improve the efficiency, durability, performance and lifetime of hybrid and electric vehicle batteries. In addition to batteries, the versatility of carbon black products make them well-suited for other specialty applications such as plastics, consumer electronics and industrial parts, delivering value through a range of functionalities including color, ultraviolet (UV) protection, surface smoothness and conductivity. "We're excited about our collaboration with Cabot in Brazil, which further expands a key supplier relationship and adds to our product offering to our customer base," said Chris Fitzgerald, global vice president, CASE, Rubber and Plastic Additives for Univar Solutions. "We are confident our customers will benefit from the consistent focus we bring within the plastic compounding and battery markets, backed by strong local and technical support and commercial excellence." Bill Masterson, vice president and regional business director, Performance Additives, Cabot Corporation, added, "This partnership with Univar Solutions will provide more customers in Brazil access to Cabot's product development, technical support and manufacturing experience in specialty carbon black materials for a variety of applications. Expanding our distribution agreement with Univar Solutions will help us meet the growing demand for our specialty carbon black products while providing customers with innovative products and expertise to help advance performance in their end use applications." For more information about Univar Solutions' portfolio of coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers ingredients, including technical support and innovation, visit univarsolutions.com/CASE. About Univar Solutions Univar Solutions (NYSE: UNVR) is a leading global specialty chemical and ingredient distributor representing a premier portfolio from the world's leading producers. With the industry's largest private transportation fleet and technical sales force, unparalleled logistics know-how, deep market and regulatory knowledge, formulation and recipe development, and leading digital tools, the Company is well-positioned to offer tailored solutions and value-added services to a wide range of markets, industries, and applications. While fulfilling its purpose to help keep communities healthy, fed, clean and safe, Univar Solutions is committed to helping customers and suppliers innovate and focus on Growing Together. Learn more at univarsolutions.com. About Cabot Corporation Cabot Corporation (NYSE: CBT) is a global specialty chemicals and performance materials company headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. The company is a leading provider of carbon black, specialty carbons, engineered elastomer composites, inkjet colorants, masterbatches and conductive compounds, fumed silica and aerogel. For more information on Cabot, please visit the company's website at cabotcorp.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes certain statements relating to future events and our intentions, beliefs, expectations, and predictions for the future, which are "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, as amended. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which may be beyond the Company's control. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from these expectations and assumptions. A detailed discussion of these factors and uncertainties is contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Potential factors that could affect such forward-looking statements include, among others: the ultimate geographic spread of the COVID-19 pandemic; the duration and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic; actions that may be taken by governmental authorities to address or otherwise mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; the potential negative impacts of COVID-19 on the global economy and our customers and suppliers; the overall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, results of operations and financial condition; other fluctuations in general economic conditions, particularly in industrial production and the demands of our customers; significant changes in the business strategies of producers or in the operations of our customers; increased competitive pressures, including as a result of competitor consolidation; significant changes in the pricing, demand and availability of chemicals; our levels of indebtedness, the restrictions imposed by our debt instruments, and our ability to obtain additional financing when needed; the broad spectrum of laws and regulations that we are subject to, including extensive environmental, health and safety laws and regulations; an inability to integrate the business and systems of companies we acquire, including of Nexeo Solutions, Inc., or to realize the anticipated benefits of such acquisitions; potential business disruptions and security breaches, including cybersecurity incidents; an inability to generate sufficient working capital; increases in transportation and fuel costs and changes in our relationship with third party providers; accidents, safety failures, environmental damage, product quality and liability issues and recalls; major or systemic delivery failures involving our distribution network or the products we carry; operational risks for which we may not be adequately insured; ongoing litigation and other legal and regulatory risks; challenges associated with international operations; exposure to interest rate and currency fluctuations; potential impairment of goodwill; liabilities associated with acquisitions, ventures and strategic investments; negative developments affecting our pension plans and multi-employer pensions; labor disruptions associated with the unionized portion of our workforce; and the other factors described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We caution you that the forward-looking information presented in this press release is not a guarantee of future events or results, and that actual events or results may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking information contained in this press release. In addition, forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "plan," "seek, "will," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe" or "continue" or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology. Any forward-looking information presented herein is made only as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events, or otherwise, except as required by law. SOURCE Univar Solutions Inc. Global competitiveness and key competitor percentage market shares Market presence across multiple geographies - Strong/Active/Niche/Trivial Online interactive peer-to-peer collaborative bespoke updates Access to our digital archives and MarketGlass Research Platform Complimentary updates for one year Edition: 7; Released: April 2022 Executive Pool: 761 Companies: 52 - Players covered include Advanced Research Systems, Inc.; AIM Infrarot-Module GmbH; Air Liquide SA; Brooks Automation, Inc.; Chart Industries, Inc.; Creare LLC; Cryomech, Inc.; Fabrum Solutions Ltd.; Janis Research Company, LLC.; L3 Cincinnati Electronics; Le-tehnika, d.o.o. ; Lihan Technologies Co., Ltd.; Northrop Grumman Corporation; Oxford Cryosystems; Ricor - Cryogenic & Vacuum Systems; Sierra Lobo, Inc.; Stratox Limited; Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd.; Sunpower Inc.; Superconductor Technologies, Inc.; Thales Cryogenics B.V.; Tristan Technologies, Inc.; Vacree Technologies Co., Ltd. and Others. Coverage: All major geographies and key segments Segments: Type (Gifford-McMahon Cryocoolers, Pulse-Tube Cryocoolers, Stirling Cryocoolers, Joule Thomson Cryocoolers, Brayton Cryocoolers); Application (Military, Commercial, Research & Development, Medical, Energy & Power, Other Applications) Geographies: World; United States; Canada; Japan; China; Europe (France; Germany; Italy; United Kingdom; Spain; Russia; and Rest of Europe); Asia-Pacific (Australia; India; South Korea; and Rest of Asia-Pacific); Latin America (Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; and Rest of Latin America); Middle East (Iran; Israel; Saudi Arabia; United Arab Emirates; and Rest of Middle East); and Africa. Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry ABSTRACT- Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Cryocoolers estimated at US$2.3 Billion in the year 2022, is projected to reach a revised size of US$3.1 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 6.5% over the analysis period. Gifford-McMahon Cryocoolers, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to grow at a 7% CAGR, while growth in the Pulse-Tube Cryocoolers segment is readjusted to a revised 5.4% CAGR. Cryocoolers are increasingly being used in medical, commercial and military applications. Since these cryocoolers aid in the efficient functioning of various systems by maintaining the cryogenic temperatures, they find wider use in research and development, energy, transport and space applications. Continuous efforts in research and development have boosted the growth and innovation of the cryocooler market. Small and efficient cryocoolers are popular in military, space and medical applications. Cryocoolers are effective in cooling superconducting electronics towards advanced digital filters. Cryocoolers also cool infrared sensors to attain better resolutions. Similarly, cryocoolers are useful in varied applications, from security and environment to agriculture and transportation. Cryocoolers help in cooling MRI systems and low-temperature sensors. A potential area for cryocooler usage is image-guided surgery and diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. The global cryocoolers market is being driven by the growing demand for cooling systems that are efficient for use during the production of power systems, magnets, and superconductors. Sophisticated technology applications such as solar cells, semiconductors, general and thermal vacuum coating systems, lighting, flat panel displays, and hard disk drives generally employ cryocoolers or cryopumps in their important processes. The extensive use of closed-loop cryocoolers for night vision systems, thermal cameras, detectors, commercial refrigerators, and IR sensors are also fueling market growth. Further, the growing adoption of these systems for use with NMR equipment, MRI systems and surgical probes to maintain low temperatures are providing impetus to the market. Cryocoolers also find use in proton therapy, advanced cancer treatments, oxygen liquefaction in healthcare facilities and hospitals, and cryosurgery, and this aiding the growth of the market. The market is also benefitting from advancements such as the design of space cryocoolers. Such systems can endure vibrations during launch and extended exposure to radiations in space. The growing demand for low noise amplifiers that are cooled cryogenically in cellular base stations in addition to widespread R&D activities are expected to augur well for the market. Growing healthcare services mainly in developing regions, increasing LNG (liquefied natural gas) production, and shortfall of helium gas are the other factors promoting market growth. The use of cryocoolers in space applications is expected to strongly increase, given the rise in space exploration projects. GM kind cryocoolers are widely used for IR sensors cooling that are used for satellite and missiles monitoring. Further, they are employed for superconductivity applications in semiconductor fabrication units, MRI systems, and magnetic levitation trains. The market is also steered by the growing use of cryocoolers in satellite surveillance systems and infrared radiation sensors, and also the semiconductor industry. But cryocoolers are highly power-intensive. The cost of cryogen fluid that helps achieve low temperatures is prohibitive. Closed-loop cycle type cryocoolers are anticipated to register strong demand, supported by their widespread application with commercial refrigerators, superconducting devices, night vision systems, surgical probes, MRI, thermal cameras, and IR sensors/detectors. Latest technological advancements have resulted in the creation of infrared detectors (high temperature) having 150-200K cooling range. Closed-cycle systems including JT cryocoolers are finding use in night vision systems, owing to their compact size, lack of mechanical parts, and fast cooling capability. Transportation, metal and mining, nuclear, biology, agriculture, environmental monitoring, energy, electronics and semiconductor, healthcare, aerospace and defense are some of the sectors where cryocoolers are commonly used. In the aerospace and defense industry, cryocoolers are extensively being employed in space and military applications. Cryocoolers are used in the space application in space astronomy and planetary science. In military, cryocoolers are mostly used for maintaining cryogenic temperatures in IR sensors that are employed for monitoring guide missiles and satellites. In the healthcare sector, cryocoolers are used during oxygen liquefaction, proton therapy, cryosurgery, and MRI systems. For MRI systems, open cycle cryostats are generally used. With cryocooler developments, the requirement for helium refilling is being eliminated and this is leading to greater use of cryocoolers in the healthcare industry. OEMs, hardware producers, and prototype designers are the main participants in the market. Prototype designers create custom cryocoolers for particular industries. The hardware producers offer vibrant absorbers, pressure vessels, service tubes, and feedthrough pipes, compressors, cold heads, and heat dissipation pipes. OEMs manufacture cryocoolers and offer services to customers. The general recessionary trend in the world has affected the Cryocooler industry too. But there is optimism and it is expected to grow at over 6% over the next few years. The market is likely to see a rapid rise in the coming decade. Cryocoolers achieve very low cryogenic temperatures due to the mechanical expansion and compression of gases. Due to this feature, they can be used in applications that require active cooling. Infrared sensors that are utilized in missile range detection and guidance are cooled with low-frequency pulse tube cryocoolers. Their role in missile defense and reconnaissance is significant. Space programs such as NASA's AIRS Earth science instrument and SIRTF space telescope and space astronomy including planetary science make use of cryocoolers. Specialized medical equipment intended for medical organ storage and MRI machines also use this kind of cryocoolers. The role of cryocoolers in cryosurgeries is vital. But they are highly power-dependent to ensure optimal operating temperature and heating load performance. Cryocoolers are ecologically better than usage of helium in cryostats. The market for cryocoolers looks promising, driven by demand in the space industry, and accelerated by the dearth of helium gas reserves. however, performance issues of cryocoolers pose a challenge to market growth. The inflated costs associated with cryocoolers are restricting the growth. However, applications in sectors such as the space industry, military, organ storage, cryosurgery, and superconductive process are driving the market for cryogenic coolers. More MarketGlass Platform Our MarketGlass Platform is a free full-stack knowledge center that is custom configurable to today`s busy business executive`s intelligence needs! This influencer driven interactive research platform is at the core of our primary research engagements and draws from unique perspectives of participating executives worldwide. Features include - enterprise-wide peer-to-peer collaborations; research program previews relevant to your company; 3.4 million domain expert profiles; competitive company profiles; interactive research modules; bespoke report generation; monitor market trends; competitive brands; create & publish blogs & podcasts using our primary and secondary content; track domain events worldwide; and much more. Client companies will have complete insider access to the project data stacks. Currently in use by 67,000+ domain experts worldwide. Our platform is free for qualified executives and is accessible from our website www.StrategyR.com or via our just released mobile application on iOS or Android About Global Industry Analysts, Inc. & StrategyR Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (www.strategyr.com) is a renowned market research publisher the world`s only influencer driven market research company. Proudly serving more than 42,000 clients from 36 countries, GIA is recognized for accurate forecasting of markets and industries for over 33 years. CONTACTS: Zak Ali Director, Corporate Communications Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Phone: 1-408-528-9966 www.StrategyR.com Email: [email protected] LINKS Join Our Expert Panel https://www.strategyr.com/Panelist.asp Connect With Us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-industry-analysts-inc./ Follow Us on Twitter https://twitter.com/marketbytes Journalists & Media [email protected] SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Global competitiveness and key competitor percentage market shares Market presence across multiple geographies - Strong/Active/Niche/Trivial Online interactive peer-to-peer collaborative bespoke updates Access to our digital archives and MarketGlass Research Platform Complimentary updates for one year Edition: 9; Released: April 2022 Executive Pool: 491 Companies: 85 - Players covered include Animated Biomedical Productions; Axs Studio, Inc.; Blausen Medical Communications, Inc.; Elara Systems, Inc.; Ghost Productions, Inc.; Hybrid Medical Animation; Infuse Medical; Invivo Communications, Inc.; Medmovie; Nucleus Medical Media; Radius Digital Science; Random42 Scientific Communication.; Scientific Animations Inc.; Trinsic Animation, LLC.; Understand.Com; Viscira, LLC.; Visible Body; Xvivo Scientific Animation and Others. Coverage: All major geographies and key segments Segments: Technology Type (4D, 3D, 2D, Flash Animation); Therapeutic Area (Oncology, Cardiology, Plastic Surgery, Dental, Other Therapeutic Areas); End-Use (Life Sciences, Hospitals, Academic Institutes, Medical Device Manufacturers, Other End-Uses) Geographies: World; United States; Canada; Japan; China; Europe (France; Germany; Italy; United Kingdom; and Rest of Europe); Asia-Pacific; Rest of World. Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry ABSTRACT- Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Medical Animation estimated at US$316.1 Million in the year 2022, is projected to reach a revised size of US$660.3 Million by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 19.4% over the analysis period. 4D, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to grow at a 22.3% CAGR, while growth in the 3d segment is readjusted to a revised 18.9% CAGR. Over the last several years, the field of animation has advanced considerably, thanks to various technological developments. Animation refers to integrating a group of images of particular objects and making an optical illusion of such objects in motion. Animations currently are close to that witnessed in the actual world. At present, animations are mainly 3D, which relates to the use of 3D graphic models to create animation. Like in many other fields, animation, especially 3D animation is making its way into the medical world, particularly for teaching/learning purposes as comprehensive knowledge of various aspects is required. Rather than understanding a medical procedure from a book, an animation of it with narration provides a demonstration how the procedure is actually performed and therefore offers a much better understanding. While textbooks are critical sources of information, but when they are supported by 3D animation videos, understanding a complex process/procedure such as the heart's functioning becomes easier. With 3D animation, a concept can be replicated visually and with audio narratives, relevant explanation can be given. Animated videos are also highly engaging and are considered to be the best way to teach a concept and the retention and recall are also relatively high, as visual information is processed by the brain 60,000 times quicker as compared to text. Animations can be used along with the existing or novel learning strategies for better learning and retention. They aid in improving the attention span of students and facilitate in completing a course. 3D animation becomes even more effective when VR technology is used, as it will allow students to practice and carryout processes/procedures safely that cannot be performed in real life without significant risks. 3D animations are extensively employed in immersive learning solutions to enable students practice their learning in a virtual world. A key benefit of such an environment is that risks can be taken and mistakes can be made in a safe manner to learn from them. In a simulation, the animations are set to work in line with the inputs from the user. This facilitates in experimenting with the various possibilities. With the use of 3D animations in a simulating space, a surgical procedure can be replicated, which allows the student to practice the procedure. This does not entail any risks and can be practiced several times. In contrast to the widespread notion, the implementation of animated videos does not entail high cost. But their making is time-consuming. However once made, animated videos can be used to teach any number of students. Also, the video can be accessed/revisited anytime and anywhere, only requiring a smart device and internet. Animation-based learning is also ideal for various learning styles, such as practical learning, visual learning, or reading. Prior to making an animation-based learning video, the type of audience needs to be taken into consideration. This will aid in creating a video to suit their requirements. The video will need to have a script that will be a voice over. For making a video for a topic that is descriptive, it needs to be in a manner that is easy to understand. Subsequent to the script being ready, the video will be worked upon by animation professionals who will add vocal, visual, and background effects and create the final video. The animation video should be in accordance with the initial plan and be of good quality in order to appeal to the audience. The market is especially expected to benefit from rising healthcare spending, and growing pharmaceutical/biopharmaceutical & medical devices market. Right from training physicians and healthcare professionals, to building animated videos to educate consumers about novel drugs and communicate mechanics of complex devices to the medical community encompassing, hospitals and institutions, medical animation plays a key role. 3D medical animations provide drug companies and hospitals a perfect way to interact with consumers/patients with a dynamic audio-visual explanation of complicated medical information in a user-friendly manner. Often such videos educate patients on human anatomy, healthy and diseased states, treatments procedures and mechanism of drug action. Immersive 3D animation coupled with easy to understand narration help patients understand and appreciate surgical procedures for easy decision making. When used in training, 3D medical simulation/animation helps doctors in learning to perform surgeries and use innovative surgical instruments, devices and systems. Gamification of medical education through animation is increasingly the new reality and definite advantages it offers can no longer be overlooked. These advantages include ability to overcome the shortage of cadavers and repeat instructions and procedures multiple times; reduce costs; enhance understanding of difficult surgical topics among medical students; and unrivalled benefits of 3D animations over conventional two-dimensional teaching material. Also, no medical device marketing strategy can be deemed complete without a medical animation video to intrigue the audience. 3D imagery can be the hook to bait prospects customers by conveying accurately the brilliance of the innovation, the advantages of the device, its potential in influencing treatment and surgical outcomes. Medical device companies need to deal with a broad range of clients ranging from physicians working on the forefront medicine, and nonprofessionals such as investment bankers, hospital administrators, management board members and decision-makers. Videos can help with easy understanding, and can offer information which can be easily and readily digested within minutes. Studies have long revealed that information-absorption rate among humans is about 68,000 times faster with videos than text-only methods. More MarketGlass Platform Our MarketGlass Platform is a free full-stack knowledge center that is custom configurable to today`s busy business executive`s intelligence needs! This influencer driven interactive research platform is at the core of our primary research engagements and draws from unique perspectives of participating executives worldwide. Features include - enterprise-wide peer-to-peer collaborations; research program previews relevant to your company; 3.4 million domain expert profiles; competitive company profiles; interactive research modules; bespoke report generation; monitor market trends; competitive brands; create & publish blogs & podcasts using our primary and secondary content; track domain events worldwide; and much more. Client companies will have complete insider access to the project data stacks. Currently in use by 67,000+ domain experts worldwide. Our platform is free for qualified executives and is accessible from our website www.StrategyR.com or via our just released mobile application on iOS or Android About Global Industry Analysts, Inc. & StrategyR Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (www.strategyr.com) is a renowned market research publisher the world`s only influencer driven market research company. Proudly serving more than 42,000 clients from 36 countries, GIA is recognized for accurate forecasting of markets and industries for over 33 years. CONTACTS: Zak Ali Director, Corporate Communications Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Phone: 1-408-528-9966 www.StrategyR.com Email: [email protected] LINKS Join Our Expert Panel https://www.strategyr.com/Panelist.asp Connect With Us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-industry-analysts-inc./ Follow Us on Twitter https://twitter.com/marketbytes Journalists & Media [email protected] SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Formally Announces Karen Cusmano Head of Sustainability and ESG Launches New Website Unifying Company's Entire Portfolio on One User-Friendly Platform JERSEY CITY, N.J., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Veris Residential, Inc. (NYSE: VRE), a forward-thinking, environmentally- and socially-conscious REIT that primarily owns, operates, acquires, and develops Class A multifamily properties, today released its 2021 ESG Report. The report, which is available on the Company's new website here, details the progress that Veris Residential has made in becoming a more responsible, sustainable, and inclusive owner, operator, and developer, while continuing its pursuit of long-term value creation for shareholders. In connection with the release of the report, Veris Residential is formally announcing the appointment of Karen Cusmano to Senior Vice President, Head of Sustainability and ESG. In this newly created role, Ms. Cusmano will oversee a dedicated ESG team focused on growing Embrace by Veris Residential, a program centered around properties, people and the planet. The program establishes the Company's approach to ESG initiatives and is designed to advance ESG actions and reporting, and to ensure that the Company continues to execute on its goals to reduce its carbon footprint, increase employee diversity and inclusion, and support resident well-being. Mahbod Nia, Veris Residential's Chief Executive Officer, said, "We have worked hard over the past 18 months to redefine our properties to prioritize residents' sustainability values, foster an even more equitable and diverse workplace, and mitigate our carbon footprint. As a result of these efforts and others, we received Logical Buildings' 2021 Climate Community Leadership Awarda significant recognition from the sustainability and smart building technology space leader. We look forward to building on these achievements under Karen's leadership and challenging ourselves to reach new heights as we seek to maximize our overall impact, while creating value for our shareholders." Highlights of the report include Mr. Nia's letter to stakeholders and Veris Residential's recent achievements in the following areas: - The Environmentincluding how the Company approaches sustainable residential living by assessing climate-related risks and opportunities. The Company's target of reducing its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% by 2030 (compared to 2019), was validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The Company's 2021 energy consumption was 18% below 2019 levels. 100% of the wholly owned residential portfolio electricity under the Company's control is procured from renewable sources. The Company installed additional on-property electric vehicle charging stations, and Wi-Fi-operated energy management systems to inform optimal energy usage within residences at numerous properties. 33% of the wholly owned multifamily portfolio is Green Certified (LEED or equivalent). - People, Culture & Communityincluding how the Company is advancing its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts; attracting, retaining and engaging with employee talent; prioritizing resident health, safety and wellness; and integrating with its communities through national and local philanthropic partnerships. The Company received WELL Health and Safety certifications by the International Well Building Institute across all wholly owned multifamily properties. As of year-end 2021, Veris Residential's workforce was 40% female and 50% diverse. The Company implemented companywide DE&I training, including unconscious bias training, at the employee and board level. - Ethics, Compliance & Governanceincluding how the Company is committing to engaging with all its stakeholders, upholding its Ethics & Compliance program, ensuring a responsible supply chain through the ongoing use of its Supplier Code of Conduct, and protecting against cyber threats as a technology-forward company. 25% of the Company's Board of Directors is female, and 38% self-identify as ethnically diverse. The Company joined the National Minority Supplier Development Council to support businesses that are at least 51% minority owned. Ms. Cusmano, who previously held leadership roles in asset management, operations and accounting within the Company, stated regarding this report, "After 21 years with Veris Residential, I am honored to now lead the Company's sustainability and ESG initiatives. Our 2021 ESG report reflects the work our team has undertaken to advance our mission to become a purpose-driven business to the benefit of all of our stakeholders, while protecting and improving our value creation. We remain unwavering in our commitment to build upon our ESG accomplishments to date." The 2021 ESG Report is now available on Veris Residential's new website here. The market-leading corporate and investor relations websites showcase the new brand ethos on one seamless platform. About Veris Residential, Inc. Veris Residential, Inc. is a forward-thinking, environmentally- and socially-conscious real estate investment trust (REIT) that primarily owns, operates, acquires, and develops holistically-inspired, Class A multifamily properties that meet the sustainability-conscious lifestyle needs of today's residents while seeking to positively impact the communities it serves and the planet at large. The company is guided by an experienced management team and Board of Directors and is underpinned by leading corporate governance principles, a best-in-class and sustainable approach to operations, and an inclusive culture based on equality and meritocratic empowerment. For additional information on Veris Residential, Inc. and our properties available for lease, please visit verisresidential.com. For Veris Residential: Amanda Shpiner/Grace Cartwright Gasthalter & Co. 212-257-4170 [email protected] SOURCE Veris Residential, Inc. Blog As a Procurement and Supply Management (PSM) officer, when Chukwunonso Umeh began his search for a vendor who could supply some of the life-saving commodities needed for a project he was working on, one organisation ticked all his boxes. His project is helping to accelerate nutrition results in Nigeria and aims to increase utilisation of quality, cost-effective nutrition services for pregnant and lactating women, adolescent girls, and children under five years of age. His organisation, Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) is delivering a component of the project in 18 local government areas in Kano State. Their intervention requires the delivery of medications and health commodities such as micronutrient powders, iron-folic acid, malaria medicines, zinc/oral rehydration solutions, vitamin A supplements and worm medications. Beyond the timely administration of these medicines, it was important to ensure they were of good quality while offering the best value for money. This is a problem that Drugstoc, a cloud-based platform that makes it easy for healthcare providers to access pharmaceutical and healthcare products, was set up to address. Addressing fragmentation and quality Nigeria is heavily dependent on imported pharmaceutical imports. The sustained underinvestment in building up the scientific research architecture that would have enabled the country to have a more thriving pharmaceutical manufacturing industry was not prioritised. Pharmaceutical imports to Nigeria reached an estimated $1.56 billion in 2020. The industry however, faces multiple challenges, ranging from the circulation of counterfeit and sub-standard medications to broken and fragmented procurement and distribution mechanisms. The consequences of these challenges are preventable deaths. A 2017 research by the World Health Organization revealed that an estimated 1 in 10 medical products circulating in low- and middle-income countries is either substandard or falsified. With countries still working to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC), substandard medications will hamper their progress because quality is an important pillar of UHC. When these medications enter the global supply chain, the result is socioeconomic loss and damage to health, disease prevalence, antimicrobial resistance, wastage of resources, and increased out of-pocket spending on medical treatments, said the WHO. This prompted the WHO to pass resolution WHA 65.19 in 2012 to establish a Member State Mechanism to address substandard and falsified medical products. But beyond a global push to address this problem, local, private sector led institutions like DrugStoc are also tackling it in innovative ways. Leveraging technology For DrugStoc, it goes beyond ensuring that end users get quality medications. The big problem they set out to address is fragmentation in the pharmaceutical sector which directly affects the supply chain ecosystem, said Chibuzo Opara, DrugStoc's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and co-founder. Fragmentation causes three key challenges: Quality of medicine issues due to the importation of counterfeit and substandard medications. Pricing issues: Because of several middlemen involved, product prices can be between 100 to 200 per cent higher than normal depending on where you buy. Access issues where patients and healthcare providers find it difficult to access lifesaving medications. According to Opara, "this fragmentation is such that the manufacturers in the upstream of the supply chain are not communicating well with the last mile. What that means is that products move between several middlemen and the wholesomeness of the product can't be guaranteed". And considering that pharmaceuticals such as thermolabile maternal medicines lose their potency when they are not handled in the right conditions, it becomes even more important to ensure that the supply chain is seamless, from the point of production till it gets to the patient. When this doesn't happen, "at best, the medication doesn't work when administered to the patient but at worst, you will be giving the patient a poison," Opara said. The situation is also complicated by people who go out of their way to produce and introduce into the supply chain counterfeit medications, Opara added. With DrugStoc, all a healthcare provider or pharmacy needs to do is visit the online store, create an account if they are a first-time user, access the wide array of medications, place their order, and wait for delivery. All these can also happen via a mobile app that is available on play store and Apple Stores. But it didn't all start this way, Opara said. He met his now co-founder and co-CEO, Adham Yehia, at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. Being responsible for managing health facilities, they encountered issues around delays in sourcing pharmaceutical products, price fluctuations and uncertainty in quality when dealing with several variations of a product. So, their biggest pain points were how to ensure the availability of the products, ensure they are cost-effective and of the best quality. Thus, DrugStoc was created to address these issues. Opara said they initially started with excel sheets before they pivoted to a completely online platform. Now, they empower healthcare providers with direct access to quality medications including hard-to-reach products. Prioritising client needs CHAI represents just one out of the over 3000 healthcare facilities and organisations that DrugStoc has worked with. According to Umeh, "engaging DrugStoc saves me the headache of sourcing for the required commodity. It's their job. Just that I will pay some mark-up for their services and have them still deliver the commodity to me". He doesn't mind paying an extra fee for their services to ensure he gets value for money. For him, the platform is like Jumia or Amazon, only it's for healthcare products. Like these online stores, all he does is log onto the platform, makes his choice based on specification, quality, and price. Once he pays, the products will be delivered to him. However, sometimes they can be slow in securing the required commodity during the sourcing process. "I think if they can build a pool of suppliers across different brands and stock keeping units, it will shorten their time of response if the need arises," he said. Being a logistics and supply chain specialist himself, Umeh said there is a need for the team to standardise their delivery process, as most of their delivery is done by regular courier services who may not know the implications of handing the commodities wrongly. "Some products have arrived in torn cartons showing that they paid no attention to the risk of the commodity losing its potency during the process," he added. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Health By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. But addressing these types of issues requires vigilance to clients' needs and constantly auditing their quality management processes. This has led to obtaining the ISO 9001:2015 certification, which means, among other things, they have demonstrated their ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. "The most important person in the ecosystem is the client," said Opara so, "it's important that we continue to focus on what the client wants because you keep your business going by continuously delighting the clients." Not a walk in the park Basic social amenities like good road networks and uninterrupted power supply are still lacking in most Nigerian states and this poses infrastructural challenges for DrugStoc's operations, said Opara. In addition, lack of access to finance on the part of some hospitals or pharmacies is another challenge but they have launched a credit financing product -- DrugStoc Credit -- to address this. Out-of-pocket payment for healthcare is also another challenge as this causes patients to place more premium on cost over quality. But despite these challenges, DrugStoc's work is critical in supporting government's efforts to ensure that every Nigerian, no matter who they are and where they live, have access to medications that can achieve the purpose for which they were produced -- save lives. NEW YORK, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Klein Law Firm announces that a class action complaint has been filed on behalf of shareholders of Volta Inc. (NYSE: VLTA) alleging that the Company violated federal securities laws. Class Period: August 2, 2021 to March 28, 2022 Lead Plaintiff Deadline: May 31, 2022 No obligation or cost to you. Learn more about your recoverable losses in VLTA: https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/volta-inc-loss-submission-form?id=27799&from=4 Volta Inc. NEWS - VLTA NEWS CLASS ACTION CASE DETAILS: The filed complaint alleges that Volta Inc. made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Volta had improperly accounted for restricted stock units issued in connection with the business combination of Volta Industries, Inc. ("Legacy Volta") and Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II; (2) as a result, the Company had understated its net loss for third quarter 2021; (3) there were material weaknesses in the Company's internal control over financial reporting that resulted in a material error; (4) as a result of the foregoing, the Company would restate its financial statements; (5) as a result of the foregoing, Legacy Volta's founders would imminently exit the Company; (6) as a result, the Company's financial results would be adversely impacted; and (7) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU AS A SHAREHOLDER: If you have suffered a loss in Volta you have until May 31, 2022 to petition the court for lead plaintiff status. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff. NO COST TO YOU: If you purchased Volta securities during the relevant period, you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out-of-pocket fees. HOW TO PROTECT YOUR FINANCIAL INTERESTS: For additional information about the VLTA lawsuit, please contact J. Klein, Esq. by telephone at 212-616-4899 or click this link: https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/volta-inc-loss-submission-form?id=27799&from=4. ABOUT KLEIN LAW FIRM J. Klein, Esq. represents investors and participates in securities litigations involving financial fraud throughout the nation. The Klein Law Firm is a boutique litigation firm with experience in a wide range of areas including securities law, corporate finance and commercial litigation. Since 2011, our experienced attorneys have achieved superior results for our clients with a personalized focus. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. CONTACT: J. Klein, Esq. Empire State Building 350 Fifth Avenue 59th Floor New York, NY 10118 [email protected] Telephone: (212) 616-4899 www.kleinstocklaw.com SOURCE The Klein Law Firm ROSEVILLE, Calif., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Wax Center Partners (WCP), a 37 location European Wax Center franchisee across CA, AZ, NV, and TX, announces the hiring of Nicole Rodriguez as President. Rodriguez has had a successful career growing consumer and multi-unit brands, driving customer loyalty and building strong teams. Rodriguez was most recently the VP of Marketing of Clean Streak Ventures, an express car wash platform. "We are delighted to welcome Nicole into the Wax Center Partners family. Nicole understands the importance of maintaining a strong culture and providing an excellent experience for our guests and our associates. Our goal at Wax Center Partners is to be an exceptional franchisee group in the European Wax Center ecosystem and we look forward to working with Nicole to build upon what we started over a decade ago," said Susan and Larry Stieber, the founding operating partners of Wax Center Partners and EWC Franchise owners. "I am thrilled to be joining Wax Center Partners and the European Wax Center franchisee system," said Nicole Rodriguez. "I look forward to partnering with our talented and passionate associates to continue providing the ultimate wax experience to all of our guests and continue scaling Wax Center Partners through additional new developments and acquisitions." About Wax Center Partners Wax Center Partners is a European Wax Center platform launched in May 2021 as a partnership between the Stieber EWC franchise and MKH Capital Partners, a family-backed, Miami-based private equity firm. WCP combines the Stieber's outstanding operating knowledge and brand culture, with MKH's expertise in scaling businesses and financial resources. Today, Wax Center Partners has 37 locations across CA, AZ, NV, and TX. Wax Center Partners is actively seeking opportunities to expand its footprint through both new developments and additional acquisitions or partnerships in existing markets. For more information, please contact Nicole Rodriguez at [email protected] and visit www.mkhcapitalpartners.com. Contact: Neil Sarchett 530-798-3049 SOURCE Wax Center Partners "Monster is known for one-of-a-kind drinks, events and consumer promotions," said Dan McHugh, CMO of Monster Energy. "We're giving our fans the chance to gain access to the best athletes and events all over the world and to experience this up close and personal." Created for the ultimate Monster fan, ten lucky winners (per trip) will be able to experience one of these unbelievable prizes: UFC Experience Meet the UFC Athletes in Las Vegas, tour and workout at a UFC Facility, and experience all of UFC Fight Week with VIP Village Tickets. To make sure the winner arrives in style, they will also be receiving a custom Monster/UFC Gear package prior to their trip, and have their flights covered by Monster Energy. MotoGP Experience Score the ultimate Monster MotoGP experience at the Monster Energy Barcelona-Catalunya Spanish Grand Prix, which includes VIP Village Tickets, an exclusive invite to the viewing gallery at the Monster compound, private access to a restricted Monster party and dinner in the paddock. The winner will also receive their very own MotoGP helmet. SX Experience Monster will fly the lucky fan out to Daytona where they receive pit passes to Monster Energy Supercross, track access and attendance to an exclusive Monster concert. Also included is the opportunity to meet the athletes in person and get a custom MEC helmet to take home. Fit for any fan to live out the true Monster Energy life, these trips will provide the winner with a once in a lifetime opportunity. Alongside the grand prize, Monster Energy is also giving out 30 first prizes: 10 Team Yamaha/Monster Gear Packs, 10 Supercross Gear Packs and 10 UFC/Monster Gear Packs. How To Enter: Scan QR code at POS Create an account at allaccess.monsterenergy.com Purchase any Monster Energy product Upload photo of the receipt to Monster account to earn points Select the All-Access experience(s) you want to allocate points towards for a chance to win. (limit 24 points per day. 100 points overall.) BONUS: The more you buy, the more chances you have to win! All Monster Energy products are eligible. (Core, Juice, Java, Ultra, Hydro, Rehab) See more about Monster Energy, including all its products, at www.monsterenergy.com . About Monster Energy Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, eSports or the rock and roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its sports, athletes, gamers and musicians represent. More than a drink, it's the way of life lived by athletes, sports, bands, believers and fans. See more about Monster Energy including all of its drinks at www.monsterenergy.com. [email protected] SOURCE Monster Energy Global competitiveness and key competitor percentage market shares Market presence across multiple geographies - Strong/Active/Niche/Trivial Online interactive peer-to-peer collaborative bespoke updates Access to our digital archives and MarketGlass Research Platform Complimentary updates for one year Edition: 18; Released: April 2022 Executive Pool: 1291 Companies: 107 - Players covered include Allied Tube & Conduit; Ameristar Perimeter Security; Associated Materials, Inc.; Betafence Corporate Services NV; Certain Teed Corporation; Gregory Industries, Inc.; Jerith Manufacturing LLC; Long Fence; NV Bekaert SA; Ply Gem Holdings, Inc.; Poly Vinyl Creations Inc. and Others. Coverage: All major geographies and key segments Segments: Material Type (Metal, Wood, Plastic & Composite, Concrete); Installation (Contractor, DIY); Application (Residential, Agricultural, Industrial) Geographies: World; United States; Canada; Japan; China; Europe (France; Germany; Italy; United Kingdom; Spain; Russia; and Rest of Europe); Asia-Pacific (Australia; India; South Korea; and Rest of Asia-Pacific); Latin America (Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; and Rest of Latin America); Middle East (Iran; Israel; Saudi Arabia; United Arab Emirates; and Rest of Middle East); and Africa. Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry ABSTRACT- Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Fencing Products estimated at US$31.7 Billion in the year 2022, is projected to reach a revised size of US$38.9 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 5.4% over the analysis period. Metal, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to grow at a 5.1% CAGR, while growth in the Wood segment is readjusted to a revised 5.7% CAGR. The fencing market received stimulus from strong home renovation activity that played an important role in counterbalancing the impact of relatively weak construction activity, especially in the commercial category, amid the pandemic. The residential segment provided the needed respite and offered new growth opportunities to fencing providers during the challenging phase. COVID-19-led confinement measures, stay-at-home mandates and closure of outdoor venues coerced people to spend more time at their homes, prompting them to focus on DIY home improvement projects. A large number of homeowners focused more on exterior upgrades such as fence installations as they involve minimal or no direct interactions with contractors. Fencing products also gained from classification of home improvement and hardware stores as essential business, providing customers with access to fencing products. On the other hand, high consumer demand along with supply shortages during initial phases of the pandemic led to delay in orders and missed revenue opportunities. The scenario prompted leading retailers to expand their distribution capacity for securing key materials, including fencing, to fulfill demand. While majority of homeowners are installing vertical wood boards, the market is also receiving strong support from PVC & plastic fences and chain-link fences. The PVC & plastic fences segment is witnessing immense demand on account of steep rise in lumber prices. The incredible jump in home improvement projects and fence installation is enabling various online remodeling players to serve increasing consumer demand for outdoor improvement products. The trend is also attributed to rising focus on security and privacy along with notable surge in home improvement or repair projects related to outdoor structures, including fencing. These upgrades have considerably surpassed exterior upgrades like siding and windows. The outdoor project wave is anticipated to remain unabated owing to pent-up demand attributed to long wait of homeowners for lower prices. Another prominent factor that is favoring fencing installation is inclination of homeowners towards projects requiring low or no in-person contact with installation workers. The need is prompting an increasing number of home improvement shops to focus on approaches ensuring contact-less ordering and fencing installation. While outdoor spaces represent a prominent home remodeling trend, various shops are not in a position to cater to consumer demand for full-scale outdoor living rooms. These companies are increasingly targeting fence installation to tap the opportunity. Rising popularity of outdoor living is driving stores to expand their portfolios with the addition of fencing. These moves are also credited to heavy margins for fencing installation projects to fencing contractors. In recent years, consumer awareness regarding environmental protection has increased substantially, resulting in the development of a wide range of environment-friendly products across industries. The fencing industry is also coming up with a myriad of eco-friendly options that not only allow for privacy and aesthetics of residential properties, but also reduce their corresponding environmental impact. One important factor that makes a fencing solution environment-friendly is it having a minimal impact on its surrounding environment. In addition, the materials utilized for building the fences as well as the process utilized for converting these materials into something useful can play a major role in ascertaining whether the fencing solution is environment-friendly. One environment-friendly option is to first identify whether fencing is actually required. In case fencing is being utilized primarily for marking a property's boundary, or for screening or privacy, plants can be used in place of fencing. For instance, the use of native shrubs or trees for creating partitions, windbreaks, or privacy hedgerows can be a much better solution than fencing. However, in situations where permanent fencing is actually required, the materials used for manufacturing fencing and where these materials are sourced from are essential considerations for the fencing option to be called environment-friendly. The use of natural materials, ideally materials source from within the space or the immediate surroundings, is the most sustainable fashion in which fencing can be manufactured. For instance, fencing could be created using fallen branches, or wattle fences could be formed from hazel or other coppiced or pruned branches. Other fencing options using natural materials for manufacturing include willow lattice fencing, bamboo fencing, and log fencing. In addition, composite fencing can be considered by homeowners for their properties. Manufactured using a mixture of recycled plastic and timber, composite fencing offers a versatile and elegant fencing solution for modern homes. Composite fence is not only responsibly sourced but is also long-lasting, durable, and requires minimal maintenance. In addition, the presence of plastic components makes this fencing solution resistant to moisture and significantly increases its lifespan. For homeowners looking wanting a look and feel of timber but are not comfortable with a timber fence can opt for bamboo fencing. More MarketGlass Platform Our MarketGlass Platform is a free full-stack knowledge center that is custom configurable to today`s busy business executive`s intelligence needs! This influencer driven interactive research platform is at the core of our primary research engagements and draws from unique perspectives of participating executives worldwide. Features include - enterprise-wide peer-to-peer collaborations; research program previews relevant to your company; 3.4 million domain expert profiles; competitive company profiles; interactive research modules; bespoke report generation; monitor market trends; competitive brands; create & publish blogs & podcasts using our primary and secondary content; track domain events worldwide; and much more. Client companies will have complete insider access to the project data stacks. Currently in use by 67,000+ domain experts worldwide. Our platform is free for qualified executives and is accessible from our website www.StrategyR.com or via our just released mobile application on iOS or Android About Global Industry Analysts, Inc. & StrategyR Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (www.strategyr.com) is a renowned market research publisher the world`s only influencer driven market research company. Proudly serving more than 42,000 clients from 36 countries, GIA is recognized for accurate forecasting of markets and industries for over 33 years. CONTACTS: Zak Ali Director, Corporate Communications Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Phone: 1-408-528-9966 www.StrategyR.com Email: [email protected] LINKS Join Our Expert Panel https://www.strategyr.com/Panelist.asp Connect With Us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-industry-analysts-inc./ Follow Us on Twitter https://twitter.com/marketbytes Journalists & Media [email protected] SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Global competitiveness and key competitor percentage market shares Market presence across multiple geographies - Strong/Active/Niche/Trivial Online interactive peer-to-peer collaborative bespoke updates Access to our digital archives and MarketGlass Research Platform Complimentary updates for one year Edition: 20; Released: May 2022 Executive Pool: 536 Companies: 84 - Players covered include American Cast Iron Pipe Company; ArcelorMittal SA; Borusan Mannesmann Boru Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S.; Europipe GmbH; EVRAZ North America; JFE Steel Corporation; Jindal SAW Ltd.; Jindal Tubular USA LLC; Kuwait Pipe Industries and Oil Services Company (KSC); Liaoyang Steel Tube Co., Ltd.; Man Industries Ltd.; National Pipe Company Ltd.; Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation; Northwest Pipe Company; PAO TMK Group; PSL Limited; Shengli Oil & Gas Pipe Holdings Limited; Stupp Corporation; Welspun Corp Ltd. and Others. Coverage: All major geographies and key segments Segments: Outer Diameter (18-24 Inches, 24-48 Inches, Over 48 Inches); End-Use (Oil & Gas, Water, Construction, Chemical, Other End-Uses) Geographies: World; USA; Canada; Japan; China; Europe; France; Germany; Italy; UK; Spain; Russia; Turkey; Rest of Europe; Asia-Pacific; India; South Korea; Rest of Asia-Pacific; Latin America; Middle East; Saudi Arabia; Rest of Middle East; Africa. Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry ABSTRACT- Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Helical Submerged Arc Welded (HSAW) Pipes estimated at US$5.5 Billion in the year 2022, is projected to reach a revised size of US$6.3 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 2.9% over the analysis period. 18-24 Inches, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to grow at a 2.5% CAGR, while growth in the 24-48 Inches segment is readjusted to a revised 3.2% CAGR. HR coils and plates are the are the key raw materials used in the production of SAW pipes. HR coils/plates account for about 85-90% share of the raw material cost. With prices of HR coils/plates escalating, the cost of manufacturing pipes also registered an increase. Hot rolled coil and cold rolled coil prices continued to increase in 2021 1st half led by increased demand and high input prices, particularly in China. The ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia is bound to influence global trade and demand for steel as both countries represent major exporters of steel-related products. The problem holds specific concerns for industries and countries that have been already struggling with related risk factors, including microchip shortages, slowdown in China and escalating natural resources and energy prices. The Russia-Ukraine war has exacerbated these risks and is anticipated to hold major implications for steel demand. Considering strong positions of Russia and Ukraine in the global steel market, the conflict is bound to impact steel trade. Steel prices are anticipated to continue moving upwards due to strong demand indicators coupled with the impact of ongoing conflict on the supply chain. Prices of steel have already scaled heights and are continuously moving up following the conflict. The Russia-Ukraine war is affecting flow of various raw materials along with finished goods. These factors along with robust steel demand are expected to increase prices. The conflict is also affecting local production of steel as majority of facilities in Ukraine have suspending manufacturing operations owing to safety issues. Resumption of operations would require companies to not only ensure safety, but also secure coking coal supplies. Steel is expected to be also affected by logistics challenges as rising energy prices and port-related issues are leading to high freight rates. The market is also significantly impacted by the global oil & gas pipeline scenario. North America and Asia-Pacific regions presently dominate the global oil and gas pipeline buildout. The North American market is being driven by the need to transport the gas produced at Permian filed in west Texas and south New Mexico to consumption and export centers. On the other hand, the Asian market is being driven primarily by infrastructure investments in China and India to connect production centers with consumption centers as well as transportation of natural gas from LNG import terminals to consumption centers. Asia-Pacific region accounts for over two-fifths of planned and under construction pipelines for natural gas, while North America accounts for nearly 40% of planned and under construction pipelines for oil. The US is one of the leading regions in terms of pipeline investments. Investments in the US are being driven by the buildup of export infrastructure to importing centers in Asia and Europe. The proposed pipeline infrastructure to support exports would have propelled the US as the leading exporters of fossil fuels in the near future. However, the pandemic resulted in significant reduction of gas prices, casting a shadow on the viability of existing as well as planned projects. Increased environmental activism is also affecting new pipeline investments in the US as new pipelines are facing increasing scrutiny from regulators and opposition from activists. Even legal hurdles are increasing as the Third Circuit Court of Appeals over ruled a FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) order, nullifying the permission for an interstate PennEast pipeline between Pennsylvania and New Jersey. With the new Biden administration increasingly gravitating towards clean energy, prospects for oil and gas pipelines seem to be decreasing significantly. Canada has long been a net exporter of energy. However, Canadian production is mostly concentrated in the north and requires significant investments to bring the produced oil and gas from production centers to consumption centers and export centers. Canadian pipelines are also facing increasing environmental oversight with even under construction projects facing regulatory reversals. For instance, the Coastal Gaslink pipeline project witnessed a "cease and remedy" order from the BCEAO (British Columbia's Environmental Assessment Office) over concerns that the under construction pipeline violated existing norms and passed very near to ecologically sensitive wetlands. As such, increasing environmental concerns are posing significant risks for construction of new pipelines in Canada, despite the country being significantly dependent on energy exports. Mexican oil and gas pipeline buildout mostly veers towards connecting the Mexican network with production centers in Texas over the international border. The Villa de ReyesAguascalientes-Guadalajara pipeline was commissioned in mid-2020 smoothly since the pipeline was categorized as inter-state within the US and outside of the purview of the US EPA, with only the section crossing the Rio Grade river being under the purview of the EPA. Argentina is home to the second largest shale gas reserves in the world after the US. The Argentinean government is presently in the process of finalizing a 2,055-kilometer pipeline linking Argentina and Brazil. Peru is in the process of reviving a 1,050-kilometer pipeline to supply gas to southern Peru through the Southern gas pipeline at an estimated cost of about US$4.5 billion. Colombia also plans to build a new 110-kilometer Buenaventura-Yumbo gas pipeline for transporting natural gas from the Pacific LNG Terminal to Yunbo. The country is also exploring environmental feasibility of building a new pipeline to link the production in Jobo gas fields with consumption centers. Europe is presently a paradox, with strong political support for a zero-carbon economy by 2050, including an interim goal of reducing 1990 carbon emissions by 55% through 2030; while extensive pipeline infrastructure and is being built. For instance, Europe plans to add about 12,843 kilometers of pipeline and also plans to increase LNG capacity by more than half at a cost of about 64 billion. Moreover, about 25 billion of the funding is set to be realized from EU subsidies. As per EU goals, gas consumption needs to be reduced by 30% by 2030 and by 90% by 2050 to achieve zero-carbon targets. On the other hand, the pipelines planned would increase the capacity in the region. Germany, the major economy in the EU, is on target of completing a pipeline to import gas from Russia, facing stiff opposition from environmental activists and public. Thus, Europe continues to be an enigma supporting reduction of fossil fuel consumption, while increasing investments in building capacity for the same. More MarketGlass Platform Our MarketGlass Platform is a free full-stack knowledge center that is custom configurable to today`s busy business executive`s intelligence needs! This influencer driven interactive research platform is at the core of our primary research engagements and draws from unique perspectives of participating executives worldwide. Features include - enterprise-wide peer-to-peer collaborations; research program previews relevant to your company; 3.4 million domain expert profiles; competitive company profiles; interactive research modules; bespoke report generation; monitor market trends; competitive brands; create & publish blogs & podcasts using our primary and secondary content; track domain events worldwide; and much more. Client companies will have complete insider access to the project data stacks. Currently in use by 67,000+ domain experts worldwide. Our platform is free for qualified executives and is accessible from our website www.StrategyR.com or via our just released mobile application on iOS or Android About Global Industry Analysts, Inc. & StrategyR Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (www.strategyr.com) is a renowned market research publisher the world`s only influencer driven market research company. Proudly serving more than 42,000 clients from 36 countries, GIA is recognized for accurate forecasting of markets and industries for over 33 years. CONTACTS: Zak Ali Director, Corporate Communications Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Phone: 1-408-528-9966 www.StrategyR.com Email: [email protected] LINKS Join Our Expert Panel https://www.strategyr.com/Panelist.asp Connect With Us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-industry-analysts-inc./ Follow Us on Twitter https://twitter.com/marketbytes Journalists & Media [email protected] SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc. DUBLIN, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Electric Commercial Vehicle Market by Propulsion, Vehicle Type, Range, Battery Type, Length of Bus, Power Output, Battery Capacity, Component, Autonomous Vehicle, End User, Truck Payload Capacity and Region - Global Forecast 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global electric commercial vehicle market size is projected to grow from 353 thousand units in 2022 to 3,144 thousand units by 2030, at a CAGR of 31.4%. The Electric Van Segment is expected to be the largest market in the forecast period Electric vans are enclosed wagons or motor truck vehicles that receive power from the power grid and are driven by an electric motor. they are expected to be the largest segment by vehicle type in the electric commercial vehicle market. Major players operating in the global electric van market include Renault (France), Daimler AG (Germany), Nissan Motor Corporation (Japan), PSA Group (France), Toyota Motor Corporation (Japan), IVECO S.p.A. (Italy), London Electric Vehicle Company (United Kingdom), General Motors (US), Ford Motor Company (US), AB Volvo (Sweden), Mahindra & Mahindra LTD. (India), BYD Company Limited (China), and Volkswagen AG (Germany). For instance, in January 2021, PEUGEOT (France) is expanding its electric van range with the new PEUGEOT e-Partner, the latest light commercial vehicle (LCV) in the brand's lineup to be offered as a fully electric commercial vehicle. The growth of the logistics and e-commerce sectors is expected to drive the market for electric vans for various applications such as last-mile delivery and distribution services. Electric vans would witness an increasing demand due to lower operating costs, negligible harmful emissions, and various forms of government support. Last-mile delivery will be the largest segment in the forecast period by End User The increasing use of electric commercial vehicles for last-mile delivery of goods from warehouses to end-users is expected to boost the electric commercial vehicle market in the near future. Companies are considering the addition of electric commercial vehicles, especially electric vans, and pickup trucks, to their fleets to reduce fuel expenses and mitigate emissions. In September 2019, Amazon announced plans to introduce 1,00,000 electric delivery vans by 2030 in partnership with Rivian. The company plans to roll out the first 10,000 e-vans globally by 2022 and aims to have 10,000 e-vans in India by 2025. In May 2022, TerraGo (India) used a fleet of 65 Mahindra Treo Zor cargo vehicles for grocery delivery in major cities in India. Also, In January 2020, UPS ordered 10,000 electric vans from Arrival, a UK EV startup company, for delivery across the US, the UK, and Europe by 2024. The company will have the option to order an additional 10,000 EVs during the period. In August 2020, Flipkart (India) announced plans to convert its entire fleet to electric by 2030. Thus, the most common electric commercial vehicle used in the last mile delivery segment would be electric vans. With companies and governments across the globe encouraging the use of electric vehicles, the electric commercial vehicle industry is expected to grow exponentially in the next decade. Electric commercial vehicles have a major role in last-mile delivery with lower emissions, cheaper running costs, and less ongoing maintenance. Less than 150 miles segment is expected to be the largest in the market in the forecast period The less than 150 miles segment is expected to be the largest market in the forecast period. Low performance and affordable electric commercial vehicles usually have a range of fewer than 150 miles. Several OEMs offer electric buses and vans with low-cost batteries with a restricted range of 100-150 miles. OEMs have been providing buses and vans for this segment over the years. Key Topics Covered: 1 Introduction 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 4.1 Attractive Opportunities in Electric Commercial Vehicle Market 4.2 Electric Commercial Vehicle Market Growth Rate, by Region 4.3 Electric Commercial Vehicle Market, by Battery Type 4.4 Electric Commercial Vehicle Market, by Battery Capacity 4.5 Electric Bus Market, by Length of Bus 4.6 Electric Commercial Vehicle Market, by Propulsion 4.7 Electric Commercial Vehicle Market, by Power Output 4.8 Electric Commercial Vehicle Market, by Range 4.9 Electric Commercial Vehicle Market, by Vehicle Type 4.10 Electric Commercial Vehicle Market, by End-User 4.11 Electric Truck Market, by Truck Payload Capacity 5 Market Overview 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Market Dynamics 5.2.1 Drivers 5.2.1.1 Reducing Prices of Ev Batteries to Increase Demand for Ecvs 5.2.1.2 Rising Prices of Fossil Fuels to Raise Demand for Ecvs 5.2.1.3 Increasing Demand for Emission-Free Commercial Vehicles and Electric Vehicles in Logistics Industry to Drive Market Demand 5.2.1.4 Government Support for Electric Commercial Vehicles 5.2.2 Restraints 5.2.2.1 High Development Costs to Delay Ecv Launches in Market 5.2.2.2 Concerns Over Battery Safety to Restrain Market Development 5.2.2.3 Insufficient Ev Charging Infrastructure to Slow Ecv Adoption 5.2.2.4 Lower Vehicle Range Hampers Use for Long-Distance Logistics 5.2.3 Opportunities 5.2.3.1 New Revenue Pockets in North America and Northern Europe to Provide Market Growth Opportunities 5.2.3.2 Development of Wireless Ev Charging Technology for On-The-Go Charging to Fuel Market 5.2.3.3 Use of Evs for Fleets and Commercial Applications to Boost Ecv Market 5.2.4 Challenges 5.2.4.1 Limited Battery Capacity to Challenge Market Growth 5.2.4.2 Lower Availability of Lithium for Ev Batteries to Act as Hurdle for Manufacturers 5.2.4.3 Insufficient Global Grid Infrastructure to Limit Adoption of Electric Commercial Vehicles 5.3 Porter's Five Forces Model Analysis 5.4 Upcoming Electric Trucks and Pickups 5.5 Electric Commercial Vehicle Market Ecosystem 5.6 Notable Developments in Ev Market (2021) 5.7 Supply Chain Analysis 5.8 Electric Commercial Vehicle Pricing Analysis 5.9 Case Study 5.9.1 Adoption of Electric Buses as Public Transport in Finland 5.9.2 Adoption of Electric Buses as Public Transport in Shenzhen, China 5.9.3 User Experience of Battery Electric Trucks in Norway 5.10 Buying Criteria 5.11 Technology Analysis 5.12 Patent Analysis 5.13 Trends and Disruptions in Electric Commercial Vehicle Market 5.14 Regulatory Overview 5.15 Key Conference & Events in 2022-2023 5.16 Electric Commercial Vehicle Market, Market Scenarios (2022-2030) 6 Electric Commercial Vehicle Market, by Autonomous Vehicle 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Electric Autonomous Truck 6.3 Electric Autonomous Bus 7 Electric Commercial Vehicle Market, by Battery Type 7.1 Introduction 7.1.1 Operational Data 7.1.2 Assumptions 7.1.3 Research Methodology 7.2 Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt 7.2.1 Advancements in Battery Technology to Boost Demand for Nmc Batteries in ECV 7.3 Lithium-Iron-Phosphate 7.3.1 Affordable Prices to Drive Market for LFP Batteries 7.4 Others 7.4.1 OEMs and Startups Working on Alternative Batteries to Boost Market 7.5 Solid State Battery 7.6 Key Industry Insights 8 Electric Commercial Vehicles Market, by Battery Capacity 8.1 Introduction 8.1.1 Operational Data 8.1.2 Assumptions 8.1.3 Research Methodology 8.2 Less Than 50 Kwh 8.2.1 Growing Electric Van Sales to Fuel Less Than 50 Kwh Segment 8.3 50-250 Kwh 8.3.1 Affordable Electric Buses and Pickup Trucks Drive 50-250 Kwh Market in Asia-Pacific 8.4 Above 250 Kwh 8.4.1 Long Buses and Heavy-Duty Trucks to Lead Market 8.5 Key Industry Insights 9 Electric Commercial Vehicle Market, by Component 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Battery Cells and Packs 9.3 Onboard Charger 9.4 Motor 9.5 Reducer 9.6 Power Control Unit 9.7 Battery Management System 9.8 Fuel Cell Stack 9.9 Fuel Processor 9.10 Power Conditioner 9.11 Air Compressor 9.12 Humidifier 10 Electric Bus Market, by Length of Bus 10.1 Introduction 10.1.1 Operational Data 10.1.2 Assumptions: Length of Bus 10.1.3 Research Methodology 10.2 Less Than 9M 10.2.1 High Demand for Electric Buses on Narrow Roads to Increase Demand 10.3 9-14M 10.3.1 High Adoption Rate of Electric Buses for Public Transport Fleet to Drive Segment 10.4 Above 14 M 10.4.1 Growing Demand for Intercity Public Transport in Highly Populated Countries to Impact Above 14 M Bus Sales 10.5 Key Industry Insights 11 Electric Commercial Vehicles Market, by Propulsion 11.1 Introduction 11.1.1 Operational Data 11.1.2 Assumptions 11.1.3 Research Methodology 11.2 Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) 11.2.1 BEV Segment to Influence ECV Market due to High Bev Bus and Van Sales 11.3 Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) 11.3.1 FCEV Vans to Start Selling from Around 2023 11.4 Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) 11.4.1 Asia-Pacific Projected to be Largest Phev Market 11.5 Key Industry Insights 12 Electric Commercial Vehicle Market, by Power Output 12.1 Introduction 12.1.1 Operational Data 12.1.2 Assumptions 12.1.3 Research Methodology 12.2 Less Than 100 Kw 12.2.1 Use of Small Electric Vans for Shipping by Logistics Companies in Europe 12.3 100-250 Kw 12.3.1 Development of Best-In-Class Pickup Trucks to Lead Market for 100-250 Kw Power Output 12.4 Above 250 Kw 12.4.1 Upcoming Market for Best-In-Class Electric Pickups and Buses 12.5 Key Industry Insights 13 Electric Commercial Vehicle Market, by Range 13.1 Introduction 13.1.1 Operational Data 13.1.2 Assumptions 13.1.3 Research Methodology 13.2 Less Than 150 Miles 13.2.1 Affordable Electric Vans to Drive Less Than 150 Miles Segment 13.3 150-300 Miles 13.3.1 High Adoption Rate of Electric Buses to Boost 150-300 Miles Electric Cv Market 13.4 Above 300 Miles 13.4.1 Advancements in Battery Technologies to Drive Above 300 Miles Segment 13.5 Key Industry Insights 14 Electric Commercial Vehicle Market, by Vehicle Type 14.1 Introduction 14.1.1 Operational Data 14.1.2 Assumptions 14.1.3 Research Methodology 14.2 Electric Bus 14.2.1 Electric Bus Demand to Grow with Demand for Emission-Free Public Transport 14.3 Electric Pickup Truck 14.3.1 Electric Pickup Sales to Grow with Best-In-Class Electric Pickups Fro Oems 14.4 Electric Truck 14.4.1 Advancements in Battery Technology to Boost Electric Truck Market 14.4.2 Medium-Duty and Heavy-Duty Trucks 14.5 Electric Van 14.5.1 Increasing Demand from Logistics Providers to Drive Electric Van Market 14.6 Key Industry Insights 15 Electric Commercial Vehicle Market, by End-User 15.1 Introduction 15.1.1 Operational Data 15.1.2 Assumptions 15.1.3 Research Methodology 15.2 Last Mile Delivery 15.3 Field Services 15.4 Distribution Service 15.5 Long Haul Transportation 15.6 Refuse Service 15.7 Key Industry Insights 16 Electric Truck Market, by Truck Payload Capacity 16.1 Introduction 16.1.1 Operational Data 16.1.2 Assumptions 16.1.3 Research Methodology 16.2 Up to 10,000 Lbs 16.3 10,001- 26,000 Lbs 16.4 26,001 Lbs and Above 16.5 Key Industry Insights 17 Electric Commercial Vehicle Market, by Region 18 Competitive Landscape 19 Company Profiles 19.1 Key Players 19.1.1 Byd 19.1.2 Yutong 19.1.3 Vdl Groep 19.1.4 Ab Volvo 19.1.5 Caf 19.1.6 Proterra 19.1.7 Mercedes-Benz Group 19.1.8 Nfi Group 19.1.9 Ebusco 19.1.10 King Long 19.1.11 Ankai 19.1.12 Zhongtong Bus Holding 19.2 Other Key Players 19.2.1 Blue Bird Corporation 19.2.2 Rivian 19.2.3 The Lion Electric Company 19.2.4 Tata Motors 19.2.5 Ashok Leyland 19.2.6 Changsha Sunda New Energy Technology Co. Ltd. 19.2.7 Olectra Greentech 19.2.8 Yinlong Energy 19.2.9 Golden Dragon 19.2.10 Jbm Auto Limited 19.2.11 Scania 19.2.12 Irizar 19.2.13 Iveco 19.2.14 Skoda 19.2.15 Chariot Motors 19.2.16 Otokar Otomotiv Ve Savunma Sanayi A.a 19.2.17 Temsa 19.2.18 Karsan 19.2.19 Zenith Motors 19.2.20 Workhorse Group 20 Analyst's Recommendations 21 Appendix For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/pis1ie Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets DUBLIN, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Utility Billing Software Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global utility billing software market reached a value of US$ 4.61 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach a value of US$ 7.73 Billion by 2027 exhibiting a CAGR of 8.60% during 2022-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, we are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor. Utility billing software (UBS) refers to a specially designed platform that is deployed for invoicing gas, water, and electricity services. It aids in generating bills, posting cash, resolving user inquiries, integrating finances, managing accounts, and examining delinquent accounts, thus reducing the risks of fraudulent activities. The UBS also assists power companies in improving customer support, enhancing accuracy, reducing cost-to-serve, and strategizing the marketing campaigns. At present, UBS is commercially categorized based on its varying deployment models, such as cloud-based, on-premises, and build-your-own solutions. The increasing need to enhance the overall operational efficiency at reduced costs is currently facilitating the adoption of UBS solutions across various power distribution companies. In line with this, the sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent implementation of lockdown has led to a shift from conventionally used bill paying methods toward online bill paying applications, which is acting as another major growth-inducing factor. Furthermore, significant improvements in legacy billing systems, such as the integration of cloud computing and the Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, to meet the evolving dynamics of utility industry is contributing to the market growth. The introduction of smart grid technology and smart meters for promoting efficient electricity transmission, reducing the utility power costs, and restoring power after disturbances is propelling the market growth significantly. Other factors, including strategic collaborations between companies to launch more advanced cloud-based electricity billing software, along with the extensive utilization of smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktops to support digital payments and the increasing accessibility to the high-speed internet, especially in the developing region, are creating a positive outlook for the market. Competitive Landscape: The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Continental Utility Solutions Inc., ePsolutions Inc., Exceleron Software, Harris Computer (Constellation Software Inc.), Jayhawk Software Inc., Jendev Corporation, Methodia Group, Oracle Corporation, Sigma Software Solutions Inc., SkyBill SIA and Utilibill Pvt. Ltd. Key Questions Answered in This Report: How has the global utility billing software market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years? What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global utility billing software market? What are the key regional markets? What is the breakup of the market based on the deployment mode? What is the breakup of the market based on the type? What is the breakup of the market based on the end user? What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry? What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry? What is the structure of the global utility billing software market and who are the key players? What is the degree of competition in the industry? Key Topics Covered: 1 Preface 2 Scope and Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Introduction 4.1 Overview 4.2 Key Industry Trends 5 Global Utility Billing Software Market 5.1 Market Overview 5.2 Market Performance 5.3 Impact of COVID-19 5.4 Market Forecast 6 Market Breakup by Deployment Mode 6.1 On-premises 6.1.1 Market Trends 6.1.2 Market Forecast 6.2 Cloud-based 6.2.1 Market Trends 6.2.2 Market Forecast 7 Market Breakup by Type 7.1 Platform as a Service 7.1.1 Market Trends 7.1.2 Market Forecast 7.2 Infrastructure as a Service 7.2.1 Market Trends 7.2.2 Market Forecast 7.3 Software as a Service 7.3.1 Market Trends 7.3.2 Market Forecast 8 Market Breakup by End User 8.1 Water 8.1.1 Market Trends 8.1.2 Market Forecast 8.2 Power Distribution 8.2.1 Market Trends 8.2.2 Market Forecast 8.3 Oil and Gas 8.3.1 Market Trends 8.3.2 Market Forecast 8.4 Telecommunication 8.4.1 Market Trends 8.4.2 Market Forecast 8.5 Others 8.5.1 Market Trends 8.5.2 Market Forecast 9 Market Breakup by Region 10 SWOT Analysis 11 Value Chain Analysis 12 Porters Five Forces Analysis 13 Price Analysis 14 Competitive Landscape 14.1 Market Structure 14.2 Key Players 14.3 Profiles of Key Players 14.3.1 Continental Utility Solutions Inc. 14.3.1.1 Company Overview 14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.2 ePsolutions Inc. 14.3.2.1 Company Overview 14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.3 Exceleron Software 14.3.3.1 Company Overview 14.3.3.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.4 Harris Computer (Constellation Software Inc.) 14.3.4.1 Company Overview 14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.5 Jayhawk Software Inc. 14.3.5.1 Company Overview 14.3.5.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.6 Jendev Corporation 14.3.6.1 Company Overview 14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.7 Methodia Group 14.3.7.1 Company Overview 14.3.7.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.8 Oracle Corporation 14.3.8.1 Company Overview 14.3.8.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.8.3 Financials 14.3.8.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.9 Sigma Software Solutions Inc. 14.3.9.1 Company Overview 14.3.9.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.10 SkyBill SIA 14.3.10.1 Company Overview 14.3.10.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.11 Utilibill Pvt. Ltd. 14.3.11.1 Company Overview 14.3.11.2 Product Portfolio For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/l3ifqp Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Through the lens that overcomes the limitation of time and space, XCMG has introduced its latest intelligent technology and unmanned control technology to construction equipment rental companies, developers and contractors for mines and infrastructures, as well as emphasizing its commitment to green, low-carbon development of new energy and electric products. At the Festival, XCMG reached the global strategic partnership with Shell to partner strategically in promoting high quality development. "2022 marks the 17th anniversary of OCR and XCMG's cooperation, we've witnessed how XCMG became a leading brand with wide influence in Thailand. We've invited veteran staff who's been with the company for 17 years to join the Festival, as well as highlighted the first XCMG equipment that has been in service for 17 years," said Sirapop Tantitham, GM of O.C.R. Company Limited. "We've highlighted three product categories as a branch session host in Thailand, including the electric loaders that created a stir in Thailand's construction machinery industry, witnessing XCMG's electric products have been reported by multiple media in Thailand." Hanson Liu, vice president of XCMG and general manager of XCMG Import & Export, noted that XCMG's export has maintained high growth rate with the export market map of 187 countries and regions, in the first quarter, the export of China's construction machinery industry increased by 48 percent year-on-year, and XCMG's export has increased by 143 percent year-on-year. "The export volume of cranes, excavators, loaders and road machinery has taken lead across the industry with continuous growth of market share, XCMG's overall export market share has increased by 9 percent year-on-year," said Liu. "We are seeing changes in export trend as well, with significant growth in the high-end markets in Europe, North America and Australia. In first quarter, the sales volume of product exported to Europe has increased by over 100 percent." "We hosted the XCMG International Customers Festival for the first time in Germany and presented over 200 products from 35 lines covering four categories, including excavators, aerial work platforms, road rollers and more, among which, the small excavators from XCMG is now the most popular Chinese brand in Europe and a star model of our promotion at the Festival," said Xuan Du, Deputy GM of XCMG European Sales and Services GmbH. The annual Festival further consolidates XCMG's international development strategy. The world's largest countries are introducing stimulus policies for infrastructure in the post-pandemic period, and the demand for construction machinery has been high. In addition, energy transition and transformation have increased the demand for green energy commodities such as copper, cobalt and lithium, which has stimulated mining operations worldwide. XCMG, as a leading mining solution provider capable of offering integrated mining equipment sets, is also embracing greater market opportunities. "XCMG will live up to the expectations and fight side by side with our global partners to push forward our digital, green and international strategies, contributing to the world with more dynamic, high-quality development and a globally competitive XCMG," said Wang Min, chairman and CEO of XCMG. SOURCE XCMG XI'AN, China, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Throughout the millennia of history and the prosperous times of Chang'an, the profound cultural accumulation rooted in Xi'an, China, is a valuable historical treasure of this ancient city. In recent years, Xi'an has been making efforts to transform its cultural resources into fashionable "cultural tourism IP" based on "Tang cultural elements" and modern technology, and bringing historical and cultural heritage to life in a modern context. Recently, Xi'an Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government held a meeting and proposed to make good use of historical and cultural heritage, promote the deep integration of cultural industry and tourism industry, in order to make Xi'an a display window of Chinese culture and civilization. AssetPlaceHolder "Noblewomen'' and "ladies", "literati" and "warriors", reciting poems in the streets and imitating songs and dances of the Tang Dynasty, and the moving love story performed by ''gifted scholars and beautiful ladies of the Tang Dynasty'', etc., this is a Tang style city life neighborhood, which was derived from a historical TV drama, The Longest Day in Chang'an. The beautiful scenery of Tang dynasty clothing can be seen everywhere, and with the help of "sound, light and electricity" technology, it is like entering a "time and space feast" interwoven with literature, history, folklore and food. Through the integration of film and television IP and commercial IP, each visitor can realize the transformation from "watching the play" to "getting into the play" when entering the "The Longest Day in Chang'an", which makes people "back to Tang Dynasty in one second". The immersive experience satisfies people's new demand for experiencing Tang culture and becomes a new contact point to promote the integration of culture, tourism and business. What's more, relying on the "Tang cultural elements" to successfully build a cultural tourism scenic spot, there is also the famous Grand Tang Dynasty Ever-bright City. It has not only launched commercial activities such as "Tang Food Corner", "Tang Souvenir Corner" and "Tang Amusement Area", but also launched a number of immersive performances in the way of "interaction + experience", created a number of highly recognizable cultural tourism character IPs and blossomed the charm of "Tang culture" in an innovative way. More than fourteen hundred years ago, Xi'an was known worldwide as Chang'an. It was the world's first city of one million people, including about 100,000 envoys, merchants, foreign students and monks from other countries, so Xi'an's image of openness and inclusiveness was also known to the world. Despite the challenges of the epidemic, the ancient capital with thousands of years of history still exudes new vitality, driven by new leisure models such as market blocks, heritage exhibitions and immersive experiences. The long-standing cultural history has given consumption growth vitality and resilience, with "mystery boxes of Tang Dynasty characters", "ice cream made of images of popular landmarks such as the Terracotta Warriors and the City Wall," and "7 million netizens watching the Xi'an drum music stream", etc. All kinds of new consumption methods became the driving point for the upgrading of cultural tourism consumption. Xi'an is speeding up the integration of cultural resources and making history and culture the driving force for the development and innovation of this ancient city. Image Attachments Links: Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=422383 Caption: A Tang style city life neighborhood, which was derived from a historical TV drama, The Longest Day in Chang'an. SOURCE Xi'an Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government AUSTIN, Texas, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Zeblok makes critical partnerships and has been elevated to Intel Partner Gold status as they accept an invitation to the Disruptor program. The Intel Disruptor Initiative allows companies to push the limits of innovation by joining forces to maximize optimization efficiency. Intel Partner Gold Mouli Narayanan Zeblok receiving Intel's support is a significant milestone. Intel supports its members by driving growth through technical enablement, allowing Disruptor innovators to accelerate their time-to-market with early access to hardware and software. In addition, expert engineers work closely with Disruptor teams to understand their business and ensure that future releases continue to deliver optimized performance. Account Manager at Intel Disruptor program Eric James triumphs, "We are incredibly excited to welcome Zeblok to the Intel Disruptor Program! Leveraging software optimizations within Intel's OneAPI and OpenVINO toolkits, Zeblok's approach to AI orchestration within the enterprise and at the Edge drastically reduces the engineering and business effort required for AI projects." Zeblok is also announcing a partnership with CoreStack during their talk at the Intelligent Infrastructure Conference on April 28th in Track B - Edge in the Public Realm entitled "Augmenting and Scaling Connected Edge for AI, Automation and Governance." Mouli Narayanan, CEO, Zeblok, and Sab Arumugam, CTO, CoreStack, will be joining forces at the Intelligent Infrastructure Conference. They will be discussing what we can learn from the market and its suitability for the infrastructure environment. Zeblok provides the ability to scale AI at the Edge, while CoreStack provides governance comprising security and compliance. Integrated intelligent infrastructure is essential for accelerating economic growth into the new digitized age. The Intelligent Infrastructure Conference program addresses the critical challenges in making this innovation a reality, including finding new models for collaboration on shared infrastructure, new models for sharing data, new approaches to standards, regulation & compliance, and implementations of the latest technologies. By 2035, there will be one trillion Edge devices, requiring many millions of MECs. Zeblok's Ai-MicroCloud can bring intelligence to your infrastructure today, enabling you to seize your share of that future reality. So, it's time to harness the potential of artificial intelligence edge computing. Zeblok's Ai-MicroCloud solves the problem of scaling at the Edge, making it easy to deploy AI inferences to thousands of Edge locations with end-to-end lifecycle management. In addition, Zeblok also addresses critical enterprise AI gaps, including optimizing AI/ML models for heterogeneous chipsets. Furthermore, Zeblok's Ai-MicroCloud turns each SmartPoint kiosk into a cloud data center at the Edge, enabling innovative new business models, providing Ai applications at the Edge, and opening new markets which were previously inaccessible. Company Contact Information: Media Contact: Mouli Narayanan Name and Title of Media Contact Company Name: CEO, Zeblok Contact Number: +1 (212) 874-7419 Contact E-mail: [email protected] Website URL: https://zeblok.com/ SOURCE Zeblok The Nigerian Army has dismissed reports alleging that Nigerian villages were attacked by Cameroonian separatists known as Ambazonian on Sunday. The director, Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, said contrary to the misinformation, Nigerian Army troops deployed at Danare received information on Sunday morning about the said attack but later discovered the communities were under Cameroon. Danare is located in Cross River State of Nigeria. He said, "The troops immediately mobilised to Bashu community, which was allegedly under attack. On their arrival, it was revealed that Bashu was not under attack and no external incursion was recorded; rather the separatists attacked Obonyi 2 and Njasha, both of which are communities located in the Republic of Cameroon." Nwachukwu said four victims of the attack, who crossed over to Nigerian territory were later rescued by Nigerian troops and operatives of Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS). "The attack was therefore not within Nigerian territory as claimed," he said. He, therefore, urged members of the public to disregard the unsubstantiated information and not panic. Conference call will be held on May 31, 2022 VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Zoomd Technologies Ltd. (TSXV: ZOMD) (OTC: ZMDTF) and its wholly-owned subsidiary Zoomd Ltd. (collectively, "Zoomd" or the "Company"), the marketing technology (MarTech) user-acquisition and engagement platform, today reported its financial results for the three months ended March 2022. The Company's financial statements and management discussion and analysis ("MD&A") are available on SEDAR under the Company's profile. Fiscal 2022 Outlook Maintained Zoomd expects business and revenues growth in fiscal 2022 to be in a range of $74M to $80M, representing a year-over-year growth of up to approximately 50%. The outlook is based on assumptions, each of which management considers to be reasonable and are set out in the MD&A. Key Highlights 1Q22 revenues increased 140% YOY to $16 . 2 M. Results were driven primarily by the onboarding of new clients in recent months, growth with existing clients and expansion into growth geographies such as Latin America , Asia , and North America . M. Results were driven primarily by the onboarding of new clients in recent months, growth with existing clients and expansion into growth geographies such as , , and Operating profit was $0.9M for 1 Q2 2 compared to an operating loss of $ 0.6 M in 1 Q 21 , primarily as a result of increased revenue for Achieved positive cash flow from operations of $1.7M in 1 Q 22 , ended 1Q22 with a cash balance of $5M and no long-term debt in Achieved positive Adjusted EBITDA of $1.9M during 1Q22 Increasing "large customers" numbers by 200% YoY Completed the acquisition of albert . ai , strengthening North America activity with tier 1 customers and consolidate self-serve and SaaS business model ai Apple's iOS14+ privacy changes helped drive new customers to Zoomd's platform and products Management Commentary The strong momentum of 2021 has maintained through 1Q22, as we achieved another robust quarter. Our partners are continuing to increase their budgets with us, and we have a powerful pipeline of new customers. Our user acquisition platform has been integral in enabling to manage multiple campaigns from one place, allowing time saving and efficiency with real-time control. Our platforms enable our customers to grow their UA with limited additional resources, giving the ability to scale immediately by demand. Our growth is coming from burgeoning sectors such as Ecommerce, Education (new targeted vertical), iGaming, Gaming and Fintech, and hypergrowth geographies such as Latin America, Asia, and North America, while we see increase within North America clienteles via the Albert.ai acquisition. In March 2022, the Company announced the acquisition of Albert, a U.S.-based artificial intelligence marketing platform for advertisers, driving fully autonomous digital campaigns for some of the world's leading brands, that will now be able to use the Company's products and services. The acquisition is aligned with the Company strategy to provide customers a variety of business models including self-serve abilities. Considering small and mid-market businesses, the self-serve abilities are an upper hand for scaling without the need of massive HR growth. Our visibility into revenues going forward is to maintain our 2022 revenue guidance range of $74M to $80M, which represents approximately 40% - 50% year over year growth, details of which are set out in the MD&A. "We are very pleased with the continued robust pace of our business, as we see strong demand for our user-acquisition activities from both new and existing clients" said Ofer Eitan, Zoomd's CEO, adding "Companies are seeing the results and value of our unique activity and are further allocating larger portion of their user acquisition budgets to Zoomd. While we are happy with our current pace of growth, we believe that our ability to execute in various verticals, geos, plus different business models while we make our platforms accessible for self-serve use, can bring us to the next level even further than expected. Almost every UA challenge will find a solution under our wings, hoping to become the last user acquisition platform that our customer will ever use." First Quarter 2022 Highlights (All Figures in Thousands in USD) For the three months ended March 31, 2022 , revenues were $16 , 25 0, as compared to $6,776 for the three months ended March 31, 2021 , an increase of 1 40 % year-over-year. The increase in revenues is primarily the result of customer acquisitions in the growth sectors such as e-commerce, education (new targeted vertical), fintech, and gaming as well as expansion in new geographies such as Latin America , Asia , and North America , targeting specific growth potential countries. In addition, our existing customers have allocated an increasing portion of their user acquisition budgets to Zoomd, as they have witnessed strong ROI on their spending. , revenues were , 0, as compared to for the three months ended , an increase of 1 % year-over-year. The increase in revenues is primarily the result of customer acquisitions in the growth sectors such as e-commerce, education (new targeted vertical), fintech, and gaming as well as expansion in new geographies such as , , and , targeting specific growth potential countries. In addition, our existing customers have allocated an increasing portion of their user acquisition budgets to Zoomd, as they have witnessed strong ROI on their spending. Gross profit margin was 30% for the three months ended March 31, 2022 , versus 35% for the same period last year, reflecting more social media advertising portion that is known to be with lower profit margins. , versus 35% for the same period last year, reflecting more social media advertising portion that is known to be with lower profit margins. Research and Development (R&D) expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2022 were $1,234 , a 17% increase YOY , primarily reflecting the amortization of capitalized software development costs. were , a 17% increase YOY Selling, General and Administrative (SG &A) expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2022 were $2,633 , 34% increase YOY , primarily reflecting increases in sales department bonuses as the result of increased revenues, and as a result of some new employees joining the company. YOY Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended March 31, 2022 was $1,932 as compared with Adjusted EBITDA of $63 for the three months ended March 31, 2021 , an increase of $1,995 . The improvement in the Adjusted EBITDA is primarily attributed to the significant increase revenue growth. EBITDA EBITDA Operating profit was $932 for Q1 2022 compared to an operating loss of $638 in Q1 2021, primarily as a result of increased revenue. for Q1 2022 compared to an operating loss of in Q1 2021, primarily as a result of increased revenue. As of March 31, 2022 , the Company's cash and cash equivalents amounted to $5 million , and no debt. , the Company's cash and cash equivalents amounted to , and no debt. On March 28, 2022 , the Company announced that it has acquired substantially all of the assets of Albert Technologies Ltd. and Albert Technologies' Inc ("Albert") in a cash and share deal (the "Transaction"). The Company would like to provide additional disclosure in connection with the Transaction. The consideration payable by the Company pursuant to the Transaction consists of $125,000 in cash and share issuance by the Company of $375,000 worth of common shares of the Company at closing (being up to 375,000 common shares) and a second payment of $125,000 in cash and $375,000 worth of common shares of the Company (being up to 375,000 common shares) upon the satisfaction of certain performance-based metrics. The price per share used for the purposes of the aforementioned share issuances will be the greater of $1.00 and the closing price of the shares of the Company on the TSX-V prior to their issuance. In addition, as partial consideration for certain of Albert's employees hired by the Company, the Company has entered into certain shares for services arrangements with such employees totaling up to $0.2M worth of company shares, to be issued upon the completion of the services to the Company and using the price per share at the time of issuance. None of the employees are non-arm's length to the Company or any of its affiliates. CONFERENCE CALL Amit Bohensky, Founder and Chairman, will hold a conference call to discuss the quarter's financial results at May 31, 2022. Interested parties can listen via a live webcast, from the link available in the Investors section of the Company's website at https://zoomd.com/investors/ or at https://app.webinar.net/JWmgNewpM63. A replay will be available after the call, in the Investors section of the Company's website at https://zoomd.com/investors/ or via https://app.webinar.net/JWmgNewpM63. ABOUT ZOOMD: Zoomd (TSXV: ZOMD) (OTC: ZMDTF), founded in 2012 and began trading on the TSX Venture Exchange in September 2019, offers a site search engine to publishers, and a mobile app user-acquisition platform, integrated with a majority of global digital media, to advertisers. The platform unifies more than 600 media sources into one unified dashboard. Offering advertisers, a user acquisition control center for managing all new customer acquisition campaigns using a single platform. By unifying all these media sources onto a single platform, Zoomd saves advertisers significant resources that would otherwise be spent consolidating data sources, thereby maximizing data collection and data insights while minimizing the resources spent on the exercise. Further, Zoomd is a performance-based platform that allows advertisers to advertise to the relevant target audiences using a key performance indicator-algorithm that is focused on achieving the advertisers' goals and targets. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. CAUTION REGARDING NON-IFRS FINANCIAL MEASURES This press release refers to "Adjusted EBITDA" which is a non-IFRS financial measure that does not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS. The Company's presentation of this preliminary financial measure may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. This preliminary financial measure is intended to provide additional information to investors concerning the Company's estimated results. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization, as adjusted for share-based payments and non-recurring operating expenses, and is a measure of a company's operating performance. Essentially, it's a way to evaluate a company's performance without having to factor in financing decisions, accounting decisions or tax environments. Management uses this non-IFRS measure as a key metric in the evaluation of the Company's performance and the consolidated financial results. The Company believes Adjusted EBITDA is useful to investors in their assessment of the operating performance and the valuation of the Company. However, non-IFRS financial measures are not prepared in accordance with IFRS, and the information is not necessarily comparable to other companies and should be considered as a supplement to, not a substitute for, or superior to, the corresponding measures calculated in accordance with IFRS. A reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA and operating profit is available in Zoomd's MD&A located on the Company's profile at www.sedar.com which is incorporated by reference into this press release. DISCLAIMER IN REGARD TO FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to Zoomd's 2022 revenue outlook, its future ability to successfully continue its growth, its ability to continue to deliver products and services largely unimpacted by the privacy updates undertaken (or will be undertaken in the future) by Google and Apple as well as its ability to continue expanding into new geographies and industries. Forward-looking statements are based on our current assumptions, estimates, expectations and projections that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, technological, legal, privacy matters, political and social uncertainties (including the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the current war in Ukraine), the extent and duration of which are uncertain at this time on Zoomd's business and general economic and business conditions and markets. There can be no assurance that any of the forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. The reader should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. All forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Company Media Contacts: Amit Bohensky Chairman Zoomd [email protected] Website: www.zoomd.com Investor relations: Lytham Partners, LLC Ben Shamsian New York | Phoenix [email protected] Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1039696/Zoomd_Logo.jpg SOURCE Zoomd Technologies Ltd. ECR Minerals PLC (AIM:ECR) said non-executive director Adam Jones will become an executive director with immediate effect and take on a new role as technical director of exploration for all of ECRs projects. Jones, who lives in Victoria close to ECRs Bailieston and Creswick gold projects, has more than 12 years experience as a professional geologist in Australia, including significant experience and knowledge of regional gold exploration and production. Adam has been a key member of the ECR team since the day he joined, and I am delighted that he is now assuming an executive director role, said chairman David Tang. I know he impressed our CEO on his recent trip to Victoria, and, looking forward, the company will now benefit from his guidance and input on a higher strategic level. Jones will assume technical responsibilities for all of ECRs projects, including the Lolworth Range project in North Queensland. My decision to join ECR was very much influenced by the manner in which Adam has managed the companys ongoing drilling campaigns in Victoria as well as the skillset and vision demonstrated in his assessment and acquisition of the Lolworth Range project, added chief executive Andrew Haythorpe. Jones has provided consultancy services to ECRs Australian subsidiary Mercator Gold Australia Pty Ltd since April 2018 and has been involved in the supervision of drilling programmes and has undertaken geochemical and rock chip sampling and geological mapping campaigns. Tower Resources PLC (AIM:TRP), the oil and gas company focused on Africa, said the potential value of all of its projects has increased during the pandemic. In its full-year results covering 2021, the AIM-listed company said that while the pandemic had presented operational problems over the last two years, it was also a period when the world woke up to the consequences of several years of underinvestment in the oil and gas industry. As a result, the price of oil has risen substantially, which has buffed up the economic case for Towers projects but has also led to increased drilling activity around the world and with it longer lead times and higher prices for rigs and services. Tower said its priority is to get the NJOM-3 well drilled at the Njonji development, as this is the gateway to the rest of the development. The company is in discussions regarding the final financing arrangements for the well. It now appears that we can raise some debt financing at the level of our Cameroon subsidiary to help with the NJOM-3 costs, which (if it can be done) would obviously be preferable to the asset-level dilution of the farm-out as originally structured. We do not want to comment further on these discussions at this stage, and we cannot be certain what the final arrangements will be, but we do believe that we will be able to achieve a better overall outcome than the farm-out, while also avoiding a further approval process, the companys senior management said. The remainder of 2022 looks like being a crucial period for our company, the company added. Profit before tax in 2021 was positive at US$47,299, compared to a loss of US$1.36mln in 2020, despite the company still being at the pre-revenue stage. While administrative costs rose to US$1.28mln from US$755,605 the year before, the company benefited from a US$1.48mln VAT provision this time around. The cash balance at the end of 2021 was unchanged at US$10,000, since when the company has raised 1.5mln through a placing of 568mln shares. Emmerson PLC (AIM:EML, OTC:EMSNF) booked a loss before tax of US$2.77mln in the year to December 2021. The company closed out the year with cash of just over US$10mln. During the period considerable operational, corporate and commercial progress was made towards the development of the Khemisset potash project in Morocco. In particular, a cornerstone investment from a strategic investor was secured in November 2021 of up to US$46.8mln. The company is also advancing negotiations with a range of international and Moroccan institutions on both the debt and equity sides, following the granting of the mining licence in February 2021. As a backdrop, there was a significant improvement in potash prices over the year, highlighting potential upside to feasibility study estimates. As it stands, the net present value of Khemisset rings in at a chunky US$1.4bn. Chairman James Kelly noted that the importance of food security has never been clearer, and that potash has a key role to play. Emmerson's Khemisset potash project is well-positioned to help meet this need, he said. It is a high-margin and low-capex project which has a construction period of approximately two years. The feasibility study completed in 2020 indicated a JORC resource of 537mln tonnes at 9.24% K2O, sufficient to supply 735,000 tonnes of muriate of potash annually for a life of at least 19 years. Gore Street Energy Storage Fund PLC (LSE:GSF) said its portfolio of renewable energy battery storage assets performed better than expected during the last quarter of its fiscal year. The investment company said the portfolio is performing strongly on every grid in which it operates, Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, and the US and the new financial year has started well. Alex O'Cinneide, chief executive of Gore Street Capital, said the investment manager was pleased to see the GB portfolio matching the same levels of revenues with other market participants with longer battery durations. "We continue to base our strategy on current market conditions and revenue streams and therefore continue to favour one-hour battery systems for the GB market. We believe this results in substantial cost efficiencies and has significantly rewarded our shareholders." In Northern Ireland, the company has opted for sub-30-minute duration batteries, which allows it to deliver six ancillary services under DS3 uncapped contracts, and these delivered strong performance for the quarter, while in Texas, US, where it said there are different market dynamics and revenue mix, the opportunity was taken to acquire assets with 2-hour duration, "which allows the company to capture trading opportunities, as and when they become increasingly prominent in the ERCOT market, alongside current lucrative ancillary services contracts". O'Cinneide said the group's assets "offer important flexibility to participate in multiple attractive revenue streams, including trading. At times of material market price dislocation, this is a highly profitable use for the company's portfolio, which is ready to participate when ideal market conditions become available." Unilever PLC (LSE:ULVR) has given billionaire activist Nelson Peltz a seat on the board after the US corporate raider and company restructuring specialist built a stake through his activist vehicle Trian Partners. Chair Nils Andersen said Peltz would take a non-executive role at the Anglo-Dutch giant after "extensive and constructive discussions" were held with him and the Trian team. Andersen added that the board believes his "experience in the global consumer goods industry will be of value to Unilever as we continue to drive the performance of our business". Peltz said Trian believes the FTSE 100 group "is a company with significant potential, through leveraging its portfolio of strong consumer brands and its geographical footprint. "Trian has made a considerable investment in Unilever. We look forward to working collaboratively with management and the board to help drive Unilever's strategy, operations, sustainability, and shareholder value for the benefit of all stakeholders." The 79-year old billionaire has plenty of form when it comes to shaking things up at consumer brands businesses, having targeted Cadburys in 2007 and joining the board of its new owner Mondelez in 2014 after pushing for its merger with PepsiCo. Heinz and Kraft Foods have also been in his crosshairs, while most recently he was embroiled in a bitter proxy fight in 2017 with Unilevers main rival Procter & Gamble that was settled with him taking a seat on the board. Since the start of 2018, P&Gs share price has risen by around 63%, with Unilever down 6% over that period. He left the Fairy and Ariel maker in July last year with even P&G noting he had added considerable value to the business. WTI $115.07 n/c (Market shut*), Brent $121.67 +$2.24, Diff -$6.60 +$2.24* UKNG 192.0p +35.0p, TTF 93.70 +6.93 (both now July contracts) Oil price With the US closed for Memorial Day as you can see prices were all over the place, that will be added to today as the July Brent contract expires tonight. Overall both WTI and Brent are better today as the EU announce a fairly modest deal to sanction Russian oil. Time forbids today but I will add more tomorrow. Gulfsands Petroleum Gulfsands has released an RNS Announcing publication of the 2021 Annual Report and AGM Notice are now published on the Gulfsands website. https://www.gulfsands.com/2021-annual-report-and-notice-of-annual-general-meeting/ Confirmed by Competent Persons Report undertaken by Independent Consulting Firm Oilfield Production Consultants, originally in 2019 and updated annually to ensure no material changes. +20 years resource life and potential to produce over 50,000 boepd from existing discoveries. Prospective portfolio takes the potential production of the field above 100,000 boepd. 2C Contingent Resources in Yousefieh, Khurbet East and Al Khairat fields (2P Reserves if it were not for force majeure) as at 31 December 2021 of 76.4 million boe (net to Gulfsands). This is a decrease in 2C resources compared to 80.1 million boe in the 2020 Annual Report, as a result of production during 2021. Combined unrisked, mid-case Prospective Resource of 546 million boe & risked, Prospective Resources of 134 million boe (both net to Gulfsands). Combined unrisked, mid-case Prospective Resource of 546 million boe & risked, Prospective Resources of 134 million boe (both net to Gulfsands). Economic Evaluations undertaken as part of the OPC reviews indicate a central range of EMV of Block 26 (Prospective and Contingent Resources), of $1 billion to $1.5 billion, prior to taking into account above-ground risks. The Quality of the Block 26 Assets Confirmed by Independent Review, updated in 2021 Re-entry Planning Continues at Pace Impact of Covid-19 The Covid-19 pandemic continued to be a major issue affecting the UK during the year. Our priorities have remained the same throughout; protect our people and ensure business continuity. The teams resilience and adaptability ensured the team could continue to deliver our strategic objectives effectively. While the rollout of vaccines has abated restrictions and guidance, we remain very mindful of the challenges it continues to pose for our business. We are taking all reasonable precautions to manage these risks. CPR work included preparation, review and validation of a Full Field Development Plan of the Yousefieh, Khurbet East and Al Khairat fields, which is ready to implement when circumstances allow. CPR confirmed nine drill-ready prospects which could be targeted during an intensive drilling programme when circumstances allow. Potential development plans, as reviewed and confirmed by the CPR, illustrate production levels of around 50,000 boepd from existing discoveries and over 100,000 boepd from a full block development incorporating potential exploration upside. Regional technical, finance and administrative team remains in place to implement re-entry plan as soon as viable. Strategic Advisory Board established to assist Board and Management with complex political, legal and strategic aspects of re-entry. Gulfsands issued their Annual Report yesterday. I know that a lot of work has been done by the Gulfsands team to clean up its portfolio and it appears that this is now complete. All non-core assets have been exited, with the elimination of related liabilities and, with the support of their Major Shareholders, they not only remain funded in the medium term but also have a clear pathway to equitising the debt they have provided. This means that Gulfsands have avoided the threat of a debt overhang that so many small-cap oil and gas companies suffer from. This clean balance sheet means that Gulfsands now has a solid platform to press ahead with their ambitions in Syria, when circumstances allow, and in the broader MENA region. Their world class Block 26 in Syria remains Gulfsands core asset and it is clear that the team are ready to return when sanctions lift and that they are doing all they can to try and work with the international community to be part of an acceptable solution that can help get that country back on its feet. As I previously reported (on 29th April 2022), that the oil and gas industry is the only industry that has the potential scale to make such an impact, generating billions of dollars (according to that interview with Gulfsands Managing Director John Bell, up to $20 billion per annum is possible) which, if properly channelled, can make a significant impact on the lives of ordinary Syrians. Not only that but it can reduce reliance on aid and build self-sufficiency. I have also noticed that Gulfsands has clearly invested significant time and efforts into its approach to ESG, with particular accent on sustainability, something I applaud with all the companies I follow. I wish Gulfsands well in building upon this solid platform and those shareholders that are still invested in the Group are along for an exciting journey ahead. Petrofac Petrofac, a leading provider of services to the global energy industry, has been selected by i3 Energy to provide well engineering, well operations and well operator services for its UK North Sea licence areas. The new three-year contract follows the multi-year provision of well operator and project management services, resulting in the successful delivery of three fast tracked appraisal wells for i3 in 2019 on their Liberator and Serenity fields in the North Sea. The first work planned under this new contract is the project to drill a fast-track appraisal well in the Serenity field later this year. Petrofac will be well operator and main contractor for the design and execution as well as for all services including Stena Don drill rig, vessels, helicopters and well services. This latest long-term UK contract builds on Petrofacs tier one well engineering experience and follows recent major contract awards in Australia, Africa, and the Gulf of Mexico. Nick Shorten, Chief Operating Officer for Petrofacs Asset Solutions business said: Im delighted that our world-leading wells expertise is supporting i3 Energy in the development of their existing North Sea discoveries to safely, efficiently and quickly maximise economic recovery. We are proud of our unique skillset which, having helped i3 to discover Serenity in 2019, will now be supporting its progress toward field development. More good news for Petrofac yesterday and as I expect, will see more work across its geographies this year, and more importantly, next year. FTSE 100 made good ground early on as oil groups rose after the EU banned shipments of Russian oil. The blue-chip index was up 31 at 7,631 an hour after markets opened. Travel chaos at airports has continued well into half term as more flights were cancelled today due to short staff numbers. One minister said the industry had months to prepare and blamed the opinionated airline bosses for the cancellations. The government, meanwhile. has scrapped a contract with P&O Ferries on its unlawful sacking of nearly 800 workers in March. The companys contract with UK Border Force will end with immediate effect. Primarks finance director John Bason said he regrets its decision to hike prices from this coming autumn and warned it might mean people spend less. The High Streets is already feeling feel the heat of the cost of living crisis, with shoppers down 20% last week compared to pre-pandemic. Greatland Gold has commenced its 2022 exploration programme under the Juri joint venture with partner Newcrest in the Paterson province of Western Australia. Drilling will take place on three high-priority targets across the Paterson Range East and Black Hills licences. Cloudbreak Discovery has agreed to provide a portion of the acquisition financing for the Masten Unit Energy Project, located in Cochran County, Texas. The agreement will see Cloudbreak provide G2 Energy Corp with a US$2mln debenture on a two-year term in exchange for a 3.25% overriding royalty interest. Ethereum is counting down to its shift away from energy-intensive proof-of-work validation to proof-of-stake. A test network, called Ropsten Ethereum, thats been used for development and test of proof-of-stake is slated to merge into the main Ethereum network on June 8 as part of the cryptos transformation. Ethereum, which is the second-largest crypto by value, had targeted completion of the overhaul by August to avoid what its creator and founder Vitalik Buterin calls the difficulty bomb which is effectively a hard deadline for proof-of-work imposed on the network deliberately, once triggered it will see the difficulty of validation puzzles used in Ethereum mining increase exponentially until they become practically impossible to solve. The coin has plummeted 60% since its all-time high reached in November as investors seek safe havens rather than riskier assets in times of economic downturn, triggered by the war in Ukraine, global shortages and supply chain problems. Since the beginning of 2022, the second largest digital currency has sunk 47%, while it fell 28% in May alone. Ethereums switch to proof-of-stake should give the crypto a boost, according to analysts, as the soon-to-be faster, cheaper and more secure network can surely only be bullish. Whilst Ethereum heads for proof-of-stake, Buterin and his team continue to develop other novel innovations including the creation of whats being referred to as soul bound tokens (SBTs). For those able to keep up with all the crypto acronyms SBTs will effectively be non-transferrable non-fungible tokens (NFTs) evidently someone wisely opted against calling them NTNFTs, and instead borrowed soul-bound from fantasy gaming to describe the special NFTs which will effectively remain attached to their owners for life. SBTs are said to be vital to Ethereum, according to UBS. The Swiss bank has published a 37-page paper which suggested important documents, credentials, and assets could be digitised and decentralised using SBTs with some of the suggested examples including university degrees and concert tickets. Alongside progress with sharding and zero-knowledge proofs, such things could really set this base chain apart from an institutional adoption and ESG audit perspective, UBS said. Sharding involves splitting a blockchain into many pieces, or shards, to store them in a variety of places. Meanwhile, 'zero-knowledge proof' is expected to be a game-changing decentralised method of authentication that using blockchain technology could replace passwords whilst increasing security and safety online. On 31 May, Ethereum was priced at US$1,966 with a market value of US$238bn. Deutsche Banks mining team have begun to question BHP Group PLCs premium rating to Rio Tinto PLC (LSE:RIO) despite both being an equivalent size and having similar commodity exposure. It points out there are technical reasons why BHP trades at a premium to Rio, which has also been hit by challenges within its iron ore business and senior management turnover. However, it also believes that having materially outperformed since 2020 following the simplification of the business, it's now time for a reality check for BHP's backers. In a short prelude to a larger note, Deutsche crimped its price target back to 2,250p a share from 2,550p, repeating its hold recommendation in the process. Ignoring the mildly bearish tone of the note, traders marked the stock 1% higher to 2,570.84p. Peter Obi, former governor of Abambra State, on Monday, emerged the 2023 presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) after winning the party's presidential primary election held at the Orchid Hotel in Asaba, Delta State. Obi, who picked the nomination forms of the LP consequent upon dumping the PDP recently, garnered 96 votes of the 97 valid votes cast at the primary election, the returning officer, Aliyu Abdullahi, announced before declaring him as the LP presidential standard-bearer in the 2023 general election. A total of 104 delegates, drawn from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja, were duly cleared to vote but only 98 votes were cast; Obi got 96, Prof Pat Utomi got one vote and one vote was invalid. Three other presidential aspirants, including Prof Pat Utomi, Charles Uchenna and the youngest aspirant, Joseph Oluwadare Faduri, had stepped down for Obi while a fourth, and only female aspirant, Olubusola Emmanuel-Tella also announced that she too was stepping down for Peter Obi, midway after commencement of voting by the delegates. Speaking after receiving the LP Presidential Flag, Obi said that his mission in the Labour Party was to lead the charge towards building a new Nigeria Nation through revamping of the economy, effectively tackling insecurity, addressing education problems and upping the general standard of living of Nigerians by ending wasteages in government. The Labour Party flag-bearer also spoke authoritatively about his credentials in business and financial management especially as the Anambra State governor. Obi said, "I will show you that this country called Nigeria will start seeing the face of hope if we all work hard to bring in a new government that would harness people's talents to march up opportunities, a government that would plug leakages and curb wastage, a government that can look into the future of our children and know we cannot continue this gangsterism and stealing of government assets. "Let me tell you, I have got a simple mission, Nigeria is not a productive country. I just want to remove it from consumption, from sharing to production. If you listen carefully, you hear people talk about 100 million living in poverty. Why do we have insecurity as a problem? The number one to fight insecurity is to pull people out of poverty. When you have over 20 million out of school, then we have a problem, we will invest in education. The reason we don't have power in Nigeria is because our leaders have chosen not to do so. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Labour Governance Nigeria By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "Go and ask about what I did in Anambra State. I left in Diamond Bank of Nigeria $50 million and N12 billion. I left in Fidelity Bank $56 million and N12 billion. "They are banks in Nigeria you can go and verify. Since I left office as governor of Anambra State, the state has not bought me pure water." He noted that leaders in the First Republic had better long-term plans for the socio-economic development of Nigeria. "The first time this country borrowed money in September 1964 was when Tafawa Balewa wrote the World Bank for $82 million to build the Kainji Dam. And, he said it then that he was applying to build the facility, 760 megawatts of electricity for the growth of the country. Fifty-eight years after, we are still struggling with 4,000 megawatts. As today, Nigeria is owing $120 billion. Imagine if we had used that money for power, we would have be generating over 40,000 megawatts of electricity. But we consumed the money, and that is why we find it difficult to service debt. If you have 40,000 megawatts of electricity, you will be able to set industries and factories in all the local government areas. We are a people of 200 million and we are generating 4,000. South Africa is just 60 million but they are generating 54,000 megawatts. Egypt with a 100 million population are generating 54,000. What will shock you is that Egypt doubled their own, between 2016 and 2020. It was 22,000. It can be done in Nigeria it is not rocket science, what we need here is a leader with a vision, capacity, competence to deliver. "My dear people, for the sake of our children, let us stop this otherwise it will take a toll on them and ruin their future irredeemably", Obi said. Earlier, solidarity messages were presented by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and others. Tim Livesey from Oriole Resources discusses what it hopes to see from its latest drilling at the Bibemi gold project in Cameroon. The first hole is targeting an extension of an existing hole (34), he says, where the bottom intersected some really good grades. That will be followed by a further series of vertical holes and angled holes to try to identify this sub-horizontal component. Livesey adds that of 49 holes drilled so far at Bibemi, 45 have shown mineralisation, so the gold is there but it is a question of finding the areas that hold it together. The bank holidays to celebrate the Queens jubilee may push the UK towards a recession but should prove a bonanza for Britains supermarkets. Bloomberg, the news agency, is the source of the possibly treasonous assertion that celebrating our madges platinum jubilee could shave half a point off gross domestic product (GDP) in the second quarter if previous bank holidays are any sort of guide. In conjunction with reduced output from the healthcare sector as the governments COVID-19 test and track programme winds down, the holiday could lead to GDP falling 0.4% in the second quarter, according to a business intelligence forecast by economist Dan Hanson. One definition of a recession is two consecutive quarters of shrinking GDP, so the UK would have to recover quickly in the third quarter from the hangover and a long weekend of porking out and that may be difficult given the belly-busting amounts of food and drink the supermarkets are expected to sell ahead of the celebration. According to the market research group Kantar, UK supermarkets saw a 10% boost in sales in the week leading up to Queens Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012, and so a similar boost is expected this time around. We should never underestimate the appetite for a party, especially a royal one," said Fraser McKevitt, Kantar's head of retail and consumer insight, according to the Reuters news agency. Whilst the Platinum Jubilee weekend will no doubt provide a boost to leisure businesses, it will inevitably drag in consumer spend from the weekends either side - so it's difficult to view it as a 'pure' consumer spend boost James Brumby (@JamesAtLangton) May 31, 2022 Apparently, the monarchs favourite tipple is Dubonnet and not, as republicans would have it, the salty tears of her subjects and sales of the French wine-based aperitif are reportedly up 50% year-on-year. Its not a particularly patriotic choice of tipple but so long as she uses it to wash down a Melton Mowbray pork pie, shell probably get away with it. For all that investors cherish and search for shares that can deliver big returns, its a striking fact that dividends are the factor that accounts for a whopping 64% of total returns in Europe since 1995. Such firms that have long records of dividend increases are known as dividend aristocrats to Credit Suisse, which espoused this method of investing again this week. The thinking goes that investors should focus on these blue-blooded corporations rather than the seemingly more attractive companies with the highest yields. A high yield can often mean the shares are underperforming and while that can suggest the shares are undervalued it can also mean that the market is discounting some performance issues in the past or expected in the future. Last year, Credit Suisse noted that the highest quintile of dividend yields were the worst performers over the previous decade in Europe, with many of these high-yield companies being disrupted value stocks that eventually ended up cutting their dividend. Another advocate for these shareholder return royals is Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell. Often defending a high yield can be a burden for a firm, as it sucks cash away from vital investment in the underlying business, or can be a sign that the company is in trouble and investors are demanding such a high yield to compensate themselves for the (perceived) risks associated with owning the equity, he says. The strongest long-term performance often comes from companies that have the best long-term dividend growth record as they often combine dividend increases with share price gains the investors dream. The increased distribution will over time drag the share price higher through sheer force, Mould says, suggesting that a 1p per share dividend on a 100p share price may not catch the eye, but if that dividend reaches 10p in a decades time it almost certainly will. Since 2020, dividend aristocrats have outperformed by 20%, according to Credit Suisses calculations, with analyst Andrew Garthwaite pointing out that this style of investing tends to outperform when purchasing managers index (PMI) survey data falls. The style is currently cheap, the analyst said, noting that investor flows into dividend funds have held up of late. Just five top European dividend toffs were cited by the Credit Suisse team, Coca-Cola, Diageo PLC (LSE:DGE) and Unilever PLC (LSE:ULVR), Sanofi and Air Products. Moulds calculations find 17 FTSE 100 names with at least 10 years of consecutive dividend hiking. Topping the list is Halma PLC (LSE:HLMA), with a 43-year record of straight dividend increases since 1979, followed by Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust PLC (LSE:SMT), with 38 years since 1984. (For more investment trusts like SMT with long dividend records, the AIC regularly trumpets an impressive list of dividend heroes.) Next are the dividend children of the 1990s, with Spirax-Sarco Engineering (LSE:SPX) PLC, DCC PLC (LSE:DCC) and The Sage Group PLC (LSE:SGE) respectively 29, 27 and 26 years in a row since they first started raising their final dividend. British American Tobacco PLC (LSE:BATS) has a 24-year record, while Croda International PLC (LSE:CRDA) and Diageo have 23 years. Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC (LSE:DPH) is on a run of two decades, while Ashtead is three years away from that record. Hargreaves Lansdown has hiked is total dividend for 14 years, Intermediate Capital Group (LSE:ICP) for 12, RELX PLC (LSE:REL), London Stock Exchange Group PLC (LSE:LSEG), National Grid PLC (LSE:NG.) and United Utilities Group PLC (LSE:UU.) for 11, and Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC (LSE:HIK, OTC:HKMPF) for a single decade. The average capital gain from this Footsie list is 423% and the average total return is 579% over ten years, compared to the FTSE 100's 29% and 90% respectively. Outside the blue-chips, some mid-caps that might make the minor ranks of the dividend gentry appear to be Cranswick PLC (LSE:CWK), Bodycote Group (LSE:BOY) and Rathbones Group PLC (LSE:RAT, OTC:RTBBF), while some AIM firms with good dividend records include RWS Holdings (AIM:RWS) PLC, Wynnstay Group PLC (AIM:WYN), Brooks Macdonald Group plc (LSE:BRK), Cohort PLC (AIM:CHRT), CareTech Holdings (AIM:CTH) and Tandem Group PLC (AIM:TND), based on dividend data on SharePad. With the ravages of the pandemic taking a toll on the ranks of firms that can point to long dividend growth track records, there are certainly many more companies that have only a small blemish in their history of shareholder returns. Firefinch Ltd (ASX:FFX) continues to move its demerger forward with Leo Lithium closing an Initial Public Offering (IPO) oversubscribed having raised A$100 million. The pro-rata and shortfall offer was strongly supported by FFX shareholders along with high-quality institutional investors. More than 90% of the offer was allocated to existing Firefinch shareholders. Firefinch took its full A$20 million allocation under the offer, as part of the IPO and all conditions for the demerger have been satisfied. With the demerger fully approved by shareholders today, FFX will transfer Leo Lithium shares to eligible Firefinch shareholders by way of a pro-rata in-specie distribution, on the basis of 1 Leo Lithium share for every 1.4 Firefinch shares, on Thursday, June 9, 2022. "Important milestone" Firefinch managing director Dr Michael Anderson said of the demerger: We are pleased to have reached this important milestone in the separation of our gold and lithium assets. "The demerger will allow Firefinch to focus its attention on the development of the world-class, multi-million-ounce Morila Gold Project while providing our shareholders with exposure to the future development of Goulamina through our 20% retained stake. Leo Lithium to list June 23 Leo Lithium shares to be allotted under the IPO are now anticipated to be issued on Thursday, June 16, 2022, and it is expected Leo Lithium will officially hit the ASX boards on Thursday, June 23, 2022. Leo Lithium managing director Simon Hay said: We are delighted with the strong support shown by Firefinch shareholders for the Leo Lithium IPO. "We look forward to the commencement of Leo Lithiums life as a separate listed vehicle. Clean TeQ Water Ltd (ASX:CNQ) has maintained its valuation of A$1.83 per share in the base case and A$2.37 per share in the bull case from Pitt Street Research. Pitt Street believes that CNQ is well placed to benefit from the growth in the water technology market as it has a strong project pipeline as well as high operating leverage. CNQ shares closed yesterday at A$0.55 per share with a market cap of approximately A$24.79 million. Following are excerpts from Pitt Street Researchs report: CNQs win of bore treatment contract is a step forward CNQ was recently awarded a contract with PWC to deliver a water treatment plant to one of the 72 remote communities in the Northern Territory of Australia. Valued at A$5 million, the contract is amongst the largest in CNQs water history in terms of contract value. The company will use its ion exchange resin technology to design and manufacture the treatment plant. The contract win is likely to provide more business opportunities for the company to deliver larger and more complex plants in a growing groundwater treatment market. NematiQ achieves manufacturing milestone for Graphene membrane CNQs 100% owned subsidiary NematiQ achieved a major milestone in March 2022 as it started manufacturing graphene membranes on an industrial commercial-scale roll-to-roll coating machine. The membranes offer customers significant benefits in operation over conventional polymeric nano-filtration products. Valuation range remains A$1.83-2.37 per share We reiterate our valuation of the company at A$1.83 per share in the base case and A$2.37 per share in the bull case, using a blended DCF/RV model. In this week's crypto, blockchain and NFT update, eToro market analyst and crypto expert Simon Peters explains the Ethereum 'merge', VC firm A16z's launch into a major new fund focused on DeFi and Web3 projects and why Elon Musks's SpaceX will accept dogecoin. Crypto assets continue to face volatility Bitcoin kept its value steady around US$30,000 last week, despite some renewed volatility for the cryptoasset. The price of a coin fell over the course of the week, reaching to lows around US$28,000 but rallied late in the week to back above the US$30,000 level. Ether experienced a more difficult week of trading, beginning over US$2,000 and falling close to US$1,700 at points on the eToro platform. ETH is now trading back around US$1,900. Cryptoassets are still facing volatility and investors more generally decide on comfortable levels after multiple weeks of falls. With markets and crypto now correlating much more closely than before thanks to institutional participation, the question looming over the asset class is when those investors will start dipping their toes back in. US markets saw a modest revival last week with stocks rising across the board. Although crypto didnt see quite the same revival, prices have now been holding steady in major cryptos such as bitcoin, suggesting a calm of sorts before any fresh commitment to the market is made by large players. Ethereum merge is on The upgrade for the Ethereum blockchain, dubbed 'the merge', has been slated for August by founder Vitalik Buterin. The potential implications for the entire ecosphere of crypto cannot be underestimated. Also referred to as Ethereum 2.0, the merge would see the blockchain, which underpins a significant proportion of crypto infrastructure globally, make a fundamental shift from a proof of work model to proof of stake. What this means in practice is the blockchain will no longer reward miners but will instead reward ETH holders with yield for staking the token. This will have the effect of rewarding those invested in the blockchain and encouraging further participation. The impact of this on the token could be deflationary, as the cryptoasset rises in value thanks to new network participants. It could in turn create a very different kind of investment case from what has been the case until now for Ethereum. Ethereum is an enormously influential blockchain. Unlike bitcoin which is essentially useful as a store of value or for financial transactions, it allows for all manner of innovations, with a wide array of projects based on it. Such a major change will come with significant potential implications for the price of the underlying tokens. A16z launches huge DeFi fund VC firm A16z has launched a major new fund focused on DeFi and Web3 projects. The US$4.5 billion fund is a significant mark of support for a sector that has been buffeted by markets in the past few months. The fund will focus on Web3 investments and is a boon for the sector, especially given the wider market conditions. It is a big statement of intent from a VC firm and rivals other significant investment commitments in size and scope from influential investment houses in recent weeks. What this suggests is while markets are roiled by wider geopolitical and economic issues, the underlying business of building blockchain projects continues and opportunities are still rife in a sector driven by innovation. The long-term outlook, based on the activities of these institutional players, looks strong. SpaceX joins Tesla in taking dogecoin One of Elon Musks other major projects, SpaceX, has announced it will also begin accepting dogecoin as payment for merchandise, alongside Tesla. Musk, as is typical of the eccentric billionaire, announced the news on Twitter, similar to his past pronouncements around dogecoin. His tweet caused a brief price spike, with doge rising to $0.08370. The news has done little to help an otherwise troubled trajectory for the token, which has seen its value more than halve since the beginning of the year. While the announcement that SpaceX is to accept doge is unlikely to move the dial much, the broader implications of adoption of cryptoassets such as dogecoin into payment infrastructures cannot be underestimated. Were a way away from the tipping point but each firm that makes an announcement like this brings that point a little closer. Infinity Lithium Corporation Ltd (ASX:INF)s wholly-owned subsidiary, Extremadura New Energies, has been invited by the Chamber of Commerce of Caceres, Spain to provide an information session at its local headquarters to discuss the Industrial Lithium Conversion Plant Project. The event will occur on Tuesday, 31 May 2022, at 7.00 pm Central European Summer Time (CEST). Infinity will provide Chamber of Commerce members and guests an opportunity to further understand and discuss the objectives that are intended to be achieved through the industrial lithium conversion plant. Infinitys lithium conversion plant aims to promote the economic development of the province and the business initiatives connected to the lithium transformation value chain in the city of Caceres. Having a major focus on local engagement, both Infinity and Extremadura New Energies see this as another significant opportunity to inform the people of Caceres of the changes it has made to the project to ensure it delivers the maximum benefit back to the community. The event will be attended by the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Caceres, Gabriel Alvarez Arroyo, and the CEO of Extremadura New Energies, Ramon Jimenez. ANGLE PLC (AIM:AGL, OTCQX:ANPCY) said it has inked an agreement with a US group and its affiliate to conduct clinical studies in prostate cancer. The tie-ups with Solaris Health Holdings and MidLantic Urology could also provide a "potential route to market" in America, investors were told. ANGLE will use its Parsortix system, which harvests tumour cells from a blood draw, to identify prostate-specific antigens (PSAs). As well as detecting the presence of the disease, the device will be used to help doctors assess the severity of the cancer. Expected to get underway in the third quarter, the evaluation will draw on earlier pilot studies independently conducted at the Barts Cancer Institute. In total, 100 men scheduled to undergo a prostate tissue biopsy will be assessed over nine months with the headline data from the study expected next year. ANGLE's Parsortix platform has the potential to enable molecular characterisation of the cancer using a blood test in patients undergoing both traditional ultrasound biopsies and MRI fusion biopsies, said Dr Jose Moreno, principal investigator, MidLantic Urology. The preliminary data suggest that we may be able to create an assay for the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer that has high specificity and sensitivity. Moreover, the assay can be customised to operate in a wide spectrum of prostate cancer disease states, including pre-prostate biopsy, after a negative biopsy, active surveillance, after local failure, and in early and late metastatic disease states. The tie-up with Solaris and MidLantic comes just days after ANGLE was awarded Food & Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for Parsortix after successful trials in breast cancer. Prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer in men and accounts for 13% of all new cancer cases in the US. Tempus Resources Ltd (ASX:TMR, TSX-V:TMRR) has kicked off its 2022 exploration campaign at the Elizabeth Gold Project in southern British Columbia, Canada. The program officially began on May 30, when the company started diamond drilling EZ-22-01, a hole that targets the extension to the high-grade Blue Vein discovered last year. It is great to have the drills turning at Elizabeth again, president and CEO Jason Bahnsen said. The focus this season is the expansion of the high-grade Blue Vein as well as the extensions to the Main and West Veins. Updated resource on the way The overall target of the program this year is to increase the historical resource at Elizabeth to support the development of a high-grade mine that will utilise the existing fully permitted mill infrastructure at Blackdome, approximately 30 kilometres to the north of the Elizabeth Project. Tempus is planning to complete an updated NI43-101 resource estimate for the Elizabeth Project following the completion of the 2022 program. The companys latest drill program aims to build on the success of an initial 39-hole diamond drilling program over 9,826 metres conducted at the Elizabeth project after exploration began in November 2020. This time, Tempus plans to drill up to 30 drill holes over roughly 8,500 metres at Elizabeth, targeting the Blue Vein, and the Main and West Veins. Rich Blue Vein The Blue Vein was discovered in 2021, revealing an initial grade of 1-metre at 33.7 g/t gold. Since then a total of seven holes have intersected the vein to date, including three holes with bonanza grade intersections greater than one ounce per tonne and high-grade gold mineralisation identified over a strike length of roughly 80 metres. Around 15 holes have been planned to target the expansion of the Blue Vein high-grade gold mineralisation along strike and depth. The drilling will test the Blue Vein gold mineralisation over a total strike length of around 300 metres and to a depth of 150 metres. Several of the Blue Vein drill holes will be extended to intersect the southwestern vein at depth to test the continuation of high-grade gold below the depth of current drilling. Main and West Veins The West and Main Veins have seen minimal drilling in the past but high-grade gold mineralisation was identified in surface trenching done in 2003. This uncovered 55 g/t gold over 20 metres at the West Vein and 14 g/t over 20 metres at Main Vein. A 10-hole campaign has been planned to target the potential extension of the Main and West Veins to the south of the surface trenching. Drilling will test the potential veins to a depth of approximately 200 metres. Ella Zone The Ella Zone was identified during trenching completed in 2003. Tempus drilled one hole in 2021, which intersected 1 g/t gold mineralisation over 2 metres within a 4-metre vein system. Three holes have been planned to test the Ella Zone. The company also plans around two to five additional exploration holes to test for additional vein sets, theorising that there is potential for new vein discoveries northeast of the Blue Vein and in the unexplored zone between the South-West Vein and the West Vein. Emyria Ltd (ASX:EMD) and its partner the University of Western Australia (UWA) will substantially expand their collaboration to develop novel MDMA analogues with the potential to become treatments for major unmet needs. Under the expanded agreement, Emyria will provide an additional $450,000 to UWA and Dr Matt Piggotts research group over the next 12 months. Looking ahead, the additional investment is expected to accelerate compound synthesis and screening through team expansion, specialist materials, equipment and software as well as commercialisation of the library via multiple patent family filings. Very productive Emyria managing director Dr Michael Winlo said: Emyrias partnership with UWA has been very productive. Were proud to continue our support of the development, commercialisation and translation of this promising and unique compound library developed by Professor Matt Piggott and his team. Initial screening results have been very positive. In a short timeframe, we have identified several promising lead drug candidates which we are now advancing to preclinical screening. This additional funding will help us further expand the library and build a strong patent and translational strategy with our global team. This MDMA partnership is a core part of Emyrias growing drug development pipeline and complements our ultra-pure cannabinoid program led by EMD-RX5. I look forward to updating the market as we advance against our development milestones in the coming months. Next-Gen MDMA like medicine. MDMA analogue program The MDMA analogue program is a key pillar of Emyrias drug development pipeline, providing exclusive access to promising new compounds with potential such as: Novel MDMA analogues to assist with psychotherapy (ie, 'next-generation psychedelic-assisted therapeutics') for major mental health disorders; and New treatments for a range of neurological and non-neurological conditions. The initial novel library of more than 100 unique compounds has been developed by a highly regarded research group led by expert medicinal chemist Dr Matt Piggott, who has been working with MDMA analogues, and exploring their therapeutic potential, for in excess of 10 years. UWA Professor Matt Piggott said: Emyria's clinical development expertise, funding and international networks have taken our MDMA analogue research to the next level. We have already identified hits for new disease indications as a result of the screening program this collaboration has enabled. We are excited at the prospect of translating these findings to the clinic, where they can improve quality of life for patients with unmet needs. Advanced to preclinical models To date, 85 compounds have been successfully screened with several compounds being prepared for preclinical testing to determine their therapeutic potential Positive initial results reveal that 82 of the first 85 compounds screened by Eurofins show no signs of off-target effects. Subsequently, these compounds have advanced to preclinical models while additional compounds are being synthesised and prepared for screening with support from a global team of advisors. Nearly 60 Danab battalion soldiers from the Somali National Army graduate from a logistics course taught by the U.S. Armys 101st Airborne Division May 24, 2017, in Mogadishu, Somalia. analysis The US has announced it will resume a limited military presence in Somalia. The former administration withdrew troops from the country in 2020. The mission of the American soldiers is still what it has been for the last 15 years: to advise and assist Somali forces. US troops will not be directly involved in conflict. Their number, 450 to 500, is smaller than the last deployment. The decision to redeploy in Somalia might appear to be surprising, for two important reasons. First, US president Joe Biden promised during his campaign to avoid the "forever wars" against terror lasting since 2002. None of these wars were ever fully won and remain unpopular with the US electorate. It is also surprising in the light of moves to restructure the US military to meet a threat from China. What better explains this decision, however, is the renewed emphasis on the old rivalry with Russia since Russia's Ukrainian intervention. Announcing the redeployment, the Pentagon claimed it was partly for operational security. After their withdrawal in 2020, American special forces continued to train Somali soldiers outside Somalia, and at times travelled in and out of the country. The Pentagon said the redeployment would end the ad hoc support by creating bases inside Somalia. Unofficially, American officials have claimed that the redeployment is due to worsening security conditions in Somalia. This argument is open to question: the security situation is in reality relatively stable. What is without doubt is that the deployment will have a direct influence on US-Russian rivalries in the region. Military situation in Somalia Somalia's security landscape has not changed much since the US pullout over the previous year. The frontlines between the al-Qaida affiliated Harakat al-Shabaab, the Somali government, and the Forces of the African Union in Somalia have remained largely the same during the American absence. So has the rate of terror attacks. Al-Shabaab has not expanded its territories though it does exercise control in areas supposedly under government control. Several researchers have reported that al-Shabaab is booming economically and is able to infiltrate the Somali security services. But this was also the case before the American withdrawal from Somalia. What has changed is the international setting. Over the past few years the China-US rivalry has intensified. And over the past year, the US-Russia rivalry has exploded, partly influenced by the outbreak of the Ukraine war. These rivalries have large scale impacts at the Horn of Africa. It is notable that the American redeployment announcement came days after the electoral defeat of Somali president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed ("Farmaajo"). The former Somali president was a close ally of Russia's new friends in the Horn of Africa - Ethiopia and Eritrea. The newly elected Somali president is much cooler towards Ethiopia and Eritrea. He has also pointedly welcomed the US redeployment. Post-Ukrainian reality in the Horn of Africa Farmaajo enjoyed a close alliance with Ethiopian president Abiy Ahmed and Eritrea's president Issayas Afeworki. Ethiopian forces helped Farmaajo insert his candidates in states hostile to him by, for example, suppressing his opponents. This was the case in Somalia's south west regional state during the election there in 2018. They also backed Farmaajo against his political rival president Ahmed "Madobe" of the Somali Jubaland regional-state in 2019. In return, Farmaajo sent his Somali forces to fight on the side of Abiy Ahmed in the Ethiopian civil war. And Issayas Afeworki intervened in Ethiopia's civil war and trained Somali forces. The Ethiopian civil war and the Ukrainian war increasingly saw the United States at odds with this tripartite alliance. First the US criticised the Ethiopian government for its actions in Tigray, which the United States saw as heavy handed and filled with human rights transgressions. The US special envoy to the Horn of Africa stated: As the war approaches its one-year anniversary, the United States and others cannot continue 'business as usual' relations with the government of Ethiopia. The worsening US-Ethiopian relations were also fuelled by a Russian military cooperation agreement with Ethiopia. This came in a period when Ethiopia had lost a lot of Russian produced materials in the battlefields of Tigray. Anti-American demonstrations took place in Addis Ababa, with Russian flags and pro-Russian slogans. And the US imposed sanctions on Eritrean and Ethiopian leaders. The relationship between the US and Eritrea and Ethiopia was worsening before the Ukrainian war. When the Ukrainian war broke out, Eritrea fully supported Russia at the United Nations while Ethiopia abstained from a vote condemning the action. That's not all. The US was also worried about Chinese investments to secure a naval base in Eritrea. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines East Africa U.S., Canada and Africa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. US deployment timing The timing of the American redeployment in Somalia has two possible explanations in my view. It might have been delayed until after the recent elections in order to insulate it from local politics. Or one could see it as the US way to shore up a president with the will and potential to withstand the Russian-backed alliance of Eritrea and Ethiopia in the Horn. That would in turn shore up the US and its allies against Russia. The latter point will be an outcome of the deployment anyway. It may well turn out to be the most important outcome, given that US engagement over 13 years has failed to bring about the end of al-Shabaab. The insurgents remain strong, and rich, but short of the ability to overrun the Somali government. Stig Jarle Hansen, Associate Professor of International Relations, Norwegian University of Life Sciences Willow said the project consists of research and development and commercialization phases, with revenue coming from both research fees and milestone payments Willow Biosciences Inc said it has been engaged by a specialty pharmaceutical company to optimize an enzyme vital to the development of a large volume Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) used in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products. The counterparty is partnered with a large-cap, multi-national healthcare company. "This is a significant step forward in the evolution of Willow's business," Willow CEO Trevor Peters said in a statement. "This new partnership highlights the capabilities of our scientific team, and demonstrates to our stakeholders the wide array of opportunities accessible to Willow's comprehensive FutureGrown technology platform. READ: Willow Biosciences announces first-ever peer reviewed study on clinical benefits of CBG for skincare Peters noted that as Willow continues to expand its capabilities and add new partnerships, it is on a path to becoming the premier name in biobased manufacturing." Willow, which has a presence in both Calgary, Alberta and Mountain View, California, explained that the project consists of research and development and commercialization phases, with revenue coming from both research fees and milestone payments. Following commercialization, Willow anticipates an on-going revenue stream from license payments. Willow develops and produces high-purity ingredients for the personal care, food and beverage, and pharmaceutical markets. Willow's FutureGrown biotechnology platform allows large-scale production with sustainability at its core. Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com Follow her on Twitter: @UttaraProactive MamaMancinis CEO Carl Wolf said 4Q was highlighted by record revenues and the acquisition of premier gourmet food manufacturers T&L Creative Salads Inc and Olive Branch LLC MamaMancinis Holdings Inc has announced that it boosted its fiscal 4Q revenue by 38.5% following the acquisition during the period of two premier gourmet food manufacturers whose products are highly symbiotic with the companys existing distribution network. For the three months ended January 31, 2022, the company posted record revenue of $13.9 million, compared to $10 million for the year-ago quarter. For the fiscal year to end-January 2022, the companys revenue increased 15.4% to a record $47.1 million, compared to $40.8 million in fiscal 2021. MamaMancinis CEO Carl Wolf said 4Q was highlighted by record revenues and the acquisition of premier gourmet food manufacturers T&L Creative Salads Inc and Olive Branch LLC, which he said was expected to generate at least $35 million in sales in 2022 in addition to the companys core revenue base. The acquisition significantly expanded our existing business in the rapidly growing fresh prepared foods segment, where we believe we can achieve a substantial increase in sales and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization by leveraging established national distribution partnerships, Wolf said in a statement. Integration of the acquisition has proceeded rapidly, bringing with it over 3,000 new locations for the combined company and over 10,000 spots on retailer shelves. Wolf said the company expects it will generate at least $30 million in sales in 1Q of fiscal 2023 and that it would approach a $100 million annual sales run-rate over the next year. Looking ahead to continue this momentum, we continue to see attractive multiples in the food product space and will evaluate additional acquisition opportunities that are immediately accretive, he said. The company posted a net loss for 4Q of $1.3 million or $0.04 per diluted share, compared to a net income of $1.7 million or $0.05 per diluted share for the same quarter in 2021. The decrease in net income was attributed to a lower gross margin, higher freight and shipping expenses, acquisition-related expenses, as well as increases in marketing accruals, and a tax expense of $0.3 million compared to a tax benefit of $0.7 in the prior period. MamaMancinis is a marketer and distributor of specialty prepared, refrigerated, and frozen all-natural Italian foods. Contact Emily at emily.jarvie@proactiveinvestors.com Follow her on Twitter @emilyjjarvie The firm will plan its next round of field work at Surimeau shortly Renforth Resources Inc (CSE:RFR, OTCQB:RFHRF) said it has established the polymetallic mineralization at the Lalonde showing on its Surimeau property at 2.4 kilometres. The firm said mineralization has been extended to the east by around 1.7 kilometres and to the west by nearly 400 metres by surface sampling of electromagnetic anomalies located on the magnetic structure. Current fieldwork discovered surface battery metals sulphides within the northern magnetic structure hosting Lalonde, the company said. Lalonde is located within Renforth's 330-kilometre Surimeau district property in Quebec, just north of the Victoria West mineralization previously drilled by Renforth. "I am happy to report to shareholders that the detailed mag and EM survey we flew over the Victoria structure and the main part of the Lalonde showing at Surimeau successfully shows us the presence of sulphide mineralization within the magnetic structures, as proven by our prospecting work delivering visual mineralization when bedrock outcrop was able to be located by our field team, the company's CEO Nicole Brewster said in a statement. Now we will wait for the assay results to accompany our visuals and will shortly be planning our next round of field work at Surimeau, to continue building value at Quebec's newest polymetallic battery metals property. Renforth also holds the Parbec gold deposit, a surface gold deposit contiguous to the Canadian Malartic Mine property in Malartic, Quebec; the Malartic West property, the site of a copper-silver discovery, and Nixon-Bartleman in Ontario. Contact Angela at angela@proactiveinvestors.com Follow her on Twitter @AHarmantas Golden Shield called the 58-metre down dip step-out significant, adding that the high-grade mineralization remains open to depth Golden Shield Resources (CSE:GSRI) Inc has revealed new assay results from the initial seven holes of its 11 hole, 3,100-metre Phase Two drill program at its flagship Marudi Mountain gold project in southwestern Guyana. Highlights from the results include 7.58 grams per ton (g/t) gold over 31 metres and 4.95 g/t gold over 10 metres at the Mazoa Hill prospect on the project. Hole MH-22-21 intersected the Quartz Metachert unit approximately 50 metres down dip of the previously released intercept of 58 metres grading 9.10 g/t from 142.5 metres down the hole in MH-21-04, according to a release. Golden Shield called the 58-metre down dip step-out significant, adding that the high-grade mineralization remains open to depth. Holes MH-22-17 and MH-22-18 were down dip step-outs from hole MH-22-16, extending mineralization approximately 90 metres down dip, the company added. Grade appears to increase with depth between the latest two holes with the lowermost intercept of 10 metres grading 4.95 g/t gold from 248 metres down the hole in MH-22-18, according to the firm. This intercept included 2 metres grading 19.06 g/t old from 248 metres down the hole and remains open to depth. "This round of drill results highlights that Mazoa Hill remains open to depth, centered around the high-grade central zone, intercepted in holes MH-22-21 and MH-21-04, and confirms Golden Shield's re-interpretation, vice president exploration Colin Porter said in a statement. Once all results are received a follow-up program will be designed to drill deeper and explore for lateral extensions. Following the completion of the Phase Two drill program, Golden Shield said its geologists and field crews will focus advancing existing prospects to drill stage, if merited, and exploration for additional prospects. Additional drilling will be planned at Mazoa Hill once Phase Two drill results are in, the firm said. Work programs for Golden Shield's two other projects, Arakaka and Fish Creek, are being finalized and are expected to start in the second half of 2022. Contact Angela at angela@proactiveinvestors.com Follow her on Twitter @AHarmantas PlantX CEO Lorne Rapkin said in just two years the company had achieved incredible growth which would not have been possible without the consistent support of its shareholders PlantX Life Inc has said its United States and Canada eCommerce platforms "continue to excel" as resources for the plant-based community as it zeroes in on its online strategy, wholesale expansion and retail performance. In a corporate update, the company said it has deployed CRO and UX strategies to consistently enhance its website performance through improved website speed and navigation. As of May 31, 2022, PlantX's US eCommerce platform will feature another 10,000 new products with no burden on PlantX for inventory investment. The companys UK platform Boombox Club has also added 8,000 new products since partnering with a UK-based distributor. Bloombox Club is now operating in five different countries across two continents, with the company adding accessories, outdoor plants, and plant-related gift items to the platform to address any potential reduction in sales of indoor plants during the summer season. Meanwhile, the companys cold-pressed juice brand and eCommerce platform Little West has experienced revenue growth due to its wholesale activity, increasing to US$317,000 in April 2022, compared to US$138,000 for the same period last year. PlantX attributed the revenue jump to Little West recently securing a new wholesale contract with Alfred Coffee in Los Angeles, California, which ensured Little Wests wholesale distribution along the US west coast. PlantX CEO Lorne Rapkin said in just two years the company had achieved incredible growth which would not have been possible without the consistent support of its shareholders. PlantX is looking forward to building on this growth in 2022, Rapkin said. The full corporate update is available here. Based in Vancouver, PlantX Life is the digital face of the plant-based community and its platform is the one-stop-shop for everything plant-based. Contact Emily at emily.jarvie@proactiveinvestors.com Follow her on Twitter @emilyjjarvie Lucky Minerals (TSX-V:LKY, OTC:LKMNF) Inc said it has increased its previously announced non-brokered private placement to up to 35,714,286 units from 33,000,000 units for gross proceeds of up to $2.0 million from up to approximately C$1.848 million previously. The company also noted that investors in the offering now include Victor Cantore, president and CEO of Amex Exploration, in addition to the previously announced Michael Gentile. In a statement, Francois Perron, Luckys president and CEO commented: The foundation for our future growth continues to be strengthened with the addition of Mr Cantore to our shareholder base. Our project in Ecuador is entering a very exciting phase. The entire team is looking forward to the first drilling of the Discovery Zone at Wayka in the coming weeks. The company noted that Cantore is a seasoned capital markets professional specializing in the junior mining and resource sector. He has been president & CEO at Amex Exploration since 2016. Under his leadership, Amex Exploration has made one of the most significant gold discoveries in Quebec and has led the company through an enormous growth and expansion period. Cantore has also been involved as an officer, a director, or a significant shareholder of several other mining companies including Vanstar Mining Resources, Nemaska Lithium, Vision Lithium, Freeman Gold, Royal Fox Gold (TSX-V:FOXG) and Generic Gold. He is deeply connected to the Canadian, American and European financial markets that specialize in the mining sector as well as leading mineral exploration professionals globally. As an established executive and active shareholder in the mining space, Cantore leverages his connections and expertise to build value in companies by making new discoveries of valuable mineral deposits that are required for global growth and prosperity. The company said the net proceeds of the private placement will be used to support the first drill program on the Fortuna Project in Ecuador and for general working capital purposes. Each unit in the offering is comprised of one common share and one full three-year common share purchase warrant. Each warrant entitles the holder to acquire one additional share at a price of C$0.10 each until the date that is 36 months from the closing of the offering. All the shares and warrants issued in connection to the offering are subject to a statutory hold period expiring four months and one day from the date of issuance. The company said it may pay finders fees on a portion of the offering in accordance with applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. The offering is subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval. Lucky Minerals is an exploration and development company targeting large-scale mineral systems in proven districts with the potential to host world-class deposits. The company's 100%-owned Fortuna Project is comprised of twelve contiguous, 550 square kilometres (55,000 hectares, or 136,000 acres) exploration concessions. Fortuna is located in a highly prospective, yet underexplored, gold belt in southern Ecuador. Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com Bloom Health reported EBITDA, or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization of $2.1 million for fiscal second quarter 2022 Bloom Health Partners Inc (CSE:BLMH, OTCQB:BLMHF) has posted unaudited second-quarter results in its fiscal year 2022 that saw its revenue jump 92.1% year-over-year as it grew its business rapidly and scaled operations efficiently. For the three-month period ended March 31, 2022, the Vancouver-based provider of operational health and health technology reported unaudited revenue of $11.1 million, nearly double the amount reported in its fiscal second quarter of 2021. The company has logged year-to-date revenue of $16.9 million for the first half of its fiscal year 2022. Bloom Health reported EBITDA, or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization of $2.1 million. The companys cash on hand as of March 31, 2022, was $1.7 million with receivables of $8.7 million. "We continue to deliver what we've committed to clients and shareholders," Bloom CEO Andrew Morton said in a statement. "Our fiscal 2Q 2022 revenue of $11.1 million and EBITDA of $2.1 million show our team's ability to grow the business rapidly and scale efficient operations. Bloom is successfully evolving into a premium provider of operational health and health-tech to Fortune 500, Film and TV productions and large organizations. The Bloom boss noted that large organizations see health as a key driver for productivity. Bloom's end-to-end platform, comprised of laboratories, clinical operations and data, addresses the demands of modern workplaces and organizations," Morton added. As previously announced on February 9, 2022, Bloom expects fiscal year 2022 revenue of $25 million to $28 million from business with new and existing clients and markets. The company also said it expects positive EBITDA from operations in FY 2022. Bloom highlighted that it has been awarded an extension of its state-wide contract for coronavirus (COVID-19) testing in Texas for K-12 schools to the end of the 2022-2023 school year. During the quarter, Bloom also launched the Bloom Shield health-tech software platform for workplace health deployments. The software is centered around a secure platform capable of handling large amounts of health data, worker vaccination records, and up-to-date health status. Bloom Health Partners is a global platform for healthcare security, diagnostic testing and occupational health tech. Its stable, scalable system is an integrated health-tech platform that securely manages data while delivering comprehensive workplace health and safety outcomes. Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com Follow her on Twitter: @UttaraProactive Baghdad, May 31 : Three rockets landed outside the perimeter of an air base housing US military experts and agencies in Iraq's western province of Anbar, an Iraqi army source said. The three rockets landed on Monday evening near the Ayn al-Asad airbase near the town of al-Baghdadi, nearly 190 km northwest of the capital Baghdad, causing no casualties, an officer from Anbar Operations Command told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. After the attack, the Iraqi security forces found the rocket launchers in an area outside the town of Haditha, nearly 210-km northwest of Baghdad, the source said as quoted by Xinhua news agency report. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet, but uncontrolled militias frequently target Iraqi military bases housing US military advisors across the country, and the US embassy in Baghdad has been frequently targeted by mortar and rocket attacks. The Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi confirmed on December 29, 2021, the end of the combat mission of the US-led coalition forces in the country. N'djamena, May 31 : More than 100 gold miners have been killed and 40 others have been injured in violence that erupted last week at the Kouri Bougoudi gold site in the north of Chad, an official said. Images circulating on Chadian social media in recent days showed piled up or charred bodies in the gold-bearing area, in the Tibesti region that borders Libya, Xinhua news agency reported. "It is rather an argument between two individuals and afterwards, it led to row fights," Daoud Yaya Brahim, a Minister delegate to the Presidency of the Council, was quoted by local media as saying on Monday. An army unit stationed in Kouri Bougoudi, 35 kilometres from the gold site where the conflict broke out, has been dispatched to intervene between the belligerents, he added. "The operation of the site is suspended, and all foreigners are being transported to Libya and Chadians to Wour, with the means of the Army," the official said. Since 2017, gold mining in Tibesti, a mountainous area, has attracted tens of thousands of Chadians, and gold miners from Libya, Niger and other neighbouring countries, news reports said. Shimla, May 31 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the Himachal Pradesh capital on Tuesday to participate in the Garib Kalyan Sammelan. This public programme, marking completion of eight years of the government led by the Prime Minister, is being organised across the country at state capitals, district headquarters and Krishi Vigyan Kendras. It conceptualises elected public representatives across the country directly interacting with the public in an endeavour to get feedback about the various welfare programmes being run by the government, an official statement said. The Garib Kalyan Sammelan will start at around 9.45 a.m. with Chief Ministers, Central Ministers, state Ministers, MPs, MLAs and other elected public representatives directly interacting with the public at their respective locations across the country. At about 11 a.m., with the Prime Minister joining the programme from Shimla, various state- and local-level programmes will get coverage and make the programme national. During the event, the Prime Minister will directly interact with the beneficiaries of different programmes of nine Ministries or Departments of the Centre. The freewheeling interaction is aimed to get free and frank feedback from the public, understand the impact of welfare schemes in people's lives and explore convergence and saturation with regard to different government programmes. The endeavour is to make the reach and delivery of government programmes more efficient so as to improve the ease of living of the citizens of the country, added the statement. The Prime Minister will also release the 11th installment of financial benefit under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme. This will enable the transfer of around Rs 21,000 crore to more than 10 crore beneficiary farmer families. On the occasion, the Prime Minister will also interact with the beneficiaries of (PM-KISAN) across the country. President Salva Kiir, right, of South Sudan shakes hands with Riek Machar after concluding a peace deal to end the conflict in the country in September 2018. analysis Juba 'If not the peace deal, then what? Reopen negotiations over a way forward? What does that look like?' South Sudan's transitional government is due to wrap up in less than 10 months. Yet the country's future looks as bleak as it did in 2018 when rival parties signed a deal to end a crippling civil war that killed nearly 400,000 people. The peace agreement was supposed to end the conflict, but progress continues to drag and UN experts now say the deal is actually driving violence. Clashes between the ruling party and the opposition have increased in recent months and could get worse ahead of elections tentatively being arranged - but not yet scheduled - for next year. Meanwhile, humanitarian needs have spiked: Some 75 percent of the population are in need of assistance, hunger is the worst it has been since the country gained independence in 2011, and years of unprecedented floods have forced nearly one million people from their homes, according to the UN. And while the peace deal quelled large-scale fighting, clashes across the country never ceased. In fact, they are increasing - between February and April this year at least 70 people, including aid workers, were killed in Unity, one of the most conflict-affected states. The UN has also reported sexual assaults, beheadings, and civilians being burned alive by armed groups. Fighting between government- and opposition-aligned militia in Western Equatoria state last year killed hundreds and displaced some 80,000 people. The Panel of Experts on South Sudan, a UN-mandated investigative group, reported in April that "almost every component of the peace agreement is now hostage to the political calculations of the country's military and security elites, who use a combination of violence, misappropriated public resources and patronage to pursue their own narrow interests." As a result, much of the peace agreement remains gridlocked by political disputes between its principal signatories. 'The community is crying' Cautious optimism followed the signing of the peace deal over three and a half years ago - the latest attempt to pull South Sudan out of five years of fighting that displaced millions and plunged parts of the country into famine. A previous agreement signed in 2015 failed when renewed clashes erupted in the capital, Juba, forcing opposition leader Riek Machar to flee the country on foot. Machar returned to the capital to form a coalition government with President Salva Kiir in February 2020, yet there were problems from the outset, including a shortage of funds and accusations that the ruling party lacked the political will to implement the agreement. One of the key components, a unified national army - composed of 42,000 soldiers from both the government and the opposition - has not been established. Distrust with the deal was so high that both the government and opposition armies chose not to send most of their soldiers to the government-created cantonment sites, where soldiers could start the process of unifying into a national army. Instead, they sent low-level fighters or civilians who had never fought before. Of those in the training centres, "the majority [had] never participated in the war," Lam Paul Gabriel, opposition spokesperson for the army, told The New Humanitarian. It also took more than a year to create a parliament and fill local government positions. Many states where the power-sharing agreement has been implemented face political deadlock, with the ruling party accused of blocking appointees or undercutting decisions by opposition members, according to local authorities. The peace deal's slow implementation has had far-reaching implications. During a trip across the country in December 2021, South Sudanese civilians told The New Humanitarian they were no better off than when the country was at war; they didn't feel the dividends of peace; and it was nearly impossible to rebuild their lives with no employment opportunities and no government support. Hundreds of thousands of people are still being forced from their homes due to floods or conflict, and tens of thousands more are too scared to leave a UN protection site. "There's no peace in Malakal [town]. People are being killed and no one's held responsible," said Adam Ajak, an ethnic Shilluk chief who lives in a UN-run camp in the northern city of Malakal where some 34,000 people seek refuge. In December, camp residents reported at least one person had been killed in the town a few weeks prior, and ethnic Nuer were being abused by the army. In neighbouring Jonglei state, where years of floods have prevented the population from cultivating crops, people are reportedly starving to death. In October, a mother and her child died from hunger in a village outside Old Fangak, said Jeremiah Gatmai, the humanitarian representative for the government. "The community is crying," he said, and notes that the local government has not received any of the $10 million in flood support promised from Juba. But while the population suffers, factions in the political elite keep vying for power ahead of elections and the ruling party continues marginalising Machar, encouraging and capitalising on his party's defections. Last year, the opposition's top generals left, creating their own splinter group before forging an agreement with Kiir. In recent months, government soldiers have been accused of attacking the opposition in Upper Nile and Unity states, according to a joint statement by the United States, Britain, and Norway, known as the Troika, which said it was concerned that "cycles of revenge attacks" risked greater violence. In March, the opposition announced it would stop participating in meetings related to security arrangements for the peace agreement because they were not productive, and as unprovoked attacks on their forces by the government showed no signs of ceasing. The opposition reportedly rejoined the meetings shortly afterwards. Support wanes and frustration grows Civil society leaders, religious leaders, and the international community are becoming exasperated at the listless peace deal and the increase in violence. "These [peace] agreements have been deliberately undermined, and the way they're being implemented - particularly the current one - [is] not taking the country anywhere and is just setting [it] up for more crisis and suffering," said Rajab Mohandis, a founding member of the People's Coalition for Civil Action (PCAA), a local umbrella group of activists. Members of his group were detained by the government last year after calling for peaceful countrywide protests to force the government to step down over failed leadership. Mohandis and others fled the country in fear of their safety. Patience for the government is also waning from supporters abroad. In December, a group of American and British church leaders wrote an open letter to President Kiir, saying the government was leading the country to "tyranny". "We are extremely distressed about the ways in which your government is taking a wrong road, a road that is taking South Sudan in a different direction from that of democracy," they said in the letter. But while everyone has a lot to say about the peace deal's failings, few alternatives or attempts at solutions are being articulated. "[The peace deal] is very messy and very ugly and very frustrating... The question we have to ask is, if not the peace deal, then what? Reopen negotiations over a way forward? What does that look like?" said one Western diplomat in Juba who did not want to be named. Long road to elections According to the 2018 power-sharing agreement, the transitional government - which officially ends next February - culminates in elections in December this year. Yet this is unlikely to happen on time, and there is concern that if elections did take place things could get worse. "Until now, the country [has] no conducive environment for casting electoral votes," said Edmund Yakani, executive director for the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, a local advocacy group. "Without genuine transitional security arrangements... the chances of returning to war are high." The main parties still haven't agreed whether to hold elections. The ruling party says it wants to cast ballots next year, although it hasn't specified a date; while the opposition says certain conditions must first be met, such as the return of some two million refugees, the creation of a permanent constitution - as opposed to the transitional one currently in place - and security arrangements. Despite the lack of consensus, the ruling party has already started campaigning. Rallies have been held in 6 of 10 states, according to local media reports from May, which rights groups say is stoking tensions. In March, the UN Security Council renewed the peacekeeping mission's mandate for South Sudan with the "significant" addition of providing support for holding elections. The head of the mission, Nicholas Haysom, encouraged all parties to put momentum towards completing the agreement's remaining benchmarks. Even if both parties agree to hold elections, it has been years since any resources have been put towards the bodies that would organise them. According to professor Abednego Akok, chairman of the National Election Commission, they would need 10 times as many staff as it has now and at least $95 million - the budget estimated for the 2015 elections, which never took place because war erupted. The government owes more than $500,000 in rent - three years' worth - just for the building housing their offices, Akok added. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines South Sudan Governance Conflict By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The UN says it will assist with technical and logistical support. However, neither they nor other countries have committed money to the process. Haysom warned that the window for completing the implementation of the peace deal is closing, and if elections occurred where the conditions were not appropriate, it "would likely lead to violence before, during, and after". One of the most concerning parts about these elections is that they are being seen as an endgame rather than one step towards a broader political solution, according to aid workers familiar with the process and who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity. One of the main problems is that there is no trust between political parties, or between the people and the government, making it hard to agree on a legal framework for holding them, they say. Some locals say elections should not be held at all. "If there's conflict now, how can elections be held?" said Alison Simon, a youth leader from Western Equatoria, where fighting raged last year. "If there is not total peace in place, how can people contest?" In March, the PCAA, the umbrella activist group, wrote a letter to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the east African regional bloc, proposing the creation of an Interim Public Trust Administration which would replace the current regime at the end of the transition in February 2023. The idea is that it would be led by people not politically aligned with the warring parties, according to the letter seen by The New Humanitarian. Elections would then be held in December 2025, giving the country time to hold further political dialogue, rebuild public trust in the government, conduct a census, and return refugees and displaced people to their homes. "The whole country is up in flames," reads the letter. "Violence is spreading uncontrollably and with it is death, displacements, hunger, [disease], and misery. Where is the peace?" Edited by Helen Morgan. Varanasi, May 31 : President Ram Nath Kovind will visit Varanasi on June 5 and offer prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple. District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma said that as per the initial itinerary, the President is likely to arrive at the Lal Bahadur Shastri International airport in the afternoon. Following a brief halt at the Banaras Locomotive Workshop's guest house, the President will go to the Kashi Vishwanath temple for offering prayers. He will leave for Lucknow in the evening on the same day. The district administration, police and all other departments have geared up their preparations for the President's visit. President Kovind and his family had visited Varanasi in March 2021 and offered prayers at the temple and had also attended the Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat. Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had also accompanied them. During his Varanasi visit in March 2018, the President had laid the foundation of many major infrastructure projects, including the second phase of the ring road and upgradation of Varanasi-Hanumana national highway. Lucknow, May 31 : The Habitats Trust, founded by HCL Technologies Chair Roshni Nadar Malhotra, has signed an MoU with the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department (UPFD) to help augment wildlife and natural habitats conservation efforts in the state. According to an official release, the Trust will support UPFD in crucial areas such as filling gaps in conservation research in the forest areas, scientific restoration of degraded habitats, providing mobility infrastructure such as patrolling vehicle and boats, and support with behaviour psychology and mental health assistance for the forest department personnel as well as communities living in forest areas. Uttar Pradesh is home to rich biodiversity and houses three tiger reserves, Dudhwa, Pilibhit and Amangarh, 27 wildlife sanctuaries, and the highest number of RAMSAR Wetland sites (10 out of 49) in India. All these protected areas cover close to 6,450 sq.km, a vast area for the forest department to guard and protect. Wildlife residing in these natural habitats in the state face many threats from high human population on forest edges leading to man-animal conflict, fragmentation of habitat, poaching and logging from the long porous border with Nepal, resource extraction in rivers, annual flood cycles that heavily impact human and wildlife. The above has led to serious threats to the already endangered wild species that inhabit the state's forests. Some of these include the Bengal tiger, leopards, Indian wolf, Indian one-horned rhinoceros, swamp deer and the Asian elephants, among many others. As part of the MoU signed by Rushikesh Chavan, Head of The Habitats Trust, and Mamta Sanjeev Dubey, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and HoD, UPFD, the Habitats Trust will support the Department with conservation efforts across the state. It will especially focus on the terai arc of North Eastern Uttar Pradesh of Pilibhit, Dudhwa and surrounding forests, and wetland habitats of Pilibhit, Etawah, Mainpuri and other districts. Sanjaya Singh, IFS, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Wildlife, UPFD, said: "For long term sustainable and impactful biodiversity conservation, it is important that all stakeholders come together for the cause. We look forward to working with The Habitats Trust closely on various issues including grasslands and wetland conservation in the state of Uttar Pradesh and hope that this will result in long-term impact." Jakarta, May 31 : Rescuers have expanded the search area to 45 nautical miles (about 83 km) northeast of the site where a ship capsized cin the waters off Indonesia's South Sulawesi province last week, a rescue official said. "Because that is the area where more victims were discovered," Xinhua news agency quoted the official as saying. He confirmed that the number of survivors has increased to 31 with 11 people still missing. "The operation will resume on Tuesday. Some ships have headed to shore, but another remains at sea," he said. The ship capsized in the Makassar Strait on May 26, but the incident was reported to the provincial search and rescue office two days alter. It suffered an engine failure after being hit by huge waves The vessel departed from Paotere harbour and was heading to a seaport in Pangkajene district, both in South Sulawesi. Hassan : , May 31 (IANS) Tension gripped the Arasikere taluk in Karantaka's Hassan district on Tuesday after the vandalisation of idols in a temple by miscreants. The incident took place at the exhibition center of Malekallu Tirupathi Hill. This 300-year-old sacred place is known as Chikka (mini) Tirupathi. The temple is located 2-km away from the Arasikere town atop a hill and is revered by the people in the region. According to police, at least four miscreants vandalised the idols which were ready for installation. The police said the miscreants, who came to the premises of the temple on Monday, swam in the Kalyani (sacred water body of temple). They also smoked despite objections and threatened and chased away the labourers working in the premises. Later, they went to the exhibition center and vandalised the idols which were ready for installation and some were under construction to be set up in the temple premises. The miscreants used rods and other equipment to break idols. Considering the sensitivity of the matter, District Superintendent of Police R. Srinivas Gowda and senior officers in the district rushed to the spot. Dog squad and fingerprint experts collected the clues on miscreants. After the news spread, Hindu activists and hundreds of people gathered in the temple premises. The police have beefed up the security in the premises and also was keeping vigilance in Arasikere taluk. Further investigation is on. Kochi, May 31 : A total of 14.99 voter turnout was registered in the first two hours of Thrikkakara by-election which got underway at 7 a.m on Tuesday. In what is being seen as a very crucial election for both -- Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of Opposition V.D.Satheesan -- a large number of voters were seen standing in queues to exercise their franchise in 239 polling booths of the constituency. As many as 1,96,805 electorate are eligible to cast their votes this time against 1,94,113 in the 2021 April Assembly polls which was won by now-deceased Congress veteran P.T.Thomas with a margin of 14,329 votes. Thomas passed away in December last year necessitating fresh polls with the Congress fielding his widow Uma Thomas, while the CPI-M brought in a young interventional cardiologist Joe Joseph. The BJP went for veteran leader A.N.Radhakrishnan. The Congress candidate, along with her sons and daughter-in-law, cast her votes and so has Joseph. Expressing absolute confidence, Uma said she is sure that the electorate will vote for the work that Thomas has done in the constituency. Meanwhile, Joseph pointed out that history will be created as the Left is set to register a historic win for the first time after the formation of the constituency in 2011. Radhakrishnan went a step ahead saying that the BJP will spring a surprise. Voting will conclude by 6 p.m and counting of votes will be taken up on Friday. Sanaa, May 31 : The Houthi militia in Yemen has confirmed that the first commercial flight between Sanaa and Cairo will take off on Wednesday after a gap of six years. "The office of UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg has confirmed in a letter to the (Houthi-controlled) ministry of transportation in Sanaa that the first passenger flight in years from Sanaa to Cairo, as well as a return flight, is scheduled for June 1," Xinhua news agency quoted the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV as saying. On May 16, the war-torn country's first commercial flight in six years took off from Sanaa, the Houthi-held Yemeni capital to Amman, Jordan, marking significant progress in the country's ongoing UN-borkered truce. On August 9, 2016, the Saudi-led coalition imposed restrictions on Yemen's airspace, resulting in the closure of the Sanaa airport. After that, only planes of a few international organisations were allowed to enter the Sanaa airport, which used to be the largest hub in the country for international travel. Under the UN's auspices, Yemen's warring parties entered the two-month ceasefire on April 2, which includes allowing commercial flights to and from Sanaa and the entry of fuel ships into the Houthi-held port of Hodeidah, and lifting the siege of the government-held Taiz city. According to the UN, a total of 12 fuel ships carrying around 340,000 tonnes of fuel have so far been allowed by the Yemeni government into the Hodeidah port since the beginning of the truce. The warring parties have largely held the truce, but they have yet to reach a final agreement on lifting the siege of Taiz city. The truce marks the first breakthrough in years to end the war that has killed tens of thousands of people and pushed the country to the brink of starvation. Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed government out of Sanaa. Srinagar, May 31 : A Hindu female teacher was shot dead by militants on Tuesday in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district. Police said that 'a Scheduled Caste Hindu teacher, identified as Rajni wife of Raj Kumar of Samba district in Jammu division, was fired upon by militants in Gopalpora high school of Kulgam district'. A senior doctor at Kulgam district hospital said that the woman was brought dead to the facility. Entire area attack has been cordoned off to nab the assassins. Mumbai, May 31 : As his film 'Samrat Prithviraj' is all set to release on the big screen, Bollywood's 'Khiladi' Akshay Kumar and his co-star Manushi Chhillar performed a puja on the banks of river Ganga in Varanasi. He was then seen taking a dip in the Ganga. Akshay took to Instagram, where he posted a video of himself wearing a pink kurta and holding a prayer plate in his hands with diyas and flowers in it. Manushi is seen standing next to him dressed in a pink salwar-kurta. In one of her pictures, Manushi is seen praying, folding her hands, with her eyes closed. Before jumping into the river, the actor was seen standing on a boat and joining his hands over his head. He captioned the video: "Team #SamratPrithviraj in Varanasi yesterday." 'Samrat Prithvira'j will release on June 3. Helmed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi, the film is based on the life of legendary warrior Prithviraj Chauhan and his love for Princess Sanyogita. Patna, May 31 : Crime against women has witnessed a decline in Bihar with 317 rape and gang-rape cases being registered in the first quarter of the year against 357 in the corresponding period of last year, as per data released by state police. According to official spokesperson of Bihar police, the figure is 11.2 per cent lesser than the previous year. Notably, the state is otherwise seeing a spurt in criminal incidents, says the data released on Monday evening. Cases of molestation also reduced by 34.3 per cent between January 1 and March 31 this year. "We have registered 92 cases in the first three months of this year against 140 molestation cases in the corresponding period of last year," the official said. Even the dowry cases have reported a fall by 10.04 per cent. The department had registered 846 cases in the first quarter of 2021 in different police stations of the state, while the number has reduced to 763 in the corresponding period of this year, the official said. Lucknow, May 31 : It is rare that a Hindi journalist from the Hindi heartland makes his mark in the UK. Ram Dutt Tripathi, former senior journalist with BBC and based in Lucknow, has done just that. His work is being prominently displayed at a four-month long exhibition, currently underway at the SOAS, University of London titled, 'Crafting Subversion: DIY and Decolonial Print' at its Brunei Gallery. It is also exhibiting work during the Indian emergency days from 1975 to 1977. The exhibition started from April 28 and would continue till September 3. Exhibition curator Dr Pragya Dhital, whose interest in print history and experimental literature stems from her research on censorship in India during the colonial period and the internal Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, explained the theme and title of the exhibition. "DIY is a common acronym that means 'do it yourself'. These journalists worked without the assistance of a commercial entity. They worked without commercial support and were not financially dependent on anyone else," said Dhital, a British Academy postdoctoral research fellow at London's Queen Mary University. "This exhibition also includes a section on how journalists and activists published underground/ cyclostyled news bulletins to connect with their colleagues and masses during the emergency and communicated among prisoners," Dhital said. Ram Dutt Tripathi, at 22, was the managing editor of a fortnightly Nagar Swarajya published from Allahabad which is now being digitised by the University of Goettingen's 'Long Emergency' project. He showed how simple duplication technology could be used to produce news, focusing on the 'Gestetner' stencil duplicator. This collection also contains legal documents from his arrest, trial, and imprisonment. Tripathi said, "I am glad that my work has been displayed in London, a city known for its democratic and free-expression values. Even today, many countries tend to use more indirect and sophisticated tools to restrict freedom of expression. It was unfortunate what happened to a journalist covering the Hapur incident. People should be aware of how they attempt to communicate during a difficult time, as I did in 1975. In India, we never know if we will have to deal with it in the near future." The exhibition includes items from the Asia Art Archive, the Bruce Castle Museum's Gestetner archives and pamphlets from the British library's collection of publications proscribed in colonial India. A map of Africa, with the Sahel highlighted in orange. The Sahel is roughly the land area between the lines of 200mm (north) and 600mm (south) mean 20th century annual rainfall. This is limited to land areas directly to the south of the Sahara desert and including the islands of Cape Verde, but not including other areas in Africa with the same rainfall statistics. This is one, but not the only, definition of the Sahel region. analysis Armies in Mali and Burkina Faso have killed more civilians than jihadi extremists. The ruling military juntas in the two countries in West Africa's Sahel region are unable to keep the peace. The coup plotters in Mali and Burkina Faso came to power justifying their power grabs by citing the inability of the civilian authorities to restore security. But the figures that DW has gathered show that the military's action has brought no results in this respect. Worse still, the killing of civilians has increased, especially in Mali. Attacks by rebel groups, jihadis or otherwise, have not decreased since the first coup in Mali on August 18, 2020. On the contrary, they have increased in 2021, with 689 deadly incidents, and at this rate the number could reach nearly 1,000 attacks this year. Malian army violates human rights In addition, 550 people have been killed in Mali since the beginning of the year in violence committed against civilians by the armed forces. This is more than the number of people killed by rebel groups. The massacre in Moura was a major factor. The killings in this village, located between Mopti and Djenne in central Mali, took place over several days. Human Rights Watch accused Malian soldiers and foreign fighters, probably Russian, of executing 300 civilians suspected of being jihadis. The massacre reportedly took place between March 27 and 31. Mali isolates itself The attacks come at a time when Mali has announced its withdrawal from the G5 Sahel , the five-member military alliance fighting jihadist insurgencies in the Sahel region of West Africa. The alliance now includes only Chad, Mauritania, Niger and Burkina Faso. A statement by Mali's junta blamed a lack of progress in the fight against the jihadists and the failure to conduct recent meetings in Mali. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines West Africa Governance Conflict By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Mali's exit further isolates the country in the wake of sanctions imposed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The sanctions have affected the economy of the poverty-stricken country. Dramatic situation in Burkina Faso In Burkina Faso, the situation is also dramatic: The ruling military junta is powerless to stop jihadists from taking over the country. Deadly attacks have been multiplying since the January 23 coup. The most recent massacre of civilians claimed some 50 lives on May 25 in the commune of Madjoari, in eastern Burkina Faso, near the border with Benin. Several more deadly attacks on soldiers and civilians had previously occurred in Madjoari. Eleven soldiers were killed and 20 more were wounded in one such attack on May 19. Five days earlier, 17 people were killed and seven injured in an attack on civilians. Since the military coup in Burkina Faso, nearly 700 attacks have taken place in the country, resulting in the death of more than 400 people, an increase of 40% compared to the same period last year. Insecurity has thus increased and, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), which collects data on conflicts, jihadists have "taken advantage of the break in the military chain of command" following Burkina Faso's January 23 coup. For seven years, the northern and eastern regions of the country have been hit by attacks perpetrated by movements affiliated to al-Qaida and the so-called "Islamic State" group. In Burkina Faso alone, than 2,000 people have been killed and some 1.8 million displaced. Shimla, May 31 : Amidst the chants of 'Vande Mataram' and 'Bharat Mata ki Jai', Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday reached the Himachal Pradesh capital to participate in the Garib Kalyan Sammelan. On arrival, he was extended a rousing reception by party workers and sympathizers, some donning traditional dresses, who were awaiting his arrival for several hours. Many women were present en route, waving their hands at the Prime Minister's arrival. During the roadshow, Modi came out of the cavalcade and accepted greetings of the people by taking a stroll on The Mall. Chief Minister Jairam Thakur was accompanying him. The focus of the visit is the Assembly polls, which are slated later this year, in the hill state. Modi often recalls his special bond with the state. He is also trying to keep his party's 'double engine government' on the track by recapitulating milestones the state achieved through Centre's welfare schemes. The Garib Kalyan Sammelan, which marks the completion of eight years of the government led by the Prime Minister, is being organised across the country at state capitals, district headquarters and Krishi Vigyan Kendras. It conceptualises elected public representatives across the country directly interacting with the public in an endeavour to get feedback about the various welfare programmes being run by the government, an official statement said. Elated over the visit, Chief Minister Jairam Thakur, who himself was supervising the preparations related to the Prime Minister's visit, told the media, "We are grateful to the Prime Minister for selecting this state to mark the eighth anniversary of the NDA government at the Centre." "It is a historical event when the Prime Minister will interact with the beneficiaries of 16 Central schemes, to be watched by 17 lakh people across the country," he added. At about 11 a.m., with the Prime Minister joining the Garib Kalyan Sammelan from Shimla, various state- and local-level programmes will get coverage and make the programme national. During the event, the Prime Minister will directly interact with the beneficiaries of different programmes of nine Ministries or Departments of the Centre. The freewheeling interaction is aimed to get free and frank feedback from the public, understand the impact of welfare schemes in people's lives and explore convergence and saturation with regard to different government programmes. The Prime Minister will also release the 11th installment of financial benefit under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme. This will enable the transfer of around Rs 21,000 crore to more than 10 crore beneficiary farmer families. On the occasion, the Prime Minister will also interact with the beneficiaries of (PM-KISAN) across the country. Thousands of people, some donning traditional dresses, started converging at the historic Ridge -- once the promenade for the British colonial rulers when this town was their summer capital -- hours ahead of Modi reaching there to virtually address beneficiaries of the government's schemes. A grand reception was extended by hundreds of people, holding party flags, lined up to welcome Modi en route right from the Central Telegraph Office (CTO) to the Ridge. This was Modi's first visit to Shimla after December 27, 2017, the day his party's government came to helm in the state. He last addressed the public meeting here on April 27, 2017, after launching the Centre's subsidised air regional connectivity scheme UDAN, or 'Ude Desh ka Har Nagarik'. After addressing the beneficiaries of the Central government's schemes, he will address a public meeting. Marking Modi's ambitious Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, a cleanliness campaign was carried out. State BJP General Secretary Trilok Jamwal said it was a matter of pride that Modi chose Shimla for the rally on the occasion of completion of eight years of the Union government. "Himachal is the second home of our Prime Minister and he is always excited to visit it. The people of Himachal Pradesh are excited to welcome Modi on his visit," said Jamwal, who is also political adviser to the Chief Minister. But why Shimla's Mall Road, which has several British-era heritage buildings in typical Tudor style -- all wooden frames and shingled eaves, is special to Prime Minister Modi. Old-timers recall that on his previous visits Modi never missed an opportunity to stop at the popular cafe Indian Coffee House on The Mall and to sip a cup of coffee. In his previous visit in December 2017, as he was on his way to the airstrip, Modi's cavalcade stopped outside Indian Coffee House and spent more than 10 minutes and enjoyed a cup of coffee as hundreds of BJP workers and others assembled there. "In Shimla, relished coffee at the Indian Coffee House and reminisced about the old days. The coffee tastes as good as it did two decades ago, when I would frequent Himachal for party work," Modi had said in a tweet. In another tweet, he had thanked the people of Shimla for the warm welcome. Armed with mobiles, Modi was mobbed by fans as they had tried to take selfies with him outside the Indian Coffee House that was set up in 1943. Shimla's famous coffee house has seen many prominent customers -- late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani. When he studied in India, former Afghan President Hamid Karzai was a frequent visitor, too. Modi, during his earlier visit here, recalled that he used to spend hours at the Coffee House with his journalist friends to keep a tab on the state's political developments. At one of the public rallies here, Modi had said: "Sitting at the Indian Coffee House along with my journalist friends, I used to get an insight into the state's political developments." Modi had added in a lighter vein that he never paid for the coffee he had. His journalist friends used to foot the bill. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Kochi, May 31 : A presiding officer in one of the polling booths in Thrikkakara, where voting is underway for the bypoll, was sent for a medical examination on suspicion of being "drunk". Government official P.Varghese attached to a polling booth at the St Joseph school, near here, was found behaving strangely and entering into arguments with a person. After doubts were raised about him being "inebriated", a complaint was registered with the Ernakulam district collector overseeing the bypoll. He ordered that Varghese be taken for a medical examination and replacd him with a new presiding officer. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Srinagar, May 31 : Terrorists fired upon and shot dead a Hindu school teacher at Gopalpora in South Kashmir's Kulgam district, police said on Tuesday. The teacher was identified as Rajni, wife of Raj Kumar of Samba district in Jammu. According to the details, the terrorists fired at the school teacher, injuring her critically. She was moved to the hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. The J&K Police tweeted: "Injured lady teacher, a Hindu and resident of Samba (Jammu division) succumbed to her injuries. "Terrorists involved in this gruesome terror crime will be soon identified and neutralised." The area has been cordoned off. Additional forces have reached the spot and an operation has been started to nab the attackers. Bengaluru, May 31 : Karnataka Fire and Emergency Services personnel have rescued four labourers stuck beneath the collapsed portico of a private hospital in Bengaluru on Tuesday. Fortunately, there was no movement of patients or people at the time of the incident at at 6.15 a.m. in the Saint Martha's hospital premises. The portico arch had collapsed early Tuesday morning. The labourers -- Moyuddeen, Chand Pasha, Rafi Saab, Basavaraj -- were rescued after the personnel carried out a mission for more than three hours. DCP in-charge of Central Division Dr S.D. Sharanappa said: "We will verify the documents in connection with the incident and initiate action." Police sources explained that the portico collapsed due to installation of insufficient load bearing pillars. Hyderabad, May 31 : The Telangana government has cancelled the land pooling process for development of Outer Ring Road (ORR) in Warangal in the wake of protests by farmers. An order to this effect was issued on Monday night. This comes amid the growing protests by the farmers against the proposal to acquire land in 28 villages around Warangal city Arvind Kumar, Special Chief Secretary, municipal administration and urban development, stated that the government directed the Kakatiya Urban Development Authority (KUDA) to forthwith withdraw the notification issued on April 30 seeking consent of land owners for land pooling. KUDA, which proposed to develop ORR for a stretch of 41 km, had taken up this through land pooling process and commissioned survey work covering 28 villages in three districts -- Hanmakonda, Warangal and Jangaon. The farmers have been protesting against the notification. They have formed a Joint Action Committee to fight against land acquisition. Last week they staged a road blockade on the Warangal-Hyderabad highway, disrupting traffic for a few hours. The protest was supported by the Congress, Left parties and the BJP. The KUDA had proposed to acquire 21,510 acres of the land in 28 villages for the ORR. Though KUDA had announced that it has deferred the process in view of the opposition from the farmers, the JAC of farmers had vowed to continue the protest till the government scraps the move. Ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MLA from Wardhannapet Aroori Ramesh had also called on minister for municipal administration and urban development K.T. Rama Rao and discussed the issue in the wake of the protest by farmers. Geneva, May 31 : It may be too early to say whether the recent monkeypox outbreak, which has spread to 24 nations with over 435 confirmed cases, could lead to a global pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said. The global health body, however, noted that there is a "window" of opportunity to curb rising cases, CNBC reported. According to the WHO, there are "still many unknowns" related to the spike in cases in non-endemic countries outside of Africa. It said the virus should not be mistaken for Covid-19 and that the risks to the general public remain low, the report said. "We don't want people to panic or be afraid and think that it's like Covid or maybe worse," Sylvie Briand, the WHO's director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, said during a briefing on the outbreak. "This monkeypox disease is not Covid-19, it is a different virus," she added. While health experts are not clear about the genetic makeup of the virus, current data suggests that it doesn't transmit or mutate as easily as other viruses like Covid-19, an RNA virus. "At the moment, we are not concerned about a global pandemic," WHO's technical lead for monkeypox, Rosamund Lewis, was quoted as saying. However, she noted that rising individual cases were a cause for concern as it could allow the virus to "exploit a niche" and transmit more easily between people. The virus has for the first time manifested in gay and bisexual men. Though the virus is not defined as a sexually transmitted disease, Lewis urged men who have sex with other men to be aware. "Collectively, the world has an opportunity to stop this outbreak. There is a window," Lewis said. Latest updates on Monkeypox Virus Outbreak -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Washington, May 31 : The US will not provide Ukraine with long-range rocket systems capable of hitting targets inside Russia, President Joe Biden said, despite pleas from the war-torn nation for the supply of advanced weaponry. "We are not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that can strike into Russia," Biden said in response to a question from the media as he arrived at the White House from Delaware. Reports emerged last week that the US was preparing to send Ukraine advanced long-range rocket systems as Russia focused its invasion in the eastern part of Ukraine, reports Xinhua news agency. But the Defense Department refused to confirm such a plan. "We are still working through what the next package is going to look like," Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby told reporters in May 27. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other top officials in the government have been requesting the US to provide Multiple Launch Rocket Systems as well as High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems to their country to help it fight Russia. Since Russia launched its war against Ukraine on February 24, the US has delivered heavy artillery weapons, dozens of Howitzers, tactical drones, anti-armour and anti-(air) missiles, helicopters, grenade launchers, machine guns, rifles, radar systems, 50 million rounds of ammunition, among others, to Kiev. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, May 31 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed deep grief over the demise of Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party (JKPP) founder Bhim Singh, who passed away on Tuesday in a hospital in Jammu. In a tweet, Prime Minister Modi said, "Prof Bhim Singh Ji will be remembered as a grassroots leader who devoted his life for the welfare of Jammu and Kashmir. He was very well read and scholarly. I will always recall my interactions with him. Saddened by his demise. Condolences to his family and supporters. Om Shanti." "He was unwell for more than a year and passed away at a hospital in Jammu. He was 81. He is survived by wife and son. The latter lives in London," family sources said. His death has been mourned by cross-section of the society, including politicians, social workers, businessmen, among others. Kolkata, May 31 : The central dues to the West Bengal government under various heads will be Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's main agenda to develop a broader anti-BJP sentiment in the state where the target will be the local BJP leaders. Addressing a public rally at the erstwhile Maoist-infested district of Purulia on Tuesday, the chief minister said that since the Central dues to Bengal is the greatest barrier in accelerating the pace of development projects in the state, there is a need for block level agitation, where common people will put pressure on the local BJP leaders to ensure the clearance of the Central dues. "I ask my Trinamool Congress workers to break out of their slumber and reach out to the people. Organise block-level protests over the Union government's reluctance to clear dues under various heads. I request the people to constantly ask the local BJP leaders to coordinate with their Central leadership and ensure that the Central dues are cleared at the earliest," the chief minister said on Tuesday. Incidentally, Purulia district had been a weak point for the Trinamool Congress since the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. In 2019, the BJP candidate, Jyotirmoy Singh Mahatao emerged as a victor by defeating the Trinamool Congress candidate, Dr Mriganko Mahato by over 2,00,000 votes. Even in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly, despite bagging a landslide victory, Purulia district continued to be a point of pain for the Trinamool Congress. In 2021, out of the nine Assembly constituencies in the district, BJP candidates emerged as the victor in six continues, while Trinamool had to be satisfied with win in three constituencies. Speaking on the consecutive poor results of the party in Purulia district since 2019, the chief minister, while addressing the public rally admitted that the people discarded her party there because of the wrong approach of the local Trinamool Congress leaders. "Our people made several mistakes here and hence the local people went away from us. But after managing victories exploiting that negative sentiment among the people about Trinamool Congress, the elected BJP Lok Sabha members and MLAs just became inaccessible to the people," the chief minister said. Incidentally, this is not the first time that the chief minister has indirectly insisted the people top badger local BJP leaders with the demands of the immediate release of the Central dues to the state government. On May 19, 2022, while addressing a public rally at West Midnapore district, she made a similar appeal to the people. Like Purulia, West Midnapore district too was an erstwhile Maoist stronghold, which shifted towards the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Mumbai, May 31 : Bollywood star Ayushmann Khurrana, whose film 'Anek' is in theatres, recently opened up about his wife Tahira Kashyap's book 'The 7 Sins of Being a Mother' where she has written about her and Ayushmann's sex life. As per a media report, the actor revealed that he hasn't read the book and is unaware of certain details as he is a very private person and likes to keep such things to himself. The actor told the media that to a reader, the book might come across as entertaining, but on a personal level, he is quite shy of talking about it or skimming through its pages as he is a very private person. The 'Andhadhun' star also revealed that Tahira is very different from him as he doesn't like talking about his private life, but that's how the two are different from each other. "It could be entertaining for some people, but I don't read it", he said. When Ayushmann was asked if he felt cringed about the public disclosure his wife had made in the book, the actor stated that he doesn't know. He further added that Tahira will do whatever she wants, however, he is not that person. Ayushmann and Tahira are childhood sweethearts as the two have been together since their school days. They tied the knot in 2008 and have two kids together - 10-year-old son Virajveer and 8-year-old daughter Varushka. On the work front, after Anubhav Sinha's latest 'Anek', Ayushmann will be next seen in 'An Action Hero' directed by Anirudh Iyer. The film will mark Ayushmann's entry into the action genre. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed A visitor looks at photos of children killed during the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi at Kigali Memorial Centre in Gisozi (file photo). Minister of Youth, Rosemary Mbabazi said commemoration and confronting genocide deniers is a responsibility, not a choice. She made the remarks on Sunday, May 29 during 'Kwibuka Youth Dialogue,' an event that was held at Kigali Genocide Memorial with aim to preserve the memory of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi. It was organised by Peace and Love proclaimers (PLP), Our Past Initiative in partnership with Pan African review, all of which are youth-led initiatives focused on unity and development. Mbabazi appreciated their efforts in taking such initiatives, "You shouldn't wait to be able to do big things, do that which is possible, that which is in your ability." Such platforms deepen their knowledge and understanding of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, and encourage the youth to express their role in the fight against genocide denial and revisionism. A discussion panel during the event, had youth leaders share what young people need to be equipped with, to preserve the memory of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. Innocent Habumugisha a documentarist at the Ministry of National Unity & Civic Engagement, called on the youth to have the courage to read, for them to be equipped with what to respond to genocide deniers, and even parents or guardians who try to present them with stories of genocide ideology. Shema Naswiru, the Executive Director of PLP, showed how commemoration youth-based events have helped the youth in increasing their participation in commemoration events. "There wasn't a big number of youth attending commemoration events, but today many young people attend them." Shami Sandra Teta, the secretary of Genocide Survivors Students Association, called onto her fellow youth to create content that promotes Rwanda's history and that of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Rwanda Children By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "It's our role to take responsibility and know that the battle we are in is not easy and will exist for a long period of time." Intwari Christian Managing Director of Our Past Initiative, reminded the youth of their contribution, and to understand their role in the country's development. "The reason we give our contribution is because we are building a nation that was once destroyed, and the youth took part in its destruction, but our first contribution is learning," said Intwari. Natacha Patience Kalinda Umuhoza, one of the members of PLP who had attended the dialogue, said it's important to make use of social media to fight genocide denial. She added, "We are going to work together as the youth, commemoration is for all of us. And as the youth, we are going to teach those younger than us, what we have already learnt and encourage our fellow friends to visit genocide memorial sites." Paul Divin Ibambasi Manzi, another attendee said he now understands why it's important to personalise Rwanda's history. "I've learnt that whether history is good or bad, it is ours and the future is also ours. We are now going back to the forefront to fight the battle against people who deny genocide." Haveri : , May 31 (IANS) Three persons were arrested from Bihar in connection with a shootout that took place inside a theatre in Karnataka's Haveri district which was playing 'KGF: Chapter 2'in April, police said. The police stated that the arrested persons supplied the pistol and bullets which were used in the incident. The arrested were identified as Mohammad Samad Alama, Mohammad Asif, and Saheed Chand. All of them belong to the Mirzapur Barada village in Bihar's Munger district, police said. The incident of shootout had taken place on April 19 in Shiggaon town's Rajashree theatre in Haveri. The main accused Manjunath a.k.a Santhosh a.k.a Mallik Patil was arrested on May 20. The prime accused had fired while watching the super hit movie 'KGF: Chapter 2' severely injuring a 27-year-old Vasanth Kumar Shivapura, a resident of Mugali village. Vasanth Kumar had come to watch the film with his four friends. He was hit by two bullets in the abdomen and thigh. The miscreant had fired three bullets from a pistol. A quarrel started after the accused put his leg on the seat of the victim. The verbal duel escalated and the culprit, who had also come with his friends, took out his pistol and shot at the victim. The audience had run out of the theatre fearing for their life. Director General and IGP Praveen Sood has announced a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh for the police team for nabbing all the culprits. Bhopal, May 31 : The end of the wheat harvest in the month of Chaitra (March) usually brings with it a sense of relief. But this year, livestock farmers of Madhya Pradesh are far from feeling content. Damyanti Pani, a farmer from Chhatarpur district, is concerned about procuring fodder for the 55 animals in her cowshed. Pani, who's also the secretary of Gandhi Ashram, spent Rs 1.5 lakh this season on procuring straw for the charitable institution -- this, while the price of straw across the state has been rising steadily in the last few years, doubling from Rs 4 to Rs 5 per kg to Rs 9 to Rs 10 per kg. Lovelesh Kumar Rawat of Pathrota village, Narmadapuram (Hoshangabad) district, has been running a dairy for 15 years with 70 cows. The rising cost of cattle feed has had a direct impact on his rapidly declining profits. Where he earlier made a profit of up to Rs 10 per litre of milk, it's now dropped to Rs 6 per litre. "Cattle feed needs to be compensated with green fodder and other animal food, which works out to be very expensive," Rawat told 101Reporters. "Besides, you can't feed cows only green fodder or only straw. The rise in prices means we're spending an average of Rs 150 per day on food for each cow." To put the plight of these cattle rearers in perspective, the Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute estimates that by 2030, there could be a slump of 65.45 per cent in green fodder and 25 per cent in dry fodder, if stringent measures are not taken right away. Gaushala count on the rise amid declining fodder supply Madhya Pradesh has been a major contributor to India's livestock, with over 7 per cent of the total livestock in the country coming from the state (Livestock Census 2012). In 2007, Madhya Pradesh had a livestock population of over 4 crore, but between 2007 and 2012, there was a 10.5 per cent drop in the population of cattle, 10.3 per cent in the buffalo count and around 20.8 per cent in goats. Moreover, according to the 19th animal census conducted in 2012, a total of 3.63 crore livestock was accounted for in Madhya Pradesh, which increased to 4.6 crore in the 20th animal census from 2019. While the rise in animal count was welcome, a large portion of these numbers belongs to gaushalas and other businesses. According to government data, there are 1,621 subsidised cow shelters with around 2,76,765 cows in the state. Apart from these that receive grants from the government, there are cooperatives and private milk dairies that aim to produce more milk than cattle. So, while the total number of animals has spiked, the cows haven't returned to the villages and farms. This increase can be attributed to cow shelters. However, milk production has been rising steadily in the state. According to the Economic Survey of Madhya Pradesh, milk production rose from 13,445 thousand metric tons in 2016-17 to 17,999 thousand metric tons in 2019-20. As a result, the livestock crisis in the state deepened, too. "Fodder crisis the result of changes in farming methods" Such is the extent of the fodder crisis that the poor animals are dying of starvation. In January-February 2022, several districts of Madhya Pradesh reported deaths of cows in gaushalas. While these were blamed on corruption in the shelters and misuse of government funds, the lack of accessible cattle feed cannot be ignored as a major cause. Retired Professor Kashmir Singh Uppal, who's been writing on agriculture and economic affairs for the past 30 years, shared his insights: "When electric-powered machine threshers were introduced in villages, straw was obtained along with the harvest, and there was no need for a separate, tedious process. Farmers had more straw than they needed at the time, so many of them branched out into animal husbandry. Even the ones who didn't own any fields." Combine harvesters or threshers take care of the entire process, from harvesting to cutting and separating. With these equipment, farmers can be done with their tasks on the fields within a few hours and have the wheat grains loaded in the trolley. While the system is quick and easy, the harvesters don't process the chaff into straw, and the increased use of machinery led to the fodder shortage over time. A Padma Shri awardee for traditional farming and conservation of seeds, Babulal Dahiya told 101Reporters that "encroachment on the transit (pasture) land was the main reason for this crisis." "Earlier, villages had separate pasture land (Charagah-Gothan) with grass for grazing animals, but with the introduction of machines, such land is either scarce or encroached upon," said the farmer from Pithorabad village in Satna district. "Farmers also prefer not to keep their land vacant because the emphasis is on higher production. This fodder crisis is the result of changes in farming methods, neglect of cows in farming, fencing of fields and the use of harvesters." Cash crops not conducive to straw making Furthermore, the loss of crop diversity has also led to the state of affairs in Madhya Pradesh. Since the Green Revolution, the promotion of cash crops in the state paved the way for the diversification of soybean crops in the kharif season and wheat in rabi, whereas earlier, crop variety meant different ripening and harvesting cycles. This used to keep a steady supply of yield throughout the year. However, growing similar crops-wheat, soybean and paddy-has brought an end to the abundance, the latest victim being the summer crop of moong. Manish Gaur, a farmer from Seoni Malwa, explained: "The time between the harvesting of wheat and the sowing of moong is so short that there isn't enough time to make straw properly. This year, the price of straw has spiked so much that it's unheard of." Black market threats and the road ahead On March 27, 2022, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying in Madhya Pradesh wrote to the district collectors, asking them to ban the export and transport of straw and related materials. This was followed by the collectors putting the ban in motion until June 30, citing the Madhya Pradesh Fodder Control Order 1992, the Essential Commodities Act 1955 and the Madhya Pradesh Fodder Export Control Order 2000. Moreover, the Madhya Pradesh government has also announced a pilot project in Narmadapuram district to make coal from straw. Then there's the flourishing black market that rears its head in light of the shortage of commodities. Many traders have already begun to buy straw from farmers and stockpile. As Gaur put it, "People with money are looking for an opportunity during a disaster and have started stocking straw. In such a situation, this crisis will only worsen." Dahiya, on the other hand, believes that the crisis can be curtailed from reaching disastrous proportions by adopting better agricultural practices. "We have enough straw in our farm at Pothorabad Satna because we do not use harvesters. Workers cut the crops and then use the threshers. We don't use chemical pesticides, so the wheat grass becomes green fodder that can be fed to the cows. We also have grass growing in the fields, which workers pluck to feed the cattle," he informed 101Reporters. Dahiya also pointed out that families dependent on agriculture prioritise caring for the animals. "Cows are fed grains along with straw because they are considered part of the family. The ones that give milk are not looked at as profit-churners. Their welfare is actually woven into the family's routine," he remarked. (The author is a Bhopal-based freelance journalist and a member of 101Reporters, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.) New Delhi, May 31 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) will produce Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain before the Rouse Avenue Court on Tuesday and is likely to seek his two-week custodial remand. Jain was placed under arrest by the ED on Monday evening in connection with the Prevention of Money Laundering case pertaining to a disproportionate assets lodged against him and others. The Minister will be confronted with different documents and statements of accused and witness in the case. In April, the ED attached property worth Rs 4.81 crore belonging to Jain's relative. "Immovable properties worth Rs 4.81 crore belonging to different firms owned by Swati Jain, Sushila Jain, and Indu Jain were attached. Akinchan Developers Pvt Ltd, Indo Metal impex Pvt Ltd, Paryas Infosolutions Pvt Ltd, Manglayatan Projects Pvt Ltd, JJ Ideal Estate Pvt Ltd were the firms against which actions were taken," an ED official said. The probe agency initiated the investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against the Minister and others under section 109 of IPC read with sections 13(2) and 13(1) (e) of Prevention of Corruption Act. During investigation, the ED learnt that during the2015-16, when Satyandar Jain was a public servant, the above mentioned companies beneficially owned and controlled by him received accommodation entries to the tune of Rs 4.81 crore from shell companies against cash transferred to Kolkata-based entry operators through Hawala route. "These amounts were utilised for direct purchase of land or for the repayment of loan taken for purchase of agricultural land in and around Delhi. Accordingly, immovable properties worth Rs 4.81 crore in the form of land belonging to the accused and their companies were attached under section 5 of PMLA," the ED official added. Amaravati, May 31 : Andhra Pradesh's principal opposition party Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has demanded security for Sheikh Dastagiri, an approver in the murder case of former minister Y. S. Vivekananda Reddy, uncle of Chief Minister of Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. TDP politburo member Varla Ramaiah on Tuesday urged Director General of Police (DGP) to provide security to Dastagiri. Ramaiah also stressed the need for protection to the officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) who are investigating the murder case in Pulivendula in Kadapa district. In a letter to the DGP here, the TDP leader expressed concern that the local Pulivendula leaders were issuing life threats to both the CBI officers and Dastagiri. He alleged they were doing this with the connivance of the police there. Moreover, the local police were filing false cases against Dastagiri and the CBI officers. Ramaiah told the DGP that a team of CBI has been investigating into the murder of Vivekananda Reddy as per the orders of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh. "Sheikh Dastagiri has turned into an approver in the murder case and since then he has been facing threats to his life and simultaneously the local police have been filing false cases against him at the behest of the ruling YSRCP leaders," he said. The TDP leader said that even the CBI team was not spared by the local police for the reasons best known to them. False cases have been filed by the local police against the CBI investigation officer also. Additionally, the driver of the CBI was threatened with dire consequences. Ramaiah told the AP DGP that all these events had led the people to widely believe that the police were acting at the behest of YSRCP leaders. Doubts were being raised over the role being played by the top political brass of the state to obstruct the probe, he said. The TDP leader said it was high time that the police should act impartially against the culprits involved. Ramaiah warned that in the event of any unfortunate harm either to Dastagiri or to the CBI officers, the state police along with the YSRCP-led government will be held responsible. Earlier, Dastagiri had also sought security, saying he faces threat to his life. Dastagiri, who had worked as the driver of Vivekananda Reddy, is accused number four in the sensational case but turned approver. Vivekananda Reddy, younger brother of former chief minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, was found murdered at his residence in Kadapa on March 15, 2019, a few days before the elections. The 68-year-old former state minister and former MP was alone at his house when unidentified persons barged in and killed him. He was killed hours before he was to launch YSR Congress Party's election campaign in Kadapa. The CBI took over the investigation into the case in 2020 on the direction of Andhra Pradesh High Court while hearing a petition of Vivekananda Reddy's daughter Sunita, who raised suspicion about some relatives. The CBI filed a chargesheet in the murder case on October 26, 2021 and followed it up with a supplementary chargesheet on January 31, 2022 Patna May 31 : A farmer in Bihar's West Champaran district lost a portion of his leg after a crocodile attack. On Monday evening, the victim, Parma Mushahar, was crossing the Harha river in Bagaha when the 10-ft long crocodile attacked him. In a statement, he said that the incident took place when he was returning home in Jamunapur vilagge after working in a field. "I have to cross the river to reach my village. As it us the common route used by the villagers, I also used the same route," he said. "When I reached the middle of the river, I felt tremendous pain. When I turned back, I saw the crocodile biting my leg. As I was carrying a baton, I repeatedly smashed the baton on the head and back of the crocodile Till then, it had already chewed a portion leg. Still, I ran towards the bank of the river and shouted for help. "I managed to save my life only due to less water in the river," he added. Following the incident, a large number of villagers came to his rescue and took him to a nearby primary health centre. As his condition is now serious, the doctors have referred him to sub-divisional hospital in Bagha for better treatment. New Delhi, May 31 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea by Chhattisgarh government challenging bail granted to suspended Additional Director General of Police Gurjinder Pal Singh in a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act, on the allegations of having disproportionate assets. A vacation bench comprising Justices B.R. Gavai and Hima Kohli observed that the Chhattisgarh government moving the apex court against the high court order is "nothing but a totally unwarranted exercise on behalf of the state." Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing the Chhattisgarh government, contended that Singh inside the prison bribed the prison guard for a favour and alleged that he is indulging in tampering of evidence, while pointing out that he was a high-ranking officer in the police. Rohatgi urged the bench to cancel Singh's bail. However, the bench noted that while considering the bail application, the status of the applicant should not be considered. "As an ordinary citizen is entitled to his rights under the Constitution, equally a high-ranking officer can't be denied bail...," said the bench. The bench noted that in the disproportionate assets case, where most of the evidence is documentary evidence, chances of tampering are bleak. The bench said the high court had already imposed stringent conditions while granting bail to Singh and dismissed the state government's plea. The Chhattisgarh government had moved the Supreme Court challenging the bail granted to Singh in a case filed against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The plea, filed through advocate Sumeer Sodhi, said: "The petitioner submits that the present case is not the one where the state apprehends that if the respondent is released, he might influence witnesses, in fact the present case is such where the respondent has in the past intimidated witnesses because of which the state had to provide police protection to such witnesses." The state government's plea said the Chhattisgarh High Court was not correct in observing that Singh was a suspended police officer having no power. It further added that Singh's conduct inside the jail was also questionable. "He was using his seniority in the police department in luring guards deployed inside the jail to act contrary to the jail rules and the law applicable therein and hence the regular bail application of the respondent ought to have been rejected by the High Court," said the plea. The high court on May 12 granted bail to Singh. In January, the Chhattisgarh Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested Singh, who is under suspension, and charged him with corruption, sedition, and promoting enmity. On January 3, this year, the top court junked a plea by Singh, challenging the high court order, which denied him protection against arrest in a case under Prevention of Corruption Act. Kolkata, May 31 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment irregularities scam, has cast doubts over the number of irregular appointments to be much higher than what was initially perceived. According to CBI sources, the actual figure of the appointments will surely be much higher than the figure quoted by the Calcutta High Court-appointed judicial probe committee headed by retired Justice Ranjit Kumar Bag. The committee's report was the basis on which the Calcutta High Court ordered the CBI to investigate the scam. A highly placed CBI official said that the figure quoted in the Committee report was mainly relating to Group C staff was 381, out of which 222 candidates did not appear for the interview. "While this is the figure for only Group C staff, if the figures for Group D staff, secondary teachers and higher secondary teachers are taken into consideration, then the actual number of fractious recruitments will surely cross a few thousands," the official said. It is learnt that CBI officials probing the matter have come out with an innovative strategy to have an initial idea about the tentative number of the disputatious appointments in all these categories. The probe officials are segregating the recommendations carrying scanned signatures of the regional commissioners of WBSSC from those containing the original signatures. According to CBI sources, in all probability the recommendation letters carrying scanned signatures of the regional commissioners are the root of the irregularities. From the beginning, the scanned signatures stored in the server of WBSSC was the main reason for suspicion of the CBI sleuths. They feel that these scanned signatures were deliberately saved in the servers to be used at a later stage on the recommendation letters. All those who have been questioned by the CBI sleuths in connection have faced questions on whose instructions such scanned signatures were stored in the servers. The officials at CBI's Nizam Palace office in Central Kolkata have also forwarded the details of the recorded statements of those questioned to their higher officials at CBI Directorate in New Delhi. Mumbai, May 31 : Essar Vizag Terminal Limited (EVTL) operating India's largest Ore Handling Complex in Visakhapatnam Port has recorded 1.3 MMT of cargo handling for April 2022, i.e., a run rate in excess of 14 MMT for FY22- 23 suggesting a growth of 10 per cent on an annualised basis. For FY21-22, EVTL handled a cargo of 12.7 MMT. The surge in traffic marks the uptick in Indian Steel Sector which has been a major contributor to India's manufacturing output. EVTL handled 193 vessels and 1511 rakes in FY 21-22. It also achieved a monthly record of handling 171 rakes in March 2022. In April, M/s EVTL created another milestone by successfully loading a record 1,65,000 Metric Tons (MT) of Iron ore Fines on M.V. STAR ELINI Vessel - the largest ever parcel loaded and to call at Visakhapatnam Port Rajiv Agarwal, Operating Partner (Infrastructure), Essar and Managing Director, Essar Ports, said, "The performance of Vizag Terminal is a testimony of our commitment to offer world class assets and services with technology at the core. Our facilities are conceptualised to give a sustainable advantage to our customers and trade. Our investments are a reflection of Essar's ESG philosophy and an approach that places people before profits." Essar Ports has been a pioneer in investing in technologies and developing environment-friendly and efficient handling systems. EVTL's fully mechanised eco-friendly infrastructure delivers a performance which can be benchmarked with the best across the globe, while also enabling lower logistics' cost for customers. All technological advancements have been done keeping the company's ESG philosophy in mind and putting people before profits. The port has excellent connectivity through rail, road and air routes and the all-weather deep draft facility has the capacity to serve the rapidly growing markets of South-East Asia, including China, Japan and Korea. EVTL, the 24 MMTPA iron-ore export terminal at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, is the largest iron ore handling complex in India. The terminal is strategically located in the Bay of Bengal in close proximity to Iron-ore mines located in Chhattisgarh, southern Odisha and Jharkhand. Mumbai, May 31 : The trailer of the upcoming mythological fantasy adventure film 'Brahmastra Part One: Shiva' will be unveiled on June 15. The makers recently made the announcement with regards to the trailer of the film through a special video which features Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Amitabh Bachchan, Mouni Roy and Telugu superstar Akkineni Nagarjuna. The VFX-heavy special video shows Ranbir as Shiva and Alia as Isha as the two get caught up in a furious storm. It also presents key elements of the Ayan Mukerji directorial as it piques the interest of the audience with its visuals and the star-studded powerful line-up. The trailer announcement came on the occasion of 100 days to the film's release. The film is the first part of a fantasy trilogy based on the mythology of Lord Shiva and the all-powerful Brahmastra. As per the official synopsis of the film, 'Brahmastra Part One: Shiva' is "a new original cinematic universe inspired by deeply rooted concepts and tales in Indian mythology but set in the modern world, with epic storytelling of fantasy, adventure, good vs evil, love and hope; all told using cutting edge technology and never-seen-before visual spectacles." Presented by S.S. Rajamouli in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, produced by Star Studios, Dharma Productions, Prime Focus and Starlight Pictures, the magnum opus will release theatrically on September 9 across 5 languages - Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada with a stellar ensemble cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Mouni Roy and Nagarjuna Akkineni. Chennai, May 31 : Pattalli Makkal Katchi (PMK) president Anbumani Ramadoss said the Tamil Nadu government should come out with an ordinance banning online gambling instead of waiting for the next Assembly session. According to Ramadoss, if the Tamil Nadu government is firm on banning online gambling, then it need not wait till October/November when the Assembly will be in session. He said the online gambling will result in immeasurable damages to the society if the state government waits for another five/six months. The Tamil Nadu government should draft a law as suggested by the Madras High Court and promulgate it as an ordinance, Ramadoss said. The Madras High Court had struck down the law brought in by the erstwhile AIADMK government banning online gaming. Ramadoss welcomed the Tamil Nadu government's decision to bring in a new law as after the High Court struck down the August 2021 law, 10 people have committed suicide in the last 10 months. Khartoum Sudan's President of the Sovereignty Council, Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, will lift the nationwide State of Emergency, according to the council's statement on Sunday. The State of Emergency, which came into effect following the military October 25 coup and was underpinned by the dissolution of the transitional cabinet, initiated nationwide anti-coup protests that have rocked Sudan ever since. In their statement, the Sovereignty Council said that they hoped this decision would provide "a fruitful and meaningful dialogue that achieves stability during the transitional period". Following the killing of two protestors on Saturday and the latest calls to remove the State of Emergency by Volker Perthes, head of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), the decision came after a meeting with Sudan's leading junta officials, on Sunday. This decision means that people imprisoned or detained under an emergency law should be freed effective immediately. The coup authorities have rounded up and detained hundreds of activists since the beginning of the coup. The intra-Sudanese talks, led by the trilateral mechanism of UNITAMS, African Union (AU), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), have been urging the coup government and other stakeholders to resolve the crisis. Kochi, May 31 : In major relief for actor producer Vijay Babu, who is accused of rape by an actress and presently on the run, the Kerala High Court on Tuesday asked the police not to arrest him till Thursday, when his bail plea will be considered again. The court was informed by Vijay Babu's counsel that he will be arriving from Dubai on Wednesday. The court also chided the police and the prosecution, saying that he might be a star for some, but for the court, he is an ordinary person and that the police is trying to stage a drama for the media by arresting him as soon as he arrives from Dubai. It said as soon as he arrives from abroad, he should present himself to the police probe team, but should not be arrested till Thursday. The Kerala Police has been trying their best to bring back Vijay Babu, who slipped out of the country last month to Dubai and from there - after the police began steps to issue a red corner notice - headed for Georgia and according to those in the know of things, he, will have to touch base at Dubai, before he lands in Kochi. The actor-producer was on the run after the actress from Kozhikode filed a complaint in Ernakulam on April 22 that she was raped and beaten up by him several times in a flat in Kochi. She has also accused him of giving her intoxicants before sexually abusing her. Soon after the news surfaced, Vijay Babu appeared live on his social media handle claiming that he was the "real victim" in this case, adding that he would take appropriate legal steps against the complainant whom he also named. The police, apart from the initial complaint, have registered a second case against him for disclosing the name of the complainant. The court also on Tuesday asked the prosecution if they were able to see the chat messages exchanged between Vijay Babu and the actress, but noted that it is not going into the merits of the case. Now all eyes are on what will happen on Thursday when the court hears his petition again. Tirupati, May 31 : A techie brutally murdered his wife, stuffed her body in a suitcase and dumped it in a lake in temple city of Tirupati. The chilling facts came to light on Tuesday, nearly five months after he committed the crime. Police recovered the body of Padma from the lake in Venkatapuram on the outskirts of the town. Police said they have arrested Venugopal, a software engineer currently employed with a firm in Hyderabad. The techie had been misleading his in-laws that Padma is with him in Hyderabad. As she did not even speak to them over phone for nearly five months, Padma's parents grew suspicious and lodged a missing complaint with the police. During the interrogation, Venugopal confessed to killing Padma on January 5, the same day he brought her home from her parents' house, where she was living for two years due to marital dispute. Venugopal, who had even filed a divorce petition in the court, told Padma's parents that he wants to take her home and forget whatever happened in the past. He later informed them that he took her to Hyderabad where they are living together. Padma's parents believed him as they thought Venugopal is a reformed man. Whenever they called him and wanted to speak to Padma, he used to make some excuse. They started suspecting him and finally lodged a complaint with the police two days ago. A police officer said Venugopal married Padma in April 2019. After the marriage, they were living in Chennai where he was working with an IT company. A few months after the marriage, differences cropped up between them post which she returned to her parents home. Both sides have filed court cases against each other. Venugopal had filed a case for divorce while Padma had approached the Women's Commission. Police investigations revealed that after bringing Padma to his house on January 5, Venugopal thrashed her with a stick, resulting in her death. The incident happened in the presence of Venugopal's parents and a friend. They later tied the body and stuffed it into a large suitcase. Venugopal then carried the suitcase to the lake, dumped it there and left Tirupati with his parents. Padma's relatives alleged that Venugopal had been harassing her from day one for more dowry. They demanded death penalty for Venugopal. In a similar case in Tirupati last year, a man had killed his 27-year-old techie wife, stuffed the body in a suitcase and had set it afire after dumping it in a remote place. Srikanth Reddy had tried to fool the relatives by saying his wife died of Covid-19 and the hospital authorities cremated the body. Bhuvaneswari was working as a software engineer in a company in Hyderabad. The shocking crime came to light after police found a charred body and took up investigation. Los Angeles, May 31 : Actress Amber Heard could face jail over claims she edited injury photographs in her court feud against Johnny Depp. Defamation lawyer Aaron Minc warned that "more and more objective evidence that she is lying about things under oath" could lead to a sentence for the 'Aquaman' actress, reports aceshowbiz.com. Minc spoke out as the jury in the feuding couple's case is set to resume deliberations on Tuesday after their legal teams finished offering furious closing arguments. Despite telling website JOE "a few days ago" he didn't think there was any chance Heard could face prosecution for anything she had said on the stand during her ex-husband Depp's defamation trial, Minc admitted to have a change of heart as the case hurtled towards its conclusion. "I think that, as this case goes on, and we start seeing more and more objective evidence that she is lying about things under oath," he said, "that's when it starts crossing the line into the possibility that she is fabricating evidence, fabricating photos, fabricating bruises, altering evidence and then submitting it." Minc warned fabricating evidence is not only "really serious" but also "really offensive" to the justice system. He said, "I would hope that prosecutors would take a close look at it because if there is very clear evidence that she did that, that should certainly be considered." "If it was proven that that was the case," he added, "and there's certainly some questions being raised in the trial currently, that could potentially lead to a criminal prosecution and jail time." Heard has been accused by lawyers for Depp of lying about everything from having to use make-up to cover up bruises allegedly inflicted by the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' actor to failing to give the $7 million from their divorce settlement to good causes. It came after Sean Caulfield, a partner at law firm Hodge, Jones and Allen, told MailOnline, Heard could face a perjury probe in the UK as misleading a court "cuts to the core of our justice system." When asked if he can see police investigating claims she may have lied under oath about donating her $7 million, he added: "Yes, I think so. While it may not be a central issue to the case, perjury is the single biggest threat and cuts to the core of our justice system, so the police may be invited to investigate to show that any member of the public who lies to the court can be prosecuted for perjury." The Depp v Heard defamation trial has gripped public attention and sparked huge debate on the state of gender relations and progress of the 'MeToo' movement. Seven of 11 impaneled jurors selected for the trial when it started in April spent a couple of hours beginning to deliberate a verdict after the conclusion of closing arguments on Friday but are not expected to return a verdict on whether Heard defamed Depp for another few days. Depp is suing his ex-wife for defamation over a 2018 op-ed she penned for The Washington Post where she described herself as a "a public figure representing domestic abuse". The 'Ed Wood' actor says it falsely implies that he is a domestic abuser, which he vehemently denies, and that it has left him struggling to land roles in Hollywood. Depp is suing for $50 million, while Heard is countersuing for $100 million. She accused her ex-husband of orchestrating a "smear campaign" against her and described his lawsuit as a continuation of "abuse and harassment." New Delhi, May 31 : A court here on Tuesday sent Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money-laundering case, to the agency's custody till June 9. Jain, who was arrested on Monday evening, was produced before Special CBI Court Judge Geetanjali Goel of the Rouse Avenue Court. During the course of the hearing, senior advocate N. Hariharan, appearing for Jain, strongly argued for bail, citing Jain has been cooperating with the probe agency and that the submissions are a reproduction of the charge sheet registered in 2017. The case is not for police remand, counsel argued, stating Jain "is not going to run away, he will be available". He also argued that there is no evidence that the money was hawala. "My house been searched on two occasions. My bank accounts also seized. The entire material is with them. I'm given share in these companies as a consultant. I was an architect. What company does is none of my business. Even today it's same share percentage. The land is in the name of those companies," he argued. On the other hand, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing on behalf of the ED, argued for 14 days custody. As the judge enquired why 14 days, he submitted that it is considering the intricate nature of money trail transaction of the money laundering case. It was also argued by the ED that the modus operandi is cash and it is given in Delhi. It would go through hawala operators through entry operations in Kolkata. Those entry operators would invest as equity in the companies, the ED argued. "This is not a one time offence. This is of a recurring nature which may still be going on. He may be able to throw light during custodial interrogation," the SG argued. The ED had attached the properties of Jain's relatives' worth Rs 4.81 crore in April this year. "Immovable properties worth Rs 4.81 crore belonging to different firms owned by Swati Jain, Sushila Jain, and Indu Jain, the relatives of Jain were attached. Akinchan Developers Pvt Ltd, Indo Metal Impex Pvt Ltd, Paryas Infosolutions Pvt Ltd, Manglayatan Projects Pvt Ltd, JJ Ideal Estate Pvt. Ltd were the firms against which action was taken," a source said. The ED initiated the money-laundering investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), against Jain and others under Section 109 of IPC -- read with sections 13(2) and 13(1) (e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, May 31 : A woman from Bahawalnagar in Pakistan, whose case against land mafia over her five-marla house has been pending for over three decades, asked the Chief Justice of Lahore High Court on Tuesday to send her to India if she couldn't get justice despite the passage of 35 years, media reports said. Syeda Shehnaz Bibi told The Express Tribune that she has asked the Chief Justice to send her back to India because her family had migrated to Pakistan at the time of Partition to live a better life as promised by its founders. "If I cannot get my own house vacated from the hands of land mafia despite spending decades in courts, there is no point staying in this country if I cannot get justice here," she added, the report said. According to Shehnaz, the land mafia had occupied 13 marlas vacated by a Hindu family which moved to India, and she took the issue to the chief settlement commissioner who had sought documents regarding the property from the respondents. As per the documents, the land was illegally occupied and the commissioner cancelled the land deed registered in 1960 as the respondents had not paid the government to acquire the property. Subsequently, Shehnaz had been allotted a five-marla piece of land by the commissioner after the payment of dues. But the transfer of five marlas in her name angered the accused party who took over her house in retaliation, Express Tribune reported. During the hearing, Shehnaz urged the Chief Justice to move her case from Bahawalnagar to Lahore as she had been living in Sheikhupura on rent. "I don't have money to eat meals twice a day, nor do I have the resources to afford a lawyer," she told the Chief Justice, adding, "I am fighting this case on my own." Chief Justice Ameer Bhatti said the court will summon the other party to decide on the case. In response to her comments regarding sending her to India, Bhatti said he could not comment on her remarks as he was only concerned with her relevant case. However, he assured her of justice. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Islamabad, May 31 : Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that his anti-government long march will be taken out at all costs, stating that if the Supreme Court refuses to provide protection for his next rally, he will opt for a different strategy and be prepared to deal with any resistance put in front of him by the government. Imran Khan made these remarks during a lawyers' convention in Peshawar, in which, he said that his party is seeking guidance from the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) to tell them if they are allowed to hold peaceful protest or not. Imran Khan said a peaceful gathering, rally and protest is a basic right of every citizen and party of the country. "We remained peaceful throughout in my previous long march. But this government opted to sheer brutalities as it tortured, assaulted and used tear gas on women, children and the elderlies freely," he said. "I want to ask the Supreme Court if we, as citizens of Pakistan are allowed to hold a peaceful protest or not. If the Supreme Court will not provide my party protection for the next long march, we will make a plan for dealing with the obstacles," he added. Talking about his earlier long march from Peshawar to Islamabad, Khan said that "we weren't prepared and we got stuck unprepared. This time, we will be prepared". Terming his long march and ongoing protest against the ruling government, which he terms as illegal imported government, brought into power through a regime change conspiracy led by the United States (US); Imran Khan said he takes his struggle as a Jihad (a fight for religious freedom), reiterating that he will not accept the "imported" government at any cost. It should be noted that Imran Khan's earlier long march on May 25, which was carried out after a month-long campaign of dozens of massive public gatherings in major cities across the country, was "thwarted" by the government through imposition of Section 144 (restriction on public gathering) and massive deployment of containers, trucks and troops including police and rangers security personnel to stop the protesters from reaching the capital Islamabad. However, Imran Khan and his protesters forced their way through the blockades and reached the capital, but did not stage the sit-in. Imran Khan had said that he would march towards Islamabad with at least 2 million people, who he said will not leave the capital until his demand of announcement of date of early elections in the country is not met. Imran Khan has given an ultimatum of six days to the government to meet his demands and had threatened to take out another long march, which he says will be well-prepared to remove obstacles and choke the capital Islamabad along with other major cities of the country until the Shehbaz Sharif-led government of Pakistan does not announce early elections. Aizawl, May 31 : A Mizo IAS officer must be appointed Mizoram's Chief Secretary, otherwise it will launch a stir, the NGO Coordination Committee (NGOCC), an apex body of major civil society organisations and student bodies headed by the Central Young Mizo Association said. The NGOCC, which earlier announced to launch demonstrations from Tuesday to prevent Chief Secretary Renu Sharma from attending her office, postponed the stir for the day as she is out of station. An official of the Chief Secretary's office told IANS that Sharma is now on leave and she will return back to Aizawl on Thursday. CYMA General Secretary Prof. Lalnuntluanga on Tuesday told IANS that the day's picketing was postponed and the NGOCC would decide when the demonstration would be launched. CYMA President R. Lalngheta on Monday said that the NGOCC had earlier appealed to the Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Governor Dr Haribabu Kambhampati, and the Union Home Ministry several times to appoint a Mizo IAS officer, but the appeal went on vain. "A Mizo IAS officer would not have a language barrier to ensure administrative efficiency. There are eligible persons among the Mizos to hold the top administrative post," he told the media. Lalngheta said that there are always language problems if a non-Mizo IAS officer holds the post of Chief Secretary. The Union Government on October 28 last year appointed Sharma, an Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre IAS officer of the 1988 batch, as the Chief Secretary of Mizoram and she joined the post on November 1 last year. Just before her joining, Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga had requested Union Home Minister Amit Shah to replace her (Sharma), as she is not familiar with the Mizo language and Mizo people generally do not understand Hindi. The Chief Minister in his letter to Shah proposed to appoint Additional Chief Secretary J.C Ramthanga (a Manipur cadre IAS officer) as the next Chief Secretary. Sharma, who is also looking after the Home, Political and Cabinet, Vigilance departments in the Mizoram government, was earlier posted as the Additional Chief Secretary, Transport, in Delhi. The Chief Minister in his letter had pointed out that none of the cabinet ministers understand Hindi and some even have problems understanding English. A top official without the working knowledge of Mizo language would never be an effective and efficient Chief Secretary, he had said. Chennai, May 31 : Police is directly involved in stopping the circulation of illicit goods in the society, Additional Director General of Police, Tamil Nadu and Tamil Nadu Police Academy Director, Dr A. Amalraj, said on Tuesday. Addressing the 'Capacity Building Programme for Police Officers on Prevention of Counterfeiting and Smuggling' organised by FICCI's Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy (CASCADE), Dr Amalraj, while highlighting the menace of illicit goods, said that such products are not only harmful for consumers but also incur huge losses for the government exchequer. He also emphasised on the need for such training programmes, which not only sensitises the officers on the magnitude of the problem but also helps them to understand the intricacies of smuggling and counterfeiting. While giving an overview on socio-economic impact of counterfeiting and smuggling, FICCI CASCADE Advisor and Delhi's former Special Commissioner of Police's Deep Chand said: "Capacity building in terms of skill, infrastructure and technology is essential for the law enforcement agencies in improving the detection and investigation mechanism of crimes relating to counterfeiting and smuggling." Sharing data from a recent study by FICCI CASCADE, he said, in the FY 2018-19 Indian economy saw a loss of 1,17,253 crore and loss of 16.36 livelihood opportunities due to smuggling in five key sectors. ITC Ltd's Vice President, Industry Affairs, Pradeep Dixit, said: "Proceeds from the sale of counterfeit, smuggled and contraband products contribute to the funding of criminal activities all across the globe. It is vital that industry and enforcement officers work in close collaboration to address this mounting hazard." Amazon India's Senior Policy Manager, Customer Trust, Nitin Saluja discussed about Amazon's efforts in mitigating fraud and abuse on marketplaces that hamper customers trust and how Amazon, via its various initiatives, puts in enormous resources to deliver on its established tenets and to make its marketplace a reliable and safe platform for customers, brands, and sellers to conduct transactions. "Amazon is committed to promoting and participating in the efforts for ensuring that the consumers are empowered to enjoy the benefits of online shopping while being protected from the risks, the digital era may present," he added. New Delhi, May 31: An unprecedented cash crisis is emerging in China's hinterland. Deposits of several rural banks have remained frozen for more than a month now. These banks are Yuzhou Xinminsheng Village Bank, Zhecheng Huanghuai Community Bank, Shangcai Huimin County Bank, and New Oriental Country Bank of Kaifeng. Such a drastic move could be a precursor to a larger economic challenge, foreign policy watchers said. "The cash crisis emerging at four rural banks in the central Chinese province of Henan is every saver's worst nightmare," South China Morning Post said, adding that pictures and videos of protesters with banners demanding "return our money" have been circulating. The health of the country's smaller and local lenders, which typically are outside any stringent monitoring system, has caused alarm. Why? They have been traditionally lending to the small and medium companies that have been worst impacted by the stringent zero Covid approach of the government. China's rural banks have acquired a greater degree of importance under Chinese President Xi Jinping. These banks have been responsible for boosting rural consumption and growth. Many of these small and medium firms have been export-driven. "These companies have become very vulnerable with the dwindling of the export market and choking of the supply-chain network. In turn there is a rising bad debt level in these banks, which has escaped notice," an analyst said. However, these banks, which have been facing headwinds since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic in 2020 and the slowing of the economy, remain vulnerable with high levels of bad debts. "These banks have not managed to recover from the 2020 impact," the analyst added. Not the first time This is not the first time that restrictions on withdrawals have been placed. In July, 2020, the Communist Party of China had imposed restrictions on cash withdrawals from banks in the Hebei province amid a sharp rise in non-performing assets (loans that turn unproductive). The exercise, which had been taken up as a pilot project, had sent panic waves. Amid deepening economic crisis, last week, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang addressed an unprecedented national video teleconference aimed at stabilising the economy and boosting business sentiments. The move is clearly an indication that the world's second largest economy is slipping into a panic mode. Li in his address said that the shocks in several macroeconomic indicators which include employment generation, industrial production, are greater than those experienced during the Covid 19 pandemic outbreak. In April China's unemployment rate stood at 6.1 per cent-the highest since February 2020. In March it was 5.8 per cent. Since January the unemployment rate in the world's second largest economy has been inching upward. China posted an economic growth of 4.8 per cent in the January to March period of this year but macro economic indicators in the second quarter clearly reflect a worrisome picture for the world's second largest economy. While the country has set a growth target of 5.5 per cent for the current year, most economists have indicated that Beijing will fall short of the magic number. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative New Delhi, May 31 : There is no need to avoid LGBTQ+ parades, said the World Health Organisation (WHO), amid the recent outbreak of monkeypox virus with over 435 cases confirmed in nearly 24 countries and seen majorly among men who have sex with men. While the virus itself is not a sexually transmitted infection, which are generally spread through semen and vaginal fluids, the most recent surge in cases appears to have been spread among men who have sex with other men. However, the WHO emphasised that anyone can contract monkeypox, and that it's important to show support to the LGBTQ+ community. "It's important that people who want to go out and celebrate gay pride, LGBTQ pride, to continue to go and plan to do so," Andy Seale, strategies adviser at WHO's department of sexually transmitted infections programmes, said at a WHO social media briefing. "Most of these events - the official events - are outdoors, they're family friendly. We don't see any real reason to be concerned about the enhanced likelihood of transmission in those contexts." This comes after people showed concern for upcoming pride marches scheduled for New York on June 26 or in Berlin on July 23, among other places. Events linked to many of the current cases took place in enclosed spaces such as nightclubs, Seale said. "Many diseases can be spread through sexual contact. You could get a cough or a cold through sexual contact, but it doesn't mean that it's a sexually transmitted disease," Seale, who advises the WHO on HIV, hepatitis and other sexually transmitted infections, had said earlier. Monkeypox has not previously been described as a sexually transmitted infection, but it can be passed on by direct contact during sex. But, the transmission is majorly occurring "through close contact for example during sexual activities amongst persons with multiple sexual partners is considered to be high," Dr Andrea Ammon of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) noted. However, Ammon said that the likelihood of spread is very low for the broader population. Despite being the largest outbreak outside of Africa in 50 years, monkeypox does not spread easily between people and the WHO experts said the threat is not comparable to the coronavirus pandemic. The WHO officials also stated that "this is a containable situation", and "collectively, the world has an opportunity to stop this outbreak. There is a window". Latest updates on Monkeypox Virus Outbreak Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Nairobi The Council of Governors says the National Treasury is yet to disburse 23 percent of revenue to counties for the financial year 2021/ 2022, with total arrears owed to counties standing at sh 83.4 billion. The Council's Health Committee Chairman Governor Anyang Nyongo said it is unfortunate that the funds are yet to be disbursed with only a month to end the current financial year. Nyongo noted that so far only 17 counties have received their allocation for the month of April, and all 47 counties are yet to receive their May allocation. "With only four weeks remaining to the end of financial year 2021/2022, the National Treasury has only disbursed 77 percent of the equitable share to the counties. Cumulatively Sh83.4 billion is owed to counties," Nyong'o said. The Kisumu Governor urged the National Treasury to expedite the disbursement of funds, saying the delay is negatively affecting services in the counties. "These perennial delays have affected service delivery in counties and led to further accumulation of pending bills, this is also threatening the desired smooth transition after August 2022 elections," he stated. Nyongo also revealed that no county has received the sh 39.9 billion that was allocated to county governments as additional allocations in the current financial year. "This is unlawful and unacceptable," he stated. New Delhi, May 31 : A plea has been moved in the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Centre to ban the sale of loose cigarettes, increase the age of smoking from 18 to 21 years, and also come up with plans to tackle smoking addiction. The plea, moved by advocates Shubham Awasthi and Sapta Rishi Mishra, said the rate of smoking has been growing since the last two decades and it has grown into such an epidemic that India now ranks second in the smoker's category for the 16-64 age group. "That a study published in the Journal of Nicotine and Tobacco Research has flagged the severe economic burden of second-hand smoke exposure in India. The study revealed that second hand smoke causes Rs 567 billion in health care costs annually. This accounts for eight per cent of total annual health care expenditure, on top of Rs 1,773 billion in annual economic burden from tobacco use," said the plea. The plea said the young people are getting addicted to smoking tobacco products to either look cool or under peer pressure. "They see adults smoking and it becomes a rite of passage or their inducement to initiate smoking to show that they are matured now," it added. The plea contended that human right principles can also be invoked to justify protecting individuals from the harms of active smoking. "Most smokers start before adulthood, at a time when the capacity for rationalised, long-term decision-making is not yet fully developed. Many adolescents are lured into cigarette smoking as a rite of passage into adulthood, usually through their peers, unable to fully conceive of the addictive grip of nicotine, and the health impacts they will later experience", it added. The petitioners sought a direction to increase the smoking age from 18 to 21, ban on sale of loose cigarettes, and also directions for removal of shops selling cigarettes near educational institutions, public buildings, places of worship etc. The plea sought guidelines and directions for closing the dedicated smoking zones at airports, clubs, restaurants, hotels, public places and even in private properties being used for commercial purposes in a phased manner so as not to induce smoking among non-smokers. New Delhi, May 31: The Haqqani group, the power behind the throne in Afghanistan, has hosted talks between the Pakistani army and outlawed terror outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The dialogue between the two, after the TTP threatened to emerge as the vanguard of Pashtun nationalism, will continue as both parties have declared an indefinite ceasefire. Pashtun nationalism riles Pakistan as it threatens to sever parts of the Pashtun dominated Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of Pakistan, and merge it with Afghanistan. The TTP is further showing signs of collaborating with Baloch nationalists, setting in force a perfect storm that assertively questions Pakistans existing territorial boundaries. According to the Pakistani media, both sides have agreed that there would be no "major" counter-militancy operations by Pakistani security forces, nor would the TTP carry out attacks against them. Sources also confirmed that a large Loya Jirga is being convened in Kabul comprising 150 tribal leaders of the erstwhile FATA region, now part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. These leaders are already in Kabul for the next round of talks hosted by the chief of the UN designated terror organisation and the interior minister of the Taliban regime, Sirajuddin Haqqani - the kingpin of the Haqqani network. "The senior Pak military officers are fine tuning the peace agreement with the leadership of the TTP, the Pakistani army officers and the Taliban rulers in Kabul. Efforts are on to arrange face-to-face meetings between Pakistani officers and the chief of the TTP Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud," wrote the Pakistani journalist Daud Khattak. The first two rounds of talks were headed by the former ISI chief and core commander of Peshawar Corps, Lt General Faiz Hameed who has close links with the Haqqanis and top Taliban rulers. According to the TTP, as a confidence building measure, the Pakistani army released two key militant commanders, including TTP spokesman Muslim Khan last month. As the talks progressed, one Pakistani army official told Voice of America (VoA) that Pakistan hailed the host Taliban government for making "utmost efforts" to ensure relevant TTP commanders were present at the table to productively carry the dialogue forward. He noted that acting Afghan Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani "is playing the key role" in mediating the talks. "Compensation for the dead and wounded, enforcement of Shariah regulation in Malakand, withdrawal of military from the borders and reversal of Fata merger into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were key demands from the TTP side", Dawn reported quoting the sources. Islamabad is asking the TTP negotiators to terminate their insurgency against Pakistan and dissolve the group in favour of a peaceful resettlement to their native country. "Pakistani army has no issue with some of the TTP's demands, but two major issues remained challenging: the reversal of Fata merger and the disbandment of the TTP as an armed militant group," reported Dawn. "Haqqani mediations have not led to a sustainable ceasefire but are a further indication of Mr. Sirajuddin's central role within the Taliban as a mediator and figure of authority among rank-and-file of TTP and other mainly Pashtun groups in eastern Afghanistan," said the UN annual report of the 1988 Taliban sanctions committee monitoring team. The Pakistani watchers say that this is the third time the Pakistani army has initiated the peace talks with the banned TTP. The first two talks were thwarted by the TTP itself. Even twice bitten and deceived by the TTP, the Pakistani army has not learned any lesson. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative Bhopal, May 31 : Leader of Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, Govind Singh, blamed Director General of Police (DGP) Sudhir Saxena for the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. Talking to the press on Monday, Singh said that ever since he (Sudhir Saxena) took charge as DGP, the law and order situation in Madhya Pradesh is deteriorating day-by-day. "Crime in Madhya Pradesh has increased multifold ever since he (Sudhir Saxena) become DGP of the state. The law and order situation which should have improved, is deteriorating day-by-day," Singh said citing several incidents that occurred in the recent past, including a Sadhu's jata (hair) being chopped off last week. Singh, who became Leader of Opposition (LoP) last month, alleged that crimes against Schedule Tribes/Schedule Castes (ST/SC) have increased in the state. He claimed that several attack on the tribal people have exposed the deteriorating law and order situation in Madhya Pradesh in the past few months. "Bajrang Dal and other right-wing groups seem to have been given a free hand by the government and the police to create violence, social disturbances, crime against women and against deprived communities in the state," Singh added. Top Congress leaders in the state had in the past attacked the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led state government and the state home minister Narottam Mishra over the poor law and order situation, but it's the first time that the opposition took the DGP's name directly. Former Chief Minister and state Congress president Kamal Nath and Rajya Sabha MP (Congress) Digvijaya Singh have been taking on the state government over the law and order issue time and again but they refrained from blaming the DGP directly. Sudhir Saxena, a 1992-batch IPS officer, assumed charge as DGP on March 4. He took over from 1984-batch IPS officer Vivek Johri, who was appointed DGP by the then Kamal Nath led Congress government in March 2020 and retired from the post on March 4, 2022. Before taking charge as MP's DGP, Saxena was serving as security (secretary), cabinet secretariat in Delhi. He was relieved from his New Delhi post just a day before taking charge as MP's DGP. Kakinada : , May 31 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh forest officials continued their efforts to capture a tiger roaming in the area near Pothuluru under Prathipadu mandal of Kakinada district. Forest personnel engaged in the operation believe that the big cat is resting on a hillock after killing a buffalo. The animal was not captured on the CCTV cameras installed in the foothills since Monday. The movements were not captured even on the cameras arranged towards the other side on Polavaram canal. The forest team by District Forest Officer I.K.V. Raju believes that the tiger may come down after finishing the leftover buffalo meat. Based on the movements recorded earlier, the forest personnel are of the view that the animal is very healthy and it appears to be a Royal Bengal Tiger. The team is taking all precautions to ensure that the tiger is either captured safely and returns towards the forest. Ever since the presence of the tiger was confirmed three days ago, fear has gripped people in villages in Prathipadu and adjoining Gollaprolu mandal Police and Forest Department have barred people's entry on few routes in the region to prevent any untoward incident. The Forest Department has appealed to people to remain alert till the strayed animal has been captured, or it returned to the wild on its own. More than 150 forest personnel including officials of Visakhapatnam Zoo are participating in the operation. The tiger was sighted on a hillock near Pothuluru. The forest officials inspected the pug marks. Officials said it killed a buffalo and dragged it towards the hillock. The forest officials have installed CCTV cameras at 40 places to capture the movement of the tiger. Traps have also been set as part of the operation to capture it. Officials said they were following all the guidelines of the National Tiger Conservation Authority for the operation. Villagers had been complaining of an unidentified animal killing their livestock over the past few days. Officials say six buffaloes were killed over the past eight days in Pothuluru, Ommangi, Dharmavaram villages in Prathipadu mandal and Kodavali in Gollaprolu mandal. The villages are connected with Addatheegala and other neighbouring forests. Forest officials believe the tiger might have strayed into the village in search of prey and water. New Delhi, May 31 : The initiative by US President Joe Biden in South East Asia has checkmated Beijing in the Indo-Pacific, both militarily and economically, and further isolated China among its neighbours who are members of the ASEAN. In a series of diplomatic moves, the American President first had a meeting with leaders of the ASEAN in Washington in May 2022, and then later in the month visited South Korea and Japan where he launched the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework; that has been designed as the economic arm of America's initiative in the Indo-Pacific. President Biden also chaired in Tokyo a summit meeting of the leaders of Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, the alliance between Japan, Australia, India and the US, that has been formed to challenge China's growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific. In Seoul, the US President was assured of greater co-operation of South Korea for Quad. In the process, he has reaffirmed the American support for ASEAN; the bloc of 10 countries that was formed in 1967 with five members -- Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand -- to contain the growing Chinese influence in South East Asia. China's relation with ASEAN has been antagonistic; historically China had considered ASEAN as a grouping of nations designed to encircle it. Brunei joined ASEAN in 1984, Vietnam in 1995, Laos and Myanmar in 1997 and Cambodia in 1999. Besides promotion of trade among themselves, one important area of co-operation of ASEAN was joint research and technical co-operation among the member governments. ASEAN has since emerged as a leading voice on regional security issues as well. In July 1992, the ASEAN foreign ministers signed the ASEAN Declaration on the South China Sea in Manila; calling for the exercise of restraint by involved parties, and co-operation in areas of mutual interest. In July 2012, ASEAN foreign ministers issued a joint statement on six-point principles on the South China Sea and called for self-restraint and peaceful resolution of disputes. Resolving disputes among the member countries being one of the main aims of ASEAN, the grouping can be an important bulwark to protect rule-based order in the Indo-Pacific; which Washington wants to uphold to protect this region from Beijing predatory swoops. Four of the 10 member states of ASEAN -- Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia -- have an ongoing territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea. China wants full control of the South China Sea to dominate the major trade and oil routes. Observers have said that one purpose of President Biden's latest initiative in Asia was to explore the possibility of Quad working in greater cooperation with South East Asian nations. ASEAN can play a pivotal role in the Indo-Pacific strategy of the US to contain China. The principal takeaway of the ASEAN bloc from the Washington meet was some leverage to stand up against China as the centrality of ASEAN to the Indo-Pacific strategy of the USA was once again reaffirmed. The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) that President Joe Biden formed later in the month in Tokyo has provided the ASEAN bloc an economic framework with some concessions and a clearer strategy towards regional security, especially involving the South China Sea, according to analysts. Seven of the leading ASEAN members, significantly, are also members of the newly formed IPEF; among them Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The other members of the IPEF are Australia, India, Japan and New Zealand. Three of these countries, together with the USA, form the Quad. The IPEF will thus serve as a bridge between ASEAN and Quad; a grouping that will not be to China's liking. Predictably, Beijing has reacted with alarm, its principal worry being that the regional economies of South East Asia would now be decoupled from the Chinese economy. The IPEF would help the US and Asian economies to work more closely in areas of supply chain, digital trade, clean energy, protection to workers and anti- corruption efforts. It has been described as the most significant international economic engagement that the United States ever had in South East Asia that presented the Indo-Pacific countries an alternative to China. Developing a reliable supply chain in this region independent of the Chinese economy would help the smaller countries reduce their dependence on Beijing. The formation of the IPEF was a clear signal that the USA would not cede the mantle of leadership to China and that it had the ability to offer practical solutions to critical problems such as supply chain bottlenecks, the greening of infrastructure and the dissemination of digital technologies that would help in transmission of information and date across borders. Spokesman of Foreign Ministry of China Wang Wenbin has lamented that IPEF would establish US-led trade rules, restructure the system of supply chains and decouple the regional countries from the Chinese economy. IPEF excludes China, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar. Among these countries, Laos and Cambodia are considered too close to China and Myanmar is ruled by a brutal military junta to which Beijing has extended unstinted support. The IPEF is a strong economic grouping representing, along with the US, 40 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product of the world. Washington in any case now has an edge in its competition with Beijing. In 2022, the American economy is expected to grow at 2.8 per cent; compared to 2 per cent for China where growth has suffered due to the draconian lockdown measures. The other major factor pulling down the Chinese economy is the rapid fall in prices of real estate, especially in smaller cities of China where property accounts for a substantial part of household wealth. The fall in real estate prices has dampened consumer confidence and affected retail sales of even items like clothing. The myth that China would supplant the US as the leading economy of the world has exploded. The visit of the American President to South Korea and Japan was an important step to ensure that the USA maintained its technological edge over China. In his meeting with Joe Biden in Seoul, President of South Korea Yoon Suk-yeol took a sceptical view of China and showed inclination to step up cooperation with Quad and to cooperate with the United States on economic security measures, like investment screening and export control. A White House statement on Joe Biden's visit to South Korea said: "Recognizing that scientists, researchers and engineers of the Republic of Korea and the US are among the most innovative in the world, the two Presidents agree to leverage this comparative advantage to protect and promote critical and emerging technologies; including leading-edge semiconductors, eco-friendly EV batteries, artificial intelligence, quantum technology, biotechnology and autonomous robotics." Japan, too, has adopted a defensive economic statecraft against China, agreeing with the US President during his stopover in Tokyo to develop and guard the emerging technologies and increase resilience of critical infrastructure and supply chain. In view of the growing assertiveness of China in the Indo-Pacific and the military threat it is posing to the neighbouring countries, it has become important to prevent critical technologies from falling into the hands of China. Developing a reliable supply chain independent of China and protecting the critical technologies from falling into its hands are also the cornerstones of the B3W (Build Back Better World) initiative of the G-7 countries. In the midst of this economic initiative taken during Joe Biden's Asia visit to challenge the dominant attitude of China, what has come as a shock to Beijing is the assertion of the US President that America would intervene militarily if China were to invade Taiwan. "We agreed with the One China policy, but the idea that it (Taiwan) can be taken by force is just not appropriate," he said. The burden to protect Taiwan was "even stronger" after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The American President made it no secret that the sanctions against Russia for invading Ukraine would send China a warning against invading Taiwan, that such action was unacceptable. Though the main focus of the Asian initiative of the US President was to build an alternative for the South East Asian countries to face the growing economic might of China, there was also emphasis on ensuring a rule-based order in the Indo-Pacific that could stand up to the bullying tactics of Beijing. At a time when Beijing is increasingly challenging democratic values, the leaders of Australia, Japan, India and the US at the second in-person meeting of Quad leaders firmly opposed any provocative or unilateral attempt to change the status quo. A joint statement was issued from the Quad summit, saying: "We strongly oppose any coercive, provocative or unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo and increase tensions in the area, such as the militarization of disputed features, the dangerous use of coast guard vessels and maritime militia, and efforts to disrupt other countries' offshore resource exploitation activities." The reference is clear, the coercive activities China is undertaking in the South China Sea to the detriment of the other littoral countries of the area. Beijing has also built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea. "Quad will champion adherence to international law, particularly as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas, and the maintenance of freedom of navigation and overflight, to meet challenges to the maritime rule-based order, including in the East and South China Seas," the joint statement said. London, May 31 : Disruption to cardiac services during the Covid-19 pandemic has caused a "global collateral damage" that may have lasting ramifications, according to a study published on Tuesday. In the paper published in the European Heart Journal, the researchers warn that problems with heart health will "...continue to accrue unless mitigation strategies are speedily implemented". In the two years from December 2019, when health systems around the world were under extreme pressure and people were fearful of catching Covid, individuals experiencing an acute cardiac event such as a heart attack or heart failure either stayed away or could not get admitted to a hospital. The study, involving an international team of doctors and data scientists led by the University of Leeds, UK, describes a "substantial global decline" in hospital admissions of people suffering from cardiovascular disease. As a result, the number of people dying at home or in the community from heart conditions increased. In cases where people did get medical help there was, on average, more than an hour's delay in reaching hospital or having contact with paramedics. The chances of people surviving a major heart attack depends on timely and appropriate treatment. Although the problems identified by the researchers were seen across the world, they were exacerbated in low to middle income countries, the researchers said. Hospitals and clinics in those locations struggled to give the gold standard treatment, in some cases using drugs instead of interventional procedures such as fitting a stent into a blocked artery. The result has been an increased death rate among cardiovascular patients in hospitals in low to middle income countries, as well as more people dying at home from cardiovascular disease. The findings were based on data from 189 separate research papers looking at Covid's impact on cardiovascular services from 48 countries on six continents and covering a two-year period from December 2019.AA "Heart disease is the number one killer in most countries - and the analysis shows that during the pandemic people across the world did not receive the cardiac care they should have received," said Dr Ramesh Nadarajah, a British Heart Foundation Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Leeds. "That will have ramifications. The longer people wait for treatment for a heart attack, the greater the damage to their heart muscle, causing complications that can be fatal or cause chronic ill health. Health systems need to reinforce systems to help support and treat people whose heart conditions will inevitably be worse because of the pandemic," Nadarajah said. Earlier this month, the World Health Organisation (WHO) published estimates of the excess deaths associated with Covid-19 pandemic, which would include people who were unable to access prevention and treatment for cardiovascular diseases due to overwhelmed health systems. During 2020 and 2021, the WHO calculated there were 14.9 million excess deaths globally. "The repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic on cardiovascular care and outcomes will be with us for a long while yet," said Professor Chris Gale, Consultant Cardiologist at Leeds. "There is little doubt that there will continue to be deaths and illness that would not have otherwise occurred. Urgent action is needed to address the burden of cardiovascular disease left in the wake of the pandemic," he added. --IANS rvt/vd AAA Guwahati, May 31 : Northeast India's biggest solar power project, with a generation capacity of 70 MW, was inaugurated by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at Amguri in Sivasagar district on Tuesday. The Rs 300-crore Amguri solar park project was executed by Jackson Power Private Ltd, as solar power developer, with the government-owned Assam Power Generation Corporation Ltd (APGCL) acting as solar power park developer. Inaugurating the plant, the Chief Minister said that four more solar power projects with 25 MW generation capacity each would be commissioned soon in different parts of the state. Noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasised to generate more energy from solar and renewable sources, Sarma announced that 1,000 MW solar power would be generated within three years in Assam. "The state government is trying to make Assam a green energy hub. Assam currently requires 2,200 MW power to provide electricity to all households across the state," he said, adding that with the better collection of the electricity bill, the Assam government has registered a profit of Rs 800 crore this year. The APGCL is also making profit, the Chief Minister added. The foundation of the Amguri solar park project was laid by then Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on February 19, 2019. The target date of commissioning of the project was December 2021. Noting that under the Assam government's flagship scheme 'Orunodoi', Rs 1,000 has been provided per month to around 22 lakh beneficiaries, mostly women, Sarma also announced that from now onwards Rs 1,250 per month would be provided to the beneficiaries under the scheme so that they could pay their electricity bills. More seven lakh people would be included in the scheme, he added. Patna, May 31 : Political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor on Tuesday asserted that he will not associate with the Congress in future. "This is the party responsible for breaking my track record of winning. It is not improving and even it may drown me. Hence, I will never work with the Congress again," Kishor said with folded hands at an interaction with media in Vaishali, where he was to prepare ground for his Jan Suraaj campaign. "In the last 10 years, I was involved in 11 elections and only one I lost in Uttar Pradesh in 2017. At that time, I was associated with the Congress party. It has broken my winning record. "I was associated with the BJP in the 2014 Lok Sabha election, then the JD-U in 2015, 2017 in Punjab, 2019 with Jagan Mohan Reddy in Andhra Pradesh, 2020 in Delhi with (Arvind) Kejriwal and 2021 in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu," Kishor said. In reaction, senior state Congress leader Madan Mohan Jha said: "Prashant Kishor was associated with Congress in 2017 and unfortunately lost the Uttar Pradesh election. If that would be the reason of blaming Congress party for breaking his track record than I must ask that why he recently met the top leaders of Congress party in Delhi and gave presentation for 6 to 7 days." New Delhi, May 31 : A day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Satyendar Jain in connection with a money laundering case, the BJP on Tuesday demanded resignation of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the Delhi Health Minister. Rejecting the AAP's allegation of "vendetta politics" linking the arrest with the upcoming Himachal Pradesh assembly polls, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said that the allegations of money laundering against Jain are serious and he (Jain) has got no relief from any court. Bhatia noted that the BJP government at the Centre has a zero tolerance policy against corruption and will continue to act against graft. "Polls keep taking place in the country, and probe agencies cannot be asked to step back from acting despite evidence because of elections. Both Kejriwal and Jain should resign," Bhatia said. Bhatia alleged that the Delhi Health Minister had been acting at the behest of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor, Kejriwal. He said that a few days ago, the Health Minister of Punjab was arrested in a corruption case, now the Delhi Health Minister of Delhi has been arrested. Bhatia asked Kejriwal: "Is there any morality left in you and your party?" "Your silence is telling that this corruption has happened at your behest," he said. A court here on Tuesday sent Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money-laundering case, to the agency's custody till June 9. Jain, who was arrested on Monday evening, was presented before Special CBI Court Judge Geetanjali Goel of the Rouse Avenue Court. New Delhi, May 31 : A court here on Tuesday granted bail to Sheela Gehlot, wife of Ambience Mall Group Promoter Raj Singh Gehlot, in connection with the money laundering case pertaining to the alleged multi-crore Jammu and Kashmir Bank scam. Sheela Gehlot has been accused of routing a Rs 781 crore loan of the bank through her escrow account to 21 companies and 4 individuals and using it to settle loans of Ambience Group companies and meet other expenses. After the submissions of the petitioner's counsel, the court noted that she is not a 'flight risk'. In her plea, Sheela Gehlot referred to the twin conditions of Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in which there is a provision that a person who is under the age of sixteen years or is a woman or is sick or infirm, may be released on bail. Accordingly, the special judge of Patiala House Court granted her bail on certain conditions and a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh. Conditions include not to indulge any kind of activities that are alleged against her in the present case, not threatening the witness or tampering with evidence, and appearing before the probe agency or court when she is called as per law. In the plea, the petitioner claimed that due to the Covid-induced lockdown, the business of the hotel greatly suffered, due to which 51 per cent of the equity of the hotel was given to banks. The petitioner also said that the funds borrowed from the J&K bank were being used to repay the companies whose money was used for raising construction and completion of the projects. Raj Singh Gehlot, Chairman of the Ambience Group of Companies, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on charges of the money laundering case in July 2021 is currently in jail. It is worthwhile to mention that the accused persons had a Rs 1,272 crore luxury hotel project at Shahdara in the national capital. In due course of the construction, a loan of Rs 810 crore was sanctioned and disbursed in favour of the group by a consortium of banks, led by J&K Bank which was purportedly used for other purposes. Students show their new textbooks at a primary school in Bozhou, east China's Anhui Province, Sept. 1, 2021. (Photo by Liu Qinli/Xinhua) BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua) -- China's market watchdog has rolled out recommended national standards to guarantee the quality of digital textbooks for primary and middle schools. The recommended national standards will take effect on Nov. 1, 2022, according to the State Administration for Market Regulation. The standards stipulate basic procedures for publishing digital textbooks which will be used in primary and middle schools, make quality demands for their contents, propose inspection processes and methods, and put forward an overall plan for the education and publication sectors. They will serve as a benchmark for publication houses to ensure the quality of digital textbooks for primary and middle school students, and facilitate large-scale publication and distribution, according to the administration. Nairobi Roots Party presidential aspirant George Luchiri Wajacoyah has been turned away by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for failing to present sufficient signatures to back his bid. Wakackoyah failed to meet the 48,000-signature requirement and could not be cleared by IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati. The poll body requires presidential aspirants to submit 2,000 signatures from at least 24 counties but only signatures from 17 counties had met the threshold. "We have looked at your documentation and you have complied with all requirements expect supporters list.In the list of signatures only 17 counties were compliant while the others had a shortfall," Chebukati told him. Wajackoyah who was accompanied by his running mate Justina Wamae was given until June 2 to comply with the signatures requirement if he intends to be on the ballot come August 9th. "You need a minimum of 8 counties to fill the gap for us to reconsider your application. We will give you an opportunity to seek the signatures," Chebukati stated. The Roots presidential candidate assured the commission that he will work round the clock to ensure they comply with the requirement details by the commission. "Where we error and we are told we can rectify. Whether we make it or not,Kenya will still continue.I thank Chebukati for being realistic,"Wajacoyah noted. In the rigorous process the commission is keen on verifying details on whether the candidates have been cleared by the Registrar of Political Parties. The candidates should also have Sh200,000 nomination fees and a Code of Conduct in compliance with Chapter 6 of the Constitution. The candidates should have at least a Bachelor's degree and have 2000 signatures from at least 24 counties. Chennai, May 31 : Farmers in Tamil Nadu's Dharmapuri are in an agitated mood after wild elephants destroyed sugar cane crops and mango orchards on their farms. Farmers complained that the elephants had come to the farm land in search of water and had destroyed around 10 acres of sugar cane and mango orchards. Talking to IANS, Karuppanan, a farmer from Karimangalam in Dharmapuri said: "Wild elephants have run amok in our sugar cane fields and mango orchards and destroyed almost 10 acres. Most of the farmers are facing huge losses as a herd of six to nine elephants had come to the farmland which is quite unexpected as such a thing has not happened in the past." He said that the elephants reached the farmland in pursuit of water and the Forest Department must set up more water tanks in the forest so that elephants quench their thirst there itself. Somanathan, 61, another farmer in the area, said the village elders and general public have submitted a memorandum to the forest officials of Dharmapuri district to prevent the elephant menace. He said that the losses of sugar cane and mangoes have led many farmers into financial debts as they were expecting to sell the produce in the market. Forest officials said that special forest forces are constituted to prevent the entry of wild elephants into farmlands. The department has also taken measures to prevent wild elephants from grazing in the village hamlets and fencing will be used in the border to prevent man-animal conflict and destruction of crops in the area. A senior officer with the Palacode forest range in Dharmapuri told IANS that their Rapid Response Force chased away the elephants on Sunday and "we have now taken preventive measures against elephants entering the village and destroying crops". He said that farmers who lost crops due to elephant attacks will be given compensation on providing the details to the district administration. New Delhi, May 31 : Delhi Congress president Anil Kumar on Tuesday said Delhi Health Satyendar Jain arrested in connection with a money laundering case should be sacked from the cabinet by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Kumar said even as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Jain, Kejriwal tried to protect and defend him. "Jain's involvement in 'hawala' transactions, converting black money into white for Kejriwal, besides acting as fund collector for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), are now open secret." He alleged that instead of sacking a corrupt minister like Jain, Kejriwal was trying to defend him, and the one who defends the corrupt, is guilty of corruption too. He said Jain's arrest by the ED was "better late than never", adding that "truth can never be suppressed, as it will always come out". Addressing a press conference at the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee office, Kumar said: "Even before he became a minister in the Delhi Cabinet, Satyendar Jain had dealt in hawala transactions for shell companies, and bought farm lands in Delhi at over Rs 27 crore but Kejriwal still made him a Minister to use him as a fund collector. " Kumar further said that 80 per cent of Delhi Ministers have been caught in one case or another, and have been in jail, while criminal and other cases have been filed against 38 AAP MLAs. Bengaluru, May 31 : The politics over textbook revision in Karnataka refuse to die down as the ruling BJP is now in a fix over a fresh row over the description of social reformer Basavanna, who is revered by the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community. The prominent seers of the community have urged Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to get the description of Basavanna corrected. They have also warned Bommai of protests if the revision is not carried out. The Veerashaiva-Linagayat community is standing firmly with BJP in the state, and the issue is being considered seriously by the ruling party. Basava Jaya Mruthyunjay Swamiji of Koodalasangam Mutt and Panditaradhya Shivacharya Swamiji of Taralabalu Mutt have warned the state government about revision of the lesson on Basavanna. Expressing shock Jaya Mrutyunjay Swamiji stated that the principles propagated by Basavanna and Kuvempu have been disrespected. Basavanna chose to leave his house due to inequality. However, different versions are presented in the textbooks now. Bommai's father was also a follower of Basavanna. He has the guidance of religious seers. Bommai must take steps to revise the mistakes, he said. He urged Bommai not to maintain silence over the issue and tell the world about Basavanna's principles and he should also know how his father lived. "We cannot tolerate damage caused to Basavanna philosophies," he said. Panditaradhya Shivacharya Swamiji warned of statewide protests if Basavanna's philosophies are misrepresented. He has written to Bommai explaining that the Textbook Revision Committee has left out, edited the lesson on Basavanna for the class 9 textbook. Education Minister B.C. Nagesh had met Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji, the religious seer revered by another dominant community, the Vokkaligas in Karnataka on Monday to clarify about the regional anthem written by Kuvempu. Chennai, May 31 : The Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP has threatened a statewide hunger strike and a massive rally in Tiruchi if the state government does not slash fuel prices as per the poll promise of the DMK. BJP Tamil Nadu state president K. Annamalai told party cadres at a public meeting in Chennai that the party would observe hunger strikes in all districts if the government does not reduce the fuel price as promised in the DMK election manifesto. Annamalai said that if the DMK government does not reduce the fuel price within 20 days, the party would hold a massive protest rally after 30 days in Tiruchi that would lead to the fall of the DMK government and the rise of the BJP in the state. The BJP leader said that the party was supposed to conduct a rally from Rajarathinam Stadium to St. George Fort to lay siege to the secretariat but it was cancelled when they came to know that Chief Minister Stalin was not in town. Annamalai said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought down petrol and diesel prices by Rs 17 and Rs 14.50 respectively in the last six months but the ruling DMK has not fulfilled its poll promise. He said, "The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister is saying that the central government is regularly asking him to slash the petrol prices." He said, "Let the Tamil Nadu government reduce the fuel prices immediately". The BJP leader said that the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu has hit a low ebb and that ganja was available in every street of the state and that the state would soon turn into the ganja capital of the country. Lashing out at Stalin's speech in the presence of the Prime Minister for retrieving Katchatheevu island from Tamil Nadu, the BJP leader said, "Late M. Karunanidhi, father of Stalin along with then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had sold Kathcatheevu like a Karivadu (Dry Fish). New Delhi, May 31 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that it thought the jurisdiction of the National Green Tribunal was available for ordinary persons, or those who could not move the courts, as it expressed surprise at the tribunal considering letter petitions by lawmakers. A vacation bench of Justices B.R. Gavai and Hima Kohli said: "What is this, the National Green Tribunal is also entertaining letters from Members of Parliament. "We thought that this jurisdiction was available for have-nots..Ordinary citizens and not legislators." The top court made these observations while hearing an appeal by the Andhra Pradesh government challenging an order by the NGT, which stopped construction at Rushikonda Hills abutting the beach in Visakhapatnam. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the Andhra Pradesh government, submitted that the tourism project was in public interest and more than 300 people have been employed and Rs 180 crore already invested. The bench sought a copy of the judgment, which said that the NGT is a tribunal subordinate to the high court under Article 227 of the Constitution. Singhvi sought some time to find more information in the matter. The bench scheduled the matter for further hearing on Wednesday. The tribunal's order, passed earlier this month, had come on a petition filed by MP K. Raghu Ramakrishna Raju, alleging violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms by the project. The NGT also set up a joint committee to look into the environmental viability of the project and whether CRZ clearances should be revisited. It was alleged that the master plan notified by the Urban Development Department was violated and the petitioner claimed the area was also environmentally sensitive. Bhubaneswar, May 31 : Around 69 per cent polling was recorded till 5 p.m. in the by-election to Brajrajnagar assembly segment in Odisha's Jharsuguda district, Odisha Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S.K Lohani said on Tuesday. The final voters' turnout in the by-poll will be known after polling parties returned from the booths, said Lohani. The assembly segment had recorded a polling of 78 per cent in 2019 general elections. No untoward incident was reported from any booth in the constituency till 5 p.m. However, due to some technical glitches, four EVMs have been replaced, he said. There was a good number of voters' turnout at the pink booths set up with only women polling agents, the CEO informed. To ensure free and fair voting, security arrangements were made in different booths for the poll while 1,228 polling officers were appointed in the booths. 1,000 police officials and three companies of central armed forces were deployed at different booths to maintain law and order. The voting started at 7 a.m. following Covid-19 norms with arrangements of sanitisers and thermal scanning at all polling booths. Moreover, liquor outlets have been closed for 48 hours for the election in the district. The by-poll was necessitated following the untimely demise of BJD's Kishore Mohanty in December 2021. There are 11 candidates in the fray, and the constituency will witness a triangular fight among BJD, BJP and Congress nominees. The BJD has fielded Alaka Mohanty as its candidate for the by-poll while the BJP nominated former MLA Radharani Panda. Congress nominee, ex-assembly speaker Kishore Patel, is also in the race for the MLA seat. The Assembly seat was with CPI and Congress till 2009 and went to BJP in 2014. Ruling BJD grabbed the seat in the last election held in 2019. Now, all eyes are on the by-poll result as all three parties have a strong hold in the constituency. New Delhi, May 31 : A court here on Tuesday issued summons to Congress' Karnataka unit President D.K. Shivakumar and others in connection with a 2018 money laundering case. The charge sheet in the case was filed by the Enforcement Directorate before the Special Judge Vikas Dhull of Rouse Avenue Court. Taking cognisance of the charge sheet filed by the central probe agency through Special Public Prosecutor Nitesh Rana, the court directed Shivakumar to appear before it on July 1. The state Congress chief and seven-time MLA was arrested by the ED on September 3, 2019 and was granted bail in October 2019 in the case. The central agency had registered a money laundering case against him, Haumanthaiah, an employee at Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi, and others for alleged offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The case, which was filed by the Income Tax Department before a Bengaluru special court last year, is in relation with the purported tax evasion and illegal transactions worth crores of rupees. On March 30, the Delhi High Court had permitted Shivakumar a week's time to visit the United Arab Emirates for attending an event, as he has to take prior permission from the court before travelling abroad. Kolkata, May 31 : The proposed Bill to replace the Governor with the Chief Minister as the chancellor of all state-run universities in West Bengal will be tabled in the Assembly for clearance during the forthcoming Monsoon Session starting June 10, sources said. Going by Trinamool Congress' numerical strength in the Assembly, the state government will have no problem in getting the proposed Bill passed with a comfortable majority. However, the state government will then have to send the Bill to Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar for his assent. State Education Minister Bratya Basu has already said that in case the Governor refuses to clear the Bill, the state government will pass an ordinance to bring the changed system into practice. Debates have already started over the proposed Bill with a large section of educationists describing it as a direct attempt by the ruling party to gain political control over the functioning of the state universities. Dhankhar himself has slammed the move, calling it a diversionary tactics by the state government to shift attention from the ongoing controversies in the state, including the CBI probe into the recruitment irregularities in the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC). The Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, has claimed that Trinamool Congress' wish to see Mamata Banerjee as the chancellor of state universities will remain a distant dream, just as the Chief Minister's dream to set up a legislative council in West Bengal. Jaipur, May 31 : Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday accused the BJP of "horse-trading" as independent pro-BJP candidate Subhash Chandra filed his nominations for the Rajya Sabha seats from the state as the fifth candidate and asserted that Congress shall win all three seats. Talking to media, Gehlot said: "BJP has fielded Subhash Chandra, but from where will they get votes? None of our MLAs are going to be sold. Our MLAs saved the government without any inducement. What will they offer to those MLAs who refused to be sold even for Rs 35 crore? "They know they don't have all the votes. Will they do 'horse trading' here and spoil the atmosphere?" He alleged that "under the leadership of Amit Shah, they tried to topple our government. This world knows. Now they have started again by fielding Subhash Chandra. From where will these votes come? Then these people want to do the same horse-trading? They are not instilling good traditions in Rajasthan". "Each one of our comrades has saved the government. 19 such companions, who were taken away after being misguided, have also joined us now. Everyone is united. When they know that we cannot win, then why are they putting this tradition in Rajasthan?" the Chief Minister said. Hyderabad, May 31 : In a shocking incident, a man in Telangana's Mahabubnagar district on Tuesday killed his newly-wed daughter and wife. The man was angry after his daughter refused to go to her in-laws and his wife also supported her. After killing them, the man consumed poison and was battling for life in a hospital, police said. Sarswati, 22, a resident of Jainallipur village, was married on May 8 to a man from Mahabubnagar town. After 10 days, she came to her parents. She refused to return to in-laws, saying she was married to the man against her wish. Her father Krishnaiah has been insisting that she should go back to the house of in-laws. There was a fight between them over the issue again on Tuesday. Saraswati's mother Kalamma, 43, came out in her support. During the heated argument, Krishnaiah attacked her daughter and wife with a stick and then consumed some poisonous substance. He also informed his son over the phone. The son, who rushed to the house from the agriculture field, shifted all the three to a local hospital. As the condition of Saraswati and her mother turned critical, they were being shifted to Hyderabad. However, the duo succumbed on the way. Krishnaiah was undergoing treatment at Mahabubnagar district hospital and his condition was stated to be critical. Nairobi Innovative technology solutions have the potential to address the financial needs of people living with disabilities(PWDs) across the Middle East and Africa, according to the latest white paper from Mastercard. The study, Bridging the Disability Gap: An Opportunity to Make a Positive Impact, reveals that digital inclusion is the pathway to financial inclusion for persons with disabilities. As governments adopt and prioritize policies to improve accessibility of services, this paves the way for public and private sector financial institutions, mobile network operators (MNO), fintech providers, and other organizations to develop and apply solutions. Umar Hashmi, Vice President, Global Product and Engineering, Mastercard, said: "At Mastercard, we are a purpose-driven organization and put into practice our belief in 'doing well by doing good'. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are part of who we are, and we bring this to life by deploying products, services, and partnerships that are aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), based on 'leaving no-one behind'." According to the latest available data, one billion people, or 15 per cent of the world's population, experience some form of disability, constituting the largest minority group in the world. A combination of physical constraints in accessing financial institutions and services prevents many persons with disabilities from banking independently. Depending on the type of disability, this includes being unable to travel to and enter a financial institution, branch, or ATM, not perceiving and understanding what is written on paper or electronic devices, being unable to hear, understand, and communicate with banking service providers, and being unable to access paper or digital content. A 2019 UN report cites data that show persons with disabilities consider 28 per cent of banks in developed countries, and between 8 and 64 per cent banks in some emerging economies, to be inaccessible. However, measures are being taken to address this, at the government and corporate levels. The UAE has enforced a federal law concerning the Rights of People with Disabilities. Emirates NBD bank has imparted Disability Equality Training to over 2,100 of its staff and has also taught them American Sign Language. The bank's Disability Friendly Branch project, implemented in 2016, aims to facilitate and ease the banking experience. The three-phase transformation integrates infrastructure, technology, and services to enable and enhance accessibility. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya ICT By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. According to the Mastercard white paper, in the Middle East and Africa, using digital inclusion as the pathway to financial inclusion for persons with disabilities must involve reducing the gap in smartphone ownership, mobile internet usage, and digital literacy. Approximately 63 per cent of the world's population is now online since the pandemic. Research in select low- and middle-income countries in the Middle East and Africa shows that, despite a large mobile disability gap, widening at each stage of the user's journey, 62 per cent of adults with disabilities own mobile phones and 21 per cent own smartphones. The emerging technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution - such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, and the internet of things - have the potential to be delivered through apps and web-enabled services. This makes it possible to address the accessibility gap in financial services, said Mastercard. New Delhi, May 31 : "The Kashmir Files" maker Vivek Agnihotri on Tuesday said that he has been his show at Oxford University has been cancelled. Sharing a video message in a tweet, Agnihotri wrote: "Yet another Hindu voice is curbed at HINDUPHOBIC @OxfordUnion. They have cancelled me. In reality, they cancelled Hindu Genocide & Hindu students who are a minority at Oxford Univ". Alleging that the President-elect of the Union is a Pakistani, he appealed to everyone to "share and support in this most difficult fight". The filmmaker said in the video that he was invited by Oxford University to make an address on May 31. However, a few hours before the event, he was told there was a mistake and they would not be able to host him, he said. "It was all confirmed on email but a few hours back, they said they had made a mistake, there was a double booking and they wouldn't be able to host me today. Without even asking me, they changed the date to July 1 because on that day no student would be there and there's no point doing an event," he said. In the same video message, Agnihotri also said that he was not allowed to record the session at Cambridge University that had happened on May 30. "I am on a humanity tour in Europe. This tour was decided because a lot of prestigious places like Cambridge University, Oxford University, British Parliament had invited me. Brussels, May 31 : The African Union has warned EU leaders that Moscows blockade of Ukraines ports risks "a catastrophic scenario" of food shortages and price rises, The Guardian reported. Senegal President Macky Sall, who chairs the Union, said "the worst is perhaps ahead of us" if the current global food supply trends continue. Speaking via video link to the 27 EU leaders' meeting in Brussels, Sall said African countries have been hit hard by the global food crisis, because of their "strong dependence" on Russian and Ukrainian wheat. The situation is "worrying" for a continent that has 282 million people, he said. "In the immediate future, we would like everything to be done to release available grain stocks and ensure transport and access to the market, to avoid a catastrophic scenario of shortages and generalised high prices," Sall said. Before the war, African countries imported 44 per cent of their wheat from Ukraine and Russia. Ukraine alone grew enough food for 400 million people. Russia's blockade of Ukrainian ports is contributing to what analysts have called a "perfect storm" for global food supplies, as farmers face rising oil and fertiliser costs and the lingering effect of Covid-induced labour restrictions. Drought is also threatening to reduce wheat harvests in countries including France, the US and India, The Guardian reported. The head of the UN World Food Programme, David Beasley, had warned earlier this month that nearly 49 million people in 43 countries were on the edge of famine. "In many countries, we are forced to make the heartbreaking decision to take food from hungry children to give it to starving children," he said. Sall said the price of fertiliser is now three times higher than in 2021, while cereal yields in Africa are forecast to be 20-50 per cent lower this year. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Latest updates on Global Food Crisis Brussels, May 31 : EU leaders have said that they will block most Russian oil imports by the end of 2022 to punish Moscow for invading Ukraine, media reports said. The EU-wide ban will affect oil that arrives by sea - around two-thirds of imports - but not pipeline oil, following opposition from Hungary, BBC reported. Poland and Germany have also pledged to end pipeline imports, meaning a total of 90 per cent of Russian oil will be blocked. European Council chief Charles Michel said the deal cut off a huge source of financing for the Russian war machine, BBC reported. It is part of a sixth package of sanctions approved at a summit in Brussels, which all 27 member states have had to agree on. Russia currently supplies 27 per cent of the EU's imported oil and 40 per cent of its gas. The EU pays Russia around $430bn a year in return. So far, no sanctions on Russian gas exports to the EU have been put in place, although plans to open a new gas pipeline from Russia to Germany have been frozen, BBC reported. The UK - which gets 8% of its oil needs from Russia - has pledged to phase out Russian oil by the end of the year. Oil prices climbed on news of the EU embargo, with Brent crude rising above $123 a barrel, its highest level since March. EU members spent hours struggling to resolve their differences over the ban on Russian oil imports. Hungary, which imports 65 per cent of its oil from Russia through pipelines, was its main opponent. Hungary's Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, has good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Because of this, the immediate sanctions will affect only Russian oil being transported into the EU over sea -- two-thirds of the total imported from Russia. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Bengaluru, May 31 : The textbook revision row is likely to snowball into a major crisis in Karnataka as the ruling BJP stayed defiant on the issue while Kannada activists who staged protest on Tuesday warned the party of consequences if the revision is not dropped. Education Minister B.C. Nagesh once again rejected the demand, saying "textbooks are already printed". "Questions were not raised when sex education was given to Class 7 school children. If they want to protest, let them do it. They will realise their mistakes," he said. "Is there a need for children to read about death? Should small children read about sex? This was done by the previous committee. Why is there no photograph of the temple in the textbook? All this has been rectified," he explained. T.A. Narayana Gowda, President of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike has demanded the Textbook Revision Committee be terminated immediately and the government should distribute previous year's textbooks. "His observations on Kannada flag were questionable. He had openly branded legends of Kannada literature Kuvempu and Poornachandra Tejaswi as 'anti-Brahmins'. How could the ruling BJP give such a responsibility to a person with such a background?" Narayana Gowda questioned. "Rohith Chakrathirtha should be asked to leave the state. If these demands are not met, the government will have to face consequences," he warned. "The committee has insulted the lineage of thinking by removing texts of Kannada litterateurs such as P. Lankesh, Sara Aboobkar, Gorur Ramaswamy Iyengar, Aravinda Malagatti, B.T. Lalitha Naik. The lesson on social reformer Narayana Guru has been removed from Class 10 textbook," Narayana Gowda alleged. "We cannot tolerate the attitude of the government to play with the feelings of Kannadigas to promote a particular ideology," he said. Education Minister Nagesh, however, defended Chakrathirtha. He said: "Why litterateurs are behaving like this? I do not understand." Another thinker and Dalit author Moodnakoodu Chinnaswamy has also written a letter to Nagesh regarding a poem in Class 5 textbooks. Former speaker of the Legislative Assembly Ramesh Kumar has also written a letter to the Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to intervene in the matter of textbook revision row. Ahmedabad, May 31 : With some sections questioning "reliability" of EVMs, some social organisations of Gujarat and leaders associated with the Congress have launched the "Jan Adhikar Satyagraha" to push for a return to ballot papers. Addressing a press meet here on Tuesday, Congress leader and Satyagraha convener Deepak Babaria, who was joined by former BJP MLA Siddharth Parmar and leaders of various organisations and communities, said a meeting of intellectuals and thinkers was held to launch the initiative. "There is a situation in the country where democracy is being violated and people who do not like it are being deported. We have started Jan Adhikar Satyagraha to counter the same. There was a noticeable gap in the counting of votes of EVMs and VVIPs in the elections held in five states in the 2019 which raises serious doubts against EVMs. "If elections are held by ballot, the BJP will be largely defeated. Batteries are not removed from the VVIP and control unit even after voting. Due to it EVM can connect to the internet and it can be tampered with. It has been proven with evidence," he alleged. Parmar said: "Our demand is that the printed slip coming out of the VVIP should be handed over to the voters and given the right to put it in the ballot box." Arrangements should be made at every polling station so that voters can watch the process live on CCTV, he said. Babaria said that not only as a Congress leader but also as a citizen, he would take up these issues with the Election Commission. Srinagar, May 31 : Civil society members in Kashmir took out a candle light march even as condemnations poured in against the killing of a female school teacher in the Gopalpora area in south Kashmir's Kulgam district on Tuesday morning. Rajni, a resident of Samba district in Jammu, was shot at from a close range by terrorists. She was rushed to a hospital in a critical condition where she succumbed to her injuries. People in Kulgam took out a protest march holding placards and candles in their hands, condemning the brutal killing of civilians by terrorists in Kashmir, and demanded an end to violence. "We condemn the killing of innocents in Kashmir... we stand in solidarity with the bereaved family," said one of the protesters. "We want the government to investigate the crime and ensure such incidents are not repeated in the future," said another protester. Politicians cutting across party lines have condemned the killing of the school teacher. Meanwhile, the police said that the terrorists involved in this terror crime will be soon identified and neutralised. Kolkata, May 31 : While 2021 was celebrated as Swarnim Vijay Varsh or the 50th anniversary of the 1971 India-Pakistan War resulting in a crushing defeat for Pakistani forces and the Liberation of Bangladesh, 2022 can certainly commemorate how Indian armed forces upheld their ethos and traditions by punishing their own who fell out of line, even slightly, during the War. Nearly 93,000 Pakistani troops surrendered and were held as Prisoners of War by India after the 13-day War. Though a large number of them, including officers, were involved in the genocide that took place in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), not a single soldier was punished after the surrendered troops were returned to West Pakistan. That marks the difference between the armed forces of the two countries. In India, one case that comes to mind is the punishment meted out to a young Captain in the Army who may have felt that he was doing nothing wrong in robbing a bank at Hajiganj in Bangladesh where he was posted in 1971. After all, it was December 11, 1971 and the bank could well have ben treated as enemy property, the officer -- who we will simply call Captain HU here -- may have felt. A senior officer in the Army believes that such incidents about that great War need to be highlighted along with the gallantry and valour of our troops. The officer entered the United Bank Ltd Comilla District, threatened the staff with bodily harm and made off with Rs 11,222.91 in Pakistani currency, some 12 bore guns and cartridges, a wall clock, a couple of telephone sets, pens, winter uniforms of bank staff as well as personal property of the manager and the security guard. From the manager, he took away a Romer Popular wrist watch and from the guard, Rs 6 in Pakistani currency. Captain HU's seniors did not take too kindly to this and a general court marshal was convened. On May 3, after the military court pronounced him guilty, the then general officer commanding (GOC) of the 23 Mountain Division noted: "It should be clearly borne in mind that our Forces had been ordered to march into Bangladesh as the liberators of the oppressed people who had been subjected to untold torture and miseries at the hands of Pakistani troops. It is, therefore, clear that our Forces had gone there as guardians and custodians of the lives and property of the people of that country. The conduct of the accused by indulging in broad day light bank robbery is despicable and his stooping so low as to deprive the security guard of the paltry sum of Rs 6 in Pakistani currency as also taking away wrist watch from the manager is indeed highly reprehensible. Such actions on the part of responsible officer of the Indian Army are calculated to bring a blot on the fair name of the Indian Army. It is, therefore, our imperative duty to ensure that such cases dealt with firmly when a verdict of guilty has been returned by the court." The military court ordered that the Captain be 'cashiered'. This is a punishment every officer of the armed forces dreads. He is marched to the parade ground under guard and all his rank badges, ribbons and awards are torn off in the presence of all personnel. He is then made to leave the premises. His commanding officer, though, wasn't satisfied with such a light sentence and insisted that the Captain serve two years of rigorous imprisonment as well. This order was confirmed by the then chief of Army staff Gen (later Field Marshal) SHFJ Manekshaw. It was Manekshaw who had told his troops to uphold the highest traditions of the Indian Army while conducting themselves in Bangladesh. The Captain challenged the order before the Supreme Court on technical grounds but his petition was rejected on November 27, 1972. "Just as we celebrated Swarnim Vijay Varsh, we also need to celebrate such incidents. This will show the younger generation that the Indian Army doesn't spare even its own in case of wrongdoing," the serving officer said. New Delhi, June 1 : The 24th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held on Tuesday, an official statement said. The Indian delegation was led by Additional Secretary, East Asia, from the Ministry of External Affairs, and the Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs led the Chinese side. The two sides reviewed the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the western sector of the India-China border. They recalled that since the last meeting of WMCC in November 2021, both sides have held the 14th and 15th meetings of the Senior Commanders in January and March 2022, respectively. The two sides exchanged views on the current situation along the LAC in eastern Ladakh. They agreed that as instructed by the two Foreign Ministers, both sides should continue the discussions through diplomatic and military channels to resolve the remaining issues along the LAC at the earliest so as to create conditions for restoration of normalcy in bilateral relations. In this context, they agreed to hold the next (16th) round of the Senior Commanders meeting at an early date to achieve the objective of complete disengagement from all friction points along the LAC in the western Sector in accordance with the existing bilateral agreements and protocols. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, June 1 : The ball is in the court of the Government of India yet again. Rejecting the clamour for peace and an early solution from various quarters, including a section of Nagas from Manipur who wanted 'wise decision', the NSCN(IM) on Tuesday stuck to its main contentious issues of Flag and a separate Naga Constitution. Nirendra Dev New Delhi, June 1 (IANS) The ball is in the court of the Government of India yet again. Rejecting the clamour for peace and an early solution from various quarters, including a section of Nagas from Manipur who wanted 'wise decision', the NSCN(IM) on Tuesday stuck to its main contentious issues of Flag and a separate Naga Constitution. Both the demands have been categorically rejected by the Centre on more than once occasion. For its part, the beleaguered core committee headed by Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, which also has BJP's Deputy CM Y. Patton, has decided to hold a conclave with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on June 2. This comes on the backdrop of sheer helplessness shown by peace emissary A.K. Mishra and the core committee when they met in Delhi in mid-May. "Mishra does not have anything new to offer, and the core committee said we do not know many detailed matters being discussed between NSCN-IM and the Centre," one source said recently. The NSCN(IM), which otherwise takes inspiration from Communist ideology as it was influenced by China in the 1960s and 1970s, has also decided to hold a special prayer session in Dimapur. "The delay games are deliberate and visible and it gives an impression that even the core committee is trying to adopt a longer road map," an informed source said. "Enlisting the help of Assam's sitting Chief Minister, whose only credential is being chairman of NEDA, appears ridiculous. Are some people taking taxpayers' money for granted," said a Naga leader on the condition of anonymity. "Does Himanta Sarma have a magic wand, and if so, Chief Minister Rio and Deputy CM Patton of the BJP should announce it formally. Then we will not complain. An issue which could not be solved by Prime Ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi, how can Himanta Sarma play a positive role?" "If there is no talking point between NSCN-IM and the Centre, the stage is now set for abrogation of ceasefire and probable resignation of the Rio government," the senior Naga leader told IANS. Many hopes were rested on NSCN-IM's 'emergency assembly' meeting on Tuesday. But at the end of the six-hour-long deliberation, the NSCN-IM sources said the militant organisation will stick to its stand for a Flag and Constitution. Sources also said the NSCN-IM will continue to take part in talks with the Centre and others concerned, "if invited". About 1,900 NSCN leaders and workers attended the meet, it has been claimed. Obviously, this also brings in the question that if the Centre does not invite them, talks would fail and perhaps the ceasefire that started in August 1997 during I.K. Gujral regime will have to be abrogated. Not many foot soldiers and ground-level cadres of both the NSCN-IM and NNPG would not be prepared for that. NNPG convener N. Kitovi Zhimomi has, however, made it clear that his umbrella body of seven militant groups are keen to ink the final peace pact with the government in the line of the agreed position signed between the two sides in November 2017. "We have to prove ourselves before God and before the Naga people and the whole world that we, the NSCN members, the frontline torch-bearers of the Naga political movement, shall stand the ground till the last man standing," said Q. Tuccu, chairman of the NSCN-IM, in his speech to the assembly. He also said: "How can we forfeit the Naga national flag and the Naga Constitution in the name of Naga political solution?" Tuccu further said: "We cannot be made a laughing stock before the world by tamely succumbing to pressure or temptation." Various Naga organisations within Nagaland such as Naga Tribal Council, Ao Students Conference and individuals such as retired IAS officer Khekiye K. Sema have suggested that Nagas of Manipur are trying to dominate and decide the fate of Nagas of Nagaland. "They have a stranglehold on not only the organisation called NSCN (IM), but are also spearheading the negotiation with the Centre... trying to decide the fate of the Nagas of Nagaland without letting us know exactly what our future is going to look like," Sema wrote in a newspaper article. The Ao Students' Conference in a recent statement said that it supports the statement of the Central Nagaland Tribes Council that it is high time for 'Nagas of Nagaland' to be 'relieved of the burden of Naga political movement' and allow Nagas of Nagaland to progress at par with other states. "For decades, Naga citizens have quietly endured extortion of national workers, but we have been denied the Naga solution. For how long will the Naga citizens be kept in the dark," asked the Ao Students' Conference. In an unprecedented statement, the NNPG has charged the NSCN(IM) with being 'outsider and tenant' in Nagaland and also that the same tenants "dream to be landlords through heckling, harassing and brutalising the owners with symbolic tools like integration, flag and constitution". The critics of NSCN-IM had earlier charged it with delaying the solution and preferring to continue with the status quo -- meaning ceasefire and talks would continue but solution will remain evasive. The group had earlier this month said that it also prefers an early solution. ( is a New Delhi-based journalist. He is also author of books 'The Talking Guns: North East India' and 'Modi to Moditva: An Uncensored Truth'. The views expressed are personal) Patna, June 1 : Two unidentified assailants fired indiscriminately on two cousin brothers in Patna's Patrakar Nagar locality on Tuesday evening. Patna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Manavjeet Singh Dhillon, confirms the incident. He said one of the victims identified as Gautam Singh died on the spot while another identified as Shambhu Singh is reportedly critically injured and battling for his life in a hospital. The victims were reportedly relatives of former BJP MLA Chittaranjan Sharma. "The preliminary investigation reveals that it could be a case of gang rivalry between two groups. The victims belong to Neema village under Dhanarua police station in Patna. There are two gangs in this village and they were involved in several murders in the past. Today's incident could be the result of it," Dhillon added. "The victims were travelling on a motor bike and the accused followed them on a bike. They were intercepted at Patrakar Nagar area and allegedly fired at them. Both of them sustained two to three gunshot injuries. We have recovered four cartridges from the spot," the Patna SSP said. "The investigation further reveals that the assailants have used 7.6 and 9 mm illegal pistols for the attack. The incident took place at 6:35 p.m. on Tuesday. We are scanning CCTV cameras of the area to find out who the attackers are and the spot they were involved in chasing victims. The name of the Pandav gang has come forth in this incident," he added. Nairobi Kenya Speaker of the National Assembly Justin Muturi has mourned the late Rabai MP William Kamoti Mwamkale as a progressive and resourceful legislator who demonstrated all attributes of true servant leadership. Kamoti died on Sunday night in a road accident on the Mombasa-Malindi road. In his message of condolence to the MP's family, friends, and constituents, the House Speaker said Kamoti always "served his people with utmost commitment and passionately answered to his call of duty as a lawmaker." He added that the two-term MP will be fondly remembered as a 'humble and courteous man who adopted a non-confrontational stance both in the House and outside.' "His loss has robbed Kilifi County and indeed, the National Assembly of a very progressive legislator who served his people with utmost commitment and passionately answered to his call of duty as a lawmaker," Speaker Muturi noted. Muturi said Kamoti will be remembered for his immense contribution while serving in the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs as well as the Committee on Delegated Legislation, where he was a very resourceful Member. The House Speaker noted that it was sad that the two-term legislator lost his life moments after being cleared by the IEBC to run for a third term. The burial of the Rabai MP is slated to held at his home in Kaliang'ombe in Rabai on Monday in accordance with Islamic rites. "His loss has robbed Kilifi County and indeed, the National Assembly of a very progressive legislator who served his people with utmost commitment and passionately answered to his call of duty as a lawmaker," he said. Brussels, June 1 : Public services in Belgium, including schools and transport networks, were disrupted after trade unions staged a one-day nationwide strike, local media reported. The strike on Tuesday caused huge delays and disruptions to public transport, including the temporary closure of certain bus and tram lines, the Belgian public transport company said. Nearly 60 per cent of the country's post offices remained closed for the day, including mail sorting centres, which may result in further delays over the next few days, Xinhua news agency reported. Rail traffic remained at a standstill in the Walloon provinces of Liege, Namur and Luxembourg, with only a quarter of trains running elsewhere in the country. The coordinated strikes reflect a general malaise in the public sector, where workers are demanding better protection to deal with the cost-of-living crisis, higher pensions and more investment in the public sector. On June 20, private sector workers are urged to join those in the public sector for a day of protest. Tehran, June 1 : Iran has warned Greece that neither the US nor any other third party wishes well for Tehran-Athens relations, noting bilateral ties have always been based on mutual respect, official news agency IRNA reported. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh on Tuesday gave the warning at a weekly press conference, referring to the Greek recent "illegal" impoundment of a Russia-operated ship carrying Iranian oil cargo, Xinhua news agency reported. Despite all diplomatic channels Tehran had activated, including a phone conversation Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian held with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias, Athens showed it attached greater importance to a third party's order, said Khatibzadeh. On Iran's seizure of the Greek tankers in the Gulf, the Spokesman explained that the tankers had committed maritime violations in the Iranian territorial waters. He suggested the Greek government solve the issue through legal channels, saying the Iranian Foreign Ministry will help. Dismissing worries about the Greek tankers' crew members, Khatibzadeh said they are safe and in good health and in contact with their families. Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps seized two Greek oil tankers in the Gulf on Friday, days after a Russia-operated ship was captured by Greece in its territorial waters and its Iranian crude cargo confiscated by the US. Tehran, June 1 : The toll in a 10-storey commercial building collapse in the southwestern Iranian city of Abadan has risen to 36, semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted a top provincial official. Speaking to reporters, Khuzestan Province Governor Sadeq Khalilian on Tuesday said the number of the injured still stands at 37, most of whom have been released from the hospital. He gave the assurance that the rescue work will continue until the last victim is recovered from the rubble, Xinhua news agency reported. On Sunday, the Iranian government announced nationwide mourning for the victims of the disaster. The Mizan news agency of the Iranian judiciary reported that 10 people were arrested for the incident, in which the building's owner and contractor were killed. The under-construction building, known as Metropol, is on a crowded street in downtown Abadan, surrounded by commercial and medical complexes and offices. Parts of the building collapsed suddenly on May 23, trapping dozens of people beneath the rubble. United Nations, June 1 : Seeing the devastation brought by the Covid-19 pandemic, India has put a spotlight on the threat of terrorists using biological weapons and suggested that the UN help countries deal with the risk. "In the Covid-era, the threat of misuse of biological agents and chemicals as weapons, combined with advances in chemistry and biology has heightened," A.Amarnath, a counsellor at India's UN Mission, said on Tuesday at a consultation held by the Security Council panel dealing with terrorists and weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The consultation, he said, could be a forum to see how the panel could "assist members in this area". The committee headed by Mexico is called the 1540 Committee after the Council's 2004 resolution to prevent terrorists from developing, acquiring, manufacturing or using nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and their means of delivery. Amarnath warned that new and emerging technologies may increase the risk of terrorists deploying WMDs. "The growing capabilities of terrorist and other non-state groups to access delivery systems like missiles and unmanned/uncrewed aerial systems (drones) have compounded the risks of terrorism using WMDs," he added. The threat of terrorists getting WMDs "is not in the theoretical realm" but a real threat because terrorist groups with the control of territory can develop and deploy them. He cited reports of the UN investigative team on crimes by the Islamic State known by the acronym UNITAD. "Their findings reveal that a terrorist group with considerable territory under its control can develop and deploy these deadly weapons within a short period of time. This is deeply disturbing," Amarnath said. Therefore, he added that preventing terrorists from getting WMDs "must be an urgent priority and responsibility of the international community". Gul Qaiser, a first Secretary in Pakistan's UN Mission, departing from the topic of terrorists acquiring WMDs, criticised what he asserted were discriminatory restrictions on export controls of dual-use items. It was directed at India, although he did not mention it by name, because Islamabad has objected to India receiving exemptions from the US and other countries to access civilian nuclear technology and materials, while Pakistan has not. India has the support of majority of the members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group for joining the organisation that controls access to nuclear technology and materials, which Pakistan does not have. China has blocked India's membership in the NSG. "The multilateral export-control regimes must be democratised. The arbitrary entity listing as well as discriminations, exceptions and waivers should be eliminated," Qaiser said. He added that there should be a UN mechanism to review "the denial cases which deprive countries of the technologies essential for development". "Pakistan proposes the creation of an all-inclusive open-ended working group under the auspices of the UN to prepare recommendations for more equitable access to the technologies, material and equipment," he said. Nepal's Permanent Representative to UN, Amrit Bahadur Rai said despite global intentions, "a world free of WMDs has remained a far-fetched dream" and this failure has increased the danger of terrorists getting them. He added that there should be regional and international cooperation to prevent cross-border trafficking in WMDs and dual-use items that could be used for their manufacture. UNITAD Head Christian Ritscher reported in December 2021 that when the Islamic State overran territories in Iraq, it seized chemical factories in Iraq and used the Mosul University campus as a hub for research and development of WMDs. "Small teams of qualified technical and scientific experts, some brought in from abroad, worked to adapt and enhance the programme," he said. "Through analysis of internal ISIL (Islamic State) manuals on chemical weapons production, we see the programme diversify and become more sophisticated as new expertise arrives," he added. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Brussels, June 1 : European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said her institution was working hard on building "solidarity lanes" to facilitate food exports from Ukraine, in particular the more than 20 million tons of grain blocked in the country's stores. "It is not trivial, and it is, of course, more tedious and expensive, but it is necessary to get this wheat out," she added on Tuesday at the end of a two-day extraordinary meeting of European Union (EU) leaders. Earlier in May, the Commission proposed to establish new so-called "solidarity lanes" to ensure that Ukraine can export and import the goods it needs, from humanitarian aid to animal feed and fertilisers, as Ukraine's ports have been blocked due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. EU leaders have urged Russia to lift the blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports and allow food exports, Xinhua news agency reported. Von der Leyen said the EU will also step up its own food production and expects to export a record 40 million tonne of cereals in 2022 and 2023. "We call on all partners not to restrict trade on agricultural products. Any kind of trade restrictions have absolutely no place in our member states or globally," she added. During the meeting, EU leaders also reached an agreement on a ban on 90 per cent of Russian oil imports to the EU by the end of the year. Von der Leyen spoke about how the EU was looking for "more reliable suppliers" of gas, noting how liquefied natural gas deliveries from other parts of the world other than Russia doubled in the first quarter of 2022 compared to that of 2021. She said gas storage across the EU stands at 41 per cent of capacity, which is five percentage points higher than they were in 2021. She added that the EU had to make "massive investment in renewables". Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text El Gouera Airport, El Gouera, Mauritania [ ZLG / ] If you are planning to travel to El Gouera or any other city in Mauritania, this airport locator will be a very useful tool. This page gives complete information about the El Gouera Airport along with the airport location map, Time Zone, lattitude and longitude, Current time and date, hotels near the airport etc... El Gouera Airport Map showing the location of this airport in Mauritania. El Gouera Airport IATA Code, ICAO Code, exchange rate etc... is also provided. El Gouera Airport Info: El Gouera Airport IATA Code: ZLG El Gouera Airport ICAO Code: Latitude : 20.8422 Longitude : -17.0783 City : El Gouera Country : Mauritania World Area Code : 545 Airport Type : Small Timezone : Africa/El_Aaiun El Gouera Airport Timezone : GMT +01:00 hours Current time and date at El Gouera Airport is 03:49:26 AM (+01) on Friday, Jun 3, 2022 Looking for information on El Gouera Airport, El Gouera, Mauritania? Know about El Gouera Airport in detail. Find out the location of El Gouera Airport on Mauritania map and also find out airports near to El Gouera. This airport locator is a very useful tool for travelers to know where is El Gouera Airport located and also provide information like hotels near El Gouera Airport, airlines operating to El Gouera Airport etc... IATA Code and ICAO Code of all airports in Mauritania. Scroll down to know more about El Gouera Airport or El Gouera Airport, Mauritania. El Gouera Airport Map - Location of El Gouera Airport Load Map Mauritania - General Information Country Formal Name Islamic Republic of Mauritania Country Code MR Capital Nouakchott Tel Code +222 Top Level Domain .mr Nearest Airports to El Gouera Airport Closest airports to El Gouera, Mauritania are listed below. These are major airports close to the city of El Gouera and other airports closest to El Gouera Airport. Nearest airport to El Gouera Airport and El Gouera is Nouadhibou Airport - (11.3 Km / 7.02 Miles) Following are the nearest airports to El Gouera and El Gouera Airport. Distance between the two airports is given in bracket. Akjoujt Airport - (307.03 Km / 190.78 Miles) List of 22 airports in Mauritania along with Mauritania airport codes This page provides all the information you need to know about El Gouera Airport, Mauritania. This page is created with the aim of helping travelers and tourists visiting Mauritania or traveling to El Gouera Airport. Details about El Gouera Airport given here include El Gouera Airport Code - IATA Code (3 letter airport codes) and ICAO Code (4 letter airport codes) Coordinates of El Gouera Airport - Latitude and Longitude (Lat and Long) of El Gouera Airport Location of El Gouera Airport - City Name, Country, Country Codes etc... El Gouera Airport Time Zone and Current time at El Gouera Airport Address and contact details of El Gouera Airport along with website address of the airport Clickable Location Map of El Gouera Airport on Google Map. General information about Mauritania where El Gouera Airport is located in the city of El Gouera. General information include capital of Mauritania, currency and conversion rate of Mauritania currency, Telephone Country code, exchange rate against US Dollar and Euro in case of major world currencies etc... ZLG - El Gouera Airport IATA Code Wipim Airport, Wipim, Papua New Guinea [ WPM / ] If you are planning to travel to Wipim or any other city in Papua New Guinea, this airport locator will be a very useful tool. This page gives complete information about the Wipim Airport along with the airport location map, Time Zone, lattitude and longitude, Current time and date, hotels near the airport etc... Wipim Airport Map showing the location of this airport in Papua New Guinea. Wipim Airport IATA Code, ICAO Code, exchange rate etc... is also provided. Wipim Airport Info: Wipim Airport IATA Code: WPM Wipim Airport ICAO Code: Latitude : -8.78811 Longitude : 142.883 City : Wipim Country : Papua New Guinea World Area Code : 804 Airport Type : Small Wipim Airport Address / Contact Details : Wipim (WPM), Papua New Guinea Timezone : Pacific/Port_Moresby Wipim Airport Timezone : GMT +10:00 hours Current time and date at Wipim Airport is 12:49:27 PM (+10) on Friday, Jun 3, 2022 Looking for information on Wipim Airport, Wipim, Papua New Guinea? Know about Wipim Airport in detail. Find out the location of Wipim Airport on Papua New Guinea map and also find out airports near to Wipim. This airport locator is a very useful tool for travelers to know where is Wipim Airport located and also provide information like hotels near Wipim Airport, airlines operating to Wipim Airport etc... IATA Code and ICAO Code of all airports in Papua New Guinea. Scroll down to know more about Wipim Airport or Wipim Airport, Papua New Guinea. Wipim Airport Map - Location of Wipim Airport Load Map Papua New Guinea - General Information Country Formal Name Independent State of Papua New Guinea Country Code PG Capital Port Moresby Currency Kina (PGK) 1 PGK = 0.282 USD 1 USD = 3.552 PGK 1 PGK = 0.262 EUR 1 EUR = 3.822 PGK More PGK convertion rates Tel Code +675 Top Level Domain .pg This page provides all the information you need to know about Wipim Airport, Papua New Guinea. This page is created with the aim of helping travelers and tourists visiting Papua New Guinea or traveling to Wipim Airport. Details about Wipim Airport given here include Wipim Airport Code - IATA Code (3 letter airport codes) and ICAO Code (4 letter airport codes) Coordinates of Wipim Airport - Latitude and Longitude (Lat and Long) of Wipim Airport Location of Wipim Airport - City Name, Country, Country Codes etc... Wipim Airport Time Zone and Current time at Wipim Airport Address and contact details of Wipim Airport along with website address of the airport Clickable Location Map of Wipim Airport on Google Map. General information about Papua New Guinea where Wipim Airport is located in the city of Wipim. General information include capital of Papua New Guinea, currency and conversion rate of Papua New Guinea currency, Telephone Country code, exchange rate against US Dollar and Euro in case of major world currencies etc... WPM - Wipim Airport IATA Code Theyre able to find pride in their work, prevent unnecessary stress during their final year of high school and approach college as emotionally intelligent, self-possessed young adults. Command Education, a leading education and college admissions firm with a unique, emotionally intelligent approach to college consulting, today announced an expansion of their bestselling College Application Booster Camp program into new priority markets. The expansion comes on the heels of rising demand for mentorship during the college application process, due in part to the unprecedented impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The newly-announced College Application Booster Camps will be held this August, on the following dates: Greenwich, CT: August 8-12, 2022 Miami, FL: August 8-12, 2022 Westchester, NY: August 15-19, 2022 Palo Alto, CA: August 15-19, 2022 The campswhich have sold out every summer over the past five years and encourage pre-registration for the limited available spotsare tailored to help the rising Class of 2023 high school seniors takes a proactive approach to their college applications. Over the course of five days, participating students will work alongside Command Educations counselors to devise an application strategy formulated to not only help them stand out in an ever-increasing sea of applicants but to navigate the school-specific intricacies of the college application process. Command Educations interpersonal, one-on-one approach allows students to complete quality work, aided by in-depth mentoring from graduates of Ivy League and top-tier universities. Ahead of each camp session, students are matched with mentorsbased on their unique interests, experiences, and college goalson establishing a list of target schools. Each students mentor also works with them to develop a roadmap to ensure they remain motivated and on track during the week. The unfortunate truth is that admissions officers only have a few minutes to initially evaluate each application they receive, said Christopher Rim, Founder, and CEO of Command Education. Applicants need to capture their attentionand be memorablefrom the outset. Thats why our goal is to help each student curate their genuine interests and empower them to combine their existing passions with an experienced, supportive approach that motivates them to see education as a path to realizing their potential. Its about helping them present themselves in the best possible light, not trying to change them to fit a preexisting mold. During the camp, students begin at 10 am and have scheduled, private meetings with their mentors throughout each day to review current progress, collaboratively brainstorm on essay drafting, and review each component of the Common Application. Beyond completion of the Common Application Personal Statement, students continue working with mentors on supplemental essays, interview preparation, and optimized presentation of extracurricular activities and notable achievements. One of the most valuable outcomes of the College Application Booster Camp is that students are able to make incredible progress while simultaneously identifying and talking through the many complicated emotions that are part of the college admissions process, added Wafa Muflahi, Partner and Senior Program Director at Command Education. Theyre able to find pride in their work, prevent unnecessary stress during their final year of high school and approach college as emotionally intelligent, self-possessed young adults. In 2021, 100% of students who applied to Harvard Early Action with the help of Command Education were accepted, and over 9 out of 10 students were admitted to at least one of their top three school choices. For more information, families can visit: commandeducation.com. Command Education is the emotionally intelligent approach to college consulting, with a mission to empower each individual to find their passion while developing valuable life skills to succeed in college, in their personal and professional lives, and beyond. Command Education motivates students to view education as a path to realizing their potential and making an impact on their generation. By offering personalized guidance from mentor graduates of Ivy League and other top tier schools, Command Education creates an approach tailored to each students specific needs and goals. For more information, visit commandeducation.com. Lev Barinskiy is honored to be nominated for Entrepreneur Of The Year, the worlds most prestigious business awards program for unstoppable entrepreneurs. Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) today announced that Lev Barinskiy, CEO and Co-Founder of SmartFinancial.com Insurance was named an Entrepreneur Of The Year 2022 Pacific Southwest Award finalist. Entrepreneur Of The Year is one of the preeminent competitive business awards for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies who think big to succeed. Lev Bariniskiy was selected by a panel of independent judges according to the following criteria entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth, and impact among other core contributions and attributes. I am truly honored to be a finalist for this prestigious award, said Lev Barinskiy, CEO and Co-Founder of SmartFinancial.com, it is a recognition of not only my efforts but that of our entire team. Helping people shop for and save money on their insurance is our shared mission. We are heads down building the future of how people search for, compare and buy insurance. SmartFinancial.com Insurance simplifies quoting and buying processes for all major lines of insurance by leveraging its proprietary technology platform to match shoppers with affordable coverage options. SmartFinancials transparent insurance platform uses AI to sort through a nationwide network of over 6,500 agents and carrier partners to find the best insurance rates for customers in all 50 states. The free digital insurance marketplace provides premium coverage options in minutes while offering customer support 24 hours a day. Founded by a team of insurance and technology experts in 2012, SmartFinancial remains one of the fastest growing tech-enabled insurance distribution companies in the United States. Regional award winners will be announced on June 17, 2022. The regional winners will then be considered by the National independent judging panel, and National awards will be presented in November at the Strategic Growth Forum, one of the nations most prestigious gatherings of high-growth, market-leading companies. The Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner will then move on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in June 2023. For over 35 years, EY US has celebrated the unstoppable entrepreneurs who are building a more equitable, sustainable, and prosperous world for all. The Entrepreneur Of The Year program has recognized more than 10,000 US executives since its inception in 1986. Entrepreneur Of The Year Award winners have exclusive, ongoing access to the experience, insight, and wisdom of fellow alumni and other members of the entrepreneurial community in over 60 countries all supported by vast EY resources. Sponsors Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are presented by PNC Bank. In the Pacific Southwest Region, sponsors also include Marsh & McLennan Agency, LLC (Premium Sponsor), Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth, P.C. (Orange County Market Sponsor), Tangram LLC (Orange County Market Sponsor), Cooley, LLP (San Diego Market Sponsor), Keyser, LLC (Arizona Market Sponsor) and DLA, Piper, LLP (Arizona Supporting Sponsor). About Entrepreneur Of The Year Entrepreneur Of The Year is the worlds most prestigious business awards program for unstoppable entrepreneurs. These visionary leaders deliver innovation, growth and prosperity that transform our world. The program engages entrepreneurs with insights and experiences that foster growth. It connects them with their peers to strengthen entrepreneurship around the world. Entrepreneur Of The Year is the first and only truly global awards program of its kind. It celebrates entrepreneurs through regional and national awards programs in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries. National overall winners go on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year title. ey.com/us/eoy About EY Private As Advisors to the ambitious, EY Private professionals possess the experience and passion to support private businesses and their owners in unlocking the full potential of their ambitions. EY Private teams offer distinct insights born from the long EY history of working with business owners and entrepreneurs. These teams support the full spectrum of private enterprises including private capital managers and investors and the portfolio businesses they fund, business owners, family businesses, family offices, and entrepreneurs. Visit ey.com/us/private About EY EY exists to build a better working world, helping create long-term value for clients, people, and society and build trust in the capital markets. Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate. Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax, and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today. EY refers to the global organization and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. EY member firms do not practice law where prohibited by local laws. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com. Ernst & Young LLP is a client-serving member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited operating in the US. ### Finding quality housing is a critical first step in establishing new life in a foreign country. I hope we as an industry band together to make this happen for as many Ukrainians as possible. Arnab Dastidar, CEO & Co-founder of SoulRooms Rentsync, the leading provider of multifamily marketing software and services, has partnered with SoulRooms, a co-living rental listing platform, to help displaced Ukrainian refugees find rental housing in Canada. Reports indicate that a combination of short-term and long-term housing and other community-based facilities are required to accommodate upwards of 100,000 Ukrainian evacuees arriving in Canada by the end of the year due to the Russian invasion. The SoulRooms platform allows incoming Ukrainians to discover, apply and get approved for units provided by trusted landlords from across the country. The initiative is designed to consolidate the siloed efforts of all Canadian landlords looking to help displaced Ukrainian families. If we all come together as an industry, we can make a positive impact for those fleeing this senseless war, said Max Steinman, CEO of Rentsync. SoulRooms have come up with a thoughtful solution to make rentals more accessible to Ukrainians, and we support this initiative wholeheartedly. We hope that our clients continue to see the urgency in this situation, and create more availability for Ukrainians looking for a place to live when they arrive. A number of Rentsync clients, including Mainstreet Equity Corp. have already committed to providing units to evacuees across Canada. Mainstreet are proud to join other industry leaders in the launch of this important platform. This is happening at a time where the need is clear, and were excited to help SoulRooms users find their safe, comfortable new homes in Canada, just as Mainstreet always has, said Bob Dhillon, Founder, President and CEO at Mainstreet Equity Corp. Many others have rallied in support of the campaign to help Ukrainian refugees find new homes in Canada, including: VanHack, Wisen Up, OneEleven 111, Bunch Consulting, SWTCH, and Proptech Collective. What SoulRooms has created demonstrates the power of community -- from the initial conception to gathering different partners to leveraging their platform. We're so proud to support this initiative, said Matthew Lombardi, Managing Director of OneEleven. We are so proud to be part of the initiative, as this is a real help to Ukrainian people in their struggle to find a place to live, said Anton Vlasenko, Co-founder and CEO of Ukraine-based Bunch Consulting. In this time, when people help each other, it is when good stands against evil. Our goal is to create a trusted platform for Ukrainians burdened by uncertainty, who are leaving their native country to enter a foreign land. We aim to alleviate the stress of finding safe and affordable housing, said Arnab Dastidar, CEO & Co-founder of SoulRooms. Finding quality housing is a critical first step in establishing new life in a foreign country. I hope we as an industry band together to make this happen for as many Ukrainians as possible. Rentsync is calling on rental housing providers to make their properties available as more Ukrainian refugees continue to evacuate, with their sights on Canada. To get set up and begin syndicating your rental listings with SoulRooms on the Rentsync Platform, at no charge, go to https://app.rentsync.com/syndication/connections/51/details. For more information on the initiative please visit, https://ukraine.soulrooms.com/get-involved. About Rentsync Rentsync provides marketing software and services for the multifamily industry in both Canada and the U.S. The company offers a leading purpose-built rental marketing platform, which includes a content management system (CMS) and ad syndication, giving clients the ability to both showcase and advertise their rental portfolio all from one place. In addition to its software offerings, Rentsync Studios offers multifamily clients a variety of marketing services, including website design, digital advertising and lease-up marketing. Visit us at rentsync.com. About SoulRooms SoulRooms is a software platform that applies deep learning to streamline and digitize rental journeys ensuring a great experience every single time renters and managers interact with each other. SoulRooms sits squarely at the intersection between technology and real estate, working every day to build quality residential solutions that bring positive change to the worlds rental housing crisis. Learn more at soulrooms.com. Nairobi United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Chairman Johnson Muthama has cleared the air over his political future, saying he is in UDA to stay following claims that he was set to decamp to Azimio la Umoja One- Kenya Alliance. Muthama said in a statement Monday that the claims are a 'fake narrative' peddled by their main opponents to misrepresent the facts. "Kuzimia Coalition is imprisoned in a gridlock of lies and keeps on blurring the lines between facts and fables expecting us in UDA Kenya to buy their debilitating and fake narrative of defections until they eventually realize, I, Johnson Nduya Mutha ma is going nowhere," Muthama said. Muthama said that he remains the Chairman of Deputy President William Ruto-led party which he described as "the biggest and most vibrant Political Party in Kenya." The Ex-Machakos Senator said that he will remain loyal to UDA which he expressed confidence that it will emerge victorious in the August 9 polls. "I have and will remain focused, faithful and true to UDA Kenya cause until we form the next Government under Dr. William Ruto. Mezeni wembe Wapinzani wetu," he added. Muthama's statement comes a day after UDA vice-chairman Kipruto Arap Kirwa ditched the party and officially joined the Azimio Coalition. During a campaign rally in Sirisia Market in Bungoma County, Kirwa announced his resignation from the Deputy President William Ruto-led party to join Raila Odinga. He was officially received by Odinga and his running mate Martha Karua. "From today I Kipruto Arap Kirwa have resigned as UDA vice chairman and I have resigned because I have seen how democracy is going to be suppressed if we allow the other side," he said. The former Agricultural Minister stated that in order to ensure that Odinga obtains the 50 pus 1 support threshold he decided to join his political bandwagon saying he believes the Azimio camp will clinch victory. Kirwa revealed that his move to leave UDA was influenced by Odinga's choice of Martha Karua as his running mate in the August 9 election. Taylor Guitars Master Builder Andy Powers Named President and CEO Its been amazing but not surprising to see how the guitar world has embraced Andy as a guitar designer Taylor Guitars, a leading global builder of premium acoustic guitars, is pleased to announce the promotion of Andy Powers to the roles of President and CEO at Taylor. Powers will also continue to lead Taylors guitar development, assuming the new title of Chief Guitar Designer, President and CEO. Taylor co-founders Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug made the announcement to the companys employee-owners on Monday, May 30, along with Powers, in a video message. Powers steps into the new roles immediately. When Bob and I started thinking about our succession many years ago, Bob was very clear that we needed a guitar maker at the helm of the company, Listug said during the announcement. He was adamant he didnt want to leave the leadership of the company in the hands of people who didnt know how to design and make guitars. Since his hiring by Bob Taylor in 2011 as master guitar designer and Bobs heir apparent, Powers has steadily advanced the state of guitar making at Taylor, revoicing virtually the entire Taylor line and expanding the sonic palette of Taylors guitar offerings. Powers has introduced many innovative, tone-enhancing designs, from Taylors V-Class bracing architecture to new body styles such as the Grand Pacific and Grand Theater, to the companys ultra-premium Builders Edition collection. Powers designs have consistently earned accolades from guitar reviewers. Its been amazing but not surprising to see how the guitar world has embraced Andy as a guitar designer, Bob Taylor said. People love the guitars hes putting out into the world. Powers was named an ownership partner in 2018, a reflection of Bob and Kurts desire to keep guitar making as a central focus at Taylor for the long-term future. That commitment was further reinforced when the company announced its transition to 100-percent employee ownership in 2021, a move that Bob, Kurt and Andy all felt was the best arrangement to preserve the culture of creativity and guitar innovation that has fueled Taylors growth and success. Powers creative vision, award-winning designs and proven leadership at Taylor, along with his career commitment to the company, were important factors in that decision, giving Bob and Kurt the confidence to choose that path forward. Andy has the vision and the talent to continue to take guitar making forward at Taylor, Bob said. Hes vital to the companys future. While Powers role as Taylors next-generation guitar architect was self-evident from the start, Listug, formerly Taylors CEO, emphasized that Powers has also been immersed in the other aspects of Taylors business operations and executive management during his tenure. Andy has worked closely with sales, marketing, finance, human resources all the departments under my leadership since he joined us in 2011, and he understands their functions deeply, he said. Additionally, Ive spent the past several years mentoring Andy on financial budgeting, reviewing financial statements and other aspects of our business management, and he has a thorough understanding of the companys finances. Bob and Kurt reiterated that they are not retiring, and will now each serve as senior advisors and co-chairmen of the Taylor Guitars board, which was established as part of the companys transition to 100-percent employee ownership. Kurt and I love being here, and we love this transition, Bob said. Its a beautiful time for us, and it helps everybody ease into the future. Andy has our full support, and weve got a great executive team and an incredible group of employee-owners working with him. Powers expressed his gratitude to Bob and Kurt for the opportunity to lead the company into the future. Its an honor to step into this new role, Powers said. Its been a real thrill to be part of this amazing company, now fully employee-owned, and continue advancing according to our original purpose which is building great guitars, putting them into the hands of musicians and offering something of value to them. For more information about the new models and the entire Taylor lineup, please visit taylorguitars.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter. About Taylor Guitars Taylor Guitars was founded in 1974 by Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug and has grown into the leading global builder of premium acoustic guitars. Taylor now employs over 1,400 people and currently produces hundreds of guitars per day in its state-of-the-art factory complexes in both El Cajon and in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico. The company maintains an active dealer network, with Taylor guitars sold through hundreds of retail locations in North America and with international distribution to 60 countries, including a distribution warehouse and factory service center in the Netherlands. In December of 2020, Taylor transitioned to 100-percent employee ownership, with Bob and Kurt continuing to guide the company forward. On May 24, 2022, the jury returned a punitive damages verdict in the amount of $27,600,000, bringing the total damages awarded against AP Keenan to $34,508,000. Following a jury trial that concluded on May 24, 2022 in Santa Cruz Superior Court Case No. 19CV00488, the Plaintiff alleged that he was wrongfully terminated from his employment with Defendant Santa Cruz City Schools (hereafter the District). A jury trial proceeded against the Districts workers compensation insurance administrator and Co-Defendant, AP Keenan. AP Keenan, formerly known as Keenan & Associates, is a division of Assured Partners, Inc., the eleventh largest insurance broker in the United States and a company with more than $1.6 billion in annual revenues according to its own website.[[1]] Plaintiff alleged that AP Keenan repeatedly misrepresented his work restrictions to the District, and also that AP Keenan altered certain medical reports before providing them to the District. On May 23, 2022, the jury returned a liability verdict, finding that AP Keenan had conspired with the District to violate Californias Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). The jury also found that AP Keenan aided, abetted, incited, coerced, or compelled the District to violate the FEHA, and/or attempted to do so. The jury awarded $6,908,000 in compensatory damages. Because the jury also found that AP Keenan acted with malice, oppression, or fraud, a punitive damages phase of trial commenced the very next day. On May 24, 2022, the jury returned a punitive damages verdict in the amount of $27,600,000, bringing the total damages awarded against AP Keenan to $34,508,000. For further information, please contact any of the following attorneys representing the Plaintiff: COLLIER LAW FIRM, LLP Dustin L. Collier (State Bar No. 264766) dcollier@collierlawsf.com V. Joshua Socks (State Bar No. 303443) jsocks@collierlawsf.com Elizabeth R. Malay (State Bar No. 336745) emalay@collierlawsf.com 240 Tamal Vista Blvd. Suite 100 Corte Madera, CA 94925 Telephone: (415) 767-0047 Facsimile: (415) 767-0037 http://www.collierlawsf.com THE LAW OFFICE OF BRIAN MATHIAS Brian C. Mathias (State Bar No. 282494) brian@brianmathiaslaw.com P.O. Box 2874 Aptos, CA 95001 Telephone: (831) 588-1035 LAW OFFICES OF DREW F. TETI Drew F. Teti (State Bar No. 267641) drew@tetilaw.com 203 Flamingo Road, #304 Mill Valley, CA 94941 (415) 813-1177 [[1]]https://bit.ly/3PNSma6. The reading will take place in an outdoor setting with a view of the majestic mountains of Olympic Valley to mark the workshops return to the Community of Writers home of 50 years after two years of meeting online. On Thursday, June 23, 7-9 pm, the Community of Writers Annual Poetry Workshop will invite the public in-person and via live-stream to enjoy a reading of published and unpublished works by participating poets, featuring some of the finest voices in contemporary poetry: Robert Hass, Matthew Zapruder, Brenda Hillman, Major Jackson, Ada Limon, and special guest Sharon Olds. Some of the poems will have been written during the workshop in Olympic Valley just days before and the reading will take place in an outdoor setting with a view of the majestic mountains of Olympic Valley to mark the workshops return to the Community of Writers home after two years of meeting online. Books will be available for sale and signing, including Why to These Rocks: 50 Years of Poems from the Community of Writers, a recently published anthology of poems written over 50 years of summer poetry workshops. All proceeds benefit the 2023 Scholarship Fund, intended to facilitate the participating of poets who are talented, but who would otherwise be unable to attend. General Admission is $25, $30 at the door. Student Admission (with ID) is $15, (without ID) $20. Proof of vaccination required for entry. To purchase tickets and enter for a chance to win free signed books, visit https://www.wildboundlive.com/events/poetryreading. The Poetry Program at the Community of Writers is a week long-long workshop every June, created to allow poets enjoy a sense of community and an atmosphere conducive to breaking through old habits, pushing inner boundaries, and uncovering truth. Notable alumni include Kazim Ali, Shangyang Fang, Blas Falconer, and Evie Shockley. For more information on applying for the 2023 poetry program, visit https://communityofwriters.org/workshops/poetry-workshop or email info@communityofwriters.org. About the Community of Writers: The Community of Writers, formerly the Community of Writers at Squaw Valley, was founded over five decades ago by California writers Blair Fuller and Oakley Hall, who wished to foster a literary culture in the West that would be conversant with the publishing establishment of the East Coast. For 50 summers, the Community of Writers has brought together poets and prose writers for separate weeks of workshops, individual conferences, lectures, panels, readings, and discussions of the craft and the business of writing. In an atmosphere of camaraderie and mutual support, writers receive guidance in refining their craft and moving them closer to achieving their goals. The acquisition of mission essential supplies and services that have a direct impact on national security are often delayed due to contract disputes. Delays cannot be afforded in this era of peer-to-peer competition." Jumana Misleh, Program Manager at Mobius Logic. Mobius Logic, Inc. a leader in AI and next-generation digital services, announced today that it has been awarded a Phase II SBIR contract to work with the Air Force 341 CONS squadron on modernizing and improving the contracting and acquisition process. Mobius Logic will collaborate with the contracting officers and specialists of the 341 CONS to introduce AI tools into the contracting process beginning at the solicitation phase and concluding with the post-award and project close-out activities. The goal of this contract is to create AI tools that will assist the contracting specialist in spotting protest-prone language in the solicitation to reduce overall protests submitted to GAO. The acquisition of mission essential supplies and services that have a direct impact on national security are often delayed due to contract disputes. Delays cannot be afforded in this era of peer-to-peer competition. To solve this problem, our data science experts will be working with the 341 CONS contract specialists to modify and enhance our commercial product, MAKANA, and create a CO AI assistant to help contracting officers write better solicitations and reduce contract protests, said Jumana Misleh, Program Manager at Mobius Logic. This tool will (1) eliminate the use of the wrong clauses and contractual language in solicitations thus decreasing the probability of a protest and (2) reduce the number of overall contract protests submitted to the GAO. With over 90 contracting squadrons, 58,000 contracts, and 4.7 million documents, spread out across 8 MAJCOMs, 215 offices, and a $50B+ global contract portfolio, Mobius Logic, Inc. anticipates significant interest from other contracting squadrons in solving this problem. "Delays from contract protests impede the acquisition of mission-critical supplies. Mobius Logics AI Assistant for Contracting Officers will help prevent contract protests and streamline the USAF contracting process, as well as improve contracting across the DOD and greater federal government by automatically flagging high-risk clauses in solicitations and empowering contracting officers to mitigate the protest-triggering issue before the solicitation goes out, said Alexander D. Luttrell, SSgt, USAF, Contract Specialist, Deputy Director of Innovation, Wing1Werx at the 341st Contracting Squadron. About Mobius Logic Mobius Logic is a leader in next-generation digital and software services. Mobius Logic helps organizations make their data ready for analytics, empowers data science and data-driven decisions across the organization, and rapidly adopts machine learning to outpace the competition. Mobius Logic was founded in 2004 and has delivered successful innovations to hundreds of clients, including Microsoft, HP, ADM, Medtronic, Coca-Cola, the US Air Force, and others. Mobius Logic is a Microsoft partner with several gold and silver competencies. The primary target for crypto thieves is the exfiltration of private keys from an exchanges hot wallets. Compromises also occur frequently with cold wallets that are not properly kept offline or during transfers or withdrawals of funds. To help protect their users, exchanges are tightening internal security and maintaining insurance policies against what is proving to be a higher risk than many crypto coin holders recognize. While these steps may make some users feel better, they certainly reflect the extent of this security problem. Because hot wallets are inherently unsafe and cold wallets can be compromised, there needs to be a better solution. Without enduring confidence in private key security, cryptocurrency will fall short of its full potential. "Looking at the prominent technical risks around cryptocurrency, we asked ourselves what it would take to prevent even a nation-state from getting access to private keys," explains Jim Northup, President and CEO of Verilock. "Since burying keys in a stainless vault three feet deep in the backyard might not work for everyone, we tasked ourselves with using our core technology to create something incredibly easy to use that would also leapfrog the current security models." The novel and truly secure solution has three components to create superior protection and convenience: 1. The smartphone which must be unlocked by biometrics 2. A USB device that plugs into the smartphone with patent pending technology that permanently associates it only with the users smartphone in a manner that cannot be cloned or spoofed, and protects against state-of-the-art firmware attacks 2. A physical mechanism on the device to authorize a transaction, preventing remote access of the phone by an adversary Unlike other hardware wallets, there is no battery, no cable, no screen, no fingerprint recognition, no pin code to remember and no over the airwaves exposure such as Bluetooth, WiFi or NFC. If that isnt enough, the seed phrase, which enables recovery of private keys, is highly resistant to being hacked and cannot be used to recreate private keys without the authorized phone and device. To learn more about Verilocks plans, visit us at http://www.verilock.id. Also, see us at the RSA Conference Early Stage Expo in San Francisco and Consensus 2022 in Austin "Her knowledge, hard work and expertise have led her to this position and she will make an excellent and fair judge. - Barry Szaferman, Co-Managing Partner Tanya L. Phillips, a Partner in the Szaferman Lakind Workers Compensation practice, has been appointed as a Workers Compensation Judge. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Tanya on May 19, 2022, and she was then confirmed by the New Jersey State Senate on May 26, 2022. Ms. Phillips has been practicing in the areas of workers compensation and social security disability for 19 years, representing the interests of injured workers. Tanya is an active member of the Mercer County Bar Association and served as President in 2021. She also served as President of the Mercer County Bar Foundation from 2017 through 2020. Tanya serves as the Treasurer of the Mercer County American Inn of Court Hon. F. Patrick McManimon Session. She is a Barrister of the Justice James H. Coleman, Jr. New Jersey Workers Compensation American Inn of Court. We are so proud of Tanyas appointment as a Workers Compensation Judge, commented Co-Managing Partner Barry Szaferman. Her knowledge, hard work and expertise have led her to this position and she will make an excellent and fair judge. Founded in 1977, Szaferman Lakind is a full-service, Martindale-Hubbell AV-Preeminent law firm that was listed among U.S. News & World Reports Best Law Firms from 2014 through 2022. Based in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, Szaferman Lakind has 30+ attorneys who provide legal representation to businesses, investors, professionals, families, and individuals in several areas, among them family law, general and commercial litigation, and personal injury, workers compensation, and business law. To contact Szaferman Lakind please call 609.275.0400 or visit http://www.szaferman.com. *Szaferman Lakind was selected to Best Lawyers Best Law Firms list. The Best Law Firms list is issued by U.S. News & World Report. A description of the selection methodologies can be found at bestlawfirms.usnews.com/methodology.aspx. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. Titan CEO and headline sponsors, Class VI Partners and Wipfli LLP, are pleased to announce Geri Wright, Arizona Theatre Company Managing Director, as a 2022 Phoenix Titan 100. The Titan 100 program recognizes Phoenixs Top 100 CEOs & C-level executives. They are the areas most accomplished business leaders in their industry using criteria that includes demonstrating exceptional leadership, vision, and passion. Collectively the 2022 Phoenix Titan 100 and their companies employ upwards of 90,000 individuals and generate over $32 billion dollars in annual revenues. This years honorees will be published in a limited-edition Titan 100 book and profiled exclusively online. They will be honored at an awards ceremony on September 29th, 2022 and will be given the opportunity to interact and connect multiple times throughout the year with their fellow Titans. The Titan 100 are shaping the future of the Phoenix business community by building a distinguished reputation that is unrivaled and preeminent in their field. We proudly recognize the Titan 100 for their successes and contributions. We know that they will have a profound impact that makes an extraordinary difference for their customers and clients across the nation. says Jaime Zawmon, President of Titan CEO. Geri Wright returned to Arizona Theatre Company in January 2020 as managing director. Her love of theatre started at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on a school field trip and has grown into a passion for the arts today. Having served in leadership roles at the Heard Museum, American Red Cross, Arizona Theatre Company, and most recently as CEO of Act One, Wright has been a passionate advocate for the importance that the arts play in creating healthy and prosperous communities. With more than 25 years in nonprofit management and fundraising experience, she is thrilled to be able to put those skills to use in serving our state theatre. It is an honor to be part of the Phoenix Titan 100 and I am grateful for those around me that enable me to give my best everyday, said Wright. The most profound recognition goes to my team at Arizona Theatre Company who have supported this company during its phenomenal success. Thanks to those who believe in me and joined me in this unforgettable journey! Geri Wright will be honored at the Titan 100 awards on September 29th, 2022, at the Chateau Luxe. Set amongst spectacular Sonoran Desert views, Chateau Luxe is Arizonas most luxurious and nationally recognized event destination. This unique cocktail-style awards event will gather 100 Titans of Industry and their guests for an evening unlike anything that exists in the Phoenix business community. On behalf of all the partners and associates at Wipfli we congratulate all the Titan 100 winners. Its an honor to recognize this diverse group of leaders in the Phoenix community. We appreciate the lasting impact each leader has made, and continues to make, in building organizations of significance both here in Arizona and abroad. Your ingenuity and creativity have set you apart, and the honor of being seen as an industry Titan is richly deserved, says Michael Vaccarella, Partner at Wipfli. Congratulations to all Titan 100 honorees! We are so proud to be affiliated with the Titan 100 program that recognizes exceptional leadership and true diversity within the Phoenix business community. The leaders and industries selected are proof that the Phoenix Titan 100 are positively impacting the entire Arizona market, says David C. Tolson, Managing Director at Class VI Partners. About Arizona Theatre Company Arizona Theatre Companys (ATC) performances bring people together to experience essential stories, from reimagined classics to contemporary plays, original works, and innovative musicals fostering continued conversation beyond the theatre walls. Founded in 1966 and celebrating its 54th season, ATC is led by Kasser Family Artistic Director Sean Daniels and Managing Director Geri Wright. ATC operates in two major cities and is the preeminent professional theatre in Arizona, recognized as the official State theatre. ### More than half a million people go missing every year throughout the United States, according to Steve Larson, Chairman and CEO of Q5id. Q5id Guardian is revolutionizing how missing loved ones are found. Q5id Guardian software application helps locate missing people and bring them home safely through localized alerts. Q5id, Inc. a trusted proven identity company, today announced a marketing agreement to promote Q5id Guardian across Sinclair Broadcast Groups linear and digital platforms. Q5id Guardian is a software application that helps locate missing people and bring them home safely through the power of immediate, localized alerts. Every minute a loved one is missing can feel like a lifetime. Q5id's Guardian software application brings people together and protects loved ones if the worst happens. Through the power of patented technology, and the tap of a button the app issues an immediate alert to notify family, friends, and Guardian volunteers. All Q5id Guardians must have their identities proven through the Q5id Proven Identity app. This ensures transparency and safety for all Guardian members assuring that every individual is who they say they are. More than half a million people go missing every year throughout the United States, according to Steve Larson, Chairman and CEO of Q5id. Q5id Guardian is revolutionizing how missing loved ones are found. About Q5id Q5id, Inc. is the first-ever proven, authenticated, trusted, secure, self-managed individual identity solution. Our vision is to change how the world works. In this new world, people take back control of their individual identities. Identity theft disappears, and companies know their customers as never before. Proven, trusted, secure, self-managed individual identity is the future, and we are creating it now as well as providing a capability via our Q5ID Guardian product to reunite and bring loved ones home. For more information, visit https://www.q5id.com The strategy from the onset has been quite clear for us - profitable growth through physical availability, anchored by a strong e-commerce experience and premium wholesale presence. We aim to do retail differently than it has been done before. New York-based menswear brand Psycho Bunny is accelerating its global expansion, capitalizing on its hyper-growth in recent years, to grow its portfolio of brick and mortar stores to 70 stores worldwide by the end of 2022. With 29 stores in the US and 30 stores in Latin America at present, and four new stores set to open in Canada to mark the brands debut in the new market, Psycho Bunny stands out in its brick and mortar retail domination and has seen its business triple in the last year. Since its founding in 2005, Psycho Bunny has experienced a full-scale brand evolution. 30-year apparel industry veteran Alen Brandman of Thread Collective Inc., an originating brand licensee, identified the brands potential growth early in its life cycle and purchased 100% of the operating rights and 50% of the intellectual property rights in 2017. In 2021, Brandman acquired full ownership of Psycho Bunny, then in 2022, formed a powerhouse leadership group along private investment firm BBRC, led by retail executive Brett Blundy, and Bertrand Cesvet, the former CEO and chairman of Sid Lee. Under this new collective of creative and retail visionaries, Psycho Bunny has catapulted to new heights. Today, Psycho Bunny is a privately-held company with offices in its founding city of New York and headquarters in Montreal with Brandman acting as global CEO. 2021 marked a pivotal year for the brands growth. Amidst, and despite, the global pandemics impact on the retail industry, Psycho Bunny tripled its business and opened 20 stores across the US. The brand now has 29 more US locations in its pipeline for 2022 for a total of 62 stores by the end of 2022. The strategy from the onset has been quite clear for us - profitable growth through physical availability, anchored by a strong e-commerce experience and premium wholesale presence. We aim to do retail differently than it has been done before, and we are uniquely positioned to bring that vision to life. The beauty about scaling in 2022 is that we arent encumbered by legacy systems or thinking - we get to build from scratch. Iterative improvements and quick decision making are core to how we operate. The brand will continue to evolve as we broaden our presence in North America and continue to deliver incredible quality products to our consumers in a way that makes them want to shop again and again, shares Justin Cohen, Chief Commercial Officer. In addition to its booming brick and mortar business, Psycho Bunnys ecommerce more than doubled in 2021 compared to 2020. The digital world offers many ways to stay connected with each other. Social media allows us to share pictures and keep in touch. Video calls help us celebrate special occasions with distant family and friends. However, we shouldnt overlook the importance of other more traditional ways to connect, such as letter writing. For many older adults, a letter can be a simple yet meaningful act of kindness, especially for a senior recipient who has spent much of the pandemic apart from loved ones. While writing a letter is a small gesture to spread joy and prevent loneliness, fewer and fewer Americans are engaging in this dying art. In fact, in the past five years, 50% of Americans have not received a personal letter. In a recent Home Instead survey, U.S. and Canadian respondents said they found kind acts that required little money or effort to be the most meaningful. Though most said they hadn't received a greeting card or letter in the past two months, 84% of those who did found the gesture to be "very" meaningful. Loneliness is one of the most devastating issues facing our aging population, but it's also something we're capable of addressing," said Erin Albers, vice president of social purpose at Home Instead. A personal letter to an older adult could change the trajectory of their day. It doesnt need to be long, just written from the heart. Receiving a letter in the mail is often a welcome change from quick phone calls or infrequent visits from loved ones. Older adults often agree that receiving snail mail from a loved one or a stranger can boost their mood and offer inspiration during challenging times. When I sift through my mail and see a letter addressed to me, I get a flurry of excitement and surprise, said Emily Hall, who is 80 and lives in Alabama. Its not every day I receive a note in the mail, but when I do, its often from one of my lovely grandchildren or an old friend. Letter writing can offer many benefits to both the letter writer and the recipient. Albers shares four reasons to consider setting aside some time to write to an older adult: A letter can be a meaningful alternative to an in-person visit. Not seeing friends and family is tough, especially for those in hospitals or nursing facilities where visiting hours are limited. While nothing is the perfect substitute for time spent together, letter writing can be a creative way to help older adults stay engaged and connected. Regular correspondence can improve your relationships. When we rely on our phones and text messages to convey deep love and appreciation, feelings can get lost in translation. Writing and receiving thoughtful, intentional letters can help you learn more about yourself and the person youre writing to as well. A letter is something you can treasure forever. Text messages come and go, but a letter is a tangible memento you can hold on to for as long as you like. Re-reading a letter, even several years after it was sent, can offer a good reminder to reflect and remember whats truly important. Snail mail can bring a smile to someone's face. Words have the power to bring hope, encouragement, and comfort during hard times. A kind note from people who care can go a long way during a challenging or lonely day. Connecting in this intentional, personal way isnt a thing of the past. Whether youre younger or older, taking the time to write a letter can have a significant impact on the recipient. For lonely seniors, it may be among the few cherished interactions they have. If youre inspired to do something for the aging adults in your community, consider becoming a pen pal. Visit http://www.ReadyToCare.com to learn more and get involved. ABOUT HONOR AND HOME INSTEAD Honor and its Home Instead network are expanding the worlds capacity to care. Founded in 2014, Honor is the worlds largest home care network with the most-advanced care platform revolutionizing how society cares for older adults, their families, and Care Professionals. Honor acquired Home Instead in 2021, and the combined company supports the work of more than 100,000 Care Professionals across 13 countries and meets the growing needs of millions of older adults and their families worldwide. For more information, visit joinhonor.com and HomeInstead.com. Nairobi The Ministry of Health will spend Sh2.2 billion in the next financial year to fight Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). Permanent Secretary Susan Mochache said Monday that funds will play a critical role in efforts to mitigate the effects of these diseases in the development and the scale-up of Universal Health Coverage(UHC). "My ministry, speaking on behalf of my minister, will continue to engage the county governments to ensure that they too, using their own allocations, prioritize the allocated resources, particularly for counties where NTDs are endemic," she said Monday during the 10th anniversary of the END FUND - a private philanthropic initiative solely dedicated to ending the most common neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), Mochache said that the ministry of health will collaborate with counties in efforts to tackle neglected tropical diseases. The Health PS further acknowledged that her office is aiming at mainstreaming the Noncommunicable diseases(NCDs) to Kenyans for the creation of awareness of the diseases. "We are also looking at mainstreaming the NCDs into our community health strategies. Our Universal Health Coverage is premised around unity health care," she said. Mochache expressed confidence on the possibility of bringing an end to the neglected tropical diseases on the vision 2030 journey. NTDs include several parasitic, viral, and bacterial diseases that cause substantial illness for more than one billion people globally, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC says, NTDs impair physical and cognitive development, contribute to mother and child illness and death, make it difficult to farm or earn a living, and limit productivity in the workplace. Present at the event were representatives from END fund, WHO, Council of Governors among others. We are thrilled to welcome Pure Water Solutions of Americas customers to the Quench family. This is our largest dealer acquisition in Quench history and substantially increases our density in important markets like Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Boise." Quench, a leading provider of filtered water solutions for businesses and dealer partners across North America, announced today that it has acquired Pure Water Solutions of America, one of the largest providers of point-of-use drinking water systems and ice dispensers in the United States. Founded in 2012, Pure Water Solutions of America is a leading Wellsys dealer, with operations spanning five states, including Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, and Washington. We are thrilled to welcome Pure Water Solutions of Americas customers to the Quench family, said Ryan Hartley, Vice President of Corporate Development for Quench. This is our largest dealer acquisition in Quench history and substantially increases our density in important markets like Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Boise. It also exemplifies our enduring commitment to our dealers from inception to exit. This is a tremendous day for our customers, said Ryan Bowen, owner of Pure Water Solutions of America. As our long-time partner, I have been constantly impressed by Quenchs concern for its customers. That commitment, combined with their industry-leading products, made them the obvious choice for our customers. More on Quenchs acquisition process can be found at https://quenchwater.com/acquisitions/ or by contacting our acquisition team directly at acquisitions (at) quenchonline (dot) com. About Quench Quench USA, Inc. offers bottle-free filtered drinking water solutions for healthy and environmentally conscious consumers outside the home, through direct sales and independent dealers across North America. Our bottle-free water coolers, ice machines, sparkling water dispensers and coffee brewers purify a users existing water supply to provide reliable and convenient filtered water across a broad mix of businesses, such as government, education, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, hospitality, and other industries, including more than half of the Fortune 500. Headquartered in King of Prussia, PA, Quench has sales and service operations across North America to serve our 70,000+ customers, and a network of more than 300 independent dealers selling products under the brand names Pure Water Technology and Wellsys. Quench is a Culligan Company. For more information, please visit https://quenchwater.com. About Culligan Founded in 1936 by Emmett Culligan, Culligan is a world leader in delivering water solutions that will improve the lives of its customers. The company offers some of the most technologically advanced, state-of-the-art water filtration and treatment products. Culligan's products include water softeners, drinking water systems, whole-house systems and solutions for businesses. Culligan's network of franchise dealers is the largest in the world, with over 900 dealers in 90 countries. For more information visit: http://www.culligan.com. Venture Construction Group companies are proud sponsors of the Fishing For Futures Tournament, held on May 20-21 at the Causeway Cove Marina in Fort Pierce. Venture Construction Group of Florida (VCGFL) was a Diamond Sponsor. Venture Construction Group (VCG) and VCG International (VCGI) were Gold Sponsors. The tournament included an offshore/inshore fishing tournament with over $12,000 in prizes, games, a kids zone, food, drinks, vendors, live music and more. The proceeds went to more than 8,000 local K-12 students. "You look at the pictures of smiling kids and you remember why we do it all, to use fishing to make their futures brighter," said Rick Miller, founder and owner of the Fishing For Futures Tournament. The tournament was founded to use fishing to bring exposure to local non-profits and introduce local disadvantaged kids to the joy of fishing. The beneficiaries of the tournament were the Boys & Girls Club of St. Lucie County and Elev8Hope in Martin County. The Boys & Girls Club of St. Lucie County is dedicated to working with young people from disadvantaged economic, social, and family circumstances to enable them to reach their full potential. Elev8Hope is dedicated to positively impact the community by connecting with individuals and families struggling to meet the most basic requirements of daily living. The work that the Fishing For Futures Tournament does on a local level is truly amazing. Our team had a fantastic time at the tournament and were proud to be a sponsor, says Stephen Shanton, CEO and president of Venture Construction Group of Florida (VCGFL), Venture Construction Group (VCG), VCG International (VCGI). A major advocate for giving back, Venture companies sponsor numerous organizations throughout the year. VCGFL is a leader in commercial construction, restoration, renovations, roofing, storm damage repairs, and 24/7 emergency services throughout Florida, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Bahamas, and the Caribbean. VCG a is a full-service general contractor that provides construction, remodels, renovations, property management services, storm damage repairs, consulting, independent 3rd party property damage assessments, and 24/7 emergency services to residential and commercial property owners. VCGI is a global leader in commercial and industrial construction, restoration, and storm damage repairs, and 24/7 emergency services through the Bahamas and the Caribbean, North America, Australia, Asia, and Africa. About Venture Construction Group of Florida Founded in 1998, Venture Construction Group of Florida (VCGFL) is an award-winning leader in construction, restoration, renovations, roofing, storm damage repairs, and 24/7 emergency services throughout Florida, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Bahamas and the Caribbean. Specializing in residential, industrial and commercial projects, VCGFL assists homeowners, property managers, condominium boards, homeowner associations, association boards, hotels, and business complexes with general contractor services, roofing, specialty construction, historical restoration, water and flood mitigation, and property repairs due to fire, flood, water, wind and hurricanes. With offices in Boca Raton, Ft. Myers, Naples, Panama City Beach, Orlando, Stuart, Tampa, San Juan, and Nassau, VCGFL is committed to operational excellence and exceptional customer service. VCGFL takes care of the details every step of the way including roofing, siding, windows, drywall, flooring, paint, gutters to rebuilding properties after major storm events from hurricanes, tornadoes, and hailstorms. VCGFL has earned leading industry awards including Roofing Contractor Magazines Top 100, Better Business Bureau (BBB) Southeast Florida and Caribbean 2021 Torch Award for Ethics Finalist, Gold Coast Builders Association (GCBA) Silver PRISM Award for Safety Team of the Year, GCBA Gold PRISM Award for Craftsmanship- Commercial Exterior, GCBA Silver PRISM Award for Craftsmanship- Commercial Exterior,Owens Corning Pinnacle Award for Safety, Roofing Alliance MVP Award, Coatings Pro Contractor Award, Pro Remodeler Forty Under 40 Award, Qualified Remodeler Top 500 Remodelers Award, Qualified Remodeler Master Design Award, Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association S.T.A.R. Spotlight Trophy for the Advancement of Roofing Awards in Sustainability and Community Service. Shanton is a certified member of the WindStorm Insurance Network and is a WIND Certified Umpire, WIND Certified Appraiser, and WIND Certified Fellow. VCGFL carries advanced accreditations and is an exclusive certified National Storm Damage Center Preferred Contractor and Certified Member of the United Association of Storm Restoration Contractors. VCGFL is a proud member of Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) Industry Members Association (EIMA); Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association (FRSA); Gold Coast Builders Association (GCBA); Insurance Appraisal and Umpire Association (IAUA); National Association of Environmentally Responsible Mold Contractors (NAERMC); National Association of Home Builders (NAHB); National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA); NRCA Qualified Trainer; Property Liability and Resource Bureau (PLRB); Restoration Industry Association (RIA). VCGFL is a registered U.S. Federal Government Contractor and holds leading manufacturer certifications including Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor, Mule-Hide Legacy Contractor, Certified CertainTeed Contractor, and Duro-Last Certified Contractor status. VCGFL credentials have been vetted and screened through independent third-party Global Risk Management Solutions. For more information, call 866-459-8351 or visit us online at http://www.VCGFL.com. About Venture Construction Group Founded in 1998, Venture Construction Group (VCG) is a licensed general contractor and an award-winning leader in construction, restoration, renovations, roofing, storm damage repairs, and 24/7 emergency services. VCG services commercial and residential properties throughout the East Coast, Greater Mid-Atlantic Region, Gulf Coast, and Midwest. Operational excellence is our mission in every project we undertake, and we pride ourselves on providing exceptional customer service. Specializing in commercial projects, VCG assists property management companies, condo associations, multi-family structures, hi-rises, retail/business plazas, government facilities, hotels, and resorts with comprehensive general contractor services, restoration, mitigation, specialty construction, historical restoration, remodels, property repairs, and rebuilds due to fire, flood, water, wind, hail, and hurricane damage. VCG is committed to operational excellence and exceptional customer service. CEO Stephen Shanton is a proud member of the prestigious Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC). Entrepreneur Magazine hails YEC Consists of Some of the Most Well-Respected Minds in Entrepreneurship. Shanton is a proud member of the WindStorm Insurance Network and is a WIND Certified Umpire, WIND Certified Appraiser, and WIND Certified Fellow. He also earned the prestigious Pro Remodeler Forty Under 40 Award. VCG is an exclusive certified National Storm Damage Center Preferred Contractor, Certified Member of the United Association of Storm Restoration Contractors, Certified Member of Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) Industry Members Association (EIMA), Certified Member of National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor, Mule-Hide Legacy Contractor, Certified CertainTeed Contractor, and Duro-Last Certified Contractor. VCG credentials have been vetted and screened through independent third party Global Risk Management Solutions. With offices nationwide and a solid reputation throughout the country, we are able to respond to your needs with quality, ease, and top-notch service. For more information, call 866-459-8348 or visit us online at http://www.VentureConstructionGroup.com. About VCG International VCG International (VCGI) is a global leader in commercial and industrial construction, restoration, storm damage repairs, and 24/7 emergency services throughout the Bahamas and the Caribbean, North America, Europe, Australia, Asia, and Africa. With over 30 years of experience and the worlds leading industry accreditations, VCGI leads the way in best practices throughout the globe. Learn more at http://www.VCGInternational.com. About Fishing For Futures Tournament The Fishing For Futures Tournament is a non-profit project in benefit of Elev8Hope and the Boys and Girls Club of St Lucie County. Our goal is to raise money for our beneficiaries and introduce underprivileged kids to the joys of fishing. Learn more at http://www.FishingForFuturesTournament.com Media Inquiries: Alexis Bott Elev8 Consulting Group Ph: 386-243-5388 Web:http://www.elev8cg.com Mira Commerce, a premier digital transformation consultancy that powers online commerce, opens their new innovation center in Santa Fe, Argentina. Mira Commerce, a global company, with three delivery offices is headquartered in Walnut Creek, California; has an EU office located in Warszawa, Poland; and now a brand new space in Santa Fe, Argentina. The office is located in the Corporate Towers located at Francisco Miguens 180 piso, Corporate Tower 1, 3000 Santa Fe, Argentina. The Santa Fe location marks the first official space for the companys LatAm expansion. The company opened their new office doors with a team of thirty highly scaled IT professionals ranging from Tech Leads to Developers to Human Resources and Administration. Chief Technology Officer, Eduardo De Lisa, will lead this branch and the entire LatAm team. Eduardo says, the breadth of complex eCommerce development and solutions the Mira team delivers to retailers and brands is on a different playing field compared to the local IT companies in the region. We are looking to grow the team to fill a number of contract and full-time positions, which will create more jobs and increase taxable income to help boost the local economy. To learn more about current or future open positions with Mira Commerce please visit their career section at: A ribbon cutting ceremony with invitees consisting of employees, families, friends, local university students, deans, professors, and entrepreneurs alike took place on May 27, 2022 at Corporate Towers in the Port Region of Santa Fe. About Mira Commerce Mira Commerce is a premier digital transformation consultancy that provides both mid-market and enterprise retailers, brands, manufacturers and distributors with an innovative mix of digital commerce technology and business services. Leveraging MACH (microservices architecture, API-driven, cloud-based, headless commerce), Mira Commerce builds dynamic, powerful, easy-to-use eCommerce sites, and connects evolving sales channels with systems to enable truly personalized, scalable digital commerce. Mira Commerce is known for its passion for client success and a laser-like focus on delivering results to both clients and integral technology partners. For more information about Mira Commerce, please visit http://www.miracommerce.com or http://www.linkedin.com/company/miracommerce/ or contact hello@miracommerce.com. For Mira Commerce LatAm business inquiries contact LatAm@miracommerce.com. For Media Inquiries contact Marina Vaks at marina.vaks@miracommerce.com. Through its integration with Acumatica, the Fuuz platform will allow customers to capture data at the manufacturing moment and provide real-time insights into their operations MFGx, a Michigan-based software integration and development company serving the manufacturing industry, announced its Fuuz manufacturing platform is now available on the Acumatica Marketplace app store as a built-for-Acumatica solution. Fuuz from MFGx, is a nocode, lowcode, procode applications platform that connects enterprise software systems with machines, smart devices and the people who use them. Acumatica Cloud ERP provides business management solutions that help companies thrive in the new digital economy. The Fuuz platform integrates with Acumatica Cloud ERP and provides out-of-the-box solutions for discrete and process manufacturers. It features configurable and intuitive operator interfaces, industrial equipment connectivity, IIoT solutions and extensibility through the various Fuuz tools such as iPaaS, document and label solutions, and much more. Through its integration with Acumatica, the Fuuz platform will allow customers to capture data at the manufacturing moment and provide real-time insights into their operations, said Craig Scott, CEO and president for MFGx. Acumatica customerswhether at a single site or globally deployed organizationwill have a powerful new tool to help them achieve the promise of Industry 4.0. Fuuz is a true applications platform, a virtual place where all of a companys software lives, connects and shares data, enabling deep insight into every part of the business without the complications of point solutions and middleware. Fuuz was built for industry, with capabilities that address the specific challenges of global manufacturers and distributors. The Fuuz platform enables real-time visualization of complex data, driving efficiencies, reducing costs and helping companies exceed customers expectations. MFGx and Acumatica have a shared vision of providing value to small and midmarket organizations through connected technologies with open architecture for rapid integrations, scalability and ease of use, said Christian Lindberg, vice president of partner solutions at Acumatica. Were proud to add the Fuuz manufacturing platform to the Acumatica Marketplace. For more information about Fuuz powered by MFGx, visit the companys website at https://www.fuuzplatform.com/. About MFGx and Fuuz Fuuz is a no-code, low-code, pro-code cloud SaaS solution that helps companies of all sizes connect the software and hardware they already have with the databases, machines and established processes they need to grow their businesseswithout the expense of new enterprise software. Fuuz was developed by MFGx, a Michigan-based software integration company with more than 20 years of first-hand, hands-on experience in diagnosing and solving software integration problems for discrete and process manufacturers in multiple industries. MFGx and its Fuuz application deliver flexible and robust solutions in complex IT environments. For more, visit http://www.fuuzplatform.com/. The Resilience of Arts Ed Now These findings speak to the true resiliency of both our school leaders and, most importantly, our arts educators, -- Robert Morrison, Director, Arts Ed NJ. New Jersey showed significant artistic growth during the 2020/2021 school year, particularly when it came to Dance and Theatre programs. This is according to the latest census report, The Resilience of Arts Ed Now: Beyond the Pandemic, released this week and conducted by Arts Ed NJ as part of the 2021 New Jersey Arts Education Census Project. Widely acknowledged as a national leader in arts education, New Jersey maintained near universal access to arts education for all students99% of New Jersey schools, representing 99.4% of students provided arts educationduring the COVID-19 Pandemic, the research study revealed. While Dance and Theatre demonstrated the most growth, music and visual art maintained participation levels and showed remarkable resilience, particularly given the environment of ever-changing health and safety guidelines and concerns that some performing arts programs were not safe. More positive news: Per Pupil Arts Spending (PPAS) has increased by 19% in elementary, 12% in middle and 15% in high schools since 2016. However, Per-Pupil Arts Spending decreases as poverty levels (measured by free and reduced-price lunch and District Factor Groups) increase. In 2019, New Jersey became the first state to document universal access to arts education for all students. However, while statewide arts education access is broad, only 13% of students enjoy access to all four arts disciplines dance, music, theater and visual art as required by state code. These findings speak to the true resiliency of both our school leaders and, most importantly, our arts educators, Stated Robert Morrison, Director, Arts Ed NJ. To see the growth we have over the last five years in dance, theatre, and schools offering three or more arts disciplines is a testament to our state's entire arts education community. Other key findings of the fourth census: Both dance and theatre showed significant increases in access and participation from prior reports. Compared to 2016, the number of schools offering dance increased by 97%, while theatre increased by 31%. Dance participation increased from 3% to 8%, while theatre increased from 3% to 7%. Dance increases from 8% student participation for all schools to 30% participation when only including schools that offer dance. Similarly, theatre increases from 7% to 18%, visual art goes from 69% to 72% and music goes from 63% to 65% when only including schools offering these disciplines. This indicates that the lack of dance and theatre in schools is a barrier to participation. However, when these courses are offered, there is strong demand for student participation, including 62% for dance and 44% for theatre participation in elementary schools. The increase in dance and theatre has led to a significant increase in schools offering three or more arts disciplines since 2016. Increases were realized for each grade span, including elementary (125%), middle (88%) and high school (10%). This has been a strategic goal of Arts Ed NJ. Seventy-six percent of all studentsnearly 1 millionparticipated in one or more arts education offerings during the 2020/2021 school year, including 93% of elementary, 84% of middle and 44% of high school students. This is a significant improvement in student participation compared to 63% in 2006. Districts have significant flexibility in how they choose to structure arts courses within and across grade levels, such as by quarters, semesters, alternating grades, etc. Participation in art (69%) and music (63%) were highest among the four arts disciplines. Visual art and music are also the most widely available of the arts disciplines, at 95% and 96%, respectively. Per-Pupil Arts Spending decreases as poverty levels (measured by free and reduced-price lunch and District Factor Groups) increase. Student arts participation is similar across all Free/Reduced Price Lunch percentage categories as well as across race/ethnicity. However, as District Factor Groups become more affluent, arts participation increases. Eighty-three percent of all schools in the state participate in some cultural activity. This includes field trips (71%), assemblies (51%), long-term partnerships (31%) and artist-in-residencies (14%). These represent declines in all categories in every report since 2006. More important findings on a wide variety of measures regarding the status and condition of arts education are available at https://artsednow.org/census-report-2021/ The New Jersey Arts Education Census Project is a collaborative partnership with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the New Jersey Department of Education, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Arts Ed NJ, ArtPride New Jersey Foundation and Quadrant Research. The Resilience of Arts Ed Now: Beyond the Pandemic is the follow-up report to the nationally acclaimed 2007, 2012 and 2017 reports, Within Our Power: The Progress, Plight and Promise of Arts Education for Every Child, Keeping the Promise: Arts Education for Every Child, The Distance TraveledThe Journey Remaining and ARTS ED NOW: Every Child, Every School. The release coincides with the expansion of the Arts Ed Now statewide public awareness campaign to raise the visibility of arts education in schools and communities. Methodology The Commissioner of Education encouraged all public-school principals in New Jersey to provide data on arts education from their schools for this Arts Education Census Project. The participation rate is 94.0% of the 2,295 public and charter schools required to take part representing 1,156,940 students. The schools provided data via a special online questionnaire to Quadrant Research. The data were then processed for statistical analysis, which forms the basis of this report. The complete report may be downloaded at https://artsednow.org/census-report-2021/ What People Are Saying About the 2021 New Jersey Arts Education Census Report The arts are an integral part of what makes our public school system one of the strongest in the nation, said Governor Phil Murphy. Were seeing how the extent of arts education in New Jersey schools over the past few years has reflected the commitment of our educators and the resilience of our students. I applaud New Jersey schools for keeping a focus on the arts, even in the face of overwhelming obstacles posed by the pandemic, said Dr. Angelica Allen-McMillian, Acting Commissioner of Education. For years we have known the powerful connection between arts education and the academic growth of children. But for many students, the arts have been crucial in helping them cope with the personal obstacles faced over the past two years. Acting Secretary of State Tahesha Way: The arts are needed now more than ever, especially for young people, as they navigate the uniquely complex challenges and emotions brought on over the last two years. Arts education gives students the tools they need to connect, empathize, and innovate. I am proud to work closely with the State Arts Council and their partners to support increased opportunities for meaningful arts learning. Allison Tratner, Executive Director of the NJ State Council on the Arts: The findings of the latest Art Ed NJ census are a testament to the dedication and commitment of our states arts educators. These teachers quickly adjusted out of necessity and prioritized meaningful engagement for their students during a time of crisis, which we know was both not easy and incredibly important. We look forward to working with the Department of Education, Arts Ed NJ, and our partners in the field to build on all the innovation and lessons learned. We are encouraged that the Arts Education Census has measured progress in access to arts education in many New Jersey communities, even during the pandemic, said Tanuja Dehne, president and CEO, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. However, as the Census data shows, there is still work to ensure that all students benefit from state-required arts instruction regardless of socioeconomic status. Highlighting these disparities is an important step toward a just and equitable New Jersey, where people of all races and communities can thrive. # # # About Arts Ed NJ Arts Ed NJ is the unified voice for arts education in New Jersey. Formerly the New Jersey Arts Education Partnership, Arts Ed NJ was founded in 2007 by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, New Jersey Department of Education and Music for All Foundation, with additional support from the ArtPride New Jersey Foundation. The mission of Arts Ed NJ is to provide a unified voice for a diverse group of constituents who agree on the educational benefits and impact of the arts, specifically the contribution they make to student achievement and a civilized, sustainable society. Additional information is available at http://www.artsednj.org. About Arts Ed Now Arts Ed Now is a statewide campaign to increase active participation in arts education in all schools in New Jersey. Studies show that students who participate in arts education do better in school and life. Unfortunately, not all NJ students have the access or information to increase their participation in arts education. The Arts Ed Now campaign identifies ways to increase participation in arts education and garner public support to put a spotlight on the issue - and is designed to be customized at a local grassroots level for more impact. The Campaign Central website https://artsednow.org features stories, tools and ways for citizens to become better ambassadors - together. This project is supported in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Geraldine R Dodge Foundation, The Grunin Foundation and an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit http://www.arts.gov I look forward to sharing with American colleagues our thinking on how energy-efficient buildings might best support democracy, security, and climate protection in these urgent times, The Passive House Network announced that Dr. Wolfgang Feist, founder of the Passive House Institute, will address the PHN 2022 Conference (https://phnconference.org/) in the opening session on Friday, June 10, on the topic of the Institute's campaign Efficiency Now! - a new initiative launched in the face of Europes war-driven energy crisis - and an analysis of the underlying opportunity to shift away from natural gas and address the problems of both energy instability, and greenhouse gas emissions. I look forward to sharing with American colleagues our thinking on how energy-efficient buildings might best support democracy, security, and climate protection in these urgent times, said Dr. Feist. The Campaign Starts in Europe and Extends Globally While the climate crisis compels us to stop burning fossil fuels as quickly as possible to maintain a livable planet, today, the horrific war in Ukraine has added new dimensions, where fossil fuels support a brutal war of aggression, create economic and social instability, and like the climate crisis, produce potentially devastating effects on the most vulnerable people around the world. If in January we had ample reasons to stop burning fossil fuels, today the need is an immediate daily imperative. The energy transition has never been more urgent in Europe but also for us in America, and everyone all around the world, said Ken Levenson, Executive Director of The Passive House Network. As Passive House practitioners we are attuned to the fundamental power of energy efficiency - a force multiplier of comfort, resilience, and support for the green energy revolution." The Passive House Institute and its campaign, Efficiency Now! points out that in addition to proven Passive House EnerPHit retrofit strategies, rapid implementation requires expanding considered approaches and supports immediate low-cost, low-effort, and behavior-related changes, to tips for those in the construction industry - and in combination, the efforts can have great effects and reduce fossil fuel dependence. While countries like Germany may face the most obvious challenges, today, because the energy supplies are global, the climate crisis is global, and our fate is global - the work is global. We all have an important role to play in driving efficiency, energy stability, and opportunity for all. Find out more about the campaign at https://passipedia.org/efficiency_now# & https://passivehouse-international.org/upload/20220408_Press_Release_Campaign_Efficiency_NOW.pdf Find out more about the PHN 2022 conference and register at https://phnconference.org/ # # # About PHN: The Passive House Network (PHN), formerly known as NAPHN, is a 501(c)3 that provides Passive House high-performance building education and resources to professionals across the U.S. that transform how they think and work with buildings. PHN provides professionals a complete skill set to reliably produce new and renovated buildings that use dramatically less energy for effective and affordable climate action. https://naphnetwork.org/ About PHI: The Passive House Institute (PHI) is an independent research institute that has played an especially crucial role in the development of the Passive House concept - the only internationally recognized, performance-based energy standard in construction.https://passivehouse.com/ About PHMA: Passive House Massachusetts is a member-based, non-profit organization that focuses on education, training, outreach, and advocacy to accomplish its goals. PHMA regularly hosts meetings, trainings, tours, and other events related to Passive House design and construction and serves as a hub of knowledge for high-performance design in the state and region. https://phmass.org/ About Passive House: Passive House is an international building standard and methodology, applicable to buildings of all kinds from office buildings to hospitals, new-build and renovations, that results in a dramatic drop in operational energy use, and more comfortable and healthy occupants - meant to aggressively mitigate our climate crisis while providing resilient adaptation. The Passive House Standard was developed by the Passive House Institute (PHI), an independent scientific research organization, located in Darmstadt, Germany, and includes specific requirements for energy use and comfort of occupants. The Passive House Standard is being successfully applied to thousands of buildings and millions of square feet around the world, from Boston to Beijing. The Passive House methodology starts with reducing cooling, dehumidification, and heating loads by focusing, not on gadgets and active technology, but instead on fully integrated durable passive building components, such as proper continuous thermal-bridge-free insulation, continuous airtightness, high-performance windows and doors, and ventilation that includes a high-efficiency heat/energy recovery core, carefully calculated, and all integrated with the entire architectural process of design and construction. http://www.passivehouse.com http://www.passipedia.org The International Passive House Association is a membership, communications, and global community-building arm of the Passive House Institute with over 30 affiliated regional Passive House organizations around the world. https://passivehouse-international.org/ Tamer is well respected in the urological community and has proven he has the skills needed to establish and grow a world class Medical Affairs Team. We are looking forward to him joining the company. Cancer diagnostics company Pacific Edge (NZX, ASX: PEB) today announces the appointment of Dr Tamer Aboushwareb as Vice President of Medical Affairs, PEDUSA. Dr Aboushwarebs appointment complements the existing PEDUSA executive suite and will provide medical and scientific leadership including the design and execution of clinical studies, managing the team of Medical Science Liaisons, developing the KOL engagement programs and supporting market access and reimbursement efforts from a scientific and medical perspective. Dr Aboushwareb is set to join Pacific Edge in June and comes to the company with a depth of experience in clinical, medical research, and commercial roles in urological medicine in Egypt and the USA. Pacific Edge Chief Executive Dr Peter Meintjes said: We are delighted Tamer has joined Pacific Edge as we deepen our focus on clinical evidence generation for Cxbladder. Dr Aboushwareb will continue to evolve our programs to establish Cxbladder as the standard of care for the suspicion of urothelial cancer in patients presenting with hematuria and in the surveillance for recurrence of disease. Drawing on his extensive experience in urology, Dr Aboushwareb will work closely with Pacific Edges R&D and Clinical Science teams towards the inclusion of Cxbladder in the standards of care set by organisations such as the American Urological Association, the European Association of Urologists, and the National Cancer Care Network. A key focus will be highlighting how Cxbladder can satisfy unmet clinical needs in the urological care pathway, including how it can facilitate the early detection of urothelial cancer, the assistance it provides in adjudicating diagnostic dilemmas (most commonly equivocal cystoscopy and atypical cytology) and its role in monitoring patients for cancer recurrence. He will expand the number of Medical Science Liaisons at PEDUSA, increasing our capacity to engage key opinion leaders on clinical studies, facilitate faster and greater patient enrolment in clinical studies, and communicate our increasing body of clinical evidence to clinicians and payers to drive greater adoption of Cxbladder and build momentum towards guideline inclusion. He will also work alongside our sales and marketing teams to assist with the adoption of Cxbladder by strategic accounts. Executive Chairman of PEDUSA, David Levison says, Tamer is well respected in the urological community and has proven he has the skills needed to establish and grow a world class Medical Affairs Team. We are looking forward to him joining the company. Dr Aboushwareb has is a graduate of the Ain Shams University Medical School in Cairo. He also holds Masters and Doctoral degrees in urology and has held residency, post-doctoral and research roles in Egypt and the US. He comes to Pacific Edge from colorectal, breast and prostate cancer detection company Exact Sciences, where he was a Senior Director of Oncology Clinical Development. Prior to that he was Global Therapy Area Head, Urology, Medical Affairs at the global pharmaceutical company Allergan. Dr Aboushwareb said: I am looking forward to joining Pacific Edge. Cxbladder offers clinicians, patients, and healthcare providers a compelling proposition and it is well supported by a body of high-quality peer reviewed evidence. I am looking forward to working with the team to drive its adoption and its inclusion in clinical guidelines. OVERVIEW Pacific Edge Limited (NZX/ ASX: PEB) is a global cancer diagnostics company leading the way in the development and commercialisation of bladder cancer diagnostic and prognostic tests for patients presenting with hematuria or surveillance of recurrent disease. Headquartered in Dunedin, New Zealand, the company provides its suite of Cxbladder tests globally through its wholly owned, and CLIA certified, laboratories in New Zealand and the USA. Learn more about Cxbladder at: http://www.cxbladder.com. Cxbladder is a non-invasive genomic urine test optimized for the detection and management of bladder cancer. The Cxbladder evidence portfolio developed over the past 14 years includes more than 20 peer reviewed publications for primary detection, surveillance, adjudication of atypical urine cytology and equivocal cystoscopy. Cxbladder is the focal point of numerous ongoing and planned clinical studies to generate an ever-increasing body of clinical utility evidence supporting adoption and use in the clinic to improve patient health outcomes. Cxbladder is reimbursed by CMS and has been trusted by over 2,000 US urologists in the diagnosis and management of more than 80,000 patients, including the option for in-home sample collection. In New Zealand, Cxbladder is accessible to 70% of the population via public healthcare and all residents have the option of buying the test online. This course covers best practice topics from experienced product safety management professionals including consulting engineers, product standards experts, and defense attorneys. Lamberts session on warnings and instructions is part of the universitys Advanced Products course offered through its College of Engineering Engineering Professional Development department, and takes place June 7 to 9, 2022 between 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Central Time. The University of Wisconsin-Madisons annual product safety, liability and warnings course will feature a session from Angela Lambert, a safety and liability industry expert from Clarion Safety Systems. Clarion Safety is a leading designer and manufacturer of safety labels, signs, and tags and provides complementary services for comprehensive machine safety, compliance, and risk reduction. Lamberts session on warnings and instructions is part of the universitys Advanced Products course offered through its College of Engineering Engineering Professional Development department, and takes place June 7 to 9, 2022 between 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Central Time. Failure to warn and inadequate warnings top product liability allegations. Lambert will present considerations on creating effective warnings for both domestic and export markets. That will include information on key standards for safety labels in the U.S. and internationally (focusing on ANSI Z535, ISO 3864-2 and the EU Machinery Directive), label content elements, and label material/durability requirements. Her session also includes a team-based workshop designed to help participants analyze warnings using todays standards and best practices, along with a question and answer session to help further their understanding. At Clarion Safety, Lambert heads the companys standards compliance initiatives. She has more than fifteen years of experience in the safety and manufacturing industry, helping product safety engineers solve their warnings and liability challenges. Lambert is also actively involved at the leadership level in the ANSI and ISO standards. Shes chair of ANSI Z535.1, the standard that focuses on colors used in visual safety communication, as well as the official liaison between ISO TC/283 and ISO/TC 145 committees, responsible for the library of ISO 7010 registered symbols and the ISO 3864 set of standards. Rather than an in-person conference, this years event will be virtual through Zoom to protect the health of attendees and presenters during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as well as enable easier attendance for those from long distances. The three-day course centers around current and emerging safety, warnings and instructions best practices from experienced product safety management professionals including consulting engineers, product safety standards experts, and a defense attorney. The course is geared toward industrial and commercial equipment manufacturers along with companies who insure them. Course participants are typically safety and design engineers but also include writers of warnings and safety literature, liability and product managers, in-house counsel, and outside experts. Other topics to be covered at this years conference will include legal responsibility and duty to warn/instruct, writing and designing manuals and warnings and evaluating warnings and instructions. To learn more about the live online conference, including earning credit hours for the course (CEU and PDH) as well as how to register, visit the University of Wisconsin's website. Enrollment is available through June 7, 2022 at 8:00 a.m. Central Time. Although not required, it is recommended that course participants have the ANSI Z535.4 and ANSI Z535.6 standards on hand throughout the classes. Contact Clarion Safety to learn more about the companys industry experts and opportunities for collaboration on media and educational projects. ABOUT UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING The University of WisconsinMadison College of Engineering is a top-ranked engineering school of the University of WisconsinMadison, one of the leading research universities in the world. The college comprises 13 academic departments and dates back to 1857. ABOUT CLARION SAFETY SYSTEMS Clarion Safety Systems, LLC, is the leading designer and manufacturer of visual safety solutions that help customers in more than 180 industries worldwide to make their products and premises safer. Clarion Safety offers a full range of standard and custom products including machinery safety labels, environmental and facility safety signs, pipe and valve identification markings, lockout/tagout products, and safety-grade photoluminescent egress path-marking escape systems. The company also provides complementary services for comprehensive machine safety, compliance and risk reduction. Founded in 1990, Clarion Safety continues to play a leading role in the development and writing of international and national standards for safety signs, labels, and markings. It is headquartered at 190 Old Milford Road in Milford, PA, 18337, and online at http://www.clarionsafety.com. As a national leader providing trusted advisory services to federal, state, and local government agencies for more than 25 years, CSG is honored to be named among The Consulting Reports Top 50 Consulting Firms of 2022, says John Walsworth, CSGs Chief Executive Officer. CSG Government Solutions, a national leader in government program modernization, today announced it has been named by The Consulting Report as one of The Top 50 Consulting Firms of 2022. The Consulting Report is a publication focused on business news, leadership dynamics, and corporate actions related to the consulting, professional services, and IT services industries. The Top 50 Consulting Firms were selected based on nominations and The Consulting Reports further proprietary research. This years awardees were selected across a wide variety of sectors and geographies and comprise some of the most trusted and influential professional services firms in the world. They help provide corporations, governments, and other types of organizations with analytics, insights, and counsel on a wide variety of matters. Awarded firms help their clients solve their biggest problems, capitalize on opportunities, and in some cases, avoid costly mistakes. As a national leader providing trusted advisory services to federal, state, and local government agencies for more than 25 years, CSG is honored to be named among The Consulting Reports Top 50 Consulting Firms of 2022, says John Walsworth, CSGs Chief Executive Officer. Our clients trust us to help manage important program modernization projects. This recognition attests to the dedication of our team and the consistent quality of our work. CONTACT: Tim Lenning Executive Vice President CSG Government Solutions 180 N. Stetson Ave Suite 3200 Chicago, IL 60601 312.444.2760 Fax: 312.938.2191 tlenning@csgdelivers.com About CSG Government Solutions: CSG Government Solutions is a leading government operations consulting firm helping states modernize critical program enterprises. We help governments leverage innovative technology and processes to meet the challenges of administering complex programs. Founded in 1997, CSG clients include 47 state and territory governments, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Labor, and large municipal governments. For more information, visit http://www.csgdelivers.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter. The biopharma processing manufacturing investment at Cooper River is a key milestone in our growth strategy; it supports our customers expansion and contributes to business continuity, said DuPont Healthcare & Specialty Lubricants Global Business Director Eugenio Toccalino DuPont (NYSE:DD) today announced the opening of its new DuPont Liveo Healthcare manufacturing site in Cooper River, South Carolina, to help better serve customers worldwide. The site, located in Berkeley County, will be operated using the same quality standards as DuPonts Healthcare Industries Materials Site, the companys longstanding biopharmaceutical manufacturing site in Hemlock, Michigan. The Cooper River site will bring additional extrusion capacity online over the next two years to serve strategic customers in the short term and expand its Liveo Healthcare customer base with additional supply in the medium term. The biopharma processing manufacturing investment at Cooper River is a key milestone in our growth strategy; it supports our customers expansion and contributes to business continuity, said DuPont Healthcare & Specialty Lubricants Global Business Director Eugenio Toccalino. Were committed to investing in our healthcare business, and our recent expansions help us offer a highly reliable and sustainable product supply. DuPont Liveo Healthcare is also expanding its manufacturing footprint regionally to support customers locally, which will help alleviate supply pressure and allow customers to grow in their respective markets. In the second half of 2022, the company expects to add biopharma silicone tubing capacity in China to serve the fast-growing customers in the region. Through a strong, close collaboration between our DuPont team and our contractor partners, construction of the new Cooper River site was completed in 18 months, without a single safety incident, said Bill Alexander, Cooper River site and unit leader for the DuPont Liveo, and MOLYKOTE plants. The site has enabled the creation of 25 positions at start-up, with an additional 25 positions expected to be created as we ramp up operations over the next two years, added Alexander. "For more than fourteen years, DuPont Cooper River has continued to diversify and reinvest in new products ensuring the viability of this Berkeley County facility. Life sciences and biotechnology innovation is a growing sector with an $11 billion annual economic impact and over 40,000 jobs in the State of South Carolina. We thank DuPont for their commitment to this community and for creating more high-paying jobs for the local workforce," said Kristen O. Lanier, Berkeley County Economic Development Director. In 2021, the DuPont Cooper River site expanded to include manufacturing of DuPont MOLYKOTE Specialty Lubricants. As a trusted partner in the healthcare processing industry, DuPont has developed a leadership position within the industry by building upon more than seven decades of foundational capabilities that serve the highly regulated biopharmaceutical market. With these recent investments, DuPont is committed to serving the healthcare market and its customers more than ever, offering high-quality, high-performance solutions; application and material science expertise; and strong regulatory support to address healthcare customers specific needs and challenges. About DuPont Liveo Healthcare Solutions DuPont Liveo is a globally recognized leader in technology for a broad range of innovations in medical devices, biopharmaceutical processing and pharmaceutical solutions. DuPont high-performance materials help create safer healthcare environments and protect the health of patients and healthcare providers worldwide. We help enable smarter healthcare and positive patient outcomes. More information can be found at liveo.dupont.com. About DuPont Electronics & Industrial DuPont Electronics & Industrial is a global supplier of new technologies and performance materials serving the semiconductor, circuit board, display, digital and flexographic printing, healthcare, aerospace, industrial, and transportation industries. From advanced technology centers worldwide, teams of talented research scientists and application experts work closely with customers, providing solutions, products and technical service to enable next-generation technologies. About DuPont DuPont (NYSE: DD) is a global innovation leader with technology-based materials and solutions that help transform industries and everyday life. Our employees apply diverse science and expertise to help customers advance their best ideas and deliver essential innovations in key markets including electronics, transportation, construction, water, healthcare and worker safety. More information about the company, its businesses and solutions can be found at http://www.dupont.com. Investors can access information included on the Investor Relations section of the website at investors.dupont.com. Overview On November 2, 2021, DuPont announced it has entered definitive agreements to acquire Rogers Corporation (Rogers), (the Intended Rogers Acquisition). On January 25, 2022, Rogers shareholders approved the transaction. Closing, is expected by the end of the second quarter 2022, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. On February 18, 2022, DuPont announced that it has entered into definitive agreements to divest a majority of its Mobility & Materials segment, excluding certain Advanced Solutions and Performance Resins businesses, to Celanese Corporation (Celanese), (the M&M Divestiture). Closing is expected around the end of 2022, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. The Company also announced on February 18, 2022 that its Board of Directors has approved the divestiture of the Delrin acetal homopolymer (H-POM) business. In addition to the entry into definitive agreements, the Company anticipates that the closing of the sale of Delrin would be subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, (the Delrin Business Divestiture and together with the M&M Divestiture, the "M&M Divestitures). Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements This communication contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance and financial condition, and often contain words such as "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "believe," "seek," "see," "will," "would," "target," and similar expressions and variations or negatives of these words. Forward-looking statements address matters that are, to varying degrees, uncertain and subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, many of which that are beyond DuPont's control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results. Some of the important factors that could cause DuPont's actual results to differ materially from those projected in any such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: (i) the parties ability to meet expectations regarding the timing, completion and accounting and tax treatments of the M&M Divestiture to Celanese, including (x) any failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals, anticipated tax treatment or to satisfy any of the other conditions to the proposed transaction, (y) the possibility that unforeseen liabilities, future capital expenditures, revenues, expenses, earnings, synergies, economic performance, indebtedness, financial condition, losses, future prospects, business and management strategies could impact the value, timing or pursuit of the proposed transaction, and (z) risks and costs and pursuit and/or implementation, timing and impacts to business operations of the separation of business lines in scope for the M&M Divestiture to Celanese, (ii) the timing and outcome of the Delrin Business Divestiture, including entry into definitive agreements, and the risks, costs and ability to realize benefits from the pursuit of the Delrin Business Divestiture; (iii) ability to achieve anticipated tax treatments in connection with mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and other portfolio changes actions and impact of changes in relevant tax and other laws; (iv) indemnification of certain legacy liabilities; (v) risks and costs related to each of the parties respective performance under and the impact of the arrangement to share future eligible PFAS costs by and between DuPont, Corteva and Chemours; (vi) failure to timely close on anticipated terms (or at all), realize expected benefits and effectively manage and achieve anticipated synergies and operational efficiencies in connection with mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and other portfolio changes including the Intended Rogers Acquisition and the M&M Divestitures; (vii) risks and uncertainties, including increased costs and the ability to obtain raw materials and meet customer needs, related to operational and supply chain impacts or disruptions, which may result from, among other events, the COVID-19 pandemic and actions in response to it, and geo-political and weather related events; (viii) ability to offset increases in cost of inputs, including raw materials, energy and logistics; and (ix) other risks to DuPont's business, operations; each as further discussed in DuPonts most recent annual report and subsequent current and periodic reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Unlisted factors may present significant additional obstacles to the realization of forward-looking statements. Consequences of material differences in results as compared with those anticipated in the forward-looking statements could include, among other things, business or supply chain disruption, operational problems, financial loss, legal liability to third parties and similar risks, any of which could have a material adverse effect on DuPonts consolidated financial condition, results of operations, credit rating or liquidity. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. DuPont assumes no obligation to publicly provide revisions or updates to any forward looking statements whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by securities and other applicable laws. # # # DuPont, the DuPont Oval Logo, and all trademarks and service marks denoted with , SM or are owned by affiliates of DuPont de Nemours, Inc. unless otherwise noted. 05/31/22 Image: High resolution: https://dupont.scene7.com/is/image/Dupont/Cooper River_high Low resolution: https://dupont.scene7.com/is/image/Dupont/Cooper River_low Proposed caption: DuPont opens new biopharma tubing manufacturing site with state-of-the-art infrastructure at Cooper River in the United States Nairobi The government has been challenged to make secondary education affordable, for the country to achieve a hundred percent transition. According to the Economic Survey 2022, the number of students transitioning from primary to secondary school last year was the lowest compared to available statistics, over the last 5 years. The report revealed only 75.8 percent of learners moved from Primary to Secondary in 2021, compared to other years. To reverse the worrying trend, Griffin Asigo, the Bridge Kenya Managing Director says the government should ensure that secondary school education is more affordable, especially for families from low-income communities. "Secondary school education needs to be less of a financial burden to families," the Bridge Kenya MD said. He pointed out that, "even when primary schools support children to succeed and be academically prepared for secondary if it is too expensive for families to afford, it becomes challenging for children to transition from primary to secondary school." Asiago said the transition to secondary school is an important milestone in the lives of young people, as well as a period of adaptation that coincides with significant social, emotional and physiological changes in their lives. "Giving a child the best in life is every parent's dream but achieving this comes with amongst other things quality education. Obviously, a good education is a necessary tool for cementing a strong foundation for any child," he said. Unfortunately, he pointed out, because of the numerous financial obligations many parents cannot sustain timely school fee payments if at all, and struggle to send and keep their children in school. In Kenya, the government requires families to share the costs at the secondary school level, which has significant negative consequences for children from poor families according to education experts. Many children completing primary school fail to proceed to secondary school due to a lack of school fees or insufficient facilities. This situation is distressing and has long-term consequences, such as teenage pregnancies and low earning potential, the Bridge MD said. He noted that secondary school education plays a vital role in ensuring a country's development through training. "It provides the optimum setting to prepare young people for healthy and productive adult lives including participation in social, political, and economic spheres," he said. In addition, for societies to compete in the global economy, he said a significant number of their citizens need a secondary school education in order to acquire the specific skills and aptitudes necessary for an increasingly technology-driven marketplace. Asiago added that the transition from primary school to secondary school has been affected by various factors which include the academic performance at the end of primary education, tuition fees charged by secondary schools when joining form one and inadequate availability of vacancies in secondary schools. Financing secondary education has been a challenge for most households who live below the poverty line. Additional costs such as costs of uniforms, textbooks, and school maintenance make it impossible for learners to fully transit to secondary schools. In 2018, for instance, 300,000 candidates who sat for the KCPE did not take their places in Form One. To ensure a high rate of transition, the government introduced a universal transition programme that would ensure 100 percent transition to secondary school. According to the World Bank, financing secondary education has been a big challenge to both the governments and households in Sub-Saharan Africa. The World Bank notes that the household burden on financing secondary education is extremely high. Bridge Kenya has been serving some of Kenya's most underserved communities for well over a decade and has educated hundreds of thousands of children in Kenya. Cost is a key barrier to transitioning to secondary school for the poor, who form the majority in sub-Saharan Africa. Parents often cite a lack of funds for extra school levies such as transport, extra tuition, meals and school uniforms among others as the main reason for not enrolling their children in secondary schools. The majority of the families live below the poverty line and spend most of their income on basic needs such as food and clothing and therefore, affording to meet the cost of education has become a challenge. The Government of Kenya recognizes that expanding access to secondary education has been increasing but challenges remain, especially at the regional levels and in urban informal settlements. In order to achieve 100 percent transition, the Government in a mop-up exercise to trace all candidates conducts an aggressive door-to-door campaign. President Uhuru Kenyatta has reiterated the government's goal to have all pupils join secondary school despite challenges associated with the 100 percent transition. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Education By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The President has said the government will do what it takes to expand physical facilities in existing institutions to ensure all pupils successfully transit to secondary school. "We want all children in school. We shall build new infrastructure and expand existing ones after taking an assessment," the President said during a previous event. Recently, speaking during the inspection of Kenya Secondary Education Quality Improvement Project (SEQIP) infrastructural works at Butere Girls High School, Education Cabinet Secretary Prof. George Magoha ordered National Government Administrative officers to ensure all learners join secondary schools. "The chiefs, together with their assistants, should be in the forefront in ensuring that our children are enlisted in various schools with the help of police. To obtain 100 percent transition, the administrators must ensure all 2021 KCPE students are in class throughout the year," said Magoha. The CS said that to realise a 100 percent transition from primary to secondary schools, there is a need for the administrators to trail the students and make them register in various learning institutions. Managing Director, Dan Israel, of GIA This unique opportunity will allow me to expand on my experience leading innovation teams to build a strategic partner base as well as provide continued strong support to the founders, who are integral to the GIAs success. Experience with insurance carriers and managing strategy and innovation efforts for large organizations will aid future GIA cohorts The Global Insurance Accelerator (GIA) is pleased to announce Dan Israel will join the GIA on May 31 to begin transitioning to the Managing Director role of the organization. Israel will work alongside current Managing Director, Nicole Gunderson, to successfully complete a seamless hand-off of GIA activities and prepare for the fall selection of the 2023 cohort. His background includes expertise in managing detailed and complex relationship growth, guiding strategic projects with key deliverables, and strategic business case development with various industries most recently in insurance and finance. His previous role as Director Enterprise Strategy and Innovation at Principal Financial Group, an investor in the GIA, has provided him the opportunity to be involved with the Accelerator and witness its operations. Ive been able to see first-hand the positive impact the GIA has both on the cohort firms, which it helps to grow and expand, as well as the benefit to the corporate strategic partners, said Israel, incoming Managing Director. The GIA fills a niche role in the insuretech market that allows it to bring together both innovative founders and strategic corporate partners to enhance both groups opportunities for growth. This unique opportunity will allow me to expand on my experience leading innovation teams to build a strategic partner base as well as provide continued strong support to the founders, who are integral to the GIAs success. Israel began his career in finance with Rolls-Royce North America and then Target Corporation where he led financial analyst teams in providing strategic financial planning and decision-making for senior management. He joined Principal Global Investors to provide key strategic and financial support for several of their asset management firms and most recently worked with Principal Financial Group on enterprise strategy and innovation. Israel holds an M.B.A in Management & Strategy and Finance from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a B.B.A in Finance and Economics from the University of Iowa. The GIA has built a leading insurtech program focused on mentor support for our cohort start-ups, helping them accelerate their ideas in 100 days and develop viable solutions for insurance companies, said Dave Wingert, Executive Vice President of Grinnell Mutual and board chair for the GIA. Dans experience directing strategy and innovation at Principal Financial Group will provide insights into further expanding ways insurance carriers can engage even deeper with cohort members. Nicole Gunderson will continue to assist the GIA through the summer, working with Dan Israel as part of a comprehensive transition plan that promotes continuity for the GIA, the annual 100-day accelerator program, and the GIAs alumni. For information on becoming an investor, mentor, or program advisor for the GIA, please visit http://www.globalinsuranceaccelerator.com. As the University of Texas School of Law Pipeline Program prepares to announce its first cohort, global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP has pledged its support to the program for the next five years. Demetrius G. McDaniel, president of the Texas Law Alumni Association Executive Committee and co-regional operating shareholder of the law firms Texas offices, helped foster the connection between Texas Law and Greenberg Traurig. When I met with Dean Farnsworth, I was so moved by his genuine commitment, and the unique combination of his deep background in traditional excellence and his orientation toward innovation, opportunity and change--all hallmarks of our own firm. Even before that meeting was over, I knew that it was right for the firm to support him, Demetrius, and Texas Law in these important efforts, Greenberg Traurig Executive Chairman Richard A. Rosenbaum said. Diversity, equity, and inclusion is personal to Greenberg Traurig and has been since our founding. Through initiatives such as the Pipeline Program, we are able to participate in the advancement of equal access to a legal education and make a difference in the lives of these students. Over time this farsighted program will meaningfully increase diversity in the Texas legal community, and beyond. Thank you to Texas Law for implementing this program and for giving Greenberg Traurig the opportunity to participate, McDaniel said. Greenberg Traurigs support of the Pipeline Program, Texas Laws long-term initiative, is designed to benefit the broader law community, supporting students who traditionally may not have had a direct pathway to a legal career. Texas Law Pipeline Program The Pipeline Program is dedicated to supporting students in high school, college, and law school from underrepresented backgrounds who aspire to a law career, involving outreach, education, mentoring, and scholarship support. It includes specific initiatives and workshops tailored for students at each academic level, including a Texas Law Academy for high school students, Boot Camps for undergraduate students and recent college graduates, tuition scholarships, and a Thriving in Law School program for current law students. Greenberg Traurig in Texas Texas is important to Greenberg Traurig, LLP and the firms history. With approximately 140 lawyers in Austin, Dallas, and Houston, Greenberg Traurig has deep roots in the Texas business, legal, and governmental communities. Greenberg Traurig Texas works with clients to address their interdisciplinary legal needs across the state utilizing the firms global platform. The Texas attorneys are experienced in industries key to the states future, including aviation, chemicals, construction, education, energy and natural resources, financial institutions, health care, hedge funds, hospitality, infrastructure, insurance, media, medical devices, pharmaceutical and biotechnology, real estate, retail, sports, technology and software, telecommunications, transportation, and video games and esports. Greenberg Traurig Overview Greenberg Traurig has more than 2400 attorneys in 43 locations in the United States, Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. The firm, often recognized for its focus on philanthropic giving, innovation, diversity, and pro bono, reported gross revenue of over $2 Billion for FY 2021. The firm is consistently among the top firms on the Am Law 100, Am Law Global 100, NLJ 250, and Law360 (US) 400. On the debut 2022 Law360 Pulse Leaderboard, it is a Top 15 firm. Greenberg Traurig is Mansfield Rule 4.0 Certified Plus by The Diversity Lab and net carbon neutral with respect to its office energy usage. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com. I want to inspire fore-thought for your future self, so that you can use your free will more often and more clearly to choose love over hate and positivity over negativity Author Brother Brooklyn inspires readers to take control of their thought processes in Lessons from the School of Hard Knocks ($17.49, paperback, 9781662845413; $8.99, e-book, 9781662845420). Brooklyn took his name from his childhood home: the projects of Brooklyn, NY. He uses lessons from those formative years, his professional development, and the sentence he served in prison to teach others how our minds and thoughts are influenced by a variety of sources. Once those influences are identified, readers can choose how they wish to transition their thoughts and allow themselves to be guided by love. I want to inspire fore-thought for your future self, so that you can use your free will more often and more clearly to choose love over hate and positivity over negativity, said Brooklyn. Brother Brooklyn is a retired automation engineer with over 20 years of experience in prison ministry. He is a licensed minister with a B.S.A. degree in Industrial Technology and Management from Ferris State University and an A.A.S. degree in Materials Technology from Muskegon Community College. He served as a Navy Safety Supervisor and received training in Human Behavior and Naval Leadership, as well 3M Administration and Operations and other specializations. ### Xulon Press, a division of Salem Media Group, is the worlds largest Christian self-publisher, with more than 15,000 titles published to date. Lessons from the School of Hard Knocks is available online through xulonpress.com/bookstore, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com. Andy McKee at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club "We are delighted to have Andy McKee, the stunning acoustic guitarist, perform his beautiful and highly technical hits at Jimmy's Jazz and Blues Club!" Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club Features World-Renowned Acoustic Guitarist ANDY MCKEE on Thursday June 9 at 7:00 P.M. Acclaimed guitarist Andy McKee entertains both the eye and the ear as he magically transforms the steel string guitar into a full orchestra via his use of altered tunings, tapping, partial capos, percussive hits and a signature two-handed technique. Andy McKee's crossover success has helped him to achieve hundreds of millions of YouTube viewers, underscoring his emergence as one of today's most unique and influential artists. For a time, three of McKee's videos were concurrently the three most-watched on YouTube. Andy McKee has been launched into the upper stratosphere of the worlds very best acoustic players... His densely melodic and percussive style is mesmerizing to say the least, raves GUITAR WORLD. Andy McKees 'Live Book' captures the essence of the celebrated fingerstylists beautiful and versatile sound through live performanceLive Book is a must not only for Andy McKee fans, but those who love the diverse sounds of the acoustic guitar presented with a sonic storytellers brilliance, says ACOUSTIC GUITAR. In 2001, Andy Mckee independently released his first album, Nocturne." That same year, he placed third at the National Fingerstyle Guitar Competition in Winfield, Kansas. After releasing his second album Dreamcatcher, in 2004, he placed second in the Fingerstyle Guitar Competition of the Canadian Guitar Festival. McKee's third album, Art of Motion, was released in November 2005. Most of McKee's YouTube performances appear on the album. Andy McKee is also an established touring musician, having professionally played alongside Prince on his Welcome 2 Australia tour, and for many other influential artists. Inside of the studio, Andy McKee has contributed to an array of amazing and award-winning works, including Josh Groban's 2007 GRAMMY Award Nominated Christmas album, Noel, playing guitar on the song "Little Drummer Boy," and Lee Ritenour's album 6 String Theory.' Andy McKee has released six studio albums, three EPs including the critically acclaimed "Symbols" in 2021, and a live record, entitled "Live Book," in 2016. Andy McKee's live performances are mesmerizing and have become a point of fascination with his loyal followers. "We are delighted to have Andy McKee, the stunning acoustic guitarist, perform his beautiful and highly technical hits at Jimmy's Jazz and Blues Club!" stated Suzanne Bresette, the Managing Director of Programming of Jimmy's Jazz and Blues Club. Tickets for World-Renowned Acoustic Guitarist ANDY MCKEE at Jimmys Jazz & Blues Club on Thursday June 9 at 7:00 P.M. are available on the Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club Andy McKee Event Page. Jimmys Jazz & Blues Clubs 2022 Schedule of Shows currently includes 7 NEA Jazz Masters, 35 GRAMMY Award-Winning Artists, 33 Blues Music Award-Winners, and a comprehensive list of talented musicians with 450+ GRAMMY Award Nominations amongst them. Visit jimmysoncongress.com/event Jimmys Online Event Calendar for Jimmys Jazz & Blues Clubs 2022 Schedule of Shows. Subscribe to Jimmy's Email Newsletter to stay informed on new jazz and blues artist announcements, tickets, special offers, Jimmys Sunday Jazz Brunch, and much more. ABOUT JIMMYS JAZZ & BLUES CLUB The mission of Jimmys Jazz & Blues Club is to provide guests a one-of-a-kind, world-class experience featuring serious jazz and blues music served with exceptional southern-inspired cuisine. Jimmys Jazz & Blues Club features a spectacular and visually breathtaking environment engineered to deliver the highest quality acoustics while utilizing state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting technologies. Jimmys Jazz & Blues Club is located within a beautifully restored 1905 building at 135 Congress Street in the heart of historic downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. For more information visit http://www.jimmysoncongress.com or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JimmysJazzBlues. PRIVATE EVENTS AT JIMMY'S JAZZ & BLUES CLUB An architecturally breathtaking center of arts and culture in the heart of historic Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Jimmys Jazz & Blues Club offers a rare and spectacular venue to host important corporate functions, weddings, intimate or large-scale social gatherings, private parties, and memorable celebrations. The team at Jimmys Jazz & Blues Club has put their heart and soul into creating a stunning full-service event space with new state-of-the-art production, sound & lighting technologies delivered with outstanding next-level culinary experiences. Our high-touch approach with professional and experienced event staff ensures that everything is tailored to exceed your expectations. To start a conversation about hosting your event at Jimmys Jazz and Blues Club, please call us at 1-888-603-5299, email us at events@jimmysoncongress.com, or fill out Jimmy's Private Event Contact Form. God Can Hear Us Anywhere: a sweet message of Gods love for young readers. God Can Hear Us Anywhere is the creation of published author Mollie Euhus, a loving wife and mother who resides in Texas. Euhus carries a degree in marriage and family counseling. Euhus shares, God Can Hear Us Anywhere is a childrens book about prayer. Each page has fun rhymes and diverse illustrations that kids will love. This book teaches kids that no matter where they are or what they are doing, their heavenly Father is listening to them, and He loves to hear them pray. It teaches them that they can say, Thank you, God, when they are happy or doing something fun. And they can say, Help me, God, when they are sad or going through something hard. There are scriptures woven throughout each spread that will teach kids what the Bible says about prayer. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Mollie Euhuss new book is a delightful opportunity to help young readers learn about the blessings an active prayer life can bring. Euhus offers a nurturing message of Gods love that will resonate with young readers. Consumers can purchase God Can Hear Us Anywhere at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about God Can Hear Us Anywhere, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. Rup Shah, president for MSI shared, "MSI is honored to be recognized as the Top Company for Sustainable Growth and expresses its gratitude to Association for Corporate Growth for this honor." The Association for Corporate Growth organized its 27th Annual Awards event at Marriott Irvine, which honored the highest performing and extraordinary top middle-market companies in Orange County and the Inland Empire. The theme of the event was, "Symphony of Success. More than 100 nominees were submitted for the competition out of which a total of 27 finalists were recognized and celebrated. The honorees of the event were group of past winners, and each nominee of the awards has significantly contributed to the economic growth of Orange County and the Inland Empire. The companies recognized have created jobs and pioneered products and services that have helped the region become a national powerhouse of growth and innovation. The various categories of the awards were Start-Up, Green Sustainability, Innovation, Corporate Responsibility, Reinventing, Emerging Growth and Sustained Growth. The Award for Sustained Growth was to recognize an established company that exhibits distinctive strategic positioning, as well as sustained growth and profitability. Under this category, MS International received the Top Company for Sustainable Growth Award by Association for Corporate Growth. MS Internationals President, Mr. Rup Shah was present along with the senior leadership of the MSI team at the event to receive the award. MSI is honored to be recognized as the Top Company for Sustainable Growth and expresses its gratitude to Association for Corporate Growth for this honor. About ACG Orange County The Association for Corporate Growth - Orange County chapter is part of a global organization that includes 60 chapters involved in corporate growth, corporate development, and mergers and acquisitions. ACG's nearly 15,000 members include professionals from private equity firms, corporations and lenders that invest in middle-market companies, law, accounting, investment banking and other firms that provide advisory services. https://www.acg.org/occ About MS International Inc. (MSI) Founded in 1975, MSI is a leading supplier of flooring, countertop, wall tile, and hardscaping products in North America. Headquartered in Orange, California, MSI also maintains over 40 state-of-the-art showrooms and distribution centers across the U.S. and Canada, directly employs over 3000 people, and supports over 150,000 jobs globally. MSIs product line includes an extensive offering of quartz, porcelain, ceramic, luxury vinyl tile, natural stone, and glass products imported from over 37 countries on six continents. MSIs products can be found in every corner of the country, supporting local Mom and Pop flooring dealers, independent contractors, interior designers, big box stores, and national homebuilders. MSI even supplied the black Granite used in the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC. MSI has grown organically every year since its inception, experiencing 40% growth in 2021 with revenue exceeding $2 Billion. In 2021, MSI was one of the 15 largest importers of goods into the US. In addition, in the last three years, MSI has expanded into domestic manufacturing and now operates manufacturing facilities in the United States for quartz and luxury vinyl tile. MSI is currently undergoing its largest expansion ever, with ten new distribution centers in development. At Origami, our focus on helping our clients succeed calls for recruiting and retaining the best people who are fully engaged and motivated by our distinctly collaborative and supportive culture, said Nikki Facchini, vice president of Human Resources, Origami Risk. Origami Risk, the industry-leading risk, safety and insurance Software as a Service (SaaS) technology firm, has been named to Inc. magazines annual Best Workplaces list. Featured in the May/June 2022 issue and prominently on Inc.com, the list is the result of a comprehensive measurement of American companies that have excelled in creating exceptional workplaces and company culture, whether operating in a physical or virtual facility. In earning this recognition from Inc. Magazine for the fifth consecutive year, Origami has now received nearly 40 such honors for workplace, innovation and service in recent years. The steady recognition reflects Origamis strong commitment to hire and retain the insurance industry's top talent, as well as to provide its colleagues with a collaborative culture and the support they need to deliver the highest level of service to its clients. At Origami, our focus on helping our clients succeed calls for recruiting and retaining the best people who are fully engaged and motivated by our distinctly collaborative and supportive culture, said Nikki Facchini, vice president of Human Resources, Origami Risk. Even under the most challenging conditions, including throughout the global COVID-19 pandemic, our employees have shown the ability to work together, anticipate and respond to the evolving and increasingly complex needs of our clients with tailored solutions and breakthrough innovations that help them manage risk and drive results. Notably, Origamis ability to drive innovation on behalf of its clients was uninterrupted by the waves of the pandemic. In recent months, Origami expanded its award-winning suite of digital solutions to help employers manage impact of COVID-19; the firm also launched new solutions to meet the needs of environmental, health and safety (EHS) professionals; online tools to conduct enterprise risk management (ERM) and EHS maturity self-assessments, and solutions for healthcare frontline workers to streamline administration and enhance patient care. After collecting data from thousands of submissions, Inc. selected 475 honorees this year. Each company that was nominated took part in an employee survey, conducted by Quantum Workplace, which included topics such as management effectiveness, perks, fostering employee growth, and overall company culture. The organizations benefits were also audited to determine overall score and ranking. Not long ago, the term best workplace would have conjured up images of open-office designs with stocked snack fridges, says Inc. editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk. Yet given the widespread adoption of remote work, the concept of the workplace has shifted. This year, Inc. has recognized the organizations dedicated to redefining and enriching the workplace in the face of the pandemic. # # # About Origami Risk Origami Risk is a leading provider of integrated SaaS solutions for the risk, safety, and insurance industry from corporate and public entities to brokers and risk consultants, insurers, MGAs, program administrators, third party claims administrators (TPAs), and risk pools. Highly configurable and completely scalable, Origami Risk delivers a full suite of risk management tools and insurance core system solutions from a secure, multi-tenant cloud-based platform accessible via web browser and mobile app. Visit origamirisk.com or contact Origami at info@origamirisk.com. About Inc. Media The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com. About Quantum Workplace Quantum Workplace, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is an HR technology company that serves organizations through employee-engagement surveys, action-planning tools, exit surveys, peer-to-peer recognition, performance evaluations, goal tracking, and leadership assessment. For more information, visit QuantumWorkplace.com. Im excited to be opening our 11th branch office in Texas. This is our second Texas facility. Its going to consist of about 18,000 sq ft of sales office and maintenance facility, said Garth Haakenson, President and CEO of Pacific Mobile Structures. Pacific Mobile Structures has been fully operational and serving the State of Texas since December of 2021. The family-owned company specializing in leasing and selling exceptional mobile office space and building innovative modular structures broke ground on their 14-acre physical location in San Marcos, Texas on April 27th. Im excited to be opening our 11th branch office in Texas. This is our second Texas facility. Its going to consist of about 18,000 sq ft of sales office and maintenance facility, said Garth Haakenson, President and CEO of Pacific Mobile Structures. Once completed, the property will feature a 13,000-square-foot maintenance shop and a 3,500-square-foot sales office. Indicom finalized the design for the sales office, which is a modular building that will be completed and placed on site in a little over a month. Persons Services Corporation is the general contractor on the project. Pacific Mobile Structures has a long-standing, strong relationship with Persons and is grateful for all their hard work on this new branch location. Its great to have partners like this. Weve been working a long time on getting permits set up and as soon as it was ready to go, we gave them [Persons] a call and they were out here and getting after it. Its great to see the progress already in such a short period of time, said Haakenson. There is a significant core value match between the two companies, and they look forward to continuing to work together. On behalf of Persons Services Company and our group, we extend our appreciation for a long-standing, good-working relationship that weve had with Pacific Mobile. We have thoroughly enjoyed our relationship and having a good partner in the business. Im excited for Pacific Mobiles growth and future in this new market. I hope we can be a part of it as it continues forward, said Bryan J. Shuford, Executive Vice President Infrastructure Group at Persons Services Corporation. As the industry leader in leasing and selling modular structures, Pacific Mobile Structures is providing Texas with high-quality mobile office space, permanent modular construction, and storage solutions including restroom and shower facilities, sales and retail offices, break room and conference space, relocatable classrooms, permanent modular construction, administrative and cooperative office buildings, medical clinics, and assembly and institutional space. We are thrilled to be serving the Texas market and the Lone Star State. No matter what your individual requirements, you can be assured youre working with a relationship-driven, construction-savvy, experienced firm. Large enough to deliver on big, complex projects almost anywhere in the western United States and Texas. But family-owned and privately held. Which means youll never catch us cutting corners or compromising on service to please shareholders, said President and CEO of Pacific Mobile Structures, Garth Haakenson. This will be the companys 11th branch location in addition to their branches in Chehalis, Washington; Marysville, Washington; Pasco, Washington; Spokane, Washington; Boise, Idaho; Ceres, California; Menifee, California; San Diego, California; and Arizona also in Q2 of 2022. To learn more about Pacific Mobile Structures offerings in Texas, call 800.225.6539. ABOUT PACIFIC MOBILE STRUCTURES Since 1983, Pacific Mobile Structures has provided superior mobile office space to thousands of jobsites. Family-owned for two generations and with multiple locations throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Arizona, and Texas, Pacific Mobile Structures is known for delivering the highest-quality mobile offices, permanent modular construction, educational facilities, and government services, with a commitment to customer service excellence built on the cornerstones of experience, quality, flexibility, and dedication. Personal Boundary Protection (PBP) Plan: A Tool for Oklahoma Schools and Staff: an articulate discussion of the necessary boundaries of students and staff. Personal Boundary Protection (PBP) Plan: A Tool for Oklahoma Schools and Staff is the creation of published author Samantha Brasses. Brasses shares, Over time, there has been a growing problem with inappropriate interactions between teachers and students. As we see these stories in the news and newspapers, we lose sight that they are more than just stories; these are lives, families, and children. Each day, students go to school and are led to believe this is a safe environment for them to learn. This is not and never should be an environment for boundaries to be crossed and trauma to be caused. This training is to act as a safety net for teachers and school administrations, to provide guidance through difficult conversations and assistance in hopes to improve the safety of our classrooms and integrity of our teachers. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Samantha Brassess new book offers a clear guide to maintaining safety measures for the protection of staff and students. Brasses offers an encouraging message within the pages of this concise plan that presents sensitive issues evaluated from a professional perspective. Consumers can purchase Personal Boundary Protection (PBP) Plan: A Tool for Oklahoma Schools and Staff at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Personal Boundary Protection (PBP) Plan: A Tool for Oklahoma Schools and Staff, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. At Sorcero, we care deeply about the problems we set out to solve, shares Das. Life sciences experts have the power to uncover breakthroughs that transform medicine, revolutionize science, and save lives. Sorcero, the leading Omnichannel Analytics Platform for Life Sciences, today announced it has become a Certified B Corporation for meeting the highest standards of social and environmental performance. This recognition solidifies Sorceros commitment to sustainability, accountability, and transparency as it becomes among the first artificial intelligence companies to receive the certification. Since its inception in 2018, Sorcero has promoted business and technology for good. CEO Dipanwita Das co-founded Sorcero with the vision to improve lives and patient outcomes through better use of the worlds knowledge. At Sorcero, we care deeply about the problems we set out to solve, shares Das. Life sciences experts have the power to uncover breakthroughs that transform medicine, revolutionize science, and save lives. Together, we can change the world for the better by pursuing solutions that transform global health. With Sorceros AI-augmented omnichannel analytics, leading life sciences organizations, including 4 out of the top 5 global pharmaceutical and biotech enterprises, capture 300% more insights and reduce the time to surface key findings down from months to hours. Clearer data and streamlined processes enable 83% faster medical asset generation, which means that patients can receive critical life-saving treatments in a fraction of the time. Sorcero joins over 4,000 Certified B Corporations in more than 75 countries, across 153 industries in an effort to build a more inclusive and sustainable world. The certification holds businessesincluding Patagonia, Danone, Coursera, and United Therapeuticsto the highest standards of social and environmental responsibility, legal accountability, and public transparency. To earn the certification, Sorcero met benchmarks across five categories of the B Impact Assessment: Community, Customers, Environment, Governance, and Workers. The B Corp Certification reaffirms the progress Sorcero has made in sustainability and transparency, while enforcing the highest standards to continue improving, measuring, and managing its impact on people and the world in which we live. About Sorcero Sorcero is the leading omnichannel analytics and AI platform for life sciences. Its advanced AI-augmented insights enable 4 of the top 5 global pharmaceutical and biotech organizations to gain clarity and complete visibility on the efficacy and impact of their scientific engagement on patient outcomes. Medical affairs teams rely on Sorcero to 10x their productivity, generate evidence, and transform their medical strategy in real-time across their therapeutic landscape. Sorcero is privately held and headquartered in Washington, DC, and Cambridge, MA. For more information, visit http://www.Sorcero.com. Khartoum The trial of Mohamed Adam (17) nicknamed 'Tupac', and Mohamed El Fateh (18), nicknamed 'El Nana', and Musab El Sharif, who have been detained since January 14 on suspicion of killing a police officer, started yesterday. The Khartoum court presided over by Judge Zuhair Babiker, agreed to the defence's requests to lift the restrictions on the accused, allowing lawyers to view the investigation report and meet their clients, in addition to forming a medical committee to review the torture they were subjected to, whilst detained. The court was imposed heavy security measures whilst proceedings were underway, due to crowds that had gathered in support of the accused. Upon their arrival to court, Tupac and his companions, raised the the victory sign, while the audience chanted slogans affirming Tupac's innocence and bravery. A noticeable presence of the accused's family was in attendance in court, alongside activists, and resistance committee members. Lawyer Iman Hassan Abdelrahim, head of the defence team, told Radio Dabanga that the court was adjourned to June 12, due to the absence of the first detective. Torture and detention In a statement published on February 28, Amnesty International wrote that "there are credible concerns the youths were abducted and held without charge, in violation of their due process rights, and subjected to torture while in detention". Tupac's mother reported that she saw that two nails had been hammered into his legs, which had also been beaten whilst still injured from the gunshot wounds sustained at the protests. These injuries have left him unable to walk, Amnesty reported. For the first three weeks of their detention, they were held incommunicado without access to their families, lawyer, or a doctor. Throughout their detention, both activists were subjected to torture. Tupac was arrested whilst he was in the hospital for treatment after he sustained two gunshot wounds in his leg during the January 13 Marches of the Millions. 'The two were questioned about the sources of funding behind the protests and about members of resistance committees, but not about the police brigadier they were accused of stabbing'. In January, lawyer Iman Hassan told Radio Dabanga that the two detainees were questioned about the sources of funding behind the protests and about members of resistance committees, but not about the police brigadier they were accused of stabbing. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sudan Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Mohamad's lawyers and rights groups say that is where he was tortured and interrogated about the protest movement for three weeks, before eventually giving a false confession. In February, Mohamad was transferred to another prison in the capital, where his mother Nidal was finally allowed to see him. Adam was suspended from his feet. He was subjected to continuous beatings, and he was deprived of water. The plaster was removed from his broken leg without medical supervision. He suffered from swellings in the nose and behind the ear due to being hit with rifle butts. He was previously unable to stand on his feet, the lawyer reported. Mohamed El Fateh 'El Nana' (18) sustained injuries to his back as a result of torture. Hasan noted that the "systematic torture of the accused" continued even after their "judicial confessions". The defence team submitted a request to disqualify the prosecution because of the invalidity of the procedures and the lack of direct evidence. This clinic is a great opportunity for us to meet the needs of our patients and offer excellent customer service/care to the Wilderness Oak community. I look forward to helping the community work to achieve their optimal level of function. - Joshua Haffner, PT, DPT, Wilderness Oak Clinic Director Texas Physical Therapy Specialists (TexPTS) is pleased to announce their newest clinic opened Saturday, the 28th, in San Antonio, TX. Located at 24815 US 281 Hwy. N. Ste. 101, the clinic is TexPTSs 41st location. Joshua Haffner, PT, DPT, will serve as the Wilderness Oak Clinic Director and primary treating physical therapist. TexPTS specializes in providing exceptional physical therapy through a combination of evidence-based practice, care excellence, and clinical excellence. Services offered by the Wilderness Oak clinic will include manual, orthopedic and performance physical therapy, chronic pain, and pelvic health. The clinic will also include specialties such as trigger point dry needling and an AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill, a revolutionary technology that is often used by professional athletes to continue training stress-free while recovering from injury. I am excited to be opening this new location in Wilderness Oak, and to be a part of the TexPTS team, says Haffner. This clinic is a great opportunity for us to meet the needs of our patients and offer excellent customer service/care to the Wilderness Oak community. I look forward to helping the community work to achieve their optimal level of function. For more information about the new Wilderness Oak clinic and a full list of TexPTSs services and offerings, please visit https://www.texpts.com/. To book an appointment with Joshua, please call (210) 868-6640. ### About TexPTS Texas Physical Therapy Specialists (TexPTS) is a Texas-based, private physical therapy practice group. As a proud member of the Confluent Health family, TexPTS positively impacts patients lives by delivering the best care and results through proven research, innovative treatments and technologies, and an approach that treats patients like family. For more information, visit texpts.com, or find them on Facebook at @texpts. Verioska Roldan In the middle of the chaos, Caring Transitions gives you one person you can call to help you sort through all of the complicated pieces and get to the next stage in your life. We can take that stress off your shoulders. - Roldan said. Verioska Roldan is pleased to announce the launch of her new senior-focused relocation and estate-clearing company, Caring Transitions of Conroe. Caring Transitions of Conroe works in Conroe, Oak Ridge North, Woodloch and the surrounding areas. When my dad passed away unexpectedly 15 years ago, my parents didnt have any plans in place. I traveled last minute and spent that first week trying to help my mom, but I ended up having to go back time and again to help her with the house and his estate. Then, when I needed to help my mom move, I realized how daunting the entire relocation and estate clearing process can be, especially for families and seniors. Thats what led to me to Caring Transitions, Roldan said. Caring Transitions is the professional choice for moving, downsizing, clearing an estate and hosting estate sales. Caring Transitions specially-trained professionals handle every detail of their clients transition including decluttering, cleanouts, packing, move management, unpacking, resettling into your new home, and both in-home and online estate sales. Caring Transitions services are perfect for managing the many aspects of a senior move. The company also works with families, busy professionals or anyone facing a transition with downsizing, rightsizing and clearing out the home of a loved one who has moved into assisted care or has passed away. All of Caring Transitions services are customizable, so clients choose the solution that best fits their needs. Roldan grew up in Chicago and her parents were dedicated to helping refugees resettle. Roldan and her husband, Victor, moved to the North Houston area with their two kids about 10 years ago and fell in love with the area. Roldan has more than 20 years of experience in consumer goods with companies like Gatorade and Pepsi Co. She is excited to use that experience to help families in her new hometown with lifes most challenging transitions. For me, Caring Transitions is all about eliminating stress and making a difference right here in my community. In the middle of the chaos, Caring Transitions gives you one person you can call to help you sort through all of the complicated pieces and get to the next stage in your life. We can take that stress off your shoulders, Roldan said. Caring Transitions of Conroe is bonded and insured, and all employees are background checked. For additional information, call 346-386-6866, email VRoldan@CaringTransitions.com or visit http://www.CaringTransitionsConroe.com. A little more than six months after acquiring Baker & Taylor from the Follett Corp., new owner Amandeep Kochar sold Baker & Taylor UK to the Little Group, parent company of the U.K.'s largest wholesaler, Gardners Books. Kochar, who was B&T CEO and president when he acquired B&T, retains his U.S. businesses. The purchase marks further consolidation in the U.K.'s wholesale sector following the collapse in 2020 of Gardners' rival, Bertrams, and the Little Group's acquisition of its assets. Gareth Powell, Baker & Taylor UK executive chairman, and Annette Burgess, managing director, remain on the board of directors and involved in the day-to-day running of the company. The senior management team remains in place too, as does the company's distinct identity. Jonathan Little, chairman of the Little Group, said: "We are pleased to welcome Baker & Taylor UK to the group, complementing our offer to the U.K. and international book markets, and we look forward to building on this to provide even better services in the future for both new and existing customers." Powell and Burgess said: "We are delighted to be joining the Little Group for the next exciting chapter in the Baker & Taylor UK story. We are proud of the immense progress the business has made, particularly against the backdrop of the challenges of the last two years. Our teams have worked tirelessly, with skill and commitment, to make this business stronger than it has ever been and we are now honored to take this forward with the support of our loyal customers for the new horizons this opens." A version of this story appeared in the U.K. newsletter BookBrunch. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. Maksym Chepeliev began his career focused on global trade and a pathway to alternative energy when environmental concerns dominated the conversation. In February, Russia invaded his home country of Ukraine, and his life changed. His work and expertise took on new importance, informing energy sanctions and the potential economic impacts of the war. Chepeliev, a research economist in Purdue Universitys College of Agriculture, spoke before the European Parliament and co-authored the World Bank report The Impact of the War in Ukraine on Global Trade and Investment. First, we want this terrible war to end, and Russian energy exports are a target for applying pressure, said Chepeliev, a member of Purdues Center for Global Trade Analysis. But we must consider the economic impact across the world of energy sanctions and of continued war. This is where our research and that of others is needed to show steps that can be taken to protect economies and the people most vulnerable to disruptions. Chepeliev co-authored with World Bank colleagues a VoxEU article based on his contributions to the report titled Agricultural and Energy Importers in the Developing World Are Hit Hardest by the Ukraine Wars Economic Fallout. He also contributed to a previous World Bank report, Braving the Storms, in which he assessed the potential impacts of war in Ukraine on countries in East Asia and the Pacific region. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is disrupting global supplies of oil, gas, wheat, corn, fertilizer, sunflower oil and other essential commodities, he said. We looked at trade, supply chains and incomes across the globe. While all consumers will be worse off because of the war, developing countries and the poorest people will be hit the hardest. It is very important to identify who is most vulnerable and to propose policies and steps that can be taken to protect them. In March, Chepeliev co-authored the paper Cutting Russias Fossil Fuel Exports: Short-Term Pain for Long-Term Gain with Purdue professors Thomas Hertel, distinguished professor of agricultural economics, and Dominique van der Mensbrugghe, research professor and director of the Center for Global Trade Analysis, or GTAP. Luis Garicano, an economist and member of the European Parliament, asked Chepeliev to join a panel speaking to the European Parliament ahead of the vote on a resolution to ban energy imports from Russia. His research and visit are featured on this Purdue Agricultural Economics podcast. There are economic mechanisms that can help smooth transitions like this and make them manageable, Chepeliev said. Through our research we showed potential steps that can be done to implement a ban on energy imports from Russia, while incorporating substitute suppliers and alternative energy sources to reduce the shock to the economy. The assessment also showed potential long-term benefits to moving into renewable and alternative fuels, which is an extension of his earlier career research and environmental energy expertise. We found with increasing fuel prices, solar and wind shares increase, which leads to reduced emissions of air pollutants, he said. Air pollution is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in the European Union. In addition, these changes would support achievement of the mitigation goals that have been set of reducing greenhouse gases by 55 percent by 2030. It will be difficult, but there are long-term benefits. Chepeliev contributes to the development of the widely used GTAP Data Base, which the team used for their energy bans analysis and other assessment projects related to the war in Ukraine. He also is developing other databases unrelated to the war that focus on energy, agriculture, air pollution, nutrition and circular economy. I want to combine these databases with policy-relevant work to help those making decisions that impact our world, he said. My experience presenting to the European Parliament and other decision-makers is an example of the role academic researchers can play. Writer: Elizabeth K. Gardner; 765-441-2024; ekgardner@purdue.edu Source: Maksym Chepeliev; mchepeli@purdue.edu Agricultural Communications: 765-494-8415; Maureen Manier, Department Head, mmanier@purdue.edu Agriculture News Page Khartoum The United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), African Union, and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Trilateral Mechanism has welcomed Sunday's decision by Sudan's Sovereignty Council to lift the nationwide State of Emergency as "positive steps towards creating a conducive environment for a peaceful political solution for Sudan". In a statement from Khartoum this afternoon, the AU-IGAD-UN Trilateral Mechanism welcomes the authorities' decision to lift the state of emergency and to release of the political detainees, "as positive steps to create the conditions needed for reaching a peaceful resolution for the current political impasse following the 25 October 2021 coup". The mechanism encourages the authorities to complete the release of the detainees, and to take further steps that ensure the protection of the rights to peaceful assembly and expression ,ending the excessive use of force against protesters and ensuring accountability for all violations committed after October 25 coup. 'We encourage all stakeholders to be prepared for a constructive dialogue in good faith...' "We encourage all stakeholders to be prepared for a constructive dialogue in good faith on a political solution and a peaceful way out of the current crisis." The statement points out that the killing of two young men during a protest in Khartoum on Saturday 28 May 2022,has sparked anger among Sudanese, expresses condolences to their families. "We hope they are the last victims of the current situation". The mechanism underlines that "the decisions taken by the authorities needs genuine political will for real and full implementation. Violence needs to stop in order for the talks to genuinely take place with the aim of reaching a Sudanese owned solution to the current political impasse," concluding that "the Trilateral Mechanism looks forward to commencing direct talks among stakeholders to restore the civilian-led democratic transition". Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Cloudy skies with a few showers after midnight. Low 57F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Cloudy skies with a few showers after midnight. Low 57F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%. A former governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff has said he is not into arms deals as alleged in some quarters and threatened legal action against those blackmailing him. Sheriff who contested for the office of APC national chairman, in a statement by his media aide, Alhaji Babandede Isa, also denied being in the 2023 presidential race. Sheriff said the appearance of his campaign posters in strategic places across the country was the handiwork of mischief-makers. The statement reads, "It has come to the notice of Senator Ali-Modu Sheriff, a former two-term governor of Borno State that a serving senator has again started his propaganda war against his person, insinuating and making up infantile allegations against him. "This is especially with regard to a campaign poster in circulation purporting that Sheriff is running for the presidency in 2023 with a popular politician from the South-South and the allegations that he is into arms deals. "We, therefore, warn that he stops all such negative propaganda war against the respected Senator Ali-Modu Sheriff forthwith, else we will be forced to take legal actions against him and his co-travellers. "Sen. Ali-Modu Sheriff disassociates himself from the campaign posters currently in circulation in parts of the country and any form of arms dealing." After a shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, that claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers last week, many politicians, public figures and gun-control advocates said the U.S. government should ensure mass shootings could not happen again. But mass shootings have already happened again - and again. At least 14 mass shootings have taken place across the United States since Tuesday, from California to Arizona and Tennessee. This Memorial Day weekend alone - spanning Saturday, Sunday and the federal holiday on Monday - there have been at least 11 mass shootings. These incidents, gleaned from local news reports and police statements, meet the threshold for mass shootings as defined by the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit research organization. GVA defines a mass shooting as one in which "four or more people are shot or killed, not including the shooter." Several of those shootings occurred at parties, and one at a Memorial Day event. At least seven people have been killed and 49 injured in the mass shootings over the holiday weekend, according to GVA and local news sources. Since the Uvalde shooting last Tuesday, at least 10 people have been killed and 61 were injured in mass shootings. Brian Stelter, chief media correspondent and news anchor at CNN, interrupted a broadcast Sunday about the response to the mass shooting in Uvalde to tell viewers about another - in Tennessee. "Mass killings like Buffalo and Uvalde become national news, but many mass shootings do not. They just end up being local stories," Stelter said, in a clip that has been viewed over 334,000 times on Twitter. On Saturday evening, six teenagers were injured by gunfire in Chattanooga, Tenn., in what Mayor Tim Kelly said was probably "an altercation between other teenagers." The victims, who were between the ages of 13 and 15, were transported to a hospital, and two had life-threatening injuries, according to the Chattanooga Police Department. Kelly said he was "heartbroken" for the families of the victims and "angry" about political inaction on gun laws during a news conference following the shooting. The Chattanooga shooting was one of at least five mass shootings that took place on Saturday alone, according to GVA. On Sunday, there were at least another five mass shootings, including one at a Memorial Day festival in Taft, Okla. Authorities said one person was killed and seven people were injured, including a minor. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations said a suspect turned himself in and was in custody. Meanwhile, one person died and three others were injured during a shooting at a party in Merced County, Calif., the sheriff's office said. One victim was still in "critical condition" Sunday afternoon. The latest apparent mass shooting occurred in the early hours of Monday in Port Richmond, Pa.. Two people died and two others were injured during a shooting at a party, according to preliminary statements from law enforcement. The victims ranged in age from 14 to 21, and police told FOX 29 Philadelphia they found 47 shell casings at the scene. The incident was not listed in the GVA database as of early Monday, but appears to meet the standards for a mass shooting. It was the city's "2nd DOUBLE homicide scene in two hours," according to Steve Keeley, a reporter for FOX 29 Philadelphia, after a father and his 9-year-old son were shot inside their car in Philadelphia on Sunday evening, law enforcement said. The grim litany of mass shootings began even before the official start of the holiday weekend, when police in Anniston, Ala., said gunfire erupted after a graduation party attended by more than 150 young adults and teenagers as young as 14. Six people were injured by gunfire. And on Friday afternoon in Michigan, officers in Mecosta County found three children under the age of 10 and an adult woman dead of "what appeared to be gunshot sounds" when they responded to a report of a man with a gun and shots fired at a local private residence. They also found an adult male who had a gunshot wound to the head and was taken to a hospital. Relatives told a local news outlet that the children were siblings and were 3, 4 and 6 years old, and that the adult was their mother. In the aftermath of the Uvalde shooting, many local leaders and community representatives issued emotional pleas for action. As The Washington Post has reported, it's unlikely that Congress will be able to pass gun-control measures. The National Publicity Secretary of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Ebenzer Adurokiya, has said that the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party is an affront to the people of southern Nigeria. Atiku on Saturday beat contenders from various geo-political zones in the country to pick the party's presidential ticket But during an interview on Trust TV Monday, Ebenzer Adurokiya said based on the principle of zoning established in the country's political system since 1979, the south should be allowed to clinch the ticket. He said, "Our position remains the same. This is unfair and these are disturbing times for us in Nigeria. This is not on any personal thing or against Atiku Abubakar as a person. In 2018, PANDEF declared support for Atiku Abubakar and we campaigned for him together with Afenifere. "But in principle we felt that after eight years under Muhammadu Buhari, it is fair that power should rotate to southern Nigeria based on the principle of zoning that has been established in our political system over the years since 1979. What the PDP has done is an affront on the people of southern Nigeria." In a statement, the leaders from Middle-Belt, Ohanaeze Ndi-Igbo, Afenifere blasted the PDP for not placing value on the unity and peace of Nigeria. The leaders urged politicians of southern extraction to decline to be a running mate to any northern presidential candidate, saying it would amount to subjugating their people to political slavery. The statement reads, "The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum has described the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party as a brazing affront to the people of Southern Nigeria by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). "SMBLF recalls that following the release of the guidelines for the 2023 general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), elders and leaders of Southern Nigeria and the Middle Belt, under the aegis of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders' Forum, made unequivocal proclamations on the need for the presidency to be devolved to Southern Nigeria in 2023, in respect of the time honoured practice of the rotation and zoning of high political offices between the North and the South by political parties as a way of strengthening national unity, peace, and harmony. "SMBLF further recalls that several engagements were held with various stakeholders across the length and breadth of the country on the subject to foster understanding, mutual respect, and oneness. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "The 17 Southern Governors also in a declaration after their meeting in Asaba, Delta State, in May 2021, backed the rotation of the presidency to the South in 2023, "Sadly, it appears the unity and peace of Nigeria mean little or nothing to a segment of the nation's political elite. This was evidenced in the PDP special convention, which was held on Saturday, 28th May 2022, where certain candidates from the North were pressured, coerced, and even intimidated to step down for former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who eventually emerged as the flag bearer of POP in utter derision of the established principle of zoning and rotation of power between the north and south. "Undoubtedly, the singular motive is to perpetuate the hegemony of the North given that President Muhammadu Buhari, a Muslim from the North and of Fulani origin will be completing his full tenure of eight years by this time next year. "SMBLF, therefore, totally REJECTS the candidacy of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the PDP and calls on our people of Southern Nigeria and the Middle Belt as well as all true lovers of peace and unity NOT TO VOTE for him or any other Northerner in the 2023 Presidential election, in the interest of posterity. "SMBLF further urges all aspirants for the office of President from Southern Nigeria to shun the conceited attitude of individualism and self-confidence, and work collectively to achieve the shared objectives. "Again, SMBLF calls on all politicians of Southern extraction to refuse the position of a running mate to any Northern Presidential candidate, which will equally be viewed as subjugating their people to political slavery." Protest comes after the incoming president says nation will assert international courts territorial rights ruling. Activists stage a protest outside the Chinese Consulate on the fifth anniversary of an international arbitral court ruling invalidating Beijings historical claims over the South China Sea, in Makati City, Philippines, July 12, 2021 Manila summoned a senior Chinese diplomat to protest the China Coast Guards alleged harassment of a joint Filipino-Taiwanese research ship in the South China Sea in April, officials here said Tuesday, in a fresh dispute as a new president prepares to take power in the Philippines. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) also said it was taking diplomatic action against other recent incidents of Chinese ships allegedly accosting Philippine and Philippine-commissioned ships in the contested waterway. Manila issued the statement days after the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington think-tank, published a report on three rounds of coercion in Philippine waters by Chinese ships. In one of the incidents, a China Coast Guard (CCG) tailed the Legend, a research vessel with the Taiwan Ocean Research Institute under the Ministry of Science and Technology, as it mapped undersea fault lines in the waters northwest of Luzon Island in the Philippines from late March to early April, AMTI reported. The Legend was jointly deployed by the University of the Philippines National Institute of Geological Sciences and the National Central University in Taiwan. The Department summoned a senior official of the Chinese Embassy in Manila to protest the harassment by CCG on RV Legend, which had been conducting an authorized marine scientific research (MSR) activity, with Philippine scientists on board, the Philippine foreign office said in a statement. On Tuesday, the Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a BenarNews request for comment. In another incident in April, a CCG ship allegedly followed a pair of Philippine-commissioned ships conducting a seismic survey of an area within the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and extended continental shelf (ECS). That incident prompted Manila to halt all oil and gas exploration in both those areas in the South China Sea, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. In April, Manilas energy department ordered Philippine company PXP Energy to suspend exploration by contractors in SC 75 and SC 72, an area where it had planned to drill an appraisal well. The ships were forced to survey a different area to the east, and they left the Philippines several days later, the DFA said. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs takes appropriate diplomatic action for violations of Philippine sovereignty [and] sovereign rights within our maritime jurisdiction, the department said in its Tuesday statement. Only the Philippine Coast Guard has enforcement jurisdiction over these waters. The presence of foreign vessels following tracks that are neither continuous nor expeditious, that are not consistent with Article 19 of UNCLOS on innocent passage, are against the interests of the Philippines, it said, referring to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The detailed reports of these activities are being reviewed for the filing of appropriate diplomatic action. Our territorial right These protests come on the heels of yet another DFA protest filed Monday on Chinas unilateral imposition of a 3-month fishing moratorium in areas of the South China Sea. They also come as President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. gets set to take over as leader of the country after President Rodrigo Dutertes term ends on June 30. Under Duterte, Manila and Beijing had a cozy relationship with the Philippine leader overlooking a 2016 international tribunal ruling affirming Manilas sovereign rights to an EEZ and ECS in the South China Sea, and declaring Beijings sweeping claims to much of the entire sea invalid under international law. Beijing has rejected the ruling. Manila has, in recent years, filed a series of diplomatic protests with Beijing over the presence of Chinese ships in Philippine-claimed waters. Last week, Marcos vowed that he would assert the international tribunals ruling after taking office. He said there was no wiggle room on the issue of sovereignty his strongest public comments so far about the dispute that involves China, the Philippines biggest Asian neighbor. We will use it to continue to assert our territorial rights. Its not a claim, it is already our territorial right and that is what the arbitral ruling can do to help us, he said. Our sovereignty is sacred and we will not compromise it in any way. We are a sovereign nation with a functioning government, so we do not need to be told by anyone how to run our country. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news service. The third air force crash this year comes amid a record number of incursions into Taiwans air defense zone. Fragments of the AT-3 at the crash site near Kaohsiung City, May 31, 2022 A Taiwanese air force pilot died on Tuesday morning during a training exercise in the south of the island, the military said. 23-year-old 2nd Lt. Hsu Ta-chun, a trainee from the Air Force Academy, was on only his second solo flight on board a AT-3 Tzu Chung jet trainer. The aircraft went missing from radar minutes after it took off. Kaohsiung City Fire Bureau personnel found the pilots body at the crash site near the city. The air force said Hsu was among a group of five pilots who were conducting exercises using AT-3 trainers. The other four returned safely. The AT-3 Tzu Chung is a Taiwan-made jet trainer, first brought into service during the 1980s. The air force operates over 60 AT-3s for training purposes. This is the third air accident reported this year by the Taiwanese military. A Mirage 2000-5 fighter jet crashed into the sea off Taiwans southeastern coast during a routine training mission in March, leading to the grounding of the whole fleet of French-built planes. The pilot ejected safely and the Mirages have since gone back to operation. In mid-January a F-16V, one of the most advanced fighters in Taiwans possession, crashed in the sea off the west coast, killing its sole pilot. The Taiwanese air force suspended combat training for its U.S.-made F-16 fleet for over a week but put them back in action in late January. Surge in Chinese incursions Meanwhile 30 Chinese airplanes flew into Taiwans air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Monday, making it the second highest number of daily incursions since the beginning of the year. An ADIZ is an area where foreign aircraft are tracked and identified before further entering into a countrys airspace. Taiwans military provided a list of Chinese aircraft spotted on Monday inside the islands ADIZ, including eight Shenyang J-11 fighter jets, six Shenyang J-16 fighter jets, four Chengdu J-10 fighter jets, two Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets, two Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets, one Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane, one Shaanxi Y-8 electronic warfare plane, four Shaanxi Y-8 electronic intelligence spotter planes and two KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft. Taiwan responded by scrambling combat patrol aircraft, issuing radio warnings, and deploying air defense missile systems. The incursions by Chinese warplanes happened shortly after two U.S. aircraft carriers, the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Ronald Reagan, reportedly held drills on Saturday and Sunday in waters to the southeast of Okinawa. The record number of incursions this year so far was reported on January 23 when 39 Chinese military aircraft intruded into Taiwans ADIZ. The all-time single-day record for the most Chinese warplanes spotted inside the islands ADIZ was 56 on Oct. 4, 2021. U.S. senator meets Taiwan president The surge of the incursions coincided with the arrival of a U.S. delegation led by Senator Tammy Duckworth. She is in Taipei for three days to discuss regional security, trade and investment and global supply chains with Taiwanese leaders, according to the American Institute, the U.S. de facto embassy. Duckworth met with President Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday, saying she wanted to emphasize our support for Taiwan security," according to comments obtained by the Associated Press. Duckworth has put forward a bill to the U.S. Congress calling for cooperation between Taiwans military and the U.S. National Guard. The National Guard is a reserve component of the U.S. Army and Air Force under the control of state governors and the president. Tsai thanked Duckworth for keeping a close watch on Taiwan related security issues, and praised the U.S. government for the importance it places on peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan has operated as a self-governing state formally named the Republic of China since the ROC regime fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war to Mao Zedong's communists. Taiwan has never been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party, but Beijing has repeatedly called for "unification" and threatened to annex the island, whose 23 million residents regard themselves as Taiwanese, and, having democratized in the 1990s, have no wish to live under China's authoritarian rule. The United States, recognizes Beijing as the government of China, but does not endorse Beijing's claim over Taiwan, and opposes using force to change the status quo. Washington is obliged by U'S. laws to sell arms to Taiwan to maintain its defense against China. Authorities across China are tightening security and ramping up surveillance of dissidents ahead of the Tiananmen massacre anniversary, RFA has learned. Ten years after the death of prominent labor movement leader Li Wangyang in police custody prompted suspicions of foul play, activists in the central province of Hunan said they will be marking that anniversary, as well as the 33rd anniversary of the , 1989 massacre, at least in private. "It's the 10th anniversary of Li Wangyang's death," Hunan activist Ouyang Jinghua told RFA. "He passed away on , which happened to be close to [the massacre anniversary]." "He suffered a lot for the cause of democracy," Ouyang said. "Everyone still remembers him." Ouyang said there had been some attempt to organize a collective commemoration for Li, but said it was unclear if it would go ahead, given the tightened security. "Some people from Changsha, Hengyang and Zhuzhou are supposed to be coming, but we don't know how many people will make it, due to the obstacles placed by the authorities," he said. "It's possible that none of them will be allowed to come." Ouyang said rights activists and democracy campaigners still hope for posthumous justice for Li. "We have a lot of doubts about the explanation of the cause of his death," Ouyang said. "The authorities should explain it clearly, but I don't think they will, because to do so would shake their basis to hold power; the whole regime." The grave of of prominent labor movement leader Li Wangyang, whose death 10 years ago in police custody prompted suspicions of foul play, in the central province of Hunan. Credit: Citizen journalist. 'Stability maintenance' Prominent dissident and Hunan native Zhu Chengzhi has also been a major focus for the local authorities' "stability maintenance" operations. Zhu, who was detained in after visiting the grave of Mao-era dissident Lin Zhao, was released from Jiangsu's Dingshan Prison on Jan. 26 after serving a three-year, nine-month jail term for "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble," a charge frequently used to target peaceful critics of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Zhu became one of China's most prominent rights activists after he spoke out Li Wangyang's death in 2013, and had previously been held on suspicion of subversion after he questioned the official verdict of suicide. "Zhu Chengzhi recently arrived in Changsha, Hunan, and some friends in the city met up with him," Ouyang told RFA. "Anyone who met with him was called in to 'drink tea' with the state security police." "When Zhu Chengzhi arrived in Loudi, a friend from Guangxi came to visit him ... [but then] Guangxi [officials] immediately rushed to Loudi and took away my friends from Guangxi," he said. Dissidents in Beijing said that fewer of them are being forced to leave town ahead of the anniversary this year, owing to COVID-19 travel restrictions. Political commentator Ji Feng said he had been forced to leave, however, as his registered household is in the southwestern province of Guizhou. "They're taking me away [on ] morning," Ji told RFA. "I will have the same state security bureau chief with me, eating and drinking with me, around ." "If they keep me drinking and chatting, I won't be able to do anything else." Warnings, forcible relocations He said outspoken veteran political journalist Gao Yu, dissident artist Yan Zhengxue and writer Jiang Qisheng were all staying in Beijing due to the COVID-19 restrictions. Meanwhile, a dissident in the southern province of Guangdong said many activists in the province had been warned off talking about sensitive topics around the anniversary, with some forcibly relocated. "State security police moved me into a basic house about 20 kilometers from Enping," the dissident said. "It's pretty remote; there's nobody else living round there, but there are surveillance cameras everywhere." "As soon as I leave my house, my phone will ring, and they'll ask me where I'm going," they said. Li Wangyang, 62, died at a hospital in Shaoyang city in the custody of local police. When relatives arrived at the scene, his body was hanging by the neck from the ceiling near his hospital bed, but was removed by police soon afterwards. Police took away Lis body after his death was discovered and kept it in an unknown location, Li's relatives said. Relatives, friends, and rights groups have all called into question several details of both circumstance and timing which they say point to the possibility of foul play, including photographs distributed on the Chinese microblog service Sina Weibo, which showed Lis feet touching the floor. Li, a former worker in a glass factory, was jailed for 13 years for "counterrevolution" after he took part in demonstrations inspired by the student-led protests in Beijing, and for a further 10 years for "incitement to overthrow state power" after he called for a reappraisal of the official verdict on the crackdown. He was blind in both eyes and had lost nearly all his hearing when he was finally released from prison in , his family said. Li's death came as Chinese authorities moved to crack down on dissidents and rights activists around the country, in a bid to prevent any public memorials on the 23rd anniversary of the , 1989 bloodshed. The authorities have refused to make public the results of an autopsy on Li's body. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. At least eight carcasses have been recovered from the Kuakata beach area in Patuakhali district. An Irrawaddy dolphin, identified by its roundish beak, swims in a river in Kratie province, Cambodia, March 25, 2007. Growing up, Nuru Majhi and his friends used to see dolphins jumping in Bangladeshs southern coastal waters. But now we see a lot less dolphins, the 58-year-old fisherman from Patuakhali district told BenarNews. The main cause of death is due to fishing nets. The number of fishermen has increased 10 times compared to 30 years ago. The deaths of two Irrawaddy dolphins earlier this month near Kuakata beach where Majhi fishes highlight the threat faced by the aquatic mammals in Bangladesh, which hosts the worlds largest population of the species, authorities and fishermen said. Bangladesh Forest Department officials recovered the remains of the dolphins on May 3 and 14, bringing the tally this year to at least eight. All were found in the same Kuakata beach area in Patuakhali, about 294 km (183 miles) south of Dhaka. Meanwhile on May 22, a local Bangladesh media report said that a pregnant female Irrawaddy dolphin had died after being hit by a trolling net. The report said the dolphin was found floating at the mouth of Andharmanik River in Patuakhali district that morning. The carcass of an Irrawaddy dolphin lies on the Kuakata beach in Bangladeshs Patuakhali district, May 14, 2022. Credit: Dolphin Conservation Committee of Kuakata, Bangladesh. The trend worries government authorities, environmentalists and fishermen. Similar concerns have been raised as the Irrawaddy population has plummeted on the Mekong River near Cambodias border with Laos. This is really a matter of concern for us that the Irrawaddy dolphins are dying, Abdullah Al Mamun, the division forest officer in Patuakhali district, told BenarNews. Forest officials were examining the causes of the latest dolphin deaths, he said. The Irrawaddy dolphin, which is distinct for its roundish head and lack of beak, is found in freshwater along with brackish shallow coastal waters in South and Southeast Asia, from Bangladesh to Mekong region and the Philippines. The name comes from the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar where the first specimens were described, according to riverdolphins.org, a website on dolphin conservation and management. Roman Imtiaz Tushar, a Kuakata wildlife activist, said 24 Irrawaddy dolphins were found dead in 2021, 18 in 2020 and 12 in 2019. Majhi, which means boatman in Bengali, said no fisherman intentionally kills a dolphin. Every dolphins death makes fishermen very sorry, he said. Dolphins are a very emotional type of animal. They move in groups. When one is entangled in a net, others come around the trapped dolphin. Credit: International Whaling Commission Trapped in nets Sharif Uddin, a fisheries department official, said Kuakata and other adjacent coastal areas are rich in resources. The number of fishermen in this area has increased over the years. So more dolphins are getting trapped in the fishing nets, said Uddin, chief scientific officer for the marine fisheries survey management. In 2019, Dhaka adopted a Dolphin Conservation Action Plan to save the countrys population of Irrawaddy, a protected species, along with the Ganges River dolphin. The plan authorizes the fisheries department to work with fishermen, while the main task of saving and conserving the dolphins goes to the forest department. In line with the action plan, we have started awareness campaigns among the coastal fishermen so they can immediately release the dolphins, if possible, Uddin said. So, if we can make them more sensitive, there is a possibility that some of the dolphins trapped in the nets could be saved, he said. But locals said they do not always know whether a large fish or a dolphin has been entangled in their long nets and can rescue only those caught close to them. Once caught, the dolphins die in a maximum of 10 minutes, Majhi, the fisherman, said. A fisherman casts a net on the Mekong River, home to Irrawaddy dolphins, in Kratie province, Cambodia, March 24, 2007. Credit: Reuters Dolphins are mammals and need to take oxygen from the air at intervals of 10 minutes or less, according to M.A. Aziz, a zoology professor at Jahangirnagar University in Dhaka. They cannot take oxygen from the water like fish. Some fishermen use very thin and transparent nets which the dolphins cannot always detect. When they run after fish, they cannot detect the presence of the thin fishing net and get entangled with it, he told BenarNews. As a result, they suffocate and die underwater in a short time. Bangladeshs coasts and the coastal rivers host about 80 percent of the worlds Irrawaddy dolphins, Aziz said. Globally, the Irrawaddy population is about 7,000, according to experts and international studies. Figures for Bangladesh range from 5,800 to 6,000, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the World Conservation Society. The Irrawaddy dolphins are classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, with some river and coastal subpopulations designated as critically endangered. In February, the last known freshwater Irrawaddy dolphin on a stretch of the Mekong River near Cambodias border with Laos died after being snagged in a fishing net, said wildlife officials and villagers from both sides of the frontier. Overall, a few dozen of these dolphins survive in the Lower Mekong region. An Irrawaddy dolphin raises its tail swims in a river in Kratie province, Cambodia, March 24, 2007. Credit: Reuters. The Irrawaddy population along the Mekong has declined from an estimated 200 in 1997 to 89 in 2020, according to riverdolphins.org. IUCN said the dolphin population level was satisfactory in Bangladesh waters where they are frequently spotted near the Sundarbans, the worlds largest mangrove forest, and the Meghna River estuary near Nijhum Dwip. It said the Irrawaddys regional habitat was affected by increasing salinity caused by climate change and freshwater withdrawals. The fresh water flow into the river system that is needed to produce a suitable mixture with salt water to create the proper habitation for dolphins has been reduced, environmentalists said. The forest department, which investigates each recorded dolphin death, has concluded that in most cases they were entangled in fishing nets or hit by trawlers. Tushar, the team leader at the Dolphin Conservation Committee in Kuakata, said the story of Irrawaddy dolphins dying in fishing nets, while true to a large extent, is not complete. Fishermen are everywhere along the Bangladesh coast and rivers. Why do we see dead dolphins come to the Kuakata beach year after year? We do not see such frequent deaths of dolphins in other parts of Bangladesh, Tushar told BenarNews. I think the government agencies must investigate seriously to find the true cause of death of the dolphins in Kuakata. Subel Rai Bhandari in Bangkok contributed to this report by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. Thai police stand in front of seized methamphetamine on display at a news conference at the Narcotics Suppression Bureau in Bangkok, July 15, 2019. Tons of methamphetamine have been produced, trafficked and used in East and Southeast Asia where a record 1 billion methamphetamine tablets were seized in 2021, a United Nations agency says in a new report, warning that the synthetic drug trade has expanded and diversified. Regional law enforcers seized more than 170 metric tons of methamphetamine in tablets and crystal form, an all-time high, the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in a report, Synthetic Drugs in East and Southeast Asia. In addition, the record 1 billion tablets were seven times more than the 143 million seized a decade ago, UNODC said, adding that more than 90 percent of the recent tablet seizures occurred in Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam. The region is literally swimming in methamphetamine and I think its high time that the region starts taking a hard look at policies in place to address the problem, Jeremy Douglas, Southeast Asia regional representative for the UNODC, told reporters at a news conference in Bangkok on Monday to announce the report. So, theres going to have to be a radical policy shift to address this problem or its just going to continue to grow. The 1 billion tablets, which would weigh about 91 tons, were part of a regionwide seizure of 171.5 tons of methamphetamine, the UNODC report said, adding that about 79 tons of crystal methamphetamine, which is smoked by users, were seized last year. Methamphetamine is the regions most popular drug. Douglas said the scale and reach of the methamphetamine and synthetic drug trade is staggering, and yet it can continue to expand. Law enforcers display bags of seized methamphetamine tablets during the 50th Destruction of Confiscated Narcotics ceremony in Ayutthaya province, Thailand, June 26, 2020. Credit: Reuters. The so-called Golden Triangle Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar has long been a hotspot for drug production and trafficking, primarily because of lax policing, porous borders and political instability, authorities have said. Organized crime syndicates and armed groups have exploited the pandemic and political instability in the Golden Triangle and border areas of Myanmar to expand production the past year, Douglas said in a statement, referring to COVID-19 and the February 2021 junta overthrow of the Myanmar government. There are very few drug labs found in the region outside the Triangle anymore, the supply continues to surge and governments and agencies continue to report the same source. According to UNODC, Laos has become a major transshipment point for trafficking into Thailand and other parts of the Mekong and the Asia Pacific. At the same time, Malaysia has also been used extensively for transit and trafficking to Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. The increase in methamphetamine supply resulted in wholesale and street prices falling to all-time lows, especially in Malaysia and Thailand, the UNODC said. The drop in price is particularly concerning as it has become much more accessible and available to those that could not afford it before, said Kavinvadee Suppapongtevasakul, a UNODC regional drugs analyst. The social consequences of increased use are significant, and health and harm reduction services remain limited across the region, she said. It is also likely that use has been seriously underestimated for years as most countries in the region do not monitor or study drug demand. In a news release on Monday, a Thai official said addressing the methamphetamine situation is a top priority for the government. We are working with UNODC and international and regional partners to update our laws and policies, develop important forensic, data and operational capacities, and address priorities including chemical trafficking, said Thanakorn Kaiyanunta, deputy secretary-general at the Thai Narcotics Control Board. Primary meth source The report noted that Myanmars northern Shan state remains the regions primary source of methamphetamine. Laos, dubbed a soft target for traffickers by Douglas, registered a more than a 669 percent jump in interceptions of meth tablets in 2021. In October 2021, police seized more than 55.6 million meth pills and 1,500 kg of crystal meth in a single raid in one of Asias biggest drug busts, according to state media. In January, authorities seized more than 36 million tablets and 590 kg of crystal methamphetamine. Drug control authorities in the region have indicated that organized crime groups have also targeted Lao PDR for tableting of the drug, the report said referring to the country by its proper name, the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news service. People rush to help the victims of a bomb blast at the bus stop near Bar Street and Anawrahta Road in Kyauktada township, in Myanmar's Yangon region. According to the local aid group, the incident occurred around 3 pm on May 31, 2022, injuring about 10 people. UPDATED at 4:25 P.M. EDT on 2022-05-31 An explosion on a busy street in downtown Yangon killed one person and injured nine others on Tuesday, AFP news agency quoted police sources as saying. "The blast occurred around 3:20 p.m. local time (4:50 a.m. EDT) near a bus stop," the police source told the news agency, requesting anonymity. "One man died in hospital and nine others are injured." Early, a local charity worker at the scene told RFA Burmese that the blast, believed to be a bombing, happened at a bus stop near Bar Street and Anawrahta Road in Kyauktada Township, s It was a mess. I just brought an injured patient and came out. But I did not know the exact (number) of victims and about 10 people have been brought (for medical treatment), aid the worker, speaking to RFA Burmese on condition of anonymity for safety reasons. He said two of injured were in a serious condition. All the injured were men. The scene of a bomb blast at the bus stop near Bar Street and Anawrahta Road in Kyauktada Township, in Myanmar's Yangon region, May 31, 2022. Credit: Citizen journalist. Other local aid groups also assisted the injured. Since the military seized power from an elected civilian government 16 months ago, violence has spiraled ,including bombings in urban centers. Yangon is the commercial center of Myanmar and the largest city in the country of 54 million people. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for an attack, but the junta that has ruled since a Feb. 1, 2021 coup blamed opponents of military rule. Regarding the explosions, we already know who is behind them, whether in busy areas in Yangon or Mandalay," said a spokesman for the junta, who pointed the finger at the National Unity Government (NUG), a parallel administration made up of deposed lawmakers and officials. "As they were losing ground in cities like Yangon, the terrorists are using more of these explosions," said the spokesman. He did not provide evidence. NUG spokesman Dr. Sasa, who serves as the shadow minister for international cooperation, said in statement that he learned from reports that one of seven injured in the blast was a foreigner. "The brutal genocidal military has been carrying out senseless bombings and killings against its own civilian population across Myanmar. This is totally unacceptable.," he said in a statement. "The genocidal military in Myanmar has created chaos and inflicted violence against its own people for far too long," added Sasa. Also Tuesday, a bomb blast at around 2 p.m. (3:30 p.m. EDT) near a state education office in Naung Cho Township, northern Shan State, killed at least one person and wounded seven. Locals said that the fatality was a teacher from Macchi Nu village in that township and the injured were education staff and teachers. The Institute for Strategy and Policy said in a report this month that it had documented at least 5,646 civilian deaths between the Feb. 1, 2021 coup and May 10. The figure, about triple the previous reported death toll, included people killed by security forces during anti-junta protests, in clashes between the military and pro-democracy paramilitaries or ethnic armies, while held in detention, and in revenge attacks, including against informers for the regime. The wives of Ukrainian soldiers who were the last defenders of the Azovstal steel plant in the besieged city of Mariupol reveal the "horrors" that their husbands endured before being taken prison by Russia. Kateryna Prokopenko and Yulia Fedosyuk told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service that their husbands were "brave" members of the Azov Regiment but they're concerned about their fate after Russian officials said they could be tried as "terrorists." President Xi Jinping meets with John Lee, the newly appointed sixth-term chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), in Beijing, capital of China, May 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping met with John Lee, the newly appointed sixth-term chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), on Monday in Beijing. Lee, who won the chief executive election on May 8, will assume office on July 1, 2022. Xi congratulated Lee on his election win and appointment by the central government. Praising Lee for maintaining the unwavering stance of loving the country and the HKSAR, being willing to assume responsibilities and actively performing his duties, Xi said Lee has made contributions to safeguarding national security and Hong Kong's prosperity and stability in various roles. "The central authorities give full affirmation to you and have full trust in you," Xi told Lee. Under the new electoral system, the HKSAR has successfully held elections of the Election Committee, the seventh-term Legislative Council and the sixth-term chief executive since last year. It has been proved that the new electoral system played a decisive role in implementing the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong," ensuring the position of Hong Kong people as their own masters, and facilitating a good environment in which all sectors of society work together for Hong Kong's development, Xi said. "This is a political and democratic system that is in line with the 'one country, two systems' principle and suited to Hong Kong's realities and needs for development," Xi said. "It must be cherished and upheld for a long time to come." This year marks the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. "Despite challenges over the past 25 years, the practice of 'one country, two systems' in Hong Kong has been a resounding success," Xi said. "The central authorities' resolve to fully and faithfully implement the principle of 'one country, two systems' has never wavered, still less will it change," he said. Thanks to the concerted efforts of the central government, the HKSAR government and the whole society, Hong Kong has achieved a major transition from chaos to order and is now at a crucial stage of advancing to prosperity, Xi noted. He said he believes that the new HKSAR government will bring new changes and Hong Kong will make new advances in its development. Senior officials including Han Zheng and Xia Baolong attended the meeting. President Xi Jinping meets with John Lee, the newly appointed sixth-term chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), in Beijing, capital of China, May 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has embarked on a tour of the power Distribution Companies (Discos) to monitor and evaluate how the Discos utilised the capital expenditure (Capex) intervention funds provided by the apex bank to enable the Discos upgrade their networks for improved supply to customers. Already, the CBN's monitoring team led by the Director of Finance, Mr Yusuf Yila has visited the two Discos serving Lagos State and adjoining locations -Eko Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) and Ikeja Electric (IE). The apex bank had embarked on several performance improvement projects to reduce the various challenges plaguing the electricity industry in Nigeria. The CBN intervened by funding the procurement, installation, rehabilitation, and replacement of some electricity distribution infrastructure such as 11kv and 33kv feeders, switchgear, and many more to assist the Discos' capacity in the delivery of adequate and reliable power supply to Nigerians. In addition, the CBN commenced phase zero of the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) in 2020 to address the problem of metering and help solve the high Aggregate Technical, Commercial and Collection (ATC&C) losses in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI). Speaking during the visit to EKEDC headquarters in Lagos, after getting briefings from the Disco's Chief Executive Officer, Dr Tinuade Sanda, the leader of the CBN team, Yila, commended the Disco for its sheer effort towards the achievement of the Federal Government/CBN intervention schemes. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Banking By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. According to him, the team came to the Disco to "ensure that the funds disbursed are adequately utilised, and to listen to the challenges that have emanated in the course of implementing these projects." Yila also emphasised that the NMMP was very important to the CBN as the tour was also meant to carry out due diligence on the execution of phase zero of the scheme and how the apex bank and the Disco can collaborate better in proceeding to the next phase. Earlier, the EKEDC CEO had expressed her appreciation to the bank for its effort in improving the power sector, pointing out that the bank's funded Capex projects had aided the Disco in improving its supply to meet the high demand for electricity in its network. Sanda said the projects had brought about the rehabilitation and replacement of obsolete equipment, adding that "the NMMP came at the appropriate time to reduce our losses and cushion the effect of the Service Reflective Tariff." Sanda assured CBN that EKEDC was fully committed to the achievement of the projects, which some of them were still ongoing, stating that the rationales for the projects aligned with the Disco's corporate goals and objectives. She admitted that the apex bank was diligently working to ensure that the projects were contributing to the company's growth via the establishment of a market review committee. This it said would evaluate the performance of the company monthly as well as a prepaid meter monitoring team that ensures meters installed are not bypassed. Ukrainian forces have had some success fighting Russians in the city of Syevyerodonetsk, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his late-night address on June 2, but the overall military situation in the Donbas region, which he previously characterized as "very difficult," has not changed. Ukrainian forces have been locked in a grinding battle for control of the city and regions in eastern Ukraine as they struggle to hold off Russian troops while they await the arrival of the advanced rockets and anti-aircraft weapons that the United States has promised to send. But the arms deliveries are possibly weeks away, meaning a prolonged period of grueling combat is likely. The war has become a war of attrition, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned on June 2 following talks with U.S. President Joe Biden. Wars are by nature unpredictable and therefore we just have to be prepared for the long haul," Stoltenberg told reporters after meeting Biden at the White House. The war most likely will end at the negotiating table, he said, adding that what happens during talks is closely linked to the situation on the battlefield. Street fighting was reported on June 2 in Syevyerodonetsk where Ukrainian forces continued to put up stiff resistance despite the Russians controlling most of the key Donbas city with the aid of massive and indiscriminate artillery bombardments. Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the major developments on Russia's invasion, how Kyiv is fighting back, the plight of civilians, and Western reaction. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here. Zelenskiy again urged the West to speed up weapons deliveries for his outnumbered and outgunned troops as the Kremlin angrily warned that arming Kyiv will "bring more suffering to Ukrainians." Moscow's furious reaction came after Britain joined the United States and Germany in announcing that it will send Ukraine advanced weapons systems to help defend itself against Russia. As fighting raged in Syevyerodonetsk, a regional official warned that civilians are sheltering from Russian shelling under a chemical plant in the city and authorities fear it may still have stocks of dangerous materials. The regional head of the Luhansk military administration, Serhiy Hayday, said that 80 percent of Syevyerodonetsk was now under Russian control. Hayday also said on June 2 that, besides Syevyerodonetsk, Russians are also attempting to advance south toward the key Ukrainian-held cities of Kramatorsk and Slovyansk, where Mayor Vadym Lyakh called for the evacuation of the heavily damaged city. In its daily intelligence bulletin on June 2, Britain's Ministry of Defense concurred that Russia has taken control of most of Syevyerodonetsk. It said that the main road into the city "likely" remains under Ukrainian control but Russians are making steady gains with the aid of heavy artillery fire. In an address to Luxembourg's parliament, Zelenskiy said Russia now occupies about 20 percent of his country's territory, with the front line of the battle stretching for more than 1,000 kilometers. He said Ukraine estimates Moscow that has lost "more than 30,000 soldiers," since it launched its offensive on February 24, "but this does not stop Russia. This state is still ready to lose and kill, kill people." "Because only one person in Russia doesnt want to let us stay as we are," he added, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who before the war questioned the existence of Ukraine as a nation state. In his nightly address Zelenskiy also slammed the "absolutely senseless shelling" of northern border regions from Russian territory. "The entire temporarily occupied territory of our state is now a zone of complete disaster, for which Russia bears full responsibility," he said. Zelenskiy also thanked Biden for promising to send missiles and said he expected good news about weapons supplies from other partners. The new U.S. ambassador to Ukraine said after presenting her credentials to Zelenskiy that the delivery of U.S. military aid is being accelerated. My understanding is that now its very quick, within days, less even, of a decision, that the hardware is in Ukrainian hands, Ambassador Bridget Brink said. But senior Pentagon officials have said the most advanced U.S. rocket systems -- the HIMARS -- that can strike targets as far as 80 kilometers away, will take at least three weeks to reach the battlefront, raising questions of whether they will arrive in time to stop Russias slow but steady gains. Zelenskiy has voiced gratitude for all the assistance that Ukraine has received from the West, but said that weapons supplies needed to be sped up up because "we have to defend ourselves against virtually the entire Russian Army." "We need more weapons for Ukraine -- modern weapons that will ensure the superiority of our state over Russia in this war not only through courage, intelligence, but also technologically. And I ask you to advocate this need before other European states," Zelenskiy said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov again warned on June 2 of absolutely undesirable and rather unpleasant scenarios if the latest Western-supplied weapons were used against Russia. This pumping of Ukraine with weapons...will bring more suffering to Ukraine, which is merely a tool in the hands of those countries that supply it with weapons, Peskov told reporters. But Peskov, asked if Moscow, after being slapped with the most onerous sanctions in recent history, wants to close "the window" to Europe that Peter the Great sought to open 300 years ago, said "No one is planning to close anything." With reporting by Reuters, BBC, CNN, AP, and AFP Garbed in camouflage military fatigues, helmets, heavy black boots, and gripping what appear to be automatic weapons, the group poses for a picture with an unfurled Bulgarian flag in a field backdropped by a row of trees. The picture was uploaded on March 24 on the Facebook page of the so-called Macedonian-Bulgarian Foreign Battalion "Todor Alexandrov," a reference to a leader of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (VMRO) who was active during and after the period of Ottoman rule in the Balkans. According to that social-media account, the group are deployed in Ukraine to fight against invading Russian forces. Soon after the Facebook page emerged, articles about the group appeared in Bulgarian media, including interviews with members of the alleged fighting force, talking about their mission and appealing for donations. Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appealed to foreigners willing to help defend Ukraine and join the fight. The government even set up a website for them to join the international brigade, which is now thought to number in its thousands. The Macedonian-Bulgarian Foreign Battalion, however, doesn't appear to be among them. Grilled in parliament in April about the alleged fighting force, Bulgarian Defense Minister Dragomir Zakov said the Facebook photos were fake. Some analysts and commentators parsed Zakov's words, noting that he said the photos were fake but did not explicitly state that the battalion was fictitious as well. Most if not all the clues to the group's existence come from social-media posts. The adage that truth is the first casualty of war seems even truer in the age of social media. During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, fake news has metastasized across social media, much of it doctored video of battles that never occurred or in the past somewhere else. RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service examined images uploaded on the group's Facebook page and found all were either from years ago or appeared to have been purloined from other sites. One image, for example, purporting to show Bulgarian or Macedonian fighters, appeared to actually be Belarusians. "Good evening, we are in Ukraine! Greetings from us and our Georgian and Ukrainian brothers!" reads the text accompanying the photo uploaded on the group's Facebook page on March 24. However, RFE/RL found the photo bears a striking resemblance to another of what appears to be the same group. Instead of a Bulgarian flag, a red-striped, white banner of the Belarusian opposition is unfurled, along with an black anarchist banner. The image first appeared to have been published in a Telegram channel of a group of Belarusian fighters inside Ukraine on March 23, a day before it appeared on the Bulgarian battalion Facebook page. Another photo, published on May 16, shows fighters from the Ukrainian Volunteer Corps of the nationalist Right Sector swearing allegiance to the Ukrainian people. The original image dates to at least two days before it was added to the post of the "Macedonian-Bulgarian Battalion." Coincidence or not, the colors of the Right Sector banner -- red and black -- are the same as those of the VMRO, an early 20th century group which was founded by anti-Ottoman Macedonian -Bulgarian revolutionaries. The Facebook page of the Macedonian-Bulgarian Foreign Battalion also uses images that have nothing to do with the war in Ukraine. Photos of drones, for example, which a March 19 posting claims were sent by a donor, can be found on various sites selling equipment, such as this one. Krasi Panchev, who has been working as a contractor for a private military company for 14 years, appeared in a photo uploaded to the battalion's Facebook page. Panchev told RFE/RL that the photo had been taken in Bulgaria, in Plovdiv, not Ukraine, as purported on the Facebook page. Moreover, it was not a group of volunteers but Bulgarian military personnel, Panchev said. Curious as to who may have been responsible, Panchev and others looked deeper, a probe that led to Ivan Belishki, a 22-year-old enthusiast for airsoft, a team game fought with air weapons. Ultimately, they contacted him and requested he remove the photo. Although Belishki denied any role in the Facebook page, the photo did eventually vanish from the social-media site. "This is some kind of concoction of his," Panchev said of the Facebook site, pointing the finger at Belishki. "There is absolutely nothing like that, it doesn't exist," Panchev added. Contacted by RFE/RL, Belishki, who set alight a Russian flag during a demonstration in Sofia in support of Ukraine in the early days of the Russian invasion, denied any role in the Facebook project. "I have absolutely nothing to do with it," Belishki said. "Such allegations are not serious, and if anyone does make such claims, I'd like to know so that I can take legal action," he added. RFE/RL contacted the Bulgarian Defense Ministry for comment on whether they were investigating the misinformation spread on the Facebook page. The ministry said it could not share more than what had been disclosed by Defense Minister Zakov in parliament. RFE/RL also turned to the Bulgarian Interior Ministry, which declined to comment on whether a probe into the case had been launched. "Certainly, given that such information has been officially released, some action has been taken," the ministry said. While the battalion may be nothing more than a social-media creation, sources tell RFE/RL that individual Bulgarians -- anywhere from 10 to 100 -- may be in Ukraine fighting. Protesters have again taken to the streets in several Iranian cities, with some shouting "Death to Khamenei," as the death toll in the collapse of a building in the city of Abadan rose to 34. The collapse of a large section of the 10-story Metropol building that was under construction was one of Iran's deadliest such disasters in years. The May 23 accident has sparked eight days of protests in the city as the country reels from unrest over rising food prices and other economic issues amid the harsh sanctions imposed by the United States over Iran's nuclear program. "With the body of another citizen of Abadan found under the rubble, the death toll in the Metropol accident has reached 34," a spokesman for the building said on May 31. Thirty-seven people were injured in the collapse, while crews continue to search for more bodies. It is thought that the bodies of more than 25 victims could still be trapped in the wreckage. Authorities have blamed the accident on isolated corruption and lax safety standards. So far, 13 people are reported to have been arrested for construction violations. The protesters, however, say government negligence and endemic corruption are behind the accident. Video posted on social media showed some protesters shouting "Death to Khamenei," a reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Abadan, in Iran's oil-rich Khuzestan Province, is home to Iran's Arab minority, who have long complained about being treated as second-class citizens in the country. With reporting by Reuters In her 20s, Zar Amir-Ebrahimi was a television star in Iran, where she played the role of a pious young girl in the countrys longest-running soap opera. But her career came crashing down in 2006, when she became embroiled in a sex scandal. A video purportedly showing her having sex with a man was posted online and widely distributed on the black market. Amir-Ebrahimi became the subject of an official investigation. Later that year, she fled her homeland for Europe following what she called an "immoral" smear campaign. Sixteen years later, the humiliation she long felt gave way to an outpouring of joy when she was awarded the Best Actress award at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Amir-Ebrahimi, who lives in exile in France, received the prize on May 28 for her role in Holy Spider, a film in which she plays a journalist trying to solve the serial murders of prostitutes in the holy city of Mashhad in the early 2000s. The award capped her return to the limelight, following years that she described as marred by hopelessness. In an interview with RFE/RLs Radio Farda on May 28 just before she won the prize at Cannes, Amir-Ebrahimi said it was cinema that saved her. The moment I realized that I wouldnt be able to work anymore in Iran, after those things happened, my only motivation to continue living was cinema, she said. I would have died if I stopped working in cinema. Amir-Ebrahimis award at Cannes triggered an outpouring of support for her on social media, where some compared her to a phoenix rising from the ashes. The truth is that I never saw myself in ashes, said the 41-year-old. My life had ups and downs. I dont see myself as a victim. Amir-Ebrahimi described her first few years in exile as "very difficult." When she moved to Paris, she spoke no French and earned a living doing odd jobs. In 2018, she won an international award for best actress for her role in Bride Price vs. Democracy, a film about the struggles of an Iranian couple living in Europe. Soon afterward, she was hired as a consultant for Holy Spider. The role of the journalist in the film was supposed to be played by a young actress based in Iran. But when the actress backed out, the role was given to Amir-Ebrahim who described it as a "gift." Shot in Jordan, the film is inspired by the true story of an Iranian construction worker who killed sex workers in Mashhad in the early 2000s and became known as the Spider Killer. The serial killer claimed that he had killed the prostitutes for the sake of God. In the dark thriller, Amir-Ebrahimi plays the role of a reporter from Tehran who travels to Mashhad to investigates the murders while enduring sexual rumors and harassment. The role bore resemblance to her own experiences in Iran. Amir-Ebrahimi said she was inspired to take the role after talking to female Iranian journalists, who revealed to her the sexual harassment they faced in their line of work. I couldnt imagine that a journalist who reports a man for assaulting her can so easily become the target of assault herself, she said. Roya Karimimajd, an RFE/RL Radio Farda correspondent, extensively covered the murders in Mashhad while working as a journalist in Iran. She published numerous articles about the case and worked on a documentary, titled And Along Came A Spider, during which she interviewed Saeed Hanaei, the serial killer, who was hanged in 2002. Karimimajd said she met with Holy Spiders Iranian-Danish director, Ali Abbasi, in Prague and gave him access to all her reports about the case. She added that the character of the journalist in Holy Spider had been fictionalized. Abbasi has dramatized the case, and only Saeed Hanaeis character and the atmosphere surrounding him is close to reality, she said. Irans state-controlled Cinema Organization in a statement on May 30 blasted Amir-Ebrahimis award at Cannes, accusing the festival of "committing a biased and political act by praising a false and disgusting film. The film "openly insults" the beliefs of Shiite Muslims, the organization added. Amir-Ebrahimi dismissed criticism from conservatives who have said that the film presents a distorted depiction of Iranian society. Each society has its problems, Amir-Ebrahimi said. The problem in Iran is that were afraid of speaking about our problems. We dont want the world to see. Russian forces have taken control of most of the key Donbas city of Syevyerodonetsk amid fierce house-to-house fighting as Kyiv awaits delivery of crucial advanced U.S. and German weaponry that Moscow warned would "pour gas on the fire" in the war in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian forces are holding just 20 percent of Syevyerodonetsk, with the Russians controlling more than 60 percent, while the rest has become "no-man's land," Oleksandr Stryuk, the Ukrainian head of the city administration, said on June 1. Stryuk, who declined to give his location, said the Ukrainians fighting pitched battles in the city still hope that they can prevent Russia taking full control. Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the major developments on Russia's invasion, how Kyiv is fighting back, the plight of civilians, and Western reaction. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here. "The 20 percent is being fiercely defended by our armed forces," Stryuk said. " "We have hope that despite everything, we will free the city and not allow it to be completely occupied," he said, adding that 12,000 to 13,000 people were trapped in the city without food or water. "Part of the Ukrainian troops" have now "retreated to more advantageous, pre-prepared positions," said Serhiy Hayday, the head of the Luhansk regional military administration, while other troops continue "fighting inside the city." Oleksandr Motuzyanyk, spokesman for Ukraine's Defense Ministry, said there was fighting in the streets in Syevyerodonetsk and the Russians had reached the city center. "The Ukrainian armed forces are actively resisting them," he said. If the Russians take control of Syevyerodonetsk, "they will install artillery and mortars and will increase their bombardment of Lysychansk," the Ukrainian-held city across the river, Hayday said late on June 1 on Telegram. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy again called the situation in the east "very difficult," telling U.S. newsgroup Newsmax in an interview broadcast on June 1 that Ukraine was losing 60 to 100 soldiers each day and around 500 were wounded in action. The British Ministry of Defense said earlier in its daily intelligence update on Twitter on June 1 that according to its estimates, "over half of the town is likely now occupied by Russian forces, including Chechen fighters." The British intelligence report said that outside of the Donbas, "Russia continues to conduct long-range missile strikes against infrastructure across Ukraine." Five people were injured on June 1 in the western city of Lviv in a cruise-missile strike, a city official said. Russian troops attacked a railway tunnel in an effort to stop the supply of fuel and weapons from allies, the official said. But there was no confirmation of damage to the infrastructure. In Lyman, 60 kilometers west of Syevyerodonetsk, "the fighting continues," the Ukrainian military said, despite earlier report that the town, an important railway junction, had fallen to the Russians. Further south in Bakhmut, Russia is "trying to oust units of our troops from their positions," the military said. The United States, meanwhile, has agreed to deliver longer-range rocket systems in a boost for the outgunned and outnumbered Ukrainian forces. U.S. President Joe Biden on June 1 formally announced that high-mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) are included in a new $700 million weapons package for Ukraine. Biden had said in an essay in The New York Times on May 31 that the weapons would be sent. "The United States will stand with our Ukrainian partners and continue to provide Ukraine with weapons and equipment to defend itself," Biden said in a statement. "This new package will arm them with new capabilities and advanced weaponry, including HIMARS with battlefield munitions, to defend their territory from Russian advances," he said. Biden announced the plan to give Ukraine HIMARS after receiving assurances from Kyiv that it would not use them to hit targets inside of Russian territory, a condition Washington imposed to avoid escalating the war. "The Ukrainians have given us assurances that they will not use these systems against targets on Russian territory," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at an appearance in Washington with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. Blinken also said the current U.S. assessment was that there will still be "many months" of conflict. "That could be over tomorrow if Russia chose to end the aggression. We don't see any signs of that right now," he said. The announced consignment of high-tech weaponry will also include helicopters, Javelin anti-tank weapon systems, tactical vehicles, spare parts, and more, according to unnamed officials. Although the HIMARS system stops short of the long-range rockets repeatedly requested by Kyiv -- the M270 MLRS and the M142 that have a range of up to 300 kilometers -- the news of the U.S. decision provoked anger in Moscow. "We believe that the United States is purposefully and diligently adding fuel to the fire," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a regular conference call on June 1. Peskov added that the Kremlin did not trust Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's assurances that Kyiv would not use the new weaponry to attack Russian territory. Blinken dismissed the suggestion that the United States is risking escalation. "It is Russia that is attacking Ukraine, not the other way around," he said. Following the U.S. announcement, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on June 1 pledged to send Ukraine high-tech anti-aircraft systems amid criticism from the opposition that Berlin hasn't provided enough military aid in the fight against Russia's unprovoked invasion. Speaking to lawmakers in Berlin on June 1, Scholz said the government had approved a proposal to ship IRIS-T missiles and radar systems to Kyiv as Russia continues to pound targets in eastern Ukraine. Meanwhile, Pope Francis warned on June 1 that food cannot become a weapon in the war Russia has launched against Ukraine. The 85-year-old pontiff said during a regular audience on St. Peter's Square in the Vatican that a blockade of grain exports from Ukraine, which millions of people depend on, especially in the poorest countries, "is causing grave concern." "Please, one does not use grain, a basic food, as a weapon in war!" he said, adding that everything must be done to solve the problem and guarantee people's basic right to food staples. On June 1, the Kremlin again said sanctions imposed on Russia by the West, and moves by Ukraine, were to blame for the potential food crisis. With reporting by Reuters, BBC, CNN, The New York Times, AP, and AFP A digital camera retrieved by fighters in eastern Ukraine holds images of a family in peacetime, and invading Russian soldiers that apparently looted the device during war. The photo below looks like a scene from a boys' holiday, but the wooden stock of a PK machine gun (visible on right) and the identifying white armbands favored by pro-Russian fighters in Ukraine make clear this is in fact an image of war. The snapshot is part of a remarkable discovery made by fighters of Ukraines 24th Mechanized Brigade who retrieved a camera from a Russian armored vehicle after a battle in Ukraines Luhansk region in mid-May. The Sony device held nearly 1,000 photos of one Ukrainian familys life before Russias February invasion of Ukraine, followed by 11 photos and three brief videos made by Russian soldiers. Nazar Ilnytsky, a press officer with the Ukrainian military, told RFE/RL it is believed the camera was stolen by Russian fighters attempting to advance on Kyiv, possibly from a home in the northern suburb of Hostomel. The invading soldiers were then redeployed to eastern Ukraine, taking the camera with them. A Ukrainian serviceman from the unit that found the camera explained the circumstances to RFE/RL in the bleak language of a military report: Russians took the camera with them in a BMD [amphibious fighting vehicle] and after the successful destruction of the vehicles crew this camera was found inside. Ilnytsky says the soldiers in the photos found on the camera's memory card are from the 31st Airborne Brigade, based in the Russian city of Ulyanovsk. The fate of the Russian servicemen in the photos is unclear. For privacy reasons, only one photo of the Ukrainian couple believed to be the owners of the camera has been released. Soldiers who found the digital camera hope the photo of the couple will lead to them being reunited with the device, which Ilnytsky says holds almost 1,000 photos from travel, vacation, and their sons graduation. With over 3.65 million barrels of crude oil shut-in at the Bonny Terminal during the March/April productions circle, Nigeria's total losses, month-on-month rose by over 300 per cent. A THISDAY analysis of the latest figures from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) indicated that the huge loss was due to a force majeure on the critical line, which supplies a substantial part of the country's export. Overall, between March 3 and April 1, the production curtailment pushed the country's total loss to 5.545 million barrels of crude for the month under review as opposed to 1.69 million barrels previously. The development meant that crude oil production at Bonny terminal dropped significantly while the operators declared force majeure on all outstanding agreements for the period. It came a month after Nigeria recorded significantly less oil production losses in the February/March drilling cycle, with shutdowns arising from sabotage, force majeure, crude production assets' breakdowns and community issues markedly down to 1.69 million barrels for the entire month. Force majeure refers to a clause in contracts that allows both parties to walk out of the contract when an extraordinary event or circumstance beyond the control of the parties happens. It was seen as a major improvement on the January 2022 high of 7.5 million barrels lost to the phenomenon, a development that has negatively impacted the country's capacity to export the commodity. Nigeria has for months been unable to meet the production quota allocated to it by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) due to losses to facilities' breakdown, vandalism and outright sabotage as well as community issues. The menace has further impacted on government institutions as well as individual operators who have recently raised the alarm over the humongous losses the nation and private entities are being subjected to. Among those who have raised the alarm over the situation in recent times were the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele as well as the Chairman, Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG), Mr Abdulrasaq Isa. Further lamenting the situation recently were the management of Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company (AEEPCO), operators of the Nembe Creek Trunk Line (NCTL) pipeline, one of the most impacted by the activities of vandals. Also adding their voices to draw attention to the negative impact of the menace were the Founder, Heirs Holdings ltd, Mr Tony Elumelu, Co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Seplat Energy Plc, Mr Austin Avuru and the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church, Pastor Enoch Adeboye. Nigeria's upstream petroleum sector has struggled in the last one year, due to deteriorating facilities occasioned by waning investment as well as oil theft, sabotage and community issues. Since this year, the NNPC has failed to remit its statutory funding of the Federation Account, a joint pool collectively operated by the federal, state and local governments since the beginning of this year despite the rising international prices of oil. But Bonny which lost the highest amount of oil for the period, according to the THISDAY review, was followed by Odudu terminal which experienced a whopping 937,663 barrels leakage due to what the NNPC described as maintenance work. At the Excravos end, Nigeria shed as much as 329,832 barrels due to community issues, with roughly 9,000 barrels shut in per day, according to the document. In addition, Jones Creek lost 227,000 barrels due to the stalling of production at Ugwocha for three weeks. The story was not different in Ukpokiti which lost 210,000 barrels as a result of a fire incident as well as 180,000 barrels in Brass due to tank management issues, while Aje and Bonga lost 11,000 barrels and 174 barrels respectively. Meanwhile, exports of Nigerian Forcados crude are due to rise in July while volumes from the Bonga stream will fall slightly, preliminary export programmes seen by traders, have shown. Forcados will load 263,000 barrels per day (bpd) in July, up from 245,000 bpd in June, while Bonga will load 123,000 bpd in July, down from 127,000 bpd the previous month. Last month, the Group Managing Director, NNPC, Mr Mele Kyari while appearing before the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum (Upstream), confirmed that Nigeria can only get 3,000 barrels out of 239,000 barrels injected into the pipeline from Bonny Terminal. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Petroleum By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. He further disclosed that the country lost $4 billion to theft at the rate of 200,000 barrels per day in 2021. He added that the country already lost $1.5 billion so far in 2022 because, according to him, vandalism had escalated. "Indeed what is happening are massive acts of vandals and thieves on our pipelines that have first made us lose our volume. Secondly, it forced us to shut down production. "The difference between the current production of 1.49 million and our potential that we can easily do -close to 1.8 million or so--at an independent level is not necessarily stolen and they are not within the reach of ordinary vandals. "What has been in massive difficulty is the production from the independents and the Joint Ventures. Unfortunately, except for the ExxonMobil production, most of our JVs are onshore. This is where we have the challenge," he said. He said the rate of vandalism has forced the NNPC and its JV partners to shut down two production fields, stressing that the NNPC had to abandon the lines because removing the breach will not deter the oil vandals. The United States has hailed a European Union decision to scale back Russian oil imports but said more needs to be done over time to lessen reliance on Russian energy. "We applaud the steps by our European allies and partners to reduce their reliance on Russian oil and natural gas," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters a day after EU leaders announced an agreement to cut the flow of oil to the EU by more than two-thirds. He said there was "broad support" among U.S. allies for "cutting off the strength of Russia's war machine, and that is Russia's energy market." Price called the EU's latest ban on Russian oil imports "an important step" in the near-term, adding that there is also "a longer-term path that has less to do with the day to day and more to do with trends over time and the broader need to lessen our reliance on Russian energy." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said as soon as the package of sanctions -- the sixth agreed by the EU -- takes effect "we will immediately start preparing the seventh." The end goal is "no significant economic relations between the free world and the terrorist country," he said. Zelenskiy also thanked all those who worked to reach the EU agreement, which he said will leave Russia with tens of billions of euros less "to use to finance terror." The new sanctions, he said, leave Russia "on the sidelines of the modern economy." He added that such an aggressive policy and "course of isolation from the civilized world" means Russia will "not be able to adapt" and therefore loses economically. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell earlier vowed that the bloc's move will force down the price Moscow can ask for its crude and reduce the amount of crude Moscow will sell abroad. The ban, agreed late on May 30, is the toughest action taken by the bloc yet in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24. The compromise deal cuts the bloc's imports of Russian oil by targeting Russian oil delivered by sea. "We are the most important client for Russia," Borrell told reporters as he arrived for the second day of an EU summit in Brussels on May 31. "The purpose is to make Russia have less financial resources to feed its war machine," he added. The new arrangement, reached during a summit in Brussels, followed weeks of wrangling until it was agreed there would be "a temporary exemption for oil that comes through pipelines to the EU," European Council President Charles Michel told reporters on May 30. Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the major developments on Russia's invasion, how Kyiv is fighting back, the plight of civilians, and Western reaction. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here. The EU proposed the ban a month ago, but resistance, mainly from Budapest, which imports two-thirds of its oil from Russia through pipelines, delayed the latest round of sanctions. Slovakia and the Czech Republic, which, like Hungary, are landlocked, also asked for more time due to their dependence on Russian oil. Bulgaria, already cut off from Russian gas by Gazprom, had likewise sought opt-outs. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban repeated that a full embargo would have been an "atomic bomb" for the Hungarian economy. "It would have been unbearable for us to operate the Hungarian economy with the more expensive (non-Russian) oil...this would have amounted to an atomic bomb but we have managed to avoid that," Orban said in a video posted on Facebook. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that, despite the temporary pipeline-oil exemption, the ban would have a wider impact, since Germany and Poland have volunteered to wind down their own pipeline imports by the end of this year. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the new sanctions had one clear aim: "to prompt Russia to end this war and withdraw its troops and to agree with Ukraine on a sensible and fair peace." Ukraine estimated the ban could cost Russia tens of billions of dollars. "The oil embargo will speed up the countdown to the collapse of the Russian economy and war machine," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. Russia's response came from Dmitry Medvedev, a former president and prime minister. They hate us all! The basis for these decisions is hatred for Russia, for Russians and for all its inhabitants, Medvedev said on Telegram. The leaders also agreed to cut off the largest Russian bank, Sberbank, from the SWIFT messaging system, ban three more Russian state-owned broadcasters, and impose sanctions against individuals responsible for war crimes, Michel said. Zelenskiy earlier told EU leaders that their sixth package of sanctions must be agreed upon and must include oil, "so that Russia feels the price for what it is doing against Ukraine and the whole of Europe, and so that you finally become independent of Russia's energy weapons." He urged the EU leaders to show strength as they work toward adopting the new sanctions, saying internal "quarrels" only benefit Moscow. "Europe needs to show strength because Russia only sees strength as an argument," Zelenskiy said on May 30 in a speech to an EU summit intended to reinforce the bloc's support for Ukraine in its battle to defend itself against invading Russian forces. In a video message to the EU leaders, Zelenskiy said it was time for the European Union not to be fragmented but "one whole," calling for a new set of sanctions against Russia, including a ban on Russian oil. With reporting by AFP, AP, Reuters, and Bloomberg Youth are calling upon governments to step up efforts in addressing present issues which they say are affecting a lot of young people on the African continent. The issue was raised by youth across the continent, who met last week in Rubavu District at the shores of Lake Kivu for a one-day forum that was held under the theme 'Ecoute-Moi.' The forum, which brought together over 200 youth, held discussions on present key issues that African youth are facing and how they would seek solutions. All the 54 African countries were represented at the event, where participants shared different life experiences such as entrepreneurship, unemployment, among other topics. Estella Nduwayezu, one of the sponsors of the forum said that governments need to provide space for young people for them to discuss and find ways to overcome their challenges. "I recommend that African governments seek ways that help youth to come together, like on this forum, and discuss present issues. We also need mentors in a variety of sectors comprising business start-ups, so that we can learn from them," she added. Hermine Nguedjitan, a Central African national and entrepreneur based in Kigali, spoke on behalf of all representatives from the different countries. She said that by coming together, youth learn from each other and share experiences that can help them address key problems which most African young people encounter. "I'm very happy and excited as I have learned a lot of things about entrepreneurship. I was surprised to meet young people my age; it's amazing as I have learned how I can go far with my business. I have learned about humility and I will share the experience and lessons with my colleagues." Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Rwanda Children By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Daniel Rubangisa, Directing Manager of One Good Family in Africa (OGFA), and another of the organisers, said the event brought together African youth to learn from each other and share experiences, all aimed at changing their livelihood. There were a lot of discussions held that can help African youth to overcome issues such as unemployment among others, he said. "We need youth to seek their own solution towards their present issues. We wanted to show unity worldwide as the cornerstone of the development. There have been a lot of opportunities here including, attracting investors, and networking," he said. He highlighted that youth need to be heard for their role in addressing present issues on the continent to be impactful. "They have projects which they need mentorship for, and need funds too. There are project proposals which can be implemented and become impactful to millions of young people, who are the majority of the continent." Janvier Umuhoza, Deputy Coordinator of National Youth Council in Rubavu District thanked the youth for their contribution towards addressing their own problems, and seeking their own development. "It is an important activity [the forum], they have shown that everyone needs to show up and unleash their potential for self-reliance and addressing their own problems," he noted. With the business world shifting its focus to newer locations with a view on efficiency and security, it is to be seen whether Vietnam will be a country of choice that will offer a strong macro-economic base and a stable political environment for global businesses. Asia as key player For decades we have been talking about the financial system as an intermediary for transferring money from savers to investors. Very few studies of geo-finance have been on a geopolitical-economic landscape, with the new regulations leading to funding decisions, capital allocation, and the development of markets and financial centers under spatial patterns and locations. Now Asia is emerging as a key player in shaping the global financial network. Asia's growing importance in global finance has become even more pronounced after the 2008 financial crisis which led to a global recession. With investment banking activities shrinking in developed countries, investment banks in Japan and China are now experiencing significant growth. With the development of financial services and impressive growth in emerging economies, more and more Asian cities are entering the fray for financial center status. Financial hubs such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and Shanghai play an increasingly important role in shaping the global financial geography. Most notable is China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The banks or institutions involved like the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Silk Road Fund, and various forms of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) investments have brought enormous opportunities as well as geopolitical challenges to Asian countries. Launched in 2018, the Nur-Sultan International Financial Center of Kazakhstan immediately became an extremely important gateway for BRI financial resources, which flow into Central Asian countries and spread globally. Interestingly, while the markets and regulations governing the financial sector in Asian countries have retained their own identities, the financial systems are becoming more closely linked with the developed economies. In recent decades, the development of technology in the financial sector (Fintech) has virtually reshaped many new financial services, leading to new business networks in Asian countries. The Hong Kong, Singapore, and Shanghai International Financial Centers are consistently among the top global Fintech companies. Fintech initially developed very quickly in the financial centers of Singapore and Hong Kong, and then gradually spread to many cities in China, India, Korea, and Japan. Fintech presents potential for financial innovation and change in the regional geo-economic landscape. Brexit and Asian markets London's role as the leading international financial center in Europe in the long term could be threatened by the consequences of Brexit. As London plays a central role in the global financial network in many Asian financial hubs, such as Hong Kong and Singapore, so Brexit has the potential to dramatically alter the region's geo-financial status. On the other hand, the reaction to Brexit in Hong Kong, Singapore, and most importantly in China, will also create a push which can lead to the formation and development of many regional financial centers. Many analyses show that China can be a game-changer in global geo-finance because China has deep economic ties with Britain. Brexit has the potential to reshape such relationships. Among European countries, the U.K. has the largest number of investments from China, and the largest number of bank branches. After Brexit, Chinese companies will probably think twice about positioning strategies when entering the European market. The impact of Brexit on Hong Kong is more direct. As a leading regional financial center, Hong Kong has long been an important gateway for foreign companies investing in China as well as Chinese companies going overseas. Given Hong Kong's unique position in connecting the Chinese economy to London, Brexit uncertainties could negatively impact Hong Kong's gateway status if many global financial giants leave London for other European cities. In addition, the strong development of China's financial markets also threatens the role of Hong Kong's financial markets. Brexit is thus helping to accelerate the reconfiguration of banking and financial services activities in East Asia. This is creating opportunities for many emerging financial markets in the region. Choices for Vietnam The post-pandemic situation along with the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict has made the global business community look towards a few Asian countries as an alternative source to China. Although China's BRI initiative is causing security concerns for many countries in the region, the US and the West's initiative to Build Back Better World (B3W) for the region is also showing increasing ambiguity. In not being able to choose a side with stable political and macro-economic institutions, we are in a new strategic position to attract global financial resources for our strategy to shift focus on efficiency and security, not only for foreign investors but also for Vietnam. In the current geo-financial context, it is appropriate to focus on the topic that is receiving a lot of attention today about forming a regional financial center in Vietnam. Almost every debate currently revolves around defining the shape of the international financial center with key pillars such as banking, stock market, Fintech, and derivatives exchange. Hardly any attention has been paid to the regional and international geo-finance aspects of the need for the birth of an international financial center, to take advantage of the new geopolitical situation from Japan and some of its initiatives. Japan's net overseas assets amount to 365,000 billion yen, the largest in the world. Japan has held this position for the past three decades. In addition, the data shows that Japanese companies have rapidly expanded their global value chain, with more than half of their sales being received outside of Japan. Japan is currently holding a huge amount of liquidity nearing 1.008.000 billion yen or USD 9.250 billion. Japanese households hold 54% of their assets in cash, compared with only 14% by US households or 35% by Eurozone households. Even so, these huge savings are being circulated globally by financial institutions based in Tokyo, rather than left at home. This is because Japan has the highest tax rate in the world, and high earners pay nearly 60% of their income towards taxes. Furthermore, inheritance is taxed at a rate as high as 55%, which discourages investors from staying long, and even the Japanese have no incentive to save at home. In the context that it is increasingly difficult for international investors to access the Chinese financial market, Japan, Australia, and India have jointly launched the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI), giving more impetus for their companies to move production facilities out of China. If Vietnam were to form a regional financial center or special economic administrative region with low marginal income tax incentives, there would be no taxes on inheritance, capital income, and shares. This will be an opportunity to absorb huge savings from countries like Japan, as well as attract leading multinational companies looking for a way out of China. At a ceremony in Hanoi to welcome the Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio recently, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed his personal close relationship with Vietnam and hoped that this relationship would turn into geo-political and financial ties between the two countries in the future. Prof. Dr. Tran Ngoc Tho, Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics A $81 million (about Rwf82 billion) project that would be financed by the loan from the Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has not yet started five years after the loan agreement was signed between Rwanda and the financier. The project is part of the ongoing government efforts to improve the quality of technical education through scaling up technical skills--which are considered to be crucial to reducing unemployment, poverty and enhancing social development. It was expected that the project would be completed by the end of next year (2023). Rwanda TVET Board (RTB) Director General, Paul Umukunzi told lawmakers on Monday that the nature of the project itself makes it very difficult to implement. "This project has impediments, because constructing those schools has to be only done by Indians, and 75 per cent of all the materials needed in the project should be sourced from India," he said, indicating that it is a major issue that it has not yet been executed five years after the agreement to implement it was reached. During the budget hearings with the National Budget and Patrimony committee, officials from the Ministry of Education and RTB told the lawmakers that the project has stalled because of the very demanding loan. The delay of the project was flagged in the report by the Auditor General, which was recently tabled before parliament. Now, the officials said that the project was being revised as an attempt to put to use these funds. The $81 million credit line which was signed between the two parties in 2017 was meant to finance the establishment of 10 vocational training centres and four business incubation centres, respectively in ten and four districts. However, by the time of audit in March 2022, the planned activities had not yet been executed. The loan disbursed as at 30 June 2021 was $172,700 (representing 0.21 per cent) while over $80.8 million (representing 99 per cent) remained unwithdrawn. Implications of delay Consequently, the Auditor General's report said, the delay in implementation of project planned activities deprives the country of necessary infrastructure for Technical and Vocational Education and Training. Umukunzi said that the rise in prices on the market [for goods and services] is also aggravating the situation. This, he indicated, is leading to the revision of the project scope, which implies the money could do less than what it could initially do. Revising the scope, he said, after factoring in the current market prices, means that they will construct at least seven TVET schools [vocational centres], and two incubation centres, which are fewer compared to those planned for before. This is an example of how delays in project implementation have impacts including the increase in costs and inefficiency in public funds management, legislators complained. Going forward, Umukunzi said that once the lender has approved the new scope, Indian companies will compete for the tender, pointing out that they expect to get those firms by the end of August this year. Also, he said that they expect that by the end of November this year, one or two Indian firms will have been contracted to implement the project. "But, still, there is still a challenge that 75 per cent of the goods and services have to be imported from India," he said, seeking advocacy from MPs on this term so that it gets eased. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Rwanda Education By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. MP Omar Munyaneza, Chairperson of the National Budget and Patrimony Committee said that apart from the TVET project under the Ministry of Education, similar cases were observed in projects that secured India Exim Bank loans under other ministries such as the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources. It is to note that the $66.6 million Base-Butaro-Kidaho road (as an infrastructure project in Northern part of Rwanda), and the $100 million project to develop three irrigation schemes - Warufu, Nyamukana and Mugesera, also stalled because of the same factor. The Warufu irrigation site is located in Gatsibo District, Nyamukana in Nyanza District and Mugesera in Ngoma District. "I think it is our responsibility as MPs to discuss with the finance ministryso that we consider ways the [financing] agreements that are signed no longer become a hindrance to these project implementing entities," he said. While new bad debts incurred until 31 December 2021 were at VND 251,300 bn, from 15 August 2017 until 31 December 2021 CIs have only handled VND 380,200 bn of bad debts. Unresolved bad debts are still at around VND 412,700 bn. Handling collateral Resolution 42/2017/QH14 of the National Assembly for handling of bad debts is expected to create an open and wider corridor for the handling of bad debts as well as bring in capital for the economy. However, the progress on this does not really commensurate with the expectations. In reports sent by commercial banks, as well as the State Bank of Vietnam, bad debts settlements under Resolution 42 have achieved positive results. Since some difficulties and problems still exist, it is necessary to have the coordination of relevant ministries and branches to handle problems in seizing collateral assets or resolving disputes according to procedures of court. It is a fact that although property can be recovered, selling it to recover the debt is very difficult and problematic. Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) recently announced the auction of debts of two enterprises built under credit contracts, namely, the Bach Giang Construction Trading House Company Limited and the Cao Nguyen (Highland) Trading Construction Company Limited. This is the eighth time this debt auction will take place. Vietcombank also announced auction of collateral of the Petroleum Design Consultancy Company with starting price at VND 270.6 bn. This debt has been on sale many times before but had no successful bidders. In the latest offering, the selling price is at VND 340 bn. These are just a few of the many assets of great value with banks that have had unsuccessful bidding auctions, although many have been greatly reduced in price value. The difficulty in handling of special assets at the present time was predicted many years ago. The reason is partly due to the value of the fixed assets offered for sale not being close to the actual value because of being over-valued in the past. Now, banks include both principal and interest in the selling price, while those collaterals after a long time no longer have the same value as the original. The other problem arises from the fact that most of the collateral at the banks is in varied forms, with most of it in real estate. In this, there are legal assets that can be bought and sold, but there are also legal assets that cannot be bought and sold. There are also new types of semi-finished real estate that are partially compensated or are under construction, so buyers are also concerned about the next procedures, or of factories having no prospects for future development. Such products have difficulty in stimulating the market demand. Moreover, the supply is far greater, and buyers are not that many. Rise in new bad debts Finding a way out of bad debts has been a constant problem for many years, but the above list shows that the banking industry has not yet been able to get rid of the burden of bad debts. Meanwhile, new bad debts are continuing to rise. According to the State Bank of Vietnam, by 31 December 2021, the ratio of bad debts on the balance sheet, debts sold to VAMC, and potential debts turning into bad debts stands at 6.31%. Currently, the Economic Committee of the National Assembly agrees with the proposal of the Government, to extend the application period for all provisions of Resolution 42 until the end of 31 December 2023, including the content in the General Resolution of the third session at the 15th National Assembly. The National Assembly deputies also suggest that there should be specific commitments because otherwise existing bad debts cannot be handled and there is a risk of further rise in more new bad debts. More worrisome is that in coming time, bad debts will not only come from debts structured due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic but also from debts of real estate enterprises through corporate bonds at banks. According to data from SSI Research, in 2021, real estate enterprises issued VND 318,200 bn of corporate bonds, accounting for 44% of the total amount of corporate bonds issued, an increase of 66.3% compared to 2020. Of these, the number of corporate bonds without collateral or secured partially or whole with shares was at VND 172,500 bn, accounting for 54.2% of the issuance in 2021. From the end of 2021, experts have warned of corporate bonds risks. Until the cancellation of bonds of companies belonging to the Tan Hoang Minh Group, the issuance activity had not slowed down. In the first quarter of 2022, real estate enterprises still led in terms of issuance value with a total volume of VND 17,211 bn, accounting for 43.36% of the total issuance value across the country. However, by April, there was no corporate bond issuances by real estate companies. Many people think that it will be difficult for real estate businesses to continue to raise capital from the corporate bonds market after the above incidents. At the same time, commercial banks have also tightened credit for this sector. The SBV has raised the risk coefficient for real estate loans and has proposed a roadmap to reduce the ratio of short-term capital for medium and long-term loans. This will create a problem for real estate enterprises in the future. According to Asso. Prof. Dr. Truong Quang Thong from the University of Economics in Ho Chi Minh City, many corporate bonds, including in real estate, are held by commercial banks and that number is certainly not small. In case these enterprises cannot repay the bondholders due to difficulties in raising capital, it would lead to bottlenecks in both liquidity flow and the project itself, hence banks would be strongly affected. In such a perspective, it can be said that the banking industry is looking for a way out of their bad debts situation but is currently still inundated under bad debts and will have to continue to bear this burden for a very long time to come. Yen Lam Nairobi Clashes last week between gold miners in the country's north left more than 100 people dead, the Chadian government said. The clashes took place May 23 and 24 in the Kouri Bougoudi district, near the border with Libya. The area is home to many unregulated mines where people search for gold. Chad's minister of defense said Monday that according to a government fact-finding mission, more than 100 people were killed and 40 others injured in the fighting. Minister Daoud Yaya Brahim said the fighting broke out at night in the mining sites, but did not identify the cause of the violence. Chad's communication minister said last week that the clashes were between Arabs who crossed the border from Libya and the Tama community who hail from eastern Chad. Chadian authorities have suspended informal mining operations in Kouri Bougoudi and evacuated people from the area. Chad is involved in a fight against terrorism and rebel groups who threaten to topple the interim government led by the son of late president Idriss Deby. However, there was no indication that terrorist or criminal groups played a role in the mining violence. Final plans are being ironed out for a trio of Hilton-brand hotels on the upper end of the Buena Vista Lagoon, a reedy freshwater pond at the Oceanside-Carlsbad border thats been the focus of a long-running restoration debate. Called the Inns of Buena Vista Creek, the hotel project is proposed for 12.5 acres east of Jefferson Street and just south of state Route 78. The vacant land, wedged between the Carlsbad mall and the highway, was created in the early 1970s with sediment dredged from the lagoon. The business-class properties would be four to six stories tall, with a separate shared events pavilion, a four-story parking structure and other amenities. Local environmental groups had hoped to preserve the land but lacked the money to purchase it. In an ideal world, we would have liked to see that whole parcel acquired for open space, Diane Nygaard, president of the environmental group Preserve Calavera, said Friday. But its clear thats not going to happen. Advertisement Instead, they worked for years with the owner Jenna Development of Signal Hill, near Los Angeles on an agreement to restore part of the property and the adjacent creek to its natural state. They worked very constructively with us for a long time, said Nygaard, adding that the site was in desperate need of improvement. This is a terribly degraded piece of land. Its been a weed patch for years. A representative of Jenna Development could not be reached this week to discuss the project. The Buena Vista Audubon Society, the Buena Vista Lagoon Foundation, the San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians and other local groups also participated in the effort to minimize the environmental effects of the project.. The land is an environmentally sensitive location along the creek, at the tip of the lagoon and near the lower end of the 134-acre Buena Vista Creek Ecological Reserve that Preserve Calavera worked for years to see created. We were concerned because they have this creek reserve on one end and the lagoon reserve on the other end, said Joan Herskowitz, an Audubon Society board member. We wanted to make sure that there is a wildlife corridor (between the reserves) that can be traversed by birds and other animals. The hotel property may include part of a planned Waves to Waterfall trail that eventually would allow pedestrians and cyclists to travel along the creek from the beach to the historic El Salto Falls just east of the Quarry Creek project. Ideally, that trail would link to the Coastal Rail Trail and other regional pathways. It will take 20 or 30 years, but the pieces are starting to fall into place, Nygaard said. Meanwhile, the lagoon Southern Californias only freshwater lagoon has been filling with silt and sediment since the last time it was dredged in 1983. A man-made weir near Coast Highway separates it from the ocean. A decades-long proposal to restore the lagoon hit some hurdles years ago when state and local groups couldnt agree on whether it should remain a freshwater lagoon, or go back to its natural state. Without intervention, the entire 200-acre lagoon will eventually become a marsh or grassy field. At this point, even if a restoration plan moves forward, its unclear where the money would come from. Final environmental documents for the hotel project could go to Oceanside officials for approval before the end of this year, City Planner Jeff Hunt said Wednesday. But numerous other agencies, including Carlsbad, will still need to OK all or parts of the plans. Its still got a lot of the process to go through, Hunt said. In 2011, a consultant representing the property owners said they hoped to break ground on the project within a year. However, like any coastal development, the planning hasnt been easy. Its safe to say there are some citizen concerns, Hunt said. Those concerns include how the hotels would affect public views, traffic and wildlife. Final environmental documents addressing those issues and others are expected to be presented to the Oceanside City Council by the end of this year. Most of the site is in Oceanside, making that city the lead agency on the project. A little more than two acres is in Carlsbad, though most of that land is to be left as open space. The project also will need approvals from the California Coastal Commission, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, and other agencies, Hunt said. A project description filed with the Oceanside Planning Department in October said the project will include a three-lane bridge across the creek to connect the complex with the adjacent Shoppes at Carlsbad mall. The hotels also will have direct access to Jefferson Street. Preliminary plans submitted to the city show the westernmost hotel, the tallest, would be a Hampton Inn, the second would be an Embassy Suites, and the third would be a Homewood Suites, all brands in the Hilton chain. philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @phildiehl The membership status of the newly elected governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, Chief Ikechi Emenike and his loyalty to the ruling party has never been in doubt, the State's Chairman of Abia APC, Dr. Kingsley Ononogbu has said. He stated this in his reaction to, "a restraining order" issued by an Abia State High Court sitting in Umuahia after the governorship primary had been concluded. The suit was filed by some aggrieved party members in a bid to stop the primary and disqualify Emenike's candidacy on the ground that he had been, "on suspension." However, a court judgment made available to the media showed that the purported suspension of the Abia APC leader was quashed last November by an Umuahia High Court sitting in Umunneochi. Abia APC faithful were therefore taken aback when a court of concurrent jurisdiction decided to delve into a fresh suit and even issued an order in a matter already decided by another court. Emenike, Ejike Olekanma and Ikenna Emmanuel Anyalewechi had gone to court asking for the nullification of the purported suspension announced at a "kangaroo meeting of the aggrieved" held at Ikwuano in August last year. Joined as defendants in the suit were APC, then Catetaker Chairman, Mai Mala Buni (for himself and member of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee), and Wilson Chimelulam Utaegbulam. In its judgment delivered on November 4, 2021, in the Suit No: HUM/41/2021, the court presided over by Justice Benson Anya, had held that Emenike, who then was the Secretary of APC Contact and Strategy Committee, "is an authentic and bona-fide member of APC." Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The court held that the defendants had admitted that the claimants were authentic members of APC having failed to file a counter affidavit to challenge the deposition contained in the 22 paragraph affidavit and four exhibits filed by the claimants. "This is because facts admitted need no further proof," Justice Anya said, adding that he was, "convinced that the defendants were duly served the originating summons," filed on October 20, 2021, yet they could not counter the claimants' depositions, "but rather filed a written address in response to the originating summons." "In the light of the foregoing, the claimants reliefs are granted as prayed and judgment is entered in favour of the claimants," the court said. However, no order was made as to cost against the defendants. Among the reliefs sought by Emenike and the other claimants were that the Court should declare that the said letter dated August 24, 2021, purporting to have suspend Emenike "is ineffective, abusive and ultra vires" of the powers of those purported to have written the said letter. That Emenike, "is and remains an authentic/bona fide member and leader of the first defendant(APC) in Nkwoegwu Ward, Umuahia North Local Government and Abia State with full rights and benefits." The claimants also urged the court to declare that Emenike's membership of APC was never in question since he was duly registered and his name is in the party's membership register in his Nkwoegwu ward hence it was only the ward members in relevant ward congress/executive that determine a member's status following due process. The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has called for global solidarity in responding to crises facing the world, especially the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. The DG in a statement issued by WTO yesterday, underlined the important role the global trade body could play in helping to tackle pressing issues such as growing food insecurity, the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, supply chain disruptions and dwindling fisheries resources. It pointed out that at a Forum at the recently held World Economic Forum, the DG said a theme common to all the major crises facing the world today was the fact that no single country would be able to resolve the challenges on its own. "You cannot have resilience unless you have global solidarity," she told participants. "It's survival together, it's supporting each other, it's financing together, it's recognising that my resilience cannot happen unless your resilience also happens." The DG reminded participants that world leaders created a set of institutions after the Second World War based on the idea of solidifying international interdependence and solidarity and using these institutions to help solve problems of the global commons. "We have the institutions, we just have not reformed them to be able to deal with these issues, and my institution, the WTO, is one that I think needs to be made fit for purpose," she declared. According to the statement, the Director-General also participated in a discussion on challenges to trade with European Union Trade Commissioner, Valdis Dombrovskis and Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. During the discussion, the DG noted that at the MC12, the WTO members would be addressing many crisis issues. These, she said would include the WTO's response to the pandemic, both in terms of addressing trade and health measures, and of a waiver to WTO intellectual property rules for vaccine production; concluding more than two decades of negotiations on an agreement to eliminate harmful fisheries subsidies; setting the path for future work on agricultural reform; and launching the process for discussions on WTO reform. "Members will also seek to address food security fears by looking at what steps can be taken to facilitate trade's central role in ensuring that food is available to those in need, while also addressing the concerns of producers regarding the need to ensure sufficient domestic supply. "It's very difficult to agree to things multilaterally, and that has been plaguing the WTO. We shouldn't make light of it. That's why we need to find ways forward to agree on some things to show that the organisation can function," she added. Okonjo-Iweala also underlined the urgent need to address global warming and its impacts during a Forum discussion on climate change. She said climate change should not be sidelined as the world grapples with other immediate challenges. "The consequences of inaction are in front of us every day, on every continent, in so many countries," she added. "It's true that we're in a world of simultaneous crises, climate change, food, the pandemic, international security, but I don't think we can prioritize one over the other because they're all linked, they're all crises of the global commons." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate On the blacktop of a Montessori school in Oakland, a gym teacher kept his head on a swivel last week, eyeing unfamiliar faces in the parking lot, knowing its just him out there to protect 40 children as they play. A middle school teacher in San Francisco offered to teach staff how to stanch the bleeding from a violent wound. And at an evening meeting for parents of middle and high schoolers in the city, the discussion turned toward door locks, security cameras and staff communication radios. The school year began with hope as children filed into classrooms after more than a year of remote classes and pandemic disruptions to their learning and their lives. It is ending with a brutal reminder that schools, like malls, movie theaters and grocery stores, remain just as vulnerable to mass shooting attacks as they were 10 years ago, when the nation was stunned by a lone gunmans massacre of 26 children and adults in Newtown, Conn. After a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, there were once again loud and emphatic calls for Congress to pass meaningful gun control measures. Little happened in 2012, and it already appears little will happen in 2022, after Republican senators blocked a gun control bill in the days following the Texas shooting. In Uvalde, there are also many questions about the police response, and their decision to wait to enter the building as students called 911. Amid all this, school officials are left with having to figure out the best way to prevent violence and protect children, their teachers and staff. On the same day as the shooting in Texas, a second-grade student in Sacramento allegedly brought a gun and ammunition to school, reinforcing the feeling that the threat is constant and that school violence could erupt anywhere, anytime. Enough is enough how much more do we have to deal with? said Steve Herrington, superintendent of the Sonoma County Office of Education. Were not dealing with the real issue. The gun is the destructive component here. School officials across the Bay Area sent out reassurances to parents last week, saying they would beef up security, screen visitors, keep the doors locked. Police vowed to have more uniformed officers patrol around school campuses. Between the lines of those messages, there is no guarantee. The nightmare of a gunmans violence could come here. The shared anxiety of parents, teachers and students across the country is not because campuses havent adapted to the threat that an armed shooter bent on violence might walk in. The so-called Columbine locks on many classroom doors that allow children and staff to lock themselves inside were named after the Colorado high school where in 1999 a teacher and 12 students were murdered by two of their peers. They are not yet universal, though many updated and newer schools have them. By now, many children have participated in active-shooter drills their entire school careers. Greg Markwith, who oversees San Francisco Unifieds emergency preparedness and crisis response, said schools are required to have robust safety plans and revise them each year. Campuses conduct regular drills for lockdowns, when they need to keep students and staff safe from on-campus perils, and for lockouts, when they need to keep outside dangers from coming in. Its sometimes an uncomfortable topic, but it has to happen, we have to be prepared, Markwith said. San Francisco district officials last week announced a new program called the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System, allowing people to report concerns anonymously. Violence prevention is key, Markwith said, and students must feel safe reporting signs of dangerous behavior they might see. At West Contra Costa County Unified, district officials last week urged principals to ensure theres just one point of entry to their campuses so visitors can be closely monitored. District spokesperson Ryan Phillips said students have been struggling with behavior issues since schools reopened after pandemic closures, and violent incidents have been on the rise. Its been difficult for students to transition back to being in the classroom were struggling to get back to normal, Phillips said. Now especially after the horribly tragic shooting, we know that everyone in the community is thinking about school safety too. At James Lick Middle School in San Francisco, Principal Ruby De Tie ditched the remarks shed written for a ceremony honoring students advancing to high school. Instead, she asked everyone to hug the person next to them even strangers and cherish every day. It all became very real to me, De Tie said. I do feel my school is safe, and we can add more security. But we dont know ... we just dont know. The tragedy in Texas has led to critiques of the fence that the gunman climbed at Robb Elementary School, the unlocked door he walked through and whether the school resource officer was on-site. In particular, people are asking why law enforcement officers waited for 78 minutes while hiding children trapped in a room with the gunman frantically called 911. Some school leaders and parents in the Bay Area shared frustration that schools will remain vulnerable as long as guns including deadly assault rifles remain readily available for almost anyone to buy. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. My daughter has had school lockdowns and drills for her entire academic life, which is depressing, but you know you have to do this sort of thing, said Max Garrone, a parent leader with San Franciscos middle and high school task force. The bigger issue is its about guns and this countrys relationship with guns. Every other country has figured out how to keep kids safe gun control works, said Meredith Dodson, executive director of the San Francisco Parent Coalition. Its a failure of our country, failure of our policymakers. U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Napa, who chairs the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force created after the Sandy Hook massacre in Connecticut, criticized Republican legislators for blocking meaningful and broadly popular gun legislation like background checks. He lambasted his political opponents proposals in response to the lives lost in Texas for school grounds security improvements. Schools arent the only venue for violence, Thompson said. I dont think you can make every place bulletproof. The most expeditious and most effective thing is to expand background checks before anybody could buy a gun. The violence in Texas has also stirred public debate about whether the significant money schools have put into security and time into active-shooter drills is effective at keeping children safe. But drills can be valuable, creating muscle memory people can rely on during an emergency, said Jaclyn Schildkraut, associate professor of criminal justice at State University of New York at Oswego. Schildkraut, who grew up in Parkland, Fla., where a 19-year-old gunman killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018, has studied lockdown strategies and drills for the last four years. Locked doors have proved to deter assailants, she said. Prevention must come before a shooter gets onto campus. Most leak their intentions in advance, providing a crucial window for preventing violence if those around them come forward, Schildkraut said. At least one person knows, Schildkraut said. On a playground at Arbor Montessori in Oakland, physical education teacher Mikael Wooten said goodbye to kids at the end of the school day Friday. Wooten said he felt schools were too locked down and not welcoming enough for the children, but isnt so sure now. He supports background checks for gun purchases and restrictions on assault rifles but hes doubtful politicians in Washington, D.C., will muster the courage to do so. Theyre our responsibility, from the time theyre dropped off to the time theyre picked up, Wooten said. I dont put too much stock in waiting for change at that level. I have to worry about helping my kids the best way I can. Julie Johnson (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: julie.johnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @juliejohnson Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle A persons body was found in an Oakland street on Monday morning and police are investigating it as a suspicious circumstance death, authorities said. Oakland polices Communications Division received a call shortly after 6 a.m. reporting a person lying in the street in the 200 block of 13th Street., police said about three blocks from Lake Merritt. A judge has ordered a halt to a statewide program of spraying pesticides on public lands and some private property, saying California officials are required to assess the potential health effects of spraying projects in advance and have failed to do so. The ruling by Sacramento County Superior Court Judge James Arguelles follows a state appeals courts decision in October that found the state Department of Food and Agriculture significantly understated the amount of pesticide it uses and failed to provide protections for waterways and for bees and other pollinators that can be harmed by the chemicals. Arguelles ordered the department to suspend all spraying under the Statewide Plant Pest Prevention and Management Program within two months except for projects that had been separately authorized and won court approval of their environmental impact reports. More than 75 pesticides have been used in the program, according to environmental and health organizations that sued the state along with the city of Berkeley. This court ruling stopping indiscriminate pesticide spraying by the state is a huge victory for public health, the environment and species impacted by toxic pesticides, said Rebecca Spector, West Coast director for the Center for Food Safety. The Department of Food and Agriculture said it is complying with the order as we fulfill our mandate to protect Californias agriculture, environment and habitat from invasive pests and diseases. The order and the appeals court ruling rejected an environmental impact report that the department issued when it authorized the current program in 2014. But Nan Wishner of the California Environmental Health Initiative said the department actually started a version of the program nearly 40 years ago by declaring that Japanese beetles or other insects posed emergencies that required spraying on local crops, often without advance warning to the property owner. The department contended its individual spraying projects were adequately assessed by a statewide environmental impact report that concluded the pesticide program caused no overall harm to living creatures or their habitat. But the Third District Court of Appeal in Sacramento said the departments report acknowledged that only about one-third of pesticides used each year in California are reported to the state, and some of the reports conclusions lacked evidence. For example, the department concluded that its statewide pesticide-management practices would prevent further harm to waterways that had already been polluted, but no facts supporting the departments assertions are provided, Justice Louis Mauro said in the courts October ruling. Likewise, he said, the state failed to document its conclusion that its policies, federal regulations and warnings on product labels would keep chemicals out of waters in agricultural areas. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. And while the department also acknowledged that pesticides can poison bees, Mauro said, it failed to back up its claim that its management practices would minimize harm to bees and other pollinators. Because of the states obligation to alert the public about environmental decisions, the court said, site-specific environmental impact reports, rather than an overall statewide report, are usually required for actions conducted or approved by the state with potential ecological effects. But the court, and Arguelles in his recent order, did not rule out the possibility that the department could remedy the defects in its EIR and prepare a new report that adequately disclosed the impacts of its pesticide use around the state. They could try, but they would end up with the same problem, said Wishner of the California Environmental Health Initiative. How could you analyze every ecosystem, every pesticide? ... Defining it as a statewide program will never fly. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko San Franciscos Chinese Hospital, a nonprofit health care provider to mostly low-income Chinatown seniors, has received $7 million from the foundation of businessman Charles Huang, representing the largest single donation in the hospitals 123-year history. The money will be used to renovate electrical and mechanical infrastructure at the hospitals six-story outpatient building on Jackson Street, which opened in 1979, and to expand services including the laboratory and outpatient surgery, said Chinese Hospital CEO Dr. Jian Zhang. The hospital operates as two buildings the second one being the eight-story inpatient building next to the outpatient tower. Zhang said hospital leaders are also looking into using the donation to create mental and behavioral health programs and expand sub-acute beds. Chinese Hospital continues our vital work of providing quality care to our patients as well as fighting against public crises for many years to come, Zhang said. We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Huang for strengthening our ability to continually innovate and safeguard the community. Huang, chairman of Pasadena private equity firm Pasaca Capital, created the Charles Huang Foundation in 2020. The contribution to Chinese Hospital is the foundations first major donation in the United States. It has previously given millions of dollars to Huangs alma mater the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, and Wuhan University in China. Huang said he was drawn to supporting Chinese Hospital because of its work with less privileged residents. Most of the hospitals inpatients are elderly low-income immigrants who live in Chinatown, the Mission and Visitacion Valley. Many seek care at Chinese Hospital because of the staffs language capacity and culturally competent care. Thats the kind of institution I always want to support, Huang said. During the pandemic, anti-Asian, particularly anti-Chinese, sentiment runs high. I hope this donation will show to the entire American people that we, the Asians, the Chinese, care about society and we want to give back to society to make our society stronger. Kurt Rogers/The Chronicle 2008 Chinese Hospital has a long history in San Francisco, dating to 1899. Initially called Tung Wah Dispensary, it treated Chinese immigrants working on the railroad who were not allowed to access mainstream hospitals. After the building was destroyed by the 1906 earthquake, the Chinese community raised funds to rebuild it, and the new facility became Chinese Hospital, which opened in 1925. Many Chinese American dignitaries were born there, including the actor Bruce Lee and former San Francisco Supervisor Norman Yee. Chinese Hospital is the only independent hospital left in San Francisco and has struggled financially in recent years amid tensions between the hospitals health plan and the medical group. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 2 1 of 2 Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Photos by Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle Show More Show Less The hospital has been pushing to bring in new patients, including recently partnering with UCSF to provide services for stroke patients, ophthalmology and palliative care. During the pandemic, it opened its skilled nursing unit to take in patients transferring from Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital so the citys hospital could take care of more COVID patients, Zhang said. Financially, it is very challenging especially during the pandemic, so I think we will continue to work with the city and UCSF to create more new services and new programs, she said. Catherine Ho (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Cat_Ho TURLOCK, Stanislaus County In the hotel room that became her familys home for four months, Firoza winced at the sharp pain in her abdomen and held her crying son as her 2-year-old daughter bounced on the only play structure available the bed. I am suffering a lot, she said in Pashto, translated by another Afghan refugee. But at the same time, I have to also take care of my kids. Leaving behind a construction business and their lives in Kabul, a pregnant Firoza; her husband, Ahmad; and their daughter were among the roughly 76,000 Afghan nationals evacuated from their country last August, as the Taliban reclaimed power during the final days of the U.S. governments 20-year occupation. The Chronicle is withholding the couples last name due to security concerns for relatives still in Afghanistan. A former interpreter for the U.S. military, Ahmad believed coming to America meant his family could start over in safety. That belief held through four months at a military base in New Jersey, and followed them onto a plane to Los Angeles in late December. It stuck by the family when they were picked up from the airport by a caseworker from the International Rescue Committee, a nongovernmental organization that receives federal funding to provide refugees with temporary housing, job assistance, and help with obtaining government documents, medical care and even school enrollment. It was after they traveled roughly 300 miles to a Central Valley city that has been a destination for refugees since 2004 that the familys faith started to fray. More than 2,900 refugees evacuated from Afghanistan during the U.S. withdrawal have landed in Sacramento, Oakland, San Jose and Turlock, where the IRC has its Northern California offices. The vast majority have transitioned into some form of permanent housing that they must pay for while rebuilding lives from scratch and navigating immigration requirements. But 148 remain in temporary living quarters, and 93 63% are in Turlock, where frustrated refugees level complaints of neglect against an overtaxed IRC office that says its doing the best it can under difficult circumstances. People on the ground say the situation reflects a collision between Californias housing crisis and a nation that is returning to its refugee-friendly ideals after four years of refugee-hostile government policies under the Trump administration that caused more than 100 resettlement agency offices to close nationwide. The resettlement of Afghans is one of the most complex, massive and unprecedented logistical and humanitarian challenges in American history, IRC spokesperson Stanford Prescott said in a statement. The IRC is growing in Turlock to meet the moment, as are all resettlement offices across the country. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle Top of story: Ahmad looks after his children, Sidna, 2, and Mohammad, 3 months, in the Comfort Suites hotel in Turlock (Stanislaus County). Above left: Ahmad delivers a plate of food to a fellow Afghan refugee in the hotel. Above right: Firoza holds son Mohammad. Photos by Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle Top of story: Ahmad looks after his children, Sidna, 2, and Mohammad, 3 months, in the Comfort Suites hotel in Turlock (Stanislaus County). Top: Ahmad delivers a plate of food to a fellow Afghan refugee in the hotel. Above: Firoza holds son Mohammad. Photos by Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle In the heart of the states agricultural valley, the challenges can play out in different ways. Like four other refugees interviewed by The Chronicle, Ahmad and Firoza say they received little help from the caseworker assigned to them, leaving them virtually stranded in a rural city of 73,000 with one mosque, few grocery stores and limited housing options. During their first 10 days at the Comfort Suites hotel, the couple say the few boxes of frozen pizza bites and instant ramen they received ran out. There was no milk for their children. During their first few weeks, they say, calls to their resettlement caseworker for rides, for help obtaining Social Security cards, drivers licenses and food stamps went unanswered. Promised English classes never materialized. In January, the pain in Firozas abdomen sent her to the emergency room. Ahmad left multiple messages for their caseworker. His wife needed to see a urologist, he said. The caseworker made Firoza an appointment with an OBGYN. Some days Firoza wished she was back home, despite the dangers. We have come here to save our lives, Firoza, 21, said. We have no other option but to stay here. Eager to find work and provide for his family, Ahmad struggled with feelings of helplessness. Ive killed all my hopes and wishes, Ahmad, 25, said. Physically, Im just living because of my babies. Ahmad pushed away those desperate thoughts. He would get his family out of this place. And he would help as many of his people along the way as he could. A monumental task Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle One of the last acts of the Trump administration was to limit refugee admissions to just 15,000 last year. President Biden increased the cap more than eight-fold, to 125,000 refugees this year, not including the tens of thousands of Afghan nationals admitted under a process called humanitarian parole. Refugees often require extensive support to reach self-sufficiency. In California, where 8,000 Afghan refugees have been taken in, the International Rescue Committee is one organization performing that work. Prescott of the IRC called it a monumental task, representing the largest single influx of refugees since the Vietnam war and said the committee was working overtime to pull it off. The IRC receives $2,275 in federal funding for each Afghan refugee it serves, money that is supposed to cover three months of relocation services. Half is considered welcome money to be given to each refugee as they transition to permanent housing. For everything else, the IRC is expected to use other funding or work with the surrounding community. Prescott said the IRC has had a presence in Stanislaus County since 2000, and opened its Turlock office four years later. The committee has successfully resettled nearly 4,000 refugees and immigrants of various nationalities in that time, he added, including almost 2,800 Afghans in Stanislaus County over the past decade. While Prescott said the IRC office has many community partners in the area, the director of the Turlock office, Vivien Jacob, says the pandemic magnified the challenges of serving this population in a rural area with less local government and community support infrastructure than in larger cities. One example: Because of the persistent threat of COVID, IRC staff cannot give rides in their company van, Jacob said in a phone interview. And there are simply few rideshare options in the county. If you open the app, you will see only maybe one driver, Jacob said. For this reason, refugees have to walk most places. Every Friday, a group of men from Comfort Suites walk three miles round trip, past neatly kept homes and busy Main Street cafes, to the citys lone mosque, to pray, eat and get a change of scenery from their hotel rooms. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle One day, Ahmad walked three hours to the nearest government office in Modesto to apply for a Social Security card. He then walked three hours back. Look at the blisters I have, still, he said, pointing to his feet. As one of the few English-speakers residing at the Comfort Suites, Ahmad said he has helped other families obtain Social Security cards when they couldnt reach their caseworkers. A lack of transportation also forced Ahmad to turn down a job he found stacking shelves at an Indian grocery store in Modesto. When his caseworker didnt return messages, Ahmad took to asking strangers in the hotel lobby if they would lend him their cars to take a driving test. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle Left: Firoza feeds daughter Sidna, 2, at the hotel. Right: Ahmad gets a ride back to the hotel. A lack of transportation forced him to turn down a job at a grocery store in Modesto. Photos by Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle Top: Firoza feeds daughter Sidna, 2, at the hotel. Above: Ahmad gets a ride back to the hotel. A lack of transportation forced him to turn down a job at a grocery store in Modesto. Photos by Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle The IRC are definitely not responding to calls or even messages, Ahmad said. After 10 days, after a week passed, then they message, OK, we will see what we will do. They are just passing time; they are not helping people. Jacob said it has been a challenge to quickly hire enough qualified caseworkers in Turlock. We started recruiting, posting the positions to staff up as soon as possible, but unfortunately we have positions that are open, she said. These tensions boiled over at the Comfort Suites hotel in April, according to an audio recording obtained by The Chronicle. At one point during the 25-minute recording, a woman identified as an IRC resettlement coordinator by two people at the meeting shouted down Ahmad and asked him why he and his family stayed at the hotel if they were uncomfortable there. Reached by phone, the resettlement coordinator said she would call back but did not do so. Emails and phone messages went unreturned. The Chronicle is not naming the worker because it hasnt independently confirmed her identity. Prescott said the recording was made without the IRCs consent and declined to comment on it. Jacob previously confirmed she and her staff met with refugees to discuss complaints they had made in a letter. The director said much of the frustration concerned how long they had to wait for housing. Resettlement agencies are only paid to provide services for up to 90 days. Jacob said her office has used privately raised funds to keep people in hotels much longer since permanent housing in the area has been extremely difficult to find. Its a matter of having an inventory of housing in order to move them out, Jacob said. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle For refugees, the scarcity of low-cost housing is compounded by the qualifications they must meet to obtain it: Landlords require proof of income, good credit scores and a lease co-signer, things they struggle to provide. Ahmad Kayello, imam of the Islamic Center of Modesto, understands the challenges of operating in rural areas. Kayello said resettlement agencies cannot do everything on the small amounts of money they receive from the government. Dont just bring the refugees and dump them and say you should survive on (your) own, Kayello said. This is unethical. Funding issues are real, added Layli Shirani, staff attorney at the Council on American Islamic Relations. Insufficient funding translates into insufficient services and the people we are all committed to serving suffer. Biden is pushing for Afghan refugees to more easily transition to legal permanent residency and a path to citizenship. Yet for Ahmad and others, help finding jobs, housing and medical care is more pressing. In Turlock, community organizations are picking up that slack. Eager to rebuild Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle Following a request from the IRC, Kayello found volunteers at commercial kitchens and in the local Muslim community to cook and deliver up to 180 hot meals per day. Yet he fears it cannot last. We have very limited resources, Kayello said. Our people here live check to check. The Fremont-based Afghan Coalition has pitched in, sending one of its staffers to assist Turlocks refugees. Coalition director Rona Popal said Turlocks Afghan refugees arent getting the basic necessities they need to reach self sufficiency. They need shoes, they need food, they need bicycles to go (and) do the small jobs they need to (do), Popal said. They are walking one hour and 40 minutes just to get groceries. Afghan Coalition elderly outreach navigator Nariman Khattak said she has traveled to Turlock to help welcome newborn babies in hospitals, to translate for mothers seeking milk through the local Women, Infants, and Children supplemental nutrition program, and for refugees at social services offices. Khattak said the hardest part of her job is seeing peoples hope deteriorate. People say, We are depressed, we are stuck in (this) hotel, we dont have good food, we have nowhere to go. Khattak said she spends much of her time calling around to find people willing to co-sign a lease. This morning I got a call, Nariman, we found a place in Tracy. Please help. IRC is not going to be co-signer, Khattak recounted. I called one person and another person and then I called the masjid (the mosque) and the brother there, bless him, he will be the co-signer. (The family) have been in the hotel for months and they need this house. Ahmad initially requested to be resettled near his mother and brother in San Jose. If he had been placed in a hotel there, he may have fared better. When The Chronicle visited San Joses Stay America hotel, the smell of traditional spices filled the hallways. Refugees had kitchens in their rooms and could get to nearby stores and appointments using rideshare. People said through a translator that the IRC caseworkers had been very helpful. Ahmad finally did get his wish when his brother found a two-bedroom apartment for $2,200 a month and agreed to sign the lease. The family of four moved in early May. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle Ahmad spent his first few weeks in San Jose applying for jobs and has taken a course to be a security guard. His wife is still dealing with debilitating kidney stones. She has yet to see a urologist. Right now, we are under a lot of stress, Firoza said. Ahmad still translates for the people he met at the Comfort Suites through WhatsApp. His final act before leaving Turlock, he said, was to lobby the IRC to pay dozens of Afghan evacuees their welcome money, much of which had been spent on extended hotel stays. Ahmad said he made a good case and that the IRC agreed. For him, the money was enough to cover the security deposit and first months rent. But the rent for June is fast approaching. Deepa Fernandes is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: deepa.fernandes@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @deepafern This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate French restaurants in the U.S. are often designed to evoke Parisian bistros, starring dishes such as escargot and steak tartare. But when chef Paul Canales, known for his Spanish restaurant Duende and his years at now-closed Oliveto, started thinking about his next restaurant, he knew he wanted to show off something different about French cuisine. Immediately, we did not want to do your family vacation to France in the 80s bistro, Canales said. Instead, hes focusing on the southern region of France for Occitania, which is set to open Wednesday at 2455 Broadway Ave., the site of a new Hyatt hotel named Kissel, in Uptown Oakland. It will also incorporate elements of Basque and northern Italian cuisine into its French-inspired menu. Expect dishes on the opening menu such as brandade, a baked gratin made with salt cod, potatoes, garlic and Gruyere; bourride Provencal, a seafood stew of Petrale sole, shrimp, leeks, fennel, artichokes and aioli; and a variety of sausages. Dishes are expected to cost $6 to $28. To draw in people who arent familiar with the food from this region of France, there will also be classic crowd-pleasers such as steak frites and duck confit. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle We get to dig into this sort of comfort, but (are) able to add finesse, Canales said. Despite the imminent opening, Canales hasnt settled on a menu yet. Thats because itll be based around seasonal produce sourced from local farms. Also on the restaurant team are Rafe Gabel, vice president of operations and wine director; Brandon Cavazos, chef de cuisine; and Jennifer Kenny Nguyen, a pastry chef who was named a Chronicle Rising Star in 2007. Gabel was previously the restaurant consultant and beverage director at Menlo Parks Left Bank Brasserie, and Cavazos was the chef at San Francisco wine bar Tank18. Gabel plans to incorporate some classic French and Spanish wines from Bordeaux, Languedoc and Catalonia along with local offerings from Napa and Sonoma. The initial wine menu will consist of 50 bottles (with options by the glass) before expanding to 150 bottles. There will also be a short beer list, plus French cocktails with a twist think classic spirits with house-made syrups and shrubs. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle The restaurant was designed by Oakland architecture firm Arcsine, which previously designed Duende and Bay Area restaurants Calavera and Wursthall. Occitanias neutral color scheme will be accented by pieces from Oakland artists. Sculptures from Peter St. Lawrence and art from Sam Strand are meant to mirror the breezes of Toulouse, a wind-driven region in southwestern France. St. Lawrence and Strand also contributed to the aesthetic at Duende. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. Whereas Duende was designed with shadows and careful lighting in mind, Occitania will be the opposite of that. Occitania takes its inspiration from Provence, known for its sunny weather and lavender fields, and the mountains just southwest of the region. Colorful weavings from Ramona Downey will hang in the space, evoking art such as Mark Rothkos color fields-inspired work. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle Although Gabel has experience working in Michelin-starred restaurants, he and Canales said they arent striving to create a high-end dining service. Occitania will be more about educating diners on the wide variety of French cuisine. We want a very memorable experience, with the foundations of our service being that people want to feel very engaged at whatever level they want to be, Gabel said. Occitania. Opens Wednesday. 5-9:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. 422 24th Street , Oakland. www.occitaniaoakland.com Gwendolyn Wu (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: gwendolyn.wu@sfchronicle.com A member of the House of Representatives from Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa federal constituency, Honourable Shina Peller, has revealed there was an attempt to assassinate him on his way from Ibadan to Oke Ogun on Sunday 29th May 2022. In a statement he made available to journalists, the legislator also insisted that there was no All Progressives Congress (APC) Senatorial primary election in Oyo North. Regarding the report on the assassination attempt on his life, he said: "This was true. I was at Premier Hotel in Ibadan for the meeting with other APC Oyo North Senatorial aspirants who were not satisfied with what happened in Iseyin on Saturday. After the meeting, I left Premier Hotel for Oke Ogun in my convoy. However, a few minutes after we had left, I got an intel that six vehicles (Four cars, and two buses) loaded with thugs and ammunition were on my trail to take my life. They gave the description of the vehicles, and I passed the information to my security details. "When we got to the spot, we actually noticed that the vehicles in question matched the same description we had been given earlier and had campaign stickers and face caps of Senator Teslim Folarin. My security details then decided to disarm and arrest them. My life is seriously being threatened just because I am trying to protect the interest of my dear people from the Oke Ogun region. I am using this opportunity to call on President Muhammadu Buhari, relevant stakeholders and security agencies to call Senator Teslim Folarin and his evil machinery to order, as people will hold him accountable if anything happened to me, my family or my aides." Speaking further, he said there have been calls from loved ones, supporters, close associates and family about the controversy surrounding the APC) Oyo North Senatorial Primaries which was scheduled to hold on Saturday 28th May 2022 at the Iseyin District Grammar School (IDGS). Explaining what happened he said:"To set the record straight, there are five aspirants contesting for the APC Oyo North Senatorial ticket in the forthcoming 2023 general election, and they are my humble self, Honourable Shina Peller, the incumbent occupier of the seat, Senator Fatai Buhari, who is determined to return to the Senate for the third term by whatever means, Honourable Saheed Alaran, Chief Ogunbode and Mrs. Adeola Adeboyin. We were all there waiting for several hours with no sight of Senator Buhari and party officials until when we got an information that secret accreditation of delegates was ongoing at Sharapy Hotel, Odo-Omu area, Iseyin-Oyo Road, Iseyin. We moved to the hotel and we saw that truly a lot of buses were parked around with so many people engaging in illegal accreditation. When they saw us, they started running away. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "Whilst we were at the hotel, we got another information that they had moved to the residence of the former Iseyin Local Government Chairman, Engineer Abolade and that some aggrieved people were already on their way to his house to disrupt their illegal process. To avoid any violence, myself, other three aspirants had to move to the place so that we could control the situation. When we got there, we discovered that truly kangaroo primaries was already ongoing with some unaccredited delegates with result sheets and membership registration slips that have no passports. This kangaroo primaries was being conducted with close supervision of the former Oyo State Commissioner for Works and Transport, Alhaji Wasiu Dauda Azuzu and Senator Fatai Buhari. When they realised that there was no way they could continue with their secret voting, we were invited to a meeting at Premier Hotel to resolve the issue. He said further: "We were surprised to be informed that they decided to postpone the primaries until the following day and unconstitutionally moved the venue from Iseyin to Saki to enable them manipulate the process and impose Senator Buhari on us all. This was the true picture of what transpired on Saturday, and as God would have it, gentlemen of the press were on ground at the IDGS; they witnessed and reported everything. ARISE News Channle, AIT, Punch, Nation, THISDAY , Tribune, Sun, Independent newspapers, Radio Nigeria, Oke Ogun FM and other notable media outlets were on ground and as evident in their reports, they spoke to all other four aspirants right there at the venue except Senator Fatai Buhari who was somewhere else with other bad elements in the party trying to manipulate the primaries." For food writer Nicole A. Taylor, Juneteenth is the clink of ice cubes in glasses of strawberry lemonade, sweaty with condensation; a table groaning with hot tamales, ruby-red hot links, potato salad and Moscato-glazed pound cake; the scents, sounds and sartorial excellence of people brought together to celebrate locally harvested, coast-to-coast, USDA Prime liberty, in all its bitter sweetness. After publishing numerous stories and recipes in food publications about the holiday, Taylor has finally collected her research in a new cookbook, Watermelon & Red Birds. Its a historic one: the first cookbook dedicated to all things Juneteenth. In 1865, the last remaining enslaved people in the United States were set free from their bonds two years after President Lincoln formally issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The next year, Black Texans commemorated their freedom, delayed as it was, with the first Juneteenth, with the holiday subsequently spreading among Black communities throughout the country. Taylors book, which is now available in bookstores, is also incredibly timely, coming a year after President Biden signed legislation to establish Juneteenth as a federal holiday in the wake of widespread protests against white supremacy and police violence. It was a bittersweet moment that Taylor notes in the books introduction with no lack of irony. But now, with national recognition of Juneteenth at an all-time high, there are likely many out there seeking inspiration on what to cook. Courtesy Beatriz da Costa Because like any great holiday, Juneteenth once known as Jubilee Day or Emancipation Day has an established, ritualized feasting. Red food and drinks, a celebratory tradition with origins in West Africa, are one part; classic soul food and barbecue are another. In her introduction, Taylor includes a telling line from a 1933 article about the holiday in the Dallas Morning News, which reported that Watermelon, barbecue and red lemonade will be consumed in quantity. But instead of going for traditional takes on the Juneteenth table, Taylor gives them a contemporary spin in her book, finding inspiration in the Juneteenth feasts, splendorous summer festivals and Black culinary innovations that have nourished her. She creates her dishes red hues with romesco and harissa; punches up Bloody Mary cocktails with miso; and makes space for vegetarians with hearty, plant-based barbecue dishes. Anyway, holidays naturally lend themselves to playful riffs on tradition, like throwing chopped kimchi into your Hanukkah latkes or turning Thanksgiving into a kamayan feast. Taylors recollections of cookouts of Juneteenths past are scattered throughout the recipe headnotes and chapter introductions. Theyre rich with imagery of revelers dancing to DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, fawning over some aunties potato salad, and luxuriating in the sunny warmth of a Brooklyn rooftop terrace. Taylor makes it sound like the best parties are Juneteenth parties, which is probably true. Theres a touch of wry humor in recipes like Taylors barbecue-ready pork chops, which are brined before grilling and garnished with a nutty dukkah. While dukkah is everywhere in trendy cosmopolitan restaurants, she includes it, she writes, as a nod to Shake n Bake mix. A recipe for grilled watermelon kebabs includes an anecdote about Taylor being canceled online for a similar recipe she wrote for Food & Wine magazine, which had shady commentators twisting themselves into knots to accuse her of using stereotypes and minstrelsy to pander to non-Black readers. The title of the book should be enough to tell you her feelings on all that. There are also plenty of helpful sidebars here thatll walk you through a few important basics of Juneteenth party planning and cooking in general. Taylor makes sure youve assigned someone to bring the potato salad, for instance, and reminds you to watch the color of your corn dogs while theyre frying. In testing this book, I tried the Super Greens Pesto Salad, a suggested side dish wherein macerated plums and couscous are lain atop an intensely savory pesto of collard greens, Swiss chard and walnuts. The pureed earthy greens are set off by Parmesan, lime juice and soy sauce, and the pesto is so soothing and rich that I found myself stirring dollops of it into bean soups and oatmeal. I also spent an evening working on her strawberry hand pies, made with an all-butter crust perked up with a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper and a goat cheese frosting. The resulting 10 pies were incredibly, dangerously moreish, and I quickly sought to re-home them to save myself. Following that recipe is a quick one for a pie shake, where you throw one in a blender with honey vanilla ice cream and milk. My heart races like Im face-to-face with a high school crush every time I look at it. Most of the recipes are made for a feast and serve 8-10 people, but I found scaling down for a party of two easy enough. Whether youre planning a blowout or just hoping to learn more about the holiday, Watermelon & Red Birds makes for an informative, and impressive, reference. Lets hope there are more to come. Watermelon & Red Birds. On sale Tuesday, May 31. (Simon & Schuster; 270 pages; $29.99) Soleil Ho is The San Francisco Chronicles restaurant critic. Email: soleil@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hooleil Corn Dogs Serves 6 The land of liberty, my native country, cant claim to have invented the hot dog, but we did invent the corn dog. Carl and Neil Fletcher were the first people to deep-fry hot dogs in cornbread batter, a concoction invented and sold as Fletchers CornyDogs at the Texas state fair in 1942. 2 quarts peanut oil, for frying 6 hot dogs 2 tablespoons cornstarch Corn Dog Batter 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup yellow cornmeal 2 teaspoons baking powder teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons sugar Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. 1 teaspoons fresh thyme teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoons kosher salt 1 large egg 1 cups light beer 6 wooden skewers Instructions: In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat the peanut oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 375 degrees F on an instant-read or deep-fry thermometer. Line a plate with paper towels and set it nearby. Insert a skewer halfway into each hot dog. Place the cornstarch in a baking dish and dust each hot dog with the cornstarch, shaking off any excess. Set aside. To make the corn dog batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, thyme, garlic powder, and salt until well combined. Add the egg and the beer to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth and combined; the batter should be thicker than pancake batter, more like a thin cake batter. Pour the batter into a tall glass and dip each hot dog into the batter to fully coat, allowing the excess to drip off. Immediately place the hot dog in the hot oil and fry until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Use metal tongs to flip the corn dog over to brown the other side. When the corn dog is golden, use the tongs to grab the end of the skewer and transfer it to the paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with the remaining hot dogs. Serve immediately. Excerpted from Watermelon & Red Birds by Nicole A. Taylor. Copyright 2022 by Nicole A. Taylor. Reprinted by permission of Simon & Schuster Inc. All rights reserved. James Holmes, Stephen Paddock, Adam Lanza, Dylann Roof, Seung-Hui Cho, Payton Gendron, David Chou, Jeremy Alesunder, Connor Betts, Patrick Wood Crusius, Robert Aaron Long, Robert Bowers. Recognize those names? Maybe one or two. The rest are unknowns. They are among the mass killers who in recent years shot dead dozens of people, most of them strangers, in schools, movie theaters, concerts, clubs, shopping malls, churches, temples, massage parlors, grocery stores. Last week, the killers were joined by a deranged teen named Salvador Ramos, who authorities say murdered 19 schoolchildren and two of their teachers in Uvalde, Texas, in a midday spasm of madness. Hes dead now, too, and soon we wont know his name, either. Keeping Salvador Ramos out of the collective memory is no accident. The U.S. news media, without a lot of discussion, have adopted a more or less sweeping policy of downplaying and even withholding the names of mass killers from their reports of the horror they wrought. Its an element of the curious restraint the news media choose to exercise in their mass shooting coverage. To be sure, there are good reasons for suppressing names chiefly a wish to deny the killers the notoriety it is believed they murdered to achieve and which might inspire copycats just as there are reasons of taste and decency for the even more widespread practice the media have unthinkingly adopted: withholding from the public the pictures of the dead. But in both cases media restraint is a mistake. It has the alarming potential to make things worse. Anonymizing the killers, which doesnt seem to have deterred anybody, leaves us to conclude that the killings are something like natural disasters, unavoidable and unpredictable happenings that fall outside human capacity to understand, let alone prevent. Failing to run photos of the slaughter allows our visualizations of the event to instead be taken over by gentle and somber images of sorrow, of makeshift shrines built of toys and parents holding candles and weeping over pictures of their children, still smiling and intact. The media become purveyors of dignity and consolation. A community grieves. Reporters bear witness. Things will be fine again. But they wont. Imagine instead that the vast American public was forced to look at what actually went on in Robb Elementary. A roomful of little bodies shattered and faces disfigured by scores of high-velocity bullets, fragments of bone and flesh scattered atop workbooks and overturned desks. How might those images of waste and desecration transform the way we now talk about what happened and what must be done? If thats what unbridled gun rights actually brings, who could then argue its worth the cost? Media ethics teaches journalists to handle gruesome imagery with great reluctance, and regardless of the old canard about cynical newsrooms, editors realize that far from selling papers, tasteless photos cost them readers. But that didnt stop the press from showing the public the hundreds of Vietnamese peasants massacred by U.S. troops at My Lai, or the Syrian toddler whose body washed up on a Turkish beach or doing their jobs in any of the countless other instances when bold photography delivered a reality that words alone could not convey. One of the reasons it keeps happening is that we lack a clear vision of what that it really is. Clarity might also help answer the concern that others who are angry, sick and vulnerable might draw inspiration from mass shooters, which is why our media avoid dwelling on the identity of the killers and why the media are cautioned even to avoid exploring a shooters motives for fear that others will recognize similar feelings and consider murder as a fitting response. Have these potential copycats ever seen just what they are contemplating? Or are they consumed with video game imagery of cosmetically enhanced bloodletting rather than the actual corpses of 9-year-olds shot to pieces? While our leaders flail about and struggle against the might of an industry whose prosperity depends on the unceasing trade in weapons of growing lethality, the news media have a clear course of action which is to do their duty. Massacres constitute both an act of individual savagery and a social failure on multiple levels, and we cannot afford to refrain from the careful investigation that might unearth motive and bring to light warning signs that might save lives. If others draw inspiration from the attention the media give to the killer, they would also have to consider the squalid record of what the killer actually did. Nothing heroic, nothing exciting, a convulsive act that turned terrified children into lifeless debris. Let it be seen. Edward Wasserman is professor of journalism and former dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at UC Berkeley. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A Chihuahua puppy is missing after allegedly being stolen from a tourists vehicle during a smash-and-grab robbery in San Francisco last week. Rylee, an 8-month-old female, was left in the car in a public parking lot on Bay Street at the Embarcadero while her owner, Amanda Chapman of Mena, Ark., took a tour of Alcatraz on the afternoon of May 24. Rylee was left unattended for two hours before Chapman returned to her 2019 Toyota Sienna at 4 p.m. to find the passenger side window smashed and Rylee gone, along with her carrying crate, a duffel bag, a backpack and a beach bag. That was our only stop in San Francisco, said Chapman, who had made the trip out with her wife and mother to celebrate her 21st birthday. They were headed that same afternoon to Sequoia National Park. Seeing Rylee gone completely stopped all of our plans, she said. We spent three days driving around the parking lot where she was taken, looking for her. We also drove through the Tenderloin and even to Oakland looking for her. Chapman has since returned to her home in Arkansas, leaving the search for Rylee in the hands of San Francisco police along with Colette Dunleavy, a UCSF radiology technician who searches for lost dogs in her spare time. Im trying to redeem the reputation of San Francisco among unsuspecting tourists by helping these people, said Dunleavy, who has posted missing dog notices on Craigslist and on various neighborhood and animal-oriented websites. Obviously, you should never leave a dog in a car, but you wouldnt suspect that a dog would be stolen along with belongings in a very public place in broad daylight, she said. When alerted, San Francisco police put out a bulletin to officers and an alert on the San Francisco Citizen app, but its reach is only 1 mile, Dunleavy said. Dunleavy said the search for Rylee will be hindered by the fact that there is no camera surveillance footage of the lot, which is across from Pier 33 where the Alcatraz ferry departs. Rylee had not yet been implanted with an identification microchip, said Dunleavy, who described the dog as gray with oversized ears. When last seen she was wearing a rainbow-colored collar with a star-shaped rabies badge and a teal harness. Dunleavy is a seasoned lost-dog detective and said she was surprised at the crime because Rylee does not represent a breed in demand on the black market. Stolen French bulldogs are common, she said, but it is very unusual for a Chihuahua. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Chapman, who works as a clerk in a doctors office, said she was unaware that San Francisco was notorious for car break-ins, and had she known, she would have dropped Rylee off at a doggie day care they passed on the way. She also was unaware that the lot where she paid $40 for parking was commonly hit with break-ins. Officers responding to the scene told her that, she said. When she asked what she should do about the broken glass, she said she was told by the officer, Just sweep it out onto the street. We call that San Francisco snow. She remains hopeful that Rylee will be returned and asks that anyone who spots Rylee contact either the police or San Francisco Animal Care and Control. I dont ever want to go back to San Francisco, she said, unless it is to pick up Rylee and bring her home. Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SamWhitingSF Will Title IX land you in trouble in the United States? Find out the truth! The cross-country manhunt for Kaitlin Armstrong the Texan yoga teacher wanted for the murder of elite San Francisco cyclist Anna Moriah "Mo" Wilson has entered its third week, and U.S. Marshals have now sent a message to the fugitive. After revealing that Armstrong likely flew from Texas to New York City days after the alleged jealousy-fueled killing of her boyfriend's ex-lover, authorities say her capture is inevitable. Come forward, Deputy U.S. Marshal Brandon Filla, who is leading the case, told NewsNation Prime on Friday. Surrender to authorities. Its just a matter of time. Were working day in and day out. Wed like to safely bring you into custody so you can have your day in court and tell your side of the story. Filla added that Armstrong is considered "armed and dangerous." When asked if there was evidence that Armstrong took another flight from LaGuardia Airport, Filla admitted authorities are in the dark. "We kind of lost the track," he said. "We lost the footprint in the sand when she landed at LaGuardia." U.S. Marshals Meanwhile it has been reported that Colin Strickland, the man at the center of the alleged love triangle-turned-homicide, has gone "underground" after fleeing the state of Texas. According to the Daily Mail, a friend of the professional cyclist said Strickland is worried for his safety, and fears his girlfriend may target him next. None of us can sleep. Hes staying out of sight until shes caught. I do know where he is but Im not mentioning where for his safety, the friend told the tabloid. Hes not in Texas, hes got completely out of Dodge." Strickland who recently lost his sponsorship deal with Specialized in light of the case is not a suspect. U.S. Marshals It has also been revealed that a separate arrest warrant for Armstrong which enabled police to bring her in for questioning, only to let her go the day after the killing was on a 2018 larceny charge for skipping out on a $650 Botox procedure in a Travis County spa. An affidavit acquired by Fox News reveals that after the procedure was completed, Armstrong presented her MasterCard at the spa but said she had another card in her car that she would rather use. She allegedly walked out and never returned. On May 11, Moriah Wilson, a champion mountain biker who lived and worked in San Francisco from 2019 until recently, was staying with a friend in Austin to prepare for an upcoming race. That evening she allegedly went swimming with Strickland, her former romantic partner and fellow racing competitor. Wilson was later found by her friend bleeding and unconscious in the bathroom with multiple gunshot wounds to the torso, before being pronounced dead by first responders. Strickland's girlfriend, Armstrong, is suspected of shooting and killing Wilson minutes after she returned to the apartment on the back of Strickland's motorcycle. So far, authorities have painted the murder as motivated by jealousy. The complex details of the case, involving recently purchased guns, text messages, lies and an anonymous tipster, were revealed in a seven-page arrest warrant. On Sunday afternoon around 100 friends, family and fellow cyclists gathered to remember Wilson on the steps of the Austin United States Courthouse. After the memorial, some rode their bikes to swim at Deep Eddy Pool, the spot where Wilson allegedly went with Strickland hours before her death. Wilson Family via GoFundMe All of Armstrong's social media profiles have been deleted. She was last seen carrying a yoga mat on her back at Austin International airport on May 14, reportedly while traveling to New York. Armstrong is white, 5' 8", and weighs approximately 125 pounds. She has long, light brown curly hair and hazel eyes. Anyone with information on Armstrongs whereabouts is urged to contact the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 800-336-0102. NEW YORK (AP) Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Tuesday: Occidental Petroleum Corp., down $1.55 to $69.31. Energy companies fell as the price of U.S. crude oil gave up an early gain and turned lower. LivePerson Inc., down 27 cents to $16.78. The messaging company, whose stock has lost 70% over the past year, was criticized by one of its large sharholders, Starboard Value. DexCom Inc., up $8.86 to $297.94. The maker of glucose monitors for diabetes patients denied speculation it was considering buying rival medical device company Insulet. PotlatchDeltic Corp., down $3.56 to $52.46. The real estate investment trust is buying CatchMark Timber Trust Inc. Cenovus Energy Inc., up 50 cents to $23.17. The Canadian energy company is restarting an oil platform project off Newfoundland and Labrador called the West White Rose Project. Gold Fields Limited, down $2.86 to $9.34. The South African gold miner is buying Canadian mining company Yamana Gold. Deutsche Bank, down 7 cents to $11.18. Authorities raided the German bank's offices amid claims that it exaggerated the sustainability credentials of some products. Unilever PLC, up $4.35 to $48.33. The maker of Hellmann's mayonnaise and Dove soap had its best day in more than two years after appointing an activist investor to its board. One of the abducted victims of the March 28, Abuja- Kaduna train attack, Sadiq Ango Abdullahi, has appealed to the federal government to do everything possible to rescue them as their health condition was deteriorating. Sadiq who is the son of the Convener of Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Prof. Ango Abdullahi, alongside seven others, made the appeal in a fresh video clip being circulated on the social media yesterday. "We are appealing to the federal government to once again come to our aid. We have been here for 62 days. "Most of us here are sick and we are not in good condition and every day the situation deteriorates. "We are appealing to the federal government to please come to our aid before we start losing our lives", he said in the video. One of the victims who said the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo was her classmate at the Nigerian Law School, broke down in tears as she attempted to speak. The woman who gave her name as Gladys, said her son suffers from sickle cell anaemia and called on the federal government to rescue them. She added, "my name is Gladys. I am pleading particularly to Professor Yemi Osinbajo who was my class mate 78/79 Law School. "You are a grandfather and a father; come to our aid because we have been here for 62 days and I have a son who is a sickler; I don't know his condition now. "I am pleading that the federal government and Rotimi Amaechi who is the minister of transportation to please come to our assistance. "I am pleading. We are all sick, right now I am even sick too. But for my son who is a sickler, I don't know his condition. I am appealing to the federal government," she managed to speak amid tears The terrorists, had last week, threatened to start killing the victims if the federal government does not need their demands. In the new video, a masked terrorist carrying an AK 47 , was seen giving instructions to the captives, the men kneeling and the women sitting on a mat. (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Jeffrey L. Littlejohn, Sam Houston State University (THE CONVERSATION) As a historian and director of the Lynching in Texas project, which has documented more than 600 racial terror lynchings, I receive regular emails from journalists, scholars and activists who want to discuss the history of racial violence. My conversations with reporters and historians did not prepare me for one of the emails I received last winter. The writer, a Chicago memorabilia dealer, offered to mail me a photo album that included a picture from a Texas lynching. I responded that I would appreciate the opportunity to review the album and to help identify the victim. About a week later, I opened the envelope and found five photos, a small cartoon and a key labeled Teddies pictures. Each of the photographs was numbered. The first was a 6-by-5-inch image of what appeared to be burning wood. It proved difficult to decipher. But the description clarified matters. It read: Burning of negro in front of old City Hall, Waco, Texas. Revealing history lessons I immediately set out to identify the victim and to discover the story behind Teddies pictures. As I did so, I realized that what I was doing would be controversial, if not illegal, had I been a K-12 teacher in Texas. In fact, I was engaging in the very kind of historical analysis that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Republican legislators in Texas want to ban from public schools. In 2021, for example, Texas Republicans enacted Senate Bill 3 to prohibit K-12 educators from teaching that slavery and racism are anything other than deviations from the authentic founding principles of the United States, which include liberty and equality. In other words, this official state interpretation holds that slavery, racism and racisms deadly manifestation, lynching, did not serve as systemic forces that shaped Texas history but were instead aberrations without any fundamental meaning for Texans or even beyond the state. Teddies photo album, which also included pictures of Teddie and her husband doing normal, everyday things like riding donkeys and going to wedding anniversary dinners, presented a direct challenge to this interpretation. Racist mob terror Indeed, my research soon revealed that the pictures belonged to Mary Teddie Kemp, a white woman from Pennsylvania who moved with her husband, Gene Kemp, to Waco, Texas, in 1922. This date proved crucial, because it meant that the victim in Teddies photo album could not be Jesse Washington, the 17-year-old mentally handicapped young man who was lynched in the infamous Waco Horror of 1916. In that lynching, historian Patricia Bernstein writes, Washington was beaten, stabbed, mutilated, hanged and burned to death on the Waco town square, before an audience of 10-15,000 screaming, cheering spectators. In fact, the dates on the other photos in Teddies album made it likely that this picture showed the burning of Jesse Thomas, a 23-year-old Black man. Thomas was wrongly accused of murdering W. Harrell Bolton and assaulting his female companion, Margaret Hays, near Waco on May 25, 1922. When Hays identified Thomas as her likely assailant, a relative named Sam Harris shot and killed Thomas. A white mob then dragged his body to City Hall and burned it before a crowd of several thousand people. White supremacy in Texas The identification of Jesse Thomas as the victim in Teddies photo album only led to more questions. Why would an educated white woman from Pennsylvania include a picture of a Black lynching victim in a personal photo album? Why would she take her photos out of chronological sequence and place the lynching picture as the first photo in the album? The answers to these questions reveal a great deal about Texas just 100 years ago. In my view, the album exposes the priority that Anglo Texans even new arrivals to the state placed on white supremacy and Black subjugation. Teddie likely pasted the picture of Jesse Thomas burning body at the beginning of her album because it featured an electrifying, adrenaline-charged event that viscerally illustrated the nature of her new Texas home. Indeed, as historian William Carrigan has shown, white supremacy and racial violence served as core elements of the states identity. Together, they established the written and unwritten rules governing the social order who could vote, who could marry whom, who could attend events and the ultimate punishment for transgressing the rules. Lynchings, like the one depicted in Teddies photo album, present a direct challenge to the whitewashed view of Texas history that Abbott and his Republican colleagues prefer. Unspeakable violence Lynchings occurred regularly in Texas with 16 in 1922 alone and served as the most extreme and violent embodiment of white supremacy in the state during the Jim Crow period. When Black and Hispanic Texans dared to challenge white authority or to claim for themselves the rights of U.S. citizens, they faced violence on a scale rarely seen in other parts of the country. In May 1922, for example, white Texans carried out in one month at least 10 lynchings, more lynchings than in any other state but Georgia for the entire year. Eight of the Texas victims killed in 1922 were burned at the stake in a form of torture that most people today associate with the so-called Dark Ages. But these horrific acts happened in modern Texas, just a few generations ago. And white people caught the events on film and put the photos in their own family albums. One hundred years ago, the lynching of Black men and women in Texas was not an aberration. It proved the rule. You could say white supremacist rule. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here. Brian Eno belongs to rock's intelligentsia. His work has often been theoretical, yet his hand can be found in the most popular works of such best-selling collaborators as U2, David Bowie and the Talking Heads. On his last visit to San Francisco, in 1988, Eno erected a fascinating soundscape called "Latest Flames" in the bowels of the Palace of Fine Arts, where a series of tape recordings, starting at different times, intersected randomly to create accidental music. His latest project extends that groundbreaking work into a computer program available on Koan software, "Generative Music." He was commissioned by Microsoft to design the little arpeggio that sounds when Windows 95 is booted up, and he has also recently published his 1995 diary, "A Year With Swollen Appendices." Eno will appear Saturday at the Imagination Conference (along with film director Spike Lee, performance artist Laurie Anderson and others) at San Francisco's Civic Auditorium. Q: The producers describe your appearance next weekend as multimedia, which is a great cliche. If you speak and hold up a picture, you're multimedia, aren't you? A: That's probably not far from what I'll be doing. I'll be doing a demonstration and I will also be showing some examples of things, so I guess it is multimedia. My part of it is going to be a speech with a rather dramatic demonstration, which I can't give details of because it must remain a surprise. But I'm going to be talking about this idea of generative art. Q: Is your new computer program similar to your installation at the Palace of Fine Arts? A: It's very much in the same line of work as that, trying to think of ways of setting up systems that keep generating new music for you. It's new music in the sense that it isn't identical to anything in its history, but it does have an identity. It's new music in the sense that, if you're sitting by a river, it's always a new river that you're looking at. Q: How did you come to compose "The Microsoft Sound"? A: The idea came up at the time when I was completely bereft of ideas. I'd been working on my own music for a while and was quite lost, actually. And I really appreciated someone coming along and saying, "Here's a specific problem -- solve it." The thing from the agency said, "We want a piece of music that is inspiring, universal, blah- blah, da-da-da, optimistic, futuristic, sentimental, emotional," this whole list of adjectives, and then at the bottom it said "and it must be 3 1/4 seconds long." I thought this was so funny and an amazing thought to actually try to make a little piece of music. It's like making a tiny little jewel. In fact, I made 84 pieces. I got completely into this world of tiny, tiny little pieces of music. I was so sensitive to microseconds at the end of this that it really broke a logjam in my own work. Then when I'd finished that and I went back to working with pieces that were like three minutes long, it seemed like oceans of time. Q: Are you working on the new U2 record? A: I decided not to work on this one. I needed a break from being in the studio and also a break from working with other people. I mean, there's no bad feeling or anything. They've got quite competent people doing it, so I'm sure they're going to be just fine. Q: So you are working on music of your own? A: Yes, but I'm not getting very far. I suppose the thing I'm working on is this strange kind of music that nobody seems to like very much. But I don't know whether it will come to anything or not. I've got a feeling that music might not be the most interesting place to be in the world of things. And this is rather undermining my commitment to doing it. This self-generating music is so exciting to me. I think that's really something. I think talking is really something, thinking, having ideas and all that sort of thing. I'm fascinated by all those things. Teaching, as well, I do a lot of. But adding to the obscene pile of CDs in the world doesn't thrill me that much at the moment. Q: When you invented ambient music did you envision the New Age onslaught that followed? A: In England and Europe, we have this huge music called ambient -- ambient techno, ambient house, ambient hip-hop, ambient this, ambient that. We've done New Age here. That's finished. For eight years there's been a whole new movement which actually called itself ambient. And it's been a huge thing here. It doesn't sound much like what I was calling ambient music, but that's good, isn't it? Would we want our children to grow up like us? You want them to be different. You hope to God that they can be different. Q: How do you explain the proliferation of "unplugged" performances by rock stars lately? A: I think I can sympathize with what it is reacting against. Because a lot of music in the last 10 or 15 years has been made on computer-driven sequencers, it has a certain flavor to it. Sometimes that flavor's all right. But I'll tell you what the main effect of sequencers has been: Everybody thinks that when new technologies come along that they're transparent and you can just do your job well on it. But technologies always import a whole new set of values with them. And one of the values that sequencers imported was everything's got to be exactly right. It's so easy because a computer is basically a nerd-designed, screwdriver addict's machine. It's a machine that's perfect for making small adjustments and not very good for making bold strokes. I think people just got sick of sitting in studios for hours while some bloke in front of a screen kind of tightened everything up, so that every kick drum beat fell exactly on the one. If you've been around that way of composing and you pick up an acoustic instrument and hit it, you think, "Jesus, it's so full of life. There's so much going on in here." So I think people are really reacting to what has been rather an unimaginative use of computer technology so far. What I think is, of course, that there'll be a new generation of people who'll use computers with the same freedom that Pete Townshend uses an acoustic guitar. But those people are just starting to emerge, I think. The computer brings out the worst in some people. The Gavin Newsom recall election last year demonstrated that the incumbent California governor is as close to unbeatable as it gets when he's running against a Republican opponent or a "Republican recall." That's hardly surprising in a state where Democratic voters outnumber Republican voters 2-1, and at a time when the "R" label is a non-starter for many rank-and-file California Democrats disgusted with the national Republican Party. If the California Democratic Party's candidate for governor or senator was a paper bag, and the California Republican Party's candidate was Abraham Lincoln, it seems likely the paper bag would triumph so long as it had a "D" next to its name and Lincoln had an "R" next to his. Perhaps that's an overexaggeration, but it underscores the fact that this year's gubernatorial race will not be competitive if CAGOP-endorsed Brian Dahle comes in second in the June 7 primary and advances to the general election. Newsom is running TV ads boosting Dahle's name ID because he'd prefer to run against the Republican and have a cake walk to re-election. While there has been no public polling for the race, the main threat to Dahle for second place on June 7 appears to be author Michael Shellenberger, a no-party-preference candidate who has raised $1 million, the third-highest sum behind Newsom and Dahle. While polls indicate Newsom's approval rating is above water, a recent Public Policy Institute of California poll found that there are more residents who believe the state is headed in the "wrong direction" as opposed to the "right direction." If Newsom ran against a well-funded independent candidate in November, that race would be much harder to predict than a showdown with another Republican. Shellenberger is a biting critic of Newsom on Twitter and has a large group of online fans, which makes him reminiscent of Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, one of Newsom's Republican opponents in the recall election. (That said, Kiley's online following didn't translate to actual votes: he received less than one-tenth of the votes garnered by conservative radio host Larry Elder). Shellenberger's most recent books are titled "Apocalypse Never: Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All," and "San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities," though he disagrees with characterizations that he's more conservative than he is liberal, stating that he voted for Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton in the previous two presidential elections and supports liberal policies such as a $15 minimum wage, abortion access and various gun control measures. In an interview with SFGATE, Shellenberger said he offers voters a credible alternative to both the Republican and Democratic parties. The interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. SFGATE: The first question I have is about what voters should know about you ideologically. Youre running as an independent, but if people listen to some of the arguments youre most famous for that most climate change discourse is alarmism and that progressive policies on crime and homelessness ruin cities you sound much more like someone who leans to the right vs. the left. Where, specifically, do you have disagreements with the Republican Party at the national or state level? Shellenberger: I guess if I had to summarize it, I guess I would say I'm a liberal in my compassion for the vulnerable, I'm a libertarian in my passion for freedom, and I'm a conservative in my belief that you need a civilization to support both of them. I am in favor of legalized abortion, I'm in favor of strong gun safety rules, I favor universal psychiatric care, philosophically I would like to see universal health care but it's not something I'm campaigning on because I don't think it's a high priority. I voted for Biden and Clinton, I was a progressive Democrat until May of last year. SFGATE: While guns are in the news, Gavin Newsom has talked about new gun control measures including the private right of action bill modeled after the Texas abortion bill. Is gun policy a priority for you? Shellenberger: Absolutely. SFGATE: Would you sign all these bills coming through? Shellenberger: Very likely. I'd like to see the bills before I sign them and review them, but I'd be disposed to signing them. I've been in favor of strong gun safety laws my entire adult life and I remain in favor of them. SFGATE: If the 2024 election were Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump, whom would you vote for? Shellenberger: I'm not sure if I'd vote for either of them at this point honestly. I voted for Biden but I think he's done a pretty terrible job, he promised to pursue a moderate agenda, that's not what he pursued. I don't love that framing, I don't love the choice between Biden and Trump, and in fact, I'm running for governor in part because I don't like our choices. I don't like the polarization, I don't like the extremism. I think there needs to be a third way and I've created an agenda that I think is consistent with what the various problems facing California require, which is something other than the extreme polarization we see at the national level. SFGATE: Let's talk about California policy. You talk a lot about homelessness and crime policy, specifically cracking down on what you refer to as "open drug scenes." What is the role of state policy in doing that, seeing as it typically falls in the hands of local jurisdictions? Shellenberger: So first of all, I don't love the word "crackdown," it's not a word that I use with any frequency. I think we need to shut down the open drug scenes, and that's the right description of what they are. That's the word Europeans use to describe what we call so-called "homeless encampments." In my research, I document how the word homelessness is a propaganda word that tricks the brain into thinking this is fundamentally a problem of housing. We do need more housing, but people that do not have an underlying drug problem or mental illness typically do not go live in so-called homeless encampments. They do not go live in a tent in the Tenderloin or Skid Row, which is dangerous and dirty. The people living inside the open drug scenes are suffering from untreated mental illness and late-stage addiction. The most important thing to do is to have a statewide psychiatric and addiction care system because our county-based system has totally failed. It's grossly inefficient and redundant, providing duplicative services in 58 counties that should be provided by a single statewide agency. It means the burden is disproportionately placed on places like San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego when the burden should be shared more broadly across California. My proposal is to solve this problem the same way that every civilized country has solved it: Enforce laws rather than not enforce them against people that have been identified as homeless, create a statewide psychiatric and addiction care program, and create a shelter-first, housing-earned approach which means everyone is entitled to basic and clean shelter, but they're not entitled to their own studio apartment in the most expensive real estate in California or the United States. NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images SFGATE: What other statewide policy levers would you pull? You propose a statewide psychiatric program, and Newsom has talked about supporting conservatorships and forcing people into treatment programs. What other contrasts would you draw from current proposals coming from Newsom as it relates to this issue? Shellenberger: Given your interest in the left-right framing of this, I'm proposing a health care system as the solution to the problem. He's providing another court system that doesn't actually provide what is missing, which is that we don't have sufficient homeless shelters, we don't have sufficient psychiatric beds and hospitals, we don't have sufficient group homes, residential care or rehab centers. We need to build them and it will be much easier to build them when the burden is shared across the state. I know that I'm being positioned or imagined as being to the right of the governor, but I'm proposing what is fundamentally a universal psychiatric and care system as the most important thing to do, and he's proposing another court system. We have an existing court system: we have mental health courts, we have drug courts, but they're not being used properly because we don't have the care system required to get people that are suffering from mental illness and drug addiction into them. So I find it somewhat bizarre that a governor who imagines he's pursuing a compassionate approach to this is on one hand allowing open drug scenes to spread, where there is widespread violence. Close to 100% of the women that I've interviewed in the open drug scenes are victims of sexual violence. They're obviously a menace to society, and then he's proposing another court system. The only reason Gavin isn't pursuing a statewide approach is because he wants to be able to blame the counties for his own failure. He's only taking actions that will allow him to blame others for the continuing deterioration of the problem. SFGATE: You were removed from the Tenderloin's Linkage Center. At the time, you said it was covering a secret and illegal medical experiment. What exactly happened there? Shellenberger: I broke the story of the illegal and sinister supervised drug consumption site in San Francisco. I was inside twice, and as an investigative journalist, I don't share my reporting methods, especially not with other journalistic outfits. I'm proud of that reporting. They commandeered a public space illegally against state law and federal law and frankly I'm appalled that the so-called newspapers have cheerleaded it, and spent more time focused on what I've done as a journalist rather than their own role in justifying such an illegal and frankly dehumanizing facility. [In January 2021, The Third Circuit of Appeals ruled that Philadelphia's plans to open a supervised injection site violated federal law. Despite the ruling, New York City opened a supervised consumption site of its own and California lawmakers are working to legalize such sites at the state level.] SFGATE: What would you do on taxes? Shellenberger: I think that nobody on the left or the right thinks that the current tax system is a system devised for efficiency, to attract businesses or fairness. It's top-heavy, it's overly focused on the top income earners and that creates the famous boom and bust surpluses and deficits that we struggle with. I'm proposing tax peace. Members of the legislature, the legislature analyst's office (LAO) and the governor's own people don't even know how much money California spends on homelessness. There's no good audit of it. We don't really know how money is being spent, so I don't really feel comfortable making any changes to the tax code. It may be that we're due for tax reform after we make serious progress addressing the biggest issues facing the state, but for now I'm for tax peace. I think we need to put the surplus into the rainy day fund, I agree with the LAO that the governor's budget estimates are far too optimistic and we should not be throwing money at programs that are under-performing. SFGATE: What are your PG&E plans? Shellenberger: The governor's record on PG&E is abhorrent. He accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from PG&E, his wife accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars from PG&E for her nonprofit, he turned around and gave PG&E billions in a bailout. The governor has consistently failed to hold PG&E accountable for its behaviors. The governor's track record in general on forest fires is terrible. In his first year in 2019, he cut the budget for forest fire prevention by $150 million, the result was the worst year of forest fires in California history, which he then turned around and blamed on climate change, as though climate change dooms California's forests to high intensity fires. It doesn't. My research and that of others shows we can prevent high-intensity fires in the mountain forests if we reduce the fuel load, and we can do that through mechanical clearing as well as prescribed burns. Gavin not only cut the budget, but he also failed to waive the regulations getting in the way of much more significant fuel load reduction in forests. What we've seen is a governor whose head has been focused on what looks good to Democratic primary voters and caucusgoers in Iowa and New Hampshire rather than what's in the best interest of the California people. That's been true for electricity, for forest fire management and through the governance of PG&E. I'm not beholden to PG&E or any other company; I'm the person voters should want to hold big monopoly utilities like PG&E accountable. This is basically a utility that depends on the goodwill of the California people because we've already bailed them out once and they're under a strict agreement to perform. I don't trust the governor is properly regulating that utility because of the financial entanglements he has with them. SFGATE: What is your view on housing? I specifically want to ask you about SB9 and any other proposals you have outside of that. Shellenberger: California needs to be producing significantly more housing and I think most Californians agree with that. I think that the problem we have to recognize is homeowners, particularly, would like to keep their neighborhood character, and that means they've been pretty averse to change and adding housing units in their own neighborhoods. I don't think we Californians have been particularly honest about that when pressed on it. We kind of have it both ways, so you end up with this battle between two extreme views: one of YIMBYs and one of NIMBYs. When you start with a recognition that we all need to add more housing in our communities, and that it would be appropriate actually and consistent with what those neighborhoods are already similar to, that helps because part of the problem is we end up in a prisoner's dilemma where everybody is looking at each other saying, "You should add housing in your community, but I don't trust that if I add it in mine that you'll add it in yours." I think the solution to this is a society-wide consensus building process. I don't think the legislature is ready to enact sweeping legislation. I'm fine with and support SB9, but I think we need to have a broader societal consensus, so what I'm proposing on housing is a citizens' jury, which is an impaneled group of voters randomly selected from a representative sample of the population. This has been done in Germany and South Korea, where you have a period over 9-12 months in 9-12 parts in the state of deliberative weighing of the evidence, engaging with experts, hearing from all sides. The group would then deliver recommendations to the Legislature. It would not be binding, but it would get the process out of Sacramento where ordinary citizens feel disconnected. I think we get too focused on specific bills, specific minor things without any view of the broader picture, and as governor I'm going to lead Californians through that process of developing consensus through the citizens' jury on housing. SFGATE: You have built a pretty sizeable social media following, you definitely have online fans. It's strikingly similar to Kevin Kiley in the Newsom recall election, where he built up an online following of plugged-in California policy types. When the recall election came around, he got just 3% of the vote. Do you believe that you're actually going to be able to finish in the double digits in June? Shellenberger: I do. I think Californians are sick of the extremes on the left and right. They want someone who has an agenda based on the best available evidence and what has worked around the world. We've raised almost a million dollars at this point, we just read in the news that there's an independent expenditure Super PAC that was just announced. I don't know much money it will spend, I don't know what it will do, but I think it's a sign that there are people out there that believe in me and believe in our candidacy. I'm going to be doing Bill Maher a week from Friday, I've been on Joe Rogan twice, I have something like 10-20 times more social media followers than any of my opponents, so we feel really confident we're going to come in second on June 7. I wouldn't have run if I didn't feel confident I could come in second. A small storefront on Grant Avenue is bringing a taste of Amsterdam and ancient Egypt to San Francisco. Professor Seagulls Smartshop, which opened in North Beach this April, is a cross between an art gallery, a witchy herb shop and a modern cannabis dispensary (except you can touch the products). Psychedelic art covers the walls and sleek Scandinavian-inspired shelves hold a tightly curated selection of loosely controlled herbs. But instead of the typical variations of cannabis, the shop is devoted to lesser known psychoactive and psychedelic sacred plants from all over the world. While the first of its kind in San Francisco and according to the owners, the entire country smart shops are ubiquitous in Europe, especially Amsterdam, and refer to stores that sell herbal remedies, hangover cures, botanical samples and nootropics, or brain-enhancing substances. Although there are other stores selling herbal supplements such as kratom, owner Benjamin Manton says his store is different since the focus is solely on the use of plants and products with psychoactive properties. The chalkboard sign in the shop window advertises items such as San Pedro and Peruvian torch cacti, which you might be familiar with if youve ever embarked on a vision quest in the desert. But the first product to catch my eye is a bag of brilliant blue and yellow petals, which Id soon try myself, in addition to experimenting with damiana, wild dagga and Mexican dream herb tea. Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE Professor Seagull's Smartshop. Credit: Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE Manton, who owns the shop with his wife and looks a tad like a younger version of the stores namesake/logo (if you squint and are on psychedelics), tells me the petals are from an Egyptian blue lotus. The ancient Egyptians would steep it in wine and drink it during religious ceremonies and parties, Manton says. But you can also make it into a relaxing tea. The flower, which some call the sacred blue lily of the Nile, is depicted in countless ancient temples and writings throughout Egypt, Greece and parts of Asia. Its ubiquitous depictions suggest that the lotus helped the ancients connect with the divine through its hallucinatory effects and was an important part of ceremonies around sexuality. Given that it increases circulation, the petals are thought to be powerful aphrodisiacs. It also has reported health and psychological benefits, thanks primarily to the apomorphine compound found in the plant that stimulates the bodys dopamine receptors. Historians believe the ancient Egyptians used the flower as traditional medicine, and in more modern times, its active compounds have been utilized to treat anxiety and even Parkinsons disease. Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE Plant medicine for the psychedelic-curious In the U.S., blue lotus has not received FDA approval, but its also not a controlled substance, so it is legal to grow and sell. The same goes for the rest of Professor Seagulls inventory: Everything is legal in California and most other states at least in the form its displayed and sold in the store and online shop. The mescaline that can be extracted from San Pedro and Peruvian torch cacti is illegal, but in their cactus form, theyre just attractive house plants. Theres also Mimosa Hostilis root bark, a major ingredient of ayahuasca, which doubles as a popular natural dye for soaps and fabric. We are providing these products in the form they are legally allowed to be presented, Manton tells me over email. Some items we can talk openly about in terms of historical use and dosage. And some things are sold explicitly for growth as a houseplant or for arts and crafts supply. Of course, what you choose to do with your house plants and art supplies is your own business. It is our hope that the city or the state will decriminalize psychedelic plants soon so that we can begin to have more open and honest discussions with our clients about the history and potentials of these plants, Manton writes. Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE Manton sees potential in the store to serve as part of the solution to San Franciscos (and the countrys) mental health and addiction crises. In the future we hope to be a place where therapists can send their clients for information and access, and where practitioners can come for local access to sustainably sourced plant medicine. For now, the Mantons are focused on providing transformational experience through plant medicine and art, as well as being a resource for harm reduction. In addition to providing safer alternatives to party drugs, such as Kanna, which Manton says is being used in place of cocaine and MDMA, the shop offers test kits from DanceSafe to test recreational drugs for adulterants, such as fentanyl. Manton gave me a tour of the shop with a matter-of-fact, professorial air that is so knowledgeable and nonjudgmental, and I end up leaving with four bags (and more than 100 grams) of various teas and smokeables that promise to ease anxiety, aid sleep and dream recall and invoke euphoria. At just $40, a similar haul at a cannabis dispensary would cost at least three times that, yet many of the items I purchased boast similar effects and benefits. Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE A selection of products at Professor Seagull's Smartshop. Credit: Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE My week of plant discovery Back at home, I begin a week of plant- and self-discovery. The first order of business is making blue lotus wine, which just requires adding 15 to 20 grams of petals to a bottle of wine (after you pour a little out or have a glass to make room), setting it in the refrigerator and giving it a shake every day until youre ready to drink it (anywhere between two days and two weeks). I used half a bottle of grocery store cabernet that I had lying around, but any kind will work. Manton suggests not using anything special, since the lotus will alter the taste. Then I roll up joints of damiana, which is native to parts of the U.S., Mexico and Central America, and wild dagga, which grows abundantly in southern Africa. Both are said to produce a light, cannabis-like high. Wild dagga can enhance color perception, so tonight I turn to these while I paint instead of my usual sativa. As I prep the canvas and the light floral-smelling smoke fills the space, I feel a familiar buoyancy, like Ive taken a baby hit of weed. The taste is reminiscent of black tea and the psychoactive effects are decidedly subtle. Its really all I need though just a slight nudge into flow state. Its nice to avoid some of the side effects of cannabis, such as misplacing the paintbrush Im holding or randomly obsessing over something embarrassing that happened seven years ago. Next I light up the wild dagga. The bright orange dried petals dont grind that well, so it makes for a looser joint. The spicy smoke burns the back of my throat slightly, but Im too lost in mixing satisfying globs of paint to care much. Im a little bit more excited by the way the paint drips down the canvas and my strokes seem a bit bolder and more confident. The days worries wash off my brush in vibrant swirls. Then its time for a cup of Mexican dream herb tea and bed. The mixture is unpleasantly bitter on the back of my tongue, so I add honey. A few minutes later I feel deeply relaxed, like Im hovering at the doorway of sleep with none of my usual effort to get there. Soon I easily drift off into a land of chaotic dreams. Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE I drank the tea before bed a few more nights this week, and each time my sleep was filled with cinematic dreams, some of which took on the quality of Everything Everywhere All at Once. Dreaming of surfing atop trash cans and other oddities was an interesting journey, but I was ready for a vibe change. And a glass of wine. So on the sixth day, I decide the blue lotus wine is ready. Internet searches tell me two weeks produce the most potent effects, but I figure one week is the correct level for a Thursday evening of horoscope writing (and my personal emotional state). Ive done enough plant medicine to know that set and setting are major components. So as I run the seductive purple liquid through a strainer, I regret not making plans to take the concoction to a party, or at least share it with a close friend. But Mercury is retrograding hard, Im riding a grief wave, and deadlines are looming, so the best I can do is spend a night in with a blank Google doc and my feelings. Taking cues from the ancient Egyptians, I say a meditative prayer to the blue flower, asking it to lift my spirits enough to let me write what I need to, or at least just enjoy my own company, achy heart and all. The wine tastes extra floral, but I dont mind it. With a few summer fruits added in, itd make a good sangria. Half a glass and 20 minutes later, Im crying over nothing and everything. The ancient Egyptians used this concoction for sex rituals, and crying is its own kind of release, so maybe its working. Then for a reason I cant pinpoint, my tears just as quickly turn to belly laughs. Maybe its the moon, the wine or the lotus, but suddenly Im buzzy with phrases and so many nonlinear thoughts that I write rough drafts for two separate articles almost simultaneously. Something like euphoria, or just momentary relief from heartache, moves me to dance. Alone in my home studio, Im filled with love for myself and the plants that are there for us through all of lifes chapters. Amy Copperman is a writer and artist based in Oakland, Calif. Find her on Instagram. SANDERSVILLE, Ga. (AP) Investigators are searching for culprits in shootings that killed two people at a music festival in east central Georgia. Local news outlets report the shooting in Sandersville killed William Mykell Lowery, 17, and Christopher Scooter Dunn, 30. Both men were attending a Freaknik festival at a local park. Freaknik was once a spring break festival in Atlanta attended by students at historically Black colleges and universities. But the name is now used by music promoters for dances, concerts and events nationwide. Sandersville is about 100 miles (165 kilometers) southeast of Atlanta. Witnesses said the shooting sparked a stampede. You just heard gunshots go off and then the whole crowd just started running. Everybody just started hiding behind cars and stuff and a lot of folks were rushing out with cars because the whole field was packed, Timothy Pace told WJBF-TV. Washington County Sheriff Joel Cochran told WMAZ-TV that the first deputy arrived to find as many as a thousand people attending. Once he got there to the location, more shots were being fired. He radioed for assistance and there, far out, he found a victim that had been shot. We later found out that another person had been shot and was driven to the hospital by a civilian, Cochran said. Pace said the crowded event had little security and no one checking for weapons. Cochran's office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are handling the inquiry. RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Authorities in Virginia identified two women missing Tuesday after a group of people in rafts and on paddleboards went over the Bosher Dam on the James River a day earlier. WWBT-TV reported that 12 people were involved in the accident Monday afternoon. WAVY-TV reported the dam has a 12-foot (3.6-meter) drop, and that water levels have been high. Images of the search show the river seemingly placid above the dam, but roiling below, with some of the group's paddleboards and inflatable rafts caught in the currents below the rush of water. PUEBLO, Colo. (AP) A boat flipped over in high winds on a Colorado lake over Memorial Day weekend, sending 13 people into the water and leaving two dead. The eight children and three adults were on the large, flat boat at Lake Pueblo State Park when it capsized Sunday evening. One adult Jessica Prindle, 38, of the community of Pueblo West died at the scene, the Pueblo County coroner's office said. A Colorado Parks and Wildlife rescue team found a second victim's body Tuesday morning after an all-night search, the state agency said in a statement. The coroner's office identified the second victim as Prindle's husband, 30-year-old Joshua Prindle. The 11 others in the boat survived and were treated for hypothermia at hospitals, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in a statement. Park Manager Joe Stadterman said the accident underscores the importance of being extremely careful around the water. "If you are on or even near the water, we strongly urge you to wear a life jacket, he said. Lake Pueblo is about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Colorado Springs. ___ This story has been updated to reflect the survivors were treated for hypothermia, not hyperthermia. PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) Haitis government has nominated a fifth judge to oversee the investigation into the killing of President Jovenel Moise, magistrate Bernard Saint-Vil told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Its not clear yet whether Judge Walther Wesser Voltaire would accept the nomination. He could not be immediately reached for comment. Wesser's appointment comes as the investigation into the July 7 shooting at the former president's private home stalls amid a high turnover of judges. The previous nominee, judge Chavannes Etienne, told the AP in February that his family was pressuring him not to take the case because they feared for his life. Etienne was expected to replace Garry Orelien, who had requested more time to probe the case, but Saint-Vil refused to grant an extension. Orelien had replaced judge Mathieu Chanlatte, whose resignation was announced last August. He cited unspecified personal reasons but left the position a day after one of his assistants died in unclear circumstances. More than 40 suspects have been arrested in the slaying, including at least 18 Colombian soldiers and 20 Haitian police officers as the investigation continues. Three other suspects, including a former Haitian senator, have been extradited to the U.S. where they face federal charges including conspiring to commit murder or kidnapping outside the United States and providing material support resulting in death, knowing or intending that such material support would be used to prepare for or carry out the conspiracy to kill or kidnap. BOSTON (AP) An accountant who stole nearly $1 million from multiple Massachusetts towns he worked for has been sentenced to more than three years in jail, prosecutors said Tuesday. Justin Cole, 40, of Uxbridge, pleaded guilty to 18 charges including multiple counts of larceny and was sentenced last week in Worcester Superior Court, the state attorney general's office said in a statement. The remaining presidential aspirants will screened on Tuesday in Abuja. Twelve presidential aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were on Monday screened by the party's Screening Committee led by former National Chairman, John Oyegun. The screening exercise is scheduled for two days, Monday and Tuesday, at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja. The National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Adamu, had earlier inaugurated the committee. Following the inauguration, the panel screened the aspirants one after the other. Those screened so far are; former Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajuiba; Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State, Felix Nicholas; a U.S.-based pastor, former Governor of Ogun state, Ibikunle Amosun; Governor Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa State, a serving senator, Ajayi Borroffice, former Senate President Ken Nnamani. Others are; Uju Ken-Ohaneye, former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; former governor of Zamfara State, Sani Yerima; former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu and Tunde Bakare, a cleric. Mr Tinubu, who is facing a petition over his education qualification, arrived at the venue with the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Chiarman House Committee on Finance, James Faleke and others. In a video posted on social media, Mr Tinubu explained how his government invested in ECONET, a mobile telecommunication company now known as Airtel. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Governance Nigeria By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. He promised to establish commodity exchange board and fix the power sector. Speaking to journalists after his screening, Mr Bakare said he will respect the decision of ther party if asked to step down. "The party supremacy is the utmost essence. You cannot force your way through a party's structure. The party has the final say. And when we get to that bridge, we will know how to cross it," Mr Bakare said. Ms Ken-Ohaneye, the only female aspirant, also said she will respect the decision of the party if asked to step down. "I want you to know that we are a family politically, and if I am asked by the party to step down, I will not challenge the party because like they say charity begins at home," she said. The committee will resume the screening on Tuesday. Those to be screened on Tuesday are, governor of Cross Rivers State, Ben Ayade, Senate President, Ahmed Lawan; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, Tein Jack-Rich, former Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu; former Minister of Information, Ikeobasi Mokelu; former Speaker of House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole; Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi; former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, odswill Akpabio and former governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha. It is not clear if Mr Okorocha will appear as he is in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over corruption All cleared aspirants are to battle for the ticket of the party on June 6. The eventual winner will face former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other candidates. ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) A 10-year-old Florida girl shot and killed a woman who had gotten in a fight with her mother, authorities said Monday. The girl and her mother were taken into custody Monday night following the fatal shooting of Lashun Rodgers, 41, outside an apartment complex, according to a news release from the Orlando Police Department. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Tonga on Tuesday as he continued his regional island-hopping tour a day after failing to ink an ambitious deal with 10 South Pacific nations. While Wang didn't manage to get consensus on the multilateral security and economic plan at a meeting in Fiji after several nations voiced concerns, he has been notching up smaller wins by signing bilateral agreements with the countries he's been visiting, and he signed more deals in Tonga. His tour comes amid growing international concerns about Beijings military and financial ambitions in the region. Tonga is continuing to recover from a massive volcanic eruption and tsunami in January which killed three people locally and destroyed hundreds of homes. The tsunami also cut the nation's internet connection to the rest of the world when it severed an undersea cable which took five weeks to repair. In Tonga, Wang met with King Tupou VI and Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni and signed several agreements with Sovaleni that covered everything from disaster management to a royal tomb improvement project. Chinese Ambassador Cao Xiaolin said in a statement the two countries already had close ties in a number of areas including trade, infrastructure and clean energy. He said China had provided various training programs to about 1,200 Tongan government officials and people. The relationship between China and Tonga is a shining pearl, the ambassador said in his statement. Tonga's government said the two sides had fruitful talks and thanked China for sending two military planes and two naval ships to deliver supplies after the tsunami. Wang's tour is causing consternation among some Western nations that see themselves as traditional partners with the South Pacific. Australia last week sent new Foreign Minister Penny Wong to Fiji in an attempt at counter-diplomacy. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a speech last week that China posed an even more serious long-term threat than Russia. China is the only country with both the intent to reshape the international order and, increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to do it, he said. At a news conference Monday in Fiji, Wang said China had long championed developing nations both in the Pacific and around the world, addressing how some have been questioning why China has been so active in supporting Pacific Island countries. My advice for those people is: Dont be too anxious and dont be too nervous, Wang said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) Historically skeptical about European Union efforts to deepen cooperation, Danish voters on Wednesday will choose whether to abandon the country's decision three decades ago to opt out of the bloc's common defense policy. The Danish referendum comes as the latest example of European countries seeking closer defense links with allies in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It follows Sweden and Finland's historic bids to join NATO something to be taken up at a summit next month. Denmark joining the EU defense policy would have a relatively modest impact on Europes security architecture, particularly compared to Sweden and Finland joining NATO. But Christine Nissen, a researcher with the Danish Institute for International Studies, said both moves are part of the same story, and would strengthen military cooperation on a continent stunned by the war in Ukraine. She said the main effect of abandoning the opt-out decision would be that Danish officials could stay in the room when EU colleagues discuss defense topics and Danish forces could take part in the bloc's military operations. Denmark, a founding member of NATO, has stayed on the sidelines of EU efforts to build a common security and defense policy in parallel with the trans-Atlantic alliance. It was one of four opt-out moves that Danes insisted on before adopting the EU's Maastricht Treaty, which laid the foundation for political and economic union. The 1992 waiver means Denmark hasn't participated in the EU's discussions on defense policy, its development and acquisition of military capabilities and its joint military operations, such as those in Africa and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Danes also opted out of EU cooperation on justice and home affairs, the common currency and citizenship. The opt-out decision on citizenship, which said European citizenship wouldn't replace national citizenship, has since become irrelevant as other members later adopted the same position. But the other provisions remain intact despite efforts by successive governments to overturn them. In a 2000 referendum, Danish voters decided to stay outside the eurozone, and 15 years later they voted to keep the exemption on justice and home affairs. This time, however, Danes appear ready to say goodbye to opting out of common defense. Social Democratic Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called for the referendum on March 8, less than two weeks after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. She called on citizens to vote yes" to abolishing the exception, saying to do so "will strengthen our security. I am voting in favor of abolishing the opt-out" decision, said Peter Jakobsen, a 61-year-old pharmacist in Copenhagen. We must not stand outside. We are in the EU and we must be involved. We must make a difference. But Sanne Michelsen, a 52-year-old shopper in Copenhagen, said she didnt see the point of suddenly joining the EUs defense policy after years on the outside. This is a referendum about an opt-out that has never caused us any problem, she said in her native Danish, before turning to English to add. If it aint broken, dont fix it. The yes" side has had a clear lead in polls, with about 40% in favor of dropping the exemption and 30% against. About a fourth of voters say they are still undecided. There is widespread support for dropping the defense opt-out decision in Parliament. Only three small parties want to maintain it, two on the right and one on the left. E. Robert Wallach, whose career as a heavyweight trial lawyer in California was overshadowed by his connection to one of the biggest corruption scandals to hit Washington during the Reagan administration, died May 15 at his home in Alameda, California, near Berkeley. He was 88. His daughter Nancy Garvey confirmed the death but did not specify the cause. Almost from the moment he graduated at the top of his law school class from the University of California, Berkeley, Wallach was widely considered one of the best personal injury lawyers in California. It wasnt his preferred field: The child of factory workers in New York, he had dreamed of entering labor law, but there were no jobs available. Instead, by the 1970s he was known for winning headline-making verdicts, including one of Californias first million-dollar medical malpractice judgments. A progressive Democrat who drove a vintage Jaguar and wore Brioni suits, he embodied San Franciscos mix of idealism and material success; The Los Angeles Times called him a sophisticated, liberal lawyer from this sophisticated, liberal city. He was known for his eccentricities. He preferred to spell his full name with all lowercase letters friends called him lowercase bob and in 1976 he ran for the U.S. Senate on a platform calling for the decriminalization of marijuana. (He dropped out before the primary.) So it came as a shock to many when, in the early 1980s, he shuttered his practice and moved to Washington to become an unofficial adviser to Edwin Meese III, a close friend since law school who had become a counselor to President Ronald Reagan. Meese had been teaching at the University of San Diego, but Wallach encouraged him to enter the administration. At a going-away lunch in San Francisco, Wallach told a group of lawyers and judges that he could be their door to the White House. To some, it was a cynical move to cash in on his sudden proximity to power. But Wallach insisted that he was just trying to help his progressive allies during a conservative administration. And, indeed, most of his work in Washington was pro bono, including advising a small defense contractor in the South Bronx borough of New York City called Wedtech. Wallach was drawn in by the companys bootstrapping story its founders were working-class immigrants and he agreed to help it win a deal to make small engines for the Army. Wallach wrote memos to Meese extolling Wedtech. Meese in turn pushed skeptical Army officials to seal the deal, and in 1982 Wedtech won a no-bid contract for $32 million. Wallach wasnt the only Washington figure working with Wedtech. It later emerged that the company had poured huge sums into the coffers of politicians, lobbyists and former administration officials to win big Pentagon deals, often doctoring invoices to hide bribes. It worked: Wedtech soon had $250 million in contracts. But prosecutors got wind of the companys maneuverings, and in 1986 began charging company executives and top Washington figures with a long list of crimes. By then Meese was Reagans attorney general, and Wallach was on retainer with Wedtech. Along the way Wallach had persuaded Meese to hire a financial adviser named W. Franklyn Chinn to handle his nest egg in a blind trust; Chinn, as it happened, was a member of the Wedtech board. Wedtech went bankrupt in 1986, and the next year Wallach, Chinn and another associate were indicted on 18 charges, including mail fraud, securities fraud and conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government. The Iran-Contra affair remains the defining scandal of the late Reagan era, but the Wedtech case was similarly calamitous. It led to the conviction of more than a dozen people, including Lyn Nofziger, Reagans former press secretary (whose conviction was overturned on appeal). Meese had already weathered several scandals, and by 1988 bipartisan pressure was building on him to resign. Even though an independent counsel declined to charge him with a crime, the counsels report castigated him for ignoring the spirit of government ethics laws. He finally resigned in August 1988. Wallach insisted that he was a victim, an idealistic naif manipulated by Wedtech executives. I have found I am such a babe in the woods, he told The Washington Post in 1987. Still, he was convicted of fraud in 1989 and sentenced to six years in prison. He appealed, and he became something of a cause celebre among lawyers on both the left and the right who believed the case was politically motivated, using Wallach to get at Meese or even Reagan. Conservative jurist Robert Bork organized his defense; Dennis P. Riordan, who had defended Black Panthers in California, joined the effort. During the appeal, it emerged that the prosecutions two top witnesses had perjured themselves, and that the prosecution likely knew about the perjury but stayed quiet. The case was thrown out, but the government launched a new case against Wallach in 1991. This time, Wallach decided to defend himself a risky decision, especially given the legal firepower being brought against him by the Southern District of New York, led at the time by Rudy Giuliani. The case dragged on for two years, but Wallach prevailed. In 1993, with the jury deadlocked, the Department of Justice decided to drop it. Wallach was legally clear but financially ruined. It had been almost a decade since he had a regular stream of income, the case had drained his savings, and, especially back in California, his reputation was in tatters. Undeterred, he returned to the Bay Area. He was soon winning cases and rebuilding his reputation; over the course of his 58-year career, he took 283 cases to verdict and lost just 14 of them. He taught at several Bay Area law schools and mentored dozens of young lawyers, offering courtroom tips and impressing upon them the importance of mastering the craft of trial litigation. He said that every trial was a great drama dominated by the hidden truths of human nature, said Robert J. Giuffra Jr., a close friend who is a lawyer at Sullivan & Cromwell. By most peoples accounts, Bob was considered one of the greatest trial lawyers of his generation. Eugene Robert Wallach was born on April 11, 1934, in Manhattan. His parents, Ben and Eva (Lowenstein) Wallach, had met as laborers at a hat factory in Harlem. They divorced when Bob was 7, after which he and his mother moved to Los Angeles. With World War II underway, Eva Wallach found a job making bomb bay doors at a Lockheed aircraft factory she was, Wallach said, a true Rosie the Riveter. A high school teacher introduced him to debate, and he was good enough to win a full scholarship to the University of Colorado. He later transferred to the University of Southern California, where he graduated in 1955. He worked throughout college and law school; while at Berkeley, he worked in a cannery. He met Meese during their third year, where they were both on the mock trail team. Though they were political opposites, they became close friends. When Wallach's wife, Barbara, was hospitalized, the Meeses cared for the Wallachs three daughters; later, when the Meeses son died in a car crash while they were out of town, Wallach identified his body. Wallachs marriage ended in divorce. Along with his daughter Nancy, he is survived by two other daughters, Jamie Wallach and Bonny Wallach, and seven grandchildren. Wallach began his career at Walkup & Downing, a San Francisco firm, and struck out on his own in 1971. While in Washington, he was appointed to the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, and was later named ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Commission. He worked as hard after his return from Washington as he had before, if not harder. He spent a decade as senior counsel to the Sharper Image, and in 2012 and 2013, at an age when most lawyers retire, he spent 134 days in court, working on three trials. In 2016 he became senior counsel at Rains Lucia Stern St. Phalle & Silver. He never regretted the time he spent in Washington, but he did express remorse for encouraging Meese to join the Reagan administration. Ed agonized over whether to go to Washington, he told The Washington Post. I regret to this day whatever role I played. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. CHICAGO (AP) A necropsy on a a beloved, endangered shorebird in Chicago named Monty the Piping Plover shows he died of a respiratory infection, experts said Tuesday. The Lincoln Park Zoo said it partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the University of Illinois Zoological Pathology Program to determine the bird's cause of death. MCRAE-HELENA, Ga. (AP) A south Georgia sheriff's deputy has been fired after an investigation determined that he had been tampering with evidence and paying for sex. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Monday that on Friday it had arrested John Warren Degolyer, 35, of Lumber City, charging him with tampering with evidence, violating his oath of office, and pandering. ONEIDA, Tenn. (AP) Officials at Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area are asking for help in locating two people who broke into the historic Blue Heron Train Depot. Two white males broke into the facility last week, causing significant damage and destroying and stealing government property, the National Park Service said in a statement. Public health officials said they were investigating an outbreak of hepatitis A in the United States and Canada that is potentially linked to organic strawberries. American health officials said the outbreak most likely came from fresh organic strawberries branded as FreshKampo and H-E-B that were bought between March 5 and April 25. The strawberries were sold at stores including Aldi, H-E-B, Kroger, Safeway, Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joes, Walmart and Weis Markets, the Food and Drug Administration said. The strawberries are now past their shelf life, and people who bought them between March 5 and April 25 should throw them out, even if they froze them to eat later, health officials said. In the United States, the FDA said it had identified 17 cases of hepatitis A linked to the strawberries 15 in California and one each in Minnesota and North Dakota. Twelve people have been hospitalized, the agency said. In Canada, health officials said they had confirmed 10 cases four in Alberta and six in Saskatchewan. Four people have been hospitalized in that country. No deaths linked to the strawberries have been reported in the United States or Canada, according to officials in both countries. Hepatitis A is a contagious virus that may cause liver disease. It can be transmitted when food is consumed after it was handled by someone who did not follow proper hand-washing hygiene, the FDA said. Symptoms usually develop 15 to 20 days after eating the contaminated food and can include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, jaundice, dark urine and pale stool, the FDA said. People who believe they may be infected or may have eaten the tainted strawberries in the last two weeks should talk to their health care provider, the FDA said. In a statement, H-E-B, which is based in Texas, said that it had not received or sold organic strawberries from the supplier under investigation since April 16. All strawberries sold at H-E-B are safe, the company said. No illnesses from strawberries related to the FDA investigation have been reported at H-E-B or in Texas. FreshKampo said it was no longer shipping fresh organic strawberries linked to the outbreak. Those that were sold between March 5 and April 25 came in a plastic clamshell package with a label that read Distributed by Meridian Fruits, the company said in a statement. FreshKampo wants consumers to know that it will continue to work with health officials and supply chain partners to determine where a problem may have occurred along the supply chain and take necessary measures to prevent it from happening again, the statement said. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Contestants compete during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) Contestants compete during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) People perform Chinese martial art during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) Contestants compete during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) People perform Chinese martial art during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) Contestants compete during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) An artist shows Chinese calligraphy during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) People perform Chinese lion dance during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) People perform Chinese martial art during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) Contestants greet spectators during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) Contestants compete during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) A boy writes with an ink brush during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) People perform Chinese martial art during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) People perform Chinese lion dance during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) Contestants compete during the 2022 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, May 29, 2022. A total of 36 teams took part in the dragon boat race. The festival also featured performances including Chinese lion dance, martial arts and calligraphy. (Xinhua/Li Ying) President Paul Kagame and his Congolese counterpart Felix Tshisekedi have held phone conversations aimed at resolving the current impasse. The encouraging development was revealed by the Chairperson of the Africa Union, Senegal President MackySall, on Monday, May 30, when he tweeted thanking both leaders for "our telephone conversations yesterday and today in the quest for a peaceful solution to the dispute" between the DR Congo and Rwanda. Sall noted that he is encouraging Angolan President Joao Lourenco, who is the current Chairperson of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) "to continue his mediation efforts in this direction." A day earlier, on May 29, Sall called for dialogue betweenKigali and Kinshasa as tensions escalated between the two neighbours following the resurgence of the M23 rebellion in the DR Congo's restive east. Increasing tension between the DR Congo army (FARDC) and M23 rebels near the common border is threatening to drag Rwanda into the conflict. The AU Chairperson's plea for dialogue came after, among others, recent cross-border shelling on Rwandan territory. On May 23, rockets from the Congolese side of the border, injured several people in at least two sectors in Musanze district, in Rwanda. The Congolese army and the terrorist FDLR militia, according to Kigali, also kidnapped two Rwandan soldiers who were patrolling along the common border. Kigalirequested DR Congo authorities to release the two Rwandan soldiers. Kigali has stressed that it has no intention of being drawn into an intra-Congolese matter, but Kinshasa claims that the M23 rebels are supported by Kigali. While in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, attending an extraordinary Summit on countering terrorism and unconstitutional change of government in Africa, Dr Vincent Biruta, Rwanda's Minister of Foreign Affairs, on Saturday, May 28, appealed to the DR Congo to observe good neighborliness, own up to her problems, and avoid apportioning blame where none exists. While responding to the "baseless accusations" made by Kinshasa against Rwanda, Dr Biruta said there are several initiatives in place to address the existing problems, but without political will, "we will remain in a vicious cycle of undesirable and destructive conflicts." In Malabo, Dr Biruta stressed that for close to 30 years now, there has been consistent collaboration between the FARDC and the Rwandan FDLR armed group based in eastern DRCongo. It is deplorable that the FDLR, "which harbors a long-term sinister plan to destabilize Rwanda," has been tolerated and preserved by the DR Congo, he said. "Over the years, they have sanitized this genocidal armed group, to the extent that the FDLR are currently co-located, and fighting alongside the FARDC," Dr Biruta said. "Rwanda wishes to reiterate that the FDLR and its various splinter groups pose a serious security threat, not only to Rwanda, but to the entire region." The FDLR comprises remnants of the perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. After killing more than one million people 28 years ago, they fled into eastern DR Congo. ICGLR awaits verification mission report On May 27, the ICGLR Secretariat expressed great concern about the attacks of the the ex-M23 rebels against the positions of the FARDC supported by MONUSCO in the territory of Rutshuru, North Kivu since the beginning of the week. The bloc's Secretariat strongly condemned the attacks and called on the ex-M23 rebels to comply with the Nairobi Declaration signed in December 2013 and to participate unconditionally in the political process initiated by the regional Conclave of Heads of State on the DR Congo in Nairobi, Kenya on April 21. While condemning the existence of all armed groups operating in the eastern DR Congo, the Conference Secretariat "awaits the conclusions of the report of the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism (EJVM) which deployed a Joint Verification Team (JVT) on the ground" since May 24, in order to refer the matter to the decision-making bodies of ICGLR. Over the past weekend, Rwanda's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Vincent Biruta, reiterated Rwanda's commitment to the established regional initiatives, including the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism of the ICGLR and the Nairobi process under the EAC. The Nairobi Summit gave clear guidelines on how the issue of armed groups in eastern DRCongo can be resolved. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Rwanda Conflict Congo-Kinshasa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The first Summit, or conclave, was held on April 8, after Tshisekedi signed the Treaty of accession by his country to the EAC. During the second conclave, Presidents Tshisekedi, Evariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi, Kenyatta and YoweriMuseveni of Uganda, and Dr Biruta, agreed to the deployment of a regional force to contain armed groups in DR Congo. Mid-way through the inter-Congolese dialogue, there were signs of optimism that the more than 30 Congolese armed groups participating were dedicated to finding a long-lasting solution. But Kinshasa on Saturday said it considered the M23 as a terrorist movement that must be treated as such and is therefore excluded from the Nairobi peace process. Biruta said the Kinshasa has shown lack of political will to abide by the Nairobi Summit resolutions holistically. Instead, he said, they have been engaging with these armed groups selectively and, have been quick to blame Rwanda, in order to ignore their obligations. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) Hungary's divisive leader has once again got his own way with the European Union this time in tough negotiations on Russian oil at a summit in Brussels. And nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban wasn't shy about trumpeting his success in leveraging the bloc to win significant concessions, allowing his country to continue purchasing Russian crude even as war rages on in neighboring Ukraine. The European Commissions "proposal to ban the use of Russian oil in Hungary was defeated, Orban said in a video statement on Facebook. Families can sleep well tonight as the most outrageous idea has been averted. EU leaders concluded four weeks of negotiations on Monday to impose a partial embargo on Russian oil imports. The package of sanctions, the sixth imposed by the EU since the start of the war in February, had been delayed by vigorous opposition from Orban widely seen as the Kremlins closest EU ally who threatened to derail the blocks efforts to punish Moscow for its war if they affected energy imports to Hungary. While the agreement bans all Russian oil from being brought into the EU by sea, it allowed a temporary exemption for imports delivered by the Russian Druzhba pipeline to certain landlocked countries in Central Europe something Orban touted as a victory for Hungarian interests over what he portrayed as potentially disastrous recommendations by the EU. EU officials say the agreement will succeed in cutting off 90% of Russian oil imports by year's end. But it was the latest instance of Orban breaking ranks with his European partners, dividing the blocs united response to crises and ensuring that Russian President Vladimir Putin still has an economic foothold in the EU. Hungary which gets around 65% of its oil and 85% of its gas from Russia was alone among Ukraine's EU neighbors to refuse to supply it with military aid. It also banned the shipment of lethal weapons into Ukraine across its borders, a policy that drew the ire of many EU leaders and of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Orban has also blocked other EU decisions which require unanimity among member states, including attempts last year to issue a joint statement on China's crackdown on a pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong and a joint call for a cease-fire in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict also in 2021. In 2020, Hungary joined its ally Poland in vetoing the EU's seven-year budget and a massive coronavirus recovery plan, stymying efforts to jumpstart European economies during the COVID-19 pandemic and plunging the 27-nation bloc into a political crisis. Despite Hungary's refusal to adopt the oil embargo as proposed, EU leaders hailed Monday's agreement as a success. European Council President Charles Michel tweeted that it covers more than two-thirds of EU oil imports from Russia, cutting a huge source of financing for its war machine. But Daniel Hegedus, a fellow for Central Europe at the German Marshall Fund, said that Hungary was able to achieve those concessions through the blackmailing strategy which Orban used to pressure EU leaders. The Hungarian government, once again, got what it wanted, it was able to leverage the whole European Union, Hegedus said. (Orban) has only winning cards. He can practically deny the European Union an oil import ban. Along with Hungary, both the Czech Republic and Slovakia sought exemptions from the EU embargo, arguing their dependence on Russian oil made an immediate cutoff unrealistic even though they have signaled their willingness to impose the toughest sanctions possible on Moscow. Slovakia gets around 97% of its oil from Russia through the Druzhba pipeline, and has argued that the countrys key refiner, Slovnaft, needs to be reoutfitted to be able to process any oil type other than Russian crude, a process that could take several years. Bulgaria, which is dependent on Russian oil and gas imports, has joined the three landlocked countries in asking for a temporary exemption from the EU oil embargo. The Balkan country with ports on the Black Sea was the first in the EU to stop gas imports, but its leaders insist Sofia cannot finish the process immediately without Russian oil. Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said Tuesday that an exemption for Bulgaria would be extended until 2024, giving time for the country to adapt its refinery so that it could process oil from other sources. But Orban's opponents see the pipeline concession as another instance of the autocratic leader dividing the EU to serve his own purposes. In a tweet on Tuesday, Hungarian member of the European Parliament Katalin Cseh said Orban had navigated Hungary into a desperate dependency on Russian energy. He then declares victory over the EU, whose solidarity and protection is our only chance, Cseh wrote. At home, Orban has depicted the debate over the oil embargo as a fight to defend Hungarians' pocketbooks, especially as it concerns household utility costs which have been subsidized by the government since 2013 as a flagship policy of Orban's government. But Hegedus, the analyst, said the pipeline exception did not fulfil some of Orbans prime strategic objectives forcing the EU to release billions in pandemic recovery funds to Hungary which have been withheld over corruption concerns, and scrapping ongoing proceedings to suspend support payments for breaches of the blocs rule-of-law standards. It was not the worst compromise which could potentially come out of this game, Hegedus said. How long this exemption will exist in the European Union is unclear. Of course, Orban can any time in the future veto or block any potential extension of the import ban on the pipeline, but I think it was very wisely played by the European Commission. ___ Karel Janicek contributed to this report from Prague. ___ Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine LENOX TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) An extraordinary search began Tuesday as authorities at a landfill try to find the remains of a missing Detroit-area teenager. The first phase, which could last two weeks, involves removing 20 feet of material, building a road and constructing a deck to inspect the waste, police said. ALTON A police vehicle and fire truck gave way to color guards and Civil War re-enactors then Jeeps, marching bands, more Jeeps, politicians and, finally, a long line of Corvettes as the 155th Annual Alton Memorial Day Parade made its way through the streets on Monday morning. Billed as one of the only continually-running Memorial Day parades in the country, this year's event boasted five grand marshals, all World War II veterans. Art Williams, one year shy of 100, was one of them. A U.S. Army veteran, he was originally placed with the 14th Armored Division, then with the 40th Armored Division in the Pacific Theater. He served in the New Guinea campaign, but was pulled out of the invasion of the Philippines because he received an appointment to West Point. He noted that if Japan had not surrendered, things might have gone very differently for his unit. The invasion plan for Japan had the 40th Division going into the south of the island and being wiped out to let the main force go forward, he said. It was just part of the plan. Although he went to West Point, he didnt graduate because almost all of the 130 men who received battlefield appointments eventually were resigned, in part, he said, because it was not the type of education some of us thought we were going to get there. On Monday Williams said it was a great day and a beautiful day for a parade. He added he had participated in the parade for many years, and had been its grand marshal several years ago. Its a great parade we have, and I am very pleased to serve again while Im still around, he said. There arent many of us left, he said of World War II veterans. Were fading out very rapidly. Weve seen a lot of changes in the country over those 100 years. The other grand marshals for Monday's parade included Harry Hill, Jack Green, Rich Wickenhauser and Alan Rodenfield. The Alton Middle School parking lot was a busy place as the parade was forming up. Evie Kunzcook, of Highland, was marching with the Civil Air Patrol. America is important to me, she said. Elsewhere, musicians were getting in final practice as military units made final uniform checks and others got ready. Its a beautiful day and we expect it to be a beautiful day throughout, said Steve Schwarz, an organizer with the East End Improvement Association, one of the parades sponsor. People are starting to gather and it looks like a nice parade. He said there were about 50 units in this year's parade, ranging from the Jeep and Corvette clubs to marching bands. He also said it is a point of pride that it this was the 155th annual Memorial Day Parade in Alton. Schwarz said there are a handful of other groups in the nation who also claim the title of longest running Memorial Day Parade. While it was officially canceled in 2020 because of COVID-19, organizers still held a smaller parade with just a few vehicles and no large crowds of spectators. Last year people came out, and this year I think were going to have a lot of our regulars back, he said. Kathryn Randall, of Alton, was with her family at a choice spot the intersection of Washington and College where the parade doubles back on itself. She said it is her usual spot. Since Im going to come, I want to see as much as I can, Randall said. I want to see it coming and going so I dont miss anything. She said she was brought up on coming to the parade, but moved away from the area. After almost 50 years she moved back in 2016, and has made the parade an annual event (except for 2020). Its important," she said. "Alton is a small town and we dont get a lot of activities. So whatever we do get I just try to support." For her daughter, Tanisha Casey, also of Alton, the parade is about family. My mom chooses this spot, she said. For me, personally, because its important to them (her family); thats why Im here. Around the corner, Laura Eyer was sitting in the shade of a tree on the north side of College near the CVS store. A few trees on that side provided shade, something the south side of the street didnt have. We got here early because my son is marching with Piasa Martial Arts, she said. We had to drop him off and we got a good spot. She said it is important to show support for both the community and country. A few feet down from her, Howard Blackwood, also of Alton, was enjoying the shade. We come out every year and sit right here and watch the parade, he said. The Army veteran served 1952-54 with the 516th Signal Corps in Europe. I spent a year in the Austrian Alps, he said. I actually enjoyed being there. The reason we were there, they figured Russia was going to come into the Korean Conflict, and we were there to stop them. All we did was practice, practice, practice. On Washington Avenue, Mike Hunt of Alton was ready to watch the parade. He had a daughter in one of the Girl Scout groups. The boys always set out the flags," he said. Normally Im in the parade, but not this year. Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day began in May 1868 at multiple locations nationwide to honor both Union and Confederate soldiers who died during the Civil War. Many times, the ceremonies and efforts were headed by women. This was especially true in the South, because so soon after the Civil War it might have been considered a violation of their loyalty oath, and treason, for former Confederate soldiers to organize memorials or wear uniforms. Altons parade is touted as being one of the first, and the longest continually running Memorial Day Parade in the country. Although relatively far from the battlefields (except early conflicts in St. Louis), Madison County includes a great deal of history related to the Civil War. The 1837 death of abolitionist minister and newspaper publisher Elijah Lovejoy is considered one of the events that framed the eventual conflict. Alton also played a prominent role in the Underground Railroad. During the war thousands of Confederate prisoners were housed in a former federal prison in Alton. Many died of disease or injuries and were buried on an island in the Mississippi River that has since disappeared, or at the North Alton Confederate Cemetery on Rozier Street. Madison County raised more than 4,000 men for the Union army. U.S. Sen. Lyman Trumbull of Alton was the co-author of the 13th Amendment which ended slavery in the U.S. It is noted that Memorial Day honors those who have died, while Veterans Day honors all who served. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BEIRUT (AP) Lebanon's longtime parliament speaker who has held the post for 30 years, was reelected Tuesday for a seventh four-year term with the minimum number of votes needed and despite multiple crises plaguing the nation. Still, the slim majority in favor of Nabih Berri was a reflection of a significant shift in public opinion in the crumbling economy on the verge of bankruptcy. His reelection was practically guaranteed even though more than a dozen new lawmakers won seats running on a reform platform. The new legislature is being ushered in as Lebanon remains in the grip of the worst economic and financial crisis in its modern history, rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement by the ruling class, which has been running the country since the end of the 1975-90 civil war. To most Lebanese, Berri, an 84-year-old former warlord, is a symbol of this entrenched sectarian-based political system and ruling class, which continues to hold despite rising discontent and the newly elected, reform-minded lawmakers. As leader of the Shiite Amal movement, which is closely allied with the militant Hezbollah group, Berri is virtually untouchable - always running uncontested. The two parties hold all 27 seats allotted to Shiites in parliament under Lebanon's power-sharing system. In a reflection of the divisions and polarization in the new assembly, Tuesday's session was characterized by tense back-and-forth shouting and arguing between Berri and indignant lawmakers. The May 15 election was the first since Lebanon's economic crisis began in late 2019 with nationwide mass protests against the political class. Since then, the Lebanese currency has collapsed, banks have clamped down on depositors' money and the country's foreign currency reserves have dwindled to barely enough to purchase essentials such as fuel and medicine amid severe shortages. The new parliament is deeply divided with no coalition holding a majority. Hezbollah and its allies lost the dominance they had held since 2018, and now hold 61 seats four short of an absolute majority in the 128-seat chamber. Berri was elected with 65 votes in favor the lowest number he has ever received over the past three decades. There were 23 blank ballots and 40 were annulled. In 2000, Berri received 124 votes in the assembly and in 2018, he got 98. My hand is extended to everyone who wants to cooperate with good faith to save Lebanon, Berri said as celebratory gunfire by his supporters rang out across parts of Beirut. He had issued a statement on Monday calling on his supporters to abstain from the traditional firing in the air. Mr. Speaker, shooting is ongoing outside, quipped legislator Sammy Gemayel, interrupting Berri as he spoke. Berri responded: I issued a statement, what can I do? The 13 independent candidates, drawn from the 2019 protest movement, and some of the Christian parties in parliament had said they would not vote for Berri, leaving him with a much slimmer margin of support, mainly from Shiite parties belonging to the Hezbollah-led coalition. The powerful Berri was the only candidate for the post of speaker, which under Lebanons power-sharing agreement is held by a Shiite. Ahead of the session, some of the independents and new legislators gathered outside Beiruts port the scene of a massive explosion in August 2020 that killed more than 200 people and met with families of the victims who perished in the blast. After the meeting, they walked to Parliament, surrounded by hundreds of supporters chanting revolution. Independent legislator Mark Daou, a newcomer, entered the parliament building carrying a large poster with photographs of those killed in the blast. Two of the politicians charged in connection with the blast are members of Berris parliamentary bloc. They have legally challenged the investigative judges order and were present in the assembly Tuesday after being reelected on May 15. This is a moment of change in Lebanon. There is a new political group that represents a big part of Lebanese society that has taken a sizable bloc in parliament and will change the dynamics that weve had and that destroyed the country since the Civil War, he told The Associated Press ahead of the session. The investigation into the port explosion, when hundreds of tons of improperly stored ammonium nitrate detonated, has been stalled for months amid legal challenges by officials charged by the investigative judge. Beirut has the right to know who killed her, said independent legislator Yassin Yassin, in a reference to the bungled probe. Reflecting the divisions in parliament, many of the annulled ballots Tuesday had slogans written on them such as justice for the victims of the port blast and justice for Lokman Slim, an anti-Hezbollah Shiite political activist who was found shot in his car last year. The presence of the independent lawmakers in the legislature is a major achievement they went into the vote fragmented and faced intimidation and threats by entrenched mainstream parties. It sent a strong message to politicians who have for decades held on to their seats and continue to do so despite the economic meltdown, which has impoverished Lebanon and triggered the biggest wave of emigration since the 1975-90 civil war. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SLOVIANSK, Ukraine (AP) Blood smears the stairwell floor and the shards of glass strewn about while shrapnel pockmarks the walls. Outside, a crater between two apartment blocks marks the spot where the rocket hit in the very early hours of Tuesday in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk. Authorities said three people were killed and six were wounded. Sloviansk, in the eastern Donetsk region, is again in Russia's sights as part of its efforts to seize the Donbas, made up of Donetsk and the neighboring Luhansk region. Russian military officials have said their main goal is to liberate the Donbas, the predominantly Russian-speaking industrial heartland of eastern Ukraine where Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian forces since 2014. I was on my sofa and suddenly my sofa just jumped in the air, said Mikhaylo Samoluk, one of the local residents. The strike came around 1:30 in the morning, he said, when those still living in the building were asleep. Olena Voytenko, who lives on the first floor of one of the apartment blocks, said most of the residents had already moved away, but around 30 people still lived there. I will never forget what I saw today, she said, recounting seeing the wounded and the dead. She knew one of the people killed, she said. A man in his early 40s named Aleksander who lived upstairs from her. She saw his lifeless body being carried out on a stretcher, badly burnt. Why do they bomb the residential buildings? Isn't there military honor for Russians that they can fight in the field?" questioned Voytenko, who is of Russian origin herself. Why do you annihilate the country that you try to conquer? I do not see any sense in it. On Tuesday, Ukraines General Staff said an attempt to storm a village lying between currently Russian-held Izyum and Sloviansk was repelled, and that Russian forces were creating conditions for (a) further offensive in the area. Many have fled Sloviansk, as others have from many cities and towns in eastern Ukraine. Some people stayed. Among them are Lydmyla Telehyna and her husband Mykola. Both in their 70s, they stayed behind after their daughter and her four young children left Ukraine because of the war. They went to check on their daughters apartment on the top floor of the building, and were horrified by what they saw. The windows had shattered, shards of glass lying throughout the front room where the children would have slept, and the walls were marked with shrapnel. What have they done? Telehyna cried, her grief mingled with the relief of her daughter and grandchildren already having fled the country. Everything is destroyed, there is no balcony, no windows no doors, she said. Her daughter had considered coming back, but there is no longer a home to come back to. I hurt, I'm crying, I worry, she said. But what can I do? Nothing. Authorities have repeatedly urged residents to leave the areas of eastern Ukraine near the fighting. All the territory of Donetsk region now is a field of war, Pavlo Kyrylenko, the head of the Donetsk administration, said in a statement on the Sloviansk rocket attack posted on his Facebook page. Every such blow is a cruel reminder that there are no safe places in the Donetsk region now. Evacuate! Evacuation saves lives! But some are unable, or unwilling, to move despite the dangers. There is no place to go, said Samoluk. Besides, he said, he didnt want to leave. I didnt leave in 2014, and I wont go now. WATERVILLE, Maine (AP) The Maine Attorney General's Office has ruled that the fatal shooting of a man in Waterville by police last year was justified. Waterville police responded in February 2021 to reports of Eric Porter, 32, armed with a knife and threatening people outside a hotel. The attorney general's office said Friday in a report about the shooting that police ordered Porter to drop the knife and surrender when he charged at an officer with the weapon. MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) A mobile lung cancer screening unit that offers service to West Virginia counties without easy access to screenings will be visiting three counties next week. The unit known as LUCAS will visit Preston, Taylor and Marion counties. The unit is operated by WVU Medicine-WVU Hospitals and the WVU Cancer Institute. The tenure of Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, the mufti of Uganda expires on July 14, 2022. However, this does not mean he cannot seek re-election. ADVERTISEMENT Under the current Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) constitution, Mubajje, 66 is supposed to relinquish office when he clocks 70 years in 2025. Mubaje announced during the memorial prayers for the late Hajj Abdurahman Ddamulira in Masaka over the weekend that all committees of UMSC will expire in July 2022. ADVERTISEMENT He said this will pave way for the general election of new leaders from the grassroots to the general assembly, the top organ of UMSC. UMSC last organised elections for members of the General Assembly in 2012 and for the Mufti in 2000. Mubaje urged muslims nationwide to prepare to elect their leaders and advised them to select people who would unite and deliver development to the Muslims. Using different quotations from Quran, Mubaje said for "a child to resemble his or her father is an indicator that such children will protect the name and legacy of their departed parents." "We have seen prominent families that firmly supported UMSC on its divine call of unity fading with the demise of the family heads simply because their children betrayed them and abandoned their legacies. So muslims whatever displeased your parents when they were alive, still displeases them after their death," he said. The late Ddamulira was a prominent business man and political activist in the greater Masaka region. Former Vice President Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi said Ddamulira left an impact on the community. The Minister of Defence, Vincent Bamulazeki Ssempijja described the late as a freedom fighter who sacrificed his life for the struggle that brought political stability to the country. LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) Police have identified the two women killed over the weekend when two cars crashed during an annual Memorial Day cruise night and injured 20 people when the cars struck a crowd of bystanders in Nebraska's capital city. Lincoln Police said Tuesday that 20-year-old Emily Siebenhor and 22-year-old Edith Hermosillo died in the Sunday night crash on O Street in Lincoln after a Ford Taurus smashed into the Toyota Corolla they were in. Of the people who were injured, only two remained hospitalized Tuesday, with one in improving to serious condition and the other improving to fair condition. Gregorio Borgia/AP VATICAN CITY (AP) The Vatican said Tuesday that Pope Francis will travel to Kazakhstan in September for an interfaith conference, a meeting that may give him a chance to meet with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. The meeting with Patriarch Kirill would be significant given Kirill's justification for Russias war in Ukraine. Francis called off a planned encounter with Kirill in June in Jerusalem because of the diplomatic fallout it would have created. The number of qualified candidates to fill paramedic and EMT positions is decreasing, according to several regional agencies. The Pike County Ambulance Service is fully staffed, though Kasey Kendall, the EMS chief , said they had a bit of difficulty filling all the positions. "At the beginning of the year, we were down three paramedics," Kendall said. "It seems the pipeline of applicants is not seeing the interest from people." Though fully staffed, Kendall said many of the people are getting closer to retirement age and soon there will be more open positions when people decided to leave. Kendall said many of the agencies were seeing shortages. "This isn't a local issues," Kendall said. "This is a problem at the state and national level." Jacksonville Fire Chief Doug Sills said the department has one vacant position, though he expects to have it filled after the recommendation from the city's Police and Fire Committee. While the department is mostly staffed, Sills said they have a harder time finding candidates. "We are definitely seeing a decrease in the number of applicants each time," Sills said. The department has had to change its requirements for applicants because they were not receiving applications. Sills said the department previously required the applicants to have a paramedic level license, however have lowered that to an Illinois Department of Public Health license. Sills said those hired have to receive a paramedic level license within a certain time period to remain employed. "In the area, we only have a few options to get a paramedic level license," Sills said. The department works with the candidates to help them complete their licensing and help cover the cost. Kendall said many people interested in the health care field have been going into nursing or other medical fields and do not usually think of EMS. "I've been going out to high school career fairs to try and encourage a younger generation to go into the field," Kendall said. "It seems like they overlook the paramedic field and go right into nursing." Kendall said those that go into EMS have a wide variety of options for work, not just working on an ambulance. "You can do so much," Kendall said. " EMS is very bad about advertising. You can work at Six Flags, as an ER tech. It goes so much beyond driving an ambulance." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate OMAHA, Neb. (AP) A large fire that raged through a Nebraska chemical plant was extinguished by Tuesday morning and nearby residents who were initially evacuated were allowed to return to their homes, authorities said. Thick smoke billowed from the Nox-Crete facility just southwest of downtown Omaha that could be seen as far away Monday evening as the Elkhorn River, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) to the west. Battalion Chief Scott Fitzpatrick said the first call for help came shortly before 7 p.m. Monday, and firefighters who initially entered the building found a much bigger fire than they had anticipated, forcing them to retreat. Fire crews then fought the fire from outside the building, noting the presence of chemicals and propane bottles inside. Explosions could be seen and heard as propane tanks ruptured. No injuries were reported from the fire or explosions. Officials said the smoke posed no major toxicity risks to the public. The cause of the fire wasnt immediately known. According to its website, Nox-Crete makes a chemical coating and deactivator that keeps curing concrete from bonding to forms. It also makes liquid floor hardeners, joint fillers, curing and sealing compounds and water repellents. A woman who answered the phone at Nox-Crete headquarters Tuesday morning said the company did not have a statement. Those living nearby were initially encouraged to shelter in place, but an alert sent just before 9 p.m. urged some residents to evacuate. The nearby Columbus Community Center was opened as a temporary shelter for evacuees. Omaha Public Power District said more than 2,500 customers were without electricity in the neighborhoods near the fire Monday night, but power had been restored to all but a handful of customers by Tuesday morning. Russian forces now control "around half" of Severodonetsk, one of the last major Ukrainian-held areas of the country's eastern Luhansk region, local officials said. Capturing the whole city would be a major symbolic victory for Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Moscow's combat power is at "maximum" strength in its push to capture the wider Donbas region, which includes Luhansk and Donetsk. "Unfortunately, the front line is dividing the city in half, but the city is still defending itself; the city is still Ukrainian," Aleksandr Stryuk, head of the civil-military administration in Severodonetsk, told a Ukrainian television channel. He called on residents to remain in hiding as the city comes under heavy air and artillery attacks, and he said there were enough reserves of humanitarian supplies to last "a few days." Stryuk said the casualty toll is not yet clear and that mobile connections in the city are unstable. "Evacuation is halted for now. Unfortunately, it is not possible because of the fighting," he added. Radio Svoboda quoted another official in the wider Severodonetsk district, Roman Vlasenko, as saying said that Russian forces had advanced into about half the city. Fighting was raging in the center, he said. Russian troops have been fighting to make gains in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, which includes the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces, where separatist forces that have long controlled breakaway enclaves are fighting alongside Moscow's troops to expand their grip. Russia must capture the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk and a key road linking the cities of Dnipro and Donetsk to achieve its probable goal of seizing the entirety of the eastern Ukrainian provinces of Luhansk and Donetsk, the British Defense Ministry said in an intelligence update Tuesday. Russian forces appear to be seeking to encircle Ukrainians defending Severodonetsk, one of the last major Ukrainian cities in Luhansk that remains under Kyiv's control, the ministry said. Progress by Russian forces has been slow, but gains are being held, it added. Severodonetsk is about 45 miles northeast of Kramatorsk. Luhansk's regional governor said last week that Ukrainian forces in Severodonetsk may have to retreat to avoid being fully surrounded. The city is already besieged on three fronts. A Ukrainian court found two Russian soldiers guilty of shelling civilian sites during fighting in Kharkiv and sentenced them Tuesday to 11 1/2 years in prison. It was the second verdict handed down in a war crimes trial in Ukraine since the conflict began. Ukrainian prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova announced at a news conference Tuesday that Estonia, Latvia and Slovakia will join a joint effort by several eastern European countries and the International Criminal Court to investigate alleged war crimes in Ukraine. The European Union announced late Monday its long-awaited deal to curtail use of Russian oil, a move it said would cut some 90 percent of oil imports from Russia by the end of this year. The agreement is softened by an exemption for pipeline oil, a concession to landlocked E.U. members, notably Hungary. Also Tuesday: - Zelensky sent his condolences to the family of French journalist Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff, who was killed in eastern Ukraine when a Russian strike hit an armored evacuation truck he was traveling in. - Zelensky has denounced Russia's blockade on Ukrainian ports for halting the export of 22 million tons of grain. He accused the Kremlin of using African and Asian countries as "bargaining chips." Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stressed the need to establish a safe passage for sea exports of grain. MARYSVILLE, Ohio (AP) A man armed with a gun was shot and killed by sheriff's deputy at a central Ohio home, authorities said. Two people made separate 911 calls to Marysville police around 6:35 p.m. Monday to report that Matthew Todhunter, 33, had pointed a gun at them. WASHINGTON (AP) Diane Murray struggled with her decision all the way up to Election Day. But when the time came, the 54-year-old Georgia Democrat cast a ballot in last week's Republican primary for Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. While state law allowed her to participate in either party's primary, she said it felt like a violation of her core values to vote for the Republican. But it had to be done, she decided, to prevent a Donald Trump -backed election denier from becoming the battleground state's election chief. I feel strongly that our democracy is at risk, and that people who are holding up the big lie, as we call it, and holding onto the former president are dangerous to democracy, said Murray, who works at the University of Georgia. I dont know Ill do it again because of how I felt afterward. I just felt icky. Raffensperger, a conservative who refused to support the former presidents direct calls to overturn the 2020 election, probably would not have won the May 24 Republican primary without people like Murray. An Associated Press analysis of early voting records from data firm L2 found that more than 37,000 people who voted in Georgia's Democratic primary two years ago cast ballots in last week's Republican primary, an unusually high number of so-called crossover voters. Even taking into account the limited sample of early votes, the data reveal that crossover voters were consequential in defeating Trump's hand-picked candidates for secretary of state and, to a lesser extent, governor. Gov. Brian Kemp did not ultimately need Democrats in his blowout victory against his Trump-backed opponent, but Raffensperger probably did. The Republican secretary of state cleared the 50% threshold required to avoid a runoff election by just over 27,000 votes, according to the latest AP tallies. Based on early voting data alone, 37,144 former Democrats voted in the Republican primary. The total number of crossovers including Election Day votes, set to be revealed in the coming weeks, may be even higher. Crossover voting, also known as strategic voting, is not exclusive to Georgia this primary season as voters across the political spectrum work to stop Trump-backed extremists from winning control of state and federal governments. The phenomenon is playing out in multiple primary contests, sometimes organically and sometimes in response to a coordinated effort by Trumps opponents. While Trump railed against the practice over the weekend, there is nothing inherently wrong with crossover voting. Dozens of states make it legal and easy for voters to participate in either party's primary. And there are several isolated incidents of both parties engaging in strategic voting over the years. Still, Trump warned conservatives about crossover voting while campaigning Saturday in Wyoming, another state where the former president's opponents are calling for Democrats to intervene this time to help save Rep. Liz Cheney from a Trump-backed primary challenger. Cheney, like Raffensperger and Kemp, refused to embrace Trump's lies about the 2020 election. She also voted for his second impeachment after the Jan. 6 insurrection. Dont let the Democrats do what they did in another state last week, Trump told Wyoming supporters, complaining about what happens when you allow Democrats to vote in a Republican primary. While the practice has Trump's attention, it is often ineffective. Trump's opponents encouraged Democrats to help defeat U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in her Georgia primary last week. The congresswoman, who has embraced election lies and spoken at an event organized by a white nationalist, won by more than 50 percentage points. And in some cases, Democrats have been too focused on their own competitive primaries to cast a Republican ballot. That was probably the case in Pennsylvania, where some Democrats openly encouraged their base to vote for the Republican candidate for governor, Doug Mastriano, whose extreme views they felt made him more beatable in November. To cast a ballot in the May 17 GOP primary, however, voters needed to register as Republicans ahead of the contest because Pennsylvania has a closed primary system. And on the same day, Democrats were deciding their own high-stakes Senate primary. If the advance vote in Pennsylvania is any indication, few Democrats heeded the call to vote GOP. Of Republican primary voters who cast early or absentee ballots this year, only 1.7 percent voted Democratic in the 2020 primary. Those 2,600 votes, even if ultimately bolstered by more Election Day participants, were unlikely to have moved the needle in an outcome in which Mastriano beat his closest rival by nearly 320,000. On the forefront of the crossover movement, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., has called for an uneasy alliance between Democrats, independents and Republicans to take down pro-Trump candidates in GOP primaries whenever and wherever possible. Some states have open primaries like Georgia that allow people to vote in either primary, while other states have more restrictive rules. In an interview, Kinzinger said he was pleasantly surprised by the Democrats' response in some races. He said he never expected the movement to be an earth-shattering game-changer right away. Kinzinger's political organization, Country First, targeted thousands of former Georgia Democrats with mailers and text messages urging them to support Raffensperger for the sake of democracy. A Country First text message widely distributed to Georgia voters in the days before the election read: Dont wait for until the general election to go after the extremes. Vote in the Republican Primary for the candidate that supports truth and democracy." Kinzingers team was also active in North Carolinas closely watched congressional race in North Carolinas 11th District, where voters ousted the polarizing pro-Trump freshman Rep. Madison Cawthorn in the Republican primary. As was the case in Georgia, the AP found a sizable percentage of Republican early ballots were cast by voters who participated in the Democratic primary two years ago. Specifically, more than 14% of the 38,000 early or absentee votes cast in the Cawthorn race more than 5,400 voters came from a Democratic 2020 primary voter. Cawthorn lost his primary by fewer than 1,500 votes. Back in Georgia, Raffensperger's team pushed back on the idea that he won the GOP primary because of Democrats. The team suggested that a number of crossover voters were actually Republicans who voted Democratic in recent years to protest Trump. It is clear that Brad Raffensperger carried a majority of the Republican vote here in the state of Georgia, and that there are people who stopped voting in Republican primaries after 2016 who are now reengaged, said Jordan Fuchs, a consultant to the Raffensperger campaign. An AP examination of voting records from before the Trump era shows at least a portion of Georgia's 37,000 party switchers in 2022 had been in the Republican camp before Trump took office. Roughly between 9,000 to 13,000 voted Republican in the 2010, 2012 and 2014 primaries, according to the L2 data. Trump allies in the state, caught off guard by the crossover trend, were furious. It was a Democratic version of Operation Chaos, said Debbie Dooley, president of the Atlanta Tea Party, referring to the secret Nixon-era push to infiltrate liberal groups. I did not realize just how heavily the Democrats were going to cross over. Dooley launched a petition late last week to close Georgia's Republican primaries to non-Republicans. More than a dozen states have closed, or partially closed, primaries that block members of opposing parties from participating. Meanwhile, Kinzinger said he's already crafting plans to execute a similar playbook in coming primaries in Michigan, Wyoming and Alaska. In addition to helping Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the Alaska Republican who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial, Kinzinger said he's weighing whether to invest resources in trying to block former Gov. Sarah Palin's congressional bid. Donald Trump came in and took over the Republican Party with nationalism, Kinzinger said. The American people have every right to determine who represents them in a congressional district, and if thats in a primary, thats in a primary. If they want to take back the Republican Party from the liar, they can do that, and Im certainly going to help them. ___ Peoples reported from New York. Associated Press writers Jeff Amy in Atlanta and Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report. ISTANBUL (AP) Turkey's president highlighted the activities of the Kurdistan Workers Party as part of his country's objections to Sweden and Finland joining NATO and said both nations doing so would carry security risks for Turkey. The group known as PKK has waged a 38-year insurgency against Turkey that has led to tens of thousands of deaths. It is designated a terrorist entity by the United States and the European Union, including Sweden and Finland. However, the Wests attitude to the PKKs Syrian wing, the Peoples Protection Units, or YPG, has caused acrimony between Ankara and other NATO members. The YPG forms the backbone of the forces involved in the U.S.-led fight against the Islamic State group. Turkey maintains that the admission of Sweden and Finland entails risks for its own security and the organizations future, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wrote in an article published by The Economist late Monday. Referring to the central tenet of NATOs mutual defense policy, he added: We have every right to expect those countries, which will expect NATOs second-largest army to come to their defence under Article 5, to prevent the recruitment, fundraising and propaganda activities of the PKK." All NATO members must approve the two Nordic nations bids to join the alliance, which were propelled by Russias invasion of Ukraine. Turkey has said it wont allow their accession unless steps are taken, but NATO leaders are looking to the NATO summit in Spain in late June as the chance for the historic expansion. Erdogan reiterated calls for Finland and Sweden to extradite people Ankara suspects of terrorist activity and to support "the anti-terror operations of NATO members. He also said arms embargoes were incompatible with the spirit of military partnership." Sweden and Finland were among countries to impose defense export restrictions on Turkey following its 2019 incursion into northeast Syria that aimed to drive back the YPG. In recent days, Erdogan has promised a further cross-border operation against the group. The president set out Turkeys role in arguably the greatest military alliance in history since it joined in 1952 and called for other NATO members to persuade Sweden and Finland to change their positions. Where Sweden and Finland stand on the national security concerns and considerations of other countries, with which they would like to be allies, will determine to what extent Turkey would like to be allies with those states, he added. LONDON (AP) The British government said Tuesday that it plans to send a first group of asylum seekers to Rwanda in two weeks under a controversial deal with the east African country. But legal challenges mean it is far from certain whether the flight scheduled for June 14 will take place. The Home Office said it had begun sending formal removal direction letters to an unspecified number of people, including some who had arrived in Britain across the English Channel on small boats. The letters are the last administrative hurdle to the deportations, but people who receive them can challenge them in court. While we know attempts will now be made to frustrate the process and delay removals, I will not be deterred and remain fully committed to delivering what the British public expect, Home Secretary Priti Patel said. Under a deal announced last month, Britain plans to send migrants who arrive in the U.K. as stowaways or in small boats on a one-way trip to Rwanda. There the migrants asylum claims will be processed, and if successful, they will stay there. U.N. officials say such a move violates the international Refugee Convention, and human rights groups call the deal for which the U.K. has paid Rwanda 120 million pounds ($158 million) upfront unworkable, inhumane and a waste of British taxpayers money. The British government is seeking to distinguish between refugees who arrive by authorized routes, such as programs to help people fleeing Afghanistan or Ukraine, and those it says arrive by illegal means, including Channel crossings run by people smugglers. More than 28,000 migrants entered the U.K. across the Channel last year, up from 8,500 in 2020. Dozens have died, including 27 people in November when a single boat capsized. Several stakeholders including Members of Parliament and Civil Society Organisations(CSO) have reinvigorated efforts to have the National Legal Aid Bill tabled before parliament again. Several stakeholders including Members of Parliament and Civil Society Organisations(CSO) have reinvigorated efforts to have the National Legal Aid Bill tabled before parliament again. Despite being introduced to help establish provision of legal aid services to marginalized members of the public, the legal aid bill has on several occasions suffered a still birth. ADVERTISEMENT On Monday, stakeholders noted that it is high time they worked together to ensure the success of the bill. "There is no stakeholder we have not been able to reach out on this matter. Here we can disagree but when we go out there lets always speak one language. We need it like yesterday. It talks about probono services, equity, employment, economic development, prison decongestion, equity, legal advice, access to justice, child protection etc. In total, it speaks to everybody," said Dr. Sylivia Namubiru, the Executive Director of Legal Aid Service Providers Network (LAPSNET). ADVERTISEMENT To this she noted they have organized several meetings with stakeholders to be able to understand the bill in depth. Bugiri Municipality MP, Asuman Basalirwa, also a member of the parliamentary legal committee noted it is high time all stakeholders spoke the same language on the bill but also it gets support from members of the public. "We are glad that the stakeholders are now speaking the same language and what we can only commit as Parliament is that when this bill is at the floor of the house or before the committee , we shall give our total cooperation with guidance of other key stakeholders in the country," Basalirwa said. "The purpose of the bill is to streamline the provision of legal aid services to Ugandans. I am not aware of any Ugandan who doesn't require legal aid services. However, the current legal regime is not sufficient enough to cover provision of legal aid. It is in that spirit the 11th parliament have taken over the bill .We want to build consensus to have legal aid in this country. Every corner and sector of this country needs legal aid. We have legal aid service providers but they are not streamlined, not very structured and not very national. The coming of this bill will ensure it is covered nationwide; the providers are known, accredited and given protection." Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Uganda Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Making a case for the law, the Bugiri Municipality MP said it is high time all members of the public supported it. "The law is timely and we invite public to support MPs in this endeavor .We also call on government to parent with us to get law on legal aid services. It is in line with government aspirations and objectives in the national development programs and other structural policies." The Uganda Law Society vice president, Diana Angwech also rallied support for the law. "At the point of going to committee we can present data to show government that legal aid touches more than access to justice because it touches other sectors like security and economic development. Let us streamline the information and show government that it is their mandate to provide legal aid." Former MP Lyandro Komakech who earlier moved the bill in the 9th Parliament emphasized that it is needed like yesterday by the country. He said that it would help reduced on the number of prisoners on remand but also save government on money spent on feeding these inmates. STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. (AP) Facing state demands to move forward, as well as public pressure after students produced a viral video showing widespread disrepair, a suburban Atlanta school board on Tuesday voted for a $50 million overhaul at an aging high school after previously voting three times against it. The DeKalb County school board voted unanimously to renovate Druid Hills High School, news outlets reported. I am proud to say today that were in unison, that we want whats good for this district, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that board chair Vickie Turner said. It feels quite refreshing that weve made this progress. The dispute over Druid Hills climaxed after students made a video about poor conditions including raw sewage, crumbling bathrooms and signs warning of possible electrical shock around utilities in one room. But last month the board rejected plans to overhaul the high school, instead voting to make minor repairs at all the districts schools. Students from at least two other DeKalb high schools have since published similar videos. The dispute dredged up racial and class tensions that often divide the 93,000-student district between a wealthier white minority in its northern end and a poorer, Black majority in the southern end. State Superintendent Richard Woods intervened in the dispute by saying the state would refuse to approve the districts facility plans until it addressed issues at Druid Hills. Such a refusal would block the district from obtaining state facilities money. Then the state appointed a special advisor to oversee the systems building upgrades and maintenance. In the meantime, board members fired Cheryl Watson-Harris as superintendent, with Turner appearing to blame Watson-Harris for poor conditions in a letter to Woods. Tuesdays vote adds Druid Hills to the districts five-year building plan. Work slated to begin in September will include roofing, plumbing, heating and air conditioning. The district will pay for it using local sales tax collections. The state hired Tanzy Kilcrease, who is retiring from Bibb County schools, to oversee DeKalb starting June 1. She told WABE-FM that she's going to assess conditions across the district. One of Kilcreases responsibilities will be ensuring DeKalb carries out repairs in its state corrective action plan, including some updates that must be completed by June 30. The state Department of Education said Tuesday it would approve state facilities funds for DeKalb as long as the district follows through. About 60% of the immediate needs identified in the plan have already been addressed, interim Superintendent Vasanne Tinsley said Tuesday. She said a broken sewer line will be repaired by Friday, while roof repairs will be complete within two weeks. She also said the district is working to repair heating, ventilation and air conditioning problems. This is a collaboration, Kilcrease said. Its a partnership. Its our goal for them to be successful in assuring that we have standard quality facilities for all of our students in DeKalb County. VATICAN CITY (AP) A former Vatican official testified Tuesday that he was under intense psychological pressure to finalize a deal over the Holy Sees troubled investment in a London property, but entered into the negotiations without a lawyer and didnt realize the deal got the Vatican nothing in return. Fabrizio Tirabassi testified for some seven hours about the frenzied meetings he attended in London Nov. 20-22, 2018 that the Holy See had thought would salvage its 350-million-euro investment in the former Harrods warehouse and stem its losses. Instead, the contracts negotiated in those days ended up turning control of the London property over to an Italian broker, Gianluigi Torzi, who was unknown to the Vatican only a month prior but got in the door because he was recommended by acquaintances of Pope Francis. The perfect storm of incompetence, alleged criminality and blind trust in people presented as friends of Francis are at the heart of the Vaticans big fraud and embezzlement trial. Vatican prosecutors have accused 10 people, including Tirabassi, of fleecing the Holy See of tens of millions of euros, and Torzi of having then extorted the Vatican for 15 million euros to get full ownership of the property. They all deny wrongdoing. Tirabassi was the No. 2 in the secretariat of states administrative office, which managed some 600 million euros in assets, including donations from the faithful to the pope for charity. Starting around 2012, the office decided to diversify its portfolio and put some 200 million euros in a fund that, among other things, was investing in the London warehouse and developing it into a luxury residential property. By late 2018 the fund had lost 18 million euros of the Holy See's money and the Vaticans auditor general was asking questions: The auditor had put an end-of-the-year deadline for the secretariat of state to explain the deal and turn it around. Tirabassi said he felt psychologically pressured to find a way out. Tirabassi and his boss, Archbishop Alberto Perlasca, worked with a handful of Italian businessmen who were presented as having a privileged rapport with the Holy Father, Tirabassi said, to figure out a way to buy out the fund manager, Raffaele Mincione, and obtain the shares of the building the Vatican owned. One of those Francis friends introduced Tirabassi to Torzi, and between mid-October and mid-November, Torzi stepped up with a solution that was hammered out in his London offices Nov. 20-22, Tirabassi said. Perlasca sent Tirabassi and the Vaticans longtime external financial adviser to London to work out the details, but they realized once they got there they needed a lawyer. A text message read out in court from Perlasca in those days said that wed be in big trouble if the auditor-general discovered that they had entered into a new set of contracts over the London property without a lawyer present. Perlasca balked at spending 160,000 pounds on one lawyer familiar with the deal, Tirabassi said, and so they decided to entrust their interests to Torzis lawyer, thinking they were on the same side. The deal called for the Holy See to have 30,000 shares of the building in one of Torzi's holding companies, Gutt, with Torzi keeping 1,000 shares. But Torzi stipulated in the signed contract that his shares had all the voting rights, meaning he effectively owned and controlled the building. Tirabassi testified that he didnt realize the diversity of the shares at the time and said he thought Torzi's 1,000 shares were necessary for him to manage the property and would serve as compensation if the Vatican ever sold the property. In the end, the Vatican bought out Torzis 1,000 voting shares for 15 million euros, the basis for the charge of extortion against Torzi, which he denies. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Andrew Harnik/AP Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Kevin Wolf/AP Show More Show Less 3 of 3 NAPA, Calif. (AP) Paul Pelosi, the 82-year-old husband of U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, was arrested this weekend on suspicion of DUI in Northern California, police records showed Sunday. Paul Pelosi was taken into custody late Saturday in Napa County north of San Francisco, according to a sheriff's office online booking report. WFO LUBBOCK Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Tuesday, May 31, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Lubbock Texas has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Northwestern Childress County in the Panhandle of Texas... Northern Hall County in the Panhandle of Texas... * Until 515 PM CDT. * At 416 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 14 miles northeast of Turkey, moving northeast at 30 mph. HAZARD...70 mph wind gusts and ping pong ball size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...People and animals outdoors will be injured. Expect hail damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles. Expect considerable tree damage. Wind damage is also likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings. * Locations impacted include... Memphis, Lakeview and Plaska Community. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. The National Weather Service in Amarillo has issued a Western Collingsworth County in the Panhandle of Texas... Southeastern Donley County in the Panhandle of Texas... * At 420 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 6 miles northeast of Memphis, moving northeast at 15 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and half dollar size hail. IMPACT...Minor damage to roofs, siding, and trees is possible. Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Wellington, Dozier, Samnorwood and Quail. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO MIDLAND/ODESSA Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Tuesday, May 31, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Midland has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Central Pecos County in southwestern Texas... * Until 630 PM CDT. * At 542 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 9 miles southwest of Fort Stockton, moving northeast at 15 mph. HAZARD...Ping pong ball size hail and 60 mph wind gusts. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...People and animals outdoors will be injured. Expect hail damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... Fort Stockton and Fort Stockton-Pecos County Airport. This includes Interstate 10 between mile markers 248 and 281. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Large hail and damaging winds and continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Move indoors immediately. Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO MIDLAND/ODESSA Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Tuesday, May 31, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX 606 PM CDT Tue May 31 2022 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 630 PM CDT FOR CENTRAL PECOS COUNTY... At 605 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 9 miles southwest of Fort Stockton, moving east at 10 mph. HAZARD...Ping pong ball size hail and 60 mph wind gusts. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...People and animals outdoors will be injured. Expect hail damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. Locations impacted include... Fort Stockton and Fort Stockton-Pecos County Airport. This includes Interstate 10 between mile markers 255 and 270. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Move indoors immediately. Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. 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 Amarillo has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Northeastern Wheeler County in the Panhandle of Texas... Southeastern Hemphill County in the Panhandle of Texas... * Until 700 PM CDT. * At 609 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 6 miles south of Allison, or 22 miles west of Cheyenne, moving north at 25 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and half dollar size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Minor damage to roofs, siding, and trees is possible. Hail damage to vehicles is expected. * Locations impacted include... Allison. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather Frequently being called Doctor Petter posed a dilemma for SFU president emeritus Andrew Petter. Petter, whose Master of Laws degree from Cambridge is a tertiary teaching degree, says people began referring to him as Doctor Petter when he was named SFU president and vice-chancellor in 2010. At first, I corrected them, he said during a recent interview from his home in Victoria. But after a while I thought, I cant keep doing this so I let them call me doctor. But it felt awkward, because I wasnt. All that changes next week when Petter will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws from SFU for a lifetime of contributions to the province in academia, law and politics, as well as his transformative impact on post-secondary education in B.C. and beyond. SFUs honorary degree is the highest honour conferred by the university. Degrees are awarded to distinguished individuals in recognition of their scholarly, scientific, or artistic achievement, or in recognition of their contribution to the public good. Now, 12 years later, I dont have to worry, says Petter, tongue firmly in cheek. When Im at SFU, people can call me doctor and I wont have to correct them or worry that they got it wrong. All kidding aside, Petter says that the honorary degree means a great deal to him and that he expects it to be an emotional day. I could never have been president of any other university, he says. I wouldnt have wanted to. Theres something unique about Simon Fraser University that drew me and inspired me. And it makes this honour all the more meaningful. Forum for Democratic Change(FDC) has condemned the arrest of their female activists who were yesterday apprehended and remanded to prison for protesting skyrocketing prices of commodities and the long detention of their former party president Dr. Kizza Besigye. They are: Soroti Woman MP Anna Adeke, Kampala Deputy Lord Mayor Doreen Nyanjura and Margaret Wokuri, a woman leader in the party. ADVERTISEMENT Speaking to the media at the party headquarters, FDC's deputy secretary general Harold Kaija condemned the arrest of the women leaders saying they have a right to protest. "The party is concerned with the manner in which the police have handled the demonstration by women. We saw police officers beating women who were carrying out a peaceful demonstration. We think a country like Uganda must respect women," he said. ADVERTISEMENT He said that if the state reaches to the extent of fearing women, it will soon fear its own shadow. Kaija described the recently concluded Omoro by election as a military operation. "We were seen as thugs. We were seen as thieves. We were seen as murderers of people facing treason charges. Many people were beaten, many people were arrested. In such a situation, you will find that even the results are not worth celebrating," he said. Nestle India has retained Publicis Groupe-owned media company Zenith India as its agency of record following a multi-agency pitch that included rivals Mindshare, Dentsu and IPG Mediabrands, according to people in the know. The local unit of Swiss FMCG major Nestle is one of India's largest advertisers, with a media account pegged at over Rs 700 crore. It posted a revenue of over Rs15,000 crore in FY22. Jai Lala, CEO of Zenith India, confirmed the development. "We are delighted that Nestle has once again chosen us as their media partner and it's a clear endorsement of our strong ROI approach and ability to deliver marketing excellence and innovation," he said. Zenith India has been handling the account for the last 17 years. In April, Nestle had called for a pitch from other agencies, and the two-month process ended with the packaged goods company deciding to retain Zenith. The mandate includes the full range of duties, including offline media, online media, commerce, search engine optimisation (SEO) and analytics. "The retention is testament to the rock-solid working relationship we share with Nestle... We have a deep and inherent understanding of Nestle's business needs and the strategic direction of its brands," Lala said. Maintaining a free press is an essential element of safeguarding freedom for the citizens of any country, and the citizens of Georgia saw 2021 bring many challenges to their free press. While the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 saw a great rise in independent media within Georgia, the current landscape is seeing private media in Georgia face a variety of serious challenges from the government. Notable independent media organizations like Rustavi 2 have faced legal trouble and even violence since their inception. Today, private media organizations like Rustavi 2 and privately owned FormulaTV are under significant pressure from the government for their critical coverage. The Georgian government maintains control over many nominally private TV channels and strictly controls any political content. The Current Situation for Journalists in Georgia Georgian journalists of all kinds face significant difficulty and even danger. The government maintains significant control over discourse within the press and routinely leverages its power against those with critical voices. Despite this, the free press of Georgia continues to press on. Among the actions taken against journalists have been many cases of illegal wiretapping. A significant information leak in September 2021 revealed the supposed surveillance of independent journalists by the government. The data leak included supposedly wiretapped recordings of these journalists. Many journalists have come forward to verify the authenticity of the recorded conversations. The free press of Georgia is regularly vilified by representatives throughout the government. They are portrayed as enemies of the Georgian people. Most independent media organizations have been accused by the government of being under the control of opposition parties, in the same sense that the government controls many media outlets. FormulaTV Owner David Kezerashvili In addition to increased violence against journalists, 2021 saw the expanded use of attempts to silence private media and significant figures in the free press. There have been multiple examples of criminal charges against leaders and shareholders within independent media organizations that many contend are purely political in nature. One such case has been that of David Kezerashvili, majority shareholder and founder of FormulaTV. This media outlet has fallen under constant fire for its critical reporting of the ruling government. The Georgian government has allegedly used many tactics in the past in an attempt to gain control over independent media outlets. FormulaTV is far from the first such outlet to face this kind of challenge, with key individuals from TV Pirveli and Mtavari Arkhi TV facing the same challenges of political influence. Increase of Violence Against Independent Media in 2021 While there was no direct use of force by the government against independent media, many blame government rhetoric for leading to many incidents involving violence against journalists. Of particular note are the events of July 5th and 6th, 2021. In total, 53 journalists from 16 separate media outlets were injured during the events, along with significant equipment damage. This violence took place at the LGBTQ+ March for Dignity, an event that was known to be a potential target for violent groups. Despite this, authorities did not respond to requests for additional protection. Many individuals within these violent groups appear to be specifically targeting the press. Many within the free press place the blame for this on government rhetoric against private media. This rhetoric regularly includes propaganda that accuses the free press of degenerating Georgian values. The continuous onslaught of this rhetoric is absorbed by these kinds of antagonistic groups, eventually culminating in targeted violence against journalists. Not only do journalists face an increased risk of violence, they often receive no justice. While some individuals from the violent groups were arrested at the time of the attacks, there have been no charges brought against organizers or leaders. The events of July 5th and July 6th were only the largest individual examples of this violence, which was prevalent throughout 2021. The year saw many journalists and crew of the free press physically and verbally abused. To date, the government continues to take no action to stem this ongoing threat against independent journalists. Georgia's Media Landscape in 2022 and Beyond It is clear that the Georgian free press experienced a series of events in 2021 that set the stage for a difficult 2022. These incidents included an increase in rhetoric, violence, and political charges. Already in 2018, a Freedom House report titled "Freedom on the Net" concluded that Georgia was classified as "not free." This was due to significant changes in social media legislation and media content restrictions. The recent events in Russia during the Ukrainian war highlight the importance of "Freedom on the Net" and freedom of expression. It remains to be seen whether this will result in a positive change in the Georgian media landscape. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! The principal of the National Economic Empowerment Dialogue (NEED), Joseph Kabuleta, has claimed that there are a group of people in government that want to turn Ugandans into slaves in the next 20 or 30 years. Kabuleta's remarks followed comments from some residents from western Uganda who dismissed a common narrative that the region is more privileged compared to others. ADVERTISEMENT Prossy Ayebare from Isingiro told journalists that unlike the common belief that the region is more developed, the wealth in the region is only shared among a small fraction of the population, who have deep connections with people in power. Edwin Akoragye, from Mbarara said the entire region is currently plagued by land grabbing, adding these are targeting both government owned and private land. ADVERTISEMENT "There are a lot of things happening in Ankole, but we are denied a chance to speak about them. Many Ugandans think that the issue of land grabbing is only here in Buganda region but it's not. Many people in the same area don't even have a place to grow food for their own families," Ayebare said. Speaking to the Nile Post, Kabuleta accused members of the first family and well-connected individuals with the regime of being part of the group that are grabbing public land, including that which belonged to ranches left by the Obote regime. He explained that there are a lot of injustices taking place, adding that they are have instructed their regional coordinators to document all public land. "Natural resources are being taken over by the rich and powerful people and eventually rule over the poor, that is what is happening. This regime is going to end; I can assure you that. There will be justice," he stated. Kabuleta claimed that this group of people in 1992 had a 50-year master plan to rule Uganda and create a scenario where some people are above others and part of that plan was getting money and giving it to their sons and go and start a money lending business. Next, business leaders need to look for opportunities to automate and reduce friction within their business. Most businesses have tried the basics, such as automating invoice matching and payments. But there really is an unlimited number of ways that businesses can implement automation across every business function, Ryder adds. Replacing outdated tech Businesses are also looking to expand their digital capabilities by replacing their fundamental technology platforms. Global enterprise cloud communications software provider RingCentral has noticed a growing number of Australian businesses overhauling their communications infrastructure in the past couple of years. According to the tech companys regional vice president Peter Hughes, this has been an important part of the digital transformation journey for many businesses as they look for ways to enhance customer experiences. The pandemic has been the catalyst for change, he says, with business leaders trying to figure out how to manage old legacy technologies that had tethered people to the office. These days, work is what you do, not where you are. The world has changed forever, Hughes says. The genie is out of the bottle and its not going back in. The paradigm has shifted, and after a period of adjustment, people are now content to work from home. Theyve got a better work/life balance and they dont want to go back to using legacy systems in the office. Businesses have been forced to find a solution and implement technology from the new breed of communication tools on the market. Were witnessing a number of businesses seeking out new-age replacements for outdated and cumbersome technology, tools and platforms to simplify the lives of their employees, Hughes says. As a solution, RingCentral offers call, message and meet in one app and integrates with more than 200 applications in the areas of productivity, customer relationship management, automation and customer support. It is closing in on $2 billion in annual global revenue with 7,000 employees, growing the business at about 35 per cent year-on-year. Australian businesses overhauling their communications software to RingCentral and contributing to this revenue include big players like Mortgage Choice, National Pharmacies, Thomas Foods International, Godfreys and Ray White. Our mission has always been to give users cloud communications technology that solves real world challenges but is also easy to set-up, use and manage, Hughes explains. However, the key with transformation is not to get too comfortable. Experts agree that digital transformation is about constant improvements, rather than sitting still after a digital overhaul. Hughes, for one, has overseen a number of technical updates within RingCentral. This includes AI meeting insights and summaries, live transcription and participant reactions. Legacy way of thinking has to go. The ability to jump into a virtual meeting late and to be able to skip through the transcription to catch up, for example, is the way of the future, he says. Working in an asynchronous way and being able to time shift in this way with the help of technology is bolstering productivity for businesses making the plunge. RingCentral, Inc. (NYSE: RNG) is a leading provider of business cloud communications and contact centre solutions based on its powerful Message Video Phone (MVP) global platform. More flexible and cost effective than on-premises PBX systems, RingCentral empowers mobile and distributed workforces to communicate, collaborate, and connect from any device. RingCentral Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) platform includes team messaging, video meetings, and cloud phone system. RingCentrals open platform integrates with leading third-party business applications to easily customise business workflows. RingCentral is headquartered in Belmont, California, and has offices around the world. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Less than five minutes into our conversation, Perfume Genius has hit a roadblock. The Seattle-raised, Los Angeles-based musician is trying to describe the way in which his performance style has changed over the years and, specifically, how its changed since he started playing shows again in late 2021, after two years of live music events being cancelled or delayed but he cant find a way to verbalise the feeling thats particularly safe to print: I keep thinking of naughty ways to say what Im saying! Its not uncommon, throughout our conversation, for Perfume Genius, real name Mike Hadreas, to get stuck at a moment like this. Often, when trying to articulate some kind of rapturous musical experience, hell hesitate, attempting to find a metaphor for his process that isnt tied up in the profane or the carnal. Eventually, he finds a way to explain what he means, without resorting to anything particularly blue. Perfume Genius: I have more of an idea of where I want to go onstage, and how I want to feel onstage. Every album cycle, every tour, I feel a little more settled into [performing], and I can kind of be more present and stay in the zone, he explains. Sometimes, in the beginning, it used to be that if I was more present, I was completely thrown into some anxious place so I kind of had to pretend like I wasnt performing a lot. And now I dont have to pretend that at all. When we speak in late April, Hadreas is between tours, at home in Los Angeles hes just finished a jaunt around the US, and is preparing to tour Australia for VIVID and Dark Mofo. Clad in a plain black shirt and occasionally interrupted by his chihuahua Wanda, Hadreas looks much the same as he has for most of his career boyish for 40, and effusive, slipping freely between arch online-isms and moments of deep, inquisitive earnestness. It was very overwhelming to me. When Im onstage dancing and screaming and thrashing around, I [always] felt like I was on my own doing that. At this point, Hadreas has been releasing music as Perfume Genius for nearly 15 years, over which time he has become one of the most revered and acclaimed figures in modern indie rock. In the past decade-and-a-half, the scope of his music has widened dramatically, the sparse lo-fi folk of 2010s Learning eventually giving way to experiments in slick, metallised electronic music on the 2014 breakthrough Too Bright, baroque pop on 2017s Grammy-nominated No Shape, and lithe, Americana-tinged art rock on 2020s Set My Heart On Fire Immediately. The trajectory of Hadreas music, from insular, painfully intimate folksong through to spectral, avant-garde pop, seems to mirror the transformation he identifies in himself almost paralysing anxiety giving way to a powerful embrace of physicality. Advertisement Now, Hadreas is preparing to release Ugly Season an album vastly different from anything hes made before. The score for a contemporary dance piece titled The Sun Still Burns Here, which Hadreas and his romantic and musical partner Alan Wyffels performed in with Seattle choreographer Kate Wallich in 2019, Ugly Season is amorphous and strange, a long-form compositional project that forced Hadreas to completely reframe the way he made music. Collaborating is a hard thing to do for me like I can meet someone halfway, and bring them something and then we finish it together, or they bring me something and I add some stuff, he says. But starting something from scratch with someone else is really difficult for me because it takes a lot of communication, and you have to kind of try to explain things that are very difficult to explain. New album Ugly Season comprises songs Hadreas wrote for his dance piece The Sun Still Burns Here. The natural solution, then, was to find an entirely new vernacular with which to collaborate. From the conception of The Sun Still Burns Here, Hadreas, Wyffels, Wallich, and Wallichs company The YC, would partake in intensive improvisational dance sessions together, moments of extreme intimacy that gave Hadreas a new sense of how physical and tactile performance could be. I dont really have a frame of reference for [contemporary dance], so it was really a wild thing to do. One of the first rehearsals that we ever did and this is pre knowing what we were even doing, just all of us kind of meeting was, like, improvised movement, he recalls. I had never danced with anyone else, and then suddenly Im in a pile of eight people rolling around, cradling who I realised later was Laura, but who I didnt know at the time before I hadnt even really talked to her, I was like, rocking her. For Hadreas who, even when surrounded by a band onstage, often seems caught up in an intensely personal state of rapture this represented entirely new territory. It was very overwhelming to me. When Im onstage dancing and screaming and thrashing around, I [always] felt like I was on my own doing that, he says. I never had someone touching me onstage. I never had someone saying something I felt like I was always the one that had to say everything. So it was wild to be on stage and performing where everybodys saying something in equal measure. Plus, just being held and lifted up and lifting other people I got really strong, and it felt very physical. I lost my mind, I completely lost my mind, Hadreas says. The physicality of the rehearsals and performances of The Sun Still Burns Here left a mark on him, greatly influencing the immediate, rhythmic feeling of Set My Heart On Fire Immediately. Advertisement Where Perfume Genius music once saw Hadreas struggling against his own body, whether in the form of his anxiety or his struggle with Crohns disease, Ugly Season and Set My Heart On Fire Immediately are tactile, embodied, forceful. Even the song titles on Set My Heart On Fire Immediately On The Floor, Just A Touch, Your Body Changes Everything seem to point to Hadreas new point of view. Despite the impact The Sun Still Burns Here had on him, though, writing the score for the piece, Hadreas says, was one of the hardest projects hes ever undertaken. After mapping out the general structure of the piece with Wallich and the YC, he, Wyffels, and his longtime producer Blake Mills decamped to a studio to flesh out how the music would sound. Resolute that he didnt want to record a purely ambient piece (I didnt want you to feel like youre missing something listening to Ugly Season on its own, he says), Hadreas set out to create a longform suite that still had structure and drive. Me and Blake and Alan specifically did some jamming, improvisational stuff together, which is new for me in the studio. It was kind of exciting to not have to make pop music its not like its crazy experimental, but its less bound to trying to fit it in a three-and-a-half minute long structure with a verse and chorus and stuff, Hadreas says. But I also really like that too, so we would do these 10-minute jams and then I would try to force a verse and chorus on top of it, which was maddening. I never had a harder time in the studio [than] trying to do that, because it was all improvised. Loading The result is an album that takes all the hallmarks of a Perfume Genius record Hadreas voice, a lithe, rubbery instrument prone to breaking into a glassy falsetto at any moment; slinky, sultry bass lines that feel beamed in from the Black Lodge in Twin Peaks; lyrics that draw lines between the spiritual and the surreal and the profane and twists them into new shapes, elongating and mattifying them, turning them into genuine dance tracks and angular, arrhythmic walls of sound. Its a record thats clearly shifted how Hadreas operates as a writer and a performer. Through doing the dance and meeting Kate and working with the dancers, I have more of an idea of where I want to go onstage, and how I want to feel onstage, and also that I could feel good on stage I never really thought about that, he says. It was such a powerful experience its never really gonna leave me. Advertisement Sydneysiders can expect to wake up to another cold morning and damaging winds on Wednesday, with a severe weather warning in place for a third day. Across the Sydney basin, temperatures will reach a low of about six degrees and tops of 15 degrees, and wind gusts of up to 90 kilometres per hour are forecast. Chole takes advantage of the windy weather at Marks Park in Bondi on Tuesday. Credit:Brook Mitchell Meteorologist James Taylor, with the Bureau of Meteorology, said another trough is moving over the Bass Strait, bringing cold conditions. On Monday, parts of NSW shivered through icy winds of more than 100km/h, with little reprieve on Tuesday, despite the cold front moving offshore into the Tasman Sea. Alleged drug traffickers arrested in Melbourne Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Were working to restore it. Please try again later. Dismiss Anthony Albanese addresses party for the first time as Prime Minister Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Were working to restore it. Please try again later. Dismiss Chris Dawsons murder trial in the NSW Supreme Court has been delayed by one week after the Crown prosecutor tested positive for COVID-19. Dawson, 73, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his first wife Lynette Dawson, who vanished from Sydneys northern beaches in January 1982. Chris Dawson (right) arrives at court on Tuesday with his brother Peter Dawson. Credit:Kate Geraghty The court was told on Tuesday morning that Crown prosecutor Craig Everson, SC, had returned a positive COVID-19 result on Monday night. The Crown applied for a one-week adjournment, unopposed by the defence. Justice Ian Harrison adjourned the judge-alone trial to Tuesday, June 7. Dawson, a former Newtown Jets rugby league player and high school teacher, was extradited from Queensland in December 2018 and charged with his first wifes murder. Following the Australian election, Albanese Worlds Best Gummies have made a more prominent showing on supermarket shelves here in St Paul, Minnesota (USA), writes Roger Stancliffe. They come in an array of colours, including a mini gummi worm in South Sydneys red and green. Our local Cub supermarket has them on special. It seems the candy man really can take tomorrow and dip it in a dream. Its not all peach rings and poppers. Granny could not fail to notice that the top result in a Google search is: Do Albanese Gummies make you poop? Janice Creenaune of Austinmer is currently travelling in the Cape York region to Pajinka (the northernmost tip of Australia): Ruts, washouts, river and creek crossings dominate 4WD driver/camper discussion (as well as fishing spots). Their concern is the continuing sealing of the road will spoil the off-road experience. Maybe Meroo Meadow (C8) could be the new destination. Id disagree with Meroo Meadow being called the Pothole Capital, says Ken Hudson of Alstonville. Ask any Lismore resident and theyll tell you its there, even before the floods. You always knew when you were approaching by the increase in potholes. Gaz Simpson of Edgecliff knows where Bob Phillips (C8) is coming from: As a visiting academic at the University of Washington, I was asked to give an address about Australia to a large group of senior school administrators at the conclusion of which the woman elected to give a vote of thanks opened with the following: I didnt understand a word he said, but dont he talk darlin. I was somewhat bewildered, to say the least. I worked in Denver, Colorado as a high school teacher in 1993, says Reg Yates of Valentine. The students would frequently say, We love your accent and the way you talk. I replied, You too have an accent, with their reply Nah, we dont. Police carrying out surveillance on a safe house used by a sub-group of the Alameddine crime network claim to have observed a man accused of being a key player scooping white powder into a bowl to be weighed, a Sydney court has heard. Fadi Zraika, 21, allegedly possessed keys to a Granville residence where the Alameddine network stored drugs, weapons and proceeds of crime, according to police documents aired at Fairfield Local Court on Tuesday. Magistrate Stuart Devine said police had alleged in the document that while the house was being monitored in March, Zraika was seen coming and going with clear control and access to the address as well as knowledge of what was inside. Taskforce Erebus raided homes across NSW and made multiple arrests. Credit:NSW Police Zraika was one of 18 men arrested during co-ordinated raids on 29 residences last week, which police claimed had dismantled an entire drug supply syndicate associated with the Alameddine group. The syndicate is accused of using mobile phones loaded with hundreds of customers details to run a lucrative dial-a-dealer operation out of south-west Sydney. At least 13 Victorian councils want to stop new developments being equipped with gas cooktops and heating as they seek to reduce carbon emissions, but state government regulations are preventing them doing so. Under current state regulations, gas connections are compulsory for new buildings, but the councils, part of a coalition of 31 councils covering 39 per cent of the state, have endorsed a letter to the state government calling for planning laws to be amended to allow them to ban gas on new developments. Credit:John Woudstra The councils and developers say property buyers still have a strong preference for gas cooking, particularly in the wake of campaigns by the fossil fuel industry, but that alternatives such as induction cooktops were now cheaper and more efficient. Victoria is the countrys largest consumer of gas, with more than 2 million homes using it for cooking and hot water. Burning gas produces around 16 per cent of the states total emissions and residential users are responsible for almost two-thirds of those emissions. HiPipo Uganda has today Monday launched the third season of the 40 Days 40 FinTechs with a call to digital innovators and financial technology companies (fintechs) across East Africa to take part. Season three is expected cover physical destinations in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda. First launched in 2020, the 40 Days 40 FinTechs initiative is a 40-day event that profiles emerging fintechs with unique stories. This platform aptly provides a setting for the various players and stakeholders involved in digital and financial technology to exhibit their products and services and also share their ideas on how more people, especially those unserved and underserved by the present financial systems with emphasis on interoperability. Run under HiPipo's Include Everyone program - that also encompasses other initiatives such as FinTech Landscape Exhibition, Women in FinTech Hackathon, Summit & Incubator and the Digital and Financial Inclusion Summit and Digital Impact Awards Africa - 40 Days 40 FinTechs delivers over two months of exhibition, dialogue and discussions. It also offers fintechs useful tools and an introduction to industry's emerging technologies, such as Mojaloop open source software, and guidance from Level One Project foundational material. The skills gained from this initiative cover Level One Project principles, instant and inclusive payment systems (IIPS), inclusive finance and fintech in general. According to HiPipo CEO Innocent Kawooya, the second HiPipo 40 Days 40 FinTechs that ran in the months of July and August 2021 set the bar very high and has prompted them to go beyond Ugandan borders. "As HiPipo, our extensive effort and advocacy is partly for the intention of championing digital innovation and interoperable instant and inclusive payment systems (IIPS) in Africa to a point where our innovators enjoy and achieve sound profit margins to help them keep designing and deploying affordable and inclusive financial services for the poor. It was thus pleasant for us to learn that up to 25 of our season-two participants not only continued to enjoy increased client engagement and better bottom lines as a direct result of participating in the 40 Days 40 FinTechs initiative, but are also helping to generate economy-wide efficiencies by digitally connecting millions of low-income consumers that are learning to transact at a fast rate," Kawooya noted. "But this is just the start, and we acknowledge there is a lot more to do. Season three of 40 Days 40 Fintechs is here, starting mid-2022 with optimism that the initiative will impact even more lives and livelihoods going forward." GLOBAL BRAND Previous participants have gone on to innovate for sectors beyond just the traditional financial services but are making forays into healthcare, education, lending, remittances, agriculture, robo-advisor, payments, regtech, insurtech, crowdfunding, neo-banking, cryptography, cryptocurrency, interledger, blockchain, cross-border payments, retirement schemes and new ways of operating bonds and real estate, among others. In their day-to-day operations, they are changing the lives of the likes of rural farmers, women, merchants, small business holders (formal and informal), and unemployed youth, in a way creating forays for digital youth champions, women and other special interest groups (SIGs). For the fintechs, the cost-free exposure aided by the generosity of the Level One Project; an initiative of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's Financial Services for the Poor (FSP) program, is still of immeasurable value. "It will be exciting to see what the participants have to offer. And again, various stakeholders will be on hand for more discussion and debate, with this time round extra insight from the likes of banks and MNOs. We anticipate extensive discussion on Instant and inclusive payment systems, Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC), advancing convenience for users, cross-border payments and on micro-lending products (especially those offering facilities to persons and communities that are still on the bylines of finance and trade for example; women, PWDs and other SIGs," Kawooya. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines East Africa Uganda ICT By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. 40 Days 40 FinTechs Initiative is implemented by HiPipo in partnership with Crosslake Technologies, ModusBox, and Mojaloop Foundation, and generously sponsored by the Gates Foundation. Registration is on first-come, first-serve basis, and qualifying for the fintech stakeholders operating in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and other parts of the continent are encouraged to book their slots before June 11, 2022 by visiting www.HiPipo.org The parent uprising against declining public schools in Melbournes north is both uplifting and depressing. Uplifting, because in the aftermath of a disruptive federal election result, here is another instance of people signalling to governments that business-as-usual will not suffice. The depressing part is the need for such agitation in the first place; what it says about the shockingly classist society weve become. As The Age reported last week, a new local group called RISE is demanding the state government intervene with a public education plan for the region. Enrolments in government high schools in the northern suburbs have fallen 20 per cent since 2014. Families have been voting with their feet against local secondary schools Pascoe Vale Girls College, John Fawkner College and Glenroy College. With the latter two, the show of no-confidence reportedly reflects low and declining VCE results. A vicious circle operates in such scenarios: middle-class families shun a school as results fall, results then tumble further, prompting more families to shun or abandon the school, and so on, until the only families left are those without the means to go elsewhere. Families in Oak Park, in Melbournes north, have complained about the standard of state schools in the area. Credit:Justin McManus And if youre inclined to see such a scenario purely as a blow against social justice, then, once again, for the (broken) record: Australias uniquely segregated education system is thought to be contributing to the sustained slide in the academic results of our 15-year-olds relative to their international peers, as well as the nations sluggish economic growth. John Fawkner draws 61 per cent of its student population from societys most disadvantaged quartile. Chris Richardson may be the only economist in the country who reckons he and George Clooney were separated at birth. Richardson certainly appears on the nations televisions as much, if not more, than his American superstar doppelganger as he explains the ins and outs of federal budget policy or Australias economic challenges. Economist Chris Richardson. Credit:Janie Barrett And, just as Clooney has moved between acting, writing and directing, Richardson is preparing for a new role. From Wednesday, Richardson will be hanging out his own shingle after more than three decades as the public face of Access Economics and its successor, Deloitte Access Economics. Senior Liberals will push to reduce the power of the party leader among a series of major changes to the way candidates are chosen in NSW, saying the preselection debacle under Scott Morrison must never happen again. But in his first substantive comments since the election loss, Morrisons close ally Alex Hawke hit back, rejecting claims he deliberately frustrated the selection process and saying the partys biggest problem was the perception it failed to respect women and take their complaints seriously. Scott Morrison with his right-hand man and close ally in NSW, Alex Hawke. Credit: Renee Nowytarger There is widespread anger in the party over the failure to allow members to choose candidates for many seats, as well as Morrisons captains pick of Katherine Deves in Warringah. Several Liberals believe her comments about transgender athletes contributed to the partys losses. In an email to party members on Tuesday, NSW Liberal senator Andrew Bragg and womens council delegate Jane Buncle proposed several changes to the partys constitution to prevent a repeat of the stalemate over candidate selection. One of the less appealing features of Australian politics is the reflexive reaction to election results, in which the winners are hailed as geniuses and the losers are dismissed as hapless dopes. Over the years, the directors of the winning campaigns have even been given a chance post-election to expound on their brilliance in an address to the National Press Club. Their explanations of what happened have then been accepted as holy writ by the media. To be sure, winners deserve to be grinners. The Labor Party is now in office, so it got more than a few things right. But every election result contains complexities and surely this election more than any in living memory was overflowing with them. The national electorate has hedged its bets. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addresses the first Labor caucus meeting at Parliament House. Credit:James Brickwood There are still two seats undecided, but the provisional count suggests that the Coalition lost 19 seats, Labor picked up an extra nine, independents seven and the Greens three. The Albanese government has a majority of one or two. Theres been a lot of talk about the disruptive force of the teal independents and whether the Liberals need to steer left or right (mostly right, say their media boosters) but less discussion about what the rise of the Greens will mean. The Greens look set to have 12 senators and, if they want, will be able to thwart much of the governments legislative agenda. With a state election less than a year away, the last thing politicians want to be told is that they should scrap or delay their favourite vote-winning projects. Yet that is exactly the message that Infrastructure NSW, the states planning body for major projects, has delivered to Premier Dominic Perrottet. In the latest four yearly update of its state infrastructure strategy, Infrastructure NSW has told him to reconsider the urgency, need and timing of about a dozen megaprojects that were announced with much pomp over the past few years. The projects that should be put on ice in Sydney include the second stage of the M6 motorway, the Beaches Link road tunnel, part of a key element of a motorway upgrade in the Blue Mountains, Parramatta light rail stage two and two huge dams in country NSW at Dungowan and Wyangala. Cancelling some of these projects will disappoint local residents and businesses who made plans because they trusted solemn promises by politicians that infrastructure upgrades were on the way. Trams will run less frequently along two of Melbournes busiest inner-city arteries, St Kilda Road and Elizabeth Street, as remote working and other pandemic hangovers hit passenger numbers and demand for CBD commuting. The state government will save $4 million next financial year by making minor reductions in the frequency of trams along the two corridors, according to documents prepared for the state Public Accounts and Estimates Committee. Trams will run less frequently on St Kilda Road and Elizabeth Street. Credit:Darrian Traynor The cuts reverse an increase to services four years ago to ease congestion on peak-hour trams, particularly along St Kilda Road while the construction of the new Anzac station near the Domain made it difficult to drive into the CBD. But passenger numbers were now not as high as previously anticipated due to the pandemic and more people working from home, the budget documents say. The cut will mostly affect services just before and after the morning and afternoon rush hours. Over the weekend, reports emerged that the Ukrainian army had launched an offensive in southern Ukraine. Centred on objectives in the Kherson Oblast, the scale, duration and impact of this counteroffensive remains, at this point, unknown. It is possible that this is an effort to draw off some of the Russian forces that have been concentrated in the brutal cauldron that is the eastern front. In the lead up to the Ukrainian attacks in the south, it had become clear that the Russians had gained ground in their concentrated efforts in the Donbas. Capturing the town of Lyman, advancing from the previously seized city of Popasna, and beginning their encirclement of Severodonetsk, the slow, steady Russian advance is finally giving Putin something that might be considered success. Ukrainian soldiers receive treatment at a frontline field hospital in Popasna, Ukraine. Credit:Getty More broadly, however, these two events are evidence that the war in Ukraine has much in common with the thousands of years of warfare that preceded the Russian invasion. In particular, war features constantly changing tides of fortune. In April and early May, in the wake of Ukraines victory in the battle of Kyiv, a degree of triumphalism crept into narratives about the war. But as the Russians have shown recently, by reducing the breadth of their war aims, and concentrating their forces on smaller regions of Ukraine, they can generate tactical victories. PHILIPSBURG:--- The Ministry of VROMI has published its response to advice given by the Integrity Chamber. The advice was requested by the Ministry for the draft Long-Lease Land Issuance Policy. The Integrity Chamber applauds the positive response of the Ministry of VROMI and commends the incorporation of several points in the advice into the policy. This will reduce integrity-related risks relating to the issuance of long-lease land and avoid perceived arbitrariness in the procedure. In their response, the Ministry provided feedback on each aspect of the advice. The Ministry of VROMI stated that the advice to allow part-time workers to be eligible and to require a maximum income for applicants would be examined. Furthermore, the Ministry indicated that it already has, or will include the majority of the recommendations outlined by the Integrity Chamber, for example, possible consequences of non-compliance with the conditions, and internal procedures to go alongside the policy. The Ministry of VROMI is actively working to solve various challenges, by including a complete CRM system to maintain an updated Land Registry and implementing a general complaints procedure throughout the Ministry. One of the areas that the Integrity Chamber advised on was to include other processes, such as renewals, transfers, and extensions. The Ministry of VROMI acknowledges that adding these processes would significantly improve the comprehensiveness of the policy. However, the Ministry has chosen to first expedite the completion of the current policy. The Integrity Chamber anticipates continued accountability from the Ministry of VROMI regarding the execution of the remaining aspects of the advice. The Ministry of VROMI expressed gratitude for the willingness of the Integrity Chamber to assist with recommendations on the policy. The Ministry conveyed that the advice from the Integrity Chamber has aided in ensuring that a comprehensive policy will be established and that an assessment will be carried out after implementation to determine whether the objectives have been achieved. The Integrity Chamber looks forward to continued collaboration with the Ministry. The full response from the Ministry of VROMI was published in the National Gazette dated April 1, 2022. . Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Idemili North Local Government chapter in Anambra State has described the recent burning down of Idemili North Local Government Secretariat at Ogidi, near Onitsha as purely a senseless act of cowardice. Chairman of the local government chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Augustine Udo who stated this yesterday when he led the executive members of the chapter to an on-the-spot assessment of the extent of damages at the scene also described the yet-to-be identified armed arsonists as cowards since they could not come out boldly since the incident to claim their action. Flanked by the chapter secretary, Conatus Nnaemeka Orjiako; Churchill Okafor, PRO; Amaefuna Emeka, Youth Leader and Ezenwaji Ngwudike, Ex-Officio; Udo said they were saddened by the arson because it is Idemili North people that are suffering the loss and not even the state or federal government. According to the Ohanaeze chieftain, "this is equivalent to the end-SARS era when lives and properties were lost in quantum. The vehicles and number of structures damaged, including the court building and office furniture and equipment damaged are so enormous that they will not easily be rebuilt and replaced. "Chinua Achebe Library located inside this compound was burnt down during the end SARS and the court and traditional rulers' building which is sacrilegious in its own nature and we are not happy about that". Responding, Chairperson of National Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE Idemil North chapter, Mrs. Chinwe Nze who conducted them round the scenes, commended them for their show of concern and promised to convey their message to the Head of Service, HOS of the council area, Mr. Ezeibe when he returned to office. PHILIPSBURG:--- After 12 long years of being accused of several crimes now suspended Member of Parliament Claudius Buncamper has had his day in court on May 30th, 2022 when the joint court of appeals fully acquits Buncamper of all charges since the prosecution could not prove its case. The verdict that was handed down on Monday has been freely translated below. While the Buncampers were able to clear their names after 12 years of judicial persecution, former Minister Maria Buncamper Molanus was forced to resign when the investigation started as there appeared to be a semblance of conflict of interest. At the time Maria Buncamper Molanus was an elected MP that gave up her seat in parliament to serve as Minister under the Democratic Party. verdict Referred after being referred back to the Court by the Supreme Court of the Netherlands in a judgment of 16 March 2021 in the criminal case against the suspect: Claudius Anthony BUNCAMPER, born on May 3, 1963 in Sint Maarten, living in Sint Maarten, 16 Ponnum Drive. The process In its verdict, the Court acquitted the accused of the charges against the summons with prosecutor's office number 100.00464/14 under 5 and 6 and the charges against the summons with prosecutor's office number 100.00464/14 (II) and with regard to the charges on the summons with prosecutor's office number 100.00464 /14 under 1, 2 primary, 3 and 4 primary, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 12 months, fully probation, and community service consisting of community service for a period of 240 hours, to be replaced by 120 days in prison. The accused has appealed against this verdict. In a judgment of 15 October 2018, the Court acquitted the accused of the second cumulative / alternative, on the summons with public prosecutor number 100.00464/14, offense 2, offense 3, offense 4, offense 5, and offense 6 and of the charge on the summons with public prosecutor's office number 100.0464/14 (II). The Court has proved it declares the indictment on the summons with public prosecutor's office number 100.00464/14 under 1 first of all cumulative / alternative (actual leadership of acts in violation of article 49 of the General National Ordinance National Taxes, committed several times). The Court has given the accused - in short - sentenced to a fine of NAf 25,000 and 240 hours of community service. The accused has lodged an appeal in cassation against this judgment with the Supreme Court of the Netherlands. The defendant's appeal in cassation contained a plea that consisted of several complaints, which plea was exclusively directed against the above-mentioned finding of evidence of the Court of Appeal. The Supreme Court annulled the judgment of the Court of Appeal by judgment of 16 March 2021, insofar as this was subject to the judgment of the Supreme Court. In doing so, the Supreme Court has considered that the complaint directed against the Court of Appeal's judgment that the suspect has actually led Eco Green N.V.'s intentionally incorrect and incomplete filing of the 2009 profit tax return for 2009, 2010 and 2011. Parquet numbers:100.00464/14 and 100.00464/14 (II) 2 succeeds, so that the remainder of the plea against the finding of evidence by the Court no longer needs to be discussed. After annulling the judgment of the Court of Appeal in so far as it is subject to the judgment of the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court referred the case back to the Court of Appeal. Investigation of the case The Supreme Court annulled the judgment of the Court of Appeal of 15 October 2018 insofar as it was subject to the judgment of the Supreme Court. This means that the declaration of proven provenance by the Court of the first cumulative/alternative charge on the summons with public prosecutor's office number 100.00464/14 under 1 has been annulled. Thus, the judgment of the Court of First Instance is before the Court of Justice in so far as it relates to the cumulative / alternatively tested indictment with public prosecutor number 100.00464/14 under 1 first. This judgment was rendered in response to the investigation at the hearing on 11 May 2022. The Court has taken cognizance of the claim of the Attorney General, Mr. R.H. den Haan, and of what the suspect and his counsel, Mr. J.G. Flower, have been brought forward. The Attorney General has argued that it cannot be proven that the suspect actually led the profit tax return that Eco Green N.V. intentionally made incorrectly and incompletely, so that the Court, again ruling, charged the suspect with the summons with the public prosecutor's office number 100.00464/14 under count 1 cumulative / alternative charged must acquit. Counsel has pleaded that the suspect will be acquitted of the offense stated on the summons with public prosecutor's office number 100.0464/14 under count 1 cumulative/alternative test, because primarily it cannot be proven that Eco Green N.V. acted culpably, in the alternative because it cannot be proven that the suspect actually led the alleged criminal conduct of Eco Green N.V. Annulment of the judgment of the Court of First Instance The judgment of the Court of First Instance, in so far as it is subject to the judgment of the Court of Justice, cannot stand because the Court of Justice arrives at a different decision. Parquet numbers: 100.00464/14 and 100.00464/14 (II) 3 Acquittal of public prosecutor's office number 100.00464/14 offense 1firstly cumulative/alternative The Court agrees with the Attorney General and the defense that there is insufficient legal and convincing evidence for the cumulative/alternative indictment in the summons with public prosecutor number 100.00464/14 under count 1 in the first place. The conclusion cannot be drawn from the file that the suspect actually led the deliberately incorrect and incomplete filing of the 2009 income tax return by Eco Green N.V. cumulatively/alternatively charged, the question raised by counsel as to whether Eco Green N.V. acted culpably no longer needs an answer. DECISION The court: annuls the judgment of the General Court in so far as it is subject to the judgment of the Court of Justice and restores justice to that extent; declares that what has been charged against the suspect in the summons with prosecutor's office number 100.00464/14 under count 1 first cumulatively / alternatively has not been proven and acquits him of this. This judgment was rendered by Mrs. W.J. Geurts-de Veld, S. Verheijen, and R.L.M. van Opstal, members of the Court, assisted by L.M. Sinon, court clerk, and pronounced on 30 May 2022 in the presence of the court clerk in open court at the Court of Appeal in Sint Maarten. Click here for the Dutch verdict handed down by the Appeals Court. PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister of Sint Maarten Hon. Silveria Jacobs, on behalf of the Council of Ministers (COM) of the Government and of Sint Maarten, expresses its deepest condolences to the family of Leonora Sneek-Gibbs as well as the people and Government of St. Eustatius, on the passing of the former Commissioner and State Secretary. Sneek-Gibbs was the wife of independent Statia Island Council member Nicolaas Koos Sneek. Affectionately known as Nora, Sneek-Gibbs, was a shining bright star to the Windward Islands communities, and especially to the people of Statia that she served over the decades. Noras family, friends and close relatives on Sint Maarten, will dearly miss her, Prime Minister Hon. Silveria Jacobs said on Tuesday. Leonora was also very involved in the business community as operator of the Talk of the Town and the Blue Bead Restaurant. Sneek-Gibbs served as State Secretary in the government of the former Netherlands Antilles, prior to its dissolution on October 10, 2010. Besides her business and government interests and involvement, Sneek-Gibbs also served her community in a number of civic organizations such as St. Eustatius Lions Club, Quota International Club, and the St. Eustatius Promotion of International Culture and Education (SPICE) Foundation. Nora was an exemplary public servant and citizen who discharged her duties with diligence and integrity. To her husband Island Council member Koos Sneek, family, dear friends, and the people of Statia, our heartfelt condolences on behalf of the Government and people of Sint Maarten during this difficult time. May her soul rest in eternal peace, Prime Minister Hon. Silveria Jacobs said on Tuesday. Gold is always in the interest of investors The precious gold has always been particularly in the spotlight, many myths and fairy tales reflect this. Whether in the myth of King Midas, where everything he touched turned to gold, or in the treasure of the Nibelungen and in many fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, gold plays a leading role. In real life, there is much of interest from the times when, driven by a gold rush, many set out to seek their fortune. Today, gold investments are part of an investor\-s portfolio to a certain extent. Because it should never be put all on one card, but diversification is the keyword. In gold mining investment, royalty companies are special. Royalty companies secure royalties on mine output from mine operators through agreements. These are the so-called royalties. In return, they invest in the development or expansion of the mine operator\-s production. The negotiated royalties are not always dependent on the gold price. They are often paid independently of production and development costs. The mining risk lies with the mine operators. And because a royalty company spreads the risk over several projects, which can also be in all phases of a mine\-s life, the risk is spread. Gold Royalty serves as an example of a royalty company. The company owns more than 190 royalties in selected mining-friendly regions in the USA. The last six months brought Gold Royalty https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RJs1mZ1ics record sales. Although not a royalty company, but a classic gold company, nevertheless of equal interest, is Osisko Development https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWW7MwEbhmc -. The company is pursuing high-grade gold projects in Mexico and Canada. The flagship Cariboo project in British Columbia has already yielded excellent gold grades (in some cases up to 200 grams of gold per ton of rock). Current corporate information and press releases from Gold Royalty (- https://www.resource-capital.ch/en/companies/gold-royalty-corp/ -) and Osisko Development (- https://www.resource-capital.ch/en/companies/osisko-development-corp/ -). In accordance with A34 WpHG I would like to point out that partners, authors and employees may hold shares in the respective companies addressed and thus a possible conflict of interest exists. No guarantee for the translation into English. Only the German version of this news is valid. Disclaimer: The information provided does not represent any form of recommendation or advice. Express reference is made to the risks in securities trading. No liability can be accepted for any damage arising from the use of this blog. I would like to point out that shares and especially warrant investments are always associated with risk. The total loss of the invested capital cannot be excluded. All information and sources are carefully researched. However, no guarantee is given for the correctness of all contents. Despite the greatest care, I expressly reserve the right to make errors, especially with regard to figures and prices. The information contained herein is taken from sources believed to be reliable, but in no way claims to be accurate or complete. Due to court decisions, the contents of linked external sites are also co-responsible (e.g. Landgericht Hamburg, in the decision of 12.05.1998 312 O 85/98), as long as there is no explicit dissociation from them. Despite careful control of the content, I do not assume liability for the content of linked external pages. The respective operators are exclusively responsible for their content. The disclaimer of Swiss Resource Capital AG also applies: https://www.resource-capital.ch/en/disclaimer/ A World Bank Technical Support Team has visited Borno State on performance evaluation, monitoring of some selected projects and help enhance performance of the Multi Sectoral Crisis Recovery Project, MCRP Team in Borno State. The team is led by the Task Team Leader on MCRP, Serena Cavicchi. Other members of the Technical Support Mission include consultant to the World Bank on MCRP Project Mr. Masroor Ahmed, Chidozie AG, Agricultural Economist, Anas Abba Kyari, Senior Procurement Specialist, Professor Ahmed Chinade Environmental Safeguard and Nkem Uzochukun C1 and C3 specialist. After a special session with the Borno State MCRP officials at the Technology Incubation Hub in Maiduguri, the team led by the Borno State Coordinator of MCRP, Baba Abdulkarim, visited one of the 25 health facilities built by the project at Abujan talakawa area where the officer in-charge of the clinic Yachilla Waziri, said after building the Primary health Centre, the project also supported the clinic with solar power, Borehole and essential drugs. At the Maiduguri Chest Clinic, the team was received and conducted round by the Medical Officer in charge of the Clinic Dr. Mustafa Bintube who said "the hospital serves as referral centre being the only specialized Hospital on chest diseases in the entire north east." He said they receive patients not only in north eastern Nigeria but from Chad, Niger, and Cameroon Republics. Bintube noted that the facility also serve as Data Collection Centre to the World Health Organization and other UN organizations on Tuberculosis. Prior to its reconstruction by the Borno State Government through the MCRP he said, "the clinic hardly operates due to neglect and dearth of medical equipment. However with the special intervention that brought it back to life, the hospital recorded over two hundred cases of TB mostly from northern Borno occasioned by the insurgency induced displacement." The new Borno State E-Library was also visited by the team being one of the 54 public buildings constructed by the MCRP across Borno State among other educational institutions. The team also visited the 66km Maiduguri -Bama Road under construction and equally had technical session with government officials from the Ministry of Works, Education, Local Government and Emirate Affairs, Water Resources, Health and Human Services, Agriculture as well as members of the peace group, community leaders and relevant CSOs who provide third party monitoring oversights. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Education By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. They later met with Governor Babagana Zulum at the Government House in Maiduguri to brief him on their mission as chairman of the state steering committee. The team leader commended the governor for his proactiveness, stressing that this might not be unconnected with the governor being the pioneer State Coordinator of the Project in the state prior to his election. Speaking at the end of the visit, the Borno State MCRP Coordinator, Baba Abdulkarim, expressed delight over the visit saying "apart from technical knowledge gained, the visit has also strengthened the state MCRP Team on how to execute the project activities in line with the Bank Standard and global best practices in the interest of the people in whose interest the Government and the Bank are carrying out the various activities cutting across, water, sanitation and hygiene, Agriculture, Public Buildings, Education, Transport and non food items among other interventions." ITV commissions compelling crime thriller, Six Four, starring Kevin McKidd and Vinette Robinson, written by Gregory Burke, and produced by House ProductionsSix Four will premiere on ITVs brand new, free streaming service ITVX in 2023, before transferring to a linear transmissionITVs Head of Drama Polly Hill has commissioned four-part event drama, Six Four, created by BAFTA Scotland Award-winning screenwriter, Gregory Burke, and starring Kevin McKidd (Greys Anatomy, Trainspotting) and Vinette Robinson (Boiling Point, Sherlock, The A-Word), and produced by House Productions.The drama will premiere on ITVs brand new, free streaming service ITVX in 2023, before transferring to linear transmission months later.Inspired by the best-selling novel Six Four by Hideo Yokoyama, the drama is set primarily in Glasgow, and is a dark and compelling story of kidnap, corruption, betrayal and an uncompromising search for the truth, when Chris and Michelle ONeills teenage daughter goes missing.Serving police detective, Chris, played by Kevin McKidd, is provided with a startling revelation about an infamous, unsolved case that once divided the police when a local girl called Julie Mackie disappeared. Now, reeling from the news that his own daughter has gone missing, Chris is approached by a journalist who tells him that fatal mistakes were covered-up in Julies disappearance. Revisiting the case, Chris uncovers a series of undeniable errors, corruption and unbridled ambition.As Chris fights to make sense of what hes discovered, his wife Michelle, played by Vinette Robinson, takes matters into her own hands in search of their daughter. Using skills she learned as a former undercover officer, Michelle takes ever-increasing risks as she follows a trail of clues into the criminal underworld she previously escaped from, where vice and extortion had the power to reach to the top of the political establishment.While Chris and Michelle do everything they can to get to the truth, the daughter of the Justice Minister is suddenly kidnapped, just as the minister is on the cusp of achieving a political election victory. The kidnap has unnerving similarities to the Mackie case. Is the past repeating itself, or is the explosive truth of what really happened to Julie Mackie about to be revealed?The cast of Six Four also includes Richard Coyle (Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore), James Cosmo (The Bay), Alex Ferns (The Irregulars), Iona Anderson (The Long Call), Andrew ONeill and Nilani Chetty.Commented Kevin McKidd:I never take for granted the privilege of being an actor and the chance to become characters like Chris O'Neill, a hard-working serving police officer, whose teenage daughter has gone missing in Six Four. Greg Burke's scripts are real page-turners, as he keeps you guessing with every plot twist and turn. I'm delighted to be returning to my native Scotland and to be partnering Vinette Robinson as my on-screen wife, Michelle, and to be working with House Productions and ITV on what promises to be a compelling thriller.Commented Polly Hill:Six Four excitingly brings Kevin McKidd back to Scotland to lead this wonderful cast. Greg Burkes scripts are brilliant a compelling police investigation and the heart-breaking personal story of a runaway child. Im delighted that ITVX and ITV is the home for this drama and to be working with Greg, Tessa and Juliette to bring this to screen.Gregory Burke is an acclaimed writer in film and theatre, whose credits include Entebbe starring Rosamund Pike and Daniel Bruhl, Olivier Award-winning play, Black Watch, and BAFTA nominated film 71, for which he won the BAFTA Scotland Best Writer Award in 2014. Burke is the creator and lead writer on Six Four, working with Clare McQuillan who will also write on the series.Gregory Burke commented:I'm so excited to bring Six Four to the screen with the wonderful combination of House Productions, ITV and BBC Studios. At its heart, Six Four is a human story about two people under incredible amounts of pressure, who both choose to try and address their pasts. It is a story about how chance can define a lifetime, exploring the corruption that runs through institutions, and examining the secrets and monsters that lurk in every family.Of the project, acclaimed novelist, Hideo Yokoyama, said:Im surprised and delighted in equal measure when people have found something universal in my work. That little boy who was so obsessed with the stories of Sherlock Holmes would be excited to hear about this. I offer my heart-felt gratitude to everyone connected with the production who decided to make this series and I cant wait to see it.Executive Producers for House Productions, Juliette Howell and Tessa Ross, added:Hideo Yokoyamas Six Four was a publishing phenomenon when it came out and Greg has brilliantly captured the essence of the thrilling rollercoaster of a story that so compelled all those readers of the original novel. In relocating the action to Glasgow, Greg has brought an intricate knowledge and real sense of place of that beautiful city, immersing us in a visceral and gut-wrenching journey, experiencing everything right alongside Chris and Michelle as they desperately try to find their missing daughter.The director on Six Four is Ben A. Williams (Sherwood, Baghdad Central) and the producer is Clare Kerr (Karen Pirie, The Nest). Gregory Burke will be an Executive Producer and Juliette Howell, Tessa Ross and Molly Bolt are Executive Producers for House Productions. Polly Hill will oversee commission and production of the drama from ITVs perspective. BBC Studios, who own House Productions, will distribute the series internationally.Filming has commenced on location in Scotland. WETHERSFIELD Standing outside the Department of Motor Vehicles, Deputy Commissioner Tony Guerrera spread his arms, indicating the empty sidewalk outside the office. Take a quick second and take a look at this. The day after Memorial Day three years ago, the commissioner and I were in that office, staring at a line of people down to the parking lot. That has not happened today, Guerrera said Tuesday afternoon. We have a governor that gave us the resources and the tools to make sure the quality of life for every Connecticut resident or people that want to come into our state as easy as possible. Guerrera, along with Gov. Ned Lamont, DMV Commissioner Sibongile Bongi Magubane and state Sen. Will Haskell, chair of the legislatures Transportation Committee, discussed ways that the DMV has streamlined its services and the changes it will make in the future. When businesses and state agencies were forced to shut down in-person services at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the DMV, like other state departments, had to improvise, Guerrera said. The governor put all the forces out there to make sure we did what we had to do. The DMV didnt shut its doors, we made sure we made our employees safe, our customers safe, he said. We had to get people out of line, but make sure that we get them an appointment system and thats what we did. That appointment system is going to stay with us today, tomorrow and for the future of the DMV. The appointment system allowed nearly 750,000 Connecticut residents since January 2021 to conduct transactions online with the DMV, Magubane said. Alongside the online appointment system, the DMV is conducting a total restructuring of its website, she said. When citizens of Connecticut came to the DMV, it was really luck of the draw if they were able to get through with their transactions because they were not always clear on what they needed to bring in order to be successful, Magubane said. We are looking at overhauling our website because the website is key to ensuring that everyone understands what to expect when they arrive at the DMV, how long its going to take and also what they need to complete their transaction. The appointment system will also receive an upgrade, Magubane said. Previously, a separate appointment was made for each transaction someone was looking to complete at the DMV, a system that will be modified to allow multiple transactions at a time. In the past, most of our transactions were done in person and then we introduced an appointment systems, but its not integrated, Magubane said. In the future, when you want to establish an appointment at the DMV, you will be able to look at multiple transactions. You will know exactly how long its going to take in todays world you can only do one transaction and if you have another appointment, you come back. In the future youll be able to stack up your transactions, come in one and done and we will know what youre coming to do, she said. When he took office, Haskell said that many of the first emails he received from constituents were about the DMV, with complaints about the inability to schedule an appointment or about the DMVs confusing requirements. With the improvements to the DMVs website, appointment platform and ability to conduct some tasks online, such as license renewal, Haskell, D-Westport, said he no longer receives emails about the DMV. The processes were too cumbersome, and they required taking time out of their day. They required single, working parents, in between showing up to their job, getting kids to school and cooking dinner, it required them to also find an hour or two or three to go to their local DMV branch to try and complete those transactions, he said. In the pandemic, if theres a silver lining, its accelerated the progress this agency was making, Haskell said. The technological improvements made at the DMV will be mirrored at the Department of Labor come July 5, when unemployment compensation claims will be moved to an online system as well, Lamont said. It was very manual, very labor-intensive, very people-intensive. We werent able to keep up with the load of unemployment claims the likes of which we hadnt seen since the Great Depression, he said. Now we will be much better able to do that. Much of that is done electronically. abigail.brone@hearstmediact.com press release The newly appointed Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Mauritius, Mr Haakon Einang Gram-Johannessen, presented his credentials to the President of the Republic of Mauritius, Mr Prithvirajsing Roopun, today, at the State House, in Reduit. In a statement following the meeting, Ambassador Gram-Johannessen expressed satisfaction for having been appointed as Norwegian Ambassador to Mauritius and highlighted that discussions focussed on the excellent bilateral relations between the two countries. He observed that both Mauritius and Norway are ocean nations and indicated that cooperation between the two countries over the years are much related to their joint interest in managing their oceans in a sustainable manner. He added that several initiatives and events are in the pipeline and that he looks forward for them to materialise. It is recalled that Mr Gram-Johannessen, who holds a Master in Law from the University of Oslo, was previously Director of the Section for Latin America at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway since 2018 before being appointed as Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Mauritius. Two men were seriously injured in a northern Nevada desert fireworks weekend incident at a large gathering of people at a popular off-roading and party area, authorities said. One man was hospitalized in critical condition for a punctured lung he suffered when he was struck in the chest by a firework that went into a crowd of people after exploding in the hand of a man who lit it at midnight Saturday, the Washoe County Sheriff's Office said Sunday in a statement. The man who lit the firework was standing on a rock outcropping before a crowd of 500 people, the statement said. He suffered major deformities and injuries to this left hand" and was hospitalized in stable condition, the statement said. No identities were made public. People at the scene helped both men before medical personnel arrived and arranged transport to hospitals, the statement said. The incident was a reminder of the danger of fireworks, especially when combined with alcohol or other substances," the sheriff's office said. Fireworks are not only dangerous but illegal to possess in Washoe County, said Sheriff Darin Balaam. Any fireworks display should be left to professionals." No arrests were made but the investigation into the incident was ongoing, sheriff's Sgt. Jeff McCaskill said Monday. McCaskill said it wasn't immediately known what type of firework was involved. The incident occurred at Moon Rocks, a desert area with prominent rock features on federally owned land about 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of Reno. The federal Bureau of Land Management in 2021 approved a management plan for the 30-square-mile (77-square-kilometer) site, citing a rise in visitation and incidents requiring law enforcement responses, the Reno Gazette Journal reported Planned improvements included signage, a fence to limit uncontrolled expansion of camping areas and off-highway vehicle (OHV) routes and implementing speed limits near campsites and on access roads. For 20 years its been a free for all, Philip Fell, then-chairman of the Nevada OHV Commission, previously told the newspaper. Its a little bit Mad Max out there, especially over holiday weekends. ___ Davenport reported from Phoenix. VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) Canadas government said Tuesday it will allow British Columbia to try a three-year experiment in decriminalizing possession of small amounts of drugs, seeking to stem a record number of overdose deaths by easing fear of arrest by users in need of help. The policy approved by federal officials doesnt legalize the substances, but Canadians in the Pacific coast province who possess up to 2.5 grams of illicit drugs for personal use will not be arrested or charged. The three-year exemption taking effect Jan. 31 will apply to drug users 18 and over and include opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA, also known as ecstasy. Stigma and fear of criminalization cause some people to hide their drug use, use alone, or use in other ways that increase the risk of harm. This is why the Government of Canada treats substance use as a health issue, not a criminal one, tweeted Dr. Theresa Tam, Canadas chief public health officer. The provinces health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, said that we are taking an important step forward to removing that fear and shame and stigma. This is not one single thing that will reverse this crisis but it will make a difference, she added. Dana Larsen, a drug policy reform activist, called the announcement a step in the right direction, but said he would prefer to see development of a safe drug supply. Its not going to stop anybody dying of an overdose or drug poisoning, Larsen said. The drugs are still going to be contaminated. I think we need stores where you can go in and find legal heroin, legal cocaine and legal ecstasy and things like that for adults, he said. The real solution to this problem is to treat it like alcohol and tobacco. Alissa Greer, an assistant professor at Simon Fraser University who has a doctorate in public health, said a regulated decriminalization of drugs could help lessen overdose deaths. She said it would be good for users to be able to obtain drugs from "a regulated supply through various models, whether thats a prescription model, a pharmacy model, more of a compassion club model ... rather than going down to 7-Eleven and buying heroin. British Columbia is the first Canadian province to apply for an exemption from Canadas drug laws. In 2001, Portugal became the first country in the world to decriminalize the consumption of all drugs. People caught with less than a 10-day supply of any drug are usually sent to a local commission, consisting of a doctor, lawyer and social worker, where they learn about treatment and available medical services. In 2020, Oregon voted to become the first U.S. state to decriminalize hard drugs. Under the change, possession of controlled substances is a newly created Class E violation, instead of a felony or misdemeanor. It carries a maximum $100 fine, which can be waived if the person calls a hotline for a health assessment. The call can lead to addiction counseling and other services. Carolyn Bennett, federal minister of mental health and addictions, said the experiment in British Columbia could serve as a template for other jurisdictions in Canada. This time-limited exemption is the first of its kind in Canada, she said. Real-time adjustments will be made upon receiving analysis of any data that indicates a need to change. Since 2016, there have been over 9,400 deaths due to toxic illicit drugs in British Columbia, with a one-year record of 2,224 in 2021. Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart said he gets emails every Monday on drug deaths, including nine last week and 12 the week before. He said one week it was his own family member. I felt like crying, and I still feel like crying. This is a big, big thing, Stewart said. The 2.5-gram limit set by federal officials for the experiment falls short of the 4.5 grams requested by British Columbia. The higher amount already had been called too low a threshold by some drug-user groups that have said the province didn't adequately consult them. Sheila Malcolmson, British Columbias minister of mental health, said fear of being criminalized has led many people to hide their addiction and use drugs alone. Using alone can mean dying alone, particularly in this climate of tragically increased illicit drug toxicity, Malcolmson said. She said the coroner in British Columbia reports that between five and seven people die a day in the province from overdoses and that half of those happen in a private home, often when people are alone. Fear and shame keeps drug use a secret, she said. - Gillies reported from Toronto. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate OXON HILL, Md. (AP) One speller ran off the stage in the middle of her time at the microphone, saying she needed to pee. Another tried to walk back to her seat after spelling her first word correctly, only to be reminded she had a vocabulary word next. During one particularly brutal stretch, 10 consecutive spellers heard the bell that signals elimination. The Scripps National Spelling Bee used to begin with a handshake. Now it starts with a slap to the face. Leaner and meaner in its post-pandemic iteration, the bee returned to its usual venue on Tuesday for the first time in three years, and spellers were greeted with a new preliminary-round format that gave them no time to get comfortable. The prelims is no joke. Every stage of the bee is so important, said Dhroov Bharatia, a 13-year-old from Plano, Texas, who finished fourth last year. In years past, the early onstage spelling rounds did little beyond weeding out the weakest or most nervous spellers. The real action was a written test that determined who would make the cut for the semifinals. But during last year's mostly virtual bee, the bee's new executive director eliminated the test, and that structure continued as 229 spellers took the stage for this year's fully-in-person competition. Eighty-eight of those spellers advanced to Wednesday's quarterfinals, a success rate of 38%. Spellers had to get through three words in one turn at the microphone to continue in the bee. First, they were given a word from a provided list of 4,000 more than twice as many as in years past. Then, they had to answer a multiple-choice vocabulary question about a word on the same list. Finally, they had to spell a word that could be found anywhere in Webster's Unabridged dictionary. Annie-Lois Acheampong, one of three spellers from Ghana, didn't get that far in her first try. She labored successfully through her first word, coulrophobia fear of clowns and then was asked to define edamame. She smiled initially, but when she crossed her legs and couldn't stand still, it was clear something else was going on. I think I'm going to pee myself, the 13-year-old eighth grader said. Can I go pee? I'm very sorry. She scurried off the stage before she got an answer from the stunned judges, who paused the competition and conferred about how to handle the situation. That was a first, head judge Mary Brooks, who's been involved with the bee for 50 years, said later. The judges ultimately decided to let Annie-Lois return after the day's last scheduled speller. She got her substitute vocabulary word right but faltered on the spelling of apery to conclude the day's action. Although Annie-Lois could have been eliminated for exceeding the 30-second time limit for the earlier vocabulary question, Brooks said the speller's clock was paused because she was experiencing a legitimate emergency. There is precedent for pausing the clock during what Brooks called extenuating circumstances, notably in 2004 when Akshay Buddiga fainted on stage but recovered to finish in second place. Braydon Syx of West Blocton, Alabama, might not get that far, but his time in front of the microphone on Tuesday encapsulated the newly riveting drama of the early rounds. The 13-year-old seventh grader took his first plane ride to compete in this year's bee. Braydon's first word was ormolu a gold-colored alloy of copper, zinc and sometimes tin. He spelled out O-R-M and then took a long, excruciating pause before spitting out the final three letters. He stretched his arms out to his sides after identifying the definition of the word tremulous not a bad description of his demeanor at the microphone. It was really scary, Braydon said, but I also felt really happy at the same time. It was a weird feeling. Then came bromegrass any grass of a large genus of grasses native to temperate regions. Something about the word was bothering him. Can you say it again? he asked. Can you say it again another time? He took a deep breath. Can you say it one more time? Afterward, Braydon explained his dilemma: On bromegrass, I didn't know whether he was pronouncing it with an m or an n. Still, through some combination of hard work, luck and perseverance, Braydon will spell again on Wednesday. Akira Harris won't be so fortunate. The eighth grader from a Department of Defense middle school in Stuttgart, Germany, began by spelling rednigote correctly, then turned around and headed for her seat. Akira, we need you for your word meaning round, a judge told her. She stood silently, looking miserable, after she was given three potential definitions for the word bandicoot. She made a guess A? before she was told she had to read the multiple-choice answer under that letter, which was wrong. Akira returned to the audience and buried her head in her mother's shoulder. Once her group of spellers was finished, Akira made another beeline this time for the exits. ___ Follow Ben Nuckols at https://twitter.com/APBenNuckols This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SHANGHAI (AP) Shanghai authorities say they will take major steps Wednesday toward reopening China's largest city after a two-month COVID-19 lockdown that has set back the national economy and largely confined millions of people to their homes. Already, a steady stream of people strolled in the Bund, the city's historic waterfront park, on a pleasant Tuesday night, some taking selfies against the bright lights of the Pudong financial district on the other side of the river. Elsewhere, people gathered outside to eat and drink under the watch of police deployed to discourage large crowds from forming. Lu Kexin, a high school senior visiting the Bund for the first time since late March, said she went crazy being trapped at home for so long. Im very happy, extremely happy, all the way, too happy," she said. I could die." Vice Mayor Zong Ming announced that full bus and subway service will be restored on Wednesday, as will basic rail connections with the rest of China. Schools will partially reopen on a voluntary basis, and shopping malls, supermarkets, convenience stores and drug stores will reopen gradually at no more than 75% of their total capacity. Cinemas and gyms will remain closed. "The epidemic has been effectively controlled, Zong said. She added that the city will enter the phase of fully restoring work and life on Wednesday. Officials, who set June 1 as the target date for reopening earlier in May, appear ready to accelerate what has been a gradual easing in recent days. A few malls and markets have reopened, and some residents have been given passes allowing them out for a few hours at a time. In online chat groups, some expressed excitement about the prospect of being able to move about freely in the city for the first time since the end of March, while others remained cautious given the slow pace and stop-and-go nature of opening up so far. Workers took down some of the barriers that had been erected along sidewalks during the lockdown. A few people walked or biked on the still mostly empty streets. One man got his hair cut on the sidewalk, a common sight in recent days, as a worker or volunteer in full protective clothing looked on. The most difficult part of the lockdown was psychological, said Cao Yue, who has worked in Shanghai for five years. She recalled the early days when it was difficult to buy food and she didn't know what to do. "It was quite depressing to be locked at home and see the whole Shanghai under lockdown, she said. More than half a million people in the city of 25 million won't be allowed out Wednesday 190,000 who are still in lockdown areas and another 450,000 who are in control zones because they live near recent cases. Shanghai recorded 29 new cases on Monday, continuing a steady decline from more than 20,000 a day in April. Li Qiang, the top official from China's ruling Communist Party in Shanghai, was quoted as saying at a meeting Monday that the city had made major achievements in fighting the outbreak through continuous struggle. The success came at a price. Authorities imposed a suffocating citywide lockdown under China's zero-COVID strategy that aims to snuff out any outbreak with mass testing and isolation at centralized facilities of anyone who is infected. Huge temporary facilities were set up in exhibition centers and other venues to house thousands of people who had tested positive. Teams of health care and other workers flew in from around the country to help run the massive undertaking. Factories were shuttered, or were allowed to operate only if workers slept on site to prevent the spread of the virus. Reduced production at semiconductor plants added to the global chip shortage. Containers backed up at the port of Shanghai because of a shortage of truck drivers to deliver them to their destinations. Though it all, leaders of the ruling Communist Party repeatedly expressed a determination to stick to the zero-COVID policy even as other countries have opened their borders and are trying to live with the virus. Outside economists widely expect China to fall short of its 5.5% growth target for this year. However, the latest economic data showed that Chinese manufacturing activity started to rebound in May as the government rolled back some containment measures. Schools will reopen for the final two years of high school and the third year of middle school, but students can decide whether to attend in person. Other grades and kindergarten remain closed. Outdoor tourist sites will start reopening Wednesday, with indoor sites set to follow in late June, the Shanghai tourism authority said. Group tours from other provinces will be allowed again when the city has eliminated all high- and medium-risk pandemic zones. Beijing, the nation's capital, further eased restrictions Tuesday in some districts. The city imposed limited lockdowns, but nothing near a citywide level, in a much smaller outbreak that appears to be on the wane. Beijing recorded 18 new cases on Monday. ___ Moritsugu reported from Beijing. Associated Press researchers Si Chen in Shanghai and Yu Bing in Beijing contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Willie Colliers voice is gravelly from the tube in his throat, though he said he wasnt much of a singer even before he caught COVID. Collier, of North Haven, went into the hospital with a COVID infection on March 30, 2020. He was in a coma for two months. He was intubated and had a tracheostomy tube, often called a trach, put in. The tube is still there, more than two years later. The problem, he said, is scar tissue that grew in his trachea while he was intubated. Hed given up hope of ever having it removed. His doctor suggested a specialist in New York City, but Collier was tired of trying. It was the members of his COVID support group that convinced him to give the specialist a chance. I saw multiple doctors and I figured I was going to hear the same story. I said, Im not going through it no more, he said. The support group said you really should go check it out. I said, Why not? Now theres a plan to get the tube out of Colliers throat. Theyre going to take a piece of my rib, and theyre gonna use that and theyre gonna open up my throat and put a stent inside so it can open up for a couple of weeks, so it can heal, he said. Collier was a member of the COVID support group when he was a patient at Gaylord Hospital. When the group moved online after he was discharged, he jumped at the chance to take part. I didnt hesitate, he said. I thought it was a great thing to be among people that went through the same thing, some worse than me. The first of its kind The COVID support group at Gaylord Hospital began when the pandemic was new. It was very obvious when I treated the first patient that was post-COVID, who came off a ventilator and then was transferred here for rehabilitation care at Gaylord, that there was going to be a big emotional piece to this disease, Sarah Carpenter said. Carpenter is a physical therapist, and she, along with her colleague at Gaylord, Jim Russo, have been running the COVID support group ever since. After they started the group, they began to see that patients with what is called long COVID had similar symptoms. Though the symptoms ranged widely, there were commonalities. This was before long COVID was recognized as a problem. Once we started this group, we really got to see how big of an issue it really was, Russo said. Whether it was brain fog or ongoing cough, fatigue, just general weakness, PTSD. The list goes on and on. The group, they said, deals with a lot of issues. The group validates each others experiences. There were people who couldnt eat bananas after. Like, they have like an odd taste in their mouth when they would eat bananas or eggs, Russo said. Thats why this group is so amazing because one person can bring that up, and then another person can say, Im not going crazy. Im also experiencing that. Another issue is societys return back to normal. There are people in the group, like Collier, who have recovered from the most severe COVID symptoms but still, a year or even years later, have trouble walking up stairs. Meanwhile, they see the world moving on, and are expected to do the same. Weve had people who have left jobs because their bosses have set this expectation for them to return 100 percent and theyre just not there yet, Carpenter said. Weve had people who are back to work working at a 100 percent capacity and are struggling hard to do it, but theyre doing it because they need to for money or for other reasons. The members of the group also help each other manage medical issues because, Carpenter said, theres no COVID-19 doctors out there. Early on, finding doctors who would really listen to these patients and believe their long hauler symptoms was a challenge, she said. The participants share which doctors help them with different difficulties, even down to getting an air purifier to help their breathing. She said members find solace in not being alone, in the fact that other people are dealing with these other little annoyances, like coughing in their throat that just wont go away and how aggravating that can be for them. 10 to 30 percent Dr. Jerrold Kaplan is outpatient medical director at Gaylord Hospital. He also directs the hospitals COVID rehab and recovery program, which he said began because of the support group. If we turn the clocks back to the beginning of COVID in 2020, at that point in time, patients were coming into the hospital with severe COVID. They had acute care hospitalization, many of them were in the ICU for weeks, if not months. These patients, he said, were very debilitated. Their needs were both physical and psychological Like many other rehab conditions, we thought that they would have an inpatient stay, then have some outpatient therapy, and then things would get better, he said. Unfortunately, a certain portion of the patients continue to have ongoing symptoms. After the support group was established, listening to the members, Kaplan and his colleagues began noticing trends in the stories they would tell. Through the support group, we were noticing many symptoms were pretty consistent among the patients, he said. Patients had issues with severe fatigue, mental process thinking, cognitive impairment issues, which we then started calling brain fog. They were getting rapid heart rates doing very little exercise, they were having problems with balance and coordination. What is commonly called long COVID now is an official diagnosis, post-acute sequelae SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC). There is no consensus on exactly what proportion of COVID patients will have symptoms long after the acute phase of the disease, but Kaplan said the best estimates range from 10 to 30 percent, though it may be much, much higher. Some of Kaplans current patients caught COVID more than two years ago, and continue to experience symptoms associated with the virus. We are seeing patients who have long-term symptoms, who were some of the first patients that came down with severe COVID when the pandemic first started in early 2020. he said. Some of the patients have long term symptoms that affect their endurance. They have chronic fatigue-related issues. Some of them have ongoing thought process issues, cognitive issues associated with it, and some patients have fully recovered. Athlete to bedrest Kaplan said one long-term symptom he sees among patients are cardiac abnormalities. After only short bouts of exercise, patients heart rates were going as high as 180. Some of these were patients who were elite athletes before they came down with COVID, he said. Glenn Stevens of Beacon Falls had been an avid hiker before contracting COVID in November, 2020. To this day I cannot climb a flight of stairs without getting winded, he said. His COVID case began with a weird smell, he said, though he was admitted to the hospital soon after. After being initially discharged, he took a turn for the worse: After 2 days I started turning blue. My blood oxygen had dropped to 75. He was in the hospital for 16 days. He was unconscious or barely conscious for much of it, though was able to attend his sons wedding virtually. Stevens health never completely improved, and his emotional state deteriorated as well. Its hard to talk about. I couldnt walk from my couch to my front door. My life had changed. I became depressed and upset, he said. I started having guilt and feelings of anxiety over what my family went through during those times I was unconscious. I was an emotional wreck. It was emotionally devastating to me, and not knowing if it was going to get better, he said. Stevens credits the support group at Gaylord for helping him get through the toughest times, in part because he realized he was not alone. It was so hard to talk but everybody listened. They all said, Were going through the same thing, he said. No one there judges you. Something in my spirit Stevens has not completely improved, though he said hes able to walk as far as two miles these days, despite the scarring in his lungs. The damage, he was told, may be permanent. The group was tremendous support. It changed my attitude on how to fight this thing, he said. They have accepted me into this group like I was a member of the family. Hes now become a support for other group members, people who may feel hopeless, as he did years ago. Now I find myself encouraging new members to fight and not give up, and to push, Stevens said. Hes positive about the future, but Stevens said he and other members of the group get frustrated when people who have the benefit of vaccinations and better COVID treatments minimize the disease. The group will tell you that people in the group get really upset, he said. People will tell you Its no big deal. Well, they dont understand because they werent lying in the hospital wondering if they were going to go home. Collier, too, has a positive outlook on life nowadays. He gushes about his wifes plans to get an advanced degree, his kids successes in college and in the workplace. But he wasnt always so positive. There was a lot of time I was upset, he said. I asked God why. I was being punished, I felt. When asked how he got through the darkest times, Collier said hes grateful for his familys support, but he also noted that hes a religious person. It was Gods grace that brought me to where Im at now, he said. A lot of times we say our work is not done yet. I guess theres something in my spirit that motivated me that I wasnt conscious of. Collier said he believes hes being tested, and that the test isnt over yet. We all have storms to go through because life is a trial. I believe this was one of my trials, he said. Until I remove the trach my trial wont be over. Then this trial will be done. FOX CROSSING, Wis. (AP) Authorities say a 43-year-old Wisconsin woman died when she jumped out of a squad car while it traveling through a town in eastern Wisconsin. The Outagamie County Sheriff's Office said one of its deputies was driving the vehicle through Fox Crossing, a town in Winnebego County, about 5:30 p.m. Monday when the incident occurred. A receptionist on duty at the Hilton Hotel Honours, Ile-Ife, Osun state, on the day Timothy Adegoke, the OAU's postgraduate student checked into the hotel, Adesola Adedeji, yesterday, told Chief Justice Adepele Ojo of Osun High Court that a CCTV monitor in the reception was removed before she resumed duty the following week. Timothy was said to have lodged in the hotel on Friday, November 5, 2021, and was later found in a grave in Ile-Ife, after he had been declared missing on November 7. At the resumed murder trial, yesterday, Adesola said the hotel had a CCTV camera functioning till November 6, 2021, but she did not know why the monitor at the reception was removed on November 9, 2021, when she resumed duty at the hotel. She added that the owner of the hotel, Dr Rahman Adedoyin, and his son, Raheem, were in the hotel the night the deceased lodged in the hotel. Under cross-examination by Mr Femi Falana, SAN, she said Adedoyin came to the hotel around 8 pm on the day to check the workers' welfare, while his son came around 10 pm the same day and did not know when they left. She said: "Our hotel had a CCTV camera. The CCTV camera worked up to November 5, it worked up to noon on November 6, when I left office. But on November 9, I noticed that the CCTV monitor at the receptionist desk had been removed. "On November 9, I asked a receptionist, Moshood Qadri, what happened to the TV and CCTV and the man said he did not see it too and that the gadget can't be stolen in the hotel." Speaking of a meeting at the house of the hotel owner, Adesola said she was informed of the meeting by two receptionists, who are now on the run, Esther Asigor and Qadri Moshood, saying Dr Adedoyin told her to tell investigating police officers that the deceased neither lodged in the hotel nor transferred any money in connection to lodging on the said day. She said: "On November 11, before I was arrested, we held two meetings in the Chairman's (Dr Rahman) house. The first meeting only had me and Raheem Adedoyin. Raheem didn't tell me who was in room 305 or mentioned his name. He only said receipt number 7316 was missing and that he was trying to help me. "He gave me a new receipt and said I should write Lekan and one other name I can't recollect, and I signed it. "He collected the receipt but later gave it to me to present to the police if they asked for it. Meanwhile, the receipt I wrote for Adegoke (deceased) bore the same number. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Education By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "Raheem later called me that my attention was needed by the Chairman. During the meeting, Adedoyin said I should not inform the police that the manager was aware of the payment. "However, while she was given the statement she wrote at the police station to read out, she wrote that the chairman told her that she should just said a man walked in to enquire and collected her account details and left." She also disclosed that the deceased, after entering the room on November 5 in the evening, did not come down nor did she bother to check on him, since she has nothing to do in his room. Under cross-examination from Mr Kehinde Eleja, SAN, she said throughout the night of November 5, no act of disturbance or violence was reported to her by the deceased or any of the guests on the same floor with him, saying she also did not notice any strange activity in the hotel. Earlier while being led in evidence by Mr Okon Ita, Adesola said she sold out 16 rooms in the hotel on November 5 and was surprised when the record given to her by the police reflected 15 rooms. Vanguard News This page requires Javascript. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. As restaurants continue to struggle to lure enough workers, Dennys restaurants are trying a new hiring approach that includes putting job applications on placemats. Inside Dennys Restaurant in Wilkes-Barre, customers are encouraged to fill out job applications on their placemats if they are interested in becoming cooks, servers, hosts, dishwashers or managers. Chuck Boswell, manager at Dennys Restaurant in Wilkes-Barre, said it was a corporate decision to put job applications on placemats at all restaurants. Its part of a new hiring initiative by Dennys called Calling All Besties. It involves soliciting people and their friends to apply to restaurant jobs in the hope of hiring and retaining more employees. Dennys is seeking to hire 15,000 #Friendployees who are seeking flexible work schedules in a friend-friendly environment. Applicants also can enter for a chance to score the perfect weekend off, an all-expense paid vacation for two to the U.S. destination of their choice. Boswell said he doesnt think the promotion is working in attracting applicants, however. He said he hasnt been receiving applications for cooks and has been encouraging dishwashers to be trained to become cooks. Although cooks at Dennys are paid $15 an hour, Boswell said it has been difficult to attract and retain them. Society as a whole is changing, Boswell said. It seems a lot of people are demanding more. Restaurants arent the only ones struggling to hire, but businesses throughout the region are trying new approaches and offering higher wages and other incentives to attract workers. Hiring signs and job fairs are common throughout the region and the use of hiring incentives has grown. Allied Services offers multiple hiring incentives Allied Services is holding job fairs 10 to 5 June 8 and 9 to noon June 11 at Allied Services Scranton Campus, 303 Smallacombe Drive, Scranton and Allied Services Meade Street Residence, 200 S. Meade St., Wilkes-Barre. Human resources professionals will offer on-the-spot interviews at the job fairs. A wide range of job opportunities are available with many of them offering sign-on bonuses ranging from $250 to $30,000, according to Allied Services. Charlotte Wright, assistant vice president of development and marketing at Allied Services, said registered nurses can earn sign-on bonuses of up to $30,000 and smaller bonuses are available for other employees. Allied Services also recently took another step to attract nurses as a workforce crisis continues to grip the healthcare industry. It launched a new division called Integrated Staffing that offers qualified nurses no-contract, temporary assignments at high pay rates. According to Allied Services, registered nurses could earn up to $70 per hour, licensed practical nurses may earn up to $50 per hour and certified nursing assistants could earn up to $30 per hour to work at Allied Services locations in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties. Judy Oprisko, vice president of human resources and compliance, said the new initiative has led to a dozen new employees being hired and they will start by the end of the month. Allied Services also has increased its hourly rates for other employees and offers tuition-free college for part-time and full-time employees, tuition assistance and scholarships, benefits packages, career advancement opportunities and ongoing educational support, Wright said. Oprisko said wages were raised across the board for entry level positions to therapists and the increases range from $1 to $4.50 more an hour. Allied Services also offers student loan repayment up to $20,000 for registered nurses and $10,000 for licensed practical nurses who received their licenses in the last three years, she said. After six months of employment, Allied Services employees are eligible for up to $5,000 per year in tuition reimbursement for training or courses at an accredited university, college, business school, vocational institution or other facility recognized by Allied Services. Full-time and part-time Allied Services employees also are eligible for a Lackawanna College scholarship program. It provides up to $5,000 in tuition support per year from Allied Services with the remaining balance covered by Lackawanna College. Additionally, Allied Services provides paid training, Michael Daniel, who joined Allied Services in February 2021 as a personal care attendant at the Meade Street Residence in Wilkes-Barre, is an example of an employee who is benefiting from paid training. He is taking the paid CNA training class and will graduate June 2. He will then begin working as a certified nursing assistant as Meade Street Skilled Nursing. He will have enhanced his earning capacity as a CNA and if he decides to further pursue a career in nursing, Allied Services will be there to provide financial assistance, Wright said. Gerritys sees rise in applications Joe Fasula, co-owner of Gerritys Supermarkets, recently announced that the family-owned business raised the starting rates for all positions and he said that has led to an increase in applications. All full-time starting rates at Gerritys increased to $14 per hour. Skilled positions like butchers, cooks, cake decorators and bakers start at $17 and wages for butchers and cooks can go as high as $20 depending on experience. Most part time positions start between $10 and $12 depending on position and availability. On the job training is offered for all positions. Gerritys also rolled out annual raises early for most of its existing employees and as an added incentive, offers a new hire bonus of up to $500. We still have plenty of positions to fill but we are seeing an increase in applications, he said. Blog Archive Apr 2010 (22) May 2010 (25) Jun 2010 (8) Jul 2010 (12) Aug 2010 (18) Sep 2010 (19) Oct 2010 (29) Nov 2010 (30) Dec 2010 (18) Jan 2011 (13) Feb 2011 (21) Mar 2011 (23) Apr 2011 (19) May 2011 (31) Jun 2011 (36) Jul 2011 (46) Aug 2011 (26) Sep 2011 (12) Oct 2011 (15) Nov 2011 (17) Dec 2011 (7) Jan 2012 (18) Feb 2012 (4) Mar 2012 (12) Apr 2012 (18) May 2012 (10) Jun 2012 (21) Jul 2012 (8) Aug 2012 (15) Sep 2012 (7) Oct 2012 (17) Nov 2012 (20) Dec 2012 (10) Jan 2013 (58) Feb 2013 (59) Mar 2013 (60) Apr 2013 (98) May 2013 (135) Jun 2013 (204) Jul 2013 (293) Aug 2013 (351) Sep 2013 (363) Oct 2013 (348) Nov 2013 (374) Dec 2013 (442) Jan 2014 (547) Feb 2014 (476) Mar 2014 (526) Apr 2014 (527) May 2014 (471) Jun 2014 (408) Jul 2014 (472) Aug 2014 (522) Sep 2014 (443) Oct 2014 (472) Nov 2014 (497) Dec 2014 (536) Jan 2015 (539) Feb 2015 (520) Mar 2015 (582) Apr 2015 (658) May 2015 (679) Jun 2015 (673) Jul 2015 (728) Aug 2015 (803) Sep 2015 (923) Oct 2015 (924) Nov 2015 (802) Dec 2015 (791) Jan 2016 (782) Feb 2016 (835) Mar 2016 (929) Apr 2016 (866) May 2016 (947) Jun 2016 (1044) Jul 2016 (882) Aug 2016 (1035) Sep 2016 (967) Oct 2016 (918) Nov 2016 (854) Dec 2016 (885) Jan 2017 (879) Feb 2017 (777) Mar 2017 (896) Apr 2017 (872) May 2017 (850) Jun 2017 (851) Jul 2017 (971) Aug 2017 (1040) Sep 2017 (998) Oct 2017 (1144) Nov 2017 (1046) Dec 2017 (838) Jan 2018 (873) Feb 2018 (769) Mar 2018 (885) Apr 2018 (808) May 2018 (827) Jun 2018 (820) Jul 2018 (840) Aug 2018 (854) Sep 2018 (844) Oct 2018 (851) Nov 2018 (870) Dec 2018 (912) Jan 2019 (919) Feb 2019 (827) Mar 2019 (957) Apr 2019 (913) May 2019 (1007) Jun 2019 (935) Jul 2019 (949) Aug 2019 (936) Sep 2019 (910) Oct 2019 (920) Nov 2019 (874) Dec 2019 (908) Jan 2020 (941) Feb 2020 (849) Mar 2020 (898) Apr 2020 (848) May 2020 (822) Jun 2020 (789) Jul 2020 (819) Aug 2020 (858) Sep 2020 (841) Oct 2020 (873) Nov 2020 (812) Dec 2020 (780) Jan 2021 (765) Feb 2021 (716) Mar 2021 (819) Apr 2021 (805) May 2021 (815) Jun 2021 (824) Jul 2021 (830) Aug 2021 (832) Sep 2021 (791) Oct 2021 (754) Nov 2021 (683) Dec 2021 (693) Jan 2022 (694) Feb 2022 (654) Mar 2022 (740) Apr 2022 (745) May 2022 (748) Jun 2022 (45) Civil Society groups in Kano State working around promotion of good governance through best practices of democratic principles and processes have on Monday called on the All progressive congress (APC), Kano State Primary Election Appeal Committee, 2022 and Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to cancel the APC Gubernatorial primary election in the state over alleged irregularities. The group made the call in a petition read before newsmen by it leader, Musa Tukur Musa who said the primary was marred by irregularities such as thuggery, harassment and intimidation of delegates, among others hence the need for the cancellation of the exercise. Musa expressed dismay and dis-satisfaction on the way, manner and processes used in the conduct of gubernatorial primary election. According to him, "The APC Gubernatorial election committee sent to Kano as observed failed to comply with the relevant provisions of the party's constitution and the Electoral Act, 2022, which made it clear that nomination of a candidate for an elective office by a political party must be preceded by a party consensus and/or primary election should be free, fair and open to all qualified candidates. In contrast to these provisions, the process was hijacked and manipulated. "There was no any tentative list neither a screening of the said delegates to ensure their authenticity as substantive ones. "Some of the delegates were intimidated while others short-changed by Kano State Government officials at the election venue. "Some of the serving Local Government chairmen were seen commanding delegates to write the name of Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna on the ballot paper contrary to their consent and choices. While others were asked to surrender their ballot papers to one individual who was assigned to write for them by the state Government officials. "Some of the government officials were among the delegates that voted "There were serious harassment and thuggery outside the hall which makes it difficult to access the indoor Hall or move out of the hall in which many party supporters where attacked by hired thugs. "There was no internal democracy and fair play in APC primaries conducted at all levels in kano state due monopoly and use of excesses of power in favour of state candidates which make the party in limbo and uncertainties for winning secondary elections. "Thus, we are appealing to our great party All progressive congress (APC), Kano State Primary Election Appeal Committee, 2022 and INEC to consider cancellation of the primary election of governorship for lacking the merit, over voting and other irregularities," the leader of Groups, Musa however stated. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Meanwhile, the Civil Society comprises of groups such as Youth Mobilization by media, Arewa Youth Political Gladiators, Community Support for sustainable Development initiatives, Democratic Concerns Group, Kano State and Madafa Women Political Mobilization. When contacted for reaction, state Secretary of APC, Hon. Zakari Sarina refuted the allegations, insisting that the claims were baseless, unsubstituted and lacking all elements of fact. Sarina said there wasn't anytime during the primary when delegates were prevented from casting their votes freely and or, prevented from chosen choice aspirant. The state Secretary of APC however, advised the groups to rather channel their grievances to the APC election appeal and petitions committee instead of rushing to the media. Recall that the Kano State Deputy Governor, Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna emerged winner of the APC Gubernatorial primaries in the state after scoring 2,289 votes against his opponent, Hon. Sha'aban Ibrahim Sharada representing Kano Municipal Federal Constituency who scored 30 votes. Apostolic nuncio to Romania and Moldova Miguel Maury Buendia said on Tuesday that imperialism, nationalist extremism and populist exclusivism today pose a danger to the world, adding that the Pope's message in favour of respect for diversity and the integration of nations shows us the way forward to achieve peace and progress. "Walk together was the motto of Pope Francis' visit and it did not lack calls for acceptance of our neighbour and fraternity. In these difficult times, when the armed conflict in Ukraine, the neighboring country, reminds us that imperialism, nationalist extremism and populist exclusivism is a danger to the whole world today, the Pope's message in favour of respect for diversity and the integration of nations shows us the way forward to achieve peace and progress. It is not utopian and it is possible to do, as evidenced by the fact that during the Pope's visit they all participated in various moments regardless of the colour of their political party, church or ethnicity," Bishop Buendia told the opening of the exhibition."Pope Francis - Pilgrim in Romania, three years since the apostolic visit" at the National Museum of Romanian History (MNIR). The Apostolic nuncio pointed out that the exhibition "urges us to support together with the Pope the Christian heritage of Romania and not to betray the exigencies of the Gospel, because otherwise not only would Western culture, which, despite its limitations shines in the world like no other, be obliterated, but it could even compromise human destiny." "I hope that this opening, which sees the light of day on the very day that Pope Francis arrived in Bucharest three years ago, as a pilgrim and brother, will help to keep his spirit alive and therefore serve to enable Romania to respond more and more his historical destiny," concluded the apostolic diplomat. Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archbishop of Bucharest Aurel Perca said that the opening of the MNIR exhibition, which captures the main moments of Pope Francis' visit three years ago, invites the Holy Father's pilgrimage to the 'beautiful and welcoming country' to be repeated. "The fact that this exhibition is hosted by the National Museum of Romanian History in the Lapidarium Hall has a special significance. The Pope's journey is already a beautiful page in history for Romania, and because the Lapidarium Hall preserves a copy of Trajan's Column from Rome, we could say that the Pope is, this time, at the roots of our nation, Dacia, once conquered by the emperor Trajan. In the Pope's words: We walk together when we learn to keep our roots. Here, in this room, we are together at our roots," said monsignor Perca. Also giving speeches to the official opening of the exhibition were presidential adviser Sergiu Nistor, senior official for church matters Victor Opaschi, Mihai Fratila of the Saint Basil the Great Greek Catholic Episcopate in Bucharest, MNIR Director General Ernest Oberlander-Tarnoveanu. Also attending the event were church leader Ieronim Sinaitul, senior official with the Ministry of Culture Irina Sanda Marin Cajal, Chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania Silviu Vexler, high prelates, leaders of the Armenian, Lutheran, Calvinist churches, the Mufti of the Muslim denomination of Romania. Numerous objects related to Pope Francis' visit to Romania, including the famous Popemobile, with which the Sovereign Pontiff travelled, can be found in the exhibition "Pope Francis - Pilgrim in Romania, three years since the apostolic visit", opened on Tuesday at MNIR. Organised by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bucharest in partnership with MNIR, the exhibition marks the third anniversary of Pope Francis' visit to Romania May 31 - June 2, 2019 and revolves around the memorable phrase uttered by The Sovereign Pontiff then: "I come to Romania, a beautiful and welcoming country, as a pilgrim and a brother. God bless Romania!". Among the objects on display are parts of the Pope's attire and the papal throne used by Francis in St. Joseph's Cathedral in Bucharest. Visitors can also see the famous Popemobile, the papal car with which Pope Francis travelled in Romania, which is exposed at the entrance to MNIR. The photos from the papal visit, taken by the Vatican Media team and a group of Romanian photographers - Adrian Cuba, Alexis Dimcev, Octav Ganea, Alexandru Micsik and Iustin Toma - recap in pictures and emotions this unique meeting. The project was initiated by the Office for Ecclesiastical and Cultural Heritage of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bucharest. The exhibition is open throughout June 17, Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00hrs to 18:00hrs. Pope Francis visited Romania May 31-June 2, 2019, having met President Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila and Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church. He travelled to Iasi, Sumuleu Ciuc and Blaj, and presided over the beatification service of seven Greek Catholic bishops who died in communist prisons. AGERPRES. The Greek border authorities estimate that the number of Romanian tourists predicted for this summer will be approximately 1.4 million Romanian citizens, according to a press release sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) to AGERPRES. A delegation from MAE was in the Greek Republic on May 27 and 28, where they had a series of technical meetings with representatives of Greek and Bulgarian local and regional authorities as well as with representatives of Greek employers in the hotel industry, with the purpose of finding the best solutions for facilitating access and accommodation units to Romanian tourists, in the current summer season.During the technical discussions that took place at the Kulata-Promachonas border crossing points, wherein representatives of the National Police and Border Police from Bulgaria and Greece took part, the Romanian side presented the Bulgarian and Greek speakers with a series of objections from Romanian tourists regarding the long waiting time for crossing the border, the concern of the Romanian authorities regarding the risk of repeating large delays from previous years and assured of the Romanian side's full institutional collaboration in order to identify solutions meant to streamline the Bulgarian-Greek border traffic and reduce long waiting times.The representatives of Bulgarian and Greek authorities specified that a series of complementary measures have already been taken, in order to eliminate sanitary restrictions, which will lead to a reduction of long waiting times for access in the Greek Republic.Among the most important measures communicated from the Greek side are: supplementing the number of Greek Border Police for carrying out border control; increasing transit capability through the border crossing point, by establishing additional tellers; simplifying travel documents control procedures for EU citizens; a better coordination between Bulgarian and Greek border authorities for transmitting information in real time regarding the transit volume at the Romanian-Bulgarian border.Furthermore, consultations that have taken place on this occasion created the premises to organizing for the first time, in the following period, of a Romania-Bulgaria-Greece trilateral technical meeting, with the topic of managing the flow of tourists that travel by road to the Greek Republic, through Bulgaria. As many as 78,868 travelers of whom 9,878 Ukrainian nationals entered Romania on Monday (up 7.5 pct from the previous day), with 4,122 Ukrainian nationals crossing into Romania at the border with Ukraine (by 1 pct less), and 952 entering the country at the border with Moldova (by 6.7 pct less), the General Border Police Inspectorate (IGPF) reports. As many as 1,076,133 Ukrainian nationals had entered Romania as of May 30 since the start of the military conflict in the neighboring country, and the number of Ukrainians who crossed into Romania since the pre-war date of February 10 is 1,110,662, IGPF said. M.A.R.T.A. House in western Arad, the building where the first car and engine factory operated on the current territory of Romania, will be refurbished and introduced in the tourist and cultural circuit, with financing being allocated for the technical-economic documentation, Agerpres reports. Arad City Hall announced on Tuesday that it has signed a non-reimbursable financing contract with the National Heritage Institute for the technical-economic documentation for the building rehabilitation project under the Historical Monuments Stamp program.The M.A.R.T.A. House, built between 1900-1910, hosted the first automobile and engine factory on Romania's current territory.M.A.R.T.A. stands for the acronym for Magyar Automobil Reszveny Tarsasag Arad, which was also the first car factory in the Kingdom of Hungary, established as a branch of the Us company Westinghouse, through the French subsidiary in Le Havre. The company produced various car models, including a local car called "Marta".Pro Urbe Arad, an association for the protection of urban heritage, writes on its website that the factory exports cars to several European countries, including the UK. In 1913, the factory had 280 employees, and here they produced cars, buses, trucks or engines for railway traction. As of 1915, during the First World War, only aircraft engines were manufactured in Arad, and after the disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the union of Transylvania with the Kingdom of Romania, the Astra company was founded - the first Romanian railcars and engine factory. This was achieved through the merger of the Weitzer railcars factory with the Marta factory. In 1926, the manufacture of cars in Arad stopped, and the equipment was moved to Brasov, where Romanian Aeronautical Industry Plant was established.The M.A.R.T.A. building and the land were recently donated to Arad by the Astra Rail company, the building being on the premises of the freight car manufacturer. The Minister of National Defence, Vasile Dincu, on Tuesday stated, in Constanta, regarding the resumption of flights with MiG-21 aircraft, that they do not represent a danger for the pilots, Agerpres reports. Dincu said that the suspension of flights with this type of aircraft was made in order to analyze if the MiGs can still be used, considering that in recent years there have been several accidents."A very serious, in-depth analysis was made of this, of the possibility of continuing the flights. We have presented a professional scenario with several courses of action to the CSAT (Supreme Council for Country Defence) and the CSAT approved one of these courses of action, that this aircraft can fly another year. They will be used for training the pilots and also for the Air Police, even if we would have managed with the foreign forces we have right now, without the MiGs. But the CSAT established this and of course that it was one of our options. They do not represent a danger for the pilots. We have also calculated that, when we suspended the flights for a while, we took into account the need of a serious analysis and we did that and we also considered the fact that in recent years there have been many accidents and we wanted to see what the causes are and what should be done in the future," said the Minister of Defence.He said that, in the future, procedures should be started for the purchase of 5th class aircraft."Of course in the future it will be as announced by the President of Romania, we will start the procedures for the 5h category aircraft procurement. This is the first thing. Of course this will be in a more distant horizon, and we will also accelerate the acquisition of the two squadrons in Norway. We have already discussed with the Norwegian Minister, we discussed at the General Staff level and we will accelerate the bringing of these planes and their modernization because this is why we are talking about, bringing them as a resource to be used in the long run, this year and next year," said Vasile Dincu. Romania's Black Sea state border is being monitored by helicopter drones following steps taken by the Romanian Border Police in partnership with the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). In March 2022, a MALE RPAS service (Medium Altitude Long Endurance - Remotely Piloted Aircraft System) was reactivated consisting in the use of a remotely piloted unmanned aircraft system, namely a small-sized drone helicopter. "Similar to the previous year, the service is operated using CAMCOPTER (R) S-100 drones for the multifunctional surveillance of the Black Sea coastal area adjacent to Romania, the operating cost of which is fully covered by the European body under a contract signed with SCHIEBEL Aircraft GmbH," according to a press release issued on Tuesday by Romania's General Border Police Inspectorate (IGPF). The relevant national regulators, the General Air Force Staff and ROMATSA RA, have supported the approach of the Romanian Border Police for the implementation and operation of the service as well as its future development, so that at national level it can permanently qualify for EMSA support in coast guard functions, by providing innovative and highly-performing technical solutions to ensure the air surveillance of the maritime space and of the navy traffic, as well as the creation of an overall picture that would lead to awareness of the situation in their areas of responsibility. The service is said to have a very important contribution to the specific missions performed by its staff for the surveillance of the state border, monitoring of naval traffic, search and rescue at sea, protection of the marine environment, as well as ensuring the interests of Romania in the exclusive economic zone including the contiguous zone. The service will also be used in the Multipurpose Maritime Operation 2022 coordinated by Frontex, with support from EMSA and EFCA under a tripartite agreement. "The reference operation for the current year will be carried out similarly to the other operations carried out in previous years, with the participation of the national institutions ANR and ANPA, as well as the corresponding authorities of the Republic of Bulgaria. Upon request, the service will be operated in the airspace above the maritime area under their responsibility, taking into account the available technical performances," IGPF points out. The results of using the service in 2021 and 2022 include detection of oil spills, possibly from merchant ships in transit, as well as maritime safety and security events. AGERPRES. President Klaus Iohannis had a bilateral meeting on Tuesday with the Prime Minister of the government of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, on the sidelines of the special meeting of the European Council, Agerpres reports. "A very good discussion with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands regarding regional security and measures for consolidating the Eastern Flank. I appreciated The Netherlands' support, through its consistent military presence in Romania. We agreed to continue our tight cooperation on EU's agenda, especially for topics of shared interest," the head of state wrote on Twitter, on Tuesday.President Klaus Iohannis is taking part in the special reunion of the European Council. The president of the Bihor County Council, Ilie Bolojan, on Tuesday stated that Romania will be connected to Western Europe by a new road to be linked with the M44 highway in Hungary, which will be an express road. According to a press release of the Bihor County Council, the new project was approved at the Romanian - Hungarian bilateral meeting in the field of transport, held in Hungary last week, on May 26.The road will connect the towns of Salonta and Bekescsaba, north of Mehkerek locality. It will measures 50-kilometre in length, of which 43 kilometres will be built on the territory of the Hungarian state and the remaining 7 kilometres in Romania.This segment will be included in the Arad-Oradea Express Road, managed by the Bihor and Arad County Councils and the City Halls of Oradea and Arad Municipalities, in partnership with the National Company for Road Infrastructure Management (CNAIR)."In the next period, geotechnical studies will be carried out on this new section of road, and will be included in the technical project, which will be handed over at the end of this year. On the Romanian side, a border crossing point will be arranged. The Bihor County Council commissioned the designer to adapt the project according to this decision. According to estimates, the segment on the Romanian side could be executed by the beginning of 2027, and the one on the Hungarian side after this date, Ilie Bolojan told a press conference.The Romanian delegation that attended the bilateral meeting on May 26 was led by Adrian Foghis, Secretary of State with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure.At the same press conference, the president of the Bihor County Council also presented the current status of the "Arad - Oradea Express Road" project. The technical project is 40pct completed. Archaeological discharges and topographic measurements have been completed on the approximately 120 kilometres, and geotechnical studies are carried out in a proportion of more than 80pct. Rivers State governor and presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Nyesom Wike, who came second at Saturday's primaries, has accused Southern governors of betraying the power shift agreement. Wike, who has vowed to remain in the party and support its 2023 presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, disclosed that he almost scuttled the PDP primaries at a stage when the rule was breached but had to maintain his calmness. The governor spoke at a reception in his honour at the Government House in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, following his return from the presidential primary in Abuja. Also, commendations continued to flow for Atiku on his emergence as PDP standard bearer, yesterday, as the apex Igbo Socio-Cultural Organisation, Ohanaeze denied saying that it would work against Atiku, adding that it has not taken a position on the issues. Southern governors' betrayal Wike said he was tempted to obstruct the process when an aspirant (Aminu Tambuwal) who had spoken previously was allowed to return to the podium to pronounce his withdrawal, in contravention of the guidelines of the election. "I have never seen how people can violate procedures and guidelines. Somebody had spoken; it was at that point he was speaking that he would have said I am withdrawing. You don't call him back," Wike said. "I just said: Look, this our party must not be destroyed.'" He, however, called on his supporters to remain calm, describing his loss at the PDP presidential primary as the will of God. "It is God's will, let us not bother ourselves so much," Wike said, accusing governors of the Southern region of betrayal. His words: "Shame to those who will sell out their own. I have never seen a thing like that. No wonder we cannot move on with development. "Look, a region ganged up. Your own region cannot gang up, you become a tool to be used against the interests of your people and you think you have won. No, you have lost." Governor Wike said though he did not clinch the PDP presidential ticket, he believes, just like his supporters, that his performance has raised the political profile of Rivers State and other minority groups in Nigeria. "In the political history of this country, you can count on us. We are not push-overs," the former Minister of State for Education, said. Wike spoke as fresh details of how top northern military and political leaders teamed up to secure the ticket for Atiku emerged, last night just as Alhaji Atiku Abubakar embarked on fence-mending visits to some of his opponents, pleading for their support. Among those Atiku visited yesterday were Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike; former Kwara State Governor and Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki; and former Senate President and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim. Atiku's visits His first stop was the Abuja residence of the first runner-up and Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike. Atiku, accompanied by his campaign team and a retinue of aides was received by Wike, who he described as a committed party member and worthy opponent. The PDP candidate explained the reason for his visits on his verified Twitter account. In a series of tweets, Atiku said: "In continuation of my commitment to bring everyone on board in ensuring that the @OfficialPDPNig stands as one united party, earlier today, I visited His Excellency Gov Nyesom Wike at his Abuja residence. This is a continuous process. "I was also at the residence of Senator Anyim Pius Anyim to pay him a courtesy visit and consult with him on strengthening the cohesion in our great party, the PDP." He paid a similar visit to the residence of Senator Bukola Saraki, where he also met the former Senate President behind closed doors. Atiku's Special Adviser (Media), Mazi Paul Ibe, told Vanguard that his principal's visits were part of his fence-mending reach-out to fellow party members especially those who contested the party ticket with him. He said: "Yes, it is true. His Excellency visited Governor Wike, in his residence today. It is part of his engagement to get all party members onboard as we prepare for the 2023 general elections. "He went to personally appeal to Wike like he did with Tambuwual earlier to thank them for the roles they all played in ensuring that the party had an exemplary primary. He also went to solicit their support in uniting the party ahead of the task ahead. "The candidate and the party are on the same page in the quest to redeem Nigeria from the mess the current APC-led regime has thrown us all in. These visits are ongoing, other party leaders are also to be visited within the coming weeks." How top Northern power brokers secured victory for Atiku Credible sources told Vanguard how top Northern military and political leaders teamed up to secure the ticket for Atiku. The overall aim of the Northern political elites, it was learned, was to stop Wike, who they knew had garnered enough support from across the country, from winning so as to throw up Atiku. A top source, who is familiar with what transpired before the casting of votes in Abuja on Saturday, told Vanguard that an influential former head of state led the pack that put pressure on other PDP presidential aspirants to step down for Atiku to brighten his chances of winning. The source said: "It was the former head of state, working with other political and former military leaders who detailed a former defence minister to call other northern presidential aspirants to stand down and pave the way for Atiku. "The former leader directed the trio of Bala Mohammed, Aminu Tambuwal and Bukola Saraki to stand down from the race for Atiku. When it was apparent that Tambuwal was hesitating, a former president had to personally prevail on the Sokoto governor to step down and at that point, he did. "Indeed, after stepping down, a former national security officer, who was asked to talk to him and others, commended Tambuwal for being a true politician and acting in the interest of his people." However, Vanguard learned that for refusing to obey the directive of the generals and political leaders to step down and pave the way for Atiku, the political brokers are contemplating blocking Bala Mohammed's bid to retain his governorship or return to the Senate. The power brokers are suspicious the governor would want to prevail on the person who won in his senatorial district to step down for him, having lost out in the presidential race and they would want to block him from getting back to the Senate as a punishment for disobeying them. Vanguard also learned that the delegates' list used for the election might have been tampered with as some names did not reflect all those who turned up to cast their votes. For instance, the source pointed to the list of delegates from Zamfara State with 14 names which included Yahuza Shinkafi purported to come from Kaura Namoda Local Government Area and Halliru Kuturu from Maradun Local Government Area, saying that a Shinkafi cannot possibly come from Kaura Namoda. The discrepancies notwithstanding, the northern power brokers are excited over the emergence of one of theirs, Atiku Abubakar, as the PDP presidential candidate and are convinced he will become the next president given the way things are going in the country. To this end, the presidential candidate is to be formally presented to the former Military President, Ibrahim Babangida at the Hilltop Mansion in Minna, Niger State with other top military and political leaders on Wednesday. Ortom congratulates Atiku, calls for party unity to dislodge APC Also, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has congratulated Atiku Abubakar, on his nomination as the presidential candidate of the PDP. The Governor in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Nathaniel Ikyur noted that the emergence of the former Vice President was ordained by God and expressed confidence that if elected, Atiku will "restore security in every nook and cranny of the country, revive our collapsed economy, and bring back Nigeria's dignity where the sanctity of human lives of all Nigerian citizens will be respected. "This will also make the social life of every Nigerian much more meaningful as you will rescue Nigeria from bottom to top." Fintiri congratulates Atiku In like manner, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa has congratulated Atiku Abubakar on his victory, which he described as a demonstration of the party's confidence in his leadership credentials. The governor's congratulatory message was contained in a statement issued by his Press Secretary, Mr Humwashi Wonosikou, on Monday in Yola. Fintiri described the former vice president as a trusted politician, whose contributions while serving as vice president under President Olusegun Obasanjo were immense. "I have no doubt in his capacity to restore unity, growth and prosperity to Nigeria at these troubling times. He is a trailblazer and role model, whose eventual victory will help inspire and embolden millions of Nigerians to chase and achieve their dreams of greatness and success," he said. With Atiku, race to rescue Nigeria has started -- Oborevwori Delta State PDP governorship candidate and Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Sheriff Oborevwori, said the race to rescue Nigeria has started with the nomination of Atiku as PDP presidential flagbearer. Oborevwori in a congratulatory statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Dennis Otu, said: "I am fully persuaded that Atiku is the leader Nigeria needs in this critical period in our nation's history." The speaker who is also the National Deputy Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, said; "Nigeria stands to benefit immensely from his (Atiku's) vast knowledge and experience, resilience, cross cultural appeal, and political savvy." PDP BOT chairman lauds Atiku's emergence, harps on good running mate Senator Walid Jibrin, Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT) of the PDP has advised the party's Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to select an acceptable running mate. In a congratulatory message, Jibrin described Atiku's victory at the party convention as a good omen not only for the party but also for the entire country. "We must remember that Atiku was earlier elected at PDP primaries at Port Harcourt in 2019, but was nakedly sabotaged by APC through an unholy way. "We must remember the good performance of Atiku as Vice President to President Obasanjo; our party must be fully congratulated for playing a good role and of course all our delegates across the 36 states and the FCT," he said. The PDP BOT chairman advised the party's presidential flag bearer to endeavour to pick an acceptable and reliable running mate who would enhance the chances of his victory in the forthcoming election. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "My advice as the PDP BoT chairman is that the party must come together as one entity, fully together as one party, talking with one voice to make our party the greatest not only in Nigeria, West Africa, but the greatest in Africa irrespective of all differences," he said. His emergence is divine --Diaspora group The Atiku Diaspora Support Group says the emergency of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the PDP presidential candidate for the 2023 elections was divine. Chief Franklin Ekechukwu, US-based Founder of the group and Diaspora Director, Atiku Kawai, made the disclosure in a statement on Monday in Lagos. Ekenechukwu said that since the emergence was divine, Abubakar would win the presidential election. "I believe that God will finish what he started with the man Atiku," he said. Diaspora group roots for Wike as PDP running mate The Diaspora Support Group based in UK has said that with the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the flagbearer of the PDP in 2023,it behoves on the party stakeholders to put heads together and work for the emergence of Wike as the Vice-President to complement the renewed journey of taking Nigeria to the land of promise. The group made the plea in a statement signed by Hon Yunana Shibkau, Convener, Hon Osamudiamen Aghedo, Head, Strategy and Prince Madiba Ibrahim Lapinni, Head, Nigeria's Strategy and Mobilization. According to the Diaspora Support Group, "unfolding events in the nation, particularly on the political scene regarding the forthcoming People Democratic Party primaries and the implications of its conduct to the security and socio economic situation in Nigeria today, prompted our responses and the inputs to ensure the best for the peace, progress and prosperity of Nigeria. "Much as Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has emerged as the flagbearer, it thus behoves on all the party stakeholders to put head together and work for the emergence of Wike as the Vice-Presidential candidate to compliment the renewed journey of taking Nigeria to the land of promise. "Our national politics must evolve to the point of getting and doing the best for Nigeria. We must work to elect capable leaders, who can make a difference in leadership delivery for the betterment of the people. "We congratulate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and hereby pledged to work with and complement his administration in the critical areas of security, development and the unity of Nigerians when elected President in 2023." Vanguard News National Liberal Party (PNL) President Nicolae Ciuca met on Tuesday on the sidelines of the European People's Party (EPP) Congress in Rotterdam with EPP President Donald Tusk, who gave assurances about full support for Romania's entry into the Schengen area. "We talked about the political and economic situation in Romania and the European Union, as well as about future challenges. President Tusk gave assurances about his full support for Romania's candidacy for Schengen," Ciuca wrote on Twitter. Also on the sidelines of the EPP Congress, Nicolae Ciuca met with the President of the CDU (Christian Democratic Union, Germany), Friedrich Merz, and with Petteri Orpo, President of Kokoomus (National Coalition Party, Finland). "Success and wise decisions Friedrich Merz as CDU president," Ciuca said on Twitter. He also wrote that "good cooperation between Romania and Germany goes beyond politics." At a meeting with Petteri Orpo, Prime Minister Ciuca conveyed support for NATO enlargement and Finland's accession. "I welcome Finland's decision to formally apply for NATO membership. I am a strong supporter of NATO enlargement. Good luck next year Petteri Orpo, President of Kokoomus, in the parliamentary elections. I hope you will become the next Prime Minister," Ciuca said on Twitter. The PNL president participates, together with several Liberals, in the Congress of the European People's Party in which the EPP leadership will be elected - President, Vice-Presidents, Secretary-General and Treasurer. AGERPRES. The Chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL), Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca, had a meeting on Tuesday with the president of the Democratic Assembly of Cyprus (DISY), Averof Neofytou, on the sidelines of the European People's Party (EPP) Congress in Rotterdam. "I really appreciate the cooperation between our parties. I wished him good luck in next year's presidential election," Ciuca wrote on Twitter.The PNL Chairman participates, together with several liberals, in the Congress of the European People's Party in which the EPP leadership will be elected - President, Vice-Presidents, Secretary General and Treasurer. AGERPRES special correspondent Florentina Peia reports: President Klaus Iohannis told a special European Council meeting in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday that risks in the Black Sea region are on the rise and joint efforts at European level should continue to focus on providing assistance, but also on providing an adequate response to the implications of the military conflict in Ukraine. The main topics on the European Council meeting agenda were the security situation in Ukraine, with a focus on political and humanitarian support, economic and financial assistance from the European Union, the impact of the conflict on global food security, security and defence issues and the energy situation. "The President of Romania voiced his concern about the recent developments in the field, both in terms of security and the humanitarian situation in Eastern and Southern Ukraine, while pointing out that the risks in the Black Sea region are growing and joint efforts at the European level should further focus on providing assistance, but also on providing an adequate response to the complex implications of the military conflict, including in terms of the repercussions on energy and food security," reads a press release of the Presidential Administration sent to AGERPRES on Tuesday. Klaus Iohannis said that Ukraine's reconstruction process will require sustained efforts in the medium and long run, while the EU will have to continue to play an important role, in coordination with international partners. The Romanian head of state presented the measures adopted by Romania in support of Ukraine, with an emphasis on the humanitarian aid and the facilitation of the grain exports through the Port of Constanta and the ports on the Danube. The President also underscored the importance of responding positively to the accession requests of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia, through a "strong" political message of support. "At Romania's suggestion, with the support of other Member States, a paragraph has been inserted in the text of the European Council Conclusions on the need to adequately support the Republic of Moldova, which was hit by the energy, economic crises and the pressure of refugee flows," the same source said. The issue of food security has been addressed by European leaders both in the context of the conflict in Ukraine and in its global dimension. The head of state referred to the direct impact of the war on food security and supply chains and underscored the need to identify "urgent" solutions, given the effects felt globally. In respect to security and defence, President Iohannis underscored the importance of stepping up efforts to bridge the gap in defence investments by stimulating investment and acquiring defence capabilities in full complementarity and coordination with NATO. He also stressed the need to find solutions to achieve the European Union's political goal of eliminating energy dependence on Russia as soon as possible. With regard to the RePowerEU Plan, President Iohannis emphasized the importance of the rapid implementation of the European Commission's proposals, with adequate financial support according to the needs of each Member State. The head of state pointed out that measures at the Union level must lead to both energy independence and affordable prices for consumers. Regarding the formation of electricity prices, he indicated the need to find suitable solutions, at the EU level, for decoupling gas prices. He noted, again, that a key factor in the price increase was Russia's war in Ukraine. "The President of Romania welcomed the fact that the RePowerEU Plan recognizes the regional and national circumstances that determine the use of a specific set of energy sources and technologies, such as nuclear energy and natural gas from domestic production. Moreover, President Klaus Iohannis said that, in order for an efficient green transition, public and private investments in the field of renewable energy are essential and must be stimulated, a well - managed green transition being an engine of growth and competitiveness," the same press release says. The head of state reiterated the increased role of interconnections in ensuring diversification and security of supply not only for gas but also for electricity and hydrogen as part of the EU's internal energy market, calling for the active involvement of the European Commission and close coordination of Member States' efforts in their implementation. The meeting of the European Council was attended by video conference by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, who presented the current developments in security to the European leaders, and the President of the African Union, Macky Sall, who participated in the discussions on food security, given the acute vulnerability of African countries. AGERPRES The National Liberal Party (PNL) President, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca, had a meeting on Tuesday with the President of the European Parliament (EP), Roberta Metsola, on which occasion he invited her to Romania, emphasizing that our country relies on the EP's support for accession to the Schengen Area. "In my first meeting with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, I emphasized Romania's readiness to have a partnership with the European Parliament and invited her to Romania. I also emphasized that we rely on the full support of the European Parliament for accession into the Schengen Area," Ciuca wrote on Twitter. He also had a meeting with the President of the Spanish People's Party, Nunez Feijoo. "The Romanian community in Spain plays an important role as a bridge for good cooperation between the two states. I discussed with Nunez Feijoo, the president of the People's Party, about the measures that the Romanian Government is taking to address the ongoing economic challenges and I asked for the consolidation of the presence of Spanish companies in Romania", the PNL leader wrote on Twitter. Nicolae Ciuca also held talks with Maia Sandu, President of the Republic of Moldova, on the security situation in the region and Romania's support in trying to obtain EU candidate status. "We talked about Maia Sandu's meetings with other EU leaders and about the support that the Republic of Moldova enjoys in the European community," Ciuca said. The President of the PNL, Nicolae Ciuca, is participating, on Tuesday and Wednesday, in Rotterdam, together with several liberals, in the Congress of the European People's Party (EPP) in which the leadership of the EPP will be elected - president, vice-presidents, general secretary and treasurer. AGERPRES. As many as 491 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were recorded in the last 24 hours in Romania, up 303 from Monday, with over 19,000 RT-PCR and rapid antigenic tests performed, the Health Ministry informed on Tuesday. Of the new cases, 74 were in re-infected patients, who tested positive more than 90 days after the first time they recovered from the disease.Most of the newly confirmed COVID-19 cases in Romania since the previous reporting were recorded in Bucharest City - 94, and in the County of Timis - 33.As of Monday, 2,909,195 cases of people infected with the novel coronavirus were confirmed in Romania.- Hospitalisations -As many as 533 people with COVID-19, down 14 from the Monday reporting, including 34 children, are hospitalised in Romania at specialist care facilities.Out of the total number of hospitalised patients, 76 patients, the same as in the previous day, are in intensive care.Of the 76 patients admitted to ICU, 61 are unvaccinated against COVID-19.- Deaths -According to the ministry, six Romanian infected with SARS-CoV-2 are reported dead in the last 24 hours, four men and two women, with one death reported prior to the reference range. The fatalities were from 50 year old to over 80 y/o and all with comorbidities. Of the six dead, five were unvaccinated.Since the beginning of the pandemic, 65,684 people diagnosed with the SARS-CoV-2 infection have died in Romania. The National Institute of Public Health (INSP) informs that 139 cases of COVID with the Omicron variant were confirmed during the week of May 23-29. According to INSP, 5,752 cases with the Omicron variant were confirmed until May 29. Of these, for 2,421 the BA.2 (42%) sub-variant was detected. No cases were detected with the BA.5 and BA.5 sub-variants during the week of May 23-29. Furthermore, until May 29 there were 5,958 cases of COVID confirmed with the Delta variant, but none during the week of May 23-29. From the 5,958 cases with the Delta variant, 94 had the AY.4.2 sub-variant. 14,075 sequences were reported until May 29, including 139 during the week of May 23-29. According to the INSP, until May 29, the confirmation rate with variants that cause concern was 96%. The 5th edition of the Yiddish Language and Theater Festival debuted on Monday evening at the Choral Temple in Bucharest, in the presence of numerous guests, after the last two editions took place online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Agerpres reports. Minister of Culture Lucian Romascanu highlighted the importance of Yiddish in Romanian culture, a language with ancient origins, almost 1,000 years old and gave assurances of all the openness and collaboration of the institution he leads, which, representing the national culture, also represents the Jewish culture in Romania."It is an honor for me to be speaking at the Choral Temple for the first time, and it is a great pleasure for me to greet the actors of the Warsaw Jewish Theater who took part in today's event. Poland has a special place in history. (...) Poland was a real pole of the Jewish culture's development, film and theater. (...) We are proud to be the heirs of this period of glory and I am glad that here in Bucharest we will have the opportunity to bear this great legacy," said Polish Ambassador in Bucharest Maciej Lang.The history of the Jewish theater in Romania is directly related to the impressive modern renaissance of the Jewish people, whose culmination is the construction and development of the State of Israel, said Victor Opaschi, Secretary of State for Religious Affairs."In 1876, Avram Goldfaden laid the foundation stone of the world's first professional Yiddish theater in (northeastern, ed. n.) Iasi, and he could not measure the implications of this historic event. His inaugural gesture, professed under the sign of dialogue and cultural interference and wholeheartedly welcomed by Mihai Eminescu, gave birth then to the most important institution of secular Jewish culture; 146 years of Jewish theater in Romania express the trajectory of a destiny," said Victor Opaschi.The president of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania, deputy Silviu Vexler, the initiator of the law underpinning the organization of the festival, said that Yiddish has really experienced a renaissance, especially in recent years, which was more than a joy for all Jews in Romania and underlined the contribution in this respect of the State Jewish Theater."Regardless of whether it was poetry, the form of creation expressed, Yiddish has truly given life to Jewish culture and communities. Yiddish continues to do so as a defining element for Jewish communities in Romania and beyond. The language of the Jews, if you will, is Hebrew, but Yiddish still remains the language of the heart. Currently, there are more than 3 million Yiddish speakers worldwide. (...) In Romania, and not only, Yiddish and Yiddish culture are being revived," stressed the parliamentarian.After this moment, the president of FCER awarded two decorations, to the applause of the participants, these being granted by decree of the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis.A performance by the Zydowski Theater in Poland, a series of musical moments and a film screening Der Dibuk took place on the first day of the festival, which ends on Tuesday.Director Andrei Munteanu made a presentation entitled "The Yiddish Theater between tradition and modernity". POTOSI A 22-year-old OFallon, Illinois, man was killed early Tuesday in a crash involving three motorcycles in Potosi, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Jarrett B. Sarver was riding northbound on Missouri Highway 21 near Purcell Drive around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday when he stopped for traffic, police said. A second motorcycle traveling behind Sarver, driven by Jacob Cost, 20, of OFallon, Illinois, failed to stop in time and hit Sarvers bike, ejecting him. A third motorcycle driving behind the first two was unable to stop in time and crashed into Costs motorcycle, police said. Sarver was pronounced dead at Mercy Hospital South, police said. Cost and the other motorcyclist, Awstun G. Galligan, 21, of Belleville, suffered minor injuries. 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. OFALLON, Ill. Returning here as an adult in the Air Force only made sense to Maj. Gen. Laura L. Lenderman. She spent some of her years as a teenager in OFallon, Illinois, and said the spirit of service here inspired her to join the U.S. Air Force. In full uniform and cautioning the crowd to catch her hat if it got caught in the occasionally strong breeze Lenderman spoke Monday to about 150 people gathered at the OFallon Veterans Monument, 737 East Wesley Drive. Her speech was part of a dedication ceremony for the 20 veterans whose names were recently inscribed on the monument. The memorial features 15 granite pillars within a five-pointed star, each pillar representing attributes such as patriotism, bravery, duty, loyalty and valor. Names of more than 1,500 local veterans are engraved on the pillars. Mondays dedication was for veterans inscribed on the Strength pillar. Strength, Lenderman said, often is defined through physicality, or brute force, but theres more to real strength. Theres a quiet strength of character that defines who we are at our core, Lenderman said. Theres a moral strength, in adhering to our values. Theres a strength in our convictions, to stand up for what is right. Lenderman said the OFallon community commemorates and supports veterans every day, and the monument represents all that is good about the city just north of Scott Air Force Base. Lenderman, 51, is the director of operations for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration headquartered at Air Mobility Command at Scott. Among the veterans being celebrated Monday was Joshua E. Venable. He stood and received a round of applause as his name was read. He bowed his head and waved. Being at the ceremony on Memorial Day meant a lot to Venable, 40, who spent 20 years in the Air Force, first in the fire department, providing emergency services, and then in special operations. He was also happy to support the memorial, future ceremonies and its upkeep. By donating, veterans can have their names placed on the monument. Venable is not sure what hell do next, beyond renovating an old home and spending time with his three daughters. His aunt, Karen Vaughan, 62, came from her home in Hazelwood to attend the ceremony and said his family is happy to have him home safe after seven deployments took him to Afghanistan, Bahrain, Germany, Iraq, Kuwait and Somalia. For Venable, OFallon is home, just as for Lenderman: He went to high school here, in a strong military community. Leaving the Air Force and rejoining civilian life was a drastic change, he said, but doing it in OFallon made it easier. He sees people every day who know what he went through. Being back home means he can rebuild a house, and a sense of community. Together, we are stronger, Lenderman told her Memorial Day audience. Together, nothing is impossible. 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. Tony Messenger Tony Messenger is the metro columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Tony Messenger Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Before each Election Day, Mark Murphey generally calls his dad to set the schedule. Are you taking me to vote before work, or after work? he asks. This year, a county clerk where he lives is trying to make sure that conversation never happens. Last week, Phelps County Clerk Pamela Grow told the Phelps County Commission that she planned to remove all people from the voting rolls who have a guardian appointed by the court to oversee some of their affairs, even if they have a court order that preserves their right to vote. I would submit, How is a person who is unable to manage their own financial affairs to be allowed to vote on someone elses taxes? Thats just kind of putting it a little bit bluntly, Grow told the commissioners. I dont mean to be hard hearted, but you have to think about the people who are working hard, paying their taxes and voting. Where are their rights? Elections can be won or lost with one vote. Murphey, who is 35, suffers from seizures, and some mental capacity issues that have led him to be declared disabled. He has lived on his own most of his adult life. He works at Phelps County Industrial Solutions, the sheltered workshop in Rolla. He has voted his entire adult life. When his parents, John and Ann Murphey, saw Grows comments in the Phelps County Focus, they were dumbfounded. This just came out of the blue, his father said. Were amazed that shes doing this. Mark works hard and he pays taxes. He pays more attention to politics than I do. We went through a lot of trouble and expense to make sure he had the right to vote. Last year, for the first time, the Murpheys sought a legal guardianship over their son. During the COVID pandemic, John had taken him to an emergency room, and the doctors wouldnt let him accompany their son because he is an adult, and they didnt have guardianship. The family decided to go to court to get a guardianship award to help them oversee Marks medical treatment. The court order, issued in May after a hearing, specifically maintains Mark Murpheys ability to both marry and vote. Thats not good enough for Grow. John Murphey said he went to Grows office to talk with her after he saw her comments. All she did was point to the Missouri Constitution, where Article VIII says: No person who has a guardian of his or her estate or person by reason of mental incapacity, appointed by a court of competent jurisdiction and no person who is involuntarily confined in a mental institution pursuant to an adjudication of a court of competent jurisdiction shall be entitled to vote. Tony Rothert, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union in Missouri, says Grow is getting the law wrong. While some adults with disabilities will be appointed a guardian when they need assistance with aspects of their day-to-day affairs, Missouri cannot and does not automatically strip them of the right to vote, Rothert says. Probate judges across the state routinely determine that a person under guardianship retains the capacity to vote, and local election authorities respect those determinations. They do so because federal anti-discrimination laws and the Missouri Constitution read as a whole require it. This is not a decision left to the discretion of low-level ministerial officials. A 2007 federal appeals court decision affirmed the power of a Missouri judge to maintain a persons right to vote even if they have a guardianship order. Grow didnt return a phone call seeking comment. Her actions, unfortunately, are not unique in Missouri. More voters have been removed from the voting rolls for mental incapacity in Missouri than any other state in the past three election cycles, according to federal records. Kentucky, in second place, has removed fewer than half as many voters for the same reason since 2008. The Murpheys grew up in St. Louis, but moved to Rolla in 1985, where theyve lived ever since. Ann, a retired nurse, used to have a seat on the City Council. Mark certainly has the capacity to vote, she says. In the last presidential election, Mark Murphey voted differently than his parents did. He studies the ballot and comes to his own conclusions, his parents say. What upset Laura Taylor about Grows comments is how the county clerk diminished the capacity of people who have various disabilities. Taylor runs the sheltered workshop where Mark Murphey works. About 50 other disabled adults work there. Some of them have guardians; some dont. The thing that stuck out to me about her comments was she really devalued the individual, Taylor says. Now, some of her employees, including Mark Murphey, might lose their ability to vote. The people who I work with are extremely hard working. They pay their taxes just like everybody else does. I have individuals here under guardianship who are very capable of making an informed decision. The Murpheys went public with their story, they say, because they want to make sure people know this is happening, so they can advocate for their loved ones if Grows actions are adopted in other counties. Why shes decided to do this now is beyond us, John Murphey says. Its not something I really want to get mixed up in but its my son. How they can arbitrarily and unilaterally take his rights away is beyond me. From City Hall to the Capitol, metro columnist Tony Messenger shines light on what public officials are doing, tells stories of the disaffected, and brings voice to the issues that matter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. press release New York Drop Charges and Allow Right to Peaceful Protest The authorities in Chad are holding several members of civil society organizations in pretrial detention following protests on May 14, 2022, to press for a peaceful transition to civilian rule. Some of the protests turned violent, leading the authorities to bring charges against the organizers. The protests were organized in the capital, N'Djamena, and other cities across the country by Chadian civil society organizations, united under the coalition Wakit Tamma (The time has come, in Chadian Arabic). The protesters said they were seeking "a transition to civilian rule" and denouncing France's perceived support for the transitional military authorities. "Chadian authorities should immediately release the six Wakit Tamma members and supporters and drop all charges against them," said Samira Daoud, Regional Director at Amnesty International. "Rather than blame the demonstration's organizers, the authorities should remember that they are responsible to ensure safety of people and public order during demonstrations, using force in a manner compliant with the principles of use of force." Security Minister Idriss Dokony Adiker said that the demonstrations had turned violent in some places with at least seven gas stations looted. Between May 14 and 17, the authorities placed six Wakit Tamma members and supporters in "preventive detention" at Klessoum prison in N'Djamena. According to their lawyers, on May 20, 2022, the six were illegally transferred to Moussoro prison, 300 km from N'djamena. The public prosecutor announced that the six are facing prosecution for "gathering to cause public disturbance, harm to property, and physical assault." Their trial has been scheduled to begin on June 6. The people detained are Gounoung Vaima Ganfare, secretary general of Chad's Trade Unions (Union des syndicats du Tchad, UST); Koude Mbainaissem, a lawyer at the Chad Bar Association; Hissene Massar Hissene, President of the Group of civil society executives (Rassemblement des cadres de la societe civile); Allamine Adoudou, former ambassador in Egypt; Youssouf Korom, secretary general of the Union of Chadian supplier traders (Syndicat des commercants fournisseurs tchadiens); and Max Loalngar, a lawyer, spokesperson for Wakit Tamma and a former president of a prominent human rights organization called the Chadian Human Rights League (Ligue Tchadienne de droits de l'homme). The right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed by national, regional, and international laws, notably Article 11 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights which Chad ratified in 1986. The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights' Guidelines on Freedom of Association and Assembly in Africa provide that the State is responsible for security and safety during demonstrations and that organizers of a peaceful demonstration cannot be held responsible for acts committed by third parties during the demonstration. These latest arrests illustrate the difficulty civil society and opposition groups face in exercising the right to peaceful assembly in Chad, the organizations said. Since military authorities took over in April 2021 they have repeatedly cracked down on opposition and dissenting voices, including by violently dispersing peaceful demonstrations. In April and May 2021, security forces killed at least 16 people during opposition-led demonstrations in N'Djamena and across the country. On October 2, anti-riot police and gendarmes fired teargas and rubber bullets at the protesters gathered for a Wakit Tamma led demonstration, injuring up to 45 people. No member of the security forces implicated in rights violations has been held accountable. On May 7, 2021, Souleyman Abakar Adam, the public security and immigration minister, issued a news release disseminating regulations on the right to peaceful assembly in Chad. The release states that organizers of a demonstration must request permission from the authorities five days in advance and specify an itinerary. Members of civil society organizations have repeatedly told both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch that the authorities often issue the permits only the day before the demonstration. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines NGO Human Rights Chad By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "This restriction on freedom of assembly is contrary to international law, which specifies that people planning peaceful demonstrations only need to notify the authorities, not to get permission," said Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Central Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. "The authorities should allow for peaceful protests as part of the democratic process and ensure accountability when security forces use excessive force during demonstrations." On April 20, 2021, a transitional military council seized power in Chad following the death of President Idriss Deby. The council is headed by General Mahamat Idriss Deby, the former president's son. A transition charter was adopted on April 21, 2021, setting a limit of 18 months for the transition, renewable once. New demonstrations planned by Wakit Tamma for May 28, 2022, with the same demands of that organized on May 14 for were prohibited by the Minister of Security and Immigration on May 27, 2022, for reasons of public order. ST. LOUIS A Ferguson man is facing charges in a May 14 homicide in the city's Bevo Mill neighborhood. DeAndre Wilkes, 43, of the 1000 block of Forestwood Drive, was charged Saturday with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the killing of Clifton L. Cooley. Cooley, 32, was found shot to death May 14 at a home in the 3800 block of Eichelberger Street, court records say. He had been shot in the neck. Witnesses told police Wilkes and Cooley argued before Wilkes fired two shots at Cooley, charges said. Wilkes told police he was at the shooting scene, that he had an argument with Cooley and that others were "displeased" with the victim. Charges said Wilkes was at first evasive in answering detectives' questions but later acknowledged arguing with and shooting Cooley. Wilkes was being held without bail. He did not yet have a lawyer. Shake off your afternoon slump with the oft-shared and offbeat news of the day, hand-brewed by our online news editors. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. JEFFERSON CITY A key advocate for the homeless in St. Louis says a proposed state law changing Missouris approach to homelessness is insane and takes the state backward. Tim Huffman, an associate professor of communications at St. Louis University and co-chair of the St. Louis Regional Commission on Homelessness, said a Republican-backed measure awaiting action by Gov. Mike Parson would criminalize homelessness by banning people from sleeping on state-owned land and give the Missouri attorney general the power to sue local governments that dont enforce the ban. Overall, this is just the newest version of a long-standing political impulse that making the lives of people without homes harder is a way to get them to die or leave, Huffman told the Post-Dispatch. The legislation, which was approved in the final week of the Legislatures annual session, is aimed at encouraging a new approach to homelessness by prioritizing short-term shelter for unhoused people. The proposal would act as a reversal of the popular housing first policy, which aims to provide people foundational stability by getting them into permanent housing. In outlining the plan in March, Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder, R-Sikeston, said giving homeless individuals a free apartment is not getting to the root of the problem. They need mental health treatment, substance abuse counseling and support beyond just a roof over their head, Rehder said. The proposal, which was sponsored by Rehder in the Senate and Rep. Bruce DeGroot, R-Ellisville, in the House, would direct existing funds to build short-term shelters, largely in the form of encampments with six-month stay limits. These facilities would be required to meet certain livability requirements, be monitored by police and social workers, and collect data on the mental health, substance abuse and other issues affecting the tenants. The measure institutes penalties for residing or sleeping on state land without permission. The bill also removes funding from localities with high homeless populations that refuse to enforce local ordinances that bar the homeless from public camping and obstructing sidewalks. The St. Louis Board of Aldermen is considering enacting such an ordinance. Huffman said the provisions are a dig against progressive cities in Missouri. Basically, they are saying that a city or county cant have a policy that guards the rights/dignity of people without homes, Huffman said. He added that the law, if approved, would also allow the attorney general to harass a city for not policing people when there is no place to go. Permanent housing is often the only solution for the most vulnerable people. Some people are so sick that it never makes sense to give them time-bound housing. This is going backwards 30 years, Huffman added. Alarm bells also are ringing in Kansas City, where Marqueia Watson, executive director at the Greater Kansas City Coalition to End Homelessness, told the Kansas City Star that the law could break the trust between social workers and homeless people. Theres just so much about it thats harmful, Watson said. The proposal in Missouri is based on model legislation advanced by the Cicero Institute, a Texas think tank founded in 2016 by Joe Lonsdale, a co-founder of the Palantir and other tech companies. During committee testimony, DeGroot said the legislation essentially bans camping on streets. And that might seem at first blush not the humanitarian thing to do. But it provides a safe place for the adults with some of these camps that are secure, that are clean, DeGroot said. As of 2020, Missouri had more than 6,500 homeless individuals, according to the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. Witnesses noted that due to the difficulty surveying homeless individuals, this was likely an undercount. The states homeless population dropped by about 4,000 between 2011 and 2014 and remained relatively stable up to the latest 2020 count. Huffman said the end result of the proposed changes could be a need to hire more police. How are we going to harass all these people with nowhere to go? he said. The proposed local ordinance in St. Louis would prohibit the erection of tents and similar shelters on sidewalks, streets, alleys and other city-controlled rights of way. The sponsor, Alderman Tom Oldenburg of the 16th Ward, has held off bringing the measure up for a vote in recent weeks. He has said he is still lining up support for the bill. Mayor Tishaura O. Jones administration has yet to take a position on the measure. Mark Schlinkmann of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report. 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. JEFFERSON CITY Motorists looking for a partial refund of their Missouri motor fuel taxes are now able to start preparing paperwork for the upcoming gas tax filing season. As part of the 2021 law gradually raising the states fuel tax, lawmakers included language allowing motorists to ask the state Department of Revenue for a refund on new taxes paid. State tax officials said in April they expected to publish a form for gas tax refunds in May. The copy of the new form, called a Form 4923-H, was available online Tuesday. An online filing method was expected to be available in June, officials have said. Motorists are eligible to receive a refund of 2.5 cents for each gallon of fuel purchased between Oct. 1 and June 30. Claims must be postmarked between July 1 and Sept. 30, according to the form. The form asks taxpayers to list information on each of their vehicles, including vehicle identification numbers and the total amount of gasoline or diesel gallons purchased for each vehicle. The taxpayer will then calculate the amount of fuel tax for each vehicle that is eligible for a refund by multiplying the number of gallons purchased by .025 (2.5 cents). For each vehicle a taxpayer owns, they will have to fill out a worksheet detailing fuel purchases for that vehicle. The worksheet asks for information on each transaction, including the date of purchase, seller, seller address, gallons purchased, and amount of tax eligible for a refund. The law raising the fuel tax requires claimants to keep purchase records for three years and allows the Department of Revenue to investigate claims made. Taxpayers dont have to live in Missouri to claim a refund, said Anne Marie Moy, spokeswoman for the Department of Revenue. Out-of-state individuals and businesses can claim the refund, she said Tuesday. The gas just has to be purchased within the state of Missouri. The states motor fuel tax jumped 2.5 cents on Oct. 1 to 19.5 cents. A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers voted for the increase to fund road projects. The tax will eventually increase by another 10 cents 2.5 cents each July 1 until it reaches 29.5 cents per gallon on July 1, 2025. 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. TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth on Tuesday reiterated America's support for Taiwan on her second visit in a year to the self-governing island claimed by China. Duckworth, meeting with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, emphasized the close economic, political and security relations between Taipei and Washington. China sent 30 military aircraft toward the island on Monday in an ongoing campaign of regular flights. Taiwans Defense Ministry said it responded by scrambling jets, putting air defense missile systems on alert and issuing radio warnings. Duckworth said she wanted to emphasize our support for Taiwan security." The former Army helicopter pilot and lieutenant colonel in the National Guard cited strong bipartisan backing for a bill she has put forward promoting cooperation between Taiwans armed forces and the National Guard. I do want to say that it is more than just about military. Its also about the economy, the Illinois Democrat told Tsai. Tsai thanked the U.S. government and Congress for the importance they place on peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," as well as Duckworth herself for keeping a close watch on Taiwan related security issues. China said it strongly deplores Duckworth's visit. Taiwan is a province of China, and there is no so-called president, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said. He urged the U.S. to end all official contacts with Taiwan. The U.S. government has recently sent a series of erroneous signals on the Taiwan issue, he said. What the U.S. government should do is to put into practice President Bidens remarks that the U.S. does not seek a new Cold War with China, does not aim to change Chinas system and does not support Taiwan independence." U.S. President Joe Biden said on a recent trip to Japan and South Korea that the U.S. would intervene militarily if China were to invade Taiwan. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has put China's threats against Taiwan under new focus, prompting increased backing for arms sales and political support from Democrats and Republicans. China upped the ante further in May, reaching out to the Solomon Islands and nine other island nations with a sweeping security proposal that, even if only partially realized, could give it a presence in the Pacific much nearer Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand and on the doorstep of the strategic American territory of Guam. That is seen as a potential route to blocking access to Taiwan by the U.S. and its allies in the event China makes good on its threat to invade the island. In a speech Thursday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said President Joe Biden's administration aims to lead the international bloc opposed to Russias invasion of Ukraine into a broader coalition to counter what it sees as a more serious, long-term threat to global order from China. He did say that the U.S. does not support Taiwan independence. While relations with Taiwan are informal in deference to Beijing, the U.S. remains its main supplier of defensive arms and source of political support in international organizations where China blocks Taiwan's participation. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. WASHINGTON (AP) Diane Murray struggled with her decision all the way up to Election Day. But when the time came, the 54-year-old Georgia Democrat cast a ballot in last week's Republican primary for Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. While state law allowed her to participate in either party's primary, she said it felt like a violation of her core values to vote for the Republican. But it had to be done, she decided, to prevent a Donald Trump -backed election denier from becoming the battleground state's election chief. I feel strongly that our democracy is at risk, and that people who are holding up the big lie, as we call it, and holding onto the former president are dangerous to democracy, said Murray, who works at the University of Georgia. I dont know Ill do it again because of how I felt afterward. I just felt icky. An Associated Press analysis of early voting records from data firm L2 found that more than 37,000 people who voted in Georgia's Democratic primary two years ago cast ballots in last week's Republican primary, an unusually high number of so-called crossover voters. Even taking into account the limited sample of early votes, the data reveal that crossover voters were consequential in defeating Trump's hand-picked candidates for secretary of state and, to a lesser extent, governor. Gov. Brian Kemp did not ultimately need Democrats in his blowout victory against his Trump-backed opponent, but Raffensperger probably did. The Republican secretary of state cleared the 50% threshold required to avoid a runoff election by just over 27,000 votes, according to the latest AP tallies. Based on early voting data alone, 37,144 former Democrats voted in the Republican primary. The total number of crossovers including Election Day votes, set to be revealed in the coming weeks, may be even higher. Crossover voting, also known as strategic voting, is not exclusive to Georgia this primary season as voters across the political spectrum work to stop Trump-backed extremists from winning control of state and federal governments. The phenomenon is playing out in multiple primary contests, sometimes organically and sometimes in response to a coordinated effort by Trumps opponents. While Trump railed against the practice over the weekend, there is nothing inherently wrong with crossover voting. Dozens of states make it legal and easy for voters to participate in either party's primary. And there are several isolated incidents of both parties engaging in strategic voting over the years. Still, Trump warned conservatives about crossover voting while campaigning Saturday in Wyoming, another state where the former president's opponents are calling for Democrats to intervene this time to help save Rep. Liz Cheney from a Trump-backed primary challenger. Cheney, like Raffensperger and Kemp, refused to embrace Trump's lies about the 2020 election. She also voted for his second impeachment after the Jan. 6 insurrection. Dont let the Democrats do what they did in another state last week, Trump told Wyoming supporters, complaining about what happens when you allow Democrats to vote in a Republican primary. While the practice has Trump's attention, it is often ineffective. Trump's opponents encouraged Democrats to help defeat U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in her Georgia primary last week. The congresswoman, who has embraced election lies and spoken at an event organized by a white nationalist, won by more than 50 percentage points. And in some cases, Democrats have been too focused on their own competitive primaries to cast a Republican ballot. That was probably the case in Pennsylvania, where some Democrats openly encouraged their base to vote for the Republican candidate for governor, Doug Mastriano, whose extreme views they felt made him more beatable in November. To cast a ballot in the May 17 GOP primary, however, voters needed to register as Republicans ahead of the contest because Pennsylvania has a closed primary system. And on the same day, Democrats were deciding their own high-stakes Senate primary. If the advance vote in Pennsylvania is any indication, few Democrats heeded the call to vote GOP. Of Republican primary voters who cast early or absentee ballots this year, only 1.7 percent voted Democratic in the 2020 primary. Those 2,600 votes, even if ultimately bolstered by more Election Day participants, were unlikely to have moved the needle in an outcome in which Mastriano beat his closest rival by nearly 320,000. On the forefront of the crossover movement, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., has called for an uneasy alliance between Democrats, independents and Republicans to take down pro-Trump candidates in GOP primaries whenever and wherever possible. Some states have open primaries like Georgia that allow people to vote in either primary, while other states have more restrictive rules. In an interview, Kinzinger said he was pleasantly surprised by the Democrats' response in some races. He said he never expected the movement to be an earth-shattering game-changer right away. Kinzinger's political organization, Country First, targeted thousands of former Georgia Democrats with mailers and text messages urging them to support Raffensperger for the sake of democracy. A Country First text message widely distributed to Georgia voters in the days before the election read: Dont wait for until the general election to go after the extremes. Vote in the Republican Primary for the candidate that supports truth and democracy." Kinzingers team was also active in North Carolinas closely watched congressional race in North Carolinas 11th District, where voters ousted the polarizing pro-Trump freshman Rep. Madison Cawthorn in the Republican primary. As was the case in Georgia, the AP found a sizable percentage of Republican early ballots were cast by voters who participated in the Democratic primary two years ago. Specifically, more than 14% of the 38,000 early or absentee votes cast in the Cawthorn race more than 5,400 voters came from a Democratic 2020 primary voter. Cawthorn lost his primary by fewer than 1,500 votes. Back in Georgia, Raffensperger's team pushed back on the idea that he won the GOP primary because of Democrats. The team suggested that a number of crossover voters were actually Republicans who voted Democratic in recent years to protest Trump. It is clear that Brad Raffensperger carried a majority of the Republican vote here in the state of Georgia, and that there are people who stopped voting in Republican primaries after 2016 who are now reengaged, said Jordan Fuchs, a consultant to the Raffensperger campaign. An AP examination of voting records from before the Trump era shows at least a portion of Georgia's 37,000 party switchers in 2022 had been in the Republican camp before Trump took office. Roughly between 9,000 to 13,000 voted Republican in the 2010, 2012 and 2014 primaries, according to the L2 data. Trump allies in the state, caught off guard by the crossover trend, were furious. It was a Democratic version of Operation Chaos, said Debbie Dooley, president of the Atlanta Tea Party, referring to the secret Nixon-era push to infiltrate liberal groups. I did not realize just how heavily the Democrats were going to cross over. Dooley launched a petition late last week to close Georgia's Republican primaries to non-Republicans. More than a dozen states have closed, or partially closed, primaries that block members of opposing parties from participating. Meanwhile, Kinzinger said he's already crafting plans to execute a similar playbook in coming primaries in Michigan, Wyoming and Alaska. In addition to helping Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the Alaska Republican who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial, Kinzinger said he's weighing whether to invest resources in trying to block former Gov. Sarah Palin's congressional bid. Donald Trump came in and took over the Republican Party with nationalism, Kinzinger said. The American people have every right to determine who represents them in a congressional district, and if thats in a primary, thats in a primary. If they want to take back the Republican Party from the liar, they can do that, and Im certainly going to help them. Peoples reported from New York. Associated Press writers Jeff Amy in Atlanta and Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. An exterior door at Robb Elementary School did not lock when it was closed by a teacher shortly before a gunman used it to get inside and kill 19 students and two teachers, leaving investigators searching to determine why, state police said Tuesday. State police initially said a teacher had propped the door open shortly before Salvador Ramos, 18, entered the school in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24. They have now determined that the teacher, who has not been identified, propped the door open with a rock, but then removed the rock and closed the door when she realized there was a shooter on campus, said Travis Considine, chief communications officer for the Texas Department of Public Safety. But, Considine said, the door that was designed to lock when shut did not lock. We did verify she closed the door. The door did not lock. We know that much and now investigators are looking into why it did not lock, Considine said. Investigators confirmed the detail through additional video footage reviewed since Friday's news conference when authorities first said that the door had been left propped open. Authorities did not state at that time what had been used to prop open the door. Considine said the teacher initially propped the door open but ran back inside to get her phone and call 911 when Ramos crashed his truck on campus. She came back out while on her phone, she heard someone yell, He has a gun!, she saw him jump the fence and that he had a gun, so she ran back inside, removing the rock when she did, Considine said. Steve McCraw, the head of DPS, hadnt said why the teacher initially propped open the door when it was first detailed Friday. The first mention of a door left propped open, which officials now say didn't happen, led to questions about the teacher's actions and whether she had made a horrific mistake. Since the shooting, law enforcement and state officials have struggled to present an accurate timeline and details of the event and how police responded, sometimes providing conflicting information or withdrawing some statements hours later. State police have said some accounts were preliminary and may change as more witnesses are interviewed. San Antonio attorney Don Flanary told the San Antonio Express-News that the Robb Elementary School employee, whom hes not naming, first propped open the door to carry food from a car to a classroom, and that she immediately moved to close it when she realized the danger. She kicked the rock away when she went back in. She remembers pulling the door closed while telling 911 that he was shooting," Flanary told the newspaper. "She thought the door would lock because that door is always supposed to be locked, Flanary said. Flanary did not immediately return telephone messages left at his office from The Associated Press. Investigators are also still trying to interview Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo, who state police have said was the commander of the school shooting scene while it happened. Arredondo has not responded to multiple requests for comment from The Associated Press. McCraw, the head of the Texas Department of Public Safety, has said Arredondo treated the active scene as a hostage situation and as if children were no longer at risk, while 19 police officers waited in the school hallway outside the classroom where Ramos was. McCraw called that the wrong decision, saying the focus of the investigation has shifted to Arredondo and the police response. Other officers in the Uvalde city and schools police departments continue to sit for interviews and provide statements, but Arredondo has not responded to DPS requests for two days, Considine said. Later Tuesday, the Combined Law Enforcement Association of Texas, which represents police officers, urged its member officers to cooperate with all government investigations into the shooting and police response and endorsed a federal probe already announced by the Justice Department. The organization was also sharply critical of the constantly changing narrative of events that has emerged so far. There has been a great deal of false and misleading information in the aftermath of this tragedy. Some of the information came from the very highest levels of government and law enforcement, CLEAT said. Sources that Texans once saw as iron-clad and completely reliable have now been proven false." ___ More on the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas: https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Sometimes to gain a proper perspective on why weapon restrictions are necessary, even at the expense of peoples freedoms, Republicans owe it to themselves to review their response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. At the time, the mass-murder weapon of choice was an airplane. Republicans responded with an avalanche of measures that, for the past 22 years, have restricted Americans freedoms like never before. The rationale guiding these measures was that certain sacrifices of freedoms are necessary for Americans to remain safe. Todays mass-murder weapon of choice is the AR-15 variety of assault rifle. Why have Republicans lost sight of their own line of reasoning that placed public safety above other considerations? Since 9/11, Americans have been willing to accept an array of intrusions and inconveniences that would have seemed unfathomable before the Twin Towers came down. The federal government gained congressional authorization to establish top-secret courts and to monitor certain domestic communications. A list was compiled of people deemed too dangerous to fly on airplanes, and no one was allowed to challenge it. Even the late Sen. Ted Kennedy was challenged and interrogated after his name showed up on the list. Americans have accepted intrusive scans and searches at airports that invade their personal privacy and dignity. They endure long lines and early airport arrivals. Their drivers licenses must now meet all kinds of new security protocols. Because would-be bombers have used liquids and shoes to hide explosives, passengers cant go through security with water bottles, and their shoes must be scanned. These restrictions started under a Republican president and GOP-controlled House. The same party that wont allow even the simplest of restrictions on ownership of hand-held mass-killing devices, such as a universal background checks, has authorized the government to systematically wipe out freedoms and perform full background checks on pretty much anyone getting onto an airplane. When used as a weapon, an airplane has a proven ability to kill hundreds at a time, while a killer with an AR-15 and high-capacity magazines tends only to take out dozens at a time. So it appears that the GOP has a threshold of acceptable blood and tragedy before it will agree to impose restrictions. Lawmakers owe the public a full explanation of how they define that threshold and why escalating numbers of children caught in the crosshairs isnt motivating them to reconsider the illogic of their stance. Virtually every other device that possesses the ability to kill other humans requires the owner or operator to have a permit and pass competency tests. But Republicans keep finding ways to make it easier for people young and old, sane or insane to possess firearms and deprive others of their constitutional right to life. Yet its the Democrats who are anti-freedom? Ferguson to Issue Third Quarter Results And Host Conference Call on June 14, 2022 WOKINGHAM, UK / ACCESSWIRE / May 31, 2022 / Ferguson plc (NYSE: FERG)(LSE: FERG) announces today that it will issue its third quarter results on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. The results will be available on Ferguson's website at www.fergusonplc.com from 6:50 a.m. ET/11:50 a.m. BST. A webcast of the analyst and investor presentation will be broadcast from 7:30 a.m. ET/12:30 p.m. BST on the same day. Participants can register for the webcast at www.fergusonplc.com. A slide presentation that accompanies the event will be available 15 minutes prior to the start time at www.fergusonplc.com/en/investors-and-media/results-and-reports.html. An archived version of the webcast and slide presentation will be available for 12 months after the live event. About Ferguson Ferguson is a $23B leading North American value-added distributor providing expertise, solutions, and products from infrastructure, plumbing and appliances to HVAC, fire, fabrication and more. We exist to make our customers' complex projects simple, successful and sustainable. Ferguson is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: FERG) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE: FERG). For more information, please visit fergusonplc.com or follow us on LinkedIn. For further information please contact: Investor Inquiries Media Inquiries Brian Lantz Vice President, IR and Communications Ferguson +1 224 285 2410 [email protected] John Pappas Director, Financial Communications Ferguson +1 484 790 2727 [email protected] Pete Kennedy Director, Investor Relations Ferguson +1 757 603 0111 [email protected] Jonathan Doorley Partner Brunswick +1 212 333 3810 [email protected] Rebecca Kral Director Brunswick +1 917 818-9002 [email protected] # # # 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 [email protected] or visit www.rns.com. SOURCE: Ferguson PLC View source version on accesswire.com: The African Development Bank (ADB) on 24 May signed an agreement with the Mphanda Nkuwa Implementation Office under which it will act as advisor for the development of the hydroelectric dam at Mphanda Nkuwa, on the Zambezi River about 60 kilometres downstream from the existing dam at Cahora Bassa in western Mozambique. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the 57th annual conference of the ADB in Ghana's capital city of Accra and witnessed by Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi and African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina. The project will generate 1,500 megawatts of electricity and require an investment of US$4.5 billion. It will also involve the construction of a 1,300 kilometre high voltage direct current transmission line between the dam and Maputo. According to the ADB, the next step in the project will be to put into place the financial arrangements which are expected to be completed by the end of 2024, with commissioning of the power plant taking place in 2031. The director of the Mphanda Nkuwa Implementation Office, Carlos Yum, explained that "the partnership with ADB further strengthens the capacity of our implementing agency to develop the Mphanda Nkuwa project". He added, "ADB will ensure that world class environmental, social and governance and associated standards are adhered to during the development and that the project is attractive to reputable developers, financiers, and investors to ensure competitive and least-cost power for Mozambique and the region". Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Mozambique Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Speaking on behalf of the ADB, its vice president Kevin Kariuki pointed out that "the project reinforces our efforts to combat climate change in a region that is desperately short of power but equally in need of transformation and a just energy transition". In a press release, the ADB notes that "continued expansion of Mozambique's generation capacity is required to meet growing domestic demand and to drive economic and social development. In addition, the southern Africa region offers market opportunities that Mozambique is well placed to meet as a supplier of competitively produced energy. Mphanda Nkuwa is projected to have one of the lowest electricity production costs in the region". The Mozambican government is committed to providing universal access to electricity by 2030 which will require increasing generation and transmission to meet growing demand and coverage. In addition, Mozambique is increasing its exports of electricity to southern Africa. To meet these growing demands, several power generation projects have already come online including the 175 MW thermal power station at Ressano Garcia, the 40 MW Mocuba solar plant in Zambezia province, and the 40 MW Metoro solar plant in Cabo Delgado. In addition, a 450 MW gas fired power station project is currently under construction at Temane, in the southern province of Inhambane. For the longer term, the Mphanda Nkuwa project will play an important role in the Mozambican government's National Energy Sector Master Plan 2018-2043 and the regional Southern Africa Power Pool Plan. American businessman and activist investor Nelson Peltz is set to join the board of Unilever (NYSE: UL), raising the pressure on the consumer goods giant as it looks to revamp its strategy. Peltz, who holds a roughly 1.5% stake in Unilever, is expected to join the company as a non-executive director in July and become a member of the boards compensation committee. The move comes as Unilever attempts to remodel its business strategy after its unsuccessful $63 billion takeover of GSKs consumer healthcare business a few months ago. "We look forward to working collaboratively with management and the Board to help drive Unilever's strategy, operations, sustainability, and shareholder value," Peltz said in a statement. Peltz, CEO and founding partner of the asset management firm Trian, has historically expressed interest in consumer-focused businesses and pushed for strategic changes at the hedge funds portfolio companies. Four years ago, Trian pushed for a series of changes at Unilevers competitor P&G. After a couple of months-long proxy fight, Peltz joined P&Gs board. BofA analyst Eva Quiroga believes Peltz is likely to focus on improving the organic top-line growth, which is described as the companys Achilles heel. We believe that to address Unilevers organic topline growth woes, focus will likely be on increasing investment in the core business (Beauty & Personal Care), while reducing the exposure to slow-growing categories (notably F&R) and potentially separating the business by category/ regional fault-lines, Quiroga told clients in a note. RBC and Credit Suisse analysts praised Peltzs appointment to Unilevers board, saying that the activist investor could bring positive amendments to the companys culture. "If not that, at least the presence of an activist investor can drive collaboration amongst Unilever's other shareholders and raise Unilever's profile in the media to increase accountability of ongoing changes," RBC analysts wrote to clients. Unilever shares are up 6.6% in pre-market Tuesday. By Senad Karaahmetovic Leading car maker joins Avancis essential patent marketplace for connected vehicles DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today, Avanci announced that it has signed a patent license agreement with Ford Motor Company. With one agreement, Ford gains access to all 4G, 3G, and 2G standard essential patents owned by the 49 patent owners currently participating in the Avanci licensing program, as well as any patent owner who joins the program in the future, for use in Fords connected vehicles. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531005271/en/ Avancis independent marketplace has transformed the way companies share technology. (Graphic: Business Wire) Avanci extends a warm welcome to Ford, one of the worlds leading automotive manufacturers, said Kasim Alfalahi, founder and chief executive officer of Avanci. Ford is the fifth US-based auto maker to join the growing list of companies who have adopted the industry solution offered by our independent marketplace. Avanci has transformed the way the owners of patented cellular technology and automakers share technology, by offering a single joint license to the majority cellular standard essential patents on a set of transparent licensing terms that have been widely accepted by licensors and licensees. A total of 41 auto brands and more than 65 million vehicles are now licensed by Avanci. About Avanci: Avanci believes that sharing patented technology in the Internet of Things era can be simpler. As an independent intermediary working at the intersection of different industries, our one-stop solution is designed to bring efficiency, convenience, and predictability to the licensing process. Since 2016, Avanci has been driving innovation forward by making connections through our marketplace. Companies with essential patents share their innovations with companies creating connected products for the IoT in one place, with one agreement, and for one fair, flat rate. In 2020, the World Economic Forum named Avanci a Technology Pioneer for its work in accelerating innovation for the Internet of Things. www.avanci.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531005271/en/ Mark Durrant Vice President, Marketing & Communications [email protected] +1 (469) 480-2558 / +44 7875 276867 Source: Avanci Gold Fields Limited (JSE, NYSE: GFI) and Yamana Gold Inc. (NYSE: AUY) announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement, under which Gold Fields will acquire all of the outstanding common shares of Yamana pursuant to a plan of arrangement. Under the terms of the Transaction, all of the outstanding Yamana Shares will be exchanged at a ratio of 0.6 of an ordinary share in Gold Fields or 0.6 of a Gold Fields American depositary share for each Yamana Share. The Transaction implies a valuation for Yamana of US$6.7 billion and represents a premium of 33.8% to the 10-day Volume-Weighted Average Price (VWAP) of Yamanas Shares of US$ 5.201 on Friday, May 27, 2022, being the last trading day on the NYSE prior to the date of this announcement, based on the 10-day VWAP of Gold Fields ADSs of US$ 11.592. Upon closing of the Transaction, it is anticipated that Gold Fields Shareholders and Yamana Shareholders will own approximately 61% and 39% of the Combined Group, respectively. The acquisition of Yamana by Gold Fields significantly strengthens the ability of the combined company (the Combined Group) to deliver on Gold Fields three strategic pillars: maximizing asset potential; advancing ESG commitment; and growing the value and quality of its asset portfolio. The Combined Group has the potential to create significant long-term value for shareholders through greater scale, an industry-leading portfolio of assets, an enhanced production profile with significant growth potential, operational and geological synergies, and a strengthened financial profile for future growth and shareholder returns. Gold Fields Board believes that offering the Gold Fields Consideration Shares is the best way to capture and unlock growth opportunities while still maintaining financial flexibility, capital and operational discipline, and providing attractive returns to shareholders. Strong near-term operating cash flows from Gold Fields producing assets complement the manageable capital requirements of Yamanas world class, high return project portfolio, providing greater capacity to fund the combined growth pipeline internally, while maintaining shareholder returns in line with Gold Fields existing policy. As traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) As traded on the NYSE Yamana is a natural strategic fit for Gold Fields, with its high quality, diversified portfolio of long life assets located in mining friendly rules-based jurisdictions across the Americas (including its five producing mines and pipeline of development projects and exploration properties) and with a shared focus on health and safety and ESG performance. With the combination of Gold Fields and Yamanas portfolio of assets, Gold Fields will become a new global gold major able to create value at every stage of its pipeline. The Combined Group will maintain its presence in all regions while continuing to honour commitments to stakeholders. Gold Fields believes that this Transaction offers employees and communities more opportunities in the long-term given its track record of ongoing investment in the regions in which it operates. The Transaction has been unanimously approved by the Board of Directors of both Gold Fields and Yamana and is expected to close in the second half of 2022 subject to and following the satisfaction of the conditions precedent to the Transaction. Gold Fields will remain headquartered in Johannesburg. The acquisition will be implemented by way of a plan of arrangement of Yamana under the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA) pursuant to the Arrangement Agreement entered into between Gold Fields and Yamana dated 31 May 2022. The consideration payable (the Transaction Consideration) to the shareholders of Yamana will consist of either, at the election of a Yamana shareholder, newly issued Gold Fields Shares or newly issued Gold Fields ADSs, which each represent one Gold Fields Share, in accordance with the Exchange Ratio. The Gold Fields Shares are listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) and the Gold Fields ADSs are listed on the NYSE. Chris Griffith, Chief Executive Officer of Gold Fields said: Today we are announcing the acquisition by Gold Fields of Yamana, two companies with complementary portfolios, cultures and strategic priorities. The result is a combination with much greater capacity and potential value than the sum of its parts. Each company brings with it a unique set of skills and geological knowledge, enabling the Combined Group to enhance its assets more efficiently over the long-term than they could as separate companies. Todays announcement is the result of a robust and extensive process carried out by the Gold Fields Board and management team to identify the optimum solution to support our revised strategy. Yamanas high-quality asset base in the Americas and strong development and exploration pipeline will further diversify the geography of our portfolio, creating a top-4 global gold major, well positioned to deliver long-term value creation. Combined, Gold Fields will boast an industry leading portfolio of high-quality, long-life flagship assets that span some of the worlds most established gold mining jurisdictions. Like Gold Fields, Yamana is focused on operational delivery, disciplined capital allocation, portfolio management, maximising shareholder returns, and upholding leading sustainability, safety and ESG performance. These shared priorities are foundational to this Transaction. Peter Marrone, Executive Chairman of Yamana Gold said: This is an outstanding opportunity for our shareholders, employees and the local communities in which we operate throughout the Americas. The Transaction delivers an immediate and compelling premium for Yamana Shareholders, reflecting the inherent fair value of our assets, while also offering an opportunity to benefit from the creation of a new global gold producer with an attractive value proposition. We saw significant merit in pursuing discussions with Gold Fields because of the quality of their company on a standalone basis and because of the quality a combination would create. After many months of discussions and conduct of diligence, including site diligence, over a period beginning late last year, we felt even more certain in our premise that Gold Fields was a high-quality standalone company and the company resulting from the combination would be even better. We were also encouraged and influenced by Gold Fields conclusions, after their extensive diligence, of what was our inherent, fair value. The combination of Yamana and Gold Fields creates a world-class, globally diversified company with regional relevance across premier, rules-based mining jurisdictions that is underpinned by low cost, long life mines. The combined entity will be well positioned to deliver long-term value creation with its enhanced scale, management strength and improved capital markets profile. Yamana and Gold Fields also have complementary corporate cultures and values with an ESG-first operating model with a strong focus on supporting host communities and environmental stewardship. We believe that Yamana's shareholders ownership of the Combined Group reflects the fair value of the contribution that each company brings. Strategic Rationale for Gold Fields The Transaction has a compelling strategic rationale and is expected to provide considerable benefits to the shareholders of Gold Fields (Gold Fields Shareholders), shareholders of Yamana (Yamana Shareholders) and the Combined Groups employees and stakeholders. The Transaction will bring together two highly complementary gold portfolios with an enhanced long-term value proposition, centred around: Growing the value and quality of our portfolio of assets with an industry-leading combined portfolio of high-quality assets comparing favourably to the scale, cost and life of the premium-rated majors, and an appropriate balance of existing production with future growth; with an industry-leading combined portfolio of high-quality assets comparing favourably to the scale, cost and life of the premium-rated majors, and an appropriate balance of existing production with future growth; Enhanced geographical diversification with a combined portfolio of high-quality assets across the worlds premier mining jurisdictions in South Africa, Ghana, Australia, Canada, and South America, with risk mitigated through a balanced geographical spread and majority exposure to OECD countries; with a combined portfolio of high-quality assets across the worlds premier mining jurisdictions in South Africa, Ghana, Australia, Canada, and South America, with risk mitigated through a balanced geographical spread and majority exposure to OECD countries; Strengthened financial position driven by Gold Fields and Yamanas highly complementary cash flow generation profiles with strong near-term operating cash flows from producing assets, healthy balance sheets and staggered major capital investment cycles providing the Combined Group with greater capacity to fund its project pipeline without compromising balance sheet flexibility or shareholder returns; with strong near-term operating cash flows from producing assets, healthy balance sheets and staggered major capital investment cycles providing the Combined Group with greater capacity to fund its project pipeline without compromising balance sheet flexibility or shareholder returns; Industry-leading growth pipeline combining Gold Fields track record in portfolio optimisation and project development with Yamanas current assets and deep pipeline with accelerated growth potential. The Combined Group will benefit from the near-term growth of Gold Fields Salares Norte and South Deep mines, and longer-term growth from Yamanas Wasamac, Malartic Odyssey and MARA projects as well as additional opportunities in Yamanas high-quality exploration pipeline; combining Gold Fields track record in portfolio optimisation and project development with Yamanas current assets and deep pipeline with accelerated growth potential. The Combined Group will benefit from the near-term growth of Gold Fields Salares Norte and South Deep mines, and longer-term growth from Yamanas Wasamac, Malartic Odyssey and MARA projects as well as additional opportunities in Yamanas high-quality exploration pipeline; Complementary cultures and aligned strategic priorities with shared values as disciplined, value-driven companies focused on operational delivery, capital allocation, portfolio management, responsible growth and shareholder returns underpinned by a strong focus on people, particularly their safety, and upholding leading sustainability and ESG performance. The Combined Group will continue to commit to Gold Fields 2030 decarbonisation, environmental, safety and health, diversity and stakeholder value creation targets; and with shared values as disciplined, value-driven companies focused on operational delivery, capital allocation, portfolio management, responsible growth and shareholder returns underpinned by a strong focus on people, particularly their safety, and upholding leading sustainability and ESG performance. The Combined Group will continue to commit to Gold Fields 2030 decarbonisation, environmental, safety and health, diversity and stakeholder value creation targets; and Initial target pre-tax synergies of approximately US$40 million per year anchored in operational integration, as well as potential financing synergies and a streamlining of overhead cost structures. Strategic Rationale for Yamana For shareholders of Yamana, the Transaction presents compelling rationale including: Company scale with Yamana Shareholders retaining approximately 39% ownership in the combined top tier, globally diversified, senior gold producer, ranked highest by reserve life index relative to senior gold peers, third largest by gold production in 2024, and fourth largest by market capitalization; with Yamana Shareholders retaining approximately 39% ownership in the combined top tier, globally diversified, senior gold producer, ranked highest by reserve life index relative to senior gold peers, third largest by gold production in 2024, and fourth largest by market capitalization; International presence and regional relevance with 14 mines providing regional relevance across premier, rules-based mining jurisdictions including North America, South America, Africa and Australia; with 14 mines providing regional relevance across premier, rules-based mining jurisdictions including North America, South America, Africa and Australia; Management strength with the Combined Group offering Yamana Shareholders industry leading management bench strength which shares the philosophy of managing regionally dominant platforms. Gold Fields management provides significant experience in certain geologies such as paleo placer deposits which could unlock the full value of the Jacobina gold belt in addition to significant experience in advancing projects which will be of strategic significance in the advancement of Yamanas portfolio of world class development assets; with the Combined Group offering Yamana Shareholders industry leading management bench strength which shares the philosophy of managing regionally dominant platforms. Gold Fields management provides significant experience in certain geologies such as paleo placer deposits which could unlock the full value of the Jacobina gold belt in addition to significant experience in advancing projects which will be of strategic significance in the advancement of Yamanas portfolio of world class development assets; Enhanced capitalized position along with exposure to significant near-term production and cash flow growth from Gold Fields portfolio, improving the ability to deliver a leading growth profile through Yamanas high return, project pipeline including MARA, Odyssey, Wasamac, Jacobinas phased expansion in addition to further opportunities throughout the portfolio; along with exposure to significant near-term production and cash flow growth from Gold Fields portfolio, improving the ability to deliver a leading growth profile through Yamanas high return, project pipeline including MARA, Odyssey, Wasamac, Jacobinas phased expansion in addition to further opportunities throughout the portfolio; Realization of inherent fair value, crystallizing value for Yamana Shareholders while allowing for upside appreciation from further growth and the potential re-rating of the combined portfolio. Board of Directors Recommendations Gold Fields has engaged financial and legal advisors, which are listed below. The Board of Directors of Gold Fields has unanimously approved the Arrangement Agreement. The Board of Directors of Gold Fields recommends that Gold Fields Shareholders vote in favour of the Transaction. After consultation with its outside financial and legal advisors, the Board of Directors of Yamana has unanimously approved the Arrangement Agreement. The Board of Directors of Yamana recommends that Yamana Shareholders vote in favour of the Transaction. In addition, all of the Directors and Senior Officers of Yamana, have entered into binding voting support agreements with Gold Fields under which such individuals have agreed to support and vote their Yamana Shares in favour of the Transaction. The Board of Directors of Yamana has received fairness opinions from Canaccord Genuity Corp. and Scotiabank that, as of the date of each such opinion, and based upon and subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications stated in each such opinion, the Transaction Consideration to be received by Yamana Shareholders is fair from a financial point of view to Yamana Shareholders. Transaction Summary and Timing The Transaction will be effected by way of a plan of arrangement under the CBCA, pursuant to which all of the Yamana Shares will be acquired by a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of Gold Fields in exchange for the Transaction Consideration to be settled by Gold Fields in the form of the Gold Fields Consideration Shares. Pursuant to the terms of the Transaction, the consideration payable to the Yamana Shareholders at closing of the Transaction will consist of: either newly issued Gold Fields Shares; or at the election of Yamana Shareholders, newly issued Gold Fields ADSs, which each represent one Gold Fields Share together the Gold Fields Consideration Shares), in accordance with the Exchange Ratio. The Transaction will require the approval of at least 66 2/3% of the votes cast by Yamana Shareholders voting in person or represented by proxy at a special meeting of Yamana Shareholders called for that purpose. The issuance of Gold Fields Consideration Shares under the Transaction is also subject to the approval of at least 75% of the voting rights exercised on such resolution by Gold Fields Shareholders at a special meeting of Gold Fields shareholders called to approve the Transaction. The Transaction is subject to, among other things, the approval by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List), applicable stock exchange approvals and other regulatory approvals. The Arrangement Agreement includes reciprocal non-solicitation provisions (subject to provisions allowing the Board of Directors of each of Gold Fields or Yamana to exercise their fiduciary duties to change their recommendation and/or to enter into a permitted acquisition agreement in certain circumstances), and rights to match superior proposals. In addition, the Arrangement Agreement provides that, under certain circumstances, Gold Fields would be entitled to a US$300m termination fee and Yamana would be entitled to a US$450m termination fee. Senior officers and directors of each of Yamana and Gold Fields have entered into voting support agreements with Gold Fields and Yamana, respectively, agreeing to vote their Yamana Shares and Gold Fields Shares, respectively, in favour of the Transaction It is anticipated that both the Yamana and Gold Fields shareholder meetings will take place, and closing and completion of the Transaction is expected to occur, in the second half of 2022, subject to satisfaction of the conditions under the Arrangement Agreement. Following the completion of the Transaction, the Gold Fields Shares will continue to trade on the JSE and the Gold Fields ADSs will continue to be listed on the NYSE, and the Yamana Shares will be delisted from each of the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), NYSE and London Stock Exchange (LSE). NOTICE OF INVESTOR CONFERENCE CALL: An investor conference call and presentation on the recommended offer is available to all interested parties via live webcast today at 1:00pm UK time/ 2:00pm South Africa/ 8.00am Eastern Time, via www.newgoldmajor.com or per the link and numbers below. A replay of the webcast will be available after the completion of the call and will remain available for an extended period. https://broadcaster-audience.mediaplatform.com/#/event/628fe34440a1834ffa25891b UK & International +44 (0) 33 0551 0200 UK Toll Free 0808 109 0700 North America Toll +1 212 999 6659 North America Toll Free 1 866 966 5335 South Africa Toll +27 (0) 11 589 8302 South Africa Toll Free 0 800 980 512 South America +55 11 4700 3774 Canada Toll Free 1 866 378 3566 NOTICE OF MEDIA CALL: Gold Fields CEO, Chris Griffith will host a media conference call at 12:15pm UK time/ 1:15pm South Africa/ 7:15am Eastern Time today. Callers are advised to dial in 5 minutes prior to the start time. Dial in details are as follows: UK & International +44 (0) 33 0551 0200 UK Toll Free 0808 109 0700 North America Toll +1 212 999 6659 North America Toll Free 1 866 966 5335 South Africa Toll +27 (0) 11 589 8302 South Africa Toll Free 0 800 980 512 South America +55 11 4700 3774 Canada Toll Free 1 866 378 3566 For further information, please visit the dedicated Transaction microsite www.newgoldmajor.com. Advisors and Counsel Gold Fields has engaged Merrill Lynch South Africa (Pty) Ltd t/a BofA Securities (BofA Securities) as its sole financial advisor and JSE transaction sponsor, and Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Linklaters LLP and Webber Wentzel as its legal advisors in connection with the Transaction. Yamana has retained Canaccord Genuity Corp., Stifel GMP, and Scotiabank as financial advisors, and Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP as Canadian legal counsel and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP as United States legal counsel in connection with the Transaction. Further InformationFurther details are provided in the Gold Fields SENS announcement released today and will also be expanded on in the required transaction documents that will follow in due course. Yamana will file a material change report in respect of the Transaction in compliance with Canadian securities laws, as well as copies of the Arrangement Agreement and forms of voting support agreements, which will be available under Yamanas SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Full details of the Transaction will be included in the meeting materials of each of Gold Fields and Yamana, which are expected to be mailed to their respective shareholders in the third quarter of 2022. LEHI, Utah, May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Decentralized Board and Community leaders supporting the Green blockchain today announced the appointment of Jonathan Gibbs as President of Set Power Free, an independent, decentralized organization focused on continuing the development of products and services designed to enhance the Green ecosystem. In their first 120 days, Gibbs and Set Power Free will focus on the development and global release of Green PowerPay, a service enabling users to pay their power bill (up to $200) with GREEN - the digital asset of the Green Blockchain. Users who enroll in Green PowerPay can earn additional digital rewards each time they pay their power bill with Green. Jonathan will partner with Nerd United DAO LLC ("NERD"), the global decentralized community of blockchain developers, to bring PowerPay to market and to continually evolve and perfect the core technology that powers the Green blockchain project. "I'm very pleased to dedicate Nerd resources to directly interface with Mr. Gibbs and his team," said Tom Karren, CTO of NERD. "This is an exciting project, and I will be personally overseeing some of the new design and the development of the core technology that will help power the Green blockchain." Travis Cook, President of NERD, said, "We are looking forward to working directly with Mr. Gibbs to help create PowerPay a unique blockchain product that will make using Green fast, easy and affordable. Jonathan is an inspired leader with a clear vision of how Green could change the world. The impact of his work and vision is already self-evident. We look forward to playing a part in the expansion and development of Green." Mr. Gibbs is a seasoned executive, experienced early adopter of cryptocurrency mining, and a recognized thought leader and innovator in the renewable energy sector. He is the co-founder, deal architect, and former CEO of Lumio, one of the most successful US-based residential solar and software platforms. Lumio is known for having some of the fastest install times in the industry at scale while creating a higher standard for home experience. "Inverting electricity into a transferrable digital asset (data) was pioneered by Bitcoin in 2008. However, today, Bitcoin is wholly dependent on costly hardware that requires significant, and likely unsustainable, power consumption - making it virtually impossible for everyday enthusiasts to support the Bitcoin blockchain. Green is the next evolution. Green is software that can run on many personal computing devices to perform the same digital transformation of power as Bitcoin," said Mr. Gibbs. "The Green community has developed a global platform making it easy and attainable for anyone around the world to support the mission of the Green blockchain." Jonathan is a visionary who inspires innovative products, services, and business models. At Lumio, his last venture, Jonathan grew the company to a billion dollar valuation in just 18 months, and then sold it using a novel deal structure that retained 95% of the equity for Lumio employees. Jonathan elected to leave his storied career in solar to join the Green blockchain project after carefully reviewing the inspired mission. He explains, "I believe Green is well on its way to fundamentally changing the global energy markets. For the first time ever, power can be decoupled from the grid to enable a global exchange of value with an array of delivery options. This is a mission that will help millions of families worldwide, including families living without daily access to reliable power," In a recent interview, Jonathan declared his personal belief that Green is the first global platform to disrupt and fundamentally change the global energy market in a meaningful way by saying, "In much the same way voice-over-internet-protocol, or VOIP, fundamentally changed the global telecommunications market, Green will disrupt energy markets by decoupling electricity from the grid." He goes on to say, "The average family around the world was paying $100-$200 a month for long-distance services. When we learned to convert sound waves to data, it opened a myriad of faster, cheaper distribution options leveraging cable, cellular, and satellite technology. Today, long distance is free, but the average electricity bill around the world is $100-$200 per month. The technology already exists to Set Power Free as we did with sound. It is going to happen." Elon Musk, an ardent believer in blockchain technology, notoriously began accepting Bitcoin for payment at Tesla and then in a wildly unpopular move, announced the company would no longer accept Bitcoin because of the ecological impact of the Bitcoin mining network. Since early 2021, Musk has made it clear that a better alternative needs to be developed. In an apparent nod to Musk, Gibbs has declared, "The alternative to Bitcoin is already here and it has been working for years. If Tesla is committed to sourcing a so-called green alternative to Bitcoin mininglook no further than Green." On his first day, Gibbs announced an ambitious goal to launch Green PowerPay on July 4, 2022, in London. "We will rebrand July 4th as a global holidayEnergy Independence Day. "Instead of memorializing past conflicts, let's focus on avoiding all future wars. War in the modern world is a conflict over energy resources. Renewable energy sources, such as solar, can reduce or eliminate reliance on fossil fuels. Conflicts between nations is inseparably connected to the control of natural energy sources. Green has the unique opportunity and responsibility to save the lives of millions by leading a global shift away from fossil fuels. Imagine that, save the planet, and save lives." ABOUT GREEN The Green blockchain project was launched by a community of developers in July of 2016. The Green Smart Node enables operators to earn GREEN, a digital reward issued to compensate node operators for contributing electricity, connectivity and computational resources to verify blockchain transactions on the Green network. PowerPay, a Green blockchain exclusive, enables individuals who earn Green to pay for power consumption using GREEN. Green is a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) with more than 7,000 active nodes decentralized across more than 30 countries. Governance for Green is provided by consensus of the community. GREEN digital rewards are not available for purchase from Green. They are digital rewards earned in exchange for work and action on the Green network. The digital reward is designed to have utility on the Green platform. The digital reward is not an investment product and may never have any value outside of the Green platform. Green node owners should not expect to recognize any value from the digital reward other than its utility with Green. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This Press Release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements discuss plans, strategies, prospects, and expectations concerning the business, operations, markets, risks, and other similar matters. There may be events in the future that we cannot accurately predict or control. Any forward-looking statement in this press release speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We do not plan to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements except as required by law. PRESS CONTACT: [email protected] Related Images Image 1: Jonathan Gibbs President, Set Power Free This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment Jonathan Gibbs Jonathan Gibbs Source: Set Power Free The nomination committee in Equinor ASA (OSE:EQNR, NYSE: EQNR) recommends that the company's corporate assembly elects Michael D. Lewis as new member to Equinor ASAs board of directors and Anne Drinkwater as deputy chair of the board of Equinor ASA. Furthermore, the nomination committee recommends a re-election of Jon Erik Reinhardsen as chair and re-election of Anne Drinkwater, Bjrn Tore Godal, Rebekka Glasser Herlofsen, Jonathan Lewis, Finn Bjrn Ruyter and Tove Andersen as shareholder-elected members of the board of directors. Michael D. Lewis is CEO of E.ON UK plc. He was CEO of E.ON Climate & Renewables GmbH in the period 2015-2017 and between 2007-2015 he was Chief Operating Officer of the same company. In the period 2004-2007 Lewis held the role as Vice President Corporate Strategy in E.ON AG. He has also worked as Equity Analyst, Strategy Analyst and Environmental Specialist and Environmental Scientist in other companies. Lewis has extensive international experience and broad board experience. Lewis is chair of the board of Energy and Utilities Skills Partnership as well as member of the Natural Environment Research Council and Imperial College Business School, Centre for Climate Finance and Investment. Lewis holds an MA in Environmental Law from De Montfort University, MSc Pollution and Environmental Control from the University of Manchester and BEng Engineering Technology from Leicester Polytechnic. The election to Equinor's board of directors takes place in the company's corporate assembly meeting Tuesday 7 June 2022. It is proposed that the election enters into effect from 1 July 2022 and is effective until the ordinary election of shareholder-elected members to the board of directors in 2023. Contacts: Jarle Roth, chair of the nomination committee All enquiries to be directed through Equinor Corporate Press Office,Sissel Rinde, +47 412 60 584 This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act Source: Equinor ASA SAYREVILLE, N.J., May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Albert Salama, founder and CEO of Sabert Corporation, a global leader in innovative and sustainable food packaging solutions, was recently honored with the 2022 Corporate Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) for New Jersey. Salama accepted this recognition and served as keynote speaker at the Associations New Jersey Conference on May 5, 2022. ACG is a premier merger and acquisition (M&A) dealmaking community with 59 chapters worldwide and is comprised of more than 100,000 middle market professionals who invest, own and advise growing companies. Each year, ACG New Jerseys Corporate Growth Conference spotlights and celebrates some of the states most innovative companies. This years event recognized Sabert and Salama with a Corporate Lifetime Achievement Award, which is given to a company headquartered in New Jersey that demonstrates a consistent and powerful track record of excellence and corporate growth. At the event, Salama was joined by Tom Bergeron, Editor and Chief Content Officer of ROI-NJ, where he shared the story of how Sabert has grown from its modest roots to a $1 billion international manufacturer of plastic, pulp & paper packaging used in the storage, packaging and serving of food. When I first started Sabert, I never imagined it would turn into the company it has become today, with more than 3,000 employees at locations all over the globe. And while Im honored to receive this recognition, its because of our people at Sabert and their commitment to quality, customization and innovation that weve been able to grow and succeed like we have, said Salama. Though this is the Lifetime Achievement Award, I can say that we are at just the beginning of what I foresee as the future for Sabert, our people, and our customers. Salama founded Sabert in 1983 with minimal capital and a product line consisting of just five items. Today, Sabert manufactures more than 1000 SKUs used by leading international, national and local food retailers, including restaurant chains, supermarkets, food processors, foodservice distribution, and more. Previously, Salama has been recognized with the 2014 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the New Jersey region and 2018 Ellis Island Medal of Honor. As founder and CEO of Sabert, he leads the organization with his unique entrepreneurial spirit, driving the organizations strategic vision and combining organic growth opportunities and acquisitions to leverage market trends and unmet market needs. Beyond his role at Sabert, Albert and his wife, Anya have had a long commitment to education, providing dozens of graduating high school students with four-year college scholarships. Additionally, they have been involved with the capital campaigns of St. Philips Academy in Newark, New Jersey, the Willow School and Gill St. Bernards School, both in New Jersey. They also support the International Rescue Committee, Save the Children, PEN America, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. For more information about the ACG New Jersey Corporate Growth Conference, visit: https://www.acg.org/newjersey/events/acg-nj-2022-corporate-growth-conference-awards. About SabertSabert is a leading global manufacturer of innovative food packaging products and solutions. The company was founded in 1983 on a single mission: to enhance and advance the way people enjoy food. Headquartered in Sayreville, New Jersey, Sabert operates North American facilities in California, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, New Jersey, Texas, and Virginia as well as manufacturing facilities in Nivelles, Belgium; Kimbolton, England; Lodz, Poland; and Zhongshan, China. Using its proprietary Packaging Value Model, Sabert combines deep insights about food lifecycles and consumer lifestyles, with fast and flexible production capabilities. Its industry-leading product designs encompass all five areas of innovative packaging: Performance, Presentation, Safety, Sustainability and Economics. For more information, visit www.sabert.com. Media Contact: Joe McIntyre (215) 564-3200 x112[email protected] A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/37d65c95-3826-4bce-a58e-edd7d92c8745 Sabert Corporation Founder and CEO Albert Salama Honored with ACG New Jersey Corporate Lifetime Achievement Award Pictured L-R: Gary Ziznewski, Global CFO, Sabert; Stewart Gallaher, Vice President, Manufacturing, Sabert; Sharad Prasad, Senior Vice President, Operations, Sabert; Albert Salama, founder and CEO of Sabert; Kathy Deignan, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Sabert; Brian Wheeler, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Sabert; Santosh Jiwrajka, Sabert 2025 Global Process Champion Source: Sabert Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2022) - Scryb Inc.(CSE: SCYB) (OTCQB: SCYRF) (FSE: EIY)("Scryb'' or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that Cybeats is attending the RSA Conference1, the world's leading IT security conference and exposition. Cybeats will be present through the entire duration of events which run from Monday, June 6 to Thursday, June 9th, 2022. Cybeats' Chief Revenue Officer, Bob Lyle, and Chris Blask, VP Strategy are both attending the 31st annual RSA conference (RSAC) in San Francisco, coined the 'world's tech capital'. RSAC is the premier series of global security events that provides year-round industry learning for the cybersecurity community and notably amasses over 45,000 IT security professionals each year. Cybeats to Host 'SBOM Meetup' during the RSA Conference Cybeats will be hosting an 'SBOM Meetup' event in San Francisco during the RSA Conference on the evening of Monday, June 6, 2022. This meetup is open to any IT security professionals and SBOM enthusiasts who want to engage in lively discussions surrounding software supply chain or cybersecurity. Should you wish to attend this event feel free to reach out to [email protected] for more information. 'SBOM Meetup' During RSA To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/952/126039_2a717f76644358ac_001full.jpg "In attending the RSA conference, Cybeats will engage with the ultimate marketplace for leading technologies and cybersecurity organizations, and provide Cybeats opportunities to expand its growing commercial pipeline. During RSA, Cybeats will also be hosting an 'SBOM Meetup' - join us for an exciting networking event with like-minded cybersecurity professionals while offering a thought-provoking discussion," said Bob Lyle, CRO, Cybeats. The RSA Conference provides global industry exposure and hands-on commercial opportunities with some of the largest enterprises, and influential, thought-provoking leaders across the cybersecurity industry. With the rapidly-evolving landscape of the security industry, Cybeats is eager to stay up to date on current and future industry concerns, and have access to unbiased content that will enable Cybeats to strengthen its cybersecurity brand presence and team members. About SBOM An SBOM is a record of all software components that make up a product. It is a complete, formally structured list of components, libraries, and modules that are included in the software. An analogy for SBOM is the nutritional ingredients list found on everyday food products, such as a can of coke. A Coca Cola ingredient list includes information that can be used to gauge allergy risk, expiry dates, and other food safety information. Just as food products are mandated to provide this list to consumers, SBOM is quickly becoming a similar standard in the software industry. The Whitehouse signed an executive order in May 2021 stipulating that all vendors responsible for supplying software to federal agencies must provide an SBOM. Organizations and governments are growing more aware of the importance of software supply chain security. Many regulations take effect in and around August 2022, and others are to follow thereafter. It is anticipated that SBOM will become a global standard across industries. Cybeats SBOM Studio gives access to one-of-a-kind tools to manage SBOM needs and software vulnerabilities, and provides proactive mitigation of risks to their software supply chain. Key product features include: SBOM document management and repository Vulnerability, threat insights, risk management Software license infringement alerts SBOM exchange with regulatory authorities, at reduced cost RECENT NEWS: Cybeats recently announced the joining of NGEN - an organization leading advanced manufacturing and supply chain technology development in Canada. Read the full story: https://bit.ly/3O1lJUT About Cybeats Cybeats delivers intelligent security applications for software supply chains and IoT connected devices, autonomously detecting and eliminating cyber risks from design to operation. Cybeats - Software Made Certain. Website: www.cybeats.com SUBSCRIBE: For more information, or to SubScryb to the Company's mail list, visit: http://scryb.ai About Scryb Scryb is a platform that powers businesses and technologies with applied intelligence, real-time analytics, and actionable insights. The platform boasts proven adaptability across diverse markets, from digital health and diagnostics to cybersecurity and manufacturing. The cloud-based platform is composed of crucial elements including sensor technology, IoT, predictive analytics, and computer vision. For more information, please visit our website at: http://scryb.ai Contact: W. Clark Kent President Office. 647-872-9982 TF. 1-844-247-6633 Email: [email protected] Forward-looking Information Cautionary Statement Except for statements of historic fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals, including that of the CSE. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. There are no assurances that the commercialization plans for the technology described in this news release will come into effect on the terms or time frame described herein. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com 1https://www.rsaconference.com/library/press-release/rsa-conference-2022-moves-to-june To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/126039 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 30, 2022) - ScreenPro Security Inc. (CSE: SCRN) (OTCQB: SCRSF) ("ScreenPro" or the "Company") today announces its financial results for the first quarter. The Company filed on SEDAR its financial statements ("FS") and related management discussion and analysis ("MD&A") for first quarter results ending March 31, 2022 ("Q1 2022"). Highlights: Concierge Medical generated $207,624 in revenue As of March 31, 2022, the Company acquired over $1 million in Cash, an increase of 396% since December 31, 2021 As of March 31, 2022, the Company holds over $11 million in total assets, an increase of 145% since December 31, 2021 2022 Financial Summary Three Months Ended March 31, 2022 As of March 31, 2022, the Company had current assets of over $4 million with over $1 million in cash, EBITDA* and Adjusted EDBITDA* of $72,192. The Company had positive cash flows of $29,779. The Company reported a net loss of $333,829 compared to loss of $4,553,509 in the previous year. The Company reduced general and administrative costs for the period ended March 31, 2022, from $537,512 to $252,319 due to operating efficiencies. The following is selected financial information for financial results ending March 31, 2022. Please refer to the Q1 2022 filing in its entirety, which is available under ScreenPro's profile at www.sedar.com. The following table summarizes net loss, and EBITDA* and adjusted EBITDA* for the period ended March 31, 2022, and 2021. All figures are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted: March 31, 2022 March 31, 2021 Net Loss ($333,829) ($4,553,509) Depreciation and amortization $406,021 $73,004 EBITDA* $72,192 ($4,480,505) Listing expense - $3,155,025 Adjusted EBITDA* $72,192 ($1,325,480) Outlook The Company started the year strong, developing strong momentum in its core business in Covid testing which delivered a continuous increase of revenue with testing numbers growing each month. With this momentum, Covid testing continues to grow within the community and in the film and production industry and continues to be the forefront of the company. With a focus on diversity, ScreenPro has positioned itself for growth in different sectors. On May 13th, 2022, the Company announced its Acquisition of Naturevan Nutrition Ltd. ("Naturevan"), a British Columbia corporation that carries Canadian made natural health supplement products. Currently, the Company is working on distribution of its products. Naturevan is a strategic channel for instant diversification into the health and wellness space. The Company is currently working on expanding its corporate objectives with Add Biomedical ("Add Bio") and working on growing the volume of patients and revenue for Concierge Medical Consultants Inc. ("Concierge"). Additionally, the Company would like to announce that Lena Kozovski, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, has joined the board of directors of the Company to replace Mr. Young Cho Lee who has resigned. We would like to thank Mr. Lee for his contributions to the board. "The Company began the year with continuous momentum in our Covid testing business, providing a strong performance each month with testing contracts in the film and production industry and testing for the community. Our Covid testing revenue helped pave the way for growth and expand to diversify in other business lines. I am also pleased that the Company was able to further business and announce another acquisition with Naturevan, As the year progresses, diversifying into the health and wellness space is priority while maintaining growth and profit in our already existing ventures," Lena Kozovski, CEO of the Company. "As our Covid testing business remains stronger than ever, the Company looks forward to making a strong presence in the health and wellness market with our newest venture, Naturevan. Our plans for this year include expanding into our other business lines to make room for improvement, expansion, and a focus on growing shareholder value," Michael Yeung, Chairman of the Company. About ScreenPro ScreenPro is a Screening and Medical Technology company that provides turnkey screening solutions with its proprietary medical alerting software. ScreenPro's unique access to multiple manufacturers of high-quality test kits and its strategic partnership with labs in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec allows ScreenPro to be a full-service nationwide provider of COVID testing and breast cancer screening solutions across Canada. In addition, ScreenPro has its own medical doctor and nursing professionals with on the ground support staff and transportation, with access to high quality PPEs to ensure that clients are protected in all aspects of their testing needs. For additional information on ScreenPro and other corporate information, please visit the Company's website at www.screenprosecurity.com For more information about the Company, please refer to the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") nor it's Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For further information please contact: Lena Kozovski, CEO (647) 878-6674 [email protected] Priya Atwal, Communications Manager (416) 901-5611 x 204 [email protected] Forward Looking Statements: Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forwardlooking information, including statements relating to expectations regarding development of ScreenPro's business. Forwardlooking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "intend", "should", and similar expressions. Forwardlooking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forwardlooking information. The actual results of ScreenPro could differ materially from those anticipated in this forwardlooking information as a result of regulatory decisions, competitive factors in the industries in which ScreenPro operates, prevailing economic conditions, changes to ScreenPro's strategic growth plans, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of ScreenPro. Management of ScreenPro believes that the expectations reflected in the forwardlooking information herein are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forwardlooking information should not be unduly relied upon. Any forwardlooking information contained in this news release represents ScreenPro's expectations as of the date hereof and is subject to change after such date. ScreenPro disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forwardlooking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities legislation. NON-IFRS FINANCIAL MEASUREMENTS The Company has included non-IFRS performance measures throughout this press release, including (a) Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization ("EBITDA"); (b) Adjusted EBITDA which is EBITDA adjusted for the gain (loss) on change in fair value of the Company's investment properties and the gain (loss) on change in fair value of derivative instruments; and (c) Book Value per Share which is calculated as equity attributable to Datametrex AI Limited shareholders divided by total common shares outstanding at the end of the reporting period. These non-IFRS financial measurements do not have any standardized meaning as prescribed by International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Accordingly, these performance measures are intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. Management uses EBITDA metrics to measure the profit trends of the business units and segments in the consolidated group since it eliminates the effects of financing decisions. Certain investors, analysts and others utilize these non-IFRS financial metrics in assessing the Company's financial performance. These non-IFRS financial measurements have not been presented as an alternative to net income or any other financial measure of performance prescribed by IFRS. Reconciliation of non-IFRS measures has been provided throughout the Company's MD&A, as applicable, filed under the Company's profile on www.SEDAR.COM. ### To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/125865 Consortium of Hackensack Meridian CDI, Rockefeller University, Columbia University, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Rutgers University, Merck, Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, Inc., and Aligos Therapeutics to combine expertise to 'accelerate' new breakthroughs NUTLEY, N.J., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A unique collaborative enterprise of academic and pharmaceutical experts in New York City and Northern New Jersey have formed a regional drug accelerator to address the urgent need to develop novel antiviral treatments for SARS-CoV-2, its variants, other coronaviruses and pandemic viruses, and as well as future viral threats. The Metropolitan AntiViral Drug Accelerator, or MAVDA, will be funded by a three-year, $65,141,731 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID)'s Antiviral Drug Discovery (AViDD) Centers for Pathogens of Pandemic Concern program. MAVDA combines world-class virologists and academic drug finders from Rockefeller University, Columbia University and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) in New York City, and the Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI) and Rutgers University in New Jersey, along with proven antiviral drug developers Merck, the Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute (Tri-I TDI), and Aligos Therapeutics. MAVDA's mission will be to discover, optimize and test innovative small molecule antiviral drugs to target coronaviruses (CoVs), emphasizing SARS-CoV-2, and one or more select RNA viruses with pandemic potential. The goal is to rapidly develop drugs which can be given orally, and in an outpatient setting, in the near future. The overall program will be co-led by drug discovery expert Dr. David Perlin at the Hackensack Meridian CDI and Rockefeller University virologist and Nobel laureate, Dr. Charles Rice. The program benefits from other senior world class virologists including Dr. David Ho (Columbia) and Dr. Stephen Goff (Columbia); drug discovery experts Dr. Jingyue Ju (Columbia) and Dr. Tom Tuschl (Rockefeller); structural biologists Dr. Lawrence Shapiro (Columbia) and Dr. Dinshaw Patel (MSK); Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology, and drug screening experts Dr. James Balkovec (CDI), Dr. Joel Freundlich (Rutgers), Dr. Veronique Dartois (CDI), and Dr. Fraser Glickman (Rockefeller). Key to the initiative's success is the participation of commercial partners Merck and Co.; the nonprofit Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute through its industrial partnership with Takeda; and Aligos Therapeutics, the sole entity based in California, all of whom have committed extensive internal resources to support the drug development goals of the MAVDA. "This public-private partnership is how science can prepare for the next phase of SARS-CoV-2 - as well as other current and new viral threats," said David Perlin, Ph.D., the chief scientific officer and senior vice president of the CDI, and also a professor at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. "Vaccines were a terrific breakthrough to help stem COVID-19 after the initial spread - but as we have learned with COVID-19 and other pandemic diseases, vaccines alone are insufficient. We need effective drugs that can be used early and distributed widely to diverse populations around the world." "We need to think differently," said Charles M. Rice, Ph.D., the Maurice R. and Corinne P. Greenberg Professor in Virology and Head of the Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease at Rockefeller University, who is the recipient of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. "Bringing all this experience and expertise into the same program, and having everyone 'pull' in the same direction, can produce some great results." The MAVDA consortium brings together scientists who already collaborate on many anti-infective projects, chief among them the CDI's NIH Center of Excellence in Translational Research (CETR), helmed by Perlin and which includes industry participation. Merck has been among the world leaders in developing antiviral drugs and received FDA Emergency Use Authorization for the outpatient drug molnupiravir. Merck Research Laboratories Infectious Diseases and Vaccines Vice President Daria Hazuda, Ph.D., said: "Collaborations such as these are critical to develop much needed antiviral options. We are delighted to be participating in this important endeavor." This partnership, which coalesced during the federal agencies' call for plans to discover new anti-viral therapies last year, seeks specifically to leverage the strength of the partners on coronavirus and flavivirus targets. The scientists have a specific set of eight molecular features in the SARS-CoV-2 virus which have critical roles in viral replication, maturation, and also immune-system evasion. Chief among them is 3CLpro, which is the virus's main protease for replication. The teams have put together a "drug accelerator" plan involving five cooperative projects focusing on the targets, and matching likely drug candidates against them. Six integrated pharma-style "cores" of MAVDA provide the expertise from the various institutions; for instance, Rice and Rockefeller's virology contributions will be complemented by the expertise of Columbia's David D. Ho, M.D., the professor of Microbiology & Immunology, Clyde '56 and Helen Wu Professor of Medicine and Director, Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center. In other areas, Columbia and Memorial Sloan Kettering will provide structural biology prowess, while the CDI and Rutgers will contribute medicinal chemistry know-how. The CDI's capabilities in pharmacology and animal research models will also play a major part in the drug accelerator program, which patterns itself on the TB Drug Accelerator program, of which CDI members have played a major part over the last decade. "Having these teams, which contribute in their own ways, is going to move the work along faster and more efficiently," said Ho, of Columbia. "We're eager to do our part." Equally important to these early phases of discovery are the pharmaceutical partners. As Perlin and others have described, the public-private partnership will bridge gaps which normally stifle advancements in key health areas. For instance, the CDI and Merck partnered starting in 2020 to conduct drug discovery via the Perlin-led CETR funded by the NIH. "Tri-I TDI's mission is to accelerate transformational drug discovery programs this challenge certainly is of global importance," said Peter T. Meinke, Ph.D., of Tri-I TDI. "We are excited to join with the distinguished MAVDA consortium to advance the development of much needed oral antiviral drugs for the treatment of COVID-19," said Julian Symons, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Aligos Therapeutics. "Our broadly acting, potent, SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibitor offers the potential to effectively inhibit both current and future variants that may emerge." The goal is to take what the scientists discover on the academic side, and rapidly translate it using the capabilities of the pharmaceutical companies. "We are excited at the breadth of this project, and the huge difference it could make," said Perlin. "For a global health challenge like COVID-19, we need to think bigger and differently. We embrace the challenge." ABOUT MAVDA The Metropolitan AntiViral Drug Accelerator, or MAVDA, has a mission to discover, optimize and test innovative small molecule antiviral drugs to target coronaviruses (CoVs), emphasizing SARS-CoV-2, and one or more select RNA viruses with pandemic potential. The goal is to rapidly develop drugs which can be given orally, and in an outpatient setting, in the near future. The group is funded by a three year, $65 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID)'s Antiviral Drug Discovery (AViDD) Centers for Pathogens of Pandemic Concern program. MAVDA combines world-class virologists and academic drug experts from the Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI), Rockefeller University, Columbia University, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), Rutgers University, along with proven antiviral drug developers Merck, the nonprofit Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute (Tri-I TDI), and Aligos. ABOUT THE CENTER FOR DISCOVERY AND INNOVATION The Center for Discovery and Innovation, a member of Hackensack Meridian Health, translates current innovations in science to improve clinical outcomes for patients. More than 21 laboratories, 155 professional researchers and physician-scientists at the CDI have set their sights on cancer, infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders, and other acute and chronic diseases. Clinical need drives the scientific insights, and their application, for these researchers, as shown in the real-time response to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in new diagnostics, therapies, and surveillance abilities. The CDI leverages a new wave of scientific advances involving genetics, cell engineering of the human immune system, and imaging to better diagnose, treat and prevent disease through personalized medicine approaches. For additional information, please visit www.hmh-cdi.org. ABOUT THE ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY The Rockefeller University is one of the world's leading biomedical research universities and is dedicated to conducting innovative, high-quality research to improve the understanding of life for the benefit of humanity. The university's unique approach to science has led to some of the world's most revolutionary and transformative contributions to biology and medicine. During Rockefeller's 121-year history, our scientists have won 26 Nobel Prizes, 25 Albert Lasker Medical Research Awards, and 20 National Medals of Science. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/academia-pharma-team-up-to-discover-new-drugs-in-fight-against-sars-cov-2-viruses-of-the-future-301558324.html SOURCE Hackensack Meridian Health VANCOUVER, BC, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Argentina Lithium & Energy Corp. (TSXV: LIT) (FSE: OAY3) (OTC: PNXLF), ("Argentina Lithium" or the "Company") announces the commencement of exploration drilling at its Rincon West lithium project in Salta Province, Argentina. Five exploration holes are initially planned to test multiple prospective brine targets identified from the geophysical survey data announced in the News Release dated May 2, 2022. This drill program is expected to require four months to complete. The Rincon West project covers 2470 hectares of the salar basin, located west of the adjacent Rincon Project owned by Rio Tinto. Previously announced geophysics results delineated highly conductive units consistent with concentrated brine aquifers over 64% of the property area. On May 27, the first of five exploration holes was initiated to test the geophysical targets. Two thousand metres of diamond drilling is budgeted for this initial campaign. The Company's drilling permit allows up to nine exploration holes, thus the scope of the program may be expanded based on results. "The Rincon West project has never been drilled though it is highly prospective. In this initial campaign, we are looking for high lithium grades and horizons that can produce high flow rates for a potential future production operation. The initial exploration holes have been located on the geophysics traverses in order to allow extrapolation of drill results more broadly across the geophysics coverage. Since the geophysics produced multiple exceptional targets, we hope to produce positive results early in this program." stated Miles Rideout, V.P. of Exploration. The drilling contract has been awarded to AGV Falcon S.R.L, an experienced drilling contractor with offices in Salta Province, Argentina. Brine samples will be analyzed by Alex Stewart Assayers Argentina S.A., a subsidiary of Alex Stewart International. The quality of sample analytical results will be assessed with a protocol of blank, duplicate and control samples to be included in each sample suite. Argentina Lithium has an option to earn a 100% interest in the Rincon West project, as described in the Company's September 28, 2021 News Release. Qualified Person David Terry, Ph.D., P.Geo. is the Company's Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101. Dr. Terry is responsible for oversight of the Company's early-stage exploration at the Rincon West property. The disclosure in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Terry. About Argentina Lithium Argentina Lithium & Energy Corp is focused on acquiring high quality lithium projects in Argentina and advancing them towards production in order to meet the growing global demand from the battery sector. The management group has a long history of success in the resource sector of Argentina and has assembled a first rate team of experts to acquire and advance the best lithium properties in the world renowned "Lithium Triangle". The Company is a member of the Grosso Group, a resource management group that has pioneered exploration in Argentina since 1993. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Nikolaos Cacos" _______________________________Nikolaos Cacos, President, CEO and Director Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including, without limitation, statements about the Company's plans for its mineral properties; the Company's business strategy, plans and outlooks; the future financial or operating performance of the Company; and future exploration and operating plans are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements and, even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things: the impact of COVID-19; risks and uncertainties related to the ability to obtain, amend, or maintain licenses, permits, or surface rights; risks associated with technical difficulties in connection with mining activities; and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Readers are encouraged to refer to the Company's public disclosure documents for a more detailed discussion of factors that may impact expected future results. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, unless required pursuant to applicable laws. We advise U.S. investors that the SEC's mining guidelines strictly prohibit information of this type in documents filed with the SEC. U.S. investors are cautioned that mineral deposits on adjacent properties are not indicative of mineral deposits on our properties. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/argentina-lithium-commences-exploration-drilling-at-rincon-west-301557529.html SOURCE Argentina Lithium & Energy Corp. President Filipe Nyusi on 28 May suggested postponing the election of district assemblies scheduled for 2024. Speaking at the end of a two day meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Frelimo Party, held in the southern city of Matola, President Nyusi called for "a reflection on the feasibility and sustainability of the country advancing to the election of district assemblies in 2024". He wanted the country's parliament, the government, the political parties, and civil society to be involved in such a reflection. The election of district assemblies was a demand raised by the largest opposition party Renamo in negotiations over a package of decentralisation measures that were included in constitutional amendments passed in 2018. There are currently 154 districts (more if urban districts are included). Nobody has calculated how much the district assemblies will cost. They will certainly complicate national elections. Voters will already be faced with three ballot papers in 2024, for the presidential, parliamentary, and provincial assembly elections. Adding a fourth, for the district assemblies, would lengthen the time taken to count the votes and declare the results. Even discounting the possibility of deliberate fraud, tired polling station staff, working since 05.00 in the morning, are bound to make more mistakes, if the count is extended deeper into the night. Just as with the municipalities and the provinces, district assembly elections would be organised on a party list basis, with the head of the list of whichever party wins becoming the new district administrator. The administrator will head a district government, known as the District Executive Council, which answers to the District Assembly. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Mozambique Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The Constitution says nothing else. The powers of the district administrator and the District Executive Council are to be fixed by laws which do not yet exist. Even the size of the district assemblies is not yet known. But it seems certain that they will provide hundreds, if not thousands of new jobs, with wages and allowances adding to the pressures on the state budget. There is also no clarity about where the powers of the provincial assemblies end and those of the district assemblies begin leaving fertile ground for conflict. President Nyusi told the Central Committee that the decentralisation package of 2018 had "strong points and weak points" in terms both of the legislation itself and its practical application. Decentralisation "is not a linear or finished process", he said, and so there should be "a functional analysis" to maximise the opportunities of the current scheme and "to reduce the potential overlapping of the attributes and powers of the bodies of provincial governance and those that represent the State in the province". "This is a reflection which should be made, with a cool head, and with our feet on the ground, so that the decision most appropriate for our country is taken", said President Nyusi. Charitable event series grows with new event- TOAST! - honoring all aspects of Washington's thriving wine industry SEATTLE, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of its 35th anniversary this year, Auction of Washington Wines (AWW), launches the inaugural industry celebration TOAST! taking place August 11. In advance of the iconic Winemaker Picnic & Barrel Auction and Annual Gala. Chateau Ste. Michelle will host the celebration featuring top Washington wines paired with a coursed meal by El Gaucho chefs. It is an opportunity to raise a glass in celebration of the people who keep the community thriving and focused on the future. In addition to the honorary vintner and grower awards, seven new awards will be given in diverse categories ranging from "Healthy Land, Healthy Communities," honoring those addressing environmental challenges and developing equitable, viable, and responsible solutions as well as "Vine to Wine," noting the individuals who are hands-on in the vineyard, including leaders or those collaborating with peers. Honorees are determined through an inclusive nomination process with an industry peer committee reviewing submissions and making final determinations. "The new TOAST! awards shine the light on all aspects of the industry by recognizing individuals and organizations who have gone above and beyond to advance the Washington wine industry, "says Jamie Peha, executive director for The Auction of Washington Wines. "This is a celebration of their many contributions and achievements." In recognition of past and present AWW honorees, established industry luminaries, and emerging leaders, TOAST! will also recognize three honorary chairs for 2022: Marchese Piero Antinori, honorary president of Marchesi Antinori; Renzo Cotarella, CEO of Marchese Antinori; and Marvin Shanken, editor and publisher of Wine Spectator Magazine and chairman of M. Shanken Communications as well as 2022 honorary vintner, John R. Bookwalter of Bookwalter Winery, and 2022 honorary grower, Kevin Corliss of Ste.Michelle Wine Estates. "We've followed the Washington Wine industry since its inception and followed the growth to what it has become today, a world class marriage of innovation, passion, and commitment," notes Marvin R. Shanken, editor and publisher of Wine Spectator Magazine and chairman of M. Shanken Communications. TOAST! Is presented by Winebow Fine Wines & Spirits. Capacity for TOAST! is 200, tickets are on sale now at auctionofwawines.org. About the Auction of Washington Wines (AWW) Since its inception in 1988, AWW has raised nearly $55 million to benefit Seattle Children's, Washington State University Viticulture & Enology Research, and the AWW Industry Grant. AWW is listed in the top five wine charity auctions in the U.S. by Wine Spectator. AWW's mission is to support the growth and awareness of the Washington state wine industry through a series of celebrated events benefiting the community. Key supporters for the 2022 season of events include Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, John L. Scott Foundation, The Seattle Times, PNC Bank, and Winebow Fine Wine & Spirits. For more information, please visit auctionofwawines.org. MEDIA CONTACTS: Erin Osborne / Annie SullivanOsborne Northwest Public Relations for Auction of Washington Wines[email protected] / [email protected] 206.948.6059 / 206.856.5660 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/auction-of-washington-wines-toasts-the-industry-with-inaugural-celebration-on-august-11-301558364.html SOURCE Auction of Washington Wines United Planner's DefendUP offering takes its critical infrastructure and access to key cloud applications "dark" and off the open internet SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- cleverDome, Inc., (cleverDome) a cybersecurity solution for the wealth management and legal industries that protects confidential consumer information by taking that information "Under the Dome" (i.e. secure and off the open Internet), and United Planners Financial Services (United Planners), a national wealth management firm that provides financial planning, investment management and insurance services, today announced a material cybersecurity offering focused on shielding the financial advisors of the firm and, in tandem, the financial advisory firms' clients. The announcement was made at United Planner's annual conference, which was held May 24 and 25, 2022 in Scottsdale, Arizona. VPNs lack sufficient controls to prevent unauthorized access - "going dark" with cleverDome is the answer "Can your most confidential information be taken off the open internet and secured? Yes, and we have proven it at United Planners via our DefendUP Cybersecurity Offering," said Sheila Cuffari-Agasi, EVP, Chief Revenue Officer of United Planners. "Thanks to cleverDome and their ingenious solution, our platform has been taken off the open internet and even includes tier 1 vendors like Orion and Redtail. Transmission of data between best-in-class technology vendors, advisors, their staff, and the back office is fast, smooth, stable, secure, and reliable. Advisors can rest assured knowing their client data is safe, protected, and off the open internet when doing business with United Planners." BETTER THAN A TRADITIONAL VPN SERVICE Mike Hallett, CEO of cleverDome said, "cleverDome has partnered with United Planner's DefendUP Platform to secure high-performance and affordable no-trust cybersecurity solutions, enabling wealth management and legal firms to finally leverage the internet in a safe fashion. cleverDome's solution is an always-on, securely-connected, blazingly-fast solution that materially trumps the benefit of VPN. We encourage other vendors to join the private network to provide this vital and maximum-security solution to their clients and advisors." Brian Kobel, Product Manager of United Planner's DefendUP Platform, said United Planners has partnered with cleverDome and others to take its critical infrastructure off the open internet. "The future is here at United Planners. Our home office infrastructure and all communications with essential cloud providers have been taken off the open internet. Devices, users, and our leading cloud partner platforms, along with all transmissions of data between them are, in essence, hidden from the open internet. This enables essential cybersecurity controls and principles to be enforced, such as minimum endpoint device standards, protected cloud services, and no-trust access and communications. On- and off-boarding of users is also immensely simplified. Additionally, we can say goodbye to the security and performance issues associated with traditional VPN services," Kobel said. "The United Planner's DefendUP program exists to further cybersecurity principles of confidentiality, integrity, and secure authentication. It is a holistic cybersecurity program offered to all United Planner's financial professionals," Kobel explained. "Offerings include services such as end-point protection and monitoring, security awareness and training, incident response, vendor cybersecurity due diligence, cybersecurity insurance, and secure networking. DefendUP's mission is to create confidence in a cloud-based industry for the financial professional and their clients by providing a secure and efficient work environment through safeguards within the UP network via technology and knowledge. The intent is to further allow financial professionals to focus more time and attention on their businesses and clients, rather than managing the complex and ever evolving details of cybersecurity." OFF THE OPEN INTERNET AND SECURE United Planners and cleverDome have partnered with Orion, Redtail, and others to include their infrastructure in this private network. This step addresses the CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) guidance as published on May 17, 2022. CISA published Alert (AA22-137A) Weak Security Controls and Practices Routinely Exploited for Initial Access | CISA. The alert encourages companies to adopt a zero-trust security model that eliminates implicit trust in any one element, node, or service, and instead requires continuous verification of the operational picture via real-time information from multiple sources to determine access and other system responses. Zero-trust architecture enables granular privilege access management and can allow users to be assigned only the rights required to perform their assigned tasks. The CISA alert also made note of security issues associated with traditional VPN solutions: Specifically, remote services, such as a virtual private network (VPN), lack sufficient controls to prevent unauthorized access. During recent years, malicious threat actors have been observed targeting remote services. Network defenders can reduce the risk of remote service compromise by adding access control mechanisms, such as enforcing MFA (multi-factor authentication), implementing a boundary firewall in front of a VPN, and leveraging intrusion detection system/intrusion prevention system sensors to detect anomalous network activity. cleverDome, when properly implemented, takes this a step further by eliminating the need for a VPN and replacing it with a more secure, faster, always-on, encrypted-connection between authenticated partners. DEFENDUP BY UNITED PLANNERS SECURES CONFIDENTIAL DATA Eric Clarke, CEO of Orion Advisor Solutions, stated, "I'm proud to partner with others in the industry such as cleverDome and United Planners and their DefendUP team looking for innovative ways to further secure confidential data on behalf of our collective customers." United Planner's no-trust model provides an actionable technical framework for the protection of its critical infrastructure. Secure communications require authentication of any device or user that wants to communicate on the network. Once authenticated, devices or users are permissioned only to those services for which they are entitled. Data is encrypted, fractionalized, and disbursed as it moves along the private network. Cloud vendors joining the private network work to securely set up gateways and go through cybersecurity due diligence to evaluate the degree to which all members cybersecurity programs adhere to standards that enforce the confidentiality and integrity of client data. The solution, when properly implemented, results in a multi-network architecture that is dedicated to enforcing zero-trust principles while mitigating daily attacks and zero-day exploits. About United Planners FINANCIAL SERVICES United Planners Financial Services (United Planners) is a national wealth management firm that provides financial planning investment management, and insurance services. Established in 1987, United Planners is proud of its "Adamantly Not For Sale" stance because it is 100% owned by its employees (minority share) and financial professionals (majority share). United Planners is uniquely structured as a limited partnership that offers ownership opportunities and profit sharing to its employees and financial professionals. United Planners embraces a culture, passion and strategy that caters to the fiercely independent financial professional community. United Planners' service model is to provide back-office support to independent financial professionals who then help investors manage their wealth to achieve their goals and objectives. United Planners' open-architecture model offers flexible, efficient and scalable solutions that position its financial professionals to build and manage profitable businesses. United Planners is a Registered Investment Advisor with the SEC / Registered Broker-Dealer with the FINRA / SIPC Member. To learn more, call a Partner Development Consultant at 800-966-8737 Option 3, or visit www.UnitedPlanners.com. ABOUT CLEVERDOME, INC. cleverDome, Inc. is a cybersecurity solution for the wealth management and legal industries that protects confidential consumer information by taking that information "Under the Dome" (i.e. secure and off the open Internet). Its mission is to protect confidential consumer information through safe, reliable and fast Internet connections. cleverDome provides a fundamental model for the future of secure trust networks: the unification of end-point protection with a secure communication layer under a common due diligence standard. cleverDome has since 2019 been developing an attorney-centric/advisor-centric (endpoint) model consisting of advanced tools for software providers (vendors) to deliver the Dome to the U.S. legal industry and regulated financial advisory firms, two groups that are highly-vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Learn more at www.cleverDome.com. Press Contact: Grace VogelzangImpact Communications, Inc.913-649-5009[email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cleverdome-and-united-planners-increase-cybersecurity-for-financial-advisors-and-their-valued-clients-301557054.html SOURCE cleverDome HARRISONBURG, Va., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- James Madison University's College of Education Secondary Education Post-Baccalaureate Program has created a new accelerated pathway into the teaching profession for aspiring secondary teachers (grades 6 through 12) who are looking to transition into education as a second career. Schools across Virginia and the United States are facing crisis-level teacher shortages that have been exacerbated by the pandemic; education experts warn that staffing shortfalls are expected to get worse in years ahead. Responding to the enormous need for qualified teachers, JMU's Secondary Education Program is taking action to help alleviate teacher shortages by educating aspiring second career teachers who are already in the workforce and inspired to leave their current job, but who may need flexibility as they pursue becoming educators. "Many people during the pandemic have begun to consider changing careers or have always felt drawn to inspire youth through teaching," said Dr. Katie Dredger, associate professor and academic unit head, middle, secondary, and mathematics education at JMU. "As teacher shortages are expected to only get worse, we need this program as another option for adult learners who are aspiring teachers to get their credentials." The unique three-semester graduate licensure program is designed to provide an option that suits the needs of career professionals and adult learners who are inspired to become teachers. Eighteen new teachers have graduated from the program since 2021, and 13 more will graduate in 2023. Originally a hand surgeon in the Shenandoah Valley for 17 years, Dr. Timothy Bill is one of those 18 new teachers. Dr. Bill completed his degree this spring in 18 months and will begin teaching science at Harrisonburg High School in the fall. "The traditional master's programs take more time to complete. Because of how the JMU program is organized, I obtained my degree in 18 months. I am excited to begin teaching at Harrisonburg High School this fall," said Bill. "I always had an interest in basic science and I look forward to teaching chemistry and biology. Thirty years of my life have been as a student. Now I feel it is time to give back to education and honor my former teachers." JMU's College of Education, the second largest public preparer of teachers in Virginia, has more than 100 full-time faculty and more than 3,000 students in teacher licensure programs. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jmu-launches-accelerated-teacher-education-program-to-help-alleviate-nationwide-teacher-shortages-301558267.html SOURCE James Madison University A Haven of Inspired Luxury and Genuine Hospitality Awaits at JW Marriott Hotel Frankfurt BETHESDA, Md., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- JW Marriott, part of Marriott Bonvoy's global portfolio of 30 extraordinary hotel brands, has made its debut in Frankfurt, Germany with the opening of JW Marriott Hotel Frankfurt. With purposeful design, extraordinary service and a commitment to holistic well-being, the property offers an elevated stay in the city, encouraging guests to connect with the world around them and revitalize the mind, body and spirit. "With each new opening, JW Marriott brings with it a legacy of luxury hospitality combined with the brand's foundation of holistic well-being," said Bruce Rohr, Global Brand Leader, JW Marriott. "Travelers to the storied German city staying at JW Marriott Hotel Frankfurt will now have access to JW Marriott's genuine service, comfortably modern design and of course guiding principles of a well-being lifestyle that can be seen and felt throughout the guest experience." Inspired DesignEach of the 219 guestrooms and suites features floor-to-ceiling windows offering sweeping views of the sparkling city skyline and River Main, offering a moment of reflection. Directly connected to the shopping area Zeil, the hotel offers guests an unbeatable location just steps away from the heart of Frankfurt. The hotel will soon complete a transformative renovation, bringing to life the JW Marriott brand's serene sensibility married with modern technology catering to the sophisticated, mindful traveller. Combining thoughtful interiors and fashionable state-of-the-art amenities, the hotel is a serene retreat within the heart of the thriving metropolis. Embracing local touches that encourage moments of reflection, JW Marriott Hotel Frankfurt has enlisted Hartwig Ebersbach, one of the most famous painters in Germany, to create 230 paintings which are delicately placed throughout the hotel. While the paintings are not for sale, guests can marvel at the depictions and inspirations that Hartwig Ebersbach gathered during his journeys around the globe. Culinary DelightsJW Marriott Hotel Frankfurt embraces the brand's focus on authentic and sustainable dining experiences with two concepts for guests. Located on the first floor, Max on One offers modern French cuisine with an Asian twist in a metropolitan atmosphere. Perfect for after dinner drinks, guests can enjoy Ember Bar & Lounge, a chic cocktail and champagne lounge with an extensive gin and wine list. Furthering the brand's commitment to nourishing the body as well as the spirit, JW Marriott Hotel Frankfurt produces its very own delicious honey from a colony of bees that reside on the hotel's rooftop. The honey is served fresh from a honeycomb during breakfast while also being incorporated into delectable dishes served during lunch and dinner. An Urban SanctuaryJW Marriott Frankfurt is designed with guests' well-being in mind. Guests of the hotel are encouraged to take a moment for themselves to truly discover the experiences that will leave them feeling revitalised and refreshed both during and after their stay. The hotel's fitness centre offers a variety of services including cardiovascular equipment and free weights. The Spa by JW offers amenities including indulgent and calming treatments and access to the onsite indoor pool, spa and sauna. The Spa by JW invites guests to an experience that's effortless, approachable, and intuitive and where spaces connect seamlessly, offering areas to relax in with or without a treatment, as an individual or part of a group. "We are excited to introduce the JW Marriott brand to Germany," said David Salomon, General Manager, JW Marriott Frankfurt. "With its perfect location in the heart of Frankfurt, as well as extraordinary service and special finishing touches, JW Marriott Frankfurt brings excellence and redefined luxury to the city." JW Marriott Frankfurt is just a 15-minute drive from Frankfurt International Airport. For more information on the hotel and its amenities, including open job opportunities and to secure reservations, please visit: www.marriott.com. About JW Marriott JW Marriott is part of Marriott International's luxury portfolio of brands and consists of beautiful properties and distinctive resort locations around the world. JW Marriott is a tribute to the founder of Marriott International, J. Willard "J.W." Marriott, who prioritized his own well-being so that he could take better care of others. Inspired by his approach to life and rooted in holistic well-being, JW Marriott properties offer a haven designed to allow guests to focus on feeling whole present in mind, nourished in body, and revitalized in spirit through programs and offerings that encourage them to come together and experience every moment to the fullest. Today there are more than 100 JW Marriott hotels in more than 35 countries and territories worldwide that cater to sophisticated, mindful travelers who come seeking experiences that help them be fully present, foster meaningful connections and feed the soul. Visit JW Marriott online, and on Instagram and Facebook. JW Marriott is proud to participate in Marriott Bonvoy, the global travel program from Marriott International. The program offers members an extraordinary portfolio of global brands, exclusive experiences on Marriott Bonvoy Moments and unparalleled benefits including free nights and Elite status recognition. To enroll for free or for more information about the program, visit marriottbonvoy.com. About Marriott Bonvoy Marriott Bonvoy's extraordinary portfolio offers renowned hospitality in the most memorable destinations in the world, with 30 brands that are tailored to every type of journey. Members can earn points for stays at hotels and resorts, including all-inclusive resorts and premium home rentals, and through everyday purchases with co-branded credit cards. Members can redeem their points for experiences including future stays, Marriott Bonvoy Moments, or through partners for luxurious products from Marriott Bonvoy Boutiques. To enroll for free or for more information about Marriott Bonvoy, visit marriottbonvoy.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jw-marriott-debuts-in-germany-301558195.html SOURCE Marriott International, Inc. Operating profit for the quarter amounted to NIS 102 million, which constitute approximately 2.9% of the Group's revenues, and net profit amounted to approximately NIS 27 million, which constitute approximately 0.8% of total revenues The Be network's revenues grew by approximately 25% as compared to the corresponding quarter last year. They amounted to approximately NIS 269 million in the first quarter as compared to approximately NIS 216 million in the corresponding quarter last year TEL AVIV, Israel, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Shufersal (TASE: SAE), Israel's leading retailer, announced today financial results for the first quarter of year 2022. The Group's revenues in the first quarter amounted to approximately NIS 3.4 billion as compared to NIS 3.8 billion last year. The Group's revenues in the first quarter amounted to NIS 3.5 billion as compared to NIS 3.8 billion last year. The decrease of about 7% is mainly due to the fact that the first quarter of last year was characterized by a closure that significantly affected the Group's revenues, and also due to the timing of the late Passover this year and the days of preparation for it, which were mainly concentrated during the second quarter. Gross profit in the first quarter amounted to NIS 925 million, which constitute approximately 26.4% of revenues as compared to approximately NIS 1 billion in the corresponding quarter last year, which constituted approximately 27.0% of revenues. The decrease in total gross profit was mainly due to a decrease in the Group's revenues. The rate of gross profit from total revenues is approximately 26.4% as compared to approximately 27.0% in the corresponding quarter last year, which is due to an increase in the rate of operating expenses. Operating profit in the first quarter amounted to approximately NIS 102 million which constitute approximately 2.9% of the Group's revenues as compared to approximately NIS 198 million, which constituted approximately 5.3% of the Group's revenues in the corresponding quarter last year. Net income in the first quarter amounted to approximately NIS 27 million, which constitute approximately 0.8% of revenues as compared to approximately NIS 114 million, which constituted approximately 3.0% of revenues in the corresponding quarter last year. EBITDA for the quarter amounted to approximately NIS 316 million, as compared to approximately NIS 397 million in the corresponding period last year, and constitutes approximately 9.0% of the Group's total revenues as compared to approximately 10.5% in the corresponding quarter last year. The decrease is mainly due to a decrease in operating profit. Sales in the same branches in the Group decreased by approximately 8.4% as compared to the corresponding quarter last year mainly due to the weakening of the influence of coronavirus and the effect of the closure in the first quarter last year as well as the timing of Passover. The Be network continues to improve its results in accordance with the company's work plans. The Be network revenues in the first quarter amounted to NIS 269 million as compared to NIS 216 million in the corresponding quarter last year, which constitutes an increase of 25%. The operating profit of the Be network in the first quarter of 2022 amounted to approximately NIS 1 million, similar to the corresponding quarter last year. Shufersal Online's sales in the first quarter amounted to approximately 21.8% of total retail sales as compared to approximately 22.4% in the corresponding quarter last year. The decrease in the online sales share of the company's total sales is mainly due to the fact that online sales in the first quarter of last year were particularly substantial in light of peak demand resulting from the closure. Private Label sales share in the first quarter was approximately 27.6% of total food retail sales as compared to approximately 27.4% in the corresponding quarter last year, constituting an increase of about 0.2% as compared to the corresponding quarter last year. Ran Gottfried, Chairman of the Board of Shufersal and Ofer Bloch, CEO of the Shufersal Group, said today: "The first quarter continued the trend of exiting the coronavirus closure period that characterized the previous year. The company's sales that fell in the quarter as well as the timing of Passover are a direct result of a return to routine in Israel and around the world. In particular, there is a return to routine among the general Israeli public who have resumed flying abroad, which significantly affects the comparison between the quarters. The company continues to strengthen its core business in the chain's branches and promote its growth strategy, including online operations, the Be network, Shufersal Business activities, Shufersal Finance, the Customer Club, the Private Label and more. Through them the company is improving its value propositions to the Israeli consumer while promoting innovation and differentiation in the market in which it operates. The company is getting ready as part of a return to routine, while carrying out operational preparations and streamlining processes that will allow it to return to the profitability rates which characterized the previous quarters". For further information, please contact:[email protected] View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shufersal-reports-today-on-the-financial-results-of-the-first-quarter-of-year-2022-301557577.html SOURCE Shufersal NEW YORK, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- After pausing for nearly three years due to the pandemic, the Specialty Food Association (SFA) Summer Fancy Food Show, sponsored by official partner county Italy, will return to New York City. The largest B2B-only specialty food show in the U.S., it runs June 12-14 at the GBAC-certified Javits Center. The largest B2B-only specialty food and beverage show in the U.S., the Show is open only to the trade and will run June 12-14 at the GBAC-certified Javits Center. The hours will be 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Sunday and Monday, and 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Tuesday. "Our team has been working hard to create a dynamic show in our hometown of New York," said Bill Lynch, president of the SFA. "We are all looking forward to gathering together at the Javits to reconnect in person." Show features include: (included) Pavilion BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color)-led and founded companies: AYO Foods, Bon AppeSweet, Green Sahara, Good Food For Good, Hrbvor, Mighty Gum, Mocktail Club, Sweet Logic, Waju, wildwonder. BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color)-led and founded companies: AYO Foods, Bon AppeSweet, Green Sahara, Good Food For Good, Hrbvor, Mighty Gum, Mocktail Club, Sweet Logic, Waju, wildwonder. Education programming , including the new 2022 State of the Specialty Food Industry research. , including the new 2022 State of the Specialty Food Industry research. 2022 sofi Awards showcasing the most innovative products from SFA member makers. showcasing the most innovative products from SFA member makers. Incubator Village brand new companies showcasing products that are ready to launch. brand new companies showcasing products that are ready to launch. Startup Pavilion up and coming makers. up and coming makers. Deli Pavilion featuring meats and cheeses. featuring meats and cheeses. Beverage Pavilion explore and taste innovative drinks. explore and taste innovative drinks. Confectionery, Snacks and Sweets Pavilion International Pavilions Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic, Egypt, France, Greece, Iceland, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Kosovo, Lithuania, Morocco, Peru, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Southern Africa, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom. Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic, Egypt, France, Greece, Iceland, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Kosovo, Lithuania, Morocco, Peru, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Southern Africa, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom. U.S. State Pavilions Georgia, New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia. Georgia, New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia. Diverse, Equity & Inclusive Exhibitors Via Map Your Show for quick identification of diverse and small business exhibitors. Via Map Your Show for quick identification of diverse and small business exhibitors. Trendspotter Panel Melanie Zanoza Bartelme; Mikel Cirkus; Jenn de la Vega; Jonathan Deutsch, PhD, CHE, CRC; Victoria Ho; Brian Lofink; Kantha Shelke, Ph.D., CFS; Stan Sagner. Melanie Zanoza Bartelme; Mikel Cirkus; Jenn de la Vega; Jonathan Deutsch, PhD, CHE, CRC; Victoria Ho; Brian Lofink; Kantha Shelke, Ph.D., CFS; Stan Sagner. SFA Media Center a collaboration with the Food Institute, a trusted industry source for news, data, and trends, on livestreaming Show coverage via YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, and specialtyfood.com. Monday, June 13 and Tuesday, June 14 Live coverage will include interviews with industry leaders, exhibitors, and buyers, with SFA staff reporting from the Show floor. a collaboration with the Food Institute, a trusted industry source for news, data, and trends, on livestreaming Show coverage via YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, and specialtyfood.com. Monday, June 13 and Tuesday, June 14 Live coverage will include interviews with industry leaders, exhibitors, and buyers, with SFA staff reporting from the Show floor. SFA Product Marketplace digital showcase of member exhibitor brands and products, shopspecialtyfood.com. digital showcase of member exhibitor brands and products, shopspecialtyfood.com. What's New, What's Hot in Specialty Food best-sellers all together in one not-to-be-missed location. best-sellers all together in one not-to-be-missed location. End-of-Show Food Rescue and Donation with City Harvest. Special Events: SFA Awards Celebration Presentation of the Lifetime Achievement and Leadership Awards , and Specialty Food Hall of Fame; announcement of New Prod uct of the Year and Product of the Year sofi Awards. Sunday, June 12 starting at 4 p.m., reception to follow. Presentation of the and , and announcement of and Sunday, June 12 starting at 4 p.m., reception to follow. A Fancy New York Pitch Slam at the Summer Fancy Food Show Entrepreneurs pitch their up-and-coming companies to a panel of experts and audience members. In partnership with Naturally New York, Monday, June 13, 4:00 p.m. The SFA is working with New York City to ensure that all show safety protocols meet the needs of the specialty food community. For more information, visit specialtyfood.com. About the Specialty Food Association The Specialty Food Association (SFA) is the leading trade association and source of information about the $170.4 billion specialty food industry. Founded in 1952 in New York City, the SFA represents manufacturers, importers, retailers, distributors, brokers, and others in the trade. The SFA is known for its Fancy Food Shows; the sofi Awards, which honor excellence in specialty food and beverage; the Trendspotter Panel Show reports and annual predictions; the State of the Specialty Food Industry Report and Today's Specialty Food Consumer research; the new ecommerce enabled SFA Product Marketplace, where members showcase products, tell their brand story, field meeting inquiries, and sell directly to qualified buyers; SFA Feed, the daily source for news, trends and new product information in the specialty food industry, and Spill & Dish: A Specialty Food Association Podcast. Facebook: Specialty Food AssociationLinkedIn: Specialty Food AssociationTwitter: @Specialty_FoodInstagram: @specialtyfoodassociationHashtags: #FancyFoodShow #FancyFoodNYC #SpecialtyFood View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/specialty-food-association-welcomes-buyers-makers-and-industry-affiliates-back-to-the-summer-fancy-food-show-301558005.html SOURCE Specialty Food Association Learn best practices and hear insights from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital oncologists, psychologists, scientists and more at the annual gathering of clinical oncology experts. MEMPHIS, Tenn., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Professionals from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital will share original research and expertise at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting. The meeting will be held June 48, at McCormick Place in Chicago and include online lectures. ASCO is the premier professional society for clinical oncology, representing nearly 45,000 individuals dedicated to cancer care. 2022 ASCO Pediatric Oncology Award Amar Gajjar, M.D., Department of Pediatric Medicine and Department of Oncology chair, will receive the 2022 ASCO Pediatric Oncology Award. Gajjar has been honored with this year's award for his work leading clinical trials developing novel treatments for pediatric brain tumors. He will accept the award in person and have a pre-recorded lecture available on-demand, online. He is the seventh investigator from St. Jude to receive the honor. The award presentation is 9:30 a.m. CST, Saturday, June 4 in N Hall B1. A new approach to neuroblastoma Neuroblastoma is a rare pediatric cancer that develops in neuroblasts, cells which develop into nerve cells. High-risk neuroblastoma has a survival rate of about 50%. In a pilot study, St. Jude researchers worked with the clinical trials organization Children's Oncology Group. Together, they found that adding the chemoimmunotherapy dinutuximab to the treatment of pediatric patients with recurrent or refractory neuroblastoma produced a response rate of 86.8%. Sara Federico, M.D., St. Jude Department of Oncology, will present the results in her talk "A Pilot Induction Regimen Incorporating Dinutuximab and Sargramostim for the Treatment of Newly Diagnosed High-risk Neuroblastoma: A Report from the Children's Oncology Group." Federico's talk complements other research about disparities in high-risk neuroblastoma survival that is being presented at the meeting. Federico's talk is 3:36 p.m. CST, Monday, June 6, in room S406, as part of the Pediatric Oncology session. A Global Perspective Two St. Jude researchers are included in the ticketed session, "Meet the Professors: Improving Childhood Cancer Outcomes Worldwide." Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, M.D., St. Jude Global Pediatric Medicine chair, will present "Life During Wartime: SAFER Ukraine." Catherine Lam M.D., Global Pediatric Medicine, will report on "Improving Worldwide Outcomes in Pediatric Oncology: The World Health Organization Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer." The session begins at 4:45 p.m. CST, Saturday, June 4, in room E253b. Educational session in medulloblastoma Paul Northcott, Ph.D., St. Jude Department of Developmental Neurobiology, will present "The Genetics and Epigenetics of Medulloblastoma: Implications for Risk Stratification." His talk is part of the "Medulloblastoma: Molecular Classification, Risk Stratification, and Therapeutic Implications" educational session. It is at 11:30 a.m. CST, Sunday, June 5, in room S504. Conquer Cancer awards Three St. Jude researchers will receive Conquer Cancer awards from the ASCO foundation at the annual meeting. Dylan Graetz, M.D.,, Department of Global Pediatric Medicine, will receive a Career Development Award, which provides three years of research funding to promising early career investigators developing their own clinical cancer research program. Caitlyn Duffy, M.D., Department of Oncology, and Marta Salek, M.D., Department of Oncology, will both receive Global Oncology Young Investigator Awards. This award funds early-career investigators tackling global health needs. Presenting original research posters Scientists from St. Jude will present original research on a variety of topics at poster sessions throughout the conference. The primary focus of these posters will be pediatric oncology, including neurocognitive or cardiac function post-treatment. The posters also assess new cancer therapies and connect nutrition with treatment-induced disease. St. Jude Children's 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. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/st-jude-research-highlighted-at-annual-meeting-of-the-american-society-of-clinical-oncology-301558397.html SOURCE St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Town Upgrades to Ductile Iron Pipes When Water Mains Need Replacing BIRMINGHAM, Ala., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association (DIPRA) welcomes the Town of West Springfield, MA, to the Century Club, recognizing the town's continuous use of cast iron pipes in its water system for at least 100 years. "The DIPRA Century Club is a great educational tool when drinking water and other utilities are out of sight and mind to explain that conduits of a precious resource need to be durable, safe, and resistant from environmental factors that will last many lifetimes," said West Springfield Mayor William C. Reichelt. "We are proud of the work that the West Springfield Water Division puts in day-in and day-out to provide our community with 24 hours a day, seven days a week, access to high-quality water. There are no other commodities that we have access to where it is delivered to our residents' houses daily, so they have it when they need it at such affordable rates, but that is exactly what the Water Division helps to do. Their long-term commitment to affordable and resilient materials like ductile iron has helped them in their drive to maintain this low cost yet high-quality service." The section of water main that is the focus of the Century Club's induction is about 6 miles of cast-iron pipes underneath Kings Highway and Elm Street, initially installed in October 1875. The lines range in size from 6 to 18 inches. The town's Dept. of Public Works noted that some parts of the original pipes were taken out of service in the 1950s. The West Springfield Aquaduct Company installed the pipes. Elsewhere in town, 28 miles of cast-iron pipes are more than 100 years old. But the Town has been upgrading its water infrastructure. About 82 percent of the town's mains are cast iron, while the rest except for 2 percent have been replaced with Ductile iron pipe. "Everything has a life span, and when we replace the water mains, the Ductile pipe will be the Town's first choice," said Jeffrey R. Auer, the Deputy Director of Water. He added that foresight by the town, water operators, and public works superintendents has led to a consistent standard that ensures the continuity of the water system. There are more than 540 utilities in the United States and 34 utilities in Canada that are members of the Century Club. These utilities are all still using at least some of the cast iron pipes installed underground more than 100 years ago. DIPRA also sponsors a Sesquicentennial Club in which 25 utilities in the U.S. and 4 in Canada are known to be using cast iron pipes for more than 150 years. "DIPRA's Century Club honors the lasting legacy of cast iron pipe, which is the forerunner of Ductile iron pipe," said DIPRA President Patrick J. Hogan. "We're proud to welcome the Town of West Springfield and recognize its commitment to providing its community with clean, safe drinking water. The smart planning by officials to invest in long-lasting pipes that are resilient to environmental pressures and time shows how important it is to make the right choices for water infrastructure. Ductile iron pipe is the smartest choice for communities looking to provide clean drinking water for generations." About DIPRA Founded in 1915, the Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association (DIPRA) has served as a resource and technical advisor to the water industry. DIPRA also provides representation on standards-making committees as well as technical research on a variety of applications-based topics. While DIPRA member companies have different names and locations, they share a common commitment to produce and deliver the finest quality water and wastewater pipe material in the world, Ductile Iron Pipe, and at the greatest possible value to its purchasers. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/west-springfield-ma-joins-dipras-century-club-honoring-its-use-of-cast-iron-pipes-for-more-than-100-years-301558006.html SOURCE Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association (DIPRA) LOS ANGELES (Tribune News Service) LA Fleet Week came to a close this Memorial Day, with the holiday drawing large crowds, but some organizations are hoping their outreach over the course of the long weekend will last. The event the first in-person Fleet Week since 2019 featured four days of Armed Forces celebrations centered on sea services including the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps. Today's events closed with a Memorial Day Service in honor of veterans across the country. While Fleet Week offers attendees a glimpse behind the closed doors of the military's technical operations and equipment, it's also a forum for community outreach. This year, environmental education took center stage at Fleet Week with attendees varying from the Navy's Stewards of the Sea to San Pedro's Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. "What we're talking about is the environmental actions that the U.S. Navy has to protect, preserve and sustain the environment," said Helen Haase, an environmental public affairs coordinator with the Navy's Stewards of the Sea program. Stewards of the Sea, established in 2013, is sponsored by the U.S. Fleet Forces Command. Its goal, according to the program's website, is to educate "on the Navy's environmental policy and initiatives and to increase support for its training and basing activities among public, scientific and regulatory communities." Stewards of the Sea has several environment-focused programs and with the help of biologists, geologists and historians, it helps conserve, restore, and sustain the areas most impacted by Department of Defense operations across the country. Stewards of the Sea set up shop at Fleet Week just out front of the USS Iowa for the long weekend in hope of educating the community about the Navy's environmental protection efforts. "Our interest in the environment has to do with the fact that we overdeveloped the southwest region," Haase said, "and that a lot of the (Department of Defense) land ended up being where a lot of endangered species live." Haase cited San Clemente Island, which sits off the California coast and is used exclusively for Navy training operations, as an example of habitat restoration the Navy is undertaking on land that they still actively use. "We study them (native island wildlife), and we make sure that we're not training where they're having babies or during mating season," Haase said. "We have some awesome stories of species that live on the island that have been removed from the endangered species list." Since the U.S. government began eyeing environmental protection regulations, Haase said, the Navy has learned to adapt to being stewards of earth-friendly operations. "We put a lot of effort into it and we're very proud of it otherwise we would lose the trust of the public and the land we work on," Haase said. "We have better standards and we do follow them, and there are a lot of people who are very passionate about doing their work right." Also in attendance at Fleet Week was the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention, known as Cal Fire. The State of California department has stewardship of 31 million acres of California's privately owned wildlands, according to its website. Aside from providing vital wildfire response, the department provides a range of emergency services for local municipalities in 36 counties across the state. As California's wildfires continue to worsen in intensity, frequency and duration fueled by rising temperatures and climate change CAL FIRE has made efforts to shift some of its focus from wildfire response to wildfire prevention. "The Department's Fire Prevention Program consists of multiple activities including wildland pre-fire engineering, vegetation management, fire planning, education and law enforcement," the agency's website says. For Windy Bouldin, chief of the Office of Program Accountability at CAL FIRE, Fleet Week serves two vital functions it's an opportunity to educate the public on fire prevention tips, and to get in touch with veterans looking for new careers after their service. Aside from her position as accountability chief, she's coordinator of RVETS shorthand for Returning Veterans: Enlisting Their Skills, which aims to connect veterans with career resources. "We have a lot of partnerships with the military and its different branches," Bouldin said, noting that many veterans attempt to transition into firefighting post-service. "What we say is, this is Cal Fire's grassroots effort to integrate and transition service members and their families into service with CAL FIRE." The process can be daunting, Bouldin said, and RVETS' mission is to clarify the requirements and match veterans with jobs that fit their existing skill sets. "It's quite a laborious process to get (a job) with the state," she said, "so we try to help navigate them through that, because most don't understand that the application you're submitting may just be for an exam and not an actual vacancy." California has several employment benefits for veterans they may not be aware of. "It can be overwhelming, and a lot of times veterans are underemployed," Bouldin said. "There's a need to match veterans with jobs at their skill level or it's a waste of talent that weighs on morale." Expanding the pool of applicants who can apply to positions with CAL FIRE, Bouldin said, helps the agency fulfill its mission of fire management, prevention and response statewide. Fleet Week has also helped CAL FIRE provide basic fire prevention tips to the public, Bouldin said. The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, just a few blocks from the Fleet Week expo in San Pedro, also made an appearance this year. The aquarium's booth stocked with educational materials, and preserved sea creatures on display offered Fleet Week attendees a hands-on chance to hatch grunion eggs. Native to Southern California, grunion are known for their annual excursion ashore at night to lay eggs. They're the only fish to do so and that, along with the iridescent glow produced by the moon's reflection on their scales has drawn crowds in the hundreds to local beaches to watch the process. "We want to educate the kids more about the aquarium," said Mckenna Quick, who works at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. "We brought the grunion so they could hatch one of the fish native to our coasts we're one of the only beaches that they come up on most frequently." Even some locals, Quick said, have never heard of the grunion. "It's really cool for them to be able to come to the beach and see these animals and then to be able to come back to the Aquarium and hatch these eggs themselves," Quick said. Aside from grunion hatchings and viewings, the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium offers whale-watching excursions, local island tours, nature-centric lecture series' and more. (c)2022 Daily Breeze, Torrance, Calif. Visit Daily Breeze, Torrance, Calif. at https://www.dailybreeze.com/ Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan Last year it was virtual, but this year Fleet Week Japan turned personal. Sailors from the U.S. Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force teamed up May 23-27 for a week of contests and activities at naval bases around Japan, including Yokosuka, the homeport of the U.S. 7th Fleet. Fleet Week Japan serves to familiarize the allied sailors with one another and their cultures, according to Naval Forces Japan. The inaugural events in 2021 were held virtually due to restrictions imposed to combat the spread of COVID-19. This year, the two sides met up for local trips and competitive events. The purpose of Fleet Week Japan is to celebrate the relationship between the U.S. and Japan, Rear Adm. Carl Lahti, commander of Naval Forces Japan, told Stars and Stripes in an email Friday. It is about taking the time to explore our cultures, and to engage with our Japanese and JMSDF counterparts on a more personal level. On May 25, for example, three teams, each a mix of Japanese and American sailors, huddled together at Yokosuka to prepare for a tug-of-war, the final event of an already busy day. U.S sailors from Yokosuka joined Japanese sailors from the adjacent Maritime Self-Defense Force base in the team-building exercise. The hands-on nature of a tug-of-war contrasted with the personal challenges that took place in isolation last year long-distance walking and stair climbing as part of the first Fleet Week Japan. Some personal exchanges took place between officers from both countries. This year, with relaxed restrictions, Fleet Week Japan included more in-person events and more enlisted sailors in each event. On May 23, 10 U.S. and Japanese officers from Yokosuka traveled to Kamakura, the 12th-century capital of Japan, for a cultural exchange. Lt. j.g. Natsumi Horie, 34, of Chiba prefecture, said she made personal connections with several American sailors throughout the day. I enjoyed walking and visiting places in Kamakura, but the most interesting thing was to share our values not just as Americans and Japanese, but as people, she told Stars and Stripes on May 25. Prior to their tug-of-war, 10 officers and 10 enlisted sailors from each side made a 6-mile hike, toured some of Yokosukas caves and watched a military working dog demonstration. Sailors from both countries also participated in Fleet Week Japan at Naval Air Facility Atsugi, about 25 miles from Yokosuka, and at Sasebo Naval Base on Kyushu island in southern Japan. Sailors ran about 1 miles at Atsugi and climbed 1,150-foot-high Mount Yumihari near Sasebo. Along with sailors, Japanese and U.S. civilians were invited to take part in the events, or Navy Sea Legs Fitness challenges. Chief Petty Officer Jaime Romero, 38, of Houston, said he made personal, as well as professional, contacts during Fleet Week this year. I think whats important is that were able to talk with the Self-Defense Force, and actually get to know each other instead of just business, Romero told Stars and Stripes on May 25. We get to know each other a little bit closer, and we get to know different cultures. Mozambique's ruling Frelimo Party has recommended that the government reduce the country's dependence on imported petrol and diesel and rely more on its reserves of natural gas. Speaking on 28 May at the end of a meeting of the Frelimo Central Committee in the southern city of Matola, President Filipe Nyusi said it was now urgent to switch to massive use of natural gas. Vehicles should be converted to use gas rather than liquid fuels. This is not the first time such an appeal has been made, but to date, only a small number of vehicles have been converted to run on gas and filling stations with compressed natural gas only exist in the Maputo area. The President blamed the rising cost of living on increases in the price of fuel and other imported goods such as wheat and fertiliser which were a consequence of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. He praised the government for coordinating with private businesses on taking measures to mitigate the impact of international price rises on the lives of citizens. These measures included reductions in fuel taxes, profit margins, and storage and logistics costs. The government has also exempted kerosene and cooking gas from value added tax (VAT). He stated that "with these measures, our government is ensuring that fuel prices in our country are much lower than in other members of SADC (Southern African Development Community)". The President stressed that Mozambique has enormous reserves of natural gas offshore, in the northern province of Cabo Delgado and the southern province of Inhambane. For more than a decade, natural gas from the Pande and Temane fields in Inhambane has been exported to South Africa - but the use of this fuel domestically has been minimal. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Mozambique Petroleum By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. One matter that the Central Committee seems not to have discussed is the possibility of a third term of office for President Nyusi. In public statements at the start of the meeting on 27 May, the Frelimo youth wing, the OJM (Mozambique Youth Organisation), called for a further five year term for President Nyusi at the helm of the Party. No such call came from the Mozambique Women's Organisation (OMM) or the Association of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle (ACLLN). President Nyusi did not mention the question in either his opening or his closing speech and it did not feature in the press release issued at end of the meeting. The Mozambican constitution does not allow the President of the Republic to hold three consecutive terms of office. The Constitution can be changed if two thirds of the parliamentary deputies vote for the amendment. Frelimo enjoys a two thirds majority in the Mozambican parliament, the Assembly of the Republic. As for President Nyusi remaining President of Frelimo, while someone else is elected head of state, this is possible, but commentators suggest that this is unlikely as the two posts have always been held by the same person in the past. A U.S. Navy littoral combat ship has deployed to the Middle East for the first time and is now sailing in the waters of the Red Sea. The USS Sioux City and its 75 crew members arrived in the region Saturday, a statement Monday by Navy Central Command said. It had been operating in the Naples, Italy-based U.S. 6th Fleets area of responsibility since early May for its first mission to Europe after operations in the Caribbean Sea last year. Cmdr. Scott Whitworth commands the ship, which includes a detachment of two MH-60S Seahawk helicopters from the Sea Knights of helicopter sea combat squadron 22, a Navy statement said. While in the Red Sea, the ship will support Combined Task Force 153, which focuses on missions in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden, the NAVCENT statement said. Sioux Citys arrival is not only historic but essential to regional maritime security, given its immediate integration with our new multinational naval task force, said Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of NAVCENT, the U.S. 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces. The deployment comes a week after the Navys top officer told Congress that the service would like to deactivate its nine Freedom-class littoral combat ships, a group that includes the Sioux City and some ships that are only two years old. Freedom-class ships were set to deploy to the Middle East in 2020, but that timetable was delayed after the ships were found to have an engineering flaw in their propulsion systems, Defense News reported in January. The ships would be ineffective in fighting Chinese submarines, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday told lawmakers last week, according to a May 26 report by U.S. Naval Institute News. Unfortunately, the littoral combat ships that we have, while the mechanical issues were a factor, a bigger factor was the lack of sufficient warfighting capability against a peer competitor in China, Gilday said, according to the USNI report. He added that one possibility is giving them to allied countries in South America to combat drug smuggling. The littoral combat ship program has been controversial since its inception in the early 2000s, a 2019 Congressional Research Service report said. The program has seen increasing costs, mechanical problems and concerns over whether the craft are sufficiently armed, the report said. Last week, in an unscripted moment, President Joe Biden warned bluntly that if China invades Taiwan, the United States will come to the islands defense. Weve made a commitment, Biden told reporters at a news conference in Tokyo. Including military action? Yes, he replied. That isnt what U.S. policy on Taiwan says not officially, at least. The White House and State Department hurriedly tried to walk back the presidents words. Our policy has not changed, they insisted. Biden critics called it a gaffe, but the statement wasnt a slip of the tongue. Biden has used the same language about Taiwan three times in nine months. When a president offers his personal version of policy three times in a row, that pretty much makes it official even if it wasnt issued in a formal communique. What Biden did was to say openly what has been implicit for several years: The United States is willing to threaten force to deter China from invading Taiwan. Until now, those hints were couched in a policy known as strategic ambiguity. The president made it less ambiguous. China hawks hailed the rhetorical shift as a welcome burst of clarity. Others worried that it might provoke China toward reckless action. The Chinese reaction was anger. If the U.S. continues to go down the wrong path, there will be irretrievable consequences and the U.S. will have to bear an unbearable price, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin warned. Why such a storm over the word commitment? A bit of history may help. China considers Taiwan to be part of its national territory, and so, for many years, did the rulers of Taiwan, the U.S.-backed losers of Chinas civil war who fled to the island when the Communists took power in 1949. In 1979, when President Jimmy Carter recognized Beijing as the sole legitimate government of China, Congress passed the Taiwan Relations Act. It committed the United States to supply weapons to the islands government. However, it did not commit the United States to intervene militarily against a Chinese invasion; that was left ambiguous. The idea was to deter China without directly opposing its aspiration to reabsorb Taiwan. That balance was relatively easy to maintain when China was weaker. But over the last two decades, China has strengthened and become an assertive regional power: building military bases in the South China Sea, bullying weaker neighbors like the Philippines and harassing Taiwans armed forces with air and naval incursions. Chinese officials have derided the United States as a declining power. After the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan last year, one of Beijings official newspapers said the lesson for Taiwan was that if war broke out, the U.S. military wont come to help. Thats when Biden first said publicly that the United States had a commitment to defend Taiwan, much like the U.S. obligation to its allies in NATO. His intention, then and now, was clear: to make Chinas President Xi Jinping think long and hard before considering an invasion. But by announcing the commitment the way he did, he created consternation in his own foreign policy bureaucracy. I dont think the confusion is helpful, said Bonnie S. Glaser, director of the Asia Program at the German Marshall Fund. Glaser supports the goal of deterring China from invading Taiwan but said it isnt clear that Bidens warnings will do that. What will deter China, and what will provoke China? Its not clear that we know, she said. The Chinese believe we are testing their bottom line, seeing if they will respond if we touch on one of their core interests like Taiwan. If they think we are encouraging [Taiwan to declare] independence, they could well be tempted to use force. Its also not clear whether the United States could defeat a Chinese invasion. Chinas navy is the largest in the world, although its ships are smaller and less sophisticated than those of the U.S. and its allies. A 2018 study commissioned by Congress warned that the United States might struggle to win, or perhaps lose, a war against China. So to make his commitment to Taiwan stick, Biden has work to do. He has already marshaled support from Japan, Australia and other allies. His administration has been prodding Taiwan to upgrade its defenses, taking lessons from Ukraines success in fending off a larger invader. And Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to seek more forces in the Pacific. Paradoxically, though, even as he strengthens deterrence, Biden needs to reassure China that the United States is not covertly encouraging Taiwan to declare independence. That means reaffirming the One China policy he mentioned only briefly in his remarks last week and assuring Xi that he means it when he says he doesnt want to change the status quo. If he can do all that, last weeks unscripted statement might one day be remembered as a step toward deterring war in Asia not the moment when Biden inadvertently provoked one. Doyle McManus is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times. TORONTO Sexual misconduct allegations in the Canadian military should be exclusively investigated and prosecuted by civilian authorities, a blistering report from a former Supreme Court justice concluded Monday. The government-commissioned report from Louise Arbour, who also served as the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, came during a wave of sexual misconduct allegations against top military leaders that have rocked the armed forces and eroded public trust. "The exposure of sexual misconduct in the [Canadian Armed Forces] has shed light on a deeply deficient culture fostered by a rigid and outdated structure that did little to modernize it," Arbour wrote in the report. A danger of the military's operating model, she wrote, is a "high likelihood that some of its members are more at risk of harm, on a day-to-day basis, from their comrades than from the enemy." She said the crisis "has caused as much damage as defeat in combat would have to demoralize the troops and shock Canadians." Among the report's 48 recommendations were calls for sexual harassment complaints to be turned over to the Canadian Human Rights Commission and for officials to explore whether there should be an alternative to military colleges, which Arbour wrote "appear as institutions from a different era." Anita Anand, Canada's defense minister, said she agreed with all of the "thoughtful" recommendations and would take immediate steps to implement 17 of them, including the appointment of an external monitor who would oversee the process. "I recognize that some may express skepticism about our ability to achieve and our commitment to pursue reform," she said. "Let me clearly state my belief that this is the moment to create change and we expect the Canadian Armed Forces and the department of national defense to establish meaningful reforms." Anand said the government would study the remaining recommendations, including, pivotally, whether to give civilian authorities exclusive jurisdiction over sexual misconduct offenses. She said that they involve "further analysis, planning and consultation" and that she would inform Parliament by the end of the year which ones won't be implemented. The problem of sexual misconduct in the military is not new or new to Canadians. But a spate of high-profile cases in the past year have focused attention on the issue once again. Gen. Jonathan Vance, who retired as chief of the defense staff last year, pleaded guilty in March to obstruction of justice. He was accused of having contacted Maj. Kellie Brennan multiple times by phone to push her to make false statements to military police about a relationship they had while she was his subordinate. An agreed statement of facts submitted to the court said Vance had conversations with Brennan "about a collaborative and mutually beneficial response to publicity concerning their clandestine, intimate relationship" and "promoted a false narrative," pushing her to deny that they had sex while he was chief of the defense staff. It also said that they have a child together. Vance's successor, Adm. Art McDonald, temporarily stepped aside as chief of the defense staff - the equivalent of the U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff last year after the military opened an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. It did not charge him. McDonald said he intends to retire, according to Global News. Among the other leaders who have faced sexual misconduct allegations in the last year are the military's head of human resources and the soldier who was tapped with overseeing the logistics of Canada's coronavirus vaccine rollout. Both have denied wrongdoing. Several officials have been placed on leave or pushed into retirement. In 2015, former Supreme Court justice Marie Deschamps found an "underlying sexualized culture" in the military and a perception in the lower ranks "that those in the chain of command either condone inappropriate sexual conduct, or are willing to turn a blind eye." In 2019, the federal government set aside more than $700 million for victims of sexual misconduct and gender discrimination in the Canadian Armed Forces and the defense department. But significant changes have not materialized, and many of the same problems persist. The armed forces have resisted outside calls for change, Arbour wrote, "choosing the letter over the spirit, often the appearance of implementation over its substance, thereby entrenching their ways of operating." Arbour noted in the report that some recommendations have already met opposition. Last year, Anand temporarily accepted a recommendation made in Arbour's interim report that all sexual assaults and other criminal offenses of a sexual nature alleged to have been perpetrated by a member of the armed forces be referred to civilian authorities. In the report released Monday, Arbour wrote that she was led to believe in conversations with police and prosecution officials that "taking over this relatively small number of cases would not be a problem," but in the months that followed, there was resistance and some police forces refused to accept files involving members of the military. "The number of cases, spread across the country, with slightly higher volume around CAF bases and wings, and virtually none elsewhere, hardly justifies this refusal to enforce the law," Arbour wrote. The best way forward, she added, "is to provide for the exclusive jurisdiction of civilian courts in all matters of sexual misconduct falling under the Criminal Code." Arbour pointed to two impediments to progress: the assumption that the crisis is "only attributable to a culture of misogyny" and that change will come over time with "more enlightened attitudes," and a belief within the Canadian Armed Forces that it can fix the system alone. "I just hope that these recommendations don't end up a little box on their chart of the many that are still being studied," Arbour told reporters in Ottawa. MANILA, Philippines The Philippine government announced Tuesday a new diplomatic protest against China over disputes in the South China Sea, a long-thorny issue that has flared anew as the next Philippine president prepares to take office next month. The Philippines has filed hundreds of diplomatic protests against Beijing in recent years for what it considers acts of aggression in the disputed waters, despite improved ties between Beijing and Manila under outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte, whose six-year term ends on June 30. The territorial conflicts are among the key challenges President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will face when he takes office after his landslide electoral victory on May 9. He has said he will use diplomatic means with China over the issue, the same approach adopted by Duterte, who has been criticized for not taking a more aggressive stance against Beijing's increasingly assertive actions in the resource-rich and busy waterway. The Department of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday it filed a diplomatic protest over China's imposition early this month of an annual fishing ban lasting three and a half months that covers areas in the disputed waters where "the Philippines has sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction." It said the ban is not limited to Chinese fishing vessels and violates the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea and a 2016 arbitration tribunal's decision that invalidated Beijing's vast historic claims in the strategic waterway and upheld the Philippines' sovereign rights in a stretch of coastal waters called its exclusive economic zone. China does not recognize the arbitration ruling and continues to defy it. The Chinese ban "has no basis in law, and undermines the mutual trust, confidence, and respect that should underpin bilateral relations," the department said in a statement. "The Philippines calls on China to comply with its obligations under international law" and "cease and desist from the conduct of illegal actions," including its "annual practice of declaring a fishing ban over areas that extend far beyond China's legitimate maritime entitlements," it said. Separately, Philippine foreign affairs officials said late Monday that the department summoned a Chinese diplomat in early April to protest alleged harassment by the Chinese coast guard of a research vessel in the South China Sea. They said they were reviewing other recent violations of Philippine rights in Second Thomas Shoal and Reed Bank, which lie within Manila's exclusive economic zone but which China also claims, before taking further diplomatic action. The department said it summoned a Chinese Embassy official in Manila to protest the "harassment by the Chinese coast guard" of research vessel R/V Legend, which was undertaking a survey of undersea fault lines along the Manila Trench west of the northern Philippines. Philippine diplomats did not provide other details, but people involved in the scientific research told The Associated Press last month that a Chinese coast guard ship shadowed R/V Legend, which was carrying five Filipino scientists and an unspecified number of Taiwanese counterparts, from March 25 to 30. A Chinese coast guard ship maneuvered about 2 to 3 nautical miles (3 to 5 kilometers) from the R/V Legend, causing concern among the scientists because the research vessel was towing a long survey cable in the sea, said Carla Dimalanta of the National Institute of Geological Sciences at the University of the Philippines. The offshore survey, which was scheduled to end April 13, was a joint project of the Philippine institute and the National Central University in Taiwan and aimed to help map offshore faults and other geologic features that could set off earthquakes, tsunamis and other hazards. The research was partly funded by the Philippine Department of Science and Technology, she said. The Filipino scientists reported the incident to the Philippine government, which deployed a coast guard patrol ship, the BRP Capones, to keep watch on the research vessel, the coast guard in Manila said last month. China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei have been locked in a tense territorial standoff in the busy waterway for decades. In past years, the Philippines has protested the Chinese coast guard's blocking of Filipino supply ships en route to Second Thomas Shoal, where Filipino marines stand watch on a long-marooned navy ship. Chinese ships have also disrupted Philippine vessels exploring for undersea oil and gas in Reed Bank, Philippine officials said. A Taiwanese air force trainer jet crashed, killing its pilot, hours after scores of Chinese warplanes flew close to the island, highlighting concerns about its aging military fleet as Beijing intensifies its pressure on Taipei. The domestically built AT-3 aircraft went down Tuesday about 8 a.m., minutes after taking off from the southern port city of Kaohsiung during a training mission, according to Taiwans Ministry of National Defense. The weather was clear and the pilot, 23, had 116 flying hours. The air force halted all academy training flights as President Tsai Ing-wen ordered an investigation of the cause of the incident, her office said via text message. The crash fuels mounting worries about the reliability of the older aircraft in Taiwans aging military fleet at a time of near-daily Chinese incursions into the islands air defense identification zone. Thirty Peoples Liberation Army aircraft flew into the zone on Monday, Taiwans Defense Ministry said on its website, close to the highest number this year. Taiwan reported 39 PLA aircraft in the southwest portion of its air defense identification zone on Jan. 23. The Chinese Communist Party now led by President Xi Jinping has threatened to invade Taiwan for more than seven decades and considers the democratically ruled island part of its territory that must be brought under its control. Taiwans government rejects the claim, asserting Taiwan is already a de facto sovereign nation. The crash is the latest in a series of accidents to befall Taiwans military. In March, a Mirage 2000 fighter jet reported a mechanical failure shortly after takeoff on a routine training mission in eastern Taiwan and then crashed. The pilot was found alive after he managed to eject. In January, an F-16V disappeared during a training exercise over the Taiwan Strait, with rescuers later finding its debris. The AT-3 model from Tuesdays crash has been in service for over three decades after being developing by Taiwans Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. in collaboration with Northrop. One last crashed in 2015 during a training exercise, killing both the instructor pilot and a student on board, according to the Defense Ministry. Tuesdays incident came as U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., leads a three-day trip to Taiwan as part of a larger trip to the Indo-Pacific region. She was scheduled to meet with senior leaders to discuss U.S.-Taiwan relations, regional security, trade and investment, and global supply chains, according to a statement from the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto U.S. embassy in Taiwan. Duckworths visit comes a week after President Joe Biden sowed confusion over the U.S. stance on Taiwan by saying at a briefing in Tokyo that Washington would intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese invasion. Those comments went beyond the long-held U.S. policy of strategic ambiguity whereby Washington has committed to helping Taiwan defend itself without guaranteeing its forces would be part of any hostilities. Duckworth said during a meeting with Tsai on Tuesday morning that she was in Taipei to reiterate the U.S. stance that Taiwan will not stand alone. While I want to emphasize our support for Taiwans security, I do want to say that its more than just about the military. Its also about the economy, she said. And Im here to support President Bidens efforts in engaging in a closer economic relationship and closer relationships between our two nations on an economic front as well as on national security. Tsai reiterated Taiwans desire to join the U.S-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, a broad trade pact to counter Chinas economic clout in the region. China lodged a diplomatic complaint with the United States over Duckworths visit, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Tuesday at a regular press briefing in Beijing. We have taken note of the wrong signals by the U.S. side on the Taiwan question, he added. BRUSSELS The European Union's groundbreaking decision to ban nearly all oil from Russia to punish the country for its invasion of Ukraine is a blow to Moscow's economy, but its effects may be blunted by rising energy prices and other countries willing to buy some of the petroleum, industry experts say. European Union leaders agreed late Monday to cut Russian oil imports by about 90% over the next six months, a dramatic move that was considered unthinkable just months ago. The 27-country bloc relies on Russia for 25% of its oil and 40% of its natural gas, and European countries that are even more heavily dependent on Russia had been especially reluctant to act. European heads of state hailed the decision as a watershed, but analysts were more circumspect. The EU ban applies to all Russian oil delivered by sea. At Hungary's insistence, it contains a temporary exemption for oil delivered by the Russian Druzhba pipeline to certain landlocked countries in Central Europe. In addition to retaining some European markets, Russia could sell some of the oil previously bound to Europe to China, India and other customers in Asia, even though it will have to offer discounts, said Chris Weafer, CEO at consulting firm Macro-Advisory. "Now, for the moment, that's not financially too painful for Russia because global prices are elevated. They're much higher than last year," he said. "So even Russia offering a discount means that it's probably selling its oil for roughly what it sold for last year also." He noted that "India has been a willing buyer" and "China's certainly been keen to buy more oil because they're both countries who are getting big discounts on global market prices." Still, Moscow has traditionally viewed Europe as its main energy market, making Monday's decision the most significant effort yet to punish Russia for its war in Ukraine. "The sanctions have one clear aim: to prompt Russia to end this war and withdraw its troops and to agree with Ukraine on a sensible and fair peace," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said. Ukraine estimated the ban could cost Russia tens of billions of dollars. "The oil embargo will speed up the countdown to the collapse of the Russian economy and war machine," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address that Ukraine will be pressing for more sanctions, adding that "there should be no significant economic ties left between the free world and the terrorist state." Simone Tagliapietra, an energy expert and research fellow at the Brussels-based think tank Bruegel, called the embargo "a major blow." Matteo Villa, an analyst at the ISPI think tank in Milan, said Russia will take a pretty significant hit now but cautioned that the move could eventually backfire. "The risk is that the price of oil in general goes up because of the European sanctions. And if the price goes up a lot, the risk is that Russia starts to earn more, and Europe loses the bet," he said. Like previous rounds of sanctions, the oil ban is unlikely to persuade the Kremlin to end the war. Moscow seized on the new sanctions to try to rally public support against the West, describing it as bent on destroying Russia. Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia's Security Council who served as the country's president, said the oil ban aims to reduce the country's export earnings and force the government to scale down social benefits. "They hate us all!" Medvedev said on his messaging app channel. "Those decisions stem from hatred against Russia and against all of its people." Russia has not shied away from withholding energy to get its way. Russian state energy giant Gazprom said it is cutting off natural gas to Dutch trader GasTerra and Denmark's Oersted company and is also stopping shipments to Shell Energy Europe that were bound for Germany. Germany has other suppliers, and GasTerra and Oersted said they were prepared for a shutoff. Gazprom previously stopped the flow to Bulgaria, Poland and Finland. Meanwhile, the EU is urging other countries to avoid placing trade barriers on farm products as Russia's war increases the risks of a global food crisis. Zelenskyy has said Russia has prevented the export of 22 million tons of Ukrainian grain, much of it meant for people across the Middle East and Africa. He accused Moscow of "deliberately creating this problem." Russian oil delivered by sea accounts for two-thirds of the EU's oil imports from Moscow. In addition to the EU cutoff of such imports, Germany and Poland have agreed to stop using oil from the northern branch of the Druzhba pipeline. Agreeing on sanctions against Russian natural gas is likely to prove much tougher because it represents a larger percentage of Europe's energy mix. "The very loud and clear message that Moscow will hear is that it will be near impossible for the European Union to get any agreement on blocking gas because gas will not be as easily replicated from other sources in Europe as oil will be," Weafer said. Associated Press journalists Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Ukraine, Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, Colleen Barry in Milan, Italy, and Derek Gatopoulos in Athens contributed to this report. SLOVIANSK, Ukraine Blood smears the stairwell floor and the shards of glass strewn about while shrapnel pockmarks the walls. Outside, a crater between two apartment blocks marks the spot where the rocket hit in the very early hours of Tuesday in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk. Authorities said three people were killed and six were wounded. Sloviansk, in the eastern Donetsk region, is again in Russia's sights as part of its efforts to seize the Donbas, made up of Donetsk and the neighboring Luhansk region. Russian military officials have said their main goal is to "liberate" the Donbas, the predominantly Russian-speaking industrial heartland of eastern Ukraine where Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian forces since 2014. "I was on my sofa and suddenly my sofa just jumped in the air," said Mikhaylo Samoluk, one of the local residents. The strike came around 1:30 in the morning, he said, when those still living in the building were asleep. Olena Voytenko, who lives on the first floor of one of the apartment blocks, said most of the residents had already moved away, but around 30 people still lived there. "I will never forget what I saw today," she said, recounting seeing the wounded and the dead. She knew one of the people killed, she said. A man in his early 40s named Aleksander who lived upstairs from her. She saw his lifeless body being carried out on a stretcher, badly burnt. "Why do they bomb the residential buildings? Isn't there military honor for Russians that they can fight in the field?" questioned Voytenko, who is of Russian origin herself. "Why do you annihilate the country that you try to conquer? I do not see any sense in it." On Tuesday, Ukraine's General Staff said an attempt to storm a village lying between currently Russian-held Izyum and Sloviansk was repelled, and that Russian forces were "creating conditions for (a) further offensive" in the area. Many have fled Sloviansk, as others have from many cities and towns in eastern Ukraine. Some people stayed. Among them are Lydmyla Telehyna and her husband Mykola. Both in their 70s, they stayed behind after their daughter and her four young children left Ukraine because of the war. They went to check on their daughter's apartment on the top floor of the building, and were horrified by what they saw. The windows had shattered, shards of glass lying throughout the front room where the children would have slept, and the walls were marked with shrapnel. "What have they done?" Telehyna cried, her grief mingled with the relief of her daughter and grandchildren already having fled the country. "Everything is destroyed, there is no balcony, no windows no doors," she said. Her daughter had considered coming back, but there is no longer a home to come back to. "I hurt, I'm crying, I worry," she said. "But what can I do? Nothing." Authorities have repeatedly urged residents to leave the areas of eastern Ukraine near the fighting. "All the territory of Donetsk region now is a field of war," Pavlo Kyrylenko, the head of the Donetsk administration, said in a statement on the Sloviansk rocket attack posted on his Facebook page. "Every such blow is a cruel reminder that there are no safe places in the Donetsk region now. Evacuate! Evacuation saves lives!" But some are unable, or unwilling, to move despite the dangers. "There is no place to go," said Samoluk. Besides, he said, he didn't want to leave. "I didn't leave in 2014, and I won't go now." SLOVIANSK, Ukraine Russian forces in a frenzied push have seized half of Sievierodonetsk, the eastern Ukrainian city that is key to Moscows efforts to complete the capture of the industrial Donbas region, the mayor said Tuesday. The city is essentially being destroyed ruthlessly block by block, Oleksandr Striuk said. He said heavy street fighting continued and artillery barrages threatened the lives of the estimated 13,000 civilians still sheltering in the ruined city that once was home to more than 100,000. A Russian airstrike on Sievierodonetsk hit a tank of nitric acid at a chemical factory, causing a huge leak of fumes, according to Serhiy Haidai, governor of the Luhansk region. He posted a picture of a big cloud hanging over the city and urged residents to stay inside and wear gas masks or improvised ones. Haidai said later Tuesday that most of Sievierodonetsk" was under Russian control, though he added that fierce fighting continued and the city wasnt surrounded. Sievierodonetsk is important to Russian efforts to capture the Donbas before more Western arms arrive to bolster Ukraines defense. Moscow-backed separatists have been fighting Ukrainian troops in the region for eight years and held swaths of territory even before the invasion. President Joe Biden said Tuesday the U.S. will provide Ukraine with the more advanced rocket systems that its leaders have been begging for. In an essay published in The New York Times, Biden said the rocket systems will enable Ukraine to more precisely strike key targets. U.S. officials, speaking before Biden's announcement on condition of anonymity, said Washington will send Ukraine a small number of high-tech, medium-range rocket systems. The rockets could be used both to intercept Russian artillery and to take out Russian positions in towns where fighting is intense, such as Sievierodonetsk. The rocket systems would be taken from U.S. inventory, which would get them to Ukraine quickly. Ukrainian troops would also need training on the new systems, which could take at least a week or two. Sievierodonetsk, which is 145 kilometers (90 miles) south of the Russian border, is in an area that is the last pocket under Ukrainian government control in the Luhansk region. The Donbas is made up of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Striuk said more than 1,500 residents have died of various causes since Russias invasion of Ukraine in late February. Evacuation efforts from Sievierodonetsk have been halted because of shelling. Civilians are dying from direct strikes, from fragmentation wounds and under the rubble of destroyed buildings, since most of the inhabitants are hiding in basements and shelters, Striuk said. Electricity has been cut off, and people need water, food and medicine, the mayor said: There are food supplies for several more days, but the issue is how to distribute them. In his nightly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the situation in the Donbas remains extremely difficult as Russia has put its armys maximum combat power there. At least three people were killed and six wounded overnight in a Russian missile strike on the city of Sloviansk, west of Sievierodonetsk, Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said in a Facebook post Tuesday. A school was among several buildings damaged. A crater was blasted in the road between two apartment buildings heavily pockmarked by shrapnel. The floor and stairwell of one building were smeared with blood. Resident Olena Voytenko, 59, said she knew one of the people killed, a man whose apartment caught fire in the blast. Another resident, Mikhaylo Samoluk, said the strike occurred in the middle of the night. I was on my sofa and suddenly my sofa just jumped in the air, he said. ___ Yuras Karmanau reported from Lviv, and Associated Press writer Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed. A Ukrainian court found two Russian soldiers guilty of violating the laws and customs of war on Tuesday and sentenced them to 11 and a half years in prison - the second verdict handed down in a Ukrainian war crimes trial held during the conflict. The sentencing came as Ukraines chief prosecutor announced that Estonia, Latvia and Slovakia would become the newest members of a multinational investigation team, gathering and exchanging evidence in an effort to hold Russia accountable. The two soldiers convicted Tuesday are in Ukrainian custody, and they stood trial in the Poltava region. Prosecutors accused them of shelling civilian sites in a town in the eastern Kharkiv region. The shelling destroyed an educational facility but left no casualties, prosecutors said. Alexander Bobikin and Alexander Ivanov pleaded guilty last week. The verdict followed another last week in Kyiv, where a court found a 21-year-old Russian soldier guilty of war crimes and sentenced him to life in prison. The soldier, Vadim Shishimarin, had pleaded guilty to killing a 62-year-old civilian in Ukraines northeastern Sumy region early in the war. His lawyer said he intends to appeal. Tens of thousands of investigators have fanned out across Ukraine to gather evidence. Iryna Venediktova, Ukraines prosecutor general, said Tuesday that her office receives 200 to 300 new war crimes cases each day, for a total of 15,000 so far. It has identified nearly 80 suspects. Prosecutors and investigators around the world have lent their expertise to Ukrainian authorities and begun preparing cases for prosecution in courts elsewhere in Europe. Countries including France, Lithuania and the Netherlands dispatched investigators to Ukraine. The International Criminal Court, which opened a probe into violations of international law on both sides of the conflict, sent a team of 42, its largest-ever deployment. Experts describe the slew of investigations as unprecedented in both scale and speed, unfolding even as the war rages.. The timing allows investigators to access fresh evidence, but fighting and Russian occupation has impeded access. The scale of the efforts has raised concerns about duplication and overlap, which the joint investigation team - created in March and initially including Ukraine, Lithuania and Poland, is meant to address. The ICC last month joined the effort, which Eurojust, the European Unions criminal justice agency, is coordinating. The E.U. recently approved rules allowing the agency to store evidence related to war crimes and share it with judicial authorities. Eurojust, which will receive additional funds from the European Union, is also providing financial support to the joint investigation, said the agencys president, Ladislav Hamran. The IIC is working toward opening an office in Kyiv, prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan told reporters. Venediktova expressed gratitude for the assistance. She asked for more equipment and laboratory capacity for DNA analysis. At a news conference in The Hague, Venediktova said that she hopes the joint investigation will become a model. Some legal experts have raised concerns about the proceedings in Ukraines first trials, however. Under international law, prisoners of war cannot be tried for their participation in a conflict, though they can be prosecuted for war crimes. POWs must be treated humanely and have the right to a competent lawyer and fair trial. Robert Goldman, a war crimes and human rights expert at American Universitys Washington College of Law, said the first two trials in Ukraine have been noticeably fast, and that Shishimarins life sentence, harsh beyond the typical confines of European jurisprudence, appeared to mean the court was holding him responsible for the broader conflict. Shelling a civilian target, for which the other two soldiers were prosecuted, can be complicated to prove, he said. To count as a war crime, prosecutors must show that the defendants deliberately targeted civilian infrastructure or launched a disproportionate attack with disregard for the civilian impact. Again youve got in a matter of days people who are tried and convicted for a very serious crime, which is a war crime, Goldman said. I have very real questions about the conduct of the trial and the adequacy of the defense. The defense said Bobikin and Ivanov had been following orders and appealed for leniency, according to Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne. Prosecutors had asked for 12 years, Reuters reported. Venediktova also announced Tuesday that a Russian service member charged with rape will be tried in absentia in Ukraine. Mikhail Romanov is accused of killing an unarmed civilian and, with an accomplice, repeatedly raping the mans wife and threatening to shoot the victim and her child. Trials in absentia have occurred in the past, Goldman said, and typically defendants are retried if captured. But in this case and others, they raised concerns about fairness. Theres a real problem of trying someone for a crime where they cant really mount a defense, he said. Moscow and Russian-backed separatists, now holding hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered in Mariupol, have indicated that they intend to put Ukrainians on trial for war crimes as well. The Russian justice system remains highly politicized and legal experts said it is unlikely the prisoners would get a fair trial. Russian soldiers convicted in Ukraine could be included in a prisoner swap. Venediktova said Tuesday that Ukraine has technical possibilities to exchange people, though this does not fall under the purview of her office. The Washington Posts Andrew Jeong contributed to this report. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Iran disrupted internet access to the outside world as angry demonstrators rallied over the collapse of a tower in Iran that has killed at least 34 people, experts said Tuesday as outrage and grief continued to grow in the country. The disruption has plunged the southwestern province into digital isolation, making it difficult for journalists to authenticate events on the ground and for activists to share footage and organize protests. It's a tactic the Iranian government has repeatedly employed during times of unrest, rights activists say, in a country where radio and television stations already are state-controlled and journalists face the threat of arrest. The internet interference in the oil-rich Khuzestan province started in early May, weeks before the fatal collapse, said Amir Rashidi, director of internet security and digital rights at Miaan Group, which focuses on digital security in the Middle East. The province, home to an ethnic Arab population that long has alleged discrimination, was a flashpoint in protests over the sinking economy and skyrocketing prices of food staples. Disruptions then intensified in the area after the Metropol Building collapse last week, according to data shared by the Miaan Group. The disaster ignited widespread anger in Abadan, where residents alleging government negligence gathered nightly at the site of the collapse to shout slogans against the Islamic Republic. Videos of the protests have circulated widely online, with some showing officers clubbing and firing tear gas at demonstrators. The footage analyzed by The Associated Press corresponded to known features of Abadan, some 660 kilometers (410 miles) southwest of the capital, Tehran. The number of casualties and arrests remains unclear. In response to the protests, Iranian authorities at times completely shut down the internet and other times allowed only tightly controlled use of a domestic Intranet, reported the Miaan Group. During the day, authorities also appear to have restricted bandwidths to make it very difficult for people to share large files, such as video, without leaving Abadan altogether, said Mahsa Alimardani, a senior researcher at Article 19, an international organization that fights censorship. Last Friday, as massive crowds took to the streets to chant against top officials, a digital barricade of sorts went up between Iran and the world, data showed. Only certain government-approved national websites could stream content but not websites based abroad. "There has been a pattern that we've seen when it gets dark where Google isn't working but the website of the Supreme Leader is working well," Rashidi said. The Iranian mission at the United Nations did not immediately respond to request for comment. Meanwhile, rescue workers pulled another body from the rubble on Tuesday, bringing the death toll to 34 amid fears more people could be trapped in the ruins. Five of the victims were school-age children, the official IRNA news agency reported. Another 37 people were injured in the collapse, with two still hospitalized. Officials have blamed the building's structural failure on shoddy construction practices, lax regulation and entrenched corruption, raising questions about the safety of similar towers in the earthquake-prone country. Authorities reported they evacuated residents from buildings near the disaster site, fearing structural damage. The rising political and economic pressures come as talks to restore Tehran's tattered nuclear deal with world powers have hit a deadlock. Hostilities have simmered as Iran accelerates its nuclear program far beyond the limits of the nuclear deal and last week seized two Greek tankers on a key oil route through the Persian Gulf. In a sign of those rising tensions, Iran's Foreign Ministry sharply criticized the International Atomic Energy Agency on Tuesday over its quarterly report released the day before on Iran's nuclear program. Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh rebuked the report's findings that Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpile had increased by 18 times since the 2015 nuclear deal as "not fair and balanced." The U.N. nuclear watchdog also said that Iran has still failed to explain traces of uranium particles that IAEA inspectors found at former undeclared sites in the country long a sore point between Iran and the agency despite a recent push for a resolution by June. Khatibzadeh said the agency's statements "did not reflect the reality of talks between Iran and the agency." "The agency should be watchful and not destroy the path we walked down, with difficulty," he told reporters in Tehran. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian also on Tuesday addressed indirect negotiations with the United States over the collapsed nuclear deal, telling reporters he communicated Iranian concerns to Vice President Kamala Harris through a third party when they were in Munich earlier this year. Iran has repeatedly demanded guarantees that no future president could unilaterally abandon the agreement, as former President Donald Trump did in 2018. The White House has said it cannot make such a commitment. Amirabdollahian said he had asked the mediator to "tell Ms. Kamala Harris if a group of rebels are going to take over the White House, could you please let us know." "Even if rebels take over, they must be committed to international agreements," Amirabdollahian said. The White House has not acknowledged any such message. In a recent interview with France's Le Figaro newspaper, Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi said his country was "always glad to help" when asked if Muscat was hosting new secret talks between Iran and the U.S. Oman hosted the secret talks that led to the 2015 nuclear deal. "I am hopeful that we can achieve a new dynamic to reach an agreement," he said. "It is in the interest of our region and the world." Italy, Sweden, and Lithuania will join the European Union Military Training Mission in Mozambique, in the context of the fight against terrorism that has been plaguing parts of the northern province of Cabo Delgado since 2017. The mission has been providing training since November last year and so far it has trained four units of the Mozambican Armed Forces (FADM). Two are commando units, based in the central city of Chimoio, while the other two are marines, stationed at the Katembe, naval base in Maputo. By order of arrival, the mission consists of soldiers and officers from Portugal, Spain, Finland (with the second largest contingent after the Portuguese force), Estonia, Austria, Belgium, Greece, Romania, and France. The mission was approved by the Council of the European Union in October last year to support a more efficient and effective response by the FADM to the crisis in Cabo Delgado, providing training and capacity building. It has 140 soldiers divided into two training centres, one in Chimoio, and the other in Katembe. The costs for EUTM-Mozambique, to be covered through the European Peace Facility, are estimated at 15.1 million (about US$16.1 million) over a two year period. In addition, an urgent assistance measure under the European Peace Facility of four million euros has been approved to complement the training with the provision of non-lethal individual and collective equipment. The mission's mandate is for two years and the central strategic objective is to support capacity building of units of the Mozambican armed forces that will form part of a future Rapid Reaction Force. In particular, the Mission will provide military training covering operational readiness, specialised counter-terrorism training, and education on the protection of civilians - especially women and girls - in insecure areas. EUTM Mozambique will also ensure compliance with international humanitarian and human rights laws. The Mission has a non-executive mandate and will therefore not engage in military operations. JERUSALEM Israel said Tuesday it has proof that Iran stole classified documents from the U.N. atomic energy agency nearly two decades ago and used them to conceal its nuclear activities from international inspectors. The documents appear to show that Iran was spying on the inspectors and trying to anticipate and respond to any allegations of wrongdoing, but they do not appear to contain any evidence it was pursuing nuclear weapons. The release came as Israel has been pressing the U.S. and other world powers not to restore a tattered nuclear deal with Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett circulated the documents to media. His office said they came from a trove of Iranian nuclear files seized by Israel in 2018 but have not previously been made public. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the documents last week, saying it had obtained them from "a Middle East intelligence agency" in a country opposed to Iran's nuclear program. Bennett said he was sharing the documents in response to remarks by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, who dismissed the allegations as "lies." The foreign minister pointed to previous times when Israel has issued dire warnings which did not come to pass that Iran was about to develop nuclear weapons. "Spreading lies? Come on. I'm holding right here the proof of your lies in my hands," Bennett said in a video circulated to media. The Persian-language documents, which could not be immediately authenticated, appear to be marked with official stamps, some bearing the word "secret." "After Iran stole classified documents from the U.N.'s atomic agency, Iran used that information to figure out what the atomic agency was hoping to find, and then created cover stories and hid evidence to evade their nuclear probes," Bennett said. Iran has always insisted its nuclear program is for purely peaceful purposes. U.S. intelligence agencies, Western nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency have said Iran ran an organized nuclear weapons program until 2003. Israel views Iran as its greatest threat and was virulently opposed to the 2015 nuclear agreement signed by Iran and world powers, saying it did not contain enough safeguards to keep Iran from developing a weapons capability or address other Iranian military threats in the region. It welcomed the Trump administration's decision to unilaterally withdraw from that deal, causing its collapse, and is opposed to U.S. efforts to revive the accord. Israel is widely believed to be the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East. It has never publicly acknowledged having such weapons. One of the documents shared by Israel, a purported Iranian intelligence memo from 2004, says "27 pages of classified IAEA documents" are being sent to prepare for an inspection of Iran's Arak heavy water nuclear reactor. The reactor produces plutonium as a byproduct, which can be used for nuclear weapons. The memo says the documents were "obtained using intelligence methods." Another purported Iranian intelligence memo, from 2006, offers a translation of a "highly confidential agency report" about a "green salt" project. The U.S. has said the "Green Salt Project" was an Iranian plan to link diverse components of a nuclear weapons program, including uranium enrichment, high explosives testing and a missile re-entry vehicle. In one set of documents, an Iranian official requests in handwritten notes that the liquidation date of a company that had been operating the Gachin uranium mine be changed from 2001 to 2003. The official writes that the atomic agency will be asking about it, saying "we must hurry." The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed intelligence officials, said this change allowed Iran to tell the IAEA that the work done on the mine prior to 2003 was carried out by a private company under the auspices of Iran's atomic energy agency, when in fact the mine was operated by the Defense Ministry as part of a potential nuclear weapons program. The Biden administration says it is making a final push for an agreement that would lift sanctions on Iran in return for limits and oversight of its nuclear activities. The inspections would likely be carried out by the IAEA. Since the collapse of the deal, Iran has resumed key aspects of its nuclear program, including enrichment of uranium beyond the limits outlined in the agreement. Israel's defense minister recently claimed that Iran is just weeks away from producing enough enriched uranium required to make a bomb. Rob Malley, the U.S. envoy to the talks, acknowledged last week that the chances of success were "tenuous." But he said the administration still believes Iran's nuclear program is less of a threat inside a deal than outside one. Yoel Guzansky, a senior fellow and Iran expert at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies, said the leak of the documents was likely aimed at influencing the U.S. as it tries to close a new deal. But he said it would likely not have much impact. "People understand what the threat from Iran is," he said. "They understand that Iran is lying and cheating and hiding for years. I don't think it comes as a surprise for anyone, so I don't see any long-term effect of these documents." BAGHDAD At least five missiles hit a sprawling Iraqi army base hosting U.S. troops in the country's western desert Monday, two Iraqi security officials said. The officials said the Grad missiles struck inside the Ain al-Asad base in Iraq's western Anbar province and caused minor damages but no casualties. The officials said the missiles hit only a few yards from where U.S. forces are stationed. The officals spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media. The culprits were not immediately known, but the U.S. has previously accused Iran-backed Iraqi militia groups of targeting the American presence in Iraq, including the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. The attacks were once a frequent occurence, but have lessened in recent months. In March, Iran attacked Iraq's northern city of Irbil with a dozen ballistic missiles claiming it was targeting Israeli spy centers. Iraq later said an investigation found there was no Israeli presence in the areas. The attack was also considered a warning to the U.S., a staunch ally of Israel. U.S.-led coalition forces recently ended their combat mission in Iraq, but continue to play an advisory role to Iraqi forces in the fight against the Islamic State extremist group. WASHINGTON President Joe Biden praised New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Tuesday for her success in curbing domestic extremism and guns as he tries to persuade a reluctant Congress to tighten gun laws in the aftermath of horrific mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York. The long-planned talks between Biden and Ardern centered on trade, climate and security in the Indo-Pacific, but the two leaders' starkly different experiences in pushing for gun control loomed large in the conversation. Ardern successfully won passage of gun control measures in her country after a white supremacist gunman killed 51 Muslim worshippers at two Christchurch mosques in 2019. Less than a month later, all but one of the country's 120 lawmakers voted in favor of banning military-style semiautomatic weapons. Biden told reporters at the start of his meeting with Ardern that he "will meet with the Congress on guns, I promise you," but the White House has acknowledged that winning new gun legislation will be an uphill climb in an evenly divided Congress. The U.S. president praised Ardern for her "galvanizing leadership" on New Zealand's efforts to curb the spread of extremism online, and said he wanted to hear more about the conversations in her country about the issue. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the two leaders spent part of the meeting discussing "what has been done on gun reform" under Ardern's watch. Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron in 2019 launched an effort to work with tech companies on eliminating terrorist and violent extremist content online. Then-President Donald Trump declined to join the effort, but the Biden administration has since joined the Christchurch Call to Action. Biden over the weekend traveled to Uvalde, Texas, to grieve with a community that he said made clear to him they want to see Washington tighten gun laws in the aftermath of the shooting rampage that killed 19 children and two teachers. Biden heard similar calls for an overhaul of the nation's gun laws earlier this month when he met with families of 10 Black people who were killed in a racist attack at a Buffalo supermarket. Biden and Ardern also discussed a May 15 shooting at a lunch banquet at a Taiwanese church in Laguna Woods, California that killed one person and wounded five others. "The pain is palpable," said Biden, recalling his anguished conversations Sunday with families of victims of the Texas elementary school shooting. Ardern offered condolences and said she stood ready to share "anything that we can share that would be of any value" from New Zealand's experience. "Our experience demonstrated our need for gun reform, but it also demonstrated what I think is an international issue around violent extremism and terrorism online," Ardern told reporters following her more than hour-long meeting with Biden. "That is an area where we see absolutely partnership that we can continue to work on those issues." It's unclear what, if anything, from New Zealand could be applicable to the United States, which hasn't passed a major federal gun control measure since soon after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut that left 26 dead. A bipartisan group of senators held a private virtual meeting Tuesday to try to strike a compromise over gun safety legislation, but expectations remain low. Senators aren't expected to even broach ideas for an assault weapon ban or other restrictions that could be popular with the public as ways to curb the most lethal mass shootings. Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who led the session alongside Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., called Tuesday's talks a "very constructive conversation." Meanwhile, House Judiciary Committee Jerrold Nadler plans to hold a hearing Thursday on the "Protecting our Kids Act" -- a package of eight bills that has almost no hopes of passing the Senate but would serve as a marker in the debate. It includes calls to raise the age limits on semi-automatic rifle purchases from 18 to 21 years old; create a grant program to buy back large-capacity magazines; establish voluntary safe practices for firearms storage and build on executive measures to ban bump stock devices and so-called ghost guns made from 3-D printing. Ardern, in comments to reporters, said the two countries' political systems are "very different." Speaking of the Christchurch shooting, she said that "in the aftermath of that, the New Zealand public had an expectation that if we knew what the problem was, that we do something about it. We had the ability with actually the near-unanimous support of parliamentarians to place a ban on semiautomatic military-style weapons and assault rifles and so we did that. But the New Zealand public set the expectations first and foremost." The New Zealand prime minister did not urge any particular course of action to Biden during their talks, but expressed a broad understanding of what the United States is going through, according to a senior Biden administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversation. Ardern last week, during a speech at Harvard University's commencement, spoke to the scourge of disinformation that is spread and amplified on social media. She said it represents a threat to fragile democracies. The Christchurch gunman was radicalized online. The attack, like the Buffalo supermarket rampage, was livestreamed on social media, she noted. "The time has come for social media companies and other online providers to recognize their power and act on it," she said at Harvard. Biden's talks with Ardern came after he made his first visit to Asia last week, a trip to Japan and South Korea meant to highlight his administration's efforts to put greater focus on the Indo-Pacific. In Japan, Biden launched the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, a new trade pact forged with 14 Pacific allies, including New Zealand. The U.S. sees the pact as an alternative to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which moved forward without the U.S. after Trump pulled out. Ardern said she reiterated her commitment to TPP even as New Zealand has joined the new U.S.-launched Indo-Pacific framework. ___ AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report. (Tribune News Service) Verenice Castillo has twice been the brand new military spouse. First, when her husband joined the Army, and again when he transferred to the Air Force. She learned, though, that she wasnt the only one her experiences were shared by nearly all people whose spouses serve. I realized that there was all of us who were needing mentorship and support and guidance, said Castillo, who lives in Texas. Castillo started the Military Spouse Advocacy Network in 2012 to provide that support. Starting last year, the organization began offering a monthslong virtual training camp for military spouses looking to develop their leadership, advocacy and communication skills. Participants already have the passion and want to do something about it, Castillo said. We are bringing the skills and the tools that they need in order to make that happen. The free program, called the Military Spouse Leadership Development Program, is accepting applications for its next 50-person cohort until June 10. For Williamsburg, Va., resident Alison Sigler, who participated in the inaugural leadership program in 2021, the most valuable benefit was the connections she made. Since wrapping up the program, Sigler whose family is stationed at the Fort Eustis Army post has become an advocate for interstate counseling and mental health licensing. Leveraging connections made through the program, she has been pushing for Virginia lawmakers to approve legislation that would streamline the licensure process for counseling professionals moving to another state. A child and adolescent therapist, Sigler has had to change her state therapy licensing with each relocation a process that, depending on the state, can take months. Every time we move, I cant just go back to work, Sigler said. Her husband is a physician in the Army, so Siglers family of five has forged through plenty of relocations. The moves come with the added challenge of getting her counseling license reestablished. From Maryland to Georgia to Texas, and now Virginia, the waiting time to acquire licensure has at times taken nearly half a year. The unique challenges that come with constant relocation are familiar to Castillo, who said life as a military spouse at times felt similar to her experience immigrating to the United States from Mexico at age 16. I left my family behind, my friends, my work, Castillo said. I felt out of place. Thats when Castillos vision for the network started coming together. The organization earned nonprofit status in 2014. Nearly a decade after the idea started percolating, the leadership program launched. When her family was stationed at Fort Eustis in the summer of 2020, Sigler took a break from working to focus on her children as they navigated virtual schooling. Around the time schools opened back up, Sigler knew she wanted to take on a new position. She was staring down a gap in her resume when she heard about the leadership program. I hadnt worked in in two years at that point through the pandemic, so I really wanted to get back to work, she said. Since then, Sigler has started as a military family and life counselor at Fort Eustis. She has also channeled her frustration with state-by-state licensing requirements into advocacy efforts. Sigler said she collaborates with military spouses she met through the program, and works with a lobbyist for the Virginia Counselors Association, to urge Virginia to sign onto an interstate counseling licensure compact. The proposal she backed would hasten the licensure process for counseling professionals from state-to-state, allowing licensed counselors in compact states to practice in other states signed onto the legislation. The compact failed to pass in this years General Assembly session, though 10 other states have signed on, according to the National Center for Interstate Compacts website. Still, Sigler and the counselor association intend to keep pushing. Even if she were to move again, Sigler keeps the mindset that the goal is to always make somewhere better when youve left it, she said. Sigler cautions applicants to get started quickly, as the application requires essays and and letters of recommendation. The program outlines eligibility guidelines on its website . ali.sullivan@virginiamedia.com 2022 The Virginian-Pilot. Visit pilotonline.com . Government investment into culture and heritage will ensure the sector continues to flourish with a focus on resilience, sustainability, and matauranga Maori, Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Kiri Allan says. A focus of this budget is supporting iwi Maori to elevate and enrich the culture and heritage of tangata whenua, recognising their role as knowledge holders, cultural owners and kaitiaki of matauranga Maori," says Allan. This includes a $4 million boost to funding for Te Matatini to help the group develop their aspirations above and beyond the Herenga Waka Herenga Tangata Festival and continue to inspire generations. Te Matatini is the pinnacle event on the Maori performing arts calendar. Along with delivering the world-leading indigenous festival, the investment will support Te Matatini to develop a regional kapa haka model, ultimately encouraging more people to get involved in kapa haka throughout regions, enhancing social, cultural, te reo and kapa haka expertise throughout Aotearoa, and providing a further point of connection to Te Ao Maori. Weve lifted investment into the Commemorating Waitangi Day Fund so more communities can learn about Te Tiriti o Waitangi through local iwi Maori-led events," says Allan. And Im especially pleased that, through this budget, we have been able to build on the great work done to introduce Matariki as our first uniquely te ao Maori public holiday. Investment in Matariki celebrations will go towards supporting iwi, hapu, and whanau to lead Matariki events with and for their communities at local, regional and national levels. "This means that every New Zealander will have the opportunity to learn about Matariki, and fully appreciate the significance of this holiday," says Allan. A total of $10 million is provided for Matariki and Waitangi Day celebrations and events. Building on the nearly half billion invested through previous budgets in recent years, ensuring our cultural organisations have the means to not only survive but continue to build resilience to thrive in challenging times, has been front of mind with this years budget," says Allan. Weve provided much-needed investment that will help cultural sector organisations sustain baseline operations and strive to pay their workers a living wage, while at the same time planning for a sustainable future. Allan says Covid-19 continues to impact many of NZ's cultural entities, especially those that rely on a large number of visitors to keep the lights on. "To help address this, weve extended the Museum Hardship Fund with an additional $1 million which will also see support continue to flow where its needed to keep our whare taonga, museums and galleries ready to welcome visitors," says Allan. Weve also provided $3 million in support for the Waitangi National Trust Board to help them keep the Treaty Grounds open to the public and protect the taonga that is held there. In keeping with the preservation of our taonga, weve invested $42.9 million in Te Papa to begin the building of a new Spirit Collection Area, which will house a large portion of the museums 1.2 million natural history specimens. The new building will address health and safety issues that put the precious collection and the people that work with it at significant risk. This Budget contributes to the Governments ongoing mahi to safeguard and uplift our cultural taonga. Ultimately, our unique culture and heritage is what defines us as a nation we have to nourish it to see it grow, says Allen. Further information Budget 2022 makes available $18 million to celebrate Te Ao Maori and preserve NZ's taonga including funding for the commemoration and celebration of Matariki and Waitangi Day, and supporting some of our cultural institutions to continue to showcase and protect our taonga. $10 million to embed the commemoration and celebration of Matariki into New Zealands national fabric over the long-term and enable community-level celebrations for Matariki across the country, as well as an increase in the Commemorating Waitangi Day Fund to enable regional and community-based celebrations $4 million to Te Matatini to enable the continued delivery of Te Matatini Herenga Waka Herenga Tangata Festival and to develop a regional kapa haka model An additional $1 million to the Museum Hardship Fund, administered by Te Papa, to support the whare taonga from the ongoing effects of COVID-19 $3 million to the Waitangi National Trust Board in order to keep the grounds open to the public, and to safeguard the taonga it houses. In addition, Budget 2022 provides $42.9 million in capital funding to rebuild a fit for purpose Spirit Collection Area for Te Papa to continue to deliver its world class services in a compliant and cost-effective way while increasing iwi and community engagement. The Spirit Collection Area is a collection facility owned by Te Papa which houses a significant proportion of New Zealands unique and globally precious natural history collections. The Mozambican parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, on 18 May passed the first reading of a bill revising the legal regime applicable to the prevention and repression of terrorism and connected crimes. The bill establishes the procedures to designate individuals, groups and entities associated with terrorist crimes and to freeze their funds and assets. It seeks to embargo the movements of individuals associated with terrorism or suspected of financing terrorism. Other aspects of the bill concern preventing radicalisation, measures for electronic security and surveillance, criminalising public support for terrorism, and refusing to grant Mozambican nationality to those suspected of involvement in terrorist acts. The bill only passed because of the absolute majority of the ruling Frelimo Party in the Assembly. Both opposition parties, Renamo and the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), abstained because they objected to an article which could limit press freedom. The controversial article says that anyone intentionally spreading information about a terrorist act, knowing that the information is false, can be punished with a prison term of between eight and 12 years. The Assembly's Commission on Constitutional and Legal Affairs softened this article with an amendment that reduced the proposed prison term to between two and eight years. That was not enough for Renamo and the MDM, who wanted to scrap the entire article. However, they made clear that they had no objection to the rest of the bill. Introducing the bill, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Welfare, Nyeleti Mondlane, said it is important to strengthen the legal framework for the fight against terrorism since Mozambique is directly experiencing the cruel impact of terrorist attacks in the northern province of Cabo Delgado. She said that the bill also responds to the recommendations of international bodies and is in line with international conventions and resolutions of the United Nations Security Council on terrorism. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Mozambique Governance Terrorism By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. During the previous week, the Assembly unanimously passed a bill on preventing and fighting money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Renamo and the MDM had no objection to this bill. "These bills are complementary and strengthen each other", said Mondlane. The Mozambican chapter of the regional press freedom body MISA (Media Institute of Southern Africa) shared the misgivings of the opposition parties. The provision of a prison term of 12 to 16 years for anyone who publishes "classified information" about terrorism, MISA pointed out, punishes journalists and ordinary citizens rather than those officials who have the duty to safeguard state secrets. As for jailing those who knowingly publish false information, MISA argued that the terms used in the bill "are very subjective and liable to varying interpretations of the notion of false news". As it stood, this article in the bill could be used to outlaw any debate about terrorism and associated phenomena. MISA warned that the ambiguous wording of the bill could lead to arbitrary behaviour by those who want to obstruct the development of the media, human rights defenders, and civil society organisations. It could roll back the gains made under the 2014 law on Freedom of Information. Farmers, growers and whenua Maori owners have been supported by the Government to ramp up their efforts to reduce agricultural emissions and the impacts of climate change on local communities. The investments detailed today during a Maori caucus roadshow across the country are part of a total Budget 2022 food and fibre sector package of more than $1 billion. New Zealands economic security leans heavily on our clean and green brand, which provides a competitive edge for our largest export sector, says Associate Minister of Agriculture Meka Whaitiri. Ensuring Maori farmers, growers and whenua Maori owners do their bit to reduce emissions means having the right information to makes informed decisions. Budget 2022 delivered $35.4 million to provide extra support through specialised climate-focused extension services to boost existing on-the-ground support to help farmers and growers adapt their practices and adopt new technology." Whaitiri says that workshops, targeted groups, field days and other on-farm activities will be used to share learning and the most up-to-date information on low emissions practices. It will also fund tikanga-based programmes to develop and support long-term low emissions profiles for whenua Maori, says Whaitiri. Further, a platform for Maori Climate Action will ensure the work under way on mitigation and adaptation is done in partnership with Maori," says Associate Environment and Emergency Management Minister, Kiri Allan. New Zealand faces some of the greatest natural hazard risks of any country in the world. The recent floods in Tairawhiti are a case in point. These are no longer one in 100 year events; a changing climate means that we can expect frequent and more extreme storms and floods," says Allan. The development of New Zealands first National Adaptation Plan is an opportunity to see, in one place, across government, what is being done to adapt and what is proposed in the coming years. The intention of the Maori Climate Action platform is to align existing kaupapa and relationships, not as a single point of engagement between Maori and the Crown, but rather to provide support and coordination across climate both mitigation and adaptation, and make it easier for Maori communities to engage, says Allan. Climate Change Minister James Shaw says tangata whenua are disproportionately exposed to the impacts of climate change and there are particular risks and opportunities for Maori and the Maori economy in the transition. We must ensure a fair and equitable transition to a climate-friendly future for Maori. That transition should be led by Maori and that will require building CrownMaori relationships and capability to work together as equal partners," says Shaw. The Maori climate platform will play a key part of the Emissions Reduction Plan our blueprint for a low-carbon economy. It will play a critical role in how we embed that partnership, support Maori-led climate strategy and action plan, and enable kaupapa Maori actions and solutions to solutions." Having trouble remembering which day to put your bin out each week? Get a reminder straight to your phone and join Western Bay of Plenty District Councils crusade to reduce waste and costs. Physical 2022-2023 recycling collection calendars will not be delivered to households. "Instead, you can download a copy from kerbsidecollective.co.nz, or use the Antenno app," says Western Bay of Plenty Council's Deputy CEO and Group Manager Infrastructure, Gary Allis. Gary says the kerbside service has been running for almost a year now, and most people are comfortable with which bins to put out and when. Instead of printing and delivering 18,500 calendars again this year, weve decided to go digital as part of our waste minimisation efforts, says Gary. It's a team effort to reduce our waste and so we are doing our bit to support the incredible mahi of our community. For those that prefer a printed calendar, you can pick up a copy of the new 2022-23 recycling day calendar from any of the council's libraries and service centres or download it from the council website. "You will also be able to cut the calendar out of all your community newspapers Katikati Advertiser, Lizard News, Te Puke Times and Weekend Sun this week." Gary encourages those more technologically inclined to download the Council's free Antenno mobile app "a great way to stay on top" of which day to put your bins out each week. "Youll receive a notification straight to your mobile the day before your scheduled bin day to remind you what bin to put out," says Gary. And of course, our website kerbsidecollective.co.nz is the one stop shop for all your kerbside questions, with a handy item search function and bin day tool, plus other tips and advice. Like the 2021-22 kerbside period, the only change for the upcoming 2022-23 collection period will be Good Friday on April 7, moving to Saturday April 8. All other public holidays will not affect collection days. Councils kerbside rubbish and recycling service started on July 1 2021. Its designed to increase the amount of material diverted from landfill by about 60 per cent around 1800 tonnes a year. For more information, see kerbsidecollective.co.nz. Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. SnS_12 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Bombay Posts: 1,012 Thanked: 6,328 Times View My Garage Honda Brio turns 8 years younger, post a repaint Brio's ownership till date has been flawless mostly on the mechanical front and my expense have been towards regular service, battery and set of tires. Considering this is the last car my father said he will own and I am yet to buy my first car and hence, the thought of selling it never crossed our minds. Also, we have many happy memories in this car we would cherish for a lifetime and that is why I thought maybe this is one car I would not like to part away with it and hold on to it till its mechanically possible. Being a Honda its been reliable as I mentioned earlier and the parts and service are easy on the pocket as well. Also, I really enjoy driving this car within the city considering its size and the phenomenal 1.2 i-vtec engine and feels like a proper go kart. The car will complete 8 years with us in Oct end 2022 and cosmetically it had some dents and scratches (vandalism/battle scars) that it had picked over the years and were starting to bother me and hence the thought of doing a full repaint came to my mind. Initially I was thinking of experimenting with some other bright colors which really look good on the Brio (always googling for ideas with Brio's in Thailand/Indonesia) but then I didn't want the hassle of getting it endorsed on the RC book. Also, since I plan to keep this car as a permanent member of the garage I was ok with the cost of repainting and had no worries of losing resale value associated with repainted cars in general. My previous experiments painting the Brio has been limited to getting both the bumpers repainted a couple of times and the work done the last time is what I was not very happy with and was also my first experience with those gents. For the repaint I had a friend's workshop in mind who had painted a few of my bikes almost a decade back and the paint is still holding good. I had never given any of my cars to paint at his workshop considering the location and the time spent in travelling from my house. But since this was going to be a full repaint I wanted to get the best work done. Have many pictures to share right from the day of ownership till today and will explain and narrate the journey from 2014 with some memorable pics. (31-10-2014) Delivery day - Initially we had plans to pick up a Honda City as we already had the Swift so a sedan would have been the ideal addition to the garage but my dad was not comfortable with the size of the car and hence he decided on the Brio. Also, we wanted a blue shade but this was the last piece they had in stock as the facelift version was on the way, which we didn't want to wait for. Before taking delivery I had spoken with Vicky at Bombay Tyres to upgrade the stock tires to 185/65 Yokohama Earth 1. As usual my folks back at home had no idea about it and found it difficult to digest that after dropping them home I was going to change the tires on a new car. The odo reading when I reached the shop. Stock 175/65 JK tyre All this rust on a new car was not a pretty sight to be honest. Fresh more sticker rubber all set to go in. The dashboard on the Brio is anything but pretty to look at. Thankfully its dual tone and doesn't have that weird brown colour like the previous models. The AC button gets hot to the touch maybe because of the heat from the green light behind it. Also no auto climate control on the top spec variant. They had to offer something more in the Jazz running the same engine I guess to justify the cost. Weird panel gap But my father used it to put his aux cable connected to his phone and stored in the glovebox. The notes are for our first road trip to Bangalore-Kodai-Chennai in the Brio. We currently have only one car in the family which is our 2014 Honda Brio VX. This car had replaced our 2008 Indica Xeta (Petrol) and shared garage with my wife's Swift VXI. The Brio is the third car my farther has purchased till date with the first car being a preowned Wagon R which he purchased in 2006. Both Indica and Swift were sold off at around 26k kms on the odo and the Brio is the first car to run more than 50K kms. The km reading would have been much higher if we didn't have the Swift as the car had done 8k kms in Chennai before it was sent to Mumbai post my marriage as my father in law didn't want to sell it considering it was just over 1.5 years old and wanted us to use it in Mumbai.Brio's ownership till date has been flawless mostly on the mechanical front and my expense have been towards regular service, battery and set of tires. Considering this is the last car my father said he will own and I am yet to buy my first car and hence, the thought of selling it never crossed our minds. Also, we have many happy memories in this car we would cherish for a lifetime and that is why I thought maybe this is one car I would not like to part away with it and hold on to it till its mechanically possible. Being a Honda its been reliable as I mentioned earlier and the parts and service are easy on the pocket as well. Also, I really enjoy driving this car within the city considering its size and the phenomenal 1.2 i-vtec engine and feels like a proper go kart.The car will complete 8 years with us in Oct end 2022 and cosmetically it had some dents and scratches (vandalism/battle scars) that it had picked over the years and were starting to bother me and hence the thought of doing a full repaint came to my mind. Initially I was thinking of experimenting with some other bright colors which really look good on the Brio (always googling for ideas with Brio's in Thailand/Indonesia) but then I didn't want the hassle of getting it endorsed on the RC book. Also, since I plan to keep this car as a permanent member of the garage I was ok with the cost of repainting and had no worries of losing resale value associated with repainted cars in general.My previous experiments painting the Brio has been limited to getting both the bumpers repainted a couple of times and the work done the last time is what I was not very happy with and was also my first experience with those gents. For the repaint I had a friend's workshop in mind who had painted a few of my bikes almost a decade back and the paint is still holding good. I had never given any of my cars to paint at his workshop considering the location and the time spent in travelling from my house. But since this was going to be a full repaint I wanted to get the best work done.Have many pictures to share right from the day of ownership till today and will explain and narrate the journey from 2014 with some memorable pics.- Initially we had plans to pick up a Honda City as we already had the Swift so a sedan would have been the ideal addition to the garage but my dad was not comfortable with the size of the car and hence he decided on the Brio. Also, we wanted a blue shade but this was the last piece they had in stock as the facelift version was on the way, which we didn't want to wait for.Before taking delivery I had spoken with Vicky at Bombay Tyres to upgrade the stock tires to 185/65 Yokohama Earth 1. As usual my folks back at home had no idea about it and found it difficult to digest that after dropping them home I was going to change the tires on a new car. The odo reading when I reached the shop.Stock 175/65 JK tyreAll this rust on a new car was not a pretty sight to be honest.Fresh more sticker rubber all set to go in.The dashboard on the Brio is anything but pretty to look at. Thankfully its dual tone and doesn't have that weird brown colour like the previous models.The AC button gets hot to the touch maybe because of the heat from the green light behind it. Also no auto climate control on the top spec variant. They had to offer something more in the Jazz running the same engine I guess to justify the cost.Weird panel gapBut my father used it to put his aux cable connected to his phone and stored in the glovebox. The notes are for our first road trip to Bangalore-Kodai-Chennai in the Brio. darklord BHPian Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: TVM (KL-16) Posts: 608 Thanked: 1,896 Times View My Garage A quick dash to Vythiri via Bandipur Then one fine day, there came a time where we had 2 days while we were in Bangalore and the Bandipur drive looked possible. We checked and failed to add more days, so a quick dash it was. Since it was one of the last weekends before schools reopened, we had trouble finding suitable accommodation, but eventually, we found Abad Brookeside Vythiri having just enough vacancy for our group (5 adults, 1 child, 2 toddlers). As the day approached, there were severe rain alerts going on all along our route, KA, KL, and TN. We decided to press on with our plans because no rain was going to stop our drive this time around. The map of our onward route: The return route: It was readily agreed by everyone that it was a quick dash, that the driving part was the highlight, that the resort stay was a side act, and that sightseeing off-route was a no-no. We started from near Jigani by 6 a.m. The sunrise looked cheerful enough: All set to reclaim two days from our lives: Somewhere near the new campus of IIM-B: The roads were wet and there was a slight drizzle going on, but this guy held steady: After this little break right after our start, my co-travellers dozed off and my dad who was riding shotgun gave me company. We did a nonstop drive till Mysore, except for a fuel break in between, where we filled the tank to the brim and did not refuel till we were back in KA (~Rs 10 diesel price difference b/w KL and KA). Breakfast stop was at Mysore. Another stretch of nonstop driving brought us to Bandipur-Muthanga stretch of road at approximately 11 a.m.: Probably because it was noontime or probably because it was raining, we did not have much wildlife sighting. A noteworthy sighting was a pack of wild dogs, which were resting at a distance. Neither did I have the camera handy nor was the location safe enough to stop. We did spot and photograph a herd of deer though: We had an uneventful drive till Kalpetta from where we had lunch. Soon after, thick fog set in with visibility dropping very low. We soon reached the turn off from the main road to our resort. It is a narrow and mild off-road climb for about 2 KM from the main road. Gets slushy too in the monsoons. My 4x2 Safari 2.2 did just fine though. They have parking by the main road for sedans and hatchbacks and they will ferry you in their jeep or Bolero. A slight glimpse of our drive to the resort, also note a Wagon R ahead of us: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wgRdm3HOLo We arrived at the resort just past 2:30 p.m. My dad always wanted to go on a drive through Bandipur Tiger Reserve. We planned it on multiple occasions during our multiple TVM-BLR drives including during our Thirunelly drive (Through Mysuru and Thirunelly Temple - A circuitous BLR-TVM drive) , but it did not materialize due to various reasons. One prominent reason was my reluctance setting out on long drives on Kerala roads; either in a TVM-BLR format or in a BLR-TVM format through Bandipur, a substantial part of driving would involve Kerala roads.Then one fine day, there came a time where we had 2 days while we were in Bangalore and the Bandipur drive looked possible. We checked and failed to add more days, so a quick dash it was. Since it was one of the last weekends before schools reopened, we had trouble finding suitable accommodation, but eventually, we found Abad Brookeside Vythiri having just enough vacancy for our group (5 adults, 1 child, 2 toddlers).As the day approached, there were severe rain alerts going on all along our route, KA, KL, and TN. We decided to press on with our plans because no rain was going to stop our drive this time around.The map of our onward route:The return route:It was readily agreed by everyone that it was a quick dash, that the driving part was the highlight, that the resort stay was a side act, and that sightseeing off-route was a no-no.We started from near Jigani by 6 a.m.The sunrise looked cheerful enough:All set to reclaim two days from our lives:Somewhere near the new campus of IIM-B:The roads were wet and there was a slight drizzle going on, but this guy held steady:After this little break right after our start, my co-travellers dozed off and my dad who was riding shotgun gave me company. We did a nonstop drive till Mysore, except for a fuel break in between, where we filled the tank to the brim and did not refuel till we were back in KA (~Rs 10 diesel price difference b/w KL and KA). Breakfast stop was at Mysore.Another stretch of nonstop driving brought us to Bandipur-Muthanga stretch of road at approximately 11 a.m.:Probably because it was noontime or probably because it was raining, we did not have much wildlife sighting. A noteworthy sighting was a pack of wild dogs, which were resting at a distance. Neither did I have the camera handy nor was the location safe enough to stop. We did spot and photograph a herd of deer though:We had an uneventful drive till Kalpetta from where we had lunch. Soon after, thick fog set in with visibility dropping very low. We soon reached the turn off from the main road to our resort. It is a narrow and mild off-road climb for about 2 KM from the main road. Gets slushy too in the monsoons. My 4x2 Safari 2.2 did just fine though. They have parking by the main road for sedans and hatchbacks and they will ferry you in their jeep or Bolero.A slight glimpse of our drive to the resort, also note a Wagon R ahead of us:We arrived at the resort just past 2:30 p.m. Last edited by darklord : 31st May 2022 at 03:58 . In a nutshell: Follina doesn't require elevated privileges or Office macros to be enabled, and it doesn't get detected by Windows Defender. It works on most fully-updated Office versions and operating systems, with researchers pointing out that it can be exploited even if a user selects a malicious file in Windows Explorer. Researchers have just revealed a new zero-day vulnerability in Microsoft Office, which the infosec community has dubbed Follina. It allows attackers to execute Powershell commands via Microsoft Diagnostic Tool (MSDT) once a malicious Word document is opened. What makes this vulnerability especially dangerous is that it completely bypasses Windows Defender detection, works without elevated privileges and doesn't require Office macros to be enabled. So far, it's been confirmed to be present in Office 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and a few versions included with a Microsoft 365 license on both Windows 10 and 11. A lot of folks have pointed out that Protected Mode is required when opening the Word doc. Just a reminder that formatting as a Rich Text File allows exploitation when Explorer's preview pane option is enabled (no Enable Editing button either ;) #Follina #MSDT https://t.co/ZUj5WXeWjN Kyle Hanslovan (@KyleHanslovan) May 30, 2022 As Kevin Beaumont explains, a malicious document uses the Word remote template feature to retrieve an HTML file from a remote web server. This, in turn, uses the ms-msdt MSProtocol Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) scheme to execute code in Powershell. Protected View, a feature that alerts users of files from potentially unsafe locations, does activate and flag the document as potentially malicious. However, by converting the document to a Rich Text Format (RTF) file, the vulnerability can be exploited simply by selecting the file (without opening it) if Windows Explorer's preview pane option is enabled. Interestingly, Microsoft was informed of this vulnerability in April, yet it decided to dismiss it as the company couldn't replicate it. Huntress Labs, a cybersecurity company, says it expects attackers to exploit Follina through email-based delivery and warns people to be vigilant about opening any attachments until the vulnerability gets patched. What just happened? Sony could start mass production on the successor to its PlayStation VR headset later this year. Industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said his latest supply chain check suggests mass production will commence in the second half of 2022. Around 1.5 million units could roll off the assembly line during this initial run said Kuo, adding that Sony may launch its next-gen virtual reality headset as early as Q1 2023 if there are enough titles ready. Last week, Sony said it will have more than 20 major first-party and third-party games ready at launch. For comparison, the first-gen headset landed with over 40 titles to choose from but most amounted to tech demos or mini games to familiarize players with the platform. Sony will host its next State of Play later this week on June 2. The presentation will feature nearly 30 minutes of PlayStation-related announcements and updates plus a sneak peek at several games in development for the PlayStation VR2. Sony teased the PlayStation VR2 headset and Scene controllers in February. The design was inspired by the PS5 and includes several quality of life improvements such as a ventilation system to prevent the lenses from fogging up and an adjustment dial to fine-tune the distance between your eyes and the lenses. Not a lot is known on the technical side but we do know the headset will support 4K HDR visuals, use inside-out camera tracking and connect to consoles using a single cable. Recap: Arm has had a wild ride in the last few years, with its fate having been all but determined several times. At one point, it was going to be owned by Nvidia, but that merger fell through. Then it was going to be offered on the NYSE, but the head of the China division blocked it twice. The board tried to fire him, but he refused their vote twice. Now he's rechallenging the IPO. And if that's not enough of a rollercoaster, Qualcomm and a group of investors have formed a consortium interested in keeping the company independent through acquisition. Qualcomm is reportedly interested in a bid to acquire a major stake in Arm. It has entered into a consortium with several other unnamed companies to make the offer to Arm's current parent company SoftBank. The consortium's stated goal is to ensure the semiconductor company remains independent. Nvidia was set to close an acquisition in September 2020, but under intense regulator scrutiny, Nvidia backed out of the $40 billion deal. With the buyout nixed, SoftBank planned a $60 billion Arm IPO to take place sometime before the end of its 2023 fiscal year. However, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon warns that an IPO would be just as bad for the industry as the Nvidia deal. "We're an interested party in investing," Amon told the Financial Times. "It's a very important asset, and it's an asset which is going to be essential to the development of our industry." Qualcomm relies heavily on the Arm architecture to provide SoCs to multiple OEMs. If a single corporation bought enough controlling stock or purchased the company outright, it could negatively affect it and other firms that build Arm-based products. Amon said that the company needs several companies with vested interests to be involved to ensure it remains independent and does not just answer to a single controlling entity, but fell short of naming names. "You'd need to have many companies participating, so they have a net effect that Arm is independent," the Qualcomm boss said. Qualcomm and its consortium have not yet entered into talks with SoftBank. Amon said he wants to wait until the ongoing Arm China issues are resolved. These problems primarily lie on the shoulders of the China division's head, who the board has tried to oust several times. Although SoftBank announced a potential initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange almost two years ago, even those plans remain in question. In February 2022, the head of Arm China, Allen Wu, entered a legal challenge to the IPO. It is the third time Wu has tried blocking the move since 2020. The IPO has also run into trouble with valuation because although China's board voted unanimously to remove Wu, he holds the company's official seal and remains its legal representative. Essentially, he must sign off on any board decisions, so he has ignored votes to fire him. Wu also controls a key investment firm that gives him power over most of Arm China's shareholders. Pompeii's devastation due to Mount Vesuvius' eruption in the 79 A.D. brought a massive case for all who aimed to study the case, especially its environment, culture, and the past Roman empire's history. It is also a case to look into its habitats, as most of the records and information there got destroyed by the catastrophe. Now, its entirely preserved skeletons give answers to some of Rome's top questions. Pompeii Skeletons Provide Answer to Ancient Questions (Photo : ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP via Getty Images) Visitors view human skeletons at the archaeological site of Herculaneum in Ercolano, near Naples, on October 23, 2019. According to a research published in Nature, entitled "Bioarchaeological and palaeogenomic portrait of two Pompeians that died during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D.," a question got answered when studying a skeleton left behind in the rubble. The research focuses on the person's identity and their origins, up to their final resting place in the city of Pompeii, which now sits in the volcanic ash that the Vesuvius left behind millennia ago. The skeletons are perfectly preserved and intact, with two people seen in the ruins who stayed in their houses during the disaster. Researchers say that the person who was supposedly 35 at the time of the explosion could not move around due to spinal tuberculosis. The pair died right then and there due to the person's medical condition. Read Also: ZeroAvia Raises $115 Million for Zero-Emission Hydrogen Passenger Plane but Builds Hybrid Aircraft Rome is Diverse, Says This Research The research also went as far as to trace the person's origins, saying that a massive part of his DNA can be linked to the people that came from Anatolia, which is present-day, Turkey. It only shows that the person who lived in Rome also came from other societies, explaining that Rome was one diverse nation during its reign. Pompeii and its History Pompeii may be another part of world history classes and geography lessons, with some discussing its massive eruption in science classes, but it is an explanation of life for some. Ancient Rome is one of the most influential civilizations on the planet, and the government it held before, brought a massive advancement to the culture and who we are now. However, Pompeii's greatest lesson is that the Earth is still the boss around these parts, and its will cannot be prevented, even with preparations and evacuations. Humans can only adapt to the situation and hope for the best, with many things in place to help them survive and avoid getting caught in another disaster. Those struck by Vesuvius' eruption serve as an excellent ground for research, as it is one significant part of the world's history. The rich history of Pompeii is still a "gold mine" now, and it is because of the ruins it left, which became a preserved piece of Ancient History, as no one in the world went by to erase it all until the present. Those that maintain it gives history and justice to its victims, and the researchers are doing it as well, identifying them as they are not forgotten. Related Article: Robotic Skeleton Grows Stretchable Human Cells! Can The New Tissue Engineering Method Help Patients This article is owned by TechTimes Written by Isaiah Richard 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A Rivian battery pack in its EV plant in Normal, Illinois, caught fire on May 28, the Normal Fire Department reports. (Photo : Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 09: A Rivian electric pickup truck sits in a parking lot at a Rivian service center on May 09, 2022 in South San Francisco, California. The plant of the electric vehicle (EV) startup, Rivian Automotive, in Normal is home to the manufacturing of its all-electric cars and their components. On top of that, Rivian also assembles its batteries at the same site. The Normal Plant is the first factory of the automaker, followed by its upcoming facility in Georgia. The second automobile facility is expected to be five times bigger than its counterpart in Normal, according to Inside EVs. Rivian EV Plant's Battery Pack Catches Fire But the manufacturing facility of the EV maker in Normal experienced the fury of engulfing flames this weekend, forcing an evacuation in its facilities. (Photo : Spencer Platt/Getty Images) NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 09: Rivian employees stand beside the new all-electric pickup truck by Rivian, the R1T, as it sits at one of its facilities on November 09, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. As per a news story by WGLT.org, the fire department of Normal responded to the manufacturing site of Rivian after its battery pack caught on fire. The Rivian battery pack had a thermal runaway, wherein the battery cells overheated and drew fire during one of its tests in the Normal plant. The fire reportedly started from the southwest part of the Rivan facility, where the EV maker manufactures the batteries that power its cars. The Normal Fire Department reports on Facebook that a "defective battery pack ignited inside the Rivian Automotive plant." Their firefighters responded to the Rivian facility at exactly 10:38 in the morning of May 28. The Fire Department disclosed that they had to move the battery pack outside of the plant once they had successfully cooled it down. The report says that their firefighters "continued to cool the pack with water until it was released to Rivian engineers for investigation and disassembly." So, even if the battery pack had been booted out of the Rivian plant, the firemen did not stop cooling it with water to avoid overheating along the way. Read Also: Rivian to Receive $1.5B State Incentives from Georgia for its Production Facility to Boost EV Manufacturing Rivian Battery Pack Fire: What Caused it? According to a recent report by Teslarati, the specific cause of the fire is still subject to investigation. Perhaps to end up with an accurate conclusion. However, the Normal Fire Department disclosed that the fire began when the battery was being repaired. It further states that the fire did not affect any vehicles on the production site. Instead, it only burned the battery pack that ignited the whole incident, along with a test booth equipment and a carrier. It is worth noting that it is not the first instance that the Rivian Plant in Normal has caught fire. The Fire Department has already responded to three incidents since 2021. Related Article: Rivian's Amazon Delivery Van Production Might Face Delays! Issue with Seat Supplier? This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Teejay Boris 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Four planets in our solar system are set to be in line on June 24, 2022. Venus will be in the ESE about 6 degrees above the horizon at 04:30, while Mars and Jupiter will be 15 degrees high and Saturn about 20 degrees, aligned at an angle of 30 degrees to the horizon to the west of the sun, along with the crescent moon. (Photo : NARINDER NANU/AFP via Getty Image) A student looks through a telescope during the festival of SCoPE for All (Science Communication Popularization and its Extension) at Guru Nanak Dev University in Amritsar on February 24, 2022. These planets will all be bright enough to be seen with the naked eye, and they will align in order before sunrise near the end of June. However, at the start of the month, you can already get a taste of a planetary parade. On the morning of June 4, all planets in the solar system will line up in an ascending straight line spanning 91 degrees from the sun. However, Mercury will break the horizon by 5:00 am. Michelle Nichols, director of public observing at Chicago's Adler Planetarium said, "We don't always get this opportunity. Sometimes, it's one or two in the sky; a lot of times, it's none." The line of these planets is close to the ecliptic, which is the path the sun takes through the sky as we orbit. This planetary alignment doesn't necessarily mean that all of the planets are "lined up," instead, it just means that some planets are in the same general region in the sky. This almost never happens to all the planets, but instead happens to two or three planets at one time. Most of the time, only the brightest planets align in a row that looks like a necklace. However, this only happens roughly every 50 years. In April 2000, Jupiter, Mercury, Saturn, Mars, and Venus all appeared above the western horizon in this alignment. And it's likely that we'll see something like that again in 2040. Also Read: Venus and Jupiter Will Align In A Dazzling Morning Spectacle; Find out How and When to Watch! What Happens When Planets Align? In astrology, a pseudo-science, it is believed that when these planets align in a straight line with the sun, it would be the greatest fortune for the universe, or it will be the greatest disaster. On the other hand, in astronomy, when planets align in a straight line, it has no effects on Earth whatsoever. According to NASA, the next alignment of Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Venus, and Mercury will happen around September 8, 2040. How To See These Planets in June 2022 The best time to see the alignment will vary based on local circumstances. If you are on a flat horizon to the east, Mercury will be visible as early as June 10. However, those with a more obstructed view may have to wait until late June for a peek. The alignment will be visible into early July. when Mercury will again dip below the horizon. For those in North America, the best way to see is to go outside and look to the south and east about 45 minutes before dawn local time in late June. By doing so, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will all be visible to the naked eye. Related Article: Planetary Alignment 2022: How To Watch This Rare 1000-Year Space Event? Best Place and Other Details This article is owned by TechTimes Written by April Fowell 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Taipei 101 skyscraper commands the urban landscape in Taipei, Taiwan. [Photo/Xinhua] It has been said that in all their actions, even in those which are matters of necessity rather than choice, prudent men will endeavor to conduct themselves so as to conciliate good-will. Perhaps this was advice that the US secretary of state was trying to put into practice in his recent speech outlining the United States' China policy. If so, then he needs to try harder. In stating that the US stance on the Taiwan question "has been consistent across decades and administrations" and the country continues to uphold the one-China policy, Antony Blinken seemed to be offering reassurances to Beijing. If one ignores the numerous remarks by US officials and the various actions the US has taken suggesting otherwise, on the surface, such an official line would seem to be beyond reproach. Yet, the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances that Blinken put forward as two of the pillars supporting the one-China policy of the US were unilaterally concocted by Washington and run counter to the principles of the three Sino-US joint communiques that together form the third pillar. His remarks were therefore nothing more than another attempt by Washington to misinterpret and obfuscate the principle of one China. While repeating the official line of the Joe Biden administration that it does not support Taiwan independence, Blinken's speech once again showed its tendency is to do just the opposite. While pledging adherence to the one-China policy, the administration continues to play the "Taiwan card" through provocative moves such as upgrading its official relations with Taiwan and sending senior officials to the island, selling arms to Taiwan and sending its warships to sail through the Taiwan Straits. But such words and deeds do not alter the fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. Nor do they shake the resolve, will and ability of Beijing to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity. In a series of tweets responding to Blinken's speech, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying made clear that the core and essence of the one-China principle is one China, and that there is only one correct version of "one China". She brooked no shilly-shallying on the question by saying that there is only one China in the world, Taiwan is part of China and the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government of China. Hua tweeted, saying this is the political precondition for the diplomatic relations between China and 181 countries, including the US. The Biden administration risks jeopardizing regional peace and stability with its constant provocations on the Taiwan question and its colluding with pro-independence forces on the island. Russia will be stopping all shipments of natural gas to the Netherlands. According to the latest report, the suspension for the Gasterra BV's operation will kick off on Tuesday, May 31. Following this announcement, Denmark could be the next country to be included in the suspension list of Russia when it comes to gas supply. Russia Cuts Gas to the Netherlands (Photo : Hendrik Kuterman from Unsplash) The Kremlin announced that it will soon suspend gas supply shipments to the Netherlands. In a recent article written by The Strait Times, Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly imposed new payment conditions for the Dutch gas trader. However, this term did not sit well with The Netherlands. Russian multinational power company Gazprom PJSC said that it's now cutting supply with Gasterra. To prepare for what could come next, Denmark's Orsted, a global leader in wind energy, said that it won't cave into the new payment terms. Speaking of the payment issues, Russia has passed the terms for the EU-based firms. Upon agreeing to the condition, a company will be required to open an account in rubles. This will be handled by Gazprombank, Russia's state-owned power corporation. Moreover, traders have been aware of this announcement. The payment disputes have already affected other European countries, including Bulgaria, Finland, and Poland. Russia has already suspended the shipments of natural gas to these countries. "GasTerra will not go along with Gazprom's payment demands. This is because to do so would risk breaching sanctions imposed by the EU and also because there are too many financial and operational risks associated with the required payment route," the Dutch firm posted on its website. Somehow, other European countries have a different way of handling the payment terms that Russia has imposed. As such, Uniper SE (Germany) and Eni SpA (Italy) noted that there's a solution to address this dispute. Related Article: Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Blocked By Germany As Ukraine-Russia Tensions Rise Denmark is Next in Line In a similar report by The Strait Times, BloombergNEF analyst Stefan Ulrich said that Denmark could still cope with the possible suspension of natural gas. The expert noted that the gas imports in the country only make up a very small part of the demand across the continent. This means that this change won't affect the "European balance" at all, Ulrich mentioned. Although it's a fact that both the Netherlands and Denmark have strong domestic production when it comes to resources, this trend has been dropping over the past years. Russia to Continue Gas Supply to Serbia While the Kremlin finalized its decision to cut all the gas shipments to the Netherlands, the government vows to continue supplying Serbia with natural gas. According to Business Insider, Aleksandar Vucic, the President of Serbia, has locked in the terms with Putin over a phone call last Sunday, May 29. Vucic confirmed that they agreed to a three-year contract that would be "favorable" to the Serbians. Read Also: EV Prices Could Also Shoot Up Amid Increasing Fuel Costs! Battery Production Affected? This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joseph Henry 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Sony confirms that it will be holding the next PS5 restock on its official website. According to a new report, the event will take place this Tuesday, May 31, but it's only through email invitation at PS Direct. Sony's Invite-Only PS5 Restock (Photo : Benedict Calano from Unsplash) Sony will be hosting an invite-only PS5 restock on May 31. Here's what you need to know. The demand for the next-gen consoles increased when the pandemic hit the world. People have spent most of their time inside their homes holding different gadgets to pass the time. Sony has found this opportunity to be a driving factor in the rising demand for the PS5. Unfortunately, it did not live with its expectations since it could not keep up with the issue amid the supply shortage. It even got worse when the semiconductor crisis impacted many tech companies, including Sony. The past years have been challenging for people who want to obtain this console. However, things have shifted quickly for those who want to get another shot of opportunity. According to Gaming Intel, Sony will be dropping PS5 consoles on Tuesday, May 31. The PS Direct will only be invite-only, so the only thing to get PlayStation 5 is by an email invitation. The Japanese firm recently announced that it would prioritize PS5 production. It expects that the sales for these consoles will surpass the current record that the PS4 achieved. Since it's not an in-store drop, make sure you already sign up for the PS Direct ahead of the restock. Additionally, the PS5 restock will reportedly happen from 11 AM to 4 PM PT. This will be your window to get the most elusive console on the planet. Related Article: Walmart PS5 Restock to Kick Off on June 2, But Only For Plus Members Joining Ahead of the PS5 Restock If you want to increase your chances of snagging this next-gen gaming machine, we suggest you participate in the online queue right now. Being an early bird for this virtual queue is important since there's no guarantee that you can get a PS5 console even if you received an invitation from Sony. That's the only thing that you can do during the event. You can also watch the June PlayStation State of Play presentation see the newest video game titles that will be coming soon. How to Sign Up For PS Direct Per the official website of PlayStation, you first need to sign in to your PSN account. After completing the necessary steps for the signup process, wait for some moment and check if Sony has already sent you an email. The email will include the instructions and the information that you need to accomplish. As of press time, the invite-only event is only applicable to select countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany, and France. Make sure that your email address is associated with your PSN ID to avoid any issues when signing up. You can learn more by clicking here. Read Also: Recent Amazon PS5 Restock Dismays Many Fans: Here's Why This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joseph Henry 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. In a new partnership with the United States, the United Kingdom's Royal Fleet will be kitted with a host of Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM) in an effort to maintain a heavy deterrence against potential impending Russian incursions. The deal is witnessed via a signed contract between both countries, wherein Britain will acquire not just a major boost to its existing weapons systems but also enhanced aid for a variety of sites located throughout the UK, including Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, and Babcock International. Additionally, the British Royal Navy's Astute-Class submarines will receive Block V standard missiles that have been upgraded with a range of 1,000 miles, allowing the UK's fleet to hit potential targets without breaking a single sweat. These upgraded Block V missiles not only have the boosted range, which is far superior to the Block IV's estimated 229 miles (370km), but also enhanced precision accuracy. These enhanced Block V missiles even have sophisticated technologies that allow them interesting new deterrents from the likes of cyber-attacks and counterstrikes, making them highly lethal in the hands of the British Royal Navy. In addition to said resistances, the missiles also come with a target selection option and in-flight communication techniques. Amid the still-ongoing transition, the upgraded Block V missiles have already undergone extensive testing and operational training. Jeremy Quin, UK's Ministry for Defense Procurement, called the missiles "the most lethal and precise long-range cutting strike weapons." He added, "Enhancing this cutting-edge missile system will ensure the UK can strike severe threats up to 1,000 miles away." Related Article: Nuclear Submarine Commander Now Under Investigation After Throwing BBQ Party for Crew Members Amid Coronavirus Lockdown First introduced in 1998, the Tomahawk missile is utilized via sea launch and is capable of taking out targets within mere minutes of a launch - thanks to their subsonic speeds. Measuring well over five meters in length and weighing around 2,200kg per missile, the Tomahawk ascertains its namesake from the Native Americans, a typical honor made under the US Army following the project's passing into the hands of the USAF in the early years of its inception. Negotiated via the procurement arm under the Ministry of Defense, called Defense Equipment and Support, alongside the US government amid a Foreign Military Sale, these varied Tomahawk missiles will be active following their myriad upgrades starting in July. The contract will also allow extensive US research and support surrounding the missile upgrades, in addition to full access to the Tomahawk missile program, future upgrades, and consistent support packages for the long-term. "The Tomahawk Land Attack Cruise Missile is a cutting-edge system which provides the UK with real strategic and operational choice," explained Director of Submarines for the British Royal Navy, Rear Admiral Simon Asquith. "Able to be fired from a stealthy UK nuclear attack submarine, the system's exceptional range, accuracy and survivability provides the UK, alongside our US Allies, with a world-beating precision strike capability." The news comes not days following potential stopgaps in UK-US relations led by the latter, which warned the UK of potential interference over submarine technology. The UK is also beefing up its above-sea technology in the form of Type 45 Ballistic Missile Defense upgrades, which will see around 300 million for the support of new jobs and increased destroyer capabilities. Read Also: US Military Space Nuclear Power System Contract Received by Two Companies; Demonstration To Happen by 2027 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The weather on Friday: risk of thunderstorms from the southwest to the north of the country, hot and dry in the southeast The interior of Mid South Extrusion, a Monroe plant that manufactures plastic sheeting used in consumer products. The company said it will spend $4.9 million to add a 12th production line to meet the growing demand for polyethylene film, a thin, lightweight sheeting used in food packaging. Louisiana Economic Development said the move will create eight jobs. The three finalists to become head of Visit Baton Rouge will be interviewed during the second week of June. Jill Kidder, Milton Segarra and Jay Tusa are in the running to replace Paul Arrigo and president and CEO of the citys convention and visitors bureau. They will come in to Baton Rouge the week of June 13. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said after the second shooting at a Louisiana graduation in as many weeks that lawmakers need to look at expanded background checks. "In light of recent gun violence in Buffalo and Uvalde, gun safety discussions and action involving expanded background checks and red flag laws are very much in order, the governor said in a prepared statement on Tuesday. A Democrat, Edwards is a hunter and gun owner. His statement supports a bipartisan group of U.S. senators who are looking at expanded background checks or red flag laws that would keep guns away from people who could do harm. Congress has been unable to get such restrictions passed after past shootings. But the bipartisan group are trying to cobble together a package that would persuade 10 Republican senators to break away from past positions. The group began their work after last week's shooting of 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, which came 10 days after a gunman opened fire in a racist attack killing Black people at a Buffalo, N.Y. supermarket. After Texas school shooting, nearly two dozen gun bills remain on the table in Louisiana The day after the mass shooting of 19 children in Texas, feelings remained raw at a Louisiana Legislature still juggling about two dozen gun b Edwards issued his statement a couple of hours after an elderly woman was fatally shot and two men were wounded when an argument escalated to gunfire after the graduation ceremony for Morris Jeff High School in New Orleans. The shooting occurred in a parking lot at Xavier University, which was hosting the graduation ceremony. On May 19, four people were injured at Southeastern Louisiana University, which was hosting the Hammond High Magnet graduation. "For the second time this graduation season in Louisiana, gun violence has marred what should be an exciting day of celebration for high school graduates, their families and teachers, Edwards said. Those who perpetuate these senseless acts of violence will be brought to justice. We must do more to keep our communities safe, and this means we must do more to ensure that those who pose an unacceptable risk of harm to others arent able to acquire or keep firearms. Private developers Mathieson Property and PWD are the latest entrants into the booming multi-billion dollar healthcare property sector after moving a step closer to planning approval for its $135 million Camperdown Modern project in the inner west. The purpose-built healthcare facility will deliver 10,300 square metres of state-of-the-art health facilities at 122 Pyrmont Bridge Road, close to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA) in an area that has been identified as a super precinct for the healthcare sector, but is undersupplied to cope with forecast demand. The sector is one of the fastest-growing for both the ASX-listed investors and private developers to cater for the ageing population and rising health issues after the global pandemic. A render of the proposed $135m Camperdown Modern facility. It is located in the Camperdown Health Education Research Precinct (CHERP), the future focal point of Sydneys health, innovation and technology community, connected to the Tech Central precinct being developed by Dexus and Frasers Property Australia. Interceptor (MA) 96 minutes You have to hand it to director Matthew Reilly. There is nothing he thinks he cant do. He famously self-published his first action adventure novel in 1996, after every publisher in Australia rejected it. He was 19. His books have now sold north of 7.5 million copies. Hollywood has bought, but not yet made, several of his books. Elsa Pataky as JJ Collins in Matthew Reillys action thriller Interceptor. Credit:Netflix He wrote this one with the aim of keeping it low budget, so he could direct it himself. He wants to join the big time and play with the big toys in Hollywood, where he now lives. He makes his debut here, with the more experienced Stuart Beattie co-writing the script. 2020 was shaping up to be an exceptionally good year for Will Vinson. The British saxophonist was marking his 21st year in New York, where hed built a substantial profile for himself in that citys thriving jazz scene as valued sideman and adventurous leader. Hed just released a superb new album (teaming his saxophone with five different rhythm sections), and had recently recorded with an all-star band called Trio Grande. When the pandemic hit New York, Vinson and his heavily pregnant wife (Australian singer Jo Lawry) packed up their apartment and 20 hours later were on a plane to Adelaide, Lawrys hometown. It was meant to be a temporary relocation, until this whole (pandemic) thing blows over, says Vinson with a rueful laugh. Saxophonist Will Vinson. Two years later, theyre based in Sydney. Lawry, a jazz-trained vocalist and long-time member of Stings band, is on staff at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where Vinson also teaches. Both are planning to resume recording and touring overseas but have reassessed their priorities. Such a big part of what I do as a musician and Jo, too, before we had children has been about travel; being away from home for long periods of time. So now, having had two years of being together as a family, its a bit strange to think about travelling again. Jo and I will be taking it in turns to tour later this year. But coming out of this (pandemic), well have to find an equilibrium. Australias Foreign Minister Penny Wong flies into diplomatic battle in the Pacific tonight for the second time since she was sworn in nine days ago. This time, she is headed to Samoa and Tonga, after Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited the nations. China and Australias foreign ministers Wang Yi and Penny Wong are competing for influence in the Pacific region. Credit:AP/Getty We understand that we need to work together like never before, for our peoples and for generations to come, Wong said in a statement released by her office. We will increase our contribution to regional security: we understand that the security of the Pacific is the responsibility of the Pacific family, of which Australia is a part. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with our Pacific family in addressing the existential threat of climate change. And we will deepen cultural and sporting ties. Like Chinas foreign minister, she will meet Samoas head of state, Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, and Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa, who on Saturday inked a diplomatic deal with Yi. Loading In Tonga, which hosted Yi on Tuesday, Wong will meet Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni to talk about further repairs following the devastating volcanic eruption and tsunami in January. Today, Yi visited Vanuatu and will head to Papua New Guinea tomorrow, where Prime Minister James Marape will host him despite the looming national election. Castle Hill MP Ray Williams has accused the NSW Department of Education of severely compromising the health of 2000 people connected to Castle Hill High School after it falsely declared in 2016 that the school did not have asbestos. While the department made efforts to correct the mistake in 2020, it has reportedly failed to answer questions from the school community. Castle Hill MP (inset) says he became aware of the asbestos result at the school last Thursday. Credit:Facebook, Nine News The department advised the Castle Hill community in 2016 that the school had tested negative for asbestos when it had, in fact, tested positive. At the time, the department acknowledged the mistake but said there was a low or negligible risk of exposure to airborne hazardous material. The case against the man accused of murdering two campers in Victorias High Country has been delayed because he hasnt been able to access documents in prison. Pilot Greg Lynn, 55, appeared in Sale Magistrates Court via video link on Tuesday from the Melbourne Assessment Prison dressed in a blue T-shirt and black-rimmed glasses. A court sketch of accused murderer Greg Lynn. Credit:Nine Lynns lawyer asked that the matter be adjourned until August as he was having trouble getting his client access to a prison computer to read the brief of evidence against him. Solicitor Chris McLennan said the extra time would allow his legal team to print out the brief of evidence and get it to Lynn. Pest controllers have launched a high-tech hunt to track down the first fox in seven years to penetrate Phillip Islands sophisticated predator defence system. Foxes were declared eradicated on Phillip Island in 2017 after an extensive effort to drive them out. It took two years after the last fox was detected before conservationists declared the island fox-free. CCTV vision of the first fox in seven years on Phillip Island. The introduced pests previously caused extensive damage to native wildlife on Phillip Island with a single fox capable of killing dozens of penguins in one evening alone. The reports of a fox incursion emerged after several chickens were killed on a Phillip Island property this month. A record number of women will take their seats in the House of Representatives when the 47th parliament sits for the first time in July, but representation in the Liberal Party has gone backwards as it grapples with how to regain the faith of female voters. Women will comprise 38 per cent of the chamber in the new parliament the highest ever proportion on record after 58 women were elected to the lower house, including 19 first-term MPs. Labor MP Fiona Phillips was set to retain her NSW South Coast seat of Gilmore after a down-to-the-wire challenge from former Liberal state minister Andrew Constance. Her victory, which Labor claimed on Tuesday, takes the party to 77 seats, one more than the bare majority it needs to govern in its own right. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promoted a number of women when he announced his ministry on Tuesday evening, with 10 women in his cabinet. Don't Lose Ur Heads, queendom, but yes, it's finally time for our West End vs Broadway series to visit musical theatre's favourite Tudors! For this month's edition, we've paired up London's current Anne Boleyn, Amanda Lindgren, with her counterpart and original Broadway cast member Andrea Macasaet. Since its humble beginnings at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2017, Six has gone on to enjoy nothing less than global domination. The London production is still going strong, taking home the WhatsOnStage Award for Best West End Show earlier this year, while the New York staging was recently honoured with eight Tony Award nominations. Check out the transatlantic meeting of queens in the video below. News Updates Would you like to receive our newsletter? Get local, Wyoming, and national news, the weather forecast, and more, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Batavia, NY (14020) Today Generally clear skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 49F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Generally clear skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 49F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Migrants on board the Ocean Viking ship, on May 28, 2022. (SOS Mediterranee via AP/Screenshot via The Epoch Times) 294 Migrants Rescued Off Libya Arrive in Sicily A group of 294 migrants rescued off the coast of Libya disembarked in Sicily on Monday morning after spending ten days at sea. On Sunday a woman who was eight months pregnant was evacuated from the Ocean Viking rescue ship for medical reasons. According to SOS Mediterannee, which runs the rescue ship, there were 49 minors on board, the youngest only 3 years old. The migrants were rescued from both wooden boats and rubber dinghies in various operations since May 19. Candida Lobes, communications officer on the Ocean Viking, said keeping the migrants on board for ten days was senseless. These people, who already were showing signs of trauma caused by what happened to them in Libya, and caused by the voyage in the Mediterranean Sea, needed immediate assistance and some of them were held at sea for over ten days, she said. Italy has seen a surge in the number of illegal migrant arrivals in recent weeks as the weather gets warmer. As of May 30, 18,841 illegal immigrants have arrived in Italy by sea this year, according to the Ministry of Interior, up from 14,412 on the same date in 2021. Members of the New Orleans Police Department investigate a crime scene in a file photo. (Max Becherer/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP) 3 Shot, 1 Dead at High School Graduation Ceremony at Xavier University: Officials At least three people were shot, including one fatally, during a graduation ceremony in New Orleans Xavier University on Tuesday, officials said. An elderly woman was shot and killed, while two men were injured after a gun battle broke out during the conclusion of the ceremony, police and witnesses recalled to local news outlets. A fight occurred between two women when someone opened fire, police told WSDU-TV. The men suffered non-life-threatening injuries after being shot in the shoulder and leg, respectively, while police said they detained at least three suspects. My friends grandma got shot, man, a witness told WSDU of the elderly woman who was fatally struck. She got shot right there in the street like she was a dog or some [expletive], man. The age and identity of the slain woman were not disclosed. The identities of the individuals who were arrested were not disclosed, either. Several firearms were also recovered by the New Orleans Police Department, officials said. Police Deputy Superintendent Christopher Goodly told Fox8 that the incident was a senseless act of violence, that started with an argument. It rapidly escalated until guns were drawn and shots were fired, he said, adding that it is believed that the elderly woman was a bystander who wasnt involved in the fracas. This unfortunate incident did not have to happen, Goodly told the station. Henderson Lewis Jr, the head of a school system in New Orleansone of the most violent cities in the United Statesissued a statement saying he is outraged and saddened by the callousness shown today outside Xavier University. The graduating seniors of Morris Jeff were there to share in their collective achievements and bask in the brightness of their futuresonly to have their optimism ripped apart, he remarked. And Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, said that those who perpetuate these senseless acts of violence will be brought to justice. We must do more to keep our communities safe, and this means we must do more to ensure that those who pose an unacceptable risk of harm to others arent able to acquire or keep firearms. Meanwhile, on May 19, a fight broke out at the Southeastern Louisiana University campus after the Hammond High School graduation, officials said. It lead to a shooting that injured three people. A 20-year-old male was arrested. The womans death at Xavier University marks the 121st homicide recorded in New Orleans in 2022 to date. According to a recent WSDU analysis, New Orleans appears to have the highest murder rate among big cities in the United States. Law enforcement officers carry out "Operation Not Forgotten," a missing child mission led by the US Marshals and other agencies, in Georgia in August 2020. (Shane T. McCoy/US Marshals/CC BY 2.0) 70 Children Rescued From Sex Traffickers in Multi-State Operation After a three week operation involving multiple agencies, law enforcement officers managed to locate and recover 70 missing children, most of them in West Texas, according to a May 25 news release by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The missing children and teens, many of whom were runaways, ranged in age from 10 to 17 years old and were victims of sex trafficking and physical and sexual abuse. Headed by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso, and assisted by numerous other federal, state, and local agencies, Operation Lost Souls ran from the end of April through mid-May El Paso, Texas, and the Texas counties of Midland, Ector, and Tom Green. Although a majority of the children were located in West Texas, a few were also recovered from the DallasFort Worth area, the state of Colorado, and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Results of the operation were published on May 25, which is National Missing Childrens Day. HSI is committed to continue working with our law enforcement partners to locate, recover and help missing children heal, while ensuring that perpetrators are held responsible for these heinous crimes and brought to justice, said Taekuk Cho, HSI El Pasos deputy special agent in charge. The agencies have provided victim services and counseling to the recovered children and their families. The ICE announcement follows the capturing and charging of eight individuals connected with the alleged trafficking and exploitation of a 15-year-old girl from a Dallas Mavericks game at the American Airlines Center arena in Dallas on April 8. The girl went missing after she separated from her father to use the bathroom. Later on, she was seen leaving the arena with an unknown man. A few days later, the Texas Counter-Trafficking Initiative found the girls photos on a website associated with prostitution. She was rescued April 18 when authorities located her at an Extended Stay America hotel in Oklahoma City. We are thankful for the work of the Oklahoma City Police Department and the recovery of our daughter. My heart breaks for the unimaginable things my daughter had to endure for the 11 days she was taken, and I am so glad she is safe as we work toward her recovery, the girls mother said in a May 5 statement, according to multiple media outlets. Upon her disappearance from the arena, the father of the girl was instructed to return back home. According to Texas law, in the absence of evidence of kidnapping, missing children are registered as runaways. Despite pleas from the father, the Dallas Police Department refused to open an investigation into the matter, according to Zeke Fortenberry, the familys attorney. The systems and organizations involved in this case continually failed the victim. She should never have had contact with the man at the Mavericks game, Fortenberry said, according to Fox News. This victims life will forever be changed. Due to the nature of the investigation, further information regarding the 70 recovered children has not been released by the HSI. Anyone with relevant information on this type of criminal activity can call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888. Visitors take pictures in front of "Mona Lisa" on Oct. 7, 2019. (Eric Feferberg/AFP via Getty Images) Alleged Climate Activist Tried to Smear Cake on Mona Lisa, Attack Foiled by Bulletproof Glass The Mona Lisa, possibly the worlds most famous artwork, was the target of attempted vandalism on May 29 when a man threw a piece of cake at the enclosure and smeared the glass with icing. The 36-year-old man was disguised as an old woman and arrived in a wheelchair. Speaking in French as he was being escorted out, the man said, Think of the Earth! There are people who are destroying the Earth! Think about it. Artists tell you: think of the Earth. Thats why I did this, according to The Associated Press, leading to suggestions that he might be a climate activist. Videos and images uploaded on Twitter showed Louvre Museum staff wiping the glass clean and receiving a round of applause from stunned onlookers. The wheelchair was possibly used as an excuse to get closer to the painting, based on the reduced mobility policy followed by the museum. Bulletproof glass protects the painting, which is on display in the Salle des Etats room at the Louvre in Paris. Although the substance left a smear on the surface of the glass, the painting was not damaged. The man was detained and sent to a police psychiatric unit. An investigation has been opened into the incident for damages to cultural artifacts, according to the Paris prosecutors office. The mans identity has not been revealed. He arrived wearing a wig and lipstick, and was also seen throwing roses in the museum gallery. The Louvre confirmed the attack involved a patisserie, or French pastry, in a statement about the incident. According to the museum, the Mona Lisa has been enclosed behind glass since the 1950s, and the bulletproofing was added in 2019. The museum salutes the professionalism of its agents who reacted immediately during this incident, the Louvre said, according to Food and Wine. Its also a reminder that monitoring national collections is at the heart of their mission. As for the Mona Lisa, it is considered one of the most valuable paintings in the world, an archetypal masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance by Leonardo Da Vinci. Painted in the 16th century, it has been displayed at the Louvre since 1797. The Mona Lisa has been subject to interesting theories, including a suggestion that there are hidden portraits underneath the artwork. Over its 500 years of existence, the masterpiece has been the target of attacks before. In the 1950s, a vandal threw acid on the painting, which resulted in the introduction of the glass enclosure. In 2009, a Russian woman who was allegedly angry about not receiving French citizenship threw a ceramic cup at the paintings glass enclosure. The cup was shattered but the painting was unharmed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Ballots are counted at the Los Angeles County Regional Offices in Downey, after the polls closed for the 2020 US Elections, Calif., on Nov. 3, 2020. (Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty Images) Alleged Voter Fraud Leads to Overturned Result in Local California Election The results of a Council seat race in Compton, California, were overturned in the midst of an election fraud scandal that resulted in charges against the winner. Compton Councilman Isaac Galvan must be replaced by the challenger, Andre Spicer, after a judge said that four votes in the racewhich was decided by only one votewere sent in by people who didnt live in the district, according to a ruling on May 27. During a runoff, Galvan defeated Spicer with 855 votes to 854. But with four votes being disqualified, Superior Court Judge Michelle Williams Court ruled Spicer was the winner, reported the Los Angeles Times. Galvan was arrested last year along with five other individuals. He was charged with conspiracy to commit election fraud along with Jace Dawson, Kimberly Chaouch, Toni Morris, Barry Reed, and Reginald Streeter. At the time, embattled District Attorney George Gascon said in a statement that elections should be free and fair. We must do everything in our power to protect the integrity of the electorate process and to ensure that elections are free and fair, said Gascon, who is facing a recall effort by critics who have accused him of pursuing a leftist agenda. The people of Los Angeles County expect and deserve a government that is free of political corruption at every level. Last year, the District Attorneys office said Galvan also allegedly attempted to bribe a registrar employee as she was counting ballots on election night. And Dean Logan, Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder, said in August of last year that county records along with registration records allowed officials to discover unusual and suspicious activity that occurred in the Compton City Council election. My office immediately notified law enforcement of our concerns and then fully cooperated in the investigation, Logan said at the time. These charges and the activities alleged in this case are serious and strike at a time when public confidence in our electoral process is in decline and misinformation about the security of voting is rampant. Speaking to a local NBC affiliate on May 28, Spicer said that he is elated following the court order. Im grateful to the judicial system, he added. This is something weve been fighting hard for for the last 11 months. Elaborating, Spicer said there have been rumors for years about alleged voter fraud schemes in Compton, which is still considered one of the most violent cities in California. He said he believes the community has lost faith in elections. I think this helps to get us engaged again, Spicer told the outlet. Its just a relief for the entire city to expose it, and hopefully, rid ourselves of it. Galvan has since pleaded not guilty in the case. A general view of Crown Casino in Southbank in Melbourne, Australia, on Oct. 26, 2021. (Darrian Traynor/Getty Images) Australian Casino Fined $80 Million for Illegal Chinese Money Transfers Victorias Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has fined Crown Melbourne $80 million (US$57.5 million) for organising a scheme that enabled illegal money transfers from China. The fine was imposed after the VGCCCs investigation revealed that Crown casino set up a process to circumvent Chinese currency restrictions and allow funds to be transferred out of China illegally, by letting international gamblers use the China Union Pay card from 2012 to 2016. During that period, the Chinese regime made it illegal for citizens to transfer more than US$50,000 to other countries each year. The VGCCC said that Crown casino came up with a plan in which it falsely issued hotel room bills to Chinese patrons. The individuals would then settle the bills with their China Union Pay (CUP) card and receive a voucher acknowledging the receipt of funds. After that, they would exchange the voucher for cash or chips with the help of a Crown VIP host. The commission estimated that the scheme processed about $164 million in illegal funds and allowed Crown casino to gain over $32 million in revenue. People enter the Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia, on Feb. 14, 2022. (William West/AFP via Getty Images) This is the first time the VGCCC has used its new enforcement powers following an amendment to the Casino Control Act, which raised the maximum allowable fine from $1 million to $100 million. The commission chairperson Fran Thorn said that despite Crowns cooperative attitude during the disciplinary proceedings, the record $80 million fine was appropriate and necessary in light of the seriousness of the casinos illegal conduct. Crowns CUP process was a clandestine, deliberate process, which not only breached the Casino Control Act but was also devised to assist patrons in breaching Chinas foreign currency exchange restrictions, Thorn said. Crown was aware of the risk that the CUP process could be illegal but decided to run that risk. The VGCCC also said that apart from the scheme, Crown also had other mechanisms that continued after 2016 and allowed cash to be withdrawn via bank cards at its hotels. The money would then be potentially used for gambling purposes. Although Crown casino has denied that those transactions breached the laws, the VGCCC will investigate the issue. Furthermore, the gambling regulator is contemplating taking additional disciplinary proceedings against Crown in relation to other findings, with each of them potentially attracting a fine of up to $100 million. Facing the investigations, Crown said it acknowledged its historic failings while pledging to carry out a comprehensive reform and cooperate with the VGCC on other issues. A man pays his respects on May 30, 2022, at a memorial honouring the victims killed in a shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, the previous week. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Barbara Kay: Massacres and Diminished Policing: When Good (Read Progressive) Intentions Help Pave the Road to Hell Commentary The United States is a gun culture, and too often children pay for that obsession with their lives. About 1,000 children in the United States die every year as collateral damage to gang violence. Of the 169 deaths in school massacres since 1999, fewer than 150 were children. But its the massacres that unite the nation in a paroxysm of grief and frustration. Thats because gang violence is seen by most Americans, blessed to live in safe neighbourhoods, through the same lens as we see foreign wars. Deplorable of course, but its happening elsewhere. Moreover, Americans feel free to discuss massacre prevention, but fear being labelled racist if they demand more aggressive policing in gang territories. As a reminder of that risky terrain, former president Obama displayed extraordinary insensitivity following the Uvalde massacre in a same-day tweet that attempted to deflect the nations attention away from the massacre and back to the alleged bane of police racism: As we grieve the children of Uvalde today, we should take time to recognize that two years have passed since the murder of George Floyd under the knee of a police officer. His killing stays with us all to this day, especially those who loved him. Its troubling that a former president would choose to co-opt a school tragedy for this purpose. Reliable data confirms that police brutality is not statistically linked to racism. Which doesnt mean school massacres dont have a policing problem. They do: incompetence and cowardice, both in florid evidence on May 24 when 18-year-old Salvador Ramos murdered 19 third- and fourth-grade children and two adults at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. The timeline: At 11:30 a.m., a teacher reported a car crash and a man with a gun to 911. At 11:32, the killer began shooting outside the school. At 11:33, the killer entered the school and began shooting into a classroom. Three officers arrived at the closed classroom door. The killer wounded two of them with gunfire. Four more officers arrived. According to their training protocols, obtained by the New York Times, this was when the five armed and able officers should have engaged with the shooter, whatever the risk to themselves. Instead, they waited, even as schoolgirls placed five 911 calls between 12:10 and 12:36 p.m. Meanwhile, anguished parents were attempting to rush the school to rescue their children, with police officers blocking them, all caught on video. Some police officers reportedly entered the school, but only to save their own children. Finally, at 12:50 p.m., an hour and a quarter after the drama began, the police opened the door with a key, charged in, and shot the killer dead. Police initially claimed they believed there were no kids at risk, but later acknowledged they made the wrong decision. The police failure in Uvalde is reminiscent enough of the February 2018 massacre in Parkland, Florida, to suggest a pattern. In Parkland, where 14 students and three staff members at Marjorie Douglas Stoneham High School were murdered during 11 minutes of unchecked havoc, sheriffs deputy Scot Peterson hid behind a pillar outside the building for 45 minutes, even though he was well aware that the killer was roaming freely through the halls and shooting at will. That was bad enough, but seven other deputies who arrived at the school also heard the shots and stayed outside. The Parkland killer, Nikolas Cruz, a former student at the school, was so mentally disturbed he required constant supervision. He carved swastikas into desks. He threw hard objects at other students. He wrote KILL in his notebooks and spoke often about guns. He brought knives to school and, once, a backpack full of bullets. Instead of calling the police, the school forbade him to wear a backpack. Cruz even threatened to shoot up the school. It gets worse. During Cruzs middle and high school years, deputies were called to his home 45 times, one of the calls the result of his having punched his mother so hard in the mouth she needed a new set of teeth. That poor woman called Broward Countys mental-health provider in desperation frequently, begging them to have her son institutionalized, but to no avail, even though a school psychiatrist had written to Cruzs private psychiatrist, Per recent information shared in school he dreams of killing others and (being) covered in blood. His mental health provider recommended he engage in coping skills, like reading magazines, watching TV, fishing and spending time with pets. You might think such a threat to society would have a criminal record, or at least end up on a police watchlist. But no. Cruz was the hell to which good (progressive) intentions paved the road. In 2011, concerned by racial disparities in referrals of students to police, Robert Runcie, superintendent of Browards public schools, conceived a program called Preventing Recidivism through Opportunities, Mentoring, Interventions, Support and Education (PROMISE). Under PROMISE, schools were tasked with assessing students when dealing with anti-social behaviour, including felonies such as drug dealing, sexual assault, and bringing weapons to school. The schools were not to report these behaviours to the police. Under PROMISE, violent students were not even expelled. Instead, they could attend healing circles or engage in other touchy-feely activities. Apparently, the PROMISE-building team did not consider the fact that in protecting criminal students from a criminal record, they also facilitated their freedom to buy guns legally, in Cruzs case an AR-15 rifle. So much for background checks. In a book about the Parkland massacre, Andrew Pollack, father of murdered student Meadow Pollack, wrote, His entire life, [Cruz] was practically screaming, if you ignore me, I could become a mass murderer. In an earlier interview with Tunku Varadarajan of the Wall Street Journal, Pollack had said, Parkland was the most avoidable mass shooting in American history. [Cruz] was never going to be a model citizen, but it truly took a village to raise him into a school shooter. Pollack sued an already fired and disgraced Scot Peterson for his inaction on the fateful day. Petersons lawyer moved to dismiss the lawsuit on the grounds that Peterson didnt have the duty to try to save the kids. The judge didnt buy it, but where did such a daft idea come from? Perhaps through the same trickle-down effect of unrealistic progressive policies like PROMISE, diminishing the value of policing, presuming violence could be managed by social workers and therapists, that emanated from the Obama White House. PROMISE was rescinded by Donald Trump. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Federal Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health Carolyn Bennett speaks during a news conference after British Columbia was granted an exemption to decriminalize possession of some illegal drugs for personal use, in Vancouver, on May 31, 2022. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press) BC Exempts Small Amounts of Illicit Drug Possession From Criminal Charges for 3 Years Amid Overdose Crisis British Columbians will not be arrested or charged for possession of small amounts of illicit drugs for personal use for three years after getting approval from the federal government. The changes are implemented as part of an initiative the B.C. government says is meant to address the overdose crisis in the province. In November 2021, the province submitted to the federal government an exemption request to subsection 56(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to halt criminal charges against adults in the province in possession of small amounts of illicit drugs for personal use. The exemption will be effective between Jan. 31, 2023, and Jan. 31, 2026, and applies to all B.C. residents aged 18 and older who are in possession of up to 2.5 grams of certain illegal drugs, including opioids (heroin, morphine, and fentanyl included), cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA, the B.C. government said in a statement released on May 31. Carolyn Bennett, the federal minister of mental health and addictions, said the in a statement that exemption is not legalization of the drugs. People found in possession of illicit drugs under the 2.5-gram threshold will not have the drugs seized. Instead, the police will only provide information on local health and social services and voluntary referrals to those services, the statement reads. The exemption applies to the majority of locations in the province, with exceptions for airports, elementary and secondary school premises, premises of licensed child care facilities, and on Canadian Coast Guard helicopters and vessels. This means anyone found in possession of any amount of illicit drugs in these locations will still face criminal charges. Underage youth in B.C. are not covered by the exemption, and those between the ages of 12 and 17 will be subjected to the Youth Criminal Justice Act if found in possession of illicit drugs. The exemption makes B.C. the first jurisdiction in North America to lift prohibitions on the possession of small amounts of so-called hard drugs. While the U.S. state of Oregon decriminalized such possession, the drugs found are still seized and those in possession face a US$100 fine. The Canadian Press contributed to this article. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (4nd-L) meets with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (3nd-R) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on March 20, 2017. (Lintao Zhang/Pool/Getty Images) Beijing Gives Ultimatum to Israeli Media Company Jerusalem Post ordered to remove interview or CCP will downgrade relations with Israel The Chinese embassy has reportedly demanded an Israel-based news outlet remove its interview with Taiwans foreign minister, and failure to do so may result in Beijing downgrading its ties with Israel. The Jerusalem Post published an interview with Taiwans Foreign Minister Joseph Wu on Monday, in which Wu cautioned the Israeli government to be very careful when doing business with China. Wu said that the Chinese Communist Party would sometimes use trade as a weapon, citing Lithuania, the Czech Republic, and Australia as some of the countries with which China has weaponized trade relations. We shouldnt allow these kinds of business relations to jeopardize our national security. And I understand pretty well that Israel also places national security very high on the government agenda, he said in a video interview. Yaakov Katz, the editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post, said that he received a phone call from the Chinese embassy shortly after the publication of the interview, asking him to take down the story. Apparently Im supposed to take down the story or they will sever ties with The Jerusalem Post and downgrade relations with the State of Israel. Needless to say, story aint going anywhere, Katz said in a tweet. Didnt take long. Got call from Chinese embassy. Apparently Im supposed to take down the story or they will sever ties with the @Jerusalem_Post and downgrade relations with the State of Israel. Needless to say, story aint going anywhere. https://t.co/BypRMTbc6W Yaakov Katz (@yaakovkatz) May 30, 2022 Taiwans Foreign Ministry later shared his Twitter post, saying that the Chinese diplomats threat demonstrates that the expansion of authoritarianism has no upper bound [and] forbidden zone. Israel is a close ally to China, one of its largest trading partners. According to local reports, the Israeli government had ordered its diplomats not to invite Taiwanese officials to local events or to participate in Taiwan-organized events. Taiwans diplomat in Israel is also referred to as a representative rather than an ambassador. The self-governed island, which China claims as part of its territory, has nevertheless pledged to continue cooperating with Israel in various fields on an existing friendly nations basis. A very prominent American diplomat told me that you must be doing something right when China gets upset. So dont worry about China getting upset at you. When they get upset at you, that means you are doing something right, Wu said. Wu also conveyed Taiwans interest in cooperating with Israel during the interview, saying that Taiwan has always admired Israels self-defense capabilities. That is something that we want to emulate. So even though theres not a whole lot of security relations with each other, our security experts have been looking at Israel, he told the publication. Meanwhile, the Israeli news outlet said that it would proceed with publishing the interview piece in The Jerusalem Post newspaper on Tuesday. The Chinese embassy had previously condemned The Jerusalem Post for publishing an op-ed article related to the Xinjiang province, calling it an anti-china article which it claimed was written by a Xinjiang independence separatist. Persecuted Uyghurs, rights groups, and elected lawmakers around the world have accused Chinese authorities in Xinjiang of facilitating forced labor by arbitrarily detaining millions of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in a network of camps in the northwestern region. A scene from a programme from the state-run CGTN displayed on a computer monitor in London, England on Feb. 4, 2021. (Leon Neal/Getty Images) Beijing Remarkably Effective at Exploiting Search Engine Results: Report Washington-based think tanks Brookings Institution and Alliance for Securing Democracy released a 47-page report in May on Beijings effectiveness in steering public opinions through exploiting search engine results. The researchers collected search results on two topics that are critical to Beijings agenda: Xinjiang and the COVID-19 pandemic, from five different search engines: Google Search, Google News, Microsofts Bing Search, Bing News, and YouTube. The data was collected daily from Nov. 1, 2021, to Feb. 28, 2022. Beijing has extensive content hosting and syndication agreements with international media outlets. However, this report titled Winning the Web found other sources that have been very effective in broadening Beijings reach. Chinese State Media Content Not Constrained by Newsworthiness According to the report, Chinese state media can produce content about strategic topics beyond the constraints of newsworthiness. There is a consistent stream of state-backed narratives that flow into the web. They are mostly independent of paywalls or subscriptions, making them easily available. This continuous push of Beijing-backed narratives also takes advantage of the algorithms in most search engines that prioritize freshness. The state media content is amplified by a huge army of state actors on social media. According to Alliance for Securing Democracys dashboard, which tracks Chinese, Russian, and Iranian state-affiliated media and government officials on social media, #covid19, and #Xinjiang were the two most frequently used hashtags on Twitter by all official Chinese accounts, including those of Chinese diplomats and government officials in 2021. Beijings Narratives Consistently Appeared on First Page of Search Results Chinese state media content frequently appeared in top search results for both neutral and loaded terms related to Xinjiang. If one searches for the keywords Xinjiang terrorism or Xinjiang debunked on the above platforms, the researchers found that Chinese state media contents appear every day on the first-page search results, with the exception of YouTube search, where two days out of the 120 days, it appeared on the second page of the search results. For neutral terms, such as kashgar, Urumqi or Xinjiang, Chinese state media content still appeared almost every day on news searches and YouTube searches. Kashgar and Urumqi are cities in Xinjiang. This suggests that regardless of search terms used, the users are still likely to encounter Chinese state media content, the report says. State-Affiliated Influencers Increase Beijings Reach Beijing uses influencers on YouTube to counter critical reporting from other news outlets. The report said that these influencers share similar characteristics. They are Westerners but have lived in China. They claim to be independent China experts. Their connections to Beijing are often veiled. British vlogger Jason Lightfoot speaking on his YouTube channel as seen on a computer screen in Beijing on Sept. 2, 2021. With their videos debunking allegations of human rights abuses and diatribes on Western conspiracies against China, an unlikely set of foreigners are loudly defending Beijing from its international critics. (Jade Gao/AFP via Getty Images) A 2021 research by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) found that influencer content relied on two approaches to challenging established coverage of Xinjiang. They highlight local customs and culture to promote a positive and vibrant image of life in the region. They call out Western injustices and biases to counter allegations of forced labor and detention centers. These findings corroborate with the dataset collected by Brookings and Alliance for Securing Democracy. Reposting by Other Media Increase Beijings Presence The report also found a surprisingly large number of seemingly independent news outlets repost CCP media reports routinely. This type of reposting would increase the total number the CCP media in search results by nearly 10 percent. The top ten sources that repost Beijings content are Finlands helsinkitimes.fi, UAEs bignewsnetwork.com, USAs msn.com, Pakistans dailytimes.com.pk and bolnews.com, Chads alwihdainfo.com, Indias indianexpress.com, Ukraines ukranews.com, Bangladeshs tbsnews.net, and Zambias iol.co.za. Screen capture of the Brookings report showing four international media outlets sharing the same Chinese state content. (The Epoch Times) The report shows the screen captures of four outlets publishing the same story about Xinjiang with exactly the same title Xinjiang Speaks: One Uygur family, four generations of growth. Out of these four outlets, Zambias IOL put Sponsored Content on the Byline. UAEs bignewsnetwork.com has Xinhua right underneath the title. Ukranews.com has Xinhua News Agency reported in the first paragraph. Another African media ippmedia.com does not give any clue where the article was from. Finally, the report says that the tech companies are implementing policies to curb the influence of state-backed media. In the early months of 2022, search engines enacted measures to limit the reach of Russian state media. But little has been done regarding the Chinese state media. Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) and Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama attend a joint press conference in Fiji's capital city Suva on May 30. (Leon Lord/AFP via Getty Images) Beijing Vows Greater Effort to Lock In Sweeping Regional Deal Beijing will continue to push Pacific nations to sign onto a sweeping regional security, and economy deal after a May 30 conference saw the Chinese regimes original proposal fall flat. According to the Chinese state-owned Xinhua, Wang Yi, the regimes foreign minister, said Beijing would continue to make greater efforts to advance the comprehensive strategic partnership with Pacific island nations in the long term. In the meantime, the Chinese Communist Party and leaders from 10 Pacific nations did pledge cooperation in a range of areas, including infrastructure, maritime industries, pandemic response, and climate change. Last week, details of the China-Pacific Island Countries Common Development Vision emergeda comprehensive regional deal across 10 Pacific nations (with existing ties to Beijing) covering free trade, fisheries, and sensitive areas such as security, cyber, and maritime mapping. The move was a significant step forward for the Chinese Communist Partys ambitions in the region, with foreign policy expert John Lee, saying Beijing likely overplayed its hand and exposed its partners in the Pacific to international pressure. [Chinese Foreign Minister] Wang will return home with a handful of signatures. But Beijing will have overplayed its hand by abandoning its previous patient approach and creating the conditions for plausible deniability of its real objectives, he wrote in the Australian Financial Review on May 30. Pacific leaders will have to explain to angry and anxious populations why they are prepared to conclude agreements with irreversible strategic and security consequences. On May 30, the agreement had to be shelved following a lack of consensus between Pacific leaders. In fact, the proposed deal has alarmed some leaders, with David Panuelo, president of the Federated States of Micronesia, earlier writing to 21 fellow heads of state warning that the pact could trigger a new Cold War. The practical impacts, however, of Chinese control over our communications infrastructure, our ocean territory and the resources within them, and our security space, aside from impacts on our sovereignty, is that it increases the chances of China getting into conflict with Australia, Japan, the United States, and New Zealand, he wrote. If you read one thing about #WangYis Pacific tour, make it @POTFSM letter to other Pacific leaders about the vision and five year plan documents China wants signed. [This is] the single-most game-changing proposed agreement in the Pacific in any of our lifetimes. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/akoHRvcDan Cleo Paskal (@CleoPaskal) May 27, 2022 The president of Palau, Surangel Whipps Jr., also called on fellow Pacific leaders to learn from past experience. We want to have peace and security in the region, and we dont want to go through what we went through in World War II, Whipps told Pacific Beat media on May 30. While the major regional deal didnt go ahead, the Chinese foreign minister managed to gain further commitments from the Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, and Fiji governments to tighten cooperation. On May 26, Wang and the Solomon Islands foreign minister said in a statement that all agreements signed between the governments had been effectively implemented while pledging to work together on Belt and Road Initiative projects, agriculture, fisheries, and other areas. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has been criticized for signing a security deal with the Chinese Communist Party that could pave the way for Beijing to station troops, weapons, and naval ships in the regionopening the door for the eventual militarization of the South Pacific. The island of Guadalcanal was the site of extensive fighting during World War II between Allied Forces and Imperial Japan because of its strategic position and influence over surrounding sea lanes. On May 27, Wang met with Kiribati Vice President Teuea Toatu and managed to secure a commitment to deepen ties. Kiribatis ambassador to China, David Teaabo, said the leaders were to sign up to 10 memoranda of understanding, according to the Chinese state-owned media outlet, The Global Times. Concerns have been raised that Beijing could fund and upgrade a World War II-era airstrip in Kiribati that could also be another strategic foothold. Read More Beijing Forced to Shelve Sweeping Pacific Security Deal By Xiang Haoyu Since the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out, Japan has followed America and Europes lead in imposing harsh sanctions on Russia. In the middle of the overwhelming opposition against Moscow both domestically and internationally, the right-wing Japanese conservatives are trying to take this opportunity to whitewash their history of militarist aggression. Taro Aso, Vice President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), previously said at a party gathering that the Soviet Union unilaterally tore apart the SovietJapanese Neutrality Pact and invaded Japan during WWII. Former LDP Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba once claimed that Japan should never forget how the Soviet Union invaded the country. Yet such jaw-dropping remarks about Japan being the victim of invasion didnt seem to raise any alert in the country. The fact is that because Japan joined Germany in fighting against the Soviet Union and engaged in war with Soviet allies the US and the UK, the neutrality pact was de facto void, so the Soviet Union announced on April 5, 1945, to terminate it one year in advance, and officially declared war against Japan on August 8. The Soviet Union made tremendous contributions to winning the anti-Fascist war. As there are long-established conclusions about Japans history of militarist aggression, its wrong outlook on history as reflected in its attitude toward Russia implies grave consequences not just concerning its relations with countries victimized in WWII, but also the countrys future direction of development and the regions peace and stability. This, combined with a series of adjustments in military and security policies recently adopted by the LDP authorities, reveals multi-dimension dangers of Japans historical revisionism. First, Japan is abusing the security concept due to victim complex. Ever since the end of WWII, Japans reflection on the war is focused on how much it suffered as a victim. It is always evasive about what it did as a victimizer and how much its Asian neighbors suffered under its militarist hooves. In recent years, certain people in Japan began to clamor about the so-called three-sided threats from China, DPRK and Russia, and have imagined various sensational stories of military attacks against Japan. Official policy documents such as the Defense White Paper and the Diplomatic Bluebook also exaggerate the so-called serious external security environment, making domestic and foreign policies increasingly security-oriented and paranoid. Second, the conservative Japanese government is promoting populist foreign policy. One of the fundamental reasons for Japans wrong outlook on history is the incomplete reform of the country after the war. To serve its own purpose during the Cold War, Washington wanted to make Japan its anti-Communist frontline. Therefore, instead of rooting out the remaining militarist forces, it strongly supported the conservative forces, which were closely affiliated with militarism, to take power in the country. After the end of the Cold War, Japanese leftists were on the decline, and Washington, still wanting to take advantage of Japan, stayed ambiguous on LDPs historical revisionism. As a result, the LDP began to turn into a populist Party as early as in Junichiro Koizumis time it used to be against China and ROK, and now it is against China, Russia and DPRK, which is primarily how the party obtains power. Third, Japanese society becomes polarized under stereotyped strategic thinking. Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the LDP regime has taken the change of the international security environment as an opportunity for normalizing the country, including amending the constitution and strengthening the military. Because of the elite groups political manipulation and public opinion control, there is a surging populism in Japan calling for strengthening the military and getting ready for war, whereas people rooting for peace against war are in the minority. There is no more rational policy debating over different ideas in the political circle, the media, or the academia, and Japans thinking on foreign strategy becomes ever more rigid and extreme. China and Japan not only concluded the Japan-China Treaty of Peace and Friendship that remains effective under international law, but their economies are deeply interrelated and enmeshed in the regional industry chain. Yet Japanese society doesnt seem to have a rational perception of this reality. There is no discussion or debate over whether the China threat is a legitimate and genuine concern, and its elite class is too poisoned by the Cold War mentality to think otherwise. Japanese policy makers must open their eyes to the fact that exaggerating and fabricating an external crisis to serve their ulterior political purposes wont make Japan strong or bring it absolute security. It will only push the country to a greater security dilemma. (The author is a special research fellow at the Department for Asia-Pacific Studies, China Institute of International Studies) Editor's Note: This article is originally published on huanqiu.com, and is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) building is seen in Washington, on July 22, 2019. (Alastair Pike/AFP via Getty Images) Biden Administration Creates Office of Environmental Justice in HHS The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on May 31 launched a new Office of Environmental Justice, the latest in a series of Biden administration policies and bureaucratic entities centered on environmental justice, environmental racism, equity, and related concerns. Millions in the U.S. are at risk of poor health because they live, work, play, learn, and grow in or near areas of excessive pollution and other environmental hazards. The Office of Environmental Justice is an important avenue through which their well-being and quality of life are receiving our full attention, Adm. Rachel Levine, assistant secretary for health, stated in a press release announcing the new office. Xavier Becerra, HHS secretary, stated in the same press release, The blunt truth is that many communities across our nationparticularly low-income communities and communities of colorcontinue to bear the brunt of pollution from industrial development, poor land use decisions, transportation, and trade corridors. The new office will fall under the authority of HHSs Office of Climate Change and Health Equity, which was also established by the Biden administration through Executive Order 14008. The order includes the term environmental justice 24 times, which is foundational to the new governmental bodies and programs it details. Notably, it established several other bodies, including the White House Environmental Justice Interagency Council, which it tasked with consulting local environmental justice leaders to develop an environmental justice strategy; the Office of Environmental Justice, under the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice; and a White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which already has an Office of Environmental Justice. The EPAs Office of Environmental Justice grew out of the Office of Environmental Equity, which was established in 1992 under the George H.W. Bush administration against the backdrop of civil rights activism, prompted by the 1987 report Toxic Wastes and Race in the United States. That report was authored by Dr. Benjamin Chavis, a United Church of Christ (UCC) minister who later converted to the Nation of Islam and adopted the name Dr. Benjamin Chavis Muhammad. Chavis also worked with the Nation of Islams Louis Farrakhan, directing the Million Man March in 1995. In 1991, the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit in Washington, also led by the UCC, outlined what were described as 17 principles of environmental justice. The stated motivations for establishing those principles included [securing] our political, economic and cultural liberation that has been denied for over 500 years of colonization and oppression. Given the terms origins in left-wing activism, the meaning and political neutrality of environmental justice have sometimes been a matter of contention. One definition used by the EPA describes environmental justice as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws and regulations. The Ecological Society of America has listed that language alongside what it calls a broader definition, in which environmental justice is seen both as a field of study and a social movement that seeks to address the unequal distribution of environmental benefits and harms, and asks whether procedures and impacts of environmental decision-making are fair to the people they affect. That definition comes from Bunyan Bryant, professor emeritus for environmental justice at the University of Michigan. In other writing, Bryant has claimed that humans have been led to wreak destruction upon the Earth and upon each other thanks to the destructive power of market forces. Following HHSs announcement, some took to social media to celebrate. We need our federal government to protect our rights against the impacts of environmental injustice, and this office will be a partner to this critical work, Dr. Gaurab Basu, a health equity fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, wrote in a tweet. Basus recent publications include the editorial COVID-19 and Climate Change: Crises of Structural Racism, an article for the Journal of Climate Change and Health co-authored by, among others, the environmentalist Bill McKibben. For the climate crisis, we must be skeptical of solutions that rely solely upon innovation and individualism, the article states, later asserting that we must view advocacy and collective action as a means to bring about equitable health outcomes. Like Bryant and others in the environmental justice movement, Basu has faulted capitalism for what he sees as ubiquitous, systemic problems afflicting the natural environment of the United States. Weve got to think about, you know, how we reform capitalism, because, you know, I think in a lot of ways, racism and capitalism have been the drivers that have allowed us to get to this place, Basu told podcast host Derek Wolfe. Basu also recommended that Wolfes listeners read anything by Bill McKibben. Others have expressed skepticism about the new HHS office. The reality is that so-called environmental justice or environmental racism is a total activist-run hoax, Steve Milloy, proprietor of JunkScience.com, told The Epoch Times. What these communities need are jobs, not the environmental justice hoax, which will have the perverse effect of keeping high-paying employers away from their communities and locking them in perpetual poverty. The Epoch Times has reached out to HHS seeking more information on the office, including who will run it and how many people it will employ. The Epoch Times has also reached out to the director of EPAs Office of Environmental Justice, Matthew Tejada. Biden Administrations Biofuel Initiative May be Worse for Environment than Gasoline Several long-term studies show the impact of increased corn ethanol production has worse environmental consequences in terms of carbon emissions than ordinary gasoline. As Americans are planning summer travels, the administration of President Joe Biden allowed up to a 15 percent corn ethanol-gasoline mix from June to September. It represents a victory for the U.S. corn lobby and will also provide some relief from severely inflated gas prices due to Russias invasion of Ukraine. Ethanol contains roughly one-third less energy than gasoline, which means cars will drive up to 5 percent fewer miles on E15 than gasoline alone. But the director of research and senior policy analyst at Height Capital Markets, Benjamin Salisbury, said E15 averaged about 25 cents per gallon less than E10 in April 2022. He said because E15 contains less energy per gallon, the savings amount to 17 cents per gallon with adjusted mileage. Fuel prices reached another historic high over Memorial Day weekend, hitting an average of $5 per gallon in seven states. The national average is still holding at $4.62 per gallon, representing a considerable spike from $3.05 at the same time last year. Gas prices at more than $7 a gallon are displayed at a Chevron gas station on May 25, 2022, in Menlo Park, California. As gas prices surge to record highs across the United States, the San Francisco Bay Area has the highest prices in the country where the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline is $6.06. The average national price is $4.59 per gallon. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Under normal circumstances, theres a 10 percent ethanol mix allowed in gasoline, commonly referred to as E10. Then on April 29, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an emergency waiver enabling an increase of up to 15 percent ethanol in fuel (E15) for the summer months. The Biden administration said in April that drivers could expect to see an average savings of 10 cents per gallon by using E15. Before the emergency waiver, gas stations couldnt sell E15 during summer due to the U.S. Clean Air Act restrictions. Ethanol evaporates more quickly in warmer air, which some experts suggest could cause worse air pollution. Nevertheless, EPA spokesperson Taylor Gillespie told The Epoch Times that air quality emissions from the use of E15 this summer wont be an issue. Because the RVP [Reid Vapor Pressure] of E10 and E15 gasoline used by consumers will be the same there is no change in evaporative emissions, Gillespie explained. Prior research by [the] EPA has shown no significant impact on evaporative emissions when the 1-psi waiver is extended to E15. With no significant impacts on emissions from cars and trucks, we expect consumers can continue to use E15 without being concerned that its use in the summer will impact air quality. However, it isnt fuel emissions that have scientists sounding alarm bells over the increased use of E15, its the production process. In February, a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences confirmed the findings of earlier reports from 2016 and 2008, pointing to biofuel having a larger carbon output than gasoline due to the amount of land that has to be cleared to grow corn. A combine harvests corn near Baxter, Iowa, on Oct. 12, 2019. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) It basically reaffirms what many suspected, that corn ethanol is not a climate-friendly fuel, said lead study author and scientist Tyler Lark of the University of Wisconsin Madison. We need to accelerate the shift toward better renewable fuels, as well as make improvements in efficiency and electrification. Larks study, which was funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Wildlife Federation, revealed that ethanol is a minimum of 24 percent more carbon-intensive than gasoline due to the emissions involved with land management, processing, and combustion. The enactment of the Renewable Fuel Standard in 2005 boosted the price of corn by 30 percent and soybeans by 20 percent. Corn cultivation alone expanded by 8.7 percent from 2008 to 2016, covering an additional 6.9 million acres. Back in 2008, a different study suggests ethanols reduced carbon emission as fuel was offset entirely by the production process. Crops absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow, which some experts believe negates the amount expelled when the plants are eventually burned. Even so, Tim Searchinger, a Princeton University scholar at the time, said the entire industry must be considered to understand the scope of carbon emissions involved in corns production. The simplest explanation is that when we divert our corn or soybeans to fuel if people around the world are going to continue to eat the same amount that theyre already eating, you have to replace that food somewhere else, Searchinger noted. Thats done in a significant part by burning down forests, plowing up grasslands. That releases a great deal of carbon dioxide. Searchingers group study concluded that over a 30-year period, biofuels could end up contributing twice as much carbon dioxide to the air as regular gasoline. The University of Michigan Energy Institute released a report in 2016 supporting Searchingers findings. During an eight-year study, results showed that powering an American vehicle with ethanol made from corn would cause more carbon pollution than gasoline. A 2012 photo provided by the Renewable Fuels Association shows a Kansas fueling station pump with various grades of fuel, including E15, which contains 5 percent more ethanol than the current 10 percent norm sold at most U.S. gas stations. (Robert White/Renewable Fuels Association via AP Photo) All three studies reject the work of other scientists who traditionally use an approach to measuring carbon emissions called the life cycle analysis. Lifecycle analyses operate under the assumption that growing crops will completely absorb carbon pollution from biofuels. Yet, the 2016 study revealed additional plant growth soaked up just 37 percent of biofuel pollution from 2005 to 2013, leaving most of it in the atmosphere. Im bluntly telling the lifecycle analysis community your method is inappropriate, said professor John DeCicco, who led the 2016 University of Michigan study. Though when it comes to managing corn production, the executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, Monte Shaw, told The Epoch Times the industry is more streamlined and efficient these days. Our farmers are doing what they do, which is being more productive. We produce more bushels than we ever have before on fewer acres and, quite frankly, with less input per bushel, Shaw explained. Iowa is the nations largest biofuel producing state, including corn-based ethanol and biodiesel made from soybeans. State legislators have their sights set on expanding ethanol and biodiesel production beyond President Bidens summertime allowance of E15. On May 17, Iowas Governor Kim Reynolds signed House File 2128 into law. The legislation requires most gas stations to sell E15 in a rapid expansion plan to widen its availability. Further, the law will boost the sales of 20 percent biodiesel blends. First and foremost, the impacts are there will be more choices and lower cost choices for consumers, Shaw said. There are three places selling E15 for 15 cents under the normal price of gas within a mile from where I work. Ive seen it as cheap as 30 cents under in different parts of Iowa. So were excited that consumers are going to have that choice. He also indicated that increased ethanol production would create a more stable domestic demand for U.S. farmers and is a boon for the economy. It also provides a buffer against market instability. Right now, things are pretty high with the war in Ukraine. China [is] in the market buying big time. That always drives prices up. But we also know if China flips the switch and prices go in the tank being able to have a more stable domestic demand is always a good thing. President Joe Biden speaks in honor of Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., on May 30, 2022. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) Bidens Incredible Transition: High Gas Prices, Supply Shortages Part of Plan to Usher in Green Economy News Analysis As Americans bear the brunt of a sagging economy, the Biden administration appears to be framing this as a good thing, believing citizens will be better off in the future if current supply shortages and high gas prices spiral out of control. The United States, according to President Joe Biden, is in the midst of an incredible transitionone that will pave the way for a green economy. While the administration may tout the benefits of a sustainable future, the question remains as to what will happen to average Americans while this transition takes place. More importantly, whats the endgame of all this that Americans dont know about? Biden, during a May 23 joint press conference in Japan with the countrys Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, used the word transition to seemingly admit that soaring gasoline prices are just part of his administrations overall plan for moving from hydrocarbons to renewables. When it comes to the gas prices, were going through an incredible transition that is taking place that, God willing, when its over, well be stronger and the world will be stronger and less reliant on fossil fuels when this is over, Biden said. The comment seems to suggest that ensuring the countrys gas supply isnt high on Bidens agenda, although the administration did announce the release of 1 million barrels of crude oil a day for six months between May and August. Bidens remarks angered some Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), who said the president is painfully out-of-touch. The pain at the pump every #NY21 family feels is a direct result of Joe Biden and House Democrats Far-Left agenda, Stefanik wrote on Twitter. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) also took exception, writing on Twitter that the only incredible transition we want from Joe Biden is his transition to retirement. Every family in America is paying record-breaking high gas prices thanks to @JoeBidens war on American energybut the president doesnt care, he added. National Economic Council Director Brian Deese speaks during a briefing in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, on March 31, 2022. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images) A day before the press conference, Bidens top economic adviser, Brian Deese, told Fox News that the U.S. economy is in a period of transition, when he refused to directly answer a question on whether the economy is entering a recession. Were moving from the strongest economic recovery in modern history to what can be a period of more stable and resilient growth, Deese said. On May 1, Samantha Power, head of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), told ABC that fertilizer shortagescaused by Russia exporting less fertilizer presented farmers a chance to hasten transition from fertilizer to natural solutions, such as manure and compost, a change that farmers would need to make eventually anyway. So never let a crisis go to waste, Power said. Looking at the whole picture, it seems more and more the case that the Biden administration officials are just letting these different economic problems happen on purpose, believing that as these crucial resources collapse, Americans will be led to a world of green alternatives. But such a transition is no laughing matter, since these economic problems look set to produce real-world pain. The gas crisis and fertilizer shortage are contributing to a global food crisis, and these and other factors could soon lead to actual mass death. The current wheat supply crunch is a case in point. On May 19, Sara Menker, the CEO of New York-based agriculture analytics firm Gro Intelligence, told the U.N. Security Council that the world had only about 10 weeks of wheat supply left in storage. I want to start by explicitly saying that the RussiaUkraine war did not start the food security crisis. It simply added fuel to a fire that was long burning, she said. It is important to note that the lowest grain inventory levels the world has ever seen are now occurring while access to fertilizers is highly constrained. Meanwhile, diesel prices in the United States have jumped more than 70 percent from a year ago. Further price increases could dampen the economy since diesel is used in everything from cargo ships, to freight trucks, to farming machinery. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks on the administrations American Rescue Plan and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law investments from the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, in Washington, on March 7, 2022. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) The Biden administration has spoken enthusiastically about a future with clean energy, such as when Vice President Kamala Harris in March spoke of a world without hydrocarbon emissions. Imagine a future: The freight trucks that deliver bread and milk to our grocery store shelves and the buses that take children to school and parents to work; imagine all the heavy-duty vehicles that keep our supply lines strong and allow our economy to growimagine that they produced zero emissions, Harris said during an Accelerating Clean Transportation event. Speaking at the same event, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg claimed that electric vehicles will bring cost savings to Americans. Clean transportation can bring significant cost savings for the American people as well, Buttigieg said. Last month, we announced a $5 billion investment to build out a nationwide electric vehicle charging network so the people from rural to suburban to urban communities can all benefit from the gas savings of driving an EV. Taken together, whether its with food or with gas, it seems as though many people within the Biden administration are pretty clear about what theyre trying to do. They dont appear to be willing or interested in fixing things, when it comes to the things that Americans all worry about. Rather, it seems as though theyre planning for thisa transition to a green future, to the system that they want. The Epoch Times has reached out to the White House for comment. Joshua Philipp Follow Joshua Philipp is an award-winning investigative reporter with The Epoch Times and host of EpochTV's "Crossroads" program. He is a recognized expert on unrestricted warfare, asymmetrical hybrid warfare, subversion, and historical perspectives on todays issues. His 10-plus years of research and investigations on the Chinese Communist Party, subversion, and related topics give him unique insight into the global threat and political landscape. Bill Gates discusses his new book 'How to Prevent the Next Pandemic' onstage at 92Y in New York City on May 3, 2022. (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images) Bill Gates Predicts Next Pandemic Will Be Caused by Climate Change, Proposes WHO Expansion Billionaire Bill Gates has predicted a 50 percent chance that another pandemic will occur in the next 20 years due to climate change. Gates made his predictions in an interview with Spanish publication elDiario.es, during a one-day trip he made to Spain on May 26. The human population is growing, and we are invading more and more ecosystems. That is why I calculate that there is a 50 percent chance that we will have a pandemic of natural origin in the next 20 years, as a consequence of climate change, Gates said, noting that the pandemic could be a type of coronavirus, a type of flu, or something else. It could be a virus made by man, by a bioterrorist who designed it and intentionally circulated it. That is a very scary scenario because they could try to spread it in different places at once, he said. Gates suggested that greater investment was needed in international anti-virus efforts with an expansion of the World Health Organization (WHO). What I am proposing would require a 25 percent increase in the WHO budget, and with that, we would have a team of about 3,000 people with different profiles. I call it the Global Epidemic Response and Mobilization (GERM) Team, Gates said. The former richest person in the world heads the organization that puts the most amount of private funds into global health issues, The Gates Foundation. The foundation spent $1.79 billion on global health initiatives in 2020 and financed about 10 percent of WHOs operating costs in 2020-21. Gates comments echoed his proposal in his book, How to Prevent the Next Pandemic, published in April. He proposed annual funding of $1 billion to operate GERM as a global surveillance pact to monitor pandemic threats. Monkeypox Evolving Rapidly Gates call for WHO expansion comes amid pending amendments to the WHO governing regulations that would give Director-General Tedros Adhanom unilateral powers to declare a public health emergency in any country in the world. Meanwhile, the WHO issued a statement saying the situation with monkeypox is evolving rapidly, and more cases are expected to be identified as surveillance expands. A spokesperson from the WHO said the agency is not concerned about a global pandemic at the moment. The situation is evolving rapidly and WHO expects that there will be more [monkeypox] cases identified as surveillance expands in non-endemic countries, as well as in countries known to be endemic who have not recently been reporting cases, the WHO stated on May 29, noting that the virus has been reported at 23 non-endemic countries. A treatment room at a monkeypox quarantine area in Zomea Kaka, in the Central African Republic, on Oct. 18, 2018. (Charles Bouessel/AFP via Getty Images) This was not the first time that Gates has predicted a global pandemic, however. In 2015, Gates said that a pandemic was most likely a potential cause of mass death compared to a war. If anything kills over 10 million people in the next few decades, its most likely to be a highly infectious virus rather than a war, Gates said in a Ted Talk in 2015. And again, since 2021, Gates has been speaking about using germ games to practice monitoring and responding to the smallpox virus. Itll take probably about $1 billion a year for a pandemic Task Force at the WHO level, which is doing the surveillance and actually doing what I call germ games where you practice, Gates said in 2021 in an interview with think tank Policy Exchange. You say, OK, what if a bioterrorist brought smallpox to 10 airports? You know, how would the world respond to that? Later in 2021, the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) partnered with the Munich Security Conference to conduct a simulation exercise similar to what Gates described. The NTI simulated that the monkeypox virus was to appear in May this year. By the end of the exercise, the fictional pandemic resulted in more than 3 billion cases and 270 million fatalities worldwide, the NTI reported. Police vehicles at the scene of a shooting in Phoenix on March 29, 2020. (Ross D. Franklin/AP Photo) Bloody Memorial Day Weekend Shootings Leave Multiple Dead, More Injured A string of shootings took place across the United States on one of the bloodiest Memorial Day weekends that left multiple people dead and dozens more injured. This Memorial Day weekend, spanning Saturday, Sunday, and the federal holiday on Monday, a total of 352 shootings occurred, according to the nonprofit research organization, the Gun Violence Archive (GVA). The shootings took place across the states of Florida, Louisiana, Arizona, California, and Pennsylvania. Of those shootings, at least eight were mass shootings, according to multiple reports. The GVA defines a mass shooting as one in which four or more people are shot or killed, not including the shooter. In one incident on Saturday evening, six individuals, believed to be teenagers and young adults, were wounded during an exchange of gunfire in a downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee business district in what Mayor Tim Kelly said was probably an altercation between other teenagers. Several gunshot victims were taken to a nearby hospital for medical treatment and two of the injuries were life-threatening, Police spokesperson Jeremy Eames confirmed. A person of interest was also detained by police shortly after the shooting. Just hours after the incident in Tennessee, one person was killed and another seven were injured, including a 9-year-old, after a shooting broke out at a festival in Taft, Oklahoma, ABC News reports. People place flowers at a makeshift memorial for the 21 victims of an elementary school mass shooting in the town square in Uvalde, Texas, on May 29, 2022. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) People visit a makeshift memorial for the 21 victims of an elementary school mass shooting in the town square in Uvalde, Texas, on May 29, 2022. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Law enforcement said that the deceased is a 39-year-old female. The seven other victims all have non-life-threatening injuries. Another incident saw a 1-year-old boy shot dead during a drive-by shooting in downtown Pittsburgh, while in another in Merced County, Calif., one person was killed and three were injured during a shooting at a party over the weekend, according to local reports. Elsewhere in Maryland, at least four people were killed via shootings, and four more were injured, including several teenagers. ABC30 in California reported that three teenagers were wounded and one man killed in a shooting in Fresno Saturday night. The three teenagers were expected to survive, but the man, in his 20s, died from his injuries. A shooting also broke out at a house party in Malabar, Florida, on Saturday night, striking four people between 15 and 18 years old, 1010 News reported, while in Illinois, five people remain in serious condition after they were shot in Chicagos West Garfield Park, Fox32 reported. The latest incidents come just days after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on May 24 that claimed the lives of 19 children and two adults. Salvador Ramos, 18, allegedly shot his grandmother, Celia Martinez Gonzales, in the face at their home before driving roughly 2.3 miles to the school and opening fire inside the building. He was later shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent. Officials are still investigating the incident and have not yet established a motive for Ramoss attack, which has sparked a renewed debate over stricter gun-reform legislation. According to the Gun Violence Archive, 230 mass shootings have taken place so far in the United States since the start of this year alone. In total, approximately 17,911 people have died from gun violence in America. Of those, 150 were children aged up to 11, and 529 were teens aged 12 up to 17. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said Sunday that bipartisan negotiations regarding potential gun legislation are underway. and include discussions regarding expanding the federal gun background check system, laws around weapons storage, and red flag laws. However, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said on May 29 that hes under no illusion that Congress will pass possible gun-reform legislation, despite the uptick in shooting incidents. Two American World War II pilots rise above their pasts to attempt a daring rescue behind enemy lines Bill Bogdonavich is a bombardier in the Army Air Force during World War II. He is on the run from the Germans after being shot down over Yugoslavia. Drew Carlton is a pilot. He is training C-47 pilots in Texas. He would rather be overseas. Red Burning Sky, a novel by Tom Young, brings the two together. It is an unlikely meeting in an unusual location. Bogdonavich is one of nearly 500 Allied aviators trapped in Yugoslavia after being shot down in 1944. They are being sheltered by Chetnik guerrillas while seeking to avoid the Nazis, the pro-Nazi Black Chetniks, and Titos Communist partisans. A three-sided war rages among the guerrilla groups and the Nazis. The downed airmen are becoming too numerous to hide and impossible to smuggle out by sea. The Allied solution is flying C-47s from Italy to improvised airfields in Yugoslavia to get their aviators out by airlift. It has to be done secretly. Only unarmed transports are capable of landing on a rough airstrip and carrying out reasonable numbers of men. If detected, German fighters would slaughter them. Worse, the Nazis will overrun the airstrip if they learn of the attempt. Carlton is one of the pilots volunteering for the mission. He is in semi-disgrace, relegated to training duties after aborting on his first three combat missions in Europe. He wants an opportunity to face his fears and redeem himself after being transferred from bombers to transports. Bogdonavich has his own issues. He is a first generation American, born in the United States after his Serbian father came to America. He spurned his Yugoslav heritage as old-country and out-of-touch. One of the few airmen who speaks Serbian, he is pushed into a leadership role despite his junior rank. He begins to realize these old-country Serbs have many virtues, a heritage he failed to value growing up. Like Carlton, Bogdonavich has to rise above his past for the mission to succeed. Youngs novel is based on the historical Operation Halyard. He takes some liberties with history, but he accurately represents the rescue that occurred in 1944 Yugoslavia. Events come to a fast-paced and exciting climax as Bogdonavich and Carlton work with the Chetnik guerrillas to spirit the downed men out of Yugoslavia before the Germans discover what is happeningor the communists stop it. Red Burning Sky is an entertaining tribute to this operation. Red Burning Sky by Tom Young (Kensington Books, 2022). This article was originally published in American Essence magazine. An insiders look at the grim realities of communism in Eastern Europe in the mid-20th century, through the eyes of an American Katherine Clark was an investigative reporter active between the 1940s and 1960s. She was the first female Allied war correspondent entering Berlin in 1945. Her 1950s beat was Eastern Europe. There, she spoke truth to power, what investigative reporters are supposed to do. But she spoke the wrong kind of truth about the wrong kind of power. So, unlike those widely lionized today, like I.F. Stone, Clark has been allowed to be forgotten. Until now. The Double Life of Katharine Clark: The Untold Story of the American Journalist Who Brought the Truth about Communism to the West, by Katharine Gregorio, brings Clarks biography to the attention of a new generation of Americans. What a story it is. Gregorio focuses the story on Clarks Eastern European years, when Clark covered anti-Soviet uprisings in Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia. More importantly, it reveals her efforts on behalf of Milovan Djilas, one-time vice president of Yugoslavia. An ardent communist who became disaffected with communism, he was stripped of his position and the privileges and power that went with it after speaking up against Yugoslavias totalitarianism. Clark, then a stringer, was living in Yugoslavia with her husband, a correspondent for Time. They had befriended Djilas and his family before his fall. Their friendship continued afterward. This friendship led her to help Djilas publish magazine articles and two landmark books, The New Class and Land without Justice, in the West. These were among the first works from behind the Iron Curtain revealing the failures of communism. Clark helped translate these works into English, smuggled them out of Yugoslavia, and found publishers for them. Gregorios story is factual, but it reads like a John le Carre or Alan Furst spy thriller. Gregorio takes readers into the forgotten world of 1950s communism. She shows how Clark and her husband worked in the communist systems cracks and evaded the secret police to cover stories and get Djilass documents to the Free World. Gregorio also shows the challenges Clark faced as a woman reporter in the then-male-dominated news industry. The Double Life of Katharine Clark is an exciting read. It retrieves Katherine Clark from ill-deserved obscurity. Clark was Gregorios grandaunt, which gave Gregorio access to family lore and Clarks archives. Gregorio combined that with extensive period research. The result is a story that holds special relevance today, when so many are infatuated with socialism, forgetting the pasts lessons of its flaws. The Double Life of Katharine Clark: The Untold Story of the American Journalist Who Brought the Truth about Communism to the West by Katharine Gregorio (Sourcebooks, March 2022). This article was originally published in American Essence magazine. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrives to deliver a speech at the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England on Feb. 2, 2009. (Darren Staples - WPA Pool/Getty Images) Cambridge Universitys CCP Tainted China Centre to Rebrand Britains elite Cambridge University will rebrand its China Centre following revelations it had trained senior members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to become better authoritarian leaders. The centre was set up in 2016 at Jesus College Cambridge and was reviewed by a panel of the colleges academics following a slew of media exposes about worryingly close ties with the CCP. The China Centre will no longer receive funding from the Cambridge China Development Trustset up by Professor Peter Nolanand will be renamed the China Forum to restore its reputation and confidence. The review said the China Centre should follow the colleges principles of academic freedom and that this must be clearly stated on the centres website. The centre should demonstrate its commitment to this principle by being bold and proactive in planning and running seminars and not shying away from controversial topics, it added. Nolana fellow of Jesus College and an expert on Chinas economytaught hundreds of the CCPs most powerful corporate chiefs members and party officials between 2005 and 2019, according to The Times. Documents from the UKs Foreign Office and obtained by a newspaper last year showed large delegationssometimes numbering over 30 senior officials from major state-owned enterprises and government departments in Chinawere chosen by Beijing each year to attend classes at Cambridge. An organisation called the China Development Research Foundation was a previous co-organiser of the colleges China programme, and it stated that attendees have included leaders from the CCPs Central Committee. The revelations exposed the depth of the so-called China dependency problem among top universities that make up the elite Russell Group, and which have become to rely heavily on Chinese money. Sir Iain Duncan Smith, a member of parliament and a member of the UK Parliaments Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, or IPAC, said in an interview with the Spectator magazine all universities must wake up to the threat of dependency on this brutal authoritarian state, which is undermining academic freedom and the independence of our great institutions of learning. Nolan has previously made headlines. His role as Chong Hua Chair at the universitys Centre of Development Studies was funded by a 3.7m donation in 2012 from the Chong Hua Foundation, believed to be controlled by the daughter of Chinas former prime minister, Wen Jiabao. Nolan, who is no longer the chair, had allegedly been her professor at Cambridge and the funding was secured after a series of secret meetings in Beijing between 2009 and 2011. Last year, the Sunday Times claimed Nolan attempted to avoid debates on Chinas human rights record. Jesus college risked being perceived as being a campaigning college for freedom for Hong Kong, freedom for the Uighurs if it held overtly anti-China events, he said. The Master of Jesus College, Sonita Alleyne OBE said in a statement: The world has changed dramatically since the China Centre was established in 2016, which is why the Colleges Council commissioned this detailed review and why we are taking the recommendations forward immediately. We will change the China Forums funding model and make its aims and funding fully transparent, so the forum can continue its highly regarded scholarly seminar series which has covered topics as diverse as the ancient Liangzhu civilization, Chinas high-speed trains, Xinjiang and its Muslim Minorities, and the future of Hong Kong since the series was launched in early 2019. The Epoch Times asked comment from Nolan. PA media contributed to this report. Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos speaks during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on May 6, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick) Canada and G7 Partners Endorse Global Network Approach to Handling Pandemics News Analysis Canada and its G7 partners recently signed a pact to address pandemic readiness with a focus on collaborative surveillance and predictable rapid response. On May 19 and May 20, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos met with counterparts from G7 nations in Berlin, Germany, to discuss how to advance a global network approach to enhance pandemic surveillance and response capabilities and capacities. The G7 is an informal inter-governmental forum that consists of the seven largest economies in the world, namely Germany, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union. We want to nurture an enhanced network for pandemic readiness with regional and national nodes on all continents, said the G7 pact, released on May 20. Noting that the world is still insufficiently prepared for future pandemics, the health ministers reasoned that enhancing readiness is necessary to elicit a faster response to outbreaks. The pact promised to strengthen integrated, interoperable and interdisciplinary, cross-sector surveillance capabilities and capacities between member countries as part of its collaborative surveillance effort. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Geneva, Switzerland, on July 3, 2020. (Fabrice Coffrini/Pool via Reuters) Having swiftly available measures is also part of the plan, including vaccines along with non-pharmacological interventions that responders, such as governments, can have access to. To achieve their goal, the ministers pledged to provide technical, political, or financial support to international organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO). In addition, the ministers advocated for the WHO to have the authority to proactively and immediately make critical epidemiological signals public. The groups position matches that of U.S. President Joe Biden, whose administration pushed amendments to the WHOs governing regulations to give Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus unilateral authority to declare a public health emergency in any nation based on the evidence he chooses. The United States forwarded proposed amendments to 13 articles within the International Health Regulations (IHR) to the WHO in January for consideration during the 75th World Health Assembly (WHA), held in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 22 to May 28. The WHA is the decision-making body of the WHO. It meets annually and is attended by delegations from all 194 member states. Its main function is to determine the policies of the organization. Among the proposed amendments, one removes an existing requirement in Article 9 of the IHR that, before taking any action, the WHO must consult with and attempt to obtain verification from officials in a nation in which a health crisis is suspected. The same amendment provides that the WHO may take into account reports from sources other than notifications [from] or consultations [with] the nation where the problem is allegedly occurring. A proposed amendment to Article 10 requires that, in the event the nation with the suspected problem doesnt cooperate within 48 hours, the WHO shall, when justified by the magnitude of the public health risk, immediately share with other [nations] the information available to it. Health-care workers in protective clothing conduct large-scale screening of local residents for nucleic acid after a new Omicron surge in Beijing in April 2022. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) The G7 pact said member countries will foster standardization of common protocols to ensure a predictable rapid response, while at the same time strengthening WHOs response capacities nationally, regionally, and globally. [T]he IHR underscores the role that country-level preparedness and response capacities can have in the worlds ability to effectively respond to health emergencies that transcend borders, the health ministers said in a May 20 communique. We therefore support strengthening the IHR through targeted amendments in an inclusive process as recommended by the report of the Working Group on Strengthening WHO Preparedness and Response to Health Emergencies (WGPR) to be considered at the 75th WHA. In his speech at the WHA on May 23, Duclos commended the WHO for its role in handling the COVID-19 pandemic. The health, economic and social costs of not being adequately prepared are catastrophic. Thats why Canada supports the idea of a new multilateral instrument to ensure better preparedness, he said. This is also precisely why institutions like the WHO are so important. The WHO has played a key role in international health cooperation since its creation and, even more so, since the beginning of this pandemic, he added. Canada believes that the WHO must be able to continue in this role. As we enter the third year of this pandemic, it is clearer than ever: the world needs a strong WHO. Like all multilateral institutions, a strong WHO needs to be sustainably financed, transparent, and accountable. WHO, COVID-19, and Canada In the early days of the pandemic, the WHO actively advised against countries restricting travellers from China. Canadas chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, who is a member of a WHO committee, gave the same advice in Canada, which was an outlier among several other countries that restricted travel from China. Chief Public Health Officer of Canada Dr. Theresa Tam speaks during a press conference on COVID-19 on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on March 20, 2020. (The Canadian Press/Justin Tang) Tam said in a House of Commons hearing on Feb. 5, 2020, that the WHO advises against travel restrictions on China, adding that, China posted the virus genome very quickly. What are they getting out of it? I think the idea is to support China. A report published last June by the UK government stated that China has been using both aggressive and subtle means to gain control in multilateral organizations, such as the WHO, and using them to shift policies. Meanwhile, the WHO has begun negotiations on a new international treaty on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. In a news release last December, Tedros said the purpose of the treaty is to strengthen the global health architecture to protect and promote the well-being of all people. Mark Tapscott, Annie Wu, and Lily Zhou contributed to this report. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks at a press conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada, on Feb. 14, 2022. (Dave Chan/AFP via Getty Images) Canadas Trudeau Announces Bill to Ban New Handguns Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government has introduced new legislation that would implement a national freeze on the sale, transfer, and importation of handguns into and within the country. The measure would cap the number of handguns already in Canada, but wouldnt ban thempeople who own them can continue to keep and use them. The day this legislation goes into effect it will no longer be possible to buy, sell, transfer, or import handguns in Canada, Trudeau told reporters at a May 30 press conference. In other words, were capping the market for handguns. The new legislation, Bill C-21, was proposed in Canadas parliament on May 30. The same legislation, which was presented in the last Parliament, was abandoned when the government called an election. Read More Liberals Set to Introduce New Firearms Bill Besides the national freeze, the measure also would strip firearm licenses from people involved in acts of domestic violence or criminal harassment, such as stalking. It also proposes harsher penalties for gun smugglers and traffickers and aims to provide law enforcement with new tools such as wiretapping to investigate crimes involving guns, Canadian Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said. Mendicino also said that if the measure is approved, a mandatory buyback program for assault-style weapons will go into effect later in the year. Bill C-21 would also create a new red flag law to let courts call on people who are considered a danger to themselves or others to surrender their firearms to law enforcement. The government also seeks to ban the sale and transfer of large magazines and also require that long-gun magazines be limited to five rounds. We recognize that the vast majority of gun owners use them safely and in accordance with the law, but other than using firearms for sport shooting and hunting, there is no reason anyone in Canada should need guns in their everyday lives, Trudeau said. The Tories view the Liberal measures as unfairly focused on legal gun owners while being soft on criminals. Noe Chartier and Reuters contributed to this report. The nations biggest Memorial Day parade is back. Marching bands and veterans from each of the 50 states joined the parade. And President Joe Biden delivered his Memorial Day address at the Arlington National Cemetery. Whats his plea as he cites the very soul of our nation? Captain Sam Brown is a combat war veteran and Purple Heart recipient who is running for the United States Senate in Nevada. He joins us to discuss the significance of Memorial Day and what it means to him. As part of our Memorial Day coverage, we share a story about one of Americas first paratroopers who survived a German prison camp during World War II. His son, also a veteran, shares his fathers story. Gas prices hit a new record high Monday. The cost of a regular gallon of gasoline rose to $4.62. Thats up sharply from last Memorial Day. Thousands of flight cancellations have continued to impact travel over this Memorial Day weekend, as airlines continue to struggle with staff shortages. They say staff are still calling in sick from COVID-19. The Justice Department says it will review the law enforcement response to the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, where a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers last week. * Click the Save button below the video to access it later on My List. Follow CapitolReport on social media: Twitter https://twitter.com/capitolreport Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CapitolReport/ Gettr https://gettr.com/user/capitolreport Follow EpochTV on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/EpochTVus Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/EpochTV Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@EpochTV Gettr: https://gettr.com/user/epochtv Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EpochTVus Gab: https://gab.com/EpochTV Telegram: https://t.me/EpochTV A Texas state trooper watches over illegal aliens as they wait to be taken into custody by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Del Rio, Texas, on May 19, 2021. (John Moore/Getty Images) CBP Arrests Multiple Sex Offenders, Fugitive Wanted for Murder, Before Entering US Border Patrol agents stopped 10 sex offenders, a fugitive wanted for murder, a slew of deadly drugs, and other alleged crime suspects from illegally crossing the U.S.Mexico border, the head of the federal law enforcement agency confirmed. Raul Ortiz, the 25th chief of the U.S. Border Patrol, said on Twitter that hes extremely proud as he listed off accomplishments border agents had accomplished over a 3-day period. In a separate news release, the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detailed that agents operating in the Del Rio, Texas, sector arrested two convicted sex offenders after they illegally entered the United States. Both illegal aliens had previously been deported. One of the sex predators was identified as Salvador Montecillo-Rufino, a 57-year-old Mexican national who was sentenced to 17 months in prison after being convicted of sexual assault in Washington in 1998. The second illegal alien was identified as Wilfredo Pineda, a 31-year-old Salvadoran national who was convicted of statutory rape in South Dakota in 2012. He was sentenced to one year in prison. Additionally, CBP detailed in another news release that a Honduran national, who hasnt been named by the department, was apprehended by Rio Grande Valley Sector (RGV) agents. A record check showed the individual was convicted of a second-degree felony for indecency with a child. All three offenders were taken into custody between May 24 and May 27. On May 24, RGV agents also arrested an MS-13 gang member traveling from El Salvador. He had an extensive criminal record and was previously deported, according to the CBP. The individual was sentenced in 2009 to 99 months combined confinement in Atlanta for unlawful transportation of firearms and racketeering activity-murder/kidnapping. 3-Day Recap! 131 lbs. of Fentanyl 26 lbs. of Heroin 13 lbs. of Meth 22 Water Rescues 18 Large Groups, totaling 2,446 migrants 10 Sex Offenders 3 Gang Members 1 Assassination Suspect 1 Fugitive Wanted for Murder 3 Agents Assaulted Extremely Proud! pic.twitter.com/gFrXhNYR2a Chief Raul Ortiz (@USBPChief) May 27, 2022 Besides arresting a number of sex offenders, gang members, an assassination suspect, a fugitive wanted for murder, and encountering 18 large groups of illegal immigrants totaling a massive 2,446 people, border agents also rescued nearly two dozen migrants from danger, Ortiz said. The chief also said that agents confiscated 13 pounds of methamphetamine, 26 pounds of heroin, and 131 pounds of fentanyl over the same 3-day period. Fentanyl, which is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine, caused more than 71,000 deaths last year, a 23 percent jump from 2020, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data. In two separate enforcement actions during that same time period, agents also seized narcotics with an estimated street value of $1,540,880, the CBP said in a news release. On May 25, 119.5 pounds of cocaine was found within the tires of a 2007 Volvo tractor-trailer manifesting a shipment of lead pipe arriving from Mexico. One day later, agents discovered another 80.33 pounds of cocaine within the tires of a 2001 Sterling tractor trailer manifesting a shipment of wood charcoal arriving from Mexico. This seizure demonstrates how the officers determination, utilization of technology, and canines led to the discovery of these hard narcotics, said Alberto Flores, the port of entry director of Laredo, Colombia. I commend the officers for their keen observational skills and interviewing techniques which played a key role in both discoveries. A total of 211,972 illegal immigrants were apprehended by Border Patrol agents along the U.S. southern border in April, according to preliminary Customs and Border Protection (CBP) numbers obtained by The Epoch Times. The April numbers show a continued increase in illegal crossings for each month this year. In total, Border Patrol has apprehended more than 728,000 illegal aliens along the southern border since January. From NTD News Chinese leader Xi Jinping (L) and Premier Li Keqiang (R) arrive for the closing session of the National People's Congress on March 11, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) CCP Bans Senior Officials from Holding Assets Abroad, Expert Suggests Hong Kong Officials Could Be Next The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has reportedly ordered a ban on spouses and children of its senior officials from holding assets abroad. Failure to do so could prevent the cadre from receiving a promotion within the party. Experts warn that such measures may also apply to Beijing-affiliated officials in Hong Kong in the foreseeable future. According to a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report, an internal notice by the CCPs Central Organization Department outlined a directive prohibiting immediate families of ministerial-level officials from holdingdirectly or indirectlyany real estate abroad or shares in entities registered overseas. The ban would also bar senior officials and their immediate families from setting up accounts with overseas financial institutions except for legitimate reasons such as study or work, people familiar with the matter reportedly told WSJ. It is unclear whether the rules are retroactive, but some senior officials have reportedly sold their shares in entities registered abroad in compliance, sources told WSJ. In an exclusive TV interview, Shum Sei-hoi, a current affairs commentator and former producer of Hong Kongs Asia Television, told The Epoch Times that the new directive could be Chinese leader Xi Jinpings effort to snuff out those who are disobedient among the party elites. If you were told to do something before the CCPs 20th National Congress, you better obey, or else youd risk being purged by the partys Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Shum said. At the CCPs 20th National Congress, only months away, Xi plans to secure an unprecedented third term as leader of the Party. However, that does not come without challenges from within the Party amid the countrys ongoing economic, political, and social crises. On May 17 and 18, Xi mysteriously vanished from the front pages of Chinas official media, replaced by Prime Minister Li Keqiang. Notably, three days earlier, on May 14, two major CCP mouthpieces published the full text of a speech Li delivered. These unusual moves are regarded as sensitive and subtle, triggering wide speculation about Xis health and the possibility that Li will replace Xi as the top leader in the upcoming twice-in-a-decade Party meeting in recent Chinese and other media reports. Shum said he would not rule out the CCPs desperate need for capital amid the countrys ongoing economic crisis, adding that seizing party members foreign assets could potentially ease the regimes cash crunch in the short term. Chung Kim-wah, a former assistant professor in the Department of Applied Social Sciences at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, said he would not rule out similar measures would eventually be applied in Hong Kong. In a TV interview with The Epoch Times, Chung pointed out that many CCP officials have turned state resources into personal properties and sent them abroad through various channels. Chung said a great deal of Russian assets in accounts outside the country were frozen due to heavy Western sanctions imposed aftter Russia invaded Ukraine, and of course, the CCP does not want to be in a similar situation. [Xi] seriously wants to [fight corruption within the party], but knows that doing so would involve taking down the relatives of top-level officials, and is difficult to implement, especially with their funds transferred outside the country. However, he believes that [the new ban] would solve the problem, Chung said. Regarding Hong Kong, Chung pointed out that many Beijing-affiliated government officials hold assets abroad, adding that the city officials may become the CCPs next target to shed overseas assets. Many Hong Kong dignitaries own real estate and send their children abroad. That includes Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung, former Chief Executive Carrie Lam, and former Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying. If this measure was applied in Hong Kong, officials would likely resign instead of shedding their overseas assets. However, the CCP would have to go through additional steps to implement this measure in Hong Kong, at least in the short term. A new research report by Hong Kong Watch (pdf), a human rights organization headquartered in the UK, found at least 9 Hong Kong officials and 12 members of Hong Kongs patriots only legislature have property overseas, including in the UK, Canada, United States, Australia, Japan, and France. All of the officials and lawmakers in question have pledged allegiance to Beijing and expressed their public support for the National Security Law, the ongoing crackdown on pro-democracy activists, the free press, and civil society, under the guise of combating foreign forces, the report said. For example, the research found that Sophia Chan, Hong Kongs secretary for food and health, owns three properties in London, UK, two of which are jointly owned by her sister, citing information from her financial declarations. Hong Kong Watch has called on legislatures worldwide to consider introducing audit powers to allow governments to quietly audit the assets of Hong Kong and Chinese officials in their respective countries, including the UK. CDC Director Issues Alert on Pfizers COVID-19 Pill Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky warned that Pfizers COVID-19 pill Paxlovid can lead to a rebound in symptoms. If you take Paxlovid, you might get symptoms again, Walensky told CBS News on Tuesday. We havent yet seen anybody who has returned with symptoms needing to go to the hospital. So, generally, a milder course. Another researcher who is not affiliated with the CDC said that he has observed such a scenario. People who experience rebound are at risk of transmitting to other people, even though theyre outside what people accept as the usual window for being able to transmit, Dr. Michael Charness of the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Boston told CNN on Tuesday. After a patient recovers from COVID-19, the aforementioned rebound has occurred between two and eight days later, according to the CDC. The agency, however, told CBS that the benefits of taking Paxlovid outweigh the risks of COVID-19, namely among those who are at a high risk of developing severe symptoms from the virus. A Pfizer technician handles the companys COVID-19 pill, known as Paxlovid, in a file photograph. (Pfizer via AP) About a week ago, the agency issued an alert to health care providers about the rebound, saying that patients who took Paxlovid either test positive for the virus after having tested negative or will experience COVID-19 symptoms. A brief return of symptoms may be part of the natural history of SARS-CoV-2 infection in some persons, independent of treatment with Paxlovid and regardless of vaccination status, the federal health agency said at the time. SARS-CoV-2 is another name for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, which causes COVID-19. Limited information currently available from case reports suggests that persons treated with Paxlovid who experience COVID-19 rebound have had mild illness; there are no reports of severe disease. There is currently no evidence that additional treatment is needed with Paxlovid or other anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapies in cases where COVID-19 rebound is suspected, the CDC added. The Epoch Times has contacted Pfizer for comment. Pfizer told CBS that it is observing a rebound rate of approximately 2 percent and is continuing to monitor patients. We have not seen any [COVID-19] resistance emerge to date in patients treated with Paxlovid, a spokesperson for the company told Reuters this week. In recent weeks, doctors have increasingly prescribed Paxlovid, which has been authorized to treat at-risk people. But some health care workers told Reuters they are putting off prescribing the medication. I am shying away from giving it to people who are very low- risk, and are not terribly ill, particularly people who are vaccinated and boosted, said Dr. Bruce Farber, chief of public health and epidemiology for Northwell Health, in an interview with the news agency. He will still prescribe the pill to people who have significant health conditions or are aged 75 and older. Chicago police work the scene of a fatal drive-by shooting in the 4800 block of South Ada Street, in the Back of the Yards neighborhood in Chicago, on May 10, 2022. (Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Chicago Sun-Times via AP) Chicago Police: 52 Shot, 10 Killed Over Memorial Day Weekend At least 52 people were shot and 10 were killed in separate shootings across Chicago over Memorial Day Weekend, officials said Tuesday. One of the victims, Jeremy Benson, 33, was shot and killed on Sunday morning while he was driving in the West Garfield Park neighborhood, officials said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. As he was driving, he was shot and crashed into a median before he was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Another male was shot and killed in the Englewood neighborhood on Chicagos South Side, officials told the paper. The shooting occurred at a birthday party and sent people running into the street. Later, officials confirmed a 24-year-old had died. They wont even let me see his body, the mans mother said. Neither the mother nor the man were identified by the Sun-Times. They could at least let me hold his hand, she told the outlet. Later on Sunday, a male was killed and four others were injured during a domestic dispute in Chicagos Humboldt Park. The incident led to a standoff with Chicagos SWAT team. The shooter, 23, was arrested about an hour later, officials said. In another apparent mass shooting incident, five people were seriously wounded after a fight broke out early Sunday morning in the Lawndale neighborhood on Chicagos West Side. Five people aged 16 to 33 were on a sidewalk on South Karlov Avenue at around 1:30 a.m. when a fight broke out and a shooting ensued, police told local media outlets. A 16-year-old girl was shot in the back, a male and a femaleboth aged 21were shot in the arms, a 21-year-old man was shot in the left side of the body, and a 33-year-old male was shot in the face. No suspects have been arrested. On Saturday, two males were killed after they opened fire in Englewood at around 5 p.m. on South Bishop Street, police said. After they shot each other, both males were transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where they were pronounced dead. One of the shooters was identified as 29-year-old Derrick Washington, authorities said. Another person was shot and killed on the South Side on Saturday at around 1:30 p.m. on West 63rd Street, according to police. The mans age and identity were not provided, and no suspect has been taken into custody, police said. A man was shot and killed on Tuesday morning in Brighton Park on Chicagos Southwest Side, officials told the Sun-Times. The male, 25, was in a vehicle when a dark-colored car pulled next to him and someone inside fired shots. The incident occurred at around 12:30 a.m. In another incident, three people were shot, including one fatally, in Burnside on the South Side on Monday night, said police. They were standing on a sidewalk at around 7 p.m. when someone opened fire, police said. Two hours before that, at 5 p.m., a man was shot in a separate incident Gresham on the South Side. Police said the male, 27, was in the 8600 block of South Aberdeen Street when he was struck by gunfire, according to the Sun-Times. Also on Monday morning at around 2:50 a.m., a 31-year-old man was shot in the Englewood district while he was inside a residence, officials told the paper. Police officers and security perform crowd control after an official flag raising ceremony to mark National Day next to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City in Beijing, China on Oct. 1, 2021. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) China Journal Slams Another Central Committee for Undermining Party Leadership News Analysis A Chinese Communist Party (CCP) publication recently published a commentary stressing the need for members to stay loyal to a centralized and unified leadership. The article in Red Flag Manuscript, a bimonthly political theory journal, also criticized some former chiefs for setting up another central government, a reference harking back to the Partys earlier history. Current political observers see the May 10 article as an indication that the CCP is seriously divided, with leader Xi Jinpings power being constrained and dispersed. The article began by stating that a centralized and unified leadership is the supreme principle of the Party, which is said to be bolstered as a mutual political obligation of all the cadres. The wording centralized and unified leadership appears 39 times in the full text. If the Central Committee does not carry out what it has decided, if each member still speaks and does its own thing, then nothing will be done, as said Xi as quoted in the article. The article also named early leaders in CCP history such as Zhang Guotao and Wang Ming, while criticizing Zhang for setting up another Central Committee and Wang for his rightist mistakes. Both Zhang and Wang were rivals of Mao Zedong during the 1930s. Zhang Guotao (left) and Mao Zedong in Yanan, China, on March 7, 1938. (Public domain) Although deceased for decades, Zhang and Wang have frequently emerged in official news media as cases of counterfactuals in Xis era. In an article published on Aug. 15, 2021, the CCP-run Qiushi website compiled an array of comments, specifically listing that Zhang used the military setting up a separate central committee and that Wang had ganged up and acted in his own way within the CCP, disobeying the direction of the Party Central Committee. On June 25, 2021, before the CCP high-level meeting in Beidaihe, the official media published intensive articles criticizing Zhang and Wang, calling them ambitious and making independence from the Central Committee, a negative example of splitting and threatening the CCP. Zhang, one of the founders of the CCP and the Peoples Liberation Army, built up a second Central Committee in 1935 which later announced the expulsion of Mao and other chiefs from the Party. Mao, however, defeated Zhang and became the first leader of the CCP regime. He recalled the struggle with Zhang as the darkest moment of his life in an interview with American author Edgar Snow in 1960. At that time, the Party was facing a split, and there was even the possibility of a civil war with an uncertain future, Mao said. Zhang was expelled from the Party on April 18, 1938, and he then joined the opposition Kuomintang. With his family, he went into exile to Hong Kong in 1948. Zhang eventually went to live in Canada in 1968 where he died in 1979. Wang, another political rival of Mao, whose proposal to unite with the Kuomintang against Japans invasion was concluded by the CCP as a rightist and surrenderers mistake. Wang later went to the Soviet Union for medical treatment in 1956 and resettled there until his death in 1974. Overseas political commentator Lu Tianming told The Epoch Times that the official media has begun a recurring critical model targeting the so-called another Central Committee which connotes a similar situation occurring in the top echelons of the CCP. That is, someone is eyeing Xis central power. The rift within the Party may intensify to some extremely serious extent, Lu said. Customers look at posters of Chinese leader Xi Jinping (C), and late communist leader Mao Zedong (center L and top R), at a market in Beijing on Feb. 26, 2018. (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images) While bashing the setting up of another central government, the article stressed a series of internal rules and regulations that the CCP formulated earlier in 1938, saying all work of the Party be centrally led by the Central Committee and that Party members at all levels must implement them unconditionally. Those regulations were made to govern the party with decisive authority, said Mouthpiece CCTV on Dec.21, 2021. In addition, the Party constitution is used to provide a basis that CCP members must be absolutely subordinate to the policies of the Central Committee. The Communist Party constitution is a gangsters rule, which does not talk about right and wrong, but makes people blindly obey the party leaders orders, Lu said. But except for this, Xi actually has no other way of convincing other senior Communist Party officials, including those behind him, to support and implement his decisionssupport for Russia and enforcement of the Zero-COVID policy nationwidethat have brought negative consequences in China and placed him under considerable pressure within the CCP, according to Lu. Lu noted that the article itself was not published in a high-ranking party media, but only in a semi-monthly magazine, which also indicates that Xi may not have as much influence in his position anymore, with part of his privileges restrained and dispersed. Compared to the solely centralized power during the Mao era, Xi has found himself lagging far behind, Lu said, adding that Xi has therefore been trying to seek from Mao ways to consolidate the Communist Partys rule. But the support of the CCP is obviously looking slim, Lu said. China Makes 2nd-Largest Breach of Taiwans Air Defense Zone This Year as US Delegation Visits As a U.S. senator lead a delegation to visit Taiwan on May 30 to June 1, dozens of warplanes of the Chinese communist regime entered Taiwans air defense zone and were scrambled by Taiwans military jets. Taiwans Ministry of Defense announced on May 30 that 30 PLA warplanes of the Chinese regime breached Taiwans Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) from the southwest. It was the second largest incursion by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) this year, following 39 PLA jets entering Taiwans ADIZ on Jan. 23 this year. Read More CCP Likely Moving Toward Gray Zone Warfare in Taiwan Strategy: Analysts This time, the incursion came as U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) led a delegation to meet with President Tsai Ing-wen, as well as President of the Executive Yuan Su Tseng-chang and Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua for an in-depth exchange on various important issues in Taiwan-U.S. relations, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of ChinaTaiwans official name. 30 PLA aircrafts (KJ-500 AEW&C*2, Y-8 ELINT*4, Y-8 EW*1, Y-8 ASW*1, J-16*6, J-11*8, J-10*4, SU-35*2, and SU-30*2) entered #Taiwans southwest ADIZ on May 30, 2022. Please check our official website for more information: https://t.co/0lmMYSyNQr pic.twitter.com/OwUE8CXF5G Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C. (@MoNDefense) May 30, 2022 Duckworth is a member of the Senate Taiwan Caucus. The Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Duckworth has repeatedly promoted or co-signed Taiwan friendly bills in the U.S. Senate. For example, she introduced the Strengthen Taiwans Security Act of 2022 on May 26 supporting Taiwan and the United States strengthening coordination in response to Taiwans security situation in light of the CCPs provocations, while proposing specific measures to strengthen Taiwans defense capabilities. Duckworth and 51 other senators sent a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden in mid-May, calling for Taiwan to be included in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). She also co-sponsored the Taiwan Partnership Act with Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) to develop partnership between the National Guard and Taiwan as a means of maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability. The initiative has been included in the 2022 Fiscal Year National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA 2022) through legislation. In June, 2021, Duckworth visited Taiwan with Sens. Dan Sullivan (R-Ark.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.), and announced the donation of vaccines to Taiwan on behalf of the U.S. government. U.S. Sevs. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), and Chris Coons (D-Del.) wave next to Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, and Brent Christensen, director of the American Institute in Taiwan, after their arrival via a U.S. Air Force freighter at Taipei Songshan Airport in Taipei, Taiwan, on June 6, 2021. (Central News Agency/Pool via Reuters) Chinas latest incursion of Taiwans ADIZ follows President Joe Bidens statement on May 23 in which he said that the United States will intervene militarily to defend Taiwan if it was attacked by CCP forces. White House officials, however, later walked back on those comments, saying there was no change in U.S. policy, known as strategic ambiguity under which Washington is deliberately vague on whether it would come to the islands defense in the event of the Chinese invasion. Zhong Yuan contributed to the report. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang inspect honour guards at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Oct. 9, 2019. (Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images) Chinese Troops Begin Training Solomon Islands Police Under Auspices of Security Deal Chinese security forces have taken advantage of a recently signed-off security pact with the Solomon Islands and are conducting training courses for the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) in Honiara. The current course, which runs for two weeks, will see a Chinese Police Liaison Team training 16 officers from the RSIPFs Close Personal Protection Unit and Police Band in protection technical skills and tactics and operational capability. Ian Vaevaso, deputy commissioner of National Security and Operation Support at the RSIF, said at the opening ceremony for the second training group that the Solomon Islands benefited deeply and extensively from the bilateral relationship. RSIPF must step ahead of these security challenges and criminal minds. This is why this policing cooperation and the broader security agreement with the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) is crucial so that we can be able to holistically build the capacity and capability of RSIPF to another level to protect this nations development and its sovereignty, Vaevaso said. The head of the Chinese liaison team, Commissioner Zhang Guangbao, noted that his troops were there to strengthen capacity building and maintain peace and security in the Solomon Islands. News of the training comes after the Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele announced on May 28 that China was considering a proposal to set up a police training centre in the nation. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare (L) talks with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang as they prepare to inspect honour guards during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Oct 9, 2019, in Beijing, China. (Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images) Manele said that Beijing would consider developing police infrastructure and assets given the countrys fragile security environment. The remarks by Manele were made during a joint press conference with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, who was on a 10-day trip to eight Pacific Island nations. A contentious security agreement between the Solomon Islands and the Chinese communist regime has come under scrutiny from Australia, New Zealand (NZ), and the United States, with NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison expressing concerns about the deal. U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on May 25 that Washington was aware of Chinas plan to have a range of agreements with Pacific Islands nations and that it was worried the accords were negotiated in a rushed, non-transparent process. Price said the security agreements showed little regional consultation, provoking public concern not only in the United States but across the Indo-Pacific region. US State Department spokesman Ned Price speaks during the daily press briefing at the State Department in Washington, DC, on Feb. 25, 2021. (Nicholas Kamm/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) We dont believe that importing security forces from [China] and their methods will help any Pacific Island country; on the other hand, doing so could only seek to fuel regional and international tensions and increase concerns over Beijings expansion of internal, of its internal security apparatus to the Pacific, he said. Meanwhile, the new Australian Labor government has launched straight into implementing its Pacific strategy, with new Foreign Minister Penny Wong spending the end of her first week in the job in Fiji addressing the Pacific Islands Forums Secretariat in Suva, where she outlined the new governments commitments. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong arrives at Pacific Island Forum in Suva, Fiji, on May 26, 2022. (Pita Simpson/Getty Images) We want to demonstrate to your nation and other nations of the region that we are a partner who can be trusted, who can be reliable. And historically, we have been. I think youve seen a lot of Australian development assistance. We want to work with you on your priorities. We want to work together as part of the Pacific family, Wong said. However, she also warned of risks for countries accepting Chinas push for security alliances in the region. Obviously, weve expressed our concerns publicly about the security agreement between the Solomon Islands and China, and the reason we have is we think there areas do other Pacific nationswe think there are consequences, Wong said. We think that it is important that the security of the region be determined by the region, and historically that has been the case, and we think thats a good thing. Clinton Lawyer, FBI Official Texted for Years After Meeting The Hillary Clinton campaign lawyer who took sketchy allegations to the FBI ahead of the 2016 election maintained communication via text messages with an FBI official for years afterward, including sharing an Epoch Times article, newly published messages show. The lawyer, Michael Sussmann, took claims about then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and Russia to then-FBI counsel James Baker in September 2016. Sussmann was later charged with lying to the FBI because he told the bureau that he wasnt providing the information on behalf of a client when both he and his firm, Perkins Coie, later said he did act on behalf of a client. Sussmann was acquitted on May 31. In a Sept. 18, 2016, text, Sussmann wrote to Baker telling the FBI lawyer that he had something time-sensitive (and sensitive) to discuss and asked to meet the following day. Im coming on my ownnot on behalf of a client or companyand want to help the Bureau, Sussmann wrote. The pair met the next day alone in Bakers office. The communication between the menBaker has described Sussmann as a frienddidnt stop there, according to the newly released messages, which were entered as an exhibit in Sussmanns trial. Two days later, Sussmann said he had received a request from Baker and expected to have an answer soon. He didnt say what the request was. Later in September 2016, Sussmann told Baker that he suspected that a story about the allegations may be published soon. Sussmann and others linked to Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign had been seeding the information to multiple media outlets, including Slate and The New York Times. Both outlets soon published stories about the data. About two years went by before the next message. Sussmann and Baker met again, with the discussion appearing to include a story the New Yorker was working on. Jim, FYI, New Yorker story pushed back one week. Will go live next Sunday, Sussmann wrote on Sept. 29, 2018. Great seeing you this week. Well be back in touch soon. Michael. Baker responded, Thanks. Great to see you as well. Looking forward to continuing the conversation. Special counsel John Durham arrives at federal court in Washington on May 18, 2022. (Teng Chen for The Epoch Times) Sussmann sent the link to the story when it was published about a week later. The story claimed that the information that was uncovered by researchers and handed over to the FBI raised vexing questions about Trump and Russia. The FBI had over a year earlier determined that the allegations were unsubstantiated, while the CIA had determined that they werent technically plausible. Like the other stories, the New Yorker article remains uncorrected. Two days after the article went online, protesters gathered outside Perkins Coies office in Bellevue, Washington. He sent Baker a picture of two protesters and a sign saying: Sussmann, Baker, and Steele. Perkins Coie detat? End British coup on Trump! Steele refers to ex-British spy Christopher Steele, who compiled a dossier on Trump that claimed nefarious connections with Russia. The dossier, now discredited, but widely promoted by Democrats for years, included the same claims regarding a purported link between The Trump Organization and Russias Alfa Bank. Wow. Thanks, Baker said. Its not clear whether Baker had informed Sussmann that he sat for interviews under oath before the House Judiciary and Oversight committees on Oct. 3, 2018. Baker would speak again with the panels on Oct. 18, 2018. Sussmann had spoken with lawmakers in late 2017. More material began appearing naming Sussmann, and the lawyer was keen to keep Baker apprised. He sent an image of a Wall Street Journal article, Who Is Michael Sussmann? and a letter to the editor from a Perkins Coie managing partner, John Devaney, in which Devaney said Sussmann is an honorable man but acknowledged that Sussmann met with Baker on behalf of a client. That client had no connections to either the Clinton campaign, the [Democratic National Committee], or any other Political Law Group client, Devaney wrote in an apparent reference to Rodney Joffe, a technology executive whom Sussmann also represented in 2016. Joffe helped put together the TrumpRussia allegations. He has said that he was promised a position in the government if Clinton had beaten Trump in the election. Lets talk next week about the future, Sussmann said in sharing the letter to the editor. Ok lets talk next week. Take care, Baker said. The men started playing phone tag in December 2018 in an attempt to speak, messages show. Baker even provided a phone number for when he would be traveling in Israel. (Special Counsel John Durhams Office via The Epoch Times) In January 2019, Sussmann alerted Baker that his firm was contacted for comment for a Fox News story, which detailed how Baker was personally involved in obtaining warrants to spy on Trump campaign associate Carter Page and his handling of the TrumpRussia allegations and a missive Trump posted about the article. He also sent a link to an Epoch Times article that was based on Bakers testimony to Congress. The transcripts werent publicly available at the time. The article is worth a read, Sussmann wrote. Baker didnt respond. In June 2019, Sussmann revealed that he had become aware that Baker met with Joffe the day prior. Baker didnt disabuse him of the notion. Joffe, who worked with the FBI for years, was terminated as an FBI source, it was revealed during Sussmanns trial. Sussmann and Baker met in person for lunch in Washington on July 12, 2019. Sussmann in May 2020 offered congratulations to Baker, who had been hired by Twitter as a counsel. Ive been working with them for 10 years and I love the company, Sussmann said. Baker thanked Sussmann but told him not to reveal the news, as it hadnt been made public yet. Chairman of the Masr El Kaweya (Strong Egypt) party, Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, speaks during a news conference in Cairo on Feb. 4, 2015. (Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters) Court Jails Egyptian Former Presidential Candidate for 15 Years CAIROAn Egyptian court sentenced former presidential candidate Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh and several prominent figures from the banned Muslim Brotherhood to lengthy jail terms on Sunday on accusations including plotting to overthrow the state. Aboul Fotouh, who is in his early 70s and according to his family suffers from several medical conditions, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, subject to appeal, the court ruling said. Rights groups say thousands of politicians, activists, and journalists are detained in Egypt after unfair trials or without legal basis. Aboul Fotouh quit the Muslim Brotherhood in 2011 after disagreements over the role of religion in politics and founded the more centrist Strong Egypt party, launching an independent bid for the presidency in 2012. The interior ministry later accused him of meeting Brotherhood leaders to stir unrest, which he denied. He was arrested in February 2018 after giving interviews that were sharply critical of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, a month before Sisi was re-elected. Others sentenced on Sunday include Mohamed al-Qassas, Aboul Fotouhs deputy, who received a 10-year sentence, Mahmoud Ezzat, the former acting Brotherhood leader detained in Cairo in 2020, who received 15 years, and Ibrahim Mounir, a Brotherhood leader living in exile, who was handed a life sentence. Egypt banned the Brotherhood after Sisi, then army chief, led the overthrow of democratically elected Brotherhood President Mohamed Mursi following mass protests in 2013. Authorities accuse the Brotherhood of promoting militancy and subversion, accusations it strongly denies. Mursi died after collapsing in a prison courtroom in 2019, while other leaders of the group have been jailed or left the country as a result of a far-reaching crackdown on political dissent that extended to liberal as well as Islamist critics. By Haithem Ahmed Protesters are angry over a building collapse in southwestern Iran and the crowd confronts officials in Iran on May 29, 2022. (IRIB via AP/Screenshot via The Epoch Times) Crowd Confronts Official Over Deadly Iran Collapse Protesters angry over a building collapse in southwestern Iran that killed at least 31 people shouted down an emissary sent by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sparking a crackdown that saw riot police club demonstrators and fire tear gas, according to online videos analyzed on Monday. The demonstration directly challenged the Iranian governments response to the disaster a week ago as pressure rises in the Islamic Republic over rising food prices and other economic woes amid the unraveling of its nuclear deal with world powers. While the protests so far still appear to be leaderless, even Arab tribes in the region seemed to join them on Sunday, raising the risk of the unrest intensifying. Already, tensions between Tehran and the West have spiked after Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard on Friday seized two Greek oil tankers. Ayatollah Mohsen Heidari AleKasir tried to address upset mourners near the site of the 10-story Metropol Building but hundreds who had gathered Sunday night instead booed and shouted. Surrounded by bodyguards, the Ayatollah, in his 60s, tried to continue but couldnt. Whats happening? the cleric stage-whispered to a bodyguard, who then leaned in to tell him something. The cleric then tried to address the crowd again: My dears, please keep calm, as a sign of respect to Abadan, its martyrs, and the dear (victims) the whole Iranian nation is mourning tonight. The crowd responded by shouting: Shameless! A live broadcast on state television of the event then cut out. Footage posted online afterwards showed demonstrators later chanting: I will kill; I will kill the one who killed my brother! The Tehran-based daily newspaper Hamshahri and the semiofficial Fars news agency said the protesters attacked the platform where state TV had set up its camera, cutting off its broadcast. Police ordered the crowd not to chant slogans against the Islamic Republic and then ordered them to leave, calling their rally illegal. Video later showed officers confronting and clubbing demonstrators as clouds of tear gas rose. At least one officer fired what appeared to be a shotgun, though it wasnt clear if it was live fire or so-called beanbag rounds designed to stun. It wasnt immediately clear if anyone was injured or if police made any arrests. The details in the videos corresponded to known features of Abadan, located some 660 kilometers (410 miles) southwest of the capital, Tehran. Foreign-based Farsi-language television channels described tear gas and other shots being fired. Independent newsgathering remains extremely difficult in Iran. During unrest, Iran has disrupted internet and telephone communications to affected areas, while also limiting the movement of journalists inside of the country. Reporters Without Borders describes the Islamic Republic as the third-worst country in the world to be a journalistbehind only North Korea and Eritrea. Following the tower collapse in Abadan last Monday, authorities have acknowledged the buildings owner and corrupt government officials had allowed construction to continue at the Metropol Building despite concerns over its shoddy workmanship. Authorities have arrested 13 people as part of a broad investigation into the disaster, including the citys mayor. Rescue teams pulled two more bodies from the rubble on Monday, bringing the death toll in the collapse to 31, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. Authorities fear more people could be trapped under the debris. Crown Stays Charges of 6 Involved in GTA Tow-Truck Industry Violence Crown prosecutors have stayed charges for six people involved in high-profile violence between rival tow-truck companies in the Greater Toronto Area, despite being accused of more than 70 criminal acts of arson, murder, and property damage. In February 2020, the York Regional Police (YRP) launched Project Platinum in response to violence and criminal activities between the towing companies. Police say the conflict led to arsons, assaults, murders, attempted murders, threats, and property damage. Following months of investigation, 30 search warrants were executed resulting in the seizure of 11 tow trucks, over 40 firearms, several kilograms of illicit drugs, and more than $500,000 in cash. In May 2020, YRP announced 20 arrests as part of the investigation with support from the Ontario Provincial Police, the Toronto Police Service, and the Canada Revenue Agency. But earlier this month, Crown prosecutors withdrew charges against six people who were being tried as a group, according to a CBC News report. Criminal lawyer Jag Virk, who represented one of the accused, told CBC that the Crown had previously withdrawn several firearm offences against his client, and proceeded to stay all remaining charges against the six defendants two weeks ago in the Ontario Court of Justice. Virk said the charges were stayed after the Crown was ordered to disclose information based on a phone wiretap warrant that was redacted in a previous version provided to the defence. But the Crown refused, saying that in doing so, it would expose the identity of an informant. Despite the collapse of the case, the operation remains effective in curbing street violence and reducing crime in the GTA tow-truck industry, YRP Const. Laura Nicolle told CBC. We are proud of the fact Project Platinum halted the significant street-level violence that was plaguing our community in the months leading up to the arrests, Nicolle said. These efforts resulted in a substantial decrease in violence connected to the tow truck industry. Corey Anderson, 18, as seen in an undated mugshot photo. (Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office via AP) Deputies Arrest Florida Man Who Threatened a School Shooting TAMPA, Fla.Detectives have arrested an 18-year-old Florida man after receiving a tip that he threatened a mass shooting at a school in a social media post. Corey Andersons post showed him with a handgun, a rifle and a tactical-style vest along with a caption that said, Hey Siri, directions to the nearest school, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a news release. Anderson was arrested at his home near Tampa on Sunday, and charged with a written or electronic threat to conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism. This type of threat is unacceptable. This man intentionally instilled fear into our community as a sick joke, but be warned, this is no laughing matter, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. The sheriff said his agency will do everything within our power to track down anyone who makes school threats. Protecting our students is our greatest priority, Chronister said. We take school threats very seriously, if you see something suspicious, please contact us immediately. The arrest came days after an 18-year-old entered an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, and fatally shot 19 children and two teachers. The gunman was eventually killed by law enforcement officers some 80 minutes after he entered the classroom in the predominantly Latino community that sits among vegetable fields halfway between San Antonio and the U.S.-Mexico border. In the Florida case, deputies discovered that the weapons in the photo were airsoft guns, the news release said. Anderson was booked into jail and later released on bond, jail records show. Records did not include the name of an attorney who could speak on Andersons behalf. During a press conference about hurricane preparedness, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took aim on Jan. 7 at political opponents who chided him for using days off to accompany his wife to cancer treatment. Natasha Holt/Epoch Times DeSantis Is Looking to Hire Director for the New Florida State Guard PUNTA GORDA, Fla.Gov. Ron DeSantis said on May 31 that he is looking for someone with military-style leadership to head the newly re-established Florida State Guard (FLSG). DeSantis wants someone who will lead Floridas civilian force in a way that will assist and support state emergency response agencies. The Director of the FLSG will be responsible for 400 guard members, oversee recruitment, training, and mobilization of the guard in the event of an emergency. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated experience in military-style operations, emergency management, leadership and problem solving, the statement from the governors office read. On Dec. 2, 2021, the governor, a U.S. Navy veteran, announced that he was bringing back a 1941 concept for 21st century Florida. The state guard was formed in 1941 during World War II to fill in for the Florida National Guard when they were deployed and was disbanded in the late 1940s. The Florida State Guard Logo May 31, 2022. (Courtesy, The Governors Office) The Florida Department of State website described the inception of the Florida State Guard during World War II: In 1939, the Florida National Guard consisted of more than 3,000 volunteers. In 1940, after the fall of France and the commencement of the Battle of Britain, President Franklin Roosevelt urged Congress to increase military spending, institute the first peacetime draft in American history, and federalize portions of the National Guard. Floridas National Guard was called into active national military service between November 1940 and January 1941. The website went on to say that after the Florida National Guard was mobilized, a Florida Defense Force, subsequently named the Florida State Guard, was established to assume the duties of the departed guardsmen. By 1943, the Florida State Guard numbered 2,100 men in 36 units. The governor said he wants to make sure we have the flexibilityand the ability neededto respond to events in our state in the most effective way possible. That will require Florida to have access to, and use of, support in ways that dont require the federal government, he previously stated. The state guard would answer directly to the governor with no federal deployment, or missions, and would receive no federal money. The governor has allocated $3.5 million for the program in the 2022-2023 fiscal state budget that has yet to be signed. The funds will go to training and equipment. We want to be able to have a quick response capability and re-establishing the Florida State Guard will allow civilians from all over the state to be trained in the best emergency response techniques, and have the ability to mobilize very, very quickly, DeSantis said during the December press conference. The governors office issued a release announcing that the application portal is now open and is awaiting applicants. Floridians interested in becoming a member of FLSF must be between the ages of 18 and 60 and are required to meet the same standards as the Florida National Guard. The FLSF is a voluntary force and will assist the National Guard during natural disasters including hurricanes. DeSantis called Florida a veteran friendly state. We are proud of our veterans and active-duty military members and proud of what our communities do to support them, he said in December. A makeshift memorial at Robb Elementary School is filled with flowers, toys, signs, and crosses bearing the names of all 21 victims of the mass shooting that occurred on May 24, in Uvalde, Texas, on May 27, 2022. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Disturbing Text From Wife Spurred Texas Border Agent to Enter Uvalde School U.S. Border Patrol agent Jacob Albarado on Tuesday described what happened when he rushed inside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde during last weeks mass shooting. Albarado, who was not on duty at the time, said he received a text from his wife, who is a fourth-grade teacher at Robb Elementary. It read, Theres an active shooter. Help. I love you. When he was asked during an interview on the Today show about the scene outside the school, he said, Chaos. Chaos. Everyone was trying to get to the school, people were trying to get everything situated, I was just trying to get toward my wifes room and my daughters room. Local law enforcement officials and others allowed him to enter the building. In a previous interview, Albarado said that he was armed with a shotgun that belonged to his barber. The police were breaking out the windows from the outside and the kids were jumping out through the window, Albarado said Tuesday. As I was coming in I could just see kids coming out the windows and kids coming my way, so I was just helping all the kids out. Police in Uvalde have received criticism for not responding quickly enough to the shooting as top Texas officials said that it took more than an hour for law enforcement to enter the two adjoining classrooms where the shooter, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, was located. Some parents also said that police tried to stop them from entering Robb Elementary. Relatives of Alexandria Aniyah Rubio Lexie mourn her death during a vigil to remember the victims of the deadliest U.S. school shooting in nearly a decade resulting in the death of 19 children and two teachers, at a memorial at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, U.S. May 30, 2022. (Reuters/Veronica G. Cardenas) Albarado, however, disagreed with those assertions. To me, I believe everyone there was doing the best that they could given the circumstances, he said. Steven McCraw, the head of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said at the Friday news conference that after following the gunman into the building, officers waited over an hour to breach the classroom. Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in the shooting. But residents this week have begun to criticize Pete Arredondo, the police commander at the scene, over the response. Juan Torres, a U.S. Army veteran who was visibly upset with reports coming out about the response, said he knew Arredondo from high school. You sign up to respond to those kinds of situations, Torres told The Associated Press. If you are scared, then dont be a police officer. Go flip burgers. The Associated Press contributed to this report. EDF Says Time Has Run Out for UK Nuclear Power Station Government Wanted to Keep EDF Energy, which is 85 percent owned by France, says it is too late to stop the shutdown of the Hinkley Point B nuclear power station in Somerset despite suggestions the British government wanted to keep it going for a few more years. The site is next door to the 25 billion Hinkley Point C station which is being built by EDF Energy and China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) and is due to come into operation in 2027, supplying seven percent of Britains energy needs. On Monday the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Department of Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport Chris Philp told Times Radio that Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng was considering if Hinkley Point B might continue beyond its planned end if it complies with its safety certification. Philp said this could be a sensible precautionary measure in view of the disruption which has been caused to the international gas market by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Previously EDF announced Hinkley Point Bwhich was built in the late 1960s and has been generating energy since 1976would be decommissioned from November 2020 and would enter the defueling phase by the end of July 2022. The Financial Times reported this week that EDF said although it was technically feasible to extend operations at Hinkley Point B for up to six months, the time needed to do this had now run out. An EDF spokesman said: It has reliably produced zero carbon electricity for over 46 years, more than 15 years longer than envisaged when built, and will complete its generating phase as the most productive nuclear site the UK has ever had. Hinkley Point B, an advanced gas-cooled reactor, has produced more than 300 terawatt-hours of power in its lifetime, enough to keep the electricity on in every home in Britain for three years. Last month Kwarteng wrote to the owners of Britains last remaining coal-fired power stations to ask them to stay open a bit longer to cope with a looming energy crisis in the 20222023 winter. Energy bills have risen enormously in Britain as gas prices spike as a result of a number of factors, including the sanctions on Russia. A government spokesman said: Any extensions to operational dates for the UKs nuclear power stations are a matter for the operator of the stations, EDF, and the regulator the Office for Nuclear Regulation, which are based on safety considerations. The government has no direct involvement in this process and has not made any requests of this kind. PA Media contributed to this report Pete Arredondo, chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District (L), speaks at a press conference while Superintendent Hal Harrell looks on, following a mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, 2022. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Uvalde Mayor Announces Good News for Embattled School Police Chief Update: Arredondo was sworn in on May 31. Original story below. The police chief of the school district in Texas where a mass shooting at an elementary school took place on May 24 can assume the City Council seat to which he was previously elected, according to the citys mayor. Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police Chief Pete Arrendondo was elected to the Uvalde City Council about two weeks before the shooting. He received 126 votes, or 69 percent of the total, in the election. There is nothing in the City Charter, Election Code, or Texas Constitution that prohibits him from taking the oath of office, Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin said in a statement to news outlets on May 30. To our knowledge, we are currently not aware of any investigation of Mr. Arredondo. However, Arredondo, who told a local paper after being elected that he was very excited to take on the new role, will have to wait. The swearing-in ceremony was scheduled for Tuesday but is being postponed due to the first funerals of those who died in the attack on Robb Elementary School. Our focus on Tuesday is on our families who lost loved ones, McLaughlin said. We begin burying our children tomorrow, the innocent victims of last weeks murders at Robb Elementary School. The special City Council meeting will not take place as scheduled. McLaughlin did not say when the rescheduled ceremony would take place. The law enforcement response to the shooting has become heavily scrutinized after it was revealed that officers, after entering the building, waited about 45 minutes to breach the classroom in which the shooter was killing students and teachers. Arredondo, according to Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw, was in charge of the response and chose not to have the officers immediately breach the classroom. He said Arredondo, who has not spoken to reporters since the revelation, made the choice because he thought the situation was a barricaded suspect, not an active shooter one. That wasnt true, though. Multiple 911 calls made from the classroom as officers stood outside showed that children were still alive. At least one of the callers survived, McCraw said. The U.S. Department of Justice announced over the weekend that it is probing the response. The goal of the review is to provide an independent account of law enforcement actions and responses that day, and to identify lessons learned and best practices to help first responders prepare for and respond to active shooter events, Anthony Coley, a spokesman for the department, said in a statement. McLaughlin requested the probe. The mayor said Monday that he cannot change Arredondo joining the City Council and that he does not want to intervene. I mean, he was duly elected, and thats something Pete and, Im sure, the people in his district will come to terms with, McLaughlin said. UPAC commissioner Robert Lafreniere speaks to the media at a news conference in Montreal on Oct. 31, 2017. (The Canadian Press/Ryan Remiorz) Ex-boss of Quebec Anti-Corruption Unit Orchestrated Sensitive Leaks to Media: Judge A Quebec court judge is accusing the former head of the provinces anti-corruption unit of derailing a high-profile fraud trial by orchestrating a system of controlled leaks to the media. Judge Andre Perreault says in a heavily redacted court document that Robert Lafreniere was behind sensitive leaks to journalists in order to pressure the government at the time to renew his mandate as head of the anti-corruption squad. The revelations are included in a 2020 court ruling involving ex-deputy premier Nathalie Normandeau, who was granted a stay of proceedings due to unreasonable delays in her fraud case. The information was only released this week because the 81-page court decision was kept under a publication ban that media organizations were able to have lifted. In his decision, Judge Perreault reproaches Lafreniere and other senior members of the police force, known as UPAC, for serious misconduct that he says was largely responsible for delays in Normandeaus case. Lafreniere, who resigned in 2018, denied he leaked any information for personal gain in an interview this week with La Presse. Perreault endorsed the conclusions of Michel Doyon, an investigator with Quebecs police watchdog, who found that Lafreniere was behind the leaks and was pushing for another mandate and for the squad to be turned into a specialized police unit. The chance discovery of an article sends a Holocaust survivor on an unexpected trip to visit the orphanage where he was rescued to after the war. Manny Drukier narrowly escaped the war by jumping from a death train at age 16, finding refuge at a unique home for orphans and displaced children. Seventy-one years later, Manny is tracked down by a German researcher who has dedicated a decade of her life to locating the surviving children from the home. She invites Manny to return to the orphanage, which has since become a grade school, to share his story with the next generation. Manny must now revisit the places of his darkest memories, to reconcile the past and educate the future. Narrated by Stephen Baldwin, Finding Manny shares a powerful theme of optimism and makes never again have meaning for the next generation. Official Website: http://findingmanny.com Director: Kacey Cox During this season of my life I must say this project is one of the things I have participated in, of which I am most proud. Stephen Baldwin I loved it from the first few minutes of the film. Ivan Wiener, Founder Albuquerque Film & Music Experience One of my best for fests. Bruno Chatelin, Co-founder of filmfestivals.com Feature Films: Cinema collection: http://epochcinema.com Epoch Original content: http://epochoriginal.com Feature Films: https://www.theepochtimes.com/featured-films * Click the Save button below the video to access it later on My List. Follow EpochTV on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/EpochTVus Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/EpochTV Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@EpochTV Gettr: https://gettr.com/user/epochtv Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EpochTVus Gab: https://gab.com/EpochTV Telegram: https://t.me/EpochTV Chairman of the board, and former CEO of The Walt Disney Company Bob Iger (L) and wife Willow Bay arrive for the 10th annual LACMA Art+Film gala at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in Los Angeles, Calif., on Nov. 6, 2021. (Michael Tran/AFP via Getty Images) Former Disney CEO Bob Iger Takes Stake in This $40 Billion Design Company Bob Iger, the former CEO of Walt Disney Co., has acquired a stake in Australian design company Canva, according to CNBC. More than 75 million customers use the companys software every month. In addition, after raising funds in September, Canva is now valued at $40 billion. Talking about the new development, Canva spokesman Lachlan Andrews said, Were incredibly excited to welcome Bob Iger as an investor and advisor. Bob brings a wealth of experience after 15 years at the helm of one of the most loved and most creative brands globally, and were looking forward to working with him, he added. Earlier in May, Philadelphia-based retailer GoPuff announced Iger as an advisor and investor. Iger is responsible for bolstering Gopuffs consumer engagement and helping spur international growth. By Bibhu Pattnaik 2022 The Epoch Times. The Epoch Times does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Gasoline prices are posted at a gas station in Washington on May 26, 2022. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images) Gas Prices Hit Record High After EUs Partial Ban on Russian Oil Imports Gasoline prices hit a new record on May 31 after the European Union agreed to a partial ban on Russian oil imports by the end of 2022 as part of the sixth package of sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. In the United States, prices at the pump rose to a national average of $4.622 per gallon, according to AAA, up from $4.619 on May 30 and $4.598 a week ago. The price surge marks an increase of $1.576 from this time in 2021. In the United Kingdom, gas prices rose to 173.02 pence per liter ($2.18) on May 31, according to the British automotive services company, RAC, which monitors both wholesale and retail fuel prices daily. The average cost to fill a 55-liter family car with unleaded petrol is now 95.16 pounds ($119.73), according to RAC, with prices likely to continue increasing. The EUs decision to ban the majority of Russian oil imports will cause the barrel price to go higher still, spelling yet more misery for fuel prices in the UK, RAC fuel spokesperson Simon Williams told Sky News. The wholesale price of petrol has already been increasing due to the increased summer driving demand, Williams said, adding that average prices for petrol could climb to 180 pence per liter ($2.26) in a matter of days, and the price could continue rising to 185 pence per liter ($2.33), he said. The record high price increase comes after EU leaders finally agreed on a plan to block roughly 90 percent of oil imports from Russia to the EU by the end of 2022 after the decision was delayed amid concerns among some members about supply issues. Earlier in May, Hungarys Prime Minister Viktor Orban said the EU ban on Russian oil imports would amount to a nuclear bomb for his countrys economy and insisted that the nation would only agree to such a ban if its oil supply security was guaranteed. Landlocked Hungary relies heavily on Russian oil, sourcing nearly 65 percent of its oil supplies and 85 percent of its gas from the country. The newly-announced oil embargo covers Russian oil imports to the EU that are transported by sea. Another 10 percent that is delivered by pipeline is exempt, as requested by Hungary, which is solely dependent on pipelines to transport the oil. Charles Michel, chief of the EU Council, said the agreement will cut a huge source of financing for its war machine, referring to Russia, while putting maximum pressure on the Kremlin to end the war in Ukraine. In a later post on Twitter, Michel said the sanctions will immediately impact 75 percent of Russian oil imports and that 90 percent of the Russian oil imported to Europe will be banned by the end of the year. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed the move as an important step forward in a statement on May 31, also stating that the bloc would soon return to the issue of the remaining 10 percent of pipeline oil. Moscow appeared to largely brush off news of the ban, stating that it would simply pivot to other importers. As she rightly said yesterday, #Russia will find other importers. Noteworthy that now she contradicts her own yesterdays statement. Very quick change of the mindset indicates that the #EU is not in a good shape, Mikhail Ulyanov, Russian Permanent Representative to international organizations in Vienna, wrote on Twitter, referencing the EU president. EU leaders also agreed to cut off the largest Russian bank, Sberbank, from the SWIFT international payment system and banned three more Russian state-owned broadcasters that officials said were very typically spreading broadly the misinformation that we have witnessed over the last weeks and months. Theres also a prohibition on insurance and reinsurance of Russian ships by EU companies and a ban on providing Russian companies with a range of business services. A protester holds a small placard at an event organized by Justitia Hong Kong to mourn the loss of Hong Kong's political freedoms, in Leicester Square, central London on Dec. 12, 2020. (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images) Hong Kong Considers Blocking Telegram, Experts Question Legality The Hong Kong government said it would consider banning the use of overseas communication platforms that expose personal information. According to several pro-communist media, Telegram, a social platform popular during the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement, may be banned. Some data experts pointed out that Russia tried to ban Telegram, but found it wasnt technically feasible. They also questioned the different law enforcement standards of the Hong Kong government. While targeting Telegram, it ignored the pro-communist websites that expose the personal information of Hong Kong pro-democracy activists. Hong Kong Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data Chung Lai-ling said at a meeting of the Legislative Council Panel on Constitutional Affairs on May 16, since the implementation of the newly revised Privacy Ordinance six months ago, relevant behaviors are ongoing, and she will consider taking further action against platforms with rampant privacy revealing data, including invoking section 66L of the Privacy Ordinance to restrict the use of the relevant overseas platforms by the public. A number of pro-CCP Hong Kong media quoted sources as saying that the platform the authorities are concerned about, Telegram, is commonly used by Hong Kong citizens. Most of the data exposing personal information involves political or social movements. Those who have had their private information published include officials, legislators, and police officers. The source also said that in recent months, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, Hong Kong (the PCPD) requested Telegram to delete the private information but didnt receive a direct response. The PCPD may consider restricting citizens from posting messages on Telegram, or even requesting the app be removed from the shelves. Regarding the relevant reports, the PCPD replied to the media that it would not comment on the enforcement actions of individual cases. Telegram spokesperson Remi Vaughn responded to the media that he was surprised by the news, emphasizing that Telegram has always strongly opposed the exposure of personal information and prohibits private content. The company regularly removes private content from around the world. Experts Question the Feasibility of Blocking Technology Wong Ho Wa, convener of the Open Data Group of the Internet Society of Hong Kong, told The Epoch Times that it is technically difficult for the government to block Telegram. For example, he said, in 2018, Telegram was banned in Russia by government order after it refused to give Russian authorities access to its encryption keys. The Russian government blocked about 1.8 million IP addresses but failed to fully block Telegram, eventually lifting the ban on Telegram in 2020. Other irrelevant websites were even blocked by mistake in the process. At present, the only thing that can block Telegram seems to be Chinas Great Firewall. Wong Ho Wa worries that if the Hong Kong government bans Telegram, other internet companies will also worry about the uncertainty of Hong Kongs policies and business environment, and gradually transfer their business to other regions. Hong Kong Government Severely Punishes individuals who Expose Police Officers Private Information Wong Ho Wa also questioned the governments law enforcement standards. The government has not dealt with Hong Kong Leaks (hkleaks) and other websites that exposed the personal information of participants in the 2019 Hong Kong Protest. However, it is rumored that Telegram, which is larger and whose website is in a foreign country, is going to be blocked, which is strange. The PCPD should explain to the public the priority and criteria of law enforcement, and why Telegram is being dealt with before dealing with Hong Kong Leaks. During the anti-extradition movement, the CCP instructed the Hong Kong government to violently suppress the protesters. Some netizens were dissatisfied with the police and pro-Communist factions for their actions and exposed their personal information on social networking sites. The High Court issued an interim injunction in October 2019 forbidding revealing the private information of police officers. Cheng Lai-king, former chairman of the Central and Western District Council, was arrested in 2020 for reprinting information about the police officer who allegedly shot a female reporter in the right eye and caused permanent blindness. The Hong Kong government also implemented the newly revised Privacy Ordinance in October last year, which listed revealing privacy as a criminal offence. Those convicted in the indictment process can be fined 1 million yuan (about $150,000) and imprisoned for 5 years. On May 11, the police and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner arrested a 23-year-old man for allegedly disclosing the information of multiple police officers and members of the Legislative Council on social platforms. Meanwhile, the pro-communist camp has widely released the personal information of Hong Kong pro-democracy activists online. For example, the website Hong Kong Leaks has collected data on a large number of pro-democracy ex-congressmen, pro-democracy Apple Daily reporters, and anti-extradition protesters, including date of birth, photo, address, phone number, and more. The site continued to operate even after the authorities made revealing privacy a criminal offense, and the homepage of the website said: The website will never be closed. Hong Kong Government Steps up Efforts to Suppress Telegram Telegram, which played an important role in the anti-extradition movement, is a key target of the Hong Kong government. Telegram quickly became popular in 2019 as an important way to exchange information on the scene during the protest. Li Lifeng, Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, once wrote that Telegram, together with the online forum Lian Deng, played the role of a central platform in this social movement. After the anti-extradition movement, the Hong Kong government started punishing the activists who were using Telegram and Lian Deng Forum. On May 20, Ng Man-ho, a 26-year-old man accused of being the administrator of the Telegram channel SUCK Channel, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for conspiracy to incite. Elmer Yuen Gong-yi, a Hong Kong-based industrialist, said on the program True Words he expects that all foreign communication programs such as Telegram, Signal, and WhatsApp will be banned in the future, and mainland Chinas Great Firewall will definitely come to Hong Kong. It can be seen from the Shanghai lockdown that the CCP no longer takes into account the feelings of foreign businessmen. People hold candles as they walk near Victoria Park after police closed the venue where Hong Kong people traditionally gather annually to mourn the victims of China's Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989, in the Causeway Bay district in Hong Kong on June 4, 2021. (Anthony Kwan/Getty Images) Hongkongers Spread June Fourth Commemoration Abroad as a Heritage Commentary In mid-April, 2022, a friend introduced me to a U.K. Hong Kong community head, who talked to me about shooting a special program on Queen Elizabeth II and Hong Kong for the Platinum Jubilee celebration. After going through that, we shifted the topic to the June 4, 1989, Tiananmen Square massacre (June Fourth). I was told that a candlelight vigil would be held on June 4, 2022, outside the Chinese Embassy, in London, and I was asked what else might be done for the June Fourth commemoration, a taboo now in Hong Kong and only possible abroad. Half seriously, I shared an idea that I thought wild. Forum. Got to be a forum, like the City Forum that used to be held every Sunday at Hong Kongs Victoria Park. It is my wish to inherit the cultures of Hong Kong in the U.K., and the Victoria Park culture is really essential to mark the rise of the civil awareness coming with the historical June Fourth candlelight vigil and City Forum. The National Security Law (NSL), imposed on Hong Kong by China in 2020, has ruined all of them. Can we bring them back to life in the U.K.? We also have Victoria Park here in London, whose speakers cornerknown as the Forumwas more popular than that in Hyde Park at a time. Unexpectedly, they took my wild suggestion serious. Starting from scratch, they sorted out a venue, potential speakers and production team, and organised all the things seamlessly. The shooting was done last week. The experience was simply amazing, though some modifications from the original needed to be made, and the program was pre-recorded with no live audiences. Doing it live would certainly attract attention from pro-Chinese Communist Party (CCP) groups and add uncertainties to the event. No one wanted to take that risk. Copying and reviving a well-rooted cultural phenomenon to any given place is enterprising but formidable. Well-rooted is not an exaggeration, especially to those who joined the June Fourth candlelight vigil every year for the last 30 years. An anecdote may illustrate this well. In 2012, in the first cohort of Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) History course, which at that time had a component of school-based assessment offering three electives, in which one was called local heritage studies. I came across a School-based Assessment report on this elective that studied the June Fourth candlelight vigil. From this we can see that, at least to some youngsters in Hong Kong, June Fourth celebration is well established as a local heritage/commemorative festival. There is no doubt about the importance of June Fourth to Hong Kong and China as a landmark of political change. In the 1980s, the Chinese were eager to introduce ideas of all kinds from the West. However, after June Fourth, there was a sharp ideological turn as the CCP adopted a more leftist stance in view of the perceived peaceful evolution and imperialisms incessant desire to crush China. This was followed by severe criticism of universal values, liberalism, democratic constitutionalism and historical nihilism (seen by China as attempts to revisit or challenge the official version of history). Anti-foreignism intensified, followed by the rise of a wolf warrior stance (Chinese patriots, usually high-ranking officials and celebrities, using strong rhetoric and social media to present an image of an assertive China) and little pink (young and hyper-nationalist Chinese keyboard commandos). Against this backdrop, commemorating June Fourth in Hong Kong becomes more and more intolerable to communist China, as it is closely related to the idea of using democracy to resist communism. Political beliefs of Hong Kong and China become incompatible over June Fourth. To Hongkongers, a democratic China is a logical development and a guarantee for the One Country Two Systems. To the Chinese, however, as the June Fourth incident had been labelled as a counter-revolutionary rebellion, Hongkongers urge to vindicate June Fourth a slogan that has been there for more than 30 yearsis understood as subverting Chinese state power. Naturally, the most historical target of the NSL is the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, the very organisation that was founded right before the massacre, to provide shelters and financial assistance in helping to smuggle Beijing student leaders out of China. Obviously, this shows that June Fourth commemoration in Hong Kong has long been a thorn in the side of the CCP; with huge political impact and something that they consider needs to be uprooted. Irrespective of ones identity and position in the political spectrum, commemorating June Fourth is a righteousness for all who uphold and fight for justice and consciousness. My co-workers efforts to produce the June Fourth Forum in just one month manifest our commitment to democracy and universal values. The forum will be released on June 1, 2022 and those who are interested to watch it, please click here. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. The style of architecture that became representative of American democracy in the 19th century In this series, master woodworker Brent Hull will introduce readers to the different architectural styles that were popularized throughout American history, explaining their significance and unique design features. No architectural style has captured the imagination of an American era like Greek Revival. Lasting from 1820 to 1860, it was more than just a style; it was an ideal that expressed itself in the architecture of our young nation and as an ideological assurance that the democracy could and would survive. We forget that 200 years ago, the concept of a democratic rule, by the people and for the people, was a radical model and still an experiment. The American Revolution, and our breaking from European molds of government, was itself revolutionary. The popularity of the Greek Revival style coincided with the rise of America into a nation. This is a style that projects permanence and strength, traits our young country desired. Front page of The Antiquities of Athens by James Stuart and Nicholas Revett, 1762. (Public Domain) The Greek Revival style is most identifiable by its temple front, which is inspired by the Parthenon in Greece. This famous temple sits on the Acropolis in Athensthe tall rock formation that stands proudly over the city and was a place of worship to Athena, patron goddess of Athens. The Parthenon has been studied and revered for centuries because of its mathematical purity and design integrity. Though the Greek Revival era in America lasted from 1820 to 1860, the interest in Greek culture had been developing for some time in Europe. By 1750 in England, the ancient Roman world had been studied and extensively explored. It had been almost two centuries since Andrea Palladio, 16th-century Italian architect, wrote I quattro libri dellarchitettura (The Four Books of Architecture) in 1570. This book was on the shelves of many prominent builders and architects and became the blueprint for design and construction based upon the classical characteristics. Interestingly, Palladio had only ever studied ancient Rome. By 1750, it was well known that Greece had been the key influence on Roman architecture. The Romans had appropriated and adopted the ideas that the Greeks had perfected. Greece and ancient Greek culture were hidden and veiled by the Ottoman Turkish Empire (mid 15th century to early 19th century), which refused to let travelers into the country for fear of spying. The ruins of a Greek temple at Paestum, Italy. (Antonio Sessa / Unsplash) Travel to Greece in the 18th century was dangerous; thus, a secret mission was hatched by a spirited group of thinkers. Two Englishmen by the names of James Stuart (archaeologist, architect, and artist) and Nicholas Revett (architect) traveled to Athens in 1751, funded and organized by the Society of Dilettanti of London. Disguised as native Turks, they secretly drew and chronicled the ancient Greek ruins, making accurate measurements of the Acropolis of Athens and the Parthenon. This mission resulted in the seminal book, The Antiquities of Athens, which was written in three volumes over a 40-year period. After these discoveries were published in 1758, the work became a source book on ancient Greek architecture. The Antiquities of Athens spurred great interest and encouraged architects to build in new forms and with fresh inspiration. The book highlighted how Greek designs were different from Roman temples and buildings. For instance, Greek architects did not use arches in their designs; the arch was a Roman improvement. Greek temples like the Parthenon were beautiful and admired for their near-mathematical perfection and symmetry. The proportions of the Parthenon match the proportions of the human body; the columns to beams have a proportional relationship much like the human form, where head to hand are proportional. An engraving of the Greek temples at Paestum by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, 1778. (Public Domain) William Strickland by John Neagle, circa 1829. Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven. (Public Domain) The interest in Greek culture continued to grow through the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The rediscovery of the Greek temples at Paestum (550 to 450 B.C.) in southern Italy, during the 18th century, was a marvel. The presence of the three well-preserved Greek temples, in the region of Italy (present day Calabria), reinforced the idea of original Greek dominance of the world under Alexander (356323 B.C.). This temple was made more popular in 1778 after the well-known engraver Giovanni Battista Piranesi drew the temple and prints became readily accessible to the public. Americans interest in the Greek Revival style benefited from the War of 1812 between Britain and America. These battles soured the nations interest in British design and culture. Naturally looking for inspiration from more remote places, the story of Greece as an original democracy was contagious. In the early 1820s, the war for Greek independence from the Ottoman Turkish Empire began, and it reminded Americans of their fight for independence. The Greek war for independence was front-page news, and it became more compelling as Lord Byron, the famous English poet, died in 1824 from a fever contracted while training Greek troops after the First and Second Siege of Missolonghi. How much did all this excite the imagination of the American people? Maybe we need to look no further than the naming of many of our towns and cities from this period. Athens, Georgia, the college town famous for the Georgia Bulldogs, was given the name Athens in honor of Plato and Aristotles school of thought. The actual number of towns named after Greek cities and citizens is profound. Consider these names: Sparta, Athens, Ithaca, Syracuse, Alexandria, Akron, and Atlanta, from the Greek god Atlas. It is clear Greek culture and thinking inspired not just architecture but how Americans thought of themselves as a people. A hand-drawn capital of the Doric order. (Marina Gorskaya/Adobestock) Greek Revival architecture today is readily identifiable by several key attributes: a temple front, large Doric columns with no bases, and simple and bold stone-like ornamentation with a triangular pediment. The Second Bank of the United States, Philadelphia, is a wonderful example of the Greek Revival style. Now part of Independence Park in Philadelphia, the bank was built between 1818 and 1824 by William Strickland, noted Philadelphia architect and civil engineer. With strong fluted Doric columns that sit directly on the raised stylobate (raised platform), the Second Bank of the United States was clearly inspired by the Parthenon in Greece. The banks eight columns have no base, which is a unique style of ancient Greek detail. The buildings presence is commanding and bold in character with its wide, thick columns crowned by the signature Greek triangular pediment and simple ornaments and moldings around doors and windows. Strickland was a former student of Benjamin Latrobe, the man who is regarded as the first professionally trained American architect. Both Latrobe and Strickland were disciples of the Greek Revival style and were credited with having helped establish the Greek Revival movement in America. Some of Stricklands most accomplished building designs were in this style. During the 19th century, the Greek Revival style extended itself into the construction of newer small towns, banks, courthouses, and other civic buildings looking to establish an air of permanence and significance. The Second Bank of the United States, in Philadelphia. (Matt/Adobe stock) The mansion at Belle Meade Plantation in Tennessee. Another prominent Strickland design was the Belle Meade plantation in Nashville, Tennessee. Formerly, the two-story plantation was built in the Federal style, but after William Giles Harding took over operations at Belle Meade in 1839, he employed Strickland to construct a two-story, 24-by-55-foot addition to the home. In keeping with the Greek Revival style, the new home was bold in silhouette, broad in proportions, and simplified in detail, with its six limestone, Doric pillars supporting the front porch and pedimented attic. The Greek Revival era ended when the Civil War began in the 1860s. After the war, this style was forgotten and replaced by the decorative frills of the industrialized Victorian architecture. The style is still revered today for its simple, honest character and charm. These historic buildings with strong stoic porches still remind us of a simpler time when America, as a young nation, hoped to grow and prosper. This article was originally published in American Essence magazine. Richard Morris Hunt and the reinvention of New York architecture In 1843, young Richard Morris Hunt and family traveled from America to Europe, where he gained his formal education. Initially, Hunt pursued training in art, but at the encouragement of his family, he took up architecture. Hunt studied under Geneva architect Samuel Darier and later joined the Paris studio of architect Hector Lefuel. In Paris, he studied for the entrance examinations of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and became the first American to be admitted to the prestigious school. In 1853, Hector Lefuel hired Hunt to help complete expansions to the famous art museum: the Nouveau Louvre. Although he worked in a primarily supervisory role, Hunt collaborated in the design of the Pavillon de la Bibliotheque. Thus, early in his career, he had the opportunity to work on a significant public project. Hunt returned to America in 1856 and took a position with architect Thomas Ustick Walter, who was working on the renovation and expansion of the U.S. Capitol. A year later, Hunt struck out on his own and moved to New York. The design for the supper room at 660 Fifth Avenue, New York City, by Richard Morris Hunt, circa 1880. Watercolor and graphite on cardboard. (Public Domain) A half- length portrait of Richard Morris Hunt seated at a desk, 1894. (Library of Congress / Public Domain) His first major project in New York was the 10th Street Studio Building. Hunt would establish his own practice there, and start a school of architecture as well. After a time of professional setback, however, Hunt found himself to be an architect desperately in need of a patron. At that time, Alva Vanderbilt (wife of William K. Vanderbilt) desperately wanted to make her mark on New York society. High society at the time was dominated by the Astors, who considered the Vanderbilts newcomers to wealth, and as such second rate. The Vanderbilts were shunned socially by the society of 400, which referred to the circle of polite society recognized by Caroline Schermerhorn Astor (and supposedly the maximum number of people she could host in her ballroom). Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt, however, refused to be denied her place in Gilded Age society. Alva, who loved French culture, and Hunt, with his Beaux-Arts background, collaborated to create a magical chateau amidst the brownstones of Fifth Avenue. Construction began in 1878 and was completed in 1882. Lewis Mumford, American historian, described the years following the Civil War as a buried Renaissance and referred to that historic period as The Brown Decades. The Civil War shook down the blossoms and blasted the promise of spring. The colours of American civilization abruptly changed. By the time the war was over, browns had spread everywhere: mediocre drabs, dingy chocolate browns, sooty browns that merged into black. Autumn had come. The design for a bay window by Richard Morris Hunt, circa 1880. Graphite and ink on tracing paper. (Public Domain) Even men of considerable means, such as J.P. Morgan, lived in unassuming homes. American novelist Edith Wharton described the city as little, low studded rectangular New York with its universal chocolate-colored coating of the most hideous stone ever quarried, lacking towers, porticoes, fountains or perspectives. Alva Vanderbilt, desiring a house that would lift her social standing, worked with Hunt to create a bit of French Neo-Renaissance whimsy in the midst of the staid brown buildings. Hunt began with a beautifully rendered building that was asymmetrical, with towers and turrets and architectural detail placed for aesthetic joy. Constructed at 660 Fifth Avenue, it was the first of many chateaux that would be built in the Gilded Age of New York. The house would be a work of art, intricately carved. Hunt chose Indiana Limestone for the exterior wallsa stone that worked beautifully and when smoothly finished glowed in the sunlight. It required an army of skilled artisans to build. The firm of Ellin & Kitson employed 40 stonemasons in the project. The personable Hunt not only worked well with his high-strung clients, but it seems he developed quite a rapport with his artisans as well. A story is told that when Hunt came to the house for the final walk-through, he discovered a large tent in one of the ballrooms. Inside, he found a life-sized statue of himself, dressed in stonecutters clothes. It had been carved in secret by the stonemasons as a tribute to the admired architect. William Vanderbilt had the statue placed upon the roof above the front door. The design for a roof tower spire by Richard Morris Hunt, circa 1880. Watercolor and graphite on tracing paper. (Public Domain) The salon inside 660 Fifth Avenue. (Public Domain) In March 1883, Alva hosted a dress ball for 1,200 people that captured the publics attention. The affair is said to have cost $3 million. From Fifth Avenue, guests would enter the 60-foot-long grand hall, walled with stone, and were entertained in the grand homes formal rooms. Just off of the hall was the library with its French Renaissance paneling. There was the salon, designed and built in Paris by Jules Allard and featuring a secretary-style desk previously owned by Marie Antoinette. At the end of the grand hall was a Gothic 50-by-30-foot banquet room. Austrian sculptor Karl Bitter carved the mantle details for the rooms massive double fireplace. The house was a fitting showcase for Gilded Age opulence and excess, and of course it inspired the building of many more. Not to be outdone, Caroline Astor commissioned Hunt to build the J.J. Astor chateau at 34th Street and Fifth Avenue. The great urban chateaux enjoyed but a fleeting moment in the sun. Had they been anywhere but New York, the great metropolis that continually reinvents itself, these magnificent houses might have found another lifeperhaps as offices for charitable foundations. After New York recast itself as a hub of railroads, during the turn of the century, rising real estate values would doom them. In less than 50 years, the grand homes were torn down to allow greater density construction on their sites. Alvas Petit Chateau was sold to a real estate developer in 1926 and demolished the next year. Though the beautiful buildings of Indiana Limestone may no longer be seen in New York, George Vanderbilts mansion, Biltmore, in Asheville, North Carolina, remains as a monument to the era. The design for double fireplaces and their overmantels by Richard Morris Hunt, circa 1880. Watercolor and graphite. (Public Domain) Richard Morris Hunt became a member of influential society with his distinguished career in design. He went on to design great public buildings that are still erect today, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the pedestal for the Statue of Liberty, and the New York Tribune Building. Later in his life, Hunt designed the Administration Building for the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. In this great collaboration with Frederick Law Olmstead, he gave America the richness of Beaux-Arts design. Today, the site of Alvas chateau is occupied by a 39-story building constructed in 1957. Extensive renovations in 2022 will create a bright commercial and office space with 11-by-19-foot, single-pane glass windows. The architecture of New York has continued its reinventions through the decades. Bob Kirchman is an architectural illustrator who lives in Augusta County, Virginia, with his wife Pam. He teaches studio art to students in the Augusta Christian Educators Homeschool Co-op. This article was originally published in American Essence magazine. Cartons of eggs are displayed on a shelf at the Marina Supermarket in San Francisco, Calif., on July 17, 2015. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Huge Fire at Minnesota Commercial Egg Farm Kills Thousands of Chickens A fire at a large commercial egg farm in Minnesota left thousands of chickens dead, officials confirmed over the Memorial Day Weekend. The fire started late Saturday night at a Forsman Farms facility in Stockholm Township, Minnesota, officials told local media. Reports said the blaze occurred at a barn that houses manure and chickens. Deputies with the Wright County Sheriffs Office told Fox9 in Minneapolis that the primary building involved in the fire was seriously damaged, while surrounding structures were only lightly damaged. The office also estimated that there were likely 200,000 chickens in the barn when the fire occurred. Officials told the station they dont believe the fire was caused by criminal activity. They added that a state fire marshal is investigating the cause. Meanwhile, Forsman Farms issued a statement in response to the blaze. A spokesperson described the incident as a tragic accident. Overnight, a fire destroyed one of our barns at our Howard Lake farm, Forsman Farms said in a statement to local media. No one was injured and we are grateful that first responders were quickly on scene to put out the fire. Unfortunately, chickens were lost because of the fire. We are evaluating the extent of the damagewhich appears to be confined to a single structureas well as investigating the cause of the fire. Another spokesman, Jon Austin, told KARE11 that theyre estimating that tens of thousands of chickens perished in the blaze. Neighbors of the farm recalled that the fire spread quickly. It was unbelievable how quick it grew, it was insane, neighbor Andy Trebesch told CBS Minnesota. It was the whole sky, it was quite large. Meanwhile, the price of eggs is expected to rise as much as 21 percent by the end of this year, up from previous estimates of 6 percent to 7 percent, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture last week. An outbreak of avian influenza impacting chicken and other poultry farms has also caused a spike in prices. Recent fires at food processing plants across the United States have raised concerns about shortages, layoffs, and price increases. The National Fire Protection Association has said that U.S. fire departments respond to an estimated average of 1,210 fires on warehouse properties every year. As of 2019, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the United States had 38,821 food and beverage manufacturing establishments, meaning that only around 0.0004 percent of the U.S. food and beverage manufacturing facilities have been affected by significant fires in recent months. Unfortunately, accidents happen in any industry, Sam Gazdziak, a spokesman for the American Association of Meat Processors told The Epoch Times earlier this month. You can take a lot of steps to prevent them, but they are just tragic accidents. While nobody is targeting meat plants or any other kind of plants, this is an opportunity for you to review your fire safety plans and also review your insurance policies, Gazdziak said. From what weve seen in the past, companies can recover from a fire. The fire itself is not the danger to the existence of the company; its having an insufficient amount of insurance or an insurance company that just wont work with you that could be the deal-breaker. Most pharmaceutical supply chains now trace back to China, with its near-monopoly on drug making. But one country is set on fixing the problem, and the United States is poised to benefit. The U.N. high commissioners visit to China has come to a close. It drew criticism from human rights groups, who say the organizations approach to the visit harmed U.N. credibility. Taiwan readies itself for the worst-case scenario. Its military just conducted a round of annual drills involving the launch of various anti-air and anti-ship missiles. Flood season in China has begun. Southern provinces are already reporting deaths amid torrential downpours, including those of school children. We look at the key takeaways from Secretary of State Antony Blinkens speech on China. Former diplomat David Stilwell breaks down the best ways to deal with Beijing. Topics in this episode: U.N. Commissioner Takes Criticism for China Trip Taiwan Military Conducts Annual Missile Drills Tracking Chinese Planes in Taiwans Sensitive Skies Japan to Drastically Strengthen Military Power Drowning Deaths Amid Heavy Rains in Southern China Keywords in Blinkens Speech on China Fmr Diplomat: Negotiation Strategies on China Germany Denies VW China Investment Guarantees Germany-China Relations Under Chancellor Scholz Social Credit System to Launch in Europe Have other topics you want us to cover? Drop us a line: chinainfocus@ntdtv.org And if youd like to buy us a coffee: https://donorbox.org/china-in-focus Subscribe to our newsletter for more first-hand news from China. Follow China in Focus on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChinaInFocusNTD Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@chinainfocus Gettr: https://gettr.com/user/chinainfocus Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NTDChinainFocus Gab: https://gab.com/ChinaInFocus Telegram: https://t.me/ChinainFocusNTD Click the Save button below the video to access it later on My List Follow EpochTV on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/EpochTVus Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/EpochTV Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@EpochTV Gettr: https://gettr.com/user/epochtv Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EpochTVus Gab: https://gab.com/EpochTV Telegram: https://t.me/EpochTV Israeli President Isaac Herzog (C) and First Lady Michal Herzog are received by UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Jan. 30, 2022. (Amos Ben Gershom/GPO via AP Photo) Israel Signs Historic Free Trade Pact With United Arab Emirates Israel has signed a free trade pact with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), an agreement expected to accelerate economic growth in the region during the coming years. The deal was signed by UAE Minister of Economy Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri and Israels Minister of Economy and Industry Orna Barbivai on May 31 in Dubai after several months of negotiations. The deal removes or reduces tariffs on 96 percent of goods traded between the two nations. In 2021, bilateral trade was at $1.2 billion. The free trade agreement is expected to push this to over $10 billion per year within the next five years. This is the first time Israel has signed a free trade agreement with an Arab state. With the #UAEIsraelCEPA signed, sealed, and delivered, we have written a new chapter in the history of the Middle East. Our agreement will accelerate growth, create jobs and lead to a new era of peace, stability, and prosperity across the region, Thani Al Zeyoudi, the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, said in a May 31 tweet. Most duties on products that exist at present will be eliminated immediately, with some being removed over a period of three to five years. Some products will still continue to attract customs tariffs, but at a lower rate. Goods like food, medicine, jewelry, diamonds, chemicals, and fertilizers will see a reduction in tariffs. According to Dorian Barak, president of the UAEIsrael Business Council, there will be almost 1,000 companies from Israel operating throughout the UAE by the years end. The domestic market doesnt represent the entirety of the opportunity. The opportunity is really setting up in Dubai, as many companies have, in order to target the broader region, he said to Reuters. The deal expands on the Abraham Accords, which refers to the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and UAE in August 2020 during the Trump administration. Countries including Sudan, Bahrain, and Morocco soon followed by normalizing ties with Israel. In the past week, Israel also signed agreements with Morocco on science and innovation initiatives and took steps to strengthen economic ties with Egypt. Despite the free trade deal, UAE officials spoke out against Israeli forces on May 30. The UAE today strongly condemned the storming of Al Aqsa Mosque courtyard by extremist settlers under the protection of Israeli forces, a statement by the Emirati Foreign Ministry said, according to The Jerusalem Post. With the UAE deal, Israel has now committed to 19 free trade agreements. For the UAE, this was its second free trade pact. In November 2021, UAE signed its first free trade agreement with India. UAE is also engaged in trade talks with other nations including South Korea and Indonesia. Reuters contributed to this report. Then-vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden attend an NCAA basketball game between Georgetown University and Duke University in Washington on Jan. 30, 2010. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) James Biden Denies Being Biden Family Fixer After Appearing in Nephew Hunters Emails Even though James Biden is prominently featured in emails with his nephew, Hunter Biden, the presidents brother vehemently denies that he is the family fixer in a rare interview he gave to The Washington Post that appeared on Tuesday. President Joe Bidens brother, James Biden, denied that he is the familys fixer while speaking to The Washington Post on Tuesday. James Biden appeared numerous times in emails that were sourced from a laptop belonging to Hunter Biden, with some speculating that he helped arrange the Bidens overseas business deals, including in China and Ukraine. In an attempt to dispute those allegations, Biden told the Post, Im the guy who assists in everything. When it comes to my family I try to be as supportive as I can. But he added in the rare interview that this notion of the fixer, or any reference that has a negative connotation, is offensive. The notion I am some underworld figure and I am a fixer or the cleaner or Im this or thatIm a very concerned family member who tries to protect my family in every way I can, in what is a very ethical way, James Biden told the outlet. It comes as Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who has been investigating and chronicling the Biden familys business dealings for years, recently told CBS News that James Biden received $65,000 in monthly payments from a Chinese-financed consulting group in 2018. Such a deal, Grassley said, is very concerning and should be investigated further. Joe Biden(R) and his wife Jill (C) and Bidens brother James (2nd-L) pose with former Vice President Dick Cheney during a swearing-in reenactment ceremony at the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2009, in Washington. (Karen Bleier/AFP via Getty Images) We have people with the Biden name, dealing with Chinese business people that have a relationship to the [Chinese] Communist Party. I think James Biden was very much a part of this, Grassley said. Several weeks ago, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, sent letters to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and 13 banks while asking for financial records and documents in connections to Hunter Biden, James Biden, as well as business associates Eric Schwerin and Devon Archer, among others. We are investigating the domestic and international business dealings of President Bidens son, Hunter Biden, and other Biden associates and family members to determine whether these activities compromise U.S. national security and President Bidens ability to lead with impartiality, Comer wrote in his letters. A grand jury subpoena had revealed that federal prosecutors compelled banks to share financial records of Hunter Biden and the presidents brother, James Biden. The mother of one of Hunter Bidens children also indicated she testified after she was issued a subpoena James and Hunter Biden have been business partners in a number of different deals, with critics accusing James Biden of using his family name to bring in more business. Tony Bobulinski, a recipient of an email that was published in October 2020 by the New York Post, confirmed to news outlets at the time that an emailsourced from the laptopdiscussing business deals with a Chinese energy firm that then-candidate Joe Biden was the big guy referenced in the email, and that Jim is James Biden, the brother of the former vice president. John Durham Answers No Questions as He Leaves Court Following Sussmann Acquittal WASHINGTONSpecial counsel John Durham on May 31 declined to answer questions after a jury acquitted former Hillary Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann. Durham exited the federal courthouse in Washington with his team of prosecutors about 30 minutes after the acquittal was announced and glanced at reporters, but did not reply when asked what was next, whether the acquittal would impact his teams efforts, and whether he planned on charging Rodney Joffe, a technology executive who Sussmann represented in 2016 along with Clintons campaign. Durham helped his team load a box of files into a van and then entered the van, which drove away. In a written statement obtained by The Epoch Times, Durham said: While we are disappointed in the outcome, we respect the jurys decision and thank them for their service. I also want to recognize and thank the investigators and the prosecution team for their dedicated efforts in seeking truth and justice in this case. Shortly after John Durhams entourage left, Michael Sussmann came out of the courthouse and gave a brief statement to reporters, informing them of the relief him and his family felt after hearing the verdict. Sussmann said he told the truth to the FBI when he said he was not representing a client when he handed over allegations against Donald Trump and Russia ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Sussmann told members of the House of Representatives under oath that he was acting on behalf of a client, and an executive with Sussmanns law firm, Perkins Coie, said the same in an op-ed. As you can imagine, this has been a difficult year for my family and me, Sussmann said. But right now we are so grateful for the love and support from so many during this ordeal, and Im looking forward to getting back to the work that I love. Sussmann then left without answering questions. Durham only has one case that hasnt been resolved. Igor Danchenko, the primary subsource for the dossier compiled by ex-British spy Christopher Steele for the Clinton campaign, lied to the FBI when he claimed that he had not spoken to an American person about information that was included in the dossier, according to a grand jury indictment that Durham announced in November 2021. While Sussmann was charged with a single count, Danchenko was charged with five. That means he faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted. Danchenko, who pleaded not guilty, is set to go on trial on Oct. 11, 2022. Ivan Pentchoukov contributed to this report. Roman Balmakov Follow Roman Balmakov is a Reporter with The Epoch Times and host of the show, Facts Matter. He has travelled around the country (as well as overseas) covering protests, riots, and elections. He is also the producer of many Epoch Times commercials, both on TV and social media. Actor Johnny Depp waves to supporters from his vehicle as he leaves a Fairfax County Courthouse in Fairfax, Va., on May 27, 2022. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Johnny Depp Makes Another Surprise Appearance at UK Concert Amid Amber Heard Defamation Trial Actor Johnny Depp made a surprise appearance at a concert in the United Kingdom on Sunday night as he awaits the verdict in his $50 million defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard. Depp, 58, took to the stage in Sheffield with rock guitarist Jeff Beck, who is touring the country, on Saturday night. He then returned to the stage at Londons Royal Albert Hall on Sunday, Deadline reports. Video footage shared online shows Beck on stage at the Royal Albert Hall, addressing the audience. He came knocking on my dressing room door about five years ago and we havent stopped laughing since, the guitarist said. We kept it quiet for obvious reasons but here he is. Depp can then be seen walking on stage before the pair begin playing their 2020 collaboration Isolation, a remake of the song John Lennon released in 1970. Back in April, Beck said that he and Depp had been working together on music for some time and had recorded a song together in the studio last year. Youll be hearing more from Johnny and me in a little while but until then we hope you find some comfort and solidarity in our take on this Lennon classic, Beck said in a statement posted to Instagram at the time. The Pirates of the Caribbean stars appearance on stage comes as the jury began deliberations on Friday in his case against Heard as the televised six-week trial neared its end. Depp sued ex-wife and actress Heard in Virginia for $50 million, arguing that she defamed him when she called herself a public figure representing domestic abuse in an opinion piece she wrote that was published in The Washington Post in 2018. The piece did not name Depp as an alleged abuser, however, Depps lawyers argue that it was clear that Heard was referencing him. Heard, 36, has countersued for $100 million, saying Depp smeared her when his lawyer branded her abuse accusations a hoax. The seven-person jury deliberated for more than two hours on Friday. They are expected to resume deliberations on Tuesday following the Memorial Day holiday. Depp has denied hitting Heard or any woman and instead claims that she was the one who exerted violent behavior in their relationship. Mr. Depp experienced persistent verbal, physical, and emotional abuse by Ms. Heard, Deppss attorney Camille Vasquez said in closing arguments on Friday. We ask you to give Mr. Depp his life back by telling the world Mr. Depp is not the abuser Ms. Heard says he is, Vasquez said. Attorneys for Depp also say that Heards allegations of abuse, including sexual abuse by her ex-husband, have ruined Depps reputation in Hollywood and among fans. Heard lawyer Benjamin Rottenborn, in his closing argument, pointed to explicit text messages from Depp to friends or associates, including one in which the actor stated that he wanted Heard dead. This is a window into the heart and mind of Americas favorite pirate, Rottenborn said. This is the real Johnny Depp. Reuters contributed to this report. Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele (L) shakes hands with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi after releasing joint press remarks to mark the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two nations at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China on September, 2019. (Naohiko Hatta - Pool/Getty Images) Journalists Blocked by Chinese Officials During Foreign Ministers Pacific Trip Chinese delegations have barred journalists who report on the Chinese foreign ministers Pacific tour from calling out questions, recording and accessing information prompting concerns about the tours secrecy. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is on day six of a ten-day trip to eight Pacific countries in a bid to deepen ties with the island nations. He has visited the Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, Fiji and Tonga and will arrive in Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste in the coming days. Australia and the United States have been closely watching the tour, concerned about Beijings increasingly overt ambition to establish a military presence in their neighbouring countries after a security and economic deal between China and the region was leaked. However, the agreement was shelved on Monday due to a lack of consensus. On Saturday, the Chinese foreign minister signed a deal with the island nation of Samoa, which included an exchange of letters for a fingerprinting laboratory for the police force to complement a China-funded police training academy. However, despite the significant public and strategic interest in the visit, Pacific journalists have complained that Chinese delegations have limited journalists access to information. The Fijian Media Association (FMA) on Tuesday said Chinese officials had blocked them from asking questions and only provided a briefing, according to Fijian Broadcasting Corporation. Fijian journalist Lice Movono, who covered Wangs visit to Fiji, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Tuesday that journalists were treated like criminals and that she has never experienced a similar situation. She revealed that Chinese officials had tried to physically remove one cameramen and stood in front of the camera to block the filming, even though the cameraman had been granted a press pass. On the same day, Movono told The Guardian that during Wangs press conference, which was run by Chinese officials, a journalist was at risk of being escorted out of the room after putting forward a question, but his fellow journalists intervened to help him. In another incidence, journalists have tried to yell out questions anyway, only to be yelled back by a Chinese government official, Movono recalled. I was quite disturbed by what I saw, she told The Guardian. [As a journalist in Fiji] you can be jailed, or the company you work for can be fined a crippling amount that can shut down the operation. But to see foreign nationals pushing you back in your own country, that was a different level. Dorothy Wickham, a journalist covering Wangs trip to the Solomon Islands, wrote in an article for the Guardian on May 3 that police had chased a reporter and cameraman who were standing outside the national parliament in Honiara. The Solomon Islands governments have refused to disclose the content of its sweeping security deal with Beijing and rejected all interview requests, she noted. Jury Finds Former Clinton Campaign Lawyer Not Guilty of Lying to FBI A jury on May 31 found former Hillary Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann not guilty of lying to the FBI. Sussmann was charged with one count of lying to the government because he told a bureau official ahead of the 2016 presidential election that he was not bringing derogatory information about then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and Russia on behalf of a client. I have something time-sensitive (and sensitive) I need to discuss, Sussmann wrote to FBI lawyer James Baker in a text message before the meeting. Im coming on my ownnot on behalf of a client or companywant to help the Bureau. Baker testified during the trial that Sussmann repeated that he wasnt acting on behalf of a client during the actual meeting, which took place one day after the text. Both Sussmann and his firm later acknowledged he was bringing the information on behalf of a client, though they claimed it was not on behalf of Clinton, Trumps 2016 presidential rival. Sussmann also represented Neustar executive Rodney Joffe, whose company was contracted to monitor DNS traffic for the Executive Office. Special counsel John Durham arrives at federal court in Washington on May 18, 2022. (Teng Chen for The Epoch Times) Prosecutors say Sussmann worked with Rodney Joffe, who has said he was promised a position in a potential Clinton administration, and the Clinton campaign to promote the information to the FBI in an attempt to sway the election. Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook testified that Clinton herself approved the plan to spread the allegations, which claimed that the Trump Organization had a secret backchannel with Russias Alfa Bank, to reporters, but said campaign officials did not approve of Sussmann taking them to the FBI because they worried that would cause media outlets to delay reporting on them. FBI experts quickly determined the information from Sussmann did not back up the allegations and the CIA later concluded the claims were not technically plausible. Jurors began deliberating on Friday and reached a verdict Tuesday, their first day back in court after Memorial Day weekend. The verdict followed a 10-day trial in the E. Barnett Perryman Courthouse in Washington. The jury reportedly included several Clinton donors, who were kept as jurors despite objections by prosecutors. It also included a woman whose daughter is on the same crew team as Sussmanns daughter. The case was the first one brought by special counsel John Durham, who was appointed during the Trump administration to probe the origins of the governments investigation into the Trump campaigns alleged links with Russia. While we are disappointed in the outcome, we respect the jurys decision and thank them for their service. I also want to recognize and thank the investigators and the prosecution team for their dedicated efforts in seeking truth and justice in this case, Durham said in a statement. I told the truth to the FBI and the jury clearly recognized that with their unanimous verdict today, Sussmann told reporters outside the courtroom. Despite being falsely accused, I believe that justice ultimately prevailed in my case. Durham previously secured a guilty plea from former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith, who doctored an email to say that Trump campaign associate Carter Page was not a CIA asset when, in fact, he was. Clinesmith received probation. Durham has also charged Igor Danchenko, a Russian citizen, with making false statements to the FBI. Danchenko was the primary subsource for the dossier compiled by ex-British spy Christopher Steele in an effort to get Clinton elected. Authorities say Danchenko falsely told agents during interviews that he never communicated with longtime Clinton associate Charles Dolan about information that was later placed in the dossier when Danchenko actually sourced some of the allegations from Dolan. Danchenko has pleaded not guilty and is set to go on trial later this year. Ivan Pentchoukov and Roman Balkamov contributed to this report. John Haughey Follow John Haughey has been a working journalist since 1978 with an extensive background in local government, state legislatures, and growth and development. A graduate of the University of Wyoming, he is a Navy veteran who fought fires at sea during three deployments aboard USS Constellation. Hes been a reporter for daily newspapers in California, Washington, Wyoming, New York, and Florida; a staff writer for Manhattan-based business trade publications. (Left) Actress Amber Heard arrives at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Va., on May 26, 2022. (Michael Reynolds/Pool/AFP via Getty Images); (Right) Actor Johnny Depp leaves the courtroom at the end of the day of his defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard, at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Va., on May 25, 2022. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) No Verdict in Depp, Heard Defamation Cases as Jury Ends Days Deliberations Jurors considering the opposing lawsuits from actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard deliberated for hours on Tuesday without reaching a verdict in the multimillion-dollar defamation fight that aired unsettling details about their troubled marriage. The seven-person jury is expected to resume their discussions on Wednesday morning in Fairfax County Circuit Court in Virginia. Depp, the 58-year-old Pirates of the Caribbean star, sued Heard for $50 million and argued that she defamed him when she called herself a public figure representing domestic abuse in a newspaper opinion piece. Heard, 36, countersued for $100 million, saying Depp smeared her when his lawyer called her accusations a hoax. Depp has denied hitting Heard or any woman and said she was the one who turned violent in their relationship. Actor Johnny Depp gestures as he leaves the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse following his defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard, in Fairfax, Va., on May 27, 2022. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters) Depp and Heard met in 2011 while filming The Rum Diary and wed in February 2015. Their divorce was finalized about two years later. At the center of the legal case is a December 2018 opinion piece by Heard in the Washington Post in which she made the statement about domestic abuse. The article did not mention Depp by name but his lawyer told jurors it was clear that Heard was referring to him. During deliberations on Tuesday, the seven-person jury asked Judge Penney Azcarate whether they should consider the entire article or just the headline. The headline said Heard spoke up against sexual violenceand faced our cultures wrath. Azcarate said she would tell the jury that the headline was the statement they should consider to reach their verdict. During six weeks of testimony, Heards attorneys argued that she had told the truth and that her comments were covered as free speech under the U.S. Constitutions First Amendment. Actress Amber Heard leaves during a break in the courtroom during closing arguments during her ex-husband Johnny Depps defamation case against her at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Va., on May 27, 2022. (Steve Helber/Pool via Reuters) Throughout the case, jurors listened to recordings of the couples fights and saw graphic photos of Depps bloody finger. He said the top of the finger was severed when Heard threw a vodka bottle at him in 2015. Heard denied injuring Depps finger and said Depp sexually assaulted her that night with a liquor bottle. She said she struck him only to defend herself or her sister. Testimony was livestreamed widely on social media, drawing large audiences to hear details about the couples rocky relationship. Once among Hollywoods biggest stars, Depp said Heards allegations cost him everything. A new Pirates movie was put on hold and Depp was replaced in the Fantastic Beasts film franchise, a Harry Potter spinoff. Depp lost a libel case less than two years ago against the Sun, a British tabloid that labeled him a wife beater. A London High Court judge ruled that he had repeatedly assaulted Heard. Depps lawyers filed the U.S. case in Fairfax County, Virginia, because the Washington Post is printed there. The newspaper is not a defendant. By Lisa Richwine Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi has said parents should be front and centre in decisions regarding their trans children (James Manning/PA) LGBT Activists Disrupt British Education Secretary at University Talk Warwick Student LGBT activists blasted music and chanted loudly outside a speech at a University Conservative Association talk featuring Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi. Members of Warwick Universitys LGBT group, Warwick Pride, shouted Tory scum outside the talk on Friday, as well as waving flags and placards stating Trans rights are human rights. The Telegraph reported that Zahawi had to be ushered away by campus security guards. The Warwick University student publication The Boar reported that protestors played rave and pop music at a very high volume, and loudly chanted statements that could be heard in the room. Against the backdrop of the protest, the Education Secretary and UK government are introducing and spearheading a historic bill to protect free speech in universities and counter the chilling effect of censorship on campus. It aims to do this by requiring universities to promote freedom of speech on campus, comply with free speech duties, or face sanctions. The Times Higher Educations World University Rankings 2022 named the University of Warwick as one of the UKs top 10 and the worlds top 80 universities. In a statement issued before the talk by Warwick Pride, the student union society for LGBT students, wrote that Zahawis comments on Professor Kathleen Stock compelled them to protest his visit. Stock, a professor at the University of Sussex, was harassed on campus for years by transgender activists and eventually was forced to resign in 2021 for saying that trans women shouldnt be in spaces such as female dress rooms in a completely unrestricted way because many of them are still males with male genitalia and are sexually attracted to females. Zahawi had supported Stock saying said it was unacceptable that a scholar of her calibre should be hounded out of university. Warwick Pride also took issue with Zahawis view on trans students that parents have to be front and centre of this. And that is my message to the front line is to say: you have to involve parents in this. You have a duty to safeguard those children and parents are very much part of that. Warwick Pride said that this trivialises the detrimental effects of outing LGBT+ young people to their parents, adding that he has used the common transphobic dog-whistle adult human female.' A statement from the universitys Conservative Association said it supports the right to freedom of speech and expression for everyone regardless of political affiliation. It is a shame that, on this occasion, the intention of many protesters was not to express their own views but to prevent the Secretary of State from expressing his, it added. PA Media contributed to this report. U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting with Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, in the Oval Office at the White House in Wash., on May 31, 2022. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) RussiaUkraine War (May 31): US Agrees to Send Advanced Rockets to Ukraine The latest on the RussiaUkraine crisis, May 31. Click here for updates from May 30. US Agrees to Send Advanced Rockets to Ukraine Russian troops fought to take complete control of the eastern industrial city of Sievierodonetsk on Wednesday as the United States said it will provide Ukraine with advanced rockets to help it force Moscow to negotiate an end to the war. President Joe Biden said the United States would provide Ukraine with more advanced rocket systems and munitions so it can more precisely strike key targets on the battlefield. We have moved quickly to send Ukraine a significant amount of weaponry and ammunition so it can fight on the battlefield and be in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table, Biden wrote in an opinion piece in the New York Times. A senior Biden administration official said weaponry provided would include the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), which Ukraines armed forces chief said a month ago was crucial to counter Russian missile attacks. Addressing concerns that such weapons could draw the United States into a direct conflict with Russia, senior administration officials said Ukraine gave assurances the missiles would not be used to strike inside Russia. These systems will be used by the Ukrainians to repel Russian advances on Ukrainian territory, but they will not be used on targets in Russian territory, the U.S. official told reporters. ___ Sievierodonetsk Mayor Says Russian Forces Seize Half of City Russian forces in a frenzied push have seized half of Sievierodonetsk, the eastern Ukrainian city that is key to Moscows efforts to complete the capture of the industrial Donbas region, the mayor said Tuesday. The city is essentially being destroyed ruthlessly block by block, Oleksandr Striuk said. He said heavy street fighting continued and artillery barrages threatened the lives of the estimated 13,000 civilians still sheltering in the ruined city that once was home to more than 100,000. A Russian airstrike on Sievierodonetsk hit a tank of nitric acid at a chemical factory, causing a huge leak of fumes, according to Serhiy Haidai, governor of the Luhansk region. He posted a picture of a big cloud hanging over the city and urged residents to stay inside and wear gas masks or improvised ones. Haidai said later Tuesday that most of Sievierodonetsk was under Russian control, though he added that fierce fighting continued and the city wasnt surrounded. Sievierodonetsk is important to Russian efforts to capture the Donbas before more Western arms arrive to bolster Ukraines defense. Moscow-backed separatists have been fighting Ukrainian troops in the region for eight years and held swaths of territory even before the invasion. ___ No Farm Trade Barriers, European Union Warns The European Union urged its international partners to avoid placing trade barriers on farm products as the war in Ukraine risks further fueling a possible global food crisis. We call on all partners not to restrict trade on agricultural products, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after an EU summit Tuesday in Brussels. Ukraine has said Russia is blocking the export of 22 million tons of its grain, some of it destined for Africa. African countries imported 44 percent of their wheat from Russia and Ukraine between 2018 and 2020, according to the U.N. Von der Leyen said the EU is trying to help get food out by road and rail, but land transport assistance might only provide for a fifth of Ukraines usual monthly exports. It is of course more tedious and expensive, but it is necessary to get this wheat out, she said. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the EUs sanctions are making things worse. Putin said hes willing to help ease concerns if the restrictive measures are lifted. ____ Greece, Germany Partner on Ukraine Weapons Chancellor Olaf Scholz says Germany is working on a deal with Greece that would see Athens deliver old military equipment to Ukraine and get armored personnel carriers from Germany to fill the gap. Germany has faced criticism for a perceived reluctance to deliver heavy weapons to Ukraine, which the government rejects. It points among other things to arrangements for NATO allies to deliver older equipmentparticularly of Soviet designto Kyiv and then have modern material supplied by Germany. Scholz pointed Tuesday to an arrangement already made with the Czech Republic. He said he had agreed with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to draw up a similar deal after a European Union summit. He didnt give details, but said it will be finalized by the countries defense ministries and can be implemented quickly. Scholz said he also spoke to his Polish counterpart about such arrangements. ___ Ukraine Jails Two Russian Soldiers to Over 11 Years for Alleged Shelling of Civilians A Ukrainian court sentenced two captured Russian soldiers to 11 and a half years in jail on Tuesday for allegedly shelling a town in eastern Ukraine, the second war crimes verdict since the start of Russias invasion in February. Alexander Bobikin and Alexander Ivanov, who listened to the verdict standing in a reinforced glass box at the Kotelevska district court in central Ukraine, both pleaded guilty last week. Prosecutors had asked for 12 years, but defense lawyers said the sentence should be eight years, taking into account that the soldiers had pleaded guilty and expressed remorse, and had been following orders. On May 23, a Ukrainian court sentenced a Russian soldier to life in prison for allegedly killing an unarmed civilian. Kyiv has accused Russia of atrocities and brutality against civilians during the invasion and said it has identified more than 10,000 possible war crimes. Russia has denied targeting civilians or involvement in war crimes. ____ Russia Slams Sanctions, Seeks to Blame West for Food Crisis Russias top diplomat has again blamed the hampering of exports of Ukrainian grain and a global food crisis on Kyiv and the West. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday that Russia guarantees free export of Ukrainian grain by ships that are now locked in Ukrainian ports, but first Ukraine needs to de-mine the coastal waters that are in the territorial sea of Ukraine. Lavrov told a news conference after meeting with his Bahraini counterpart Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani that if that is done, in the open sea Russias naval forces will ensure the unimpeded passage of these ships to the Mediterranean Sea and further to their destinations. He also blamed Western nations for creating a flurry of artificial problems with closing their ports for Russian vessels, with cutting logistical and financial chains. He added that they must seriously think what is more important for themto do PR on the issue of the food security or solve the problem with concrete steps. ____ Russian Official: Hatred Motive for Sanctions The deputy head of Russias Security Council is alleging that sanctions against the country, including new measures targeting oil exports, are aimed at hurting ordinary Russians and motivated by hatred. Dmitry Medvedev, who is also a former president and prime minister, wrote on Telegram Tuesday that sanctions dont affect the Russian political elite and wont be fatal for big business, but are directed precisely against the people of Russia. He claimed that measures affecting oil and gas are aimed at forcing the government to introduce budget cuts. An embargo on buying oil and gas from Russia? The same thing: to reduce the budget incomes and force the state to abandon its social obligations such as raising payments in line with inflation, he wrote. After listing sanctions in various sectors, Medvedev wrote, They hate us all! The basis for these decisions is hatred for Russia, for Russians and for all its inhabitants. ____ Lavrov in Turkey June 8 for Talks on Ukraine Grain Exports Turkeys foreign minister says Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit Turkey on June 8 for talks that will address among other things opening a Black Sea corridor for Ukrainian grain exports. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also said in a video interview Tuesday with the state-run Anadolu news agency that the French and German ambassadors had been summoned to the Foreign Ministry over demonstrations in their countries by groups considered to be terrorists by Ankara. Turkey has said activities of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, are one of its objections to Sweden and Finland joining NATO. The PKK is designated a terrorist organization by the European Union and the United States. ____ Erdogan Stresses Need to Set Up a Corridor for Ukrainian Agricultural Products in Call With Zelenskyy Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans office says he has stressed the need to set up a corridor for Ukrainian agricultural products in a phone call with Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Ukraine says Russias blockade of its Black Sea ports is preventing the supply of millions of tons of grain around the world. Erdogans office said late Monday he told his Ukrainian counterpart that he attaches particular importance to securing safe passage for ships carrying agricultural exports. He also wants Turkey to be part of an Istanbul-based control center including Ukraine, Russia, and the United Nations to find a way to end the war. Earlier Monday, Erdogan spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin. A readout of that call from Erdogans office referred to an observation mechanism involving Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, and the U.N. No further details were given. ____ Best We Could Get: EU Bows to Hungarian Demands to Agree Russian Oil Ban European Union leaders handed Hungary concessions to agree with an oil embargo on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, sealing a deal in the wee hours on Tuesday that aims to cut 90 percent of Russias crude imports into the bloc by the end of the year. By making a promise that the EUs embargo excludes the pipeline that landlocked Hungary relies on for Russian oil, the bloc aims to reduce Moscows income to finance the war it launched more than three months ago in Ukraine. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, fresh from reelection and now one of the blocs longest-serving leaders, repeated that a full embargo would have been an atomic bomb for his countrys economy. It would have been unbearable for us to operate the Hungarian economy with the more expensive [non-Russian] oil this would have amounted to an atomic bomb but we have managed to avoid that, Orban said in a video posted on Facebook. Its a fair compromise this was the best we could get, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told reporters as she arrived for the second day of an EU summit, where leaders will now discuss ways to mitigate soaring energy prices. Oil prices extended a bull run after the EUs agreement, stoking concern about inflation, which ran at a record high of 8.1 percent year-on-year in eurozone countries this month, Eurostat said on Tuesday. Leaders will ask the EUs executive Commission to examine temporary price caps and work on potential reforms to Europes electricity marketa move backed by countries including Spain and Greece, but which countries including Germany have opposed. They will call for better contingency planning in case of further gas supply shocks. Moscow on Wednesday cut gas supplies to the Netherlands for refusing to comply with a demand to pay for gas in rubles, having already cut off Poland, Bulgaria, and Finland. _____ UK Says Russia Making Slow Inroads Into Ukraines Luhansk Region British military intelligence said on Tuesday that Russia was advancing slowly into Ukraines Luhansk Oblast, adding that the massing of its forces in a small area raised risks for others elsewhere. Progress has been slow but gains are being held. Routes into the pocket likely remain under Ukrainian control, Britains Ministry of Defence said in a Twitter update. Russia has achieved greater local successes than earlier in the campaign by massing forces and fires in a relatively small area. This forces Russia to accept risk elsewhere in occupied territory. _____ Ukraine Troops Hold Out as Russia Assaults Sievierodonetsk Wasteland Ukrainian forces were still holding out in Sievierodonetsk on Tuesday, resisting Russias all-out assault to capture a bombed-out wasteland that Moscow has made the principal objective of its invasion in recent days. Both sides said Russian forces now controlled between a third and half of the city. Russias separatist proxies acknowledged that capturing it was taking longer than hoped, despite one of the biggest ground assaults of the war. Western military analysts say Moscow has drained manpower and firepower from across the rest of the front to concentrate on Sievierodonetsk, hoping a massive offensive on the small industrial city will deliver something Russia can call a victory in one of its stated aims in the east. We can say already that a third of Sievierodonetsk is already under our control, Russias TASS state news agency quoted Leonid Pasechnik, the leader of the pro-Moscow Luhansk Peoples Republic, as saying. Fighting was raging in the city, but Russian forces were not advancing as rapidly as might have been hoped, he said, claiming that pro-Moscow forces wanted to maintain the citys infrastructure and were moving slowly because of caution around chemical factories. The Ukrainian head of the city administration, Oleksandr Stryuk, said the Russians now controlled half of the city. Thousands of residents remain trapped. Russian forces are advancing toward the city center, but slowly, and have not succeeded in encircling the Ukrainian defenders holding out there. Regional governor Serhiy Gaidai told Ukrainian television there did not appear to be a risk of Ukrainian forces being encircled, though they could ultimately be forced to retreat across the Siverskiy Donets river to Lysychansk, the twin city on the opposite bank. Stryuk, head of the city administration, said evacuating civilians was no longer possible. Authorities canceled efforts to evacuate residents after an attack on Monday that killed a French journalist. Elsewhere on the battlefield, there were few reports of major action on Tuesday. In the east, Ukraine says Moscow is trying to assault other areas along the main front, including pressing toward the city of Sloviansk. In the south, Ukraine claimed in recent days to have pushed back Russian forces on a bank of the Inhulets River that forms a border of Russian-held Kherson Province. ____ Moscow Shrugs Off EU Oil Ban: Russia Will Find Other Importers Moscow struck a defiant tone in reaction to the European Unions new partial ban on Russian oil imports, with a senior Kremlin official saying his country would simply pivot to other importers. E.U. leaders agreed at a May 30 summit in Brussels to embargo the majority of Russian oil imports into the bloc by the end of 2022 as part of the sixth package of sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Ursula Von der Leyen, the head of the E.U.s executive branch, said the move would cut around 90 percent of oil imports from Russia to the bloc by the end of the year, while Charles Michel, chief of the E.U. Council, said the agreement covers over two-thirds of oil imports from Russia. Read the full article here _____ Senior Ukraine Official Says EU Sanctions on Russia Still Not Enough The latest European Union sanctions on Russia, which ban most imports of its oil, are not enough and the pace of sanctions so far has been too slow, a senior official in the Ukrainian presidents office said in a speech in Madrid on Tuesday. In the blocs toughest reprisals against Moscow since the invasion of Ukraine three months ago, an E.U. summit in Brussels on Monday agreed to measures that officials said would immediately cut more than two-thirds of oil imports from Russia, and 90 percent by the end of the year. If you ask me, I would say far too slow, far too late, and definitely not enough, Ihor Zhovkva, deputy head of President Volodymyr Zelenskyys office, said. Ukraine is also not happy with the pace of weapons deliveries from the West, he said. We are definitely not satisfied, Zhovkva said in response to a question after his speech. Had we been satisfied, we would have begun the liberation of Mariupol immediately and thrown away Russian forces from Donbass, he claimed. We believe in promises. ____ Russia Says It Downed Ukrainian Su-25 Fighter Jet in Mykolaiv Region Russias defense ministry said on Tuesday that its forces had downed a Ukrainian Su-25 fighter jet in Ukraines Mykolaiv region and bombed a radar station and two ammunition depots in eastern Ukraine. ____ Finland Doesnt Take Turkish Woes Seriously, Erdogans Spox Tells Paper Finland has to stop protecting what Turkey considers a terrorist organization and take Turkeys security concerns seriously if it wants Turkey to accept it in NATO, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans spokesperson told a Finnish newspaper on Tuesday. The problem is not that Finland would not understand Turkey. Finland refuses to take Turkeys security concerns seriously, Communications Director of the Turkish President, Fahrettin Altun told Finlands largest daily Helsingin Sanomat by email. Turkey has objected to Finlands and Swedens joining the Western defense alliance on the grounds they harbor people linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group and others it deems terrorists, and because Finland and Sweden halted arms exports to Turkey in 2019. Altuns words echoed what Erdogans chief foreign policy adviser Ibrahim Kalin told his U.S. counterpart on Monday, calling for the two Nordic countries to take concrete steps regarding the terrorist organizations that threaten Turkeys national security. Eventually Finlands government must decide which is more important, to join NATO or protect these kinds of organizations, Altun told the paper. ____ EU Leaders Agree to Ban 90 Percent of Russian Oil by Year-End European Union leaders agreed Monday to embargo most Russian oil imports into the bloc by year-end as part of new sanctions on Moscow worked out at a summit focused on helping Ukraine with a long-delayed package of new financial support. The embargo covers Russian oil brought in by sea, allowing a temporary exemption for imports delivered by pipeline, a move that was crucial to bring landlocked Hungary on board a decision that required consensus. E.U. Council President Charles Michel said the agreement covers more than two-thirds of oil imports from Russia. Ursula Von der Leyen, the head of the E.U.s executive branch, said the punitive move will effectively cut around 90 percent of oil imports from Russia to the E.U. by the end of the year. Michel said leaders also agreed to provide Ukraine with a 9 billion euro ($9.7 billion) tranche of assistance to support the war-torn countrys economy. It was unclear whether the money would come in grants or loans. Mikhail Ulyanov, Russias permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, responded to the E.U.s decision on Twitter, saying: As she rightly said yesterday, Russia will find other importers. The new package of sanctions will also include an asset freeze and travel ban on individuals, while Russias biggest bank, Sberbank, will be excluded from SWIFT, the major global system for financial transfers from which the E.U. previously banned several smaller Russian banks. Three big Russian state-owned broadcasters will be prevented from distributing their content in the E.U. ___ Turkey Tells US It Wants Concrete Steps From Finland, Sweden for NATO Bids A chief adviser to Turkeys president told his U.S. counterpart that Turkey wanted concrete steps on the existence of what it calls terrorist organizations in Finland and Sweden before it would consider their NATO bids, the Turkish presidency said. U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Ibrahim Kalin, chief foreign policy adviser to President Tayyip Erdogan, spoke on Monday to discuss the NATO bids and the war in Ukraine, the Turkish presidency said in a statement. Turkey has objected to the two countries joining the Western defense alliance on the grounds that they harbor people linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) terrorist group and others it deems terrorists, and because Finland and Sweden halted arms exports to Turkey in 2019. In a statement, the Turkish presidency said Kalin had told Sullivan in a phone call that nations wanting to join NATO must internalize the alliances values and principles on security and counter-terrorism. It was emphasized that it is imperative for Sweden and Finland to take concrete steps regarding the terrorist organizations that threaten Turkeys national security, it added. ___ Gazprom Cutting Gas Sales to Dutch Supplier Russian state gas giant Gazprom confirmed on Monday it will halt gas supplies to a Dutch gas trader starting Tuesday due to its refusal to pay for deliveries in rubles, a requirement for European nations Russian President Vladimir Putin put forward earlier this year. GasTerra, based in the northern Dutch city of Groningen, announced the shutoff Monday. It said the move means Gazprom will not deliver some 2 billion cubic meters of gas through Oct. 1, the date the supply contract ends. In its statement cited by the Russian state news agency Tass, Gazprom said that GasTerra has not paid for the gas supplied in April. The Dutch trader said it has bought gas from other providers in anticipation of a possible Gazprom shutoff and Dutch Climate and Energy Minister Rob Jetten said in a statement that the government understands the cutoff will have no effect on the physical delivery of gas to Dutch households. GasTerra is a private company that is owned by the Dutch arms of energy giants Shell and Esso and the Dutch government. The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. A lifeguard scans his territory near the famous Santa Monica Pier in California on Aug. 20, 2013. (Joe Klamar/AFP via Getty Images) Los Angeles Beach Lifeguards Getting Big Bucks, Plush Retirement Benefits Los Angeles lifeguard captain Daniel Douglas was paid $510,283 in 2021, including base pay of $150,054, and $246,000 in overtime. But wait, theres more! Douglas also received $28,661 in Other Pay and benefits valued at $85,508. Douglas was the top earner among 98 Los Angeles area beach lifeguards found by Open the Books, who earned at least $200,000 including benefits last year, and 20 made between $300,000 and $510,283. Thirty-seven lifeguards made between $50,000 and $247,000 in overtime alone. And thats not even the end of it. Los Angeles lifeguards can retire at age 55 and receive up to 79 percent of their base pay, making them participants in one of the increasingly rare defined benefit retirement programs in the country. Most private employers and many government agencies have changed in recent years to defined contribution programs that define benefits by how much the employee contributes to the plan. Measured over the six years since 2016, Daniels has received just under $1 million in total compensation, according to Open the Books, which is a non-profit government watchdog that describes itself as seeking to post on the internet every dime, online, in real time. Data provided by the Los Angeles Fire Department, which oversees the lifeguards, shows they are involved in scores of rescues every day throughout the beach season. Nearly 52 million people spent time on Los Angeles beaches in 2021, necessitating 9,286 rescues by lifeguards. Thats an average of 61 rescues per day for the 152 days between May 1 and September 30 when people are most likely to spend time on a Los Angeles beach. With Southern Californias climate, however, lifeguard services are needed throughout the year, so the 9,286 2021 rescues equals an average of 25 per day for the full year. There are currently 154 full-time lifeguards, plus 650 seasonal lifeguards, providing coverage for 72 miles of Southern California beaches, including 31 miles of public beaches centered on the Los Angeles metropolitan area and the Catalina Island area 22 miles off the coast from the city. Besides keeping watch on swimmers at the beaches, the lifeguards also conduct rescue boat operations, underwater rescue and recovery, swift-water rescue, cliff rescue, marine mammal rescue, and marine firefighting. Earning the second-highest total compensation among Los Angeles lifeguards in 2021, Open the Books said in a statement, is lifeguard chief Fernando Boiteux, with $463,517. Third was section chief Kenichi Ballew-Hasket with $409,414. Fourth highest was lifeguard chief James P. Gartland at $386,556 and fifth was lifeguard captain Patrick ONeill at $383,032. Open the Books said only two of the top 20 earners are women, lifeguard captain Virginia Rupe at $307,664 in 16th place and ocean lifeguard specialist Lauren Dale, who received $303,518, good for 19th highest paid. Lucrative overtime compensation is the key driver in the high earnings of Los Angeles lifeguards, Open the Books said, noting that 37 lifeguards made overtime in amounts between $50,000 and $247,000. For example, Daniel Douglas (overtime: $246,060); James Orr ($146,506); Patrick ONeil ($133,235); and five others each made six-figures plus. However, in a six-year period, between 2016 and 2021, the LA lifeguard corps made a fortune in overtime. The top three high earners made between $505,579 and $980,007 in overtime alone: Daniel Douglas ($980,007); Jaro Spopek ($513,365); and James Orr ($505,579). Open the Books pointed out in its statement that Los Angeles lifeguards face unusual on-the-job dangers, but not many of those who are recognized for heroism are among the top earners. Only two of the top 20 earners, for example, received the LA Fire Departments Exemplary Service Award in 2021. Some high-earning lifeguards also win awards for heroism. However, we found many lifeguards winning Valor Awards failed to crack the top of the payroll, Open the Books reported. In 2020, the Medal of Valor winner, Edward Nick Macko (salary: $134,144), an ocean lifeguard, jumped into the rough waters in a remote Palos Verdes gorge and pulled a man to safety through potentially skull-crushing swells and over razor-sharp rocks, Open the Books said. STORY AT-A-GLANCE COVID cases have risen sharply in nearly every country that has launched a mass vaccination campaign Cambodia began its vaccination campaign in early February 2021 after having compiled zero fatalities; after it started its vaccination program, the deaths started piling up It could be that something in the vaccine itself is killing people Salk researchers confirmed that the main damage from COVID is caused by the spike protein not the virus; if thats the case, then why are we injecting people with vaccines that teach their cells to make spike proteins 118 million Americans have now been injected with a clot-generating spike protein; no one knows how long these potentially lethal proteins remain trapped in the lining of the blood vessels or what damage they might eventually do Now that cases have dropped across the U.S., why not ease up on the vaccinations until there is a better grasp of the long-term risks Analysis by Mike Whitney Chart from Freedom Israel Twitter: https://twitter.com/FreedomIsrael_ COVID cases have risen sharply in nearly every country that has launched a mass vaccination campaign. (Please watch this short video before You Tube removes it.[1]) Why is this happening? Mass vaccination was supposed to reduce the threat of COVID but in the short term it appears to make it much worse. Why? And why is COVID now surging in 4 of 5 the most vaccinated countries? According to Forbes magazine:[2] Countries with the worlds highest vaccination rates including four of the top five most vaccinated are fighting to contain coronavirus outbreaks that are, on a per-capita basis, higher than the surge devastating India, a trend that has experts questioning the efficacy of some vaccines and the wisdom of easing restrictions even with most of the population vaccinated. Worse than India? How can that be? And why have eight fully vaccinated members of the New York Yankees tested positive for COVID? Heres the story from the Associated Press:[3] New York Yankees shortstop Gleyber Torres tested positive for Covid-19 despite being fully vaccinated and having previously contracted the coronavirus during the offseason. Torres is among eight so-called breakthrough positives among the Yankees people who tested positive despite being fully vaccinated. And if thats not confusing enough, check out whats going on in Cambodia. Cambodia began its vaccination campaign in early February after having compiled zero fatalities. Thats right: The country had no COVID deaths until March 2021, a few weeks after it started its vaccination program. And thats when the deaths started piling up as you can see in the eye-popping chart below. Chart from Joel Smalley Twitter[4] Zero COVID Fatalities, Until After Vaccination Campaign So, lets see if we can figure this out. There were zero fatalities before the launching of the vaccination campaign, but soon after the injections began, the fatalities started to mount. Do you think there might be a connection here? Do you think that, perhaps, the deaths are linked to the vaccines? Of course, they are. And, thats why the media is trying to sweep this story under the rug. It doesnt fit with the official narrative about the vaccines, so theyve decided to vanish the story altogether. Poof and its gone! And, actually, its worse than a cover-up because shortly after Biden took office the CDC changed its testing methodology, making it harder to test positive. In other words, they rigged the system so it would look like fewer fully vaccinated people had contracted COVID after inoculation. Dr. Joseph Mercola explains whats going on behind the scenes: Now, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has lowered the CT even further, in what appears to be a clear effort to hide COVID-19 breakthrough cases, meaning cases in which fully vaccinated individuals are being diagnosed with COVID-19. Its all a big shell game. Theyre gaming the system to make it look like the vaccines are stopping infection when the evidence proves the opposite. And notice the deliberately misleading moniker the media invented for the people who get COVID after being vaccinated. They call them breakthrough cases. Breakthrough? Really? If cases surge in nearly every country that launches a mass vaccination campaign, then theres nothing breakthrough about it. Its the predictable result of a failed experiment. Heres more from an article titled: COVID rates post-vaccination around the world:[5] the government assumed that if you vaccinate lots of people and the problem goes away, but the questioners among us did not assume that. Especially having read the FDA Briefing Document for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for example, many of us had questions after reading it; on Page 42, it states: Suspected COVID-19 cases that occurred within 7 days after any vaccination were 409 in the vaccination group vs 287 in the placebo group. It is possible that the imbalance in suspected COVID-19 cases occurring in the 7 days post-vaccination represents vaccine reactogenicity with symptoms that overlap with those of COVID-19. Overall though, these data do not raise a concern that protocol-specified reporting of suspected, but unconfirmed COVID-19 cases could have masked clinically significant adverse events that would not have otherwise been detected. FDA Knew Vaccinated People More Likely to Contract COVID WTF!?! So, the FDA KNEW that vaccinated people were more likely to contract COVID than those in the placebo group, but they approved the vaccines anyway?!? Is that criminal negligence or just plain old stupidity? Please. Read the above paragraph again and decide whether you would have given these sketchy injections the green light or not? Heres more from the same article:[6] The following show data from around the world from some selected locations. It is, of course, vital to stress that correlation is not causation. And that there are countries where vaccine rollout does not precede or coincide with increased infections. However, I have been unable to find any nation where covid rates have begun to drop after vaccination started, or where a drop coincided with vaccination starting. In Indonesia, for example, the covid rate was falling when vaccination started and seems to have been unaffected in its trajectory by the vaccine being rolled out. The reader can look up these charts for him/herself on the website. Have a look at these and see what you make of them. OK, so the author is trying to put the most charitable spin on vaccine performance as possible. He says, correlation is not causation, which means, Dont trust your eyes when you look at the charts because if you do youll draw the obvious conclusion that the vaccines greatly increase your chances of getting COVID in the few weeks afterward. The charts will also convince you that Fauci, Biden and the media have been lying through their teeth about the effectiveness of the vaccines. (Please, check out the charts in the article and judge for yourself.) Heres more:[7] What is very clear looking at data worldwide, is that vaccinations are certainly not associated with a reliable fall in covid cases in any predictable timeframe. This, alongside the observations in the trial, surely must be addressed. What is happening here? Is it just that vaccinations are coincidentally being rolled out at the same time as outbreaks are due? In very many places? Or is the vaccine not working immediately? If not, why not? Or is the vaccine making people more susceptible to infection? If this is the case is this a temporary effect? What causes it? How long does it take for any increased susceptibility to diminish? We are told that everyone must be vaccinated (but) How can free informed consent be given under these conditions? These are all good questions. Unfortunately, Dr. Fauci and Co. dont plan to answer any of them. Instead, their allies in the media are doing everything they can to disappear the story and deflect attention to other things. Am I being too harsh? Maybe, but maybe not harsh enough. Reason to Doubt Vaccine Makers Reassurances Take a look at this clip from a piece at Conservative Woman titled, Every reason to doubt the vaccine makers reassurances:[8] I have reported previously on an astonishing spike in deaths that occurred alongside an intensive vaccination campaign in Gibraltar, where the small community consequently developed the highest Covid death rate in the world. We also know that thousands of deaths have been seen in the US, EU and UK in the wake of Covid vaccinations, often immediately after the jab has been administered. The manufacturers, leading medical journals and most governments insist these deaths are unrelated to the vaccine. In many instances, the deaths and serious illness have been attributed to coincidental infection with the virus. But evidence is mounting that for some, especially the weak and elderly, the vaccine itself is creating or worsening the very illness against which it is supposed to be protective a worrying phenomenon which appears consistently in Covid vaccine studies is a spike in purported infections which occurs precisely during that three-week period, and usually immediately following the jab The researchers raise the possibility that the jab may trigger symptoms likened to Covid-19 symptoms including fever in those recently exposed to the virus He suggests the mechanism may be a depression in immunity caused by a loss of white blood cells post-jab, observed in both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca trials, making the vaccinees more vulnerable to the virus in the short term. OK, so the author arrives at the same conclusion as the previous author; maybe the vaccine makes people more susceptible to the virus by lowering their defenses and, thus, inviting infection. Thats certainly one possibility, but there are other possibilities that could be infinitely more serious. Take a look:[9] It has not been generally acknowledged that the jab is designed to protect us by provoking our cells into producing the very toxin that makes the virus more dangerous than its predecessors in the coronavirus family. This toxin, known as the spike protein, can damage not just the lungs but may also affect organs such the brain, heart and kidneys. The reasoning behind administering the jab is that temporary exposure to the toxin may provide long-term protection against becoming ill from the virus. Early indications are that this strategy is working, although it is not at all certain yet to what extent the fall-off in infection rates seen in intensely vaccinated populations is seasonal and related to the waves of infection, or if it is a lasting benefit. But there is also a very real possibility, supported by animal experiments as well as by the studies cited above, that the vaccine itself may produce symptoms in vulnerable people which are then attributed to Covid-19. The damage to health may be especially severe in an individual who has been recently or is concurrently infected with the actual virus. There is therefore every reason to doubt the manufacturers assurances that the deaths and injuries seen to be accompanying vaccination, and that in some instances look like and are being attributed to Covid-19, are unrelated to the jabs. The situation is serious enough for some doctors and scientists to be calling for a moratorium on further Covid vaccinations until it has been properly investigated. So, it could be, that something in the vaccine itself is killing people. That is one distinct possibility. Sure, the drug companies and public health officials dismiss the idea with a wave of the hand, but medical professionals and scientists think the danger is significant enough to demand that the mass-vaccination program be temporarily terminated. Main Damage From COVID Caused by Spike Protein Some readers will recall the Salk Institute study which showed that SARS-CoV-2s distinctive spike protein damages cells, confirming COVID-19 as a primarily vascular disease. Heres an excerpt from the article dated April 30, 2021:[10] In the new study, the researchers created a pseudovirus that was surrounded by SARS-CoV-2 classic crown of spike proteins, but did not contain any actual virus. Exposure to this pseudovirus resulted in damage to the lungs and arteries of an animal model proving that the spike protein alone was enough to cause disease. Tissue samples showed inflammation in endothelial cells lining the pulmonary artery walls. (Note Vascular endothelial cells line the entire circulatory system, from the heart to the smallest capillaries.) The team then replicated this process in the lab, exposing healthy endothelial cells (which line arteries) to the spike protein. They showed that the spike protein damaged the cells by binding ACE2. This binding disrupted ACE2s molecular signaling to mitochondria (organelles that generate energy for cells), causing the mitochondria to become damaged and fragmented. Previous studies have shown a similar effect when cells were exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, but this is the first study to show that the damage occurs when cells are exposed to the spike protein on its own. The significance of this report cannot be overstated. The Salk researchers are confirming that the main damage from COVID is caused by the spike protein not the virus. And, if thats the case, then why are we injecting people with vaccines that teach their cells to make spike proteins? It makes no sense at all. And how does this effect our understanding of the phenomenon that weve seen in countries around the world, that is, the sharp rise in cases following mass vaccination? Allow me to offer a plausible, but as-yet unproven, explanation: The sharp rise in cases and deaths following mass vaccination is NOT related to COVID the respiratory illness, but COVID the vascular disease. The vascular component is mainly the result of spike proteins produced by cells in the lining of the blood vessels (endothelium) that are activating platelets that cause blood clots and bleeding. The other main factor is autoimmune reaction in which the killer lymphocytes attack ones own body triggering widespread inflammation (and potential organ failure.). In short, the post-injection fatalities are caused by the spike proteins produced by the vaccines and not by COVID. Once again, look at the chart of Cambodia. There were no deaths prior to vaccination. All the deaths came afterwards. That suggests that the fatalities are attributable to the vaccines. One final thought: 118 million Americans have now been injected with a clot-generating spike protein. At present, no one seems to know how long these potentially lethal proteins remain trapped in the lining of the blood vessels or what damage they might eventually do. Keeping that in mind, wouldnt this be a good time to exercise a bit of caution? Why not ease up on the vaccinations until we have a better grasp of the long-term risks? That would be the sensible approach, right? Just postpone further injections until product safety can be assured. If there was ever a time for caution, this is it. Originally published May 27, 2021 on Mercola.com Referenses SARS-CoV-2 started in Wuhan in late 2019. After several waves swept through the world and left millions of people dead, the world is now entering the endemic phase. The scars that COVID-19 have left behind, however, are very fresh and very deep. Leaders in government, science, and medicine, along with the general public, must work together to heal, and to make sure that these scars do not turn into a cancer that eventually kills humanity. The Dark Forces The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) governs China by controlling every aspect of peoples lives. When SARS-CoV-2 emerged in Wuhan in December 2019, the CCP was in a celebratory mood. It planned to showcase its economic achievements and celebrate the Chinese New Year with huge banquets. No virus should have dared to come to spoil the party. Therefore, the CCP silenced those people sounding the alarm. Then, when they found out that the virus was spreading and killing many, in order to show the world that they were powerful and capable of controlling viral spread, they implemented a draconian lockdown in Wuhan. The CCP then intentionally allowed the spread of the virus to the rest of the world by continuing international flights out of Wuhan while cancelling domestic flights. In this way, the CCP protected itself while infecting other countries. As a result, the rest of the world suffered huge losses while China enjoyed zero-COVID for most of 2020 and 2021. The CCP then took every opportunity to educate the world that their system is better than the inefficient western democracy and should be implemented across the whole world for the sake of the shared destiny of humankind. After all, it was in the CCPs Constitution (as revised in October 2017) that it is CCPs duty to advance the shared destiny of humankind with the CCPs superior governing system. Xi Jinping even suggested honoring the CCP with a gold medal in COVID control at the party celebrating the conclusion of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. Unfortunately, many in the West admired the CCP and followed the CCPs playbook. The Lancet, Nature, and many other scientific journals praised the Chinese response. For example, the Lancet published an article on April 18, 2020 claiming, The quick containment of COVID-19 in China is impressive and sets an encouraging example for other countries. Government-imposed lockdowns, vaccine mandates, keeping people in fear, and silencing scientific debate have all garnered approval from the global scientific community. But for those of us who noticed that the public health information being disseminated often contradicted itself, it seemed that Dark Forces had been in control. Silence and Censorship Make Bad Science Some of us have known all along that the public health agenda of advancing pharmaceutical talking points, disseminating fear, and insisting that only a for-profit, rushed to market vaccine would not stop COVID. Others of us are just waking up to the inconvenient truth that the entire pandemic response may have been wrong and that our blind obedience and trust in authority were misguided. No matter what your beliefs are about COVID, vaccines, lockdowns, social distancing, masking, and school closures, however, its important to understand that the only way out of the collective mess humanity is in right now is to be willing to disagree, talk honestly, and encourage the process of scientific inquiry. Yet since the beginning of the COVID crisis, when honest scientists, professors, and medical doctors began to speak up, they were, and continue to be, silenced, canceled, de-platformed, and defamed. Even now, science has become so politicized that doctors willing to speak truth to power have lost their jobs, their social standing, and their licenses to practice medicine. Questioning COVID Protocols Just a few months into the pandemic, scientists start to question the COVID measures being implemented. Health care professionals noticed that when their patients were put on ventilators, instead of recovering, they were dying. Others saw that COVID was treatable, and that they could use a combination of off-label drugs like ivermectin and anti-inflammatory steroids to calm the immune systems cytokine storm that the virus seemed to provoke in order to help their patients recover. These observations led to the Great Barrington Declaration, which was a project spearheaded by three visionaries: Dr. Martin Kulldorff, a professor of medicine at Harvard University, Dr. Sunetra Gupta, an epidemiologist at Oxford University, and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a professor of medicine at Stanford. They described themselves as infectious disease specialists and public health scientists who have grave concerns about the damaging physical and mental health impacts of the prevailing COVID-19 policies. Published in October of 2020, the Great Barrington Declaration currently has more than 930,500 signatories. Current lockdown policies, the Great Barrington Declaration insisted, are producing devastating effects on short and long-term public health. These include, lower childhood vaccination rates, worsening cardiovascular disease outcomes, fewer cancer screenings and deteriorating mental healthleading to excess mortality in the years to come, with the working class and younger members of society carrying the heaviest burden. The Declaration pointed out that school children and the underprivileged were disproportionately harmed. As hopeful as the Declaration made many feel, it was relentlessly criticized and largely ignored. It seemed that throughout 2021, many people preferred to blindly put their trust in the government and in what a growing number call the governments lies. For whatever reasons (political, emotional, Dark Forces), people throughout the free world were willing, and even eager, to allow newly minted pharmaceutical billionaires to forward a narrative that lined their corporate pockets. It was as if the world were gripped by a dark force. But 2022 has not turned out to be 2020 too. Instead, starting in January of 2022, major scientific journals are rebelling against the one-sized-fits-all no-debate-allowed agenda. It was then that the British Medical Journal, one of the most prestigious health journals in the world, published an editorial insisting that the raw data that has been used to justify such an aggressive worldwide push to get the COVID vaccine be made fully and immediately available for public scrutiny. Three months later, an editorial was published in the April edition of Surgical Neurology International: COVID UPDATE: What is the truth? by retired neurosurgeon Dr. Russell L. Blaylock. Blaylock was frank and direct in his condemnation of the public health policies implemented to contain COVID-19. Indeed, he unapologetically calls the pandemic one of the most manipulated infectious disease events in history, characterized by official lies in an unending stream lead by government bureaucracies, medical associations, medical boards, the media, and international agencies. Real Science Is Not Dogmatic Fake science is dogma that cannot be debated, nuanced, challenged or changed. Real science is not dogmatic. It can be debated and considered. But scientific freedom can only be defended when each one of us stands up and defends it. Now for the good news. There are indications that the pro-science pro-freedom movement is becoming more mainstream every day. In March, Joe Wang attended a conference in Washington, D.C. to inaugurate the Academy for Science and Freedom at Hillsdale College. This new academys mission is to educate people about the free exchange of scientific ideas and the proper relationship between freedom and science in the pursuit of truth. Everyone who attended the conference was already aware, to some degree, of the American governments war on science. But there we were, in Americas capital, able to hold a conference criticizing the rich and powerful, without having the police knocking at our door. Just ask yourself, what happened to Dr. Li Wenliang, the Wuhan whistleblower in 2020, who purportedly died of the virus in a Chinese hospital? And what happened to the top COVID expert in Shanghai, Dr. Wenhong Zhang, who had to give up his belief of co-existing with the virus and full-heartedly endorse the Xi Jinpings zero COVID policy? We must use of what limited freedom we still have now in the United States to avoid the fates of Dr. Zhang and Dr. Li. In April, Jennifer Margulis attended a medical freedom conference for doctors and other healthcare workers in Conroe, Texas. It was hosted by pediatrician Angelina Farella, a conventionally trained doctor who has testified against the COVID vaccines. Dr. Farellas testimony has led biased media outlets, including The Independent, to give her the moniker of being an anti-vaccine doctor despite the fact that she gives vaccines in her office every day. Over eighty medical doctors attended the conference, sharing their clinical data and successful treatment protocols. People are sick and dying and doctors wont treat patients, Ben Marble, M.D., an emergency room doctor, said. Is this a 2-year long Twilight Zone episode or what? He called the way patients were being treated in the emergency rooms an epic failure and explained that he quit his job as an emergency room doctor in order to be able to treat patients. Marble, who founded a website that treats people for free called MyFreeDoctor.com, said, [Weve] treated over 200,000 people for COVID and lost six. May the Force Be With Scientists and Doctors Who Fight Back The fight for scientific freedom is important to our lives, and the lives of generations to come. To be honest, scientists and doctors are not particularly good at these kinds of fights, which involve not only science, which they are good at, but also interacting with politicians, the mainstream legacy media, and social media. Luckily, the scientists and doctors are stepping up anyway and its time for us to join them. Its time to say enough is enough, just as Blaylock has. Silencing free speech and co-opting science can have deadly consequences. The first thing that the Nazis did was fear, propaganda, and censorship, says Vera Sharav, a child survivor of the Holocaust. She said, The free press was ended the minute Hitler took over. Information is freedom. People who are informed do not march in unison. Its only those who are being fed lies that frighten them and that keep them in a state of total anxiety who will follow orders without a second thought. Theyve become conditioned not to trust their own instincts. As founder and president of the Alliance for Human Research Protection, Sharav has been speaking openly about the disturbing parallels between the German states control of information in the 1930s and todays trend to silence dissent. For instance, the Germans justified eugenics, which was widely accepted among scientists even in the United States, by insisting that they were following the science, Sharav said. We all need to rally behind the scientists, researchers, and doctors who are striking back. It is only with our support that the side of what is true will prevail and vibrant and long-lasting good health be realized. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. U.S. Senate Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-K.Y.) (2nd L) speaks as Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), left, and Senate Minority Whip Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), right, listen during a news briefing after a weekly Senate Republican policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on March 8, 2022. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) McConnell: Bipartisan Negotiations Looking at Mental Illness, School Safety After Mass Shooting Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) says Republicans are working across the aisle to try to reach a compromise bill to respond to the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting with a focus on mental illness and school safety. The Uvalde shooting left 19 children as well as two teachers dead, and has prompted lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to try to take action. However, while Democrats have demanded stricter gun control laws, Republicans have pushed for legislation that increases safety at schools while also protecting the Second Amendment. Speaking in Kentucky, McConnell said that Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) are working to find some compromise between the two positions. We have a group led by Senator Cornyn and Senator Murphy on the Democratic side discussing how we might be able to come together to target the problem, mental illness, and school safety, McConnell said. Well get back at it next week and hope to have a result. In a Twitter post, Murphy insisted that failure cannot be an option. In between parades, Ive been on the phone today [with] Republican and Democratic Senators trying to find the common denominator on a gun violence bill, Murphy wrote. [Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)] has given us just over a week to find a compromise. This time, failure cannot be an option. Speaking to ABC News about the ongoing negotiations, Murphy said that legislation could go beyond the minor reforms many Republicans want, including possibly expanding the federal gun background check system, red flag laws, and laws around storing weapons. Were talking about red flag laws. Were talking about strengthening and expanding the background check system, if not universal background checks. Were talking about safe storage. And yes, were also talking about mental health resources and more security dollars for schools, Murphy said, claiming that their bill could have a significant downward pressure on shootings. Maybe thats the most important thing we could do is just show that progress is possible and that the sky doesnt fall for Republicans if they support some of these commonsense measures, he said. In a post referring to the 2019 Virginia Beach shooting, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.)who mounted an unsuccessful bid as Hillary Clintons running mate in 2016also projected a sense of urgency. My heart is with their loved ones today, Kaine wrote. If we can act to prevent the heartbreak their families felt, we must. If we dont demonstrateby more than just wordsthat we are touched by these tragedies, were committing the sin of indifference. McConnell first announced efforts to reach across the aisle on May 26, when he said: Ive encouraged [Cornyn] to talk to Senator [Kyrsten] Sinema, Senator Murphy, and others who are interested in trying to get an outcome thats directly related to the problem. He added that he is hopeful that we could come up with a bipartisan solution thats directly related to the facts of this awful massacre. McConnell was anxious to emphasize that he was not pushing for legislation that would advance a partisan Democrat agenda, but only to find a legislative solution directly related to the circumstances of the Uvalde shooting. What Ive asked Senator Cornyn to do is to meet with the Democrats who are interested in getting a bipartisan solution and come up with a proposal, if possible, thats crafted to meet this particular problem, he said. McConnells lukewarm support for a compromise package could be a welcome sign for Democrats, who will need the support of at least 10 Republicans to overcome the Senates 60-vote filibuster threshold. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) also suggested a willingness to work across the aisle on a legislative response. I look forward to coming back after the break, see if we can find a pathway forward on common-sense gun reforms, Graham said, ahead of a planned recess for the Senate. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) also suggested that a bipartisan agreement could be reached. Part of I think what some of us are still looking at is: is there a way to identify these individuals that have this propensity? Rounds told reporters. Is there a way to provide local law enforcement tools to use? Is there enough resources available at schools to be able to provide additional protection? Are those things that we could agree on? Could we find consensus on those things? And I think thats part of the discussion that may very well ensue in the future. He suggested that such a bill may not include new gun regulations at all, but rather might focus on providing localities with additional funding for law enforcement. What do you do proactively then, that you could get, you know, 75, 80 votes on the floor of the Senate? Rounds mused. Perhaps it is fundingthats one thing that weve been able to do. That is, to promote direct funding for local units, to be able to have the resources available to add additional protections to offer a deterrence for these individuals with, you know, with evil intent or with a serious mental health issue. President Joe Biden on May 30 admitted that any deal on new gun laws in the wake of several mass shootings hinges on rational Republicans and that hes limited in terms of what he can do via executive order. Biden, who spoke to reporters outside the White House in Washington after traveling from his home in Delaware, said he believes the situation has gotten so bad that everybody is getting more rational about it, or becoming more likely to support restrictions on gun ownership. Asked if he has a responsibility to act as president, he said: I cant dictate this stuff. I can do the things Ive done and any executive action I can take, Ill continue to take. But I cant outlaw a weapon. I cant change a background check. I cant do that. In the House, Democrats are also looking at advancing gun legislation. In a May 31 Twitter post, the House Judiciary Committee Democrats said that they would meet for an emergency mark-up hearing on June 2 to consider the Protecting Our Kids Act. That bill would provide for an increased age limit on the purchase of certain firearms, prevent gun trafficking, modernize the prohibition on untraceable firearms, [and] encourage the safe storage of firearms among other measures (pdf). However, such a wide-ranging bill is unlikely to fly in the Senate, where Democrats must have the support of at least 10 Republicans to overcome the 60-vote filibuster threshold. Despite their lukewarm willingness to reach a deal, Republicans are unlikely to accept legislation that makes so many changes to federal gun law. Ultimately, any changes that Democrats want to make to gun laws will need the support of a supermajority in the Senate, and their options are likely to be heavily limited due to the filibuster. Jack Phillips and Zachary Stieber contributed to this report. Malfeasance and collusion by the WHO, Governments, TNI and old media Trial Site News knocked it out of the park with their May 22, 2022 article entitled: Opinion: What have We Learned about Early Treatment During the COVID-19 Pandemic? I strongly encourage people to read the full article, but the quoted sections of the article below highlight key points. For the many of articles published by Trial Site News, one needs to register with the organization for viewing. But this is a simple step, and Trial Site really has been a non-biased truth teller for both this pandemic, medicine and for clinical research in general. The article starts with Early calls for use of repurposed drugs that appeared to workat least according to preliminary studies and hundreds to thousands of doctors on the front lines of the pandemicwere mostly ignored by organized medicine. This was primarily because even in pandemic times, organized medicine will not deviate from the existing stringent approaches and protocols to developing medical evidence. They will demonstrate flexibility with well-capitalized, staffed entities with track records, such as key players in the pharmaceutical industry. Yet during a pandemic, an urgency called for unorthodox approaches, and according to many front-line physicians, thats their job in the first placefind ways to treat patients that, in the judgment of the physicianwork. It is truly unfortunate that a parallel trajectory couldnt be employed during the pandemicthat is, in parallel organized, methodical evidence inquiries while also supporting bottom-up physician-led efforts to find repurposed therapies that make a difference. It goes on: (Physicians) Working to treat thousands of patients around the country, organized medicine launched a vicious attack against physicians simply working to find safe treatments in the real world. Many doctors have lost their well-paid jobs for taking a stand. While hit squads attack them for sacrificing their stable employment for politicized media attention, with a select few at the top of the list-making up for lost income on Substack. But much of the public is starting to see through this unfortunate agendavilifying doctors that overwhelmingly sought to help patients before there were any treatments. While health authorities and organized medicine have opted to ignore the positive ivermectin (and other) studies out of 82 total ivermectin studies, most of them have some positive resultsthe establishment rather focuses on a few key studies that failed to show efficacious results such as the TOGETHER study. IN this latter case, critics have emerged highlighting the problems associated with this study. Some have even declared fraudulent intent TrialSite does suspect the study was underdosed, as compared to regimen used in various countries, including in India.Much of the original awareness of these alternative approaches originated mostly in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs), and organized medicine in the First World frowned at the use of such data to make medical decisions. A sense that a pious medical elite hierarchy exists became apparent to the common folk. Even a solid investigation in Americathe ICON study conducted at Broward County Health early on during the pandemic that demonstrated ivermectin reduced the COVID-19 mortality rate was mostly shunned even though reported in peer-reviewed journal Chest. Because it was a case series and not a sufficiently powered randomized controlled trial, the results wouldnt matterunless, of course, you were one of the patients saved thanks to the study led by the husband-wife team of Drs. Jean-Jacques Rajter and Juliana Cepelowicz and team at Broward County Health. There was also the pharmacist at Adventist health that developed a protocol that was demonstrating success. That program was shut down as, among other things, a contract with Pfizer precluded such hearsay. One of the key takeaways of the article is the apparent malfeasance of the World Health Organization, governments, Trusted News Initiative (TNI) and old media to silence the successes of Ivermectin in countries like India. But as stated above, randomized clinical trials that have been underpowered, started late within the disease time course (after viral load is gone already largely cleared- important for an anti-viral drug for instance) and/or under dosed have been rampant. Normally, most drug studies have pre-clinical animal studies and dose escalation studies that significantly address these issues prior to clinical trial start date. But time and again, these types of studies have not been concluded prior to the start of the trial. Instead, intuition and opinion seems to be driving clinical trial study design. There is no gold standard in that. Garbage in, garbage out. How does a randomized clinical trial for an anti-viral set an enrollment initiation date for initial administration of the anti-viral AFTER the known date of viral elimination by the body? Yet, time and again during this pandemic, this is what has happened in these gold standard randomized clinical trials! Studies that are underpowered, started late within the disease time course and/or under dosed seem par for the course from organizations and institutions that know better. Many note that these studies seem designed to fail. This is a pretty strong accusation, and yet there does not seem to be any other explanation for some of these clinical trial designs. Inquiring minds want to know? What Institutional Review Board (IRB) that determines that a study is appropriated designed, dosed and powered are approving these clinical trials? There needs to be some accountability. The article goes on: Groups of physicians around the world have persisted that early treatment with already approved off-label therapies under investigation (e.g., Ivermectin, Fluvoxamine, Famotidine, or Hydroxychloroquine in combination treatments) would have saved many lives during the pandemic. This presumption was based initially either on lab findings, previous research associated with other viruses, or localized real-world data at first and then case series, observational studies, and some initial randomized controlled studies. Much of the original awareness of these alternative approaches originated mostly in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs), and organized medicine in the First World frowned at the use of such data to make medical decisions. A sense that a pious medical elite hierarchy exists became apparent to the common folk. To this day, I personally am convinced that this suppression of the successes of treatment for COVID-19 had more to do with the promotion of the vaccines. Absurdly, early treatment and prophylactic treatments are seen as competition to vaccination. One would hope if this was truly a catastrophic pandemic, the need for a gold standard randomized clinical trial before recommendation of a repurposed safe and effective drug would not be necessary. One would hope that safe, licensed drugs that showed some efficacy would be promoted and distributed by world health organizations and governments across the world. But so much of this pandemic of the elderly and immune suppressed has been hyped. Fear porn is still rampant. The article goes on: Repurposed approved generic drugs were seemingly used effectively to combat the pandemic, but this is not acknowledged in the West. For example, in select states in India, ivermectin was put to use by state and municipal public health agencies in population-wide treatment cohorts, such as in Uttar Pradesh, Indias most populous state. While this mainstream media classifies the reporting of the Uttar Pradesh effort as misinformation, the opposite is actually true. This media platformindependent of any corporate advertising or contribution tracked these events closely and found the levels of censorship in the West to be, frankly, shocking. In fact, at this time, TrialSite had no revenue and continued to report on these matters based on its founders own finances. For most of TrialSites short history (since late 2018), the media platform and fledgling social network centering on medical research was completely founder financed. When other countries authorized ivermectin for emergency use for a period timesuch as Slovakiaany attempt by TrialSite to share the public proof of that event was immediately censored on social media, including Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. The question remains, why and who is behind the censorship? Who made the decisions that any information on treatment for COVID by countries such as India, Brazil and Mexico have been removed from social media and censored from old media. Clearly, this has been a coordinated effort. Reposted from the authors Substack Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Russias Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, leaves the Grand Hotel in Vienna, Austria, on May 25, 2021. (Thomas Kronsteiner/Getty Images) Moscow Shrugs Off EU Oil Ban: Russia Will Find Other Importers Moscow struck a defiant tone in reaction to the European Unions new partial ban on Russian oil imports, with a senior Kremlin official saying his country would simply pivot to other importers. E.U. leaders agreed at a May 30 summit in Brussels to embargo the majority of Russian oil imports into the bloc by the end of 2022 as part of the sixth package of sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Ursula Von der Leyen, the head of the E.U.s executive branch, said the move would cut around 90 percent of oil imports from Russia to the bloc by the end of the year, while Charles Michel, chief of the E.U. Council, said the agreement covers over two-thirds of oil imports from Russia. Mikhail Ulyanov, Russian Permanent Representative to international organizations in Vienna, reacted to the decision with a critical tweet. Russia will find other importers. Noteworthy that now she contradicts her own yesterdays statement. Very quick change of the mindset indicates that the #E.U. is not in a good shape, Ulyanov wrote. Von der Leyen initially downplayed the chances of a breakthrough at the summit but leaders reached a compromise after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a video address urging them to end internal disputes and agree on an effective sanctions package that includes oil. An agreement on an E.U. embargo on Russian oil imports was held up by concerns over supplies by some members. Hungary, in particular, which gets over 60 percent of its oil, insisted it could only get on board if its oil supply security was guaranteed. The E.U. is heavily dependent on Russian energy imports, getting around 40 percent of its natural gas and 25 percent of its oil from Russia. The oil embargo covers Russian oil imports into the E.U. that come by sea, which account for around 90 percent of oil imports into bloc. Another 10 percent that is delivered by pipeline are exempt, as requested by Hungary. We will soon return to the issue of the remaining 10 percent of pipeline oil, Michel and Von der Leyen said in a joint statement at a briefing following the summit. The sixth sanctions package also ejects Sberbank, the biggest bank in Russia by assets, from the SWIFT international payment system. The package also expands the blacklist of Russian state media outlets to an additional three. Theres also a prohibition on insurance and reinsurance of Russian ships by E.U. companies and a ban on providing Russian companies with a range of business services. A Nevada Highway Patrol trooper is accusing Starbucks staff of deliberately giving him an iced-coffee laced with methamphetamine. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images) Nevada State Trooper Sues Starbucks Alleging He Was Served Meth-Laced Coffee A Nevada state trooper is suing Seattle-based Starbucks for allegedly serving him iced coffee laced with methamphetamine at a Las Vegas drive-thru in September 2020. Trooper Steven Darnell was in full Nevada State Highway Patrol uniform when the incident allegedly occurred on Sept. 11, at the Starbucks drive-thru where he regularly goes for coffee. Darnell claims he became sick shortly after drinking the beverage. His symptoms included an upset stomach, headache, and burning sensations that got worse throughout the day. According to the complaint, which was filed May 25 in Clark County District Court, the burning sensations lasted for approximately two weeks after the incident. However, the suit does not provide any specific link to methamphetamine or the Starbucks beverage. The NSHP did not respond to a request for comment. Starbucks is accused in the lawsuit of negligence, assault, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other allegations. Darnell is seeking $15,000 in punitive damages. The suit also alleges that Starbucks encourages and condones anti-police rhetoric, police defunding organizations, and employees that wear clothing that supports Black Lives Matter. We are aware of the claims of this incident, which took place in 2020, and believe they are without merit. We are prepared to defend our case in court, Starbucks said to The Epoch Times. Darnells attorney is Kevin Hanratty of Las Vegas, who did not return a call and email requesting comment. No criminal charges were brought against Starbucks following a police investigation. Starbucks reportedly conducted an internal investigation but could not substantiate the officers claims, a Starbucks spokesperson said. North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations Han Tae Song attends the Conference of Disarmament at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, on Feb. 27, 2018. (Denis Balibouse/File Photo/Reuters) NGOs Urge Boycott of North Koreas Absurd Chairmanship of UN Forum on Nuclear Disarmament More than 40 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are calling for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and member states, including the United States, Canada, UK, and E.U., to boycott sessions of the U.N. Conference on Disarmament after North Korea took over as chair of the forum on Monday. The 65-nation Conference on Disarmament (CD), based in Geneva, will see member states discuss issues such as bringing an end to the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament, prevention of nuclear war, and transparency surrounding military weapons and equipment. The U.N.-backed body, comprised of 65 member states, describes itself as the single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum of the international community. Both the CD and its predecessor bodies have negotiated historic treaties such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the Chemical Weapons Convention, and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. On Monday, North Korea assumed the presidency of the Conference and will serve a four-week stint in the role until June 24, despite a string of ballistic missile launches by Pyongyang in recent months, sparking outrage from NGOs Under U.N. rules (pdf), Han Tae Song, North Korean ambassador to the forum, will help to organize the business and timetables of the conference and represent the body in its relations with states, among other things. A letter signed by the NGOs, including the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, calls on Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and member states to strongly protest North Koreas absurd chairmanship of the conference and stage a walkout during its four-week presidency. North Korea is a country that threatens to attack other U.N. member states with missiles, and that commits atrocities against its own people, the letter, led by the executive director of U.N. Watch, Hillel Neuer, reads. Torture and starvation are routine in North Korean political prison camps where an estimated 100,000 people are held in what is one of the worlds most dire human-rights situations. North Korea holding the presidents gavel is liable to seriously undermine the image and credibility of the United Nations, and will send absolutely the worst message. At a time when China, Cuba, Eritrea, Libya, Kazakhstan, and Venezuela are sitting on the U.N.s human rights council, this will only further erode the standing of the United Nations. The letter also noted that the North Korean regime is the worlds foremost weapons proliferator and continues to bolster its nuclear weapons in contravention of its treaty commitments. Pyongyang sells missile and atomic know-how to other rogue regimes in blatant violation of U.N. sanctions, the letter states. North Korea has launched 17 missile tests this year alone, with the latest launch taking place on May 25, according to South Koreas military. One of them was suspected to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). South Koreas National Security Office claims that the North has also been testing a nuclear detonation device for weeks. Operational tests of a nuclear detonation device in preparation for a seventh nuclear test are now being detected, Kim Tae-hyo, first deputy director of the National Security Office, told local news outlets. The tests were reportedly being conducted away from the Norths key nuclear testing site, which was being closely monitored by Seoul, Kim added. The North Korean authorities are imminently near the final preparation stage for a nuclear test of a scale and quality they want, he continued. The possibility of an imminent nuclear test in the next day or two is low, but after that, there is certainly a possibility, he added. North Korea is among the six rotating chairs that will preside over this years Conference, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ecuador. China, Columbia, and Cuba have already taken up the role so far this year. The North Korean ambassador said that Cuba had worked tirelessly and effectively during its presidency and had done everything in its power to advance the work of the Conference. The Conference had made substantial work this year through the leadership of the Chinese, Columbian, and Cuban presidencies, he said. The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea would do its utmost to continue to promote the substantive work of the Conference. The letter comes shortly after Russia and China vetoed a vote pushed by the United States to strengthen sanctions on North Korea in light of increased ballistic missile launches by Pyongyang. Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith looks on during a news conference in Toronto on July 22, 2016. (Colin Perkel/The Canadian Press) No Longer Justified: Liberal MP Criticizes His Partys Travel Restrictions The Conservative Party motion to lift travel restrictions on May 30 was soundly defeated by all other parties in the House of Commons, but two Liberal MPs dissented. Quebec City MP Joel Lightbound voted in favour of the motion, in line with his stance on COVID-19 restrictions he had expressed in a press conference in February. Lightbound had then spoken at length about the harms he said were being caused by lockdowns and the divisive politics of his party over vaccination status. Another Liberal MP didnt vote in favour of the Tory motion and instead abstained. Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, who represents a Toronto riding, explained his rationale for abstaining in a lengthy Twitter thread on May 31. He said he couldnt vote in favour of the motion as he didnt support the dropping of the mask mandate in airplanes but that other measures such as vaccine mandates were no longer justified. The obligation to wear masks in Canada has been abolished in almost every setting, with some jurisdictions keeping them mandatory in public transport or health care facilities. I didnt support the idea of dropping masks right away, but Ive also made it clear to the government that a two-dose vaccine mandate without accommodation is no longer justified, Erskine-Smith said. Erskine-Smith also echoed the criticism the Conservatives have been levelling against the government regarding transparency around what science or metrics are being used to justify keeping the mandates. Erskine-Smith referred to a statement by chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam who said months ago that the mandates were under review. Nothing about the re-evaluation of travel-related measures has been transparent. It is not clear what Dr. Tams recommendations are, and theres been no adequate justification provided for continuing the exclusive two-dose mandate, he said. The Public Health Agency of Canada announced on May 31 that the current border measures for travellers entering Canada were being extended until at least June 30. Erskine-Smith said he has supported the two-dose vaccine mandate for travel and also recommended a three-dose mandate, with accommodation via rapid testing, but that mandates have outrun their usefulness in driving uptake and preventing transmission. The Toronto MP also mentioned accounts from his constituents, one of which declined a second vaccine dose due to suffering partial facial paralysis after receiving her first dose, and another whose mother in Russia holding a valid visa cannot visit her because the vaccine she received isnt recognized by Health Canada. Erskine-Smith said these individuals shouldnt be prevented from travelling. There are many stories and contexts, but the core point is that a two-dose mandate no longer makes any sense, he wrote. The MP also addressed airport delays which he said are unacceptable. If measures dont accomplish any public good and they contribute to delays, then theres good reason to eliminate them. The two dissenting Liberal MPs do not currently have cabinet roles. When Lightbound broke rank in February to criticize the governments pandemic approach, federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said he had a great amount of respect for his colleague and regularly discussed pandemic management with him. Ottawa has been slow to lift measures compared to other jurisdictions in the country, taking a more incremental approach. Meanwhile, the start of the tourism season combined with the easing of other restrictions has increased air travel and put into focus the burden of federal rules. The International Air Transport Association, a trade group representing most of the world airlines, wrote to Ottawa on May 24 to address airport wait times. Three days later Transport Canada released a statement to highlight what measures it was taking to deal with the bottlenecks, such as improving screening procedures and hiring more staff. Members of the 106th Rescue Wing of the Air National Guard present the colors at the wreath-laying ceremony prior to the 2022 Memorial Day parade in Little Neck-Douglaston, New York, on May 30, 2022 (Dave Paone:/he Epoch Times) NYC Neighborhood Celebrates Memorial Day for 95th Year QUEENS, N.Y.With the exception of the past two years, when the world was in the throes of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, the New York City neighborhood of DouglastonLittle Neck has had a Memorial Day Parade since 1927. This year marked a return to the tradition, with an hour-long parade of just over 100 marching units, with about 1,500 people participating. Republican New York gubernatorial hopeful Andrew Giuliani poses for a photo with a supporter after the 2022 Memorial Day parade in Little Neck-Douglaston, N.Y., on May 30, 2022. (Dave Paone:The Epoch Times) Veterans Everywhere Michael Flood, a 77-year-old Vietnam veteran, was one of the parades two grand marshals. Its a very sad day for me, Flood told The Epoch Times. He spoke of several of his friends on the wall, referring to the Vietnam War memorial in Washington. Guys that died over there, right next to me. It was tough coming home. You had survivors guilt. The second grand marshal, Paul Cheng Jr., missed the event due to health problems brought about by the use of Agent Orange in Vietnam. In addition to Vietnam, there were veterans from World War II and Korea in attendance. One of the oldest was 97-year-old Bill Isaacson, who served as Adm. Forrest P. Shermans signalman on the USS Missouri in 1945 at age 20. To this day, Isaacson can still understand Morse code. Things Start Rolling Just after 2 p.m., a police escort rolled down Northern Boulevard with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 3 Motorcycle Club following behind. We have a number of combat veterans and old veterans in our club, and its just something we do every Memorial Day, club President Joe DiGrazia told The Epoch Times. Some of the notable musical units were the NYPDs and the FDNYs fife and drums corps, the Army National Guards 42nd Infantry Division marching band, and Francis Lewis High Schools marching band and majorettes. Members of Dance Mechanix in Great Neck, New York show us why its called a kick line as they march in the 2022 Memorial Day parade in Little Neck-Douglaston, N.Y., on May 30, 2022. (Dave Paone:The Epoch Times) It Takes a Village A parade of this magnitude takes a lot of planning and a lot of money. Volunteers begin pre-production the previous December, and that includes raising the $50,000 budget, which comes from raffles, donations, and other fundraising events. Its a lot of grassroots, parade Chairman Tom Carty told The Epoch Times. Even though the area is part of New York City, DouglastonLittle Neck has a small-town feel to it, with the annual parade being its cornerstone. Probably on parade day, more than any other day, you really do get a small-town, real community neighborhood feel, said Carty, whos the principal at PS/IS 49 in the Middle Village neighborhood of Queens and is currently in his fourth year as chairman. New York Governor Kathy Hochul (C) marches in the 95th Memorial Day parade in Little Neck-Douglaston, N.Y., on May 30, 2022 (Dave Paone/The Epoch Times) Politics Not as Usual There were plenty of politicians on handsome currently in office and some running this Novemberbut most spoke of the holiday and not of political issues unless asked. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul marched in the parade, surrounded by her entourage. New York City Mayor Eric Adams also marched, but with a smaller group and a marching band, and often stopped along the route to shake hands with spectators on the sidewalk. New York Attorney General Letitia James marched as well. Guardian Angels founder and 2021 Republican candidate Curtis Siiwa for New York City Mayor greets supporter Charles Albert after the 2022 Memorial Day parade in Little Neck-Douglaston, N.Y., on May 30, 2022. (Dave Paone:The Epoch Times) Defeated New York City Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa and Republican New York gubernatorial hopeful Andrew Giuliani were on hand, meeting and greeting supporters after the parade. Sliwa and the Guardian Angels have been attending the parade regularly since the early 1990s. Im always out here to show respect and pay sovereign homage to those who died in foreign conflict, he told The Epoch Times. Memorial Day weekend is not to put lotion on at the ocean and shop till you drop; its to honor our war dead for preserving all the freedoms that we take for granted. Giuliani told The Epoch Times: Today, obviously, I think about all the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for us. Its not about red and blue; its about red, white, and blue. New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) smiles for the Epoch Times as he marches in the 2022 Memorial Day parade in Little Neck-Douglaston, N.Y., on May 30, 2022. (Dave Paone:The Epoch Times) Although there were no parades during the pandemic in 2020, there was a wreath-laying ceremony and church service in 2021. No Memorial Day celebration is complete without hot dogs, which the organizers provided to attendees after the parade, free of charge. Weve got a crew at St. Anastasia [Church]. They cook about 3,000 hot dogs every parade day, Carty said. Mother Nature cooperated all day, with warm temperatures, low humidity, and abundant sunshine. Eight-year-old Jacob Chung essentially summed up the day when he told The Epoch Times, Im having a lot of fun here. CORRECTION: A previous version of this article misspelled the name of New York Attorney General Letitia James. The Epoch Times regrets the error. Australia's Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton speaks at the opening of the Counter Terrorism Conference at being held during the one-off summit of 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Sydney, Australia, March 17, 2018. (Rick Rycroft/Pool via Reuters/File photo) Opposition Wants Practical Actions Rather Than Symbolism to Solve Indigenous Issues Newly elected Liberal leader Peter Dutton said he wants to shift the focus from symbolism to practical actions to improve the living condition in vulnerable Indigenous communities. The Queensland conservative has previously come under fire on indigenous issues after he refused to support the former Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudds apology to Indigenous children who were removed from their families by the state from the mid-1800s to the 1970s. In 2010, he described the apology as tokenism that distracts people from delivering tangible outcomes to affected communities. Speaking in his first press conference as Liberal leader on Monday, Dutton acknowledged that he had made a mistake in relation to the apology and that was largely due to his background and experience. I worked in Townsville. I remember going to many domestic violence instances, particularly involving Indigenous communities, and for me, at the time, I believed that the apology should be given when the problems were resolved, and the problems are not resolved. There are little boys and girls in parts of our country in 2022, in this year, that slept in a shipping container last night to get through the hours of darkness in Indigenous communities, and its completely unacceptable. Dutton argued that while he understands the role of symbolism, he wants practical solutions to improve the living condition of Aboriginal communities, noting that previous bipartisan attempts to close the gap have all failed. Nobody, hand on heart, can sit here today to say that we are in a better position in many of those instances than we were five or 10 years ago, he said. Going to a meeting here in Canberra and giving 10 acknowledgments to country, thats fine, and I dont say that in a disparaging way. [But] I want to know how it is were going to support those kids and how it is were going to get higher health outcomes and mortality rates, and more kids going through university, just to finish primary school, secondary school to start with. The new centre-left Labor government led by Anthony Albanese has been advocating for greater political recognition of Indigenous Australians, with the prime minister promising to implement the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full in his election victory speech on Saturday. The Statement, proposed in a petition from the First Nations National Constitutional Convention in 2017, asks the government to establish a permanent body in Parliament representing the Indigenous community. Such a move would require amendments to the Constitution to establish the Indigenous Voice, which would require a referendum. The Statement also urges the government to establish a truth commission to present historic and ongoing injustices against Aboriginal people in Australia. Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney described the Statement as her top priority but said it needs to be equally seen with the Close The Gap targets. However, Warren Mundine, the former national president of the Australian Labor Party, argued that the proposal advocated would involve putting one race above other races. Putting the Voice in our Constitution is dangerous because we want all citizens to be treated equally. When youve got it into the body of the Constitution, then it can become discriminatory and racist, he told The Epoch Times. If you put something in the Constitution, its very hard to get it out. And if it doesnt work, then were sort of stuck with it. A flag is placed over the grave of a veteran as people partake in the annual Memorial Day Service at Fairhaven Memorial Park in Santa Ana, Calif., on May 30, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Orange County Salutes Fallen Service Members on Memorial Day SANTA ANA, Calif.Parked within a row of restored cars from the 1920s and 1930s, Angel Salinas and his two daughters and nephew sat in the familys 1948 GMC pick-up truck formerly owned by Angels father, Joe. The Salinases have a long tradition of military history, Salinas told The Epoch Times. Today we are here to visit the grave of my father who fought in World War II, and celebrate his life. Surrounding the Salinas family were about 3,000 small American flags scattered throughout Fairhaven Memorial Park in Santa Ana, Californiahonoring veterans of the U.S. military forces. Greeted by the flags on the grassy surface, multi-generations of family members wearing red, white, and blue clothing strolled through the gravesites and walked toward a large gathering of people sitting between the parks large concrete mausoleum and a stage adorned with Memorial Day decor. Classic cars line the edge of Fairhaven Memorial Park at the annual Memorial Day Service in Santa Ana, Calif., on May 30, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) As Santa Ana Mayor Vicente Sarmiento introduced the festivities and the days master of ceremony, the sound of a cannon fired across the park shook the audience as its shockwave made people jump from their seats. I would now like to introduce Reverend Lou Carlson, a Chairman emeritus of Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce, and the master of todays ceremonies, Sarmiento said. We honor Reverend Carlson and make a swan song for decades of distinguished service and accomplishments within the Santa Ana community. After taking the stage, Carlson looked at the sky above to point the audience to an upcoming highlight. Part of our Memorial Day program is a flyover of vintage World War II Texan Trainers, and if my memory serves me correctly, that should be coming from over there, he said, pointing to the sky. And I can hear the motors now! World War II fighter aircraft flyover at the annual Memorial Day Service at Fairhaven Memorial Park in Santa Ana, Calif., on May 30, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Members of the crowd began to cheer and reached for their cameras and phones as the vintage fighter aircraft flew right above, with their engines rumbling. The planes perfectly set the stage for the next speaker, Chief Warrant Officer Tom Murphy from the U.S. Army. Memorial Day is for those that went, and never came back, Murphy said. And for those that went but have since passed. You are the people here today to keep the spirit of Memorial Day alive. Murphy joined the Army in 1967 and was later qualified to be trained as a helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War. Having participated in several American overseas interventions during his military career, he is currently a part of the California National Guard, which supports statewide missions ranging from battling wildfires to responding to civil unrest. Chief Warrant Officer Tom Murphy of the United States Army speaks at a Memorial Day Service at Fairhaven Memorial Park in Santa Ana, Calif., on May 30, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Recalling his days during the Vietnam War, Murphy shared a memory he said he would never forget. When I was at Fort Ord, I met a fellow by the name of Jim Cavender, and he had a quirky sense of humor like me, so we hit it off. We both applied for flight school because the Army said they needed helicopter pilots, and we were dumb enough to say Yeah! After forming a friendship with each other, becoming roommates during flight school, and completing the program, the soldiers accepted their flight wings and eventually separated to take on their orders. Everybody that had wings on their chest eventually went to Vietnam, so at that point we kind of parted ways, Murphy said. So I put in my 15 months, had a bunch of fun, and probably shouldve never come home as I should have been dead many times but I didnt. After completing his tour of duty, Murphy returned home to complete college, get married, and build a career, while also continuing to fly while serving with the California National Guard. After years passed, he eventually joined the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association (VHPA), which maintained a database on war causalities. One day, he decided to check on his old friend. I was looking through the lists of names, and, sure enough, there was Jim Cavender. So what does that say? Jim did not come back, he said. Below the date of death, Cavenders listing also includes the probable cause of death, with the transcript of his last radio transmissionMy God, we are upside-down. They never found him, or the wreckage. That cloud simply just swallowed up Jim Cavender Murphy said, breaking down with a slight sob and tears. And he never came out. Servicemen stand during the annual Memorial Day Service at Fairhaven Memorial Park in Santa Ana, Calif., on May 30, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Referencing the ancient Egyptian tradition of remembering ones name to preserve their memory, Murphy said that he did the same thing with his old friend he lost in the Vietnam War. I say Jim Cavenders name because he is not dead for me, Murphy said. He lives in my heart, and he lives in my mind. The Memorial Day Service at Fairhaven Memorial Park not only included an impressive display of cannon fire and flyover, but also a dove release, honor guard details, a classic car display, and complimentary hotdogs for community members of all agesmaking it clear that Memorial Day is for celebrating our countrys servicemen and women by having and cherishing good times with loved ones. Palau President Surangel Whipps speaks as he greets tourists from Taiwan during their arrival in Koror after Taiwan and Palau launched a rare holiday travel bubble as the two diplomatic allies try to kickstart their battered tourist industries after successfully keeping COVID-19 infections at bay on April 1, 2021. (RICHARD W. BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images) Palau Questions Chinas True Intent in Pushing New Security Deals in Pacific 'We already have security in our region' Pacific island nations have made the right decision by withdrawing from Chinas proposed regional economic and security deal, Palaus President Surangel Whipps Jr. said on Monday, pushing back on Beijings plans in the region. I think its always been about what is the true intent in stepping up, especially when it came to security. Why is there such an interest in security? I mean economic development, thats important, but what is the reason for security? Whipps said in an interview with Australias ABC Radio National the day after Beijing failed to get 10 Pacific nations to sign on to its China-Pacific Islands Free Trade Area. We already have security in our region. But bringing more actors and more players in just creates possible conflict, which then I think brings a security risk, and I think thats the concern that we all have because we lived through WWII and we didnt want that to be the case again, he added. A lack of enthusiasm from Pacific nations has forced Beijing to shelve its sweeping security and economic deal with 10 nations in the region, following a meeting between foreign ministers on May 30. Beijings China-Pacific Island Countries Common Development Vision, which was leaked to the press last week, proposed China-led cooperation across the 10 Pacific nations in free trade, fisheries, security, cyber, and maritime mapping, and would have been a significant step forward for the Chinese Communist Partys ambitions in the region. Whipps stated that Pacific island nations feared the security deal with China could further pave the way to a new cold war, considering the situation facing the islands as the battleground during World War II. I dont think any of us wanna be involved or be put in a situation like that again. We are small countries, and we want to live in a free and open Indo-Pacific where theres a respect for the rule of law, he remarked. Palau is a democratic republic which has stronger ties with Taiwan than the Chinese communist regime in the mainland. Citing climate change as the regions greatest challenge, Whipps noted that Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama made a significant move in standing up and calling on China to make a stronger commitment to climate action. If [China] wants to help us, the biggest security threat right now for the Pacific islands is climate change, he added. Palau President Surangel Whipps arrives for the U.N. Climate Change Conference COP26 at SECC in Glasgow, Scotland, on Nov. 1, 2021. (Phil Noble Pool/Getty Images) Sea level rise is an invasion and itll create climate refugees, destroy cultures that have existed for thousands of years, and peoples identity. Its so important [to] hold large countries accountable to their action, Whipps said, adding that Australia has stepped up its commitments on climate change. Speaking of his nations ties with Taiwan, Whipps said that Palau will continue to support the self-ruled island and recognize its sovereignty, maintaining Palaus stance of being friend to all and enemy to none. China has told us, You need to just sever relations with Taiwan and only have a one-China policy. But our policy has always been that we welcome everyone and no one should tell us who our friend should be, he noted. Palaus diplomatic ties with Taiwan resulted in a plummet in Chinese tourists to the nation, who accounted for 70 percent of the tourism sector in 2015. Whipps said that China used a carrot and the stick approach to force the island nation into severing its ties with Taiwan. He noted that some Pacific island nations had switched allegiance from Taiwan to China as a result of the loss our tourists and the promises offered by the communists in Beijing, given their wish to enhance the lives of their people. When youre presented with those challenges, what China offers becomes very attractive because, as they told me, The sky is the limit, he added. Aside from Palau, only three other Pacific island nationsthe Marshall Islands, Nauru, and Tuvalustill recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation. In November 2019, Tuvalu rejected offers from China to build artificial islands to help it cope with rising sea levels. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) shakes hands with Fijis Foreign Affairs Minister Inia Seruiratu before their meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on June 11, 2019. (Photo by WANG ZHAO / POOL / AFP) (Photo credit should read WANG ZHAO/AFP via Getty Images) While the major regional deal didnt go ahead, the Chinese foreign minister still managed to gain further commitments from the governments of the Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, and Fiji to tighten cooperation. The Solomon Islands signed a security deal with Beijing last month, which other nations feared would allow China to establish a military base 1,700 kilometers off the Australian coast and destabilize the Indo-Pacific region. Australian and U.S. leaders have taken steps to counteract Beijings push into the region, including launching the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity to bolster trade and economic exchange between nations. Australias new foreign minister, Penny Wong, also visited Fiji just days after the Labor Party won the Australian federal election. Wong pledged a new era in engagement with the region on climate change and also more aid for climate initiatives. Daniel Y. Teng contributed to this report. A poll clerk puts up Elections Ontario voting signs outside of the Mississauga-Erin Mills polling station on University of Toronto, Mississauga Campus on June 7, 2018. (Marta Iwanek/The Canadian Press) Party Leaders Make Final Appeals to Voters Two Days Ahead of Ontario Election With two days left until the June 2 Ontario election, candidates are making their final appeals to voters. Heres a look at the itineraries of the party leaders for May 31. As of May 30, Elections Ontario said a total of 1,066,545 voters, or roughly 9.92 percent of eligible voters in Ontario, have cast their ballots during the 10-days advance voting in this years general election. Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford Doug Ford started the day with a campaign stop in St. Catharines before heading to Niagara Centre. NDP Leader Andrea Horwath Andrea Horwath spoke about the NDP plan to stop the cuts and fix health care in her first stop of the day at the Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre in Ottawa and moved on to Kingston & the Islands at noon. She also planned to visit the Bay of Quinte and make a stop at a local business in Whitby, before ending her day at the Scarborough-Rouge Park. Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca Steven Del Duca started the day in Oakville intent on stopping Doug Ford, before heading to Mississauga for several campaign stops, focusing on the Liberals plan to cut the HST on prepared food. He will end his day at the Grand Taj Banquet Hall in Mississauga at 7 p.m. Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner Mike Schreiner made a morning announcement in Port Sydney, then planned campaign stops in Burks Falls and Novar for the rest of the day. New Blue Party Leader Jim Karahalios Jim Karahalios spoke with several media and online broadcasters on issues including COVID-19 vaccine mandates and the carbon tax. Ontario Party Leader Derek Sloan Derek Sloan is holding a webinar at 7 p.m. to talk about Ontario policies and the state of issues that impact families. The Canadian Press contributed to this article. Nationals Party MP Barnaby Joyce addresses the crowd at the Liberal Party election campaign launch in Brisbane, Australia on May 15, 2022 (Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images) Pay Rates in Renewables Sector Dont Match Mining Industry: Nationals MP Outgoing Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce has warned that asking Australians to switch from jobs in the mining sector for positions in the renewable energy sector will not be that simple because, financially, the transition may not stack up. Joyce, who lost the leadership of the regional party to David Littleproud on May 30, also called for Australians to embrace nuclear power if they wanted to shift to lower emission energy sources. His comments come as the new Nationals leader said the party would stick by its commitment for Australia to reach net-zero by 2050, prefacing this by saying reducing emissions would be achieved through advances in clean energy technology (like hydrogen) and not through carbon taxation. Joyce said clean energy advocates needed to show Australians what jobs would be available to them in renewable energy, not just a promise. Show them they are getting the same amount of pay [and] conditions, he told reporters on May 31. Joyce said Australians could not be kicked out onto the street and then later promised work. A common argument prosecuted by renewable energy advocates is that governments can develop brand new clean energy industries and job opportunities and economic growth in the pursuit of net-zero. The Clean Energy Exports Jobs report published by consultancy Accenture last year claimed that Australia could add 395,000 jobs and $89 billion (US$66.9 billion) of economic activity by 2040 if the country pursued net-zero by 2050. However, the Institute of Public Affairs has warned that many of these slated jobs were actually part-time or low-paying positions. The Accenture report gives away the ruse when it says that clean exports include industries that employ more people per dollar of revenue than the current fossil fuel industrythe translation for laypersons: clean export industries create less value than the fossil fuel industry per worker, and as such are likely to pay lower wages to their workers, Cian Hussey previously wrote in The Epoch Times. Hussey also warned that clean energy industries would not provide enough tax revenue to fund schools, hospitals, or infrastructure. Joyce echoed the same sentiment saying pay rates are often omitted from discussions about the transition to renewables. What they dont mention is the payroll. Some [people] are probably on $46 to 56 an hour working in a mine, and in the renewable [sector] for basic manual work, probably $26 an hour, he said. Not many families are going to say, Look, Im really happy if you half your wage.' The member for New England also warned that cutting the coal industryone of Australias largest export commoditieswould mean sacrificing key services. So NDIS, or maybe pensions, or maybe schools? he said. Theres got to be a move away from the slightly naive idea that if you shut down your major exports, you somehow keep the same standard of living. Joyce said it was time for Australia to open up to the development of nuclear energy in the country so that were not only exporting uranium but actually exploiting the technology to go with it. The logo of Russia's energy giant Gazprom is pictured at one of its petrol stations in Sofia, Bulgaria, on April 27, 2022. (Nikolay Doychinov/AFP via Getty Images) Russias Gazprom Halts Gas Deliveries to Dutch Trader GasTerra, Effective Immediately Russias Gazprom has cut off gas supplies to Dutch gas trader GasTerra after it had failed to comply with requirements to pay for deliveries in Russian rubles. GasTerra said in a statement on May 30 that it has decided not to comply with Gazproms one-sided payment requirements. Russian President Vladimir Putin issues a decree in March stating that from now on, Russian gas would have to be paid for in rubles, meaning that nations wanting to purchase gas would have to open both a euro and a ruble account with Gazprombank in Moscow. GasTerra will not go along with Gazproms payment demands, the partially state-owned company said. This is because to do so would risk breaching sanctions imposed by the E.U. and also because there are too many financial and operational risks associated with the required payment route. In particular, opening accounts in Moscow under Russian law and their control by the Russian regime pose too great a risk for the Groningen company. As a result, Gazprom declared that it will discontinue supplies of gas to GasTerra, based in the northern Dutch city of Groningen, effective May 31. The company added that the cut-off means that Gazprom will not deliver some 2 billion cubic meters of gas between now through Oct. 1, the date the supply contract ends. However, it noted that it has anticipated this and made alternative arrangements by buying gas from other providers. The European gas market is highly integrated and extensive, GasTerra continued. However, it is impossible to predict how the lost supply of 2 billion m3 (cubic meters) of Russian gas will affect the supply/demand situation and whether the European market can absorb this loss of supply without serious consequences. Gazprom confirmed on Tuesday that it had not received payments in Russian rubles from GasTerra for gas supplied in April. Payments for gas supplied from April 1 must be made in rubles using the new bank details, about which the counterparties were duly informed, Gazprom said. Russia, one of the worlds largest producers of oil and natural gas, has already cut off gas supplies to Poland, Bulgaria, and Finland after the nations refused to make payments in line with Putins order. The latest cut to GasTerra comes as European Union leaders agreed on a plan to block roughly 90 percent of oil imports from Russia to the E.U. by the end of the year. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the move an important step forward and vowed to soon return to the issue of the remaining 10 percent of pipeline oil. The ban will only cover oil that arrives by sea but not pipeline oil, following opposition from Hungary. The Tenderloin Center for the homeless in San Francisco. (Courtesy of the City of San Francisco) San Francisco Homeless Center Drops Linkage From Name After Few Linked to Services SAN FRANCISCOThe Tenderloin Linkage Center has dropped the word linkage from its name after very few people were linked to drug recovery services and other programs. The center opened in January and was scheduled to remain open until at least June 30. While its been approved by the County Board of Supervisors for another six months, the center is reportedly operating more like a safe drug consumption site. During a May 27 virtual press conference opposing Senate Bill 57, Michael Shellenberger, author of the book San Fransicko, said the Tenderloin Linkage Center was designed to keep the open drug scene contained in one area, but instead, it has spread across two neighborhoods: Tenderloin and South of Market. Paramedics respond with a stretcher at the Tenderloin Linkage Center in San Francisco on Feb. 5, 2022. (Cynthia Cai/The Epoch Times) The whole program is contrary to how they do it in Europe. In Europe they pressure addicts engaged in dysfunctional, inappropriate behavior. They do not normalize drug consumption in those European cities. San Francisco is normalizing hard drug use, open-air drug dealing, and public camping as somehow normal behaviors that should be expected from people using hard drugs, said Shellenberger. According to reports released by the Tenderloin Emergency Initiative, linkage center visits quickly reached the thousands per week. While, the total number of visits increased on average over time, there were fewer completed linkages with a low success rate. A completed linkage is when the person seeking help is referred, signs paperwork, and is transported to the next location to receive help. In an email statement to The Epoch Times in February, the San Francisco Department of Public Health said the linkage center is meant to be a safe place where people can get meals, showers, other basic needs and human service resources. The expectation is not that all guests are seeking linkages or that all visits to the TLC end in a linkage, the email reads. However, providing rapid and accessible linkages to care and services remains a priority. Shellenberger was not the only one opposing the use of such facilities for safe drug consumption. During the virtual press conference, leaders of multiple organizations voiced their strong opposition to Senate Bill 57, also known as the Controlled substances: overdose prevention program. Senator Scott Wiener introduced the bill, and the California Senate passed it last April. The intention was to create drug consumption locations that would have medical staff on site to avoid overdoses. The sites would be established in San Francisco, Oakland, and Los Angeles County. An Overdose Prevention Community Space in the Tenderloin Center in San Francisco. (Courtesy of the City of San Francisco) But opponents say the injection sites only make drug use easier and also encourages people to use drugs even if they are not at the site. They warn that it would pave the way to legalizing all drugs. Shellenberger said that data shows there are more drug deaths in areas where an injection site is opened. The reason so much attention is being drawn to it recently is because the deaths come from well-to-do families, said Assemblyman Jim Cooper (D-Elk Grove). San Franciscos Office of the Chief Medical Examiner reported 192 accidental overdoses (pdf) between January 2022 through April 2022. Fentanyl was the number one cause of overdose, followed by methamphetamine, cocaine, medicinal opioids, and finally heroin. The location of deaths were mostly in the Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods. Those opposed to SB 57 also said safe drug consumption sites bring down the quality of life. Mothers Against Drug Deaths hold a chain of posters in front of the Tenderloin Linkage Center in San Francisco on Feb. 5, 2022. (Cynthia Cai/The Epoch Times) According to Syderia Asberry-Chresfield, co-founder of Greater Harlem Coalition in New York, there is a site just blocks from her home, but people still use drugs right on her stoop. Ive gone out to say, look, theres a safe injection site literally five blocks away. Why dont you just go there and use that site? And they dont want to go that far. They said why? And I get it. Because when they have drugs in their hands theyre going to use it, said Asberry-Chresfield. Moreover, the injection sites always become a magnet for drug dealers, drug addicts, robbers, and the like, hurting the nearby communities seriously, said Frank Lee, president of Organization for Justice and Equality. Not only are you saying that its legal to take drugs, but its also legal to sell drugs? said Asberry-Chresfield. I mean, what kind of road are we going down at this point? A hearing for SB 57 is scheduled for June 1. Cynthia Cai contributed to this report. Police officers stand in front of the Mame Abdoul Aziz Sy Dabakh Hospital, where eleven babies died following an electrical fault, in Tivaouane, Senegal, on May 26, 2022. (Seyllou/AFP via Getty Images) Senegal Police Arrest 2 Health Workers After Neonatal Fire DAKAR, SenegalSenegalese officials have arrested two health workers from a neonatal unit where a fire killed 11 newborns last week. The nurse and a nurses aide who were on duty Wednesday night when the fire took place at the Abdoul Aziz Sy Dabakh Hospital were arrested for neglecting children and endangering the lives of others, according to reports by private Senegalese radio station Rfm. The arrests took place Sunday, days after President Macky Sall promised a police and general state inspector investigation to determine the cause of the fire. He also called for auditing of all medical equipment that accommodates newborns in the country. Health Minister Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr was fired last week and replaced by senior ministry official Marie Khemesse Ngom Ndiaye, the government said. Sarr, who was was attending the World Health Assembly in Geneva, cut short his trip to return to Senegal and told Rfm that the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit. The Abdoul Aziz Sy Dabakh Hospital is located in Tivaouane, a town 120 kilometers (75 miles) northeast of the capital, Dakar. The deadly fire comes a year after four other newborns died in a hospital fire in Linguere in northern Senegal. A series of other deaths also have raised concerns about maternal and infant health in the West African nation known for having some of the best hospitals in the region. Earlier this month, authorities discovered a baby that had been declared dead by a nurses aide was still alive in a morgue. The infant later died. Last year a pregnant woman died in Louga, in the north of the country, after waiting in vain for a cesarean section. Three midwives were given six-month suspended sentences for not giving help to a person in danger. By Babacar Dione Workers in protective gear stand on a street before they disperse to disinfect the area during the lockdown in Shanghai on May 18, 2022. (Aly Song/Reuters) Shanghais Pandemic Control Staff are Disinfecting Residences Pandemic prevention and control measures in Shanghai, China have escalated to the point that the Shanghai Municipal Government currently acknowledges there are requirements for quarantine of people with COVID-19 and disinfection of their residences, and it is possible that a whole building will be quarantined when just one person is infected. Jin Chen, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Construction Management Commission, made it clear on the morning of May 10 at a press conference on the pandemic prevention and control measures in Shanghai, that disinfection of the living places of infected people should be carried out. If adjacent or surrounding households share kitchens and bathrooms with infected people, the interiors of adjacent or surrounding households must also be disinfected Jin Chen regards household disinfection as an important part of the entire pandemic prevention and control. He and the CDC have formulated corresponding norms and processes. A resident of Hongkou District in Shanghai was asked to hand over the keys to their home a few days ago. The resident called a local street official, who said the community wanted to sanitize as a whole, including the homes of residents who had a negative nucleic acid test, to sanitize their homes and threatened to not let the person, who was in isolation at the time, return home unless they handed over their keys. At the same press conference on May 10, Shanghai officials also announced a new method of determining what close and sub-close contacts are. Sun Xiaodong, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that if the residence of an infected person has private kitchen and bathroom facilities, then any person living with them is closely connected, and the residents on the same floor and the upper and lower floors are sub-close; if the resident shares the kitchen and bathroom, then the people who use the facilities and live on the same floor or in the same village house with them, are also judged to be close, and other residents of the building or village house where they are located are considered sub-close. Specifically, a comprehensive judgment based on the results of on-site investigation and risk assessment is made. After over a month of lockdown, Shanghai has yet to use this method of assessment. The new approach means that the range of close contacts and sub-close contacts will be expanded, and the number of people who need to be isolated will increase. Of course, for those who do not obey the rules, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) pandemic prevention personnel will use coercive measures. Some Shanghai residents received notice of these upgraded pandemic prevention measures a few days ago, but it was the first time that the government publicly acknowledged them. However, some people in Shanghais legal circles pointed out that the administrative decisions of the Shanghai local government are obviously illegal. Shanghai lawyer Liu Dali publicly wrote to the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal Peoples Congress on May 8, arguing that neither the CCPs Infectious Disease Prevention Law nor the Emergency Response Law give local governments the power to impose overall quarantine measures on uninfected residents. The article said that many residents basic living security rights, the right to seek medical treatment, and the right to freedom of residence will be affected as a result, which is not conducive to pandemic prevention. Liu vigorously demanded a legal review of the Shanghai municipal governments administrative decisions to ensure that citizens livelihood rights were not infringed upon. Another law professor at East China University of Political Science and Law in Shanghai, Tong Zhiwei, also published a signed article on the same day titled, Legal Opinions on Two Measures to Prevent Pandemics in Shanghai. The article stated that in the process of forming this paper, it received the opinions of more than 20 professors in China. Tong Zhiwei said in the article that any practice of using coercive means to quarantine residents is illegal. Some pandemic prevention personnel believe that Shanghai is currently in a state of emergency, but Tong Zhiwei said that there is no state of emergency in Shanghai municipality or any other region in Shanghai. A state of emergency is a state of law that must be declared by the competent authority per the Constitution and is by no means something that any institution or official can arbitrarily identify and declare. The article also states that relevant officials in Shanghai forced residents to hand over the keys to their homes and sent people to enter them and sanitize, which was an illegal intrusion. The two pandemic prevention measures taken by Shanghai have drawn strong reactions among the citizens and could possibly cause some kind of rule of law disaster. Liu Dali and Tong Zhiweis articles were quickly banned by the whole network and can only be found if accessed outside China. As early as April 29, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the CCP held a meeting to put economic development and pandemic prevention and control in equally important positions. The next day, Shanghai announced that the Society Faces Zero-COVID. At that time, most of the outside world thought that the lockdown in Shanghai would soon be lifted. However, the situation changed within a few days. On May 5, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee held a meeting with the National Peoples Congress. The state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that the CCPs prevention and control policy was determined by the nature and purpose of the party, and it was necessary to adhere to the general policy of zero-COVID and to fight against all words and deeds that distort, shed doubt, and negate pandemic prevention policies. The response to the zero-COVID attitude of the state media does not seem to be as strong in other provinces and cities, but Shanghai is a different story. The next day, Shanghai authorities held a mobilization meeting to Resolutely Win the Battle of Greater Shanghai, and issued military orders at every level. Since then, Shanghais pandemic prevention and control enforcement has re-escalated. Stellantis logo on the company's headquarters in Poissy near Paris, on Feb. 20, 2022. (Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters) Stellantis and Toyota to Expand Partnership With Large Commercial Van Stellantis said on Monday it would expand its partnership with Toyota Motor Europe (TME) with a new large commercial van, including an electric version. Stellantis will supply TME, a unit of Japans Toyota Motor Corp, with the new vehicle for sale in Europe under the Toyota brand, it said. The van will be produced at Stellantis plants in Gliwice, Poland, and Atessa, Italy. Planned for mid-2024, the new large-size commercial van marks TMEs first entry into the large-size commercial vehicle segment, Stellantis added in a statement. The deal widens the partnership between the two companies and allows a better optimization of Stellantis Atessa plant, which currently makes large vans sold under the Peugeot, Citroen, and Fiat marques. It represents an important addition and completes our light commercial line-up for Toyotas European customers, Stellantis said. Paris-listed shares in Stellantis were up 1.6 percent by 9:41 a.m. GMT. Carmakers have increasingly been agreeing with cross-manufacturing deals to reduce costs in vans, which due to a boom in parcel delivery are seeing large demandand where electric vehicle versions are also seeing rising sales to carry out last-mile deliveries in city centers. Supreme Court Temporarily Blocks Texas Social Media Anti-Censorship Law 54 vote cuts across ideological lines The Supreme Court voted 54 late on May 31 to temporarily block a Texas law that prevents social media platforms from censoring users based on their political views. Known as HB 20, the state law makes it unlawful for tech platforms to restrict or remove content based on the viewpoint of the user or another person or the viewpoint represented in the users expression. The statute also requires the platforms to establish procedures users can use to appeal a platforms decision to remove content posted by the user. The law applies to platforms that have more than 50 million active monthly users in the United States. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, signed the bill in September 2021. The case is Netchoice v. Paxton, court file 21A720. The applicants are two trade associations representing Big TechNetchoice and the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA). The respondent is Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican. Silicon Valley giants oppose the legislation, claiming its unconstitutional. After the new ruling, CCIA President Matt Schruers praised the order. We are encouraged that this attack on First Amendment rights has been halted until a court can fully evaluate the repercussions of Texass ill-conceived statute, he said in a statement. This ruling means that private American companies will have an opportunity to be heard in court before they are forced to disseminate vile, abusive or extremist content under this Texas law. We appreciate the Supreme Court ensuring First Amendment protections, including the right not to be compelled to speak, will be upheld during the legal challenge to Texass social media law. The Supreme Court noting the constitutional risks of this law is important not just for online companies and free speech, but for a key principle for democratic countries. No online platform, website, or newspaper should be directed by government officials to carry certain speech. This has been a key tenet of our democracy for more than 200 years and the Supreme Court has upheld that. The emergency application was filed with the high court on May 13. The opinion was released at the end of the business day on May 31. The decision cut across the courts ideological lines. Liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Stephen Breyer joined with conservatives Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, and Chief Justice John Roberts to place a hold on the law. The five justices didnt explain why they voted to approve the order. Conservative Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, and liberal Elena Kagan voted against granting the order. Alito wrote a dissenting opinion (pdf) that Thomas and Gorsuch joined. Netchoice and CCIA characterized HB 20 in the application (pdf) as an attack on Silicon Valley companies. The statute is an unprecedented assault on the editorial discretion of private websites (like Facebook.com, Instagram.com, Pinterest.com, Twitter.com, Vimeo.com, and YouTube.com) that would fundamentally transform their business models and services, the document stated. HB20 prohibits covered social media platforms (many of which are members of Applicants NetChoice and CCIA) from engaging in any viewpoint-based editorial discretion. Thus, HB20 would compel platforms to disseminate all sorts of objectionable viewpointssuch as Russias propaganda claiming that its invasion of Ukraine is justified, ISIS propaganda claiming that extremism is warranted, neo-Nazi or KKK screeds denying or supporting the Holocaust, and encouraging children to engage in risky or unhealthy behavior like eating disorders. HB20 also imposes related burdensome operational and disclosure requirements designed to chill the millions of expressive editorial choices that platforms make each day. Alito rejected the social media platforms arguments in his dissent, saying whether the companies will ultimately win their case under existing law is quite unclear. It is not at all obvious how our existing precedents, which predate the age of the internet, should apply to large social media companies, the justice wrote. This application concerns issues of great importance that will plainly merit this Courts review. Social media platforms have transformed the way people communicate with each other and obtain news, Alito wrote, referencing a Pew Research Center report from a year ago that stated that more than eight out of 10 Americans obtain news from digital devices. Describing HB 20 as a ground-breaking Texas law, Alito wrote that it addresses the power of dominant social media corporations to shape public discussion of the important issues of the day. A federal district judge previously enjoined Texas from enforcing the law but a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit reversed that order on May 11, as The Epoch Times reported. Attorneys representing Texas told the 5th Circuit that social media platforms control the modern-day public square, but they abusively suppress speech in that square. A federal judge blocked a similar Florida law, finding it unconstitutional. Zachary Stieber contributed to this article. Supreme Court Wont Block GOP Lawmaker Depositions in Texas Redistricting Challenge The Supreme Court decided on May 31 not to block a federal courts order compelling three Republican members of the Texas House of Representatives to appear for depositions in a consolidated lawsuit over congressional and state-level redistricting. The redistricting took place after the results of the 2020 census were published. The emergency application filed on May 21 in Guillen v. League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), court file 21A756 (pdf), was an appeal from a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. The application was presented to Justice Samuel Alito, who referred it to the full Supreme Court. In accordance with its usual practice, the high court didnt provide reasons for its decision not to grant the application. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and other plaintiffs brought 10 separate lawsuits in an effort to prevent redistricting legislation from moving forward in the Lone Star State. Plaintiffs claim the electoral maps drawn by the state are gerrymandered and discriminate against minority voters, particularly Latino voters. The DOJ specifically said minority voters in West Texas, Houston, and the Dallas-Fort Worth areas were adversely affected by the redistricting. The plaintiffs argue that the increase in the population of Texas came mostly from Latino, black, and Asian residents but the newly drawn maps dilute their voting strength by spreading those voters across several electoral districts. The DOJ stated in a brief that between 2010 and 2020, Texas grew by nearly 4 million residents, and the minority population represents 95% of that growth. The plaintiffs also argue the new maps violate the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and that the federal Voting Rights Act (VRA) requires Texas to create more districts in which a majority of voters belong to racial minorities. A lower court consolidated the 10 cases into a single lawsuit. The plaintiffs sought the testimony of Texas state Reps. Ryan Guillen, Brooks Landgraf, and John Lujan, all of whom are Republicans, in connection with the lawsuit. The lawmakers claim they dont have to provide evidence in depositions because of the immunity and privileges they enjoy as lawmakers. According to Texas, allowing the lawmakers to be deposed would probe the very inner workings of the legislative process, examining the legislators thoughts, impressions, and motivations for their legislative acts. The DOJ stated in a brief (pdf) that it commonly seeks such testimony from lawmakers in redistricting challenges. As is routine in redistricting cases, the United States sought testimony from state legislators who represent some of the challenged districtsspecifically, the three applicants here. Courts, including this Court, often rely on such testimony both in assessing the motive and justification for districting choices and in considering the totality of circumstances relevant to minority voters electoral opportunities, as the VRA directs. The lawmakers will still be free to assert the state legislative privilege in response to particular questions. Any answers given subject to an assertion of privilege are sealed and no party may use them unless and until the court grants a motion to compel, the brief added. The applicants counsel of record, Taylor Ann Rausch Meehan, and Texas Solicitor General Judd E. Stone II didnt respond by press time to a request by The Epoch Times for comment. Location of the Bulongo village in North Kivu province of Congo. (Google Maps/Screenshot via The Epoch Times) Suspected Islamist Terrorists Kill 15 in East Congo Village BENISuspected Islamist terrorists killed 15 civilians in an attack on a village in northeast Democratic Republic of Congo, a human rights group and local official said on Monday. Fighters believed to be members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) stormed the village of Bulongo in North Kivu province after dark on Sunday, pillaging homes and murdering inhabitants that crossed their path, municipality mayor Jean-Paul Katembo told Reuters. Bulango is around 40 km east of the city of Beni in the Ruenzori district. The attackers killed 15 people and set fire to six vehicles, Ricardo Rupande, president of the Ruenzori Sector Civil Society group, said. The ADF is a Ugandan terrorist group that has been active in east Congo since the 1990s and killed scores of civilians, many in middle-of-the-night attacks carried out with machetes and hatchets. It pledged alliance to the ISIS in 2019. It was around 9 p.m. when I heard loud blasts. My first reflex was to flee because I immediately thought it was the ADF. They killed 15 of our brothers and sisters, said Bulango resident Kambele Meza Milan. Congos army spokesman did not immediately respond to calls. Militia violence in Congos mineral-rich east pushed the government to appoint military officers to run North Kivu and neighbouring Ituri province in May last year. Uganda sent in more than 1,000 troops in December to wage joint operations against the ADF. But attacks have continued unabated as ADF fighters have targeted civilians in retaliation for the military campaigns. More than 60 people were killed over five days of attacks on villages in March and more than 40 during similar assaults in April. By Erikas Mwisi Special Counsel John Durham arrives at federal court in Washington on May 18, 2022. (Teng Chen for The Epoch Times) Sussmann Jury Nullification Marks the End of American Justice as We Knew It Commentary American justice isnt only dead, its decomposed. Long live totalitarianism! We can join the world now. Au revoir, American Exceptionalism. We are China. We are Putins Russia. We are the European Union, drifting ever more swiftly into Davos globalism and the Great Reset. We are the Ayatollahs Iran. We are Orwells Animal Farm and then some. Most of all, goodbye to the rule of law. Was it ever there? I seem to have vague memories. The jurors in John Durhams trial of attorney Michael Sussmannwhich resulted in the Clinton campaign lawyers acquittalwill be remembered, by those allowed to remember, if any, as the moment our already decaying justice system went completely south. The D.C. jurors, revealed in the voir dire to have been completely biased in the first place, demonstrated that the English language itselfand the evidence available thereinwas of no interest to them. They not only nullified a possible verdict, but they also nullified English by ignoring the email that Sussmann wrote then FBI attorney (now Twitter stalwart) James Baker the night before their meeting. I have something time-sensitive (and sensitive) I need to discuss. Im coming on my ownnot on behalf of a client or companywant to help the Bureau. Baker testified that Sussmann told him the same thing in person, yet billing records, and much subsequent activity, clearly show that Sussmann was lying. He was working for Hillary Clinton via the Perkins Coie law firm. Several years of ugly U.S. history flowed from that. Did the jury care? Evidently not. Their decision was close to immediate. The jurors justification, assuming they bothered to use it, of the questionable materiality of Sussmanns lies has some small justification, but only up to a point. Yes, the FBIs feelings for Donald Trump were already somewhere between repugnance and revulsionas evidenced by many emails we have seen and probably even more that we haventbut if we are to believe that makes Sussmanns lie irrelevant, we are also to believe there wasnt a widespread conspiracy in which he was very willing participant against the candidate and then president, an entente cordiale, as they say. Surely there was. And that entente cordiale was among the most despicable acts ever performed by Americans against their fellow citizens. This would make Sussmann a true believer in the ends justify the means. What a disgrace to the American legal profession he is. More despicable still, he will undoubtedly be rewarded for his lies. It was undoubtedly true that Durham had hoped Sussmann would fear incarceration and turn states evidence, opening up a whole host of possibilities for further prosecutions. The special counsel knew he would be up against a D.C. jury, but my guess is he hadnt truly realized how bad things had become, how tainted that jury pool really was. This is yet more evidence of mass formation psychosis. The citizens of our nations capital have been brainwashed, by the legacy media and the reactionary zeitgeist of the world in which they live. This must end for our children. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. A F-16 fighter jet takes off during a military drill at Zhi-Hang Air Base in Taitung, Taiwan, on Jan. 30, 2018. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters) Taiwanese Air Force Pilot Dies in Third Jet Crash of 2022 A Taiwanese air force training jet crashed in the southern city of Kaohsiung during a training mission on May 31, killing the 23-year-old pilot aboard, according to Taiwans Defense Ministry. The domestically-developed AT-3 trainer, piloted by Lt. Hsu Ta-chun on his second solo flight, disappeared from radar minutes after takeoff at 8:03 a.m., Taiwan News reported. The Kaohsiung City Fire Bureau received reports of a plane crash in the Gangshan District and sent firefighters to the scene, but the pilot was found dead. Air force chief of staff Huang Chih-wei told reporters that the AT-3 had no major maintenance issues over the past year. The air force has suspended flight missions for its trainee pilots following the fatal jet crash. Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen has also directed authorities to conduct an investigation into the incident. This is the third jet crash to occur in Taiwan in 2022. In March, a Mirage 2000 fighter jet crashed into the sea off the islands southeast coast. The pilot was rescued alive. In January, the air force suspended combat training for its F-16 fleet after an upgraded model of the fighter jet crashed into the sea, killing the pilot. Taiwans air force has repeatedly had to scramble to see off Chinese military aircraft in the past two years, but the accidents have not been linked in any way to these intercept activities. China, which claims the self-governed island as its own, has been routinely sending aircraft into Taiwans air defense zone. Taiwans military said it detected 30 Chinese military aircraft entering its air defense zone on May 30, the largest incursion since January 2022, when China sent 39 warplanes into Taiwans airspace territorial zone. Taiwan responded by deploying its air force and air defense missile systems to monitor the Chinese aircraft movements, according to the Defense Ministrys statement. Reuters contributed to this report. Tom Cruise attends the Royal Film Performance and UK Premiere of "Top Gun: Maverick" at Leicester Square in London on May 19, 2022. (Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures) Top Gun 2 Receives Praise for Restoring Taiwan Flag on Mavericks Jacket The new film Top Gun: Maverick is earning praise not only for being better than its 1986 predecessor, but for standing up to the Chinese Communist Party, after the films producers reinstated a Taiwanese flag on the bomber jacket worn by Tom Cruises Navy pilot character. In the original Top Gun film, Cruises character, Pete Maverick Mitchell, wears a bomber jacket with Taiwanese and Japanese flag patches. However, both flags were replaced with emblems when the sequel released a trailer in 2019. Since then, there has been speculation that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) may have influenced the decision to remove the flags, as the movie was partly produced by Tencent Pictures, the film-making arm of Chinese tech giant Tencent. The company is known for complying with Beijings censorship rules in China and extending its monitoring and censorship to U.S. users through its popular messaging app WeChat. The flags have reappeared in the version of the film released worldwide last week. As of May 30, the film had grossed $156 million in the United States and $282 million worldwide. In Taiwan, the Top Gun sequel has also been a hit, grossing over NT$81.5 million (about $2.8 million) in the five days after its May 25 release, according to Taiwans Central News Agency. Some Taiwanese moviegoers have since taken to Facebook to express excitement about seeing their flag on Mavericks jacket on the big screen. The movie hasnt secured a release date in China, and the Chinese regimes censors are likely to block the film from reaching theaters over the inclusion of the Taiwanese flag. The CCP sees Taiwan as a part of its territory and rejects anything that might suggest the island is a de facto nation-state. Chris Fenton, a long-time Hollywood executive and film producer, recently said on Twitter that the decision by the Top Gun sequel to restore the flags was an encouraging sign. Risk/reward calculus for #Chinas market now murky, he wrote. Result: #Hollywood can [have] #FreeSpeech & #FreedomOfCreativity again. In a separate tweet, Fenton declared that Hollywood is fighting back, pointing to the Top Gun 2 decision as well as Marvels decision to include a newsrack belonging [to] The Epoch Times in the recent Doctor Strange sequel. A scene in the movie Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness features a yellow newspaper box with the Chinese characters for The Epoch Times. (Screenshot/IMDb/YouTube) In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, a yellow newspaper box sits in the background during a fight scene when the titular character takes on a monster called Gargantos on the streets of New York. The boxes, which display the Chinese characters , are for distributing copies of the Chinese-language edition of The Epoch Times. Fenton previously told the publication that he believed the new Doctor Strange film would face censorship in China. The Marvel movie hasnt yet secured a release date in China. This recent development of The Epoch Times being seen as one of the major stars in the movie is definitely throwing a wrench in any sort of shot that they did have of getting into that market, Fenton said. The English- and Chinese-language websites of The Epoch Timesknown for their uncensored coverage of current affairs in Chinaare censored in China. Taiwans de facto embassy in the United States, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office, was also excited to see the return of the Taiwanese flag in Top Gun 2. At last, somewhere along the line Hollywood did the right thing! the office wrote on Twitter. The fact that Beijing didnt demand that the flags to be removed could have been related to Tencents decision to sever ties with the Paramount Pictures production. According to The Wall Street Journal, Tencent withdrew from the production due to concerns that Beijing might be angry about the tech giants affiliation with a film celebrating the U.S. military, citing unnamed sources. Ian Easton, senior director at Virginia-based think tank Project 2049 Institute, wrote on Twitter that it was great news that Top Gun 2 had cut ties with Beijing, citing the Journals report. After a brush with anti-American censorship, Top Gun 2 shed its ties to Chinas government and won its soul back, he wrote. How many other American movies have sacrificed their values and principles at the [altar] of Chinese investment? Zeus, king of the pantheon of Greek gods, was said to reign atop Mount Olympus, according to myth. Now, that name also belongs to a Great Dane, whos claimed the record for the tallest dog living (male) in the world. The 2-year-old gray and brown American Great Dane from Bedford, Texas, stands at a whopping 1.046 meters (3 foot, 5.18 inches), according to Guinness World Records, who published the gentle giants colossal feat on May 4. The enormous pooch is owned by Brittany Davis and her family. She says Zeus is very laid back and loves everybody, adding that hes also very stubborn and doesnt do anything unless he wants to. Brittany has always had an affinity for Great Danes. Luckily, a colleague of her brother Garrett breeds them; he gave her the largest pup in a litter of five when he was 8 weeks old. Hes been a big dog since we got him, even for a puppy. He had huge paws, Brittany recalled. Zeus grew, and grew, and grew. The family soon began to wonder if he might be the biggest dog in the world. On measuring him, their suspicions were sufficiently stoked and they called Guinness to make it official. The dog has become particularly close with Brittanys teenage son. You wont find one without the other, said Brittany. They love being together. The ginormous canine consumes six cups of Gentle Giants large-breed dogfood in the morning and another six cups in the afternoon, which fuels his bursts of rambunctious behavior. When he gets the zoomies, he runs around for 30 seconds and jumps up on his chair once he gets tired, the mom said. Zeus also loves fried eggs and ice cubes his favorite treat. His other habits include drinking from the sink, which is his bowl; naughtily snatching food off the counters; and stealing the babys pacifier. He also loves to jump onto the fence to talk to the neighbors dogs next door, Brittany said. In addition, Zeus loves trips to the Dallas Farmers Market, where everyone knows him, and the vendors all know him, Brittany said. He gets extra treats and lots of attention. The towering Great Dane is used to being the center of attention; his huge size has also garnered much curiosity and many comments. The comment that we hear most often is Wow, thats a horse! Can I ride him? or Does he have a saddle? Britney said. Of course, her answer is always no. In addition, the giant dog lives with three miniature Australian shepherd siblings, among whom his favorite is brother Zeb; they love wrestling together. Zeus also has a feline sister, Penelope, who runs the house, but the two dont necessarily get on so cozily. He and the cat have a mutual agreement to stay away from each other, Brittany said. Although the family do not treat their dog any differently because of his newfound fame, his world record title now gives Brittany bragging rights. We get a lot of comments like Wow, thats the tallest dog Ive ever seen, so its cool to now be able to say Yes, its definitely the tallest dog youve ever seen! Brittany said. That always shocks people and its fun to be able to say that. The previous record holder for the tallest dog living, from Otsego, Michigan, also happened to be named Zeus, who stood 111.8 cm (44 inches), on his hind legs towering 7 feet, 4 inches tall. Sadly, he passed away at the age of 5 in 2014, but holds the record for the tallest dog ever. Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter Transgenderism Has Captured British Criminal Justice Policy: Report England and Wales current criminal justice policy prioritises the wishes and feelings of those who identify as transgender and needs to be reviewed as a matter of urgency, a conservative think tank has argued. In its latest paper published on Monday (pdf), the London-based Policy Exchange think tank addressed the impact of policies and practices within the criminal justice system in England and Wales which classify and treat suspects, defendants in criminal trials, and convicted offenders on the basis of their gender identity rather than their biological sex. Its author said that these policies are not aligned with the law and have developed in the absence of public scrutiny or democratic consensus, and that they need to be reviewed as a matter of urgency. Prioritise Sex Over Gender Identity Writing in its foreword, the Scottish SNP MP Joanna Cherry, said that the treatment of those who speak out was positively McCarthyite. Cherry herself was subjected to an 18-month campaign of abuse because of her belief that women are adult human females. The 72-page report by the legal academic and former solicitor Maureen OHara titled Why criminal justice policy needs to prioritise sex over gender identity' noted that in recent years policies have been affected by self-declaration of gender identity within the criminal justice system. Ministry of Justice figures published in 2020 show that 98 percent of those prosecuted for sexual offences in 2019 were male. The majority of those who were sexually assaulted were female. Individuals who have gained legal recognition of their gender via a gender recognition certificate (GRC) can be issued with a new birth certificate in their acquired gender if their birth was registered in the UK. OHara listed many examples where extreme ideology clashed with official guidance despite the fact that this is not aligned with the law. However, the concept of gender identity frames gender as an individual, subjective identity based on an idea. Some of those who subscribe to this concept believe that gender identity should take precedence over biological sex as a social and legal category. Some believe that there is a spectrum of gender identities, wrote OHara. For example, many police forces have recorded suspected and convicted offenders who identify as transgender on the basis of their self-declared gender identity rather than their biological sex. Judges also lean on official guidance on trans issues from the Judicial Colleges Equal Treatment Bench Book. In one such case, a woman was instructed by a judge to address one of her attackers, who self-defined as a trans woman as a she or the defendant, as a matter of courtesy. Trans-identifying male prison officers are not permitted to search female prisoners, including officers who hold a GRC. But this could change as former Justice Minister Lord Wolfson of Tredegar said in 2021 that prisoners and staff members in receipt of a GRC have the right to be treated as their acquired gender in every respect. Prisons The current prison policy enables trans-identifying males, including sex offenders, to be placed in womens prisons. These offenders include those with and without GRCs. Transgender offenders are first sent to a prison that matches their legally recognised gender and any request to move to another prison is subject to a robust risk assessment. Dr. Kate Coleman, who runs the organisation Keep Prisons Single Sex, which was set up in 2020 to campaign for the right of female prisons to single-sex provision, was quoted in the report. I think as soon as the general public became aware of what has been going on, I think the pushback is evitable. People have a common-sense fact-based understanding of sex. You dont need to be a scientist, philosopher, or biologist, you dont need to be a lawyer. You know what the common sense approach is, and you know what reality is, Coleman told The Epoch Times reflecting on the report. The individuals and the organisations that have been keen to get transgender ideology embedded throughout our legal framework and legislation at a very deep institutional level, theyve been doing this for decades and the common sense pushback in and of itself isnt going to change that. Its going to be a long process to undo this for hospitals for data collection, for prisons, etc., she said. Coleman said that the women she talks to in jails are vulnerable and often have been the victims of sustained violence at the hands of men, including sexual violence. She said when they are confronted by men who identify as women in prison, they have to use pronouns she/her and their female names or they get punished. I just find horrifying the level of lying, manipulation, and gaslighting of this group of women who, for very good reasons, have a very visceral recognition of what a man is and what male violence is, but they are not allowed to name it as such, she said. A Prison Service spokesperson told The Epoch Times in a statement that: Transgender prisoners make up just 0.2 percent of the prison population and 94 percent of transgender women in prison are managed in the mens estate. There have not been any sexual assaults by transgender women in the womens estate since we strengthened safeguards in 2019, she added. The Yogyakarta Principles The report wrote that in 2016 the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committees Report on Transgender Equality (pdf) raised the possibility that the UK government should adopt the overarching principles of the Yogyakarta Principles. The document, which has no status in law, was written by lawyers, human rights experts, and trans rights activists. In other words, the ultimate aim of the Yogyakarta Principles is the complete elimination of all sex and gender markers from the law, wrote OHara. Last year, the publication The Critic reported that Yogyakarta Principles were credited with influencing national governments such as Argentina, Ireland, Denmark, and Malta, and some Canadian provinces, to introduce gender identity recognition on the basis of self-identification. The report said that any of the problems identified could be significantly ameliorated by ending the de facto self-declaration of gender identity within the criminal justice system. Travel Vax Mandate Lawsuit: Canadian Court Dismisses Feds Motion to Remove Challengers Supporting Documents Two businessmen taking the Canadian federal government to court over its vaccine mandate for travel have defeated an attempt by the attorney general (AG) to remove from the record portions of their affidavits in support of their position. Case management judge Mireille Tabib dismissed the AG motion on May 25 in the case of Shaun Rickard and Karl Harrison against Transport Canada and the AG. The case represents one of four lawsuits against the federal mandate that will be jointly heard by the court in September. The other separate lawsuits have been filed by PPC Leader Maxime Bernier, former Newfoundland premier Brian Peckford along with five applicants, and Quebec lawyer Nabil Belkacem. Toronto civil litigation lawyer Sam Presvelos, who represents Rickard and Harrison, told The Epoch Times that the AG sought to remove parts of his clients affidavits that explain what information they reviewed before choosing not to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Presvelos said that among the documents the AG wanted removed were official government information and statements from public health officials that were contradictory at times, such as on the usefulness of masks or on border closures. The AG also wanted to remove information that said unvaccinated and vaccinated individuals can carry the same amount of viral load. We believe the government didnt like this information in the recordthey took the position that the Applicants were masquerading as doctors/experts and that the evidence was hearsay because they did not publish the data, [so] they cannot opine on the data given their lay background, Presvelos wrote in an email on May 27. Presvelos says he argued against the motion by telling the court that the applicants affidavits had not been submitted as expert testimonies but rather as a way for the judge to understand the applicants state of mind and that they could be relevant to a Charter analysis. Rickard and Harrison, who set up a fundraiser on the crowdfunding platform GiveSendGo to help finance their lawsuit, have secured the affidavits of five expert witnesses, including Dr. Neil Rau, Dr. Richard Schabas, Dr. Jennifer Grant, Dr. Adam Sirek, and Dr. Joel Kettner. Kettner, a former chief public health officer in Manitoba, was cross-examined by the Crown on May 30. The Epoch Times reached out to the Justice Department, which is headed by Justice Minister and Attorney General David Lametti, for comment on the Rickard-Harrison case, but was referred to Transport Canada. In their response, Transport Canada confirmed that the AG sought to strike out portions of the affidavits but didnt address the rationale behind the move. The Court dismissed the motion because Mr. Rickard and Mr. Harrison both provided supplementary affidavits confirming that they were not relying on the portions of the original affidavits that Canada sought to strike as fact, which the Court accepted, said Transport Canada spokesperson Hicham Ayoun in an emailed statement on May 27. The Government of Canadas position is that the vaccination mandate is consistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as well as Canadas obligations in the area of human rights, Ayoun said. Affidavits Rickard states in his affidavit that the vaccine mandate for travel has prevented him from visiting his ailing father in the UK, impacted his efforts to grow his business, and taken a heavy toll on his family and mental health. The affidavit provides Statistics Canada data showing that COVID-19 is mostly dangerous for the elderly and those with co-morbidities. For these reasons, Rickard assessed his personal risk as low. Harrisons affidavit provides COVID-19 vaccine information promoted by the authorities, who said the shots would end the pandemic, as well as real-world data to show that the vaccines cant stop virus transmission. His affidavit quotes a paper published in the medical journal The Lancet stating that vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals can transmit the virus similarly. There is growing evidence that peak viral titres in the upper airways of the lungs and culturable virus are similar in vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, says the paper published in January. Presvelos said these are parts of the affidavits the Crown sought to strike out, arguing that the plaintiffs dont have the ability to interpret the data. Other Lawsuits The legal advocacy group Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) has been involved in many court challenges to COVID-19 restrictions in recent months. It is currently representing Bernier as well as Peckford and his co-applicants on the issue of federal travel mandates. The JCCF says Canada is the only country in the developed world that bans unvaccinated citizens from air travel. Canadas ban on unvaccinated flying is especially egregious given Canada is the second-largest country in the world by landmass and Canadians have a far greater need to use air travel for work, family and health reasons than do the citizens of most other countries, JCCF lawyer Allison Kindle Pejovic said in an email. Pejovic says experts testimony also confirms that both the vaccinated and unvaccinated spread Covid. She argues that this means the governments rationale for the ban on air travel is fatally flawed and that there is no justification for the serious infringement on Canadians Charter rights. In another case, Quebec lawyer Nabil Belkacem, who is representing himself, says he is challenging the mandate because he immediately saw an intolerable violation of Canadian citizens fundamental rights by the government. Unvaccinated citizens can take a plane into Canada, but then cannot leave. No one can defend the merits of these measures, Belkacem told The Epoch Times. The lawyer says unvaccinated travellers are banned from air travel even though they could be tested for COVID-19 before travelling, while vaccinated individuals who are infected are allowed to travel without issue. The lack of accommodation is not compliant with the charter, he says. Outside Pressure Outside pressure on the federal government to scrap its travel restrictions has been building recently due to the long delays facing travellers going through Canadian airports. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), a trade organization that represents most of the worlds airlines, wrote to Ottawa on May 24 urging the feds to take action to reduce the wait times. It said that the vaccine mandate, the ArriveCAN application, and random on-arrival testing are impeding measures and proposed alternatives if these restrictions cannot be scrapped. The relevant authorities must urgently consider removing the last remaining travel-related COVID-19 restrictions and work with the industry on policies and processes which will allow passengers to pass through airports with no undue delay, said Peter Cerda, the IATAs regional vice president for the Americas, in a May 24 statement. Internal pressure coming from the Conservative opposition has been steady, but a motion asking the government to ease airport rules was defeated on May 30 by all of the other parties. Meanwhile, Transport Canada says the measures are needed to protect the public. Transport Canadas priority remains taking the necessary steps to safeguard Canadas transportation system, said Ayoun. Transport Canada will continue to be nimble in adapting measures in the transportation system in response to epidemiological changes and the latest scientific evidence from our public health experts. Former President Donald Trump speaks at the George R. Brown Convention Center during the National Rifle Association (NRA) annual convention in Houston on May 27, 2022. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images) Trump Responds After Former Clinton Lawyer Is Acquitted Former President Donald Trump on May 31 said the legal system isnt working properly after a jury in Washington acquitted a former Hillary Clinton campaign lawyer who had been charged with lying to the FBI. Our Legal System is CORRUPT, Trump said in a post on Truth Social, adding that our Judges (and Justices!) are highly partisan, compromised, or just plain scared before lamenting that Michael Sussmann, the lawyer, was found not guilty. Jason Miller, a former Trump campaign aide, also reacted to the verdict, writing on Gettr that Sussmann admitted to giving opposition research to the FBI and not telling the bureau that the research was conducted for Clinton. How did Sussmann get off??? RIGGED SYSTEM!!! Miller wrote. Sussmann was accused of lying to the FBI because he said in writing that he wanted to meet with a bureau official to deliver information but that he was not acting on behalf of a client. Prosecutors said Sussmann was acting on behalf of both the Clinton campaign and a client named Rodney Joffe, a technology executive who has said he was promised a position in the government if Clinton won the 2016 election. The defense said Sussmann was not acting on behalf of a client, even though Sussmann previously told members of the House of Representatives under oath that he was. The defense also said that even if Sussmann was representing a client when he met with the bureau official, the statement was not material because the bureau was aware Sussmann represented the Democratic National Committee and other Democrat persons and entities. Federal law prohibits making a false statement or representation to the government. The charge carries up to five years in jail, or up to eight years if the lie is related to international or domestic terrorism. The jury unanimously found Sussmann not guilty. I dont think it should have been prosecuted, one juror told reporters. There are bigger things that affect the nation than a possible lie to the FBI. Trump has regularly posted on Truth Social, a social media platform he started, since earlier this year. The former president was removed from Twitter and Facebook in the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. Executives at the companies accused Trump of inciting violence, while he argued that he was not doing so. Trump told a rally in Wyoming over the weekend that he would not return to Twitter, even if he is allowed to if Elon Musks purchase plans come to fruition. Get off Twitter and go Truth Social, Trump said. We have truth on our side. UK Gene-Editing Bill Raises Animal Welfare Concerns The British government claims its new plans to allow gene-editing are nothing more than traditional breeding methods sped up by modern technology. But some experts are disputing this, arguing the technology is imprecise and will open the door to the wild west of genetics. The plans, laid out in the Genetic Technology Bill on May 25, have been broadlyif not uniformlywelcomed by the farming community including the National Farmers Union. If the government gets its way, the production of genetically-engineered animals and plants is just around the corner. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) promises food producers will be able to develop plant varieties and animals with beneficial traits that could also occur through traditional breeding and natural processes but in a more efficient and precise way. These changes, the government insists, would only be those which could be produced through conventional breeding methods or naturally over timejust fast-forwarded in the lab. Its Not Precise But this characterisation, and the claim that any undesirable gene can just be snipped out without additional implications, is disputed. Its not precise, so the term precision breeding is a complete misnomer, Dr. Michael Antoniou, lead geneticist in gene expression and therapy at Kings College Londons Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine told The Epoch Times. In addition to any intended genetic modification you invariably have large numbers of unintended alterations to the organism. These could include the production of toxins and allergens in plants or crops, he suggests, adding, Its a wild west of gene-editing of crops, plants and animals and even bacteria that are going to be released into the environment in an uncontrolled way. Antoniou calls the process genetic modification under another name. Indeed, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in his maiden speech to parliament, setting out his post-Brexit vision in July 2019, said, lets start now to liberate the UKs extraordinary bioscience sector from anti genetic modification rules. Three years later, Antoniou disagrees with how the process is being interpreted to the public. The mindset is, oh, its just a gene working in isolation. Ill get rid of that and nothing else changes. This is not the way life is wired up to work. Gene systems work like integrated networks, like an eco system. Patented Technology He points to the case of a gene-edited pig in South Korea. It had a gene destroyed which normally controls muscle growth. In the absence of that gene function their muscles grow grotesquely large so you see these highly-deformed animals. Are these animals really in a healthy physiological state? I very much doubt it. Their muscle mass is so exaggerated they must have trouble. This is, perhaps, quite an extreme edit, he accepts, but he is worried about too much control being vested in food producers. He thinks it will lead to a lack of transparency in the field and for what ultimately gets to market, though supermarkets have not yet said if they will sell the foods which could eventually include gene-edited beef, pork, and chicken. Liz ONeill, director of GM Freeze, a non-profit group campaigning against such foods, is also worried about the leverage producers will have over what we eat. These technologies are patented, she told The Epoch Times, so in law they are an invention and what that does is give the inventor a great deal of control. ONeill believes the bill will supercharge the industrialization of agriculture and shares the concerns about animal welfare. Every failed experiment will be a miscarriage. An animal born with a deformity could be incredibly painful. Take the idea of removing horns from cattle. If cattle are happy and have plenty of space, they dont harm each other with their horns. The horns are only a problem if the animals are stressed. So what were in effect saying is we want the animals to be unable to express their stress. Combatting Bird Flu? The government argues the changes will support animal welfare through genetically reducing susceptibility to illnesses such as avian flu. The not-for-profit organisation Compassion in World Farming accepts that combatting bird flu may be an advantage but says the way to prevent diseases in livestock is through better animal husbandry and less crowded conditions rather than tweaking their genes. I think this is a very grim moment for animal welfare, their chief policy adviser Peter Stevenson told The Epoch Times. He expresses disappointment at a government he feels has done some good things such as the bill to ban live animal exports for slaughter or fattening. Stevenson reels off the problems resulting from traditional selective breeding which he says could be amplified exponentially by the bill. Modern meat chicken broilers were bred to grow so quickly their legs cant properly support that weight. Literally, tens of millions are suffering from painful leg disorders every year. Some of the birds succumb to heart disease when they are only five or six weeks old. Selective breeding in cows has been just as damaging, Stevenson believes. A cow with her calf would naturally produce just over a thousand litres of milk in her 10-month lactation, he said. Modern dairy cows have been bred to produce ten or twelve thousand. Theres so much pressure on them that after just three or four milk cycles, many are utterly worn outin very poor condition and infertilean infertile cow cant produce milk so shes put down. If you take an animal and push it to yields or growth rates that are way beyond its normal capacity this is going to cause huge metabolic strains. The government insists it is taking a step-by-step approach but Stevenson rejects this. The bill permits the use of gene-edited animals on our farms and the sale of meat, milk, and eggs from them in our shops. It is taking the gene-edited animals out of the lab and putting them into farms and onto supermarket shelves. There are no plans for labelling the genetically-altered produce even though eighty-eight percent of those responding to the governments public consultation last year were against that. Whats more, the devolved governments of Scotland and Wales oppose the genetic technology legislation. DEFRA says the government is first introducing enabling legislation for plants and that there would be no change to the regulation of animals until a regulatory system outlined in the bill is developed. They stress safety and animal welfare will be key criteria for granting permission for each case. DERFA did not respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times about the specific concerns that the gene-editing process was imprecise and the implications that raised for animal welfare. Pro-life, anti-abortion activists hold placards as they protest outside of Belfast High court in Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK, on Jan. 30, 2019. (Paul Faith /AFP via Getty Images) UK Says Abortion Clinic Buffer Zones Remain Under Review as Row Intensifies The UK government has said the issue of abortion clinic buffer zones remains under review as the debate heats up over abortion and the right to protest. Pro-abortion politicians and organisations in the UK have been calling for a nationwide network of buffer zones to limit anti-abortion protests near abortion clinics. On May 30, the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH), which represents more than 14,000 UK doctors, issued a new position statement arguing that even instances of quiet protest, such as prayer, can be intimidating. Dr. Asha Kasliwal, FSRH president, said: The only way to ensure patients are able to access healthcare free of harassment and intimidation is the legal implementation of buffer zones around abortion clinics across the UK. Dr. Edward Morris, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), added: Abortion care is an essential sexual and reproductive health service, and buffer zones must be introduced to ensure that the privacy and rights of those who access these services are respected. In response, the UK Home Office said that the right to protest is a vital part of a democratic society, but it is completely unacceptable that women accessing healthcare services should feel harassed or intimidated. The police and local authorities have powers to restrict harmful protests and we expect them to take action in such cases, said the spokeswoman. The issue of abortion buffer zones remains under review and we continue to monitor the prevalence of these protests with the welfare of women being at the centre of our consideration, she added. Political Tussle The Home Office has previously rejected the idea of implementing nationwide buffer zone legislation around abortion facilities. In 2018, following an extensive review, the then-home secretary Sajid Javid decided that introducing protest-free areas outside clinics would not be a proportionate response. His successor Priti Patel pledged in 2020 that the government would again review the rules around protests in the vicinity of abortion clinics. Earlier this month, the Scottish government voiced support for the introduction of buffer zones. Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on May 12 she strongly supports calls for buffer zones to be set up. She will chair an emergency summit next month, and said her government is now actively considering how to legislate on the issue. The Right to Protest On May 27, a cross-party group of MPs proposed an amendment to the Public Order Bill to introduce buffer zones around clinics, which is expected to be debated in June. In a debate in the House of Commons on May 23, Kit Malthouse, the minister for crime and policing, questioned the pro-abortion MPs support for clamping down on anti-abortion protests when they clearly backed protests for other causes. He was honestly and genuinely perplexed by the argument about buffer zones, said Malthouse, adding: I understand the sensitivity in that particular situation, but why is it that we object to and are willing to restrict that particular form of protest, but not others? He asked the MPs whether they were possibly guilty of wanting to ban only protests with which they do not agree. The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), a British pro-life campaigning and educational organisation, said pro-abortion MPs have been trying to demonise people who take part in pro-life vigils and making wild accusations with no basis in fact. Alithea Williams, SPUCs public policy manager, said: That they want to ban people witnessing quietly outside clinics, and often offering a lifeline to women who want to keep their baby, shows that they cannot tolerate any opposition to the abortion narrative. She echoed Malthouses comments on the inconsistencies in the pro-abortion politicians stance on the right to protest, saying: Clearly their defence of the right to protest does not extend to pro-lifers. She added: We call on the government to uphold the rights of pro-life people to peacefully witness against the tragedy of abortion, and we will be vigilant in opposing any moves to introduce buffer zones through this or any other bill. PA Media contributed to this report. Farmworkers wear face masks as they carry boxes of harvested curly mustard in a field in Ventura County, Calif., on Feb. 10, 2021. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images) US Agriculture Is Under Attack Commentary The U.S. agricultural sector is under attack, and Russian operatives appear to be the aggressors. Last month, the FBIs cyber division published an emergency statement. Ransomware actors may be more likely to attack agricultural cooperatives during critical planting and harvest seasons, warned the federal investigative agency. Coordinated attacks on the agricultural sector threaten the countrys entire food chain. On May 5, just a few weeks after the FBIs warning, AGCO, one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of agricultural machinery on the planet, suffered a ransomware attack. Headquartered in Duluth, Georgia, the attack impacted its operations for several days. Interestingly, the AGCO attack was just the latest in a long list of attacks on major, U.S.-based agri-companies. In fact, the AGCO attack was the 19th of the year. Yes, 19 attacks, and were only halfway through the year. Russian Hackers In April, the Five Eyes partnershipan intelligence alliance comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United Statesreleased a joint cybersecurity advisory warning of the dangers posed by Russian state-sponsored hackers. According to the advisory, Russias invasion of Ukraine could expose organizations both within and beyond the region to increased malicious cyber activity. This activity may occur as a response to the unprecedented economic costs imposed on Russia as well as materiel support provided by the United States and U.S. allies and partners. They cautioned governments around the world, especially those currently supporting Ukraine, to prepare themselves for unprecedented attacks on their critical infrastructure networks. Agriculture is an integral piece of Americas critical infrastructure. As the United States continues to give tens of billions of dollars to Ukraine, numerous authors (see here and here, for example) have wondered aloud why Russian-backed hackers have not actively targeted the countrys critical infrastructure. Newsflash: They have. According to the National Law Reviews Kathryn Rattigan, the aforementioned attack on AGCO has all the hallmarks of a Kremlin-supported operation. As the author noted, the attack came directly after AGCO Agriculture Foundation made a $50,000 donation to the BORSCH initiative, which assists Ukrainian farmers affected by the Russian invasion. Coincidence? I think not. In truth, Russia started attacking the United States long before the invasion of Ukraine took place. In September last year, New Cooperative, an Iowa-based grain cooperative, was targeted by BlackMatter, a Russian-backed ransomware group. The attack came at the same time farmers were preparing for the fall harvest. Two months before the attack, President Joe Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin not to target critical sectors of the U.S. economy, including the agricultural sector. Not surprisingly, Putin didnt listen. Why would he? After all, the United States is pumping money into Ukraine. Moreover, U.S. agriculture is an easy target. As I have stated elsewhere, on more than one occasion, the United States is ill-equipped to cope with the cyber capabilities of hackers in Russia, China, and even Iran. As Steve Cubbage, a well-respected agri-researcher, warned back in January, U.S. agriculture has the softest of digital underbellies, one that can be easily breached due to very limited investment in cybersecurity to date. As farming becomes more digital in nature, this should set off alarm bells, he wrote, from the back 40 to the halls of Congress. The most powerful country in the world cannot remain a dominant force if its digital infrastructure is nothing short of a disgrace. A combine harvests corn near Baxter, Iowa, on Oct. 12, 2019. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) The digital revolution is in full effect; automated farming machinery is already a highly-lucrative market. By 2028, according to analysts at Blue Weave Consulting, the global agricultural robots market will surpass $81 billion. As Blue Weave noted, the United States is currently the worlds biggest user of drones in agriculture and livestock management. These drones are employed in a variety of applications, including chemical spraying, crop monitoring, and irrigation control. Sadly, these unmanned aerial vehicles are easily hacked. Self-driving tractors and combine harvesters can also be hacked. In 2022, its important to remember the following: anything that can be hacked will be hacked. Cybercriminals are eager to exploit this industry because of its foundational importance in the U.S. economy. Food security is not a partisan issue; its not politicalits personal, deeply personal. We all need to eat. Access to food is a human right. Its also a security issue. Agriculture and national security are inextricably linked. In 2016, John Negroponte, a former U.S. deputy secretary of state, emphasized the importance of agriculture to U.S. national security. Agriculture is extremely dependent on roads, rail, electricity, water, and other physical infrastructure, said Negroponte, now a professor at the Miller Center for Public Affairs at the University of Virginia. It is important for federal departments and agencies to advance further efforts to protect critical infrastructure and key resources by preventing, deterring, and mitigating deliberate efforts to destroy, incapacitate, or exploit them, he said. In the six years since Negropontes warnings, the United States has done little, if anything, to shore up its cyber defense networks and protect its agricultural sector. As digital threats evolve at breakneck speeds, the United States becomes more vulnerable to devastating attacks. The facts speak for themselves. Nineteen attacks in less than six months paint a rather disturbing picture. A failure to act now will cost the country dearly. Make no mistake about it; the attacks will continue. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. An Apache attack helicopter is being unloaded from a Galaxy C-5 transport plane at the US Air Base in Ramstein, western Germany, on Feb. 22, 2017. The first attack helicopters of the US Army, intended to be deployed during military exercises with NATO partners for the operation "Atlantic Resolve", arrived for a stopover in Ramstein. (MARTIN GOLDHAHN/AFP/Getty Images) US Military Base Cancels Drag Queen Story Hour for Kids After Pressure from Senator Sen. Rubio described the event as public-funded propaganda An overseas U.S. Air Force Base has canceled a childrens storytime hour program featuring a drag queen after a Republican congressman demanded the show be dropped. The Ramstein U.S. Air Force Base in Germany canceled the event initially planned for June 2 called Drag Queen Story Time after Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) sent a letter on May 26 to Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall urging him to cancel what the congressman called a public-funded propaganda. I urge you to immediately cancel this politically divisive event, and take appropriate disciplinary action against all involved in allowing this gross abuse of taxpayer funding to place children in a sexualized environment, Rubios letter reads. The event was to feature drag queen Stacey Teed at the military bases Ramstein Library and was intended to celebrate the month of June as pride month. Were celebrating Pride Month at the Ramstein Library with Drag Queen Storytime! the now-deleted event announcement on Facebook read. Join us with special guest reader Stacey Teed! Be sure to wear your brightest and most colorful outfits! In his letter, Rubio noted that U.S. military bases are for warfighting, and the purpose of amenities in these bases, such as schools and libraries, is to support the needs of service members and their families. On installations outside the continental United States (OCONUS), these amenities play an even more central role in the life of our servicemembers and their families, Rubio said. In light of this, it is completely insane for Ramstein [Air Force Base] to use on-installation resources for rituals like Drag Queen Story Time. Rubio described events like the Ramstein Librarys Drag Queen Story Time as extremely divisive, because they cause children to interact with intentionally and explicitly sexualized adults. As I hope you can agree, decisions over children and their bodies should be left to moms and dads serving our nation, not mediated through publicly funded propaganda on U.S. Air Force bases, the congressman said. Queer author Michelle Tea was the first to coordinate Drag Queen Story Hour events in San Francisco in 2015. The events generally involved a grown male dressed as a female telling queer-related stories to children from 3 to 8 years old. An example of materials featured at these events, according to Rubio, include books such as The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish. The author of the book said they wrote it so that children could experience the magic of drag and to get a little practice shaking their hips or shimmying their shoulders to know how [they] can feel fabulous inside of [their] own bodies, Rubio said. The last thing parents serving their nation overseas should be worried about, particularly in a theater with heightened geopolitical tensions, is whether their children are being exposed to sexually charged content simply because they visited their local library, the congressman added. An Air Force spokesperson confirmed with The Epoch Times on June 1 that the event had been scrapped due to scheduling conflicts, and not as a result of individuals speaking out against the event or against the LGBTQ+ community. The spokesperson said in an email that wing leaders of the 86th Airlift Wing had requested the event be broadened to represent the full LGBTQ+ community, but the 86th Force Support Squadron was unable to modify the event in time for the June 2 scheduled event, and therefore the support squadron decided to cancel the event. This article has been updated to include comments by the 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs Office. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen speaks at a rank conferral ceremony for military officials from the Army, Navy and Air Force, at the defence ministry in Taipei, Taiwan, on Dec. 28, 2021. (Annabelle Chih/Reuters) US National Guard to Cooperate With Taiwan Military: President Tsai Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said on Tuesday that the United States is planning on cooperation between its National Guard and Taiwans military amid mounting threats from communist China. The announcement comes as China, which wants to claim the self-ruled island as its own, has stepped up its military harassment of Taiwan in recent years. Last week, Chinas military organized military drills in the sea and air spaces surrounding Taiwan, a move it described as a solemn warning to Washington against its collusion with the liberal democratic island. Col. Shi Yi, a spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command of the Peoples Liberation Army, said the regimes military conducted multi-service joint combat readiness patrol and actual combat drills near Taiwan, according to a May 25 statement. The warning came after U.S. President Joe Biden angered the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Beijing when he said in a May 23 statement that America would intervene militarily to defend Taiwan if it was attacked, stating that it was the commitment we made. U.S. officials said there had been no change to the longstanding U.S. policy toward Taiwan known as strategic ambiguity under which the administration has remained intentionally ambiguous on the subject of whether the United States would defend Taiwan, should it be invaded by the CCP. President Tsai Ing-wen met with visiting U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) at her office in Taipei this week, and noted that Duckworth was one of the main sponsors of the Taiwan Partnership Act, aimed at developing a partnership between the National Guard and Taiwan as a means of maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability. The Act has received bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress but has yet to become law. As a result, the U.S. Department of Defense is now proactively planning cooperation between the U.S. National Guard and Taiwans defence forces, Tsai said, without providing further details. We look forward to closer and deeper Taiwan-U.S. cooperation on matters of regional security, Tsai added. Duckworth and 51 other senators sent a letter to Biden in mid-May, calling for Taiwan to be included in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam have signed up to be part of the IPEF initiative, however, Taiwan was not included in the IPEF last week. Tsai said on Tuesday that the island will keep expressing its willingness to participate. In the near future, we look forward to Taiwan and the United States working together in taking new steps to develop concrete plans that further deepen our economic partnership. During Duckworths visit to Taiwan, dozens of Chinese warplanes entered its air defense zone and were scrambled by Taiwans military jets. Reuters contributed to this report. Gary Millershaski, a farmer and scout on the Wheat Quality Council's Kansas wheat tour, inspects winter wheat stunted by drought near Syracuse, Kan., on May 18, 2022. (Julie Ingwersen/Reuters) US Wheat Crop Hit by Dry Winter Then Soggy Spring, Adding to Global Tightness North Dakota farmer Dwight Grotberg wanted to plant more wheat this spring to capitalize on soaring prices since Ukraines war cut grain exports and left the world short of millions of tons of wheat supply. Heavy rain has prevented Grotberg from planting as much wheat crop as he wanted and is hampering farmers across the state, the top U.S. grower of spring wheat. Instead of boosting supply, North Dakota expected to plant wheat over the smallest share of its farmland on record, according to government data. The United States is the worlds fourth-largest wheat exporter and problems are hitting output at a time when the world can ill afford to lose any more supplies of the staple grain amid a global food crisis. Benchmark Chicago Board of Trade wheat prices surged 50 percent to more than $13.60 a bushel after Ukraines conflict halted shipments of nearly a third of the worlds wheat exports, and little has gone right for wheat since then. Worsening harvest prospects in China and parts of Europe, followed by an export ban by major producer India, have tightened stocks and exacerbated global food supply concerns. The United Nations has warned the impact of the war on grains, oils, fuel, and fertilizer could throw millions of people into famine and take years to resolve. Washington has been calling on U.S. farmers to seed more winter wheat this autumn, and the government said it would allow planting on some environmentally sensitive land beginning this fall. But the drought and costly farm inputs could limit production gains, say, grain analysts. There are two wheat crops in the United States: spring wheat planted now, and winter wheat planted in autumn that will be harvested soon. Both are in trouble. The problems with the spring wheat planting faced by farmers like Grotberg come after drought hit the winter wheat crop in Kansas, the top growing state. The U.S. winter wheat harvest potential there has fallen by more than 25 percent due to severe drought. Kansas farmers may abandon thousands of acres of wheat in fields this year, instead of paying to harvest the drought-scorched grain. Back in North Dakota, it is too much water that is the problem. A historic April blizzard left the states expansive, pothole-dotted fields under more than 3 feet of snow in some areas, triggering floods as the deluge melted. Grotberg has only been able to plant about 500 acres with wheat so farjust a quarter of the land he had aimed to sowbecause of the wet conditions. Seeds sown in soggy soils can struggle to emerge or come up unevenly, while heavy farm machinery can tear up overly muddy fields, compact soils, or get lodged in the muck. Now, Grotbergs planting window is closing fast. Wheat planted too late in the spring is likely to yield less grain or be at risk of frost before the crop fully ripens. Were stuck Normally were wrapping up wheat planting by this time, Grotberg said. Slowest Spring Planting Since 1996 Soggy spring weather has all but ensured that the northern U.S. Plains breadbasket will not produce a bumper crop this year. U.S. farmers have only seeded 49 percent of their intended spring wheat acres as of May 22, matching 2014 for the slowest pace since 1996, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data. In North Dakota, which produces about half of U.S. spring wheat, growers have planted just 27 percent of their crop, the second slowest pace in four decades. Some farmers have not turned a wheel yet, said North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring. If North Dakota is not able to get a substantial amount in, its just going to wreak more havoc on the global market. Gary Millershaski, a farmer and scout on the Wheat Quality Councils Kansas wheat tour, inspects winter wheat stunted by drought near Syracuse, Kan., on May 18, 2022. (Julie Ingwersen/Reuters) Abandoning Shriveled Winter Wheat In the southern U.S. Plains, winter wheat farmers have received very little rain and are concerned about the size of their harvestor if the shriveled plants will simply need to be plowed under. About 6 percent of the planted acres in Kansas would be abandoned, according to the latest USDA estimates. But given the drought damage, Kansas State University wheat agronomist Romulo Lollato thinks the abandonment rate would be higher. I would not be surprised if 8 percent, 9 percent, 10 percent of planted acres are abandoned this year, Lollato said. Wheat yields are affected by weather in May, and weve had a really dry May, said Kansas farmer Vance Ehmke. The trend is not our friend. Disappearing Wheat Acres U.S. wheat output has been on longer-term decline as farmers favored corn and soybean production. As the planting window in the northern Plains narrows, North Dakota farmers are weighing options that include shifting to soybeans, which can be sown later in the spring than wheat, or filing prevented planting insurance claims. It gets pretty tempting to file those claims, Grotberg said. Once you get into June, you might be lucky to get half a crop. And with costs as high as they are, thats hard to stomach. By Karl Plume Steve Mena, owner of Official Cuts, in his barber shop in Uvalde, Texas, on May 31, 2022. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Uvalde Barber Recounts Racing to School, Giving Shotgun to Border Agent UVALDE, TexasSteve Mena, owner of a barber shop in downtown Uvalde, Texas, was about to cut Jacob Albarados hair when each of their wives contacted them about an active shooter at the local elementary school. At the same time he got a text message, I got a phone call from my wife, because we both have kids there, Mena told The Epoch Times, seven days after the mass shooting tragedy that claimed 21 lives at Robb Elementary School. So we kind of reacted at the same time, Mena said. Albarado, a Border Patrol agent, told Mena he was unarmed because he was off duty. I told him, Well, I dont have a pistol, but Ive got a shotgun,' Mena said. They could hear gunshots as they exited Menas Official Cuts barbershop, about a mile from the school. Albarados wife, a fourth-grade teacher at Robb Elementary, had texted: Theres an active shooter. Help. I love you. While driving to the school, Mena was trying to wrap his head around it all. I was thinking to myself, this cant be real. Not in Uvalde, he said. You always hear about this stuff happening all over, you know, and I didnt think it could happen in Uvalde because everyones so close to each other. Its just so small here. This is the last place Id expect it. The two men arrived at the school at about the same time, and Mena gave Albarado his Remington 870 pump-action shotgun, which he keeps in his truck, and some ammunition. Albarado grabbed the gun and went directly toward the school, while Mena went around the security perimeter toward the funeral home, where children were being evacuated. Thats when he saw his 10-year-old daughter exit the school. When I saw her come through the window, I just burst into tears, Mena said. It was so emotional because I just didnt know what to think. So when I saw her come out and run toward the funeral home, I was like, Oh, thank God.' His nephew was right behind her. I gave them a hug, and I told them I love them, Mena said. Then, he had to let them go with their classmates to the Civic Centerhe still hadnt seen his 8-year-old son. I waited for my son, and that 20 to 30 minutes that passed was excruciating, he said. Eventually, he found out that the second-grade children, including his son, had already been evacuated to the Civic Center. Im very thankful. But at the same time, were still feeling for the parents that lost their loved ones. Its tragic all the way around. So were just praying for everybody [and] doing as much as we can to give support. Albarado didnt end up using the shotgunhis colleague in the Border Patrol tactical unit fatally shot suspect Salvador Ramos. Mena said theres a lot of anger in the community about the police response after it was revealed that Ramos remained inside the school for about an hour before he was fatally shot. A Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) official said the Uvalde school district chief of police made the wrong decision to not engage Ramos sooner. A decision was made on the sceneI wasnt therethat this was a barricaded subject situation, there was time to retrieve the keys and wait for a tactical team with the equipment to go ahead and breach the door and take on the subject, DPS Director Steve McCraw said on May 27. Mena said its hard for locals to understand the police response. I dont know what to say. There was no contact, and there were still kids at risk, he said. How many lives could have been saved? Thats going to be one of the biggest deals for these people. Mena said he started carrying the shotgun in his truck after the riots started in the summer of 2020 and he was frequently traveling to San Antonio. Protecting my family is really why I carry it. Its not just to protect my family, but anybody that is in harms way, he said. Im not going to stand there and let something happen to somebody innocent and not respond. Voters in 7 States Prepare for Primaries Voters will head to the polls on June 7 in California, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota for Republican and Democratic primaries that will decide who the parties nominees are for the November midterm general elections. The 2022 midterms represent the first significant group of elections since President Joe Biden took office in January 2022, as Republicans are feeling confident about their chances to regain control of the House and Senate while Democrats are trying to at least maintain majority rule in both chambers. Voters in several states also will choose nominees for governor and secretary of state, roles that have tremendous oversight of elections at a time when election integrity is in question. In some states, incumbents are either running unopposed or meeting little competition, although there are many compelling races. California California Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to win a second term, and most Democrats appear united behind the man who survived a recall campaign earlier this year. However, traditional liberals and the woke progressive wing of the party are at odds. Green Democrats continue to beat the environmental justice drum to claim that climate change poses an existential threat. Californians are paying more than $6 a gallon for gas at most pumps, yet green Democrats continue to push their claim that climate change poses a serious threat to Americas future. Many old-school Democrats who are moderate have left the party because they dont agree with the progressive push for critical race theory and transgender activism promoted by far-left leaning teachers unions. Democratic legislators are also facing opposition from some within their own party about mask and vaccine mandates, the rapid rise in crime and homelessness, the drug epidemic, proposed laws that support gender-affirming care and puberty blockers for children, and expanded abortion services and plans to make California a sanctuary for out-of-state abortion seekers. The crisis at the U.S.Mexico border is severe in Southern California where thousands of illegal aliens are bused into the state almost daily. The GOP sees this as an opportunity for its gubernatorial candidates. The California Republican Party has endorsed state Sen. Brian Dahle, who is running against Jenny Rae Le Roux. She is backed by the California Republican Assembly. June 7 will present a showdown between pro-Trump America First and Never Trump establishment Republican factions. The states Republican establishment hasnt embraced Trumps America First policies. At the California Republican Party convention last month in Anaheim, the mics of a few pro-Trump candidates were cut during their campaign speeches. As of April 23, Newsom led all fundraising efforts with $1.6 million. Dahle has raised the most among Republicans, at $1.2 million. Michael Shellenberger, an independent, has collected $515,000, while Le Roux has raised $479,000. California Sen. Alex Padilla, a Democrat, speaks in Los Angeles, Calif., on Nov. 10, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Incumbent Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) is campaigning in two separate races for the same U.S. Senate seat. Because he was appointed by Newsom to fill the Senate vacancy left by Vice President Kamala Harris in 2020, Padilla must defeat seven opponents in a special vacancy election to keep the seat for the remainder of the current Senate term, which ends on Jan. 3, 2023. He also faces more than 20 challengers in the top-two primary election for the next full six-year Senate term. Republican frontrunners in the race are Mark Meuser, an attorney who is endorsed by the California Republican Party; Cordie Williams, a chiropractor and former U.S. Marine who is endorsed by the California Republican Assembly; and Jon Elist, who runs a medical device company. Padilla has raised more than $9 million while Meuser has gathered about $330,000, followed by Williams with approximately $300,000, and Elist with about $270,000. Former President Donald Trump smiles as Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) speaks during a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa, on Oct. 9, 2021. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, 88, is campaigning to secure his eighth term in the Senate for Iowa. He is the oldest Republican serving in the Senate. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1975 and won his Senate seat in 1980. The Iowa native and farmer, who is the longest-serving U.S. senator in the states history, faces state Sen. Jim Carlin in the GOP primary. Carlin, an attorney, was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 2017, succeeding the retiring Ron Jorgensen. Later that year, Carlin was elected to the Iowa Senate, a seat he currently holds. Incumbent Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds is heavily favored to win reelection. She is running unopposed in the primary. Democrat Deidre DeJear and Libertarian Rick Stewart are also candidates for governor All four of Iowas U.S. House of Representative seats are on the ballot this year. The race to watch is in the newly redrawn 3rd Congressional District, where Republicans hope to unseat incumbent Rep. Cindy Axne, a two-term Democrat. Financial services professional Nicole Hasso, Iowa state senator and Air Force veteran Zach Nunn, and farmer Gary Leffler are the challengers in the Republican primary. Hasso and Nunn lead in fundraising. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, U.A. Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) and Americans for Prosperity Action have backed Nunn. Axne was first elected to the U.S. House in 2018. The redrawn 3rd District gained nine counties that voted for Trump in 2020. Mississippi All four of Mississippis U.S. House members are seeking reelection. While they all face primary challengers, they are expected to receive their parties nomination. A congressional ethics review could hurt Rep. Steven Palazzo, a Republican who has won the past six elections in Mississippis 4th Congressional District. On March 1, 2021, the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) made public a report that suggested Palazzo may have violated House rules, standards of conduct, and federal law. The OCE found evidence that Palazzo used campaign funds to maintain and improve a property he owned, may have spent campaign funds on personal expenses, may have asked official staffers to perform campaign and personal work during their workdays, may have spent Congressional allowances on campaign or personal expenses, and may have used his position to ask for special treatment from the Navy for his brother, according to the report. According to a report by the Campaign Legal Center, a left-wing watchdog group, Palazzo may have used campaign funds to pay himself nearly $200,000. The states House Ethics Committee has classified their probe of Palazzo only as a review. Palazzo serves on the House Appropriations Committee, which allocates federal spending. The question is whether he will face punishment by voters. Six candidates are running against him in the Republican primary. One opponent, Carl Boyanton, has raised more funds, while another, Clay Wagner, has raised almost as much as Palazzo. In a Facebook post, Wagner criticized Palazzo for avoiding candidate forums. Two DemocratsDavid Sellers and Johnny DuPreeare running for their partys nomination in the 4th district, although neither is likely to win in the general election in the extremely conservative district. In the rest of Mississippi, elections are likely to go to the incumbents, according to the Cook Political Report. Montana In Montana, voters will choose party nominees in two U.S. House races in newly created districts. Republican Rep. Matt Rosendale, who represents the entire state, is expected to win re-election in the 2nd Congressional District. His primary opponents include pharmacist Kyle Austin, Bozeman resident James Boyette, and environmental contractor Charles Walking Child. Democratic contenders are former Billings councilwoman Penny Ronning and Billings resident Skylar Williams. Financial adviser Gary Buchanan is running as an independent. Before redistricting, Rosendale had represented all of Montana in the House since his election in 2020. The 1st District is more competitive but leans red. Ryan Zinke, who served as secretary of the Interior under Trump, is the most high-profile GOP candidate. Democratic challengers include rural health care leader Cora Neumann, attorney Monica Tranel, and former state Rep. Tom Winter. New Mexico The Democratic Party is working to keep New Mexico a deep blue state. Registered Democrats now outnumber registered Republicans by nearly 200,000, creating an almost insurmountable challenge for GOP candidates going into the 2022 election cycle. Since Barack Obama won the state in 2008, the Democratic Partys nominee for president has won New Mexico four times in a row. Incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell, who represents the states 2nd District, is running for reelection in November. She has no primary challenger. Gov. Michelle Grisham, who was elected to her first four-year term in 2018, could see a challenge in November from Republican front-runner Mark Ronchetti. Ronchetti, a former TV meteorologist and unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2020, holds a commanding lead over three-term state Rep. Rebecca Dow in the GOP primary. Ronchettti has 45 percent support compared to 17 percent for Dow, with three other candidates each polling in single digits and 21 percent undecided, according to a poll published in the Albuquerque Journal. New Jersey While Donald Trump was president, Democrats flipped several U.S. House seats in New Jersey. Last November, Phil Murphy, a Democrat, narrowly won reelection over Republican former state lawmaker Jack Ciattarelli. This year, all eyes will be focused on how many House seats become truly competitive. There are 12 congressional districts on the ballot in the primary and general election. Four of nine Democratic incumbents face challengers, although those races arent expected to be close. A 10th Democratic seat is open in the 8th Congressional District with the retirement of Rep. Albio Sires. While registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than 1 million, the GOP has trimmed the gap over the last year. Meanwhile, about 2.36 million registered voters are unaffiliated. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem speaks in Des Moines, Iowa, on July 16, 2021. (Charlie Neibergall/AP Photo) South Dakota Trump asked Gov. Kristi Noem to challenge Sen. John Thune, a Republican who didnt support objections to the 2020 presidential election results. Instead, Noem opted to seek reelection as governor. Neither is expected to face a serious primary challenge. Since the state hasnt elected a Democrat in decades, incumbents are likely to sail to reelection in the general election in November. They have slapped Democrats around in just about every campaign, even running unopposed for a U.S. Senate seat in 2010 and U.S. House seat in 2020, University of South Dakota political science professor Michael Card told The Epoch Times. South Dakota hasnt elected a Democrat for governor since 1974. Its a solidly Republican state. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NORWALK The Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts set out to find the most talented high school sophomores and juniors across the country for their intensive pre-college program. And their search lead back to the city. When freshman Gabrielle Tapper from Norwalk High School inquired about a spot, the conservatory almost passed on an interview. What freshman knows what they want to do at 13 or 14, said Julia Orosz, director of operations for The Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts. Our last audition was Gabby she was the most talented student we auditioned out of thousands. Tapper will be one of 48 high school students from across the United States to take part in the conservatorys two-week training program this summer and the only student from Norwalk or Fairfield County. She will train with professionals in the television and film industry, and meet other students pursuing their dreams of musical theater and musical theater dance. As soon as Orosz finished the audition with Tapper, she immediately got a call from the president of The Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts, Danny Loftus George, and they agreed that Tapper deserved a full scholarship. Orosz knew exactly who to approach for help, recently speaking with the Rotary Club of Norwalk and its vice president, Tony Lopez. Rotary is here to support the community and this we thought was very unique, said Lopez. The Rotary board agreed to give Tapper a $2,500 scholarship. Lopez presented her with the check earlier in May at the Norwalk Inn alongside Orosz, George, Norwalk High School Principal Reginald Roberts and Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling. Although Tapper has dreamed of becoming an actor since she was little while watching the Disney Channel, she had a more practical outlook for her future. Before she accepted the offer from the conservatory, Tapper was looking for summer internships in the biology field. Her plans changed when George came to the Norwalk High School to talk about the conservatory with the drama club earlier this year. She emailed Orosz to ask for an audition and two days later, she jumped on a Zoom call to read two monologues. Prior to the audition, Tapper had zero experience in acting or singing. I felt like this was really my chance. This was a sign from the universe that this is what I have to do, Tapper said. It was a big deal for me to be recognized Being an actor felt like a once in a lifetime thing for me. When I got this, it really made me think, Oh wow, this is something I can actually do. The Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts will welcome the first class of the two-year conservancy in fall 2023. They are partnering with local performing arts organizations including the Wall Street Theater, Juice Media, Factory Underground, and Gymnastics and Cheerleading Academy. The conservatory was founded in 2018 by industry creatives with the goal of creating a college that was equal parts training and opportunity, according to its website. The faculty is comprised of artists currently working in theatre and television. The conservatory built The LINK Program which has developed into the two-year college program. Correction: This article has been updated to correct the spelling of Gabrielle Tappers name. emily.morgan@hearstmediact.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NORWALK City students are hoping to see a little more positivity in school. I hope to see, instead of kids fighting in the hall, we should have less fights and people talking nice to each other. Saying positive stuff, said Ismail Gemajli, a freshman at Norwalk High School. Gemajli hopes he can help turn the tide along with a few hundred other students at Norwalk and Brien McMahon high schools who participated in one-day training sessions last week with the Wingman Youth Leadership program, part of the Dylans Wings of Change foundation. Leading the sessions was the groups founder Ian Hockley, whose son Dylan was a victim of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting and dedicated the foundation in his sons honor. In 2015, the foundation started Wingman, a youth-led social and emotional learning program. Unlike the other social and emotional learning strategies used throughout the district, the Wingman program allows students to take the lead and facilitate activities for their peers with appropriate adult supervision. What I love about this is its a program where were now empowering students to rely on their own capacity to promote kindness and to promote a positive school climate, said James Martinez, the education administrator for school counseling and social services for Norwalk Public Schools. The program was held during a week when the Texas elementary school shooting, where 21 students and teachers were killed, shook school communities nationwide. The incident was the deadliest school shooting since Sandy Hook and prompted Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling to call for a police officer to be stationed at each city school for the remainder of the year. The district plans to institute the full two-day Wingman training next year and expand the program into the middle schools. The certified Wingman trainers will return to train a new batch of students and will be joined by a selected group of student leaders from last weeks participants. Hockley and his training staff insist on a good cross section of the student body to participate. School counselors looked for students who could become leaders and had diverse backgrounds, including race, socioeconomic status, social aptitude or academic achievement. You want everyone to be represented more importantly, we were looking for the student who would buy into this and you could turn into leaders, said Mike Surace, a school counselor at Norwalk High School. The training session held last week in Norwalk aimed to give students a bit of the full experience and introduce them to the activities that will help foster connection, understand each other better, and generate more empathy in the community. The idea is what happens when people connect with each other, they find what they have in common and if you build a connected community, you have less people who fall through the gaps, Hockley said. Hopefully, you have more kids that have a connection even with an adult or other kids so when theyre struggling, they have a network of people who can support them. The program doesnt target one specific issue, such as eliminating bullying, but rather seeks to cultivate more positives in hopes of reducing the negative behaviors. The goal is to create an environment where students feel safer in school to improve their learning experience. A recent survey showed Norwalk middle and high school students feel less safe in class than their younger peers. No one is going to learn when they are afraid for their emotional safety, Hockley said. I always like to say, How would school feel if everyone came in deciding Im going to pick someone up and not put them down. Sebi Schmitz, a junior at Brien McMahon, already knew most of the students in his training session, but he was happy to see they shared the same moral consciousness. Theyre my friends. We get along, so I think we can really make an impact, Schmitz said. I tried to make sure everyone got back in the rhythm (after COVID) and feel like they belong and have some friends to talk to and feel like coming to school every day. That its a positive thing and not, Ugh, I have to go to school. Norwalk High sophomore Joanna Gentle didnt discount what students can learn from adults, but emphasized the different outlooks students can share. Your peers can more connect with you because they may be going through the same thing, Gentle said. I think we can learn a lot from mentors who are older, but learning with a peer is different because you can both experience it in a sort of similar way. Brenda Ames, a junior at Brien McMahon, said students can sometimes be afraid to approach adults about different issues and as a class officer, she understands the importance of listening to her peers and letting them be heard. The biggest impact its going to have is feeling like were heard, and it also creates a feeling of safety just knowing that we have input on what goes on in our school, Ames said. Our school is a place where we spend more than half of our year and it is sort of like a home because were here more than we are at our own houses. emily.morgan@hearstmediact.com District 7 is altering school start times for the 2022-23 school year. "Were going to be doing a slight adjustment of the school start times for each of the levels, just to create a little bit more space in the school transportation schedule so that we dont have as many busses that are running late," said District 7 Superintendent Patrick Shelton. Next year District 7 will move the high school start time up five minutes to 7:15 a.m., the middle schools up 10 minutes to 7:50 a.m. and the intermediate schools five minutes to 9:10 a.m. Primary schools will start five minutes later at 9:20 p.m. This change is an effort to help alleviate bus scheduling issues. Shelton said this creates about 20 minutes more space in the transportation schedule for the next school year but this is a solution for just the upcoming school year. The school district has around 142 routes that cover 185 square miles, according to Shelton. This year, of those 142 routes, 31 were scheduled to arrive at least five minutes after the dismissal bell. So for example at the elementary school if it was a 3:30 dismissal bell we have 31 routes that would arrive at 3:36 or afterward," he said. For our little kids, kindergarten through fifth grade, sometimes thats a little challenge to sit and wait on the bus at the end of a day." Shelton said some routes in the northern area of the district can run as much as 30 minutes late, especially at the beginning of the year. The district has been working with First Student on an ongoing basis to seek solutions to the transportation issues in the district. The change in starting times will bring the 31 late busses down to six, according to Shelton, and the district is working to reroute students and add stops to help alleviate those last six. One of the long term things theyre going to do is this fall, after we get a good handle on ridership, theyre going to do a more comprehensive study of overall start times and look at what could we do to maybe be more efficient with some of our routes," Shelton said. "Its been a long time since we totally revamped our bus routes." A more significant change to the bus routes will not take place until the 2023-24 school year. The time change is meant to alleviate transportation issues for the coming year. What were essentially doing is creating almost a fourth tier of transportation by separating primary and intermediate into specific levels," Shelton said. The shift will alter the schedule so that intermediate students come to school first and also leave first while primary students are dropped off second and leave second. So for our families who have students at two different buildings it gives them a 10-minute window to get from one building to the next so they can pick up their child," he said. The change was discussed during his superintendents report at the Board of Education meeting last week. More back-to-school information will be released at the June board meeting. Long-time Madison County Board member Michael Doc Holliday is being challenged by Abe Barham in the June 28 primary in the new 8th District. Because of the census, board boundaries have been redrawn, and three county board seats are being eliminated. Holliday has served on the County Board for 24 years. He is retired from the Olin Corporation and wants to continue to serve the citizens and my district with honesty, dignity and respect. There are issues with people that have mental issues, our veterans, our elderly population, the working poor and the homeless that need to be brought forward and give them help to improve their quality of life, he said. Holliday cited a number of issues he has worked on over the years, including fighting to keep the Madison County Nursing Home open; traveling to Washington, D.C. to address the issue of Community Development Block Grants; and helping victims of Hurricane Katrina who came to Alton. While chairman of the Madison County Health Committee there were vaccination clinics set up in response to the H1N1 pandemic, he said. A Health Department webpage was established for the public to access information. There were yearly exercises in which this Health Department worked with multiple other health departments on both sides of the river to practice responding regionally. He also cited the establishment of a body art permit, and his attempts to promote the Step Up program, a nationwide initiative through the National Association of County Officials to deal with reducing the number of people with mental issues in jail. It is a privilege and an honor to serve as a County Board member, he added. People see my passion to serve and help those that may not seem to have hope. I will continue to speak for righteousness and for the issues that are in the best interest of the citizens of Madison County District 8, and Madison County as a whole. In addition to his county board membership, Holliday is president of the Illinois Association of County Board Members and Commissioners; a spokesperson for the Illinois Association of Local Boards of Health; first vice president of the Alton Chapter of the NAACP; vice president of Behavioral Health of Wood River; adjutant of the American Legion Post 354; and chairman of the deacon board at Union Baptist Church. Barham is a self-described community activist. He is an anneal washer at Olin Corporation, and has an associate's degree in marketing and business. He is second vice president of the Madison County Democrats; chairman of the Miles Davis Festival and co-chair for the Alton Juneteenth Committee. Im running for office to give a voice to the people, he said. To help our less fortunate population, including but not limited to our brave veterans, the homeless, and those suffering from mental illness. While there has been an increase in the area of mental illness and homelessness, resources have not, and these people are not receiving the help they need. If elected, he plans to hold quarterly meetings with city officials and others to bring a more positive attitude to Alton. Additionally, I plan to strengthen our industrial base while working towards the revitalization of our forgotten neighborhoods, he said, adding he wanted to ensure stewardship on how tax money is used. After 24 years, I feel my opponent has had enough time to make a difference, Barham said. Its time to turn the page and start a new chapter. The only other contested Democratic race in the primary is between incumbent board member Gussie Glasper and challenger Shawndell K. Williams. Early voting at the Madison County Clerks Office began last week, and mail-in ballots also went out Thursday. Early voting at satellite locations is set to begin June 13, with the primary on June 28. For more information visit madisoncountyvotes, or https://www.co.madison.il.us/departments/county_clerk/elections/index.php. HONOLULU (AP) A U.S. judge last week sentenced a former elected Hawaii official to 20 years in prison for leading a drug-trafficking ring. Arthur Brun said last year he sold methamphetamine to support his drug habit even while serving as a member of the county council on the island of Kauai. He pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, assault of a law enforcement officer, witness tampering and other charges. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Protesters angry over a building collapse in southwestern Iran that killed at least 33 people shouted down an emissary sent by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sparking a crackdown in which riot police clubbed demonstrators and fired tear gas, according to online videos analyzed on Monday. The demonstration directly challenged the Iranian government's response to the disaster a week ago as pressure rises in the Islamic Republic over rising food prices and other economic woes amid the unravelling of its nuclear deal with world powers. While the protests so far still appear to be leaderless, even Arab tribes in the region seemed to join them Sunday, raising the risk of the unrest intensifying. Already, tensions between Tehran and the West have spiked after Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard on Friday seized two Greek oil tankers seized at sea. Ayatollah Mohsen Heidari AleKasir tried to address upset mourners near the site of the 10-story Metropol Building, but hundreds gathered Sunday night instead booed and shouted. Surrounded by bodyguards, the ayatollah, in his 60s, tried to continue but couldn't. What's happening? the cleric stage-whispered to a bodyguard, who then leaned in to tell him something. The cleric then tried to address the crowd again: My dears, please keep calm, as a sign of respect to Abadan, its martyrs and the dear (victims) the whole Iranian nation is mourning tonight. The crowd responded by shouting: Shameless! A live broadcast of the event on state television then cut out. Demonstrators later chanted: I will kill; I will kill the one who killed my brother! The Tehran-based daily newspaper Hamshahri and the semiofficial Fars news agency said the protesters attacked the platform where state TV had set up its camera, cutting off its broadcast. Police ordered the crowd not to chant slogans against the Islamic Republic and then ordered them to leave, calling their rally illegal. Video later showed officers confronting and clubbing demonstrators as clouds of tear gas rose. At least one officer fired what appeared to be a shotgun, though it wasn't clear if it was live fire or so-called beanbag" rounds designed to stun. It wasnt immediately clear if anyone was injured or if police made any arrests. The details in the videos corresponded to known features of Abadan, some 660 kilometers (410 miles) southwest of the capital, Tehran. Foreign-based Farsi-language television channels described tear gas and other shots being fired. Independent newsgathering remains extremely difficult in Iran. During unrest, Iran has disrupted internet and telephone communications to affected areas, while also limiting the movement of journalists. Reporters Without Borders describes the Islamic Republic as the third-worst country in the world to be a journalist behind only North Korea and Eritrea. Following the tower collapse in Abadan on May 23, authorities have acknowledged the buildings owner and corrupt government officials had allowed construction to continue at the Metropol Building despite concerns over its shoddy workmanship. The city's mayor is among 13 people arrested as part of a broad investigation into the disaster. Rescue teams pulled four more bodies from the rubble on Monday, bringing the death toll to 33, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. Authorities fear more people could be trapped. The collapse has raised questions about the safety of similar buildings and underscored an ongoing crisis in Iranian construction projects. The collapse reminded many of the 2017 fire and collapse of the iconic Plasco building in Tehran that killed 26 people. In Tehran, the city's emergency department warned that 129 high-rise buildings in the capital remained unsafe, based on a survey in 2017. The countrys prosecutor-general, Mohammad Javad Motazeri, has promised to address the issue immediately. Abadan has seen past disasters. In 1978, an intentionally set fire at Cinema Rex just a few blocks from the collapsed building in modern Abadan killed hundreds. Anger over the blaze triggered unrest across Irans oil-rich regions and helped lead to the Islamic Revolution that toppled Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Abadan, in Iran's oil-rich Khuzestan province, is home to Iran's Arab minority, who long have complained about being treated as second-class citizens in the Persian nation. Arab separatists in the region have attacked pipelines and security forces in the past. Videos and the newspaper Hamshahri noted that two tribes had come into the city to support the protests. Meanwhile, one of the two Greek tankers seized by Iran on Friday turned on its tracking devices for the first time since the incident. The oil tanker Prudent Warrior gave a satellite position Monday off Bandar Abbas, a major Iranian port, according to data from MarineTraffic.com analyzed by The Associated Press. Five armed guards were on the Prudent Warrior on Monday, though Iranian authorities were allowing the crew to use their mobile phones, said George Vakirtzis, the chief financial officer of the ship's manager Polembros Shipping. The whole thing is political and in the hands of the Greek Foreign Office and the Iranian government, Vakirtzis told the AP. Monday night, Iranian state TV aired footage of the raid on the Prudent Warrior. The video showed masked Guard troops land a helicopter on the ship, then storm the civilian ship's bridge armed with assault rifles. It remains unclear where the second ship, the Delta Poseidon, is. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a phone call Monday with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, condemned Iran's seizure of the vessels and demanded Tehran immediately release the ships and their crew. Irans continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights and freedoms are a threat to maritime security and the global economy, Blinken said. ___ Follow Jon Gambrell and Isabel DeBre on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP and www.twitter.com/isabeldebre. Unemployment rose slightly in the Metro East in April, but remains well under 5 percent, while statewide unemployment dropped, according to the latest figures from the Illinois Department of Employment Security and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate for the St. Louis MSA, including Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Monroe and St. Clair counties, was 4.3 percent, up from 4.1 percent in March, and still down from 5.2 percent in April 2021. In Madison County the rate increased to 4.1 percent from 3.9 percent in March. Statewide, the unemployment rate was 4.4 percent, down from 4.7 percent in March and 6.4 percent last year. Part of the reason for the local uptick may be people are returning to the labor market, said Tony Fuhrmann, director of Madison County Employment and Training. The positive side of that is the number of people employed went up in the St. Louis MSA, Fuhrmann said. That would indicate more people coming back into the labor market, which is a good thing. He said the number of workers increased by approximately 2,700 workers between March and April, to 237,300. Theres more people looking, and more people working, he said. Theres been no layoffs that were aware of. A couple point fluctuation between things is pretty normal, 2/10ths of a percent is just a little blip. In the St. Louis MSA, Madison, St. Clair, Macoupin, Calhoun, Clinton and Bond counties showed increased unemployment, with Madison at 4.1 percent, up from 3.9 percent in March. Jersey County showed a slight decrease to 3.6 percent, down from 3.7 percent in March. State officials continued to tout the downward trend over the past year, noting that unemployment rates have decreased in all 14 Illinois metropolitan areas in April. The continued positive trajectory of Illinois economy is encouraging, said Deputy Governor Andy Manar. IDES and the Pritzker Administration are committed to supporting businesses and job seekers as they innovate, grow, and connect all across Illinois. Illinois economy is continuing on a strong positive trajectory, Manar added. Through collaboration with local partners, employers, and job seekers, we are strengthening our workforce system for the long run. Businesses and workers are encouraged to visit Get Hired Illinois to view helpful resources today. Not only does the unemployment rate continue to decline in Illinois, but a growing percentage of Illinoisans are participating in the workforce, said DCEO Director Sylvia I. Garcia. As job numbers in key industries such as manufacturing and hospitality continue to increase, DCEO continues to focus on an equitable recovery with workforce development programs like the Job Training and Economic Development program, announced this week, that focuses on increasing access for underserved and underrepresented communities to good paying careers. Fuhrmann noted there are still labor shortages. It doesnt matter what sector youre talking about, they are short of workers, he said Were still seeing a lot of people switch jobs. It is still a strong, strong market for job seekers. MCET offers services ranging from job postings and help with resumes or job searches, to paying for up to two years of training for high-value jobs. For information about employment and workforce training opportunities, call 618-296-4301, visit the Madison County website at https://www.co.madison.il.us/ or visit the departments Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MCETD. In his latest speech on China policy, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called China the most serious long-term challenge to the international order while stressing Washingtons resolve to avoid a new Cold War with China. Jia Qingguo, former Dean of the School of International Studies at Peking University, Diao Daming, a researcher at the National Academy of Development and Strategy of the Renmin University of China, and Su Xiaohui, Deputy Director of the Department for International and Strategic Studies of China Institute of International Studies, and other experts shared their views about Blinkens speech on China policy. Topic 1: China is the only country with both the intent to reshape the international order and, increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to do it, said Blinken in his speech, declaring Americas strategic intent to invest in itself, unite with allies, and compete with China. Diao Daming: In Americas China policy that involves investment, alliance, and competition, its concept of competition is not benign competition based on mutual respect, peaceful co-existence, or win-win cooperation. In essence, it is a vicious competition in which the US allows no other winner than itself. Jia Qingguo: China has no intention to challenge the current international order. The US is exaggerating Chinas intention and power to do that. As a matter of fact, the most important thing that the US should invest in is how to solve its own problems, such as the abuse of drugs, racial discrimination, and rampant gun violence, to name just a few. Seeking alliance, on the other hand, is just a usual ploy employed by the US to get other countries to share the cost of maintaining international order. Blinkens latest speech indicated a tactical rather than strategic adjustment of Washingtons China policy. The speech was insidiously framed, by calling China a challenge to international order, and pitting Beijing against the western world or even the entire international community. Particularly, Americas recent strategic offensives in the Asia Pacific have all fallen short of expectations, so making a tactical adjustment is to better implement its China strategy. Topic 2: In his speech, Blinken emphasized that the US is not looking for a conflict or a new Cold War, but he simultaneously called China the most serious, long-term challenge to international order and maliciously attacked some of Chinas policies and positions. Jia Qingguo: For a long time, the US has been imposing its values upon other countries and interfering in their internal affairs. It has also withdrawn from international organizations or threatened to do so while forming new exclusive cliques. It is the US that is seriously challenging the international order. Diao Daming: The US deliberately portrayed China as a perpetrator and itself as the victim in order to further contain China. At the same time, it doesnt want to undertake any moral responsibilities for providing international public goods, which indicates the mismatch between Americas limited national strengths and its obsession with preserving hegemony. Su Xiaohui: Blinkens speech lays bare the hypocrisy of American policies. Previously, President Biden said, the US does not seek a new Cold War with China; it does not aim to change Chinas system; the revitalization of its alliances is not targeted at China; the US does not support Taiwan independence; and it has no intention to seek a conflict with China. But now it intends to change Chinas strategic environment. Intentionally, ambiguity is kept the US administration doesnt need to go back on its words, but it still gives itself the freedom to manipulate and suppress China. Topic 3: On Taiwan question, Blinken said Americas policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged. However, Americas hollowing-out of the One-China principle, either covertly or overtly, is only too obvious just think about Bidens so-called gaffe during his Asian trip. How would you comment on the Biden administrations strategic ambiguity on the Taiwan question? Su Xiaohui: The US side doesnt think its the right time to be strategically unambiguous yet, and before that moment arrives, it must make the best of the Taiwan card while keeping China at bay and the overall situation under control. But the One-China principle is the cornerstone for the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. It is a very dangerous move for the US to break this consensus and empty the principle. The US has made constant moves toward Taiwan-related and other issues this year as if it was certain that China, with significant political agenda set for this year, would bear with its audacity, or even bite the bullet in order to maintain overall stability. But China will take actions to show the US side that it will resolutely fight back whenever anyone dares to touch its core interests. China will continue with its development path, and any external suppression and containment will become collapse in due time. Editor's note: The article is originally published on the haiwainet.cn,and is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn. That release could not be found. Last week primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party has once again showed the political cohesion of the north and the servitude attitude of our southern politicians. In the thicket of the party primaries, two northern contenders stepped down for Atiku Abubakar. Despite the combative nature of Nyesom Wike, if you believe that it is a personal loss, it a great error of judgment mortally flawed. The north can put its house in order but not so with the south. If the south cannot put up a united front, so long with the north continue to dominate the political scene. I remember that the southern governors met in Asaba and they spoke glowingly that come 2023, the president must come from the south. Yesterday outing of the PDP in Abuja is a testimony that the politicians from the south are not to be trusted. It was reported that delegates from the south under the prodding of their governors were made to vote for Atiku Abubakar. As you read this piece, those state governors that were so vocal about the production of a southern president are already crawling to Atiku Abubakar why the vice presidential slot should be given to them. It is not only a trait of betrayal but display of lack of self-respect and disdaining the collective interest of the south. One thing that stood out in the presidential primaries is the dethroning of Naira as the legal tender of the country. The almighty dollars took the central stage and delegates were showered with rains of dollars. Those that doled out dollars are those angling to take over the affairs of the nation from the ruling APC. If leaders in the womb of time cannot value our currency, then the Naira shall continue the plunge into abyss and the cost of living bursting the roof. It is a sad day for our democracy and the rule of law. Bribing delegates is corruption and that by any stretch of political imagination cannot be called free and fair contest. That is why a cynical smile mocks my face hearing Atiku saying: `Today , we have witnessed another one of the freest elections to be conducted by our great party. Today marks another milestone in the process of our democratic gains`. The PDP has demonstrated beyond compare that money remains the ingredients of our democracy. A system that produces such leaders cannot minister to the welfare of the electorate. It is high time the EFCC looked at the issue of political corruption and the doctoring of party primaries result because of money. If we say that money is not playing nuisance value in our politics, we are only just pretending. A candidate that influenced party primaries via the use of money is likely to do so in the general elections where the stakes are higher. That explains why our governors, ministers, legislators, council chairmen and even councilors are emergency millionaires. If some of them could use the money to establish industries at home, we may forgive them. But what gnaws the heart of this writer is that such looted monies are used to buy properties in foreign lands. Some are kept in foreign bank accounts where the proceeds are used in developing such countries. My dear Atiku, that certainly can be a happy day for our democracy. Atiku Abubakar is a recurring decimal as far as the presidential primaries or elections are concerned. He contested on the platform of Social Democratic Party and lost to MKO Abiola. He dumped his governorship seat to run as vice president to Olusegun Obasanjo. Since then, he had contested every presidential election either on the platform of PDP or APC. He is a serial presidential contender after serving for eight years as vice president. I am a trained journalist and not a practiced soothsayer but something tells me that this Atiku`s presidential bid shall hit the rock like all previous ones. The APC may use the power of incumbency to retain the presidency. Atiku promised to run an inclusive government pleading with those that contested with him to join him in rescuing the country from the misrule of the APC. He explained why he wants to be the next president :`I am going to deal decisively with our security challenges in this country. I also pledge to confront our economic challenges, which were caused by the APC government. The PDP made Nigeria one of the most prosperous countries on the African continent. We implemented economic reforms that brought about jobs and prosperity in this country`. These are lofty ideas, no doubt. Atiku should tell Nigerians why he deleted a post condemning the butchering of Deborah by Islamic zealots. He should also explain to us why his former principal, Olusegun Obasanjo said that Nigerians should not vote for him because of his attitude towards money. Furthermore, he must tell us why he thinks that only he is qualified to solve the problems of the country and that those from the south are only qualified as vice presidential running mate. I am aware that power is not got on a platter of gold and Atiku Abubakar over the years has not disguised his ambition to be the president of the country. Maybe he has something for the nation and would do it differently from former holders of the office. This page is about the best for the nation. Just as some southern politicians gnash their teeth that one of the major political parties is not fielding one of their own, the truth of the matter is that division and hatred are seething the ranks of the southerners and it is not the fault of Atiku. I wish him all the best. Julius Oweh, a journalist, Asaba Delta State. 08037768392 It took sixteen months, but Somalias elections have finally concluded and without major incident. In this Q&A, Crisis Group expert Omar Mahmood looks at the challenges confronting the new chief executive and suggests some ways of tackling them. What happened in Somalias presidential election? On 23 May, outgoing Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmajo officially handed over power to his successor Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. The ceremony marked the conclusion of Somalias longest-ever electoral cycle, which reached its denouement in the presidential contest held on 15 May, more than sixteen months behind schedule. Mohamud, who had previously served as president between 2012 and 2017, made history as the only Somali president in the modern era to win a second, albeit non-consecutive, term. Somalias elections are indirect. Regional states select their senators for the upper house of parliament. The process for the lower house of parliament begins when clan elders and other respected clan members select delegates, who in turn select their parliamentary representatives. Representatives of the two parliamentary houses then combine to vote for the chief executive. If no single candidate garners two thirds of the votes in the first round, the top four contestants move on to a second round, which again, in the absence of a two-thirds majority vote getter, sees the top two candidates proceed to a third round that is decided by simple majority. From a crowded field of over 30 contestants, Mohamud emerged to defeat Farmajo in the decisive third round. Two factors help explain Mohamuds second political ascent. First, Farmajo almost certainly suffered from the incumbency disadvantage that besets Somali presidents: no sitting executive has managed to retain office over the past two decades of indirect elections. Somalias complex set of political and clan alliances makes it difficult for leaders to satisfy enough parties to secure a second consecutive term. Often, a culture of washamsi (which loosely translates as ganging up) plays out, as the opposition coalesces around whoever seems to be the incumbents strongest challenger. Candidates need to build alliances and engage in elite deal-making as voting rounds progress, soliciting the support of those who have lost. Some presidential candidates told Crisis Group that Plan A was to win [and] Plan B was to rally behind anyone other than Farmajo. These dynamics were particularly visible this time around. Mohamud more than quadrupled his vote total between the first and third rounds, while Farmajo failed even to double his. Prominent candidates Sheikh Sharif Ahmed and Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame both endorsed Mohamud after their first-round defeat (they have since been named to special envoy positions in Mohamuds new government). Puntland leader Said Deni, who was also a contender, did the same after the second round. As Crisis Group has reported previously, Farmajos determination to centralise power within his administration ran into fierce opposition from other political forces, notably amongst the political elite that preceded his time in office and in some of the subnational units known as federal member states. Many saw the presidential election as an opportunity to remove Farmajo from office. Some presidential candidates told Crisis Group that Plan A was to win, but failing that, Plan B was to rally behind anyone other than Farmajo. The second reason for Mohamuds success was his conciliatory tone, which resonated with members of parliament and other political elites fatigued by Farmajos confrontational attitude toward domestic opponents and some foreign partners. Mohamud campaigned on promises of no retaliation against those who did not support him in the election and making no enemies inside or outside Somalia, drawing a contrast with Farmajos combativeness. As is common in Somali presidential elections, there were allegations of vote buying, with money changing hands between candidates and voting parliamentarians, but even if true, it is not clear that this played a decisive factor in the outcome. Several sources told Crisis Group that some candidates spent even more per vote than in the 2017 election. Yet it also appears that candidates did not always succeed in securing the votes they had paid for. What are the implications of the vote for Somalia? Most Somalis and the countrys international partners, such like the U.S. and the EU, appeared to welcome the result, primarily because it finally brought the protracted and hugely divisive electoral cycle to a relatively orderly close. Diplomats had frequently worried throughout the cycle that losing candidates would take to the streets to challenge the outcome. Yet the presidential vote concluded without major incident (six mortar rounds likely fired by Al-Shabaab, the countrys Islamist insurgency landed near the election venue on the day of the vote, but caused no casualties) and the results were accepted across the political spectrum, making the exercise a success. It was a dramatic turnaround. Only a year ago, Somalias political elites appeared on the brink of war. In April 2021, security forces under Farmajos command fought with other troops that aligned with the political opposition in Mogadishu after Farmajo pushed a measure through the lower house of parliament extending his governments time in office by two years, which he said was necessary because of the drawn-out electoral cycle. The clashes could have brought down the federal government, but in the end Farmajo stepped back from the fight. With these memories fresh, many breathed sighs of relief at the peaceful transfer of power, which seemed to suggest that Somalias political leaders prefer not to be seen as responsible for the federal governments destruction. Farmajos political defeat also indicated that the diffuse nature of power makes it difficult, if not impossible, for one politician to dominate Somali politics, though his attempt to do so still caused considerable damage. Yet few would contend that the electoral cycle was a particularly positive contribution to the development of democratic institutions and the rule of law in Somalia. Signs of extreme manipulation in the parliamentary elections that preceded the presidential race were especially worrying. Undue influence to predetermine outcomes appeared even greater in this cycle than previously, probably due to the polarisation that became a feature of Farmajos tenure. Farmajos controversial emphasis on centralised governance led to a wide perception that the elections involved particularly high stakes, with some politicians suggesting that they were effectively a referendum on the merits of a centralised versus federalised model of governance for Somalia. Through successive agreements around electoral modalities, the presidents of federal member states won greater latitude in selecting parliamentarians, which they used to favour those whom they believed would vote for their preferred presidential candidate. The level of apparent manipulation surfaced as an unusually high number of parliamentary races featured only two contestants known in the Somali political lexicon as malxiis or best man system. The federal member state presidents preferred candidate then either won overwhelmingly in the vote or by default when the opponent dropped out. Because this phenomenon was so rampant, there was little protest: all states appeared to be culpable the only exception being in Hirshabelle, where relatively competitive elections were held for the final handful of seats that were filled. Somalis usually refer to the indirect parliamentary elections as selections, but in the case of the 2021-2022 cycle, a more accurate term might be appointments. While the lack of competitive parliamentary proceedings did not undermine the competitiveness of the presidential vote, it still raises concerns. As outlined above, the vast majority of members of parliament won seats on the basis of political loyalty rather than an ideological platform, individual merit or standing among the constituencies they purport to represent. Political loyalties are notoriously fickle in Somalia, but if the representatives feel tied to their political patrons, parliament may wind up more divided than it has been in the past. Additionally, parliament already struggles to fulfil its legislative functions and check the executive branch. It seems unlikely that a parliament composed of members chosen in part for their lack of independence will be able to build an autonomous institution. Moreover, the parliamentary electoral cycle raises wider questions about the overall legitimacy of Somalias political institutions and how well they serve the citizenry. Crisis Group interviews with civil society actors and other civilians indicate a public disenchanted with all the manipulation favouring political elites. In this sense, the parliamentary elections were a missed opportunity for government leaders to establish a better relationship with ordinary Somalis who complain that they are seeing little dividend from years of state-building efforts ie, the effort to establish and fortify public institutions viewed as legitimate and capable of providing for security, justice and well-being following the collapse of the state in the 1990s by further giving them a chance to be heard. What is Farmajos legacy and what does Mohamuds victory mean? What are the regional implications? Farmajos administration made some positive contributions to Somalias state-building efforts, but also presided over an increasingly divided politics. On the positive side, it carried on with the previous governments economic reforms aimed at alleviating the countrys debt burden and it rolled out much-needed security-sector reforms, including the biometric registration of federal soldiers. Farmajo enjoyed some popularity, particularly among Somali youth, who appreciated the strong nationalist sentiment associated with many of his policies. On balance, however, Farmajos push to centralise power widened political cleavages and set Somalis against one another. Following Somalias struggle with centralised governance under the Siad Barre dictatorship (1969-1991) and state collapse in the 1990s, federalism became the model to balance power between reinstituted state structures in the 2000s. In Somalia, the system consists of a federal government that serves at the helm, with significant authority granted to federal member states. Farmajo set about rolling back the autonomy of these member states, in addition to that of other institutions at the federal level that could also challenge him. In this pursuit, his administration often used a heavy hand to discipline politicians who criticised his ideas, replacing dissident officials at the state and federal levels and deploying soldiers to bring local authorities to heel in regions such as Gedo and Galmudug. These tactics both divided Somalia and spurred a strong backlash. Even with international partners, the Farmajo administration tended to create unnecessary friction, with Somalia drawing close to some neighbours at the expense of others. For instance, Farmajo entered into a tripartite alliance with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki. Yet details of this framework, which included an arrangement by Eritrea to train 5,000 Somali security personnel who have yet to come home, were shrouded in secrecy. Somalias relations with Djibouti and Kenya, which were not part of this alliance, suffered as a result, with Nairobi and Mogadishu twice severing ties for several months. Farmajo went to great lengths to strengthen links with Qatar, but in so doing strained relations with other Gulf partners. Similarly, Farmajo went to great lengths to strengthen links with Qatar, but in so doing strained relations with other Gulf partners, who at the time were deeply at odds with Doha. Although Somalia proclaimed neutrality, its close association with Qatar belied this stance and relations with actors like the UAE grew increasingly embittered. These strains were often caused by mutual gamesmanship and cannot be laid entirely at Farmajos feet, but his actions often appeared to be governed by an alienating and retributive mindset that significantly ratcheted up tensions. Mohamud picked up on this in his campaign, calling for no enemies both at home and abroad. While slogans do not often translate into practice and Mohamud has also struggled to abide by this rhetoric, the overall approach he took to both domestic politics and foreign relations during his previous time in office was premised more on consultation and less on confrontation. If he follows through on the tone set by his campaign now that he has taken power, it should allow Mogadishu to reset some damaged relationships and recalibrate others, but keeping friction with foreign and domestic counterparts at manageable levels once more substantive issues have been put on the table will still be challenging. Resetting relations with the federal member states will be the incoming administrations immediate priority. Some member state leaders installed by Farmajo remained loyal to him until the very end, seeing their political fortunes as tied to his. How Mohamud navigates the new governments relationship with leaders who opposed his ascent to power will be an early indicator of his commitment to his other campaign slogan around no retaliation. There is reason to believe that Mohamud will not pursue centralisation with the same vigour as his predecessor; during his prior term he was more supportive of Somalias federal path than Farmajos recent administration. Indeed, he oversaw the development of a major part of the federal architecture, with the states of Jubaland, Southwest, Hirshabelle and Galmudug all emerging during his first term. But the process was rancourous at times. Mohamud feuded with Jubaland leader Ahmed Madobe before they came to agreement over that federal states formation, and he also stood accused of manoeuvring allies into positions where they could lead regional administrations, such as in Galmudug. Mohamuds victory is likely to introduce greater balance into Somalias foreign policy. Mohamuds victory is likely to introduce greater balance into Somalias foreign policy as well. Relations with Kenya should improve in the short-term from their nadir under Farmajo, as his nationalistic posturing frequently played off the notion of an adversarial relationship with Nairobi. Yet, while a leadership change can re-set ties, fundamental issues remain between the two neighbours. Although the International Court of Justice (ICJ) made a long awaited ruling on their disputed maritime boundary last October, largely in Somalia's favour, enforcing that will require cooperation. This remains a source of consternation in Nairobi. (It was under Mohamuds previous administration that Somalia referred the case to the ICJ against Kenyas wishes.) Mohamud will also have to decide how to approach Somalias other large neighbour, Ethiopia. Mohamud was close to Ethiopias previous government, which was replaced by current Prime Minister Abiy amid social unrest in 2018; that relationship cost him votes from some MPs when he tried to get re-elected in 2017. Farmajo subsequently forged a strong relationship with Abiy, but it was based on personal relations more than ties between the two countries institutions. Moreover, dynamics in Addis Ababa have shifted a great deal in recent years. Distracted by civil war and other internal crises, Ethiopias dominant role in Somali politics has faded. In this sense, Mohamud will likely prioritise a good working relationship with his neighbour, but the declining nature of Ethiopias position within Somalia means the practical need for Mogadishu to cosy up to Addis Ababa is not as apparent as it was before. Another important challenge for President Mohamud will be to try to rebuild relations with Gulf partners that suffered during the political crisis that pit Qatar against some of its neighbours along the Gulf early in Farmajos tenure. President Mohamuds no enemies abroad slogan could augur a recalibration of Gulf relations, with Somalia maintaining ties with Qatar, while seeking to re-engage with the UAE. The two Gulf monarchies have largely reconciled after the Al-Ula accords in early 2021, suggesting that conditions are ripe for Somalia to strive for normal relations with both rather than playing one off the other. In turn, Mogadishu should encourage Qatar and the UAE to stop treating Somalia as a theatre for zero-sum competition. What should President Mohamuds priorities be? President Mohamud faces several urgent tasks. The closure of the electoral cycle itself is an opportunity to refocus distracted government officials on the pressing concerns of the day a sorely needed fresh start. But domestic and international euphoria about the conclusion of the elections should be calibrated given the magnitude of challenges that lie ahead. The incoming administrations immediate priority should be a swift humanitarian response to a prolonged drought in the region, which has devastated crops and cattle herds. If rainfall remains below average through June, millions could be at risk of famine. Somalia has experienced recurrent droughts over the past decade, and a key lesson from the drought in 2017 was that an early response and rapid relief mobilisation helped significantly limit the populations suffering. The government should reinforce calls for more resources from donors and prepare itself to coordinate the response. A humanitarian surge could also bring political dividends after an electoral cycle that few Somalis viewed as taking their needs and concerns into account. More broadly, Mohamud inherits a deeply divided Somalia, reeling from the polarisation experienced during Farmajos tenure. Reaching out to both political supporters and opponents across society will be important in setting a new tone. Mohamud said all the right things about unity in his campaign. Now, his administration should strive to bring together Somalias political elite, including former adversaries, around a common vision to advance Somalia forward and move on from recent divisive politics before turning to other technical tasks, such as finalising the still unfinished constitution. Mohamud should work to improve ties between the federal government and member states. Efforts at achieving greater unity must also extend to the regional and community levels. Mohamud should work to improve ties between the federal government and member states in order to establish good working relationships for starters, national and regional leaders could resume regular meetings that ceased under Farmajo but his efforts must also include resolving major rifts within member states, some of which have been exacerbated by past federal interventions. For example, the future of the Gedo region in Jubaland state, where Farmajo sent national security forces to replace Jubaland officials amid an intense dispute in early 2020, remains a question mark. In the Hiiraan region of Hirshabelle state, lingering grievances from the 2020 political cycle continue to stoke separatist sentiments. In Galmudug state, fighters from Ahlu Sunna Wal Jamaa, a Sufi militia that has clashed with Al-Shabaab in the past, advanced on state capital Dhusamareb, just days before the presidential vote. With the national electoral cycle finished, those who live in these communities will rightly expect the federal government to turn its attention to resolving these festering crises. Mohamud will also face a number of long-running governance projects and challenges. High on the list for Somalias international partners will be to see the new administration complete a review of the provisional constitution, with the aim of finalising the document. Related tasks include developing the surrounding framework, including by building out the judicial services and human rights commissions and establishing a constitutional court. Mohamud will also need to continue economic reforms, such as improving public financial management and increasing domestic revenue mobilisation to attain full debt relief and begin exploring electoral reforms to set the stage for the next round of national elections in 2026. As concerns electoral reform, it will be important to set realistic goals. A one-person one-vote model has been the objective of international efforts in Somalia for some time and something Mohamud has already expressed support for but it has proven difficult to implement in practice. Rather than insisting on full universal suffrage in the short term and raising expectations that may ultimately fall short, the government and international partners should treat that as the long-term goal, while in the meantime still undertaking efforts to show significant improvements in the next electoral cycle by tackling flaws that have arisen in past indirect processes, along with increasing transparency and overall participation. Security remains a pressing concern, with support from international partners in a state of flux. Security remains a pressing concern, with support from international partners in a state of flux. Many continue to worry about the Al-Shabaab insurgency, which continues to threaten stability in Somalia and the wider Horn, and appears to have been emboldened by the protracted electoral cycle. For this reason, U.S. government announced less than 24 hours after the vote that it will send back approximately 450 troops repositioned out of Somalia in the Trump administrations waning days. At the same time, however, President Mohamud inherits a freshly negotiated plan for the African Union Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) to withdraw by the end of 2024. That plan is subject to conditions on the ground, the most important of which concerns the status of the security sector, and in particular a requirement that the Somali government develop 22,825 soldiers over the next three years to take over from the mission. Even during negotiations on the missions future, details about how Somalia should meet this requirement were lacking and few international partners supporting the force appear to see the timeline as realistic. To have any hope of meeting this ambitious plan, the new administration will be required to take quick action. The militarys cohesion and public image sufferedunder President Farmajo, who sometimes used elements of the security forces to intimidate and control his domestic political opponents. Mohamud will have to attend to the resulting fractures within these forces. He can then try to address the gap in force generation, in part by returning to the 2017 National Security Architecture which was developed toward the end of his previous tenure and ratified under Farmajo. This plan focuses among other things on efforts to solicit troops from member states under a more federalised approach to building up the army. Determining the status of the above-referenced forces sent to train in Eritrea and ensuring their return should also be a priority. Last, but hardly least, is the enduring problem of how to govern Somalia in the shadow of Al-Shabaab. The insurgency has evolved considerably since Mohamud was last president. It is now more embedded in Somali society and has penetrated several government-controlled areas, including Mogadishus port, where it extractsprotection fees from businesses. Suspicion is rife locally that it has infiltrated the state apparatus as well, including the intelligence services. These charges need thorough investigating if public trust in state security institutions is to be restored. As Crisis Group will discuss in a forthcoming report, Al-Shabaab remains difficult, and likely impossible, to defeat on the battlefield. Mohamuds government will therefore need to put non-military options on the table as well and roll out a comprehensive strategy for tackling the insurgency, including undertaking steps to test the waters around the possibility of dialogue as an eventual means to wind down the war. Crackdown ordered on drugs smuggled into Phuket PHUKET: Phuket Vice Governor Anuphap Rodkwan Yodrabam has ordered local law enforcement to crack down on drugs brought into Phuket by land, air or sea. drugscrimepolice By The Phuket News Tuesday 31 May 2022, 12:22PM Photo: PR Phuket V/Gov Anuphap handed down the order at a meeting of the Sub-Committee on Monitoring Performance, Prevention and Solution to Drug Problems in Phuket held at the Phuket Drug Prevention and Suppression Center, located at the old Provincial Hall in Phuket Town, yesterday (May 30). V/Gov Anuphap serves as chairman of the sub-committee. V/Gov Anuphap said that the meeting was to consider the work done by various government agencies in Phuket in the prevention and suppression of drug use and prevalence on the island. There has been an order to increase the strictness of preventing drug deliveries into the area in all channels, to reduce the spread of drugs in the area, he said. In the past month, there were arrests made in 195 cases for drug offenses in the area, resulting in the arrests of 210 suspects and the seizure of assets of more than B1 million, V/Gov Anuphap said. In 24 drug cases investigated, a total of 24 foreigners were arrested on drug charges, he added. Pacific nations reject China security pact SUVA: Ten Pacific island nations rebuffed Chinas push for a wide-ranging regional security pact yesterday (May 30), amid worries the proposal was designed to pull them into Beijings orbit. Chinesenatural-resourcespoliticsmilitarymarineland By AFP Tuesday 31 May 2022, 02:28PM Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said that that Beijing is willing to work with other major powers in the Pacific region to help island nations develop. Photo: AFP Talks in Fiji between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and leaders from the small island nations failed to reach an agreement, in a high-profile diplomatic setback for Beijing. China is offering to radically ramp up its activities in the South Pacific, directly challenging the influence of the United States and its allies in the strategically vital region. The proposed pact would see Beijing train Pacific island police, become involved in cybersecurity, expand political ties, conduct sensitive marine mapping and gain greater access to natural resources on land and in the water. As an enticement, Beijing is offering millions of dollars in financial assistance, the prospect of a potentially lucrative China-Pacific islands free trade agreement and access to Chinas vast market of 1.4 billion people. Behind the scenes, Pacific leaders have voiced deep misgivings about the offer. In a recent letter to fellow leaders, David Panuelo, the President of the Federated States of Micronesia, warned the offer was disingenuous and would ensure Chinese influence in government and economic control of key industries. A more soft-spoken public rebuke came after the talks, when leaders said they could not agree to Beijings proposed Common Development Vision due to a lack of regional consensus. As always, we put consensus first, co-host and Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said after the meeting, indicating that broad accord would be needed before inking any new regional agreements. Papua New Guinea, Samoa and the Federated States of Micronesia were said to be among those concerned about the proposals, along with Taiwan-recognising Palau, which was not invited. We would rather deal with our own security issues with China, Papua New Guinea Foreign Minister Soroi Eoe told AFP, indicating concern about any region-wide pact. Chinese officials - working frantically to secure support during Wangs 10-day diplomatic blitz of the region - admitted their entreaties had fallen short. There has been general support from the 10 countries, Chinese ambassador to Fiji Qian Bo told reporters in Suva. But of course, there are some concerns on some specific issues and we have agreed that these two documents will be discussed afterwards until we have reached an agreement. Speaking from Suva, Wang made the face-saving announcement that the 10 countries had agreed to memorandums of understanding on Chinas Belt and Road infrastructure initiative. The two sides will continue to have ongoing and in-depth discussions and consultations to shape more consensus on cooperation, he said, urging those worried by Beijings intentions not to be too anxious and dont be too nervous. The full proposal has not been made public, but was leaked to media including AFP ahead of yesterdays meeting. China has said it will release a position paper highlighting the proposals to the public in the coming weeks. Balancing act Western powers have bristled against Chinas move into the region, with the US State Department warning South Pacific nations to be wary of shadowy, vague deals with little transparency. Australia joined the United States in urging a spurning of Chinas attempts to expand its security reach deep into the region, with the countrys new foreign minister warning of the consequences of such deals. Many in the Pacific are uneasy at being thrust to the centre of a geopolitical tussle between China and US allies. Most capitals are keen to maintain amicable ties with China, balancing relations between Beijing, Washington, Canberra and Wellington, while focusing on the more urgent threat of climate change and day-to-day economic issues. During a joint appearance with Wang, Bainimarama hit out at those engaged in geopolitical point-scoring. It means less than little to anyone whose community is slipping beneath the rising seas, whose job has been lost to a pandemic or whose family is impacted by the rapid rise in the price of commodities, he said. All but a few of the Pacific Islands are low-lying and deeply vulnerable to sea-level rises caused by climate change. Before the meeting, President Xi Jinping sent a message that China would be a good brother to the region and that they shared a common destiny, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Phuket Muay Thai tourists have herpes, not monkeypox, says Governor PHUKET: Three tourists who travelled to Phuket to train at Muay Thai gyms have been diagnosed as infected with herpes, not monkeypox, Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew has confirmed. healthtourism By Eakkapop Thongtub Tuesday 31 May 2022, 09:00AM No people infected with monkeypox have been found in the area. We ask people not to worry as our surveillance measures are ready, Governor Narong said. The confirmation follows Dr Chakkarat Pittayawong-anon, Director of the Department of Disease Control (DDC) Division of Epidemiology, under the Ministry of Public Health, revealing that one confirmed case of monkeypox had been identified as transiting at an airport in Thailand, Governor Narong explained. Twelve people were considered to have had high-risk exposure to the traveller. All 12 were initially asymptomatic, he added. Five of them were found to be in the high-risk range. Three of them were Icelandic tourists who had traveled to Thailand to learn Muay Thai in Phuket, he said. The three tourists were confirmed to have herpes and they have received treatment to prevent the spread of the disease, he said. A report from the Phuket Public Health Office [PPHO] and the director of Vachira Phuket Hospital have confirmed that Phuket has not had any infections of monkeypox at this time, Governor Narong assured. At Phuket International Airport, we have measures to screen people arriving from abroad. We have staff to take care of them from our COVID measures who are taking care of this as well, and are giving special attention to tourists coming from European countries, especially high-risk areas, he said. I would like to ask the people of Phuket, including tourists who have travelled here, to understand that we have screening for entering the country via the airport and we have public health measures. We are ready to take full care. Please dont worry, especially if you have symptoms similar to monkeypox. We ask such people to go see a doctor at a hospital. We also ask to avoid contact with any person with symptoms similar to chicken pox, he added. Phuket prepares to celebrate Her Majesty the Queens birthday PHUKET: Preparations by Phuket government officials are underway for the birthday celebration of Her Majesty the Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana on Friday (June 3). culture By The Phuket News Tuesday 31 May 2022, 03:38PM A meeting was chaired by Deputy Governor of Phuket Amnuay Pinsuwan at Provincial Hall yesterday (May 30) to outline and detail proceedings. It was confirmed that at 7am on Friday, a merit-making ceremony is scheduled to take place for royal merit at Provincial Hall. All participants must adhere to a specific dress code that sees civil servants and employees of the state wear normal white uniform without a hat. Similarly, police and military personnel must wear white uniform and gloves but no hat. Wandee Woonciew, wife of current Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew and President of the Interior Housekeeper of Phuket Province, will wear a purple Amarin dress, as is customary. Royal volunteers must wear their designated uniform and students the uniform from their respective organisations. At 5:30pm there will be a ceremony of royal offerings where flowers will be laid at the auditorium of Provincial Hall and auspicious blessings made. For this ceremony the dress code is the same as above other than civil servants and employees of the state must wear normal white uniform with a hat and police and military personnel must wear white uniform, gloves and a hat. Members of the public are permitted to attend the 5:30pm ceremony but must wear purple attire. There is the additional option to wear a pin commemorating the 60th birthday of His Majesty the King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun. Attendees are also asked to wear a white facemask or white cloth mask for the ceremony. Friday is declared a national holiday to honour the Queens birthday and, as a result, all government offices will be closed, except those conducting essential services. All main bank branches will close, but branches in shopping centres will remain open. All Royal Thai Police and Tourist Police stations will remain open and some local consulates will remain open to serve their respective citizens. Although the sale of alcohol on the Queens Birthday is not prohibited by law, police traditionally encourage people to refrain from drinking alcohol on such auspicious days as a sign of respect. Phuket to host Worlds Best Rice Award ceremony in November BANGKOK: US-based magazine The Rice Trader will host an award ceremony for the Worlds Best Rice Award in Phuket this year, with the Ministry of Commerce expecting the event to boost the global popularity of Thai grains. agricultureeconomics By National News Bureau of Thailand Tuesday 31 May 2022, 11:34AM Photo: NNT The Worlds Best Rice Award will take place from Nov15-17, was announced The Rice Trader CEO Jeremy Zwinger in his meeting with Thai Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit, reports state news agency NNT. The magazine has been giving out such awards for 13 consecutive years, with Thailands Hom Mali rice winning the top prize for the last two years. This award ceremony will be the biggest event to ever be held by a magazine publisher, with no fewer than 1,000 participants. The event is also expected to help boost the popularity of Thai rice and stabilise national prices. Additionally, the event will promote tourism activities in Phuket and neighbouring provinces such as Krabi and Phang Nga. The Ministry of Commerce has projected a total of 7-8 million tons of exported rice this year, which is higher than last years volume of 6.1mn tons. The country exported 2.29mn tons of rice in the first four months of 2022, marking a 52.67% increase and generating B39.45 billion in revenue. Major markets comprise countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, said the NNT report. Russian woman dies in fall from Patong condo PHUKET: A 35-year-old Russian woman has died after falling eight stories at a condo building in Patong. deathtourismSafetypatongpoliceRussian By Eakkapop Thongtub Tuesday 31 May 2022, 04:49PM Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Patong Police were informed of the incident, at The Emerald Terrace condominium complex off Phra Barami Rd, at about 4:30am today (May 31). Maj Panumat Sukkaew and Lt Col Athiwee Poomchaya arrived at the scene with Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers find the body of Evgeniia Smirnova*, 35, on the ground. She had died of fatal head trauma. Security guards and staff at the scene told police that the woman had fallen from the eighth floor, where she was staying with three friends. The group had been drinking alcohol, police were told. Officers noted the external curved stairs as a design feature joining the seventh and eighth floors at the back of the building, where the womans body was found. The case is being investigated by the Patong Police Station in Phuket and the Phuket Tourist Police to find the cause of the fall from the condominium, Patong Police reported. Maj Gen Sermphan Sirikong, Commander of Phuket Provincial Police, has been informed of the incident. Maj Gen Sermphan said officers were investigating the incident to report to the Russian Embassy in Thailand and to clearly inform relatives and related persons of the circumstances of the womans death. However, Maj Gen Sermphan said, It will take time to investigate all the facts before coming to any conclusions. * The Phuket News originally withheld the womans identity until officials had confirmed that her family have been notified of her death. Wissanu rejects dumping Thai numbers BANGKOK: Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam has rejected replacing Thai numerals with Arabic numbers as used in Western countries in all official documents. culture By Bangkok Post Tuesday 31 May 2022, 09:17AM Wissanu: Need to stand our ground. Photo: Bangkok Post He was responding to an online campaign launched on www.change.org that seemed to suggest that Thai numerals be dropped in favour of Arabic numerals for all official documents for the sake of standardisation and convenience. However, Wissanu said he felt the campaign was not calling for an end to Thai numerals across the board, but to only use Arabic numbers for official documents that are digitally compiled, reports the Bangkok Post. This is because Thai numerals are not always easy to read in an online format. The deputy prime minister said essential papers such as official documents and school textbooks in hard-copy form must continue to use Thai numerals since Thai is the official language. Wissanu said it may be permissible to adopt Arabic numerals for digital documents. He maintained that for hard copy, the use of Thai numerals is non-negotiable even though it created complications in transferring the texts into PDF format. Relevant agencies such as the Royal Society, the Education Ministry and the Culture Ministry had a duty to explain the matter to the public, Wissanu added. He said he was also aware of calls to change Buddhist year dates in official documents to Christian ones. We know the calls go that far. But we need to stand our ground, he said, adding the debate surrounding the numeral issue was a non-story. The campaign on the www.change.org website was launched by Keng Susumpow who said conversion to Arabic numerals for online official documents would result in formats being standardised and the easier compilation of digital data. The use of Thai numerals in official documents stands in the way of progress on the digital platform, Mr Keng said on the website, adding the conversion of Thai to Arabic numerals was mandated during the government of Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram (1938-1944). However, it was scrapped by the Khuang Aphaiwong administration (1947-1948). This is nothing new. Dont let the issue hold back digital connectivity and the countrys development, he said. Meanwhile, Patiyut Thongprajong, executive of the Thai Pakdee Party, said via Facebook the campaign was being waged to create further divisions in society. He also believed it was part of a wider scheme to bring about a radical change to how the country is governed. Head to the sunniest place in New Zealand for the inaugural Taranaki Beer Festival, taking over TSB Stadium, New Plymouth this July 1 & 2! Featuring the best craft breweries from Taranaki and around the country, the festival will showcase craft beers, cider and seltzer from over 30 breweries across New Zealand, with product available to purchase, as well as epic food, live music and more. Montreal, CA (H4T1V6) Today Cloudy skies with periods of rain late. Low 23C. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Cloudy skies with periods of rain late. Low 14C. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%. In the cutting room I helped roll out cloth on a table and then cut it into patterns where it went to the sewing room to become a childs outer garment. John Bazemore/AP DENVER (AP) A Denver-based federal appeals court has agreed with a lower court's dismissal of a lawsuit that claimed the 2020 presidential election was stolen from President Donald Trump and had been rigged by Dominion Voting Systems, Facebook (now Meta) and others. Friday's opinion from the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, first reported by Colorado Politics, found that eight plaintiffs from across the U.S. had no standing to assert that the outcome of the election violated the constitutional rights of every registered voter in the United States. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The unofficial start of summer over the Memorial Day weekend offers a troubling glimpse of what lies ahead for travelers during the peak vacation season. U.S. airlines canceled more than 2,800 flights from Thursday through Monday, or about 2% of their schedules, according to tracking service FlightAware. Delta Air Lines, usually among the top performers, had the worst record among major carriers with more than 800 canceled flights over the five-day span. This was a chance for airlines to show that last summers delays would not be repeated this summer, and yet, it was not to be, said Helane Becker, an analyst for banking firm Cowen. She blamed the disruptions on bad weather, air traffic control delays, airline crew members calling in sick, and long security lines at some airports. We expect a busy summer, and are concerned about the industrys ability to handle the demand, Becker said. When asked to comment Tuesday about its weekend troubles, Delta pointed to a statement it issued last week, when it said it faced challenges including rising COVID-19 cases among workers. Delta ran 13% more flights in May than it did a year ago, but it announced last week that it would trim its schedules for July and August by up to 3% to make the remaining flights more reliable. The pilots union said it has warned the airline for months about crew shortages. We understand our customers' frustration, especially over the weekend, said Evan Baach, a Boeing 767 captain at Delta and an official with the Air Line Pilots Association. Delta has just not properly staffed the airline with pilots for the number of flights they want to fly. The good news was that flight cancellations were down sharply on Tuesday. FlightAware reported only about 80 by late afternoon on the East Coast. Various forecasts of high numbers of travelers over the weekend proved to be accurate. The Transportation Security Administration reported screening more than 11 million people at airport checkpoints from Thursday through Monday. That was down 9% from the same days in 2019, but an increase of almost 25% over last year. Crowds of just under 2.4 million on both Thursday and Friday nearly matched the pandemic high set on the Sunday after Thanksgiving last year. That meant many flights were packed, too, because airline schedules still have not returned to pre-pandemic levels, according to figures from travel-research firm Cirium. The U.S. airline industry hopes to push passenger numbers higher, in part by removing one of the last U.S. pandemic-related travel restrictions. Industry representatives said they met Tuesday with White House officials to repeat their request to end the requirement that travelers test negative for COVID-19 within a day of flying into the United States. Trade group Airlines for America said its member airlines estimate that lifting the requirement would lead to 4.3 million more international passengers over one year. Airlines believe many Americans are unwilling to travel overseas because they could be stranded if they contract the virus on their trip. File GODFREY Cedarhurst Senior Living will host a mid-year mental health check-up with a meaningful conversation in what it means to take care of mental health. The session will take place at 11 a.m. Wednesday, June 1, at Cedarhurst of Godfrey, 1000 Airport Road. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU AIR BASE, Romania (AP) Delivering good cheer and gallons of ketchup Jill Biden on Friday thanked U.S. troops deployed to Romania for serving as a check against Russian aggression as she opened a two-country European trip to learn about the refugee crisis caused by Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. first lady flew overnight from Washington and landed just in time to help serve dinner at Romania's Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base near the Black Sea and about 60 miles (100 kilometers) from the border with Ukraine. The base is temporarily home to about 1,600 of the several thousand troops President Joe Biden deployed to Eastern Europe in the leadup to the Russia-Ukraine war. In the food line, Jill Biden dished up macaroni and cheese and baked potatoes and encouraged fatigue-clad troops to have some greens, too before she greeted groups of them as they ate at round tables in the dining hall. They cheered when she revealed she came bearing ketchup, which was in short supply on the base. I know its hard on your families," she told one servicemember, referencing her own experience when her son Beau Biden deployed to Iraq. At another location on the base, the first lady joined Staff Sgt. Sharon Rogers to read the children's book Night Catch" on videotape for Rogers' son, Nathan, who lives in Texas. Biden thanked the boy for serving his country, too. When your mom serves, the family serves, too, so thank you for your service," she told Nathan. She and Rogers embraced and Biden wished her a happy Mother's Day. Before leaving the base and flying to Bucharest, Romania's capital, the first lady posed with troops who represent her home state through their service in the Delaware Army National Guard. She handed them a souvenir coin she designed, the first time she'd given away copies of the coin. For weeks, the first lady has been transfixed by the news coming out of Ukraine, by the bombings and scenes of parents weeping over their childrens broken bodies in the streets, as she said in a recent speech. She's now using her second solo overseas trip to experience the crisis for herself by visiting Romania and Slovakia. Its so important to the president and to me that the Ukrainian people know that we stand with them," Biden told reporters Thursday night before she departed Washington. NATO allies Romania and Slovakia border Ukraine and have taken in some of the millions of mostly women and children who fled after Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, triggering Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. Biden is also using the trip to highlight issues she promotes at home, including support for U.S. service members, education and the welfare of children. The centerpiece of the trip comes Sunday Mother's Day when the mother of three meets with displaced Ukrainians who sought refuge across the border in Slovakia. Her daughter, Ashley Biden, had planned to accompany her, but backed out Thursday after learning that she was a close contact of someone who tested positive for COVID-19, said Michael LaRosa, the first lady's spokesperson. Ashley Biden tested negative, he said. The first lady also will meet during the trip with humanitarian aid workers, educators, government officials and U.S. embassy personnel, the White House said. Nearly 6 million Ukrainians, mostly women and children, have fled their country since Russia's invasion, according to the U.N. refugee agency. Hundreds of thousands have resettled in next-door countries, like Romania and Slovakia, or have gone elsewhere in Europe to rebuild their lives. Biden has long shown an interest in the plight of refugees around the world. In 2011, when her husband was vice president, she traveled to drought-stricken east Africa to visit with Somali famine refugees at the Dadaab camp in Kenya. In 2017, she visited refugees in Chios, Greece, as part of work by the aid organization Save The Children, on whose board she served. Some refugee advocates said Biden's trip will send the message that the United States takes seriously its humanitarian commitment to the Ukrainian people. Every first lady has a far-reaching platform to raise awareness and this trip will be an important tool for mobilizing additional support for those forced to flee their homeland, said Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service and formerly a policy director to first lady Michelle Obama. Biden's trip follows other U.S. government representatives visiting Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. President Biden visited Ukrainian refugees in March during a stop in Poland, the closest he's been to Ukraine during the war. The White House says there are no plans for him to visit Kyiv. Jill Biden continues her trip Saturday in Bucharest with briefings on the humanitarian efforts, meeting with Romanian first lady Carmen Iohannis and touring a school where Ukrainian refugee students are enrolled. The first lady is a community college English professor. On Sunday in Slovakia, Biden will visit a city-operated refugee center and a public school in Kosice that also hosts Ukrainian refugee students to participate in Mother's Day events with Ukrainian and Slovakian mothers and children. She'll also visit the Slovakia-Ukraine border crossing in Vysne Nemecke, Slovakia. The White House declined to comment on whether she will cross the border and enter Ukraine. Monday brings a meeting with Slovakian President Zuzana Caputova, the country's first female president, before Biden heads back to Washington. Centerstone WOOD RIVER Centerstone has promoted Megan Klaas of Wood River to director of credentialing for its operations in Illinois and Tennessee. Previously operations director for Centerstones Illinois operations, Klaas joined Centerstone in 2017 as a credentialing manager. In her new role, she leads all credentialing operations in both states. She also oversees all of the credentialing functions from expedited application management to health plan and regulatory compliance to day-to-day management of the overall effective credentialing process and database and analytics management. Joshua Lott/Getty Images With the flow of his signature, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker made the Nursing Home Rate Reform Bill a reality. The bill made its way through the Illinois senate rather quickly and then the state house in April before eventually making it to the governor's desk. It will take effect July 1 and will bring $700 million to nursing homes across the state to increase funding in regard to staffing levels. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW ORLEANS (AP) An elderly woman was killed and two males wounded when an argument between two females erupted into gunfire Tuesday at a university campus after a high school graduation there, New Orleans police said. The males received wounds that were not life-threatening one hit in a shoulder, the other in a leg, authorities told news outlets. Police did not give their ages. The gunfire occurred about 11:45 a.m. near the Xavier University of Louisiana Convocation Center, where Morris Jeff Community School held its high school graduation Tuesday morning. A little more than an hour later, investigators were setting evidence cones near empty shell casings, a pair of shoes, and a handgun that lay near a minivan with a flat tire. Others were using cellphones to take photographs through the windows of a car. A man comforted a young woman in a graduation gown as they sat at the rear of a minivan inside the parking lot marked off with crime scene tape a lot about the size of a city block. Crime scene tape marked another vehicle about a block away, with an officer posted there. Deputy Superintendent Chris Goodly told reporters he did not know whether the people who fought in the parking lot were the ones who pulled guns, or how many guns or bullets were fired. Three people were being questioned, The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate reported. Multiple subjects were detained at the scene for questioning. No arrests have been made as of this writing, police said in a news release around 3 p.m. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards noted that the shooting came two weeks after four people were wounded in a shooting outside another high school graduation at Southeastern Louisiana University. Those who perpetuate these senseless acts of violence will be brought to justice," Edwards said. "We must do more to keep our communities safe, and this means we must do more to ensure that those who pose an unacceptable risk of harm to others arent able to acquire or keep firearms. In light of recent gun violence in Buffalo and Uvalde, gun safety discussions and action involving expanded background checks and red flag laws are very much in order. The shooting comes as New Orleans is grappling with rising homicides. The Metropolitan Crime Commission reported 120 homicides as of May 30, up from 80 a year earlier and 51 at this time in 2019 a year when killings marked a 49-year low. CAYLA BEVERLY, Stonington, Softball, Senior; Beverly was named the MVP of the ECC Division II tournament. Beverly pitched a four-hitter with 10 strikeouts as the Bears shut out St. Bernard for the title. MADDIE PERKINS, Wheeler, Softball, Senior; Perkins was 4 for 5 with a double, a triple and five RBIs in a win over Putnam. Perkins is hitting .535 for the season with nine doubles and 31 RBIs. JAKE SERRA, Westerly, Track, Senior; Serra established a school record in the 800 meters at the Bishop Hendricken Invitational. Serra turned in a time of 1:56.02, good for fifth place. Andrew Springer held the previous record of 1:56.26. ELI SPOSATO, Chariho, Boys Track, Sophomore; Sposato broke the school record in the 400 meters at the Bishop Hendricken Invitational Sposato finished second in 50.79. Joe DiPalma set the previous record of 50.83 in 2013. Vote View Results Local councils have been promised more than 1billion to help households struggling to cope with soaring bills. But few people know this pot of cash exists and a postcode lottery means many are in danger of missing out. Chancellor Rishi Sunak launched a 500million Household Support Fund in September last year. This was doubled to 1billion in March. And last week, the Chancellor pledged a further 500million so the scheme could be extended until March 2023. Money tree? Last week, the Chancellor pledged a further 500million so the Household Support Fund scheme could be extended until March 2023 This was on top of a raft of one-off payments to help with rocketing energy bills, which are forecast to hit nearly 3,000 a year in autumn. A separate 144million fund was also launched earlier this year for those who missed out on the 150 council tax rebate. This was only offered to those living in property bands A-D and should be paid by September. But who exactly is entitled to a share of the councils' cash and how do you claim it? The Household Support Fund is supposed to act as a safety net for those who have fallen through the cracks and are struggling to pay for essentials such as energy and food. A third of funding must go to households with children, and a third to support pensioners. The first 500million was available between last October and March and is now all gone. The second 500million pot is being distributed until September this year, and a third round of 500million will be handed out between October 2022 and March 2023. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have an equivalent scheme with about 41million, 25million and 14million of funding respectively for each six-month period. Each local council is allocated a certain amount from the overall fund and it is down to them to decide who qualifies for help. But Sue Anderson, of debt charity StepChange, warns that this 'patchwork' approach is confusing and makes it difficult for people to know if they are eligible for help. 'Many may not even know this discretionary form of support exists,' she adds. Some councils are getting in touch with vulnerable residents directly, while others urge people to apply themselves. Eligibility rules also vary widely. East Riding of Yorkshire Council, for example, specifies that households must be in receipt of council tax support and a second benefit, such as attendance allowance or personal independence payment. If they are eligible, payments are capped at 10 per individual for food and 150 per household for fuel. Households must wait to be contacted by the council. Calderdale council in West Yorkshire, on the other hand, has chosen to stagger two payments across May and July to families in receipt of free school meals and/or council tax reduction. Wherever possible, payments of 15 per child will be made directly into residents' bank accounts. If this is not possible, they will be given supermarket vouchers. Those eligible will be contacted directly. Yet Salford residents must apply for extra help themselves before September 30. Residents must provide evidence that they are struggling but need not be in receipt of any qualifying benefits. The council's website reports a high number of applications. Councils in England have received a share of the 144m fund for those who missed out on the 150 council tax rebate Torbay Council in Devon says it has already spent 128,000 of the 1.2million it has been allocated for April until September. By contrast, Birmingham City Council has yet to open its scheme. It is due to launch this month. Councils in England have also received a share of the 144million fund for those who missed out on the 150 council tax rebate. This will go to people on low incomes in council tax bands E to H. This will be used to make 150 payments to residents who live in band E homes and claim benefits such as universal credit, housing benefit or council tax reductions. It is up to councils to decide how they allocate the cash but it must be spent by November 30. Buckinghamshire, for example, was awarded 1.2million. This will be used to make 150 payments to residents who live in band E homes and claim benefits such as universal credit, housing benefit or council tax reductions. In Kensington and Chelsea, eligible residents will receive 120. The best way to find out if you are owed a share is by checking your council's website, where it should outline the qualifying criteria and whether you need to apply. With many local authorities reserving payments for those in receipt of benefits, it has never been so important to claim what you are owed. In April, Money Mail reported that more than 20billion of cash is going begging every year because households are unaware of their entitlements. Government figures show that a wide range of benefits, including child benefit and pension credit, all have chronically low take-up rates. Sumi Rabindrakumar, head of policy and research at food bank and poverty charity the Trussell Trust, says: 'The Chancellor described the Household Support Fund as part of his 9billion 'direct cash payments' support to UK households. 'It is vital that councils deliver on this promise and prioritise getting cash out to people to manage the current crisis. Too often, councils do not have the capacity to deliver the funding and people lose out.' For more information, contact charities such as Citizens Advice (citizensadvice.org.uk) or Turn2Us (turn2us.org.uk). moneymail@dailymail.co.uk Whether you're opening a cafe, starting a charity or setting up as a freelance photographer, there are few types of business that wouldn't benefit from having a website. An attractive and user-friendly site can tell potential customers the story behind your business, act as an advert for your products or services and help them find you in the real world. But for small enterprises and sole traders without any tech experience, it can be difficult to know how to get started. The good news is building a website has never been easier - and you don't need any web design experience or a complicated marketing strategy. Getting online: Building a basic business website doesn't need to be expensive or complicated - though there are endless options for those who do want something more bespoke We spoke to Ben Law, vice president and head of UK and Ireland at leading domain registrar and web hosting provider GoDaddy, to get the lowdown on everything from getting the perfect web address, to figuring out how hosting works and making sure people find your new site. How much does it cost to build a website? This will depend on a number of factors from what functions you want the website to have, to whether you want to pay someone to professionally build, design or write copy for you. Setting up the very basics of a website can be an extremely affordable. Website building blocks and their upfront cost Essential website features Cost Domain name 0 - 30 Website hosting 0 - 950 Optional website features Cost Content and branding 0 - 5,000 Website security 0 - 250+ SEO and marketing 0 - 100+ Registering a domain - essentially buying the address of your website - can be done for as little as 10 a year. However, you'll need to find one that isn't already taken, which is easier said than done. If you want a specific web address and someone already has it, you can ask them sell it to you - but this can be an expensive game. Once you have a domain you will need a hosting platform, which can cost less than 5 per month. A hosting platform offers the technical facilities required for you to create a website and make it accessible on the internet. Law says: 'You can expect to pay from around 100 per year for a simple website, with website prices going up to 10,000 and beyond for a very large, complex website.' The extra costs from your website tend to come from content and marketing support, website security and bespoke branding and design. These can range from pennies to thousands of pounds. How long does it take to build a website? Once you have your domain and hosting provider, getting your new business website live can happen quite quickly, depending on how complex you need it to be. Law says: 'The average amount of time it takes to build a website depends on the size and complexity of the site, and to get a website up and running it could take anywhere between a few hours and a few months.' If you opt for a simple website, you could go live within a couple of hours. But if you're starting an e-commerce website - where you sell products online - you should expect the process to get a little longer. How do you get a domain name? Before you start picking out colour schemes or fonts, you need to get your hands on a domain name. What if my domain name isn't available? Let's say you wanted to buy the domain 'thenewbusiness.com', but it is currently being used by someone else. While it's understandably frustrating, you still have a couple of options: Find an alternative domain You might have to tweak your domain, potentially subtracting unnecessary words like 'the'; adding an identifying word like 'shop'; or abbreviating your company name, 'tnb.com'. Use a different domain extension If you can't buy the domain you want with a specific extension - for example, .com - it may be available with an alternative extension. There are a huge range of domain name extensions available, so you could opt for .co.uk or .net for example. Law added: 'In a situation like this, it's important to make sure the domain you want to buy doesn't infringe on someone else's intellectual property.' In simple terms, a domain name is your website's equivalent of a physical address, which helps potential users or customers find your site easily. Your domain name is typically the name of your business, but can sometimes vary depending on the availability, as each domain must be completely unique. While a domain name and a URL share some similarities, a URL acts as a complete web address that can direct visitors to a specific page on a site, whereas the domain name is just a part of it. Your domain name is typically followed by your specified extension, usually '.com' or '.co.uk'. For example, the domain name for MailOnline is 'dailymail.co.uk'. But where do you get your hands on a domain name? 'The first thing you need to do is to find a reputable company to register your domain with,' Law says. 'These companies are known as domain registrars and they provide domain registration services to the public. 'Once you've found a domain registrar that's right for you, you can start the process of registering your domain.' Domain registrars usually offer a search function, which makes it easy to see if the domain name you want to buy is available. They can often suggest alternatives, if the name you want is being used by someone else. Domain names usually cost between about 10-20 per year. If you're trying to buy a domain name that is already owned by someone else, then you may have to pay much more. Some domains containing popular words or phrases are classified as 'premium', costing hundreds to thousands of pounds to buy outright. However, once you've bought it, you will usually only pay the standard annual renewal fee, which varies based on who you buy your domain from. Free: Website builders such as GoDaddy sometimes offer a domain names and URLs when you choose their web hosting software for your site Sometimes it's possible to get a domain name for free. For example if you use a website builder service, such as GoDaddy, Wordpress or Wix, they offer bundle deals which include a domain, hosting and design templates. Law says: 'Many domain name registrars offer free domain names when you buy one of their other products.' 'You can get a domain name for free with GoDaddy with our website builder, and many of our web hosting packages.' If you want to get set up quickly and with minimal hassle, buying your domain name from your hosting provider could save you time and hassle down the line. How do I choose the right hosting platform? Once you acquire your domain name, the next step is the hosting platform. But what exactly is website hosting? Law says: 'Think of a website like a house. All houses have two related parts: an address and a piece of land where the house sits. Websites work similarly. 'Every website on the internet, no matter how big or small, absolutely must have a domain name and web hosting. 'Web hosting is like the land where you build your house. This is the space on the internet where you place your website's files. 'Typically, web hosting runs on a server owned by a web hosting company. Your website is just a small section of that server. 'Because web hosting is such a commonly used term, we usually shorten it to 'hosting' - not to be confused with having people over for nibbles and cocktails.' Put to the test: You can use free trials to help you choose a web hosting platform. It should be simple for you to manage, but also give your customers a good user experience The software and hosting you choose must be able to support your growing needs. Switching from one to another is costly because it involves additional migration complexity, expenses and inevitable impacts on your customer experience. There are a wide selection of web hosting services including GoDaddy, Wordpress, Squarespace and Wix. They will host your website and also provide you with the tools to create and manage it via their content management system (CMS) - basically the 'back end' of the website. If you want to sell products on your site, you may want to use a specialist ecommerce site builder such as Shopify, BigCommerce or WooCommerce - but other hosting sites also offer this option as an add-on. When researching which host to use, questions to ask include: What's the average cost? What add-ons will you need to purchase to build the store you want? Is there a demo you can try, to test out how easy the websites are to manage? Are the user reviews good? Will the website run smoothly and load quickly? Law added: 'As noted by KissMetrics, almost 50 percent of web users expect to wait no more than two seconds for a website to load, and if it takes three seconds, they will completely abandon the site. 'Almost 80 per cent of online shoppers who feel the website has poor performance say they won't visit the site again to make a purchase, and approximately 44 per cent would share their bad shopping experience with friends.' Do your research, and when in doubt, give the free trials a go. Some sites such as SquareSpace offer 30 days to test building your dream website, before needing to commit to the software. Working well: You'll need to have responsive design so your website functions seamlessly across computers, phones and tablets What does my website need to have? When you start to build your website, hosting providers can bombard you with optional extras, from business email accounts, to extra virtual security options. Deciding if you want to pay for the extras is completely up to you, so it depends on what your customers will use the website for. Law says: 'Decide what features you need. What will your website need to do? Will it be a simple one-page website offering only basic details about your business, or will you be looking to accept orders online? 'Drawing up a list of features you need your website to have will help ensure you end up with a website that's right for you. Crucial basic features for any website include: Responsive design so your site works correctly for visitors on any device so your site works correctly for visitors on any device An SSL certificate to protect your users' data, an SSL certificate is crucial if you plan to sell products or allow customers to contact you via the website to protect your users' data, an SSL certificate is crucial if you plan to sell products or allow customers to contact you via the website Fast, reliable web hosting to ensure customers can browse without issues and and buy the goods or services you are selling Law adds: 'Remember, these are only the most basic features of a good small business website. You're likely to have your own crucial features based on your business's needs. 'For example, if you plan to sell products online you'll need to ensure your site has ecommerce functionality.' Getting a website up and running is one thing, but what if you need to make a change to your website? Do you want the ability to make changes yourself, or would you prefer to have someone to do it for you? The option that you pick will have an impact on the amount you end up paying for your small business website, so it can be crucial. If you decide to have someone make changes to your website for you, you may find yourself paying a fee to a web designer to make even small changes, such as an adjustment to your opening hours. Or you may find yourself paying a monthly retainer to a web designer to cover any changes, something which could significantly increase the cost of your website over its lifespan. That said, it could be worth paying if your website is crucial to the running of your business, is technically complex or the design will need to be changed regularly. How should I design my website? Some content management systems come with free basic templates that can be tailored to your business, to help you launch your dream website quickly and effortlessly Having a website that looks good is just as important as having a website that has all the features you need. To get the perfect design for your website, you don't necessarily need to fork out thousands of pounds on a website designer - though they can offer bespoke designs and insight into how customers use websites, if you choose to hire one. Lots of CMS platforms come with thousands of simple-to-use templates that can be tailored to include your logos, colour schemes and branding. Law added: 'A business website's look isn't just cosmetic, a confusing and cluttered website will put off potential customers. 'Take a look at the websites of businesses that are similar to yours and take a note of things you like. 'By looking at other websites, you'll get a better idea of how your website should look, feel and work. You can use this research to help you sketch out some basic ideas. 'Of course, you won't want to copy a rival website exactly, but it will provide inspiration.' BP is set to miss out on a 600m dividend after cutting ties with Rosneft BP is set to miss out on a 600m dividend after cutting ties with Rosneft, the Daily Mail can reveal. Details of the Russian oil giants record dividend were announced to the market yesterday. It would have guaranteed the British energy firm an eye-watering return on its 19.75pc stake in the business. BPs decision to split with Rosneft means it is unlikely to receive any cash from the Kremlin-backed business, particularly as payment would need the approval of Vladimir Putin. It is also unclear as to whether BP would welcome funds from Russias leading oil producer, which many would find unpalatable. Chief executive Bernard Looney, pictured, initially sought to defend BPs Russia connections, but caved to public scrutiny shortly after Russias invasion of Ukraine. The ditching of its stake coincided with Looney resigning from Rosnefts board. Danni Hewson, analyst at investment platform AJ Bell, said the prospect of payment is unlikely. The fact it so publicly announced it was severing ties with Russia meant that wont endear the company to the Kremlin, despite years of doing business in the country, she said. A BP spokesman said it was aware of Rosnefts dividend announcement. Rosneft reported a record-high annual dividend despite Western sanctions, taking its total annual payment to shareholders to just over 5bn. A vote on the firms dividend payments, which are calculated at 28p a share, will be held at the companys next shareholder meeting. A US hedge fund manager is attempting a hostile takeover of a housebuilder claiming it would be better off in private hands. San Francisco-based Inclusive Capital Partners has tabled an offer worth nearly 1.5bn for Countryside Partnerships. The American group revealed two previous confidential approaches for Countryside had been rejected by the FTSE 250 company's board. The bid amounts to 295p per share, a 31pc premium on the builder's last closing price before the offer was announced. A US hedge fund manager is attempting a hostile takeover of a housebuilder claiming it would be better off in private hands The latest offer sees Inclusive go over the heads of the board and straight to shareholders declaring that Countryside investors deserved 'the opportunity to decide on the merits of any offer'. The hedge fund manager also believes it would be easier for the firm to implement a turnaround strategy 'as a private company rather than as a public entity, where near-term profitability and consistent earnings results are expected by investors'. Inclusive founder Jeffrey Ubben added: 'We believe Countryside is meeting a critical societal need. 'But the group is best positioned to serve this role and to succeed as a private company.' Inclusive is already Countryside's third largest shareholder with a 9.2pc stake. The housebuilder's shares rocketed 18.6pc, or 44.4p, to 283p after the bid was revealed. But shares are still worth nearly 40pc less than they were at the start of the year after a profit warning and the departure of chief executive Iain McPherson in January sent the stock tumbling. And two months ago, Countryside admitted it had 'failed to realise the benefits' of its 135m acquisition of Leicesterbased affordable housing builder Westleigh in 2018. AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould said the bid showed Inclusive Capital 'thought there was a bargain to be had'. Top City fund managers are lining up to take a stake in Arm as the pressure grows on Boris Johnson to bring the float to the UK. Abrdn and Jupiter Asset Management have called on the chip designer to come home and return the company to its former glory. Fund managers believe the listing would also help London to shed its image as a 'mature and dull' stock market, full of old-fashioned legacy miners and oil explorers. Top City fund managers are lining up to take a stake in Arm as the pressure grows on Boris Johnson to bring the float to the UK The Prime Minister, meanwhile, has joined a final push to convince Arm to choose the Capital and, as part of the last-ditch effort, he has written to executives at Arm's Japanese owner SoftBank. New York is the favoured destination for the float but no formal decision has been made and ministers and executives have launched a charm offensive to persuade SoftBank to rethink its preference for the US. Sources close to the situation say a decision will be made by the conglomerate's executives over the summer after the firm successfully regained control of Arm China earlier this month. Digital minister Chris Philp and Lord Grimstone, the former Barclays chairman who now heads the UK's Office for Investment, are leading the lobbying efforts, and it is understood that the Government is also weighing up taking a stake. Andrew Millington, head of UK equities at Abrdn, told the Daily Mail: 'Arm is a fantastic business, which we were indeed shareholders in before it went private. 'It would be good news for the UK equity market if Arm were listed here again, as having large, successful, growing tech companies in the London market would help in the battle against the perception in some quarters that the UK market is mature and dull.' Under pressure: SoftBank boss Masayoshi Son, above, faces calls to float Arm in the City Other heavyweights to get behind the float include Richard Buxton, at Jupiter Asset Management, who believes that institutional and retail investors still have an emotional tie to the firm. 'London institutional and retail investors have an attachment to Arm as it was such an outstanding success when it was listed before,' he said. One of the City's foremost investors, Martin Gilbert, chairman of Asset Co, told the Mail in February: 'It is not that we're short of tech entrepreneurs and fantastic, innovative businesses in the UK, they simply decide to remain private or to list on a stock exchange elsewhere, which is a pity for UK investors. Arm listing in London would be a major coup and signal the FTSE is a welcoming home to technology businesses.' Chancellor Rishi Sunak told the Daily Mail three weeks ago that the Government was doing all it can to bring the float to the UK. He said: 'Of course I want to see Arm listed in the UK. The Government is committed to seeing companies like Arm listed in London.' But even as the UK's efforts intensify, with the Daily Mail launching a campaign to Back British Tech and for Arm to return to the London stock market, there is recognition that the chances of wrestling the float away from New York are slim. Hermann Hauser, one of the entrepreneurs who spun off Arm from Acorn Computers in 1990, has called on SoftBank to float it in London and New York in a socalled 'dual listing'. The calls for Arm which has not flourished under SoftBank's sixyear ownership to return home come after the chip designer's 50bn sale to US tech giant Nvidia fell through earlier this year following intense scrutiny from regulators around the world over competition concerns. Pharmaceutical giant GSK plans to snap up biopharmaceutical group Affinivax for up to $3.3billion in a bid to bolster its vaccine pipeline. GSK, which is gearing up to separate its consumer unit, has been under pressure to to shore up its vaccine outlook. Last month, GSK, the world's biggest vaccine maker, indicated an appetite for further deals after spending $1.9billion to buy Sierra Oncology to boost its cancer arm. New deal planned: Pharmaceutical giant GSK plans to snap up biopharmaceutical group Affinivax for $3.3bn US-based Affinivax is developing next-generation vaccines, the company said, the most advanced of which are for pneumococcal diseases, including pneumonia, meningitis and sinusitis. GSK said: 'Pneumococcal disease includes pneumonia, meningitis, bloodstream infections, and milder diseases such as sinusitis and otitis media and remains a significant unmet medical need despite the availability of current pneumococcal vaccines. 'There are many different pneumococcal serotypes. The number of serotypes in current vaccines is limited due to the degree of immunological interference observed when using existing conjugation technologies.' GSK will pay Affinivax $2.1billion upfront and up to $1.2billion in potential development milestones. Under the terms of the agreement, GSK will acquire 100 per cent of the outstanding shares of Affinivax. London-listed GSK also reiterated its outlook for 2022 and its medium-term targets. GSK's chief scientific officer, Dr Hal Barron, said: 'The proposed acquisition further strengthens our vaccines R&D pipeline, provides access to a new, potentially disruptive technology, and broadens GSK's existing scientific footprint in the Boston area. 'We look forward to working with the many talented people at Affinivax to combine our industry-leading development, manufacturing, and commercialisation capabilities to make this exciting new technology available to those in need.' Steven Brugger, the boss of Affinivax, said: 'Over the past eight years, we have taken that vision from the initial development of our MAPS vaccine platform at Boston Children's Hospital to a pipeline of novel vaccines with our lead vaccine candidate in late-stage clinical studies. 'We are proud that GSK has recognized our team's accomplishments and are confident that GSK is an ideal new home for our MAPS platform and the team behind its success. 'GSK's significant capabilities will enable continued advances with MAPS to improve existing vaccines - as is the case with our lead Streptococcus pneumoniae MAPS vaccine program - and develop vaccines that combat novel and resistant infectious diseases for which there are no effective immunization strategies available today.' This week, GSK named three directors to join the board of its consumer business Haleon. Joining the group are Asmita Dubey, chief digital and marketing officer at LOreal, as well as Marie-Anne Aymerich, the former head of oral care at consumer goods giant Unilever. Also joining board is Bryan Supran, who has been selected by US pharma giant Pfizer, which will hold a stake in Haleon after it splits from GSK. The non-executive directors will join former Tesco boss Sir Dave Lewis, who was unveiled as chairman of Haleon in December. The appointments came ahead of the planned demerger of Haleon from GSK in July. GSK shares have risen today and were up 0.5 per cent or 8.60p to 1,736.60p in early morning trading, having jumped nearly 30 per cent in the past year. Laura Hoy, an equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: 'GSKs marching ahead toward its upcoming separation with momentum, snapping up specialty vaccine maker Affinivax in an effort to pad out its pipeline of late-stage drugs. 'The groups planning to rely on growth from these niche medicines to support its ambitions for 5% compound annual sales growth, and this acquisition could be the first of many as the group looks to improve its portfolio. 'While this marks a step in the right direction with regard to the groups strategy, were mindful that owning the treatment and making money from it are two very different things. Late-stage drugs often fail to clear the final hurdle, so the Affinivax purchase may not end up moving the needle at all.' Royal Mail is being investigated by communications regulator Ofcom over its failure to meet delivery targets for first and second-class post over the past year. Ofcom said that there was reasonable grounds to believe that the service provided by the postal monopoly was well below statutory targets. The regulator announced it would now gather further evidence to determine the significance of breaches. Probe: Royal Mail is being investigated by communications regulator Ofcom over its failure to meet delivery targets It said: 'Our investigation...will gather evidence to understand the reasons behind this substantial lapse in performance, and determine whether Royal Mail has breached its requirements.' Ofcom added it took 'compliance with quality of service targets very seriously.' Royal Mail conceded earlier this month that nearly one-in-five first class deliveries were not made on time. Royal Mail said just under 82 per cent of first-class post was delivered the next working day in the 12 months to the start of April. This was an improvement on around 75 per cent a year earlier, but still below its target of 93 per cent. Its second-class deliveries fared better, according to its annual service statistics, and 95 per cent of these items arrived as expected within three working days. However, this was still below the companys target of a minimum of 98.5 per cent second-class items delivered within this timeframe. At the time, Royal Mail said that the quality of its service during the year to April was 'materially impacted by the exceptional ongoing effects of the pandemic resulting in increased Covid-related absence and self-isolation and social distancing in line with government guidance'. Absences among Royal Mail staff hit a peak in January, when over 15,000 employees were off sick or were self-isolating, as the Omicron variant of Covid-19 spread across the country. The group has also seen customer complaint levels rise sharply. Earlier this year first class stamp prices jumped by 10p to 95p and second class stamps by 2p to 68p. This month, bosses said the group was facing 'significant headwinds' amid surging costs. Royal Mail shares have fallen today and were down 5.93 per cent or 19.50p to 309.40p this afternoon, having fallen over 46 per cent in the past year. The group is likely to be ousted from the FTSE 100 index next week. In a statement today, Royal Mail, said: 'We are disappointed with our 2021-22 Quality of Service performance and apologise to all customers that have been affected by any service issues. Quality of Service is a key priority for us and we will participate fully with Ofcoms investigation.' It added: 'Service levels have improved considerably since the start of the pandemic, and we have taken a number of steps to improve quality of service, including recruiting additional temporary staff and establishing a specialised dedicated delivery task force. 'However, we acknowledge there is more work to do to return to our normal levels of service everywhere. As we return to more normal ways of working and deliver on our transformation programme, we are confident that we are doing the right things to enable service levels to improve going forward.' Ofcom's statement in full Ofcom said in a statement today: 'Ofcom has today opened an investigation into Royal Mails failure to meet its delivery targets during 2021-22. 'Royal Mail is required by Ofcom to deliver 93 per cent of First Class mail within one working day of collection and 98.5 per cent of Second Class mail within three working days of collection. 'However, across 2021-22, the company announced that only 81.8 per cent of First Class mail was delivered within one working day and 95.4 per cent of Second Class mail was delivered within three working days. 'In addition, Royal Mail is set a target of completing 99.9 per cent of delivery routes on each day that a delivery is required; but completed 94.09 per cent of routes over this period. 'Royal Mail is also required to deliver 91.5 per cent of First Class stamped and metered mail products delivered within one working day in 118 postcode areas of the UK, but it did not meet the target in any of these postcode areas. 'Performance against these targets is measured as an average performance level on an annual basis excluding the Christmas period. 'Ofcom takes compliance with quality of service targets very seriously. Our investigation, on behalf of postal users, will gather evidence to understand the reasons behind this substantial lapse in performance, and determine whether Royal Mail has breached its requirements.' Royal Mail strikes on the cards? Unite the Union has today launched a ballot for strike action as it, and other unions, gear up for an industrial battle with Royal Mail bosses. Unite claimed Royal Mail wants to remove nearly 550 frontline delivery managers. the union said that around 2,400 managers across over 1,000 workplaces would be balloted for strike action and industrial action short of a strike between 6 to 29 June and the union warned that letter and parcel delivery chaos was on the cards. The vote follows the companys biggest union, the CWU, preparing to launch industrial action this summer in a row over pay and working conditions. Claims: Unite claimed Royal Mail wants to remove nearly 550 frontline delivery managers Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said today: 'Our members are the backbone of the Royal Mail, holding the service together while the shareholders seize the profits. 'Royal Mail is awash with cash. There is no need whatsoever for these cuts, or this ill-thought out redeployment programme. Unite will oppose these plans every step of the way. 'Our Royal Mail members are guaranteed Unites 100 per cent support in any industrial action they take to get the company off this ruinous path.' Unite national officer with responsibility for Royal Mail, Mike Eatwell, added: 'Our members have had enough - the Royal Mail senior management has gone back on its word too many times. 'If the company cannot be relied upon to treat this workforce with respect then its time to take action to underline its importance to the business. 'Now is the time for the management to come back to the negotiating table to hammer out an agreement that benefits both the customers that use this much valued service and those managers that are holding it together on a daily basis.' A Royal Mail spokesperson said: 'We are disappointed that Unite/CMA have informed us of their intention to ballot operational managers when the lengthy consultation on these changes has concluded, and the restructure is complete. 'We committed to protect pay for all managers who will stay with Royal Mail and the vast majority will see an increase in their earnings. 'As part of an extended consultation period, we gave managers the option to request voluntary redundancy with a package of up to two years salary and this was over-subscribed. This ballot is not an announcement of industrial action and we will continue to engage with Unite/CMA, as we have throughout the process.' Unilever shares soared after activist investor Nelson Peltz joined the board of the consumer goods giant. The FTSE 100 firm, which makes Ben and Jerry's ice cream, Marmite and Dove soap, said the billionaire will become a non-executive director having built up a 1.5 per cent stake through his investment vehicle Trian Fund Management. The elevation of the 79-year-old to the board followed meetings with Unilever chief executive Alan Jope and chairman Nils Andersen. Billion-dollar bride: Peltz and his daughter at her 3m wedding Shares jumped 9.4 per cent, or 329.5p, to 3825p on the news, as analysts said Peltz could help to turn Unilever's fortunes around. Investors are hoping he will use his position on the board to spearhead a turnaround similar to those he helped oversee at other consumer goods giants including Gillette owner Procter & Gamble. Analysts said he could push for the group to sell struggling brands to focus on faster-growing businesses, and increase its focus on more profitable sectors. Unilever shares have fallen 15 per cent since Jope took the top job in January 2019, significantly lagging the FTSE 100 which is up 13 per cent in the same period. Its value headed back towards 100billion again yesterday, closing at 95.1billion, valuing Peltz's stake at around 1.42billion. Peltz said he was 'delighted' to be joining the board and that Trian had made 'a considerable investment in Unilever'. He said: 'We believe it is a company with significant potential, through leveraging its portfolio of strong consumer brands and its geographical footprint.' Peltz is worth 1.3bn and look who's just joined the family... Nelson Peltz is one of America's richest men and Brooklyn Beckham's father-in-law. The 79-year-old who has a fortune of 1.3billion walked daughter Nicola down the aisle in April at her 3million star-studded wedding to David and Victoria Beckham's eldest son. Brooklyn and Nicola with Posh and Beck The ceremony packed with A-listers at Peltz's 79million estate in Palm Beach, Florida, was a far cry from the activist investor's roots. He was born in 1942 in Brooklyn, New York, and dropped out of the prestigious Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania. He earned a fearsome reputation as a tough-minded businessman, building his family's frozen food business into the biggest frozen food distributor in America's north-east. After running Triangle Industries, the biggest packaging firm in the world, he earned around 535million from its sale in 1989. He founded Trian Fund Management in 2005. Married three times and a father of ten, he is a friend of fellow New Yorker Donald Trump. But he distanced himself from the former president after the US Capitol riots last year. Andersen said: 'Peltz's experience in the global consumer goods industry will be of value to Unilever as we continue to drive the performance of our business.' His stake was first revealed in January amid a series of dramatic setbacks for the Dutch consumer goods giant. And Peltz's emergence piled further pressure on Jope after an embarrassing U-turn saw him pull out of an audacious 50billion takeover bid for GlaxoSmithKline's consumer arm. Jope's repeated attempts to buy the GSK business which is being spun off into a separate company named Haleon next month were slammed by investors and analysts and sent Unilever's share price tumbling. Another investor Terry Smith, who owns 0.8pc of Unilever through his firm Fundsmith, called the saga a 'near death experience'. He said bosses needed to focus on fixing Unilever's flagging business before looking to buy others. And it came after an earlier row with Smith who publicly blasted Jope over Unilever's obsessive focus on 'woke' issues. He lashed out at Unilever for being 'obsessed' with its sustainability credentials. Smith said that Unilever had 'lost the plot' by trying to define 'the purpose' of some of its brands like Hellmann's mayonnaise. Following the setbacks, Unilever kicked off a process to streamline its sprawling business that will see it cut jobs and simplify its structure into five units. It has also consolidated its headquarters in London to cut costs and last year offloaded its slow-growing Lipton tea business. Peltz is renowned for pushing strategic and governance changes at companies he is involved in. His firm Trian was responsible for an overhaul at Cadbury that saw it spin off its drinks business Schweppes before it was bought by US giant Kraft. Peltz also spearheaded an overhaul after taking a stake in P&G and joining its board. He criticised its ageing brands and a 'suffocating bureaucracy' leading to poor shareholder returns. Shares have soared since he invested in the business. Pressure: GSK boss Emma Walmsley GSK has snapped up another pharma business as it shifts focus towards medicines and vaccines ahead of the planned split from its consumer arm. The FTSE 100 drugs giant agreed to buy Boston-based Affinivax for up to 2.6billion. Affinivax is developing a vaccine to combat pneumococcal diseases which include pneumonia and meningitis as well as milder illnesses such as sinusitis which can cause headaches and a runny nose. GSK will pay 1.7billion upfront as well as additional payments worth 954million if the pneumococcal vaccine succeeds in clinical trials. The deal is expected to be completed in the third quarter of this year. Hal Barron, GSK's chief scientific officer, said the deal to buy Affinivax 'further strengthens' the company's pipeline of vaccines. Steven Brugger, boss of Affinivax, said the tie-up would enable 'continued advances' for the company's technology and improve its existing vaccines. GSK shares rose 0.3 per cent, or 4.6p, to 1732.6p following news of the deal. The purchase is the largest deal for GSK since a three-part transaction in 2014 when it sold its oncology business to Novartis while also buying the Swiss firm's vaccines division and combining their consumer health segments into a joint venture. It also follows the acquisition of cancer drug developer Sierra Oncology, which GSK snapped for 1.5billionn in April. Max Herrmann, healthcare analyst at investment bank Stifel, said the purchase of Affinivax was 'a decent deal' and would allow GSK to access the multi-billion pound market for pneumococcal vaccines. He added it would provide 'a competitive advantage' for the firm as it considered 'the next stage' of its development pipeline beyond its current best-selling shingles vaccine, Shingrix. GSK boss Emma Walmsley is preparing to shift the firm's focus squarely towards medicine after it demerges its consumer health arm next month into a business called Haleon. She has come under increasing pressure from shareholders, including activist investor Elliott Management, to improve its medicine pipeline and hit growth targets once the split is completed. Ships carrying Russian oil have been hit by a coordinated insurance ban from the UK and EU. The prohibition will strive to keep the Kremlin out of the Lloyd's of London market. This latest embargo, which was first reported by the Financial Times, forms part of a new batch of sanctions from the EU and will impact Russia's ability to export crude. Ships carrying Russian oil have been hit by a coordinated insurance ban from the UK and EU It follows the EU's announcement that the 27-nation bloc has agreed to ban more than two-thirds of Russian oil imports. This was alongside a goal to cut out 90 per cent of Russian oil by the end of 2022. The new proposal was agreed at a summit focused on helping Ukraine with a long-delayed package of sanctions that was blocked by Hungary. President of the European Council Charles Michel said: 'We want to stop Russia's war machine and cut the financing of Russia's military capacity.' Kingsport, TN (37660) Today Scattered thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 82F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to cloudy skies after midnight. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. Kingsport, TN (37660) Today Overcast. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 63F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Overcast. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Kingsport, TN (37660) Today Overcast. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 64F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Overcast. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Britain risks falling behind in the race to establish an electric car industry if it cant build more battery factories and quickly. Ambitious plans from automakers to ramp up production of battery-powered electric vehicles (EV) and a looming change in post-Brexit trading rules that will limit options to import cheap Asian batteries mean there is no time to waste. But a shortage of suitable sites for gigafactories, and the decision by some local manufacturers to import EV batteries from mainland Europe, are creating challenges that executives and politicians say the government must do more to address. Without enough battery plants, some fear automakers could leave, hitting an industry that employs about 170,000 people. Its not just about gigafactories, its about the whole infrastructure of local auto suppliers, said Jim OBoyle, a councillor in Coventry, central England, which has approved a site for a potential plant, but has yet to find an investor. If we dont get it right we could lose the whole bloody lot. The government has allocated up to 1 billion pounds ($1.2 billion) to support Britains EV battery supply chain. Industry experts predict the country needs four to six large battery plants to sustain a healthy car industry. It currently has one small 1.9 gigawatt-hour (GWh) Nissan plant in Sunderland, northeast England, and two larger ones planned. Startup Britishvolt is building a 3.8 billion pound ($4.8 billion), 38 GWh plant in Blyth, northern England, with 100 million pounds in government backing. Nissan is building a second 9 GWh plant in Sunderland with Chinese partner Envision AESC, which could expand to 25 GWh. We are well on our way to achieving the amount of gigawatt hours needed to host a globally competitive electric vehicle industry and we are actively working to secure further investments, said a spokesperson for the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. But across the European Union dozens of plants are planned or under construction. The EU has allocated 2.9 billion euros ($3.1 billion) specifically to support battery plants, with individual member states providing additional money. Researchers Benchmark Mineral Intelligence forecast Britain will need at least 175 GWh of battery capacity by 2035 to supply around 3 million EVs. It currently expects Britain to reach 56.9 GWh by 2030, against 821.3 GWh for the rest of Europe. Its forecasts show Britain lagging Germany whose seven planned plants are tipped to have nearly seven times the UKs capacity by 2031 as well as France, Hungary, Sweden, Poland and Norway, with each having more production capacity. Time is short. To avoid tariffs in their main EU market, UK-built cars must meet rules of origin that from 2027 will include a stipulation that 70% of an EV battery pack is either EU- or British-made. As EV batteries are heavy and expensive to transport, local production is seen as crucial to a thriving car industry. A wave of new EV models is coming around 2025. Lead times for new vehicles are long and EV battery chemistries vary, so production contracts must be concluded soon. Battery plants need plenty of land, vast amounts of preferably renewable power and water, and take years to build. But Britain currently has few suitable sites. In terms of shovel-ready land in the UK, there isnt an obvious glut of places to go, said EV pioneer Andy Palmer, currently CEO of EV maker Switch Mobility and chairman of Slovak battery startup InoBat. If the gigafactories dont come here, the car companies will go where the gigafactories are. Its just economics. EXISTENTIAL PROBLEM At Britishvolts construction site in Blyth, executive chairman Peter Rolton rattles off the locations advantages. Formerly a coal heap for a power station, it had plenty of low-cost land, with a suitable grid connection and a sea port next door for materials. An undersea Norwegian hydroelectric power line emerges from the ground across the road. As an industry consultant, Rolton previously examined 150 potential UK sites. Only one scored perfectly in his evaluation, nowhere else came close. Youre standing on it, he said. Even so, Britishvolt will not start production until 2024 four years after selecting the site. Other potential sites, like the one in Coventry with planning permission, will take longer because they need investments in their energy grid or lack available land. Only Slovak startup InoBat is publicly looking at UK sites, plus others in the western EU. A decision is due this summer. Aside from Nissan, the only carmaker in Britain big enough to support its own large local battery plant is Jaguar Land Rover, owned by Indias Tata Motors. Obviously well need to look at supplies in India as well as the UK, Tata finance chief P B Balaji told reporters this month. The source of that is already being discussed. Stellantis will make electric vans in Britain. It will rely on its three announced European battery plants and additional supply contracts, a spokesperson said. BMW makes batteries in Germany for electric Minis produced in Oxford, southern England. A spokesperson said: All other questions relate to the year 2030 and beyond. Toyota has not yet committed to making EVs in Britain. Adrian Hallmark, CEO of Volkswagens UK-based Bentley unit, said a problem for Britain is that it produces a variety of vans, cars, SUVs and luxury models with different battery needs, whereas France, for example, produces similar-sized passenger cars that can support battery plants. If youve got to build six different types of battery in one gigafactory, it will never be economically viable, he said. Exporting batteries to Europe would be challenging because other countries have their own battery plans, he added. Bentley will get batteries from northern Europe, but if it was competitive in performance, quality and cost, we would absolutely be open to local sourcing, Hallmark said. While luxury automakers can afford to ship batteries from the EU, Switch Mobilitys Palmer said this would be too costly for the average car destined for the EU over the next decade. Inevitably the cheaper place to build will be in mainland Europe, particularly as most of our vehicles are destined for mainland Europe, he said. So I see it as an existential problem for Britains car industry. SOURCE: REUTERS RENSSELAER New York should have adequate supplies of electricity to meet summer air conditioning needs this year. But in coming years, as new mandates are supposed to phase out 'peaker' gas and oil plants that operate during high-demand periods, there will be a smaller cushion for dealing with heat waves, which are when the grid is most heavily taxed. That was the outlook offered Friday by the New York Independent System Operator, the organization that helps run the states massive electricity grid by conducting ongoing dispatches or routing of energy from power plants to where it is needed. Reliability margins are tightening across New York over time, said Emilie Nelson, NYISOs executive vice president. We must move carefully with the grid in the future, she added. The cautionary note regarding future years stems in part from whats happened in other states that havent put aside enough energy reserves to use during emergencies. Texas residents in 2021 suffered through a power outage when an ice storm took out power lines and wind towers that are supplying electricity to a growing portion of that states grid. And in California, energy planners are warning that they need more reserves to deal with the heat waves and wildfires that have plagued the state in recent years. Golden State residents endured rolling blackouts during a 2020 heat wave. In New York and California, the issue stems in part from the speed with which the two states are moving from fossil fuel-based energy grids to ones powered by carbon-free sources such as solar and wind power, as well as nuclear generation. New Yorks 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Plan lays out broad guidelines for de-carbonizing the states power grid in order to combat climate change. Part of the plan calls for deactivating the peaker plants, many of which are downstate, starting in 2023. But to do that, the state will need adequate sources of power from renewables and backup power. If they arent up and running in the next few years, and if there are unusually calm or cloudy days that would reduce wind or solar output, the fossil fuel plants may still be needed. New York still gets most of its electricity from gas (23 percent), dual-fuel, which is gas or oil (31 percent), hydropower (22 percent) and nuclear power (21 percent). Wind and solar are less than 4 percent. For this summer, power demand is continuing to bounce back from the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when numerous buildings, businesses and industrial plants were closed. We absolutely saw reduced energy demand during the pandemic and were starting to see that rebound, said Nelson. Looking ahead to the air conditioning season, NYISO found the state has a total of 41,049 MW, or megawatts, of power resources available to meet peak demand estimated at 31,765 MW. And despite the apparent need for continued fossil fuels, solar development is making progress. This summer's predicted peak is down 562 MW from the 2021 forecast. Most of the decrease is attributable to the growth in distributed solar, such as rooftop panels on individual homes or buildings, which reduces demand from the statewide grid. NYISOs forecast is based on a normal summer. It also, however, has contingency predictions for events such as an unusual heat wave. An extreme heat wave or other stress on the system could prompt NYISO to ask people to limit usage or reduce voltage along power lines, albeit in a way that wouldnt be noticeable to customers. It also could buy energy, if available, from neighboring states grids. Peak demand is a measurement of the average total electric demand for a one-hour period. One megawatt can serve approximately 800-1,000 homes. rkarlin@timesunion.com 518-454-5758 @RickKarlinTU In the musical "Hamilton," French General Marquis de Lafayette sings, Immigrants, they get the job done, and at West Ave Chicken and West Ave Pizza, two unassuming restaurants in a Saratoga Springs strip mall, theres serious work at hand. The voices in the kitchen are diverse: Owners Mario Cardenas and his sister Jennifer moved with their mother to the U.S. from Guatemala City; Jennifers husband, Santos, and sister-in-law, Rubia, hail from El Salvador; a few line cooks are from Guatemala and Oaxaca, Mexico. To that add Dante, an Italian-American trained chef with a passion for pizza; Italian-born Josie, of Giuseppina Mancino Napoli Bakery in Schenectady, who helps Mario make the bread, cannoli and pizza dough; and Jackie, Marios wife, who works behind the counter and is from Saratoga Springs. At 38 years old with 20 years of experience perfecting pizza, mostly at Prima Pizza in Niskayuna until the owner retired Mario has a loyal following, and after opening West Ave Pizza with his sister and brother-in-law in June of last year, they scored high praise from self-styled pizza critic Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports. Within months, they added Wings of Saratoga next door, now West Ave Chicken, where, in recent weeks, Mario has unveiled a menu of Guatemalan street food inspired by his mother, Susana. You just need to know its there. Before we get to Guatemalan street food, Mario talks about pizza with the same reverence for time and fermentation as a craft brewer or wine producer. For the heat of his 500-degree gas oven he favors American flour over imported 00 flour better suited to a wood-fired oven. For his pizza a hybrid of classic Neapolitan and New York style he blooms his own wild yeast and uses a 24-hour fermentation. The result is a yeasted, softer-than-expected base that falls close to bread with a crisp, blistered outside and fluffy center. Mario pulls out a freshly made pie, topped only with ricotta, mozzarella and olive oil and daubed in truffle puree. Its not on the menu, he laughs, I just make it for friends. As West Ave Pizza, elaborate toppings reign. The pizzerias clean, red-boothed storefront has a steady flow of orders for delivery and pickup. Out goes The Lasagne, topped with sweet Italian sausage, ricotta and meatballs; the Hawaiian, with honey-glazed ham, bacon and pineapple; and The Soprano, with capicol, salami, roasted reds and mozzarell. But the Square Honey hot nails the New York trend with pepperoni cups baked into glistening dimples holding drizzled hot honey. The pepperoni is locally made, and Mario infuses honey with ghost peppers for a sweet heat. My guest adds pineapple on one half, and with the shredded basil on top its a win. With it, you could order fried onion rings, antipasto salad or soft garlic bread. Only Marios followers know to order mac-and-cheese bites or mac-and-cheese on a pie. The Guatemalan menu has been rolling out slowly, with items teased on Instagram like a pop-up, Mario said, within the West Ave Chicken space. First came churrascos tortillas loaded with guacamole, salsa, sliced carne asada and grilled scallions woven on top. Each is a feat to gather for a single bite, with a rewarding co-mingle of flavors when you do. Mario reminisces about grills made from the rims of car tires and churrascos sold on the street with cold beer. Next are tamales steamed in a folded banana leaf, the recipe still under family scrutiny for the best ratio of filling to dough, and Rubias crisp empanadas with flaky crusts and fillings of seasoned chicken or beef. Recently, they added pupusas, common to their shared El Salvadoran and Guatemalan homes. For Mario, selling pupusas brings business full circle, paying tribute to their mother, who started with a street pupusa stand that became a restaurant and provided the savings to bring them to Los Angeles, then Schenectady, for a new life. We order street food in West Ave Chicken since the two entities are not connected inside, and head next door to West Ave Pizza for its larger seating, where the food is brought to us. Pupusas, thick flatbreads closer to arepas than tortillas, stuffed with cheese or refried beans, are served with curtido, spicy cabbage slaw, and smooth tomato salsa; the Guatemalan-style chicken taquitos are ultra crisp rolled cigars, four to an order, all smothered in lettuce, crema, crumbled queso fresca and pico di gallo. Theres fun in a Guatemalan twist on Italian arancini rice balls made with Spanish rice instead of risotto. Crisp, fried enchiladas are piled with ground beef, cabbage, beet slaw, sliced boiled eggs, tomato and onions. Two for eight bucks. What more could you want? West Ave Chicken lives up to its name with a dozen sauces for bone-in or boneless wings, from citrus or chipotle to Nashville hot. Ours come out crispy by request, like the fried chicken sold by the half-bird or by the piece, dark or white. Sure, theres pulled pork, fried haddock and a corned beef Reuben in the strong show of 13 sandwiches, but the fried chicken stands out. Instead of the tightening and shrinkage common when frying fowl, Mario has a secret way of tenderizing the meat before dragging it in flour for massive, shaggy results, and a crisp batter that gives way to a softer, less chewy bite than youd expect. If youre smart, youll order two Junior sandwiches for less than $12. Think of them as oversized sliders with fried chicken dressed up your chosen two ways. I picked the North Country with coleslaw and tangy pickles and the extreme Nashville Mac & Cheese which does Guy Fieri-style bad things to a classic Nashville Hot. Next door, with a full team on deck, West Ave Pizza's menu goes beyond its name, too, with nonna-style dinners: stuffed shells, baked ziti, lasagna, ravioli, sausage and peppers, chicken Marsala, mac-and-cheese and eggplant Parm. Wash it down with Sicilian limonata or blood orange soda. Where are you right now? Sicily, Queens, Guatemala City or Saratoga Springs? All this and the businesses are turning just one year old. West Ave Pizza has picked up a Best of Saratoga 2022 award, and Mario isnt slowing down. Coming up: Rotisserie chickens at West Ave Chicken, applying for a liquor license, integrating the two stores and down the line a woman-run Guatemalan restaurant to honor their mother. Dont be fooled by the simple West Ave shop signs. The Cardenas family have combined some of the areas best pizza and fried chicken with the flavors of Guatemala under one, well two, roofs. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate EAST GREENBUSH Town Historian Bobbie Reno has chalked up another win for 19th-century sculptor Edmonia Lewis, a Native American, Black and Catholic woman who fought prejudices to win international fame as the foremost female American sculptor of her time. Lewis was expelled from Oberlin College on trumped-up accusations by two white female classmates that she poisoned their drinks in 1862. Lewis was charged and acquitted. Then, a year later she was accused of stealing art supplies and again acquitted, but not allowed to enroll for her final year and forced to leave school. Reno secured Lewis her degree nearly 160 years later. Previously, Reno successfully worked to get Lewis gravesite in London restored and helped land her image on a U.S. postage stamp earlier this year. At Oberlin Colleges June 5 commencement, Lewis will be awarded a diploma for her field of study. Its the culmination of Renos latest effort to win recognition for Lewis. How cool is this? an excited Reno said recently in her office at Town Hall. Obviously, Im happy with this. What happened back then was wrong, Reno said. Theyre not covering it up. To me, this shows the integrity of the college." Reno set out to get Lewis an honorary degree from Oberlin, but the college said it would award Lewis the diploma she would have received in the 1860s. It is my distinct honor to inform you that, rather than award her an honorary degree, Oberlin College has instead decided to award Edmonia Lewis her diploma. She will be awarded a posthumous diploma of the Ladies Course at our upcoming 2022 Commencement Ceremony, Matthew D. Lahey, vice president, general counsel and secretary for Oberlin College, wrote Reno on April 27. ... I apologize that this process took longer than anticipated. While the college felt that awarding Edmonia Lewis her diploma was appropriate, the uniqueness of that action led to some delays, Lahey wrote. The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote. Reno was invited to attend the commencement by Lahey. Reno cannot make the trip, although she said she would have liked to be there. Reno took up the campaign to win Lewis recognition in 2016 when she became town historian. Lewis was born in 1844 in a cottage in rural Greenbush now the city of Rensselaer and towns of East Greenbush, North Greenbush and Sand Lake. East Greenbush claims her as a native daughter. Town Supervisor Jack Conway said East Greenbush is proud of Renos accomplishments in renewing interest in Lewis. On Jan. 26, Lewis was honored when her portrait appeared on the 45th stamp in the United States Postal Service's Black Heritage series. Reno is not done. Reno is now on a quest to locate Lewis Statue of the Blessed Virgin that she created for St. Elizabeths Roman Catholic Church, a Black parish in St. Louis. The last record of the statue is from the 1950s, Reno said. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Iran disrupted internet access to the outside world as angry demonstrators rallied over the collapse of a tower in the nation's southwest that has killed at least 36 people, experts said Tuesday as outrage and grief continued to grow. The disruption plunged the province into digital isolation, making it difficult for journalists to authenticate events on the ground and for activists to share footage and organize protests. It's a tactic the Iranian government has repeatedly employed during times of unrest, rights activists say, in a country where radio and television stations already are state-controlled and journalists face the threat of arrest. The internet interference in the oil-rich Khuzestan province started in early May, weeks before the fatal collapse, said Amir Rashidi, director of internet security and digital rights at Miaan Group, which focuses on digital security in the Middle East. The province, home to an ethnic Arab population that long has alleged discrimination, was a flashpoint in protests over the sinking economy and skyrocketing prices of food staples. Disruptions then intensified in the area after the Metropol Building collapse last week, according to data shared by the Miaan Group. The disaster ignited widespread anger in Abadan, where residents alleging government negligence gathered nightly at the site of the collapse to shout slogans against the Islamic Republic. Videos of the protests have circulated widely online, with some showing officers clubbing and firing tear gas at demonstrators. The footage analyzed by The Associated Press corresponded to known features of Abadan, some 660 kilometers (410 miles) southwest of the capital, Tehran. The number of casualties and arrests remains unclear. In response to the protests, Iranian authorities at times completely shut down the internet and other times allowed only tightly controlled use of a domestic Intranet, reported the Miaan Group. During the day, authorities also appear to have restricted bandwidths to make it very difficult for people to share large files, such as video, without leaving Abadan altogether, said Mahsa Alimardani, a senior researcher at Article 19, an international organization that fights censorship. Last Friday, as huge crowds took to the streets to chant against top officials, a digital barricade of sorts went up between Iran and the world, data showed. Only certain government-approved national websites could stream content but not websites based abroad. There has been a pattern that weve seen when it gets dark where Google isnt working but the website of the Supreme Leader is working well, Rashidi said. The Iranian mission at the United Nations did not immediately respond to request for comment. Meanwhile, rescue workers pulled three more bodies from the rubble Tuesday, bringing the death toll to 36 amid fears more people could be trapped in the ruins. Five of the victims were school-age children, the official IRNA news agency reported. An additional 37 people were injured in the collapse, with two still hospitalized. Officials have blamed the buildings structural failure on shoddy construction practices, lax regulation and entrenched corruption, raising questions about the safety of similar towers in the earthquake-prone country. Authorities reported they evacuated residents from buildings near the disaster site out of fear of the remaining Metropol strucutre collapsing. The rising political and economic pressures come as talks to restore Tehran's tattered nuclear deal with world powers have hit a deadlock. Hostilities have simmered as Iran accelerates its nuclear program far beyond the limits of the nuclear deal and last week seized two Greek tankers on a key oil route through the Persian Gulf. In a sign of those rising tensions, Iran's Foreign Ministry sharply criticized the International Atomic Energy Agency on Tuesday over its quarterly report released the day before on Iran's nuclear program. Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh rebuked the report's findings that Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpile had increased by 18 times since the 2015 nuclear deal as not fair and balanced. The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote. The U.N. nuclear watchdog also said that Iran has still failed to explain traces of uranium particles that IAEA inspectors found at former undeclared sites in the country long a sore point between Iran and the agency despite a recent push for a resolution by June. Khatibzadeh said the agency's statements did not reflect the reality of talks between Iran and the agency." The agency should be watchful and not destroy the path we walked down, with difficulty," he told reporters in Tehran. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian addressed the stalled indirect negotiations with the United States over the collapsed nuclear deal, telling reporters he communicated Iranian concerns to Vice President Kamala Harris through a third party when they were in Munich earlier this year. Iran has repeatedly demanded guarantees that no future president could unilaterally abandon the agreement, as former President Donald Trump did in 2018. The White House has said it cannot make such a commitment. Amirabdollahian said he had asked the mediator to "tell Ms. Kamala Harris if a group of rebels are going to take over the White House, could you please let us know." Even if rebels take over, they must be committed to international agreements, Amirabdollahian said. The White House has not acknowledged any such message. In a recent interview with Frances Le Figaro newspaper, Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi said his country was always glad to help when asked if Muscat was hosting new secret talks between Iran and the U.S. Oman hosted the secret talks that led to the 2015 nuclear deal. I am hopeful that we can achieve a new dynamic to reach an agreement, he said. It is in the interest of our region and the world. SCHENECTADY A man shot on Hulett Street Monday night died at Ellis Hospital early Tuesday morning, police said. Treavine Tate was driven to the hospital after the 11:30 p.m. shooting, which police said occurred between State and Albany streets. The police said Tate, who turned 21 on Monday, was driven to Ellis in a private car. His death is the 3rd homicide so far this year in the Electric City. Anyone with information on the homicide can call the detective division at (518) 382-5254. SCHENECTADY A marked city police SUV was stolen from outside Ellis Hospital and recovered about 62 miles away in Kingston Monday, city police said. The SUV was taken at about 6:28 p.m. Monday from the hospital by a man whom officers had taken there for an evaluation, police said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) Zimbabwe is seeking international support to be allowed to sell its stockpile of seized ivory, saying the $600 million it expects to earn is urgently needed for the conservation of its rapidly growing elephant population which it describes as dangerous. Officials from the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority showed ambassadors from European Union countries the stockpile of ivory tusks that have been seized from poachers and collected from elephants that have died. The Zimbabwean officials appealed to the European Union and other countries to support the sale of ivory which has been banned since 1989 by CITES, the international body that monitors endangered species. Zimbabwe has 130 tons of ivory and 6 to 7 tons of rhino horn, said Mangwanya. Envoys from the Netherlands, Germany, France, Britain, Switzerland, Canada and the United States viewed the ivory tusks in heavily guarded vaults in Harare. Swiss ambassador to Zimbabwe Niculin Jager, speaking on behalf of the envoys, emphasized the need to fight the poaching of elephants. Conservation and prevention of illegal wildlife trade is an international issue because of the involvement of criminal syndicates in illegal wildlife trade, hence there is need to strengthen international co-operation, he said. Later this month Zimbabwe will be hosting what it calls an elephant summit in which representatives of 14 African countries, as well as from China and Japan, will consider ways to manage the populations of the world's largest land animal. We need assistance. These elephants are multiplying at a dangerous rate, 5% per annum, the parks and wildlife agencys director-general, Fulton Mangwanya, said during the tour. Zimbabwe's estimated 100,000 elephants are double the carrying capacity of its national parks. The overcrowded elephants are destroying the trees and shrubs that are vital for them and other wildlife, say parks officials. Zimbabwe's elephant population is getting so big that Mangwanya warned it will be very difficult for us to do anything but culling which is opposed by everyone. Neighboring Botswana has the world's largest elephant population with more than 130,000. Together Zimbabwe and Botswana have nearly 50% of the world's elephants. The two countries say they are struggling to cope with the booming numbers and are pressing to be allowed to sell their stockpiles of tusks seized from poachers or removed from dead elephants. Other African countries, such as Kenya, insist that all ivory sales should be banned to discourage any international trade in ivory. In addition to banning ivory sales, CITES in 2019 also imposed restrictions on the sales of wild elephants caught in Zimbabwe and Botswana, a move that pleased some conservationists but dismayed officials struggling to manage their overloaded parks. The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote. There is a flourishing illegal trade in ivory in which international syndicates fund poachers to kill elephants and saw off their ivory tusks. The ivory is then smuggled overseas, where there is a demand for ivory for jewelry and trinkets. Increased poaching and loss of habitat have made Africas elephant populations more endangered, the International Union for Conservation of Nature said last year. Zimbabwe and Botswana say they are ill-equipped to deal with poachers without the money from ivory sales, especially because earnings from tourism have dwindled due to COVID19 related travel restrictions since 2020. Zimbabwe has pledged to use all proceeds from ivory sales to fund conservation in its wildlife parks and to support communities that live near parks and bear the brunt of conflict with the wildlife, said Mangwanya. Zimbabwe argues that funds that benefit people who live near the parks will motivate them to support the fight against poaching instead of relying on it for their livelihoods. Zimbabwe proposes a once-off sale in this COVID19 pandemic era, Mangwanya said. "There is a great market for valuable ivory and we cant trade to generate financial resources for the implementation of elephant management plans," Mangwanya said. "Its now worse with COVID and with low business in tourism where we derive our revenue from. Where do we get the money to look after the resources? (backslash) ___ This story has been corrected to show that Zimbabwe has 130 tons of elephant ivory and 6 to 7 tons of rhino horn. New York City became the largest U.S. city and the first city in New York state to use Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) on June 22 last year. New analysis of exit poll data released this week by the Unite America Institute demonstrates that voters understood RCV, liked RCV, used the option to rank candidates that RCV provides, and want to use RCV again. The favorable response was so widespread that theres little reason to believe it wouldnt also be well-received elsewhere in New York perhaps someday in the city of Albany. RCV is a straightforward idea that gives voters more say and makes elections more representative of all voters. Under this format, voters rank their choices, from one, two, and so on, for however much further they choose or however many candidates are available to rank. If, after the first counting of votes, there is a candidate with at least 50-percent-plus-one first-place votes, the election is over. If there isnt, the candidate who finishes with the fewest first-place votes is eliminated, and the second-place votes on those ballots get reallocated to the remaining candidates as first-place votes. This process is repeated until a candidate receives a majority of first-place votes. Based on exit poll data, the large majority of voters in New York City, across demographics, used ranking in last Junes election to identify their preferences, and reported understanding the process and the ballot. At least 78 percent of voters across races ranked more than one candidate in the mayoral election and 44 percent ranked on all five lines that were available. Across all age categories, at least 81 percent ranked more than one candidate and 42 percent ranked on all five lines. Voters top reason for ranking was that they felt it gave them the opportunity to choose the candidate who most represented their values, while still identifying other candidates they could support. Notably, of the voters who ranked only one candidate, the majority 80 percent reported that they did so as a choice because they only supported one candidate and not because of a lack of understanding about RCV ranking. Through the ranking process, voters elected the most diverse slate of council-members in the citys history, as well as the city's second Black mayor (with two female runners-up in second and third place). In fact, 35 candidates of color won city council primaries (a nine-candidate increase from the previous primary); 29 city council primaries were won by female candidates (86 percent of whom are women of color); and six LGBTQ candidates won their primaries. This appears to be in line with studies that show that women and minority candidates run and win more in RCV cities than non-RCV cities. Sign up for the Observation Deck newsletter Read the latest Times Union opinion, perspective and letters to the editor on Mondays by signing up for our Observation Deck newsletter. Voters supported RCV and, overall, had a positive experience with the process: 77 percent reported wanting more RCV elections in New York City, and 62 percent support RCV being used elsewhere. The RCV process itself appears to hold promise for improving our elections. To go further on improving our democracy, election leaders, policy makers, and advocates may consider building upon voter education efforts and, in particular, targeting efforts with minority and older communities. Research shows that explaining the mechanics of RCV alone does not significantly shift voter engagement with ranking. Alternatively, when explaining to minority voters how ranking benefits the chances of female and minority candidates, we see these populations more actively engage with ranking. Notably, research has found that undervoting among minority populations is less common under RCV than under traditional voting systems. Still, the margins of older and minority voters who had difficulty understanding the process and ballot were very small, but this suggests that targeting these voters may help broaden the already increasing opportunity to engage in our democratic process using RCV. New York City voters chose to make their voice heard through the ranking process. The results after their first experience with the system are promising for improving our elections, and they hold lessons for the more than 50 municipalities that will be holding RCV elections in the upcoming election cycle or other jurisdictions interested in adopting RCV. Erin Carman is an assistant professor in the Department of Social Work and Sociology, and Jay Wendland is an associate professor in the Department of History and Political Science at Daemen College in Amherst. When it comes to naming military installations, some basic qualifications seem obvious. Loyalty. Heroism. Service that's inspiring and worth emulating. The choice of a hero like Sgt. Henry Johnson is as clear as the choice of an incompetent insurrectionist like Gen. Leonidas Polk is ridiculous to this day. A host of military installations around the South were named for former Confederate figures between World War I and World War II, Louisiana's Fort Polk among them. But the death of a Black man, George Floyd, at the hands of Minneapolis police in 2020 sparked a national conversation on, among other things, the offensiveness of these enduring honors to people who rebelled against our republic in the cause of preserving chattel slavery. A congressional commission has for more than a year looked at renaming military installations, and last week it unveiled nine recommendations. Among them was to change the name of Fort Polk to Fort Johnson. And not a century too soon. Located about halfway between the Gulf of Mexico and Shreveport, Fort Polk was named for one of the worst generals in the Confederacy. He had almost no military experience, serving less than a year in 1827 before resigning for religious studies. He eventually became bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana, and in 1861 founded the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Confederate States of America, taking his cue from the state's secession. Quite a model American citizen, that one. But there is even less to recommend Gen. Polk as a military icon. His occupation in September 1861 of Columbus, Ky., prompted that state which had been neutral at the outset of the Civil War to seek help from the Union. At one point, he tried to resign, but was not allowed to. His lack of competence and his squabbling with his superior officer, Gen. Braxton Bragg, prompted Bragg to call him "unfit" in a letter to Confederate President Jefferson Davis. One military historian said Polk's death in 1864 was a blow to the Union, considering the unintentional damage he did to the Confederacy. Sign up for the Observation Deck newsletter Read the latest Times Union opinion, perspective and letters to the editor on Mondays by signing up for our Observation Deck newsletter. Contrast that with Sgt. Johnson, who enlisted in the military in 1917 and served in World War I. He and his Black regiment served under French command because of his own country's ban on allowing Black soldiers in combat. He was awarded the French Croix de Guerre for his heroism in fighting off a German attack with a rifle, a knife and grenades. Long denied recognition by his own country, he was finally awarded a Purple Heart in 1996, the Distinguished Service Cross in 2002 and the Medal of Honor in 2015. Johnson is as perfect a choice as one might imagine for the renaming of Fort Polk. An ordinary soldier whose courage was undeniable. A man honored with the highest military awards of two nations. And a fitting symbol of the effort to finally strip the honor of a namesake installation from those who sought to rend our nation. This is a name, and a person, to inspire those who step forward to serve their country. ALBANY In the eight weeks since lawmakers passed a $220 billion budget, a cacophony of controversies and crises has dominated the remaining priorities at the Capitol with a multitude of measures up for debate in the final three scheduled days of the legislative session, including gun control and reproductive rights. To recap the last two months: the lieutenant governor resigned following a federal indictment and was replaced by U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado following an inventive rule-making process; a mass shooting on the New York City subway; a leaked draft ruling indicated the U.S. Supreme Court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade; a white 18-year-old gunman killed 10 Black people at a supermarket in Buffalo; a subvariant of omicron spread rapidly through New York; and Democrat-drawn redistricting maps were thrown out by the state's highest court and replaced with political lines far-less favorable for that party. The activity in New York has unfolded in the backdrop of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, soaring gas prices and inflation and choked off supply chains, including an unprecedented shortage of baby formula. The busy time frame, even for Albany standards, has left little room for discussions of three key end-of-session priorities that Gov. Kathy Hochul carried into April: mayoral control on New York City schools, affordable housing and passing the "Clean Slate Act" to seal certain criminal records to help those convicted of crimes shed the stigma of that record. "We also have some urgent items that need to be addressed," Hochul said in early April. Lawmakers have three days to accomplish their top priorities before they head back to their districts for what is set to be a long campaign season. Primaries will occur on two dates, June 28 for statewide and Assembly races and Aug. 23 for congressional and state Senate races. Also looming is a possible special session, potentially in July, to potentially address any fallout of a Supreme Court decision expected on a concealed-carry gun case that originated in Rensselaer County. Hochul did not hesitate when asked last week whether she would call lawmakers back to remedy the results of the case that gun rights advocates are anticipating will be in their favor. Lawmakers are still expected to address at least two of Hochul's key issues, mayoral control and affordable housing, both of which are New York City-centric issues. Hochul told reporters last week she believed both would get done. The Clean Slate Act almost made it into the budget, but was taken out following debates on the details. "It's not a criminal justice bill. It's a job bill," state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, D-Brooklyn, who is a sponsor, said in the Capitol last week, buttressed by major labor groups. "You can't say on one hand you want to put New Yorkers back to work, that we will be in a state of recovery, if we have 2.3 million New Yorkers shut out of that recovery." The executive chamber and the state Senate are generally ready to move ahead on Clean Slate, while the Assembly, where consensus by the majority Democrats is often more contentious, remains uncertain. Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie also has made himself available to the press less often than both Hochul and state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. The two biggest issues Hochul is focused on are the potential overturn of the nationwide right to an abortion and the desire to fervently respond to the recent mass shootings. "I do believe in my heart we will be addressing two major issues that have surfaced," Hochul said last week about reproductive rights and gun violence. Progressive lawmakers, backed by state Attorney General Letitia James, are calling for the passage of the "reproductive freedom and equity program," which would fund reproductive health centers and also provide financial access for people coming from out of state for an abortion. There's also a push for a potential constitutional amendment to enshrine certain reproductive rights, which is intended to further insulate New Yorkers from any rollbacks of state rights on abortion. The amendment would still need to go through session next year before it could land on voters' ballots. Hochul has a host of gun violence legislation she is pushing and which is, generally, in agreement with the stance of Democratic leadership in the state. The governor is seeking for the Legislature to raise the age a New Yorker can legally buy an AR-15 style rifle from 18 to 21 years old. A broader push on all semiautomatic weapons has not been at the center of the debate. A similar ban in California on AR-15 style firearms was overturned by a federal court recently, leaving policymakers with a blueprint on what might trip up their inevitable legal defense, if the law passes. Stewart-Cousins, through a spokesman, said the conference would support the increase in age to 21 for an AR-15, but spokespeople for Heastie were less definitive, noting it was still being discussed. Hochul is additionally pushing mandatory "microstamping" of firearms sold in New York, creating an imprint on the ammunition fired from a weapon; and broadening the state's laws on what types of weapons are banned to include what's known as "any other weapon" which fall into a "gray area" of the law, Hochul said. Policy tailored to extremism or white supremacy, which many Democratic lawmakers said were the catalyst of the mass shooting in Buffalo, does not appear to be in the mix. Hochul did issue an executive order creating a new domestic terrorism unit, with social media analysts to monitor the "dark web" for signs of impending violence. A long-stalled Domestic Terrorism Task Force is expected to launch June 15, too. Workers in an Irish supermarket chain are set to receive a pay boost, it has emerged. The grocery retailer announced a 40 million investment in pay rates and enhancement to benefits for its staff Tesco is introducing an overall 10% pay award for employees that covers from 2021 to 2023. Retail workers received a 6% pay award since the start of April 2022, 2.5% of which will be backdated to April 2021. Workers will receive another 4% pay award next year. Since Covid began, Tesco Ireland has paid 10 million in pandemic bonus payments for employees. The company said employees also receive supports via in-store discounts, life assurance and staff rewards. I am pleased to be able to make this announcement for our colleagues at a challenging time for families with rising living costs," said Natasha Adams, CEO of Tesco Ireland. "Solidifying this pay award will help to provide certainty of pay and benefits for our colleagues, secure our business and jobs in the years ahead and continue to make Tesco a great place to work. "Our colleagues are at the heart of our business, and I thank them for their continued hard work and dedication to serving our customers and communities. Tesco says it created nearly 700 jobs last year, with 225 driver roles advertised, along with 450 permanent jobs around the country. The company said the pandemic had drastically increased the demand for its delivery service, especially for the over-65 age bracket. Christopher Black is a well-known Canadian lawyer, who once served as the lead defense counsel for former Yugoslavia President Slobodan Milosevic at the Hague International Court of Justice, and a defense counsel at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. For a long time, the US-led NATO has frequently conducted military intervention in other countries with various pretexts. What does Mr. Black think of this? Over the years, NATO, led by the United States, has wantonly waged war and flagrantly trampled on human rights, bringing countless bloody tragedies. In 1999, NATO bypassed the United Nations Security Council and bombed the then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia for 78 continuous days, causing a large number of civilian casualties and nearly one-million refugees. Mr. Black believed that the excuse of NATO bombing Yugoslavia was totally unjustified. Christopher Black: This was totally illegal. They avoided going to the UN Security Council. And then after the factcame out, they tried to invent this new legal doctrine, which acquits a legal doctrine, which is fake, it doesnt exist in the International Law. They invented this idea of humanitarian intervention, and that gives you an excuse that we can invade the United States today because what they are doing to their own people, but nobody would regard that as legal. But the Americans have, as we all know, this attitude that they think they are the law, and can do anything they want. Recalling his experience as the chief defense counsel of former Yugoslav President Milosevic, Black said that the trial system at that time was controlled by the US-led NATO, while the United States and NATO were not punished for waging the war. Christopher Black: So it was illegal and immoral, and nobody is being punished for that. They only charged certain selected people from the Yugoslavian force and government and use them as scapegoats, to blame them for everything that happened, not the Americans, or the British, or the Germans. And it was also used to put up propaganda about that war, false stories about that war, and to cover up what the west really did in that war, and to make people forget about that. NATO has always been an aggressive ally NATO is a product of the cold war. After the cold war, people began to question the necessity of its existence. NATO also promised in the 1990s that it "would move not one inch to the east". However, led by the US, NATO has expanded eastward for five times since 1999, reaching the Russian border. Mr. Black said that its eastward expansion is obviously aggressive, and NATO has always been an aggressive organization. Christopher Black: NATO has always been an aggressive ally. It always meant to try to attack the USSR and destroy the USSR. They want to control the market and the resources of Russia. And if they cant do that, they gonna destroy it, and try to break it up. The movement to the east of NATO is clearly not defensive. Its clearly aggressive And that was the pretext for placing missile systems along the Russian border from Poland out through Romania. And those missile systems could launch nuclear cruise missiles and hit Moscow in four or five minutes. Mr. Black also pointed out that after the Cold War, the US-led NATO has been trying to control the world. Especially when its own power declines, the United States would be more likely to resort to war. Christopher Black: The attack on the Yugoslavia and this war on Ukraine are all parts of this larger war that the United States conducted to control the entire world. Americas power is weakening for all sorts of reasons we know. But that makes them desperate, so they are trying to keep their positions somehow. But it means more wars I think. Editors Note: This article is originally published on CCTV.com, and is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn. A cowtown truism . . . Dudes enduring divorces say the dumbest things. Every dude who has ever been divorced complains that "the system" is rigged against him and their wives may or may not be the antichrist. It's almost an American male right of passage to reject the Constitution, the American flag and possibly the Creator after getting fleeced in divorce court. Real talk . . . So much divorce court talk scared this lowly blogger out of ever tying the knot . . . Even if the pendulum is starting to swing and now women are complaining about the demands of lazy dudes seeking alimony . . . See, there's a sliver lining after all!!! Meanwhile, we think it's important to highlight this passage from an ugly public divorce if only because there's a political connection that, reportedly, didn't hold up . . . "Eric Greitens, who is in the midst of a bid to replace U.S. Senator Roy Blunt, accused Sheena Greitens of conspiracy, alleging she worked with former presidential adviser Karl Rove; Mitch McConnell; Catherine Linkul, Sheena Greitens' sister; and Austin Chambers, Eric Greitens' 2016 campaign manager in crafting the filing. "Associate Circuit Judge Leslie Schneider only allowed Eric Greitens access to Sheena Greitens' phone records, which showed Sheena Greitens "didnt talk to Karl Rove, Mitch McConnell 'or any person working for these men' in the weeks before" the accusations were filed . . ." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . We'll talk more about this in the future but here's the deal . . . KANSAS CITY HAS BEEN EXCEPTIONALLY PERMISSIVE TO HOMELESS CAMPERS SINCE THE PANDEMIC!!! Like it or not . . . Homeless camping season is starting again in KCMO. Here's the Missouri effort to push back against the trend that probably won't work without local buy-in and cooperation . . . Check-it . . . Modeled on legislation pushed in states across the country by a conservative nonprofit from Texas called the Cicero Institute, the Missouri bill sought to ban people from sleeping on state-owned land and allow Missouris attorney general to sue local governments that dont enforce the ban. But like other rural communities, Bolivar 30 miles north of Springfield doesnt have a shelter, so the only choice many people have is to camp out in public lands, said Titterington, the executive director of Community Outreach Ministries in Bolivar. Unless additional support (both logistical and monetary) is given to small, rural communities for creating shelters and solutions, you just create a stick without a carrot which is just abusive, Titterington said in his written testimony to a Missouri House committee in March. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Right now angel hottie Candice inspires another peek at pop culture, community news and top headlines. Check TKC news gathering . . . Traffic Trouble Starts Today Live Blog: Thunderstorms, flooding impact travel in Kansas City area KANSAS CITY, Mo. - 6:00 a.m. | Thunderstorms have brought flooding to the Kansas City area, causing ponding on roadways and portions of Interstate 70, according to the National Weather Service. A Flood Watch will remain in place in the metro today and tonight. The Dotte Defies COVID Uptick Parkwood Pool in KCK reopens after two-year hiatus Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer, and that means pool season is back.For the Parkwood Pool in Kansas City, Kansas, off Quindaro Boulevard, it's the pool's first time back open in two years. "Really excited because I haven't been able to swim for a while," said Max Lawson, who's at the pool with his mom and brother. No Break From Pain At Pump Kansas City experts explain how rising gas prices could impact summer travel KANSAS CITY, MO - If you are planning to take a trip or even spending a day at a lake, gas prices will impact your summer travel as experts say we can expect those costs to continue to go up. Paint Probs Persist How the lead industry misled the public about its toxic problem for decades Lead is a dangerous neurotoxin. Researchers have known that for decades. But the substance stuck around in everyday products like paint and gasoline for decades. One big reason: The lead industry spent years using racial bias to divert public attention away from the dangers of the toxin and minimized the impact of mounting evidence indicating lead was poisoning children with devastating effects. KCMO Morning Traffi Double Take Interstate 670 westbound shut down at Genessee KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Interstate 670 westbound is shut down at Genessee due to a multi-vehicle crash. A semi is jack-knifed at the scene. The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department says the semi has a ruptured fuel tank and is leaving diesel on the scene. Hottie Fashions Glam Renaissance Candice Swanepoel models skimpy black bikini for her brand Tropic of C Candice Swanepoel modeled a tiny black bikini on her Instagram Friday. The former Victoria's Secret Angel, 33, bared quite a bit of skin. The gia bikini was held together by thin crisscrossing straps. The South Africa native posed on a sandy shore with vibrant blue waves splashing on the sands behind her. Prez Biden Aimless As Midterms Approach Inside a Biden White House adrift WASHINGTON - Faced with a worsening political predicament, President Joe Biden is pressing aides for a more compelling message and a sharper strategy while bristling at how they've tried to stifle the plain-speaking persona that has long been one of his most potent assets. GOP Tried Of MAGA Republicans Are Getting Really 'Sick' of Trump's 'Bitching' Is former President Donald Trump's hold on his Republican base waning? Vice's senior political reporter Cameron Joseph thinks so. "Trump is slipping. [He] doesn't have the grip over the GOP that he once did," Joseph tells Molly Jong-Fast in this episode of The New Abnormal . Vlad Crushes Rumors Of Russian Defeat Ukraine war: Heavy shelling and 'street-by-street fighting' as Russian forces now control 'around half' of key Donbas city of Severodonetsk Russia is focusing on "liberating" Donbas as part of its "special military operation" after facing stiff Ukrainian resistance in the north. Russian-backed separatists control part of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions which make up the Donbas, and Putin wants it entirely in pro-Russian hands. Healthcare Opts Out Doctors, nurses risked their lives to battle COVID. Now they're facing a mental health crisis U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy last week issued an advisory regarding the burnout and resignation crisis in the healthcare community, underlining the severity of the problem. The COVID-19 pandemic aggravated pre-existing morale problems for medical professionals frustrated with changing job demands that they say affects their ability to care for patients. Progressives Back To The Future Ranking the five Democrats most likely to win party nod if Biden doesn't run Whether President Biden will seek reelection next year is one of the most discussed topics inside and outside the Beltway. Biden has said he plans to run for a second term, privately telling former President Obama and other Democrats of his intentions. The president's allies say he is still the only one who can defeat... Diverse Sounds Of Kansas City Debut A choir of Tanzanian refugees in Kansas City The Salvation Choir, a Congolese Rumba choir made up of Tanzanian refugees, first started performing traditional gospel music at their church in Independence, Missouri, but soon expanded both their repertoire and their reach. Now, they're playing shows across the Midwest. KCUR's Laura Spencer stopped by a recent Saturday rehearsal. Far East Foodie Debuts Chef brings traditional Chinese noodle cuisine to Kansas City area OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - A Chinese chef is creating noodle magic while introducing authentic Chinese noodle flavors to the Kansas City area. Magic Noodle in Overland Park opened up last year and owner Elvin Liu says he believes his shop is the only restaurant that makes noodles using the same techniques used hundreds of years ago. Katie Talks Downpour Ahead Heavy rain this morning, severe weather possible later today Hide Transcript Show Transcript OF THE LOW-LYING ARE.AS I WANT TO TAKE INTO FUTESURCAN AND ONE THING I WANT YOU TO WATCH ASHE T IMPACT ICON AND WHEN IT CHANGES TO ALERT. THE RAIN THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH THIS MORNING AND EARLY THIS AFTERNOON, WE KEEP IT AANS IMPACT. Papa Roach - No Apologies is the song of the day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now. Our role as this town's worst blog is to be objective and offer OP/ED JOURNALISM rather than partisan advocacy that's far easier to dismiss and is mostly tuned out. After more than a decade of writing about the local news for something just a bit more meaningful than Internets robot generate likes & shares . . . Here's an objective opinion that sums up a recent crisis confronted by local law enforcement . . . ACTIVIST OUTCRY AFTER KCPD SHOT A WOMAN DURING A STOLEN CAR INVESTIGATION IS REACHING CRITICAL MASS!!! Reality check . . . Most outlets with far more reach than this blog have left out the deets about the stolen car altogether. Instead . . . GLOBAL OUTRAGE over this story is already taking hold. Thee angle about the lady being pregnant seems to be gaining the most traction. It's also worth considering that the lady who took mobile phone video of her voice-over tirade is making a global media tour. Here's part of what she has to say . . . "Somebody needs to speak up, because we stand for something or we all fall for anything," she said. She says she saw Kansas City police engage with a woman in a car in the Family Dollar parking lot. "The police officer says, 'She's armed, she's armed.' He shoots the fourth time, and another shoots, making it a total of five," the woman said. Accordingly . . . IF KCPD or the Missouri Highway Patrol wants to get ahead of this story they will . . . - Tell us if the lady was preggers and if the officer who shot her knew as much when the gun was unloaded. - Offer a breakdown of the decision to shoot the woman. - Offer more deets about the suspected carjacking situation and how that factored into decision to shoot the lady. Already the newspaper and lesser trolls are demanding the names of officers involved in the shooting. However . . . What we can say for certain is that the silent treatment isn't working and activists pushed a dangerous narrative over the weekend that will certainly be hard to overcome EVEN IF the facts are on the side of the officer who fired the weapon. None of this is fair and it would be better if EVERYONE withheld judgement until all the facts were available BUT THE REALITY IS THAT THE KCPD & MHP DELAY in addressing this crisis has cost them dearly in the court of public opinion and they might not be able to counteract overwhelmingly negative perceptions propagated by social media, the newspaper and opportunistic activists. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . Eyewitness shares story after woman shot by KCMO police in confrontation KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A recent Family Dollar shopping trip for one woman turned into what she called a traumatic experience, after KCMO police shot a woman during a confrontation. KSHB 41 News spoke with the woman anonymously to conceal her name and face to protect her safety. Kansas police reportedly shoot Black unarmed pregnant woman 5 times The Kansas City Police Department is under fire after shooting an unarmed pregnant Black woman five times. The incident took place on Friday (May 27) in the Independence Plaza neighborhood. Twenty-six year old Leonna Hale has been identified as the victim. Witness says police shot pregnant Black woman five times in Missouri An eyewitness says police in Kansas City, Missouri repeatedly shot an unarmed pregnant woman as she tried to run away. "They shot five times," the witness, who only gave her first name, Shedanja, told the Kansas City Star . "I remember seeing her hit the ground and I froze." Who is Leonna Hale? Pregnant Black woman suspect shot 5 times by Kansas City police KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI: A pregnant Black woman was shot as many as five times by Kansas City police as they searched for a stolen vehicle on Friday, May 27. Officers in two vehicles were reportedly following up on a call about an armed carjacking just before 8 pm. Black woman is shot FIVE TIMES by Kansas City police Kansas City police were following up on a call about an armed carjacking just before 8pm on Friday when they apparently spotted the vehicle in a parking lot The officers then approached the vehicle with two suspects inside, at which point the male driver fled on foot Leonna Hale, 26, UPDATE . . . Check our latest report . . . Internets Lady Screaming After KCPD Shooting Might Be Lying?!? Developing . . . Because if they do . . . They're toast and they'll never hold another office in Kansas City. To wit . . . We question how much our local political friends are willing to put on the line as the Democratic Party stupidly decides to target gun rights before Midterm election season. Reality check . . . Whilst we love our progressive enclave in Kansas City, MO . . . Let's not forget this is the Heartland and people LOVE their guns here . . . Pretty much every other dude you see walking on local streets has access to a 9mm. Again, we can't help but think the Prez is getting bad advice or doesn't know how popular these guns are amongst the American populace. Here's some perspective and then links we tried to pull from both sides of the issue . . . "So, the idea of these high-caliber weapons is, uh, theres simply no rational basis for it in terms of self-protection, hunting," President Biden added. "Remember, the constitution was never absolute." "You couldnt buy a cannon when the Second Amendment was passed," Biden said. "You couldnt go out and purchase a lot of weaponry." The president, however, ruled out the possibility of issuing an executive order on guns, saying: "I cant dictate this stuff." The 9mm round is the most popular handgun caliber in the United States, accounting for well over half of all handguns produced in 2019, according to Shooting Industry magazine. The data showed that throughout the 2010s, 9mm pistols made up more than 40% of all pistols produced in the United States or roughly four in every ten pistols. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . Biden calls 9mm 'high-caliber weapons,' suggests banning them President Biden on Monday took aim at 9mm handguns, appearing to suggest that the "high-caliber weapons" ought to be banned. The president made the remarks outside the White House after returning from a visit to the site of a mass shooting in Texas where 21 people, including 19 elementary school children, were killed last week. Remarks by President Biden After Marine One Arrival | The White House South Lawn 9:15 A.M. EDT Q Good morning, Mr. President. Do you feel more motivated to get action on guns now? THE PRESIDENT: Well, I've been pretty motivated all along. You know, the folks - the folks who were victimized there, and their families, they spent 3 hours and 40 minutes with me. Biden goes on anti-gun tirade, suggests there's 'no rational basis' for 9mm pistols President Biden ranted against ownership of what he called "high-caliber weapons" Monday - appearing to suggest that there should be restrictions on the most popular handgun in America, the 9mm pistol, and repeating a previously debunked claim that the Second Amendment prohibits ownership of cannons. In gaffe, Biden claims 9mm bullet 'blows the lung out of the body' President Biden took aim Monday at one of the most common types of firearms owned by Americans in what appeared to be a gun-related technical flub. Speaking about his past experience with congressional hearings on "rational gun laws" and a visit to a New York trauma hospital, Mr. Biden appeared to confuse the different types of bullets used by semiautomatic handguns vs. Biden calls 9mm 'high-caliber weapons,' suggests banning them President Biden on Monday took aim at 9mm handguns, appearing to suggest that the "high-caliber weapons" ought to be banned. The president made the remarks outside the White House after returning from a visit to the site of a mass shooting in Texas where 21 people, including 19 elementary school children, were killed last week. Developing . . . Olha Bolshova fled Kyiv with daughters Stafaniia, 6, and Ivanka, 15, the first day of Russia's attack on Ukraine. Her girls are among more than 70 students at an Etobicoke Catholic school who have arrived in Canada since the war began. The Canadian Press has called the race in ScarboroughGuildwood for Mitzie Hunter of the Liberal Party of Ontario. Man, woman charged with robbery with firearm, breach of probation in brazen theft from man's driveway Exclusive stats from C&M Travel Recruitment and C&M Executive Recruitment (TRAVPR.COM) UNITED KINGDOM - May 31st, 2022 - Travel's Gender Pay Gap Narrows in 2021 Exclusive stats from C&M Travel Recruitment and C&M Executive Recruitment Men continue to earn more than women, but gap tightens to 6.5% Female executives out-earn men for first time Nearly three quarters of new travel jobs awarded to women Gender pay split Despite being awarded the majority of new jobs in travel, the average female in the industry once again earns less than their male counterparts, according to new research from C&M Travel Recruitment and C&M Executive Recruitment. However, for the first time since the index began in 2014, the gender pay gap in the travel industry has reduced to a single digit difference. The average male working in travel earned 6.5 per cent (or 1,805) more than a female in 2021, compared to a gap of 14.2 per cent in 2019, 18.4 per cent in 2018 and 12.8 per cent in 2017. For the first time in the index's history, women in executive travel jobs (those paying 40,000 and above) out-earned men, with the typical female receiving 7.7 per cent (or 3,919) more than their male equivalents, with a salary of 52,703. For senior travel jobs (those paying between 30,000 and 39,999), men earned 0.8 per cent more than the average woman with 32,650, or a difference of 268. Men also out-earned women in mid-level positions (those paying between 22,000 and 29,999) with an average of 25,542 and a difference of 2.1 per cent or 518. However, the situation was reversed for junior roles (those paying below 22,000) with women out-earning men by 2.8 per cent, taking home an average wage of 20,178 (or a gap of 556). Gender role split In terms of the overall gender split in travel, women continued to be awarded the majority of new positions at all levels of the industry, with females accounting for 76.6 per cent of all new junior roles (up from 70.8 per cent in 2019 and up from 74.1 per cent in 2018), and 73.4 per cent of all mid-level positions (up from 72.9 per cent in 2019 and down from 75.0 per cent in 2018). Women also took 74.4 per cent of all new senior jobs in travel last year (up from 69.9 per cent in 2019 and 62.3 per cent in 2018) and 61.0 per cent of all executive roles (up from 53.2 per cent in 2019 and 38.1 per cent in 2018. Overall, women were placed in 73.3 per cent of all new travel jobs last year, compared to 68.7 per cent in 2019, 68.6 per cent in 2018 and 71.4 per cent in 2017. Speaking about the findings, Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director at C&M Travel Recruitment and C&M Executive Recruitment, said: "Any difference in salaries between men and women is too much, but it is still very pleasing to see the gender pay gap in the travel industry fall from 14.2 per cent before the pandemic to 6.5 per cent in 2021. "There is still a long way to go to reach parity, but this report makes for encouraging reading. What's particularly promising is that for the first time since we began these surveys in 2014, men are no longer significantly out-earning women in higher-salaried executive travel roles. In fact, the situation was reversed last year, with female travel executives taking home an average of 7.7 per cent more than their male equivalents. "Whether this is a blip caused by the pandemic or an indication of a more long-term trend is unknown at this point, but travel's gender pay gap appears to be reducing. With travel being such a wonderfully inclusive place to work, wouldnt it be fantastic if we could lead the way by introducing true pay parity across our whole industry." C&M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK. For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk). ### In Slobozhansky direction, the army of the Russian Federation continues to prepare for the offensive and examines possible ways to advance and supply military equipment from the territory of Russia. This is stated in the latest report of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of 18:00 posted on Facebook, Ukrinform reports. "In Slobozhansky direction, the enemy continues to prepare for the offensive, examines possible ways to advance, supply weapons and military equipment and materiel from the territory of the Russian Federation. In order to reduce the offensive potential of our troops, the enemy fires rocket and tube artillery on the defense forces positions, the report reads. According to the General Staff data, the situation has not changed significantly in Volyn and Polissya areas directions. In Siversky direction, the Russian army fires artillery from the territory of Russia on the Ukrainian localities of Boyaro-Lezhachi and Manukhivka in Sumy region, Yanzhulivka and Kamenska Sloboda in Chernihiv region. The enemy did not take active action in Kharkiv direction, focusing its main efforts on deterring the actions of Ukrainian units. The invaders fired on civilian infrastructure in Odnorobivka, Udy, Ruski Tyshky, and Cherkaski Tyshky. In Slovyansk direction, the enemy continues to regroup troops to resume the offensive towards IziumBarvinkove and IziumSlovyansk. The enemy made unsuccessful assault attempt towards Kurulka and retreated to previously occupied positions. Apart from artillery shelling, the enemy launched airstrikes on Novoselivka and Lysychansk districts and missile strikes on Soledar and Siversk localities in Donetsk direction. In Lyman direction, the enemy regroups and prepares for the offensive, tried to reconnoiter the routes of advance through water obstacles. In Sievierodonetsk direction, the enemy conducts assault operations in the area of Sievierodonetsk, Toshkivka, and Ustynivka. The fighting continues. Military operations are ongoing in the area of Komyshuvakha, Novoluhanske, and Berestove in Bakhmut direction. In Avdiivka, Kurakhove, Novopavlivsk, and Zaporizhzhia directions, the enemy has no success, tries to strengthen the group and make up for losses with outdated and restored equipment. The enemy did not conduct active hostilities in the Southern Buh direction. The invaders fired on civilian infrastructure in the area of Posad-Pokrovske, Osokorivka, Novovorontsovka, Blahodatne, Partyzanske and others. "During the successful offensive of the defense forces, the enemy suffered losses and withdrew from the village of Mykolaivka, Kherson region, stirring panic among servicemen of other units of the Russian Armed Forces," the General Staff informs. In Kryvyi Rih direction, the enemy fired artillery on the Armed Forces of Ukraine and conducted counter-battery activities. In the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, the Black Sea Fleet ships continue to isolate the combat area, conduct reconnaissance, and support fire in the coastal direction. The enemy blocks civilian shipping in the northwestern part of the Black Sea. As noted, Russian troops continue to strengthen the air defense system in the temporarily occupied Crimea. The enemy additionally deployed up to two S-300 anti-aircraft missile divisions of the 4th Army of the Southern Military District. As reported, Vadym Denysenko, Adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, stated that the Armed Forces of Ukraine had advanced by an average of 8-10km in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia directions, southern Ukraine, as of the evening of May 29. ol In the south of Ukraine, the situation remains dynamic and tense. The occupiers have intensified shelling, including of civilian neighborhoods, but as a result of Ukraines counteroffensive in the area, panic is spreading among the invaders. This is stated by Operational Command South, Ukrinform reports. The enemy is holding the occupied positions, seeing no success in further advance and therefore focusing on air, artillery, and mortar strikes. On May 30, the Russians twice attacked Ukrainian positions with a pair of Mi-24 helicopters, and Mykolaiv region. A number of settlements in the rear three times came under artillery and MLRS fire, as a result of which at least four civilians were injured. The enemy hit residential quarters and industrial facilities in Mykolaiv and its suburbs, damaging a mill, a meat processing plant, a number of households, and a water supply system. As a result of a successful offensive of the Ukrainian military in the South Buh area, the enemy was pushed out of the village of Mykolaivka in the north of Kherson region. According to OC South, this caused panic among the Russian units in the area. At the same time, Ukrainian missile and artillery strikes eliminated 78 invaders, also destroying eight main battle tanks, two howitzers, a Pion self-propelled gun, two Grad MLR systems, five armored combat vehicles, and two military trucks. As Ukrinform reported earlier, referring to the interior ministers advisor Vadym Denysenko, the Armed Forces of Ukraine had advanced an average of 8-10 km in the south of Ukraine in Kherson and Zaporizhia regions as of the evening of May 29. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Millie, admits the possibility of escalation in the war Russia is waging against Ukraine. He emphasizes the need for constant contact with the Ukrainian side to ensure active risk management. The official stated this in an interview with Fox News on Monday, Ukrinform reports. "I think there's always a possibility of escalation, we have to closely manage chances and assess the chances of escalation, so we do that," Millie said. In this context, the General stressed that U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is in constant contact with the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, as well as with his Ukrainian counterpart. According to Millie, this allows "to manage the escalation and prevent it from expanding into something much more horrific than it already is." The U.S. official noted that decisive operational battles are currently taking place between Ukrainian forces and Russian invaders in eastern Ukraine. He clarified that the next few weeks are likely to shape the outcomes of what would happen. As Ukrinform reported earlier, the U.S. administration is considering the possibility of supplying multiple rocket launch systems to Ukraine. An analysis of satellite imagery provided by the U.S. Department of State shows that Russia is deliberately attacking Ukrainian cultural heritage. This was stated by the Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States Oksana Markarova, who spoke at the national telethon, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "These are not accidental strikes. We are working now, our Ministry of Information Policy together with the State Department ... fully analyzing all satellite maps, and deliberate targeting of universities, museums, that is, our cultural heritage, is very obvious, Markarova stressed. Read also: Russian troops kill 242 children in Ukraine since invasion The diplomat added that the United States can help Ukraine not only preserve its heritage, but also keep track of what is "already under attack by Russia." As reported, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy recorded 367 war crimes that the Russian army had committed against the cultural heritage of Ukraine. Photo: Yaroslav Dovgopol, Ukrinform Ukraine's defenders killed about 30,500 Russian troops from February 24 to May 31, including 150 in the past day. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said this on Facebook, Ukrinform reports. The Ukrainian Armed Forces also destroyed 1,358 (+9) tanks, 3,302 (+20) armored fighting vehicles, 649 (+6) artillery pieces, 207 (+2) MLR systems, 93 (+0) air defense systems, 208 (+1) warplanes, 174 (+0) helicopters, 515 (+8) operational and tactical level UAVs, 120 (+2) cruise missiles, 13 (+0) warships/cutters, 2,275 (+11) other vehicles and tanker trucks, and 48 (+0) pieces of special equipment. The enemy suffered the greatest losses over the past day in the Kryvyi Rih and Zaporizhzhia directions, the General Staff said. A 12-year-old child and a woman were killed in the Russian shelling of Kharkiv region in the morning. Over the past 24 hours, three people were killed and 14 were injured in the region. Over the past 24 hours, the enemy shelled Osnovyansky and Kyivsky residential districts of Kharkiv city and Kharkiv, Izium, Chuhuiv, and Bohodukhiv districts of the region. Unfortunately, three people were killed: a woman in the town of Korotych of Kharkiv district, a man in the village of Udy of Bohodukhiv district, and a woman in Chkalovske town, Chuhuiv district. A total of 14 civilians were injured in the region," Head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration Oleh Synehubov posted on Telegram on May 31, Ukrinform reports. According to him, a 16-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl are among those injured. "This morning, the shelling of the region continued. In the village of Ivanivka, Izium region, a 12-year-old child was killed and one civilian was injured. Another woman was killed in Zolochev," Synehubov added. On May 30, two schools in Kharkiv region were destroyed by Russian missile strikes. Fighting continues in the north and northeast of the region. "There, the enemy tried to counterattack the positions of our Armed Forces but failed, retreated to previously occupied positions, and focused on its defense," he informed. In Izium direction, the Armed Forces of Ukraine hold their positions and try not to let the enemy into Luhansk and Donetsk regions. As reported, Russian troops fire multiple rocket launchers on Kharkiv city and the localities of the region every day. ol Some Ukrainian refugees, who were taken to Russia, are being deported to the Far East. Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov said this in an interview to Ukrinform. "The number of people deported to the Russian Federation is very big. Out of the territories that the Russians occupy, they deport part of the population to the Far East and other cities. We can't name the numbers, they will be absolutely approximate," Danilov said, answering a question about Shoigu's plans disclosed in his article last September on building new cities in Siberia by CIS residents. According to Danilov, when Russia attacked Ukraine on February 24, the deportation of a large number of our citizens was part of their plans. "But things didn't go as they were expected, the special operation went awry," he said. The official assured that each Ukrainian is a value, and to return them home, if they wish, is the task of the authorities. On February 24, Russian president Vladimir Putin announced the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops shell and destroy key infrastructure facilities, massively fire on residential areas of Ukrainian cities, towns, and villages using artillery, MLRS, ballistic missiles, and air bombs. ol A joint press conference of International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan and Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova has started in The Hague. The press conference is taking place in Eurojust, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova delivered her speech first. In her words, the judicial front is very important, as about 200-300 war crimes are committed daily. Venediktova stressed that hostilities are continuously raging in Ukraine. It is a brutal war. We do not have access to the occupied territories, but I hope, thanks to international colleagues, we will be able to achieve justice, Venediktova noted. The press conference was also attended by Lithuanian Prosecutor General Nida Grunskiene, Polish National Prosecutor Dariusz Barski and Eurojust President Ladislav Hamran. A reminder that, in cooperation with the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Eurojust organized a press conference, following a coordination meeting of the joint investigation team on alleged core international crimes committed in Ukraine. Photo: Iryna Drabok mk President of the Slovak Republic Zuzana Caputova has visited Irpin and Borodianka as part of her visit to Ukraine. The relevant statement was made by Slovak President Zuzana Caputova on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. In Borodianka and Irpin, I have seen with my own eyes the destruction brought by Russian soldiers to Ukraine. Hundreds of kilometers to the east and to the south, thousands of other Ukrainian civilians women, men, children are facing the same destruction today, Caputova wrote. She expressed confidence that Ukraine will flourish again, when this nightmare ends. Just like flowers that have bloomed between the ruined houses of Borodianka and Irpin today, Caputova added. A reminder that earlier President of the Slovak Republic Zuzana Caputova addressed Russian soldiers and commanders in the Russian language, condemning the atrocities and war crimes committed by them in Ukraine under the slogan of liberation. Photo: Zuzana Caputova, Facebook mk The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine considers Vladimir Putin's decree that streamlines the process of granting citizenship to Ukrainian orphans as an attempt by the Kremlin to legalize the illegal displacement of Ukrainian children to Russia. Thats according to a statement issued by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Ukrinform reports. "We consider the decree of the President of the Russian Federation to simplify the admission of Ukrainian orphans or those left without parental care to Russian citizenship as an attempt by the Kremlin to legalize the illegal movement of Ukrainian children from the Ukrainian territories temporarily occupied by the Russian army to Russia. By his decree, Vladimir Putin actually legalized the abduction of children from the territory of Ukraine," the Foreign Ministry stressed. Read also: Russian military kill 243 children in Ukraine The diplomats noted that Russia's actions grossly violate the 1949 Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, which obliges the occupying state not to change the citizenship status of children, and the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Ukraines Foreign Ministry believes that Russia's actions can also be qualified as forcible transfer of children from one human group to another under international law. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has called on the international community to take decisive action against Moscow, including increasing sanctions to force it to cease its aggression against Ukraine and blatant violations of international law. "The most serious international crimes against children committed by Russian high-ranking officials and servicemen in Ukraine will be investigated, and the perpetrators will be prosecuted. Russia will not be able to avoid the strictest accountability," the statement reads. The Foreign Ministry added that Ukraine would take all possible measures, including at the international level, to ensure the protection of the rights and interests of abducted Ukrainian children and their return home. As reported, on May 30, Putin signed a decree on a simplified procedure for orphans from Ukraine to acquire Russian citizenship. As of May 26, Russia has deported more than 238,000 Ukrainian children to its territory. In the Southern Buh area, Russian invaders are mining the Inhulets River coast in areas where Ukrainian troops may be operating. According to Ukrinform, the press service of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said this in its latest war update published on Facebook. "In the Southern Buh direction, the enemy is defending and mining the coast of the Inhulets River in areas where units of our troops may be operating. It is also engaged in counter-battery combat, inflicting air strikes with the involvement of army aircraft in the area of the settlement of Davydiv Brid, Kherson region, the statement reads. In the Donetsk direction, the enemy, with the support of artillery and mortar fire, is conducting active assault operations in the Sievierodonetsk and Bakhmut directions. The enemy is trying to establish full control over the city of Sievierodonetsk and surround the units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces operating in this area. Russian forces are also preparing for the offensive in the areas of Siversk and Raihorodok. Ukraines Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova and Eurojust President Ladislav Hamran have discussed the coordination of actions of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) on Russian crimes in Ukraine. She wrote this on Facebook, Ukrinform reports. "We discussed with Eurojust President Ladislav Hamran the coordination of our now-largest Joint Investigation Team on Russia's crimes in Ukraine. The most important issue is the exchange of information and evidence and their safe storage," the prosecutor general said. According to her, it is necessary to develop an effective and modern model of operational interaction so that the expansion of the Joint Investigation Group yields results as soon as possible. "Representatives of Ukraine, Lithuania, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Slovakia have compared their strategies in The Hague and are ready for productive work," she said. Venediktova earlier discussed with European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders the strengthening of expert support for the investigation into Russian atrocities in Ukraine. The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) on the investigation into Russia's war crimes, set up by Ukraine, Lithuania and Poland, has expanded to six countries. An agreement on Estonia, Latvia and Slovakia joining the JIT was signed at a meeting held at Eurojust. The European Union is set to provide Ukraine with another EUR 9 billion in macro-financial assistance. President of the European Council Charles Michel broke the news on Twitter, Ukrinform reports. The European Council will continue helping Ukraine with its immediate liquidity needs, together with G7. EUCO is ready to grant Ukraine EUR 9 billion. Strong and concrete support to Ukraines reconstruction," the tweet reads. In turn, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said that the European Union had agreed to work on a mechanism to provide Ukraine with a new package of macro-financial assistance. "We also agreed to work on a mechanism to provide Ukraine with a new, exceptional macro-financial assistance package of up to EUR 9 billion," said the head of the European Commission. She also noted that in Versailles, EU leaders agreed to phase out their dependency on Russian gas, oil and coal as soon as possible. To implement ambitious plans to get rid of dependence on fossil fuels from Russia, the EU is developing a project to develop alternative energy sources: "But this requires a plan: this is REPowerEU. It has four pillars: saving energy, diversifying fossil fuels, massive investment in renewable energy, and financing." As previously reported, the EU member states have reached an agreement to impose a partial embargo on the purchase of Russian oil, disconnect Russia's Sberbank from the SWIFT international payment system, and ban three more Russian state broadcasters. EU member states have reached an agreement that will impose a partial embargo on the purchase of Russian oil, disconnect Russia's Sberbank from the international payment system SWIFT, and ban three more Russian state broadcasters. President of the European Council Charles Michel announced this on Twitter in the early hours of Tuesday, May 31, Ukrinform reports. "This immediately covers more than 2/3 of oil imports from Russia, cutting a huge source of financing for its war machine. Maximum pressure on Russia to end the war," the diplomat said. In addition, the agreed sanctions package includes disconnecting Russia's Sberbank from the international payment system SWIFT, banning three other Russian state broadcasters and punishing those responsible for war crimes in Ukraine. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the decision on oil sanctions against Russia. "This will effectively cut around 90% of oil imports from Russia to the EU by the end of the year," she said. The summit of the European Council, which discussed the sixth package of sanctions, is still ongoing. Diplomats have yet to agree on the technical details of the decision before sanctions are formally adopted by all 27 member states. According to Bloomberg, Hungary, which had been blocking the energy embargo decision, has received assurances from EU leaders that it will be able to get a replacement if it cuts oil exports through pipelines. As Ukrinform reported earlier, on Monday the EU heads of state and government met in Brussels for a special meeting of the European Council on the situation related to Russia's military aggression against Ukraine and response to the global consequences of the war for European and global energy and food security. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the United States, Britain, EU, Japan, and other powers have imposed and continue to impose sanctions on Russia. Ukraine has exported more than 46.9 million tonnes of grain and leguminous crops as of May 30, including 1.06 million tonnes in May. Thats according to the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine, referring to figures from the State Customs Service, Ukrinform reports. Since the beginning of the 2021/2022 marketing year, Ukraine has exported 46.93 million tonnes of grain and leguminous crops as of May 30, including 1.06 million tonnes in May. In particular, Ukraine exported 18.56 million tonnes of wheat (including 42,000 tonnes in May), 5.68 million tonnes of barley (11,000 tonnes). 161,900 tonnes of rye (not shipped in May), and 22.22 million tonnes of corn (1 million tonnes). According to the report, since the beginning of the marketing year, Ukraine has exported 71,000 tonnes of flour (1.400 tonnes in May), including 69,400 tonnes of wheat flour (1,300 tonnes). As was reported earlier, Russian invaders have stolen at least half a million tonnes of grain from Ukraine's temporarily occupied territory and they are looking for ways to sell it illegally. The Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine fears that the Russians may steal a new harvest of winter crops. Ukraine is constantly discussing the issue of exporting its crops to other countries with the UN, the EU, the United Kingdom, the United States, and grain-importing countries. Over the past three months, financial support received from Ukraine's allies has already exceeded $7 billion. Thats according to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, who spoke at a government meeting, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "Over more than 3 months, such support for Ukraine's allies has already exceeded $7 billion. We work every day and negotiate to have this aid expanded," Shmyhal said. Today, he added, the Cabinet of Ministers will approve the terms of attracting financial support from the Government of Canada in the amount of almost $800 million. Earlier, Canadian partners have provided support worth nearly $400 million. "We continue to develop joint projects with our European partners. Today we will approve a draft agreement with the European Union, which provides for the allocation of EUR 330 million for Ukraine. These are funds to support Ukraines economy and our people in the face of Russia's armed aggression. We are grateful for such help," Shmyhal added. Photo: The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has called on Australia to provide more weapons to Ukraine and proposed including the country in the Australian System of Tariff Preferences. Thats according to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Ukrinform reports. According to the report, Kuleba held talks with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, thanked her for military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and called on Australia to provide more heavy weapons to Ukraine and proposed including the country in the Australian System of Tariff Preferences in order to support the Ukrainian economy. On February 24, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Its troops are shelling and destroying critical infrastructure, shelling residential areas of Ukrainian cities, towns and villages using artillery, multiple rocket launchers and ballistic missiles. The European Council has issued conclusions on Ukraine, in which the EU leaders condemned Russia's war of aggression and expressed strong support for Ukraine, its people and political leadership in their fight against an unprovoked Russian invasion. That's according to European Council conclusions on Ukraine published on the website of the European Council, Ukrinform reports. "The European Council resolutely condemns Russias war of aggression against Ukraine. It urges Russia to immediately stop its indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, and to immediately and unconditionally withdraw all its troops and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. The atrocities being committed by Russian forces and the suffering and destruction being inflicted are unspeakable," the document said. The EU leaders stressed that Russia must allow immediate humanitarian access and the safe passage of all civilians concerned. The European Council expects international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Convention relative to the treatment of prisoners of war, to be fully respected. It also calls on Russia to immediately allow the safe return of Ukrainian individuals forcibly removed to Russia. "The European Council hails the courage and determination of the Ukrainian people and its leadership in their fight to defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and freedom of their country. The European Union is unwavering in its commitment to help Ukraine exercise its inherent right of self-defence against the Russian aggression and build a peaceful, democratic and prosperous future. In this regard, it will continue to work closely with international partners," the document reads. In a separate section of their conclusions, European leaders noted the need to investigate war crimes committed in Ukraine by Russian invaders and the inevitability of prosecuting all those responsible for these atrocities. "The European Council commends all those helping to gather evidence and to investigate war crimes and the other most serious crimes, and supports the intensive work of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in this respect. It also salutes the work being carried out by Ukraines Prosecutor General with financial and capacity-building support from the European Union and its Member States. It welcomes the establishment of a Joint Investigation Team coordinated by Eurojust, whose role has been reinforced, and the ongoing operational support provided by Europol. Russia, Belarus and all those responsible will be held to account for their actions in accordance with international law," the conclusions read. In a section of the document on EU sanctions against aggressor countries, the European Council reaffirmed its commitment to intensify pressure on Russia and Belarus to thwart Russia's war against Ukraine. The European Council called on all countries to align with EU sanctions. Any attempts to circumvent sanctions or to aid Russia by other means must be stopped. The European Council agreed that the sixth package of sanctions against Russia will cover crude oil, as well as petroleum products, delivered from Russia into Member States, with a temporary exception for crude oil delivered by pipeline. The European Council urged the Council to finalise and adopt such sanctions without delay, ensuring a well-functioning EU Single Market, fair competition, solidarity among Member States and a level playing field also with regard to the phasing out of our dependency on Russian fossil fuels. In case of sudden interruptions of supply, emergency measures will be introduced to ensure security of supply. In this respect, the Commission will monitor and report regularly to the Council on the implementation of these measures to ensure a level playing field in the EU Single Market and security of supply. According to the conclusions, the European Council will revert to the issue of the temporary exception for crude oil delivered by pipeline as soon as possible. The EU leaders plan to consider Ukraine's application for EU membership at the EU summit scheduled for June. Thats according to European Council conclusions on Ukraine published on the website of the European Council, Ukrinform reports. "The European Council takes note of the preparation of the Commissions opinions on the application for EU membership of Ukraine as well as the Republic of Moldova and Georgia, and will revert to the matter at its June meeting," the statement said. In addition, the document expresses support for efforts to establish and document war crimes committed by Russian troops in Ukraine and reaffirms its commitment to intensify pressure on Russia and Belarus to thwart Russias war against Ukraine. The European Council also agrees that the sixth package of sanctions against Russia will cover crude oil, as well as petroleum products, delivered from Russia into Member States, with a temporary exception for crude oil delivered by pipeline. The document also contains assurances that the European Union will continue to provide defensive, humanitarian and economic assistance to Ukraine against the background of Russian aggression, as well as after the war. "Ukraines reconstruction will require comprehensive support to rebuild the country for the future. The European Union and its Member States are prepared to play a major role in this regard," the document reads. Estonia, Latvia, and Slovakia have joined a Joint Investigation Team probing Russias war crimes in Ukraine. According to Ukrinform, the Prosecutor General's Office made the relevant announcement on Telegram. The Joint Investigation Team (JIT), established by Ukraine, Lithuania, and Poland, has expanded to six nations. An agreement on the accession of Estonia, Latvia, and Slovakia was signed at a meeting held at Eurojust. The team also includes Eurojust and, for the first time in its history, the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. "This is a powerful step on our international legal front the expansion of the Joint Investigation Team will give us new opportunities and resources to achieve our main goal, which is to bring to justice all those involved in the horrific war crimes in Ukraine. Im grateful to Estonia, Latvia, and Slovakia, which, following the opening of national proceedings, have decided to become part of this big team that will help establish justice," said Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova. During the two days in The Hague, the JIT held coordination meetings to determine strategies and tactics for further joint action. The parties also discussed the safe exchange of information and evidence. "The participation of the International Criminal Court in the Joint Investigation Team is particularly important as it will open the door for further real-time cooperation and information exchange with the Court. Comprehensive support from Eurojust is also of great value to JIT. It has been standing with us from the very beginning, providing operational, analytical, legal, and financial assistance," the Prosecutor General added. The meeting was also attended by EU Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders and EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson. Germany and Greece have reached an agreement to hand over Soviet-made heavy military equipment to Ukraine, while Berlin will supply its armored personnel carriers to Athens. This was stated by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who spoke at a briefing in Brussels on Tuesday following a special meeting of the European Council, according to an Ukrinform correspondent. "What we are also doing is supporting Ukraine with weapons in its defense fight. We have done this before and will continue to do so. This includes supporting countries that, for example, have tanks from the Warsaw Pact reserves," said Scholz. He pointed out that several such deals had been reached earlier. Read also: Kuleba calls on West to provide Ukraine with as many 155mm cannons as possible "You know about a very specific agreement we have reached with the Czech Republic. I have now agreed with the Greek Prime Minister to do the same. Given that Greece has such equipment, we will hand over German armored personnel carriers instead," the German chancellor declared According to him, the defense chiefs of the two countries are currently working on specific modalities of such an agreement, so that it can be implemented quickly. However, the Chancellor did not elaborate on the equipment that Greece is set to deliver to Ukraine. Scholz added he had discussed with the Polish leader how an agreement with the Czech Republic, Greece, and other countries could be concluded with Warsaw. As reported earlier, Czech Republic is supplying Ukraine with heavy Soviet-era weapons, having also stated readiness to hand over several dozen T-72 tanks, familiar to the Ukrainian Army. In early May, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that Germany would compensate the Czech Republic with German armored vehicles. It later became known that Germany would hand over 15 Leopard-2A4 tanks to the Czech Republic to replenish the countrys armored fleet after the transfer of Soviet-made tanks to Ukraine. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Slovak President Zuzana Caputova at a meeting in Kyiv discussed support for Ukraine and the countrys European integration. According to the website of the Ukrainian government, Shmyhal said Ukraine hopes to become a full member of the European family, as this is one of the strategic goals set out in the Constitution of Ukraine and it is supported by most Ukrainians. "Slovakia is one of Ukraine's largest lawyers in the European Union. We appreciate the initiative to unite with our friends to promote Ukraine's EU candidate status. We are grateful for such support, Shmyhal said. He stressed that since the first days of the Russian invasion, Slovakia has been one of the leaders in supporting Ukraine both in Europe and in the world. "We are grateful for Slovakia's much-needed military assistance and for its humanitarian assistance, which covers almost all areas," Shmyhal said. He stressed that Ukraine is well prepared to receive the status of a candidate for EU membership. According to him, more than 70% of the Association Agreement with the EU has been implemented, the European Common Aviation Area agreement has been concluded, and the Ukrainian energy system has been connected to the European ENTSO-E grid. "We have an ambitious goal to join the NCTS - the common customs area - within a month. We are ready for all challenges and ready to implement reforms on our European integration path, Shmyhal stressed. He also thanked Slovakia for its support of the 6th package of EU sanctions against Russia. "I am convinced it will help us win this war. Russia's budget is a budget for terrorism and crimes against humanity. It must not be allowed to be filled with funds from European businesses and taxpayers. It is important to weaken the budget of terrorism so that the war ends as soon as possible, he said. Caputova, for her part, noted that Slovakia has a recent experience of EU integration and will support Ukraine on this path. As was reported earlier, Caputova on Tuesday visited the towns of Irpin and Borodianka in the Kyiv region as part of her visit to Ukraine. International organizations are running five programs worth a total of over UAH 10 billion in Ukraine to support internally displaced persons. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal spoke of this at a government meeting on Tuesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "Thanks to the effective cooperation between the Cabinet of Ministers and international organizations, we managed to launch five more programs to support internally displaced persons. These are programs with the UN, UNICEF, and ICRC. They are similar in principle to government programs and provide for payments of UAH 2,200-2,500 for the most vulnerable strata. It is important that we are talking not only about IDPs, but also about supporting large families, low-income retirees, single mothers, and persons with disabilities. We managed to reach an agreement on financing all these programs in the amount of over UAH 10 billion to support more than 2 million Ukrainian citizens," Shmyhal said. On February 24, the Russian Federation launched a new phase of its war against Ukraine a full-scale invasion. Since March, the government has been implementing a Presidential program to help Ukrainians who have been forced to flee their homes due to hostilities. The state paid each IDP a minimum monthly allowance of UAH 2,000 plus UAH 3,000 per child. There is also an employment program for all IDPs. The government pays employers who hire migrants from the affected regions in the amount of UAH 6,500 for each employee. Photo: CTK Photo Ukraines First Lady, Olena Zelenska, has met with the President of Slovakia, Zuzana Caputova, to discuss the establishment of a Ukrainian Cultural Center in Slovakia. Zelenska wrote this on Facebook, Ukrinform reports. "The first woman president of Slovakia, the youngest leader in the country's history, an environmental activist and a human rights activist. She is the one who, together with the whole of Slovakia, takes care of Ukrainian refugees in this country. I was glad to talk to Ms. Zuzana Caputova. We discussed the establishment of a Ukrainian Cultural Center in this country - the second such institution after Lithuania. It will be a place for Ukrainians to meet, to get information and help, a place for cultural and educational events. Here, mothers will be able to even leave their children for a few hours or work at the computer," Zelenska said. She thanked Slovakia for setting up temporary examination centers for Ukrainian entrants. "This is very important for us, because education should not stop. For Ukraine, this is the same strategic area as medicine," Zelenska added. Caputova is on her visit to Ukraine on May 31. Photo credit: Olena Zelenska | By Laura Hager Graduates, families, and friends of the Class of 2022 were welcomed to the University of Maryland School of Nursings (UMSON) Convocation ceremony May 19 at UMBC Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena in Baltimore County. During the ceremony, the first in-person May Convocation that the school has held since 2019, 465 nursing degrees and certificates were conferred, including 199 Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees, 137 Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees, 115 masters degrees, and 14 certificates. Graduates of the University of Maryland School of Nursing recite the Nursing Oath. Today is a celebration of grit, determination, and resilience. Of your willingness to get back up and keep fighting. Of coming together and relying on each other to survive. And of our continued commitment to keep giving to others, said student speaker Marinela Baltazar Babich, DNP '22. During the ceremony, the 2022 Deans Medal for Distinguished Service, which each year recognizes someone external to the school who has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to advancing UMSON and its mission, was presented to William J. McLennan Sr. From 2002 until his retirement in April, McLennan served as the executive director of Pauls Place, a human services outreach center in the Washington Village/Pigtown neighborhood of Southwest Baltimore. UMSONs partnership with Pauls Place spans more than 35 years, and UMSON created the original faculty-led Nurses Clinic, which serves as a student clinical site, at Pauls Place in 1986. The pandemic shined a light on how you, as front-line health care professionals, are a critical part of the equation to move individuals, families, and communities to a more stable and healthy life, McLennan said in his keynote address. Dont forget to put your own oxygen mask on first! Find the time to take care of yourself because it will give you an even greater ability to take care of those around you friends, colleagues, family, and of course, your patients. Earlier in the day, Christine Grady, PhD, RN, FAAN, received the degree of Honorary Doctor of Public Service from the University of Maryland, Baltimore during the Universitys Commencement ceremony. This degree is conferred by the president of the University on behalf of the chancellor of the University System of Maryland upon the approval of the systems Board of Regents. Grady was nominated for this honor by Jane M. Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean of the University of Maryland School of Nursing. Grady is a nurse-bioethicist and senior investigator; as chief of the Department of Bioethics at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, she leads one of the nations preeminent centers for bioethics scholarship and training. The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students was awarded to Babatunde Oluwaseun Opeogun, a graduate of the BSN program, and Nicholas Joseph Peltz, a graduate of the Clinical Nurse Leader masters option. DAISY awards are given each fall and spring to two graduating entry-into-practice students who demonstrate empathic care and service to patients and their families. Today, we launch you out into the world with a mission to do good, endowed with the necessary expertise, Kirschling said to the graduates in closing. Make no mistake, you hold our future in your hands. Click here to see a photo gallery. May 31 2022 Fund manager Schroders Capital with development management specialists Corran Properties and Morgan Architects have opened a public consultation to relay plans for the former Scottish Widows headquarters at 15 Dalkeith Road, Edinburgh. Design work is underway on proposals for the selective demolition and adaptation of the office complex to simultaneously reduce its footprint while improving its environmental performance, energy use and access to natural light. Works would entail the removal of five of 12 hexagonal 'modules' to the rear as well as an undercroft car park and boiler house to free up land for housing. Sections of the remaining roof would also be removed to permit daylight to a new atrium and obsolete curtain walling is to be replaced. This would open up the remainder of the site to the rear for a new residential quarter comprising 190 flats spread across five apartment blocks, extending the beehive geometry of the A listed main building along Holyrood Park Road. Employing a bronze metal cladding system to match the main building these additions would feature large external terraces and balconies set within landscaped grounds. A deadline for public comment has been set for 22 July ahead of a planning application in August. The EU permanent representatives will develop a legal framework on the sixth package of sanctions against Russia on June 1, including temporary exemptions for landlocked member states, European Council President Charles Michel said on Tuesday MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st May, 2022) The EU permanent representatives will develop a legal framework on the sixth package of sanctions against Russia on June 1, including temporary exemptions for landlocked member states, European Council President Charles Michel said on Tuesday. On Monday night, the EU leaders reached an agreement at a summit in Brussels to embargo Russian oil supplied by sea, while pipeline deliveries will continue as normal for now. "In the following hours, it will take place on Wednesday (June 1), the ambassadors were tasked to take the legal decision in order to implement the political principle that we have agreed on tonight," Michel told a press conference after the first day of the European Council summit. Hungary, which has long opposed the oil embargo over energy security concerns, will be allowed to purchase Russian pipeline oil until ready to give it up. The same temporary exemption will be available to other landlocked EU countries, Michel said. On Sunday, an EU source told Sputnik that the bloc decided against banning deliveries through the Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline to solicit Budapest's support. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU will cut oil imports from Russia by 90% by the end of 2022 after reaching the agreement. VIENTIANE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st May, 2022 ) :New houses funded by China for railway-resettled villagers in three northern provinces of Laos have been handed over to provincial authorities. "A total of 348 houses have been built for families who moved to make way for the Laos-China Railway. Small, medium and large houses have been built in the newly-created neighborhoods as well as clinics, kindergarten and Primary schools, public spaces, access roads, water supply, and television and electricity connections," said Lao Deputy Director of Laos-China Railway Project Management Xayabandith Insisiengmay, quoted by the local daily Vientiane Times on Tuesday. A handover ceremony was held on Sunday in Nateuy of Luang Namtha Province, some 360 km north of the capital Vientiane. The resettlement project reflects traditional friendship between Laos and China, and will help improve the people's livelihood, Lao officials said. The Laos-China Railway has been a project for Laos' strategy to shift itself from a land-locked country to a land-linked hub. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st May, 2022 ) :Governing Executive board meeting of the Commonwealth of Learning (CoL) Executive MBA / MPA programs was held yesterday at the National Open University of Mauritius. The heads and representatives of 10 institutions including Pakistan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Guinea, Sri Lanka and other countries participated in the meeting. While representing Pakistan, Vice Chancellor, Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), Prof. Dr. Zia Ul-Qayyum said that the current government has laid special focus on education and AIOU is playing a vital role in the national policy regarding the literacy rate in Pakistan. He said, "We are grateful to Commonwealth for helping AIOU to run CoL MBA / MPA programs very successfully for many years. He said Allama Iqbal Open University is the first university in South Asia whose entire system is digitized. Before the meeting, the Academic Board reviewed the 10 courses of the CoL MBA / MPA programs and made recommendations. Executive Governing Board endorsed these recommendations and said that the Academic Board will review the additional eight courses of the MBA program to complete the review process. An interesting observation of open universities came out that the number of admissions has increased during Covid 19. President CoL, Professor Asha Kanwar congratulated Allama Iqbal Open University on running MBA / MPA programs successfully and admired that AIOU has maintained quality and transparency in the Commonwealth of Learning MBA / MPA program. The police on Tuesday arrested nine outlaws and recovered illegal weapons from their possession SARGODHA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st May, 2022 ) :The police on Tuesday arrested nine outlaws and recovered illegal weapons from their possession. Police said that on the direction of DPO Dr Rizwan Ahmed, the teams of various police stations conducted raids and arrested nine accused miscreants. The teams recovered five pistols, two rifles (7mm, 22 bore) and a gun from them. Those arrested were identified as--- Riaz Ahmed, Akram, Farhan, Arshad, Nawazish, Nawaz, Ajmal, Talib and Javed. Police registered cases against the accused and started investigation. Pakistan Navy Annual Safety Review 2021 was held at here participated by Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi as Chief Guest KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st May, 2022 ) :Pakistan Navy Annual Safety Review 2021 was held at here participated by Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi as Chief Guest. The Safety Review is organized annually with an aim to create safety awareness and inculcate safety culture amongst personnel which provides a road map to further enhance safe working environment in Pakistan Navy, said a Pakistan Navy media release. While addressing the ceremony, the Admiral reiterated that Pakistan Navy observed robust safety culture in order to ensure safety of its assets. The Naval Chief expressed his satisfaction over adherence to safety norms in Pakistan Navy and professional competence of its personnel. Chief of the Naval Staff appreciated the efforts of all Field Commands for maintaining high standards of work and personal safety. In the end of the ceremony, Chief of the Naval Staff gave away safety trophies and awards to the winners of Pakistan Navy Annual Safety Review. PN Annual Safety Review was sequel to Safety Seminar which was held on 30 May 22. During this seminar safety related papers to enhance safety culture in PN were presented. Both these events were attended by a large number of Officers, sailors and navy civilians from Field Commands. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a phone call with his Italian counterpart discussed efforts to support Ukraine during Russia's special military operation and underscored the importance of multilateral cooperation to address global food insecurity, State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Tuesday WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st May, 2022) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a phone call with his Italian counterpart discussed efforts to support Ukraine during Russia's special military operation and underscored the importance of multilateral cooperation to address global food insecurity, State Department spokesman Ned price said on Tuesday. "Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio. Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Di Maio discussed Russia's brutal and unprovoked war against Ukraine and affirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine and others suffering from the effects of the war. The Secretary and the Foreign Minister also stressed the importance of multilateral cooperation to address global food insecurity," Price said in a statement. Numerous countries and international organizations are calling for unblocking Ukraine's sea ports to release the grain stuck in warehouses in an effort to curtail rising food prices and deliver crops to the regions facing acute food insecurity as soon as possible. On Wednesday, the State Department said the United States will maintain the sanctions it has imposed on Russia even if the latter unblocks Ukraine's sea ports to allow for grain exports. Russia denies blocking sea ports, saying Ukraine needs to remove the mines it deployed in the Black Sea to clear the ports. (@ChaudhryMAli88) The Danish Supreme Court said on Tuesday that it has acquitted the country's defense ministry in the case of mistreatment of captured Iraqi soldiers in 2004 MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st May, 2022) The Danish Supreme Court said on Tuesday that it has acquitted the country's defense ministry in the case of mistreatment of captured Iraqi soldiers in 2004. "The Defense Ministry is not responsible for acts committed in Iraq," the court said in a statement. The court noted that the Danish military participated in the Green Desert operation in Iraq in November 2004. During the operation, the Danish military captured 23 Iraqi soldiers on claims of illegal possession of firearms. The Iraqis filed a lawsuit against the Danish defense ministry accusing the military of mistreatment. According to the court, the Danish forces participated in the Iraqi-led operation in accordance with the mandate under which they were deployed. Therefore, the court said, the Iraqi government should be responsible for what happened to the said 23 Iraqi soldiers. Danish radio DR reported that the country's defense ministry had spent over 30 million Danish kroner ($4.32 million) in lawsuit expenses. (@ChaudhryMAli88) MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st May, 2022) The recent visit to China of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet did not add clarity to the situation with alleged human rights violations in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region due to hurdles created by Beijing, the German Foreign Ministry said on Monday. "Last week, Foreign Minister (Annalena) Baerbock appealed to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for a transparent clarification of the serious allegations of the gravest human rights breaches in Xinjiang. The trip to China by High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, which we have long advocated, failed to meet these expectations. Because of China's restrictions, unfettered, unimpeded access to people and places was impossible during the trip. This precluded an independent assessment of the situation on the ground," the ministry said in a statement. The ministry stressed that it is expecting the publication of Commissioner Bachelet's report on the human rights situation in Xinjiang, including the results of the so-called remote monitoring. According to Bachelet, during her trip to China on May 23-28, she was able to "speak directly with the most senior government officials" on key human rights issues and to virtually meet with civil society organizations from the regions where human rights violations had been previously reported, including Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong. Bachelet stressed that her visit was not an investigation, but rather an opportunity to pursue direct discussions on human rights with the Chinese leadership and a chance "to raise concerns, explore and pave the way for more regular, meaningful interactions in the future." Wang Yi, who met with Bachelet, and Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed the hope that her visit would help clarify misinformation and "lay bare rumors and lies with facts and truth" about human rights situation in the country. The Kherson region will hold a referendum on joining Russia, and at least 60-70% of the population will agree to becoming a part of Russia, Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the regional military-civilian administration, told Sputnik on Tuesday KHERSON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st May, 2022) The Kherson region will hold a referendum on joining Russia, and at least 60-70% of the population will agree to becoming a part of Russia, Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the regional military-civilian administration, told Sputnik on Tuesday. "When we come to the referendum, which we will still hold so that there are no questions, then the population of the Kherson region will vote, at least 60 or even 70 percent, will vote for joining the Russian Federation," Stremousov said. SIMFEROPOL (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st May, 2022) The Kherson and Zaporozhye regions switched to Russian mobile communications and Internet, Oleg Kryuchkov, adviser to the head of Crimea on information policy, told Sputnik. Earlier, the military-civilian administration of the Kherson Region asked Russia's leadership to use the capacities of Russian telecommunications companies to restore cellular communications in the region. The request was made on Monday, after the Ukrainian military, by shelling on the disengagement line, broke the telephone cable, which led to a large-scale network disruption. Subscribers of the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions were left without mobile communications. Prior to that, both Ukrainian and Russian mobile operators worked in the regions. "Another terrorist attack by Kiev disrupted communications in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. Russia took measures in advance. Liberated territories now have Russian internet and communications. In fact, this is the end of Ukrainian propaganda, Zelenskyy's towers of lies have fallen," Kryuchkov said. The Kherson Region and part of the Zaporozhye Region were taken under the control of the Russian Armed Forces during Russia's special military operation in Ukraine. The regions' authorities announced plans for the territories to become part of Russia. CHISINAU (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st May, 2022) Moldovan President Maia Sandu confirmed that Chisinau intends to receive military assistance from the European Union. "We have received assistance from the EU, non-lethal weapons, but after UK statements, we will now discuss with the Ministry of Defense what are the main needs of the army not covered by the main budget," Sandu said on Pro tv Chisinau channel. The President said the authorities would analyze the possibility of accepting military assistance. "It could be from the EU or from some other country," Sandu said. The Netherlands-based semiconductor manufacturing company ASML announced in a release on Tuesday that it is making a $200 million expansion to its largest plant in the United States in the state of Connecticut WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st May, 2022) The Netherlands-based semiconductor manufacturing company ASML announced in a release on Tuesday that it is making a $200 million expansion to its largest plant in the United States in the state of Connecticut. "Today, Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves joined Peter Wennink, CEO and President of Dutch Semiconductor Equipment Manufacturer ASML, at ASML's Veldhoven headquarters to announce ASML's $200 million expansion of their Wilton, Connecticut facility," the release said. "ASML is the latest international company to make a significant investment in American semiconductor manufacturing during the Biden-Harris administration." The announcement came as the Bipartisan Innovation Act, legislation that would invest $52 billion in the research, development, and production of semiconductors in the United States, advances closer toward final passage before Congress, the release said. ASML Wilton is the largest research and development and manufacturing site for ASML in the United States with more than 2,000 employees and $100 million already invested in clean rooms, laboratories and offices, the release said. It is already a major design, engineering and production center, developing machines necessary to create advanced chips to meet increasing global demand, the release also said. "The expansion is expected to create 1,000 new jobs over the next two years," the release added. Deputy Secretary Graves visited ASML as a part of his trip to Europe to strengthen transatlantic cooperation and engage with public and private sector partners on critical issues such as supply chain relief, emerging technologies, and export controls, according to the release. (@FahadShabbir) The number of confirmed monkeypox cases in Portugal rose to 100, media reported on Tuesday MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st May, 2022) The number of confirmed monkeypox cases in Portugal rose to 100, media reported on Tuesday. Portuguese radio TSF cited the national health service as saying that four more cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in the country in the last 24 hours. The majority of cases were registered in Lisbon and in the area of the Tagus River, according to the report. Several cases were detected in the North Region and the Algarve. The health authorities noted that all those infected are males aged between 20 and 61 years old, though most of them are under 40 years old. Hundreds of monkeypox cases have been reported lately in European countries, Australia, and the United States. Medical officers are still unsure about the ways the infection has spread since monkeypox is endemic in African countries and the majority of those infected have neither had any contact with African people nor traveled there. According to the WHO, majority of cases have spread among the gay and bisexual men through mass events. Monkeypox is a rare viral disease that is usually transmitted to people from wild animals. The disease can be transmitted through body fluids, respiratory droplets and other contaminated materials. The disease usually results in fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Poland is considering the purchase of South Korea's K2 Black Panther tanks, Polish National Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said on Tuesday WARSAW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st May, 2022) Poland is considering the purchase of South Korea's K2 Black Panther tanks, Polish National Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said on Tuesday. Polish media reported earlier that Warsaw had signed an agreement on the procurement of 250 US-made Abrams tanks. The Polish authorities recently said they had transferred several hundred of Soviet-made T-72 tanks to Ukraine. "It is very important that the Polish Army be equipped with modern tanks produced by Hyundai Rotem along with American Abrams. This is a very good offer the offer of cooperation with the Polish defense industry," Blaszczak told journalists. Blaszczak said that the needs of the Polish Army are great, therefore Warsaw is intending to replace post-Soviet tanks with modern ones in the short term. He added that interoperability between Abrams tanks and South Korean K2 tanks is important, and expressed the hope that K2 tanks will soon be delivered to Poland. The K2 Black Panther is a next-generation South Korean main battle tank manufactured by Hyundai Rotem. The tank combines an auto-loaded 120 mm main gun and advanced composite armor along with active protection systems. First K2 tanks were deployed with the South Korean armed forces in June 2014. It is one of the most expensive main battle tanks in service due to its technological complexity. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st May, 2022) Media reports about Switzerland allegedly going against its tradition of neutrality by joining economic sanctions against Russia are exaggerated, experts surveyed by Sputnik argue, noting that Bern has a history of such behavior, but the current situation clearly marks the difference between "legal" and "political" approaches to neutrality. Following the start of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, Switzerland has joined multiple European sanctions against Moscow, leading media outlets to speculate that Bern is finally abandoning its policy of neutrality. However, the Swiss government has insisted the country remains neutral from the standpoint of international law. Switzerland also vetoed requests by German authorities to re-export to Ukraine ammunition used in German Marder infantry fighting vehicles, showing that it is still unwilling to be directly involved in the hostilities. Laurent Goetschel, the director of Basel-based practice and research institute Swisspeace and professor of political science at the University of Basel, said the fact that Switzerland is abstaining from directly or indirectly getting involved in the military conflict demonstrates the country's commitment to the old tradition. "Already in the past (Iraq war, Balkan wars), Switzerland has joined in EU sanctions without questioning its neutrality," Goetschel reminded. Meanwhile, Pascal Lottaz, a professor at Temple University Japan and Waseda University researcher, noted that under the international law, Switzerland is not violating any rules of neutrality, though, if viewed through the political lens, the country is siding with the West and is thus perceived as non-neutral. "Switzerland is doing the same as it did in the Cold War. It sides with the Western powers on an ideological level, participating in their economic (sanction) systems. So in a sense, there is not really a lot of new things going on here. But it is certainly true that the position of Switzerland is not very 'neutral' in the political sense," Lottaz explained, adding that "international law is not concerned with that part, so the Swiss can still legitimately claim 'legal neutrality. '" The experts differed in their predictions about how the ongoing hostilities in Ukraine will impact the understanding of neutrality in Switzerland. According to Goetschel, the country might slightly boost its cooperation with NATO, which, however, will not have a major effect on its interpretation of neutrality. At the same time, the discussion on the war in Ukraine makes it even more visible that Switzerland feels as part of the "Western European community of values." Even though this is not likely to have a big impact on neutrality, it might strengthen the country's ties to the European Union, the expert believes. Lottaz, for his part, was positive the conflict in Ukraine will change the way the Swiss interpret the idea of neutrality, as the issue of how Switzerland's neutrality should be interpreted going forward is currently being hotly debated. "So, the parliament and government are currently working on new frameworks and policy guidelines. There will be a change but I can't imagine neutrality to disappear," the researcher said. He continued by highlighting the fact that "there are even political forces trying to strengthen the political neutrality" and pointing to the discussion on the right about launching a referendum to prevent the government from adopting one-sided sanctions in the future. At the same time, both experts do not think it is likely for Switzerland to follow Finland and Sweden into NATO at some point, with Lottaz saying that the idea of neutrality has much deeper roots in the Swiss mindset. "Secondly, in contrast to the Nordic countries, Switzerland has its neutrality anchored in its constitution, so it is not as easy to get rid of as it is for the Swedes and the Finns," Lottaz concluded. Russian forces have taken partial control of the east Ukraine city of Severodonetsk, the Ukrainian official in charge of the region said Tuesday, as Moscow's army pushed deeper into the Donbas region Kyiv, Ukraine, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st May, 2022 ) :Russian forces have taken partial control of the east Ukraine city of Severodonetsk, the Ukrainian official in charge of the region said Tuesday, as Moscow's army pushed deeper into the Donbas region. "The situation is extremely complicated. Part of Severodonetsk is controlled by the Russians," Lugansk regional governor Sergiy Gaiday said in a statement on social media. He said Ukrainian forces still retain some areas within the east Ukraine industrial city and that Moscow's troops "cannot move freely through the city". After failing to capture the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, in the early stages of the war, Russia has shifted its focus to the eastern Donbas region and is attempting to consolidate areas under its control. Severodonetsk, which had a pre-war population of around 100,000 people, is one of several important urban hubs that lie on Russia's path to capturing the entire Lugansk region and east Ukraine's de-facto administrative centre, Kramatorsk. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Turkey has canceled and postponed some NATO drills over provisions of the Montreux Convention on not allowing passage of warships to the Black Sea, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday ANKARA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st May, 2022) Turkey has canceled and postponed some NATO drills over provisions of the Montreux Convention on not allowing passage of warships to the Black Sea, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday. "We have taken on a mediating role inside this process (the Ukraine conflict) ... But will Turkey be able to play this role if it gets involved in sanctions (against Russia) ... And there are many who see the benefit of our non-sanctions policy, led by the European countries. We introduced the Montreux Convention, we are forced to leave our airspace open. Even going beyond the Convention, we ask Russia about the ships, there were NATO exercises that were planned in advance. We have canceled them and postponed them. That is, we play an important role," Cavusoglu told Anadolu reporters. The minister added that the West has some questions to Turkey over not imposing sanctions against Moscow but Ankara will not change its position. The College of Educations staff and faculty are actively engaged in teaching, research and service activities both within the university community and beyond. Read about the accomplishments and achievements of our faculty and staff during the Spring 2022 semester. To submit information for a future issue of College of Education Faculty and Staff Notes, please contact Elizabeth Engasser at eengasser@usf.edu. Professor Vonzell Agosto, PhD, was interviewed for a news story published by Washington Post in February. In the story, Dr. Agosto discusses the impact that recent legislation and executive orders have had on public school curriculum. Professors Michael Berson, PhD, and Ilene Berson, PhD, were featured guests on Education for Sustainable Democracy, a civic and environmental education podcast, to discuss their online civic education site, KidCitizen, and their research on how elementary school children learn about their social world. Additionally, Michael and Ilene served as members of a team at the National Council for the Social Studies that authored a new report titled College, Career and Civic Life (C3) Inquiry and Engagement Online: Fostering Digital Civic Participation through Critical Inquiry. The report identifies five basic principles for fostering digital civic participation through critical inquiry. It includes a curriculum purpose statement and guidelines and recommends many suitable resources for educators to use. Professor William Black, PhD, co-edited a new book titled Who Decides?: Power, Disability, and Educational Leadership. The book, which explores the question of who decides how to organize schools around criteria of ability and/or disability and what these decisions imply for leadership in schools, features chapters published by USF Visiting Professor Sarah Semon, PhD, and USF graduates Rod Jones and Angela Passero Jones. USF graduate student Csaba Osvath assisted with the cover design. The book was published by Information Age Publishing. Academic advisor Bobby Brown was named the 2022 U-Decide Instructor of the Year by USFs Office of Undergraduate Studies. The recipient of the award is an instructor at the university who is committed to creating a student-centered classroom by using effective and creative teaching practices, increasing students' self-efficacy, and raising awareness of options for potential majors and careers. Associate Professors Jolyn Blank, PhD, and Sophia Han, PhD, served as members of a panel that explored Rethinking Early Childhood Education at the Hillsborough Education Foundation in April. The event was hosted in partnership with Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS). Initiated by undergraduate students in USFs Early Childhood Education Program, the event served as an opportunity for pre-service teachers to share what theyve learned about early childhood education best practices in topics such as play-based learning, assessment approaches, professional support, and instructional continuity across the early childhood years. The event was also an opportunity to highlight the partnership between the College of Education and HCPS. Associate Professor Cheryl Ellerbrock, PhD, was awarded the 2021-22 Margaret Burlington Tritle Excellence in Teaching Faculty Award, an annual award presented to college faculty members who demonstrate exemplary teaching. The Margaret Burlington Tritle Excellence in Teaching Faculty Award was created in 2017 through a gift made to the College of Education by USF alumnus Lawrence Tritle to honor his late wifes teaching legacy. Faculty recipients receive an award to support their research, professional travel and other activities related to teaching and scholarship at USF. Assistant Professor Nathan Fisk, PhD, was an online panelist for a Twitter chat hosted by the National Association for Media Literacy Education in February. The event was hosted to celebrate Safer Internet Day to foster discussion around media literacy and how it can be used as a tool to support a safer internet experience for children. Assistant Professor of Instruction Jane Govoni, PhD, was awarded the 2021-22 Margaret Burlington Tritle Excellence in Teaching Faculty Award, an annual award presented to college faculty members who demonstrate exemplary teaching. The Margaret Burlington Tritle Excellence in Teaching Faculty Award was created in 2017 through a gift made to the College of Education by USF alumnus Lawrence Tritle to honor his late wifes teaching legacy. Faculty recipients receive an award to support their research, professional travel and other activities related to teaching and scholarship at USF. Associate Professor Thomas Miller, EdD, was interviewed for a story published by EdSource in May that explores how USF is helping students graduate sooner and providing support services to underrepresented populations, such as low-income and first-generation students. Associate Professor of Instruction Helene Robinson, EdD, was a speaker at the USF Sarasota-Manatee campuss TEDx event in March. In her TED talk, Dr. Robinson shared the story of how ableism has shown up in her life and helped the audience understand how society can create a more inclusive environment by working together. A recording of her talk is available on the TED website. Professor Janet C. Richards, PhD, edited a new qualitative textbook titled, Engaging Students in Socially Constructed Qualitative Research Pedagogies. The textbook contributes to the developing field of qualitative research pedagogy and offers strategies and approaches to actively engage students in qualitative inquiry. The book was co-edited with Audra Skukauskaite from the University of Central Florida and Ronald Chenail from Nova Southeastern University. It will be published in May by Brill | Sense. Professor and Dean R. Anthony Rolle, PhD, was a featured guest on the Tampa Bay Politics Podcast with Angela Birdsong. During the episode, Dr. Rolle discussed his career in politics and higher education and the various career pathways available to students who study at the USF College of Education. The full episode is available on YouTube. Associate Professor Stephen Rushton, PhD, was selected to receive the USF Sarasota-Manatee campuss Outstanding Professor Award in April. The recipient of this award is chosen each semester by the graduating class at USFs Sarasota-Manatee campus. Dr. Rushton has been a faculty member at the Sarasota-Manatee campus since 1998 and will be retiring this year. Professor Jenifer Jasinski Schneider, PhD, wrote a guest column for the Tampa Bay Times in February. In the column, titled The dangerous messages in banned childrens books, Dr. Schneider discusses the wave of book banning happening in schools across the country. Associate Professor Ruthmae Sears, PhD, was elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Dr. Sears is the first Black faculty member at USF to receive this recognition, which is one of the worlds most prestigious honors for academic research. This semester, Dr. Sears received numerous awards from USF, including the Outstanding Faculty Award, the Office of Multicultural Affairs I Heart Diversity Award and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Opportunitys Inclusive Excellence Award. She was also featured in Fox 13's "What's Right with Tampa Bay" storytelling series, which highlights positive stories in the Tampa Bay area. The story explores Dr. Sears's career as a mathematics educator and her national recognition as an AAAS fellow for academic research. Associate Professor Ruthmae Sears, PhD, was interviewed by WUSF Public Media in January for a story about a study on structural racism that was conducted on behalf of the City of St. Petersburg last fall. Associate Professor Dana Thompson Dorsey, JD, PhD, also served as a co-principal investigator for the research study. Associate Professor Patriann Smith, PhD, co-authored a new book titled Affirming Black Students Lives and Literacies. The book draws on the authors experiences as Black parents, researchers, teachers, and teacher educators to provide a multipronged approach to affirming Black lives and literacies. It was published in March by Teachers College Press. Assistant Professor Sara Smith, PhD, was a 2022 recipient of the USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy program's Dr. Kathleen Moore Faculty Excellence Award. The Dr. Kathleen Moore Faculty Excellence Award recognizes women faculty who demonstrate excellence through their research at USF. Dr. Smith was also featured in a story published by the Tampa Bay Business Journal in January about her project, Multimedia Augmented Reality Vocabulary Learning (MARVL), an award-winning augmented reality (AR) application that uses technology and research-based best practices to support learning vocabulary in a new language. Associate Professor Dana Thompson Dorsey, JD, PhD, was a facilitator at an Enlightenment Series Workshop hosted in February as part of USFs Black History Month activities. The event, titled From Protest to Progress: Combating Discrimination, Bias, and Oppressive Practices, was hosted by USFs Institute on Black Life, the Black Employee Steering Committee and Black Faculty & Staff Association. Associate Professor of Instruction Cindy Topdemir, PhD, published a note in May on behalf of the Florida School Counselor Association exploring ways in which school counselors can stretch their comfort zone and grow as practitioners. Dr. Topdemir serves as governing board chair of the Florida School Counselor Association. Academic Program Specialist Heather Van Allen received the USF Quiet Quality Award in February. The recognition is presented by the USF Staff Senate to celebrate employees who excel in their work roles while demonstrating professional traits beyond their basic job duties, such as problem-solving, positive attitude, leadership and resourcefulness. Associate Professor Nathaniel von der Embse, PhD, is the principal investigator for a research study that received a $50,000 grant from the Caplan Foundation for Early Childhood to launch a new project that will help caregivers identify early warning signs of mental health issues in young children. The project, titled Project Begin Well, will increase caregivers' mental health literacy and the use of critical support services available to preschool-aged children (3-5 years old). Gabrielle Francis, a doctoral student in USFs School Psychology Program, serves as co-principal investigator for the project. Associate Professor Jennifer Wolgemuth, PhD, co-edited a new book titled Philosophical Mentoring in Qualitative Research. The book, which was co-edited with University of Alabama Associate Professor Kelly Guyotte, PhD, features a chapter and two "mentoring moment" reflections written by USF doctoral students. The book was published in February by Routledge. USM Theatre Students Win National Kennedy Center Awards Tue, 05/31/2022 - 15:37pm | By: Ivonne Kawas Three students in the School of Performing and Visual Arts at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) were among the awardees at the 2022 National Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) Awards, honored virtually at a ceremony held this month. Petron Brown, MFA in Theatre Performance candidate from The Bahamas, received the John Cauble Award; Mason Baria, BFA in Theatre Design and Technology candidate from Gautier, Miss., received the Distinguished Achievement for the National Costume Design Award; and Allison Bucher, BFA in Theatre Design and Technology candidate from Metairie, La., received the National Sound Design Award. The KCACTF boasts contestants from a diverse range of fields in theatre and puts students in a competition celebrating the highest caliber of work produced in university and college theatre programs from across the U.S. We are thrilled for students of our program to receive national recognition at the KCACTF National Festival, said Dr. David Coley, producer and assistant professor of theatre. It speaks volumes of their talents and efforts as well as the education and training they received here at Southern Miss Theatre. We are proud to be at the national forefront in performance, design, and advocacy, he added. Brown, who was honored with the John Cauble Award, was recognized for his outstanding participation in the KCACTF/LORT ASPIRE Fellows Program, as he demonstrated leadership and community-building skills. Being the recipient of this award is a magnificent honor, said Brown. I am humbled by this recognition as it represents not only myself, but everyone who has propelled me along the way. I owe it to the amazing theatre faculty here at Southern Miss, he added. The purpose of the ASPIRE program is to equip the next generation of leaders in the American theatre system by exposing them to industry professionals and providing the space to engage in insightful conversations. As an ASPIRE fellow, Brown highlights that being able to connect with peers and artists in the industry to create meaningful change is an experience unlike any other. This fellowship has been one of the most enlightening experiences I've had to date, said Brown. In the initial phase, I presented a theatre company to judges which then led to my advancement as the region representative in the national cohort. At the national level, ten students across the nation virtually communed with notable theatre makers including President of the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, Deborah Rutter, he continued. Perhaps most rewarding was being able to connect with my peers and artists who are also passionate about creating meaningful change in the theatre world. I am eager to see us all do amazing things and uplift each other along the way. As an actor and playwright, Brown has taken the stage at Southern Miss in numerous productions at the collegiate and professional level including Detroit 67 as Sly and A Midsummer Nights Dream as Lysander/Snout. Browns writing dabbles into documentary, social change, and experimental theatre. His debut body of work, Color, is a play that navigates Black identity by examining lived experiences for real world insight into racial trauma. Baria, a costume designer and technician, was recognized for his costume designs for Bill Russell's Side Show. He is dedicated to the expression of identity and storytelling through his work and stands alongside marginalized voices within and beyond the theater community. Over the summer, he will be joining The Hippodrome Theatre staff as a first hand design assistant in the costume shop. Bucher was recognized for her sound design work for Hedda Gabler. She skillfully portrayed a sense of hyperrealism and created a realistic basis from which certain turning points throughout the play were heightened by using practical sound elements and manipulation of silence. I am extremely proud of the work that I have accomplished with this show, especially as it was the topic of my thesis for the Honors College, said Bucher. I have learned a lot about collaboration and research throughout the process of working on this production while creating my own style as a sound designer. I plan to use these skills in my future career and education, as I embark on a journey to pursue an MFA in Theatre Sound and Digital Media at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Learn more about the Southern Miss Theatre program. The Central Social Institution in Prague was home to the worlds largest vertical file cabinet. It consists of 3,000 drawers, 10 feet high, reaching from floor to ceiling and covering approximately 4,000 square feet. The drawers are all equipped with roller bearings.Special desks were built for those working at the files. They are, in essence, electrically operated elevators, controlled by a touch of a button, which rise or descend, move to the right or left and stop before the desired drawer.The drawers themselves are electrically opened and shut. With this installation it is now possible for 20 workers to do what formerly required the services of 400.There are many jobs in which distribution of the work only results in confusion. In this case, eliminating help expedites progress.These amazing photographs below show men working in mobile work stations used to access the card catalog drawers in the Central Social Institution, Prague, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic) in 1937. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. European Union leaders agree to on a new round of sanctions against Russia that includes a ban on most Russian oil. Russian forces continue making gains in a strategic eastern Ukrainian city, and a look at a new film celebrating 75 years of UNICEF. European Union leaders are wrapping up a two-day summit Tuesday with discussions on energy, defense, and food security key issues with the war in Ukraine after striking a groundbreaking, if watered-down deal on a Russian oil ban. Europe will also be sending nearly $10 billion in much-needed aid to Ukraine. Its now up to European Union ambassadors to hammer out the details of the latest and toughest EU sanctions package. In the short term, it would cut three-quarters of European oil imports from Russia those arriving by sea and 90% of all imports by year's end, after Germany and Poland agreed to phase out their pipeline deliveries. This is an important step forward," said European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen. "The remaining 10% on this one, we will soon return to the issue of this remaining 10 percent of pipeline oil. For now, the deal exempts Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, highly dependent on Russian energy. This latest sanctions package was held up for weeks by Hungarian leader Viktor Orban widely seen as Putins closest ally in the EU. EU leaders say the agreement does not amount to a skewed win for Orban. "It's a compromise. So, if I had to choose between a compromise or no sanctions at all, then I think it's a fair compromise,"said Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. Officials say Croatia is expected to replace some Russia's oil to Hungary, but it will take time to both update Hungarian refineries and increase Croatian capacities. The new sanctions also target other areas. It would cut off Russias biggest bank, Sberbank, from the SWIFT international payments system, and take aim at more Russian media and individuals. The bloc is also sending millions of dollars in additional aid to Ukraine. We know that Ukraine needs financial support for being able to run the country. It means that they need micro financial assistance. Nine billion euros is confirmed by the European Council. And its also to start all the programs that will be needed for the rebuilding of the country," said European Council President Charles Michel. Among other areas of discussion Tuesday, EU leaders were looking at increasing their military cooperation. The bloc is one of the world's biggest economic powers but as EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell notes, defense is another matter. What we have learned from the Ukrainian war is that its not enough. the rule of law, its not enough to be a good civil power, we need to be also a military power, he said. Even with an EU oil embargo, experts caution Russia is profiting from the current high international prices for crude and may find other customers for its shipments. President Joe Biden asked New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for advice Tuesday after the latest U.S. mass shooting, but the White House also acknowledged the limitations it faces on gun control compared to its close allies. Meeting in the Oval Office with Ardern, Biden referred to the 2019 Christchurch slaying of 51 people in mass shootings targeting Muslims. The bloodshed prompted New Zealand to ban military-style rifles and institute a successful gun buy-back. "We need your guidance," Biden said, referring to the broad U.S.-New Zealand partnership, but particularly on what he called a "global effort to counter violence and extremism online." "I want to work with you on that effort," he added. Biden, who visited the Texan town of Uvalde on Sunday to mourn the deaths of 19 children and two teachers slain by a gunman using an assault-style rifle, said there was an "awful lot of suffering" and that "much of it is preventable." Less than two weeks earlier, Biden had also visited the site in New York state of another mass shooting, this time targeting African Americans. But with the United States awash in privately held firearms and the right to own weapons enshrined in the Constitution, the Democrat faces an uphill struggle to get even the most modest new restrictions approved in Congress. There is little chance of banning assault-style semi-automatic rifles like the AR-15, a model used in both the Texas and New York shootings, yet also hugely popular among ordinary Americans for its ease of use and sleek, military-style look. Biden supports an assault weapons ban, but there are so far not enough Republicans in the evenly split Senate to get a working majority. Even his potentially less controversial proposal for increased background checks on gun purchasers may sink in the Senate. The political resistance to tampering with easy access to firearms contrasts starkly with not only New Zealand and the closest U.S. allies in Asia and Europe, but neighboring Canada. There, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday proposed banning sales of handguns, despite his country having far rarer experiences of mass shootings than across the border. Nothing similar can be expected in the United States, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday. Biden "does not support a ban on the sale of all handguns," she underlined. "We'll leave it up to other countries to set their policies on gun ownership." Under pressure from Democrats to show the government is at least trying to respond to the ever-growing toll, Biden told reporters he would "meet with the Congress on guns, I promise you." Ardern offered condolences over the Texas and New York murders, saying that "our experience in this regard is our own, but if there is anything we can share that would be of any value, we are here to share it." Cameroon's military says it has freed a senator who was held captive by separatists for a month along with other hostages. Cameroons military on Tuesday said it managed to rescue Senator Regina Mundi, after what a spokesman called two days of heavy battles with rebels who had taken her hostage. Military spokesman Serge Cyrille Atongfack said in a press release that the clashes took place in Batibo district in Cameroons Northwest region. Atongfack said separatists tried to escape advancing government troops on Sunday with six hostages, including Senator Mundi. But he said the troops stopped the rebels, killing ten of them and capturing three, without any harm to the captives. The military did not identify the other hostages but said they were receiving medical treatment after the ordeal. Rights groups in Cameroon welcomed Senator Mundis release after a month in captivity. Mumah Bih Yvonne of the Women's Peace Movement led church prayers for Mundi's release after her April abduction. "I hope she is sound health wise. For those who took Mundi and kept her for this long, I pray you have a change of mindset. You are perpetuating pain and suffering on people. I congratulate those who succeeded in getting her out," she said. A separatist spokesman confirmed that government troops freed Mundi and other hostages but denied the militarys claim that fighters were killed and captured. Capo Daniel is deputy defense chief of the Ambazonia Defense Forces, one of Cameroons rebel groups. The separatists have been fighting since 2017 to break away from Cameroon and its French-speaking majority to create an English-speaking state called Ambazonia. Daniel says the military abused civilians during the weekend raids to free Senator Mundi. "Hundreds of Cameroon military brutalized our civilian population, rounded them up, tied their hands behind their backs, women were tortured, houses were searched, occupants were tied up and forced to sit in city squares where they were not allowed to have access to communication. None of our soldiers were killed or captured, We have regrouped and we will make sure that those areas remain under strong Ambazonia control," he said. None of Daniels claims could be immediately or independently confirmed. One local, who did not want to be identified for fear of retaliation, told VOA both sides committed abuses and detained civilians during the clashes. Cameroons military denies any abuses. Armed separatists abducted Senator Mundi with her driver in Bamenda, capital of the English-speaking North West region, on April 30. The rebels accused Mundi of collaborating with Cameroons central government and demanded 47 of their arrested leaders be freed in return for her release. The government refused. Esther Njomo Omam is executive director of Reach Out Cameroon, a group calling for a cease-fire to end the separatist conflict. "Parties to the conflict, this is the time to talk more among ourselves and resolve our differences in a peaceful way," she said. Unrest in Cameroons English-speaking western regions broke out in 2016 after teachers and lawyers protested the dominance of French in the officially bilingual country. The militarys harsh response led separatists to take up arms, saying they had to defend the minority English speakers. The U.N. says clashes between the two sides have since left at least 3,300 people dead and more than 750,000 internally displaced. The death toll has risen to 36 from a tower block that collapsed in southwestern Iran last week, sparking angry protests, state media reported Tuesday. A large section of the 10-storey Metropol building that was under construction in a busy street in the city of Abadan crashed to the ground on May 23, resulting in one of the country's deadliest disasters in recent years. "With the efforts of the search and rescue forces, this evening, the body of the 36th person was pulled out from under the rubble," Abadan's governor Ehsan Abbaspour was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA. Five students were among the dead, said Masoud Hamidinejad, the head of Khuzestan's department of education, according to IRNA. The latest toll leaves only two people unaccounted for from the 38 authorities had previously estimated were missing in the collapse. A mourning service for the victims of the tragedy was held in Tehran on Tuesday, with dozens of people banging on traditional drums and hitting cymbals, local media reported. A number of high-ranking figures attended the service, including top security official Ali Shamkhani, images showed. Over the past week, night-time protests have been held in Abadan and other cities in Khuzestan province to demand that those responsible be prosecuted and punished. "Incompetent officials must be executed" was among the slogans chanted by protesters, Iran's Fars news agency reported. At a memorial ceremony in Abadan late on Sunday, hundreds of hecklers drowned out a speech by a local member of the Assembly of Experts, the body that selects Iran's supreme leader. Others poured onto a platform used by state television, knocking a camera to the ground, the Tasnim news agency reported. According to the provincial judiciary, 13 people have been arrested in connection with the building collapse, including the mayor and two former mayors. In January 2017, 22 people, including 16 firefighters, died in a blaze that engulfed the 15-storey Plasco shopping center in the capital Tehran. At a news conference in Mogadishu, Somalias special envoy for humanitarian issues on Monday said more than six million Somalis were affected by the record drought. Abdurahman Abdishakur Warsameh said the number of people suffering was quickly approaching half of Somalias population. Warsameh said the drought has hit 72 of Somalias 84 districts and that six of them were already facing famine-like conditions with extreme food insecurity. He says our people are starting to die now. Deaths have begun, famine is looming in some areas, and drought is turning into famine. Warsameh says the Somali people at home and abroad should help us in taking on some of the responsibility. The special envoy did not give any figures on how many Somalis have died from hunger but appealed for aid to reach those in need. Warsameh said the current drought, the worst in forty years, had displaced nearly 700,000 Somalis from the countryside and forced them to seek help in nearby cities. He said the U.N. and aid agencies requested $1.4 billion for drought relief but so far received only $58 million. Warsameh said international aid was more focused on the COVID pandemic, Russias war on Ukraine, and crises in Afghanistan, Syria, and Yemen. The humanitarian envoy also said not much attention is given to humanitarian needs because of Somalias focus on politics last year and a half of delayed elections. International aid agencies warned Monday that the threat of starvation was worsening in Somalia and neighboring countries across Ethiopia and Kenya. The Horn of Africa region is facing a record fifth rainy season without adequate rain, according to meteorological experts and humanitarian groups, which include U.N. agencies. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has discussed Ankara's planned military operation in northern Syria and the war in Ukraine with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Erdogan's office said Monday. In recent days Erdogan has said Turkey will launch a cross-border incursion against Kurdish militants in Syria to create a 30-kilometer-deep buffer zone. He told Putin in a phone call that the frontier zone was agreed to in 2019 but had not been implemented, the Turkish presidency said. Ankara carried out an operation against the People's Protection Units, or YPG, in October 2019. Russia, the Syrian regime and the United States also have troops in the border region. Turkey considers the YPG to be a terrorist group linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, that has waged an insurgency against Turkey since 1984, leading to the deaths of tens of thousands of people. However, the YPG forms the backbone of U.S.-led forces in the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria. The U.S. has not been happy with Turkey's previous incursions into Syria. Erdogan also told Putin that Turkey was ready to resume a role in ending the war in Ukraine, including taking part in a possible "observation mechanism" between Ukraine, Russia and the United Nations, the statement said. Negotiations in Istanbul held in March failed to make any headway, but Turkey, which has close ties to both Kyiv and Moscow, has repeatedly put itself forward as a possible mediator. The Turkish president also called for peace in Ukraine as soon as possible and for confidence-building steps to be taken. In Washington, the National Security Council said national security adviser Jake Sullivan had called Ibrahim Kalin, chief adviser to Erdogan, to discuss the two nations' support for Ukraine, but also to voice caution about actions in Syria. Sullivan "reiterated the importance of refraining from escalation in Syria to preserve existing cease-fire lines and avoid any further destabilization," said Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the National Security Council. Russia has taken control of half or more of the eastern Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk that plays a pivotal role in Moscows attempt to capture the industrial Donbas region, the citys mayor and a Ukrainian regional governor acknowledged Tuesday. Luhansks regional governor, Serhiy Gaidai, said that after days of fierce fighting between Russian and Ukrainian troops, Moscows forces control most of the city but have not surrounded it. He said in an online post that intense Russian shelling had made it impossible to deliver humanitarian supplies or evacuate the 13,000 people still sheltering in the devastated city that once had a population of 100,000. Mayor Oleksandr Striuk told The Associated Press that Russian forces, in a frenzied push, had seized half the city. The city is essentially being destroyed ruthlessly block by block, Striuk said. He said heavy street fighting is continuing along with artillery bombardments. Meanwhile, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Tuesday that an EU embargo on most Russian oil imports will mean Russia gets less resources, less financial resources to feed the war machine. Borrell said that while the EU cannot stop Russia from selling to other customers, European countries were its most important client, and it will have to accept lower prices. EU leaders agreed late Monday to ban two-thirds of Russian oil imports as part of a compromise deal to increase pressure on Moscow while accounting for the economic effects on some EU nations that are more reliant on Russian oil supplies. The embargo cuts off Russian oil delivered by sea, while exempting oil imported through pipelines. Landlocked Hungary had threatened to oppose restrictions on oil imports, a move that would have scuttled the effort that requires consensus of all EU members. European Council President Charles Michel said he expects EU ambassadors to formally endorse the embargo, which is part of a larger sanctions package, on Wednesday. Russia responded to the embargo by widening its natural gas cuts to Europe on Tuesday, with state-owned Gazprom saying it would cut supplies to several "unfriendly" countries that have refused to meet Moscows demand to be paid in the Russian ruble currency. Ukrainian leaders have long called for banning Russian oil imports to deny Russia income it can use to fuel its war effort. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated his appeal as he spoke to the EU earlier Monday. Combined with pledges from such countries as Germany to phase out their Russian oil imports, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the agreement will effectively cut around 90% of oil imports from Russia to the EU by the end of the year. Other parts of the sanction package include assets freezes and travel bans on individuals, and excluding Russias biggest banks, Sberbank, from the SWIFT global financial transfer system. The EU is also barring three Russian state-owned broadcasters from distributing content in EU countries. EU leaders also agreed to provide Ukraine with $9.7 billion in assistance for the countrys economy and reconstruction efforts. Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. The grieving town of Uvalde, Texas, began to hold funerals Tuesday for the first of the 19 children and two teachers who were shot to death May 24 by a teenage gunman who barged into their elementary school armed with an assault rifle. The first funerals were set for two 10-year-old girls. One of them, Amerie Jo Garza, was described in her obituary as sweet, sassy and funny, a girl who loved swimming and drawing. The other victim, Maite Yuleana Rodriguez, was, according to her obituary, an honor student who loved learning about whales and dolphins and dreamed of becoming a marine biologist. More funerals for the remaining victims are set in coming days, through mid-June. In Washington, a handful of U.S. senators Democrats Chris Murphy and Kyrsten Sinema, and Republicans John Cornyn and Thom Tillis began virtual talks to determine whether agreement is possible on measures to curb a level of gun violence and mass killings that are unlike those anywhere else in the world. President Joe Biden, a gun control proponent whose efforts to enact new controls on gun sales has been stymied by opposition Republicans, told reporters at the White House: I will meet with the Congress on guns, I promise you. Biden, who spent seven hours Sunday in Uvalde visiting with the relatives of the victims and survivors of the attack, said, I've gotten to more mass shooting aftermaths than I think any president in American history, unfortunately. And it's just, so much of it is much of it is preventable, he said. And the devastation is amazing. Going into a meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Biden said he would ask her about her countrys response after a gunman killed 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch in 2019, streaming the carnage on Facebook as it happened. Within weeks, Ardern led a dramatic push to restrict firearms in New Zealand, including a permanent ban on military-style semiautomatic weapons and assault rifles and a program to buy back and destroy such guns already in circulation. Such a plan would meet with widespread opposition in the U.S., where many people see the U.S. Constitutions guarantee of gun ownership rights as sacrosanct. While lawmakers debate new controls on gun sales, the Justice Department has opened a review of the police response to the attack on Robb Elementary School, to identify lessons learned and best practices to help first responders prepare for and respond to active shooter events. In the Texas shooting, law enforcement officials are being sharply criticized for taking more than an hour to directly confront the gunman, Salvador Ramos, a high school dropout. In the past few days, Texas law enforcement authorities have changed their accounts of exactly how the Robb Elementary massacre unfolded and their response to it. Even as children trapped in the classroom with the shooter made urgent emergency calls, pleading with police to rescue them, the incident commander on the scene, the police chief for Uvalde schools, assessed wrongly that it was no longer an active shooter incident but rather that the assailant had barricaded himself in a classroom. As a result, the incident commander, Pete Arredondo, did not immediately order police officers into the classroom to end the mayhem before more were killed. Eventually, U.S. Border Patrol agents arrived at the school, burst into the classroom and killed Ramos. The head of the Texas Department of Public Safety, Steven McCraw, said last week that with the benefit of hindsight, "it was the wrong decision" to wait to confront the shooter. Some information from Reuters was used in this report. International media monitors demanded Tuesday that Taliban rulers in Afghanistan urgently investigate the alleged disappearance of two journalists and bring the perpetrators to justice. The whereabouts of Ali Akbar Khairkhwa and Jamaluddin Deldar were unknown since May 24, when they both went missing from the Afghan capital, Kabul, according to relatives and co-workers. Khairkhwa, a photojournalist and reporter with local Subh-e-Kabul newspaper, had departed for the capitals Kote Sangi area in the morning to report and attend his university classes. Since then, his mother and brother told local media they could not find any information about him. They said they had contacted Taliban authorities, suspecting their role in the journalists abduction, but they denied involvement. Deldar headed the Voice of Gardiz Radio in the southeastern Afghan province of Paktia. His family and his senior colleagues directly accused the Taliban of arresting him but did not know the reason for his arrest. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) urged the Taliban to immediately investigate the disappearance of the two journalists, stressing the need for increased efforts to ensure protection journalists and media workers in Afghanistan. Contrary to the Talibans public commitment to protect freedom of the press and freedom of expression, incidents of harassment, attack, detainment and abduction of journalists have risen significantly following the Talibans takeover in August 2021, the watchdog lamented. The Islamist group seized power nine months ago from the then-Western-backed Afghan government days before the U.S.-led international forces withdrew from the conflict-torn country. An estimated 1,000 journalists have fled Afghanistan since August, with threats, harsh restrictions and economic collapse leading to mass closures of local media outlets, according to IFJ. The monitor in its latest report has documented 75 media rights violations, including 12 killings and 30 arrests, across the country from May 2021 to April 2022. Last week, the Committee to Protect Journalist (CPJ) in a statement decried the disappearance and other incidents of harassment, saying they were fueling concerns about the dangers and abuse journalists face in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Its beyond time for the Taliban to take responsibility for the safety of reporters and to allow all members of the press men and women to report the news without interference, including abolishing the decree that women TV journalists cannot appear with uncovered faces, said CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Steven Butler. The Talibans Ministry of Vice and Virtue, charged with interpreting and enforcing the Talibans version of Islamic Sharia law, has recently bound female presenters to cover their faces while on air. Afghan TV channels have already been barred from broadcasting dramas and soap operas featuring women. Greek authorities say they are planning a major extension of a wall along the country's border with Turkey and are seeking European Union financial support for the additional construction. Notis Mitarachi, the migration affairs minister, said the steel wall would be extended from 40 to 120 kilometers (25 to 75 miles), with construction work due to start later this year. "It is a government decision to extend the border wall further and we have requested European funding," Mitarachi said, speaking in an interview Sunday with a radio station near Athens. The minister posted the audio of the interview on social media Monday. He gave no details on the projected cost of the project. Greece has accused neighbor and fellow-NATO ally Turkey of "instrumentalizing" migration as a means of exerting pressure on EU countries. That is an assertion rejected by Ankara, which says it has shouldered a disproportionately heavy burden, hosting some 4 million refugees, most of whom fled the civil war in neighboring Syria. Last year, 12 countries, including Greece, requested EU funding for border walls which are currently financed by national budgets. The EU Commission does not currently pay for wall construction at its external borders, arguing that it would drain funds from other migration-related activities, including financing the EU border protection agency, Frontex. One of two Kenyans wanted for alleged involvement in wildlife and drug trafficking has been arrested in a joint U.S.-Kenyan operation. The U.S. government had announced a reward for information leading to the arrest of Badru Abdul Aziz Saleh. U.S. officials said Kenyas security agencies received a tip from the public that led to the arrest of Saleh Monday in Liboi, Garissa county. An embassy statement said U.S. and Kenyan law enforcement officials cooperated to apprehend Saleh. Another suspect, Abdi Hussein Ahmed, remains at large. On Thursday, the United States announced rewards of up to $1 million each for information leading to the arrest, prosecution and conviction of the two Kenyans. Eric W. Kneedler, charge d'affaires at the U.S. embassy in Nairobi, said Mondays arrest of Saleh would not have been possible without the publics support. He appealed for information leading to Ahmeds arrest. Saleh remains in police custody in Nairobi and is expected to be extradited to the U.S. Saleh was arrested back in 2019 for drug trafficking but released on bail, according to the U.S. State Department. A statement said he was a fugitive with an outstanding warrant for his arrest. A federal grand jury in New York indicted him in 2021. Saleh and Ahmed were accused in the transportation, distribution and smuggling of 190 kilograms of rhinoceros horns and 10 tons of elephant ivory from different African countries. They were also alleged to have been involved in transporting and distributing 10 kilograms of heroin from Kenya to the United States. If convicted, both could face up to 10 years in prison in the U.S. In March, Kenya launched a financial toolkit to help fight illegal wildlife trade. Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny, who is in prison in Russia, could face 15 more years under a new charge, he said Tuesday. Navalny took to social media to say now has been charged with starting an extremist organization. "Not even eight days have passed since my nine-year, high-security sentence came into force, and today the investigator showed up again and formally charged me with a new case," Navalny said on Twitter. "It turns out that I created an extremist group in order to incite hatred toward officials and oligarchs. And when they put me in jail, I dared to be disgruntled about it and called for rallies. For that, they're supposed to add up to 15 more years to my sentence," he said. There has been no official announcement about new charges against Navalny. Navalny has been targeted by the Kremlin for years, including a possible poisoning in 2020 while campaigning in Siberia. After the incident, he went to Germany for treatment but was arrested on his return to Russia in 2021. The Kremlin denies poisoning Navalny. Navalny has been outspoken about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, calling it stupid and built on lies. Navalny, 45, is serving a two-and-a-half-year sentence in a prison camp east of Moscow on a 2014 embezzlement conviction. Last year, Navalnys foundation was outlawed after being labeled extremist by authorities, who blocked tens of websites run by his network, claiming they were distributing propaganda. For full coverage of the crisis in Ukraine, visit Flashpoint Ukraine. The latest developments in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. All times EDT. 9:17 p.m.: VOAs chief national correspondent, Steve Herman, reports: U.S. President Joe Biden, in a New York Times opinion article published online Tuesday evening, said he had decided to provide the Ukrainians with more advanced rocket systems and munitions that will enable them to more precisely strike key targets on the battlefield in Ukraine. This comes a day after the president said he was rejecting a request from Kyiv for advanced missile systems that could potentially strike inside Russia. A senior administration official told reporters that the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System is to be used by the Ukrainians to repel Russian advances on Ukrainian territory but not to hit targets in Russian territory. 7:37 p.m.: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has thanked the European Union for banning nearly all oil from Russia. Speaking in a nightly video address, Zelenskyy said, European countries have agreed to significantly limit oil imports from Russia. And I am grateful to everyone who worked to reach this agreement. The practical result is minus tens of billions of euros, which Russia will now be unable to use to finance terror. But it is also important to understand that European countries' abandonment of Russian oil and other fossil fuels will accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources. Strategically, this leaves the Russian state on the sidelines of the modern economy. With such an aggressive policy and a course of isolation from the civilized world, Russia simply will not be able to adapt. So, it will lose. Lose economically. that the EU's decision to cut the bulk of Russian oil imports means that Russia won't be able to spend tens of billions of euros "to finance terror, he added. "As soon as the sixth package starts working, we will immediately start working on the seventh one." 6:18 p.m.: Ukrainian soccer star Oleksandr Zinchenko teared up he tried to explain what it means to represent his country's national team, with a spot at the World Cup within reach, The Associated Press reported. Ukraine is two games away from qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar, starting with a match against Scotland in Glasgow on Wednesday, AP reported. The game, which had been scheduled for March, was postponed after Russia invaded Ukraine. The winner of the Ukraine-Scotland match will play Wales on Sunday. We want to give incredible emotions to the Ukrainian people because Ukrainians deserve it so much at this very moment, Zinchenko, the Manchester City defender, said at a news conference. Our mood, I would describe as a fighting mood, because everyone understands what is going on in Ukraine these days. Zinchenko put soccer in perspective, saying the one thing Ukrainians want is to stop this war but that those who could follow the game at home would do so, AP reported. Im pretty sure that all Ukraine who has this opportunity is going to watch us, and we are going to feel this support 100 percent, he said. 5:13 p.m.: U.S. officials say the Biden administration is expected to announce it will send Ukraine a small number of high-tech, medium-range rocket systems, The Associated Press reported. Ukrainian leaders have said the weapons are critical in their struggle to stall Russian progress in the Donbas region. The U.S. plan tries to strike a balance between the desire to help Ukraine battle ferocious Russian artillery barrages while not providing arms that could allow Ukraine to hit targets deep inside Russia and escalate the war, AP reported. President Joe Biden has said the U.S. would not send Ukraine rocket systems that can strike into Russia. 4:25 p.m.: 3:30 p.m.: A senior U.N. official had "constructive discussions" in Moscow with Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov on facilitating Russian grain and fertilizer exports to global markets, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Tuesday, according to VOAs U.N. Correspondent Margaret Besheer. The U.N. official, Rebecca Grynspan, is now in Washington for talks on the same issue with U.S. officials. 3:05 p. m.: The Ukrainian military on Tuesday said Russia is preparing to resume its offensive at several areas in Eastern Ukraine. The Associated Press reports that General Staff spokesman Oleksandr Shtupun said in a daily operational update the Russian army is readying operations in Izium and Sloviansk, and conducting assault operations around Sievierodonetsk and Bakhmut, aiming to encircle the Ukrainian army. Shtupun also claimed that Belarus hardware, including tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, was moved out from country's storage bases and could be used by Russian forces. 2:45 p.m.: The Biden administration will give details on potential new security assistance for Ukraine "before too long," State Department spokesperson Ned Price said at a press briefing Tuesday, according to Reuters. Washington also remains concerned about Russian attempts to institutionalize its control over Ukrainian territory it has seized, including the city of Kherson, Price added. 2:30 p.m.: We have been clear from day one that we will provide Ukraine with weapons to defend itself from Russian aggression to defend itself inside its borders to fight against Russia. Were not providing any weapons that will allow the Ukrainians to attack Russia from inside of Ukraine and President Biden has been very clear on that, United States Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield reiterated at a press stakeout in New York as she reflected on U.S. presidency of the U.N. Security Council, which concludes tonight. She also said the U.S. is prepared to give "comfort letters" to shipping and insurance companies if that will help to encourage them, to support those efforts to get grain out of Russia, VOA U.N. Correspondent Margaret Besheer reported. 2:07 p.m.: Russian state news agency RIA Novosti on Tuesday shared footage of people in Melitopol applying for Russian passports, according to The Associated Press. Russian President Vladimir Putin had also issued an order last week to allow a fast track to Russian citizenship for people in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions in the south of Ukraine, which are largely held by Russian forces. 2 p.m.: The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports on the number of school-age children affected by the war in Ukraine. 1:34 p.m.: Russian forces now control most of the eastern city of Sievierodonetsk but have not surrounded it, the governor of Ukraine's Luhansk province said Tuesday after days of fighting, Reuters reports. Serhiy Gaidai said in an online post that Russian shelling had made it impossible to deliver humanitarian supplies or evacuate people. 1:25 p.m.: The wives of Ukrainian soldiers who were the last defenders of the Azovstal steel plant in the besieged city of Mariupol reveal the "horrors" that their husbands endured before being taken prisoner by Russia. Kateryna Prokopenko and Yulia Fedosyuk told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service that their husbands were "brave" members of the Azov Regiment but they're concerned about their fate after Russian officials said they could be tried as "terrorists." Moscow refers to the Azov Regiment as Nazis. Ukraine says the regiment has been reformed from its radical nationalist origins. 1:10 p.m.: The Vatican says Pope Francis will travel to Kazakhstan in September for an interfaith conference, The Associated Press reports. The visit may give him a chance to meet with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, which would be significant given Kirills justification for Russias war in Ukraine. Francis called off a planned encounter with Kirill in June in Jerusalem because of the diplomatic fallout it would have created. 12:40 p.m.: Ukrainian lawmakers have fired Ombudswoman Lyudmila Denisova almost one year before her term's end, saying she failed to help organize humanitarian corridors and citing other alleged inaction related to Russia's invasion. Lawmakers Yaroslav Zheleznyak and Oleksiy Honcharenko said the move was approved by parliament on May 31. Denisova said the move to fire her was initiated by the office of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Andriy Smyrnov, deputy chief of the presidential office, rejected the accusation. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports. 12:25 p.m.: A digital camera retrieved by fighters in eastern Ukraine holds images of a family in peacetime and invading Russian soldiers that apparently looted the device during war. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has published the photos here. 12:03 p.m.: Ukraine: Latest Internal Displacement Report by International Organization for Migration (IOM). 12 p.m.: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday welcomed a sixth package of European Union sanctions against Russia but criticized what he called an "unacceptable" delay in the bloc agreeing the latest measures, according to Reuters. "When over 50 days have passed between the 5th and 6th sanction packages, the situation is not acceptable for us," Zelenskyy said, speaking alongside Slovakia's President Zuzana Caputova in Kyiv. 11:46 a.m.: Ukraine has welcomed the European Unions decision to block most imports of Russian oil according to The Associated Press. The oil embargo will speed up the countdown to the collapse of the Russian economy and war machine, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a statement. 11:15 a.m.: Russia's economy will contract less than expected this year and inflation will be lower than previously thought, a Reuters poll showed on Tuesday, after the war in Ukraine enters its fourth month. The average forecast among 18 analysts polled in late May suggested the Russian economy was on track to shrink by 7.6% this year. A similar poll in late April predicted economic contraction of 8.4%. 11:06 a.m.: Russian company Gazprom said on Tuesday it would cut off gas flows to Denmark's Orsted, as well as to Shell Energy for its contract on gas supplies to Germany, after they failed to make payments in rubles, Reuters reports. In response the Danish group said it would be able to source natural gas from the European gas market. 11 a.m.: The Associated Press reports three more nations have joined an international investigation team probing war crimes in Ukraine. Estonia, Latvia and Slovakia signed an agreement during a two-day coordination meeting in The Hague to join Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine in the Joint Investigation Team that will help coordinate the sharing of evidence of atrocities through European Union judicial cooperation agency Eurojust. Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan said Tuesday that he plans to open an office in Kyiv. 10:42 a.m.: The European Commission has been given a full mandate to examine the possibility of setting a price cap on gas imports from Russia, Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on Tuesday according to Reuters. "The Commission received a mandate to study the feasibility of a gas price cap," Draghi told reporters in Brussels after the EU summit. 10:30 a.m.: It's billed as an escape from anxiety for children who have been evacuated from war-torn parts of Ukraine. The Odesa Youth Theater is staging special performances in bomb shelters. The play is also topical: It tells the story of how people unite to drive out a stranger who is occupying someone's home, in this report by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 10 a.m.: Since the war started in Ukraine in February until May 30th, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) recorded 9,029 civilian casualties in the country: 4,113 killed and 4,916 injured. Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes. OHCHR believes the actual figures are considerably higher, as the receipt of information from some locations where intense hostilities have been going on has been delayed and many reports are still pending corroboration. 9:45 a.m.: Canada said Tuesday it was imposing new sanctions on Russia and putting restrictions on 22 individuals and four entities in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. The restrictions will affect individuals and entities including senior officials of Russian financial institutions and their family members, as well as key financial institutions and banks, according to an official statement cited by Reuters. Since the war started, Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 1,050 individuals and entities from and in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. 9:30 a.m.: I am horrified to see Sievierodonetsk, the thriving city where we had our operational headquarters, become the epicenter of yet another chapter of the brutal war in Ukraine, Jan Egeland, The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) Chief said on Tuesday. He says the fear is that up to 12,000 civilians remain caught in crossfire in the city, without sufficient access to water, food, medicine or electricity. 9:05 a.m.: Tennis great John McEnroe said Wimbledon was wrong to ban Russian and Belarusian players after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine but wished the sport's governing bodies had not retaliated by stripping the Grand Slam of ranking points according to Reuters. 9 a.m.: Across eastern Ukraine, hospitals near the front lines of Russia's war are increasingly coming under pressure. Many staff have fled and those who remain have to deal with an influx of wounded on top of their usual flow of sick patients, The Associated Press reports. 8:30 a.m.: After a shock exit from the Russian market earlier this month, McDonalds, the ubiquitous Western burger brand, appears to be getting a new name in Russia. Thats it, Exactly It and Compass are among the new names that are being registered in Russia according to the Washington Post. 8:22 a.m.: Ukraine has identified more than 600 Russian war crime suspects and has started prosecuting around 80 of them, Kyiv's top prosecutor said Monday according to Reuters. The list of suspects includes "top military, politicians and propaganda agents of Russia," prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova told a news conference in The Hague. 8 a.m.: Next package of Russia sanctions wont include gas embargo, says Austrian chancellor Karl Nehammer, The Kiyv Independent reports. 7:35 a.m.: Russian forces in a frenzied push have seized half of the eastern Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk that is key to Moscows efforts to quickly complete the capture of the industrial Donbas region. The city's mayor also told The Associated Press today that Sievierodonetsk "is essentially being destroyed ruthlessly block by block." 7:22 am: European Union leaders are wrapping up a two-day summit Tuesday with discussions on energy, defense, and food security - key issues with the war in Ukraine - after striking a groundbreaking, if watered-down deal on a Russian oil ban. Europe will also be sending nearly $10 billion in much-needed aid to Ukraine. 7:20 a.m.: European Union leaders handed Hungary concessions to agree an oil embargo on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, sealing a deal in the early hours of Tuesday that aims to cut 90% of Russia's crude imports into the bloc by the end of the year according to Reuters. The deal excludes from the embargo shipments by pipeline, which Hungary relies on for Russian oil. 6:45 a.m.: The European Union's sanctions against seaborne imports of Russian oil will be imposed with a phase-in period of six months for crude oil and eight months for refined products, a European Commission spokesperson said on Tuesday according to Reuters. That timeline would kick in once the sanctions are formally adopted, with EU country ambassadors aiming to adopt them this week, after EU leaders agreed in principle to the sanctions at a summit on Monday. 6 a.m.: European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Tuesday that an EU embargo on most Russian oil imports will mean Russia gets less financial resources to feed the war machine. Borrell said that while the EU cannot stop Russia from selling to other customers, European countries were its most important client, and it will have to accept lower prices. 5 a.m.: A Ukrainian court sentenced two captured Russian soldiers to 11 and a half years in jail on Tuesday for shelling a town in eastern Ukraine, the second war crimes verdict since the start of Russias invasion in February, Reuters reported. Alexander Bobikin and Alexander Ivanov, who listened to the verdict standing in a reinforced glass box at the Kotelevska district court in central Ukraine, both pleaded guilty last week. 4:45 a.m.: Helga Maria Schmid, the secretary-general of the Vienna-based Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, or OSCE, said Tuesday she is very relieved following news about the release of a national mission member of monitoring mission to Ukraine. In a Twitter post, Schmid further called on the release of three others detained in Donetsk and Luhansk. 4:15 a.m.: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected to go to Turkey with a military delegation on June 8 to discuss creating a potential sea corridor for Ukrainian agricultural exports, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday, according to Reuters. Speaking to the state-owned Anadolu news agency, Cavusoglu said work was still underway with the United Nations to reach an agreement on creating the corridor from the Black Sea, but that issues between Moscow and Kyiv remained. He said the U.N. had proposed forming a joint observation mechanism to monitor the shipping route, and that Turkey was open to the idea. He said Russia wanted some Western sanctions targeting its insurance sector lifted, as it would impact the ships that will participate in the potential shipping network, while Ukraine did not want Russian warships to approach its docks in Odesa. In a phone call with Turkeys Tayyip Erdogan on Monday, President Vladimir Putin said that Russia was ready to facilitate the unhindered export of grain from Ukrainian ports in coordination with Turkey. The Associated Press has the story. 4:05 a.m.: The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud held a call to discuss regional developments including the Ukraine crisis. 3:20 a.m.: The head of Sievierodonetsk administration Oleksandr Stryuk said Tuesday that Ukraine is still in control of the city as soldiers continue to fight Russian troops. The city is still in Ukrainian hands and its putting up a fight, Stryuk said speaking to a Ukrainian television. However, he added that civilian evacuation is impossible due to continued fighting. 2:45 a.m.: According to the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense daily battleground report: Heavy shelling continues, while street fighting is likely taking place on the outskirts of Sieverodonetsk town, the ministry update said. Russia has achieved greater local successes than earlier in the campaign by massing forces and fires in a relatively small area. This forces Russia to accept risk elsewhere in occupied territory. Russian troops were slowly advancing towards the city center in Sievierodonetsk, the governor of Luhansk region said earlier in the day, according to Reuters. 2:05 a.m.: A ship has left the Ukrainian port of Mariupol for the first time since Russia took the city and is headed east to Russia, Interfax quoted the Russian-backed separatist leader of the Ukrainian breakaway region of Donetsk as saying on Tuesday, according to Reuters. A spokesperson for the port said last week that the ship would be loading 2,700 tons of metal in Mariupol before traveling east to the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don. Ukraine said the shipment of metal to Russia from Mariupol amounted to looting. 1 a.m.: Japanese industry minister said on Tuesday that his country will not leave the Sakhalin 2 liquefied natural gas (LNG) project even if asked to leave, Reuters reported. The land for the project is Russias but the plant is owned by the Japanese government and companies, Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Koichi Hagiuda told a parliamentary committee. 12:30 a.m.: Moscow backed separatist leader said Tuesday that Russian forces had not advanced as rapidly as they had hoped in the battle for Sievierodonetsk, the easternmost city still in Ukraines hands, Reuters reported citing state-run TASS news agency. As the Russian offensive continued across Ukraines eastern Donbas region, the European Union agreed to ban most imports of Russian oil, a move intended to blow a hole in the Kremlins war finances. 12:15 a.m.: Russian troops continue to battle Ukrainian forces in the eastern part of the country, according to The Associated Press. 12:01 a.m.: European Union leaders agreed late Monday to ban two-thirds of Russian oil imports as part of a compromise deal to increase pressure on Russia while accounting for the economic effects on some EU nations that are more reliant on Russian oil supplies. The embargo cuts off Russian oil delivered by sea, while exempting oil imported through pipelines. Landlocked Hungary had threatened to oppose restrictions on oil imports, a move that would have scuttled the effort that requires consensus of all EU members. European Council President Charles Michel said he expects EU ambassadors to formally endorse the embargo, which is part of a larger sanctions package, on Wednesday. Combined with pledges from countries such as Germany to phase out their Russian oil imports, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the agreement will effectively cut around 90% of oil imports from Russia to the EU by the end of the year. Other parts of the sanction package include assets freezes and travel bans on individuals, and excluding Russias biggest banks, Sberbank, from the SWIFT global financial transfer system. The EU is also barring three Russian state-owned broadcasters from distributing content in EU countries. EU leaders also agreed to provide Ukraine with $9.7 billion in assistance for the countrys economy and reconstruction efforts. Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse. Lebanon's new legislature narrowly elected veteran Shiite Muslim politician Nabih Berri for a seventh term as speaker of parliament in its first session on Tuesday. Berri, 84, won 65 votes in the 128-member parliament, where the role of speaker is reserved for a Shiite Muslim under the sectarian political system. It was the slimmest majority ever won by Berri, reflecting the make-up of a new parliament in which the Iran-backed armed Shiite movement Hezbollah and its allies lost the majority they won in 2018. Tuesday's session was the first since the new parliament was elected on May 15, in the first vote since Lebanon's economic collapse and the Beirut port explosion of 2020. Berri, who leads the Shiite Amal Movement, has held the role of speaker since 1992 and is a close ally of Hezbollah. Elias Bou Saab, a former education minister, was elected as deputy speaker, a role reserved for a Greek Orthodox Christian. Bou Saab, allied to the Hezbollah-aligned Free Patriotic Movement of President Michel Aoun, won with 65 votes in the second round of voting against Ghassan Skaff, a newcomer MP who identifies as an independent. The winners mean Hezbollah's allies retained two important posts in the parliament. Fragmentation The close calls were the first glimpse of how fragmented and polarized Lebanon's new parliament would be, with no single bloc enjoying a majority. Opponents of Hezbollah including the Saudi-aligned Lebanese Forces - a Christian faction - gained seats. Around a dozen opposition newcomers took their seats for the first time after an unexpectedly strong breakthrough by reform-minded candidates into a system long dominated by the same sectarian groups. A group of them walked to parliament on Tuesday morning from the entrance of the Beirut port in a tribute to the more than 215 victims of the explosion. The opposition lawmakers walked past metal barricades outside which they had protested in 2019, when unprecedented anti-government demonstrations rocked Lebanon. Some of the votes cast in the secret ballots carried messages echoing grievances against a sectarian elite that has steered Lebanon into its worst instability since the 1975-90 civil war. They included votes for anti-Hezbollah Shiite thinker Lokman Slim, who was killed in February 2021, as well as "justice for the Beirut blast." Analysts have warned that the divisions were likely to produce a political paralysis that could further delay passing reform laws needed to drag Lebanon out of economic disaster and create a vacuum in top leadership positions. Lebanon's system of government now requires Aoun, a Maronite Christian, to consult with lawmakers on their choice for prime minister, which must go to a Sunni Muslim. Aoun, who has yet to set a date for the consultations, must designate the candidate with the greatest support to form a cabinet - a process that can take many months. Outgoing Prime Minister Najib Mikati is widely seen as leading candidate for the post again. One speller ran off the stage in the middle of her time at the microphone, saying she needed to pee. Another tried to walk back to her seat after spelling her first word correctly, only to be reminded she had a vocabulary word next. During one particularly brutal stretch, 10 consecutive spellers heard the bell that signals elimination. The Scripps National Spelling Bee used to begin with a handshake. Now, it starts with a slap to the face. Leaner and meaner in its post-pandemic iteration, the bee returned to its usual venue on Tuesday for the first time in three years, and spellers were greeted with a new preliminary-round format that gave them no time to get comfortable. "The prelims is no joke. Every stage of the bee is so important," said Dhroov Bharatia, a 13-year-old from Plano, Texas, who finished fourth last year. In years past, the early onstage spelling rounds did little beyond weeding out the weakest or most nervous spellers. The real action was a written test that determined who would make the cut for the semifinals. But during last year's mostly virtual bee, the bee's new executive director eliminated the test, and that structure continued as 229 spellers took the stage for this year's fully-in-person competition. Well over half the spellers who competed by mid-afternoon Tuesday were eliminated. Spellers had to get through three words in one turn at the microphone to advance to Wednesday's quarterfinals. First, they were given a word from a provided list of 4,000 more than twice as many as in years past. Then, they had to answer a multiple-choice vocabulary question about a word on the same list. Finally, they had to spell a word that could be found anywhere in Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. Annie-Lois Acheamong, one of three spellers from Ghana, didn't get that far. She labored successfully through her first word, "coulrophobia" fear of clowns and then was asked to define "edamame." She smiled initially, but when she crossed her legs and couldn't stand still, it was clear something else was going on. "I think I'm going to pee myself," the 13-year-old eighth-grader said. "Can I go pee? I'm very sorry." She scurried off the stage before she got an answer from the stunned judges, who paused the competition and conferred about how to handle the situation. "That was a first," head judge Mary Brooks, who's been involved with the bee for 50 years, said later. The judges ultimately decided to let Annie-Lois return to the microphone after the day's last scheduled speller. Although she could have been eliminated for exceeding the 30-second time limit for the vocabulary question, Brooks said the speller's clock was paused because she was experiencing a legitimate emergency. There is precedent for pausing the clock during what Brooks called "extenuating circumstances," notably in 2004 when Akshay Buddiga fainted on stage but recovered to finish in second place. Braydon Syx of West Blocton, Alabama, might not get that far, but his time in front of the microphone on Tuesday encapsulated the newly riveting drama of the early rounds. The 13-year-old seventh-grader took his first plane ride to compete in this year's bee. Syx's first word was "ormolu" a gold-colored alloy of copper, zinc and sometimes tin. He spelled out "O-R-M" and then took a long, excruciating pause before spitting out the final three letters. He stretched his arms out to his sides after identifying the definition of the word "tremulous" not a bad description of his demeanor at the microphone. "It was really scary," Syx said, "but I also felt really happy at the same time. It was a weird feeling." Then came "bromegrass" any grass of a large genus of grasses native to temperate regions. Something about the word was bothering him. "Can you say it again?" he asked. "Can you say it again another time?" He took a deep breath. "Can you say it one more time?" Afterward, Syx explained his dilemma: "On 'bromegrass,' I didn't know whether he was pronouncing it with an 'm' or an 'n.'" Still, through some combination of hard work, luck and perseverance, Syx will spell again on Wednesday. Akira Harris won't be so fortunate. The eighth-grader from a Department of Defense middle school in Stuttgart, Germany, began by spelling "rednigote" correctly, then turned around and headed for her seat. "Akira, we need you for your word meaning round," a judge told her. She stood silently, looking miserable, after she was given three potential definitions for the word "bandicoot." She made a guess "A?" before she was told she had to read the multiple-choice answer under that letter, which was wrong. Harris returned to the audience and buried her head in her mother's shoulder. Once her group of spellers was finished, she made another beeline this time for the exits. Russias influence in the former Soviet republics of Central Asia is expected to decline as its overstretched military struggles in Ukraine and its economy suffers shocks from the sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies, according to experts. Russia has long enjoyed leverage over the regions five countries Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan because of their reliance on remittances from migrant laborers employed in Russia, says Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili, head of the Center for Governance and Markets at the University of Pittsburgh. World Bank data published in March laid out the importance of the remittances, which it said in some cases were comparable to or even larger than the countries exports of goods and services. In the past, Central Asian states were wary of Russia because they understood that (their economic relationship) changes if they offended Moscow, Murtazashvili told VOA. But, she said, the balance has shifted because of the war in Ukraine and the five countries now understand that Russia needs labor from Central Asia very badly. These countries now understand that they have agency and leverage and are beginning to understand how they can use it, she said. Right now, we are seeing a stronger Central Asia that will have more freedom to pick and choose among great powers. Russias weakness opens the door for China to play a larger role in the region, but it also increases opportunities for other countries that wish to do business there, according to Murtazashvili. On Tuesday, exactly three months after Russia launched its invasion, China pledged $37.5 million of free financial assistance to Uzbekistan for the implementation of joint socially significant projects, according to the Uzbek government. The agreement was signed by Uzbekistans deputy minister of investment and foreign trade, Aziz Voitov, and the Chinese ambassador in Tashkent, Jiang Yan, according to a statement on the website of Uzbekistans Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade. One day earlier, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu led a U.S. delegation to the region on a five-day trip to the Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan. According to the State Department, the purpose of the trip is to strengthen U.S. relations with the region and advance collaborative efforts to create a more connected, prosperous, and secure Central Asia. Last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken met in Washington with Mukhtar Tileuberdi, the foreign minister of Kazakhstan. In the meeting, according to the State Department, Blinken confirmed the U.S. commitment to minimizing the impact on allies and partners, including Kazakhstan, from the sanctions imposed on Russia. Raffaello Pantucci, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore and author of "Sinostan: China's Inadvertent Empire," said that while Russias influence is expected to decline it will remain an important player in the region. Leaders of the Central Asian nations have always had some concern and skepticism towards Russia and now it will be worse, he told VOA. The natural connections and public opinion mean it will be hard to entirely sever, but it is clear that the regional governments are not ecstatic about President [Vladimir] Putin's actions in Ukraine. Early in the war, Putin called the heads of the Central Asian states to seek support for his planned occupation of Ukraine. But the five leaders responded cautiously, neither endorsing nor condemning the invasion. China, meanwhile, has been expanding its footprint in the region for a while, Pantucci said. But increasingly the region will find itself frustrated as -- unlike Russia -- China is not very interested in stepping in to try to fix things, but is single-mindedly focused on its own interests. Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, also predicted Russia will remain influential in the region despite the problems created by the war. Russia understands what is going on here in Central Asia and it does it better than any other foreign actor in the region, Umarov told VOA from Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan, So this is something that is really difficult to change. According to Umarov, the five Central Asian states have been seeking to diversify their ties with the rest of the world since they gained their independence from Moscow in the early 1990s. Russias actions toward Ukraine will add speed to the process of replacing Russia in those countries, Umarov said. Of course, China is the number one country that has the capacity to do that in many spheres, especially in terms of logistics because of geographic location and its economy, because of Chinas economic muscle which other countries do not possess. But, according to Murtazashvili, China is not very popular in Central Asia. People understand what has happened with the Uyghurs and are wary of getting too close to China, she said. Three of the five Central Asian countries border Chinas western Xinjiang region, where Beijing is accused by the U.S. and other countries of a genocidal crackdown on its Uyghur minority. Beijing rejects the accusation as lies and says that China is fighting against the forces of three evil, namely separatism, extremism and terrorism in the region. The majority-Turkic countries of Central Asia are culturally, religiously and ethnically close to the Uyghurs in Xinjiang. Ukraines top prosecutor says she has identified more than 600 Russians suspected of war crimes. Criminal prosecutions already have started for 80 of the suspects, which include top military, politicians and propaganda agents of Russia," Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova told a news conference in The Hague. Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia, Lithuania and Poland also are participating in the investigations, Venediktova said. In addition, the group is working with the International Criminal Court, which began looking into potential war crimes in March. "We should collect and protect everything in the right way. It should be acceptable evidence in any court," Venediktova said. Russia has consistently denied it has targeted civilians following its invasion of Ukraine on February 24. The head of the African Union is calling on Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to lower tensions. The DRC accuses Rwanda of supporting the rebel group M23, which continues to battle the Congolese army in eastern Congo. But analysts are doubtful the tensions or the situation in eastern Congo as a whole will soon improve. Calm has returned in some parts of the eastern DRC, which saw heavy fighting last week between the Congolese army and the rebel group M23. Jean-Mobert Senga, Amnesty Internationals DRC researcher, told VOA there is a lull in the fighting. When it comes to M23, there has been some calm in the last few days, he said. There have been no clashes reported and in some parts, civilians have started to return but that doesnt mean that the conflict is over in North Kivu and Ituri. Civilians are still being killed by other armed groups, so it's not only M23 which is the problem. There are also other groups who have been killing people and are continuing to kill civilians with impunity. Reports say the Congolese army, with the help of the U.N. peacekeeping force MONUSCO, recently repelled a rebel advance on the city of Goma. The reports say M23 fighters have now returned to their hideouts near the border with Uganda. But residents of North Kivu and Ituri remain fearful of M23 and other armed groups in the region, which have competed for years for control of the areas rich mines. Some of the groups have ties to Rwanda, Uganda or Burundi. The DRC government accuses Rwanda of supporting M23 in an effort to destabilize the country. In a statement Monday, Rwandan Foreign Minister Vicent Biruta encouraged its neighbor to de-escalate its rhetoric. He said collaboration could restore security and bring lasting stability to the region. The minister also said the rebel group M23 was Congos internal problem and should be resolved among Congolese themselves. On his Twitter account, African Union chairperson Senegalese President Macky Sall said he is concerned about the tensions between the DRC and Rwanda. Sall said he spoke to DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame in a quest to find a peaceful resolution to the crisis. Researcher and political analyst Ntanyoma Rukumbuzi said the tension between the countries and the unrest in the DRC are likely to continue. I dont see any future escalation between the two countries, Rwanda and the DRC, he said. I think both countries have an interest in dialogue and settling many of these issues in a pacific way through dialogue but would this be enough if Rwanda and DRC agree to solve the tension in a pacific way? Will this lead to the stability of the DRC? I am not sure. M23 insists it is fighting ethnic Hutu groups to protect the minority Tutsi living along the border between Congo and Rwanda. But, Human Rights Watch DRC senior researcher Thomas Fessy notes M23 was expelled from peace talks between Congo and various armed groups that took place in Kenya at the end of April. All of this has created a context of tension which is sparking fears of new military confrontation on Congolese territory and civilians are always the ones always to pay the biggest price, he said. In a few days of heavy fighting near Goma, over 70,000 people were displaced. According to the humanitarian organizations, many of them will now need assistance. Congo is home to some 5.6 million internally displaced people, more than any other country in Africa. Tensions are rising between Turkey and Greece, with the Turkish foreign minister on Tuesday warning that Ankara could challenge the sovereignty of Greek islands. The threat comes as both sides increase their military presence in contested waters of the Aegean Sea. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul. A Ukrainian court sentenced two Russian soldiers to 11-year prison terms on Tuesday after they had pleaded guilty last week to indiscriminately shelling civilian targets in the Kharkiv region, from across the border in Russia. Alexander Bobikin and Alexander Ivanov heard the verdict as they stood in a reinforced glass box at the Kotelva district court in northeastern Ukraine. "The guilt of Bobikin and Ivanov has been proven in full," Judge Evhen Bolybok said, standing in front of a Ukrainian flag. Prosecutors had asked for 12-year terms for the Russian soldiers in the second war crimes case Ukrainian officials have brought. Defense lawyers said the sentences should be eight years because the pair had pleaded guilty, expressed remorse and contended that they were following orders when they fired Grad missiles at targets from Russia's Belgorod area. After they were sentenced, the two were asked whether they felt their sentences were fair and both said yes. Guards armed with Kalashnikov rifles then handcuffed the two and led them out of the courtroom. After the initial shelling from inside Russia, Bobikin and Ivanov, described as an artillery driver and a gunner, were captured after crossing the border and continuing the shelling. Last week, a Russian soldier was handed a life sentence for killing an unarmed civilian. Ukraine has accused Russia of committing thousands of war crimes during the war over the past three months, although Moscow denies it is targeting civilians. Some material in this report came from Reuters and Agence France-Presse. It should have been the first day of a joyous week for Robb Elementary School students the start of summer break. Instead on Monday, the first two of 19 children slain inside a classroom were being remembered at funeral visitations. The gathering for 10-year-old Amerie Jo Garza was at Hillcrest Memorial Funeral Home in Uvalde, Texas, directly across from the grade school where the children, along with two teachers, were shot to death on Tuesday before the gunman himself was killed. Visitation for another 10-year-old, Maite Rodriguez, was at the town's other funeral home. Over the next 2 1/2 traumatic weeks, people in the southwestern Texas town will say goodbye to the children and their teachers, one heart-wrenching visitation, funeral and burial after another. As family and friends unleash their grief, investigators will push for answers about how police responded to the shooting, and lawmakers have said they'll consider what can be done to stem the gun violence permeating the nation. This week alone, funerals are planned for 11 children and teacher Irma Garcia. On Monday, some mourners at Amerie's visitation wore lilac or lavender shades of purple Amerie's favorites at the request of her father, Angel Garza. Many carried in flowers, including purple ones. The little girl who loved to draw had just received a cellphone for her 10th birthday. One of her friends told Angel Garza that Amerie tried to use the phone to call police during the assault on her fourth-grade classroom. Among the mourners at Amerie's visitation were some of Maite's relatives. Like many people, they were attending both. Maite's family wore green tie-dye shirts with an illustration showing Maite with angel wings. Before going into the funeral home, they stopped at the ditch to see the metal gate gunman Salvador Ramos crashed a pickup truck into before crossing a field and entering the school. "How did he walk for so long?" asked Juana Magana, Maite's aunt. Hillcrest Memorial itself and the shooting will be forever linked. After Ramos wrecked the truck, two men at the funeral home heard the crash and ran toward the accident scene. Ramos shot at them. He missed and both men made it to safety. Eliahna "Ellie" Garcia's funeral will be June 6 the day after she was supposed to turn 10. Her family had been preparing a big birthday bash at her grandmother's house this coming weekend. She had been hoping to receive gifts related to the Disney movie "Encanto." "She loved that movie and talked a lot about it," said her aunt, Siria Arizmendi. Ellie was quiet even around family but loved doing videos and had been already practicing with her older sister a choreography for her quinceanera party the celebration of a girl's 15th birthday even though it was still five years away, Arizmendi said. Ellie's older sister is doing OK, Arizmendi said, understanding their family and others face a long road to recovery. "It is just sad for all the children," she said. Funeral directors, embalmers and others from across Texas arrived to help. Jimmy Lucas, president of the Texas Funeral Directors Association, brought a hearse and volunteered to work as a driver, pitch in for services, or do whatever he could, he told NBC News. Other arriving morticians were there to help with facial reconstruction services given the damage caused by the shooter's military-style rifle. Governor Greg Abbott, speaking at a Memorial Day event in Longview, urged Texans to keep Uvalde in their prayers. "What happened in Uvalde was a horrific act of evil," Abbott said. "And as Texans, we must come together and lift up Uvalde and support them in every way that we possibly can. It is going to take time to heal the devastation that the families there have gone through and are going through, but be assured, we will not relent until Uvalde recovers." The U.S. Department of Justice announced Sunday a review of the law enforcement response. Police have come under heavy criticism for taking well over an hour to kill Ramos inside the adjoining classrooms where he unleashed carnage. Officials revealed Friday that students and teachers repeatedly begged 911 operators for help as a police commander told more than a dozen officers to wait in a hallway. Officials said the commander believed the suspect was barricaded inside an adjoining classroom and that there was no longer an active attack. The revelation raised new questions about whether lives were lost because officers did not act faster to stop the gunman, who was ultimately killed by Border Patrol tactical officers. Authorities have said Ramos legally purchased two guns not long before the school attack: an AR-style rifle on May 17 and a second rifle on May 20. He had just turned 18, permitting him to buy the weapons under federal law. A day after visiting Uvalde and pledging, "We will," in response to people chanting, "Do something," President Joe Biden on Monday expressed some optimism that there may be some bipartisan support to tighten restrictions on the kind of high-powered weapons used by the gunman. "I think things have gotten so bad that everybody's getting more rational, at least that's my hope," Biden told reporters before honoring the nation's fallen in Memorial Day remarks at Arlington National Cemetery. "The Second Amendment was never absolute," Biden said. "You couldn't buy a cannon when the Second Amendment was passed. You couldn't go out and buy a lot of weapons." A bipartisan group of senators talked over the weekend to see if they could reach even a modest compromise on gun safety legislation. Encouraging state "red flag" laws to keep guns away from those with mental health issues, and addressing school security and mental health resources were on the table, said Senator Chris Murphy, who is leading the effort. The group will meet again this week under a 10-day deadline to strike a deal. The Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Mudenda, says Zimbabwes constitution should be amended to allow people in the diaspora to vote in national elections, according to the privately-owned NewsDay newspaper. The newspaper quoted Mudenda as saying amendments to the Electoral Act should clearly specify the procedures and mechanism for registration and voting for citizens in the diaspora. ZEC should be empowered through the Electoral Act to censure, or even disqualify political parties or candidates that act with impunity during the electoral processes. There is need to amend the Constitution to encapsulate the diaspora vote. Mudenda made these remarks in Kariba when he was addressing lawmakers and other stakeholders at a workshop discussing the Electoral Amendment Bill. Zimbabwe has already ruled out the diaspora vote with some senior Zanu PF officials and state officials saying it will be difficult to conduct elections outside the country, especially in nations that imposed targeted sanctions imposed on ruling party activists. Fierce fighting has erupted on the streets of the eastern Ukraine city of Sievierodonetsk, with Kyivs forces trying desperately to fight off the Russian onslaught. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy characterized the situation as indescribably difficult. In a televised speech, he described capturing Sievierodonetsk as "a fundamental task for the occupiers" and said Ukraine was doing all it could to protect the city from a Russian takeover. Russian troops have entered the city, power and communications have been knocked out and "the city has been completely ruined," Sievierodonetsk Mayor Oleksandr Striuk told The Associated Press in a phone interview. "The number of victims is rising every hour, but we are unable to count the dead and the wounded amid the street fighting," the mayor said. Striuk said 12,000 to 13,000 civilians remain in the city that once had 100,000 residents. They are sheltering in basements and bunkers to escape the Russian assault. Striuk estimated 1,500 civilians in the city have died since the war began, from Russian attacks as well as from a lack of medicine or treatment. Sievierodonetsk, the last major Ukrainian-held population center in the eastern Luhansk province, has become the focus of Russian attacks as Moscow attempts to control the Donbas region after failing to topple Zelenskyy or capture the capital, Kyiv, during more than three months of fighting. Sievierodonetsk is about 140 kilometers from the Russian border. Luhansk Governor Serhiy Haidai said Russian troops "use the same tactics over and over again. They shell for several hours for three, four, five hours in a row and then attack. Those who attack die. Then shelling and attack follow again, and so on until they break through somewhere." Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Frances TF1 television Sunday that Moscow's "unconditional priority is the liberation of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions," saying that Russia sees them as "independent states." Zelenskyy was set Monday to address the European Council as he pushes for more help for Ukraine and pressure on Russia to end its invasion. The United States is continuing its arms shipments to Ukraine, but President Joe Biden said Monday that the U.S. will not send rocket systems that can reach Russia. European Council President Charles Michel said in a letter ahead of a two-day session that Ukraine is showing incredible courage and dignity in the face of the Russian aggression and atrocities. One of our most pressing concerns is assisting the Ukrainian state, along with our international partners, with its liquidity needs, Michel said. We will also discuss how best to organize our support for Ukraine's reconstruction, as a major global effort will be required to rebuild the country. Michel said the meetings would include addressing high energy prices linked to the conflict and a need to accelerate our energy transition in order to phase out European dependence on Russian fossil fuels, as well as discussing ways to deal with issues of food security and price increases. Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. U.S. President Joe Biden observed Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery Monday, calling it a "sacred ritual" to reflect on and remember the sacrifices of those men and women who had died while serving in the country's military. "Today we renew our scared vow. It's a simple vow. To remember," he told a gathering of family members of fallen military personnel. In the United States, the last Monday in May is observed as Memorial Day, a day to honor service members who died while in the military. Many Americans mark the federal holiday by visiting war memorials or cemeteries and placing flowers on graves. Biden said the day was also the seventh anniversary of the death of his son Beau Biden, a military veteran. Biden said that though Beau Biden had died from cancer, not in the line of duty, "always on Memorial Day, I see him." U.S. soldiers have fought for democracy a cause that has always "required champions," Biden said, noting that it is an ongoing struggle and currently under attack in Ukraine. "Today, in the perennial struggle for democracy and freedom, Ukraine and its people are on the front lines fighting to save their nation. But their fight is part of a larger fight that unites all people the battle between democracy and autocracy, between liberty and repression," he said. While at the cemetery, President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris also laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider to honor service members who died in war but whose remains have not been identified. In Washington, the Memorial Day Parade returned Monday to Constitution Avenue, after a two-year absence due to the pandemic. Motorcyclists have been a regular feature of the Memorial Day observance in the capital. This year, the motorcyclists' event, Rolling to Remember, expanded its mission, saying that its "demonstration ride" Saturday in and around Washington was staged "to raise awareness of the critical issues facing our nation's veterans and demand action for the 82,000 service members missing, as well as raise awareness of the 22 veterans who die by suicide each day." Many American families also gather and hold picnics on Memorial Day, as it is widely recognized as the beginning of the summer season in the United States. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Tuesday that an EU embargo on most Russian oil imports will mean Russia gets less resources, less financial resources to feed the war machine. Borrell said that while the EU cannot stop Russia from selling to other customers, European countries were its most important client, and it will have to accept lower prices. EU leaders agreed late Monday to ban two-thirds of Russian oil imports as part of a compromise deal to increase pressure on Russia while accounting for the economic effects on some EU nations that are more reliant on Russian oil supplies. The embargo cuts off Russian oil delivered by sea, while exempting oil imported through pipelines. Landlocked Hungary had threatened to oppose restrictions on oil imports, a move that would have scuttled the effort that requires consensus of all EU members. European Council President Charles Michel said he expects EU ambassadors to formally endorse the embargo, which is part of a larger sanctions package, on Wednesday. Ukrainian leaders have long called for banning Russian oil imports in order to deny Russia income it can use to fuel its war effort. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated his appeal as he spoke to the EU earlier Monday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is seen on a screen, left, as addresses from Kyiv during an extraordinary meeting of EU leaders to discuss Ukraine, energy and food security at the Europa building in Brussels, Belgium, May 30, 2022. Combined with pledges from countries such as Germany to phase out their Russian oil imports, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the agreement will effectively cut around 90% of oil imports from Russia to the EU by the end of the year. Other parts of the sanction package include assets freezes and travel bans on individuals, and excluding Russias biggest banks, Sberbank, from the SWIFT global financial transfer system. The EU is also barring three Russian state-owned broadcasters from distributing content in EU countries. EU leaders also agreed to provide Ukraine with $9.7 billion in assistance for the countrys economy and reconstruction efforts. Luhansk fighting Fierce fighting erupted on the streets of the eastern Ukraine city of Sievierodonetsk, with Kyivs forces trying desperately to fight off the Russian onslaught. Sievierodonetsk Mayor Oleksandr Stryuk said Tuesday that Russian forces controlled half the city. Stryuk told the Associated Press that an estimated 13,000 civilians remained in the city that once had 100,000 residents. He estimated Monday that since the war began 1,500 civilians in the city have died in Russian attacks and from a lack of medicine or treatment. Yana Skakova and her son Yehor, who fled from Lysychansk, sit in an evacuation train at the train station in Pokrovsk, eastern Ukraine, eastern Ukraine, May 28, 2022. Sievierodonetsk, the last major Ukrainian-held population center in the eastern Luhansk province, has become the focus of Russian attacks as Moscow attempts to control the Donbas region after failing to topple Zelenskyy or capture the capital, Kyiv, during more than three months of fighting. Sievierodonetsk is about 140 kilometers from the Russian border. In Washington, U.S. President Joe Biden said he would not send rocket systems to Ukraine that could reach Russia. Ukraine has received extensive U.S. military aid but has requested more powerful rocket systems. Toll on journalists Zelenskyy said in his nightly address Monday that 32 media workers had been killed in Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion. That includes French journalist Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff, who died Monday near Sievierodonetsk. French broadcaster BFM TV said the 32-year-old journalist was hit by shrapnel while reporting on Ukrainian evacuations from the area. French President Emmanuel Macron sent his condolences to the family and colleagues of Leclerc-Imhoff, writing in a tweet that the journalist died showing "the reality of the war." French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, who was in Ukraine on Monday, called for an investigation into the journalists death, saying in a statement that "France demands that a probe be carried out as soon as possible." Soldier convicted A Ukrainian court on Tuesday sentenced two Russian soldiers to 11 1/2 years in prison for shelling civilian buildings in the Kharkiv region. The soldiers, who had been captured, pleaded guilty in a trial last week. It is the second war crimes verdict in a Ukrainian court since the war began in late February. A court sentenced a Russian soldier earlier this month to life in prison for shooting a civilian dead. Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. Many Afghan women who lost jobs after the Taliban seized power in the country are now trying to support their families by running home businesses. That's what Shataba Jalal is doing, and her business requires a very special skill. Safiullah Ahmadzai has the story, narrated by Anne Ball. Some African countries with elephant populations say they want to lift an international ban on ivory trading and culling elephant herds. Representatives meeting at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in Zimbabwe in late May said elephant overpopulation is harming communities. Columbus Mavhunga has more from outside Hwange, Zimbabwe's largest national park. Show more Show less On LiveTalk, The Connection, tonight we are talking about political violence and efforts by some civil society organizations to foster peace and tolerance among the youth from different political parties ahead of the 2023 general elections. We talk to Godfrey Kurauone of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), and Ruth Chomola of the organization 4 H Zimbabwe. Mabutho Moyo of Zanu PF had promised to join the discussion but backed out at the last minute saying he had another engagement. (Luverne, MN) "If you dont live in rural America, you may well have some preconceptions about what its like out here in the heartland. Its true, the news hasnt been good: the worst farm economy in a generation, never-ending wet weather that has kept farmers out of the field when they can least afford it, and tariffs that are ripping apart the trading relationships that Minnesota ag producers have spent decades building." These are the words U.S. Senator Tina Smith used to describe the current landscape of rural Minnesota. The Senator posted a number of stories connected to her visit of southwestern Minnesota in late May on Facebook. Here is her recent trip, in her words. "This isnt fake news. Ive talked to farmers with tears in their eyes as they contemplate family farms that may not survive for another generation. But if you see rural America only through the lens of struggle and lost opportunity, you are missing another, inspiring story. Over the last two days, heres what Ive seen in the countryside and small towns of southwestern Minnesota that has given me a lot of hope. Marshall, Minnesota is a town of about 14,000 that started where the railroad stopped. Its blessed with rich farmland, and agriculture is still important to this regional center, but is also becoming a diverse community thats home to Schwans Foods and the big Marshall Wind Project. This weekend, Marshall High School is graduating its latest class of seniors, but school administrators, educators and community mental health providers took time to tell me about their groundbreaking efforts to provide mental health care for students in Marshall Public Schools. They know that whole health is the way to approach student mental health. They are proving that providing preventative tools for dealing with stress and anxiety for even little kids helps everyone learn better in school, and do better in life. My bill to expand mental health services in schools is modeled on examples like Marshall. A lot of big city schools could learn from whats happening in this lively, energetic, and diverse community on the prairie. Luverne, Minnesota is a town that maybe you didnt notice when you breezed through on I-90. But there are some amazing things happening right off the interstate. I got to the Luverne Veterans Home just in time to help commemorate Memorial Day, and felt grateful that we have places like this, though not enough, where those who have served our country can live in comfort and dignity, as close as possible to their families, and grow tomatoes and green beans though the cold, damp weather has set back the growing season for vegetables as well as row crops. Luverne is a creative, entrepreneurial town of a little under 5,000 souls, where people love where they live, and feel a strong commitment to their neighbors. This is probably why Luverne just passed a big referendum to support the public schools. And this is the spirit that motivated city and local businesses to get together and combine resources to spiff up the wonderful old storefronts on Main Street. Heres how it works: The local business puts in one third of the cost of restoring their storefront. The city provides the rest in loans, grants, and architectural assistance. Through this public-private partnership, downtown is being transformed, one storefront at a time, into exactly the kind of place where any of us would want to shop and eat, live and work. All this is anchored by Take 16, a local brewery named after US Highway 16, which once connected Detroit, Michigan to Yellowstone National Park. The first thing you need to know is that the beer is amazing. The young brewer, who barely looks 20, is making beer like Country Mile Kolsch, which you can enjoy sitting on Main Street. And dont be surprised if one of the owners (there are over a hundred of them) comes up to ask if you need anything, and invite you to come back for the live music this weekend. At Midwest Drycast, just outside Luverne, a young entrepreneur is making cement molded slats for the livestock industry, and his business is growing fast. Down the road, one of the largest organic pork producers in the country is building a new processing facility that will employ hundreds of people starting next year. These communities are grappling with big challenges need for rural broadband, and a shortage of workers and quality, affordable child care are at the top of their lists. The folks I talked to would want me to add that we need to fix our broken immigration system, because new Americans are strengthening their communities, and we need them to fill the jobsand they need to be good paying jobsthese entrepreneurial companies are creating. This is a story of two days in Luverne and Marshall, Minnesota just a snapshot of two resilient, inventive, hard-working communities. I didnt meet a single person who wanted to argue about politics. I talked to more than a few who are sick and tired of the hate and division inflaming Washington D.C. And I cant help but think that if more of us in Washington kept places like Luverne and Marshall in mind, following their lead and lifting up their voices, we might be a lot more useful." KXRA/VoiceofAlexandria talked with the Senator following her trip to get her take on what it means moving forward. (AUDIO BELOW). Throughout this series of articles, which began a month and a half before the war in Ukraine, I have been developing the idea that the Straussians, the small group of Leo Strauss followers in the US administration, were planning a confrontation against Russia and China. However, in the tenth episode of this series, I related how the Azov regiment became the paramilitary pillar of the Ukrainian Banderists by referring to the visit of Senator John McCain to it in 2016 [1]. However, the latter is not a Straussian, but was advised by Robert Kagan during his presidential election campaign in 2008, a central thinker among the Straussians [2], even though he has always cautiously denied his membership in this sect. The planning of the war against Russia A video, filmed during John McCains visit to Ukraine in 2016, has resurfaced. It shows the senator accompanied by his colleague and friend, Senator Lindsey Graham, and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. The two Americans are traveling on a Senate mission. But McCain is also the president of the IRI (International Republican Institute), the Republican branch of the NED (National Endowment for Democracy). It is known that the IRI has conducted about 100 seminars for the leaders of Ukrainian political parties classified as right-wing, including for the Banderists. The senators are addressing officers of the Azov regiment, the main Banderist paramilitary formation. This should come as no surprise. John McCain has always maintained that the United States should rely on the enemies of its enemies, whoever they may be. Thus, he has publicly claimed responsibility for his contacts with Daesh against the Syrian Arab Republic [3] In this video, Senators Lindsey Graham and John McCain assure that the United States will give all the weapons necessary for them to succeed in defeating Russia. This video, I repeat, was recorded six years before the Russian army entered Ukraine. The two senators are investing their interlocutors with a mission. They do not see them as mercenaries who are paid, but as proxies who will fight for the unipolar world to the death. Shortly afterwards, President Poroshenko, who had attended the meeting in battle dress, changed the badge of his secret service, the SBU. It is now an owl holding a sword directed against Russia with the motto "The wise will rule over the stars". It is clear that the Ukrainian state apparatus was preparing for war against Russia on behalf of the United States. Three years later, on September 5, 2019, the Rand Corporation organized a meeting in the US House of Representatives to explain its plan: to weaken Russia by forcing it to deploy in Kazakhstan, then in Ukraine and as far as Transnistria [4]. I have explained at length in two previous articles [5] that at the end of the Second World War the United States and the United Kingdom took over many Nazi leaders and Ukrainian Banderists to turn them against the USSR. They mothered these fanatics as soon as the USSR disappeared and used them against Russia. It remained to explore how they armed them. The Ukrainian military biological program Starting in 2014, the Ukrainian state began several secret military programs. The first and most well known is its collaboration with the Pentagon in 30 different laboratories. According to the United States, this program was aimed at destroying the biological weapons that the Soviet Union had manufactured and stored in Ukraine. This is obviously unlikely because it is not clear, 31 years after independence and 8 years after the start of this program, why there would still be any left. On the contrary, according to Russia, the Pentagon had Ukraine subcontract research on weapons prohibited by the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention. On the basis of documents seized during its special operation, it asserts in particular that experiments were carried out without their knowledge on mentally ill people at the psychiatric hospital No. 1 (Streletchye, Kharkov region) and that a tuberculosis agent was manipulated to infect the population of the Slavianoserbsk district (Lugansk Peoples Republic). Or that these laboratories were conducting "extremely dangerous experiments aimed at strengthening the pathogenic properties of plague, anthrax, tularemia, cholera and other deadly diseases by using synthetic biology. Another project involves bats as vectors for the transmission of potential biological warfare agents, such as plague, leptospirosis, brucellosis, filoviruses or coronaviruses. These serious accusations are still not clearly refuted or established. The meeting that Russia convened on this subject at the United Nations Security Council on March 11, 2022 [6] did not produce anything. After denying it, Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland (and wife of Robert Kagan) said at a US Senate hearing on March 8, 2022: "Ukraine has ... biological research facilities. We are concerned that Russian troops are trying to take control of them. So we are trying, with the Ukrainians, to make sure that these research materials do not fall into the hands of Russian forces if they get close." Despite these inconsistencies, the West has rallied behind Washington, accusing Moscow of lying. In their eyes, it is perfectly normal for states to have collections of these diseases in order to study them, their presence should not be interpreted as intended for the manufacture of weapons. Ukrainian laboratories are regularly monitored by the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) [7]. Nevertheless, this interpretation does not allow us to understand Ms. Nulands words and does not account for disasters such as, for example, the swine flu epidemic that killed 20 Ukrainian soldiers in January 2016 and forced 200 others to be hospitalized. The Russian ambassador, Vasily Nebenzia, in particular denounced research on the transmission of dangerous diseases by ectoparasites such as lice and fleas. He recalled that similar experiments had "been conducted in the 1940s by the infamous Unit 731 of the Japanese army, whose members fled to the United States to escape justice. Unit 731 is the Japanese equivalent of Dr. Josef Mengeles department at Auschwitz. As if that were not enough, Mr. Nebenzia asked about the transfer of several thousand blood serum samples of patients of Slavic origin from the Ukraine to the Walter Reed Research Institute of the US Army. Research, according to him, selectively targeting specific ethnic groups like the ones Dr. Wouter Basson conducted for apartheid South Africa and Israel during its colonial period against blacks and Arabs ("Coast Project"). The UN administration denied any knowledge of the program and referred to the confidence-building measures in the treaty. The World Health Organization (WHO) said it was aware of the program but did not know the details. It confirmed in writing to Reuters that it had "strongly recommended to the Ukrainian Ministry of Health and other responsible agencies to destroy high-risk pathogens to prevent any potential leakage" [8]. The Chinese press, meanwhile, reports on experiments to turn insects into cyborgs in order to fertilize or sterilize crops (Operation Insects Allies). These military experiments, whatever they were, were indirectly commissioned by the National Medical Intelligence Center through the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and the US company Rosemont Seneca Technology Partners (RSTP). The latter was founded by Hunter Biden and Christopher Heinz, respectively son of President Joe Biden and son-in-law of John Kerry [9]. All the results of this research have been sent to the military biological laboratories at Fort Detrick, which once played a leading role in the US biological weapons program. As the Chinese representative to the Security Council pointed out, "Any information or leads on military biological activities should be given great attention by the international community... The United States says it is for transparency. If the United States believes that the information is false, it should provide the relevant data and clarification so that the international community can make a decision on the matter. According to the United Nations, while the United States has provided regular reports on its biological activities under the Biological Weapons Convention, Ukraine has never submitted any [10]. Russia has taken several steps. First, it carefully destroyed the containers of 26 of these Ukrainian laboratories (4 others escaped the Russian army). Second, it invited its CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization) allies to monitor any agreements they might have made with the United States. Armenia and Kazakhstan stopped this research. Finally, CSTO members have banned all foreign defense personnel from their laboratories. Ukraines military nuclear program Lets come to the most problematic part of the story, because it is even more serious. Upon independence, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine inherited much of the Soviet nuclear weapons system. These three new states signed the Budapest Memorandum in 1994 with the United States, Russia and the United Kingdom. The Big Three pledged to secure their borders, while the small three pledged to transfer all their nuclear weapons to Russia and to abide by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. This memorandum is often referred to by those who want to emphasize the duplicity of Russia, which, after signing it, violated it. This is not true, since the memorandum provides that each of the Big Three will be relieved of its promise of non-intervention in case of "self-defence or in any other manner consistent with the provisions of the United Nations Charter". Yet, Russia officially recognized the Donbass republics after the Ukrainian state refused to honour its signature of the Minsk Agreements and its army shelled the Donbass for 8 years. Between 2014 and 2022, Ukraine asked four times for a renegotiation of the Budapest Memorandum. Finally, President Volodymyr Zelensky said at the annual meeting of the Munich Security Conference on February 19, 2022: "I, as president, will do it for the first time. But Ukraine and I are doing it for the last time. I am launching consultations within the framework of the Budapest Memorandum. The Minister of Foreign Affairs has been asked to convene them. If they do not happen again or if their results do not guarantee the security of our country, Ukraine will have the right to think that the Budapest Memorandum is not working and that all the comprehensive decisions of 1994 are being questioned" [11]. Questioning "all the global decisions of 1994" cannot mean anything other than taking back nuclear weapons. Therefore, President Zelenskys position can be summarized as follows: let us suppress the Donbass separatists or we will restore our military nuclear program. It should be noted that the main leaders of the Atlantic Alliance were present or represented in the room. Yet none of them protested the announcement of a violation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Commenting on the speech, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, "The only thing [Ukraine] lacks is a uranium enrichment system. But this is a technical issue, and for Ukraine it is not an insoluble problem. Russian intelligence services were informed that Ukraine had a nuclear military program. We dont know how much they knew about that program. Rafael Grossi of Argentina, who heads the International Atomic Energy Agency, incidentally said at the Davos Forum on May 25 that Ukraine had stored 30 tons of plutonium and 40 tons of enriched uranium at its Zaporizhia plant and that his agency was wondering what had happened to them. Moreover, the Zaporizhia plant was one of the targets of the Russian army, which took it over on the second day of its special operation, February 26. A fire was set in an adjacent laboratory during a Russian-Ukrainian clash on March 4. At the time, the irresponsibility of the Russian army was denounced. Obviously, it was something else, as Moscow stated. Russia had started to transfer the fuel and Ukrainian special forces tried to stop them. Plutonium is sold for $5,000 to $11,000 per gram. 30 tons purchased at cost is worth $150 billion. The price of uranium depends on its degree of enrichment. At less than 5%, it can only be used for civilian purposes and must reach at least 80% for military use. Without knowing the degree of enrichment, the price cannot be evaluated. The seizure by Russia of this undeclared stockpile probably repays all the sanctions imposed on them. The information we have raises several questions: since when has Ukraine, which had given up all its Soviet-era stocks to Russia, been holding these materials? Where did they come from and who paid for them? Alternatively, what is the enrichment level of the uranium and who enriched it? To these questions, the Russian press adds another: how reliable is the International Atomic Energy Agency, which kept this information secret until last week? In view of these elements, it is appropriate to revise the common accusation according to which Russia is responsible for this war. The Chairman of the World Economic Forum, Klaus Schwab, organized this years Davos meeting to whip up support for Ukraine against Russia. He not only allowed Ukrainian oligarch Victor Pinchuk to set up a Russian War Crimes House, but he arranged for key speeches to be delivered at the plenary sessions, including one from President Volodymyr Zelensky. This unconditional support for the Banderites can be explained if one looks into Klaus Schwabs origin. Contrary to his family legend, he is the son of a Wehrmacht general (photo). He was decorated not only for his military feats during the two World Wars, but for his actions in the Ottoman Empire/Turkey during the genocide of Christians, mainly Armenians. In the 70s and 80s, Klaus Schwab was one of the directors at Escher Wyss & Cie (taken over by Sulzer AG) which played an important role in the atomic research program during apartheid in South Africa; contribution that was carried out in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 418. With the help of then European Commissioner for Economic Affairs, Frenchman Raymond Barre (member of the Trilateral Commission), he created a circle of business leaders that became the World Economic Forum. This name change was made with the help of the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), the employers branch of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED/CIA). This is why he was registered in 2016 with the Bilderberg Group (an influential body of NATO) as an international civil servant, a status which he has never officially occupied. A transhumanist and promoter of equitable globalization, he is the author of The Great Reset, a prospective reflection on what civilization could become. On the advice of the British Public Relations services, the Azov regiment has just changed its badge. It discarded the wolfhook (Wolfsangel) of the SS Das Reich Division in favor of three swords placed in a trident. The trident was the emblem of the Ukrainian National Republic which seceded from the Russian Empire after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. It was never recognized by Moscow and came to an end in 1920. This emblem was taken over by Ukraine in 1996. Photo: Gao Jing/Xinhua via Getty Images Thats one way to wipe a smile off someones face. Per the Associated Press, a man threw cake at the glass surrounding the Mona Lisa on Sunday, May 29. The 36-year-old culprit entered the Louvre while apparently disguised as an elderly woman in a wheelchair. Think of the Earth! he reportedly said after launching his patisserie projectile at the iconic Renaissance painting. There are people who are destroying the Earth! Think about it. Artists tell you: Think of the Earth. Thats why I did this. The apparent climate activist, who was not identified by name, also threw roses in the gallery before he was escorted out by security. According to the Paris prosecutors office, he was detained and has since been sent to a police psychiatric unit. An investigation into the damage of cultural artifacts has been opened, although the Mona Lisa itself wasnt damaged. After all, the 16th-century painting is enclosed in bulletproof glass. Still, were sure it was distressing for any museumgoers to have their view temporarily obstructed by splatters of cream. Looks like the Da Vinki twins got lucky with the day they scheduled their visit. Residents fear the closure of Feltrinelli bookstore is just the tip of the iceberg Shutters are being permanently lowered in Via Nazionale, Via del Corso, Via Frattina, and even along streets in Prati. The historic center, following restrictions implemented during the pandemic, is experiencing a devastating crisis in its most vital sector, now affecting well-known brands in addition to independent stores. The latest case, that of the Feltrinelli bookstore in the Alberto Sordi Gallery- which will be closed to the public for at least 10 months due to renovations, pending an assessment of developments- is just the tip of the iceberg of a phenomenon that continues to mow down the commercial fabric of the heart of the Eternal City. Even now that tourists are returning to Rome and smart working is gradually being reduced, the recovery in this area has not shifted into high gear. The causes? Excessively high rents, hit-and-run tourism, and depopulation. The problem "has many implications that involve urban policies, heritage, and implementing policies that also help bring residents and young people to the center," argues Mayor Roberto Gualtieri. Historic stores are being wiped out One only has to take a walk down main streets such as Via Nazionale, Corso Vittorio, or within the Piazza Colonna gallery itself to get a sense of the difficulties in the sector. Even the shopping streets around the Spanish Steps feature several permanently closed doors, not to mention stores of quality crafts. Residents have been the first to sound the alarm. "So many neighborhood stores are closing on a continuous basis," stressed Viviana Di Capua, president of the Association of Historical Center Inhabitants to Il Messaggero. "Often replaced by the usual slew of eating and drinking establishments and clubs, to the detriment of the quality of the commercial offer and the livability of the neighborhoods. Those that remain, "we try to hold on to them and help them," Di Capua added, "by giving them customers and therefore a chance. The crisis is not slowing down "Despite the obvious difficulties, the cost of leases does not seem to be decreasing," observes Romolo Guasco, director of Confcommercio Roma. "Certainly in a climate of recovery some international brands will arrive, but there is a risk of losing the originality and quality of Rome's commercial offerings. Therefore, Guasco argues, "we need to help historic stores by applying and financing the regional law that concerns them." The commercial landscape inside the Aurelian Walls, in short, is still struggling. "The situation is bleak, with many stores closed permanently from Via Nazionale to Via Frattina," explains Valter Giammaria, president of Confesercenti Roma. "A sign that there are still difficulties even after the pandemic. The situation has improved, but we are still not out of the tunnel." Residents, however, also point the finger at outdoor tables. "Occupation of public land cannot stand on the platforms for the disabled, they cannot derogate from the Highway Code," says the leader of the Association of Historical Center Inhabitants. "One must have the logic that the Center and its streets and squares must be usable for everyone. Photo credit: wjarek / Shutterstock.com Italy's Frecce Tricolori have been performing spectacular aerobatics for six decades. The Frecce Tricolori, literally "Tricolour Arrows", are the aerobatic demonstration team of the Italian Air Force and are among Italy's best known national symbols. The military jets, famous for emitting plumes of the three colours from the Italian flag, take to the skies to mark important events and public holidays in Italy, including Festa della Repubblica on 2 June. Italy's air force established the 313th Gruppo Addestramento Acrobatico, better known as the Frecce Tricolori, at the Rivolto air base on 1 March 1961. Photo credit: Karolis Kavolelis / Shutterstock.com. The inaugural Frecce Tricolori flight comprised six North American F-86 Sabers, flying from Grosseto to Rivolto, near Udine. Since 1982 the planes used are the two-seater fighter-trainer Aermacchi MB-339-A/PAN. The Frecce Tricolori comprise 10 aircraft, nine flying in close formation plus a soloist, with an additional three military jets kept in reserve as spare aircraft. The jets are piloted by officers from the flight operational departments of the air force who, following a rigorous selection process, join the Pattuglia Acrobatica Nazionale (PAN) or national aerobatic team. The show season for the Frecce Tricolori runs from May to October, with approximately 35 air displays annually. For full details see the Frecce Tricolori website. Cover photo: PriceM / Shutterstock.com. Strawberry festival in Nemi near Rome celebrates 89 years. The 2022 edition of the annual strawberry festival takes place in the town of Nemi in the Castelli Romani, just south of Rome, on Sunday 5 June. The day-long tradition begins at 10.00, leading up to the main event - the distribution of free strawberries - at 19.00. The popular Sagra delle fragole, which has been celebrated, is enlivened with numerous parallel, including live music, flower shows, exhibitions and kids events. For details check theComune di Nemi website. Placeholder while article actions load Investors in Bitcoin and other digital assets have been pummeled recently by the longest losing streak since 2011. If thats you, you might be glad to hear that there are ways to ease some of the sting of those losses: Act promptly and you can cut your tax bill for next April and beyond. The Internal Revenue Service allows taxpayers to use losses in stocks and other investments, including crypto, to offset gains. If your losses exceed your total gains for the year, you can deduct up to $3,000 against your taxable income. Losses beyond $3,000 can be carried forward every year until death to offset gains in future years. Heres the rub: You have to actually sell the investment to take the capital loss; it cant just have dropped in value on paper. But crypto investors get a special deal. Stock owners have to follow whats called the wash-sale rule; if they sell a stock for a loss, they have to wait 30 days before buying the same security again, or else it wont be eligible for a deduction. Advertisement So far, the IRS hasnt said that the wash-sale rule applies to digital assets. (There was a provision included in the Build Back Better Act that would have made crypto investments subject to the rule, but it fizzled.) That means you can sell crypto that has fallen in value since you bought it, lock in the loss, and then turn around immediately and buy it back again. The move has its limits the IRS knows crypto investors have been doing this for years and may be looking for a chance to recoup that revenue. To do so, the agency could turn to another part of the tax code that requires transactions to have economic substance to be eligible for tax benefits, according to Matt Metras, an accountant in Rochester, New York, who represents taxpayers before the IRS. In other words, you have to expose yourself to some kind of market risk before rebuying the same coin. The big question then is how long you should wait before repurchasing to still qualify for the deduction. The most conservative approach is to wait 30 days, just like you would with stocks before rebuying. But most accountants I spoke to argued you would be able to make a pretty compelling case in a shorter period of time that you exposed yourself to market risk given how volatile the crypto market is. Advertisement How much shorter is anybodys guess. The IRS hasnt come out with any detailed crypto guidance since 2019. Whether you wait 20 minutes or 20 days really comes down to personal risk tolerance: Are the tax savings worth the potential pain and scrutiny of an audit? Separately, there has been some buzz lately about taking a full write-off for losses on coins that have been completely decimated, like Luna, which means you could deduct the total amount of losses against your taxable income without being subject to the $3,000 annual cap. Thats a no-no for most. To meet the IRS requirements to take a full investment write-off, the coin must be genuinely worthless. Even if Luna has tanked, its still worth something. And its creator has proposed a revival plan, so its possible it could become more valuable in the future. Plus, you have to completely dispose of the asset to claim the full write-off you would have to send it to a burn wallet (which removes the coin from circulation). Advertisement There is a workaround to the $3,000 cap for those who are full-time traders, provided they abide by certain rules. If you qualify for tax trader status and make a special election, you recognize gains or losses at the end of the year, without actually selling anything. Losses can be deducted in full from taxable income. But beware, if youve had gains, theyll be taxed as short-term gains regardless of how long youve held them. That means they will face your ordinary income tax rates, which are higher than long-term capital gains rates, says Sharon Yip, a certified public accountant in Reston, Virginia. If you plan on selling any crypto for a loss, make sure youre aware of how long youve been holding your coins anything under the one-year mark is considered a short-term capital loss. Short-term losses will be used to offset short-term gains first, and then long-term gains (and vice versa, with long-term losses offsetting long-term gains first before being applied to short-term ones). Need I point out that you should never let fear of paying higher rates for short-term gains make you hold onto a crypto investment for longer than youd like? Colby Cross, an accountant in Seattle, says he had one client who had an eye-popping gain on Filecoin in less than a year, but was worried about paying more in taxes if she sold it. If you think your coin is trading at an all-time high, dont try to save a bit on taxes, especially given how quickly crypto markets can turn, Cross warns. Advertisement Finally, some bad news: If youve been scammed by a crypto scheme, theres no more tax break following changes under the 2017 tax overhaul. Prior to the law, many fraud victims were able to write off what they lost. Now, they will be saddled with those losses, without a tax write-off to soften the blow. More From Other Writers at Bloomberg Opinion: Matt Levines Money Stuff: Terra Is Back From Bankruptcy This Crypto Winter Will Be Long, Cold and Harsh: Jared Dillian Lessons From the Worlds Best Stablecoin: Andy Mukherjee This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Alexis Leondis is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering personal finance. Previously, she oversaw tax coverage for Bloomberg News. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load One way to think yourself into the warped mind of a despot like Russian President Vladimir Putin is to first probe into the dark recesses of your own psyche, then figure out whats different in his. The list is long, but one cognitive snafu thats both common and relevant is called deformation professionelle. We use the French term not only because that language often captures things better, but also because the phrase has an embedded pun that doesnt translate into the English professional deformation. Formation professionelle means vocational training. Deformation professionelle therefore refers to the tunnel vision, biases and distortions we imbibe as we become expert at whatever we do. Many prosecutors, for example, will walk down a random street and, looking left and right, see people who are guilty of something, just not yet caught. Defense attorneys strolling on the same sidewalk will look around and behold human beings who are unjustly accused of something or other, and probably harassed by an overbearing inquisition. Advertisement Usually, deformation professionelle is all around us, but no more than a nuisance. It applies to the professor who comes home at night and annoyingly stays in lecture mode with the spouse and kids. Or the tech guy at your company who left to his own devices and in the name of cybersecurity would make logging on to your computer so difficult that youll never do a jot of work again. In the context of geopolitics generally, and the Russian attack on Ukraine specifically, the stakes are, of course, immeasurably higher. Putin suffered his deformation professionelle in the KGB, the spy agency of the former Soviet Union. He worked there from 1975, when he was in his twenties, until just before the USSR collapsed. To this day, he likes to emphasize that theres no such thing as a former KGB agent people may have left the agency, but it never left them. Long before becoming leader of a nuclear power, therefore, he built an identity and personality as a spook. Ponder this. He didnt rise to power after running for office, shaking hands and kissing babies; nor after managing a business, curing patients, researching mRNA or selling widgets. Putin got into pole position to be the Kremlins alpha male by spying on human beings, as well as tracking, manipulating and often discarding them. Advertisement What did that do to Putins mind as we encounter it today? Ruediger von Fritsch, a former German ambassador to Russia, describes the psychological consequences as he observed them. Putin sorts everything in life private or public, Russian or global into categories of actual or potential hostilities, conspiracies or threats. Ivan Krastev, a Bulgarian political scientist, concurs, saying, He is constantly speaking of betrayal and deceit. As Putin sees history and current events, Krastev says, Things never happen spontaneously. If people demonstrate, he doesnt ask: Why are they out on the streets? He asks: Who sent them? Viewed thus, many of Putins hallucinations become fathomable. The Soviet Union didnt fall; it was pushed (by a hostile West). The color revolutions in former Soviet Republics werent primal yells for freedom by people who felt oppressed; those protesters were hired or manipulated by the CIA and other Western secret services. Ukrainians dont want to join the European Union for its promise of prosperity, progress and liberty; theyre doing it because theyre run by Nazis whose real objective is to encircle and betray Russia and Putin. Advertisement Another aspect of this particular deformation professionelle concerns truth or rather, the complete absence and irrelevance of the very notion. For years, people like Peter Pomerantsev, a Soviet-born British author, have pointed out that Putin flaunts his power by defining reality as arbitrarily as he pleases. The once-and-always KGB agent knows that if nothing is true, then anything is possible, Pomerantsev reckons. We are left with the sense that we dont know what Putin will do next that hes unpredictable and thus dangerous. Were rendered stunned, spun, and flummoxed by the Kremlins weaponization of absurdity and unreality. While he was German ambassador to the Kremlin, von Fritsch experienced first-hand the cognitive whiplash this produces in others. In some conversations in Moscow after the annexation of Crimea in 2014, I had the feeling that we invaded the peninsula rather than Russia. If there is no truth, it no longer matters whether you distort reality or invert it, as long as you can. In Putins system, lying isnt a bug, its a feature. Advertisement So what makes Putin different from the rest of us? A lot. First, while we may all suffer from some deformation professionelle (journalists are hardly immune), most of us arent spies. Second, biased as our worldviews may be, most of us still have to occasionally encounter and interact with other people, who have different perspectives. Putin, by contrast, appears to be completely isolated in his alternate reality. And third, even when we go off the deep end, most of us dont have enough power to hurt millions of innocent bystanders (although the grieving people of Uvalde, Texas, know that a person acting alone can still destroy the lives of many). Putin does have that ultimate power, which comes with the codes to launch nukes. His formative years in the KGB caused a deformation professionelle in Vladimir Putin that has left him cynical, paranoid, vengeful, unscrupulous and ruthless. And above all, mendacious. Ukraine, the West and the world must keep that in mind in calibrating a strategy against him. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Andreas Kluth is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering European politics. A former editor in chief of Handelsblatt Global and a writer for the Economist, he is author of Hannibal and Me. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load For almost two decades, lawmakers in Washington have been pushing legislation that would rein in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Facing a near-certain presidential veto, the proposal has never crossed the finish line. Now, the legislation is getting a new look amid surging gasoline and oil prices. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight 1. What would the legislation do? The bill -- dubbed the No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act, or NOPEC -- would empower the U.S. Department of Justice to file an antitrust lawsuit against OPEC for trying to control oil production or to affect crude prices. It would do this by amending the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, the law used more than a century ago to break up the oil empire of John Rockefeller. Even if the Justice Department were never to act on its power to sue, the mere existence of this option might be enough to force the cartel to change its behavior. Advertisement 2. Does this have a chance of becoming law? A recent vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee paves the way for full Senate consideration, but its unclear when, or if, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will bring the measure to the floor. The Biden administration has expressed concern about unintended consequences of the legislation as the war in Ukraine stokes volatility in energy markets. Versions of the bill were approved by the House of Representatives and the Senate in 2007, but the idea got no further under a veto threat by President George W. Bush. Former President Donald Trump supported the NOPEC idea before becoming president, and OPEC was a frequent target of his on Twitter, but during his four-year term the legislation was never brought to the floor for a vote in either chamber. 3. Who opposes NOPEC? Advertisement Both the American Petroleum Institute and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have come out strongly against the bill, fearing retaliatory action against U.S. companies abroad if it becomes law. U.S. shale producers also benefit from OPECs discipline in bolstering prices when they fall too low without any of the risk. 4. What would be the possible repercussions for the oil market? Makan Delrahim, Trumps antitrust chief, told a Senate hearing in December 2018 that NOPEC could very well lower the price ultimately to the consumer. But in the short-term, passage could potentially boost prices, especially if fears of retaliatory action escalated. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load The slaughter at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, has stunned a country tragically accustomed to mass shootings. Coming just days after the atrocity at Buffalo, New York, this latest outrage has strengthened calls for tighter gun laws. This time, perhaps, something might actually be done. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight One approach looks especially promising. So-called red-flag laws measures that allow police or family members to ask a court to intervene when someone poses a threat to himself or others are commanding renewed bipartisan support. They arent infallible: Nothing could be in a country awash with guns. But more than half of mass shooters exhibited clear warning signs before committing their crimes, which makes such laws worthwhile. When it comes to gun control, the combination of efficacy and feasibility is rare. Policy makers should seize the moment. Opponents of red-flag laws call them unfair because they lack due process. In truth, theyre no more burdensome than traditional domestic-protection laws, found in all 50 states. No ones guns are taken away without a judges approval. If a temporary seizure is approved, another hearing is convened within weeks to allow the recipient of the order to offer a defense. In turn, the reporting parties must make their case for extending the order. The process isnt foolproof but, given the stakes, its surely a fair one. Advertisement A more pressing concern is whether such laws really work. Theyre now on the books of 19 states, but theyre relatively new, so its hard to sure just yet. Still, the research so far is encouraging. In Connecticut, which enacted one of the first red-flag laws, a study estimated that one life has been saved for every 10 to 20 protection orders issued. A California study looked at 21 orders issued against individuals whod made mass shooting threats and found no violence subsequently attributed to any of them. Its unclear to what extent the shooter in Uvalde was known to pose a threat before he began his attack. The Buffalo case also underlines the limits, because New York already had a red-flag law. The killer was known to the authorities and had been subject to a mental-health evaluation. Upon release, with no extreme-risk protection order issued, he was able to go out and buy the murder weapon. Exactly what went wrong is being investigated. These inquiries might yield lessons. Perhaps the responding officers and others were simply unaware of the law. The police need to be trained to apply such orders and the general public needs to be made aware. Legal ambiguities also need to be cleared up. The Buffalo shooter was a minor at the time of his mental-health evaluation and hence forbidden to buy a gun in any case; perhaps the authorities thought the red-flag law was therefore irrelevant. Washington state has updated its red-flag law so that it clearly applies to teens who might have access to guns in the home. Advertisement Officials will never be clairvoyant. Mistakes will be made. Yet red-flag laws have real potential. In the US, public opinion and the courts constrain what can be done, so policy makers have to make the best of imperfect solutions. Whether red-flag laws are advanced state by state, or by action in the US Congress, the benefits will outweigh the drawbacks. After the horrors of Buffalo and Uvalde, theres no excuse for failing to act. More From Bloomberg Opinion: Uvalde Families Should Take Gunmakers to Court: Timothy L. OBrien How to Start Solving Americas Gun Culture Problem: Sarah Green Carmichael and Francis Wilkinson The Gun Debate Needs to Break Old Patterns: Ramesh Ponnuru The Editors are members of the Bloomberg Opinion editorial board. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load The US House of Representatives committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the nations Capitol is nearing a more public phase of its work. A series of eight prime-time televised hearings will begin on June 9. Afterward, the committee of seven Democrats and two Republicans will report its findings sometime before the midterm elections on Nov. 8. Former President Donald Trump and his Republican allies continue to call the probe a witch hunt focused on scoring political points. 1. What has the committee done? Its conducted more than 1,000 interviews and collected more than 100,000 documents, including emails and texts. It held a public hearing in July 2021 to hear testimony from police officers at the Capitol who came under attack. Its issued at least 99 subpoenas for witness testimony and document production; in four instances where the recipient hasnt complied, the Democratic-controlled House has voted to pursue charges of contempt of Congress. Advertisement 2. What does the committee hope to learn? Chairman Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat, has said the panels work seeks to uncover the facts, tell the American people the full story of January 6th and ensure that nothing like that day ever happens again. One focus is what role Trump and his advisers played in efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election -- which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden -- or to organize the events that preceded the storming of the Capitol while Congress was certifying the results of the 2020 election. Another is what explains the 187 minutes of inaction before National Guard troops and additional police were sent to the Capitol. Other areas of inquiry include why the Capitol and federal and local law enforcement agencies werent better prepared, whether any lawmaker gave a tour of the Capitol on Jan. 5 to members of the public casing the building for the next days incursion, and whether there were crimes or violations of campaign finance law in the funding of events to promote claims the presidential election had been stolen. 3. What has the committee learned? Advertisement Much of that is private, for now. Some of the biggest early committee headlines stemmed from text messages sent or received by Trumps White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, on Jan. 6 or in the days leading up to it. The texts, provided to the committee by Meadows, include messages to him from members of Congress and others pleading for Trump to call on his supporters to stop the assault. Other texts show Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, advocating for invalidating the results of the 2020 presidential election. The committee revealed in March it had uncovered a more-than-seven-hour gap in White House telephone logs of Trump calls during the riot -- a period when lawmakers were urgently trying to get him to quell the mob. 4. Could the committees work lead to criminal charges? Lawmakers arent law enforcement, and the Justice Department is already separately prosecuting more than 800 people for their actions at the Capitol. But the committee could send the Justice Department any evidence it believes shows additional criminal wrongdoing, via a so-called criminal referral. Thompson said on May 17 that the Justice Department had requested access to some of the committees interview transcripts. In legal filings on March 2, the committee suggested it may have evidence that Trump and his associates committed crimes -- including obstruction of an official proceeding, a felony that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison -- in attempting to prevent Congress from certifying the 2020 election results. Committee investigators have information on strategies by Trump advisers to audit or impound voting machines in key 2020 election swing states, for instance. Advertisement 5. How close might this get to Trump himself? Trumps actions and inactions are central to the timeline of Jan. 6. The committees vice chair, Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming -- one of the panels two Republican members -- said on Jan. 2, 2022, that the committee has firsthand testimony now that he was sitting in the dining room next to the Oval Office watching the attack on television as the assault on the Capitol occurred. She said Trump could have, at any moment, walked those very few steps into the briefing room, gone on live television, and told his supporters who were assaulting the Capitol to stop. Not doing so, she said, was a serious dereliction of duty. 6. Who hasnt complied with the committee? Former White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications Dan Scavino, former trade adviser Peter Navarro and former Trump strategist Steve Bannon refused to comply with subpoenas seeking their testimony. So did Meadows, even as he initially complied with the committees request for text messages. Their matters were referred to the Department of Justice for potential criminal prosecution. Bannon has been indicted and is set to go on trial in July on two counts of contempt, which can potentially carry a penalty of up to a year in jail plus a fine. More recently, the committee announced it was subpoenaing five Republican House members. Those include the Republican leader, Kevin McCarthy, who spoke to Trump by phone during the Capitol riot. McCarthy resisted complying with his subpoena, challenging the committees legal standing. Trying to compel testimony from sitting members of Congress is legally complicated and underscores a key facet of the case: Lawmakers were participants in some of the events on Jan. 6 and have information germane to the probe. Advertisement 7. Why the lack of cooperation? In remarks echoed by other Republicans, McCarthy argues the committee is partisan and not conducting a legitimate investigation. Some of those refusing to cooperate cited Trumps claim of executive privilege, the limited right of a president to decline requests from Congress and the courts for information about internal White House talks and deliberations. Longtime Trump confidante Roger Stone invoked his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination. Trumps onetime lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, said he invoked attorney-client privilege to refuse to answer some questions. Part of what could be motivating the resistance is a desire to delay the committees progress. All 435 House seats will be on the ballot in November, and Democrats could lose their majority. Republicans have been clear that, should they gain House control at the start of 2023, they would shut down an investigation they view as a partisan waste of taxpayer dollars. 8. Why is the committee dominated by Democrats? Advertisement The Democrat-controlled House passed legislation to create the committee after Senate Republicans blocked the creation of an outside commission, independent of Congress, modeled on the one that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Then, when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi refused to seat two of McCarthys choices for the panel, he pulled his other picks. The two Republicans Pelosi named to the panel, Cheney and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, are both Trump critics who have become regular targets of attacks from within their own party. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load TOKYO Japan lodged a complaint Monday over a South Korean ship that was conducting a marine survey in waters near Japanese-claimed islands controlled by Seoul. Government spokesperson Hirokazu Matsuno said it was totally unacceptable that a South Korean research ship was spotted trailing what appeared to be a cable near the islands, which Japan calls Takeshima and South Korea calls Dokdo. Matsuno said Tokyo did not receive any prior request from Seoul for such research. We strongly demand this stop immediately, he said. He said the two sides held talks about the incident but both reiterated their previous claims to the territory. In Seoul, South Koreas Foreign Ministry said it cannot accept the Japanese complaint. It called the survey a legitimate act conducted in line with domestic and international law. Advertisement In 2017, Japan lodged a complaint against South Korea after the official website for the Pyeongchang Olympic Games referred to the islands as Dokdo. Japan and South Korea have rich cultural ties, but relations have been marred by bitter tensions over historical issues such as Japans colonization of the Korean Peninsula last century and its actions during World War II. Japan also has a dispute over Japanese-controlled islands in the East China Sea that it calls Senkaku, which China also claims and calls Diaoyu. ___ Associated Press writer Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, contributed to this report. ___ Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Iran disrupted internet access to the outside world as angry demonstrators rallied over the collapse of a tower in the nations southwest that has killed at least 36 people, experts said Tuesday as outrage and grief continued to grow. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russia's war in Ukraine. ArrowRight The disruption plunged the province into digital isolation, making it difficult for journalists to authenticate events on the ground and for activists to share footage and organize protests. Its a tactic the Iranian government has repeatedly employed during times of unrest, rights activists say, in a country where radio and television stations already are state-controlled and journalists face the threat of arrest. The internet interference in the oil-rich Khuzestan province started in early May, weeks before the fatal collapse, said Amir Rashidi, director of internet security and digital rights at Miaan Group, which focuses on digital security in the Middle East. The province, home to an ethnic Arab population that long has alleged discrimination, was a flashpoint in protests over the sinking economy and skyrocketing prices of food staples. Advertisement Disruptions then intensified in the area after the Metropol Building collapse last week, according to data shared by the Miaan Group. The disaster ignited widespread anger in Abadan, where residents alleging government negligence gathered nightly at the site of the collapse to shout slogans against the Islamic Republic. Videos of the protests have circulated widely online, with some showing officers clubbing and firing tear gas at demonstrators. The footage analyzed by The Associated Press corresponded to known features of Abadan, some 660 kilometers (410 miles) southwest of the capital, Tehran. The number of casualties and arrests remains unclear. In response to the protests, Iranian authorities at times completely shut down the internet and other times allowed only tightly controlled use of a domestic Intranet, reported the Miaan Group. Advertisement During the day, authorities also appear to have restricted bandwidths to make it very difficult for people to share large files, such as video, without leaving Abadan altogether, said Mahsa Alimardani, a senior researcher at Article 19, an international organization that fights censorship. Last Friday, as huge crowds took to the streets to chant against top officials, a digital barricade of sorts went up between Iran and the world, data showed. Only certain government-approved national websites could stream content but not websites based abroad. There has been a pattern that weve seen when it gets dark where Google isnt working but the website of the Supreme Leader is working well, Rashidi said. The Iranian mission at the United Nations did not immediately respond to request for comment. Meanwhile, rescue workers pulled three more bodies from the rubble Tuesday, bringing the death toll to 36 amid fears more people could be trapped in the ruins. Five of the victims were school-age children, the official IRNA news agency reported. An additional 37 people were injured in the collapse, with two still hospitalized. Advertisement Officials have blamed the buildings structural failure on shoddy construction practices, lax regulation and entrenched corruption, raising questions about the safety of similar towers in the earthquake-prone country. Authorities reported they evacuated residents from buildings near the disaster site out of fear of the remaining Metropol strucutre collapsing. The rising political and economic pressures come as talks to restore Tehrans tattered nuclear deal with world powers have hit a deadlock. Hostilities have simmered as Iran accelerates its nuclear program far beyond the limits of the nuclear deal and last week seized two Greek tankers on a key oil route through the Persian Gulf. In a sign of those rising tensions, Irans Foreign Ministry sharply criticized the International Atomic Energy Agency on Tuesday over its quarterly report released the day before on Irans nuclear program. Advertisement Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh rebuked the reports findings that Irans highly enriched uranium stockpile had increased by 18 times since the 2015 nuclear deal as not fair and balanced. The U.N. nuclear watchdog also said that Iran has still failed to explain traces of uranium particles that IAEA inspectors found at former undeclared sites in the country long a sore point between Iran and the agency despite a recent push for a resolution by June. Khatibzadeh said the agencys statements did not reflect the reality of talks between Iran and the agency. The agency should be watchful and not destroy the path we walked down, with difficulty, he told reporters in Tehran. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian addressed the stalled indirect negotiations with the United States over the collapsed nuclear deal, telling reporters he communicated Iranian concerns to Vice President Kamala Harris through a third party when they were in Munich earlier this year. Advertisement Iran has repeatedly demanded guarantees that no future president could unilaterally abandon the agreement, as former President Donald Trump did in 2018. The White House has said it cannot make such a commitment. Amirabdollahian said he had asked the mediator to tell Ms. Kamala Harris if a group of rebels are going to take over the White House, could you please let us know. Even if rebels take over, they must be committed to international agreements, Amirabdollahian said. The White House has not acknowledged any such message. In a recent interview with Frances Le Figaro newspaper, Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi said his country was always glad to help when asked if Muscat was hosting new secret talks between Iran and the U.S. Oman hosted the secret talks that led to the 2015 nuclear deal. I am hopeful that we can achieve a new dynamic to reach an agreement, he said. It is in the interest of our region and the world. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load TORONTO Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government introduced legislation Monday that would put a freeze on importing, buying or selling handguns. We are capping the number of handguns in this country, Trudeau said. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russia's war in Ukraine. ArrowRight The regulations to halt the growth of personally owned handguns is expected to be enacted this fall. It will be illegal to buy, sell, transfer or import handguns anywhere in Canada, the prime minister said. Families of shooting victims joined him at a press conference in Ottawa. Canada already has plans to ban 1,500 types of military-style firearms and offer a mandatory buyback program that will begin at the end of the year. Trudeau said if someone really wants to keep their assault weapon it will be made completely inoperable. Canada already expanded background checks. Advertisement Trudeau has long had plans to enact tougher gun laws but the introduction of the new measure comes after mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, N.Y., this month. Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino called the legislation the most significant step Canada has taken in a generation. Countries that do a good job of controlling guns do a good job of controlling gun violence, Mendicino said in an interview with The Associated Press. Bill Blair, minister of emergency preparedness, said Canada is very different from the United States. In Canada, gun ownership is a privilege not a right, Blair said. This is a principal that differentiates ourselves from many other countries in the world, notably our colleagues and friends to the south. Canada has had far fewer mass shootings than the U.S. in part because of a lack of easy access to guns, though the U.S. population also is far larger than Canadas. Advertisement Blair noted guns are often smuggled in illegally from the U.S., which he noted has one of the largest small arms arsenals in the world. The government plans to fight gun smuggling and trafficking by increasing criminal penalties, providing more tools to investigate firearms crimes and strengthening border measures. Trudeau said increased funding already helped border officials double the amount of smuggled guns confiscated at the U.S. border. The government also said the bill would also allow for the removal of gun licenses from people involved in acts of domestic violence or criminal harassment, such as stalking. The bill would create a new red flag law allowing courts to require that people considered a danger to themselves or others surrender their firearms to police. The government said the measure would guard the safety of those applying through the process, often women in danger of domestic abuse, by protecting their identities. Advertisement The government said it will require rifle magazines to be permanently altered so they can never hold more than five rounds and will ban the sale and transfer of large-capacity magazines under the Criminal Code. Canada can teach us a lot, tweeted Bruce Heyman, a former U.S. ambassador to Canada under the Obama administration. Trudeau said his government recognizes the vast majority of Canadians who own guns are responsible but the level of gun violence is unacceptable. Mendicino said they are aware the announcement could lead to a rush to buy guns before the law is enacted and urged Parliament to pass it as soon as possible. The new measures are assured of passing in Canadas Parliament as the ruling Liberals and leftist opposition New Democrats have enough votes. Pierre Poilievre, who is running to be leader of the Conservative party, said law-abiding gun owners should be respected and dangerous criminals should be jailed. Advertisement Other than using firearms for sport shooting and hunting, there is no reason anyone in Canada should need guns in their everyday lives, Trudeau said. We need less gun violence. We cannot let the gun debate became so polarized that nothing gets done. We cannot let that happen in our country. This is about freedom. People should be free to go to the supermarket, their school or their place of worship without fear. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load JERUSALEM Israel said Tuesday it has proof that Iran stole classified documents from the U.N. atomic energy agency nearly two decades ago and used them to conceal its nuclear activities from international inspectors. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russia's war in Ukraine. ArrowRight The documents appear to show that Iran was spying on the inspectors and trying to anticipate and respond to any allegations of wrongdoing, but they do not appear to contain any evidence it was pursuing nuclear weapons. The release came as Israel has been pressing the U.S. and other world powers not to restore a tattered nuclear deal with Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett circulated the documents to media. His office said they came from a trove of Iranian nuclear files seized by Israel in 2018 but have not previously been made public. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the documents last week, saying it had obtained them from a Middle East intelligence agency in a country opposed to Irans nuclear program. Advertisement Bennett said he was sharing the documents in response to remarks by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, who dismissed the allegations as lies. The foreign minister pointed to previous times when Israel has issued dire warnings which did not come to pass that Iran was about to develop nuclear weapons. Spreading lies? Come on. Im holding right here the proof of your lies in my hands, Bennett said in a video circulated to media. The Persian-language documents, which could not be immediately authenticated, appear to be marked with official stamps, some bearing the word secret. After Iran stole classified documents from the U.N.s atomic agency, Iran used that information to figure out what the atomic agency was hoping to find, and then created cover stories and hid evidence to evade their nuclear probes, Bennett said. Advertisement Iran has always insisted its nuclear program is for purely peaceful purposes. U.S. intelligence agencies, Western nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency have said Iran ran an organized nuclear weapons program until 2003. Israel views Iran as its greatest threat and was virulently opposed to the 2015 nuclear agreement signed by Iran and world powers, saying it did not contain enough safeguards to keep Iran from developing a weapons capability or address other Iranian military threats in the region. It welcomed the Trump administrations decision to unilaterally withdraw from that deal, causing its collapse, and is opposed to U.S. efforts to revive the accord. Israel is widely believed to be the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East. It has never publicly acknowledged having such weapons. Advertisement One of the documents shared by Israel, a purported Iranian intelligence memo from 2004, says 27 pages of classified IAEA documents are being sent to prepare for an inspection of Irans Arak heavy water nuclear reactor. The reactor produces plutonium as a byproduct, which can be used for nuclear weapons. The memo says the documents were obtained using intelligence methods. Another purported Iranian intelligence memo, from 2006, offers a translation of a highly confidential agency report about a green salt project. The U.S. has said the Green Salt Project was an Iranian plan to link diverse components of a nuclear weapons program, including uranium enrichment, high explosives testing and a missile re-entry vehicle. In one set of documents, an Iranian official requests in handwritten notes that the liquidation date of a company that had been operating the Gachin uranium mine be changed from 2001 to 2003. The official writes that the atomic agency will be asking about it, saying we must hurry. Advertisement The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed intelligence officials, said this change allowed Iran to tell the IAEA that the work done on the mine prior to 2003 was carried out by a private company under the auspices of Irans atomic energy agency, when in fact the mine was operated by the Defense Ministry as part of a potential nuclear weapons program. The Biden administration says it is making a final push for an agreement that would lift sanctions on Iran in return for limits and oversight of its nuclear activities. The inspections would likely be carried out by the IAEA. Since the collapse of the deal, Iran has resumed key aspects of its nuclear program, including enrichment of uranium beyond the limits outlined in the agreement. Israels defense minister recently claimed that Iran is just weeks away from producing enough enriched uranium required to make a bomb. Advertisement Rob Malley, the U.S. envoy to the talks, acknowledged last week that the chances of success were tenuous." But he said the administration still believes Irans nuclear program is less of a threat inside a deal than outside one. Yoel Guzansky, a senior fellow and Iran expert at Israels Institute for National Security Studies, said the leak of the documents was likely aimed at influencing the U.S. as it tries to close a new deal. But he said it would likely not have much impact. People understand what the threat from Iran is, he said. They understand that Iran is lying and cheating and hiding for years. I dont think it comes as a surprise for anyone, so I dont see any long-term effect of these documents. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load VATICAN CITY A former Vatican official testified Tuesday that he was under intense psychological pressure to finalize a deal over the Holy Sees troubled investment in a London property, but entered into the negotiations without a lawyer and didnt realize the deal got the Vatican nothing in return. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russia's war in Ukraine. ArrowRight Fabrizio Tirabassi testified for some seven hours about the frenzied meetings he attended in London Nov. 20-22, 2018 that the Holy See had thought would salvage its 350-million-euro investment in the former Harrods warehouse and stem its losses. Instead, the contracts negotiated in those days ended up turning control of the London property over to an Italian broker, Gianluigi Torzi, who was unknown to the Vatican only a month prior but got in the door because he was recommended by acquaintances of Pope Francis. Advertisement The perfect storm of incompetence, alleged criminality and blind trust in people presented as friends of Francis are at the heart of the Vaticans big fraud and embezzlement trial. Vatican prosecutors have accused 10 people, including Tirabassi, of fleecing the Holy See of tens of millions of euros, and Torzi of having then extorted the Vatican for 15 million euros to get full ownership of the property. They all deny wrongdoing. Tirabassi was the No. 2 in the secretariat of states administrative office, which managed some 600 million euros in assets, including donations from the faithful to the pope for charity. Starting around 2012, the office decided to diversify its portfolio and put some 200 million euros in a fund that, among other things, was investing in the London warehouse and developing it into a luxury residential property. By late 2018 the fund had lost 18 million euros of the Holy Sees money and the Vaticans auditor general was asking questions: The auditor had put an end-of-the-year deadline for the secretariat of state to explain the deal and turn it around. Tirabassi said he felt psychologically pressured to find a way out. Advertisement Tirabassi and his boss, Archbishop Alberto Perlasca, worked with a handful of Italian businessmen who were presented as having a privileged rapport with the Holy Father, Tirabassi said, to figure out a way to buy out the fund manager, Raffaele Mincione, and obtain the shares of the building the Vatican owned. One of those Francis friends introduced Tirabassi to Torzi, and between mid-October and mid-November, Torzi stepped up with a solution that was hammered out in his London offices Nov. 20-22, Tirabassi said. Perlasca sent Tirabassi and the Vaticans longtime external financial adviser to London to work out the details, but they realized once they got there they needed a lawyer. A text message read out in court from Perlasca in those days said that wed be in big trouble if the auditor-general discovered that they had entered into a new set of contracts over the London property without a lawyer present. Advertisement Perlasca balked at spending 160,000 pounds on one lawyer familiar with the deal, Tirabassi said, and so they decided to entrust their interests to Torzis lawyer, thinking they were on the same side. The deal called for the Holy See to have 30,000 shares of the building in one of Torzis holding companies, Gutt, with Torzi keeping 1,000 shares. But Torzi stipulated in the signed contract that his shares had all the voting rights, meaning he effectively owned and controlled the building. Tirabassi testified that he didnt realize the diversity of the shares at the time and said he thought Torzis 1,000 shares were necessary for him to manage the property and would serve as compensation if the Vatican ever sold the property. In the end, the Vatican bought out Torzis 1,000 voting shares for 15 million euros, the basis for the charge of extortion against Torzi, which he denies. GiftOutline Gift Article The chief executives of two of Australias biggest banks have underlined the mounting financial risks in the construction sector, as builders face a hit from surging costs of materials and rising wages bills. Amid concerns about growing financial stress in parts of the building industry, National Australia Bank chief executive Ross McEwan and ANZ Bank chief Shayne Elliott both highlighted the difficulties facing builders who had signed fixed-price contracts but now faced a jump in their expenses. NAB chief executive Ross McEwan. Credit:Louie Douvis Elliott said these construction firms could not cope with the massive shifts in the price of commodities and labour because they struggled to pass on higher costs, adding that construction and commercial property businesses were two sectors with companies at higher risk of failure in a downturn. The business model has moved towards a fixed price contract model. The problem with that is that when you end up with cost shocks or labour shortages, the business cant pass it on, Elliott told an Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Melbourne on Tuesday. For the first hour, though, this is a cracking story from director Alice Gu that will have you craving every glazed, iced, sprinkled doughnut going around. Not the relatively modest ones we have here, which come with a coating of cinnamon sugar, but the colossal American variety you know, a moment on the lips, a lifetime on medication to reduce your cholesterol levels. And thats because of one man: Ben Tek Ted Ngoy, a Cambodian refugee who made millions through his doughnut shops, helped hundreds of Cambodian families fleeing Pol Pots murderous regime and then gambled it all away. Thats not a spoiler its saving you half an hour from this overly long documentary that, while interesting, skips over some important details in the past decade or so of Ngoys life. Americans, apparently, eat 10 billion doughnuts a year. Its staggering but whats even more amazing is that a large portion of those doughnuts, in California at least, are made by Cambodian refugees and their families. The shots of the thick white icing being poured over the doughnuts is hypnotic yet heart tightening, but the story behind Ngoy and Americas deep-fried circle is the American Dream and a Cautionary Tale rolled into one. A migrant success story that America prides itself on, where hard work will get you far, but the trappings of that success will only see you fall further. It took six months between Ngoy landing in a US refugee camp in 1975 to him being handed the keys to his first doughnut store. He worked almost 24 hours a day to achieve it, juggling three jobs and a young family, but focused on the idea of being somebody. As he says, When youre poor, youll do anything. By 1979 he would own 25 doughnut shops and go on to sponsor more than 100 more Cambodian families fleeing the war. It wasnt just pure selflessness, of course, he saw these families as providing even more business opportunities and money. He became Uncle Ted to many, a semi-mythical figure who provided money, training and jobs, but who then gambled it away, taking money from the very community he helped build. He fought off Donut King, who reigned supreme in the eastern states of the US, and created a food culture that was peculiar to California. Ngoy was even responsible for the pink box that has become synonymous with doughnuts in pop culture. Now 80, Ngoy is still a sprightly figure who is interviewed throughout the documentary. His family and former colleagues flesh out the picture somewhat but his last decade or so living in Cambodia, his second family and political career are largely glossed over. David Crowe suggests that if Albanese acts carefully he can complete the demolition of the Liberals. Im not sure that this is an entirely worthy aspiration. While the Liberals are not the flavour of the month, every Australian deserves a voice in parliament, either through a party or an individual, and the Liberal Party provides one such voice. This isnt North Korea. Ross MacPherson, Seaforth At last we seem to have a government with a vision for the future that goes beyond the next electoral cycle. There is also the opportunity to embed that vision if David Crowe is correct. Hopefully it wont be an opportunity lost. Lyn Savage, Coogee One thing is for sure in Australian politics there are no certainties. Whether Albanese can win a second term is yet to be seen. For Australias sake, I hope he does. Peter Miniutti, Ashbury I place a gentle reminder in front of the prime minister, should one even be required: Only one third of the electorate voted for you. Another third voted to fill the cross benches. Your government and the nation will be defined by the extent to which your party includes the cross benches in its formulation of legislation, as well as in all aspects of the conduct of this parliament. Kimber John Darling, Thirlmere With Peter Dutton as the leader of the Liberal Party, and Sussan Ley, the former Minster for the Environment, as his deputy, is it any wonder that David Crowe has suggested that Albanese is on course for at least six years in power? Peter Nash, Fairlight Voters shopped, now want value Ross Gittins views the two major parties declining vote through an economists lens (Why the political duopoly is losing its market share, May 30). The campaign and the election werent exactly retail therapy, but its a clever insight. Voters did shop around more than usual. We were making quality and price comparisons. We were weighing up the niche products on offer as well as the two main brands, the packaging, the sales pitches. The political marketplace was more open, and we feel more satisfied with our purchases. That translates into a parliamentary make-up that more accurately reflects our diversity as shoppers, and hopefully will deliver on our wants and needs. And we want to see value for our money. Margaret Johnston, Paddington Bush roads are busted City congestion has certainly warranted large expenditure on urban roads (Roads, railways and dams in firing line to repair deficit, May 30), but is it really keeping more people in their cars rather than using our poorly funded public transport system? Meantime, rural roads are rapidly deteriorating, and I am surprised more people arent being killed. I have travelled country roads all my life and never have they been as bad as they are now. I am talking important roads here, like Armidale down to the coast or our own link to Taree from Forster. The traffic between these two towns is constantly heavy but it is now just all patched up bitumen and not because of recent rain. It is deteriorating due to the lack of attention and the amount of traffic. Country people need some attention paid to their roads, too. Glenys Quirk, Forster Swing the billy, Bilo I was once indifferent to the fate of a Tamil family (Letters, May 30). But I do remember how the Coalition government acted on one deportation case in 1965. An Indian-Fijian child, Nancy Prasad, was officially tormented for her not being white enough to settle in Australia. It took the return of Labor, in 1972, to allow her to legally migrate to Australia and obtain citizenship. As has been said, When facts change, I change my opinion. Me, too. It is a fact that the ALP has now reversed policy. To Biloela, its time. Swing the billy for them. Mike Fogarty, Weston (ACT) The 50 percenters That women are about to take key roles in the federal government as Anthony Albanese builds his cabinet (Women to step up as PM builds his cabinet, May 30) recognises the message that women hold up half the sky (Chairman Mao). Steve Ngeow, Chatswood Palmers $100m dud When someone spends $100 million on you, and you deliver a zero return, I think your days are numbered. Clive Palmer would have been remembered fondly if he had donated that money to struggling charities. Now he will be remembered as a sponsor of the most unwinnable candidate in our political history. Denis Suttling, Newport Beach Leave uranium buried I am amazed that there are still people who believe that we should turn to nuclear energy to combat climate change (Letters, May 30), when we have the opportunity to have a reliable source of clean energy that requires no mining. Water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen, and green hydrogen is easily produced from it. Andrew Forrest is preparing to manufacture green hydrogen in Australia, and I am sure he will succeed in this venture just as he succeeded in establishing Fortescue Mining. Theres always danger in nuclear power production, as the Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters showed, and if we were to become involved in a war, what devastation a hit on a nuclear power station would be. Green hydrogen is safe, can easily be produced around the country, and, once established, it will be cheap, and easily exported. We should bury the idea of nuclear power in this country forever and leave the uranium in the ground. Its time for green hydrogen. Pam Nankivell, Parkes Vote 1 preferential Compulsory preferential voting is wonderful (Letters, May 30). One of the candidates in your electorate will be elected and you are asked to rank them in order of your preference. You dont have the option of saying none of them suits you other than by wasting your vote and leaving it incomplete or blank. Life in general is a series of imperfect choices with insufficient information at the time. The cumulative national first preference result is interesting but irrelevant as the race is on a seat-by-seat basis and the least unpopular candidate wins in each electorate. The party with the most least unpopular candidates gets to form government after we have all voted with a pencil in a cardboard cubicle followed by a democracy sausage. Compulsory preferential voting is wonderful, and where would you rather live? Peter Kamenyitzky, Castle Hill At last, a letter showing how ridiculous compulsory exhaustive preferential voting for the House of Representatives can be. Under this system, if the person I prefer for my seat doesnt get the required number of votes, my vote may go to someone who I would never vote for and might not want in parliament. In the NSW state election, there is a different brand of democracy called optional preferential voting. Bernie Carberry, Connells Point Jai the Giro hero Congratulations, Jai Hindley (A beautiful feeling: Hindley becomes the first Australian to win the Giro, smh.com.au, May 30). An outstanding athlete and achievement. Just as well he didnt lose time putting socks on centipedes. Bea Hodgson, Gerringong Plan for success The most obvious opportunity to fix these problems (No quick fix to toll dilemma, May 30) is at the planning stage. Janette Hvistendahl, Currumbin Waters (Qld) Re-Joyce? Not me One of the standard claims about an incoming government is that it is unready for the challenge of holding power. Liberal senator Hollie Hughes gave voice to this complaint on Monday at the doors of Parliament House. We have a government with very little experience, she said. In fact, Anthony Albanese will enter the cabinet room as one of 11 ministers who have been there before. Almost half the cabinet will have cabinet experience, a much higher ratio than the incoming governments led by John Howard in 1996, Kevin Rudd in 2007 and Tony Abbott in 2013. Anthony Albanese has big portfolios to decide and no shortage of ministers with experience. Credit:James Brickwood The new prime minister is one of the very few in the new government who served in cabinet for the full six years of Labors last period in office. The others are Tony Burke and Penny Wong. A wider group held ministerial positions over the six years. Chris Bowen, Brendan OConnor and Tanya Plibersek were ministers in 2007, while Bill Shorten began as a parliamentary secretary for disabilities and moved up quickly. All became cabinet ministers over time. London: Valentin Yumashev, the son-in-law of former Russian leader Boris Yeltsin who helped Vladimir Putin come to power, has quit his role as a Kremlin adviser, two people familiar with Yumashevs thinking told Reuters. Yumashev was an unpaid adviser with limited influence on Putins decision-making, but his departure removes one of the last links inside Putins administration to Yeltsins rule, a period of liberal reforms and Russias opening up towards the West. Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council via videoconference in Moscow, Russia. Credit:AP Though Putins policies over the years have diverged from the values that Yeltsin espoused, the Russian leader has kept his ties to the former first family. Putin ordered his armed forces to attack Ukraine on February 24 in an invasion that Western governments say is an act of unjustified aggression and which Moscow calls a special operation necessary to protect Russian-speakers in eastern Ukraine. Brussels: European Union countries finally reached a deal to wean off Russian oil, their most significant effort yet to hit Russias economy over the war in Ukraine. However, the impact will be blunted by an exemption for pipeline oil - a concession to landlocked holdouts, most notably Hungary. Hungarys Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Credit:Getty After weeks of negotiations, the 27 countries agreed to end seaborne deliveries of Russian oil, according to an EU official. Pipeline deliveries will continue to flow for now. Several countries will also get extensions or exemptions. Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban - one of Russian President Vladimir Putins closest allies in Europe - had obstructed a deal, insisting on more time and money to upgrade his countrys oil infrastructure. South Africa: Survey shows some 29% of South Africans use tobacco Health Deputy Minister, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, says government may have to consider tightening tobacco regulations in South Africa. The Deputy Minister was speaking at the release of the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) results for the country in the Eastern Cape on Tuesday morning, where the commemoration of World No Tobacco Day also took place. The survey results show that at least one out of four adults smoke tobacco products like cigarettes, hubbly, cigars or pipes, while a further one in 25 adults use smokeless tobacco products like snuff. This brings the total number of tobacco users to at least three out of ten adults. These results are demonstrating the urgency for government to tighten regulatory measures to control tobacco. The GATS results will address some of the clauses of the draft Tobacco Bill [Control of Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Bill] that is currently being processed. There will still be opportunities for more discussion on the data, since a full report will be released, and we urge everyone to interact with the report to understand the extent of the social and economic impact of tobacco in our society, the Deputy Minister said. He said the survey results indicate a need to strengthen our social behavioural change strategies. Over the years, we have had different studies that provided the country with figures on our smoking rates. From 1998 to 2000, the country experienced a gradual decrease in smoking rates. In 2016, there was an increase and the country still finds itself facing another increase with these Global Adult Tobacco Survey results. These results paint a picture that should concern all of us as individuals, society and country, he said. The survey further states that at least two thirds of smokers have planned to quit or are thinking about doing so. The Deputy Minister said this indicates that smokers may need social and health support to beat their addiction. If 40% of the people made an attempt to quit smoking, it may also mean that we may have to strengthen services for those who want to quit. Priority should be given to the development of cessation programmes. Lets unite to help them quit, he said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-05-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe held talks via video link with Tanzanian Minister for Defense and National Service Stergomena Lawrence Tax in Beijing on May 31, 2022. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by Li Xiaowei) Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe held talks via video link with Tanzanian Minister for Defense and National Service Stergomena Lawrence Tax in Beijing on May 31, 2022. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by Li Xiaowei) BEIJING, May 31 -- Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe held talks via video link with Tanzanian Minister for Defense and National Service Stergomena Lawrence Tax on Tuesday. Wei said that China and Tanzania are devoted brothers, trustworthy friends and sincere partners. In June last year, President Xi Jinping and President Samia Suluhu Hassan exchanged phone calls, showing the right direction for the development of comprehensive partnership of cooperation between the two countries and presenting important opportunities for the development of China-Tanzania relations. China is ready to work together with the international community including Tanzania, upholding the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, to implement the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and Global Security Initiative (GSI) with concrete actions, and contribute to building a world of lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity, said Wei. China's defense chief told his Tanzanian counterpart that the Chinese military will continue to strengthen strategic communication with the Tanzanian military, build and make good use of the cooperation mechanism, enhance the quality and effectiveness of joint exercises and training, carry forward the traditional friendship and push forward the relations between the two militaries. Tax noted that the relationship between Tanzania and China is unique and Tanzania cherishes the profound friendship between the two peoples and the two militaries. The two militaries have maintained close cooperation and exchanges in such areas as joint training, equipment technology, mutual visits of delegations, and military medicine. Tanzania will continue to deepen military cooperation with China, Tax said. The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern. WSU Expands Crawford Distinguished Stewardship Award and Celebrates Recipients May 31, 2022 OGDEN, Utah Weber State University has expanded one of its most prestigious awards for multicultural graduate students. Six outstanding students were awarded the Forrest C. Crawford Distinguished Stewardship Award for 2022-23, earning a gift of $1,000 and financial support for their final year of school to help them earn their degree. The expansion of the award and additional financial support is new this year, thanks to donor contributions. It has been my goal to encourage undergraduate support towards graduation and completion, said Michiko Nakashima-Lizarazo, Center for Multicultural Excellence director. The natural progression is for undergraduates to pursue graduate level work where our center has established a support system that includes mentoring, recognition, and financial assistance. With the incredible support of our donors these students will continue to contribute to our communities by having advanced their degree. The outstanding award recipients have completed their education in a manner consistent with good practice, improved processes, leadership roles and supported civic engagement and multiculturalism with direct impacts on the WSU campus or community. This years honorees are: Cesar Castro, candidate for the degree of Master of Professional Communication Killupintu Garrison, candidate for the degree of Master of Education in Higher Education Leadership Kathleen Nunez, candidate for the degree of Master of Accounting Callie Oyama, candidate for the degree of Master of Professional Communication Bessie Pettigrew, candidate for the degree of Master of Education in Higher Education Anna Robbins, Master of Professional Communication, graduated April 2022 Established in 2013, the Dr. Forrest C. Crawford Distinguished Stewardship Award honors Dr. Forrest Crawford, the former WSU assistant to the president for institutional diversity and a retired teacher education professor. The award reflects Crawfords commitment, energy and leadership, especially in regard to diversity initiatives. Visit weber.edu/multicultural/crawford for more information about the Crawford award. To learn more about how to give to this and other scholarship funds at Weber State University, visit www.give.weber.edu. Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University. The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. One year ago: Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open before her second-round match and said she would be taking a break from competition; she said she experienced huge waves of anxiety before speaking to the media, and that she had suffered long bouts of depression. (Osaka had been fined for skipping the postmatch news conference after her first-round victory.) 1859: Big Ben 1949: Alger Hiss 1962: Adolf Eichmann 2012: John Edwards 2021: Naomi Osaka Video Allentown, PA (18103) Today Clouds and sun, still humid with a shower or t-storm possible. The best chance may be during the PM hours.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with a shower or thunderstorm possible. The European premiere of 9 Circles, written by Bill Cain (House of Cards) and directed by Guy Masterson (The Shark is Broken), will open at London's Park Theatre next month before visiting the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The piece is inspired by the real life of Steven Dale Green, following a soldier named Daniel Reeves, trained to be a cold-blooded killer, who goes on to commit appalling acts. It explores themes of blame and responsibility, contains references to accounts of sexual abuse and war atrocities and is therefore recommended for those aged 16 and above. Cain commented: "Heaven and hell are not so far apart. In Dante's The Divine Comedy, they are adjoining territories. To get to one, you have to pass through the other. Although some of the people we meet in hell are undoubtedly evil, many are not. There are many good, beautiful, unlucky people in hell and a great many mediocrities on their way to heaven!" The cast includes Joshua Collins, Samara Neely Cohen and David Calvitto. Joining Cain and Masterson in the creative team are set designer Duncan Henderson, lighting designer Tom Turner, sound designer and composer Jack Arnold and movement director Mark Baldwin. 9 Circles runs at the Park Theatre from 29 June to 23 July, with tickets on sale below, and at Assembly George Square Studios (Venue 17) at the Edinburgh Fringe from 3 to 29 August. Gail Asper and Michael Paterson have more accolades than the average married couple. Actually, Gail has received many honours, I have received very few, Paterson says with a laugh. Gail Asper and Michael Paterson have more accolades than the average married couple. "Actually, Gail has received many honours, I have received very few," Paterson says with a laugh. Asper has the Order of Manitoba and is an officer of the Order of Canada, among other titles, and was a driving force in establishing the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg. For years, Paterson has been at the forefront of water quality research in Manitoba, currently as chief research scientist for the International Institute for Sustainable Development. Both do important work but theyve never been honoured together. That changes June 2, when the Jewish National Fund Manitoba & Saskatchewan will do so at its annual Negev Gala, recognizing their decades of contributions to the advancement of human rights and the study of the climate crisis two of the most pressing issues facing the world at large. This years gala, and others across the country, will raise money for the organizations Climate Solutions Prize, a $1-million annual allotment awarded to the top innovative idea to curb climate change and advance research. Organizations partnering with JNF to deliver the award include Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael and Israels Peres Center for Peace and Innovation. Climate change is a cause Paterson said is close to his heart as a professional ecologist, and one that cant be ignored by anybody. "I feel that everybody should care deeply for the environment, because its so important to us," he said. "One of the greatest threats we face is climate change, so anything we can do to help mitigate that (must be done)." Many of the climate outcomes which were predicted and questioned at the start of Patersons career are now "completely evident," he said. "The things we worried about as environmental scientists are sadly coming true." According to the Climate Atlas of Canadas report for the city of Winnipeg, the hottest days for the years between 1976 and 2005 reached an average of 34.4 C. Between 2051 and 2080, that average is projected to reach 39.5 C. Average precipitation could increase by nearly 17 per cent in the spring, as at this moment every Manitoban being reminded of the detrimental impact of an overly wet spring. Climate change brings with it an increased chance of extreme weather, such as flash floods, drought, storms and wildfire. The Free Press | Newsletter Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Aside from political will to negate the long-term impacts of climate change, ongoing research and scientific intervention are considered crucial tools in the fight to save the planet. Thats a key reason why Paterson and Asper said they were pleased to accept the honour from the JNF. The couple, married 38 years as of June 10, both felt it was a cause they could get behind. "When youre married, you have to share values," Asper said. Even though theyre being honoured together, they wont be able to attend the gala together. For one thing, its being held virtually. For another, Paterson is currently at the Experimental Lakes Area in Ontario, working with the team on microplastics research, among other projects. On the night of the gala, Asper will have a viewing party at home, while Paterson will hope his spotty Wi-Fi connection hangs on. Both are pleased to not have to get dressed up. ben.waldman@freepress.mb.ca OTTAWA - A woman believed to be the girlfriend of Russian President Vladimir Putin was among 22 individuals added to the list of Russians sanctioned by Canada over the war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks in a video call with heads of states that are members of the Eurasian Economic Forum in Bishkek in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, May 26, 2022. Canada has imposed sanctions on Alina Kabaeva, who is reportedly the girlfriend of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The former Olympic gymnast is one of 22 close associates of the Russian regime added to the sanctions list over the country's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.(Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) OTTAWA - A woman believed to be the girlfriend of Russian President Vladimir Putin was among 22 individuals added to the list of Russians sanctioned by Canada over the war in Ukraine. Alina Kabaeva, 39, a former Olympic gymnast who is now the chair of the National Media Group in Russia, has long been reported to be Putin's girlfriend and alleged to be the mother of some of his children. Both she and Putin have denied a romantic link. Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said Tuesday Canada was working with its allies and adding new people to financial sanctions each week in a bid to "suffocate the Putin regime" following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February. "We're doing it every week, that's our goal," she said. "It's been like that since Feb. 24 and were doing it along with allies. So, what we are doing is sometimes we take the lead. Sometimes we work with the Americans, sometimes we work with the Europeans and at the end of the day, when all the G7 ministers gather, we know that were working on the same entities and individuals." Kabaeva, who is also a former Russian politician, was first sanctioned by the United Kingdom two weeks ago. The Wall Street Journal reported a month ago that the United States had held off adding Kabaeva to its list of sanctioned individuals for fear it would escalate tensions between Russia and the U.S. too much. The Free Press | Newsletter Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Joly was careful in how she described Kabaeva Tuesday, initially calling her "a person very close to Putin" and then when asked to elaborate on whom she was referring to, grimacing and pausing. "So it's his" she said, pausing. "I don't know (what) to call her, but his partner, yes, I guess." Others on the list of sanctions that came into force last Friday include billionaire Andrei Kozitsyn and several bankers including Elena Aleksandrovna Georgieva, the head of the Russian Novikombank. The latest round of sanctions also includes four financial institutions. Canada has sanctioned more than 1,500 individuals and entities since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. "At this point our goal is to isolate economically, politically and diplomatically Russia," Joly said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 31, 2022. BERLIN (AP) Authorities in Germany raided the offices of Deutsche Bank and its subsidiary DWS on Tuesday following claims that it was exaggerating the sustainable credentials of some of the products it sold. FILE File Photo shows the moon shining next to the headquarters of the Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt, Germany, Oct.4, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File) BERLIN (AP) Authorities in Germany raided the offices of Deutsche Bank and its subsidiary DWS on Tuesday following claims that it was exaggerating the sustainable credentials of some of the products it sold. German news agency dpa quoted Frankfurt prosecutors saying the probe focused on allegations of investment fraud, but no specific suspects had been identified yet. A former manager in charge of sustainability at DWS has claimed that the asset management firm exaggerated the environmental and climate credentials of certain funds referred to as greenwashing. The measures of the Public Prosecutors are directed against unknown people in connection with greenwashing allegations against DWS, Deutsche Bank said in a statement. DWS said that they have continuously cooperated fully with all relevant regulators and authorities on this matter and will continue to do so. SHANGHAI (AP) Shanghai authorities say they will take major steps Wednesday toward reopening China's largest city after a two-month COVID-19 lockdown that has set back the national economy and largely confined millions of people to their homes. An elderly resident waits outside a bank as bank workers receive food supplies as banking services reopen after pandemic measure lockdown are lifted, Tuesday, May 31, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) SHANGHAI (AP) Shanghai authorities say they will take major steps Wednesday toward reopening China's largest city after a two-month COVID-19 lockdown that has set back the national economy and largely confined millions of people to their homes. Already, a steady stream of people strolled in the Bund, the city's historic waterfront park, on a pleasant Tuesday night, some taking selfies against the bright lights of the Pudong financial district on the other side of the river. Elsewhere, people gathered outside to eat and drink under the watch of police deployed to discourage large crowds from forming. Lu Kexin, a high school senior visiting the Bund for the first time since late March, said she went crazy being trapped at home for so long. Im very happy, extremely happy, all the way, too happy," she said. I could die." Vice Mayor Zong Ming announced that full bus and subway service will be restored on Wednesday, as will basic rail connections with the rest of China. Schools will partially reopen on a voluntary basis, and shopping malls, supermarkets, convenience stores and drug stores will reopen gradually at no more than 75% of their total capacity. Cinemas and gyms will remain closed. "The epidemic has been effectively controlled, Zong said. She added that the city will enter the phase of fully restoring work and life on Wednesday. An elderly resident in a wheelchair waits under an umbrella as other elderly residents line up outside a bank to collect their pension as banking services reopen after pandemic measure lockdown are lifted, Tuesday, May 31, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Officials, who set June 1 as the target date for reopening earlier in May, appear ready to accelerate what has been a gradual easing in recent days. A few malls and markets have reopened, and some residents have been given passes allowing them out for a few hours at a time. In online chat groups, some expressed excitement about the prospect of being able to move about freely in the city for the first time since the end of March, while others remained cautious given the slow pace and stop-and-go nature of opening up so far. Workers took down some of the barriers that had been erected along sidewalks during the lockdown. A few people walked or biked on the still mostly empty streets. One man got his hair cut on the sidewalk, a common sight in recent days, as a worker or volunteer in full protective clothing looked on. The most difficult part of the lockdown was psychological, said Cao Yue, who has worked in Shanghai for five years. She recalled the early days when it was difficult to buy food and she didn't know what to do. "It was quite depressing to be locked at home and see the whole Shanghai under lockdown, she said. Delivery men sort out their parcels outside a community on Tuesday, May 31, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) More than half a million people in the city of 25 million won't be allowed out Wednesday 190,000 who are still in lockdown areas and another 450,000 who are in control zones because they live near recent cases. Shanghai recorded 29 new cases on Monday, continuing a steady decline from more than 20,000 a day in April. Li Qiang, the top official from China's ruling Communist Party in Shanghai, was quoted as saying at a meeting Monday that the city had made major achievements in fighting the outbreak through continuous struggle. The success came at a price. Authorities imposed a suffocating citywide lockdown under China's zero-COVID strategy that aims to snuff out any outbreak with mass testing and isolation at centralized facilities of anyone who is infected. Delivery workers wearing face masks collect orders from the restaurant which reopened for takeaway-only service in a shopping mall after the pandemic measure lockdown were lifted, Tuesday, May 31, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) Huge temporary facilities were set up in exhibition centers and other venues to house thousands of people who had tested positive. Teams of health care and other workers flew in from around the country to help run the massive undertaking. Factories were shuttered, or were allowed to operate only if workers slept on site to prevent the spread of the virus. Reduced production at semiconductor plants added to the global chip shortage. Containers backed up at the port of Shanghai because of a shortage of truck drivers to deliver them to their destinations. Though it all, leaders of the ruling Communist Party repeatedly expressed a determination to stick to the zero-COVID policy even as other countries have opened their borders and are trying to live with the virus. Outside economists widely expect China to fall short of its 5.5% growth target for this year. The Free Press | Newsletter Shelley Cook | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. A woman wearing a face mask watches masked children play on a gym equipment at a public park which reopened after pandemic measure lockdown were lifted, Tuesday, May 31, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) However, the latest economic data showed that Chinese manufacturing activity started to rebound in May as the government rolled back some containment measures. Schools will reopen for the final two years of high school and the third year of middle school, but students can decide whether to attend in person. Other grades and kindergarten remain closed. Outdoor tourist sites will start reopening Wednesday, with indoor sites set to follow in late June, the Shanghai tourism authority said. Group tours from other provinces will be allowed again when the city has eliminated all high- and medium-risk pandemic zones. Beijing, the nation's capital, further eased restrictions Tuesday in some districts. The city imposed limited lockdowns, but nothing near a citywide level, in a much smaller outbreak that appears to be on the wane. Beijing recorded 18 new cases on Monday. ___ Moritsugu reported from Beijing. Associated Press researchers Si Chen in Shanghai and Yu Bing in Beijing contributed to this report. OTTAWA - COVID-19 restrictions at the border will remain in place for at least another month, the Public Health Agency of Canada reported Tuesday. A car heads to the U.S. border crossing, Monday, August 9, 2021 in Lacolle, Que., south of Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz OTTAWA - COVID-19 restrictions at the border will remain in place for at least another month, the Public Health Agency of Canada reported Tuesday. The agency made the announcement on Twitter the day after Parliament voted down a Conservative motion to revert to pre-pandemic rules for travel. Several pandemic restrictions are in place at Canadian airports and land borders, including vaccine mandates, random COVID-19 tests and the requirement that international travellers answer pandemic-related questions on the ArriveCan app. Travellers must also wear masks on planes and passenger trains. The specific restrictions vary depending on travellers' age, citizenship and vaccination status. Business groups and Conservative Opposition members have criticized the government's decision to maintain the restrictions, particularly at Canada's airports, as provincial restrictions have eased elsewhere in the country. "Unfortunately, the NDP-Liberal government continues to cling to outdated and unnecessary protocols that are exacerbating delays," Conservative transport critic Melissa Lantsman said in a statement after her motion was defeated in the House Monday, referring to an agreement that means the NDP supports the Liberals on confidence votes. The Canadian Airports Council has blamed massive customs delays across the country on the pandemic measures and insufficient staff. In some cases, the lineups are so long the airports can't physically contain them, so passengers are held in planes on the tarmac and let off in small groups. "Industry experts from a wide range of disciplines are calling on the government to drop travel restrictions. These restrictions have many impacts on Canadian travel times, our economy, and the countrys international reputation," Lantsman said. Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said Tuesday the COVID-19 public health measures at airports may have some impact on travel delays, but it's not the only reason. Some European airports with no COVID-19 restrictions are also dealing with delays, he said. "There's obviously a discussion to strike the right balance, to ensure that we maintain our eye on public health but also the fluidity of our economy," Alghabra said on his way into a cabinet meeting Tuesday. "That discussion is ongoing." As for when the mandates will be lifted, Alghabra said he doesn't know but the government is consulting with experts and other jurisdictions. Beaches-East York MP Nate Erskine-Smith, a maverick in the Liberal caucus, expressed concern Tuesday that the public hasn't been let in on those discussions. "Nothing about the re-evaluation of travel-related measures has been transparent," Erskine-Smith said in a Twitter thread Tuesday about his decision to abstain from the Conservative motion. The Free Press | Newsletter Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. He said there's been no adequate justification for the continued two-dose vaccine mandate, for example. Public health officials have said repeatedly since the Omicron variant hit in late 2021 that the virus was more adept at transmitting between vaccinated people than its predecessors. Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam has said that cabinet should re-evaluate the measure given that vaccines now provide less protection against transmission, and the government says those re-evaluations happen on an ongoing basis. "If measures dont accomplish any public good and they contribute to delays, then theres good reason to eliminate them," Erskine-Smith said. The NDP haven't blamed airport delays on public health restrictions, but say the government needs to sort out the long delays, missed flights and confusion at the airports. NDP transport critic Taylor Bachrach pointed to the work conditions and poor compensation offered to screening officers and other airport workers as a factor in slowing down customs lineups. "The minister must address these factors immediately as part of getting Canadas airports back to full function," he said in a statement Tuesday. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 31, 2022. Standard Lager, a beer sold almost exclusively to Manitoban drinkers, is being discontinued this fall. Standard Lager, a beer sold almost exclusively to Manitoban drinkers, is being discontinued this fall. The beer was first brewed in 1926 by Winnipegs Drewrys Brewery, but has since fallen into the fold of the Molson-Coors conglomerate, which confirmed the lagers impending tap-out to the Free Press Monday morning. "The Standard Lager beer remains available to consumers for the time being, until September that is," wrote Frederic Bourgeois-LeBlanc, a spokesperson for Molson Coors. Asked what happens after September, he wrote, "It is discontinued." Rumours of Standards final pour have swirled for quite some time, reaching an apex earlier this year when social media posts proclaimed an end to the beers long reign. Those posts triggered an outcry from fans of the beer, described by Molson Coors as a "lager of established quality, long favoured for its mellow, satisfying flavour." Standard Lager, a beer sold almost exclusively to Manitoban drinkers, is being discontinued this fall. (John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press) Local beer industry professionals say its been known for years that the niche Standard would eventually be cut from the Molson lineup, with the small population of Manitoba Standard drinkers not necessarily being a priority to the major brand. The pandemic, along with some supply issues, helped seal the deal, many suspect. The beer was never exactly a major mover for local shops, but became a favourite at local concert venues and veterans establishments for its price point, availability, and - with decades of relatively unchanged flavour - its consistency. Karen Lytwinuk, the bar manager at the John Osborn Army & Navy #1 on Ellice Avenue, first heard rumours of the end of Standard earlier this year. After that, she contacted a sales representative from Molson Coors, who confirmed the news, which came as a shock to some long-time imbibers. One aficionado of the $4.25, five per cent alcohol content Standard has switched to Alexander Keiths, and another has become a Michelob Ultra man, Lytwinuk said. On the wall next to a rack of Old Dutch chips is a small poster explaining the move by the distributor. "The decision wasnt at all taken lightly, but to deliver against our ambitions we need to stay the course on our long-range plan which prioritizes a more focused strategy with premiumization as a key goal," the poster reads. "By reallocating resources towards our power, scale, and innovation brands, we can drive meaningful growth for our company and customers." Standard Lager was first brewed in 1926 by Winnipegs Drewrys Brewery. (John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press) The poster also said that the last shipment date is September 2022, though many wont believe the beer is officially discontinued until that date has passed, Standard having beaten the odds before. The beer is currently listed as out of stock on the provincial Liquor Mart website. There is still a healthy supply at some independent shops, including the Quality Inn craft beer market, whose manager Chris Hiebert encourages Standard sippers to switch their affinities to a local brew to keep the memory of a once-locally produced beer alive. Hiebert says the shops have acquired some Standard swag for a giveaway in the coming months. At the John Osborn Army & Navy, Standard hasnt been available for months and the distributor has told Lytwinuk there wont be more on the way, much to some regulars chagrin. "I have one guy in his sixties whos been drinking Standard since he was 18 years old," she said Monday, while a different man sipped coffee at the bartop while watching an old Robert Mitchum military movie. "Poor guy." He switched to Molson Canadian. ben.waldman@winnipegfreepress.com The Free Press | Newsletter Applause A weekly review of the Winnipeg arts scene, delivered every Thursday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Brian Bowman will meet with other municipal leaders at the Big City Mayors Caucus in Regina this week, in part to seek ideas to improve housing and help the downtown recover from the economic blows of COVID-19. Brian Bowman will meet with other municipal leaders at the Big City Mayors Caucus in Regina this week, in part to seek ideas to improve housing and help the downtown recover from the economic blows of COVID-19. As cities are emerging from the latest wave of the global pandemic, housing and downtown recovery remains a particular focus for Canadas big city mayors. I look forward to sharing our efforts and hearing from other mayors about strategies being deployed in other Canadian cities, Bowman said in a press release. RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Mayor Brian Bowman will leave Wednesday for the meetings, which are slated to wrap up on Friday. Bowman will leave Wednesday for the meetings, which are slated to wrap up on Friday. The leaders from 23 of Canadas biggest cities are also expected to discuss reconciliation efforts with Indigenous residents. The caucus meets two to three times a year to discuss shared issues and plan advocacy efforts. Staff Manitobas appeals court has upheld the conviction of a Winnipeg man who shot two men, killing one, in a drug house in 2017. Manitobas appeals court has upheld the conviction of a Winnipeg man who shot two men, killing one, in a drug house in 2017. A Court of Queens Bench jury found Cameron Bounthieng Kinnavanthong guilty of manslaughter, aggravated assault and discharging a firearm with intent following a trial in 2019. William Sumner, 27, was killed after Kinnavanthong and four other men stormed into a Pritchard Avenue crack house armed with a handgun, machete and bear spray, looking to collect a drug debt on Fathers Day 2017. After his conviction, Kinnavanthong was designated a dangerous offender in July 2021 meaning he will remain in prison until parole board officials are satisfied its safe to release him. Following the designation, he attempted to have his conviction and sentencing overturned in the Manitoba Court of Appeal both attempts were dismissed in a May 19 decision written by Justices Freda M. Steel, William J. Burnett and Karen I. Simonsen. Kinnavanthong, 36, submitted he had fired the shots in self-defence as a "panicked reaction to being sprayed (with bear spray) in sight of swinging knives in a dangerous, chaotic and unpredictable environment." In his appeal, he argued the trial judge had erred by finding there was no air of reality to his defence of self-defence and by instructing the jury to disregard his claim the shooting was unintentional. Court heard no evidence a machete was directed anywhere near Kinnavanthong, while neither of the victims were armed or threatening the gunman. Kinnavanthong admitted to police he did not know who sprayed the bear mace or why or whether it was even aimed at him. The trial judge was correct to decide there was no likelihood a jury would reasonably conclude the presence of the bear spray justified immediately and repeatedly shooting off a pistol, the appeal court judges wrote in their decision. In arguing the shootings were accidental, Kinnavanthongs defence said: "Squeezing or clenching is a natural response to being struck in the face at close range with bear repellent." The Crown pointed out a witness and the victim were being beaten and didnt pose a threat and Kinnavanthong admitted to police he pulled the trigger while pointing the gun downward to avoid killing anyone. The appeal court judges again agreed with the trial judges decision to not consider Kinnavanthong had accidentally pulled the trigger. Kinnavanthong also argued the judge erred by hearing the dangerous offender application without him being physically present, as well as a failure to consider a sentence other than indeterminate detention that would adequately protect the public. Given the circumstances that prevailed in January 2021, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when all levels of court had restricted hearings, the trial judge properly exercised his discretion when he ordered the accused appear by video at the sentencing hearing, the appeal judges decided. The Free Press | Newsletter Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The judges also decided Kinnavanthongs dangerous offender designation and subsequent indefinite sentence was reasonable and supported by his record. Kinnavanthongs record includes multiple convictions for violence, both in the community and while in custody. He was diagnosed with anti-social personality disorder and resisted treatment and counselling during past stints in custody. He has more than 40 convictions total, which demonstrated a largely unbroken pattern of criminal activity and violence, the judges wrote. The appeal judges said a number of risk assessment tools were completed all of which confirmed he presented a "high risk of violent recidivism." erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @erik_pindera Former Winnipeg chief administrative officer Phil Sheegl is appealing a judges order that he pay the city nearly $1.1 million. Former Winnipeg chief administrative officer Phil Sheegl is appealing a judges order that he pay the city nearly $1.1 million. The financial order stems from a March civil court decision, in which Court of Queens Bench Chief Justice Glenn Joyal ruled that Sheegl accepted a bribe linked to the Winnipeg Police Service headquarters construction project. In an appeal document filed Monday, Sheegls lawyer Robert Tapper claims that decision was "clearly wrong and amounts to an injustice." "The order is contrary to the law, the evidence, and the weight of the evidence," the document claims. Joyal found Sheegl accepted a $327,000 bribe from a key contractor in the project, Caspian Construction owner Armik Babakhanians. "Based on the evidence before me, were I to find that Sheegls undisclosed receipt of the $327,200 payment from Armik (for whatever reason), while Sheegl was an officer with the city and while he was negotiating a multi-million-dollar contract with Armiks company, did not constitute a breach of fiduciary duty, I would in my view be sending a preposterous message," the written decision states. A subsequent May court decision concluded that Sheegl should pay a list of damages totaling nearly $1.1 million: $327,200 to equal the alleged bribe (plus $50,000 in interest), $250,000 to equal a severance package he received from the city (plus $32,000 in interest), $100,000 in punitive damages and about $332,500 of city court costs. The appeal claims Joyal "erred in finding that the plaintiff had satisfied the elements of the tort of bribery." It also accuses the judge of "failing to consider that all decisions made in relation to the WPSHQ project were made by extensive layers of committees comprised of the plaintiffs personnel, such that Mr. Sheegl had no ability to provide Caspian the procurement advantages vaguely alleged by the plaintiff." Tapper declined comment on the appeal. Serious allegations linked to the police HQ at 266 Graham Ave. have plagued city council for years. The building opened in June 2016 at a cost of about $214 million, well above its original $135 million price tag, and an external audit found the project was severely mismanaged. The RCMP conducted a lengthy investigation into fraud and forgery allegations, but no criminal charges were laid. The city launched a civil suit against Sheegl and others in 2020, alleging a fraudulent scheme took place. Specifically, it alleged that in July 2011, shortly after Sheegl awarded the contract to Caspian, the company paid $200,000 to co-defendant Mountain Construction (also owned by Babakhanians), which then paid the same amount to Sheegls company, Financial Support Services Inc. A year later, the city says Babakhanians paid Sheegl another $127,000. Sheegl claimed the payment wasnt a bribe but covered a real estate deal to buy one acre of land he and then-Winnipeg mayor Sam Katz owned in Tartesso, Ariz. The Free Press | Newsletter Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Since the suit was split up into smaller components, the city is still pursuing legal action against other defendants. The appeal will be contested by the city, a spokesperson confirmed Tuesday. "The City of Winnipeg is aware (of) and will oppose the appeal," said Felicia Wiltshire, the citys communications director, in an emailed statement. Wiltshire declined further comment. joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga The Progressive Conservative government came under fire again Monday for a $500,000 pandemic grant given to GoodLocal, after the Manitoba e-commerce platform announced it would be downsizing. The Progressive Conservative government came under fire again Monday for a $500,000 pandemic grant given to GoodLocal, after the Manitoba e-commerce platform announced it would be downsizing. During question period Monday, St. Vital NDP MLA Jamie Moses questioned whether the half-million-dollar grant was good value for taxpayers in light of changes to its business operations. "Five-hundred-thousand dollars spread out to many different businesses would have gone a lot further than to one business that didnt even generate much in sales," Moses said. On May 26, GoodLocal, which is co-owned by Fort Whyte MLA Obby Khan, sent a letter to vendors saying it could no longer afford to store products for free at its warehouse, which would be relocated immediately. The e-commerce site was also taken offline for redevelopment. In December 2020, GoodLocal received a $500,000 grant to expand its warehouse, delivery services and website and hire a full-time marketing consultant to promote the platform, which had launched a month prior. The money flowed through the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce to GoodLocal. The chamber was tasked by the provincial government to run its COVID-19 pandemic relief program while many retailers were shuttered due to public health orders. Roughly 10 months later, Khan endorsed Heather Stefanson in her successful bid to become leader of the PC party. In January, he announced his candidacy for the Tory nomination in the Fort Whyte byelection. He was elected in a tight race in March. The Tories have since distanced themselves from the pandemic relief program, saying the chamber selected GoodLocal as the e-commerce platform of choice and awarded the contract to Khans business despite the province signing a contract that identified GoodLocal as the funding recipient. Economic Development Minister Cliff Cullen defended the grant and called the NDPs line of questioning a "smear campaign." The Free Press | Newsletter Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "The business is not shut down. The business continues to grow," Cullen said. "Manitobans and Manitoba business are benefiting from this investment." Khan did not respond to questions raised by the NDP in question period. When asked for comment from the Fort Whyte MLA, the PC party deferred to GoodLocal. In response to questions from the Free Press, GoodLocal provided a statement previously sent to customers. "Consumer habits are changing and due to the lifting of restrictions and the resumption of in-person shopping, the e-commerce landscape is changing with a dip in sales being experienced throughout North America," the statement reads in part. "This means we are needing to pivot our operations to better serve our vendors who continue to consistently use our services." According to the chamber, GoodLocal had 388 vendors and almost $850,000 in sales, plus $147,000 in gift card sales, during the grants reporting period. OTTAWA The federal government paid for round-the-clock security to try keeping pimps out of Winnipeg evacuation hotels after wildfires displaced First Nations from eastern Manitoba for three months last year. OTTAWA The federal government paid for round-the-clock security to try keeping "pimps" out of Winnipeg evacuation hotels after wildfires displaced First Nations from eastern Manitoba for three months last year. "It happens every single time, every year," according to Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre executive director Diane Redsky. "Criminals get excited about the opportunity to increase their drug sales and to see how many girls they can lure," she said. "Its nothing new." JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES It becomes known where these hotels are, and thats a market that criminals want to target and they do, says Diane Redsky, executive director at Ma Mawi Wi Itata Centre. In July 2021, residents of Pauingassi First Nation and neighbouring Little Grand Rapids First Nation were airlifted to Winnipeg as wildfires and heavy smoke spread around the remote, fly-in communities, both located about 275 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg. In interviews, evacuees raised concerns about the quality of food, children missing school and stipends they said were too low and left them relying on donated necessities. But a federal minister revealed this month that there were far more serious issues. "There was sex trafficking, and we had to fund a number of communities to go and provide perimeter security in Winnipeg, to keep pimps from going in and exploiting the vulnerable," Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller told the House status of women committee on May 20. MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES There was sex trafficking, and we had to fund a number of communities to go and provide perimeter security in Winnipeg, to keep pimps from going in and exploiting the vulnerable, Crown-Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller told the House status of women committee on May 20. Pauingassi Chief Roddy Owens confirmed that his band requested and received 24/7 security at the multiple hotel sites that his communitys 516 registered evacuees occupied from July 12 to Oct. 18 last year. They were often housed in Winnipeg alongside members of neighbouring Little Grand Rapids, who had roughly 1,000 evacuees. The Canadian Red Cross said Monday that more than 4,400 people evacuated from seven First Nations during various wildfires, to hotels in Winnipeg, Brandon and Thompson. The organization could not immediately list how many Winnipeg hotels were involved, but said it hires security for all evacuation responses it undertakes for Indigenous Services Canada. That federal department could not immediately say how much it had spent on security, or what policies it has in place for evacuee safety. For years, Redskys organization has partnered with the Red Cross to offer programming for evacuees on how to safely live in an urban setting. They teach girls and women to avoid people claiming that theyre family, or offering invitations to a party or a modelling photoshoot. KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Pauingassi First Nation Indian Reserve, northeast of Winnipeg, near the Manitoba-Ontario border just north of Little Grand Rapids. Those doing the exploitation often change their tactics, so Ma Mawi updates the training each year, even if its for a community that was evacuated less than a year ago. Part of the problem, Redsky said, is that evacuees are often sent to the same handful of hotels. Evacuees often tell Winnipeg relatives where theyre staying. "It becomes known where these hotels are, and thats a market that criminals want to target and they do," she said, adding her staff as well as members of Bear Clan Patrol have helped report people known to be involved in sex trafficking for lingering around hotels and speaking with girls. "They hang around these hotels; they would be drug dealers or those that are sexually exploiting, and sometimes theyre the same person," she said. "Criminals get excited about the opportunity to increase their drug sales and to see how many girls they can lure." Diane Redsky The criminals often wander the halls undetected, Redsky said. "Sometimes its the entire hotel that is being occupied by evacuees (who) can come and go as they wish." The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls highlighted the risks newcomers to urban settings face, particularly sex traffickers preying on girls the moment they step off buses arriving in Winnipeg. But the final report did not directly mention natural-disaster evacuees. In 2018, officials from the Island Lake region testified to Parliament that Winnipeg drug dealers offered "free samples" to evacuees in the summer of 2017, sparking a methamphetamine crisis in that community. They hang around these hotels; they would be drug dealers or those that are sexually exploiting, and sometimes theyre the same person. Diane Redsky An Island Lake band councillor said last summers wildfire evacuees were traumatized during their stay in Winnipeg, claiming a sexual offender was housed among them. "A known sexual offender was placed in the same large shelter as hundreds of women and children," St. Theresa Point band councillor Mary Jane Monias wrote to MPs. "Drug dealers were seen gathering at the shelter. In one case, a child was able to get outside the shelter and make it all the way to a city bus." Northern Manitoba NDP MP Niki Ashton said shes heard of numerous harms evacuees face, but was struck when Miller mentioned sexual exploitation, and said the issue needs to be examined in depth. SEAN KILPATRICK / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES The federal government was slow to offer the supports that these communities needed and security is the bare minimum, says northern Manitoba NDP MP Niki Ashton. "The federal government was slow to offer the supports that these communities needed and security is the bare minimum," said Ashton (ChurchillKeewatinook Aski), who pointed out that last summers evacuation lasted almost three months because Pauingassi and Little Grand Rapids both lack an all-season road, so it took Manitoba Hydro months to reach and fix damaged electricity poles. Redsky said shed like more support for organizations that train families on remote reserves about urban safety before they head south due to an evacuation, or for medical services or visits. That training includes how to interact when approached by a stranger, as well as safety using taxis and the risks of wandering a city at night. dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca The Free Press | Newsletter Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Fed up about repeatedly raising alarms their children are being subject to ongoing bullying, a group of mothers wants an overhaul of how staff in the River East Transcona School Division address incidents. Fed up about repeatedly raising alarms their children are being subject to ongoing bullying, a group of mothers wants an overhaul of how staff in the River East Transcona School Division address incidents. A handful of parents in the northeast corner of the city have disclosed similar concerns about the school divisions response to bullying in particular, protocols around sharing information about consequences and transparency to the Free Press. Carrie Johnson said she is tired of comforting her son because he is a constant target on the playground and, at the same time, being told teachers are doing everything they can to ensure his safety while unable to disclose exactly what that action is. "My boy has missed a whole lot of school because of the ongoing issues. Its a constant fight to get him to school," said Johnson, whose fourth grader attends Bernie Wolfe School. Several weeks into the academic year, one particular student in the 10-year-olds class started verbally abusing him for having autism, she said. Johnson said incidents are almost daily and have become physical, including the student punching her son in front of the class and bringing a toy gun to school to intimidate him outside a bathroom. A group of mothers wants an overhaul of how staff in the River East Transcona School Division address bullying. (Daniel Crump / Winnipeg Free Press files) Police have been involved more than once, but aside from the school reassuring her the students are being monitored and separated, although they remain in the same class, Johnson said staff will not share details about disciplinary measures taken, due to privacy reasons. "I can ask until Im blue in the face," the mother said, noting the incidents have become more severe and commonplace throughout 2021-22, leaving her to believe interventions are insufficient. Manitoba requires principals who believe a student has been harmed by bullying to contact their guardian as soon as reasonably possible. A principal cannot disclose the name or any personal identifying information about the pupil who engaged in unacceptable conduct, according to the Public Schools Act. However, the legislation states a school leader must provide information about the type of conduct that resulted in harm and "the steps taken to protect the pupils safety, including the nature of any disciplinary measures." RETSD staff typically investigate an incident after it occurs, collect data on it, and implement an intervention plan that is monitored and updated, said Tammy Mitchell, assistant superintendent of student services. The division must respect privacy legislation and cannot release details about any students individual plan or its contents without their parents signature, Mitchell said. Families can be assured school teams are following the RETSD code of conduct and implementing proactive and reactive intervention strategies, she said, adding it can take time to find the right intervention that works. Carrie Johnson is frustrated about the recurring bullying her Grade 4 son has experienced this year. (Supplied) "We encourage families who are involved with bullying on either side to work with their school team to trust that appropriate actions are taking place," she added. While Mitchell acknowledged chronic problems are frustrating for families, she noted every student has rights and schools are always working to ensure all children are safe. Sarah Bishop said her family has found the policies protect perpetrators rather than victims. "We feel at a complete loss. We dont have trust in the administrators at the school. We dont trust the school board. They are not dealing with things in a serious matter and continuing to cite confidentiality," said Bishop, who has a daughter in Grade 6 at Arthur Day School. Since autumn, her daughter has been subject to body shaming, violent threats made both in-person and via social media, property damage, and physical intimidation, the Winnipeg mother said. One student in her daughters grade has been the ringleader, Bishop said, noting police have gotten involved due to the severity of incidents. During one incident earlier this month, the mother said her daughter was harassed when she was walking home from school by peers and told the ringleader would stab her. A principal cannot disclose the name or any personal identifying information about the pupil who engaged in unacceptable conduct, according to the Public Schools Act. (Daniel Crump / Winnipeg Free Press files) Ongoing intimidation has resulted in the student missing a significant amount of class, according to her mother, who said the family is frustrated the schools safety suggestions for instance, paying for cabs, requiring the student enter the office upon arrival and always having a buddy present put onus on her as a victim. As far as Bishop is concerned, it is not fair her daughter is being alienated from peers due to the bullying. The Free Press | Newsletter Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Debra Pepler, a distinguished research professor of psychology at York University in Toronto who studies bullying prevention, said addressing chronic issues requires more than a safety plan for a student who is being intimidated and an individualized plan for the student engaging in poor behaviour. "Whats happening in the classroom to shift the peer dynamics and to build understanding, to build social-emotional development for the children who are witnessing and bystanding?" said the co-founder of PREVNet, an online website with bullying research and resources for educators. Pepler recommends school staff outline specific steps to address bullying to parents of children on all sides and provide frequent updates so families are confident educators are taking the issue seriously. There are ways to communicate both incidents and interventions without breaching privacy, she added. maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @macintoshmaggie Critical information held by the authorities about a persons history of violence, abuse or exploitation could be disclosed to their intimate partner under new legislation proposed by the Progressive Conservative government. Critical information held by the authorities about a persons history of violence, abuse or exploitation could be disclosed to their intimate partner under new legislation proposed by the Progressive Conservative government. Families Minister Rochelle Squires introduced The Disclosure to Protect Against Intimate Partner Violence Act on Monday. Bill 43 establishes a framework for the disclosure of sensitive information held by police or other public bodies regarding an intimate partner to an applicant in cases where their safety, or the safety of their children, is at risk. "It is important that Manitoba continue to address gender-based violence. Bill 43 empowers those concerned for their safety or the safety of their children with supports, safety planning and information to take the next steps that they determine are best for their family," Squires said during a press conference at the Manitoba legislature. Squires described the legislation as the "new generation" of Clares Law, a policy or statute used in other jurisdictions to ensure women and other vulnerable people are aware of an intimate partners history of violence or abuse. Such legislation was first adopted in the United Kingdom and named after Clare Wood, a British woman who was murdered in 2009 by her partner, who had a lengthy criminal record of sexual violence. JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata executive director Diane Redsky endorsed the proposed legislation, saying it responds to Calls for Justice of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. However, Squires said her bill goes farther than other jurisdictions by ensuring information about sexual violence and family violence can be disclosed, in addition to intimate partner violence records. Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata executive director Diane Redsky endorsed the proposed legislation, saying it responds to Calls for Justice of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. In addition to working on the front-lines with Ma Mawi, Redsky also serves as the chair of the urban working group for MMIWG National Action Plan development, mandated in the Calls for Justice. "This legislation works towards that transformational change that we need to happen at the grassroots level for the care and protection of Indigenous women and girls," Redsky said. "It is so important because it focuses in on prevention." Survivors of domestic and gendered violence often say if they had known of their partners violent past, they could have done more to protect themselves, seek support or prevent abuse for occurring in the first place, Redsky said. "We all know that knowledge is power power in the hands of women and gender-diverse people to protect themselves," she said, adding the province must ensure disclosure is easy for applicants and provided in a timely manner if legislation is to be successful. Squires said target turnaround times have yet to be established. However, she acknowledged speed is critical and service standards may be set out in regulation. JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Families Minister Rochelle Squires speaks to media during a scrum on May 30, 2022 at the Manitoba Legislative Building. Reporter: Danielle Da Silva Under the proposed legislation, a person who is concerned an intimate partner poses a safety risk can apply to the provincial government for information about their past. A provincial director would then assign a police agency to assist in reviewing the application and assess whether the applicant is at risk of intimate partner violence. The director and the police agency can disclose information following the assessment. The proposed legislation also allows specified individuals including those with power of attorney or parents to apply for disclosure information on behalf of another person. As a condition of receiving information under, the province would also conduct a risk assessment, create a safety plan for the applicant and offer them appropriate support and resources. The Free Press | Newsletter Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "It is understood that if anybody is making application under Clares Law there is significant concern already and that we want to connect them with the right resources," Squires said. Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen said there has been extensive consultation with police services and other justice officials to get compliance when it comes to disclosing records that would otherwise be subject to privacy laws. "It is important always to balance the right of information with the right to protect information," Goertzen said. "But the right to protect information should not come at the cost of those who might otherwise be vulnerable or be at harm because they cant access that information." NDP justice critic Nahanni Fontaine said the bill is necessary for women, gender-diverse people and families, but said many important details about the program are unclear. "Years of PC cuts to families and justice have left the departments understaffed," Fontaine (St. Johns) said in a statement. "It remains to be seen how the PCs will facilitate this law to make it effective while cutting the services families rely on." danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca Tom Flanagan last seen getting fired in 2013 by the CBC after defending child pornography as free speech was recently asked by the New York Post about his thoughts regarding unmarked graves at residential school sites. Opinion Tom Flanagan last seen getting fired in 2013 by the CBC after defending child pornography as "free speech" was recently asked by the New York Post about his thoughts regarding unmarked graves at residential school sites. "This is the biggest fake news story in Canadian history," the former political science professor/political adviser said last week. "All this about unmarked graves and missing children triggered a moral panic." The Post piece also features retired historian Jacques Rouillard, most known for arguing residential schools were not evidence of genocide, and fired academic Frances Widdowson, who has argued Indigenous cultures were "savage," neolithic" and "barbaric" before the graces of European civilization "advanced" them. The day before, the National Post published an opinion piece by Terry Glavin claiming the estimated 1,300 unmarked graves at residential schools were "sites of speculation," "unverified," and "in none of these places were any human remains unearthed." Glavin condemned journalists for causing a paranoia that resulted in a Canadian "reckoning" for residential schools, longing for a time when reporters would fact-check claims of residential school survivors, and dig up "truth" about childrens bodies and not create "national convulsions." This is what happens a year after one of the most important and uncomfortable struggles with addictions in Canadian history: denial. This is what happens a year after one of the most important and uncomfortable struggles with addictions in Canadian history: denial. Luckily as anyone knows about going through the process of recovery denial eventually gives away to honesty, acceptance, and growth. The problem is addiction accompanies ignorance, minimizing the problem, and blaming others. Change usually only happens when addicts reach rock bottom. Well, rock bottom for Canada comes in the form of old, irrelevant, out-of-touch and harmful academics, historians and columnists, it seems. The past year has been Canadas most crucial on the issue of residential schools and what to do to begin a path to reconciliation. The truth is: the full story regarding unmarked graves of residential school children may never be known. We are, after all, talking about old sites (some nearly 100 years old) and porous church record-keeping never mind the macabre fact of finding and excavating childrens bodies. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada researched and published on the starvation, abuse and violence at residential schools and how thousands of children went missing. What happened is obvious. No one should really need much more, nor be shocked when more information is unearthed. If anyone does need more, though, there are the testimonies of residential school survivors, many of whom identify deaths by disease, shoddy living conditions, and, yes, murder, did in fact happen. Canada is addicted to telling itself residential schools werent that bad, that there are redeeming parts to stealing and trying to assimilate children, that genocide didnt happen. Luckily, the spokespeople of Canadas addiction are now retiring, being fired or shown as irrelevant to the conversation Canada needs to have to determine its future. Still, the addiction lingers. Canada is addicted to telling itself residential schools werent that bad, that there are redeeming parts to stealing and trying to assimilate children, that genocide didnt happen. Its less than a year since the then-premier of Manitoba said: "The people who came here to this country, before it was a country and since, didnt come here to destroy anything. They came here to build." Federal party leaders Erin OToole, Jean Chretien and Stephen Harper have also said similar things. All have since retracted, reversed or minimized their comments. The past year has seen some of the most informed, competent, and critically aware journalism, research and commentary in Canadian history on residential schools precisely because most writers, academics and reporters have listened to Indigenous Peoples. Instead of filtering and controlling Indigenous voices, as in the past, this has meant Canadians have heard from elders, leaders, and knowledge keepers first-hand. The Free Press | Newsletter Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Part of the inescapable truth Indigenous peoples are saying is residential school is a part of a genocide and much of this violence continues today. Hearing from rich, elite Canadian men on whether they are convinced of Indigenous truth seems like asking those who benefit from ignorance, propaganda and lies to deconstruct that same system. Hearing from rich, elite Canadian men on whether they are convinced of Indigenous truth seems like asking those who benefit from ignorance, propaganda and lies to deconstruct that same system. Challenging those who deny Indigenous voices is a part of rebuilding the world as a peaceful and inclusive place. No one enjoys discomfort, but change aint easy. So, as deniers make one last-ditch attempt to catch your attention, know that the work to bring the stories of unmarked graves, residential schools and what to do next is worth it, because its a path away from addiction and towards growth. niigaan.sinclair@freepress.mb.ca A Winnipeg teen accused of killing his mother told police he had nothing to do with her death, a jury heard Monday. A Winnipeg teen accused of killing his mother told police he had nothing to do with her death, a jury heard Monday. As the first-degree murder trial continues, jurors viewed a 40-minute video interview the then-16-year-old gave to police, hours after his mothers body was found. The identity of the accused is protected under a publication ban, therefore the Free Press is also not naming the 51-year-old victim in this case. On March 26, 2019 hours after he called 911 to report hed found his mother bloody and unresponsive in her Winnipeg bedroom the teen agreed to be interviewed by city police. He was talking to homicide detectives as a witness, and hadnt yet been arrested or charged. The teen told Winnipeg Police Service homicide investigators he had no idea why this would happen to his mother, and said "No" through tears when Det. Sgt. Paul Barber asked him if he had anything to do with the crime. The teen told police hed been out running errands and returned home that morning to find blood spatter on his mothers closed bedroom door. He opened the door, turned on the light, and saw "she was laying there and she had blood all over her," the teen told investigators. The 911 operator advised him to remove pillows from the bed to make sure his mother was laying flat, and then tried to talk him through chest compressions, but the teen, sobbing, told police he hadnt been able to do them. He said he could tell his mother wasnt breathing. He told police he didnt wash his hands after finding her there. The night before she died, the teen had cooked dinner for his mother and bought her flowers. They watched a Winnipeg Jets game with the womans boyfriend, who left later that evening, and then she went to sleep, the teen said. He sent her several text messages showing "funny dogs." Later, when he had trouble sleeping, his mother soothed him, the teen told police. She came in "and laid down with me and played with my hair to make me fall asleep," he said during the interview. Barber asked the teen to recount what he had done that morning before he discovered the womans body. The teen said he woke up early, took the dog to daycare, changed the cabin air filter in his mothers car, and drove the vehicle to a series of retail locations, including a mall, and Walmart and Canadian Tire stores. Police reviewed video surveillance footage from each of those locations, as well as from the victims home, the jury was told. The teen said he assumed his mother was still sleeping and he texted her to let her know where he was. She never responded. The Free Press | Newsletter Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The teen also told investigators his mother had been off work due to health issues and had previously submitted a harassment complaint against a co-worker. That was the only person he could think of who might have harmed her, he told police. During cross-examination, defence lawyer Matt Gould questioned Barber about several aspects of the police investigation, including how long the teen was in police custody before he gave the interview. Barber testified the teen was not in police custody, because he had not been arrested or detained, and could have asked to leave at any time. He said the teen consented to the interview and declined to have anyone in the room with him. Gould also asked the WPS officer about the familys concerns about where the case was heading and information they provided to the police before any arrests were made. The teen was arrested in July 2019, more than four months after his mothers death. katie.may@freepress.mb.ca And fans of Molson Coors' Standard Lager, sold almost exclusively to Manitoban drinkers, will be disappointed to learn the brew is being discontinued this September . There may be good news for low-income earners: the Progessive Conservatives introduced legislation that allows cabinet to raise the minimum wage above the Consumer Price Index though the government did not say how much it might increase it. On one of my regular browsing excursions through Barnes & Noble, I came across a book display entitled Path to Personal Growth. Opinion On one of my regular browsing excursions through Barnes & Noble, I came across a book display entitled Path to Personal Growth. Prominent, of course, was How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegies famous self-help book, which has sold over 15 million copies since its publication in 1936. Arrayed around this classic volume were more modern offerings such as: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k, Unf**k Yourself, Calm the F**k Down, F**k Feelings and I Used to Be a Miserable F**k. What the (expletive) is going on? Is it possible that were overusing the F-word? Its the classic cuss word, and it packs more power into its four letters than any other. Much of its strength probably derives from its literal meaning, but its extraordinarily adaptable linguistically to uses that have nothing to do with sex. In its versatility, the F-word can express everything from insult (F**k off) to bewilderment (WTF?) to aggrieved resignation (Aw, f**k it), as well as a great deal in between. In short, the F-word is one of our most potent and adaptable words. But does its overuse threaten its power, like crying Wolf! once too often? So far, the word appears to retain its capacity to draw attention to itself, and thus the five books listed above, as well as many others, use it in their titles. And its still sufficiently outrageous and naughty to incline publishers to use asterisks instead of letters, as I do here. (The use of the asterisk is probably mildly ironic and facetious; few people over the age of eight are fooled.) And the word still has the capacity to elevate eyebrows, even if only slightly, especially in mixed company or among children. When Attorney General William Barr testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chair Lindsey Graham spent an inordinate amount of time reading from emails exchanged between former FBI agents Lisa Page and Peter Strzok. Graham quoted one of the emails aloud on national television: Trump is a f**king idiot, not bothering to bleep out the word in question. He immediately added, Sorry to the kids out there. So evidently the F-word still retains its power to shock and discomfit. But for how long? I started thinking about this a few years ago when I was teaching writing at a large community college in South Texas. I noticed one day that one of my classes of young freshmen was beginning to sound like the focsle (forward deck) of a navy destroyer. Many years ago, I was a Navy man, and I harbor no undue sanctimony about one of the most powerful cuss words in the language; I put it to use myself occasionally. The Free Press | Newsletter Winnipeg Gardener What you need to know now about gardening in Winnipeg. A monthly email from the Free Press with advice, ideas and tips to keep your outdoor and indoor plants growing. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. But my message for my students was twofold: first, any word loses its power through careless overuse; and, second, writing well (and speaking well) is largely about making choices. The precise, well-chosen word is a scalpel, not a hammer. And if you begin to use a hammer on everything, it doesnt do the hammer or its object any good. On the other hand, sometimes a hammer is just the right thing. Former president Donald Trump got it right when he first learned that a special counsel had been appointed to investigate the Trump campaigns connections with Russia. He reportedly slumped in his presidential chair and said, Im f**ked. So this versatile hammer can express despair, as well. And a version of this apt term is appropriate to describe what Trump did to our country and its democratic norms, as well as the despair that we might feel over his continuing threats against them. But its too soon for despair. George Orwell noted the connection between good writing and good thinking: careful, precise writing (and speaking) reinforces careful, precise thinking. Our country is currently in dire need of both. Which probably means that we should put the F-word to less frequent but better and more thoughtful use. As Trump knows, sometimes no other word will do. Its nice to have it there when we really need it. John M. Crisp an op-ed columnist for Tribune News Service, lives in Georgetown, Texas, and can be reached at jcrispcolumns@gmail.com. Tribune News Service Finance Minister Cameron Friesen, in his April 6 budget, responded to the widespread feeling that Manitobas Progressive Conservative government has provided less health care service to Manitobans when the public actually needed more. He increased spending in the most scandalously neglected parts of the health-care system, but did not give home-care service the additional support it needs. Finance Minister Cameron Friesen, in his April 6 budget, responded to the widespread feeling that Manitobas Progressive Conservative government has provided less health care service to Manitobans when the public actually needed more. He increased spending in the most scandalously neglected parts of the health-care system, but did not give home-care service the additional support it needs. The government came under fire during the COVID-19 pandemic on account of the October, 2020, outbreak at the Maples Personal Care Home, which infected 74 staff and 157 residents, of whom 56 died. The government found $32 million in this years budget for measures to improve personal care home service. MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Finance Minister Cameron Friesen increased health-care spending in his latest budget, but didn't give home-care service the additional support it needs. Critics had also complained about the shortage of intensive-care service. Manitoba shipped COVID-19 patients to other provinces to receive intensive care they needed that was not available here. The budget provided $9 million for expansion of intensive care units. In the same way, the government found new money for alleviating surgical backlogs, expanding the emergency department at St. Boniface Hospital, developing a mental-health strategy and building or expanding hospitals in rural Manitoba. Home-care service, however, was left to struggle on as a neglected branch of Manitoba health care. Home care is a precious service that, for minimal expense, gives patients the few hours of weekly care they need, in addition to the care provided by their families, in order to stay in their own homes. Regional health authorities hire workers and assign them to help patients who can be discharged from hospital as long as they receive a small amount of regular professional attention. Homecare service, however, was left to struggle on as a neglected branch of Manitoba health care. Plenty of frail people, or those with chronic ailments, would benefit from home-care service that would allow them to live safely at home. The dirty secret of Manitoba home care, however, is that you usually have to suffer a disaster requiring hospital admission before you become a candidate for home care. The pay is so poor and the work so difficult that the service is unable to attract and keep the workers it needs to serve its clients. In these conditions, home-care administrators have no possibility of going out looking for more people who need their services: they can barely handle the demands for service they already face to serve discharged hospital patients. The fiscal starvation of home care is a continuing scandal of the health-care system, but it does not generate political heat in the way the Maples Personal Care Home catastrophe and the inadequacy of intensive-care services did in pandemic conditions. Manitoba may need a wiser government than the one now in power to apply the money where it will do the most good, and not just where the political heat is most intense. JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES The government came under fire during the COVID-19 pandemic after the October, 2020, outbreak at the Maples Personal Care Home, which infected 74 staff and 157 residents, of whom 56 died. Home-care workers have to transport themselves to houses and apartments where they may encounter badly behaved pets or unhelpful family members. They have to visit districts where they might feel unsafe after dark. They have to provide service with one eye on the clock to be sure they get to all their appointments on time. As long as the pay falls short of the difficulties of the job, home care will remain understaffed and hospitals will continue to receive patients who could have been cared for better and more cheaply in their own homes. A government trying to spend public funds wisely should recognize that expansion of home care will be a great way to keep people safe and healthy at home and keep them out of hospital. An area man was arrested Sunday after police said he crashed a stolen vehicle in the town of Ironton and carried firearms onto the porch of a nearby occupied residence. Matthew T. Krumpos, 22, does not have a permanent address but has ties to both Baraboo and Portage, said Sauk County Sheriff Chip Meister. According to initial information released by the Sheriffs Office, Krumpos was driving a vehicle stolen from a Lake Delton residence southbound along La Rue Road near Frank Road when he failed to take a corner and hit the west side ditch. He then drove back on to the road before crossing the centerline and going into the east side ditch and became stuck in a field. Krumpos then walked to the nearby home, Meister said, with a long gun and a handgun while the resident called authorities about the crash. When a deputy arrived, Krumpos listened to commands to drop the long gun, but then ran out of sight along a side of the house while still carrying the handgun, according to the Sheriffs Office. The deputy heard a single shot, which was fired into the home, before Krumpos reappeared. The deputy was able to arrest him and he was taken to Sauk County Jail. Meister said the Sheriffs Office is recommending numerous charges to the Sauk County District Attorneys Office, such as endangering safety by reckless use of a firearm. Krumpos was also detained due to a hold from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections and the Sheriffs Office, as well as the Lake Delton Police Department, who are still investigating Krumpos. He may receive additional charges as a result, Meister said. Follow Bridget on Twitter @cookebridget or contact her at 608-745-3513. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A Lodi man accused of killing his passenger while driving south from the Automotion car show in Wisconsin Dells was released Friday on a $25,000 cash bond. Dawson Timothy Diego Enge, 20, faces felony charges of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle, homicide by use of a vehicle with a prohibited alcohol content, homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle, three counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety and misdemeanor offenses of causing injury due to drunken driving and while driving with a prohibited alcohol content. Enge was also charged with obstructing an officer. According to the criminal complaint, he told a responding deputy at the scene of the crash in the early morning hours of May 21 that his passenger, 23-year-old Drew A. Fjoser, of Rio, had been driving the vehicle. Enge was driving a Chevrolet Malibu just after 1:30 a.m. along U.S. Highway 12 in the town of Baraboo when the vehicle crossed the centerline and hit two other vehicles. Nicholas Pendelton, 18, of Mauston, was driving a 2021 Ford Bronco north from Baraboo and 20-year-old Emily Tillinger, of Wisconsin Dells, was following him in a 2014 Ford Focus. In interviews with police at the scene, Pendelton said he had gone around a slower vehicle in the right lane when he saw the bright lights of a vehicle in front of him before the car struck his Bronco and he blacked out. Tillinger had also driven into the left lane when she saw the Malibu strike Pendeltons vehicle. The Focus collided with the Bronco. Tillinger said she immediately exited her car and ran to Pendeltons vehicle to see if he was unharmed before approaching the men in the Malibu to ask the driver why he crossed the centerline. Pendelton was bleeding from his nose and mouth and later reported having a knee injury. Tillinger told authorities two days later that she had inflammation due to the physical trauma of the crash as well as bruising on multiple parts of her body. Both Tillinger and Pendelton told deputies that they were wearing seatbelts. A deputy arrived to find the Malibu in the east ditch of the highway. Enge was sitting in the passenger seat while people worked to extricate Fjoser from the backseat. According to the complaint, Enge initially told the deputy that Fjoser was the one who had been driving and that he did not know where his friend had gone, stating that it was not Fjoser in the backseat. Witnesses of the crash told the deputy that Enge had been driving. He was seated in the passenger seat with his feet still over the middle console. The deputy posited that Fjoser had been in the passenger seat not wearing a seatbelt during the crash and that Enge had pulled himself over to the other side of the car. A preliminary breath test on Enge found his alcohol level was 0.223%, according to the complaint. Fjoser was still breathing and taken to UW Hospital in Madison via MedFlight, where he died from his injuries. Enge was taken to St. Marys Hospital. He spoke to the deputy a day later and said he was unsure how much alcohol he had, but that he had been drinking beer during Automotion and again when he went to The Reef Club in Bobbers Island Grill in Wisconsin Dells, the complaint said. He said he was able to gain entry despite being underage to drink alcohol because he knew people who worked there, according to the complaint. Enge faces a maximum of more than 58 years in prison and up to 40 years of extended supervision. He made an initial court appearance Thursday, where Sauk County Circuit Court Judge Patricia Barrett set his bail. As conditions of his bond, Enge is required to maintain absolute sobriety. He is prohibited from entering any establishment where the primary purpose is the sale of alcohol, possessing alcohol and driving a vehicle. He was required to turn in his passport upon release from jail and is not allowed to possess any controlled substances without a valid prescription. Enge is scheduled to return to court Aug. 1. Follow Bridget on Twitter @cookebridget or contact her at 608-745-3513. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The only waterslide of its kind in the United States is now open at Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park. Medusas Slidewheel, a rotating waterslide inspired by similar attractions in Poland and China, was officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 28. Plans for the project began in 2019 and the slide was originally slated to open in 2021, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed its debut for one year. It truly was a dream, and now, its actually done, said Mt. Olympus owner Nick Laskaris. I cant wait to see all of our guests using it. I really liked the ride the first time I saw it going down the aisle at one of the trade shows, added Laskaris. I thought it was the most unique ride. You have to have a little vision in this town to survive and compete. This is going to really set the bar a lot higher. Laskaris expressed gratitude to the Bank of Mauston, village of Lake Delton, and the Wisconsin Dells Visitor and Convention Bureau (WDVCB) for financial and promotional assistance with the project. He described WDVCB President/CEO Romy Snyder as the greatest promoter I know. One of the things that we know always draws visitors back to Wisconsin Dells is having new, exciting attractions, said Snyder. Having anything that can be called first of its kind, only of its kind, makes such a huge impact on this area. According to the Mt. Olympus website, Medusas Slidewheel brings elements of a Ferris wheel to a waterslide. A pendulum movement while riding the slide, combined with the rotation and back-and-forth motion, gives the slide its unique experience. The Slidewheel project is Americas first and its totally one of a kind and going to be incredible for our area, said Tom Holtz, CEO of Holtz Builders Inc., the company which constructed the slide. The attraction, just from the roadside alone, you watch people slow down and say, What is that thing? Its going to do more for the Dells community than for Mt. Olympus alone. Medusas Slidewheel is part of a $23 million expansion of the indoor waterpark at Mt. Olympus, which was renamed Medusas Indoor Waterpark from Bay of Dreams. The expansion also includes a large swimming pool area as part of an additional 22,500-square-foot building attached to the original waterpark. It feels amazing, said Fofo Laskaris, Nicks daughter and director of marketing at Mt. Olympus. Its very special to us because its been so long and weve been waiting for this moment. In addition to officially unveiling the rotating slide, Medusas Slidewheel Project Team, which consists of 21 businesses, including Holtz Builders Inc., donated $26,900 to the Mayo Clinic in honor of Nick Laskaris and his wife, Eva, for cancer research. This entire team came together and is giving back to your charity, said Holtz. Thank you so much, said Eva Laskaris. It was a pleasure working with all of you again on another project. Holtz Builders, again, a seamless project. We met the deadline for Memorial Day weekend. Im glad Fofo had the opportunity to spearhead this project. Daryl Matzke, a representative from Ramaker, an architecture and engineering firm from Sauk City which was involved in the project and donation, lauded the staff and contractors for the team effort involved in construction of the slide and waterpark expansion, as well as Nick Laskaris. It was a great opportunity, said Matzke. Looking forward to the next one, and the next, and the next. Local fire departments, the high school band, and a community veterans organization spearheaded this years Memorial Day parade in Wisconsin Dells. The parade, which featured the Delton and Kilbourn fire squads, the Wisconsin Dells High School marching band, and American Legion Post 187, along with others, marched from Saint Cecilia Catholic Church in the city to Bowman Park. We are gathered here on Memorial Day to honor the memory of our fallen warriors who have given everything to their country, Mark Cobb, commander of the Wisconsin Dells-based Post 187, said in a speech at the park. We are also reminded on this day that brave men and women have always stepped forward to take the oath and allegiance as members of the American armed forces. After leaving the church, the parade turned west down Washington Avenue before marching north on Superior Street. The marchers and vehicles then turned right onto Broadway and headed to Bowman Road, where they made another right and gathered in the park. The band played the national anthem, America, the Beautiful, and Youre a Grand Old Flag, among other patriotic songs. Cobb then gave a tribute to the 13 U.S. servicemen who perished in an attack on the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan on Aug. 26, 2021, who ranged in ages from 20-31, along with the story of a Korean War veteran. They came from every background, yet they shared a common goal, to serve America and make life better for others, said Cobb. Cobb also said that over 1 million veterans have perished in American warfare, from the Revolutionary War to the global war on terrorism. He said those soldiers gave the supreme sacrifice so that U.S. citizens could cherish God, country, and family. I think our commander did an awesome job with his speech today, said Barbara Sigmund, president of American Legion Auxiliary in the city. It really hit the heart of what this is all about. The Bowman Park ceremony concluded with seven American Legion Post 187 members firing in salute. BURLINGTON Police agencies are tightening public access to records and information about public safety matters in Burlington and other communities, under the guidance of the top law enforcement officer in the county: District Attorney Tricia Hanson. The Burlington Police Department has imposed a near-total blackout on information about crime reports and investigations that either could result or have resulted in ongoing prosecution of suspects. That means residents could be left in the dark about occurrences as serious as assaults or robberies until after a suspect has been charged and gone through a trial a process that often takes several months and sometimes years. The new policy in Burlington was developed in consultation with the Racine County District Attorney's Office. Other police departments in the county say they, too, have been advised by the DA to withhold public disclosures on any case headed to court. That means that the public will not be allowed any information about criminal cases until trial, unless law enforcement officials choose to release information. The approach comes on the heels of numerous police-involved shootings and other incidents across the country including the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha in August 2020 and the shooting death of TyRese West in Mount Pleasant in June 2019 that stirred protests and have put the actions of law enforcement officers under an increasingly intense microscope. Sgt. Kristi Wilcox of the Racine Police Department said the district attorney "doesn't want anything released" to the public in cases that have not yet been decided by a judge or jury. "We're going to go with what the district attorney asks," Wilcox added. "We work hand in hand that way." Other police departments and prosecutors in Wisconsin, on the other hand, say they are continuing to provide greater transparency for the public and have not imposed an across-the-board policy of nondisclosure like officials have in Racine County. The state's open records law requires police departments and other government agencies to ensure public access to records under most circumstances, although police can withhold materials that are part of ongoing criminal investigations. With increasing regularity, this law has been interpreted locally to keep police reports regarding crimes from being publicly reviewed until long after the reports have been filed. The open records law, in setting out strict requirements for disclosure, sets out the state policy as follows: "All persons are entitled to the greatest possible information regarding the affairs of government." Open government advocates say Racine County's standing policy of withholding public police records and information is an overreach. It constitutes a misinterpretation, those advocates say, of a state law designed to protect sensitive police intelligence in isolated and limited cases. New rules called 'reckless' On Feb. 11, The Journal Times included a short report of a sexual assault that had been reported at Burlington High School. Details of the incident were sparse at the time, and police and prosecutors refused to disclose anything more including whether a suspect was in custody. After that, the blackouts started. The Burlington Police Department has since blacked out, or "redacted," from public scrutiny information on 94 police calls more than one a day, on average including information showing when the calls were received, where police were sent, and what sort of crime or other incident was reported. Burlington Police Sgt. Robert Jones later told the Journal Times that all such information would be redacted in the future from regular police-blotter reports available to the public. "We are redacting all police reports that are still under investigation or have yet to be adjudicated in court," Jones told a reporter. He cited a provision in the state's open records law, which establishes limited exceptions to the requirements for maintaining records for public inspection. One of those exceptions includes records that involve "a complaint, investigation or other circumstances that may lead to an enforcement action, administrative proceeding, arbitration proceeding or court proceeding." Jones said the department consulted with the Racine County District Attorney's Office in establishing the new policy. Bill Lueders, president of Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, called it "reckless" for police to keep the public uninformed about any case not yet decided in court. Lueders said state law does not allow police departments to categorically exempt all records in all cases from public scrutiny that are still awaiting a court decision. The law, he said, requires law enforcement officials to consider each such record individually and to apply a balancing test to gauge whether public transparency outweighs concerns about future prosecution. Certainly, Lueders said, by the time police records have been shared with defense attorneys as part of pre-trial discovery, there can be little argument that sharing the same records with the public would jeopardize a prosecutor's case. "Why should others not be able to see it?" he said. "To create a blanket policy runs a risk of running afoul of the law." Prior to February, rarely if ever the police blotter The Journal Times receives from the Burlington Police Department would have any incidents blacked out. The blotter would list a brief description about each incident the police department responded to: assaults, drunk driving incidents, minor traffic violations, noise complaints, bar fights, etc. Now, only non-criminal incidents are listed, with seemingly all others blacked out; if something non-criminal is blacked out, it is impossible to find out what it was. There are often months and sometimes years between when an investigation is effectively over and when a court case actually concludes. On May 16, a Milwaukee man George Pearson-Robb was sentenced for kidnapping two children and their pregnant mother overnight before stealing more than $40,000 from the Wells Fargo on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive where the mother was the bank manager. The bank robbery occurred on June 29, 2019; criminal charges were filed on July 11, 2019; and Pearson-Robb was found guilty by a jury Dec. 17, 2021. That leaves a 902-day gap between the initial crime and the jury actually finding Pearson-Robb guilty; and a 1,052-day gap between the initial crime and the case being officially considered closed. DA Hanson, who was elected in 2016, said she interprets the "court proceeding" exemption in the open records law to mean that police reports can be withheld from the public as long as a prosecution is either being contemplated or still in progress. Even after a suspect has been charged with a crime, Hanson said, the investigative work sometimes continues, allowing police records to remain under wraps. "That's exactly what the state law says," she said. Going dark Another barrier to public insight of police activity locally in recent years came in spring 2020. That's when Racine Police Department radios began to transmit on digital channels encrypted from the public, leaving public scanners silent. Handheld scanners and scanner apps available on most smartphones are no longer able to receive transmissions, leaving the general public deaf to unfolding events. The public can still listen to the scanner for other area departments, just not the RPD. 'That's not the DA's call. Those are not the DA's records' Criminal complaints also contain much more sparse information than actual police reports. Criminal complaints typically include somewhat brief recaps of the allegations and are rarely more than 10 pages. Police reports, however, can be dozens or more than 100 pages long. The complaints also frequently are not issued until days or weeks after police have detected and investigated alleged criminal activity. Hanson said she does not dictate how police departments handle their public records, but said she is involved in those decisions. She said she contacted Burlington police after The Journal Times reported on the Feb. 11 sexual assault report at the high school, which her office was still reviewing for possible charges. Saying that police should not have disclosed the sexual assault report to the public, Hanson said: "I can't have stuff like that going out. I contacted the chief and said 'This has to stop.'" The district attorney has since disclosed that she elected not to press any charges against a Burlington High School student accused of sexual assault. Other police department officials said they, too, withhold public records about police activity at the district attorney's direction. Wilcox, the RPD's public information officer, cited concerns about tainting future jury pools by releasing information and having news media coverage of sensitive details that could make it difficult to seat impartial jurors in criminal cases. Sturtevant Police Chief Sean Marschke said his department similarly keeps a lid on public records when police uncover something that could result in prosecution. Marschke said he checks with the district attorney's office before disclosing information in such instances. "We always check with them," he said of the DA's office. "They will advise whether it's to be released." The district attorney's office routinely discloses most of its criminal complaints, as new charges are announced against defendants. Those complaints typically provide brief summaries, but are not as detailed as police records. The complaints also frequently are not issued until days or weeks after police have detected and investigated alleged criminal activity. Some police departments distribute press releases as a way of alerting the public to significant or unusual incidents. The frequency of such releases, however, can vary greatly from department to department. Burlington city archives show five police press releases in the past five years, addressing a police officer's death in 2017, a small plane crash in 2020, a sex crime arrest in 2021, and two in the past week one for a child pornography arrest and another for a student having a mental health crisis who was taken into custody at Burlington High School. Burlington police currently average about 35 calls for service daily, or 13,000 a year. The department's annual report for last year shows reports of eight sex offenses, 44 assaults, six burglaries, two car thefts, 66 other thefts, 136 drug offenses, 31 frauds and one robbery. In contrast, the Racine County Sheriff's Office regularly issues releases about arrests and other critical incidents. On May 12, for example, the sheriffs office publicly released video of a man accused of OWI failing field sobriety tests. Burlington police officials sometimes invoke a need for a "DA authorization of release" when asked about such criminal activity. Hanson's office in the recent past has not responded to Journal Times requests for such authorization, and police have withheld records and information. There is nothing in state law that says police departments should not release information unless a prosecutor approves it. Another expert on Wisconsin's open records law said police departments should not be taking direction from an outside agency such as a district attorney's office on disclosing public records or information about police business. "That's not the DA's call. Those are not the DA's records," said Tom Kamenick, president of the Wisconsin Transparency Project, a law firm dedicated to combatting government secrecy. Kamenick called it "bizarre" that police departments in Racine County have adopted a policy of withholding public disclosure on criminal matters until a case is decided in court. Referring to the state's policy of open government, he said: "That's not how it works." School sex assault case cleared BURLINGTON A 17-year-old boy at Burlington High School will not face charges, after a female student accused him of sexually assaulting her. Racine County District Attorney Patricia Hanson said she declined to press charges in the incident, which occurred Dec. 16 under a stairwell at the school, 400 McCanna Parkway. The girl, whose age was not disclosed, reported the attack Feb. 11 after police and school officials questioned her about it. Hanson issued her no-charge decision on April 8, but she did not disclose it until Tuesday, after The Journal Times had requested information repeatedly about the matter. Burlington police also had refused to release records or disclose information about the incident without the district attorney's approval. The Journal Times reported on the incident in March based on limited information disclosed in a public police department blotter-style summary of calls for service. According to police records released Wednesday with the DA's approval, the girl student told police that the suspect grabbed her by the wrist about 11 a.m. Dec. 16 and pulled her under a stairwell where there were no security cameras inside the school. The suspect then grabbed her neck, forcibly kissed her and shoved her hand down inside his pants, she said. The suspect denied the accusations and told investigators that the two went under a stairwell together only to have a conversation while other students were in class. Police reports indicate that school surveillance video showed the girl walking out from under the stairwell, followed by the 17-year-old boy, and that the boy "appeared to briefly touch his pants as he walked away." Police recommended a charge of second-degree sexual assault of a child. In deciding against charging the suspect, Assistant District Attorney Diane Donohoo told police their investigative reports did not provide enough information to justify a charge. "Reading the reports, it is not clear what actually happened," she wrote. In an email disclosing the no-charge decision Tuesday to The Journal Times, Hanson copied Burlington police and told police that "reports can now be released" on the incident. Other communities Outside of Racine County, other prosecutors who spoke with The Journal Times said they do not practice withholding police records until a judge or jury reaches a verdict. "That is absolutely not my policy," said Milwaukee County Deputy District Attorney Karen Loebel. Loebel acknowledged that prosecutors often worry about public disclosures in pending cases and the possible effect of harming a victim's rights or tainting potential jurors. But she said police officials should conduct a balancing test that includes the public's right-to-know about crime in their community, and each such case should be decided separately. The Milwaukee County DA does not have an across-the-board policy, nor does the DA try to influence whether police withhold public records, Loebel said. "That's a law enforcement decision," she said. Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne agreed that police departments should be mindful of both the importance of protecting the integrity in ongoing cases and honoring the public's need to know. Ozanne said he, too, leaves it to police officials to decide their own approach to transparency. "This is a tough area," he said. "That's a balance that we have to strike." Alumni in the spotlight May 2022 Catch up on a wrap of Witsie awards, appointments and newsmakers from the past month. Awards The Goethe Institute announced that Wits alumna and director of the Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre, Avital Tali Nates (BA Hons 1994) has been awarded the 2022 Goethe Medal. Nates received the prestigious medal along with multimedia artist Mohamed Abla from Egypt, and two artists from the Sandbox Collective Nimi Ravindran and Shiva Pathak from India. Film producer Gabriella Blumberg (BAFT 2017) followed on the success of I am Here with another film Leemtes en Leegheid, which premiered at kykNETs Silwerskermfees. This film won Best Short Film, Best Script, and the Audience Choice Award. The main character is Magdaleen, who struggles to process the loss of her husband with whom she spent most of her life. Freelance video editor and Wits alumnus Rafael Ferrao (BA FT 2021) and friend Christian Botha were announced as the South African winners of The Cannes Young Lions Competition. The pair will represent the country at the 66th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity between 18 to 22 June 2022 in France. The winners for the 2022 South African Institute for Civil Engineers National IP Showdown were Liam Macgregor (BSc Eng 2022) and Ashley Randall (BSc Eng 2022) for their research, The Effect of Vermicompost on the Water Holding Capacity of Soil. Their study examined the potential to improve soil water retention using organic fertiliser. Sisanda Kubeka (BA DA 2021) was the first prize in the New Contrast National Poetry New Contrast Poetry Prize 2021 for her poem Suitcases. Appointments Cabinet approved the appointment of Shabeer Khan (BCom 2002) as the accountant-general at the National Treasury. Khan has been the CFO of the Department of Trade and Industry since 2013, where he achieved the first-ever and subsequent clean audits for the department. He started his career as an article clerk at Fazel and Associates in 2002. Khan was awarded the 2020 Public Sector CFO of the Year, Young CFO of the Year and a Compliance and Governance Award. MBA graduate Tumi Chamayou was appointed by MTN as the groups executive for its enterprise business unit. Italtile appointed Alex Motshwanetsi Mathole (LLB 1997) as an independent non-executive director with effect from 1 June 2022. Zaheer Bhikha (BEconSc 2002) has been appointed as head of product management at Glacier by Sanlam, effective 1 May 2022. Zaheer will be responsible for Glaciers solutions strategy. Before joining Glacier, Zaheer spent five years at the Liberty Group South Africa, where he was the head of investments and direct distribution. In this role, he was tasked with developing relationships with pension funds, large corporate companies and institutional clients with a view to growing the companys market share. Vuyile Dumisani Dlamini (LLB 1996) became the new permanent representative of Eswatini to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland. He had been serving as the legal advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Eswatini since February 2015. Gordon Wylie (GDE 1999) joined the board of Caledonia Mining Corporation as an independent non-executive director. Penelope Jabulile Mkhwanazi (BSc 2001) was appointed as senior vice president for revenue generation of Isuzu Motors South Africa. Dr Roger Dansey (MBBCh 1978, MM 1987, DOH 1987) appointed interim CEO of global biotech company Seagen. Murial Sokkie (BA 1992, PDip 1997) has been appointed as group chief of human capital at Aspen, the pharmaceutical company. Carlson Construction Group announced the appointment of Carlo Marengo (BSc Eng 1997) as its new chief executive officer. Newsmakers CEO of Anglo American, Duncan Wanblad (BSc Eng 1989, GDE 1997), said that mining can help SA build a new, clean and inclusive economy, during the Investing in African Mining Indaba held in Cape Town. Actress Zola Nombona (BA DA 2014) recently launched her own shapewear brand. Respected sociologist Professor Karl von Holdt (BA Hons 1988, PhD 2000) gave an inaugural lecture titled: The making and unmaking of social order: disorder, violence, trajectories. Professor Von Holdt said that South Africa is in a period of experimentation that will possibly, in perhaps another generation, form the politics that will be focused on getting problems fixed. President Xi Jinping meets with John Lee, the newly appointed sixth-term chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), in Beijing, capital of China, May 30, 2022. [Xinhua/Li Xueren] BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua) President Xi Jinping met with John Lee, the newly appointed sixth-term chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), on Monday in Beijing. Lee, who won the chief executive election on May 8, will assume office on July 1, 2022. Xi congratulated Lee on his election win and appointment by the central government. Praising Lee for maintaining the unwavering stance of loving the country and the HKSAR, being willing to assume responsibilities and actively performing his duties, Xi said Lee has made contributions to safeguarding national security and Hong Kong's prosperity and stability in various roles. "The central authorities give full affirmation to you and have full trust in you," Xi told Lee. Under the new electoral system, the HKSAR has successfully held elections of the Election Committee, the seventh-term Legislative Council and the sixth-term chief executive since last year. It has been proved that the new electoral system played a decisive role in implementing the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong," ensuring the position of Hong Kong people as their own masters, and facilitating a good environment in which all sectors of society work together for Hong Kong's development, Xi said. "This is a political and democratic system that is in line with the 'one country, two systems' principle and suited to Hong Kong's realities and needs for development," Xi said. "It must be cherished and upheld for a long time to come." This year marks the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. "Despite challenges over the past 25 years, the practice of 'one country, two systems' in Hong Kong has been a resounding success," Xi said. "The central authorities' resolve to fully and faithfully implement the principle of 'one country, two systems' has never wavered, still less will it change," he said. Thanks to the concerted efforts of the central government, the HKSAR government and the whole society, Hong Kong has achieved a major transition from chaos to order and is now at a crucial stage of advancing to prosperity, Xi noted. He said he believes that the new HKSAR government will bring new changes and Hong Kong will make new advances in its development. Senior officials including Han Zheng and Xia Baolong attended the meeting. President Xi Jinping meets with John Lee, the newly appointed sixth-term chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), in Beijing, capital of China, May 30, 2022. [Xinhua/Li Xueren] (Source: Xinhua) Bellevue is a city in Sarpy County located in the eastern suburbs of the U.S. state of Nebraska, right along the Missouri River. It is the third most populous city in Nebraska, with over 64,176 residents. Bellevue is the oldest city with continuous early French-Canadian settlements in Nebraska. The word Bellevue comes from the French word "Belle Vue," which means "beautiful view" because of the beautiful scenery of the rounded cliffs, or bluffs, surrounding the Missouri River. Bellevue is also known as the "Birthplace of Nebraska" as it was the first town established in this state in 1822. The city was incorporated in 1855. Geography Of Bellevue Bellevue is located in the eastern Sarpy County of the U.S. state of Nebraska. To its east, it is bounded by the Missouri River. The city is located at an elevation of 1115ft. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 16.02 square miles, making it the fourth largest city in Nebraska in terms of area. The city is divided into 15.85 square miles of land and 0.17 square miles of water. Bellevue is directly 8.04 miles southeast of the most populous city in Nebraska, Omaha, and 46.16 miles northeast of the capital of the state. Bellevue is a part of a bigger area called the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area, which consists of eight counties from both Nebraska and Iowa. Climate Of Bellevue According to the Koppen climate classification, Bellevue itself has a humid continental climate that is characterized by warm-humid summers and dry cold winters. The average annual temperature s 51.0F, where it fluctuates between 17F and 87F. The hot season is usually between May and September, while the cold season is between November and February. Bellevue experiences a wet season, most commonly between April and October. The rest of the months are characterized by a dry season. The annual amount of rainfall collected is 31.7 inches, with May recording the most amount of rainfall (4.4 inches). However, the annual amount of snow collected is 29.1 inches, with January recording the most amount of snow (7.1 inches). Bellevue is mostly cloudy between October and June. The rest of the year is characterized by a clear sky. Brief History Of Bellevue Bellevue was founded in 1822 as a trade center for the Missouri Fur Company. The main contributor to this company was Lucien Fontenelle. He was Bellevue's first permanent inhabitant. The fur trade declined and was abandoned from 1839 till 1842. The French Colonel Peter Sarpy, that was also a fur trader, established a fur company along the river from Bellevue in 1846. He was a successful businessman that helped plan and organize the city. Sarpy County was named in honor of him. Bellevue began to grow and prosper due to its distinct location on the Missouri River with access to the Platte River and started to have a mixed economy with a decline in the fur trade. As the state was opened for European and American settlements in 1854, the city experienced a building boom where churches, banks, private homes, and many other structures were built. From 1880 till 1940, Bellevue's population started to grow due to improved transportation access to Omaha. Bellevue experienced its biggest growth when Offutt Air Force Base was established. It accommodated the huge Martin bomber plant during World War II and the headquarter of the U.S. Strategic Air Command. This is where the city attracted civilians and warriors that made Bellevue their home of residence. The Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs were carried by planes made in the Offutt Air Force Base. Demographics And Economics Of Bellevue According to the United States Census Bureau, Bellevue has a total population of 64,176 as of 2020, with a median age of 34.9 years old. As of the racial distribution, the encompasses 6 main ethnic groups: 80.1% White, 5.9% African American, 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent, 3.1% Asian, 0.2% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander. The rest either have other races or a mix of two or more races. The Hispanic or Latino (of any race) makes up 16.6% of the population. English is spoken by 86% of the population. The rest speak Spanish (9.7%), Asian and Pacific Islander languages (2.1%), Indo-European languages (1.2%), and other foreign languages (1%). Only 46.2% of the population in Bellevue are naturalized U.S. citizens. And veterans make up 17.7% of Bellevue's population, of which 85.9% are males and 14.1% are females. As of the same 2020 Census, 63.2% of the population are employed, with a poverty rate of 9.1%. The homeownership rate in Bellevue is 63.4%, where the median gross rent cost is $1,010 per month, with a median household value of $165,900. Attractions In Bellevue Fontenelle Forest: Fontenelle Forest Nature Center and Neale Woods are two of Fontenelle Forest's nature facilities in Bellevue and Omaha, respectively. The property includes approximately 2,100 acres of forest, prairie, and wetlands along the Missouri River. The goal is to allow people to enjoy quiet nature and motivate future generations to take care of the environment and nature. Sarpy County Historical Museum: This free museum is located in Bellevue. It encompasses collections and artifacts related to the area's history and the first European settlements. Bellevue Little Theatre: The mission of this theatre is to create a dynamic community for the artists, performers, and interested community through vibrant theatrical productions and arts education. Bellevue Keno: This casino is a great stop for individuals to have a good time and play roulettes, blackjacks, and card games. Presbyterian Church of Bellevue: This is the first and oldest presbyterian church built in the state of Nebraska. It has a very unique and beautiful interior, especially for wedding ceremonies. We can conclude that this old settlement is a great historical and ecological center for anyone looking for a simple yet rewarding excursion. A police officer clears the makeshift memorial before the visit of President Joe Biden at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, Sunday. Man accused of wanton endangerment in shots-fired incident turns himself in to Paducah police UK City of Culture 2025 winner to be announced tonight by Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries UK City of Culture 2025 winner to be announced tonight in Coventry, with Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries will announce winner live on The One Show at about 7:20PM. Bradford, County Durham, Southampton and our own Wrexham County Borough are the running for the title This years competition received a record 20 initial bids from places across the UK Tonight the winner of the UK City of Culture 2025 will be crowned live on The One Show by Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries. Following months of intense competition, Bradford, County Durham, Southampton and Wrexham County Borough will find out if they will take on the prestigious title from Coventry as the UKs City of Culture. The winning city will be at the centre of the UKs cultural spotlight in 2025 and use culture as a catalyst for levelling up, attracting visitors to the area and sparking investment. Previous winners, including Hull and Derry-Londonderry, have shown the huge economic benefits the title can bring. Hull received 15 million in government investment to help build a lasting legacy, and 18 million of government funding in Coventry has led to a total of 172 million inward investment, funding music concerts, the UKs first permanent immersive digital art gallery, a new childrens play area in the centre of the city, and improvements to public transport. The status also brings together the local community, gives people new cultural experiences and attracts thousands of visitors. Coventry UK City of Culture 2021 used the title to transform the city through a spectacular year-long cultural programme, engaging an audience of over one million through more than 700 ticketed, unticketed and online events. Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: The UK City of Culture competition is a fantastic opportunity to shine a light on the contribution that art and culture make to all our lives. This title has been hotly contested and Ive been hugely impressed by the quality of all four shortlisted bids from Bradford, County Durham, Southampton and Wrexham County Borough. Winning the competition can boost investment, attract tens of thousands of visitors and bring the local community together for an unforgettable year. I wish the best of luck to everyone involved. The winner is approved by the Culture Secretary based on independent advice from a panel of experts led by TV writer-producer Sir Phil Redmond. The experts visited each of the four shortlisted places, Bradford, County Durham, Southampton, and Wrexham County Borough, to learn more about the bids before making their final recommendation. In the last 24 hours betting appears to be suspended on those taking markets, with Coventry being a clear winner ahead of time based off that data. Wrexham moved to joint favourite, then favourite, but then a last minute flurry of bets saw Bradford emerge as final favourite before markets closed. Warning NHS waiting lists could take up to seven years to return to pre-pandemic levels NHS waiting times could take up to seven years or more to return to pre-pandemic levels, the Auditor General for Wales has warned. A new report released today highlights the scale of the challenges facing the Welsh Government and the health system as it struggles to deal with the scale of demand. In February 2022 there were nearly 700,000 patients in Wales waiting for non-urgent treatment double the number two years earlier. Over half of the people currently waiting have yet to receive their first outpatient appointment meaning that they may not know what theyre suffering from and their care cannot be effectively prioritised. Despite the hundreds of thousands of people in Wales waiting to start treatment todays report notes that waiting times have not been met for many years. Audit Wales has warned that unless concerted action is taken, returning NHS waiting times to pre-pandemic levels could take up to seven years. Whilst referrals for a first outpatient appointment had been rising for years, they fell dramatically at the start of the 2020 and have not completely returned to pre-covid numbers. Audit Wales estimates that, compared to pre-pandemic numbers, there are 550,000 potentially missing referrals that could find their way back into the system. It warns that if even half of the potentially missing referrals need treating, this will have a major effect on waiting list recovery and would increase the risk of harm from delays in patients accessing the care they need. To help tackle the waiting times backlog the Welsh Government made an extra 200 million available during 2021-22, however, NHS bodies could not use it all. They bid for and were allocated 146 million, but 12.77 million was returned to the Welsh Government at the end of March 2022. NHS bodies cited staff capacity, lack of physical space and limited private capacity to carry out planned care as barriers to spending the additional funding. As part of its Transforming and Modernising Planned Care and Reducing Waits in Wales plan, the Welsh Government has now allocated an additional 185 million annual funding for four years up to the end of 2025-26. However Audit Wales said that whilst extra funding is needed, this alone will not solve the problems that the NHS faces. It says that serious barriers including the on-going impact of COVID on services, reducing the impact of emergency care on planned care service delivery and long-standing staff shortages and recruitment issues, need to be repaired. Adrian Crompton, Auditor General, said: The COVID-19 pandemic will leave the NHS with many enduring legacies not least the significant impact it has had on waiting times for planned care. Just as the NHS rose to the challenge of the pandemic, it will need to rise to the challenge of tackling a waiting list which has grown to huge proportions. Concerted action is going to be needed on many different fronts, and some long-standing challenges will need to be overcome. Additional money has been made available and it is imperative that it is used to best effect to ensure there are equitable and targeted approaches that meet the planned care needs of the people of Wales. Five recommendations have been put to the Welsh Government following the release of todays report, including: Working with health bodies to set appropriately ambitious delivery targets Producing a clear funding strategy including long term capital investment Developing a workforce plan to build and maintain planned care capacity Implementing system leadership arrangements to drive through the plan Ensuring its arrangements focus on managing clinical risks associated with long waits, supporting patients while they wait, and delivering care efficiently and effectively Commenting on todays report, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS, Plaid Cymrus spokesperson for health and care said: To see that funds were unspent proves how unsustainable and under-staffed our NHS desperately is. Without the right people in the right place, the Welsh Labour Government cant begin to effectively tackle the record waiting times. Whats frustrating is that weve been saying this for years long before we heard of COVID-19. The challenge now is much more than getting back to how things were before the pandemic our NHS needs to be put on a more sustainable footing and we need a more comprehensive plan that addresses all stages of a patients journey through the system, that joins up health with social care, and that has a clear focus on prevention. Welsh Conservative and Shadow Health Minister Russell George MS said the report will not fill the people of Wales with the confidence they need that their taxes are delivering positive health outcomes and that they have a well-functioning health service. He said: No one blames the hard-working doctors and nurses but the poor lack of planning from the Labour Government that occupy their time prioritising more politicians in Cardiff Bay than resolving the cataclysmic state of NHS waiting lists and the increased cost-of-living. It was a Labour health minister that said it would be foolish to have an NHS recovery plan before the end of the pandemic. This attitude has clearly been crucial in leading 1-in-5 people to be on an NHS waiting list, with 70,000 of them languishing in pain for over two years. Hopefully, this report is a wake-up call for the Labour Government to get a move on and show some leadership instead of leaving health boards to do all the heavy lifting. Labour need to get a grip on the NHS and stop breaking all the wrong records. Wrexham misses out on chance to host City of Culture 2025 Wrexham has narrowly missed out on the chance to City of Culture 2025. The town / soon to be city, lost out to Bradford to host the event in four years time as announced by Nadine Dorries above. News that they had won the bid for City of Culture 2025 was announced live on the One Show this evening. For the first time in the history of the UK City of Culture competition, each of the runners up will also receive a grant of 125,000 to support the bidding team in taking forward some of the most exciting elements of the bid. It marks the end of months of events that have taken place to showcase to the judges all that Wrexham has to offer, with the town-soon-to-be-city beating expectations to make the final four. Wrexham Council have said, We would like firstly to congratulate Bradford in winning the title as we know how much hard work is involved and were sure that Bradford will make a great success of their year as UK City of Culture. We look forward to visiting in 2025. As a county, and as a community, this competition has brought us all closer together and helped us realise just how special Wrexham is. We all have different backgrounds and different stories, but once we start joining the dots, were a strong, supportive and resilient community who look out and support each other. The work and achievements of the past few months has put us on a new trajectory that we aim to build upon over the coming years, creating an even more thriving community and generating opportunities in the process. Joanna Swash, CEO of Moneypenny and chair of Wrecsam City of Culture steering group said: Weve achieved so much in this short amount of time and have witnessed an outpouring of community and business support for the bid. Weve shown just how much drive and potential that Wrexham has to offer and we have a strong platform to build on this further in terms of culture, skills and innovation in our county. Cllr Mark Pritchard, Leader of Wrexham County Borough Council said: It has been a great to see our many achievements, community engagement and support for the bid, but for now, we will no longer proceed in the competition and wish Bradford the best of luck in their year as UK City of Culture in 2025 . We have now achieved city status for Wrexham and we look forward to realising the benefits that this will bring. Chair of Wrexham County Borough Council City of Culture steering group Cllr Hugh Jones said: As the only region on the shortlist from Wales, we flew the flag for our country as well as Wrexham. Achieving shortlist status has helped us raise the profile of Wrexham, but its also sparked momentum and given us a platform to build on for future. Ian Bancroft, Chief Executive of Wrexham County Borough Council, said: We have a much better understanding of what Wrexham culture is, and what culture means to Wrexham. Culture plays a part in peoples daily lives and has a capacity to change and improve our surroundings and wellbeing. We need to ensure that the links made during this competition as well as the learnings from it are not lost, and head towards a future where culture plays a key role in our planning and decision making for the benefit of our county. Wrexham Council have also announced work that will now take place including Committing to a significant event programme in 2023 and 2025, Publicising an update on what this will look like by July 2022, Use the momentum generated as part of the bit to take the county forward, further develop the important role that play has in Wrexham. Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: Congratulations to Bradford, which is a worthy winner of UK City of Culture 2025. Art and culture should be accessible to everyone and this prestigious title will help Bradford deliver unforgettable events for communities on their doorstep. There was stiff competition and I thank County Durham, Southampton and Wrexham County Borough for their excellent bids. Coventry has shown us how powerful the UK City of Culture title is at boosting investment, attracting visitors and leaving a lasting legacy for local people. Sir Phil Redmond, Chair of the Independent Advisory Panel, said: The selection is never about whether one bid is better than another, it is more that one bid has the potential to make a bigger and deliverable impact. For 2021 we asked Coventry to raise the bar previously set by Derry-Londonderry 2013 and then raised by Hull 2017. Challenged by the pandemic, Coventry have certainly done that and I am looking forward to seeing how far the cultural bar can be raised in BD25. More reaction shortly BEIRUT, May 30 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on Monday launched pilot projects in Lebanon to foster a green and circular business model. UNEP Representative and Regional Director for West Asia Sami Dimassi and Ghaida Nawam, president of Lebanese-based non-governmental organization Nusaned signed an agreement to launch the projects, the UN mission said in a statement. The projects would help design an integrated circular economy for the catering business of the Mar Mikhael - Gemmayze neighborhood in Beirut, such as reusing plastics and composting food waste. They would also "engage local communities to raise awareness and spark behavioral change," it said. The agreement falls within SwitchMed, an EU-funded green initiative fostering sustainable consumption and production patterns in eight South Mediterranean countries including Lebanon, said the UN mission. Noting that Nusaned became a UNEP-accredited organization this month, Nawam said her organization will partner with the local community and the restaurants in fulfilling a green change. UK rail conductors working for TransPennine Express (TPE) are continuing their Sunday walkouts begun February 13 over pay. The 270 workers plan to continue their strikes this coming Saturday and Sunday over the Queens Jubilee long weekend. Strikers on the picket line at Manchester Piccadilly (WSWS Media) The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union members voted 85 percent to strike for an end to the pay gap between themselves and their colleagues at sister company Northern Trains. With the introduction of new technology to scan tickets, conductors (also known as guards) at Northern are paid 2 pence a scana payment denied to TPE conductors. Among the attacks are changes to pay rates so Sunday would be considered part of the normal work week. At TPE, conductors want an enhanced flat payment of 250 and 275 for Rest Day Working and Sunday working restored. TPE is owned by multi-national FirstGroup, a British transport company headquartered in Aberdeen, Scotland that includes rail and bus services across the UK and Ireland. Its rail franchises in the UK include Avanti West Coast, Great Western Railway, and SouthWestern railway. FirstGroup runs the London Tramlink network on behalf of Transport for London, as well as being the largest bus operator in the UK. TPE operates rail routes to and through Manchester, linking major towns and cities in the north of England such as Liverpool, Sheffield, Leeds, York, Hull, Scarborough, Middlesborough, Newcastle, Glasgow and Edinburgh. WSWS reporters spoke to guards on 24-hour strike manning a picket line outside Manchester Piccadilly railway station. They explained the reasons for their strike and discussed conditions at TPE and the cost-of-living crisis. Reg explained, We are on strike over the use of technology. We do the same job with the same equipment as our sister company in the north, but they get 2p a ticket more. We are being pushed to the limit. I work 10 or 11 hours a shift plus travelling time. The company intrudes into family life. My overall pay is lower than it was 15 years ago, because of bonuses going. Our operator, however, made 100 million in a year. Regarding the recent national rail strike vote over pay, jobs and conditions that will be ripped up as part of the Johnson governments Great British Railways privatisation agenda, Reg said, The safety of the public is under attack. People who care about safety are being removed. They want people on zero hours contracts. Our shift patterns have got worse, Harry continued, They are slowly stripping away everything. We already have drivers opening doors instead of conductors. Theyre dragging us backwards. Its all about profits over safety. Were going back to Victorian times. The governor of the Bank of England said no to pay rises. Its easy for someone like that, so out of touch. If youve got no money, the square root of nothing is nothing. Regarding the cost-of-living crisis that is being intensified by the US/NATO war against Russia in Ukraine, Harry said, Putin was provoked into it by America. To fight the Tories [Conservatives], you have to fight the Tories in the Labour Party, he explained. Theres no real alternative to the Tories at the moment. But the power is with the people, we are the majority, if we are organised. TPE bosses have responded intransigently to the conductors fight, organising with other train operators to accept tickets marked AP TPE ONLY or TPE ONLY, as well as flexible ones. Yet the RMT has announced no solidarity action to undermine this blatant strike breaking. A guard from Northern Trains joined TPE workers on the picket line on Sunday, explaining his reasons for showing solidarity: We were emergency workers during the pandemic. Weve not had a pay rise for three years, but the companies have loads of money. Since the pandemic and the take-over by the government, theyre running services down, and blaming it all on the staff. Some half-hour services are now every hour. To get people on transport you need frequent services. Is it intentional to run services down? Piccadilly have lost 46 conductors. If you are a family person, you want Sundays off but if they cant cover it, you have to work. Another guard, Frank, also complained about services being run down, Manchester to Hull didnt have a service for seven hours one day. Dead right I want a national strike. 40,000 people [who voted for strike action on the rail network] are pissed off with this lot. Theres a list of booking offices that will be closed. Youre talking thousands of jobs. There are secret talks about First Bus selling out to an American company. We came out every day during the pandemic, risking our lives and our families lives. In October TPE shat on us. Barry, another TPE guard, said, Were on strike because the cost of living is atrocious. Were not asking for the world. The money [chancellor Rishi] Sunak is giving to help with energy costs is not going to put on the kettle. Its not just about wages, its about terms and conditions. We all want a national strike. According to BusinessLive, TPE reported profits of 72.1 million for the 12 month period ending March 31, 2021. While the company suffered losses of 3.5 million due to lost passenger revenue during the pandemic, the government stumped up a revenue subsidy from the Department for Transport of 325 million. Amidst the soaring profits of transport companies, passengers are also losing out. On March 1, train fares in England and Wales rose by up to 3.8 percent. Workers on the railways face a root and branch restructuring and reprivatisation, including 2.5 billion in cuts, as part of the planned Great British Railways. Thousands of jobs are threatened, along with pay, pensions, and conditions. Established roles that require essential skills and training, including in relation to health and safety, will be eviscerated. Driver Only Operated (DOO) trains are part of this agenda. DOO means guards will no longer perform operational and safety critical roles, with thousands of jobs at stake. Since 2016, rail workers have conducted an ongoing struggle against DOO. Merseyrail guards have recently voted down a company proposal brought to them by the RMT to remove conductors from train cabs and force drivers to open and close doors. Drivers at Merseyrail have previously honoured picket lines by guards, showing the depth of feeling on the issue. The RMT has sought to wear down this determined resistance, using divisive tactics and securing deals on a company-by-company basis which have watered down conductors safety-critical role. Prior to strikes beginning in 2016, large swathes of UK trains were already DOO. In spring 2021, the union agreed to remove door operations from guards at South Western Railway, after a bitter four year fight. The RMT claimed there was no option after the company ordered 90 new trains designed to work without a guard. At Scotrail in 2016, the RMT declared victory after sealing an agreement whereby drivers would open doors and guards close them, a precursor to removing door operations from guards altogether. It prevented a unified offensive of Scotrail with striking conductors at Southern Trains facing a scabbing operation. At West Midlands Trains in the winter of 2019, the RMT settled a deal whereby the driver opens doors, and the conductor closes them. The unions deal was a slap in the face after ASLEF drivers had honoured pickets by conductors, thwarting the companys strikebreaking operations. Both the RMT and train drivers union ASLEF have opposed unified national strike action to prevent the introduction of DOO, negotiating agreements that paved the way for its introduction. Their collusion has encouraged a renewed attack under GB Railways to remove guards from trains altogether. RMT leader Mick Lynch, at a mass meeting of RMT members in April, revealed that full DOO was back on the table. The RMTs response to last weeks resounding nationwide strike vote by guards, platform and ticketing staff and Network Rail employees was to plead with rail company executives to return to the negotiating table and revive collaboration via the governments Rail Industry Recovery Group. The fight at TransPennine Express must be taken forward as part of a political and industrial offensive to defeat the governments GB Railways agenda and unite every section of the working class in the fight for socialism, placing the major transport companies under public ownership and the democratic control of the working class. Are you a Minnesota nurse? Contact us to discuss the issues at stake in your contract fight. Contracts for 15,000 Minnesota nurses at 15 hospitals are heading towards expiration with no settlement for a new agreement in sight. Contracts for the majority of nurses at 12 hospitals in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro region expire May 31 while the contracts for the balance of nurses at three hospitals in Duluth, Minnesota are set to expire June 30. Allina Nurses on strike at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis-June 10, 2010 (WSWS) The Minnesota nurses contracts come amid a massive crisis in the health care system. Hospitals are plagued by unsafe staffing ratios, which have led to exhausting and dangerous workloads. They are further roiled by the pandemic and the corporate drive for profit at the expense of hospital workers and patients. Thousands of health care workers have entered into struggle over the past year. Nurses at St. Vincent Hospital in Massachusetts struck for 301 days. Hospital workers are currently on strike in Newark, New Jersey, and last week, mental health workers held a one-day strike at Minneapolis Allina and M Health Fairview hospitals. California has seen multiple health care strikes, including at Stanford Medical Center and Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles. Internationally, 10,000 health care workers went on strike in New Zealand and 15,000 in India. This mighty strike wave makes clear that health care workers are determined to fight for themselves and their patients. But in all these struggles, they have been undermined by the unions who subordinate them to the political parties that defend the capitalist profit system. Minnesota nurses, like health care workers everywhere, face understaffing problems, compounded by the pandemic, that lead to high levels of stress, burnout, depression and even suicide. Nurses often become the victims of patients when mental health issues erupt into violence. The failure of both the Trump and Biden administrations to pursue a scientifically based program of eradication to eliminate COVID-19, combined with false and conflicting information, has led to enormous confusion, especially among those forced to turn to crowded hospitals. Nurses and other health care workers have suffered the brunt of this abuse. Far-right forces have taken advantage of the confusion to accelerate it with their own conspiracy theories. Back in January, a fascist podcaster seized on the death of a COVID-19 patient at Allinas Mercy Hospital with the aim of stirring up a lynch-mob atmosphere against health care workers. Solutions to safe staffing ratios have long existed. But standing in the way is the capitalist profit system. CEOs and bankers who infest hospital boards are not troubled by the plight of health care workers nor the mass death from the pandemic. From their perspective, they plainly see that to increase staffing would add to labor costs and cut into profits. The Twin Cities Hospital Group, speaking on behalf of four health care systems involved in the negotiations, stated, We will continue to bring forth proposals that recognize ... the realities of the business environment... Well aware of the determined mood among workers, the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) has adopted some militant-sounding rhetoric in its negotiations. MNA President Mary Turner announced at the beginning of May, The profit-first policies of hospital CEOs have created a staffing and retention crisis, pushing nurses away from the bedside and putting the bottom line ahead of patient care. The record of the MNA But a review of the last 12 years makes it clear that the MNA has collaborated with managements profit-first policies. In 2010, 12,000 nurses voted overwhelmingly to launch an open-ended strike to win safe staffing ratios. But the credit rating agency, Moodys Investor Services, intervened to warn that the hospital systems would not be able to withstand a strike. Panic erupted in the corporate establishment. Essentially, nurses had Allina over the barrel and were in a strong position to advance their demands. The Minneapolis Star Tribune warned that long-term financial health would have been seriously threatened by the higher costs that would have come from the MNAs original contract demands on unproven nurse-to-patient staffing ratios, wages and benefits. Bowing before the profit needs of the health care monopolies, MNA officials withdrew their demands and called off the strike. Never again would the MNA allow a situation where the full force of the nurses could be brought to bear against the corporations. In the 2016 round of negotiations, the MNA sensed a new wave of militancy among nurses. Their solution was to divide nurses by signing contracts in advance at five of the hospital systems and leaving Allina nurses to fight alone. Despite the isolation, Allina nurses bravely conducted two strikes. But the MNA repeatedly brought back the companys same contract demands until nurses concluded the MNA would not fight for anything better, and the concessions were rammed through. In 2019, nurses were determined to conduct a united struggle and put the MNA on notice. The union felt compelled to give lip service to this sentiment and issued a letter promising to use the power of 12,000 nurses as one. But the MNA proceeded to dilute the strength of the nurses by announcing separate contract ratifications at different facilities in a chaotic, piecemeal and staggered fashion. No mass meetings were called to maintain the unity of the ranks. The MNA then rammed through another set of pro-company contracts. The Democrats Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act diversion During current negotiations, the MNA has been promoting the Democrats Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act as a solution to safe staffing ratios. The legislation, passed by the state house and backed by Governor Tim Walz, is a complete diversion. Not only is the proposal wholly inadequate, but the Democrats know the Republicans, who have a majority in the state senate, would never pass it. The chief aim of the legislation is to divert nurses from a direct struggle against the hospital corporations and both big-business parties. Rather than using their collective power in a fight against the profit-hungry corporation, the MNA wants nurses to beg the politicians for help that they will never receive. This was demonstrated during the contract struggle in 2010, when Democrat Paul Thissen, then a member of the Minnesota state house, told nurses if negotiations did not produce safe staffing ratios, the state legislature was ready to step in. Thissen, now an associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court, knew that the health care corporations would fervently oppose any interference with their profit prerogatives. In this, they were publicly backed by the Minneapolis Star Tribune. In an editorial entitled, Back away, legislators, the paper declared that lawmakers should stay out of this fight, and legislators should resist the urge to threaten regulation on matters better resolved in hospital boardrooms A set-in-statute staffing ratio is among the last things our health-care system needs... In the end, Thissen and the state legislature took no concrete measures to improve staffing levels. Returning to the present, what exactly is the Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act all about? It is not legislation to set safe staffing ratios. Instead, it sets up a joint committee of hospital management and direct care workersread those approved by the MNAwhich purports to assess staffing issues at the various hospitals and assign staffing ratios. While the direct care workers are supposed to be elected by health care workers, it is easy to see how the union will endeavor to get its people in place to collaborate with management. The result will be that safe staffing ratios suffer the proverbial death by committee. Similar labor-management committees on staffing, for example at Kaiser Permanente in California, function as little more than cost-cutting committees for management. There should be no illusions among nurses about the Democratic Party or figures like Bernie Sanders. The Biden administration is seeking to elevate the labor bureaucracy and facilitate union organizing, such as at Amazon, to place workers in a straitjacket that will frustrate and sell out their struggles. The World Socialist Web Site calls upon Minnesota nurses to establish rank-and-file committees independent of the MNA, the Democratic Party and management. These committees, democratically controlled by workers themselves, should unite nurses in the Twin Cities, Essentia nurses in Duluth, along with all other health care workers. The committees should also unite nurses with broader sections of workers, including autoworkers, steelworkers, teachers and miners who have been a part of a growing strike wave. In many cases, workers have established rank-and-file committees to prosecute their struggles. It was the independent mobilization of health care workers in defense of former Vanderbilt nurse RaDonda Vaught that prevented the state of Tennessee from sentencing her to prison for a medical error that was the product of the stresses that the profit system places on health care workers. Nurses have now established a national health care workers steering committee to assist in forming rank-and-file committees to defend those victimized by hospital management. The growing struggles of health care workers for good wages and working conditions should be fused with the fight to remove profit from medicine and establish a socialist system to guarantee the right of high-quality health care for all. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is in the middle of a two-week visit to the United States, with the stated aim of boosting trade and tourism, after NZ ditched almost all its COVID-19 restrictions and reopened the border. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern answers a question during a press conference at Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand. (Robert Kitchin/Pool Photo via AP) Ardern is accompanied by Trade Minister Damien OConnor and representatives from major NZ companies including dairy exporter Fonterra, meat processor Silver Fern Farms, and kiwifruit exporter Zespri. In a press release, Ardern made clear that the US relationship is fundamental to us in political and security terms too. She will meet President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday, and they will discuss New Zealands role in the US-NATO war against Russia, and in the growing preparations for war against China. It is Arderns second overseas trip since the pandemic began. Last month, she visited Japan, where she signed an intelligence-sharing agreement, helping to bring Japan into closer alignment with the US-led Five Eyes spy network. Arderns US visit has been overshadowed by the mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde. In response to these horrific events, she echoed the banal statements of Biden and other politicians, which are aimed at preventing any serious discussion of their underlying social and political causes. In her commencement address to Harvard University graduates last Thursday, and during an earlier appearance on the Late Show, Ardern was applauded for mentioning New Zealands gun control measures. The countrys parliament banned military-style assault rifles following the March 15, 2019 terror attack, in which fascist gunman Brenton Tarrant killed 51 people at two Christchurch mosques. In her Harvard speech, Ardern said nothing about the role of far-right politicians, including Donald Trump, in fuelling Tarrants ideology. Instead, she blamed the attack on social media and promoted her governments push for global internet censorship, dubbed the Christchurch Call to Action. Ardern lamented the declining influence of mainstream media outlets, that is, those which serve corporate interests, and urged social media companies to work with governments to develop responsible algorithms to stop disinformation. What this means in practice can be seen in New Zealand, where the Labour Party-led government has already boosted the powers and resources of the Office of the Censor to rapidly take down online content deemed extremist. The real target of such measures is not the far-right, but working people, who are moving to the left. New Zealand, like the US, is seething with class tensions. Ardern portrayed the country as a sort of identity politics paradise, telling her privileged audience: Almost 50 percent of our parliament are women, 20 percent are Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, and our deputy prime minister is a proud gay man. She did not mention that her diverse Labour-Greens coalition government has used the pandemic to engineer the biggest transfer of wealth from the working class to the rich in New Zealands history. Tens of billions of dollars have been handed to corporations and the banks, while real wages are going backwards amid the soaring cost of living. Nearly one in four children lives in poverty, while homelessness and reliance on charity are at record levels. Workers are seeking a means to fight back, with a nationwide strike by 10,000 healthcare workers held earlier this month. Low-paid hospital workers face chronic staff shortages, made worse by the constant stream of sick and dying COVID-19 patients. The New Zealand government is now following the US and other countries in removing all public health restrictions and allowing COVID to infect millions of people. While visiting the US, where hundreds are dying from the virus every day, Ardern promoted the lie that the pandemic is over, as she encouraged tourists to return to New Zealand. In an interview which was basically an advertorial for New Zealand, Late Show host Stephen Colbert congratulated Ardern on the countrys relatively low COVID death toll of more than 1,000 people in a country of five million. Ardern explained that this was because we decided that we would try and eliminate, just get rid of COVID, using lockdowns and border quarantine measures. Ardern said New Zealand had adopted this policy because we just couldnt stand the idea of our population being devastated when we could do something about it It was the right thing to do, it saved so many lives. She said the border had remained closed for the entirety of the pandemic, implying that the restrictions are being lifted now because the pandemic is over. Arderns presentation was false from start to finish. Her Labour Party-led government, supported by the nurses and teachers unions, initially opposed a nationwide lockdown. The measure was announced in late March 2020, not out of altruism, but because the ruling class feared a mass movement developing among tens of thousands of healthcare workers and others, who were demanding action to stop the virus. Ardern failed to mention that New Zealands elimination policy was abandoned last October, against the advice of public health experts, and that the Omicron variant has spread like wildfire. Following the instructions of the corporate and financial elite, which is totally unconcerned about protecting lives and views all public health measures as a barrier to profit-making, the NZ government has embraced the criminal policy of mass infection. Quarantine-free travel is resuming just as New Zealand is in the middle of a deadly surge, which is expected to get worse as the country heads into winter. The vast majority of the more than 1,100 COVID-related deaths happened in the last three months, following the reopening of schools for in-person learning. According to Worldometers, New Zealand recorded 20 COVID deaths per million in the past seven days, the eighth-highest weekly death rate in the world. More than one million people in the country have been infected, meaning there could be hundreds of thousands suffering from Long COVID. Seeking to minimise the danger posed by the virus, Ardern joked with Colbert about her own recent infection, saying she got COVID for Mothers Day from her partner, and she did not recommend it as a gift. The virus has, however, disrupted Arderns US trip. So far, three members of her delegation have tested positive, including Ministry of Foreign Affairs chief Chris Seed and Arderns chief press secretary Andrew Campbell. California Governor Gavin Newsom also revealed he had tested positive the day after meeting Ardern in San Francisco. Despite this spate of infections, Arderns meeting with Biden is still scheduled to go ahead. As the world hurtles towards war, Ardern told the media that she would encourage greater US engagement in the Pacific region. This is meant to push back against Chinas growing influence and to defend the NZ ruling classs own interests in its neo-colonial patch. Teachers, parents and students: Contact the World Socialist Web Site to send us statements of support for Catherine Brown, and tell us what the COVID-19 situation is in your classrooms. Over two weeks ago, on May 10, Seattle high school principal Catherine Brown was fired for informing families of changes to the districts COVID-19 guidelines and the consequences these changes would have on the school. The district fired Brown to prevent the further exposure of the fact that the COVID-19 guideline changes were intended to cover up transmission rates and further abandon mitigation measures. Cleveland STEM High School principal Catherine Brown (Seattle Public Schools) Principal Brown revealed what was at stake in an email sent May 10 to parents and staff of Cleveland STEM High School. The email said: I have been under investigation for an allegation that I disobeyed a directive. The specific allegation at issue is that I failed to follow a directive to withhold information about changes in COVID-19 contact tracing from the Cleveland community. While the process for determining if I will be subject to discipline for that is not yet complete, as you now know, SPS [Seattle Public Schools] has determined that I will not be the principal at Cleveland High School next year. Brown then pointed to the fact that the interviewing of individuals, including staff, to determine if a close contact occurred will only occur in a limited number of cases with this change [to the guidelines]. When Brown chose to inform families in January of the change to the guidelines, COVID-19 case numbers in Seattle were rising rapidly during the the Omicron surge. Over 50,000 students were sent back to in-person learning, even as 2,200 to 5,600 cases were confirmed each day in the city of Seattle. Hundreds of students were sent home each day due to COVID-19, and for the first three weeks of January, over 1,000 cases a week were reported on the Seattle Public Schools Covid Dashboard. From the week ending May 7 of this year to May 20, 1,675 COVID-19 cases were recorded by SPS, eclipsing the record set by the Omicron surge. But now, individual contact tracing is no longer offered, and the mask mandate has been abandoned since early March. Students who have tested positive are now able to return to school after only five days of quarantine, and students and staff are no longer required to be tested even if they are symptomatic. The guidelines recommend students and staff get tested if they are symptomatic. Under these protocols, it is nearly impossible to identify asymptomatic cases. As of May 27 the CDC reports at least 1,527 children have died from COVID-19, and more than 13 million children have been infected. These are only official counts, and with the lack of any systematic reporting, these numbers are undoubtedly far higher. The abandonment of safety measures creates enormous risks for huge numbers of children suffering from Long COVID. Many teachers, parents and school staff are outraged by Browns firing. On May 20, a protest was held in defense of Brown outside the high school. The principal set to replace Brown, Marni Campbell, withdrew her application hours before the protest began. Numerous parents and teachers left comments on social media in response to the firing of Brown, declaring it unbelievable! or this is such bs! One commenter observed, so they fired her for clearly communicating a change in district policy? Another parent spoke to the WSWS about the logic behind the mass infection policy. I just returned to work from having COVID after two and a half years. The lack of contact tracing is horrible. It all comes to money. They want to reopen the economy. So kids have to go somewhere in order for their parents to work. Victoria, a parent in Oregon, described the impact COVID-19 has had on her family. Im immunocompromised, and until recently, my 84-year-old mother had been living with us. Unfortunately, she had an injury and contracted COVID in a health care setting in February, and my immunocompromised youngest brother died of COVID in February. All vaxxed. Now that mom has had COVID, she can no longer stand or walk, so she is in a care facility. That said, we have been extremely cautious, and my daughter has been going to school online since the first shutdown. While she has done very well with online learning, and we love the online school her district has put together, she is in middle school and would love to return to classroom learning. I feel like our Department of Education here in Oregon has really failed students by suggesting, but not actually utilizing, all the layers in that layered approach to COVID safety that they keep referencing. Masks are suggested but not required, ventilation systems have been updated where possible with very little information on where it was possible or why it wasnt possible in places. I am trying to find a way to safely send my kid back to school, but her school doesnt allow students to eat outdoors, which seems to be a huge hole in that layered approach. Contact tracing is an important part of that layered approach. Japan didnt get access to vaccines as quickly as the US did, but their COVID numbers and deaths are far below ours, in part due to serious contact tracing practices. Its hard to feel that the school takes my childs safety seriously if they wont use the tools available to slow the spread of COVID; it is obvious that they dont take safety seriously if they decide to do even less and then hide the fact. The schools are supposed to be working with parents to support studentsand not just academically. I applaud this principal for taking her commitment to students and their families seriously and keeping families informed about changes that could impact their health and safety. As one of its first acts, the new Australian Labor government has refused the Murugappan Tamil refugee family permanent residency, instead granting insecure temporary bridging visas. Nadesalingam Murugappan, known as Nades, Kokilapathmapriya Nadesalingam, known as Priya, and their five-year-old Kopika and three-year-old Tharnicaa in 2021.[Credit: Facebook @solidaritywithBiloela] While this means that the family can soon return to Biloela, the Queensland regional working-class town whose residents led the fight for their freedom, the threat of deportation still hangs over them. This cynical political stunt is designed to create a gloss on Labors deepening of the bipartisan persecution of refugees, which the Keating Labor government initiated in the 1990s by introducing mandatory detention of all asylum seekers arriving by boat. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Saturday refused to answer questions about whether the government would grant the family permanent protection visas or residency. That is despite the government having the power to do so immediately via ministerial discretion. The temporary visas mean the family has limited rights and remain in legal limbo, with the continued threat of being denied refugee status and sent back to Sri Lanka, where they would face obvious danger. Moreover, Labor is thus maintaining the inhuman border protection regime, so tens of thousands of other people face the same horrors. While welcoming the governments move with relief, Priya Murugappan issued an appeal for all refugees to be protected. My prayer is that this government will make a change to the lives of every single refugee who comes here, she said. All refugees are survivors. They need hope. Treasurer Jim Chalmers, the acting immigration minister, said the family would reside lawfully in the community while they work to resolve their immigration status. But he emphasised: This government remains committed to Operation Sovereign Borders. That is the deployment of the navy to intercept refugee boats on the high seas and force them to turn back to the countries their passengers fled. The utter hypocrisy of the government posturing around the bridging visa was underscored on Tuesday, when it utilised the navy to force a boatload of asylum seekers back to Sri Lanka. The boat had been intercepted prior to the May 21 election. The then Prime Minister Scott Morrison publicised the naval operation through a text message to marginal seats, urging a vote for his government to supposedly protect the borders. Labor criticised this action from the right, claiming it endangered the military operation and politicised the bipartisan policy of repelling refugee boats. Chalmers reference to working towards the resolution of their immigration status shows the family could still be ruled unlawful non-citizens and deported. The father Nades, mother Priya and oldest daughter Kopika have all been refused asylum applications by the High Court. Tharnicaa, the youngest, who has spent most of her life imprisoned, was barred from even making a visa application. The family was arrested by the paramilitary Australian Border Force (ABF) in a pre-dawn raid at their home in Biloela on March 5, 2018. Their detention would have gone unreported had it not been for the tireless efforts of Biloela residents, who have mounted a national Home to Bilo campaign for their release. The previous Liberal-National Coalition government kept the family in some form of detention for more than four years, including on the notorious Christmas Island detention centre, located on an Indian Ocean Australian outpost some 1,500 kilometres from the mainland. The family has been languishing in community detention in Perth, the capital of Western Australia, since Tharnicaa, the youngest child, developed a life-threatening blood condition due to improper medical treatment. While carried out by the Coalition, the attacks against the family were conducted under measures implemented by previous Labor governments. In 2012 the Gillard Labor government struck an agreement with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse to return all Sri Lankan asylum seekers who reached Australia by boat. At least 700 were quickly deported, with reports surfacing that they were immediately arrested and some tortured or disappeared. Throughout the 2022 federal election campaign, the Socialist Equality Party called for the defence of asylum seekers as part of the fight for the unity of the international working class against the capitalist system to halt the drive to war, eliminate COVID-19 and arrest climate change. Our election statement insisted: To unify workers, all forms of racism and nationalism must be rejected, and the persecution of refugees and immigrants opposed. Workers must be able to live and work wherever they want with full citizenship rights. The Greens, who posture as refugee advocates, condemned the Labor government for turning the Sri Lankan boat back. That was, however, while pledging to restore stability to the political order by propping up the new government. That is in line with the Greens role from 2010 to 2013 in forming a de facto coalition with the Gillard government as it deported Sri Lankan refugees and reopened the offshore immigration prison camps on remote Pacific islands. Labors commitment to Operation Sovereign Borders is a key plank of its right-wing agenda, which consists of lining up behind the US war drive against China, and demanding sacrifices from the working class. The ongoing punitive treatment of the Murugappan family typifies the horrors inflicted on refugees across the globe. The fight for the familys freedom, and the freedom of millions of refugees internationally, must be based on the basic right of working people to live and work wherever they choose around the world. This is part of the common struggle against the capitalist profit system that maintains the national borders. On December 23, 2017, Babak Saidi, a 43-year-old man who suffered from schizophrenia, was picked up at his farm near Cardinal, Ontario, by his father and a family friend to be driven the 20 or so kilometers to the Morrisburg Provincial Police detachment, where he was required to report every Saturday between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. as part of a bail release program. The check-ins had passed without incident over the previous several months, but this time things would go horribly wrong. Babak Saidi and his sister Ellie At the station, after a short delay, Saidi was escorted into the detachment by two police officers. Once inside, he was informed he was under arrest for threatening a salesperson on his property a few days earlier. He acknowledged the incident but denied he had done anything wrong. He said he wanted to tell his father about the arrest and made for the exit. The officers, unaware his father was waiting outside, assumed he was attempting to flee. They grabbed Saidi. A struggle ensued, causing the three of them to spill through the door back onto the paved area in front of the building. Saidis father watched with mounting horror and disbelief as the struggle culminated tragically with one of the officers unloading his revolver five times into the body of his unarmed son. In the chaotic aftermath of the shooting, Saidis father and friend were told to wait for instructions at a nearby Tim Hortons coffee shop. Babaks sister, Elly Saidi, told CBC News, They waited for hours, and finally the police came. My dad asked the police, Where is my son? And the police officer told my dad, Sorry, your son is gone. According to Elly Saidi, 10 hours after the shooting, that remained the only detail the family had about Babaks untimely and violent deathan absence of information she said was unacceptable. Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) constables Luc Sarao and Meghan Shay, the two officers involved in the fatal altercation, were cleared of any wrongdoing following an investigation by Ontarios Special Investigations Unit (SIU). However, a coroners inquest into Saidis death concluded late last month that the OPP had totally deficient arrest planning for people with mental health problems. The SIU, a civilian law enforcement agency formed in 1990 in response to social tensions caused by an increasing number of black men being shot by police in the late 1980s, is required by law to investigate all interactions between civilians and police that involve either a fatality or a serious injury. If the SIU determines that the polices use of force broke the law, it is empowered to lay charges against the officer. The SIU reported that in the intervening 105 seconds between [Saidis] entry into the detachment and the shooting of [Saidi] there was no reasonable grounds to lay criminal charges against the officer who fired the fatal shots, despite the fact that Saidi was unarmed. Of the five bullets lodged in his body, the three that were fatal entered through his upper back. Charges are rarely pressed against officers who use deadly force across Canada. According to the Canadian Journal of Law and Society, Only cases involving the most egregious acts of brutality, coupled with strong forensic and witness evidence result in charges being laid. Video evidence showed the two officers wrestling Saidi to the ground, but the struggle continues out of frame and there is no sound when the shots are fired. Saidis postmortem by Eastern Ontario Regional Forensic Pathology Unit reads, He was brought down to the ground by two officers, punched in the head multiple times and may have been shot with a conducted energy weapon (CEW). Review of security camera footage of the incident showed no evidence that the CEW had a physiologic effect on [Saidi], although the final few seconds of the interaction were not captured on video. SIU director Tony Loparco admitted, At first blush, the wounds may raise some questions about the incident. But Loparco claimed the officer had little choice but to fire at close range since his own life was at risk, a common excused used by the police to justify their killings. A witness sent an email to the lead SIU investigator stating the officer was on his feet when he fired three shots execution style into Babaks upper back. Loparco claimed he relied on physical evidence to form an opinion because the eyewitness testimony was, by both the officers and civilians, for whatever reason, somewhat confused and or inaccurate. Over a 15-year period between 2005 and 2020, the SIU only recommended 180 officers in 159 incidents be charged out of more than 5,000 incidents it was called upon to investigate. Even in the unlikely event an officer is charged for using deadly force, they are further shielded by a court system that rarely convicts. It was found that of the officers charged by the SIU between 2005 and 2020, prosecutors withdrew the charges in over 25 percent of cases. For the cases which do proceed to trial, the most common outcome is an acquittal. Officers who are convicted are typically sentenced to a conditional or absolute discharge. In the 461 cases involving a fatal police encounter between 2000 and 2017, CBC News identified 18 cases where criminal charges were laid. Of these cases, there were just two convictions. Former Ontario ombudsman Andre Marin, who completed two reviews of the SIU during his tenure, laid blame on the Ontario government, headed by the Liberals until 2018, for the bodys toothlessness. The Ministry has allowed long standing issues impeding the SIU to fester. I am left with the impression the ministry does not want to consider any reforms that would be too distasteful to the policing community. The people of Ontario are the losers in all of this. The Ministry stance frustrates the promise of independent and strong civilian police oversight, thereby undermining public trust in policing, he concluded. Across Canada, a full 70 percent of the 461 people shot by cops between 2000 and 2017 suffered either from a mental illness or substance abuse issues, according to CBC News. The broadcasters Deadly Force database found a sharp increase in police killings during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 30 fatalities recorded following encounters with police during the first six months of 2020. This figure compared to 40 fatalities for the entire year in 2016, which was previously the deadliest year for police violence. Joanne MacIsaac, the sister of Michael MacIsaac , who was shot by police in 2013 after running naked in the middle of winter holding a table leg during a mental health crisis, told The Pointer in 2020, They cant say they dont know, they know, they just choose to ignore it. They are complicit. They are the reason this is happening. Nothing comes of these recommendations. The government is responsible for my brother's death. She continued, I think the SIU is doing exactly what politicians want it to do; which is to provide an aura of oversight as opposed to providing real transparent investigations into police actions. The refusal of governments and their agencies to hold police officers accountable has allowed killings to continue occurring on a regular basis. In February this year, Calgary Police Service officers shot and killed Latjor Tuel, a Sudanese man suffering from mental health problems linked to his experiences as a child soldier in the African countrys civil war. Tuel, who was carrying a stick and a knife at the time, was surrounded by police officers who opened fire after he allegedly attacked a police dog. WASHINGTON Three years ago, Congress raised the age requirement for tobacco products from 18 to 21 in order to make America a little healthier. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) championed the change, which he said would help stem the tide of early nicotine addiction among youth in Kentucky and across the nation. Though the tobacco industry embraced Tobacco 21 as an alternative to more aggressive measures, it was still a policy shift that showed Congress could take decisive action to protect public health. But after two teenagers in New York and Texas legally purchased firearms in order to slaughter more than 30 people for fun and despite the fact that gun injuries are the leading cause of death among children its unlikely Congress will make it illegal to sell guns to teenagers anytime soon. Licensed gun dealers can sell shotguns and rifles to 18-year-olds, but federal law restricts licensed handgun sales to buyers 21 and older. Unlicensed sellers people who arent professional gun dealers can sell handguns to anyone 18 or older. There are no federal age restrictions for unlicensed sales of long guns. The gunman who murdered 19 children and two adults in Uvalde, Texas, last week legally purchased two semi-automatic rifles from a licensed dealer days after his 18th birthday. Some states, such as Florida, have enacted new gun laws in response to mass murders. In 2018, after the Parkland school shooting in which a 19-year-old killed 17 people, Florida Republicans bucked gun rights groups and helped pass legislation banning gun sales to those under 21. But a bill raising the minimum age for gun-buying seems unlikely to get through Congress due to opposition from Republicans and gun groups like the National Rifle Association. I dont yet know exactly whats possible, whether the votes are there to raise the age, but were having a discussion about what we do about that specific profile. And its an encouraging conversation, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said Sunday on ABCs This Week. Story continues Murphy is spearheading a renewed round of bipartisan negotiation in the Senate that is focusing on narrowly tailored gun control measures, including proposals to bolster school security, enhance background checks and incentivize states to pass red flag laws that allow authorities to temporarily seize firearms from people who have been determined to be a danger to themselves or others. Its not clear yet which, if any, of these measures can gain at least 10 Republican votes to pass in the evenly divided Senate. Many Republicans told HuffPost last week they disliked the idea of raising the age requirement or doing anything at all. I got my first rifle for Christmas when I was 14, Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) said. You know, I think this is just not the time to be trying to change major policies. I think this is the time to mourn with the people that have lost loved ones to reflect and to try to figure out whats really causing these. And I dont think weve done that yet. Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) said he would be open to new legislation that could actually stop a mass shooter, but he didnt think disallowing licensed rifle sales to 18-year-olds would have prevented the recent mass shootings by 18-year-olds. Im not sure that the answer would be yes, just by changing the age, Burr said. If that were the case, we wouldnt have illegal purchases of tobacco or beer. Researchers have found that when states raised their legal drinking ages to 21 in the late 1970s and early 80s, alcohol consumption declined among the targeted age group, and motor vehicle crashes also fell. Congress raised the minimum age for tobacco products in 2019 based on expert guidance that it would reduce smoking. The cigarette maker Altria warned investors that it expected cigarette sales volume to fall by as much as 6% in 2020. Still, other Republicans also suggested that new federal gun laws would be powerless to stop determined 18-year-old mass murderers. Those who want to break the law will find a way to get around the law. Thats just the facts, Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) said. The fastest way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. Thats what happened in Texas, Daines said last week before it came to light that police officers in Uvalde waited almost an hour to confront the gunman. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) conceded that raising the minimum age required to buy an assault-style rifle could be something that prevents some [mass shootings] in some of these cases, but he argued other measures would be more effective, like boosting school security and passing red flag laws. Rubio also noted that the law his state passed raising the age at which one can buy a weapon is being challenged in court by the NRA. In 2008, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects an individuals right to own a gun. The Second Amendment and federal courts recent interpretations of it are big reasons its so hard to pass federal gun laws. The sale of tobacco, by contrast, has no such protections in the Constitution or elsewhere. The Senate is expected to hold a vote on gun reforms after it returns from recess next week. Democrats have vowed to move forward even if the group of bipartisan senators cannot reach an agreement. Meanwhile, House Democrats are preparing a package of broader gun control measures, including a bill that would raise the minimum age to 21 for licensed sales of semi-automatic rifles that can accept magazines with more than five rounds of ammunition. The age restriction would not apply to unlicensed sales or to military service members. The House action will likely not amount to much, because the Senate will ignore it. The push to increase the minimum age for tobacco purchases reflected a growing scientific understanding of the harmfulness of tobacco and the impressionableness of young peoples minds, said Matt Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. The science has grown to demonstrate that 18- to 21-year-olds still make decisions that they wont make later in life that have potentially devastating, harmful effects, he said. There isnt much willingness among Republicans to admit that easy access to guns might be harmful, much less that its worth legislating about, but attitudes can change. If anybody had proposed raising the age of tobacco products to 21 20 years ago, they would have been shut down immediately, Myers said. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. LAFAYETTE, La. The iconic makers of Tabasco recently discovered a painting of The Last Supper which features a bottle of its original Louisiana hot sauce hanging on the walls of a church near Lafeyette, Louisiana. The Last Supper typically depicts Jesus Christ eating with his 12 apostles and is a common scene in the Christian religion with the most famous version painted by Leonardo da Vinci. Tabasco, the globally famous Louisiana pepper sauce known by its red and green branding, sits in front of one of the disciples in the St. Joseph Catholic Church painting. A close-up of a relgious painting in St. Joseph Catholic Church in Parks, Louisiana, features a small bottle of Tabasco hot sauce. A close-up of a relgious painting in St. Joseph Catholic Church in Parks, Louisiana, features a small bottle of Tabasco hot sauce. The churchs pastor, Nicholas DuPre, said he heard rumors about the bottle when he arrived at St. Joseph in Parks, Louisiana, in 2019 from the previous pastor. He was like, Did you find that Tabasco bottle? And I was like, What? DuPre said. I heard it from him. I think I've heard it from a few other people, but I never really cared to go look for it. That was until DuPre received a letter from Shane Bernard, a curator and historian from the McIlhenny Co., which produces the hot sauce on Avery Island in Louisiana, who wrote to DuPre asking if an urban myth he heard about the painting was true. It is no myth, DuPre said in a Facebook post featuring a picture of Bernards letter and a closeup of the painting. Two days later, a large commemorative collectors bottle of Tabasco sauce arrived at DuPres doorstep. I highly advise looking for hidden bottles of Tabasco sauce in whatever art is hanging in your church, DuPre said on Facebook. DuPre said he hasnt decided what hell do with the commemorative bottle, but hes considering putting it in a vestibule with some directions for finding the bottle in the painting. The painting was commissioned around 2003 by the Rev. Bryce Sibley. Christie Hebert, the artist, said Sibley told her not to do an exact replica of the da Vinci painting. He wanted me to make it unique to our area, Hebert said. Story continues Sibley, who left the St. Joseph in 2008 and now teaches at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, said the church needed a facelift when he arrived in 2003, including new paint and artwork. Ive always liked the little human element from different works that I had seen, Sibley said. So I said well, 'Why don't we insert the bottle?' Ive been sort of touched by the way that people find the human element of the story so compelling. Edmund McIlhenny created Tabasco in 1868, according to the company's website. McIlhenny used small "cologne-type" bottles, green wax seal and sprinkler fitments to create the iconic packaging seen today. A sign directing visitors to attractions on Avery Island in Louisiana on June 4, 2018. Louisiana's Avery Island, a salt dome and the birthplace of Tabasco pepper sauce, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018. Tabasco peppers used to make McIlhenny Tabasco Sauce are shown inside the plant of Avery Island, Lousiana, on September 14, 2005. The sauce is made from a tabasco pepper mash that's been aged up to 3 years in oak barrels, mixed with high-grain all-natural vinegar and a small amount of Avery Island salt. "The sprinkler fitment was important because his pepper sauce was concentrated and best used when sprinkled, not poured," the website states. "Though we no longer seal our bottles with wax, the sauce inside is every bit as pungent as the one McIlhenny first bottled back in 1868." Contributing: Camille Fine, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Louisiana church has Tabasco hot sauce bottle in Last Supper painting Germany sent hardly any weapons to Ukraine since March, leaked documents show, as Putin pushed for a slowdown German Chancellor Olaf Scholz addresses journalists in Berlin on March 22. Michele Tantussi/AP Germany had said it would provide military support to Ukraine amid the war with Russia. But it has sent only two deliveries of light weapons since March, Welt am Sonntag reported. Russian President Vladimir Putin last week warned Germany against sending arms to Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin last week warned Germany not to provide further military support to Ukraine. But Germany has sent only two deliveries of weapons to Ukraine since March, documents obtained by the German publication Welt am Sonntag show. Welt and Insider share a parent company, Axel Springer. The German government has reduced its military support over the past few weeks, making two arms deliveries to Ukraine between March 30 and May 26, the documents show. Both shipments included small arms such as anti-tank mines. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has refused to supply German battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, the German tabloid Bild reported in April. (Bild is also an Axel Springer publication.) Ukraine asked Germany for Harpoon anti-ship missiles, but Germany did not grant the request, according to the documents obtained by Welt am Sonntag. "The information on specific arms deliveries is security-related and classified, so I ask for your understanding not to be able to provide more detailed information or confirm details," a spokesperson for Germany's defense ministry told the newspaper. The ministry did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. In a call on Saturday, Putin warned Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron against sending arms to Ukraine, saying it would risk "further destabilization of the situation." In response, Scholz and Macron asked the Russian leader to hold "serious" talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Scholz has faced harsh criticism over his response to the conflict in Ukraine. Though he has voiced support for the country, he has also held back on approving the transfer of heavy weapons. As Ukraine nears the 100-day mark since the start of the Russian invasion, it has continued asking Western allies for support to defend itself in the eastern Donbas region, which is under heavy attack. Read the original article on Business Insider hunter schafer Euphoria star Hunter Schafer is having none of your transphobia. The trans actor, model, and director went live on her Instagram account this weekend to call out a nightclub in Dusseldorf, Germany that wouldnt let her assistant in because she was trans. ... said my friend could not come in because shes trans Schafer is seen saying at the beginning of the video. Dont come to Silq, its not safe for transgender people, if youre in Dusseldorf, Germany. In the middle of the video, a fan comes up to Schafer and asks for a picture with her. Oh, thank you. Im actually very upset at this place right now, because theyre transphobic, she replied. Didnt let my assistant in because shes trans. They suck. You shouldnt go here. Internet, do what you do, take them out, she concludes. Silq quickly responded, posting a picture of a heart in the colors of the Trans Pride flag on its Instagram account, along with an apology to Schafer. Electronic music is love and not hate. Anyone who does not respect the principles of electronic music has no place in our colorful world, the message reads. We apologize at this point to Hunter Schafer and your company for the misunderstanding at our door in the night from Saturday to Sunday. This kind of thing has no place in our world and simply must not happen, the apology continues. We hereby expressly distance ourselves from any form of discrimination. After a conversation with the corresponding security employee, he was kicked out today. We, the Silq are and remain a LGBT-friendly club and look forward to many more great nights with you. While some are calling the post damage control, Schafer seems to have at least somewhat accepted the apology, liking Silqs Instagram post. RELATED | Dominic Fike Posted a Kiss With Hunter Schafer on His Instagram An Oklahoma man was arrested last week for his alleged role in the U.S. Capitol riot after one of his college fraternity brothers tipped off the FBI. Levi Roy Gable, 36, was arrested in Tulsa Thursday and charged with four misdemeanor counts of illegally entering the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and engaging in disruptive conduct. According to an FBI affidavit, in the days after the riot, Gables fraternity brother from roughly 15 years ago notified the FBI. He said hed seen a series of videos posted on Gables Facebook account that appeared to have been filmed from inside the Capitol. Levi Gable (Photo: U.S. Department of Justice) Levi Gable (Photo: U.S. Department of Justice) I was among the first people to make our way into the US Capitol Building, Gable said in one post, per the FBI. Those in the building first were there in protest of Vice President Mike Pences statement that he would not stand with the American people and challenge the results of 2020s stolen presidential election. The proof is undeniable for anyone who takes an objective look at the accusations of election fraud, provided you are looking somewhere other than the fake news and social media. FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2021 file photo police hold off supporters of former President Donald Trump as they tried to break into the Capitol. (Photo: Julio Cortez via Associated Press, File) FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2021 file photo police hold off supporters of former President Donald Trump as they tried to break into the Capitol. (Photo: Julio Cortez via Associated Press, File) Supporters of former President Donald Trump, spurred on by his lies that the 2020 election was rigged, laid siege to the Capitol in an effort to stop the certification of the election by Congress. After Pence refused to participate in the effort, Trump supporters denounced him. Some rioters at the Capitol were heard chanting for him to be hung. In an interview with the FBI on Jan. 21, 2021, Gable denied ever going inside the Capitol, the affidavit said. However, he admitted that he traveled to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 5 and attended the Jan. 6 rally that preceded the riot. The FBI said it obtained multiple surveillance videos that appeared to show Gable inside the building. Gable deleted his own Facebook posts and allegedly told the FBI he did so because he heard that Jan. 6 rallygoers were being harassed for attending. Story continues Gable was released from custody after agreeing to pay $10,000 should he miss any future court appearances, according to The Oklahoman. To date, more than 800 people have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the Capitol last year, including over 250 individuals who have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The FBI has received thousands of tips, many linked to the social media activity of rioters, and its investigation is ongoing. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Related... Jheovanny Gomez, seen here in a 2021 file photo, has been named the 2022 United Way of West Alabama campaign chair, a position that sets the annual campaign goal, helps identify funding sources and builds relationships with community leaders and corporate donors to garner financial support for the United Way's 26 partner agencies across West Alabama. Tuscaloosa restaurant owner and philanthropist Jheovanny Gomez will lead the 2022 United Way of West Alabamas fundraising efforts for the agencies it supports. Gomez, who helped begin the Jalapenos Mexican Grill chain of restaurants more than 20 years ago, will serve as this years campaign chair and lead the 41-member United Way campaign cabinet. Gomez and the cabinet will set the annual campaign goal, identify funding sources and build relationships with community leaders and corporate donors to garner the financial support for the United Ways 26 partner agencies across West Alabama. Jheovanny is an outstanding example of giving back in our community. We look forward to having him guide this years campaign to raise more support to impact one out of four people in our community, said Jackie Wuska, president and CEO of the United Way of West Alabama, in a news release announcing Gomezs selection as campaign chair. More: PEOPLE TO WATCH: Jheovanny Gomez gives back to a community that gave a career to him Gomez arrived in Tuscaloosa from his native South American country of Colombia in May 1999 to study English at the English Language Institute at the University of Alabama. He has since earned an associates degree in business administration from Shelton State Community College and helped launch one of the Tuscaloosa areas most popular eateries with Jalapenos Mexican Grill, a restaurant chain that began small in 2001 in downtown Tuscaloosa and has since expanded to three locations in Tuscaloosa and Northport. Jheovanny Gomez returns to his seat with his hall of fame induction plaque during the Tuscaloosa County Civic Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Oct. 21, 2021, at the Tuscaloosa River Market. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.] Along the way, Gomez has served in volunteer or leadership roles in various organizations, including the Diverse Business Council of West Alabama, the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama, the Druid City Business League, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of West Alabama, during which he was named National Board Member of the Year while service as president of the local organization. Gomez currently serves on boards for a variety of agencies and institutions, including the Tuscaloosa Education Foundation, the United Way of West Alabama, Truist Bank, the University of Alabamas College of Continuing Studies, Shelton State Foundation, the Department of Human Resources of Tuscaloosa County, the DCH Foundation, Hospice of West Alabama, and the PARA Foundation. Story continues And, in 2021 alone, Gomez was inducted into the Tuscaloosa County Civic Hall of Fame and chosen by the Tuscaloosa County Park and Recreation Authority as one of three grand marshals for the West Alabama Christmas Parade. Jheovanny is always looking for ways he can make a difference, Wuska said. When he sees a need or a way to make things better, he makes it happen. Last year, Gomez told The Tuscaloosa News that he sees his volunteerism and philanthropy as his responsibility to a city and area that has helped make him a success. Its hard for me to say no because of the community support, Gomez said. I see it as an obligation to go above and beyond for a community that has given me so much. This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Jheovanny Gomez to chair local United Way fundraising efforts Actor Johnny Depp apparently put on a surprise performance at a concert in the United Kingdom on Sunday night as jury deliberation continues in the defamation trial involving Depp and his former wife, actress Amber Heard. Depp took the stage alongside Jeff Beck at a show at Sheffield City Hall in Sheffield. The duo performed three songs together, including John Legends Isolation, with Depp singing and playing guitar. The song, which they debuted in April 2020, is the first single the two have released together. Johnny and I have been working on music together for a while now and we recorded this track during our time in the studio last year, Beck had said in a statement posted to Instagram at the time. He added, Youll be hearing more from Johnny and me in a little while but until then we hope you find some comfort and solidarity in our take on this Lennon classic. The performance appeared to have caught fans, and venue staff, off guard. Wellwhat a surprise we got last night when Johnny Depp joined @jeffbeckmusic on stage, Sheffield City Hall tweeted along with a video of the performance. Wishing @jeffbeckmusic good luck for the rest of his amazing tour and a big thank you to Johnny Depp for joining us! Depps performance comes as hes awaiting the verdict in his $50 million trial against Heard. The Pirates of the Caribbean star sued following an op-ed his ex-wife wrote in which she made allegations of sexual violence against him. In return, Heard filed a counterclaim of $100 million against Depp, claiming damage to her reputation. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Winner of the best screenplay award in Cannes Un Certain Regard competition, Palestinian-Israeli writer-director Maha Hajs serio-comic Mediterranean Fever explores a complicated friendship-enmity call it a frenmity between two middle-aged neighbors, adeptly played by Amer Hlehel and Ashraf Farah. Concerned mostly with domestic life, mental health, crime and class, this is one of those relatively rare features from either Palestine or Israel thats not completely marinated in politics, history and religion, only lightly spiced. (Although it was dedicated to the recently slain journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed by Israeli soldiers earlier this month.) The detachment in the film itself from the heavier usual themes could cut both ways in commercial terms, but theres no doubt that this enhances Hajs reputation as a wry observer of contemporary Middle Eastern mores. More from The Hollywood Reporter Main protagonist Waleed (Hlehel, from Hajs previous Personal Affairs as well as Hany Abu-Assads The Idol and Paradise Now) is married to a nurse, Ola (Anat Hadid), and father to a couple of grade-school kids always in the background. An aspiring novelist, he recently gave up paid employment to pursue that dream. Even though hes seeing a psychiatrist for depression, Waleed is resistant to taking medication for it. Indeed, he is quite an ornery, strong-willed character, as illustrated by a scene where he refuses to sign an ethnicity form because it insists he must specify his religion, Christian or Muslim. Just describing himself as Palestinian isnt an option, much to his distaste. Like many writers, Waleed spends a great deal of time at home staring at a blank computer screen and letting himself get distracted, by the news on TV, for example, or noise from the neighbors. This leads to a tense introduction to Jalal (Farah), the father of the family thats just moved in across the hallway. Story continues Jalal annoys Waleed by playing slushy pop ballads at full volume at all hours of the day, knocks on Waleeds door late at night to borrow things, and has two large frightening dogs. And yet he somehow just brushes off Waleeds obvious annoyance with him as if he hasnt even noticed; he maintains a veneer of jovial, laid-back friendliness, seeing similarities between himself and Waleed where the other can only see differences. When he learns that Waleed is a writer, Jalal exclaims cheerfully that he too lives off his wifes money and invites him to have coffee and homemade honey cake. However, Jalal is not quite the shiftless layabout he first appears to be. For starters, hes more refined than he seems, as indicated by the fact that hes named his dogs after famous classical Arab poets, even though he professes to have no interest in Palestinian identity and politics. It gradually becomes clear that Jalal has connections to the criminal underworld in a low-level way. This intrigues nebbishy Waleed, who asks if he can shadow Jalal on his daily rounds because hes supposedly writing a crime novel. The two end up spending many days together, driving around as Jalal shakes down people who owe him money so he can pay back some bigger, scarier gangsters with whom he has debts. Also, Jalal sometimes stops off for a quickie with his younger mistress (Shaden Kanboura), a secret Waleed now feels complicit keeping. But over time, the two men develop a real friendship, strong enough for Waleed to ask Jalal to do him a massive favor that must also remain a secret. Haj builds the story up with small jenga blocks of humor and well-observed vignettes, so soft and gentle that its barely noticeable when the tower starts to teeter with dread as the stakes get higher and the threat of violence more distinct. The last stretch effortlessly segues into a plot twist thats signaled but sort of shocking nevertheless, all of which comes off without a hitch thanks to the lead actors precisely controlled performances and the directors deft touch. Editor Veronique Langes pacing maintains the delicate balance between comedy and darker drama throughout. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Click here to read the full article. If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission. Its a big week for members of the British royal family. Queen Elizabeth IIs Platinum Jubilee celebrations are finally here, and were eager to see all the photos from Trooping the Colour, the star-studded concert, and so much more. But theres another occasion members of the royal family, including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, will be celebrating the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs daughter, Lilibet, turns one on June 4, and her birthday party will reportedly involve some significant members of the royal family. More from SheKnows According to a new report from the Daily Mail, Queen Elizabeth II will likely meet little Lilbet at her first birthday party this weekend. The long-reigning monarch, whos celebrating 70 years on the throne, reportedly wont attend her engagement at the Derby horse races at Epsom in order to stop by Frogmore Cottage to spend some quality time with her great-granddaughter. The queens daughter, Princess Anne, will attend the sporting event in the monarchs stead, giving the queen the full day to bond with her great-granddaughter and reconnect with Prince Harrys family. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's exit turned out to be a bigger loss than the palace expected. https://t.co/PJtSuqD0XG SheKnows (@SheKnows) May 30, 2022 Click here to read the full article. We already knew Harry and Meghans daughter would be celebrating her milestone birthday amid the queens Platinum Jubilee celebrations. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex traveled from their home in Santa Barbara for the first time as a family, bringing along Lilibet and son Archie, 3, for their very first trip to the United Kingdom. Harry and Meghan are keeping a fairly low-profile during this weeks celebrations, but will have a number of opportunities to reconnect with the royal family throughout the week. Story continues Most importantly, though, were really glad to know Queen Elizabeth will have some one-on-one time with her great-granddaughter and that prying cameras wont have access to this very special moment. Lilibets first birthday sounds like it will be full of love and family. We can only imagine what a touching occasion it will be when Queen Elizabeth finally meets her namesake. The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor the Truth and the Turmoil by Tina Brown Image: Crown - Credit: Crown. Crown. Even as casual British royal family observers, theres still so much we dont know about what happens in the House of Windsor. 2022 is poised to be a memorable year for the royal family. But with historic highs come lows and pitfalls. Royal biographer Tina Brown takes readers from the troubling years following Princess Dianas death, to the rift between Princes William and Harry, the scandals of Prince Andrew, and Queen Elizabeths steady resolve through it all in The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor the Truth and the Turmoil. Browns book features new, intimate details about the royal family, and contemplates how the House of Windsor moves into a new era. Buy: The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor the Truth and the Turmoil by Tina Brown $21.64 Before you go, click here to see the 100 best photos of the royal family from the past 20 years. Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Launch Gallery: The All-Time Most Romantic Photos of Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Best of SheKnows Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Gareth Bale has joined the Wales camp with manager Robert Page delighted that Real Madrid fans showed their class to the five-time Champions League winner. Bale became the first British player to win the Champions League on five occasions when Real beat Liverpool in Paris on Saturday. The Wales captain was a non-playing substitute at the Stade de France, a symbol of how far his stock has fallen at Real during the final season of his nine-year stay in Spain. Bale has been targeted by Real fans and the Madrid media in recent seasons amid claims that he has been more interested in playing golf and for Wales, rather than for the 14-time European champions. But Bale was cheered by Real fans when Carlo Ancelottis squad paraded the Champions League trophy at the Bernabeu on Sunday, and the 32-year-old responded by raising his hand in appreciation before signing autographs. I thought they showed class and rightly so for what hes achieved for that football club, said Page, who revealed Bale had travelled to Wales training camp in Portugal before the squad flew to Poland for Wednesdays Nations League opener. You look back to what hes done, scoring winners in Champions League finals and in the manner in which hes done it. What an achievement for him personally to be a part of that group of people, that team thats achieved that, is phenomenal. Not many players can say theyve done that, so credit to him. He deserves all the plaudits, absolutely. Story continues Hes in good spirits as he always is. He was adamant he was meeting the players in Portugal to fly to Poland with them, which speaks volumes. He wanted to be with the squad as soon as possible. Hes as humble as ever, hes met up with the group and hes been first class right away. Alongside the likes of Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen, Bale is likely to be wrapped in cotton wool in Wroclaw ahead of Wales World Cup play-off final with Scotland or Ukraine. Page is set to name an experimental side given that just four days later Wales could qualify for their first World Cup since 1958. Its risk and reward, Page said on selection. The biggest game weve got is on Sunday and thats no disrespect to Poland whatsoever. Were going to show them complete respect, but wed be mad to jeopardise our top, top players. Brennan Johnson is definitely missing as Page has rested him after Nottingham Forest secured promotion to the Premier League on Sunday. Brennan Johnson has been rested by Wales after helping Nottingham Forest into the Premier League (John Walton/PA) The 21-year-old has had a demanding season having played 60 games for club and country, but Huddersfield winger Sorba Thomas has travelled following his Wembley play-off disappointment. Page said: Sorba is slightly different to Brennan, hes not played as many minutes and had as much football. Credit to him, he got here this morning and he is with the boys for breakfast today, showing that commitment to be with the group right away. Brennans slightly different. Ive given a few days (off) after the final. Hes played a lot of football this season. But hell be there at the hotel waiting for us on Wednesday night (in Wales) when we fly back, ready for Sundays game. Fathers with their new child. Willie B. Thomas/Getty Images For six months, American parents got monthly child tax credit checks from the federal government. Congress failed to renew the program after resistance from Republicans and Sen. Joe Manchin. Now, Vermont will send out monthly checks to households earning $125,000 and below with kids under five. For six months last year, parents across the country received monthly checks. The expanded child tax credit under which parents got up to $300 a month per kid lasted from July to December 2021. The program helped keep millions of children fed and out of poverty, touching 35 million families. It lapsed in December after Republicans and Sen. Joe Manchin prevented Congress from making checks permanent, or simply just extending them for one year. Some states are trying to step up where Congress failed. In Vermont, a Republican governor and Democratic-led state legislature signed off on a $1,000 child tax credit for every child age 5 and under to households earning $125,000 and below. Phil Scott, the state's Republican governor, had initially proposed a wider suite of tax cuts, according to the VTDigger. In a statement, Scott said his proposals "would have helped a broader cross section of taxpayers," but that "this bill is a step in the right direction." The program is expected to cost $32 million and benefit over 30,000 children in the state. With the new bill, Vermont is picking up where the federal government left off. The expanded child tax credit lapsed in December 2021 due to resistance from Republicans and Manchin, a centrist Democrat from West Virginia. Amidst negotiations over the Build Back Better plan, Manchin raised concerns over the program. He said that checks should come with a work requirement, which would cut the lowest-earning families out from relief. Eventually, Manchin declared the social spending program "dead." That meant that even the one-year check extension Democrats proposed was never enacted. Even that extension was a compromise most Democrats wanted to make the checks permanent. Story continues The expanded child tax credit program cut child poverty by roughly a third, per research from the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University. In just its first month, the program helped feed 2 million kids, and kept 3 million kids out of poverty. But those gains were largely erased only a month after the initiative expired in December. Child poverty has ticked up since. Are you a Vermont parent who will get a check and want to share your story? Reach out to these reporters at jkaplan@insider.com and jzeballos@insider.com. Read the original article on Business Insider Beauty school can cost up to $20,000, but African-style hair braider Tedy Okech skipped the expense. She learned the trade in her youth without formal training and now serves clients in Boise, Idaho, where she settled after immigrating from Uganda in 2005. Policymakers should celebrate such entrepreneurship. Okech is one less person who would need a bailout if Congress or the White House were to move forward with student loan forgiveness. Unfortunately, beauty professionals who operate without vocational school diplomas get treated like criminals. State regulators track them down and threaten them with fines and even jail time. Threatening entrepreneurs with criminal prosecution Essentially, self-made professionals who opt out of costly and often unnecessary programs get rounded up like truant schoolchildren and sent to class. Counseling is speech: Moving to a new state shouldn't force you to say goodbye to your therapist Arif Karowalia, a Pakistani immigrant who runs two eyebrow threading chains across the Midwest, recalls the day an inspector visited one of his Kansas shops and threatened unlicensed staff members with criminal prosecution. Karowalia says his employees all master threaders were left shaken and unable to earn income unless they enrolled in expensive programs that they neither needed nor wanted. Kristy Beke, a West African immigrant from Benin, describes a similar experience in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she operates three hair braiding salons. Beke says a state inspector showed up one day and interrogated her for two hours, embarrassing her in front of clients before finally leaving without issuing a citation. "You're trying to make an honest living by helping people and not relying on the government," Beke says. "But the state makes it hard. There's simply no reason for us to learn what we already know how to do." From left, Tedy Okech, Adjo Charlotte Amoussou and Sonia Ekemon worked with the Institute for Justice to challenge Idaho's requirement that braiders become licensed cosmetologists before braiding hair for a living. The beauty profession is not alone. Pennsylvania, Vermont and Washington, D.C., have laws that require college for day care providers. Story continues Florida, Louisiana, Nevada and Washington, D.C. require college for interior designers. Georgia attempted to impose a college requirement on lactation consultants until our public interest law firm, the Institute for Justice, successfully persuaded a court to strike down the legislation this year. Other examples exist, but state-mandated tuition is most common at vocational schools, especially in the beauty industry. Honor Flights: A great way to thank veterans. But waitlist is long, time is short. Some states have eased the burden on braiders, threaders, shampooers, hairstylists and makeup artists. Idaho, for example, passed a measure in March that will spare Okech the hassle but it did so only after she and two other braiders sued the state with Institute for Justice representation. The reform is a step in the right direction, yet all 50 states and Washington, D.C., continue to mandate beauty school attendance or apprenticeships for cosmetologists and skin care specialists. Needless tuition and student loans The debate about student loan forgiveness often focuses on choice and accountability. All sides recognize the underlying problem: Colleges and universities often produce graduates with massive debt and limited job prospects. The sticking point is whether students who voluntarily pursue a college education deserve a bailout. But beauty professionals do not have a choice, an issue policymakers on both sides of the aisle prefer to ignore. The needless tuition, mandated by the government, raises an important question: Should regulators push people usually women into school debt against their will just so they can work in low-wage jobs? The Institute for Justice provided guidance in its 2021 report, "Beauty School Debt and Drop-Outs." The nationwide analysis shows that beauty schools offer a low return on investment. Earning potential after graduation fails to justify program costs, and many students quit before finishing because the quality of instruction falls below expectations. She has been ridiculed: Amber Heard lost in the court of public opinion. Johnny Depp's fans made sure of that. Elle Scheller says she witnessed harassment, intimidation, incompetence, overcrowding, graduation delays and hidden costs at the first beauty school she attended in Utah. She paid more than $16,000 before dropping out in January 2021 to escape an environment that she describes as hostile. "It took a really big toll on my mental health," Scheller says. "There were just days when I would cry and have panic attacks before I went." College students who enroll in comparative literature, art, journalism, history or science have options. Beauty professionals typically do not. State lawmakers rob them of choice and then stick them with the bill. Renee Flaherty is an attorney and Daryl James is a writer at the Institute for Justice in Arlington, Virginia. You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Beauty school mandates tangle student debt debate WASHINGTON Peter Navarro, a former trade adviser to then-President Donald Trump, announced he would file a federal lawsuit Tuesday challenging a subpoena from the House committee investigating the Capitol attack Jan. 6, 2021. The panel subpoenaed him for testimony about a plan called the "Green Bay Sweep" to delay certification of President Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election. Navarro described the plan in his book In Trump Time" as the last, best chance to snatch a stolen election from the Democrats jaws of deceit. But Navarro, who is representing himself in the lawsuit, called the Green Bay Sweep strategy legal and constitutional under the 1887 Electoral Count Act. He is fighting the subpoena by arguing the committee is illegitimate and partisan. And Navarro invoked executive privilege to keep communications with the president confidential. He joined a handful of Republican members lawmakers defying the committee and more than a dozen Trump aides and advisers who have filed lawsuits challenging committee subpoenas in court. "Each of the issues raised in the lawsuit which took several months to prepare are ripe for the judiciary to address; I find it my duty to raise these issues now rather than submit to the coercion of a kangaroo committee," Navarro told USA TODAY. "This case ultimately is about whether partisans in Congress are free to weaponize their investigatory powers I think not as well as the critical role that executive privilege and testimonial immunity play in ensuring effective presidential decision-making." Video: Biden slams Trump during Jan. 6 remembrance speech Federal courts have so far recognized the committees authority. The committee obtained Trump administration records after the Supreme Court refused to block a D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling upholding a subpoena. Biden waived executive privilege for the documents, which judges ruled outweighed Trumps claim. Story continues Navarro said he chose to represent himself because the cost of hiring lawyers could reach $100,000 and he has some legal experience with a doctorate in regulatory economics publishing articles in law journals. "The Trump case, reasoned poorly and decided by an Obama judge, addresses only a small subset of the issues I raise in my lawsuit," Navarro told USA TODAY. Navarros lawsuit is among two dozen others challenging the panel for having fewer members than authorized, for rejecting Republican nominees and for lacking a valid legislative purpose. The committee also subpoenaed five Republican House members: Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California and Reps. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Mo Brooks of Alabama, Jim Jordan of Ohio and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania. More: Who has been subpoenaed so far by the Jan. 6 committee? Navarros reply comes after McCarthys lawyer, Elliot Berke, sent the committee an 11-page letter Friday challenging the panels legitimacy. McCarthy has refused to comply with what he called a partisan panel. He charges the committee s illegitimate because it has fewer members than authorized, because his nominees were rejected and because, he argues, the committee serves no legislative purpose. Its only objective appears to be to score political points or damage its political opponents acting like the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee one day and the Department of Justice the next, Berke wrote. More: Will McCarthy, Jordan talk to the Jan. 6 committee? Panel faces dilemma in coaxing defiant GOP Navarro said the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel endorsed a policy of executive privilege for 50 years and eight presidential administrations granting aides absolute immunity from testifying about official duties. But committee members contend Trump and his former aides had no claim to executive privilege for discussions about elections rather than government policy. "In other words, they are arguing that their roles in trying to overturn an election had to stay secret because they had official roles as advisers to the ex-President," Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the committee chairman, said in April while arguing for Navarro's contempt citation. "If they want to make those claims, ridiculous as they sound, here is what the law requires: They need to show up and make those claims on the record, under oath." Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., one of the committee members investigating the attack, said in April federal courts confirmed the panel's legislative purpose in several rulings. "If it is not a valid legislative purpose to investigate violent attacks, insurrections, and attempted coups against the government of the United States, then what is a valid purpose?" Raskin said. Navarro is one of four Trump aides found in contempt by the House for defying committee subpoenas. The others are political strategist Steve Bannon, former chief of staff Mark Meadows and former deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino. Bannon awaits trial July 18. The Justice Department hasnt decided yet whether to charge Navarro, Meadows or Scavino criminally. Republicans have argued contempt seeks to punish its targets rather than get information from them. "Contempt wont get the committee any information," Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said in defending Navarro in April. "They want political punishment." Navarro in his lawsuit argued the committee sought to inflict punishment on me in the forms of shame, humiliation, banishment, ostracization, incitement of public hate, possible imprisonment, and the confiscation of my property, all without adequate provision of the protections of a judicial trial. At 72, he said the maximum punishment of a year in prison and $100,000 fine would take significant shares of his life expectancy and retirement savings. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Peter Navarro fights House Jan. 6 subpoena in federal lawsuit Robertsdale High School Golden Bear Band Baldwin County Public Schools Long before he was worth two billion dollars, Apple CEO Tim Cook was a student at Robertsdale High School in Robertsdale, Alabama. More than 40 years after graduating, Cook hasn't forgotten where he came from. Each year he sponsors almost $50,000 worth of scholarships at the Mobile-area school. And this month, when the Golden Bear Marching Band needed some extra help, he came through yet again. On the first day of summer vacation, band director Lee Hughes had dozens of marching band members report to the band room for a special surprise. According to WKRG, what they found was nearly 30 instrument cases new saxophones, tubas, bassoons, sousaphones, flutes, and moredisplayed in a semi-circle in the middle of the room. "The CEO of Apple, Tim Cook, who is a Robertsdale graduate and [was] a trombone player in the band when he was here, has donated $100,000 so we can have enough marching instruments to have for next year," Hughes told the students. "So, everything you see, is for you." Hughes told WKRG that the marching band has almost tripled in size over the last five years. The new instruments will benefit students for generations. "This is incredible. You're talking 30 years, 40 years of use of these instruments," he told the local news station. "It's going to affect thousands of kids." The number of suspected suicide attempts by poisoning among children rose sharply between 2015 and 2020, recent research suggests. University of Virginia researchers conducted a study based on cases reported to the National Poison Data System as suspected suicides that involved both attempted suicides and deaths by suicide. They found a 26 percent increase in suspected suicides among children ages 6 through 19 during the study period. The over-the-counter pain killers ibuprofen and acetaminophen were the two most common substances used in the suspected pediatric attempted suicide cases, researchers found, adding that the self-poisoning attempts resulted in 276 deaths and 14,916 cases of major effects, which may include long lasting symptoms such as disfigurement. Suspected cases of suicide by self-poisoning reportedly rose from 75,248 in 2015 to 93,532 in 2020. Girls accounted for 77.9 percent of all cases during the time frame. All pediatric groups saw increases in suspected suicides, according to the study, but the largest jump occurred in children between the ages of 10 and 12 who saw an increase of more than 109 percent. We need to be vigilant for the warning signs associated with suicide risk in our children, Christopher Holstege, chief of the Division of Medical Toxicology at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, said in a statement. Our study is one of a number that demonstrates that we are experiencing an unprecedented mental health crisis in younger age groups, he continued. As a society, we must commit more resources to the mental health needs of our children. A government-backed task force in April recommended early screening for depression and anxiety. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said children should be screened for anxiety beginning at age 8, while children 12 and up should be evaluated for depression. To address the critical need for supporting the mental health of children and adolescents in primary care, the Task Force looked at the evidence on screening for anxiety, depression, and suicide risk, task force member Martha Kubik said in a statement at the time. Fortunately, we found that screening older children for anxiety and depression is effective in identifying these conditions so children and teens can be connected to the support they need. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Sonic in Brunswick, Georgia (Photo: Google Maps) Sonic in Brunswick, Georgia (Photo: Google Maps) Workers at a Sonic location in Georgia fled the restaurant earlier this month when they found something unexpected behind the deep fryer and it wasnt the remains of some old tots. The Brunswick Daily News reported that the entire staff was spooked by a snake. They abandoned shop and called the cops, describing what they thought was a rattler, which are among the venomous snakes known to call Georgia home. Lt. Matthew Wilson of the Brunswick Police Department told the newspaper it was actually a 3.5-foot-long ball python, a nonvenomous constrictor snake. I ended up catching it with a broom handle, Wilson told the Daily News. I just got it where I could secure its head. Then I put him in a paper bag and carried him out. Wilson said he suspects the restaurant left its back door open and the snake slithered in for the same reason as the customers: It was hungry and thirsty. Wilson, who has a ball python of his own, said the Sonic snake has a new home with a snake-loving friend. There was a holdup Saturday at the Sonic Drive-In, but not the type for which police are typically called. https://t.co/x4MPhhdt8x The Brunswick News (@Brunswick_News) May 25, 2022 Eammon Leonard, an invasive species biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, told The Associated Press snakes are often an impulse buy that some purchasers later regret. It could be somebody just didnt think through the consequences of a large snake as a pet, Leonard told AP. Some people have regrets later on and just release things. It is definitely irresponsible. People who are no longer able to care for a pet snake should contact a local reptile rescue or animal shelter for advice, and not release them into the wild. In addition to freaking out local underpaid and under-appreciated fast food workers, released snakes and other pets could lead to invasive species issues. Story continues Zoocheck, a Canada-based wildlife advocacy group, also noted that many of those once-loved pets often meet a grim fate. The majority of these animals are stressed, physically depleted and unable to survive, Zoocheck said on its website. Most die of starvation, cold or predation. Video: Meet Jordan's snake hunter This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. A Phoenix police vehicle. A man suspected of speeding and crashing, leading to the death of his girlfriend, in downtown Phoenix in November was arrested Friday after he fled to another state, according to court records. Deanthony Lamont Glinsey, 28, was driving a Chevrolet Camaro eastbound on Jefferson Street near 5th Street when he lost control, went onto the light rail tracks and crashed into a power pole on Nov. 28. His girlfriend, Taylor Morrow, was ejected from the Camaro, court records state. She died after the accident. Glinsey told police he was at a nearby club with Morrow, they got in an argument and she left with the keys to the Camaro. He said a friend called him and told him she had gotten in a collision so he walked to the scene before police arrived. However, he didn't provide the name of his friend and his call history didn't show calls at the time of the collision, court records state. A video prior to the crash showing Glinsey getting into the driver seat and Morrow into the passenger seat was also found. Video from the area of the crash shows the Camaro and other two vehicles lined up at the traffic light on 3rd Street and Jefferson and then taking off at a high speed when the light turned green. Officials determined the Camaro was driving at 76 mph, and the other two vehicles were going at 80 and 73 mph, according to court records. The speed limit in the area was 25 mph. A witness who called 911 to report the collision saw a man walking away from the scene and returning after a short time. Court records state the witness told police the man he saw was the same person who was speaking with officers at the scene. The video also showed what the witness described. Officials processed Glinsey for driving under the influence and a lab analysis showed he had a blood alcohol level of 0.089 and THC cannabis in his body. According to court records, Glinsey 'fled to Indiana shortly after the crash' and currently lives in Indianapolis. He was taken into custody Friday night when he arrived at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Story continues Glinsey was arrested for suspicion of second-degree murder and extreme indifference to human life, court records state. He is being held on a $1 million bond and is set to appear in court on May 9. Reach breaking news reporter Angela Cordoba Perez at Angela.CordobaPerez@Gannett.com or on Twitter @AngelaCordobaP. Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix fatal crash suspect Deanthony Glinsey arrested after fleeing NASAOs Space Launch System rocket is photographed on Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center, FL Thursday, April 21, 2022.The rocket is scheduled to be rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building next Tuesday, April 26 for needed repairs discovered during fueling. Mandatory Credit: Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK Space is important to us and thats why we're working to bring you top coverage of the industry and Florida launches. Journalism like this takes time and resources. Please support it with a subscription here. Welcome to 321 Launch, Florida Today's wrapup of all the space new you might have missed this past week NASA says SLS is set for another "wet dress rehearsal" in June NASA's Space Launch System moon rocket is set for its second rollout at Kennedy Space Center next month after several previous attempts to load fuel, known as a wet dress rehearsal, were cut short due to technical issues. After making fixes to the 322-foot rocket and the system used by an off-center nitrogen supplier, NASA officials on Friday said SLS is on track for a rollout from the Vehicle Assembly Building to pad 39B starting at midnight on June 6. The late-night timing should give teams some breathing room to work around typical Florida thunderstorms. After checkouts are completed at the pad, officials said they hope to conduct another wet dress rehearsal, or WDR, about two weeks later on June 19. The process involves loading SLS propellants liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen into the rocket's tanks as if it were launch day. It also acts as a full rehearsal and gives managers an opportunity to practice the countdown of the brand-new, never-flown rocket. SLS is the NASA-branded rocket designed to take humans back to the moon for the agency's Artemis program. This specific rocket will launch an uncrewed Orion capsule on an autonomous trip around the moon, known as Artemis I, no earlier than August. NASA hopes to put boots on the moon for Artemis III no earlier than late 2025. SpaceX launches as Starliner returns to Earth The launch of a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 2:35 p.m. Wednesday. The mission, labeled Transporter-5, includes 59 spacecraft owned by several customers. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket skirted Florida's coast as it boosted dozens of payloads to orbit Wednesday afternoon, an act immediately followed by the undocking of a high-profile Boeing mission from the International Space Station. Story continues At 2:35 p.m. EDT sharp, the 230-foot rocket vaulted off the pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Launch Complex 40 with 59 payloads for a mission known as Transporter-5. While most fly northeast or east, Wednesday's launch included a southeastern trajectory that hugged the state's coast. SpaceX's launch came just one minute before Boeing undocked its high-profile Starliner capsule mission from the International Space Station. After nearly six days attached to the ISS, the capsule successfully completed its uncrewed flight and touched down in New Mexico four hours later at 6:49 p.m. EDT. A 25+ year veteran of FLORIDA TODAY, John McCarthy currently oversees the space team and special projects. Support quality local journalism by subscribing to FLORIDA TODAY. You can contact McCarthy at 321-752-5018 or jmccarthy@floridatoday.com. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: 321 Launch: Space news you may have missed over the past week Ean Bett, M.D., is a family medicine physician in Columbus. I recently returned from two weeks on the border between Poland and Ukraine where I volunteered with a medical and humanitarian group providing care to Ukrainians who were fleeing their war-torn homeland. Each man, woman and child sought comfort in a unique time of need, and I am thankful to have been able to participate in their care as a physician. But each time I witnessed soldiers crossing the border into Ukraine in the middle of the night, as a U.S. citizen and someone who has traveled across this ever-shrinking world of ours, I could not help but be reminded of Eugene Jareckis film, Why We Fight. More: Central Ohio man among Americans volunteering to join Ukraine's international legion Columbus physican Ean Bett, standing far right, at a makeshift medical tent on the Poland-Ukraine border, where he recently volunteered with a medical and humanitarian group providing care to Ukrainians who were fleeing their war-torn homeland. For those who are unfamiliar, the films thesis centers around President Dwight Eisenhowers famous 1961 farewell speech on the emergence of the military-industrial complex. In it, he stated, In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. While the U.S. Senate voted 86 to 11 on May 19 to pass a $40 billion aid package to Ukraine, including at least $30 billion worth of both direct and indirect U.S. military equipment and weapons, I sat in a makeshift medical tent in Medyka, Poland with President Eisenhowers words of caution again ringing true in my mind. Dr. Ean Bett is a family medicine physician in Columbus. More: How to submit guest opinion columns to the Columbus Dispatch There is no doubt the war in Ukraine is a direct result of Russias barbaric acts of aggression, but many of us have lived enough to know if we are not careful, this story does not end well. While we are barraged with images of death and destruction in Ukraine via social media and the 24-hour news cycle, I reflect back on my friends and classmates who have served in other wars during my adulthood; some returned home to live their lives, others did not. We must be unbelievably cautious, and not stoke potentially cataclysmic events, to avoid a similar fate for our brothers, sisters, neighbors, and children who currently serve in the U.S. military. Story continues More: Russian invasion of Ukraine leaves Columbus-area student fearful for family's safety Ukrainian men and women are fighting for their lives, their country, and their future. We should most certainly aid them to the most reasonable extent, but we should also acknowledge that unfortunately, our American involvement in overseas wars has not recently been so just, as President George W. Bush recently admitted. Ukrainians deserve our support, our aid, and our humanitarian efforts, which is exactly why physicians, nurses, and civilians from all over the world have gathered on the border between Poland and Ukraine, while others have ventured into the war-torn country. But we must also proceed with caution to avoid a protracted conflict akin to those which drained the U.S. of trillions of dollars and indefinitely fueled the military-industrial complex as Why We Fight so accurately warned. Makeshift medical tents in Medyka, Poland, where Columbus physician Ean Bett volunteered May 7-23, providing care to Ukrainians. As a physician, I have been privileged to share in some of the most wonderful, as well as heartbreaking, events in peoples lives; we are given a window into the joy and suffering of the human condition unlike any other calling in the world. From this place and my humanitarian perspective, I wish no further death and destruction on the people of Ukraine; I hope this war ends soon through peaceful negotiations and not nuclear conflict. More: Ohio House, Senate condemn Russian invasion of Ukraine As citizens of a global superpower in an increasingly interconnected world, we all must also exercise our own duty if unable to provide medical care or humanitarian support, as other members of our Columbus community have done. The duty we have as citizens is to vote, not only with our hearts, but with our minds toward the future of our country and world. We must think long and hard about what potential leaders have said and done regarding this war to discern how they would govern if given the chance. And so we must remember President Eisenhowers own parting words in our current and future world view: Disarmament, with mutual honor and confidence, is a continuing imperative. Together we must learn how to compose differences, not with arms, but with intellect and decent purpose As one who has witnessed the horror and the lingering sadness of war as one who knows that another war could utterly destroy this civilization which has been so slowly and painfully built over a thousand years I wish I could say tonight that a lasting peace is in sight. Ean Bett, M.D., is a family medicine physician in Columbus. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Opinion: Columbus doctor volunteers to provide Ukrainians medical care James Beaumont, 19, stamped on his victim's head causing a fractured eye socket and fractured finger (Kent Police) A teenager who inflicted serious facial injuries on his victim in an unprovoked attack has been jailed for three years. James Beaumont, 19, from Canterbury, Kent, stamped on the mans head causing a fractured eye socket and fractured finger. Police were called to Ramsgate High Street at about 9pm on 12 February where they found the man. He was taken straight to hospital and treated for his injuries. Beaumont was arrested about 20 minutes after officers arrived. A review of CCTV in the area captured the attack and Beaumont was clearly identified. He was later charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent. Kent Police responded to reports of an injured man on Ramsgate High Street, they arrested Beaumont soon after (Getty) Read more from Yahoo News UK: Thief who stole 100,000 of tech found with 48 phones and 33 laptops Bank holiday weather: Spells of sunshine forecast for Platinum Jubilee weekend 1 in 5 think Britain should become a republic ahead of Queens Platinum Jubilee He pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing and last Friday was sentenced to three years in a Young Offenders Institute. Investigating officer PC Joshua ODonnell said: "The victim suffered serious injuries in the attack, which was completely unprovoked. He has since recovered from his injuries but the effect this attack will have on him will likely stay with him forever. "I am pleased Beaumont is now behind bars. The sentence reflects the severity of his actions and sends a clear message, that violent offenders will be dealt with robustly." Vladimir Putins brazen and barbarous invasion of Ukraine is reminiscent of the artificially engineered famine Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin used in 1932-1933 in an attempt to extinguish Ukraine. Stalin unleashed a famine referred to by Ukrainians as the Holodomor (killing by hunger) to break Ukrainian resistance when they refused to cooperate with the Russian system of collective agriculture. Like Putins actions today, it was an act of genocide. Just as energy is Putins gold, grain was Stalins. He strove to gain control over Ukraines fabled breadbasket to finance his ambitious industrialization and militarization plans by forcing millions of peasants onto collective farms. When the people resisted, Stalin deployed the secret police and military to ruthlessly crush what he considered to be Ukrainian nationalism, while continuing to requisition grain for export in exchange for hard currency and engaging in the widespread persecution, deportation to the Gulag, and execution of the non-compliant. More: Residents wait for food in Ukraine's second city More: Zelenskyy mocks, rejects Kissinger plan to concede parts of Ukraine to Russia During 1932-33, Ukraine suffered mass starvation. Nearly four million people, about 13 percent of the Ukrainian population at the time, are estimated to have died of famine in a land of unrivalled fertility. Many in the international human rights community consider the famine genocide. Today, Russian tactics in Ukraine, such as indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas, is fueling a death toll not witnessed in Europe since the days of Stalin and Hitler. Put bluntly, after the Russian invaders were forced to withdraw from Bucha, a small town in the Kyiv region, the graphic images of mass graves, tortured and mutilated bodies, executed civilians with their hands bound behind their backs suggesting they had been first been taken captive and then killed, of streets covered with corpses, provided photographic evidence of Russias open and horrific war crimes. The available evidence makes it unlikely that these people died as a result of collateral damage resulting from a military exercise. Story continues More from Giglio: Are economic sanctions against Russia working in Ukraine war? Impact of war: The war in Ukraine and COVID-19 pandemic could spell the end of globalization While many Ukrainian allies expressed shock and grief, the Russian president dismissed the accusation that his army committed war crimes in Bucha, accusing Ukraine of staging the atrocities. Another example of the numerous official fictions Putin monotonously propagates. President Biden, who previously called Putin a war criminal, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have accused Russian forces of committing genocide in Ukraine. Zelensky said Putin was trying to wipe out the idea of a Ukrainian identity. Moscow has categorically disputed the genocide claims and accused the U.S. of hypocrisy over its own crimes. The International Criminal Court in the Hague has opened an investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Bucha and elsewhere in Ukraine. Genocide is regarded as the gravest crime against humanity and has a strict legal connotation. The 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention defines it as crimes committed with intent to destroy in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group. It is exemplified by Nazi efforts to eradicate the Jewish population, during which more than six million Jews were killed. Genocide is harder to prove than other violations of international law because it requires evidence of specific intent. While proving intent beyond reasonable doubt is difficult, genocide is recognizable. Russia has targeted and killed civilians; is reported to have forcibly deported hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians, including children, to Russia and bombed a maternity hospital. Given the scale of Russian violence genocide warnings need to be taken seriously. As evidence of Russian atrocities are revealed, one after another, use of the term genocide echoes the holodomor, the genocidal tactics favored by Stalin in the 1930s to starve the Ukrainian people. The blame lies with Putin. He is trying to re-absorb Ukraine into Russia, push back against NATO expansion into Eastern Europe, and regain Russias position on the world stage. Many Russians have long been suckers for greatness. In the process, Putin has turned Russia into an international pariah. Given what he has done, the thought of anyone in the West negotiating with him is difficult to stomach. Joseph M. Giglio is a professor of strategic management at Northeastern Universitys DAmore-McKim School of Business. This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Russia has a history of devastation in Ukraine dating back to Stalin Ways to Treat Varicose Veins Getty Images Growing up, my mother instilled nothing but confidence in her three children, and she lead by example. She never complained about her hair not falling the right way, her lipstick getting smudged, or her nail polish chipping everything was always perfect the way it was. The only thing I ever heard her mention a disdain for were the varicose veins that crept up her legs like thin spiderwebs. Varicose veins are dilated purple vessels that can be seen and usually felt on the top of the skin, explains Anar Mikailov, M.D., a Massachusetts-based dermatologist and co-founder of Skintensive. He explains that they're typically located on the lower legs (they're affected by gravity) and that they often stick out of the skin. "They're simply weak vesseled veins that expand like a balloon when blood flow up the legs is not proficient," further explains Ellen Marmur, M.D., a Manhattan-based dermatologist and founder of MMSkincare. According to the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, more than 40% of women have some form of varicose veins, which is slightly more than the percentage of men. Statistically, it's incredibly common, but as with cellulite, which affects up to 90% of women, it can still cause some degree of insecurity, as it did with my ever-confident mother. If you fall under that category, know that there are several ways to minimize the appearance of varicose veins. Here, three experts share the treatments that can get rid of them and temporarily mask them. But before we get into treatments, let's look at the root causes of varicose veins. RELATED: This Non-Invasive Treatment Can Give You a Permanently Sculpted Jawline in Just a Few Months What Causes Varicose Veins? Genetics play a part, but factors such as age and previous injuries can also lead to spider veins. Claudia Rios, a board-certified internist at Vein Specialist Centers, says that gender, medications, and fluctuations in weight are all factors. "Standing or sitting for long periods could also play a role," she adds. On top of that, the ASDS also attributes varicose veins to pregnancy and sun damage. Story continues Are Varicose Veins A Sign Of Health Issues? Dr. Rios says that varicose veins are signs of vein disease that presents itself in stages. "The first visible sign of venous insufficiency could be a spider vein, maybe on your ankles, without any discomfort other than the appearance," she explains. However, with further progressions, she says that patients can develop varicose veins (which are larger) with an increased awareness of leg heaviness or pain. For many, she says the biggest concern with varicose vein is their appearance. "But the longer you have them, they can present with worsening symptoms like an achy or heavy feeling in the legs; burning, throbbing, muscle cramping, and swelling in the lower legs; worsening pain after sitting or standing for a long time; itching around one or more of the veins; and changes in skin color around a varicose vein," says Dr. Rios. It's essential to get evaluated by a vein specialist to prevent progression of more severe disease. Dr. Rios says to make sure your doctor is certified in a vascular specialty like Vascular Surgery, Cardiology or the American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine (ABVLM). VIDEO: Is Botox Worth the Hype? Here's How Long It Really Lasts What's the Best Way to Treat Varicose Veins? Depending on the severity of the varicose veins and how much you want to spend, there are several ways to treat them. 1. Injections Injecting spider veins with glycerin or Asclera is another option. Dr. Marmur says that the injections are pain-free. (She's had them done and says the process was "amazingly tolerable.") Dr. Mikailov explains that sclerotherapy which is the formal name of the treatment causes the vein to collapse, which sounds scary, but it just means that the size of the vein will shrink and therefore sink back into the skin and, therefore, will get rid of the vein's bulginess. 2. Laser Treatment Laser treatment is another option. This non-surgical procedure works by heating the veins, which kills the walls of the veins and, in turn, the body absorbs the dead tissue to reduce inflammation. Dr. Marmur explains that the lasers are inserted into the vein and then seal it shut. "This is a procedure done with tumescent lidocaine and may need a few sessions," she says. "External lasers for vascular lesions are also used but sub-par to injections." Dr. Marmur says that both lasers and injections typically go for about $350 per session, and that people should plan to have three to six sessions done depending on the veins being treated. Dr. Mikailov says to expect to pay anywhere between $300 and $500. 3. Surgery In more severe cases, surgery is an option. Dr. Mikailov says that options such as vein ligation and stripping physically remove the veins through incisions, but urges people to consult with an expert in varicose vein management to get a comprehensive evaluation of the status and cause of their situation before moving forward with surgery. In terms of pricing, Dr. Marmur says that if someone qualifies for it, insurance can cover it, and Dr. Mikailov says to expect the price tag to be somewhere between $1,500 and $3,000. 4. Wear Compression Socks Now, while this isn't a cure, wearing compressions socks can reduce discomfort and prevent varicose veins from worsening. "[This will] help with the return of blood flow back to the heart from the legs," explains Dr. Mikailov. RELATED: Meet QWO: The First FDA-Approved Injectable for Cellulite Are There Any Side Effects That Come From Varicose Vein Treatments? As with any type of in-office treatment or surgery, there are a few side effects. For the less invasive ones, Dr. Marmur says to expect each area to be redder, minimally swollen, and bruised for up to four weeks, and adds that small scabs or clots can occur as well. "If there is a dark clotted area, let your doctor know and ask if you should come in to release the trapped blood," she notes. For surgical treatments, John Hopkins University adds that potential risks include blood clots, inflammation, nerve damage, bruising, and changes in skin color over the treated vein. How to Disguise Varicose Veins With Makeup In lieu of treatments, a little makeup can go a long way if you want to disguise varicose veins. Celebrity makeup artist Kelly Dawn says to look for a pigmented formula that is super long-wearing but doesn't look heavy or draw more attention to unwanted areas. Her product of choice is the ALLEVEN Colour Shield as it "gives a flawless long-lasting coverage and beautiful glow for both face and body" and can "cover everything from acne, scarring, tattoos, and varicose veins to give you perfectly airbrushed limbs." For the best results, she says to spray it onto the desired areas from about eight inches away. "Avoid putting too much product on one area, as this can affect its lasting power and natural cover," she warns. "The 3D pigments are very opaque so they will color correct and cover over any blueish tones caused by varicose veins." Easy! And as if it couldn't get better, she assures that the formula is also sweat- and transfer-proof. (Getty Images for LTA) Andy Murray admits the mass shooting in Texas last week has left him angry and incredibly upset. The shooting in Uvalde on 24 May saw 19 children and two teachers killed, provoking new calls for gun control measures in the United States. Murray, who was a pupil at Dunblane Primary School in Scotland in 1996 when 16 children and a teacher were murdered by gunman Thomas Hamilton, Its terrible. I think theres been over 200 mass shootings in America this year and nothing changes, he told BBC Sport. I cant understand that. Its disappointing. It makes you feel angry and incredibly upset. The two-time Wimbledon champion insists change is needed to tackle the problem in the United States. My feeling is that surely at some stage you do something different, he added. You cant keep approaching the problem by buying more guns and having more guns in the country. I dont see how that that that solves it. But I could be wrong. Lets maybe try something different and see if you get a different outcome. The three-time grand slam winner was speaking after beginning his grass-court campaign with an impressive 6-2 6-1 victory over Jurij Rodionov in the first round of the Surbiton Trophy on Monday. The Illinois Stewardship Alliance worked with the Illinois Department of Public Health and local health departments to compile the guide. The 2022 Illinois Cottage Food Guide is now available to help navigate the states new law governing home-based food production. The guide breaks down the new legislation that went into effect in January, as well as provides resources for starting a home-based business that range from pre-formatted labels to setting up a business plan. With changes to the cottage food legislation folks really were looking for help navigating it, said Molly Pickering, deputy director for the Illinois Stewardship Alliance, which lobbied for the Home-to-Market Act. Earlier story: 'What's Cooking at the Capitol' video series returns for second season This guide gives them a resource outlining what can make, when and where you can sell it. It mostly focuses on how to navigate the law, but also weve put in resources that people asked for from several previous iterations (of the guide). The alliance worked with the Illinois Department of Public Health and local health departments in compiling the guide. A printable version is available on the alliances website at www.ilstewards.org under the resources tab. Natalie Morris can be reached at 737-7254 or by email at natalie.sjr@gmail.com. This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: New guide navigate state law governing home-based food production ALLEN, Kan., May 31, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Highline, which does business in Kansas under the S&A Telephone brand, today announced its acquisition of a grant award from the Broadband Acceleration Grant (BAG) Program, administered annually by the Kansas Office of Broadband Development. Now in its second year, the BAG was created to bring critically needed broadband access to Kansas communities through a competitive matching-infrastructure investment program. Thanks to this additional funding, more customers in the Lyon County city of Americus will soon gain access to real high-speed internet through Highlines expanding Fiber-to-the-Premise (FTTP) network. Under this Kansas state program, S&A Telephone will be awarded a grant fund, and will combine matching funds, which will provide a total investment into building and deploying the state-of-the-art fiber-optic infrastructure necessary to connect all Americus residents to reliable high-speed internet service. In utilizing these funds, Highline advances its core mission of providing lightning-fast, gigabit-level internet access to unserved, underserved, and unhappily served households and communities across the country. Highline partners with towns, cities, and counties to bring high-speed fiber internet to thousands of dwellings across the United States in an ongoing effort to close the digital divide, improve quality of life, and enable full and equal access to an increasingly online world. The lack of adequate broadband service in Americus has been a significant issuefurther exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought into stark relief the difficulties associated with working remotely, schooling at home, and receiving telehealth services. Josh Reece, Highline Operations Supervisor at S&A Telephone, shared his enthusiasm for the grant award: "I am very excited that S&A is a Broadband Acceleration Grant Program Year 2 awardee. With the possibility of getting every Americus resident connected within our grasp, we look forward to connecting 88 additional underserved homes to our fiber network. The difference will change lives for the better in this community." Story continues S&A Telephone has been serving the areas of Allen, Admire, and Scranton since the late 1930s. About Highline: At Highline, we believe everyone should have access to the fastest, most reliable internet service at a fair price, regardless of where you live and work. Highlines heritage companies have been in the telecommunications business for more than 126 years and have built, owned, and operated fiber networks for more than 27 years. Highline currently serves the communication and internet needs of thousands of residents and businesses in Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, and Texas. The company is actively expanding its state-of-the-art, lightning-fast Fiber-to-the-Premise (FTTP) networks to provide gigabit-level internet speeds to tens of thousands of homes and businesses across the country that are currently unserved, underserved, and unhappily served. For more information about Highline, visit www.highlinefast.comor follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/HighlineInternet or Twitter at twitter.com/highline_fast. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531006038/en/ Contacts Press Release Content Owners: Highline Chief Marketing Officer: Lynn Hall 678-770-0059 Lynn.hall@highlinefast.com Highline Marketing Manager: Lea Burns 603-785-6804 Lea.Burns@highlinefast.com Highline CEO West/South: Deb Rand 603-472-9786 Deb.rand@highlinefast.com Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty ROMEIf there is one open secret in the eternal city, it is that the allegations of clerical sex abuse in Italy have always been swept away, into the shadows of the Vatican. The last three popes have had mixed reviews on their handling of the global scandal. When the worst of the abuse was coming to light, Pope John Paul II was too infirm and impotent to do anything about it. His successor Pope Benedict XVI was demonstrably blind to the problems coming in from the global church, and was implicated in the coverup in Germany. Pope Francis has done more than both of his predecessors in terms of reconciling the pain. But none of these leaders of the worlds 1.3 billion Catholics have done enough or what the victims want, which is that clerical child sex abusers are treated like secular ones: that they go straight to jail. The idea that rampant abuse that has been exposed in the United States, Germany, Ireland, and elsewhere is also happening under the popes noses in Italy for decades has been something previous pontiffs have successfully kept a lid on. But an increasing drum beat from Italian sex abuse victims has sent a shockwave that has finally reached the Holy See. And the new head of the Italian Bishops Conference, Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, has just promised to break Italys so-far hidden sex abuse history wide open by implying that the seat of the Roman Catholic Church is directly involved in covering up the crimes in its host country. He says he will investigate what has until now been no-go territory, guarded by church insiders who were in some ways as powerful, influential, and dangerous as the mafia. If Zuppi makes good on his laundry list of promisesincluding having academics aid in researching complaints that might have been buried in the Vatican archives, looking at ignored police reports, and listening to the until-now-stifled accusations of Italian victimsthe Vatican will patrol its own backyard effectively for the first time since its special city state status was signed off by Benito Mussolini.. Any investigation of any regional Catholic church ends up on the popes desk in Vatican City. And Zuppi has promised not to hold back. No coverup, no resistance from the bishops. We will take the beating we have to take and also our responsibility, Zuppi said as he accepted the papal appointment. We owe it to the victims; their pain is the priority. And we owe it to the Holy Mother Church. Story continues Zuppi said that on Nov. 18, the Vatican will publish its analysis of all the complaints of clerical sex abuse in Italysomething that has never been attempted given the Catholic Churchs mafia-style influence across the country. Every city in Italy has a patron saint, bank holidays are primarily holy days, and priests play God in almost every single community. Survivors say reports of abuse have always been snuffed out and taken care of by shuttling the predator elsewhere or, as is often the case, straight to Vatican City for a little penance. Has the Catholic Church Been Covering Up Its Biggest Pedophile Priest Problem? Francesco Zanardi, a vocal survivor from the northern Italian town of Savona, started publishing accounts of abuse in a newsletter sent out widely from his support group Rete LAbuso, or Abuse Network. His social media has gone viral with his hashtag #ItalyChurchToo which, in its one year of existence, has pulled back the curtain on grotesque accounts at the hands of influential church members in this hyper-religious country. He says he hopes that Zuppis investigation will truly do what it promises, and that the usual interference by the Italian Catholic hierarchy over the Italian judicial system wont make it impossible. He told The Daily Beast that the very fact that crucifixes hang by law in all Italian courtrooms is more about omerta than faith. He says they are there as a threat and reminder that the Church is more powerful than even God. Zuppis predecessor, Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti was pressured by many in secular society to heed the calls of Zanardis growing influence to launch an internal investigation of the magnitude of Pennsylvanias in 2018 that found more than 300 predator priests and 1,000 victims in that state alone. When Zuppi made the announcement at his swearing-in over the weekend, the 223 Italian bishops were told that they would play a very big role in self-policing, which has not been a particular strength among any of the Catholic hierarchy. Italy currently does not have listening centers or safe lines to call to report abuse in 30 percent of the country, which is 90 percent Catholic. The first phase of the report will focus on the years between 2000 and 2021, a period when predator priests were finally put in check in other countries by increased involvement from the secular judicial system. But in Italy those years could prove horrific since no one was investigating reports. It remains to be seen how bad the abuse allegations are from the decades before. Zuppi did say that the Italian path would differ from countries that recently blew the lid on their sex abuse scandals, including Germany, France, and Spain. In Italy, he said the plan would not be merely lip service or a false acknowledgement of the problem. The investigation will be a serious, real thing that leaves no room for controversy, he said, nodding to Frances report that is still being debated among the French Catholic hierarchy. We dont want to argue, we dont want to sidetrack. The report does not serve as a sedative, but to do things seriously. The reason Zuppi said he would focus on the previous 21 years first is because it is more relevant. With regard to the past 20 years, it has to do with us, it involves us directly. It feels much more serious to us, it hurts much more, he said. 1945 was 80 years ago. I believe that judging something from 80 years ago by todays criteria, something that was judged by other criteria at the time, creates difficulties of evaluation. Zanardi, who says he knows of 1,600 cases from before 2000, says instead that the time limit was discriminatory and it could make the problem seem smaller than it is. Zuppi has asked Zanardi for a meeting. We would be very happy to meet with you, he told Zanardi, who attended his first press conference and asked the incoming cardinal about reparations. If you have a case, tell us. I dont know if youve already done so, Im speaking only for myself... Then theres the State, you go to the police. Surely it will be very useful to make a report. For years, these accusations have been buried to protect the Vatican and its popes from embarrassment. The task to untangle such a deep web of sinister secrecy is daunting. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Any day now, the U.S. Senate will consider a bill that will be a life-changer for veterans that have been exposed to poisons of war. The Honoring Our Pact Act has passed the House of Representatives and has the bipartisan support of Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester, D-Montana, and Ranking Member Jerry Moran, R-Kansas. People of my generation understand the cost of exposure to dangerous substances. The Vietnam War Memorial is as jarring as it is moving because the names on those panels provide context to the price that was paid. But those names only symbolize the down payment. Thousands have died because of Agent Orange related illnesses. Instead of bullets, bombs and shrapnel, they endured years of chemotherapy, radiation and other painful treatments. It was the American Legion that proved to be their greatest advocate. After years of delays and obfuscation from administrations of both parties, this organization convinced Washington that men and women exposed to this deadly contaminant must have access to Veterans Affairs health care and benefits. We owe the same to the current generation of veterans. The Honoring Our PACT Act will provide health care for more than 3.5 million veterans who were exposed to contaminants as a result of burn pits during the Global War on Terror. Many were exposed to environmental hazards just by being stationed in certain areas and breathing in toxic chemicals. The PACT Act also gives overdue recognition to veterans exposed to Agent Orange in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos as well as veterans exposed to atomic testing and clean-up operations. The bill will establish presumptions of service connection for 23 respiratory illnesses and cancers linked to burn pits and other hazards. It will increase VA assets and staff. Doug Chace is an Indiana veteran who served four tours in Iraq and Afghanistan during his Army career. I could peel skin off as a sheet off my hands and off my feet, which was tied to these persistent chemicals I came into contact with. But the VA said it was not service-connected due to the rules that they had to follow, Chace recently told WTHR. The fact that I have lung damage due to breathing all these toxins and the sulfur mine fires and everything else? They told me that it was seasonal allergies. There are a lot of things that I picked up while I was in combat that when I came back, they determined were not service-connected. Story continues Fortunately, Chace is still with us but so many are not. We hear a lot about cost from Washington these days. But what is a life worth? What do you tell a parent, spouse or a child about fiscal budgets when their loved one is gone? We have spent trillions rebuilding other countries from the ravages of war. These men and women, however, are also a cost of war and those bills must be paid. Over the last few months, I have traveled to 11 states, ranging from Alaska to Georgia, to meet with Legionnaires and build support for this once in a generation piece of legislation. Paul E. Dillard is a Vietnam War veteran and national commander of the American Legion During my travels, I have been telling American Legion Family members to contact their U.S. senators. If any senator or congressional staff member says that they have less expensive legislative options, I like to ask a few simple questions. Which veterans should we leave behind? Those exposed to burn pits? Those with Gulf War Illness? Atomic veterans? Camp Lejeune veterans? Those who only have Stage 3 cancer? Who should we leave behind? And if we dont pass this now, then when? President Lincolns promise To Care for Him Who Shall Have Borne the Battle defines who we are as an American Legion. We also include women as equal partners in this promise. Does Lincolns promise define us as a country? That is a question that I am hoping Sens. Todd Young and Mike Braun can answer on behalf of Hoosier veterans and the men and women across this country who have answered their nations call. Paul E. Dillard is a Vietnam War veteran and national commander of the nearly 2-million-member American Legion. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Op/Ed: Indiana's Young, Braun should support Honoring Our Pact Act The US Supreme Court. Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Supreme Court clerks have been asked to turn over their private phone records, CNN reported. This comes as the court investigates the leak of a draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade. Some clerks are alarmed by the investigation and considering hiring outside counsel. Supreme Court officials are reportedly seeking to require law clerks to turn over their private phone records as part of the court's escalating investigation into the highly unusual leak of a draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade. CNN reported that some clerks were alarmed by the requests, which include signing affidavits, and considering hiring outside counsel. The exact nature of the cellphone searches is unclear, CNN's Joan Biskupic reported. Chief Justice John Roberts, who confirmed the authenticity of the draft majority opinion that would gut federal abortion rights, has met with the court's clerks, CNN added. Roberts slammed the leak as a "betrayal" and ordered the Supreme Court marshal to investigate. Some Republican lawmakers called for the FBI to be involved, though it is unclear if any criminal laws were broken. A former clerk previously told Insider that the May 2 leak of a full draft opinion trumped any previous breach of the court's secrecy. "The court can't operate if that happens," the former clerk said. "This is a major, major leak. It's hard to imagine a bigger leak." There's no guarantee that the source of the leak is a clerk. Politico published Justice Samuel Alito's draft opinion and described the source as a "person familiar with the court's proceedings." The high court is examining abortion rights once again as it reviews a Mississippi law that effectively bans most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, which is about two months before fetuses are generally considered viable. Supreme Court justices are limited in the number of clerks they can hire each term, and the prestigious positions are often filled by top graduates of the nation's highest-ranking law schools. Six current justices were Supreme Court clerks themselves. Other clerks Republican Sens. Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, and Josh Hawley, as well as the White House chief of staff, Ron Klain have gone on to have illustrious political careers. A representative for the Supreme Court did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The court is expected to hand down its ruling on Mississippi's law in the summer. Biskupic has covered the court for decades and has written biographies on multiple justices, including Roberts and Sonia Sotomayor. Read the original article on Business Insider About 1,400 people gathered at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona on Memorial Day for the first time in three years after in-person celebrations were halted through the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was garnished with U.S. flags, the music of the Arizona Army National Guard Band and members of the Arizona Army National Color Guard. David Lucier, a Vietnam Veteran who was among the crowd at the event, said he got to reunite with many old friends he had not seen in a while. "It was such a beautiful event. Seeing those friends was absolutely magnificent," he said. Paula Pedene, an event organizer with Honoring America's Veterans, said the event was held online for the past two years and that seeing over 1,000 participants turn out to honor war veterans this year was "really touching." The event was inaugurated by a World War II plane flyover followed by the presentation of more than 50 wreaths. "It's part of our history," Lucier said. "It's important to remember those lessons, remember the sacrifices and remember the values that we fought and died for." Arizona Army National guardsmen fire a three-gun salute during a Memorial Day ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona. Lucier joined the U.S. Army when he was 19 and served in the military for about three years. "I'm glad I survived," he said. "Several of my friends did not, and I remember them every year." "I also remember back when we were together, the things we did, the things we accomplished. Not just comradery, but really, brotherly love. And that's something I've carried with me all these many years." Rick Romley, also a Vietnam Veteran and former Maricopa County Attorney, also attended the Monday event. Romley said the National Memorial Cemetery's event is one that he looks forward to the most, and that being able to participate in person for the first time in three years was a "very personal and significant" moment for him. "It's a very touching, emotional, uplifting event," he told the Arizona Republic. Romley said he lost his best friend, whom we grew up with in Phoenix, while both of them were serving in the U.S. Marines during the Vietnam War. Story continues "We should never forget those who are willing to die in the uniform and put their lives on the line," said Romley, who named his first son after the friend that he lost. "I just never want to forget my best friend." Rick Romley leads a Memorial Day ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona. Romley said the celebration of Memorial Day is important to remember those sacrifices and look forward to a future built upon the values protected by the people who died while serving the nation. Reach breaking news reporter Laura Daniella Sepulveda at lsepulveda@lavozarizona.com or on Twitter @lauradNews. Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Thousands gather for first in-person Memorial Day event since COVID-19 ANKARA/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A chief adviser to Turkey's president told his U.S. counterpart that Turkey wanted "concrete steps" on the existence of what it calls "terrorist organisations" in Finland and Sweden before it would consider their NATO bids, the Turkish presidency said. U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Ibrahim Kalin, chief foreign policy adviser to President Tayyip Erdogan, spoke on Monday to discuss the NATO bids and the war in Ukraine, the Turkish presidency said in a statement. Turkey has objected to the two countries' joining the Western defence alliance on the grounds that they harbour people linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group and others it deems terrorists, and because Finland and Sweden halted arms exports to Turkey in 2019. In a statement, the Turkish presidency said Kalin had told Sullivan in a phone call that nations wanting to join NATO must "internalise the alliance's values and principles on security and counter-terrorism." "It was emphasised that it is imperative for Sweden and Finland to take concrete steps regarding the terrorist organisations that threaten Turkey's national security," it added. The White House said Sullivan in the call "expressed support for Turkeys continued direct talks with Sweden and Finland to resolve concerns over their applications for NATO membership, which the U.S. strongly supports." Sweden and Finland have said they condemn terrorism and are open to dialogue. All 30 NATO members must approve plans to enlarge the alliance. Erdogan said in comments published in The Economist on Monday that Turkey's commitment to NATO was unchanged, and he called on allies to focus their efforts on "persuading" the candidate countries. "Sweden's and Finland's uncompromising insistence on joining the alliance has added an unnecessary item to NATO's agenda," he said. "There is no authority in Ankara that can be told what to do by any country that is unwilling to fight terrorism." Sullivan also "reiterated the importance of refraining from escalation in Syria to preserve existing ceasefire lines and avoid any further destabilization," the White House said. (Reporting by Orhan Coskun and Tuvan Gumrukcu; additional reporting by David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Leslie Adler) A family affair. Prince William and Kate Middleton wont be attending Prince Harrys daughters Lilibet first birthday celebrations. Lilibet will be celebrating her first birthday away from her home state of California and in her dads home country of England. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are traveling to the United Kingdom soon to celebrate Queen Elizabeth IIs Platinum Jubilee weekend. The four-day weekend of events will kick off on June 2, 2022, with the traditional Trooping of Colour. Lilibets birthday also falls on June 4, which is a perfect date to celebrate Harrys grandmother and his daughters big day at the same time. Lilibet was born in Montecito, California in June 2021, and has not visited her fathers home country since her birth. While whole family is excited to meet Lilibet, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, will not be in attendance for Lilibets celebrations due to prior commitments, according to Cosmopolitan. Lilibets birthday celebration will be held at Harry and Meghans U.K. home, Frogmore Cottage. At that time, William and Kate are scheduled to be in Wales meeting with performers for a concert for the Queens Jubilee celebrations at Cardiff Castle due to a prior commitment. More from StyleCaster Prince Harry and Meghan are bringing both of their kids, Lilibet, and Archie, 3 over from California for the festivities. They confirmed their travels to the U.K. to celebrate the monarchs Jubilee on May 6, 2022. However, the couple is barred from attending the Trooping of Colour as they arent working royals. Buckingham Palace released a statement on the same day, After careful consideration, the Queen has decided this years traditional trooping the colour balcony appearance on Thursday, 2 June, will be limited to Her Majesty, and those members of the royal family who are currently undertaking official public duties on behalf of the Queen. Story continues Click here to read the full article. Though William and Kate are not attending Lilibets celebrations, their kidsPrince George, 8, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4are reportedly bonding with Harrys kids after the royal brothers worked out their problems. A source told OK! Magazine on May 31, 2022 that, the brothers needed time for everything to settle down. The family, including William, had been disappointed in the way Harry and Meghan chose to leave the royal family. William sees that Meghan is a good mother and loyal wife, and he is genuinely pleased for his brother. It seems that the two of them have healed the rift and are very much back on their old buddy terms. Meghans distance from Kate has also helped heal the friction [between] the two men. According to the UKs Mirror, Harry and William have been messaging each other regularly on WhatsApp and FaceTiming each other with their respective children. Courtesy of HarperCollins Publishers. Buy: Battle of Brothers by Robert Lacey $14.94 For more about Prince Harry and Prince Williams feud, check out historian Robert Laceys 2020 book, Battle of Brothers. In this New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller, Lacey takes a close look at Harry and Williams relationship throughout the years and considers each moment that led to their eventual estrangement. From the impact of their mother Princess Dianas tragic death and the pressures of their roles in the royal family (William, the future king vs. Harry, the spare), to the influence their wives Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle have had on their differing paths, Battle of Brothers reveals all the highs, lows, and discretions of these brothers lives in a way never offered before. Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think youll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale. New Entertainment Newsletter Best of StyleCaster Yakima man is in serious condition after exchanging gunfire with police Since August, divers, drones and dogs have been employed in the search for Jennifer Caridad. Now, detectives are waiting on lab technicians at the Washington State Patrols crime lab to test possible evidence. Man accused of stealing vehicle and abandoning infant inside it to appear in court Shawn Marceau led a Warrior Walk through the Yakima Valley on Saturday, trekking 17 miles from his home in Harrah to Tahoma Cemetery in Yakima. Strategic ambiguity is what U.S. diplomats call Americas policy on Taiwan and China. The strategy is to keep the peace by maintaining ambiguity over the degree the U.S. would go to defend Taiwan from a Chinese invasion. To date, that intentional vagueness has met its objective of keeping Taiwan from declaring formal independence, which would incense China, and from China invading what it considers a renegade province. Last Monday, however, President Joe Biden was unambiguous about U.S. policy. During a stop in Japan, Biden was asked by a reporter, Are you willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan if it comes to that? Yes, Biden answered simply, later adding: Thats the commitment we made. He was likely referring to the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, which actually does not commit the U.S. to militarily defend Taiwan, but to provide self-defense capabilities. Biden apparently believes otherwise in a view thats also shared by several respected foreign policy experts. But Bidens approach, if that indeed reflects U.S. policy, may not be as effective a strategy, according to Ryan Hass, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Hass, an expert in East Asia, told an editorial writer in an email interview that there are few issues in the world where words matter more than on the question of war in the Taiwan Strait and that in this respect, the inconsistencies in the Biden administrations responses to questions about whether the United States would intervene in a cross-Strait conflict is troubling. Americas abiding interest is in preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, Hass continued. Preserving this objective requires standing in the way of the two paths that could lead to conflict, either a Chinese military invasion or efforts by Taiwan to declare de jure independence. The more that President Biden locks the U.S. into a specific response to a future hypothetical conflict, the less room for maneuver he leaves for himself or his successors. China, Hass said, already assumes U.S. intervention if it attacks Taiwan. Accordingly, he believes that there is not deterrent value for any U.S. president to say out loud that the U.S. would intervene in any future conflict. There is risk, however, that such a statement could prompt Beijing to take visible responses to register displeasure. Indeed, Chinese officials did, rhetorically and by announcing new military drills near Taiwan. Theres also a risk that Taipei could misinterpret the statement and not as aggressively build its defensive capabilities, or that it may choose to roil the fragile status quo. More constructively, Biden used his trip to introduce a 13-nation pact called the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity. Along with the U.S. and regional leaders Japan, India, South Korea and Australia, the agreement includes Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam (but notably, not Taiwan). Together the 13 countries represent about 40% of the global economy. But unlike Bidens unambiguous statement on Taiwan, theres more ambiguity to the new arrangement, as its designed to address issues like supply chain resilience, digital trade, corruption and clean energy. Unlike a more muscular free trade agreement, it does not address issues of market access, which will make it not only less economically meaningful but less of a geopolitical counterweight to China. Had Biden really wanted to blunt Beijings increasing influence, he would have advocated for the pact his former boss, President Barack Obama, negotiated, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which went forward without the U.S. after it was irresponsibly demonized during the 2016 campaign by both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. China has sought aggressively to sell the idea that the U.S. is an anxious, declining power retreating into greater isolation, while China is the new core of Asias economic growth story, Hass said. If the U.S. were to return to its seat at the trade table in Asia through CPTPP (the renamed Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership), it would render obsolete Chinas efforts to present America as a fading power and itself as the growth engine of the future. Biden is right to not let the long-delayed pivot to Asia become derailed due to the Ukraine crisis. But strategic ambiguity has maintained peace in the region peace that can be undone if not carefully maintained. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. XpatLoop Media Partner Launched in January 2014, this newsletter published on week days covers 'everything you need to know about whats going on in Hungary and beyond', according to its publisher the state media agency MTI. Arriving in Brussels for a two-day summit, Viktor Orban said Hungary could back an EU embargo on Russian oil if it left out oil delivered through pipelines. The prime minister told journalists that Hungary would find such a solution acceptable since this would not involve dropping a nuclear bomb on the countrys economy. Orban also alluded to a recent veiled threat that something may happen to the pipeline transporting Russian oil, saying Hungary wanted an outcome from the summit that would leave it the right to procure Russian oil via sea shipments in such an event. This is the guarantee we need. If I obtain such a guarantee were asking for today, then were safe, the prime minister said. Responding to a question, Orban said Hungary was prepared to back the EUs sixth sanctions package if a guarantee were made regarding the security of Hungarys energy supply, adding that solutions should be arrived at before sanctions are agreed. In the event Hungary were forced to make costly investments such as building pipelines and upgrading oil refineries, the country would not reap any extra profit, he said, adding that oil would end up costing Hungarians more than the current one. We wont let this happen, he added. Fidesz: On Issue of Oil Embargo, Hungarian Left-Wing Backing Brussels On the issue of sanctions on Russian oil, Hungarian left-wing parties are backing Brussels rather than Hungarian people, the communications chief of the ruling Fidesz party said ahead of a meeting of the European Council. Istvan Hollik said the issue was expected to bring about serious battles, adding that leftist lawmakers and MEPs had confirmed they would vote in favour of the EU proposal. The Brussels proposal on oil sanctions, a response to the war in Ukraine, is an attack on Hungarian economy and the governments scheme to cut utility fees, Hollik said, adding that the Fidesz-led alliance would not allow Brussels, hand in hand with the Hungarian left wing, to put the governments achievements of the past twelve years in jeopardy, he said. Matild Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Budapest has appointed Selim Olmez to the role of General Manager. Selim Olmez, the Hotel Manager of Matild Palace, has been appointed to the role of General Manager after Emre Pasli, who has led the palace for 6 years and will continue his professional career in Qatar as of June. Selim Olmez, as a General Manager, is responsible for the operation and successful management of the Matild Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Budapest. Owing to his more than 23 years' experience in the hospitality and hotel industry and at various brands of Marriott International, he has extensive knowledge of luxury brands and international experience in pre-openings, operational excellence, marketing, communications, reputation and revenue management, F&B and hotel operations. Selim will play a key role in making Matild Palace one of the top travel destinations for international travelers, and thus making Budapest one of the most attractive travel destinations in the world. Before joining the Executive Board of Matild Palace in 2019, the specialist has gained professional experience at several brands of Marriott International, Inc., such as Sheraton, W Hotels and St.Regis. He has worked in prestigious five-star luxury properties like The St. Regis Astana in Kazakhstan, The St. Regis Istanbul & Spago by Wolfgang Puck in Turkey and The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort in Abu Dhabi. Thanks to his international career in Russia, Qatar, Turkey and Abu Dhabi he has extensive knowledge of the luxury brands and the global tourism industry. Thanks to the work of the specialist among others, Matild Palace has been reborn as a new social epicenter of Budapest downtown. The 130-room Matild Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Budapest, belonging to The Luxury Collection portfolio of Marriott International, made its debut in the iconic building of Budapest in summer 2021 together with the first European Spago restaurant, the secret rooftop bar, The Duchess, and in May 2022 the reimagination of the former Belvarosi Kavehaz, the Matild Cafe & Cabaret with more than 120 years of history behind it - all under the culinary supervision of world-famous chef Wolfgang Puck. He holds several international awards, among others: Starwood Hotels & Resorts - Presidents Award, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts Service Delivery Award, Starwood EAME Awards and Best SPA marketing Middle East, Middle East SPA Awards. He graduated from Akdeniz University, Institute of Social Sciences, being a Master of Public Relations and Advertising, and at Gazi Universitys Faculty of Economics Administrative and Social Sciences in Turkey. Selim is a native Turkish, fluent in English, and speaks German and Russian well. Click here to virtually visit Matild Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Budapest YORK Late Friday afternoon, May 27, the federal court in Nebraska ruled in favor of the York County Commissioners, lifting an injunction and dismissing a claim from York County Attorney John Lyons that they had no legal ability to fire him. Tuesday morning, the commissioners sitting in formal session voted unanimously to terminate Lyons position as York County Attorney and it became effective immediately. During their regular meeting, the board went into executive session for approximately 30 minutes to discuss the matter with their legal counsel. Following the executive session, they took a five-minute recess and then went back into regular session. Prior to taking a vote, York County Commissioner Chairman Randy Obermier said he wanted made a statement on the record. Prior to the vote relating to Mr. Lyons continued appointment as York County Attorney, we want to outline some of the past history of events that led us to today, Obermier said. On August 25, 20921, a hearing notice was issued to Mr. Lyons relating to the potential termination of his employment. While the hearing was initially set for Sept. 7, at 11 a.m., it was postponed by the agreement of the parties until Sept. 15 at 11 a.m. Mr. Lyons requested that the Sept. 15 hearing be held in open session and the board planned to offer Mr. Lyons the opportunity to respond to the allegations against him, which Mr. Lyons knew. However, at approximately 10 a.m., on Sept. 15, Mr. Lyons attorney contacted the attorneys for the board and informed them for the first time that Mr. Lyons did not plan to participate in the hearing. Rather, the attorney asked that his letter be considered Mr. Lyons submission with regard to the hearing. The board considered the letter submitted together with the other information and evidence it had gathered. However, a vote on that matter was to be held on Sept. 15. Rather, given the seriousness of the matter, the board intended to consider and review the information presented by Mr. Lyons and hold its vote at a later meeting of the board on Sept. 21, at which all members would have been able to be physically present. As set forth more fully in the hearing notice, Mr. Lyons had been informed for months that he may be terminated from his job as the county attorney for York County for the reason set forth in that notice, Obermier said. Generally speaking, those reasons included that Mr. Lyons signed a contract with Clay County to serve as its interim county attorney for at least six months but renewable at 12-month intervals. The Clay County contract was signed by Mr. Lyons on July 28, 2021, the day after the York County Board of Commissioners unanimously declined to allow Mr. Lyons to devote less than his full time to the legal work of York County. Mr. Lyons actions entering the Clay County contract violated his agreement with York County to serve as its county attorney, Obermier continued. Obermier said when Lyons was appointed to the position, it was made clear he would be required to devote his full time to the legal work of York County, and he acknowledged he understood that expectation prior to be appointed. This agreement was in accordance with Resolution 17-45 which was passed by the board in 20178. This resolution stated the board required the county attorney position to remain full time with no private practice allowed except as authorized by the board. And this resolution was passed in accordance with state statutes which say a county can specify that a county attorney devote his or her full time to the legal work of the county and not engage in the private practice of law directly or indirectly. Prior to the vote taking place, John Lyons obtained an injunction stopping the vote scheduled in September of 2021. However, on May 27, 2022, the United States Federal Court vacated that injunction and also dismissed all of Mr. Lyons claims against the board. As such, we are now ready to move forward with on the vote to terminate Mr. Lyons employment effective immediately. Following Obermiers statement, Commissioner Kurt Bulgrin made a motion to terminate Lyons position as York County Attorney. His motion was seconded by Commissioner Daniel Grotz. I do want to say that during our earlier recess, we reached out to Seward County to see if they would be willing to step in and help us and they said they are willing to help during the interim, Obermier added. A vote was taken and it was unanimously to terminate Lyons from that position. Shortly afterward, the sheriffs department was asked to inform Lyons of the commissioners decision and request he begin the process of vacating his office, the courthouse and to cease acting as the county attorney. This last weekend was not an easy one for some of us but I truly believe what we have done is right for York County, Obermier said. It should be noted that Lyons did not file to run for election to this office for the term of 2023-2027 and the sole candidate Gary Olson was ultimately elected for that term as he appeared alone on the Primary Election ballot and the same case will be true in the General Election. That means there is currently a vacancy in the county attorneys office, which exists for the term that will end at the end of 2022. An attorney will have to be appointed to fulfill the remainder of that term, until January when Olson takes office. 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. McCOOL JUNCTION EDF Renewables released information this week, saying their proposed K-Junction solar project will add $781,000 in annual revenue to the McCool Junction School District and approximately $27 million over the life of the project. The company says further, According to a new University of Nebraska-Lincoln study, the K-Junction Solar Project would represent a substantial long-term investment in York County and the surrounding region. The project will also generate $781,000 for the McCool Junction School District per year, equivalent to nearly 18% of the districts annual expenses. The study, which was conducted by The University of Nebraskas Bureau of Business Research, alongside a separate county tax revenue assessment, says once completed and in operation, the K-Junction Solar Project would funnel more than $1 million per year directly into the community, generating more than $43 million in property taxes to York County over the life of the project. EDF cites Dr. Eric Thompson, Professor of Economics and Director of the Bureau of Business Research at the University of Nebraska: The study found that the K-Junction Solar Project will bring new job opportunities for workers and new sales opportunities for businesses in the York County region both during construction and during annual operations. The proposed project is located on leased land primarily in the McCool Junction area of York County. The project is estimated to generate enough power for nearly 60,000 homes. In addition to new jobs and income, the study found K-Junction Solar would be a significant source of new tax revenue for the county, EDF said in their press release. The project would generate estimated property tax revenues of more than $1.24 million each year of the project, going directly to York County, local towns, natural resource districts and local school and fire districts. This includes more than $27 million in tax revenue to the McCool Junction school district over the life of the project. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, solar energy projects in Nebraska invested nearly $108 million in state crucial funds that are used to support schools, improve roads and bridges, and fund emergency services. York County farmers and their families will earn drought-proof and flood-proof lease payments, while the tax payments will benefit everyone in McCool Junction and York County, said Pervez Agwan, project developer at EDF Renewables. Bolstering the economy and investing in the community with a new crop will provide substantial new resources for this area. The Mahindra Scorpio-N is nearing its launch, and the excitement for the all-new SUV of the homegrown carmaker is high. The recent digital reveal of the SUV has shown it in its full glory. A new video on Instagram, however, manages to showcase a lot about the 2022 Mahindra Scorpio-Ns interior. Like the XUV700, it will be sold with a super-long list of features, but it will miss out on the dual-screen setup that the XUV700 comes with. Thanks to the new spy video, here are the top 5 standout features of the forthcoming Mahindra Scorpio-N. Sony sound system with roof-mounted speakers In the new video, the Sony sound system is clearly visible. A speaker sits atop the dashboard while others are mounted on the doors and roof. Mahindra has earlier used a Sony-sourced sound system on the Mahindra XUV700, and it has been a phenomenal unit in terms of sound quality. Dual-zone climate control India is a hot and humid country. Hence, the requirement for a nice HVAC unit is high. Mahindra is taking it a notch above the competition in the new Scorpio-N. The indigenous brand will be offering a dual-zone climate control unit on the upcoming 2022 Mahindra Scorpio-N. 8-inch touchscreen infotainment unit Modern-day cars feel dated with a small touchscreen infotainment unit. To abide by the new rules of the Indian automotive market, the all-new Mahindra Scorpio-N will have a large 8.0-inch touchscreen unit. It is likely to be AdrenoX-enabled like the XUV700. However, expect the unit to offer wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Also read - This Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 modified into a bobber looks butch, check pics Wireless phone charger In the age of everything wireless and smart, a wireless phone charger is what the new Mahindra Scorpio-N will come with. Well, the occupants will be able to keep the wires away from the cabin to a large extent. Large panoramic sunroof Currently, the Mahindra Scorpio misses out on the option of a sunroof. With the arrival of the new model, the statement will not hold any significance, as the Scorpio-N will sport an electric sunroof. With the new images, it is an easy guess that it will be a panoramic unit. The Nepali search and rescue teams recovered the flight's voice recorder today along with the bodies of all ill-fated 22 people onboard of a small Tara Air plane that crashed in the Himalayas two days earlier. Two Germans, four Indians and 16 Nepalis were on the De Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter aircraft that crashed 15 minutes after taking off from the tourist town of Pokhara, 125 km (80 miles) west of Kathmandu, on Sunday (May 29) morning. The plane was bound for Jomsom, a popular tourist and pilgrimage site, 80 km (50 miles) northwest of Pokhara, on what should have been a 20-minute flight. A spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) said the plane had only the voice recorder to preserve ground to air and air to air conversations. Modern planes have two such black boxes - a flight data recorder and a cockpit voice recorder. "Nothing except the wreckage is left at the crash site now," Deo Chandra Lal Karna told Reuters. "All the bodies and the black box have been recovered." Operated by privately owned Tara Air, the aircraft made its first flight in April 1979, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24. Soldiers and rescue workers had retrieved 21 bodies from the wreckage, strewn across a steep slope at an altitude of around 14,500 feet, on May 30. Also read: DGCA suspends air traffic controller for near mid-air collision of two IndiGo flights at Bengaluru Airport Bodies of 10 victims were brought to Kathmandu on Monday, and the remaining 12 bodies would be flown into the capital on Tuesday and released to the families following an autopsy and identification, Karna said. The Nepali government has set up a five-member panel to determine the cause of the crash and suggest preventive measures for the aviation sector. Nepal, home to eight of the world's 14 highest mountains, including Mt. Everest, has a history of air accidents. In early 2018, a US-Bangla Airlines flight from Dhaka to Kathmandu crashed on landing and caught fire, killing 51 of the 71 people on board. In 1992, all 167 people aboard a Pakistan International Airlines plane were killed when it ploughed into a hill as it tried to land in Kathmandu. (With inputs from Reuters) Live TV #mute Nepali Army has recovered 21 dead bodies out of 22 people (including 19 passengers and 3 crew members) onboard the ill-fated Tara Air flight. The Army took 10 bodies to the base station on Monday evening (May 30) after a plane travelling from Pokhara to Jomsong crashed onto the hills killing all 22 onboard. The crash took place on Sunday morning (May 29) after a small plane lost contact with ATC 15 minutes into the flight, just 5 minutes away from the destination. After searching for the whole day, the wreckage of the plane was spotted in a remote valley, and reaching their became difficult to due to the bad weather. "Till now we have recovered 21 dead bodies. 10 bodies are carried back to the base station with the help of Mi-17 helicopter in Khabang," said Teknath Situala, the Spokesperson at Tribhuwan International Airport in Kathmandu who has been overseeing the rescue and search operation told ANI. The Army reached the crash site on Monday morning (May 30). "Because of bad weather conditions rescue operation was very difficult even with 50-60 rescuers deployed. Three helicopters are also stationed which has been engaged in retrieving the bodies located by the rescuers from accident site to nearby base station," he added further. Operated by Tara Air, domestic air service provider, the turboprop aircraft en route to Jomsom from Pokhara crashed at an elevation of 14, 500 feets at the base of Manapathi peak in Mustang District on Sunday. Search operation for the missing body is continuing in the Himalayas which as per the officials is engulfed by thick blanket of fog reducing the visibility. "The site of accident is located at 14,500 feet, making the terrain extremely sloppy. The constant rain and clouds has created difficulties for the rescuers. Despite that, they are doing their very best to retrieve the dead bodies and ferry it to base station and back to Kathmandu," an airport official added. Out of 21 recovered bodies- 10 have been carried back to Kathmandu for postmortem. Remaining bodies will be flown back to capital, informed the officials. The twin-otter aircraft, which took off from Pokhara for Jomsom in Mustang at 9:55 am (NST) on Sunday, lost contact shortly after takeoff and was later found at Sansure Cliff of Thasang Rural Municipality-2 in Mustang on Monday morning. A total of 22 passengers, including four Indians, two Germans and three crew members, were on board the plane. Soon after the incident, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation of the Himalayan Nation issued a press statement on Monday regarding the formation of a five-member panel to probe into the tragic crash. stating that Senior Aeronautical Engineer Ratish Chandra Lal Suman would lead the team. A preliminary investigation made by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has showed that the crash might have occurred due to the bad weather conditions. Also read: Nepal plane crash: Same month, same route, another tragedy after 10 years CAAN Director General Pradeep Adhikari told a meeting of the International Committee of the Parliament on Monday that the Tara Air plane met with the accident because of inclement weather. "Preliminary investigation showed that the aircraft which should have made a right turn instead took a left turn due to the bad weather and crashed," he said further.Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba extended his heartfelt tributes to the deceased and expressed condolences to the bereaved families via twitter. The Tara Air's 9 NAET twin-engine aircraft had crashed in Kowang village of the Mustang district hours after it went missing in the mountainous district after taking off from Pokhara city and bound for Jomsom on Sunday morning.Mustang is one of the mountainous and fifth-largest districts of the Himalayan nation which hosts the pilgrimage of Muktinath Temple. The district, also known as "Land beyond the Himalayas", is located in the Kali Gandaki valley of the Himalayan region of Western Nepal. With ANI inputs New Delhi: Delhi Health Minister and AAP leader Satyendar Jain was on Tuesday sent to Enforcement Directorate's custody till June 9 by a court here for questioning in a money laundering case. Special Judge Geetanjli Goel remanded Jain in ED's custody, noting that his custodial interrogation was required to unearth the larger conspiracy. The ED had on Monday arrested Delhis Health Minister under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal earlier on Tuesday broke his silence on the arrest of Satyendar Jain by the ED, saying the case is "completely fake and politically motivated". Kejriwal asserted that his government and the Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) are "hardcore honest". "I have studied the case against Jain. It is completely fake and motivated by political reasons and he has been deliberately framed. "We have faith in the judiciary. Jain will come out clean and the fake case will not sustain," the chief minister told reporters during an inspection of a road development programme of his government. Jain, who holds various portfolios including health, home and power in the Kejriwal government in Delhi, was arrested by the Enforcement Department (ED) in a case of money laundering on Monday. Delhi units of the BJP and Congress have welcomed Jain's arrest in the case. The BJP has demanded that Kejriwal should remove Jain from his Cabinet. In January, ahead of the Punjab Assembly polls, Kejriwal claimed he had learnt from sources that Jain could be arrested by the ED. Immediately after the arrest of Jain on Monday, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and AAP MP Sanjay Singh had lashed at the BJP, but Kejriwal did not react to the development. Sisodia had claimed that Jain was arrested by the ED in a "fake" case because he was made in-charge of the AAP in poll-bound Himachal Pradesh, where the BJP was afraid of losing the elections. Singh had said that Jain's arrest was aimed at defaming the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) before the polls. A volunteer pours water on a traveler during a heatwave in southern Pakistani port city of Karachi on May 31, 2022. (Str/Xinhua) by Misbah Saba Malik ISLAMABAD, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Khalid Bux, a farmer from Pakistan's south Sindh province, is worried about the fate of his sugarcane and cotton crops as one-third of the plants are drying up due to the unavailability of water from canals. "Even last year I couldn't get the expected yield due to water issues, but this year it's a real crisis. Canals are running dry and we do not have any resources to water our crops." If the situation persists, local farmers will definitely be devoured by economic burden, he said. Residents of Sindh and other parts of the country are living under extremely hot weather conditions with mercury surpassing 50 degrees Celsius, and water woes are making the situation worse as clean drinking water and resources to water the crops are diminishing. In a conversation with Xinhua, Manzoor Wassan, advisor to the chief minister of Sindh on agriculture, said that the water scarcity is affecting almost all agriculture products in the province and the situation is feared to get worse in the coming days. "Sindh is rich in production of cereals, mangoes, peppers, cotton, rice, wheat, and sugarcane among others, but due to water shortage the already standing products are in crisis whereas sowing of rice is facing delay," he said. The water shortage led by extreme weather conditions is also expected to result in a food shortage in Pakistan as the area of cultivation and annual yield is facing a decrease with every coming year, he added. At a recent media briefing, Pakistan's Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman warned of a 50 percent decline in the production of mangoes in the country due to water shortage. She said that her country ranks 5th in the world in producing mangoes, but this year severe water shortages and rising temperatures are expected to take a toll on the production of juicy fruit. Water Shortage is also leading to many health issues including water-borne disease, heatstroke, and kidney issues among the residents of the country. According to a report from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), an estimated 70 percent of households in Pakistan drink bacterially contaminated water. The current heatwave has worsened the situation. A worse outbreak of cholera in southwest Balochistan province left several kids killed and thousands of others infected, and stomach diseases in Punjab and Sindh occurred due to drinking of contaminated water. In the Cholistan desert of Punjab, over 50 cattle perish due to water shortage while wildlife is also affected. In a conversation with Xinhua, rescue workers from the non-government organization Al-Khidmat Foundation shared horrendous tales from the area where people suffered due to the wrath of climate. "The Cholistan is already a very poor area, but what happened to them this year can not be explained. Very lean and malnutrition kids had to walk miles in search of drinking water, but many wells were dried up. People had to see their cattle, which was the only source of income for them, die of thirst to save water for their kids," Umar Ahmad, a rescue worker, told Xinhua. According to weather experts, the heatwave is likely to continue in June, but the water crisis will be averted during the monsoon season which starts around mid-July every year. Measures are also being taken to mitigate climate change, including a drive to plant 10 billion trees in the country. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has recently organized a task force to prepare a comprehensive strategy to reduce the impact of climate change and deal with the issue of water and food shortage. The prime minister said that the strategy should also encompass steps for water conservation and protection of existing reservoirs and forests. A volunteer sprays water on bike riders during a heatwave in southern Pakistani port city of Karachi on May 31, 2022. (Str/Xinhua) A man cools off himself during a heatwave in southern Pakistani port city of Karachi on May 31, 2022. (Str/Xinhua) Mahindra and Mahindra may soon join the electric vehicle market in India as the home-grown auto major plans to launch the fully electric version of its XUV300 SUV in the first quarter of 2023. The company also announced that it will unveil its electric vehicle business strategy, 'Born Electric Vision' of EV concept in August this year. The Mumbai-headquartered company has recently partnered with Volkswagen to explore the use of the latter's modular electric drive matrix (MEB) components that can be used in its electric cars. MEB electric platform and its components allow car manufacturers to build their portfolio of electrified vehicles, quickly and cost-effectively. "We will be launching the electric version of XUV 300, which we hope to have in the first quarter of the next calendar year," M&M Executive Director Rajesh Jejurikar said at a media conference on May 30. He said that though it is called the electric version of XUV 300, it is a 4.2 meter in length vehicle and not sub-4 meter. Jejurikar said the company is going to reveal the 'Born Electric Vision' in the UK on August 15. Jejurikar said the recently launched XUV 700 has seen only 10-12 percent cancellations despite a waiting period of 18-24 months. Also read: After India snubs Elon Musk, Tesla boss praises China calling it EV leader on the world "XUV 700 has been a huge success and even with the kind of period we have now, which is 18-24 months and despite producing 5,000 vehicles a month, we are getting bookings of more than 9,000-10,000 units every month," he said. He, however, said that as the company ramps up the capacity with semiconductor supplies expected to improve further, the waiting period will come down. Mahindra & Mahindra reported a nearly five-fold jump in standalone profit at Rs 1,192 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2022. The company had posted a profit of Rs 245 crore in the year-ago period, it said. Revenue grew 28 percent to Rs 17,124 crore in the period under review as compared to Rs 13,356 crore in March quarter 2020-21, it added. (With inputs from PTI) Live TV #mute New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday (May 31, 2022) broke his silence on the arrest of his minister Satyendar Jain by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and said that the case is "completely fake" and "politically motivated". Kejriwal said that he has faith in the judiciary and asserted that the AAP is an honest political party. "I have studied the case against Jain. It is completely fake and motivated by political reasons. We have faith in the judiciary. Jain is following the path of truth, and he will come out clean," the Delhi chief minister said. Satyendar Jain was arrested by the ED on Monday in a money laundering case. He was taken into custody under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after a few hours of questioning, the PTI news agency reported citing ED officials. They alleged he was "evasive" in his replies. The arrest has been made by the federal agency in connection with alleged hawala dealings. Jain, 57, is the minister for health, industries, power, home, urban development and water in the Arvind Kejriwal-led government. The ED had said last month that assets worth Rs 4.81 crore of Jain's family and companies "beneficially owned and controlled" by him were provisionally attached as part of a money-laundering probe against him. In a statement issued then, the ED had said it issued a provisional order under the PMLA to "attach immovable properties worth Rs 4.81 crore belonging to Akinchan Developers Pvt. Ltd.; Indo Metal Impex Pvt Ltd; Paryas Infosolutions Pvt. Ltd.; Manglayatan Projects Pvt. Ltd.; J.J. Ideal Estate Pvt. Ltd.; Swati Jain, wife of Vaibhav Jain; Sushila Jain, wife of Ajit Prasad Jain; and Indu Jain, wife of Sunil Jain." The probe found that "during the period 2015-16, when Satyendar Kumar Jain was a public servant, the companies beneficially owned and controlled by him received accommodation entries to the tune of Rs 4.81 crore from shell (paper) companies against cash transferred to Kolkata-based entry operators through the hawala route." "These amounts were utilised for direct purchase of land or for repayment of loan taken for the purchase of agricultural land in and around Delhi," the ED said. The persons named in the attachment order are associates and family members of Jain, the officials said. The money laundering case against the Delhi minister stems from an August 2017 FIR filed by the CBI against him and others on charges of alleged possession of disproportionate assets (DA). A charge sheet was filed by the CBI in December 2018 stating that the alleged DA was to the tune of Rs 1.47 crore, about 217 per cent more than his known sources of income, during 2015-17. The Income Tax Department had also probed these transactions and issued an order attaching "benami assets" allegedly linked to Jain. (With agency inputs) New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party founder and senior leader Bhim Singh passed away in Jammu on Tuesday (May 31, 2022). Singh, 81, was said to be unwell for more than a year and is survived by his wife and son. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences on the demise of Singh and said that he will be remembered as a grassroots leader who devoted his life for the welfare of Jammu and Kashmir. "Taking to Twitter, he said, "Prof Bhim Singh Ji will be remembered as a grassroots leader who devoted his life for the welfare of Jammu and Kashmir. He was very well read and scholarly. I will always recall my interactions with him. Saddened by his demise. Condolences to his family and supporters. Om Shanti." New Delhi: After the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate in the 12th century, Qutbuddin Aibak demolished 27 Hindu and Jain temples and built a huge mosque in the Qutub Minar complex. And later the Qutub Minar was built on top of the demolished temples. In todays DNA, Zee News Editor In Chief Sudhir Chaudhary analysed the strategic demolition of Hindu and Jain temples and how Muslim rulers disrespected the Gods as they deliberately put the demolished monuments in such places that they are walked by people every day at Qutub Minar complex. Zee News team studied and investigated the remains of the ancient temples in the Qutub Minar complex between May 22 and May 29 and during this time they saw that many statues of Hindu Gods and Goddesses are still present in the area. Among these, the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, which is considered to be the oldest mosque in India, has an idol of Lord Ganesha imprisoned on its western wall. It is believed that this idol was part of the same Hindu temples, which were demolished by Qutbuddin Aibak and built a mosque and Qutub Minar here. Qutub Minar Complex which spreads over an area of 24 thousand square meters and there is also a gate apart from the mosque, which is called Alai Darwaza. It was built by Alauddin Khilji, the second ruler of the Khilji dynasty. All the stones placed around this Alai Darwaza, have images of Hindu gods and goddesses on them. Among them there is also a 1200 year old idol of Lord Narasimha. Unfortunately today people stand on these stones and take their selfies. The Muslim emperors of the Delhi Sultanate did not destroy these statues completely because they wanted these idols to be insulted like this in future so the people of India always remember their slavery. When you enter inside the Qutub Minar complex, the remains of ancient Hindu temples are kept at its entrance, which the Archaeological Survey of India has considered historical and some numbers have also been written on them. But at present these stones are being used to keep shoes and other items, whereas these stones are the remains of ruined temples. Hindu temples were attacked even after Mughal Sultnate as result of which today there are nearly 1800 Mosques standing on the demoloshed remains of temples. Live TV Gandhinagar (Gujarat): Hardik Patel, the Gujarat Patidar leader, who recently quit Congress is all set to join BJP, as per news reports. According to ANI, Hardik has confirmed to the news agency that he would be joining the BJP on June 2. After he quit Congress, Hardik had slammed Congress leadership and had taken strong exceptions at the derogatory and hateful remarks by the party leaders against "Hindus and Lord Ram". Patel slammed a former Gujarat Congress president who allegedly said dogs had urinated on bricks being used for building the Ram Temple in Ayodhya."I had said earlier too that the Congress party works to hurt the sentiments of the people, always trying to damage the faith of the Hindu religion. Today, a former Union minister and Gujarat Congress leader made a statement that dogs urinate on the bricks of Ram temple," Patel had tweeted. He then questioned Congress, and its leaders, asking "what enmity do you have against Lord Shri Ram? Why hate Hindus so much? After centuries, a temple of Lord Shri Ram is also being built in Ayodhya, yet the leaders of Congress keep making statements against Lord Ram." On May 19, Patel resigned from the party and stated that Gujarat Congress leaders were least bothered to address real issues of the state but were more focussed on ensuring that the leaders who come from Delhi to Gujarat get "chicken sandwich" on time. He had also alleged that Gujarat Congress leaders tried to disrupt his political effort "sitting in the AC chambers". Meanwhile, Gujarat Congress chief Jagdish Thakor has claimed that Patel decided to quit the party as he was afraid that he might have to go to jail in sedition cases registered against him. The Gujarat Assembly elections are slated to be held this year. (With ANI inputs) Chief minister Mamata Banerjee's administrative meeting was held in Purulia on Monday. As time went on, it was as if the heat was rising at the meeting. The government officials of Purulia have virtually faced the wrath of the Chief Minister with various complaints raised in the district, complaints of various sufferings. The District Magistrate of Purulia was also not spared. Mamata Banerjee said, "Sometimes it's a pity that a project is pending. Sometimes there are allegations of irregularities against the Land Revenue Department." Raising one complaint after another, the Chief Minister slammed the district officials, including the district magistrate. What is the complaint: The revenue collected from the brick kiln is not being properly deposited in the treasury. The Chief Minister herself questioned the District Magistrate about this. She said, "On the grassroot level, they collect. They don't deposit the money to the government. They give some percentage. Others keep it with themselves. The remaining funds are embezzled. What district are you running? You've been in the district for so long! What you're doing? My idea has changed." An angry Mamata can be heard saying, "I am giving so much to the people. Why have some people become so greedy? How much more do you want? If they had been a member of my party, I would have slapped four times." Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was virtually outraged by the allegations of corruption in the land and land revenue department. The chief minister is also unhappy with the fact that several projects are stuck. Though several government projects have been started all over again in Purulia, they have not been completed in time! In this regard, the district magistrate faced the chief minister's criticism. Mamata Banerjee said, "How many projects are pending in your district? You give a quick answer. It's under process. I mean, don't do or throw away, day after day. You say it's an underprocess. What is the present status?" After the chief minister's strict instructions, the police became active today. In front of the office of the land and land revenue department in Balrampur, two shops were sealed by the police. Two people have been arrested. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (May 31, 2022) addressed a rally at the Ridge Maidan in Shimla to mark the eighth anniversary of his government. While addressing the 'Garib Kalyan Sammelan', Modi said that in the last eight years, he did not "even once" see himself as a PM, but only when he has to sign documents. "In last 8 years... not even once did I envision myself as PM. Only when I sign documents do I have the responsibility of PM but as soon as the file is gone, I'm no longer a PM...I'm just a Pradhan Sevak of 130 cr people who're everything in my life and my life is also for you," he said. Accompanied by Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur ahead of the state Assembly election scheduled to be held later this year, PM Modi said that now our borders are more secure than they were before 2014. Addressing 'Garib Kalyan Sammelan' in Shimla. Watch. https://t.co/XEekMT4DYQ Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 31, 2022 He also stated that poverty is decreasing in India. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi also released Rs 21,000 crore to more than 10 crore beneficiary farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme. The Tuesday transfer is the 11th instalment under the PM-KISAN scheme. He also interacted with beneficiaries of different government schemes at the event to mark the eighth anniversary of the NDA government at the Centre. #WATCH | Himachal Pradesh | The huge crowd at Ridge Maidan in Shimla cheered and raised slogans as Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his address at the event here to mark the eighth anniversary of the BJP govt at the Centre. pic.twitter.com/GU7cK2cRVn ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2022 During the Sammelan, Prime Minister also sought feedback about the various welfare programmes being run by the government from public representatives across the country. New Delhi: According to security forces, terrorists have received instructions from Pakistan to take on soft targets, including minorities, civilians, off-duty policemen, panchayat members and pro-Indian people to create fear and paranoia, as they have failed to strike on security installations. Intelligence sources state that terrorists, consisting of mostly Pakistani who operate in Kashmir, have been tasked to change the modus operandi of terror actions in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistani terrorists with the help of local terrorists target emotional youth, lure them in terrorism, and allot them a pistol with a task to kill an unarmed person who could possibly be pro-Indian. Since the last 4 months, pistol-borne terrorists and hybrid terrorists carrying out hit-and-run target killings across the Kashmir Valley are an emerging challenge for security forces. Terrorists have changed their strategy by carrying target attacks with small weapons and targeting civilians. Most hybrid terrorists don't have any police record and are tough to identify, according to security forces. A top police intelligence official said that modus operandi has changed by terrorists after failing to hit security establishment. They now use pistols to carry-out target killings and mix with the public hide small weapons easily. Small weapons like pistols are easy to carry for terrorists and after carrying out the target attack these terrorists easily mingle with public which help them escape from the forces watch. However, it's a challenge to break this cycle as almost 14 civilians including off-duty policeman have been killed in targeted-killings in Kashmir. But security forces are on their toes and have busted dozens of modules of hybrid terrorists, their hideouts and recovered around 130 pistols. On May 23, security forces recovered 15 pistols, 30 pistol magazines, 300 rounds along with one silencer in Chanapora area of Srinagar from two hybrid terrorists. Earlier on April 20, security forces recovered a huge cache of pistols and grenades in north Kashmirs Kupwara which included 10 pistols, 17 pistol magazines and five grenades. In January this year, two similar consignments with silencers were seized in Kashmir. Beside security forces have managed to arrest 43 terrorists mostly hybrid this year and killed 86 terrorists and it had maximum number of newly recruited terrorists. IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said In all targeted-killings, pistols were used and this year we focusing to neutralise to arrest the terrorists to bust the module and we have recovered 130 pistols till now this year and we are focusing that wherever pistols are we recover them Live TV Aizawl: The Mizoram Board of School Education (MBSE) on Tuesday announced the results of the class 12 board examinations, in which 82.07 per cent of candidates were declared successful. The Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate (HSSLC) examinations for Arts, Science and Commerce streams were held in February-March. While the pass percentage among girls was 82.10, among boys it was 82.04, officials said. A total of 9,773 students, including 5,174 girls, were declared successful. Total 11,908 candidates appeared for the examinations, they said. Total 67 students got a chance for appearing in the compartmental examination, which will be notified later. While 84.22 per cent of 7,586 Arts students were declared successful, 75.36 per cent of 2,212 students in Science stream cleared the exams. In the Commerce stream, 75.47 per cent of 689 students passed the exams. Lalrohlui Ralte of Synod Higher Secondary School in Aizawl topped the merit list in the Arts stream. Simon Lalremsiama Shangpliang of St Paul's Higher Secondary School in Aizawl was the topper in Science, while Mercy Laltlangsangi of Oikos Higher Secondary School in Aizawl secured the top spot in the Commerce stream. Live TV Kohima: Girls outperformed boys as the Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE) declared the results for Class 10th and 12th examinations on Tuesday. The High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) examination for class 10 and Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate (HSSLC) examination for class 12 were conducted by NBSE in March. NBSE Chairperson Asano Sekhose said HSLC had 28,938 candidates, and in the HSSLC, there were 17,121 students, while 1,392 candidates were enrolled for HSLC Compartmental examination. In HSLC, 18,721 candidates were successful - a pass percentage of 64.69. It is the lowest in the last five years, she said. Last year, 69.42 per cent of candidates were declared successful, she added. The girls performed better than the boys with 10,021 girls declared successful, as compared to 8,700 boys. Among the top 20 candidates, 44 are girls and 18 are boys. Delphi Oinam of Don Bosco HSS Dimapur secured the top spot, scoring 595 marks (99.17 per cent). Rhea Khemani of Holy Cross School Dimapur with 593 marks (98.93 per cent) bagged the second spot, while Vitshunuo Alvina Dzvich of Don Bosco HSS Kohima with 589 marks (98.17 per cent) secured the third spot. Sekhose said that 90 schools secured a 100 per cent success rate. Of them, 78 are private schools and 12 are the government. There were 34 schools that had zero success rate. Of them, 33 are government schools and one is a private school. The pass percentage of government schools is 36.62, while that of private schools is 82.08, the official said. In the HSLC Compartmental examination, out of the 1,392 candidates, 901 qualified for the examination, recording a pass percentage of 64.73, she said. In the HSSLC Arts stream, the pass percentage was 80.64, the highest in the last five years. Limasungla of Christian HSS Dimapur secured the top position with 488 marks (97.60 per cent). In the HSSLC Commerce stream, the pass percentage of 82.28 was also the highest in the last five years. Subhansu Jaiswal of Holy Cross HSS Dimapur topped the stream with 493 marks (98.60 per cent). In the HSSLC Science stream, the pass percentage was 88.24, which is a decrease from last year's 91.35 per cent. New Delhi: The bustling city of Thane struggled to come to terms with the death of four members of a family - an estranged couple and their two kids - whose yearly vacation in picturesque Nepal was tragically cut short when the plane carrying them crashed in mountains in the neighboring country. Businessman Ashok Kumar Tripathi and his Thane-based estranged wife Vaibhavi Bandekar Tripathi were on a reunion trip to the Himalayan country along with their kids, son Dhanush (22) and daughter Ritika (15) when the tragedy struck on Sunday. Ashok Tripathi (54), who ran a company in Odisha, and Vaibhavi Tripathi (51), who worked in a financial firm in Mumbai, had separated following court orders, an official from the Kapurbawdi police station in Thane said on Monday. As per court orders, the family was to be together for 10 days a year and this year they had planned a trip to Nepal. Their plane, belonging to private Tara Air, went missing on Sunday morning in the mountainous region of Nepal minutes after taking off from the tourist city of Pokhara. Besides the four Indian nationals, the plane was carrying two Germans and 13 Nepali passengers, besides a three-member Nepali crew. Rescuers have now pulled out all the bodies from the wreckage of the crashed Nepalese plane. New Delhi: Kashmiri Pandits, migrant employees came out protesting on the streets after the killing of Hindu female teacher in Kulgam. In different parts of Kashmir, they intensified their protests demanding relocation. Protesters threatened mass migration from Kashmir if government didn't accept their demand of relocation outside Kashmir till situation improves in the Valley. They gave the government an ultimatum of 24 hours and said after that they will begin their own mass migration from Kashmir. The community members, joined by a sizeable number of Muslim brethren at many places, blocked roads to seek for an immediate intervention from government authorities to safeguard their lives. Besides reports of protests pouring in from Vessu Qazigund of Anantnag, protests were also witnessed in central Kashmirs Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal districts. The protestors halted all sorts of vehicular traffic movement near strategic BB Cantonment in Sonwar area. The movement at Airport Road also remained suspended after members up at Sheikhpora Camp took to the road to protest the killing of the lady teacher identified as Rajni Bala from Samba district. Similar reports were also received from Kulgam district. Following the killing of a revenue clerk in Chadoora, Kashmir migrant Pandits in the J&K on a special package had requested to be transferred out of Kashmir on security grounds. Despite the government's efforts to reach out to them, the problem, according to them is not solved. Protesting KPs told reporters that "all Kashmiri migrant pandit employees have decided to give administration 24 hours ultimatum for relocation outside Kashmir till the situation improves in Valley and if government fails in meeting our demands, we will start mass migration from here." Migrant Kashmiri Pandit employees aren't joining back their duties since the killing of Rahul Bhat early this month at Chadoora, the protesting employees met J-K LG Manoj Sinha as well few days ago but didn't end their strike. After the killing of the school teacher, the agitated Migrant employees have threatened mass migration from Kashmir if their demands are not met. Live TV Kochi: Stakes are high for Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and also the new Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan in the Assembly byelection for the Thrikkakara constituency, where polling on Tuesday (May 31) started at 7 am. Three alliances, including the ruling CPI-M led Left Democratic Front (LDF), the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the BJP led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), are striving hard to win this prestigious Assembly seat. The total electorate in the constituency this time is 1,96,805, up from 1,94,113 in the 2021 April Assembly polls which were won by the now-deceased Congress veteran PT Thomas with a margin of 14,329 votes. In 2021, 70.36 of the electorate cast their votes. Given the intense campaigning this time, the voting percentage is likely to touch 75 per cent. Thomas`s passing away in December last year necessitated a fresh poll with the Congress fielding his widow Uma Thomas, while the CPI-M brought in a young interventional cardiologist Joe Joseph. The BJP, meanwhile, went for veteran leader AN Radhakrishnan. According to reports, the Left campaign peaked after CM Pinarayi Vijayan returned from the US after his treatment and since then, around 60 of their MLAs were stay put in the constituency as they appear determined to breach the century-mark of legislators in the 140-member Kerala Legislative Assembly. The Left Democratic Front convenor and CPI-M veteran EP Jayarajan reportedly expressed confidence in a swashbuckling win. "Just look at the appalling position of the Congress. It`s nowhere to be seen and has lost its might across the country and not to mention in Kerala and Thrikkakara also. We will win hands down, which will see the decimation of the Congress and the UDF here," IANS quoted Jayarajan as saying. The BJP candidate Radhakrishnan reportedly said that he is witnessing a clear pro-Modi wave and they are expecting a big surprise, similar to what happened in the 2016 Assembly polls. The BJP had then for the first time opened its account in the Assembly when BJP veteran O Rajagopal won from the Nemom constituency in capital district. In the 2021 polls, the BJP lost their lone seat. Ahead of the by-poll, the Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly, VD Satheesan on Monday alleged that former ministers of the LDF are holding meetings with Popular Front of India (PFI) leaders. "Why were PFI leaders allowed to hold a rally in Alappuzha city, where they raised objectionable slogans? This is because former ministers of LDF are in talks with those PFI leaders in Thrikkakara constituency. The rally was allowed by LDF. That is why strict action cannot be taken against them. It is a dangerous move. LDF is pleasing communalism. Hatred and poison are being spread here," PTI quoted Satheesan as saying. Satheesan reportedly expressed confidence that the Congress-UDF alliance will win the bypoll this time, adding "We are confident right from the day when the day of elections was announced. The UDF candidate will cross the majority mark. Our party is prepared to prevent fraudulent voting. Legal action will be taken against the officials who support it." Satheesan further slammed the CPI(M) government in the state for allegedly preferring `fraudulent voting` in polls. The polling has already started at 7 am and will conclude by 6 pm, while votes will be counted on Friday. (With Inputs from Agencies) New Delhi: Two terrorists of the Jaish-e-Mohammad terror outfit were killed in an overnight gunfight in Rajpora village of Awantipora police district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Tuesday (May 31, 2022). The slain terrorists have been identified as Shahid Rather, a resident of Tral, and Umar Yousuf, a resident of Shopian, IGP Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said. "Besides other terror crimes, Shahid was involved in the killing of a woman Shakeela of Aripal village and a government employee Javid Ahmed of Lurgam Tral," Kumar added. Killed #terrorists identified as Shahid Rather of #Tral & Umar Yousuf of #Shopian. Besides other #terror crimes, #terrorist Shahid was involved in killing of a woman Mst Shakeela of Aripal & a govt employee/ peon Javid Ahmed of Lurgam Tral: IGP Kashmir@JmuKmrPolice Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) May 31, 2022 The encounter had started at Rajpora on Monday afternoon after an input about the presence of terrorists in the area but was suspended due to darkness. It is notable that it was the 55th encounter of this year and security forces have so far killed 88 terrorists including 26 Pakistani terrorists. Pistol-borne hybrid terrorism a new challenge for security forces After failing to target security establishments and bunkers, terrorists have changed their modus operandi to keep terrorism alive. They have turned to pistol-borne hybrid terrorism, which has become a new challenge for security forces. According to the police officials, to keep the ball rolling, terrorists have got instructions from Pakistan to hit soft targets, including minorities, civilians, off-duty policemen, panchayat members and pro-Indian people. Pakistani terrorists, with the help of local terrorists, choose emotional youths, lure them into terrorism, and provide them with a pistol with a task to kill an unarmed Indian. In the last four months in Jammu and Kashmir, pistol-borne terrorists, mostly hybrid terrorists, have been carrying hit and run target killings across the Valley. So far, around 14 civilians, including an off-duty policeman, have been killed in target killings in Kashmir. New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday (May 31) predicted the increase in rainfall activity in Northeast India from June 1 and the advancement of the Southwest Monsoon in the coming days. According to the Met department, the "low-level Southwesterly winds from the Bay of Bengal to northeast India are very likely to strengthen from 02nd June" and rainfall activity is likely to increase over Northeast India under its influence. "Rainfall activity is likely to increase over Northeast India from tomorrow, the 1st June, 2022 with widespread light/moderate rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy falls very likely over Assam and Meghalaya and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim during 02nd-04th June," said IMD. IMD predicted isolated heavy rainfall over Mizoram and Tripura from 31st May to June 2 and over Arunachal Pradesh from June 1 to June 4. "Scattered rainfall with thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds very likely over Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal next 5 days," said IMD. Lower level Southwesterly winds from Bay of Bengal to northeast India are very likely to strengthen from 02nd June. Under its influence: Rainfall activity is likely to increase over Northeast India from tomorrow, the 1st June, 2022 with widespread light/moderate rainfall pic.twitter.com/F8q4OMMgkw India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 31, 2022 Monsoon update: Rainfall in Kerala, Karnataka and other states Meanwhile, Southwest Monsoon advanced over some more parts of central Arabian Sea, some parts of Karnataka, entire Kerala, some more parts of Tamil Nadu, entire southeast Bay of Bengal, some more parts of southwest Bay of Bengal, as per IMD. Advancement of Southwest Monsoon: Southwest Monsoon has advanced over some more parts of central Arabian Sea, some parts of Karnataka, entire Kerala, some more parts of Tamil Nadu, entire southeast Bay of Bengal, some more parts of southwest Bay of Bengal; pic.twitter.com/hRVFqgYosV India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 31, 2022 "Conditions are favourable for further advance of Southwest monsoon into some more parts of central Arabian Sea, some more parts of Karnataka, some parts of Konkan and Goa, some more parts of Tamil Nadu and remaining parts of southwest Bay of Bengal, some more parts of westcentral Bay of Bengal, northeast Bay of Bengal, northeastern states and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim during next 2-3 days." Live TV New Delhi: A Hindu teacher has been shot dead by unknown terrorists in a Government High School in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam, police said on Tuesday (May 31, 2022). A police official said that the migrant Hindu woman was fired upon by terrorists inside school premises in the Gopalpora village. "Terrorists fired upon one woman teacher at High School Gopalpora area of Kulgam. In this terror incident, she received critical gunshot injuries. Later she succumbed to her injuries," IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said. "Lady teacher who died was a Hindu (SC) and resident of Samba (Jammu division). Terrorists involved in this gruesome terror crime will be soon identified and neutralised," Kumar added. After the attack, the whole area has been cordoned off and a joint operation of security forces has been launched to nab the attackers. Meanwhile, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti questioned the normalcy claims of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Center and said, "Despite GOIs fake claims about Kashmir being normal its obvious that targeted civilian killings are on the rise & a deep cause of concern. Condemn this act of cowardice which sadly plays into the vicious anti Muslim narrative spun by BJP." It's noteworthy that this year as many as 15 civilians including non-locals, and Kashmiri Pandits have been killed so far. New Delhi: While smoking tobacco is known majorly to cause cancer, heart disease, lung diseases, experts on Monday stated it also plays a crucial role in vision loss. World No Tobacco Day is observed every year on May 31 to spread awareness of several health conditions related to consuming tobacco. Nearly 267 million adults in India are users of tobacco, according to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey India. Several research studies suggest smoking can lead to deterioration of the macula (responsible for central vision). Research also shows that smokers are at five to six times higher risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) than non-smokers. AMD is an eye disease that can blur an individual's central vision. "Smoking can lead to a burning sensation which stings the eyes and causes irritation. Three eye conditions that are most at risk to develop and become worse because of smoking are AMD, cataract, and glaucoma," Dr Ajay Dudani, CEO Vitreoretinal Surgeon, Mumbai retina centre, told IANS. In AMD patients, smoking further leads to oxidative damage to the retina with depletion of lutein from the macula (part of retina), Dudani said, adding that "smoking can lead to the development of AMD 10 years early." According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco use is one of the major causes of death and disease in India and accounts for nearly 1.35 million deaths every year. India is also the second-largest consumer and producer of tobacco. A variety of tobacco products are available at very low prices in the country. The most prevalent form of tobacco use in India is smokeless tobacco and commonly used products are khaini, gutkha, betel quid with tobacco and zarda. Smoking forms of tobacco used are bidi, cigarette, and hookah. "Smoking is as bad for your eyesight as it is for the rest of your body. In many cases it can also lead to severe vision loss if not treated or adhered to treatment on time, Dr Ganesh Pillay, Medical director and consultant, ASG Eye hospital, told IANS. "In addition, tobacco smoke can also affect the tissues present around the eyes causing disorder of the eyelids and under-eye puffiness. Vision loss caused by retinal diseases can't be fully cured. The majority of such cases can also lead to permanent blindness if adequate measures are not taken in time," added Dr Nitin Prabhudesai, Medical Director at Insight Vision Foundation, Pune. Smoking can also increase the chances of getting diabetes, and can also make managing diabetes more difficult for those who already have it. "Chemicals in cigarettes harm cells in your body and cause inflammation. This also makes cells stop responding to insulin as nicotine increases your blood sugar levels and makes them harder to handle. People with diabetes who smoke often need high doses of insulin to keep their blood sugar close to their target levels. This leads to difficulty in managing diabetes, which can trigger diabetic retinopathy," said Prabhudesai. However, if diagnosed on time, smoking-induced retinal diseases can be effectively managed, the experts said. The first thing to do is "quit smoking", they noted. Other things to prevent vision loss are going for regular eye checkups and adhering to treatments; eating healthy foods and including green leafy vegetables, fruits and foods high in vitamins C, E, and beta carotene; controlling blood pressure and cholesterol; and by staying active. New Delhi: A Kerala High Court, on Tuesday (May 31) ruled in favour of a lesbian couple Adhila Nassrin and Fathima Noora living together on a habeas corpus plea filed by Adhila. The Kerala couple was reunited in court after being separated by their parents who condemned their romantic relationship. As per reports, the couple was separated by their parents. After this, Fathima Noora was allegedly forced into conversion therapy by her family. In the midst of this chaos, Adhila Nazrin filed a Habeas corpus at the Kerala High Court to bring Fatima Noora into court. Kerala High Court allows lesbian couple Adhila Nassrin and Fathima Noora to live together on a habeas corpus plea filed by Adhila. ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2022 The 2-judge bench of Justice K. Vinod Chandran and C. Jayachandran passed the order in the couple's favour after the two expressed their desire to live together. Nazrin spoke to Republic TV about her difficult ordeal of coming out about her sexuality to her parents. She said, "We are a lesbian couple and we became committed during school days. Our parents caught our relationship but we lied and still continued our relationship. After completing our degrees and getting a job, we left our homes and things started to fall upside down. My parents took responsibility for us, but they were playing us. They have mentally tortured us." As per reports, the couple had run away from their homes on May 19 and had found a temporary haven at Vanaja Collective, an NGO for marginalised groups. Live TV Srinagar: J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday condoled the killing of a Hindu school teacher in the Kulgam district and promised an unforgettable response to her killers. Terrorist attack on a school teacher, Rajni Bala is the most reprehensible act. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family. Terrorists and their sympathizers will be given an unforgettable response for the dastardly attack, J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha said. Terrorist attack on a school teacher, Rajni Bala is the most reprehensible act. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family. Terrorists and their sympathizers will be given unforgettable response for dastardly attack: J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha (File photo) pic.twitter.com/niaxb61OiG ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2022 His warning came shortly after the Hindu woman teacher from Jammu was shot dead on Tuesday by some terrorists in the Kulgam district, evoking widespread condemnation. The killing of Rajni Bala (36), who belonged to the Samba district but was posted at a government school in Gopalpora, Kulgam, is the second killing of a non-Muslim government employee in May and the seventh targeted killing in Kashmir this month. Police officials said Bala was injured in the attack and taken to a nearby district hospital where she was declared dead. Earlier, officials had said she was a migrant Kashmiri Pandit. An official said the area has been cordoned off and a manhunt was launched to track down the assailants. "Those involved in this gruesome terror crime will be soon identified and neutralised," a police spokesperson said. The woman's killing evoked widespread condemnation in the Valley. "Very sad. This is yet another targeted killing in a long list of recent attacks directed at unarmed civilians. Words of condemnation & condolence ring hollow as do the assurances of the government that they will not rest till the situation normalises. May the deceased rest in peace," National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah tweeted. "Rajni was from Samba District of Jammu province. A government teacher working in the Kulgam area of South Kashmir, she lost her life in a despicable targeted attack. My heart goes out to her husband Raj Kumar & the rest of her family. Another home irreparably damaged by violence," he added. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said despite the Centre's claims of normalcy in Kashmir, targeted killings were on the rise. "Despite GOIs fake claims about Kashmir being normal, its obvious that targeted civilian killings are on the rise & a deep cause of concern (sic). Condemn this act of cowardice which sadly plays into the vicious anti-Muslim narrative spun by BJP," she tweeted. Sajad Lone also condemned the killing, saying cowardice has yet again plummeted to shameless depths. "A teacher, an innocent woman hailing from Samba, has been shot dead in Kulgam. May her soul rest in peace," he said. BJP spokesman Altaf Thakur said he strongly condemned the attack. "Yet another dastardly act of terrorism in Kulgam. Attacking unarmed civilians, that too women, is no bravery but an act of frustration," he added. This is the second killing of a non-Muslim government employee in the month of May. On May 12, Rahul Bhat, a clerk, was shot dead inside the tehsildar's office in Chadoora tehsil of Budgam district. Of the seven targeted killings that took place in Kashmir this month, three victims were off-duty policemen and four were civilians. (With Agency Inputs) New Delhi: Filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, who is currently in Europe on a humanity tour, on Tuesday accused the Oxford Union of 'Hinduphobia' and threatened to file a lawsuit against them for cancelling his event. In a video message, The Kashmir Files director shared an incident that took place, in which he mentioned that the 'Hindu voice' is being curbed. "Yet another Hindu voice is curbed at HINDUPHOBIC Oxford Union. They have cancelled me. In reality, they cancelled Hindu Genocide and Hindu students who are a minority at Oxford Univ. The president-elect is a Pakistani. Please share and support me in this most difficult fight," The Kashmir Files director tweeted along with the video. IMPORTANT: Yet another Hindu voice is curbed at HINDUPHOBIC @OxfordUnion. They have cancelled me. In reality, they cancelled Hindu Genocide & Hindu students who are a minority at Oxford Univ. The president elect is a Paksitani. Pl share & support me in this most difficult fight. pic.twitter.com/4mGqwjNmoB Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) May 31, 2022 The filmmaker said that he visited Cambridge University, where he was informed at the last minute that he will not be allowed to video record the event. He claimed that his `freedom of expression` was being curbed and stated that this step was taken as a few Pakistani and Kashmiri Muslim students protested. "As you are aware that I am here in Europe on a humanity tour. This tour was decided because lot of prestigious places invited me like Cambridge University, Oxford University, the British Parliament and a lot of places in Germany and the Netherland. But yesterday, a very strange thing happened. When I reached Cambridge University, at the last minute, I was told that we cannot video record the event. Now, this is a 100 per cent curbing of freedom of expression. This happened because a few Pakistani and Kashmiri Muslim students protested against it. These are genocide denials, they are fascists. This is perhaps because I support a democratically elected Government of India," he said in a video message. He further said that this is the same university where Subhash Chandra Bose studied, but recently on his 150th birth anniversary, the event was also cancelled they said Bose is a fascist.The Filmmaker further claimed that he was meant to head to Oxford University as he was earlier invited by the Oxford Union. However, just before his arrival, he was informed that there had been a double booking, and his event had been postponed to July 1. "Now another strange thing happened. Today I was supposed to speak at Oxford University because Oxford Union invited me a long time ago. It was all confirmed via emails, but just a few hours before they said, 'Sorry we made a mistake, there was a double-booking and we cannot host you today.` And without even asking me, they changed the date to July 1, when no student would be there, and there is no point in doing an event," he said. He also mentioned that Hindus are a minority group at Oxford University, and termed the incident `oppression of the minority`. He asked "are they cancelling me" and said "they want to cancel the democratically elected Government of India.""They want to label us as fascists and Islamophobic. As if killing thousands of Kashmiri Hindus was not Hinduphobic, but the film on the truth is Islamophobic. They are not cancelling me, they are cancelling the genocide and Hindus. You have to understand, Hindus are a minority in Oxford University, and this is the oppression of the minority," he said. He also slammed Oxford University for "hosting dictators and fascists including Bhutto`s son and many African radical extremists." Agnihotri further sought the support of the people as he is going to file a lawsuit against the Oxford Union." So please help me in this cause. I am filing a lawsuit against them. I am going to claim all the damages. Please support me and join me," he added. New Delhi: 7th Pay Commission Latest update-- Government may bring in some more good news for the employees in the month of July by announcing another round of Dearness Allowance (DA) hike, media reports have said. If reports are to be believed, there could be a further four percent hike in DA. This means the total DA could reach upo 38 percent. The Dearness Allowance of central government employees is revised twice a year. The first is given from January to June, while the second comes from July to December. The first increase in dearness allowance for the year 2022 was announced in March. Latest media reports are stating that the next revision in July is likely due to the increase in the AICP Index. In December 2021, the AICPI figure stood at 125.4. But, in January 2022, it declined by 0.3 points and fell to 125.1. The All-India CPI-IW for February, 2022 decreased by 0.1 points and stood at 125.0 (one hundred twenty five). On 1-month percentage change, it decreased by 0.08 per cent with respect to previous month compared to increase of 0.68 per cent recorded between corresponding months a year ago. For the month of March, there was a jump of 1 point. The AICPI index figures for March stands at 126. The AICP numbers for April-May and June are yet to come. If this figure goes above 126, then the government can increase the DA by 4%. March AICPI index figures, which is instrumental in DA revision decision, have shown promise for a DA hike. The DA hike could come around 4 percent in July-August period, although the ACPI figures of the coming three months i.e April, May, June is yet to be ascertained. It may be recalled that the Union Cabinet had on March 30 hiked Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) by 3 per cent to 34 per cent to compensate for the price rise, benefitting over 1.16 crore central government employees and pensioners. The additional instalment is be effective from January 1, 2022. The increase is in accordance with the accepted formula, which is based on the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission. With the recent announcement, the hope for the next DA hike, which usually is stipulated for the month of July, has also taken pace. However, one bad news could be that the DA hike, scheduled for July may not be announced. New Delhi: If you've been following the recent Aadhaar controversy, you'll know that the UIDAI's Bangalore office has recommended against presenting Aadhaar photocopies to hotels and movie theatres, among other places, to avoid misuse. While the 12-digit Aadhaar number provided by the Unique Identification Authority of India has become one of the most crucial papers one can have, it can also be used to perpetrate numerous crimes by fraudsters. While the UIDAI Bangalore office's advice sparked outrage, the Centre stepped in to say that you can continue to use your Aadhaar with customary caution. However, the Centre did indicate in its notification withdrawing UIDAI's declaration that it was made to prevent attempted fake offences using Aadhaar. The UIDAI's Bengaluru regional office published the statement on Sunday in the "context of an attempt to misuse a photoshopped Aadhaar card." The UIDAI offers a'masked Aadhaar ID' or Virtual ID (VID) option to prevent these types of scams and make your Aadhaar more secure. A masked Aadhaar, as the name implies, is essentially a 12-digit ID number that can be transmitted without revealing any sensitive personal information. According to UIDAI website, Mask Aadhaar option allows you to mask your Aadhaar number in your downloaded e-Aadhaar. Masked Aadhaar number implies replacing of first eight digits of Aadhaar number with some characters like xxxx-xxxx while only last four digits of the Aadhaar Number are visible." As a result, it is a legal option to obtain e-copies of your Aadhaar without revealing your Aadhaar number. Heres how to download the Masked Aadhaar Step 1: Click on the link - https://eaadhaar.uidai.gov.in/ Step 2: Enter the 12-digit Aadhaar card number. Step 3: Tick the box that says 'I want a masked Aadhaar.' Step 4: Then, to validate yourself, enter the Captcha verification code that will be provided. Step 5: Select the 'Send OTP' option. Step 6: All that remains is for you to download your e-Aadhaar copy. Step 7: Enter the OTP and then click "Download Aadhaar." You will now be able to use your masked Aadhaar, which will be available in PDF format. It will, however, be password locked. The Aadhaar letter password is a combination of your first four letters in capital letters, followed by your birth year in YYYY format. For example, if your name is Prem Agarwal and your birth year is 1989, your masked Aadhaar password will be PREM1989. You can use a masked Aadhaar in situations where the full Aadhaar number is not required, for example when doing e-KYC or submitting your Aadhaar as ID proof at a hotel. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the 11th installment of financial benefits worth Rs 21,000 crore to eligible farmers of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme on Tuesday, May 31. The 11th installment of Rs 2,000 for each eligible farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme will be transferred to more than 10 crore farmers on May 31 in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. As part of a national event 'Garib Kalyan Sammelan', Modi will also interact with beneficiaries of 16 schemes and programmes implemented by nine central ministries through video conferencing, the agriculture ministry said in a statement. The national event is being organised under the 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' year long celebrations. PM KISAN 11th installment 2022: Here is how to check your name in the new beneficiary list -Visit official PM KISAN website https://pmkisan.gov.in/ Portal - You will see the map of India under Payment Success tab. - On the right hand side, there will be a yellow coloured tab called "Dashboard" - Click on Dashboard - After clicking, you will be taken to a new page - On the Village Dashboard tab, you will have to fill your complete details - Select the state, district, Sub-District and Panchayat - Then click on show button - After this you can choose your details PM KISAN Scheme was launched by PM Narendra Modi in 2019, aims to provide income support to all landholder farmer families across the country with cultivable land, subject to certain exclusions. Under the Scheme, an amount of Rs 6000 per year is released in three 4-monthly instalments of Rs 2000 each directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. While lakhs of eager farmers are waiting for the disbursal of Rs 2,000 in their account, there are several farmers who are not eligible for the PM KISAN Scheme. On January 1, the PM had released the 10th installment of more than Rs 20,000 crore to over 10 crore beneficiary farmer families. New Delhi: The 11th installment Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme will be released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, May 31. The 11th installment of Rs 2,000 for each eligible farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme will be transferred to more than 10 crore farmers on May 31 in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. Prime Minister will release the 11th instalment of financial benefit under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme, which will enable the transfer of an amount of around Rs. 21,000 crore to more than 10 crore beneficiary farmer families. On the occasion, Prime Minister will also interact with the beneficiaries of (PM-KISAN) across the country. At around 11 AM, Prime Minister will participate in the Garib Kalyan Sammelan. Garib Kalyan Sammelan will start at around 09:45 AM with Chief Ministers, Central Ministers, State Ministers, Members of Parliament, Members of Legislative Assembly and other elected public representatives directly interacting with the public at their respective locations across the country. At about 11:00 AM, with the Prime Minister joining the programme, the various state and local level programmes will get coveraged and make the Sammelan national. During the Sammelan, Prime Minister will directly interact with the beneficiaries of different programmes of nine Ministries/Departments of the Government of India. PM KISAN Scheme was launched by PM Narendra Modi in 2019, aims to provide income support to all landholder farmer families across the country with cultivable land, subject to certain exclusions. Under the Scheme, an amount of Rs 6000 per year is released in three 4-monthly instalments of Rs 2000 each directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. While lakhs of eager farmers are waiting for the disbursal of Rs 2,000 in their account, there are several farmers who are not eligible for the PM KISAN Scheme. New Delhi: The world is gradually unlocking after two long years and the pent-up wanderlust is finally prevailing over the skies. While it is busy time for the travel sector, the opening up of international travel also coincides with the arrival of the vacation season. Travel is no longer the way it used to be. With the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, the travel industry is now riddled with uncertainties and apprehension. This has led to an upswing in people opting for travel insurance. It is now pertinent to know about popular benefits that are part of your travel insurance policy and how they cover you against potential risks that are not a part of your itinerary, if you are starting your vacation plans. Amit Chhabra, Head - Health and Travel Insurance, Policybazaar.com, in a conversation with Reema Sharma of Zee Media shared his views on some of the popular benefits that travellers should opt for depending on their needs. Should one opt for travel insurance covering pre-existing diseases or illnesses? Pre-existing health conditions like diabetes or heart ailments are becoming increasingly common among all age-groups, especially in a post-pandemic world. In case you face any medical exigency due to these diseases, you could end up with large expenses in a foreign land, more so for senior citizens. Therefore, its important to opt for travel insurance covering PEDs, but its equally important to declare every bit of information to your insurer as these will be covered only in an emergency situation and not for pre-planned hospitalisation. Not declaring prior treatments or surgeries or any related information can lead to the rejection of your claim. What are the benefits of Multi-trip insurance? Multi-trip insurance is different from a standard travel insurance policy. If you are a frequent flier or if you are looking forward to ticking off as many destinations as possible on your bucket list this year, opt for multi-trip insurance. It will provide coverage to the policyholder for all the trips taken within the policy year starting from the date of commencement. This will ensure that you are covered financially all year round if you decide to cancel or are exposed to any kind of risk on any of your trips. What is a Compassionate visit insurance? Its quite possible that you land into an icky situation while travelling alone and might need someone from your family to visit and help you out. In this case, a few plans offer the coverage of an empathetic or compassionate visit from your family member on your overseas travel. Youd need to carefully consider the terms and conditions applied here. Should you opt for OPD coverage in your travel insurance plan? A doctor consultation could result in huge expenses and shoot up your travel budget in no time. It is, thus, advised to opt for OPD coverage in your travel insurance plan. It is also advised to visit a cashless network hospital in this case for a smoother process. What is the importance of taking a Personal accident cover? To be on the safe side, one should opt for personal accidents cover which will cover them financially in case of accidental death or disability during their trip. Since no one knows the extent of damage that could happen, the policy will help cover expenses paid in such a situation. What about Home burglary insurance? Home burglary is, unfortunately common and a major worry for travellers around the world. So, you can now financially safeguard your home in your absence by opting for a travel plan that covers home burglary as well. Hyderabad:The film 'Virata Parvam' starring Rana Daggubati and Sai Pallavi is being prepared for release. It will now be released on June 17, 2022, according to the latest information. The producers will apparently make an official announcement on Monday. 'Virata Parvam', billed as a love story set against the backdrop of a revolutionary war, has been postponed several times. The film, which was supposed to be released last year, had to be put on hold due to the pandemic's second wave. Even after that, the creators decided to keep it unreleased for unknown reasons. The makers of 'Virata Parvam' have planned to start promoting the film as soon as they announce the details regarding its preponement. The film is said to be a love story about a girl who falls in love with her favourite revolutionary writer and their story amidst the war, directed by Venu Udugula of 'Needi Naadi Oke Katha' fame. Priyamani, Nandita Das, Nivetha Pethuraj, Priyamani, Eshwari Rao, Ravi Anand, Naveen Chandra, Zareena Wahab, and others played pivotal roles in this film. Produced by Suresh Babu and Sudhakar Cherukuri under Suresh Productions and Sri Lakshmi Venkateswara Cinemas banners, the movie has Suresh Bobbili's music. Kolkata: Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) central leadership has warned its West Bengal MP Dilip Ghosh and asked him not to media to express his opinion about his colleagues. According to news agency ANI, BJP national general secretary Arun Singh has written to Ghosh asking him to "refrain from going to media or any public forum" about his fellow colleagues either in the state of West Bengal or anywhere else. Explaining reasons to Ghosh, Arun Singh stated that his habit of speaking in public has "anguished" the state party leaders and also caused "embarrassment" to the central leadership. According to the letter, the MP has been warned before to be cautious in his dealings with the media. BJP National General Secretary Arun Singh writes to party leader Dilip Ghosh to "refrain from going to media or any public fora, about your own colleagues either in state of West Bengal or anywhere else." pic.twitter.com/KPn36Pz9Jl ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2022 The letter written by Arun Singh states, "This was pointed to you on several occasions by the party leadership in the fond hope that you will take note. In a recent interview, your comments in the electronic media and perhaps on other forums have been openly critical of senior state functionaries. Such comments will only hurt and harm the party and negate your own hard work in the past." "Such statements coming from a person of your stature a National Vice President may create deep disaffection, unrest, and alienation among party ranks, which given the norms of political behaviour and conduct is unacceptable. The national leadership of BJP is deeply concerned at issuance of such statements through the media," the letter further read. The letter was issued on the instructions of Bharatiya Janata Party national president JP Nadda. The BJP Central leadership has asked the Medinipur MP "to be more discreet in dealings with the print, electronic, other media or any other public fora". KYIV/LVIV: EU leaders agreed on Monday to ban most imports of Russian oil to the 27-nation bloc as Ukrainian and Russian forces battled on the outskirts of Sievierodonetsk, the last city still held by Kyiv in Ukraine`s strategic Luhansk province. European Council President Charles Michel said on Twitter the ban, agreed at an EU summit in Brussels, would immediately cover more than two-thirds of oil imports from Russia "cutting a huge source of financing for its war machine." EU leaders meeting in Brussels also agreed to cut off the largest Russian bank, Sberbank, from the SWIFT system and to ban three more Russian state-owned broadcasters, Michel added. The leaders said they had agreed to cut 90% of oil imports from Russia by the end of this year, resolving an impasse over the bloc`s toughest sanction yet on Moscow since the invasion of Ukraine three months ago. Tonight #EUCO agreed a sixth package of sanctions. It will allow a ban on oil imports from #Russia. The sanctions will immediately impact 75% of Russian oil imports. And by the end of the year, 90% of the Russian oil imported in Europe will be banned. pic.twitter.com/uVoVI519v8 Charles Michel (@eucopresident) May 30, 2022 They agreed that the oil embargo would include exemptions for Hungary - a landlocked country that relies heavily on crude piped from Russia and which had been the main obstacle to a deal - and others concerned about the economic impact of the move. Situation remained 'extremely difficult' in Donbas Shortly before the announcement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the situation remained "extremely difficult" in the Donbas region, where Russia has focus of its military effort after failing to capture Ukraine`s capital, Kyiv, in March. Zelenskiy had called the EU too soft on Moscow when it appeared leaders would not reach an agreement on the oil ban. Russia has been seeking to seize the entire Donbas region, consisting of Luhansk and Donetsk, another province Moscow claims on behalf of separatist proxies. Capturing Sievierodonetsk and its twin city Lysychansk on the opposite bank of the Siverskyi Donets river would give Moscow effective control of Luhansk and allow the Kremlin to declare some form of victory after more than three months of death and destruction in Ukraine. But by focusing on a battle for the single small city, Russia could leave other territories open to Ukrainian counterstrikes. In his nightly address, Zelenskiy said the Donbas situation "remains extremely difficult" and said the Russian army was "trying to gather a superior force to put more and more pressure on our defenders." "The Russian army has now gathered there the maximum combat power," he said of Donbas as a whole. Russia ready to facilitate unhindered grain exports from Ukraine The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin, in talks with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, said Russia was ready to facilitate unhindered grain exports from Ukrainian ports in coordination with Turkey. Western leaders have chided Russia for blockading Ukrainian ports, sending prices of grain and other commodities soaring. The United Nations has said a global food crisis is deepening and has been trying to broker a deal to unblock Ukraine`s grain exports. "Emphasis was placed on ensuring safe navigation in the Black and Azov seas and eliminating the mine threat in their waters," the Kremlin said of Putin`s call with Erdogan. Putin said if sanctions were lifted, Russia could export significant volumes of fertilizers and agricultural products. Zelenskiy also spoke with Erdogan and said they discussed food security and defence cooperation, and, of course, how to accelerate the end of this war." New Delhi: Amid the rising number of monkeypox cases around the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday (May 30, 2022) said that it does not believe that the recent outbreak outside Africa will lead to a new pandemic. The global health body also said that it remains unclear if infected people who are not displaying symptoms can transmit the disease. More than 300 suspected and confirmed cases of monkeypox - a usually mild illness that spreads through close contact and can cause flu-like symptoms and pus-filled skin lesions - have so far been recorded in May in around 23 countries, mostly in Europe. Asked whether this monkeypox outbreak has the potential to grow into a pandemic, Rosamund Lewis, technical lead for monkeypox from the WHO Health Emergencies Programme said, "We don`t know but we don`t think so." "At the moment, we are not concerned about a global pandemic," she was quoted as saying by Reuters. Once monkeypox has been contracted, the duration of the rash emerging and scabs falling off is recognised as the infectious period, but there is limited information on whether there is any spread of the virus by people who are not symptomatic, WHO official added. "We really don`t actually yet know whether there`s an asymptomatic transmission of monkeypox - the indications in the past have been that this is not a major feature - but this remains to be determined," she said. The WHO, meanwhile, is considering whether the outbreak should be assessed as a "potential public health emergency of international concern" or PHEIC. Such a declaration, as was done for Covid-19 and Ebola, would help accelerate research and funding to contain the disease. Monkeypox virus kills 9 in Congo; first death in Nigeria in 2022 Nine people have died of monkeypox in Congo in 2022 while Nigeria has recorded its first death from the disease this year, the countries' health authorities said. Dr Aime Alongo, chief of the Sankuru health division in Congo, said Monday that 465 cases of the disease have been confirmed in the nation, making it one of the worst-hit in West and Central Africa, where the disease is endemic. The persistence of the disease in Congo is due to the consumption of dead monkeys and rodents, Dr. Alongo said. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention announced that in 2022 it has confirmed 21 out of 66 suspected cases of the disease, which is usually endemic in Nigeria and other parts of West and Central Africa. "The death was reported in a 40-year-old patient who had underlying co-morbidity and was on immunosuppressive medications," the Nigeria CDC said. Nigeria has not had an outbreak of monkeypox since September 2017 but it continues to report sporadic cases. At least 247 have been confirmed in 22 of its 36 states since then with 3.6% fatality rate, the disease control agency said. What is monkeypox virus? Monkeypox is a rare viral infection similar to human smallpox. It was first discovered in 1958 in monkeys kept for research and the first human case of monkeypox was reported in 1970. The disease occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of Central and West Africa. The virus belongs to the family Poxviridae, which also includes the viruses causing smallpox and cowpox disease. What are symptoms of monkeypox disease? Monkeypox typically presents itself with fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes and may lead to a range of medical complications. The disease is usually self-limiting with the symptoms lasting from two to four weeks. Severe cases can also occur. In recent times, the case fatality ratio has reportedly been around 3-6 per cent but can be up to 10 per cent. There are no reported deaths in this current spread. How does monkeypox virus spread? Monkeypox is transmitted to humans through close contact with an infected person or animal, or with material contaminated with the virus. It reportedly is spread by rodents such as rats, mice, and squirrels. The monkeypox disease is transmitted through lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets, and contaminated materials such as bedding. Health officials have also noted that some of these infections may be transmitted through sexual contact. The WHO said it was also investigating many cases being of people identifying as gay or bisexual. The virus, however, is said to be less contagious than smallpox and causes less severe illness. How are monkeypox cases treated? Vaccines used during the smallpox eradication program also provided protection against monkeypox. Newer vaccines have been developed of which one has been approved for prevention of the disease. An antiviral agent developed for the treatment of smallpox has also been licensed for the treatment of monkeypox, according to WHO. (With agency inputs) A firefighter battles a fire at a tent market in Capital Governorate, Kuwait, on May 30, 2022. A fire erupted at the tent market in Capital Governorate on Monday. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua) A firefighter works at the site where a fire broke out at a tent market in Capital Governorate, Kuwait, on May 30, 2022. A fire erupted at the tent market in Capital Governorate on Monday. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua) A firefighter battles a fire at a tent market in Capital Governorate, Kuwait, on May 30, 2022. A fire erupted at the tent market in Capital Governorate on Monday. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua) A firefighter battles a fire at a tent market in Capital Governorate, Kuwait, on May 30, 2022. A fire erupted at the tent market in Capital Governorate on Monday. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua) Photo taken on May 30, 2022 shows the site where a fire broke out at a tent market in Capital Governorate, Kuwait. A fire erupted at the tent market in Capital Governorate on Monday. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua) A firefighter battles a fire at a tent market in Capital Governorate, Kuwait, on May 30, 2022. A fire erupted at the tent market in Capital Governorate on Monday. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua) Firefighters are seen at the site where a fire broke out at a tent market in Capital Governorate, Kuwait, on May 30, 2022. A fire erupted at the tent market in Capital Governorate on Monday. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua) Chinese and Kenyan drivers prepare to launch the train at Nairobi station of Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, Nov. 17, 2021. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui) The Chinese-built Standard Gauge Railway, marking five years of safe operation since its launch on May 31, 2017, is powering Kenya's growth and renewal with multi-dimensional impacts on the economy and society. NAIROBI, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Kenya has now found a new lifeline in the Chinese-built Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) since its launch on May 31, 2017. The Mombasa-Nairobi SGR, mainly financed by China and constructed by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), began construction in 2014 and opened for business in 2017. It has become a case study in the transformation of mobility, trade and leisure in Kenya. EASING MOBILITY Farahana Mghoi, a Nairobi-based insurance sales executive and a mother of two, has found respite from chaotic road transport thanks to the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR commuter train that she uses every weekend to travel to her hometown of Voi about 328 km southeast of Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, to meet potential clients. Farahana Mghoi takes the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) passenger train in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, May 23, 2022. (Photo by Eric/Xinhua) "My experience of using the SGR passenger train since 2018 has been satisfactory. It is very convenient and affordable. I am able to reach my destination on time and negotiate for a business opportunity with ease," Mghoi told Xinhua during a recent interview on the train ahead of the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR's 5th anniversary. She takes four hours to commute from Nairobi to Voi to meet new clients using the modern train as opposed to seven hours using public service vehicles, locally known as Matatus that are laden with the risk of accident and delay. Mghoi, who has traveled more than 70 times between Nairobi and Voi using the SGR commuter train, belongs to a growing army of local skilled workforce and tourists, who have embraced it amid the guarantee of seamless mobility. The Mombasa-Nairobi SGR cut travel time between the two cities by half, from an average of ten hours to approximately five hours, boosting the movement of cargo and skilled labor along its corridor. Besides the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR, the Chinese-built SGR project also includes the Nairobi-Suswa SGR that connects Nairobi to Suswa, a small town inhabited by the Maasai people. The 120 km Nairobi-Suswa SGR started operation on Oct. 16, 2019. Data from Afristar, the SGR operator, show the modern railway has transported more than 7.7 million passengers in the last five years. In addition, the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR runs six passenger trains daily, says Afristar, adding that in the first five months of 2022, the number of passengers transported through the modern railway reached 962,000, a 63 percent year-on-year increase. Passengers are seen at Nairobi station of Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, Nov. 17, 2021. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui) ENHANCING CARGO MOVEMENT Edward Opiyo, the terminal manager at the Autoports Freight Terminals Limited, a logistics firm, said the launch of the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR freight service has ushered in an era of speedy, affordable and safe means of transporting imported cargo from the port of Mombasa to the hinterland. Currently, it takes eight hours to haul bulk cargo including raw materials for local industries from the port of Mombasa to Nairobi via the modern railway, as opposed to three days using the century-old meter-gauge railway, says Opiyo. He added that the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR has eased congestion at Mombasa port, and reduced operational costs among local manufacturers besides enhancing the efficiency of local and regional supply chains. Ernest Ondego, the terminal manager at Grain Bulk Handlers Limited, another Kenyan logistics firm, said that thanks to efficiencies offered by the modern railway, his clients including wheat importers have been able to generate 25 percent savings. "With the SGR, we have been able to bring losses to zero," said Ondego, adding that importers used to lose up to 100 kg of grains per truckload. James Siele, business, commercial & operations expert team leader at Kenya Railways Corporation, said one freight train has eliminated the use of 110 trucks for transporting bulk cargo by road from the port of Mombasa to Nairobi, boosting the country's quest for transition to a green and resilient future. According to Siele, enhanced movement of bulk cargo including raw materials from the port of Mombasa to Nairobi has cut down on operational costs among local manufacturers, leading to reduced prices for essential consumer goods. Data from Afristar show the modern railway has transported more than 1.7 million TEUs of containers in the last five years. Passengers are seen on the train to Mombasa at Nairobi station of Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, Nov. 22, 2021. (Photo by Jessie Kosgei/Xinhua) In addition, the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR runs 16 freight trains daily, says Afristar, adding that the volume of cargo transported by SGR freight train in the last five months stood at 2.54 million metric tons, an 8.3 percent year-on-year increase. BOOSTING SKILLS TRANSFER During its five years of safe operation, the modern railway has provided a platform for Kenyan youth to hone their skills, grow their careers and earn a decent income. In particular, female locomotive drivers like Tabitha Kiplimo, a 30-year-old electrical engineering major, admitted that their lives had been transformed after securing employment with the SGR commuter service. An internship with China Road and Bridge Corporation soon after graduation paved way for Kiplimo's storied journey from a simple rural girl to a confident locomotive driver. A two-month course on locomotive operations in China, followed by tutelage by a Chinese instructor soon after the SGR commuter service started operations in June 2017, prepared her adequately for the task of shuttling the train on the modern railway. Kiplimo is among eight Kenyan female locomotive drivers who have broken the glass ceiling, thanks to training and mentorship provided by their employer, the operator of SGR. Other beneficiaries of skills transfer that is embedded in SGR localization include John Pius, a 32-year-old mechanical engineering major who in February joined the first cohort of independent Kenyan locomotive drivers. Pius has been operating the Nairobi-Suswa SGR commuter train independently since February, having acquired adequate skills from a Chinese tutor after he was recruited by CRBC in 2016. While skills transfer and employment creation have been key features of the SGR operations in Kenya, its positive impact on key economic sectors like agriculture, manufacturing and tourism has been enormous in the last five years. Siele believed the SGR had a brighter future in Kenya and the East African region since it is expected to enhance connectivity, cross-border trade and free movement of skilled labor, adding that the modern railway has stood out as a beacon of hope in a continent yearning for economic development and social progress. Finalmente, destaco el impacto de programas sociales como Yanapay y Qali Warma en la poblacion mas vulnerable, asi como la importancia de la labor de las Plataformas Itinerantes de Accion Social (PIAS) para acercar el Estado a todos los peruanos y peruanas. pic.twitter.com/Lrql08Xob9 BOGOTA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Dissidents of the disarmed Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla group on Tuesday confirmed the death of their top leader, Miguel Botache Santanilla, alias "Gentil Duarte," who according to the group was killed at a rebel camp by the Colombian authorities. "We recognize that it is a severe blow to the guerrilla movement, not only for the FARC-EP (People's Army), but for all guerrillas nationwide and around the world," the dissident group said in a statement. According to the group, "Duarte" died May 4 while he slept at the camp, whose location they did not disclose. Colombian authorities said on May 25 that "Duarte" died during an incursion by another FARC dissident group, and Colombian President Ivan Duque hailed his death as "great news" for the South American country. The FARC laid down their weapons in 2016 following a peace deal with the government and transitioned into a left-wing political party. Rebels that disagreed with the move formed dissident groups that continue their anti-government fighting. YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan considers the current economic situation optimistic. Despite the tense global economic situation and pessimistic projections, the PMs task is to focus on the performance of the budget, especially that of the capital expenditures in order to ensure 7% economic growth. I consider the current economic situation optimistic. And the figures also show this, which, in fact, could be surprising for some people for subjective and objective reasons. But our economy is also showing resilience. According to the data of the first quarter, we have 8.6% real economic growth, and according to the data of the first four months we have 9.4% economic activity index which is a very optimistic figure, the PM said during the debate of the 2021 state budget performance report at the joint session of parliamentary standing committees. This optimism greatly contributes to the increase in passenger flows to Armenia. The PM said the passenger flows to Armenia are significantly increasing. From economic terms, I think, we really have an optimistic situation. Its very important to understand what is the reason that despite the military-political, geopolitical and some domestic political problems, we have not had an economic collapse, although it was predicted, and it even could have seemed logical, Pashinyan said. We are a government, which, in fact, does not extort money from the economy, quite the contrary, we return as much funds as possible. I want to highlight the cut in shadow in the economic resilience, which is a result of overcoming the systematic corruption. And today we encourage that more and more money enters into the economy, he added. However, he said that he doesnt want for the economic forecasts to be exaggerated. Nevertheless, the global economic situation is very tense, and in this respect there are only pessimistic forecasts, and Armenia is not disconnected with the world. But my instruction, my mood is that we should focus on the performance of our budget, especially the performance of capital expenditures in order to be able to ensure 7% economic growth, Pashinyan said. He assured that the solution of social problems will be under spotlight. YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. To improve access to high-speed internet and support a strong digital economy in Armenia, Team Telecom Armenia raised a total of $45 million from international financial institutions, IFC and EBRD, and Ameriabank. Team Telecom Armenia will direct this funding for the construction of the region's best 25 Gb/s Next Generation Network in cities and villages of Armenia. Commenting on the launch of the partnership, Chairman of the Board of Team Telecom Armenia Aleksandr Yesayan noted, We highlight the trust in ourselves, especially given reduced investor appetite amid global developments. This support will enable Team to accelerate the capital investment program and expand and upgrade both fixed and mobile networks and as a result. improve service quality to both individual subscribers and business clients, which will spur innovation and economic growth. The financing package will help the company to improve both the coverage and service quality of its telecom networks, including expansion of the 4G mobile network and rolling-out the NGN fiber access network across the country. As a result of the project, at least 1.1 million mobile subscribers will be provided with faster and higher-quality internet connections, and more than 450,000 households will be provided with access to faster fiber access technology. Cheryl Edleson Hanway, IFCs Regional Senior Manager for Infrastructure and Natural Resources, said: IFCs investment will support better mobile phone services and faster internet in Armenia, spurring digital economy, trade and entrepreneurship, accelerating post-COVID recovery. By supporting Armenias digital infrastructure, we also hope to create an enabling environment for additional investments and job creation opportunities in the country. As a result of implementation of the project, Team Telecom Armenia will strengthen its position also in the field of providing data transit services to local and regional telecom operators, creating a more flexible and faster Internet infrastructure. Within the framework of our strategic plan, we have started and are continuing with great vigour the construction of the region's best 25 Gb/s Next Generation Network, at the end of which a separate fiber-optic cable with almost unlimited bandwidth will enter the apartments of citizens living in every part of Armenia. This will open up a wide range of opportunities to connect with global economic developments and create new products for them, stated CEO of Team Telecom Armenia Hayk Yesayan. The launch of the 25G-PON network is also expected to reduce energy consumption, allowing its subscribers to access high-speed Internet through a more energy-efficient telecom infrastructure. Speaking about the motivations for joining this program, Dirk Werner, EBRD Director, Information and Communication Technologies, said: As well as enhancing digitalisation and energy efficiency, the project is consistent with the EBRDs two strategic priorities for Armenia, strengthening private sector competitiveness and promoting sustainable infrastructure through commercialization and green economy transition. Gagik Sahakyan, Corporate and Investment Banking Director at Ameriabank CJSC, commented: In the era of digital transformation, the availability of broadband internet services is crucial for providing better connectivity to people and businesses, especially to those in the remote communities. As the leading bank in Armenia, we have joined our international partners, IFC and EBRD, to finance this strategic project for the country. It aims to develop infrastructural and technological innovation in Armenia, which will boost social development and strengthen the economic potential of underdeveloped communities. This is an investment long into the future. Team Telecom Armenia provides internet, IPTV, mobile and fixed telephony services throughout the Republic of Armenia. As the successor of the first telecommunication system in Armenia, Team combines the rich experience of the first communication operator with modern technologies. IFC (International Finance Corporation) a member of the World Bank Groupis the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. They work in more than 100 countries to create new markets and opportunities. EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development) is a multilateral bank that promotes private sector development and entrepreneurship in 38 countries on three continents. The bank is owned by 67 countries, including the EU and the EIB. Investments of the EBRD are aimed at making the economies of the regions competitive, inclusive, well-governed, green, sustainable and integrated. Ameriabank is the largest financial institution and a major contributor to the Armenian economy, with assets exceeding AMD 1 trillion. Being a dynamically developing universal bank, Ameriabank provides a large package of innovative banking services through its omni-channel distribution platform and with clear focus on digital products YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan says he considers requesting the Council of the National Assembly to strip the opposition Members of Parliament of their mandates because of their conduct. I am inclined to apply to the Council of the National Assembly over this matter. Generally there is no such decision, I am saying this on my own behalf. I think that one cant chose to show up or not show up to the sessions whenever they want, moreover when the mentioned Members of Parliament have long crossed the limits of whats admissible, Simonyan told reporters. For more than a month, opposition MPs are holding demonstrations in the streets of Yerevan demanding the resignation of PM Nikol Pashinyan. YEREVAN, 31 MAY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 31 May, USD exchange rate down by 1.57 drams to 447.99 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 5.50 drams to 478.90 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.01 drams to 7.33 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 4.22 drams to 564.11 drams. The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals. Gold price down by 48.10 drams to 26717.24 drams. Silver price down by 4.59 drams to 317.37 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams. YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. Today, within the framework of his official visit to Georgia, the President of the Republic of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan met with the Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the President of Armenia, issues related to enriching interstate cooperation anchored on a solid historical basis in new directions were touched upon at the meeting. Close cooperation and activation of contacts between different departments of Armenia and Georgia were highlighted. The need for speedy establishment of lasting and sustainable peace in the region for the benefit of the peoples of the two countries was emphasized. The parties touched upon the further development of the Armenian-Georgian relations, as well as the processes taking place in the region and the international arena. People celebrate the Queens Diamond Jubilee in 2012 (Rui Vieira/PA) (PA Archive) As the UK gears up for the Queens Platinum Jubilee, all eyes are on the weather forecast for the bank holiday weekend and there are high hopes for sunshine and warmer temperatures. Good sunny spells are in store for the many street parties and outdoor events planned across the country, though people should not expect a scorcher, according to the Met Office. The unsettled and unseasonably cool start to the week with some areas seeing below-freezing temperatures on Monday morning will gradually give way to drier, brighter and warmer weather in time for the long weekend. You're more likely to need the sunglasses than the umbrella Richard Miles, Met Office Met Office meteorologist Richard Miles told the PA news agency: Its fine and dry rather than major sunshine, but good sunny spells. Most people should see a bit of sunshine. But revellers going to outdoor celebrations would be wise to be ready for all eventualities. Youd be unlucky if you had to use the umbrella, but take one just in case, because you can never know, Mr Miles said. Youre more likely to need the sunglasses than the umbrella. Looking forward to the long weekend? Although it's a cool and unsettled start to the week, it should gradually turn drier, brighter and a little warmer through the Jubilee Weekend! Here's the forecast for the week ahead pic.twitter.com/bTIth4FFAZ Met Office (@metoffice) May 29, 2022 On Monday, low pressure to the north is bringing sunny intervals and some heavy rain, with hail and thunder possible in Scotland. More mixed weather is on the way on Tuesday, with sunshine in south-western areas in the afternoon, but showers hitting the north, east and Northern Ireland. Wednesday will be drier for many, with the clouds clearing further for the first day of the four-day bank holiday on Thursday. Story continues After a chilly start and showers in Northern Ireland and western Scotland, most of the UK will enjoy fine and dry conditions with sunny spells. Sunny weather prevailed for most during the Queens Diamond Jubilee in 2012 (Rui Vieira/PA) (PA Archive) On Friday, it will be a similar picture for most, with some areas basking in plenty of sunshine, the Met Office said, though rain could fall in central and northern England. On Saturday and Sunday its looking quite settled, with most places seeing quite a bit of fine and dry weather again, with a risk of showers this time in the south east and east coast, maybe, Mr Miles said. The western half of the UK looks set to get the most of the weekend sunshine. Temperatures will be creeping closer to average for the time of year, making it feel warmer by the weekend. In London, where the official Jubilee celebrations are taking place, the mercury is set to hover in the early 20s. Its looking OK; good dry weather with some sunny spells, Mr Miles said. Treasurer Jim Chalmers admits Australia needs to work harder at building its relationship with Indonesia. The comments came after Dr Chalmers spoke with his Indonesia counterpart Sri Mulyani, ahead of Indonesia hosting the G20 finance ministers' summit in July. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will fly to Jakarta on Sunday for high-level talks, noting the relationship with Indonesia was "very important". Dr Chalmers said Indonesia would be a key focus during his role as treasurer. "We need to work harder at it, and Anthony wants to, and Penny Wong wants to, and I want to work closely with them," he told Sky News on Tuesday. "There is a big international economic agenda." Earlier this year, Mr Albanese said enhancing bilateral relations with Indonesia would be a priority under a Labor government. He also pledged to work with the Indonesian government to deliver a $200 million climate and infrastructure partnership, as well as an economic expansion from a comprehensive partnership agreement between the two nations. Dr Chalmers said he would aim to attend the summit of finance ministers later this year. "I hope to get to the G20 meetings in Bali in July so we can make our contribution to making sure the G20 works effectively in the economic sphere and the issues beyond that," he said. Auburn Rashawn A. Logan, 24, 130 S. Fulton St., Apt. 2, Auburn, was charged May 27 with first-degree rape, second-degree rape, fifth-degree conspiracy, criminal mischief, two counts of second-degree burglary and two counts of petit larceny. Gregory J. Jordan, 39, 37 Pulaski St., Auburn, was charged May 29 was second-degree assault and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Matthew J. Bell, 52, transient, Auburn, was charged May 29 with second-degree obstructing governmental administration. Wayne Lee Newton-Haw, 43, 36 Walnut St., Auburn, was charged May 30 with fourth-degree criminal mischief. Stefan Paul Lepak, 34, 2 Schwartz Drive, Auburn, was charged May 30 with third-degree assault and aggravated family offense. Daniel James Jackson, 25, 171 Main St., Groton, was charged May 30 with driving while intoxicated-first offense and operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content of at least 0.08%. County Stephanie A. Sharpsteen, 30, 23 Abrio Drive, Moravia, was charged May 28 with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. Wesley Beaumont Brate, 34, 244 Grant Ave., Apt. 2, Auburn, was charged May 30 with third-degree burglary. State Jessie D. Wright, 24, Auburn, was charged May 28 with second-degree impersonation and third-degree unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. Rhea L. Chance, 36, Endicott, was charged May 28 with first-degree promoting prison contraband, second-degree promoting prison contraband and fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. David J. Rouse, 57, Auburn, was charged May 28 with operating a motor vehicle with a blood-alcohol content level of at least .08% and driving while intoxicated-first offense. Bridget A. Rodriguez, 34, Brooklyn, was charged May 29 with second-degree promoting prison contraband. William J. Merritt, 51, Auburn, was charged May 29 with operating a motor vehicle with a blood-alcohol content level of at least .08% and driving while intoxicated-first offense. Anthony K. Coleman, 32, Syracuse, was charged May 29 with driving while intoxicated with a previous conviction in 10 years. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 2 JORDAN Thousands young and old alike on a perfect day with a bright sun and warm weather lined the streets of the village of Jordan to witness the annual Memorial Day parade which has been a springtime ritual for more than a century. Marchers from local communities as well as from far away as Rochester and Palmyra participated. Said to be one of the largest Memorial Day events in central New York, it is officially known as the Parade of Bands. and as soon as it ends, the committee, chaired by Ken Bush, of Jordan, starts working on next years program. The keynote speaker was Anne-Marie Manilla, director of the Onondaga County Veterans Service Agency. Today, people throughout the country will gather go remember, to honor, and to pay gratitude to those who have served our country," she said. "Our gathering is just one small spark in the flame of pride that burns across the nation today and every day. She said Memorial Day celebrations are a way to say we remember. From the soldiers who shivered and starved through the winter at Valley Forge to the doughboys crouched in the muddy trenches of France to the platoon who patrolled the hazy jungles of Vietnam, and the young man or woman patrolling the mountains of Afghanistan, we remember and honor them all. "Those we honor come from all walks of life, but they share several fundamental qualities. They possess courage, pride, determination, selflessness, dedication to duty and integrity - all the qualities needed to serve a cause larger than ones self. The invocation was preceded by the Rev. Meredith Sanderson of Christ Episcopal Church. There were several other presentations during the official ceremony at the veterans memorial in downtown Jordan. Musical presentations by noted soloist Tim Burns had a patriotic theme. The service was emceed by Jordan Mayor Casey Brim. Brief remarks of a patriotic nature were given by Ellie Brim, Emily Curry and Eric H. Haynes. Ron Patterson was singled out and honored for his work with the Jordan Color Guard for the past 40 years. This was followed by a musical presentation by bagpipe James Holm. In Elbridge, the situation in Ukraine was a noted topic of remarks made at the annual Memorial Day observance in the village. American freedom was the focus of a talk by Bruce Famoly of Valentine Meyer American Legion Post 317. He urged those attending to pray for, Ukrainian heroes who are paying the price for freedom. Let freedom ring." Historian Harold Reichard, of Elbridge, reminded the audience that Memorial Day came as a result of efforts to remember the fallen as well as the veterans of the Civil War. The cost of the war was staggering, he said, in terms of life and the country in general. He and his wife Jan are in the process of establishing a museum dedicated to President Abraham Lincoln at their home. Students Ellie Brim and Brody Boylan recited In Flanders Field and Lincolns Gettysburg Address respectively. A parade followed the service on the front lawn of Jordan-Elbridge Elementary School and marched to Mount Pleasant Cemetery where a brief memorial service was held. The Rev.Thomas Bell gave the invocation and benediction. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 HIT: The Auburn YMCA is offering some helpful tips about water safety as the swimming pool and lake season begins. An adult should always be assigned as a "water watcher", the YMCA recommends, regardless of the type of water or if there is a lifeguard or not. They should be knowledgeable about emergency situations and know how to perform CPR if needed. There should be proper barriers installed around backyard pools, and a cover and alarms around the pool are also recommended. The YMCA knows that one of the best ways to be safe around the water is to teach children how to swim, and the Auburn and Skaneateles branches offer swim lessons throughout the year to members and non-members. For more information, visit auburnymca.org. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attends a special meeting of the European Council at the European Union headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, May 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) Earlier this month, the Commission proposed to establish new so-called "solidarity lanes" to ensure that Ukraine can export and import the goods it needs as its ports have been blocked due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. BRUSSELS, May 31 (Xinhua) -- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday that her institution was working hard on building "solidarity lanes" to facilitate food exports from Ukraine, in particular the over 20 million tons of grain blocked in the country's stores. "It is not trivial, and it is, of course, more tedious and expensive, but it is necessary to get this wheat out," she said at the end of a two-day extraordinary meeting of European Union (EU) leaders. Earlier this month, the Commission proposed to establish new so-called "solidarity lanes" to ensure that Ukraine can export and import the goods it needs, from humanitarian aid to animal feed and fertilizers, as Ukraine's ports have been blocked due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. A farmer talks on his cell phone as his freshly harvested wheat is unloaded from a trolley at the grain market in Amritsar district of India's northern Punjab state, April 19, 2022. (Str/Xinhua) EU leaders have called on Russia to lift the blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports and to allow food exports. Von der Leyen said the EU will also step up its own food production and expects to export a record 40 million tonnes of cereals in 2022 and 2023. "We call on all partners not to restrict trade on agricultural products. Any kind of trade restrictions have absolutely no place in our member states or globally," she said. During the meeting, EU leaders also reached an agreement on a ban on 90 percent of Russian oil imports to the EU by the end of the year. Von der Leyen spoke about how the EU was looking for "more reliable suppliers" of gas, noting how liquefied natural gas (LNG) deliveries from other parts of the world other than Russia doubled in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the previous year. Photo taken on March 7, 2022 shows bottles of sunflower oil for sale at a supermarket in Istanbul, Turkey. (Xinhua/Shadati) She said gas storage across the EU stands at 41 percent of capacity, which is five percentage points higher than they were last year. She said the EU had to make "massive investment in renewables." With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information. BYDs DENZA to launch concept SUV model Sales manager of DENZA, Zhao Changjiang disclosed that DENZA will debut a global-oriented SUV concept model, paving the way for its following mass-produced mid-size five-seater SUV model. DENZA X; photo credit: DENZA Suppliers to raise price on essential auto chips Founder and CEO of WM Motor, Shen Hui, said via a Weibo post that the rumored price increase on Boschs automotive chips are true, and other Tier1 suppliers are also lifting their prices on the essential chips. Li Auto acquires insurance agency qualification According to Chinas corporate database, Qichacha, Li Auto has become the new controlling shareholder of Yijian Insurance Broker Co., Ltd. CATL to resume construction of Shanghai base tomorrow CATL will fully resume the ongoing construction of its integrated electric chassis project in Shanghai on June 1st. GAC Toyotas bZ4X likely to hit market on June 17th GAC Toyotas bZ4X is likely to be on the market on June 17th. The vehicle has started presale, with a price range of RMB220,000 to RMB300,000 ($33,063 to $45,086). China initiates new round of NEV Going to Countryside compaign On May 31st, a document facilitating a new round of new energy cars going to the countryside promotion is released by Chinas Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, and the National Energy Administration. China's vehicle inventory alert index in May drops 9.6 percentage points MoM China's vehicle inventory alert index (VIA), which reflects the inventory pressure on automobile dealers, declined 9.6 percentage points month on month in May 2022, according to the China Automobile Dealers Association (CADA). GAC Hondas e:NP1 all-electric SUV starts at 175,000 yuan in presale GAC Honda, the joint venture between GAC Group and Honda Motor, today kicked off presale of the e:NP1, the first production model under its all-electric vehicle brand e:NP, with the presale price range of 175,000 yuan to 205,000 yuan ($26,240-$30,740) unveiled at the same time. China cuts vehicle purchase tax on some PVs to boost consumption On May 31st, Chinas Ministry of Finance and State Taxation Administration jointly released an announcement on the policy of reducing the vehicle purchase tax on some of the passenger vehicles (PVs) in China, to boost automobile consumption and support the development of the auto industry. JoysonAI introduces JUN Sim Cloud simulation platform Joyson Electronics intelligent auto research arm, JoysonAI, launched new smart simulation platform, JUN Sim Cloud for intelligent driving-related simulation needs. FAW Hongqi puts self-developed dual-motor DHT to mass production On May 30th, FAW Groups mainstay wholly-owned brand, Hongqi, announced that it has mastered the technology of dual-motor dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT) and saw its first dual-motor DHT go into mass production. Gotion High-Tech adds 30GWh production capacity with two new sites starting production Gotion High-Tech has added 30 GWh to its total production capacity by opening two new sites at the end of May, representing a great significance to the company's aim of increasing total capacity to 100GWh by the end of this year. Ecotrons domain controller-powered Robosweeper delivered to WeRide On May 30th, autonomous driving domain controller supplier Ecotron announced that 50 Yutong Bus-made Robosweepers, which were powered by the supplier's domain controllers, were delivered to WeRide. CATL starts production at Phase I of Zhaoqing battery base On May 30, CATL held a ceremony to celebrate the start of production at its power battery factory in Zhaoqing city, Guangdong province, the battery giant announced via its WeChat account. Li Auto to enable straight-line summon function to Li ONEs via OTA On May 31st, Chinas new energy vehicle startup Li Auto announced that it would soon facilitate another OTA update, the OTA 3.1 version, to its only model on the market, the Li ONE. TuSimple teams up with image-grade LiDAR supplier Innovusion On May 31st, long-range image-grade LiDAR supplier Innovusion announced its strategic partnership with autonomous driving developer TuSimple. Dongfeng Motor Group to gain back control right of light truck company DFAC On May 30th, China's light truck arm Dongfeng Automobile Company (DFAC) announced that its controlling shareholder has been changed from Dongfeng Motor Company Limited (DFL) to Dongfeng Motor Group (DFMG). GAC-backed Greater Bay Technology starts building headquarters, manufacturing base On May 28, Greater Bay Technology (GBT), a supercharging technology developer incubated by GAC Group, broke ground on a manufacturing base of energy storage devices and systems in Nansha New District, Guangzhou city, the company announced via its WeChat account. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On May 28, Greater Bay Technology (GBT), a supercharging technology developer incubated by GAC Group, broke ground on a manufacturing base of energy storage devices and systems in Nansha New District, Guangzhou city, the company announced via its WeChat account. The new facility is not only the first manufacturing base of GBT, but also will serve as the company's administration and R&D headquarters. According to GBT, the new base will focus on the R&D and production of XFC (eXtreme Fast Charging) batteries, new types of energy storage cells, and battery pack integration systems. Groundbreaking; photo credit: GBT Involving an estimated investment of 4 billion yuan ($599.781 million), the project is expected to have an annual production capacity of 8GWh, which is able to power 120,000 new energy vehicles (NEVs) and deliver a production value of 7.2 billion yuan ($1.08 billion) annually. Founded in Sept. 2020, GBT is the first high-tech company incubated by GAC Group with private investors taking the controlling stake. It is dedicated to the R&D, production, and sales of the XFC batteries, and the next-generation high-performance energy storage devices and compatible systems. The company announced on May 5 it bagged nearly 1 billion yuan ($149.945 million) in its Series A round, which attracted such investors as Borun Capital, Nan Yue Fund, Tencent Investment, Canton Financial Investment, and Xidea. According to the business data inquiry platform Tianyancha, prior to the A round, GBT had already closed two funding roundsthe Angel and the Pre-A rounds. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On May 30, CATL held a ceremony to celebrate the start of production at its power battery factory in Zhaoqing city, Guangdong province, the battery giant announced via its WeChat account. Located in Zhaoqing High Technology Industry Development Zone, the project is managed by Guangdong Ruiqing Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited (Ruiqing CATL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CATL. Photo credit: CATL CATL broke ground at the Zhaoqing production base (Phase I) on March 28, 2021, marking the official launch of its EV battery and energy storage battery project in the city. It took the company only 6 months to achieve the topping out milestone for the 500,000-square-meter factory and 8 months to commence the installation of the first batch of manufacturing facilities. On February 2, 2021, CATL signed cooperation framework agreements with the Guangdong Provincial Government and Zhaoqing Municipal Government. Under the agreements, CATL would invest 12 billion yuan ($1.799 billion) in Phase I to build a lithium-ion battery production base with an annual capacity of 25 GWh in Zhaoqing. The whole-process industrial chains from battery cell production to battery system assembly would be established in the factory. After CATL's Zhaoqing Project is completed, the products would be first supplied to enterprises in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, according to the press release CATL issued after the ground-breaking event. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- GAC Honda, the joint venture between GAC Group and Honda Motor, today kicked off presale of the e:NP1, the first production model under its all-electric vehicle brand e:NP, with the presale price range of 175,000 yuan to 205,000 yuan ($26,240-$30,740) unveiled at the same time. The e:NP1 will officially hit the market in June, according to the automaker. The e:NP1 made its debut at the Auto Guangzhou 2021 in November last year. Its Chinese name Ji Pai 1 was announced on March 29 this year, when GAC Honda launched the brand e:NP (named Ji Pai in Chinese). The e:NP1 is one of the first set of e:N Series models developed as the first Honda-brand EV models in China. The other one is the e:NS1, which is manufactured by Dongfeng Honda and went on sale in late April. e:NP1; photo credit: GAC Honda The e:NP1 features a closed-off grille and a luminescent "H" emblem in the front. The charging port is behind the front logo. At the rear, a new Honda emblem replaces the traditional H marque and a full-width LED light strip accentuates the model's width. e:NP1; photo credit: GAC Honda The e:NP1 is a SUV that measures 4,390mm long, 1,790mm wide, and 1,560mm tall, with a wheelbase that spans 2,610mm. With a minimalist design, the cockpit features Honda's latest connectivity technologies available in China including Honda CONNECT 3.0, the new-generation connected technology developed exclusively for EVs, and a large 15.1-inch console-mounted display, which supports over 20 functions including AI voice assistant, energy management, and OTA. The e:NP1 comes with two power solutions: the one carries an electric motor that churns out up to 150kW and 310 Nm, and delivers a CLTC range of 510km; the other is armed with a 134kW electric motor and is capable of a 420km range under CLTC test cycle. Beijing (Gasgoo)- On May 31st, a document facilitating a new round of new energy cars going to the countryside promotion is released by Chinas Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, and the National Energy Administration. In an effort to stimulate new energy vehicle consumption, encourage green mobility, hearten the development of rural areas, and achieve the goal of carbon emission peak and carbon neutrality, the theme of the new promotion is green, low carbon, intelligent, and safe. Wuling MINIEV; photo credit: Wuling Starting May to December 2022, multiple promotions will be held in third and fourth-tier cities and counties in various provinces, including Shanxi, Jilin, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Henan, Shandong, Hubei, Hunan, Hainan, Sichuan, and Gansu. The promotion activities can be a special performance, itinerant exhibition, or company-hosted activities. Enterprises within the new energy vehicle industry are encouraged to participate in online shopping sprees and other online promotions, including live streaming shopping. Local authorities are welcome to formulate more policies to carry out the new energy cars going to the countryside project, including but not limited to perfecting the environment for new energy vehicle use, such as building charging infrastructures in rural areas. Companies participating in the project are encouraged to develop more quality and practical products, boost incentives, and reinforce aftermarket service assurance. As part of its long-term commitment to reducing the number of homeless animals in the community, High Country Humane (HCH) began its TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) program at the beginning of 2020, knowing there were community cats that needed to be fixed but having no clear idea of what to expect. A little over two years later, 638 cats and older kittens have been spayed or neutered and vaccinated through the program. As impressive as that might sound, it is now recognized there are at least three times that number of cats that still need help. The program, run by volunteers and funded by private donations and grants, seeks not only to reduce the number of homeless cats and kittens but also to improve their quality of life. With a robust TNR program, female cats are protected from becoming kitten factories, and the male cats, for the most part, stop fighting and marking their territories. The term community cat describes a cat not immediately identified as being owned by a family or individual. This includes second-generation neighborhood strays living on their own but are not feral; and feral cats who have never lived in a socialized or family setting. Any of these cats qualify for the TNR program. A single stray cat identified as lost or recently abandoned should be brought into the shelter to either be returned to its owner or adopted into a new family. Heres how the program works: When a cat is identified as stray or feral and needs to be fixed, a trained volunteer meets with the community member at the location. They are given an approved, humane trap and shown how to set it. The citizen trapper is then responsible for coordinating a surgery date and setting the trap accordingly. The trapped cat is brought into the High Country Humane clinic on the morning of the surgery by the trapper and picked up (in a carrier) later that afternoon. The cat is held overnight in a garage or other appropriate enclosure to ensure it has recovered from the anesthesia. This is especially important for the female cats because their surgery is internal, and in many cases, theyve had multiple litters of kittens. An often overlooked aspect of the pet overpopulation problem is that cats (and dogs) can start reproducing as early as four months of age. So, kittens are having kittens before they are adults themselves. Female cats can go into heat as soon (and sometimes before) the last litter has left home. Add to this that a cats gestation period is just 63 days, and a female cat can be pregnant year-round. This constant strain of pregnancy adds yet another burden to the cats overwhelmed immune system and contributes to the number of sick kittens brought into shelters each season. Also, as these homeless, unfixed cats age, they become vulnerable to disease and often die slow, painful deaths. When possible, HCH offers the Working Cats Program as an alternative living arrangement for feral or stray cats who cant be adopted into traditional homes. These cats are great candidates for the program, which places cats in barns and local businesses looking for inexpensive, safe, and effective rodent control. For information about hiring a working cat or cats, please call the shelter at 928-526-0742. Grantors recognize the value of T The Arizona Community Foundation - Flagstaff awarded grants to HCH the past two years to target spay/neuter within a given community. Sunnyside was chosen because of the high number of homeless cats living in the area. The grant will pay for the spay or neuter surgery and Rabies and FVRCP vaccines for 75 eligible cats. Sunnyside residents needing help with a stray cat should call 928-773-1330 for more information. According to program volunteers, We couldnt do this work without the support and cooperation of the community. TNR is not easy and is often frustrating, but knowing youre making a difference in an animals life makes it all worthwhile. If you need help trapping stray cats on your property or within your neighborhood or would like to volunteer, please call the TNR program coordinator at 928-773-1330. Written by Pam Tharp, High Country Humane Advisory Board member. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday delivered a speech on US policy toward China. He barely said anything new. What he emphasized and drew most attention included that the US is "not looking for a new Cold War" and "does not want to sever China's economy from the global economy," but it "must defend and reform the rules-based international order"; the US doesn't "rely on Beijing to change its trajectory" but it "will shape the strategic environment around Beijing"; the US doesn't "seek to transform China's political system" but will "prove once again that democracy can meet urgent challenges." Blinken also reiterated that although the Ukraine war continues, China poses "the most serious long-term challenge." Blinken said the US' policy focuses on "invest, align, and compete." That is, invest in US competitiveness, align with allies and partners, and compete with China. Blinken said the US doesn't seek to change China. In my opinion, this statement shows that the US administration has been clear it is not capable of engaging in tough interference in China and thus reshaping the country. Frankly, some political elites in the US want to do that, but they are not capable. Besides, the US won't stop its "soft interference" in China just because Washington publicly says it doesn't seek to change China. Instead, they will continue encouraging different forces of the US to engage in ideological warfare against China and value-based infiltration into China so as to maximize the disruption of China's development. Actually, the US has been doing this for years - and it will continue. The US has recently repeated the idea to reshape strategic environment around China. That is, build anti-China alliance in Asia and eventually form an "Asian NATO." Reshaping the strategic environment is just a disguise used to whitewash US' evil conducts. Washington is creating division in Asia, promoting confrontation, and creating a geopolitical superiority for its hegemony. The US administration repeated it doesn't seek a Cold War with China. Frankly, it doesn't really matter how people call the US' strategic blockade against China. The US indeed cannot duplicate a Cold War like the one between it and the former Soviet Union - because the US is not able to shake China's position as a world major trading power. The US cannot economically block China as it did to the Soviet Union. However, Washington's hostility against Beijing is rapidly reaching the Cold War level: its malicious suppression of China as its competitor is expanding to more spheres. From the Trump era, the struggle between China and the US has lasted for years. We can already make a summary. First, it is impossible to defuse the hostility of US political elites toward China, and no matter what we do is unlikely to change Washington's positioning of regarding China as "a strategic adversary." Second, it should be noted that the US doesn't have the capacity or enough tools as they thought to contain China. They have the desperate idea of decoupling from China, but they cannot bear the self-injury caused by doing so, and therefore they are struggling, hesitant and wavering on specific measures against China. Third, due to their wavering and the ambiguity caused by it, China-US relations may still avoid extreme deterioration and maintain the base of nongovernmental interactions and cooperation. It is necessary for China to make efforts to stabilize China-US relations and slow down the deterioration. Fourth, we must have bottom-line thinking and strengthen the preparations for high-intensity confrontation with the US if it violates China's core interests. The most important preparation is to enhance the strength, including that of strategic deterrence on the US. This is the fundamental way to suppress US hard-liners' attempt of acting strategically recklessly toward China. Fifth, the time is on China's side in the China-US competition. The US cannot harm China on the whole. The most fundamental way for China to defeat the US' strategy of containing China is to develop itself well and do its own thing well. The Art of War bamboo slips. Photo:VCG A photo showing a cover of China's ancient military treatise The Art of War spotted at a steel factory in Ukraine went viral online. It was initially reported that the book was left by the Ukrainian army in Azov Steel Plant in Mariupol after being blockaded in for 82 days, which soon became a hot topic as many netizens opined that with The Art of War, it's no wonder that the Ukrainian army can defend for such a long period of time. Meanwhile, it was turned out later that the book was found at a steel factory near the Azov Steel Plant. The book, which has been translated into Ukrainian, was no doubt read by its Ukrainian owner in the emergency. This is not the first time that The Art of War, an ancient Chinese military treatise written by Sun Tzu, has appeared in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council and former president, quoted The Art of War one month ago to explain the significance of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine. "Sun Tzu said a long time ago: The law of warfare is not to hope that the enemy will not fight, but to rely on what you can use to deal with the enemy; I hope that the enemy will not attack, but rely on yourself to make it impossible for the enemy to attack," said Medvedev. Why does a military book dating back almost 2,500 years have such a lasting effect on conflict which is now the world's main focus? Besides those involved in warfare, the book has also influenced leaders all over the world such as former US president Richard Nixon and pioneers in many other areas, including business. Several experts that the Global Times interviews said the book is a treasure to the world. Rather than focusing on specific warfare technology, The Art of War talks about strategy and provides tactical wisdom which still holds true today. Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, said that it is not only the Ukrainian army but other armies including the US Army that have also learned from The Art of War. "The Art of War talks about how to lead a battle, how to avoid making mistakes, how to achieve victory through making use of a series of factors such as the timing, geographical location, and so on, and how to use the few to defeat the many among others. These tactics and strategies are never out of fashion," Song said. Experts noted that the essence of The Art of War is not about going to war, but about harmony and peace that other countries should understand and strive for. A treasure for the world An Asian military officer surname Choi, who graduated from the Army Command College of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, one of China's most esteemed military academies in East China's Jiangsu Province, told the Global Times on Tuesday that he had read the translated version of The Art of War several times. "The Art of War is very famous in our country, and there are multiple translations. Many problems can be solved under the principles laid out by Sun Tzu. It's one of the most popular books in the military, business and the management departments," he said. The 6,000-word book consists of 13 chapters which span from laying down plans, waging a war, to attacking by fire and the use of spies. Compared with other military treatises, the book is highly concise in content therein while, at the same time, conveying precepts of deep philosophy. Sun Tzu not only conveys excellent military tactical wisdom, but also provides good experience and wisdom in organizational management systems, interpersonal relationships, leadership and in other areas, Choi said. "In current global relations, for instance, deterrence is very important in defending security. A country needs three key factors to gain advantages in deterrence: Strong capability, good credibility and efficient communication. That is what Sun Tzu said in The Art of War - to subdue the enemy without fighting," he said. Choi is one of the many foreign military officers who like to read and practice the teachings of The Art of War. When the Global Times reporter visited the Army Command College which has trained military officers from more than 118 countries, almost every overseas officer had a copy of the English version of The Art of War. Some revealed the dense notes contained in their copies. Yogeshwar Romkhami, a former senior superintendent of the Nepal Police Service, told the Global Times on Wednesday that this book is one of the subjects taught by many military colleges around the world. "In recent days, I have witnessed that many politicians and people in academia in India quoting the contents of the book. This is the most famous book with regard to military strategy," he said. "Life is itself a battle. Specifically in a country like Nepal, where the struggle is everywhere, this could be very useful. Since I was a police officer, the challenges were everywhere. This book was helpful and broadened my views regarding how to maintain calm during challenges and adverse situations," Romkhami told the Global Times. Song said that among the top 10 military treatise, The Art of War should be in the first place. In fact, these treatises all have a great connection to The Art of War as they reference it. Therefore, this book is indeed a rare treasure not only to Chinese people, but also for people from other countries, especially militarists. "It can be regarded as a wonderful book that changed military history," Song said. Peace-loving at core Primary school students look at bamboo slips inscribed with The Art of War at Yinqueshan bamboo slips museum, in Linyi, East China's Shandong Province, on May 18, 2022. Photo: VCG The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting, which embodies China's philosophy of loving peace, reads The Art of War. Major Milan Thapa from Nepal once told the Global Times that he believes that the core of The Art of War is to "stop the war" by "understanding the war." In his view, the treatise promotes "defense-oriented tactics," instead of an "invasion." From The Art of War, many foreigners have come to understand the concepts of peace and harmony advocated for in Chinese culture. "When I was in my country, I just had a Western vision of China. We don't have that many Chinese books in our libraries, but more Western authors talking about China. They describe China as a kind of country you must fear, a kind of empire that will invade us when it gets money and power," Etoua Julien Fredy, a deputy military attache at the Cameroonian Eembassy in China, told the Global Times in a previous interview. "But when I came to China, it was really different compared to that. Chinese people are loving and they love sharing. That's my honest experience in the field. That is very different from what I read in books. Yes, very different," he stressed. "Our military doctrine is more influenced by Western thinkers, and it can help come back with the Chinese philosophy of war," he said. China's philosophy and wisdom This month, a short video showing a Chinese schoolgirl analyzing the Russia-Ukraine crisis with reference to Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a Chinese classic, went viral. The girl compared NATO to Cao Cao, an unscrupulous warlord in the novel. Ukraine is like ancient Jingzhou that Cao has occupied which leaves no buffer between him and another warlord named Sun Quan. This eventually leads to a battle at the end of the Han Dynasty and Cao loses the battle. This video even attracted attention from the Philippine Foreign Secretary Teddy Locsin Jnr. He was so impressed by it that he tweeted it. He was reported to have even thought of sending his granddaughter to study in China. Analysts said these ancient classics consist of Chinese wisdom and philosophy which still have referential significance for contemporary society. For example, The Art of War teaches one to have a reverence for war, not go for an "invasion." Prem Sagar, president of Kathmandu-based Nepal-China Mutual Cooperation Society, told the Global Times that what he took away from The Art of War are three lessons. The first is only to enter battles you know you can win; second is to do everything you can, and third is to plan secretly. "I am so inspired by this book. It is amazing. It gives me life lessons. I have learnt how to manage all things through this book. Now I have to be able to say, yes I can do everything," he told the Global Times. Analysts said that these books which embody Chinese philosophy shared universal values. The core of them is benevolence, peace-loving, harmony, and a win-win attitude which the Chinese nation advocates for. These values are in the DNA of Chinese people and people in other countries should not be blinded by false and misleading reports from those vicious forces. KHARTOUM, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The loss of vision has never prevented Abdalla Abdul-Rahim, a 43-year-old Sudanese man, from pursuing a normal life and taking up carpentry as a profession despite the difficulty and danger of using sharp tools. His carpentry workshop locates at the Institute of Blind People's House in Sudan's capital Khartoum, where he told his struggled story to Xinhua. "I have been blind since I was a baby due to malaria, and through my effort, I finished my primary, secondary and university studies majoring in media," recalled Abdul-Rahim. "Twelve years ago, I joined the Institute of Blind People's House and was trained by a blind teacher in carpentry. Then I became an assistant teacher before becoming a teacher of carpentry at the institute," he said, adding that some of his students are well-sighted people. As he practices his carpentry profession, Abdul-Rahim uses the same carpentry equipment used by sighted people, except for the Braille ruler and pen read by touches. "I rely on my sense and use of wooden tools instead of distance markers," he said. "I use a special ruler made on Braille, a method invented by the French Louis Braille. It is a night-writing alphabet system, in which the letters are written on paper in a form of (raised) dot patterns, allowing the blind to read thanks to the sense of touching," he said. "As for the pen, it is a Braille stylus, which gives a sharp line that is felt with the finger," Abdul-Rahim added. Abdul-Rahim further said that disability has not prevented him from living a normal life, saying "I go about my normal life like any person. I use transportation on my own. I travel alone and do all my home duties. I believe that disability does not hinder a person if he has the will." During his 12-year career, Abdel Rahim has achieved professional success in making wooden furniture like beds, benches, cupboards, chairs and tables. "I have achieved the success that I have never expected. I have many clients, and I am making good returns from this profession," he said. According to statistics from the Sudan National Program for Prevention of Blindness, about 225,000 people in the country suffer from blindness. Sudan plans to continue to reduce the prevalence of blindness in patients with eye diseases to a target rate of 0.5 percent by 2025. In 2005, Sudan launched the Vision 2020 initiative to control blinding diseases, which focuses on preventing the spread of trachoma and cataract, the two major diseases responsible for blindness in the African country. Whether due to structural sexism or hostile work environments, the tech industry remains a male dominated space. Take a look at the futures tech companies are building for us, however, and youll find women everywhere. Boot up your virtual assistant, and the voice that greets you will almost certainly be feminine. Use Microsofts Bing search engine, and you may get a pop-up message from Xiaoice, a blushing artificial intelligence chatbot developed by the company, asking if youve missed her. And when the prestigious Tsinghua University announced it had enrolled its first-ever virtual student, Hua Zhibing, the AI came with a headshot of a sweet-faced freshman. The latest example of this trend in China is Wen Yaoyao. Created by Baidu AI Cloud in partnership with Art Exhibitions China and officially unveiled Wednesday, Wen is a virtual museum tour guide. Depicted as a young woman with tight-fitting traditional clothes and a high-pitched voice, she promises to take visitors through the collections of Chinas top museums. The press release announcing her creation referred to her as a national-style girl; media reports hailed her as the perfect mix of good looks plus real skills. Although sometimes presented as antidotes to the troubles of the real world, our new virtual worlds reflect old stereotypes. Regardless of whether the proliferation of female-coded virtual assistants is a product of male fantasies or merely unconscious bias, the consequences are very real. As the UNESCO report Id Blush If I Could notes, virtual assistants like Siri dont just mirror gender biases; they actively propagate them, modeling tolerance of sexual harassment and female obedience. The irony here is that programming was once considered womens work. From the 19th century mathematician Ada Lovelace to the female programmers who operated the first programmable electronic computer, ENIAC, in the 1940s, women laid the theoretical and practical foundations of computational programming. In her Technologies of the Gendered Body, Anne Balsamo uses her own mothers experiences as a computer worker in the 1930s to explore how programming went from stereotypically womens work to a male-dominated industry. As computers grew increasingly powerful, they required ever more complex algorithms and more detailed divisions of labor to run. Men, believing themselves to possess superior intelligence and greater faculties of reason, gradually pushed women out of the industry they had helped build. This new paradigm required new role models, and the industry lionized exacting engineer-entrepreneurs like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, while women were relegated to the fringes. That division of labor carried over into China during the reform and opening-up period. Even today, women still comprise a tiny minority of programmers, and coders public image is that of a geeky man. To fit in, Chinese female programmers have little choice but to adapt to a work culture obsessed with flannel and male-pattern baldness; they call themselves female losers and programmer-ettes both plays on terms widely used by their male counterparts, and try to avoid being written off as eye candy for their coworkers. The development and application of technology is neither pure nor innocent.- Chen Jing, scholar They are rarely in a position to push back as they witness the encoding of gender bias into new technologies. There is a tendency to think of things like the metaverse as an act of meta-creation, the formation of something wholly new. But the development and application of technology is neither pure nor innocent, and what we think of as a meta-creation is often just another level of cloning. Thats not to say no one is trying to address these problems. For example, in 2019, Stanford University professor Feifei Li, analyzed 14 million files on the ImageNet database, which is frequently used to train deep learning algorithms. Her team found that 45.4% of the databases images originated in the United States, and that many images originally labeled as work scenes were centered around male figures an oversight that was leading algorithms trained on the set to overlook female professionals. As a corrective, Li and her team consciously placed female-centric images into the data set to ensure that the computer would learn to recognize work scenes with women as well as men. Their goal was to make their data more diverse, better suited to different contexts, and more compatible with the diversity of race, gender, and age in modern workplaces. While admirable, these scattered efforts must be expanded and brought into the mainstream if they will ever fully counterbalance the biases of the rest of the industry. Three veterans were recently awarded Quilts of Valor at the Wymore Legion Hall. The three recipients were Robert Allen, Kenneth Wellensiek and Richard Wellensiek. Robert E. Allen Robert was inducted into the U.S. Army in 1960. Robert took basic training at Fort Hood, Texas, he was then sent to California for cooking school. Robert served overseas at Bobling, Germany where he prepared meals for two companies. During this time the Berlin Wall was being built. Sargent Spec. 5 Robert E. Allen was Honorably Discharged in 1962. Robert continued his service at home by joining the reserves. Kenneth R. Wellensiek Kenneth was inducted into the U.S. Army in 1968. Kenneth did his basic training at Fort Lewis, Washington. He served in Vietnam from 1969 to 1970. Kenneth received the Combat Infantryman Badge, near Duc Pho Vietnam. This badge has been awarded since World War II for sustained ground contact with the enemy. Sargent Kenneth R. Wellensiek was a squad leader in Company B 4th Battalion of the American Divisions 21 Infantry. He received an Honorable Discharge in 1970. Richard L. Wellensiek Richard l. Wellensiek was inducted into the U.S. Navy in May 1964. Richard did his basic training at San Diego, Calif, where he then served in combat operations in Southeast Asia in support of the Republic of Vietnam, providing help to resist the Communist aggression. Richard L. Wellensiek was given the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for Heroism while serving squadron 55 aboard the USS Constellation, citation for prompt action in the face of personal danger. Richard was also awarded the Service medal, and Republic of Vietnam campaign medal. Aviation Electronic Technician Navigation Petty Officer 3rd Class Richard L. Wellensiek received an Honorable Discharge in 1968. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The National Rifle Association leads the opposition to gun control legislation in Congress. It is also a powerful force in Montana politics. U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale and fellow Republican Sen. Steve Daines rank in the top 25 out of 535 members of Congress for NRA election support. The data comes from OpenSecrets, formerly known as the Center for Responsive Politics, a non-partisan, watchdog of money in politics. The gun groups power is on display again as Congress once again struggles over whether to act following a mass shooting of school children, this time in Uvalde, Texas. The NRA rewards politicians with letter grades, provided they vote the way the NRA wants, espouse the rhetoric the NRA prefers, and completes the NRA questionnaire satisfactorily. More importantly, the NRA spends hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions, in the elections of the politicians it favors. Although, the group sat out 2020 after declaring bankruptcy. Rosendale ranks third among current members of the House for lifetime NRA support, having benefitted from $603,583 in spending by the NRA political action committee and donations from NRA employees. OpenSecrets reports that Rosendale has benefitted most from NRA opposition of other candidates. The gun group spent $523,049 targeting Sen. Jon Tester in Montana's 2018 Senate race, which Rosendale lost. Rosendale was offered a chance to comment about his NRA support. Spokesman Jonathan Eberle said I'm extremely disappointed in your decision to take this horrific shooting and politicize it. I'm also confused whether you think this article is going to convince your readers that Mr. Rosendale and the NRA are to blame for another individual's horrendous actions? Mr. Rosendale has condemned the shooting and will always condemn evil acts of violence like this. Daines ranks 19th among current members of the Senate for lifetime NRA support, having benefited from $454,425 in spending by NRA political action committees and NRA employees. Roughly half that money was received as campaign donations since 2012, while the other half was spent in opposing Daines opponents. Daines spokesman Katie Schoettler was proud to have the NRA support. Senator Daines is proud he has kept his promise to Montana voters to defend their Second Amendment rights, and hes honored to receive an A+ rating from the NRA in recognition of his commitment. It should be concerning to Montanans that with Senator Testers D rating from the NRA, he will support Bidens efforts to infringe upon their Second Amendment rights. I believe Pro 2A groups spent 567K opposing Tester to the 454K supporting Daines. If youre going to talk about support from 2A group to Daines, should mention the flip side for Tester. The NRAs lifetime spending against Tester is $734,499. As previously noted, most of that money was spent in 2018 to benefit Rosendales unsuccessful Senate challenge. Rosendale and the NRA are currently codefendants in a lawsuit accusing them of an elaborate scheme through which the NRA political arm allegedly provided the Montana Republican nearly $400,000 in illegal, in-kind contributions. Specifically, Giffords, a non-profit gun-control group founded by former Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, accuses the NRA and Rosendale of orchestrating ad buying through a half-dozen shell companies. The alleged benefit to Rosendale is $383,196 in illegally coordinated expenditures. Rosendale, in January, asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit. In D.C. Federal District Court, Rosendales campaign is arguing Giffords lacks the standing, and that the D.C. District lacks the jurisdiction to hear the case. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 2 Angry 13 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. Two new Wyoming charter schools could open their doors to students in fall 2023. The boards of the proposed Wyoming Classical Academy and Cheyenne Classical Academy in Mills and Cheyenne, respectively, will submit charter applications to the State Loan and Investment Board by July 15. The State Loan and Investment Board will likely approve or deny those applications in August. Charter schools are public schools that are funded by the state. Like traditional public schools, they dont charge tuition, and theyre still accountable to state performance standards. But charter schools are nonprofit organizations, and they have fewer regulations than traditional public schools; their governing boards are separate from district school boards, they are free to choose their own curriculums and they dont have to work with collective bargaining units, for example. That flexibility is very appealing to some. Megan Degenfelder, a Republican candidate for state superintendent of public instruction and current government and regulatory affairs manager for Morningstar Partners Oil & Gas, summed it up simply at a town hall meeting in Mills on Thursday: The less red tape, the better. In the past, Wyoming has been reticent toward charter schools. Laws made it difficult to open them in the state. But in 2021, the Legislature passed a bill sponsored by Sen. Ogden Driskill, R-Devils Tower, that loosened some of these restrictions. The bill was pushed by former Speaker of the House Russell Donley, who was also present at Thursdays meeting along with State Superintendent of Public Instruction Brian Schroeder, state lawmakers and community members. Donley is the chair of Wyoming Classical Academys board. Under the new law, the State Loan and Investment Board currently made up of Gov. Mark Gordon, Secretary of State Ed Buchanan, Auditor Kristi Racines, Treasurer Curt Meier and Schroeder has authority to grant charters. Only school districts previously had that authority. But school districts dont have much incentive to grant charters since charter schools cut into district budgets. State funding is attached to students, so that funding will follow students out of traditional public schools if they enroll in charter schools. That has been a point of contention for opponents of the 2021 bill, who worry that charter schools will siphon money away from traditional public schools. There are five charter schools in Wyoming now. Under the new 2021 legislation, the state has authority to grant charters to three additional schools each year. So far, it appears that only the two Classical Academy sister schools in Cheyenne and Mills will apply for charters this year. Wyoming Classical Academy and Cheyenne Classical Academy are Hillsdale College Member School Candidates. Hillsdale College is a Christian, classical liberal arts college in Michigan. The colleges Barney Charter School Initiative aims to open charter schools across the country. It began in 2010. The first of its charter schools opened in 2012. Now, several of these charter schools are open across the country, including three in neighboring Colorado. Craig Horton, executive director of Academica, a company that provides business services for charter schools and is assisting the two proposed charter schools in getting authorization from the State Loan and Investment Board, explained during Thursdays town hall meeting that the Wyoming Classical Academy will offer a K-12 classical and American education that emphasizes a knowledge-based curriculum. This kind of curriculum is meant to give students a core understanding of broadly-shared knowledge. To do that, the schools will focus on liberal arts and sciences, civic virtue and the cultivation of moral character. The curriculum encompasses the Core Knowledge Sequence, Singapore math, the Great Books philosophy of teaching literature that emphasizes the Western tradition, phonics, grammar, cursive and Latin. The Cheyenne Classical Academy will offer a similar type of curriculum. Theres already a school in Casper that is built on a classical curriculum the Casper Classical Academy. But its a traditional public school. The city of Mills does not currently have an elementary school. If its charter application is approved, the Wyoming Classical Academy will actually live in the old Mills Elementary School building for a year before moving to a property on the corner of Robertson and Poison Spider roads. If approved, it will open in fall 2023, likely for K-7 students. The Cheyenne Classical Academy would follow a similar schedule, but would initially open for K-6 students. The schools would later expand to K-12. It seems like theres sizable interest in the schools; Horton said the parents and guardians of about 200 kids have expressed interest in enrolling their children in Wyoming Classical Academy. Donley would be the chairman. Sen. Charles Scott, R-Casper, would serve as vice chairman of the Mills charter school board. Mason Winter would chair the board in Cheyenne with former Speaker of the House Bill McIlvain as vice chairman. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BRUSSELS (AP) The European Unions groundbreaking decision to ban nearly all oil from Russia to punish the country for its invasion of Ukraine is a blow to Moscows economy, but its effects may be blunted by rising energy prices and other countries willing to buy some of the petroleum, industry experts say. European Union leaders agreed late Monday to cut Russian oil imports by about 90% over the next six months, a dramatic move that was considered unthinkable just months ago. The 27-country bloc relies on Russia for 25% of its oil and 40% of its natural gas, and European countries that are even more heavily dependent on Russia had been especially reluctant to act. European heads of state hailed the decision as a watershed, but analysts were more circumspect. The EU ban applies to all Russian oil delivered by sea. At Hungarys insistence, it contains a temporary exemption for oil delivered by the Russian Druzhba pipeline to certain landlocked countries in Central Europe. In addition to retaining some European markets, Russia could sell some of the oil previously bound to Europe to China, India and other customers in Asia, even though it will have to offer discounts, said Chris Weafer, CEO at consulting firm Macro-Advisory. Now, for the moment, thats not financially too painful for Russia because global prices are elevated. Theyre much higher than last year, he said. So even Russia offering a discount means that its probably selling its oil for roughly what it sold for last year also. He noted that India has been a willing buyer and Chinas certainly been keen to buy more oil because theyre both countries who are getting big discounts on global market prices. Still, Moscow has traditionally viewed Europe as its main energy market, making Monday's decision the most significant effort yet to punish Russia for its war in Ukraine. The sanctions have one clear aim: to prompt Russia to end this war and withdraw its troops and to agree with Ukraine on a sensible and fair peace, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said. Ukraine estimated the ban could cost Russia tens of billions of dollars. The oil embargo will speed up the countdown to the collapse of the Russian economy and war machine, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address that Ukraine will be pressing for more sanctions, adding that there should be no significant economic ties left between the free world and the terrorist state. Simone Tagliapietra, an energy expert and research fellow at the Brussels-based think tank Bruegel, called the embargo a major blow. Matteo Villa, an analyst at the ISPI think tank in Milan, said Russia will take a pretty significant hit now but cautioned that the move could eventually backfire. The risk is that the price of oil in general goes up because of the European sanctions. And if the price goes up a lot, the risk is that Russia starts to earn more, and Europe loses the bet, he said. Like previous rounds of sanctions, the oil ban is unlikely to persuade the Kremlin to end the war. Moscow seized on the new sanctions to try to rally public support against the West, describing it as bent on destroying Russia. Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russias Security Council who served as the countrys president, said the oil ban aims to reduce the countrys export earnings and force the government to scale down social benefits. They hate us all! Medvedev said on his messaging app channel. Those decisions stem from hatred against Russia and against all of its people. Russia has not shied away from withholding energy to get its way. Russian state energy giant Gazprom said it is cutting off natural gas to Dutch trader GasTerra and Denmark's Oersted company and is also stopping shipments to Shell Energy Europe that were bound for Germany. Germany has other suppliers, and GasTerra and Oersted said they were prepared for a shutoff. Gazprom previously stopped the flow to Bulgaria, Poland and Finland. Meanwhile, the EU is urging other countries to avoid placing trade barriers on farm products as Russias war increases the risks of a global food crisis. Zelenskyy has said Russia has prevented the export of 22 million tons of Ukrainian grain, much of it meant for people across the Middle East and Africa. He accused Moscow of deliberately creating this problem. Russian oil delivered by sea accounts for two-thirds of the EU's oil imports from Moscow. In addition to the EU cutoff of such imports, Germany and Poland have agreed to stop using oil from the northern branch of the Druzhba pipeline. Agreeing on sanctions against Russian natural gas is likely to prove much tougher because it represents a larger percentage of Europe's energy mix. "The very loud and clear message that Moscow will hear is that it will be near impossible for the European Union to get any agreement on blocking gas because gas will not be as easily replicated from other sources in Europe as oil will be, Weafer said. Associated Press journalists Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Ukraine, Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, Colleen Barry in Milan, Italy, and Derek Gatopoulos in Athens contributed to this report. Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A Bismarck woman who told police she wanted to speak with the governor was taken into custody Sunday near the North Dakota Governors Residence on the state Capitol grounds. Dakota Bee, 32, who has a criminal history, is charged with misdemeanor preventing arrest and criminal trespass, court records show. Bee allegedly said she wanted to speak with the governor and give him paperwork regarding what North Dakota Highway Patrol Sgt. Jenna Clawson Huibregtse said was "a personal matter." The sergeant did not elaborate. Bee was seen near the Governors Residence about 9:45 p.m. but left when she was asked to do so by Bismarck police. Officers and state troopers responded about 10:10 p.m. when Capitol security saw her near the residence again. She entered the grounds when a gate opened to let a vehicle in, the Patrol said. It took the efforts of multiple officers to take Bee into custody as she was under the influence and combative, the Patrol said. Gov. Doug Burgum and first lady Kathryn Burgum were home at the time of the incident, the Patrol said. Bee did not enter the residence or have contact with anyone inside. Bail for Bee was set Tuesday at $1,500, which also covers an unrelated case. Defense attorney Justin Balzer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Bee has a criminal history in North Dakota dating to 2008. Her record includes felony drug and child neglect convictions, and a number of misdemeanor convictions for drugs, theft, simple assault, domestic violence and criminal trespass, court records show. Reach Travis Svihovec at 701-250-8260 or Travis.Svihovec@bismarcktribune.com Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3 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. Gov. Doug Burgum has given another hefty donation to a political group targeting some fellow Republicans' legislative seats in North Dakota's June primary. His $300,000 contribution on Friday brings his total spending on the Dakota Leadership PAC to more than $1.2 million this year. His donation also comes a day after several Republican lawmakers called on him to stop his political spending, alleging his donations are unconstitutional. The wealthy former software executive has given millions to the Dakota Leadership PAC since 2020. Former advisers of his run the group, which this year is targeting ads in legislative Districts 8, 15, 19, 25, 28, 33, 35 and 39, areas throughout North Dakota. Burgum has downplayed his donations as nothing new in politics, citing other instances of legislators and executive branch officials supporting each other in elections. His spokesman also has cited Burgum's free speech rights. "Supporting candidates who best understand what it takes to protect our freedoms, strengthen North Dakotas economy, cut red tape, and continue moving our great state forward has been a focus of mine for decades," the governor said in a statement Thursday. "Dakota Leadership PAC has earned my support because they are promoting healthy competition in Republican primaries, which ultimately empowers voters with more choices and greater transparency." Rep. Rick Becker, R-Bismarck, last week alleged Burgum's political spending is unconstitutional, saying, "The governor's actions are so broad and so impactful that they do indeed constitute a threat to legislators." He and Rep. Jeff Magrum, R-Hazelton, called on Burgum to stop his Dakota Leadership donations. Becker said, "Should that not happen, we'll have to review our options." Becker is not seeking reelection. Dakota Leadership is supporting Magrum's opponent for District 8 Senate, Rep. Dave Nehring, R-Bismarck. Democrats and Republicans have denounced a perception of Burgum attempting to buy a friendlier Legislature. Dakota Leadership Chairman Levi Bachmeier, Burgum's former policy director, has called that unfair, saying the group is supporting both newcomers and incumbents. Voting is underway for the June primary, when voters will determine political parties' nominees for November's general election. The primary is key for North Dakota's dominant Republican Party, which has more than two dozen intraparty legislative contests on the ballot. Reach Jack Dura at 701-250-8225 or jack.dura@bismarcktribune.com. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 9 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 Carbon Bankroll is a new study from the Climate Safe Lending Network, the Outdoor Policy Outfit, and BankFWD that attempts to quantify the banking industry's role in contributing to carbon emissions and climate change. Specifically, it uses publicly-available corporate financial statements to loosely calculate how much money Big Tech companies have in the bank. In addition to the carbon emitted by these banks in the course of their basic business operations, these banks also lend money to other businesses that either directly or indirectly contribute to climate change. Under the accounting framework established by the World Resources Institute, the report explains, these would qualify as Scope 3 downstream emissions that are technically attributable to the original company's supply chain. Or, as Bill McKibben explained in The New Yorker: According to these calculations, Google's carbon emissions, in effect, would have risen a hundred and eleven per cent overnight. Meta's emissions would have increased by a hundred and twelve per cent, and Apple's by sixty-four per cent. For Microsoft in 2021, the report claims, "the emissions generated by the company's $130 billion in cash and investments were comparable to the cumulative emissions generated by the manufacturing, transporting, and use of every Microsoft product in the world." Amazon, too, has worked to cut emissions; it plans to run its delivery fleet on electric trucks, for instance. But in 2020, the report claims, its "$81 billion in cash and financial investments still generated more carbon emissions than emissions generated by the energy Amazon purchased to power all their facilities across the worldits fulfillment centers, data centers, physical stores." Also according to the report, in 2021, the annual emissions from Netflix's cash would have been ten times larger than what was produced by everyone in the world streaming their programmingwhich is to say, Netflix and heat. In other words most of these companies are actually producing more carbon emissions with the cash they have in the bank than through their direct physical suply chains. From the report: Despite the highly publicized growth in green and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) offerings from their investment arms, many banks are still major suppliers of capital to carbon-intensive sectors and the fossil fuel industryproviding loans as well as underwriting and issuing bonds to maintain the flow of funds into these sectors. In fact, across the Group of 20 leading industrial and developing nations, banks have $13.8 trillion of exposure to carbon-intensive sectors, which constitutes 19% of on-balance sheet loans. The lending and underwriting of carbon-intensive sectors at this rate generates a massive carbon footprint. The research featured in this report suggests that the average carbon intensity per unit of cash deployed by the US financial sector is 126.03 ktCO2e/billion USD. As context, a typical passenger vehicle emits roughly 4.6 metric tons of CO2 per year, meaning that for every $1 billion in cash a bank deploys, it generates comparable emissions to 27,398 vehicles' annual emissions. The report is careful to point out that its calculations are not without caveats, acknowledging that: The carbon intensity figures for the asset classes analyzed in this report are conservative estimates that constitute an indicative underestimation of the actual emissions banks generate through their financial services while also pointing out that those Scope 3 downstream emissions are actually probably higher once you factor in things like pension plans and insurance. In other words, the capitalist class's exchange of capital is a major contributor to the climate change caused by the industrialization of capitalism, which is slowly ravaging the planet, costing more capital. Neat! The Carbon Bankroll: The Climate Impact and Untapped Power of Corporate Cash [Climate Safe Lending Network, the Outdoor Policy Outfit, and BankFWD] Could Google's carbon emissions have effectively doubled overnight? [Bill McKibben / The New Yorker] An old lady in England got a voice assistant as a gift. A devout Catholic, she asked it to say the Hail Mary. Delighted when it did so, she made it a daily habit. And Amazon was charging her for it, writes Patrick Collinson, her son. She had "unwittingly ordered" a subscription for an app that charges 2 a month to play a recording of the Hail Mary. "Thank goodness she didn't ask Alexa to say the Rosary," my sister joked, referring to the set of prayers that includes 53 Hail Marys. But there is a serious point here. Digital voice assistants, such as those from Amazon and Google, are now in millions of UK homes. Vulnerable consumers including children and the non-computer-savvy can inadvertently enter into premium subscriptions simply by saying yes Patrick's mother fell victim to a dark pattern, "a user interface carefully crafted to trick users into signing up for recurring bills". When challenged by Patrick, Amazon simply explained the dark pattern to him. "For purchases by voice, customers can buy content by saying yes to a product offer message, generated when a customer requests the product directly or when the customer responds positively to a proactive suggestion within the applicable skill." Remember: everything you say to the Shit Genie signs a contract you haven't read. Eight Democratic mayors from across New York State on Tuesday called for national solutions to end gun violence afflicting their communities. "Gun violence is not just a Buffalo or New York State problem. Its a national crisis, Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown said. There must be national solutions." Complete coverage: 10 killed, 3 wounded in mass shooting at Buffalo supermarket Ten people were gunned down at a Buffalo supermarket May 14 in a horrifying mass shooting that officials were quick to label as "pure evil" an Brown was the host of a virtual meeting Tuesday with seven other mayors, as well as faith-based and community leaders, to discuss gun violence. The meeting came in the wake of a mass shooting in Buffalo on May 14 by a self-described white supremacist that left 10 people dead and wounded three others at Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue. Authorities say the shooter chose the grocery store for his murderous rampage specifically because it is in a neighborhood with so many Black residents. This is not a local problem, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said. The shooting that took place in Buffalo is no different than the shootings that take place on Buffalo Avenue in Brooklyn. They called for nationwide legislation to buttress local and state gun laws. The renewed calls from the Democratic mayors for stricter federal gun laws come amid a stark partisan divide over the issue. In the days since mass shootings left 10 dead in Buffalo and 21 dead in Uvalde, Texas, leading Democrats, including President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer have all called for stricter federal gun laws. Most Republicans, meanwhile, have remained silent on gun control and instead have focused on other measures to prevent mass shootings such as increased access to mental health care and increased security at schools. The Buffalo and Texas shootings, however, have pushed the issue to the forefront and provided some discussion for potential compromise. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell last week said he hoped a "bipartisan solution" could be found in the wake of the shootings. On Tuesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Speaker Carl Heastie announced that 10 bills have been introduced in the Assembly and Senate to tighten New York's gun laws. The bills would require information sharing between state, local and federal agencies when guns are used in crimes; make threatening mass harm a crime; require microstamping for new guns; increase accountability for social media platforms; eliminate grandfathering of large capacity ammunition feeding devices; prohibit the purchase of body armor for anyone who is not engaged in an eligible profession; strengthen the Red Flag law by expanding the list of people who can file for extreme risk protection orders, and other measures; require that an individual obtain a license, with a minimum age of 21, to purchase a semiautomatic rifle; and close the "any other weapon" loophole. The New York State mayors noted that the state already has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, but gun violence continues to terrorize neighborhoods. Byron Brown calls for 'sensible gun reform,' exchanges texts with Texas mayor "Let these incidents in Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas, be the last time we are seeing these horrible mass shootings with people's lives snatched from them and families destroyed for no reason," Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said. We need help at the federal level. We have some of the strictest gun laws in the country, common sense gun laws here in New York state, and yet we have this pipeline of guns coming into our community," Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan said. "Just last night, there was a drive-by shooting. Fortunately, the victim, it looks like they are going to survive, but the injury will stay with them." Authorities recovered 17 shell casings from the shooting. Afterward, law enforcement pulled over the vehicle involved in the incident "where a 16-year-old was found with a gun magazine that can hold 15 bullets," Sheehan said. "We need to come together and have federal legislation that recognizes that the value of human lives needs to be acknowledged. We need that help. We cannot do this alone. I join my fellow mayors in saying we need Congress to act. Common sense gun laws cant just be passed on the state level, but they have to be passed on the national level. We have to do something about it," said Shawyn Patterson-Howard, mayor of Mount Vernon. Were actually the Blackest community north of the Mason-Dixon line," she added. "And it was very sobering. It was terrifying that we were on the short list of the Buffalo shooter. One week after Tops mass shooting, Buffalo pauses to honor the victims Several hundred people gathered Saturday outside Tops on Jefferson Avenue to observe 123 seconds of silence to reflect on the lives lost in the racist massacre a week prior. The response to gun violence in urban, suburban and rural areas in the country should be similar to responses to natural disasters, Rochester Mayor Malik Evans said. When theres a hurricane or natural disaster, FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) comes in," Evans said. "We have this whole community approach, where everybody comes in together and tries to solve this natural disaster. Gun violence should be no different. In every level of government, every single organization needs to come together and try to do what we can to stop this occurrence that we continue to see in our country and in our cities. Other propositions from the meeting included adding more agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to conduct background checks and gun tracing; enacting legislation that treats ghost guns as actual guns; and giving more support and attention to local crisis management teams, mental health care and services. Legislation at the federal level is needed and should include universal background checks, safe gun storage and the banning of bump stocks and ghost guns, said Linda Beigel Schulman, whose son Scott J. Beigel was murdered in the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School massacre in Parkland, Fla., in 2018. It was also the day her daughter was born. As you can imagine, it was one of the happiest days of my life and also the worst day of my life, she said. The event Tuesday was held to mark June as Gun Violence Awareness Month in New York State. It is outrageous that we have to designate a day for gun violence awareness, let alone a month, but we do," Schulman said. "We have to keep up the fight and make our streets, homes, schools, places of worship and businesses safe from gun violence. Other speakers included Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino, Dunkirk Mayor Wilfred Rosas; Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano; George Latimer, Westchester County executive; Paul Thomas, pastor of Buffalo AME Church; and anti-gun violence advocate K. Bain, founder and executive director of community capacity development. The Buffalo News: Good Morning, Buffalo The smart way to start your day. We sift through all the news to give you a concise, informative look at the top headlines and must-read stories every weekday. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Photo taken on May 30, 2022 shows colored coffins containing mummies during an archaeological achievements exhibition at Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, Egypt. Egypt unveiled on Monday a major new archaeological find of 250 sealed coffins containing mummies, 150 bronze statues of ancient gods and goddesses, and other antiquities at the Saqqara necropolis, south of the capital Cairo. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) CAIRO, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Egypt unveiled on Monday a major new archaeological find of 250 sealed coffins containing mummies, 150 bronze statues of ancient gods and goddesses, and other antiquities at the Saqqara necropolis, south of the capital Cairo. An Egyptian archeological mission working in Bubastian Cemetery area discovered a bronze statues cachette in the site that dates back to the Late Period of ancient Egypt, Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, told media. "The cache included 150 different-size bronze statues of gods and goddesses like Anubis, Amunmeen, Osiris, Isis, Nefertum, Bastet, Hathor, and several bronze pots," Waziri said. The mission has also discovered 250 intact colored wooden coffins that date back to 500 B.C. inside several burial wells comprising well-preserved mummies as well as a group of golden-face wooden statues, painted wooden boxes, and amulets, he added. During the excavation work inside one of the wells, the mission found a papyrus that writes verses from the Book of the Dead, said Waziri. A collection of cosmetics was also found, including combs, eyeliners, containers, bracelets, earrings, and seed necklaces. The discovery was made during the fourth excavation of the site that started in April 2018. The Egyptian mission will start the fifth excavation works in September, Waziri added. Photo taken on May 30, 2022 shows the face of a colored coffin containing a mummy during an archaeological achievements exhibition at Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, Egypt. Egypt unveiled on Monday a major new archaeological find of 250 sealed coffins containing mummies, 150 bronze statues of ancient gods and goddesses, and other antiquities at the Saqqara necropolis, south of the capital Cairo. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) Photo taken on May 30, 2022 shows colored coffins containing mummies during an archaeological achievements exhibition at Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, Egypt. Egypt unveiled on Monday a major new archaeological find of 250 sealed coffins containing mummies, 150 bronze statues of ancient gods and goddesses, and other antiquities at the Saqqara necropolis, south of the capital Cairo. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) Photo taken on May 30, 2022 shows the scene of an archaeological achievements exhibition at Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, Egypt. Egypt unveiled on Monday a major new archaeological find of 250 sealed coffins containing mummies, 150 bronze statues of ancient gods and goddesses, and other antiquities at the Saqqara necropolis, south of the capital Cairo. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) Photo taken on May 30, 2022 shows the painting on a colored coffin containing a mummy during an archaeological achievements exhibition at Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, Egypt. Egypt unveiled on Monday a major new archaeological find of 250 sealed coffins containing mummies, 150 bronze statues of ancient gods and goddesses, and other antiquities at the Saqqara necropolis, south of the capital Cairo. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) Photo taken on May 30, 2022 shows colored coffins containing mummies during an archaeological achievements exhibition at Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, Egypt. Egypt unveiled on Monday a major new archaeological find of 250 sealed coffins containing mummies, 150 bronze statues of ancient gods and goddesses, and other antiquities at the Saqqara necropolis, south of the capital Cairo. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) Photo taken on May 30, 2022 shows bronze statues during an archaeological achievements exhibition at Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, Egypt. Egypt unveiled on Monday a major new archaeological find of 250 sealed coffins containing mummies, 150 bronze statues of ancient gods and goddesses, and other antiquities at the Saqqara necropolis, south of the capital Cairo. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) Photo taken on May 30, 2022 shows colored coffins containing mummies during an archaeological achievements exhibition at Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, Egypt. Egypt unveiled on Monday a major new archaeological find of 250 sealed coffins containing mummies, 150 bronze statues of ancient gods and goddesses, and other antiquities at the Saqqara necropolis, south of the capital Cairo. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) Photo taken on May 30, 2022 shows a colored statue during an archaeological achievements exhibition at Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, Egypt. Egypt unveiled on Monday a major new archaeological find of 250 sealed coffins containing mummies, 150 bronze statues of ancient gods and goddesses, and other antiquities at the Saqqara necropolis, south of the capital Cairo. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) Photo taken on May 30, 2022 shows colored coffins containing mummies during an archaeological achievements exhibition at Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, Egypt. Egypt unveiled on Monday a major new archaeological find of 250 sealed coffins containing mummies, 150 bronze statues of ancient gods and goddesses, and other antiquities at the Saqqara necropolis, south of the capital Cairo. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) People view colored coffins containing mummies during an archaeological achievements exhibition at Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, Egypt, on May 30, 2022. Egypt unveiled on Monday a major new archaeological find of 250 sealed coffins containing mummies, 150 bronze statues of ancient gods and goddesses, and other antiquities at the Saqqara necropolis, south of the capital Cairo. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) People take photos of bronze statues during an archaeological achievements exhibition at Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, Egypt, on May 30, 2022. Egypt unveiled on Monday a major new archaeological find of 250 sealed coffins containing mummies, 150 bronze statues of ancient gods and goddesses, and other antiquities at the Saqqara necropolis, south of the capital Cairo. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) A woman takes photos of colored coffins containing mummies during an archaeological achievements exhibition at Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, Egypt, on May 30, 2022. Egypt unveiled on Monday a major new archaeological find of 250 sealed coffins containing mummies, 150 bronze statues of ancient gods and goddesses, and other antiquities at the Saqqara necropolis, south of the capital Cairo. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, introduces a new archaeological find during an archaeological achievements exhibition at Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, Egypt, on May 30, 2022. Egypt unveiled on Monday a major new archaeological find of 250 sealed coffins containing mummies, 150 bronze statues of ancient gods and goddesses, and other antiquities at the Saqqara necropolis, south of the capital Cairo. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) People take photos of bronze statues during an archaeological achievements exhibition at Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, Egypt, on May 30, 2022. Egypt unveiled on Monday a major new archaeological find of 250 sealed coffins containing mummies, 150 bronze statues of ancient gods and goddesses, and other antiquities at the Saqqara necropolis, south of the capital Cairo. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) Photo taken on May 30, 2022 shows the face of a colored coffin containing a mummy during an archaeological achievements exhibition at Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, Egypt. Egypt unveiled on Monday a major new archaeological find of 250 sealed coffins containing mummies, 150 bronze statues of ancient gods and goddesses, and other antiquities at the Saqqara necropolis, south of the capital Cairo. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) Photo taken on May 30, 2022 shows colored coffins containing mummies during an archaeological achievements exhibition at Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, Egypt. Egypt unveiled on Monday a major new archaeological find of 250 sealed coffins containing mummies, 150 bronze statues of ancient gods and goddesses, and other antiquities at the Saqqara necropolis, south of the capital Cairo. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) Photo taken on May 30, 2022 shows bronze statues during an archaeological achievements exhibition at Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, Egypt. Egypt unveiled on Monday a major new archaeological find of 250 sealed coffins containing mummies, 150 bronze statues of ancient gods and goddesses, and other antiquities at the Saqqara necropolis, south of the capital Cairo. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) A man views colored statues during an archaeological achievements exhibition at Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, Egypt, on May 30, 2022. Egypt unveiled on Monday a major new archaeological find of 250 sealed coffins containing mummies, 150 bronze statues of ancient gods and goddesses, and other antiquities at the Saqqara necropolis, south of the capital Cairo. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) Photo taken on May 30, 2022 shows colored statues during an archaeological achievements exhibition at Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, Egypt. Egypt unveiled on Monday a major new archaeological find of 250 sealed coffins containing mummies, 150 bronze statues of ancient gods and goddesses, and other antiquities at the Saqqara necropolis, south of the capital Cairo. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) People view colored coffins containing mummies during an archaeological achievements exhibition at Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, Egypt, on May 30, 2022. Egypt unveiled on Monday a major new archaeological find of 250 sealed coffins containing mummies, 150 bronze statues of ancient gods and goddesses, and other antiquities at the Saqqara necropolis, south of the capital Cairo. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) People take photos of colored coffins containing mummies during an archaeological achievements exhibition at Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, Egypt, on May 30, 2022. Egypt unveiled on Monday a major new archaeological find of 250 sealed coffins containing mummies, 150 bronze statues of ancient gods and goddesses, and other antiquities at the Saqqara necropolis, south of the capital Cairo. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) People take photos of colored coffins containing mummies during an archaeological achievements exhibition at Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, Egypt, on May 30, 2022. Egypt unveiled on Monday a major new archaeological find of 250 sealed coffins containing mummies, 150 bronze statues of ancient gods and goddesses, and other antiquities at the Saqqara necropolis, south of the capital Cairo. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) Photo taken on May 30, 2022 shows colored coffins containing mummies during an archaeological achievements exhibition at Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, Egypt. Egypt unveiled on Monday a major new archaeological find of 250 sealed coffins containing mummies, 150 bronze statues of ancient gods and goddesses, and other antiquities at the Saqqara necropolis, south of the capital Cairo. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) The city of Buffalo's Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion has a new leader. Chantele Thompson has been appointed to the position of chief diversity officer, Mayor Byron Brown announced Monday. She began her role May 16. Prior to that, Thompson worked as the chief equity and inclusion officer at Child and Family Services. Brown said Thompson "has the experience and expertise" to lead the city's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. "As Buffalo changes, we must strategically ensure that our plans are inclusive and beneficial to all residents, and I am confident that Chantele will meet this moment with urgency as our community continues to heal from the tragic shooting at Tops, the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the continuing economic uncertainty," Brown said in a statement. Thompson was born and raised in Buffalo. She graduated from City Honors School and earned a bachelors degree in psychology at Canisius College. She has masters degrees in public administration and education. Thompson is currently pursuing a doctorate in American and Africana studies at the University at Buffalo. She's has worked in Ghana, Ivory Coast, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. "I am honored to serve the residents of Buffalo as Chief Diversity Officer, a vital role, at this critical time," Thompson said. In her role, she plans to "further ensure we are taking a citywide, community-informed, data-driven approach to equity, leveraging resources of city government to ensure greater access, inclusion and prosperity," she said. Thompson serves on the board of directors of International Child Advancement and is a member of the Buffalo chapter of Links Incorporated, Buffalo Urban League Young Professionals, and Society for Diversity. She is the cofounder of Black Girls Hike Buffalo. She lives in Buffalo with her son, Quentin, and their puppy, Storm. The Buffalo News: Good Morning, Buffalo The smart way to start your day. We sift through all the news to give you a concise, informative look at the top headlines and must-read stories every weekday. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A seventh-grade student accused of bringing a BB gun to Frederick Law Olmsted School at Kensington triggered an emergency response for about 20 minutes Tuesday morning, Buffalo police and school officials said. Police responded to the Suffolk Street school about 10:55 a.m. after a student reported seeing another student with what appeared to be a gun, officials said. The school went into lockdown for about five minutes, and then into a "shelter in place." Officers who arrived on scene determined the weapon found in a bathroom was a BB gun, a police spokesman said. By about 11:15 a.m. the normal school schedule had resumed. The student's behavior will be handled under the Buffalo Public Schools' code of conduct. "The district is extremely grateful to students who spoke up, all BPS staff who followed safety and security protocols and to the swift and prompt response from the Buffalo Police Department to ensure safety for all in this learning community," a district spokesman said in a statement. Reach Aaron at abesecker[at]buffnews.com or 716-849-4602. 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. Orchard Park police responding to a threats call Saturday night found a West Seneca man hiding in a crawl space with a shotgun the Abbott Road home of a woman who has an order of protection against him. The incident began about 8:45 p.m. when a woman called police to say a man who she believed to have a long gun threatened to kill her and took her phone, Orchard Park police said Tuesday in a news release. The victim was outside the house when police arrived, and as police set up a perimeter, a second female exited and told police the man ran up to the second floor. Emergency response teams from Hamburg and Orchard Park police departments were activated during the incident for a situation involving an armed barricaded suspect, police said. Police were unable to communicate with the man. They then entered the house and found him in a crawl space. A 12-gauge shotgun also was found in the crawl space. Heath Snyder, 51, was charged with first-degree criminal contempt, second-degree burglary, aggravated family offense, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and obstructing governmental administration. Snyder remained in custody at the Erie County Holding Center on Tuesday morning. Reach Aaron at abesecker[at]buffnews.com or 716-849-4602. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WASHINGTON The man accused of murdering 10 Black people in a Buffalo supermarket appears to have written a screed espousing "great replacement" theory. Tucker Carlson and other hosts on Fox News have pushed a version of the same theory and the most powerful New York Republican in the House, Rep. Elise Stefanik, has been accused of flirting with it. But when asked about the longtime fringe theory that there's a conspiracy to replace whites as the majority race in America, the two Republican House members who want to represent Western New York in Congress next year said they knew little about it until recently and want nothing to do with it. Q&A: Hate-fueled mass shootings didn't start in Buffalo. It's doubtful they end here Those who track the hate behind the carnage see no end at this point and fear that some of the twisted logic and conspiracy theories used to justify the shootings have gone more mainstream. "As I have read more and learned more about it, it's clear that this is just a vile and disgusting conspiracy theory rooted in racism and antisemitism," said Rep. Chris Jacobs of Orchard Park. "In my mind, it has no place in this country." Meanwhile, Rep. Claudia Tenney, a Utica-area Republican, said: "To be honest with you, I've never even heard of it until it was raised after this horrific shooting in Buffalo." Afterwards, though, Tenney reviewed the suspect's racist screed. "It is absolutely sickening to read," she said. Both Jacobs and Tenney regularly decry what they see as a crisis at the Southern Border: the regular flow of undocumented immigrants from Mexico and Central America into the United States. But a review of their public comments and social media posts from recent years show that neither have pushed a version of Great Replacement Theory. This theory is nothing new. F. Scott Fitzgerald mocked it a century ago in "The Great Gatsby," creating a boorish bourgeois character named Tom Buchanan who, after reading a racist book of that era, ranted: The idea is if we dont look out the white race will be will be utterly submerged. But the theory was largely confined to fringe publications until the dawn of the internet and the emergence of Fox News, where some talk show hosts have mainstreamed the idea and adapted it to fit the nation's red-blue political divide. "AOC and the gang are eager to replace native born Americans and lawful immigrants with foreigners who came here illegally," Fox News host Laura Ingraham said on Jan. 21, 2021. "They're trying to replace the current electorate, the voters now casting ballots with new people, more obedient voters from the Third World," Carlson said on Fox on April 21, 2021. "That's what's happening. Actually, let's just say it: That's true. You know, I think we're being replaced." "The great replacement plan is working," Carlson said last Oct. 5. "It's helping the Democratic Party. That's the whole point." Jacobs and Tenney, however, don't see it that way. Jacobs, for example, used the word "insane" to describe a version of the theory that alleges that there is a "Jewish elite that's trying to orchestrate getting more minorities from outside the country to diminish the white population." "It's just such an outrageous, insane, insane concept," Jacobs added. And Tenney a longtime supporter of federal refugee resettlement efforts said: "I just think it's seems a bit of a stretch to say the only reason people are allowing illegal immigration is to allow voters" into the country. A racist gunman came for Buffalo, but 'racism is not new here' As Buffalo seeks to heal from this month's hate-fueled attack, advocates say, the city must reckon with its own legacy of racism. Stefanik, who represents the North Country and who is the House's third-ranking Republican, has met criticism for a statement on Twitter that followed the Tops Markets shooting. On May 16 two days after the Buffalo shooting she tweeted: "Democrats desperately want wide open borders and mass amnesty for illegals allowing them to vote. Like the vast majority of Americans, Republicans want to secure our borders and protect election integrity." That tweet prompted backlash. "It is deeply irresponsible of you to keep pushing this argument just days after a white supremacist used it as a rationale for killing ten people," Kevin M. Kruse, a Princeton University historian, replied on Twitter. Such comments, and such a backlash, are nothing new for Stefanik. Last fall, her campaign ran a Facebook ad that showed migrants reflected in President Biden's sunglasses and charged that Democrats were waging "A PERMANENT ELECTION INSURRECTION" by welcoming them. Their plan to grant amnesty to 11 MILLION illegal immigrants will overthrow our current electorate and create a permanent liberal majority in Washington, the ad added. That prompted the Albany Times-Union, in a scathing editorial called "How low, Ms. Stefanik?," to say: "If theres anything that needs replacing in this country and in the Republican party its the hateful rhetoric that Ms. Stefanik and far too many of her colleagues so shamelessly spew." Stefanik declined an interview request but defended herself in an interview with conservative talk show host Ben Shapiro. She noted that a Democratic-aligned think tank, the Center for American Progress, issued a report in 2013 that said: "Supporting real immigration reform that contains a pathway to citizenship for our nation's 11 million undocumented immigrants is the only way to maintain electoral strength in the future." And Stefanik told Shapiro: "We want border security and we want to oppose amnesty. That's where mainstream Americans are. There's nothing racist about that statement, and it is absolutely warped that now somehow this is being tied into the horrific tragedy and act of evil that occurred in Buffalo." Republicans have largely defended Stefanik, too. "From what I know of Elise Stefanik, I think she's a good person," Jacobs said. "I don't think she's a racist or white supremacist at all. I think on both sides, we need to tone down the rhetoric and think twice about how we are stating things in this environment." Tenney said Democrats are making Stefanik widely seen as a potential House speaker or vice presidential candidate "a target." "I think it's unfair what they're doing to Elise, from what I've seen," Tenney said, adding: "I haven't seen the (Facebook) ad or anything." The Buffalo News: Good Morning, Buffalo The smart way to start your day. We sift through all the news to give you a concise, informative look at the top headlines and must-read stories every weekday. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Pittsburgh. Charleston, S.C. Christchurch, New Zealand. San Diego. El Paso, Texas. And now Buffalo. Six white supremacists have shot and killed 105 and wounded another 75 at shopping centers and places of worship in these communities. Those who track the hate behind the carnage see no end at this point and fear that some of the twisted logic and conspiracy theories used to justify the shootings have gone more mainstream. I've seen too many attacks like this at this point, said Cassie Miller, a senior research analyst with the Southern Poverty Law Center. Buffalo wont be the end. The center pursues racial justice in in the South and beyond, working with educators, schools and communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen collaborative movements, and advance the human rights of all people. It monitors hate groups and other extremists across the U.S. with aims to expose their activities to the public, press and law enforcement. Miller talked to The Buffalo News after 10 people all Black were killed and three others wounded in a racially motivated mass shooting at a Tops Markets store in Buffalo. The attack came five days after a new poll by the Associated Press and National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago estimated one in three Americans agree that a group of people is trying to replace native-born Americans with immigrants for electoral gains, a key argument of replacement theory. Hate hit Buffalo hard, so where are the region and America headed and what can we do about it? Miller, who focuses on white supremacy for the law centers Intelligence Report, shared her perspective with The Buffalo News in an interview that has been condensed and edited for clarity. Question: How many more killers like the 18-year-old charged in the Buffalo shootings are out there? Answer: Thats hard to quantify but this is an organized movement encouraging people to carry out mass terror attacks like the one we saw in Buffalo. We've already seen a number of young men take up arms in the name of the Great Replacement Theory. We're not doing enough to push back against it and to change the landscape. If we're doing nothing, then we can fully expect that this will continue. Q: The theory sprung from French nationalism a century ago and re-emerged with a book published in that country a decade ago. What are the major tenets? A: That white people are being systematically and deliberately replaced and that the survival of the white race depends on taking action against the supposed perpetrators, the people they see as their racial enemies. It's the main animating narrative of the white power movement and it's the one inspiring the most violence. It's an attack on a lot of different progressive policies and historically marginalized groups of people. Oftentimes, this is about immigration, but it also includes abortion, and LGBTQ rights, and feminism and racial integration. All these things are seen as a threat to the white population and to white birth rates reaching a replacement level. Q: Do you have any feel for the number of Americans captivated by this thinking? A: It's difficult to say. We do an annual census of hate groups. (The center reports 733 across the nation. New York State has 35 listed at splcenter.org, including one each in Buffalo, Lockport and Niagara Falls and three in Rochester.) Q: Is the radicalization in this case much different from the radicalization into terrorist groups in the Middle East or other parts of the world? A: Extremism at its core is the fear that your defined in-group is facing an existential threat from an out-group and your survival depends on taking hostile action against that group. So yes, in some way there is that similarity. But a movement like this also feels very deeply American. Q: How can you dismantle it? Unfortunately, I don't think there's a way to do it quickly, or simply. This same idea has motivated political movements throughout American history. You can look at the eugenics and immigration policies of the early 20th century and immigration policy during the Trump era. Theyre very much based on the same idea that people of color represent this kind of existential threat to the country. Some ways to address it are telling a truthful history of America, adopting anti-racist education in our schools, so we can counteract some of the messaging that young people are seeing in places like the internet. We need to provide a counter message built on solidarity. We need political leaders to speak out against things like replacement theory and political violence. Words to push back have a lot of power. But we also need more resources to fund prevention programs. So often we look to our criminalization and punishment and surveillance, but a lot of that only deals with the end results of radicalization. You're not doing anything to prevent people from getting there in the first place. That includes empowering parents and caregivers to see the signs of radicalization and to be able to step in. And it means strong communities that can help people push back against dangerous ideas. There are organizations to help people when they feel disempowered and aren't sure what to do, organizations like Life After Hate (lifeafterhate.org). Its a really delicate process. We think about these people sometimes as lone wolves. That is a misnomer. They've been indoctrinated into a community. They have a coherent set of beliefs that they've spent a lot of time developing. This is something that needs to be walked back from, carefully and with compassion, over a long period of time. Q: Are we at a tipping point in this country? Analysis: Senate likely to reject gun control while high court might expand gun rights "With the nation reeling from the slaughter of 19 fourth-graders and two teachers in Texas only 10 days after a racist massacre claimed 10 lives in Buffalo, the U.S. Senate seems poised this week to do what it often does: Nothing. Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court may be poised to make it even easier for Americans to carry guns," writes Jerry Zremski. A: We are in a dark place. I think that's pretty indisputable. We have seen attack after attack like this, using the same rhetoric, the same justification. The first attack that we've seen in recent years specifically citing the great replacement was in 2018, in Pittsburgh. And the thing that's changed since then is the larger political landscape, where you have people on the right, people like Tucker Carlson, who are now spouting the same rhetoric. This is no longer something that we can say is confined to the fringes. If we want to walk it back, we need to take on that entire landscape that's helped create those changes. That's the history of white supremacy in this country. That is the social media landscape that allows these kinds of things to thrive. That's the media landscape that is perpetuating these ideas on the right and helping to normalize them. We need to respond to all of these things at once, in a coherent way and really aggressively. Right now, we haven't done that. There is a lot we can do, so I don't think people should feel hopeless. Q: What can we do individually? A: People feel really disempowered in moments like this but organizing your communities, that's what keeps people safe. When they have strong networks of people, and they can stand up against attacks in their community and show that they are resilient. It gives people a sense of control, a sense of empowerment, and allows them to prepare to fight for the future. They can also put pressure on their elected officials to address this in a more robust way, speaking out against this kind of violence, condemning this kind of rhetoric, and showing that this conspiracy is untrue. We can also hold social media companies to account when the dont put funding and resources toward prevention programs, towards education, things that can help us dismantle these movements in a more systematic way. *** White supremacy mass killings Charleston, S.C.: A white racist, 21, kills nine Black parishioners June 17, 2015 during a prayer services at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Pittsburgh: A 46-year-old enters the Tree of Life Synagogue during a Sabbath service Oct. 27, 2018, yells All Jews must die, and opens fire on congregants. Eleven are killed and six wounded, including several Holocaust survivors. Christchurch, New Zealand: A 28-year-old Australian man kills 51 Muslims and injures 40 others March 15, 2019, in attacks on two mosques after posting a racist screed online. He live-streams the slayings. Poway, Calif.: A 19-year-old man kills one and injures three April 27, 2019, the last day of Passover, at Chabad of Poway synagogue outside San Diego. He is serving two life sentences. El Paso: A 21-year-old man is charged Aug. 3, 2019, with killing 23 and injuring 23 others, mostly Latinos, at a Walmart department store, after posting an anti-immigrant diatribe on social media. Buffalo: An 18-year-old who lives outside Binghamton is charged May 14 with killing 10 and injuring three at a Tops Market in a predominantly Black neighborhood after posting a screed laced with racist conspiracy theories and epithets. *** 10 signs of an imminent race killer The Southern Poverty Law Center Intelligence Report undertook a two-year study of almost 100 murders by racist extremists and identified 10 unique characteristics of killers who were active online. Unemployment: All were unemployed at the time of the killings. Public activism: By protesting, leafleting, or attending racist skinhead concerts or gatherings, all offenders publicly participated in racist activity or outreach, though most remained anonymous prior to the killings. Home crime scene: Triggering events are personal. More than half of offenders began killing in or around their homes, with family members often the first victims. Multiple platforms: Almost all offenders posted on more than one racist blog or web forum. Sustained activity: Almost all offenders had been active on racist forums or blogs for more than 18 months at the time of the killings. Oppositional behavior: Almost all offenders were seen to be argumentative or antagonistic with others on the racist forums. Some were eventually banned in the months leading up to the killings. Posting variation: Most offenders exhibited a notable change in their posting frequency in the days and weeks leading up to the killings either a significant increase or decline in posts. Several were active on the racist Stormfront forum in the hours leading up to the killings. Discussion of violence: Most offenders discussed violence as an acceptable means of conflict resolution in their postings. Weapons: Most offenders discussed firearms online. Identification of an enemy: Most specifically identified an enemy in their writings. Though many named minorities, most identified the U.S. government, or ZOG (for Zionist Occupation Government), as their primary opposition. The Buffalo News: Good Morning, Buffalo The smart way to start your day. We sift through all the news to give you a concise, informative look at the top headlines and must-read stories every weekday. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue, targeted by an avowed white supremacist in a massacre that killed 10 Black people, is the only supermarket within the 14208 ZIP code and a wider section of Buffalo's East Side. The closest full-service grocery stores are a couple of miles away on Elmwood Avenue, Broadway or Genesee Street. Community activists and elected officials pushed hard to bring a supermarket to this neighborhood. But in the nearly 20 years since the Tops opened, no other major grocery store chain has joined it. Researchers point to a failure to invest in predominantly Black neighborhoods that has left those residents with fewer options for healthy and affordable foods. "There is, in fact, a demand for food in the neighborhoods in east Buffalo and, specifically, the seven that are around Tops. But the private market has effectively failed the East Side," said Samina Raja, director of the University at Buffalo's Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab. "And so the fact that residents were able to advocate for this particular Tops, and land it in 2003, is remarkable." Corporate supermarkets and big-box chains say they don't discriminate in choosing where to locate a new store. Instead, they say they decide based on factors such as population density, traffic patterns and average income. In practice, data show, this means more full-service grocery stores have opened in wealthier, less-diverse neighborhoods here and nationally a point echoed by Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz on Friday. As Tops shooting trauma lingers, questions about when and where the store will reopen Some believe it would be impossible to reopen a store in the same location without once again traumatizing employees and customers. But others say renovating would be the quickest and least expensive way to return a much-needed supermarket to the neighborhood. To be sure, there are pockets in outlying suburbs, and rural communities, where supermarkets are sparse. Of the 25 towns in Erie County, nine that are less densely populated and in predominantly white rural areas have no full-service groceries, according to The Buffalo News' research. Tops, for its part, has vowed to reopen the shuttered Buffalo store but has not yet offered a timeline. A Buffalo News review found 107 full-service grocery stores in Erie County, including 22 within the Buffalo city limits. Many of those city stores are located in North Buffalo, Black Rock and the Elmwood Village. There are three full-service markets within four ZIP codes that cover a large section of central Buffalo and the East Side, where about 50,000 people live and 72% of the residents are Black: the Tops on Jefferson and Save A Lot and Super Price Choppers on Genesee Street. "It's still insufficient by every stretch of the imagination," said Henry-Louis Taylor Jr., director of UB's Center for Urban Studies, who argues for public investment in a Black-led co-operative market on the East Side. "And so, in many ways, this shooting has brought us back to ground zero again we're a community without a grocery store. And now we're faced with critical choices in terms of how to go forward." Residents and community leaders throughout the 1990s, organized under the "Our Market" banner, sought to bring a co-operative grocery store to Buffalo's inner city. They commissioned a market study to show this community could support a supermarket because lack of competition and population density would make up for lower average incomes. However, city officials never fully backed the co-op model, instead making a push to bring a corporate supermarket into the area. By the early 2000s, community and civic leaders, leveraging millions of dollars in tax incentives, convinced Tops to open a store on Jefferson in the Cold Spring neighborhood. "There was a lot of work trying to get a 'yes,' " said Antoine M. Thompson, a former Buffalo Common Council member and state senator who advocated for the store. "And then once they got to 'yes' the community wanted to make sure it was a good 'yes,' right? That it was a store that was built with quality." Groceries clustered in Amherst strip The grocery chains say, essentially, they build where their customers are. They rely on analyses of vehicle traffic, population, income and education levels and other demographics to drive those decisions. Wegmans, for example, has nine stores in Erie County with just one in Buffalo, on Amherst Street in Black Rock. "We operate with a high volume, low price business model. In order to achieve this, we need a lot of customers shopping in our stores and we employ a large number of people to serve them," Michele Mehaffy, a Wegmans spokeswoman, said in a statement. "We build in densely populated areas that can accommodate a store our size with adequate parking." Poloncarz, speaking to reporters Friday, didn't name any supermarket chains but was pointed in his criticism of their site-selection decisions. "There are other supermarkets in this area that could build on the East Side of Buffalo but have elected not to," Poloncarz said. "There are some very well-known ones that have two, three in the Amherst-Cheektowaga area and only have one in Buffalo. Questions need to be asked of those other corporate citizens: Are they potentially going to build one?" Industry representatives say grocery stores operate on a thin profit margin even in the best of times, let alone during the recent period of supply-chain issues, soaring costs for food and staffing struggles. That's why, experts say, the stores all seem to end up clustered on the same busy thoroughfares in the suburbs. There's a stretch of Niagara Falls Boulevard, between Sheridan Drive and the I-290 interchange, that has 10 full-service supermarkets and soon will have an 11th, with the planned addition of a Costco to the well-traveled corridor. Shoppers at the Tops on Jefferson spend an average of $30 to $35 per visit, focusing on staples such as meat, dairy and produce, said Burt P. Flickinger III, a Buffalo native and managing director at retail consultant Strategic Resource Group. That's in line with the national average for a shopping trip but well below the $100 spent during the typical visit to a suburban Wegmans, Flickinger said. "Suburban stores tend to be far more profitable, because of bigger transaction sizes," he said. Asked how sales at the Jefferson store compare to sales across the Tops chain, spokeswoman Kathy Sautter said the company doesn't release this data. Local and national research show the practical effect of these business decisions. In 2020, nearly 18% of largely Black neighborhoods had limited access to supermarkets, compared to just under 8% of predominantly white neighborhoods, according to a study of the 50 largest metro areas in the United States conducted by the Reinvestment Fund on behalf of CNN Business. Raja, the director of the UB Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab, in 2008 led a team that studied local census tracts and found race was the primary factor for store locations even after adjusting for income level and land size. "We found that in predominantly Black neighborhoods there was a lower proportion of supermarkets compared to predominantly white neighborhoods," Raja said. The term "food desert" is commonly used to describe a section of a city that lacks easy access to healthy food options. But Raja said this term is inaccurate because a desert often is a naturally occurring environmental feature. She and others prefer terms such as "food apartheid," because it better describes a deliberate separation of neighborhoods into haves and have-nots. "To tell the full story, we need to understand what is absent here, but also what's been accumulating elsewhere," Raja said. Academics and community organizers say you can't look at corporate strategies today without putting them in a historic context of redlining and disinvestment in Black communities and of white flight to the suburbs. "When you cut people when you cut a whole race out of economic opportunity for that long, those effects become compounded," said Miles Gresham, a local attorney and policy fellow with the progressive Partnership for the Public Good. So what can this region do to tackle the problem of food access in neighborhoods like Cold Spring? Thompson said he wants to see the Tops on Jefferson reopened bigger and better, and Taylor agreed. A Tops spokeswoman said senior executives weren't available to comment for this article. The 29,000-square-foot Jefferson Avenue store is small when compared to some of Tops' suburban supermarkets, such as the 109,000-square-foot store at Maple Road and North Bailey Avenue in Amherst, but the company said its size is in line with some of the chain's newest locations. Taylor and others called for incentives, similar to those used to draw Tops to Jefferson Avenue, to subsidize a community-led, co-operative market in the neighborhood. "If food security is a human right, a matter of life and death, then the government has a responsibility to ensure that all citizens have not just equal access, but equitable access to high-quality foods at prices that they can afford," Taylor said. The Buffalo News: Good Morning, Buffalo The smart way to start your day. We sift through all the news to give you a concise, informative look at the top headlines and must-read stories every weekday. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. First in a series of editorials. The cauldron of hate had been brewing for a while, fueled by false notions of replacement theory. But long before the shooter stepped foot in that Tops supermarket on May 14, hate had help in the form of decades long racist practices so thoroughly baked into the system that it is taking years to dislodge them. Its the main reason the Binghamton-area shooter came to Buffalo rather than some other city. The openly racist 18-year-old wanted a place he was sure to find a high concentration of Black residents. Those were his targets. In the end, he killed 10 people and injured three others. Most were Black. Racist practices determined where Black people could live. Redlining meant those same people couldnt get mortgage loans. Making matters worse was the failure of government officials of past decades to invest in infrastructure. Then came the knife, cutting the neighborhood in half with the Kensington Expressway so that commuters mainly white people could get to work faster, their cars blasting toxic fumes into those neighborhoods along the way. Homes lost value and neighborhoods started to erode. Determined and proud people still occupy family homes that are well-kept and with immaculate lawns. But their efforts are often stymied by hedge fund landlords who snap up cheap housing and fail to maintain the property. Henry Louis Taylor, a professor of urban studies and planning at the University at Buffalo, calls it predatory actions, in his definitive work, The Harder We Run: The State of Black Buffalo in 1990 and the Present. Revisited a few years ago, the study observed that The harder we run, the further we fall behind. The study outlined a strategic approach to solving the problems confronting African Americans, with a focus on what Taylor identified as the seven primary issues: residential segregation; underdevelopment of East Side neighborhoods, with seven subcategories; structural joblessness; low wages; limited educational attainment; gentrification; and poor health. These are the root problems, he said. Focusing on lesser issues will not change the trajectory of the African American community or generate improvements of the lives of people. City leaders have long failed to do that, he said. In addition, he said, those leaders often, if unwittingly, engaged in activities that made conditions worse. They never really wrapped their heads around the real challenges that Black people faced on the economic front. So they never really developed any projects and programs that grappled with that. They never seemed to develop or have an interest in resolving many of these issues. Part of the reason for that, he said, was that big, citywide issues such as the waterfront and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus took precedence. Too often, those priorities did not include the segregated portion of Buffalo, where leaders felt the issues were too complicated to address. Indeed, Buffalo-Niagara remains one of the most segregated metropolitan regions in the nation, as outlined by the Partnership for the Public Goods 2018 report, A City Divided: A Brief History of Segregation in Buffalo. The accused shooter reportedly gave serious consideration to other cities within driving distance of his Broome County home, including Rochester and Syracuse, but settled on Buffalo because of the concentration of Blacks that remains in that part of the city. They were easier targets. The ravages of systems of separate and unequal can be felt at a visceral level in East Side neighborhoods, including the area around the Tops supermarket, which residents lovingly call Cold Spring. People who lived in that neighborhood advocated for decades for a grocery store. Mayor Byron W. Brown and Sen. Chuck Schumer lobbied for the store which settled, not by accident, on Jefferson Avenue, once a hub of thriving Black businesses. The shooting laid bare a host of deep-seated issues surrounding concentration of poverty, from housing to education, that this page will attempt to explore. As others have said, once the out-of-town cameras are gone, those who have been fighting for the neighborhood will be left to rebuild. It is important that they continue to have the help they deserve. NEXT EDITORIAL: Housing. Whats your opinion? Send it to us at lettertoeditor@buffnews.com. Letters should be a maximum of 300 words and must convey an opinion. The column does not print poetry, announcements of community events or thank you letters. A writer or household may appear only once every 30 days. All letters are subject to fact-checking and editing. VANCOUVER, BC, May 31, 2022 /CNW/ - Argentina Lithium & Energy Corp. (TSXV: LIT) (FSE: OAY3) (OTC: PNXLF), ("Argentina Lithium" or the "Company") announces the commencement of exploration drilling at its Rincon West lithium project in Salta Province, Argentina. Five exploration holes are initially planned to test multiple prospective brine targets identified from the geophysical survey data announced in the News Release dated May 2, 2022. This drill program is expected to require four months to complete. Argentina Lithium & Energy Logo (CNW Group/Argentina Lithium & Energy Corp.) The Rincon West project covers 2470 hectares of the salar basin, located west of the adjacent Rincon Project owned by Rio Tinto. Previously announced geophysics results delineated highly conductive units consistent with concentrated brine aquifers over 64% of the property area. On May 27, the first of five exploration holes was initiated to test the geophysical targets. Two thousand metres of diamond drilling is budgeted for this initial campaign. The Company's drilling permit allows up to nine exploration holes, thus the scope of the program may be expanded based on results. "The Rincon West project has never been drilled though it is highly prospective. In this initial campaign, we are looking for high lithium grades and horizons that can produce high flow rates for a potential future production operation. The initial exploration holes have been located on the geophysics traverses in order to allow extrapolation of drill results more broadly across the geophysics coverage. Since the geophysics produced multiple exceptional targets, we hope to produce positive results early in this program." stated Miles Rideout, V.P. of Exploration. The drilling contract has been awarded to AGV Falcon S.R.L, an experienced drilling contractor with offices in Salta Province, Argentina. Brine samples will be analyzed by Alex Stewart Assayers Argentina S.A., a subsidiary of Alex Stewart International. The quality of sample analytical results will be assessed with a protocol of blank, duplicate and control samples to be included in each sample suite. Story continues Argentina Lithium has an option to earn a 100% interest in the Rincon West project, as described in the Company's September 28, 2021 News Release. Qualified Person David Terry, Ph.D., P.Geo. is the Company's Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101. Dr. Terry is responsible for oversight of the Company's early-stage exploration at the Rincon West property. The disclosure in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Terry. About Argentina Lithium Argentina Lithium & Energy Corp is focused on acquiring high quality lithium projects in Argentina and advancing them towards production in order to meet the growing global demand from the battery sector. The management group has a long history of success in the resource sector of Argentina and has assembled a first rate team of experts to acquire and advance the best lithium properties in the world renowned "Lithium Triangle". The Company is a member of the Grosso Group, a resource management group that has pioneered exploration in Argentina since 1993. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Nikolaos Cacos" _______________________________ Nikolaos Cacos, President, CEO and Director Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including, without limitation, statements about the Company's plans for its mineral properties; the Company's business strategy, plans and outlooks; the future financial or operating performance of the Company; and future exploration and operating plans are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements and, even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things: the impact of COVID-19; risks and uncertainties related to the ability to obtain, amend, or maintain licenses, permits, or surface rights; risks associated with technical difficulties in connection with mining activities; and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Readers are encouraged to refer to the Company's public disclosure documents for a more detailed discussion of factors that may impact expected future results. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, unless required pursuant to applicable laws. We advise U.S. investors that the SEC's mining guidelines strictly prohibit information of this type in documents filed with the SEC. U.S. investors are cautioned that mineral deposits on adjacent properties are not indicative of mineral deposits on our properties. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/argentina-lithium-commences-exploration-drilling-at-rincon-west-301557529.html SOURCE Argentina Lithium & Energy Corp. Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2022/31/c5202.html Star Royalties Ltd (TSX-V:STRR) has announced the closing of the previously announced strategic non-brokered private placement of 15,384,620 common shares in its subsidiary, Green Star Royalties Ltd at a price of C$1.00 each. The private placement is expected to accelerate the company's ability to pursue larger green opportunities and to establish a substantial pure-green royalty company that should attract capital from both generalist and ESG-focused investors. Under the private placement, Agnico Eagle Mines Limited has purchased 14,134,620 Green Star shares for an aggregate purchase price of C$14.13 million. The company's management team and board of directors have purchased the remaining 1,250,000 Green Star shares in the private placement for an aggregate purchase price of C$1.25 million. In a statement, Alex Pernin, chief executive officer of Star Royalties, commented: "We are delighted to finalize a strategic relationship with Agnico Eagle and we look forward to jointly maximizing the potential of Green Star. We recognize the alignment between our and Agnico Eagle's commitments to sustainability and we welcome their expertise as not only a highly reputable senior Canadian gold mining company but also a global ESG leader in their industry. We will now focus on scaling up our business, including with our partner Blue Source LLC, North America's leading carbon offset developer and marketer." Following the closing of the private placement, Green Star is now owned 61.9% by Star Royalties, 35% by Agnico Eagle and 3.1% by management. Management's direct or indirect holding of Green Star Shares are now: Kevin MacLean (0.84%), Anthony Lesiak (0.74%), Alexandre Pernin (0.52%), Dmitry Kushnir (0.25%), Jay Layman (0.25%), Kylie Dickson (0.25%), Jinhee Magie (0.12%), Kenneth Ngo (0.10%), and Belinda Labatte (0.03%). In connection with the private placement, Star Royalties, Agnico Eagle and management entered into a unanimous shareholders' agreement under which each of Star Royalties and Agnico Eagle will have the right to appoint two individuals to the board of directors of Green Star for so long as each shareholder continues to exercise control or direction over at least 10% of the issued and outstanding Green Star shares. Green Star will establish a Technical Committee that will review new investment opportunities and will have equal representation from Star Royalties and Agnico Eagle. The agreement also provides that if Star Royalties holds less than 10% of the issued and outstanding shares of Green Star, Agnico Eagle may require Green Star to repurchase all securities of Green Star held by management for the fair market value of such securities. In addition, it contains restrictions on the transfer of Green Star Shares and a limitation on certain corporate actions of Green Star that do not have the consent of Agnico Eagle and Star Royalties and certain other customary provisions. The agreement will terminate on the date that one party owns all of the issued and outstanding Green Star Shares or on a "go-public" transaction. In connection with the private placement, Agnico Eagle and Green Star also entered into a Co-Investment and Environmental Attribute Purchase (CIEAP) agreement under which Agnico Eagle was granted the right to co-invest with Green Star in up to 30% of certain future transactions. In addition, the CIEAP Agreement provides each of Agnico Eagle and Star Royalties the right to acquire 95% and 5%, respectively, of any environmental attributes (including carbon credits) that Green Star owns, or has the right to acquire, at fair market value. In addition, Green Star has agreed to certain restrictions on its future capital commitments, including that it shall use commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that the Green Star's EA Deployed Capital, being the amount of deployed capital committed to projects or investments that generate a minimum number of environmental attributes, is greater than 75% of its aggregate deployed capital; and not make any investment, agree to any participation or increase the amount of deployed capital if it would result in Green Star's EA Deployed Capital being less than 50% of its aggregate deployed capital, without obtaining the prior consent of Agnico Eagle. Star Royalties is a precious metals and carbon credit royalty and streaming company. The company created the world's first carbon-negative gold royalty platform through its pure-green subsidiary, Green Star Royalties, and offers investors exposure to precious metals and carbon credit prices with an increasingly negative carbon footprint. The company's objective is to provide wealth creation by originating accretive transactions with superior alignment to both counterparties and shareholders. Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com In New York, around Londons close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was 194 points, or 0.6% lower at 33,018, FTSE 100 ends around 7 points higher Wall Street weak on holiday return German inflation peak raises concern 4.50pm: Footsie holds ground above 7,600 The FTSE 100 index ended a tad higher on Tuesday, albeit having given up some earlier stronger gains as Wall Street returned from the long Memorial Day weekend in dull fashion amid inflation concerns and with the May US non-farm payrolls report due Friday. At the close, the UK blue-chip index was 7.60 points, or 0.1% higher at 7,607.66, above the day's low of 7,591.84, but well below the session peak of 7,648.26 - its highest level since July 2019. Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG said: Once again stronger commodity prices, led principally by oil, have been the foundation of the FTSE 100s strength. Having suffered less during the recent volatility thanks to its raw material names, the index is now clinging to positive territory for the time being. "Unilevers 6% surge thanks to the arrival of John Peltz has also helped support the FTSE, but with the mood turning sour across markets again perhaps the FTSE 100 is fated to join the selling in due course. But in New York, around Londons close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was 194 points, or 0.6% lower at 33,018, while the broader S&P 500 index was down 0.6%, and the Nasdaq Composite lost 0.4%. Beauchamp commented: The eurozones high inflation reading has prompted stocks to reverse course, showing that investors are still very jumpy when it comes to the economic outlook and continued high inflation readings. Last weeks bear market rally is at risk of ending, although the month-end and the start of Q3 tomorrow muddies the waters to an extent. 4.00pm: Bobbling along, singing a song The FTSE is bobbing along at roughly the same level it reached mid-morning, up 19 points at just below 7,622. Unilever is top of the leaderboard still and B&M is still bottom, as they have been pretty much since the opening bell. Once again stronger commodity prices, led principally by oil, have been the foundation of the FTSE 100s strength," says Chris Beauchamp, market analyst at IG. "Having suffered less during the recent volatility thanks to its raw material names, the index is now clinging to positive territory for the time being." As for eurozone bourses, Beauchamp says, "high inflation reading has prompted stocks to reverse course, showing that investors are still very jumpy when it comes to the economic outlook and continued high inflation readings. "Last weeks bear market rally is at risk of ending, although the month-end and the start of Q3 tomorrow muddies the waters to an extent. 3.32pm: Greenwashing allegations There's been lots about greenwashing in the past few weeks and there may be more coming, after regulators raided the offices of Deutsche Bank's fund management arm, DWS. German prosecutors claim that US$1trn of investment products that had been sold were not as environmentally friendly and sustainable as was claimed. The German public prosecutors office said "sufficient factual evidence has emerged" to build a case after DWS's former head of sustainability blew the whistle last year, saying the company would often overstate the success of its ESG strategy. Around 50 officials from German regulator BaFin, the federal criminal police office and the public prosecutors office searched the premises, according to local reports. Shares in parent Deutsche Bank, which was raided just over a month ago over money laundering, fell 2%. Investors in the company, which is Germanys largest lender, perhaps are used to this sort of thing, with it having been smacked with more than US$18bn of finesa since 2000. Meanwhile the wider German DAX index is down 1.2%, with those in France, Italy and Spain also below water today. 3.00pm: Green and (sometimes) pleasant isle London's blue-chip index is a rare island of green in a worldwide sea of red, as US markets have opened lower. On Wall Street the Dow Jones has fallen 1.3%, the broader S&P 500 has lost 1.1% and the tech-laden Nasdaq has reversed another 0.9%. Meanwhile the FTSE 100 is up 0.25% to 7,626, with its smaller sibling, the FTSE 250, down 0.7% at 20,408. London's large commodities cabal and utilities making their presence felt in the leaderboard, with telecoms trio BT, Airtel Africa and Vodafone high up the list. Other utilities such as National Grid PLC (LSE:NG.), SSE PLC and United Utilities Group Plc are further down. More traditional defensive stocks are there too, namely tobacco companies Imperial Brands and British American Tobacco PLC (LSE:BATS), the latter with full-year results coming next week. As well as the below-mentioned Shell and BP, other resources names are on the up: Rio Tinto PLC (LSE:RIO), Antofagasta PLC, Anglo American PLC, Glencore PLC (LSE:GLEN). While the more UK focused banks are in the red, HSBC is on the front foot. With Europen bourses in the red too, market analyst Craig Erlam at Oanda says: "It's not particularly surprising that we've seen a reversal of Monday's moves considering the inflation data we've had from the bloc. The data from Germany and Spain meant the risks were heavily tilted to the upside and that's how it materialised. Yields across the euro area are higher again today as investors continue to price in a more aggressive pace of tightening." He also notes that Bitcoin has "made some interesting moves early in the week". On top of the significant gains on Monday, the number-one digital coin then broke above $32,000 for the first time in almost three weeks. When it broke below $30,000, "this was an extremely worrying development for bitcoin but since then it has stabilised around $30,000 and has been very choppy. Price action this week will have many asking whether the cryptocurrency has finally bottomed." 2.33pm: ECB rate rise dilemma After Eurozone inflation continued to rise (see below), there is ever more certainty that a rate rise will come from the Christine Lagare and the ECB next week. "The case for exiting from negative interest rates promptly is now irrefutable," says Capital Economics. "The ECB looks sure to confirm next week that it will raise rates in July and we suspect that it will leave the door open to a 50bp hike." Fawad Razaqzada, market analyst with City Index, says there are "still no signs of peak inflation", as oil prices back rallying again, "things could unfortunately get worse". He notes the big dilemma for the ECB: "should it need to act more aggressively to tackle inflation or keep policy loose because the already-struggling Eurozone economy will need as much support as it can get? Surging inflation and oil prices will only exacerbate economic woes for businesses and households in the months ahead. This will likely result in lower economic output, regardless of the ECBs response, even if raising interest rates back above zero looks like a certainty. Against this backdrop, European stocks are likely to struggle to sustain a positive trend." #Inflation in low-growth, aging Eurozone has skyrocketed to 8.1%. This has little to do with monetary policy. There is nothing the #ECB can do about it. Good luck! pic.twitter.com/sdN8s8xRnw jeroen blokland (@jsblokland) May 31, 2022 2.15pm: Top Gun AMC Entertainment Holdings (NYSE:AMC), a meme stock that still holds a special place in some investors' hearts, is up in pre-market trading after a record-setting weekend box office performance by Top Gun: Maverick. Yesterday London-listed rival Cineworld enjoyed double-digit gains on news that the film grossed US$124mln on its first weekend, making it the eighth-highest grossing film of 2022. But today, Box Office Mojo has reported that the Tom Cruise film took in US$156mln in the US over the long weekend and another US$126mln internationally, making a worldwide box office total of US$282mln. AMC said over 3.3mln cinemagoers watched the silver-screen return of Maverick on its screens, out of the 4mln people who went to the movies at the weekend. Cineworld shares are down 8% in London. 1.39pm: Petrol prices keep rising With families already worried about the potential traffic jams on the roads over the four-day jubilee holiday, rising prices looked to be adding further gloom on a long weekend that should be remembered for its joyous celebrations. As the cost-of-living mounts, unprecedented prices will be seen at the petrol pump as families top up petrol before their long journeys. New figures released on Tuesday showed the average price for a litre of petrol peaked at 173.02p. This comes on the back of news that Brent Crude Oil prices will likely skyrocket following the European Unions decision to stop importing Russian oil. Meanwhile, reports released on Monday showed diesel prices surged to a new high of 182.7p, on average, over the weekend. 1.05pm: Euro zone inflation reaches record high Euro zone inflation leapt higher again in May to a fresh record high of 8.1%, compared with 7.4% the previous month. The Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), the measure of inflation for the 19 member countries, was forecasted to be 7.7% by analysts. Unprecedented inflation levels, which were over four times the European Central Banks (ECB) target of 2%, highlighted the need for a more aggressive and vigorous approach to tackle the cost-of-living crisis in Europe. Governors in the Netherlands, Austria and Latvia have all pushed for the ECB to hike interest rates by 50 basis points in its next meeting in July. 12.32pm: TUI slashes 43 flights a week in June, affecting 37,000 TUI AG (LSE:TUI), the Anglo-German tour operator that was previously known as Thompson in the UK, has cancelled 43 flights a week in June, a move that is expected to affect up to 37,000 passengers. The holiday operator cut a quarter of its flights from Manchester Airport as half-term travel chaos, both in the air and on the roads, continued. On Tuesday, colossal queues were again forming out of terminal buildings at Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham and Gatwick as bosses blamed staff shortages. Lord Parkinson, the arts minister, claimed the travel industry had months to prepare for the half-term chaos and should have had the necessary staff ready. Parkinson said: "We have been on a long pathway back to recovery so that people can enjoy this moment and [companies] should be making sure that people are able to get away on holiday and enjoy it fully. "We have been, for many months, urging them to make sure they've got enough staff." He went on to add that there are "lots of opinionated people in the aviation industry," which Sky News interpreted as airline bosses, who have long blamed the government for shortages and cancellations. Meanwhile, a TUI spokesperson said: We would like to apologise to our customers who have experienced flight delays and cancellations in recent days and understand that many of our customers have been looking forward to their holiday with us for a long time. 12.03pm: Banks lag behind Bank shares are dragging on the FTSE 100 after the earlier numbers from the BoE showed UK housing market activity has started to cool in reaction to falling real incomes and rising interest rates. Having been higher earlier in the morning, NatWest Group PLC (LSE:NWG) shares are now in the red, along with Lloyds and Barclays, down 0.4%, 05% and 0.7% respectively. Economist Martin Beck at the EY Item club said a 'soft landing' was likely for the housing market. "The high share of fixed rate deals means the impact of higher interest rates will feed through slowly, so a soft landing looks likely unless there is a sudden deterioration in the labour market," he said. He added: Until recently, the housing market had remained relatively resilient to the squeeze on household finances and higher interest rates. But these forces are now starting to weigh on demand". He noted that unsecured lending "continues to hold up reasonably well", while households continued to accumulate what are thought of as 'excess' savings. "The EY ITEM Clubs expectation that consumers will steadily draw on those savings to support spending should offer some protection to the consumer sector in the face of pressure on real household incomes," Beck said. 11.35am: Wall Street drag US markets are expected to open lower as trading resumes after a long weekend, with inflation concerns weighting as oil prices spike again. Futures for the Dow Jones are down 0.6 % in pre-market trading, while the S&P 500 index shed 0.6% and the Nasdaq-100 0.3%. In energy markets on Tuesday, WTI crude oil futures rose 3.2% to $118.79 a barrel and Brent crude futures added 3.3% to $119.40. Oil-led price pressures are one of the main factors contributing to higher levels of inflation across the globe. Investors fear that higher interest rates at a time when inflation is elevated will threaten economic growth and hit corporate bottom lines. Even though we saw some easing in US inflation figures earlier this month, the relentless positive pressure on oil prices is very much worrying across the Atlantic as well, said market analyst Ipek Ozkardeskaya at Swissquote Bank, noting that benchmark US crude oil prices are near the $120 a barrel level while Brent crude has reached higher levels. Even though oil advanced to levels that look interesting for selling a top, the positive pressure is too strong for betting on a downside correction in the short run. Shorting oil has become a risky bet, as following the European ban, there is a stronger case building for a further extension of the gains", she added. One often-ignored fact, said Marshall Gittler at BDSwiss, is that Russia not only exports oil but also exports a lot of refined products too. In 2020, for example, he noted that Russia exported some 1.2mln barrels a day of refined products to Europe, including about 10% of its total supply of diesel fuel. This is one reason why prices of petroleum products have increased by far more than prices of crude oil," Gittler said. "Refineries can only process just so much oil, and furthermore theyre designed to work with specific kinds of oil. Therefore even if a country can get its hands on enough oil, theres no guarantee that it can convert it into the need amounts of usable products. Its not just an oil shortage, its a refining shortage too. The shortage of refining capacity is going to keep upward retail energy prices unusually high regardless of the oil supply problem, and an embargo against Russian refined oil prices which I assume todays measure includes will only make this worse," he added. 11.00am: Highest since July 2019 The FTSE is up 22 points at 7,622.53, off its morning high, where it hit 7,648.26. This was the first time above 7640 since February and the highest intraday point since July 2019. Banks and other lenders have been nudging up mortgage rates this year following four base rate increases by the Bank of England since December, with data from the BoE this morning revealing that the effective interest rate the actual interest rate paid on newly drawn mortgages increased by 9 basis points to 1.82% in April. The BoE has also released mortgage lending numbers, showing net mortgage borrowing fell to 4.1bn in April below the pre-pandemic 12-month average from 6.4bn in March. Mortgage approvals for moves in the next few months fell again to 66,000 in April again below the pre-pandemic average from 69,500 in March. British consumers borrowed another 1.4bn, including 700mln on credit cards, which is the third consecutive month above the pre-pandemic average, while credit card debt was up 11.6% in a year the highest since November 2005. Adrian Lowery, analyst at Bestinvest, says that the monthly decline in the total amount borrowed is a startling 56%, although he noted that this data set has been very volatile recently. This data could be taken as the latest sign that nervousness over inflation and household finances is starting to drag on what has been an overheated sellers property market," Lowery said. With Zoopla revealing this week that one in 20 listed properties reduced their asking price by 5% or more in April to mid-May, more than in previous months, he said there are now "signs that the market is softening, and price growth is set to slow". On the effective interest rate, with further hikes to the base rate in coming months as policymakers seek to rein in soaring inflation, Lowery said fears of further mortgage rate rises have been "pushing more and more homebuyers and remortgagers to look for longer-term fixed-rate mortgages", with five-year deals hugely popular and demand for 10-year deals soaring. He noted that the comparison website MoneySupermarket revealed that searches for ten-year fixed rate mortgages have leapt from 2.9% of all mortgage searches in May last year to 14.2% currently. 10am: Fuel prices in focus Downing Street is facing calls for a second cut in fuel duty this year as forecourt prices hit record highs, with the cost of filling a family car with diesel topping 100 for the first time. The average price of diesel in the UK rose to a record 182.59p a litre on Sunday and petrol prices increased to a record 172.73p a litre, according to the AA. Chancellor Rishi Sunak cut fuel duty by 5p a litre in March, but campaigners have accused retailers of increasing their margins rather than passing the reduction on to drivers. 9.37am: Into its stride The Footsie is getting into its stride now, up 38 points to a six week high and in stark contrast to most European markets, which are in the red. Market analyst Victoria Scholar at Interactive Investor says, European markets have opened to the downside with technology and travel & leisure underperforming. The DAX in Germany is leading the declines while the FTSE 100 is managing to stage modest gains." Oil companies are one big point of difference for the London index from its continental peers. Scholar notes that Brent crude is at fresh two-month highs "driven by an exacerbation of the imbalance between supply and demand after the EUs Russian oil ban combined with Chinas easing covid restrictions supporting demand and OPEC+ this week which looks set to stick to its guns rather than succumb to Western demands for the release of further output". "Since the trough in August last year, Brent crude has rallied by around 90%. Although the last two months has seen considerable volatility for oil prices, they have largely been stuck in a range. However more recent upward momentum suggests oil could be poised for a bullish breakout from a technical standpoint." GlaxoSmithKline PLC (LSE:GSK) is not contributing much to the FTSE's gains, up just 0.3%, despite unveiling a US$3.3bn deal to bolster its vaccines pipeline as it heads towards the date when it spins off its consumer healthcare arm. It is acquiring US-based Affinivax, which gives it access to a technology being developed to treat pneumococcal diseases such as pneumonia, meningitis and bloodstream infections. Adding Affinivax is an effort to pad out its pipeline of late-stage drugs, said analyst Laura Hoy at Hargreaves Lansdown. "The groups planning to rely on growth from these niche medicines to support its ambitions for 5% compound annual sales growth, and this acquisition could be the first of many as the group looks to improve its portfolio. "While this marks a step in the right direction with regard to the groups strategy, were mindful that owning the treatment and making money from it are two very different things. Late-stage drugs often fail to clear the final hurdle, so the Affinivax purchase may not end up moving the needle at all. 8.33am: Show of enthusiasm The FTSE 100 got out of bed with a show of enthusiasm after a sluggish start to the week, with oil majors, miners and utilities leading the way. London's blue-chip index has added 16 points to 7616. Oil majors Shell PLC (LSE:SHEL, NYSE:SHEL) and BP PLC (LSE:BP.) are being lifted as Brent Crude Oil (LSE:BRENT) finished at its highest closing level in over two months after European leaders announced a partial ban on Russian oil, with supplies from sea no longer being purchased and a gradual abandoning of pipeline supplies. As such, Europe will reduce two-thirds of its oil imports from Russia, which will reportedly cost Russia around US$10bn in lost revenue. Topping the blue chips is Unilever PLC as US activist billionaire Nelson Peltz was given a seat on the board. Chair Nils Andersen said Peltz would take a non-executive role after "extensive and constructive discussions" were held with him and the team at his Trian fund. The biggest faller is B&M European Value Retail SA, which announced a solid set of results and a replacement for Simon Arora as chief executive. Current finance chief Alex Russo has been selected, which does not seem to have gone down well with investors (read more here). 6.45am: Sluggish start expected The FTSE 100 is expected to start sluggishly on Tuesday and may remain so until Wall Street returns from its long weekend. A partial European ban on Russian oil and downbeat Chinese economic data are the themes running into the London open, with UK mortgage approvals data due this morning and a few company results releases pencilled in the diary. Londons blue chip index has been called flat to marginally higher on spread-betting platforms, having added 14 points at the start of the week, finishing at 7,600.06 only one strong session away from four-year highs. With US markets closed overnight, Asian markets are drifting today, said market analyst Jeffrey Halley at Oanda. Equities are mixed with currency markets are indulging in some modest US Dollar short covering as US bond futures fall (yields up). Gold and silver remain comatose. Only oil is on the move, continuing its rally overnight as Shanghai eases more restrictions and the European Union announces a partial Russian oil ban. Naeem Aslam at AvaTrade said the EU embargo on Russian oil was long coming. Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said the ban will effectively cut around 90% of oil imports from Russia to the EU by the end of the year. Added Aslam: Traders will be paying close attention to the oil and supply equation in the Eurozone. It is highly likely that oil prices in the EU will shift upward permanently as the EU will incur a higher cost of sourcing oil from alternative sources. Looking to the Bank of Englands mortgage approvals numbers, Michael Hewson at CMC Markets said they might start to show signs of slowing, while consumer credit numbers could go either way, rising as struggling consumers borrow more to pay for everyday items, or slowing as consumers tighten their belts and dip into savings. 6.50am: Early Markets - Asia / Australia Asian shares were mixed on Tuesday as Chinas official manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index for May came in at 49.6, an improvement over Aprils 47.4 but still below the 50-point mark that separates growth from contraction. The Shanghai Composite in China gained 0.75% nevertheless and Hong Kongs Hang Seng index rose 0.97%. Japan's Nikkei 225 was trading 0.34% lower while South Koreas Kospi lifted 0.52%. Australias S&P/ASX200 fell 0.78% even as commodity prices surged after China reported less than 100 new COVID-19 cases on Monday and its government eased restrictions. READ OUR ASX REPORT HERE KIEV, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Visiting French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said on Monday that her country will deliver more Caesar howitzers to Ukraine, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported. "There will be new deliveries of Caesar self-propelled artillery systems soon, and we will continue to work together in this context," Colonna told a joint media briefing with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Kiev. Colonna said that France stands ready to become a mediator in Ukraine's open dialogue with Russia if a need arises. Besides, the French minister said that Paris supports granting Ukraine a candidate status to the European Union under a fast-track procedure. According to media reports, France has already supplied six Caesar howitzers to Ukraine. Colonna arrived in Ukraine earlier in the day for a working visit, becoming the highest-ranked French official to visit Kiev since the Russia-Ukraine conflict started on Feb. 24. TomCo Energy PLC (AIM:TOM) told investors it has continued to make progress with its plans for Tar Sands Holdings II (TSHII). TSHII owns 760 acres of land in Uintah County, Utah, and TomCo owns a 10% membership interest in TSHII via its wholly owned subsidiary Greenfield Energy. TomCo said Greenfield has extended the repayment date of the unsecured US$1.5mln loan from Valkor Oil & Gas that enabled the acquisition of the initial 10%, as it had been scheduled to be repaid by 30 May 2022. The new repayment date is 30 June 2022. Meanwhile, three exploration wells on the TSHII site have been drilled, with initial results said to have met the company's expectations and are now being assessed and confirmed by Netherland, Sewell & Associates. An update to the reserve report is expected to be made in the coming months, based on this assessment. John Potter, CEO of TomCo, said the company is "pleased with the positive results we have already seen from the three exploration wells. We are also advancing the previously announced due diligence exercise being undertaken by a potential financing party currently interested in backing our plans for Greenfield, together with other matters in relation to the TSHII site. Potter said a site visit was recently made to Utah by the companys board, including a meeting with the Valkor team, sand off-take partner and local professional advisors. We look forward to providing further updates in due course," he said. B&M European Value Retail SA sunk 13% to 400.1p as the discount store seemed to be approaching rocky territory following the bowing out of its chief executive (CEO). Investors were unimpressed that chief financial officer Alex Russo was promoted into the role of CEO after Simon Arora stepped down last month (read more). This announcement coincided with its full-year preliminary 2022 results, which on the surface appeared relatively strong with better than expected underlying earnings (EBITDA). Although it reported diluted earnings per share of 42.1p for the period, slightly below the 42.7p it posted a year earlier, while margins are expected to shrink. When one delves deeper, however, the question may be posed whether B&M's fundamentals are strong enough and if the retailer can survive sustainably in the future given soaring costs. 11.36am: CPP Group strategy to take longer, cost more and have fewer benefits CPP Group PLC shares dropped 23% to 186p after a mixed trading update, where it said a contract had been extended in India but a review of its future strategy proved less hopeful than anticipated. The company, which provides insurance and assistance for flight cancellations, phone and gadget protection, monitoring personal data breaches, said its plans to design and build a new IT platform for its Indian operations, a new IT platform to manage the group's legacy back book, and the exit from the UK managing general agent (MGA) business "will take longer, cost more to implement, and secure fewer benefits than originally anticipated". In particular, the benefits hitherto anticipated from the migration to new IT platforms are unlikely to materialise until the final quarter of 2024, with the result that IT costs will remain at a significantly higher level than anticipated for the next two years. Chief exec Simon Pyper said the board has "made good progress" in finding the "clear and executable strategy for the UK" that he promised in the last annual report, and said, "I expect that we will later this year update shareholders and other stakeholders on our direction of travel and on our plans to build a business which delivers long term profitable growth and increased value to shareholders". 10.34am: Altus Strategies shines after announcing gold discoveries in Egypt Altus Strategies PLC shot up 9.7% to 51p after announcing multiple high-grade gold discoveries in Egypt. The company announced multiple gold discoveries have been made across all four of the company's Projects in Egypt, with more than 100 hard rock artisanal gold workings mapped with grades up to 100 grams per tonne (g/t) gold. The results indicate the potential for several multi-kilometre long prospective structures, Altus said. 9.05am: Yamana Gold and IQ-AI are top early risers on Tuesday Yamana Gold Inc shares jumped 21% to 492.5p after agreeing to be taken over by Gold Fields Limited for a valuation of US$6.7bn. The offer will see each Yamana share exchanged for 0.6 of a share in Gold Fields or 0.6 of a Gold Fields American depositary share (ADS). "With the combination of Gold Fields' and Yamana's portfolio of assets, Gold Fields will become a new global gold major able to create value at every stage of its pipeline," the prospective owners boasted. Elsewhere, IQ-AI Ltd (LSE:IQAI, OTCQB:IQAIF) rose 11% to 4.44p after subsidiary Imaging Biometrics submitted an application to the US regulator for a patented artificial intelligence (AI) software that it said could introduce "a paradigm shift in radiology departments". By eliminating the need for gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) in routine MRI exams, the AI software would not only reduce concerns around the long-term side effects of repeated GBCA use, but also create a more comfortable patient experience, and make radiology departments more productive, the company said. "In addition to the potential benefits of eliminating or reducing the routine use of GBCAs, the recent world-wide shortages of iodinate contrast agents have illustrated how vulnerable routine radiology operations have become to the continuation of smooth-running global supply chains which we have previously taken for granted," said Trevor Brown, CEO of IQ-AI. The preliminary feasibility study (PFS) for the San Matias project generated an after-tax net present value (NPV) of US$415.1 million at an 8% discount rate and an internal rate of return (IRR) of 25.4% Cordoba Minerals Corp (TSX-V:CDB, OTCQB:CDBMF) has told investors that a feasibility study is now underway for its San Matias copper-gold-silver project in Colombia, which will focus on updating the mine plan and resource estimate at the Alacran deposit. The work is also set to include trade-off studies aimed at improving the project's economics and a 40,000-metre (m) resource infill diamond drilling campaign - the largest drill program by the firm to date. "The preliminary feasibility study result announced in January 2022 confirmed that the San Matias Copper-Gold-Silver Project will generate positive economics," said the company's CEO Sarah Armstrong-Montoya. "We are excited to continue advancing the Project, designated as a Project of National Interest by the Government of Colombia, towards the feasibility stage." The preliminary feasibility study (PFS) for the San Matias project generated an after-tax net present value (NPV) of US$415.1 million at an 8% discount rate and an internal rate of return (IRR) of 25.4%, with a 2.2 year payback period using US$3.60 per pound of copper, US$1,650 per ounce gold and US$21.00 per ounce of silver. A 20% increase in input metal prices, to US$4.32 per pound copper, US$1,980 per ounce gold and US$25.20 per ounce silver, increases the PFS after-tax NPV to US$713.3 million at an 8% discount rate and an IRR of 34.4%, with a 2.3 year payback period. The current spot price for copper is US$4.31 per pound. The 40,000m drill program has been designed in two phases. An initial 25,000m will home in on the central area within the Alacran deposit that hosts multiple high-grade mineralized zones with considerable widths. It will focus on the centre and upper portions of the proposed open pit, expected to be mined within the first five years of operations. The second phase of around 15,000m will focus on increasing the drill density, providing material to support the metallurgical testing program and upgrading the resource classification within the deeper parts of the Alacran deposit. Cordoba Minerals is an explorer focused on the exploration, development, and acquisition of copper and gold projects. Contact the author at giles@proactiveinvestors.com Highlights of the results included 0.82 grams per ton (g/t) gold equivalent over 336 metres from surface, including 1.12 g/t gold equivalent over 60 metres and 1.68 g/t gold equivalent over 12 metres Lumina Gold Corp (TSX-V:LUM, OTCQX:LMGDF) has announced new results from 13 drill holes at its Cangrejos project in Ecuador. Highlights of the results included 0.82 grams per ton (g/t) gold equivalent over 336 metres from surface, including 1.12 g/t gold equivalent over 60 metres and 1.68 g/t gold equivalent over 12 metres from the Gran Bestia target. As a result, Lumina said it plans to increase its drill program at Gran Bestia by 4,000 metres, totalling 6,750 metres. Success with northwest ridgeline step-out drilling has led Lumina to believe it can potentially add significant indicated mineral resources and enhance the already excellent strip ratio at the secondary pit, the Vancouver-based company said in a statement. At Cangrejos, results included 1.39 g/t gold equivalent over 38 metres. The hole extends the eastern margin of the Cangrejos deposit, Lumina said. Seven of the reported drill holes came from Cangrejos and six are from Gran Bestia. To date, Lumina has drilled 83 holes totalling approximately 27,000 metres. The drill program has been designed to define the northwestern step-out area to at least an indicated category of mineral resource, so that it can be incorporated into a pre-feasibility study mine plan. In addition to adding indicated mineral resources to the pit, the program has the potential to enhance the already excellent strip ratio at Gran Bestia, Lumina said. The original planned infill and step-out drill program will be completed in mid-June and the additional drilling will take approximately one and a half months to complete. Cangrejos is the largest primary gold deposit in Ecuador. Contact Angela at angela@proactiveinvestors.com Follow her on Twitter @AHarmantas "The company's performance in 1Q 2022 provides a solid foundation for the rest of the year," said Thor CEO Segun Lawson Thor Explorations Ltd (TSX-V:THX, AIM:THX, OTC:THXPF) has posted revenue of US$24.8 million in its first quarter as the gold miner achieved commercial output at its Segilola asset in Nigeria. In the three months to end-March 31, 2021, the firm milled 221,920 tonnes of ore and sold 16,658 ounces of gold at all-in sustaining costs (AISC) of US$799 per ounce. It also sold 922 ounces of silver. The net profit came in at US$200,473 compared to a net loss of US$67,365 in 1Q 2021. "The company's performance in 1Q 2022 provides a solid foundation for the rest of the year," said Segun Lawson, the CEO in a statement. "Segilola is now running efficiently and the company continues to be on track to achieve its guidance of 80,000 to 100,000 ounces of gold this year within our AISC guidance of US$850-US$950 per ounce." Thor said it also aims in 2022 to advance its Douta project to preliminary feasibility study (PFS) stage. Other highlights of the quarter were that the firm cancelled US$1.35 million of its Senior Facility with Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), which it did not draw down and made its first scheduled debt repayment on March 31, 2022, to AFC of US$2.53 million consisting of principal and interest as part of its senior secured facility. It ended the quarter with gold dore inventory of 6,626 ounces and had cash of around US$6.27 million. Post-period-end and now that the company has moved to commercial production, it said James Philip, the vice-president (VP) of corporate development since 2016, has been named as chief operating officer (COO) Thor also announced the appointment of Chris Omo-Osagie (previously deputy chief finance officer) as acting chief financial officer (CFO), succeeding Ben Hodges who has resigned. Omo-Osagie will report directly to the CEO and is not joining the board. Hodges will remain a consultant over the next three months to ensure a smooth transition, it added. Lawson in the statement, thanked Hodges for his "contributions since joining the company over the last six years, seeing the company grow from an exploration company to a gold producer". "We are also proud of our Environmental, Social and Governance efforts in and around the local communities. We are particularly proud to share our inaugural sustainability report, which will be published later in the year. In particular, we are proud of our International Women's Day celebrations, where the theme was women in STEM, we continue to address the gender chasm in male-dominated STEM careers," added the company boss. Thor Explorations focused on mineral properties in Nigeria, Senegal and Burkina Faso. It holds a 100% interest in the Segilola gold project in Osun State, Nigeria and has a 70% economic interest in the Douta Gold Project in south-eastern Senegal. Contact the author at giles@proactiveinvestors.com Cookie Policy Overview This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping us understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. See our Cookie Policy for more information. WAUWATOSA A student pilot who crashed his small plane in a Wauwatosa neighborhood has died, authorities said Monday. Daniel Perelman, 18, of Brookfield, was practicing takeoffs and landings Thursday from Timmerman Airport on Milwaukees north side when his Cessna 152 went down in the backyard of a home, according to the Wauwatosa Police Department. No one on the ground was hurt. Perelman told the control tower he was having engine trouble prior to the crash, Wauwatosa police said. A family member told the Milwaukee County Medical Examiners Office that it was not Perelmans first solo flight, as was stated in the initial press release. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Despite the windy and overcast sky, the Columbus community came out to honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country during the 2022 Memorial Day program held May 30 at Frankfort Square. The Rev. Tim White, a retired major Air Force Reserve chaplain, provided the Memorial Day address. Mike Landkamer, master of ceremonies, said that White grew up near Rhinelander, Wisconsin. White was ordained in 1985 and for the next 36 years served as a pastor for churches in Columbus, Evansville, Wisconsin; and Sioux City, Iowa. Currently White serves as a pastor of two churches in Kimpton, Iowa. White enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1972, Landkamer added, and served as a communications specialist for seven years. White told a story of a nurse who, in March 1942, received a package that was mailed before the Dec. 7 attack on Pearl Harbor. She received it several months after the fact. According to White, when the nurse removed a sheet of tissue paper, she found a frivolous black hat with a dainty veil. All those around her broke into laughter, bordering on tears. The war was upon them, the hat symbolized what they all had lost, White said. Fears they would never see again cars on paved streets, neighbors saying hello from their front porches, dinners in restaurants with choices on menus, theaters showing popular films and children shouting and playing ball in the schoolyard. "Everyone looked most wistfully many with tears brimming or falling, as memories surged and emotions filled. With war being the all-devouring monster it is, they counted their blessings. White noted he shared this story because it shows how warfare robs people of what they value and necessitates the sacrifice of comforts. Every citizen of this great nation, whether or not they ever think about it, there's a sacred obligation to remember as well as a ponderous debt of gratitude, White said. We carry a sacred obligation to lift up and honor those who have fought and died for us. This we do here today, but the obligation remains throughout the year. "I believe our obligation is best met when we ourselves live sacrificially for the sake of other people. And when we do what we can as citizens to preserve America's freedoms, we dare not let the sacrifices of those who gave the last full measure of devotion go for nothing. Landkamer gave the roll call of the dead, which consisted of the names of those who have passed away since the 2021 Memorial Day. Carroll Mohlman displayed the POW/MIA flag on an empty chair to honor prisoners of war and/or those who were missing in action. Nicholas Zoucha, a Scotus Central Catholic student who is the 2022 Cornhusker Boys State representative, read the Gettysburg address. The Hartman Post 84 Chorus sang the National Anthem, God Bless America and a patriotic medley. The American Legion Hartman Post 84 Honor Guard provided the advancement of colors, the salute to the dead and the retirement of colors. The Rev. Joe Miksch of St. Isidore Catholic Church gave the invocation and benediction. Freedom Flyers also gave a flyover, thanks to Mike Hamernik, Keith Harbour and Kurt Muhle. Hannah Schrodt is the news editor of The Columbus Telegram. Reach her via email at hannah.schrodt@lee.net. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Japans Prime Minister Reportedly Open to Idea of Crypto Tax Reform Fumio Kishida. Source: a video screenshot, Prime Minister's Office of Japan / YouTube The Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has indicated that he may be open to reforming the nations much-maligned crypto tax laws in a bid to spark Web3-related growth. Kishida last week addressed parliament, opining that Web 3 could spark economic growth, and suggesting that he could be prepared to push ahead with pro-business legal reform. Earlier this month, he also spoke to British investors about Web 3, also making comments about the metaverse, blockchain technology, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). But critics have claimed that Japanese crypto-related business and talent had been forced overseas by overly strict crypto tax policies introduced by previous PMs and their governments. One of the most vocal opponents of the current crypto tax policy, which involves crypto being classified as miscellaneous income (rather than taxing crypto profits under capital gains laws) has been the opposition Democratic Party for the People Leader Yuichiro Tamaki. The latter recently called for Tokyo to do away with the current system and make further tax concessions for domestic companies that hold or issue cryptoassets. Tamaki again challenged the PM on the matter at a meeting of the parliamentary budget committee on the same day. Tamaki claimed that the government should only tax companies and individuals "when actual [fiat] profits are realized", i.e. when coins are traded for fiat. To this, the Prime Minister simply answered, We will consider this proposal carefully. But on Twitter, Tamaki stated that after the meetings conclusion, Kishida and the Minister of Finance Shunichi Suzuki came over to greet him. When the Democratic Party for the People chief again raised the issue of taxes, the PM agreed that doing so would provide opportunities for Japan and was surprisingly positive about the idea of ditching the current system. Tamiki called the development good news. Forces from within the PMs own party the ruling Liberal Democratic Party are believed to be keen to amend the tax code. Some critics have pointed out that most other nations with advanced crypto tax laws have chosen to tax crypto earnings using capital gains tax protocols. Kishida has previously spoken about improving the environment in order to incorporate new digital services in the Web3 sector. ____ Learn more: - PM Says Web3 Is an Opportunity for Japanese Economic Growth - Japanese Opposition Leader Urges Crypto Tax Reform to Provide Nation with Web3 Boost - Japanese Prime Minister Talks up Japans Web3, NFT Focus at Investors Summit - Time to Appoint a Minister of Web3, Says NFT Policy-making Group of Japanese MPs - Japanese City to Launch Metaverse Project with Entertainment Industry Behemoth - Japanese Automakers Toyota and Nissan Unveil Metaverse Plans South Africa: Government expresses concern at incidences of child abuse Government says it has noted with concern various incidences of child abuse which have been reported in the media. These include kidnapping, bullying of children at schools and on the internet, as well as food poisoning of children, among others. Government said in a statement on Tuesday these acts against children are unacceptable. It comes as government has called on all South Africans to commemorate the National Child Protection Week - from 29 May 5 June 2022 - to raise awareness about the rights of children as articulated in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and in the Children's Act. We thank the media, as a partner of government, for their role in raising awareness of these criminal acts committed against children. We are confident that law enforcement agencies will deal swiftly with cases involving children. It is particularly important that as a country we rally behind the Department of Social Development in commemorating Child Protection Week under the theme, Let us Protect Children during COVID-19 and beyond, said Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele. This years National Child Protection Week comes amid reports that a number of children born to teenage mothers increased to 60% during the National State of Disaster under the COVID-19 lockdown period. The South African Constitution has the highest regard for children, their protection and non-violation of their rights. Protecting children from violence, exploitation and abuse is not only a basic value but also an obligation clearly set out in Article 28 of the South African Constitution. Government has put in place various early intervention programmes that focus on sexual and reproductive health, and rights, such as an Integrated Programme of Action that responds to teenage pregnancy by coordinating the work of all stakeholders. It ensures that resources are directed to the hardest hit areas with a focus on prevention and early intervention. The National Integrated School Health Programme strengthens key interventions towards dealing with teenage pregnancy. The policy on the Prevention and Management of Learner Pregnancy in Schools is grounded in supporting learners who fall pregnant and is aimed at reducing the increasing number of learner pregnancies at schools. The Department of Social Developments Sinovuyo parenting programme is one of the programmes that help build the capacity of teenage parents to care for their children, and Life skills programmes such as Yolo, ChommY, Boys and Men Championing Change and Ezabasha are helping develop young people. We all have a duty to care for the children in our society. Campaigns such as the National Child Protection Week are heightened periods to raise awareness about the need for everyone in society to protect the rights of children. We appeal to communities to come on board because government alone cannot eradicate the scourge of child abuse as it often occurs in homes where children should feel safe, nurtured and cared for. Government calls on all South Africans to support Child Protection Week by ensuring that the most vulnerable in society do not suffer abuse, Gungubele said. Teenage pregnancies also stem from gender-based violence and sexual abuse. Government called on all South Africans to work with police, prosecutors and courts to ensure that perpetrators of gender-based violence and femicide are brought to book. It is up to all sectors of society to partner with government to create safer communities and protect victims of abuse. It is illegal for any person under the age of 16 to consent or be involved in any sexual act, and this will be prosecuted as statutory rape. The Department of Social Development has a 24-hour call centre dedicated to provide support and counselling to victims of gender-based violence. The victims of gender-based violence can call the toll-free number on 0800 428 428 (0800 GBV GBV) to speak to a social worker for assistance and counselling. Callers can also request a social worker from the Command Centre to contact them by dialling *120*7867# free from any cell phone or Childline South Africa on 0800 055 555. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-05-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. KIEV, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that he had talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with both sides agreeing on the need to restore peace in Ukraine. "Unanimously agree on the need to restore peace. We appreciate Turkey's help in this process," Zelensky tweeted after the talks. During the conversation, Zelensky and Erdogan also discussed the threats to food security due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the ways to unblock Ukraine's ports. They also discussed cooperation in the security sphere. According to a statement issued by Erdogan's office, the two leaders discussed the recent developments in the Ukrainian crisis, and Erdogan said Turkey attached importance to the project of creating a safe corridor for the export of Ukraine's agricultural products by sea. Erdogan said Turkey had made every effort to continue the negotiations between Ukraine and Russia and that his country was ready to provide the needed support including mediation, the statement said. Earlier in the day, Erdogan held phone talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Editor's Note: This article was updated on June 2 to reflect the proper spelling of nDesign. On May 10, in Carlisle displayed its newly finished sign, almost precisely on the arts organizations one-month anniversary. nDesign Art Haus, at 15 N. Hanover St., opened for business April 9, the same day as North Hanover neighbor Natalie Dohman, owner, project manager and lead artist at nDesign Art Haus, described opening the business as a lifelong process that she continues to make into a reality each day. The process was a yearslong culmination of ideas, writings, graphs, phone calls, crying, incredible joy and lots of long hours from 7 a.m., sometimes until midnight or later, she said. The work paid off though, and since cutting the ribbon on opening day, Dohman said shes been surprised by the feedback shes received from the community, as well as how busy the business has been. The road to opening nDesign Art Haus began in 2017 when Dohman went back to school for graphic and interactive design. Shed previously earned a degree in human services in 2013 where she gained experience working in high-stress situations as well as an understanding of accounting and business. Going back to school, Dohman said she was struggling to decide if she should move into architecture, fine art or web design. A classmate said to me that my niche is being good at multiple disciplines and to never lose that, and he was right, she said. nDesign Art Haus offers web design, graphic design, art classes and photographic/branding services. The building includes a photography studio, an office, classroom space and a gallery that features the work of 10 artists. Visitors can view and purchase sculptures, macrame, pottery, woodwork, jewelry and other handmade products from these artists. I wanted to create a space that had a certain energy to it, to have a place where people feel comfortable coming and creating and learning, Dohman said. The business name draws inspiration from various sources. The nD serves as a nod to Dohmans initials. Its also a play on words, sounding similar to InDesign, an Adobe software commonly used in graphic design. Art Haus is a tip of the hat to Bahaus a German art and design movement that emphasized the unity of mediums from 1919 to 1933. Dohman said this movement has influenced her in her artistry as well as her personal life. My stepfather is German and my mother is Czechoslovakian and Polish so I grew up with a ton of different cultures in my home haus so I wanted to give respects to that and also who I am in my core as a multiracial woman, she said. Dohman said nDesign Art Haus is Carlisles first black female-owned art space. The representational aspect of being a woman of color in the arts with this platform is really humbling, empowering and highly uplifting, she said. It allows me to quietly say to others, Im doing it and you can too. In its first month of business, nDesign has hosted weekly Paint Parties on Saturdays as well as Art Jams where community members can meet the artists whose work is on display in the gallery. The company literally is an expansion of my mind and how I see and experience life, Dohman said. Im a firm believer that there is a creative spirit in all of us. When people walk by the shop, I want them to stop and say Oh, whats this? And have their curiosity piqued. When people come into the storefront, I want them to leave inspired. Glitz Soap Customers leaving nDesign Art Haus need only venture a hop, skip and a few crosswalks away to arrive at Glitz Soap Co. at 126 N. Hanover St. Not only does the shop share an opening date with nDesign Art Haus, owner Alicia Miller also has a passion for handmade items, like the ones she sells at Glitz. Miller said Glitz Soap Co., which originally opened in Mechanicsburg at 1 E. Main St., in February 2020 and then debuted at a second location in Carlisle, produces over 250 products. These include old process soap, body lotions, face cleansers, masks, toners, body scrubs, shampoo and conditioner, other hair treatments, lip care, bath salts, bath bombs and candles. They are all 100% vegan and we try to make everything as eco friendly as possible, Miller said. Soap making isnt Millers first experience with business. She previously owned a where she wrote and sold sewing patterns for bags. I got burnt out with sewing when I was pregnant with my second kid and thats when I began making soap, just to have a hobby doing something different, Miller said. She started selling soap from her workspace at home on her website because she had more soap than she needed. From there she began selling to stores across the country. Miller said she outgrew her workspace and became tired of being by herself, and thats when she began looking for store locations that would give her space to manufacture products. The physical location was low-pressure because she was already selling online and wholesale, so any customers that came to the shop were a bonus, she said. Miller sold Swoon to a friend shortly after Glitzs Mechanicsburg location opened and focused solely on Glitz. She said she knew she was ready to branch out to to a second location because Glitz ran out of space for manufacturing in Mechanicsburg. The Carlisle location isnt much different than the Mechanicsburg location, Millers said. Carlisle has all of the same products. The bulk of the manufacturing still happens in Mechanicsburg, but bath bombs and shower steamers are produced at the Carlisle location. Another factor that prepared Miller for opening her Carlisle location was the addition of Makenna Burlison to the Glitz team. Burlison manages Glitzs Carlisle location, freeing Miller to work solely in Mechanicsburg. As for why Miller selected Carlisle to house Glitzs second home, she simply said its awesome. Glitz Soap Co. isnt a destination business, like for instance, a salon or restaurant, she said. We are more of an Oh hey, lets get lunch and stop by the soap store. We have to be in an area with foot traffic, other businesses, and the small city old timey feel is perfect for the aesthetic of the business. I cant see my store in a strip mall, which really limits the options. It belongs in downtown. We love so many other Carlisle businesses and the organizations involved in events are fabulous. On May 10, nDesign Art Haus in Carlisle displayed its newly finished sign, almost precisely on the arts organizations one-month anniversary. nDesign Art Haus, at 15 N. Hanover St., opened for business April 9, the same day as North Hanover neighbor Glitz Soap Co. Natalie Dohman, owner, project manager and lead artist at nDesign Art Haus, described opening the business as a lifelong process that she continues to make into a reality each day. The process was a yearslong culmination of ideas, writings, graphs, phone calls, crying, incredible joy and lots of long hours from 7 a.m., sometimes until midnight or later, she said. The work paid off though, and since cutting the ribbon on opening day, Dohman said shes been surprised by the feedback shes received from the community, as well as how busy the business has been. The road to opening nDesign Art Haus began in 2017 when Dohman went back to school for graphic and interactive design. Shed previously earned a degree in human services in 2013 where she gained experience working in high-stress situations as well as an understanding of accounting and business. Going back to school, Dohman said she was struggling to decide if she should move into architecture, fine art or web design. A classmate said to me that my niche is being good at multiple disciplines and to never lose that, and he was right, she said. nDesign Art Haus offers web design, graphic design, art classes and photographic/branding services. The building includes a photography studio, an office, classroom space and a gallery that features the work of 10 artists. Visitors can view and purchase sculptures, macrame, pottery, woodwork, jewelry and other handmade products from these artists. I wanted to create a space that had a certain energy to it, to have a place where people feel comfortable coming and creating and learning, Dohman said. The business name draws inspiration from various sources. The nD serves as a nod to Dohmans initials. Its also a play on words, sounding similar to InDesign, an Adobe software commonly used in graphic design. Art Haus is a tip of the hat to Bahaus a German art and design movement that emphasized the unity of mediums from 1919 to 1933. Dohman said this movement has influenced her in her artistry as well as her personal life. My stepfather is German and my mother is Czechoslovakian and Polish so I grew up with a ton of different cultures in my home haus so I wanted to give respects to that and also who I am in my core as a multiracial woman, she said. Dohman said nDesign Art Haus is Carlisles first black female-owned art space. The representational aspect of being a woman of color in the arts with this platform is really humbling, empowering and highly uplifting, she said. It allows me to quietly say to others, Im doing it and you can too. In its first month of business, nDesign has hosted weekly Paint Parties on Saturdays as well as Art Jams where community members can meet the artists whose work is on display in the gallery. The company literally is an expansion of my mind and how I see and experience life, Dohman said. Im a firm believer that there is a creative spirit in all of us. When people walk by the shop, I want them to stop and say Oh, whats this? And have their curiosity piqued. When people come into the storefront, I want them to leave inspired. Glitz Soap Customers leaving nDesign Art Haus need only venture a hop, skip and a few crosswalks away to arrive at Glitz Soap Co. at 126 N. Hanover St. Not only does the shop share an opening date with nDesign Art Haus, owner Alicia Miller also has a passion for handmade items, like the ones she sells at Glitz. Miller said Glitz Soap Co., which originally opened in Mechanicsburg at 1 E. Main St., in February 2020 and then debuted at a second location in Carlisle, produces over 250 products. These include old process soap, body lotions, face cleansers, masks, toners, body scrubs, shampoo and conditioner, other hair treatments, lip care, bath salts, bath bombs and candles. They are all 100% vegan and we try to make everything as eco friendly as possible, Miller said. Soap making isnt Millers first experience with business. She previously owned a sewing businesses called Swoon where she wrote and sold sewing patterns for bags. I got burnt out with sewing when I was pregnant with my second kid and thats when I began making soap, just to have a hobby doing something different, Miller said. She started selling soap from her workspace at home on her website because she had more soap than she needed. From there she began selling to stores across the country. Miller said she outgrew her workspace and became tired of being by herself, and thats when she began looking for store locations that would give her space to manufacture products. The physical location was low-pressure because she was already selling online and wholesale, so any customers that came to the shop were a bonus, she said. Miller sold Swoon to a friend shortly after Glitzs Mechanicsburg location opened and focused solely on Glitz. She said she knew she was ready to branch out to to a second location because Glitz ran out of space for manufacturing in Mechanicsburg. The Carlisle location isnt much different than the Mechanicsburg location, Millers said. Carlisle has all of the same products. The bulk of the manufacturing still happens in Mechanicsburg, but bath bombs and shower steamers are produced at the Carlisle location. Another factor that prepared Miller for opening her Carlisle location was the addition of Makenna Burlison to the Glitz team. Burlison manages Glitzs Carlisle location, freeing Miller to work solely in Mechanicsburg. As for why Miller selected Carlisle to house Glitzs second home, she simply said its awesome. Glitz Soap Co. isnt a destination business, like for instance, a salon or restaurant, she said. We are more of an Oh hey, lets get lunch and stop by the soap store. We have to be in an area with foot traffic, other businesses, and the small city old timey feel is perfect for the aesthetic of the business. I cant see my store in a strip mall, which really limits the options. It belongs in downtown. We love so many other Carlisle businesses and the organizations involved in events are fabulous. Maddie Seiler is a news reporter for The Sentinel and cumberlink.com covering Carlisle and Newville. You can contact her at mseiler@cumberlink.com and follow her on Twitter at: @SeilerMadalyn Maddie Seiler is a news reporter for The Sentinel and cumberlink.com covering Carlisle and Newville. You can contact her at mseiler@cumberlink.com and follow her on Twitter at: @SeilerMadalyn 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. Today's police log involves a stolen wallet with cards that were used to purchase $757 of Walmart merchandise as well as an investigation into a theft from a motor vehicle. Chris Winchester was there in spirit along North Hanover Street in downtown Carlisle. A Marine corporal from Alabama, he died in 2005 the victim of an improvised explosive device during a combat tour in Iraq. Memorial Day means a lot. ... Its literally everything that I stand for, said Staff Sgt. Joshua Ward, a close friend and fellow Marine. "I got buddies who are not here to celebrate it, so its my job to celebrate for them. A recruiter living in North Middleton Township, Ward has a few more months to go before his retirement as a career man. He was among the hundreds of local residents who lined the parade route Monday morning. A short distance away, Marcia Leeds of Penn Township waited for the commemoration to begin. She was thinking of her father, Marshall Hurley, who survived battles in World War II only to struggle later in life with his own inner wounds. One Christmas Day, a long time ago, Hurley was hunkered down when an enemy soldier lobbed a grenade into his foxhole and killed a war buddy right beside him. My dad was in pretty bad shape when he came home from the service, she recalled. He has passed away. He wouldve been in his hundreds. We have quite a history of people being in the service, Leeds added. I had two brothers in Vietnam. They came backThank the Lord. They were not injured, but I think that anybody that comes back from VietnamIt stays with them for a long time. It sticks with them forever. History was on the march right down the center of Carlisle and into the Veterans Courtyard on the Square. Neil Delisanti did his part in the uniform of the Cumberland County Honor Guard. This is a day set aside to remember, honor and appreciate the service and sacrifice of veterans particularly those who lost their lives in combat, the retired Army colonel said. There are a few people I know who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Those people are on my mind. So much of Memorial Day in Carlisle focused on correcting an oversight in history. The ceremony that followed the parade marked the addition of names to the monument that honors the countys Civil War dead. Five Black soldiers, all veterans of the famed 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, were finally recognized for their service. The staff of the Cumberland County Historical Society (CCHS) spearheaded the effort that identified Army Sgt. Alfred Whiting and privates Henry King, Augustus Lewis, Edward Parks and Stewart Woods. The cost of adding their names to the monument was funded by an anonymous donor. History is an ever changing story of our collective achievements, triumphs, tragedies and failures, Shawn Gladden, CCHS executive director, told the crowd. As many of us who study, collect and teach history already know there are some stories that have been lost to history or have not been told yet. I am proud to say that today we get to add five names that were left out when this monument was erected back in 1871. Gladden recognized in particular the work of Cara Curtis, CCHS archives and library director. Louis Werdebach, a 1979 Carlisle High School graduate and senior defense intelligence expert, was the guest speaker during the Memorial Day ceremony on the Square. He recalled how free Black communities throughout Pennsylvania were under threat during the 1863 invasion by the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. As we know, the Battle of Carlisle took place right here on July 1, 1863, when Stuarts cavalry briefly engaged Union militia under Maj. Gen. William Baldy Smith, Werdebach said. He referred to damage from cannon fire still visible in the columns and front facade of the Old Courthouse directly behind the speakers podium. We are here today to set things right and add their names, Werdebach said. We dont know a lot about these five men, but its clear they helped pull our country together and saved the Union. Known as the Glory Regiment, the 54th Massachusetts played a major role in the July 18, 1863 assault on Fort Wagner one of the fortifications protecting the Confederate port of Charleston, South Carolina. That assault failed and the regiment suffered heavy casualties and was forced to retreat. The history of this first all-African-American regiment was recounted in the 1989 Oscar-winning movie Glory starring Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman and Matthew Broderick. White officers commanded Black units, Werdebach said. Black recruits received half the pay of their white counterparts. Confederate soldiers executed most Black captives. Our military history includes Black history and Black history is part of Carlisles history and Carlisles history is part of Americas history. Today, we honor these five men with gratitude and pride. During the ceremony, former Mayor Kirk Wilson was honored by state Rep. Barbara Gleim (R-199) and by Rick Olson, commander of the VFW Post 477 of Carlisle. Wilson was recognized for his decades of service in organizing the annual Memorial Day and Veterans Day observances. "He has been a major contributor leading and executing virtually everything," Olson said. Gleim presented Wilson with an official citation from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives while Olson said Wilson has been made a life-long member by all the veterans organizations serving the Carlisle area. Joseph Cress is a reporter for The Sentinel covering education and history. You can reach him at jcress@cumberlink.com or by calling 717-218-0022. Love 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. Strawberries are the latest food item behind an outbreak of infections across the country. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, along with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control are investigating a multistate outbreak of hepatitis A infections in the United States and Canada linked to organic strawberries branded as FreshKampo and HEB that were purchased between March 5 and April 25. The FDA said there are 17 illnesses in the United States so far, which includes 12 hospitalizations, though the only states with cases are California, Minnesota and North Dakota. No deaths have been reported, and the last illness onset was reported on April 30. However, the FDA said the strawberries were sold at retailers nationwide, including Aldi, Trader Joes, Walmart and Weis Markets. Those who still may have strawberries in their freezer should discard them. The FDA said that anyone who has eaten the affected strawberries within the last two weeks and are not vaccinated against hepatitis A should immediately contact their health care professional to determine whether post exposure prophylaxis is needed. Those with a previous vaccination or infection do not require PEP, which can only be given within 14 days of exposure. According to the FDA, symptoms of hepatitis A usually occurs 15 to 50 days after eating or drinking contaminated food or water and can include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, jaundice, dark urine and pale stool. In some instances, particularly in children younger than 6, hepatitis A infection may be asymptomatic. Those with infections usually completely recover within one to two weeks, though rare cases may cause a chronic infection that can lead to other health problems, including liver failure, according to the FDA. More products with Jif peanut butter are being recalled after last weeks salmonella outbreak announcement from the FDA. Albanese Confectionary Group Inc. is recalling its mini and giant peanut butter cups because of salmonella concerns associated with the Jif recall. No illnesses have been reported. The products were distributed nationwide through select retail stores. For a full list of retail stores, check out the FDAs website at www.fda.gov. Affected Richs mini peanut butter cups were sold after Nov. 11, 2021, and the giant peanut butter cups were sold after Jan. 23. Customers who purchased the products are urged to destroy them or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Other recalls that were sold in the region, including elsewhere in Pennsylvania and in New Jersey, including baked items with peanut butter sold at three Giant Eagle supermarkets and apple and peanut butter snack trays sold by Safeway Fresh Foods. Other recalls include the Lemony Arugula Basil Salad Kit sold at Trader Joes. The FDA said Taylor Farms Retail is recalling a single production day of that kit because of undeclared wheat and eggs. The affected salad kits sold in 9.75-ounce bags have a best if used by date of June 2 and UPC of 00662932. The FDA said the kits had the incorrect ingredients in it, which presented an allergen issue. Consumers who purchased the kits should discard them. The FDA also reported that Henkel Corp. is recalling 180 bottles of its 4.2-ounce Alterna Bond Repair Leave-in Heat Protection Spray because of potential bacteria contamination. The spray may have Burkholderia cepacia complex, or Bcc, which poses little medical risk to healthy people but can cause an increased risk for illness in those with certain health problems, such as weakened immune systems, chronic lung disease or wound infections, according to the FDA. The potential for contamination was discovered after testing of the product. No reports of harm or illness have been reported. The affected product has a lot number of Y401427403 and was available for sale no earlier than April 12. For more information, call 1-888-425-8376. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that Asweets is recalling its Wonder & Wise activity tables because screws can become loose and/or detach from the xylophone component, which poses a choking hazard for young children. The activity tables is designed for standing babies and toddlers and includes removable stacking toy animals, a xylophone, bead maze, sorting and stacking puzzles and a train track. The company has received five reports of the screws becoming loose, though no injuries have been reported. The tables were sold at FAO Schwarz and childrens boutiques, as well as online at a number of sites from October 2021 to April 2022. Consumers should stop using the tables and contact the company at 833-422-2028 for a free repair kit, including shipping. The repair kit includes a replacement tabletop that includes a block sorting activity in place of the xylophone. Email Naomi Creason at ncreason@cumberlink.com or follow her on Twitter @SentinelCreason. 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. A$AP Rocky is in full father mode. The 33-year-old rapper and Rihanna welcomed a baby boy in Los Angeles, People and Entertainment Tonight reported May 19. TMZ, the first outlet to publish the news, reported Rihanna gave birth on May 13. Rocky discussed parenting and the ideology he hopes to teach their son in a Dazed Summer 2022 cover interview published Monday. "I will always remind my children to never lose their imagination, even as adults, no matter what I hope to raise open-minded children. Not people who discriminate," he said of fatherhood. "And Im not trying to describe a saint, but realistically, I just want a cool child with cool parents." The "D.M.B." rapper added: "Things like diversity and versatility are important, and theyll be embedded in the household." Rihanna and A$AP Rocky welcomed a baby boy on May 13, according to multiple reports. It's a boy!: Rihanna, A$AP Rocky welcome first child after internet-breaking pregnancy Rocky and Rihanna have worked on fostering their family for the past year. In April, the couple took a trip to Barbados. Rihanna was born and raised on the Caribbean island and Rocky's father is from there. "I was raised to know about my heritage, but I was missing the actual experience," Rocky told Dazed regarding their trip to Barbados. "I didnt get to experience it until I was an adult. It was one of the most surreal experiences Ive encountered in my lifetime." A$AP Rocky and Rihanna attend the Gucci show during Milan Fashion Week on Feb. 25. 'I do': ASAP Rocky marries Rihanna in new 'DMB' music video Ahead of their baby's arrival, Rihanna graced the cover of Vogue magazine's May issue where she discussed Rocky getting out of the "friend zone," the moment she and the rapper "became my family," and how she learned that she was pregnant. "People dont get out of the friend zone very easily with me, she said in the cover story published April 12. And I certainly took a while to get over how much I know him and how much he knows me, because we also know how much trouble we can land each other in. Story continues Rihanna said the rapper "became my family" during the 2020 quarantine lockdowns. The two music artists left many of their luxuries behind to go on a road trip together from Los Angeles to New York. Met Gala 2022: Rihanna had the best entrance despite not walking the red carpet, see how "I cooked our food on this little janky grill I bought from Walmart," the Forbes billionaire said. "I love the simple things but also the grand adventures I just feel like I can do any part of life by his side. In her Vogue cover story, Rihanna revealed that the pair's latest adventure into parenthood wasn't something they had planned, but they also weren't opposed to the idea. Contributing: Hannah Yasharoff, Elise Brisco, Edward Segarra This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: A$AP Rocky, Rihanna: Rapper talks fatherhood after welcoming baby New York states human rights watchdog filed a complaint against Amazon on Wednesday, accusing the e-commerce giant of discriminating against pregnant and disabled workers. My administration will hold any employer accountable, regardless of how big or small, if they do not treat their workers with the dignity and respect they deserve, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said in statement. New York has the strongest worker protections in the nation and was one of the first to have protections for workers who are pregnant and those with disabilities, she added. The complaint alleges that Amazon, which employs nearly 40,000 New Yorkers, has not reasonably accommodated pregnant or disabled workers who may need their job duties to be modified. It also claims that Amazon accommodations policy forces some disabled employees to take unpaid medical leave even when in-house staffers determine they could do their jobs with some accommodations. The Hill has reached out to Amazon for comment on the complaint. In one case, the New York State Division of Human Rights alleges that a pregnant worker was approved for an accommodation to not have to lift packages over 25 pounds. A worksite manager allegedly ignored that accommodation and the worker suffered an injury while working with heavy packages. The worker was subsequently denied further accommodations and forced to take indefinite paid leave, the complaint alleges. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Country Days returns to downtown Farmington this Friday through Sunday with a lot of favorite events, activities and rides returning as well as a few new things too. This years theme is Country Roads & City Streets Together We Grow," a celebration of the unique rural/city combination that makes Farmington a great place to live, shop and raise a family. Sponsored by the Farmington Regional Chamber of Commerce, Country Days is one of the biggest and most popular events in southeast Missouri, with thousands of people filling the streets of downtown Farmington throughout the three-day event. While the annual event always involves a lot of planning and precise execution, Chamber Executive Director Candy Hente asserted that she is prepared for the weekend like never before. I feel the most prepared and at ease I ever have just one week before Country Days, she said. Outside of the things that are beyond our control, Director of Events Deena Ward and I feel like everything is going great for the weekend and were expecting a big turnout this year. According to Hente, the layout for Country Days 2022 will be very similar to last years event. The only change is that were not going to have the second stage that was in the middle, she said. Were having two stages this year, but the festival will be extended all the way up Columbia Street up to where it meets Jefferson Street. "The main stage will again be down by the courthouse area and that will be the Country Days Saloon this year, sponsored by Shed Vapes. We have several different vendors coming that will be all different kinds of adult beverages for that area, so it wont just be beer. "There are some events returning this year that werent here last year that are traditional like the Little Miss and Master Contest that hasnt happened in two years. Also, the Miniature Train Display in the fire house is back this year. Im super excited about that its such a treat! Hente reminds people coming to the SERVPRO Country Days Parade that it will be at 6 p.m. Friday night as it was last year. Come early for a good place to sit. Ward, who joined the chamber staff as director of events several months ago, is working with Hente on her very first Country Days weekend. I cant believe how friendly Farmington is, she said. I think we should put it on a billboard Farmington, the most-friendly place in the world! Country Days seems like a coming home tradition, almost like a family reunion-feel to it. That helped me get motivated. If I was coming home to visit my family and have some fun, what would I want to do? Theres the car show, the tractor show, the little train, the quilt show, the Long House tours I cant wait to do the tour myself. Were going to have a variety of music this year. Were going to have the Dixieland Jazz Group at the gazebo. Jordan Voss is at the gazebo. Amaryllis and Raelyn Winick will be at the gazebo too. Thats the variety of music we have this year more traditional and a more acoustical feel to the park. Were almost going to have that Hallmark hometown feel to it. Thats what we were striving for. "On the main stage, were going to have Mountain Mischief, Medallion, Ear Candy, Route 67 and well end Saturday night with our headlining group, the Jonathan Braddy Band. Theres going to be the One Nation Paintball, but theyre going to do jelly ball, which hurts much less than paintball. At night, its going to be a zombie war. Its going to glow in the dark! Thats for all ages. Everybody can play jelly ball. I think its going to be a blast! Weve also got a corn hole tournament going on. At the main stage, its going to be like a party. Coljac and 12 West will be open. Margarita Man will be there. Bailey Jos will be there. Its going to be great! Hente noted there will be 35 vendors and 12 to 14 rides coming to Country Days this year. They had some new rides last year that theyre bringing back this year as well, she said. The rides will be opening at noon on Saturday and Sunday is All You Can Ride Bracelet Day where you can buy a bracelet for $20 and ride the rides as much as you want. Then on Sunday, were bringing back music this year. Well have the Harvest Christian Centre Worship Team close out the weekend with some great music. That will be a super-nice fun family day. Asked why she thinks everyone should attend Country Days this year, Ward said, Theres something for everyone and the weather is going to be great. Its going to be a good time to come on out and enjoy some music and food. Check out the vendors and let the kids ride the rides. Its really going to be a good time. Hente said, I agree, theres something for everyone! Come out and enjoy some of that yummy fair food that you can only get one time a year." Hente and Ward recommend that everyone planning to attend Country Days be sure to download the chamber's Eat, Shop, Play in the Parkland app that is available for iPhones and Android cellphones. Kevin R. Jenkins is the managing editor of the Farmington Press and can be reached at 573-783-9667 or kjenkins@farmingtonpressonline.com Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 1 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. Separate motorcycle accidents resulted in multiple fatalities and injuries Sunday and Monday in St. Francois, Washington, and Iron counties. An Illinois man was killed in an accident in Washington County involving three motorcycles on Monday. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) crash report, three motorcyclists were traveling north on Highway 21 Monday afternoon. The report states that at 3 p.m., 22-year-old Jarrett Sarver of OFallon, Illinois, was operating a 2021 Yamaha FZ10 motorcycle and stopped in traffic because of congestion ahead of him in the area of Highway 21 and Purcell Drive in Potosi. At the same time, 20-year-old Jacob Cost of Belleville, Illinois, was riding a 2022 Yamaha YZFR7 motorcycle and reportedly failed to see Sarver stopping. The two bikes collided, ejecting Sarver, according to the report. Just after the collision, the report states Awstun Galligan, 21, of OFallon, Illinois, was unable to avoid the crash, and his 2016 Yamaha FZ07 motorcycle struck Sarver. The MSHP reports Sarver was transported by Washington County Ambulance District to Mercy Hospital South, where he was pronounced deceased at 7:39 p.m. by medical staff. Cost reportedly sustained minor injuries in the accident and was taken to Washington County Memorial Hospital by Washington County Ambulance. Galligan was uninjured in the collision, according to the report. All three motorcyclists were reportedly wearing helmets during the crash, and damage to the three bikes was listed as minor. In a separate Washington County accident earlier on Monday, a motorcyclist and passenger were seriously injured after their motorcycle hit a downed tree branch. The MSHP crash report states that 30-year-old Ryan Piatchek was operating a 2006 Yamaha Roadstar motorcycle with his passenger, 33-year-old Barbara Piatchek, both of Troy. The report indicates the pair were heading east on Route CC, east of Lakeshore Drive, at around noon on Monday when the motorcycle traveled off the right side of the roadway and struck a downed tree branch, ejecting both motorists. Ryan and Barbara were seriously injured in the crash, and transported by Washington County Ambulance to Mercy Hospital South for treatment, according to the MSHP. The report states that neither Ryan nor Barbara were wearing safety devices, and damage to the bike was listed as moderate. A Fenton man was injured in a separate ATV accident early Monday morning in the Goose Creek lake development. According to the MSHP crash report, at 12:35 a.m., 53-year-old Raymond Stippey of Fenton was operating a 2016 Polaris Sportsman ATV south on County Line Drive near Dogwood Trail in Goose Creek when he came upon two side-by-sides heading north and taking up both lanes of the roadway. The report states Stippey swerved to the right to avoid the oncoming vehicles, causing his ATV to travel off the right road edge and eject the man. The ATV reportedly overturned and came to rest on its side. Stippey was seriously injured in the crash and transported by St. Francois County Ambulance District to Mercy Hospital South, according to the report. The MSHP noted that Stippey was not wearing a helmet, and damage to the ATV was listed as minor. An area man was killed in a motorcycle accident on Sunday in Iron County. The MSHP crash report states that Corey A. McCoy, 35, of Farmington, was riding a 2006 Victory motorcycle south on Route N Sunday afternoon. At 3:10 p.m., the report states McCoy traveled off the right side of the roadway and struck a tree five miles northwest of Ironton. McCoy was transported by Iron County Ambulance to Iron County Medical Center, according to the report. The MSHP reports that McCoy was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, and damage to the motorcycle was listed as total. Another fatal motorcycle accident happened on Sunday in Ste. Genevieve County, claiming the life of a St. Louis man. The MSHP report states Bruce A. Dunlop, 72, of St. Louis, was operating a 2014 Harley-Davidson FLHR motorcycle south on Route O early Sunday afternoon. The report states Dunlop failed to negotiate a curve to the left, traveled off the right side of the roadway, and overturned on Route O north of Highway 32. The man was pronounced deceased on the scene at 12:45 p.m. by Ste. Genevieve County EMS, according to the MSHP. Dunlop was reportedly not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, and damage to the motorcycle was listed in the report as total. Park Hills man fatally injured in accident, Sunday A Park Hills man received fatal injuries in a one-vehicle accident Sunday morning, according As previously reported, another fatality occurred on Sunday. Joshua J. Tripp, 26, of Park Hills, died after an accident involving his 2002 Honda VT600C east on Route O west of Hillsboro Road in St. Francois County. Bobby Radford is a reporter for the Daily Journal. He can be reached at bradford@dailyjournalonline.com Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 3 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 Leadington Board of Aldermen met this month to discuss information regarding the annual audit, as well as update bank information and hear from the police department and maintenance department. In old business, the annual audit was discussed. Lori Crump, a CPA with Maloney, Wright, and Robbins presented a preliminary draft on the annual audit. Crump showed that on the statement of net position, total assets increased by almost $200,000, some of it being COVID money that was able to offset the budget. Crump also pointed out that total expenses had increased by $530,000. You have to realize the big chunk of that was the CDBG grant, because you received that money in and then you expended it out, said Crump, So its going to show on both sides, revenue and expenses. Under general revenues, there was a general increase compared to the prior year of $81,000. Under the assets and liabilities by fund types, all fund types increased minus the capital movement sales tax fund, but according to Crump it was just slightly down compared to the previous year. On the statement of revenues and expenditures, the biggest change overall was the capital outlay. When looking at the previous year, the city did not have much under it, but thanks to the CDBG grant project, which provided $481,000, there was a bit of cash left over in the same area, which increased the capital outlay by $611,000. The citys net profit, according to Crump, was $194,000 which is an increase of $26,000 to the previous year. Under new business, the board discussed removing a former board member from the Unico bank account, while keeping Alderwoman Debra Matthew, Mayor Joe Davis, and Alderman Steve Kinsey on the account. The board discussed and approved the motion. City Clerk Deborah McCarver also needed access to online banking for Unico, New Era, Belgrade, and First State Community Bank. Motion was approved. The board updated the New Era Bank information and added Matthews, Kinsey, and Davis while removing two former board members. Matthews brought up Freda Pirtle, a woman who had lived in Leadington her whole life who had recently died, and asked for the city to send flowers. The city approved the motion. Police Chief Jerry Hicks said there was a slight increase in calls, as there were 197 calls that came in. Hicks stated that suspicious persons and vehicles have gone up, but accidents are down. Hicks, who has already interviewed one person for part-time, asked if it would be fine to go with more part-timers rather than go for one full-timer, saying it would also cut cost. Kinsey asked Hicks where the new police car that had been ordered is, and McCarver let the board know that it has been pushed back again. Kinsey said that he cant believe its been so long. Matthews asked if it would be possible to pick up a used car just to try to keep miles down on the other two cars, and Hicks said it might be possible to try to find a used one, possibly from the highway patrol. Hicks said there is a juvenile who has to do community service, and asked if it would be possible for the juvenile to help McCarver out by cleaning or vacuuming in the Leadington City Hall. Maintenance Supervisor Kenny Horton asked if the juvenile could paint, and the board seemed in agreement that as long as the juvenile was under a watchful eye, and not around machinery, the community service would be OK. Hicks inquired about access to donated funds. In other matters, Davis gave a quick update on the fire department, letting the board know that the citys assistant fire chief is taking a leave of absence. Davis then proceeded to lead into the monthly report from the maintenance department, starting with the new lawnmower. Horton joked that since Davis brought up the new mower, one attachment that Hortons interested in getting is a chute blocker in order to prevent rocks and other bits of grass from popping up and hitting windows. Horton brought up that he found one online for about $200. The board made a motion to give the maintenance department for up to $250 to buy the chute blocker. Horton updated the board on applications that has been received to help with the maintenance department, and requested to have two of the board for an interview of applicants. In other business, the board approved selling the Tahoe and discussed getting the maintenance department gravel to help fill in spots in the cemetery. Danielle Thurman is a reporter for the Daily Journal and can be contacted at dthurman@dailyjournalonline.com or 573-518-3616. Love 0 Funny 1 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. ANKARA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's foreign minister said on Tuesday that his ministry has summoned France's Ambassador Herve Magro and Germany's Ambassador Jurgen Schulz over the demonstrations of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) staged in the two European countries. "We summoned both ambassadors yesterday, displayed our reaction and warned them harshly. Our missions also held contacts in those countries," Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in a televised interview with the semi-official Anadolu Agency. "We also said that it should not be repeated. They have been formally given a protest note as well," he said. The minister's remarks came amid his comments on the issue of why Turkey objected to the NATO bids of Sweden and Finland. The two Nordic countries formally applied to join NATO following the Russia-Ukraine conflict that erupted in February. NATO allies, except for Turkey, have welcomed the Nordics' appeal. Accession of new member states requires consensus among existing NATO members. Ankara, however, objected to their entry into the alliance, citing the Swedish and Finnish "support" to the PKK and other anti-Turkey "terrorist" groups. The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, has been rebelling against the Turkish government for more than three decades. WASHINGTON The Biden administration is counting on a rule change to speed up asylum decisions at the southern border and help ward off the turmoil expected to come if a measure that limits those claims is allowed to expire. Department of Homeland Security officials will get the power to reject or approve asylum cases directly starting May 31. Its a major shift from the current system that relies on the Justice Departments immigration courts, where petitions often take years to be resolved. Accelerating the asylum process could help officials cope with an expected crush of migrants if the Biden administration is eventually successful in its effort to end Title 42, a measure that allowed the Trump administration to practically shut down asylum claims under the stated goal of preventing the spread of COVID-19. A federal judge has blocked the removal of Title 42 while a lawsuit led by a multi-state coalition of Republican attorneys general plays out. As is, the immigration-court system is buried under a backlog of 1.8 million cases. Migrants can take advantage of that by claiming asylum to gain entry and stay in the U.S. for months or years as the decisions drag on, said Muzaffar Chishti, the director for the New York office of the Migration Policy Institute. This administration is trying to remove that magnet by having these cases processed, they claim, in under six months, Chishti said in a telephone interview. But thats a big change in the legal regime of asylum. How to deal with thousands of asylum seekers and others trying to cross the border without proper documents has stumped a string of U.S. presidents. Some have tried to stem the flows, resulting in crammed detention centers and accusations of kids kept in cages. Loosening restrictions has only encouraged more migrants to flock to the southern border seeking entrance, according to security hawks. The number of times the U.S. Customs and Border Protection encountered migrants jumped to 1.7 million in the 2021 fiscal year, a 77% increase from 2019. In the first seven months of fiscal 2022, encounters surged another 73% over the same period last year and have already easily topped all of 2019. Its still possible the DHS rule change will be delayed or scrapped. Republican lawmakers have sought to disallow the switch. A group of GOP state officials have also filed lawsuits challenging the regulation, with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton being the latest to seek an injunction. The DHS declined to provide details on how many asylum cases will be processed or the expected approval rates. Some groups who advocate for asylum seekers worry the expedited process wont allow enough time to build a solid case. Were concerned about the timelines, said Kennji Kizuka, associate director of research and analysis for refugee protection at Human Rights First. You just cant expect someone to put together an asylum case in a week. The asylum grants could spike if the approval rate matches the agencys consent on credible fear, a first-step test with a lower threshold than granting asylum in which an USCIS officer determines if a person has a well-rounded fear of being harmed if returned home. In the past 12 months, the agency approved about two-thirds of the 61,289 decisions on the credible fear tests it performed, according to data from the USCIS. In immigration courts, about 19% of those who passed the credible fear test had their asylum granted while 16% were denied during the first quarter of fiscal 2022, according to stats compiled by the immigration courts. For most of the rest, the asylum application was never filed or the case was abandoned. Well cut the backlog because they wont be going to immigration court, but theyre all pretty much going to get asylum based on the track record of asylum officers, said George Fishman, a senior legal fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies and the former deputy general counsel responsible for immigration under President Donald Trump. The USCIS is authorized to have a bit more than 1,000 asylum officers and currently has 750 on staff. The agency recently trained 100 asylum officers who will begin the roll out the rule change, according to the DHS. The program will start with people who are sent to two Texas facilities operated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and will be limited at first to those who declare the intention of residing in Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Newark or San Francisco, according to a DHS fact sheet. DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the rule change is a fair and efficient process for handling asylum claims and that the goal is to make asylum decisions quicker, not compromise on due process. Individuals who qualify for asylum will receive protection more swiftly, and those who are not eligible will be promptly removed rather than remaining in the U.S. for years while their cases are pending, Mayorkas said in a May 26 statement. In these times of an increasingly polarized public, with immigration a top concern for many voters, the issue has become less of a problem to be solved than a political cudgel, according to Chishti of the Migration Policy Institute. Its a particular liability for the Biden administration before Novembers mid-term elections. This is no longer a policy dispute, he said. This is about politics. I ran out of coffee the other day and did not have any for breakfast the next morning. I usually get the mornings coffee ready to brew the night before and then simply have to turn it on in the morning. It is strange how the availability of a routine, everyday item can upset an established routine. What was life like in the 17th and 18th centuries without coffee or new foods from faraway lands? It is amazing how a few items coffee, sugar, tea, tobacco and spices completely changed much of the global economy. They have very little nutritional value and at most supply different flavors. However, these luxury items were new and in vogue. They helped to establish colonial empires and specific trading companies to bring these goods to market especially the European market. The Portuguese and Spanish were the first in the colonization business, but were pushed out by the English, Dutch and French. The leader was the Dutch East India Company, which was granted a monopoly by its government and became enormously wealthy. Realizing that the Portuguese had a monopoly on the spice trade for more than a century, the Dutch declared war on the Portuguese, and one by one stole almost every Portuguese trading post in Asia. They burned the plantations and limited production to keep the prices high. In most instances, people who had been growing food for themselves were now producing luxury goods for export. They were paid money and had to buy food from the Dutch traders. The Dutch also made inroads into the China trade with tea, silk and porcelain all luxury items. They got exclusive rights to trade with Japan, using an enclosed island near Nagasaki. This trading situation remained in place until the mid-19th century and heavily influenced European trading in Japan, and vice versa. Another great mercantile power in the 17th and 18th centuries was England. Like the Dutch, the English began preying on Spanish shipping and raiding their ships. The very first efforts to colonize the New World and reap its products were a failure. Eventually, the American Southern colonies concentrated on tobacco, cotton and rice. Tobacco became the rage in the late 16th and 17th centuries. Also very important at the time were the British possessions in the Caribbean. The native population of these islands was almost completely wiped out by European diseases. However, enslaved Africans were brought to the islands to work the English sugar plantations. Sugar was used to manufacture rum, a major article of trade for the English. The French, not to be outdone, had their own Caribbean colonies, including Martinique and a huge swath of North America that stretches down the Mississippi river. With all of this new land available, sugar was still the prime product and was consumed only by the wealthiest people in Europe. Around the mid-17th century, trade of was no longer a monopoly. British and Dutch traders imported their own sugar and developed a new manufacturing process for it. Since sugar was arriving in Europe in vast quantities, the price plummeted. However, now sugar could be marketed to new consumers and Europeans became sugar addicts. Tobacco followed in the footsteps of sugar and became a prime product of the New World. Of course, there were health warnings about tobacco, but the prospect of wealth overrode them. There were a few other colonial crops unique to the new continent. Chocolate, which was drunk by the Aztecs and taken up enthusiastically by the Spanish nobles, was the perfect drink for the nobles who never lifted a finger. Chocolate became the drink of choice in Spain. However, coffee was the drink that dominated Northern Europe, where making money was a prime occupation. Coffee helped keep you awake for long hours to watch your investments. In the 17th century, coffeehouses opened all over Europe. Why tea replaced coffee in England was just a matter of politics. The English had been buying tea in China and wanted to protect the trade of the East India Company, so they lowered the tariff on tea to almost nothing. The English did not have any coffee plantations throughout the world, so they promoted tea. Later, they figured out that they could grow tea in India. However, I will stick to coffee as my breakfast drink. A Blodgett man is suspected of trying to light the Benton County Courthouse on fire, according to the Benton County Sheriffs Office. Deputies have arrested Jacob Lee Lundahl, 35, on suspicion of arson, reckless burning, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. According to court documents, on Friday, May 27, Lundahl allegedly intentionally damaged the Benton County Courthouse by starting a fire. Documents also allege Lundahl put inmates in custody and/or jail deputies in danger of physical injury. According to a probable cause affidavit for the case, dispatchers observed Lundahl on live video igniting a newspaper near the front, wooden doors of the courthouse. Lundahl reportedly resisted arrest after a deputy contacted him. When asked why he was allegedly lighting things on fire in front of the courthouse, Lundahl said, "It's my right," according to the affidavit. Lundahl also allegedly told the deputy he didn't think the courthouse would burn down. Jail deputies extinguished the fire using a fire extinguisher, according to the affidavit. The building sustained only minor damage. Corvallis Fire Department responded to ensure there were no additional fires, and the initial fire was completely out. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Corvallis Gazette-Times. The courthouse is connected to the Benton County Jail. The affidavit said there were 34 people inside the jail: 31 adults in custody and three jail deputies. All of these individuals were put at risk by the fire, according to the affidavit. Lundahl was arraigned in Benton County Circuit Court that same day on two counts of first-degree arson, one count of reckless burning and one count of second-degree disorderly conduct. According to Oregons online court database, Judge Locke Williams appointed Mike Flinn as Lundahls defense attorney and set the defendants security at $20,000. The next court hearing in the matter is scheduled for June 16. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 A crowd gathered for Memorial Day ceremonies in Corvallis was drenched by a burst of rain but held its ground until relieved. Spread out across the lawn at the National Guard Armory, the crowd was just settling into the program when a light rain began sprinkling. Before long, a full-on dose of Oregon sunshine was pouring down, prompting the rapid deployment of a canopy over the speaking podium. The crowd, punctuated by a handful of umbrellas, stood firm through the posting of the colors, Pledge of Allegiance and Navy veteran Rosiland Harolds rendition of the National Anthem, and was ushered into the building for the balance of the program minus a few aspects that couldnt be performed indoors. The ceremony featured a tribute to Gold Star Mother Kim Strahan, whose son, Oregon Army National Guard Spc. Kenny Leisten, was killed on patrol when his vehicle was hit with a roadside bomb in 2004 in Iraq. Leisten was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry in Corvallis. The service flag is a blue star on a white field with a red border, Kathi Hutchinson said, explaining how the flag signifies a family member in military service. If that one died, the blue star was then replaced with a gold star, so others could see the sacrifice the family had made. Accompanied by Leistens stepfather, David Strahan, a stoic but emotional Kim Strahan standing surrounded by community members and veterans and was presented a freshly folded American flag in her sons honor. Hutchinson thanked Strahan for her sons service and said most would never know how her sacrifice feels. Another local fallen service member, Air Force 1st Lt. James Badley, was highlighted at the start of the ceremony. Badley was an Oregon State University graduate and combat pilot who was killed in action when his aircraft was shot down during his 85th mission in 1968 during the Vietnam War. Memorial Day is a time when we remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation and our freedom, said Col. Dick Gerding, U.S. Army (Ret.), who pointed out members of Badleys family among the audience. Gerding said 120 locals have been identified as fallen service members. Badleys is the first name listed on the Vietnam War panel of the Benton County Veterans Memorial outside the armory, which served as the backdrop for the outdoor portion of the ceremony. The uniformed services of the United States are ever mindful of the sweetness of enduring peace that has always been tainted by the bitterness of personal sacrifice, Hutchinson said. We are compelled to never forget. Cody Mann covers Benton County and the cities of Corvallis and Philomath. He can be contacted at 541-812-6113 or Cody.Mann@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter via @News_Mann_. 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. Democrat Ron Wyden says its up to Republican colleagues in the U.S. Senate to show whether they are serious about federal firearms restrictions after two mass shootings this month in Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas. The Senate debated such legislation most recently in 2013, after the 2012 shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut claimed the lives of 20 children and six adults. But the Senate fell short of the 60 votes required to advance legislation without a filibuster, although Wyden and Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley voted for it. The Senate is now in recess for Memorial Day, reconvening next week and a group of Democratic and Republican senators began talks to see if there is a basis for legislation. That is the question of our time. You noticed how I approached it: The next 10 days are really crucial, Wyden told reporters Friday, May 27, in the lobby of the federal building where he has his Portland office. The question of common-sense gun reform is not an either-or proposition. We protect the right of gun ownership for law-abiding people, and weve got to have a new measure of safety to prevent gun violence. Wyden himself has introduced or co-sponsored a list of bills. Among the proposals: Universal background checks for firearms purchasers, raising the age of possession from 18 to 21, restricting guns on campuses, banning assault weapons, and barring access to guns by terrorists, domestic abusers and others at risk of harming themselves or others. All of those would make a real difference in reducing the risk of these mass shootings, as well as tackling the reported increase of shooting incidents in our hometown, Wyden said. We are not talking about something thousands of miles away. Wyden discussed the issue at a town hall meeting in Keizer several days after the Feb. 14, 2018, shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida that claimed 17 lives and wounded 17 others. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Albany Democrat-Herald. The prospects for legislation are not high. The Senate has not taken up the issue since the failed votes in 2013. The Senate deadlocked 47-47 on May 26 on closing debate on a bill (HR 350) to improve monitoring, investigating and prosecuting domestic terrorism by the FBI, Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security. That vote was short of the 60 required to close debate, although Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York switched his vote to preserve the option of bringing it back. The House passed two bills in March 2021, but neither is likely to pass in the evenly divided Senate. One bill (HR 8) would expand federal background checks on potential buyers to sales at gun shows and on the internet, not just those by licensed dealers. The other (HR 1446) would allow more time for federal law enforcement to conduct a check and close the so-called Charleston loophole, under which the shooter in a 2015 massacre obtained firearms although the check had not been completed within the required three business days. After Uvalde: Enough Wyden spoke in the aftermath of the nations latest mass shootings. On May 14, 10 Black people died in a supermarket in Buffalo, at the hands of an 18-year-old man motivated by white supremacist ideology. Ten days later, 19 children and two adults died at the hands of an 18-year-old shooter who also died at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Wyden spoke on the same day that the National Rifle Association opened its annual convention in Houston, a few hours from Uvalde, with former President Donald Trump as one of the speakers. Wyden called it a shameless gathering of death." Enough of our country being the only industrialized western nation that shrugs its shoulders at the massacre of children, Wyden said in his opening remarks to reporters. Enough of the cliches and excuses. Enough of letting those convicted of crimes hurting women and kids keep their guns. What other message could there be besides enough, when this shameless gathering of death is being held only a few hours drive from this weeks school massacre? There is a long and ever-lengthening list of atrocities that Oregonians know all too well. Wyden specified the Oregon incidents: Thurston High School, Springfield, 1998: Two parents and two students shot dead; 25 wounded. Clackamas Town Center, 2012: Three deaths, including the shooter. Reynolds High School, Troutdale, 2014: one student dead plus the shooter; one teacher wounded. Umpqua Community College, Roseburg, 2015: Eight students and an instructor shot dead, plus the shooter; eight wounded. Cant put up a fence Wyden said Oregon has compiled a good record of state legislation in the past two decades. Voters extended a requirement for background checks to purchasers at gun shows in 2000, and lawmakers did so for most private transactions in 2015. A red-flag law in 2017 allows family members and law enforcement to seek court orders if people are deemed at risk of harming themselves or others; the orders last one year. Safe storage requirements passed in 2021, under a law allowing school, community college and university governing boards to restrict firearms on campuses. But we cant put up a fence around our state, Wyden said. Though Wyden isnt one of the senators involved in the latest negotiations, he said that as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, he is preparing to advance legislation to improve mental health services with bipartisan support. One of those who testified to Wydens committee earlier this year was a senior at La Pine High School, who also volunteers for a youth line and who said there are not enough people to field calls and offer help. For Wyden, the issue is personal. His older brother, Jeff, had schizophrenia and died in 2002 at age 51. His brothers struggles are described in Conquering Schizophrenia, a book by Peter Wyden, their father, who died in 1998. But Wyden also said improved mental health services must go hand in hand with stricter regulations on firearms. I just dont want anybody to walk away with the argument that (mental health) is somehow the entire solution, he said. Most people with mental health issues are not involved in the kind of massacres weve seen. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Fundraiser for the Corvallis Sister Cities Association's Uzhhorod (Ukraine) Refugee Fund. Earl Newman, an artist and screen printer who lives in Summit, has created and donated a screen-printed poster illustrating support for Ukraine. Two hundred numbered posters will be printed; several framed posters will be available. The prints will sell for $100 each to be donated to the refugee fund; framed prints will cost extra. Information: 541-760-8081 or caroltrueba@gmail.com. Rally to support Ukraine, noon to 2 p.m. Saturdays, Benton County Courthouse, 120 NW Fourth St., Corvallis. All are invited to come show solidarity with Ukraine in an event that is not antiwar or anti-Russia but pro-Ukraine. Those attending can bring Ukrainian flags, sunflowers and signs showing support. Updates on the humanitarian aspect of the war will be given. Information: 7442117@gmail.com. Fundraiser to support refugee fund: Four-notecard packs and 8 x 10 prints featuring paintings by Corvallis sisters Allessandra Bakker, 16, and Isabella Bakker, 13, are available for purchase at Visit Corvallis and Benton County Historical Societys Corvallis and Philomath museums for $25 and $30, respectively. Proceeds go toward the Corvallis Sister Cities Associations Uzhhorod Refugee Fund. Fundraiser to help children of Ukraine: Monique Arnold of Corvallis and her teenage daughters are "making quilts to cover the world." The project has raised a total of $4,275 that has been donated directly to USA for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Corvallis Sister Cities organization for Uzhhorod, Ukraine. The quilts are sold every week via Facebook auction, continuing for the next few weeks at https://www.facebook.com/groups/391673602349315/permalink/555540949295912/?sale_post_id=555540949295912. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Hundreds of Coloradans gathered at Fort Logan National Cemetery for the first time in two years on Memorial Day to remember and honor those who died while serving their country. The Department of Veterans Affairs hosted a wreath-laying ceremony along with the playing of Taps, a moment of silence, a rifle volley, a F-16 flyover and speeches from notable figures in the military and Fort Logan community. Brig. Gen. Scott Sherman, who serves as the director of joint staff for Colorados National Guard, delivered the keynote address at the ceremony, calling Memorial Day a shared moment of remembrance that connects all Americans. Memorial Day is a vivid reminder of the prices that have been paid by our service members and their families for our liberty, Sherman said. Its also an appropriate time to reflect on the burden shared by those left behind and the impact that loss has had on our families, workplaces and communities. People leave a footprint. Their contributions make a difference. And their loss leaves an impact. Sherman recognized the nearly 7,000 service members who have died since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack right before multiple F-16s flew across the clear blue sky above the cemetery. Thats the sound of freedom right there, he said. Tom Webb watched the ceremony in a bright red Colorado Avalanche jacket, with a Buddy Poppy on his zipper. Last month marked 50 years since Webb left the service as second class petty officer in the U.S. Navy, and hes come to Fort Logans Memorial Day ceremony every year for the past 25-30. If youre a veteran, you remember veterans, Webb said. Webbs parents and in-laws are all buried at Fort Logan, as well as friends he fought alongside with in Vietnam and played ball with in high school. He said his father was a PT boater and is probably the reason why he joined the Navy. Someday, he said, Fort Logan will also be his own final resting place. Adrian and Nancy Noonan said this was the first time they were able to make it for the Memorial Day ceremonies at Fort Logan, but theyve frequented the cemetery to honor their own loved ones regularly. The couple brought a bundle of roses they spread across their relatives graves, including Adrians parents, grandparents and uncle, and Nancys father. Boss and Samantha Borges, twins of age 9, stood alongside their great-grandfathers grave with their mother, Christal Perkins, where all three left a penny on top of Pvt. Burt A. Borgess headstone. This is a sign so others walking through the cemetery know someone came to pay their respects. This is like the only way we get to see him, Samantha said. Some people might think its just a stone, but for us its family. Perkins said coming to visit on Memorial Day has become a yearly tradition since the kids never got to meet their great-grandfather, who is her husbands grandfather. He served in World War II with the U.S. Army, his headstone read. Marshall Allen came to honor his father, who also served in World War II as a captain in the U.S. Army. He led a group of 180 responsible for feeding the soldiers on the front lines in Europe. "They had an inventory of two million rations they had to move every day," Allen said of his father's team. "They traveled 50-75 miles a day the last three of four months of the war. "Thank God he wrote all that down so the succeeding generations after me will know what kind of person he was." Your morning rundown of the latest news from overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. FILE PHOTO: Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is seen on a screen via a video link from the IK-2 corrective penal colony in Pokrov during a court hearing to consider an appeal against his prison sentence in Moscow, Russia May 24, 2022. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina The longtime Aurora police chief who led the department through the 2012 theater massacre once again wears an Aurora PD badge in an interim role while the city searches for a new chief. Dan Oates, who led the department from 2005 to 2014, takes the helm amid a period of turmoil in the Aurora Police Department, nearly two months after former Chief Vanessa Wilson was fired. Oates has a few key tasks in the next several months during his role as interim chief: Making sure the Police Department progresses in meeting terms of a consent decree with the state for systemic reforms and helping Aurora take steps to address rising crime. Oates previously said the roadmap provided by the consent agreement, intended among other things to create more diversity in hiring and address patterns of bias and excessive force in encounters with the public, is the best way to repair the Police Departments image. He wrote an opinion piece for The Washington Post in 2020 saying the public needs to use its voting power to make changes to police discipline processes if it deems them necessary, in the context of what Oates says are inhibitors to discipline in appeal processes favorable to police officers and powerful unions. After departing Aurora in 2014, Oates served as Miami Beachs police chief until 2019, when he retired from policing. Since then he has worked as a law enforcement and security consultant. He sat down with The Denver Gazette to talk about the necessity of having a multipronged approach to reducing crime, police response to mass shootings and the op-ed. The interview has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity. You're taking on a department that is facing a really different set of challenges than what you left several years ago. There has been a lot of internal strife recently, as well as a challenge of rebuilding trust with the community right now. What drew you to take this appointment again? The short answer is I love this city and I love this department. I had eight-and-a-half great years here. We raised our kids in Aurora; my wife and I love this place. And I've told everyone it really surprised me when my wife actually said to me, How can you say no? when I was asked to come back, because this city has given so much to us. And I cherish my time in this department. It's gone through a really difficult time the last couple of years, but its still fundamentally a great department. I've been on the ground here for five days. I worked Thursday and Friday and then spent the weekend with officers, on roll calls and I went out on the street operation. Admittedly 50% of (the officers) are gone and retired and replaced by young officers, but it's very affirming to spend time with cops who want to do good police work. And that's what this place is full of, and it's sort of reenergized me. My three years of semi-retirement, not running police departments and doing consulting, it's refreshing to be back here. After 18 years as a police chief, and going to three agencies that needed some reform, I think I have a lot to contribute. One thing that is on a lot of people's minds is rising crime. And as I'm sure you know, the factors that affect crime rates are always a mix of different factors, both local and higher-level macro factors. So can you just tell me about how do you suss out what the Police Department can do to try and reduce crime? (There) are so many factors that go into crime, starting with our education system; our health care system; our resources or lack thereof with regard to mental health and drug treatment; the criminal justice ecosystem, which has been incredibly disrupted by COVID. We're climbing out of that mess as a country, and that has affected (crime) rates. And there's an assumption in the community that primarily the cops address crime, and what we have to do as an entire community is address crime. So in that environment, I've got to do the best I can with the resources we have. We're down about 50 officers right now because of hiring challenges. So I've got a couple of ideas up my sleeve. I need to spend a couple of weeks with the organization, with leaders and with the rank-and-file (officers) talking to them about ideas. I've got to talk to the community. I've got to talk to my leadership, the manager and the deputy city manager and see what we come up with. As an example, we have a very significant auto theft problem here right now. Way more cars are being stolen than when I left here in 2014, and a lot of those cars are being used to commit violent crimes, because anytime someone wants to commit a crime, they have to get to and from the scene. I just came back from two trips for my consulting work, before I came here, to Baltimore and Milwaukee. Same problem in those two cities, where a lot of the violence is associated with a stolen car. So maybe if we can do something to do more around stolen cars, we can make a difference. And so I've got some ideas and strategies with regard to that. One thing that you mentioned in the op-ed that you wrote in The Washington Post a couple of years ago was that several of the decisions that you made to fire officers ultimately were not upheld when they were appealed. And that seemed to be something that really changed when Vanessa Wilson was chief. A lot of the disciplinary decisions that she made, if not all of them, were ultimately upheld on appeal. And I'm curious if you have any thoughts about if anything fundamentally changed in those intervening years to produce those differences. The one thing I'm aware of is that the membership in the Civil Service Commission changed. I struggled the eight years I was here around issues of discipline. And the larger point of that Washington Post article was, America is clamoring for reform of police departments. Police chiefs are clamoring for reform of police departments. One of the biggest ways you mold a police department to be responsive to the community, and to perform at the highest level and do so constitutionally and ethically, is by disciplining cops who engage in misconduct. And the point of that article was we've created an America through state law, city charters, contracts, based on my experience of working in four cities in four states (where there) are inhibitors to chiefs holding police officers accountable for misconduct. And that can be changed by the democratic process. And that's what I was advocating for. And I wrote that piece at the height of the (movement about), what are we going to do about American policing after George Floyd, that period of hyper-criticism? Its amazing if you go to a police chief's conference and you sit and you listen to police chiefs talk about their challenges around holding cops accountable. And on that same note, do you have any anticipation that comments in that op-ed might lead to any discord among union leadership or among your officers? How would you address that? Well, the short answer is no for two reasons. I'm off to a really good start with the two union leaders here. They seemed to embrace the fact that I was back. And No. 2, I can only be myself. The same conversations that I had with the Post reporter, I would have today with any member of this department or any member of the union leadership. I think I was known during my time here as being reasonably fair, but holding cops accountable for misconduct. And the union has a role in that, and we shouldn't diminish that. Cops have rights, and the union exists in part to protect the cops rights. But the nature of how serious discipline is meted out here in this city is that I am not the final arbiter. I make a decision and then I have to defend that decision in front of the Civil Service Commission. So after 40 years in the business and 18-plus years as a police chief, Im completely secure in my ability to make decisions around discipline and defend them to anybody, including police officers. Obviously, one of the biggest things you handled during your first tenure was the Aurora theater massacre. And police response to this kind of tragedy is in the spotlight after what happened in Texas just last week. Are there any reflections you would like to share on responding to this kind of thing, especially since (police response in) Colorado was really in the spotlight as well after the Columbine massacre? The two most important things you have to do on a response are eliminate the threat and take care of the victims. That's it. It's as simple as that. And until you eliminate the threat, there could be more victims. What's troubling is how the threat has evolved. I'm not sure, but I think our shooter might have been the first to have body armor. So the tactics have evolved. And now every shooter seems to have body armor and an AR. Now 10 years later, these things are happening with such frequency. The other thing about our shooting was, at the time these things were still fairly rare. And the tactics of these folks have evolved. Sogevinus spells out still wine potential - Interview Earlier this month, Drinks Retailing caught up with Sogevinus CEO Sergio Marly Caminal and international business manager Joao Tamagnini Belo at Prowein. The companys flagship Kopke port is the main focus for the producer, with a 50-year-old Tawny and 50-year-old White Port being unveiled at the show. But elsewhere, Sogevinus has big plans for tourism and still wine I think we have great potential for our still wines, theres a lot of room to grow, says CEO Sergio Marly Caminal. At the moment, port accounts for around 85% of the companys wine and port sales and Kopke remains a big focus for the UK market. But Caminal also sees opportunities for the companys still wines. Basically, we use only local varieties, says Caminal of the still wines portfolio, and he explains that work has taken place on the branding to differentiate the offer from port. Before, we had a wine called Kopke, but now the trend is to associate brands with terroir, so we changed to Sao Luiz. It was a bit confusing having a port brand and a still wine brand with the same name. Quinta Sao Luiz is the companys winery in the Cima Corgo sub-region of the Douro valley. It produces Kopke port as well as Sao Luiz still wines. The wine still has an endorsement by Kopke, because it gives a certain credibility to the brand, adds the CEO. This was launched a year ago and we are still developing. We have a full range from standard to more premium wines across white, rose and red. Its working very well in Portugal and now we want to develop it elsewhere. International business manager Joao Tamagnini Belo looks after the UK market, and he says the companys partners in the country have reacted well to the still wines rebranding and the logic behind it. The pair also mention Quinta Boavista, which they say has very premium brands. Belo explains that Boavista is a property that producers only still wines and no ports. So, its also more congruent - and not a port producer saying, oh yeah, we do still wines, he says. In terms of ambitions for the still wine business, Belo says he would love to see Sao Luiz as a top ten choice in any specialist wine shop under European wines. That would be huge. We really have to sell our story to our partners and to specialists so that when they talk about Portugal, they think Sao Luiz, he says. We need them to try the product and see the scores were getting to show them the quality we have. Belo goes on to say Sogevinus has redefined the profile of its classic wine range. Weve moved away from what once was the perception of Douro very heavy, very tannic, very hot, he says. And were making fresher more elegant reds and whites and people are getting that. Especially for the classic range, which is around 12. Weve moved away from sort of classic Douro wine production to a much more contemporary, fresher style. Though thats not to say the company has stepped away from that big Douro style elsewhere. On the super-premium wines, you have that unique sense of terroir, but people understand them at that level, adds Belo. But with the classics, weve made them more simple, in a good way. Elsewhere, Caminal says the company is ramping up its tourism offer. Were investing in enotourism. In Sao Luiz, where Kopke is produced, we are opening a guesthouse for 11 people later this summer. Were also constructing a 151-room hotel in Vila Nova de Gaia, which will be completed by the end of 2023, he says. According to the CEO, tourism contributes roughly 20% of net sales. Pre-Covid, visitor numbers reached as many as 400,000 people across the companys two visitor centres. The new fortified fans - Sherry and Port analysis Related articles: Two lawmakers have opposed on safety grounds the National Assemblys Economic Committees recent proposal to revive nuclear power plans. In 2009 the government had announced plans to build two nuclear plants in the south-central province of Ninh Thuan at a cost of several billion dollars, but the House shot down the proposal in 2016 saying they were unaffordable. The projects should be scrapped altogether, Truong Trong Nghia, a Ho Chi Minh City representative said an NA meeting Monday. "We can make a new plan in the next 10 or 20 years if we want to develop nuclear power." More than 10 years of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan has still not completely dealt with the aftermath despite being a developed country and using nuclear power for a long time, he pointed out. Vietnams ability to control the risks is "very low", and the country should not countenance nuclear power, he added. A deputy from Ninh Thuan, Dang Thi My Huong, said people are concerned about the plants. The debate over Vietnams first nuclear power projects resurfaced this year after it made a commitment at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Economic Committee said in a report last week the country should consider reviving its nuclear plans to ensure energy security and economic development since nuclear energy is clean in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. Former head of the Vietnam Institute of Energy, Nguyen Manh Hien, had told a forum in April that restarting the nuclear power program by 2030 is the only way to fulfill the net-zero carbon commitment by 2050. Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien said Monday that the decision by the National Assembly in 2016 was to "suspend" the construction of the plants, not to cancel them altogether. The location in Ninh Thuan was thoroughly studied by Russian and Japanese experts, who assured it is the best place to build nuclear power plants, he said. Many countries such as the U.S. and Germany have begun to make plans to again develop nuclear power after moving toward eliminating it three years ago, he said. To achieve the net-zero target, Vietnam needs to utilize renewables such as solar and wind power, but they need a stable source of power to ensure adequate supply, he said. Nuclear power is clean and affordable while coal could no longer be used and the country has fully utilized its hydropower capacity, he added. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told VnExpress last week that the nuclear energy option needs to be carefully studied and he is waiting for directions from the Communist Party politburo. While a final decision is pending lawmakers have called for dealing with certain issues that surfaced after the nuclear plans were shelved. Huong said the land earmarked for the nuclear plants remains unused, but locals who own them cannot use or sell them either. Out of the 294 bears held captive at private facilities in Vietnam, 149, or over 50 percent, are in Hanoi, according to World Animal Protection. Gilbert Sape, global head of campaigning for non-profit World Animal Protection, on Tuesday said Phuc Tho District alone has 139 bears held captive in 21 facilities. In the past 17 years, the number of bears held captive in Vietnam has reduced from around 4,300 to 294, but Hanoi only saw a reduction of 10 bears, mainly because they died. Hanoi is lagging behind other localities when it comes to freeing bears held captive for bile extraction, Sape said, adding that the city has not put in enough effort into resolving the issue. World Animal Protection says keeping bear captive for bile extraction is a threat to both the species and ecosystem. Young bears born in small-scale captivity would be inbred, reducing their chance of survival. Bears raised in captivity also cannot live in the wild. Previously on May 27, Hanois environmental police arrested an owner who registered to keep bears in captivity in Phuc Tho District, along with 350 jars of bear bile. The owner now faces five years in prison. Nguyen Xuan Tung, deputy head of the environmental police, said current regulations make monitoring bile extraction at such facilities difficult. It took the police a month to catch the owner red-handed, he added. Pham Van Mau, head of the forest creature and resource conservation division under the Hanoi Forest Protection Department, said Phuc Tho has been raising wild animals in captivity since the 1990s. Bear sanctuaries were rare in the past, making it more difficult to solve the problem. Hanoi aims to end the practice of keeping bears in captivity. In January, the Hanoi Peoples Committee had requested its districts to monitor the situation better, especially Phuc Tho District. Vietnam is a major hub for the illegal trade in wild animals, and bears are kept to drain the bile from their gall bladders as some people believe it could be used as traditional medicine. The government banned commercial bear bile extraction in 2005, but farmers are still allow to keep their bears. Vo Cong Khanh, Nguyen Tien Truyen, and many Vietnamese designers debuted dresses made of coffee fiber and oyster shells at Vietnam International Fashion Week 2022. "ReFashion", the theme of this year's fashion week, from May 26-29 in Ho Chi Minh City, captured the audience's attention with 1,000 designs made from recycled materials that adhere to sustainable fashion trends around the globe. The event conveyed the message of limiting fast fashion production to protect the environment, avoiding waste and emissions, and directing people to a thrifty, healthy lifestyle that prioritizes life quality. Model Anh Thu struts the runway in a dress made from recycled plastic by designer Hoang Minh Ha. Photo courtesy of MultiMedia Designers like Vo Cong Khanh, Adrian Anh Tuan, Hoang Quyen, Hoang Minh Ha, Ly Giam Tien, Nguyen Tien Truyen and many others up-cycled fabrics made from oyster shells, lotus fibers, coffee grounds and recycled plastic bottles to make moisture-wicking, heat-permeable, breathable, quick-drying, anti-static and UV protection dresses, and evening gowns. When talking about the material creation process, Khanh shared that the oyster shells are collected from farms and dried before being ground into powder and rolled into small balls similar to polyester. The balls are melted to create fibers, which are spun and woven into fabric. Meanwhile, there are five stages involved in the production of coffee fabric. The processed coffee beans are roasted at temperatures above 200 degrees Celsius and later ground, then mixed with polymers before being weaved into fabric. Designs made from up-cycled fabrics. Photo courtesy of MultiMedia Many global fashion houses have also incorporated natural or recycled materials in their Spring Summer 2022 collections. Stella McCartney pioneered the use of grape waste from Italian wineries in leather bags. Chloe works with Gee's Bend Quilters, a small community of black women in Alabama who make clothes out of cotton blankets and discarded fabric. Sustainable and eco-friendly fashion is the next big trend, according to Vogue. Minh Trang, 20, from Hanoi University of Industrial Fine Arts expressed her admiration for Adrian Anh Tuan and Linh San's collection, which featured outstanding color patches and modestly sexy cuts. "This year's fashion week has a very meaningful message," she said, " It helps future designers learn and change their thinking about fashion in order to protect the environment." Hoang Quan, a 25-year-old architect from HCMC, admires Vo Cong Khanh's designs for their visually stimulating textured fabric. "I attended all four nights of the fashion week, not missing a single show because it's been too long since I felt like going to see fashion without worrying about the epidemic," he explained. However, the event still received some backlash from the public for having lengthy shows. Meanwhile, some models made mistakes on the runways like straying from the music and lacking emotion when cat-walking. Models Thanh Hang (R) and Vo Hoang Yen during Vietnam International Fashion Week 2022. Photo courtesy of MultiMedia Many designers still pick well-known models like Thanh Hang and Vo Hoang Yen as vedettes. "Long-time models, I believe, have their own charms when performing. However, we need new and fresh faces to bring more excitement to the local fashion scene," Mai Anh from HCMC commented. During his recent trip to Japan, President Joe Biden announced the creation of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. The framework seeks to deepen U.S. economic engagement in the region and strengthen our coordination with allies and partners to address the most important economic issues of the 21st century and deliver inclusive and sustainable growth. The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework includes the United States and 12 partners: Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Together, these economies account for 40 percent of global GDP. This Framework is designed to deliver prosperity for all people said President Biden: Were writing the new rules for the 21st century economy that are going to help all of our countries economies grow faster and fairer. . . .Lets start with new rules governing trade in digital goods and services so companies dont have to hand over the proprietary technology to do business in a country. President Biden called for an effort to eliminate bottlenecks in critical supply chains and develop early warning systems so we can identify problems before they occur. He also stressed the need to pursue commitments to clean energy and decarbonization. President Biden called for a fair economy, including an end to corruption, noting that that it may sap as much as 2 to 5 percent of global GDP. Moreover, the U.S. will seek commitments within the Indo-Pacific Framework to enact and enforce effective tax, anti-money laundering, and anti-bribery schemes. The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework is one of the most significant international economic engagements that the United States has ever had in this region. This framework launch marks an important turning point in restoring U.S. economic leadership in the region said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. President Biden stressed that the key to success will be the frameworks emphasis on high standards and inclusivity. This framework should drive a race to the top among the nations in the Indo-Pacific region. He added that the framework will be open to others who wish to join in the future. The United States is deeply invested in the Indo-Pacific, said President Biden. Were committed for the long haul, ready to champion our vision for a positive future for the region together with friends and partners. Rummage sale at St. Mark ELKO St. Mark Lutheran Church is hosting a rummage sale from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 3 and 4 at 277 Willow St. Sales include household items, kitchen items, linens, furniture, appliances, toys, seasonal, electronics, antiques and much more. Breakfast, lunch, homemade pies and baked goods will be available for purchase. Jake Eary Memorial Rodeo ELKO The Jake Eary Memorial Rodeo is produced in memory of Lil Jake Eary, who was a young cowboy with a huge love for rodeo. The event will take place June 3-5. There are opportunities for rodeo and ranching fans of all ages. For more information call 304-2223. Thirty-fourth Bowhunter Classic LAMOILLE Elko Archery Club will present the 34th annual Bowhunter Classic at the Lions Club Camp June 4 and 5 in Lamoille Canyon. Archers will find themselves surrounded by 360 degree views of this canyon. often known as the Swiss Alps of Nevada. RPEN meeting June 8 ELKO The Elko County Chapter of Retired Public Employees of Nevada will be holding their monthly meeting at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 8, at the Elko Senior Citizens Center, 1795 Ruby View Drive. The guest speaker will be Superintendent of Elko County School District C. J. Anderson to discuss ongoing issues. All active and retired public employees in the PERS retirement system are invited to attend. For more information contact President Margaret Marcucci at 934-7361 or email mkmarcucci56@gmail.com. Ron Arthaud reception at Northeastern Nevada Museum ELKO Enjoy an artist reception for local painter Ron Arthauds exhibition, Tuscarora Seasons. The reception will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 9, in the Halleck Bar. Light snacks and beverages will be served. The artist will be available for conversation. Country Under the Stars concert ELKO Sandvik Mining, Rock Solutions and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Elko present Country Under the Stars from 5-11:30 p.m. Thursday, June 9, at the Elko County Fairgrounds, featuring Randy Houser with opener Jagertown. Tickets can be purchased at https://countryunderthestarselko.com/tickets. Pickleball clinic at Southside Park ELKO Ruby Mountain Pickleball Club is hosting a one-day free pickleball clinic June 10 and 11 at the Southside Park courts. Instructors are Kathy Schroeder and Dave Lewis. Beginners (never played before or barely played) will meet 10 a.m. to noon. Intermediate players (can hit the ball regularly but need to learn about strategy and positioning on the court) will meet 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. Advanced signup is encouraged. Contact rubymtnpb@gmai.com with your name, phone number, day and session time and whether you need to borrow a paddle. Enrollment closes June 3. Wear shoes and clothing that allow freedom of movement on the court. Sunglasses, hat, sunscreen and water are suggested. Rummage Sale final days ELKO St. Mark Lutheran Church is hosting the final two days of its rummage sale from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 10 and 11 at 277 Willow St. Sales include household items, kitchen items, linens, furniture, appliances, toys, seasonal, electronics and antiques. Many new items added for the second week. Breakfast, lunch, homemade pies and baked goods will be available for purchase. Two for one on most items on Saturday only. Wine glass etching workshop ELKO The Elko County Library will be hosting a wine glass etching workshop from 4-6 p.m. Saturday, June 11, in the Bruce Memorial Meeting Room. Come have fun making a pair of etched wine glasses for yourself to take home. The workshop is free to the public and pre-registration is required and limited to 15 adults. For additional information, contact Annette Robinson at the Elko County Library at 738-3066 ext. 226. California Trail Days are back ELKO California Trail Days is a pioneer reenactment event for the whole family. Admission is free. Join them from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, June 18 and 19, with a Pioneer Dance Saturday night at 7 p.m. For more information call 738-1849. Ruby Roubaix bike ride ELKO Join Rotary Club of Elko Desert Sunrise in a gravel adventure for the Ruby Roubaix on June 18. This ride starts and ends in the picturesque town of Lamoille nestled at the base of the majestic Ruby Mountains. Experience the wild, rugged beauty of Nevada on a bicycle choosing from 22-mile, 38-mile, 62-mile, and 117-mile routes on a mix of gravel and pavement or, new for 2022, E-bike category for Secret Pass. The event is Fondo style so you can race it or ride it you pick. Routes range from mild to the wild so you choose your level of challenge as well. Visit www.rubyroubaix.com for more information or register now (also linked below) with Outside or BikeReg accounts. Lamoille Country Fair Lamoille Join the Lamoille Womens Club as they celebrate the annual Lamoille Country Fair from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 26 in Lamoille Grove. National Basque Festival ELKO The National Basque Festival will be held July 2 and 3 at the Elko Euzkaldunak Club at 1601 Flagview Drive. Enjoy authentic Basque food, dance rural sport exhibitions and more. Call 389-1538 for more information or visit www.ElkoBasqueClub.com or Facebook.com/ElkoEuzkaldunakClub. Sign up for mutton busting ELKO Silver State Stampede is currently taking sign-ups for Mutton Busting for July 8, 9 and 10 performances. Sign up at J.M. Capriolas, 500 Commercial St. in downtown Elko. Entries are limited to 20 each performance and it fills up fast. Entry fee is $20 and is open to 4 to 8 year olds who weigh less than 65 pounds. For more information, go to http://www.silverstatestampede.com Mayors Arts Awards call for artist ELKO The Elko Arts and Culture Advisory Board and Elko Mayor Reece Keener are seeking an artist to create the award for the 2022 Mayors Arts Awards. The winning artist will create five, mostly identical, pieces of new, professional artwork to be awarded to winners of the Elko Mayors Arts Awards in November. The chosen artist will receive $1,000 for their work and will contract with the City of Elko. Awards will be given for Arts Education, Individual Artist, Arts Organization, and Service to the Arts. The fifth award will be on permanent display at City Hall. Original artwork created specifically for this award will have preference at selection. Deadline for submission is July 1, 2022 at 3 p.m. at Elko City Hall. The selected artist must reside in Elko County, and will be notified on or after July 6. For more information, contact Kim Wilkinson at the City of Elko at 775-777-7110 or email kwilkinson@elkocitynv.gov. Wiegand Gallery exhibit ELKO The Western Folklife Center will be showing, in phases, a special selection of contemporary handcrafted gear from its collection, including the Jeremiah Watt saddle. Come view these pieces, along with special additions of photography, broadsides and more. Keep an eye on the WFC website for updates on the exhibit throughout the summer. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. through 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free on first Saturdays. Admission costs $5 adults/ $3 students, seniors/ $1 children ages 612/ Free for members. Jamming and dancing at the Pioneer Saloon ELKO Bring your instrument or come to listen to the free monthly jam session at the Pioneer Saloon at 6 p.m. June 8. Led by members of Southwind and other community musicians, you can join in on the tunes, or grab a drink and enjoy. All musicians and spectators are welcome. Take a dance lesson from 6-7 p.m. June 9 and 23, followed by open dancing at 7 p.m. Lessons focus on a rotating variety of styles, including rodeo swing, two step, waltz, line dance, Basque dancing, and other interesting steps. Adults and teens are welcome. No experience necessary. $5 lesson. Performance by Ken Waldman ELKO Join the Western Folklife Center from 6-7:30 p.m. June 14 for an evening of music and prose with Alaskan writer and fiddler Ken Waldman at the Western Folklife Centers G Three Bar Theater. Tickets cost $15 general/ $10 members, seniors, students/ $5 kids under 12. Livestreaming is free on Facebook. Call 738-7508 for tickets. Southwind in concert ELKO A local favorite, Southwind brings Celtic, Western and contemporary toe-tappin fiddle tunes to the Pioneer Saloon at 6 p.m. June 15. Free. Free healthy teen programs ELKO Family Resource Center hosts free healthy teen programs each month for youth in grades 5 to 7 (ages 10-12) and grades 8 to 12 (minimum age 13.) These lively, interactive programs are evidence-based and age-appropriate. They incorporate medically accurate information along with crucial knowledge on identifying and handling social pressures, refusal skills, effective communication, and how to respond to peer pressure. Youth learn about keeping themselves safe, puberty and reproductive health, personal hygiene, goal setting, and respect for self and others while building knowledge, skills, and confidence. Participants receive their choice of a free backpack full of school supplies or a $25 store gift card after completing the program. Limit of one free incentive per participant, per year (runs from October to September.) A parent or guardian must pre-register the participant by completing a permission slip before class. These programs are presented the last two Saturdays of the month at FRC during the school year, and one day each month during the summer; exact dates and times are listed on our Facebook event page: facebook.com/elkofrc/events. For more info, contact 753-7352 or teenhealth@elkofrc.org. Horizon offers bereavement support group ELKO If you or a loved one is grieving the loss of a loved one, please join the Horizon Hospice support group. Participants meet at 6 p.m. on the first and third Tuesday of the month at 1250 Lamoille Highway, Suite 413. There is no cost to community members. Call 778-0612 for more information. Al-Anon meets Wednesdays in Spring Creek SPRING CREEK The Al-Anon Spring Creek Step Study Group meets at 7 p.m. Wednesdays at the Spring Creek Baptist Church, 360 Spring Creek Parkway. The program is in person or virtual. If you or someone you know is worried about a family member or friends drinking problem, Al-Anon is a mutual support group that shares their experiences, strengths and hope. Zoom meeting ID 890 588 5311 Password F8KmfZOn. Celebrate recovery and find freedom ELKO Find freedom for your hurts, habits and hang-ups with The Nazarene Church Christ-centered recovery program every Friday evening. A large group meets at 6 p.m. and a smaller group gathers at 7 p.m. The church is located at 740 Sage St. Call 738-6714 for more information. Medicare providers in Elko ELKO The Medicare in Elko Workgroup has updated their list of Elko medical providers. Listed are those clinics that will accept a new patient using Medicare or Medicaid. It specifically lists clinics where patients can set up appointments with specific providers. The tri-fold brochure also lists providers found outside of Elko, along with two state agencies that help people with their Medicare needs. Senior Services and other medical services are listed. The updated list is available on the groups website, medicarinelko.org. They also have a Facebook page medicare in elko, with a link to the brochure. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SALT LAKE CITY (AP) A Utah copper mining company will begin manufacturing a rare mineral used in solar panels that used to be discarded along with the other mine tailings. Rio Tinto officials and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox unveiled the plan May 11 at the Kennecott refinery west of Salt Lake City where the tellurium will be produced, FOX-13 news reported. The company says it is one of two in the U.S. to produce the tellurium, which is listed as a critical mineral by the U.S. government. Most of the tellurium produced comes from China and other countries. Rio Tinto is working with the U.S. Department of Energy on ideas to produce more tellurium. The company said it hopes to produce 20 tons of the tellurium each year. If we can produce it here, we are all going to be better off, said Cox, a Republican. We desperately need more of it. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 ELKO School Resource Officers made an arrest Sunday after investigating a threat of violence directed at a local school. The threat was being shared on social media, according to the Elko County Sheriffs Office. The officers responded to the tips and an arrest was made. There is no additional threat to the schools, stated the sheriffs office. They did not identify the school involved. The sheriffs office and other local law enforcement encouraged parents to have open conversations with their children to help them understand how serious these threats are and what consequences come with making the threats. We would like to thank the community for sharing any tips or information they receive in these situations. Law enforcement take these tips very seriously and every one is thoroughly investigated. Several school threats have been reported across the country in the wake of last weeks mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. A similar wave of threats occurred in December. At that time, local law enforcement officials investigated a gun threat posted on the TikTok social media app. They determined it was not credible and may have been posted by someone wanting to skip school. In October, a 14-year-old female student in Elko County was arrested on felony charges after being identified by police as making a school shooting threat on the social media site Snapchat. That threat alluded to acts of vandalism committed at Elko High School and stated that the poster and her friend were tired of Elko and Spring Creek High Schools. Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 3 Sad 3 Angry 11 Two men were seriously injured in a northern Nevada desert fireworks weekend incident at a large gathering of people at a popular off-roading and party area, authorities said. One man was hospitalized in critical condition for a punctured lung he suffered when he was struck in the chest by a firework that went into a crowd of people after exploding in the hand of a man who lit it at midnight Saturday, the Washoe County Sheriff's Office said Sunday in a statement. The man who lit the firework was standing on a rock outcropping before a crowd of 500 people, the statement said. He suffered major deformities and injuries to this left hand" and was hospitalized in stable condition, the statement said. No identities were made public. People at the scene helped both men before medical personnel arrived and arranged transport to hospitals, the statement said. The incident was a reminder of the danger of fireworks, especially when combined with alcohol or other substances," the sheriff's office said. Fireworks are not only dangerous but illegal to possess in Washoe County, said Sheriff Darin Balaam. Any fireworks display should be left to professionals." No arrests were made but the investigation into the incident was ongoing, sheriff's Sgt. Jeff McCaskill said Monday. McCaskill said it wasn't immediately known what type of firework was involved. The incident occurred at Moon Rocks, a desert area with prominent rock features on federally owned land about 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of Reno. The federal Bureau of Land Management in 2021 approved a management plan for the 30-square-mile (77-square-kilometer) site, citing a rise in visitation and incidents requiring law enforcement responses, the Reno Gazette Journal reported Planned improvements included signage, a fence to limit uncontrolled expansion of camping areas and off-highway vehicle (OHV) routes and implementing speed limits near campsites and on access roads. For 20 years its been a free for all, Philip Fell, then-chairman of the Nevada OHV Commission, previously told the newspaper. Its a little bit Mad Max out there, especially over holiday weekends. Davenport reported from Phoenix. 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 My name is Gary Radar Evertsen. Im running for Nevada governor, as a constitutional conservative. The reason I chose to file to run for Nevada governor is because the way our current governor has chosen to run our great state as a dictatorship. MILITARY SERVICE Active Army, 8 years with service in West Germany during the cold war. With the Wyoming National Guard my unit deployed to South Korea for military training in 1978 for Team Spirit 78, then with the Nevada National Guard I deployed to Okinawa, Japan for training. I was stationed at Torri Station with the Mars Station military affiliated radio station, we provided radio telephone communications for service members to call home to the United States for low cost phone calls. During my military service Ive received numerous commendation and achievement medals. Ive seen socialism and communism firsthand, while stationed in West Germany I was chosen in June 1979 to make a special visit into communist East Germany. PUBLIC SERVICE I also have 25 years of public service. In the city of Hanna, Wyoming having served in emergency communications and reserve police officer and volunteer fire fighter, 1985-1990. Then we moved to Nevada November 1990, erving with the Spring Creek volunteer fire department as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician. PRIVATE SECTOR Ive been employed in mining from 1985-2010. I was a member of the Barrick Goldstrike emergency response team C Crew from 2001-2010. Employed by Barrick Goldstrike 1990-2010. If elected to office my goals for Nevada are: we will put Nevada back to work with my first week; we need to bolster metal/non-metal mining, ranching/farming in Northern Nevada and Southern Nevada; bolster the gaming and tourist industry for both Northern and Southern Nevada we will open Nevada for business! Critical race theory no Nevada education money will be spent on this. Innovation zones This will never happen. Immigration apply for citizenship the legal way, no illegal immigrants will be given handouts by the state of Nevada. Abortion the state of Nevada will not kill babies. Defund the police this will never happen. If Im elected to office, they actually need more pay for what they do. Mine tax no new taxes. I dont support the current mine tax, at this this time, the way its written needs to be reworked in a regular legislative session. Employment get off your rear end, clean yourself up, build a good resume, market yourself, jobs are there it takes time. Love 1 Funny 3 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Im Joey Gilbert, and Im running for governor to fix our states problems and ensure a better future for our children. NO other candidate matches my knowledge of our states problems, or my unique solutions. EDUCATION Fixing our public schools is my top priority. They are academically dysfunctional, morally broken, socially dangerous, and fiscally irresponsible. 70-95% of our public school students are functionally illiterate. If this situation is not changed, it will have a huge negative impact on both our state economy and our ability to maintain social services. My first act on Day One as governor will be to declare a State of Emergency in our public schools and assume full control of them. I have an 8-Point Plan for how I will transform our schools From Worst-to-First within a matter of weeks. WATER I have a plan for changing Nevadas water shortage into a surplus. ALL the personal water usage in Nevada consumes only 17% of our annual supply. 70% of our annual water is consumed by agriculture: primarily because of inefficient irrigation methods. Alternative irrigation methods could reduce the amount needed to irrigate our crops by 30-40% or more, without losing any yield. I will sit down with ranchers and farmers to see what resources the State needs to supply in order to find a solution that mutually benefits our Northern agriculture sector, and our Southern population center and economic engine. CRIME Sheriff Joe Lombardos out-of-control crime epidemic in Clark County has spread to the rural counties, infecting them with both Fentanyl and gang issues. Elko County Sheriff Aitor Narvazias support of Lombardos campaign for governor should be of great concern to voters. I will stop this crime epidemic by taking the following two actions. Taking the handcuffs off our law enforcement officers and allowing them to do their jobs Using my legal expertise as an attorney to ensure that our courts and DAs do not let their political bias prevent them from rendering fair, impartial verdicts and sentencing. HEALTHCARE DECISIONS I will never allow our God-given freedoms and Constitutional rights to be abused like they were by governor Sisolak during his illegal and immoral Covid mandates. Schools, businesses, and churches will never again be unjustifiably shut-down. All Nevadans will be able to make their healthcare decisions based on Choice NOT Coercion. As your Governor, I would utilize my moral courage and leadership ability to get ALL Nevadans working together for everyones benefit. Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Flights from dal to elp are operated 26 times a week, with an average of 4 flights per day. Airlines offering direct flights are: We compare hundreds of flights from all major airlines and travel agents, finding you the best deal on cheap plane. Flights from dal to elp are operated 26 times a week, with an average of 4 flights per day. 7 miles 6 minutes, 51 seconds: The average flight time from dallas (love field) to el paso is 1 hour 48 minutes. Driving directions from dallas to el paso : Dallas To El Paso . And leave at 1:02 pm. How long does it take to fly from dfw to elp? Source: www.city-data.com How long does it take to fly from dfw to elp? The fastest bus from dallas to el paso, tx is offered by greyhound us and takes 11h 35m. From dallas to el paso. 3 hours el paso. Direct flights go from dallas to el paso on saturday and sunday. Source: www.sparefoot.com 7 miles 6 minutes, 51 seconds: Prices and availability are subject to change. 3 hours el paso. Airfares from $114 one way, $242 round trip from dallas to el paso. There is one daily train from dallas to el paso. Source: www.elpasotimes.com Dallas to el paso flights. The latest flight departs from dallas (dfw) at 21:10 and arrives in el paso (elp) at 21:56. The average flight time from dallas (love field) to el paso is 1 hour 48 minutes. For tornado travel from dallas to el paso, tornado operates 1 scheduled trips. If you are planning a road trip, you might. Source: krod.com The total flight duration time from dallas (dfw) to el paso (elp) is typically 6 hours 15 minutes. When flying, the distance shortens to 571 miles, and it takes around 1 hour, 24 minutes to cover that distance. In this context, bear in mind that the journey can take longer due to traffic. Taxes, fees and other terms and conditions. Source: www.aa.com Founded in 1993, tornado bus company is headquartered in dallas, texas. Airlines with flights from dallas (dfw) to el paso (elp): As we said before, a drive between dallas and el paso takes roughly 9 hours, 6 minutes and covers 635 miles. Direct flights go from dallas to el paso on saturday and sunday. Which airlines provide the cheapest flights. Source: www.dallasnews.com If you are planning a road trip, you might also want to calculate the total driving time from dallas, tx to el paso, tx so you can see when you'll arrive at your destination. Flight route prices based on searches on cheapflights within the last 3 days, monthly prices based on aggregated historical data. 7 miles 6 minutes, 51 seconds:. Source: www.dallasnews.com If you are planning a road trip, you might also want to calculate the total driving time from dallas, tx to el paso, tx so you can see when you'll arrive at your destination. Airlines offering direct flights are: Drive for about 1.5 hours. Prices and availability are subject to change. The latest flight departs from dallas (dal) at 21:55. Source: texashillcountry.com Cheap bus tickets from dallas, texas to el paso, texas. How far is el paso, texas from dallas, texas? There is one daily train from dallas to el paso. Traveling by train from dallas to el paso usually takes around 26 hours and 32 minutes, but some trains might arrive slightly earlier or later than scheduled. Most of the time,. Source: www.ebay.com The driving distance is 635 miles. 2 hours big spring. Drive for about 1.5 hours. 570 mi (918 km) fastest train. When flying, the distance shortens to 571 miles, and it takes around 1 hour, 24 minutes to cover that distance. Source: kfoxtv.com If you are planning a road trip, you might also want to calculate the total driving time from dallas, tx to el paso, tx so you can see when you'll arrive at your destination. Airlines with flights from dallas (dfw) to el paso (elp): Skyscanner is a fast and simple travel search engine that helps you to find cheap flights. Source: texashighways.com Which airlines provide the cheapest flights from dallas to el paso? Taxes, fees and other terms and conditions may apply. Road trip from dallas to el paso driving distance = 635 miles. The latest flight departs from dallas (dal) at 21:55 and arrives in el paso (elp) at 22:45. American airlines and alaska airlines. Source: www.youtube.com Founded in 1993, tornado bus company is headquartered in dallas, texas. And leave at 3:22 pm. Skyscanner is a fast and simple travel search engine that helps you to find cheap flights and great prices on flights from dallas to el paso. How long does it take to fly from dfw to elp? When flying, the distance shortens to 571. Source: www.preventdvgunviolence.org The total driving distance from dallas, tx to el paso, tx is 635 miles or 1 022 kilometers. Prices and availability are subject to change. Airlines with flights from dallas (dfw) to el paso (elp): If you are planning a road trip, you might also want to calculate the total driving time from dallas, tx to el paso, tx so. Source: www.dallasnews.com Prices and availability are subject to change. What are the most popular airlines that fly from dallas (dfw) to el paso (elp)? The fastest bus from dallas to el paso, tx is offered by greyhound us and takes 11h 35m. The average flight time from dallas (love field) to el paso is 1 hour 48 minutes. Taxes, fees and other. Source: www.effectivecoverage.com Drive for about 1.5 hours. Dallas to el paso flights. The latest flight departs from dallas (dal) at 21:55 and arrives in el paso (elp) at 22:45. The earliest flight departs at 07:45, the last flight departs at 22:40. Airlines with flights from dallas (dfw) to el paso (elp): Source: www.pinterest.com Traveling by train from dallas to el paso usually takes around 26 hours and 32 minutes, but some trains might arrive slightly earlier or later than scheduled. Skyscanner is a fast and simple travel search engine that helps you to find cheap flights and great prices on flights from dallas to el paso. The driving distance is 635 miles. Driving. Source: www.digie.org Flight route prices based on searches on cheapflights within the last 3 days, monthly prices based on aggregated historical data. The latest flight departs from dallas (dal) at 21:55 and arrives in el paso (elp) at 22:45. Airlines offering direct flights are: The earliest flight departs at 07:45, the last flight departs at 22:40. Your trip begins in dallas, texas. Source: www.youtube.com How long does it take to fly from dfw to elp? Airlines with flights from dallas (dfw) to el paso (elp): Cheap flights from love field to el paso intl. As we said before, a drive between dallas and el paso takes roughly 9 hours, 6 minutes and covers 635 miles. Dallas to el paso via carlsbad. Source: www.fcdallas.com The total flight duration time from dallas (dfw) to el paso (elp) is typically 6 hours 15 minutes. Cheap bus tickets from dallas, texas to el paso, texas. Which airlines provide the cheapest flights from dallas to el paso? As we said before, a drive between dallas and el paso takes roughly 9 hours, 6 minutes and covers 635 miles.. Source: www.reddit.com Road trip from dallas to el paso driving distance = 635 miles. It ends in el paso, texas. Cheap bus tickets from dallas, texas to el paso, texas. Does southwest fly nonstop on weekdays from dallas (love field) to el paso? How long does it take to fly from dfw to elp? Source: cbs4local.com American airlines and alaska airlines. Airlines with flights from dallas (dfw) to el paso (elp): Airlines offering direct flights are: 7 miles 6 minutes, 51 seconds: The fastest flight from dallas to el paso takes 1h 43m. Source: www.epelectric.com Which airlines provide the cheapest flights from dallas to el paso? Airlines with flights from dallas (dfw) to el paso (elp): How far is el paso, texas from dallas, texas? Airlines offering direct flights are: From dallas to el paso. Source: www.gcmap.com And leave at 3:22 pm. Dallas to el paso flights. The average flight time from dallas (love field) to el paso is 1 hour 48 minutes. If you are planning a road trip, you might also want to calculate the total driving time from dallas, tx to el paso, tx so you can see when you'll arrive at your destination.. Source: kfoxtv.com 570 mi (918 km) fastest train. In this context, bear in mind that the journey can take longer due to traffic. From dallas to el paso. Road trip from dallas to el paso driving distance = 635 miles. And leave at 1:02 pm. Source: elpasotimes.typepad.com What are the most popular airlines that fly from dallas (dfw) to el paso (elp)? Airlines with flights from dallas (dfw) to el paso (elp): Your trip begins in dallas, texas. The latest flight departs from dallas (dfw) at 21:10 and arrives in el paso (elp) at 21:56. When flying, the distance shortens to 571 miles, and it takes around. Source: consideringadoption.com Airfares from $114 one way, $242 round trip from dallas to el paso. From dallas to el paso. However, this depends on the date you are flying so please check with the full flight schedule above to see. Road trip from dallas to el paso driving distance = 635 miles. American airlines and alaska airlines. Source: prodancecheer.com Drive for about 1.5 hours. Stay for about 1 hour. And leave at 3:22 pm. Cheap bus tickets from dallas, texas to el paso, texas. Which airlines provide the cheapest flights from dallas to el paso? Source: texashsfootball.com American airlines and alaska airlines. Prices and availability are subject to change. However, this depends on the date you are flying so please check with the full flight schedule above to see. The driving distance is 635 miles. We compare hundreds of flights from all major airlines and travel agents, finding you the best deal on cheap plane. Source: klaq.com Cheap bus tickets from dallas, texas to el paso, texas. When flying, the distance shortens to 571 miles, and it takes around 1 hour, 24 minutes to cover that distance. Prices and availability are subject to change. Cheap flights from love field to el paso intl. 3 hours el paso. Source: techspohouston.com There are 87 weekly flights from dallas (love field) to el paso on southwest airlines. Your trip begins in dallas, texas. Tornado bus is a regional bus company that primarily serves the southern united states and mexico. Bus tickets for this connection cost $59.00. American airlines and alaska airlines. Source: www.bandmix.com 570 mi (918 km) fastest train. Road trip from dallas to el paso driving distance = 635 miles. Airfares from $114 one way, $242 round trip from dallas to el paso. American airlines and alaska airlines. Cheap bus tickets from dallas, texas to el paso, texas. Source: texasnewstoday.com The average flight time from dallas (love field) to el paso is 1 hour 48 minutes. American airlines and alaska airlines. Prices and availability are subject to change. Taxes, fees and other terms and conditions may apply. However, this depends on the date you are flying so please check with the full flight schedule above to see. Source: www.affordabletravelplan.com 2 hours big spring. Does southwest fly nonstop on weekdays from dallas (love field) to el paso? Airlines with flights from dallas (dfw) to el paso (elp): Cheap flights from love field to el paso intl. Bus tickets for this connection cost $59.00. Source: www.usatoday.com The latest flight departs from dallas (dfw) at 21:10 and arrives in el paso (elp) at 21:56. And leave at 1:02 pm. Stay for about 1 hour. And leave at 3:22 pm. Which airlines provide the cheapest flights from dallas to el paso? The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has instructed the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) to transfer the previously seized assets of gas distribution system operators (regional gas companies) to JSC Chornomornaftogaz. According to resolution No. 429-r of May 28, 2022, the text of which was published on the government portal, the assets are transferred in order to eliminate the risk of failure and/or interruption of their operation and to prevent emergencies until the completion of the implementation of procedural measures. At the same time, the list of such assets is not attached to the order. As reported, at the end of May, at the request of the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), the investigating judge of the Kyiv Pechersky Court transferred the seized private corporate rights to 26 regional and city gas distribution system operators to the management of ARMA. The bureau recalled that in June last year they exposed a large-scale scheme for the free transfer of gas distribution systems by the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine for use by private operators. Many years of illegal activity caused damage to the state in the amount of UAH 1.488 billion. The pictures illustrating the message about the transfer of the regional and city gas companies to ARMA show the premises of Cherkasygaz and the enterprises of Regional Gas Company (RGC) of businessman Dmytro Firtash, namely Khmelnytskgaz, Chernihivgaz, Vinnytsiagaz, Dnipropetrovskgaz, Kyivoblgaz, Tysmenytsiagaz. The head of the board of NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy, Yuriy Vitrenko, in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine confirmed the group's readiness to take over the management of the regional gas companies from ARMA. Additional baggage fees and fees for other services may apply. Rome2rio displays up to date schedules, route maps, journey times and estimated. What are the most popular airlines that fly from tampa (tpa) to new orleans (msy)? From tampa to new orleans louis armstrong. Louis armstrong new orleans international airport (msy) average flight time. Compare flights from tampa to new orleans and find the cheapest flights with skyscanner. Bus or fly from tampa bay to new orleans? Tampa To New Orleans . You could drive straight from tampa to new orleans with one long day of driving, but we think its worth stopping along the way to see some great sights, eat fantastic food, and create some awesome memories. Bus or fly from tampa bay to new orleans? Source: www.canalstreetchronicles.com The best price found on skyscanner for a flight from tampa to new orleans is $81. Only interested in direct flights between tampa and new orleans? However, this depends on the date you are flying so please check with the full flight schedule above to see. Find and plan your next cruise from tampa to new orleans on cruise critic.. Source: www.canalstreetchronicles.com Drive for about 1 hour. Only interested in direct flights between tampa and new orleans? Train from tampa to new orleans. Louis armstrong new orleans international airport (msy) average flight time. There are 4 direct flights every day. Source: www.bucsnation.com Tampa to new orleans cruise. During this period travelers can expect to fly about 882 miles, or 1,420 kilometers. The earliest flight departs at 05:30, the last flight departs at 22:35. Fly tampa to new orleans and save big *fares presented below are available at the beginning of each day, but may sell out. Looking for cruises from tampa to. Source: www.chatsports.com Tampa to new orleans cruise. Additional baggage fees and fees for other services may apply. Prices and availability are subject to change. Warning there are no trains leaving on this day or perhaps we're not serving this route at the moment! Drive for about 1 hour. Source: www.zimbio.com Additional baggage fees and fees for other services may apply. We offer a wide selection of departure dates for cruises from tampa to new. The 658 mile trip north and west to new orleans takes you through three states, florida, alabama, and louisiana, and offers numerous attractions, wilderness areas, and urban centers such as tallahassee and pensacola, florida, and mobile,. Source: www.buccaneers.com Tampa, fl to new orleans, la. Only interested in direct flights between tampa and new orleans? Find all the transport options for your trip from tampa to new orleans right here. The latest flight departs from tampa (tpa) at 17:15 and arrives in new orleans (msy) at 17:55. Fly tampa to new orleans and save big *fares presented below are. Source: www.zimbio.com The earliest flight departs at 05:30, the last flight departs at 22:35. If there are direct flights available on the route, these will appear in the results. Tampa, fl to new orleans, la. Flight route prices based on searches on cheapflights within the last 3 days, monthly prices based on aggregated historical data. Flights from tpa to msy are operated. Source: sportsbookwire.usatoday.com W 445 miles 6 hours, 9 minutes. There is one daily train from tampa to new orleans. Louis armstrong new orleans international airport (msy) average flight time. What are the most popular airlines that fly from tampa (tpa) to new orleans (msy)? What time does the latest flight from tampa to new orleans depart? Source: www.pff.com Train from tampa to new orleans. Compare flights from tampa to new orleans and find the cheapest flights with skyscanner. From tampa to new orleans louis armstrong. You could drive straight from tampa to new orleans with one long day of driving, but we think its worth stopping along the way to see some great sights, eat fantastic food, and. Source: www.canalstreetchronicles.com 1h 29min is the average flight time from tampa to new orleans. Additional baggage fees and fees for other services may apply. Fares from $ 60 * one way. 481 mi (773 km) fastest train. If there are direct flights available on the route, these will appear in the results. Source: bleacherreport.com Other terms and conditions may apply. Airlines with flights from tampa (tpa) to new orleans (msy): If there are direct flights available on the route, these will appear in the results. Prices and availability are subject to change. Compare flights from tampa to new orleans and find the cheapest flights with skyscanner. Source: www.neworleanssaints.com Flights from tpa to msy are operated 14 times a week, with an average of 2 flights per day. During this period travelers can expect to fly about 882 miles, or 1,420 kilometers. Take interstate 75 north from tampa to interstate 10, and then head west to new orleans. How many flights per day are there on this route? Flight. Source: whodatdish.com It takes approximately 3h 25m to get from tampa bay to new orleans, including transfers. How many flights per day are there on this route? Fares from $ 60 * one way. 1h 29min is the average flight time from tampa to new orleans. Driving directions from tampa to new orleans. Source: thepewterplank.com The earliest flight departs from tampa (tpa) at 05:45 and arrives in new orleans (msy) at 06:30. The earliest flight departs at 05:30, the last flight departs at 22:35. To louis armstrong new orleans intl. However, this depends on the date you are flying so please check with the full flight schedule above to see. How many flights per day. Source: www.pinterest.com There are 4 direct flights every day. The 658 mile trip north and west to new orleans takes you through three states, florida, alabama, and louisiana, and offers numerous attractions, wilderness areas, and urban centers such as tallahassee and pensacola, florida, and mobile, alabama. It takes approximately 3h 25m to get from tampa bay to new orleans, including transfers. The. Source: www.chatsports.com How many flights per day are there on this route? Fares from $ 60 * one way. Best time to find cheap flights, 39% potential price drop. Airlines with flights from tampa (tpa) to new orleans (msy): Flights from tpa to msy are operated 14 times a week, with an average of 2 flights per day. Source: www.canalstreetchronicles.com What time does the latest flight from tampa to new orleans depart? Additional baggage fees and fees for other services may apply. We compare hundreds of flights from all major airlines and travel agents, finding you the best deal on cheap. During this period travelers can expect to fly about 882 miles, or 1,420 kilometers. Bus or fly from tampa. Source: www.canalstreetchronicles.com Prices and availability are subject to change. W 445 miles 6 hours, 9 minutes. You could drive straight from tampa to new orleans with one long day of driving, but we think its worth stopping along the way to see some great sights, eat fantastic food, and create some awesome memories. During this period travelers can expect to fly about. Source: www.zimbio.com Louis armstrong new orleans international airport (msy) average flight time. W 445 miles 6 hours, 9 minutes. And leave at 6:46 pm. Cheap flights from tampa intl. Best time to find cheap flights, 39% potential price drop. Source: www.chatsports.com To louis armstrong new orleans intl. Rome2rio displays up to date schedules, route maps, journey times and estimated. Flight route prices based on searches on cheapflights within the last 3 days, monthly prices based on aggregated historical data. Cheap flights from tampa intl. Find all the transport options for your trip from tampa to new orleans right here. Source: www.airportia.com Bus or fly from tampa bay to new orleans? Rome2rio makes travelling from tampa to new orleans easy. Drive for about 1.5 hours. And leave at 6:46 pm. Compare flights from tampa to new orleans and find the cheapest flights with skyscanner. Source: www.youtube.com Tampa, fl to new orleans, la. Looking for cruises from tampa to new orleans? Compare flights from tampa to new orleans and find the cheapest flights with skyscanner. W 445 miles 6 hours, 9 minutes. Drive for about 1.5 hours. Source: fresh-world-news.com There are 4 direct flights every day. Find and plan your next cruise from tampa to new orleans on cruise critic. Prices and availability are subject to change. Skyscanner is a fast and simple travel search engine that helps you to find cheap flights and great prices on flights from tampa to new orleans. Cheap flights from tampa intl. Source: www.profootballnetwork.com We compare hundreds of flights from all major airlines and travel agents, finding you the best deal on cheap. How long does it take to fly from tampa to new orleans? Airlines with flights from tampa (tpa) to new orleans (msy): 481 mi (773 km) fastest train. Fares from $ 60 * one way. Source: www.pinterest.com Compare flights from tampa to new orleans and find the cheapest flights with skyscanner. Drive for about 1 hour. If there are direct flights available on the route, these will appear in the results. Take interstate 75 north from tampa to interstate 10, and then head west to new orleans. During this period travelers can expect to fly about 882. Source: www.canalstreetchronicles.com N 161 miles 2 hours, 11 minutes. Cheap flights from tampa intl. There is one daily train from tampa to new orleans. Find all the transport options for your trip from tampa to new orleans right here. Stay safe onboard when flying from tampa to new. Source: thepewterplank.com Traveling by train from tampa to new orleans usually takes around 52 hours and 42 minutes, but some trains might arrive slightly earlier or later than scheduled. Only interested in direct flights between tampa and new orleans? Cheap flights from tampa intl. Flights from tpa to msy are operated 14 times a week, with an average of 2 flights per. Source: collegefootballnews.com Rome2rio displays up to date schedules, route maps, journey times and estimated. We offer a wide selection of departure dates for cruises from tampa to new. Flights from tpa to msy are operated 14 times a week, with an average of 2 flights per day. The earliest flight departs at 05:30, the last flight departs at 22:35. Make sure to. Source: collegefootballnews.com There is one daily train from tampa to new orleans. To louis armstrong new orleans intl. How long does it take to fly from tampa to new orleans? The 658 mile trip north and west to new orleans takes you through three states, florida, alabama, and louisiana, and offers numerous attractions, wilderness areas, and urban centers such as tallahassee and. Source: nflmocks.com Tampa, fl to new orleans, la. From tampa to new orleans louis armstrong. There are 4 direct flights every day. Traveling by train from tampa to new orleans usually takes around 52 hours and 42 minutes, but some trains might arrive slightly earlier or later than scheduled. How many flights per day are there on this route? Source: www.nflonline.tv 1h 29min is the average flight time from tampa to new orleans. We compare hundreds of flights from all major airlines and travel agents, finding you the best deal on cheap. There are 4 direct flights every day. Drive for about 1 hour. From tampa to new orleans louis armstrong. Source: 995qyk.com Flight route prices based on searches on cheapflights within the last 3 days, monthly prices based on aggregated historical data. Tampa international airport (tpa) arriving at. Tampa to new orleans flights. Driving directions from tampa to new orleans. Other terms and conditions may apply. Source: www.canalstreetchronicles.com Tampa to new orleans cruise. Fly tampa to new orleans and save big *fares presented below are available at the beginning of each day, but may sell out. N 161 miles 2 hours, 11 minutes. How long does it take to fly from tampa to new orleans? Looking for cruises from tampa to new orleans? Source: premadp.weebly.com Looking for cruises from tampa to new orleans? The 658 mile trip north and west to new orleans takes you through three states, florida, alabama, and louisiana, and offers numerous attractions, wilderness areas, and urban centers such as tallahassee and pensacola, florida, and mobile, alabama. From tampa to new orleans louis armstrong. You could drive straight from tampa to new. The Verkhovna Rada has supported bill No. 7413, which provides for an increase in expenditures of the general fund of the state budget by UAH 287 billion through external loans, to UAH 2.08 trillion, including military spending by UAH 247.77 billion. MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak, Deputy Head of the Parliamentary Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy said on his Telegram channel, 299 MPs backed the bill at the second reading, with the required 226 votes. Spending on the Ministry of Defense is proposed to be increased by UAH 166 billion, to UAH 383 billion, including funding for the Armed Forces of Ukraine by UAH 102.5 billion (to UAH 202 billion). The bill provides for an increase by another UAH 76 billion in spending on the Ministry of Internal Affairs, to UAH 182.3 billion. Spending on the National Guard will be raised by UAH 25 billion, to UAH 39.16 billion, as well as funding for the administration of the State Border Guard Service by UAH 7.9 billion, to UAH 22.77 billion, and the State Emergency Service by UAH 13 billion, to UAH 30 billion, National Police by UAH 28.5 billion, to UAH 65.26 billion. In addition, the bill provides for an increase in spending on the SBU by UAH 2.78 billion, to UAH 18.9 billion, namely on the Central Office of the SBU. According to the document, it is proposed to replenish the reserve fund by UAH 1.5 billion, provide assistance under the eSupport program by UAH 5.8 billion, and finance pensions and the Pension Fund deficit by more than UAH 20 billion. In addition, the bill envisages the provision UAH 12.5 billion in the state budget for 2022for the targeted assistance to internally displaced persons. Thus, the bill increases the expenditure of the state budget for 2022 to UAH 2.08 trillion (from UAH 1.79 trillion), including general fund expenditures to UAH 1.859 trillion (from UAH 1.572 trillion), and the state budget upper deficit by this year to increase to UAH 743.5 billion (from UAH 456.36 billion), the deficit of the general fund to UAH 647.35 billion (from UAH 360.26 billion). Zelensky dismisses head of Kharkiv regional department of SBU for not working to protect city during first days of Russias invasion During a working visit to Kharkiv region, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky fired the head of the Security Service of Ukraine in Kharkiv region for inaction from the first days of the Russian invasion. Following the results of his visit to the region, the head of state thanked the leadership of the region and the city for their effective work in the conditions of war. "They were and remain together with Kharkiv people, together with Ukraine and, what is important now, together with one another. They have 100% cooperation. The army, the police, the mayor of Kharkiv, the regional state administration - everyone really works for victory and they do it very effectively," Zelensky said in a video message on Sunday evening. At the same time, he said that the same cannot be said about the leadership of the SBU in Kharkiv region. "Unfortunately, this cannot be said about the local leadership through the SBU. I arrived, figured it out, fired the head of the regional SBU because he did not work to protect the city from the first days of a full-scale war, but thought only of himself personally. What are the motives - law enforcement authorities will find out," the president said. The leaders of the European Union have agreed on the sixth package of sanctions against Russia, including an embargo on oil supplied by sea. This was announced by President of the European Council Charles Michel on his Twitter page. "Agreement to ban export of Russian oil to the EU. This immediately covers more than 2/3 of oil imports from Russia, cutting a huge source of financing for its war machine. Maximum pressure on Russia to end the war," Michel wrote. In addition, the President of the European Council said that this package of sanctions includes "other tough measures." In particular, the "largest Russian bank Sberbank" will be disconnected from the SWIFT system, three more Russian state broadcasters will be banned, and sanctions will be applied to those responsible for war crimes in Ukraine. The Russian invaders managed to move deep into Severodonetsk, Luhansk region, street fighting continues in the city, head of the regional military administration Serhiy Haidai said. "They [the Russian military] have been destroying Severodonetsk for a very long time. They managed to advance from the territory from the outskirts to where the Myr Hotel is located. And they managed to move a little deeper into the city, and now there are street battles," Haidai said on the air of the unified national telethon. The head of the regional military administration urged the residents of the city not to leave their shelters. Kotelevsky District Court of Poltava Region found guilty of violating the laws and customs of war (part 2 of Article 28, part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) Russian servicemen Aleksandr Bobykin and Aleksandr Ivanov, who fired from Grad multiple launch rocket systems Kozacha Lopan, Veterynarne villages (Kharkiv region) and sentenced them to 11.5 years in prison. "Bobykin Aleksandr Vladimirovich found guilty of charge of committing a crime under part 2 of Article 28 part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, and sentenced to imprisonment for a term of eleven years and six months... Ivanov Aleksandr Alekseevich found guilty charged with committing a crime under part 2 of Article 28, part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, and to sentence him to imprisonment for a term of eleven years and six months," the verdict announced by Judge Yevheniy Bolybok on Tuesday says. The court included the pretrial detention of both defendants from April 6 into the term of serving the sentence. The verdict has not entered into force, it can be appealed. The court left both defendants in custody pending the entry into force of the verdict. As reported, on May 26, during the court debate, the prosecution demanded that both defendants be given the maximum penalty under Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - 12 years in prison. Bobykin and Ivanov fully admitted their guilt and once again said that they repented. The defendants' lawyers pointed to their remorse and to the fact that their clients followed the orders of the commanders (that is, they acted under duress). Lawyers asked to take this into account as mitigating circumstances and, taking them into account, to impose a sentence "closer to the minimum sanction" provided for by the incriminated article - eight years in prison. On February 24, two Russian servicemen, one of whom was a loading driver and the other a BM-21 Grad gunner, fired artillery at Kharkiv region from the territory of Belgorod region of the Russian Federation. Fulfilling a criminal order, the military personnel of the RF Armed Forces destroyed critical infrastructure facilities and residential buildings in the village of Kozacha Lopan and Veterynarne village. After that, the military personnel of the RF Armed Forces crossed the border of Ukraine and continued shelling Kharkiv region. After the defeat of the Russian military column, two invaders were taken prisoner by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the territory of Kharkiv region. They were declared suspected of violating the laws and customs of war (Part 1, Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). On May 7, the indictment against the accused was sent to court. Danish Ambassador to Ukraine Ole Egberg Mikkelsen visited the renovated JYSK store in Bucha (Kyiv region) before its opening on June 1, the retailer's press service reported. According to its data, the ambassador expressed respect and support for the store staff, and also stressed the importance of resuming business for the return of residents of Bucha and neighboring places to normal life. "The battle against the aggressor is fought not only by courageous Ukrainian soldiers on the battlefield. Your efforts to restore and return to normal life in your local community are no less important. I want to express my sincere gratitude and respect to the JYSK team, which made this possible," he said. On the occasion of the opening of the renovated store during the week, from June 1 to June 8, special offers will be in effect. Also, 10% of sales during this period will be transferred to the restoration of Irpin Lyceum No. 3, which was significantly damaged during the occupation. The JYSK store in Retail Park Bucha was opened on December 16, 2021 in a new 3.0 format. During the occupation, the store was completely looted, goods were taken out, machinery and equipment were damaged. The retailer's press service told Interfax-Ukraine that the total loss of the store in Bucha amounted to almost UAH 8 million. "The reopening of the store became possible thanks to the great desire to continue activities and work on the part of employees, which deserves recognition and incredible respect. In addition, by resuming and continuing development, the business must support local communities. Side by side, only by joint efforts we will build the economy of Ukraine," Yevhen Ivanytsia, the JYSK Country Manager in Ukraine, said. The JYSK network began to develop in Ukraine as a b2c business in 2004. As of May 2022, there are 71 stores of the network, as well as an online store JYSK.ua. Until February 24, 2022, there were 85 operating stores, as well as seven under construction The Russian occupation troops used Iskander-M operational-tactical missiles during the shelling of the city of Sloviansk, Donetsk region, according to the Telegram channel of the National Police of Ukraine on Tuesday. "The Russians were hitting Sloviansk with an Iskander missile system," the report said, illustrated with photographs of destruction in residential areas of the city. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has exposed Russian agents in Ukroboronprom state concern and detained collaborators who were scouting the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the east of the country, SBU spokesperson Artem Dekhtiarenko said. In a video message posted on the SBU Telegram channel on Tuesday, Dekhtiarenko said that since the start of Russia's full-scale aggression, the Ukrainian intelligence service has exposed more than 360 Russian agents and more than 5,000 collaborators. "In Kyiv, counterintelligence of the SBU, with the assistance of the security unit of Ukroboronprom, exposed an employee of one of the defense enterprises for campaigning in favor of Russia. The plotter publicly justified the war crimes of the occupiers and called on his colleagues to support the enemy's army," the spokesperson of the Ukrainian intelligence service said. At the same time, Dekhtiarenko said that this employee of the defense enterprise "repeatedly turned to the President of the Russian Federation with a request to grant him Russian citizenship." According to the SBU spokesperson, during searches at the agitator's place of residence, electronic media with pro-Kremlin propaganda and design documentation for aircraft construction were found. "The agitator has been handed with a notice of suspicion. Measures are underway to establish his subversive activities," Dekhtiarenko added. The prosecutor's office of Kyiv region, in turn, reported on its Telegram channel that an employee of the Antonov State Enterprise is suspected of supporting the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. "Prosecutors of the Kyiv Regional Prosecutor's Office handed a notice of suspicion to the lead design engineer of the Antonov State Enterprise, who distributed publications justifying the armed aggression of the Russian Federation and glorifying the military personnel of the armed forces of the aggressor country on the Internet (Part 2 of Article 436-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine)," the prosecutor's office said in a statement. According to investigators, during March-April 2022, a resident of Irpen, having pro-Russian sentiments, distributed publications on social networks aimed at supporting the actions of the Russian Federation and justifying its armed aggression against Ukraine. "In particular, the suspect distributed a map of Ukraine, on which part of the territories of our state allegedly began to belong to neighboring countries," the prosecutor's office said. Also, the spokesperson of the SBU said that according to the materials of the SBU, a citizen of the Russian Federation, who called on residents of Kyiv to cooperate with the enemy, was sentenced to five years in prison. In Donetsk region, according to Dekhtiarenko, a Russian agent network, which was involved in reconnaissance of the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the eastern front, was rolled up. "One agent was detained in Sloviansk, where he took pictures and video where the movement of Ukrainian troops was recorded, the other in the Kramatorsk region collected intel and transmitted it to the invaders via Telegram app," the spokesperson of the Ukrainian intelligence service said. Also, according to him, in Kharkiv, the SBU officers exposed two former members of illegal armed groups, and in Lugansk region, based on the materials of the SBU, two commanders of the so-called "LPR," who were captured near Severodonetsk, were sentenced to 8 and 10 years in prison. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky discussed with President of Slovakia Zuzana Caputova during her visit to Kyiv the defense and economic support of Ukraine, as well as the strengthening of sanctions against the Russian Federation. "The talks were productive. The key topics of our talks were everything that needs to be done to support Ukraine and protect our freedom from Russian aggression. First of all, we discussed defense and economic support for Ukraine, strengthening sanctions against the Russian Federation," Zelensky said at a briefing with the President of Slovakia in Kyiv on Tuesday. Eurojust intends to provide the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) on War Crimes in Ukraine with legal, technical and financial support. This was announced on Tuesday in The Hague at a press conference by Eurojust President Ladislav Hamran. As you know, at present the JIT includes six countries: Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Ukraine and Slovakia. He said they provide legal support to the JIT, which requires a legislative framework to operate. Eurojust is pleased that this team, for the first time in history, has been joined by an ICC prosecutor. As Eurojust, they will also provide technical support telephones, laptops, scanners, printers and other equipment that is essential in order to collect evidence of war crimes, he said. In addition, Eurojust intends to financially support the work of the JIT investigators, in particular by funding their trips, providing translators so that the investigators can communicate with each other in their native language, translating documents and all evidence that was collected in languages other than English. Eurojust will also do this for forensic reports so that everything that has been collected by this team can be shared among all parties involved. From now on, every piece of evidence collected by these countries will immediately be available to all partners, which will speed up the work of the JIT, the president of Eurojust said. Hamran also believes that the war in Ukraine will be the most documented military conflict that we have ever seen. As a result, coordination is needed, and this is where Eurojust comes in we have over twenty years of experience in coordinating large operations and we want to offer our experience to the members of the Joint Investigation Team, the president of Eurojust said. Does cvs sell target gift cards? Card assortment will vary by location and distribution partner, but. These gift cards are valid for any walgreens beauty product. Youll find set denominations of $10, $25, $45, and $50 on all other gift cards available at walgreens, up to a maximum of $100 per card. They can be purchased in any amount from $25 up to $500. Buy gift cards online and view local walgreens inventory. The most representative cards are red lobster, subway, xbox live, kohls, gamestop, home depot, american express, and applebees. What Gift Cards Does Walgreens Sell . The most representative cards are red lobster, subway, xbox live, kohls, gamestop, home depot, american express, and applebees. There are no physical or digital nike gift vouchers available for purchase on its website. Source: wlgre.blogspot.com Walgreens also sells gift cards from various companies. Heres how to check the balance on your walgreens gift card: Walgreens sells more than 85 different gift cards at its stores. You may wonder if walgreens has gift cards that you can buy for family Buy gift cards online and view local walgreens inventory. Source: firstquarterfinance.com Denominations come in $10, $25, $45, $50, and $100 per card. Walgreens also sells gift certificates from microsoft, amazon and mcdonalds. None of the stores we called sell walmart gift cards. Walgreens sells its own gift cards that can be purchased for any denomination between $5 and $500 at any walgreens store or online. Do walgreens sell nike gift cards. Source: thepointsguy.com If you are willing to buy other gift cards, walgreens offers those from amazon, microsoft, mcdonalds, and many more. Does cvs sell target gift cards? Walgreens doesnt sell sephora gift certificates in any of its stores or online. No, walgreens does not sell walmart gift cards since it is a direct competitor. Walgreens offers vanilla visa, american express, and vanilla. Source: alyasimpsonsukasuke.blogspot.com Unfortunately, walgreens does not sell walmart gift cards as of 2022. Walgreens also sells gift certificates from microsoft, amazon and mcdonalds. There will be different prices on each card, such as 10 dollars, 25 dollars, 45 dollars. There are no physical or digital nike gift vouchers available for purchase on its website. Does cvs sell target gift cards? Source: freedllinjectorroblox.blogspot.com You can read on to learn about other walgreens products, the reasons walgreens isnt selling. They can be purchased for as little as $10 or as much at $500. There are no physical or digital nike gift vouchers available for purchase on its website. See the complete list of over 108 gift cards sold at walgreens below: Walgreens also sells. Source: cranachblog.blogspot.com Walgreens also sells gift certificates from microsoft, amazon and mcdonalds. As of 2022 walgreens will sell amazon gift cards in denominations of 10 available in a bundle of three 10 cards 25 50 and 100 in all of its locations. The most representative cards are red lobster, subway, xbox live, kohls, gamestop, home depot, american express, and applebees. Unfortunately, at. Source: freedllinjectorroblox.blogspot.com Heres how to check the balance on your walgreens gift card: As of 2022 walgreens will sell amazon gift cards in denominations of 10 available in a bundle of three 10 cards 25 50 and 100 in all of its locations. You can read on to learn about other walgreens products, the reasons walgreens isnt selling. Some notable gift cards. Source: robuxpromocodesmarch2019.blogspot.com Some notable gift cards that walgreens sell include gamestop, xbox live, subway, applebees, red lobster, kohls, home depot, and american express. Walgreens, of course, also does sell gift. Youll find set denominations of $10, $25, $45, and $50 on all other gift cards available at walgreens, up to a maximum of $100 per card. Sale on party supplies, cards &. Source: www.teststripsearch.com Youll find set denominations of $10, $25, $45, and $50 on all other gift cards available at walgreens, up to a maximum of $100 per card. However there are a few things to. Walgreens doesnt sell sephora gift certificates in any of its stores or online. You may wonder if walgreens has gift cards that you can buy for family. Source: www.clubmedicalnumerique.org Walgreens also sells gift certificates from microsoft, amazon and mcdonalds. Walgreens has other options for gift cards. Target giftcards are distributed at over 10,000 locations nationwide including kroger and safeway grocery stores and cvs pharmacy and rite aid pharmacies. You can go to walgreens only as of 2022 to buy walgreens gift cards in store. These gift cards are valid. Source: kanigara.point2this.com Walgreens is unable to sell nike gift card at its stores. You can read on to learn about other walgreens products, the reasons walgreens isnt selling. Do walgreens sell nike gift cards by 2022. Find gift cards coupons, promotions and product reviews on walgreens.com. We contacted walgreens stores in california, florida, michigan, new york, and texas to confirm the availability. Source: robuxcodesaugust2019.blogspot.com There will be different prices on each card, such as 10 dollars, 25 dollars, 45 dollars. Target giftcards are distributed at over 10,000 locations nationwide including kroger and safeway grocery stores and cvs pharmacy and rite aid pharmacies. We contacted walgreens stores in california, florida, michigan, new york, and texas to confirm the availability of walmart gift cards; Card assortment. Source: freerobloxgames1000uncopylocked.blogspot.com None of the stores we called sell walmart gift cards. Visit any walgreens pharmacy and ask a cashier to check the balance for you. Walgreens doesnt sell sephora gift certificates in any of its stores or online. You can go to walgreens only as of 2022 to buy walgreens gift cards in store. Likewise, what gift cards are sold at. Source: dogum-fotografcisi.blogspot.com Walgreens can sell sephora gift card cards. Do walgreens sell nike gift cards by 2022. Does cvs sell target gift cards? There are no physical or digital nike gift vouchers available for purchase on its website. If you are willing to buy other gift cards, walgreens offers those from amazon, microsoft, mcdonalds, and many more. Source: verstand-cynical.blogspot.com You can read on to learn about other walgreens products, the reasons walgreens isnt selling. As of 2022 walgreens will sell amazon gift cards in denominations of 10 available in a bundle of three 10 cards 25 50 and 100 in all of its locations. We contacted walgreens stores in california, florida, michigan, new york, and texas to confirm the. Source: www.youtube.com Does cvs sell target gift cards? The easiest way to get a ticketmaster gift card is to buy one directly through the company's website. They can be purchased in any amount from $25 up to $500. Unfortunately, at walgreens, you cannot get sephora gift cards. You may wonder if walgreens has gift cards that you can buy for family Source: shoppoin.blogspot.com Walgreens offers vanilla visa, american express, and vanilla mastercard gift card options. You can go to walgreens only as of 2022 to buy walgreens gift cards in store. You may wonder if walgreens has gift cards that you can buy for family Walgreens has other options for gift cards. Likewise, what gift cards are sold at cvs? Source: querysprout.com Unfortunately, at walgreens, you cannot get sephora gift cards. These gift cards are valid for any walgreens beauty product. 93+ gift card brands available in 2022 walgreens, which has 9000+ locations across the country is the u.s.'s largest drugstore chain, ranks among the top ten. Target giftcards are distributed at over 10,000 locations nationwide including kroger and safeway grocery stores. Source: walegr.blogspot.com Heres how to check the balance on your walgreens gift card: Walgreens doesnt sell sephora gift certificates in any of its stores or online. There are no physical or digital nike gift vouchers available for purchase on its website. 93+ gift card brands available in 2022 walgreens, which has 9000+ locations across the country is the u.s.'s largest drugstore chain,. Source: hip2save.com Though walgreens covers a wide range of coupons and gift cards, they do not have sephoras in stock. Sale on party supplies, cards & gift wrap. They can be purchased in any amount from $25 up to $500. Popular retailers including best buy, kroger, target, walgreens, and walmart do not sell ticketmaster gift cards. Visit any walgreens pharmacy and ask. Source: www.apexgiftcard.com We contacted walgreens stores in california, florida, michigan, new york, and texas to confirm the availability of walmart gift cards; Target giftcards are distributed at over 10,000 locations nationwide including kroger and safeway grocery stores and cvs pharmacy and rite aid pharmacies. These can instead be purchased at any sephora store or jcpenny sephora for denominations between $10 to $500.. Source: ephedup.blogspot.com Walgreens has other options for gift cards. Walgreens offers vanilla visa, american express, and vanilla mastercard gift card options. Youll find set denominations of $10, $25, $45, and $50 on all other gift cards available at walgreens, up to a maximum of $100 per card. None of the stores we called sell walmart gift cards. No, walgreens does not sell. Source: shoppoin.blogspot.com Do walgreens sell nike gift cards by 2022. Unfortunately, walgreens does not sell walmart gift cards as of 2022. Nikes website is the only place to purchase a gift card. Walgreens has other options for gift cards. Secondly, does walgreens sell ticketmaster gift cards? Source: rover.ebay.com Gift wrap, bags & accessories. Unfortunately, at walgreens, you cannot get sephora gift cards. Sephora gift vouchers can only be purchased in walgreens retail stores or at jcpenny sephora branches. Walgreens has other options for gift cards. Walgreens also sells gift certificates from microsoft, amazon and mcdonalds. Source: querysprout.com You can go to walgreens only as of 2022 to buy walgreens gift cards in store. These can instead be purchased at any sephora store or jcpenny sephora for denominations between $10 to $500. They can be purchased in any amount from $25 up to $500. Nikes website is the only place to purchase a gift card. There will be. Source: jgfsdjg.mymom.info It sells physical and digital cards of any value between $25 and $500. You may wonder if walgreens has gift cards that you can buy for family However there are a few things to. Some notable gift cards that walgreens sell include gamestop, xbox live, subway, applebees, red lobster, kohls, home depot, and american express. No, walgreens does not sell. Source: f4vn.com 93+ gift card brands available in 2022 walgreens, which has 9000+ locations across the country is the u.s.'s largest drugstore chain, ranks among the top ten. Sephora gift vouchers can only be purchased in walgreens retail stores or at jcpenny sephora branches. Unfortunately, walgreens does not sell walmart gift cards as of 2022. Walgreens doesnt sell sephora gift certificates in. Source: thekrazycouponlady.com There are no physical or digital nike gift vouchers available for purchase on its website. Does cvs sell target gift cards? Shop party supplies, cards & gift wrap. You can read on to learn about other walgreens products, the reasons walgreens isnt selling. If you are willing to buy other gift cards, walgreens offers those from amazon, microsoft, mcdonalds, and. Source: freerobuxhacknohumanverificationor9.blogspot.com These can instead be purchased at any sephora store or jcpenny sephora for denominations between $10 to $500. Visit any walgreens pharmacy and ask a cashier to check the balance for you. If you are willing to buy other gift cards, walgreens offers those from amazon, microsoft, mcdonalds, and many more. Card assortment will vary by location and distribution partner,. Source: howtogetrobuxwithouthumanverificat5.blogspot.com These can instead be purchased at any sephora store or jcpenny sephora for denominations between $10 to $500. Walgreens sells more than 85 different gift cards at its stores. None of the stores we called sell walmart gift cards. 93+ gift card brands available in 2022 walgreens, which has 9000+ locations across the country is the u.s.'s largest drugstore chain,. Source: www.reference.com Though walgreens covers a wide range of coupons and gift cards, they do not have sephoras in stock. Walgreens can sell sephora gift card cards. Sale on party supplies, cards & gift wrap. Popular retailers including best buy, kroger, target, walgreens, and walmart do not sell ticketmaster gift cards. Target giftcards are distributed at over 10,000 locations nationwide including kroger. Source: walegr.blogspot.com Amazon amc american eagle american girl anthropologie applebee's barnes & noble bass pro shops bath & body works bed bath & beyond belk best buy bloomingdale's bob evans bonefish grill buffalo wild wings. Walgreens is unable to sell nike gift card at its stores. You can go to walgreens only as of 2022 to buy walgreens gift cards in store.. Source: robloxmemecodesbloxburg.blogspot.com Walgreens can sell sephora gift card cards. Card assortment will vary by location and distribution partner, but. The easiest way to get a ticketmaster gift card is to buy one directly through the company's website. Unfortunately, at walgreens, you cannot get sephora gift cards. Walgreens doesnt sell sephora gift certificates in any of its stores or online. Source: lamiradareplegadasobresusombra.blogspot.com As of 2022 walgreens will sell amazon gift cards in denominations of 10 available in a bundle of three 10 cards 25 50 and 100 in all of its locations. Visit any walgreens pharmacy and ask a cashier to check the balance for you. Nikes website is the only place to purchase a gift card. Sephora gift vouchers can only. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky is counting on the adoption by the European Union of the 6th package of sanctions against the Russian Federation in the near future. "We discussed the need to strengthen sanctions against Russia. We are unanimous in our views on this issue. In a situation where more than 50 days have passed between the 5th and 6th sanctions packages against the Russian Federation, this is not acceptable. But we see progress with the approval of the 6th sanctions package. We hope that it will be adopted in the near future," Zelensky said at a briefing with the Slovak president in Kyiv on Tuesday. According to him, the key restrictions against Russia should force it to end the war. As reported, on the evening of May 30, the leaders of the EU countries agreed on the sixth package of sanctions against Russia. It provides for an embargo on the import of two-thirds of the volume of Russian oil and the disconnection of Russian Sberbank from the international SWIFT system. Ukraine needs to provide military assistance and Slovakia will help in this direction, President of Slovakia Zuzana Caputova has said. "We know that the occupiers will not be expelled from your country with our packages of medicines and food. Your defenders need military equipment and equipment, so we help and will continue to help in this direction. Recently it was the S300 defense system, demining equipment and ammunition, soon there will be Zuzana howitzers. We are also talking about this with our partners and allies, that Ukraine needs not only humanitarian, but also military assistance," she said, speaking at the plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada on Tuesday. Caputova also recalled that a month ago, forensic experts and police officers from Slovakia began to help the Ukrainian prosecutor's office and experts to document the crimes of Russians in the suburbs of Kyiv. She stressed that this would allow "telling the whole world what happened and blaming those who brought it all." In addition, Caputova noted that Slovakia will also help Ukraine in the issue of exporting grain and other goods, which "today Putin cynically seizes or blocks in Ukrainian ports." "He hopes this will further break you down economically and weaken the resolve of the free world to sanction Russian aggression by threatening global food shortages. However, he achieved the opposite, today the whole world sees who is blackmailing and who is being attacked. Our determination to help you has not diminished, but rather increased," she added. Ukraine continues to work together with the United Nations to unblock the operation of commercial ports and resume exports, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said. "Russia plays hunger games with the world by blocking Ukrainian food exports with one hand and trying to shift the blame on Ukraine with the other. Ukraine is working on an international UN-led operation with navies of partners ensuring a safe trade route with no security risks, " Kuleba said on Twitter Tuesday. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the occupation of territories by the Armed Forces of Ukraine should not lead to the death of people. "It is difficult for us in the east because there is not enough of an appropriate amount of weapons. A large number of equipment, armed formations, battalions of both the Russian Federation and traitors who are collaborators from the so-called L/DPR are concentrated there. They have concentrated a lot of forces to fulfill one or another plan of the Russian Federation. We have heard a lot about the plans of the Russian Federation tied to symbols and dates We don't care what plans the Russian Federation has ... Our plans are clear we will de-occupy all this," Zelensky said at a briefing with the President of Slovakia in Kyiv on Tuesday. At the same time, the Head of state stressed that the main circumstance in the issue of Ukraine's de-occupation of its territories will be the preservation of people's lives. "We are not tied to the dates of de-occupation. We get attached to people. If certain steps of our operation to de-occupy a particular region are associated with tens of thousands of our dead people, then we will wait for the appropriate weapons to save our people as much as possible. They are the ones who occupy the territories. First of all, we must think as much as possible about our people who are able to fight back against all the plans of the Russian Federation," he said. Earlier, Russian officials announced plans for the Russian army to reach the border of Donetsk and Luhansk regions by the end of June. Google selects first 17 Ukrainian startups, they will receive up to $100,000 in support Google has identified the first recipients of the Google for Startups Ukraine Support Fund grants, who will receive up to $100,000 in equity financing, as well as a mentoring support program from Google, product support and loans in Google Cloud. According to the company's blog on Tuesday, the first recipients of assistance from Google will be Ukrainian startups Almexoft (low-code platform for automating business processes and electronic document management); CareTech Human (a fully automated plug-and-play solution for daily health checks and early disease detection); Discoperi (an artificial intelligence-based video monitoring system that collects traffic data to prevent accidents and make roads safer); Dots Platform (cloud platform for all-in-one food delivery); Elai.io (a text-to-video platform that allows users to create video content from text with virtual speakers). In addition, early beneficiaries include: Effy.ai (HR software to enable leaders to build high-performing teams); Handy.ai (an internal communications platform offering employees a personal virtual assistant); Lab24 (a marketplace for digital medical laboratories that connects customers to affordable services); Mindly (an online mental health platform offering AI-based patient care and clinical administration automation); PRAVOSUD (litigation analysis platform); pleso therapy (mental care platform), as well as: Private Tech Network (an AI-driven venture capital as a service platform designed to make fundraising faster and more efficient); Releaf Paper (the world's first producer of paper products from fallen leaves); Respeecher (voice cloning system (voice transformation) for content authors); Skyworker (a recruitment app that provides technology recruiting and recruiting services); VanOnGo (an AI-based delivery platform); and ZooZy (all-in-one mobile pet care app). Startups are selected based on criteria published on the foundation's website and interview scores, Google said. If companies do not qualify for the fund, Google for Startups offers other forms of support. As reported, at the end of March, Google announced the creation of the Google for Startups Ukraine Support Fund, a $5 million support fund for startups in Ukraine to allocate cash grants during 2022. The Red Wave-5 joint naval drill kicked off in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday with the participation of Egypts Naval Forces, the Egyptian Armed Forces announced in a statement. Egypts economic reforms have enabled the countrys economy to withstand various crises, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said in a speech on Thursday during the inauguration of the annual meetings of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group. Egypts General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC) announced on Wednesday that it has signed a contract to purchase 4650,000 tons of wheat from Russia, Bulgaria and Romania in what is reportedly the countrys largest wheat purchase since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February. Egyptian and Spanish naval forces conducted joint maritime exercises within the range of the Northern Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea with the participation of frigates from Egypt and Spain. The practice came as part of the Egyptian Armed Forces plan to upgrade the level of its training, and exchange military experience with partner countries. The exercises included a set of various naval combat activities aimed at strengthening maritime security procedures in the Mediterranean Sea to assess surface and air threats. The drills also aim to prepare the navies of Egypt, Spain, to work homogeneously within a joint force charged with the tasks of maintaining maritime security. Search Keywords: Short link: Representatives of the Yemeni government and the Houthi militia started meetings in Jordan's capital Amman on Wednesday to discuss lifting the siege on Taiz city, which holds strategic significance in southwestern Yemen. The UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said on his official Twitter account that the talks are under his auspices and he has spent the last few days in Jordan talking with Yemen's political heavyweights. The government-controlled Taiz has been under siege since the civil war erupted in Yemen in late 2014. Lifting the blockade would facilitate the movement of citizens and allow humanitarian aid access. The lift is also the last major term to be fulfilled pursuant to the agreement reached by warring sides before the two-month ceasefire starting on April 2. The truce marks the first breakthrough in more than seven years in efforts to end the war in Yemen that has killed tens of thousands of people and pushed the country to the brink of starvation. Last week, the Houthis said they are considering a request by the United Nations to extend the ongoing truce with the Yemeni government, which expires on June 2. Search Keywords: Short link: The UN special envoy has urged Yemen's warring parties to renew their two-month truce, praising its "tangible benefits" as the deadline approaches next week. Swedish diplomat Hans Grundberg said the first nationwide truce since 2016 had provided an opportunity to break the cycle of violence that has left hundreds of thousands dead and driven millions to the brink of famine. "We have seen the tangible benefits the truce has delivered so far for the daily lives of Yemenis," Grundberg said in a statement late on Wednesday. "The parties need to renew the truce to extend and consolidate these benefits to the people of Yemen, who have suffered over seven years of war." He was speaking as talks opened in the Jordanian capital Amman between Yemen's Huthi rebels and its internationally recognised government on ending the rebel blockade of Taez, Yemen's third biggest city, which has been largely cut off since 2015. The meetings were part of the truce agreement that also included resuming commercial flights from Yemen's rebel-held capital, Sanaa, and oil shipments to the lifeline port of Hodeida, which is also under Huthi control. The Iran-backed Huthis seized Sanaa in 2014, triggering a Saudi-led military intervention in 2015. The war has created the world's worst humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations. Under the truce, which expires on June 2, more than 1,000 passengers have flown between Sanaa and Amman, and preparations are underway to start flights to Cairo. Fighting has "sharply reduced", the statement said, despite reports of continued clashes and civilian casualties. Grundberg urged the two sides to exercise "maximum restraint". "The truce has presented a window of opportunity to break with the violence and suffering of the past and move towards a peaceful future in Yemen. The parties need to seize this opportunity," he said. Search Keywords: Short link: Serbia, which has been trying to tread a delicate balancing act between East and West since Moscow invaded Ukraine, said Sunday it has secured a new long-term contract with Russia to ensure that it has sufficient gas supplies next winter. As energy prices soar across the globe, the exact terms of the deal -- which will ensure Serbia has "a safe winter when it comes to gas supply" -- will be announced in the coming days, said President Aleksandar Vucic. Vucic insisted the contract would give the Balkan country "by far the best terms in Europe". "At the moment, this is almost a third of what everyone else in Europe will pay, and in winter it will represent than one tenth" of what other countries pay, he said. Serbia is currently almost wholly reliant on Russian energy supplies and imports about six million cubic metres of gas daily from Russian giant Gazprom. Moscow also owns a majority stake in Serbia's oil and gas company, NIS. But the deal comes at a time when the European Union is trying to reduce its dependence on Russia for energy following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, and is scheduled to discuss a possible embargo on Russian oil at an emergency summit on Monday. Vucic also said that he had discussed with Russian President Vladimir Putin the possible expansion of gas storage facilities in Serbia. While Belgrade has condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations, it has refused to take part in sanctions against Moscow. Search Keywords: Short link: European Union leaders will gather Monday in a new show of solidarity with Ukraine but divisions over whether to target Russian oil in a new series of sanctions are exposing the limits of how far the bloc can go to help the war-torn country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who will address the 27 heads of state and government by videoconference in the evening, has repeatedly demanded that the EU target Russia's lucrative energy sector and deprive Moscow of billions of dollars each day in supply payments. But Hungary is leading a group of countries - along with Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria - that rely on Russian oil and can't afford to take such steps. Hungary gets more than 60% of its oil from Russia and 85% of its natural gas. Prime Minister Viktor Orban has insisted that an oil embargo should not be discussed at the summit. The EU has already slapped five rounds of sanctions on Russia over its actions in Ukraine. It's targeted more than 1,000 people, including President Vladimir Putin and top government officials, as well as pro-Kremlin oligarchs, banks, the coal sector and more. A sixth package was announced on May 4, but the hold up over oil is embarrassing the bloc. Ahead of the summit, officials suggested that a solution might be found by targeting oil transported by ships and holding fire on the pipeline oil so valuable to Hungary. ``If we target the oil arriving by sea, we'll hit at least two thirds of exports, perhaps more,'' a senior EU official said. He declined to be named given the sensitive nature of the negotiations. Hungary and Slovakia depend on Russian oil they receives through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. The problem with hitting sea transported oil is that countries like Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands most reliant on that form would suffer a surge in oil prices, distorting competition because Hungary would still be purchasing cheaper Russian oil. Experts failed to reach agreement on such a move over the weekend but continued their talks ahead of the summit. The two-day meeting in Brussels will also focus on continued EU financial support to Ukraine - probably the endorsement of a 9 billion-euro ($9.7 billion) tranche of assistance - and on military help and war crimes investigations. The issue of food security will be on the table on Tuesday, with the leaders set to encourage their governments speed up work on ``solidarity lanes'' to help Ukraine export grain and other produce. Search Keywords: Short link: Here are the latest developments in the war in Ukraine. Russians advance into eastern city Russian forces advance closer to the centre of the eastern Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk, which has been under bombardment for weeks in the battle for Ukraine's industrial heartland, the Donbas. "The Russians are advancing into the middle of Severodonetsk. The fighting continues. The situation is very difficult," Luhansk governor Sergiy Gaiday says on Telegram. Severodonetsk is the easternmost city still in Ukrainian hands. Capturing it would give Russia de-facto control over Luhansk, one of two eastern regions that make up the coveted Donbas. Gaiday says the city's critical infrastructure has been "destroyed" and 60 percent of its housing is damaged beyond repair. Zelensky visits Kharkiv Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky leaves the Kyiv region for the first time since the invasion started to visit the northeastern city of Kharkiv, where Ukrainian troops beat Russian forces into retreat in recent weeks. Zelensky's office posts a video of him wearing a bulletproof vest and being shown heavily destroyed buildings in Ukraine's second-biggest city, which came under relentless attack for nearly three months. He sacks Kharkiv's security chief, "for not working to defend the city from the first days of the full-scale war but thinking only of himself". Eurovision trophy auctioned for army Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra, which won the Eurovision song contest this year, auctions off its trophy on Facebook to raise funds for the Ukrainian army. The trophy -- a large crystal microphone with the song contest's logo -- nets $900,000 (836,000 euros) after a bidding war won by Ukrainian bitcoin company WhiteBIT "You guys are amazing!" Kalush Orchestra says on Facebook, announcing the winner. Ukraine counterattack in Kherson Ukrainian forces counterattack in the south, claiming to have pushed back Russian troops in Kherson, the only region fully controlled by Russian forces. "Kherson, hold on. We're close!" Ukraine's general staff tweets. Kherson, which borders Crimea, was taken by Russian forces in March and Moscow-backed officials in the region have recently pushed for its annexation. French foreign minister in Kyiv French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna visits Kyiv for talks with Zelensky, the first visit by a French minister to Ukraine since the invasion. Paris says her visit aims to show solidarity with Ukraine, "from a humanitarian and financial point of view as well as in terms of supplying defence equipment". Zelensky has at time been critical of French President Emmanuel Macron, accusing him of pressuring Ukraine to offer territorial concessions to Russia in return for peace, claims France rejects. Lavrov denies Putin is ill Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denies speculation that President Vladimir Putin is ill, saying there are no signs pointing to any ailment. Putin's health and private life are taboo subjects in Russia and are almost never discussed in public. Answering a question from France's broadcaster TF1, Russia's top diplomat says: "I don't think that sane people can see in this person signs of some kind of illness or ailment," adding that Putin appears in public "every day". Germany OKs fund to modernise military Germany's government and conservative opposition agree on an amendment to the constitution to allow the creation of a special 100-billion-euro fund to modernise the army in the face of the Russian threat. The deal will allow Berlin to achieve NATO's target of spending two percent of GDP on defence "on average over several years", according to the text of the agreement obtained by AFP. Search Keywords: Short link: Russia's Gazprom will halt gas supplies to the Netherlands' partly state-owned energy firm GasTerra on Tuesday after it refused to pay in rubles, the Dutch company said. Following Russia's February 24 invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has asked clients from "unfriendly countries", including EU member states -- to pay for gas in rubles, a way to sidestep Western financial sanctions against its central bank. "In response to this decision by GasTerra, Gazprom has announced that it will discontinue supply with effect from May 31, 2022," GasTerra said on Monday. The Russian energy giant's move means that two billion cubic metres of gas will not be supplied to the Netherlands between now and October, GasTerra said, adding that it "has anticipated this by purchasing gas elsewhere." "GasTerra has repeatedly urged Gazprom to respect the contractually agreed payment structure and delivery obligations, unfortunately to no avail," it said. GasTerra is jointly owned by energy giants Shell and Esso, Dutch gas firm EBN, and the Dutch state, which has a 10-percent stake. The Dutch government said it "understands" GasTerra's decision not to comply with Gazprom's "unilateral" demand. "This decision has no consequences for the physical supply of gas to Dutch households," Climate and Energy Minister Rob Jetten said on Twitter. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypts Foreign Minister and President-designate of the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) Sameh Shoukry headed on Monday to Swedens Stockholm to take part in the sixth Ministerial on Climate Action (MoCA6). The event, co-hosted by Canada, the EU and China, will kick off on 31 May with ministers and high-level representatives from numerous countries attending. During his visit, Shoukry will shed light on Egypt's viewpoints on climate action as well as the priorities that will be focused on in the near future, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. This is part of efforts to implement the goals of the Paris agreement on climate change and to prepare for COP27, which will be hosted by Egypt in November, the ministry said. Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans, Canadas Minister for Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault, and Chinas Minister for Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu will attend the event. During his visit, Shoukry will also meet with his Swedish counterpart Ann Linde to discuss a host of issues, including boosting bilateral ties between Egypt and Sweden, the ministry said. The two ministers will also discuss boosting cooperation between the two countries in various spheres, including development, investment, trade, tourism and green transition, the ministry added. Search Keywords: Short link: Russia's Gazprom said Tuesday it had halted gas supplies to the Netherlands after Dutch energy firm GasTerra refused to pay in rubles following the Russian military offensive in Ukraine. "Gazprom has completely stopped gas supplies to GasTerra due to non-payment in rubles," the Russian gas giant said in a statement. Moscow has demanded that clients from "unfriendly countries" -- including EU member states -- pay for its gas in rubles, a way to sidestep Western financial sanctions against its central bank over the Ukraine conflict. Gazprom said that as of May 30 it had received no payments for Dutch gas supplies in April, despite notifying GasTerra that payments for gas supplied from April 1 needed to be made in rubles. Partly state-owned GasTerra on Monday said it expected to be cut off after it "decided not to comply with Gazprom's unilateral payment requirements" as they would breach EU sanctions. The cutoff means that two billion cubic metres of gas will not be supplied to the Netherlands between now and October, GasTerra said, adding that it "has anticipated this by purchasing gas elsewhere." The Netherlands is the latest in a series of European countries to be hit with a cut in Russian gas, with Finland seeing its supplies severed in May. The Dutch rely on Russia for around 15 percent of their gas supplies, amounting to some six billion cubic metres a year, the government says. This is lower than the EU average of 40 percent, but like other European countries the Netherlands is scrambling to reduce its dependence on Russian energy. Search Keywords: Short link: Israel and the United Arab Emirates signed a free trade agreement on Tuesday, the first of its kind that Israel has concluded with an Arab country. The UAE agreed to normalize relations with Israel in a U.S.-brokered deal in 2020, the first of the so-called Abraham Accords that Israel eventually concluded with four Arab nations. Since then, the two countries have boosted cooperation in a number of economic sectors. "Israel & the UAE just signed a historic Free Trade Agreement - the first of this scope to be signed between Israel & an Arab state,'' Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett tweeted. "This was the fastest FTA to be signed in Israel's history.'' Mohamed Al Khaja, the UAE ambassador to Israel, called it "an unprecedented achievement.'' "Businesses in both countries will benefit from faster access to markets and lower tariffs as our nations work together to increase trade, create jobs, promote new skills and deepen cooperation,'' he tweeted. #UAEIsraelCEPA is an unprecedented achievement. Businesses in both countries will benefit from faster access to markets and lower tariffs as our nations work together to increase trade, create jobs, promote new skills and deepen cooperation. Thank you Ohad Cohen for your efforts! pic.twitter.com/NIaLFp30L8 Mohamed Al Khaja (@AmbAlKhaja) May 31, 2022 Dorian Barak, president of the UAE-Israel Business Council, predicted that bilateral trade would exceed $2 billion this year, rising to $5 billion in the next five. "Dubai is fast becoming a hub for Israeli companies that look to South Asia, the Middle East and the Far East as markets for their goods and services," he said. "Nearly 1,000 Israeli companies will be working in and through the UAE by year's end. It's unprecedented.'' Israel has more limited commercial relations with neighboring Jordan and Egypt, Arab countries that signed peace treaties with Israel decades ago. In the years leading up to the Abraham Accords, Israel had steadily increased cooperation with Gulf Arab states like the UAE, which share its security concerns about Iran. Supporters of the accords view them as an historic breakthrough in Mideast diplomacy. The Palestinians rejected the accords as a betrayal of their cause because they shattered a longstanding Arab consensus that any normalization with Israel should come in exchange for progress in the long-defunct peace process. Search Keywords: Short link: Hungary's divisive leader has once again got his own way with the European Union, this time in tough negotiations on Russian oil at a summit in Brussels. And nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban wasn't shy about trumpeting his success in leveraging the bloc to win significant concessions, allowing his country to continue purchasing Russian crude even as war rages on in neighboring Ukraine. The European Commission's ``proposal to ban the use of Russian oil in Hungary was defeated,'' Orban said in a video statement on Facebook. ``Families can sleep well tonight as the most outrageous idea has been averted.'' EU leaders concluded four weeks of negotiations on Monday to impose a partial embargo on Russian oil imports. The package of sanctions, the sixth imposed by the EU since the start of the war in February, had been delayed by vigorous opposition from Orban, widely seen as the Kremlin's closest EU ally, who threatened to derail the block's efforts to punish Moscow for its war if they affected energy imports to Hungary. While the agreement bans all Russian oil from being brought into the EU by sea, it allowed a temporary exemption for imports delivered by the Russian Druzhba pipeline to certain landlocked countries in Central Europe, something Orban touted as a victory for Hungarian interests over what he portrayed as potentially disastrous recommendations by the EU. EU officials say the agreement will succeed in cutting off 90% of Russian oil imports by year's end. But it was the latest instance of Orban breaking ranks with his European partners, dividing the bloc's united response to crises and ensuring that Russian President Vladimir Putin still has an economic foothold in the EU. Hungary, which gets around 65% of its oil and 85% of its gas from Russia, was alone among Ukraine's EU neighbors to refuse to supply it with military aid. It also banned the shipment of lethal weapons into Ukraine across its borders, a policy that drew the ire of many EU leaders and of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Orban has also blocked other EU decisions which require unanimity among member states, including attempts last year to issue a joint statement on China's crackdown on a pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong and a joint call for a cease-fire in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, also in 2021. In 2020, Hungary joined its ally Poland in vetoing the EU's seven-year budget and a massive coronavirus recovery plan, stymying efforts to jumpstart European economies during the COVID-19 pandemic and plunging the 27-nation bloc into a political crisis. Despite Hungary's refusal to adopt the oil embargo as proposed, EU leaders hailed Monday's agreement as a success. European Council President Charles Michel tweeted that it covers more than two-thirds of EU oil imports from Russia, ``cutting a huge source of financing for its war machine.'' But Daniel Hegedus, a fellow for Central Europe at the German Marshall Fund, said that Hungary was able to achieve those concessions through the ``blackmailing strategy'' which Orban used to pressure EU leaders. ``The Hungarian government, once again, got what it wanted, it was able to leverage the whole European Union,'' Hegedus said. ``(Orban) has only winning cards. He can practically deny the European Union an oil import ban.'' Along with Hungary, both the Czech Republic and Slovakia sought exemptions from the EU embargo, arguing their dependence on Russian oil made an immediate cutoff unrealistic, even though they have signaled their willingness to impose the toughest sanctions possible on Moscow. Slovakia gets around 97% of its oil from Russia through the Druzhba pipeline, and has argued that the country's key refiner, Slovnaft, needs to be reoutfitted to be able to process any oil type other than Russian crude, a process that could take several years. But Orban's opponents see the pipeline concession as another instance of the autocratic leader dividing the EU to serve his own purposes. In a tweet on Tuesday, Hungarian member of the European Parliament Katalin Cseh said Orban had ``navigated Hungary into a desperate dependency on Russian energy.'' ``He then declares `victory' over the EU, whose solidarity and protection is our only chance,'' Cseh wrote. < Orban navigated Hungary into a desperate dependency on Russian energy. He then declares victory over the EU, whose solidarity & protection is our only chance and brags about how HU families can sleep peacefully while a genocidal war is ripping families apart What a disgrace. https://t.co/468EPrmaiE Katalin Cseh (@katka_cseh) May 31, 2022 At home, Orban has depicted the debate over the oil embargo as a fight to defend Hungarians' pocketbooks, especially as it concerns household utility costs which have been subsidized by the government since 2013 as a flagship policy of Orban's government. But Hegedus, the analyst, said the pipeline exception did not fulfil some of Orban's ``prime strategic objectives'', forcing the EU to release billions in pandemic recovery funds to Hungary which have been withheld over corruption concerns, and scrapping ongoing proceedings to suspend support payments for breaches of the bloc's rule-of-law standards. ``It was not the worst compromise which could potentially come out of this game,'' Hegedus said. ``How long this exemption will exist in the European Union is unclear. Of course, Orban can any time in the future veto or block any potential extension of the import ban on the pipeline, but I think it was very wisely played by the European Commission.'' Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt's Ministry of Housing Utilities and Urban Communities singed on Tuesday an agreement with the European Union (EU), the French Development Agency (AFD), and the European Investment Bank (EIB) to upgrade the Helwan wastewater treatment plant in southern Cairo. The funding partnership aims to expand the capacity of the Helwan plant by 250,000 cubic metres per day to accommodate increasing wastewater discharge from the rising population in the area, according to a joint statement. The expansion will serve 2.2 million inhabitants of south Cairo with advanced wastewater collection and treatment services until 2037 and will allow the plant to tackle the overflow of wastewater that is currently harming the environmental and social situation. The statement added that the plant is one of the first in Egypt to implement tertiary treatment to enable the use of treated wastewater in irrigation. The project shall significantly contribute to climate change adaptation targets through substituting fresh water used in irrigation from the Nile River with treated wastewater. The plant will also generate renewable energy from biogas, aiming to provide 60 percent of its own energy needs, reducing the projects carbon footprint and electricity costs. The statement noted that the EU, AFD and EIB are joining forces to expand Egypts wastewater treatment coverage and to contribute to Egypts Vision 2030 and the recently launched 2050 National Strategy for Climate Change. The European partners will jointly contribute to funding the project including a EUR 25.1 million grant from the EU delegated to the AFD, the lead financier, a EUR 52 million loan from AFD and a EUR 78 million loan from EIB, to be completed by a contribution from the Egyptian government. Signing the Helwan Wastewater Treatment Plant agreement today is one significant step in the implementation of the EU flagship project supported by the Economic and Investment Plan to provide two million inhabitants with high quality sanitation services in rural areas and to create jobs for more than 2,000 people," said Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi during the ceremony. Varhelyi added that this project also positively contributes to the climate change mitigation and adaptation principles. AFDs Deputy CEO Marie-Helene Loison said "AFD continues its commitment to assisting Egypt in achieving its Vision 2030 targets and in preparing the roadmap to SDGs achievements by 2030 through the Helwan wastewater treatment plant, which is real example for infrastructure projects utilising technology for both mitigation and adaptation to climate change." The project will contribute to the water sector through expanding the treatment capacity for wastewater and providing non-conventional water source for irrigation, hence promoting a circular economy approach, added Loison. Egypt has already established 82 desalination plants with a combined capacity of 917,000 cubic metres per day. Work is underway to establish 14 additional seawater desalination plants to increase the total production capacity of such projects to 1.4 million cubic metres per day. The aforementioned efforts are part of Egypt's plans to provide alternative sources of drinking water through desalination in coastal governorates and the reuse of treated water. Egypts annual share of water is 560 cubic metres per person, placing the populous country well below the international threshold for water scarcity. Search Keywords: Short link: The United States warned Tuesday that it will try again to toughen UN sanctions if North Korea tests a nuclear weapon, after a bid last week was vetoed by China and Russia. Asked if the United States would make a new attempt at the Security Council if North Korea goes ahead with a feared nuclear test, US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said: "Absolutely we will." "First of all we need to enforce the sanctions that we have already authority to enforce," she told reporters. "And we certainly, as we attempted in this last resolution, will push for additional sanctions," she said. US intelligence has said that North Korea appears to be preparing its first nuclear test since 2017, although it did not go ahead during a visit to the region earlier in May by President Joe Biden. The United States on Thursday forced a vote at the Security Council on toughening sanctions after North Korea carried out a series of rocket launches including, according to US and South Korean officials, of an intercontinental ballistic missile. The United States said the test was a brazen violation of a unanimous UN resolution in 2017 that warned of further consequences for tests of long-range missiles or nuclear weapons. But China, North Korea's main ally, and Russia, whose relations with the West have deteriorated sharply over its Ukraine invasion, both vetoed the resolution, saying that new sanctions would be counterproductive and raise tensions. The United States instead on Friday imposed new unilateral sanctions, including on two Russian banks accused of assisting North Korea on its weapons programs. The Biden administration has said it is ready for dialogue with North Korea without preconditions. But it has found little interest in low-level negotiations from Pyongyang, where leader Kim Jong Un held three meetings with Biden's predecessor Donald Trump that lowered tensions but failed to produce a lasting agreement. Search Keywords: Short link: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday it was up to the West and Kyiv to resolve a growing global food crisis provoked by the conflict in Ukraine. Russia's offensive in Ukraine and Western sanctions have disrupted deliveries of wheat and other commodities from the two countries, fuelling concerns about the risk of hunger around the world. Western countries "created a lot of artificial problems by closing their ports to Russian ships, disrupting logistics and financial chains," Lavrov told reporters during a visit to Bahrain. "They need to seriously consider what is more important for them: to do PR on the issue of food security or to take concrete steps to solve this problem," he added. Lavrov also called on Ukraine to de-mine its territorial waters to allow the safe passage of ships through the Black and Azov seas. "If the problem of de-mining is resolved... Russia's naval forces will ensure the unhindered passage of these ship into the Mediterranean and onwards to (their) destinations," Lavrov said. Russia and Ukraine produce around 30 percent of the global wheat supply. President Vladimir Putin told his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan Monday that Moscow was ready to work with Ankara to free up maritime shipping from Ukraine and blamed global food shortages on "short-sighted" Western policies. Turkey's top diplomat said Tuesday that Lavrov would arrive in Turkey on June 8 for talks on unblocking grain exports from Ukraine. Following his stop in Bahrain, Lavrov flew Tuesday evening to Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh, where he attended an official dinner with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and met the head of the Saudi-headquartered Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, said his spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. Lavrov was due to meet Wednesday with foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council, a Riyadh-based bloc that includes key members of the OPEC+ oil alliance, which Riyadh and Moscow lead. Despite pressure from Washington to ramp up oil production amid spiking energy prices, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have stressed their commitment to OPEC+, underscoring Riyadh's and Abu Dhabi's increasing independence from long-standing ally Washington. Search Keywords: Short link: As of writing, the current round of UN-sponsored Yemen talks in Amman, Jordan have not yielded results. Intended to renew the truce between the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels since the first of Ramadan and is due to expire on 1 June, the talks have nonetheless demonstrated that both sides are eager not just to renew the truce but to extend it for a longer period than the last one, according to Yemeni sources. Even though the Houthis have sustained assaults along the fronts in Mareb and Hodeida in particular, the Yemeni Presidential Council continues to exercise restraint while its negotiating delegation works to secure more favourable conditions in a new agreement. One current stumbling block in the talks concerns alleviating the Houthi blockade of Taiz. The government insists that the main Al-Hoban highway should be reopened while the Houthis have proposed alternative routes. The inhabitants of Taiz and by extension the government reject the proposals on the grounds that alternative routes are unpaved. They also believe that the Houthis insistence on keeping the main roads closed betrays the militias intent to tighten the blockade by other means. After the last negotiating round failed, the UN Envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg visited Aden, the current seat of the Yemeni government, in an attempt to promote a breakthrough on the Taiz question. The envoys proposals of graduated incremental steps have been greeted favourably by the government, according to remarks by the Yemeni foreign minister. The Houthis, by contrast, appear resistant to his suggestions. Yemeni media outlets also reported there have been demands that the Houthis replace the head of their negotiating delegation, Mohamed Abdel-Salam, and that Grundberg may have conveyed this demand in a previous meeting in Muscat. According to these sources, the Houthis have, indeed, appointed a new delegation leader, Hassan Al-Ezzi, the deputy foreign minister of the Houthi government in Sanaa. Yet, contrary to expectations of a more flexible negotiator, Al-Ezzi has turned out to be more hardline, judging by his remarks. Not only does he reject the idea of reopening the main roads to Taiz, he has also added new conditions. For example, he proposed reciprocal redeployments of government and Houthi forces, a proposal he claims the government has rejected. The government, in turn, made a counterproposal involving the gradual reopening of roads which Al-Ezzi interpreted as a deliberate attempt to obstruct negotiations. Yet, according to sources, Grundberg himself was the original author of the latter proposal which he put to both delegations. If the Houthis, as many sources allege, are deliberately hampering progress on the Taiz question, one reason may be because the chairman of the Presidency Council hails from Taiz. The point would be to prevent him from scoring political points in his home town. As observers point out, there is a longstanding feud between the Houthis and Taiz which was at the vanguard to the overthrow of the Zaidi Mutawakkilite Kingdom in northern Yemen in the 1960s. In addition, Taiz is the stronghold of the Yemeni chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood and its political facade the Congregation of Reform, or Islah Party, which has a long history of antagonism towards the Houthis. Nevertheless, this factor may no longer carry as much weight, since the newly restructured Yemeni government has significantly reduced the Muslim Brotherhood influence in government, at least compared to the dominant position they held under the Presidency Councils predecessor, former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi. In contrast to the impasse over Taiz, talks appear to have made headway on another issue, the Saudi-led Arab coalitions blockade of Sanaa Airport. Last week, Egypt announced that it would resume flights to Sanaa more than seven years after flights to northern Yemen stopped following the Houthi coup. This step, which followed a phone call between Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, is indicative of a shared desire to promote a peace settlement in the war-ravaged country. The primary purpose of the flights is humanitarian, enabling the ill and wounded to be flown out of Yemen for treatment in Cairo or other destinations. It may also signal a greater role for Cairo in an eventual peace process, especially given that Egypt is an immediate stakeholder. The Houthis have already shown the potential for threatening maritime safety in the Red Sea. Significantly, US Special Envoy for Yemen Timothy Lenderking has re-emerged in the picture. Commenting on recent developments he said that Washington is keen to transform the truce into a comprehensive political process leading to a durable ceasefire. So far the Yemeni belligerents are not of the same mind. The Houthis have gained considerable advantages from the truce. For one, it enables them to legitimise the status quo. For example, travellers departing from Sanaa Airport will be able to complete procedures on the Houthis official website and embark using passports issued by Houthi authorities in Sanaa and not just by the internationally recognised government based in Aden. The truce has also enabled the Houthis to evade mounting popular discontent over economic straits and repressive policies in the areas under their control. According to UN sources, the truce has partially facilitated humanitarian relief operations in the country suffering the worlds worst humanitarian disaster. More than half of Yemens population live below the poverty line and three quarters of them require permanent humanitarian assistance. Yet relief programmes have been unable to receive more than a third of the funds pledged to relief, according to statements in a recent donor conference. The war in Ukraine has diverted international attention and funds from the Yemeni plight. But the Yemeni government and its forces have also benefitted from the truce, despite the Houthi violations they reported. It is an opportunity for the newly formed Presidential Council government to restructure the army which was loosely formed from contingents fighting in Mareb, others on the western coast and Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces now that their various commanders have been brought on board the Presidential Council. The Saudi-led Arab Coalition to restore legitimacy has also benefitted. The Houthis have halted attacks against Saudi Arabia which is manoeuvring to withdraw militarily from Yemen and close this chapter of military intervention which has cost Riyadh dearly in the past seven years. Riyadh has received encouragement on this from the US which did not actively support Saudi Arabia in this war. In fact, differences on how it was conducted formed one of several sources of tension between Riyadh, as coalition leader, and Washington for some time. For Saudi Arabia, in particular, the truce offered an opportunity to strengthen its border defences. There is no guarantee that calm will continue to prevail on the Saudi-Yemeni front. Recently, Houthi commanders have appeared in televised speeches in military uniform, which is uncustomary for them, to warn that they would resume operations against Saudi Arabia and the UAE in response to their failure to abide by terms of the truce. According to unconfirmed reports from Yemen, the Houthis have begun to redeploy missile platforms along the borders with Saudi Arabia. The reports, if true, may be exaggerated since Riyadh appears to have shrugged them off and the Houthis remain focused on the truce renewal talks regardless of the failure of the first round. Despite the current hurdles, the likelihood is that the truce will be extended given how it serves the interests of all sides. Militarily, all belligerents need a warriors rest after seven years of nearly continuous fighting while, politically, no progress has been made in restoring the legitimate government to the capital, Sanaa. In fact, observers believe that the major battle lies ahead. The government is restructuring its forces to deliver a debilitating strike while the Houthis are redeploying and bolstering their forces to fortify their hold on the areas they control and, perhaps, to launch a new offensive against Mareb despite their inability to take that province from pro-government forces during the past two years. *A version of this article appears in print in the 2 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: Multiple crises are increasing the tensions between Iran and the West and making a revival of the 2015 nuclear deal increasingly unlikely, writes Manal Lotfy Tensions are running high between Iran and the West after Greece warned its oil tankers and other vessels flying the countrys flag to avoid sea waters under Irans jurisdiction following the seizure of two Greek-flagged oil tankers by Iranian forces in an action called piracy by Athens. The incident comes after the US confiscated Iranian oil held on a Russian-operated ship near Greece. The cargo has been transferred to another ship and will be sent to the US, according to Greek officials. The growing tension with Greece and the US seizure of Iranian oil shipments reinforce the pessimism about the prospect of a nuclear deal between Tehran and the West anytime soon. This pessimism was reinforced on Tuesday after Iran described a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on undeclared nuclear material found at three sites in Iran as not fair. Unfortunately, this report does not reflect the reality of the negotiations between Iran and the IAEA, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh told reporters. It is feared that the pressure exerted by the Zionist regime and some other actors has caused the normal path of agency reports to change from technical to political, Khatibzadeh said. The IAEA said it had questions that were not clarified regarding undeclared nuclear material previously found at three sites in Iran Marivan, Varamin, and Turquzabad. It said long-running efforts to get Iranian officials to explain the presence of nuclear material there had failed to provide the answers it sought. The UN nuclear watchdog also said that it estimated Irans stockpile of enriched uranium had grown to more than 18 times the limit laid down in Tehrans 2015 deal with the West. A European diplomat familiar with the nuclear negotiations with Iran told Al-Ahram Weekly that no one is holding his breath expecting an agreement soon. Compared to where we were last March, we are moving backwards, not forwards. The blame game will not help anyone, but there is no progress in the negotiations, he added. Tensions have also risen between Iran and Israel, amid Israeli warnings of an Iranian response to the assassination of Hassan Sayed Khodayari, a senior officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in Tehran last week, which Iran attributed to Israel. The Israeli authorities have warned their citizens to avoid travelling to Turkey for fear of possible Iranian reprisals abroad. In recent days, the US and Israel have intensified contacts to discuss security and to arrange for US President Joe Bidens visit to the region in June. With the faltering of the nuclear negotiations, Bidens position on Iran has hardened, and the administration is keeping the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Al-Quds Force on the US list of terrorist organisations, an indication of the failure of efforts to find a compromise. Washington has also begun to tighten the noose around Iran with a view to preventing the circumvention of the sanctions against it. The US seizure of the Iranian oil shipment last week is a secondary confrontation that indicates a deterioration in the level of trust between Tehran and the Biden administration. Tehran has indicated that its seizure of the Greek tankers was designed to discourage other countries from helping the US to seize its oil, under sanction by Washington since the US left the nuclear deal with Iran in 2018. Our ties [with Greece] must not be hampered by deeply short-sighted miscalculations, including highway robbery on the command of a third party, said Khatibzadeh in a post on Twitter. The statement came after Irans Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said that 17 other Greek tankers were in Gulf waters and that these could be seized by the elite force if Greece continues its games. The latest guidance from Greece, a shipping powerhouse, to avoid Iranian waters could further destabilise already unstable markets at a time when oil prices are at their highest level in a decade. Greeces Foreign Ministry complained to the Iranian ambassador in Athens over the violent taking over of two Greek-flagged ships in the Gulf. It called for the immediate release of the vessels and their crews and warned that the seizures would have particularly negative consequences on bilateral relations between Greece and Iran and on Tehrans relations with the European Union. Meanwhile, Israeli security officials warned more than 100 Israeli citizens in Turkey that they are in Irans crosshairs and asked them to return to Israel, according to local media. The report came after Israels National Security Council issued a travel warning for Turkey, saying that there was a concrete threat to Israelis from Iranian terrorist operatives there and in nearby countries. For several weeks now, and even more so since Iran blames Israel for the death of the Revolutionary Guards officer last week, there has been growing concern in the defence establishment about Iranian attempts to harm Israeli targets around the world, a statement from the Israeli Council said on Monday. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett accused Iran of targeting Israeli interests and warned that Iranian immunity was over. Tehran would not go unpunished for instigating attacks through its proxies, he said. Bennetts office, which oversees the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, has declined to comment on Khodayaris assassination. The escalation comes amid intense diplomatic coordination between the US and Israel. Earlier in the week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid discussed security challenges ahead of an anticipated visit to Washington this week by Israeli national security advisor Eyal Hulata. The two men spoke of common efforts to confront global challenges, including those posed by Iran and its proxies, the US State Department said. Blinken and Lapid also spoke of Bidens upcoming trip to Israel and possibly other countries in the region. Lapid tweeted after the call that we discussed @POTUSs expected visit to Israel, and the possibilities for regional progress the presidents visit could bring in the fields of security, the economy, and ties between the people of the Middle East. No date has been set for Bidens visit, but it is widely believed that it will take place at the end of June. Biden has yet to visit the Middle East since taking office in January 2021. Two top US envoys, Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk, visited Saudi Arabia last week, a week after Saudi Deputy Defence Minister Khaled bin Salman was in Washington to meet US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, McGurk, and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin. Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz was in Washington at the same time, where he also met with Austin. Hulata is expected to arrive in Washington this week with a delegation from the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Mossad, and the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) for a meeting of a joint working group on Iran known as the Leshem Forum. The visit comes on the heels of Bidens decision to retain Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on its foreign terror list, a move understood to be a stumbling block in reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. In a message to its local audience and external foes that Irans military capabilities are being strengthened despite recent setbacks, Iran has shown off an underground drone base, though not its location, state media reported. Iranian state TV said 100 drones were being kept in the heart of the Zagros Mountains, including Ababil-5 drones that it said were fitted with Qaem-9 missiles, an Iranian-made version of the US Hellfire missiles. No doubt the drones of the Islamic Republic of Irans armed forces are the regions most powerful, army commander Abdolrahim Mousavi said. Our capability to upgrade drones is unstoppable. The Iranian state TV correspondent said he had made the 45-minute helicopter flight on Thursday from Kermanshah in western Iran to a secret underground drone site. He was allowed to take off his blindfold only upon arrival at the base, he said. TV footage showed rows of drones fitted with missiles in a tunnel that it said was several hundred metres underground. The latest crises on multiple fronts will only strengthen the conviction that the chances of successful nuclear talks with Iran are diminishing. This is reinforced by regional and international dynamics that are leading to a reconsideration of the costs and benefits of reviving the nuclear deal with Iran, especially with both Washington and Tehran dragging their feet in making the concessions required. *A version of this article appears in print in the 2 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: On 26 May, the US State Department announced preliminary approval of the sale to Egypt of 23 CH-47F Chinook Helicopters for an estimated cost of $2.6 billion. The sale includes related equipment such as engines, GPS, navigation and missile warning systems, software, machine guns and ammunition. The announcement comes only a few months after the State Departments 25 January approval of the sale of 12 C-130J Super Hercules Aircraft and three SPS-48 Land Based Radar Systems for a total of around $2.55 billion. The total value of Egyptian-US arms deal so far this year is around $5 billion. The aircraft in both deals are designed for transport, say military experts in Egypt. The giant C-130J Super Hercules airplanes are new addition to the Egyptian air force fleet. Egypt already possesses Chinooks but the latest deal involves an upgraded model. This indicates that Egypt has achieved another qualitative leap in modernising its military logistic and tactical capacities, part of its overall strategy for upgrading military assets in general. It is also in the process of modernising its fleet of combat aircraft, towards which end it has concluded two deals with France for Rafale fighter jets. One deal has already been implemented and the other was signed last year. The delivery of the new transport aircraft will take place over the next two to three years during which the air force will begin the process of replacing or renovating older models. Obsolescence is a factor all armaments strategies must factor in. It can hamper servicing and maintenance, and it can also entail considerable costs, as would occur, for example, when spare parts have to be manufactured specially for countries that own old hardware. Sometimes it might cost more to service obsolescent aircraft than it would to buy a new model. Major General Mohamed Qashqoush told Al-Ahram Weekly that strategically these major arms deals reflect excellent relations between Washington and Cairo. They are a gauge of how much the US administration appreciates Egypts central role in the region, the extent to which the two countries security outlooks and policies are in harmony, and the importance of the role Egypt plays in the regional security framework at the bilateral and multilateral levels. It is noteworthy that in its press release on the deal the Pentagons Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) stated: The proposed sale will improve Egypts heavy lift capability. Egypt will use this enhanced capability to strengthen its homeland defence and deter regional threats. The statement on the sale of the C-130Js in January was more detailed: The proposed sale will improve Egypts capability to meet current and future threats by providing airlift support for its forces by moving supplies, equipment, and people, thus strengthening its capacity in the security and humanitarian arena. This airlift capability would assist with border security, the interdiction of known terrorist elements, rapid reaction to internal security threats, and humanitarian aid. Egypt also intends to utilise these aircraft for maritime patrol missions and search and rescue missions in the region. In a similar spirit, the US State Department said the possible arms sales to Egypt will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a Major Non-NATO Ally that continues to be an important strategic partner in the Middle East. Observers in Egypt and elsewhere who have been following developments closely have also been struck by the significance of the statement by General Kenneth F. McKenzie, former commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM) before the Senate Armed Services Committee on 16 March 2022. The hearing concerned the approval of a sale of F-15 fighter jets to Egypt. McKenzie welcomed the news that his government had finally agreed to provide Egypt with F-15s, even though it was a long, hard slog to get to that point. He noted that Egypt had wanted to purchase these fighters for decades but the US had been slow to respond. That it finally had was a landmark in bilateral military cooperation. Military observers will also have noted that in its 2022 report Global Firepower, a leading ranker of national military forces around the world, listed Egypt as the strongest military power in the Middle East on the basis of conventional, non-nuclear defence indexes. Egypt was followed by Turkey, Iran and Israel. Yet in contrast to these other regional powers, which are engaged or have recently engaged in armed conflicts outside their borders, Egyptian foreign policy is disinclined to militarism and interventionism, seeking instead to defuse tensions and promote peace. Western organisations often attempt to link arms sales to Egypt with the state of human rights in the country, something that has long been a bone of contention in Egyptian-US relations. During Ramadan, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi unveiled a national dialogue initiative. Prior to this, Egyptian authorities began releasing political activists at a growing pace. Yet analysts do not believe these moves were prompted by US or Western attitudes. Rather, they say, they are the result of domestic considerations. The arms contracts appear to have hinged primarily on Washingtons current outlook on the Middle East and the convergence of Egyptian and US interests and policies. Cairo was crucial to ending the last war between Israel and the Palestinian factions in the spring of last year. The US also appreciates and encourages the role Egypt is playing in efforts to resolve the Libyan conflict, the most recent chapter in which was the meetings of the Libyan constitutional committee in Cairo this month. Egypt has also been active in efforts to reach a political settlement in Yemen, and Cairo has agreed to a US request to resume flights between Cairo and Sanaa after a seven-year hiatus. The purpose is to support humanitarian operations in Yemen and to airlift out the ill and wounded. *A version of this article appears in print in the 2 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: Al-Tagammu Party welcomed President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisis call for a national dialogue on Egypts political and economic priorities, describing it as a way forward in turning Egypt into a modern civilian democratic state. How did you receive President Al-Sisis call for national dialogue? When President Al-Sisi announced his call for dialogue during the Ramadan family iftar on 26 April, Al-Tagammu was among the first political parties to hail the step. The partys political bureau held a meeting to draft an agenda for the proposed dialogue. The party has long asked for both a comprehensive political dialogue and an economic conference. We want a national dialogue to discuss political reform and we want an economic conference to discuss the countrys current and future economic conditions. When the National Academy for Training (NAT), which will be responsible for organising the dialogue, sent us an official invitation, the political bureau convened and drafted a number of proposals which have now been sent back to the NAT. What issues did the proposals address? The proposals can be thought of as headlines rather than detailed stories. We think the details should be left to the dialogue. For example, we produced a paper on the cultural identity of Egypt in which we say Egypt should strive to become a modern civilian democratic state. This means that we reject political Islam movements and political groups which resort to violence and terrorism to achieve their objectives. In this civilian democratic state we ask for complete press freedom. We submitted another paper on social justice because, in the coming stage, utmost priority must be given to the education and health sectors. Poor, limited and middle-income classes should have access to free high-quality education and health care services. We also believe that middle-income classes should not be the ones to bear 90 per cent of the burdens of economic reform. We want to see an economy emerge that is based primarily on industrial and agricultural production. These should be the two main components of the Egyptian economy and they need developing so as to double foreign exchange revenues from their products. What is needed for this dialogue to succeed? In order for this dialogue to be a success all political forces should be invited and treated on an equal footing. By forces I mean all those that were part of the 30 June Revolution alliance. Of course, the Muslim Brotherhood, its offshoots and sympathisers cant be allowed to join this dialogue as the Egyptian people revolted against them in June 2013 and removed them from office. We do not want for this dialogue to be an elite gathering. Representatives of workers, farmers and professional syndicates should all participate . Some forces have said they will participate only after specific pre-conditions are met Al-Tagammu was founded in 1976 and has participated in several national dialogues. We generally welcome participation in dialogues regardless of who issued the invitation and without stipulating pre-conditions. The only exception was in 2013 when Mohamed Morsi sent us a national dialogue invitation. When forces put pre-conditions it suggests they do not trust the person calling for dialogue or its organisers. We trust President Al-Sisi and think the Egyptian people view him not just as the president of Egypt but also as the leader of a revolution. President Al-Sisi is not the leader of a certain political party or a high-ranking official who was promoted to the post. He is a revolutionary hero who is trusted by the people. Do you think the current economic crisis led to the call for national dialogue? No. Egypts ruling regime is not in a crisis. Al-Tagammu and other political forces which formed the 30 June alliance believe Al-Sisis call for national dialogue comes after the regimes success in defeating the forces of terrorism and regaining national stability. After removing the Muslim Brotherhood from office civil forces dreamed of turning Egypt into a modern democratic country but this was impossible while we were fighting a battle against terrorism and suffering from things such as chronic power shortages, poor infrastructure and low growth rates. It was necessary to first solve all these problems in order to pave the way for the second stage, the stage of political reform and democratization. Some believe the national dialogue should be organised by the Senate rather than the NAT which they say is a bureaucratic institution affiliated with the presidency When President Al-Sisi announced the national dialogue he directed his call to all national forces, not only to members of the Senate or the House of Representatives. He did not say that participants should be restricted to political parties with seats in the Senate and the House. If an elite dialogue had been the goal then perhaps the Senate should have organized it. But as the call for is directed to all, a neutral institution such as NAT seems ideal. How much time do you think the dialogue will take? If we are serious about making the dialogue a success we cannot set a fixed timetable. The timeframe needs to be determined by the agenda, not vice versa. I mean, lets begin with discussing political reform. This could easily take three months of discussion, and once we finish we can move to another item. In the end, there will be recommendations that could need changes to legislation, or even changes to the constitution. To pre-set a timetable for such a process is difficult. Does Al-Tagammu see a need to amend the constitution? We think some articles of the constitution need to be put into action on the ground. For example, Article 74 states that no political party should be formed on the basis of religion. This article has never been implemented. Currently we have six or seven political parties with religious foundations. Other articles which relate to the economic system should be amended, and this will require dialogue between all participants, particularly economists, industrialists, businessmen and investors. *A version of this article appears in print in the 2 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: The UN Climate Change Conference 2022 (COP27) is an opportunity to showcase unity against the existential threat of climate change that can only be overcome through concerted action and effective implementation, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said in welcome message to the event participants. The message was published on the official website of COP27 Egypt launched on Tuesday to provide information on the UN event, which is slated to be held from 7 to 18 November in the Egyptian Red Sea city of Sharm El-Sheikh. In his message, El-Sisi said Egypt, in its role as conference president, will spare no effort to ensure that COP27 becomes the moment when the world moved from negotiation to implementation and where words were translated to actions. He noted that the hosting of COP27 in the green city of Sharm El-Sheikh this year marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In the thirty years since, the world has come a long way in the fight against climate change and its negative impacts on the planet, the president added. "We are now able to better understand the science behind climate change, better assess its impacts, and better develop tools to address its causes and consequences," he assured. Egypt and its people look forward to welcoming you all at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, where we trust the world will come together, yet again, to reaffirm its commitment to the global climate agenda despite the difficulties and uncertainties of our time, El-Sisi added. "I am positive that all parties and stakeholders will be coming to Sharm El-Sheikh with a stronger will and a higher ambition on mitigation, adaptation and climate finance, demonstrating actual success stories on implementing commitments and fulfilling pledges," he asserted. El-Sisi added that the world came together in 2015 and showed the will to make the necessary compromises, which led to the successful adoption of the Paris Agreement. He said that the world is once again called upon to act rapidly to meet the 1.5 degree goal, build resilience, and enhance capacity to adapt, especially in light of the unmistakable messages in the recent reports of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and following COP26 in Glasgow. "And while these are no doubt major undertakings, I sincerely believe that they can also become opportunities for transformation towards sustainability if we collectively think creatively and demonstrate the necessary political will," he noted. The newly launched website presented other three welcome messages from Mostafa Madbouly, Egyptian prime minister and chair of COP27 Higher Committee; Sameh Shoukry, Egyptian minister of foreign affairs and president-designate of COP27; and Yasmine Fouad, Egyptian minister of environment and ministerial coordinator and envoy of COP27. The website also outlines the country's vision on climate change and its strive to accelerate global climate action through emissions reduction, scaled-up adaptation efforts and enhanced flows of appropriate finance. The platform also provides other information on the conference such as available accommodations and transportation. According to the website, the UN event will be held at International Convention Centre in the coastal city. Search Keywords: Short link: US President Joe Biden wrapped up his first Asian tour in Japan this week after his official visit to South Korea. US President Joe Biden met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo this week and held a second in-person Quad Summit meeting with newly elected Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the prime minister of Japan. At the same time, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity was officially launched during the Biden visit to Tokyo. This is a US initiative with the aim of accompanying US-inspired and led alliances in the Indo-Pacific region within a strong and significant economic framework. It is an ambitious economic initiative that has 14 countries as members, and the US hopes that other South Asian countries as well as island states in the Pacific will join later on. The signatory countries include the US, Australia, Brunei Darussalam, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. US direct investment in these countries amounted to $969 billion in 2020, and trade with the Indo-Pacific is the source of nearly $900 billion in foreign direct investment in the US. According to the Japan-United States Joint Leaders Statement, called Strengthening the Free and Open International Order, released on 23 May after Bidens meeting with Kishida, the two sides underscored the fact that the bilateral relations binding the two countries are the cornerstone of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. The Japanese prime minister expressed his full support for the US Indo-Pacific strategy, and the two leaders lent their joint support to the increasingly vibrant, multilayered, and interconnected architecture in the region. They also reaffirmed the importance of the Association of South East Asia Nations (ASEAN) and highlighted the important work done by the Quad group and AUKUS, an alliance of Australia, the UK, and the US. The statement has a separate section on China that some might call China bashing as it consists of a catalogue, from the point of view of Washington and Tokyo, of Chinas destabilising activities in the Indo-Pacific region. This section is entitled Regional Issues: Responding to an Increasingly Challenging Regional Security Environment and notes Chinas ongoing increase in its nuclear capabilities and the fact that it has been asked to contribute to arrangements that reduce nuclear risks, increase transparency, and advance nuclear disarmament. The implicit message here is probably related to the Chinese position vis-a-vis the North Korean nuclear programme. The statement goes on to reiterate the strong opposition of the US and Japan to Chinas unlawful maritime claims, militarisation of reclaimed features and coercive activities in the South China Sea. It also expresses concerns about the increasing activities of Russian military forces around Japan and is committed to remain attentive to cooperation between China and Russia in military affairs. It is worth noting that the statement calls on China to condemn what it calls Russian aggression against Ukraine. It is noticeably emphatic as far as this point is concerned. At their meeting, the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. In the meantime, they sent a conciliatory message to North Korea expressing their support for what they termed a calibrated approach to North Korea and called on Pyongyang to engage in serious and sustained dialogue without preconditions while also calling on it to accept offers of international assistance to help it fight the Covid-19 pandemic. The security part of the US-Japanese Summit plainly demonstrated that the two countries intend to strengthen their security and military cooperation in the years to come under the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security and that this will be backed, according to the US president, by a full range of capabilities including nuclear. The two countries affirmed the critical importance of US extended deterrence and agreed to enhance bilateral discussions on this through the Security Consultative Committee and the Extended Deterrence Dialogue. Biden assured the Japanese that Article V of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the countries applies to the Senkaku Islands. The first paragraph of this Article states that each party recognises that an armed attack against either party in the territories under the administration of Japan would be dangerous to its own peace and safety and declares that it would act to meet the common danger in accordance with its constitutional provisions and processes. The question of Taiwan was discussed at the summit, and both Washington and Tokyo reaffirmed their position, which opposes the use of force and calls for security and stability in the Taiwan Strait. Both leaders talked of the importance of the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait questions. The Japanese prime minister spoke of his determination to reinforce Japanese defence capabilities, saying he would work to secure a substantial increase in Japans defence budget in order to carry this out. The two leaders were in agreement on the need to reinforce the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-US alliance. Bidens first Asian tour was a success from the perspective of US national security interests, and it succeeded in highlighting the capacities of the alliance-building of the US administration in the Indo-Pacific region. It brings to an end the first stage in this US strategy that goes back to March 2021 when the administration held its first summit meeting since taking office, a virtual one with the leaders of the Quad group. The meeting that took place in Tokyo last week was the fourth under this administration in the span of 15 months. The next phase in the US strategy of networking alliances will come at the next NATO summit in Madrid at the end of next month, which is supposed to approve the New Strategic Concept of the alliance for the next ten years. This should establish linkages between NATO, as a Euro-Atlantic based alliance, and the network of US-led alliances in the Indo-Pacific region. * The writer is former assistant foreign minister. *A version of this article appears in print in the 2 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: Egyptian political activist Yahia Hussein Abdel-Hady received on Tuesday a presidential pardon after he was sentenced to prison last week to four years in prison for intentionally spreading false news about Egypt locally and internationally, his lawyer Khaled Ali confirmed. The sentence, issued by a Cairo State Security Misdemeanor Court, is final and cannot be appealed. Abdel-Hady, 68, who is one of the founders of the opposition Democratic Civil Movement, was accused by the prosecution of spreading and airing false news and misusing a social media platform, as well as working with a terrorist organisation. According to his lawyer, the case was related to an article the accused published online in 2018, for which he was arrested and released on bail at the time. Ali also revealed on his Facebook account that the activist, who gained huge popularity during the Mubarak era for criticising and standing in court against privatisation policies, was released Monday pending investigations by the High State Security Prosecution in another case. Abdel-Hady has been in pre-trial detention for more than two years following his arrest in January 2019 Lawyer Tarek El-Awady a member of the Presidential Pardon Committee said on Monday that it was expected that Abdel-Hady was going to receive a presidential pardon within hours as a new group of pretrial detainees from activists began to be released in the past 24 hours. Additional batches of detainees who have been granted presidential pardons would be released on Monday and Thursday, El-Awady said earlier on Sunday. Search Keywords: Short link: Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry discussed with his Swedish counterpart, Ann Linde, on Tuesday in Stockholm boosting economic cooperation between their countries, especially during the current major development boom Egypt is witnessing, a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. According to the ministry, Shoukry expressed Egypts interest in boosting bilateral cooperation with Sweden, adding that the current development boom in Egypt provides a great opportunity for Swedish companies to consolidate their presence and investments, especially in the fields of telecommunications, IT, digital transformation, smart solutions, clean energy, education, and automotive manufacturing. In a visit to Egypt in September 2021, Swedish Minister for Foreign Trade Anna Hallberg stated that Egypt is Swedens top trading partner in Africa and third largest partner in the Middle East, adding that more than 30 Swedish companies are currently working in Egypt. In the same month, Egypts Minister of Industry and Trade Nevine El-Gamea stated that the volume of trade exchange between both countries hit about $913.4 million in 2020, up from 2019s $734 million an increase of 25 percent. During his meeting with Linde, Shoukry also spoke about increasing Swedish tourism to Egypt. Furthermore, he discussed the latest developments Egypt is witnessing in all fields, especially in terms of sustainable economic practices amid the current global challenges. The two top diplomats then agreed to continue working on boosting bilateral cooperation and to maintain consultation and coordination between their countries. Shoukry, who is also the president-designate of the 2022 UN Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP27), headed on Monday to Swedens Stockholm to take part in the sixth Ministerial on Climate Action (MoCA6). The event which is being co-hosted by Canada, the EU, and China kicked off on 31 May, with several ministers and high-level representatives from around the world taking part in the event. Search Keywords: Short link: Sameh Shoukry, Egyptian foreign minister and president-designate of the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference (COP27), called for urgent action to implement climate pledges and the Paris Agreement while addressing the sixth Ministerial on Climate Action (MoCA) in Sweden on Tuesday. Shoukry underscored the necessity of continuing efforts to boost international climate work, especially that of adapting to climate change and reducing emissions. During the MOCA's session, entitled Determining Track of International Climate Work in 2022, the COP27 president-designate called for looking into the potential harms from climate change and providing finance for climate issues. Earlier in May, Egypt co-organised a ministerial meeting with Denmark and the United Kingdom in Copenhagen on the implementation of the climate pledges. Shoukry said the meeting emphasised the political will of the various parties to focus on transforming climate pledges into actions, Ahmed Hafez, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement. Egypt will host COP27 in the Red Sea city of Sharm El-Sheikh on 7-18 November. Egypt seeks through its presidency of COP27 to build on the outcomes of COP26 held in Glasgow last year with the aim of achieving more progress in all the aspects of climate work, Shoukry pointed out. Egypt is keen to communicate effectively with all parties concerned with climate action, including governments, the private sector, financial institutions, civil society, and scientific and academic circles, he added. The MoCA an annual meeting co-hosted by Canada, the EU and China kicked off on Tuesday with the attendance of several ministers and high-level representatives from over 30 countries, including ministers from the G20 and chairs of key party groupings in the UN climate negotiations. The meetings provide a space for discussions on the implementation of the Paris Agreement through the promotion of ambitious climate action and the successful adoption of technical rules under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Also on Tuesday, Shoukry held talks with Vice-President of the European Commission (EC) Frans Timmermans on the sidelines of the meeting. Earlier in the day, Shoukry also met with Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault, and his Swedish counterpart Ann Linde where they discussed boosting bilateral relations between Egypt and Sweden, especially economic relations. Search Keywords: Short link: The Red Wave-5 joint naval drill kicked off in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday with the participation of Egypts Naval Forces, the Egyptian Armed Forces announced in a statement. The drills, which are being conducted in Saudi Arabias territorial waters, also include the participation of the naval and special forces of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Djibouti, Sudan, and Yemen. The exercises are expected to continue for several days and will start off with a preparation phase that will include meetings and lectures to consolidate understanding between all units participating in the exercises. Furthermore, the drills will involve the execution of joint planning activities along with managing naval combat work to exchange expertise between the forces involved. Additionally, the Egyptian armed forces announced the commencement of the Egyptian-Saudi air forces Faisal-12 joint drills in Saudi Arabia as well. The drills, which will run for several days, will include several activities, such as planning and managing joint air combat operations and carrying out a number of offensive and defensives sorties with the latest multi-mission fighters from both countries with the aim of unifying fighting concepts and exchanging expertise from both sides. According to the Egyptian army, the joint exercises solidify the distinguished relations and military cooperation between Egypt and its brotherly allies. Search Keywords: Short link: The minister's remarks were made during her participation in a virtual session of dialogue held in Lisbon under the title of "The Road to UN Ocean Conference 2022." The session is scheduled to address means of management, maintenance and protection of coastal environments. UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt Elena Panova, Kenyan Ambassador in Cairo Joff Otieno as well as a large number of environmental experts attended the session. Addressing the session, Fouad reviewed the main events on biological diversity and nature that will be held on the sidelines of the UN Climate Conference (COP27) that will be hosted by Egypt in November. She said COP27 will include a conference that explores the best practices that should be adopted to protect the ecological system and maintain biodiversity along with means of protecting seas and oceans from the impact of human practices and activities. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said on Tuesday that it was necessary for the African Union (AU) and the Economic Commission of Africa to prepare a database of existing industries on the continent and the need of each country. Madbouly's statements came during his speech at the inauguration of the sixth edition of the 'Egypt Can' conference, which is held this year under the title "Egypt Can with industry." The Prime Minsiter added that all the manufacturers in Africa do not have enough information about the manufacturing capabilities and needs of other countries and so a database will help them to identify partners across the continent. He also pointed out that the process of integration between African countries and the increase of bilateral trade between them which currently stands at 18%, compared to about 56% in Asian countries will only be achieved by establishing a network of roads linking African countries as well as ports and airports across the continent in addition to activating free trade agreements. Furthermore, the PM indicated that Egypt spent billions of EGP to create the basic infrastructure to upgrade industry, adding that Egypt has electricity and industrial complexes that investors may be interested in. He also stated that the government created a business climate by introducing laws like the Investment Law, Industrial Zones Law, Industrial Licenses Law, Economic Zones Law, Small and Medium Industries Law, and the Competition Protection Law, adding that they can all be amended if necessary. Concerning the states support for exports, Madbouly said that following President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisis directives, the problems of exporters and industrialists in Egypt were solved and that Egyptian exports managed to achieve a leap last year, even increasing during the first quarter of this year. Conference Schedule Twelve sessions will be held as part of the conference to discuss a group of industrial issues, including the opening session, which discussed industrial investment, the future of industry, as well as developing industrial societies in Egypt to attain sustainable development by linking the capital market to industrial development. As part of Egypts preparations for UN Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP27), which will be held in Sharm El-Sheikh this November, the second session of the Egypt Can Conference will be titled Green Industry and will discuss the green transition and the most important environmental and climate issues. Furthermore, the third session will discuss the future of industry in Egypt and Africa, while the fourth session will be dedicated to AI, digitisation, as well as programming. Additionally, the fifth session will discuss industries of the future, including the latest developments in the textile industries pertaining to liquid hydrogen. The sixth session will discuss the manufacturing of eco-friendly means of transportation and supporting the production of liquid hydrogen in Egypt. Finally, the seventh session will be dedicated to medical industries, whether pharmaceutical or medical apparatuses. Held under the auspices of President Abdel-Fattah El Sisi, the Egypt Can with Industry Conference is organised by the Ministry of Emigration and Expatriate Affairs in cooperation with the Ministries of Trade and Industry, the Public Enterprise Sector, and the Ministry of State For Military Production, and is being held at the New Administrative Capital. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt is set to host the eighth Global Conference for Young Parliamentarians (GCYP) on 15-16 June in the Red Sea city of Sharm El-Sheikh with climate change as the key focus of the event. The summit, which is set to attract a slew of high level international and regional officials, is organised by the Egyptian House of Representatives in cooperation with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and under the patronage of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi. The Egyptian House of Representatives was keen to include climate change at the top of the GCYP's agenda to be tackled as a global cause within the framework of the global parliamentary dimension, it said in a statement on Tuesday. The focus on the climate change issue also coincides with Egypt's hosting of the UN Climate Change Conference 2022 (COP27), in the same city on 7-18 November. Egypt will be the first host of the conference to organise a separate parliamentary conference on the issue of climate change, the statement added. The step reflects the country's vision that is based on the necessity of integrating all executive and legislative institutions while dealing with the global phenomena, it added. The IPU said that no issue is more urgent and vital than action to curb climate change, adding that the two-day event will coordinate parliamentary action to mitigate the impact of climate change and ensure that global warming does not exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius, in line with the Paris Agreement. The annual event will be attended by delegations of up to four young parliamentarians each from 90 countries as part of the country's vision aiming to empower youth and exchange views on global issues such climate change, the House's statement added. Delegations should be composed of representatives of both sexes and the youngest members of national parliament, according to the IPU. The conference, held for first time in 2014 in Geneva, is aimed at promoting the participation of youth in politics to learn about their views on international challenges and issues. The IPU said the GCYP is a unique platform for young parliamentarians to meet, exchange and learn and identify common and innovative strategies to advance youth empowerment. The seventh GCYP was held virtually in 2021, while the sixth edition was held in Paraguay in 2019. Egyptian MP Sahar El-Bazar is currently the president of the IPU's Forum of Young parliamentarians. Search Keywords: Short link: Malaysia unreservedly condemned the assault and incursion by the Israeli extremists and officials in and around Al-Aqsa Mosque on Sunday, the Malaysian News Agency reported on Tuesday. The Foreign Ministry in a statement on Tuesday said the premeditated incursion on the Holy Site of the Muslims and the rallies of the flag march in the Old City was clearly a provocation and a flagrant violation against the revered Holy Site and its sanctities. This latest raid on the Al-Aqsa Mosque was undoubtedly an act of aggression by the Israeli occupation regime and Israeli extremists, unduly fanning the flames of tensions among the region and beyond, the statement read. Malaysia called upon the international community to immediately demand the Israel regime to cease any provocative acts in the interest of peace and stability, said Wisma Putra. Malaysia stands strong in solidarity with the people of Palestine, and reiterates the status of AlQuds Al-Sharif as the Holy site of the Muslim Ummah, it said. Malaysia also reaffirmed its unwavering support and solidarity with the Palestinians and their cause to achieve freedom from the Israeli illegal occupation and realize their aspirations for an independent State of Palestine based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as their Capital. Search Keywords: Short link: Shanghai authorities said Tuesday they will lift more restrictions in steps to return the Covid-hit city to normality, after two months of heavy-handed restrictions that throttled businesses and locked down residents. The commercial hub of 25 million was shuttered in sections from late March, when an Omicron-variant spread in China's worst outbreak since the virus first emerged in the country in late 2019. China is wedded to a zero-Covid strategy of hard lockdowns, mass testing and long quarantine periods to wipe out clusters. But after gradually relaxing some rules over past weeks, officials said on Tuesday that residents living in areas deemed low risk will be allowed to move around the city freely, a major step toward ending the curbs. The easing of restrictions will apply to around 22 million people, deputy mayor Zong Ming told reporters. "From June 1, the city will enter the third stage, that is, the stage of fully restoring the normal production and living order of the city," Zong said. Malls, convenience stores, pharmacies and beauty salons will be allowed to operate at 75 percent capacity, while parks and other scenic spots will gradually reopen, she added. But cinemas and gyms remain closed. Schools -- shut since mid-March -- will slowly reopen on a voluntary basis. Local media showed photos of orange-clad workers dismantling some of the barriers that had penned in districts across the city for weeks. Previously, residents in areas without any coronavirus cases had to carry passes that only allowed them to out for a few hours to buy essentials. Taxi services and private cars will also be allowed in low-risk areas, allowing people to visit friends and family outside their district. Buses, subway and ferry services will also resume, Liu Bin, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Transportation, said. Shanghai residents travelling to other cities in China still need to quarantine, and residents need a negative test taken within 72 hours to enter most public places. Communities considered "high risk" will also still have stringent restrictions on movement. Factories and businesses were also gearing up to restart work after being dormant for weeks, with the gruelling measures bringing the city to a standstill. Shanghai official Wu Qing told reporters Sunday that the city would "eliminate unreasonable restrictions" and announced a slew of measures to shore up Shanghai's virus-battered economy. But residents and business owners have complained of discrepancies between official announcements and enforcement. China's biggest city has reported over 63,000 Covid infections and nearly 600 deaths since mid-March. The heavy-handed lockdown led to an outpouring of online anger, while others banged pots and pans in protest for days as the city ran out of fresh fruits and vegetables and several residents died without access to emergency medical care for other conditions. The city reported 31 new infections Tuesday. Search Keywords: Short link: U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth on Tuesday reiterated America's support for Taiwan on her second visit in a year to the self-governing island claimed by China. Duckworth, meeting with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, emphasized the close economic, political and security relations between Taipei and Washington. China sent 30 military aircraft toward the island on Monday in an ongoing campaign of regular flights. Taiwan's Defense Ministry said it responded by scrambling jets, putting air defense missile systems on alert and issuing radio warnings. Duckworth said she wanted to "emphasize our support for Taiwan security." The former Army helicopter pilot and lieutenant colonel in the National Guard cited strong bipartisan backing for a bill she has put forward promoting cooperation between Taiwan's armed forces and the National Guard. "I do want to say that it is more than just about military. It's also about the economy,'' the Illinois Democrat told Tsai. Tsai thanked the U.S. government and Congress "for the importance they place on peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," as well as Duckworth herself for "keeping a close watch on Taiwan related security issues.'' China said it strongly deplores Duckworth's visit. "Taiwan is a province of China, and there is no so-called president,'' Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said. He urged the U.S. to end all official contacts with Taiwan. "The U.S. government has recently sent a series of erroneous signals on the Taiwan issue,'' he said. "What the U.S. government should do is to put into practice President Biden's remarks that the U.S. does not seek a new Cold War with China, does not aim to change China's system . and does not support Taiwan independence." U.S. President Joe Biden said on a recent trip to Japan and South Korea that the U.S. would intervene militarily if China were to invade Taiwan. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has put China's threats against Taiwan under new focus, prompting increased backing for arms sales and political support from Democrats and Republicans. China upped the ante further in May, reaching out to the Solomon Islands and nine other island nations with a sweeping security proposal that, even if only partially realized, could give it a presence in the Pacific much nearer Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand and on the doorstep of the strategic American territory of Guam. That is seen as a potential route to blocking access to Taiwan by the U.S. and its allies in the event China makes good on its threat to invade the island. In a speech Thursday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said President Joe Biden's administration aims to lead the international bloc opposed to Russia's invasion of Ukraine into a broader coalition to counter what it sees as a more serious, long-term threat to global order from China. He did say that the U.S. does not support Taiwan independence. While relations with Taiwan are informal in deference to Beijing, the U.S. remains its main supplier of defensive arms and source of political support in international organizations where China blocks Taiwan's participation. Search Keywords: Short link: Denmark's supreme court on Tuesday overturned a lower court ruling ordering the government to compensate 18 civilians tortured during the Iraq war in a joint operation by Iraqi forces and a Danish battalion. A total of 23 Iraqi plaintiffs had sued Denmark after they were arrested and subjected to "torture and inhumane treatment" in 2004 during operation "Green Desert" near Iraq's main port city of Basra. The supreme court ruled that since the Danish troops neither took part in nor were aware of the torture, the defence ministry was not obliged to pay compensation. An appeals court in Copenhagen had ruled in 2018 that although the Danish soldiers did not join in the torture, they failed to prevent the abuse. It said they were aware the prisoners faced a "real risk" of being physically abused by the Iraqi security forces, and ordered the Danish state to pay 18 of them 30,000 Danish kroner ($4,300, 4,000 euros) in damages. But the supreme court instead found "the Danish forces had no command over the Iraqi military and police forces, that the operation was Iraqi-led, and that the Danish forces' participation in and conduct of the operation was in accordance with the mandate they were sent under". "The Danish forces had no concrete and current reason to believe that the Iraqi parties would be subjected to abuses," the court said in a written statement. It concluded therefore that "the defence ministry is not liable for assaults committed by Iraqi special forces following the military operation with the participation of Danish forces". Experts have said they hope the verdict will clarify what responsibility soldiers have when participating in military missions abroad. Search Keywords: Short link: The volume of trade exchange between Egypt and Poland unprecedently reached around $720 million in 2021 an increase of 20 percent compared to 2020, according to Minister of Trade and Industry Nevine Gamea. Gamea made her remarks in a speech on Monday during the Egyptian-Polish Business Forum in the presence of Polish President Andrzej Duda, Egypts Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, and a host of ministers, senior officials, and businessmen. Egypts exports to Poland also increased in 2021 by more than 60 percent to hit about $300 million, the minister added. The remarkable increase in the volume of trade exchange between Egypt and Poland reflects the two countries keenness to enhance their bilateral cooperation in light of the current global economic challenges. Furthermore, Egypt is keen on promoting economic, trade, and investment ties with Poland, Gamea said, highlighting the crucial role played by the businessmen of the two countries in fostering cooperation across various spheres. The Egyptian-Polish Business Forum represents an important platform to rally efforts to confront the current economic challenges, added the minister. Attractive destination for investors In his remarks to the forum, Duda hailed Egypt as an attractive destination for Polish investors. As a president of Poland, I am deeply interested in pushing cooperation forward, not only at the commercial levels, but in all areas of mutual interest, such as expertise-sharing, Duda said, highlighting his countrys ongoing research on fisheries and food production. He noted that Poland is a country with a great deal of experience in transportation, smart cities, medical technologies, agricultural production, as well as various forms of energy, alluding to the possibility of achieving economic integration between both countries. This would help open the door to new possibilities for Polish as well as Egyptian investors and offer new solutions in various sectors, especially the energy industry. Duda, who embarked on his first-ever official visit to Cairo on Monday, has stressed that the visit will have positive effects on bilateral relations with Egypt. He also reaffirmed that there will be positive impacts on the countrys tourism and economy in light of the forum and the resumption of direct flights between Cairo and Warsaw by Polands LOT as of 31 May with five flights scheduled a week. For his part, Polish Minister of Economic Development and Technology Grzegorz Piechowiak voiced his hope that the forum would be an opportunity to further enhance cooperation between the two countries. He added that Egypt is an essential strategic partner to Poland and a gateway to Africa and several Arab countries. On the side-lines of the forum, Egypts General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) signed an MoU with the Polish Investment and Trade Agency to encourage mutual investments and establish joint investment projects. Search Keywords: Short link: South Africa: Visually impaired youth wins art competition From being born with a visual impairment to fighting against homelessness and family abuse, Marco Hartse recently won first prize as part of a national COVID-19 vaccine awareness art competition for young people. The #KeReady2Flex Challenge was initiated by the DG Murray Trust in March this year with the objective of getting young people to produce creative work that promotes getting vaccinated. The artwork represented Hartses emotions and feelings, carrying a story of the struggles that he has overcome to achieve recognition and victory. The drawing with the road represents the road to healing. If everybody decides to get vaccinated, we can fast-track the road to recovery, which is in our hands, Hartse said. The competition invited non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from across the country to host an event that creates an opportunity for their members and communities to showcase their talent. The competition produced more than 100 winners between the ages of 12 and 34 years. Hartse, a beneficiary at Cape Town Society for the Blind (CTSB), won first prize for his two art pieces. Hartse joined CTSB in 2017 to learn cane weaving and later became a small business unit owner at the training facility in Salt River. CTSB teaches skills to blind and visually impaired persons in the Western Cape and more than 120 students attend a multitude of accredited training programmes such as ICDL and End-User Computing. The learning programmes at CTSB not only teach skills, but also encompasses recognition of the whole person and this is how his talent as an artist came to be recognised. Having worked with artists in a programme specifically geared toward developing emerging artists with disabilities - when I saw Hartses artwork I saw potential. I saw the passion and the story he was trying to communicate through his art, CTSB Business Development Manager Veronica Pronk said. Pronk was astounded by the detail and the depth of his work and immediately knew that with some encouragement, guidance and development he would be able to create magical work, both on paper and on canvas. CTSB encouraged Hartse to enter his artwork in the #KeReady2Flex Challenge. When he received the news that he had won first prize in the final week of the #KeReady2Flex Challenge, he was very emotional and has used most of his prize money to assist his Wesbank community. It felt good being able to help people who have nothing; to see a smile on their face when I gave them some food or groceries. That made me happy, Hartse said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-05-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The minister of immigration and expatriate affairs is facing a family crisis that is putting into question her ability to continue in her post. Minister of Immigration and Expatriate Affairs Nabila Makram announced earlier this week that her son Rami Fahim has been charged with killing two people in California. On 27 May, Makram published a statement on her Facebook page that she and her family are going through a difficult time. Makram called for prayers for her son and for the two victims and said that she will continue her duties as minister. My family and I are under severe distress following my son being charged with murder in the US. This charge is in a US court and a sentence has not yet been issued, the statement read. The Supreme Court of Orange County, California, has scheduled Fahims trial for 17 June for murdering his co-worker and flatmate, both 23, by stabbing them with a knife. The attack took place on Tuesday 19 April in their Katella Avenue apartment in Anaheim at about 6:30am. According to a press release issued by the Orange County District Attorneys (DA) Office, Fahim, 26, who was an employee at LPL Network RIA firm Pence Wealth Management, is accused of stabbing his co-worker Griffin Cuomo and then stabbing Cuomos roommate Jonathan Bahm. The DAs office has charged Fahim with two counts of murder, and two enhancements each of lying-in wait, multiple murders, and the personal use of a deadly weapon, thus making him eligible for the death penalty. Fulfilling my duties as a minister in the government does not conflict at all with me being a believing mother who bravely faces the dilemma of her son. Whatever the consequences, as a minister, I take full responsibility for my position and the requirements of working in it, and I clearly differentiate between what is personal and what is public, Makram said in her Facebook post. However, the situation Makram finds herself in has caused widespread controversy. Iman Al-Shehabi, a professor of political science at Cairo University, believes that the minister should resign because she will not be able to fulfil her mission properly. She is a mother; she will be preoccupied with her sons problem to the detriment of other expatriate problems. This is normal. After all, she is a mother before being a minister. She needs to focus on his problem, and this is her right, Al-Shehabi said. Veteran TV presenter Amr Adib revealed that the minister can take a holiday instead of resigning until her sons crisis is resolved. According to Adib, any of the ministers assistants could take over until the court reaches a verdict. *A version of this article appears in print in the 2 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: Ahead of US President Joe Bidens visit to Israel later this month Cairo is working hard to warn of the dangers inherent in keeping the Palestinian issue on the backburner. One hundred days since the beginning of the war in Ukraine and few if any observers expect it to be over any time soon. It is likely, say some, to drag on, possibly into next year. It is an assessment that has lead to concern in Arab capitals that other pressing issues, not least the plight of Palestinians, has been placed on the back burner indefinitely. As the Ukraine war continues, with no end in sight, the situation in Gaza and the Palestinian territories has been coming too close to the point of explosion, and few people are taking any notice, said one Egyptian diplomat. A Palestinian government official who spoke this week on condition of anonymity said that the Palestinian Authority (PA) is doing everything possible to encourage self-restraint in the West Bank and is sending clear messages to Hamas leaders in Gaza sometimes directly and at other times through Arab channels that they need to avoid pushing things to the point of confrontation with Israel. We know that Hamas is not looking for a new military confrontation but we cannot predict the possible reactions of Hamas to further Israeli provocation, the PA official said. He added that while the Israeli government of Naftali Bennett does not seem to want to pick a fight in Gaza, the tactics of the Israeli military are more unpredictable. We think that nothing is likely to happen in the next few weeks given the anticipated visit of the American president later this month but we dont know what might happen beyond then, he said. He added that beyond the possibility of a new nuclear deal between the West and Iran little international attention is being paid to the Middle East. The world has almost forgotten the Palestinian Cause. Nobody talks about a political process. The most the world talks about is improving living conditions for Palestinians but the problem of Palestinians is a problem of occupation not of living conditions. According to the Egyptian diplomat, tensions in and around Jerusalem during recent weeks have served as a reminder to regional and international capitals that putting pressure on Israel to improve the living conditions of Palestinians is not good enough and something more has to be done to defuse the growing tensions. The world, he said, needs to take stock of the remarkable show of anger and frustration that was demonstrated during the funeral of Sherine Abu Akleh, the AlJazeera broadcaster shot dead last month while covering an Israeli military attack on the Palestinian territories. What we saw should remind everyone that an outbreak of anger is never far from the surface, he said. This week, all eyes were focused on the Israeli storming of Muslim quarters of Jerusalem by Israeli religious nationalists during the contentious annual flag march during which thousands of Israelis celebrate Israels capture of East Jerusalem in 1967. The Palestinian presidency said that Israel was playing with fire by allowing the march to go ahead while Hamas warned of the consequences of continued Israeli violations of Al-Aqsa. Egypt issued a statement warning against any attempt to tamper with the Arab, Muslim and Christian identity of East Jerusalem, and according to the Egyptian diplomat, Cairo has been communicating with all concerned interlocutors in the Palestinian territories and Gaza in an attempt to ensure the situation does not spin out of control. He added, however, that a purely crisis management approach is inadequate and Cairo is firm that a political process needs to be launched somehow, and sooner rather than later. During the past eight weeks Cairo has been engaging concerned capitals on how to bring international attention back to the Palestinian Cause. Nobody is assuming that it is possible to jumpstart a peace process anytime soon let alone reach a peace deal anytime in the near future, said the diplomat. We are all aware that international attention is focused on Ukraine, China and Iran while regional attention is focused on matters of political stability and economic cooperation, including cooperation with Israel. That said, during meetings and phone calls in the last two months, including gatherings that have convened in Cairo some announced and some not Cairo has managed to sketch an agenda of action to start re-activating politics on the Palestinian front. We have spoken with the Palestinians, Israelis, Jordanians, French and others, including the Americans, and have received delegations from Hamas, the Palestinian Authority and from Israel, explained the diplomat. The Egyptian agenda, he said, is designed to facilitate a series of meetings that will allow for elementary Palestinian-Israeli talks to resume, though not necessarily at the highest level. He added that Cairo is aware of the fact that the Bennett government is not interested in a political process starting but we have to act around the difficulties. Cairo is willing to host direct meetings if the two parties agree to work out a road map to restart the political process. There is the upcoming visit of Biden to Israel, which may include a stop somewhere else in the Middle East, and we want to make sure that the visit helps in re-launching a political process on the Palestinian front, said the diplomat. Last month, Egyptian and European diplomatic sources said Egypt was promoting the idea of a summit level meeting that could bring together Biden, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, Bennett, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi and Jordans King Abdullah. This week, the same sources said that the issue is still being discussed and no final decision had been made. It is very significant that the Biden Administration opted to bring back attention to the two-state solution but we need to see some action, the Egyptian diplomat said. In a recent article published by the US Institute of Peace (USIP) Hisham Youssef, a former Egyptian diplomat and a senior fellow at USIP, argued that the dominant discourse on the Palestinian-Israeli struggle since the beginning of the Biden administration and the formation of the Bennett government had held out no hope of a Biden visit to Israel. He also noted that while the Biden Administration re-embraced the concept of a two-state solution it has so far shown little appetite for full engagement in the Middle East. According to Youssef, there are several things Biden needs to do for his visit to Israel to qualify as a game changer on the Palestinian-Israeli front. First, he said, the Biden visit needs to create a clear and sustainable political horizon with a clear endgame. The status of Al-Haram Al-Sharif, he wrote, should also be clearly addressed and the way to move towards a two-state solution must be clearly defined. Youssef argued the Biden visit should build on the work of the Munich Group, which brings together Egypt, Jordan, France and Germany, to relaunch peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians. It should also, he added, encourage moves towards Palestinian elections and make sure that the normalisation process that several Arab capitals have started with Israel help in encouraging serious movement on the negotiations front. *A version of this article appears in print in the 2 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: This years African Development Bank annual meetings emphasised its work in helping the African continent to face up to climate change and energy transition From 23 to 27 May, the Ghanaian capital Accra hosted the 57th annual meetings of the African Development Bank (AfDB) under the theme Achieving Climate Resilience and a Just Energy Transition for Africa. reports Doaa A. Moneim from Accra. During the meetings African country representatives as well as AfDB officials emphasised that the UN COP27 conference on climate change to be hosted by Egypt in November is a great opportunity to showcase Africas potential and explore ways to unlock it in the fight against climate change. They urged the international community to fulfil the commitments it made at last years COP26 meeting to allocate $100 billion to the developing countries, including in Africa, to adapt to the dangers of climate change. Africa loses between $7 and $15 billion per year because of climate change, and this toll is projected to jump to $40 billion annually by 2030, according to President of the AfDB Group Akinwumi Adesina. Africa has no choice but to adapt to climate change. Climate change is killing the African economies, while the continent is responsible for only four per cent of global greenhouse-gas emissions, he said. The AfDB has doubled its financing to mitigate the effects of climate change by 2025 to $25 billion. Adesina told Al-Ahram Weekly he believes COP27 will help voice Africas potential and challenges and the importance of securing finance from international institutions to help the continent address climate change and its associated impacts. Delegates participating in the meetings announced their adoption of the Accra Declaration, which captures decisions taken by AfDB governors. It positions the AfDB to play a key role in leveraging and providing finance for climate adaptation on the continent, while also addressing the looming food crisis and supporting the green and clean energy transition. To address financing issues amid the ongoing challenges, the delegates reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the AfDBs financial resources to enable a scaling-up that will multiply and raise the level of achievement in the countries of its operation. The bank highlighted its willingness to be a vehicle for the continents International Monetary Fund (IMF) Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) reallocations in Africa. There were calls last year for developed and developing economies to channel SDRs through multilateral development banks like the AfDB. SDRs are an international reserve asset not a currency through which the IMF supplements member countries official reserves. Currently, the IMFs Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust Resilience and Sustainability Trust are the sole channels for SDR reallocation. During the Accra meetings, UK Minister for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean Vicky Ford said the UK might channel some of its IMF SDRs to Africa through the AfDB. Adesina believes the institutions track record should be a strong argument in its favour as it is the only African institution that has a credit rating of AAA from the international agency Moodys and is ranked fourth on the global transparency index. He said that independent reviews had showed the banks governance instruments were up to international standards. With the African Development Fund we have created a powerful institution, the only one based in Africa that exclusively finances Africas development, Adesina said. The AfDB meetings this year coincide with the 50th anniversary of the fund, which was established to give concessional loans to member countries to help them curb poverty. As for the AfDBs action plan to contain food disruptions in Africa on the back of the war in Ukraine, in collaboration with the African Union Commission it has approved the Africa Emergency Food Production Plan with a total value of $1.5 billion dedicated to supporting the African countries in producing food rapidly. The plan is projected to produce 38 million metric tons of food, including wheat, maize, rice, and soybeans to a total value of $12 billion. Our $1.5 billion investment will deliver $12 billion, a leverage factor of eight times. The plan will deliver climate-resilient agricultural technologies to 20 million farmers across the continent, Adesina explained. The plan follows a global convening by the bank, in partnership with the African Union Commission, of African ministers of finance, economy, and agriculture, and representatives of African development finance institutions, UN agencies, and developed countries around the world, along with the IMFs managing director. We all agreed it is time to support Africa to produce its own food. It is time to have food sovereignty. Food aid cannot feed Africa, Adesina said. The AfDB also launched its Circular Economy Facility (ACEF) at the Accra meetings to a total value of 4 billion in collaboration with the Finnish government, with the aim of helping all African countries adapt to climate change based on two key pillars, building institutional capacity and supporting the private sector, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). There will also be expanded membership of the African Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA) launched to stimulate the African countries transition to a circular economy model that provides economic growth, jobs, and positive environmental outcomes. To date, only Ghana, Cote dIvoire, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa are members of the Alliance. Speaking to the Weekly, AfDB vice-president for climate action Kariuki Kevin Kanina explained that the initiative would help all the African countries including Egypt to a full implementation of the circular economy and would contribute to adapting to climate change, dealing with the food crisis, and unlocking the continents production potential. Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs Juha Savolainen told the Weekly that Finland is the first country globally to adopt a circular economy roadmap that brings together all parts of the economy in a multi-stakeholder collaboration. We started its implementation in 2016 with a roadmap over 13 years. So far, it has managed to generate 2 billion and is expected to add a further 3 billion through 2030. This shows how such a model can benefit the African countries, Savolainen explained. At the Accra meetings, the AfDB governors emphasised the continued relevance of the Banks High 5 Priorities agenda, which involves Light up and Power Africa, Feed Africa, Integrate Africa, Industrialise Africa, and Improve the Quality of Life of the People of Africa as essential cornerstones of its strategic outlook for the next 10 years (2023-2032). It targets building a prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development, they said. The AfDB named Egypt as the host of the banks annual meetings in 2023, scheduled to be held from 22 to 26 May next year in Sharm El-Sheikh. Egypt is an AfDB country member and its second largest shareholder. *A version of this article appears in print in the 2 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: Iraqs parliament passed a new law this week criminalising any moves to normalise the countrys relations with Israel, writes Nermeen Al-Mufti in Baghdad The Iraqi parliament unanimously approved a proposed law on the criminalisation of normalisation with the Zionist entity last Thursday, which states that penalties of death or life imprisonment will be applied to any Iraqi promoting the normalisation of relations with Israel. The law was submitted to parliament by the Save the Homeland (Inqath Watan) Alliance that includes the Sadrist, Siyada (Sovereignty), and Kurdistan Democratic Party blocs. According to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), the law criminalises any kind of political, security, economic, artistic, cultural, sports, or scientific cooperation or dealings under any title whatsoever with Israel. All publications or other materials that promote normalisation with Israel will be confiscated, without prejudice to the criminal responsibility of the perpetrator under the law. Any Iraqi who establishes a relationship with Israel or promotes Zionist or Masonic ideas, principles, ideologies, or behaviour by any means, whether public or private, including conferences, gatherings, publications, publications on social media, or any other means, will be punished with either the death penalty or life imprisonment. The provisions of the law apply to Iraqis inside and outside the country, as well as to Iraqs regional governments, parliamentary councils, and all departments and institutions. Najm Kassab, a political analyst and chair of the Al-Mawrid Group for Strategic Studies, a think tank, told Al-Ahram Weekly that this law proves the sincere intention of powerful clergyman Muqtada Al-Sadr, the leader of the Sadrist Movement, with regard to his alliance with the Kurdistan Democratic Party and Sunni forces close to some of the Gulf countries that have normalised their relations with Israel. Regarding the difference between the new law and Article 111 of the 1969 Iraqi Penal Code, which include punishments such as death and life imprisonment, Kassab said that no other law in Iraq was as severe as the law recently passed by the parliament. After the vote on the law in parliament, Al-Sadr called on Iraqis to take to the streets to celebrate this great achievement. Ahmed Ali, a university student who participated in the celebrations, told the Weekly that the majority of Iraqis have not agreed with any regime that has ruled Iraq for decades, but they agree with these regimes on one point, which they see as a matter of principle no normalisation with the Zionist entity. Sanaa Mohamed, a political science MA student, told the Weekly that the law could be considered by certain foreign countries as being anti-Semitic, but I cannot understand why even a word against the Zionists is considered anti-Semitic when killing thousands of Arabs is not, even when the Arabs and the Jews are cousins and are both of Semitic origin. The law will come into effect after its publication in the Iraqi Official Gazette, Basheer Al-Araji, a journalist and expert on legal issues, told the Weekly. There is no specific date for the publication of the Official Gazette. Instead, it is published whenever a number of official instructions and laws are sent to the Ministry of Justice. The new law would be published in the Official Gazette as soon as it has been sent officially from the parliament, he said. Abdulameer Majar, a political analyst, told the Weekly that the law includes an implicit, though not explicit, recognition of Israel. However, it rejects normalisation and criminalises it because Israel occupies Arab land. It does not call for the elimination of Israel from existence. Majar mentioned the Arab Peace Initiative adopted by the Arab League at its Beirut Summit in 2002 that called for peace in the Middle East between Israel and the Palestinians through establishing an internationally recognised Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, the return of the refugees, and Israels withdrawal from the Occupied Golan Heights, in exchange for the recognition and normalisation of relations between the Arab countries and Israel. However, not long after this Israel launched a war against Gaza and has never shown any willingness to respect the initiative, he added. A month before the law was passed in the Iraqi parliament, the Kirkuk Criminal Court in Iraqs northern oil-rich province sentenced a lawyer to three years in prison because he had participated in a conference calling for the normalisation of relations with Israel held in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and attended by tribal elements in September 2021. The Karkh Criminal Court in Baghdad issued warrants for the arrest of those who attended the conference on the initiative of suits launched by the Iraqi National Security Agency. It is a principle in Iraq that there cannot be normalisation of relations with Israel. The new law says that this is in order to preserve the national and Islamic principles of Iraq and the conviction of the Iraqi people in defending Palestine and its people and all the Arab peoples whose lands are occupied and to deter all those who work for normalisation and for establishing relations with the usurper. *A version of this article appears in print in the 2 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: Thousands of Israelis participated in the Flag March in the occupied city of Jerusalem, writes Mohamed Abu Shaar, while Palestinians are contemplating how to confront decisions by the Bennett government. On Sunday 29 May, thousands of Israelis participated in the Flag March marking the anniversary of what Israeli nationalists call the Unification of Jerusalem, parading through the Bab Al-Amoud neighbourhood of Jerusalem and dancing on the streets to provoke Palestinians. They raised Israeli flags under close and heavy protection from the Israeli police. Israeli estimates put the number of participants in this years march at 30,000, an unprecedented number since the event began in 1974, seven years after Israel occupied the Holy City. The march was preceded by a major storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by 2,000 Israelis who held Talmudic prayers in the courtyard, and performed what is known as full prostration where religious Jews lie down with their faces on the ground as part of a Torah ritual. This years Flag March was especially controversial because it was preceded by Palestinian, Arab and international warnings that the parade route passing through the Muslim Quarter in Jerusalem may trigger clashes in the Palestinian territories or even a regional confrontation, since Hizbullah in Lebanon also issued warnings. This march is linked to the war on Gaza in May last year, which began when armed Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip fired missiles at Israeli settlements in Jerusalem. A ferocious battle took place with Israel, but Arab intervention led by Qatar and Egypt, which sent a security delegation to the Gaza Strip, managed to prevent the recurrence of a large-scale war on Gaza due to the march. Israel decided to go ahead and approve the parade as planned to show that Jerusalem is the unified capital of Israel, and it has full sovereignty there, as asserted by Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. Bennett also instructed police and additional battalions of border guard, who were sent to Jerusalem and Arab cities in Israel, to use force against Palestinians who confront the Flag March and suppress any marches attempting to raise Palestinian flag. There were clashes in Jerusalem and the West Bank that injured dozens of Palestinians. The Palestinian Authority (PA) views the Israeli march as evidence that Jerusalem is an occupied city. Israel needed more than 4,000 policemen to protect the march using force, and there were clashes with Palestinians who raised their own flag in Jerusalem and along the march route. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Shtayyeh said that Israel has crossed all red lines with this march, but added that Israel was unable to break the will of the Palestinians and impose its sovereignty over them or subjugate them. Military occupation is one thing, but imposing sovereignty is another. The PA, which does not believe in armed struggle, views the popular resistance of Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem as the way to shatter the fait accompli that Israel is trying to impose. Israel is racing against time to impose its sovereignty over Jerusalem, including at Al-Aqsa Mosque, where it wants to allocate a time to Jewish worship exclusively. Bennetts government is hoping that escalation against Palestinians will appease right-wing voters in the next round of elections, since it appears the incumbent government will likely collapse. It is also a personal fight between Bennett and his predecessor Benjamin Netanyahu, who is trying to undermine Bennett by repeatedly talking about the latters collaboration with left-wing and Arab parties in the incumbent cabinet. Netanyahu has called for Bennetts resignation several times, and forming a fully right-wing government. However, Bennett wants to prove he is heading a strong government that can achieve the goals of right-wing parties and forces in Israel. Wajih Abu Zarifeh, an expert on Israeli affairs, said the face-off between Bennett and Netanyahu has become a battle to grab the votes of extremists in Israel. Bennett understands that by the end of the year at the latest, his government will collapse and new elections will take place. He wants to empower his Yamina Party. Abu Zarifeh told Al-Ahram Weekly that Bennetts cabinet has become a government for settlers, and that government support of the flag march (which had essentially been an activity for Israeli extremists in the past), slams the door in the face of any possible peace process with Palestinians. Hamas, which controls the Gaza Srip and has a military build-up there, said Israels actions are unforgivable. We cannot guarantee what will happen in the situation with Israel, Hamas said, quoting statements by its Politburo Chief Ismail Haniyyeh. The groups position keeps the door open to several options, after it acquiesced to mediation efforts not to be drawn into a broad military confrontation with Israel. This ambiguous position comes in the wake of criticism that it used inflammatory rhetoric ahead of the flag march. Hamas had threatened to resort to all options in reaction to the march, and for the first time explicitly revealed partnering with several pro-Iran forces in the region, such as Hizbullah in Lebanon and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. In a programme on Qatars AlJazeera channel, Hamas revealed there was a war room that included these parties during the previous war on Gaza. Palestinian observers assert that Hamas response on the ground was inadequate, compared to the sabre rattling and rhetoric that preceded the march. Meanwhile, Israel was well prepared for extensive military confrontations with Gaza if Hamas launched rockets. Abu Zarifeh believes Israel was not only prepared for such confrontations, but even tried to provoke them by deploying remotely controlled military vehicles on the border with the Gaza Strip so that Palestinian factions target them and trigger a war on Gaza. Bennett chose the most radical option in dealing with Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, he said, which indicates that the Israeli government is in its final throes and drumming up its popularity ahead of imminent elections. Israel wants to impose a new reality on the ground in Jerusalem and especially Al-Aqsa Mosque. The PA is deciding its response to Israels actions, by implementing resolutions by the Palestinian Central Council regarding withdrawing the Palestinian Liberation Organisations recognition of Israel as well as ending security coordination with Israel. However, these are steps that could lead to the complete collapse of the PA. Meanwhile, armed Palestinian factions in Gaza want to strike a balance between linking events in Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, eager not to lose the political gains they have made during the last confrontation with Israel on this issue, namely, using their influence in Gaza to stop Israeli violations in Jerusalem. But striking this balance may cost Gaza to enter broad military confrontations with Israel, and further aggravate conditions in the region. This would complicate the mission of mediators who are trying to find a formula that will frame all sides as victors in front of their popular bases, and prevent escalation to irreversible levels. *A version of this article appears in print in the 2 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: Last week, I discussed three messages conveyed by the visit by a delegation of Egyptian civil-society representatives to Sudan on 10-12 May, with the aim of strengthening ties between the Egyptian and Sudanese people. I concluded with the question of what the Sudanese people want from Egypt and what the Egyptian government and civil society can do for Sudan. Starting at the government level, when we arrived in Khartoum we noted the dozens of proposed initiatives and dialogue forums for managing the current interim phase and emerging from the political crisis in Sudan. During our meetings with Sudanese groups and officials, we also encountered a repeated affirmation of the need for a greater Egyptian role in promoting the success of the Sudanese National Dialogue that is part of the process of transition to democracy. Egypt naturally welcomes any opportunity to help Sudan attain peace and stability. At the same time, it has no alternative but to follow the options that the Sudanese people choose for themselves through their own consensual processes. This is why Egypt is so keen to hear the views of all the major political, social, and religious forces in Sudan and admires the plethora of proposals that are a sign of the vibrancy that has characterised Sudanese society since the December Revolution. That said, the initiatives need to move closer to each other and to focus on their overlapping points, however. There are quite a few of these, and they include calls for the formation of a new and credible government, amending the Constitutional Charter that governed the pre-October 25 interim period, and laying the groundwork for legislative elections. Until the Sudanese stakeholders bridge their views on these and other matters and collectively resolve that politics is the art of the possible and the art of compromise, dialogue cannot move forward no matter how much regional and international support it receives, as is the case with the current Sudanese National Dialogue backed by the UN, the African Union, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). All decisions affecting Sudan must start and finish with the Sudanese people themselves. The economic and social role that Egypt can play in Sudan is no less important than the political one. As we heard in our meetings with Sudanese political leaders, Sudan needs a development model that achieves the interests of both the Sudanese and Egyptians. Some of our interlocutors went so far as to say that the crux of the problem in Sudan resides less in the struggle for democracy than in the conflict over resources. The implication is that Egyptian-Sudanese economic cooperation can have positive political repercussions for Sudan, as well as for bilateral relations. A functional approach to international relations would support this view. Fostering economic cooperation is already a high priority for both Sudan and Egypt. Two weeks or so ago, the equipment for an electricity linkup between Egypt and Sudan arrived in Port Said. This is essential to an ambitious programme to gradually increase the amount of electricity delivered to Sudan from Egypt to 1,000 megawatts (MW). There are also constructive proposals for an overland road link between the two countries and for expanding the river transport link. Joint agricultural projects are another area that the two sides have been exploring, especially in the light of the impact of the war in Ukraine on agricultural commodities and energy markets. As for academic cooperation, Sudanese university deans, in our meeting with them at Khartoum University, urged the creation of a cultural attaches office at the Egyptian Embassy in Sudan and the reopening of Cairo Universitys Khartoum branch, which has been closed for many years. Our delegation was heartened to hear such ideas echoed in subsequent meetings with other representatives of Sudanese civil society. It is difficult for me to fully describe the great warmth with which we were received at the government and popular levels from the moment we arrived in Khartoum to the moment we left and the general enthusiasm we sensed among everyone we met in response to the boost our visit was giving to interactions between the two Nile Valley neighbours. Of course, there are long-established educational, kinship, and commercial ties between our two countries. However, the diversity of the constitution of our delegation in terms of the ages and professional backgrounds of its members created scope for the discussion of a broad array of ideas for strengthening civil-society relations between them. Among the suggestions were a visiting-professor exchange programme, more joint research projects on issues of mutual concern, the establishment of an Egyptian-Sudanese research centre, and optimising shared potential in antiquities and antiquities studies. Other ideas for bolstering mutual ties at the civil-society level included training programmes for Sudanese journalists at Egyptian press organisations and promoting cooperation between Sudanese and Egyptian professionals in the creative and performing arts. I will add parenthetically here that we had the opportunity to see a fantastic Egyptian-Sudanese musical show in Khartoum whose performers had just returned to Sudan after a performance in Cairo. In the light of the forthcoming parliamentary elections in Sudan, some of our interlocutors in Khartoum proposed training programmes to help Sudanese political parties and civil-society organisations prepare and manage their election campaigns. Others encouraged closer cooperation between Egyptian and Sudanese youth associations. During one of our meetings, there was an enlightening discussion about the similarities and differences between the organisational and collaborative frameworks for Egyptian and Sudanese youth groups. On more than one occasion we were told that it would be good to promote Egyptian visits to Sudan because the Sudanese are more familiar with Egypt than vice versa. Without a doubt, all the ideas we heard while we were visiting Sudan are feasible and desirable. What is needed now is the institutional frameworks for fleshing them out, organising their implementation, and ensuring their sustainability. Both sides fully agreed on this point during a visit that, though short, was extremely rewarding. Our series of heart-to-heart exchanges has thus opened horizons, laid foundations, and reaffirmed the dominion of the Nile. * The writer is professor of political science at Cairo University. *A version of this article appears in print in the 2 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: In a display of continued intransigence, Ethiopia announced last week that the third filling of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), planned for August-September, would not be delayed. This irresponsible approach to a very sensitive issue seen by both Egypt and Sudan as an existential threat is sadly typical. In effect, the director of the GERD project told not just Egypt and Sudan, but many regional and international partners who have been mediating negotiations with Ethiopia that all their efforts were useless and dispensable. In a ceremony attended by Ethiopias Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, the GERD official said the construction of the dam would not stop for any reason and would be completed within two years. He added that statements from Egypt and Sudan on the dangers of the GERD do not concern Ethiopia, claiming that Addis Ababa has not violated the 2015 Declaration of Principles, which were signed by the three countries, concerning the filling process. Reiterating arguments made by Prime Minister Ahmed, the GERD director insisted on ignoring many Egyptian and international studies confirming that the dam, with the ongoing process of unilateral filling by Ethiopia, was likely to cause grave dangers to both Egypt and Sudan. Egypt, the last downstream River Nile country, which has no other source of water for drinking or irrigation, will certainly suffer. Sudan, with the GERD very close to its border with Ethiopia, is entitled to receive assurances that the dam will not result in massive floods in case of any flaws in its structure. Further claims that Ethiopia has shared information on the GERD with Egypt and Sudan and intends the two downstream countries no harm are meaningless and untrue. Little information, if any, has been shared, and it always comes following unilateral moves by Addis Ababa, and not at all in the spirit of negotiation or willingness to reach a binding, long-term agreement. Such agreement, guaranteed by regional and international partners such as the African Union, the United States, the European Union and the World Bank, is the key demand by both Egypt and Sudan. Despite provocative statements that continue to come out of Addis Ababa, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri stated that Cairo was always ready for dialogue on the GERD, describing the file as an existential issue and a matter of national security for Egypt and its people. [Previously exerted] efforts have not yielded a legally binding agreement regarding the GERDs filing and operation policies; nevertheless, Cairo is working hard to push matters forward in order to reach an agreement that [simultaneously] allows Ethiopia to develop and safeguards Egypts rights, the minister said last week. Egypt and Sudan have been negotiating with Ethiopia for more than 10 years to reach a legally binding and comprehensive agreement on the filling and operation of the GERD, which Addis Ababa started building on the Blue Nile in 2010. In that time an agreement was often ready to be concluded by all three countries, but it was always Prime Minister Ahmed who would decide to pull out for no good reason. Yet all those following recent events in Ethiopia have no doubt that the Ethiopian government is using the GERD for pure populist purposes aimed at rallying support for the embattled premier, who has not managed to maintain stability in his country since taking office. The suffering that the war in Tigray has caused millions of Ethiopians is only the latest, saddening example. Addis Ababa, the headquarters of the AU, has argued for years that it would only accept African mediation, and rejected the decision by Egypt and Sudan to resort to the United Nations Security Council. However, the latest round of AU-sponsored talks between the three countries over the GERD in Kinshasa, DRC collapsed in April 2021, and all attempts to revive negotiations since then have failed. It is long overdue that the AU should take a clear stand and tell the world which party rejected mediation and the effort to reach an agreement. Calculating that the world was busy with the war between Russia and Ukraine, with its devastating effects on economies especially among poor and developing countries, the Ethiopian prime minister has obviously decided that this was the right time to proceed with yet another unilateral, dangerous move. Egypt, which maintains that the GERD poses a threat not just to the downstream countries but to international peace and security as it would set a dangerous precedent on how world countries deal with water disputes, cannot remain silent. Yet, as always, this would be done in a responsible manner and in consultation with the AU and other international partners. Egypt has repeatedly stated that it has no objections to Ethiopia using the dam to generate the electricity it needs for its development plans. However, it firmly rejects any unilateral Ethiopian action that compromises an already inadequate share of Nile water or changes its patterns. Remarks by the GERD project director reveal again Ethiopias bad intentions and its endeavour to undermine ongoing efforts by international and African mediators to resolve the GERD crisis. They also confirm the Ethiopian governments desire to impose a fait accompli on the downstream countries, something Egypt will simply not accept. *A version of this article appears in print in the 2 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: A new stop on Egypts Holy Family Trail was inaugurated in the Beheira governorate this week after development and restoration work, reports Nevine El-Aref In the parched desert of the Beheira governorate stand the four monasteries of Wadi Al-Natroun enclosed within high walls as an enduring testimony of early Coptic monasticism in Egypt. The serenity of these monasteries was disturbed early this week when the ministers of tourism and antiquities and local development arrived in the governorate to inspect development work being carried out on one of the stops the Holy Family made when travelling in Egypt at the beginning of the first century CE and to open it to the public. The inauguration took place ahead of the day marking the arrival of the Holy Family in Egypt, which is celebrated on 1 June. The development work, costing almost LE80 million provided by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Beheira governorate, included the paving of roads leading to points on the Holy Family Trail, new landscaping, the installation of a new lighting system, and new signage, seats, and sunshades. Entrance gates for each monastery were also installed. Most of the restoration work carried out at the Wadi Al-Natroun monasteries since 2016 has now been completed, including the restoration of the Al-Sheyoukh and Abasekhiron Churches at the St Macarius Monastery and the restoration of the St Pishoy Church, the monks cells, and the mill and outer wall of the St Pishoy Monastery. The main church at the Paromeos Monastery and its eastern outer wall and monks cells were also restored, along with the Virgin Mary and 14 other chapels at the Syrian Monastery. The development and inauguration of the Beheira stop is another milestone in the development of the Holy Family Trail in Egypt, said Khaled El-Enany, minister of tourism and antiquities, who explained that the ministry has allocated LE60 million for the development of stops on the trail and the restoration of monuments on it. Facilities are being upgraded and infrastructure installed to assist visitors following the route of the Holy Familys sojourn in Egypt. The goal of the project is also to develop poorer areas and communities in the Delta and Upper Egypt, restore archaeological sites, and create suitable services for visitors at sites along the Trail. This is part of developing spiritual tourism that can appeal throughout the year and not just during special seasons. The Holy Familys visit to Egypt bestowed on the country a unique honour and blessing and made Egypt one of the most sacred Christian centres in the world, El-Enany said, adding that the Holy Familys sojourn in Egypt had great historical and religious significance for Egyptians. It had given the Egyptian Coptic Church a special position among other Christian churches, he said. The Holy Family travelled in Egypt for around three years and six months. The duration of the Holy Familys sojourn in the places they visited varied from a few days to a few months. The Holy Familys flight to Egypt is associated with archaeological sites from Sinai to the Delta and Assiut in Upper Egypt. The government has been keen on documenting the Holy Familys period in Egypt with a view to registering it on the UNESCO World Heritage List. A scientific committee has been formed to document the Holy Familys sojourn in Egypt, El-Enany said, and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in collaboration with Egypts Coptic Church has carried out a number of restoration and development projects at churches and monasteries on the Holy Familys route. These include the restoration and inauguration of the Abu Serga Church in Old Cairo, the St Abba Noub Church in Sammanud, monks cells and other structures at the Wadi Al-Natroun Monasteries, and the Virgin Mary Church at Gabal Al-Teir in the Minya governorate, which is to be inaugurated soon. Mahmoud Shaarawy, minister of local development, announced the completion of the development of 25 points on the path of the Holy Familys sojourn in Egypt in eight governorates in full cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Coptic Church, with the support the president, the follow-up of the prime minister, and the patronage of Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St Mark. He said that the eight governorates had almost completed the development of the Holy Family Trail with a view to presenting it to the Egyptian public and to the world as a whole as one of the worlds most important heritage and human landmarks. He described the opening of the Wadi Al-Natroun stop on the Holy Familys sojourn in Egypt as a further success to be added to efforts carried out to develop the trail and mentioned the previous inauguration of another three stops in Samannud in the Gharbia governorate, Tell Basta in the Sharqiya governorate, and the Church of the Virgin in Sakha in the Kafr Al-Sheikh governorate. He said that more stops would soon be opened to announce Egypts readiness to welcome pilgrims and tourists from all over the globe to seek blessings from these holy places. Wadi Al-Natroun Monasteries: The Wadi Al-Natroun monasteries marking the Holy Familys sojourn in Egypt are the Syrian, St Pishoy, and Paromeos Monasteries. The Syrian Monastery was originally built during the 6th century CE in the aftermath of a theological dispute between the monks of the neighbouring St Pishoy Monastery over the incorruptibility of the body of Christ. The monks who refused to abide by the so-called Julian heresy that spread in Egypt during the papacy of Pope Timothy III of Alexandria left the monastery and established a duplicate one and called it the Monastery of the Holy Virgin Theotokos. The Julianists believed in the incorruptibility of Christs body, which contradicts Orthodox Christian faith. From the 8th until the 16th centuries, Coptic and Syrian monks lived together inside the monastery. Like other monasteries in the Wadi Al-Natroun desert, the Syrian Monastery was subjected to fierce attacks that led to extensive damage and drove away many of the inhabitants. According to a Syriac inscription found on one of the monasterys walls, two monk brothers called Mattay and Yakoub then took the initiative to rebuild the monastery. It flourished in the 10th century, when the Syrian Moses of Nisibis, who was responsible for important renovations in the eastern part of the church, was abbot. Nisibis travelled to Baghdad to ask the Abbasid caliph Al-Muqtadir to grant tax exemption to the monasteries. He then travelled to Syria and Mesopotamia in search of manuscripts. After three years, he succeeded in buying 250 Syriac manuscripts, making up the core of the monasterys library that now houses the largest collection of Syriac manuscripts in the Middle East. The St Pishoy Monastery was founded in the 4th century CE on the spot where the bodies of St Pishoy and St Paul, Coptic saints, lie in the main church along with those of other saints. The monastery has five churches, the main one being named after St Pishoy. The others are named after Mary Abaskhiron, the soldier saint St George, and the Archangel Michael. The monastery is surrounded by walls built in the 5th century to protect it against attacks by Berbers. A keep was built early in the 20th century and was later replaced by a four-storey structure built by the late Pope Shenouda III. The monastery also contains the Well of the Martyrs, which according to a Coptic tradition was used as a burial place for the bodies of 49 martyrs killed by the Berbers. Tradition says that the Berbers also washed their swords in the Well after the assassinations. Local Christians later retrieved the bodies and buried them in the nearby Monastery of St Macarius the Great, founded in the 4th century, who was the spiritual father to more than 4,000 monks of different nationalities. The monastery was restored in 1969. The Paromeos Monastery is probably the oldest among the four existing monasteries of Wadi Al-Natroun. It was founded by St Macarius the Great, and its name refers to the saints Maximus and Domitius, children of the Roman emperor Valentinian I, who had cells in the present monastery, rebuilt in the 5th century CE after the destruction of the old one by the Berbers. The monastery still preserves much of its ancient character and has five churches. The oldest is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and dates back to the 6th century. The second is dedicated to St Theodore of Amasea, the third to St George, the fourth to St John the Baptist, and the fifth to the Archangel Michael. It also contains a keep, a tower, two refectories, and a guest house. The Holy Family in Egypt: Take the young child and his mother and flee into Egypt, says the Gospel of St Matthew (2:13). But while it recounts how the Holy Family fled to Egypt seeking safety from King Herod in the early 1st century CE, the Gospel offers no details of their actual journey. For that we must turn to a mediaeval manuscript that includes the places visited by the Holy Family in Egypt, as revealed by the Virgin Mary who appeared in a vision to Pope Theophilus, the 23rd patriarch of Alexandria, in the early 5th century CE. The places named in the manuscript have been held to be sacred until today. The late Coptic Pope Shenouda III approved itineraries drawn up for Christian pilgrims in 2000. During an audience in St Peters Square in Rome in 2017, Roman Catholic Pope Francis blessed an icon by a Vatican artist representing the Holy Familys flight into Egypt and effectively gave his blessing to the millions of Christians around the world who may want to follow in the Holy Familys footsteps. The Holy Familys flight to Egypt is associated with many archaeological sites, noted Osama Talaat, head of the Islamic and Coptic Antiquities Sector at the Ministry of Antiquities. They journeyed south from Palestine across the wilderness, avoiding main roads for fear of capture. They entered Egypt at modern-day Rafah, where a lone sycamore tree is said to have survived on the site since their visit. The Holy Family reached Arish, and from there they followed the old Horus Road along the Mediterranean coast to Zaraniq, where the Byzantines later built three churches. They continued to Al-Mohamedeya, and their last station in Sinai was on the northwest coast near the edge of the Delta at the city of Pelusium, now the sprawling ruin of Tel Al-Farama. Here, archaeologists have discovered traces of several Roman churches. They then travelled south along the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, which has long since dried up. They stayed in the city of Bubastis, now the ruin of Tell Al-Basta near the modern city of Zagazig. They then went on to Mostorod, where the Virgin is said to have bathed Jesus. There is a church in Mostorod named after the Virgin Mary that was built in the 12th century and that has been recently restored. They then turned north again towards the town of Bilbeis, travelling northwest across the Delta. When they reached Damietta, they embarked on a ferry which took them to Sammanud. The Holy Family then continued north to Borollos. The next stop was Sakha in the western Delta. Here, the Virgin Mary is believed to have held her son against a rock which retained his footprint. A relic in the church dedicated to the Virgin in the area bears this mark. The Holy Family then moved on to the Western Desert, eventually reaching Wadi Al-Natroun, where monastic settlements were later established. They then headed for what is now Cairo, where they stopped at Ain Shams and Matariya, where they sheltered under a sycamore tree, now known as the Virgin Mary Tree. One story says that when the Virgin Mary sat there, a spring of water gushed out of the ground. The next stop for the Holy Family was Al-Zeitoun, and then Al-Zweila. Travelling south, they reached Old Cairo and hid in a cave that is now the crypt of the Church of Saint Sergius. In what is now Maadi, they went to the place now named the Virgins Church of the Ferry. From there, the family took a ferry across to Memphis and embarked on a boat that carried them to Upper Egypt. Their first stop there was on the west bank of the Nile near a village now called Ashnein Al-Nassara at a place called Al-Garnous where a monastery was later built. A church dedicated to the Virgin was built at Deir Al-Garnous in the 19th century, on the west side of which is a well that is believed to have provided the family with water. The journey continued towards Al-Bahnasa, Samalout, and then Gabel Al-Teir, where a monastery now stands. The Holy Family took shelter in a cave that is now covered by an ancient church. They travelled to Al-Ashmounein, Armant, and Dairout, and then crossed the river again and reached the town of Al-Qusseya. They travelled east into the desert to Mount Qussqam, perhaps the most important of all their stations, where they stayed for six months and 10 days. This place was later called Al-Muharraq, which means burnt, as there was an abundance of grass there which had to be burned so food could be grown in its place. Mount Qussqam is sometimes called the second Bethlehem, and its church is held to be the first ever built in Egypt. The cave in which the Family sheltered later became the altar of the Church of the Virgin Mary. According to Ahmed Al-Nemr, a member of the ministrys scientific office, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in Assiut and told him to return to Palestine because Herod was dead. The family then went back through Assiut and then probably sailed down the Nile to Memphis, landing at what is now Al-Badrashein near the ancient capital. Once again, they may have passed through Maadi, Babylon, and Heliopolis before crossing the desert to Palestine and finally reaching their home town of Nazareth. Not all of these places are archaeological sites, but they all share religious, social, and cultural rituals which derive from the holy journey, Talaat said. The places at which the Holy Family stopped that house archaeological sites are the Virgin Mary Tree in Matariya, the Church of St Sergius in Old Cairo, the Monasteries of Wadi Al-Natroun, the Church of the Virgin Mary at Gabal Al-Teir in Minya, and the Al-Muharraq Monastery in Assiut. *A version of this article appears in print in the 2 June, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: Russian troops pushed deeper into a key eastern Ukrainian city Monday, fighting street by street with Kyiv's forces in a battle that has left Sievierodonetsk in ruins. In a bid to pressure Moscow to end the war, the European Union agreed to embargo most Russian oil imports by the end of the year. As Moscow's advance on Sievierodonetsk increased in intensity, Russian forces also shelled parts of Ukraine's northeast, and a struggle continued for control of a southern region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, said Russia has prevented the export of 22 million tons of Ukrainian grain, contributing to a growing global food crisis. Military analysts described the fight for Sievierodonetsk as part of a race against time for the Kremlin. The city is important to Russian efforts to quickly complete the capture of the eastern industrial region of the Donbas before more Western arms arrive to bolster Ukraine's defense. Moscow-backed separatists already held territory in the region and have been fighting Ukrainian troops for eight years. ``The Kremlin has reckoned that it can't afford to waste time and should use the last chance to extend the separatist-controlled territory because the arrival of Western weapons in Ukraine could make it impossible,`` Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said. In a potential setback for Ukraine, U.S. President Joe Biden appeared to dismiss reports that the U.S. was considering sending long-range rocket systems to the country. But the European Union approved additional sanctions on Russia. As part of a long-delayed financial support package to help Ukraine, EU leaders agreed Monday to embargo most Russian oil imports into the 27-nation bloc by year-end. The agreement came after Zelenskyy asked the EU to target Russian oil exports so Moscow ``feels the price for what it is doing against Ukraine.'' The embargo covers Russian oil brought in by sea, allowing a temporary exemption for imports delivered by pipeline. EU Council President Charles Michel said the agreement covers more than two-thirds of oil imports from Russia. Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the EU's executive branch, said the move will ``effectively cut around 90% of oil imports from Russia to the EU by the end of the year.'' In an effort to punish and divide the West over its support for Ukraine, Russia has cut off natural gas to a handful of European countries. In its latest move, Russian state gas giant Gazrpom said it will halt gas supplies to Dutch gas trader GasTerra starting Tuesday. Russia also ramped up its actions on the battlefield. In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy said the situation in the Donbas remains ``extremely difficult'' as Russia has put its army's ``maximum combat power'' there. The Ukrainian military said Russian forces reinforced their positions outside Sievierodonetsk, a city 145 kilometers (90 miles) south of the Russian border in an area that is the last pocket of Ukrainian government control in Luhansk. Sievierodonetsk Mayor Oleksandr Striuk said the city has been ``completely ruined.'' Artillery fire has destroyed critical infrastructure and damaged 90% of the buildings, and power and communications have been largely cut to a city that was once home to 100,000 people, he said. ``The number of victims is rising every hour, but we are unable to count the dead and the wounded amid the street fighting,'' Striuk told The Associated Press in a phone interview, adding that Moscow's troops advanced a few more blocks toward the city center. He said that only about 12,000 to 13,000 residents remain, sheltering in basements and bunkers to escape the Russian bombardment. The situation recalls the siege of Mariupol, which trapped residents and led to some of the worst suffering of the war. More than 20,000 are feared dead in Mariupol. Striuk estimated that 1,500 civilians have died in Sievierodonetsk since the war began from Russian attacks and from dire conditions that include a lack of medicine and medical treatment. A 32-year-old French journalist, Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff, died Monday near Sievierodonetsk when he was hit by shrapnel from shelling while covering Ukrainian evacuations, according to his employer, French broadcaster BFM TV. Zelenskyy said Leclerc-Imhoff was the 32nd media worker to die in Ukraine since Russia invaded on Feb. 24. Governors of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions _ which make up the Donbas _ said six civilians, including the journalist, were killed in shelling. Authorities in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, also reported one person died in shelling there. Zelenskyy said Russian troops also shelled the Sumy region near the Russian border, and the struggle continued for the southern Kherson region, which has been largely controlled by Russian troops since the early days of the war. Russia-installed officials there said they would ask the Kremlin to annex it, while Kyiv, in turn, has vowed to liberate the region. The Russian advance in Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk on either side of the strategically important Siverskiy Donetsk River is part of an all-out push, said Zhdanov, the Ukrainian military analyst. He said the intensity of the latest fighting and the influx of Russian troops have surprised Ukrainians, who are trying to hold out until more weapons arrive. On Monday, Biden told reporters that there are no plans for the United States to send long-range rocket systems to Ukraine, amid reports that the move is being considered. Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia's Security Council, called it a ``reasonable'' decision. He said that ``otherwise, if our cities come under attack, the Russian armed forces would fulfill their threat and strike the centers where such criminal decisions are made.'' Medvedev added that ``some of them aren't in Kyiv.'' In the Kherson region, the Russia-installed deputy head of the regional administration, Kirill Stremousov, told Russia's Tass state news agency that grain from last year's harvest is being delivered to Russian buyers, adding that ``obviously there is a lot of grain here.'' Russia has pressed the West to lift sanctions against it as it seeks to shift the blame for the growing food crisis, which has led to skyrocketing prices in Africa. Zelenskyy accused Moscow of ``deliberately creating this problem'' and said Russia's claim that sanctions are to blame is a lie. He said sanctions haven't blocked Russian food, and he accused Russia of stealing at least a half million tons of Ukrainian grain. Search Keywords: Short link: A court in Ukraine has convicted two Russian soldiers of war crimes for the shelling of civilian buildings and sentenced both to 11 1/2 years in prison. Tuesday's verdict concluded the country's second war crimes trial since the Russian invasion started. Russian servicemen Alexander Bobykin and Alexander Ivanov were charged with violating the laws and customs of war over the shelling of civilian infrastructure in the Kharkiv region on the first day of the Russian attack on Ukraine. They both stood trial in a court in Ukraine's Poltava region and pleaded guilty to the charges. Earlier this month, a court in Kyiv sentenced a 21-year-old Russian soldier to life in prison for fatally shooting a Ukrainian civilian in the first war crimes trial since Russia invaded. Search Keywords: Short link: French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that he and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had urged Vladimir Putin to end Russia's blockade of the Ukrainian port of Odessa under the terms of a UN resolution. "I proposed, in the discussion we had with Olaf Scholz last Saturday, to President Putin that we take the initiative for a resolution at the United Nations to give a very clear framework to this operation," he declared after a European summit in Brussels. Macron and Scholz called Putin on Saturday, and neither has since referred to a proposed UN resolution, although diplomatic efforts are underway to lift the Russian threat to Odessa, the last major Black Sea port in Ukrainian hands. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has effectively taken its huge grain harvest off the world market, sending world food prices soaring and threatening to exacerbate humanitarian emergencies in Africa and the Middle East. The port's Ukrainian defenders have laid mines, and the Russian fleet is preventing cargo traffic from arriving in Ukraine. Under Macron's proposal, a UN resolution would set up a framework in which the port could be de-mined and grain shipments resume. Macron paid tribute to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres's role in searching for a solution and said Russia had been in "promising" talks with its Black Sea neighbour Turkey. That has led to hopes the situation could be resolved in the "coming days, coming weeks", he said. "The decision does not depend on us, but it does indeed depend on an agreement from Russia, and guarantees provided by Russia, so that, faced with the de-mining which is essential, security guarantees are provided to the Ukrainians to prevent them from being attacked," he added. Search Keywords: Short link: European Union leaders have agreed to ban more than two-thirds of Russian oil imports, tightening economic screws on the country even as Moscow's forces press their offensive in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. The compromise deal reached late Monday, meant to punish Russia for its invasion three months ago, cuts "a huge source of financing for its war machine," European Council chief Charles Michel tweeted. "Maximum pressure on Russia to end the war," he said. Leaders of the 27-nation bloc had met to negotiate the long-sought deal earlier Monday in Brussels, amid concerns raised by Hungary and other neighboring countries reliant on Russian fuel. The agreement also includes plans for the EU to send nine billion euros ($9.7 billion) in "immediate liquidity" to Kyiv, Michel announced. Hours earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had called an oil embargo the "key point" to any sanctions package. "I believe that Europe will have to give up Russian oil and oil products in any case, because this is about the independence of Europeans themselves from (weaponised) Russian energy," he said in his daily address to the nation. The Netherlands and Denmark on Tuesday were expected to join the growing list of European countries who have seen their gas shipments halted after refusing to pay Russian giant Gazprom in rubles, a demand meant to sidestep crippling Western sanctions. On the ground, Russian forces were making incremental gains in the Donbas region, including the industrial city of Severodonetsk, where they were edging closer to the city centre. "The situation in Severodonetsk is as complicated as possible," Lugansk regional governor Sergiy Gaiday said on Telegram, saying the entire region was under continuous bombardment -- "air bombs, and artillery, and tanks. Everything". 'Must never happen again' As Europe announced its new sanctions on Moscow, Washington was taking a cautious line regarding weaponry for Ukraine. Ukraine has received extensive US military aid, with legislators approving another $40 billion assistance package in May. But US President Joe Biden said he would not send long-range rocket systems that could hit Russian territory, despite urgent requests from Kyiv for exactly that. "We are not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that can strike into Russia," Biden told reporters in Washington. His comments came as new US ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink -- filling a position vacant since 2019 -- and French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna both arrived in Kyiv. France will "continue to reinforce arms deliveries," Colonna said at a news conference with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba. The highest-ranking French official to visit the capital since Russia's invasion began February 24, Colonna also visited Bucha, near Kyiv, where Russian troops have been accused of committing war crimes against civilians. "This should never have happened," Colonna told reporters after visiting an Orthodox church in the town. "It must never happen again." Her visit came as a French journalist was killed while working in Ukraine. Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff was "on board a humanitarian bus" when "he was mortally wounded," French President Emmanuel Macron said on Twitter. Oil sanctions Participants in Monday's EU summit hatched a compromise deal that exempts deliveries by pipeline from the oil import ban, after Hungarian President Victor Orban warned halting supplies would wreck the country's economy. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said the ban "will effectively cut around 90 percent of oil imports from Russia to the EU by the end of the year". Michel said the sanctions also involved disconnecting Russia's biggest bank, Sberbank, from the global SWIFT system, banning three state broadcasters and blacklisting individuals blamed for war crimes. Russia's Gazprom, meanwhile, was set to halt gas supplies to the Netherlands on Tuesday, with Denmark likely to see the tap turned off as well. The Netherlands' partly state-owned energy firm GasTerra revealed the looming shut-off Monday, saying it would not comply with payment requirements that breach EU sanctions. Moscow has demanded clients from "unfriendly countries" -- including EU member states -- pay for gas in rubles as it attempts to avoid Western financial sanctions. Danish energy company Orsted also warned its gas shipments could be cut off when a May 31 payment deadline passed. Russia has previously halted deliveries to Finland, Bulgaria and Poland, a move blasted by the EU as "blackmail". Referendum cancelled With Russia facing the oil import ban, a Georgian breakaway region delivered another blow to Moscow's hopes for further unity among local allies, with the leader of South Ossetia scrapping a planned July referendum on joining Russia. The Moscow-controlled enclave's president, Alan Gagloev, warned Monday about "uncertainty of the legal consequences of the issue submitted to a referendum." Since failing to capture Kyiv in the war's early stages, Russia's army has narrowed its focus, hammering Donbas cities with relentless artillery and missile barrages. At least three people were killed and six wounded in an overnight rocket attack on the city of Slovyansk, Donetsk regional governor Pavlo Kirilenko said Tuesday on Telegram. "I repeat once again that there are no safe places in the Donetsk region, so I call again: evacuate -- save your lives," he said. But Ukrainian forces are pushing back in the southern region of Kherson, the country's military leadership has said. On Monday, Ukraine's southern command centre said they had driven Russian troops from the village of Mykolayivka. A day earlier, the army claimed to have pushed Russian forces into "unfavourable positions" around the villages of Andriyivka, Lozovo and Bilohorka, forcing Moscow to send reserves to the area. Search Keywords: Short link: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit Turkey next week for talks on unblocking grain exports from Ukraine, which have been stalled by Moscow's offensive, Turkey's top diplomat said on Tuesday. In a televised interview, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Lavrov would arrive in Turkey on June 8 "for talks on the issue of opening a security corridor that also includes (shipping) of wheat in the Black Sea." Cavusoglu said: "This is the most important question. We are focussing on this. We are planning to establish a centre in Istanbul to observe the corridor." Lavrov will be accompanied by a military delegation, he added. The announcement comes a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin told Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Moscow was ready to work with Ankara to free up maritime shipping blocked over the conflict. The Russian leader said the readiness of the Russian side "to contribute to the unimpeded maritime transit of goods in coordination with Turkish partners. This also applies to grain exports from Ukrainian ports," the Kremlin quoted Putin as saying in a readout of a call with Erdogan. Russia's offensive in Ukraine and Western sanctions have disrupted supplies of wheat and other commodities from the two countries, fuelling concerns about the risk of shortages and hunger around the world. Russia and Ukraine produce 30 percent of the global wheat supply. Dozens of container ships are blocked in Ukrainian ports that are surrounded by Russian forces, choking off exports of wheat, sunflower oil and other foodstuffs, as well as fertiliser for crops. Black Sea navigation has also been hampered by mines placed by both Russian and Ukrainian forces. Search Keywords: Short link: Newly crowned Miss Elegant Judy Rahim spoke to Ahram Online about her experience in the pageant and the charitable and social work she is carrying out across the country. Miss Elegant International pageant is very good opportunity for any young girl. This experience comes as a journey of self-discovery through which I have learnt a lot about myself, Rahim told Ahram Online an hour after her big win last Saturday evening. It was a very difficult contest. I did not expect to win the title. All the queens worked really hard and the pageant project ideas and topics were very good. We all deserved to win, the beautiful 17-year-old young lady said. Rahim, who is a student at Qatibay International School in Cairo, presented a project about promoting therapeutic tourism. During the project, she will explore natural healing destinations all over Egypt such as Helwan, Fayoum, Baharyia, salt caves, oases, Sinai, Hurghada, Siwa, the Red Sea and Aswan. She talked about Egypt being one of the most therapeutic places in the world, with certain locations alleviating problems like chronic digestive diseases, gout, diabetes, rheumatism, high blood pressure, skin conditions and arthritis. I will travel, explore and introduce these places to the public and abroad through my social media platforms. I probably will start phase one of my project in Ain Sokhna area. I will go to Siwa and El-Wahat El-Bahariya districts when the weather gets cold, she added. Her charitable social project is encouraging and raising awareness about Egyptian families sponsoring orphan children. I will create videos from inside orphanages to tell untold stories about how people can be part of solution, she said. Psychological support and care are really important for orphans. Paying regular visits, sharing feelings, playing and spending time with them at the orphanages has enormous positive impacts on their lives, she explained. I worked on this project for a long time before the beauty pageant, she said, adding that she would start with Cairo then move to the other governorates. Rahim loves music and singing as a hobby too, saying I took several vocal training courses at Cairo opera house. She is also an advocate of animal rights. Rahim believes there are no secrets for staying naturally gorgeous. Girls are like flowers. All flowers are beautiful in their own way. Love, cherish and take care of yourself, she said. Her role model is her mother Heba Haseeb, who is a successful businesswoman in the export and import business. I am so proud of her. She always encourages and supports me no matter what path I choose to pursue, she proudly said. Rahims motto in life is Never say never. All the power is within you. Search Keywords: Short link: The government is planning on lowering tariffs on imported flour in an effort to reduce the price of food products in Korea. The announcement from the Agriculture Ministry says it plans to drastically lower the current 4.2 percent tariff on imported flour. Sources say the government is even considering cutting down the tariff to almost zero percent. Prices of imported flour which hovered at around US$228 a year ago have soared to as high as $424, leading to double-digit increases in prices of instant noodles and other food items popular among lower-income Korean families. The rise in prices has fueled increasing public discontent in an economy battered by rising oil costs. Arirang News Copyright Chosunilbo & Chosun.com A growing number of people are complaining about lack of exercise options in lockdown, and many apartment residents who bought running machines for home use received noise complaints from their neighbors. According to the National Health Insurance Service, 39 percent of Koreans who had their annual health checkups last year were obese, up 0.66 percentage points from the year before. Experts recommend setting realistic exercise targets to stay fit during the coronavirus epidemic. For example, aerobic exercises like running, swimming and bicycling are good options to lose weight, but they may not be an option in lockdown. Instead, Park Se-jung at the Korea Institute of Sport Science recommended rope jumping or jumping jacks, which can be done alone in a small corner in a neighborhood park or similar space. Xi added, "You have the affirmation and the trust of the central government." The "one country, two systems" framework under which Britain handed Hong Kong over to China in 1997 has been "universally recognized" as a success, Xi said. Lee received his letter of appointment from Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who congratulated him on his selection as Hong Kong's next chief executive. He also met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Lee "loves the country and Hong Kong" and has "contributed in terms of protecting national security and protecting Hong Kong's prosperity and stability," Xi said. Hong Kong's next leader, John Lee, received an official letter of appointment from Beijing on Monday, a month before he is to take over the leadership of the semi-autonomous city. Critics say the framework, which provides Hong Kong with semi-autonomy and special freedoms for 50 years, is threatened by growing restrictions imposed by Beijing. Lee thanked Xi for trusting him with the position and said he would do all that he could to live up to the expectations of Beijing and the Hong Kong people. Premier Li also expressed full support for Lee and urged him to develop Hong Kong's economy and improve the livelihoods of its people. Lee's visit to Beijing comes weeks after he won an uncontested election earlier this month, gaining over 99 percent of all votes cast by an election committee made up largely of pro-Beijing members. It is customary for the chief executive-elect to visit Beijing after winning the election to receive a letter of appointment from Beijing. Lee flew to Beijing on Saturday for a four-day visit. Lee's appointment comes during a political crackdown in the city that has continued nearly three years after anti-government protests in 2019. Critics say Beijing has tightened its grip on Hong Kong and rolled back freedoms with the imposition of a tough new national security law and changes to its electoral laws that prevent pro-democracy candidates from running for office. Lee, a Beijing loyalist, is known for his support of the national security law, which prohibits subversion, secession, terrorism and foreign collusion to intervene in the city's affairs. More than 150 people have been arrested under the law since it came into effect in June 2020. Prior to winning the election, Lee was the city's No. 2 official. He spent most of his civil service career in the police force and later in the security bureau. Lee is expected to be sworn in as Hong Kong's new chief executive on July 1, the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to China. Taiwan calls China's repeated nearby military activities "gray zone" warfare, designed to both wear out Taiwan's forces by making them repeatedly scramble, and also to test Taiwan's responses. Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained for the past two years or so of repeated missions by China's air force near the democratically governed island. The jets often fly in the southwestern part of Taiwan's air defense identification zone, or ADIZ, close to the Taipei-controlled Pratas Islands. Taiwan on Monday reported the largest incursion since January by China's air force in its air defense zone, with the island's defense ministry saying Taiwanese fighters scrambled to warn away 30 aircraft in the latest uptick in tensions. The latest Chinese mission included 22 fighters, as well as electronic warfare, early warning and antisubmarine aircraft, the Taiwan ministry said. The aircraft flew in an area to the northeast of the Pratas, according to a map the ministry provided, though far from Taiwan itself. Taiwan sent combat aircraft to warn away the Chinese aircraft, while missile systems were deployed to monitor them, the ministry said. It was the largest incursion since Taiwan reported 39 Chinese aircraft in its ADIZ on Jan. 23. There was no immediate comment from China, which has in the past said such moves were drills aimed at protecting the country's sovereignty. China's military said last week it had recently conducted an exercise around Taiwan as a "solemn warning" against its "collusion" with the United States. That came after U.S. President Joe Biden angered China by appearing to signal a change in a U.S. policy of "strategic ambiguity" on Taiwan by saying the United States would get involved militarily if China were to attack the island. China has stepped up pressure on Taiwan to accept its sovereignty claims. Taiwan's government says it wants peace but will defend itself if attacked. No shots have been fired and the Chinese aircraft have not been flying in Taiwan's air space, but in its ADIZ, a broader area Taiwan monitors and patrols that acts to give it more time to respond to any threats. Health officials have warned of a rise in COVID infections this summer as international travel resumes but expect no major resurgence of the coronavirus pandemic. Senior Health Ministry official Son Young-rae said Monday, "It becomes more difficult to ventilate if the air conditioners are on, so COVID infections could worsen as they did in the last two years." But he added, "There won't be a huge surge in infections, even if we may see some sporadic resurgence of cases." U.S. President Joe Biden's recent visit to Japan and South Korea demonstrates his commitment to the region, which is vital to U.S. interests. Prior to Biden's first visit to Asia as president, the White House hosted a meeting with the leaders of Southeast Asian nations. Biden then went to South Korea to meet President Yoon Suk-yeol, the earliest summit meeting ever for a newly elected South Korean president. He then went to Japan, where he announced the new Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) by enlisting about a dozen countries. Biden also attended a meeting of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), involving leaders from the U.S., Japan, India, and Australia. This is the fourth meeting of the leaders in Biden's sixteen months in office. He talked individually with each leader, including the newly elected prime minister of Australia. And following Bidens trip, the administration laid out its long-awaited China policy review in a speech by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. These activities clearly demonstrate the "pivot to Asia" which Biden inherited from the Barack Obama administration. He is making up with extraordinary speed for the ground lost with allies during the Donald Trump administration's four years. South Korea figures very largely in this new pivot to Asia. The Yoon administration's own pivot for South Korea to a regional and global role contributed to the success of the bilateral meeting. Deterrence was a key theme of the meeting, and the two leaders did well to follow up statements of the strength of "extended deterrence" with concrete measures like resuming joint military exercises, reviving the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group, and other as yet unnamed measures regarding movement of strategic assets. These are necessary measures to ensure the alliance is strong, not just optically but in substance -- something that was arguably eroding over the past five years. Officials have told me that they are very comfortable with the clear-headed decisiveness of where the new Yoon government stands on the alliance. What is different is that support for the alliance is not viewed by Seoul as transactional -- that is, in return for some other policy concession by the U.S., for example on North Korea. Rather, that the support from Seoul is unconditional and seen as necessary for South Korea. The real transformation of the alliance to a global and regional role, however, has to do with the Yoon government's commitment to work with the U.S. and other like-minded democracies on carbon-neutrality, nuclear energy, resilient supply chains, and support of democracy and the liberal international order. These were all addressed in the joint statement and they are an early indication of South Korea's re-engagement on the global stage. Prior to this, there was a worrying trend where many new regional groupings were being formed around South Korea involving other democracies but without Seoul's participation. This was not a conscious U.S. decision, but a choice made by South Korea that had the effect of isolating the country in its own region. In this regard, the joint statement laid down an important marker on the Quad, in which Biden welcomed South Korea's interest and enumerated the ways in which Seoul is an important contributor in terms of critical technology, global health, and resilient supply chains. Japan opposes South Korean membership in the Quad, and that is also why the administration emphasized the improvement of trilateral relations among the three countries in background briefings as one of the key messages of his meetings in Seoul and Tokyo. The fact that the joint statement explicitly mentioned U.S.-South Korea-Japan trilateralism twice -- in reference to deterrence and to economic security -- is unusual and reflects the imperative placed on this policy objective by Washington. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Shermans trilateral meetings in Seoul in the aftermath of the summit will follow the two presidents' directives. Finally, on North Korea, Biden's quip, "Hello." when asked if he had a message for Kim Jong-un was clearly an unscripted moment. Biden seemed to suggest that he does not rule out direct dialogue with the North Korean leader, but not of the style followed by Trump. Biden's team has emphasized that the main goal of engagement with North Korea is tangible and substantive steps to denuclearization, not photo opportunities to stroke the ego of the North Korean leader (or the U.S. president for that matter). My understanding is that the Biden administration has made nearly 20 attempts to engage in a dialogue with Pyongyang, and none of them have been responded to. This makes it unlikely that Kim would respond to Biden's "Hello" with anything but a nuclear or intercontinental missile test. Hopefully, the U.S., South Korea, and Japan will be on similar wavelengths after Biden's trip to Asia to coordinate policy to respond to this eventuality. KYODO NEWS - May 31, 2022 - 14:32 | All, Japan The Japanese government on Tuesday revoked the permit of an intermediate organization that introduces foreign trainees to host companies after it failed to prevent the physical abuse of a Vietnamese man by his Japanese co-workers at a construction firm. The organization, Okayama Sangyo Gijutsu Kyodo Kumiai in Okayama Prefecture, western Japan, was prohibited from introducing foreign trainees to companies for five years under an administrative punishment issued by the justice and labor ministries. The 41-year-old Vietnamese man, who came to Japan in the fall of 2019, sustained serious injuries, including a broken rib, in repeated assaults by his co-workers that began a month after he joined the construction firm, Six Create in the city of Okayama, according to the man and a labor union supporting him. When he was taken to hospital for a broken tooth following a beating, an organization worker who accompanied him falsely told a doctor that the man had fallen off his bicycle, they said. In punishing the intermediary organization, the Immigration Services Agency of Japan said the body had failed to properly oversee the construction firm, submit a report on the matter and implement necessary steps after it was consulted by the man. "We recognize that extremely vicious human rights violations occurred due to the failure of the supervisory group, which shows a serious problem lies in the system itself," said Justice Minister Yoshihisa Furukawa at a press conference in Tokyo. The minister added that the government will work to prevent a recurrence of such incidents and intends to proceed with a review of the technical internship system. The administrative punishment came after the government in February this year revoked for five years Six Create's permit enabling it to accept foreign trainees. The intermediary organization and Six Create have apologized to the man and agreed to pay him compensation. The Organization for Technical Intern Training, a government entity overseeing the technical internship program, has filed a complaint with the Okayama prefectural police accusing the Japanese co-workers of assaulting the Vietnamese man. It is the 33rd time that the permit for an intermediary organization has been revoked since a law clarifying the obligations and responsibilities of companies accepting trainees and intermediary bodies took effect in 2017, according to the immigration agency. Japan established the technical internship program in 1993, aiming to transfer skills to developing countries. But it has been criticized for creating a hotbed of exploitation and accused of providing a cover for companies to import cheap labor from other Asian countries. Related coverage: Vietnamese trainee in Japan demands apology for 2 years of abuse Gov't bans firm from accepting foreign trainees after assault case 63% of people with foreign roots in Japan questioned by police KYODO NEWS - May 31, 2022 - 15:47 | World, All Rescuers on Tuesday morning recovered the body of the last missing person aboard a small plane that crashed in Nepal's Mustang district, officials said, confirming all passengers and crew died in the crash. The Tara Air plane that crashed Sunday as it was flying from the resort town of Pokhara to Jomsom, a gateway to trekkers and pilgrims, was carrying 22 people including 19 passengers -- 13 Nepalis, two Germans and four Indians -- and was crewed by three Nepalis. Searchers were able to locate the crash site Monday morning after failing to do so the previous day. Deo Chandra Lal Karna, an aviation official, told Kyodo News that 10 bodies have been flown to Kathmandu while 12 bodies have been gathered near the crash site in Sanosware of the mountainous Mustang district. The crash site's location at 4,420 meters and bad weather posed challenges to searchers. "Weather permitting, a Nepal Army helicopter will fly the 12 bodies to Kathmandu by today's afternoon and the search operation will close," Karna told Kyodo News. Searchers have also recovered the aircraft's black box, said Tek Nath Sitaula, a spokesman at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. The government has set up a five-member panel to investigate the crash. The 43-year-old, Canadian-built de Havilland Twin Otter plane took off shortly before 10 a.m. Sunday on a planned 20-minute flight. It lost contact with control towers of Pokhara airport and Jomsom airport minutes after takeoff, prompting ground and aerial search. Nepal is known to have a poor aviation safety record. Related coverage: 21 bodies recovered from wreckage of crashed Nepal plane KYODO NEWS - May 31, 2022 - 20:44 | All, Japan, Coronavirus Hitachi Ltd. said Tuesday its employees can take their face masks off providing they are not conversing and social distancing is practiced at work, easing its mask guidelines in line with the view of the Japanese health ministry. The move at the country's industrial conglomerate covering around 150,000 employees in some 160 companies under its wing comes after the ministry said earlier this month that people do not have to wear face masks under certain conditions outdoors and indoors. Hitachi had recommended its employees to wear masks at all times. But the company's new standard does not require masks outdoors even when they are speaking, as long as they maintain a distance of more than 2 meters from each other. But the company said it "strongly advises the wearing of masks" indoors if employees cannot maintain a 2-meter distance even when they are not talking. The relaxing of mask guidelines by the major industrial conglomerate may lead the way for other Japanese firms, as public debate has arisen as to the extent people need to continue wearing face coverings to combat the coronavirus. While mask requirements are being loosened overseas in line with progress in vaccinations against COVID-19, a large portion of the public in Japan still comply with government requests to wear masks at work, school and public places. The Japanese government said recently that wearing masks outdoors is not necessary providing people maintain social distancing, with the approach of summer increasing the risk of heatstroke. Hitachi said it will continue to ask employees of its group to take sufficient COVID-19 countermeasures, including monitoring their health and ensuring air ventilation. KYODO NEWS - May 31, 2022 - 20:09 | All, World, Japan The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- Japan court rules against restarting nuclear power plant in Hokkaido SAPPORO - A Japanese court on Tuesday ordered a nuclear power plant in Hokkaido to remain offline as requested by over 1,000 plaintiffs due to safety concerns, in a rare decision issued while the operator is seeking permission from authorities to restart the plant. The Sapporo District Court ruled that Hokkaido Electric Power Co. should not resume operation of all three reactors at its Tomari nuclear plant in the suit filed in November 2011. ---------- Japan enacts 2.7 tril. yen extra budget to tackle surging prices TOKYO - Japan's parliament enacted Tuesday a 2.7 trillion yen ($21 billion) extra budget for fiscal 2022 to tackle recent rising fuel and food prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The extra budget for the year that started April 1 will finance part of a 6.2 trillion yen emergency economic package formed in late April which includes such measures as subsidies to oil wholesalers to pull down surging retail gasoline prices. ---------- More regional Japan airports to accept entrants from abroad: PM TOKYO - Japan plans to allow more regional airports to accept entrants from abroad, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday, as the country gradually relaxes stringent border controls implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The government will also unveil guidelines on inbound tourism on June 7, Kishida said, three days before it resumes accepting tourists from overseas, initially targeting those on package tours with guides and fixed itineraries. ---------- Japan may need to boost defense costs to 10 tril. yen: think tank TOKYO - Japan may need to increase its annual defense costs to as much as 10 trillion yen ($80 billion) from the current nearly 6 trillion yen to deal with China's growing military threat, a Defense Ministry think tank said Tuesday. The National Institute for Defense Studies said in an annual report that the increase of over 4 trillion yen in spending is not necessarily big considering the tremendous economic damage Japan could face if deterrence against China fails and a conflict arises between the two countries. ---------- FOCUS: China's Pacific island diplomacy may complicate ties with Japan BEIJING - China's recent attempt to bolster its influence on the Pacific island countries is likely to further complicate relations with its neighbor Japan, a close U.S. ally in Asia, probably jeopardizing the security situation in the region. If China gains a military foothold in the island nations, the United States would need to keep closer watch on the south of the Pacific Ocean, which could undermine deterrence against Beijing in the South China Sea and waters near Taiwan and Japan. ---------- Japan gov't bans intermediary body from introducing foreign trainees TOKYO - The Japanese government on Tuesday revoked the permit of an intermediate organization that introduces foreign trainees to host companies after it failed to prevent the physical abuse of a Vietnamese man by his Japanese co-workers at a construction firm. The organization, Okayama Sangyo Gijutsu Kyodo Kumiai in Okayama Prefecture, western Japan, was prohibited from introducing foreign trainees to companies for five years under an administrative punishment issued by the justice and labor ministries. ---------- U.S. will stand with Taiwan, senator tells President Tsai TAIPEI - U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth reassured Taiwan Tuesday that the United States stands with the self-ruled island despite military and political threats from mainland China. "The United States stands with Taiwan, and you will not stand alone," Duckworth told Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in their meeting at the presidential office. ---------- No survivors in small plane crash in Nepal KATHMANDU - Rescuers on Tuesday morning recovered the body of the last missing person aboard a small plane that crashed in Nepal's Mustang district, officials said, confirming all passengers and crew died in the crash. The Tara Air plane that crashed Sunday as it was flying from the resort town of Pokhara to Jomsom, a gateway to trekkers and pilgrims, was carrying 22 people including 19 passengers -- 13 Nepalis, two Germans and four Indians -- and was crewed by three Nepalis. KYODO NEWS - May 31, 2022 - 23:39 | World, All, Japan Japan is considering a foreign ministerial meeting with South Korea next month in Tokyo, government sources said Tuesday, as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida seeks to mend soured bilateral ties following the launch of a new government in Seoul. If realized, it will be the first in-person meeting in Japan since November 2019 by top diplomats from the two countries. The two neighboring countries have been locked in disputes over wartime issues for many years and their relations sank to their lowest level in decades under former South Korean President Moon Jae In. Japan is planning to hold a meeting between Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and his new South Korean counterpart Park Jin before June 22, the most likely date for the start of campaigning for the upcoming House of Councillors election, the sources said. The Japanese government will decide whether it is possible to go ahead with the plan after carefully assessing the political situations in both countries, they said. A recent marine survey by a South Korean research vessel in waters off the disputed islets of Takeshima in the Sea of Japan has irritated some members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party led by Kishida. The survey was confirmed on the weekend within Japan's exclusive economic zone near Seoul-controlled, Tokyo-claimed Takeshima, known as Dokdo in South Korea, which put a damper on the nascent mood for reconciliation. By promoting dialogue with Park, Hayashi is hoping to lay the groundwork for a meeting between Kishida and current South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in the near future, which could take place in Madrid in late June when an extended gathering of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization members' foreign ministers will be held, according to the sources. To prepare for the potential talks, senior diplomats of the two countries could meet in Seoul in early June. Japan maintains that wartime issues with South Korea have already been resolved. It has urged Seoul to abide by their past agreements, such as a 2015 deal that settled the issue of "comfort women," who were procured for Japan's wartime military brothels. Hayashi and Park met in Seoul on the eve of Yoon's inauguration ceremony, agreeing that the countries should not let their relations deteriorate any further, while vowing to strengthen trilateral cooperation involving the United States to deal with North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. It was the first visit to South Korea by a Japanese foreign minister since June 2018. KYODO NEWS - May 31, 2022 - 19:43 | World, All U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth reassured Taiwan Tuesday that the United States stands with the self-ruled island despite military and political threats from mainland China. "The United States stands with Taiwan, and you will not stand alone," Duckworth told Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in their meeting at the presidential office. Not long after Duckworth arrived on Monday night, 30 Chinese military aircraft flew into the southwestern part of Taiwan's air defense identification zone, according to Taiwan's Defense Ministry. The American Institute in Taiwan, Washington's de facto embassy in lieu of formal diplomatic ties with Taipei, said Duckworth will visit Taiwan from Monday to Wednesday as part of a larger visit to the Indo-Pacific region. Duckworth will meet other senior Taiwan officials to discuss U.S.-Taiwan relations, regional security, trade and investment, global supply chains, and other significant issues of mutual interest, it said. Duckworth told Tsai that the partnership between the United States and Taiwan is "a true partnership, one that is valuable to us" and that the U.S. support for Taiwan is strong within the legislative branch and from President Joe Biden himself. Duckworth emphasized that she is in Taiwan to support Biden's efforts to foster a "closer relationship between our two nations on an economic front, as well as on national security." Tsai said Duckworth's visit, which came only a month after a visit by a group of heavyweight senior U.S. lawmakers, demonstrated the "rock-solid" bond between Taiwan and the United States. In addition to thanking Duckworth for introducing bills friendly to Taiwan, Tsai expressed hopes for even more bilateral cooperation on matters of trade and regional security. While Taiwan is not included in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework recently launched by Biden, Tsai said she hopes Taiwan will participate in the near future, and she looked forward to working with Washington to further deepen their bilateral economic partnership. In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a news briefing in Beijing Tuesday that China is "strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposed" to the visit by a U.S. senator to Taiwan and that Beijing has made a strong representation to the United States. Zhao urged U.S. lawmakers to "abide by the one-China principle and the stipulations in three China-U.S. joint communiques, immediately stop sending erroneous acts of having official exchanges with Taiwan and avoid sending any wrong signal to the Taiwan independence separatist forces." "The Chinese side will continue to take strong measures to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said. Taiwan and mainland China have been separately governed since they split due to a civil war in 1949. China regards Taiwan as a renegade province to be united with the mainland, by force if necessary. The trip marks Duckworth's second visit to Taiwan. She was a member of a bipartisan congressional delegation that visited the island in June 2021. During that trip, Duckworth announced upon arrival on a U.S. Air Force freighter with the group that Taiwan would receive 750,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine as part of the first tranche of Washington's global vaccine sharing program. That visit came at a time when Taiwan was grappling with a spike in coronavirus cases amid a low supply of vaccines. Related coverage: U.S. lawmakers vow support for Taiwan to guard democracy U.S. congressional delegation arrives in Taiwan, draws China rebuke U.S. reassures Taiwan of commitment amid Russian invasion of Ukraine KYODO NEWS - May 31, 2022 - 19:21 | All, Japan Japan may need to increase its annual defense costs to as much as 10 trillion yen ($80 billion) from the current nearly 6 trillion yen to deal with China's growing military threat, a Defense Ministry think tank said Tuesday. The National Institute for Defense Studies said in an annual report that the increase of over 4 trillion yen in spending is not necessarily big considering the tremendous economic damage Japan could face if deterrence against China fails and a conflict arises between the two countries. Japan, known for its pacifist Constitution, has long capped its defense budget at around 1 percent of gross domestic product, or about 5 trillion yen. Japan's defense budget was roughly the same in size as China in 2000, but 20 years later, it accounted for less than a fourth of Beijing's expenditure, according to the report titled East Asian Strategic Review 2022. The report came after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged to secure a "substantial increase" in Japan's defense budget at a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden last week to strengthen Tokyo's defense capabilities and alliance with Washington. Japan's fiscal health, meanwhile, has been the worst among major developed nations, with its public debt over 1,200 trillion yen as of March this year, more than double its annual GDP. The institute added that the government needs to "consider how to strike a balance" between the risks of financial collapse and deterrence failure. Japan's defense costs mentioned in the report exclude outlays related to reducing the burden on the southern island prefecture of Okinawa in hosting the bulk of U.S. forces. In April, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party asked Kishida to consider doubling Japan's defense budget to an amount on par with 2 percent of GDP or more, a numerical target for North Atlantic Treaty Organization nations. The request was in a set of LDP's proposals for revising the government's National Security Strategy. The long-term security guideline, originally approved by the Cabinet in late 2013, is expected to be updated by the end of this year amid China's maritime assertiveness in the region and North Korea's missile and nuclear threats. The institute pointed out that China has been reinforcing its relations with Russia and developing countries to compete against Western nations while putting more military pressure on Japan and Taiwan. "Due to the escalating confrontation between China-Russia and the United States, the age of 'great power competition' has come again," and Japan "cannot take a stance of onlooker," the report said. The think tank also released an additional volume on Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It projected that the war will be lengthy, warning that closer ties between Russia and China may "deepen the split not only with the United States but also with the international community." KYODO NEWS - May 31, 2022 - 20:10 | All, World, Japan, Coronavirus Japan issued 90,306 visas to foreign nationals in 2021, marking the lowest figure since comparable records were made available in 1999, due to pandemic-related travel restrictions, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday. The figure, down from a record-high 8.28 million in the pre-pandemic year of 2019, surpassed the previous record low of 1.12 million in 2020 by 92 percent, the ministry said, as the global spread of the coronavirus led the government to intensify border restrictions on overseas arrivals. Of total visas granted in 2021, Vietnam accounted for the most at 15,434, or 17 percent, followed by China with 12,768, or 14 percent. The United States, meanwhile, accounted for 9,200 visas issued, or 10 percent. The Philippines and South Korea trailed at 5,406 and 4,671, or 6 percent and 5 percent, respectively. Japan has gradually begun to loosen its border restrictions to bring them in line with other Group of Seven nations after effectively closing its doors to nonresident foreign nationals to prevent a surge in infections. The measure drew criticism at home and abroad that it was too strict. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said earlier this month the country will double the current cap on daily overseas entries from 10,000 to 20,000 from Wednesday. Arrivals have so far been limited to businesspeople, technical interns and students. But from June 10, Japan will start accepting foreign tourists from 98 countries and regions, and initially limit them to guided tours as a means to reduce the potential spread of infections. By Tomoyuki Tachikawa, KYODO NEWS - May 31, 2022 - 16:28 | World, All, Feature China's recent attempt to bolster its influence on the Pacific island countries is likely to further complicate relations with its neighbor Japan, a close U.S. ally in Asia, probably jeopardizing the security situation in the region. If China gains a military foothold in the island nations, the United States would need to keep closer watch on the south of the Pacific Ocean, which could undermine deterrence against Beijing in the South China Sea and waters near Taiwan and Japan. Escalating tensions between the world's two major powers in the Pacific region would also accelerate the division of the world into two blocs -- Western democratic countries led by the United States and what they call autocratic nations like China and Russia. As Japan deepens cooperation with the United States to tackle a possible threat from Communist China, the two Asian countries would end up vying with each other more intensely to pursue their interests in the region, increasing security instability in East Asia to the danger level, foreign affairs experts say. The leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping has been trying to boost its security and economic clout in the Asia-Pacific region in an apparent bid to challenge the so-called Quad, comprising the United States, Australia, India and Japan. While the Quad is widely seen as a counterweight to China's growing assertiveness, the members have stressed that it is a group deepening what it calls "practical cooperation" in fields such as infrastructure, climate change and critical technologies. But the tabloid of the ruling Chinese Communist Party, the Global Times, has lambasted the United States and its security allies for striving to build an "anti-China alliance in Asia" and eventually form an "Asian NATO," or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is on an eight-country tour of the Pacific islands for 10 days through next Saturday, was quoted by his ministry as saying last week that Pacific island nations are "not anyone's backyard." In 2019, the Solomon Islands and Kiribati, both in the South Pacific area, switched their diplomatic ties to China from democratic Taiwan -- the self-ruled island Beijing has regarded as a renegade province to be reunified with the mainland by force if necessary. Earlier this year, China and the Solomon Islands signed a security pact, which would reportedly allow the deployment of Chinese police, military and other armed personnel, as well as the docking of the Asian country's military ships in the islands. Speculation is rife that China might be also eager to strike a security agreement with Kiribati, located between Australia and Hawaii -- the U.S. island state that has a large number of military bases. On the economic front, several Pacific island nations including Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu have participated in China's cross-border infrastructure "Belt and Road" project that Beijing touts as the "modern Silk Road." Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, the top government spokesman, on Monday expressed wariness about China's attempt to strengthen ties with the island nations, saying, "We are watching with concern movements that can have a significant impact on the regional security environment." A Japanese government source said the South Pacific area is "very important" to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific, a vision promoted by Tokyo and Washington for countering Beijing. The region has "precisely become a place of conflict between a camp of countries advocating liberalism and that of nations pursuing totalitarianism," the source said, adding, "The possibility cannot be ruled out that a danger will come close to Taiwan and Japan." As Xi's leadership has already built artificial islands with military infrastructure in the South China Sea, home to some of the world's busiest sea lanes, it is easy for Beijing to quickly deploy the country's forces to the South Pacific region, pundits say. So far, however, China has been encountering difficulties in achieving its goals in the Pacific island nations, which basically put emphasis on democracy, freedom and the rule of law, in the face of resistance by the United States and its allies. Last week, the Quad leaders agreed to extend more than $50 billion in infrastructure aid and investment in the Indo-Pacific over the next five years. During Wang's trip to Pacific island countries, the White House said Fiji has joined the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework recently launched by the administration of President Joe Biden, along with 13 nations such as Australia, India, Japan and South Korea. Australian media, meanwhile, reported Monday that China has failed to persuade Pacific island countries to sign a pact covering a wide spectrum of issues from trade to security, with Micronesia voicing fears that the move could trigger "a new Cold War." A diplomatic source in Beijing said Pacific island nations "have not reached a consensus" on China's political proximity, adding, "There remains a chance for democratic countries to thwart China's ambitions in the region." "It is crucial to drive a wedge in relations between China and the Solomon Islands. I think Japan can play a key role in it, given that Tokyo has enhanced amicable ties" with the island nation, the source said. Japan has hosted the Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting every three years since 1997, focusing on matters ranging from climate change and disaster management to sustainable use of maritime resources. The Solomon Islands is a member of the gathering. Shigeru Toyama, a former Japanese ambassador to the Solomon Islands, said in a report to the Japan Institute of International Affairs that Tokyo's activities in the global arena have "always" been supported by the island country. In order to maintain mutually beneficial relations with the Solomon Islands, Japan should strengthen bilateral cooperation by providing aid that can meet the needs of the island nation "both in quality and quantity," Toyama said. Related coverage: China fails to persuade Pacific island nations to sign security pact Fiji joins U.S.-led Indo-Pacific economic framework to offset China China vows to "firmly" support Solomon Islands in security terms People visit the Africa Food Manufacturing expo in Cairo, Egypt, on May 29, 2022.(Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) CAIRO, May 30 (Xinhua) -- The 10th edition of Africa Food Manufacturing (AFM), a major international exhibition for food processing and packaging in the African region, opened on Sunday in Egypt's capital Cairo. Held at the International Exhibition Center, the three-day fair attracts over 300 exhibitors from various countries to showcase exciting new technologies from across the globe, as well as the latest trends and innovations in food production. "The fair is a great chance for companies to see new technologies and products in the beverage and food industries," Ahmed Hussein, purchasing manager with a local food distribution company, told Xinhua. "It also helps us find new markets outside Egypt as well as build relations with many companies working in the field," he added. The expo is held with the participation of regional branches of two leading trade show organizers-- Fi Global for food ingredients and ProPak Exhibitions for food processing and packaging, offering a 365-booth marketplace for the community to interact, network and build knowledge through online and physical opportunities. This year, the AFM is offering a Matchmaking program, which will target all visitors to identify their needs and interests, match these needs with the eligible exhibitors and pre-arrange their sideline meetings. Tariq Ameer, a manager with a foreign food industries company operating in Egypt, told Xinhua that the exhibition helps companies avoid wasting time and specify the topics they would like to discuss. Speaking of the educational conferences joined by high-level speakers and top professionals at the fair, he said "the conferences will bring you the latest trends and best practices in the food manufacturing industry, which is very helpful for us." Visitors taste snacks at the Africa Food Manufacturing expo in Cairo, Egypt, on May 29, 2022.(Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) People visit the Africa Food Manufacturing expo in Cairo, Egypt, on May 29, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) People visit the Africa Food Manufacturing expo in Cairo, Egypt, on May 29, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) A man makes food at the Africa Food Manufacturing expo in Cairo, Egypt, on May 29, 2022.(Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) People prepare food for display at the Africa Food Manufacturing expo in Cairo, Egypt, on May 29, 2022.(Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) AFP: Yesterday, President Xi Jinping had a meeting with Chief Executive-elect John Lee of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). According to reports, President Xi said that the new HKSAR government will bring new changes. What exactly do new changes refer to? Zhao Lijian: The readout has been released with regard to President Xis meeting with Chief Executive-elect John Lee of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. You should raise this question to my colleagues of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, who I guess will give you more authoritative interpretation. But what I can say is that since the implementation of the national security law for Hong Kong, the city has embarked on the right track. We believe that the Pearl of the Orient will shine even brighter. Shenzhen TV: In his recent speech outlining the US policy toward China, US Secretary of State Blinken slandered China on issues related to Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong. Do you have any comment? Zhao Lijian: The denigrating accusations about genocide, crimes against humanity and detention camps in Xinjiang in Secretary Blinkens speech are nothing but the biggest lies of the century. China has repeatedly clarified the truth by presenting facts on that. Since the peaceful liberation of Tibet 70 years ago, Tibet has witnessed economic prosperity, social harmony and religious and cultural development. Since the implementation of the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong SAR, the so-called beautiful sight to behold in the eyes of certain US politicians has vanished. All these lies mongered by the US have been shattered in front of facts and truth time and again. The more desperate the US politicians are in repeating such lies as genocide, the more will be exposed about their bullying and hypocritical nature, the more the US credibility and reputation be corrupted and the stronger indignation will be triggered among the Chinese against the US acts. All these accusations the US is pinning on China mirror exactly its original sins and crimes that cannot be washed away. Let me start with the original sins. The American Indians are still living in scattered reservations after surviving the brutal past of genocide and crimes against humanity. African Americans were subject to forced labor in cotton plantations, and still cannot breathe today. The dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. remains out of reach. Now let's move onto the egregious crimes of the US. The list is even longer. To be specific, the resigned COVID policy of the US government has costed more than one million lives, a price for its irresponsibility and inability. The continuous shootings in the US, which claim more than 110 lives a day on average, have broken not only the so-called American dream, but also the hearts of millions of Americans. The US has wantonly invaded and interfered militarily in other countries, killing over 800,000 people and turning more than 20 million into refugees in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Afghanistan. I wonder in what position the US officials are to criticize China in a patronizing and brazen manner? The US should earnestly respect Chinas sovereignty, security and development interests, and stop fabricating and spreading lies and rumors of all kinds to smear and denigrate China, and stop interfering in Chinas internal affairs in the name of so-called human rights issues. The US should face squarely to its deplorable human rights track record, stop acting like a condescending lecturer and keep its own house in order. Bloomberg: India is probing the local units of ZTE Corp and Vivo Mobile for alleged financial mistakes on behalf of the company. This is extending an investigation into the China-based firms in India, such as Xiaomi. My question is, do you have any comment on the Indian governments investigation into these two additional Chinese companies, ZTE and Vivo in India? Zhao Lijian: The Chinese government is closely following the situation. The Chinese government always asks Chinese companies to abide by laws and regulations when doing business overseas. In the meantime, we firmly support Chinese companies in safeguarding their legal rights and interests. The Indian side should act in accordance with laws and regulations and provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies investing and operating in India. Kyodo News: In a meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen today, US Senator Tammy Duckworth said she wanted to emphasize support for Taiwan, not only about military, but also to ensure that Taiwan will not stand alone and the US will stand with Taiwan. Do you have any comment? Given the clear signal of supports to Taiwan sent by the US recently, does China believe that the US has given up its policy of strategic ambiguity? Zhao Lijian: Taiwan is a province of China, what president does it have to speak of? Relevant US congresswomans visit to Taiwan seriously violates the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-US joint communiques. China deplores and rejects this and has lodged solemn representations with the US side. We urge relevant US politicians to earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, and immediately stop official exchanges with Taiwan in any form and refrain from sending any wrong signals to the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces. China will continue to take forceful measures to resolutely safeguard Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity. We noted that the US government has recently sent out a series of wrong signals on the Taiwan question. What the US government should do is to follow through on President Bidens remarks that the US does not seek a new Cold War with China; it does not aim to change Chinas system; the revitalization of its alliances is not targeted at China; the US does not support Taiwan independence; and it has no intention to seek a conflict with China. AFP: State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi is reportedly visiting Tonga today. Can the foreign ministry provide a more detailed schedule of State Councilor Wang? What is the plan and the objective of this visit? Zhao Lijian: I can tell you are closely following the trip. The delegation led by State Councilor Wang Yi is indeed visiting Tonga today. I checked before coming here and so far I havent seen any information released by the delegation. Please continue to pay attention to our release as it will come out on a timely basis. Bloomberg: Do you have any more details on the visit to Singapore of the Defense Minister Wei Fenghe between June 8 and 12? For example, Mr. Wei Fenghe is expected to meet with foreign officials. Can you give us an idea of which foreign officials he will meet with during that trip and any other details? Zhao Lijian: Thank you for your interest in State Councilor Wei Fenghes visit. The Ministry of National Defense released relevant information today. If you want to know more about the schedule, you may raise the question to my colleagues at the Ministry of National Defense. PTI: The latest data released by Indian Commerce Ministry says that the US has surpassed China to become Indias top trading partner last year. This is perhaps what is considered to be a very transformative change because China happened to be the largest trading partner for a long time. And theres also a sharp fall in Indias exports to China, widening the trade deficit because of various reasons. There is a lack of flight, lack of communication and transport facilities between the two countries in many ways. Is this decline in any way due to declining relations between the two countries post Ladakh border conflict two years ago? Can we expect an improvement of relations that may again lead to the improvement of trade between the two countries? Zhao Lijian: According to the statistics of Chinese competent authorities, bilateral trade volume between China and India stood at $125.66 billion in 2021. On that basis, China remains Indias largest trading partner, and the total trade volume topped $100 billion for the first time. The disparity in trade figures published by China and India is a result of different statistical measurement scales. China does not object to the development of normal trade relations between India and the US, and is not that interested in the changes of the ranking in trade volume. The difference in the figures should be seen as it is. What we care about is whether the Indian side has the will and takes real actions to create a fair, transparent, sustainable and sound environment for bilateral trade and investment, further expand mutually-beneficial cooperation between the two sides and deliver tangible benefits to the two countries and two peoples. You mentioned the China-India boundary question. At present, the border situation is stable in general. The two sides have been maintaining close communication through diplomatic and military channels. China always believes that the boundary question doesnt represent the whole of China-India relations and we should put it in an appropriate position in bilateral relations and under effective control and management. We hope India will work with China to continuously enhance mutual trust, strengthen practical cooperation, and ensure that the bilateral relations will move forward along the right track, deliver more benefits to the two peoples and make greater contributions to the region and beyond. Prasar Bharati: This is a follow-up of what my colleague just asked regarding the India-China bilateral trade. The same media reports have mentioned that the bilateral trade deficit has increased to a large extent in Chinas favor. The same reports have also mentioned quoting Indian officials that China has been imposing some non-tariff barriers on Indian exports and Indian officials are in talk with Chinese officials to tackle this issue. I would like to know what steps China is taking to remove the non-tariff barriers and reduce the trade deficit between the two countries, which India has been demanding for a very long time? Zhao Lijian: I would like to refer you to my colleagues at the Ministry of Commerce as your question concerns very specific matters. In principle, I would like to say that China never seeks trade surplus. We stand ready to take measures to advance normal trade with India. Peoples Daily: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in its latest report on May 30 that it estimated that Irans total enriched uranium stockpile was more than 3,809 kilograms, more than 18 times the limit laid down in the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal. It added that Iran has not provided explanations that are technically credible in relation to outstanding safeguards issues. Do you have any comment? Zhao Lijian: We have noted the latest IAEA report on the Iranian nuclear issue. China supports the IAEA in continuing to follow the principle of objectivity, neutrality and impartiality, and in strictly complying with its mandate to carry out supervision and verification of Irans implementation of the JCPOA. China supports the IAEA and Iran in resolving outstanding issues of safeguards through dialogue and consultation. As negotiations on resuming compliance with the JCPOA come to the home stretch, relevant parties should enhance their sense of urgency, step up diplomatic efforts, reach consensus on the remaining outstanding issues as soon as possible and remove obstacles to resuming the full and effective implementation of the JCPOA. Once the implementation resumes, all the problems mentioned in the report will be resolved. China hopes that all parties will make efforts to create necessary conditions and sound atmosphere to such end and refrain from taking any action that may undermine the diplomatic efforts. CCTV: According to reports, in response to Japans submission to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf on the extension of its continental shelf to the south of the Okinodori Reef, there have been many dissertations in China refuting the claim recently. Japans Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno Hirokazu said at a press conference on May 30 that the Japanese government noted those science papers but would not respond to each and every one of them. Do you have any comment? Zhao Lijian: We have noted relevant reports. As is well known, Okinodori is a reef, not an island. It is submerged underwater except for less than ten square meters above water at high tide. However, Japan, in pursuit of self-interest, has illegally staked claim to nearly 700,000 square kilometers of jurisdictional waters based on the tiny reef. This encroaches upon the high seas and international seabed areas and undermines the overall interests of the international community. According to UNCLOS, Okinodori is a reef, not an island. As such, it is not entitled to an EEZ or continental shelf. Japans claim of an EEZ and continental shelf based on it violates international law. An exhibitor (L) introduces an ergonomic seat to a visitor during the Hannover Messe in Hannover, Germany, May 30, 2022. After an interval of two-year, Hannover Messe resumed its offline events this year with "Industrial Transformation" as the lead theme, which focuses on digitalization and sustainability. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei) HANOVER, Germany, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Hannover Messe, one of the world's largest trade fairs hosted by Germany, is looking forward to welcoming more exhibitors from China in the coming years, said the chief of the trade fair. "I hope (the COVID-19 pandemic) was only a once-in-lifetime challenge and that we'll be able to host a thousand or even more Chinese exhibitors in the future again," said Jochen Koeckler, chairman of the managing board of the Deutsche Messe AG in an interview with Xinhua here on Monday. Only around 100 Chinese exhibitors participated in the event this year due primarily to the COVID-19 pandemic and the number exceeded 1,300 in 2019. "For us, it's very important to have a huge audience from China here," Koeckler said. This year's event, which opened on Monday and will last until June 2, has brought together some 2,500 exhibitors from over 50 countries and regions. The lead theme is "Industrial Transformation," and the focus is on digitalization and sustainability. A visitor looks at a hydrogen energy cargo truck during the Hannover Messe in Hannover, Germany, May 30, 2022. After an interval of two-year, Hannover Messe resumed its offline events this year with "Industrial Transformation" as the lead theme, which focuses on digitalization and sustainability. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei) A mechanical arm plays Tic-Tac-Toe with a visitor during the Hannover Messe in Hannover, Germany, May 30, 2022. After an interval of two-year, Hannover Messe resumed its offline events this year with "Industrial Transformation" as the lead theme, which focuses on digitalization and sustainability. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei) A hydrogen energy plane is seen during the Hannover Messe in Hannover, Germany, May 30, 2022. After an interval of two-year, Hannover Messe resumed its offline events this year with "Industrial Transformation" as the lead theme, which focuses on digitalization and sustainability. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei) An exhibitor (R) introduces an intelligent robot to a visitor during the Hannover Messe in Hannover, Germany, May 30, 2022. After an interval of two-year, Hannover Messe resumed its offline events this year with "Industrial Transformation" as the lead theme, which focuses on digitalization and sustainability. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei) An intelligent robot interacts with a visitor during the Hannover Messe in Hannover, Germany, May 30, 2022. After an interval of two-year, Hannover Messe resumed its offline events this year with "Industrial Transformation" as the lead theme, which focuses on digitalization and sustainability. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei) A visitor looks at an algae bioreactor during the Hannover Messe in Hannover, Germany, May 30, 2022. After an interval of two-year, Hannover Messe resumed its offline events this year with "Industrial Transformation" as the lead theme, which focuses on digitalization and sustainability. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei) An intelligent robot dog is seen during the Hannover Messe in Hannover, Germany, May 30, 2022. After an interval of two-year, Hannover Messe resumed its offline events this year with "Industrial Transformation" as the lead theme, which focuses on digitalization and sustainability. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei) A mechanical arm demonstrates injecting glue to shoes during the Hannover Messe in Hannover, Germany, May 30, 2022. After an interval of two-year, Hannover Messe resumed its offline events this year with "Industrial Transformation" as the lead theme, which focuses on digitalization and sustainability. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei) Visitors look at a bicycle made of recycled materials during the Hannover Messe in Hannover, Germany, May 30, 2022. After an interval of two-year, Hannover Messe resumed its offline events this year with "Industrial Transformation" as the lead theme, which focuses on digitalization and sustainability. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei) A rescue team of Nepal Army carry the body of a plane crash victim at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, May 30, 2022. Twenty-one bodies have been recovered from the crash site of a Nepali passenger plane in a remote hilly area in Nepal's Mustang district, a local government official said on Monday. Ten bodies have been sent to Kathmandu in a helicopter, the official said. (Photo by Sulav Shrestha/Xinhua) KATHMANDU, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Twenty-one bodies have been recovered from the crash site of a Nepali passenger plane in a remote hilly area in Nepal's Mustang district, a local government official said on Monday. "Twenty-one dead bodies have been recovered while one remains missing," Netra Prasad Sharma, chief district official of Mustang, told Xinhua. Ten bodies have been sent to Kathmandu in a helicopter, the official said. The Twin Otter plane went missing on Sunday morning minutes after it took off from the Nepali city of Pokhara for Jomsom in Mustang district. The Nepal Army, which is leading the search and rescue effort, found the crash site on Monday morning. Nineteen passengers, among them 13 Nepalis, four Indians and two Germans, were aboard the plane along with three crew members, said Tara Air, the operator of the flight. Indra Singh Sherchan, a hotelier at the crash site, said the site is located at 4,100 meters above sea level and the bodies were scattered here and there on the cliff. "As the plane didn't catch fire, the faces can be identified," he told Xinhua. Air accidents are not rare in Nepal as travel by air is an option when overland routes are generally not in good shape in the mountainous country, especially during the monsoon season. A rescue team of Nepal Army carry the body of a plane crash victim at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, May 30, 2022. Twenty-one bodies have been recovered from the crash site of a Nepali passenger plane in a remote hilly area in Nepal's Mustang district, a local government official said on Monday. Ten bodies have been sent to Kathmandu in a helicopter, the official said. (Photo by Sulav Shrestha/Xinhua) A Nepal Army helicopter carrying bodies of victims of a plane crash lands at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, May 30, 2022. Twenty-one bodies have been recovered from the crash site of a Nepali passenger plane in a remote hilly area in Nepal's Mustang district, a local government official said on Monday. Ten bodies have been sent to Kathmandu in a helicopter, the official said. (Photo by Sulav Shrestha/Xinhua) A Nepal Army helicopter carrying bodies of victims of a plane crash lands at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, May 30, 2022. Twenty-one bodies have been recovered from the crash site of a Nepali passenger plane in a remote hilly area in Nepal's Mustang district, a local government official said on Monday. Ten bodies have been sent to Kathmandu in a helicopter, the official said. (Photo by Sulav Shrestha/Xinhua) A rescue team of Nepal Army carry the body of a plane crash victim at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, May 30, 2022. Twenty-one bodies have been recovered from the crash site of a Nepali passenger plane in a remote hilly area in Nepal's Mustang district, a local government official said on Monday. Ten bodies have been sent to Kathmandu in a helicopter, the official said. (Photo by Sulav Shrestha/Xinhua) BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- A full-state new-configuration model of China's AG600 large amphibious aircraft conducted a successful maiden flight on Tuesday, according to the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). This new-configuration AG600 amphibious aircraft took off from the Zhuhai Jinwan Airport in south China's Guangdong Province at 10:55 a.m., and then safely landed at the airport after a 20-minute flight, said the AVIC, the country's leading plane-maker. During the maiden flight, it also conducted multiple flight test missions, including constant speed climbing, reducing speed in level flight and a simulated go-around. AG600 aircraft remained in good condition throughout the flight, with the control system operating well and all systems working stably, said the developer. The successful maiden flight of the full-state new-configuration model marked a new phase for the AG600 project and a major breakthrough in developing the firefighting functional model of the large amphibious aircraft, said the AVIC. This new configuration AG600 aircraft is specially developed to serve firefighting missions, with a maximum take-off weight of 60 tonnes and maximum water-storage capacity of up to 12 tonnes. It fills China's blanks in the large firefighting aircraft, the AVIC added. It is installed with a pressure cabin, fly-by-wire flight control system, integrated avionics system, and systems for its future firefighting missions. Compared with the previous model of AG600, the new firefighting-configuration AG600 aircraft has higher performance, larger water-dropping capacity, longer range, and optimized platform for its future serialized development, said the developer. The AG600, together with the Y-20 large transporter and the C919 single-aisle passenger airplane, is part of China's key project to independently develop a "large aircraft family." Codenamed Kunlong, the AG600 is a key piece of aeronautical equipment in China's emergency-rescue system. It is developed by the AVIC to meet the needs of firefighting and marine rescue missions, as well as other critical emergency-rescue operations. It is also the first Chinese homegrown large specialized aeroplane which is developed under the civil-aircraft airworthiness standards, said the AVIC. The first AG600 successfully completed its maiden flight in 2017, its first take-off from a water reservoir in 2018, and its maiden flight over the sea in 2020. SUVA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. attempted assessment of normal trade by whether it conforms to American values goes against basic economic laws, visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said. Wang made the remarks on Monday during a visit to Fiji, the fourth leg of his ongoing tour to Pacific island countries. Regarding the U.S. recent launch of the so-called "Indo-Pacific Economic Framework" (IPEF) and claim of building a new order that is free, open and inclusive, Wang said, "However, without tariff reduction, how can an economic framework be free? Without market access, how can it be open? If China, the largest market in the region and even the world, is deliberately excluded, how can it be inclusive?" In fact, the Chinese foreign minister noted, the United States is trying to confine other countries to its own standards and rules, and to start all over again outside of the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core. The U.S. move highlights its attempt to politicize, weaponize and even ideologize economic affairs, with assessing normal trade in goods by its own values, Wang said. He stressed that the U.S. practice is doomed to failure as it goes against basic economic laws, imposes shackles on the free market, and runs counter to the trend of economic globalization featuring mutual exchanges and complementary advantages. SUVA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- China has put forward a series of proposals to deepen its comprehensive strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development with Pacific island countries, according to a position paper issued here Monday after the second China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the paper said, China has implemented nearly 500 complete plant projects, technical assistance, in-kind assistance and concessional loan projects in Pacific island countries, which have helped them build important infrastructure such as roads, bridges, wharfs, hospitals, schools and stadiums, and trained about 10,000 professionals in various fields. China has dispatched medical teams to eight Pacific island countries having diplomatic ties with China, and has signed Belt and Road cooperation documents with all the 10 Pacific island countries having diplomatic relations with China, the paper said. From 1992 to 2021, total trade volume between China and Pacific island countries having diplomatic relations with China registered an average annual increase of 13 percent and expanded by over 30 times, while the two sides have forged 22 pairs of sister provinces/states and cities, it said. Looking ahead, China stands ready to deepen its ties with Pacific island countries so as to build a closer China-Pacific Island Countries community with a shared future. China will appoint a Chinese government special envoy for Pacific island countries affairs, the paper said. On security, China hopes to work with Pacific island countries to follow the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security so as to promote regional peace and security. China upholds the international non-proliferation regime with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as its cornerstone and supports the development of the South Pacific nuclear-free zone, it said, adding that the two sides can work together to combat transnational crimes including cyber crime, and jointly tackle non-traditional security threats. On economy, China stands ready to work with Pacific island countries to strengthen the synergy between Belt and Road cooperation and regional cooperation initiatives such as Pacific Aid for Trade Strategy 2020-2025, Regional E-commerce Strategy and Pacific Quality Infrastructure Initiative, and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in fields of infrastructure, agriculture, forestry and fishery, energy, mining, information and communication technology, e-commerce and tourism. China will continue to promote Pacific island countries' premium products and projects, such as agro-products, and expand their market access to China, it said. As Pacific island countries are vulnerable to climate crisis, China will help them build a climate resilient blue economy, and provide training opportunities through the China-Pacific Island Countries Climate Change Cooperation Center. China is willing to carry out cooperation on ocean forecasting and disaster early-warning, establish a China-Pacific island countries disaster management cooperation mechanism and a disaster preparedness and mitigation cooperation center, and hold the first China-Pacific Island Countries Disaster Management Cooperation Forum in due course, the paper said. China encourages and supports airlines to launch air routes and flights between China and Pacific island countries when COVID-19 is effectively under control. China also pledges to provide anti-COVID-19 assistance Pacific island countries need, and inject additional capital into the China-Pacific Island Countries Anti-COVID-19 Cooperation Fund in 2022, the paper said. Chinese medical teams will be sent to Pacific island countries including the Solomon Islands and Kiribati, with the total number reaching 200 in the next five years, it said. China will provide 2,500 government scholarships and 3,000 human resource training opportunities for Pacific island countries from 2020 to 2025, it said. Fijian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama and visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi co-chaired the second China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting here on Monday. BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday sent a congratulatory letter to the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation over the 40th anniversary of its founding. In the letter, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, urged the foundation to make new and greater contributions to the promotion of solidarity of all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation at home and abroad. A staff member helps herdswoman Qime Garde register her newly-harvested caterpillar fungi for counting the total quantity at a caterpillar fungus collecting site in Lainqu Township, Biru County of Nagqu, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 25, 2022. On the prairie of over 4,700 meters above sea level in Biru County, herdsmen are busy hunting down caterpillar fungus at the harvest time. Biru County is a key site of yielding caterpillar fungus, an expensive ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. Found only at high altitudes, the fungus, known in China as "winter-worm summer-grass," is said to be effective in boosting the immune system. The caterpillar fungus harvest time lasts 45 days. For local herdsmen, collecting this precious fungus offers them seasonal jobs and increases their income. Trekking on the alpine ground, searching for the tiny caterpillar fungus as small as an apple stalk, fungus diggers must brave harsh weather conditions from sunrise till sunset. Fungus diggers use an ice pick to prod the earth and dig a hole about 10 centimeters deep. After plucking the fungus from the soil, the diggers fill up the hole with the removed earth to restore the natural soil structure for fostering caterpillar fungus in the coming year. As the sun sets, the herdsmen return to their tents with the harvested caterpillar fungi after spending a day working on the highlands. They always make a point of taking away the trash with them produced during the long working day. During the caterpillar fungus harvest time, the herdsmen make their home temporarily in tents in the valley. Here, rows of solar panels illuminate the night sky as their tents are all facilitated with solar energy. And inside their tents, the herdsmen enjoy their leisure time after a harsh working day, listening to the raindrops on their rooftop. (Xinhua/Jiang Fan) Herdswoman Qime Garde (1st L) poses for a photo with local kids while harvesting caterpillar fungus in Biru County of Nagqu, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 25, 2022. On the prairie of over 4,700 meters above sea level in Biru County, herdsmen are busy hunting down caterpillar fungus at the harvest time. Biru County is a key site of yielding caterpillar fungus, an expensive ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. Found only at high altitudes, the fungus, known in China as "winter-worm summer-grass," is said to be effective in boosting the immune system. The caterpillar fungus harvest time lasts 45 days. For local herdsmen, collecting this precious fungus offers them seasonal jobs and increases their income. Trekking on the alpine ground, searching for the tiny caterpillar fungus as small as an apple stalk, fungus diggers must brave harsh weather conditions from sunrise till sunset. Fungus diggers use an ice pick to prod the earth and dig a hole about 10 centimeters deep. After plucking the fungus from the soil, the diggers fill up the hole with the removed earth to restore the natural soil structure for fostering caterpillar fungus in the coming year. As the sun sets, the herdsmen return to their tents with the harvested caterpillar fungi after spending a day working on the highlands. They always make a point of taking away the trash with them produced during the long working day. During the caterpillar fungus harvest time, the herdsmen make their home temporarily in tents in the valley. Here, rows of solar panels illuminate the night sky as their tents are all facilitated with solar energy. And inside their tents, the herdsmen enjoy their leisure time after a harsh working day, listening to the raindrops on their rooftop. (Xinhua/Jiang Fan) People depart for caterpillar fungus collection in Lainqu Township, Biru County of Nagqu, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 26, 2022. On the prairie of over 4,700 meters above sea level in Biru County, herdsmen are busy hunting down caterpillar fungus at the harvest time. Biru County is a key site of yielding caterpillar fungus, an expensive ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. Found only at high altitudes, the fungus, known in China as "winter-worm summer-grass," is said to be effective in boosting the immune system. The caterpillar fungus harvest time lasts 45 days. For local herdsmen, collecting this precious fungus offers them seasonal jobs and increases their income. Trekking on the alpine ground, searching for the tiny caterpillar fungus as small as an apple stalk, fungus diggers must brave harsh weather conditions from sunrise till sunset. Fungus diggers use an ice pick to prod the earth and dig a hole about 10 centimeters deep. After plucking the fungus from the soil, the diggers fill up the hole with the removed earth to restore the natural soil structure for fostering caterpillar fungus in the coming year. As the sun sets, the herdsmen return to their tents with the harvested caterpillar fungi after spending a day working on the highlands. They always make a point of taking away the trash with them produced during the long working day. During the caterpillar fungus harvest time, the herdsmen make their home temporarily in tents in the valley. Here, rows of solar panels illuminate the night sky as their tents are all facilitated with solar energy. And inside their tents, the herdsmen enjoy their leisure time after a harsh working day, listening to the raindrops on their rooftop. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje) Herdswoman Qime Garde shows a newly-harvested caterpillar fungus in Biru County of Nagqu, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 25, 2022. On the prairie of over 4,700 meters above sea level in Biru County, herdsmen are busy hunting down caterpillar fungus at the harvest time. Biru County is a key site of yielding caterpillar fungus, an expensive ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. Found only at high altitudes, the fungus, known in China as "winter-worm summer-grass," is said to be effective in boosting the immune system. The caterpillar fungus harvest time lasts 45 days. For local herdsmen, collecting this precious fungus offers them seasonal jobs and increases their income. Trekking on the alpine ground, searching for the tiny caterpillar fungus as small as an apple stalk, fungus diggers must brave harsh weather conditions from sunrise till sunset. Fungus diggers use an ice pick to prod the earth and dig a hole about 10 centimeters deep. After plucking the fungus from the soil, the diggers fill up the hole with the removed earth to restore the natural soil structure for fostering caterpillar fungus in the coming year. As the sun sets, the herdsmen return to their tents with the harvested caterpillar fungi after spending a day working on the highlands. They always make a point of taking away the trash with them produced during the long working day. During the caterpillar fungus harvest time, the herdsmen make their home temporarily in tents in the valley. Here, rows of solar panels illuminate the night sky as their tents are all facilitated with solar energy. And inside their tents, the herdsmen enjoy their leisure time after a harsh working day, listening to the raindrops on their rooftop. (Xinhua/Liu Ying) Local herdsmen hunt down caterpillar fungus on highlands with an altitude of 4,700 meters in Biru County of Nagqu, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 26, 2022. On the prairie of over 4,700 meters above sea level in Biru County, herdsmen are busy hunting down caterpillar fungus at the harvest time. Biru County is a key site of yielding caterpillar fungus, an expensive ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. Found only at high altitudes, the fungus, known in China as "winter-worm summer-grass," is said to be effective in boosting the immune system. The caterpillar fungus harvest time lasts 45 days. For local herdsmen, collecting this precious fungus offers them seasonal jobs and increases their income. Trekking on the alpine ground, searching for the tiny caterpillar fungus as small as an apple stalk, fungus diggers must brave harsh weather conditions from sunrise till sunset. Fungus diggers use an ice pick to prod the earth and dig a hole about 10 centimeters deep. After plucking the fungus from the soil, the diggers fill up the hole with the removed earth to restore the natural soil structure for fostering caterpillar fungus in the coming year. As the sun sets, the herdsmen return to their tents with the harvested caterpillar fungi after spending a day working on the highlands. They always make a point of taking away the trash with them produced during the long working day. During the caterpillar fungus harvest time, the herdsmen make their home temporarily in tents in the valley. Here, rows of solar panels illuminate the night sky as their tents are all facilitated with solar energy. And inside their tents, the herdsmen enjoy their leisure time after a harsh working day, listening to the raindrops on their rooftop. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje) A medical worker treats a herdswoman at a caterpillar fungus collecting site in Lainqu Township, Biru County of Nagqu, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 26, 2022. On the prairie of over 4,700 meters above sea level in Biru County, herdsmen are busy hunting down caterpillar fungus at the harvest time. Biru County is a key site of yielding caterpillar fungus, an expensive ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. Found only at high altitudes, the fungus, known in China as "winter-worm summer-grass," is said to be effective in boosting the immune system. The caterpillar fungus harvest time lasts 45 days. For local herdsmen, collecting this precious fungus offers them seasonal jobs and increases their income. Trekking on the alpine ground, searching for the tiny caterpillar fungus as small as an apple stalk, fungus diggers must brave harsh weather conditions from sunrise till sunset. Fungus diggers use an ice pick to prod the earth and dig a hole about 10 centimeters deep. After plucking the fungus from the soil, the diggers fill up the hole with the removed earth to restore the natural soil structure for fostering caterpillar fungus in the coming year. As the sun sets, the herdsmen return to their tents with the harvested caterpillar fungi after spending a day working on the highlands. They always make a point of taking away the trash with them produced during the long working day. During the caterpillar fungus harvest time, the herdsmen make their home temporarily in tents in the valley. Here, rows of solar panels illuminate the night sky as their tents are all facilitated with solar energy. And inside their tents, the herdsmen enjoy their leisure time after a harsh working day, listening to the raindrops on their rooftop. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje) Herdsmen hunt down caterpillar fungus in Biru County of Nagqu, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 25, 2022. On the prairie of over 4,700 meters above sea level in Biru County, herdsmen are busy hunting down caterpillar fungus at the harvest time. Biru County is a key site of yielding caterpillar fungus, an expensive ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. Found only at high altitudes, the fungus, known in China as "winter-worm summer-grass," is said to be effective in boosting the immune system. The caterpillar fungus harvest time lasts 45 days. For local herdsmen, collecting this precious fungus offers them seasonal jobs and increases their income. Trekking on the alpine ground, searching for the tiny caterpillar fungus as small as an apple stalk, fungus diggers must brave harsh weather conditions from sunrise till sunset. Fungus diggers use an ice pick to prod the earth and dig a hole about 10 centimeters deep. After plucking the fungus from the soil, the diggers fill up the hole with the removed earth to restore the natural soil structure for fostering caterpillar fungus in the coming year. As the sun sets, the herdsmen return to their tents with the harvested caterpillar fungi after spending a day working on the highlands. They always make a point of taking away the trash with them produced during the long working day. During the caterpillar fungus harvest time, the herdsmen make their home temporarily in tents in the valley. Here, rows of solar panels illuminate the night sky as their tents are all facilitated with solar energy. And inside their tents, the herdsmen enjoy their leisure time after a harsh working day, listening to the raindrops on their rooftop. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje) A herdsman hunts down caterpillar fungus on highlands with an altitude of 4,700 meters in Biru County of Nagqu, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 26, 2022. On the prairie of over 4,700 meters above sea level in Biru County, herdsmen are busy hunting down caterpillar fungus at the harvest time. Biru County is a key site of yielding caterpillar fungus, an expensive ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. Found only at high altitudes, the fungus, known in China as "winter-worm summer-grass," is said to be effective in boosting the immune system. The caterpillar fungus harvest time lasts 45 days. For local herdsmen, collecting this precious fungus offers them seasonal jobs and increases their income. Trekking on the alpine ground, searching for the tiny caterpillar fungus as small as an apple stalk, fungus diggers must brave harsh weather conditions from sunrise till sunset. Fungus diggers use an ice pick to prod the earth and dig a hole about 10 centimeters deep. After plucking the fungus from the soil, the diggers fill up the hole with the removed earth to restore the natural soil structure for fostering caterpillar fungus in the coming year. As the sun sets, the herdsmen return to their tents with the harvested caterpillar fungi after spending a day working on the highlands. They always make a point of taking away the trash with them produced during the long working day. During the caterpillar fungus harvest time, the herdsmen make their home temporarily in tents in the valley. Here, rows of solar panels illuminate the night sky as their tents are all facilitated with solar energy. And inside their tents, the herdsmen enjoy their leisure time after a harsh working day, listening to the raindrops on their rooftop. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje) A caterpillar fungus sprout is seen on the grassland in Biru County of Nagqu, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 25, 2022. On the prairie of over 4,700 meters above sea level in Biru County, herdsmen are busy hunting down caterpillar fungus at the harvest time. Biru County is a key site of yielding caterpillar fungus, an expensive ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. Found only at high altitudes, the fungus, known in China as "winter-worm summer-grass," is said to be effective in boosting the immune system. The caterpillar fungus harvest time lasts 45 days. For local herdsmen, collecting this precious fungus offers them seasonal jobs and increases their income. Trekking on the alpine ground, searching for the tiny caterpillar fungus as small as an apple stalk, fungus diggers must brave harsh weather conditions from sunrise till sunset. Fungus diggers use an ice pick to prod the earth and dig a hole about 10 centimeters deep. After plucking the fungus from the soil, the diggers fill up the hole with the removed earth to restore the natural soil structure for fostering caterpillar fungus in the coming year. As the sun sets, the herdsmen return to their tents with the harvested caterpillar fungi after spending a day working on the highlands. They always make a point of taking away the trash with them produced during the long working day. During the caterpillar fungus harvest time, the herdsmen make their home temporarily in tents in the valley. Here, rows of solar panels illuminate the night sky as their tents are all facilitated with solar energy. And inside their tents, the herdsmen enjoy their leisure time after a harsh working day, listening to the raindrops on their rooftop. (Xinhua/Jiang Fan) Villagers arrange newly-harvested caterpillar fungi in Lainqu Township, Biru County of Nagqu, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 25, 2022. On the prairie of over 4,700 meters above sea level in Biru County, herdsmen are busy hunting down caterpillar fungus at the harvest time. Biru County is a key site of yielding caterpillar fungus, an expensive ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. Found only at high altitudes, the fungus, known in China as "winter-worm summer-grass," is said to be effective in boosting the immune system. The caterpillar fungus harvest time lasts 45 days. For local herdsmen, collecting this precious fungus offers them seasonal jobs and increases their income. Trekking on the alpine ground, searching for the tiny caterpillar fungus as small as an apple stalk, fungus diggers must brave harsh weather conditions from sunrise till sunset. Fungus diggers use an ice pick to prod the earth and dig a hole about 10 centimeters deep. After plucking the fungus from the soil, the diggers fill up the hole with the removed earth to restore the natural soil structure for fostering caterpillar fungus in the coming year. As the sun sets, the herdsmen return to their tents with the harvested caterpillar fungi after spending a day working on the highlands. They always make a point of taking away the trash with them produced during the long working day. During the caterpillar fungus harvest time, the herdsmen make their home temporarily in tents in the valley. Here, rows of solar panels illuminate the night sky as their tents are all facilitated with solar energy. And inside their tents, the herdsmen enjoy their leisure time after a harsh working day, listening to the raindrops on their rooftop. (Xinhua/Jiang Fan) A herdsman cleans a newly-harvested caterpillar fungus at a caterpillar fungus collecting site in Lainqu Township, Biru County of Nagqu, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 25, 2022. On the prairie of over 4,700 meters above sea level in Biru County, herdsmen are busy hunting down caterpillar fungus at the harvest time. Biru County is a key site of yielding caterpillar fungus, an expensive ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. Found only at high altitudes, the fungus, known in China as "winter-worm summer-grass," is said to be effective in boosting the immune system. The caterpillar fungus harvest time lasts 45 days. For local herdsmen, collecting this precious fungus offers them seasonal jobs and increases their income. Trekking on the alpine ground, searching for the tiny caterpillar fungus as small as an apple stalk, fungus diggers must brave harsh weather conditions from sunrise till sunset. Fungus diggers use an ice pick to prod the earth and dig a hole about 10 centimeters deep. After plucking the fungus from the soil, the diggers fill up the hole with the removed earth to restore the natural soil structure for fostering caterpillar fungus in the coming year. As the sun sets, the herdsmen return to their tents with the harvested caterpillar fungi after spending a day working on the highlands. They always make a point of taking away the trash with them produced during the long working day. During the caterpillar fungus harvest time, the herdsmen make their home temporarily in tents in the valley. Here, rows of solar panels illuminate the night sky as their tents are all facilitated with solar energy. And inside their tents, the herdsmen enjoy their leisure time after a harsh working day, listening to the raindrops on their rooftop. (Xinhua/Jiang Fan) A caterpillar fungus sprouts on the grassland in Biru County of Nagqu, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 25, 2022. On the prairie of over 4,700 meters above sea level in Biru County, herdsmen are busy hunting down caterpillar fungus at the harvest time. Biru County is a key site of yielding caterpillar fungus, an expensive ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. Found only at high altitudes, the fungus, known in China as "winter-worm summer-grass," is said to be effective in boosting the immune system. The caterpillar fungus harvest time lasts 45 days. For local herdsmen, collecting this precious fungus offers them seasonal jobs and increases their income. Trekking on the alpine ground, searching for the tiny caterpillar fungus as small as an apple stalk, fungus diggers must brave harsh weather conditions from sunrise till sunset. Fungus diggers use an ice pick to prod the earth and dig a hole about 10 centimeters deep. After plucking the fungus from the soil, the diggers fill up the hole with the removed earth to restore the natural soil structure for fostering caterpillar fungus in the coming year. As the sun sets, the herdsmen return to their tents with the harvested caterpillar fungi after spending a day working on the highlands. They always make a point of taking away the trash with them produced during the long working day. During the caterpillar fungus harvest time, the herdsmen make their home temporarily in tents in the valley. Here, rows of solar panels illuminate the night sky as their tents are all facilitated with solar energy. And inside their tents, the herdsmen enjoy their leisure time after a harsh working day, listening to the raindrops on their rooftop. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje) People rally before departing for caterpillar fungus collection in Lainqu Township, Biru County of Nagqu, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 26, 2022. On the prairie of over 4,700 meters above sea level in Biru County, herdsmen are busy hunting down caterpillar fungus at the harvest time. Biru County is a key site of yielding caterpillar fungus, an expensive ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. Found only at high altitudes, the fungus, known in China as "winter-worm summer-grass," is said to be effective in boosting the immune system. The caterpillar fungus harvest time lasts 45 days. For local herdsmen, collecting this precious fungus offers them seasonal jobs and increases their income. Trekking on the alpine ground, searching for the tiny caterpillar fungus as small as an apple stalk, fungus diggers must brave harsh weather conditions from sunrise till sunset. Fungus diggers use an ice pick to prod the earth and dig a hole about 10 centimeters deep. After plucking the fungus from the soil, the diggers fill up the hole with the removed earth to restore the natural soil structure for fostering caterpillar fungus in the coming year. As the sun sets, the herdsmen return to their tents with the harvested caterpillar fungi after spending a day working on the highlands. They always make a point of taking away the trash with them produced during the long working day. During the caterpillar fungus harvest time, the herdsmen make their home temporarily in tents in the valley. Here, rows of solar panels illuminate the night sky as their tents are all facilitated with solar energy. And inside their tents, the herdsmen enjoy their leisure time after a harsh working day, listening to the raindrops on their rooftop. (Xinhua/Jiang Fan) The morning view is pictured at a caterpillar fungus collecting site in Lainqu Township, Biru County of Nagqu, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 26, 2022. On the prairie of over 4,700 meters above sea level in Biru County, herdsmen are busy hunting down caterpillar fungus at the harvest time. Biru County is a key site of yielding caterpillar fungus, an expensive ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. Found only at high altitudes, the fungus, known in China as "winter-worm summer-grass," is said to be effective in boosting the immune system. The caterpillar fungus harvest time lasts 45 days. For local herdsmen, collecting this precious fungus offers them seasonal jobs and increases their income. Trekking on the alpine ground, searching for the tiny caterpillar fungus as small as an apple stalk, fungus diggers must brave harsh weather conditions from sunrise till sunset. Fungus diggers use an ice pick to prod the earth and dig a hole about 10 centimeters deep. After plucking the fungus from the soil, the diggers fill up the hole with the removed earth to restore the natural soil structure for fostering caterpillar fungus in the coming year. As the sun sets, the herdsmen return to their tents with the harvested caterpillar fungi after spending a day working on the highlands. They always make a point of taking away the trash with them produced during the long working day. During the caterpillar fungus harvest time, the herdsmen make their home temporarily in tents in the valley. Here, rows of solar panels illuminate the night sky as their tents are all facilitated with solar energy. And inside their tents, the herdsmen enjoy their leisure time after a harsh working day, listening to the raindrops on their rooftop. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje) Illuminated tents are seen at a caterpillar fungus collecting site in Lainqu Township, Biru County of Nagqu, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 25, 2022. On the prairie of over 4,700 meters above sea level in Biru County, herdsmen are busy hunting down caterpillar fungus at the harvest time. Biru County is a key site of yielding caterpillar fungus, an expensive ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. Found only at high altitudes, the fungus, known in China as "winter-worm summer-grass," is said to be effective in boosting the immune system. The caterpillar fungus harvest time lasts 45 days. For local herdsmen, collecting this precious fungus offers them seasonal jobs and increases their income. Trekking on the alpine ground, searching for the tiny caterpillar fungus as small as an apple stalk, fungus diggers must brave harsh weather conditions from sunrise till sunset. Fungus diggers use an ice pick to prod the earth and dig a hole about 10 centimeters deep. After plucking the fungus from the soil, the diggers fill up the hole with the removed earth to restore the natural soil structure for fostering caterpillar fungus in the coming year. As the sun sets, the herdsmen return to their tents with the harvested caterpillar fungi after spending a day working on the highlands. They always make a point of taking away the trash with them produced during the long working day. During the caterpillar fungus harvest time, the herdsmen make their home temporarily in tents in the valley. Here, rows of solar panels illuminate the night sky as their tents are all facilitated with solar energy. And inside their tents, the herdsmen enjoy their leisure time after a harsh working day, listening to the raindrops on their rooftop. (Xinhua/Jiang Fan) People depart for caterpillar fungus collection in Lainqu Township, Biru County of Nagqu, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 26, 2022. On the prairie of over 4,700 meters above sea level in Biru County, herdsmen are busy hunting down caterpillar fungus at the harvest time. Biru County is a key site of yielding caterpillar fungus, an expensive ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. Found only at high altitudes, the fungus, known in China as "winter-worm summer-grass," is said to be effective in boosting the immune system. The caterpillar fungus harvest time lasts 45 days. For local herdsmen, collecting this precious fungus offers them seasonal jobs and increases their income. Trekking on the alpine ground, searching for the tiny caterpillar fungus as small as an apple stalk, fungus diggers must brave harsh weather conditions from sunrise till sunset. Fungus diggers use an ice pick to prod the earth and dig a hole about 10 centimeters deep. After plucking the fungus from the soil, the diggers fill up the hole with the removed earth to restore the natural soil structure for fostering caterpillar fungus in the coming year. As the sun sets, the herdsmen return to their tents with the harvested caterpillar fungi after spending a day working on the highlands. They always make a point of taking away the trash with them produced during the long working day. During the caterpillar fungus harvest time, the herdsmen make their home temporarily in tents in the valley. Here, rows of solar panels illuminate the night sky as their tents are all facilitated with solar energy. And inside their tents, the herdsmen enjoy their leisure time after a harsh working day, listening to the raindrops on their rooftop. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje) BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday sent a congratulatory letter to the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (CSCLF) over the 40th anniversary of its founding. In the letter, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, urged the foundation to make new and greater contributions to the promotion of solidarity of all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation at home and abroad. Xi extended sincere greetings to people of all walks at home and abroad who have contributed to the cause of the CSCLF. Over the past four decades, the CSCLF, under the leadership of the CPC, has carried forward the lofty spirit of Madame Soong Ching Ling and played an important role in promoting friendly international relations, expanding exchanges across the Taiwan Strait and with Hong Kong and Macao, and developing youth programs, Xi said in the letter. Xi expressed his hope that the CSCLF will carry on Madame Soong's faith of "always staying with the Party together," further promote friendly people-to-people cooperation, advance peaceful reunification of China, facilitate the growth of youth, and develop public interest activities and charity. Addressing a Tuesday meeting marking the 40th anniversary of the CSCLF in Beijing, Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said Xi's congratulatory letter has pointed the way forward for the CSCLF's development in the new era. Wang urged the CSCLF to coordinate the advancement of its work on all fronts and play a better role as an important platform for non-governmental diplomacy, an important bridge for advancing peaceful reunification of China, an important force for developing youth programs, and an important organization for the development of public interest activities and charity. Xi's letter was read out by You Quan, a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, at the meeting. Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, addresses a meeting marking the 40th anniversary of the founding of the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation in Beijing, capital of China, May 31, 2022. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) ANKARA, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky that Turkey attaches importance to the project of creating a safe corridor for the export of Ukraine's agricultural products by sea, Erdogan's office said in a statement. The two leaders also discussed the recent developments in the Ukrainian crisis, according to the statement. Erdogan said Turkey had made every effort to continue the negotiations between Ukraine and Russia and his country was ready to provide the needed support including mediation. In principle, Ankara has a positive view of participating in the "Control Center" to be established between Moscow, Kiev and the United Nations and hosting its headquarters in Istanbul, Erdogan told Zelensky. Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Erdogan had a phone conversation. The two leaders addressed maritime security in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, and the removal of the threat of mines in these waters, the Kremlin said. Putin said Russia was ready to "facilitate the unhindered sea transit of goods" in coordination with the Turkish side, adding this also applies to grain exports from Ukrainian ports. Given the current challenges in the global food market, Russia would be able to export the necessary volumes of fertilizers and agricultural products if Western sanctions were lifted, the Kremlin noted. According to a statement issued by the Turkish presidential office, Erdogan and Putin discussed Turkey's security concerns for Syria and the Ukrainian crisis, as well as Turkey-Russia relations. Erdogan told Putin that Turkey was ready for meeting with Russia, Ukraine, and the United Nations in Istanbul and to play a role in a possible observation mechanism if both sides agree on principle, the statement said. BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- China's State Council issued a circular on Tuesday, urging the implementation of a package of detailed policy measures to further stabilize the economy. The package, which was announced at a State Council executive meeting last week, includes 33 measures covering fiscal and financial policies as well as policies on investment, consumption, food and energy security, industrial and supply chains, as well as people's livelihoods. China will enhance measures on value-added tax credit refunds, quicken fiscal spending and accelerate the issuance of local government special bonds, according to the circular. In terms of monetary and financial policies, the country will reduce real borrowing costs, boost financing efficiency via capital markets, and strengthen financial support for infrastructure and major projects. On investment and consumption, China will boost investment in transport infrastructure, promote the healthy development of platform economy and stimulate purchases of cars and home appliances, the document said. Boeing and NASA teams work around Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft after it landed at White Sands Missile Range's Space Harbor, Wednesday, May 25, 2022, in New Mexico. Boeing's Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) is Starliner's second uncrewed flight test to the International Space Station as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. OFT-2 serves as an end-to-end test of the system's capabilities. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Larger image Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- A spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council on Tuesday voiced China's firm opposition to any form of official interactions or military collusion between the United States and China's Taiwan region. Spokesperson Zhu Fenglian made the remarks in response to the visit to Taiwan by a U.S. lawmaker. Noting some U.S. lawmakers have repeatedly violated the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, Zhu warned it is extremely dangerous to support "Taiwan independence" secessionist activities. Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authority's attempt to seek independence by relying on external anti-China forces is doomed to fail, she said. People visit the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the United States, May 30, 2022. As the United States marks the Memorial Day and celebrates the unofficial start of summer, the seven-day average for COVID-19 cases in the country is more than six times what it was a year ago. The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center reported a seven-day average of 119,725 COVID-19 cases as of Saturday. That figure held at 17,887 cases on May 28 of last year.(Xinhua/Liu Jie) LOS ANGELES, May 30 (Xinhua) -- As the United States marks the Memorial Day and celebrates the unofficial start of summer, the seven-day average for COVID-19 cases in the country is more than six times what it was a year ago. The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center reported a seven-day average of 119,725 COVID-19 cases as of Saturday. That figure held at 17,887 cases on May 28 of last year. During the three-day holiday weekend, one of the country's traditionally busiest travel periods, more than 39 million Americans are expected to take to the skies and roads, according to estimates by the American Automobile Association. Experts are predicting a sharp rise in new infections after Memorial Day weekend travels and gatherings. In recent weeks, confirmed daily cases in the United States have been rising again, powered by a rising tide of Omicron subvariants currently circulating the country. The United States is averaging about 110,000 new cases each day, according to data of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Experts believe the real count of cases is much higher as many were underreported due to at-home COVID-19 tests. While new deaths are relatively low, the total known U.S. deaths from COVID-19 recently surpassed 1 million. The Omicron subvariants are spreading rapidly across the United States as many of the country's pandemic restrictions have been lifted. Health officials said the United States is in the midst of yet another COVID-19 wave. They have warned Americans to exercise caution ahead of a possible surge. "Anyone who has not been boosted for their vaccinations should really start thinking about those boosters right now," said Jill Roberts, associate professor for the University of South Florida College of Public Health. Health officials have urged people to take precautions to help limit the spread during Memorial Day holidays, wearing masks when inside public spaces and practicing social distancing. "The one tool that a lot of us have not been doing anymore is really distancing," said Roberts. People visit the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the United States, May 30, 2022. As the United States marks the Memorial Day and celebrates the unofficial start of summer, the seven-day average for COVID-19 cases in the country is more than six times what it was a year ago. The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center reported a seven-day average of 119,725 COVID-19 cases as of Saturday. That figure held at 17,887 cases on May 28 of last year.(Xinhua/Liu Jie) People visit the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the United States, May 30, 2022. As the United States marks the Memorial Day and celebrates the unofficial start of summer, the seven-day average for COVID-19 cases in the country is more than six times what it was a year ago. The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center reported a seven-day average of 119,725 COVID-19 cases as of Saturday. That figure held at 17,887 cases on May 28 of last year.(Xinhua/Liu Jie) SHANGHAI, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai will fully restore the normal order of production and living across the city starting from Wednesday, on the premise of containing the overall risk of COVID-19, according to a press conference held on Tuesday. Wang Yang, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, meets via video link with Salah Goudjil, speaker of the Algerian Council of the Nation, in Beijing, capital of China, May 31, 2022. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin) BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Wang Yang on Tuesday met via video link with Salah Goudjil, speaker of the Algerian Council of the Nation. Wang, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, said that both China and Algeria have understood and supported each other on issues involving their core interests and major concerns since the establishment of diplomatic ties 64 years ago, and the two sides have yielded rich fruit in their joint fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that China is willing to consolidate and carry forward its traditional friendship with Algeria, strengthen the docking of development strategies, promote Belt and Road cooperation, push the China-Algeria comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level, and expand pragmatic cooperation in areas such as the economy, science and technology, and medicine and health. China's CPPCC stands ready to deepen exchanges with the Algerian Council of the Nation to boost bilateral relations, Wang said. For his part, Goudjil said that Algeria is willing to consolidate political mutual trust with China and actively participate in the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. Wang Yang, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, meets via video link with Salah Goudjil, speaker of the Algerian Council of the Nation, in Beijing, capital of China, May 31, 2022. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin) This year marks the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and the Republic of Korea (ROK). Over the three decades, trade between the two countries has grown 72-fold to more than 360 billion U.S. dollars. China has become the ROK's largest trading partner, while the ROK is now China's third-largest trading partner. According to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, the cumulative two-way investment between the two countries has exceeded 100 billion U.S. dollars. The two countries also have close cooperation in such areas as IT, automobiles, new energy, finance and logistics. Produced by Xinhua Global Service YEREVAN, May 30 (Xinhua) -- More than 100 demonstrators were detained on Monday during the anti-government protests outside the No.3 government building in Yerevan, according to the state-run news outlet Armenpress. The report said that the leaders of the protests intended to enter the building and inquire from different government agencies on their position regarding the opposition's draft resolution which is included in the agenda of the June 3 emergency session of parliament. A scuffle began after the police refused to allow them to enter the building. A total of 111 demonstrators were detained on suspicion of hooliganism, said the report. Armenia has witnessed weeks of protests and civil disobedience led by the opposition Armenian Revolutionary Federation party, which called for the resigning of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The anti-government protests began on May 1 in the Armenian capital due to the worries that Pashinyan was poised to make major concessions to Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. SUVA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- China will appoint a Chinese government special envoy for Pacific island countries affairs, and strengthen win-win cooperation on infrastructure, economy, climate change and other areas, according to a position paper issued here Monday after the second China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting. China stands ready to work with Pacific island countries to strengthen the synergy between Belt and Road cooperation and regional cooperation initiatives such as Pacific Aid for Trade Strategy 2020-2025, Regional E-commerce Strategy and Pacific Quality Infrastructure Initiative, and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in fields of infrastructure, agriculture, forestry and fishery, energy, mining, information and communication technology, e-commerce and tourism, the paper said. China will continue to promote Pacific island countries' premium products and projects, such as agro-products, and expand their market access to China, it said. As Pacific island countries are vulnerable to climate crisis, China will help them build a climate resilient blue economy, and provide training opportunities through the China-Pacific Island Countries Climate Change Cooperation Center. China is willing to carry out cooperation on ocean forecasting and disaster early-warning, establish a China-Pacific island countries disaster management cooperation mechanism and a disaster preparedness and mitigation cooperation center, and hold the first China-Pacific Island Countries Disaster Management Cooperation Forum in due course, the paper said. Fijian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama and visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi co-chaired the second China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting here on Monday. GENEVA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The China-proposed Global Development Initiative (GDI) is a timely call-for-action to address those pressing challenges that threaten the global collective ability to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), an article on the World Economic Forum (WEF) website has said. In the article "How China's efforts are advancing global development," the author Rebecca Ivey, chief representative officer of WEF China Office, said "no country can face global challenges alone" today. Immediate challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change have shown that "a lack of global collaboration and multilateralism are the true barriers to overcome," Ivey wrote. "We hope that initiatives such as the Global Development Initiative and the combined efforts of Chinese and global stakeholders from government, business and civil society could help to accelerate joint problem-solving and a renewed multilateralism to advance progress on the SDGs and provide a pathway to a more peaceful and prosperous world," she said. VIENTIANE, May 31 (Xinhua) -- New houses funded by China for railway-resettled villagers in three northern provinces of Laos have been handed over to provincial authorities. "A total of 348 houses have been built for families who moved to make way for the Laos-China Railway. Small, medium and large houses have been built in the newly-created neighborhoods as well as clinics, kindergarten and primary schools, public spaces, access roads, water supply, and television and electricity connections," said Lao Deputy Director of Laos-China Railway Project Management Xayabandith Insisiengmay, quoted by the local daily Vientiane Times on Tuesday. A handover ceremony was held on Sunday in Nateuy of Luang Namtha Province, some 360 km north of the capital Vientiane. The resettlement project reflects traditional friendship between Laos and China, and will help improve the people's livelihood, Lao officials said. The Laos-China Railway has been a project for Laos' strategy to shift itself from a land-locked country to a land-linked hub. BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- China is ready to work with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to consolidate friendship, cement mutual trust and deepen cooperation, said Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday afternoon. In a phone conversation with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Xi also said that the Chinese side is willing to continuously enrich the China-UAE comprehensive strategic partnership for the benefit of their people. Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, holds a video meeting upon invitation with Jens Plotner, foreign and security policy advisor to the German chancellor, in Beijing, capital of China, May 31, 2022. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei) BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, held a video meeting on Tuesday upon invitation with Jens Plotner, foreign and security policy advisor to the German chancellor. Yang, also director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, exchanged views with Plotner over China-Germany relations as well as international and regional issues of common concern. A worker works in the workshop of Guiyuan Bamboo & Wood Factory in Chongyi County of Ganzhou, east China's Jiangxi Province, May 17, 2022. Chongyi, boasting over 48,900 hectares of bamboo forests in the city of Ganzhou, is a major bamboo growing area in China, yielding more than 10 million bamboos for commercial use each year. (Xinhua) NANCHANG, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Over 53 tonnes of bamboo products with a market value of 809,000 yuan (about 120,660 U.S. dollars) have recently been shipped to Indonesia from Chongyi, a hilly county in east China's Jiangxi Province. "About 70 percent of our bamboo products, mainly toothpicks and chopsticks, are exported overseas," said Huang Qiqiu, manager of Guiyuan Bamboo & Wood Factory in Chongyi. Chongyi, boasting over 48,900 hectares of bamboo forests in the city of Ganzhou, is a major bamboo growing area in China, yielding more than 10 million bamboos for commercial use each year. "Bamboo is full of treasures. The bamboo shoot is a popular seasonal ingredient, while the bamboo stem can be used to make toothpicks, chopsticks and tubes," said Huang, adding that bamboo products made in Chongyi are very well received in Indonesia. Yet before 2019, local bamboo products were rarely exported. "We were unfamiliar with the regulation and technological and quality requirements of overseas markets. All thanks to the local customs authorities, they taught us step by step to export our products," Huang said. Customs officers inspect bamboo products to be exported to Indonesia in Ganzhou, east China's Jiangxi Province, April 28, 2022. Chongyi, boasting over 48,900 hectares of bamboo forests in the city of Ganzhou, is a major bamboo growing area in China, yielding more than 10 million bamboos for commercial use each year. (Xinhua) "We obtain the requirements of export destinations, guide enterprises to standardize traceability management, and strictly control inspection and quarantine risks from raw materials to final products," said Zeng Lin with Ganzhou Customs. In addition, the customs have facilitated export procedures for agricultural and sideline products to further raise clearance efficiency. Ganzhou Customs has, since 2022, supervised the export of 81 batches of bamboo products with a total value of 20.5 million yuan, an increase of 42.2 percent year on year. Today bamboo has fostered an industry cluster that benefits both local residents and enterprises. In 2021, the comprehensive output value of the county's bamboo industry amounted to 1.7 billion yuan. A worker works in the workshop of Guiyuan Bamboo & Wood Factory in Chongyi County of Ganzhou, east China's Jiangxi Province, May 17, 2022. Chongyi, boasting over 48,900 hectares of bamboo forests in the city of Ganzhou, is a major bamboo growing area in China, yielding more than 10 million bamboos for commercial use each year. (Xinhua) "At present, more than 60 people work at my factory, earning an average monthly income of 5,500 yuan, most of whom are local residents," Huang said. Chongyi County has also established a bamboo industry association, guiding farmers to form joint ventures or joint-stock companies. Currently, there are 15 bamboo industry cooperatives, and more than 1,720 households are engaged in the business. "We are optimistic about the vast markets overseas," Huang said. This year, his factory added two production lines to meet the diversified market demands and expand export volume. TEHRAN, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman on Tuesday blamed U.S. "indecision" for the present pause in the Vienna nuke talks, saying if Washington stops its "hesitation" and makes its political decision, there will be no deadlock in the negotiations and the agreement can be finalized. Making the remarks at a regular press conference, Saeed Khatibzadeh added the hiatus in the talks is due to a lack of U.S. response to the initiatives proposed by Iran and Europe, according to the official news agency IRNA. He noted that messages have been exchanged between the sides over the past days, but the United States has yet to give the expected responses. "We should wait and see when the United States would intend to announce its decision," Khatibzadeh said. He stressed that the focus of the negotiations is on issues about ensuring Iran's economic interests within the framework of the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and disabling each and every component of U.S. "maximum pressure" campaign. Iran signed the JCPOA with the world powers in July 2015 accepting to put some curbs on its nuclear program in return for the removal of the sanctions on Tehran. However, former U.S President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the agreement in May 2018 and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Iran, prompting the latter to reduce some of its nuclear commitments under the agreement in retaliation. Since April 2021, several rounds of talks have been held in the Austrian capital between Iran and the remaining JCPOA parties to revive the deal. Iran insists on obtaining guarantees from the U.S. government on not to drop the deal again, and calls for lifting the sanctions in a verifiable manner. An Afghan security force member searches a man at a checkpoint in Herat province, Afghanistan on May 30, 2022. (Photo by Mashal/Xinhua) The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation in Afghanistan said that over 1,000 Afghan refugees have returned home on Saturday, with 854 Afghans returning from Iran and 240 undocumented refugees from Pakistan. KABUL, May 31 (Xinhua) -- A total of 1,094 Afghan refugees have returned from neighboring countries of Pakistan and Iran on Saturday, the country's Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation confirmed on Monday. Up to 854 Afghans returned via a border crossing point in the western Nimroz province from Iran, and 240 undocumented refugees arrived in the southern Kandahar province from Pakistan, the ministry's statement said. The undocumented Afghan migrants have no documentation issued by the country where they are residing. An Afghan security force member searches a vehicle at a checkpoint in Herat province, Afghanistan on May 30, 2022. (Photo by Mashal/Xinhua) The ministry noted that 250 of the returnees were referred to the United Nations migration agency, the International Organization for Migration, to receive assistance and support. More than 653,000 Afghan refugees have returned or been deported to Afghanistan mainly from neighboring countries since August 2021, according to official figures from the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation. BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- A full-state new-configuration model of China's AG600 large amphibious aircraft conducted a successful maiden flight on Tuesday, according to the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). This new-configuration AG600 amphibious aircraft took off from the Zhuhai Jinwan Airport in south China's Guangdong Province at 10:55 a.m., and then safely landed at the airport after a 20 minute flight, said the AVIC, the country's leading plane-maker. During the maiden flight, it also conducted multiple flight test missions, including constant speed climbing, reducing speed in level flight and a simulated go-around. AG600 aircraft remained in good condition throughout the flight, with the control system operating well and all systems working stably, said the developer. The successful maiden flight of the full-state new-configuration model marked a new phase for the AG600 project and a major breakthrough in developing the firefighting functional model of the large amphibious aircraft, said the AVIC. Codenamed Kunlong, the AG600 is a key piece of aeronautical equipment in China's emergency-rescue system. LOS ANGELES, May 30 (Xinhua) -- America needs a Memorial Day for gun-violence victims, said an editorial released Monday by The Los Angeles Times, noting that the country's violent society, armed to the teeth with guns, has failed to protect people, including children and young adults. "Combating this enemy starts with acknowledging and facing its constant presence in our midst and the common denominator linking these deaths. We need another Memorial Day in this country, one to remember the victims of gun violence," the editorial said. It stressed that an official day dedicated to this tragic reality will remind Americans that firearms take a daily toll in this country, and perhaps move Americans to action. "We don't want to lose any more people -- especially young Americans who have their lives before them -- to premature, violent deaths," it said. The article pointed out that more than 45,000 Americans died of gun violence and suicide by firearm in 2020, citing data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The figure is just 2,000 short of the number of Americans who died in battle during the entire Vietnam War. Guns became the leading cause of death for American children for the first time in 2020, it noted. The horrific gunning down of 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, has drawn the attention of Americans. There have been 27 school shootings so far this year that resulted in 27 deaths and 56 injuries, and since 2018, there have been 119 school shootings, the article said, citing Education Week, which tracks school shootings. "Make no mistake, this is a war -- a war on people in this country and on our sense of safety. That's what terrorism does; it makes people afraid to go about their daily lives," said the editorial. LHASA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Leaning on the grassland, their elbows and knees on the ground, villagers from Biru County in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region search for a precious gift of nature -- caterpillar fungus. Biru County, at an altitude of over 4,500 meters, is an ideal place to harvest high-quality caterpillar fungus. The fungus has a long history in traditional Chinese medicine. It is widely believed to be a precious medicinal mushroom with health benefits. China is the largest caterpillar fungus producer in the world, with production bases distributed across the Tibet Autonomous Region and the provinces of Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu and Yunnan. This year, more than 50,000 locals made the trek up the hills in Biru County in May, which is the prime picking period. Qime Garde, 43, is among the locals participating in this year's harvest season, which lasts some 45 days. Holding a hoe in one hand, she searches carefully for signs of the fungus, scanning the grassland for dark brown sprouts. "I have dug up 20 fungi today, a fairly good harvest," she said. Local pickers like Qime Garde always backfill the soil immediately after digging up a fungus. Backfilling is a method aimed at protecting the grassland on the hill and providing opportunities for the fungus to grow in the following years. Authorities in Biru County also charge fungus pickers a fee for ecological restoration and grassland maintenance, preservation and management. In 2021, the output of caterpillar fungus in the city of Nagqu, which administers Biru County, was 24,200 kilograms, with an output value of approximately 3 billion yuan (about 450 million U.S. dollars). In addition to sales, the fungus has also brought to Nagqu more tourists who look for a different travel experience. Baqen County, which is about 260 kilometers from Biru, launched a caterpillar fungus harvest festival last year. The second iteration of the festival is being prepared this year. Norbu Samdrup, a fungus picker, said the booming business has helped raise his family income. In his tent by the hill where he picks the fungus, the rain has just stopped. "More caterpillar fungus will grow from the soil after the rain," Norbu Samdrup said while counting his haul for the day. "I believe the harvest tomorrow will be even better." Children leave a school in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on May 30, 2022. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua) PHNOM PENH, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Life has returned to normalcy for children in Cambodia as most of them have been vaccinated against COVID-19, and the southeast Asian nation has reported no new cases for more than three weeks. Cambodia has administered COVID-19 vaccines to over 15 million people, or 94 percent of its total population of 16 million, the Health Ministry said, adding that 4.72 million of them, or 29.5 percent, are children aged three to 18 years old. China's Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines have been widely used in the country's immunization program, and Sinovac is the only vaccine used to inoculate children. With high rates of vaccination, children are able to return to school and play outside again after they had been restricted at home for over two years. Speaking to Xinhua while taking her 7-year-old son to play at a public playground in front of Wat Botum pagoda, Ouk Socheata, a market vendor in Phnom Penh, said it's the first time this year that children can go out to enjoy the Children's Day again after they had missed it for the last two years due to the pandemic. "I'm very happy to see daily lives returning to normalcy and children have returned to school, and in free time, I can bring my son to play at public playgrounds or to go to malls again," she said. The 29-year-old mother said, like other children, her son looks fresh after he can go back to school and play outside again. "I can say that daily lives in Cambodia have almost returned to the pre-COVID-19 pandemic era thanks to the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines," she said. Socheata said she and her son had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with China's Sinovac vaccine and that she trusted the quality, safety and efficacy of the vaccine in protecting them from COVID-19. "So far, none of my family members has been infected with COVID-19," she said. Ung Bunheng, a public servant in the southern Kandal province, said his four-year-old daughter has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with Sinovac vaccine. The 30-year-old father said he is very grateful to China for supplying vaccines to Cambodia timely and regularly and to the Cambodian government for providing the jabs to people free of charge. "Chinese vaccines have not only saved our lives, but also helped revive our economy," he said. Bunheng said the Cambodia-China joint COVID-19 fight should be a role model for international cooperation, and he believes that it will inject greater vitality into building a community of a shared future between Cambodia and China. The Health Ministry's Director-General and spokesman Hok Kim Cheng said Chinese vaccines have helped Cambodia achieve strong herd immunity and revive its economy. "Chinese vaccines are essential for Cambodia to save people's lives and stabilize our health system," he told Xinhua. Cambodia has fully resumed its socio-economic activities and reopened its borders to fully vaccinated travelers without quarantine since last November. "The Cambodian government has made the correct decision to choose China as a strategic supplier of COVID-19 vaccines, so that's why Cambodia has enough vaccines for its people," Kin Phea, director-general of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, told Xinhua. Children play at a public playground in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on May 29, 2022. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua) President Xi Jinping meets with John Lee, the newly appointed sixth-term chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), in Beijing, capital of China, May 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping met with John Lee, the newly elected and appointed sixth-term chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Monday afternoon at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. Xi congratulated Lee on winning the election and his appointment by the central government and commended Lee for his unwavering love for the country and the HKSAR, for his readiness to take on responsibilities, for his initiative, and for fulfilling his duties in different positions. Xi told Lee that he has contributed to safeguarding national security and Hong Kong's prosperity and stability, and the central authorities give full affirmation to him and have full trust in him. Xi noted that since last year, under the new electoral system, the HKSAR has successfully held elections of the Election Committee, the seventh-term Legislative Council, and the sixth-term chief executive. It has been proved that the new electoral system played a decisive role in ensuring the implementation of the principle of patriots administering Hong Kong, ensuring the people of Hong Kong exercise their rights as masters of the region, and facilitating a good environment where people of all social strata and from all walks of life work together for Hong Kong's development. He added that the system is a political and democratic system that is in line with the "one country, two systems" principle and suited to the realities of Hong Kong and its needs for development, which thus must be cherished and upheld for a long time to come. Xi stressed that this year marks the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and, despite the many challenges over the past 25 years, the practice of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong has been a resounding success. The central authorities' resolve to fully and faithfully implement the principle of "one country, two systems" has never wavered, still less will it change. Thanks to the concerted efforts of the central government, the HKSAR government, and the whole of society, Hong Kong has achieved a return to order and is now at a crucial stage of advancing toward prosperity. He said he believes that the new HKSAR government will bring refreshing changes to governance of Hong Kong and the region will open a new chapter of development. Senior officials including Han Zheng and Xia Baolong attended the meeting. President Xi Jinping meets with John Lee, the newly appointed sixth-term chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), in Beijing, capital of China, May 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) May 31, 2022 DALLAS, May 31, 2022 / Standard Newswire / -- The National Organization of Church Security & Safety Management (NOCSSM) will present its 17th Annual National Church Security Conference to be held at Watermark Community Church in Dallas, Texas on August 13th, 2022.We all seem to be focused on how the police responded to the shooter. While this is an important subject and certainly could have cut the shooting spree short, there is another action that was taken that enabled the shooter to enter the school unabated. We are talking about the door that was reportedly propped open by a teacher."11:27 a.m. - A teacher at Robb elementary propped open an exterior door in order to retrieve a cell phone. The teacher who propped the door open walked back to the exit door, and the door remained propped open."In the security world we constantly battle between being "secure" and the convenience factor. People feeling that it is too inconvenient to have to go around to the specified entry door. Add the outright neglect of not unpropping the door. In this case the price for not being inconvenienced is the death of 21 people.Decades before I made my life's work "Church Security" I had the job of protecting the world's secular treasures. I spent 18 years as the Vice President of one of the world's largest rare antiquities dealers (now Heritage Auctions, www.HA.com ).Designing and operating sophisticated video surveillance, intrusion alarms, access control, huge safes, vaults and bullet resistant walls and doors and man traps were my everyday task for almost two decades.This article is about access control systems and the wide variety of features of these advanced systems. One of these features might have mitigated the shooter entering the building.The typical access control system uses mechanical strike plates or magnets to hold the door locked until a card key is presented or numeric code entered that has been programed to unlock the door for several seconds. The system can be programmed to let only certain people enter between certain times of day, unlock/lock the door during certain times, etc.What if I told you that a common feature of access control systems is to send an alarm if a door is open (or propped open) too long (Door Open Too Long or DOTL setting). This setting is used to tell whoever is monitoring the system (or alarm sent via text, etc.) that the door has been open longer than the setting, typically 10 seconds or so.To enable this feature the door must have a door contact connected to the system. This contact is the same contact that alerts the system that the door has been opened in the event of an unauthorized entry like that of a burglar when the system is set up at night or any other time the facility is closed.While we can't keep a teacher from purposefully circumventing the door from being closed or locked, it can notify you that THE DOOR IS OPEN.Another useful tool to help mitigate this type of neglect is an alarmed delayed exit door where an emergency exit door has a system that, upon pushing the panic bar that opens the door, an alarm sounds and delays the opening of the door for 15 second or so.The subject of how we can harden our private schools as well as other vital subjects will be featured at our 17th Annual National Church Security Conference to be held at Watermark Community Church in Dallas, Tx August 13th, 2022.Speakers this year will include: SYDNEY, May 31 (Xinhua) -- While the number of smoking quitters is increasing in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW), the health department is urging more people to join this group on the World No Tobacco Day. The 2021 NSW Population Health Survey, published on Tuesday, showed daily smoking rates decreased from 9.2 percent of NSW residents aged over 16 in 2020 to 8.2 percent in 2021. The 2021 NSW Smoking and Health Survey, also published on Tuesday, shows that 41 percent of the participants were serious about quitting in around six months, with 19 percent of those planning to quit in a month. NSW Health Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said she is impressed that so many NSW residents aged over 16 have successfully quit smoking, with around 23 percent of NSW residents counting themselves as former smokers. "The NSW quitters group now numbers about 1.5 million, which is amazing progress because we know quitting can be hard," Chant said. While tobacco smoking might be on the decline, he said the growing prevalence of e-cigarette use or vaping by young people is extremely concerning. In 2020-2021, more than one in 10 NSW residents aged 16 to 24 years vaped. The rate was more than doubled compared to the rate in 2019-2020. "This is a worrying trend for our young people because vapes can contain many harmful chemicals and toxins, even if they are nicotine-free. We know vapes can harm your health in the short-term, but the long-term effects are largely unknown," Chant said. Chant said this increase in vaping has the potential to undermine decades of tobacco control in Australia by creating a new generation of people who smoke. "My message to young people who vape: Please quit today and know there is support available." The World No Tobacco Day is observed every year on May 31. This year's theme "Tobacco: Threat to our environment" gives people one more reason to quit by demonstrating the environmental impacts of tobacco. BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Public Security has outlined a slew of measures to safeguard the upcoming national college entrance exam for 2022, also known as the "gaokao." The ministry urged efforts to carry out targeted security checks in the areas surrounding exam sites, and to issue warnings in advance to potential emitters of noise that are likely to affect the exam. It called for a stringent crack-down on crimes that undermine the impartial and fair delivery of the exam, as well as efforts to tackle illegal apparatus and online information involved in exam cheating activities. The ministry also outlined measures to set up fast-tracks for the students attending the exam with regard to services such as the processing of identity documents, traffic-accident response and transportation. COPENHAGEN, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday that it aimed to contain the monkeypox outbreak by stopping human transmission to the maximum extent possible, warning that the potential for further transmission in Europe and elsewhere this summer is high. In a statement, the WHO said its European Region "remained at the epicenter of the largest and most geographically widespread monkeypox outbreak ever reported outside of endemic areas in western and central Africa." Responding to the rise in cases of monkeypox throughout Europe over the past two weeks, WHO's Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge outlined the steps required to "rapidly investigate and control this fast-evolving situation." The WHO European office is concerned that the recent lifting of pandemic restrictions on international travel and events could act as a catalyst for rapid transmission. "Monkeypox has already spread against the backdrop of several mass gatherings in the region. Over the coming months, many of the dozens of festivals and large parties planned provide further contexts where amplification may occur," Kluge said in the statement. "The potential for further transmission in Europe and elsewhere over the summer is high." He called for the strengthening of "cross-country collaboration and information-sharing mechanisms, heightened surveillance, and community communication" to prevent misinformation from being "amplified online and through other sources, leading to negative public health outcomes." "Our goal is to contain this outbreak by stopping human-to-human transmission to the maximum extent possible," said Kluge, calling on efforts to increase awareness of monkeypox and share information on how people can reduce their risk of exposure. The extensive measures used to combat COVID-19 are not required to tackle monkeypox in Europe, he said, "because the virus does not spread in the same way." Also on Tuesday, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the country has recorded 190 confirmed monkeypox cases since May 7. According to UKHSA, the risk to the UK population remains low, but the agency "is asking people to be alert to any new rashes or lesions, which would appear like spots, ulcers or blisters, on any part of their body." Ahmed Al-Agbar (L) sits inside his house at Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, May 24, 2022. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) by Sanaa Kamal GAZA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Poverty forced Ahmed al-Aghbar, a 13-year-old refugee child in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza Strip, to drop out of school two years ago to help keep his family afloat. "When I see students going to school, I feel very sad," al-Aghbar told Xinhua, adding that he used to dream of becoming a teacher when grown up. "My father can hardly bring food back home ... I feel that I am old enough to take family responsibilities," the boy said. For Al-Aghbar, failing to afford a new uniform like everyone else and being bullied for no pocket money at school was the last straw. After quitting school, he started helping his father with fishing off the Gaza coast. "We are deprived of education because of poverty, war and the curtailment of the UNRWA," he added, referring to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, a lifeline for Palestinian refugees in Gaza. The 13-member al-Aghbar family's situation was not that bad 16 years ago, when Israel permanently imposed a land, air and sea blockade on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, forcing them to live on the aid provided by the UN relief agency. "My son cannot provide the minimum amount of food because the Israelis forbid him from fishing in the sea for long distances. The Israelis even prevent Palestinian fishermen from fishing in times of crisis," said al-Aghbar's grandmother Umm Ayman al-Aghbar. What's worse, the UNRWA has significantly reduced its services year by year, leading to a shortage of food and educational supplies, while Israel often launches attacks against Gaza, the 67-year-old woman said. The UNRWA has been stuck in a financial crisis for years. After the United States stopped its financial support to the aid agency in 2018, it was almost unable to continue its vital services for some 5.7 million Palestinian refugees. UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini warned in late 2021 that the agency was in the "danger zone" and faced potential collapse. Many UNRWA-sponsored schools in Gaza have stopped providing educational supplies to the students, such as notebooks, pens and even meals, and poor nutritious and psychological conditions started to appear, Dirdah al-Shaer, a Gaza-based psychologist, told Xinhua. "The unprecedented new reality imposes a new financial burden on the families which are already suffering from extreme poverty due to the Israeli blockade," said al-Shaer. That is why a lot of students hate going to school and prefer to work for meager pay just to help their families, as "schools have become more of a burden than an institution that seeks to educate, develop and prepare them to be builders of the future," he said. Youssef al-Ghoul, 14, dropped out of school two months ago to work at a local market as a porter, so to help his eight-member family financially after his father's grocery store was hit by Israeli airstrikes. "We lost our only source of livelihood," al-Ghoul said, adding that his father, later diagnosed with blood cancer, could not work anymore so the family can hardly keep going financially. Thus al-Ghoul and three brothers decided to quit school and find jobs with meager pay in order to support the whole family. Usually they earn about 4 U.S. dollars a day per person, which is "barely enough for us to pay the rent and provide the minimum food needed for our family," al-Ghoul said. Photo taken on May 24, 2022 shows the refugee children playing on a street inside the Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) QUITO, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Ecuadorian writer Veronica Bonilla has received the Special Book Award for 2021, the highest recognition by China for a foreign writer. At an emotional ceremony held Monday at the Chinese embassy in Ecuador, Bonilla received a golden statuette for her outstanding contribution to promoting Chinese culture. "I feel happy, honored and pleased to be the first Ecuadorian to receive this award and also to be the first Latin American to receive it. It is a very important thing, it fills me with pride and happiness," said Bonilla, visibly moved. "I am writing about China, a country that I fell in love with when I had the opportunity to get to know it because I want the children of the world to get to know China," Bonilla said, adding that all the work and effort she has put into her work pays off. Bonilla won the award for her richly-illustrated book "Platanario en China" published in 2019. The book, based on Bonilla's visit to China in 2016, combines calligraphy, zodiac, Chinese shadow theater, opera and other aspects of Chinese culture, through the journey undertaken by Platanario, an extraterrestrial character who finds himself in a number of works by the prolific author. The China Special Book Award has been awarded since 2005 to foreign translators, writers and publishers who have made significant contribution to promoting Chinese culture in the world. An official ceremony was held in Beijing on Sept. 14, 2021 to present the awards to 15 recipients from 14 countries. Ecuadorian ambassador to China, Carlos Larrea, received the award on Bonilla's behalf because the COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult for her to travel to the Chinese capital city. Monday's ceremony in Quito was attended by Chinese Ambassador to Ecuador Chen Guoyou, and Acting Ecuadorian Vice Foreign Minister Augusto Saa. Saa said that Bonilla's work is an example of the value of culture as a means of union between peoples. "Our countries have managed to develop an active cultural diplomacy and a powerful soft power tool that has contributed to mutual understanding." Larrea, the Ecuadorian ambassador to China, said in an online speech that the award won by Bonilla has become "a significant achievement of cultural exchange" between Ecuador and China, adding that an opera based on "Platanario en China" will be staged in cooperation with the National Children's Theater of China. In addition, an agreement has been reached with the Cervantes Institute in Beijing on a similar staging in Spanish. In congratulation, Chinese Ambassador Chen Guoyou said that Bonilla received the well-deserved award thanks to her long-term dedication to promoting Chinese culture to Ecuadorian children. "Recent years have witnessed the growing dynamism in the cultural exchange between the two nations through contacts in culture, science, technology, sports, education, among others," Chen said, noting that relations between China and Ecuador "are at the best moment in history." The Ecuadorian writer has so far translated three of her 83 books into Chinese. An intelligent robot interacts with a visitor during the Hannover Messe in Hannover, Germany, May 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei) At the trade fair, China International Investment Promotion Agency (Germany) organizes a series of events including exhibitions, meetings and forums, with the theme "Invest in China." HANNOVER, Germany, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Exhibitors and the organizer of the Hannover Messe 2022, one of the world's leading trade fairs for the industrial technology sector, are strongly expecting further Sino-German cooperation against the backdrop of various uncertainties including industrial transformation and COVID-19 pandemic. After a two-year interval due to the pandemic, this year's Hannover Messe event, which opened on Monday and will last until June 2, has brought together some 2,500 exhibitors from about 60 countries and regions. "I hope (the COVID-19 pandemic) was only a once-in-lifetime challenge and that we'll be able to host a thousand or even more Chinese exhibitors in the future again," said Jochen Koeckler, chairman of the managing board of the Deutsche Messe AG, in an interview with Xinhua. Around 100 Chinese exhibitors participated in the event this year due primarily to the pandemic. In 2019, the number of Chinese exhibitors exceeded 1,300. "For us, it's very important to have a huge audience from China here," Koeckler said at the trade fair. According to Michael Schumann, chairman of Germany's Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade, the Chinese market is still of interest to German companies and means further opportunities for them despite the supply chain challenges brought by COVID-19. Germany should continue to maintain close ties with China, Schumann added. Wang Weidong, chief of the Economic and Commercial Department at the Chinese Embassy in Germany, said that economic and trade cooperation remains a stabilizer of bilateral relations. He said he believes that German companies have the wisdom and ability to make sensible judgments about China's economic environment and will continue to invest in China to enjoy the dividends of China's development. A mechanical arm demonstrates injecting glue to shoes during the Hannover Messe in Hannover, Germany, May 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei) At the trade fair, China International Investment Promotion Agency (Germany) organizes a series of events including exhibitions, meetings and forums, with the theme "Invest in China." Xu Yaojun, the agency's director, said the world economic recovery is still facing great instability and uncertainty amid the recurring pandemic and the tense geopolitical situation, which makes the offline exchange between Chinese and German enterprises extremely difficult. "Invest in China" is a positive move by the economic and industrial sectors of both sides to cope with the pandemic and work together to overcome the difficulties, which will help to promote practical cooperation between Chinese and German enterprises," Xu said. A hydrogen energy plane is seen during the Hannover Messe in Hannover, Germany, May 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei) Chinese home appliance maker Midea brought their products to Hannover Messe. Fu Yongjun, Vice-President of Midea Group, said that Midea is trying to take the fair as an opportunity to have in-depth exchanges and discussions with partners and customers in the global industrial sector. BANJUL, May 30 (Xinhua) -- The Gambian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Monday that 12 Gambians have been released from Libyan prisons following the end of their jail terms and are awaiting repatriation. The Gambian nationals who had already served a one-year jail term will be repatriated on the next available charter flight through the International Organization for Migration's Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) programme, the ministry said in a statement. Libya has been the main passage route for Gambian migrants who intend to cross the Mediterranean Sea to get to Europe, but some migrants suffer arbitrary arrests, torture, illegal imprisonment and other challenges in the process. KHARTOUM, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan's decision to lift the state of emergency and release the political detainees has been widely welcomed as the country has been plagued by political turmoil for months. The tripartite mechanism of the United Nations, the African Union and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development on Monday welcomed the decision "as positive steps to create the conditions needed for reaching a peaceful resolution for the current political impasse." The mechanism said in a statement that it encouraged all stakeholders to be prepared for a constructive dialogue in good faith on a political solution and a peaceful way out of the current crisis. Sudan's National Umma Party, a major party in the opposition Freedom and Change Alliance, also regarded lifting the state of emergency as a positive step. "The decisions to lift the state of emergency is a positive step toward building confidence," Al-Wathiq Al-Birair, secretary-general of the Umma party, said in a statement. Al-Birair hoped that the decision would be implemented and that citizens would be allowed the right to peaceful expression to open the way for a serious political process. Sudanese security authorities have released a number of political detainees after Al-Burhan issued a decree lifting the state of emergency in the country on Sunday. According to the Sudanese Emergency Lawyers Committee, Sudanese authorities freed "63 revolutionaries" on Monday, 24 of whom were held at Port-Sudan prison, nine at Dabak prison, and 30 at Kosti prison. According to the committee, there are still detainees at Suba prison, including 24 people from Al-Kalakla neighborhood who were arrested on Saturday during demonstrations in the capital Khartoum. The decision to lift the state of emergency was to "prepare the atmosphere for a fruitful dialogue that achieves stability for the transitional period," Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council said in a statement. Sudan has been suffering a political crisis after Al-Burhan, also the general commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, declared a state of emergency on Oct. 25, 2021 and dissolved the sovereign council and the government. Since then, Khartoum and other cities have been witnessing continued protests demanding a return to civilian rule. NEW DELHI, May 31 (Xinhua) -- India's enforcement directorate arrested local Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain in a money-laundering case, officials said Tuesday. According to officials, the case is based on a Central Bureau of Investigation first information report lodged against Jain in 2017 where he was accused of having laundered money through four companies allegedly linked to him. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the arrest was made with an eye on the upcoming local election in Himachal Pradesh, where Jain is in charge of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) or Common Man Party. The arrest is likely to trigger a war between AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and the federal government. Local elections in the BJP-ruled Himachal Pradesh will be held later this year. The AAP, having gained confidence from its Punjab victory this year, is trying to unseat the BJP in the northern state. CANBERRA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday revealed the first ministry of his new Labor government, featuring record 13 women in the 30-member team. Linda Burney will become the first indigenous woman -- and second indigenous person -- to serve as the minister for Indigenous Australians. Ed Husic and Anne Aly will become the first Islamic ministers in Australian history, taking on the Industry and Science and Early Childhood Education and Youth portfolios, respectively. Deputy PM Richard Marles will be made Defence Minister and Clare O'Neil the Minister for Home Affairs. Tanya Plibersek and Chris Bowen will be charged with delivering on Labor's climate policies as the respective Ministers for Environment and Water, and Climate Change and Energy. The announcement of the new ministry comes 10 days after Labor claimed victory in the general election, ending nearly nine years in opposition. On Tuesday the Australian Broadcasting Corporation projected Labor would win 77 out of 151 seats in the lower house of Parliament, the House of Representatives, meaning the party will form a majority government. Addressing the party room for the first time since the election in Canberra on Tuesday, Albanese was committed to a less divisive brand of politics under his government. "We need to change the way that politics operates in this country. We need to be more inclusive," he said. "We need to be prepared to reach out. We need to be prepared to engage on those issues. We can do that in this parliament." The new ministers will be sworn in at a ceremony at Government House on Wednesday. Albanese, Marles, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher were previously sworn in on May 23. By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad Baku will host an Energy Week event from June 1 to 4, Azernews reports. Taking into account current trends in the energy sector, the Baku Energy Week will unite three major events under its brand - the 27th Caspian Oil and Gas International Exhibition, the 10th Anniversary Caspian International Energy and Renewable Energy Exhibition, and the Baku Energy Forum. This year, 250 companies from 31 countries will take part in the exhibitions and the forum. Among countries are Azerbaijan, Belarus, UK, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Georgia, Israel, Indonesia, Spain, Italy, India, Kazakhstan, China, Netherlands, Norway, the UAE, Russia, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, U.S., Turkiye, Uzbekistan, Finland, France, Croatia, Switzerland, and Japan. Large companies, such as Bos Shelf, Gazprombank, Equinor, Schlumberger, and others will be among the participants. The Baku Energy Forum will bring together key players in the global energy market, executives, and specialists from international companies to discuss current challenges, ways to develop the energy industry, and partnerships. The forum will be held on June 2-3 at the Baku Convention Center. The forum program includes 25 topics from 50 speakers. The forum will also include bilateral B2B business meetings, which will allow representatives of local and foreign companies to communicate and discuss in detail all aspects of possible cooperation. Among the speakers of the forum are the Minister of Energy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, and Romania; Deputy Prime Ministers of Moldova and Serbia; Deputy Minister of Energy of Turkiye; representatives of the Bureau of Energy Resources (USA), the European Economic Commission (ECE); Secretary-General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF); heads of companies such as SOCAR, bp, TPAO, Equinor, Uniper, Tenaris, TotalEnergies, Masdar, ACWA Power, and a number of the most key companies in the energy sector. On the first day of the event, ICA Group Advisor Russell Taylor and Azerbaijans Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov are expected to make opening remarks. A number of agreements are expected to be signed throughout the event. As a sign of importance the Azerbaijani government is attaching to the historical city of Shusha, the closing ceremony of the Baku Energy Forum will be held there. The whole list of participants, speakers as well as the events program is available here. Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Bureau of Energy Resources Laura Lockman already arrived in Azerbaijan on May 30. During the visit from May 30 to June 2, she will meet with officials of the country and take part in the events of the Baku Energy Week. Earlier, in an interview with Azernews, energy expert Ilham Shaban, speaking about the upcoming forum, stated that the gas issues are expected to be discussed at the forum. Against this background, everyone will be saying something - the state department representative from the U.S., the British guests, the European guests, and others, he said. He added that at the forum there will be two new participants, Masdar and ACWA Power, who will set a new tone for the green energy industry, as they have projects in Azerbaijan. Both companies are building plants in Azerbaijan that will generate electricity by the end of next year or early 2024. Shaban also mentioned that the main goal of the forum is the promotion of Azerbaijan, its role, projects, etc., adding that 90 percent of presented projects at the forum are Azerbaijani. On the other hand, at the conference, the service companies make presentations on their achievements - how to increase oil and output, how to extract hydrocarbons from difficult formations or reduce the cost of underground workover. There are a couple of presentations of this kind, he added. The 27th International Caspian Oil and Gas Exhibition is the largest event in the energy sector of the Caspian region. Caspian Oil & Gas Exhibition is the first exhibition held since the independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Caspian Oil and Gas Exhibition is a well-known event in the region's oil and gas industry, as well as an international platform that annually gathers top executives to discuss key oil and gas projects in the Caspian region and ensure energy security. During the exhibition, the companies will demonstrate innovative technologies in the field of oil production and energy transportation, storage of oil and gas systems and services, as well as current and prospective oil and gas projects in the region and a number of other achievements. The traditional Caspian Power 2022 exhibition, which is the only specialized event in the field of energy and renewable energy sources in the Caspian region, will be held at the same venue as the Caspian Oil and Gas Exhibition. It will present the latest proposals of international and local companies in the field of development and use of energy and renewable energy sources. Opportunities for cooperation in the field of investments in renewable energy and joint projects to provide the liberated territories in Karabakh with green energy will be expanded. The event is held under the official support of Azerbaijans Energy Ministry and State Oil Company (SOCAR). JAKARTA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia increased the number of aircraft and vessels in an operation to search and rescue the victims of a capsized ship in the central parts of the country, a rescuer said on Tuesday. Another helicopter was deployed to the scene in the Makassar Strait on Tuesday, bringing the total to two in the operation, and another ship will also help the mission on Wednesday, Isran A, a rescuer at the information center of the search and rescue office in South Sulawesi province, said. "The search focuses on the northeast of the spot where the ship capsized with more helicopters and personnel. And according to a plan, another ship will also help the mission tomorrow (Wednesday)," he told Xinhua via phone. Isran said the number of missing victims rose to 19 on Tuesday from 11 a day earlier, as a head of village has reported some missing villagers to the provincial search and rescue office after the incident. As many as 31 people have been rescued safely from the boat incident, according to him. Rescuers have extended the search area to 40 nautical miles to the northeast of the location where the ship capsized, Mukti Ali, a rescuer at the search and rescue office, told Xinhua. The ship sank after being hit by huge waves in the Makassar Strait on Thursday, but rescuers got the information about the incident on Saturday, according to Wahid D.J., a senior official at the search and rescue office. The ship suffered from an engine failure when it was hit by the huge waves, he told Xinhua. SEOUL, May 31 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's overseas plastic card spending logged a double-digit decrease in the first quarter amid the continued COVID-19 pandemic, central bank data showed Tuesday. Local residents spent 3.06 billion U.S. dollars overseas via credit, check and debit cards in the January-March quarter, down 10.4 percent from the previous quarter, according to the Bank of Korea. The number of residents going on an overseas trip declined in the first quarter on worry about the pandemic. The local currency's depreciation against the U.S. dollar led to lower overseas direct purchase in the cyberspace. The overseas use of credit, check and debit cards reduced 6.0 percent, 20.3 percent and 33.9 percent, respectively, in the first quarter. by Peerzada Arshad Hamid NEW DELHI, May 31 (Xinhua) -- An ongoing heatwave has taken large swathes of India in its grip. In March and April, it was recorded as the warmest in 122 years in India. However, the driving-up temperatures beyond normal in the majority parts of India in March and April is emerging as a cause of concern. The heatwave forced millions of people indoors during the daytime. The heatwave pushed temperatures past 50 degrees Celsius in some areas. According to a local newspaper report, heatstroke claimed 25 lives in Maharashtra this year, the highest in six years. "Data from the health department showed over 374 cases of heat stroke have been reported in March and April, although experts say the actual number could be much higher," the newspaper said. Doctors say heatstroke is a serious heat-related emergency that occurs when the body is unable to control its internal temperature due to exposure to heat. India is already hard-hit by climate change. Extreme heat is common in May, and the past months were the hottest across much of the country for more than a century. "The month of May always used to be hot in Delhi. But this year it was totally unbearable in March as well as April," said Tanveer Alam, a Delhi resident. "It was smoldering hot and humid, which made it difficult to bear." However, a large part of the population in India still works outside in the fields, on building construction, and in factories without air conditioning facilities. Images from India's capital city showed hundreds of poor people, who could not afford air conditioning, taking refuge under flyovers and bridges. "We live in a hutment and to fight the heatwave, we used to soak clothes in water and hang them on doors and windows to get a whiff of cold breeze inside," said Satish Rajan, a daily wage worker. "During the break in work, we either sit inside the shade of trees or take refuge under the buildings." The heatwave came at a time when India witnessed a power outage due to a shortage of coal stocks at the thermal power plants. The electric fans and air conditioners pushed India's electricity demand to a record high. About 70 percent of India's electricity is generated by coal. The authorities canceled hundreds of passenger trains to allow faster movement of coal carriages to tackle critically low stocks at power plants. UNYIELDING HEATWAVES The unbearable weather may have been caused by a combination of meteorological factors, the British meteorological office explained. Entire central India is currently the sub-solar point of Earth (region directly under the sun at mid-day), according to the agency, "The largely dry landmass as the dry northeast monsoon continues is baked by the directly overhead sun," it added. The temperatures predicted by the office are 5-7 degrees above normal for this time of the year. It said that the blistering heatwave in northwest India and Pakistan was made over 100 times more likely because of human-caused climate change. IMPACT ON WHEAT HARVEST The ongoing heatwave has led the Indian government last month to limit wheat exports. The step was taken after reports said that the heatwave has cut down yields by roughly 20 percent. India is the world's second-biggest wheat producer and was hoping to boost wheat exports to help make up for a shortfall in global grain supplies. Farmers in the northern state of Punjab - the country's breadbasket- complain of reduced crop yields. "The grain that we harvested was shriveled due to intense heat," said Kartar Singh, a farmer. "Predictions are being made that crop may drop by 10-12 million tonnes. However, the estimates will get clear in a couple of months down the line." HEATWAVE BLUES A heatwave is declared when an area logs a maximum temperature of 45 degrees Celsius or is at least 4.5 notches above normal. According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), a severe heatwave is declared if the departure from normal temperature is more than 6.4 notches or the maximum temperature crosses the 47-degree Celsius mark. Weather experts have attributed the high temperature across the country to the absence of periodic light rainfall and thundershowers, typical for this time of the year, due to the lack of active western disturbances. Northwest India saw at least four western disturbances in March and April, but they were not strong enough to cause a significant change in the weather. The region did not see any significant pre-monsoon activity from March 1 to April 20 which compounded the severity of the successive heatwave spells, thereby casting a ripple effect on central India too. Experts say anticyclones over western parts of Rajasthan in March and the absence of western disturbances had triggered the early and extreme heatwaves. Anticyclones cause hot and dry weather by sinking winds around high-pressure systems in the atmosphere. The extreme heat in India is consistent with a changing climate, and heatwaves are more frequent and more intense and now start earlier than they did in the past, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) stated. TOKYO, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Japan plans to let more regional airports to accept entrants from abroad, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday, amid the Asian country's gradual relaxation of strict border measures implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. "We will enable regional airports such as Sendai (in northeastern Japan) to resume accepting international flights, in consultation with local governments," Kishida said at his office. Currently, international flights are limited to five airports in Japan -- Haneda, Narita, Kansai, Chubu and Fukuoka -- as part of COVID-19 restrictions. Naha and New Chitose airports, popular transportation hubs to tourist spots in Okinawa and Hokkaido respectively, are scheduled to resume accepting international flights by the end of June. The Japanese government also plans to announce guidelines on COVID-era inbound tourism for the travel industry on June 7, Kishida said, three days before the country resumes accepting tourists from overseas. As the COVID-19 situation in Japan has been improving in recent weeks, the cap on daily arrivals from overseas is set to be raised Wednesday to 20,000 people from the current 10,000. Since March, Japan has been gradually easing the COVID-19 rules, raising the daily cap on overseas arrivals to 10,000 people. The country has given priority to foreign residents, business people, students and returning Japanese citizens among others, while prohibiting the entry of tourists. BRUSSELS, May 31 (Xinhua)-- Public services in Belgium, including schools and transport networks, were disrupted on Tuesday after trade unions staged a one-day nationwide strike, local media reported. The strike caused huge delays and disruptions to public transport, including the temporary closure of certain bus and tram lines, the Belgian public transport company said. About 60 percent of the country's post offices remained closed for the day, including mail sorting centers, which may result in further delays over the next few days. Rail traffic remained at a standstill in the Walloon provinces of Liege, Namur and Luxembourg, with only a quarter of trains running elsewhere in the country. The coordinated strikes reflect a general malaise in the public sector, where workers are demanding better protection to deal with the cost-of-living crisis, higher pensions and more investment in the public sector. On June 20, private sector workers are called upon to join those in the public sector for a day of demonstration. HANNOVER, Germany, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Exhibitors and the organizer of the Hannover Messe 2022, one of the world's leading trade fairs for the industrial technology sector, are strongly expecting further Sino-German cooperation against the backdrop of various uncertainties including industrial transformation and COVID-19 pandemic. After a two-year interval due to the pandemic, this year's Hannover Messe event, which opened on Monday and will last until June 2, has brought together some 2,500 exhibitors from about 60 countries and regions. "I hope (the COVID-19 pandemic) was only a once-in-lifetime challenge and that we'll be able to host a thousand or even more Chinese exhibitors in the future again," said Jochen Koeckler, chairman of the managing board of the Deutsche Messe AG, in an interview with Xinhua. Around 100 Chinese exhibitors participated in the event this year due primarily to the pandemic. In 2019, the number of Chinese exhibitors exceeded 1,300. "For us, it's very important to have a huge audience from China here," Koeckler said at the trade fair. According to Michael Schumann, chairman of Germany's Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade, the Chinese market is still of interest to German companies and means further opportunities for them despite the supply chain challenges brought by COVID-19. Germany should continue to maintain close ties with China, Schumann added. Wang Weidong, chief of the Economic and Commercial Department at the Chinese Embassy in Germany, said that economic and trade cooperation remains a stabilizer of bilateral relations. He said he believes that German companies have the wisdom and ability to make sensible judgments about China's economic environment and will continue to invest in China to enjoy the dividends of China's development. At the trade fair, China International Investment Promotion Agency (Germany) organizes a series of events including exhibitions, meetings and forums, with the theme "Invest in China." Xu Yaojun, the agency's director, said the world economic recovery is still facing great instability and uncertainty amid the recurring pandemic and the tense geopolitical situation, which makes the offline exchange between Chinese and German enterprises extremely difficult. "Invest in China" is a positive move by the economic and industrial sectors of both sides to cope with the pandemic and work together to overcome the difficulties, which will help to promote practical cooperation between Chinese and German enterprises," Xu said. Chinese home appliance maker Midea brought their products to Hannover Messe. Fu Yongjun, Vice-President of Midea Group, said that Midea is trying to take the fair as an opportunity to have in-depth exchanges and discussions with partners and customers in the global industrial sector. KIEV, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday met with his Slovak counterpart Zuzana Caputova to discuss defense support for Kiev, Zelensky's press service reported. During the talks, Zelensky said that Slovakia has made a significant contribution to the strengthening of Ukraine's defense capabilities and praised the personal role of Caputova in granting defensive aid to Ukraine. "I have been assured that Slovakia will continue to provide maximum security assistance to Ukraine," Zelensky told reporters after the talks. For her part, Caputova said that Slovakia has supported Ukraine from the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine conflict by providing not only military aid, but also political and humanitarian assistance. Slovakia has provided Ukraine with the S-300 air defense system and demining equipment, and supported sanctions against Russia, Caputova said. Zelensky and Caputova also talked about the prospects for Ukraine to obtain a candidate status to the European Union (EU), financial support for Kiev, Slovakia's role in Ukraine's post-conflict recovery, and assistance to Ukrainians who were forced to temporarily leave their homes due to the conflict. According to official figures, some 78,000 Ukrainians, including 31,000 children, have fled Ukraine to Slovakia since the start of the conflict. Caputova arrived in Kiev earlier in the day at the invitation of Zelensky. BRUSSELS, May 31 (Xinhua) -- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday that her institution was working hard on building "solidarity lanes" to facilitate food exports from Ukraine, in particular the over 20 million tons of grain blocked in the country's stores. "It is not trivial, and it is, of course, more tedious and expensive, but it is necessary to get this wheat out," she said at the end of a two-day extraordinary summit of European Union (EU) leaders. Earlier this month, the Commission proposed to establish new so-called "solidarity lanes" to ensure that Ukraine can export and import the goods it needs, from humanitarian aid to animal feed and fertilizers, as Ukraine's ports have been blocked due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. EU leaders have called on Russia to lift the blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports and to allow food exports. Von der Leyen said the EU will also step up its own food production and expects to export a record 40 million tonnes of cereals in 2022 and 2023. "We call on all partners not to restrict trade on agricultural products. Any kind of trade restrictions have absolutely no place in our member states or globally," she said. During the summit, EU leaders also reached an agreement on a ban on 90 percent of Russian oil imports to the EU by the end of the year. Von der Leyen spoke about how the EU was looking for "more reliable suppliers" of gas, noting how liquefied natural gas (LNG) deliveries from other parts of the world other than Russia doubled in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the previous year. She said gas storage across the EU stands at 41 percent of capacity, which is five percentage points higher than they were last year. She said the EU had to make "massive investment in renewables." PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said on Tuesday that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) must deepen its centrality, unity, and solidarity in order to confront key challenges for regional and global peace, security, and sustainable development. In a keynote address at a workshop on Cambodia's contributions to the bloc since joining in 1999, he said, "We are of the opinion that the current regional and international circumstances needs the deepening of our shared commitment to ASEAN centrality, unity, and solidarity." "It is also critical for ASEAN to strengthen its 'Togetherness' spirit if we are to be effective in addressing our common pressing concerns to secure regional and global peace, security, and sustainable development," he added. Cambodia will continue to draw on ASEAN's spirit of "Togetherness" to consolidate efforts, both within the bloc and with partners, to realise the aims of building a resilient community, according to the "ASEAN Community Vision 2025," said Sokhonn, who is also a Deputy Prime Minister. "I am convinced that we will once again demonstrate our resolve and capabilities to further enhance and promote peace, stability, security, and prosperity in the region for the benefit of our peoples," he added. "That's what 'Let's Act Together' is all about." Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam are all members of ASEAN, which was founded in 1967. World Bank approves USD169 mn credit for disaster risk management in Cambodia Egypt announces discovery of 250 coffins and 150 statues in Saqqara Ecuador and Mexico move closer to a trade deal in ninth round of talks By Azernews Azerbaijani Agency for Small and Medium Business Development board chairman Orkhan Mammadov has held a meeting with the Fashion Retail Association board chairman and CEO of Novco Group Companies Farid Novruzi. During the meeting, the parties discussed issues of expanding cooperation and proposals for possible changes in legislation in the sphere of taxes and duties for the purchase of goods in foreign online stores for personal usage. They also exchanged views on the issues of interests of business entities operating in the relevant sphere. Azerbaijan's Small and Medium Business Development Agency continues to hold meetings with local and foreign entrepreneurs in order to expand relations and implement new business initiatives. QUITO: Ecuador and Mexico made "significant progress" toward a Productive Integration Agreement during the ninth round of talks in Quito from May 23 to 27, according to the Ecuadorian Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, Investment, and Fishing. "Both countries' negotiating teams held high-level technical meetings in which significant progress toward closing the agreement was made," the Ministry said in a statement on Monday.The latest round of talks focused on market access, origin rules, sustainable fishing, commercial defence, institutional issues, and services and investment. According to the Ministry, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso urged the talks to reach a Productive Integration Agreement in order to strengthen their respective economies. Mexico's Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade, Luz Maria de la Mora, and her Ecuadorian counterpart, Daniel Legarda, were also present, as were representatives from both countries' private productive sectors. Negotiations for the trade agreement began in 2019, paving the way for Ecuador to become a full member of the Pacific Alliance trade bloc. The bloc, which includes Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru, has the world's eighth-largest economy and accounts for 38% of Latin America and the Caribbean's GDP. Britain begins discussions with Mexico on free trade agreement. Yemen's PLC forms committee to restructure pro-govt army, security forces Centre finalising consultation paper on cryptocurrencies, consults World Bank, IMF CAIRO: Egyptian authorities announced the discovery of 250 sealed coffins containing mummies, 150 bronze statues of ancient gods and goddesses, and other antiquities at the Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo. Mostafa Waziri, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, told reporters on Monday that an archaeological mission working in the Bubastian Cemetery area discovered a bronze statue cachette dating back to the Late Period of ancient Egypt. "The cache contained 150 bronze statues of gods and goddesses such as Anubis, Amunmeen, Osiris, Isis, Nefertum, Bastet, and Hathor, as well as several bronze pots," Waziri said. He also mentioned that the mission discovered 250 intact coloured wooden coffins dating back to 500 B.C. inside several burial wells containing well-preserved mummies, as well as a group of golden-face wooden statues, painted wooden boxes, and amulets. The mission discovered a papyrus with verses from the Book of the Dead while excavating inside one of the wells, he said. The Book of the Dead is an ancient Egyptian funerary text that was used from the start of the New Kingdom (around 1550 B.C.) to around 50 B.C. It is a collection of magical spells written over a 1,000-year period by many priests to aid a deceased person's journey through the Duat, or underworld, and into the afterlife. Egypt was happy with India for sending wheat, now 12 other countries also demanded Ecuador and Mexico move closer to a trade deal in ninth round of talks Yemen's PLC forms committee to restructure pro-govt army, security forces WASHINGTON: Despite pleas from the war-torn country for advanced weaponry, President Joe Biden said the United States will not provide Ukraine with long-range rocket systems capable of hitting targets inside Russia. "We are not going to send rocket systems to Ukraine that can strike into Russia," Biden said in response to a media question as he arrived at the White House from Delaware. According to reports, the US was preparing to send advanced long-range rocket systems to Ukraine as Russia focused its invasion on the eastern part of the country. The Defense Department, however, refused to confirm such a plan. "We're still figuring out what the next package will look like," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters on May 27. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other government officials have asked the US for Multiple Launch Rocket Systems and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems to aid their country's fight against Russia. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the US has delivered heavy artillery, dozens of Howitzers, tactical drones, anti-armour and anti-(air) missiles, helicopters, grenade launchers, machine guns, rifles, radar systems, and 50 million rounds of ammunition to Kiev, among other things. Russia ready to work with Turkey to free up Ukraine's grain exports EAEU seeks to strengthen international cooperation. Ukrainian FM, US secretary of state discuss military support for Ukraine YEREVAN: During anti-government protests in Armenia's capital, Yerevan, more than 100 people were detained. According to state media, protest leaders planned to enter the No. 3 government building and enquire about various agencies' positions on the opposition's draught resolution, which is on the agenda of Parliament's emergency session on June 3, as per reports. After the police refused to let them into the building, a brawl ensued. According to the report, 111 demonstrators were held on charges of hooliganism. Weeks of protests and civil disobedience have erupted in Armenia, led by the opposition Armenian Revolutionary Federation party, which has demanded Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's resignation. Anti-government protests in Armenia's capital began on May 1 amid fears that Pashinyan was on the verge of making big concessions to Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh area. Azerbaijan, Armenia are ready to start work of the Commission on border delimitation Egypt announces discovery of 250 coffins and 150 statues in Saqqara Yemen's PLC forms committee to restructure pro-govt army, security forces ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government has successfully extended the ceasefire deal between Pakistan and the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for an unlimited period following successful discussion. As per reliable sources, the Pak-TTP agreement has been extended indefinitely, with the mutual understanding that negotiations will continue to find a solution to the continued insurgency in the tribal border region, which has wreaked havoc on the region for at least two decades. The ceasefire extension is a significant achievement since it reflects positive cooperation between the TTP insurgent factions and Pakistan's armed forces and military leadership. It's also worth noting that the talks are being organised by the Afghan Taliban leadership, which has played a key role in getting both parties to the negotiating table in Kabul. According to sources aware of the situation, the Afghan capital Kabul served as a meeting site for both Afghan Taliban and Pakistani army officials, as well as separate detailed meetings with tribal elders from the bordering territories. "After separate discussions with Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund, Acting Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan (IEA), at his office, two sides agreed to extend the ceasefire and continue peace talks," the sources said. Pakistan govt proposes 4.8 pc budget deficit target to IMF I will also sell my clothes to give cheap flour to the people..., announces the new PRIME Minister of PAK India, Pakistan hold 'back channel' discussions to resolve the stalemate: Report Chitwan, May 31 A woman has died after surviving repeated acts of torture from her husband in Khairahani of the Chitwan district of western Nepal. DSP Narahari Adhikari, the spokesperson of the District Police Office, says Gita Majhi died during treatment at the Bharatpur Hospital on Monday night. Injured in the assault, she was admitted to the hospital on Thurasay. Reportedly, her husband Ram Chandra had put a stick into her anus on Thursday, seriously injuring her. The woman was operated on, on Monday, but she died at around 11 pm, according to the hospitals Gopal Paudel. Police have arrested the husband for further investigation. They are preparing to file two cases against him under murder and rape laws. Kathmandu, May 31 The Embassy of Nepal in Islamabad, Pakistan, celebrated Everest Day by organising a special programme on Monday (May 30). Nepal celebrates Everest Day on May 29 every year to commemorate the first ascent to Mt Everest by Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Edmund Hillary on May 29, 1953. During the programme, Nepali Ambassador Tapas Adhikari welcomed the guests and congratulated Abdul Joshi on his recent ascent of Everest on May 16. On the occasion, Ambassador Adhikari expressed his confidence that his expedition would inspire many young Pakistanis to try mountaineering and adventure tourism and increase people-to-people contact between Nepal and Pakistan. He also highlighted the impacts of climate change on the mountains and urged for collectively addressing the negative consequences. Likewise, Joshi also drew many parallels between Nepal and Pakistan, particularly in the field of trekking and tourism. The programme was attended by alpinists and media people from Pakistan. Home Politics Nepal Army chief to visit the US after meeting his peacekeeping troops in Lebanon and Syria Kathmandu, May 31 Nepal Army Chief Prabhu Ram Sharma is going on a long foreign trip. The national military organisation says General Sharma will visit Nepali peacekeeping troops in Lebanon and Syria from June 18 to 24. During the visit, he will take stock of the Nepal Armys troops mobilised in UN peacekeeping missions there. He will also hold meetings with high-level officials of the missions as well as host countries. Following that, Sharma will make an official visit to the United States at the invitation of the US Army, from June 27 to July 1. The army says the visit will strengthen its relationships with the hosts of the peacekeeping troops and the US Army. Description After a very successful inaugural Hamptons season in 2021 and an exciting winter season with exhibitions at the Mark Borghi gallery in Sag Harbor and a solo show at the amArtHouse gallery in Connecticut, local artist Chris Kelly will launch his second solo show at the Colm Rowan Fine Art Gallery (55 Main Street, East Hampton, www.colmrowan.com). The show will open Saturday, May 28th and continue through Sunday, June 19th daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. or by appointment. A meet and greet with the artist will take place on Saturday, May 28th from 4 7 p.m. Kellys opening will launch the 2022 season at Colm Rowan Fine Art gallery in East Hampton Village. The title of the show is The Eye of the Storm and is a further exploration of the geometric abstracts that Kelly is known for, sometimes described as hard-edge minimalism. The exhibition features all new paintings and sculptures created in the last year. Most of the works from his first solo show at Colm Rowan Fine Art in 2021 were sold, and the main focus of the new show will be large abstract canvases created with oil paints and pencil. Additionally, the exhibition will include never seen before works on papers (smaller scale) created with acrylics and pencil, as well as abstract sculptures created in wood and metal. Chris Kelly's artist statement is centered around the hidden geometry of nature - specifically, the Golden Ratio and the Fibonacci sequence. According to the artist, "I believe that art should be, directly or indirectly, about the triumph of beauty and the human spirit. This is my philosophy, and my goal is to create artworks that bring beauty into the world. As I see it, creating art is a metaphor for how to approach living one's life, both physically and conceptually - I observe, analyze, and reimagine many aspects of our natural world, and then reconfigure these deconstructed elements in the process of creating my art. I always like to seek out and discover how things are connected, and for this new series of artworks I am going deeper into the geometry of nature and exploring how it connects humanity to the natural world." The geometric abstracts series has previously been shown at the following galleries: the Mark Borghi gallery in Sag Harbor (March 2022); the amArtHouse gallery in Bantam, CT (October 2021 January 2022); Colm Rowan Fine Art in East Hampton (May/June 2021), the two major art fairs in the Hamptons, Hamptons Fine Art Fair and Art Market Hamptons (Summer 2021); the Guild Hall 83rd Artist Members Exhibition (March 2021 - April 2021); and Gallery RIVAA in Roosevelt Island, NYC (November 2020 - January 2021). Kellys work will be on exhibit at several additional locations throughout the 2022 season including: Leiber Collection Museum in East Hampton (opening Memorial Day weekend), Hamptons Fine Art Fair, Art Market Hamptons, amArtHouse gallery in Bantam, CT, and Portico gallery in Soho, NY. (Adds quotes, background) By Yew Lun Tian BEIJING, May 31 (Reuters) - China's commerce ministry said on Tuesday that talks with Switzerland to upgrade a free trade agreement between both countries were not "frozen". China's human rights record, in particular the way it treats the mostly Muslim Uyghur minority in its northwest region of Xinjiang, has strained its relationship with Western countries. China has denied accusations of rights abuses. Swiss newspapers reported on Sunday that efforts by Switzerland to refresh its free trade agreement with China have stalled as Bern takes a more critical view of Beijing's human rights record. "The situation of talks being frozen does not exist. Both sides are maintaining close communication on this," a Chinese commerce ministry spokesperson said, according to a statement on the ministry's website. The spokesperson described the FTA as "high-level, content-rich and mutually beneficial" and pointed out that China is Switzerland's third-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade last year up 97% compared to a year earlier, and amounting to $44 billion. China and Switzerland said in 2017 they would launch a joint study to explore upgrading the current FTA. Signed in 2013, it was Beijing's first such agreement with an economy in continental Europe. A recently passed Swiss parliamentary initiative denounced the forced labour of Uyghurs as "a real problem". If Swiss media reports about the stalled talks are true, Switzerland would not be the first country to rethink its economic links with China because of human rights concerns. The European Union last year halted ratification of an investment pact with China because Beijing had sanctioned EU politicians in response to Western sanctions against Chinese officials accused of the mass detention of Muslim Uyghurs. In 2020 and 2021, the United States sanctioned Chinese officials on concerns over rights abuses in Xinjiang and imposed bans on goods produced in Xinjiang over concerns of forced labour. (Reporting by Yew Lun Tian, editing by Ed Osmond and Bernadette Baum) By Trend The Asian Development Bank (ADB) sees great potential in the Azerbaijani market, Head of ADBs Azerbaijan Resident Mission Candice McDeigan told Trend. McDeigan made the remark at the "Focus on Green Recovery - Innovative and Inclusive Green Financing Strategies for Azerbaijan" event organized by the bank. "Azerbaijan has great potential to attract a new group of investors interested in sustainable development," she said. The missions head added that ADB intends to continue supporting Azerbaijan in "green" development. (Updates with Lavrov's arrival in Riyadh) By Aziz El Yaakoubi RIYADH, May 31 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Saudi state media said, on a visit that Gulf officials said would feature a meeting with foreign ministers from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. Lavrov, who also visited Bahrain earlier on Tuesday, is expected to meet ministers from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain at the GCC headquarters in Riyadh on Wednesday, two Gulf officials said. The focus of the talks was not clear, although the officials said the six Gulf ministers would also hold an online meeting with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba later on Wednesday. They declined to give details. Gulf states have stayed neutral in the Russia-Ukraine conflict despite Western calls to help isolate Moscow. Oman's foreign minister said in remarks published by his ministry on Saturday that the crisis required a European solution and that a posture of "you are with us or against us" would not work. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud by phone on Monday to underscore the importance of international support for Ukraine, the U.S. State Department said. Lavrov's visit takes place a day before a meeting in Vienna of OPEC+, an oil alliance that includes Gulf producers and Russia. OPEC+ is set to stick to last year's deal that will see another modest increase in monthly output by the group in July. Saudi Arabia and other members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries have so far resisted U.S. pressure to boost crude output more sharply to cool prices, which have rocketed partly because of the Ukraine crisis. Riyadh says the high oil prices are caused by geopolitics, stretched refining capacities and higher taxes in the Western world rather than supply concerns. U.S. President Joe Biden and his team have been considering making a stop in Saudi Arabia and Israel after he travels to summits in Germany and Spain in late June, sources have said. Two senior U.S. officials visited Saudi Arabia last week for talks that covered energy and other issues but did not include calls for boosting Saudi oil exports, the White House said. (Reporting by Aziz El Yaakoubi; Additional reporting by Ghaida Ghantous and Alaa Swilam; Editing by Leslie Adler, Edmund Blair and Gareth Jones) Fortune Business Insights According to Fortune Business Insights, Germany Pneumococcal Vaccines Market size was USD 170.0 million in 2018 and will exhibit a CAGR of 2.1% during the forecast period. market size is projected to reach USD 200.9 million by the year 2026. Increasing Awareness Regarding the Severity of this Disease Will Aid Growth Pune, India, May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Germany pneumococcal vaccines market size is projected to reach USD 200.9 million by the year 2026. The market will benefit from the increasing number of favorable policies across the region. According to a report published by Fortune Business Insights, titled Germany Pneumococcal Vaccines Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Product Type (PCV10, PCV13, and PPSV23), By End User (Hospitals, Clinics, and Others) and Region Forecast, 2019-2026, the market size was USD 170.0 million in 2018 and will exhibit a CAGR of 2.1% during the forecast period, 2019-2026. Pneumococcal vaccines are used to prevent pneumonia in paediatrics and adults. The severity of the disease has led to a wider adoption for the product across the world. The demand for pneumococcal vaccines has risen dramatically in the recent years due to the growing emphasis on early detection and treatment of the disease. The growing demand for this product will have a direct impact on the growth of the regional markets in Germany. Variations in product offerings and availability of different vaccines for different disease types will contribute to the growth of the market in the coming years. Get Sample PDF Brochure: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/sample/germany-pneumococcal-vaccines-market-101808 The report encompasses several factors that have contributed to the growth of the market in recent years. It also discusses a few of the factors that have restrained market growth. Besides this, the report highlights a few of the leading products, major companies, and major industry developments of recent times. The Germany Pneumococcal Vaccines Market is segmented on the basis of several criteria, including product types, end users, and regional demographics. The competitive landscape scenario has been discussed in detail. The report provides forecast values for the market for the period of 2019-2026. Factual figures have been obtained through trusted sources. Predictions have been made through interviews and opinions of experienced market research professional. Story continues Pneumococcal vaccines are used in vaccination against the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae. Pneumonia is a severe and potentially life-threatening disease that is caused by deadly bacteria. The pneumococcal vaccines are aimed in use for paediatrics as well as adults for treating acute and serious infections that are consequential to pneumonia. The severity of this disease has led to a higher emphasis on early adoption and treatment. Increasing investments on the research and development of newer vaccination options for the disease will bode well for the growth of the market in the coming years. Advances in ongoing clinical trials will bode well for the growth of the market. Increasing number of regulatory approvals, coupled with the growing investments in product R&D will aid the growth of the market in the forthcoming years. Germany Pneumococcal Vaccines Market Report Scope & Segmentation : Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2019 to 2026 Forecast Period 2019 to 2026 CAGR 2.1% 2029 Value Projection USD 200.9 Million Base Year 2018 Market Size in 2018 USD 170.01 Million Historical Data for 2016 to 2017 No. of Pages 90 Segments covered By Product Type, By End User, Region Growth Drivers Increasing Awareness Regarding the Severity of this Disease Will Aid Growth Nordrhein-Westfalen to Emerge as the Leading Region; Huge Patient Pool for Pneumonia Will Aid Growth Pfizer and Merck & Co. Dominate the Market Pfizer and Merck & Co. Dominate the Market The Germany pneumococcal market is consolidated in nature, with only a few players accounting for a high market share. The current pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines scenario sees Pfizer holding a dominating share. A strong distribution network, combined with the growing prescription of PCV13 for patients, have favored the growth of these companies. Increasing Awareness Regarding the Severity of this Disease Will Aid Growth The severity of pneumonia has led to a high awareness among users across the world. Pneumonia can possess several side effects. Unattended pneumonia can also cause death. The increasing prevalence of pneumonia will open up a huge potential for the growth of the market in Germany. As per recent statistics, almost 12% of the patients affected by pneumonia do not survive. This, in turn, has led to a further rise in the demand for pneumococcal vaccines in the country. The presence of several renowned companies will emerge in favor of market growth. Contribution from government through initiatives and awareness programs will contribute to the growth of the market in this region. Recent advances in pipeline drugs will newer drugs. Furthermore, advances in phases of clinical trials of numerous drugs will contribute to the growth of the market in the forthcoming years. Speak To Our Analyst: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/germany-pneumococcal-vaccines-market-101808 Nordrhein-Westfalen to Emerge as the Leading Region; Huge Patient Pool for Pneumonia Will Aid Growth The market is segmented on the basis of regional demographics into several regions across Germany into Baden-Wurttemberg, Bayern, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Hessen, Niedersachsen, Sachsen, and Berlin. The market in Nordrhein-Westfalen is likely to hold the highest Germany pneumococcal vaccines market share in the coming years. The growing prevalence of pneumonia in this region will provide the platforms for the growth of the regional market. Besides Nordrhein-Westfalen, the market has been analysed across several other regions in the country. A few of the leading companies that are operating in the Germany pneumococcal vaccines market are: Pfizer Merck & Co. Inc. GlaxoSmithKline plc Sanofi Key Industry Developments: August 2016: The German Committee on Vaccination introduced an update in the German pneumococcal vaccination policy wherein pneumococcal vaccination were recommended through a sequential vaccination scheme. Quick Buy - Germany Pneumococcal Vaccines Market Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/101808 Table Of Contents : Germany Pneumococcal Vaccines Market Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions Executive Summary Market Dynamics Germany Pneumococcal Vaccines Market Drivers Germany Pneumococcal Vaccines Market Restraints Germany Pneumococcal Vaccines Market Opportunities Key Insights Pipeline Analysis of Key Global Players Pricing Analysis Of Key Products Key Mergers and Acquisitions Prevalence of Pneumonia in Germany Immunization Coverage of Pediatric Patients in Germany Germany Pneumococcal Vaccines Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2016-2026 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Product Type PCV10 PCV13 PPSV23 Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By End User Hospitals Clinics Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Geography Baden-Wurttemberg Bayern Nordrhein-Westfalen Hessen Niedersachsen Sachsen Berlin Others Competitive Analysis Germany Market Share Analysis (2018) Comparative Analysis Major Players Company Profiles (Overview, Products & services, SWOT analysis, Recent developments, strategies, financials (based on availability)) Pfizer Merck & Co. Inc. GlaxoSmithKline plc Sanofi Toc Continue.. Ask for Customization of this Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry-pressrelease/customization/germany-pneumococcal-vaccines-market-9456 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. Contact Us: Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd. US :+1 424 253 0390 UK : +44 2071 939123 APAC : +91 744 740 1245 Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com Press Release : https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/press-release/germany-pneumococcal-vaccines-market-9456 Charles Siebert, the actor who played the pompous Dr. Stanley Riverside II on the CBS medical drama series Trapper John, M.D., died May 1 of Covid-related pneumonia at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center. He was 84. His death was confirmed in a statement on the website of the 6th Street Playhouse in Santa Rosa, California, where Siebert appeared frequently. More from Deadline Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2022: Photo Gallery Born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Siebert made his Broadway debut in a 1967 production of Brechts Galileo and would return to the Broadway stage five more times through the following decade. He began his TV career in the late 1960s on the soap opera Search for Tomorrow. By the mid-1970s he had appeared in such series as Hawk, N.Y.P.D., Another World, The Adams Chronicles, Kojak, Police Woman and The Rockford Files. In 1977 he recurred on the Norman Lear soap parody Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, later guesting on other Lear series including All in the Family, Good Times, Maude and One Day at a Time. The Trapper John, M.D. cast in 1985, from left: Christopher Norris, Simon Scott, Charles Siebert, Madge Sinclair, Pernell Roberts (seated), Brian Mitchell, Gregory Harrison and Timothy Busfield - Credit: Everett Collection Everett Collection In 1979 he landed what would become his signature role in the M*A*S*H spinoff Trapper John, M.D., playing opposite stars Pernell Roberts (in the title role) and Gregory Harrison. Sieberts character served as the persnickety, stuffy but talented foil to the more laid-back doctors played by Roberts and Harrison, following in the M*A*S*H tradition of Larry Linvilles Dr. Frank Burns and David Ogden Stiers Dr. Charles Emerson Winchester III. The show was a hit in its 10 p.m. Sunday slot, where it aired for the first six-plus seasons, consistently ranking in the full-season Top 20 in the three-network universe. Siebert remained with the series throughout its entire 1979-86 run. Story continues He would return to television throughout the 1980s and 90s, appearing in The Love Boat, The New Mike Hammer, Hotel, Mancuso FBI, Murder, She Wrote and Xena: Warrior Princess. During his tenure on Trapper John, M.D., Siebert began a directing career that would include seven episodes of that series and, later, episodes of Xena: Warrior Princess, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Silk Stalkings, Pacific Blue, Knots Landing, The Pretender and others. On the big screen, Siebert appeared in, among others, The Other Side of Midnight (1977), Coma (1978), All Night Long (1981), and White Water Summer (1987). In 1979, he played an assistant district attorney in Norman Jewisons legal satire And Justice for All, starring Al Pacino. On Broadway, Siebert appeared in 1968s Jimmy Shine opposite Dustin Hoffman; David Rabes Sticks and Bones (1972); The Changing Room (1973); and the 1974 revival of Tennessee Williams Cat on a Hot Tin Roof starring Elizabeth Ashley, Fred Gwynne and Keir Dullea. Siebert would return to the stage throughout his career, often at the 6th Street Playhouse in Santa Rosa, California, where he played Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, the artist Mark Rothko in the play Red, Big Daddy in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof and Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman. In the tribute posted on the theaters website by artistic director Jared Sakren and former artistic director Craig A. Miller, Siebert was remembered as generous to his castmates, with an engaging sense of humor, a wealth of experience and pure, unadulterated talent capable of delivering towering, unforgettable performances. Anyone who had the honor and pleasure of sharing the stage with him knows that simply watching him work was a Masterclass in itself: pure heart, fiery passion, terrifying truth, and fearlessness all on display, every moment he was out there, the statement continues. He was not only a consummate artist, he was a mentor to those who worked with him. Siebert is survived by wife Kristine Leroux Siebert, daughter Gillian Bozanic, son Christopher, stepdaughter Kristina Harvey, stepsons Max Leroux and Jeremy Leroux, and other extended family. He was predeceased by his first wife, Catherine, and son Charlie Jr., a popular Bay Area musician who died in 2020. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Clear Blue Technologies International Inc. Q1 Revenue of $1,225,106, Gross Margin of 41%, Adjusted EBITDA of $(851,890) Second Tranche of Unit Offering Closes for Gross Proceeds of $653,443, and Total Gross Proceeds of $1.64 Million TORONTO, May 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clear Blue Technologies International Inc. (Clear Blue and the Company) (TSXV: CBLU) (FRA: 0YA) (OTCQB: CBUTF), the Smart Off-Grid Company, announces its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 (Q1 2022). A complete set of Financial Statements and Managements Discussion & Analysis (MD&A) has been filed at www.sedar.com. All dollar amounts are denominated in Canadian dollars. Key Financial Results On a Trailing Four Quarter (TFQ) basis: Revenue was $5,914,758, an 18% decrease over the TFQ ending Q1 2021. Recall that Q1 2021 and Q4 2020 revenue benefited from large initial deployments with a telecom infrastructure operator in Africa. Normalized for these deployments TFQ revenue would have grown on a year-over-year basis; Gross profit was $2,011,797 or 34%, a 4% increase from the previous TFQs $1,941,028 or 27%; Non-IFRS Adjusted EBITDA was $(2,998,255) versus $(3,103,830) for the previous TFQ. For Q1 2022: Revenues were $1,225,106, down 65% versus Q1 2021 due to Q1 2021 having a large one-time order which departs from the Companys typical seasonality. Over a 5-year trend, Q1 is usually the Companys seasonally softest quarter, representing 6-9% of total annual revenues. Q1 2022 was the Companys second highest Q1 ever (after Q1 2021), and based on historical trends management believes Q1 2022 revenue is in line to achieve fiscal 2022 revenue guidance of around $10 million; Bookings were $2,015,147 up 31% from $1,536,118 as of December 31, 2021; Gross profit was $507,500 or 41% compared to $751,163 or 22% for Q1 2021; Quarterly Non-IFRS Adjusted EBITDA was $(851,890) versus $(416,969) in Q1 2021 resulting from lower revenues and resulting increased travel and marketing expenses as the Companys sales activities have resumed in-person meetings. Story continues Management Commentary and Outlook Q1 2022 saw Clear Blue gain more traction with its customers. The Company announced new partner and customer deals with YahClick, GCES, and Viasat. New product announcements for Illumient and the ground-breaking Pico-Grid product, were also met with strong interest in the market. Q1 was a busy sales and marketing quarter, said Miriam Tuerk, Co-Founder & CEO of Clear Blue. We announced several new customers, partnerships and launched two new products. At the same time, we witnessed a higher level of global macroeconomic uncertainty, which is impacting supply chains and enterprise buying behavior. While we have not lost any significant contracts, certain large contracts we were expecting to close in Q1 2022 have transitioned into smaller, phased rollouts. We have also undertaken an expense reduction program and allowed management and certain employees to accept reduced cash compensation in exchange for equity. These activities will bring the company to positive EBITDA and cashflow sooner at a lower revenue threshold than previously planned. Taking the current macro market pressures into consideration, we are comfortable with revenue guidance of around $10 million revenue for the next four quarters. Our sales funnel, customer and project activities indicate continued and strong demand for Clear Blues products, and with the closing of the second tranche of our unit offering, we are well positioned to execute on our opportunities. Second Tranche of Unit Offering Completed for a Total of $1.64M Raised Today, on May 30, the Company announces the closing of the second tranche of a non-brokered unit offering (the Offering) for gross proceeds of approximately $653,443. This second closing of the Offering resulted in the issuance of 3,843,782 units of the Company (each, a Unit and collectively the Units) at a price of C$0.17 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one common share in the capital of the Company (each, a Common Share and collectively the Common Shares) and one common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a Warrant and collectively the Warrants). Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to acquire one Common Share at a price of C$0.22 per Common Share for a period of 24 months from the grant date. Proceeds from the Offering are anticipated to be used for sales, marketing, research and development, and working capital requirements. Tranche 1 of this Unit Offering was completed and announced on April 29, 2022 for $989,834. Together the two Tranches totaled $1,643,277. All securities issued under both tranches of the Offering are subject to a statutory hold period ending four months and one day from the closing date of the first tranche. The Offering remains subject to the final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Conference Call The Company will host a conference call to discuss its latest financial results at 11:00 AM Eastern Time (Canada/U.S.) on Tuesday, May 31, 2022. Those interested can register at: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_y6NeIbuNRvqRYBhvO-lLOQ For more information, contact: Miriam Tuerk, Co-Founder and CEO +1 416 433 3952 investors@clearbluetechnologies.com www.clearbluetechnologies.com/en/investors Nikhil Thadani, Sophic Capital +1 437 836 9669 Nik@SophicCapital.com About Clear Blue Technologies International Clear Blue Technologies International, the Smart Off-Grid company, was founded on a vision of delivering clean, managed, wireless power to meet the global need for reliable, low-cost, solar and hybrid power for lighting, telecom, security, Internet of Things devices, and other mission-critical systems. Today, Clear Blue has thousands of systems under management across 37 countries, including the U.S. and Canada. (TSXV: CBLU) (FRA: 0YA) (OTCQB: CBUTF) Legal Disclaimer 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 Statement This press release contains certain "forward-looking information" and/or "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only Clear Blues beliefs regarding future events, plans or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of Clear Blue's control. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "will continue", "will occur" or "will be achieved". The forward-looking information contained herein may include, but is not limited to, information concerning financial results and future upcoming contracts. By identifying such information and statements in this manner, Clear Blue is alerting the reader that such information and statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Clear Blue to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such information and statements. An investment in securities of Clear Blue is speculative and subject to several risks including, without limitation, the risks discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in Clear Blue's listing application dated July 12, 2018. Although Clear Blue has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information and forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. In connection with the forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release, Clear Blue has made certain assumptions. Although Clear Blue 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. All subsequent written and oral forward- looking information and statements attributable to Clear Blue or persons acting on its behalf is expressly qualified in its entirety by this notice. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described in this news release. Such securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act, or any state securities laws, and, accordingly, may not be offered or sold within the United States, or to or for the account or benefit of persons in the United States or U.S. Persons, as such term is defined in Regulation S promulgated under the U.S. Securities Act, unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to an exemption from such registration requirements. dpa picture alliance / Alamy The federal investigation of a Clinton-connected lawyer over his role in spreading news of a Trump-Russia mysterythe still-unexplained computer links between the Trump Organization and Russias powerful Alfa Bankhas ended just like the conundrum he shared. It was a dud. On Tuesday, a jury found Michael A. Sussmann was not guilty of lying to the FBI when he passed along computer signal information to the fedsbut allegedly didnt tell them he was a lawyer for Hillary Clintons presidential campaign and the Democratic Party. Sussmann was indicted in September 2021 and charged with a single count of willfully and knowingly making a materially false statement to a federal agent. He was the primary target of a politically charged prosecution led by a Justice Department attorney that Republicans had hoped would be the counter to the much-maligned Trump-Russia investigation. Trump-Appointed Special Counsel Indicts Lawyer at DNC-Associated Firm When the independent team led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller wrapped up its probe, the Trump administration started its own investigation of that investigation. The administration tapped Special Counsel John H. Durham, then the U.S. attorney for the District of Connecticut, to lead his own mission. Sussmann was supposed to be his first major takedown. Shortly after the jury verdict acquitted Sussmann, Durham put out a statement: While we are disappointed in the outcome, we respect the jurys decision and thank them for their service. I also want to recognize and thank the investigators and the prosecution team for their dedicated efforts in seeking truth and justice in this case. During the two week trial, federal investigators laid out what they considered clear evidence that Sussmann had purposefully hidden his political tiesand the fact that he was, at the time, charging hourly fees for Clinton and Democratswhen he approached the FBI with details that would spark an investigation that naturally would harm the Trump presidential campaign just two months before the 2016 election. Story continues As the Durham team of investigators put it in the indictment, Sussmann lied about the capacity in which he was providing the allegations to the FBI. Specifically, Sussmann stated falsely that he was not doing his work on the aforementioned allegations for any client. They asserted that the FBI was duped into thinking Sussmann was acting as a good citizen merely passing along information, not as a paid advocate or political operative. Durham Tried to Find Dirt on the Clintons as Part of His Trump-Russia Probe Inquiry, Says Report But until the very eve of trial, Sussmann maintained that he did, in fact, make it clear he was on the Democrats payrollbut that he truly believed the tip he was turning over was evidence of suspicious activity. Sussmanns legal team portrayed the story this way in a court filing on Friday: A renown South African computer scientist, Rodney Joffe, approached Sussmann with never-before-seen data that showed odd computer transmissions between computer servers used by the Trump Organization in the United States and Alfa Bank in Russia. Sussmann, an established attorney in Washington with a cybersecurity law practice, reached out to his contact at the FBI, Jim Baker, who was then the bureaus top lawyer. They met the next day on Sept. 19, 2016, and Sussmann shared details with Baker that would kick off an FBI investigation with serious national security implications. While Sussmann and his cybersecurity contact passed the story along to then-New York Times reporter Eric Lichtblau, FBI agents scrambled to make sense of computer data that was obtuse at best. With just a week before the November 2016 elections, Lichtblaus news story detailed the odd computer link with a story headline that would later be the subject of much ridicule, Investigating Donald Trump, F.B.I. Sees No Clear Link to Russia. Prosecutor John Durham Requests Former CIA Director Brennans Emails, Report Says That same day, Slate ran a similar story with a much more damning tone, asking, Was a Trump Server Communicating With Russia? While both stories whet the anti-Russia appetites of Trump-hating progressives, neither actually exposed any wrongdoing. They also setup the FBI to look as it the bureau had failed to properly investigate a presidential candidate before he became the top politician in the country. Shortly after Trump assumed office in 2017, CNN detailed how the FBI was actually still investigating the odd pings between those serversand how the explanations by the Trump Organization, Alfa Bank, and the company that actually independently ran the server didnt hold up. If these communications were indeed simply random marketing emails, that wouldnt explain why the pings ramped up sharply during the final months of the Trump campaign. The technical evidence was vague, but one thing was clear: Internet data showed that Alfa Banks computer server repeatedly looked up how to directly contact a server being temporarily used by Trumps family company. Alfa Bank would later claim the entire ordeal was merely an effort to frame the bank for suspicious activities it didnt commit, and it aggressively pursued menacing legal threats against a computer scientist who spoke up about her concerns. In an effort to clear its name, the Russian bank hired the reputable American cybersecurity firm Mandiantwhich has many ties to U.S. government agencies, hires former computer spies, and helps law enforcement on investigations. The FBI investigation didnt go anywhere, and the matter simply got filed away along with all the other unresolved Trump-Russia allegations. The FBI investigated whether there were cyber links between the Trump Organization and Alfa Bank, but had concluded by early February 2017 that there were no such links, said a 2019 report by Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz. The server issue didnt even make it into Muellers final 448-page report. Sussmanns acquittal on Tuesday is quite the embarrassment for a federal prosecutor whose special team already spent more than $2.8 million in its first yearand a yet-unknown sum from October 2021 until now. Despite all the excitement, particularly from MAGA media, the team has indicted three people. The charges against Sussmann failed to stick. They have yet to go to trial on similar charges against Igor Danchenko, a Russian living in Virginia whose research fed most of what became known as the Steele dossier. So far, the only successful case has resulted in 12 months probation for Kevin Clinesmith, a former FBI lawyer who admitted to altering an email that was used to apply for spying authority during Crossfire Hurricane, the investigation into alleged ties between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. SINGAPORE, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Constellar is excited to welcome its communities in person again with a diverse line-up of events in the second half of 2022. As venue manager of the award-winning Singapore EXPO and Asia's partner of choice for event organisation and management, Constellar's recent achievements at the 2022 Singapore Tourism Awards has boosted the team's commitment to continue raising the bar for event excellence and value creation. In the next six months, Constellar will organise and host over 10 of its largest exhibitions and conferences as well as several industry-firsts as consumer shows finally return. Business Events Fresh from being named Outstanding Event Organiser for Industrial Transformation ASIA-PACIFIC 2021, Constellar will again showcase the latest technologies and trends at the fifth edition of the region's leading platform for Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing solutions. With COVID-19 restrictions lifted, the event is expected to attract over 18,000 attendees from around the globe. Over 60,000 attendees from 160 countries will converge at the seventh edition of Singapore FinTech Festival, igniting the global FinTech community with a smorgasbord of content, networking opportunities, industry collaboration and innovation initiatives. The inaugural Agri-Food Tech Expo Asia, a participating event of Temasek's Singapore International Agri-Food Week, is expected to draw over 6,000 physical attendees, bringing together Asia's key players and innovators in the food production, manufacturing, technology and trade industries. In the region, Malaysian International Food & Beverage Trade Fair, one of the largest food and beverage trade exhibitions in Malaysia, will return to Kuala Lumpur. The Patient Experience & Innovation Summit, a Constellar event to inspire healthcare and medical practitioners to make healthcare more innovative, intuitive, and empathetic, will also be held in Bangkok for the first time. Over in New Delhi, FinTech Festival India will showcase investment opportunities and enhance collaborations between Indian & global FinTech partners. Story continues Consumer Events After a long hiatus, COMEX, one of Singapore's most established consumer IT fairs, will return as a physical edition with attractive deals for tech enthusiasts. Popular food fairs Yummy Food Expo and World Food Fair will also return as two of the largest onsite food sampling fairs to be held in Singapore since COVID-19. Over at Constellar's managed venue Singapore EXPO, families can also head down to the venue in the month of June for a series of wellness activities organised by Constellar in conjunction with the Singapore Tourism Board's Wellness Festival Singapore 2022. Themed BE@EXPO, these activities will complement the new lifestyle offerings recently installed at the venue, such as Singapore's largest purpose-built fun-kart circuit and badminton hall, and the newest F & B additions Timbre+ Eastside and TAG Restaurant & Bar. BE@EXPO highlights include cooking classes focusing on nourishment with Chinese herbs, taught by Physician Diana Goh from Kin Teck Tong and Chief Culinary Officer Chef Richmond Lim of Singapore EXPO's culinary team; healthier baking classes by pastry chefs at the Academy of Pastry and Culinary Arts (APCA); kids and family-friendly yoga sessions, and Jump Boots workouts popular with both adults and children. Hosted Events at Singapore EXPO Apart from the above lineup, Singapore EXPO, the nation's largest purpose-built MICE venue, will also be playing host to a diverse and unique line-up of trade events. These include Asia Tech x Singapore, Asia's flagship tech event; Food & Hotel Asia (FHA-Food & Beverage and FHA-HoReCa), leading foodservice & hospitality events in Asia; MRO Asia-Pacific, the region's premier event for maintenance, repair and overhaul in aviation; Jewellery & Gem WORLD Singapore, the world's biggest trade buying event for gemstones and jewellery; Cosmoprof, the leading B2B trade event in Asia-Pacific covering all sectors of beauty; and Natural Disaster Expo Asia, a leading event for the management and mitigation of natural disasters. With the return of events and visitor traffic to Singapore EXPO, Constellar will continue to roll out more features to augment the customer experience, including sustainability investments that will accelerate its journey towards carbon neutrality. One such investment includes Singapore's first autonomous buggy with 100% locally developed technology. This vehicle is built by local tech-start-up Autsren Emobility Pte Ltd in research collaboration with the Energy Research Institute @ Nanyang Technological University (NTU/Eri@n). From 1-3 June, visitors to Singapore EXPO can view the vehicle in action and experience the ride personally. Investments over the next few months include solar panels for better energy efficiency and a food digester to turn food waste into electricity, water and compost. "We're excited to welcome live events back, as well as to apply the learnings from the past two years to develop stronger networks and innovative event experiences," said Group CEO, Jean-Francois Quentin. "With face-to-face engagement remaining the most irreplaceable aspect of our business, and an important enabler for rebuilding business momentum, we will continue to invest in capabilities to deliver quality engagements for our communities." More details on the events can be found in the Appendix Folder. The Constellar Communications team can be reached at comms@constellar.co About Constellar Constellar connects a global eco-system of event partners and consumers through a holistic portfolio of intellectual property (IP) in the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) industry. As Asia's partner of reference for curating innovative event and venue experiences, Constellar activates impactful networks to bring global markets, businesses and consumers together for sustainable growth. With our expertise and dedication, we are invested in helping you build trusted relationships with stakeholders for the long term and enabling cross-industry collaboration through world-class audience engagement solutions. Visit www.constellar.co for more information. SOURCE Constellar San Joaquin County coronavirus cases declined by 14.1% over the past week, with 1,693 new COVID-19 cases and four deaths. A week earlier, the county had reported 1,970 cases and one death. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 182,389 cases and 2,241 deaths. Across California, though, the picture was not as promising. New coronavirus cases leaped in California in the week ending Sunday, rising 13.2% as 107,887 cases were reported. The previous week had 95,266 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19. California ranked 10th among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In San Joaquin County: 3 COVID-19 test sites offer free medication, treatment for eligible patients In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 11.3% from the week before, with 702,236 cases reported. With 11.87% of the country's population, California had 15.36% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 32 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before. Within California, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Del Norte County with 532 cases per 100,000 per week; Mariposa County with 465; and San Mateo County with 428. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week. 'We don't see any cancellations': Americans ready for summer vacations despite COVID surge Nearby Calaveras County reported 48 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 51 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 7,860 cases and 120 deaths. Adding the most new cases overall were Los Angeles County, with 31,723 cases; San Diego County, with 9,675 cases; and Santa Clara County, with 7,980. Weekly case counts rose in 40 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Los Angeles, San Diego and Kern counties. Story continues >> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases Latest COVID vaccine rates California ranked 15th among states in share of people receiving at least one shot, with 83.8% of its residents at least partially vaccinated. The national rate is 77.7%, a USA TODAY analysis of CDC data shows. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are the most used in the United States, require two doses administered a few weeks apart. Taking aim at vaccine apathy: Patient group calls for recurring COVID-19 boosters In the week ending Wednesday, California reported administering another 415,833 vaccine doses, including 65,747 first doses. In the previous week, the state administered 463,250 vaccine doses, including 79,852 first doses. In all, California reported it has administered 75,237,247 total doses. Across California, cases fell in 18 counties, with the best declines in Santa Cruz County, with 550 cases from 1,089 a week earlier; in San Francisco County, with 3,634 cases from 4,088; and in Alameda County, with 5,878 cases from 6,268. In California, 255 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 262 people were reported dead. A total of 9,557,802 people in California have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 91,299 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 83,984,644 people have tested positive and 1,004,733 people have died. >> Track coronavirus cases across the United States California's COVID-19 hospital admissions rising USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, May 29. Likely COVID patients admitted in the state: Last week: 5,494 The week before that: 4,900 Four weeks ago: 3,761 Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation: Last week: 55,952 The week before that: 52,036 Four weeks ago: 41,964 Hospitals in 34 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 33 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 35 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows. The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on The Record: Coronavirus update: California COVID-19 cases surge in latest week DENVER, May 31, 2022 /CNW/ -- CryoMass Technologies Inc. ("CryoMass" or the "Company") (OTC: CRYM) is pleased to announce that the Canadian Intellectual Property Office has granted CryoMass a patent (#3064896) for its novel plant material separation process technology. The patent relates in general to separating plant particulates and, in particular, to a system and method for cryogenic separation of plant material. The patent will remain valid until 2039. CryoMass Technologies Inc (PRNewsfoto/CryoMass Technologies Inc) Patent Protection Good Until 2039! The Canadian patent follows the precedent set by the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the State Intellectual Property Office of the P. R. of China, both of which granted process patents to CryoMass that are valid until 2038. Christian Noel, CryoMass CEO, stated, "After years of planning, engineering and technical validation, it is exciting to receive patent protection in another key target market for our highly-disruptive technology. Canada was the first G7 nation to legalize cannabis and as such spawned some of the biggest names in the global cannabis industry. It's definitely an important commercialization opportunity for CryoMass." CryoMass remains committed to expanding its global patent protection portfolio and is pursuing patents in other important jurisdictions, including the European Union. "Although we talk a lot about the burgeoning, $50 billion dollar cannabis/hemp industry, we believe that our technology can dramatically reduce costs and improve product quality in other multi-billion dollar industries as well. Canada, China and the United States all have large and diverse agricultural sectors and having secured long-term patent protection should enable us to effectively capitalize on multiple agriculture opportunities," added Noel. The common stock of CryoMass Technologies Inc. trades on the OTC QB market under the symbol CRYM. For further information, please contact the Company by email at investors@cryomass.com or by telephone at +1 833 256 2382. The Company will welcome your inquiry. Story continues This press release is not an offer of securities, or a solicitation for purchase, subscription or sale of securities in the United States of America or in any other jurisdiction in which it would be unlawful to do so. Forward-looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including risk factors identified in the Company's SEC filings, and which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, changes in the regulatory environment affecting the sale and use of cannabis or hemp products and of other, potential lines of businesses that the Company will consider entering at a given time, demand for the Company's products, internal funding and the financial condition of the Company, product roll-out, competition, our dependence upon our commercial partners, variations in the global commodities markets and other commercial matters involving the Company, its products and the markets in which the Company operates or seeks to enter, as well as general economic conditions. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made only as of the date hereof, and unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Caution Regarding Cannabis Operations in the United States Investors should note that there are significant legal restrictions and regulations that govern the cannabis industry in the United States. Marijuana, as defined in the U.S. Controlled Substances Act, remains a Schedule I drug under the respective act, making it illegal under federal law in the U.S. to, among other things, cultivate, distribute or possess cannabis. Financial transactions involving proceeds generated by, or intended to promote, cannabis-related business activities in the U.S. may form the basis for prosecution under applicable U.S. federal money laundering legislation. Please carefully review the Company's SEC filings with respect to related risk factors. Related Links cryomass.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cryomass-technologies-receives-canadian-patent-for-its-proprietary-cryogenic-process-for-separating-plant-material-patent-protection-good-until-2039-301557019.html SOURCE CryoMass Technologies Inc Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2022/31/c5124.html Some came with a purpose, looking to honor family members or friends who lost their lives in service of their country. Others walked along the rows without a particular name in mind, simply looking to bear witness. Veterans of all ages showed up, reconnecting with those they served with. Multiple generations of families arrived, looking to honor those who died seeking to protect millions of people they never even met. Veterans, active-duty military and civilians, families, Boy Scout troops and Patriot Guard Riders, were among the thousands who came to the West Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery Monday to mark Memorial Day. People gather Monday, May 30, 2022 at the West Tennessee Veterans Cemetery in remembrance of fallen U.S. soldiers to honor Memorial Day. This pristine place holds a special meaning for me because it honors the servicemen and women that have given so much for our country, said Rodney Shaw, director of the West Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery. I have an awesome opportunity every day to remember and honor the great servicemen and women that paved the way for all of us. Our debt to these heroic men and women and their service to our country can never be repaid. At a commemoration event Monday morning, which included flyovers, patriotic music, a 21 gun salute, prayer and words of gratitude, Shaw said the bravery and sacrifice of those who died during or as a result of their service can never be forgotten. Memorial Day should mean more to us as Americans than just the U.S. flags that are posted along the roadways and in front of the headstones around the world. It's the day to always remember the servicemen and women. They paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives for our freedom and rights, he said. Latosha Leigh, left, visits the grave of her brother, U.S. Army Captain Toney Preston Rice with his mother Mary Rice and niece Ramya Spender, 11, as they join people gathered Monday, May 30, 2022 at the West Tennessee Veterans Cemetery in remembrance of fallen U.S. soldiers to honor Memorial Day. Retired Brig. Gen. Harry D. Montgomery Jr. said many people did not fully understand the meaning of Memorial Day or its importance. There's a growing disconnect between the community of active-duty military and veterans and the civilian population. Less than 6% of the American population has ever served in the military, he said. Currently, its less than 1% of the population that is serving. Story continues Today we honor all those that have gone before us. Not just those that died on the battlefield. How many died of cancer, but their bullet was exposure to dangerous chemicals like Agent Orange, or burn pits? he said. How many died of addiction, alcoholism or suicide, but the real bullet was untreated (post-traumatic stress)? Every once in a while, Montgomery said, the American public needs to be reminded of why we commemorate these occasions and stressed the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day or Armed Forces Day. We have commercialized Memorial Day as the unofficial start of summer or a big car or furniture sale folks one you cannot afford to miss, he said. But it's more than that to the families of more than 405,000 that died during World War II, or more than 36,000 died in Korea and more than 58,000 men died in Vietnam and more than 7,000 that have died since the war on terror, (in) Afghanistan and Iraq. Not to mention the countless lives lost in 45 years of a cold war between 1947 and 1992. Sgt David Scaggs of the Memphis Belle Honor Guard sets a flag to begin the ceremony on Monday, May 30, 2022 at the West Tennessee Veterans Cemetery in remembrance of fallen U.S. soldiers on Memorial Day. His remarks mirrored those spoken Monday by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who said Memorial Day was a day the nation paused to renew our commitment to be worthy of their sacrifice and to remind the families of our fallen heroes that you are not alone. Austin said the strength of the American military was not in its weaponry but in those in uniform. Its because of our people: the men and women who raise their hands to serve and the families and the loved ones who make their service possible. And its because of the values of democracy that they make such sacrifices to defend, he said. We can never take that for granted. We must never take that for granted. Corinne S Kennedy covers economic development and healthcare for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached via email at Corinne.Kennedy@CommercialAppeal.com This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memorial Day in Memphis: Fallen service members honored EssilorLuxottica Luxottica acquires 90.9% of Giorgio Fedon & Figli S.p.A. Pursuant to article 17 of Regulation (EU) 596/2014 by Giorgio Fedon & Figli S.p.A. on behalf of Luxottica Group S.p.A. and of the Sellers (as defined hereinafter) Milan, Italy (May 31, 2022 - 4:10 pm) Following the press release issued on April 11, 2022, in execution of the preliminary sale and purchase agreement entered into on the same date between Luxottica Group S.p.A. ("Luxottica"), a company subject to the management and coordination of Essilorluxottica S.A., and the significant shareholders of the Company (CL & & GP S.r.l., Piergiorgio Fedon, Sylt S.r.l., Italo Fedon, Laura Corte Metto, Francesca Fedon, Roberto Fedon, Flora Fedon and Rossella Fedon) as well as other non-significant shareholders (collectively the "Sellers"), Luxottica and the Sellers today announce the completion of the purchase by Luxottica of the 90.9% shareholding ("Stake") in the share capital of Giorgio Fedon & Figli S.p.A. ("Issuer" or "Company"), listed on Euronext Growth Milan, organized and managed by Borsa Italiana S.p.A., represented by no. 1,727,141 ordinary shares of the Company, at a price equal to Euro 17.03 for each share and therefore to an aggregate of approximately Euro 29.4 million. It should be noted that as of today - as a result of the purchase by Luxottica of the Stake - the legal conditions have arisen for Luxottica to have the obligation to launch a mandatory tender offer on the outstanding Company's ordinary shares pursuant to and for the purposes of Article 106 of the Legislative Decree no. 58/1998 (TUF), as referred to in Article 9 (Disposizioni in materia di offerta pubblica di acquisto) of the bylaws of the Issuer, as well as the applicable implementing provisions contained in Consob Regulation no. 11971/99 as subsequently amended (Offer). With reference to the Offer, Article 111 of the TUF shall be applied by virtue of Article 9-bis (Diritto di Acquisto) of the Companys bylaws. Story continues *** The mandatory public tender offer referred to in this communication will be promoted by Luxottica Group S.p.A. on no. 151,721 ordinary shares of Giorgio Fedon & Figli S.p.A. namely on all the outstanding ordinary shares as of today of the Issuer, deducted no. 1,727,141 ordinary shares owned by Luxottica (representing 90.9% of the Issuers share capital as of today) and the Companys no. 21,138 treasury shares (representing approximately 1.11% of the Issuers share capital). Prior to the commencement of Offer Period, in accordance with applicable law, the Offeror will publish an Offer Document that the shareholders of Giorgio Fedon & Figli S.p.A are required to carefully examine. The Offer will be promoted exclusively in Italy, will be subject to the disclosure obligations and procedural requirements provided for by Italian law and will be addressed, on equal terms, to all holders of shares in Giorgio Fedon & Figli S.p.A. The Offer is not and will not be promoted or distributed in the United States of America (or addressed to U.S. Persons, as defined under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended), Canada, Japan and Australia, and any other country in which this Offer is not allowed without specific authorization by the competent authorities or other fulfilment by the Offeror ("Other Countries"), neither by using communication means or national or international commerce means (including, for example, the postal network, the fax, the telefax, the e-mail, the telephone and the internet) of the Other Countries, nor through any structure of any financial intermediaries of the Other Countries, nor in any other means. Copy of any document that the Offeror may issue in relation to the Offer, or part of it, is not and shall not be sent, or in any way transmitted, or otherwise distributed, directly or indirectly, in the Other Countries or to a U.S. Person, as defined by the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as subsequently amended. Anyone who receives the abovementioned documents shall abstain from distributing, sending or forwarding them, by any means, to the Other Countries or to any U.S. Person, as defined by the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as subsequently amended. Any acceptance of the Offer resulting from solicitation activities carried out in violation of the above limitations will not be accepted. Any document that the Offeror may issue in relation to the Offer does not constitute and shall not be deemed to constitute an offer of financial instruments addressed to persons residing in the Other Countries or to a U.S. Person as defined by the U.S. Securities Act dated 1933, as subsequently amended. No financial instrument shall be offered or purchased in the Other Countries without a specific authorisation pursuant to the applicable laws of such countries or a derogation from such laws. The acceptance of the Offer by persons residing in countries other than Italy may be subject to specific obligations or restrictions as provided for by the applicable laws and regulations. It is the sole responsibility of the recipients of this Offer to comply with such laws and regulations and, therefore, to verify the existence and applicability of any such provisions prior to accepting the Offer, by consulting on their own advisors. The Offeror shall not be liable for any breach by any person of any of the aforesaid restrictions. *** The press release is available on the respective websites of EssilorLuxottica and the Company and on www.1info.it . Attachment South Africa: Vincent Magwenya appointed President's spokesperson Experienced and seasoned communicator, Vincent Magwenya, has been appointed as President Cyril Ramaphosas spokesperson from 1 June 2022. President Ramaphosa said Magwenyas experience will impact positively on the work of the Presidency. I am pleased to welcome Vincent Magwenya to the Presidency team. His experience, insight and capabilities will strengthen our efforts to effectively communicate the work of the Presidency as we undertake the work of recovery and rebuilding, the President said. According to the Presidency, Magwenya has among other positions served as spokesperson for former President Jacob Zuma between 2009 and 2010 as well as several other positions in the private sector. He was CEO of PR agency Magna Carta from 2013 to 2016, before establishing Conversations Media and Communications, where he has served as CEO. Mr Magwenya also served as Director of Communications for Standard Bank Africa and Director of Group Stakeholder Relations Management for Standard Bank Group. He started his career as a broadcast journalist in various technical and editorial roles and worked for international and local broadcasters such as Reuters Television, Worldwide Television News now known as Associated Press Television News, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the South African Broadcasting Corporation, the Presidency said. President Ramaphosa thanked Tyrone Seale who was acting in the position. I wish to express my gratitude to Tyrone Seale for having acted in the position of spokesperson to the President since July 2020. His capable manner and dedication to the task has been widely acknowledged and is much appreciated, the President said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-05-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Positions of the Azerbaijani armed forces have come under fire in the Kalbajar direction, Azernews reports, citing the press service of the Defense Ministry. On the evening of May 30, units of the Armenian armed forces, stationed in the direction of Yukhari Zogalli of Basarkechar Region on the state border, fired at the positions of the Azerbaijani army from weapons of various calibers in the direction of Zivel of Kalbacar District, the Defense Ministry adds. The units of the Azerbaijani army took adequate response measures, the report says. Outsourcing agreement will enhance security, reliability and user experience for 5 million annual visitors HUDSON, Ohio, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- FOREX, the market leader in currency exchange services in the Nordic countries, is outsourcing its entire ATM channel management to Diebold Nixdorf (NYSE: DBD) and is expanding its fleet with DN SeriesTM devices. FOREX expands its self-service fleet with DN Series ATMs from Diebold Nixdorf. The yellow-branded ATMs promote the FOREX brand, increase touchpoint opportunities and generate revenue. FOREX has nearly 80 branches in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway located in busy locations like airport terminals and train stations visited by more than 5 million unique visitors every year. Since most of their customers are international travelers, foreign exchange is the most-widely used service at FOREX, either in its branches or at its ATMs. Currently, 12 different currencies are available at FOREX ATMs, making the self-service channel a critical factor in its digital transformation to a 24/7, automated service model to offer increased convenience to customers, drive more transactions and reduce costs. The solution scope provided by Diebold Nixdorf to FOREX includes: - hardware and software lifecycle management; - security and compliance; - monitoring and integrated service desk; - installation, maintenance, and repair; - transaction processing, and more. With this agreement, the entire fleet is now comprised of Diebold Nixdorf devices. The yellow-branded ATMs promote the FOREX brand, increase touchpoint opportunities and ultimately generate additional revenue. The DN Series technology enables FOREX to offer a wide range of currencies. Additionally, the large, interactive screens show customized marketing messages and campaigns, which is critical for continuing to build and deepen customer relationships in a self-service environment. Security and compliance are a top priority, and the DN Series solution delivers on FOREX's expectations by providing a layered security approach to protect against traditional and emerging physical, data and cyber threats. Story continues Carolina Bopp, senior dealer, at FOREX said: "We love the new DN Series. As our ATMs are our brand ambassadors, modern and innovative design is very important for us. We are glad to have a fleet that looks great and is both secure and available in such a compact size. It's a real competitive advantage for us." To further optimize each branch, the ATMs are connected to DN AllConnectSM Data Engine. Technical data is continuously aggregated and analyzed using the latest developments in cloud computing and machine learning, enabling Diebold Nixdorf to generate personalized, actionable insights for each device. This helps decrease the number of incidents and resolution time and guarantee market-leading availability. Ann-Charlotte Bergstroem, manager Strategic Relationships & ATM, at FOREX said: "Since many of our customers are travelers, it's very important that our ATMs are available around the clock, and it's more efficient for us to partner with an expert in the ATM technology space. By using Diebold Nixdorf's Managed Services solutions, we can keep downtime to a minimum, which gives us peace of mind to focus on serving our customers." Helena Muller, area sales lead, Northern Europe, at Diebold Nixdorf said: "We're excited to build on our partnership with FOREX to help them meet consumers' needs and offer new, consumer journeys. DN AllConnect ServicesSM provides a flexible service solution that's designed to accelerate their performance and enable growth and continued innovation." About FOREX FOREX is since opening its first branch in Stockholm 1965 the market leader in the Nordics when it comes to travel money and foreign exchange. In addition to travel money, we also offer travel insurance, payment services and a credit card. FOREX has presently more than 80 centrally located branches in the Nordic region. Contact us at www.forex.se or +46 771 22 22 21. About Diebold Nixdorf Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated (NYSE: DBD) is a world leader in enabling connected commerce. We automate, digitize and transform the way people bank and shop. As a partner to the majority of the world's top 100 financial institutions and top 25 global retailers, our integrated solutions connect digital and physical channels conveniently, securely and efficiently for millions of consumers each day. The company has a presence in more than 100 countries with approximately 22,000 employees worldwide. Visit www.DieboldNixdorf.com for more information. Twitter: @DieboldNixdorf LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/diebold Facebook: www.facebook.com/DieboldNixdorf YouTube: www.youtube.com/dieboldnixdorf DN-B Diebold Nixdorf Primary Logo. (PRNewsFoto/Diebold Nixdorf) (PRNewsfoto/Diebold Nixdorf) Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/forex-chooses-diebold-nixdorf-for-comprehensive-atm-managed-services-deal-301557613.html SOURCE Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated GTreasury Keurig Dr Peppers FX solution and Micro Focus in-house bank and cashless netting were named Highly Commended Winners by Treasury Today CHICAGO, May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GTreasury, a treasury and risk management platform provider, today announced that customers Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) and Micro Focus have been named Highly Commended Winners in Treasury Todays 2022 Adam Smith Awards, an industry benchmark for corporate treasury achievement. KDP, one of the worlds largest beverage companies, was honored in the Best Foreign Exchange Solution category. Micro Focus, one of the worlds largest enterprise software providers, earned its distinction as a Best Transaction Management Solution selection. Both companies use GTreasurys integrated cloud ecosystem to help deliver the transformative solutions that earned their respective awards. KDP selected GTreasury to replace its Excel-based manual FX workflow with a more modernized and automated solution. The company completed hundreds of FX deals annually across seven countries and seven currencies a process that required manually logging into multiple banking platforms and completing payment templates. KDP solved this by implementing GTreasurys platform and FX workflow automation across its business. GTreasury assisted in adding feeds that delivered real-time market data and automatic valuations for KDPs FX deals, and integrated the companys multiple SAP ERP system instances and global business units to build a seamless and comprehensive automated FX workflow. GTreasurys solution has fully automated FX settlement payments and multiplied KDPs FX activity and efficiency. Our GTreasury-enabled FX automation solution has truly transformed our efficiency and our entire approach to FX, said Felix-Antoine Marchildon, Senior Manager Treasury, at Keurig Dr Pepper. Weve doubled our FX trade volume while also introducing hedge accounting and balance sheet hedging. With GTreasurys scalability, we were able to achieve it with no additional load on our treasury team, and we will support our companys growth with that same confidence going forward. On behalf of our treasury team, its an honor to have this work recognized by Treasury Today. Story continues Micro Focus turned to the GTreasury platform to expand its custom in-house bank across its entire business and to introduce a cashless netting solution. GTreasurys automation and connectivity capabilities enabled a new in-house bank that optimizes Micro Focus cash pooling and treasury workflow. GTreasury records in-house bank account transaction activity and runs an interest allocation process to calculate and reconcile interest due to (and from) company subsidiaries each month. This comprehensive cross-company cashless netting solution includes close coordination with ERP functionality. The solution efficiently concentrates liquidity to the top of the house, and makes it easy to deploy capital to meet ongoing business funding needs. Micro Focus now has more than 10,000 rules programmed into GTreasury to track in-house banking activity and cash accounting, achieving over 90% treasury automation across the business. GTreasury saves our treasury team the time that had been required to reconstitute funds for our netting flows that had been scattered across our business by cash settlements, said Christopher Swiss, Group Treasurer at Micro Focus. With GTreasurys cashless netting solution, our processes are automated and our cash is invested efficiently, resulting in a clear ROI. Keurig Dr Pepper and Micro Focus are well deserved Highly Commended Winners in this years Adam Smith Awards, said Robin Heller, Chief Customer Officer at GTreasury. Both companies are purposeful and strategic in how theyve built their treasury infrastructure not just for the now, but going forward. We congratulate both companies on their treasury achievements, and look forward to continuing to help support their modern treasury initiatives. About GTreasury GTreasury is committed to connecting treasury and digital finance operations by providing a world-class SaaS treasury and risk management system and integrated ecosystem where cash, debt, investments and exposures are seamlessly managed within the office of the CFO. GTreasury delivers intelligent insights, while connecting financial value chains and extending workflows to third-party systems, exchanges, portals and services. Headquartered in Chicago, with locations serving EMEA (London) and APAC (Sydney and Manila), GTreasurys global community includes more than 800 customers and 30+ industries reaching 160+ countries worldwide. Visit GTreasury.com Contact Kyle Peterson kyle@clementpeterson.com HALIFAX, NS / ACCESSWIRE / May 31, 2022 / Meta Materials Inc. ("META") (NASDAQ:MMAT)(FSE:MMAT), a developer of high-performance functional materials and nanocomposites, and PPG (NYSE:PPG) (together with META, the "Companies"), a global paint, coatings and specialty materials manufacturer, today announced a memorandum of understanding ("MOU") to develop new ophthalmic smart devices primarily for extended reality (XR) applications. The collaboration focuses on developing dynamic dimming functionality of META's NANOWEB transparent conductive film combined with PPG electrochromic gels and META's ARfusion platform. https://storage.googleapis.com/accesswire/media/703281/META-Go-Beyond-650x650.jpg "PPG has a proven track record of pioneering solutions for the ophthalmic industry and the prescription eyeglass wearing public for more than 50 years," said George Palikaras CEO of META. "PPG is a trusted supplier, and we are excited to expand our collaboration by adding PPG's high-performance chemistries that perfectly complement our unique ARfusion platform and deliver dynamic optics to our growing list of customers." PPG and META believe that the XR market, which is an umbrella term that covers virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) applications, can become more viable with more easily cured high index, multi-functional and lightweight smart lenses. Utilizing META's ARfusion proprietary technology with ultraviolet (UV) light for curing, the collaboration aims to optimize PPG's electrochromic gel in combination with PPG's UV-curable optical monomers to deliver enhanced dynamic dimming functionality for XR eyewear. These materials are being combined for the first time and are expected to lead to more cost-effective and sustainable manufacturing, benefiting all points in the supply chain, from manufacturer to consumer. "A key challenge for XR eyewear developers is to overcome high-brightness ambient lighting, such as outdoors on a sunny day," said Jonathan Waldern, CTO of META. "Ramping up display power in these settings greatly shortens battery life. Dynamic dimming should enable a more readable display with more efficient power use." Story continues META's ARfusion technology combines UV precision cast lens fabrication tools with functional materials to provide XR wearable developers with a one-stop-shop platform for seamlessly integrating smart technologies into thin, lightweight lenses. "META has the capabilities and resources to lead the development and integration of highly functional materials in smart prescription lenses," said Ray Hudack, PPG senior marketing manager, Optical Materials and Coatings. "PPG has extensive experience and IP related to the development, formulation, and application of electrochromic formulations. Together, we aim to develop new ways to advance the next generation ophthalmic optics with new functionality. Through this initiative, we see an opportunity to bring a superior solution to developers of AR/XR smart eyewear and other applications." The Companies will jointly participate in customer demonstrations at the AWE USA show, June 1-3 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in California (Booth 219). PPG: WE PROTECT AND BEAUTIFY THE WORLD At PPG (NYSE:PPG), we work every day to develop and deliver the paints, coatings and specialty materials that our customers have trusted for nearly 140 years. Through dedication and creativity, we solve our customers' biggest challenges, collaborating closely to find the right path forward. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, we operate and innovate in more than 75 countries and reported net sales of $16.8 billion in 2021. We serve customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets and aftermarkets. To learn more, visit www.ppg.com. Meta Materials Inc., Monday, May 30, 2022, Press release picture About Meta Materials Inc. META delivers previously unachievable performance, across a range of applications, by inventing, designing, developing, and manufacturing sustainable, highly functional materials. Our extensive technology platform enables leading global brands to deliver breakthrough products to their customers in consumer electronics, 5G communications, health and wellness, aerospace, automotive, and clean energy. Our nano-optic technology provides anti-counterfeiting security features for government documents and currencies and authentication for brands. Our achievements have been widely recognized, including being named a Lux Research Innovator of the Year in 2021. Learn more at www.metamaterial.com. Forward Looking Information This press release includes forward-looking information or statements within the meaning of Canadian securities laws and within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, regarding the Companies, which may include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the business strategies, product development, expansion plans and operational activities of each Company . Often but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as "pursuing", "potential", "predicts", "projects", "seeks", "plans", "expect", "intends", "anticipated", "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Such statements are based on the current expectations and views of future events of the management of each Company and are based on assumptions and subject to risks and uncertainties. Although the management of each Company believes that the assumptions underlying these statements are reasonable, they may prove to be incorrect. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur and could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting the Companies, the capabilities of each Company's facilities and the expansion thereof, research and development projects of each Company, the market potential of the products of each Company , the market position of each Company, the scalability of each Company's production ability, capacity for new customer engagements, material selection programs timeframes, the ability to reduce production costs, enhance metamaterials manufacturing capabilities and extend market reach into new applications and industries, the ability to accelerate commercialization plans, the possibility of new customer contracts, the continued engagement of each Company's employees, the technology industry, market strategic and operational activities, and each Company's management's ability to manage and to operate its business. More details about these and other risks are discussed in META's and PPG's periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, in particular, the sections entitled "Risk Factors" in META's and PPG's Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which are available on SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Although the Companies have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements or information. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Except as required by applicable securities laws, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and the Companies do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except to the extent required by law. We protect and beautify the world is a trademark and the PPG Logo is a registered trademark of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc. ARfusion, NANOWEB and META are registered trademarks of Meta Materials. Media Inquiries Rob Stone Vice President, Corporate Development and Communications Meta Materials Inc. media@metamaterial.com Brande Juart Senior Communications Associate PPG juart@ppg.com Investor Contact Mark Komonoski Senior Vice President Integrous Communications Phone: 1-877-255-8483 Email: ir@metamaterial.com SOURCE: Meta Materials Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/703281/Meta-Materials-and-PPG-Announce-Plans-to-Develop-Electrochromic-Applications-for-Ophthalmic-Optics-in-the-Extended-Reality-Market Two hang gliders crashed in Milpitas, Californias Ed R Levin Park on Monday, 30 May, 2022. (Santa Clara County Parks) A man is dead and a woman is seriously injured after a hang gliding crash on Monday in Northern California. The crash occured around noon when a pair doing a tandem flight from a summit in Milpitass Ed R Levin Park crashed into a hillside, according to officials. "The terrain is very rugged," Galahad Zamora of the Milpitas Fire Department told KTVU. "Its a single lane road in order to get up to that location. It provided some challenges for our equipment and personnel to get up there and make patient contact." The woman was airlifted to Regional Medical Center, where her condition is unknown. Identifying details about the pair were not immediately released, as officials work to notify next of kin. The relationship of the two individuals is unknown, though tandem flights are often between an instructor and a student. The Independent has reached out to the fire department and Santa Clara County Sheriffs Office for more information. Its an ongoing investigation, sheriffs office spokesperson Russell Davis told the San Francisco Chronicle. Our thoughts are with the family members and friends. The park is a popular destination for hang gliders in the area, and non-fatal accidents are common. One local hang glider told ABC7 that condition on Monday did not appear safe for a tandem flight. You could feel the gusts, he said. Thats not very good. The county coroner, Milpitas Fire Department, Santa Clara County Sheriffs Department, and Santa Clara County Parks are working together on investigating the crash. This is a breaking news story and will be updated with new information. VFIS of North Carolina is a leading independent producer for non-profit emergency service organizations BOSTON, May 31, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--One80 Intermediaries (One80), a specialty insurance broker headquartered in Boston, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire VFIS of North Carolina, an independent producer and Regional Director for VFIS. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Since 1969, Volunteer Firemens Insurance Services, now VFIS has provided highly specialized insurance coverage designed to meet the unique needs of emergency service organizations. This includes fire departments and volunteer fire departments, as well as ambulance and rescue squads. Services include insurance program administration and management, education, training, and consulting services. VFIS is a wholly owned division of Glatfelter Insurance Group, a leading Managing General Agency and Insurance Broker. "One80 Intermediaries is excited to expand its relationship with VFIS, the largest provider of insurance, education and consulting services to fire departments, ambulance, rescue squads and 911 centers in the United States. Additionally, we are delighted to welcome Jackie Ireland and his incredible team as part of our growing One80 family," said Matthew F. Power, President, One80 Intermediaries. "VFIS of North Carolina is committed to protecting emergency service organizations and promoting the health and interest of its members. We are thrilled to join One80 Intermediaries as this partnership will further enhance the offerings and services we provide to the emergency service community," said Jackie Ireland, President of Ireland Insurance Group, Inc. d/b/a VFIS of North Carolina. About One80 Intermediaries One80 Intermediaries is a privately held firm with offices throughout the US and Canada. As a leading insurance wholesaler and program manager, the company offers placement services and binding authority for property & casualty, professional and personal lines, life insurance, and travel/accident and health coverages. One80 specializes in key industry verticals such as medical stop loss, cannabis captives, alternative risk, warranty coverage and lender-based insurance. One80 serves commercial companies, non-profits, public entities, individuals and associations and unions, and has access to all major insurance markets in the US, Canada and UK. One80 has offices in more than 40 locations in the US and Canada. For more information visit www.one80intermediaries.com Story continues View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531005011/en/ Contacts Media Contact: Lenika P. Milne lmilne@one80intermediaries.com (786) 865-4614 Fast-Growing Health Food Chain Lands Technology Powerhouse SINGAPORE, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SaladStop! Group ("SaladStop!" or "the Group"), Asia's first and largest health food chain, announces the hiring of its first Chief Technology Officer Katharine Nevins. Bringing unmatched experience from her past role driving innovation as the Head of GIC Labs, Nevins will lead SaladStop! Group through upcoming stages of rapid scaling and technology-enabled growth. In November 2021 the company closed a series B investment round featuring some of the most prominent investors in the region, setting the stage for significant technology and talent investments for 2022 and beyond. The SaladStop! Group offers nutritional transparency and climate-positive choices impacting 3.5 million people a year, on track to achieve their mission of being Asia's leading personalized nutrition company. SaladStop! understands that their customers are looking to find a healthier version of themselves, but they need support in making that a priority in a world fighting for their attention. The company is focused on the empowerment of a new generation of consumers, offering a platform for them to create healthier habits to build a better future for themselves, for their communities, and for the planet. With over 50% of their business done online today, SaladStop! recognizes the importance of building up digital capabilities for creative customer retention and engagement through powerful storytelling and content. Nevins and her team will focus on leveraging data from wearables and other trusted experts to provide tailored solutions that meet their nutritional needs and suit their tastebuds in a way that's simple and engaging. Another key focus will be building out a vigorous loyalty program, rewarding customers for their participation in sustainability initiatives. "What drew me to SaladStop! was the opportunity to have a very tangible positive impact on millions of people across Southeast Asia, as well as the planet. I have been so impressed with their forward-thinking approach to the market and ambitious technology vision; Giving customers the power to customize meals that accurately line up with their nutritional needs, health goals, and tastes, all done sustainably," says Nevins. "My team has welcomed the challenge to achieve an ordering experience that is seamless and ubiquitous. We're already asking ourselves: What if you could get a meal recommendation based on your specific health markers? What if a trusted expert could tailor a meal plan for you? What if your family's weeknight meal plan could be flexible, accommodating changes in plans or a sudden desire for teriyaki 'Fable'." Nevins is eager to recruit a talented team to make this vision a reality. Story continues Nevins comes to the role armed with massive product management and strategy experience. Prior to leading GIC Labs, she worked with both rapidly scaling start-ups and established technology companies. She was a product leader at two fast-growing platform start-ups; Matterport, a 3-D media platform, as they grew from approximately 50-200 employees, and AppNexus, a display advertising platform, as it grew from approximately 100 to 500 employees. She also spent 5 years in product management and corporate strategy at Intuit, a Fortune 500 software company in Silicon Valley, helping customers manage their financial lives. "Katharine was an early trailblazer in product management and corporate strategy. She joins us with 15 years of experience and harnesses a fierce passion for delivering better customer journeys through elevated technology," says Chief Executive Officer Adrien Desbaillets. "Katharine will be key in delivering a truly unique and captivating SaladStop! online experience, leveraging our O2O (online-to-offline) model and multi-brand system. She's quickly seen the potential that technology can bring in scaling the business and empowering a new generation of consumers in the region." As SaladStop! continues to grow, on track to establish their dominance as Asia's leading personalized nutrition company, Katharine's leadership, strong background, and vision into the future of proprietary software is exactly what this organization needs to succeed. About SaladStop! Group SaladStop! Group is on a mission to build a food solution for the future through accelerated investments into technology, food sustainability, and ingredient traceability. With the goal to empower the next generation to make healthier and more conscious choices, they're on track to become Asia's leading personalized nutrition company through human-centric, tech-enabled growth, building on their locally sourced, sustainable-first approach to the market. As part of SaladStop! Group's commitment to a resilient future, they're supporting Singapore's 30 by 30 initiative by launching their first ever Net Zero outlet in 2022, becoming the first and only business in Asia to allow customers to carbon offset their meal. The Group recently instituted multiple programs to reduce its carbon footprint including offering plant-based foods, sustainably sourced ingredients, green packaging, and supporting reforestation programs. Complementing their outlet presence, SaladStop! recently launched Good Food People, a new plant-based online grocer, offering the largest selection of meat alternative proteins in Singapore, inclusive of ready-to-heat products, homemade sauces, dressings, and more. SaladStop! Group is aggressively and mindfully executing their vision of educating, engaging, and empowering the next generation of consumers to build better habits for themselves, their communities, and the planet, by developing an integrated ecosystem, connecting with customers in all aspects of their lives to make the most positive impact possible. Learn more at saladstop.com SOURCE SaladStop! SalMar ASA Reference is made to the stock exchange announcement 30 May 2022 regarding SalMar ASA (the "Company" or "SalMar") and Norway Royal Salmon ASA entering into a merger plan. The board of directors of SalMar has resolved to call for an extraordinary general meeting of the Company to be held on 30 June 2022 at 12:00 CEST. The general meeting will be held as a digital meeting. The notice and agenda for the extraordinary general meeting is attached to this notice and is also sent to the Company's shareholders. Furthermore, the notice and its appendices as well as the merger plan together with its appendices have been made available at the Company's webpage, www.salmar.no/investor. For further information, please contact: Hakon Husby, Head of Investor Relations Tel: +47 936 30 449 Email: hakon.husby@salmar.no This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Oslo Brs' Continuing Obligations. Attachment A Texas law that would bar social media companies from taking action on hate speech and disinformation was temporarily blocked Tuesday in a rare 5-4 Supreme Court ruling. Justices John Roberts, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, Sonia Sotomayor and Stephen Breyer ruled in favor of tech industry groups looking to block the law, with Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch and Elena Kagan dissenting. The decision is a win for tech groups pushing back on laws coming from Republican-controlled state legislatures that seek to put barriers on social media companies ability to moderate content. A case on the law itself may wind up back before the Supreme Court as it makes its way through challenges in lower courts. But Tuesdays decision means the law which critics have said could lead to a more dangerous internet will remain blocked for now in Texas, reversing a decision from a court of appeals earlier this month. In Alitos dissenting opinion, he said he has not formed a definitive view on the novel legal questions that arise from Texass decision to address the changing social and economic conditions it perceives. But precisely because of that, I am not comfortable intervening at this point in the proceedings. While I can understand the Courts apparent desire to delay enforcement of HB20 while the appeal is pending, the preliminary injunction entered by the District Court was itself a significant intrusion on state sovereignty, and Texas should not be required to seek preclearance from the federal courts before its laws go into effect, he added. The law forbids social media companies with more than 50 million monthly users from banning users based on political views. It comes amid a push from Republicans to cast social media companies as censoring content with an anti-conservative bias, inflamed by platforms decision to suspend former President Trump in the wake of the attack at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Story continues A similar law in Florida was blocked last week by a court of appeals that also sided with tech industry groups on the matter. The Texas law had similarly been blocked since Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed it into law in September up until a decision by a court of appeals earlier this month lifted the ban. Matt Schruers, president of the Computer & Communications Industry Association, which is one of two industry groups suing against the Texas law, said he is encouraged by the court ruling to block the law as it remains under consideration. This ruling means that private American companies will have an opportunity to be heard in court before they are forced to disseminate vile, abusive or extremist content under this Texas law. We appreciate the Supreme Court ensuring First Amendment protections, including the right not to be compelled to speak, will be upheld during the legal challenge to Texass social media law, he said. Updated at 5:23 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Positive Results from the Phase 3 PARADIGM Study in Japanese Patients with Colorectal Cancer to be Presented During the Plenary Session at ASCO, in Collaboration with Amgen Overall Survival Data to be Presented during Oral Sessions at both ASCO and EHA from the Phase 3 ECHELON-1 Trial in Patients with Previously Untreated Advanced Hodgkin Lymphoma, in Partnership with Seagen Pipeline Presentations Highlight Progress with Programs Harnessing Innate Immunity to Outsmart Cancer and Improve Patients Lives CAMBRIDGE, Mass. & OSAKA, Japan, May 31, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TSE:4502/NYSE:TAK) ("Takeda") today announced that it will present data at two upcoming scientific congresses this spring: the 58th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), June 3-7 in Chicago, Ill. and the 30th Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA), June 9-12 in Vienna, Austria. Takedas latest research in oncology focuses on enhancing and improving patient care while exploring novel approaches for patients with limited treatment options. Data presentations span a range of cancers, including lymphoma, leukemia, multiple myeloma and non-small cell lung cancer, including early insights into investigational therapies that leverage the innate immune system. "Our data at this springs medical congresses are indicative of our quest to outsmart cancer and our ability to work collaboratively with partners to further our research capabilities," said Christopher Arendt, Ph.D., Head of Oncology Cell Therapy and Therapeutic Area Unit of Takeda. "In addition to sharing data on currently approved therapies, we look forward to presenting early findings from our innate immunity clinical programs many of which are exploring novel mechanisms of action that we believe have the power to advance the field of oncology and recast current standards of care." A full list of company-sponsored abstracts are available for ASCO and EHA. Story continues Takedas Commitment to Oncology Our core R&D mission is to deliver novel medicines to patients with cancer worldwide through our commitment to science, breakthrough innovation and passion for improving the lives of patients. Whether its with our hematology therapies, our robust pipeline, or solid tumor medicines, we aim to stay both innovative and competitive to bring patients the treatments they need. For more information, visit www.takedaoncology.com. About Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TSE: 4502/NYSE: TAK) is a global, values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader headquartered in Japan, committed to discover and deliver life-transforming treatments, guided by our commitment to patients, our people and the planet. Takeda focuses its R&D efforts on four therapeutic areas: Oncology, Rare Genetics and Hematology, Neuroscience, and Gastroenterology (GI). We also make targeted R&D investments in Plasma-Derived Therapies and Vaccines. We are focusing on developing highly innovative medicines that contribute to making a difference in peoples lives by advancing the frontier of new treatment options and leveraging our enhanced collaborative R&D engine and capabilities to create a robust, modality-diverse pipeline. Our employees are committed to improving quality of life for patients and to working with our partners in health care in approximately 80 countries and regions. For more information, visit https://www.takeda.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531005140/en/ Contacts Japanese Media Ryoko Matsumoto ryoko.matsumoto@takeda.com +81 (0) 3-3278-3414 Oncology U.S. and International Media Lauren Padovan lauren.padovan@takeda.com +1 (215) 859-2605 In this article: Telecom Italia S.p.A. (OTC: TIAIY) sought an enterprise value of 20 billion ($21.5 billion) for the landline network, Bloomberg reports. Telecom Italia CEO Pietro Labriola looks to sell the landline network to Italys state lender and a group of international funds to cut its multi-billion-dollar debt pile and initiate a fiber rollout for Italy that lags far behind its European peers. Labriola also aims to spin the companys commercial services off into a separate unit. Telecom Italia looks to sell off the entirety of its network to shift control of the asset to the Italian state. Telecom Italia reached a preliminary, non-binding accord with state lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti SpA. The accord includes Open Fiber and Teemco, controlled by KKR & Co Inc (NYSE: KKR), which owns a stake in Telecom Italias FiberCop SpA fiber unit. Telecom Italia has an enterprise value of 36 billion, with total debt of 30 billion. Price Action : TIAIY closed higher by 0.34% at $2.97 on Friday. Photo Via Company See more from Benzinga Don't miss real-time alerts on your stocks - join Benzinga Pro for free! Try the tool that will help you invest smarter, faster, and better. 2022 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. By Azernews Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov is paying an official visit to Bulgaria, Azernews reports, citing the Foreign Ministry. The Azerbaijani top diplomats visit to Bulgaria includes a strategic dialogue meeting between the two nations with the participation of the foreign ministers, and bilateral meetings with Bulgarian officials, the report elaborates. In the meantime, ahead of the Azerbaijani foreign ministers official visit to Sofia, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev in his congratulatory message to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the Independence Day reemphasized the importance his country is attaching to the development of the relations with Azerbaijan, which, he said, we perceive as a strategic partner. This Bulgarian leader believes this is confirmed by the intensive 30-year-long fruitful dialogue between our two countries. The Bulgarian leader expressed his confidence that the two countries have excellent perspectives and opportunities for intensive and mutually beneficial cooperation in all sectors which will contribute to their future development. I believe that the invitation I sent for your visit to Bulgaria this year will give us the opportunity to discuss new horizons and perspectives, Radev reiterated, reconfirming his certitude to go ahead with augmentation of the relations for the benefit of the two nations. In the light of both parties readiness to expand all-out relations, the visit of the Azerbaijani leader to Sofia would only be conducive to further deepening of the ties, pundits in Baku believe. A promising for Bulgaria's area of cooperation at this stage is the purchase of natural gas from Azerbaijan amid the ongoing Russian war in Ukraine, and Europes collective efforts to get rid of Russian energy resources. With the completion of the TAP (Trans-Adriatic Pipeline) construction on December 31, 2020, Azerbaijan began commercial gas supplies to Europe via the Southern Gas Corridor. The European Commission's Southern Gas Corridor initiative aims to build a natural gas supply route from the Caspian and Middle Eastern regions to Europe. The route from Azerbaijan to Europe consists of the South Caucasus Pipeline, the Trans-Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP), and TAP. In 2021, TAP transported 8.1 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe. By late 2022, Azerbaijan plans to increase gas supplies to Europe to 9.1 billion cubic meters, and in 2023, the volume of gas supplies is expected to reach 11 billion cubic meters. Additionally, today, the final work on the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB), which will transport natural gas from Azerbaijan to Bulgaria, is in full swing. Gas was supposed to start flowing via IGB back in 2020, but the delay in implementing the project has postponed the purchase of Azerbaijani gas. In keeping with the forecast of the Azerbaijani government for oil and gas production in the country until 2026, about 48 billion cubic meters of gas will be produced in 2023, 49 billion cubic meters in 2024, and about 50 billion cubic meters in 2025. By Deena Beasley May 31 (Reuters) - Use of Pfizer Inc's COVID-19 antiviral Paxlovid spiked this week, but some doctors are reconsidering the pills for lower-risk patients after a U.S. public health agency warned that symptoms can recur after people complete a course of the drug, and that they should then isolate a second time. More quarantine time "is not a crowd-pleaser," Dr. Sandra Kemmerly, an infectious disease specialist at Ochsner Health in New Orleans, told Reuters. "For those people who really aren't at risk ... I would recommend that they not take it." Use of Pfizer's Paxlovid, authorized to treat newly infected, at-risk people in order to prevent severe illness, has soared as infections have risen. More than 162,000 courses were dispensed last week - compared with an average of 33,000 a week since the drug was launched late last year, according to government data. Biden administration officials have pushed for wide use of Paxlovid, which the government purchased and provides free. But higher use has also come with more reports from people who say their symptoms eased with Paxlovid only to return a few days after finishing a five-day regimen of the pills. On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, citing case reports and concerns that relapsed patients could spread the virus, issued its advisory that Paxlovid users should isolate for a second five days if symptoms rebound. "I am shying away from giving it to people who are very low- risk, and are not terribly ill, particularly people who are vaccinated and boosted," said Dr. Bruce Farber, chief of public health and epidemiology for Northwell Health. He said he is still recommending Paxlovid for people who have significant health conditions or are over age 75. Pfizer, in an email, said it is monitoring the data, but believes the return of detectable virus is uncommon and not uniquely associated with its drug. "We have not seen any resistance emerge to date in patients treated with Paxlovid," a spokesperson said. Story continues Paxlovid's emergency authorization stipulates that it should be used only for newly infected people with risk factors, but doctors said many others have sought out a prescription. "We get a lot of requests - maybe somebody is traveling and they want to take it just in case," said Dr. Tara Vijayan, infectious disease specialist at UCLA Health in Los Angeles. "We are not offering it as a just-in-case." The CDC also said it is unclear whether cases of rebound symptoms have anything to do with Paxlovid, or are simply part of the natural trajectory of COVID-19. The agency did not flag any specific concerns about health effects. "COVID historically has had this sort of stuttering course - people will feel better one day and then feel worse the next day, but I can say we haven't seen these rebound symptoms with other COVID treatments," said Vijayan, referring to therapies such as monoclonal antibodies. "The patients that do get a rebound, it's usually very mild," said Dr. Earl Strum, medical director of employee health at Keck Medicine of USC in Los Angeles. Some question how much Paxlovid is helping given the high number of people vaccinated or previously infected with COVID-19. The drug was authorized in December after a study in unvaccinated, high-risk COVID patients with conditions like diabetes showed an 88% reduction in hospitalization or death. At the time, the Delta variant was prevalent, but it has since been displaced by the more transmissible Omicron. "There's so much more baseline immunity around. There's still a lot of infections, but they're not nearly as severe," Northwell's Farber said. He estimated the rate of Paxlovid-related COVID rebounds at around 10% - higher than the 3-4% rate cited by Pfizer in its trials of the drug. Jason Gallagher, an infectious diseases expert at Temple Universitys School of Pharmacy, said the rebounds do not detract from the drug's utility. "It prevents you from going to the hospital ... if you become symptomatic after you stop taking it, that stinks, but the overall drug was a success," he said. (Reporting by Deena Beasley in Los Angeles Editing by Caroline Humer and Matthew Lewis) CHICAGO, May 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Venzee Technologies Inc. (TSXV: VENZ) (OTCQB: VENZF) ("Venzee'' or the "Company"), the artificial intelligence platform for product data, announced today financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2022. Venzee Technologies, Inc. Logo (CNW Group/Venzee Technologies Inc.) The unaudited condensed interim financial statements and related Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") can be viewed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . The Company will conduct a conference call discussing 2022 first-quarter results on Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at 10:00 A.M. CST (8:00 A.M. PST). Details for this call can be found below. John Abrams, CEO of Venzee Technologies, said, "Although revenue remained insignificant, during the quarter testing and integration work for large volume contract clients continued. We expect our contract clients will convert to revenue generation in line with our full-year activation plans." Relative to financial results, for the three months ended March 31, 2022: Revenues were $10,375, up 19% from $8,750 in Q1 F2021. Net losses of $1,008,696 compared to net losses of $657,072 in Q1 F2021 ($0.00 and $0.00 loss per share respectively). Details for Quarterly Conference Call on May 31, 2022 Date: May 31, 2022 Time: 10:00 AM CST (8:00 AM PST) Conference ID: 33759728 Dial-in Number: (+1) 888 396 8049 Register to view the live audio webcast at: https://app.webinar.net/D5qRlqzAk0a About Venzee Technologies, Inc. Venzee (TSXV: VENZ) (OTCQB: VENZF) is the leading artificial intelligence platform for product data used by global brands to speed time to market and create competitive supply chain advantages. Venzee's intelligent platform automates inefficient last-mile retail processes with a frictionless, machine-driven solution for sending and receiving product data. Venzee believes intelligent supply chain functionality is inevitable and will significantly benefit growers, makers, brands, sellers, regulators, and consumers. Venzee is building the foundation for a future where seamless, accurate, automated data flow simplifies processes, removes friction, and creates value for all those that rely on the myriad of data and information surrounding any product, anywhere. Story continues Venzee unlocks shareholder value by carrying out its mission to create intelligent technology that removes friction from the global supply chain. Its Mesh Connector product disrupts and displaces inefficient manual processes in favor of integrated, machine-driven solutions. To learn more about the Venzee platform, visit venzee.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/venzee-inc/ Podcast: https://www.rethinkingsupplychain.com/ Forward-Looking Information This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the terms of the Offering, the completion of the Offering and the expected use of the net proceeds received by the Company. 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 state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information 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, including but not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; and regulatory risks. Additional information about these assumptions and risks and uncertainties is contained under Note 9 of the audited December 31, 2021 and 2020 financial statements and in the December 31, 2021 MD&A, which can be found under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com, and in other filings that the Company has made and may make with applicable securities authorities in the future. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable securities laws. Neither TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/venzee-technologies-files-first-quarter-2022-financial-results-301557485.html SOURCE Venzee Technologies Inc. Pig and crop farming family, the Grants, celebrate Easter with a mouthwatering ham. Karen Grant shares their family slow-cooker recipe as a fool-proof way to serve a delicious Easter ham. Meat the Pig Farmers... Grant Family Farm Bruce and Karen Grants farrow-to-finish pig farm is located near Meadow Grove, Nebraska. They are the parents of Jason, Jeremy and Kristen, and proud grandparents as well. In addition to the pig operation, the Grant family farm also grows a rotation of corn, soybeans and alfalfa. After their three children reached school age, Karen began to focus on the farrowing operation, keeping animal welfare her highest priority. She cares for the young pigs, making sure they are receiving ample food and water. She also power-washes barns and keeps the finances. You would think that would be enough to keep Karen busy, but she is also well known across the state for the leadership roles that she has held over the years. Karen served on the Nebraska Pork Producers Association Board for seven years and participated in the Pork Leadership Institute, a program that is jointly sponsored by the National Pork Board and the National Pork Producers Council. She has traveled with the U.S. Meat Export Federation to Japan and China as an advocate for our nations pork industry. In 2015, she was honored as the Ag-ceptional Woman of the Year. Together, Bruce and Karen have served as delegates to the Pork Forum, the national gathering of pork producers, over a dozen times. Volunteering must be in the Grants blood. They have been faithful volunteers and supporters of nonprofit youth mentorship organization 4-H, the Madison County Fair, the Farm Bureau Foundations Ag Pen Pal Program, their local church and numerous boards in their community. They open their farm by sharing letters and photos with school children to help their community understand where their food comes from. Nationwide, pork producers subscribe to the We Care initiative as part of their culture. The We Care principles include a dedication to food safety, animal well-being, public health, the environment, fellow pig farmers and the the community. The Grants embody the We Care principles and have gone out of their way to welcome the community to their farm and to help their local community by being active leaders. 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. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Arthur Alston remembers the guy who came back. It was April 14, 1968. Alston was in Vietnam when he and other Marines were ambushed while trying to attack Hill 881 South. They were told to withdraw. One Marine had run away out of fear, leaving his equipment. But that man rejoined his fellow Marines when their commander ordered them to attack the hill again. Alston hasnt forgotten what happened after that. On Monday, the local man shared his story during the Memorial Day Service in Fremont Veterans Park. Approximately 200 people filled bleachers or stood nearby as veterans laid wreaths representing different branches of the military and members of the Fremont Honor Guard provided the three-volley gun salute. Videos by nationally known veterans and Larry the Cable guy werent shown on a large, inflatable screen due to windy weather, but attendees heard recorded greetings. Alston, the guest of honor, shared his thoughts along with an experience hes previously talked about in the Tribune. The veteran recalled when his unit was attacked and a fellow Marine ran away. The unit pulled back to reorganize, then formed a line to make another assault on the hill. The first guy on my left got hit and called my name, Alston said. But on Alstons right was the Marine whod run away earlier. Suddenly, that man was hit with enemy fire, which cut him in half. Alston said he could feel every bit of that mans body crying for life. The man cried out for his mother. Alston knew the man wanted to feel his mothers touch and to hear her say hed be OK. An artillery piece landed in front of Alston and blew him backward about 50 feet. Alston was going back up the hill when he saw the man, whod come back, and now was dying. His head followed me with a big smile, Alston said. Quoting a familiar phrase about the sacrifice of this nations military, Alston urged his listeners to remember that All gave some, but some gave all. And some are still giving, Alston added. Alston asked attendees if they are standing up for whats right and if theyre standing up for Christ. Quoting, in part, from the Rev. Billy Graham, Alston also said: Aspire to be a hero, not merely appear to be one. Bravery never goes out of fashion. Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others stiffen. Early in his remarks, Alston referred to the poor reception military personnel received years ago after returning from service in Vietnam. Its a pleasure being in front of this group, because my experience coming back from Vietnam was just the opposite, Alston said. I thank you for being here. After the service, Alston briefly talked to the Tribune about protestors he encountered when returning to the United States. He contrasted that long-ago reaction to people sitting in the bleachers. This crowd, he said, smiling, you could see the peace. Kris Paronto, former U.S. Army Ranger and part of a team that responded to a terrorist attack Libya, spoke via a recorded message. Paronto urged listeners to not only remember the sacrifices made by those whove died for their country, but to celebrate their lives and their being the ultimate heroes. Dan Whitney (Larry the Cable Guy) of Nebraska thanked veterans. The celebritys philanthropic efforts have focused on veterans and children. Dont ever forget what this day is about, Whitney told attendees. Fremont Mayor Joey Spellerberg appreciated those who attended the event. Its just amazing to see our community come out, Spellerberg said. Were so patriotic. We have our Avenue of Flags. We have kids, families here. Its very important that we understand that freedoms not free and a lot gave the ultimate sacrifice. To be able to be a part of that (Memorial Day Service) as the mayor of Fremont, Im honored and humbled to do that. 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. By Trend Armenia, by destroying Azerbaijani cities during the period of occupation, was attempting to erase every trace of Azerbaijans culture, Chief Executive Director of Lagazetteaz.fr newspaper, founded by Trend News Agency in France, Jean-Michel Brun told Trend. Brun personally visited Shusha and other places in Karabakh, thus seeing the destruction Armenia left behind. We can really see that all these places have been destroyed during the Armenian occupation and it is a pity. Because Shusha is a cultural capital of Azerbaijan, just like Rome in Italy or Paris in France and so it is very sad to see all these famous places, these monuments, these museums, these houses of culture completely destroyed, he said. Brun repeated that such destruction means that the Armenians wanted to erase every trace of Azerbaijans culture. Because had they left all this heritage, they cannot pretend that this land belonged to them and so of course they had to destroy everything, he said. Commenting on the future development of liberated territories, Brun pointed out two ways to revive these lands. "This is a big question. It's about what kind of Karabakh or Shusha people would want to live in. Would it be the old Shusha, as it was before the occupation? The other option is to have a new Shusha, to make it a city looking into the future. Or maybe even somehow balance between the two," he said. He also added that the culture of Caucasus and Azerbaijan in particular is very important for Europe. One of the major parts of French identity is the century and the philosophy of enlightenment. We always refer to this period of the French history but the philosophy of the enlightenment has been invented five centuries before the XVIII century, by Azerbaijani poet Nizami Ganjavi, Brun said. Nizami Ganjavi highlighted the importance of woman in the society - something France lacked in the XVIII century. "Nizami also highlighted the importance of preserving nature, the so-called sustainability. Thus, he was very advanced in his way of thinking and I think that it is very good example how the European and Azerbaijani cultures are linked, he said. Brun thus expressed the need to reconnect the French history to these roots. Because part of our own roots come from here, from this area. There are three great philosophers that had great influence on French philosophy: Far?d ud-D?n A???r of Uzbekistan, Omar Khayyam of Persia and Nizami Ganjavi of Azerbaijan. It is very important to reconnect these philosophies, he concluded. Commenting on the activities of Armenian diaspora in France, Brun noted that Armenian diaspora is very rich and so a lot of money is being invested in media propaganda. We do what we can but if we had more possibilities we could be very efficient. We have to make documents, write books. Now I am writing a book about Shusha, which is supposed to be published before November, but we have to do more," he said. Brun also expressed opinion that when image [of a country] is fake it cannot last. There is a moment that the truth becomes obvious. Recently we had elections in France and the right wings parties used the Karabakh conflict for their own political purpose. They tried to use the fact that Armenians are Christians and Azerbaijani are supported to be Muslim, which is ridiculous. They wanted to make the French people believe that in France there is also a conflict between Muslims and Christians, which is ridiculous as well, he said. A man and woman whose bodies were recovered from Lake Pueblo after a deadly weekend boating accident were husband and wife, according to a tweet from the Pueblo County Coroner's Office. Joshua Prindle, 30, and his wife Jessica, 38, were on a small boat with 11 other people Sunday night when the craft capsized. Crews rescued everyone but the couple, according to Lake Pueblo officials. Jessica's body was recovered at the scene on Sunday. Joshua was found at about 5:45 a.m. Tuesday, according to Lake Pueblo State Park manager Joe Stadterman. The Pueblo County Coroner's Office is working to determine the cause of death. An update on the conditions of the survivors has not been provided. Josh Prindle was an active-duty service member stationed at Fort Carson, according to a GoFundMe page started by Jesus Ramirez, Jessica's brother. The couple had four children. "They both were kind-hearted people who would do anything to help anyone, and in their last moments that is exactly what they did by helping their children survive," Ramirez wrote. Fort Carson confirmed to Gazette news partner KKTV that one of its soldiers and a spouse were involved in the incident, but when asked would not confirm if they were the ones killed. However, in a statement to the news station, Fort Carson offered condolences to the family. The Fourth Infantry Division can confirm an Army soldier and his spouse were involved in the tragic boating incident on Lake Pueblo," the statement to KKTV read. "Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family as we continue to work with the Pueblo County Sheriffs Department. The cause of the accident is still under investigation. However, weather and an overloaded boat are contributing factors, according to Stadterman. The boat that sank was 16 feet long and would usually hold five to six people, Stadterman said. Five months after the Marshall fire ripped through Boulder County, a district judge has dismissed what could be the final legal challenge to a saga over property debris removal that had county and city leaders tearing their hair out and residents feeling twice-victimized. Ceres Environmental, one of 11 companies that competed for the multimillion dollar contract, filed an action for declaratory relief against Boulder County alleging that its bidding process was corrupt, unlawful and unfair. Ceres claimed that had the process been above board, it could have won the contract over DRC Emergency Services, the Gulf Coast-based company that was awarded the bid. The court ruled that Ceres had no standing and that its complaint failed to state a claim under Colorado law. Judge Kenneth Plotz dismissed the lawsuit late Friday afternoon, according to court records. Boulder County made the decision to go ahead with debris cleanup in April, with the possibility that the lawsuit could halt the process. Once the debris is removed, residents can begin to rebuild. Crews from DRC have excavators working six days a week to haul away tons of twisted metal, melted glass and charred blocks of ruined foundation. Of 588 properties that opted into the Private Property Debris Removal program, Boulder Public Works reports that 316 properties are being cleared off, 105 are in the process of final inspection and 60 are awaiting the last step, which is erosion control. So far, none of them are complete. An excavator that belonged to a California subcontractor hired by DRC was dipping in and out of a ruined basement on Andrew Drive in Superior on Friday. "We have four months to get this dirt laid nice and pretty," said laborer Gage Padgett, adding that he had made hundreds of trips to the dump with truck loads full of fire debris. Boulder County plans to have all of the properties on the debris removal list cleared by August in time for new foundations to be laid before the ground freezes. Authorities have said 1,084 homes were lost in Colorado's most destructive wildfire, which broke out in late December. Some residents were so worried that legal challenges would hold up their plans to rebuild that they opted out of the county program and have already gotten their property cleared. A few have building permits in hand. Superior Mayor Clint Folsom was encouraged by news of the dismissal: It's great to have this cloud of uncertainty lifted from the debris removal process. DRC's crews are making great progress over the past couple of weeks, and we're pleased their important work can continue uninterrupted, he said. There may be an appeal, but so far Ceres has not decided whether it will do so. I cannot comment on potential future litigation, but I can hope for a clear path forward, Boulder Public Works spokesperson Andrew Barth told The Denver Gazette in a text message. Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country Sign Up View all of our newsletters. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden pay their respects at the Robb Elementary School memorial, where a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers in the deadliest U.S. school shooting in nearly a decade, in Uvalde, Texas, U.S. May 29, 2022. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst By Azernews A visit of representatives of the diplomatic corps to Azerbaijans liberated Kalbajar region has begun, Azernews reports. Over 80 diplomats and military attaches from more than 50 countries and 10 international organizations are taking part in the trip. During the trip, the diplomats got familiarized with the work on the ?onstruction of a tunnel through the Murovdagh mountain range. The visitors were informed about the process of construction of the tunnel, as well as the Toghanali-Kalbajar-Istisu highway. Besides, they were informed that the construction of the highway is planned to be completed in 2024-2025, and after its commissioning, the travel time will take no more than an hour. Later, the guests were familiarized with the work on the restoration of hydropower plants. The visitors were informed about the beginning of the restoration of two hydropower plants, which were completely destroyed during the Armenian occupation, in Kalbajar and Lachin regions and viewed a hydropower plant in Kalbajar. The purpose of the visit is to familiarize the foreign diplomats with the aftermath of the destructions caused by the Armenian occupation and with the restoration process in the liberated territories. This is the ninth visit of the diplomatic corps to the liberated territories. Azerbaijan regularly organizes visits of international delegations, officials, envoys, journalists, and rank and file citizens to liberated lands to familiarize them with the situation on the ground. On October 15, President Ilham Aliyev said in a CIS session that thousands of politicians, diplomats, and journalists from many countries visited the liberated territories in less than one year. Currently, the work is underway to restore Azerbaijan's liberated lands. Azerbaijan will rebuild its recently liberated areas in four stages. The initial stage includes the solution of the issues of governance and security, and infrastructure, while the subsequent stages include the solution of the issues of social services activities, reconstruction, and development of the economy. In 2021, Azerbaijan allocated $1.5 billion to reconstruct liberated territories, followed by AZN2.2 billion ($1.2 billion) in 2022. These funds will be used primarily to restore infrastructure (electricity, gas, water, communications, roads, education, health, etc.) and cultural and historical monuments. The liberation of Azerbaijani territories has created a new geopolitical and geoeconomic situation in the region, and the reintegration of these territories into the overall economy will further accelerate the economic development of Azerbaijan. A Moscow-brokered ceasefire deal that Baku and Yerevan signed on November 10, 2020, brought an end to six weeks of fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani army crushed the Armenian troops and won the victory. The signed agreement obliged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it has occupied since the early 1990s. The peace agreement stipulated the return of Azerbaijan's Armenian-occupied Kalbajar, Aghdam and Lachin regions and urged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it has occupied since the early 1990s. Before the signing of the deal, the Azerbaijani army had liberated around 300 villages, settlements, city centers, and historic Shusha city. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visits a place of a fight with Russian troops during Russia's invasion to Ukraine, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine May 29, 2022. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS Flowers, toys, and other objects to remember the victims of the deadliest U.S. school mass shooting resulting in the death of 19 children and two teachers, are seen at a memorial at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, U.S. May 30, 2022. REUTERS/Veronica G. Cardenas Patrick and Amalia Dobbins know the drill. Theyve lived just blocks away from Bancroft Park in Old Colorado City for 10 years, so they know their street will be taken over by cars and people each Memorial Day weekend. At Territory Days: Seeings lots of pineapple drinks, corn dogs, vendors and kids stopping to see what happens when someone puts money in this box pic.twitter.com/plJ3j0Ie3O Amanda Hancock (@Amanda1hancock) May 30, 2022 It comes with the territory of living so close to the site of Territory Days. They know to secure their parking spot in advance, stock up on groceries and plan to just hang out all weekend instead of braving the crowded streets to leave their neighborhood. There was no such hubbub in 2020 and 2021, when the three-day festival was canceled amid the coronavirus pandemic. Sitting in her front yard on Monday, Amalia Dobbins smiled while festivalgoers walked by and waved on the final day of the fest. She, along with everyone she talked to, was happy to have the sights and sounds of Territory Days back. For Dobbins, it felt like the the mark of the end of COVID. I remember in the past weve been annoyed when people would just descend on our neighborhood and take up all of our parking spots and not allow us to go to the grocery store, she said. This year, it just feels like a joyous occasion rather than something that is a huge inconvenience. Its nice to have some culture and life back in the neighborhood. The joy continued throughout the official festival grounds, which spread down Colorado Avenue, between 23rd and 27th streets. The festival was founded to celebrate the history of Old Colorado City, which was once called Colorado City and operated as the territorial capital and center for wealth in Colorado. Territory Days has grown into a hugely popular free and fair-like event with rows of vendors selling everything from corn dogs to cowboy hats. While some Old Colorado City businesses closed during the fest, Cucuru Gallery Cafe was open with a special Territory Days menu. Its good to see the event back, said Guillermo Alvarado, the restaurants owner. People have been waiting for this. Outside Cucuru, lines formed for a few amusement rides and people gathered in Bancroft Park for live music. Customers also lined up to visit booths like the one belonging to Cindia Malone, who runs an embroidery business called Somebody Special Calls Me. She started selling her colorful and custom T-shirts, hats and other items at Territory Days about 10 years ago. Its my favorite and I go to 50 shows a year, she said. Its got to be good for me to pull a trailer all the way down from Dallas, Texas. Malone, as well as other vendors nearby, said the crowds appeared about the same in size as previous years. It brings hoards of people, she said. Everyone is so glad its back. That includes the Dobbins family. They usually pop over to the festival at least once per day. They shared the tradition this time with friends such as Jennie Wandfluh, who lives in Falcon and was enjoying her first Territory Days. We are festival people and love community, Wandfluh said. Its been weird to not have that. The energy just feels very happy here." Three Colorado Springs chefs Gio Palacio, DJ Williams and Houston Greenlee will compete on the upcoming season of "The Great Food Truck Race." The reality show features teams driving across the U.S. in gourmet food trucks provided by the show. They make stops along the way to compete in cooking challenges and see who can sell the most food to customers. The winning team takes home $50,000. It premieres June 5 on Food Network. A lifetime of travel ... so far, Part I | Such a Fine Sight to See By Azernews Britain is willing to assist Azerbaijan and Armenia in achieving a peace deal, UK ambassador to Azerbaijan James Sharp has said, Azernews reports. Sharp made the remarks during the visit of the diplomatic corps to Azerbaijans liberated Kalbajar region, the report adds. "The de-mining process is still ongoing. The UK immediately supported Azerbaijan in this matter. We provided United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) funding and technical assistance to the Azerbaijan Mine Action Agency (ANAMA). A number of British companies are working on this," the envoy said. Earlier, Sharp stated that Britain supports Azerbaijan in mine clearance activities and they are very pleased to support ANAMA in demining and awareness-raising activities. The ambassador underlined that the British companies are ready to take part in Azerbaijans liberated lands. The UK contributed over AZN1 million (500,000) to Azerbaijans recovery efforts and demining activities in its liberated lands, the UK embassy reported earlier. Sharp said in a video address posted on the embassy's Twitter account on September 2, 2021, that landmines and unexploded ordnance in the liberated areas pose a threat to peoples lives and there have been over 150 victims of mine explosions following the 2020 war. He described the former conflict zone as one of the worlds most mine-littered areas based on his own observations. Therefore, the UK as a leading country in mine clearance, along with international organizations, takes active measures in the demining activities on Azerbaijans liberated territories, he said. A visit of representatives of the diplomatic corps to Azerbaijans liberated Kalbajar region has begun on May 31. Over 80 diplomats and military attaches from over 50 countries and 10 international organizations are taking part in the trip. During the trip, the diplomats got familiarized with the work on the ?onstruction of a tunnel through the Murovdagh mountain range. The visitors were informed about the process of construction of the tunnel, as well as the Toghanali-Kalbajar-Istisu highway. Besides, they were informed that the construction of the highway is planned to be completed in 2024-2025, and after its commissioning, the travel time will take no more than an hour. Later, the guests were familiarized with the work on the restoration of hydropower plants. The visitors were informed about the beginning of the restoration of two hydropower plants, which were completely destroyed during the Armenian occupation in Kalbajar and Lachin regions, and viewed a hydropower plant in Kalbajar. The purpose of the visit is to familiarize the foreign diplomats with the aftermath of the destructions caused by the Armenian occupation and with the restoration process in the liberated territories. This is the ninth visit of the diplomatic corps to the liberated territories. could Julie-Anne Heafey mbaMission Senior Admissions Consultant Harvard MBA Sign up for a free 30-minute consultation at https://www.mbamission.com/consult/mba-admissions/ Read our Insider's Guides to the top b-schools: http://www.mbamission.com/guides.php?category=insiders Signature Read More piyatiwari wrote: E is the right one. Meaning : Current curriculum is less relevant to todays world -> attracting less students. To attract students -> change curriculum to emphasize X thing. So we will look for answer choice which would explain importance of X, or that students are attracted to subjects involving X. E satisfies this: (E) In todays world the production and analysis of visual images is of major importance in communications, business, and recreation. I like this response, so I will just add to it a bit. The purpose of this question is to see if you can create a stronger bond between the premises to the conclusion. Premise: Curriculum isn't relevant so fewer students. Conclusion: To get more students the board will emphasize physics involved in producing visual images. There is a logical gap here (or assumption) - somehow this new curriculum of visual images must be more relevant in today's world. Since we are strengthening the conclusion, we want an answer choice that explicitly states what we are assuming to be true.Answer choice E explicitly states our assumption. Visual images are very relelvant in today's world, so our conclusion that the course will attract more students (due to relevancy of curriculum) has been strenghtened.KW_________________ Check out these five hacks to help reduce your screen time, how to talk to your kids about school shootings, and more videos to improve your life. A new and improved Hughes Center will add more than 30 new beds and bring more services for the facilitys children and adolescents. State and local officials and representatives with The Hughes Center held an event announcing that work has begun on the new facility just off Franklin Turnpike. This is a milestone in our rich history of service, Hughes Center CEO Mark Howard told those in attendance on the front lawn of the center for Tuesday afternoons groundbreaking ceremony. The Hughes Center has a long history of serving children and adolescents for nearly 100 years. Opened in 1927, the center started out as an orphanage and has been providing residential mental health treatment to children and adolescents with autism and intellectual disabilities since 2006. The new facility will increase the number of beds there from 64 to 96, a 50% increase, and is expected to be complete in March 2024, said Alison Waymouth, director of business development at The Hughes Center. It will also feature educational space and sensory tools to address the needs of children with autism and intellectual disabilities with a co-occurring psychiatric diagnosis. We are heeding the call to increase access to services for children and adolescents struggling with autism and intellectual disabilities, Howard said during his speech. The facility currently has 58 residents and 150 staff members, Waymouth told the Danville Register & Bee. Its clients range in age from 10 to 22, she said. We will become an integral part of the continuum of care in Virginia by addressing the shortage of mental health services to the most vulnerable, Howard added during his speech. This expansion is a key solution to the mental health challenges Virginia has faced in recent years. Residents stay with the center for an average of about a year. During their time there, they advance in their specialized education, receive therapeutic intervention to develop coping skills, improve their independence, and develop integration projects within the community, Waymouth said in a news release. The centers mission is to improve the overall quality of life for the individuals we serve, so they may achieve their full potential and participate as independently as possible in family relationships, educational experiences and other facets of community life, according to the centers website. Our region is fortunate to have access to a facility that provides a diverse range of services for this special population, said Christy Harper, membership manager with the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce. These services are valuable resources to students and families that are seeking to enhance the quality of life for their loved ones. Operations will continue at The Hughes Center while the new facility is being built. Thankfully, we have individuals and facilities such as this dedicated to serving others suffering from mental illness, said Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors Chairman Vic Ingram. State Sen. Frank Ruff also spoke at the event. 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. Two women struck, killed near US 29 North GREENSBORO Two women were struck and killed by a car while standing outside of their disabled vehicle early Monday morning. The incident happened around 1:35 a.m. in the area of U.S. 29 North and Hackett Street. Ciealita Thornton, 42, and Lakeisha Woody, 36 both from Danville, Va. were outside of their black 2009 Kia SUV, which had broken down in the left lane. Thats when a man, who was traveling north on U.S. 29 and driving a red 2020 GMC Sierra 2500, collided with the Kia. During the crash, the two women were also hit and died from their injuries, Greensboro police said. Its unknown if the driver who struck the Kia was injured or if any charges will be filed. Woman sentenced in bid to defraud Medicaid systemRALEIGH A Greensboro woman has been sentenced to nearly two years in prison for conspiring with others to defraud North Carolinas Medicaid system by turning in more than $4 million in fake claims for behavioral health services. Sharita Mathis Richardson was also sentenced to three years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit health care fraud. She pleaded guilty to the charge in March 2021, U.S. Attorney Michael Easley said. As part of sentencing, Richardson was also ordered to pay more than $2 million in restitution to the North Carolina Fund for Medical Assistance. Documents and information presented in court showed Richardson conspired with others between 2012 and 2016. One of them, Antonio Fozard, owned and operated a number of behavioral health companies that was thought to have provided services to Medicaid beneficiaries. Prosecutors said each of these entities engaged in a systematic effort to steal from Medicaid by billing for services that were never delivered. NC tops US for rentals that allow dogs North Carolina ranks first in the country for rentals that allow dogs, according to a new analysis from American Home Shield, a home warranty company. The state is No. 1 for both big dogs (58.6% of rentals allow) and small dogs (77.6%). Greensboro, Raleigh, Winston-Salem and Charlotte rank highest in the state for puppy-friendly rentals, the survey found. While dog owners can go mutts over the results, cat owners dont have it quite as easy in the state. North Carolina is ranked No. 16 in that category at 58.9%. Kitties will find it easiest to get a room in Georgia, where 70.7% of rentals are meow-friendly. Staff and Wire Reports By Azernews By Vugar Khalilov The latest Brussels meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan through the mediation of European Council President Charles Michel on May 22 yielded some positive results. The sides agreed on a number of key issues, including the establishment of the border commissions for the delimitation of the state border, of which, the first meeting was already held on the state border. In general, the late discussions and agreements between the two hostile countries' leaders and high-ranking officials provide some optimism that, after more than 30 years of enmity, peace will finally come to the region and the two nations will begin to live side by side in harmony. However, some countries do not appear to be as frank as they pretend to be, and do not want the relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia to genuinely normalize. On the one hand, they acknowledge Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sympathize with the country's losses as a result of the long-running conflict; on the other hand, they express overt support for the separatist regime in Karabakh under the guise of human rights, in other words, solidarize with Armenias territorial claims against Azerbaijan. In a tweet commemorating the country's Independence Day, French ambassador to Azerbaijan Zacharie Gross wished the Azerbaijani leadership "wisdom and courage to establish peace with Armenia"; however, it would make more sense if the ambassador had urged his fellow politicians to exercise "wisdom" and refrain from meeting with separatist leaders in Karabakh, which would exacerbate the Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict and threaten the regional stability. On May 27, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo met with the so-called Karabakh leader,Arayik Harutyunyan, in Goris, Armenia, near the Azerbaijani border, on the fringes of her tour to Armenia. Hidalgo seems to have learned from the mistakes of her colleague Valerie Pecresse, who provoked controversy in Azerbaijan by illegally entering its internationally recognized territory, which is temporarily controlled by Russian peacekeepers. Nevertheless, at the meeting with the separatist delegation, Hidalgo underlined that Paris is ready to make the necessary efforts to support the people of Artsakh within the framework of humanitarian projects. Baku, for its part, invited the French ambassador to the Foreign Ministry and harshly condemned Hidalgo's meeting with a so-called representative of an illegal entity in Azerbaijan, emphasizing that the illegal and irresponsible behavior of the Paris mayor is not in line with the post-war peace and confidence-building measures in the region. The ambassador was notified that the French official's action against Azerbaijan's territorial integrity is in plain violation of French law and the country's international commitments, and harms the French-Azerbaijani relations. In December 2021, a similar event occurred when French presidential contender Valerie Pecresse made an illegal visit to Karabakh in order to gain support among Armenians in France. The illegal trips and backing for Armenia's territorial claims against Azerbaijan show that certain French politicians appear to prioritize their own interests over international law principles. Back in January 2022, commenting on the scandalous voyage of Madame Pecresse to Khankandi, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev warned: If we knew that they (Valerie Pecresse with her entourage) were there, we would definitely not let them back. France was one of the primary nations responsible for the peaceful resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict as co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, which was unable to produce any substantial results other than prolonging the process for almost 30 years. Its double standards against Azerbaijan, as well as its support for aggressors, ended in a war between Azerbaijan and Armenia in 2020, with the former reclaiming its internationally recognized boundaries. Following the 44- day war, a unique opportunity has been emerged for obtaining peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan and thus restoring peace in the region. However, the anti-Azerbaijan provocations and support for Armenias aggressive policy by some countries negatively affect the peace-building process. On his Twitter account, ambassador Gross recently expressed his sorrow for an Azerbaijani citizen, who was injured in a mine explosion in the liberated lands of Azerbaijan. Sad to hear that a 23-year-old farmer, Xayal Abdullayev, was wounded on 28th May having stepped on a landmine in Fuzuli district. I wish him a full recovery. The French Embassy is supporting mine clearing in Azerbaijan by procuring detectors and tool kits for deminers, Gross tweeted. The envoy, on the other hand, refrained from criticizing Armenia, which is responsible for planting land mines in Azerbaijan's former occupied territories that cause causalities among innocent civilians. France is said to assist Azerbaijan's demining operations but never demands on Armenia to pass over minefield maps to Azerbaijan in order to speed up the demining process and save innocent lives. GREENSBORO One person was hospitalized after a shooting Monday and two other people were treated for shrapnel injuries at the scene, Greensboro police said in a news release. Officers responded at 8:09 p.m. to the 200 block of South Street and located one gunshot victim, who was taken by ambulance to a local hospital; the person is expected to recover. Officers also located two victims with shrapnel injuries who were treated by emergency medical personnel. The suspects were described to police as a man and two women in a white sedan. Police said no other details are available at this time. Authorities are asking anyone with information to call Greensboro/Guilford Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000; or, download the mobile P3tips app for Apple or Android phones to submit a mobile tip, or go to P3tips.com to submit a web tip. Three years ago, on the 50th anniversary of what might be considered the benchmark of his service in Vietnam, Marine Bob Haseman returned to Southeast Asia to the same jungle area where as a 21-year-old lieutenant he had served as a platoon commander. We operated out of firebases placed on dominant hilltops, Haseman, now 73, told the group of about 65 people gathered for the American Legions Lewis and Clark Post 2 Memorial Day ceremony on Monday. The firebases were usually manned by a 40-man platoon or a company with about 120 Marines. The one firebase that stands out was FSB Russell, 3 miles below the DMZ. When I was there in September 1969 my company was preparing Russell to be destroyed and abandoned because the Marines were soon to be withdrawn. On Sept. 21, Marine engineers came to Russell to set explosive charges in all the bunkers intending to blow up the base after we evacuated. But a cigarette was tossed into a fuel pit, a fire started, and the hill began to explode. Fifteen Marines were injured and four were killed. To honor that tragic event, I returned to Vietnam so I could be on Russell, Sept. 21, 2019, Haseman related. Mondays Memorial Day event was originally scheduled for Memorial Park, but the ceremony was relocated indoors due to inclement weather, to the Legion facility on Villard Street. The Pipes and Drums of the Black Devils opened the proceedings with bagpipes playing, and later closed it with their heart-wrenching rendition of Amazing Grace. Master of ceremonies Bill Woon then introduced Chaplain Ken Duvall, (colonel, retired), who performed the beginning and ending prayers. After Charmayne Lindgren sang the national anthem, Woon described how Memorial Day was originally tabbed Decoration Day, before pointing out the empty MIA chair, and thanking the Gold Star Families in attendance. Next came keynote speaker Haseman, who served in the Republic of Vietnam with the 2nd Platoon, Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, from early April to mid-November, 1969. He began his talk with a brief history of military and political actions in Vietnam, from 1946 leading up to through his 1969 service, and onto the cease fire in of 1973 and the final pullout in 1975. After describing their daily patrols and night ambushes, and several encounters with enemy sappers, he recalled the Firebase Russell nightmare, and then fast-forwarded to his return trip to Vietnam. I joined three other old Marines with two of our sons and one guys wife to trek back to the firebase exactly 50 years after the explosion, Haseman said. That trip with my son (Brian) was a great experience for me to see what became of Vietnam. Our guide, Tam Le, led us through rivers and rain forest up a mountainous trail; and just as the rain stopped and the sun came out, we reached Russell. He described how peaceful and green the area was, unlike the war-torn firebase, and there was a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains. We had a warm beer toast for our dead Marines; Jimmy, Grover, Portugal and Thomas, and remembered Bernie, who had helped stop the explosion but later committed suicide, he said, his voice cracking with emotion. Warm beer always brings back memories. A year after he returned home, he was surprised by a FaceTime call from Tam Le, the guide. I was looking at my phone and seeing my guide next to a one-armed former sapper standing on Russell, Bob recounted. The old sapper wanted Tam Le to translate, and with a big smile on his face, he informed me that he could still fight. I believed him, and I calmly replied that I could too but I didnt want to. Haseman wrapped up his presentation by noting that U.S. troops actually won every major battle of the war, but our country concluded, that it had all been a big mistake. And they were probably right, he said, but the realization came 58,000 dead too late. Still, being a Marine platoon commander in combat for six months gave me confidence and pride that Ive drawn on all my life. Memorial Day is a time to remember service to our country, the wars we have fought and the brave men and women who have paid the ultimate price Our country has not always been right, but I believe weve tried our best and the world respects our efforts. After the laying of the wreath, the L&C Veterans Council Honor Guard performed a three-rifle volley in the parking lot, followed the playing of "Taps" by the bugler. M.C. Bill Woon concluded the ceremony with a reading of the 1915 poem Red Poppies by Moina Michael, inspired by the In Flanders Fields poem. We cherish too, the poppy red, the 15-year-old French girl wrote, that grows on fields, where valor led. It seems to signal to the skies, that blood of heroes never dies. Curt Synness, a Navy veteran, can be reached at 406-594-2878 or curt52synness@gmail.com. Hes also on Twitter @curtsynness_IR Love 5 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Gov. Greg Gianforte on Tuesday appointed Molly Owen, a deputy prosecutor who focused on domestic violence cases, as district court judge in Lake and Sanders counties. Owen replaces Judge James Manley, who announced his retirement earlier this year. She will be sworn in June 20. Owen has been a deputy county attorney in Lake County since 2015, as well as St. Ignatius' town attorney since 2017. Molly is an accomplished attorney who appreciates the courts role in interpreting laws, not making them from the bench, Gianforte said in a press release Tuesday. A strong supporter of drug treatment courts and maximizing efficiencies in the courtroom, Molly will serve the people of Lake and Sanders counties well. According to her application, Owen graduated magna cum laude from Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University in 2012 and was admitted to the State Bar of Montana in 2014. Ninety percent of her legal work has focused on criminal litigation. The Violence Against Women Act has funded her position as a deputy county attorney since 2018, requiring her to coordinate training opportunities for community members, law enforcement, attorneys and the judicial branch. Those training focused on, among other issues, stalking, the importance of orders of protection, and investigating domestic violence in a case where the victim does not engage in the prosecution. A 2020 article in the Lake County Leader highlighted Owen's work in working with domestic violence victims and advocates, as well improving the local conviction rate from 72% to 90%. Owen was among four applicants to replace Manley reviewed by a 12-person vetting panel made up of attorneys, law enforcement, former judges, Confederated and Salish Kootenai Tribe members and business owners. That panel forwarded two names to Gianforte for interviews on May 19. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. In the aftermath of last week's elementary school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, schools around the U.S. have brought in additional security staff and restricted visitors as they deal with a new rash of copycat threats. For some families and educators, it all has added to uneasiness in the wake of the deadliest school shooting since the 2012 attack at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Jake Green, 34, of Los Alamos, New Mexico, was jolted when he saw a plainclothes police officer for the first time while walking his 7-year-old daughter into school Friday morning. He grew up in Colorado, not far from where two Columbine High School students shot and killed 12 classmates and a teacher in 1999. Green remembers attending memorials and candlelight vigils as a fifth-grader, but he's torn about whether having police at his daughter's school is best. "In a way, I don't really feel any safer with police around," Green said. "Seeing the police there, it really made it seem like the worst possibility was even more possible today." In El Paso, Texas, where a gunman killed 23 people in a racist 2019 attack that targeted Hispanics at a Walmart, schools are on edge. The El Paso Independent School District has already encountered some reported threats that turned out to be false. They were either "students joking or overly-sensitive parents," said Gustavo Reveles Acosta, a district spokesperson. "Our community is still raw from that incident," Acosta said. "It hits us in a pretty emotional way." The district, which has its own police department, has also stepped up patrolling at all 85 campuses. Officers have been pulled from monitoring traffic or other duties. Schools already have updated camera surveillance systems. Visitors are required to ring a doorbell and show identification before they can enter. The district is making a point to look out for teachers' and students' mental health. A counseling team has been visiting every school to speak about the shooting in Uvalde. They are also urging people to talk in private about any distress. Mia Baucom, a 15-year-old student at a Forth Worth, Texas, high school said it was surreal to think the Uvalde killings happened in her home state. It also stirred memories of a lockdown at her school two months ago that was prompted by a shooting. "I'm a little more stressed out about it because just the fear of what if that happened at my school?" said Baucom, whose last day of school was Thursday. "Let's say we get more police officers. Most likely that's not going to stop people from going crazy and just shooting up schools." Schools have ramped up police presence in a host of states, including Connecticut, Michigan and New York, after the shooting that left 19 students and two teachers dead in Uvalde. In Buffalo, New York, where a white gunman fatally shot 10 people in a racist attack in a supermarket on May 14, the largest school district announced new security rules effective immediately. Any visitors parents, siblings, vendors have to call ahead for approval. No exceptions will be made. They may be subjected to a search by a wand detector. Doors will be locked at all times. In Jacksonville, Florida, the Duval County Public Schools' chief of school police banned backpacks or large handbags at any school through Friday, the last day of school. Small purses were allowed but could be searched. A discredited threat against a middle school prompted a Texas school district 200 miles southeast of Uvalde to end the school year a week early. The Kingsville Independent School District announced Friday would be the last day of school. But students should not see any penalty for the premature end to the year. "In light of the tragedy in Uvalde, there has been an enormous amount of stress and trauma. Unfortunately, more stress and trauma are added with 'copy-cat threats' that start circulating such as the one that was sent today for Gillett (Middle School)," Superintendent Dr. Cissy Reynolds-Perez wrote in a statement on the district's website. It's clear staff and students nationwide are on edge as several reports of firearm sightings on campuses have popped up in the past few days. Two Seattle-area schools went into lockdown Friday morning and police eventually recovered an airsoft gun. The Everett, Washington, schools then had their lockdowns lifted. Two people were arrested Thursday after a Denver high school locked down its campus. Police found a paintball gun but no other firearms. Classes were canceled anyway. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 DECATUR In a corner of Annie Brahler's classroom at Harris Learning Academy is an overstuffed chair occupied by a giant teddy bear. A soft foam brick wall surrounds it on two sides. Students having difficulty can go sit in that chair and pull that wall around to conceal the corner, to take a moment to compose themselves. In the Social-Emotional Alternative Program, social/emotional coping skills are taught alongside academic subjects. The program uses a trauma-informed model and restorative practices, said Kathy Horath, executive director of Macon-Piatt Special Education District, and the students in that program have similar needs to the population served by the social-emotional development program. The two programs will merge in August. Several parents spoke at the April 26 school board meeting to ask the board to intervene and prevent those changes to the social-emotional development program. More than one of those parents said they would not accept a staff shortage as a reason for the change because teaching assistants could fill the empty positions. This isn't about parents, it's about the 36 kids that are affected at my son's school, said Lloyd Davis, one of the parents who spoke to the board on April 26. He surpassed his three-minute time limit and was asked to leave the podium, and when he didn't, was escorted out of the meeting. It affects my child differently. They're crying for help and their voice cannot be heard. Parents also attended the school board's May 10 meeting to ask again for the programs to remain separate. "Some of these teachers have had those kids for five years," said Barbara McCall, the grandparent and guardian of a student in the SED program. "That trust and kinship and growth is not able to be replaced just because we don't feel the program is needed anymore." During board discussion later in the meeting, board member Alana Banks asked whether the Decatur school board could do anything about the decision, and legal counsel Brian Braun said those decisions are made by the Macon-Piatt Special Education District's board. The Decatur board can express their concerns, he said, but so can the parents of special education students, and if those parents wish to attend the Macon-Piatt board meetings to speak to that board, they can. Staffing shortages made the change necessary, Horath said. At the beginning of this school year, she said, there were four classrooms at Muffley School devoted to the social/emotional program, with three full-time teachers, six teaching assistants, and one teaching assistant assigned to work one-on-one with students. During the first semester, escalating issues included administrative changes, complexities in student needs and staffing, leading to the program being moved to Harris. One of the teachers moved to another position and one teaching assistant quit to become a substitute full time. Sixth-grade students were moved to Stephen Decatur Middle School with a long-term substitute and the kindergarten through fifth grade students moved to Harris. After the transfer to Harris, things seemed to be on an even keel for several weeks, and then another teacher accepted a new position for the coming school year. That left only one full-time certified teacher. There are five (social/emotional development) teaching positions posted, Horath said. Three have been posted all year. There have been zero applicants to date. The plan is for this year's sixth-graders to stay at Stephen Decatur for the coming school year, in the seventh/eighth grade special education program there. The current K-5 students will stay at Harris campus, and will be aligned with the SEAP program and work will continue to get those students ready to return to their home school campus. We start our day with morning meeting, Brahler said. I love morning meeting. I love the social/emotional part which is extremely important for our children. The kids know the routine and expectation every morning. I've come up with a super-interactive routine where we talk about our feelings, we identify a coping skill for the day so when I do have a moment of frustration, am I going to use a fidget, am I going to take deep breaths. Between subjects, the class of second- to fifth-graders takes a brain break, where they get up and move around. The ultimate goal of the SEAP program, said Principal Jessica Ellison, is to help the student achieve and get back to their own home building. While there are kids who stay at SEAP for long periods because that's what they need, an Individualized Education Program for a special education student includes the provision that the youngster is assigned to the least restrictive environment possible. Horath said she hopes the merger is temporary. It's unfortunate (that they have to be combined), Horath said. This is a short-term solution. The teacher shortage in Illinois is acute, with more than 6,200 positions unfilled in 2021, according to the Illinois Association of School Boards. Retirements have gone up by 50%, and fewer college students are choosing teaching as a career. And the problem is not limited to Illinois. The shortage is nationwide. Some states are using short-term solutions. Kentucky is hiring back retired teachers with no hit to their retirement benefits, and Wisconsin is loosening restrictions to allow teachers to teach subjects they lack certification in. Teachers who leave the profession cite low pay, lack of administrative support, inadequate preparation and mentoring options, a lack of respect and voice in school decision-making, and undue emphasis on standardized testing. Contact Valerie Wells at (217) 421-7982. Follow her on Twitter: @modgirlreporter 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. New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. As a financial wizard, Glenn Youngkin knows how to turn a problem into a profit. In his previous incarnation co-CEO of investment giant Carlyle Group Youngkin helped transform the struggling coffee-and-confection chain Dunkin Donuts into a huge moneymaker. Purchased for $2.4 billion in 2005 by Carlyle and two other private equity firms, whats now known as Dunkin, went public in 2011, having significantly expanded its footprint and staff. After loans were paid off, stock sales produced a three-fold windfall of $1.8 billion, divided equally among the three firms. As a Republican governor, Youngkin is attempting to manage the state workforce with the same acumen that made him very wealthy. Which makes you wonder: Why is Youngkin ordering an estimated 55,000 government employees back to their offices across the state by July 5, jettisoning COVID-19 protocols put in place by his Democratic predecessor, Ralph Northam, that allowed many of them to work remotely, usually from their home? Wouldnt this be a great opportunity to more fully take advantage of the disruption attributed to the coronavirus? That task would likely fall to the administrations so-called chief transformation officer, Eric Moeller. Hes a former partner at the McKinsey management consultancy, where Youngkin worked pre-Carlyle and where the best and brightest can make millions of dollars recommending to businesses cost-savings and efficiencies that inflate executives pay packets and eliminate the jobs of line employees. The pandemic forced Virginia to rethink the delivery of services, likely accelerating their digitization a task that might be slowed by the back-to-office order and creates greater reliance on a state info-tech agency for which Youngkin has yet to find permanent leadership. Northams proposed investment in broadband, supported by Youngkin, could mean a continued build-out, especially in rural Virginia, financed with $2 billion in federal coronavirus relief funds. Greater use of virtual space a policy the General Assembly first adopted in 2001 with the goal of roughly two in 10 workers telecommuting means reduced demand for actual space. If agencies, principally their back shops, are, in effect, moved into employees homes, office buildings in downtown Richmond, where the state manages 6.5 million square feet and pays $63 million annually in rents, could be leased or sold, repurposed or redeveloped. In addition to shrinking its real estate footprint, the state might reduce its 4,000-vehicle motor pool. And with fewer workers commuting, sparing them the expense of gas and parking, state-owned garages that hold about 7,000 cars could give way to fresh development. Exceptions to continue telecommuting two or three days a week require the approval, respectively, of the Cabinet secretary who oversees the employees agency or Youngkins chief of staff, who, in effect, is the deputy governor. Running up the chain of command a request to remain in the digital workspace may, for some employees, be akin to running the gantlet. That is, its a form of punishment more trouble than its worth. Workers who feel that way, having seen all those help-wanted signs that denote a tight job market, might quit the public for the private sector. And that would probably be OK with Youngkin. So, too, would be wide-scale departures, perhaps fueled by a perception within the bureaucracy that Youngkin for political reasons is intent on micromanaging the states nonpolitical workers. Forget about the fact that the corporate sector, not just to keep its best people, is trying to strike a balance between virtual and in-person work. Theres something to be said for the creative tension of a face-to-face meeting. And there are activities that simply demand real-life contact among employees. Among them: determining how some engage others. Some state services just require real people in real time: law enforcement, public health, transportation and elements of the social safety net. That includes the Virginia Employment Commission, claimed by Youngkin as an early success story, having been restored from its near-collapse under the weight of the jobless surge attributed to COVID-19. So maybe the Youngkin directive, paired with an apparent freeze on agency discretionary spending over $100,000 announced in a recent memo by the finance secretary, is a cynical attempt to run off employees, saving the taxpayers for whom they work millions of dollars in salaries, health insurance coverage and pension contributions? For state employees, jumping now beats being pushed later, when layoffs could be the rule. An exodus of public employees voluntary or forced could cost Virginia government a defining feature: institutional knowledge. That there are people, most of whom are professional not political, who know how things work means things work better. To skeptics, some of whom are professional politicians, these people are viewed as little more than faceless, process-wedded bureaucrats whose job is to do a job on services. Next year, one in four state employees 25% are eligible to retire, according to the General Assemblys investigative arm, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission. The pools of potential retirees are likely larger in some agencies. Many employees poised to exit are white-collar types: 41% are general managers, 38% are financial managers, and 28% are engineers and architects. And departures will disrupt one of the state work forces recent characteristics: greater diversity. The Economic Policy Institute, a left-of-center think tank, notes that 58% of Virginia government employees are female, one in five is Black and one in 10 is Hispanic or Asian. These are challenges that do not lend themselves to quick fixes so often preferred by the political class. Fingers crossed Youngkin and his advisers are talking about them. Perhaps over coffee and Dunkin Donuts? Contact Jeff E. Schapiro at (804) 649-6814 or jschapiro@timesdispatch.com. Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter, @RTDSchapiro. By Azernews Cadets of the Military Medical Faculty under the Medical University underwent military training at the General Clinical Hospital of the Defense Ministry, Azernews reports, citing the ministry. The training on triaging, placement, and medical care of patients and wounded during the mass admission to the hospital was carried out under the annual preparation plan, the report added. During the training, the cadets practically fulfilled the tasks on the admission of the patients and wounded, providing them with first aid, examination, treatment, and other activities. The training focused on the development of theoretical knowledge and practical skills of cadets, the ministry said. Azerbaijan periodically holds drills to improve its military personnels combat readiness. The drills also aim to improve interaction and combat coordination between the servicemen during operations, as well as to develop commanders' military decision-making and unit management skills. Weve long since detached campaign rhetoric from reality. The activists that control each party instead demand candidates tell them what they want to hear. Voters tell ourselves its just talk. We know what they really mean. Thats the status quo, and most of us have made an uncomfortable peace with it even if we dont want to admit it out loud. Then, occasionally, a candidate comes along that pushes the envelope to a point where the pain threshold is exhausted and the discomfort turns to proper indignation. Consider the quixotic candidacy of former Senator David Perdue. His mission appears much more focused on defeating incumbent Governor Brian Kemp than on articulating...anything plausible with respect to the states future. Its as if hes been sent on a kamikaze mission from former President Donald Trump, without getting the memo that kamikaze pilots are generally not around to receive their distinguished service medals. Weve heard a lot of talk from Perdue, which may be his singular talent. Hes the "outsider that has been a member of the U.S. Senate. Promises to get that office included getting control of the national debt, which his 2014 campaign website labeled a "crushing $17 trillion, or 100% of the countrys Gross Domestic Product. Perdue warned that the national debt could grow to $26 trillion by 2023 if he werent elected to fix the problem. When Perdue left office after losing a runoff to John Ossoff, the national debt had crossed $30 trillion, at 130% of GDP. Thats his record, on his signature issue. Its not surprising that he doesnt want to talk about this, but instead, all of his talk seems to dismiss whatever the sitting Governor is doing. Brian Kemps central pledge in his 2018 race was a $5,000 pay raise to Georgias teachers. The pandemic delayed the final installment of that until this year, when the states coffers were again flush after Governor Kemp bucked the national narrative and Atlanta media outlets by making re-opening the states economy a priority alongside fighting the virus. Perdue called the teacher pay raises "disgusting and an "election year giveaway. Another of Kemps 2018 promises was to mobilize state resources to combat increasing gang violence. A task force was placed under the GBI, and the size of the State Patrol has been increased. Anyone connected to law enforcement understands the difficulty officers have faced in doing their jobs in an increasingly hostile, divided political environment. David Perdues response is to say that the Georgia State Patrol is no longer an elite agency. In 2014, Outsider Perdue promised to bring state fiscal discipline requiring balanced budgets to Washington. 2022 Perdue is touring the state promising to eliminate the States income tax a tax that generates 54% of Georgias revenue to pay teachers, law enforcement, etc. without a hint as to what he would cut or where he would make up the lost revenue. "Other states have figured it out is the usual canard. Someone needs to turn this Washington speak into a Georgia "heres a spreadsheet, show us how you plan to do this balanced budget. Meanwhile, Governor Kemp has signed a huge income tax cut as the economy continues to grow. Then theres the states Economic Development track record of success. There was a time when businessman David Perdue liked winning auto manufacturing plants, like Kias plant in West Georgia. Perdues press releases on Rivian are a full apoplectic word salad invoking "woke, "George Soros, "climate change, "reckless, and "failed. Rivian reported earnings this week with $17 billion in cash on hand and announced a new mid-sized SUV that will be built in Georgia, projecting a start date in 2024 and ramping to 200,000 vehicles per year in 2025. Outside of infrastructure improvements and job training, Rivians incentive package requires the jobs to be created and maintained for the incentives to be earned over time. Its one thing to take pot shots to win votes. Its another to jeopardize current and future jobs in the state. Unconfirmed reports have begun to circulate that Hyundai has chosen Bryan countys megasite for a new EV and battery plant a facility that could scale to be the largest in North America. One would guess the official announcement may still be a few weeks away. Theres the case of a primary vote on May 24th that may change the ultimate outcome. Theres a lot of cheap talk going around. That talk could become very expensive for Georgia if the promises made by the current administration are negated by a reckless candidate on a mission to avenge his and a former Presidents failures in 2020. | CD : : -------------------- -- Hi-Fi ---- ---- ---- ---- -- -- -- -- ---- D ---- BD/DVD/LD ---- - ---- , ---- ---- -- -- -- : 1 () I never met Albert Keiser Jr., a Hickory native who died April 26, 2022, at Conover Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, but I know enough about him now to say I surely would have liked to interview him. I would find out what motivated his zeal for the arts and sciences, genealogy, economics and finance, education, and so forth. I would also ask why he generously shared his wealth and expertise with so many organizations and individuals. Id have asked him what his childhood had been like. Wed likely have exchanged reflections on being only children. Wed have talked about our parents and grandparents. Thanks to Alberts friend, folk artist and author Barry Huffman of Hickory, who wrote a short biography of Albert in 2016, I know Alberts father, Albert Keiser Sr., was a German immigrant who completed theological studies at Wartburg Lutheran Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, and attained a doctorate in English literature from the University of Illinois. After professorships in South Dakota and South Carolina, Albert Sr. moved to Hickory in 1925 and taught at Lenoir-Rhyne College until 1957. In 1959, he died a wealthy man from stock market and real estate investments. Alberts mother, South Carolina native Lena Virginia McGukin Keiser, attended Limestone College in Gaffney, South Carolina, and then received a masters degree from Duke University. She taught English and French in South Carolina schools and at Wingate University. Lena met Albert Sr. through nieces of Hickory businessman George Ivey. They married in 1942 and had Albert Jr. on July 3, 1944. Knowing that Albert was a family history buff and a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, Id tell him I, too, was keen on learning my ancestors stories. Wed have swapped secrets buried generations deep. Then, hed have detailed his lineage to the American Revolution, and Id have testified to my own descent from our nations founding women and men. Wed have reminisced about the births of Hickorys art museum and science center and about how downtown Hickory used to look. Wed have extoled the glory of Catawba Countys oldest homes and structures and eulogized by-gone eateries, stores, and familiar faces. The topic of education would have come up. Albert would have told me he was valedictorian of Hickory High Schools class of 1962 and that he graduated fifth in a class of 230 from Davidson College in 1966, his major being history. Hed have mentioned a one-year stint studying law at Harvard before returning to Hickory and setting his sights on the business world. Following his death, a cry went up that Albert needed to be known and remembered. I turned to the people who knew him, including his closest friend, Hickory resident Lynn Blackwelder, who said, I hope he realized how many people loved him. Ive had messages from people around the country. Lynn and Albert became friends a few years after they graduated from Hickory High. Ive been looking after him ever since, said Lynn, who described Albert the philanthropist, financial advisor, stockbroker, genealogist, real estate professional, and one of Catawba Countys biggest fans. Hed lead groups on tours of Hickory, where hed point out historic structures and places and explain their significance, said Lynn. He was absolutely one of the smartest people Ive ever met in my life. Lynn emphasized that Albert never bragged about his philanthropic efforts and had a sense of humor. He told me about an ancestor woman from the 1700s. He said she had a beard and was fat, Lynn stated, laughing. He couldnt have known that. He just made it up. He liked to shock his good friends with his joking. Like Lynn, Barry offered a list of Alberts contributions, pointing out, Theres a Keiser [Community] Room in the [United] Arts Council [of Catawba County] building due to his generosity, a fact also highlighted by arts council Executive Director Ingrid Keller, who called Albert a significant contributor to the areas arts and culture community and a person whose impact on the community will live well into the future. Barry and her husband, retired physician Allen Huffman, are Southern folk art collectors. From their personal collection, they partly donated, partly sold 153 pieces to the Hickory Museum of Art, the first folk art pieces at the Hickory Museum of Art to any extent, said Barry. Albert, who was much involved in the museum and possibly hadnt been introduced to folk art prior to that time, loved them. When Albert discovered that Barry and Allen took regular trips to Buford, Georgia, for the Slotin Auction, a private auction company that specializes in American folk art, he asked if he could accompany them, and a tradition brewed: Huffman-Keiser folk art buying trips. Explaining Alberts fondness for folk art, Barry stated in his bio, He feels a connection with the artists who have stood outside the mainstream and created amazing art that reflects the strength and wonder of everyday living. From 2012 to 2018, the trio traveled to Buford seven times, with Albert amassing a collection to donate to HMA. Museum director Jon Carfagno said, Visitors to our galleries now have the opportunity to experience the creativity, ingenuity, and creative expression of leading artists such as Purvis Young, Lorenzo Scott, Clementine Hunter, and many more. We are grateful for how [Alberts] gifts have elevated our collection to rival the holdings of the best museums and collections in our nation. Barry considered Albert a hero. In a written statement of Albert Keiser recollections, Hickory Landmarks Society director Patrick Daily called him a legend. After listing examples of Alberts support of the society, Patrick stated, There is not one single person, by far, who has been there for us for so long during our organizations 54-year history. In a 2016 recording of Patrick interviewing Albert, I heard Alberts voice, his utterly Southern accent. He talked about going to Davidson, where excelling in the classroom was a much bigger challenge than high school had been. He admitted to brown-nosing the professors, which, coupled with quadrupling his study time, proved beneficial. A difficult emotional time plagued Albert for a while, his mental health sliding. Even at this low point during his young adult years, Albert supported the Hickory Landmarks Society, having already developed an appreciation for many of Hickorys significant structures. Albert said that in the 1970s hed sit in the Lenoir-Rhyne library and read the Wall Street Journal from cover to cover before making stock purchases. He made a lot of money, and then things changed around, he reported, and he lost it all. Thinking he might declare bankruptcy and off himself, he talked to his financial mentor Claude Abernethy Jr., who suggested that neither was a good idea and tutored Albert in the importance of patience in the money-making game. Albert became a financial advisor to a variety of people, many of whom he considered disreputable but financially successful, so much so that working with them helped him amass his own fortune. He became interested in researching his family, including the black sheep therein, and he helped others look into their family backgrounds. Then he began unearthing the histories of old houses and drawing conclusions about whether a place should be preserved or forgotten. Hickorys 1882 Propst House, restored by the Hickory Landmarks Society, was one Albert deemed important to save. As the recording continued, Albert shared the good, the questionable, and the scandalous backstories of all sorts of prominent and lesser known Catawba County people, but the tattle-telling was not as surprising as the abundance of details Albert plucked from memory with remarkable ease. Recording concluded, I thought to myself that Albert, who held nothing back when he was in a tell-all mood, could have had a successful career on TV: The Keiser Report: First the Facts. Then the Truth. Theres more. So much more. Major contributor to the Catawba Science Center; North Carolina pottery aficionado; 2018 million-dollar benefactor of a digital art professorship at Davidson College; co-author with Angela May of 2004s From Tavern to Town Revisited: An Architectural History of Hickory, North Carolina and so on. My conclusion is that Albert Keiser found joy, fascination, and purpose in all sorts of places, things, ideas, organizations, and institutions, and he felt moved to do whatever he could to sustain their existence for this and future generations. A hero and a legend and quite a character. A celebration of life for Albert Keiser is being planned for a later date. Share story ideas with Mary at marycanrobert@charter.net. Alex Powers Dr. Powers to his patients had taken an evening dip in the pool before falling asleep on his sofa in front of a ballgame. His older son, a high school senior, sat nearby. His younger son, all of 10 years old, was in bed upstairs, and his daughter, a junior in high school, was out working on a service project Thursday, May 19. About 11 p.m., heavily armed officers with the Winston-Salem Police Department kicked in his front door shouting confusing and possibly conflicting commands. Get down. Hands up. Stop walking. Turn around. Walk backwards. Stand up. All on the say-so of an out-of-towner, Powers said, who called police to tell a grisly lie that resulted in a raid that easily could have gone wrong. I thought for sure I was a goner, Powers said. Now, with his terror having ebbed, hes looking for answers. And so far nothing satisfactory has been offered. A familiar script Sadly, what happened to Powers isnt completely unheard of. Some victims have taken to calling it SWAT-ting. The way it works follows almost exactly the script that led police to kick down a 100-year-old door in a very quiet neighborhood where patrol officers rarely are summoned. Somebody somewhere Powers has a pretty good idea that it was a young man in Ohio phoned a non-emergency number and told a local dispatcher that an active shooter was in Powers home. He said he was a kid, that his father had just killed his brother with a pistol and he was hiding in a closet, Powers said. What distraught youngster would dial a 10-digit, non-emergency number rather than the gold-standard 911 that even preschoolers know? No kidding. You should hear the call, said Powers. (The caller) is totally mumbling and he gave two different phone numbers. Youd think thered be some discretion before sending in the full impact of the law." I asked for a recording of the call under relevant public-records law. City officials acknowledged Friday receiving the request. But questions and requests for interviews from the police department went unheeded. We do not have any officers available for an interview, a department spokeswoman wrote in a one-line email. Shelley Lynch, a public-affairs specialist with the FBI in Charlotte, wrote in an email Tuesday that per Department of Justice policy, the FBI can neither confirm nor deny the existence of (specific) investigations. But the federal government does investigate "swatting" incidents and, while rarely, have filed charges including conspiracy, making threats to injure in interstate commerce and conveying false information in California in 2019, according to an FBI news release cited by Lynch. Anyhow, back in Winston-Salem, Powers said that police handcuffed him, scared the bejesus out of his sons and caused a lot of what-ifs and second-guessing once theyd realized that theyd been had. I was asleep in my bathing suit on the couch, Power said. What if Id been upstairs? I have a pistol for home protection. If Id heard somebody kick in my door I would have gotten it. What then? What if my 10-year-old had decided to hide in the closet and they heard him in there? Its no stretch to think that that tragedy for all involved was well within the realm of possibility. This is not a prank, Powers wrote on Twitter the next day. This is a crime. The officers that responded were in a terrible position and just doing their jobs. Still, after apologizing, Powers said, one officer cautioned him against exercising his First Amendment right to free speech by speaking out. Part of that no doubt is out of concern for an investigation. Another explanation is that officers realized publicity might result in embarrassment or public opprobrium. Sounding a warning Best Powers can figure hes no dummy the whole thing started over an interactive video game and a communications app called Discord. (If that sounds familiar, its the app authorities in New York say was used to spew racist bile by the gunman who shot up a grocery store in Buffalo.) And its that factor that prompted Powers to brush aside the admonishment to stay quiet. The older son, he said, had been playing a video game that resulted in some smack talk over Discord about the quality of computer gear. Some identifier about the Powers home likely was visible on photos that were posted, and a threat to "SWAT" a reference to police SWAT teams was made. Who would do that over a game? Powers said. I never could have imagined hed go through with it. Yet he did. The incident was deemed serious enough for FBI involvement since calls and online chat crossed state lines. Federal agents, Powers said, interviewed him earlier this month. Hes hopeful the G-men can find those responsible and make an arrest. Until then, hes decided that sounding an alarm to other parents might be the only way to wring something positive from something so awful. "I do think people need to know," he said, "so they can ask their kids who theyre talking to online and why. Discord is bad news. Parents need to know who their children are talking to. Theres no reason to talk to strangers online." For all the talk about Australias digital and cyber skills gap, Melbourne and Sydney rank far ahead of comparable cities when it comes to availability of talent yet with salaries lagging world leaders, our well-qualified workforce could be particularly vulnerable to poaching. The newly released Local Talent Index, compiled by remote-work enablement firm WorkMotion, ranked Melbourne 21st and Sydney 35th out of 100 cities worldwide in terms of access to junior and senior developer talent, relative salaries, ease of remote-working compliance, and other factors. Melbourne scored 91.56 out of 100 (a benchmark set by London) in terms of access to junior talent, but just 63.46 in terms of access to senior talent suggesting that the citys universities and training institutions are producing many qualified developers, but that they are heading elsewhere to develop their careers. Money is likely an explanation for the exodus, with the survey finding Melbourne salaries are some 7.26 per cent lower overall than those offered in the top 25 GDP countries. Junior developers make an average $38,392 and senior staff $85,347 on average (all figures are in $US to facilitate comparisons) in Melbourne, while Sydney developers were making 6.05 per cent above that average salary with junior and senior developers averaging $43,860 and $97,692, respectively. New Zealand developers were even more underpaid, with talent in 49th-ranked Auckland earning 10.73 per cent below global means and 52nd-ranked Wellington earning 15.35 per cent less. Top-ranked Seoul, South Korea scored well over 90 in terms of access to both junior and senior talent although salaries were half those of the top 25 GDP countries while second-ranked Bangalore, India had the highest ranking of senior staff (100.00) but overall salaries 85.66 per cent below the mean. Tbilisi, Georgia was ranked 84th with middling talent availability scores and the lowest salaries ranking 94.14 per cent below the mean while developers in Tel Aviv, Israel were paid 166.8 per cent of the top-25 GDP averages. Other highly-paid cities included Pittsburgh, USA (135.3 per cent above the top 25 GDP mean), San Francisco (90.8 per cent), Hong Kong (89.71 per cent), and Boston (65.64 per cent). Talent is a double-edged sword The positions of Sydney and Melbourne in the top 35 cities might validate local skills-development efforts, but they also mean well-qualified staff in both cities are likely to be targeted with big pay cheques by companies in other countries that see them as a source of good, less-expensive talent. Both cities were ranked extremely high 98.60 out of 100 in terms of the ability of their infrastructure to support remote working, although this could become a competitive threat as it also means companies in other parts of the world can easily recruit those employees to work from home. The new normal constitutes a radical change in cities priorities, given that local talent is now the fastest and most effective means for economic growth, said WorkMotion co-founder and managing director Carsten Lebtig in announcing the new study. Cities with a competitive workforce will now have access to the economic benefits of high-paid jobs without having to create them locally. Significantly, Melbourne and Sydney ranked higher in cybersecurity 17th and 22nd, respectively but salaries were even further behind global averages, at 15.49 per cent and 8.6 per cent below global averages. Yet salaries for data scientists and analytics professionals were just a few percentage points above the average and access to senior talent scores in both cities were dismal 52.19 in Melbourne and 51.64 in Sydney suggesting that analytics experts are leaving Australia in droves as they become more senior. Salary disparities could trigger yet more brain drain from Australias biggest cities, exacerbating Australian skills gaps and talent mismatch issues that have long dragged on local innovation in areas such as cyber security and threaten emerging fields like quantum computing. Interestingly, digital marketing managers are particularly well paid in Australia, with mean salaries more than 30 per cent above global averages as are human resources managers, who are paid more than 26 per cent above global averages in both cities. Video game developers, by contrast, were underpaid by 25 per cent in Melbourne despite the city being a hotbed of development talent that is desperately in need of even more skilled workers. Would you be interested in a new privately published memoir by a Bozeman, Montana, lawyer, titled Tilting at Montanas Windmills for 50 Years? No? But what if he were my law school classmate? Still, no? But what if I told you my classmate-author had been the lawyer for Charles Kuralts longtime extramarital lover in her effort, after Kuralts death, to secure a valuable tract of land in Montana that Kuralt had promised her before he died? Does that get you interested? Kuralt was beloved by people all over the country, but especially in his native North Carolina, for his human-interest stories on CBS TVs On-the-Road and Sunday Morning programs. His warm, authoritative voice with perfectly pitched rhythms was irresistibly convincing. Kuralt was married for many years to his second wife, Petie, and they lived together in New York City. Only a few people knew about Kuralts dual life and his longterm friendship and financial support for Patricia Shannon. My Yale Law School classmate, Jim Goetz, is a hero in Montana for his work saving creeks and rivers. In his memoir, Goetz writes that Kuralt, who fished in Montana, particularly in September, purchased land located on the Big Hole River. Kuralt and Shannon had planned for him to convey this property to her in the fall of 1997 when Kuralt would be in Montana to fish. Earlier, however, Kuralt became very ill, suffering from lupus. To reassure Shannon about his intention to convey the parcel of Montana land on which she was living, Kuralt wrote the following: June 18, 1997 Dear Pat Something is terribly wrong with me and they cant figure out what. After cat-scans and a variety of cardiograms, they agree its not lung cancer or heart trouble or blood clot. So theyre putting me in the hospital today to concentrate on infectious diseases. I am getting worse, barely able to get out of bed, but still have high hopes for recovery... if only I can get a diagnosis! Curiouser and curiouser! Ill keep you informed. Ill have the lawyer visit the hospital to be sure you inherit the rest of the place in MT [Montana] cx. if it comes to that. I send love to you Hope things are better there! Love, C. Kuralt died in a New York hospital on July 4, 1997, at age 62. Goetz agreed to represent Shannon. Although it was clear from the handwritten letter that Kuralt intended to give the land to Shannon, Goetz writes that the sole issue is whether the language or the letter is sufficient to establish Kuralts intent to devise that property to Shannon. Goetz writes that most of the estate lawyers he talked to thought that the language was well short of what is required to constitute a valid will. The judge in the first hearing agreed, ruling against Goetz and Shannon. But after four appeals to the Montana Supreme Court, the first in 1999, the fourth in 2003, they won. Shannon was awarded the property. Goetz acknowledges, Although we won, most estate lawyers Ive talked to think the result was wrong. Nevertheless, the case is discussed routinely in many courses in law schools around the country, probably because of Charles Kuralts celebrity status. Goetz does not have a high opinion of Kuralt. He writes, My impression, by the way, is that Kuralt, although a very warm public personality, had a dark, depressive streak. Rumor was around Dillon [Montana] that he and Shannon were heavy drinkers. Goetz is a good friend and is entitled to his opinion, but if he ever comes to visit, after I thank him for his fascinating book about lawyering for good causes in Montana, I will remind him that for me and most others in this state, Kuralt will always be one of North Carolinas great heroes. D.G. Martin, a lawyer, served as UNC-Systems vice president for public affairs and hosted PBS-NCs North Carolina Bookwatch. SPRINGFIELD Submissions are being sought for the annual Cream of the Crop photo contest hosted by Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs. The contest, now in its 10th year, provides Illinois students with an opportunity to showcase their most innovative or scenic pictures that depict their vision of agriculture in the state. During the history of the contest, more than 500 students have participated, submitting nearly 1,000 photos. The contest is open to those ages 8 to 18. The deadline for submitting entries is June 22. Each student may submit up to two photos electronically at www.CreamoftheCropContest.com. Top photographs will be chosen in three age-based categories: ages 8-10, 11-14 and 15-18. Winning photos will be featured in Ag Invest marketing material, as well as at the 2022 Illinois State Fair. To read the rules, terms, and legal conditions associated with this contest, visit www.CreamoftheCropContest.com or contact Teri Whitfield at 217-900-0075. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 DECATUR The Decatur men who chased down and caught a suspect charged with stealing and defiling a U.S. flag that had draped a Marine veterans casket say they are proud of what they did, but also saddened they had to do it. Bruce Logan and Michael Tarczan had been standing guard in Graceland Cemetery in the early hours of Saturday when they confronted a 52-year-old Decatur man now charged with trying to steal the flag. The full-size flag is one of more than 170 that form the Avenue of Flags tribute at the cemetery. All donated by veterans' families and used during funerals, their poles each bear the name of the deceased service person. They are only flown each Memorial Day weekend and kept in trust by the Graceland Fairlawn Funeral home. Logan, funeral director assistant for the home, said flags around the Korean War Memorial in the cemetery have been stolen previously, which is why he was ready to stand guard. He was joined by Tarczan, an investigator with the Macon County Public Defenders Office and a member of the Illinois Patriot Guard. Tarczan said he was outraged when he learned of the previous flag thefts and was willing to step up and help keep watch over the cemetery. Both men were doing just that in the foggy morning when they heard a scraping sound about 1:30 a.m. and saw the suspect making off with the flag. Tarczan, despite running with a healing broken foot, took off after the man with Logan close behind. They ran him down and caught him, and Tarczan handcuffed him until Decatur Police could arrive to take him into custody. It just upset me that someone would do something like that, said Tarczan, 50. This is hallowed ground. Logan said he wants to follow the legal proceedings for the suspect, who is being held in the Macon County Jail with bail set at $10,000, as his case works its way through the court system. And Logan is putting out the word to veterans groups, too, hoping they will show up to make a statement. I want to be there in that courtroom to show that when people start stealing flags that were on veterans' caskets, that is not acceptable, added Logan, 54. Both Logan and Tarczan said they told the man they caught, whose defiling charge relates to dropping and trampling the flag as he tried to flee, about the enormity of what he had done. We gave him a real stern speech and education about those flags, said Tarczan. And when I asked him why he stole it, he said he just wanted one. Its sad and disturbing. The man was booked on preliminary charges of theft and defiling the flag. All preliminary charges are subject to review by the state attorneys office. Contact Tony Reid at (217) 421-7977. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyJReid Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. 22nd Century Group Inc. said in a regulatory filing Friday that it has sold more than $58 million in stock toward its May 13 purchase of privately-held GVB Biopharma. 22nd Century, based in Buffalo, has its cigarette-manufacturing operations in a 62,000-square-foot plant in Mocksville, where it has 49 of its 65 employees. The manufacturer said May 13 it is paying for the deal by providing 32.9 million unregistered shares of its stock to GVB, along with assuming $4.5 million of GVB debt. That valued the deal at $55 million. The filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission listed the stock sale being completed May 13 with 64 investors participating. At $55 million, it is about 20% of 22nd Centurys market capitalization of $268.2 million. GVB, founded in 2016 and based in Las Vegas, is one of the largest providers of hemp-derived active ingredients in CBD products for pharmaceutical and consumer goods industries. James Mish, 22nd Centurys chief executive, called the deal a transformational acquisition for 22nd Century that will enable us to rapidly grow our hemp/cannabis franchise. 22nd Century gains a 30,000-square-foot hemp ingredient manufacturing facility in central Oregon, a 40,000-square-foot finished product plant in Las Vegas, and an industrial-scale hemp extraction facility in Prineville, Ore. The companies did not disclose the workforce levels at those facilities. GVB also has offices in the United Kingdom and Brussels. With GVB projected to have $48 million in fiscal 2022 revenue, it would more than double 22nd Centurys annual revenue, which was at $30.9 million in fiscal 2021. However, the deal has not spurred significant movement in 22nd Centurys share price, which closed Tuesday down 5 cents to $1.82. The 52-week price range is $1.42 on May 11 to $5.25 on June 7, 2021. While heavily dilutive to the existing 22nd Century shareholders, if the projections to be immediately accretive to earnings, then I do not see this as an exceptionally risky transaction, said Bowman Gray IV, a local independent stockbroker. 22nd Century said GVBs industry strengths complement its existing hemp/cannabis market presence which includes: cannabinoid receptor science with CannaMetrix; plant research and proprietary genetics through its KeyGene partnership; breeding expertise with Extractas; and cultivation capabilities at Needle Rock Farms. GVB is a supplier to CBD and cannabinoid brands that include Cookies, Nuleaf and Canaxis Pharma. The combination with 22nd Century establishes a global one-of-a-kind asset to serve the rapidly growing hemp/cannabis ingredient market, Mish said. GVB is one of the largest CBD suppliers globally, possessing innovative, vertically integrated cannabinoid product manufacturing technologies driving industry leading scale and cost efficiency. GVB represents an opportunity to double our revenue and internalize a comprehensive contract manufacturing and extraction platform, which can be used to directly and exclusively monetize our differentiated and proprietary hemp/cannabis plant genetics and intellectual property, Mish said. Gray said 22nd Century is upping its bet on the potential of legislation to clear the way for hemp/cannabis companies to be able to function as any other. If that occurs, Gray said 22nd Century can situate themselves as a major player in the hemp/cannabis markets, which I believe will be far larger than the market for low-nicotine tobacco products. Given their research work with the University of Virginia and others, this is not a new idea or venture for them, Gray said. Its just executing on what has been their long-term plan. 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. Hanesbrands Inc. said in a regulatory filing Tuesday that it began experiencing a ransomware attack on May 24. Ransomware is a type of malicious software employed by hackers that can block access to a computer system until a ransom is paid. In recent years, the targets have shifted from individuals to governments, companies, nonprofits and healthcare systems. Its unclear what effect the ransomware attack had or continues to have on Hanesbrands. The apparel manufacturer said in the Securities and Exchange Commission report that it has activated its incident response and business continuity plans designed to contain the incident. The companys forensic investigation and assessment of the impact of this event is ongoing, the report said. Hanesbrands said it has notified law enforcement and is cooperating with the investigation in addition to engaging attorneys, a cybersecurity forensic firm and other professionals to deal with the response. Hanesbrands spokesman Kirk Saville said the manufacturer had no comment beyond the SEC filing. It is not clear whether the company has paid any ransom. It also is unclear if the attack affects only internal operations or whether the information held hostage affects employees and customers. In 2021, ransomware attacks were carried out on at least 2,323 local governments, schools and health care providers in the United States, according to a May 24 report to the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. One of the most recent high-profile ransomware attacks occurred in May 2021, affecting Colonial Pipeline, which has a major operational hub in Greensboro. The Colonial Pipeline was shut down for six days because of the attack, affecting gasoline, diesel and jet-fuel supplies in North Carolina and along the East Coast. It took several more days for supply to reach normal levels. Multiple sources confirmed to The Associated Press in May 2021 that Colonial Pipeline paid the criminals who committed the cyberattack a ransom of nearly $5 million in cryptocurrency for a software decryption key required to unscramble their data network. In 2018, ransomware attacks involving Iranian-based hackers struck the computer networks of hospitals and other targets in 43 states. That disrupted Laboratory Corp. of America in Burlington. There is no evidence that any LabCorp data was removed from our systems, LabCorp said in an Oct. 26 statement. The company said the attack affected access to test results for a limited period but that operations were returned to normal within a few days. U.S. Senate report A U.S. Senate ransomware report determined that the federal government lacks a complete picture of ransomware attacks. The report also found that the government lacks information on how much ransom was paid typically in the form of cryptocurrencies by victims of such attacks. Cryptocurrencies, which allow criminals to quickly extort huge sums of money, can be anonymized and do not have consistently enforced compliance with regulations, especially for foreign-based attackers, have further enabled cybercriminals to commit disruptive ransomware attacks that threaten our national and economic security, committee chairman Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., said in a statement accompanying the report. The investigation found the federal government lacks the necessary information to deter and prevent these attacks and to hold foreign adversaries and cybercriminals accountable for perpetrating them, Peters said. Many of these attacks generated significant losses and damages for victims, the report said. Data from the FBI based on complaints from victims from 2018 to 2020 showed a 65.7% increase in victim count and a staggering 705% increase in adjusted losses. In 2021, the FBI received 3,729 ransomware complaints, with adjusted losses totaling $49.2 million, according to the report. But the data drastically underestimates the number of attacks and ransoms paid, and the FBI considers the numbers to be artificially low, the report said. The real cost of such attacks could range from several hundred million dollars to as much as $10 billion, the report said. In 2020, criminal gangs were said to have received at least $692 million in cryptocurrency as ransom payments, the report said, citing data from Chainalysis, a blockchain data and analysis company that tracks such payments. That compares with $152 million in ransoms paid in 2019, the report said. Another study by anti-malware company Emsisoft counted 24,770 ransomware incidents across the United States in 2019, with estimated damages, including downtime losses, of just under $10 billion, the report said. The Associated Press contributed to this article 336-727-7376 @rcraverWSJ 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. By Azernews The labor ministers of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) member countries adopted a declaration on May 30, Azernews reports. The document was adopted during a videoconference of labor ministers of the NAM member countries, held under the chairmanship of Azerbaijan within the 110th session of the International Labor Conference. The meeting was dedicated to social issues related to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, labor market, ensuring labor rights, social protection of workers, and vulnerable groups. The declaration emphasized the particular importance of intensifying joint efforts to eliminate the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the importance of solidarity and continuing labor market reforms. Besides, the declaration noted the importance of introducing digital platforms and other technological innovations in the field of labor, employment, and social protection, conducting social dialogue related to the platforms, and developing new strategies, as well as the need to expand active employment programs, and other issues. Chair of the event, Minister of Labor and Social Protection Sahil Babayev noted that the establishment of social justice based on the concept of decent work of the International Labor Organization (ILO) is the most important direction for the NAM. Further, he pointed out that the importance of the movement, which has been functioning for 60 years, has further increased in recent times due to new challenges. The minister informed the meeting participants about Azerbaijan's consistent efforts as the chair of the Non-Aligned Movement to mobilize global efforts against the pandemic. Highlighting the successes achieved in Azerbaijan, the minister noted the implementation of three packages of social reforms in the country over the past three years, covering four million people, and the annual allocation of additional funds in the amount of six billion manats ($3.5 billion). It should be noted that social benefits in the country grew by 2.7 times, the minimum pension - by 2.2 times, the average pension - by 75 percent, the minimum wage - by 2.3 times, and the wage fund - by 2.2 times during the same period. He also pointed out the importance of the new "Labor and Employment" electronic system, noting the citizens' high appreciation of the work of DOST (Sustainable and Operative Social Provision) centers, transparently and efficiently providing 154 types of social services, including fully automated 110 labor, employment, and social protection services, half of which are proactive. He reminded that through the initiative of the country in March last year, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on equal and universal access of all countries to vaccines against COVID-19. Noting that Azerbaijan provided humanitarian and financial assistance in the fight against the pandemic to more than 30 countries, as well as member states of the NAM, Babayev added that the country also made a voluntary financial contribution of $10 million to the World Health Organization (WHO), and provided the vaccines to a number of countries free of charge. Babayev also touched upon the liberation of Azerbaijani lands from Armenian occupation in 2020, stressing that reconstruction and restoration works are being carried out on the liberated lands on the basis of smart concepts. Furthermore, the agenda of the meeting was adopted, speeches by ILO Director-General Guy Ryder and representatives of the member states were delivered, and general discussions were held. Azerbaijan joined the NAM in 2011. With the unanimous decision of the NAM leaders of 2016, Azerbaijan was elected as the chair of the NAM for the period of 2019-2022. This year, NAM member states unanimously decided to extend Azerbaijans chairmanship for one more year until late 2023. A multilayered health care reform bill that would expand the states Medicaid program cleared the final Senate committee step Tuesday. Senate Republican leaders continue to make good on their pledge to fast-track House Bill 149. The Senate Rules and Operations recommended the legislation, and it was placed on the Senate floor agenda for Wednesday. The Health Care and Finance committees unanimously recommended the bill Thursday little more than a day after the amended bill was unveiled May 25 by Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, and Sen. Joyce Krawiec, R-Forsyth. If the full Senate approves, it would put pressure on House Republican leadership to act on HB149 before the projected end of the 2022 short session in early July. House GOP leaders have been lukewarm about Medicaid expansion, so much so that speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, has indicated there is little expectation the House will take up HB149 in the next four to five weeks. Medicaid currently covers 2.71 million North Carolinians, which increased by nearly 27% or 588,611 people since the pandemic surfaced, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. Those who might be eligible under the expanded program are between the ages of 18 and 64 who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid coverage, but not enough to purchase coverage on the private insurance marketplace. GOP bill priorities Senate GOP leaders have changed their stance on Medicaid expansion thanks in part to several Republican priorities included in the Senates version of HB149. Berger emphasized that Senate GOP leaders believe Medicaid expansion needs to happen with additional reforms, including the very real supply-side issues that prevent North Carolinians from accessing care. Krawiec and Sen. Ralph Hise, R-McDowell, said Medicaid expansion, as proposed in this bill, is preferable to a feared scenario in which the Biden administration, or future administrations, would force expansion onto states that havent already offered Medicaid to more residents. Among the GOP priorities HB149 includes: easing restrictions on certificates of need, which health care providers must obtain from the state before building new health care centers or adding certain equipment. Easing that restriction could allow for more competition, including from for-profit groups, for medical procedures. The states not-for-profit health care systems have opposed weakening certificate-of-need laws out of concern that large for-profit groups would enter North Carolina and cherry-pick the more lucrative services, leaving the not-for-profits treating the sickest patients, likely without health insurance, who come into emergency departments. Other key elements of the proposed Medicaid expansion: permitting nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives and nurses with other advanced specialties to practice without a physicians formal supervision; requiring health insurers in the state to cover telehealth services; and requiring in-network health facilities to alert consumers when out-of-network providers are scheduled to provide care. Krawiec said the proposed bill pairs with many other policy changes that will improve access to care and emphasized that it would reform certificate-of-need laws that I have been working on since I got here. Berger said the state must do something to improve health care, especially expand access and control costs. We need coverage in North Carolina for the working poor. Work requirement provision The few Finance committee questions centered on whether a controversial work requirement in the bill could disqualify the state from receiving federal COVID-19 relief money. The proposed work requirement for new Medicaid recipients has received grudging support from some Democratic legislators. The federal relief law would provide North Carolina $1.5 billion over two years to treat traditional Medicaid patients if it accepts expansion and, most important, agrees to not put stipulations on enrollees. Legislative fiscal research analysis staff told Finance members they did not believe North Carolina would be eligible for the relief money if HB149 contains the work requirement provision. In order to qualify ... you cant exclude anybody who would be part of the expansion population, legislative research analysis staff member Mark Collins told the committee. With work requirements, theres of course the possibility that somebody could be excluded. Krawiec said Thursday that, in her discussions with state Health Secretary Kody Kinsley, he did not mention that we may not be qualified. So, thats an interesting note. Sen. Paul Newton, R-Cabarrus and Finance co-chairman, responded to questions about the federal relief funding by saying that theres gray area there as to whether we would be eligible or not. Its TBD (to be determined), but its a fair current reading of the (federal relief act). A Medicaid work requirement passed by the Arkansas and New Hampshire legislatures has been struck down by federal courts. In March 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court said it would not hear additional arguments on the appeals made by the two states. Berger said May 25 the plan is to pass the bill with the work requirement included, and then well deal with whether or not we can convince the Biden administration or the courts that this is the right thing to do. Berger said that, while the work requirement is being litigated, unemployed enrollees would remain eligible and not be denied. New reality Berger and Krawiec said May 25 that most GOP Senate leaders have embraced a new reality about Medicaid expansion. Medicaid expansion has now evolved to the point that it is good state fiscal policy and helps us address the mental health crisis were facing, Berger said. Coopers office said the progress on Medicaid expansion is encouraging and that the governor will carefully review this legislation. Berger said recent Medicaid reform legislation, highlighted by the managed care transition that began in July, has made the states system capable of handling the additional (450,000 to 650,000) people who will be covered without creating problems for the state budget. It was a broken program that was mismanaged and burdened taxpayers with billion-dollar shortfalls on a regular basis, Berger said. Fortunately, over the past decade, Republican leadership in the General Assembly has turned Medicaid around in N.C. with eight straight years of solid Medicaid budgets without cost overruns. 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. Local COVID-19 cases declined last week for the first time in nearly two months. The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department reported 417 cases for the week that ended Saturday, down slightly from 422. That was the first decline in weekly cases since the week that ended April 2. Hospitalization numbers also declined over the past week, with the seven-day average of COVID-19 patients dropping to 17 as of Monday, down from 19 on May 23. There were 23 patients in Lincoln hospitals as of Tuesday. The Health Department said Tuesday that the local COVID-19 risk dial will stay in the mid-yellow range for the third week in a row, indicating a moderate risk of spread of the virus. The decline in local cases last week does not appear to be the start of a longer-term trend, as other indicators show COVID-19 is still going strong. The Health Department reported that local wastewater sampling showed an uptick in virus particles last week. Also, the COVID-19 test positivity rate in Lancaster County rose from 12.3% to 16.1% last week. Statewide, COVID-19 cases increased slightly, according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human services, which reported 2,017 cases for the week ending Saturday, up from 1,995 the previous week. There also was an increase in the Nebraska test positivity rate, from 10.2% to 11.6%. On a per-capita basis, virus levels in Nebraska last week still ranked among the lowest in the country, the Omaha World-Herald reported. Virus levels and hospitalizations also continue to be a small fraction of levels seen when the omicron variant peaked in Nebraska earlier this year. The nation as a whole is averaging 110,000 new cases a day, according to the CDC. While cases appear to be leveling off in the Northeast, they have begun to pick up in parts of the West and South. However, it's widely recognized that official case counts are undercounting the true number of infections. Many more people are using the now widely available at-home tests, which are not routinely included in official tallies. Exactly how many cases are going under the radar isn't known. But researchers at the City University of New York estimated in a recent study that the true number of infections in New York City from April to May was 31 times higher than official case counts. The study has not been officially reviewed by other scientists. The Omaha World-Herald contributed to this report. Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Build your health & fitness knowledge Sign up here to get the latest health & fitness updates in your inbox every week! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Lincoln Police arrested a 54-year-old man Saturday night on suspicion of shooting his neighbor in the head with a BB gun. Sgt. Chris Vollmer said at 11:14 p.m. they were called to the 300 block of North 44th Street on a weapons violation, where a 50-year-old woman and her 48-year-old boyfriend said a neighbor had shot their home with a BB gun. Police had been called to the same place three hours earlier about neighbors fighting. Vollmer said the 48-year-old man told officers he had been struck in the head with a BB and they could see a cut behind his ear with what appeared to be a BB under his skin. He said a review of home security cameras showed Henry going outside with a handgun-style BB gun before the sound of several shots could be heard and then going back inside. Police arrested Henry on suspicion of second-degree assault and cited him for discharging a weapon when it's unsafe to do so and vandalism. Reach the writer at 402-473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSpilger 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. A Lincoln North Star teacher was named the recipient of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Freda Battey Distinguished Educator Award, which recognizes an exemplary Nebraska secondary teacher. Rachel Hruza, teacher and chair of North Star's family and consumer sciences department, was honored with the annual award presented by UNL's College of Education and Human Sciences. The Battey Award is named after Freda Drath Battey, a 1923 graduate of Nebraska's Teacher College and longtime Ashland educator. Her family established the award in 1986. The honor recognizes "excellence in teaching coupled with recognition in other complementary education activities, such as counseling of students or initiation of student-oriented programs." Candidates are nominated by students in the College of Education and Human Sciences. Hruza, who started teaching at North Star in 2017, was noted for her involvement at Lincoln Public Schools beyond the classroom. She is a committee member on North Star's Restorative and Trauma-Informed Cohort and has served as an interventionist for teen parents. In all aspects of her education career, she is such a strong teacher, leader, friend and confidant, said Associate Principal Rachel King. Hruza will chair the family and consumer sciences department at Lincoln Northwest in the school's inaugural year this fall. Winners of the Freda Battey award receive an inscribed school bell as well as a cash award for themselves and their school. Contact the writer at zhammack@journalstar.com or 402-473-7225. On Twitter @HammackLJS 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. Eric Turvey was standing outside his SUV parked in the Barnes and Noble parking lot Sunday night watching cars cruising down O Street when he heard screeching, saw two cars crash and a black Taurus barrel-rolling toward him. It came to rest upside down in front of him, along with two people whod been sitting on the sidewalk watching the cars. I had to pull my feet out from under them, he said. We had to move the car to get to them. There was maybe a 2-foot gap between my legs and the front of the car upside down on fire. Turvey was among a crowd of witnesses to a crash Sunday night that sent two cars into a crowd of bystanders gathered near the intersection at 52nd Street to watch cars cruise along O Street in what has become an annual Memorial Day tradition. Two Lincoln women, ages 20 and 22, died at the scene. Police Chief Teresa Ewins, who spoke at a press conference Monday afternoon, declined to name the women, who she said have been identified. Both were occupants in an eastbound white Toyota Corolla that was struck when it turned north in front of a westbound black Ford Taurus being driven by an 18-year-old man from Omaha, who was the car's only occupant, Ewins said. Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird extended "heartfelt condolences to the families and friends" of the women killed in Sunday's crash, and wished a "quick and full recovery" to those injured. "When a tragic accident like this occurs, we in Lincoln are fortunate that we are surrounded by talented and dedicated professionals who spring into action and respond with their experience, training and expertise to keep our community safe," she said at the press conference. The crash was reported at 10:47 p.m. Sunday, Ewins said. Investigators are trying to determine if any of the individuals involved were wearing seat belts, if alcohol was a factor in the crash, or what speeds the vehicles were traveling. "We're trying to piece that together," Ewins said. "Our people have been up all night trying to put the evidence together so we can actually figure that out." The Taurus rolled onto its top and pinned two people under it, she said. Bystanders were able to roll the vehicle off and one of those individuals was taken to the hospital and remained in critical but stable condition on Monday afternoon. Destenie Commuso said she stayed with the young woman whod been a spectator and was trapped under the Taurus, trying to keep her awake, while rescue workers tried to get the driver out of the car. She called the girls dad, while her fiance tried to keep the crowd back. A young man was trapped, too, but didnt seem to be injured as severely, she said. Commuso who was sitting on the north side of O Street, just east of 52nd Street, had just packed up with her fiance and two kids and pulled onto O Street behind the Taurus. She said a group of teenagers were throwing fireworks at cars before the accident and wonders if a firework may have played a part in what happened. Police did not mention fireworks during Monday's press conference. Turvey, who was on the west side of 52nd Street, was hit by flying debris and was covered in antifreeze or other car fluids, but two young children sitting on chairs in the cargo of his SUV watching the cars were unhurt. My instinct was to shield the kids, he said. I was standing directly behind the vehicle. I moved myself in front of the kids and waited for everything to stop. Then it stopped, help mode kicked in and I started trying to help. A friend and mom of the kids in his car whod gotten there just minutes before the accident took them from the area and paramedics checked them at another location, but they werent hurt. Turvey moved his car so they could get to the Taurus, and ran back to help. By that time other bystanders also were helping, and police and paramedics had arrived. When he moved his car, he said, he saw a kid bleeding and ran to get paramedics. There were lots of young kids in the area, he said. It was a mess, he said. It was one of the fastest medical responses Ive ever witnessed in my life. Lincoln Fire and Rescue Chief Dave Engler said the response Sunday night was quickly declared a mass casualty event, requiring six medical units, four engine companies and two truck companies with special equipment to perform extrications from vehicles. The response led O Street to be closed between 48th and 56th streets for several hours. The first engine on scene extinguished minor fires and began to triage those injured, many of whom were struck as they stood between the street and parking lot of the Barnes & Noble. "One of the challenges we had was the scene was very large and there was a lot of people there, and vehicles were a part," Engler said, "so it's almost like you had two separate scenes. It's difficult to identify who the patients are because there are people all over the place." LFR transported eight people to area hospitals, Engler added, and was still trying to tally the numbers of people treated at the scene. Others were taken to hospitals by family or friends. Bryan Medical Center treated 10 people seven at its west campus and three at its east, according to an earlier press release from police. Of those, eight were treated and released, and two were admitted one in critical condition, one in serious. CHI Health St. Elizabeth also received 10 patients. Seven were treated and released. Three were admitted two in good condition, and a third who was discharged Monday. On Monday afternoon, one patient was still hospitalized in critical, but stable condition, according to Ewins, while injuries suffered by others were considered non-life threatening. The driver of the Taurus was among those with non-life threatening injuries, police said. Police are asking for the public's help with its investigation and is urging any witnesses to share their information, including video and photographs, by calling the non-emergency number at 402-441-6000. The fatal crash was at least the second involving onlookers during an O Street cruise event. In July 2000, a 39-year-old woman, Connie McCullough, was killed as she watched Americruise cars pass near 35th and O streets when a nonparticipant car veered off O Street and hit her. She died shielding her children. After a brief hiatus following the 2000 crash, Americruise returned to Lincoln, but has not been hosted in the Capital City for two decades. Memorial Day weekend typically brings out an increased numbers of drivers who cruise O Street in what police consider an "unsanctioned event," Ewins said, as well as onlookers who gather on sidewalks and in nearby business parking lots to watch them. Lincoln Police Capt. Max Hubka said none of the officers assigned to monitor the cruise night witnessed the crash, but the first reached the scene within a minute. He said all indications were that Sunday's cruise night event was "pretty controlled," with fewer people gathered to watch along O Street and fewer vehicles making the loop than on previous nights. Last week, the Nebraska State Patrol and Lincoln Police said they would strengthen their forces Friday through Sunday, with a special focus on O Street between 17th and 84th streets. In recent years, crowds of more than 5,000 people have gathered for the informal parade of classic cars interspersed with regular traffic. Police have described how some watchers rush into O Street to pour water on the tires of cars doing burnouts to create larger smoke clouds. Hubka couldn't say how many people were gathered on the north side of O Street in front of the Barnes & Noble at the time of Sunday's crash. Taylor Arizola was across the street from Barnes and Noble, in the Verizon stores parking lot, when he heard tires screeching behind him. He turned around in time to see the Taurus skidding, but unable to stop, before hitting the passenger side of the Corolla. Both cars careened into the crowd. Arizola helped others flip the overturned Taurus back onto its wheels, he said. There were people running for their lives but getting rolled on by a car," he said. "I saw peoples kneecaps hanging out, people laying on the ground not being able to move. Social media posts leading up to the crash showed people gathered at the intersection of 52nd and O streets as cars sped by. Over the course of Sunday evening, videos posted on the social media app Snapchat showed people lining both sides of O Street near 52nd Street. In one video, a car attempts a burnout in front of a crowd of people. Following the crash, people are seen helping victims as first responders reached the scene. In one video posted on Twitter, smoke rolls from a vehicle in the background. In another, people crouch over a victim in front of a car. Commuso, on the other hand, said she was struck by how many people chose to pull out their phones rather than help. "Either get out of the way or put your phones away and help," she said. A day later, Turvey was still trying to process what happened, the chaos and trying to help, and how close he came to being a victim. I came within 2 feet of possibly losing my life last night, he said. Reporters Zach Hammack, Peter Salter and Evelyn Mejia contributed to this story. Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 5 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. Evelyn Mejia News intern Evelyn Mejia is a news intern and current sophomore at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She covers breaking news and writes feature stories about her community. Follow Evelyn Mejia 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 Zach Hammack K-12 education reporter Zach Hammack, a 2018 UNL graduate, has always called Lincoln home. He previously worked as a copy editor at the Journal Star and was a reporting intern in 2017. Now, he covers students, teachers and schools as the newspapers K-12 reporter. Follow Zach Hammack Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Peter Salter General assignment reporter Peter Salter is a general assignment reporter who has worked at the Lincoln Journal Star since 1998. Follow Peter Salter 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 Chris Dunker Higher education/statehouse reporter Chris Dunker covers higher education, state government and the intersection of both. Follow Chris Dunker 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 A depiction of the mosaic artwork that initially greets visitors to the state Capitol as they walk toward the Rotunda will adorn new Nebraska motor vehicle license plates for the next six years. The mosaic embedded in the floor at the Capitol's second-floor north entrance depicts stars and lightning, the sun, the moon, a planet and represents "the genius of creative energy," Gov. Pete Ricketts, first lady Susanne Shore and state officials said in unveiling the new design at a Tuesday news conference. The mosaic was the creation of Hildreth Meiere, a renowned American muralist whose artwork adorns Radio City Music Hall and St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. "It embodies the spirit of Nebraska," Shore said, in its depiction of energy. Meiere received the gold medal in mural decoration from the Architectural League of New York for her designs at Nebraska's Capitol. "It's kind of a cool thing that we've got things in Nebraska that you may not expect," Ricketts said. Capitol Administrator Bob Ripley described the mosaic as "a great piece of Nebraska fine art." Drew Davies, owner and design director of Omaha-based Oxide Design Co., which fashioned the license plate design, described the choice as "a winner." Shore said Nebraska's license plate will be incredibly unique and she recognizes in advance that it's "a state sport in every state to criticize license plates." But, she said, she believes it will become "a very beloved license plate." The new license plate will be issued beginning in 2023 and remain attached to cars and trucks for the next six years. Answering questions on other topics, Ricketts continued his broad defense of gun ownership rights in the wake of the latest school shooting in Texas that left 19 children and two adults dead. "Absolutely, yes," he said when asked whether an 18-year-old should have been allowed to purchase an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. "We ought not to focus on the gun, but on the person pulling the trigger," the governor said, and that points to "a mental health issue." Some of the criticism now being aired represents "red herrings on how to restrict gun rights," Ricketts said. Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSdon Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 3 Angry 2 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Jim Peters leaned toward the dog who zipped around his feet. Go get the spirits, Jetti, he said. The 3-year-old Queensland blue heeler took off, letting her nose guide her around the damp, grassy field in Genoa, Nebraska a city of 1,000 people that was once home to one of the largest federal Native boarding schools in the U.S. Jetti was on the hunt for a whiff that would indicate the presence of a body beneath the ground. Her search partner, a German shepherd named Rocky, had subtly signaled to Peters the possibility of a scent in the area a few minutes earlier. Jetti was less subtle. She zeroed in on a patch of grass, sniffing aggressively. Then the energetic dog suddenly sat and stared up at Peters, indicating that something beneath the ground had grabbed her attention. With the help of Peters and his dog team, Samaritan Detection Dogs, searchers for the first time last week identified a possible site of the Genoa Indian Industrial School cemetery a potentially seismic development in the ongoing effort to uncover and heal from trauma inflicted in the name of assimilation. Leaders of the search effort, which includes the Nebraska State Archeology Office and Judi gaiashkibos of the Nebraska Indian Affairs Commission, are far from declaring the site the official location of the lost cemetery. But the spot closely matches one marked on a 1920 plat map, and the search team now has a solid lead in the painstaking effort to locate the graves. The use of ground penetrating radar in nearby areas last fall turned up inconclusive results. School records and old maps pointed to several possible locations, but the search team was left with a large perimeter and few ways to narrow the search. Now the team has a better idea of where to look, said David Williams, recently appointed state archeologist. Based on the reaction from Jetti, it seems like we have a result here, Williams said. What comes next is a combination of search methods, including more ground penetrating radar and metal detecting. If graves are discovered, the decision of whether to excavate will ultimately be made by tribal leaders. The cemeterys existence was never doubted, but the number of children buried there and its exact location was lost to history decades ago. The fourth federal boarding school to be built in the U.S., the Genoa Indian Industrial School operated from 1884 to 1934. At its peak in 1932, the schools 640-acre campus housed 599 students, who ranged in age from 4 to 22 years old. The U.S. institutions served as a blueprint for Canadas Indigenous residential schools, where the discovery of hundreds of Indigenous children buried in unmarked graves brought renewed attention to practices that historians have described as cultural genocide. Shortly after the discovery in Canada, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced the Federal Indian Boarding School Truth Initiative. The effort led to a massive report, released earlier this month, on the U.S. schools. The federal investigation has so far identified more than 500 deaths at 19 schools, though the Interior Department said that number could climb to the thousands or even tens of thousands. The department has so far found at least 53 burial sites at or near U.S. boarding schools. At least 86 students are believed to have died at the Genoa school. As gaiashkibos watched Peters and his dogs begin their search last week, her mind was on her mother, who attended the Genoa school, and on her grandchildren. Im feeling a bit anxious, gaiashkibos said as she glanced at the expanse of farmland in front of her and the rushing water of the Loup Canal behind her. Were ready to try anything. Its so important. We have to exhaust all measures. Peters and his dog team were one of those measures. The 66-year-old Iowa resident has been involved in search and rescue efforts with and without dogs for almost 30 years. He began working exclusively on cold case investigations six years ago. His dog team has worked to locate burials that are more than 1,000 years old. The dogs are conditioned to connect their toy, a reward, with the odor of gases that remain underground long after a body has started to decompose. They might show interest in, say, deer bones, but their trained response is only connected to the odor of human decomposition, Peters said. Its pretty foolproof. When the school closed, its buildings were demolished or sold. The town of Genoa grew over the years, the Loup Canal was dug on the outer edge and farmland soon filled in what was once the sprawling campus. Through it all, those who died and were buried on school grounds remained. A bundle of sage in hand, gaiashkibos somberly made her way to the potential site. She laid the bundle on the damp ground and stood for a moment among the small group who had gathered that morning to witness or take part in the search. The sage bundle held together with a bright red ribbon may be the first grave marker to honor the schools dead in more than a century. Its also possible that the graves were never marked. As gaiashkibos and others continue the search, they now have a better idea of where to look. This gives me hope, gaiashkibos said. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 5 Angry 0 A majority of borrowers who together hold about $400 billion in federal student debt made no payment on their loans in the pandemic era, taking full advantage of a freeze put in place at the onset of the COVID-19 crisis. Data from the Federal Reserve show that 60% of borrowers who qualified for forbearance didnt make a single payment from August 2020 through December 2021. The U.S. central bank, in a paper published Friday, suggested that some of these 11.5 million borrowers may not be able to resume paying once the freeze is lifted. The forbearance on payments and interests is set to end on Aug. 31 after being extended multiple times by the Trump and Biden administrations. Once the provision expires, there could be a deterioration of credit-risk profiles, which could infringe on this groups general access to credit, the Fed wrote in its report. Last week, Lincoln-based Nelnet laid off about 150 employees, some of them in Nebraska. A spokesman for the Lincoln-based student finance company blamed the student loan payment moratorium. Due to the federal governments multiple extensions of the CARES Act relief period, federal student loan borrowers have not had to make loan payments since March 2020, said spokesman Ben Kiser. As a result, our loan-servicing teams have been experiencing extremely low call volume and limited work available. More than 40 million of Americans have student debt. But only about 20 million of them were required to make payments before the pandemic, averaging about $260 a month. The rest included more than 6 million borrowers who were in school and exempt from making payments, in addition to people who were in their grace period, benefited from deferment or were in default. Since the second half of 2021, credit-card balances increased at a faster pace for the group of student-debt holders who made no payment during the pandemic. Their debt balances at the end of last year were slightly higher than two years earlier, according to the Fed data. Delinquency rates on their credit cards, as well as auto and mortgage debts also rose in the second part of the year. These are additional signs that their budgets may already be strained and that they may struggle to resume payment on loans. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BURLINGTON A Burlington man has been accused of sexually assaulting a child. Martin G. Garcia Leal, 30, of the 300 block of East Market Street, was charged with felony counts of 1st degree child sexual assault and exposing genitals. According to a criminal complaint: On Wednesday, an officer was sent to a residence in the 300 block of Market Street for a child being assaulted. Upon arrival, officers made contact with a woman and Martin. Martin was asked to leave the residence so an officer would be able to speak to the woman. The woman said she tried to Facetime her daughter from work, but she thinks the infant answered it because she was only able to hear the TV and the infant crying. After a few minutes, the woman was able to talk to her daughter. She asked if everything was OK, and she said that her phone battery was dying. It appeared like she was making excuses to get away from Martin. When she went into her bedroom, she said that Martin had touched her. The officer spoke to the daughter and asked her to give him the basics of what happened. She said that Martin had come to sit next to her and began to touch her leg. She got up and told him to go, and when she tried to leave he grabbed her by the waist and held her down. She eventually was able to run to her room, but he followed her. He brought her into the hallway and began touching her. She told him to stop, but instead he pulled off both of their shorts and sexually assaulted her. Garcia Leal was given a $50,000 cash bond in Racine County Circuit Court on Friday. A preliminary hearing is on June 1 t the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave., online court records show. The American Red Cross has been accused by Wisconsin and Iowa unions of bargaining in bad faith. Employees in Wisconsin and northern Iowa of the nonprofit had their contract expire Sept. 30, more than half a year ago. According to the union the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees the Red Crosss negotiators have canceled and/or rescheduled 21 negotiating sessions while having only met with each of the two employee bargaining committees once. A complaint has been filed with the National Labor Relations Board, AFSCME said last week. We have been requesting to negotiate the local contracts with the American Red Cross since August of 2021, Neil Rainford, an AFSCME field representative, said in a statement. The Red Cross has consistently either delayed or outright refused to meet. Weve only met for the initial exchange of proposals in February. Added Collections Technician Lora Parker: They cancel, and we start over again. We need some resolution. We are fair with them, and they need to be fair with us. According to a statement from Eric Crocker, of Pewaukees Local 1559, We are understaffed and underpaid for what we do and for what the Red Cross expects from us. Management is avoiding talking to us about these issues. The union says that less-than-competitive wages are contributing to recurrent blood donor shortage because of slowed operations at donation sites and fewer blood drives being able to be held. In response, the Red Cross issued the following statement: The American Red Cross has a longstanding history of working together with our labor partners at both a local and national level to solve complex problems and denies that the organization engaged in any unfair labor practices. Regarding the complaint, Red Cross said, we will address it with the National Labor Relations Board, as appropriate. We remain committed to reaching a contract agreement that is fair and equitable to all and are available for continued negotiations. At the same time, the Red Cross will continue to focus on delivering our mission for patients across the country who rely on us each day to provide lifesaving blood; while we experienced a national blood shortage just a couple of months ago, we currently have a sufficient supply of blood on the shelves to support patients in need. As is typical when labor negotiations enter the public eye, neither side has specifically stated what each side is asking for or demanding. 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. By Azernews Pakistani Ambassador to Azerbaijan Bilal Haye has said that his country and Azerbaijan are discussing mine clearance cooperation, Azernews reports. "Pakistan already maintains contacts with the Azerbaijani government on issues of activity in the sphere of mine action. Pakistani sappers and other specialists will come to Azerbaijans Karabakh to help with the demining process," Hayee said. The ambassador underlined that there are economic opportunities for the growth of entrepreneurship in liberated Karabakh. "I hope that as soon as the restoration work is completed, many Pakistani companies will research the existing economic opportunities here," he opined. Another area that demands attention, according to the ambassador, is the potential to research natural resources, especially freshwater supplies in Azerbaijans liberated lands. "The stunning beauty and landscape of Kalbajar are very impressive. I believe that many Pakistanis will come to Karabakh to enjoy its beauty. This place will become a special tourist center for the rest of the world," Hayee stressed. Incidentally, Hayee joined representatives of the diplomatic corps visiting Azerbaijans liberated Kalbajar region on May 31. Over 80 diplomats and military attaches from more than 50 countries and 10 international organizations joined the trip. Visiting Kalbajar region with diplomatic corps. Sheer beauty and abundance of natural resources. The landscape resembles GB [Gilgit-Baltistan] of Pakistan, Hayee wrote on his Twitter account. During the 44-day war with Armenia in 2020, Pakistan was among the first countries to voice political support for Azerbaijan. The fraternal country also supports Azerbaijan in the restoration of the country's liberated territories. Furthermore, the parliaments of Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Pakistan have signed the Baku Declaration on cooperation. The document was signed following the trilateral meeting held by speakers of the three countries parliaments on July 27, 2021. The countries also cooperate in the military field. The Azerbaijani, Turkish and Pakistani special forces conducted joint international Three Brothers - 2021 drills in Baku. The drills were aimed at improving the coordination among the special forces units of friendly and partner countries during combat operations, preparing for operations in peacetime and wartime, as well as exchanging knowledge and experience. Azerbaijan and Pakistan also cooperate in various fields of economy. The relations between the two countries date back to 1991. Pakistan was among the first countries to recognize Azerbaijan's independence. RACINE The head of UAW Local 180, the union representing hundreds of CNH/Case employees in Racine and Mount Pleasant, said that the companys most recent offer included wages below a living wage. Neither side has been specific about the offers made have been. CNH (Case-New Holland) Industrial says it is negotiating in good faith and that its most recent offer was all-encompassing and comprehensive. UAW (United Auto Workers) Local 180 President Yasin Mahdi called CNHs offer bologna. UAWs strike in the Racine area as well as in the Iowa community of Burlington began May 2. It could take months to resolve. Mahdi thinks the longer the strike goes on, the better the offers from CNH will get. He noted that John Deere, one of CNHs major competitors, faced a widespread strike for just over a month last fall. So long as John Deere continues producing tractors and other equipment, and CNH is held back by the striking of more than 1,000 American workers, farmers and other consumers may turn to John Deere a detriment to CNH. Mahdi said union negotiators are basing living wage on research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which reports that the hourly living wages in Racine County are as follows: For one adult with no children: $16.13 One adult with two children: $43.27 Two adults with two children with one adult working: $36.30 Two adults with two children with both adults working: $24.57 In a statement to The Journal Times Wednesday, CNH said Last week, CNH Industrial and the UAW resumed negotiations. After meeting multiples times on Tuesday (May 17) and Wednesday (May 18), the Company presented the Union with an all-encompassing, comprehensive document, which addressed all open and outstanding issues. Unfortunately, the Union declined to meet or allow the Company to present and explain its position and proposal and indicated that they would not allow their members to see the proposal. The Union then left and discontinued bargaining. While the Union indicated that they were ready to resume the negotiations at the beginning of the week, we were very disappointed in their decision to walk away. CNH Industrial is proud of the comprehensive offer it made to the Union on May 19. The terms of this Final Offer include significant economic improvements for employees over the terms contained in the Companys last proposal given to the Union on May 1. We hope that the Union shares the terms of the Companys Final Offer with its members. After being on strike for more than three weeks, the CNH Industrial employees deserve to know what the Company has offered. In response, that same day UAW Vice President Chuck Browning issued a lengthy statement that included the following: The companys latest proposal falls short of our members bargaining agenda. Our bargainers are meeting with our members and communicating the areas of concern that remain unresolved. I understand the companys frustration that their bargaining strategy to force an inadequate contract down our members throats remains ineffective. Additionally, it appears based on their statement, the company seems just as disappointed in the determination of the UAW negotiators as we are with the content of their proposal. Browning continued: Their most recent statement is merely an effort, no doubt recommended by a union busting consulting firm, to avoid sincere bargaining with the hopes of getting members to cross the picket lines or accept an inadequate contract, to which neither will transpire. The only path to ending this labor dispute is through reaching a fair agreement that is ratified by our UAW membership. The UAW remains committed to reach that end. Since 1999, CNH has been owned by Stellantis, the parent company of Italian automaker Fiat Group/Fiat Chrysler. Mid-strike, on Friday, May 13, CNH stopped providing health care coverage to union employees. UAW reported it would begin providing health care insurance for them. As the strike continues, UAW reports it is providing $275 a week to those on the picket line. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 1 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. Clad in white jumpsuits with red paint splotches on their crotches, a small group of demonstrators from across the country protested against the act of circumcision Friday at the corner of Highway 20 and Highway 31. They argue that the act of circumcision, common in the U.S. but not so much in the rest of the world and especially not in Europe, is child abuse. We do not want the same act of violence to be enacted on us when we were too young to defend ourselves. The foreskin is a normal, healthy, valuable part of the human genitals, said one of the organizers, who identified himself as David Atkinson and being from Boston. Others said they came from as far as Oregon, Colorado and California. While still largely unheard of, the movement has been gaining momentum for 40 years, if not longer. Brother K (he said thats his legal name, having changed it in 1986) said that he first protested against circumcision in 1980 in Sacramento, California, receiving national press coverage. Brother K sporting a gray beard, eggshell hat and a pure white jumpsuit save for the red stain symbolizing blood said he was in college during the late 1960s protest era. There were protests against the war, in support of gay rights and in favor of legalized abortion, he recalled. Years later, after Brother K became sexually active, he helped organize more protests in opposition to circumcision. The anti-circumcision movement is still relatively new, only beginning to appear with prominence in the 1970s, but it has been documented since the early 1800s. Atkinson said he got introduced to the movement in college, when he read a study about the functions of foreskin, which include protecting the male genitals from damage and providing enhanced sexual pleasure. Like Brother K, Atkinson felt as if hed been deprived of something because of a decision his parents made before he was even a year old. The group, known as Bloodstained Men, stopped in the Racine area as part of a three-week Midwest tour. Atkinson said the group tours through different regions about four times a year. The most recent tour ended Saturday in Chicago, after beginning in Chicago on May 2, and continuing through Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa. Atkinson called the protests he has been part of as part of a drive of foreskin awareness and to prevent violence against children. We do not want the same act of violence to be enacted on us when we were too young to defend ourselves. The foreskin is a normal, healthy, valuable part of the human genitals. However, according to a British survey published in 2015, There was no association between male circumcision and poorer sexual function Circumcised men were as likely as uncircumcised men to report the specific sexual difficulties. Another 2012 survey in Denmark found men reported only two differences in sexual performance regardless of if they were circumcised. The only differences found were that circumcised men had a greater number of sex partners since age 15. Additionally, circumcised men were only slightly more likely to report having orgasm difficulties 10 of 95 (10.5%) circumcised men said they had frequent difficulties compared to 63 of 1,094 (5.76%) uncircumcised men. U.S. a rarity in the West Circumcision is becoming less popular in the U.S. According to a report from Medical News Today, at its height in the U.S. during the 1960s, the procedure was performed on 83% of baby boys, but by 2010, that rate had fallen to 77%. Still, few countries perform more male circumcisions per capita than the U.S. Among them, according to a report published in Population Health Metrics, are countries where Judaism and Islam are most popular: Iran (reported 100% circumcision rate), Iraq (99%), Yemen (99%), Indonesia (93%), Syria (93%) and Israel (92%). The rate is far lower in France (14%), the United Kingdom (21%), Germany (11%) and Ireland (1%). Advocacy Bloodstained Men claimed there is scientific consensus in Europe that circumcision is harmful, although there remains debate. The rate differences appear to be largely cultural and religious, even as some groups advocate to end circumcision. One group not advocating for an end to circumcision is the American Academy of Pediatrics, which reported in 2012: Evaluation of current evidence indicates that the health benefits of newborn male circumcision outweigh the risks; furthermore, the benefits of newborn male circumcision justify access to this procedure for families who choose it. Specific benefits from male circumcision were identified for the prevention of urinary tract infections, acquisition of HIV, transmission of some sexually transmitted infections, and penile cancer. Those who have their foreskin also can develop what is known as smegma, which Medical News Today describes as a naturally occurring substance found on the genitals It is the result of a buildup of skin cells, oil secretions, and moisture. If left to build up, smegma can become smelly or lead to an infection. There was some backlash to that 2012 report, which was accused of being infected with a western bias. The Danish Medical Association advises against circumcision, among some other professional groups. Love 0 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. A southeastern Dane County community is suing Wisconsin utility regulators in an effort to block what would be the states largest solar farm yet. The town of Christiana is asking the courts to reverse the Public Service Commissions approval of the Koshkonong Solar Energy Center, which would produce enough electricity to power about a third of the countys homes. The town argues the PSC wrongly approved a project that violates the state Constitution, lacked an adequate environmental review and was presented under false pretenses, among other deficiencies. The 2,400-acre project west of Cambridge would unreasonably interfere with orderly land use and development plans and would adversely affect public health, as well as amenities such as views, historic sites, geological formations, the aesthetics of land and water and recreational use, according to a petition filed in Dane County Circuit Court. The PSC voted 2-0 in April to allow Chicago-based Invenergy to build the 465-megawatt solar-plus-storage facility, which would be the largest in the state and the first industrial-scale solar plant in Dane County. Three utilities, including We Energies and Madison Gas and Electric, are seeking approval to purchase the project for $649 million as part of their plans to replace coal-fired power plants with carbon-free generation. A PSC spokesperson declined to comment on the petition, citing agency policy. However, the commission addressed many of the challenges brought up during the course of the proceedings in a final written order issued May 5. The town argues the commission should not have granted Invenergy a permit to operate a merchant wholesale plant when the company plans to turn it over to regulated utilities. Under state law, unregulated companies like Invenergy dont have to justify the need or cost of a project or show that it is the most cost effective solution, while utilities like MGE, which pass on the costs, with interest, to their ratepayers, are held to a higher standard. The commission says it followed the law as its written. The fact that a project may be acquired by a public utility at some point in the future does not transform the project into a non-merchant plant, the order states. To the extent that certain intervenors find fault with this framework, their argument is with the Legislature and not with the Commission. Opponents also argue the developers lease agreements with participating landowners violate a provision of the state Constitution that limits long-term leases on farmland. The commission dismissed the challenge, which they said was based on a misreading of the 174-year-old document and failed to consider existing laws and court rulings. The intervenors filings reflect a lack of diligence in researching the Wisconsin Constitution and applicable case law, and are unsupported by legal authority, the order states. With about 1,235 residents, the town would receive more than $250,000 a year in utility aid revenue from the plant. The project sparked fierce opposition from neighbors, the surrounding town of Christiana, the Cambridge School District and the village of Cambridge, as well as activists who have fought other utility projects across southern Wisconsin. Supporters, including the Sierra Club, Clean Wisconsin and Dane County sustainability groups, argued the project is needed to complete the swift transition to clean energy that the worlds climate scientists say will be necessary to slow climate change, and the impacts of solar panels pale in comparison to the alternative. The commission found the impacts were unfortunate but a necessary result of maintaining reliable electricity service with clean energy. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 It was sometime in the late 2000s that Kurt Justice noticed something was off. A fishing guide with three decades of experience, Justice knew how to catch walleye on the Minocqua Chain of Lakes, historically one of Wisconsins premier walleye fisheries. It was nothing for me to go out and find fish, Justice said. But toward the end of that season he wasnt catching many smaller fish. The next year was worse. There were no eater walleyes, he remembers thinking. Theres something wrong. Today, after years of intensive stocking and harvest restrictions, walleye continue to struggle in the Oneida County fishery where warmer-water species like bass and bluegill have taken over. And the problem isnt unique to those lakes, or walleye. Its not entirely clear why. Habitat degradation and overfishing are factors, but scientists increasingly believe warming temperatures are making many lakes unsuitable for cold and cool-water species like trout, walleye and whitefish. The problem is expected to get worse in the coming decades as temperatures continue to climb. And that may require a different approach to wildlife management, according to a new report published in the journal Fisheries Management and Ecology. Wisconsin spends millions of dollars each year on efforts to maintain populations of popular species like walleye, trout and whitefish. But those efforts to resist change are often ineffective, said Zach Feiner, a research scientist with UW-Madisons Center for Limnology and lead author of the report. In many lakes it doesnt seem to be working very well, Feiner said. What were doing now is maybe stocking lakes that are becoming too warm to really be able to sustain walleye populations into the future. Instead, researchers say it may be time to accept that change and think about other strategies for managing a resource that supports some 14,000 jobs, generates about $1.9 billion in annual economic activity and produces more than 4,600 tons of food each year. As an angler, Feiner said he wants to maintain as many opportunities as possible, whether that means catching walleye and trout or bass and bluegills. The science is pretty clear that Wisconsin fish communities are facing pretty rapid change in the next half-century to century due to climate change, Feiner said. Youd rather be proactive than reactive when it comes to management. Disappearing habitat Between 1990 and 2017, adult walleye populations declined by more than a third in the northern third of Wisconsin, and reproduction rates have slowed as well, meaning the fish cant keep up with current harvest levels, according to a study by UW-Madison researcher Holly Embke. And based on current climate models, the conditions for cool and cold-water species will only get worse in the coming decades, according to a report released last year by the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impact (WICCI). The Department of Natural Resources estimates Wisconsin has more than 420 lakes with the cool, dark waters where walleye thrive. By 2089, the WICCI report predicts, there will be just four. The outlook for trout is almost as grim. By 2065, climate change is expected to claim nearly 70% of Wisconsins native brook trout habitat and almost a third of the streams that currently support brown trout, according to a 2019 study by DNR scientist Matthew Mitro. The outlook isnt brilliant, said Duke Welter, a volunteer with Trout Unlimited whos been trout fishing since the early 1980s and worked for about 30 years on habitat restoration efforts in the Driftless Region. Welter said hes already noticed bass outnumbering trout on some bigger streams. Really, theyre becoming smallmouth fisheries, Welter said. That doesnt mean Wisconsin wont still have walleye and trout. Were not talking about the demise of walleye in Wisconsin, he said. There are places where walleye are doing great. In rivers, walleye are doing pretty well. In fact, Feiner and other researchers are turning their attention to those bright spots where walleye and other threatened species are thriving to understand what are the things that are allowing them to do well. A new framework Feiner suggests resource managers consider a new framework of strategies known as RAD or resist-accept-direct. When youre faced with a massive ecological change, like climate change, your options are to do things to resist that change and kind of keep the status quo, you can accept that change ... or you can direct that change ... where youre taking a more active role in shepherding that system to a new state that might have better services for your stakeholders, he said. The RAD framework has been evolving for years, said Abigail Lynch, a fish biologist with the U.S. Geological Services Climate Adaptation Science Centers. These concepts are not necessarily novel, Lynch said. But the framing around RAD has resonated with a lot of people. Lynch said resource managers are most comfortable with resistance which can take the form of stocking, harvest restrictions or landscape restorations in an effort to maintain the status quo or return ecosystems to a prior state. But that approach may not work in the face of widespread ecological change. Theres no stable state to return to, Lynch said. Our landscapes are changing. Our fish communities are changing. If we keep our heads in the sand and continue to resist beyond when resist options are effective its going to be very costly and were going to have more extreme consequences to our natural resources. Testing the waters In 2015, as part of a 10-year rehabilitation plan, the DNR along with private and tribal partners increased stocking efforts and implemented a catch-and-release policy for the Minocqua chain. The results have not been promising. While the walleye population has rebounded, the fish arent reproducing at a sustainable rate, and recent studies have shown the ratio of males to females is out of balance. Last year, the DNR extended the ban on keeping fish for another five years as researchers try to figure out exactly why the fish have failed to thrive. In another test of the resistance strategy, a team led by UW researcher Embke recently wrapped up a five-year experiment to rid one northern Wisconsin lake of bass, bluegill and other warm-water species to see if the walleye population would rebound without the competition. It didnt help. Using nets, traps and electric shocks, Embkes team pulled nearly 300,000 sunfish from McDermott Lake in Iron County. The yellow perch population exploded, but walleye didnt respond. Embke said while yellow perch and walleye prefer similar habitats, walleye seem to be less able to adapt to warmer and clearer waters, even in the absence of competition. We threw tons and tons of effort out there much more than would be feasible for a management agency and we didnt get a response, she said. We may need to accept that walleye are not going to thrive in all systems, specifically in these warming systems, and start to direct those systems toward alternative fisheries. DNR spokesperson Sarah Hoye said the department recognizes climate change is a major influence on the states fisheries and deploys a combination of resistance and acceptance strategies. That includes stocking and habitat restoration efforts where feasible while accepting the expansion of popular sportfish like bass and bluegill. Hoye said the department has not employed ecological direction strategies, which are inherently difficult and involve relocating species that could have negative impacts. However, the agency promotes the states growing bass and panfish fisheries. We hope that directing angler attention to them increases their popularity so that future anglers who may have preferred a meal of walleye will be just as satisfied with a meal of bluegill, at least in those places where resisting walleye declines was no longer feasible, Hoye said. Shifting attitudes Feiner said hes not advocating any single approach. The hope for these documents is really to start a conversation, he said. See whats working, what isnt working, what may become less effective in the future. That could mean changing how fisheries are managed, or convincing anglers to eat bass, which have typically been associated with catch and release fishing. Its an attitude that can shift, Feiner said. Bass are perfectly good to eat. The shift will be especially challenging for Wisconsins native Ojibwe people, who have relied for centuries on walleye or ogaa to meet subsistence, cultural and spiritual needs. Its probably going to be a hodgepodge of approaches, said Aaron Shultz, a fisheries biologist with the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, a natural resources agency representing 11 Ojibwe tribes who retain hunting and fishing rights in the ceded territories of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. Well have some lakes where we can resist and be successful and other lakes where we can accept these changes and have an outstanding bass fishery. Given the Wisconsin landscape will likely support fewer walleye in the future, Shultz said tribes may be forced to turn to other animals for subsistence. I dont know what the angling community is going to accept and I dont know what the tribes are going to accept, Shultz said. Right now its been resist at all costs, for walleye anyway. As a volunteer with Walleyes for Tomorrow, Justice is working to understand and reverse the decline of walleye on the Minocqua chain, but as a businessman, hes also adjusting. His shop, Kurts Island Sports, is now stocked with bass gear, and he acknowledges the notoriously hard fighters are more fun to reel in, though he still prefers the challenge and taste of walleye. Theres just something about the whole mystique, he said. Yet he can also envision a future without them. The future of walleye worries me, Justice said. I wouldnt be shocked. Id be sad. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 1. Yes. General Cavazos was an outstanding leader and a true role model for soldiers. 2. Yes. As the first Hispanic four-star general, the choice of Cavazos would be historic. 3. No. There are plenty of other Army leaders who deserve the honor just as much. 4. No. It doesnt matter what name wins approval; the post should remain Fort Hood. 5. Unsure. No matter what name is chosen, its bound to be controversial. Vote View Results When retired Army Sgt. Maj. Kenneth E. Stumpf passed away at his home in Tomah, on April 23, his daughter Jobi (Stumpf) Spolum didnt think about how the world lost a military hero a Medal of Honor recipient. To her, she lost her dad. Over his 77 years of life, Stumpf was best known to most for his actions on April 25, 1967, in Vietnam, where at that time as a squad leader, Staff Sgt. Stumpf earned the U.S. militarys highest honor the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Spolum is the second of Stumpfs three children. She has an older brother, Scott, and a younger brother, Adrian. She said growing up she didnt realize just how important the Medal of Honor was until she got older. To be honest, when I was a kid, it was about him being so good at racquetball, Spolum said. He had been on the all-Army team for racquetball. So it was always about what a good athlete he was. And then it was when I got older when I learned just how significant the Medal of Honor was, Spolum said. When we started going to conventions for Medal of Honor recipients and related events is when it really started to click. But at home, Stumpf was dad. He and I had a special relationship, Spolum said. Stumpf was drafted into the Army in 1965 and served two years with one of those years in Vietnam where he earned the Medal of Honor. He then left the Army and was discharged in 1967 and moved back to his home town of Menasha, Wis. Then he went back to work in a paper mill hed worked in before the Army. Not long after, in 1968, Stumpf rejoined the Army on Dec. 16, 1968, but right before that he married his life partner, Dorothy Guralski, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Menasha on Dec. 7, 1968. He was always proud of that day, Spolum said. Hed always say he got married on Pearl Harbor Day in 1968. Pearl Harbor Day, of course, is the remembrance of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941, that propelled the United States into World War II. Now married and back in the Army, Stumpf embarked on another 27 years of military service where he retired from Fort McCoy on Sept. 30, 1994. He and Dorothy had children Scott in 1969, Jobi in 1972, and Adrian in 1976. Kens strength came from being married (for 46 years) to Dorothy, his family obituary states. She was the glue that kept their family close. And after getting married, Stumpf completed two more tours in Vietnam between 1969 and 1971. He then served in Fort Benjamin Harrison, Ind.; Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; Fort Ord, Calif.; Fort Carson, Colo.; several locations in Germany; Fort Sheridan, Ill.; and finally Fort McCoy. In 2000, Stumpf was interviewed by James McIntosh for an item now stored in the data collection of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum in Madison. Stumpf recalled his time in Vietnam, learning about the Medal of Honor, and more. The transcript of the interview can be found by searching Stumpf at https://wisvetsmuseum.catalogaccess.com. When I had left Vietnam, I knew I was recommended for the Medal of Honor, Stumpf said in the interview six years after he retired from the Army. But when I left Vietnam, I left Vietnam. I gained a hell of a lot of experience over there. I think I became a better person. I became more dedicated to mission. I just did what I felt was the right thing to do, and I did my duty, Stumpf said. One day in my life of the first two years (in the Army) I was probably the best Soldier that I could possibly be. I was the best person I could possibly be. You know, go in there and get those guys out and the best warrior I could possibly be. That one five-, six-, seven-hour period, I was a good Soldier and the best I could be. Spolum said she thinks her dad always tried to be the best Soldier he could be and in turn the best husband and father he could be. He always believed in mentoring others, Spolum said. When he retired from the Army, he went to work for the county helping inmates complete community service. And then later he worked with a program that helped incarcerated youth. He was kind of like a drill sergeant for them. I remember the graduations where the cadets would come up to him and tell him what an inspiration he was. Thats the kind of man he was. Throughout his Army career, besides being a Soldier first, Stumpf worked much of his career in the administrative career field in various functions. Spolum recalls also when her dad served as a first sergeant. I remember when my dad was first sergeant for the postal detachment in Germany, Spolum said. We had a lot of single Soldiers who lived there, and they would come over to visit and have dinner with us. They were like aunts and uncles to me. My dad loved helping and taking care of people. In a retirement story written by former Fort McCoy Public Affairs Specialist Rob Shuette in the Oct. 7, 1994, edition of the Triad newspaper, Stumpf said himself that taking care of Soldiers was something he took very seriously. I have deep respect for enlisted Soldiers; thats what soldiering is all about, he said. My main mission was to take care of the Soldiers. Caring and compassion are two key words. And Soldiers responded to Stumpf not just for his accomplishments but also because he was a Soldiers Soldier. I had the honor to meet Sgt. Maj. Stumpf a couple times, said retired Sgt. 1st Class Jaime Herrera, who now serves in an Army civilian position with the Army Reserve Equal Opportunity Office at Fort McCoy. I had lunch with him and some other noncommissioned officers a few years back. As we sipped beer and told stories, he asked me if Ive ever seen combat. I said, Yes, Ive been deployed several times. He looked me dead in the eyes and said, I asked if youve ever seen combat, Herrera said. I replied, Yes sergeant major a lot, and I was wounded once. I was given the Purple Heart, but Im not a fan. It just means they almost got me. He takes a sip and puts his hand on my shoulder and says, No son. It means they tried their fing hardest and failed. Then he gave me his coin, and Ill never forget that. Spolum also said her dad appreciated everyone who served. She said it isnt just military members but everyone, including government civilian service, and more. Its his inspiration in part that encouraged her to serve the last 22 years as an award-winning Army government civilian employee at Fort McCoy. I find to be an honor to serve the people who have served my family my entire life, Spolum said. Thats what my dad believed, and thats something our family will carry on with in his memory. The National Medal of Honor Museum paid a special tribute to Stumpf. In the story about him at https://mohmuseum.org/medal_of_honor/kenneth-stumpf, it shows some words by Stumpf that might best have exemplified his character. I stayed in the military for 29 years and I never forgot where I came from and thats why I took care of those people underneath me, Stumpf said in the museum article honoring him. Because if I dont, who will? Throughout his life, Ken Stumpf remained dedicated to his fellow Vietnam veterans, hearkening back to the time he had spent with them in action. Vietnam made me strong, he said in the article. I mean, for the guys that got killed, Im strong for them. And just as he had in Vietnam, where, I laughed a lot, I laughed a lot to keep people cool, Stumpf or Stumpy, as his men called him always displayed his great sense of humor as he shared stories about his time in the service. Stumpf will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery alongside his wife Dorothy at a date yet to be determined. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 ONALASKALike many high school students, Holmen High School senior Luke LeClaire was uncertain of his post-high school future. I didnt know what I wanted to do for a career, he said. A year of firefighting and emergency medical response classes changed that. LeClaire will pursue a career as a professional firefighter after enrolling in Western Technical Colleges fire protection technician program. He was one of seven high school seniors who completed a year of classes held at the Onalaska Fire Department. The efforts of Western and the fire department were recognized by the state Department of Safety and Professional Services, which presented a $22,000 youth firefighter training grant Tuesday in Onalaska. DSPS secretary Dawn Crim said the grant will help train the next generation of emergency responders. Today, I am here to ensure we have funds for recruitment and retention, Crim said. Recruitment and retention are significant issues for protective services, said Onalaska Fire Chief Troy Gudie. Recruitment is a challenge, he said. Families are busier, and its becoming more difficult to fill vacant positions. Gudie said reaching out to young people while theyre still in high school is an important step. The vision and goal of this program is to get high school students at a young age to enter into an exciting career as a professional firefighter, he said. When the class began Sept. 7, 2021, it was the first of its kind in La Crosse County. Classes were held Monday through Thursday from 7:30 to 9 a.m. (and a few Saturdays) and lasted the entire school year. The first semester covered firefighting, and the second semester covered emergency medical response. Seven of the nine students who enrolled completed the course in May, and two are already certified as paid on-call firefighters. Four others are enrolled in Westerns fire protection program. I just took the class to see if I liked it, and I really enjoyed it, LeClaire said. Im really glad I took the class. The seven graduates are from six different area high schools. The class was taught by Onalaska Fire Department training officer Rick Molzahn, who was impressed by the willingness of students to apply themselves early in the morning despite coming from as far away as Westby and Mauston. Students got hands-on training with protective gear, maintaining fire hoses and other fire equipment and scaling the 35-story ladder tower at Westerns public safety training facility in Sparta. That was followed by a 100-question multiple-choice exam and a hands-on practical test. Molzahn said the fire station was a good place to conduct classes. They would come in the morning and see the trucks, and when they leave, they would see the full-timers working on the trucks, and they got to talk and interact with (the firefighters), he said. Molzahn said 14 students are signed up for the 2022-23 class. Western president Roger Stanford said the grant money is just the beginning. He said the next step is to take this level of investment and turn it into credits and degrees. We were able to come together and be the middle person to work with K-12 and work with a fire district like Onalaska, Stanford said. La Crosse Tribune reporter Steve Rundio can be reached at steve.rundio@lee.net. 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. Eight La Crosse County volunteers were honored with Governors Service Awards last week, including one for regional Volunteer of the Year. Held May 26, the 2022 awards recognized outstanding volunteers in the state, AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors participants and national service organizations that focus on pressing social needs. During the ceremony, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes shared that throughout the coronavirus crisis, volunteers have inspired us all to believe that an end the pandemic is possible and that everyone doing their part is exactly the way that we can achieve that. Expressing thanks for their efforts, Mandela said, When times are challenging and people fell into despair, frustration and desperation, it was you who have been there to lend a helping hand. You may not know it, but you make a difference. Marti Clark of Coulee Region RSVP in La Crosse was named the Volunteer of the Year for West Central Wisconsin, having clocked over 7,500 hours at over two dozen sites since she joined the volunteer team in fall 2012. Clark signed up after hearing on the radio that RSVP was in need of baby hats to donate. Clark has lent her time to many different campaigns and efforts, most profoundly the RSVP Handcraft Program. Clark sorts donated items, tracks the types, amounts, and handmakers, and stores them for distribution. She was the first volunteer to come back to the facility following a temporary COVID-19 precautionary closure. Working solo, Clark sorted and then placed items aside for three to five days, a recommendation the CDC made early in the pandemic to reduce risk of infection transfer via surfaces. Clark also organizes the Handicraft Open House each fall, where area nonprofits, assisted living, nursing homes, medical facilities or support agencies can select items, free of charge, to pass on to those in need. Among the selection are baby hats, cancer turbans, wheelchair bags, winter weather accessories and quilts. During the pandemic, Clark kept the giving going safely by adjusting the date of the Open House to span three days, with scheduled windows of time to allow for social distancing. When RSVP was asked for donations of twiddlemuffs, a knit tube with buttons, beads or raised patterns, Clark took the lead. At present, she is the only volunteer making the sensory tools, which are designed to keep the hands of those with dementia and Alzheimers disease warm and busy. Clark has thus far made over 125 twiddlemuffs, which were distributed to memory care units in La Crosse and Monroe counties, and to two hospitals for inclusion in their ER dementia kits. RSVP program director Ruth Kinstler says, Marti always has a smile on her face and has a passion for the mission of RSVP. She is not afraid to try something new. Marti has a passion for helping wherever there is a need. She has a very giving heart and is willing to assist whenever we ask. Seven additional members of RSVP were honored for marking 20 years of service. They are include Cynthia Ann Gluch, Laura Hubert, Carol Lee, Phyllis Miletto, Judy Ostreng, Dolores Roach and Gordon Stewart. 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. RTHK: Ukraine identifies 'thousands' of war crimes Ukraine has identified several thousand suspected war crimes in the eastern Donbas region where Russian forces are pressing their offensive, Kyiv's chief prosecutor said on Tuesday. The cases in the industrial region are among some 15,000 across Ukraine since Russian forces attacked on February 24, prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova said. "Of course we started a few thousand cases about what we see in Donbas," Venediktova told a news conference in The Hague as she met international counterparts. "If we speak about war crimes, it's about possible transfer of people, we started several cases about possible transfer of children, adult people to different parts of the Russian Federation," she said. "Then, of course, we can speak about torturing people, killing civilians and destroying civilian infrastructure." Ukrainian authorities did not have access to Russian-held areas of Donbas, but they were interviewing evacuees and prisoners of war, Venediktova told the press conference at the headquarters of EU judicial agency Eurojust. In total, Ukraine had identified 15,000 war crimes cases since the Russian offensive with 200 to 300 more coming in every day, she added. Ukraine had identified 600 suspects for the "anchor" crime of aggression, including "high level of top military, politicians and propaganda agents of Russian Federation", the prosecutor general said. Nearly 80 suspects had been identified for alleged war crimes that had actually taken place on Ukrainian soil, she added. Two Russian soldiers were jailed for 11 and a half years by a Ukrainian court on Tuesday for shelling civilian areas, while another was jailed for life earlier this month for murdering a civilian. Three more European countries Latvia, Estonia and Slovakia meanwhile joined an international investigation team probing war crimes in Ukraine on Tuesday. Prosecutors from Poland, Lithuania and from the Hague-based International Criminal Court are already part of the team. "Today is a momentous day that the (team) has three new members," ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said at the news conference alongside the Ukrainian prosecutor. The ICC was "hopefully" going to open a field office in Kyiv in the next few weeks to have a more permanent base for its investigation in Ukraine, Khan added. "We can't fly in and fly out," said Khan. The ICC earlier this month dispatched the largest team of investigators in the court's 20-year history to probe suspected war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine. Ukraine's Venediktova said she hoped her country would handle "95 percent" of cases but that some larger or more difficult ones could be dealt with by the ICC. Russia's assault and the subsequent discovery of hundreds of killings in places such as the Kyiv suburb of Bucha have prompted unprecedented international investigative efforts. "Never in the history of armed conflict has the legal community responded with such determination," Eurojust President Ladislav Hamran said. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2022-05-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. By Trend A total of 17 cooperation documents in various fields were signed between Iran and Tajikistan in Tehran on May 30, 2022, Trend reports citing the Iranian Presidents official website. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon attended the signing ceremony. Cooperation documents were signed in the fields of politics, economics, trade, transport, investment, new technologies, environment, sports, energy, justice, health, research and tourism. KYIV, Ukraine -- Ukraineian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the Russian blockade of Ukrainian sea ports prevents Kyiv from exporting 22 million tons of grain. In his nightly address Monday, Zelenskyy said the result is the threat of famine in countries dependent on the grain and could create a new migration crisis. He charges that this is something the Russian leadership clearly seeks. Zelenskyy accuses Moscow of deliberately creating this problem so that the whole of Europe struggles and so that Ukraine doesnt earn billions of dollars from its exports. He calls Russias claims that sanctions dont allow it to export more of its food cynical and a lie. KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: Russian, Ukrainian troops fight block by block in key city EU leaders agree to partial embargo on Russian oil War in Ukraine adds to food price hikes, hunger in Africa Russia offers foreign debt payment system similar to gas one Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: BRUSSELS European Union leaders reached a compromise Monday to impose a partial oil embargo on Russia at a summit focused on helping Ukraine with a long-delayed package of sanctions that was blocked by Hungary. The watered-down embargo covers only Russian oil brought in by sea, allowing a temporary exemption for imports delivered by pipeline. EU Council President Charles Michel said on Twitter the agreement covers more than two-thirds of oil imports from Russia, cutting a huge source of financing for its war machine. Maximum pressure on Russia to end the war. KYIV, Ukraine -- The Ukrainian president says a total of 32 media workers have been killed in Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address Monday that the number includes French journalist Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff. The French news broadcaster BFM TV says Leclerc-Imhoff was hit by shrapnel while covering a Ukrainian evacuation operation. In his talk, Zelenskyy said: A little more than a month ago I gave an interview to this very TV channel. It was my first interview to the French media during the full-fledged war. My sincere condolences to colleagues and family of Frederic." Russian state gas giant Gazprom confirmed Monday it will halt gas supplies to a Dutch gas trader starting Tuesday due to its refusal to pay for deliveries in rubles, a requirement to European nations Russian President Vladimir Putin put forward earlier this year. GasTerra, based in the northern Dutch city of Groningen, announced the shutoff Monday. It said the move means Gazprom will not deliver some 2 billion cubic meters of gas through Oct. 1, the date the supply contract ends. In its statement cited by the Russian state news agency Tass, Gazprom said that GasTerra has not paid for the gas supplied in April. The Dutch trader said it has bought gas from other providers in anticipation of a possible Gazprom shutoff and Dutch Climate and Energy Minister Rob Jetten said in a statement that the government understands the cutoff will have no effect on the physical delivery of gas to Dutch households. GasTerra is a private company that is owned by the Dutch arms of energy giants Shell and Esso and the Dutch government. KYIV, Ukraine -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked France not to succumb to Russian blackmail over food supplies at a meeting with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna. Zelenskyys office says in its summary of the Monday talks that Russia is using food security issues in an attempt to have international sanctions eased. Ukraine has accused Russia of looting grain and farm equipment from regions its troops hold in Ukraine and of obstructing Ukraines exports of grain. Zelenskyys office says he and Colonna discussed sanctions, weapons supplies and Ukrainian aspirations to join the European Union. Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says its important Colonna also visited Bucha, the sight of Russian atrocities. Moscow has pressed the West to lift sanctions against it over the war in Ukraine, seeking to shift the blame for a growing food crisis worsened by Kyivs inability to ship grain while under attack. Britain has accused Russia of trying to hold the world to ransom, insisting there would be no sanctions relief. Ukraine says its grateful to France for supporting strong sanctions. PARIS A French news broadcaster says a 32-year-old French journalist has been killed in Ukraine while covering a humanitarian operation. BFM TV says the journalist was fatally hit by shell shrapnel while covering the Ukrainian evacuation operation on Monday. The broadcaster says Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff was in an armored vehicle near Sievierodonetsk, a key city in the Donbas region. French President Emmanuel Macron has paid tribute to Leclerc-Imhoff. Macron tweeted the journalist was in Ukraine to show the reality of the war. Macron says, Aboard a humanitarian bus, alongside civilians forced to flee to escape Russian bombs, he was fatally shot. Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko says another French journalist was wounded along with a Ukrainian woman who was accompanying them. MOSCOW -- The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken on the phone to Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and discussed the situation in Ukraine, among other things. According to the Kremlins readout of the Monday call, the emphasis was placed on the issues of ensuring safe navigation in the Black and Azov Seas, eliminating the mine threat in their waters. The readout says Putin noted the readiness of the Russian side to facilitate the unimpeded maritime transit of goods in coordination with Turkish partners. It says, This also applies to the export of grain from Ukrainian ports. Ukraine has accused Russia of looting grain and farm equipment from regions its troops hold in Ukraine and of obstructing Ukraines exports of grain. The Kremlin says Putin confirmed to Erdogan that Russia can export significant amounts of fertilizers and agricultural products if sanctions against it are lifted. Moscow has pressed the West to lift sanctions against it over the war in Ukraine, seeking to shift the blame for a growing food crisis worsened by Kyivs inability to ship grain while under attack. Britain has accused Russia of trying to hold the world to ransom, insisting there would be no sanctions relief. A top U.S. diplomat has blasted the barbarity, cruelty and lawlessness of Russias invasion. WASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden is suggesting that there are no plans for the U.S. to send long-range rocket systems to Ukraine, amid reports that the move is being considered. Biden told reporters outside the White House on Monday that we are not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that can strike into Russia. Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russias Security Council, said that it was a reasonable decision. He said that otherwise, if our cities come under attack, the Russian armed forces would fulfill (their) threat and strike the centers where such criminal decisions are made. Medvedev added that some of them arent in Kyiv. And he said that there is no need for a further explanation. BRUSSELS Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is welcoming a proposal for the European Union to slap an embargo on Russian oil transported by ship and to exempt oil pumped overland through Ukraine to his country. Orban says the idea is a good approach. But he wants guarantees that in the case of an accident with the pipeline Hungary would have the right to get Russian oil from other sources. Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria rely on Russian oil and are reluctant to impose sweeping sanctions on crude. Russia supplies more than 60% of Hungarys oil. Orbans remarks came Monday at an extraordinary EU summit focused on helping Ukraine, with sanctions a clear focus of attention. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala also says that a ban on sea-transported oil has our support. Fiala says his country simply cannot afford a situation when wed lack some oil products. BRUSSELS -- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says hes confident that a good solution to a standoff over a proposed European Union embargo on Russian oil will be found sooner or later. Scholz said as he arrived at an EU summit Monday that Europes unity so far in the face of Russias attack on Ukraine sends a good signal and I am very confident that we will do so in the future too. Divisions have emerged over whether to target Russian oil in a new series of sanctions, with Hungary leading objections. But Scholz said he saw talks being conducted with a will to reach an agreement. He didnt address details of a possible solution but said the EUs strength lies in solving problems together and he is firmly convinced that we can continue discussing a good solution with each other today and tomorrow. Scholz said: No one can predict whether this will actually be the case, but everything I hear sounds as though there could be a consensus, and sooner or later there will be one. VILNIUS, Lithuania Lawmakers from NATO countries are calling for a solution to transport grain and other products from Ukraine to get around a Russian blockade of Black Sea ports. Spanish lawmaker Zaida Cantera said that Africa and the Middle East import around 50% of these products" and that, based on U.N. data, Africa will face famine. Cantera said that could lead to more migrants arriving in the southern parts of Europe. She spoke at the NATO parliamentary assembly, which was moved to the Lithuanian capital after originally being slated for Kyiv. At the end of their one-day gathering, the NATO lawmakers approved a resolution calling for stronger sanctions against Russia and an increased supply of weapons to Ukraine. Ruslan Stefanchuk, the speaker of the Ukrainian parliament, said during the meeting that his country will not accept any land for peace deals with Russia. BARCELONA, Spain NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says next months summit in Madrid will be a historic opportunity to strengthen the alliance in the face of Russian aggression against Ukraine. Speaking at a gala in Madrid to mark Spains 40th year as a NATO member, Stoltenberg said he looked forward to welcoming Sweden and Finland at the summit on June 29-30. He said that at the Madrid summit we will chart the way ahead for the next decade. He added that we will also be joined by Finland and Sweden, who have just made historic applications to join our alliance. But the leader of the 30-member alliance didnt address Turkeys reluctance to opening the doors to Sweden and Finland. MOSCOW Russia says it may use an arrangement similar to that used for payments for its gas supplies to pay its dollar-denominated foreign debts. The Vedomosti business daily on Monday quoted Finance Minister Anton Siluanov as saying that Russia will offer the holders of its Eurobond obligations a payment system bypassing Western financial infrastructure. Russia previously has offered natural gas customers to establish an account in dollars or euros at Gazprombank, then a second account in rubles. The importer would pay the gas bill in euros or dollars and direct the bank to exchange the money for rubles. The system aims to avoid a risk of payments for gas being frozen as part of Western sanctions against Russia for its actions in Ukraine. Siluanov told Vedomosti that a similar mechanism will be set for Eurobond holders, with an offer to open foreign currency and ruble accounts at a Russian bank. In payments for gas, we are credited with foreign currency and its converted into rubles, Siluanov was quoted as saying. The Eurobond settlement mechanism will work in the same way, just in the other direction. LVIV, Ukraine The mayor of a Ukrainian city at the epicenter of the Russian offensive says that fierce street battles are going on there. Sievierodonetsk Mayor Oleksandr Striuk told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Monday that Russian troops have entered the city and street fighting is going on. He added that the Ukrainian defenders were fighting to push the Russians out. Striuk added that the Russian troops have advanced a few blocks toward the city center. He said that we have no power and no communications. The city has been completely ruined. The mayor said that 12,000-13,000 civilians left in the city are sheltering in basements and bunkers to escape relentless Russian bombardment. He said that the number of victims is rising every hour, but we are unable to count the dead and the wounded amid the street fighting. Striuk said that 1,500 residents of the city have died since the start of the war. KYIV, Ukraine -- The Ukrainian band that won the Eurovision Song Contest says it has sold the trophy at auction to raise funds to buy equipment for the Ukrainian military. Kalush Orchestra said on social media that the trophy was sold in the online auction late Sunday for $900,000 to a cryptocurrency group during a live-streamed fundraising event. Friends, you are unreal! Kalush Orchestra said in an Instagram post. Thanks to everyone who donated. Serhiy Prytula, a Ukrainian TV presenter who hosted the auction, said on Twitter that a further 11 million hryvnia ($370,000) was raised in an online raffle for the pink bucket hat Kalush Orchestra frontman Oleh Psiuk wore during the Eurovision performance. He said the hat was won by a man in the Czech Republic. Prytula said the funds would be used to buy a drone. Eurovision said late Monday that the song contest will give Kalush Orchestra a new trophy to replace the one sold at auction. MOSCOW Pro-Russian authorities in southern Ukraine say that two civilians were wounded by an explosion that they blamed on Ukraine. Halyna Danylchenko, who was appointed mayor of the city of Melitopol after its takeover by Russian troops, said that Mondays explosion wounded two local volunteers who were involved in deliveries of humanitarian assistance to city residents. She said that they were hospitalized. No one has claimed responsibility for the explosion, which Danylchenko blamed on Ukraine and denounced as a cynical terror attack by the Kyiv regime in remarks broadcast by Russian state television. Melitopol was captured by Russian forces early in the campaign. MOSCOW Authorities in a Russia-backed separatist region in eastern Ukraine say at least five civilians have been killed in new Ukrainian shelling. The separatist authorities said those killed during the shelling of the city of Donetsk included a 13-year old boy. They said another 13 civilians have been wounded in shelling Monday that damaged three schools in the city. Donetsk Mayor Alexei Kulemzin said that the Ukrainian forces apparently used U.S.-supplied artillery systems in the attack. An official installed by Russia in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine says grain from the area is being sent to Russia. Kirill Stremousov, the deputy head of the Russia-backed administration for the Kherson region, told Russias Tass state news agency on Monday that grain from last years harvest was being delivered to Russian buyers. There is space for storing (the next crop) although obviously there is a lot of grain here, Stremousov was quoted as saying. Now people are partially exporting, having reached agreements with those who are buying from the (Russian) side. Tass also reported that Stremousov said sunflower seeds could be sent to Russian processing plants to make sunflower oil. Ukraine has accused Russia of looting grain and farm equipment from territories held by its forces and the U.S. has alleged Russia is jeopardizing global food supplies by preventing Ukraine from exporting its harvest. Russian troops overran most of the Kherson region in the early weeks of the war and have tightened their grip on the area since. Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin visited the region earlier this month and suggested it could become part of our Russian family. MOSCOW The Russian military says it has struck a shipbuilding factory in Ukraines south. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Monday that a Russian artillery strike on the shipyard in the port of Mykolaiv destroyed Ukrainian armored vehicles parked on its territory. Konashenkov said that Russian artillery hit 593 areas of concentration of Ukrainian troops and equipment and 55 artillery batteries over the last 24 hours. He added that the Russian air force hit three command posts and 67 troop locations. KYIV, Ukraine A regional governor says an intense battle is going on for the key city of Sievierodonetsk in eastern Ukraine. Luhansk governor Serhiy Haidai said that that Russian forces have entered the outskirts and were pushing toward nearby Lysychansk. He said Monday that two civilians were killed and another five were wounded in the latest Russian shelling. The Ukrainian military also said that Russian forces were reinforcing their positions on northeastern and southeastern outskirts of Sievierodonetsk and bringing additional equipment and ammunition into the area to press their offensive. Sievierodonetsk has been a key target of the Russian offensive in Ukraines eastern Donbas industrial heartland. The city has served as the administrative center for the Luhansk region, which makes up Donbas together with the neighboring Donetsk region. BERLIN -- Germanys governing parties and the main opposition party have reached a deal to move ahead with a big increase in defense spending that Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced three months ago. Scholz told German lawmakers three days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine started that the country would commit 100 billion euros ($107 billion) to a special fund for its military and raise its defense spending above 2% of GDP -- a measure on which it had long lagged. Scholz wanted to anchor the special fund in the constitution. That requires a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament, meaning that the chancellor needed support from the center-right opposition Union bloc. Talks on the issue became mired in details, but the two sides reached an agreement Sunday night that clears the way to bring the fund to parliament. Among other things, funding for cyberdefense and support for partner countries will come from Germanys regular budget, not the special fund. MOGADISHU, Somalia Families across Africa are paying about 45% more for wheat flour as Russias war in Ukraine blocks exports from the Black Sea. Some countries like Somalia get more than 90% of their wheat from Russia and Ukraine. Thats forcing many people to substitute wheat for other grains. But the United Nations is warning that the price hikes are coming as many parts of Africa are facing drought and hunger. The U.N. already had warned that an estimated 13 million people were already facing severe hunger in the wider Horn of Africa region as a result of a persistent drought. The World Food Program chief says Russias war on Ukraine is piling catastrophe on top of catastrophe for the worlds poor. 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 Kenosha man charged with killing a man in Kenosha in December was taken into custody on Friday in Tulsa, Oklahoma, authorities reported. Tiron Washington, 33, had been wanted for nearly six months after allegedly shooting and killing a 35-year-old man near 26th Street and 23rd Avenue on Dec. 10. Police said the shooting was targeted, and that Washington allegedly shot the victim numerous times while the victim was sitting in his vehicle. Washington was charged Dec. 13 in Kenosha County Circuit Court with first-degree intentional homicide with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm by a felon. Court Commissioner had set a $1 million arrest warrant for Washington. If convicted, he faces life in prison. On its official Facebook page, the Tulsa Police Department released details regarding what led to Washington's arrest. Around 10:18 am, officers responded to a Greyhound Bus Station in Tulsa. The manager of the Greyhound station reported that a man, later identified as Washington, was on the bus, and they saw he had a firearm. As this was against Greyhound's policy, they reportedly wanted him removed from the bus. "The officers Spidey senses told him to be extra cautious on this call, for good reason," Tulsa Police posted. "The officer requested additional backers and made the decision to de-board the bus before confronting the subject. Once the subject matching the description was off the bus, officers approached him and attempted to make contact." As Washington was confronted, he took off running, according to Tulsa Police. Officers were reportedly flagged down by citizens who reported that they witnessed Washington put a gun on top of the tire of a parked vehicle. Multiple officers closed in on the area to help lock it down and a perimeter was set with the assistance of a construction crew and K-9 officer. Washington was taken into custody without incident and later questioned by police. Washington originally presented a fake drivers license out of Florida and a fake social security card with the name of another person, according to Tulsa Police, before stating his true name. Washington now faces charges in Oklahoma including possession of a firearm by a felon, obstruction, false personation and possession of a fake ID, among other things. Kenosha Police Lt. Joseph Nosalik said it's not clear when Washington will be extradited back to Wisconsin because he is entitled to an extradition hearing there. "He was arrested on our warrant and obviously he picked up some other charges there because he fled officer's there," Nosalik said. "He was arrested on our warrant which was for homicide which was going back to December of last year." Nosalik said Kenosha investigators are heading to Oklahoma. Schools struggle while board fiddles A recent guest column by former Madison School Board members Barbara Arnold and Marj Passman, City schools need policy on phones , described a chaotic learning environment in Madison middle and high schools. Apparently, without consequence, students are free to enter and leave classrooms at will, refuse to turn off cellphones and decide not to take tests. Predictably, we have heard no response from current School Board members who seem more focused on renaming schools than on providing a safe learning environment for students. By Trend The European Commissions opinion on granting Georgia the European Union membership candidate status is expected to be delivered next week, Carl Hartzell, the EU Ambassador to Georgia, said on Monday, Trend reports citing Agenda.ge. Hartzell noted there would be discussions on the possible decision between member states, adding no matter what the result is, the principal conclusion is that Georgia should start enhancing the work for results needed for the credibility of EU membership. The Ambassador emphasised the EU would continue to support Georgia in its aspirations for membership regardless of the Commissions decision. The Commission has been deliberating over Georgias formal application since the submission by the Government of the completed membership questionnaire of the country earlier this month. Extreme temperatures, intense desert sun and the height of the land give grapes grown in Chile's Atacama Desert a thick skin. Local farmers from the world's driest desert say that gives wine made from the grapes a rich, strong taste. The grape growing area is 3,600 meters above sea level in between mountains with few plants. The grapes from Caracoles vineyard withstand severe hot and cold weather. Sixty-seven-year-old Cecilia Cruz has managed the vineyard for the last six years. She is used to the desert's severe conditions. "For me it is not difficult because I'm raised on the land," Cruz said. "This is the future for my children also for later, when I am not here, for them. I am very proud." Native Atacama people like Cruz have grown other crops for a long time. They have tried different ways to learn how to make wines on the high land. Cruz is one of 18 producers that form part of the Lickanantay Farmer Cooperative which makes the wine, called Allyu. The group produces about 12,500 bottles of Allyu each year. The wine has received international awards. The vineyards that produce the wine are close to the town of San Pedro de Atacama which is popular with visitors. But Cruz said there are still some difficulties with growing grapes. She thinks an expert in wine growing, that is, an oenologist, could help by visiting the vineyard. But Allyu's own expert, Fabian Munoz, says other problems, like the intense sun, have really been helpful by making the wine unusual. Munoz said the strong sun and cold nights make the grapes skin thicker. The climate also gives the wine an interesting smell. The taste of the desert Some wine lovers say they can taste the soil and surroundings in which grapes grew before they were made into wine. Munoz said the Atacama wines hold onto those qualities well. Munoz said: "One of the identities of our wines is that they express the place (of origin) very well. We don't want to lose the essence of that salt taste, that desert taste, that volcanic rock taste, and the grape's flavors, which are distinctive. He added that he wants the wine drinker to taste the different wines and say, Wow, I'm tasting the Atacama Desert. The owner of Bosque Viejo Vineyard, Hector Espindola, said it is very hard to make wine in the highlands. He added that it is not the kind of work everyone enjoys. "The young people don't want to work in agriculture; they want to do something else. We are working in agriculture, and we are going to continue as long as we can, every day with more effort and dedication, Espindola said. Im Jill Robbins. Rodrigo Gutierrez reported on this story for Reuters. Jill Robbins adapted it for Learning English. _____________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story oenologist n. a person familiar with the science or study of wines and winemaking essence n. the basic nature of a thing or its defining quality flavor n. the taste of something distinctive adj. having a special quality, style, or attractiveness dedication n. . complete and wholehearted devotion, or commitment, especially to a career or ideal What do you think of the Chilean wine growers? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. Researchers are using an underwater drone to measure carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the ocean. It is believed to be the first time such a vehicle has been used specifically to test CO2 levels. The vehicle, which the team also calls a glider, is designed to dive down to 1,000 meters in deep ocean areas and can operate for weeks at a time. The goal of the research is to provide scientists with data about how climate change is affecting the oceans chemistry. The self-swimming drone was deployed in the Gulf of Alaska this spring. Reporters from The Associated Press recently joined researchers on a boat in Alaskas Resurrection Bay to see the drone in action. The team says the project could be a major step forward in measuring the environmental health of oceans. The scientists are most interested in levels of ocean acidification. This happens when CO2 emissions in the atmosphere make their way into the ocean. Ocean acidification can harm or kill some kinds of sea life. Scientists have linked CO2 emissions to global warming caused by human activities. In a way, oceans have done humans a big favor by taking in some of the CO2. If this were not the case, there would be much more CO2 in the atmosphere. This would trap more of the sun's heat and further warm the Earth. But the problem is now that the ocean is changing its chemistry because of this uptake, said team member Claudine Hauri. She is an oceanographer with the International Arctic Research Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. One of the best ways to measure ocean acidification is to collect CO2 measurements. Until now, these collections were mostly done from ships or with floating devices at the ocean surface or equipment on the ocean floor. Hauri is working with another researcher, Andrew McDonnell, on the project. He is an oceanographer with the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences at the university. The two who are married teamed up in recent months with engineers from Cyprus Subsea Consulting and Services, which provided the drone. A German company, 4H-Jena, supplied the CO2 sensor. The team repeatedly took the drone farther and farther into Resurrection Bay from the coastal community of Seward to carry out the tests. Researchers said the drones sensor is like a very small laboratory. It examines CO2 data and stores it inside a temperature-controlled system. Richard Feely is a scientist with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). He is stationed at the agency's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle, Washington. Feely said the goal of the project is to make the measurements collected by the glider just as accurate as those carried out on ships. Researchers in Canada have also tested a smaller, CO2 measuring device attached to a drone. But that sensor has not yet met effective targets for ocean acidification observations. McDonnell said his goal is to one day have a large number of similar robotic gliders operating in oceans across the world. Such efforts will be important in helping scientists understand much more about whats going on in the ocean than we have before, he said. Im Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn wrote this story, based on reports from the University of Utah Health, Nature Chemical Biology and NOAA. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story drone n. a self-piloted vehicle glider n. an aircraft that has no engine and flies on air currents emission n. the act of releasing something global warming n. the increase of temperatures around the world as a result of pollution uptake n. the taking in of a substance accurate n. correct or true Health officials are still looking for answers related to mysterious cases of severe liver damage in hundreds of young children around the world. The best available evidence points to a common stomach virus not known to cause liver problems in otherwise healthy children. That virus was found in the blood of sick children, but it has not been found in their diseased livers. Eric Kremer is a virus researcher at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of Montpellier in France. He said, Theres a lot of things that dont make sense. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and health officials around the world are trying to find out what is going on. The illnesses are considered rare. CDC officials recently said they are now looking into 180 possible cases across the United States. Most of the children were hospitalized. At least 15 required new livers and six died. More than 20 other countries have reported hundreds more cases in total. The largest numbers have been in Britain and the U.S. Some signs of liver inflammation include fever, tiredness, loss of interest in eating and nausea. Others include stomach pain, joint pain and jaundice a condition that causes a persons skin to turn yellow. Disease experts say they have been working on the mystery illness for months but have struggled to find an exact cause. The usual causes of liver inflammation in otherwise healthy children come from viruses known as hepatitis A, B, C, D and E. But none of those viruses appeared in tests. The children came from different places and there seemed to be no common means of virus contact. What did show up in tests was a virus known as adenovirus 41. More than half of the U.S. cases have tested positive for adenovirus. In a small number of tests to see what kind of adenovirus was present, adenovirus 41 appeared every time. Dr. Jay Butler is the deputy director for infectious diseases at the CDC. He told the Associated Press that the fact that adenovirus keeps appearing strengthens the possibility that it plays a part in the illness. But it is still unclear how. Many adenoviruses are related to signs of the common cold, such as fever, sore throat and pink eye. Some versions including adenovirus 41 can cause other problems, such as inflammation in the stomach and intestines. Adenoviruses have been linked in the past to hepatitis in children, but mostly in children with weakened immune systems. Dr. Umesh Parashar is head of the CDC group that studies gut diseases caused by viruses. He said recent genetic studies do not suggest that a single new version of adenovirus is to blame. Im Jonathan Evans. Mike Stobbe reported on this story for the Associated Press. Jonathan Evans adapted this story for Learning English. Quiz - What Causes Mystery Liver Illnesses in Children? Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz Words in This Story inflammation n. a bodily response to injury or disease in which heat, redness, and swelling are present nausea n. a disturbed and unpleasant condition of the stomach; the feeling of being about to vomit pink eye n. a contagious infection that causes the eye and inner part of the eyelid to become red and sore Editors Note: This the second of a three part series about the three Dawson County servicemen who were killed in Vietnam in 1967. Bierma COZAD One month after Gary Hatfields death, another Dawson County boy would lose his life in Vietnam. Lynn Seaton Bierma, the son of Chester and Pearl Bierma was born on July 13, 1947 in North Platte and moved to Cozad 17 years before he was deployed to Vietnam. Bierma graduated with the Cozad High School class of 1965 and before entering the service, was employed by Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Thomas, Bierma's neighbors south of Cozad. Bierma's sister, Edna Schultz described her brother as a "simple farm boy" who loved his horses and his dog. He entered the service on Sept. 15, 1966 and completed his basic training at Fort Bliss, Texas. He took additional training at Camp Polk, La., before being deployed to Vietnam. Bierma was attached to the 9th Infantry Division, 2nd Battalion, 39th Infantry, C Company and arrived in-country on March 1, 1967. Their strength when they arrived was 818 men. It was noted Bierma had the rank of Private First Class. His military occupation or specialty was Light Weapons Infantry. The 9th Infantry Division was stationed, at the time, at Bearcat Base, near the city of Bien Hoa in ong Nai Province in southern Vietnam, not far from Saigon. The camp took its name from its Special Forces radio call sign, who had previously occupied the base. The 9th Infantry Division operated near the rivers and canals of the Mekong Delta. This was deep within VC controlled area of the delta and the Division was charged with protecting the area and its population against VC insurgents and ensuring the success of the South Vietnamese governments pacification program. In Vietnam, the United States fought two wars: a conventional war in remote areas against the North Vietnamese Army units that had infiltrated into the South and a struggle among the rural people to win their hearts and minds. It was in this fight for influence and control against the insurgents (or Viet Cong) in the rural areas, where 80 percent of the people lived. according to the New York Times. For the Viet Cong, the rural population was vital to their survival and hope for victory. The insurgents lived among them and depended on them for intelligence, protection, recruits and resources. To expand their influence, Viet Cong would infiltrate villages under government control to recruit, proselytize or intimidate. To clear the Viet Cong from areas, the United States relied on a strategy of pacification. It started with assaults on hamlets and villages, with bombing shelling and mortar barrages to make way for the ground troops. Once the village was taken over, the South Vietnamese government would try to win hearts and minds by building schools and clinics, and begin a process of economic development leading to modernization. At first, pacification was left in the hands of the South Vietnamese armed forces. The policy changed in 1966 when the slow progress of pacification prompted an effort to speed it up, and the American Ninth Division (Biermas unit) was dispatched tothe upper Mekong, the New York Times stated. The divisions mission was to act like a bulldozer, clearing the path for South Vietnamese officials and troops to move in and establish a government presence, and to keep the enemys main force units from disrupting that effort, per the New York Times. Tragically, many civilians were caught in this cross fire during these pacification operations and many were forced to move to areas of government control or deeper into Viet Cong territory to avoid being killed. Faced with unrelenting physical hardships, a tenacious enemy and the regions rugged terrain, the Division established strategies and quantifiable goals for completing their mission. In 1967, Biermas unit was given the mission of opening the vital Highway 4 from My Tho to Cai Lay, which it did by extensive day-and-night ambushes and aggressive patrolling. It is likely that on one of these patrols, Bierma was shot and killed by sniper fire on Wednesday, April 26, three other men from the 39th Infantry were killed on the same day. A May 1, 1967 Dawson County Herald article noted, (Bierma) was the second youth from Dawson County to be lost by enemy action in Vietnam. Sp-4 Gary Hatfield of Lexington was killed in combat March 20. Biermas parents were informed of his death by an Army sergeant from Kearney on Thursday, April 27. His body was accompanied by an escort from San Francisco for burial in the Fairview Cemetery near Cozad. Biermas name can be found on Panel 18E, Line 91 on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The next death in May would involve another Lexington serviceman. By Trend The UN nuclear watchdogs report did not reflect the realities of talks between Iran and the IAEA, it was neither fair nor balanced, said Irans Foreign Minister spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh, Trend reports citing IRNA "The nuclear watchdogs report was the same Director-General Rafael Grossi hastily presented in the European parliament and was concluded before the Iran-IAEA meeting in Tehran," he said in the weekly press briefing. He stressed that Tehran had provided written answers to the agencys questions after the agreement in the Tehran meeting. The official underlined that the Islamic Republic of Iran is moving forward with its nuclear program on a peaceful path. MANILA, Philippines (AP) The Philippine government announced Tuesday a new diplomatic protest against China over disputes in the South China Sea, a long-thorny issue that has flared anew as the next Philippine president prepares to take office next month. The Philippines has filed hundreds of diplomatic protests against Beijing in recent years for what it considers acts of aggression in the disputed waters, despite improved ties between Beijing and Manila under outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte, whose six-year term ends on June 30. The territorial conflicts are among the key challenges President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will face when he takes office after his landslide electoral victory on May 9. He has said he will use diplomatic means with China over the issue, the same approach adopted by Duterte, who has been criticized for not taking a more aggressive stance against Beijings increasingly assertive actions in the resource-rich and busy waterway. The Department of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday it filed a diplomatic protest over Chinas imposition early this month of an annual fishing ban lasting three and a half months that covers areas in the disputed waters where the Philippines has sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction. It said the ban is not limited to Chinese fishing vessels and violates the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea and a 2016 arbitration tribunals decision that invalidated Beijings vast historic claims in the strategic waterway and upheld the Philippines sovereign rights in a stretch of coastal waters called its exclusive economic zone. China does not recognize the arbitration ruling and continues to defy it. The Chinese ban has no basis in law, and undermines the mutual trust, confidence, and respect that should underpin bilateral relations, the department said in a statement. The Philippines calls on China to comply with its obligations under international law and cease and desist from the conduct of illegal actions, including its annual practice of declaring a fishing ban over areas that extend far beyond Chinas legitimate maritime entitlements, it said. Separately, Philippine foreign affairs officials said late Monday that the department summoned a Chinese diplomat in early April to protest alleged harassment by the Chinese coast guard of a research vessel in the South China Sea. They said they were reviewing other recent violations of Philippine rights in Second Thomas Shoal and Reed Bank, which lie within Manilas exclusive economic zone but which China also claims, before taking further diplomatic action. The department said it summoned a Chinese Embassy official in Manila to protest the harassment by the Chinese coast guard of research vessel R/V Legend, which was undertaking a survey of undersea fault lines along the Manila Trench west of the northern Philippines. Philippine diplomats did not provide other details, but people involved in the scientific research told The Associated Press last month that a Chinese coast guard ship shadowed R/V Legend, which was carrying five Filipino scientists and an unspecified number of Taiwanese counterparts, from March 25 to 30. A Chinese coast guard ship maneuvered about 2 to 3 nautical miles (3 to 5 kilometers) from the R/V Legend, causing concern among the scientists because the research vessel was towing a long survey cable in the sea, said Carla Dimalanta of the National Institute of Geological Sciences at the University of the Philippines. The offshore survey, which was scheduled to end April 13, was a joint project of the Philippine institute and the National Central University in Taiwan and aimed to help map offshore faults and other geologic features that could set off earthquakes, tsunamis and other hazards. The research was partly funded by the Philippine Department of Science and Technology, she said. The Filipino scientists reported the incident to the Philippine government, which deployed a coast guard patrol ship, the BRP Capones, to keep watch on the research vessel, the coast guard in Manila said last month. China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei have been locked in a tense territorial standoff in the busy waterway for decades. In past years, the Philippines has protested the Chinese coast guard's blocking of Filipino supply ships en route to Second Thomas Shoal, where Filipino marines stand watch on a long-marooned navy ship. Chinese ships have also disrupted Philippine vessels exploring for undersea oil and gas in Reed Bank, Philippine officials said. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. TUESDAY, May 31, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Though it is a cannabis component, very high doses of CBD don't appear to affect driving, a small Australian study reports. Researchers from the University of Sydney found that even 1,500 mg, the highest daily medicinal dose of cannabidiol (CBD) tested, did not seem to affect study participants' thinking skills or driving when tested in a simulated driving situation. "Though CBD is generally considered 'non-intoxicating,' its effects on safety-sensitive tasks are still being established," said lead author Danielle McCartney, a research associate at the university's Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics. "Our study is the first to confirm that when consumed on its own, CBD is driver-safe," she said in a university news release. CBD does not appear to intoxicate people, researchers said. That's unlike THC, another cannabis component that can induce sedation, a "high" and impairment. Use of CBD is increasing in Western nations. Around 55,000 requests to access medicinal CBD have been approved in Australia since 2016, according to a recent study. It is most commonly prescribed for pain, sleep disorders and anxiety. For the new study, 17 participants did simulated driving tasks after consuming either a placebo or 15 mg, 300 mg or 1,500 mg of CBD in oil. These amounts represent often-used dosages. Participants were asked to try to maintain a safe distance between themselves and a lead vehicle, and then "drive" along highways and rural roads. They completed the task between 45 and 75 minutes after taking their assigned treatment. They did it again between 3-1/2 and four hours after dosing, which was meant to cover the range of blood plasma concentrations at different times. They repeated this under each of the four treatments -- a placebo plus three different doses. The researchers measured participants control of the simulated car, how much it weaved or drifted, as well as their thinking function, subjective experiences, and the CBD concentrations in their blood plasma. The examinations found that no dose of CBD induced feelings of intoxication or appeared to impair either driving or thinking. "We do, however, caution that this study looked at CBD in isolation only, and that drivers taking CBD with other medications should do so with care," McCartney said. The findings were published May 30 in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. A similar look at CBD and driving was published last year. More information The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has more on CBD. SOURCE: University of Sydney, news release, May 30, 2022 Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange. TUESDAY, May 31, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- How the COVID-19 virus affects someone may be exacerbated by the air they breathe. Researchers found a link between exposure to airborne particulate matter, including fine particles known as PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and heightened risk of serious coronavirus complications. "Our research demonstrated that one-year average exposure to PM2.5 translated to a 20-30% increase in the risk of hospitalization, intensive respiratory support and ICU admissions from COVID-19. Exposure to NO2 for one month carried an increased risk of 12-18%," said study co-author Zhanghua Chen, assistant professor of population and public health sciences at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. "We also saw that long-term PM2.5 exposure was associated with a higher risk of mortality from COVID-19," she said in a university news release. USC researchers collaborated with Kaiser Permanente Southern California for the study, reviewing data from more than 74,000 COVID patients diagnosed between March and August 2020. The investigators were able to predict exposure history for specific pollutants by using participants' residential address history. PM2.5 and NO2 are produced by ground and air traffic, industrial burning and other sources. "Ecological analyses are subject to a lot of biases, and it wasn't clear whether the findings could be applied beyond the community level," Chen said. "In our population cohort study, we were able to leverage the sophistication of EMR [electronic medical records] to create a well-defined classification of the severity of COVID-19 outcomes tied to air pollution exposure at the individual level," she said. Kaiser Permanente records included background information that allowed researchers to adjust for other factors, including race, social standing and other health conditions. The researchers now plan to examine intervention approaches to reduce individual levels of PM2.5 exposure, such as using air purifiers. The findings were published recently in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. "Our study demonstrates that breathing clean air may reduce the severity of the infection, said co-author Dr. Frank Gilliland, a professor of population and public health sciences. "When someone is infected, reducing their exposure to air pollutants maybe beneficial, as it may decrease the risk for poor outcomes and also has many other health benefits," he said in the release. More information The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has more on particulate matter. SOURCE: University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, news release, May 25, 2022 Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange. TUESDAY, May 31, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Fresh, organic strawberries may be linked to a hepatitis A outbreak that's affected 17 people in three states, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns. The 15 cases in California, and single cases in both Minnesota and North Dakota, have been connected with FreshKampo or HEB brand organic strawberries, according to a news release from the FDA. Cases have also been reported in Canada. The last known case in the United States was reported on April 30, the agency said. No deaths have been reported. The potentially affected strawberries were sold across the United States at a number of stores, including Aldi, HEB, Kroger, Safeway, Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joe's, Walmart, Weis Markets and WinCo Foods. Consumers, restaurants and retailers should not sell, serve or eat any fresh organic strawberries branded as FreshKampo or HEB that were bought between March 5 and April 25, 2022, the FDA said. Those strawberries are now past their shelf life, but people who bought the strawberries and froze them for later use should not eat them, the agency warned. If you are unsure of what brand of strawberries you bought, or when or where you bought them before freezing them, throw them away, the FDA advised. If you bought the potentially affected strawberries, ate those berries in the last two weeks, and have not been vaccinated against hepatitis A, you should immediately talk with a health care provider to determine whether you require post-exposure vaccination, the FDA said. Post-exposure vaccination is recommended for unvaccinated people who have been exposed to hepatitis A virus in the previous two weeks because vaccination can prevent a hepatitis A infection if given within 14 days of exposure. People who have had a previous hepatitis A vaccination or a previous case of hepatitis A infection do not require post-exposure vaccination. The FDA also said you should contact your health care provider if you think you may have symptoms of a hepatitis A infection after eating the potentially affected strawberries, or if you believe you have eaten these strawberries in the last two weeks. The FDA is investigating the outbreak along with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state and local partners, and the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. More information There's more on hepatitis A at the American Academy of Family Physicians. SOURCE: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, news release, May 28, 2022 Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange. Authorities have identified the wrong-way driver who died in a crash on Highway 14 in Fitchburg on Wednesday night. The Dane County Medical Examiners Office said in a statement that the driver who was killed was Kevin Jose Irias Martinez, 28, of Fitchburg. Irias Martinez was pronounced dead at the scene and preliminary results of a forensic examination on Friday confirmed that he died of crash injuries, the Medical Examiners Office said. The death remains under investigation by Fitchburg police and the Medical Examiners Office. The crash happened about 11:15 p.m. Wednesday on southbound Highway 14, just south of Lacy Road as Irias Martinez drove his SUV north on Highway 14 in the southbound lanes and collided with a southbound semi. Irias Martinez was ejected from his SUV, police said. The semi driver was taken to a hospital with minor injuries, police said. 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. By Trend A citizen who offered the service of intercepting correspondence on WhatsApp was exposed in Azerbaijan, the press service of the State Security Service told Trend. The State Security Service studied the information spread in social networks and the media about the Instagram page of Aztechnology company, which offered to track chats between WhatsApp users. It was established that a resident of Baku Arif Asgarov (born in 2000) posted an advertisement providing a link to intercept and track the WhatsApp chats for a fee on Aztechnology's page (www.instagram.com/xakkerhuseyn). Those wishing to use the proposed service transferred funds to the bank card account which was at the disposal of Asgarov, but then the attempts of these citizens to contact the page administrator failed. They werent provided with the services in exchange for the transferred funds. Thus, by May 25, 2022, Asgarov fraudulently took possession of the funds of 394 persons. He has been prosecuted within a criminal case pending in the State Security Service. Currently, the investigation into this fact is underway. A Green County sheriffs deputy was injured after crashing his vehicle during a high-speed pursuit early Tuesday, authorities said. Adam Bass, an 11-year veteran with the sheriff, drove his patrol vehicle into a fence and tree while pursuing a dark-colored Chevrolet Camaro throughout the county just after 12:30 a.m., Sheriff Jeff Skatrud said in a statement. Bass first saw the vehicle driving recklessly at a high speed on Highway X after a witness notified authorities, Skatrud. Bass chased the Camaro along town roads and county trunk highways, losing sight of the vehicle before finding it again within minutes. While rounding a curve at the intersection of Highway K and Union Road, Bass patrol vehicle went off the road and hit a ditch before crashing into the fence and tree, Skatrud said. The Camaro fled the scene. Bass was taken to the Monroe Clinic Hospital and was later released. He is expected to work again in the coming days, Skatrud said. Authorities asked anyone with information to contact police at 608-328-9401, or Green County Crime Stoppers at 800-422-7463. 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. Wisconsin Family Action said Tuesday it is offering a reward of up to $1,500 to the person or persons who provides information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the arson of its Madison headquarters early on May 8. An organization calling itself Janes Revenge has claimed responsibility for setting the fire at the anti-abortion groups offices and warned of more violence to come if similar organizations dont disband nationwide. The remnants of two Molotov cocktails were found at the site and the message If abortions arent safe then you arent either was spray-painted on the buildings exterior. Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes has said someone set the fire after a Molotov cocktail thrown into the building failed to ignite. It took the fire department about five minutes to extinguish the fire. There were no injuries. Also spray-painted on the buildings exterior was graffiti depicting an anarchy symbol and a coded anti-police slogan. The Madison Police Department is working with the FBI on the investigation. Its perplexing that Janes Revenge has not only taken credit for the fire bombing of our headquarters, but they have also threatened our personal safety and promised to continue this extreme violence to other pro-life organizations across the nation, and three weeks later not even a single person of interest has been named, Julaine Appling, president of Wisconsin Family Action, said in a statement. Both Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes and Governor Tony Evers fell extremely short of showing any interest in bringing those responsible to justice and instead exhibited empathy with pro-abortion activists and their emotional reaction to overturning Roe. Therefore, we believe it necessary to offer this reward to help move this investigation along. The attack in Madison came after two Catholic churches in Colorado, including one known for its annual anti-abortion display, were vandalized. Also, in Oregon, two Molotov cocktails were thrown at an anti-abortion organization after an unsuccessful break-in attempt, The Associated Press reported. The leak in the prior week of a draft opinion suggesting that the U.S. Supreme Court was on course to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, which recognized abortion as a constitutional right, sparked protests across the country, including several in Madison. Anyone with information about the attack at Wisconsin Family Action can call police at 608-255-2345 or contact Madison Area Crime Stoppers at 608-266-6014 or P3Tips.com. Those providing tips can remain anonymous. Barnes asked specifically for people near the site of the fire to contact police if they have surveillance video cameras that might have collected footage of the attack. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Madison School District Superintendent Carlton Jenkins has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a statement released by the district and an email sent out to families Tuesday morning. In his message to families Jenkins said his symptoms were mild as of Tuesday morning. I will be completing my isolation period, and following all current protocols, entirely at home, he said. These protocols include quarantining for at least five days, or until I am no longer symptomatic, followed by wearing a mask for the next six to ten days. During my quarantine period, I will be taking advantage of remote options to continue working as your superintendent. Jenkins said his testing positive for the virus serves as a reminder that the pandemic is still active, despite relaxed safety protocols in Dane County and across the country, and noted the importance of getting vaccinated and wearing a mask when appropriate. The Madison School District is one of few left in the state that still requires masks to be worn by students, staff and visitors to school buildings. At the start of May, the district extended its masking requirements, with a plan to review those requirements and community case counts every two weeks. The decision to continue masking came after most other mask requirements had been dropped, even on public transportation, which had been one of the last settings masks were required under an order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A federal judge struck down that mandate April 18. Dane County dropped its countywide mask rule on March 1. The Madison School District cited rising COVID-19 cases locally as a reason for its repeated extension of its mask mandate. The districts team of medical advisers unanimously recommended keeping the policy in place, the district said. The current weekly case rate in Dane County is 439 cases per 100,000 people, according to data collected by Public Health Madison and Dane County. The countys virus transmission level is currently considered to be medium. Roughly 80% of Dane County residents have completed an initial COVID-19 vaccination series, according to data collected by the city-county health department. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A southeastern Dane County community is suing Wisconsin utility regulators in an effort to block what would be the states largest solar farm yet. The town of Christiana is asking the courts to reverse the Public Service Commissions approval of the Koshkonong Solar Energy Center, which would produce enough electricity to power about a third of the countys homes. The town argues the PSC wrongly approved a project that violates the state Constitution, lacked an adequate environmental review and was presented under false pretenses, among other deficiencies. Where have all the walleye gone? Before long, anglers may have to make do with bluegills The DNR estimates Wisconsin has more than 420 lakes with the cool, dark waters where walleye thrive. By 2089, may be just four. The 2,400-acre project west of Cambridge would unreasonably interfere with orderly land use and development plans and would adversely affect public health, as well as amenities such as views, historic sites, geological formations, the aesthetics of land and water and recreational use, according to a petition filed in Dane County Circuit Court. The PSC voted 2-0 in April to allow Chicago-based Invenergy to build the 465-megawatt solar-plus-storage facility, which would be the largest in the state and the first industrial-scale solar plant in Dane County. Three utilities, including We Energies and Madison Gas and Electric, are seeking approval to purchase the project for $649 million as part of their plans to replace coal-fired power plants with carbon-free generation. A PSC spokesperson declined to comment on the petition, citing agency policy. However, the commission addressed many of the challenges brought up during the course of the proceedings in a final written order issued May 5. The town argues the commission should not have granted Invenergy a permit to operate a merchant wholesale plant when the company plans to turn it over to regulated utilities. Under state law, unregulated companies like Invenergy dont have to justify the need or cost of a project or show that it is the most cost effective solution, while utilities like MGE, which pass on the costs, with interest, to their ratepayers, are held to a higher standard. The commission says it followed the law as its written. The fact that a project may be acquired by a public utility at some point in the future does not transform the project into a non-merchant plant, the order states. To the extent that certain intervenors find fault with this framework, their argument is with the Legislature and not with the Commission. Opponents also argue the developers lease agreements with participating landowners violate a provision of the state Constitution that limits long-term leases on farmland. The commission dismissed the challenge, which they said was based on a misreading of the 174-year-old document and failed to consider existing laws and court rulings. The intervenors filings reflect a lack of diligence in researching the Wisconsin Constitution and applicable case law, and are unsupported by legal authority, the order states. With about 1,235 residents, the town would receive more than $250,000 a year in utility aid revenue from the plant. The project sparked fierce opposition from neighbors, the surrounding town of Christiana, the Cambridge School District and the village of Cambridge, as well as activists who have fought other utility projects across southern Wisconsin. 'A sobering report': Grid monitor warns of blackouts amid growing demand, shrinking supply Other industry experts say the situation is not as dire as it seems and note that Wisconsin, along with Minnesota and Iowa, have capacity to spare. Supporters, including the Sierra Club, Clean Wisconsin and Dane County sustainability groups, argued the project is needed to complete the swift transition to clean energy that the worlds climate scientists say will be necessary to slow climate change, and the impacts of solar panels pale in comparison to the alternative. The commission found the impacts were unfortunate but a necessary result of maintaining reliable electricity service with clean energy. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A developer is pursuing a massive housing project with 463 apartments in four buildings with underground parking near East Towne, the first big development proposal since the city approved the sweeping Greater East Towne Mall Area Plan in February. That plan covers an area roughly the size of the central Isthmus and envisions much more housing, denser retail, high-rise office buildings, new streets and, maybe one day, replacing some or all of the mall. Forward Management of Madison is proposing to build the housing on a vacant, 14.5-acre site at 2101, 2109 and 2115 East Springs Drive, next to Bowl-A-Vard-Lanes. The project, to be known as Signature Pointe Apartments, would offer 41 efficiencies, 222 one-bedroom, 186 two-bedroom and 14 three-bedroom apartments in four four-story buildings. It would include 357 surface parking stalls and 350 underground stalls, with additional space for bicycles inside and outdoors. The development would feature a clubhouse, swimming pool with large deck, dog park and green spaces. Dan Schmidt, president of Forward Management, which manages 60 projects with roughly 3,500 apartments in the Madison area, could not be reached. Ald. Gary Halverson, 17th District, who represents the site, had a favorable first impression. I am encouraged that we are starting to see developments, like the Signature Pointe Apartments, which will help bring new life into the greater East Towne area, he said. The influx of new residents will help bolster the businesses within the East Towne area as well as encourage new business growth. The addition of 400-plus new units will help toward easing our housing shortage. The Greater East Towne Area Plan, adopted on Feb. 22, will provide guidance on future land use, housing, economic development, parks and open space, transportation and more with the intent of shaping a complete new neighborhood. The area is now characterized by swaths of single-use, auto-oriented retail, restaurants and some office development. The area also has much natural area, including the Starkweather Creek corridor that serves as the backbone of the Starkweather Creek watershed. And its a gateway along East Washington Avenue to the East Isthmus and Downtown, directly served by the Interstate. The area plan shows buildings up to 12 stories at the center and a mix of heights and uses in the 820-acre planning area, which is bounded by a Wisconsin & Southern rail line, Interstate 39-90-94, East Washington Avenue and North Stoughton Road. The plan seeks to imagine the future for an area thats been buffeted from changes in the retail economy and the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan comes as the city prepares for Bus Rapid Transit, or BRT, a high-frequency, high-capacity, limited-stop service with special buses running on city streets and dedicated lanes on an initial route running from East Towne to West Towne starting in 2024. BRT is expected to spur development along its route. Forward Managements proposal is consistent with the area plan, the developer said in a submission to the city. The area plan recommends medium density residential land use for the site with adjacent properties to remain as either general commercial uses or open space. The developer hopes to start construction in the fall and, if approvals are secured, to complete the project in 2024. This is the first major proposal to come forward, and demonstrates that there is indeed interest in development of more residential uses in the area, as recommended by the Greater East Towne Area Plan, Planning Division director Heather Stouder said. We hope that others will follow. 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. DENVER (AP) A Denver-based federal appeals court has agreed with a lower court's dismissal of a lawsuit that claimed the 2020 presidential election was stolen from President Donald Trump and had been rigged by Dominion Voting Systems, Facebook (now Meta) and others. Friday's opinion from the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, first reported by Colorado Politics, found that eight plaintiffs from across the U.S. had no standing to assert that the outcome of the election violated the constitutional rights of every registered voter in the United States. The lawsuit relied on baseless conspiracy theories spread by Trump and his supporters that the election was stolen in favor of Joe Biden. Among others, it named Facebook and Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems, whose election machines remain the focus of some of the most fevered and continuing unfounded speculation about voting fraud. U.S. Magistrate Judge N. Reid Neureiter dismissed the lawsuit in April 2021, finding the plaintiffs failed to show they had suffered specific injuries due to the election result and thus had no standing to bring the lawsuit. The appeals court agreed and dismissed the plaintiffs' request to make the lawsuit a class action on behalf of all registered U.S. voters. Neureiter in November ordered two lawyers who filed the lawsuit to pay more than $180,000 in attorneys fees for the defendants but delayed the order pending the appeal. Telephone messages seeking comment from the lawyers, Gary D. Fielder and Ernest J. Walker, on Tuesday were not immediately returned. The penalties included $62,930 payable to Dominion and $50,000 to Facebook, which the lawsuit alleged censored conservative voices leading up to the election. Repeated audits and recounts found no significant fraud in the presidential election. Trumps own administration said the election was clean. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Protesters angry over a building collapse in southwestern Iran that killed at least 33 people shouted down an emissary sent by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sparking a crackdown in which riot police clubbed demonstrators and fired tear gas, according to online videos analyzed on Monday. The demonstration directly challenged the Iranian government's response to the disaster a week ago as pressure rises in the Islamic Republic over rising food prices and other economic woes amid the unravelling of its nuclear deal with world powers. While the protests so far still appear to be leaderless, even Arab tribes in the region seemed to join them Sunday, raising the risk of the unrest intensifying. Already, tensions between Tehran and the West have spiked after Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard on Friday seized two Greek oil tankers seized at sea. Ayatollah Mohsen Heidari AleKasir tried to address upset mourners near the site of the 10-story Metropol Building, but hundreds gathered Sunday night instead booed and shouted. Surrounded by bodyguards, the ayatollah, in his 60s, tried to continue but couldn't. What's happening? the cleric stage-whispered to a bodyguard, who then leaned in to tell him something. The cleric then tried to address the crowd again: My dears, please keep calm, as a sign of respect to Abadan, its martyrs and the dear (victims) the whole Iranian nation is mourning tonight. The crowd responded by shouting: Shameless! A live broadcast of the event on state television then cut out. Demonstrators later chanted: I will kill; I will kill the one who killed my brother! The Tehran-based daily newspaper Hamshahri and the semiofficial Fars news agency said the protesters attacked the platform where state TV had set up its camera, cutting off its broadcast. Police ordered the crowd not to chant slogans against the Islamic Republic and then ordered them to leave, calling their rally illegal. Video later showed officers confronting and clubbing demonstrators as clouds of tear gas rose. At least one officer fired what appeared to be a shotgun, though it wasn't clear if it was live fire or so-called beanbag" rounds designed to stun. It wasnt immediately clear if anyone was injured or if police made any arrests. The details in the videos corresponded to known features of Abadan, some 660 kilometers (410 miles) southwest of the capital, Tehran. Foreign-based Farsi-language television channels described tear gas and other shots being fired. Independent newsgathering remains extremely difficult in Iran. During unrest, Iran has disrupted internet and telephone communications to affected areas, while also limiting the movement of journalists. Reporters Without Borders describes the Islamic Republic as the third-worst country in the world to be a journalist behind only North Korea and Eritrea. Following the tower collapse in Abadan on May 23, authorities have acknowledged the buildings owner and corrupt government officials had allowed construction to continue at the Metropol Building despite concerns over its shoddy workmanship. The city's mayor is among 13 people arrested as part of a broad investigation into the disaster. Rescue teams pulled four more bodies from the rubble on Monday, bringing the death toll to 33, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. Authorities fear more people could be trapped. In Tehran, the city's emergency department warned that 129 high-rise buildings in the capital remained unsafe, based on a survey in 2017. The countrys prosecutor-general, Mohammad Javad Motazeri, has promised to address the issue immediately. Abadan has seen past disasters. In 1978, an intentionally set fire at Cinema Rex just a few blocks from the collapsed building in modern Abadan killed hundreds. Anger over the blaze triggered unrest across Irans oil-rich regions and helped lead to the Islamic Revolution that toppled Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Abadan, in Iran's oil-rich Khuzestan province, is home to Iran's Arab minority, who long have complained about being treated as second-class citizens in the Persian nation. Arab separatists in the region have attacked pipelines and security forces in the past. Videos and the newspaper Hamshahri noted that two tribes had come into the city to support the protests. Meanwhile, one of the two Greek tankers seized by Iran on Friday turned on its tracking devices for the first time since the incident. The oil tanker Prudent Warrior gave a satellite position Monday off Bandar Abbas, a major Iranian port, according to data from MarineTraffic.com analyzed by The Associated Press. Five armed guards were on the Prudent Warrior on Monday, though Iranian authorities were allowing the crew to use their mobile phones, said George Vakirtzis, the chief financial officer of the ship's manager Polembros Shipping. The whole thing is political and in the hands of the Greek Foreign Office and the Iranian government, Vakirtzis told the AP. Monday night, Iranian state TV aired footage of the raid on the Prudent Warrior. The video showed masked Guard troops land a helicopter on the ship, then storm the civilian ship's bridge armed with assault rifles. It remains unclear where the second ship, the Delta Poseidon, is. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a phone call Monday with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, condemned Iran's seizure of the vessels and demanded Tehran immediately release the ships and their crew. Irans continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights and freedoms are a threat to maritime security and the global economy, Blinken said. Follow Jon Gambrell and Isabel DeBre on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP and www.twitter.com/isabeldebre. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Q: The area has several locations which are not towns anymore; Berger, New Amsterdam, and Roseworth. But on Highway 30 across from Haas Auto Body on the north side of the road is what we called Peavey. There is an Ag fertilizer facility there now. But I wondered where the name Peavey came from. When I was young, I used to haul sweet corn for Green Giant Co. handpicked by Mexican laborers from a town across the border from El Paso. Piedra Negra I believe. I stopped at Peaveys small grocery store and bought treats for them. Late 1950s. A: The area has several locations which are not towns anymore; Berger, New Amsterdam, and Roseworth. But on Highway 30 across from Haas Auto Body on the north side of the road is what we called Peavey. There is an Ag fertilizer facility there now. But I wondered where the name Peavey came from. When I was young, I used to haul sweet corn for Green Giant Co. handpicked by Mexican laborers from a town across the border from El Paso. Piedra Negra I believe. I stopped at Peaveys small grocery store and bought treats for them. Late 1950s. I havent found much information about Peavey, but according to the book, Idaho Place Names by Lalia Boone, Peavey was named for Arthur J. Peavey who owned the land where Peavey was located, said Ashley Haycock, museum administrator for the Twin Falls County Historical Society Museum. There are a few Peaveys buried at the Twin Falls Cemetery including an Arthur J. Peavey 1876-1940 and one of his sons named Frank Harris Peavey. The website Familysearch.org has Arthur Jacob Peavey listed as a resident of Petaluma, Calif. before moving to Twin Falls, Idaho around 1910. It also lists his wife as Elizabeth Emma Strong and lists their eight children. He was born in Hollister, Calif. in 1876 and orphaned at the age of 14. Peavey is buried in the Twin Falls Cemetery with his wife and four children, one son only lived for 14 days. According to Idaho Place Names: A Geographical Dictionary, Peavey is in the north part of the county halfway between Buhl and Filer; a Union Pacific Railroad siding. Boone wrote 42 percent of name sources comes from persons while 30 percent is named for descriptive features. Peavey was a pioneer resident of Twin Falls County and prominent Twin Falls businessman. He was an outstanding civic leader. According to his obituary on Dec. 31, 1940 in the Idaho Evening Times, He was one of the first settlers of this county. In 1906 he cleared sagebrush from his farm which was located near Peavey, then the western terminus of the railroad, Peavey was named in his honor. He established and ran the Twin Falls Title and Abstract Company for 20 years, then formed the Peavey-Taber Company, dealing in insurance, loans and surety bonds. Peaveys obituary said was a charter member and past president of the Twin Falls Rotary club and also the Chamber of Commerce. He held various offices in the latter organization, retiring last year from the post of director. He was past high priest of the Twin Falls chapter, Royal Arch Masons, and past commander of the Twin Falls Commandery, Knights Templar. He was also a charter member of the local Elks lodge. Likewise, he was a member of the board of trustees of the Presbyterian church. For his outstanding work in the Boy Scout field, he was awarded the Silver Beaver, highest award which can go to adult volunteer Scouting leaders. He was a member of the purchasing department of the Oregon-Washington Railroad and Navigation company, now a part of the Union Pacific. He left the employment of the railroad and for several years engaged in the wholesale grocery business, reported Peaveys obituary. Have a question? Just ask and well find an answer for you. Email your question to Kimberly Williams Brackett at timesnewscuriousmind@gmail.com with Curious Mind in the subject line. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Idaho reactions to Tuesdays horrific events in Uvalde, Texas a mass shooting at an elementary school that left 19 children and two adults dead: Gov. Brad Little: Our country is grieving the victims of todays horrific school shooting in Texas. As a grandpa of school aged children, this news is heartbreaking. The families and all those affected will be strengthened by our prayers as they cope with this awful tragedy. Shiva Rajbhandari, Boise High School student: Boise High stands in solidarity with the families in Uvalde. This could have been any of us. Enough is enough. We deserve to feel safe in school. We deserve common sense gun regulations to prevent this senseless violence. We demand an end to the gun lobby. We demand our elected leaders act now. Debbie Critchfield, Republican state superintendents nominee: My heart hurts and we are all weeping with the people of Texas. Our students, parents and teachers shouldnt have to worry about going to school in fear of violence. The horrific events in Texas cannot just be reminder, but must serve as a call to action. We must have a strategic plan to address the mental health crisis in Idaho and in our nation. Theres only one goal: No more school shootings. Terry Gilbert, Democratic state superintendents nominee: My heart hurts for the parents who are grieving the loss of their precious children. These tragic mass shootings are occurring with ever greater frequency. Our children deserve to learn and thrive in safe schools and educators deserve a safe workplace. We can and we must do more to prevent deaths from gun violence. Sherri Ybarra, state superintendent: Tuesdays horrific school shooting was 1,600 miles away, but the impact is immediate and personal for us in Idaho and throughout the nation. The senseless loss of 21 lives and violation of a space for community safety and learning is a shock to the system for educators and families everywhere, and it must energize and inform our school safety and mental health efforts going forward. I am heartbroken and send prayers to the families and community of Uvalde, and I urge all Idaho districts and charter schools to review their emergency management plans. One year ago, this terror visited an Idaho small town with a shooting at Rigby Middle School. We are still so relieved that no lives were lost in Rigby, but it forever shattered the belief that it cant happen here. And we must commit ourselves, in every community and school in Idaho, to guard students physical and social safety, and be responsive to their mental and emotional needs and not just after tragedy strikes. Idaho Education Association: The news from Texas is devastating. Our hearts cry out for all of those who were lost to this senseless violence. 19 beautiful children, an educator dedicated to their learning, and a young man clearly in crisis. Those who must go on without them have our deepest sympathies. We must recognize that our schools across this entire nation, including here in Idaho, are in desperate need of mental health services for students stretched to the breaking point. Beth Oppenheimer, Boise School District trustee: After two nights of congratulating hundreds of students graduating high school, I find myself in tears knowing so many kids in this country wont get that chance. I dont even know how to process any of this anymore. Senior reporter and blogger Kevin Richert specializes in education politics and education policy. He has more than 30 years of experience in Idaho journalism. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Saudi Arabia has announced the launch of 26 water, environmental and agricultural projects in the Tabuk region of the kingdom at a total cost of more than SR2.5 billion ($667 million). These projects, which include four desalination projects worth SR1 billion, and 5 projects for water transmission systems valued at SR1 billion - were inaugurated by Prince Fahd bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Tabuk Region, at key ceremony held in Tabuk. In addition to four projects worth SR84 million for water services in the region, the governor also opened seven projects for developing water resources at a cost of SR100 million. The launch of these projects comes as a major boost to the Saudi Arabias Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) which has announced plans to open six new desalination plants by 2024 in a phased manner across the kingdom in major cities including Jubail, Alkhobar, Al Shuqaiq and Al Shoaiba. Of these, two plants will be launched by the end of this year, said senior SWCC officials on the sidelines of the ongoing Innovation Driven Desalination conference in Jeddah. According to them, the Saudi production of desalinated water now stands at more than 7.9 million cu m per day (which accounts for nearly 55% of the Gulf region and 22.2% of the global desalination share). On the sidelines of the conference, SWCC signed strategic agreements with Veolia Water Technologies Saudi Company, a unit of leading French utility major Veolia, in bid to contribute to the proportion of local content by localising the various desalination industries. SWCC also sealed a co-operation agreement with Al Kawthar Manufacturing Company as part of its efforts to raise the percentage of local content in the desalination industry through the localization of various industries. Speaking at the event SWCC Governor Abdullah Al Abdul Karim said: "Our engineering cadre draw a map of the future of the "desalination industry", with this global gathering of experts and specialists from the world. We share ideas to turn them into valuable solutions... so that innovation proceeds from the vision of our leadership and our humanitarian mission." SWCC also signed a supply contract with Saudi Al Salwa Company for Metal Forming, Valves and Filters in bid to boost the contribution of Saudi firms to the kingdom's economy in line with the Vision 2030.-TradeArabia News Service Lets face it, nothing significant is going to happen with curbing gun violence as long as the issue revolves around politics. For the foreseeable future, politics will remain as the focal point. And even if (by some miracle) politicians do get together on a common sense resolution or two, I dont know how Congress or any other body can legislate against crazy. Passing layers of new laws on top of the thousands of layers of laws that are on the books wont do it. And neither will banning the sales of the AR-15 and other weapons. Crazy people will find a way to pass screening, no matter how sophisticated it is, and get their weapons of choice. Crazy people are not deterred by the likelihood of being killed after a shooting spree. I can understand President Bidens outrage about the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. But instead of projecting calm and uniting the country, as presidents have been known to do, Biden poured gasoline on the fire. His call to action was to stand up to the gun lobby and (without saying it directly) those awful Republicans who accept campaign contributions from the National Rifle Association. A few days later, the NRA holds its annual meeting in Houston where the likes of Sen. Ted Cruz talked about how those daffy left-wing Democrats were trying to disarm law-abiding Americans. The headline speaker at the conference was none other than former President Trump. So with this backdrop, dont expect Congress to come up with common sense gun laws, or common sense anything for that matter. In Idaho, gun control suddenly has become a front-burner issue for Democratic congressional candidates Kaylee Peterson of Eagle and Wendy Norman of Rigby. Terry Gilbert, who is running against Republican Debbie Critchfield, is promoting a School Childrens Right to Life law. Traditionally, running against the NRA and gun-happy Republicans is a losing proposition for Democrats. But in this state, Democrats have little to lose by bringing up the issue. They hope that, in addition to major policy differences with Republicans, that people will be fed up with school shootings. After all, if they can happen in Texas, then Idaho is not immune. Gilbert says that, if elected, he will propose a law that prohibits those under 21 from buying assault weapons or ammunition for such weapons. I chose 21 because the brain is still forming until then, especially in young men. Indeed, most of the mass shooters have been males with immature brains, he said in a news release. Peterson offers stern criticisms to Idahos congressional delegation and, specifically, the Republican shes challenging First District Congressman Russ Fulcher. It is difficult to look at our representatives and senators lack of action and find any reasonable explanation. We may not agree on how exactly to solve this problem, but apathy is unacceptable. To do nothing is unacceptable. She says leaders such as Fulcher should be held accountable for their inability to sit at the table, reach across the aisle and find a solution that saves the lives of our children. Norman, a 25-year teacher, slams Second District Congressman Mike Simpson for kowtowing to the gun lobby. The gun lobby likes to say that restrictions like the 1994 assault weapons ban didnt work, but it did. Gun massacres of six or more decreased by 37 percent for the decade the ban was active, then shot up to 183 percent during the decade following its expiration. She calls for enacting sane gun laws. Of course, there is considerable dispute over the definition of sane. What seems to be perfectly reasonable for Democrats is seen by Republicans as attempts to dismantle the Second Amendment. And the debates go far beyond those usual disagreements between the political right and left. It gets into utter hatred on both sides. If Congress could pass a law that would end political hatred, then maybe we could make inroads to stop crazy. Chuck Malloy is a longtime Idaho journalist and columnist. He may be reached at ctmalloy@outlook.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Early in the Covid-19 epidemic, I visited the Bison Range on the Flathead Indian Reservation in northwestern Montana. But the bison didnt get the memo about social distancing. A trio of bull bison each a ton on the hoof fed on bunchgrass. I watched my sons eyes grow wider as one of the bulls approached our truck, as if it might want to rub off its winter coat on the fender. Not long ago, the Bison Range visitor center would have given my family a history of the place by focusing on Theodore Roosevelt, Americas 26th president and founder of the National Bison Range. Now, that story is getting a much-needed makeover. TR still captivates the American imagination, as demonstrated by the recent Ken Burns miniseries on PBS. In particular, Roosevelt has been lionized by conservationists. He helped rescue American wildlife from extinction after the market-hunting bloodbaths of the 1800s, created the first national wildlife refuge, and signed the Antiquities Act that enabled the creation of national monuments. More than any other elected official in U.S. history, he made conservation a household word. Americans were so grateful we carved his face on a mountain. But that ignores the rest of his legacy. Roosevelt was also a white supremacist who believed that whites were meant to rule the world. His views on race warped his policies, both foreign and domestic. Its easy to dismiss this dark side of Roosevelt as reflecting the norm for his era, but he was behind the times even in his times. This contradictory man was someone who knew birds by their songs and wrote bestsellers about the beauty of nature. Yet he also threw around racial slurs and used pseudo-science to justify his racist policies. So, what are we to make of this today? Is TR a hero for being a trustbuster, savior of the Grand Canyon and the egret? Or did he set destructive policies for a century to come? Perhaps both are true. Case in point: The huge bison that thrilled my son. Before 1776, tens of millions of bison roamed North America. But by the time Teddy Roosevelt was a young cowboy in the Dakotas in 1883, only a few hundred animals still lived in Canada and this country, somehow avoiding the mass slaughter that accompanied Manifest Destiny. After Roosevelt shot one of the last lonesome bison, the death is said to have sparked a change in him, spurring him to become a conservationist. But there is more to that story. Indigenous people had created deep cultures of conservation that predated Columbus. In Roosevelts day, tribes were desperate to save the bison and their way of life. It was Indigenous people, such as Sam Walking Coyote and Michael Pablo, who helped rescue a small herd of bison from Saskatchewan, and brought them back to the Flathead Reservation. President Roosevelt also wanted to restore bison, and as president in 1908, he created the National Bison Range by taking 18,500 acres out of the Flathead Indian Reservation. But this action ignored the wishes of the Salish, Pend Oreille and Kootenai people, who had been forced to live there since 1855. Whats more, the bison refuge was run not by the tribes, but by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, which mostly inflated Roosevelts role in the story and dismissed those of Native Americans. But history has written a new chapter. Congress in 2020 moved to return management of the Bison Range to the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes, and this May, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland visited the Bison Range to take part in a celebration of that long-awaited change. The return of the Bison Range to the Tribes is a triumph and a testament to what can happen when we collaboratively work together to restore balance to ecosystems that were injured by greed and disrespect, said Haaland at the ceremony. It has taken decades, but a historic wrong has been righted. All we had to do was look honestly at history and one of our conservation heroes. Ben Long is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. He is senior program director at Resource Media in Kalispell, Montana. Ben Long is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. He is senior program director at Resource Media in Kalispell, Mont. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Piedmont Arts will host the 20th Annual Clyde Hooker Awards ceremony from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the museum. This years honorees are Barbara Parker and Carter Bank & Trust. Parker is a passionate supporter of the arts, a press release from Piedmont Arts states. During her 19 years as Director of Programs at Piedmont Arts, she planned the museums performing arts series and educational outreach programming and researched and wrote grant applications that resulted in more than $400,000 in funding for the museum and TheatreWorks, the community theater that she and her husband helped to start in 2005. After the death of her daughter, journalist Alison Parker, she retired from Piedmont Arts and founded the For Alison Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing arts opportunities for children in southern Virginia. In the last 6 years the foundation has given grants for more than 1,100 students to experience the arts through music and dance. In 2019, Parker was appointed by Gov. Ralph Northam to the Virginia Commission for the Arts as a commissioner representing Area 2, which includes Martinsville and Henry County, Danville, South Boston, Lynchburg, Appomattox and Bedford. Her passion for the arts and a belief that it can change lives continues to be the driving force in her life. Barbaras dedication to Piedmont Arts is unwavering, said Executive Director Heidi Pinkston. She believes that the arts build communities and has worked tirelessly to support the arts and arts education in our community through Piedmont Arts and many other organizations for years. Headquartered in Martinsville, Carter Bank & Trust is a state-chartered community bank with $4.1 billion in total assets and locations throughout Virginia and North Carolina. This year alone, Carter Bank & Trust partnered with its communities by donating $10 to a local non-profit for every new checking account that was opened. As a Corporate Partner of Piedmont Arts, Carter Bank & Trust provided financial and volunteer support for the museums Family Days, allowing these community-enriching events to remain free-of-charge to the community. Carter Bank & Trust also provided Piedmont Arts with an energy audit, helping to save the museum thousands of dollars in energy costs. Carter Bank and Trust is a long-time friend of the arts, said Pinkston. They have supported Piedmont Arts for many years and are generous friends of the community, donating their time and financial support to local causes. Piedmont Arts will also recognize Arts in Education Award recipients Clifton M. Jones and Ed Dolinger, and the recipients of the Nicodemus Hufford and Harold Knowlton Work memorial art scholarships. The awards ceremony will begin at 5:30 p.m. A reception with light refreshments will the ceremony. Donations will be accepted at PiedmontArts.org. RSVP attendance to 276-632-3221 or online at PiedmontArts.org by Friday. 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. Those who die in war are the best of their generations, Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 (Ret.) Curtis Millner Sr. said Monday. He was the keynote speaker at the Memorial Day service at Roselawn Burial Park by the Veterans Service Organization, in the absence of scheduled speaker Navy Chief Petty Officer (Ret.) Sean Morrison. The welcome and recognition of guests, the dedication to Memorial Day and closing remarks were presented by W.C. Fowlkes. Thank you all so much for coming today, General Manager at Roselawn Burial Kelly Ratcliff said, that we can remember those that sacrificed for us. Magna Vista JROTC performed the Presentation of Colors, and the National Anthem, and one of their cadets led the Pledge of Allegiance. Senior Chief Petty Officer Mike Stewart placed the Prisoner of War (POW) flag and the Missing in Action (MOA) flag at the symbolic table for the missing soldier and retrieved both of the flags as well. The empty chair represents a missing soldier; the white tablecloth represents the purity of his or her response to the countrys call to arms; the single rose represents family and loved ones; the red ribbon represents love of the country and the red ribbon worn on lapels in honor; the lemon slice represents bitter fate; the salt represents tears of the family; and the upside-down glass represents that he cannot join in on a toast. Thomas Spencer spoke in memorial of Cal Burnett and presented a certificate to his family that was present at the ceremony. Dave Gilleran presented the same certificate to the family of Robert King and spoke in memorial of him as well. Rev. Mark Hinchcliff then performed the invocation, and Deputy Cmdr. Leonard Boyce introduced the Veterans Honor Guard. Boyce said when the honor guard calls its members to ask if they can participate in a military funeral, they do not waver in their response. Rather, they answer yes or no right away. Thats what the military does for you, Boyce said. You make a decision and you stick with it. Sonny Richardson then introduced the veteran service organizations presidents and auxiliary presidents. He went through all of the posts and recognized multiple individuals and organizations. The 29th Infantry Division Band Army Reserves National Guard played the military service anthems and veterans stood up for the song that corresponded with their branches of military service. Sonny Richardson introduced Millner. The planned speaker, Sean Morrison, was unable to attend due to health reasons, he said. The last incident that we had involving the death of a number of our soldiers happened as we withdrew from Afghanistan almost a year ago, Millner said. Their mission was noble: It was to evacuate desperate civilians yearning to escape a brutal regime. The 13 U.S. service members who died during a terrorist bombing in Afghanistan last August will not be the last American heroes to make such a sacrifice, but they represent the best of a generation, Millner said. He then named all 13 individuals: Darin T. Hoover, Johanny Rosariopichardo, Nicole L. Gee, Hunter Lopez, Daegan W. Page, Humberto A. Sanchez, David L. Espinoza, Jared M. Schmitz, Rylee J. McCollum, Dylan R. Merola, Karem M. Nikoui, Maxton W. Soviak and Ryan C. Knauss. Not only are these the first men and women forever in our hearts, but for those who knew them, they are forever young, Millner added. They came from every background, yet they shared a common goal: to serve America and make life better for others. They died so that we can continue to cherish the things they love, he said. God, country and family. Brave men and women have always stepped forward, Millner said. To take the oath of allegiance as members of Americas armed forces, willing to fight and if necessary to die for the sake of freedom. The memorial prayer was presented by Gilleran, and the laying of the wreath was done by Joey Elliston and a JROTC cadet. The Three Valley Salute and Taps were played by the Martinsville-Henry County Veterans Honor Guard, and the benediction was by Rev. Larry Stanfield. Monique Holland is a reporter for the Martinsville Bulletin. She can be reached at monique.holland@martinsvillebulletin.com or at 276-734-9603. 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 General Joseph Martin Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution held a wreath-laying ceremony outside of the Bassett Historical Center on Monday in honor of Memorial Day. The event was held at 2 p.m. and had a crowd of around 15 people to watch the members lay the wreath in front of the memorial. The Smith River behind the memorial was flowing strongly, and a breeze occasionally came by to offer some relief from the heat. The wreath was carried to the memorial by Mable Peters, the upcoming regent of the chapter, and Glenda Hager, the current regent. They carried the wreath, decorated in red, white and blue flowers and a ribbon, over to the memorial and placed it on a stand. The memorial that it was placed in front of is dedicated to all Vietnam veterans who served in country and lists the names of all of the veterans that were killed in action, thanking them for their service. Taps was then performed by Kevin Lewis after the wreath was placed in front of the memorial. Sue Wyatt, the chaplain of the chapter, said that the gathering was intended to pay honor, love and tribute to Vietnam veterans: Make us ever mindful of the courage and self-sacrifice of these that had gone on before us. After the placement of the wreath, all of the veterans in attendance posed for a picture in front of the memorial with the wreath. Others n attendance were: Don Roberston, Jim Brammer, Col. Lewis Turner, Rick Caudill, Quentin G. Cochran, Sonny Richardson and Curtis R. Millner Sr. Hager said the chapter has 53 members. The chapter was organized in 1924 by Mrs. Hugh S. Kearfort in Martinsville. The name of the chapter is after General Joseph Martin whose home was located in Henry County. Martin served during the Revolutionary War and contributed to the victory at Kings Mountain. 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 Marion woman was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of a 16-year-old in 2018. Her husband faces the same charges in July. Kimberly Cable, 53, of Reid Street, Marion, pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and two counts of failure to store a firearm to protect a minor. She was found guilty in a trial by a judge. She was given a 13- to 25-month suspended sentence. She must serve 36 months supervised probation and perform 50 hours of community service. She must have no contact with the family. She must pay $10,004.53 in restitution, fined $1,000 and must pay court costs. The verdict was appealed. Cable was charged alongside her husband, Roger Cable, who entered a not guilty plea. He is set for trial in July. The charges stem from a tragedy in the early morning hours of Friday, July 27, 2018. Kyle Storm Lee, 16, of Dusty Arch Drive in Marion, was at the Cable home on Reid Street, visiting with the couples son, McDowell deputies said. According to initial reports at the time of the arrest, Lee was playing around with a .44-caliber revolver that belonged to the Cables and fatally shot himself in the head. Investigators say Lee used an unsecured gun to play a game of Russian roulette and fired at his own head. Authorities say the gun, a 44-caliber Raging Bull Magnum pistol, came from the Cables bedroom, where it sat on top of an unlocked gun safe. There were numerous guns in the house, said Detective Paul Alkire of the McDowell County Sheriffs Office at the time. The juveniles had easy access to the guns, which was negligent on the suspects part, and that led to a death. WLOS-TV 13 reported on the trial, sharing more details at https://tinyurl.com/hcyc4zap. The following cases were heard in McDowell County Superior Court during the April session: Judge: Forest Bridges Prosecutor: Ted Bell Tommy Lynn Burleson, 44, of Cherokee Way, Marion, pleaded not guilty to possession with intent to sell methamphetamine, habitual felon and trafficking in methamphetamine. Was found guilty. Must serve 117 to 153 days in prison. Given credit for two days time served. Kevin Brian Loftis, 60, of Roy Hollifield Road, Marion, pleaded not guilty to felony possession of methamphetamine, trafficking opium or heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia and maintaining a dwelling for a controlled substance. Was found guilty. Sentenced 70 to 93 months in prison. Given credit for one day time served. Fined $50,000. Must pay court costs. William Kyle Lytle, 32, of Wilmington, pleaded guilty to felony possession with intent to sell methamphetamine. Sentenced 15 to 27 months in prison. The verdict was appealed. Was found guilty of possession with intent to sell heroin. Sentenced 15 to 27 months in prison. Was found guilty of maintaining a vehicle for a controlled substance. Sentenced 9 to 20 months in prison. Was found guilty of two counts of felony trafficking opium or heroin. Sentenced 225 to 282 months in prison. Fined $500,000. The sentence was appealed. Was found guilty of two counts of trafficking methamphetamine. Sentenced 70 to 93 months in prison. Was found guilty of flee to elude arrest with motor vehicle. Sentenced 15 to 27 months in prison. Walter Sydney Mitchell, 51, of Hedge Drive, Marion, pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. Was found guilty. Sentenced to life in prison without parole. Must pay $6,000 in restitution. The verdict was appealed. Todd Michael Ollis, 37, of Dogwood Acres, Marion, two counts of felony possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of methamphetamine, possession with intent to sell a Schedule II controlled substance and maintaining a dwelling for a controlled substance. Given a 13- to 25-month suspended sentence. Must serve 18 months supervised probation. Fined $500. Must perform 50 hours of community service. Must pay court costs. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Patients dying of alcohol-related liver disease had frequent interactions with secondary care services prior to their death, and a new study has found that these opportunities to address their high-risk drinking behavior could have been missed. The research found that people who died from alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) had an average of 25 interactions with hospitals within Nottinghamshire prior to their death. The study, which is published in the Drug and Alcohol Review, was led by Dr. Mohsen Subhani and Rebecca Elleray, from the School of Medicine at the University of Nottingham. Alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) is a preventable cause of mortality. In 2020 in the UK, the alcohol-related mortality rate was the highest reported since 2001, with a 19.6% increase compared to 2019*. In 2018 the World Health Organization reported that alcohol use contributed to over 3 million deaths (men 2.3 million, women 0.7million), and 132.6 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) globally per year**. ARLD is asymptomatic in the early stages and often presents late when the prognosis is poor. Early identification of alcohol misuse is therefore key and as stated there may be numerous opportunities to identify alcohol misuse and/or diagnose ARLD earlier.There has been limited research describing where and how patients with underlying ARLD interacted with healthcare professionals. There is also little known about specific factors associated with delayed diagnosis. Studies have lacked a detailed linked assessment of health-related contacts prior to death, which limits understanding of opportunities for intervention. In this new study, experts looked to analyze retrospective data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) databases to identify adult residents (aged over 18) of Nottinghamshire who died of ARLD over a 5-year period (between Jan 2012-31 December 2017). Death was used as the primary outcome, and an analysis was carried out to test the association between key variables and mortality due to ARLD. Over 5 years, 799 ARLD deaths were identified. More than half had no diagnosis or a diagnosis of ARLD less than 6 months before death. Emergency presentation at first ARLD diagnosis and white ethnicity were significantly associated with a delay in diagnosis. Overall, the cohort had a median of 5 hospital admissions, 4 accident and emergency attendances and 16 outpatient appointments in the 5 years before death. Treatment was provided by a range of specialities, with general medicine the most common. Alcohol was associated with most admissions. Dr. Mohsen Subhani, the corresponding author of the study, said: "Our study shows that people with ARLD had an average of 25 interactions with hospitals within Nottinghamshire prior to their death. "These interactions were mainly in outpatients, and over 50% of patients were only diagnosed with liver disease in the last six months before death. "This data clearly highlights the deficiencies in ARLD secondary care and stresses the importance of the Health and Education England and NICE message that "every contact matter" and " alcohol screening and advice is the responsibility of every healthcare professional". We now have a powerful methodology that can be used to evaluate and improve how alcohol issues are managed and where action can be best targeted." Explore further Hospitals could reduce healthcare burden of alcohol related harm by simple routine screening More information: Alcohol-related liver disease mortality and missed opportunities in secondary care: a United Kingdom retrospective observational study, Drug and Alcohol Review (2022). Journal information: Drug and Alcohol Review Alcohol-related liver disease mortality and missed opportunities in secondary care: a United Kingdom retrospective observational study,(2022). DOI: 10.1111/dar.13482 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Three doses of either the same vaccine or a combination of different vaccine types work comparably well in preventing COVID-19 infections, even against different variants, finds a study published by The BMJ today. The findings suggest that the number of vaccine doses seems to be the key to improving immunity rather than the combinations of vaccine types (which includes mRNA and adenoviral vector vaccines only in this study), and should help inform future public health decision making, say the researchers. While the effectiveness of individual vaccines for COVID-19 are well known, the effectiveness of vaccine combinations is less clear, especially for particular groups, such as older people and those who are immunocompromised. Despite a rapid decline in COVID-19 infections and deaths, concerns about waning vaccine immunity and new variants makes it important to understand which vaccine combinations are most effective. To explore this, researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) searched 38 WHO COVID-19 databases for published studies and preprints on a weekly basis from 8 March 2022. They identified 53 studies involving over 100 million participants with 24 combinations of approved COVID-19 vaccine courses (regimens) and 7 different vaccine types for analysis. Receiving three doses of the same vaccine is known as a homologous regimen, while receiving a third dose that differs from those given as primary doses is known as a heterologous regimen. After taking account of differences in study design and quality, the researchers found that three doses of any mRNA vaccine appear to be most effective (96%) against non-severe COVID-19 infections and most effective (95%) in reducing COVID-19 related hospital admission. Using an mRNA booster after two doses of adenovirus vector vaccines also has a satisfactory effectiveness of 88%. The results also show that any three dose regimen (heterologous or homologous) induces higher immunity in all age groups, even in the over 65s, than a two dose homologous regimen. A third booster dose is needed to prevent infection caused by the omicron variant. And in immunocompromised patients, a third mRNA booster dose, as part of a heterologous or homologous regimen, greatly improves protection compared with two doses. However, the effectiveness of three dose vaccine regimens against COVID-19 related death remains uncertain. These are statistical analyses of observational and randomized controlled trial findings. The researchers acknowledge that they didn't evaluate the optimum time interval for prime boost or boosting regimens, owing to limited information. Nevertheless, this is a well-designed study that summarizes the effectiveness of all available COVID-19 vaccine regimens and determines the relative effects of various primary and boosting regimens as assessed in current clinical studies. As such, the researchers conclude that while a three dose mRNA regimen seems to be the most effective in preventing COVID-19 infections, any heterologous and homologous three dose regimens work comparably well in preventing COVID-19 infections, even against different variants. This study is a living systematic review, so will be updated as new evidence becomes available. More information: Effectiveness of heterologous and homologous COVID-19 vaccine regimens: living systematic review with network meta-analysis, The BMJ (2022). Journal information: British Medical Journal (BMJ) Effectiveness of heterologous and homologous COVID-19 vaccine regimens: living systematic review with network meta-analysis,(2022). DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2022-069989 Distribution of prices for all medicines (Overlaid boxplots show median, 25th and 75th percentiles, whiskers indicating 1.5 interquartile ranges above and below 25th and 75th percentiles, and outlying data points). Credit: Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2022.05.007 Prescription drugs are a major source of expenditure for patients in Ireland. High prices can lead to cost-related non-adherence and adverse health outcomes. Researchers at Trinity College and RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences (RCSI) investigated the variation and availability of prescription drug prices in community pharmacies in Ireland. The study is recently published in the journal Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy. Pharmaceuticals are one of the main sources of healthcare expenditure for people, with prescription drugs described as a major cause of unaffordable expenditure for the Irish public. The question researchers sought to answer was: how much prices for commonly prescribed drugs varied between pharmacies? The research team investigated the prices of 12 commonly prescribed drugs by calling 1,500 community pharmacies, emailing 320, and checking the website of 370. A community pharmacy is described as a retail shop which provides pharmaceutical drugs among other products to the public. Community pharmacies can include both chain pharmacies and independent pharmacies. Key findings 1,529 pharmacies responded to queries, 1,362 by telephone and 167 by email. Despite regulatory guidance stating pharmacies should provide medicine prices to patients, no pharmacies had prices displayed on their websites and 12% of pharmacies who answered a call/email did not provide a price. The study found that the most expensive pharmacies can charge over double the price of the least expensive pharmacies. For example: Researchers found a typical prescription of prednisolone (a commonly prescribed steroid) costs over 5 more (88% higher price) in the most expensive pharmacies, compared to the least expensive pharmacies in Ireland. The mean quoted cost for each of the 12 drugs investigated was higher than the HSE reimbursement price for medical card patients. For famciclovir, the average price quoted to us was 46.00 which was 8.69 higher than the HSE reimbursement price of 37.31. For each drug, the average price quoted to researchers was higher than the price paid by the state for patients who can access subsidized medicines (medical card holders). For nine of the 12 drugs, the price was significantly higher for chain pharmacies compared to independent pharmacies. James Larkin, Ph.D. scholar, Department of General Practice, RCSI, and lead author said: "The large price variation for prescription drugs and the lack of transparency from pharmacies is a problem, as it may mean that some people are paying too much for their medication. Or worse, some people are not buying their medication because it costs too much. This is particularly concerning given the current cost of living crisis and resulting cost pressures that many are facing. Consideration needs to be given by Government to measures that enforce price transparency or regulating prices." James O'Mahony, research assistant professor in cost effective analysis, Center for Health Policy Management, School of Medicine, and senior author, said: "Awareness matters as patients can save money by shopping around. If the state were to regulate prices, or if there was more transparency on prices, it might lead to lower prices and more people taking their medications. The pharmaceutical regulator's current requirements on pharmacies to make prices transparent does not really guarantee any easy access to prices for patients. We'd like to see a greater push for transparency on behalf of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland." Explore further Big box pharmacies offer lowest cash prices for generic drugs More information: James Larkin et al, Variation of prescription drug prices in community pharmacies: A national cross-sectional study, Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy (2022). James Larkin et al, Variation of prescription drug prices in community pharmacies: A national cross-sectional study,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2022.05.007 A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis describes a potential new therapy for synovial sarcoma, a rare tumor of soft tissues. Shown is a biopsy of a synovial sarcoma tumor from a patient. The staining shows that the tumor is missing an important protein called ME1. The missing protein makes this tumor type susceptible to a specific type of cell death that is triggered by a new drug being developed by a Washington University startup. Credit: Van Tine Lab Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a way to attack synovial sarcomaa rare tumor of soft tissues, such as ligaments and musclesusing an investigational drug that triggers cell death. The drug was developed by Washington University researchers who are planning a phase 1 clinical trial to investigate its safety and effectiveness in patients who have synovial sarcoma that has spread beyond the original tumor site. The study is available online in the journal Clinical Cancer Research. Synovial sarcoma is rare, with 900 to 1,000 new cases diagnosed annually, and is most typically diagnosed during adolescence and into young and middle adulthood. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine is a major center for the treatment of sarcomas nationwide, as is Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children's Hospital. "Synovial sarcoma is responsible for about 10% of all sarcomas, and because sarcoma in general is rare, a lot of these patientspediatric and adulttravel from all over the country to receive treatment at our specialized Sarcoma Center," said oncologist Brian A. Van Tine, MD, Ph.D., a professor of medicine. "If it's diagnosed early, this cancer can be cured with standard caresurgery, radiation and chemotherapy. But once it spreads, we have no effective curative therapies, so we're looking for new treatment strategies that take advantage of the genetic quirks of this rare tumor." The researchers found that synovial sarcoma is missing an important protein that most tumors rely on to drive their energy metabolism. The absence of this key proteincalled malic enzyme 1 (ME1)forces synovial sarcoma tumors to rely on a different metabolic pathway, which makes it uniquely vulnerable to the inhibition of that alternate pathway. The investigational drug ACXT-3102 interferes with this alternate route. The interference causes volatile waste compounds called reactive oxygen species to build up inside the cancer cells. When enough reactive oxygen species build up inside, the cell dies. "Because they're missing ME1, these tumor cells are already crippled in their ability to fight damage from reactive oxygen species," said Van Tine, who leads the sarcoma program at Siteman. "So, we asked if we could use this broken defense against this cancer. When levels of these compounds skyrocket inside the cells, they die very quickly." The drug ACXT-3102 was developed by William G. Hawkins, MD, the Neidorff Family and Robert C. Packman Professor of Surgery, and his team, to treat pancreatic cancer. Because most pancreatic cancers still have ME1, researchers will need to find a second way to attack that tumor type. But because the metabolism of synovial sarcoma is unusual and consistent across patientsthe cancer's defining genetic mistake is present in 90% to 95% of all casesthe researchers suspect that this rare tumor could be treatable with ACXT-3102 alone. "Synovial sarcoma is caused by a very specific genetic mutation, so it's a relatively clean cancer, meaning it has a single specific genetic mistake that can be exploited, unlike other cancers that have a complex accumulation of many mutations whose effects are difficult to unravel," Van Tine said. "Because of this single mutation, it's harder for synovial sarcoma cells to adapt to an attack on their energy metabolism. Finding a weakness in cancer that we can exploit based on the biology of a rare tumor is really exciting." The drug ACXT-3102 was licensed to a Washington University startup company called Accuronix Therapeutics that was co-founded by Hawkins to develop new cancer therapies. Explore further Researchers yield new insights into origins of synovial sarcoma More information: Caitlyn B. Brashears et al, Malic Enzyme 1 Absence in Synovial Sarcoma Shifts Antioxidant System Dependence and Increases Sensitivity to Ferroptosis Induction with ACXT-3102, Clinical Cancer Research (2022). Journal information: Clinical Cancer Research Caitlyn B. Brashears et al, Malic Enzyme 1 Absence in Synovial Sarcoma Shifts Antioxidant System Dependence and Increases Sensitivity to Ferroptosis Induction with ACXT-3102,(2022). DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-22-0470 Emirates Health Services (EHS) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) to collaborate towards realising the highest regional and global health standards. The MoU is in line with EHS efforts to adopt quality and excellence standards as a key pillar of its operations, expanding its base of influential strategic partners and building advanced frameworks for collaboration towards achieving common objectives. The agreement was signed as EHS took part in the European Foundation for Quality Management Middle East Forum, held in Dubai, marking the first time the event is held in the Middle East, with Dr Yousif Mohammed Al-Serkal, Director-General of EHS, in attendance, along with Paul Little, Chair of the European Foundation for Quality Management, and several department heads from both entities. Set of common goals As per the MoU, the two institutions will cooperate on a set of common goals, including building leadership capabilities in healthcare, in addition to developing, planning, and implementing the EHS Award for Distinguished Healthcare Provider, a local and international award to honour the outstanding performance of healthcare facilities and providers. The two parties will also work together to remain up to date with the latest developments and best practices in the healthcare sector, channelling them towards developing the industry and provide pioneering healthcare services. The MoU is in line with our dedicated efforts to build and strengthen our strategic partnerships, and channel them towards establishing our position as a leader in the healthcare sector, providing outstanding health services, launching pioneering initiatives, and creating sustainable value our target customers, all while adhering to international best practices and boosting the UAE health sectors regional and global competitiveness, said Dr Al-Serkal. Sustainable value EFQM, a well-established institution with extensive expertise spanning more than 30 years, has supported over 50,000 organisations around the world to achieve positive performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders, driving notable change and promoting efficient management to build a better future for individuals, communities, and institutions, he said. The MoU calls for developing and implementing specialised training programmes to build capacities and skills in the areas of quality management, corporate excellence, and change management, targeting the leadership and supervisory staff at EHS. Furthermore, leaders from across the health sector will be given the opportunity to join the new and programme, the first of its kind in the country.-- TradeArabia News Service Credit: CC0 Public Domain In a study of 75 U.S. hospitals' financial assistance policies published today, only 13 clearly indicate how they provide pharmaceutical assistance to patients or how patients may receive discounts on needed medicines. The research, published by the Center for Public Health Law Research at Temple University's Beasley School of Law with funding from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), collected Financial Assistance Policies (FAPs) and related debt collection policies from a sample of 75 U.S. hospitals participating in the federal 340B program. "In theory, when 340B hospitals pay less for specified outpatient drugs, they may pass those savings on to patients who might otherwise not be able to afford treatment at full price. But what we're finding is that there are few measures built into the program to assure that 340B savings are being used to support care for low-income populations," said Jonathan Larsen, JD, MPP, a law and policy analyst at the Center and lead researcher on the project. The research also finds: For seven hospitals, charity care, or care provided at no cost to the patient, was limited to those at or below 100% of federal poverty guidelines. On the other end of the spectrum, two hospitals' charity care policies provide free care for patients at or below 600% FPG. However, these policies apply to medical services received by eligible patients and may not include cost sharing associated with prescription medicines. Of the 64 hospitals that included debt collection actions in their policies, just six specifically prohibited the use of extraordinary collections actions, which can include liens, foreclosures, and civil actions, when patients fail to pay bills. Less than half of the hospitals in the study detailed their appeals process for responding to a denial of financial assistance. "The broad range of FAPs in place at 340B hospitals suggests limitations in how the 340B program savings are used to help patients, specifically regarding affordability of medicines for low-income populations," the researchers write in a Policy Brief. With more than 2,500 340B hospitals nationwide, this research provides insight into how hospitals are providing financial assistance in the absence of other legally mandated transparency measures. The project examined the policies in the 51 largest 340B hospitals by revenue in each state and the District of Columbia along with 24 hospitals that were the next largest 340B hospitals by revenue in the nation for the 2017-2018 or 2018-2019 fiscal years. Explore further 340B hospitals offer more assistance removing barriers to medication access Credit: kittirat roekburi/Shutterstock Health care workers in home care settings have played a crucial role in caring for vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. But now, researchers from Japan have found that these workers need more support to stay mentally healthy. In a study recently published in BMC Primary Care, researchers from the University of Tsukuba have revealed that fear related to contracting COVID-19, as well anxiety and depression, varied according to occupation in home health care workers. Home health care workers (home-HCWs) such as visiting doctors, nurses, medical social workers, care workers, and others engage with patients in a community setting, increasing their risk of contracting diseases such as COVID-19. As a result, these individuals have faced highly stressful working conditions during the pandemic. To effectively support these workers, more information is needed about their specific mental health needs, which the researchers at the University of Tsukuba aimed to address. "Little is known about levels of anxiety and depression, as well as fear of contracting COVID-19, among home-HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic," says main author of the study Assistant Professor Jun Hamano. "Information about these mental health factors could help inform efforts to improve the working environment for health care workers in home care settings." To do this, the researchers asked home-HCWs at multiple centers in Japan to complete an anonymous online survey about factors affecting mental health in the workplace, including information about workload, the availability of support and information, the quality of interprofessional collaboration, fear of contracting COVID-19, and anxiety and depression. The survey was conducted during the fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, at which point the Japanese government had declared a state of emergency. "The results were revealing," explains Assistant Professor Hamano. "We found that occupation, teamwork, and unmet support needs were associated with fear of contracting COVID-19 and mental health in home-HCWs." Furthermore, non-physicians, such as nurses, medical social workers, and medical office staff were more likely to be fearful and depressed than physicians during the pandemic. "Our findings indicate that mental health support for home-HCWs should be tailored to individuals based on their profession," says Assistant Professor Hamano. Given that medical office staff and social workers in home care setting are often the first to interact with patients, these workers may face a heightened risk of infection, and thus be more fearful of contracting COVID-19. Appropriate infection protection systems and mental health support are needed for these workers, as well as physicians and nurses. Further, efforts to strengthen perceptions of good teamwork may help to mitigate COVID-19-related fear as well as anxiety and depression among all healthcare workers. Explore further COVID-19 increased mental health risks among nurses More information: Jun Hamano et al, Exploration of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of home health care workers in Japan: a multicenter cross-sectional web-based survey, BMC Primary Care (2022). Jun Hamano et al, Exploration of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of home health care workers in Japan: a multicenter cross-sectional web-based survey,(2022). DOI: 10.1186/s12875-022-01745-4 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A new 23-country study by a multidisciplinary team of researchers in the journal Vaccine sheds light on the factors that contribute to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among health care providers. To assess the associations between self-reported vaccine hesitancy and a number of sociodemographic and COVID-19 vaccine perception factors, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH) Senior Scholar Jeffrey Lazarus, Dean Ayman El-Mohandes, and colleagues from the School of Health Administration at Dalhousie University in Halifax and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health developed a cross-sectional survey relating to perceptions of risk, efficacy, safety and trust, and current COVID-19 vaccine uptake. The survey was administered to 23,000 adults in Brazil, Canada, China, Ecuador, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Poland, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States in June 2021. Among the respondents, 3,295 identified as health care providers, such as physicians, nurses and community health workers. Responses revealed that, although most health care providers had received one or more doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, a substantial minority reported hesitancy. Four hundred ninety-four (15.0%) of the participants reported being reluctant to accept a COVID-19 vaccine, and 132 (4.0%) of those said they would outright refuse it. Of the health care providers surveyed, physicians were the least hesitant. Vaccine hesitancy was more likely to occur among those with less than the median income and, to a lesser degree, younger age. Safety and risk concerns and lack of trust that vaccines would be equitably distributed were strongly associated with hesitancy, less so were concerns about the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. Previous studies have aimed to assess the potential acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine among health care providers, but few have been published since the vaccines became widely available. "These findings are troubling," says Dean El-Mohandes. "Since health care workers' hesitancy may influence community perceptions negatively, especially among patients and family members, and can contribute to their refusal or delayed uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine." "Vaccine hesitancy can impede the potential success of global vaccination campaigns, and, in turn, our ability to control the COVID-19 pandemic," says Dr. Lazarus. "Training and campaigns reinforcing vaccine safety, dissemination of scientific data underpinning vaccine development, in addition to clear, consistent, and comprehensive information and engagement supporting the equitable distribution of vaccines are all potentially useful strategies to encourage health care professionals who are hesitant to vaccinate." Explore further Study reveals reluctance among New York City parents to vaccinate young children for COVID-19 More information: Jeanna Parsons Leigh et al, Factors affecting COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among healthcare providers in 23 countries, Vaccine (2022). Journal information: Vaccine Jeanna Parsons Leigh et al, Factors affecting COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among healthcare providers in 23 countries,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.04.097 HVPG measurements are tolerable in patients with cirrhosis, but patient education is required in order to improve its widespread acceptance. Credit: Portal Hypertension & Cirrhosis Just like the hypertension that people develop when their blood pressure increases, the increase of blood pressure in the main vein that supplies blood to the liver, called the portal vein, is also a dangerous situation. This condition, called portal hypertension, is the main side effect of liver cirrhosis, and the development of complications like ascites, hepatic encephalopathy and variceal hemorrhage are dependent on the severity of this hypertension. Recording portal hypertension is therefore crucial when studying the effect of drugs used to treat cirrhosis and for predicting patient prognosis. Hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) represents the difference between pressures in the portal vein and the intra-abdominal portion of inferior vena cava, another major vein, and is the standard procedure used to assess portal hypertension. However, unlike overall blood pressure, this method is invasive, because the vein is located deep in the body. Therefore, it isn't performed commonly, so patients for whom this method is recommended might not know much about it. Patient tolerance and acceptance are important if medical techniques are to be used more widely. But the tolerance and acceptance of patients with liver cirrhosis hasn't been studied. So, a team of researchers led by Dr. Xiaolong Qi of The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, China, has addressed this gap in their latest study, published in Portal Hypertension & Cirrhosis. The team conducted a prospective international study among 271 patients with liver cirrhosis. Data related to tolerance and acceptance was assessed by using questionnaires. The team found that over 80% of patients had no or mild discomfort either during the procedure or after it. Almost 50% of patients had little to no understanding of the value of HVPG measurement and around 39% of patients regarded HVPG measurements of being little to no help. Only 15% of patients reported that they would definitely undergo the procedure again with the rest of the patients reporting that they weren't too sure about it; 63% of patients found the cost of the procedure to be acceptable. So, what do these results signify? Dr. Qi states, "The results of our study indicate that HVPG was found to be tolerated well in patients with cirrhosis. But we expected a much higher rate of acceptance among patients. Half the patients did not understand the value of the procedure, suggesting that the communication between doctors and patients was insufficient. If patients don't have the right information and knowledge about a procedure, they're less likely to choose it. Clinicians should make it a priority to properly educate and guide patients in understanding the value of HVPG measurements." This study highlights the need for patient education and awareness about this procedure in order to improve its overall acceptance. This is important, because the use of this procedure can help in achieving early diagnosis and improving patient outcomes in patients with cirrhosis. "We hope that our study will pave the way for this procedure to be widely accepted by the general public and medical community," concludes Dr. Qi. Explore further Lifestyle intervention reduces portal pressure in cirrhosis More information: JunHui Sun et al, Tolerance and acceptance of hepatic venous pressure gradient measurement in cirrhosis (CHESS1904): An international multicenter study, Portal Hypertension & Cirrhosis (2022). JunHui Sun et al, Tolerance and acceptance of hepatic venous pressure gradient measurement in cirrhosis (CHESS1904): An international multicenter study,(2022). DOI: 10.1002/poh2.4 Provided by Cactus Communications Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Ground breaking University of Limerick, Ireland research has revealed for the first time that loneliness and social stresses can have a negative impact on our antibody response to COVID-19 vaccines. In a world's first, a group of UL researchers have found that lower neighborhood cohesion is associated with antibody response to COVID-19 vaccines. This is important as the more antibodies a person makes, the better the level of protection against hospitalization and death from COVID-19. The research team have demonstrated in a study published in the prestigious journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity that lower social cohesion also made people feel lonelier, and this was an additional factor in reducing COVID-19 vaccine responses. Social cohesion is the degree of social connectedness and solidarity among different community groups within a society, including levels of trust and connectedness between individuals and across community groups. Professor Stephen Gallagher, lead author and director of the study of anxiety stress and health lab at UL, said that low social cohesion was "a social stressor and we have known for a long time that these psychosocial stressors can have damaging effects on immunity in general but also antibody responses following vaccination, which we have demonstrated previously. Thus, it made sense to explore antibody responses to COVID-19 vaccinations". Using data from over 600 people who took part in the UK's Understanding Society COVID-19 antibody study in March 2021, the researchers examined whether factors such as social cohesion and loneliness had a negative impact on people's antibody responses to the COVID-19 vaccine. The authors found that lower social cohesion was predictive of a lower response to a single-shot of the COVID-19 vaccine; that those who felt less connected to their neighborhood, had lower trust in their neighbors, and felt unsupported or less similar to their neighbors, made fewer antibodies in comparison to those who reported higher social cohesion. In addition, those who reported lower social cohesion also tended to report that they felt lonelier, and this, in turn, reduced their antibody response. Professor Orla Muldoon, who was a member of the Irish National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) advisory group on behavior and communication and was a co-author of the paper, said that these results highlight once again the relevance of public trust and social cohesion to the success of our pandemic response. "Public and neighborhood trust, social cohesion, and loneliness have all come to the fore during the pandemic," explained Professor Muldoon. "For example, during the initial lockdowns a sense of being in it together was an oft used mantra. We had 'clap for caregivers' in the UK, Italians singing from balconies, Dubliners playing bingo in the flats, all of which increased social cohesion and public trust." "These feelings of social cohesion and trust were short-lived; something UK researchers now call the 'Dominic Cummings effect'. Similar diminishing levels of trust were also seen in the US during these periods. Along with this, lockdowns brought social risks such as less social interaction and an increased risk of loneliness." "As well as the findings of this study showing their role in antibody responses, trust and cohesion have also been shown to drive compliance with public health guidelines and vaccine uptake," added Professor Muldoon. Dr. Siobhan Howard, a co-author on the study, added that loneliness was a "well-established risk factor for several health conditions, with immune suppression a likely underlying pathway. Thus, this study adds to the growing body of evidence linking loneliness to poor health." Explore further Good neighbors are good for your health More information: Gallagher Stephen et al, Social cohesion and loneliness are associated with the antibody response to COVID-19 vaccination, Brain, Behavior, and Immunity (2022). Journal information: Brain, Behavior, and Immunity Gallagher Stephen et al, Social cohesion and loneliness are associated with the antibody response to COVID-19 vaccination,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2022.04.017 An elderly resident waits outside a bank as bank workers receive food supplies as banking services reopen after pandemic measure lockdown are lifted, Tuesday, May 31, 2022, in Beijing. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan Shanghai authorities say they will take some major steps Wednesday toward reopening China's largest city after a two-month COVID-19 lockdown that has throttled the national economy and largely bottled up millions of people in their homes. Full bus and subway service will be restored as will basic rail connections with the rest of China, Vice Mayor Zong Ming said Tuesday at a daily news conference on the city's outbreak. "The epidemic has been effectively controlled," she said, adding that the city will start the process of fully restoring work and life on Wednesday. Schools will partially reopen on a voluntary basis for students and shopping malls, supermarkets, convenience stores and drug stores will continue to reopen gradually with no more than 75% of their total capacity. Cinemas and gyms will remain closed. Officials, who set June 1 as the target date for reopening earlier in May, appear ready to accelerate what has been a gradual easing in recent days. A few malls and markets have reopened, and some residents have been given passes allowing them out for a few hours at a time. In online chat groups, some expressed excitement about the prospect of being able to move about freely in the city for the first time since the end of March, while others remained cautious given the slow pace and stop-and-go nature of opening up so far. Two women chat as residents line up for mass COVID test, Tuesday, May 31, 2022, in Beijing. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan Workers were taking down some of the barriers that had been erected along sidewalks during the lockdown. A few people walked or biked on the still mostly empty streets. One man was getting his hair cut on the sidewalk, as a worker or volunteer in full protective clothing looked on. More than half a million people in the city of 25 million won't be allowed out Wednesday190,000 who are still in lockdown areas and another 450,000 who are in control zones because of recent cases. Shanghai recorded 29 new cases on Monday, continuing a steady decline from more than 20,000 a day in April. Li Qiang, the top official from China's ruling Communist Party in Shanghai, at a meeting Monday was quoted as saying that the city had made major achievements in fighting the outbreak through continuous struggle. An elderly resident in a wheelchair waits under an umbrella as other elderly residents line up outside a bank to collect their pension as banking services reopen after pandemic measure lockdown are lifted, Tuesday, May 31, 2022, in Beijing. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan Elderly residents line up to collect their pension as banking services reopen after pandemic measure lockdown are lifted, Tuesday, May 31, 2022, in Beijing. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan Elderly residents wait in line to collect their pension as banking services reopen after pandemic measure lockdown are lifted, Tuesday, May 31, 2022, in Beijing. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan Delivery men sort out their parcels outside a community on Tuesday, May 31, 2022, in Beijing. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan The success came at a price. Authorities imposed a suffocating citywide lockdown under China's "zero-COVID" strategy that aims to snuff out any outbreak with mass testing and isolation at centralized facilities of anyone who is infected. However, the latest economic data showed that Chinese manufacturing activity started to rebound in May as the government rolled back some containment measures. Schools will reopen for the final two years of high school and the third year of middle school, but students can decide whether to attend in person. Other grades and kindergarten remain closed. Outdoor tourist sites will start reopening Wednesday, with indoor sites set to follow in late June, the Shanghai tourism authority said. Group tours from other provinces will be allowed again when the city has eliminated all high- and medium-risk pandemic zones. Beijing, the nation's capital, further eased restrictions Tuesday in some districts. The city imposed limited lockdowns, but nothing near a citywide level, in a much smaller outbreak that appears to be on the wane. Beijing recorded 18 new cases on Monday. Explore further Beijing, Shanghai ease COVID restrictions as outbreaks fade 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Suppression of ovarian cancer by restoring peritoneal mesothelial cells. Credit: Kazuhisa Kitami Ovarian cancer has one of the highest death rates of all cancers. One reason for this is that the cancer turns the body's defenses against itself. However, new research from Nagoya University published in Matrix Biology suggests that vitamin D can effectively prevent one of the key pathways used by this cancer. Ovarian cancer often undergoes a process called peritoneal metastasis. In this process, its cells detach from their primary site in the ovary and travel to a secondary implantation site, such as the peritoneal wall or diaphragm. The peritoneum defends against this process using a barrier consisting of mesothelial cells, which prevent the adhesion of cancer cells and limit their spread. However, ovarian cancer gets around this defense by transforming the protective mesothelial cells into cancer-associated mesothelial cells. This creates an environment that helps metastasis, assisting the spread of cancer around the body. The group, led by Dr. Masato Yoshihara of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in collaboration with colleagues at the Bell Research Center and the Department of Pathology at Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, found that vitamin D not only counteracted this process but also restored cancer-associated mesothelial cells to their original state. This process strengthened the barrier effect of mesothelial cells and reduced further spread of the cancer. Their study suggests that vitamin D therapy may be a useful addition to the treatment of ovarian cancer. "We showed the potential of vitamin D for normalizing cancer-associated mesothelial cells, which is the first study of this kind," said Dr. Kazuhisa Kitami, the first author of the study. "This study's most interesting point is that in situations where early detection of ovarian cancer is still extremely difficult, we showed that the peritoneal environment can be restored to its normal state where it prevents the adhesion and growth of cancer cells." Vitamin D can do this because of the complicated way cancer spreads. Previous studies found that cancer cells secrete a protein called TGF-1, which is associated with cell growth. This also increases the amount of another protein, thrombospondin-1, through the TGF-/Smad pathway. Thrombospondin-1 has long interested researchers of ovarian cancer because it is found in higher amounts in the later, more deadly stages of cancer. In ovarian cancer, thrombospondin-1 is a key protein that enhances the adhesion and proliferation of ovarian cancer cells to the peritoneum. As vitamin D disrupts the TGF-/Smad pathway, it may prevent cancer. Dr. Kitami explains: "The administration of Vitamin D helps normalize the peritoneal environment. This suggests that the combination of Vitamin D and conventional remedies can enhance their therapeutic efficacy for ovarian cancer. We think this helps prevent the adhesion of cancer cells to the peritoneum, which may make it possible to prevent the recurrence of ovarian cancer." The potential of a vitamin to combat a cancer that affects one in 75 women remains an exciting prospect, especially since it does so by restoring the natural defenses of the body. The creation of therapies using this research could offer new ways to combat the high death rate of ovarian cancer. Explore further Experimental model of ovarian cancer shows effect of healthy cell arrangement in metastasis More information: Kazuhisa Kitami et al, Peritoneal restoration by repurposing vitamin D inhibits ovarian cancer dissemination via blockade of the TGF-1/thrombospondin-1 axis, Matrix Biology (2022). Kazuhisa Kitami et al, Peritoneal restoration by repurposing vitamin D inhibits ovarian cancer dissemination via blockade of the TGF-1/thrombospondin-1 axis,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.matbio.2022.03.003 TUESDAY, May 31, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Though it is a cannabis component, very high doses of CBD don't appear to affect driving, a small Australian study reports. Researchers from the University of Sydney found that even 1,500 mg, the highest daily medicinal dose of cannabidiol (CBD) tested, did not seem to affect study participants' thinking skills or driving when tested in a simulated driving situation. "Though CBD is generally considered 'non-intoxicating,' its effects on safety-sensitive tasks are still being established," said lead author Danielle McCartney, a research associate at the university's Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics. "Our study is the first to confirm that when consumed on its own, CBD is driver-safe," she said in a university news release. CBD does not appear to intoxicate people, researchers said. That's unlike THC, another cannabis component that can induce sedation, a "high" and impairment. Use of CBD is increasing in Western nations. Around 55,000 requests to access medicinal CBD have been approved in Australia since 2016, according to a recent study. It is most commonly prescribed for pain, sleep disorders and anxiety. For the new study, 17 participants did simulated driving tasks after consuming either a placebo or 15 mg, 300 mg or 1,500 mg of CBD in oil. These amounts represent often-used dosages. Participants were asked to try to maintain a safe distance between themselves and a lead vehicle, and then "drive" along highways and rural roads. They completed the task between 45 and 75 minutes after taking their assigned treatment. They did it again between 3-1/2 and four hours after dosing, which was meant to cover the range of blood plasma concentrations at different times. They repeated this under each of the four treatments -- a placebo plus three different doses. The researchers measured participants control of the simulated car, how much it weaved or drifted, as well as their thinking function, subjective experiences, and the CBD concentrations in their blood plasma. The examinations found that no dose of CBD induced feelings of intoxication or appeared to impair either driving or thinking. "We do, however, caution that this study looked at CBD in isolation only, and that drivers taking CBD with other medications should do so with care," McCartney said. The findings were published May 30 in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. A similar look at CBD and driving was published last year. More information The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has more on CBD. SOURCE: University of Sydney, news release, May 30, 2022 You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange. TUESDAY, May 31, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- How the COVID-19 virus affects someone may be exacerbated by the air they breathe. Researchers found a link between exposure to airborne particulate matter, including fine particles known as PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and heightened risk of serious coronavirus complications. "Our research demonstrated that one-year average exposure to PM2.5 translated to a 20-30% increase in the risk of hospitalization, intensive respiratory support and ICU admissions from COVID-19. Exposure to NO2 for one month carried an increased risk of 12-18%," said study co-author Zhanghua Chen, assistant professor of population and public health sciences at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. "We also saw that long-term PM2.5 exposure was associated with a higher risk of mortality from COVID-19," she said in a university news release. USC researchers collaborated with Kaiser Permanente Southern California for the study, reviewing data from more than 74,000 COVID patients diagnosed between March and August 2020. The investigators were able to predict exposure history for specific pollutants by using participants' residential address history. PM2.5 and NO2 are produced by ground and air traffic, industrial burning and other sources. "Ecological analyses are subject to a lot of biases, and it wasn't clear whether the findings could be applied beyond the community level," Chen said. "In our population cohort study, we were able to leverage the sophistication of EMR [electronic medical records] to create a well-defined classification of the severity of COVID-19 outcomes tied to air pollution exposure at the individual level," she said. Kaiser Permanente records included background information that allowed researchers to adjust for other factors, including race, social standing and other health conditions. The researchers now plan to examine intervention approaches to reduce individual levels of PM2.5 exposure, such as using air purifiers. The findings were published recently in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. "Our study demonstrates that breathing clean air may reduce the severity of the infection, said co-author Dr. Frank Gilliland, a professor of population and public health sciences. "When someone is infected, reducing their exposure to air pollutants maybe beneficial, as it may decrease the risk for poor outcomes and also has many other health benefits," he said in the release. More information The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has more on particulate matter. SOURCE: University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, news release, May 25, 2022 You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange. (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) (THE CONVERSATION) Fathers have a significant impact on their childrens well-being an impact that begins even before the child is born. In fact, studies have shown that fathers who are involved during pregnancy have healthier children. During the early years of life, emotionally nourishing father-child relationships lay the foundation for lifelong health and well-being for children. Fathers who are involved during pregnancy also tend to stay involved over the long term. Indeed, the positive influence of father involvement can be felt throughout adolescence and young adulthood. Our research lab studies father-child relationships, and we looked at the question: What early parent education programs are out there to support fathers during the prenatal and postnatal periods? Our study, published in the journal Pediatrics, suggested that there are not that many. Not many father-friendly early parent education programs Specifically, our systematic review examined U.S.-based parent programs for men during the perinatal period, i.e., pregnancy through the first year of life. We could identify only 19 programs (out of a total of 1,353 studies reviewed) that were considered father-friendly. Father-friendly was defined as involving or targeting fathers and including outcomes related to fathering, such as father involvement, father-infant interaction and fathers parenting knowledge. Most programs were offered in clinic or hospital settings. Programs ranged from general education programs (on childbirth, infant care and infant development) to relationship and co-parenting programs to clinical and case management programs. In addition to the small number of existing programs for fathers, most programs reviewed in the systematic review lacked evidence of improving key fathering outcomes. Relatedly, only three studies were considered high quality. These findings demonstrate the dearth of father-inclusive programs that yield promising outcomes. Overall, when it comes to education and support during the perinatal period, research shows that there are few parenting programs to prepare men for the magic moment when they welcome their new baby, even though this time has been identified as a critical window of opportunity to intervene to support fathers during their transition to fatherhood. Most existing programs are designed primarily for mothers. This is a missed opportunity, because fathers in the U.S. are increasingly involved in their childrens lives. And fathers today want to be involved not just as breadwinners, but also as caregivers who provide nurturing and responsive parenting. Father-friendly practices by health care professionals In obstetrics and pediatrics settings, fathers participating in research have reported feeling neglected. They are often viewed as playing a secondary role to mothers. This may entail the father seeing himself as a helper of the mother instead of a co-parent alongside the mother. This neglect persists for several reasons. For instance, health care professionals may be unwilling or inadequately trained to work with fathers. Clinical services may not be sensitive to mens parenting needs. Further, mothers might limit men from being engaged in prenatal and postnatal services. Yet, men have a vital role to play during infancy. To help address the above barriers, Michael Yogman and Craig Garfield, pediatric faculty at the Harvard Medical School and Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine respectively, recommended that health care professionals engage in father-friendly practices. These include acknowledging fathers presence at health care visits, welcoming fathers directly, educating fathers about parenting, and encouraging fathers to assume childcare roles early on. Innovative early parent education programs for fathers Although there arent many yet, innovative parent education programs targeting men during the perinatal period are emerging. One example is Dads Matter, a father-friendly home visitation program that may improve fathers engagement with their babies among socioeconomically disadvantaged families. Another emerging program is Baby Elmo. This is an interactive program that helps fathers understand their babies emotional needs to support positive fatherchild interactions. Baby Elmo is currently being tested for its effectiveness within low-income communities. Our research lab is implementing a father engagement program for low-income fathers, in collaboration with Healthy Start home visitation programs in Michigan. Yet another promising program is Supporting Father Involvement by Philip Cowan, emeritus professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. Supporting Father Involvement is a group-based relationship program that has been successful in promoting father involvement with young children. On the whole, these programs help ensure that American children especially those at the highest risk of living apart from their fathers grow up in households where their fathers or father figures are positively involved from the very beginning. Fathers play a key role in childrens lives, starting from the very beginning of life. Their involvement in pregnancy is just as important as the involvement of mothers. We celebrate mothers on Mothers Day and offer multiple programs and resources for helping women navigate motherhood. We also celebrate our fathers on Fathers Day. However, we leave them with almost no resources for navigating the transition to fatherhood. This disparity in services is inevitably hurting not only fathers, but also their children. Its time to change this narrative. [ Like what youve read? Want more? Sign up for The Conversations daily newsletter. ] This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/fathers-forgotten-when-it-comes-to-services-to-help-them-be-good-parents-98222. Licenced as Creative Commons - attribution, no derivatives. Thank you! You've reported this item as a violation of our terms of use. Error! There was a problem with reporting this article. This content was contributed by a user of the site. If you believe this content may be in violation of the terms of use, you may report it. Report Abuse Log In to report You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 AstraZenecas Evusheld (tixagevimab and cilgavimab, formerly AZD7442) retains neutralisation activity against the emerging Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 (BA.4/5) variants, says preclinical pseudovirus assay data from the University of Oxford. The findings were reported online on bioRxiv, a preprint server. These results are consistent with previous data from multiple studies showing that Evusheld retains potent neutralising activity against Omicron BA.2, the current dominant circulating variant, and neutralises all variants tested to date. Previously circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants have expanded in similar patterns; therefore its possible BA.4 and BA.5, which are now the dominant variants in Africa, could spread globally in a similar pattern to BA.2.6 BA.4 and BA.5 have identical S protein sequences and appear to have evolved from BA.2. Remaining potent John L Perez, MD, MBA, MA, Senior Vice President, Head of Late Development, Vaccines & Immune Therapies, AstraZeneca, said: By combining two antibodies with different and complementary activities against SARS-CoV-2, Evusheld was engineered from the start to outsmart the Covid-19 virus and to remain potent in the face of this virus ability to rapidly mutate. These findings further support Evusheld as an important option to help protect vulnerable populations such as the immunocompromised who are unable to respond adequately to Covid-19 vaccination and are at high risk for severe disease. Approximately 2% of the global population is considered at increased risk of an inadequate response to Covid-19 vaccination and may particularly benefit from pre-exposure prophylaxis (prevention) with Evusheld. Immunocompromised This population includes people who are immunocompromised, such as cancer patients, transplant patients and anyone taking immunosuppressive medicines. People at increased risk of exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus could also benefit from protection with Evusheld. Emerging evidence indicates that protecting vulnerable populations from getting Covid-19 could help prevent viral evolution that is an important factor in the emergence of variants.-- TradeArabia News Service TUESDAY, May 31, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- When a teen or young adult has sarcoma, a type of cancer in the bones or soft tissues, a doctor will often prescribe opioids for the pain. A new study found that nearly a quarter of those young people continue to take opioids after their treatment is done. "These results highlight the need to monitor young patients with sarcoma for post-treatment opioid use, given the potential negative impacts of long-term opioid use, including misuse and overdose, said study lead author Melissa Beauchemin, an assistant professor at Columbia University School of Nursing in New York City. "Age- and developmentally appropriate strategies to effectively manage pain while minimizing opioid exposure are urgently needed," she said. Beauchemin noted that teens and young adults are a vulnerable population because they have benefitted less than younger and older cancer patients from recent advances. For the new study, the researchers used a large insurance claims database to analyze information on patients aged 10 to 26 years old who had not received prior opioids and who were diagnosed with sarcoma between 2008 and 2016. Among the 938 patients in the analysis, 64% received opioid prescriptions during treatment. After their cancer treatment was done, about 14% of patients overall and 23% of those who used opioids during treatment continued to use opioids. They met the criteria for new persistent use, which was defined as at least two opioid prescriptions in the 12 months after treatment ended. The findings were published online May 23 in Cancer, a journal of the American Cancer Society. Factors associated with persistent opioid use included being covered by Medicaid versus commercial insurance; having bone tumors versus soft tissue tumors; and taking lorazepam, a medication often used to treat anxiety and sleeping problems. Patients who have sarcoma often develop damaged and fractured bones. They typically undergo major surgeries. Beauchemin said doctors should prioritize safe and early discontinuation of opioids for those young patients who require them for pain management. "Further, there is a critical need for clinical practice guidelines to support clinical decision making to safely and effectively manage pain specifically for adolescents and young adults with cancer," she said in a journal news release. More information The U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse has more on opioids. SOURCE: American Cancer Society, news release, May 23, 2022 You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange. A young teen is in custody after Columbia Fall Police arrested him on suspicion of making threats against Columbia Falls Junior High School and its student body. The alleged threats were made on Friday, which prompted an investigation on Saturday morning, according to a press release from the police department. Concerned students and parents brought the threats to law enforcement's attention. "Our investigation showed enough evidence to determine there was a real potential for the juvenile to follow through with the threats," the release stated. The 14-year-old suspect is facing felony intimidation charges, Columbia Falls Police Lieutenant Gary Denham said. According to the press release, he didn't have any weapons in his possession, but there were unsecured firearms in his house he potentially could have accessed. Authorities apprehended the suspect on Monday near his home, Denham said. Using a search warrant, seized firearms from the residence. Officials say this was an isolated incident with a single suspect. The release did not disclose the name of the juvenile to protect the investigation and because he is a minor. As of Tuesday morning, the suspect is still in custody and the guns remain with law enforcement for public safety, the release stated. Last week, law enforcement responded to two separate threats of school violence in western Montana. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 4 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. With explosive growth in both residential construction and housing prices in Missoula, the city has created a new staff position to help residents stay better connected and informed. Ashley Brittner Wells is the new community engagement specialist for the citys office of Community Planning, Development and Innovation. The position is really about leading a wide range of outreach and engagement processes, she explained. The city has been doing a lot of outreach for all sorts of projects, but its been on a case-by-case basis. This position has been created to hopefully provide ways to foster really ongoing conversations and two-way communication with the community. Missoula is seeing record-shattering development. From July 1 through Dec. 31 of 2021, a total of 706 new housing units were permitted in the city for a construction value of $43 million. Thats far more than the 390 units, for a value of $25.3 million, that were permitted in the same time period in 2020. At the same time, the median home sales price for Missoula County in January of 2022 was $485,000, a 15% increase over the median sales price of $420,000 in January of 2021. Part of Brittner Wells job will be to talk to people about the citys growth policy and to build trust. Ill get out and talk to people about what matters to them, in particular about housing and how our city grows and how its designed, she said. Ill be cultivating a lot of relationships with residents and community organizations and other stakeholders to make sure that, if you have an interest or this personally affects you, you can meaningfully engage in whatever matters to you. The city is about to embark on a zoning code overhaul, and engaging the citizens on that process will be a big part of her job. At the moment were looking at consulting firms to lead the process, she said. It will be intricate and comprehensive. It really is about making sure we have all the voices at the table who need to be at the table." Brittner Wells attended journalism school at the University of Montana before moving to Portland, Oregon for 10 years. My wife and I moved back in 2018 after we couldnt afford a house in Portland, she explained. So this has affected me personally, the type of environment were in. And its affected a lot of people I know. She started working on a masters degree in public administration from UM in 2020 and had a fellowship at the city recently. Then this position came along and it was something that I was very interested in and passionate about, she said. Eran Pehan, the director of the office of Community Planning, Development and Innovation, said they're looking at engaging the community in different ways than they've done in the past. "We want to do that because we're just facing increasing tension around growth in our community and around housing affordability and availability," Pehan said. "And we want to make sure we're hearing from all our community members to make better decisions as local government." Pehan said that although they want to get more feedback from developers, another goal is to hear from people who don't usually speak up in city council meetings. "We want to pay special attention to bringing voices to the table that historically have not been a part of the conversation, whether that's because they haven't been invited or there have been barriers to participation," Pehan said. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 3 Funny 3 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. After 27 years as a neighborhood gathering spot, the popular southside KettleHouse Brewing taproom is for sale. Also known as the Myrtle Street Taphouse, the locally-famous retail business was owned by Sue O'Leary, who died unexpectedly in Helena on April 8 of this year. O'Leary's son Tim, who co-founded KettleHouse Brewing at the Myrtle Street location in 1995, said his mother's death means the business must be sold. State law prohibits him from owning or inheriting the retail beer and wine license that comes with the business. "Complicated Montana liquor licensing laws and our personal situation prohibits us from keeping this license in our family," he said. O'Leary said his mom was a crucial part of KettleHouse's success. "My mom was the 'Cold Smoke Mom,'" he said. "She stepped up to help our businesses continue our growth when demand for Cold Smoke in Missoula and surrounding communities outstripped our capacity. By taking on this risk in her 70s, she helped save our brand." The Myrtle Street Taphouse has a seven-year lease remaining on its location, which is in the Hip Strip area just around the corner from Le Petit Outre's coffee shop and bread retail store. "We love this neighborhood," O'Leary said. "Our customers love this neighborhood, and we'd like to see the business continue to operate here." Current and former employees of KettleHouse will be given the first opportunity to purchase the business before outside offers are entertained, O'Leary explained. "I've bled, sweat, cried and spilt a lot of beer in that place," he said. "I think it would be awesome to help one of our own to purchase the K-Hole and continue its legacy." O'Leary helped craft the current laws that allow breweries to sell a limited amount of beer in taphouses, and the Myrtle Street location can lay claim to helping start the trend of "neighborhood breweries" in Missoula. In fact, O'Leary said they were one of the first 10 or so small, independently-owned craft breweries in the country to start canning. Cold Smoke is KettleHouse's Scotch ale with a slightly sweet coffee finish. In 2006, KettleHouse became the first modern craft brewery in Montana to begin canning its beer, starting off with Cold Smoke. O'Leary said the voracious demand for Cold Smoke forced the brewery to obtain a closely-held beer and wine license to continue its growth. Because state law prohibited KettleHouse from brewing over 10,000 barrels a year while still operating a taphouse that sold three pints a day to each customer, O'Leary's mom owned the license and the taphouse. The Myrtle Street Taphouse is a separate business from the brewery, and the license allows it to sell beer to 10 p.m. and can be used in any location. Today, O'Leary said Cold Smoke is one of the most popular beers in Montana and makes up a lion's share of KettleHouse's production. On Tuesday afternoon, Myrtle Street Taphouse customers Wesley Mollard, Andrea Nelson and Judy Dickens were each enjoying their second pint of Cold Smoke. Mollard said he enjoys the non-hoppy taste. Nelson agreed and said, only half-joking, that Cold Smoke helped convince her to move to Missoula. "It's the only dark beer I'll drink," Nelson said. "It's a fantastic beer. When I would visit my daughter up here and go back to San Diego, I would buy it by the case and haul it back. That's how much I like it." The business hasn't been formally listed yet, and no listing price has been released publicly. KettleHouse will still operate its production canning line and taproom in Bonner, which is next to the KettleHouse Amphitheater, founded and operated by Nick Checota's Logjam Presents. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 12 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. Today is Tuesday, May 31, 2022. Let's get caught up. Here are today's top stories, celebrity birthdays and a look back at this date in history: *** TODAY'S WEATHER More severe storms are likely today across the Central US. Meanwhile, Agatha has weakened to a tropical storm after making landfall in Mexico, bringing hurricane-force winds and heavy rainfall to the area. CNN meteorologist Karen Maginnis has the forecast. *** TOP STORIES *** MORNING LISTEN *** IMAGE OF THE DAY *** TODAY IN HISTORY Today in history: May 31 One year ago: Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open before her second-round match and said she would be taki Today in sports history: May 31 In 1983, the Philadelphia 76ers win the NBA championship with a 115-108 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, completing a four-game sweep. See *** HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ... You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Do you live in Franklin to the Fort or the Slant Streets? If so, you have an opportunity to send a fresh voice to the Montana Legislature. House District 100, the most progressive legislative district in Montana, deserves a fearless representative with on-the-ground experience in the lawmaking process. Zooey Zephyr is that leader. As one of Missoula's progressive Democratic state representatives, I am proud to support her campaign for the Montana Legislature. I am always looking out for future candidates smart, hardworking people whose perspectives are missing at the State Capitol. As a renter, a union worker, and a trans woman, Zooey is the worst nightmare of for the extremists desperately trying to turn Montana into a right-wing playground for the hyper-rich. She will be crucial in advocating for Montanans who are underrepresented in the lawmaking process the Montanans that right-wing politicians target with impunity. Running for the Montana legislature isn't hard it costs $15 and not much else. But Zooey is not a candidate who's just sat on the sidelines the past few years. Zooey's work gives real meaning to our Constitution's unfulfilled promise of equal protection under the law. I've seen Zooey operate firsthand. When hateful bill after hateful bill was pushed through the 2021 legislature, Zooey was there, fearlessly working to flip Republican votes. When I met with her afterwards, my first question was "When are you running for the Legislature?" Zooey has the skills and the passion that we need in progressive leaders in Montana. I hope you'll join me in supporting Zooey Zephyr for House District 100. Danny Tenenbaum, D-Missoula, represents House District 95. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 3 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The US Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling in a Mississippi case challenging a state law banning most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, presenting a major challenge to the landmark precedent established in the 1973 ruling in Roe v Wade, which enshrined consititutional protections for the procedure. Dobbs v Jackson Womens Health Organization marks the first major abortion rights challenge in front of the new conservative majority on the court with its three newest justices, all conservatives appointed by former president Donald Trump. The court heard oral arguments in the case on 1 December 2022. A leak of a draft opinion in the case suggests that justices are prepared to overturn Roe. The Roe ruling effectively repealed laws that banned the procedure outright and sparked decades of religious and moral conflict over womens bodies. The precedent established by Roe and reaffirmed by 1992s Planned Parenthood v Casey, if rejected by the Supreme Court, could eliminate abortion access across more than half the US and force many pregnant women to carry their pregnancies to term unless they can travel to a handful of states with abortion protections in place. In 2022, a wave of anti-abortion legislation in Republican-led states, emboldened by the Supreme Courts forthcoming decision, proposed eliminating abortion access in most cases and criminalising abortion care. What is Roe v Wade? The case revolved around Norma McCorvey known for the purposes of the proceedings as Jane Roe who became pregnant with her third child in Texas in 1969 but was unable to access abortion care after it was banned in her state in all cases but to save a womans life. She was supported by lawyers Sarah Weddington and Linda Coffee, who filed a lawsuit on her behalf in federal court against her local district attorney, Henry Wade, alleging that the states abortion laws were unconstitutional. The US District Court for the Northern District of Texas ruled in her favour, which was kicked up to the Supreme Court following an appeal from Texas. Story continues The Supreme Courts 7-2 decision in Ms McCorveys favour was based partly on the 14th Amendments right to privacy that protects a womans right to access abortion. Ms McCorvey, who was unable to access a legal abortion, gave birth before the case was heard and the baby was put up for adoption. She said at the time that she did it on behalf of herself and all other women in the same situation. The decision also set a legal precedent that affected more than 30 subsequent Supreme Court cases involving restrictions on access to abortion. Conservative Christian movements and politicaly powerful right-wing legal groups have committed for decades to overturning Roe. The most recent addition to the Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett, brought the high courts conservative makeup to six against three liberal-leaning justices. During his term in office, Mr Trump appointed two other conservative judges, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. Is Roe v Wade constitutional? The ruling determines that the US Constitution protects a womans right to an abortion without excessive government intervention. A 1992 Supreme Court ruling in Planned Parenthood v Casey upheld the essential holding in the Roe ruling and prohibited legal constrictions that constitute an undue burden on abortion access. On 20 January, the high court declined abortion providers request to intervene in an ongoing legal challenge to a Texas law banning most abortions at six weeks or pregnancy, before most women know they are prenant. Abortion rights advocates hoped that the Supreme Court would direct the case to federal district court, where a previous ruling had blocked the law. Following the courts decline to intervene in the challenge to the Texas law, which undercuts Roe protections, Republican legislators in states like Oklahoma introduced several restrictive bills that mirror the Texas law or eliminate access entirely. What did Roe v Wade establish? The ruling from Roe v Wade established federal protections for women who wish to have an abortion. The decision ultimately gave women total autonomy to terminate a pregnancy during the first trimester, and allowed some state influence over abortions in the second and third trimesters, though a series of restrictions imposed on the state level many of which have been challenged in courts have sought to undermine abortion care. The courts opinion in Roe v Wade established that choosing to have an abortion is ultimately an issue of Americans right to privacy, which they ruled was an element of the liberty guaranteed by the 14 Amendment of the US Constitution. That right to privacy is not absolute; the court established the differences in abortion rights based on trimesters to assure states could maintain medical standards and safeguard health. Then as now, advocates opposing abortion attempted to argue that life begins at conception. The court disagrees, ultimately saying that the US Constitutions use of person in establishing inalienable rights did not represent fetuses. Was Roe v Wade overturned? An unprecedented leaked draft opinion from conservative Justice Samuel Alito first reported by Politico indicates that the courts conservative majority will vote to overturn Roe and Casey. We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled, he wrote in a draft of an opinion dated 10 February. It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the peoples elected representatives. However, until the high court reaches that decision, Roe v Wade is still the law of the land. There are at least 13 states with so-called trigger laws that would ban abortion should Roe be overturned, and at least 26 states that are likely to ban abortion quickly should that power return to states. Oklahomas Republican Governor Kevin Stitt, who has pledged to outlaw abortion in the state, has signed several restrictive bills into law, including bans on abortion at six weeks of pregnancy and a ban on all abortions after fertilisation, the nations most severe law, effectively banning all abortions in the state should the law go into effect. In Idaho, the first state to approve an abortion ban mirroring the Texas law, the states Supreme Court temporarily blocked it following a legal challenge from Planned Parenthood. Both Idahos governor and the states attorney general have suggested that the ban is unconstitutional. A sweeping anti-abortion law in Kentucky also is facing legal challenges that have temporarily blocked its enforcement. A local organization recently celebrated local businesses and nonprofits that have made workplace diversity a priority. Select 2000 presented awards at its inaugural Diversity Champion banquet May 12 to honor the efforts of local employers in making sure their workforces represent the diversity of the population. The organizations mission is to promote awareness of the need for workplace diversity and to provide training to businesses and other institutions for creating and nurturing a more inclusive workforce. Diversity is a hot topic across the nation, said Cecelia Surratt, Select 2000s founder and CEO. Were going to keep talking and keep plugging at this until we see a lot more diversity in leadership. Dr. Beth Davidson, director of Interdisciplinary Studies, co-director of University Documentary Film Services and professor of sociology at Appalachian State University, presented a video she created highlighting the work of Select 2000 in the community. Surratt shared on the video how her work with the city of Morgantons Human Relations Commission brought to her attention concerns from local residents about a lack of diversity in Burke County workplaces. Some younger minority residents reported having to seek employment elsewhere, especially if they desired a leadership position. Surratt later was appointed to the North Carolina Commission on Inclusion. She said her experiences with that agency provided her with a roadmap to pave the way for inclusion in the Burke County workforce, which led to the creation of Select 2000. Members of the group talked with top leaders in local workplaces about promoting diversity within their ranks. What were hearing is that people are just not aware that there is a lack of diversity, and theyre not focused on it, said Arwen March, secretary of Select 2000. But when we go in and we meet with them, we shift their focus and we educate them on why its important to have an inclusive workforce. Select 2000 invited Holly Jones, community partnership and outreach coordinator for the North Carolina Department of Justice, to serve as keynote speaker for the banquet. Jones shared congratulations from North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein. For this type of effort to come together, it takes vision, it takes leadership and a lot of shoulder to the wheel, Jones said. A workforce that reflects the entire community it serves is one that is promoting an atmosphere of accomplishment and possibility for all residents. That is an indicator of a healthy, resilient community. This is the vision that you all are working on. The work of diversity and equity that you have committed yourselves to strengthens local businesses and organizations, and ultimately, your entire community. She noted that creating diverse workplaces will be a long-term project, and shared how Steins office is making concerted efforts to promote diversity at the state level through multiple initiatives, including a pilot mentoring program for minorities. At the Department of Justice, we believe that we will best be able to protect all North Carolinians when our talented workforce represents the diversity of North Carolinas population, Jones said. Morganton Mayor Ronnie Thompson joined Jones to present the Diversity Champion awards. Businesses, schools and organizations were recognized for actions such as hiring chief diversity officers, promoting minority employees to leadership positions, prioritizing inclusivity in the hiring process and promoting programs raising awareness about the importance of workplace diversity. This years Diversity Champions are: Western Piedmont Community College North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics Blue Ridge Community Action Burke County Public Schools Burke County NAACP Morganton Department of Public Safety Fresh Dental of Hickory AT&T FAM Church Ulta Beauty City of Morganton, specifically Morganton Parks and Recreation Department, Human Relations Commission and Morganton Main Street office Burke County Health Department A Caring Alternative UNC Health Blue Ridge State Employees Credit Union Burke United Christian Ministries Wells Fargo Bank Truist Bank The Industrial Commons Historic Burke Foundation Walmart Amorem Select 2000 also presented a Spotlight Award to The News Herald for featuring stories that explore and celebrate the rich diversity of Burke County. The reporters at the Morganton News Herald have continued to provide culturally unbiased reporting when covering national and local news, even during times of racial tension and when the subject matter was difficult, award presenter Mary Charlotte Safford said. To learn more about Select 2000, visit select2000.org. Staff writer Tammie Gercken can be reached at tgercken@morganton.com. Share this: May 31, 2022 by Oskar Rey Category: Governance , Court Decisions and AGO Opinions The First Amendment provides broad protection of freedom of speech and places stringent limits on the ability of government to regulate private expression, especially when the regulation discriminates against speakers based on their viewpoint. On the other hand, the U.S. Supreme Court (Supreme Court) uses a different analysis for government speech, which applies when government speaks instead of regulates. Government entities need to be able to communicate, so it makes sense that government speech is analyzed differently than government regulation of the speech of others but it is not always easy to tell which is which. In this blog I will review recent government speech case law, including the Shurtleff v. City of Boston flag raising case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this month, and then I will provide thoughts on how to determine when government is speaking versus when it is regulating speech, and what factors make a difference. Government Speech Case Law The seminal government speech case is City of Pleasant Grove v. Summum, a 2009 decision which involved sculpture and monument displays in a city park. A religious organization requested permission to erect a stone monument containing the Seven Aphorisms of Summum that would be similar in size to an existing Ten Commandments monument in the park. A lower court, noting that parks are public forums and many of the monuments in the park were donated by private entities, held that the monuments were not government speech. It ruled that under the First Amendment, the city was required to allow installation of the Summum monument. The Supreme Court reversed. It noted that while parks themselves are public forums, the display of monuments in parks is likely to be associated with the city. Even when a monument is donated, municipalities typically exercise control over what is displayed through submission requirements, policies, and legislative approval of specific proposals. The City of Pleasant Grove applied a detailed submission policy with respect to proposals for new park monuments. The permanent nature of monuments, coupled with the citys oversight over the selection process, led the Supreme Court to conclude that the monuments were government speech, and therefore, the government could decide which monuments to display. In 2015, the Supreme Court considered whether the State of Texas could deny a proposal by the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) for a specialty license plate that depicted the Confederate battle flag in Walker v. Texas Div., Sons of Confederate Veterans, Inc. Texas law provides that the state has sole control over the design, color, and typeface of all license plates. There is a specific process by which the state reviews submittals of proposed specialty license plates designed by private entities, and the state had actively exercised its authority by denying at least a dozen requests in the past. With respect to the SCV plate design, the state denied it because many members of the public would find it offensive. The Supreme Court ruled that Texas role in approving specialty license plate designs was government speech and not regulation of the speech of others. In so doing, the Supreme Court noted the longstanding use of state slogans and emblems on license plates. Under the majoritys analysis, license plates are a form of government-issued identification and do not constitute a traditional public forum (like streets or parks) or a limited public forum for the purpose of expression. As a result, the Free Speech Clause did not impact Texas regulation of specialty license plates. Shurtleff v. City of Boston and Flag Raising There are three flagpoles in a plaza in front of Boston City Hall. The first two display flags from the United States and the State of Massachusetts and the third generally displays the flag of the City of Boston. However, the City of Boston had a practice of allowing outside groups to raise their flags on the third flagpole while holding events in the plaza below. A religious organization sought to hold a flag raising ceremony in the plaza involving what it described as a Christian flag. The city denied the request due to concerns that raising a religious flag on a city flagpole would violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. (As an aside, this concern was in error making public facilities available to religious organizations on the same terms and conditions as secular organizations does not constitute government establishment of religion.) The religious organization sued, claiming that the denial was impermissible viewpoint discrimination and a violation of its free speech rights. In response, the City of Boston argued the decision of what flags will fly over city hall is government speech. All the justices agreed that the denial of the flag raising request was a violation of the religious organizations free speech rights and that the flag raising, under the facts of the case, was not government speech. To understand why the result of Shurtleff was different from Summum and Walker, it is important to consider the following: The City of Boston did not have a written policy that addressed flag raising. There was no guidance about what types of flags could be raised and what message those flags would communicate. For previous events, there was no indication that the city pre-authorized or had even seen the flags to be raised. There was no indication that a prior flag raising event had been denied by the city based on the content of the flag. The Supreme Court emphasized the importance of clear and meaningful policies when it comes to government speech: [T]he city's lack of meaningful involvement in the selection of flags or the crafting of their messages leads us to classify the flag raisings as private, not government, speech though nothing prevents Boston from changing its policies going forward. In other words, the Supreme Court found the denial of the flag raising request was regulation of speech, and not speech by a government entity. For more on flag display in particular, including policy examples from Washington State local governments, see our Flag Display Requirements and Protocol webpage. Government Speech Takeaways At MRSC, we often emphasize the importance of written policies, and the Shurtleff case is a prime example of how clear and detailed policies can make a difference. It is not just a question of having written policies, they need to be followed and adhered to. This is particularly true in government speech situations. When a court reviews a claim of government speech, there are generally two options: either the government speech doctrine applies, which means that the issue will not be reviewed as a restriction on speech under the Free Speech Clause; or government speech does not apply, in which case the issue will be subject to Free Speech Clause scrutiny. The dramatic difference between these two options is illustrated by Shurtleff. Once the Supreme Court found that the government speech doctrine did not apply, it needed a single paragraph to conclude that Bostons denial of the flag raising request was impermissible viewpoint discrimination under the Free Speech Clause. A fundamental characteristic of the government speech doctrine is the extent to which its application depends on the policies and actions of government. Government speech can apply in a wide variety of contexts park monuments, specialty license plates, and flag raising are just a few examples but it only applies when government takes steps to control the message. Change the level of government involvement in the speech selection process, and the results of all three cases discussed above could have been different. MRSC is a private nonprofit organization serving local governments in Washington State. Eligible government agencies in Washington State may use our free, one-on-one Ask MRSC service to get answers to legal, policy, or financial questions. Girls State is a unique and exciting government-in-action learning program that education and training in the functional aspects of citizenship. All five delegates are from Butte High. No girls from Butte Central chose to be involved. The girls enrolled will be citizens of a state created especially for them, where they will learn the fundamental principles of American government through actual practice and control of state offices during their session at Girls State. Empower 2022 saw 40 Universities, 100-plus startup ideas and over 1,000 students hustle and network under one umbrella event in Dubai. The Top 20 Startups with combined potential investment of $100 million were shortlisted after the screening rounds to present at Empower. The goal of the flagship event of Kregzo co-organised by BITS PIlani Dubai at the institutes campus last week was to bring innovation in universities to the forefront and recognise the efforts of the student entrepreneurs. The festival was attended by Faisal Sajwani, Founding member of Fate Capital & board member of The private office of Sheikh Saqer Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi's, Dr Srinivasan Madapusi, Director of the BITS PILANI Dubai Campus, Ali Shabdar, Regional Director, MEA, Zoho, Mohammed Al Alami, Corporate Business Development Lead, Tap Payments and Nitin Bhalla and Roshal Mascarenhas, Co-Founders of Kregzo. Inherently entrepreneurial Opening the event, Sajwani said: Dont give up, keep moving forward - Thats the path to success. As students we may heel at the first sign of difficulty, dont give in. Keep moving forward and you will see the results! This platform is built for all of you, get the best out it, give the best efforts you can and move until you find success. Dr Madapusi said: Younger generations are inherently entrepreneurial and risk takers, hence we at BITS Pilani encourage that our students grow in to this culture of trying new things and innovating. The goals of this event included a greater understanding of how to mold a business idea, expanding professional networks, fostering peer-to-peer relationships and gaining knowledge. I am immensely pleased to see our goals being achieved and Empower being a platform enabling startups to scale up. I am grateful to all those who contributed in making this event a success and to all students and faculties who have put their best foot forward. The Pitchverse competition brought together the innovators from different universities in the UAE. Teams such as Unitors, Macrolabel, Appetit.me, Robosafe came from universities like SP Jain, Canadian University of Dubai, Heriot Watt and Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management amongst others. After a fierce two rounds, Relphacare, a social healthcare tracking platform that enables real-time communication with doctors, won the winning prize of up to AED10,000 ($2722.5) as winners of Pitchverse. Student collaboration Talking about the win, Nikitha Abigail, founder of Relphacare said: The only way RelphaCare Technologies could have come alive in the way that it did, was through the collaboration among students on different campuses. We've got students on our team from universities like Amity, BITS Pilani, SP Jain, RIT and more. It's great to see how innovation brings people together, forming communities that solve one problem after another. The winning team itself is a testimony of how innovation can thrive when different players of the startup ecosystem come together as one. Going forward these select 20 startups will be powered by Kregzo to receive one to one mentorship from best business leaders, resources, virtual incubation & access to resources worth $150,000 that a university level start up needs to scale up effectively. Startup ecosystem Bhalla said: One of the main pillars of Kregzo is to bring together the different players of the startup ecosystem. The Empower event itself is proof that wonders can happen when people collaborate and build to solve problems with innovative solutions. This is just the first edition of Empower that had to be held in my alma mater BITS Pilani, going forward, this event is scheduled to be three times bigger, thus allowing early-stage entrepreneurs from all over the Middle East to collaborate & compete in the exclusive early-stage entrepreneurial platform in the startup space that is Kregzo. Empower also featured strategic business events such as the CEO Club which was judged by real-life CEO Malachi Halliday from Halliday Growth, Stock Trading competitions, a real-life mock battle of Mergers and Acquisitions as well as finding solutions to challenges faced by corporate organisations. Several fun and interactive events were also conducted like IPL Auction and Money Heist, in which participants had to find all of the clues and solve them in order to successfully complete the heist. The event was sponsored by title partner Zoho, payment partner Tap payments, F&B partner Hunter Foods, Printing Partner Desco, and Bronze Partner Revolution Swimming Academy.-- TradeArabia News Service Many love affairs burn with intensity when first sparked but then fade away to embers and ash. Russell Romine fell in love with music in the ninth grade. His devotion continues. His necessary passion for playing and performing has only intensified with time, even though this embrace has been isolating at times in a sports-centric community. Romine, 18, contemplated other life paths as a student at Butte High School but kept returning to the lodestone that has provided salve, salvation and joy. I was forced to the conclusion that I cant live without music, Romine said during a recent interview. Every time I tried to do something different, there was a point to it. But there was no beauty in it. The Butte native, described as gifted by his piano teacher, plans to pursue a bachelors degree in music in piano performance this fall at Concordia College in Minnesota. Romines audition via Zoom elicited what he described as an uncharacteristic bout of jitters. Im not an overly anxious or neurotic person, but that was tough, he said. There was a lot of future riding on that one little hour, Romine said. Hed already been admitted to Concordia, but the audition was required for acceptance into the schools music program and had the potential to yield significant scholarship money. Or not. Romine said rigorous practicing is not his strong suit. But he bore down for the piano audition, which required him to play work by Johann Sebastian Bach, Aaron Copland and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and a separate flute audition. He apparently knocked it out of the park. Romine said he was selected to receive three scholarships. They included the prestigious Christiansen Award, awarded to a select few students of exceptional musical ability, according to the college. He visited Concordia College in early May. Among other things, Romine met with Grigor Khachatryan, an associate professor of piano, and Debora Harris, an associate professor of flute. In an email Thursday, Khachatryan described Romine as a disciplined young man who is full of the healthy kind of musical enthusiasm that one needs to grow into a serious musician. An only child, with an absent father, Romine has received family support from his mother, Dawnita, and four grandparents: Russell and Debbie Romine and Rhonda and John Lewis. He has never lived away from home and during the rare occasions when hes left Montana hes been accompanied by family. But Romine said he will be ready in August to start school and learn all he can about the piano and how to best wring music from it. Its bittersweet, but its going to be exciting too, he said. I believe the piano major is where I can learn the ultimate most and I think Concordia is the place to do it. Concordia College, founded in 1891, is a small, liberal arts school in Moorhead. Romines relationship to music began without the intensity he would feel later. I started on flute in fifth grade, he said. They were giving a demonstration so that everyone could try out instruments at Whittier Elementary. I walked up, tried flute and said, Sure thats good, and sat back down. Call it fate, fortune or laziness, whatever it was seemed to work out well for me. Romine played flute in church in ninth grade. In tenth grade, Linda Mickelson, music director at St. Ann Catholic Church in Butte, began offering him piano lessons. In time, he was also playing flute, piano and organ at St. Ann for masses, funerals and weddings. More recently, Romine began singing with the choir and playing the flute at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. Mickelson is a fan. He is just a super gifted kid, she said. Super smart. Mickelson said she anticipates good things for Romine at Concordia. He said he is deeply grateful to Mickelson and to the parishes at St. Ann and Gloria Dei for helping him start down the path to a meaningful career. He celebrated what he described as Linda Mickelsons unbelievable generosity in taking me under her wing and gifting me a life full of music theres not many things more worthy of praise than that. Romine said he has not yet nailed down what direction his music education will take him. The options are many, he said. I would love being a church organist, a professor, a teacher. Id enjoy being a solo artist. Well see where I feel like jumping off. Love 5 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A Yellowstone County District Court judge last week stood by his contempt order against the Office of State Public Defender for the agency failing to assign counsel to indigent clients in a timely fashion. It's the judge's second such order in six months. Advocacy groups last week also joined the Montana Supreme Court case in support of both parties as the public defender office attempts to push back against the contempt order, arguing its delays in assigning counsel are due to a workforce and funding crisis beyond its control. Judge Donald Harris in September held the public defender office and its state director, Rhonda Lindquist, in contempt after learning 650 defendants were without legal representation in Yellowstone County District Court. He leveled a total fine of $15,500 against the agency and ordered the agency to assign public defenders to defendants within three days. In February, Harris held Lindquist and the agency in contempt again for failing to assign attorneys to 17 clients. The state public defenders office took this contempt order to the state Supreme Court, challenging Harris' ability to sanction OPD into compliance. In his brief filed with the Supreme Court last week, Harris said the public defender office's challenge is procedurally flawed. He argued that because the agency did not take up a legal challenge of the first order, it should not be able to dispute the second. The agency argues it would be impossible to assign attorneys to clients within three days, but Harris counters that the agency failed to present any evidence of that "impossibility" until it was held in contempt. Indeed, Harris argues, one month after the initial contempt order, the state released $1.5 million to the Office of State Public Defender to shore up the budget shortfalls, which should have allowed the agency to meet Harris' three-day deadline for assigning attorneys to clients. The agency also failed to mention during the last legislative session that without additional funding it would not be able to assign attorneys to clients "immediately," as required by state law, Harris argued. "The 'impossibility' defense only works if OPD is not responsible for the long-standing problem in Yellowstone County of not immediately assigning indigent defendants counsel," Harris argued. "OPD's failure to secure adequate funding, if true, appears to be a failure of leadership not the governor's or Legislature's indifference." Meanwhile, state and national organizations last week entered the fray on either side of the argument. The Montana Innocence Project, a legal organization that works to free wrongfully incarcerated people, has asked the state Supreme Court to uphold Harris' contempt order, arguing that failing to assign a public defender for 53 three days on average violates the defendant's Sixth Amendment right to attorney. The Montana County Attorneys' Association, too, has asked the court to uphold the contempt order, arguing in part on the same procedural grounds as Harris. The National Association for Public Defense has argued the high court should vacate Harris' contempt order, stating in its May 25 brief that the contempt order approach is ineffective, counter productive and sets a "concerning precedent." "Historically, public defense has been understaffed and underfunded. Montana's public defender system is no different," the association stated in its brief. "Allowing such an action would undermine the Montana Office of Public Defenders operations and goals as the district court has made clear it will continue to issue fines as long as OPD is unable to comply with its judicially crafted mandate." The American Civil Liberties Union and its state affiliate, the ACLU of Montana, took its argument a step further. The joint brief filed May 25 asks the Supreme Court to declare the current public defense system inadequate and refer the funding issues to the Legislature for reform "with instruction that funding must be tied to reasonable attorney workloads and a pay scale that ensures OPD can recruit and retain qualified lawyers." 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. There have been 27 school shootings in America so far this year. In 2020 there were 612 shootings involving three or more people. In 2020 America experienced 45,222-gun deaths. The U.S. averages more than 20 shootings involving ten or more people (mass shootings) a year. The victims are White, Black, Asian, Latino, Christian, Jew, Muslim, men, women, and children. Who are these people? They are all of America, they are us. There are varying polls, but by any measure more than 75% of Americans, including a large majority of gun owners, support universal background checks. More than a year ago the U.S. House passed two bills requiring universal background checks on all gun sales and sent them to the Senate. These bills have been held hostage for more than a year by 50 Senators. They have not been voted down; 50 diehard Senators wont allow them to even come to a vote. Why? Cowardice! They want to avoid having to take a position. They dont want to be on record as failing to do what they know is right. They are pandering for power. The Senators wrap themselves in the Second Amendment and play dumb, but what is being asked is not prohibited by the Second Amendment. In a landmark gun case, District of Columbia v Heller, Justice Scalia, one of the modern era's most conservative justices, says gun enthusiasts are wrong when they claim that any limitation on firearms is unconstitutional. Government can place restrictions on firearms with the intent of protecting society. We need someone to become a leader. Here in Montana, we look to Senator Daines to join Senator Tester to at least bringing these bills, or some version of them, to a vote. Senator Daines has often expressed a deep belief in his Christian faith as the basis for his support of antiabortion legislation. I take Senator Daines at his word. Though I disagree with his position, I respect his belief. But where is his belief in the sanctity of human life when confronted with the pandemic of gun killings? Is he stymied by the Second Amendment, or is it a simply safe excuse to avoid taking a position? We have numerous laws affecting gun rights. A citizen cannot own a machine gun, a hand grenade, a bazooka, a rocket launcher. Makes sense, and only the most fringe element gun rights supporters would say otherwise. Politicians nationwide have spent much of the last year creating multiple registration requirements and processes making it more difficult to vote. Can we at least spend some time making it more difficult for an 18-year-old to buy an assault rifle? We can have common sense laws, but we must have the courage to take the first step. The Senatorial oath requires the Senator to protect us from our enemies, both foreign and domestic. The people perpetrating these horrendous killings are enemies of the American people. Some are mentally ill, some driven by hate and racial animosity, but whatever flavor, they are the enemies of American society. The bills sitting in the Senate are not perfect. They may need to be amended, altered, and compromised, but at least they should be discussed. All Senators need to take a position rather than just avoiding the issue. These dead and wounded Americans should not be ignored. When the terrorists stuck in New York President Bush rightfully gave the world a choice. He said that we will confront this evil and there is no sitting on the sidelines. You are either with us or against us. One Senator can break this deadlock. Senator Daines, are you with the American people or against us? Steve is a retired attorney living in Bozeman. He is the former chair of the Montana Board of Regents. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Spain supports EU decision for embargo on Russian oil Spains President has applauded Europe for its unity and firmness The EU has agreed to implement a sixth package of sanctions against Russia which includes a partial ban on oil imports. Announced late on Monday May 30, the embargo will immediately affect 75% of Russian crude oil imports and be extended to around 90% by the end of the year. However, in order not to adversely affect certain European countries like Hungary, it has been agreed that the ban will only be placed on oil coming from Russia by sea, with a temporary exception applied to fuel arriving through the existing pipeline. The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, explained on Twitter that the latest round of sanctions will remove the main Russian bank, Sberbank, from the Swift system, and include the veto of three more Russian media outlets and sanctions on those responsible for war crimes in Ukraine. Tonight #EUCO agreed a sixth package of sanctions. It will allow a ban on oil imports from #Russia. The sanctions will immediately impact 75% of Russian oil imports. And by the end of the year, 90% of the Russian oil imported in Europe will be banned. pic.twitter.com/uVoVI519v8 Charles Michel (@eucopresident) May 30, 2022 "Maximum pressure on Russia to end the war," he added. For his part, the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sanchez, has offered his support for the agreement reached between the European leaders, which he believes signifies unity and firmness. Arrancamos la segunda jornada del #EUCO en el que los 27 hemos acordado un sexto paquete de sanciones contra Rusia. Europa dejara de importar el 90% del petroleo ruso y ampliara la exclusion del sistema de pagos SWIFT a otros bancos. Unidad y firmeza. Ucrania tiene nuestro apoyo. Pedro Sanchez (@sanchezcastejon) May 31, 2022 The news of the new round of sanctions has been met with mixed feelings in Ukraine. On the one hand, President Zelenski has expressed his gratitude to Europe for "supporting the interests of Ukraine; however, he has criticised the delay in applying them. The pause to agree on new sanctions in Europe has been too long, he stressed, adding that Russia must feel a much higher price for its aggression. Also of interest: Greenpeace activists scale Malaga power plant accused of using Russian oil Image: Charles Michel on Twitter WAPELLO In a sign of the times, the Louisa County Board of Health (BOH) agreed to boost the starting pay for a Louisa County Public Health Service (LCPHS) home health aide position that has been vacant since February. That decision will also mean higher pay for three other LCPHS positions. LCPHS Administrator Roxanne Smith told members of the BOH during a special meeting on Tuesday that applications for the vacant position had dried up over the past few months and she was not optimistic that would change with the current $15 per hour starting wage. We cant compete at the offered wage; its too low, she said, pointing out the previous aide had left for a local long-term facility position that was paying $19 per hour and had included a signing bonus. Smith said the vacant position was forcing the LCPHS to turn away referrals, which was translating into lost revenue and potentially endangering its entire home health program. She reminded the BOH members the LCPHS still had two aides who were trying to serve the home health caseload normally handled by three aides, meaning some current patients were receiving less service. We cant accept any referrals that require a personal care aide or homemaker, because we dont have an aide to put in there; and its also affecting our skilled nursing referrals because if they need an aide as part of the home health service, with skilled nursing, we have to send it out; we cant take it, we have to give it to someone else, Smith explained. Its really affecting our entire ability to serve patients and definitely affecting our ability to take new ones, she continued. Im afraid were going to stop getting referrals, she told the BOH members, explaining home health revenue generated around 75% of the agencys revenue. Responding to a question from BOH chair Randy Griffin, who also serves on the board of supervisors, Smith said if the LCPHS did not provide home health services, only one organization was available in the county to take up some of the aide services; and those were not offered at the skilled nursing level. Smith proposed a series of steps to resolve the issue. The first step would be to increase the starting pay for the vacant position to $19 per hour. Although no sign-on bonus could be provided, officials agreed it would at least match the starting pay in local long-term facilities and with the countys health insurance and IPERS benefits, possibly lead to more applicants. However, since the current pay for the two existing aide positions is still below the $19 starting pay, Smith asked the BOH to also bump those aides up to the $19 level. It will be a raise for both, she told the board, adding she had talked with both aides and they had not indicated any concerns. With those increases, though, Smith said another step was needed that would boost the hourly rate for the LCPHS office manager position. The pay for that position is currently around $19 and with the increase, the aides would be at about the same level. Smith requested the office manager position pay rate be increased to $21 per hour. She said the LCPHS budget had the funding capacity to absorb the increases. Smith also said she had talked with her nurses and Supervisors Brad Quigley and Chris Ball, and all had indicated support. The BOH then approved the requests. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The name of Susan Clark Junior High is meant to evoke a 12-year-old student and her father who sued a school board in 1867. Iowans celebrate the resulting Supreme Court decision for ending separate-but-equal public education in our state. That boards modern successors voted in September 2019 to name Muscatines newly combined middle schools for the younger daughter of Iowas equal-rights champion. The idea came out of another naming: the Alexander Clark Room atop the Merrill Hotel. The keynote speaker at the February 2019 dedication, a University of Iowa law professor, urged listeners to notice that Clark did not leave the girls behind. He did not say, Maybe Ill push it later when Im trying to get Alexander in. Dr. Adrien Wing said a plaque at her college honors Susans little brother Alexander (Class of 1879) as the first Black person to receive a law degree from a college west of the Mississippi River. The second was their father (Class of 1884). For back then, that was totally revolutionary for him to say Im going to have Susan be the plaintiff, and I want her to have a good education. Sitting in the audience, retired school counselor Suzanne Thielmann knew the Board of Education was seeking community input for a school name. Lets name it for Susan! she said. Think what it was like to be Susan. If this story were fiction, my narrator would be her older sister Rebecca. I try to picture race relations before and after the Civil War through her eyes. The colored population of this place, numbering about seventy, held a meeting and appointed A. Clark (barber) a delegate to represent them in the National African Convention which assembles in Rochester, N.Y. (Muscatine Journal, July 1, 1853) Born in 1849, Rebecca was a toddler when her father made that journey. Imagine her point-of-view while she is growing up and he is moving into ever more visible roles. In September 1862, one week after Rebecca's 13th birthday, President Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. Imagine the excitement at the African school shed probably been attending since it began at her church in 1856. Alex. Clark passed down on the Kate Cassel for Keokuk, with forty recruits for the colored regiment, which he obtained at St. Paul and Fort Snelling. (Muscatine Evening Journal, Oct. 5, 1863) Gen. Lee surrendered his Confederate armies to Gen. Grant on Palm Sunday 1865. Imagine the jubilation. Then President Lincoln got murdered on Good Friday. Imagine the sadness. Historian Leslie Schwalm: In the immediate aftermath of the Civil War, however, the Black community determined to make an indirect challenge to segregation: the AME congregation informed the school board that it would no longer house (and financially support) the school. Soon afterward Black families brought their children to the citys tax-supported white schools. Alexander wrote a letter published in the Muscatine Journal, Sept.12, 1865: I will further state that it is not the desire of the colored people to overrun the white schools with their children if they are supplied with a good, competent school for their children; neither have any of them sent their children to the white schools except myself. I sent my three children to No. 2 on Monday, September 4th, after informing the president of the board of school directors that I would send them until a colored school was provided. Mr. Hoopes, the gentlemanly principal of No. 2, received my children and treated them as he did the other scholars. But, alas! on Tuesday night the board of directors met and passed a resolution dismissing my children from school, and on Wednesday morning Mr. Hoopes came to my house and informed my children that they had been dismissed from school. Thus are my children dismissed without cause or warrant of law, merely because they are colored . Several accounts say Rebecca, like her siblings, eventually graduated from Muscatine High School but the records for that time were lost in a fire, so we cant prove or disprove if or when she may have attended. However, in spring 1867, she is one of eight Muscatine students reported attending Grinnell College (the unofficial new name of Iowa College, founded at Davenport in 1848 by the missionaries of the Iowa Band of Congregationalists). The catalog shows her in the preparatory department. Pastor A.B. Robbins of Muscatine had served as president of Iowa College throughout its 17-year existence. Two of his children are listed, too. Remember, from last time, about her wedding? The wedding took place in the African Church at 6 oclock, the ceremony being performed by Rev. A.B. Robbins, the Congregational pastor. The bride was born in Muscatine and has been liberally educated. (Muscatine Journal, Oct. 11, 1872) Was Rebecca Clark the first Black woman ever to attend Grinnell? If so, thats big. Next time: Mark Twains barber Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 COLUMBUS JUNCTION It was a night of financial discussion for the Columbus Junction City Council when it met Wednesday for its regular meeting. The council started by holding a public hearing on a proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 22 budget amendment that will add over $338,000 in additional spending to the budget. It was then presented with additional spending proposals, requests or updates involving LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens); Columbus Children Care Center; Columbus Junction Community Building/Heritage Museum; Columbus Junction-Columbus City Trail; and street patching and surfacing work. Mayor Mark Huston began the nearly 90-minute meeting by opening the public hearing. He explained the budget amendment was needed because city expenses for some activities had exceeded the amount budgeted for them. According to Huston, one of the largest expenses that had not been originally budgeted was $204,000 to assume the local ambulance service. There was also around $117,000 in excess expenditures for street work, mostly involving Colonial Avenue and the wall repair at the top of 2nd Street. There was also an approximately $7,000 expense for public safety and another $10,000 in general government expenses. Around $512,850 in additional revenue was also received by the city to cover those extra expenses, Huston reported. The City Council is expected to formally approve the amendment at a later meeting. Meanwhile, while the city finalized its FY 22 spending and revenue, the City Council also received several updates on other issues that included a substantial financial element. Mike Reyes, a LULAC representative from Davenport, and Columbus Junction Community Advocate Araceli Vazquez Ramirez provided city officials with a Columbus Junction COVID-19 Report that focused on activities LULAC provided in the community during the pandemic. Reyes explained the groups grant funding would expire in August, and he asked the council to assist in finding a new funding source to continue the groups activities. Ive got a couple of ideas, Huston told the pair following their presentation. The Columbus Children Care Center is also facing a crossroads. Center director Marsha Gerot told the council she wanted to retire, meaning the center would need a new director. She also said a new board would have to be established. Gerot and center consultant Vickie Brandenburg, Iowa City, indicated around $40,000 would be needed to attract a new director. The two also said they were reaching out to local businesses to help sponsor the center. They asked the City Council to help with brainstorming and funding ideas. Huston said city officials would try to come up with some ideas. It will also apparently take some brainstorming to come up with some additional funding for a planned trail between Columbus Junction and Columbus City. Huston reported that proposal, which would involve hard surfacing on a shoulder of 145th Street and County Road X17, was about $10,000 shy of being full-funded. He indicated he would contact other trail development partners to discuss funding assistance. The council also reviewed around $59,000 in street repair work presented by public works staffer Todd Salazar. In the final financial discussion, the council agreed to move forward with repair work on the Columbus Junction Community Building/Heritage Museum, despite a $298,000 bid as the only bid for the work. Huston said Monster Metals, Inc., Iowa City, indicated some modifications could reduce the cost by up to $50,000. The council agreed to use $100,000 from the citys Roundy Fund and borrow another $150,000 over a three-year period to cover much of the anticipated expense. The loan will be repaid from the citys annual Roundy Fund allocation. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 DURANT The Iowa State Patrol has released the name of a man who was killed when a semi he was driving was struck by a train on May 13. According to reports, a 1994 International Truck Tractor driven by William E. Elijah, 81, of Clarence, Iowa, was struck by a locomotive while crossing the railroad tracks at the Vail Avenue Railroad Crossing in Durant at about 7:25 a.m. on May 13. The name of the locomotive driver has not been released. Elijah was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident and was ejected from the vehicle, according to an Iowa State patrol crash report. He was transported to Genesis Medical Center East, Davenport, by Durant Ambulance where he was pronounced dead. The Iowa State Patrol was assisted by Durant Fire/EMS/Police, the Iowa Department of Transportation, and Scott County Medical Examiner. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 COLUMBUS JUNCTION A $7,500 sign-on bonus will be paid to a newly hired secondary principal, but the Columbus School Board on Monday, May 23, unanimously rejected a proposal to give Superintendent Jeff Maeder discretionary authority to offer other staff bonuses up to $5,000. The approved bonus will be part of the salary package provided to Dr. Lisa Stevenson, whom the board approved as the districts new secondary principal. The decision on the discretionary authority came after two elementary teachers criticized the proposal during the meetings citizen comment session. Emily Burroughs and Abby Threlkeld said the proposed staff signing bonuses failed to address the declining compensation the districts veteran teachers had been facing for the past several years. Burroughs, a 2006 Columbus graduate, said she was hired 10 years ago to work in the district and had struggled through pay freezes and administration turnover and disrespect during much of that time. She suggested the district was not rewarding the veteran teachers it had and was also failing to properly recognize those teachers dedication and loyalty. Now we are offering up to $5,000 bonus for the attraction of new teachers. Will these new staff members we attract stay or will this place just be another stepping stone or experience on their resume? she asked, before listing a variety of challenges the existing staff had faced over the last several years. She said a current teacher shortage at the school would continue if teacher turnover continued. Threlkeld said she had been in the district for five years but had resigned because she felt there had not been any administrative support and called the sign-on bonus a frustrating development. If you are doing a 5,000 bonus, you need to do something for the people who are going to stay. If something doesnt change, I am very worried for Columbus, she continued. Later in the meeting, Maeder responded to the teachers comments by directly addressing the audience, which included several staff members. I am trying to raise morale around here. This was never meant to be a sock in the face to anybody, and Im sorry it was taken that way, I really am, Maeder, who served as Columbus secondary principal until resigning several years ago to take the superintendents position at Winfield-Mount Union; and then returned two years ago as shared superintendent with Columbus, said. He said the bonuses were an effort to get through a tight job market and encourage more applications from people. We need to get through this, he said, explaining he knew of other districts that were using the same enticement. Board member Todd Heck said state officials needed to become involved and presented the motion to deny Maeder the discretionary authority for the $5,000 bonuses. Meanwhile, in addition to the $7,500 bonus she will receive, Stevenson, who currently serves as the director of instruction at the Marshalltown CSD, will receive a $115,000 salary and a $1,000 retention bonus. Board member John Chaney voted against hiring Stevenson. In other action, the board: Received presentations from students and staff on STEM, Entrepreneurship class pitch and BPA trip to Dallas. Learned from curriculum director Kristen Payne that student assessment scores had shown good growth in most testing areas. Tabled decisions on a new wheelchair bus and a new transportation director 28E sharing agreement. Approved on a 4-1 vote an open enrollment request, which had been filed late, after agreeing the delay had not been caused by the parents. Board member Andy White voted against the request. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Lebanons longtime parliament speaker who has held the post for 30 years has been reelected for a seventh four-year term by a slim majority. Nabih Berri's reelection on Tuesday was practically guaranteed, despite more than a dozen new lawmakers who won seats running on a reform platform. The new legislature is being ushered in as Lebanon remains in the grip of the worst economic and financial crisis in its modern history, rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement by the ruling class, which has been running the country since the end of the civil war. To most Lebanese, the 84-year-old Berri is a symbol of this entrenched sectarian-based political system and ruling class. Technology major Siemens and Egypts Petrojet will jointly execute projects of common interest and identify future cooperation opportunities within the Egyptian petroleum, infrastructure, utilities and water sectors. To realise this, Siemens Egypt and Petrojet have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to consider potential business opportunities within the framework of the Ministry of Petroleums strategy to digitise the petroleum sector and in line with Egypts Vision 2030. As per the MoU both parties will jointly use their resources and expertise to address the varied needs of Egypts vital sectors. State-of-the-art solutions Siemens will offer state-of-the-art smart and innovative, digitalisation, automation and energy management solutions along with its proven technical training programmes on low voltage power distribution, motor protection, and control products and digital solutions. As one of the largest national contractors contributing to Egypts oil, gas, chemical and petrochemical industries, in addition to infrastructure projects, Petrojet will offer resources, equipment and facilities in order to execute projects that enhance the petroleum sectors capacities. Together with Petrojet, Siemens will support the Ministry of Petroleums vision to digitalise and enhance the capabilities of the Egyptian petroleum, infrastructure, utilities, and water sectors with our strong portfolio and world-class smart solutions focused on digitalisation, automation and energy management, said Mostafa El-Bagoury, Siemens Egypt CEO. Rapidly evolving technologies In todays rapidly evolving technologies, our mission is to contribute to accelerating the process of digital transformation to support Egypts development plans in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Eng Waleed Lotfy, CEO and Managing Director of Petrojet, said: As the national construction and fabrication arm of the Egyptian petroleum sector, we are pleased to partner with Siemens, one of the worlds leading technology giants. With this fruitful partnership, we will jointly seek promising business opportunities to execute projects with the latest technologies to meet the needs of the sector in line with the strategic plan of the sector and Egypts Vision 2030.-- TradeArabia News Service BEIRUT (AP) Lebanon's longtime parliament speaker who has held the post for 30 years, was reelected Tuesday for a seventh four-year term with the minimum number of votes needed and despite multiple crises plaguing the nation. Still, the slim majority in favor of Nabih Berri was a reflection of a significant shift in public opinion in the crumbling economy on the verge of bankruptcy. His reelection was practically guaranteed even though more than a dozen new lawmakers won seats running on a reform platform. The new legislature is being ushered in as Lebanon remains in the grip of the worst economic and financial crisis in its modern history, rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement by the ruling class, which has been running the country since the end of the 1975-90 civil war. To most Lebanese, Berri, an 84-year-old former warlord, is a symbol of this entrenched sectarian-based political system and ruling class, which continues to hold despite rising discontent and the newly elected, reform-minded lawmakers. As leader of the Shiite Amal movement, which is closely allied with the militant Hezbollah group, Berri is virtually untouchable - always running uncontested. The two parties hold all 27 seats allotted to Shiites in parliament under Lebanon's power-sharing system. In a reflection of the divisions and polarization in the new assembly, Tuesday's session was characterized by tense back-and-forth shouting and arguing between Berri and indignant lawmakers. The May 15 election was the first since Lebanon's economic crisis began in late 2019 with nationwide mass protests against the political class. Since then, the Lebanese currency has collapsed, banks have clamped down on depositors' money and the country's foreign currency reserves have dwindled to barely enough to purchase essentials such as fuel and medicine amid severe shortages. The new parliament is deeply divided with no coalition holding a majority. Hezbollah and its allies lost the dominance they had held since 2018, and now hold 61 seats four short of an absolute majority in the 128-seat chamber. Berri was elected with 65 votes in favor the lowest number he has ever received over the past three decades. There were 23 blank ballots and 40 were annulled. In 2000, Berri received 124 votes in the assembly and in 2018, he got 98. My hand is extended to everyone who wants to cooperate with good faith to save Lebanon, Berri said as celebratory gunfire by his supporters rang out across parts of Beirut. He had issued a statement on Monday calling on his supporters to abstain from the traditional firing in the air. Mr. Speaker, shooting is ongoing outside, quipped legislator Sammy Gemayel, interrupting Berri as he spoke. Berri responded: I issued a statement, what can I do? The 13 independent candidates, drawn from the 2019 protest movement, and some of the Christian parties in parliament had said they would not vote for Berri, leaving him with a much slimmer margin of support, mainly from Shiite parties belonging to the Hezbollah-led coalition. The powerful Berri was the only candidate for the post of speaker, which under Lebanons power-sharing agreement is held by a Shiite. Ahead of the session, some of the independents and new legislators gathered outside Beiruts port the scene of a massive explosion in August 2020 that killed more than 200 people and met with families of the victims who perished in the blast. After the meeting, they walked to Parliament, surrounded by hundreds of supporters chanting revolution. Independent legislator Mark Daou, a newcomer, entered the parliament building carrying a large poster with photographs of those killed in the blast. Two of the politicians charged in connection with the blast are members of Berris parliamentary bloc. They have legally challenged the investigative judges order and were present in the assembly Tuesday after being reelected on May 15. This is a moment of change in Lebanon. There is a new political group that represents a big part of Lebanese society that has taken a sizable bloc in parliament and will change the dynamics that weve had and that destroyed the country since the Civil War, he told The Associated Press ahead of the session. The investigation into the port explosion, when hundreds of tons of improperly stored ammonium nitrate detonated, has been stalled for months amid legal challenges by officials charged by the investigative judge. Beirut has the right to know who killed her, said independent legislator Yassin Yassin, in a reference to the bungled probe. Reflecting the divisions in parliament, many of the annulled ballots Tuesday had slogans written on them such as justice for the victims of the port blast and justice for Lokman Slim, an anti-Hezbollah Shiite political activist who was found shot in his car last year. The presence of the independent lawmakers in the legislature is a major achievement they went into the vote fragmented and faced intimidation and threats by entrenched mainstream parties. It sent a strong message to politicians who have for decades held on to their seats and continue to do so despite the economic meltdown, which has impoverished Lebanon and triggered the biggest wave of emigration since the 1975-90 civil war. 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 NEW ORLEANS (AP) An elderly woman was killed and two males wounded when an argument between two females erupted into gunfire Tuesday at a university campus after a high school graduation there, New Orleans police said. The males received wounds that were not life-threatening one hit in a shoulder, the other in a leg, authorities told news outlets. Police did not give their ages. The gunfire occurred about 11:45 a.m. near the Xavier University of Louisiana Convocation Center, where Morris Jeff Community School held its high school graduation Tuesday morning. A little more than an hour later, investigators were setting evidence cones near empty shell casings, a pair of shoes, and a handgun that lay near a minivan with a flat tire. Others were using cellphones to take photographs through the windows of a car. A man comforted a young woman in a graduation gown as they sat at the rear of a minivan inside the parking lot marked off with crime scene tape a lot about the size of a city block. Crime scene tape marked another vehicle about a block away, with an officer posted there. Deputy Superintendent Chris Goodly told reporters he did not know whether the people who fought in the parking lot were the ones who pulled guns, or how many guns or bullets were fired. Three people were being questioned, The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate reported. Multiple subjects were detained at the scene for questioning. No arrests have been made as of this writing, police said in a news release around 3 p.m. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards noted that the shooting came two weeks after four people were wounded in a shooting outside another high school graduation at Southeastern Louisiana University. Those who perpetuate these senseless acts of violence will be brought to justice," Edwards said. "We must do more to keep our communities safe, and this means we must do more to ensure that those who pose an unacceptable risk of harm to others arent able to acquire or keep firearms. In light of recent gun violence in Buffalo and Uvalde, gun safety discussions and action involving expanded background checks and red flag laws are very much in order. The shooting comes as New Orleans is grappling with rising homicides. The Metropolitan Crime Commission reported 120 homicides as of May 30, up from 80 a year earlier and 51 at this time in 2019 a year when killings marked a 49-year low. 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 Financial services group Sanlam has bought a controlling interest in payment solutions provider Q Link Holdings, its first fintech investment. Sanlam Private Equity (SPE) agreed to acquire Q Links shares from UK based private equity fund Apis Partners, local private investment firm Multiply Group, and other minority shareholders. Q Link provides payment application software to the South African insurance industry and other third-party benefit providers. The software manages deductions in both the payroll and bank collection streams. SPE managing partner, Paul Moeketsi, said the company had been closely monitoring the fintech space in the lead-up to the acquisition We are seeing the significant social impact, especially around financial inclusion and improving the lives of previously disadvantaged communities through the provision of financial access and high growth and good return prospects from this sector. Moeketsi said Q Link had a robust business model and had been the preferred payment collections partner for many insurance companies for over 20 years. Q Link founder and chairman Henry Smith said the company was looking forward to working with SPE as it entered the next growth phase of its business. We are delighted to align with a commercial investor who understands the importance of Q Links continued independence as a strategic payment collections partner for several insurance companies in South Africa, stated Smith. What Q Link offers Q Link services more than 4.5 million employees, collecting R4.5 billion in monthly premiums for over 133 clients, many in the insurance industry. Sanlam explained that the companys software improved collection success rates while optimising costs. The concept of affordability and control ensures that only valid and affordable deductions are processed through employee payrolls, the company stated. Currently, the company facilitates collections for over 30% of all recurring retail life insurance premiums in the country. The Emolument Attachment Order solution has saved South African public sector employees more than R300 million in invalid and over-deductions from court orders since 2014. Sanlam expects the deal will grow direct jobs by around 28% over the next few years. This will be done through the rollout of the new Moneyhub service, a consolidated collection and disbursement platform, integrating payroll, debit order and early debit order (EDO) deductions in line with the new mandate authentication process, DebiCheck, said Moeketsi. An additional 757 indirect jobs will be created in the wider economy, according to the National Treasury domestic output multiplier for finance and business services sectors and the companys projected revenues. Now read: Billions flowing into payment companies in South Africa Power-hungry, fossil-fuel dependent Japan has successfully tested a system that could provide a constant, steady form of renewable energy, regardless of the wind or the sun. For more than a decade, Japanese heavy machinery maker IHI Corp. has been developing a subsea turbine that harnesses the energy in deep ocean currents and converts it into a steady and reliable source of electricity. The giant machine resembles an aeroplane, with two counter-rotating turbine fans in place of jets, and a central fuselage housing a buoyancy adjustment system. Called Kairyu, the 330-ton prototype is designed to be anchored to the seafloor at a depth of 30-50 meters (100-160 feet). In commercial production, the plan is to site the turbines in the Kuroshio Current, one of the worlds strongest, which runs along Japans eastern coast, and transmit the power via seabed cables. Ocean currents have an advantage in terms of their accessibility in Japan, said Ken Takagi, a professor of ocean technology policy at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Frontier Sciences. Wind power is more geographically suited to Europe, which is exposed to predominant westerly winds and is located at higher latitudes. Japans New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) estimates the Kuroshio Current could potentially generate as much as 200 gigawatts about 60% of Japans present generating capacity. Like other nations, the lions share of investment in renewables has gone into wind and solar, especially after the Fukushima nuclear disaster curbed that nations appetite for atomic energy. Japan is already the worlds third-largest generator of solar power and is investing heavily in offshore wind, but harnessing ocean currents could provide the reliable baseline power needed to reduce the need for energy storage or fossil fuels. The advantage of ocean currents is their stability. They flow with little fluctuation in speed and direction, giving them a capacity factor a measure of how often the system is generating of 50-70%, compared with around 29% for onshore wind and 15% for solar. In February, IHI completed a 3 year-long demonstration study of the technology with NEDO. Its team tested the system in the waters around the Tokara Islands in southwestern Japan by hanging Kairyu from a vessel and sending power back to the ship. It first drove the ship to artificially generate a current, and then suspended the turbines in the Kuroshio. The tests proved the prototype could generate the expected 100 kilowatts of stable power and the company now plans to scale up to a full 2-megawatt system that could be in commercial operation in the 2030s or later. Like other advanced maritime nations, Japan is exploring various ways of harnessing energy from the sea, including tidal and wave power and ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), which exploits the difference in temperature between the surface and the deep ocean. Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd. has invested in UK-based Bombora Wave Power to explore the potential for the technology in Japan and Europe. The company is also promoting OTEC and began operating a 100 kW demonstration facility in Okinawa in April, according to Yasuo Suzuki, general manager of the corporate marketing division. Kyushu Electrics renewable unit Kyuden Mirai Energy begins a 650 million yen ($5.1 million) feasibility test this year to produce 1 MW of tidal power around the Goto Islands in the East China Sea. The government this month also proposed changes to offshore wind auctions that could speed up development. Among marine-energy technologies, the one advancing fastest towards cost-effectiveness is tidal stream, where the technology has advanced quite a long way and it definitely works, said Angus McCrone, a former BloombergNEF chief editor and marine energy analyst. Scotland-based Orbital Marine Power is one of several companies constructing tidal systems around Orkney, location of the European Marine Energy Centre. Others include SIMEC Atlantis Energys MeyGen array and California-based Aquantis, founded by US wind pioneer James Dehlsen, which reportedly plans to start testing a tidal system there next year. While tidal flows dont run 24 hours, they tend to be stronger than deep ocean currents. The Kuroshio current flows at 1 to 1.5 meters per second, compared with 3 meters per second for some tidal systems. The biggest issue for ocean current turbines is whether they could produce a device that would generate power economically out of currents that are not particularly strong, said McCrone. Ocean Energy Systems, an intergovernmental collaboration established by the International Energy Agency, sees the potential to deploy more than 300 gigawatts of ocean energy globally by 2050. But the potential for ocean energy is location dependent, taking into account the strength of currents, access to grids or markets, maintenance costs, shipping, marine life and other factors. In Japan, wave energy is moderate and unstable through the year, while areas with strong tidal currents tend to have heavy shipping traffic, Takagi said. And OTEC is better suited to tropical regions where the temperature gradient is bigger. One of the advantages of the deep ocean current is it doesnt restrict navigation of ships, IHI said. Still, the Japanese company has a long way to go. Compared with onshore facilities, its much more complicated to install a system underwater. Unlike Europe, which has a long history of the North Sea Oil exploration, Japan has had little experience with offshore construction, said Takagi. There are major engineering challenges to build a system robust enough to withstand the hostile conditions of a deep ocean current and to reduce maintenance costs. Japan isnt blessed with a lot of alternative energy sources, he said. People may say that this is just a dream, but we need to try everything to achieve zero carbon. With the cost of wind and solar power and battery storage declining, IHI will also need to demonstrate that overall project costs for ocean current power are competitive. IHI aims to generate power at 20 yen per kilowatt-hour from large-scale deployment. That compares with about 17 yen for solar in the country and about 12-16 yen for offshore wind. IHI also said it conducted an environmental assessment before it launched the project and will use the test results to examine any impact on the marine environment and fishing industry. If successful at scale, deep ocean currents could add a vital part in providing green baseline power in the global effort to phase out fossil fuels. IHIs work could help Japans engineering take a leading role with government support, said McCrone. IHI has to make a convincing argument that Japan could benefit from being a technology leader in this area, he said. The Armed Forces of Ukraine demonstrated a modernized self-propelled artillery installation M109. Tracked 155-mm self-propelled howitzers probably came to Ukraine from Norway. In early May, it was reported that the Ukrainian military could receive about 20 units of M109A3GN ACS. Probably, the M109 units were used by the artillerymen of the 72nd separate mechanized brigade named after the Black Cossacks. It is also not exclusive that the ACS came from other countries. In May, the Netherlands, Italy and Belgium agreed to hand over additional weapons to Ukraine. These were American self-propelled artillery units M109, or German PzH - 2000. On May 28, the press service of the Black Cossacks Brigade released a photo of the M109 ACS, number 075. ACS M109 is in service with the Armed Forces. May 2022. Photo: 72 OMBr " The war today is an artillery duel in which we cannot lose. We have no right, because this is the life of our soldiers. The enemy has a lot of artillery. But we still press it. Not by quantity, but by quality , reads the 72 OMB reports to the photo. Also recently, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov announced that the Armed Forces of Ukraine received self-propelled artillery units M109. Reference: ACS M109A3GN - Norwegian version of the 155-mm self-propelled howitzer American production M109 on a tracked armored chassis. The units were purchased in West Germany. ACS M109A3GN in Norway. Photo: Norwegian Ministry of Defense ACS M109A3GN in Norway. Photo: Norwegian Ministry of Defense ACS M109A3GN in Norway. Photo: Norwegian Ministry of Defense The Norwegian version of the ACS is a German modernization of the American M109A3, armed with a new 39-caliber barrel, which allows you to shoot improved 155-mm ammunition. It is stated that the ACS has a maximum range of 24,700 meters. Long-range projectiles can be fired at a range of up to 30 kilometers. Read also: 25-year-old defender caused irreparable damage to the invaders: the story of Hero of Ukraine Serhiy Parkhomenko At least ten occupiers were burned: cadres of successful work of the Armed Forces SOCIETYBattle group K2 effectively defeated enemy tanks in Donetsk region (VIDEO) Ukrainian pilots broke into Azovstal defenders seven times, delivering ammunition and necessary equipment. VIDEO Veterano Brownie founder opens charity auction to buy drone for the Armed Forces Armed Forces blew up enemy landing combat vehicle (VIDEO) The russian occupiers lost more than 30500 soldiers, and 1358 tanks For the first time, Ukraine took part in a meeting of the Steering Committee of the NATO Cyber Center In the south of the Armed Forces of Ukraine lined up armored vehicles of the occupiers from ATGM (VIDEO) The French journalist became the eighth media man to die in the line of duty Anti-aircraft missile forces of Ukraine destroyed two missiles of the occupiers EU approves oil embargo for Russia and disconnection of Sberbank from SWIFT The European Council condemned Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine and expressed its strong support for our country, its people and its political leadership in the fight against the unprovoked Russian invasion. This is stated in the conclusions of the European Council on Ukraine, published after the first day of the summit. "The European Council strongly condemns Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine. It calls on Russia to immediately cease indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, and to withdraw all its troops and military equipment immediately and unconditionally from all over Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. The atrocities committed by the Russian military, the suffering and destruction they have caused, are indescribable, "the document said. EU leaders stressed that Russia must immediately provide humanitarian access and access to all civilians captured by the war. The European Council expects that international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, will be fully respected, and calls on Russia to immediately pave the way for the safe return of those Ukrainians who have been forcibly deported to Russia. "The European Council pays tribute to the courage and devotion of the people of Ukraine and its leadership in the struggle to preserve their country's sovereignty, territorial integrity and freedom. The European Union is adamant in assisting Ukraine in realizing its inalienable right to self-defense against Russian aggression and in building a peaceful, democratic and prosperous future. In this, it will continue to work closely with international partners, "the document reads. In a separate section of their conclusions, European leaders noted the need to investigate war crimes committed in Ukraine by Russian invaders and the inevitability of prosecuting all those responsible for these atrocities. Read also: The russian occupiers lost more than 30500 soldiers, and 1358 tanks For the first time, Ukraine took part in a meeting of the Steering Committee of the NATO Cyber Center In the south of the Armed Forces of Ukraine lined up armored vehicles of the occupiers from ATGM (VIDEO) The French journalist became the eighth media man to die in the line of duty Anti-aircraft missile forces of Ukraine destroyed two missiles of the occupiers EU approves oil embargo for Russia and disconnection of Sberbank from SWIFT SBU completes investigation into first rape case during war In service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine, they noticed an unusual kamikaze drone with a vertical take-off system. It could be a rare PHOLOS UAV Turkish ANKA drones have learned to detect sea mines The Armed Forces as a result of counterattack released Nikolaevka in the Kherson region - the General Staff In Melitopol there was an explosion in the area of residence of the pseudo-governor of Zaporozhye, blew up his niece (photo) Biden said he would not provide Ukraine with missiles that could reach Russia A pilot from Kharkov destroyed hundreds of Russian soldiers and dozens of their tanks Posthumously, the title of Hero of Ukraine was awarded to the captain of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Sergei Igorevich Parkhomenko, who died during the Russian invasion of our country . The Hero of Ukraine was only 25 years old. What is known about the Hero? Sergey was born on January 14, 1997 in Kharkov, in a family of military aviators, which were both his father and grandfather. Since childhood, he dreamed of the sky and wanted to connect his life with aviation. When his father, Igor Parkhomenko, during the war in eastern Ukraine in 2014, performed combat missions in the air, Sergey entered the flight department of Ivan Kozhedub KhNUVS. Sergey successfully graduated from the university in 2019, having received the qualification of a 3rd class pilot. Sergei expressed a desire to serve in the tactical aviation brigade named after Lieutenant General Vasily Nikiforov and fly Su-25 aircraft. Despite his young age, at the time of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Sergei served as an aviation commander. Battle path Parkhomenko made 38 sorties in difficult conditions of countering enemy air defense systems and fighter aircraft. He was able to masterfully destroy more than 20 enemy tanks, more than 50 armored fighting vehicles, 55 vehicles, 20 fuel tanks, as well as hundreds of Russian soldiers and a number of officers. Repeatedly skillfully removed aircraft from enemy missile attacks. For courage and patriotism shown in defending the Motherland from Russian aggression, by Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 292/2022 of May 2, 2022, he was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnitsky III degree. On May 14, while performing a combat mission in the Zaporozhye region near the city of Huliaipole, Captain Sergei Parkhomenko died heroically, remaining a devoted and unshakable defender of the Ukrainian people to the last. Together with his brothers, he developed new approaches in the tactics of using aviation in modern war conditions, he was the soul of an aviation unit, the commander-leader leading his unit into battle, the brothers recall. Sergei Parkhomenko left a recently born child The Hero left behind a wife and a son born in March. At the farewell ceremony in Vinnitsa, on behalf of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the parents of the deceased Hero were presented with a commemorative letter of respect and grief. Read also: 30 OMBR destroyed enemy BMP with full ammunition (VIDEO) At least ten occupiers were burned: cadres of successful work of the Armed Forces SOCIETYBattle group K2 effectively defeated enemy tanks in Donetsk region (VIDEO) Ukrainian pilots broke into Azovstal defenders seven times, delivering ammunition and necessary equipment. VIDEO Veterano Brownie founder opens charity auction to buy drone for the Armed Forces Armed Forces blew up enemy landing combat vehicle (VIDEO) The russian occupiers lost more than 30500 soldiers, and 1358 tanks For the first time, Ukraine took part in a meeting of the Steering Committee of the NATO Cyber Center In the south of the Armed Forces of Ukraine lined up armored vehicles of the occupiers from ATGM (VIDEO) The French journalist became the eighth media man to die in the line of duty Anti-aircraft missile forces of Ukraine destroyed two missiles of the occupiers EU approves oil embargo for Russia and disconnection of Sberbank from SWIFT Monday, May 23 1110 Report of a solo vehicle accident in the elm tunnel. 1353 Report of delivery truck driver speeding on Spring Street. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. 1554 A man was upset that Comcast was trimming tree limbs on Spring Street. 1622 Report of two suspicious men going door to door on Sylvaner Avenue. 1722 Multiple reports of a fire across from the Pope Street Bridge. Firefighters responded with air and ground units and quickly prevented the Pope Fire from spreading. 1920 Nine drivers were cited for trying to get around the barricades while road closures were in effect in the Pope/Silverado/Howell Mountain area. Tuesday, May 24 0501 There was a vehicle with a loud exhaust system near Crane/Vallejo. 0725 Report of a frequent problem with a man who goes into a local convenience store and argues with employees about the price of items in the store. He was told to leave but came back to argue some more. Police contacted the man. 0842 Two dogs were reported missing from Spring Mountain Road. One is a black and tan German shepherd. The other is a white German shepherd-type dog. 0909 A Kubota utility vehicle containing tools and materials was stolen from Dowdell Lane. 0951 Police assisted with a person who was reportedly acting hysterical and combative toward family members on Redondo Court. 1346 Report of a phone scam referring to a retirement program. 2107 A pedestrian in a motorized wheelchair was hit by a car in the crosswalk at Main/Spring. The hit-and-run is under investigation. Police are looking for a 1999-2001 Toyota Camry with noticeable damage on its left front bumper. 2228 Report of a drunk driver on Charter Oak Avenue. Wednesday, May 25 1502 Police cited a vehicle parked in a blue zone on Main Street. 1513 Report of a possible drunk driver weaving on Hunt Avenue. 1549 Report of a restraining order violation on Main Street. 1937 A caller said someone seems to be living in a van on Hunt Avenue. 2021 Report of a giant boom audible near Meadowcreek Circle, followed by a power outage. 2030 Medical aid on Pratt Avenue. 2237 Report of another loud sound audible from Hunt Avenue. Police contacted PG&E workers in the area and confirmed it was from a power line. 2302 An officer cited someone after a traffic stop at Hunt/Railroad. Thursday, May 26 0533 Report of a large tree blocking La Quinta Way. 1053 Report of a reckless driver in a loud orange Mustang on Chardonnay Way. The caller was concerned about kids and pets in the area. 1320 Someone reportedly cut several trees on a Pope Street property. Police determined it was a civil problem. 1453 Police received a phone tip about a vehicle matching the description of the one in Tuesdays hit-and-run. The information was passed to the investigating officers. 1821 Report of a reckless driver in a Jeep Cherokee tailgating and swerving. The vehicle was last seen on Adams Street. 1941 A loose dog found on Adams Street was returned to its owner after a short stay in the SHPD kennel. 1942 Report of a man throwing rocks at the stop sign at the corner of Hunt/Monte Vista. Friday, May 27 0812 An officer cited someone after a traffic stop near Vidovich/Main. 0824 Report of a two-vehicle accident blocking Pope/Silverado. 1047 Report of an aggressive driver in a semi almost running someone off the road. It was last seen near Main/Pope. 1257 Police took a report on a trip-and-fall near Oak/Adams. 1300 Report of a civil issue turning into an argument at a local restaurant. A man who was there to pick up his final paycheck and sign some paperwork was reportedly yelling at the owner. 1539 One of the parties involved in a two-car accident at Oak/Spring was refusing to exchange information with the other party. An officer responded to mediate the situation. 1550 Someone called with a possible tip about the hit-and-run case. 1738 Medical aid for a sick person on Chardonnay Way. Saturday, May 28 0747 A truck crashed into a parked car, which then hit a power pole and damaged some power lines on Main Street. Nobody was hurt. PG&E responded to deal with the damaged pole and lines. 1139 A caller said a white utility trailer on Oak Avenue was an eyesore. 1905 Report of a reckless driver tailgating and passing illegally on Highway 29 near Lodi Lane. 1922 An officer warned a driver about impeding traffic near Main/Grayson. 2006 Report of a possible drunk driver in a Tacoma tailgating and swerving near Highway 29 and Deer Park Road. 2032 Police cited a vehicle parked in a red zone near Grove/Hunt. 2038 Police marked two abandoned vehicles in the Monte Vista area. 2133 An officer cited a driver for speeding near Pope/Silverado. 2200 Following a traffic stop at Main/El Bonita, police arrested a 42-year-old Daly City man for an outstanding warrant. Sunday, May 29 0906 An officer cited someone during a traffic stop on Main Street. 0949 An officer cited someone during a traffic stop on Main Street. 1255 Medical aid for a man who walked into the police department and complained of chest pain. 1432 A vehicle hit a guardrail on Edwards Street. A man involved in the incident was having a heart issue. In July of 1967 I was a newly commissioned ensign in the U.S. Navy attached to the Naval ROTC unit at the University of Michigan. This was a temporary assignment until I would attend the U.S. Submarine School in Connecticut. When a soldier, Marine, sailor, or airman was killed in action in Vietnam the next of kin would be notified, in person, by an officer of his branch as soon as practical. On July 5th I was notified that Hospitalman David Scott Palmer had died. He was a Navy corpsman assigned to a Marine platoon. I was accompanied by the family minister when we notified the family on an otherwise beautiful Michigan Sunday afternoon. Some years later I visited the Palmer family home and neighborhood in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Near the home was a senior center so I stopped in to chat with those in attendance. I was soon surrounded by many people who knew David and the Palmer family; many had always wondered about the young naval officer who was tasked with informing the family of the loss of their son and brother. Lieutenant Eric B. Zimny, U.S. Navy, 1967-1971 Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. A mournful bugle rendition of Taps sounded over the oak-sprinkled cemetery at the Veterans Home of California in Yountville on Monday to honor those who died while serving in the United States armed forces. About 5,700 people are buried on this slope where the Mayacamas Mountains begin, either veterans or their spouses. Small American flags placed by the Boy Scouts graced the graves dating back to the late 1800s. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. A few dozen people attended the 10 a.m. ceremony at the 11-acre cemetery. The event was open to Veterans Home residents, staff and their families, but not the general public because of the COVID-19 uptick. Mickey Gandel, 94, served in the U.S. Merchant Marine during World War II. He went through the cemetery in his wheelchair. "I have quite a few friends up there," he said. Then watched the half-hour ceremony. "Since I've been here I've been here 24 years it has always been a high point of the year, bringing people in from the area and hearing what they have to say," Gandel said. Muriel Zimmer, a U.S. Air Force veteran who trained B-29 crews in engagement, evasion and survival skills during the Korean War, sang the national anthem. Memorial Day for her brings back memories of growing up in Randolph, New York. "I remember my mother putting flowers on all the graves in our hometown cemetery," she said. Among those speaking were Veterans Home Deputy Administrator Stephanie Weaver, CalVet Assistant Deputy Secretary Beth Muszynski, Yountville Mayor John Dunbar and home member Debby Wiepking. A city of Napa ceremony hosted by American Legion Post 113 started at 11:30 a.m. in the downtown Veterans Memorial Park. More than 125 people sat on the park's cement-and-grass slopes near the Napa River. Dan Brown is a Vietnam War veteran and served in the Army. He sat near a tree in one of the few shady spots on a hot, sunny day and considered what Memorial Day means to him. "Well, trying to keep patriotism alive," he said. "I think maybe we're losing a little of that....Makes me sad, in a way." He's uncertain if young people are being educated about veterans, he said. "You have to keep that thought alive and that feeling alive...a lot of people sacrificed for this country and we don't want to forget that," Brown said. Mike McDermott sat nearby. He and Brown knew each other before they joined the service and were in the same infantry division. The Army veteran said on this day he remembers the friends who died in Vietnam. Among those speaking were C.J. Bertagna, who also played taps on the bugle at both the Veterans Home and downtown ceremony. Napa City Councilmember and Marine Corps veteran Bernie Narvaez was master of ceremonies. The Meadowlarks chorus sang. Memorial Day ceremonies were also scheduled in American Canyon and Calistoga. One was held Sunday at the pioneer cemetery in Yountville. You can reach Barry Eberling at 707-256-2253 or beberling@napanews.com Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Agthia Group, a leading food and beverage company, has approved a greenfield investment of AED90 million ($24.5 million) for the construction of a manufacturing facility for Nabil, one of Agthias protein brands, in Jeddah. CAPEX spending is expected to start in the coming months, with first sales from the new facility expected in the second half (H2) 2023, reported Emirates News Agency WAM. The project, which is in response to strong demand from local customers, will further strengthen Agthias footprint in the KSA the Gulfs largest and one of the fastest growing consumer markets, and support the companys strategy of becoming one of the leaders in the Mena consumer packaged goods sector. Khalifa Sultan Al Suwaidi, Chairman of Agthia Group, said: "Agthias greenfield investment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would enable significant progress towards our long-term profitability target and our commitment to deliver on our growth strategy to become a regional leader by 2025". Alan Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Agthia Group, said: "Nabil Foods has a well-established business in KSA. This investment will allow us to further drive the growth of our protein vertical while offering the right product quality compliant with local regulations. The site design will also give us the capacity and flexibility to meet future market growth potential and will eliminate any future replacement cost in case of expansions." Captain Robert W. Evans served from 1964-1969 as a Job Control Officer for the 93 Bomb Wing stationed at Castle Air Force Base in Atwater, Calif. His team repaired and maintained the wings fleet of 30 KC-135 tankers and 30 B52 bombers, the largest flight line in SAC (Strategic Air Command). Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. Castle AFBs mission was training new combat crews to fly the 'heavies.' The base had an extensive flying load preparing pilots and crew members to be ready to fly. Inexperienced pilots, like student car drivers, were hard on the planes requiring regular inspections and repairs. Evans also served as a Mission Critical Launch Officer for the flights. His duty was making sure the planes were flight ready before the inexperienced pilots launched and was on watch in case anything went wrong. Evans was described by fellow officers as a fantastic friend, trustworthy, with a great sense of humor, and 'one-of-a-kind' person. He organized and hosted reunions for the other maintenance officers he worked with on the flight line. Evans and five of his fellow officers from all over the U.S. would gather in California and re-live their adventures. He was a much loved husband, father, grandfather, and friend. Evans passed away in 2018. Captain Robert W. Evans is buried at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery. Susann Evans, Napa. February, 1943 - Lt. William E. Fulmer of South St Louis, a P-38 fighter pilot flying with the Twelfth AF missing in action over North Africa. as printed in the St. Louis Dispatch. This announcement, a couple of photos, and some miscellaneous communications from my Grandmother is everything we knew of Grandpa Bill. Through research and some help from a college friend in the Marines, I found a memorial honoring he and a number of other missing in action veterans in Tunis, Tunisia. Lt. William E. Fulmer Twelfth AF St. Louis, Missouri is permanently etched in granite at a military cemetery half-way across the globe from our family. The Marine Corp company dispatched to the Tunis have sense honored my Grandfather by flying an American flag over the cemetery and sent is a parchment rubbing of the granite itself. Here's what we know. On January 13th, 1943 - Lt. William E. Fulmer, a P-38 fighter pilot flying with the 48th Fighter Squadron of the Twelfth AF was one of two P-38s shot down over the Mediterranean Sea while escorting a counter-shipping a mission over Italy. The 48th fighter squadron was once the 48th Flying Training Sq. of Southern California training pilots on a new, yet still being fully proven reliable dual-engine fighter plane the P-38. The 48th was dispatched to the European theater and then renamed the 48th Fighter Squadron whose patch was designed by Walt Disney. The patch features an alley cat chasing a dragonfly. It's my hope to some day visit Tunis to take a knew to honor so many that lay to rest miles from their families. Don J. Huffman, Jr.